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GarverUSA.com has a new look, and with that comes a new home for the latest news, highlights, and happenings at Garver.

Be sure to bookmark GarverUSA.com/News for all the latest updates regarding Garver projects, employee accomplishments, and more.

Rogers Executive Airport runway recognized for pavement quality

A Garver-led project that provided Rogers Executive Airport with a rehabilitated runway ahead of an already aggressive timetable has won a national award recognizing the project for its pavement quality.

Garver provided planning, environmental, design, and construction phase services for the project that completely rehabilitated Runway 2-20, highlighted by a construction phase that covered eight days and finished 24 hours ahead of schedule. The project was recently awarded the Ray Brown Airport Pavement Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association for the highest-rated airport pavement in the nation.

“This project has provided a growing airport with a new runway surface that meets a need for its growing client base,” said Garver Project Manager Adam White. “Because of these changes, the airport can now handle a more diverse mix of aircraft, and thanks to a combined effort between Garver’s Aviation and Construction Services teams, the contractor, and airport staff, operations were affected for only a week.”

Rehabilitation of the airport’s lone runway consisted of full reconstruction of the runway keel section and a mill and overlay of the remaining runway surface. With these improvements, Runway 2-20 can now support aircraft up to 100,000 pounds. Construction included 76,000 square yards of milled surface, 14,000 tons of asphalt, 19,000 linear feet of pavement edge drains, and full rehabilitating of the runway lighting circuit, including new four-box LED PAPI systems.

To make sure the airport’s operations were affected as little as possible, Garver’s Construction Services Team worked with personnel from Emory Sapp & Sons around the clock on 12-hour shifts, with daily meetings to address project progress.

To learn more about what Garver’s Aviation Team can do for you, visit www.GarverUSA.com.

Garver congratulates Bert Parker on 40 years

Bert Parker has always been an integral part of Garver’s continued growth, and today we would like to congratulate Bert on his 40^th anniversary with the company!

Currently serving as chief administrative officer, Parker, who joined Garver in 1978, has also served as director of transportation and spent his earliest years on the Bridge and Aviation teams. Over four decades, Parker has helped Garver take on new services, expand into new markets, and in 2017 became just the fifth engineer from Arkansas to be accepted into the ACEC College of Fellows, a distinguished class of engineers selected by their peers for their contributions to the profession.

He has provided oversight and improvements to the expansion of the federal interstate system along with state and local highway projects and, perhaps his largest contribution, served as project manager for the I-540 and Bobby Hopper Tunnel project, the state’s first highway tunnel.

“We’ve been able to thrive as a company because we’ve always had employees with the utmost dedication to us and the profession,” said Garver President and CEO Dan Williams. “I’ve learned a lot from Bert over the years, and I know a lot of others at Garver have, too. Congratulations on 40 years!”

Helena WWTP improvements earn Grand Award

A Garver-led project that helped a wastewater treatment plant adhere to reduced permit limits has earned the Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama. The Helena Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Improvements project earned the award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama’s Engineering Excellence Awards contest. 

The project consisted of multiple improvements that helped the Helena WWTP meet strict effluent discharge limits for total phosphorus. Because it discharges into Buck Creek, reliable performance and operation of the Helena WWTP is essential to maintain the quality of this body of water frequently used by the citizens of Helena and surrounding communities for swimming, wading, canoeing, and fishing.

“The frequent-use of Buck Creek as a recreational destination requires the effluent coming out of this plant to meet stringent, near-reuse requirements,” said Garver Water Team Leader Brian Shannon. “The improvements being made to this plant will uphold the health and diversity of the natural species that inhabit Alabama’s most ecologically diverse river system.”

To help the plant meet the current and future total phosphorous requirements (0.20 mg/L and 0.043 mg/L), Garver first developed a facilities plan that included a plant-wide evaluation of existing treatment processes to identify shortcomings that hinder plant performance. That plan led to phased improvements designed to meet current and future requirements.

Phase 1 of the project, which was completed in September 2017,  included rehabilitation of the existing secondary clarifiers, new tertiary filtration equipment, new chemical storage and feed facilities, and a new UV disinfection process. Because the existing plant hydraulics were limited, the design team had to develop a unique disinfection and post-aeration strategy consisting of closed-vessel, low-pressure UV disinfection followed by a low-profile, cascade aeration system to provide treatment regardless of downstream water level conditions in Buck Creek.

This is the second Grand Award earned by a Garver-led project in the ACEC-Alabama contest. The Tuscumbia Water Treatment Plant and Supply Improvements project earned the Grand Conceptor Award in 2013. That project was the first in the state to use a blended series membrane process after Garver provided project design, funding assistance, bond issue assistance, construction management, and operation support in replacing a 60-year-old plant. The ACEC-Alabama Grand Conceptor Award for 2018 will be announced at the awards presentation in April.

To learn more about what Garver’s Water Team can do for you, visit GarverUSA.com/Water.

Garver, North Arkansas College to team up in providing airport upgrades

Garver, the Boone County Regional Airport, and North Arkansas College have had a working relationships for years, having combined on previous projects that have provided airport upgrades along with valuable experience for the college’s students.

