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“RECOGNIZING THOMAS J. COLLINS OF COLLINS ENGINEERS, INC. ON THE COMPANY'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1156 on Sept. 17, 2019.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THOMAS J. COLLINS OF COLLINS ENGINEERS, INC. ON THE
COMPANY'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
______
HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Thomas J. Collins, founder of Collins Engineers, Inc., on his company's 40th anniversary. Tom has been a longtime constituent and resident of La Grange, Illinois.
Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Collins is a Vietnam War veteran, a professional engineer, and a certified diver. He pioneered the use of engineers as diving inspectors for underwater bridge infrastructure that eventually became the basis of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) program mandate for underwater bridge inspections. Additionally, Mr. Collins developed and carried out several DOT training programs for infrastructure assessment and management, including teaching best practices to ensure public safety.
Mr. Collins played a significant role in Vietnam as part of the 39th Detachment, setting up operations at Cam Ranh Bay in the then-largest military quarry in the world, operated by the 864th Battalion. During this time, he joined the local Society of American Military Engineers
(SAME) Post and continued to advance his noteworthy military career. In February 1967, he became the quarry officer and supervised drilling, blasting, and crushing to produce aggregate. In July 1967, he was assigned as the Battalion Civil Engineer before leaving active duty to return home with an honorable discharge.
Mr. Collins' expertise led him to found Collins Engineers, Inc. in 1979, a civil and structural engineering firm with a concentration on infrastructure that supports a safe and efficient transportation system. Under Mr. Collins's leadership and with innovation as a guiding principle, Collins Engineers, Inc. pioneered the use of underwater inspections. Today, the company is using underwater imaging, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and partnerships with technology firms like Google for mobile work platforms and asset management.
Mr. Collins is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a diplomate of the Academy of Coasts, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers, a member of the Standing Committee on Structure Maintenance of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), Chair of the Underwater Inspection and Maintenance Subcommittee of the TRB, and was elected a permanent member of the Ports & Harbors Committee of the Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute, among many other notable distinctions. He is a mentor to generations of engineers, including his five children, three of whom are currently in the business, and a devoted husband to Roxanne Horswell since 1966.
I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the accomplishments of Mr. Collins and Collins Engineers, Inc. as they celebrate 40 years of hard work and innovation. I look forward to their continued success for many years in the future.
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