5th Edition of TAGLINE 2022

FIFTH EDITION 2022: Our People

Living Our Mission

In this issue, you will see and read about Crowder’s 75 Acts of Kindness in celebration of our 75 years of success in the construction industry. This was a challenging goal, but it was also truly a rewarding endeavor and I am so proud of what we have accomplished together.

Thank you to all who joined us in delivering kindness across the communities in which we live and work. Whether your contribution was made through time, effort or financial support—your actions made a difference and that is the legacy that makes Crowder such a great place to work.

As we close out this 75th year, let’s look to the future with hope and excitement. Let’s continue to live Crowder’s MIssion Statement—to make a positive difference for our clients, our communities, and in the lives of our employees.

Thank you and one last Happy Anniversary to Crowder!

Lynn Hansen,

We are dedicated to superior performance and committed to making a positive difference for our clients, our communities and in the lives of our employees.

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

Focus Projects on pages 4, 6, and 8

OUR CLIENTS

All Focus Project Pages

OUR EMPLOYEES

Pages 9-20

WE’RE LISTENING

If something is bothering you, if you have a question, if you feel you or another employee are being harassed, or if you believe that you have not been treated fairly, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. Please go to your bulletin board and use our Employee Concern and Complaint Procedure (or call 1-800-849-2966 and ask for Employee Services) to get your question answered, your concern addressed or your problem resolved.

HELPING FAMILIES AT CROWDER

Crowder’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a FREE mental health benefit to for you and any immediate family member living in your household. This benefit gives you and your family members FREE access to a counselor for up to 6 sessions (per issue) per calendar year. The EAP can help with financial planning, mental health, anxiety, grief and loss, legal aid, home buying, and more!

You can call 24/7 to talk to a clinician at 800.633.3353. You can also click on the Employee tile on the MYgroup homepage (https://www.mygroup.com/) to read about the many ways you can get help. Finally, click on the Work-Life tile to access the login page for helpful information for you and your family.

To log in: Username: crowder Password: guest

HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST

At Crowder, you and your mental health and well-being are important to us! Did you know that the Construction Industry has the second highest suicide rate in the United States? With 123 suicides per day, which represents 1 death every 11 minutes, we want to share the resources we have available to each employee and their families including the EAP, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and our Cigna mental health support services. If you or anyone on your jobsite or in your office need help or someone to talk to, please contact your supervisor, Safety, your Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or the new national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also reach out to anyone in Employee Services (by phone at 1.800.849.2966 or email at employeeservices@crowderusa. com) and we will help you find the right person to talk to for you or your family member

RISK FACTORS

Stress

WARNING SIGNS

Spending tine away from family & friends

Poor Sleep Isolation

Relationship Issues

Depression

Substance Abuse

Economy

Chronic Pain

Extreme Mood Swings

Increased anger or rage

Sleeping more or less

Decreased productivity

Increased tardiness or absenteeism

Cigna Mental Health Support Services

Crowder Enlisted for New Water Treatment Facility in Monroe,

A team from Crowder Construction recently took on an ambitious project in Monroe, NC. We are assisting with the development of an all-new water treatment center, complete with raw water storage and metering, a rapid mix structure, flocculation basins, filters, a chemical storage system, and more. The project also encompassed the complete installation of electrical and instrumentation infrastructure.

The Crowder team was brought in as a subcontractor to CDM Constructors for the $31M project, which entailed treatment trains and a filtration building, along with the entire plant’s electrical scope. Crowder has averaged around 50 people on site throughout the project, including civil, mechanical, and electrical crews as well as office staff.

New Water Treatment Solutions

The new Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project, once complete, will provide a long-term water supply for the residents of Union County, decrease the dependency on the Catawba River, and support current and future growth in Monroe and the surrounding areas.

NC

Given the scope of this project, it should come as no surprise that the Crowder team dealt with some obstacles.

One big problem? Material lead times. As with most construction projects over the past few years, Crowder’s team has been challenged with the ability to get the materials onsite in a timely manner. Electrical gear in particular has been challenging to procure. To address these challenges Crowder had to adapt its usual construction sequence to work around some of the missing key components.

Challenging Circumstances

For example, the team had to continue building the structural framing for the pre-engineered metal building, but left one interior girder out while the metal roof and wall panels continued to be installed. Once the delayed electrical gear arrived, Crowder flew it into the building with the crane, installed the missing girder, and completed the metal roofing.