Now, all three are teaming up again, in a project that will create an expanded parking lot near a terminal facility to be completed at no cost to the airport located in Harrison, Arkansas. Thanks to a grant from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics that will cover engineering and construction costs, Garver will design the expanded parking lot and students at North Arkansas College will provide labor, which will take place during the spring 2018 semester.

The students, who have a history of providing the airport with in-kind services, will construct the earthwork and aggregate base course for the parking lot that will relocate the airport’s growing rental car parking spaces to the newly constructed lot. The expansion will create 43 new spaces for the airport.

 “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways for our clients to fund their projects,” said Project Manager Adam White. “This gives us the best of both worlds: The airport will receive a cost-effective upgrade that relieves stress on its terminal parking areas, and the students at the college get valuable experience working in the field.”

It’s not the first time the three entities teamed up for this type of project delivery. In 2012, a grant from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics funded a Garver-designed project that delivered a 315-foot-long taxiway and apron that provided access to a new hangar area.

To learn more about what Garver’s Aviation Team can do for you, visit www.GarverUSA.com/Aviation.

Jones, Watts have article published in WER journal

Garver Water Services Director Dr. Steve Jones and Water Reuse Practice Leader Dr. Michael Watts co-authored recently an article published in the Water Environment Research journal that highlighted the continued need for the development of alternatives to meet public water demands.

Titled “A Nanofiltration Decision Tool for Potable Reuse: A New Rejection Model for Recalcitrant CECs,” Jones and Watts touched on the need for new strategies for sustaining public water portfolios amidst population growth and drought. The objective of the research outlined in the article was to verify the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in reuse rejection performance, and to conceive a decision tool for selection of either nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) membrane treatment for potable reuse.

“Public water supplies in the United States have historically originated from relatively pristine sources, but the increased pressure of population growth and lifestyle changes coupled with prolonged drought are stressing these supplies in many communities,” the article states. “New strategies are needed to help meet water demands and develop more sustainable water supplies.”

Read the entire article by logging into the WER website here.

To learn more about how Garver’s Water Team is helping to address a growing water crisis, visit GarverUSA.com/Water.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson visits Garver's Fayetteville office

Since its founding in 1919, Garver’s priority has been to deliver the communities in which it operates the most innovative and efficient infrastructure solutions. The key to fulfilling that mission is the sharing of ideas with elected officials on how to advance infrastructure even further.

Garver appreciates the visit made by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who toured our Fayetteville office recently while learning about our continued improvement of Arkansas through aviation, transportation, water, and other projects. Roughly half of our nearly 500 employees live and work in Arkansas, so our dedication to providing communities with sound work is of utmost importance and is backed by decades of positive results.

“We always enjoy opportunities to trade thoughts and ideas on how to improve the infrastructure in Arkansas, which in turn helps make our home state an even better place to live and work than it already is,” said Garver Chief Operating Officer Brock Hoskins. “That focus won’t ever change at 

Garver, and we know the Governor’s intentions are the same.”

Runway rehabilitation project honored by ACEC-Kansas

An innovative approach to runway rehabilitation never before performed at a Kansas airport that resulted in cost savings and reduced construction time has been honored by the American Council of Engineering companies of Kansas with an Engineering Excellence Award.

The rehabilitation of Runway 13-31 at Strother Field Airport in Cowley County, Kansas was originally scheduled to be completed by traditional methods, with the milling of the existing bituminous surface and constructing a bituminous overlay. But Garver had to come up with an innovative alternative when it was determined the runway, one of two at the airport, had deteriorated to a condition that would not withstand such construction methods. Instead, Garver developed a solution to improve the pavement condition, preserve capacity, sustain access, and maintain the project budget to overhaul a runway that helps serve GE Engine Services, the last jet engine overhaul facility based in North America.

“This project highlights what we like to do best at Garver,” said Kansas Aviation Team Leader Mark Williams. “By finding an innovative solution to a complex problem, our Aviation Team not only developed an alternative to Strother Field’s current issue, but we created another option for similar projects in the future.”

Garver’s solution included reclaiming the existing bituminous surface course to serve as a stabilized base course for a new bituminous surface course, which required collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to gain approval of technical specifications. The FAA-approved strategy reduced project costs, and runway closure-time, while improving the pavement condition and maintaining access to GE Engine Services.

In addition, Garver developed a bituminous pavement specification that incorporated the material requirements of the Kansas Department of Transportation specifications with the construction methods required by the FAA. These specifications can now be used on future airfield bituminous paving projects in Kansas.

To learn more about Garver’s Aviation Team, visit www.GarverUSA.com/Aviation.

GarverGives contribution boosts hospital drive

In what has become an annual holiday tradition, a GarverGives donation from Garver’s Jackson, Mississippi office benefited a toy drive held by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Conservation Officers in support of a local children’s hospital.

A group of 10 employees in Garver’s Jackson office presented a $3,300 check that went to the Conservation Officers' “Stuff the Truck” toy drive, which was organized to provide support to the child life specialists at Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson.

“As a father of two children, and the colleague of other parents, we share a common belief in helping Mississippi’s children any chance we get,” said Project Manager Wayne Black. “If we can help them take their minds off the situations that they are in – even for a short time – that is money well spent.”

