ACEC Arkansas recognizes Garver projects with five 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards, including Grand Conceptor Award

Garver was awarded five 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA), including the Grand Conceptor Award, from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Arkansas chapter at the EEA celebration on March 6 in Little Rock. Given to Arkansas engineering projects demonstrating significant success, value, and ingenuity, EEAs are decided by industry professionals from all over the state who evaluate projects’ remarkable qualities and how well they fulfill client needs, provide value to the engineering profession, and address sustainability.

Garver also won the Grand Conceptor Award, the prestigious honor given to the year’s most outstanding engineering accomplishment, and the Water and Wastewater EEA for the CAW Pump Station 1A Rehabilitation project for Central Arkansas Water (CAW). Rehabilitating CAW’s 72 million gallons per day (MGD) High Service Pump Station (HSPS) 1A included two construction phases to optimize budget and maintain operation during construction. Garver provided building, structural, ventilation, and electrical rehabilitation and improvements throughout HSPS 1A, including the replacement of the 2.4kV unit distribution center and low voltage panel boards, which improved safety, reliability, and efficiency.

Garver’s Marion Berry Pump Station (MBPS) Startup project for the Bayou Meto Water Management District was one of two winners of the Water Resources Large Project EEA. Tasked with evaluating the condition of the MBPS, Garver assessed and tested each component of a pump system that includes four 242 MGD pumps and two 80 MGD pumps, for a total capacity of 1.13 billion gallons per day, to determine the necessary steps for the station to be fully operational in the next two to three years.

In the same category, Water Resources, Garver’s Downtown Conway Drainage Study project won the Small Project EEA. The study and conceptual design combined advanced hydraulics and hydrology modeling with geographic information system (GIS) technology to address recurring flood risks while preserving the area’s historic character. Garver helped the City of Conway secure state-level funding and created an interactive GIS portal for the City, providing it with a comprehensive, adaptable solution for stormwater management that prioritizes public safety and economic growth.

In the Small Projects category, Garver’s Peel Ferry Dock Improvements project for the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) won the Large Project EEA. Garver delivered project management, structural design, and lighting design services to replace deteriorated floating barges and design ramp segments that successfully upgrade Peel Ferry’s dock facilities. The Ferry is a popular among tourists visiting the Ozark National Forest and recreational users of Bull Shoals Lake, who have shared positive feedback about the improvements.

Five more Garver projects received Honor Awards: two in the Studies, Research, and Consulting Engineering Services category, Garver’s Arkansas ARNG BUILDER SMS Implementation project for the City of Jonesboro and the Springdale Citywide Transportation Study for the City of Springdale; two in the Transportation category, the Bryant Parkway project for the City of Bryant and the Runway 18-36 Improvements project for the City of Bentonville; and one in the Structural Systems category for the Highway 51 Overpass project for ARDOT.