Another problem we worked through was navigating the relationship with the general contractor. Crowder is typically in control of the entire construction schedule and being removed from the driver’s seat has caused difficulties in obtaining enough

information to properly plan the work. The team has relied on RFIs as much as possible to ensure we can officially document the pursuit of information. Additionally, we have furnished a formal response to each schedule update with the help of a third-party scheduler.

Finally, Crowder’s team has contended with last-minute design changes, late in the construction process. In response, team members have tried to define all impacts and real costs and in some instances, the design builder has provided alternative changes to minimize the impact, all based on the Crowder team’s feedback.

Monroe is located in North Carolina’s Union County, whose current water supply is drawn from the Catawba River via a joint venture with Lancaster County and a purchase agreement with Anson County.

Filter Underdrain System Grid Installation

DB-20 Leaving the Main Electrical Building

Sustained Success

Even with such a challenging project, the Crowder team has achieved much success. First and foremost, we have succeeded by ensuring a safe work environment, boasting over 97,000 man-hours without a recordable incident. This occurred through an emphasis placed on safety throughout all levels of the team. Crowder’s commitment to safety has been very noticeable throughout the project, especially juxtaposed with the other subcontractors brought onto the project by the general contractor. We have celebrated safety milestones along the way, recognizing the hard work of the crew members with meals, raffles, even an offsite celebration at the Charlotte FC soccer game. The incredible work and unblemished safety record can be attributed to a stellar team!

The Team

Regional Manager

Darric Beach

Senior Project Manager

Andrew Calvert

Electrical Project Manager

Andrew McVeigh

Assistant Project Managers

Tony Kline

Project Engineers

Peyton Mowery

Lauren Vick

Safety Coordinators

Marcus Hopkins

Marc Powers

Administrative Assistants

Melissa Broughton

General Superintendent

Marc Bradley

Superintendents

Dennis Lane

General Electrical Superintendent

Ed McCoy

Electrical Superintendents

Hairo Galeas

Jerry Patterson

Ben Burke

Civil & Mechanical Formen

Filiberto Santoyo

Ricky Amezquita

Rene Briones

Daniel Parker

Felix Carrasquillo

Humberto Angeles Ocampo

Louis Przestrzelski

Pedro Tapia

Rafael Mendoza

Vince Rudolph

Scott Hawkins

Electrical Foremen

Cesar Galeas

Roberto Martinez

Mike Banville

Jesus Mejia

Travis Owens

Co-Ops

Noah Logsdon

Wyatt Smith

Matthew Wehrly

Tyler Wright

Michael Henze

Philip Stone

Evan Rimer

Every member of the team, in the office and the field, has been pivotal to the success of this project!

Pipe Gallery Rebar and Formwork Pre- Wall Pours

Sed Basin Plate Settlers

Setting MV SWGR Main Electrical Building

Replacing the Bridge Pier Fendering System at Charleston Marina

For more than a decade, the city of Charleston SC, has longed for the expansion of its marina, a labor of love encompassing countless smaller projects along the way. Case in point: To complete the expansion of the Charleston City Marina, a century-old shipping channel must be carefully relocated westward. A team from Crowder Construction recently made a significant contribution to this delicate work.

The team, led by Project Manager Mitchell Davis, was recruited to dismantle a pre-existing bridge pier fendering system beneath the James Island Expressway (HWY 30) Bridge, right on the Ashley River. From there, the task was to replace it with an entirely new pier fendering system, complete with navigational lighting. This replacement project was deemed essential to the logistics of relocating the shipping channel, and thus to the broader project of marina expansion.

A Project of Enormous Scope

The sheer scope of this project is striking, and more complicated than first meets the eye.

“This project includes the drilling and installation of four drilled shafts, four concrete caps on each drilled shaft, two each of cast-in-place concrete beams between the caps, and approximately 385,000 lbs of treated structural timber attached to the face of the concrete beams,” Davis explains. “These timbers extend to a depth of 50’ below the water line. Incidental to the project is marine access to include cranes on deck barges, material deck barges, hopper barges, establishment of a marine terminal, and daily crew access. And that’s to say nothing of demolition and removal of the old fender.”