It is the second consecutive year in which Garver has contributed to the Conservation Officers' event that benefits Mississippi’s lone children’s hospital. The “Stuff the Truck” drive supports the hospital’s annual toy drive that is put on by its child life specialists, who strive to provide education, support, and joy during each patient’s hospital stay.

To learn more about Garver’s charitable giving, visit www.GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture publishes Neal Garver biography

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, an online resource operated by the Central Arkansas Library System, published recently a biography of Neal Garver, the founder of this company, which touches on his early life on the family farm in Iowa, his time at Iowa State University, his arrival in Arkansas, and some of the company’s earliest achievements.

Garver worked in Toledo, Ohio, and as a professor of structural engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, before reporting in June 1918 to Little Rock, Arkansas, to aid the country’s war effort. He and two engineering colleagues arrived to supervise the construction of a picric acid plant southeast of Little Rock, which was to be used to manufacture munitions during World War I. By the time the war ended that November, before the plant could become operational, Garver had already decided to stay in Little Rock to help improve the infrastructure in a state that, at the time, had few engineers.

“Architects were here in sufficient number to design buildings, but few could design complicated structural features,” Garver wrote in his unpublished autobiography.

In 1919, as the firm’s lone employee in the Gazette Building in downtown Little Rock, Garver started what has grown since into a multi-disciplined firm with offices in 10 states and nearly 500 employees.

Read the entire entry here.

GarverGives donation aids Oklahoma homeless shelter

A relationship between Garver’s Norman, Oklahoma, office and a local homeless shelter began three years ago, when employees began helping retrieve donations for the shelter to use for the meals it makes daily.

A total of 11 employees from the Norman office exceeded that help to Food and Shelter, Inc., recently with a donation that will assist in its daily contributions to the homeless community. GarverGives matched employees' efforts with a $1,320 donation presented last month to Food and Shelter, and will go to aid the soup kitchen and shelter program’s quest to provide daily meals and consistent housing.

“We’re proud to work with Food and Shelter, which has been such a vital part of this city for decades,” said Project Manager Amanda Way. “We’re part of this community in every way, and we cherish the opportunities to partner with an organization that provides the city with such a vital service.”

Garver employees donated more than 56 hours of time to Food and Shelter in 2017, picking up donated goods from two area coffee shops and a grocery store, while some also helped serve breakfast. Employees also donated $400 on Giving Tuesday last November.

Food and Shelter, a fully operational soup kitchen and shelter program founded in 1983, serves the homeless community in Norman breakfast and lunch each day, and provides short-term, long-term, and supportive housing for homeless individuals and families.

To learn more about Garver's charitable giving, visit www.GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.

ACEC-Texas honors Garver-led Master Plan project

A Garver-led project that will help assess alternatives and improve operational efficiency for decades has earned one of the industry’s highest honors from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas.

The Trinity River Authority of Texas (TRA) Central Regional Wastewater System (CRWS) Master Plan and Modeling project earned a Gold Medal recently in the studies, research, and consulting engineering services category of ACEC-Texas’ Engineering Excellence Awards. 

In the most detailed evaluation ever completed at the CRWS treatment plant, the Garver team evaluated plant capabilities, capacities, and treatment paradigms; projected future flows and loadings; and anticipated regulatory requirements, completed processes and hydraulic modeling assessments while delivering a new plant process model and a new hydraulic model.

“This was a large undertaking for both the Garver team and TRA,” said Garver Texas Water Team Leader Jeff Sober. “Because the $470 million CIP has a significant impact on customer cities and the facility, it was critical for the process to include the input of all possible stakeholders, and a constant line of communication was crucial throughout the entire process.”

The key to the project’s success was Garver’s development of stop gaps that helped determine if there were any unidentified items to evaluate or unintended consequences.  The final Master Plan was the result of a 22-month effort that developed 39 capital improvement projects. Each project evaluation included life cycle cost analysis, uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulations, and non-economic evaluations, all of which will help provide recommendations on capital planning and operations and maintenance for the facility to manage 405 million gallons per day of flow.

To learn more about what Garver’s Water Team can do for you, visit www.GarverUSA.com/Water.

Gran elected president of Oklahoma chapter of SMPS

Garver Regional Marketing Administrator Cindy Gran has been elected President of the Oklahoma Chapter for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). Gran, who has been a member of Oklahoma’s SMPS chapter since 2006, began her one-year term on Sept. 1.

“I’m honored to be selected to lead an organization that has proven to be so vital to our industry in Oklahoma,” said Gran. “Over the next year we hope to continue the steady growth of SMPS membership, while providing even more support that allows us to better serve our clients and enhance our marketing and business development professional growth and opportunities.”

Identified as the leading organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the AEC industry, SMPS counts more than 6,000 businesses and professionals as members. The Oklahoma chapter, formed in 2001, aims to strengthen the AEC industry in the state through networking, educational programs, certification, and national exposure.

