The North American Construction Journal Team takes great pride in providing an all-inclusive perspective of the construction industry. The construction marketplace in North America has traditionally been a powerful and progressive market with constant activity. Last year we saw tremendous surge in multiple construction sectors. We are committed to covering all of the current growth areas such as commercial, residential, healthcare and multi-family/mixed use development. Additionally, the pipeline and natural gas construction sectors continued to grow and thrive. We are committed to delivering high-quality, timely information that reflects the diverse interests of our construction industry readers and feel that our new website products and technology will satisfy our quest. North American Construction Journal publishes dozens of articles and features on the top development companies and general contractors and the projects they are known for. We are always trying to gauge the pulse of the marketplace and to give our readers constant updates on project management methodology, new tech and training procedures.
Kevin Doyle
Editor-In-Chief Kevin.doyle@naconstructionjournal.com
The Team Editor-In Chief - Kevin Doyle Executive Director - Alex Hortaridis Creative Director - Stephen Marino Developer - Andrew Twomey Director of Sales - Jason Wright
NACJ
Table of Contents
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Helix Electric 1 Rosendin Electric 17
29 57
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Cupertino Electric Inc. 23 Associated Construction & Engineering, Inc. 29
KPOST Roofing & Waterproofing 37 ABC Florida East Coast Chapter 49
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Plaza Construction Group Florida 57 Johnson Brothers Corporation 75
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Johnstone Moyer Inc. 85 MAXX HHD, LLC 97 NVI, LLC. 109
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SECON 119
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Southwest Industrial Drilling 127 RN Civil Construction 139 Tappan Zee Contractors 145
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Helix Electric:
Providing Power
Solutions
From Hawaii to
Washington, D.C. Helix Electric is an industry leader in electrical design and construction services with a national portfolio packed with high-profile success stories Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal stablished in 1985, it seems Helix Electric has not encountered a job it is unable to handle. The company has long since established itself as an industry leader in electrical design and construction services with a national portfolio packed with high-profile successes. Headquartered in San Diego, Helix Electric maintains branch locations in Hawaii (Honolulu), California (Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento), Nevada (Las Vegas, Reno) and Washington, D.C. The company is a merit shop contractor that offers preconstruction, BIM/engineering, project management, design/build and prefabrication services across the full spectrum of sectors including commercial and retail, education, government and military, healthcare and biotech, hospitality and entertainment, industrial, multi-family, residential, renewable energy and transportation. Helix Electric has won numerous national and state safety awards along with nearly 100 national performance awards for excellence presented by The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). What separates Helix Electric from its
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competitors across the country? “We are very committed to our customers, our quality and our safety which is a huge part of our culture. Bringing a proven team to the table is a big value. We want to be viewed as a value-adding player. If not, then we are just another guy and that’s not what we want. We want to make sure that we are delivering the best project,” explains Victor Fuchs, president of Helix Electric in Nevada. The company is a top U.S. electrical contractor and its national scale and recognition are both distinct advantages. “We’re operating out of multiple offices across the country. We have a
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national traveling group that roams; we have a national distribution group and a national solar group. We all talk and work together and customers really like that. The person they call is their counterpart and they can have an easy conversation,” says Boris Shekhter, president of Helix Electric.
826,000 sq facility and a 1,121,000 sq parking structure. Fort Meade provides support for Department of Defense civilian employees, military family members and retired and active-duty military. Helix is partnered with Clark Construction on this project.
Premier Projects
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative: Helix worked for GC Tesla on the project in Lihue, Hawaii that includes a new 17.318 MW ground mounted solar and 52MWH battery storage system located on 50 acres. It stores energy at night and releases it as needed and is the largest
Fort Meade East Campus Building 2: Construction of a mission-critical
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We focus on training and
nvesting in our people and we succeed through longevity. We have apprentices that started here and are now running their own projects. We have young people that started here who are now running offices. We train our champions.
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IKEA: Located in Las Vegas, the new IKEA is a 350,000sf steel building with retail, restaurant and warehouse areas. Helix designed and installed the 1.2-megawatt solar PV system on the roof, providing 28 percent of the store’s yearly kilowatt usage.
- Boris Shekhter, President www.naconstructionjournal.com
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North American Construction Journal dispatcher battery system in the world with more than 55,000 panels and 250+ Tesla battery power packs installed. Plenty Foods: Helix powered up this unique indoor urban farm project in a warehouse setting. Plenty grows organic food vertically with each plant popping out of the side of a tall, skinny tower. Lights are also arranged vertically rather than pointing down from above. Forza Telecom NPC, Inc. was the GC. UCLA Wasserman Football Performance Center: This four-level building accommodates the UCLA Football program including locker rooms, athletic and weight-training areas, coaches’ offices, and team meeting/viewing rooms. The football performance center is one
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of 20 projects Helix has performed at the UCLA campus. Vertex Pharmaceuticals: This 171,000sf tenant improvement project in San Diego included the build-out of laboratory space doubled the size of the facility’s research center. Helix worked with GC BNBuilders. Tesla Gigafactory: Helix has been involved in the ongoing construction of the 20+ million square foot Gigafactory located east of Reno, Nevada.
Growing Through STEM Manpower is an industry-wide problem and, as older workers age out, finding capable replacements
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Bringing a proven team to the
table is a big value. We want to be viewed as a value-adding player. If we aren’t, then we are just another company and that’s not what we
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want. We want to make sure that we are delivering the best project. - Victor Fuchs, President Helix-Nevada
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continues to be difficult. Fuchs says the company has embraced the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning model as a way to prepare and inspire the next generation. “We are very active and a key member of the STEM Program. It’s a big deal where we to get schools involved from 8th grade on trying to introduce kids to a construction environment. This is just beginning – we’ll see where it goes,” Fuchs explains. A Brookings Institute report, “The Hidden STEM Economy”, notes that skilled jobs in construction
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President Direct Line: 702.252.6172 RCrupi@bankofnevada.com
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Bank of Nevada, a division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC.
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North American Construction Journal frequently demand STEM knowledge. These jobs do not require a four-year college degree, and pay 10 percent more than jobs with similar educational requirements. Among construction-related STEM professions that require an associate’s degree, electricians rank in the top five.
Safety First and Always When it comes to safety, Helix means business. The company employs a full-time Safety Director and numerous safety officers charged with developing and enforcing a zero tolerance mandate. Since 1999 the company has won the ABC’s prestigious Platinum STEP
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Award 17 times. It has garnered five California/OSHA Golden Gate Recognition Awards since 2010 and earned the State of Nevada Safety Consultation Training Section’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program Award in 2017. “We don’t compromise on safety. Zero tolerance is a top priority for us. We recently won a Safest Residential Contractor Award nominated by the World Wide Safety for zero lost man hours in 2017/18,” Fuchs notes. Shekhter and Fuchs sit on the company’s Senior Safety Committee and Shekhter says: “We walk the walk. Safety has to be a culture from top to bottom. We are all focused on safety on-site and our
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Day to Day The company employs in excess of 2,000 people and generates annual revenue of $600M. Helix Electric was founded in 1985 by Ukrainian immigrant Gary Shekhter in a leased two-room garage in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego, California. Fuchs emigrated from the Ukraine as a 14-year-old with his parents. He joined the company in 1997 and has been with Helix Nevada since it formed in 2001.
“We are the largest non-union electrical contractor in the state of Nevada. We have the most experienced team and a long outstanding track record,” he says, adding “our financial strength and our dedicated group of partners” are central to the company’s success.
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We walk the walk.
Safety has to be a culture from top to bottom. We are all focused on safety.
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Safety Director used to be a Superintendent and a Project Manager. We discuss any safety issue in the industry. We look at every incident and leading indicators.”
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- Boris Shekhter, President
Building Protection. Building Relationships.
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North American Construction Journal The company incorporates LEAN methodology in a number of projects. “We have a hospital that is going LEAN right now and a local contractor totally committed to LEAN. We feel it is a big deal and we have several people in our organization that are LEAN certified,” Fuchs says. The company’s select core group of subcontractors has been carefully cultivated through the years. Fuchs says it is hard to crack the Helix lineup. “We have a select group of subcontractors and we believe in total partnership. We consider
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suppliers and subs to be strategic partners. We believe in supporting local businesses and giving back to the community,” he says. “We choose our clients carefully. We want to develop a relationship. We truly partner with them so we can help them and they can help us,” adds Shekhter, who joined the company in 2004. The company belongs to a number of industry associations. Helix is a lifetime member of the ABC and has employees that are members of the board of AGC. “There are tons of benefits. We are
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working for the rights of members, trying to protect our business model and making sure everyone is on a level playing field,” he explains. Fuchs describes himself as a hands-on manager involved in every aspect of operations. “I am involved in procurement and marketing and oversee operations and keep everything on track with everything we do.” That approach complements Shekhter’s role. “I think my job is to help people reach their potential. I consider
North American Construction Journal myself a steward to the success of the company. We have 2,000 employees and if they have a spouse and two kids – that’s 8,000 people. We are aware of very low unemployment, so we know that each person makes a choice to work at Helix every day,” he says.
Training and Recruitment The company’s Helix University provides employees access to top-shelf training and professional development. Helix employs a full-time Education Director and craft training professionals who focus on both career development and hands on field training.
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“We have a full curriculum and classes going on a weekly basis. We invest in education and a lot of our team members dedicate their time to instructing people and building our future,” Fuchs says. The company’s Talent Acquisition Team scours colleges for candidates and has partnered with schools such as the University of Cincinnati, San Diego State, CalPoly San Luis Obispo, Purdue, Chico State, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno. “We focus on training and investing in our people and we succeed through longevity. We have
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apprentices that started here and are now running their own projects. We have young people that started here who are now running offices. We train our champions,� says Shekhter, adding the company especially likes to hire veterans and students right out of high school.
