8 minute read
Under the Hard Hat with UCANE’s Officers and
with UCANE’s Officers and Board Members
How did you get started in the heavy construction industry and what was your first job?
During my college summers, I worked as a laborer for the Water/Highway Departments for a small town on the North Shore, which served as a bit of an introduction to the construction industry. After graduating from college with a civil engineering degree, I worked for six months as a laborer for a small sitework/utility contractor while contemplating my career path. I decided to pursue a career in the contracting business rather than the engineering field. I began this career with Perini Corporation of Framingham, working in the main office as a junior Engineer/Estimator. My first project with Perini was one of the early Central Artery/Tunnel jobs – the Logan Airport Egress Ramps.
How long have you been with Jay Cashman, Inc. and what is your role there?
I have been with Jay Cashman, Inc. for almost 24 years. We pursue heavy/civil, marine infrastructure and dredging, work mostly along the east coast. Since 2007 I have been the Chief Estimator for Cashman. Prior to my current role, I worked as a Project Engineer/Manager on two large transportation projects – the CA/T North Station Portal and the Greenbush Commuter Rail line on Boston’s South Shore.
rectors? How long has your company been a member of UCANE and why did you decide to join the Board of Di-
As one of the larger local heavy/civil contractors, Cashman is a long-standing member of UCANE, with our President/ UCANE Board Member Brian Rawston Jay Cashman, Inc.
CEO (Dale Pyatt) once serving as President of UCANE. Dale eventually stepped down and asked if I would represent Cashman on the Board. With the exception of two off-years, I have served on the board since 2009. Having a company presence on the Board keeps us up to date on the local industry issues. Being able to exchange ideas directly with other successful people in the business benefits us all.
2020 saw our country and our industry suffer through a global pandemic. It is still impacting some operations well into 2021. How was your company impacted by COVID-19 during 2020 and into 2021?
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a challenge for the entire country and the world. Many industries have suffered devastating impacts to their operations. The continued on page 23
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Under the Hard Hat continued from page 21 heavy construction industry has generally not been impacted as severely, as much of the work is comprised of critical infrastructure projects. For Cashman specifically, most of our ongoing work continued through the pandemic. Our two largest projects during that time were the Boston Harbor Dredging job and the Woods Hole Ferry Terminal Reconstruction, both of which are critical infrastructure projects and work continued essentially uninterrupted.
However, even though the work continued, the manner in which we do business has been impacted in many ways. During the early stage of the pandemic, most of our office staff worked remotely, which presented some challenges. As a fairly large company, Cashman has a significant home office staff that had to learn to work from home. Most meetings have been held remotely (Zoom, etc.) and most bids have been submitted electronically. The Health and Safety department faced a whole new set of challenges with establishing COVID protocols for both office and field operations, as well as managing active COVID cases.
I know we all hope that the worst is behind us and we look forward to our lives, both business and personal, returning to normal in the coming months. els should be of particular concern going forward. UCANE has worked consistently to address funding issues for many years, targeting all levels of government from Federal to Municipal. This will be more important than ever as the country emerges from the COVID pandemic.
Another key hurdle we face for accomplishing this work is attracting young talent to work in the construction industry in both management and craft positions. This workforce issue has become increasingly critical in recent years as more construction professionals and tradesmen retire out. It is not clear yet if the pandemic has had any short-term or lasting effect on the career decisions of young people entering the workplace.
What would you like our membership to know about being a Board Member?
Serving on the UCANE board provides a unique perspective on the underground construction industry. It gives us the opportunity to pursue the best interests of the entire industry, as opposed to our daily pursuits at a particular project and/or our individual companies. It has been extremely interesting and rewarding to serve on the board, as well as participating in the Government Relations meetings. n
As we near the halfway point in 2021, how would you rate the state of the heavy civil construction industry to this point, and what do you see John Hoadley and Sons Inc. Water Works Specialist Tel:781-878-8098 Fax:781-878-5298 Water Works Specialist John Hoadley and Sons Inc. John Hoadley and Sons Inc. Water Works Specialist ahead for contractors focus- Tel: 781-878-8098 Fax: 781-878-5298 Tel:781-878-8098 Fax:781-878-5298 ing on infrastructure work? The nation’s infrastructure is in dire need of repair and this certainly applies to the greater Boston area and all of New England. So, there is plenty of work to do. As usual, the biggest challenge in executing this work is adequate funding. “Our Products Are the Most Trusted Names in the Industry” � U.S. Pipe ● Cultec Chambers � Mueller Fire Hydrants ● National Pipe & Plastics � Mueller Tapping Sleeves & Valves ● ADS Pipe & Chambers � Smith Blair Clamps & Couplings ● General Foundry Castings Mechanical Services � Tapping Sleeves & Gates Installed / C � Line Stop / EZ Valves � Cutting of Chilled Water Lines & Steam Lines � Pressure Testing & Disinfection of New Mains � Installation & Testing of Backflow Preventers � Large Diameter Hydraulic Pipe Cutting � Hydrant Installation & Repair � Electronic Leak Detection “Our Products Are the Most Trusted Names in the Industry” � U.S. Pipe ● Cultec Chambers � Mueller Fire Hydrants ● National Pipe & Plastics � Mueller Tapping Sleeves & Valves ● ADS Pipe & Chambers � Smith Blair Clamps & Couplings ● General Foundry Castings Mechanical Services � Tapping Sleeves & Gates Installed / Cut � Line Stop / EZ Valves � Cutting of Chilled Water Lines & Steam Lines “Our Products Are the Most Trusted Names in the Industry” • U.S. Pipe • Mueller Fire Hydrants • Mueller Tapping Sleeves & Valves • Smith Blair Clamps & Couplings • Cultec Chambers • National Pipe & Plastics • ADS Pipe & Chambers • General Foundry Castings Mechanical Services • Tapping Sleeves & Gates Installed / Cut • Line Stop / EZ Valves • Cutting of Chilled Water Lines & Steam Lines As you know, the new administra� • Pressure Testing & Disinfection of New Mains Pressure Testing & Disinfection of New Mains “Water-Sewer-Drain Supplies at a Competitive Price” tion has just proposed a substantial infrastructure plan. For the members of UCANE, it is important to maximize the money spent under this plan on critical physical infra� � � � • • • • Installation & Testing of Backflow Preventers Large Diameter Hydraulic Pipe Cutting Hydrant Installation & Repair Electronic Leak Detection Installation & Testing of Backflow Preventers Large Diameter Hydraulic Pipe Cutting Hydrant Installation & Repair Electronic Leak Detection www.hoadleyandsons.com 672 Union Street Rockland, MA 02370 24 Hours Sales& Service Serving all of New England 24 Hours Sales & Service Serving all of New England structure, such as roads/bridges and obviously underground utili- “Water-Sewer-Drain Supplies at a Competitive Price”“Water-Sewer-Drain Supplies at a Competitive Price” ties. Making our infrastructure and www.hoadleyandsons.comwww.hoadleyandsons.com our coastal cities more resilient to 672 Union Street Rockland, MA 02370 672 Union Street Rockland, MA 02370 climate change and rising sea lev-
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