Utility Strategy Podcast

No more excuses! That is the theme for this weeks vry special episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast. 811 deserves the respect of every stakeholder in our industry. Handling thousands of excavation tickets a day, they are the safety net of utility verification before we begin digging. Unfortunately, the work is becoming all too much for them to handle! With teh new infrastructure ebill coming down the pipeline, infrastructure projects are beginning to raise the issue that there just aren't enough people in the work force to take on these mega projects. No more excuses!Chris Stovall, CEO of 811 Texas says enough is enough!Join us as he sits down with David Horesh to discuss the issues surrounding the 811 industry.

What is the biggest risk behind damage prevention? It's striking, it's having the responsibility falling on you the construction end of damaging utility lines.Jimmie Wang is one of the most knowledgable people in the damage prevention space, who has a very different point of view about the indsutry. Jimmie has been in the damage prevention industry for a little over 20 years. He started in the contract locating world and worked with various private equity firms helping to sell as part of the management and owenrhsip for companies in the space. Leading everything from mergers and acquisitions to product developments - leading him to having a depe understanding of utilities and facility owners, and even one call tickets - Making him an expert in making the industry better. Hosted by David Horesh

What are the main challenges with conducting utility locating? How often do utilities get striked due to mismanaged projects? What ways can we as an industry mitigate these risks as early on as possible? All of these questions and more are to be answered on this very special episode fo the Utility Strategy Podcast, featuring our special guest, Forrest SimOn this episode, Forrest and David sit down to discuss the challenges the industry faces in the realm of utility location, and how important it is to integrate technologies into the design process. Hosted by David Horesh

On this extraordinary episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, David Horesh speaks with not one but two professionals from the industry on the solutions to our industry's pain points. Brenda Reigle is a DIG prevention consultant with 26 years of experience as Executive Director at NUCA of Pennsylvania. Nicholas Zembillas is a subsurface utility engineer and expert in everything related to SUE. Together their experience in the industry provides tremendous insight into all issues pertaining to subsurface utilities.

Here at 4M, we've been discussing some of the most common problems facing the utility industry today with experts across the industry. The bottom line is, there are just too many issues and factors that put infrastructure projects at a massive risk of dire consequences. As a result, on this very special episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, David Horesh sits down to discuss these with 4M's VP of Marketing, Lindsay Kelley these topics. However, a very special guest will be answering the questions, Chat GPT. Lindsay Kelley, who has over 20 years of experience in the world of marketing and business development, along with David Horesh, analyzes Chat GPT's episodes to see just how well the technology knows the industry.

Re-occurring theme guests on our podcast mention the issues behind incorporating new technologies into infrastructure projects. 2023 brings with it many new advancements in technology such as AI, however, it seems that the industry prefers the more traditional ways of going about the project lifecycle. Our very special guest on this episode, Varun Adibhatla, co-founder of ARGO Labs, discusses with David Horesh the issues, benefits, and vision of technology integration into the industry,Currently, Varun is an adjunct professor at NYU's center for urban science and progress. He has an MS in information science from Penn State and a Master's in applied urban science and informatics from NYU. It is an honor to have him with us to discuss everything technology.

In 2023, technology has become a vital part in every aspect of our lives. Industries across the globe have managed to find the perfect relationship between technological advancement's ad productivity. However, in the infrastructure industry today, the adoption of technology is being impeded for various reasons. Plain and simple, the industry has not gone digital, and we ask ourselves why are we still collecting and verifying utility ata the same was for the last few decades? Andy Kaiyala, an expert in civil consturcition for the last 25 years has been wondering the same question, and sits down with our very own David horesh on this episode of the Utiltiy strategy podcast to discuss the challenges, and possible solutions to integrate technology into the industry. It is an honor to have him with us today! Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the thirty-first episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, Albert Taylor and David horesh take a deep dive into subsurface utility engineering. Albert is a professional who's taken on the challenge of subsurface utilities in the name of some of the most-known brands in our industry. For ten plus years Albert has been worked as a project manager at SGC Engineering LLC, located in Jacksonville, Florida. Before becoming a project manager in the realm of SUE, Albert dedicated ten years of his professional career assisting on construction projects, providing him with extensive knowledge and challenges from the point of view of multiple stakeholders. During this episode, Albert uses his experience to answer the difficult questions surround SUE such as; what do the clients need? How can people like Albert help them? What are the biggest challenges? What are the challenges of utility coordination?

