T-Line Work in Bastrop, Texas

T-Line Work in Bastrop, Texas

T-Line Work in Bastrop, Texas

Just off of Lovers Lane, not far from the Colorado River in Bastrop, Texas, you’ll find one of Bo Barfield’s crews working on job #3042. This transmission job involves upgrading wood poles to steel structures for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), an Irby customer for more than 17 years.


Specifically, Irby is taking down and rebuilding T-410 from Bastrop West to Structure 27 as well as T-648 from Tahitian Village to Structure 27, with Legend Foundation Services installing foundations on T-410 and T-648 from Sim Gideon to Structure 27. There are 4.4 miles of double circuit and 3.1 miles of single circuit.

 

On this particular day in mid-October, Foreman Glenn Gagne and his four-man crew were installing a guard structure before pulling in new conductor. As always, this crew hit the ground with one thing in mind…getting the job done safely. They went through their pre-job checklist like clockwork from inspecting the equipment, meeting for the job briefing, and setting the safety parameters for the drop zone to rigging, hoisting, and attaching the cross arm.

This team works like a well-oiled machine making Irby proud. Great job, guys! Thank you to all Irby crews out there for working hard and staying safe!
Irby Comes Together in the Wake of Hurricane Ian

Irby Comes Together in the Wake of Hurricane Ian

Irby Comes Together in the Wake of Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida as a category 4 hurricane on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28th, 2022. Ian tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in United States history, and caused around $60 billion in damage. There are at least 120 deaths because of Hurricane Ian, a harrowing number that speaks to the severity of the storm.

Irby crews began to assemble well before the hurricane made landfall, in order to be readily available when it was safe to get to work. Irby assigned more than 600 linemen across the state of Florida to join in assisting power restoration efforts. Crews worked 16-hour rotating shifts around the clock. Away from their families, our brave linemen even slept in their trucks the first few nights following the storm, as hotels didn’t have working power. 

Over 2 million people were without power when the storm blew through, and by October 4, just a week later, that number had been reduced to below 1 million. Storm restoration efforts will be ongoing for the next several months. We are proud of the way our Irby family has come together to serve the people of Florida.  

“Our group has pulled together as a family to do everything we can to not only restore power, but also to help others impacted the greatest by this storm,” said Tim Halsey, Vice President of Operations for Irby. “We are committed to doing whatever it takes to support our employees, their families, and the community,” Halsey said.

As always, Irby Construction is taking every safety precaution in our storm restoration efforts. We will continue to be our brother’s keeper and work safely to restore power to those affected by Hurricane Ian, as the last thing these victims should worry about is their access to power.

Irby & Entergy: Mud Lake to Big Lake Transmission Project

Irby & Entergy: Mud Lake to Big Lake Transmission Project

Irby & Entergy: Mud Lake to Big Lake Transmission Project

Irby is proud to contract with Entergy Louisiana on the Mud Lake to Big Lake transmission project.
 
Scheduled for completion in summer of 2023, this project includes construction of nearly 15 miles of 230kV and 69kV transmission lines, the new Big Lake substation, upgrades to three existing substations, and installation of approximately 150 poles.
 
Mud Lake to Big Lake will build resilience and reliability in southwest Louisiana’s power grid, and positively impact large communities like Lake Charles.
 
You can read more about the project here
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Irby Leaders Come Together to Learn, Grow, and Continue the Company’s Legacy

Irby Leaders Come Together to Learn, Grow, and Continue the Company’s Legacy

Irby Leaders Come Together to Learn, Grow, and Continue the Company’s Legacy

Irby Construction Company hosted its annual Superintendents’ Meeting on August 12-13 in Biloxi, MS, where more than 120 leaders from across the organization attended.

“From battery energy storage to critical transmission line river crossings, substations, and more, it is an exciting time to work at Irby and in our industry,” said Jason Clayton, President of Irby Construction. “Bringing our superintendents, foremen, supervisors, and other leaders together in one location to provide updates and share information is crucial to our continued growth and success.”

The theme for the meeting was “Leading Change. Reaching New Heights.” Topics included safety, recruiting, fleet and equipment, operations support, panel discussions on field operations, project management, corporate services, and business development. The keynote speaker was Chad Hymas, a world-class wheelchair athlete, best-selling author, and, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, one of the 10 Most Inspirational People in the World.

Working with Irby’s parent company, Quanta Services, Hymas helped develop the Capacity Model, which drives the company’s safety culture. The Capacity Model provides guidelines and critical focus areas deeply-rooted in and driven from the highest levels of Irby to the crews on the job to ensure the safety of employees, subcontractors, and the community.

“Our culture and success are built on safety, forward-thinking, innovation, a sense of adventure, a cooperative spirit, a desire to perform, and a lot of hard work,” said Rick Shouse, Irby Executive Vice President. “Our leaders in the field continue these qualities at every job site generation after generation. That’s what keeps Irby strong and prosperous.”

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Irby Attends The Future of Energy Panel Discussion at Jackson State University

Irby Attends The Future of Energy Panel Discussion at Jackson State University

Irby Attends The Future of Energy Panel Discussion at Jackson State University

Better, more sustainable energy for our community and the world is always a great topic for Irby Construction to listen in on and be a part of.

That is exactly what Andre Foster, Irby’s VP of Business Development & Major Projects, did recently when he attended a panel discussion on The Future of Energy hosted by Jackson State University’s Department of Urban & Regional Planning in the College of Science, Engineering & Technology.

The night before the panel discussion, Irby sponsored a dinner for more than 20 guests and members of the panel which included key leaders from Corporate Environmental Risk Management (CERM), Covanta, Entergy and Mississippi Power.

Irby is proud to participate in Energy events like these within the community, and you can learn more about the panel discussion here.

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Irby Employees Participate in Mississippi Blood Services Drive

Irby Employees Participate in Mississippi Blood Services Drive

Irby Employees Participate in Mississippi Blood Services Drive

Mississippi Blood Services was on location recently at Irby’s corporate headquarters in Richland where 25 employees donated blood.

“We registered 25 and drew 27 units,” said Dana Brohaugh, marketing representative with Mississippi BloodServices. “Because of Irby’s generous employees, Mississippi Blood Services will be able to help over 80 Mississippi patients receive the life-saving gift of blood!”

Thank you Irby employees for your community and giving spirit!

#IrbyEmployeesGive #Give1Save3

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