Meet
Our Team
Skip Gardella
President and Founder
Louis “Skip” Gardella is President and Founder of Norwalk Marine Contractors Inc. (NMC). At the inception of NMC in 1984, the main focus was marine construction and pile driving. Over the years, the business vastly expanded to offer services such as earth retention and geotechnical drilling. Skip, along with NMC, have both domestic and international experience. NMC operates its own specialty equipment and maintains a substantial inventory of heavy equipment to support the needs of any job, whether commercial, industrial, municipal or residential. NMC was also the importer and user of North America’s first Junttan Hydraulic Pile Driver, and it is still running today!
Skip’s pile driving experience began in 1977 when he was Vice President and General Manager of the Crane & Rigging division for Louis J. Gardella, Inc. In this role, he managed contract negotiations and daily operations.
Prior to pile driving, his professional career launched in 1975 as a Yacht Captain for Norwalk Cove Marina. He then worked briefly as a Broker on the New York Futures Exchange. Other roles included Real Estate Developer in Norwalk and Darien, CT as well as Marina Designer for various locations across Southwestern Connecticut. He was also Owner and Principal Partner of the SONO Warf Marina from 1996 to 2003, which was a 14,000 square foot facility and accommodated 60 marine slips.
Skip attended Norwalk Community College and is an active member of several community and professional organizations in the area, including Bridgeport Field of Dreams Foundation. He was also the Founder and first President of the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA), which promotes education and effective communication about the benefits of pile driving.
He enjoys spending time with his family, boating in Long Island Sound and working to grow his company.
Mark Granata
Chief Estimator & Project Manager
Mark obtained a Master of Science degree in Construction Management from Central Connecticut State University. Mark began working in the Construction Industry in 2005, and over the past 15 years he has held positions as both Project Manager/ Estimator for Norwalk Marine Contractors, Inc. as well as a Project Coordinator for Norwalk Marine International, Ltd,. He has been involved in many deep foundation and shoring projects throughout the tri-state area, as well as internationally. Mark’s longevity in the industry and dedicated work ethic are a testament to the quality of service that we strive to provide here at NMC.
Kyle Andrew
Project Manager/Estimator
Kyle earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. He began his career working as a field engineer for a geotechnical consulting firm, and now works in our front office, estimating and managing projects. Kyle’s training and experience bring a fresh take on the critical thinking aspects of our business.
