Tuesday, December 30, 2014

LIT Construction Crews Complete 3 Days' Work in 12 Hours


With the holidays quickly approaching, shipping giant United Parcel Service (UPS) was working hard to meet the demands of its customers. Unfortunately, the company was unable to land its Airbus 300-600 Freighter aircraft carrying 75,000 packages at Clinton National Airport (LIT) because of work at the airport that temporarily reduced the runway safety area from 500 feet to 400 feet. This reduction suspended most instrument landing system operations, and with weather forecast at 1/16 of a mile visibility and 100-foot overcast, no aircraft could land at LIT.

Charley Jones, director of airport operations at LIT, called Garver one day at 11 a.m. to see how quickly they could coordinate the work at the airport and open the runway up to its full instrument capabilities. Garver instructed the contractor, Redstone, to shift all its workers to the specific work area to complete the work and reopen the runway by 5 a.m. the next morning. Garver staff members and subs were on-site to provide construction observation for the work.

“[Giving that plane a place to land] was the difference between our customers getting their packages as promised or not getting them and disappointing them greatly,” said Jim Hamilton of UPS Airlines.

“Redstone did three days’ work in half a day and the UPS aircraft made its schedule,” said Garver Project Manager Adam Roberson. “Had that plane not been able to land, there would have been a lot of unhappy people, but instead, working with the airport  and the contractor, we were able to get the work completed and ‘save Christmas’ for those folks.”

Clinton National Airport is undergoing a $1.8 million airfield drainage project, which is broken up into sixteen phases scattered out over the west side of the airfield. The project includes replacement/rehabilitation of 11,168 linear feet (2.1 miles) of reinforced concrete pipe and 29 drainage structures. The project is scheduled to be complete in April 2015.

Monday, December 22, 2014

McIllwain Named 40 Under 40 By Airport Business Magazine

Airport Business magazine recently named Garver Vice President Frank McIllwain, director of the Texas Aviation Team, to its list of 40 industry leaders to watch under the age of 40. The magazine mentioned Frank’s work on $160 million in airport improvement projects at more than 60 airports in the south-central United States.

“Clients who work with him often cite his emphasis on quality control and communication with stakeholders when discussing why they choose McIllwain for their project,” according to the magazine.

You can view the issue by clicking here. Congratulations, Frank!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Pre-Engineering Students Visit Garver Headquarters




Bryant Middle School pre-engineering students recently toured Garver headquarters in North Little Rock, Arkansas to learn more about the types of engineering available to someone considering a career in the industry.  

Engineers from Garver’s Aviation, Transportation, and Water teams addressed the students regarding major projects they’ve been working on, including Conway Municipal Airport, the Cottonwood Creek Bridge project, and the Tupelo Bayou Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“It’s an invaluable experience for these students to be able to meet with working engineers who can address the questions they have at such an early age about reaching their career goals,” said Garver Project Manager Aaron Stallman, who is a graduate of Bryant High School. “If I would have had the opportunity to do something like this when I was in school, it would have accelerated my experience as an engineering student.”

Garver is a proud sponsor of the pre-engineering program at BMS, which is a Project Lead the Way school. PLTW is an internationally recognized provider for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum and teacher training.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

City of Norman Kicks Off Phase 2 of Water Reclamation Facility


Officials recently met at Norman’s Water Reclamation Facility for a groundbreaking celebration to kick off the largest capital project in the history of the city of Norman. The Garver-designed $63 million program will include the addition of headworks improvements, biological reactors, additional clarifiers, ultraviolet disinfection, post aeration, odor control, and a new 66-inch effluent outfall line among other ancillary improvements.

“The city of Norman has long been a champion of reclaiming wastewater and their commitment to this project reinforces their objectives to identify long-term and sustainable water supply sources for its citizens,” said Water Team Leader Michael Graves.

The project addresses a number of operations and maintenance issues as well as an increase in treatment capacity and preparation for new water quality requirements including potable reuse. 

A project of this magnitude came to fruition over the last several years through a diverse team with lots of collaboration and support from the citizens of Norman, the Norman City Council, Norman City Management and Utilities staff, Plant Operations Staff, and Garver Water Design Center expertise.