On the thirtieth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we discuss with Michael Twohig the integration of traditional utility locating procedures with land survey best practices. As head of SUM at DGT, Michael spearheads the firm's subsurface utility locating, 3D utility mapping, and subsurface utility damage prevention programs. In the span of his career, Michael has authored more than 40 articles relating to utility mapping, underground damage prevention, and utility industry best practices. One of Michael's greatest achievements is the advancement and development and implementation of new 3D deliverables for geospatial projects, integrating LiDAR, utility locating systems, GPR, infrared, land surveying, and multi-sensor platforms to provide high-quality, reliable, and accurate data for CAD, GIS, and BIM delivery format. It is an honor to have him with us today! Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the Twenty-Ninth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we discuss with Syd Jones the quality needed within our industry to make sure we achieve the most efficient project life cycle possible. Syd sheds light on the core issues in the front end and behind the scenes of our industry.Syd has been in the industry for over 30 years, and he brings his decades of experience to his current role where he's dedicated to augmenting the resources of both large and small general engineering contractors across the United States.In 2017, Syd opened Jones Industrial Group; a consultant estimating firm specializing in heavy civil, water, and wastewater industries. He saw the need to open up this group to specifically address the growing need for quality preconstruction and project management services.It is an honor to have him with us today!Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the Twenty-Eighth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we discuss with Colleen Martindale the opportunity behind activating an entirely new workforce to solve the industry's labor shortage. We dive into the subject matter of how utility data and infrastructure projects connect with providing broadband internet access to rural communities across the country. Colleen leads the civil engineering department, where work is priced and procured in the transportation and heavy civil markets. Colleen has a strong background in civil estimating with 10 years of experience with McCarthy and more than 14 years of experience in the industry.In addition, Colleen manages the McCarthy Partnership for Women in the Southern Region, an employee resource group, focused on removing barriers to success for women in the construction industry.It is an honor to have her with us today! Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the Twenty- Seventh episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we discuss with Shirley Bloomfield the issues of bringing together service providers and creating standards across the nation. We dive deeper into the subject matter of how utility data and infrastructure projects connect with providing broadband internet access to rural communities across the country. Shirley is an expert in her field, spending time in Washington as VP of federal relations for various companies such as Verizon. She has managed to develop a deep understanding of where the problem lies in getting internet to these communities while keeping federal and private interests in mind. Today Shirley is the CEO of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association designed to represent the small rural communities across the country. It is an honor to have her with us today! Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-sixth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we sit down with Raymond Sonnier to talk about damage prevention and asset management from a specialist's perspective. We discuss the past, present, and future of this important aspect of the project's life cycle. He also explains the importance of auditing projects, the issues with a labor shortage in America, and educating stakeholders who are boots on the ground in the field. Raymond is an expert in Utility with 20 years of experience in the field. Slowly through educating himself on the problems and solutions of the industry he's worked his way to becoming a specialist in damage prevention. Today Raymond is a coordinator for Atmos Energy Corporation located in Louisiana. He oversees all sorts of projects ranging from transportation to Oil & GasIt is an honor to have him with us today! Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-fifth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we sit down with Mary Susan Knauss to talk about utility asset management from an insider's perspective. How can we better maintain, house, and utilize reliable data in the field of asset management? What are the main various data sources/ Why is it important to house utility data in one centralized system? She also explains why progress has been slow in updating the way asset managers house and share utility data with each other in order to have accurate data in real-time.Mary has over thirty years of expertise in the field since she began her professional career at AT&T in 1981 where she managed their systems operations center for seven years. Currently, Mary is serving as a board member of the Hudson Development Corporation and as president-elect of the NYS GIS Association. From 2006 until 2019 Mary was a Senior Transportation Analyst for the New York State Department of Transportation. She developed GIS/ mobile GPS Solutions for Departmental inventory and asset management. She also managed their Geospatial analysis to support contract & construction planning.Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-fourth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, we sit down with Peter Bergamini to talk about the energy grid from an industry insider's perspective. How can we better plan the management, maintenance, expansion, and long-term engineering of diverse energy systems to keep our grid strong and resilient? What tactics should be used for large-scale, centralized infrastructure, and how can distributed energy resources add flexibility and redundancy to the system?Peter Bergamini is an electrical engineer with a focus on power systems. He has worked on power plant design (including UPS system, SCR upgrades, backup/generation systems & system protection), substation/switching station design (including breaker coordination, communication upgrades, DG, autotransformer & relaying protection), and switchboard design (including multi section lineups, USS, system coordination, integrated relaying).Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-third episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, we talked to Jerry Aliberti, a real New Yorker who knows the ins and outs of one of the world's most complex utility environments. Jerry covered an amazing breadth of topics in just half an hour, from stories of legendary construction projects to advice on field v. office skills, adopting new technology, and how to build a career in the industry.Jerry Aliberti brings almost two decades of experience managing civil construction projects, as well as training and managing individuals and teams on some of the largest infrastructure construction projects in New York State and surrounding areas. Jerry is trained and fluent in both field and office operations.Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-second episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, we learn about what SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering) can do for project planning and construction—and what's at risk when SUE isn't used early in the process. And there's no better person to tell that story than Rusty Wolff, a SUE director who's passionate about educating clients, policymakers, and the wider public about the importance of investigating and documenting subsurface utilities.Rusty Wolff is Director of Subsurface Utility Engineering at Criado & Associates, bringing 30 years of construction experience including 11 years in SUE and 17 years in QA/QC.Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On the twenty-first episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, we learn from researcher Amit Kumar about the vast scope of infrastructural changes across India, as well as the challenges and opportunities for utility coordination in a country with more than 8,000 urban centers.Amit Kumar is a registered architect, urban and rural planner, and currently a scholar at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme, Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. His research focuses on public utility coordination in right-of-way management, including technologies such as GIS and BIM and approaches such as agent-based modelling (ABM) to identify critical pain points of the industry and increase safety in the public ROW.Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

