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SPRING 2015 Underground Spotlight Page 18 MEMBER PROFILE: ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE: Hoffman Bros., Inc. Hymmco Page 8 Page 12 Lansing, MI Lansing, PERMIT #718 PERMIT PAID P. O. Box 1640, Okemos, MI 48805-1640 MI Okemos, 1640, Box O. P. U.S. POSTAGE U.S. MITA, Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association Transportation & Infrastructure Michigan MITA, PRST STD PRST √ √ Call MITA’s Bene ts Consultant! association benets company Authorized Administrator for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association’s Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan and Blue Care Network Health Insurance Program Outreach Spotlight The Grassroots Efforts Behind Proposal 1: Paying Tribute To A Job Well Done By Mariam Robinson he Safe Roads YES campaign for lowing companies who invested in either Proposal 1 was not only the tough- large signs for their company buildings or Test in MITA history, but also one of billboards in their area of the state: Ajax the most controversial ballot initiatives to Paving Industries, Inc., Fonson, Inc. and M be seen in Michigan in the last 50 years. We & M Excavating Company. Large signs and must remember that even under the best of billboards are very eye-catching, and they circumstances, ballot campaigns are typi- require a certain level of investment. Thank cally the most difficult to win because of the you for putting in the effort to publicly dis- need to educate the public for support. play your support in the months leading up Though our fight to win the Proposal to the election. 1 campaign was not successful on May The bottom line is that this was a tough 5th, the grassroots efforts of many MITA campaign. In spite of the difficulties and members, their employees, their families obstacles, MITA members rose to the chal- and their friends was, without a doubt, Hundreds of presentations were made, lenge and poured their time, energy and unprecedented. In addition, the Proposal 1 numerous letters to the editor were written resources into the process. MITA members campaign started a serious public dialogue and grassroots efforts in general were the kept the dialogue going throughout the and raised major awareness for the need heart and soul of this campaign. campaign, and they will continue to keep to invest in our roads and bridges across MITA would like to specifically thank the issue current until the legislature does the entire state. The voters were very clear Michigan Highway Signs, the MITA member their job and finds a solution to this long- who produced truck magnets for free dis- about the fact that they want the legisla- standing problem. ture to do their jobs and to do it in a clean, tribution to other members and the public. Bertolt Brecht once said, “There are transparent way. In our book, the combined These truck magnets were seen all over the many elements to a campaign. Leadership √ effect of all these things is a win. state promoting Proposal 1, and they were is number one. Everything else is number Over the course of the four-month a great way for people to publicly demon- two.” MITA has been a leader from day one. campaign, MITA members really stepped strate their support on their personal and As we look beyond Proposal 1, remember up and carried the water on the proposal, professional vehicles. that MITA will continue to lead until the √ despite the backlash from the public and MITA would also like to highlight the right solution is found and passed into law. those leading the anti-Proposal 1 groups. commitments demonstrated by the fol- Onward! Call MITA’s Bene ts Consultant! association benets company Authorized Administrator for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association’s Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan and Blue Care Network Health Insurance Program SPRING 2015 mita crossSECTION 3 SPRING 2015 contents Get there. 100% of clients say the CPAs 5 Executive Vice President Comment and advisors of Plante Moran understand their business and 8 Member Profile have technical expertise in their disciplines. Consulting, audit, and 11 Letters to MITA tax solutions for your business is 12 Associate Member Profile a higher return on experience. 