Wednesday, February 21, 2018
The Garver blog has moved!
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.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
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.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Garver congratulates Bert Parker on 40 years

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!”
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
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.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
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.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
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.
Monday, January 29, 2018
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.”
Thursday, January 18, 2018
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.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
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.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture publishes Neal Garver biography

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.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
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.
To learn more about Garver's charitable giving, visit www.GarverUSA.com/GarverGives.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
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.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
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.

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.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
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.”
Monday, December 11, 2017
Garver adds Gorsegner to Wellness team

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.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
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.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
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.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
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.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
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.
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.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
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
Thursday, November 2, 2017
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.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Employees travel to Oklahoma City for Garver Summit 2017

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."
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.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
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.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Garver helps local charity raise more than $3,000

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.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
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.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
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.

“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.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
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.
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.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
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.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Palmiero named president-elect of nutritional organization

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.
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