All through the months that have followed the fall 2005 assaults of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, under the leadership of Mike Spruill, president and CEO, Gulf Coast Pre-Stress, Pass Christian, Miss., has churned out a torrent of concrete elements that have enabled the swift reconstruction of highways and bridges throughout the region.

Angelle Bergeron Bridge piles march toward Saint Louis Bay for the state’s first new replacement bridge.

Itself a victim of Katrina's storm surge, which wrecked the company's yard and equipment and submerged it under 14 ft of water, Gulf Coast Pre-Stress rebounded with determination as Spruill led his employees through a Herculean effort to get back into production, shipping first product within a week and resuming casting within 30 days. As the operator of the only prestress operation in the region capable of barging out the many oversized elements required to restore vital transportation links in the region, Spruill and his company not only have delivered a stream of critical products for reconstruction, but also have helped bring a rising tide of hope and restoration to the people of the stricken region.