Gran has served previously on the National SMPS Marketing for Communications award selection jury for SMPS, as the Oklahoma Chapter Membership Chair and President-Elect, and as President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Tulsa Post, which honored her with the distinguished Regional Vice President (RVP) coin in recognition of outstanding service to the organization in 2013.

GarverGives donation aids school garden program

A recent donation from Garver’s Norman, Oklahoma office will help advance the mission of Earth Rebirth, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate the community by creating sustainable food, energy, and water.

Earth Rebirth’s award-winning Garden Your Own Growth program uses its various education programs to spark economic improvement within its community by using the food it produces. The Norman-based organization now reaches 17 schools, 15 of which are in Norman, including an aquaponics system at Norman High School that supplies its cafeteria, a food pantry program, and a local farmer’s market. Garver gladly supports the hands-on, STEM-based curriculum that allows up to 300 students maintain the gardens themselves.

The $1,500 GarverGives donation will support Earth Rebirth as it increases the number of school gardens; helps purchase winterization supplies for school gardens, and materials to construct hoop housing for raised garden beds and in-ground garden beds while funding transport to each of the 17 partner schools.

“We wanted to work with Earth Rebirth because it represents so many of Garver’s values by using innovative thinking to make an impact on our community,” said Garver Project Engineer Amanda Way. “We’re excited that this donation will allow them to continue the important contributions they’ve already made.”

To learn more about Garver’s charitable giving, visit www.GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.

Garver adds Gorsegner to Wellness team

Over the last decade, Garver has experienced unprecedented growth, expanding our services into new markets and adding expert professionals who aid clients like never before.

But Garver takes seriously its commitment to maintaining a healthy workplace and a positive company-wide culture, and with that effort in mind, Garver is pleased to announce the hiring of Wellness Coordinator Whitney Gorsegner, who will help advance its award-winning, employee-focused Wellness Program.

“No matter how much we continue to grow, promoting a health-conscious workplace will always be one of our top priorities,” said Wellness Team Manager Sarah Palmiero. “Whitney’s experience as a dedicated advocate for a healthy lifestyle will be a welcomed addition, and will provide even more support to our employees and their families.”

Gorsegner comes to Garver with experience in developing personal training, group fitness, and health education curriculum, while serving as an advocate for healthy eating as a foundation for quality life. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and a certified personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise.

“I firmly believe that lives can be changed simply by showing people of any age how fun being healthy can be,” Gorsegner said. “I’m positive that we’ll continue to create an environment in which our employees continue to discover the benefits of healthy lifestyles.”

As part of Garver’s People Services Team, Palmiero and Gorsegner will work together in advancing the award-winning Wellness Program with continued support of its employees and families in achieving overall physical, mental, financial, and social well-being. In 2017, 99 percent of 

Garver employees participated in the Wellness Program, with almost 40 percent earning financial rewards for hitting established benchmarks. Garver was named earlier this year a Gold Well Workplace by the Wellness Council of America and was named among the Top 100 Healthiest Employers at FitBit Captivate 2017.

As Wellness Team Manager, Palmiero will continue to direct overall programming, while concentrating on disease management efforts and total rewards support, while Gorsegner will focus on health promotion, employee engagement, and program administration.

To learn more about how Garver’s Wellness Program contributes to its award-winning culture, visit, www.GarverUSA.com/JoinUs.

MDOT opens stretch of I-269 in north Mississippi

Garver joined representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and several elected officials this week to mark the opening of a section of I-269 in Marshall County, Mississippi southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. The four-lane controlled access interstate extends I-269 from just east of U.S. Highway 78 to State Road 302 and is the second leg of the ongoing project. 

Garver provided engineering services for Phases A, B and C of the project, which included surveys, roadway, traffic and bridge design. Garver’s section of the project, which opened this week, covers 6.3 miles and includes one interchange, several grade separation structures, and a 4,000-foot bridge over the Coldwater River.

“We knew from the beginning that this would be a huge economic benefit to north Mississippi, providing another route around one of the region’s largest metropolitan areas,” said Garver Senior Project Manager Steve Haynes. “It’s rewarding to see this stretch of interstate open and to know that the citizens of Mississippi and Tennessee, and those traveling through it, will be taking full advantage.”

Eventually I-269 will provide an interstate loop around Memphis, providing easier access into Memphis while opening up additional areas to further development. From Hernando, Mississippi, the interstate will travel along Memphis’s eastern edge to Millington, Tennessee.

To learn more about how Garver’s Transportation Team can help you, visit GarverUSA.com/Transportation.

Photos courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Garver adds landscape architecture to available services

Garver has always strived to be a full-service engineering and consulting firm that provides solutions throughout the life of a project. With that effort in mind, it has added landscape architecture to its list of varied capabilities, providing clients with services related to all aspects of site planning and design.

From its office in Wichita, Kansas, Garver’s registered landscape architects have the ability to improve and enhance municipal streets, educational facilities, bicycle and pedestrian trails, retail facilities, park and recreational facilities, and medical buildings. They’re also capable in land planning, streetscapes, and wayfinding for projects throughout Garver’s 10-state footprint.