Just for Testing

On our twentieth episode, Glenn Fox takes us on a deep dive into the real world of SUE—and the utility insights you can ONLY learn with boots on the ground.Glenn Fox is a Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) and utility mapping expert with 36 years of industry experience, from designating and digging test holes in the field to managing and directing SUE departments. He has provided SUE services across 14 states, working with DOTs, private utilities, industrial facilities, as well as military and national security infrastructure. He also takes an active role in the advancement of SUE and damage prevention through professional membership in the ASCE Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) committees for SUE & Investigations and Designator Certification, as well as other national, state, and local bodies promoting best practices in utility locating and documentation.Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

On our nineteenth episode, Sean McConnel of Bigman Geophysical gives us an expert's view on GPR as a nondestructive method of subsurface investigation:what it can (and can't) dowhen and where it works bestand how it can provide incredible value at very low cost by detecting utilities in the early project phases.Sean McConnel is a Senior Project Manager at Bigman Geophysical, where he oversees geophysical projects from around the world that call for all kinds of non-destructive testing: on-site analysis and consultation, back-end data processing, equipment, training and support. Sean is a geophysical archaeologist, currently defending his PhD at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He has been deployed to construction sites, roadworks, cemeteries, and other locations at which subsurface features require expert location and analysis. As he likes to say, “An archaeologist might seem to be an odd choice for a construction project, but when you need a specialist at finding manmade objects underground, that's us.”Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

Joe Alvarez is Project Manager in the Alice Area Office, Corpus Christi District of Texas Department of Transportation. He serves as the utility coordinator for the jurisdiction and Access Management Reviewer to compile documentation for approval of all residential, farm and commercial access permits. Joeis well-versed in the design and completion of PS&E for roadway and drainage improvement projects, routine maintenance contracts (RMC), HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) project submittals, and SW3P plans and reviews, with extensive experience in project review for site development and the utility permitting process. He is also Chairman of the Younger Member Committee of the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Section Director of the ASCE Corpus Christi Branch. Host: David Horesh (Director of Marketing)

