Canadian Construction Association launches Construction R&D

Canadian Construction association launches Construction R&D Portal and Construction R&D Showcases to accelerate innovation

In a new endeavour to advance innovation The Construction R&D Portal will give “One of the key challenges for the inwithin the industry, the Canadian Con- construction leaders unprecedented vis- dustry has been to learn about cuttingstruction Association (CCA) and Cognit. ibility into world-class expertise, research, edge innovation that is undertaken by ca announce the launch of the Construc- facilities, and intellectual property that ex- academia and the talent behind it. It can tion R&D Portal and the Construction ist at post-secondary institutions across be equally difficult for researchers to R&D Showcase speaker series in October. Canada. The Construction R&D Showcase showcase their research to industry ex-

The goal of this initiative is to help Can- will link industry executives and research- ecutives or even gain funding for new reada’s $141 billion construction industry ers with cutting-edge discoveries that can search,” said Mary Van Buren, president of capitalize on the $14 billion of research help the industry explore and adopt new CCA. “This new single access portal will performed by universities annually. innovations. overcome that challenge by helping our members accelerate innovation by exposing them to the most up to date research

Fraser River Pile & Dredge (GP) Inc. available on construction.” “Cognit.ca was designed to help businesses access expertise, research, facilities and intellectual property at post-secondary institutions across the country,” said Mike Matheson, managing director of Cognit.ca. “We are thrilled to work with the CCA to bring these resources directly to Canada’s construction industry.”

As Canada’s largest Marine Construction, Land Foundations and The Construction R&D Portal leverages

Dredging contractor, FRPD is a recognized leader that employs Cognit.ca’s extensive database of research state of the art methods and equipment. FRPD’s versatile fleet is activities undertaken by Canada’s postready to complete all scope and size Marine Construction, secondary education institutions. The por-

Environmental Remediation, Dredging and Land Foundation pro- tal will give industry leaders a window into jects. Established in 1911 as Fraser River Pile Driving Company the latest research and discoveries as well and incorporated in 2008 as Fraser River Pile & Dredge (GP) Inc., as the ability to search Cognit.ca’s data-

FRPD’s team of highly skilled professionals brings more than 100 base of more than 225,000 research grants, years of experience and commitment to exceeding expectations. more than 100,000 experts, thousands of pieces of intellectual property, thousands 1830 River Drive, New Westminster, B.C. V3M 2A8 of pieces of research infrastructure and Phone: 604 522 7971 (24/7) hundreds of research facilities from the

www.frpd.com info@frpd.com

Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Research Facilities Navigator. l

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Piling Industry News

ECa expands team to support long-term growth vision

By Brian M. Fraley, Owner, Fraley Construction Marketing

Rod Kern, Applications Engineering Manager. Gus Delfarno, BAUER and KLEMM Service Engineer. Greg Barta, Mid-Atlantic Account Manager.

Matt Nastala, Philadelphia Service Manager.

Equipment Corporation of America (ECA), a leading distributor of specialty foundation equipment, has announced new hires at several of its branches in the United States.

ECA’s President/CEO Roy Kern is especially excited to announce the hiring of his son Rod who represents the fourth generation of the Kern family. “Rod will follow a similar path to my own by joining ECA at the ground level and learning all aspects of our operation from the ground up,” he says. “That experience will prepare him to eventually guide ECA in its second century of business.”

Rod Kern joins the ECA BAUER Service Team as Applications Engineering Manager. While completing his Civil

Stephen Funaiock, Pittsburgh Service Manager.

Engineering Degree from Penn State, he worked at ECA as a Mechanic’s Assistant and then took on several internships. After graduation, Rod went earnrf master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Geotechnical Engineering from Cornell University. Once he completed those degrees, Rod began working for Moretrench (Keller North America) as a Staff Engineer. During his four years at Moretrench, Rod worked on a variety of large construction projects and was eventually promoted to Assistant Project Manager. His field and customer experience, combined with his education, allow him to find effective solutions to geotechnical problems for ECA’s customers.

Rex Christensen, Midwest Account Manager.

As BAUER and KLEMM Service Engineer, Gus Delfarno expands ECA’s BAUER Service Team capabilities. The “Swiss Army Knife” of technicians, Gus began his career 10 years ago as a shop mechanic at Hayward Baker (Keller North America). From the shop, he moved on to become a field mechanic learning how to service, assemble, repair, troubleshoot, and operate all equipment owned by Hayward Baker. His curiosity and passion for learning how to work on and operate various types of equipment make him a versatile and highly useful addition to ECA’s BAUER Service Team.

Greg Barta joins ECA as Mid-Atlantic Account Manager. Greg started out in the United States Coast Guard and has since

spent his time in various sales roles for Caterpillar equipment dealerships around the country. He enjoys staying up to date with the latest technological advances in the field and behind the scenes so he can offer the most accurate and productive support.

Matt Nastala has been named Philadelphia Service Manager. While Matt excels at customer communication, he really shines when it comes to system improvement and safety implementation. Matt previously worked for a Caterpillar dealer so his experience with heavy equipment makes him adept at recognizing issues, gathering data, and recommending a course of action.

Stephen funaiock has been named Pittsburgh Service Manager. He started out in paving materials and quickly moved on to service supervisor before being promoted to Shop Manager for Cleveland Brothers. He later worked at American Contractors Equipment Company as manager of both the parts and service departments. Stephen’s reputation as an organized, dedicated, and detail-oriented team player will serve him well in this role.

Rex Christensen joins ECA as Midwest Account Manager. He is a seasoned professional known for developing and maintaining strong client relationships. Rex’s vast knowledge of equipment, especially in the mining industry, allows him to offer unmatched field service and technical support. Experience with training, safety, and project coordination made him an obvious choice for this new position.

“While there is no question the Coronavirus Pandemic has presented new challenges in the short term, ECA has always operated with a long-term outlook,” says Vice President – Sales and Marketing Jeff Harmston. “The hiring of talented employees represents our view that it’s important to constantly invest in our ability to serve the industry regardless of economic conditions.”

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drilling Rigs, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drilling Rigs, RTG Piling Rigs, and BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. We also distribute HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, DIGGA Dangle Drills, Olin Concrete Pumps, and KB International synthetic polymer slurry. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from nine facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian Provinces. Visit ecanet.com for the latest information on our ever-improving specialty foundation equipment solutions. l

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