Mike Lipps

Congratulation to Mike Lipps – Foreman 17 Years with W.B. Hopke. “This is my second family.”

Foreman, Mike Lipps has been with W.B. Hopke for 17 years. He started in 2008 at the age of 23. He was encouraged by his high school friend, now Hopke Superintendent, Billy Green who suggested that he sign up with W.B. Hopke. Like many at Hopke, Mike started almost at the bottom. Billy Green trained him how to run equipment. Initially, Mike ran a loader and then an excavator. He also spent time laying pipe in the trenches.

Mike was fortunate in that he had construction experience from his previous company doing punch out work. It’s there that he learned construction from his father. This laid the framework to an advanced understanding about the construction business which Mike used to his advantage when he joined Hopke.

By the end of 2009, Mike was promoted to a floating foreman. “A floating foreman is a foreman that goes from site to site, or whereever they are needed. We pick up the slack. If someone goes on vacation, a floating foreman fills in while the foreman is away,” said Mike. “I really liked that role because you get to see a wide variety projects, and all of trades and how they come together to complete a project.”

In 2010, Mike was promoted again, this time to foreman. He now spends most of his time at a project site, where he manages a crew of 6 to 7 co-workers. Mike is responsible for laying out the daily duties, keeping the project on schedule and making sure tasks are completed correctly. He alerts key staff to potential issues before they arise, and most importantly, he makes sure his employees remain safe while they work. Mike stated, “Things have changed a lot over the years, especially when it comes to safety. There’s a lot of heavy equipment moving through a site at any given time, our equipment and equipment from the other trades, so we have to be aware. We also dig some very deep trenches. Safety is always a concern. We now have many regulations and rules in place regarding safety, and my job is to keep updated on them and make sure that our crew adheres to the jobsite safety protocols.”

When asked why he has been with Hopke for so many years, Mike was quick to answer and said, “I work with some great people and received a lot of encouragement and support from Billy Green, Jimbo Cloniger and Brian Starnes and many others. Hopke is like my second family. We all work closely together, sometimes in very harsh conditions and on projects that are very challenging. We rely on each other to get the job done accurately for our clients. The company as a whole is flexible, especially when you need to leave in an emergency. They are family-oriented and behind you when times get tough. For those that show motivation and initiative, the Hopkes will help you move up in the company.”

Mike Lipps has worked on many projects during his tenure at Hopke. He remembers two projects in particular that were challenging and rewarding. The first was at the Coast Guard Headquarters in DC where storm and sanitary main lines were installed. “It was my first project at Hopke. The trenches there were about 55 to 65 feet deep,” he said. “The other project was the Bolling Airforce Base project and I remember that one because of its location. It was right next to the river where water had to be pumped out of the trenches, and I remember seeing big hunks of ice floating down the river. Not the best of conditions, but we still got the job done.”

Mike lives in Fauquier County with his fiancé Shelly. He indicated that he has been through some tough times over the years and Shelly has always been there to support him. Mike has three daughters, Allison 14, Alyssa 10 and Arya 5.

In his spare time Mike loves to fish and kayak. He also likes to tinker with race cars, trucks for pulling and he works on 4 wheelers for racing. Most important to Mike is the time he spends with his daughters, being part of their lives and watching them grow.

W.B. Hopke is a fourth generation, family-run construction business focused on building high quality utility infrastructure and lifelong careers. Hopke is located in Alexandria, VA and works throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. With almost 70 years of experience, Hopke prides itself on repeat customers across all kinds of market segments – schools, churches, data centers, distribution facilities, multi-family, mixed use, residential subdivisions, senior living, self storage, heavy highway, retail, commercial office, automotive, stream restoration, and parks.

Contact W.B. Hopke about a career in utility installation and site work at 703-971-0404 or info@wbhopke.com.