John P. Campbell, PE, SR/WA, M.ASCE is the Branch Manager for T2 Utility Engineers in Round Rock, Texas. John is a licensed Professional Engineer and worked as a utility construction superintendent and municipal utility design consultant prior to 27 years with TxDOT where he worked as a Utility Coordinator, as the Statewide Utility Engineer and for 17 years as the Right of Way Division Director. John has also taken on professional leadership roles as Chairman of the AASHTO Right of Way and Utilities Committee and a member of the TRB Standing Committee on Utilities (AKD 60). John is a founding member of ASCE/UESI's Utility Risk Management division, served as the 2021 UESI President, and also serves on the ASCE Standards Committee.On the seventeenth episode of the 4M Utility Strategy Podcast, John Campbell tells us about his three decades in utility coordination and engineering, going from the public sector in TxDOT to industry leadership at T2 and professional insight at ASCE and AASHTO.Host: Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Jim Anspach is a principal developer of the field of subsurface utility engineering (SUE), multi-ticket contract locating, consultant utility coordination services (UC) for DOTs, and the American Society of Civil Engineer's Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute. He has performed many research projects of the National Academies, NSF, and EPSRC (UK). He developed and chaired ASCE's Standard on Utility Investigation and Documentation, and served on many other international and national committees. Jim is currently an A.A. Professor at Iowa State University, developing educational and research capabilities in Utility Engineering. Somewhere along the way, the SUE profession began calling Jim “the Godfather of SUE,” with horse heads replaced by severed utility systems (we assume).On the sixteenth episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, we hear even more about the development of subsurface utility engineering from Jim Anspach, the “Godfather of SUE” himself!Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Jim Anspach is a principal developer of the field of subsurface utility engineering (SUE), multi-ticket contract locating, consultant utility coordination services (UC) for DOTs, and the American Society of Civil Engineer's Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute. He has performed many research projects of the National Academies, NSF, and EPSRC (UK). He developed and chaired ASCE's Standard on Utility Investigation and Documentation, and served on many other international and national committees. Jim is currently an A.A. Professor at Iowa State University, developing educational and research capabilities in Utility Engineering. Somewhere along the way, the SUE profession began calling Jim “the Godfather of SUE,” with horse heads replaced by severed utility systems (we assume).On the fifteenth episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, we hear more about the development of subsurface utility engineering from Jim Anspach, the “Godfather of SUE” himself!Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Nicole Metje is the Head of Enterprise, Engagement and Impact and Head of the Power and Infrastructure Research Group within the School of Engineering, and the Deputy Director for Sensors of the UKCRIC National Buried Infrastructure Facility at the University of Birmingham. She leads the Geophysics work package for the Birmingham-led Quantum Technologies (QT) Hub for Sensors and Timing , which focuses on the application of QT gravity sensors for a range of applications including as buried pipes, capped mine shafts, sinkholes, monitoring of water levels and carbon sequestration. In parallel, she works with industry on several Innovate UK funded projects to accelerate the development of QT gravity gradiometers, and develop market pull for different civil engineering applications such as railway assets, mine workings and leakage through earthworks.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Jim Anspach is a principal developer of the field of subsurface utility engineering (SUE), multi-ticket contract locating, consultant utility coordination services (UC) for DOTs, and the American Society of Civil Engineer's Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute. He has performed many research projects of the National Academies, NSF, and EPSRC (UK). He developed and chaired ASCE's Standard on Utility Investigation and Documentation, and served on many other international and national committees. Jim is currently an A.A. Professor at Iowa State University, developing educational and research capabilities in Utility Engineering. Somewhere along the way, the SUE profession began calling Jim “the Godfather of SUE,” with horse heads replaced by severed utility systems (we assume).On this episode, Jim Anspach tells us the amazing history of SUE: where it began, what it changed, and how it developed in relation to private and public services, and professional and governmental institutions, over the past few decades.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Jason Martschuk is the Senior Vice President of Sales for ProStar GeoCorp and their flagship application PointMan—a precision utility mapping software application that pairs with GPS and electromagnetic hardware to capture, display, record and share subsurface data. Jason graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in Geography (focus on GIS) with a minor in Computer Science. Since then, Jason has worked for Amec, a tier 1 EPC (now know as Wood PLC). From there he joined Hexagon/Intergraph and also spent a couple of years with Oracle's Construction & Engineering Global Business Unit. Jason is also an avid hockey player (as are 3 of his 4 sons!)On our latest episode, Jason Martschuk talks about showing industry leaders the benefits of data-centric models, from gathering information at scale to extracting incredible insights to optimize project management and asset lifecycles.The whole episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand: What are the biggest problems facing AEC companies? And what makes or breaks SaaS or digital products for users?Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Dr. Ahmed Al-Bayati is the founding director of the Construction Safety Research Center (CSRC) and an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Lawrence Tech. University. Among others, Dr. Al-Bayati contributed to the construction industry's understanding of how to prevent damage to subsurface infrastructure through several published peer-reviewed studies. Recently, He and Louis Panzer published a book about the One-Call system through the American Society of Civil Engineers.On this episode, Dr. Ahmed Al-Bayati talks about what he's learned from years of research on the ground, and what we need to fix moving forward.