Thompson Engineering

Stormwater Training Classes Set for May/June

Thompson Engineering has announced its schedule of ADEM Qualified Credentialed Inspector (QCI) Initial Training classes for May-June 2013. Classes will be held in Montgomery on May 23, 2013; in Mobile on June 5, 2013; and in Birmingham on June 26, 2013. This training course provides the tools and techniques needed to prevent stormwater pollution on construction sites. Our students will learn the most current regulatory requirements, inspection strategies, and best management practices needed for controlling erosion and sedimentation from experienced, knowledgeable instructors in a relaxed, fun environment. This course will cover the requirements for monitoring turbidity on certain construction sites, as specified in ADEM Construction Stormwater General Permit ALR100000. Also, we will teach our students basic techniques for turbidity sampling and testing. Click on the “Stormwater Training” link or call us at 251-666-2443 for more information.

2013 Funky Monkey 5K Raises $11,000 for Thompson Foundation

The 2013 Funky Monkey 5K & Fun Run raised $11,000 for the Thompson Foundation. More than 530 participants ran or walked the 5K and Fun Run courses on the University of South Alabama campus on March 9. Everyone celebrated with a taste of “Mobile’s Biggest Banana Split,” race awards and the announcing of the 2013 Charity Challenge winner. “The Thompson Foundation is proud to award a $1,000 grant as a symbol of our mission throughout the year, which is to improve the quality of life in the communities served by the Thompson companies,” said Thompson Foundation Chairman Chad Brown. This 2013 Charity Challenge winner is the Kyser Miree Memorial Scholarship.

Thompson Engineering, the Thompson Foundation and the Funky Monkey race committee would like to thank all of its sponsors and volunteers for help making this event a success!

Thompson Employee Named Group’s Safety Leader of 2012

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Alabama, Mobile Section named Thompson Engineering Health and Safety Consultant Jackie Wallace its Safety Leader of 2012. Thompson Engineering also earned an AGC Safety Excellence Award, as well as an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Alabama Gold Award for work in 2012. Both groups recognize exemplary safety performance and a commitment to jobsite safety.

Wallace, an employee of Thompson Engineering for the past six years, conducts safety training and audits at multiple job sites across the state. Her expertise was particularly important in disaster recovery work following the spring 2012 tornadoes in North Alabama. “Jackie had the difficult task of training a large number of temporary employees in a very short period of time,” said John Baker, President of Thompson Engineering. “Many had never received safety training before, and were working in rugged terrain and around downed trees. Comprehensive safety training was critical and Jackie delivered that.” Thompson Engineering Safety Director Alex Napier added, “Jackie is a natural at coaching, and that, combined with her genuine care for Thompson employees, makes her an example to follow in the safety field.” Thompson requires monthly safety training for all employees, a program Wallace revamped and now leads.

The AGC Mobile Safety Excellence Award honors Thompson Engineering for Engineering and Construction work in the over 650,000 hours category, and is kudos for the company’s thorough safety policies and procedures encompassing topics from new hire training to continuing education. The award also reflects Thompson’s declining EMR rating, which is determined by insurance companies based on a company’s safety history.  Thompson’s second company award, the ABC Alabama Gold Award, will be presented at that organization’s “Safest in the Industry Day” honoring Alabama businesses.

For more information on Thompson Engineering’s safety culture, please contact Alex Napier at 251-666-2443.

Thompson Engineering Earns State Engineering Award for Austal Project

Thompson Engineering has been named an American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Alabama award winner for its work at Austal USA, an international shipbuilding company located along the Mobile River. ACEC-Alabama named Thompson Engineering its second-place award winner for its lead role in the design of the Austal Cove Reclamation project, which created valuable land area so that Austal could increase its shipbuilding capabilities.

“Several aspects made this a technically challenging project,” said Henry R. Seawell, III, Thompson Engineering’s Project Executive. “First, we created land mass out of an open water area, and second, did so in tight confines without disrupting Austal’s ongoing operations. But most significant was our protection of the historic Bankhead Tunnel, which runs under the project area.” The Bankhead, an important transportation corridor for thousands of daily drivers, is easily affected by vibration and earth movement. Thompson Engineering’s design and implementation techniques respected its sensitivity. “Basically, we bridged the tunnel with an innovative wall system embedded 100 feet below the surface, and made it strong enough to allow for heavy shipyard operations overhead,” said Thompson Engineering project manager Keith Howell.

