Traylor Bros. Inc. by North American Constructors Journal

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Traylor Bros. Inc.:

Building America Overhead and Underground Renowned heavy civil contractor Traylor Bros. Inc. of Evansville, IN has 70 years of expertise in bridge building, tunneling and marine structures. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

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stablished in 1946 by William F. Traylor and his brother Ferris, Traylor Bros. Inc. of Evansville, IN is a renowned family-owned heavy civil contractor with demonstrated expertise in bridge building, tunneling and marine structures. “As a third-generation family company, it’s in our DNA. Part of our identity is being pretty specialized. We have a history of performing high risk and complicated work and we stand out among our peers,” says Marketing Manager Ashlea Scaglione. The bulk of Traylor’s work involves building suspension and segmental bridges, dams and ports, storm sewers, and transmission lines. Its Underground Division delivers tunneling projects, while the Traylor Mining, LLC subsidiary works on underground mining projects and facilities for copper, gold, and coal mine development in North America. Traylor also counts Ballard Marine Construction under its umbrella of companies. In addition to its Evansville headquarters, Traylor Brothers maintains a West Coast office in Long Beach, CA and an East Coast office in Alexandria, VA, providing proximity to major projects across the country. The privately-held company takes pride in a workforce boasts vast knowledge and experience.

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“Our unique culture is the reason that people stay. We have people that have been here for multiple decades. Most companies you might have one 30year employee and a couple of 15-year employees to recognize each year. When we celebrate that, it’s the other way around,” Scaglione notes. “We have a company full of selfstarters who wear a lot of hats and are engaged all the time. It’s a very

Traylor Bros. Inc. | 5 Bridge Company and Granite Construction Northeast. The first span of the twin-span cable-stayed 3.1-mile crossing over the Hudson River opened in mid2017 followed by the second span in September 2018. A Design/Build marvel, the bridge replaces the Gov. Wilson Bridge built in 1955 and links Rockland and Westchester counties. It is the biggest such project in New York State history. Westside Subway Extension, Phase One: Another joint venture, this $1.6bn Design/Build endeavor will extend the Los Angeles Metro line from Wilshire Center to Westwood. The twin tunnel alignment will run 3.92 miles beginning at the Wilshire/Western station and extending 3.92 miles beneath Wilshire Boulevard and is being bored by two Herrenknecht TBMs. “West Side has gassy conditions, so a lot of extra precaution is being taken there,” Scaglione points out. supportive culture. Plus, we do really cool work. It’s amazing,” she adds.

Premier Projects Tappan Zee Bridge: TBI was part of the Tappan Zee Constructors joint venture formed in 2012 to construct the $3.98bn Governor Mario M. Cuomo bridge owned by the New York State Thruway Authority, joining Fluor Enterprises, Inc., American

A “gassy” classification by CalOSHA meant retrofitting the company’s stock electric excavators to meet code requirements. Dewatering challenges resulted in expansion of the plant treating hydrogen sulfide while the presence of methane and hydrogen at the La Brea Tar Pits required aroundthe-clock operation of a ventilation system to remove contaminated air. Site excavation is performed six

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Traylor Bros. Inc. | 6 inches at a time to allow an on-site paleontologist to examine possible fossil finds.

project includes excavation work as well as work on water, sewer and power lines.

The Purple Line: This $2bn 16-mile light rail Public-Private Partnership project in Maryland will extend from Bethesda to New Carrollton. Upon completion in 2022 it will connect to four branches of the Metro rail system, all three Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) lines, and Amtrak. Twenty-one stations are being built.

“The jobs in LA and Maryland have both heavy civil and underground folks on the job and that’s a little bit new to us in terms of providing components for both sides of the job,” Scaglione says.

The project also includes completion of the Capital Crescent Trail, completion of the Green Trail and the construction of a bike path through the University of Maryland campus. Installation of erosion and control measures, grading, and building demolition is in progress along the entire 16-mile route. The

“

Part of our identity is being

pretty specialized. We have a history of performing high risk and complicated work and we stand

“

out among our peers.

- Marketing Manager Ashlea Scaglione www.traylor.com

TBI is also known for its involvement in showcase projects such as San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the I-10 bridges over Lake Ponchartrain in Louisiana.

Safety Measures Given the inherent danger of the work TBI performs, the company has

Traylor Bros. Inc. | 7 worked hard to create an environment where every member cares for themselves and their co-workers at all times. “The industry has changed its focus so much in the last 10 to 15 years from a top down approach to a bottom up empowerment behavioral change that is really thriving. You can see that in the results of the data,” Scaglione says. TBI is a founding member of the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI), a group of 12 major contractors who gather every two years for a twoday meeting to discuss safety; and the industry’s annual Construction Safety Week, which focused on “The Power of Safe Choices” in May 2018.

The company also has its own programs such as the Craft Driven Safety Initiative, which places craft workers in a position of leadership in on-site safety programs and gives them a voice in managing their own safety; and Safe Choices, which features a topic related to making safe choices every day. “Safety is on our minds all the time and we have multiple initiatives. We have daily toolbox talks, we do Activity Hazard Analysis and we have dedicated Safety Managers wherever we are. Our focus is to get every individual personally invested in performing safe behaviors on and off the job,” Scaglione says. “We wouldn’t stand on a ladder a certain way on a job site but we sure are standing on

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chairs to change a light bulb at home and that’s not smarter.”

People and Training Scaglione says benefits of TBI’s membership in the Associated General Contractors of California include “networking opportunities, the ability to resolve issues together with agencies and owners at a local, state and even national level, assistance with labor relations, and negotiation of better insurance agreements and rates.”

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The company makes every effort to establish and nurture long-term relationships with customers and vendors alike. “We will work on the fly to find better solutions. When you work with us, you get decision-makers, a direct relationship and a high level of technical competency,” Scaglione says. The company most often promotes from within, providing internal paths toward those opportunities while reinforcing that well-established

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“

We will work on the fly to find

better solutions. When you work with us, you get decision-makers, a direct relationship and a high level of

“

technical competency.

- Marketing Manager Ashlea Scaglione

family culture.

Looking Ahead Given its longevity, the breadth of its offerings, and its expert execution, there is ample reason to think Traylor Bros. Inc. will continue to use innovative techniques to deliver landmark bridge, tunnel and marine projects for years to come. “If you really enjoy building big, exciting things, seeing the results of your effort stand for a long time and being utilized to improve society — this is your career!” Scaglione concludes.