JHS ALUMNUS BUYS NASHVILLE COMPANY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Stephen P. Ford, a Jackson High School alumnus and Cape Girardeau native, president and operations manager of Bolden Pipe Construction Co., Inc., has purchased the company from its founder and previous owner, Robert A. Bolden.

"Since its founding in 1977, Bolden Pipe Construction Company has grown from one employee, one backhoe and one dump truck to one of the premier underground utility contractors in Middle Tennessee," Ford said.

Today, Bolden Pipe Construction Co., Inc., has approximately 250 employees and annual revenues in excess of $25 million. It specializes in municipal and industrial water and sewer systems,

water and sewer systems, telecommunications, gas distribution, HVAC and plumbing, civil construction and site development.

Bolden Pipe Construction Co., Inc., located at 7005 Westbelt Drive, is the only fullservice sewer system rehabilitation contractor with manufacturing facilities in Nashville. It is the only contractor which manufactures and installs Sigma Liner", a process where resins and felt are used to line damaged or leaking sewer lines.

"Our goal at Bolden Pipe Construction is to provide our clients with timely and reliable service in a professional manner," Ford said. "We're going into the new century focused on setting the benchmark for high-quality construction services and are establishing a tradition of excellence."

Ford joined Bolden as a minority stockholder in 1998. Prior to that, he served for six years as the construction operations vice president for W. L. Hailey and Company, Inc. in Nashville. He also served as regional vice president during 13 years with Gamey Companies, Inc., a national utility contractor. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Missouri at Rolla, Mo., with a degree in civil engineering.

Ford was valedictorian for the JHS class of 1975. He is the son of Cape Girardeau residents Charles and Lucille Ford, both former schoolteachers and missionaries.

Ford and his wife, Sherri, have two daughters, Alison, 9, and Emily, 7, and reside in Franklin, Tenn.

Under Ford's supervision and leadership, Bolden Pipe Construction has expanded its operations and completed several local projects for the Harpeth Valley Utilities District, the City of Franklin, United Cities Gas, Bell South, the City of Murfreesboro and Metro Water Services. Future plans will include new markets within the region.