14 Vice President of Membership Services Comment 16 Vice President of Engineering Services Comment 18 Underground Spotlight 26 Legislative Questions and Answers 28 Workforce Development Events 30 Legislative Update 34 DBE News 36 Member News 40 Member Project Profile 41 Partner News 42 Did You Know? Contact: Tom Doyle 52 MITA Calendar of Events 248.223.3402 [email protected] 53 MITA Staff News plantemoran.com 54 Ad Index For Cross-Section Magazine advertising, circulation or editorial inquiries, contact Nancy Brown at: phone: 517-347-8336; fax, 517-347-8344 ; e-mail, [email protected]; or by mail at the following mailing address: MITA, P.O. Box 1640, Okemos, Mich., 48805-1640. © 2015 Cross-Section. All rights reserved. Reprints or reproductions only with written consent of MITA. 4 mita crossSECTION SPRING 2015 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT his magazine looks at many issues that MITA continues to promote on behalf of the entire heavy construction industry. For the underground T industry in particular, we are continuing our efforts towards a goal of permanent state funding for our underground water and sewer systems, which are deteriorating (see cover photo and story on page 18). On another front, every year MITA is a leading force behind two major workforce development events, and you can see details and photos on page 28-29. MITA also participates annually in underground and road safety events, which Rob Coppersmith, our Vice President of Membership Services, writes about on page 14. Glenn Bukoski, P.E., vice president of engineering services, discusses on page 16 another issue that will impact the industry – MDOT’s implementation of its e-construction initiative. This initiative will be a game changer in terms of the way all project documents are collected, shared, distributed and managed in a Mike Nystrom secure and protected electronic environment. We encourage our members to em- brace the many benefits of this new technology. On the legislative front, House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, an- swers questions on page 26 regarding the next steps towards adequately funding our infrastructure in Michigan. We will continue to work closely with him and other members of the legislature on many pieces of legislation that will impact the in- dustry as a whole (see Legislative Update on page 30). For news about MITA members, read the Member Project Profile on page 40, which highlights the 30th anniversary of Harbor Springs Excavating. The Member Profile on page 8 showcases Hoffman Bros, Inc., of Battle Creek, which has a long history in the underground industry. And the Associate Member Profile on page 12 provides details regarding Hymmco, a provider of concrete supplies, tools and accessories located in Wixom and Saginaw. As always, if you have any questions or comments on any of the articles in this magazine, or ideas for future stories, please don’t hesitate to contact us. MIKE NYSTROM Executive Vice President MITA [email protected] SPRING 2015 mita crossSECTION 5 The results are in... and it’s just what you’d expect. MITA 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The results are in... OFFICERS DIRECTORS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATE MEMBER COUNCIL President Past President Director At Large SCOTT BAZINET DARRELL KALTZ MIKE PEAKE DAVE STURRUS and it’s just what you’d expect. Lowe Construction Co. Kaltz Excavating Co., Inc. Action Traffic Maintenance Grand Valley Concrete Products President Elect Past President Director At Large KIRK BRANSON TOM WAGENMAKER KEITH ROSE J.W. FISHER Parson Brinckerhoff Michigan Anlaan Corporation Rieth-Riley Construction Co., Inc. Fisher Contracting Company KURT SIEBENALLER Vice President Director At Large Director At Large UHY LLP JIM DOESCHER JACK DYKSTRA ROD MERSINO Dan’s Excavating Jack Dykstra Excavating, Inc. Mersino Dewatering, Inc. Treasurer Director At Large Director At Large MITA STAFF MITA STAFF MIKE MALLOURE BOB ADCOCK ANNE COURSEY DANIELLE COPPERSMITH C.A. Hull Co., Inc. Angelo Iafrate Construction Co. Champagne & Marx Excavating MIKE NYSTROM Executive Vice President / Secretary Events Coordinator Executive Vice President/ Director At Large Director – Underground [email protected] [email protected] Secretary JOHN ZITO FRANK DIPONIO ROB COPPERSMITH TIYA KUNAIYI-AKPANAH MIKE NYSTROM Zito Construction Co. DiPonio Contracting, Inc. Vice President of Membership Member Services Coordinator Director At Large Director – Specialties Services [email protected] [email protected] JEFF BALKEMA DAN BABCOCK MARY MOODY Balkema Excavating Inc. Give ‘Em A Brake Safety GLENN BUKOSKI, PE Accounting Coordinator [email protected] Director At Large Director – Utilities Vice President of Engineering Services RINALDO ACCIAVATTI PAT DUNIGAN MARIAM ROBINSON [email protected] Pamar Enterprises, Inc. Dunigan Bros., Inc. Outreach Coordinator DOUGLAS NEEDHAM, PE [email protected] Director At Large Director – Concrete Vice President of Industry Relations JANIS STRANG GREGG CAMPBELL ANGELO LANNI [email protected] Michigan Paving & Materials Florence Cement Company, Inc. Executive Assistant LANCE BINONIEMI [email protected] Director At Large Director – Excavating Vice President of Government Affairs SARA SCHAIBLY JIM D’AGOSTINI BRANDIE MEISNER [email protected] L. D’Agostini & Sons, Inc. M & M Excavating Company Receptionist/Admin. Assistant NANCY BROWN [email protected]