Thompson Engineering and Austal’s partnership on the cove reclamation provides benefits to the Mobile and military communities. The new land area allowed Austal to increase its shipbuilding capabilities, thereby creating new jobs in the Mobile area. It also allowed Austal to fulfill the needs of the U.S. Navy. Austal is under contract to build nine Joint High Speed Vessels and five Littoral Combat Ships, and future awards are pending for more of the all-aluminum high speed vessels.

“This project posed the most challenging engineering design issue encountered thus far at Austal’s Mobile shipyard,” said William Pfister, Vice President Facility Development at Austal. “Thompson Engineering developed a cost-effective and safe solution, and I believe the project is a success because of the focus and direction of Thompson’s leadership and the attention to detail.”

Thompson Engineering has been integral in several other Austal projects, including the design of several manufacturing and assembly facilities, the Northern Shipyard Expansion and other projects. 

Thompson Engineering Inspector is Tennessee Technician of the Year

Thompson Engineering project inspector Caleb Hammontree has been named the 2013 Carlisle Jordan Technician of the Year. The award, named after the World War II veteran, long-time Delta Airlines employee and Tennessee philanthropist, is awarded to a technician who has made notable contributions to his or her profession and community.

“Caleb is a talented and committed young professional with a unique ability to manage processes and work effectively with our clients,” said Mack McCarley, manager for Thompson Engineering’s Tennessee operations. Hammontree was chosen for his considerable professional achievements on various projects across Tennessee in 2012 including his work as:
• Onsite Construction Manager for the Bradley County Fire Halls
• Onsite Assistant Project Manager, Construction Management Team for the Volkswagen Training Academy;
• Inspector and Onsite Owner’s Representative for the City of Chattanooga for the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway;
• and Inspector  on the TDOT 1-24 Bridge Deck Repair and Resurfacing. 

The Technician of the Year award was presented during the 2013 Chattanooga Engineers Week Awards Banquet and is sponsored by more than ten professional engineering organizations. They include the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers, Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

This is the second year that a Thompson Engineering inspector has won the award. Construction Inspector Ralph Lockhart earned the honor in 2011.

Thompson Engineering is SAME Mobile Post Member Firm of 2012

Thompson Engineering has been named the Society of American Military Engineers Mobile Post's Sustaining Member Firm for 2012. The honor is given annually to a member firm in recognition of  substantial employee contributions. Thompson Engineering’s employee involvement includes numerous board commitments and committee positions. Thompson employees contributed to SAME events such as the 2012 Scores for Scholars Golf Tournament, Industry Day Workshop, Student Chapter Career Day and others. Thompson employees have also been heavily involved with the 2013 SC-SA JETS Planning Committee, assisting with sponsorships, publicity, program development and events.

In the spirit of the SAME mission, Thompson members are also involved with mentoring activities. Bob Keyser, SAME Fellow for 2012, is involved in student chapter activities. His participation is one of the factors that led to his selection as a Fellow, a distinction earned by only a small group of SAME’s 29,000 worldwide members. Thompson also co-hosted an engineering career workshop at USA, which helped students with resume preparation, interview skills and career management.

SAME is a professional engineering association connecting architects, scientists, engineers, and builders with the goal of uniting them to improve individual and collective capabilities for national security. SAME’s goal is to integrate these entities and individuals so that they can prepare for and overcome natural and manmade disasters, acts of terrorism and improve security at home and abroad. 

SAME Names Thompson Engineering’s Keyser to Academy of Fellows

Thompson Engineering Federal Market Leader and retired Army Colonel Robert B. Keyser has been named a Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Fellow for 2012. SAME bestows the designation of Fellow on a select group each year as recognition of dedication and outstanding service to SAME and to military engineering. “Recognition as a member of the Academy of Fellows is a very significant achievement that reflects not only an individual’s commitment to SAME, but is also is a reflection of Bob’s professional accomplishments over his 35-year engineering career,” said Mike Thompson, Thompson Engineering colleague and SAME member.” SAME, a Professional Engineering Society with more than 29,000 members worldwide, elected only 33 members to the Academy of Fellows for 2012.

