Milestone anniversaries tend to recognize and celebrate the past. However, this year’s OCA Estimating Competition – which was the 25th time the event was held – held true to its past by celebrating the future.
For the second year, HCSS served as a presenting sponsor of the OCA Estimating Competition. HCSS, a construction management software provider based in Sugarland, Texas, is celebrating its 40th year in business in 2026. To learn more about HCSS, visit www.hcss.com.
The 25th Annual OCA Estimating Competition was held March 13 & 14 at the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center, located near Columbus’ north outerbelt. The annual two-day event pits student teams from Ohio universities and colleges to provide take-off and pricing and answering project-specific questions in preparing a bid for a selected road and/or bridge project. The competition also challenges teams with a 30-minute presentation before a panel of judges comprised of contractors.
With approximately 10 six-member teams competing each year, the OCA Estimating Competition has helped introduce nearly 1,500 students since 2001 to the heavy/highway construction industry and the science and art of estimating.
“Hopefully, there are plenty of people across the association and the management of the association that really sees the value of having an event of this magnitude for this many students,” said George Palko, president/CEO of The Great Lakes Construction Company. Palko, who served as a moderator/judge for the 2026 competition has helped prepare schools and served as a judge for the OCA Estimating Competition for all but one competition. “It is probably the one event that students participate in that is as realistic at what our industry does compared to any other events; they’re bidding a real job that was put in place by one of the members; they’re given real quotes that members used to solicit subcontracts for. The competition is as real as it gets to replicating what the industry does.”
“Estimating is a very good, fundamental skill for any student to have. Getting that skill and learning it is very valuable,” said University of Dayton’s Gerald Klanac, who serves as the director of the school’s Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Program. “… There are a lot of students thinking about a career in construction. Knowing about this competition – and it’s one of the best that we know about – that simulates what a construction company does to get work is attractive to the students …”
Klanac added that the OCA competition provides several additional attractions to students. “Sometimes,” he said, “it could lead to getting internships and ultimately a full-time job. It’s like three layers – competition, getting exposure to what construction is and maybe looking at a career.”
Sharing a table as an onlooker with Klanac during Friday’s Pre-Bid Conference was Barrett Paving Materials Inc. Estimator/Project Administrator Danielle Ermis-Jacobs, who serves as one of the industry’s team coaches for the University of Dayton. OCA members and industry representatives work with students upwards to four months prior to the competition to instruct them on project estimating, takeoffs and bid preparation.
Ermis-Jacobs, a UD graduate who this year worked with Eagle Bridge Company’s Sean Wade in preparing the Dayton team, said working with students sometimes multiple years and competitions is a great experience not only for her and fellow association members but also is a great lesson for students in seeing how OCA members work together promoting the industry. “I think it is helpful to show the students that there is an organization where everybody can come together; we’re all working toward the same goals even though we are competitors.”
Competing teams this year included Akron, Case Western Reserve, Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Dayton, Kent State, Ohio, Ohio Northern, Toledo and Youngstown State universities. The University of Akron – led by students Mia Fedak, Adam Lang, Lauren Larue, Benjamin Noirot, Naomi Wertz and Steve Wolfe – bested the 10-team competition with its bid preparation and presentation for this year’s featured project, which was a new interchange project near Mount Orab and State Route 32 in southwest Ohio’s rural Brown County.
This year’s victory was the Zips’ team-leading sixth OCA Estimating Competition title and third since 2022. Along with the title, the Akron student team received $2,400; second-place Youngstown State and third-place Case Western Reserve received $1,800 and $1,500, respectively, and the other participating teams received $1,200 each.
The featured project was let in May 2023 and built by John R. Jurgensen Company (JRJ). The all-encompassing project included construction of a new ramp and bridge, installation of a box culvert, minor upgrades to guardrails and signage modifications, as well as pavement removal and dirt work, erosion control, drainage, paving, lighting, maintenance of traffic and concrete piling. “It was the kind of project that had a little bit of everything on it,” said JRJ Senior Project Manager Rob Lichter, who provided a project overview during the competition for school faculty and judges on Friday morning and then again to students and the member audience following Saturday’s team presentations.
