ECA Canada continues expansion with key team members
ECA Canada Company recently announced the addition of two key team members in its ongoing effort to serve its customers in Eastern Canada and expand into Western Canada.
ECA Canada welcomed account manager Kevin Sharp, based out of its new Vancouver branch, and Bauer trainer and after sales support manager Jason Church, out of its Toronto branch. Sharp comes to ECA Canada with a long history in the foundation drilling industry. His experience as president of Sharp Construction, general manager of Northstar Sharp’s and as a sales rep with Western Equipment Solutions and Traxxon Foundation Equipment makes him a valuable addition to the ECA Canada team in Vancouver.
Sharp says what brought him to ECA Canada was the company’s commitment to training and continuing education. ECA Canada’s focus on bringing strong after-sales support to its Western Canada customers is another reason for Sharp’s enthusiasm for the role. “I’m looking forward to being able to provide turnkey solutions for any foundation project for all of our clients,” Sharp said. “No one provides that level of support like ECA.”
In his spare time, Sharp is actively involved in junior hockey, even hosting three international junior hockey players full-time at his home.
Church, who was previously the service manager for ECA Canada from 2016-2018, returns to ECA Canada. With years of experience as a drill rig operator, Church comes tailor-made for the role, which will see him training rig operators across Canada, supporting the service department at the Toronto branch and managing customer after-sales support.
Church says he is excited about the opportunity to get back after being away for a few years. “To be honest, I never wanted to leave,” Church said. “It’s probably the best work environment I’ve ever been in.”
One of Church’s best attributes in his new role at ECA Canada is his passion for teaching and instruction. “I’ve always liked and felt fulfilled by sharing my experience,” Church said. “Whether it was making mistakes or overcoming challenges, I feel like this is an opportunity to feel this fulfillment all the time. We succeed if our customers succeed.”
Pile Dynamics, Inc. announces Anna Sellountou-Rausche, Ph.D., P.E., as director of global sales
Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI) announced Anna Sellountou-Rausche, Ph.D., P.E., as director of global sales. PDI president George Piscsalko, P.E., was the acting interim sales director since April 2022. Sellountou-Rausche is not new to PDI or the deep foundations industry. She has been with PDI since 2012, championing PDI’s global product research and development.
In her new role, Sellountou-Rausche will lead PDI’s sales and business development, as well as manage technical operations globally.
Sellountou-Rausche received her five-year civil engineering degree from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and her Ph.D., from the University of Houston, under the supervision of one of the world’s leading experts in deep foundations, Professor M.W. O’Neill. She began her career at Fugro in Houston, Texas, where she worked on several domestic and international projects (with an emphasis on deep foundations testing), including numerous liquefied natural gas and bridge projects.
Sellountou-Rausche also serves on various committees for the Deep Foundations Institute, American Concrete Institute, Pile Driving Contractors Association and ASTM International, where she is highly involved with specifications and code revisions.
CCPPP announces new board of directors and new chair for 2022-2023
The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) is pleased to announce its 2022-2023 Board of Directors, including Johanne Mullen, partner, PwC Canada, as CCPPP’s new chair. The 30-person volunteer board, including five new directors, was elected virtually by member organizations at CCPPP’s annual general meeting on Nov. 30, 2022. Given the unique nature of CCPPP, directors come from both the public and private sectors.
“I’m delighted to welcome our incredible roster of board members, representing a who’s-who of experts involved in the procurement, financing, development, design, construction, and operations and maintenance of infrastructure across Canada,” said Mullen.
“These directors will play an active role in helping evolve and deliver on the Council’s new mission and vision as governments across Canada continue to make historic investments in infrastructure and seek to resolve ongoing labour and inflationary challenges. I look forward to digging in with them to further enhance and share the industry’s understanding of the issues and in applying lessons learned to help create new opportunities for the country’s P3 pipeline to grow.”
List of all members of the board of directors.
