The 25th anniversary of Women in Construction Week™ (WIC Week™) has a clear theme: Many paths, one mission. The purpose is to recognize the different journeys women have taken to strengthen and amplify the success of all women in the construction industry. We're fortunate enough to feature some of those women, working at Brennan, who have agreed to share their thoughts on starting out in construction, and give advice to women considering joining the industry.

Did you know that more than 800,000 women in America are employed in the construction industry? Please help us honor them by showing support for women in the trades, especially those within the Brennan organization.

February 6, 2023 — Specialty marine contractor J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) recently finalized the asset acquisition of the dredging and dewatering division of Infrastructure Alternatives, Inc. (IAI). The purchase brings dewatering, water treatment, and treatability testing services into the organization for the first time.

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) and J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) formally announce their partnership. The agreement between Brennan and UWL will further the educational opportunities for students studying environmental science, equipping them to start on the job right after they graduate.

Brennan is partnering with UWL to support student research and curriculum, and to strengthen the talent pipeline, both locally and within the environmental services industry.

La Crosse, WI — Great Place to Work® and Fortune have honored J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) as one of the Best Workplaces in Construction™. This is Brennan’s first time being named to this prestigious list, coming in at 14^th place among small and mid-size companies. Earning a spot means that Brennan is one of the best companies to work for in the country.

The Best Workplaces in Construction award is based on the analysis of survey responses from over 25,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies in the construction industry. In that survey, 88% of Brennan’s employees said the company is a great place to work. This number is 31 points higher than the average U.S. company.

Constructability reviews are imperative to project success. They can save you money, reduce the risk of cost escalation, and are often provided pro-bono by a good contractor. When it comes to requesting a contractor's constructability review, timing is important. If the review is performed too late, problems could result, including confusion surrounding the project, loss of significant time and money, and hefty change orders later in the project. The question then is: when is the optimal time to have a contractor perform a constructability review?

LA CROSSE, Wis., October 28, 2020 — J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) announces certification in occupational health and safety management, quality management, and environmental management, in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

(La Crosse, WIS – August 12, 2020) – Specialty marine construction firm J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan), announces its 4^th consecutive certification from international research and analytics organization Great Place to Work®.

95% of its employees consider Brennan a great place to work, compared to just 59% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company. Brennan’s high-ranking status among other companies is compounded this year by the changes in safety, travel, and essential work protocol brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a leader in inland waterway dredging, J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) serves as a success story for hydraulically dredging and pumping sediments over long distances and changing elevations. The goal of most dredging projects is to maximize efficiency, which means maximizing the average percent solids in the pipeline. However, there is a fine balance between maximizing percent solids and surpassing critical velocity to transport dredge slurry. Therefore, a dredge operator must understand the importance of critical velocity and how it varies as the material in the dredge cut changes.

Critical velocity, in this case, is the minimum speed at which sediment and water (slurry) must be pumped to prevent the sediment from settling and subsequently plugging the dredge pipeline. Plugging the pipeline is the bane of any dredging operation and one of the few things that will set a dredge operator trembling in their boots. After all, if a pipeline gets plugged, the dredge must shut down, which means the entire project stops.

Through multiple successful projects, J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) developed a great partnering relationship with the Midwest group of Xcel Energy® (Xcel). From Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) dive inspections and innovative dam repair projects to the implementation of amphibious equipment and helicopters for transmission line installation, we are always looking at ways of incorporating Brennan’s “can-do” attitude into all client interactions. This year, we got the opportunity to work with Xcel’s Western group.

As a marine solutions company, J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) faces a unique array of regulations and rules. While every company deals with regulations, most deal with rules that impact operations only on land or only in the water. We are accountable for regulatory requirements in both areas and have been for years. So, what's changed and what are we doing about it?