Jay Dee Contractors Inc

Happy Veterans Day! Today is a day to honor and remember those who have served in the US Military. To all military veterans and those who are part of our team: Tabitha Miles, Mike Stucky, David Dady Jr., and Brian Williams, thank you for your service, selflessness, and bravery.

Today we celebrate another year of a legacy that began in 1965. Happy 59th Anniversary Jay Dee!

Curtis Rozelle started as an intern with Jay Dee 16 years ago while pursuing Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan. As a second-generation family member working in underground construction, Curtis Rozelle was inspired by his grandfather, Fred, to pursue a career in the industry. Curtis is now an Area Manager overseeing various projects in Southeast Michigan including the repair and rehabilitation of the Detroit River Interceptor. Over the years, Jay Dee has become more diversified, offering additional services such as sewer rehabilitation. Sewer rehabilitation focuses on renewing aging infrastructure in live sewers by repairing removing debris, and/or reducing infiltration through grouting. “Renewed and reliable sewer systems are essential for the public and make life above ground more habitable and sustainable,” says Curtis. Curtis also assists the estimating department with bidding new work. “Working in the estimating department has made me a more effective Area Manager and vice versa. I owe much of my estimating knowledge to John D. DiPonio. He took me under his wing and taught me all I needed to know about estimating,” says Curtis. Throughout his career, Curtis has worked on several Jay Dee projects. His overall favorite was the Brightwater Conveyance System in Seattle, WA. “The best jobsite you could ask for. It was right on the ocean and Jay Dee rescued another contractor’s TBM, which earned the company the 2011 Tunneling Contractor of the Year award. Throughout the years, I have watched Jay Dee grow and expand and I love being part of its history and track record of success. The work environment allows me to constantly learn new things and develop my skills, meanwhile, the family-owned company culture is supportive, fair, and promotes work-life balance to all its employees,” says Curtis. Curtis, it’s really inspiring to see how much you care about your work. You’re always putting in the extra effort to get the job done right and you’re an excellent role model for others!

Congratulations to Jay Dee Canada, managing partner of North Tunnel Constructors ULC (Jay Dee Canada, C&M McNally Tunnel Constructors, Michels Canada) and Everest Equipment Co. for receiving the TAC 2024 Canadian Innovation Initiative Award for the Ring Erector Machine that was developed and utilized on the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel Project. Special thanks to City of Toronto as well as the Construction Management Team (Black and Veatch/RVA) for their support and collaboration with our team during the design and development of this groundbreaking innovation.

Our Coxwell Bypass Project in Toronto, ON achieved another major milestone. The team successfully completed the installation of precast concrete roof covers at Shaft LDS-3(B). This was the last precast roof installation on the project confirming that all underground work for the project has been completed. As part of this work, 8 panels (heaviest panel at 112 MT) were successfully lifted and placed utilizing a 600 MT crane provided by Sarens. Congratulations to the North Tunnel Constructors team for accomplishing this major milestone!

Ryan Hogan, a Colorado School of Mines Mechanical Engineering graduate, began working at Jay Dee’s Corporate Office in the Equipment and Engineering Department 3 years ago. “When I started at Jay Dee, I didn’t know much about construction equipment let alone manufacturing of equipment designs, but I had great mentors. Ron Dondzila, Jimmy Nagle, Joe Dettore, Jacek Kruszewski, and Dave Lockhart helped me learn about Jay Dee’s equipment and showed me easier ways to fabricate it,” says Ryan. Ryan learned about all the machinery on the jobsites as well as how to fix, improve and design equipment. Now Ryan is working as a Field Engineer assisting with the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Launch on the TP36 - East West Trunk Sewer & South Conveyance at Chicago O’Hare Airport. “When the TBM was in Livonia, I helped with the refurbishment, now I get to see the TBM at the project and see it through the finish line,” says Ryan. In addition to his work as a Mechanical and Field Engineer, Ryan is also part of the Jay Dee college recruiting team. “I enjoy talking to students, who are traditionally pushed to other trades, about the opportunities in the underground tunneling field that aren’t covered well in school,” says Ryan. Ryan, your positivity and problem-solving skills are appreciated by all who work with you. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to Jay Dee.

A special thanks to Jennifer Moncur and Mike Mooney for planning this event. Our team was thrilled with the turnout and enjoyed connecting with so many students interested in Heavy Construction careers.

As a second-generation family member working in underground tunneling, Phil Backers has always been interested in rocks and fossils, which led him to pursue both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Geology. “I remember my dad telling me interesting stories of the underground tunnel projects he was working on and how they related to Geology,” says Phil. Phil started his career as a Staff Geologist with NTH Consultants where he conducted multiple hydrogeological studies, prepared geotechnical reports, and calculation packages relating to the engineering properties of soil and rock. After working as a Geologist for 5 years, Phil was offered an opportunity to join Jay Dee’s Estimating Team 8 years ago and enjoys applying his field experience to prepare cost and construction estimates for project bids. Phil also reviews and evaluates project drawings, specifications, geotechnical baseline and hydrogeological reports and provides recommendations on tunnel methodology. “I enjoy creating the entire bid packages with everyone involved because everyone has a different background, knowledge, and experience which many ideas and opinions are able to be shared, says Phil.” Phil has recently contributed to the awarded bids of NOCSOS and O’Hare TP36- East West Trunk Sewer & South Conveyance Projects. Phil, your dedication and attention to detail is appreciated by all who work with you. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to Jay Dee.

To celebrate #National Intern Day, the interns and field engineers at our O'Hare Airport TP 36 Tunnel Project spent some time onsite learning about the bi-component grouting process and how it affects our tunneling operation. They learned how to perform various hands on field tests that will help optimize our tunnel grouting process. Our internship program is designed to provide valuable, hands-on, real-world experience. We are thrilled to be a part of our interns' journeys and to contribute to the next generation of underground tunneling professionals. A special thanks to Jaccob Sooy and Ryan Hogan for organizing and facilitating this training.