CCPPP would also like to express its sincere appreciation to its outgoing board members for their significant contributions over several years, including long-time member and former board chair Mark Bain, partner, Torys LLP, who announced at P3 2022, that he was stepping down from the role after serving for six years.
Lehigh Hanson becomes Heidelberg Materials
On Jan. 2, Lehigh Hanson, Inc. announced it changed its brand to Heidelberg Materials. Previously announced in September 2022, this new brand identity has been in effect for the company’s corporate office and its core brands of Lehigh Cement and Hanson Aggregates. Most of the company’s subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada will change their brands to Heidelberg Materials in the coming months. Lehigh Hanson’s evolution to Heidelberg Materials reflects its broader and innovative approach to serving its customers and specializing in sustainability and digital solutions. Although the Heidelberg name is more than 150 years old and is often associated just with cement, Heidelberg Materials reflects the organization’s expertise in the heavy building materials industry.
“This is a major step change for our company, both globally and here in North America,” said Chris Ward, president and CEO of Heidelberg Materials North America and member of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials. “We are thrilled to begin this transformation in North America today, and continue our global journey to grow our business beyond cement and aggregates, and become the most sustainable company in the sector.”
Visit www.heidelbergmaterials.us to explore the new website and brand, and learn more about the company’s experience, capabilities and portfolio of sustainable products and digital solutions.
ISM announces chair and technical program chair of the 15th International Workshop on Micropiles
Sue Frank is serving as the chair of the International Society for Micropiles’ (ISM) 15th International Workshop on Micropiles being held from May 31 to
June 2 in Vail, Colo.
Frank is the CEO and president of TEI Rock Drills in Colorado. She has worked in the drilling industry for 32 years. Since taking on the role of CEO in 2006, she has led TEI Rock Drills to achieve ISO certification, streamlining the company’s manufacturing process and increasing overall productivity. Under Frank’s leadership, TEI has experienced financial gains and has grown to be a leading manufacturer of excavator drill attachments, limited-access drill rigs, safety equipment and associated components.
She is an active member of industry organizations, currently serving her second term on the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) Board of Directors. She is also an active member of the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and the ISM, and a member of ADSC/DFI Micropile Committee, ADSC Safety Committee, ADSC Anchored Earth Retention, ADSC Associate Committee and DFI Women in Deep Foundations Committee.
Frank was honoured as one of the 2018 Women of Distinction and awarded 2021 Women of Excellence, Woman of the Year. In 2020, TEI received the Colorado Industrial/Equipment Manufacturer of the Year award and Frank was awarded the Colorado Outstanding Woman in Manufacturing.
She is on several non-profit boards, including Greater Montrose Chamber of Commerce, Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club and HopeWest Hospice.
Ty Jahn, P.E., is serving as the technical program chair at the 15th International Workshop on Micropiles.
Jahn is an area manager for Condon-Johnson & Associates, working in Bozeman, Mont. With over a decade of experience in the geotechnical construction space, Jahn specializes in small-diameter drilling and micropiles. He has used that experience to lead successful construction projects and designs across the western U.S. He is a registered professional engineer in three states. Over the years, his strengths at Condon-Johnson have garnered recognition for representing North America in the 2019 ISM Micropile World Cup and publishing several papers. He may spend his days in Bozeman, but it’s the desire to come up with creative new solutions to problems that gets him out of bed in the morning.
Registration for the 15th International Workshop on Micropiles is open now at www.ismicropiles.org.
Regan Tolley promoted to Midwest south-central sales manager
CZM Foundation Equipment announced that Regan Tolley has been promoted to Midwest south-central sales manager.
Tolley joined CZM in 2016 as the Midwest sales manager and will continue to serve in that capacity in addition to the newly added south-central region.
Prior to joining CZM, he worked as a project manager for a drilling contractor for four years. His experience on the contractor side of the industry gives him unique insight into the needs of his customers and has allowed him to excel in the Midwest market.