Like the project he presented, Lichter has done a little bit of everything in his more than 12 years of involvement in the OCA Estimating Competition. Along with serving as a project presenter, Lichter participated as a student for two years while attending the University of Cincinnati – helping the Bearcats win the 2013 title – and has helped as an industry coach for UC. “It’s having good dividends,” he said of the OCA Estimating Competition. “I think this whole process is great for the students. I know that when I was going through it (as a student), it was the real deal … It was something that you couldn’t get anywhere else. You had your co-ops and that was great, but this brought a whole new level of intensity …”
Speaking of co-ops, the OCA Estimating Competition has been a starting point through the years for many of the event’s participating underclassmen – and a job for graduates.
“We’ve had a lot of interns that have participated in the competition; a lot of project engineers also,” said Jeremy Angel, the vice president of The Ruhlin Company’s Civil Division, who has been involved in the OCA Estimating Competition the past 10 years – first as a presenter, then a judge and since 2022 as a competition organizer. “This event provides interest to OCA. You’re not going to get people interested in construction unless they’ve had a chance to experience with real-life construction … This is a good way to reach out to a lot of different universities where students are specializing in the fields that we need – civil engineering, construction technology and others.”
Along with Angel, The Ruhlin Co.’s Alex Licitri and OCA Director of Member Events David Rule served as co-competition organizers.
Just as students see value in participating in the OCA Estimating Competition, so do company leaders. Palko, who has led Great Lakes Construction since 1997, said seeing that a job candidate has participated in the OCA competition – or two – says a lot. “… I know the individual knows how to read plans; has a broad understanding of estimating; they have an understanding of what a bridge is, what a road is, (they know) construction terminology,” he said. “There are plenty of students out there that go through four years of college that can’t read plans; don’t know the basic terminology. Participating in events like this is a huge item that we look for because it tells us those basic things.”
Zipping to Sixth Title: Akron Wins 2026 Competition
The University of Akron’s first-place finish at this year’s OCA Estimating Competition was the Zips’ third team title in five years and sixth all-time win.
Here are the schools, listed alphabetically, and the year(s)* they have won OCA Estimating Competition titles:
University of Akron (6 titles) – 2026, 2024, 2022, 2010, 2009, 2003
Bowling Green State University (1) – 2004
Case Western Reserve University (1) – 2023
University of Cincinnati (4) – 2025, 2017, 2013, 2002
Cleveland State University (2) – 2011, 2005
University of Dayton (4) – 2020, 2018, 2006, 2001
Ohio Northern University (2) – 2019, 2008
The Ohio State University (4) – 2015, 2014, 2012, 2007
University of Toledo (1) – 2016
OCA Member Participation
Competition Organizers
Jeremy Angel, The Ruhlin Co.
Alex Licitri, The Ruhlin Co.
David Rule, Ohio Contractors Association
Judges
Brad Bowers, Kokosing Construction Co. Inc.
Blake Dickmann, John R. Jurgensen Co.
Brian Francis, Beaver Excavating Co.
Tyler Holden, KT Holden Construction
Moderator/Judge
Jeremy Angel, The Ruhlin Co.
George Palko, The Great Lakes Construction Co.
Project Presenter
Rob Lichter, John R. Jurgensen Co.
From organizing, judging and moderating the competition, to working with student teams, presenting the featured project, sponsoring and participating in the career fair, here are the OCA member companies who participated in the 2026 Estimating Competition:
- Barrett Paving Materials Inc.
- Beaver Excavating Co.
- Black Swamp Steel Inc.
- E.S. Wagner Co.
- Eagle Bridge Co.
- George J. Igel & Co. Inc.
- The Great Lakes Construction Co.
- Independence Excavating Inc.
- John R. Jurgensen Co.
- KT Holden Construction
- Kokosing Construction Co. Inc.
- Paul Peterson Co.
- The Ruhlin Co.
- Shelly & Sands Inc.
- Vernon Nagel Inc.
The 2027 OCA Estimating Competition is set for February 19 & 20, at the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center. If interested in learning more about the competition or assisting in next year’s event, contact David Rule at drule@ohiocontractors.org.