OCA PRESIDENT AWARDED ARTBA’S NELLO TEER AWARD
OCA President Chris Runyan was honored by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) at its recent national convention with the Nello L. Teer Jr. Award.
Runyan, who has led OCA since 2007, received ARTBA’s highest honor of its Contractors Division. The honor, which Runyan shared as 2026 recipient with Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) Executive Vice President Robert Latham, recognizes individuals having made outstanding contributions to ARTBA’s Contractors Division and the transportation construction industry.
Runyan and Latham, who has led APC since 2001, are both retiring at the end of the year following long-time service to their respective associations and heavy/highway industry.
The Nello L. Teer Jr. Award, which was presented at the 2026 ARTBA National Convention, September 27-30 in Kohler, Wis., was established in 1988. The honor is named after the contractor and past ARTBA Chairman.
ARTBA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national association representing the U.S. transportation construction industry and advocating for infrastructure investment and policy to ensure safe and efficient movement of people and goods. OCA serves as an ARTBA state chapter. To learn more about ARTBA, visit www.artba.org.
GEDDIS CELEBRATES 80TH BUSINESS YEAR
Geddis Paving & Excavating Inc. recently celebrated 80 years of service in northwest Ohio.
A third-generation family-owned contractor, Geddis Paving & Excavating is headquartered in Toledo and provides road construction, site development, paving, excavation and material recycling services.
City of Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz (second left) presents a proclamation to (from left) Geddis Paving & Excavating’s Vice President Benjamin Geddis, Owner Robert Geddis Jr. and President Steve Oliver for the company’s 80 years of service.
Founded in 1946 by Robert Geddis Sr. as Geddis Brothers Paving, the company has grown from “a single backhoe, a dump truck, and a handshake,” into having completed projects for municipalities, schools, healthcare organizations, manufacturers, commercial developers and private businesses throughout the region. Today, the company is led by Robert Geddis Jr., and third-generation family members are also involved in the business.
The anniversary celebration was highlighted at an August event that brought together employees, customers, vendors, subcontractors, local elected officials and invited guests. At the event, the company was honored with the State of Ohio Award by State Senator Theresa Gavarone and a City Proclamation by Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz celebrating its 80th Anniversary
Geddis Paving & Excavating Inc. has been an OCA member since 2010. To learn more about the company, visit www.geddispaving.com.
Geddis Paving & Excavating company leadership (from left) Kurt Rasmussen, VP Operations; Benjamin Geddis, CFO/VP; Robert Geddis Jr., Owner; Steve Oliver, President; Richard Crace, VP Estimating; and Kyle Reinhart, PM.
REPORT STUDIES INFRASTRUCTURE IN DETERMINING BEST STATES TO LIVE
When it comes to overall infrastructure, Ohio ranks 31st in the nation according to a recent U.S. News & World Report ranking.
A late-September report used to compile U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best states to live looked at three areas of infrastructure – transportation, energy and internet access. Infrastructure was one of eight categories used in the study to determine best states to reside, with others being: Education, Healthcare, Economy, Opportunity, Fiscal Stability, Natural Environment and Crime & Corrections.
According to U.S. News & World Report,
“Infrastructure has a big impact on the quality of day-to-day life. Whether you’re struggling to get around because of poor road quality, unreliable public transportation, or your neighborhood experiences frequent power outages, weak infrastructure can make everyday life more difficult.”
In determining each area of infrastructure used in the report, transportation metrics included commute time, bridge and road quality and public transit usage; energy variables that were studied included average retail electricity price, power grid reliability and renewable energy usage; and internet access criteria included broadband subscription internet and broadband internet.
Ohio’s ranking of 31st overall for infrastructure included being 16th in transportation, 32nd in energy and 39th in internet access.
Nevada and West Virginia were ranked best and worst, respectively, for overall infrastructure.
Here are the top and lowest three-ranked states and how Ohio’s neighboring states rated in the U.S. News & World Report Rankings:
Top States
| Transportation | Energy | Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Nevada | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 2. Oregon | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| 3. Nebraska | 5 | 3 | 22 |
Lowest States
| Transportation | Energy | Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50. West Virginia | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| 49. Mississippi | 46 | 47 | 48 |
| 48. Alaska | 12 | 27 | 26 |
Neighboring States
| Transportation | Energy | Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22. Indiana | 13 | 27 | 26 |
| 28. Kentucky | 17 | 30 | 30 |
| 31. Ohio | 16 | 32 | 39 |
| 42. Michigan | 38 | 37 | 38 |
| 43. Pennsylvania | 47 | 36 | 34 |
| 50. West Virginia | 49 | 49 | 49 |
For full 50 state rankings, visit www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/infrastructure.
If you are an OCA member and have news about your business or company regarding in-state staff changes or honors, and would like it to appear in Ohio Contractor, send the information by email to editorial@triad-inc.com, or by calling 800-288-7423.