As with any project of this magnitude, there were several obstacles for the Crowder team to overcome.

The first was marine access. “To mitigate the marine access challenge, Crowder partnered with several marine outfits in Charleston to leverage their resources,” explains Davis. “Barges were loaded in Yonges Island which is 25 miles south of the project and pushed by tugboat to the project site, a three-hour boat ride. Spoils from the drilled shaft were unloaded at a dock of the Cooper River in Goose Creek, which is 25 miles north of the project. This was another three-hour ride via

Addressing Obstacles

tugboat. Tugboats were also used to move from structure to structure. Lanes on the bridge above were also shut down periodically at night to receive small equipment deliveries and materials.”

Placing concrete under the bridge was another obstacle. Says Davis, “We developed a plan to position a 42-meter pump truck on the bridge above during a lane closure. This machine pumped the concrete into a ‘mini placer’ that was located on a barge under the bridge that placed the concrete into the 93’-long formwork system.” The placement of the pump truck required analysis from a

registered engineer, ensuring its safety on the deck of the bridge.

But the biggest problem may have been placing formwork under an existing bridge, where there was very limited overhead space. “This was challenging from both a planning and execution standpoint,” comments Davis. “No on-the-shelf solution existed.” But through months of planning and close collaboration with their supplier, the Crowder team was able to develop their own solution that did work, and to execute it effectively without any project delays.

Pouring Drill Shafts from James Island Expressway

Safe Harbor Marina Fender System

Historic Results

All this hard work ultimately serviced the revitalization of Charleston’s so-called “Mega Marina,” one of the largest marinas in the Southeast and among the most-visited marinas in the entire country, thanks in large part to its proximity to historic downtown Charleston.

According to Davis, the success of this project came down to a full-team effort. “The estimating team put together a successful bid to get the job, the management staff spent countless hours procuring barges, and the team in the field worked days and nights to build a very unique project that was different from most things we build.”

Project Manager

Mitchell Davis

Project Director

Thomas Horrell

Site Superintendent

Pat Merli

Structural Superintendents

William Culbertson

Nate Carmona

General Superintendent

Michael Wilson

The Team

Project Engineer

Gabriel Matos Negron

Safety Engineer

Gary Hall

Civil Foreman/Crane Operator

Tommy Henson Foreman

Pa Comma

Structural Leadman

Robert Narvaez

Leadman

Marion Holmes

Carpenter

Darrel Collins

Concrete Finishers

Ebrima Jammeh

Clement Tucker

Concrete Helper

Billy Goggins

With much appreciated help from:

Rich Hauser and Robert Cooper

Installing Timber Face

Completed Fender System

Setting the Formwork System

Pouring Caps

Pouring Beam by Pumping into a Mini Placer

Crowder Takes Charge in Nuclear Sub Dry Dock Recapitalization

A team from Crowder Industrial Construction recently played a central role in welcoming a nuclear class submarine back into dry dock. The project, a dry dock recapitalization effort in St. Marys, GA, involved significant demolition work, the installation of all-new equipment, and piping tunnels and charging stations into the dry dock, among other tasks. And, to ensure the sub found safe harbor, the whole project unfolded with an expedited timeline, forcing the Crowder team to work day and night, often 70 hours per week. Led by Crowder Industrial Operations Manager Dion Dreher, the project encompassed a total of 150 craftspeople.

Fast Track to Success

In short, this was Crowder’s largest project in a very long time and came coupled with the complications of an expedited schedule and critical nuclear project quality control for the onsite teams.

Crowder Industrial Construction rose to the occasion, completing Phase A ahead of schedule and finishing Phase B with ample time for the submarine to safely dock.

“Due to the fast-track nature of this project, we were forced to expedite everything that we procured and installed,” comments Dreher “There was a tremendous amount of scrutiny, and we had to scramble to compensate for supply chain failures on a project with a hard-set end date. Everything had to be planned, and often we had to pivot to entirely new plans when the original idea fell through.”

A Unique Project with Extraordinary Complications

There were several aspects of this project that threw the Crowder team for a loop, not least the fact that it all took place at a highly secured naval base, requiring all team members to undergo rigorous background checks.

The fast-tracked schedule was another issue, raising concerns over employee fatigue and imprecise work. The Crowder team mitigated these concerns by cycling employees in and out, and by ensuring routine quality inspections day in and day out.

