Press Releases 2008

October 10, 2008
EarthTec MSE Walls Selected for Final Phase of Wilson Bridge Project

September 16, 2008
GeoStructures Named Subcontractor of the Month

August 22, 2008
GeoStructures Ranked Among Fastest-Growing Private Companies

June 6, 2008
GeoStructures Increases Use of Environment-Friendly and Patented Technologies for Soil Reinforcement

April 22, 2008
EarthTec’s Highway Wall System Gets Green Light in Virginia

March 10, 2008
GeoStructures Hires One, Promotes Two to Executive Team

February 6, 2008
GeoStructures’s Growth Spikes More Than 50 Percent in 2007

January 9, 2008
GeoStructures Named to SmartCEO Magazine's Future 50

October 10, 2008
EarthTec MSE Walls Selected for Final Phase of Wilson Bridge Project
EarthTec, a specialist in mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structures and subsidiary to GeoStructures, has completed the design work and begun delivering wall components needed for improvements to the I-495 highway at Telegraph Road.  Part of the $2.52 billion effort to build the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge span across the Potomac River, this project features a grade-separated interchange and widening of I-495 for about two miles, which will keep traffic moving more smoothly through the often-congested area. 

Under an agreement with general contractor CK Constructors, EarthTec’s MSE wall system will be used for retaining walls and bridge abutments, including several pile-supported integral bridge abutments.  When the project is completed in late 2009, it will have 29 EarthTec structures totaling 130,000 square feet for 11 ramps and bridges.  Other structures on the project include five box culvert extensions, drainage improvements, CIP retaining walls and noise walls.

“Widening roads within highly populated areas like Northern Virginia creates significant challenges in terms of wall design, aesthetics and stability because walls generally need to be taller in those environments,” says Michael Cowell, P.E., president of EarthTec.  “Solutions such as the Telegraph Road interchange make better use of vertical space with walls and ramps, so they minimize bottlenecks and are a key part of overall transportation planning.”

The unique challenges at Telegraph Road led CK to adopt EarthTec’s 5’ x 10’ pre-cast concrete panel MSE system because its ribbed steel strips can be positioned to avoid obstructions such as drainage structures and bridge-support piles.  EarthTec uses the widest and thickest galvanized, ribbed-steel strip in the industry, so it can reinforce the earth with fewer strips and allow for larger spans between strips to accommodate obstructions.  In addition, since the strips are wider at the point where they are bolted to the precast panels, tensile capacity is maximized, and corrosion is minimized at the most critical location of the bolt hole, all of which contribute to better wall performance.

These benefits are partly what led the Virginia Department of Transportation to approve EarthTec’s MSE system last year as “Category A,” thus pre-approving its use in all typical bridge abutments and retaining wall applications.

September 16, 2008
GeoStructures Named Subcontractor of the Month
Design-build contractor GeoStructures has received accolades for its ground improvement and wall construction work on three projects in recent months.

At the Mission Place project in Jessup, Maryland, general contractor Bovis Lend Lease branded the company as “Subcontractor of the Month” in June following construction of a post-and-panel wall that will solve a grade-separation problem on the site of 366 apartments and townhouses.  According to Mark Williams of Bovis Lend Lease, the GeoStructures team has been “fantastic with turning in paper work and having it in by 8:00 am. They are also very safety conscious, keep a clean job site and pay attention to detail. It has been a pleasure working with them.”

On the site of an expansion project for a Blue Cross Blue Shield office in Durham, North Carolina, GeoStructures was recognized for flawless implementation of 310 Rammed Aggregate Pier® (RAP) elements, which reinforced the soft ground enough to support the planned buildings.  Says Tony Carlyle, general superintendent with Barnhill Contracting Company, “This is to commend Justin Woodcheke and his entire team on excellent performance while on our site.  They performed their work both effectively and professionally.  Their daily production of pier installations exceeded our expectations.  It is a pleasure to work with qualified sub contractors.  I thank you and your entire team for helping maintain this portion of our schedule.”

For general contractor KBS, GeoStructures installed 233 RAPs to support a new office in Roanoke, Virginia for the U.S. Social Security Administration.  Comments project manager Gary Williams of KBS, “thank you and your team for a job well done.  While we all can appreciate getting a job completed on time with minimal conflicts, it's indeed rare to encounter a crew that will work with us to better the baseline schedule.  I credit your foreman Wes Barton with much of this success by his willingness to push the crew, keep us abreast of his needs, and get the job done properly in an expeditious manner.  Thanks again and I look forward to our next opportunity to partner with one another.” 

August 22, 2008
GeoStructures Ranked Among Fastest-Growing Private Companies
Inc. magazine today listed GeoStructures at No. 2,581 in its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country.  The recognition is due to company’s three-year revenue increase of 141 percent, which was attributed to both an acquisition and organic growth.

Leading the growth was the company’s signature Geopier® product, followed by Impact Piers® and Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC), all of which reinforce or stiffen the soil to increase bearing capacity and control settlement for low- to mid-rise structures.  Growth has also been fueled by its design-build activities in the transportation sector, ranging from design/supply and construction of mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, sound walls on permanent tied-back walls, and temporary shoring for excavation support.