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Steven M. Rienks, PE, PMP is Director of Engineering at American Surveying & Engineering, where he specializes in SUE QA/QC. He has more than 40 years of experience in engineering, construction, and project management on transportation, highway, and railway projects. His work includes large highway interchange and freeway projects for the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, as well as projects for the Chicago Department of Transportation and local municipalities.On our tenth episode of the Utility Strategy Podcast, Steven Rienks takes us back to the basics: what is a project, how are projects managed, and how do utilities fit into the process?Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Neil Brammall, PhD has worked in the utilities sector for over 20 years, creating and delivering geo-spatial software solutions focused on reducing the risk of damage to buried assets, and on improving the accuracy and quality of the data held about those assets. He is currently Technical Advisor to the Geospatial Commission and Product Owner for the Build Phase of the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), which is driving the delivery of a comprehensive and secure data sharing platform for buried assets. Neil provides technical leadership on the project and on the ongoing development of a harmonized data model for the domain. He is hopeful that this initiative will be a game-changer for the industry and will revolutionize the approach to using geospatial data to promote safe and efficient working in the infrastructure sector in the UK.We talked to Neil about the context, goals, and strategy for the development of NUAR as a map of subsurface infrastructure based on voluntary participation and data sharing by buried asset owners. We looked into some of the key differences between the U.S. and the U.K. in how a shared utility map is created and used—from the advantage of a common basemap provided by the Ordnance Survey, to the negotiation of excavation liability and safety based on documentation rather than a One-Call type system. Neil also explained NUAR's approach to data quality as a long-term target for improvement, which he believes can be achieved by encouraging participation and generating data feedback loops through the creation of a common map.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Jim "Jimmy" Schauer is Vice President, EAM Services at Energy Worldnet, Inc, the global, cloud-based industry platform leader in OQ, compliance management, asset management, training, and education services. Jimmy's 20 years of experience in the O&G industry include acting as CEO/Managing Director of a leading LNG energy company, leading intrastate pipeline development in the Gulf Coast, leading unregulated marketing natural gas sales teams in the USA, and spending nearly 13 years in regulated natural gas utilities. Jim also talks everything energy as the co-host of the Coffee with Jim and James podcast.We talked to Jim about how the energy industry has changed over the past 20 years, and how new technologies are improving the way we collaborate, plan, and build. From utility mapping and strategic planning, to equipment asset management and personal safety, his message was clear: it's about coming together, establishing shared priorities, and using the right tools to make the best long-term business case for our infrastructure projects.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Douglas Gransberg, Ph.D., PE, M.ASCE is the president of Gransberg & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm that specializes in structuring scope, cost, and schedule risk on complex infrastructure projects in the U.S. and around the world. He is a retired US Army Corps of Engineers officer and an Emeritus Professor of Construction Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. His firm currently provides risk management and alternative project delivery services to public agencies and private companies in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia, as well as the US Department of the Interior and Amtrak. He is the author of the NCHRP report Utility Coordination Using Alternative Contracting Methods.‍Our conversation dives into the challenges we face to maintain and improve our current infrastructure, and how we can change our approach for better structural, financial, and social project outcomes. Dr. Gransberg talks about moving from design-centric to construction-centric planning through alternative project delivery. By bringing together project owners, designers, and contractors early in the process, we can address the huge risk factors posed by utilities to construction processes and minimize them or avoid them entirely. That also means rethinking our terms of efficiency and liability so that the overall project can be delivered more successfully.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Our latest podcast is a mile-a-minute masterclass on the state of utility locating, the future of utility mapping, and the issues we need to tackle as an industry. Geoff talks about documentation standards in various countries and the clear added value demonstrated by centralized national record systems. He also explains why that progress would be difficult to achieve in North America through governmental initiatives alone, leaving it up to the industry to propose a viable and affordable solution that lives up to the challenge of keeping our society in good service.Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 1999 to 2012, Geoff directed Enterprise Software Development and the Utility Industry Program at Autodesk.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Gary Huffman has more than 30 years of experience in electrical, water, and gas utility design, construction and operations. He currently serves as a senior client relations manager for Burns & McDonnell's Transmission & Distribution Group. During his eight years with Burns & McDonnell, Huffman has successfully supported the startup of a utility's $600 million transmission infrastructure program as program manager and has been responsible for providing the industry experience necessary to support the creation of Burns & McDonnell distribution and grid modernization programs. He is also the vice chair of the EEI Distribution Reliability Working Group and Chair of the IEEE Distribution Resiliency Working Group.Gary took us on a fascinating journey through his experiences in the world of utilities, reflecting on lessons learned about resilience and innovation in everyday infrastructure. We got his insights on how undergrounding utilities and utility mapping fit into modernization plans for power networks. He also spoke about best practices for cooperation between industry professionals, government regulators, and technological innovators.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