Another major complication? The lofty standards set by the US Navy, and the high level of scrutiny. Crowder responded in kind, heightening their own quality control efforts to ensure every piece of work was done properly the first time.

The Team

Senior Project Manager

Forest Woodward

Project Manager

William Robinson

Site Superintendent

Newt King

Pipe Superintendent

Jason Duke

Iron Superintendent

Clifford Willoughby

Electrical Superintendent

Jason Sessoms

Material Manager

Jimmie Koschnick

QC Manager

Peter Koontz

QC Engineers

Daniel Ossont

Raymond Soldinie

Jonathan Vaughan

Project Controls/Scheduler

Nancy Clevenger

Project Controls Engineer

Robert Kendrick

Project Engineers

Laurie Bynum

Tyler Bexley

Safety

Gary Bain

Denver Pittman

Administrative Assistant

Barbara Lester

Foremen (Process Pipe)

Jose Castaner

Christian Colon Acevedo

Jared Gravenor

Sammy Ingram

Michael Lethco

Christopher Lupo

Nicholas Otto Schott

Arthur Tart

Foremen (Structural)

Gary Brown

Robina Evans

Ian Fletcher

Lance Maddrey

Interior of the Dry Dock

Exterior of the Dry Dock

Civil and Environmental Featured Crew: Greenville Utilities Commission Water Treatment Plant Phase 1 Improvements

Crowder was awarded this contract in October of 2020 as a Subcontractor to TA Loving who took the role as CMAR for this Greenville Utilities Commission’s Project. From the beginning it was a mad rush to get things purchased and onsite to expedite the schedule and keep our crews productive and wanting for nothing. Early on, Phil Pezzatta, Ann Joseph and Kevin Pietrick spent the time needed to get orders out the door, submittals in the door and approved and materials onsite early. Timely and accurate production drawings and thorough planning allowed our field operations staff to put the work in place ahead of time and in a high-quality manner.

As usual, Landon Modlin, Phil Denton, Jeremy Hill and Grant Madren did the right things in the field to safely put high quality work in place well ahead of schedule. Much care was taken to be certain that the different habits of the other Subcontractors working by our side for the CMAR didn’t rub off on us nor impact us. It is amazing to watch our folks work and do the right things effortlessly and realize how truly professional our folks are at what they do. Everyone on this project has been and is of top quality and has without a doubt made this Project a success for the Owner and the CMAR as well as for Crowder.

We are currently completing start-up of the plant’s additions and improvements. Originally scheduled for completion in late 2023 we will be completed in the first quarter of 2023. This is a Project and Team to be proud of being a part of and the work that has been put in place has been done so safely, of top quality and well ahead of schedule and under budget.

The Crew: Jesse Duty, Rolando Arellano Ramirez, Phil Denton, Michael Dowd, Landon Modlin, Pedro Tapia, Neftali Hernandez Santos Mendoza, Tommy Wolford, Kenneth Blalock, Phillip Pezzatta, Joshua Poland, Eric Avalos, Matthew Gillenwater, Willard West, Michael Bordwine, Jeremy Hill, Billy Huggins, Marc Bradley, Robert Firth, Ann Joseph, Grant Madren, Tony Nash and Kevin Pietrick

Members of the GUC Crew

Heavy Civil Featured Crew: I-40 Wade Avenue to US1 Project

Malachi Lawrence and his crew are working hard at nights to complete the concrete slab replacements along I-40 in Wake County, NC. There are over 50EA – 12’x24’ concrete slabs that need to be replaced along Eastbound I-40. The crew has a narrow time window each night to get this work complete between 9pm and 5am, this includes set-up and removing the lane closures and a 4 hour concrete cure time period. The original plan was to complete 1EA concrete slab replacement per night. With proper planning and excellent execution, this crew has been able to complete up to 3EA concrete slab replacements in a night. They are currently 50% complete with the I-40 concrete slab replacements.