“While it is gratifying to be acknowledged as a growing company, our focus has been on smart growth the last few years, so we have added people and products that are creating long-term value,” says Michael Cowell, P.E., president of GeoStructures.  “Growth for us will continue to be a by-product of offering our customers the products and services they need for their construction and transportation projects.”

Comments Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Mellon, “Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism.  The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies still showing impressive growth.”

The 5000 companies that made the list reported aggregate revenue of $185 billion and median three-year growth of 147 percent.  The 2008 Inc. 5000 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 826,033 jobs since those companies were founded. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region can be found at http://www.inc5000.com/.  

The New York metro area tops the Inc. 5000 list with the most companies of any city with 355.  Washington, D.C. comes in a close second with 300 companies on the list; Los Angeles comes in third with 244 companies, and Atlanta (194 companies) and Chicago (189 companies) round out the top five.  Interestingly, only 62 companies on the Inc. 5000 are not based in metropolitan areas. 

Grand Rapids, Mich. leads the list with the highest median revenue of any metro area ($26.2 million, 16 companies), followed by San Antonio, Texas ($21.3 million, 25 companies), Baton Rouge, La. ($18.8 million, 14 companies), Houston ($17.1 million, 97 companies), and Kansas City, Mo.-Kan. ($16.5 million, 39 companies).

The 2008 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2004 through 2007.  To qualify, companies must be U.S.-based and privately held, for profit, independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2007, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2004, and $2 million in 2007.  Companies can apply for next year’s Inc. 5000 by registering with “IncBizNet, Business Network for Private Companies,” at http://www.incbiznet.com/.

June 6, 2008
GeoStructures Increases Use of Environment-Friendly and Patented Technologies for Soil Reinforcement
Design-build contractor GeoStructures has expanded its use of technologies that have the added benefit of being environmentally sensitive as they improve the performance of the Geopier® system in strengthening soil prior to construction. 

The Charlotte Midtown and the Metropolitan at Midtown is one of dozens of projects where the company has built Rammed Aggregate Pier® (RAP) elements with a patented technique for using recycled, crushed concrete.  At this multi-story, mixed-use development in Charlotte, NC, GeoStructures installed 2,100 RAP elements with the material, which was the ideal aggregate, because it was locally produced and met the gradations needed to pass the company’s quality control process.  The use of recycled concrete aggregates saved the cost of shipping in virgin-quarried stone and transporting out the old concrete, as well as the environmental cost of land-filling the concrete debris. 

A project in Sewaren, New Jersey showcases another patented technique that has been applied at a half dozen sites during the last 12 months.  By injecting cement into more than 1,000 RAP elements as they were constructed with aggregate, GeoStructures increased the capacity of the Impact® Pier elements in the soft, peat-layered soil and created a barrier against water infiltration through the elements.  This “grouting” process stabilized the foundation of a rail car off-loading facility, and because Impact® Pier elements were used there was the added environmental benefit of not requiring soil excavation and disposal.

“Construction is not a traditionally “green” industry because of the use of raw materials and machinery, but with the use of recycled materials and stabilizing contaminated soils in place we can help the environment,” says Michael Cowell, P.E., president of GeoStructures.  “There are many occasions where cost savings and environmental benefits go together, which is a great combination for general contractors and building owners who also can extend that value by applying for LEED credits.”

LEED represents Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, part of the Green Building Rating System™ that encourages adoption of sustainable building and development practices.

April 22, 2008
EarthTec’s Highway Wall System Gets Green Light in Virginia
EarthTec, a specialist in the design and supply of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls, has achieved approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to use its EarthTrac™ HA system on highway and transportation infrastructure projects.  VDOT classifies the EarthTrac system in “Category A,” thus pre-approving its use in all typical bridge abutment and retaining wall applications.

EarthTrac HA has been on VDOT’s probationary systems list since August 2007.  Since then the company has carried out two VDOT-related projects to widen Spriggs Road (Phase II with Branch Highways), and to build a bridge abutment on Route 28 for Shirley Contracting. 

EarthTrac HA also received approval in 2007 from Maryland’s State Highway Administration under both the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specifications and the Standard (Allowable Stress) Bridge Design Specifications.  Since then contractors have used the system on projects at the Greenbelt Metro redevelopment and at Prince Frederick Boulevard.

MSE has been the preferred technique for constructing earth retaining structures on publicly funded infrastructure projects since its introduction in the U.S. in 1972.  EarthTrac HA represents an up-to-date embodiment of the MSE system partly because its galvanized, ribbed-steel strips that reinforce the soil are unusually wide at the point where they are bolted to the precast concrete facing panels.  This maximizes strip capacity, minimizes corrosion effects, reduces the amount of steel lost to the bolt hole, and contributes to better wall performance.

“EarthTrac HA combines the best elements of traditional MSE structures and new technologies so that walls have higher factors of safety, durability, and longevity,” says Michael Cowell, P.E., president of EarthTec.  “Because of this we expect to see other departments of transportation follow the lead of Maryland and Virginia.”