Looking Ahead Helix Electric is constantly striving to achieve extraordinary results.
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Given the scope of its operations, the depth of its experience, the consistently high quality of its work, and its willingness to challenge itself, the company projects as a prime-time player for years to come. “I love to be able to take challenging projects and figuring out how to show the customers how it will work. I love being part of a great team and I think we have the best team in the industry. And I love the
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COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Helix Electric responsibility of making lives better, of making sure all of our team members are employed,” Fuchs says. “We hire the right people. If you do that and set the right vision and follow your goals, it gets things done when you have the people with a sense of urgency and when you treat those people right. Also, you always need to be learning and to be humble – never think you know it all because there is always so much to learn,” Shekhter concludes.
Country: United States
Industry: Construction
Est: 1985
Website: www.helixelectric.com
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Rosendin Electric:
POWERHOUSE provider of cutting edge solutions One year shy of its 100th birthday, Rosendin Electric of San Jose, CA offers electrical engineering, power, and communications services Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal ne year shy of its 100th birthday, Rosendin Electric of San Jose, CA is the largest privately held electrical contractor in the United States, providing electrical engineering, power, and communications services such as Design/Build Engineering, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Prefabrication, Service & Maintenance, Network Services, Renewables and 24/7 Emergency response. The company is a proponent of both LEAN Construction principles and LEED Building sustainability practices. Its portfolio includes projects for the biotechnology/ pharmaceutical, commercial, data center, education, entertainment, healthcare, heavy industrial, high tech, hotel, institutional, multi-family residential, power, solar power, telecom, transportation, and wind energy sectors. Founders and brothers Moses and Christopher Rosendin could never have envisioned the company they founded in 1919 would grow into the national and international powerhouse it is today. With 15 locations from Honolulu, HI to Sterling, VA the company employs more than 6,000 persons with annual revenue of approximately $2bn. The company has been
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employee-owned since 1992 and earned Silver Award recognition from the ESOP Association in 2017 for 25 years of sustaining its ESOP model. Tom K. Sorley is the company Chairman and CEO and Larry Beltramo serves as President.
Operations The company believes the move to the ESOP model has enhanced its reputation for stellar design and project delivery. With each employee being a stakeholder, the highest levels of productivity and exceptional customer service are driven
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throughout the organization.
customer expectations.”
Rosendin Electric is a member of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and an early practitioner of its concepts on all of its projects. According to the company website: “As projects become more complicated and require interdependencies from many disciplines, construction teams have found it difficult to deliver projects in a reliable method with “on time” and “under budget” results. We believe in providing value to our customers by removing waste, through innovation and by exceeding
The company embraces sustainable building practices and is a Certified Green Business Provider through the County. The staff includes a number of LEED® Accredited Professionals and Green Associates able to assist with design, estimating, and project management. Many of the company’s projects have been recognizes by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for surpassing LEED® standards at all levels of certification. The company’s nationwide Green Team produces a
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monthly newsletter that supports and facilitates green building.
Safety Procedures Safety stands at the top of the company’s project management discipline. Rosendin’s Injury, Illness and Impact Free (I-3 Free) Program mandates zero tolerance while striving eliminate all atrisk behaviors. The company was honored with the 2018 Grand Award for Construction Safety Excellence at the 19th Annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA). Rosendin also received the first place award for Specialty Contractor
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over three million man-hours. “Competing for, and winning, these two awards is one of the most rewarding things I have done in my 39 year electrical construction career,” said Mike Greenawalt, Senior Vice President in a press release. “To receive this award, as a specialty contractor, amongst the largest contractors in the nation is truly an honor.” The company worked 9,933,678 man-hours, with a total recordable incident rate of .91 in 2017. Its implemented policies and training have helped diminish job site hazards while involving employees and subcontractors in every aspect of safety.
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days. The project included the installation of 20 2500 kW generators, 20 exterior walk-in switchgear/UPS containers containing (40) 750VKA UPS’s, and (120) 375KVA STS/PDUs. Wind Energy Center: This installation in Texas was built in three phases over three years: • Phase I: New 200 MW Wind Farm • Phase II: 130 2.3 mw Siemens turbines w/ (2) Separate Substations consisting of 160 MVA and 230MVA • Phase III: 151 GE 1.5mw turbines w/ (1) substation consisting of 120mva
Some Projects UCSF Smith Cardiovascular Research Building: The six-story lab and office building totaling 232,000sf included a clinic, offices, MRI area and lab support facilities. Because the CVRB project was design-build, the budget and design processes ran parallel, allowing cost reduction possibilities to be realized in real-time. Total electrical value at completion was $20.6M and the project received LEED® Gold status. CyrusOne – Project Goliath Sterling Data Center Campus: Buildings 2 & 3, known as Project Goliath, totaled 220,000sf and set a new construction speed record of 180
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Rosendin Electric Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 1919 Premiere Service: Electrical contractor
Website: www.rosendin.com
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Cupertino Electric, Inc. :
Tackling Challenging Projects of All Sizes San Jose, CA company provides electrical engineering and construction solutions for commercial, utility, renewable and data center customers Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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stablished in 1954, Cupertino Electric, Inc. of San Jose, CA is a privately owned electrical engineering and construction provider for commercial, utility, renewable and data center customers across North America. The company has forged a reputation as one willing to tackle challenging projects others might avoid and delivering innovative solutions. It offers design, procurement, construction, installation and maintenance services. President and CEO John Boncher has been with company since 1989, serving in numerous capacities before becoming CEO in 2010. As a union contractor, Cupertino maintains IBEW affiliation, generates annual revenue of approximately $700 million, and has a 2,500-person workforce, including 2,000 field employees. It maintains additional offices in San Francisco, Whittier, CA and Mesa, AZ.
Operations To achieve consistently noteworthy outcomes, the company favors a collaborative approach with customers, developing specific parameters while shepherding projects through from concept to completion. The company strives to foster a
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culture of diversity and inclusion and encourages its subcontractors and suppliers to do the same. Cupertino routinely works with small businesses owned and operated by the disabled, by veterans and by women on projects of all sizes. During the past quarter century, the company has emerged as the contractor of choice among the world’s largest providers of Internet services. Cupertino has built or currently has under construction 7.7 million square feet of state-ofthe-art data centers. The company’s work in the commercial sector includes the biotech, retail, traditional office space, multi-use residential, high-tech, transportation, entertainment, government, education and healthcare markets.
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with safe digging practices mandated by California’s “One Call Law”, the excavation safety program designed to prevent digging accidents and protect Pacific Gas and Electric’s underground gas and electric systems. The company conducts ongoing formal safety training for its employees and has earned national and industry recognition for its robust program.“
The company is an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) leader in the solar market, delivering projects totaling more than 1.9 gigawatt (GW) for commercial, utility and municipal customers to date. It has been recognized multiple times by Solar Power World as California’s premier EPC contractor based on installations per year. Cupertino conducts ongoing research at its Solar Technology Lab in an effort speed installation time while improving quality and increasing safety. The company’s cloud-based Asset Management Platform offers energy analysis and energy storage.
Safety Initiatives The company is Gold Shovel Standard certified and compliant
To be consistently recognized by a prestigious organization like the AGC for never losing sight of safety, despite the increasingly complex, fast-track electrical projects we build is humbling,” Boncher said in a 2013 company press release. “No matter where we work in the world or how large our projects are, we are dedicated to ensuring that safety is not simply a resulting behavior at Cupertino Electric; it’s a mindset.” As detailed on its website, the company is committed to: • Working incident- and injury-free • Achieving and sustaining an Incident-and Injury-Free Culture (IIFC) through management commitment and leadership, open lines of communication, and continuous improvement of our safety programs and procedures • Clearly communicating
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consistent safety expectations throughout the organization • Developing safety resources that incorporate diverse experience and a broad set of skills to foster implementation • Employees taking ownership of At-Risk behaviors and stopping unsafe acts • Providing managers, supervisors and employees with the education and training needed to understand their safety expectations and responsibilities • Providing opportunities for employees to provide feedback on injury and illness prevention measures • Establishing safety goals
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and regularly measuring our performance against those goals • Holding leaders and staff accountable for safety, compliance and performance
Featured Projects University of California-Merced Expansion: Target date for completion is 2020. The project consists of the comprehensive development of buildings for academic classrooms, administrative offices, research laboratories, recreational facilities, student residence and student services facilities, associated utilities. Also included is new infrastructure
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COMPANY INFORMATION consisting of roadways, paving and landscaping, and outdoor athletic and recreational facilities and open space areas for the UC Merced.
Copper Mountain Solar 3: Solar energy construction project built for Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and Consolidated Edison Development in Boulder City, NV. Cupertino Electric installed more than one million solar photovoltaic (PV) modules on this 250 megawatt (MW) project. Construction on the 1,400-acre project featuring a fixed-tilt solar racking design took two years and completed one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the United States.