While the increase in production and quality of work are awesome, the main accomplishment this team is proudest of is their safety record. This work is very dangerous, working adjacent to live interstate traffic at night and in tight areas. Their commitment to safety has been at the forefront of their planning and efforts. They embraced innovative ideas like using Illumagear Halo lights to provide a personal, wearable lighting system to increase the visibility of the crew. They worked closely with the owner to plan out alternate traffic patterns for live traffic during work hours. They continue to demonstrate safe work procedures so that everyone goes home safely to their families at the end of each shift. This crew is truly a team that works closely together, cares about each other’s safety and embraces the values that we are proud of here at Crowder.

Thank you Malachi and crew!

The Crew: Malachi Lawrence, Jose Reyes, Jose Ramirez, Miguel Diaz, Eric ingram, Miguel Munoz, Nicheta Alvarez, Ruben Nunley, Jaime Lopez, Brandon Lafforthun, Bob Dommer, Nick Vilaret and Gary Hall

Members of the I-40 Crew Working During the Night on a Concrete Slab Pour

Industrial Featured Crew: Kings Bay Dry Dock Repair

Crowder’s rigging and ironworker crew has picked and installed very large and complex equipment on the Kings Bay Project. Led by Superintendent Ringo Willoughby, this crew has installed 8 cast iron sluice gates (8 foot x 8 foot), 3 duplex stainless steel roller gates (8 foot x 8 foot), three 1250 HP Motors (19,000 pounds each), 2 cooling towers, 4 chillers, 5 Vertical Turbine Pumps, as well as numerous pipe and small equipment throughout the Dry Dock and utility tunnels. The most challenging work was removing and replacing three 48 inch check valves that weighed 16,000 pounds each from the bottom of the pump station, 50 feet below ground level.

This crew worked within very tight space limitations in the pump station and water conduits under rigorous requirements of the Navy and dock personnel.

The work was planned in great detail and each specific equipment component required a separate lift plan that had to be reviewed by the Government’s safety and risk department. All of the work was completed safely with no injury incidents.

The Crew: Ringo Willoughby, Gary Brown, Ian Fletcher, Shelton Jones, Lance Maddrey, Anthony Buck, James Hunt, Travis McGinnis, William Sanderson and Chris Kellogg

Members of the Rigging and Ironworking Crew at Kings Bay

New Faces

Industrial

Hayley Vierling joined the Industrial Division in the beginning of summer as the Employee Development & Talent Planning Manager and is currently working on her Master’s in Leadership & Workforce Development through LSU. Hayley lives in Greenville with her twin sister and Beagle mix, Hendrix, while her parents, older sister and two nephews are back home in Gulfport, MS. Hayley is passionate about health and fitness and enjoys working out.

Bringing 35 years of construction experience, David Love joined the Industrial Division in June as the Director of Business Development. David has an Industrial Management degree from Auburn University. David and his wife, Cheryl, have six children, Andrew, Kevin, Lukas, Kaitlyn, Alexandra, and Caroline. Of course, David enjoys Auburn football along with hunting, mountain biking, exercising and traveling with his wife.

The Industrial Division welcomed Stanley Cheng in October as a Project Engineer. Stanley earned his degree in Civil Engineering from the Heilongjiang Institute of Technology in Harbin, China, and has ten years of construction experience.

Stanley and his wife, Carol, have two daughters, Charlotte and Natalie. He is busy working on the Crisp County Turbine Replacement solar project, but in his free time he likes to go fishing, swimming, and ice skating.

Cameron Gilbert joined the Estimating Department of the Industrial Division in September, bringing a 10-year diverse background in construction.

Cameron has a Civil Engineering degree from The Citadel and an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate. He grew up in the low country but relocated to the Taylor/Greer area in South Carolina a year ago. Cameron has been married to his wife, Lauren, for seven years. He enjoys archery, hunting, working on the lawn, watching college football, being at the lake or beach, and traveling.

Crowder is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. It is the policy of Crowder to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, veteran status, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

A list of our current open positions can be found here: https://www.crowderusa.com/join-our-team/jobs-listing

Gary Clark joined the Industrial Division in August as a Project Manager IV bringing 12 years of construction experience and a long list of safety certifications. He is currently working at Plant Scherer Ash Pond Dewatering project. Gary and his wife, Jennifer, have 3 children, Teven, Arly, and Amelia. Gary is a dedicated bow hunter who also enjoys fishing, football, and volleyball.

