Each month PCI Mid-Atlantic celebrates a member of our precast community. These companies work collectively to educate stakeholders and specifiers to advance our industry. Associate suppliers and fabricator companies collaborate to produce and build thousands of precast and prestressed concrete bridges, parking structures, and buildings annually.
The JVI Story
JVI, Inc., a Chicago-based business, was established in 1981 by James (Jim) Voss to develop, design, fabricate and sell various bearing pads and connection hardware used to manufacture and install precast components. JVI expanded through the years and has become a well-respected and integral part of the precast, prestressed construction industry.
Their products include shear and alignment connectors such as the “Industry Standard Vector Connector,” invisible connections, slotted insert systems, bearing pads, and shims.
Precast fabricators use JVI’s products on a wide assortment of projects across North America. Some of their projects include:
- Merrill Lynch Headquarters in New Jersey
- Orlando Airport Traffic Control and Baldwin Harbor Parking Structure
- Denver Union Station
- Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan.
Foundational Values
Culture and commitment to the growth of the precast, prestressed concrete industry are mission-critical at JVI, Inc. Everything JVI does as an organization is built upon and guided by foundational values, which include service, relationships, quality, and attitude.
“Personal relationships matter – when this is part of your make-up in an authentic way, your business and your customers benefit. This mindset and “doing what’s right” bring lasting success for all parties. We pride ourselves in operating this way.”
– Jim Voss, President, JVI, Inc.
Jim views his company as more than colleagues; his employees are family, and like family, they work hard together to reach their business goals while looking out for one another and having fun in the process.
Over the years, they’ve enjoyed creating ads for the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s yearly industry convention. Each ad spoofs the hosting city and gives the JVI team an excuse to dress up and have a good time.
Here are just a few examples of their fun in action! Visit www.jvi-inc.com to learn more about JVI’s culture and family.
Precast Academic Grant Benefactor
Jim Voss founded the PCI Foundation in 2001, a separate nonprofit from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute with its own operating budget.
The PCI Foundation focuses on providing curriculum development grants to schools of architecture, engineering, and construction management. These grants allow professors to partner with local precast producers, engineers, departments of transportation, and architects to create unique content that cultivates productive relationships between the precast industry and the academic community.
Jim gives the foundation considerable time and financial resources annually to support its growth and mission.
Now in its third decade, the PCI Foundation boasts:
- 31 University Grant Recipients
Each grant encompasses its own unique focus and approach to teaching precast concrete design, fabrication, or construction.
Some programs take on the traditional architectural studio approach, while others work more on the fabrication side with digital technology.
These construction management programs encompass a “real world” project by shadowing a project at a PCI member company. - An Annual “Professors Seminar.”
As the foundation’s programs have evolved, so has the fraternity of professors teaching about precast concrete.
The Professors Seminar is hosted by one of the participating universities, where professors spend three days:
- Sharing best practices
- Learning about new tools
- Exchanging ideas to enhance approaches
- Touring a local precast plant
- Visiting local precast and prestressed projects
- Student Project Precast Design Competition. Students can apply and be chosen by an industry sponsor. If selected, they will receive an all-expense paid trip to the PCI Convention, where they’ll work with a team to create and present a project design to a jury panel for the chance to win team cash prizes—resulting in a truly memorable experience for all involved!
Working for JVI – Not A Job, A Calling
“After 28 years of working on the manufacturing side of the precast and prestressed concrete industry, I changed careers to join the vendor and associate area of the business. Because of the relationship I had shared with Jim Voss throughout many years of PCI and PCI Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board of Directors involvement, I was honored to join the JVI team in April 2015. We are a small and extremely close team that greatly impacts our industry with a family and team of dedicated people in all areas of our company. Jim has motivated and inspired me and everyone around him by providing the best possible service while having fun and therein helping everyone succeed!”
- A.J. Sassaman, PCI Mid-Atlantic Board of Directors, and JVI, Inc, Regional Sales
Working at JVI is more than your standard industry job. The team at JVI is dedicated to its employees and strives to make each valued employee feel like part of the family—because they are. This positive culture and industry-wide influence have kept JVI thriving for over four decades and will continue to do so for the next four.
Visit JVI’s website to learn more about this innovative company and discover if its services will benefit your next project.