EarthTec provides a wide range of earth retaining solutions.  In addition to EarthTrac HA, the firm also has a wire-faced MSE wall for temporary works and permanent industrial structures, which can be adapted to construct steep slopes with a stone vegetated facing. 

About EarthTec
A subsidiary of GeoStructures, EarthTec designs and supplies a range of steel- and geosynthetic-based MSE structures, primarily for use in transportation infrastructure, and commercial development projects.  EarthTec solutions cover the full range of site and soil conditions, with greater flexibility of backfills, resulting in savings of both time and money. 

March 10, 2008
GeoStructures Hires One, Promotes Two to Executive Team
To support the on-going demand among general contractors for its specialty construction services, design-build contractor GeoStructures has promoted two individuals to executive management and named a third to lead its wall-construction subsidiary EarthTec.

Former operations manager Jim Ballentine is the new vice president of operations with responsibility for field operations, safety, contract administration, project cost management, estimating, and scheduling for the company’s foundation support, as well as for its retaining and sound walls, precast arches, bridges and earth structure projects. 

Ed O’Malley, P.E. has been promoted to vice president of engineering for GeoStructures and ensures that foundation support solutions are appropriate based on site-specific soil properties, structural loading, and performance requirements.  He also works closely with geotechnical engineers and project managers so that feasibility studies are accurate, budget estimates are on target, and GeoStructures delivers the value expected by builders. 

Joining GeoStructures as general manager for its EarthTec subsidiary is Kent Lindamood, P.E., who has more than 15 years of experience in earth-retention construction.  Kent was previously involved in project management, design and construction of solutions for mechanically stabilized earth walls and steep slopes, as well as for the design and installation of tiebacks and soil nails for temporary and permanent retaining structures for major suppliers, specialty contractors, and general contractors. 

“No construction project is ever the same, so we have to have multiple solutions for a variety of construction project challenges,” states Mike Cowell, P.E., president of GeoStructures.  “Along with increased market share, another outcome of this reputation is that we are attracting the best candidates and recognizing the contributions of current staff.”

February 6, 2008
GeoStructures’s Growth Spikes More Than 50 Percent in 2007
GeoStructures today announced that its revenue increased by 57 percent last year as compared to the level in 2006 because the cost-saving and lower-risk benefits of its site-improvement products are becoming more important to builders and building owners.

The 50 percent figure represents organic growth and does not take into account the company’s acquisition of TerraTech in 2007, a transaction that created the Mid-Atlantic’s largest design-build contractor for the combination of ground-improvement systems, engineered earth structures and sound walls for transportation and commercial construction projects.  Other significant events in 2007 were the creation of the EarthTec subsidiary that focuses on design, supply, and turnkey construction of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structures, and the construction and opening of the company’s new headquarters building. 

Leading the growth was the company’s signature Geopier® product, followed by Impact Piers® and Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC), all of which reinforce or stiffen the soil to increase bearing capacity and control settlement for low- to mid-rise structures.  These construction methods are an alternative to the traditional support systems of pilings and drilled shafts, and the lengthy process of over-excavating sites with weak soils and replacing them with controlled, compacted select fill.  With the TerraTech acquisition, GeoStructures has added new expertise for foundation support using micropiles, and excavation support expertise in the areas of underpinning, tieback and soil nail wall construction.

“We had a very exciting year,” says Mike Cowell, P.E., president of GeoStructures, “because most of the sites that are left for development have soft or fill soils, which has led to a lot of interest in our various ground-improvement methods.  By combining our proven foundation support capabilities with our new excavation support expertise we are well positioned to continue on our course to become the design-build contractor of choice for many general contractors and building owners.”

January 9, 2008
GeoStructures Named to SmartCEO Magazine's Future 50
Design-build contractor GeoStructures today announced its selection as a member of the Future 50, a ranking of the top companies in Greater Washington compiled by SmartCEO magazine (http://www.smartceo.com/).  Based on employee and revenue growth during the previous three years, the annual competition will culminate in a black-tie awards dinner on January 17th at 6 pm at the Westin in Alexandria.

Much of the company’s growth is attributed to its value proposition of alleviating risk associated with new site development.  Especially in the highly developed Greater Washington region where there are few prime sites are left, the marginal sites and roadway projects where much of the construction is taking place have soil conditions that can affect developers’ budgets and the performance of the structures.  GeoStructures’s ground-improvement, and sound and retaining wall offerings have kept construction projects on schedule and within budget.

“While revenue, headcount, and other tangible aspects of growth are evident, equally as important are less tangible traits such as a solid senior management team that is recognized internally, within our industry, and community,” says Mike Cowell, P.E., president of GeoStructures.  “We are very focused on professional development of employees, membership in professional organizations, and participation in our local community, so growth is a byproduct of this approach to management.”

SmartCEO’s editorial mission is to bring its readers fresh ideas and insights that will help C-level audiences strengthen the competitiveness of their organizations.  Differentiated from hard-news oriented publications, the magazine makes a key contribution to the economic well-being of a region that now tops $400 billion in GDP.