Throughout 2024, the National Utility Contractors Association will celebrate its establishment 60 years ago by utility construction contractors seeking a world-class organization to represent its interests in Washington and local communities.
“60 years ago, utility contractors recognized that their business operations would be defended and improved by a strong national organization, and created NUCA,” says NUCA CEO Doug Carlson. “Our president in 1969, Joseph D’Annunzio, recognized that the problems faced by utility contractors are the same throughout the country. Every industry business has the same issues, proven repeatedly across the decades even as they change to reflect today’s business challenges. With their support, NUCA will be there for our members in this new year and in the decades ahead, as their companies and their employees build and repair America’s infrastructure.”
NUCA was formed on April 11, 1964, when a handful of visionary contractors signed the association’s articles of incorporation in the Washington offices of attorney Joseph Stone. He was joined by Peter J. Ellis (soon to be the first NUCA president) and pat Marinelli of Glenmar Construction Co., Antonio Marinelli of Intercounty Construction Co., D.A. Foster of D.A. Foster Trenching Co., and Laurence Siebel, Esq.
Stone recognized the need for a unified industry voice after a contentious National Labor Relations Board hearing over subsurface construction being performed at Washington, D.C.’s Andrews AFB, illustrating the need to form an organized effort of utility contractors. Under the direction of Stone, he spent the rest of 1964 organizing the budding association, developing the name and first logo, creating letterhead, launching a newsletter and announcing NUCA’s statement of purpose to the nation’s many “ditch-digging” industry companies. That Nov. 17, NUCA held its second organizing meeting in New York City, electing a slate of officers and directors and seeking to broaden the membership. NUCA’s first new chapter, the Utility Contractors Association of New Jersey, was created the very next year.
Although strong state and regional industry groups existed at the time, utility contractors had no national voice until NUCA was formed six decades ago. Since then, NUCA has grown from 150 members to more than 2,000
leading industry companies.
Throughout 2024 NUCA will be remembering its founders’ lasting achievement for this critical national industry. Its upcoming 2024 Convention and Exhibit — planned in Palm Springs, California — will feature several anniversary events, recognizing industry leaders and the new slate of NUCA executive leaders. NUCA’s many safety events in 2024, including the upcoming Safety and Damage Prevention conference held later this month in New Orleans, and its nationally recognized Trench Safety Stand Down held annually in June at hundreds of locations, will also recognize this association’s anniversary.
NUCA members consist of utility and excavation contractors who provide the materials and workforce to build and maintain America’s network of subsurface water, sewer, gas, telecommunications and electric infrastructure. According to the most recently available national economic survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, the utility construction industry performs over $150 billion in construction work across the nation. This industry employs over 570,000 men and women.
For more information about NUCA membership, visit nuca.com/membership.
