Dan Laird has joined Michael Baker International’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office, as Director of Client Relations responsible for business development in Western Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.

Dan will play a key role in driving the growth of the seven Pittsburgh Practice areas: Architecture, Bridges, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Construction Services, Land Development & Infrastructure, Planning, and Transportation. In addition to continuing to foster relationships with Michael Baker’s current valued clients and implementing strategies to accelerate business growth across the Region, Dan will also serve as a liaison with the many firms that Michael Baker does business with in the service of our clients.

Dan has honed his business development skills by working with A/E/C clients and legislative leaders throughout Western Pennsylvania over the past 20 years.

On his new role at Michael Baker, he said: “I believe collaboration, a strategic path forward, and clear communication are key to corporate goals, organizing growth and the alignment of community and industry partnerships. I’m excited to help enhance Michael Baker International’s presence and value in Western Pennsylvania.”

Most recently Dan served as the Director of Business Development for Hill International, overseeing business growth and opportunities in the Western Pennsylvania market.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering Technology degree from Point Park University. He serves in leadership roles on multiple engineering organizations, including the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE Pittsburgh), Southwestern Pennsylvania Engineering Outreach, Construction Management Association of America and March of Dimes Transportation, Building & Construction.

Pittsburgh-based, geotechnical specialty contractor, Nicholson Construction, returns to Ohio’s Portage Lakes for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources North Reservoir Dam Project.

The 100-year-old North Reservoir dam will undergo a $22.9M repair project to bring it into compliance with Ohio Dam Safety’s standards. The last remediation project on North Reservoir Dam was performed in 1982. The current remediation project includes seepage cutoff, overtopping protection and replacement of the existing spillway and lake drain.

Nicholson was contracted by Beaver Excavating Company to construct a soil-mix gravity section and cutoff wall for the new dam in order to mitigate excessive seepage and to increase its factor of safety.

This is the second Portage Lakes project for Nicholson. In 2017, the company was contracted to construct a soil mix gravity section and cutoff wall for the new East Reservoir Dam.

“It’s a high compliment to be brought back on-site to build subsequent work,” said Ryan Streets, vice president, major projects. “Several core members of the East Reservoir team are back for this project, which is a huge advantage in terms of lessons learned and efficiencies we can gain.”

Nicholson’s work on the North Reservoir Dam will start in the late Spring 2021 and continue into next year. “Earning our clients’ trust and returning to their jobsites to do additional work is truly a testament to our crew’s ability to safely construct a high-quality product,” said Dario Gnoato, senior vice president, major projects, Nicholson Construction. “We’re looking forward to another great project in Portage Lakes.”

About Nicholson Construction Company:

Nicholson is a versatile geotechnical contractor specializing in deep foundations, earth retention and ground treatment. As the North American subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy, one of the world’s leading geotechnical contractors, we are part of a global network of geotechnical resources and expertise. We work in a wide range of industries and environments, from power plants and dams, to bridges and skyscrapers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Nicholson has offices around the country to address each region’s unique geotechnical construction needs.