Here’s hoping the winter has everyone rested and ready to go back to work for a safe 2006 Construction Season. Safety will be a key concern again this year and for years to come. It is evident that more and more people are on board with safety issues as the use of personal protective equipment by the work force is dominant at the job sites.

As of this date all of the Projects Division crews have been called back to work. PCC crews working on Polk County, I-235 project have been back since April. Currently Cortney Graber, Brian Manatt, Jim Shafer, Rick Hudson and Randy Test are the managers heading up the day to day scheduling needed to complete the phases required on that contract. When the Polk County project hits a scheduling gap, the crew will move to Grinnell and Brooklyn for a short time and then relocate to other projects as needed.

The other PCC crew managed by Mike Viehdorfer, Kenny Alexander, B.J. Epperly, Billy Naderman and Bruce Crook are working on the Race Track Project in Newton and surrounding projects tied to the racetrack. Managers on this project are finding that Design Built projects of this size come with their own set of rules. Not all of the rules are user friendly to the higher production rates and schedules that our managers are accustom to.

The Underground Division is experiencing a change this season with the new management of Larry Goodwin as superintendent. Larry has been with Manatts fifteen years in a variety of positions, but basically anywhere excavators are being used. Larry brings this division a history of quality work, good rapport with the contracting authority, and a charming personality. Brett Strong will have the foreman responsibility of managing the crew and safely producing a quality product. This crew will finish up some of last year’s contracts and then move to Coralville for a large project. Underground crews work in a safety sensitive environment most of the time. With this in mind, pay attention to detail and have a safe season.

The Paradigm Division has been at work all year. When they’re not crushing, they recondition the equipment. Brian Novak manages this crew, Tom Dvorak feeds the crusher with the loader and Justin Bridgewater runs the crusher. Before any of that can be done, the recycle piles have to be processed to a size that will fit into the throat of the crusher. Fernando Galvez and Jorge Chavarria operate the excavators that turn the big chunks into smaller pieces. Dave Beck is a back up operator and the ground guy. And if that’s not enough information, ask Sid Mabb. Sid will tell you that he makes up for what everyone else doesn’t know or do.

The Quality Control Division has been called back to work. Al Heintz assures me that all will go smooth this summer for the various testing needs required for work under contract. While I’m on the subject of smooth, I would like to announce that Manatts, Inc. has a first time grinding crew established and on the road already this season. Kevin Sorensen and Aaron Widner are chasing work under contract to keep our machine busy. Paving contractors, bridge contractors and others call for this service when the pavement smoothness requirements are not met. The grinding crew has the ability to move onto a project, profile the pavement for smoothness and grind the pavement to the smoothness specified. I am confident that Kevin and Aaron have the ability to make this crew the preferred choice of grinders in their market area.

Around Brooklyn things are looking like winter is over. The grass is green.  People are finding mushrooms. Farmers are in the field. The shops are thinning out on trucks and equipment. More new faces are seen in the office and parts area every day. Radio traffic is picking up and occasionally it is a “wait your turn to talk” day with so many people trying to communicate. The equipment in the north yard continues to thin out day by day, soon to be vacated entirely. And the feeling you get from the work force is “it’s about time we get back to work”. The feeling I would like to convey to them is, “Welcome back, it’s been a long winter”!