Company Name: Cupertino Electric, Inc. Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 1954 Premiere Service: Electrical engineering and construction provider
President/CEO: John Boncher Website: www.cei.com
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Associated Construction and Engineering, Inc.:
Count on ACE for you tank solutions Associated Construction & Engineering Inc. provides turnkey services for welded, bolted and concrete tank structures through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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ssociated Construction & Engineering Inc., established in January of 2011, provides turnkey services for welded, bolted and concrete tank structures through its four wholly owned subsidiaries. ACE is the parent company of: Paso Robles Tank/Brown-Minneapolis Tank, Inc. (PRT-BMT), Canyon Springs Enterprises, Inc. (RSH), RSH Construction, Associated Tank Constructors (ATC) and West Coast Industrial Coatings, Inc. (WCIC). Thermal Energy Storage, Petroleum, water (potable and waste), agricultural, Wine and specialty Stainless Steel are among the industries the company provides services. RSH Construction is the civil site work company for ACE and self-performs all grading, concrete, piping, and other ancillary work for PRT-BMT, WCIC, and ATC. RSH also performs pump stations, lift stations, and piping racks for both petroleum and water industries. WCIC is Steel Structure Painting Counsel (SSPC) QP1-QP2-QP3 certified and coat for each of PRT-BMT, RSH, and ATC on their various projects throughout Western USA. PRT-BMT It is a member of the Steel Pipe Fabricators Association/
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Steel Tank Institute (SPFA/STI), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the American Petroleum Institute (API), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). PRT-BMT has won Tank of the Year from SPFA seven years in a row. Associated Construction and Engineering, Inc. (ACE) generated approximately $88 million in annual sales in 2017 and is looking to increase upon those numbers in 2018. “What separates us is that we are truly a complete turnkey service company where most of the competition sub-contracts out all
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to bring their talents and strengths together in a depressed economy from 2009 through 2014. “While other companies were closing down or reducing their staff, ACE was growing our market share and expanding into other states,” says Wombles. “PRT expanded again in 2015 when it bought the intellectual properties from BrownMinneapolis Tank, bought the BMT facility in Albuquerque, and hired back many of the key employees of that plant, and started back up under the ACE banner as PRT-BMT. We have taken failed or floundering companies, reorganized their position, and hired back the talented
Paso Robles Tank and West Coast Industrial Coatings were purchased in 2006. At the time, it was a small regional player to the San Luis Obispo area of California. PRT originally formed in 1989 when it bought the facilities and equipment and hired the employees of its previous owner of San Luis Tank and Piping, Inc. ACE purchased PRT, WCIC, and RSH
“
responsible for safety. We have ongoing training and we hired additional managers and trainers to ensure that safety is being followed at all times.
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ancillary work except their own. There is no middle man and sole service responsibility is with ACE companies.” says Company President and CEO Larry Wombles.
We make sure everyone is
- President and CEO Larry Wombles www.naconstructionjournal.com
North American Construction Journal staff to re-energize and start fresh,” Wombles says. In 2017, PRT opened a bolted-tank line to enable it to service a growing need in the western part of the country. “There are now two bolted tank manufacturing facilities in the West where there was once only one,” Wombles notes. In late 2017, ACE opened Associated Tank Constructors, Inc. (ATC) which is signatory to the NTD Boilermakers. With this and hiring some talented staff with the experience of union boilermakers, ATC has been able to start filling the vacuum left when California enacted Senate Bill 54 which mandated Union training and
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journeymen working on all refinery and petroleum projects, thus pushing out all open shop tank companies from California refineries and petroleum market.
Some Key Projects Mojave Solar Project: PRT and RSH performed $14 million worth of work at the facility that began commercial operations in December 2014. The plant features two independently operable solar fields and is expected to generate 617,000 MWh of power annually. Pacific Gas & Electric holds a 25-year power purchase agreement. Orange County Water District Replenishment System Expansion: PRT and WCIC provided engineering,
North American Construction Journal fabrication, erection and coating of two 8.2 million gallon welded steel reservoirs. Each tank is 216 feet in diameter and 32 feet tall and required 449 concrete foundation piles of 60 to 65 feet in depth as a safeguard against seismic events. Nearly 1,400 tons of steel was used to fabricate the tanks.
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subsidiaries, providing industry best practices and policies. Employees are given the authority and, in fact, are expected to stop work whenever there is a possibility that safety could be compromised. The ACE motto is Safety + Quality = Production.
Among other projects, PRTRSH-WCIC Bridge District tank in West Sacramento, CA was named 2013 STI/SPFA Reservoir Tank of the Year; and its Desert Water construction was selected as 2013 STI/SPFA Specialty Fabrication of the Year.
“We make sure everyone is responsible for safety from top-down and bottom to top. We have ongoing training for all our staff as well as continuing to hire qualified HSE staff and trainers to ensure that safety is being followed at all times and without exception. If you don’t have buy-in from everybody, you can’t be safe,” Wombles states.
Safety Protocol
Operations and Challenges
ACE drives safety through each of its
Being based in California provides regulatory challenges unlike any other state. “In my opinion and experience, the
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What separates us is that we
are a complete turnkey service. A lot of what we do, the competition
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subs out.
- President and CEO Larry Wombles www.naconstructionjournal.com
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regulations and the laws surrounding every California contractor are very challenging compared to other states. I’d estimate that California consumes an additional 10-15 percent overhead requirements/direct job costs compared to other states just to work in California,” Wombles says. “We’ve worked in 20 states over the last 10 years and California is by far the most regulated and difficult to work. But we love it here and this is our home, so we comply in order to stay working in the state.” A fair number of regulations now in place, such as tiered equipment emissions for heavy duty construction equipment, came about in (est) 2007-08 at the height
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of The Great Recession that all but crippled the industry to comply with unwavering tiered emission standards, which meant new equipment or re-powering older equipment which was very costly. Given the specialized nature of its work, the ACE subsidiaries face limited bidders in a very tight industry market. Its ability to work seamlessly across multiple industries is a huge advantage and what separates the company from the rest of its competition. “PRT is a multi-faceted tank company in that they build water, petroleum, agricultural (welded and
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learned a thing or two along the way. “Success doesn’t come overnight. Everything happens for a reason. The man upstairs wouldn’t challenge/reward you if he didn’t think you could handle it,” he says.
Final Thought As a true turnkey operation, the company’s ability to provide an array of services in a specialized field through its diverse family of subsidiaries should insure continued growth and success moving forward.
COMPANY INFORMATION bolted), SS wine and beer tanks, and SPFA/STI shop built tanks,” Wombles says. ACE companies prefer to hire, train, and promote from within the ranks. “We don’t like hiring those employed from other firms or participate in the social media job hopping like firms base their business model. In my opinion, loyalty has been lost due to those social media firms who promote job hopping. The grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence – it’s just fertilized differently,” Wombles jokingly comments. As an industry veteran with over 30 years experience, Wombles has
Company Name: Associated Construction and Engineering, Inc. Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2011 Premiere Service: ACE is the leading supplier of welded tanks throughout the United States.
President/CEO: Larry Wombles Website: www.a-c-e-inc.com
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KPost Roofing & Waterproofing :
Tackling an array of roofing challenges KPost Roofing & Waterproofing of Dallas is an award-winning commercial roofing and waterproofing contractor – and a Dallas Cowboys’ partner Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal ootball terminology is part of the everyday lexicon at KPost Roofing & Waterproofing of Dallas, TX. For example, stages of operations are broken down as offense, defense and special teams and company President Steve Little is known as the Head Coach. Of course, this is altogether understandable when you are a logoed partner with “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys. KPost opened its doors in January 2004 with 11 employees under the direction of CEO Keith Post, CFO/Safety Officer Jayne Williams and Little and has matured into an award winning commercial roofing and waterproofing contractor. The mantra “Safety, Quality and Value” drives the organization. In addition to commercial roofing (both new construction and remedial) and waterproofing, the company’s service suite includes standing seam metal, repair and maintenance and lightweight insulating concrete decking. KPost employs 400+ and generated approximate annual volume of USD $60 million in 2016, numbers that far outstrip the initial goal of becoming a $10 million, 100-
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person company in 2004. Earlier this year, Roofing Contractor Magazine named KPost its “2017 Commercial Roofing Contractor of the Year” for the company’s industry best practices, commitment to employees, excellence in safety, quality workmanship and customer satisfaction. The company ranked No. 21 on the magazine’s 2016 Top 100 list and ranked No. 397 on ENR’s top 600 Specialty Contractors list. The secret to that success is
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really no secret at all.
charts,” says CEO Keith Post.
“We are very blessed and fortunate to have great people. It’s all about people and when you want to work where you’re working, it’s not work. We’ve been able to attract really good human beings that have skill sets that fit into the game plan we put together. Part of that has been leadership, part of that has been building a brand. People know we’re safe, that we do quality work and this combination with our great team may cost a little more but the value is off the
The company set out to create a brand and a standard that the competition had to live up to, seeking the most difficult, high profile, fast-track projects available. “People don’t like the coach much until you win the Super Bowl. We’ve been fortunate over the course of thirteen and a half years to win a couple of Super Bowls in a very short period of time,” notes Little, who says he is both “the pep squad
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as well as the disciplinarian.”
Joining The Cowboys Team Positioned prominently on the company’s website, the KPost logo features the Cowboys’ star and proclaims: “Partner of The Dallas Cowboys.” Becoming the “Official Roofing and Waterproofing Partner of the Dallas Cowboys” was not a relationship easily won. For starters, the company had to meet stringent certifications laid out by the National Football League.
“
We are very blessed and fortunate
to have great people. It’s all about people and when you want to work where you’re working, it’s not work. We’ve been able to attract really good human beings that have skill sets that fit into the game plan we
“
put together.
