Thursday, May 21- This episode brings Randall Hackworth to the show.
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Episode Transcript:
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Jim Schauer: [0:11] Good morning, everyone. Well before I yell Roll Tide and we bring in Randall Hackworth. This is developer lead with Wade Trim. I think James and I need to give little spotlight to the these awesome mugs.
[0:28] I don’t know if it’s just me or not. But I think the coffee tastes a little bit better James my partner crime. What do you think?
James Cross: [0:37] I won’t lie. It’s a little weird drinking coffee out of a mug with your face on it but it is awesome. I guess it’s a good time as any one to let everybody know that we’ll also be sending out coffee mugs to all of our past guests and also our current guests.
[0:54] So if you join us on “Coffee with Jim & James” it’s but that super classy mug could mean sipping your morning kick start out of.
[1:03] So poor Randall, man, just sitting over there barely even on the show. He’s playing second fiddle to our coffee coffee mug excitement. Randall. How’s it feel to be overshadowed by drinkware?
Randall Hackworth: [laughs] : [1:20] Pretty good here. Let’s cheers.
James: [1:21] Cheers, brother.
Jim: [1:22] Cheers.
James: [1:23] How are you?
Randall: [1:24] I’m good. Good just hanging out enjoying the quarantine.
James: [1:29] Yeah, you know we went from seeing each other what seemed like every month at shows and conferences and now it’s been quite a stretch of of absence. So I’m hoping we can all get together get together soon and get back into the swing of things.
Randall: [1:45] Absolutely. Boys, these videos add weight to you. I don’t think I’ve gained that much weight but…
James: [1:50] Got the COVID‑19 over here.
Randall: [1:52] Yeah. [laughs]
Jim: [1:53] COVID‑15, COVID‑15.
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Randall: [1:55] laughs]
James: [1:55] Mine’s 19.
Jim: [1:57] Well, Randall joins us today. He you know, I could say he’s a long‑term industry friend. He’s not just a industry friend. He’s a great friend to us Randall and I first met in 2009 in New Orleans. We’ve known each other for many years.
[2:13] He was actually I hired him as vice president of business development of few years prior to Energy Worldnet, so we actually worked together professionally Works. He is with the organization Wade Trim. We’re really excited to have him on here today.
[2:28] So Randall, I’m going to hand it over to you. You can fill in any of the missing pieces that I didn’t hit on and take it away my friend.
Randall: [2:36] Sure. Thank you, and I appreciate you guys allowing me to grace your screens with you.
[2:42] But just say really quickly Wade Trim is a civil engineering firm. It’s a national firm in about 25 locations throughout the country. Give it a good average at that. And but we do have a pipeline energy pipeline group and that’s who I focus my energies with.
[3:02] And so excited to be here excited to talk about the subject matter we have been discussing and kind of bring it into the pipeline sector and go from there but thanks again for having me.
James: [3:14] Awesome. Randall. Tell us a little bit about what you’re excited about this morning. We talked a little bit, you know before about infrastructure stimulus you want to just dive in man fill our listeners in on it.
Randall: [3:28] Absolutely well most excited that they’re starting opening economy back up. So I think that’s fantastic. I think we can all be careful and do the things that we need to do to stay safe and and get the economy going again and needs to happen.
[3:43] So I’m pro that absolutely but what I wanted to talk a little bit about was the infrastructure stimulus that they’ve been having discussions on and when I say they that’s Congress and President Trump.
[3:58] And I know they’ll mod little a little bit after what was put out in 2009 which was called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and it’s all about being and shovel ready.
[4:10] And it’s going to focus on its going to focus on you know, roads and bridges infrastructure like that. A lot of it went to railroads or railroad projects back in you know, 10 years ago, but we’ll see what happens. And you’re probably going you know, you’re probably going well how’s it affect us?
[4:30] Well for my firm, we do a lot of civil work, of course, and so that’s right in our wheelhouse, but from the pipeline perspective I see some a byproduct of that which is we’ll call it just relocation aspect. And we can talk about that in a minute.
James: [4:48] Hey Randall, so so let’s talk about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. So are you saying that there’s still money out there?
[4:57] And that there’s there’s you know, really I guess it surprises me to think that we still possibly working on projects or or there’s money still being allocated out of that act.
[5:09] And and I know Trump had talked about it some of his platform for re‑election. And even before that for his initial election is are they looking to use some of that money to build a new stimulus package? Talk a little bit on that.
Randall: [5:27] Well, my understanding is they’re going to come out with a whole new piece of legislation that will focus on the amount of about two trillion dollars.
[5:35] And so I can imagine that your states and cities municipal systems are going to have to have their projects in line and ready to go because the key is that shovel ready.
[5:49] They’re going to want to get people hired and money changing hands as quickly as they can make it happen and know exactly where it’s going because it’s all going to be about transparency and knowing where this money went. You know how it was spent, etc. and being able to answer questions for it.
[6:04] So shovel‑ready is the key and I guess that’s probably a good question, [laughs] a good question there is to answer what is shovel‑ready? And I’ll read it.
Jim: [6:15] Please.
Randall: [6:16] I’ll read…
James: [6:18] Tell us a little bit about shovel‑ready.
Randall: [6:22] So shovel‑ready is a phrase used to describe a construction project that is considered to be at an advanced enough stage of development for building to begin soon.
[6:34] So, you know, that means let’s think about it from a pipeline perspective that would you would think that permitting is done survey is already in place and you know, probably all bid packages out and selected and everything’s ready to go and designs there too.
