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It is with deep respect that we honor the legacy of Charles Garney, a leader whose vision, humility, and unwavering commitment to others shaped not only our company but also the community and industry at large. Charles was a leader who believed that true success was measured by the impact made on those around him—whether that meant fostering an environment of employee ownership, championing innovation, or mentoring future leaders. His life’s work was guided by a deep sense of integrity, generosity, and dedication to both family and the broader community.

Building a Legacy of Shared Ownership

From the outset of his leadership, Charles championed the idea that success should be shared with those who helped build it. Beginning with profit-sharing initiatives in the 1970s, he laid the groundwork for the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1986. Over the course of a decade, he led the transition to full employee ownership, and in 1995, Garney became 100% employee owned. This decision became a defining feature of Charles’s leadership and a hallmark of Garney.

An Industry Leader & Mentor

Under his guidance, Garney flourished, becoming a model of employee ownership and inspiring other companies to become employee owned. Charles was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to share his knowledge, mentoring future leaders within Garney and beyond. His influence extended throughout the city, particularly in the Northland area, where his contributions helped fuel economic development and uplift the community. Known for saying, “I’ve bounced off a lot of walls in my life,” he embraced an entrepreneurial spirit and inspired others to grow, both professionally and personally.

Family & Community at His Core

Even with all he accomplished, Charles was always grounded in his commitment to family. His wife, Patty, their six daughters, and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the true heart of his life. A lover of James Taylor’s music, the lyric “Shower the people you love with love” embodies the core of Charles’s character. He always prioritized family and community over personal recognition, consistently lifting those around him.

A Legacy of Humility & Generosity

Raised working alongside his father, Art, who immigrated and started a plumbing business, Charles learned the values of hard work, humility, and generosity early on. These values guided him throughout his career, where he prioritized the success of others, especially those within Garney.

His life’s work was devoted to empowering the people around him, creating a profound and lasting impact that resonates throughout Garney, shaping its culture and inspiring future generations of employees. His influence will continue to guide and elevate the company for years to come.

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Kansas City, MO. – Garney, the national leader in water and wastewater construction, announces a strategic partnership with RodRadar, a technology company specializing in real-time underground utility detection during excavation. This collaboration significantly advances excavation safety, efficiency, and utility strike prevention through RodRadar’s innovative Live Dig Radar® (LDR) technology. 

Garney is committed to leveraging advanced technology to drive efficiency and safety. Over the past year, the company has invested substantial resources in researching, developing, and implementing solutions like RodRadar’s LDR system. “At Garney, we continuously seek innovations and technologies that increase the safety of our work zones and enhance the way we build. This benefits our employees, clients, municipal and other service providers, and their customers.” said David Burkhart, CEO at Garney. 

Garney identified RodRadar’s groundbreaking technology in 2023 and initiated pilot testing in early 2024. Following the pilot’s success, Garney expanded its adoption of LDR Excavate™ buckets, evolving the partnership into a commercial collaboration supporting RodRadar’s ongoing product development, including larger bucket models for Garney’s fleet of 35-MT excavators. 

The LDR system integrates real-time radar technology into excavator digging buckets, enabling continuous detection of underground utilities across various soil types while excavating. The system generates immediate visual alerts in the excavator cabin, enabling operators to avoid hidden utilities and significantly reduce the risk of strikes. Unlike traditional Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), the LDR system delivers real-time data during excavation, enhancing safety and operational efficiency. 

“RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar® technology is transformative for our industry. In our pilot testing, the LDR system significantly reduced utility strikes, allowing us to deliver safer projects for our clients while boosting productivity. We’re thrilled to partner with RodRadar and support their mission to make utility strikes a thing of the past,” said Clay Greene, Department Manager of Construction Technology at Garney. 

Founded in 2013, RodRadar is at the forefront of underground utility detection technology advancements, continually pushing excavation safety and efficiency boundaries. “We are proud to strategically partner with Garney, a leading contractor in the United States. Together, we share a passion for innovation in the construction industry and a commitment to enhancing jobsite safety and operational efficiency,” said Moshe Dalman, CEO and Co-Founder at RodRadar. 

This strategic partnership enhances Garney’s ability to deliver safer projects and enables the company to participate in RodRadar’s ongoing research and development efforts. Garney will host on-site testing sessions to refine the LDR system further and meet the growing demands of complex infrastructure projects.

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Newport News, Virginia – In early May, Garney and the rest of the James River Crossing (JRX) team achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing the longest pullback of a 42-inch HDPE pipe. In a remarkable feat of teamwork and craftsmanship, crews successfully pulled a 5,700-foot pipeline with the assistance of a pipe pusher under the Newport News shipping channel—the sixth busiest port in the U.S.—in roughly 24 hours.

This monumental task was a critical component in the Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s (HRSD) Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) program, an innovative water treatment initiative, aimed at ensuring groundwater sustainability and enhancing water quality for the Chesapeake Bay region. The newly installed pipeline will connect the new Boat House Pump Station with the Nansemond Treatment Plant on the opposite bank of the James River.

The operation began with the fully fused pipeline being towed across the James River, escorted by marine police for safety. Once across, the pipeline was positioned for the land-to-water pullback. Crews used a pipe pusher on a platform in the water to thread the pipe and engage it throughout the pullback process. This novel technology was instrumental in reducing the pull forces on the million-pound landside drill rig, ensuring a smooth and efficient operation without overstressing the pipe.

