February 2024 Vol. 79 No. 2
Business People
Business People
In Memorium
Industry pioneer and Distribution Contractors Association Past President Thomas Michael (Tom) Allen, of Edwardsville, Ill., died Oct. 23, 2023, at the age of 83.
Allen start worked as a lineman for Illinois Bell Telephone from 1958 to 1976. He then worked for John Burns Construction until 1980, when he started Tom Allen Construction specializing in utility construction. He later founded and operated American Fiber Comm, which he ran until 2019.
An active member of Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), he served as president, in 1994.
In Memorium
Frank Lynn Canon of Magnolia, Texas, pioneer and leading authority on HDD drilling mud, died Jan.5, 2024.
In 1975, Canon began work in the oilfield for Baroid as a mud engineer. In 1991 he started working in the company’s newly established Industrial Drilling Products Division and by the next year, his role was entirely devoted to trenchless technology.
In a career spanning over 40 years, Canon solidified legendary status in the HDD industry, earning numerous awards and accolades. In addition to practical execution expertise, he is remembered as an outstanding educator and mentor for the growing HDD industry. He travelled extensively, training thousands of people a year in the best practices working with the complexity of drilling fluids.
He retired in 2015 but continued in his roles as consultant and mentor.
LAN
John Baker, P.E., vice president at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN), was distinguished with a selection to the Leadership San Antonio Class 48 (LSA 48). This prestigious program, co-sponsored by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to fostering community leaders in Bexar County and surrounding areas.
Baker’s selection for LSA 48 is a testament to his exceptional leadership skills and commitment to community service. With a distinguished military career, he brings a wide range of knowledge to the program. His experience in leading multi-billion-dollar infrastructure programs and his role at LAN overseeing public sector infrastructure projects position him as a key influencer in shaping the future of San Antonio’s infrastructure and community development.
Beyond project management, his leadership extends to mentoring emerging engineers and contributing to strategic planning.
LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation's heavy civil infrastructure needs. A national leader in the engineering industry, the firm is consistently ranked among the “Top 100 A/E Firms” according to Engineering News-Record. LAN is a LEO A DALY company, an international architecture and engineering firm.
Condux
Condux International appointed James J (Jim) Radous III, chief revenue officer, at Condux, was promoted to CEO.
An accomplished domestic and international business leader, most recently he was business unit vice president for Federal Signal Corporation. There he provided executive leadership, strategic planning, and execution across the $1B publicly traded corporation in the Environmental Safety Group.
Also, Ryan Schrick is part of the leadership team, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He comes to Condux with over 20 years of financial experience working in manufacturing businesses and more than 10 years in financial leadership roles.
Condux International is an industry leading manufacturer of overhead and underground cable installation tools and equipment for the telecom and electric power markets, as well as comprehensive training, resources and customer service. Committed to innovation, the company is strongly focused on continual research and development of new tools and equipment.
BOND
Jordan Barletta was promoted to vice president of estimating at BOND Civil & Utility.
With more than seven years of experience in execution roles at the company, he will now focus on the growth and success of the estimating team in his new position.
Specifically, he will oversee the BOND Civil & Utility estimating team to ensure it is set up for success and growth in the years ahead. Bringing his operations integration mindset into how BOND Civil & Utility enhances its systems and processes going forward. He is also focused on growing and developing the team to support not only in New England, but also employees in New York and New Jersey, as well as the Mechanical and Trenchless business units.
BOND Civil & Utility Construction, Inc. operates as a self-performing general contractor and construction management company for the civil, utility, power, and energy industries. It is an industry expert in trenchless capabilities, welding, rigging and equipment setting, power generation services, heavy commercial HVAC, oil & gas, water & wastewater, and industrial markets.
Woolpert
Melvin Spinks, senior vice president of Woolpert, was named as the 2024 Houston Area Engineer of the Year. The award recognizes engineers who have made significant contributions to both the profession and the Houston area.
Spinks, who founded Houston-based engineering firm CivilTech in 1997, has spent his 34-year professional career working on community flood resilience planning and sustainable flood infrastructure projects. Woolpert acquired CivilTech in 2021 to expand support for water and transportation initiatives throughout Texas.
As a risk analysis and economic expert in flood financing, Spinks served as the economic lead for federal flood risk reduction projects for Houston’s Harris County Flood Control District, including Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Buffalo Bayou, and Halls Bayou. He has participated in American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Texas at the local, state, and national levels, for over 25 years and has been an active member of the ACEC Texas Public Policy Council since 2016.
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm. Founded in 1911, in Dayton, Ohio, the firm innovates within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide.
Cemen Tech
Ashley Lathrum was named director of Marketing for Cemen Tech, overseeing the company’s global marketing strategy and execution across all segments. In this new role, she will drive forward-thinking marketing strategies to elevate the company's position in the concrete equipment industry
She brings over 10 years of business-to-business marketing experience to Cemen Tech, most recently from John Deere Power Systems, where she led integrated marketing campaigns, established new digital platforms to showcase technologies and doubled media placements year-over-year.
Cemen Tech, Inc. has 54 years of manufacturing and engineering experience in the volumetric mixing industry. Its products provide the foundation and stability to meet the needs of a growing world in an environmentally conscious way. The Indianola, Iowa, company currently has equipment operating in over 70 countries, services mixers across the globe and supplies equipment to the United States military.
McElroy
Michael Grant joined McElroy, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of thermoplastic fusion equipment, as its new vice president of operations.
He brings more than 30 years of tremendous ability to coach and develop strong leadership teams and foster a culture of operational excellence. Most recently, he was managing director of construction operations for the Toro Company, formerly known as Ditch Witch/The Charles Machine Works, Inc. in Perry, Okla.
McElroy is the leading manufacturer and innovator in the science of joining thermoplastic pipe. The Tulsa, Okla.-based company offers the industry's most complete line of butt, saddle and socket fusion equipment for ½-inch CTS to 2000mm OD pipe, as well as quality assurance accessories that increase productivity and efficiency on the job site. For more than 70 years, McElroy has successfully demonstrated a complete dedication to excellence that lies at the heart of the design, engineering and manufacturing of its products.
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