Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Construction by North American Constructors Journal

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Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc.:

Keeping the Traffic Moving Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors of Glenmont, NY is closing in on 40 years of unparalleled expertise as a bridge building, repair and maintenance specialist. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

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ncorporated in 1980 by brothers Jeff DiStefano and Walter V. DiStefano Jr., Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors of Glenmont, NY is closing in on 40 years of unparalleled expertise as a bridge building, repair and maintenance specialist. Today company operations are under the direction of President, Mark Klingbeil, Vice President Steve Avveduti, Controller Ann Marier Olsen-Geitner and Vice President Chris DiStefano; his father Jeff is the CEO. Harrison & Burrowes employs approximately 150 and generates annual revenue in the vicinity of $50 million. The company works primarily for the New York Department of Transportation and New York State Thruway, occasionally venturing into the private sector. It specializes in Design/Build projects, shepherding them through from concept to completion. The company owns and maintains its own fleet of specialty equipment and is capable of working on multiple projects simultaneously. Chris DiStefano says while the company is technically under secondgeneration direction, its DNA can be traced back to before World War Two. “My father and uncle started this company but their father Walter Sr. owned Green Island Construction, a

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highway outfit started by his father back in the 1930s. So, I’m really fourth generation,” he explains. What provides Harrison & Burrowes’ competitive edge? “There is no question what has helped us set ourselves apart is our people and their knowledge. We take a great amount of pride in the people who work for us and in the job they do. We have guys who came to us 25, 30, 35 years ago right out of high school and

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never left. We treat our employees well and they truly care about the company,” DiStefano explains.

Some Key Projects

you’ve got to be willing to go where the work is. If it’s not a bridge, then it’s usually something with the elements of a bridge,” DiStefano says.

“We’ve been fortunate with the opportunities we’ve had in New York State. When you drive around the state see the roads and bridges that are crumbling, you have confidence that there is always going to be work. It comes in waves, and public bids are highly competitive, so

For example, a $16.1 million wharf reconstruction project for the Albany Port District Commission is just such a project. Scheduled for completion in 2020,it involves the demolition and rebuild of the structure on the Hudson River that has all the elements of a bridge – minus the bridge.

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“We’re driving piles, there’s rebar, concrete formwork and precast deck slabs. It’s all the standard elements of a bridge. It allows us to diversify a little bit and shows that we have a lot of talented people who can do more than bridge work,” DiStefano points out. Batchellerville Bridge Saratoga County: The $46 million project involved full replacement of Batchellerville Bridge over Sacandaga Reservoir with 12 piers in water with full cofferdam construction measuring 3,100 linear feet. Port Jervis Orange County: This $40 million project involved superstructure replacements and rehabilitation of six bridges on I-84, over country routes 15

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& 16 and the Delaware River. Route 2 Over Winooski River: The $14 million Design/Build venture in Chittenden County Vermont saw widening of 360-foot Pennsylvania truss bridge constructed in 1929 by 12’6’ including launching a temporary mabey bridge used as a detour to facilitate non-staged construction, which was world’s longest temporary Mabey bridge.

Safety Initiatives Safety is top of mind around the clock for Harrison & Burrowes, which leaves no stone unturned to keep its employees out of harm’s way. The company’s full-time safety coordinator,

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“Safety is one of those things you absolutely cannot take for granted,” DiStefano stresses. “We have a company-wide meeting every March in Albany with keynote speakers just to go over issues to be aware of during the coming year and to provide updates to changes under OSHA guidelines.” All-Hands Safety meetings are used to discuss job site goals for the week and to identify potential site hazards. Foremen and Superintendents discuss what they will be doing on each site and identify ancillary personal protective equipment –

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There is no question what has

helped us set ourselves apart is our people and their knowledge. We take a great amount of pride in the people who work for us and in the job they do. We have guys who came to us 25, 30, 35 years ago right out of high school and never left.

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on board since 2008, develops site specific safety plans and visits sites as often as possible to insure protocol is being followed.

-- Vice President Chris DiStefano www.harrisonburrowes.com

Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. | 8 such as earplugs, respirators, safety glasses and gloves – they require to successfully and safely complete a job. Finally, the company’s insurer visits job sites each month for a safety inspection and to talk with members of management, the Superintendent and Project Manager to “make sure the ‘I’s’ are dotted, the ‘t’s” are crossed and the paperwork is filled out properly.”

Day To Day As is the case with every segment of the construction industry, identifying and securing skilled craft labor is an ongoing challenge. “We certainly deal with it. It’s a national

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Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. | 9 issue,” says DiStefano, who sits on the Highway Board of Governors for the Associated General Contractors of New York and is involved nationally as well. Harrison & Burrowes is addressing the issue head on. “We recently had a group from a local BOCES program bused in to talk to us about the type of opportunities a career in the heavy highway industry can provide. We’ve got some young kids who have been with us since they were age 16 or 17 who don’t have student loan debt and are making a good living,” DiStefano says. DiStefano says membership in the AGC at both the state and national

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Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. |10 levels has been beneficial. “You see the advocacy they can provide. It’s a very well-respected industry group we are proud to be members of,” he notes. On a typical job, the company selfperforms 65-80 percent of the work, including pouring concrete, erecting steel and excavation. Work such as guard rail installation, rebar, sign structures, bridge painting and line striping is handled by carefully vetted and trusted subcontractors. The parameters change for statefunded projects as New York State “now requires 30% MWBE participation,” DiStefano says. “That

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doesn’t really give us an opportunity to self-perform a lot of the work on those jobs.” Harrison & Burrowes owns more than 20 excavators, six cranes, flatbed trucks, tractor-trailers and an array of specialty equipment. All are serviced by three full-time mechanics at the company’s on-site maintenance facility.

Looking Ahead Given the constant need for infrastructure upgrade throughout New York, work seems likely to remain steady. However, that won’t keep DiStefano from

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investigating diversification. “I’m involved with the allocation of employees and resources and always looking for the next opportunity,” he says. “I’ve grown up with the industry. I was in a car seat going to sites. It’s in the blood.”

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I’m involved with the allocation