November 2024

Client Spotlight: Wright Brothers Construction, Inc.

Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc. has been one of JMTE’s most valued clients for over seven years receiving work zone safety training for its supervisors and field staff. Headquartered in Charleston, TN, Wright Brothers has been providing services throughout the southeast for over 60 years. As one of the largest civil contractors in the Southeastern United States, Wright Brothers is able to self-perform all major items of work on any given project, with their abundant resources, including 500 pieces of construction equipment and over 600 full-time employees.

The business began in 1961, when two brothers, James and Robert Wright, decided to borrow their father’s bulldozer and work together to help their neighbors dig out ponds. From these humble beginnings, characterized by strong family values and a desire to help others, Wright Brothers has grown into a regional full-service heavy civil construction company. Their design and construction services include grading, site development, highway and bridge construction, landfill construction, asphalt production and paving, aggregate processing, commercial concrete services and industrial maintenance services.

JMTE’s professional association with Wright Brothers Construction Company grew out of its passion for safety as they strive to attain a zero-incident goal through training, education, and implementation of its safety policies. In addition to their well-defined procedures outlined in the company’s safety manuals, their VEST (Values, Equality, Solutions, Together) Initiative, an employee-led safety culture enterprise, fosters a habit of safe practices and mutual regard for safety among all personnel. This inclusive program engages team members at every level to develop site-specific safety plans. Our focus on continuous improvement ensures safety is owned by all employees, not just management. This allows their policy to continuously develop and evolve, utilizing years of practical construction experience, coupled with standards and guidelines set by OSHA and MSHA.

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JMTE staff and the Western North Carolina community got to observe firsthand just how experienced and committed Wright Brothers Construction Company is when Tropical Storm Fred swept through Canton, NC destroying the Chinquapin Bridge near the unincorporated community of Cruso. The North Carolina Department of Transportation assessed the damage after flood waters receded and realized that dozens of residents in the community were stranded across the banks of the river. Knowing that the bridge needed urgent emergency repairs, NCDOT called Wright Brothers to quickly fix the bridge and assist the stranded residents.

In 40 hours, a Wright Brothers team installed a footbridge, stabilized the damaged bridge, repaired it, and had it ready for traffic. The footbridge enabled those stranded across the river to cross during the reconstruction of the bridge, allowing them to reach much-needed supplies. The full restoration of the bridge was completed by 9:30 on Saturday night, allowing emergency vehicles to cross a full day ahead of schedule. A video of NCDOT’s Cameron Cochran discussion of the repairs in depth can be found at the button below.

This outstanding effort led the NCDOT to once again reach out to Wright Brothers when Hurricane Helene devastated the region. The company is now working on, or has repaired, over a dozen damaged bridges and roadways in the Western North Carolina region, including ones in Tryon, Boone, Bat Cave and Chimney Rock.

JMTE congratulates Wright Brother on 60+ years of outstanding service to scores of clients throughout the Southeastern US and appreciates the opportunity for our firm to provide work zone safety training to its staff. Below are links to the Wright Brothers website, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

The Future of Chimney Rock

JMTE was asked to join a team of volunteer engineers, architects, and environmental specialists to assist Chimney Rock Village with a reimagining of what the Village might look like in the future. Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on this quaint village, a place where Last of the Mohicans, Dirty Dancing, and many other Hollywood blockbusters have been filmed. Portions of the town were completely destroyed by floodwaters rendering a blank canvas that allowed for a complete rebirth and reimagining of the Village’s future. The daylong charette included a tour of the devastation, presentations by Village leaders, County officials, and State Park rangers, and plenty of time for our team of experts to envision options for Chimney Rock Village’s future. The day culminated with the presentation of several potential concepts that included enhanced retail areas, improved parking, recreational opportunities, traffic calming, and a pedestrian friendly gathering area for those wanting to view the Chimney.

Did You Know?

Even though JMTE is based in Western North Carolina, our reach goes much further. JMTE is able to provide a cohesive remote working environment, making it easier to reach places we might not be able to if we didn’t have this option whether they be across the state or in another state. We currently have three employees working remotely either some of the time or all of the time.