CAREER STORY
“Harry has been a strong and steady voice
for the driven pile for many years.”
– Jason Moore, Palmetto Pile Driving
For the past year or so, Robbins and his wife Cyndi have been
busy in the picturesque mountains of western North Carolina,
renovating a small second home they bought there in 2019.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time up here, enjoying the
mountains, fixing up the place,” said Robbins. “We just added a
back porch with a fireplace and a master bath, and it was fortunate
timing because this kept us busy and isolated during the
COVID pandemic.”
Robbins is also doing a lot of what he’s always done – volunteering
his time to support valued causes such as his beloved First
Scots Presbyterian Church in the heart of downtown Charleston.
“I’m very active in my church, and I’ve served as an elder and
chairman of the property committee. The church was established
in 1731, and the sanctuary dates to 1814. So it really was
a labor of love, helping to take care of the facilities that were
entrusted to our care by many generations before us,” he said.
In 2018 and 2019, Robbins served as president of Coastal
Carolina Fair, a major fund-raiser of the Exchange Club of
Charleston for the benefit of local charities, which has become
the largest all-volunteer fair held in the United States.
“In any one year, we’ve given back as much as over $800,000
to the community from the proceeds of the fair,” said Robbins.
“I’ve always been a big into volunteerism,” he adds. “I’ve
always felt that there’s so much out there that has been given to
me that it’s my responsibility to give back in my professional life
and my church life and my civic life.
“It’s a sense of obligation and it feels really good, actually better
than it probably should.”
Looking back at his career, Robbins says he’s grateful for all
the help he’s had along away the way – particularly the unfailing
support of his wife Cyndi over the years.
Others include:
• Chip Russell, the owner of Palmetto Pile Driving, “who let me
run his company as if it were mine”
• Morris Fairley, a company superintendent for more than 50 years
and a “get it done” kind of guy
• Tommy Parker, founder of Parker Marine Contracting and a
good friend and mentor
• Mac Nigels, a good personal friend and friend to PDCA and “the
finest engineer I ever knew”
• Richard Gilbert and Ted Grodhaus, both retired from Skyline
Steel, loyal suppliers and good friends
• Michael Jahnigan, the owner of Sun Pile Driving Equipment
“who introduced me to European pile driving and pile manufacturing
practices”
• John King of Pile Drivers, Inc., a good friend with an infectious
enthusiasm for the piling industry and a penchant for fun!
A “unique fraternity”
Robbins says there are a lot of things he liked about being a pile
driver. He especially got a kick out of having a job that few others
had.
“I’ve always liked the uniqueness of it, because there’s not a
whole lot of us who do what we do. I mean, let’s face it, at almost
any social gathering, how many other pile drivers do you expect
to see?” said Robbins. “My church has 1,350 members, and we
Robbins with his family celebrating Scottish Heritage Sunday at First
(Scots) Presbyterian Church
Robbins with his family at the Coastal Carolina Fair
58 | ISSUE 6 2020 www.piledrivers.org
/www.piledrivers.org
