December 2024 Newsletter

The construction season this year was filled with challenges of weather, traffic, aggressive schedules, and all the other challenges that come with the type of work we do. Through experience, teamwork, perseverance, and pride, we worked through those challenges and will continue to do so for the years to come. We have a good backlog of work to start the New Year’s holiday, and the estimating staff is working non-stop to continue to secure projects for a successful 2025.

Our equipment and maintenance staff are working on keeping the fleet in top condition throughout the off-season.

Some highlights of 2024 include the completion of HCC’s largest contract ever in Glendale, WI. We also completed three seasons of work on the Highway 53 corridor, completing over 20 miles of new concrete from Haugen to Spooner. These are just a couple of the major achievements of 2024, but they are an indicator of how much work we can complete with our great team.

We will continue to move forward into 2025 with a heavy workload and continue to tackle the challenges ahead of us.

On behalf of the entire Hoffman Company –

THANK YOU for your contribution, and best wishes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

EMPLOYEE UPDATES

Sally and Gary Retirements

Last Wednesday, we celebrated Sally Malecki’s remarkable 24 ½ years at Hoffman Company with a heartfelt retirement lunch. Sally’s dedication, expertise, and positive spirit have been integral to our success, and she will be deeply missed.

Gary Kaas, also a valued team member, is retiring at the end of this year. Both will leave lasting legacies at Hoffman. Their official last day is December 31, and we look forward to honoring their careers in our January newsletter.

Mankato Luncheon

The crew at the 2471 Mankato Walmart Distribution Center recently held a luncheon to celebrate their achievements and hard work. The event provided a great opportunity for the team to come together, recognize their progress, and take a well-deserved break.

FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS HOFFMAN’S YEAR IN PROJECTS

Brackett

The Brackett project, located between Eau Claire and Osseo on I-94, started in March 2024 and is expected to be completed by November 2026. Currently, 30% of the project is complete, and the project faced challenges from an exceptionally wet spring, which required additional erosion control and drying time. Safety concerns arose due to heavy traffic around the I-94/US-53 Interchange, where civilians drove around traffic controls and into closed work zones. Coordination between HCC crews and subcontractors was essential to avoid conflicting lane closures.

A key milestone was the early completion of the I-94/US-53 Interchange, which was two weeks ahead of the October 18 deadline. This included milling, paving, storm sewer reconstruction, and restoration of ramps and shoulders.

Terry Klatt, Foreman, and his crew were key in installing deep crossing culvert pipes safely near active traffic. Joel Pennekamp, Foreman, led night shifts at the interchange to ensure the work areas were open to traffic each morning. Despite a weather delay, Mike Sylla and his grading crew finished the 8.5-mile temporary road ahead of schedule.

Hudson

The Hudson – IH 94 Bridges project, located between Hudson and Roberts, Wisconsin, started on September 3, 2024, and is expected to be completed by October 15, 2026. Currently in winter suspension, the team made great progress in the first stage, completing borrow fill, pipe installation, and gravel placement for two temporary roadways. One roadway is fully paved and bridged, while the second is ready for its bridge deck and asphalt in the spring. Weather delays in November slowed progress, especially on the second temporary structure.

Despite unforeseen delays in approvals for borrow pits and access plans, the project remains on track. Key milestones include getting one temporary roadway ready for spring traffic, completing both bridges, and installing 90% of the base course. Victor Saavedra navigated tough site conditions and organized the crews to keep things moving smoothly, while Jeff Luther stepped in as needed, particularly during night shifts for gravel placement, ensuring safety and coordination. The project is set to resume in April 2025.

Red Wing

The Sturgeon Lake Road Overpass project in Red Wing, MN, started in May 2024 and is expected to be completed by July 2025, with 80% completion so far. The project has faced no significant weather impacts. However, safety concerns arose due to its proximity to a heavily traveled railroad corridor, a road to the Treasure Island Casino, and the Excel Power Nuclear Plant. Extensive coordination with these stakeholders and public outreach from the City of Red Wing ensured minimal disruption during construction.