Various entities involved in the project had representatives attend the groundbreaking, including the construction contractor (Archer Western), the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB). The OWRB provided funding for the project in the form of the largest Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan ever issued in the state of Oklahoma.

For more information on this project, check out the Norman Transcript’s coverage and IQ Online.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Garver Proudly Supports Our Veterans


Video courtesy of ESPN.com

On this Veterans Day, Garver asks that you remember the men and women who have served our country, as well as those who continue to serve our country through the nation’s military services. There are those amongst us who have volunteered to put themselves in harm’s way in the name of defending our great nation and to spread peace across the globe. We are all indebted.

Garver proudly serves those who serve. One of the ways we’re doing that is at the Center for the Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where veterans who have sustained amputation, burns, or functional limb loss seek rehabilitation. The center also provides education on rehabilitation modalities and promotes rehabilitation research. Garver’s Facilities Design Team is working to repair and renovate portions of the facility, and also to expand the facility's capabilities to manufacture IDEOs, which are devices used by those who hav trouble walking or standing because of lower leg injuries.

Click on the video above to see how the Center for the Intrepid is making a difference in the lives of our veterans. To find out more about this project, contact Garver Architect Joe Orloff at JCOrloff@GarverUSA.com.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Major Thoroughfare in Florence, Alabama Re-opens





Officials gathered recently for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to re-open a major thoroughfare in the city of Florence, Alabama, which sits in the northwest corner of the state. A portion of the road was closed to traffic while the Hermitage Drive Bridge over Railroad Avenue underwent a $4 million replacement project.

“We’re excited about reopening this major corridor to our downtown,” Mayor Mickey Haddock said.

Garver provided engineering services that included environmental studies, field surveys, preparation of roadway and bridge plans, and right-of-way map and tract sketches for the project.

“This was a big project that included improvements to the existing Railroad Avenue, removal of the existing bridge, construction of the new bridge and reconstruction of the roadway approaches to the new bridge, just to name the biggest pieces,” said Project Manager Scott Leach. “Completing this project is a big deal for this city—it shows their commitment to providing their citizens with quality infrastructure.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Garver Named Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Business




The League of American Bicyclists has updated Garver’s Silver-level designation as a bicycle-friendly business to a Gold-level designation.

As part of its Bicycle Friendly Business program, the League recognized Garver for its efforts to promote employee health and fitness through bicycling activities. In 2014, the league has designated 150 new and renewing bicycle-friendly businesses in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Garver is one of four Arkansas companies to receive a designation.

Garver’s recognition underscores the firm’s commitment to improving employees’ health through fitness. Garver’s headquarters is located less than one mile from the Arkansas River Trail system, which was a factor in relocating the corporate office to North Little Rock in 2009.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Gilbreath and Compton Receive Spirit of Garver Awards


As part of Summit 2014, Garver presented two employees each with a Spirit of Garver Award for their outstanding achievements and contribution to the company over the past year. Spirit of Garver nominees exhibit passion, dedication, and leadership as they aid their teams in pursuing Garver’s goals of being a strong, respected and profitable company.

The selection committee chose Bart Gilbreath and Heather Compton to receive the Spirit of Garver Award, which carries with it a cash prize. Ten others were chosen from among many nominees to be recognized as finalists for what is one of the highest honors within the company.

Bart serves as an electrical project manager with the Garver Aviation Team in the Fayetteville office. He earned his Spirit of Garver award through his passion to grow Garver’s aviation practice, his introduction of new technology to benefit clients, and his commitment to provide clients with a high level of service.


Heather serves as a marketing administrator in our Frisco, Texas office, where she constantly strives to push Garver to the next level. She has provided or developed ideas for increased efficiencies to Garver. Heather has proven to be a critical member of the Frisco Team by providing logistics and event planning for multiple conferences and client events.


Congratulations to our Spirit of Garver winners, our finalists, and our nominees.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Employees Gather in Tulsa for Garver Summit 2014


Some 250 Garver employees from across the region recently gathered in Tulsa to participate in Garver Summit 2014, the company’s fourth annual meeting, and the first meeting outside of the Little Rock metropolitan area where Garver is headquartered. Garver opened its first satellite office in Tulsa in 1993 with two employees, and now there are around 60 employees in Oklahoma.