“Anything outside of the structure, we can come up with a plan that creates a vibrant, more attractive space for our clients,” said Landscape Architect Brent Thomas, a member of Garver's Federal Team who will help deliver projects across all available services. “Our plans will improve the curb appeal and really make these projects something our clients can be proud of.”

Garver’s landscape architects are currently working on projects in Alabama, Kansas, and Texas; while past projects include a church expansion master plan, a cemetery design, a streetscape design that reinvented two streets in downtown Wichita to spark further redevelopment; entry signage for a residential development; and a retail concept planning project at a 25-acre aviation campus.

To learn more about Garver’s landscape architecture capabilities, visit GarverUSA.com/Federal.

Radar approach facility renovation awarded Gold Medal

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas recently honored a Garver-led project that turned one of the U.S. Army’s most complicated radar approach control facilities into a modern and updated operation focused on efficiency and safety.

A full-scale renovation of the Army Radar Approach Control building at Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas was awarded a Gold Medal in the Building/Technology Systems category by ACEC-Texas, the result of a combined effort between Garver’s Aviation, Facilities Design, and Federal teams. The project completely reorganized a control facility that has been in use since 1975 and currently services eight civilian and four military airfields in central Texas.

“Because of its importance, we had to come up with a plan to keep the ARAC operational during construction," said Project Manager Josh Crawford. "It was a difficult task, but we're proud to say it didn't miss one day of operations."

Garver’s plan provided a temporary and transportable facility, which required coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, Fort Hood Directorate of Aviation, and the City of Killeen Department of Aviation, to keep operations going during the renovations. The new facility, which opened earlier this year, now has a free-flowing floor plan concentrated to enhance operations, maintenance, administration, and general areas, to more efficiently service up to 10,000 flights per year.

To learn more about what Garver's Aviation Team visit GarverUSA.com/Aviation.

Garver project wins DBIA merit award

A Garver design-build project that provided the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with a state-of-the-art canine training facility has earned one of its industry’s top awards.

The Design-Build Institute of America awarded the Canine Training Facility at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, with a National Award of Merit in the Educational Facilities category at its annual awards dinner last week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Garver provided design project management, design quality control, and architectural, civil, communications, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection design services.

Garver was joined on the design-build team with The Ross Group and HDR for the 25,000 square-foot-facility that includes classrooms, offices, and large gathering spaces. The LEED Silver facility is equipped to educate around 230 canine-handler teams per year.

“We were proud and honored to work on a project that is so important to the TSA’s mission,” said Greg Archer, Director of Architecture at Garver. “The finished product was exactly what we envisioned – an open design that is as elegant as it is functional and will be of use for a long, long time.”

The DBIA said the academy provides the National Explosives Detection Training Program with “an optimal educational environment for the critical training functions of the men, women, and explosives detection canines who protect and serve our country.”

To learn more about what Garver’s Facilities Design Team can do for you, visit GarverUSA.com.

Garver drive contributes to Arkansas Children's Northwest

Garver affects its communities on a daily basis through improvements to airports, roads, and water treatment plants. But Garver’s Fayetteville, Arkansas office recently impacted a vital addition independent of infrastructure design.

About 60 employees in the Fayetteville office united last week to raise more than one-third of what resulted in a $30,000 donation from GarverGives, the company’s corporate giving arm, to Arkansas Children’s Northwest, a state-of-the-art pediatric care center scheduled to open in January 2018 in Springdale.

To raise the money, Garver employees made donations that came with perks, such as shoving a pie in the face of their manager, making their manager lip sync, and some agreed to shave their heads if the 

employees met a fundraising goal.

“It was important to us for our employees to have fun with this campaign,” said Project Manager Adam White, who helped organize the drive. “But the most important part was the impact this will have on the new hospital, which will impact Northwest Arkansas for generations. To be a part of that is a true blessing.”

Arkansas Children’s Northwest will be the first freestanding children’s hospital in the area, which will aid Garver’s employees and their families along with the rest of the community.

“With this coming here, that’s going to allow Northwest Arkansas families to stay close to home during some of the most difficult times when they otherwise would have had to go to the hospital in Little Rock for an extended period,” White said. “That was something we really wanted to get behind.”

To learn more about Garver’s charitable giving, visit GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.

Garver honors America's veterans

Garver is eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country, as well as those who continue to do so. On Friday, we will recognize those veterans who provided a safer nation by serving the military and who now serve Garver in our mission to provide that same nation with sound infrastructure.

More than 20 current Garver employees served in various military branches – a group that touches multiple business lines and Garver offices – and to them we say thank you for what you’ve done for our country and continue to do for our company. 

