An Iowa firm has major contracts for the reconstruction work in Iraq. Stanley Consultants of Muscatine won a competitive bidding process through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Vice-President Jim Hollatz says it’s one of the company’s biggest contracts though the company’s had about two-dozen workers in Iraq since September 2003. He says they’ve done work in a number of countries recovering from war or natural disaster, and the company has lots of experience providing service under conditions that are difficult or dangerous. Hollatz is head of Stanley’s International Division. Iraq posed “some unique opportunities,” he says with a chuckle, and the Iowa people got special training in a one-week course on protection and security by the Corps of Engineers, and they were issued certain protective gear. Some 40 workers have gone to Iraq for periods of time, all employees of Stanley Consultants who were asked if they wanted to take the assignment. Hollatz says they were all volunteers and had been on jobs outside the country before, so they were fairly experienced at this type of work. He says they’re all senior engineers, so all are “capable and qualified” to do the kind of work needed. Stanley’s role in the reconstruction of Iraq is mainly in the planning and directing of the work. The engineers did some prioritizing and made lists of which tasks should be done first, second and so on, then hired Iraqi engineers and workers wherever possible and many of the projects are underway. Hollatz says the work includes “almost anything you can imagine.” They’re working on electrical generation and distribution, water systems and wastewater treatment, work on government buildings, and a “small amount of work” in the oil industry there. Hollatz says only six-percent of the country’s wastewater was being treated so once work is done on new treatment plants the water quality in Iraq will be better than it ever was before. Stanley Consultants were chosen over a quarter-century ago to design air bases in Oman which were used by the U.S. military in the first gulf war. Headquartered in Muscatine, Stanley has offices in Des Moines, Iowa City, other states around the country and the world.
