Making Waves
Lauren Bernaldo
Jim Timmerman jokes that he’s making waves in Southwest Florida by screwing around. Timmerman, 48, has patented a technique to restore sagging seawalls by using large horizontal screws to tighten them into the earth. The technique is done beneath the water’s surface, so existing landscaping and docks don’t have to be torn up—a common effect of other restoration methods.

"This is a true example of ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’" Timmerman explains. The idea came to him when his own seawall needed repairing. "All of the companies said I needed a brand-new wall, at great expense. I thought there was a better way."

That "better way" came to Timmerman from his 20 years as a merchant mariner and salvor. While salvaging a sailboat off the coast of Marco Island, Timmerman used an earth anchor to hold the boat on its side so he could fix a gaping hole in its bottom. "I was screwing this anchor into wet sand by hand, thinking it’s not going to hold anything. I was amazed; it held for more than 24 hours with no issues."

After some tweaking, Timmerman tried one on his own seawall. "When the engineer and contractor helping me saw it, they told me I was onto something and needed to get a patent."

Timmerman got his patent in 2006, just seven months after founding his company, Dynamic Seawall Maintenance System Inc. So far, Timmerman estimates they’ve installed about 1,500 systems.

"Every time a wall goes in or comes out, it’s detrimental to the land and marine environment," Timmerman explains. "Our way is more environmentally friendly and far less expensive for people who don’t want to disrupt existing infrastructure and landscaping."