Keyser has been an active member of SAME since 1983, and his service has included leadership roles in three Posts, including the Mobile Post where he served as Post President.  One of Keyser’s most notable SAME achievements is the establishment of Industry Day Programs at the Montgomery and Mobile Posts. Mobile’s Industry Day has grown to more than 250 participants, engaging both sustaining and active members. In addition, Keyser was an advisor in the establishment of a Student Post at the University of South Alabama, and has also been involved on the Mobile Post Scholarship Committee. 
Keyser is only the fifth person from the Mobile Post to be honored with the designation. Two members who have also received the honor are also either current or former Thompson Engineering employees: Paul Klotz in 2010 and Tom Clinton in 2011. Keyser will be recognized at a formal ceremony in the nation’s capital in March 2013.

Thompson Engineering also received honors from SAME as sustaining member firm of the year. Click here to read more.

Thompson Project Awarded First-Time State Environmental Award

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has named the Underwood Landfill in Lauderdale County Alabama’s Landfill of the Year for 2012. Thompson Engineering served as design engineer for the project, handling aspects from site selection to permitting. “Most of us don’t think about garbage after it’s in the can on the curb,” said Project Scientist Chris Gillentine. “But there’s a lot to consider before our garbage goes into a landfill, and how it is managed once it’s there.”

The William Gerald Hardy Landfill of the Year award is a new award created by ADEM to recognize landfills that are proactively managed. “Every community needs a landfill, and some are managed above and beyond standard compliance and aesthetic considerations,” said ADEM’s Scott Story. “With this award, we recognize state landfills that exceed regulations and are environmentally and community-friendly.”

Drainage, groundwater, soil conditions and aesthetics are some of the aspects scientists and engineers consider when selecting a landfill site. “As an example, there needs to be a degree of separation between garbage and our water source,” said Gillentine. “We make sure the site selected for a landfill is the one that is best for public safety.” The design of the 72-acre Underwood Landfill recognizes the area’s natural landscape, blending in with the area. The landfill is expected to have a lifespan of 50 years, collecting a maximum of 100 tons of trash per day.

Thompson Engineering Transportation Project Wins National Award

Thompson Engineering has received a national award for its design work on the I-65 Reconstruction Project in Birmingham, Alabama. Thompson Engineering earned the Excellence in Concrete Pavement Silver award from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) in the Divided Highways (Urban) category. Thompson Engineering’s design replaced existing concrete pavement with thicker concrete on the interstate and ramps and improved drainage for a heavily traveled part (more than 120,000 vehicles daily) of 1-65 between I-459 and US-31.

“One of the challenges of this project was replacing concrete lanes and shoulders while still allowing two to three lanes of traffic to move in each direction,” said Mike Patrick, Project Manager. Thompson Engineering’s solution included the design of crossovers through the concrete median barrier wall which allowed traffic to shift from northbound to southbound and vice-versa, using contraflow for one lane in each direction.

Thompson Engineering completed the design on a fast-track schedule; construction was completed in 2011.

Thompson Earns Mobile Area Chamber’s Community Service Award

The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce named Thompson Engineering its 2012 Corporate Community Service Award recipient as recognition for its extensive involvement in the community. “Thompson Engineering considers supporting the communities where we live and work an important part of our responsibility as a business,” said Mike Manning, Vice-President, Business Development. “Thompson leadership supports its employees in their volunteer efforts, and encourages employees to recruit colleagues when help is needed.” 

Thompson Engineering was recognized for its community service from October 2011 to September 2012 including:

• 73 local civic or charitable organizations served
• Board positions on 25 local organizations or charities
• Management of two community fundraisers – the Funky Monkey 5K & Fun Run and the Thompson Engineering Fishing Rodeo
• More than $166,00 in donations combined from the Thompson Foundation & corporate giving

Businesses in the Mobile area are eligible to apply for the award every five years. Thompson Engineering was also honored with the Corporate Community Service Award in 2007 and 2001. The award is co-presented by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and HandsOn South Alabama.