Civil & Environmental

Winston Williams joined Crowder in August 2022 as an Electrical Project Manager for the Virginia Beach location. Prior to Crowder he was an Engineer for Greenbridge; before that he was a Project Manager for SE Electrical. Winston is a graduate of Old Dominion University where he majored in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Management. He currently lives in Virginia Beach with his wonderful wife and 9-year-old son. When he is not at work, you can usually find him out on the water with his family enjoying life!

Trish Taylor joined Crowder in November 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. Trish has a 14-year-old son. She is the oldest of three girls and grew up moving around with her dad, who was in the Army for 20 years. Trish graduated high school in Mannheim Germany. She likes to cook, spend time with family and friends, and enjoys going to the beach and to the mountains.

New Faces Cont.

William Rahrig joined Crowder in July 2022. He was born in Canada which was the nearest hospital from the small town he grew up in, in northern Maine (he’s a Mainiac). He moved to West Palm Beach Florida when he was 12 years old, and then attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando. William enjoys spending time with his mom, 6 siblings, wife and 2 kids, as well as volunteering at animal shelters.

Cameron Kalar joined Crowder in June 2022. He grew up in Elkins, WV with his mother. His father lives in Wake Forest, NC. Cameron graduated from WVU with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in May. He usually spends his free time playing music or watching sports (football specifically).

Seth Parker joined Crowder in June 2022. He was born and raised in the rural valley of New Philadelphia, Ohio, where he spent his time working construction, riding dirt bikes, and attending the Church of Christ. Following high school, he attended The University of Akron where he obtained his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering. He is blessed with supportive parents, an awesome brother, and a lovely fiancé. He believes in success only through diligence and hard work!

Joe Frederick joined Crowder in October 2022 as a Superintendent in Training. Joe grew up in Madison, NC and graduated from Western Carolina University. In his free time, he enjoys working on his jeep and playing golf. He also has a dog named Chile.

Darren Vires joined Crowder in July 2022. He is from Augusta County Virginia and has two children that he spends most of his time with, when he is not at work. They enjoy the outdoors, seeing wildlife, and never miss the chance to visit a zoo. They look forward to making Crowder a part of their family.

Tyler Darwin joined Crowder in August 2022 after his graduation from Mississippi State University this summer. He was raised in Dallas, Texas, where his family currently resides. Tyler has always had a strong interest in health and fitness.

Austin Jones joined Crowder in June 2022. He is from New England and likes spending his time outside hiking, fishing, or just relaxing with the dogs.

Tyler Maher joined Crowder in May 2022 as an Estimator. He graduated from the Stevens Institute of Technology and worked for a lighting distributor and flooring subcontractor before joining Crowder. Tyler’s hobbies include watching football, volunteering as a wrestling coach, napping, and spending time with family.

Sherri Crittenden joined Crowder in November 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. She has lived in the Charlotte area for 34 years, the last 10 out in the country in Mount Pleasant. She has two children, Michael and Katie, both grown. Her daughter has blessed her with four grandchildren. She enjoys working in the yard, bonfires, horseback riding, spending time with family and friends and trips to the beach.

Madeleine Bolding joined Crowder full-time in July 2022. She worked as a Co-Op for Crowder, prior to becoming a Project Engineer. She received her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Madeleine is a Charlotte native; however, her family originates from Tornado Alley. She has a dog, Shelby, who is a border collie mixed with aussie and a ball python to keep her busy in her spare time. She also enjoys hiking and cooking with her fiancé.

New Faces Cont.

Mike Gordon joined Crowder in October 2022 as an Electrical Project Manager. He was born and raised in Dublin, CA and served in the United States Air Force 2000-2006. He graduated from the 5-Year, Electrical National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee Program as an Electrical Journeyman Wireman and oversaw work at his previous employer as a Foreman/Superintendent before he was transitioned to an Estimator/ Project Manager. He has been married to his wife Amanda for 15 years. She servied in the Navy and they met in Iceland on a deployment. They have 2 girls, Gianna (18) & Cassidy (14) and 3 dogs - 2 pugs and 1 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. In Mike’s spare time he enjoys spending time with family, friends & golfing.