Wade Carpenter, Senior Project Surveyor, Survey, Huntsville, Alabama

Guy Choate, Communications Team Manager, Communications, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Colin Cordell, IT Intern, IT, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Darold Davis, Senior Project Manager, Transportation, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Michael Hall, Software Support Analyst, IT, Norman, Oklahoma

Steve Haynes, Senior Project Manager, Transportation, Jackson, Mississippi

Bobby Johnston, Project Surveyor, Survey, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Matt Koss, Project Manager, Aviation, Franklin, Tennessee

Jerry Martin, Project Manager, Water, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Bryan Melton, Project Manager, Facilities Design, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Melissa Mixon, Technician, Transportation, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Jim Morris, Senior Construction Engineer, Construction Services, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Robert Mullen, Senior Construction Observer, Construction Services, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Randall Richards, Project Engineer, Aviation, Huntsville, Alabama

Lucio Rivas, Construction Observer, Construction Services, Austin, Texas

Jennifer Russell, Senior Project Manager, Transportation, Overland Park, Kansas

Wallace Smith, Director of Federal Services, Federal, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Kevin Sullivan, Senior Designer, Facilities Design, North Little Rock, Arkansas

John Vernor, Designer, AssetMax, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Jim Ward, Senior Construction Observer, Construction Services, Conway, Arkansas

Jeremy Weiland, Project Manager, Aviation, Norman, Oklahoma

Dan Williams, President and CEO, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Wendell Williams, Senior Construction Observer, Construction Services

Dusek, Luna, Snyder win Spirit of Garver Awards

Each year, Garver Summit is held to celebrate company achievements and the employees who helped make them possible. That’s why, one of the features of each Summit is announcing the Spirit of Garver Awards, which go to the individuals who best exhibited dedication, passion, and leadership toward the company's mission over the previous year.

Kaylee Dusek

This year, for the first time ever, three were announced as Spirit of Garver winners. Kaylee Dusek, Edoardo Luna, and Andrew Snyder each won the award, which comes with a cash prize and recognizes their achievements in best displaying Garver’s values.

Edoardo Luna

Dusek is a project engineer on the Water Team in the Frisco, Texas office. Luna is a Regional Finance Leader in the Frisco, Texas office. And Andrew Snyder is a Project Manager on the Transportation Team in the Tulsa, Oklahoma office.

These three were joined by 10 others as finalists, which came from a collection of nominees recommended by their colleagues.

Andrew Snyder

Congratulations to our winners, our nominees, and finalists. To see more photos from Summit 2017, visit our Facebook Page.

Employees travel to Oklahoma City for Garver Summit 2017

Each year, Garver employees gather in one location for presentations, company meetings, awards, and team-building exercises in what has become one of its most anticipated events. Garver Summit 2017, held recently in Oklahoma City proved no different.

Nearly 300 employees from across Garver’s 10-state footprint gathered in central Oklahoma recently for the seventh annual event. This year’s Summit was hosted by Garver’s Norman, Oklahoma office, which has been a part of the Garver family since 2004. One of its largest offices, Norman has provided clients with water, transportation, aviation, facilities design, and construction services for more than a decade. It was the second Summit to be held in Oklahoma, after Garver’s Tulsa office hosted the event in 2014.

Like in years past, the team-building competition was a highlight. More than 35 teams traveled the streets of Oklahoma City in an Amazing Race-style event that sent them through the city’s underground walkways, and required them to maneuver a Segway through the concourse of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, navigate a white-water rafting course, and zip line over the Oklahoma River.

Summit concluded at the Chevy Bricktown Events Center, where employees participated in presentations, company awards, and a message from CEO and President Dan Williams, who highlighted the company's growth over the last decade and a plan for it to continue.

"Give yourselves a goal," he told employees. "Say it out loud. Refine it. Write it down. That's what we did in 2006. I'm here to tell you, and you can see the proof in Garver's history, establishing a goal is the first step toward achieving it."

For more photos of Garver Summit 2017, visit our Facebook page.

Kansas City Business Journal honors two Garver offices

In a reflection of Garver’s already-decorated company-wide culture, two Garver offices were recognized recently for their workplace environments.

The Kansas City Business Journal named this month Garver’s Overland Park, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri offices as “Best Places to Work” in the small business category at a luncheon at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City.

“We pride ourselves in providing excellent services, but being a place that the most talented employees want to continue to work at is just as important,” said Garver Senior Project Manager Mark Williams, who is based in the Overland Park office. “We’ve been able to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time in this market, and our workplace culture is a big part of that.”

Flexible work schedules, competitive benefits, and an administration that seeks out employee feedback are fundamental in what makes Garver a "Best Place to Work." But, the Kansas City and Overland Park offices expand on those tenets with mentoring programs for young employees to meet with office leaders, a book club that sparks discussion among co-workers, and a ping pong table available to all.

The two offices were also named earlier this year as Platinum Level Healthy KC Certified by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the highest level of certification.

Garver opened both offices in 2013, from which it has since served aviation and transportation clients. Garver provided design services for the U.S. 69 Missouri River bridge design-build project, is leading the design of SW Route 65 in Springfield, Missouri, has served as construction manager for runway status lights installations at airports in New York and San Francisco, and is currently working with the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to expand its general aviation apron.

To learn more about Garver’s award-winning culture, visit GarverUSA.com/JoinUs. 

Garver helps local charity raise more than $3,000

A pair of Garver-sponsored events held in Tulsa recently assisted a charity aimed at helping those with developmental disabilities raise more than $3,000 as part of a months-long fundraising effort.

Ten volunteers from Garver’s Tulsa, Oklahoma office hosted a pancake breakfast followed by a four-on-four sand volleyball tournament last month. All proceeds from both events went directly to A New Leaf, a Broken Arrow-based organization that provides those with developmental disabilities with life skills and job training through horticulture and community-based vocational placement.

