P&J - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Senior Vice President - Industrial & Commercial
Art Phelps joined P&J in 1997 and became an integral part of our Florida operations. He now has more than 30 years of construction industry experience and serves as a Sr. Vice President for P&J's Industrial & Commercial Market. As Sr. Vice President, Art oversees Florida operations, including estimating, bidding, and overall direction. He also serves as a Project Executive and is responsible for managing permits, materials, submittals, and everything else it takes to keep a job moving from the top level. Art specializes in large site development projects, paving the way for growth and expansion throughout the state.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Shareholder
Avis Phillips has spent a lifetime in the civil construction and environmental remediation industries, and as the wife of our founder, Ted Phillips Sr., she knows P&J better than anyone. Her experience in the industry has taught her the value of hard work, resourcefulness, and character. A leader in her own right, Avis formed Avisco, Inc. in 1986 and became its Chief Executive Officer, President, and sole Shareholder. Under her leadership, Avisco became one of the top contractors in the Southeast. Avis has developed and operated shopping centers, commercial office buildings, art galleries, and retail clothing stores, and she has served as a trustee or board of directors member for several businesses, charities, and educational institutions. Avis has always been at the heart of P&J, and in 2010, Ted Sr. turned over stewardship of the organization to her. She has led the vision and direction of P&J since, with characteristic determination and innovation.
In 2017 Avis assumed majority control of stock in Phillips Infrastructure Holdings, Inc. (PIH) - a recently formed holding company for various subsidiaries (including P&J). The PIH family of companies provides heavy civil construction, ROW construction, and disaster response services on a national scale, and with Avis at the helm, we are carrying the P&J pioneering spirit into new opportunities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President of Operations - Industrial & Commercial
Bob Ertle has more than 35 years of construction industry experience, with more than 25 at P&J. He graduated from NJIT with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and enjoyed the field side of project management, from Project Engineer to General Superintendent. He's overseen many of P&J's Florida projects over the years and is now a Vice President for P&J's Heavy Civil Group. Bob has extensive experience with dewatering, utility installation, equipment operations, job site operations, and managing multiple large industrial and commercial projects simultaneously. His work in Florida has made him an expert in the region, and he has been instrumental in building our operations in the state. As a VP of Operations, Bob serves as a liaison between the field and other executives. He stays focused on his people and their performance, P&J's quality of work and everyone's safety. There's never a dull moment!
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
Bryan McIsaac comes to P&J with more than 15 years of experience providing strategic and financial services to the construction industry. He has demonstrated expertise and leadership in accounting, finance, budgeting, forecasting, business administration, strategy, risk management, compliance, and a deep understanding of construction and the unique challenges of the work we do. As CFO for P&J, Bryan's looking to our future to facilitate the kind of growth that helps us serve our clients better. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters in Business Administration from Santa Clara University.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Senior EH & S Manager
Bryan Szostak joined P&J in 2019 as a Senior EH&S Manager overseeing ROW Construction projects. Throughout his career he's dedicated himself to learning and implementing EH&S programs for heavy civil construction and he maintains a long list of competent person, OSHA, and BCSP certifications as part of his extensive field experience. Bryan has worked on a variety of projects for regulated utilities, including tree felling operations, large heavy civil projects, generation construction, and high rise construction, giving him a well-rounded understanding of safety procedures in the field.
