Garver aids Rogers Executive Airport in quick runway rehabilitation

When the Rogers Executive Airport-Carter Field needed to rehabilitate and strengthen its lone runway, Garver designed a plan that improved the surface while minimizing the impact on its customers.

Garver provided planning, environmental, design, and construction phase services for the project that completely rehabilitated Runway 2-20. Rehabilitation included full reconstruction of the runway keel section and a mill and overlay of the remaining runway surface. To make sure the airport was affected as little as possible, nine days were allotted for construction, with Garver's construction staff working with personnel from Emery Sapp & Sons around the clock on 12-hour shifts. The $5 million project was completed on July 1, eight days after it began and 24 hours ahead of schedule.

“We always strive to provide our clients with quality designs,” said Garver Project Manager Adam White. “But we also understand that, especially for an airport, time is at a premium. This was truly a team effort that included several Garver departments, a great contractor, and an engaged airport staff to deliver a quality product in a timely manner.”

The project included a study of the existing asphalt runway, traffic operations, traffic projections, and expected life of the existing pavement, while Garver also assessed environmental impacts. Construction included 76,000 square yards of milled surface, 14,000 tons of asphalt, 19,000 linear feet of pavement edge drains, and full rehabilitation of the runway lighting circuit, including LED PAPI systems.

To learn more about the capabilities of Garver’s Aviation Team, visit GarverUSA.com/aviation.

GarverGives contributes to local robotics camps

Thanks to a Garver contribution, local elementary, middle, and high school students had a chance this summer to learn the curriculum for constructing high school- and college-level competition robotics systems.

A recent GarverGives donation of $5,000 to Bryant High School’s engineering department allowed for the purchase of robotics kits for a summer-long camp in which students learned how to construct and operate robots while building STEM-related problem-solving skills.

“This is such a valuable program for students in a variety of grades and skillsets that we were honored to contribute,” said Garver Project Manager Craig Leone. “Now, these students will be even better equipped to continue the great work they’ve been doing in recent years.”

Students in grades 4-7 were guided through the steps of constructing and programming a competition-capable robot, which culminated in a camp-wide tournament. Students in grades 6-8 were introduced to more advanced coding concepts while using sensor-loaded, smart robots. Informal sessions open to students in all schools were also held, allowing the Bryant Engineering Department to share their resources and knowledge with other students.

Bryant Engineering, which works with Project Lead the Way, won the State Excellence Award for robotics in 2013, and state tournaments in the four years since, while also competing at the VEX Robotics World Championships, finishing as a semifinalist in 2016.

To learn more about GarverGives visit www.GarverUSA.com/garvergives.

Garver expands services, adds commissioning

For decades, Garver has been one of the industry’s most trusted names in facility design. Now, it is attaching that dependable name to a process that makes sure critical building systems are functioning to an owner’s specified requirements and in accordance with the building’s designed intent.

Garver has added commissioning to its array of services, providing clients with an expert team of certified commissioning agents and technicians. Representing the owner, Garver’s agents will act as a third-party reporting body while working with contractors and designers to make sure a project has been designed and constructed to the owner’s desires. They will then verify and document building systems upon completion.

“Our team of certified agents will plan, organize, and implement the entire commissioning process,” said Garver Project Manager Brad Bradshaw. “We will make sure that systems are functioning properly before a new building gets up and running, and we can detect how systems in an existing building can be updated and improved.”

Garver will provide various types of commissioning services to clients, including new building commissioning, recommissioning, and retro-commissioning. Garver can commission projects designed by its own award-winning design team, or those designed outside of its office, working with the project team from the pre-design phase through completion. Commissioning projects designed by Garver’s team, ranked annually by Engineering News-Record as a top 500 design firm nationwide, will provide a streamlined process that eliminates additional contracts while still providing the same independent commissioning process that clients expect and deserve.

Certified by the AABC Commissioning Group, Garver will direct building systems testing to ensure that all systems have been installed and are performing correctly, document the results of all system and equipment verification checks, and prepare and submit a commissioning report detailing the results of all witnessed tests completed throughout the commissioning process.

To learn more about what our commissioning agents can do for you by visiting www.GarverUSA.com.

Garver again named a Zweig "Best Firm"

Garver has once again been recognized as a "Best Firm to Work For," making another appearance on the Zweig Group's prestigious list that ranks the nation's best multi-discipline architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms to work for.

The list recognizes outstanding workplaces at A-E consulting firms based on benefits offered and employee satisfaction. This is the fourth consecutive year in which Garver has ranked in the top three of that category.

“We strive to be a growing company that takes on new challenges in new markets,” said President and CEO Dan Williams, “but it is essential that we continue to take care of our employees because they are the ones who got us to this point.”

Garver’s growth in 2017 has been highlighted by the opening of offices in Athens, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Round Rock, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas. Garver, founded in 1919 in Little Rock, now has more than 400 employees in 22 offices nationwide. The growth has been made possible in part by a competitive benefits package that offers 401(k) matching, paid overtime, and health care. Garver employees also benefit from a full-time Wellness coordinator based in its North Little Rock corporate office, a gym or a gym fee reimbursement program at every office, a flexible work schedule, and management dedicated to providing professional development resources.

