Foundation Repair Contractor in South Carolina Joins the Foundation Supportworks Network
Mount Valley Foundation Services, located in Columbia, South Carolina, has joined the Foundation Supportworks international dealer network. Mount Valley has been stabilizing residential and commercial properties for almost 30 years, and is recognized as the largest foundation repair company in the state of South Carolina. Prior to becoming a dealer for Foundation Supportworks, Mount Valley had been manufacturing their own stabilization systems under the Drive Rite Piering Systems brand in their 60,000 square foot facility adjacent to their offices. Owner, Alan Gantt, and General Manager, Edwin Moore, said the decision to join the Foundation Supportworks network was due in large part to the sales, marketing, and training support that is available to help their company grow in the future. “We began to realize that too much of our time was being spent on the manufacturing side of our business, instead of focusing on the area’s that will allow our company to grow,” said Moore. “The different levels of support that are accessible to us through Foundation Supportworks are unlike anything we have seen in the foundation repair industry before. At the end of the day, we simply feel this partnership gives Mount Valley the best opportunity to reach our goals in the years to come.”
Foundation Supportworks is excited to have Mount Valley Foundation Services join our network of foundation repair contractors. Their knowledge, experience, and solid reputation in the Southeast will help to further position our company as the leader in the foundation stabilization industry.
Foundation Supportworks Sponsors Fundraising Event for the Ollie Webb Center
Foundation Supportworks sponsored the 6th Annual “Ollie’s Dream” Gala on Saturday, June 11, 2011. The “Ollie’s Dream” Gala is an event designed to raise funds to help support the Ollie Webb Center, an organization whose mission is “to enrich the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through support, programs and advocacy.”
Foundation Supportworks’ President, Greg Thrasher, and his wife Nancy, served as the event chairs and over 100 of their family members, friends and employees from 
Foundation Supportworks were in attendance. “We are blessed to be able to help support the Ollie Webb Center through this event,” said Greg Thrasher, “and we are thankful so many members of the Foundation Supportworks team were able to join us and provide their support for such a meaningful organization.”
Foundation Underpinning Training is Attended by More than Sixty-Five Foundation Repair Contractors
During the first week of May, more than 65 foundation repair specialists from coast to coast attended training at Foundation Supportworks in Omaha, NE. Throughout the week, attendees were trained in the areas of marketing, sales and installation of Foundation Supportworks products. In addition to classroom and field training, the attendees also benefited from the opportunity to network with other foundation repair companies throughout the United States and Canada.
The four-day installation training included hands-on training at five different jobsites, where the attendees received firsthand experience installing push piers, helical piers, slab piers, Geo-Lock™ wall anchors, and PowerBraces™. The installation training also included 5 hours of classroom training where the attendees learned about the more technical aspects of the product installation.
The three-day sales training covered topics such as product features and benefits, interviewing the customer to learn about their wants and needs, proper diagnosing and inspection, and presenting solutions to the customer. Sales training attendees were also encouraged to bring their laptops to receive hands-on training on the exclusive Foundation Supportworks sales presentation and proposal generating software program.
Foundation Repair Contractors Receive Training about Various Foundation Repair Methods
Jeff Kortan, P.E., Director of Engineering for Foundation Supportworks, presented at the Foundation Repair Association’s annual conference last week in Houston, TX. The Foundation Repair Association is a professional organization that exists to promote high ethical standards in the practice of foundation repair and to promote cooperation between the foundation repair industry and government.
At the conference, Jeff presented about two common foundation repair methods: Push Pier Systems and Helical Pier Systems. The push pier presentation discussed how push pier systems are designed and tested, the proper way to install push pier systems, and how the systems develop a factor of safety. The presentation about helical pier systems explained common helical pier terminology, typical applications, how capacity is determined and verified, load testing, and ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria 358, which outlines the proper design and testing of helical foundation systems.
Geotechnical Engineers Learn about Helical Foundation Systems at the Geo-Frontiers 2011 Conference
During the week of March 13, 2011, Foundation Supportworks exhibited at the Geo-Frontiers 2011 conference where they displayed their line of helical foundation systems. Throughout the week, many engineers, students, professors and foundation repair contractors visited with Foundation Supportworks engineers about the benefits of helical pile and helical anchor systems.
The event was held in Dallas, TX and was attended by more than 1,900 engineers, architects, students, professors and geotechnical contractors from around the world. The conference featured advances in geotechnical engineering and attendees had the opportunity to participate in training sessions where they could obtain professional development hours and learn about leading technologies in the geotechnical industry.
The event featured six full-day short courses, four plenary session lectures, more than 450 papers presented in 89 technical sessions, student activities and competitions, ample time for networking, and informational exhibits.
Foundation Supportworks is Nominated for the “Innovator of the Year” Award
Foundation Supportworks is pleased to announce that on Thursday, March 31st, our company was recognized by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce as a nominee for the “Innovator of the Year” award.