The force main pipeline is essential to the SWIFT program’s goals of replenishing the Potomac Aquifer and improving water treatment processes to meet new nutrient targets for drinking water. Previously, treated wastewater was discharged into the James River. With the new pipeline, this water will now be transported to the Nansemond Treatment Plant for additional processing, increasing HRSD’s drinking water capacity. This process will enable HRSD to dispense 120 million gallons per day (MGD) of purified water into the Potomac Aquifer, ensuring the sustainability of groundwater resources for current and future use in Eastern Virginia.

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Kansas City, MO – Garney hosted its inaugural Construction Camp to inspire and educate high school girls about diverse career opportunities within the construction industry. This two-week immersive program ran from June 3 to June 14 and provided hands-on experiences, mentorship, and invaluable insights into various facets of construction careers. 

“We believe it’s crucial to empower young women and introduce them to vast opportunities available within our field,” said Yvonne Waterman, Director of Human Resources. “This camp serves as a platform to foster interest, provide exposure, and ignite passion among high school girls toward construction careers, whether in the field or behind the scenes.” 

The students learned hands-on from several local industry leaders and female industry leaders like Brandy McCombs, President at IBC and Chairwoman of The Builders, a local chapter of the AGC. Camp Garney is not just about wielding tools; it’s a comprehensive exploration of the industry, covering everything from office work like marketing and graphic design to hands-on field activities. 

Participants engaged in a variety of enriching experiences, including: 

• CPR and First Aid Training: Essential life-saving skills crucial for any workplace. 
• Community Service: Building benches that transform into picnic tables for local elementary schools. 
• Hands-on Building Projects: From marshmallow rocket launchers to cement pavers, learning construction fundamentals.
• Financial Literacy: Budgeting exercises, ensuring they have the financial acumen for their future careers. 
• Equipment Operation: Insight into operating heavy machinery. 
• Virtual Reality Training: Participants immersed themselves in virtual environments, exploring water plants and gaining exposure to cutting-edge technology. 
• Graphic Design: Garney’s graphic design team taught about the importance of visual communication. 
• Marketing Education: Garney’s maketing team led training and development sessions, covering essential skills for promoting and managing construction projects. 
• HR, Training & Development, Accounts Payable: Insights from Garney’s HR and accounts payable teams offered a comprehensive understanding of construction projects’ administrative and financial aspects. 

 “Our camp isn’t just about learning; it’s about empowerment,” added Waterman. “We’re grateful for the support of all our partners who share our vision of promoting diversity and inclusivity in the construction industry.” 

The camp received overwhelming support from the community, with around 30 volunteers joining to educate and mentor. The accredited program offered high school credit through Raytown School District’s Enrichment Program.

Want to learn more? View more coverage on the camp on KCTV5. 

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We are proud to celebrate the retirements of Garney leaders Mike Heitmann, CEO Emeritus, and Scott Parrish, President Emeritus. In the fall of 2023, Garney welcomed a new executive leadership team, including CEO David Burkhart and Presidents Matt Foster and Matt Reaves, marking a new chapter for Garney. This transition is not merely a change of guard but a strategic plan that propels Garney into a future marked by secure retirements for employee-owners, holistic water solutions, and maintaining its reputation as the nation’s top water contractor.

While we’ve celebrated the beginning of a new chapter for Garney, we want to reflect on the successes of the previous chapter’s leadership and their legacy. Mike Heitmann, CEO at Garney from 2011-2023, is retiring at the end of March.

Mike spent his entire 34-year career at Garney, helping shape the company into the powerhouse it is today. Starting out as a Project Administrator after graduating from the University of Kansas in 1990, Mike quickly learned the ropes in the field, traveling around the country to build projects. In the mid-90s, he established a presence for the company in the Southeast, propelling Garney into the industrial sector. Clients like Southern Company, International Paper, and Westinghouse Electric were added to Garney’s growing repertoire of private work. Mike eventually relocated back to Kansas with his family in the mid-2000s and was named Vice President before becoming President and CEO in 2011.

Mike always had a vision for marketing, business development, and high-level strategy that drove the company forward. His humble and down-to-earth leadership style proved massively effective. Under his guidance, the firm grew from 720 employees and $422 million in revenue in 2011 to more than 2,000 employees and $1.8 billion in revenue in 2023.

In retirement, Mike is excited to pursue his passions of restoring old, historic buildings, traveling the world with his wife, Susan, and visiting their four daughters.

We congratulate Scott Parrish, President Emeritus at Garney, on his retirement. Scott dedicated his career to the company, starting out in the field in 1988 under the tutelage of his father, Jerry Parrish, a Superintendent at Garney. He transitioned to the office, becoming a Project Manager who oversaw the construction of pipeline projects throughout Texas and the Midwest, before relocating to Kansas City in 1995. He was named President in 2018.

Scott has always led with energy and assertiveness. His drive for continuous improvement and standard of excellence elevated those who worked around him. Scott always maintained strong relationships with clients, engineers, and vendors, which strengthened Garney’s brand and reputation in the water industry. He played a key role in positioning Garney as a leading contractor and CMAR in the Texas market. Scott was instrumental to the success of many of Garney’s largest pipe projects to date, including the monumental Vista Ridge Water Supply Project—the largest P3 water project in North America.

In retirement, Scott looks forward to spending more time with his daughters and father, enjoying the fresh Colorado mountain air, and staying connected and traveling with fellow retired Garney employee-owners.

Mike and Scott have each left a profound impact on Garney and generations of employee-owners past, present, and future. We thank them for their many years of service and tireless dedication to the company, and we wish them both the best in retirement!

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