The partners opened an office in the Unity Building on Dearborn Street, which later became the Chicago Chamber of Commerce building. Lydon served as the firm's engineer and first president while Drews, who had worked in marine construction, served as general superintendent. Formed in 1890, the firm described itself as 'Contractors for Dredging, Docking and General Pile Driving,' and was adept at building bridges, piers, lighthouses, and tunnels. Drews founded Lydon & Drews as a marine construction company. The story of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company begins at the end of the 19th century in Chicago, Illinois.

Lawrence Seaway between the United States and Canada the Mackinac Bridge in upper Michigan and coastal port and pier work in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

Famous landmarks constructed with the aid and expertise of Great Lakes include Chicago's Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue Bridge MacArthur Lock in Sault Ste. In addition to dredging in its namesake waters, Great Lakes also builds lighthouses, bridges, piers, and docks. Its dredging operations generally fall into three different categories: capital dredging (involving ports), beach nourishment (replenishing or fortifying eroded areas), and maintenance (redredging and improvements). Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company has been in the dredging business for 115 years and has made major contributions to the nation's ports and shorelines. Its domestic dredging fleet is positioned on the East and Gulf Coasts, with a smaller number of vessels positioned on the West Coast, and with many of the rivers and lakes dredges on inland rivers and lakes.NAIC: 234990 All Other Heavy Construction It operates three principal types of dredging equipment: hopper dredges, hydraulic dredges and mechanical dredges. Its United States dredging market consists of four primary types of work: capital, coastal protection, maintenance and rivers and lakes. Domestically, its work generally is performed in coastal waterways and deep-water ports. Its dredging generally involves the enhancement or preservation of the navigability of waterways or the protection of shorelines through the removal or replenishment of soil, sand or rock. The Company operates three types of dredging equipment: hopper dredges, hydraulic dredges and mechanical dredges. The Company provides dredging services in the United States. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation is a provider of dredging services.

Great lakes dredge & dock company