- CEO Keith Post
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The project pitch process showcased KPost’s commitment to preparedness. “When we bid the AT&T Stadium (formerly Cowboys Stadium) project, we were second in price. Our competitors showed up with two people. We had seven people for our presentation and took (the Cowboys’ officials) through from mobilization to de-mobilization. We were there for two hours. We
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man-hours yielding only two minor safety incidents, a cut and a twisted ankle. When a rare ice storm blanketed the region prior to the 2011 Super Bowl at AT&T, KPost was enlisted to tackle the problem of removing ice from the massive stadium gutters measuring six feet wide and eight feet tall.
were frank about our costs and they said they would let us know. They called us in the car on the way home,” Little recalls. At any given time, as many as 70 KPost employees working more than 300 feet above ground, wrangled shrink-wrapped pallets of materials hoisted by tower cranes and screwed them to the stadium roof. KPost received an award for safely completing more than 93,000
“We recognized they were going to be having problems. On the Friday before, we got a call from the Cowboys saying ‘Come out here now. We have the NFL, Homeland Security, the Arlington Fire Department and all sorts of people trying to figure out what to do.’ On our way out, ice fell off the roof and hit a concession stand. We were able to minimize the damage to the roof as well as address the safety issues. We had guys there until 1 p.m. on Super Bowl day to facilitate safe removal of the ice,” Post explains.
Some Key Projects The $5 Billion Mile located along State Road 121 in Frisco, TX is also known as Corporate Headquarters Row and is the home to giants such as Toyota, J.P. Morgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, and “The Star” home to the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and practice facility. “We’ve been
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North American Construction Journal blessed beyond measure to be involved with each of them and it’s been a win/win for all of us,” says Little. The company has completed five of six phases in a $14 million roof replacement at The NorthPark Center in Dallas, not only KPost’s largest single project location but also the highest dollars per square foot shopping space in the United States. The company has also completed work on Phases One and Two of the $1bn Facebook Data Center project nearing completion in Fort Worth.
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violations. One offense removes a worker from a job. “One offense, you’re off the job. Three and you’re out of the company,” Williams stresses. Each employee must achieve OSHA 10-hour certification within 90 days of joining the company with Superintendents required to maintain OSHA 30 certification. “We have five OSHA 500 trainers, Jayne and four others that are bilingual, on staff. Our Safety Manager, who is a Certified Safety and Health Official, and three assistants visit job sites daily and do a reward/
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“A. 59 with 400+ employees on roofs or hanging off buildings every day is unheard of,” says Little, adding that Williams is the driving force behind the company’s safety program. “Her goal is to get the boys safely home at night with their families – we talk about that every day.”
A .59 with 400+ employees on roofs or hanging off buildings every day is unheard of. (Jayne’s) goal is to get the boys safely home at night with their families we talk about t hat every day.
The company has zero tolerance for fall protection
- Head Coach Steve Little
KPost carries a .59 modifier rating on $13 million of annual operational payroll, an insurance indicator that it is an exceptionally safe company.
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Safety Above All Else
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In the early days, General Contractors didn’t work with KPost. Post says that was a matter of the company having to prove itself.
manage risk every day,” he explains. “We typically are not the low-priced contractor on the front side of a job. But people that have worked with us in the past have realized that the price they get on the front side of the job is THE price – we’re not a big change-order company unless the scope changes. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to safely complete over 1000 quality installs, per our contracts, since we opened our doors in January 2004.
“GC’s are facilitators of managing risk, the buffer between the owner and the developer. However, as subs, we have to
“In order to exceed client expectations, you need knowledgeable, trained employees with a strong brand,
Day to Day
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internally and externally. Our employees excel in Safety, Quality, and Experience. We proactively solve problems bringing exceptional value to our clients who live in a reactionary environment.” And, the company is clearly willing to improvise as needed. That was the case when it was performing work at Home Depot Distribution Center during the Christmas stocking season for the retailer. “We couldn’t get into the parking lot because there were trucks everywhere. So, we
unloaded the materials three blocks away, then flew them to the roof by helicopter,” Post says. “We’ve never not finished a project and we have never required surety to be involved in any of our projects.” The company maintains a fleet of nearly 200 pieces of equipment that are inspected and maintained monthly. “Our campus, which includes all of our equipment, and employees, are co-branded with the KPost and Cowboys logo, so everything has to be the best. When you are the roofing and waterproofing company of
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success, individual performance, and safety.
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the Dallas Cowboys, it means you strive to be the best every single day,” Little says. KPost’s 14th annual Strategic Partners Dinner for the vendor community as well as banking, legal and insurance partners is its way of saying thanks. “We respect them as partners and want them to know they helped us to get where we are today,” Williams explains. Our partners and employees ARE the difference in KPost’s success. Employees are provided with a 401K plan as well as internal profit sharing based on company and department
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“Besides new projects, most of our client’s dollars are spent on a building’s maintenance, HVAC, roofing, floors and parking lots. Therefore, it’s a self-sustaining business that way but you have to keep employees after you have them, so you have to have a strong brand internally as well. Safety, quality and value also applies to the employees,” Little says. The company is a member of numerous national, regional, and local associations and works closely with Dallas-based TEXO, which combines two large national associations (ABC and AGC) to advance the industry in Texas. “The association world is key for its members to have a single resource to get information about their markets, whether it be politically connected and using all the resources that the collective association brings to get the attention of politicians to be able to effect regulations, or to be an influencer to the marketplace from a client standpoint,” says Little.
Extra Points After targeting growth from
North American Construction Journal the beginning, KPost has spent 2017 concentrating on stabilizing growth and ensuring sustainability. A succession plan is underway naming four Vice Presidents and two Directors to the company’s leadership team. As a committed community partner, the company’s nonprofit KPost Charities arm is involved in programs such as providing backpacks for children of KPost employees and underprivileged children in our community, college scholarships, and providing cost-free work for homes and churches. It
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re-roofed the regional Hispanic Contractors Association Building and is involved with the Dallas 24 Hour Club building transitional housing for the homeless. As it moves forward, expect this forward-thinking company to continue to make its mark on the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and beyond. “Our team solves problems and brings value daily to our building owners and contractors. We’ve been able to create an industry standard, build a sustainable award-winning
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: KPOST Roofing & Waterproofing Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2003 Revenue: USD $60m Premiere Service: Industry-leading commercial roofing and waterproofing, contractor.
President: Steve Little Website: www.kpostcompany.com
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ABC Florida East Coast Chapter :
Serving the needs of South Florida’s contractors
The ABC East Coast Chapter espouses the merit shop philosophy and as the largest industry association in Florida, serves as the voice of commercial construction Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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hen Hurricane Irma careened through Florida in September 2017 causing catastrophic damage in excess of $100bn, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida East Coast Chapter stood ready to help both residents and its members impacted by one of the most ferocious Atlantic Ocean storms on record. “A lot of people need help that don’t have the means themselves, the elderly and the poor. Those are the ones we try to do extra outreach with. The hurricane just made a bad situation even worse,” says chapter President & CEO Peter Dyga. “We have the contacts. We can reach out to our 500-plus members and say ‘Can somebody out there help this person?’ That’s one of the ways we can help, through sheer volume of contacts. “South Florida and especially the Keys have a long way to go to recover. In the Keys, there are often not enough contractors to begin with and a lot of them lost everything – their tools and, in some instances, their only form of transportation. We’re able to help,” Dyga adds. “There is going to be a lot of long-term reinvestment in infrastructure. Any way we can help out, we’re trying to.”
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The association is a member of the Disaster Contractors Network in Florida and has also partnered with The United Way in the recovery effort. Now in its 50th year, the ABC East Coast Chapter espouses the merit shop philosophy and serves as the voice for its membership at the local, state and federal levels of government. As the largest construction association in Florida with the highest percentage (67%) of contractors, it provides industry training, safety training and professional development
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the Florida Legislature. He became President in 2012. The chapter is regarded as a leader in Government Affairs, now under the leadership of VP Carol Bowen. “To get a single bill passed in State Legislature is a challenge – we had three of our major objectives pass (in 2017) and I just think that speaks incredibly well to our influence and the respect we have in Tallahassee,” says Dyga. “We’ve gotten better at the things we were recognized leaders of. It comes down to you have to be in tune with your industry needs.” The association supplements Bowen’s work with contract lobbyists to ensure it has maximum opportunities to each of its 518 members. “We are very conscientious about being a contractor organization. The contractor community doesn’t always see eye-to-eye. You have General Contractors and the Specialty trades but all are equal within our association. Our goal is to represent the entire industry,” Dyga explains.
A Respected Voice Dyga joined the chapter in 1999 as its Vice President of Government Affairs after seven years working for
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North American Construction Journal representation. ABC also holds the largest industry “Day on the Hill” in Tallahassee. “It is the largest gathering and it’s important for any industry to be there. Legislators want to hear from company owners, the people signing the paycheck. We take contractors up there for a day and a half and encourage them to have conversations with legislators about the challenges we face in the industry,” Dyga explains.
Pitching the Profession Replenishing a work force that is aging out of the industry has long been a challenge across the
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We have the contacts. We
can reach out to our 500-plus members and say ‘Can somebody out there help this person?’ That’s one of the ways we can help, through sheer volume
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of contacts.
- Association President Peter Dyga www.naconstructionjournal.com
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country. The impact of Hurricane Irma has exacerbated that problem in South Florida, creating more work in an already tight market. Dyga says ABC spends about $2 million in training, marketing and PR, sponsors programs at middle and high schools, and engages with school counselors. Importantly, he says the message had to change. According to research by the Federal Government, 65% of jobs in in the future will not require a traditional four-year college degree. “The opportunities available in construction are good first choices
North American Construction Journal that are in high demand. They may require a journeyman license, or apprenticeship, but you will have zero student debt and a job right from the get-go. In Florida, student debt has to be borne by the contractor. So you’re working while you’re training,” Dyga points out. In addition to middle and high school students, those in the 25- to 35-year-old age group who may be disillusioned with their chosen profession are a prime target market. “Our culture is such that everyone is encouraged to go to college. It’s like turning a battleship, but we’re trying to change that. A good
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alternative is a four-year certification program. It’s not a booby prize. It’s an equally good first choice,” he stresses.