“It is truly rewarding to work every day alongside employees who are excited about what they’re doing and who they’re doing it for,” said Recruitment Team Manager Wren Ward. “Receiving this award based on the feedback from our employees only proves that.”

Interested in joining one of the "Best Firms to Work For," start by looking at our jobs page here.

Garver improves in ENR aviation rankings

Garver continues to improve its standing among the country's largest aviation design firms, ranking 22nd in Engineering News-Record's annual list that counts revenue generated from airport projects in 2016.

Garver’s revenues from aviation projects exceeded $20 million for the first time in 2016. It ranked 25^th in last year’s ranking.

“This achievement is a testament to all of Garver,” said Director of Aviation Mike Griffin. “It is obviously a great credit to our Aviation Team, but it would not have been possible without Garver’s Construction, Facilities, Federal, and Transportation teams. It was a true team effort that illustrates our continued movement in the right direction.”

Successful airport projects in 2016 include design services for a $35 million MRO hangar at the Nashville International Airport, taxiway rehabilitations at Dallas Love Field and Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, major pavement expansion at Huntsville (Alabama) International Airport, and construction oversight on projects at San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Garver also ranks 166^th in ENR’s list of top design firms and 27^th in ENR’s Texas & Louisiana Region that includes work in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.

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

Garver's Polsgrove elected to ASP Board of Directors

Garver Senior Aviation Planner Nathan Polsgrove was elected recently to a one-year term on the Board of Directors for the Association for Strategic Planning. Polsgrove, based in Garver’s San Antonio office, will serve as secretary of the ASP, which aims to help organization through improved strategic thinking, planning, and action.

Polsgrove also currently serves as president of the San Antonio/Austin Chapter of ASP, while Garver Aviation Planning Director Tim O’Krongley serves as the chapter vice president. The organization has more than a dozen chapters worldwide with members working in a variety of industries.

“A good number of ASP members work in government organizations, with which we do a lot of work,” Nathan said. “So, serving not only helps the organization, but can get us even closer to our clients.”

To find out what Garver’s Aviation Team can do for you, visit GarverUSA.com.

Garver relocates Fort Worth office

To better serve its growing client base, Garver has relocated its Fort Worth office space. In Fort Worth since 2010, Garver recently moved its operations to the Bank of America Financial Center in downtown Fort Worth on West Seventh St., which will allow it to more efficiently deliver aviation, transportation, and water projects.

Garver, which recently held an open house to celebrate its move, delivered its first project at Fort Worth Meacham Airport in 2010, and since has provided master planning, runway, and lighting engineering services at the airport. The Fort Worth office added water infrastructure capabilities in 2015.

Delivered projects in Fort Worth have included the Apron A reconstruction and the Runway 17/35 pavement and lighting rehab at Meacham. Ongoing work includes a $1.3 million water pipeline relocation project for the Benbrook Water Authority, City of Fort Worth Village Creek WRF Site Evaluation, and the City of Fort Worth North Main Street improvements, which includes the closing of a drainage system, and the installation of curb and gutter, sidewalks, street lighting, fencing, and landscaping.

Fort Worth is one of Garver’s 22 offices nationwide, and one of eight in Texas, including Athens, Austin, Dallas, Frisco, Houston, Round Rock, and San Antonio.

To learn more about the variety of services provided by Garver’s Fort Worth office, call 817-740-9575 and visit www.GarverUSA.com.

WELCOA names Garver a Gold Well Workplace

Garver has been named a Gold Well Workplace by the Wellness Council of America for its dedication to a comprehensive, corporate-wide wellness program that promotes quality work-life balance.

Garver was one of 21 companies nationwide to be recognized at the Gold level, and it is the first Arkansas-based company to ever earn the distinction. WELCOA, one of the nation’s most-respected resources for building high-performing, healthy workplaces, scored Garver the highest in three categories – administrative support, use of data to promote healthy living, and creation of a cohesive wellness team.

“Through coordination across all levels of the company, we have created a cohesive wellness network that helps our employees thrive,” said Wellness Coordinator Sarah Eanes Palmiero. “The best part about it – there’s something for everyone. Wellness is not just physical. It’s also the financial, mental, occupational, and social aspects that make up a quality lifestyle.” Sarah and Director of Human Resources Tatiana Herrington recently returned from the PSMJ A/E/C Human Resources Summit in New Orleans. At the event, Sarah and Tatiana shared the history, mission, and accomplishments of Garver’s wellness program.

"We have created and implemented a long-term, high-impact wellness program that measurably improves the health of our employees, reduces long-term health risks, and promotes a culture of well-being in all aspects of our lives," Tatiana said. "The program helps keep health care claims lower than the national average, which helps Garver to continue offering quality care to its employees and their families."

The conference presentation highlighted how Garver started and maintains the wellness program. The presenters detailed how conference attendees can develop a concept, implement strategies, and gain executive support when creating their own program. It also allowed Sarah and Tatiana to share successes and lessons learned that are now and have been a part of the Garver environment for a decade.

"I think it is fair to say that others within Garver appreciate the wellness program and this has helped create a true family culture," said Mike Ebeling, Construction Services Team Leader based in Garver's Round Rock, Texas office. "I have worked in many large corporations that stress culture, and they all pale in comparison to Garver."