PDCA CONTRACTOR MEMBER
Ford Pile
Foundations
Pile driving for three generations
By Kim Biggar
Ford Pile Foundations in Virginia Beach is a thirdgeneration,
family-owned business that provides pile
driving services. When it was founded in the late 1950s
by Woodrow Ford – current owner Trey Ford’s grandfather –
the company was an early specialist in pile driving; most of its
competitors at the time performed pile driving as just one of
numerous contracting services. The company has never changed
its exclusive focus.
Woodrow learned the skills of his trade during WWII in local
shipyards. His son, known as Woody, and Woody’s son, Trey,
picked up their skills and know-how on the job with the family
Photos courtesy of Ford Pile Foundations
Driving steel H-beams for a water tank in
southeastern North Carolina
company. Woody worked his entire career, until his death in
2017, running the business. Trey, reluctantly at first, followed
in his father’s footsteps after first testing a couple of other
career options.
“I tried everything I could do to get away from this business,”
said Trey. But after a couple of years working, bored, in public
accounting, then hating law school, Trey returned to the family
business. Having worked through high school and college at the
company, Trey knew the business and understood what he’d gain
working there: something tangible to show for his work. He has
now worked full-time at Ford Pile Foundations for 25 years.
www.piledrivers.org PILEDRIVER | 71
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