Ashley Williams joined Crowder in November 2022 as a Marketing Manager. Ashley is a proud native of North Carolina. She holds degrees in graphic design and communication from Peace College. She comes to Crowder with a marketing background in the water/ wastewater market from the engineering perspective. In her time working in the water/wastewater industry, She realizes the importance of brining clean drinking water to our communities and wants to help improve the water/wastewater infrastructure in any way she can. Ashley, with her husband and two children, reside in Garner, North Carolina. Ashley loves spending time with her family along with running, reading, and traveling.

Heavy Civil

Ethan Norton joined Crowder in August 2022 as a Project Engineer in the Heavy Civil Division. He is a recent graduate of Clemson University with a degree in civil engineering. Ethan was a part of the cooperative education program working with the Heavy Civil and Civil & Environmental divisions while in college. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, golfing, and spending time with his dog, Argo.

Nick Sursa started with Crowder Heavy Civil in October. Nick graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with a BS in Building Construction Management. He started his career with Granite Construction Company in Southern California, and worked for Zachry Construction in Durham, NC. Nick and his wife, Peyton, have been married for 13 years and have two amazing 8-year-old identical twin boys, Graham and Henry. Nick enjoys spending most of his time doing whatever the twins are currently into, but also enjoys bass fishing, golfing, food and just about anything outside.

Welcome to Matt Lamb who joined Crowder Heavy Civil as a Project Engineer in November. Matt has a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Georgia. He worked in geotechnical construction for the last five years on shoring and micropile projects. He has been married to his wife, Morgan, for two years and enjoys running, golfing, and camping.

New Additions

Congratulations to Keith Griffin and his family! Keith and his wife Brittany had a baby girl on 9/25/2022. Charlee Sue came into this world weighing 10 lb, 10 oz and was 22 ½ inches long. Charlee Sue is in good company with her brother and 2 sisters. Keith is the Corporate Shop Logistics Manager.

Congratulations to Emily (Crowder) & Patrick McDonagh on the birth of their son, Aidan Thomas McDonagh, born on Friday, November 25th. (Weight 8 lbs/12 oz and 21 ¼” long) Emily works in the marketing department of our C&E office. Congratulations as well to Grandpa Otis!

Congratulations to Luke and Emily Walker on their birth of their new baby girl!

Avery Elizabeth was born on 11/27/2022. She weighs 6 lbs. 8 oz and is 20 inches long. Luke is an Estimator/Project Engineer in our Heavy Civil Division.

WELCOME TO THE CROWDER FAMILY!

Corporate Halloween Costumes

HC: Chris Harkins and Gary Hall Fishing

C&E Halloween Costumes

Celebrating 75 Years in Business with 75 Acts of Kindness

We had many goals as a company to make our 75th year in business one of our best. We wanted our employees, their families, clients, and vendors to feel appreciated for all of the determination and hard work it has taken for Crowder to be successful for 75 years. One very important aspect of our success has always been the communities where we work. Without their support and need to grow, we would not have the opportunity to do the work that Crowder does, which is why we chose to give back through “75 Acts of Kindness” in and around our communities.

As we look over the years, Crowder has celebrated many anniversaries by giving back, so “75 Acts of Kindness” was a natural way to celebrate Crowder’s 75th Anniversary. As the year started, a committee of employees came together from all of our divisions to organize and lead this effort. They identified organizations that had a need by contacting organizations and including suggestions from their fellow employees for projects they had a connection to or were passionate about. These acts of kindness spanned a wide array of projects throughout the states where Crowder works. Crowder employees have made sandwiches, donated and sorted food, donated books and clothes, worked around schools and houses of veterans or the elderly, participated in walks and rides for different causes, and so much more! Crowder not only performed physical acts of service, but also made monetary donations to help many groups during difficult economic times. Our goal was to help make a difference in people’s lives.

Here, we would like to share just a few of the projects we worked on in each division. Thank you for your participation in helping to support the communities we live and work in!

Against Hunger

On August 19th, 2022, Crowder employees from the Apex office and local jobsites, along with several of their family members, worked together to package 15,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger. The organization disperses the packaged meals both locally, providing meals to hungry children, and globally to help combat hunger in other countries. Crowder also donated $5,500 to assist with purchasing the ingredients and other needs.