Employees attended a dinner at Tulsa’s Hyatt Regency Hotel where Garver executives discussed where the company has been, where the company is, and where the company is headed.


“The fundamentals of what was critical to our success in Tulsa 20 years ago is still the same, and it has been the same since Neal Garver started this company 95 years ago,” President and CEO Dan Williams told employees. “It’s the values we embrace at our core.”


In addition to attending the dinner and business meetings, Garver employees were welcomed by Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin at POSTOAK Lodge and Retreat, where they engaged in an outdoor team-building competition across POSTOAK’s 1,000 acres.


For more photos, check out Garver’s Facebook page here.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Garver Teams with TxDOT to Educate UT Engineering Students



Garver recently teamed with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division to present University of Texas engineering students with information on careers in airport design. TxDOT Aviation Director of Engineering Bijan Jamalabad and Garver Aviation Team Leader Josh Crawford provided students with information about an area of transportation that goes unaddressed in most colleges and universities. 

Garver and TxDOT have established a relationship through working on many projects over the years, specifically 33 projects in 2014. This relationship continues to grow with last year’s opening of Garver’s Austin office, which is the company’s fourth Texas location, and through events like the UT presentation.

“Garver has a commitment to giving back to the community,” Josh said. “I believe it is important we help our engineering students become aware of the various places their degree can take them.”

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Garver Hires New GIS Manager

There are exciting things happening at Garver with regard to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)!
To ensure our clients are getting the most out of this cutting-edge technology, we’ve recently hired expert Carrie Landgraf, who will serve as Garver’s GIS manager.

Carrie has 14 years of experience in data model development, data migration, customized training, topological relationships, and enterprise GIS deployment. She is proficient in the SDSFIE data standard, metadata creation, surface danger zone development using Range Manager’s Toolkit, and spatial and attribute validation. Carrie has been utilized primarily for local government entities, the Department of Defense, and commercial clients, and we look forward to the expansion of capabilities her expertise will bring to each of Garver’s services. 

To find out more about our GIS services, email Carrie at CMLandgraf@GarverUSA.com.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

White Named to 20 In Their 20s List


Arkansas’s most prominent business journal recently named Garver Project Manager Adam White to its 20 In Their 20s list, also known as The New Influentials. Adam is the only member of the list who works in the A-E industry.

Adam has amassed a wealth of experience while serving on our Aviation and AssetMax teams. He came to Garver as an intern while studying civil engineering at the University of Arkansas, and hired on full-time after graduation.

“Aviation isn’t something they teach,” Adam told Arkansas Business. “It’s not a common trade. At Garver, I got exposed to it and I liked it. That’s the good thing about internships — you get exposed to everything. There is a lot more interaction with clients so there is a lot more project management and face-to-face time.”

For nearly a century, Garver has built a reputation around that interaction with clients, and we’re proud others are recognizing engineers like Adam who continue to participate in our tradition of providing world-class customer service.

“[Adam] and the entire Garver staff serve as a tremendous asset to the city of Siloam Springs. We greatly appreciate the partnership and are certainly proud of the recognition that [he] rightfully deserves,” said Garver client David Cameron, city administrator, Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Congratulations, Adam.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Garver Contributes to Local Elementary School



At Garver, we take pride in the difference we make in the communities in which we live and work. Earlier this year, Garver’s Fayetteville Aviation Team tasked itself with developing team service project goals for 2014. Through relationships in the community, the team decided to help a 5th grade teacher at Harp Elementary School in Springdale, Arkansas who teaches her students about animals through the use of a small chicken coop at the school. Unfortunately, the coop was too small to provide the students with an ideal learning opportunity.


Just over a month after deciding to build the school a new chicken coop, Garver’s Aviation Team had worked together to design, build, and deliver a new 12-by-8-foot coop.

“This was a fun and rewarding opportunity for our team,” said Project Manager Adam White. “Coming together to provide something good to the community is a great way to invest in each other as coworkers, but it’s also a great way to invest in our community.”


