Chip LaBonte, DBIA

As Director, Chip is responsible for overseeing all water and wastewater treatment plant operations in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as North and South Carolina. In this role, Chip’s responsibilities encompass a wide range of areas, including safety, resource management, contract negotiations, project delivery, and overall client satisfaction. He is directly responsible for project acquisition within the region, including both hard bid and collaborative delivery efforts, overseeing estimates, proposals, and presentation development.

Chip began his career in the construction industry in 1994 after studying economics at Norwich University and serving our country in the U.S. Marine Corps. After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, Chip spent the next 15 years working for a general contractor building water and wastewater facilities in the eastern U.S., working his way up from Senior Project Manager to Senior Vice President of the firm. In 2017, he joined a different national engineering and construction firm serving as Director of U.S. Core Water and eventually as Chief Operating Officer. In 2020, Chip joined Garney, and has since grown our operations and reputation as a premier water and wastewater contractor within the Mid-Atlantic. He also serves on Garney’s East Regional Safety Committee.

Chip has worked on many of the largest water and wastewater projects on the East Coast, including many first-time collaborative delivery projects for owners. Throughout his career, he has managed the self-performance of projects involving large-scale complex water systems, deep excavations, large pumping stations, complex process mechanical systems, and site piping networks totaling over $2.0 billion. Chip is actively involved in the industry as a member of AWWA, WEF, and DBIA, and also contributes to and supports WCDA.

As a DBIA certified professional, Chip enjoys solving problems and coming up with solutions that are in the best interest of all project stakeholders. He is passionate about teaching and mentoring others, empowering all Garney employee-owners to achieve their fullest potential. Passing down his knowledge, experience, and best practices to others, to grow their professional careers is what drives Chip to do what he does every day.

Outside of work, Chip is an avid hockey fan (go Boston Bruins!). He enjoys spending time with his wife, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and friends wakeboarding and wake surfing on the lake.