STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION
Name: Reichel Excavating Inc.
532 Park View Lane, Frankfort, MI 49635
Tel: 231 352-4362
Fax: 231 352-6747
E-mail:rogerreichel@sbcglobal.net
To Recipient: Benzonia-Lake Townships Wastewater Management District
Item 2: Brief History
Reichel Excavating, Inc. was established in May 1998 by Roger A. Reichel. principal owner. The company employs 1 - 2 seasonal employees and offers general excavating and demolition services, to both residential and commercial customers, in Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties. Services include complete building site preparation, land clearing, septic systems, municipal water andsewer services, driveways and parking lots, building demolition, storm and run-off water control systems and many other related services. Repair of municipal water and sewer mains and related appurtenances is also performed for the City of Frankfort.
Item 3: Services offered
Wastewater systems
Reichel Excavating has constructed approximately 160-175 onsite septic systems during the past ten years, with approximately 60 -70% of them being low pressure systems, with both stone and tile and leaching chambers and tile. No cluster systems have been completed to date due to no known projects in the area.
Item 4: Resumes of key personnel.
Company Personnel
Roger Reichel, owner, is the on-site supervisor/equipment operator of every job the company undertakes. Roger is a graduate Civil Engineer of Michigan Technological University, BSCE 1975, with over 30 years experience in residential, commercial and industrial construction. The following brief resume outlines my work history:
1975 - 1981
Employed by Helger Construction Co., a design/build construction company of Midland, MI as a project engineer/manager for the construction of commercial and industrial buildings and facilities in and around the greater Midland area. including a $3M addition to the Midland County Courthouse and a $3M addition to Paul Oliver Hospital and many office buildings, warehouses, etc. Also performed work for the City of Midland related to storm water structures and large culvert structures for stream crossings.
1981-1982
Employed by Dow Chemical Company, Dowell Division in Tulsa, OK as a design engineer/project engineer for new oilfield service facilities throughout a five state region.
Provided complete design drawings and on-site construction management for district oilfield service facilities including site engineering and design for 15 - 20 acre sites, office building and truck repair facility design, site lighting, storm water systems, chemical storage facilities, traffic flow and more. Developed new company standards for site lighting systems in Dickinson. ND district.
1982-1998
Employed by City of Frankfort, MI as City Superintendent. Responsibilities included management and supervision of city DPW employees, city wastewater treatment facility, city water supply system, city storm water systems and city streets, and all related appurtenances. Provided design and on-site supervision of several improvement projects related to each system, and worked with engineering consultants to develop design drawings for major replacement projects. Worked closely with Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan Department of Environmental Health in monitoring and operating these systems. Also was actively involved in operation and maintenance of four sanitary sewer pump stations.
Responsible for researching and developing the concept of the "oxidation ditch" wastewater treatment system as a viable and economical solution for replacement of the City's fifty year old primary wastewater treatment facility. Worked closely with City consulting engineers to complete the design and construction of this facility, and served as a board member and chairman of the Betsie Lake Utility Authority, which owns and operates the facility.
Item 5: Experience in on-site and cluster systems
Involved in the construction and/or repair of on-site systems in the past four years as follows:
Traditional bed systems - 19
At grade systems - 28
Mound systems - 5
Mechanical aerobic - 1
Timed dosing - 0
Media filter-0
Nitrogen removal - 0
Phosphorous removal - 0
Pressure distribution-14
Cluster systems - 0
STEP, STEG. Vacuum, Grinder pump - 1
5b) Provide examples of 3-5 projects you have completed:
1. Honor. MI
Project consisted of replacement of old tank and drain field with new pump tank, septic tank, and two elevated holding tanks. Project cost was $6,721.00.
2. Frankfort. MI.
Project consisted of replacement of old septic lank and drywell with new 1600 gallon septic tank with pump and 343 s.f. low-pressure drain field with leaching chambers and tile. Drain field was mound type above ground due to water table elevation. Entire system had extremely tight tolerances in meeting setback requirements. Project
cost was $6,396.91.
3. Frankfort, MI.
Project consisted of new gravity septic system with 1600 gallon tank and 595 s.f. drain field using Infiltrator leaching chambers. Project cost was $3,915.00.
4. Elberta, MI.
Project consisted of replacement of old septic tank and drywell with a new 1200 gallon tank. pump tank and 750 s.f. low pressure drain field with stone and tile.
Project cost was $5,900.00.
Item 6: Sub-contractors:
Olsen Electric, Inc., 1227 Hall St., Frankfort, MI 49635. Tel: 231-352-4201. Owner:
Randy Olsen. Olsen Electric is the oldest family owned electrical contracting company in Benzie County. Provides electrical contracting services in residential, commercial and industrial construction, both new construction and repair and maintenance type work.
Used as a sub-contractor for installation of electrical service for low pressure pump systems and high water alarms.
Newberry Plumbing and Heating, Inc., 510 Park View Lane, Frankfort, MI 49635. Tel: 231-352-4161.
Owner: Wes Newberry. Newberry Plumbing is one of the oldest family owned plumbing, heating and cooling companies in Benzie County. Provides plumbing, heating and cooling systems in residential and commercial construction, both new construction and repair and maintenance type work. Used as a sub-contractor for connecting replacement septic systems to existing plumbing when modifications are necessary.
Item 7: References:
Paul Patterson. 1282 Martin Dr., Frankfort, Ml 49635
Tel: 231-352-7231
Robert McCall. 526 Bellows Ave., Frankfort, MI 49635. Tel: 231-352-7633
Greg Jenks. 241 Grant St., Elberta, MI 49628. Tel: 231-352-6325
Additional Information
During my professional career, I have worked with and interacted with many professional people and organizations, including engineers, architects, technical support personnel. owner's representatives and a variety of governmental agencies. I have always tried to complete every task or job in a timely and professional manner, and expect the same effort from my employees and sub-contractors.
During my employment with the City of Frankfort. I took the responsibility and lead in trying to find an economical solution to the wastewater treatment crisis that the City was in when I accepted employment here. I began this task by meeting with representatives of the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and their technical support people. In a short time, I was able to get the City's existing wastewater treatment facility up and running, whereas it had been "dead" for several years. The City had already been approved for a federal grant and had engineering drawings prepared for a rotating-biological-contactor (RBC) treatment facility, and was on a waiting list for funding. After studying the entire packet of drawings, specifications and proposed operating costs, I informed the City Council that the City could not possibly afford to operate this facility. A short time later the MDEQ. placed a moratorium against construction of any new RBC facilities because of a high failure rate. I began researching for new technology in wastewater treatment methods.
After much research on this matter, I found the "oxidation ditch" concept, and visited one of only two systems in operation in the country. This concept had already been in use in Europe for many years and proven to be very successful. The MDEQ had just approved a project that was converting an existing RBC facility that failed, to an oxidation ditch.
With there encouragement we proceeded with the design and subsequent construction of an oxidation ditch wastewater treatment facility that serves Frankfort and Elberta today. The facility was financed by both communities through user fees and has recently started a second expansion project due to growth in the Frankfort-Elberta area.
Submitted by: Roger Reichel
Reichel Excavating, Inc.