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Darren Lampe: How Supply Chain Disruptions Are Affecting a Small Specialty Hydro Construction Company
D.A. Lampe Construction employees at work.
D
arren Lampe is the owner of D.A. Lampe Construction, a small hydro construction company based in Chico, California, that specializes in remote, difficult-access construction and repair projects. While supply chain disruptions have led to rapid and unpredictable price increases for some raw materials and components, the fact that the company sources concrete, steel, and lumber domestically and tends to work on federal projects that are planned far in advance has helped cushion any impacts. In this interview, Mr. Lampe tells us more. Hydro Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
Hydro Leader: Please introduce your company.
26 | HYDRO LEADER | July/August 2022
Darren Lampe: We are a small group of tradesmen and engineers based in rural northern California who work on civil infrastructure, utilities, water delivery, and industrial projects for federal, state, and local agencies and private industry. We specialize in unusual projects, often in remote locations with difficult access. We have a reputation for quality and safety, which allows us to negotiate many of our contracts. Hydro Leader: Would you give a few examples of unusual hydro projects you have worked on? Darren Lampe: We have completed repairs on Lennon flumes, canals, dams, and spillways throughout the northern Sierra and southern Cascade areas. They are all in mountainous regions where access is difficult. We did an intake modification for the city of San Francisco up near Yosemite. Access to the site involved a 2‑mile hike. All our tools, equipment, and materials were flown in by helicopter. In addition to the access challenges at this site, there were significant communication challenges: there was no cell service, satellite phone service was intermittent, and the roar of the river was so loud that voice communication on site was difficult. Hydro Leader: What kind of supply chain disruptions has your company been dealing with? hydroleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF D.A. LAMPE CONSTRUCTION.
Darren Lampe: I went to California State University, Chico, and got a degree in construction management. After college, I went to work as an engineer for Granite Construction on the Jordanville Dam in Utah. I worked there for a while, but I really wanted to be more hands on in the field. I was advised by the structures superintendent that if I wanted to do fieldwork, I needed to be a carpenter. I left Granite, became a carpenter, and 3 years later, I started my own business. About 10 years later, I had the opportunity to do some hydro work for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). I wound up getting a series of contracts with PG&E, and now I am in the hydro construction business.
D.A. Lampe Construction employees work on a Lennon flume.
