Underground Construction - December 2022 - 19

every aspect of the aerial plant - from
setting the poles, running strand and
cable/fiber,
splicing,
activation,
testing
- and have maintained our underground
capabilities.
" We have fiber techs equipped with
fusion splicers. We also have a full MDU
crew that rewires hotels, hospitals,
apartment buildings, and other commercial
properties. "
Clients include Consolidated
Communications, FirstLight Fiber,
GoNetSpeed and municipalities with
their own fiber systems.
Historically, Maine had not put
telephone and cable underground, and
Striegel commented there are no programs
in the state to convert aerial to
underground.
" There has been so much growth here
that providers do not have the budget or
resources to convert, " he pointed out.
But the rate of underground utility
construction is increasing.
" The big thing up here, " Striegel explained,
" is what is considered 'beautification.'
As beach houses become
mansions, the new owners are paying
out-of-pocket to have aerial plant taken
down and put underground to enhance
scenic views from their properties.
Maine is a beautiful state and people are
starting to get more particular about the
utilities and their appearance. "
Growth
Striegel began his career in telecom
construction as a backhoe operator
for a contractor in his hometown of
Guthrie, Okla. He worked for a time
as a drop contractor in Virginia, then
moved to Maine where he ultimately
established Prowire.
" My first and only piece of equipment, "
he said, " was a small Vermeer
machine with a vibratory plow on the
back end and trencher on the front.
From there we got an old Case backhoe
that opened more opportunities. Next
came a Cat excavator that was actually
capable of working every day without
breaking down.
" As we added equipment, we added
" Maine is by far the most challenging environment
I have encountered, " he said. " The ledges, boulders,
frost and swamps make it a very difficult place
to get cable in the ground. "
crews. We grew slowly and were able to
get the right people doing the jobs. The
decision to add aerial capabilities also was
a significant step in our growth, and that
required more and different equipment. "
What's next?
" The Albion office, " said Striegel, " is
making the northern half of the state
more available to us. I would like to see
20 guys up there to keep up with the
work load. A drill crew, trenching crews
and line trucks will be required.
" I am shopping for a larger directional
drill to support the larger jobs
that we are encountering in the north.
Northern Maine is largely rural, and
many areas
have
limited
access
to
broadband. The work we are seeing up
there is not measured in feet, but miles.
This is new for us, as most of Southern
Maine is already built out. "
Of the three states in which Striegel
has done underground construction,
" Maine is by far the most challenging
environment I have encountered, " he
said. " The ledges, boulders, frost and
swamps make it a very difficult place to
get cable in the ground.
" We also lose our ability to dig in the
winter once the ground is frozen. Even
with a rock saw, we are discouraged
from digging. If an existing utility is
accidentally hit, it is not possible to dig
down and around it to make repairs.
" The ground freezes to four feet
down and presents new challenges.
Paving plants are closed, so there is no
road cutting. We tried to push it last
year and had our drill freeze up in transit,
even though it was full of undiluted
antifreeze. "
Many factors contribute to Prowire's
continuing growth.
" We have always taken the more
challenging jobs and done whatever has
to be done until they are completed, " he
said. " The company attitude is that we
want to be the best at what we do and
have a signature product that can be
recognized.
" The saying in the shop is: 'If you
couldn't do it, you didn't try hard
enough.' " UC
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Prowire, (207) 744-2182
Vermeer Corp., (888) 837-6337,
vermeer.com
Case Construction, (262) 636-6772,
casece.com
Caterpillar, (309) 675-1000, cat.com
Mat Striegel
UCONonline.com | DECEMBER 2022 19
http://www.vermeer.com http://www.casece.com http://www.cat.com http://www.UCONonline.com
Underground Construction - December 2022

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