Monday, September 22, 2014

Delta Regional Airport Opens for Business

Teaming with the FAA, the Delta Regional Airport Authority undertook an ambitious  project to bring two cities and two counties together to replace two constrained airport facilities with a new, regional airport. That undertaking reached a milestone recently when officials celebrated the opening of the new Delta Regional Airport in St. Francis County, Arkansas with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.


Garver was proud to provide the airport authority with business plans for the new airport, including a site selection survey, an airport master plan, and an environmental assessment of the site.

"Although we are a small municipal airport, [Garver’s Aviation Team] has consistently given us the personal attention and responsive service that makes us feel like we are [their] most important client,” said Delta Regional Airport Authority Chairman John Kerr.

The airport features a 5,000-foot runway and the airport authority is currently working with Garver to design, bid, and provide construction administration services for the first T-Hangar to be constructed at the airport.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Garver Water Knowledge Tapped in Publications



In the last nine months, the Garver Water Team has further established itself as a research and development leader in the industry by publishing articles in multiple peer-reviewed journals. Here's a look at a few:

Garver Project Manager Andrea Odegard-Begay, Texas Water Team Leader Jeff Sober, and Project Manager Wes Cardwell jointly published an article in Texas WET magazine. The article, titled “Increasing Anaerobic Digester Performance for the City of Longview with Co-Digestion and Mechanical Thickening,” discusses the challenges the city of Longview faces with their existing solids-handling facilities, and identifies improvements designed by Garver. The improvements focus on optimizing digester performance, increasing biogas production, and alleviating operations and maintenance challenges. Construction on the project is expected to begin in the fall.

You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts published an article by Dr. Ashley Pifer, Garver project engineer, titled “Assessing trichloromethane formation and control in algal-stimulated waters amended with nitrogen and phosphorus.” Nutrients are introduced to drinking water sources via surface runoff (e.g., phosphorus from poultry litter) and wastewater treatment plant effluent, and they promote algal growth. Ashley’s article is a multidisciplinary investigation of how the impacts of nutrient-stimulated algal growth on disinfection byproduct control using common drinking water treatment processes such as chlorine dioxide peroxidation and alum coagulation. The results indicated that increased algal biomass decreases the effectiveness of drinking water treatment processes, which could increase treatment costs for water utilities and consumers.

You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Dr. Evan Tromble, Garver project engineer, published an article titled “Skill assessment of a real-time forecast system utilizing a coupled hydrologic and coastal hydrodynamic model during Hurricane Irene” in the journal Continental Shelf Research. The article discusses the ability of modeling systems to predict the impacts of storms.

For a fee, you can read the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Conway Opens New Airport with Dedication Ceremony



Airport officials and dignitaries from the city of Conway and around the state of Arkansas recently came together to dedicate the new Conway Airport, which will be named Cantrell Field in honor of Dennis Cantrell.

The new $30 million airport replaces the previous Conway Airport, which was much smaller and believed to have played a role in two fatal crashes in the last decade.

“When we started this project many years ago, our first goal was to come away with a safe airport,” Jamie Gates, senior VP for Conway Development Corporation told reporters.


“A lot of people and organizations went into making this new airport happen, and I’m proud Garver had an opportunity to be a part of it,” said Garver Project Manager Blake Roberson. “Landing here today for the ceremony gave me a chance to recognize what every pilot and passenger that comes through here will recognize—Conway has a world-class airport.”

Garver provided property acquisition, design, bidding, and construction administration and observation.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Little Rock Port Authority Opens New Arkansas River Resource Center



The Port of Little Rock recently opened its new $2.1 million Arkansas River Resource Center, which is predicted to bring future economic development opportunities and more infrastructure along the river.

"The Port of Little Rock is an incredible economic engine for the city and it's vitally important to our growth. This new investment is further example of the decades of planning and vision that has made Little Rock a regional powerhouse in industrial and economic development," said Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, when the project broke ground last year.

"The ARRC is a key component to the voter-approved $10 million Little Rock Port expansion and the long-term development of the regional McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System," said Garver Senior Project Manager Bill Ruck.

Garver played an integral role in helping the Port Authority to secure a $960,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to help build the resource center. Garver also provided the site work on the center’s 4.2 acres.

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