The Big O! Excellence Awards are part of a new program designed to recognize the contributions of Greater Omaha individuals and businesses in the Omaha business community. The “Innovator Award” recognizes an organization that has both envisioned and executed on an opportunity and acknowledges innovators who are creatively making a difference and likely to be leaders in their field.
Foundation Supportworks was founded with the intention to not only provide fully-engineered, quality foundation stabilization products, but also provide foundation repair contractors throughout North America with the proper tools and training to assist them in building more successful businesses. Our mission statement is:
To be the industry leader,
relentless in our pursuit to be extraordinary
with support, service, training and products
that inspire success.
Foundation Supportworks has truly envisioned and executed on an opportunity to revolutionize the foundation repair industry by creating and implementing new innovations in the specific areas of engineering, sales, marketing and training. We’re honored to be nominated for this outstanding award!
Presentation on Helical Foundations and Tiebacks Given by Foundation Supportworks Engineer
Don Deardorff, P.E., Senior Application Engineer for Foundation Supportworks, recently presented at the Deep Foundation Institute (DFI) Helical Foundations and Tiebacks seminar in Dallas, TX. His research project, “A Comparison of Gear Motor Performance Curves for Helical Pile Installation,” documented the efficiencies of eight different drive-head motors at all ranges of differential pressure. 
The effects of varying equipment, flow rate, and hydraulic hose diameter were also observed in order to see what changes occurred in relation to torque and pressure. Based on his evaluations, Don was able to create motor specific torque versus differential pressure curves for Foundation Supportworks installing contractors to utilize during the installation of foundation stabilization systems. He concluded that the actual performance of a given drive-head motor during helical pile installation may not reflect the manufacturer’s stated performance data when criteria such as equipment, flow rate, and hose diameter are taken into account. The DFI event was attended by over 80 engineers, professors, and foundation repair contractors from all over the world. The Deep Foundations Institute is a non-profit association which promotes understanding and advancement of the deep foundations and excavations construction industry through conferences, publications, and community.
Engineering Seminar in Denver, CO Educates Design Professionals on Helical Foundation Systems
Complete Structural Systems, a division of Complete Basement Systems in Denver, CO, recently hosted a 5-hour engineering seminar for design professionals from across the state. Complete Structural Systems has been providing engineers, architects, general contractors and homeowners with foundation repair and stabilization solutions throughout Colorado for more than a decade. The seminar was held on March 10th, and attracted over 65 engineers looking to increase their understanding of deep foundation solutions, while also earning 5 professional development hours. 
Foundation Supportworks, a leading manufacturer and distributor of foundation stabilization equipment headquartered in Omaha, NE, was represented by their Director of Engineering, Jeff Kortan, PE. Jeff facilitated the event, which enabled attendees to ask questions and interact throughout the seminar. His presentation allowed the engineers in attendance to expand their knowledge about typical applications, design considerations, capacity calculations, and material selection for Foundation Supportworks helical foundation systems, helical soil nails, and push (resistance) pier systems.
Foundation Repair Contractors Join Together for a Networking Event About Production Management
More than 20 foundation repair contractors from across the United States gathered on March 2-3 in Omaha, NE to attend a networking event for Production Managers. The event included round table discussions, large group 
discussions, team building activities, networking opportunities and social interaction. Production managers from various foundation repair companies around the country helped set the agenda by determining which issues were most common in their day-to-day activities. Some topics discussed included: hiring new foreman and installers, training new hires, keeping employees motivated, setting goals, running effective meetings, and more. Some of the feedback from those who attended the event included: “The most valuable part of the event was to share what I know with the group and grow and learn from others on what I don’t know.” “The interaction with other managers was great. All of the ideas were great. A lot of the things I learned here can be easily implemented.” “Everyone in attendance has dealt with or is dealing with very similar issues. It makes the conversations and solutions much more pertinent.”
Foundation Supportworks Becomes a Registered Provider of Continuing Education Through NCEES RCEP
Foundation Supportworks was recently accepted as a registered continuing education provider through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s (NCEES) Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). The NCEES RCEP is a comprehensive registry of continuing education providers that have demonstrated adherence to high-quality, effective practices in the development and delivery of professional education activities for engineers. The purpose of the RCEP through NCEES is to:
• Promote quality and consistency in engineering continuing education and training.
• Measure and monitor providers of continuing education against established criteria.
• Recognize providers who adhere to effective practices.
• Provide a single source for licensee education recordkeeping.
Amanda Harrington, Director of Training and Development for Foundation Supportworks, said, “We are thrilled and honored that our educational offerings and practices have been recognized by NCEES RCEP as adhering to a high level of quality and standards. The goal of our coursework is to educate the engineering community on various deep foundation solutions that are available and how those solutions interface with structures in varying soil conditions. We are proud to have received this RCEP designation through NCEES.”
For information, dates and locations of upcoming engineering seminars offered by Foundation Supportworks, please visit Event Calendar under the About Us tab on the FSI website.