Safety Initiatives The more than 900 apprentices who are association members are immersed in the importance of job safety for the first six months of their tenure. “It includes OSHA 10 training. Safety is a huge part of what we’re about. It’s a culture thing and, as an industry, we need to be sure we are promoting it,” Dyga asserts. Nationwide, as an organization, ABC’s Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) provides every contractor the tools necessary to evaluate and assess its own safety protocol. “We have as many of our members take part as possible. You find out where your shortcomings are and you find out how to improve them. If it’s inconvenient for our contractors to go somewhere to take OSHA classes, then we’ll bring it to them. We can offer that convenience,” Dyga says.
Professional Development The association has a Young Professionals Committee and a
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“They may need some soft skills or some advanced management skills to achieve even higher goals in their professional career,” Dyga says. “It’s been a tremendously successful program.” The association also maintains two student chapters at Florida International University and Florida Institute of Technology, which both offer Construction Management
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To get a single bill passed in
State Legislature is a challenge – we had three of our major 0bjectives pass (in 2017) and I just think that speaks incredibly well to our influence and the respect we have in Tallahassee.
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Leadership ABC program. Its member companies are encouraged to identify employees who may be interested in pursuing a management track.
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- Association President Peter Dyga
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COMPANY INFORMATION degrees. Additionally, it provides apprenticeship, foreman and superintendent training, the latter through a two-week program at Purdue’s highly acclaimed Project Management Academy. In the final analysis, given the depth and breadth of all that the ABC Florida East Coast Chapter offers, it is sound business for South Florida commercial contractors to become members.
Company Name: ABC Florida East Coast Chapter
Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 1968 Premiere Service: Industry Association
“We’re in tune with our industry needs. In general, we’re here to be part of the solution,” Dyga concludes.
President: Peter Dyga Website: www.abceastflorida.com
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Plaza Construction Group Florida:
Setting the bar high in the Miami-Dade market Innovative powerhouse Plaza Construction Group Florida forges a reputation for delivering excellence on each and every job Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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hether providing expert consulting services to the financial industry or designing job-specific safety programs, innovation continues to set Plaza Construction Group Florida apart from other firms operating in the burgeoning Miami-Dade County marketplace. Established in 2004, Plaza Construction Group Florida serves as the Southeast Regional hub of New York-based Plaza Construction (est. 1986) and is a subsidiary of China Construction America (est. 1985). The company has diligently forged a reputation for excellence and at the outset of 2018 has approximately $1 billion in various stages of production, almost all within Miami-Dade County. The company employs 265, generates continual repeat business and maintains long-standing relationships with a key core of sub-contractors. As one of the industry’s leading full-service Construction Management/General Contracting concerns, Plaza Construction Group Florida’s portfolio encompasses numerous sectors. President Brad Meltzer says success results from the company’s unwavering commitment to doing business the right way from concept through to completion of every job. “Keeping focused on the bottom line
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and staying in constant communication with our clients is crucial. We want them to all feel the excitement and significance of project completion. We help them to stay calm, to stay focused and to be in the moment. I liken it to great athletes and how LeBron James deals with the championship moment. He says he sees people coming at him in slow motion. The folks who are able to that in our business, to stay focused under pressure, become the champions of the industry,” explains Meltzer, who studied pre-med for a year before following his father’s footsteps and
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turning to architecture. He joined the company in 1990.
function one typically associates with contractors.
Financial Consultants
“You may see our name on a sign at the top of a skyscraper and that’s what you’re aware of. But, we might be providing these services to others all over town. It’s just that it’s under the radar,” Meltzer notes.
The company provides its expertise, Meltzer says, as a way to “to keep an eye on the money and to make sure someone savvy in construction is keeping an eye on the projects and making sure the jobs are going in the right direction. We are seeing an increase in that service area right now.” The service, though not new, is not a
He adds that, since Plaza Construction was born out of a real estate development firm, it understands how the process works from the perspective of both the lender and the developer.
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North American Construction Journal “It bridges the gap. We like it because it allows our senior staff to really spend time on both sides of the equation. If you spend time helping developers and lenders, when it’s your moment to work for them, you have a greater appreciation of the clients’ needs and you are better suited as to how to service them,” Meltzer says.
A 3D Safety Approach The company’s integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has taken its safety program to the next level. “We’re using BIM to help with safety logistics. In addition to fall protection and all the items that go into safety on every job, we’re now looking at projects in terms of the [location of]
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Keeping focused on the end
line and staying in constant communication with the stakeholders is crucial. We want them to all feel the excitement and significance of project completion. - President Brad Meltzer www.naconstructionjournal.com
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North American Construction Journal neighboring buildings and the project adjacency to highways and train tracks. By putting the safety plan into a BIM model we get the 3D aspect of a project and see things with better perspective,” Meltzer explains. The company’s BIM Department works in conjunction with Safety and Scheduling. “The safety needs to be different from where we’re digging a hole in the ground or putting in piles as opposed to when we’re 30 stories up in the air,” Meltzer stresses. “The plan evolves as the job grows and if we know how the project will evolve we can prepare for the proper cost for the safety plan. It’s really been a wonderful process.”
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The company’s Corporate Safety Director collaborates with each project Safety Director to develop project-specific safety protocol. “He works with the team to build a custom safety plan. It is our job to determine the risks and customize the plan for each project. He is looking for ways to increase awareness with the staff and introducing technology to make each site safer,” Meltzer says.
Premier Projects One Thousand Museum: This project topped out in mid-February 2018. The stunning vision of the late Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid, this 62-story high-end condo tower rises
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“This is, arguably, one of the most notable projects in the USA. The Pritzker Prize is like their Nobel Prize. She has done only done two projects in North America. She passed away [in March 2016] and this will be a real legacy to her design portfolio,” says Meltzer of Hadid, a native of Iraq who became a naturalized citizen of the UK and part-time resident of Miami. Paraiso Bay Complex: Work on this
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Zaha Hadid has done
only done two projects in North America. She passed away in 2016 and One Thousand Museum will be a real legacy to her design portfolio.
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709 feet and features an exoskeleton made up of 5,000 pieces of lightweight glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GRFC). This legacy building is the world’s first to use GRFC as permanent formwork.
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- President Brad Meltzer www.naconstructionjournal.com
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11 acre site began in 2015 and will wrap up later this year. Upon completion it will include the 55story Paraiso Bay, 53-story One Paraiso, 44-story Paraiso Bayview, and Gran Paraiso. All told, the complex will have more than 1,300 residential units. The Ritz Carlton Residences: Construction on this 126-unit high rise luxury condo development in Miami Beach is nearing completion. Amenities will include two 24-hour attended lobbies, 24-hour valet service, on-site marina, private day
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yacht, on-site private car, on-site spa, sauna and fitness center, and a roof-top pool with waterfall and meditation garden. Biscayne Beach/Edgewater: The company has wrapped up its work on the 391-unit, 52-story residential tower, one of five 48- to 52-story towers to be built in a three-block area. It opened with all but four of its units sold. Aventura Mall Expansion: Completed in November 2017, this three-story project provided an
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additional one million square feet of parking and another one million square feet of retail and food court space. The W Hotel: Plaza Construction’s capabilities were on full display for this $180 million project that included a tunnel and 35,000 square feet of underground office space completed in 27 months a decade ago. “The materials selected were world-class and the owner was wise in how they spent the money and understood the quality of design. Ten years later the project is still beautiful and looks like it did when we finished it. That’s what happens when you use good materials,” Meltzer notes.
People and Training Under the direction of Human Resources Director Maria Moline, the company has implemented an innovative Plaza Futures rotation program that immerses those with two years or less experience into all aspects of the industry. Participants work 28 weeks in the field, 32 weeks in price management, six weeks in construction control and accounting and six weeks in preconstruction. The first Plaza Futures class completed training in January 2018. “They get a mentor and keep in touch
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with that person throughout the program. We have a graduation and then they sit down with their mentors and discuss their best career path. We are excited to see what this does for [the first graduates] careers,” Meltzer says. Additionally, the company provides LEED certification training, Project Management training and safety training and is placing renewed emphasis on its Reinforcing Our Construction Knowledge (ROCK) program, utilizing third-party companies. Plaza Construction actively recruits personnel from universities with Construction Management programs.
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“When someone joins the company, they have a more focused career path. We believe if we invest in them, then they in turn will invest in us. The investment is in our company,” Meltzer explains. As a committed community partner, Plaza Construction takes part in any number of charitable initiatives such as charity bike rides, fundraising for Thanksgiving programs, building classrooms at shelters, and raising money for foster care support groups.
Day To Day At the top, the company’s Operation Managers maintain and oversee a book of business. “They are all extremely senior and
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many of them have worked in all of our fields. Consulting can fall under any one of the groups and they are all prepared to provide the appropriate services,” Meltzer explains. Managing multiple start and completion dates that often overlap requires the company to be nimble and flexible. “Cycling people from job to job when projects overlap becomes a juggling act. From a staffing perspective, it is one of the toughest challenges all contractors face,” Meltzer observes. “We have meetings every other week to review start and completion dates and review which ones may change. For example, I may need 15 people to start a project in February that got
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North American Construction Journal pushed up from May. It’s a good problem to have but to resolve it you need to have a deep bench as we call it. We may have over-qualified people working that we can peel away from one job and put them in a leadership role on another job,” he continues. The company is painstaking in its dealings with subcontractors. “We have a core group that we have been working with and both they and new subcontractors go through a pre-qualifying process for each job that includes financial review and operations review to make sure they can handle the job and are slotted into the appropriate size project,” Meltzer notes.