David Rottmayer has been in the telecommunications industry for 43+ years and has designed, built, and operated wireline and wireless globally. He is a recognized trainer and expert in FTTx design and deployment, having been an early leader in deploying these technologies. His background lends to quickly understanding both the technical and business—financial and product—needs within telecommunications.In our conversation, we talked about the rise of telecommunication as an essential utility over the past few decades, and how engineering, business, and regulation shaped the way fiber optic networks have been deployed. High-speed internet is a must-have, but it also comes with significant side effects due to the quick rollout, from undocumented lines and incorrect as-builts to accidental utility strikes. David gave his seasoned perspective on the logistical and budgeting pressures on utility management, and explained why engineering and accurate mapping are critical to provide effective and reliable telecommunication service.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Hugh Seaton is General Manager of Crosswalk by CSI, author of the Construction Technology Handbook, and publisher of both the Constructed Futures Podcast and Construction Technology Quarterly. Prior to CSI, Hugh was general manager of Adept XR Learning, a VR/AR unit of the Glimpse Group. Hugh has held senior technology marketing positions at Sony Electronics, AOL, and worked for clients such as Google, Blizzard and Philips Electronics.Hugh has lived and breathed construction technology for years, seeing firsthand what works—and what doesn't make it—from the back office to the construction site. He has also interviewed project managers, designers, contractors, and tech developers from hundreds of firms. In our conversation, we focused on innovation in engineering and infrastructure. How does a new technology go from pilot project to industry standard? How do project managers budget for innovation? What kinds of progress and productivity gains are possible through the market, and what problems call for government subsidies or regulations? Hugh shared his insights on where we are, how we got here over the past few decades, and what changes we can expect in the near future.Questions? Suggestions? Want to nominate a fantastic guest for a future episode? Get in touch!

Steaphan MacAulay is a geomatics engineering technologist with 22 years of infrastructure experience. He is currently Vice President of Transportation & Infrastructure at Global Raymac Surveys and works with the team supporting major construction projects.Steaphan talked us through his journey in surveying through some of the most iconic infrastructure projects in Canada, including Confederation Bridge. He shared with us his learning curve to adopting advanced LIDAR tools and bringing clients onboard to this incredible technology for data collection early on in the surveying process. He also told us about a classic "surveyor moment" during his Las Vegas bachelor party and the motto on his family crest tattoo.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)

Sam Ariaratnam, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, NAC is Professor and Construction Engineering Program Chair at Arizona State University with over 20 years of experience in trenchless pipeline engineering research and education. In 2021, he received the Stephen D. Bechtel Pipeline Engineering Award and was elected to the governing board of UESI (Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute).We talked to Sam about his experiences as a world-renowned expert on trenchless, from the classroom to the construction site to the courtroom, and what he sees for the future in terms of technology, safety, climate change, and knowledge sharing. He also told us about his surprising favorite hockey team and what projects he's looking forward to as international travel opens up.Co-hosts: David Horesh (Director of Marketing) and Ophir Wainer (Director of North American Business Development)Get in touch!