Now, as EH&S Director, Bryan puts People First by overseeing the development and implementation of company safety programs and procedures. From the direction of the safety department, to site-specific plans to protect our employees, the environment, and property, he helps supervise the Safety Management team in the field and in the office. Bryan graduated from Slippery Rock University with a BS in Safety Management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President
David Lyle joined P&J in 2018 to oversee the Foundations Group (P&J:FDN) within the ROW Construction Group, and as a 3rd-generation heavy civil and highway contractor with more than 30 years of construction experience, he's built one heck of a foundation doing the work! He is an industry expert who has managed foundation drilling efforts for bridges and highways, as well as substation projects with drilled shafts and driven piles. He specializes in geotechnical construction and design-build projects, and this extensive experience is the bedrock of P&J:FDN.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Strategic / Communications
Emily Torgerson leads our Marketing & Communications team. She has more than 20 years of experience crafting public communications, full-scale marketing plans, and public outreach strategies, and she founded a strategic communications consulting firm with a national client base. At P&J, she oversees development and branding for our whole team. From marketing materials and company communications infrastructure, to outreach strategy and media relations, Emily keeps everyone at P&J on the same page and makes sure our message is clear, so our team can focus on serving our clients. She graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Senior Vice President of Operations - ROW Construction
Eric Hedrick joined P&J in 1981 immediately after graduating from high school. He began as a Field Mechanic performing repairs on all types of heavy equipment and worked his way up to Lead Mechanic within P&J's Clearing Group. Eric's knowledge of clearing operations, combined with his personal approach to interacting with clients and owners have made him invaluable. In 2005, he managed the largest contract in P&J's history, and he became a Vice President in 2013. Eric's career with P&J has had him directly involved in all levels of the company, giving him a unique perspective on operations management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- President - Heavy Civil
Gerry Arvidson joined P&J in 2014, bringing with him 17 years of construction experience. As the President in charge of P&J's Heavy Civil Group, Gerry is leading P&J to take on new challenges within the power generation, water resources, and mining markets. He has spent the majority of his career working on large dam and reservoir projects ranging $1M to an excess of $600M. Throughout his career, Gerry has been involved with complex water resource projects throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia, and he has participated in alternate delivery contracts such as construction manager at risk, public-private partnerships, early contractor involvement, and design-build. Gerry graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Construction Engineering Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- President
- President / Learn More
Patrick McMullen joined P&J in 1994, and in 2013 he became President of our organization. Prior to assuming the responsibilities of president, Patrick was P&J's Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration. Patrick develops and executes our corporate strategy, and in doing so, works closely with both the operations and corporate services teams to see the full picture. He reviews all major bids himself and is the bridge between our daily work and our Chairman and CEO. Patrick previously worked for Avisco, Inc., an environmental construction company where he served as Vice President of Operations. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Business.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Controller
Jason Garner came to P&J in 2004 as a staff accountant and now serves as a Vice President and Controller. He's an expert in both construction accounting as a whole, and P&J's inner workings. The construction industry's various contract types present unique accounting challenges, and Jason has hands-on expertise with all of them. Now, he oversees our accounting and finance departments, helping P&J and our clients, subcontractors, and vendors stay on track and in communication. Jason is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources
Lee Haniford joined P&J in 2018 to focus on our most important asset: our people. Lee has managed human resources departments in manufacturing plants, and he brings this experience to oversee employee relations, compensation, benefits, talent, and recruiting at P&J. The professional, physical, and personal health of our employees is paramount at P&J. Lee leads the rest of our dedicated human resources team to find and support the best people, so P&J can do its best work. Lee graduated from Miami of Ohio University with a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Organizations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President of Operations for ROW Construction
Mario Vir joined P&J in 1994 and has well over 30 years of construction industry experience. He's an experienced tree feller and has managed multi-year MSAs for P&J, as well as extensive tree removal projects throughout California. Mario has also overseen clean-up felling after wildfires, particularly around power lines, and managed client relationships with regulated utilities in the area.
Now, Mario serves as Vice President of Operations for ROW Construction overseeing our Hazardous Tree Management Program. He travels nationwide to build relationships with industry partners, maintaining a presence on ongoing construction projects. The Hazardous Tree Management Program is our systematic approach to improving reliability and maintenance along power lines. Mario guides this program with his extensive knowledge of tree felling approaches and techniques.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Information Technology, PIH
Mike Cofer helps us create the systems that serve our clients better. He has more than 20 years of IT and business development experience, including leading a multi-year, medical management software development project. Mike has put his strategic thinking and planning skills to work managing operations for growing organizations, giving them room to expand their business and increase profits. For P&J, he takes a big picture look at our enterprise, finding opportunities to streamline project management procedures and provide targeted, data-driven solutions for our clients.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President - ROW Construction, Estimating
Mike Hoke joined P&J in 2013 and has 20 years of experience working in heavy civil and ROW construction, with projects ranging from water/wastewater treatment plant construction, to heavy highway construction, to residential and commercial site development, to transmission and substation civil construction. As Chief Estimator for our ROW Construction Group Mike has leveraged his substantial knowledge of civil and matting access solutions, vegetation management, SWPPP practices, and substation site work to help build P&J into one of the nation's premier ROW construction contractors.