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In recognition and appreciation of those relationships, the company holds an annual Appreciation Night at an area restaurant. The company maintains multiple association memberships, including the Construction Association of South Florida (CASF), the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Construction Employers Association (CEA) and the Latin Builders Association and Meltzer sits on the board of China Construction America. Relationships developed through the associations, Meltzer says, make it comfortable to occasionally “call my competitors and ask them questions about subs or about issues on a similar job.”
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If you spend time helping
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developers and lenders, when it’s your moment to work for them, you have a greater appreciation of the clients’ needs and you are better suited as to
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how to service them.
- President Brad Meltzer
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Closing Thoughts
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COMPANY INFORMATION
For Meltzer, work is anything but and he welcomes the depth of responsibility that his position as company President brings. “My job can change on a dime. I might be talking to a top developer about their current project, or trying to land the next big job. Or, I might be talking to an intern about their future or one of our people who might some help because they are going through a difficult time. The job can literally be anything at any given moment. We do what it takes,” he stresses.
Company Name: Plaza Construction Group Florida Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2004 Premiere Service: Construction Management, General Contracting, Program Management, Design/Build and Construction Consulting. President: Brad Meltzer
It’s an approach that clients, no doubt, truly value.
Website: www.plazaconstruction.com
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Johnson Bros. Corporation, a Southland Holdings Company :
Bridging the gaps in Florida and beyond Johnson Bros. Corporation has earned a well-founded reputation as an industry-leading heavy civil contractor Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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B
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ased in Florida for more than 30 years, Johnson Bros. Corporation, a Southland Holdings Company, has earned a well-founded reputation as an industry-leading heavy civil contractor in the bridge, heavy highway and marine construction sectors.
are quality people and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to work for. It transcends from the top. People see that and it motivates them. We’re a large organization with a family-type atmosphere and that’s intentional,” he continues.
The company’s extensive and diverse portfolio includes work for public and private clients on suspension bridges, PT segmental bridges, , bascule (draw) bridges and both swing-span and lift span bridges as well as highway, infrastructure, marine, industrial, and emergency construction services.
Lewis & Clark Bridge: At $66.3m, this project for the North Dakota DOT is the largest infrastructure project in state history. The new bridge opened in August 2017, replacing the obsolete Missouri River Bridge near Williston, N.D. The work included a six-span continuous deck unit of more than 1,500 feet in length and close to 85 feet wide. The scope of work also included a wildlife relief bridge, nearly five miles of
The company self-performs the vast majority of its work and has been a part of Southland Holdings since 2011. Company Vice President and Operations Manager John Meagher says the company’s success filters from the top down. “We have been successful because of the folks we have working for us and because the owners have put us in position to win – they have provided everything we need to succeed,” Meagher says. “The people that work here genuinely like each other. It’s not ‘me first’ – it is a team approach. You can call anyone at any time and someone is always willing to help. The owners
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Premier Projects
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Fort Hamer Bridge: The new $33M, 1.4-mile two-lane bridge for the Manatee County Public Works Dept. spans the Manatee River and connects Upper Manatee River Road to Fort Hamer Road near Bradenton, FL. Work included widening of existing roads and shoulders, relocating existing roadside ditches, addition of sidewalks, addition of turn lanes at each intersection, construction of utility adjustments, and the addition of bike lanes. This bridge was awarded No.7 of Roads and Bridges Magazine’s “Top 10 Bridges of 2017.
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We have been successful because
of the folks we have working for us and because the owners have put us in position to win – they have provided everything we need to succeed.
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associated roadway widening, and removal of the existing bridge structure.
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- Vice President/Operations Manager John Meagher
“It gives residents another route and
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North American Construction Journal allows them to avoid the interstate. It’s very important for the people who live there,” Meagher observes. Southern Boulevard Bridge Replacement: This $93 million State Road 80 project in Palm Beach is targeting a Winter 2020 completion date. Meagher notes that the eastern landing of the bridge “ties into President Trump’s Mara Lago compound.” In addition to replacing the existing draw bridge and tide relief bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Worth Lagoon, a temporary bridge is being built in order to maintain traffic flow while the replacement bridge is under construction. Birmingham I-59/I-20 Bridge: The
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$475m project is the largest ever commissioned by the Alabama DOT. The segmental bridge is being built in three phases with Phase Two targeted for completion in Fall 2018. “It’s a metal bridge with a lot of ramps and the segmental part is the meat of it,” Meagher explains.
Safety Initiatives The company is committed to maintaining an accident-free work environment; its motto, “Protect My Family”, speaks to that goal. Key to its safety efforts is the enforcement of a zero tolerance program that mandates a drug-free workforce. “We take it from the top down and the bottom up. We have lots of daily
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We find that hiring entry level
folks is the best avenue to success. We bring them in without them being influenced and train them the way we
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and weekly talks about safety and we have a dedicated phone-in conference on safety every other week. It doesn’t matter how successful you are as a company if you are not safe. We have to make sure out people are safe and that the risks are minimized because it is very dangerous work,” Meagher explains.
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As Operations Manager, Meagher oversees everything from job estimating to personnel management.
want them to do things.
“I am a field guy at heart. I make sure they have everything they need to do the job and that everything flows as it should. Whatever needs to be done, I
- Vice President/Operations Manager John Meagher www.naconstructionjournal.com
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do – and so does everyone else who works here. That’s the culture,” he says. Self-performing the majority of the work allows the company to maintain control of the production schedule, project cost and the finished product. “We like to control our own destiny as much as possible. We have a good idea of how we like things to be done,” Meagher says. The company does maintain a dedicated core group of sub-contractors in the specialty trades “We do a lot of repeat business with our subs – we know what they can
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do and they know what we expect. We sub out to folks that we know can perform. We like to work with companies that we have worked with before – they have to be successful if we’re going to be successful,” Meagher says. The company is a member of the Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA) and Meagher is a member of the association board. “It’s a well-respected association and (President) Bob Burleson is the best I’ve ever seen at what he does. The relationship with the Florida DOT is great because of him. The communication is seamless and he gets you an audience with the right
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people to get things done. They are more than happy to talk with us,” he says.
drug-infested home and had all of her worldly possessions In a garbage bag. That really bothered me.”
Off the job, the company is a committed community partner. It donated to State Troopers in the Keys who lost their homes during Hurricane Irma in 2017. At Christmas, it provides money and gift cards to families in need.
Recruitment and Retention
“We visited the Children’s Home at Christmas and when you see the tough breaks some kids get, it hits close to home. They can’t help who raises them. Our goal is to give back – we are pretty blessed and try not to take things for granted,” Meagher explains. “There was a 12-year-old girl there who had been removed from a
The company faces the same problem that plagues the industry across the country – replenishing a skilled work force that is aging out. “Finding qualified craft people is the biggest challenge. There is a lot of competition in Florida and everyone is competing for the same people. The recession took a lot of guys out of the industry but didn’t put enough back in as the economy has gotten better. As a company you have to figure it out or you fail,” Meagher notes.
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North American Construction Journal To address the shortage, the company focuses on hiring engineers fresh out of college and offers apprentice programs for young laborers who want to grow with the company. “We find that hiring entry level folks is the best avenue to success. We bring them in without them being influenced [by another company] and train them the way we want them to do things. Experience is very important in this business and the only way you get it is by actually working. You can’t accelerate that process,” Meagher observes. He adds the company evaluates its work force constantly and prefers to promote from within.
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“Our Project Managers, foremen and Superintendents all have an eye for talent. They coach and train the guys who show initiative and want to advance. They’re out there with them, shoulder to shoulder. This business is built with sweat, so it’s easy to see who’s doing the work,” Meagher says. He advises those new to the industry to give it a chance: “A lot of people are too quick to give up. It takes time to learn how to work and to be good at it. You have to learn how to be efficient and how to take the longer view. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
Final Observation The company’s culture fosters
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SR 80 Project
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Johnson Bros. Corporation Country: U.S.
excellence. It is well entrenched and, Meagher says, the work force welcomes the unique challenges it faces every day. “I have been doing this for 30 years. No two days are ever really the same and I like the challenges,” he notes. Challenges that Johnson Bros. Corporation’s clients can expect will continue to be met with professionalism and excellence.
Industry: Construction Est: 1929 Premiere Service: Heavy civil contractor in the bridge, heavy highway and marine construction sectors.
Vice President/Owner: John Meagher Website:
www.southlandholdings.com
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Johnstone Moyer Inc. :
Veteran leadership group maps out a path to success Johnstone Moyer Inc. of San Carlos, CA, has emerged as a market leader in Design/Build, pre-construction, construction and post-construction services across multiple sectors. Written by Kevin Doyl Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal on’t be deceived by the relatively short history of Johnstone Moyer Inc. Well into its second decade of operation, the company’s management team boasts combined industry experience and wisdom that matches that of much older firms. The abundant knowledge of co-founders John Moyer and Bill Johnstone, who had worked together at a previous firm, was apparent during The Great Recession when JMI (Johnstone Moyer, Inc.) was still in its formative stage. “The company was very smart in the downturn and actually became more profitable,” notes Mike Smith, Vice President of Pre-Construction. “They (Johnstone and Moyer) put their salaries back into the company and invested in the two things that are important for any company – their people and the infrastructure.” Systems were improved, project management strategies were enhanced, and continual training was provided in preparation for an industry uptick. “We also invested in getting good people. We were able to maintain those people during the
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downturn and not lose anyone. When the market came back, instead of being one of the casualties of the market change, JMI (Johnstone Moyer, Inc.) was ready to pounce and get in front of everything. Our clients saw that we were ready and organized to get to work. We knew what we were doing and word got around really quickly,” says Smith. With headquarters in San Carlos, CA, the company has emerged as a market leader and provides Design/Build, pre-construction, construction and postconstruction services in the multi-family, renovation and hospitality sectors. It maintains a second location in Irvine, CA
North American Construction Journal and generates annual average project volume in the $200 - $300 million range. “Our largest growth into becoming a leader in our market has been in this last cycle, starting in 2011 or so,” Smith points out.