Tolley now brings his expertise to the south-central region. He will work alongside CZM’s after-sales team in Haslet, Texas, to manage both rentals and sales in his new territory: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Nominations being accepted for DFI 2023 awards and lectures
DFI is accepting nominations for its 2023 awards, which showcase and celebrate the achievements and contributions of individuals, teams and companies in the deep foundation industry. The deadline to submit nominations for the 2023 Outstanding Project Award, Distinguished Service Award and C. William Bermingham Innovation Award is April 17. The awards are being presented at DFI’s 48th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Seattle, Wash., Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.
The Outstanding Project Award recognizes the superior work of DFI members. Each year, a project is chosen from geotechnical projects submitted for consideration by DFI members.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptionally valuable contributions to the advancement of the deep foundation industry.
The C. William Bermingham Innovation Award encourages and recognizes innovative contributions to deep foundations technology. The award pays tribute to the innovative spirit of Bill Bermingham, a DFI past president, and his contributions to DFI and the deep foundation industry.
Information and nomination forms are available at www.dfi.org/events/awards.
Rebranding of Alaska Rubber Group
Alaska Rubber Group, an employee-owned industrial distribution company headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, has rebranded as ARG Industrial.
ARG Industrial is a solutions-focused organization specializing in the distribution of hoses, fittings, lifting and rigging products, and serves a wide variety of industrial markets across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
ARG Industrial’s former subsidiary trade names include Alaska Rubber & Rigging Supply Inc., Arctic Wire Rope & Supply, Central Hose & Fittings, Industrial Supply Inc., Inland Pacific Hose & Fittings, North Sound Hose & Fittings, Pacific Hose & Fittings, Pacific Rubber Inc., Timco Inc. and The Hose Pro.
The rebranding to ARG Industrial also signifies a reorganization of the company’s structure, bringing together the various subsidiary units into one company under one name.
In Memoriam – David R. Good – 1956-2023
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that the principals and staff of Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engi-neers announce the passing of one of their principals, David R. Good.
Good died unexpectedly on Jan. 23. He spent his entire 43-year career at Mueser Rutledge, interning in 1978 and 1979 while in engineering school at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and joining in 1980 after graduating. He was a hands-on geotechnical engineer who was never happier than when he met a subsurface challenge that he could lean into.
A true “engineer’s engineer,” Good was beloved by his co-workers and clients alike, and a major contributor to the success of the company. He will be sorely missed by all.
Due to Good’s love of engineering and engineering education, Mueser Rutledge and the Good family are establishing an endowed scholarship in his name at his alma mater, NJIT.
Call for abstracts for 2023 DICEP
The Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA) is pleased to announce the call for abstracts, case studies, topic and presentation suggestions for the upcoming annual Design and Installation of Cost-Efficient Piles (DICEP) Conference.
The DICEP Conference is PDCA’s technical conference for engineers held Sept. 12 and 13.
The conference will consist of keynote presentations, case histories and technical presentations that address the conference themes and needs of the industry. Varied presentation lengths will be considered and will be determined based on presentation flow, content relevance and professional development hour requirements.
Throughout the year, PDCA webinars are held to highlight driven pile projects, as well as their value and cost savings. Webinar topic suggestions can be technical,
case-based and/or promotional.
If you have an abstract, case study, paper or topic suggestion you wish to share with the Education Committee for consideration, please be sure it summarizes, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the major aspects of the entire presentation, and should include:
- Proposed title (tentative or final)
- Brief summary of presentation, abstract information, case study details
- Minimum of two audience take-aways
- Intended audience: contractors, engineers, estimators, owners, associates, etc.
The Education Committee intentionally makes the process for submitting abstracts as simple as possible to allow for technical and non-technical presenters to have an opportunity for submission. Once the deadline passes, the Education Committee reviews and selects those presentations that best represent the conference theme. Non-selected abstracts are kept on file with the PDCA for a full year with potential for alternative use in publications, member website resources and other PDCA materials.