Rise

The Heavy Civil and C&E Divisions teamed up to complete a large, two-part community service project, to improve the Mariposa School for Children with Autism facilities. The first part of the project was on 9/24/22 and entailed tearing down the old playground equipment and building the new playground system. Both divisions worked together to get through a small hurdle of getting the playground system off the delivery truck. Thank you to Herc Rental for renting equipment to us on short notice, as well as Matt Seawell (C&E Sr. Project Manager) for coordinating the rental. Also, thank you to Shilo Smith (C&E Safety Engineer) for operating the equipment. Lastly, thank you to our partner, Apex Dumpsters, for making sure we had a receptacle for the old playground equipment. A huge thank you to Nick Vilaret (HC Sr. Project Manager), Brandon Lafforthun (HC Project Engineer) and their Heavy Civil crew, for the tremendous work getting the playground set up.

The second part of the project was completed on 10/15/22, when several C&E employees, and a few family members, along with Nick Vilaret from the Heavy Civil division, helped to provide more updates for the school. The team worked together to add 25 yards of playground mulch to the playground system that the Heavy Civil division put together a few weeks prior. They also added 10 yards of landscaping mulch to the front of the school building. A new three-tiered drinking fountain was installed outside the building to replace a small fountain that the school was previously using. Other projects that were completed included: replacing two garden beds with sensory specific plants, power washing of the cement near the garden beds, painting of two classrooms and patching of holes in the walls.

Mecklenburg County Creek Clean Up

On August 25 2022 Members of the Heavy Civil Division participated in a creek clean up with Mecklenburg County. Pictured: Seth Bennett, Kelly Sutton, Emily Trammell &

Habitat for Humanity

On September 16, employees of Heavy Civil and Civil and Environmental attended a Habitat for Humanity build in Statesville, NC. They prepared the rafters for installation by crane the next week. They restacked rafters, added plywood/osb, insulation, and overhang section to the end rafters, then cleaned up the jobsite by moving the osb for the roof to the sides of the house to make way for the crane. It was an exceptionally easy day! And lots of fun!

Pictures Left to Right (Ethan Norton HC, Ryan McGarvey HC, Terry Matthews HC, Luke Walker HC and Brian Klauka C&E)

On June 22nd, Corporate office employees got together to prepare 100 sandwiches to be donated to Roof Above. Roof Above distributes lunch bags daily to our homeless neighbors through the city of Charlotte. The sandwiches were packed in bags with a snack, fruit, bottled water, & napkin, as a nice lunch for the people who received them.

Patrick Buckley.

Sandwiches for Roof Above

The Crowder Corporate office sponsored the renovations and furnishings for a new guest room at Catherine’s House in Belmont. “Catherine’s House fills a gap for women seeking temporary/transitional housing by providing a safe haven for women to rebuild their lives. Residents at Catherine’s House have the safety and security of food and shelter for four to six months, but also have an opportunity to chart their path to a more stable, healthy, and financially secure future”. Different groups volunteered to paint the room, shop for furnishings, and assemble the furniture. Crowder was happy to help Catherine’s House can serve at least one more woman in our community and the room turned out beautifully!

Second Harvest Food Bank

Members of the Employee Services team located in Charlotte, NC volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank on 7/14. The team was tasked with sorting through store returns and donation boxes to inspect items for damage and make sure they were in shape to be given a new home. They sorted many different types of products including diapers, baby products, feminine hygiene products, home appliances, medicines and medical equipment, and pet supplies.

Catherine’s House

Book Bags in Pennsylvania!

All 164 students at the Lock Haven Elementary School in Pennsylvania received book bags filled with notebooks, pencils and crayons thanks to the crew at MAS RNG project in Wayne Township in Pennsylvania. All of the Crowder employees, field craft, supervisors, and project managers, donated and are proud that not a single child didn’t receive a bag. Rumor has it that most of the stores were cleaned out school supplies thanks to the designated shopper, Warren Powers.

Upstate Backpack Blessings

Through Greg Eichenlaub and Doug Meetze’s church, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Fountain Inn, SC, Greg shared that one of their missions is the Upstate Backpack Blessings. The volunteer-based, donation-driven organization provides bags of food to over 300 students each week in 16 area elementary, middle, and high schools. The bags of food provide weekend meals for children whose families struggle to afford food and who qualify for free or reduced school lunches. The Industrial group challenged employees to bring in 75 jars of peanut butter. There were 136 jars donated and taken to Upstate Backpack Blessings on September 9th.