Top Projects The company typically has seven or eight projects running at any given time and has garnered multiple industry awards. Its Stonegate Condominium complex in San Mateo received the prestigious Gold Nugget Award, nominated in the Best Infill, Redevelopment or Rehab Site Plan and Best Attached
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Housing Project categories. Projects currently under way include: Neptune Marina: This 526-unit $200m multi-family mixed-use project in Marina del Ray sits right on the waterfront. Upon completion it will have four buildings of four floors each with units ranging from studios to three bedrooms. “We’re just getting going on it and it’s going to be a beautiful project,” says Smith. 3093 Broadway: This 423-unit project in Oakland features wood-framed Type III apartments over two stories of concrete
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North American Construction Journal podium. The lower level incorporates retail space and also maintains an historic showroom from the previous building on the site. Premier completed projects include: AC Hotel Oyster Point: The company will soon complete its second project for this Marriot subsidiary out of Spain. The 187-room, six-story wood frame building features a ground floor hospitality area, meeting rooms and a full-service bar and incorporates a curtain wall system looking out over the bay. The Foundry: Located in San
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Jose, the 238 apartments wrap around a five-story above ground parking structure. There are also five separate two-story walk-up structures. AC Hotel San Jose: The 210-room, seven-story hotel was the second AC property built in the United States, is located in the city’s downtown core and includes numerous hospitality amenities. Parker Place: Located in Berkley, this project of two buildings and 155 total units was constructed over a three-level subterranean parking garage. The main structure includes 18,000sf retail space for an anchor tenant. The
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Operations and Challenges Smith says the biggest obstacle facing Northern California operations are securing manpower and qualified companies to work with. “We love doing Design/Build and we will take it depending on the market trend. If the market is way down and everyone is competing really heavily for work, maybe it doesn’t make sense to do Design/Build because there
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JMI is very much about the
relationship in any given deal. Our ultimate goal is that everybody high fives at the end of a job and says ‘Let’s do another one.’ We’re not going to get that if we put a green team on something.
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façade of the previous structure was maintained and integrated into the new buildings.
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are some very qualified designers out there” Smith explains. “However, right now, it’s by far in the best interest of the owner. We’re locking in manpower because we’re getting into somebody’s pipeline, and we’re locking in costs and providing all those benefits that everyone already knows about,” he adds. The challenge, as a non-union company, is working with a small pool of sub-contractors in the Bay Area qualified in Type 3 and Type 5 construction. While JMI (Johnstone Moyer, Inc.) believes strongly in partnerships, Smith says the company also doesn’t “like putting all of our apples in one basket – we still want to distribute it a little bit.” California’s ever-changing Energy Code is an ongoing concern when it comes to Design/Build sub-contractors. “Making sure they are staying on top of what those code iterations are is a big deal and we’re trying to come up with creative ways to tackle those. The California energy code is probably one of the most onerous in the nation and when they do come out with a new iteration, there are subtle nuances,” Smith notes.
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Such as? “This year they have window switches for HVAC systems so if you leave your window open for five minutes, it automatically shuts off the HVAC,” Smith says. “So we’re learning how to deal with those economically while meeting the intent of the code in a way that isn’t going to cost the owner an arm and a leg and allows us to comply and build this project. Making sure our subs are staying on top of this as well is critical.” Smith stresses JMI will always put the best team in the field and
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When the market came back,
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North American Construction Journal will never employ a sub-contractor that has no familiarity with the company, its culture and its method of operation.
Staying Safe JMI (Johnstone Moyer Inc.) works closely with a third party company to develop, maintain and enforce a robust safety policy. “All of our staff are heavily trained in safety and take the responsibility for it. We find that having that extra layer with a third
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party coming in and doing random inspections and rating our sites works well. They’re neutral and they don’t have any biases toward the company. They’re going to tell it like it is and that’s what everybody needs, quite frankly, from a safety standpoint,” Smith says. The company’s Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents undergo constant training to remain current with protocols and procedures. And the company holds quarterly and annual safety
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Moving Ahead As a committed project partner that places the clients’ needs first with its “hands-on” approach, JMI (Johnstone Moyer, Inc.) has grown to the point that it can now be selective about the projects it chooses. “In the last few years we have definitely had to turn down projects. The principles will have a ‘go, no-go’ session any time a project comes through the door. We evaluate who the owner is, what the project looks like, who the stakeholders are, the times, and what we look like staffing wise. We make an educated decision if this is something we can take on or not. If we can’t we’re happy to give people a referral,” Smith says. “JMI (Johnstone Moyer, Inc.) is very much about the relationship in any given deal. Our ultimate goal is that everybody high fives at the end of a job and says ‘Let’s do another one.’ We’re not going to get that if we put a green team on something,” he concludes. It’s a good place to be, determined by a course mapped out a decade ago.
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We love doing Design/Build
and we will take it depending on the market trend … Right now, it’s by far in the best interest of the owner.
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recognition programs to recognize its safest teams.
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- Vice President Mike Smith COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Johnstone Moyer Inc. Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2005 Premiere Service: Full-service construction company. President: John Moyer CEO: Bill Johnstone Website: www.johnstonemoyer.com
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Maxx HDD, LLC:
Directional drilling specialist is just getting started Now just two years old, Maxx HDD, LLC of Houston is forging a reputation as a preferred pipeline contractor. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal s it nears completion of its second year of operation, Maxx HDD, LLC of Houston, TX has quickly found its footing as a preferred horizontal directional drilling contractor within the Oil and Gas Pipeline industry. Established in 2015 by industry veterans and good friends President Travis Vander Wert, CEO Kevin Hutcherson and COO T.J. Strickland, the company operates throughout the Lower 48 states. The company maintains the capabilities to service the Water and Sewer, Wind and Solar, and Telecommunications industries, but Vander Wert says: “Right
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now we are almost 100 percent pipeline related.” The experience of the management team – each member is a second- or thirdgeneration industry expert with decades of experience – has been crucial to the company’s ability to hit the ground running. “My role is really no different than any other member of our organization. I am part of a team of wonderful people. We all are forced to wear many hats in order to make this work. We all share in the growth of the company equally and collectively we make a great team of good friends.
North American Construction Journal As we’ve grown we have always stayed friends. That is one of the most important things to us and that is how we make it work,” says Vander Wert. The company, and the industry as a whole, isn’t without challenges such as finding qualified workers, meeting accelerated work schedules, and explaining its processes to those wary of potential damage to the environment. “Finding qualified people to make these projects constructible in the time frame the owners want them done is difficult. We’ve seen these larger projects build schedule get
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accelerated from what would normally be a year to construct them to now they’re asking them to be done in five months. That puts a real strain on finding qualified people to do it,” Vander Wert says. “Another challenge is the image of the industry. We’re seeing more and more push back on our industry and it’s important for us to educate the public on what we actually do,” he adds. “The end result in what the energy industry provides to the end user is key to our nation’s goal of becoming energy independent and it is important to educate the public of the
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construction process and the end result of it.� Maxx HDD has more than doubled in revenue, assets and employees over the last two years.
Top Shelf Projects Plains All American Red River Project: Maxx HDD has played a key role in some of the country’s largest pipeline projects which enable increased volumes of products to be delivered to markets downstream from facilities in Cushing, OK. The company has participated in both the Plaines Red River and
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Diamond pipelines that will deliver oil from Cushing to multiple end markets. Sunoco Mariner East Project: This endeavor, now under the direction of Energy Transfer Partners MLP following its April 2017 merger with Sunoco Logistics Partners, will transport natural gas liquids (NGL) from the Marcellus and Utica Shales eastward to Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region for distribution to commercial and global markets. Phase 2 of the project is now under way and will increase takeaway capacity to
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North American Construction Journal 345,000 barrels per day.
Operations Well on its way to becoming a preferred industry partner, the company has had no shortage of work from the outset. Vander Wert credits that to the company’s make-up as well as its straightforward approach to working with clients. “There are some high demands in the industry to put together a good team of contractors to make it happen. We feel that being privately owned and a very hands-on approach is critical to our group’s success and that it plays a part of why our clients enjoy working with us. We will The
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make decisions based on what is best for our clients and our company collectively. There are always going to be times where those decisions do not make financial sense at the time but our ultimate goal is to have the ability to grow with our clients as an extension of their business,” he explains. Thanks to its extensive fleet of late model directional drills and support equipment, the company has earned a reputation for taking on extreme projects and completing them on time and under budget. “I think it is understanding what it takes to do the job. We have a
“
We will make decisions that are
good for the company and the clients. We do what is right, not what is best for the pocket. We want to grow
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“Industry leaders. Passionate visionaries. and genuinely nice guys.”