Garver’s pancake breakfast, assisted by volunteers from a local Chili’s restaurant, where the event was held, the Civitans from Tulsa Community College, and The Eagle, KJSR-FM, 103.3, raised more than $2,000 by selling tickets at $10 each. After additional tips and donations, the breakfast averaged more than $25 per person. Then, a 10-team volleyball tournament, assisted by the Tulsa Volleyball League, provided even more assistance to the organization. Both were held as part of A New Leaf’s “Grow Together” campaign to raise funds and awareness through a variety of events spread over multiple months.

“From raising funds to awareness, we learned a lot about planning and operating these types of events,” said Garver Project Engineer Jordan Jones. “A New Leaf is a vital part of our community here, and we look forward to continued work with them, and their 'Grow Together' campaign.”

To learn more about Garver's charitable giving, visit www.GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.

Garver acquires Wichita, Kansas-based firm

In a continued effort to spread its quality services, Garver announced today that it has acquired Ruggles & Bohm, an engineering and design services firm based in Wichita, Kansas. A trusted company with roots in Kansas for almost a quarter-century, Ruggles & Bohm has created its reputation by providing valued results based on sound relationships, which will only be enhanced by its transition into a Garver footprint that includes nearly 500 employees spread between 24 offices in 10 states.

“The core values and vision for how we want to service clients have been almost identical between Garver and Ruggles & Bohm for decades, and neither of those will change as we continue to grow together,” said Garver President and CEO Dan Williams. “Bringing this accomplished team into the Garver family will only strengthen us both as we continue to expand our services and provide our employees with the quality benefits they deserve.”

Ruggles & Bohm’s 12 employees will transition immediately to Garver, while President Chris Bohm has been named Transportation Team Leader and will continue as point of contact for the Wichita office.

“As a founding partner, I can say that this is a great day for a firm that started with just four employees back in 1992,” Bohm said. “This transition combines our local expertise with a staff of nationally recognized engineers that will provide our clients with a level of service not before possible, and our employees with unparalleled benefits and growth opportunities.”

Since 1992, Ruggles & Bohm has provided its clients with civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and government services, growing with a philosophy rooted in valued results, clear answers, quality customer responses, and meaningful relationships. It has included the Wichita Airport Authority, McConnell Air Force Base, and the Kansas cities of Andover, Bel Aire, Maize, Newton, and Wichita, on its varied list of clients.

Garver, which is already working with the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, now has three Kansas offices – two in Wichita and one in Overland Park – among its 24 spread across the country.

To learn more about Garver's variety of services, visit GarverUSA.com.

Garver picked to assist Texas Military Department with hurricane damage assessments

The impact of Hurricane Harvey has left more than a million residents of southeast Texas without homes, and even more facing a long recovery period. The Texas Military Department (TMD) is leading that recovery effort, with about 12,000 guardsmen deployed to assist those in Houston and surrounding areas who were impacted from the Category 4 storm that made landfall on Aug. 25.

While the TMD, which heads the Texas Army and Air National Guard, focuses on that effort, its own installations were also affected by the storms and are in need of repairs. Garver, which counts Houston and eight others in Texas among its 23 nationwide offices, has been contracted by the TMD to assess 21 installations in the state that have suffered damage because of the storm that created 130 mph winds and 40-52 inches of rainfall.

The installations are located in 16 different Texas cities – as far west as San Antonio,  as far north as Huntsville, as well as La Marque and La Porte along the coast – and the work will be used to establish plans for future projects for facility maintenance, repairs, and updates for the installations to return to operational readiness. The completed work will provide a thorough evaluation of facility condition, and specific damage that resulted from Hurricane Harvey.

Work is scheduled to begin this month.

“The Texas Military Department is doing important work in helping the citizens of Texas recover from this devastating storm,” Garver Director of Federal Services Wallace Smith said. “To make sure that they’re able to continue to do this work, their installations need to be fully operational. Garver is proud to assist the Texas Military Department in this effort.”

To see how Garver’s Federal Team can help you, visit GarverUSA.com/Federal.

Garver ranked among Top 100 Healthiest Employers

Garver's good year in wellness has continued, as it has once again been recognized as a leader in corporate wellness. Named recently among the Top 100 Healthiest Employers at Fitbit Captivate 2017, a conference held in Chicago at which corporate wellness leaders gathered, Garver ranked 45th while being recognized for its ongoing commitment to employee health and comprehensive Wellness program.

Wellness Coordinator Sarah Palmiero accepted the award presented by the Healthiest Employer, LLC, which received more than 1,800 applications.

“I am continually seeking out ways to ensure that all of Garver’s employees are prepared for success in meeting their personal wellness goals, no matter if they are competitive or simply routine,” Sarah said. “This award further proves Garver’s status as an innovative leader in workplace wellness, and its continued campaign to deliver true work-life balance improves each year.”

Garver, which was named a “Gold Well Workplace” earlier this year by the Wellness Council of America, earned its place on the list after being evaluated for its culture and leadership, foundational components, strategic planning, communications and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analysis.

