INDUSTRIES

The Making of Carolina
Marine Construction

From the Outer Banks to Wilmington, owner-operator Mike Conard fell in love with the coast and makes it a point to do what he can to preserve that environment for future generations through his construction business.

Why One Wilmington Contractor Came for a Visit but Stayed for a Lifetime

When Mike Conard, owner and operator at Carolina Marine Construction, came to visit his friend in Wilmington at 16 years old, he had no idea he’d fall in love with the area and spend the next 30 years there.

“Most people are in a good mood when they come down to get on their boat, so that’s a nice thing,” Mike says. “There's nothing better than being out here with the sun and the water.”

With a background in house construction from his younger years with his father in the Outer Banks, Mike now puts his skills to use on different projects, from building bulkheads and piers to dredging to beach renourishment and shore restoration. For Mike, minimizing the environmental impact of their operations is more than just a job – it’s a passion.

“I’m a diver, a surfer and a fisherman, and we need to protect the environment and our resources for future generations,” Mike notes.

To that end, he and his crew take extra care with the equipment they choose to minimize any environmental impact from their machines and to make sure their machines can withstand the harsh conditions of the area. Mike recently picked up a new 289D3 compact track loader – complete with factory tour – and chose Caterpillar for that reason.

of

“We've had other skid steer machines in the past, and what I like about the Caterpillar is that the track system is heavy-duty,” Mike comments. “And in the corrosive environment that we're in, the track system has really surpassed and held up well against our environment.”

Preventative maintenance is an important part of how Mike and his team keep their equipment running smoothly. Their local Cat^® dealer, Gregory Poole, has been a huge help in making their maintenance seamless.

“They will actually send their service techs out, get on the tugboat with us, ride to the island, fix the machine for us, and then we bring them back,” says Mike. “We don't actually have to take the machine off the island, put it on the trailer, take it to them, have it fixed or the service done on it, and bring it back. It reduces our time spent on doing preventative maintenance and repairs.”

If preventative maintenance fails, Mike takes extra precautions to protect the coastal environment from his equipment.

“We use a biodegradable hydraulic oil [in our machines], which is the same thing the ferry system uses here to raise and lower their ramps. That way, if there is a leak or a spill, it is not detrimental to the environment. We also keep our fuel inside of a secondary containment case. If a leak ever developed in the fuel tank, it's got a container that holds all the fuel that keeps it from going out.”

His love of the locals and the environment in Wilmington influences the type of work he and his team do. They have done beach renourishment work for Blockade Runner Beach Resort and Carolina Yacht Club, both on Wrightsville Beach.

“We'll take sand if it’s suitable and we'll dredge it out from the boat slips and put it on the barge and let it dewater,” says Mike. “After it dewaters and dries, then we place it up on the beach above the mean high-water line to do beach renourishment, which builds the beach up from erosion. It gives a place for people to sit and relax and enjoy the water.”

of

Another project Mike feels has a large impact on the local community is his work with various yacht clubs and boatyards in the area doing annual dredging, in addition to building bulkheads and docks, to help give more people who don’t necessarily live on the beach the same access to enjoy the water with their families.

“This is what's considered PTW, public trust waters. It belongs to every taxpayer in North Carolina. We allow, by what we do, access to the water for the masses, which is a great thing.”

Between Mike’s various projects, he still finds time to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. His advice for fellow owners and operators?

“You got to be able to enjoy things, and I enjoy the work that I do because I'm surrounded by an environment that I love. A job is a job, no matter what you do, but if you love what you do, it never becomes a job.”