NEWS
utca president elect tom hardell By: Anthony attanasio, executive director
U
TCA is proud to announce that at its June General Membership Meeting, Tom Hardell, President and Chief Operating Officer of George Harms Construction, was officially voted in as the UTCA President-Elect. He will begin his service as the organization’s highest-ranking elected officer after being sworn in at the Annual Convention in Atlantic City this fall. Tom got his start with George Harms Construction forty-seven years ago, running errands during summer vacations while he finished high school. Though he spent those early days just doing odds and ends for George and the crew, Tom knew he had found his calling. Upon graduating from high school, he immediately went to work full time with the company working in the field. From there, he steadily climbed the company ladder, becoming a Foreman and then Superintendent. Never shy of hard work--or when necessary, a tough battle--Tom continued his climb to become the GHC President and Chief Operating Officer. All of GHC’s projects are a source of pride for Tom, but there are several which he feels truly define the company’s success during his tenure. The Route 35 Victory Bridge for NJDOT stands out in particular, as it was the first ever precast segmental bridge in NJ that involved cofferdams, piles, large diameter drilled shafts, post tensioning, and water operations. Upon completion, the company celebrated the magnificent new piece of infrastructure with a parade and ribbon cutting that included classic cars and, believe it or not, two elephants and a rooster crossing the bridge! Tom, and the entire Harms Team, have completed many other NJDOT projects of significance to New Jersey’s transportation safety, mobility and efficiency, including: Route 24 Missing Link
to I-287; I-295/I-195 Interconnect; Route 52 Causeway Contract A-1; Route 35 Sandy Restoration Contract 2; and the Route 1 & 9 St. Paul’s Avenue Bridge. In addition to Tom’s experience with the NJDOT, he and the Harms team have constructed many NJ Turnpike Authority projects including Interchange 6 of the highly successful widening program, NJ TRANSIT projects including a major portion of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Expansion and the Woodbridge and Red Bank Train Stations, as well as countless projects for private utility companies, counties, and municipal governments. Most recently, the company completed several unique projects including the NJ Turnpike Authority Central Inventory Building/Maintenance Facility as well as the Long Branch Boardwalk. For seven years, Tom has proudly served as a member of the UTCA Board of Directors. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee, a member of Budget Committee, Chair of the Membership Development Committee, and is Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee. He is also concluding a very successful term as Chair of the Executive Seminar Committee. Tom is excited for his term in office and is looking forward to leading the Association for the next year. His goals as President include building upon the Association’s already strong relationships with the State Transportation agencies, continuing to improve the Association’s success on behalf of its members, and to grow the Association’s membership, specifically with new contractor members. Tom and his wife Janice reside in Manchester and have several grown children. Tom is particularly proud of his son Jason, who is following in his father’s footsteps and has risen to the level of Vice President of Operations at George Harms Construction.
Utility & Transportation Contractor | august| 2017 93