MEMBER PROFILE David Borger: Poise and Intelligence about a year after Borger was hired. Borger was thrust into a leadership role in what he describes as a trial by fire. Those first few months after Philippe’s death were difficult, but he learned a lot, not only in engineering, but also in how to work with demanding customers, both internal and external. Through the years, Arbed became Arcelor and then ArcelorMittal, and Skyline, remaining relatively unaffected, was eventually purchased by Nucor. Borger enjoys the “mental exercise” of helping potential customers come up with the best solution to their problems. He gets calls from an array of engineers who want direction as to how to use the company’s products. Plenty of Borger’s colleagues think highly of him. Laurent De David Borger’s (right) service as a DFI trustee was acknowledged by DFI President Dan Brown during the 2017 Annual Conference. As high school was winding down, David Borger was deciding on a major and expressed to his father that he did not want to sit at a desk all day. He was more interested in solving problems and building things than in being a people person. Ironically, civil engineering led him to Skyline Steel, where he has spent the last 20 years sitting in front of a computer, talking on the phone all day, and even more so, enjoying it. Today, Borger is widely admired for his engineering insights, intelligence and leadership skills. He chose to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign because of its excellent reputation for civil engineering. He began with the idea of focusing on transportation, but eventually settled on a combination of structural and geotechnical engineering, which has served him well at Skyline. There was no family pressure to study engineering, but his father, who studied general engineering, thought he would like the hands-on nature of civil engineering. His three siblings include Jim, who is a math professor in Australia, Melanie, director of athletic programs in Oklahoma City, and Michael, who works in solar energy in California. After graduation, he answered a newspaper ad for a job at Skyline Steel in Parsippany, N.J., and has been there ever since. At the time, Skyline was owned by Arbed, which sent an expatriate to Skyline Steel’s engineering department every three years. Borger’s boss, Phillipe, was one such young expatriate but died tragically AUTHOR Virginia Fairweather DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2018 • 83 Mey, president of Skyline, says Borger is one of the most interesting individuals he has ever come across. “He has a unique way of looking at everything and is one of the most talented teammates in our industry. He has a humble, yet firm personality, and is never afraid to speak his mind, but is somehow affirmative and intriguing all at the same time.” Rob Waudby, district sales manager at Skyline Steel, cites Borger’s “awesome sense of humor and equally awesome leadership skills. When he talks, others listen.” Waudby adds that Borger has design acumen, an understanding of deep foundation issues, plus a thorough knowledge of field installation. Waudby sees designs he thinks are “not installable” except that Borger can figure out a solution. He added that Borger’s most impressive traits are “poise and intelligence, and he brings these to bear in a way no one else in the company can.” Another Skyline Steel district sales man- Borger enjoys the “mental exercise” of helping potential customers come up with the best solution to their problems. ager, Nam Nguyen, cited Borger’s under- standing of boundaries in communicating well without overstepping and possibly offending someone. Borger is a valuable asset, according to Nguyen: he makes others more confident when he comes to a project team. “When you think there is no way to solve an issue, Borger finds a solution.” Michael Carter, East Coast manager of Blue Iron Foundations and Shoring, says “Borger is a fantastic resource for examining one’s ideas, in that he can work through complex deep foundation issues in a wide swath of the U.S. A rule in physics states, ‘the load goes to the stiffer element,’ and David carries that load.” DFI Experience Borger says he gets a lot of value from his active engagement with DFI. He meets other people, such as equipment suppliers, contractors and engineers and tries to use these moments to learn more about the industry. These exchanges are fun, he says, and