Milestones include the completion of sideroads around the casino entrance in 2024, with a planned six-week closure of the main casino entrance in 2025 for the final construction phase. Bridge work over the rail is mostly complete, with the deck pour scheduled for spring 2025. The crew has been highly versatile, tackling multiple tasks, including wall building, pipe installation, grading, gravel placement, and topsoil work. Their ability to move efficiently between tasks has kept the project on schedule and ahead of subcontractors. The spring of 2025 will be an accelerated tie-in phase, carefully planned to meet deadlines.

Glendale

The Glendale 2301 project on IH 43 in Glendale, WI, began on January 9, 2023, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025, with the project currently 92.3% complete. Despite 15 days of adverse weather in May 2024, the project has made significant progress, with a focus on safety due to heavy traffic and multiple contractors working in close proximity. There were some challenges with utility conflicts, but the team overcame them, achieving significant milestones, including the opening of Port Washington Road (August 2, 2024), IH 43 lanes (October 16, 2024), and the Brown Deer Road Diverging Diamond Interchange (November 23, 2024).

Bryce Pittman, Project Engineer, has coordinated over 60,000 feet of storm sewer and over 900 structures.

Parker Stelter coordinated traffic control and worked with the crew to successfully construct 40,000 square feet of MSE walls and a major stream diversion. Both have continued to grow in their roles, proving to be invaluable to the project’s progress and success.

Lone Rock

The Lone Rock STH 133 project, located in Lone Rock, WI, started in the winter of 2022 and is expected to be completed by spring 2025. The project is 90% complete, with work remaining for 2025, including regrading a 200-foot section of STH 133 and various finishing tasks around the site. Fortunately, there were no significant weather impacts, though working near the Wisconsin River and an unstable rock wall posed safety concerns. The biggest challenge was the unstable rock wall cut, which required a more gradual slope to prevent rockslides.

A significant milestone was the opening of the new road alignment and two new bridges on September 27, 2024.

Andrew Reilly, the Grade Foreman, has been instrumental in leading the on-site crew and ensuring the project progresses smoothly. The team’s focus now is on finishing the remaining work and completing it by 2025.

Mankato

The 2471 Mankato Walmart Distribution Center project in Mankato, MN, began on April 8, 2024, and is expected to be completed in Fall 2026. With 60% of the project completed and 30% in change orders, winter weather has impacted operations, particularly with frozen sand and foundation excavation. The crew continues to work in challenging conditions, managing issues such as low light and short days. Despite design changes and utility challenges on the private site, the team has maintained flexibility in their planning.

Key milestones include importing 620,000 tons of sand and aggregate, exporting 340,000 cubic yards, and installing 4,000 linear feet of storm drains and 1,000 linear feet of roof drains. Troy Prochaska, Superintendent, has been instrumental in keeping the team informed and productive.

Greg ‘Pines’ Reiland, Laborer, consistently brings a positive attitude to any task, while Steve Whipps, Foreman, managed all trucking and led GPS excavator operations and fieldwork. Together, these team members contribute to keeping the project on track despite the challenges.

YEAR OF GRATITUDE

To Brian Aebly, thank you for being my connection to supervisors, project managers, and anyone else I needed information from. Your willingness to help has been key to keeping everything on track.

I also want to thank Travis Giese, Kyle Pedersen, Will Knopik, Jason Ivers, and Ray Fliflet for always providing project updates promptly and working with me to ensure each issue reflects the incredible work happening across the company.

Lastly, thank you to Gary Kaas and Shawn Helmer for double-checking safety regulations and being my trusted sources for photos, edits, and countless messages throughout the year.

Your efforts make these newsletters possible, and I’m so grateful for your support.

– Madison Eberhardt and the Walker Media Team

BIG BUCK BRAG BOARD

Mike Sylla

Gary Kaas

Madison Eberhardt

The holidays are all about family, fun, and creating special memories. This season, we’d love for you to share a peek into your celebrations! Whether it’s decorating cookies, opening presents, or enjoying wintery adventures, send us your favorite holiday photos.

We’ll share a collection of these joyful moments in our January newsletter to kick off the New Year.

Submit your photos to [email protected] by January 10 to be featured!

If you forgot to submit your buck photos last month, it’s not too late! Send them in, and we’ll get them added to the website.