Underground Construction - May 2021 - 21

HDD Hall of Fame Honors Ron Halderman,
Bob Westphal
Special Ceremony, Reception to be Held at UCT

In the span of two months in 2020, the HDD industry almost
incomprehensibly lost two of its most respected members in
Ron Halderman of Mears and Robert Westphal of Michels.
The HDD Hall of Fame committee and Underground Construction
magazine are pleased to announce that these two industry
innovators will be posthumously inducted into the HDD Hall
of Fame at a special reception on Wednesday, July 14.
The reception will include a formal induction ceremony held in
conjunction with the Underground Construction Technology (UCT)
International Conference & Exhibition, at the Music City Center in
Nashville, Tenn. Also, a multitude of HDD sessions are scheduled
for July 13-14 as part of the UCT program and activities.
The HDD Hall of Fame Reception, organized by industry
personnel, will allow HDD personnel owning or operating
equipment of all sizes to converse with their peers as they honor
the 2021 Hall of Fame class.
UCT was the primary event that embraced HDD and continues
to do so today. Contractors and related personnel still flock
to UCT to learn from the industry's most extensive HDD
educational program, " kick the tires " on new equipment and
network with their peers.

Robert H. Westphal
Industry icon Robert H. Westphal
passed away in April 2020.
Westphal devoted 55 years of his
life to Michels, tirelessly pushing
the company's performance, and
the pipeline and trenchless
construction industries' potential
to higher levels. Hired by Dale
Michels in April 1965 as a pipeline
laborer, he quickly established
himself as a great leader, generous
mentor and valued friend to those
he worked with, including the Michels family.
" It is our belief that the strength of his successors defines
a leader's true success, " said Pat Michels, president and CEO,
Michels Corporation. " In that regard, Bob was the best. He was
selflessly devoted to improving the abilities and skills of those
who worked with him. "

In his career, Westphal filled many roles, including laborer,
operator, foreman, superintendent, general superintendent,
vice president, senior vice president and, at the time of his
death, senior construction advisor. He helped guide Michels'
development and execution of strategic business initiatives
domestically and internationally.
A statesman in the construction industry, he was a valued
member of many organizations. This included being an active
member of the Pipe Line Contractors Association (PLCA), where
he served on the Board of Directors for 13 years and as president
in 2005. In 2018, he was named an Honorary Member.

Ron Halderman
Horizontal Directional Drilling
(HDD) is almost synonymous with
Ron Halderman. Throughout his
career, he was a key innovator who
paved the way for the advancement of HDD.
With 36 years of HDD design
and project management experience, including design-build and
EPC delivery methods, Halderman
never ceased to find a better way
to serve his clients in the industry.
A registered professional engineer, he held a degree in Geological
Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and graduate
studies from the University of Idaho.
Over the years, he published many articles and presented
numerous papers. He was involved in many " firsts " in the HDD
industry - first mile-long drill, first drill under an airport runway,
first mile-long drill in rock - and managed numerous award-winning projects across the globe.
He held two HDD-related patents entitled " Apparatus and
Method for Recirculating Mud when Drilling under an Obstacle "
and " Drilling Fluid Recovery when Drilling under an Obstacle or
Water Body. " He was the co-creator of thixotropic thermal grout
(No-Set) for high-voltage electrical transmission systems (patent
pending).
For Mears Group, he served as Director of Special Projects for
Mears Group. He was a pillar of integrity and accomplishments,
which was well-earned over his 36-year career in the industry. *

HDD Hall of Fame Sponsors
As always, it takes a special group of companies to step up and
support industry efforts to promote HDD.
Mears Group is a major sponsor for the Hall of Fame reception.
Other sponsors include: Derrick Corporation, Hard Rock Directional
Drilling, Brownline, Inrock Drilling, Sharewell, Tulsa Rig Iron, JT Miller
and Bell Trenchless.
UCONonline.com | MAY 2021

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Underground Construction - May 2021

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