[6:52] And then it’s just a matter of going boom. We got the money let’s award it and and start rolling. So, you know, they want to break ground as quickly as possible. I’ll that’s the layman’s I guess that’s the layman’s explanation. So but it works. Got to get it rolling.
Jim: [7:09] And that’s good because that that helps me and I’m sure it’s going to help our viewers, too, just to understand that a little bit more.
[7:15] And when you look at understanding more of the act you’ve definitely opened up my eyes to a little bit of you know becoming consciously competent over that subject matter. So I greatly appreciate that.
[7:29] Let me ask you a question though are their next steps that you’re doing. The industry is doing to get in the mix of this. I mean What what do we do?
Randall: [7:42] Yeah as a company and before I go into that as a company. I’ll just go into that as a company. What we did is all the management of our company or the leadership of our company asked all employees to correspond with their congressional representation [inaudible].
[8:00] And we’re in numerous states. And so you have multiple employees sending to all their various representatives. I sent it to three different people, two senators and and one House member and two of them responded still waiting on one to respond.
[8:16] But the key is and I think everybody else should be doing the same thing. Is that push them to get this done to work together to get it done.
[8:25] The other thing is to work with the associations to make sure that they’re educated. And when I say that because I’m going to focus on gas and gas associations [inaudible], you know, the membership’s educated on what’s what’s next for them also.
[8:40] Because if typically in this scenario, let’s say they’re going to build a new road and they’re going to widen it. You may have a relocation problem there.
[8:49] And if it’s a if it’s a municipal system, they got to pay that if that’s if their pipelines in the public right of way that comes out of their pocket.
[8:57] So they got to figure out a way to get that paid for. Is there a way to get to set aside that money for those types of scenarios?
[9:04] So there’s going to have to be a lot of interaction between our representation as a industry with you know with Congress to to make sure that kind of thing happens.
[9:15] And you know, another thing is to think about is just kind of communicating when we know there’s a project coming.
[9:25] Once they pass this is to communicate between where that project’s going and who your client who you know or prospect is to make sure they know what’s coming up.
[9:35] It’s just it’s a way to save them money cost and and headache. So that’s our plan with everywhere that we’re located. There’s a quite a few people that we can do that, you know, at least provide that information. So that’s the goal.
[9:48] So I think it’s a good opportunity for the country to get people back to work. I just hope that they can set aside enough differences because it’s just so heavy right now that they can move this forward because it’s going to be good for the country.
[10:03] This is one of the things that I think we really need and I think everybody would agree with that roads interstate systems are terrible lots of roads highways, etc., need help, bridges especially so.
James: [10:15] Absolutely and I was going to mention the same thing, Randall. In a time when we’re seeing unprecedented unemployment and we’re worried about how we’re going to get America kick‑started back. What better way to do it with a huge stimulus package to help our infrastructure?
[10:30] So Randall, you’ve been an awesome guest. You’ve helped us understand really a lot of this and even though you speak, you know on the civil side that byproduct of the pipeline work that could come from this and should come from this.
[10:44] And really how we can get involved as an industry as whether it be the communities we sit on and associations whether it be the boards we sit on whatever.
[10:54] It might be our groups that we can touch, you know, within our own companies to help, you know, really push this initiative forward. I think is what we got to do.
[11:04] And I can tell there’s a bird somewhere behind you that [inaudible] agrees that we should do these things as well, but…
Randall: [11:11] I’ve got about four hawks that live around me. So they’re always hunting. [laughs] Did I earn a cup, though? Did I earn a cup?
James: [11:19] Yeah.
Jim: [11:20] Oh yeah. Oh you definitely earned a cup.
James: [11:23] Amen, man. It’s on its way.
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Randall: [11:24] laughs]
James: : [11:25] Hey Randall, you’re a bad dude, man. I’m friends with Randall on Facebook. And I’ve seen he’s been doing this burpee challenge. I was hoping to do a few more for us a while all the while. I’m sitting here watching him do it on video and I’m eating quarantine snacks. [11:41] [laughter]
James: [11:41] But we appreciate everything you’re doing, definitely a thought leader in our industry. We appreciate you informing everybody about the Recovery and Reinvestment Act and and what’s to come right?
[11:55] We we are an industry. I believe that the feels like we’re shovel‑ready and to understand there’s a little bit more that goes into shovel‑ready [inaudible].
[12:05] So thanks again for coming on. We appreciate you Jimmy always a pleasure brother.
Jim: [12:12] Always my friend always we are thick and thin you and I are so.
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Randall: [12:16] laughs]
James: [12:17] So now we got a third one man. Randall’s in there with us, too. So for anyone that would like to join us and get a free mug out of the out of the deal as well. Come share the spotlight with Jim and I. We’d love to talk with you.
[12:31] Reach out connect with any of us if you have any questions for Randall or anyone at Wade Trim or any questions about the stimulus stuff. I know Randall would be happy to answer. He can help you get involved.
Randall: [12:47] Absolutely.
James: [12:48] Absolutely so connect with everyone. Again, as we always say we are blessed to be here. We are blessed to be in this industry. Thank you so much, and talk to you soon.
Jim: [12:59] Be safe. Be safe everyone.
Randall: [13:01] Thank you gentlemen.
Jim: [13:02] Thank you, sir.
Randall: [13:03] Have a great day.
Jim: [13:04] You too.
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