Now, Mike serves as a Vice President of Estimating for ROW Construction and oversees a team of estimators to identify and pursue new opportunities and support project teams from contract award through project execution. He builds strong, long-term relationships with clients in the regulated utility industry and is committed to ensuring P&J provides the best value on all of our projects. Mike graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Estimator
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Project Manager
- President - Power
- ROW Construction / Disaster Response
Morgan Pierce joined P&J in 2004 and is the President of our Power. Group. Morgan has served as an Estimator, Project Manager, Sr. Vice President, and Executive Sponsor on transmission line and substation projects for regulated utility clients across the United States.
Over the past 17 years, Morgan has managed relationships between P&J and regulated utility clients, and he has built substantial knowledge regarding civil and matting access solutions, vegetation management, SWPPP best practices measures, and substation site work and physical protection.
Morgan leads P&J's ROW Construction Group, which includes foundation drilling and ROW construction for transmission lines and pipelines. He oversees the associated business capture; client management; strategic planning; and operations for major transmission, substation, and related program work. He graduated from North Carolina Central University, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor's Degree.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President of Operations - Heavy Civil
Pat Williams brings more than 40 years of construction experience-all of it at P&J! He got his start in the field as a General Superintendent, overseeing daily operations, and now he serves as a Vice President for P&J's Heavy Civil Group. His extensive knowledge, gained over decades on job sites, makes his contributions critical during all phases of construction for simultaneous projects, from bidding and initial planning through completion. Pat has specialized in coal ash pond closure projects, and he has a deep understanding of how to complete these complex, sensitive jobs effectively and safely. As a Vice President, he helps steer the Heavy Civil Group's efforts, coordinating with the market lead to seek new opportunities and manage ongoing projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Vice President of Operations - ROW Construction
- Vice President of Operations for ROW Construction 's Florida Group
Scotty Orr, Jr. joined P&J in 2004 as a Laborer and is a lifelong construction industry professional. As part of the Florida Power Delivery Group he built up an impressive resume of transmission line experience, working throughout the state and its varied terrain. He's supervised projects responsibly traversing everglades and sensitive environments in the field and has a working knowledge of all types of Power Delivery projects, including substation and ROW construction. Scotty became General Superintendent for all Florida ROW Construction projects in 2020.
Now, Scotty serves as Vice President of Operations for ROW Construction's Florida Group and oversees general project management throughout the region. He ensures project deliverables are completed to the highest quality; manages safety and production standards; and maintains strong, long-term relationships with regulated utility clients.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Senior Vice President - Risk
Steve Thompson joined P&J in 1990. He has worked as a Laborer, Pipe Layer, Equipment Operator, Engineer's Assistant, and Safety Manager, and in 1994 he joined P&J's Safety & Health Group. He knows our business inside out. Since 2003, Steve has been keeping us safe as the Vice President of Safety & Risk Management. He oversees, develops, and administers policies and procedures for controlling the company's risks and exposures, including loss control principles related to property, equipment, fleet, environmental, general liability, and, most importantly, employee safety. Steve graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor's Degree.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Learn More about Our Team
- Chief Executive Officer / Learn More
As the son of our founder, Ted Sr., Teddy Phillips knows and embodies our spirit and values. He started with P&J in an official capacity in 1989, and in 2009 Ted Sr. turned the Chief Executive Officer title over to him. Teddy has played a major role in the growth of P&J over the past three decades, and in recent years he has been instrumental in re-envisioning the company, starting with our focus markets. During his tenure at P&J, Teddy has served as Vice President of Real Estate & Corporate Development, Executive Vice-President, President, and now CEO and Vice Chairman. Under Teddy's leadership, P&J has achieved substantial growth and consistent profitability. Teddy majored in Business Management while attending Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and he served on the university's board of trustees from 2000 to 2009. He currently serves on the board of directors of companies in the real estate and construction sectors.