information.” Shea says Mike Wysockey is always a pleasure to be around, and is practical, intelligent, hands on, down to earth, but very smart about his business. Wysockey knows all the details of Thatcher’s day-to-day operations, including equipment and design decisions, he says, and is always trying to find a better way to do things. The two hope to find the “right project,” one they can work on together. Another colleague is Doug Keller, of Richard Goettle, Inc., who says he and Wysockey “grew up together in the industry,” conceding that “Mike’s Ph.D. sets him apart.” However Wysockey is extremely down to earth and a “classy guy,” says Keller. The two met about 20 years ago through DFI, and the Keller and Wysockey families became close friends, and have an unusual business relationship, too. “When the competition is your friend,” says Keller, “you sometimes find yourself helping him out in a jam, lending him equipment, or the like.” Looking ahead, Mike Wysockey thinks Thatcher will grow, through added technology, and that the firm may reach out geographically, but not “too far.” Most foundation firms tend to work in one region. Today, earth retention jobs have overtaken pile driving in the firm’s workload. He also mentions the presence of unions in the Chicago area, saying “They can be challenging to work with at times, but we’ve developed strong relationships, and enjoy working with the well-trained best out of the local labor pool.” Several Thatcher pile drivers and operators are second- and third-generation guys, whose fathers and grandfathers spent their entire career with Thatcher. “Those are the guys getting the piles in the ground, and we’re lucky to have the best people to work with.” Thatcher has embarked on a productivity improvement effort with the help of outside consultants and is seeing big changes in the way the company gets things done, says Wysockey. The thorough- ness of the pre-job planning not only increases productivity, but safety and quality as well, he adds. Coach Wysockey There are four Wysockey children, ages 6-10, which would keep most families very busy. Wysockey has played and coached his children’s teams in basketball, soccer, baseball, rugby and swimming, in addition to the occasional deep sea fishing or duck hunting outings with colleagues such as Mike Moran and Doug Keller. Mike Wysockey is president of Thatcher Foundations, and also a DFI Trustee. Speaking of the Institute, he thinks DFI is an energetic organization, open to sharing among its members, be they contractors, suppliers, engineers or equipment suppliers. “You can learn a lot from one’s potential competitors and that is a source of DFI’s strength, he says.” Wysockey also is a member of ASTM subcommittee D18.11, the Pile Drivers Contractors Association, the aforemen- tioned Chicago Committee on High-Rise Buildings, and is past chairman of the DFI Driven Pile Committee and the Geotech- nical Group in ASCE. Somewhere, he finds time to sleep. Virginia Fairweather 36 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2012
