PEOPLE & COMPANIES Brannin James Beeks, 43, with Weeks Marine, died on April 26 resulting from a tragic accident on a construction site. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Susan Mary Wang, and three young children. Beeks’ passion about deep foundations, shoring, environmental and marine construction took him around the world. He was the lead engineer/project manager on projects in the Pacific Northwest and Puerto Rico, and, more recently, on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in Connecticut, Jefferson Memorial Seawall in Washington, D.C., and the Goethals Bridge in New York City. He had recently spearheaded a new endeavor and was instrumental in creating North American Aggregates for Weeks Marine. Beeks attended Washington State University, where he graduated with a B.S. degree in biological systems engineering and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity. Later, he became a licensed professional engineer and then earned an Executive MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He will be deeply missed by all who knew his strength of character, sense of humor, resourcefulness and mental toughness. The family prefers contributions to be made to either the Klickitat Valley Education Trust ( https://medicine.wsu.edu/give/). www.klickitatvalleyeducationtrust.com) or the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine-Medical Education Founders Fund ( Thomas Benedict Sturges, III, professional engineer and chairman of Pennsylvania Drilling Company (PennDrill Manufacturing), died in June at age 73, from complications of a brain tumor. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, children, Melissa and Caleb, and two grandchildren. Sturges attended the Kiski School and graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in civil engineering. He worked for the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company then moved back to Pittsburgh to join the family business, started in 1900. He eventually became chairman, expanded PennDrill Manufacturing and added another manufacturing facility in Winchester, Va. Sturges worked to improve the lives of people and the environment. He was deeply involved in the boards of The Early Learning Institute and Conservation Consultants. He was a member and leader of many professional organizations, including the National Drillers Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Pittsburgh Geological Society, Association of Engineering Geologists and DFI. He was also an annual contributor and participant of DFI’s Educational Trust Pennsylvania golf outing. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Carnegie Science Center, where Sturges served as a volunteer for the Pittsburgh Regional Science Fair. Mail checks to: Carnegie-Donations, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15231. Keller and Hayward Baker (Keller/HBI) have acquired Moretrench, a geotechnical contractor operating predominantly along the east coast of the U.S., and will operate as a division within Hayward Baker. In addition, Moretrench Environmental Services (MES), a Tampa-based contractor providing industrial services, will operate independently within Keller doing business as Moretrench Industrial. The acquisition of Moretrench further strengthens Keller/HBI’s product range, geographic footprint and sector diversity. Moretrench and Hayward Baker have successfully joint ventured on several large and high-profile projects. Similarly MES and Hayward Baker have successfully partnered on challenging projects in Florida. Hayward Baker (HBI) opened a new office location in Cleveland, Ohio, which is readily accessible to Northeast Ohio and also to Columbus, Detroit and Cincinnati. The office supports customers and projects in Ohio and Michigan, and is led by Will Lueck, project manager, with oversight from Ray Franz, Midwest vice president. The opening of the Cleveland office represents a commitment to serving Ohio’s expanding infrastructure efforts and market conditions. Lueck received a B.S. degree in construction management from Bradley University, and has been employed by HBI for seven years. The new office is located at 600 Superior Avenue East, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH 44114. Axiom Foundat ions announced that Jonathan Bennett, P.E., D.GE, joined the specialty geo- technical contractor as Mid-Atlantic regional man- ager. He is spearheading pursuits in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., and focus- ing on helping customers solve their geo- technical construction challenges. Bennett has more than 25 years of experience, pri- marily on design-build geotechnical con- struction and business development. He has an M.S. degree in engineering and tech- nology management from George Washing- ton University, M.S. and B.S. degrees in civil engineering from West Virginia University, and is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Penn- sylvania. He was inducted into the ASCE Academy of Geo-Professionals in 2009. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2018 • 119
