Georgia Utility Contractors Association (GUCA) hosted its 2001 GUCA Winter Quarterly Meeting on Feb. 16-17, 2001 at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort in Savannah, GA. More than 100 attendees from the Savannah area and around the state were present for this meeting.
Friday morning began early for individuals looking to get their Qualified Person in NPDES Certification. The Winter Quarterly Meeting kicked off with two educational sessions, “How to Handle an OSHA Inspection,” hosted by Phillip Moncreif of the OSHA Savannah office, and “Contracting With the Government,” hosted by Zack Osborne of the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center.
The trade show and reception followed the educational sessions. The trade show featured 14 exhibitors from Savannah and surrounding areas, and represented a variety of different types of vendors in the utility construction industry.
Those participating included: Atlantic Precast Concrete; Corrpro Companies; Erosion Control Services Inc.; Ferguson Underground; Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center; Mabey Bridge and Shore Inc.; Morbark Inc.; Ellis K. Phelps & Co.; Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers; Savannah Utility Coordinating Committee; Spotswood Associates; The John Glenn Co. Inc.; United Safety Associates; and Vermeer Southeast Sales and Service.
The keynote presentation was given by David Oakes of Achievers Training, in Hilton Head, NC. The topic was “What You Said Isn’t What I Saw,” and Oakes touched on the miscommunication patterns that happen in verbal and non-verbal communicating, all with a humorous view.
The 2001 Spring Quarterly Meeting will be held April 12, 2001, at The Westin Atlanta North at Perimeter.
GUCA also recently hosted its 2001 Winter Ski Conference in January at the Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, CO. The conference was attended by more than 75 GUCA members and their families. Attendees stayed at the newly built Zephyr Mountain Lodge at the base of the resort.
After the travel to Winter Park, the conference attendees enjoyed a casual reception on Saturday evening at the Vintage Hotel. Sunday skiing began early for the GUCA crowd, slopes fresh with more than five in. of snow.
As the afternoon drew to a close, conference attendees gathered for a reception and two presentations outlining the utility construction industry’s outlook for 2001. Jeff Duncan of Burch-Lowe, and Scott Godfrey of GMS Select, acted as co-presenters for the session.
Monday offered another perfect day for skiing. The GUCA conference attendees also were busy snowmobiling and snow tubing in Winter Park.
Monday evening featured a reception and a presentation and discussion about NPDES regulation, presented by Alan Gravel of Willow Construction. Attendees stayed after the reception to tell their skiing stories. Although the casualties were not bad, some snowboarders had a knack for hugging trees and a GUCA staff member lost a battle against a “blue devil.”
The conference drew to a close on Tuesday, with a full day of skiing and outdoor activities.
Georgia Utility Contractors Association Inc. is a non-profit trade association located in metro Atlanta with more than 405 members statewide.
For more information, visit www.guca.com.