Garver’s Wellness Program is modified annually based on collected biometric and insurance data, employee feedback, and current industry trends. The program repeatedly receives feedback from executive leadership, employee surveys and focus groups, and is routinely used as a recruiting and onboarding tool.

To learn more about how Garver’s Wellness Program contributes to its award-winning culture, visit www.GarverUSA.com/JoinUs.

Tuscumbia WTP project selected for induction into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame

One of Garver’s signature projects has earned one of its highest honors.

The Tuscumbia Water Treatment Plant and Supply Improvements project is being inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, joining less than 50 other projects in achieving the recognition since its inception in 1987. The plant, which in 2012 began treating the city's raw water supply from Big Spring, was the first in the state to use a blended series membrane process.

The project won the Grand Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama in 2013, was a finalist for a national award, and now is being recognized by the Hall of Fame for the significant impact it has made on the region’s technological and economic development. The induction ceremony will be held Feb. 24, 2018 in Huntsville, Alabama.

“This was a landmark project for both Garver and for the City of Tuscumbia,” said Garver Senior Project Manager Kevin Mullins. “When the local utility was having a hard-water condition, we worked together to correct it with the most advanced technologies, and it’s been benefiting its residents ever since.”

Dr. Steve Jones, Garver's Director of Water Services and its Membrane Technologist, said that the state-of-the-art, award-winning process train includes high-rate clarification pretreatment to handle seasonal suspended solids loadings, ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for turbidity and microbial control, slip-stream nanofiltration (NF) membranes to trim dissolved solids, and free chlorine disinfection for primary and secondary disinfection.

Garver provided project design, funding assistance, bond issue assistance, construction management, and operational support in replacing a 60-year-old plant that had outlived its usefulness. The new plant is almost double the size of what it replaced, and outfitted with raw-water pumping, pretreatment basins, membranes, disinfection, high-service pumping and a 500,000-gallon clearwell.

The filtration technology was the centerpiece of the 4 million gallons-per-day treatment plant, which purified and softened the city’s water that was high in alkalinity. The blended series membrane process meets all filtration requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and reduces the raw water’s hardness.

"The city knew improvements were needed to address aging equipment and to accommodate increased peak demands and future growth," said Garver Project Manager Kyle Kruger. "Our design approach not only utilized advanced treatment specific to their needs, but it also provided infrastructure for current demands, readily expandable to meet future capacity."

Learn more about Garver’s Water Team by visiting GarverUSA.com/Water.

Garver Publishes IQ Magazine Volume 9, Issue 2

Read the online edition of the newest IQ, which features:

Director's Insight
Maintaining Sustainability, Promoting Safety
This much is clear: Water is essential to life. How to provide sustainable, safe, and cost effective water to all communities in the most efficient way possible is something Garver aims to make just as clear.

Broadway Bridge Over the Arkansas River
Remaking a Landmark
Garver has been designing innovative river crossings from a headquarters in Little Rock or North Little Rock, Arkansas, for almost a century. So, it was most fitting for Garver to take the reins on designing the replacement of an iconic Arkansas River crossing that connects the downtowns of both cities.

Nashville International Airport Hangar Development
Expanding The Possibilities
Garver has had a working relationship with Nashville International Airport for more than a decade. But the recently completed maintenance, repair, and overhaul hangar development broke new ground when Garver provided services well beyond that of a traditional airfield design project.

Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center
Devoted to DPR Advancement
The availability of freshwater is diminishing, while increasing demand has created an urgent need for alternative water supplies. Because of this, Garver is committed to the development of sustainable water supplies via the advancement of Direct Potable Reuse (DPR).

Fort Sill Low Water Crossing
Year-Round Accessibility
Fort Sill was established by the United States Army in 1869 and has been used as a training ground for much of its history. But an insufficient crossing over the East Cache Creek made it so a portion of the long-used installation for weapons training was inaccessible during heavy flooding.

To subscribe to the print edition of IQ, click here.

Palmiero named president-elect of nutritional organization

Garver Wellness Coordinator Sarah Palmiero was recently named president-elect of the Central Arkansas District Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAD-AND), a subgroup of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

A member of Arkansas AND since 2011, Sarah has aimed to be an active member of her professional community. In this new role, Sarah, who also serves on the Arkansas AND Board of Directors, will lead the Central Arkansas district for the state-wide organization that aims to optimize the health of Arkansans through food and lifelong nutrition, while empowering its members to be leaders in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

“The Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics represents registered dietitians who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of fellow Arkansans,” Sarah said. “By acting as the nutrition leaders and reinforcing the importance of nutrition in a healthy lifestyle, we can make a positive impact on the lifelong health of the people with whom we are closest.”

As corporate-wide Wellness Coordinator based in its North Little Rock, Arkansas office, Sarah leads Garver’s effort in providing its employees with a quality work-life balance. Named earlier this year a Gold Well Workplace by the Wellness Council of America, Garver puts an emphasis on its Wellness program that strives to improve the financial, mental, occupational, physical, and social well-being of its employees.

To learn more about how you can become a part of Garver's award-winning culture, visit www.GarverUSA.com/JoinUs.