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- President Travis Vander Wert
JT MILLER 2016 AD.qxp_Layout 1 12/24/15 11:23 AM Page 1
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dents that work with us that help in making it all happen. We get together as a group and evaluate what it takes to get the job done on time and on budget. We strive to be a partner with the clients to make it happen,” Vander Wert says. The company self-performs approximately 80 percent of its work and subs out 20 percent in outside labor, hauling of equipment and transporting of fluids. “We partner with our subs and our vendors. They are a huge part of the business and know we can’t do this without them. We need
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them all to succeed as a team,” Vander Wert stresses.
Safety Given the volatile nature of the industry, safety is top of mind around the clock. The company’s Health and Safety measures are constantly reviewed and adjusted as needed and its culture of safety is advanced by communication at all levels and on all work sites. Safety measures include: providing ongoing training at the field level; allowing employees to identify and voice concerns about potential job site hazards; providing proper tools and supplies needed for a safe
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environment; insuring that equipment is well maintained and in proper working order; and having at least one certified OSHA, CPR and First Aid employee on site at all times. “Safety is pretty simple; it’s a culture. As long as you promote and put a value on safety in the field and at the office, it will drive the day-to-day tasks. We provide our guys with the most up-to-date tools to be efficient and safe,” says Vander Wert.
People and More The company belongs to a number of industry associations, such as DCA, a favorite of
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and its positive environment, Vander Wert says the company has been fortunate to attract some of the industry’s top talent. “We work extremely hard at protecting our reputation and our company name. If you do that successfully it helps in attracting more talent to our organization,” Vander Wert says. “Our industry is one of the best out there and is filled with hard-working, great people. The quality of people in this industry is second to none.”
Vander Wert’s. “DCA does a wonderful job promoting the industry while spending countless hours in training and education. The organization is very active in Washington and helps considerably in making sure our industry has a voice in the political realm. DCA also provides an avenue to connect with others in the industry by establishing a common ground between owner companies, contractors and vendors,” he says. Word of mouth has been beneficial to Maxx HDD’s growth. Due largely to its burgeoning reputation, its workplace culture,
Looking ahead, it is easy to envision Maxx HDD trending upward for a good long while. This company is just getting started.
COMPANY INFORMATION Company Name: Maxx HDD, LLC Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2015 Premiere Service: Horizontal directional drilling President: Travis Vander Wert Website: http://www.maxxhdd.com
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NVI, LLC :
Providing Critical Services Across the Construction Spectrum NVI, LLC a nationwide leader as an industrial solutions provider in Nondestructive Testing, Heat Treatment, and Mechanical Integrity Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal here is nothing ordinary about the manner in which NVI, LLC of Gray, LA (NVI) conducts its business – precisely how company President and CEO Jim Cloutier likes it. As a leader in the field of technologies for nondestructive testing and mechanical integrity, NVI is committed to developing customized solutions tailored to the needs of each and every client. “We don’t sell a cookie-cutter. The first question we ask a client is ‘What can we do differently?’ in whatever phase of a project we are going into. We are specific to your needs. There is no blanket approach – we get into research and development for each client’s specific needs. We take a lot of risk developing specialized products and services. That is what we do,” says Cloutier. The company has mastered more than 20 methods of nondestructive testing, allowing its technicians to pinpoint any imperfections or deformations that may have occurred over time. It services the petrochemical and refining, pipeline, marine, construction and fabrication, manufacturing, aviation, amusement and infrastructure industries. “I like the challenges and the market. Nearly everyone uses this type of testing from the Ferris Wheel at
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Disney to NASA and everything in between,” he adds. When Cloutier purchased NVI in 2004, it was a regional operation with fewer than 30 employees. Today, including its corporate headquarters, the company maintains a dozen offices – four each in Louisiana and Texas and single locations in Pittsburgh, PA, Northglenn, CO, Depew, NY and Theodore, AL. It employs approximately 500. The Pittsburgh and New York locations were established to keep specific watch on the massive Marcellus Shale play in the Northeast and develop additional market share non energy related while the Denver regional location opened in 2015 in anticipation of accelerated growth in Colorado shale exploration along with non-energy related opportunities. Standing as testament to NVI’s level of expertise and burgeoning reputation is the recent work the company performed for Noble Energy, Inc. of Houston, TX on one of its natural gas platforms off the coast of Israel. “They came to us to do their tie-ins and some modifications on new wells that provide all the natural gas for the Israeli Electricity Authority. We were there for a few weeks performing advanced Phased Array and other advanced inspection methods – if
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these wells didn’t hold the whole country would have been without power. It’s a pretty nice accolade to be chosen for a job like that,” Cloutier says.
safety regulations and belongs to a number of organizations – ISNetworld, Veriforce and PEC Premier to name a few – dedicated to driving safety in the industry.
Safety Measures
NVI has earned the honor as one of the top 70 safest companies by the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation, chosen from more than 16,000 companies achieving tremendous safety achievements for companies with more than
The company is uncompromising when it comes to safety. If it cannot execute a job safely, then it won’t be done by NVI. The company is compliant with all state and federal
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500,000 man hours. “We are quite proud we are a leader in Louisiana. We are very serious about safety – it is our top priority and we spend a lot of money ensuring success, in being as safe as we can be,” Cloutier says.
Day to Day Operations A veteran of more than 35 years in the industry, Cloutier founded his first company back in 1982. Of his role with NVI, he says: “I feel I am the big picture guy, the visionary for the company. I look at what markets we can do well in. We have some great regional managers and group leaders that execute day to day. I stay involved and work with the
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We don’t sell a cookie-cutter.
The first question we ask a client is ‘What can we do differently? In whatever phase of a project we are going into. We are specific
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to your needs.
- Jim Cloutier, President and CEO
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staff but I like to let the team function. I do not micro-manage.” Cloutier says the work NVI performs is critical to the construction process “of refining, chemical plants and biologic plants and the upstream downstream and midstream energy sector.” “It is required by industry code to test most welded material for the useful life of onstream equipment but we don’t just test welded products and ongoing equipment. Some of the equipment is cyclical in nature
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As an ISO 9001 company, NVI audits its vendors and other aspects of the business as part of its Quality Control program. “We make sure they comply, whether it’s on finished products or service. Our team will audit them to make sure they meet our specifications and expectations. We only partner with those that meet our standards. That’s the short and simple of it,” Cloutier asserts. Starting in 2013, the company converted its entire fleet of approximately 180 vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The decision was made as a hedge against wildly fluctuating fuel prices and to reduce the company’s overall
depending on the process and only runs in certain seasons. When they’re producing or obtaining or bringing in certain raw product you need to know the useful life of the equipment you’re using,” he explains. The quality of the staff developing and delivering the technology ranks among the finest in the industry. The staff includes seven Level III and more than 130 Level II personnel certified according to the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT).
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Recruitment and Retention Cloutier says the company takes great pains to treat its employees fairly. “We pay well and try to pay above the industry standards. We want long-term employees who want to grow with us and feel like family members. But they need to feel vested, like they have some skin in the game, so we do that with profit sharing and bonuses,” he notes. Nevertheless NVI faces the same ongoing challenge that plagues the
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We are quite proud we are a
leader in Louisiana. We are very serious about safety – it is our top priority and we spend a lot of money, time and effort in being as
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safe as we can be.
- Jim Cloutier, President and CEO
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We all need talent and I think anyone in the business would agree,” Cloutier says.
Final Thought Given the quality of its work, the level of customer-centric service its provides, its willingness to tackle new areas such as land work via the various shale plays, and a growing global reputation as a can-do company, NVI seems well positioned for future growth. “Nearly every industry needs our services and we are able to serve them all,” Cloutier concludes.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: NVI, LLC Country: U.S. entire construction industry – replacing long-term employees of retirement age with quality personnel poised to move the company forward. “Finding the quality staff with enough education and the moral fortitude to become the next generation of construction leaders is where I see a shortfall. Talent is our biggest concern.
Industry: Construction Premier Service: Industrial Solutions Provider President and CEO: James “Jim” Cloutier Website: www.nvindt.com
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SECON:
Keeping Your Workplace Safe and Substance-Free SECON of Lafayette, LA provides the collection and screening services necessary for companies to enforce a drug-free environment Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal orking safely in industry today requires strict enforcement of a zero tolerance substance abuse policy. SECON of Lafayette, LA provides the collection and screening services necessary for companies to create that drug-free environment. Established in 1982, SECON was purchased by DISA Global Solutions, Inc. in November 2017 and provides service for more than 1,000 domestic and international Gulf Coast clients in the oil & gas, construction, transportation and manufacturing industries among others. The company is involved with more than one million collections and tests each year and the deep experience of its staff makes it a leader in substance abuse management and testing. Managing Director Stacy Breaux has been in the business for 26 years and with SECON for the past seven. “We are unique because we offer both TPA (Third Party Administrator) services and we have a collection site where we perform drug, alcohol, hair, saliva, and DNA collections/ testing. We service customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year,” she says. “We will travel where the customer needs us to, when they need us to, whether it is offshore, at a hospital or out of the region. If it is needed, we will fly and conduct tests in the middle of the
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night, no ifs, ands or buts.” The company employs a modest staff of approximately 40 at its Lafayette headquarters and at a collection site in Houma, LA and its mastery of technology sets it apart. The company provides secure results that employers are able to retrieve at any time from a system that securely stores each client’s information. “Because of our IT platform, we know what goes where and we know what we need to keep and what we don’t need to keep (recordkeeping per DOT requirements),” Breaux explains. “Industry requires monitoring and safety comes first. The customer wants a clean partner and we are in the business of saving lives and keeping insurance costs down. We make a difference for employers and their employees’ lives,” she adds.
People and Training SECON’s labs are SAMHSA certified and its Medical Review Officers are certified by multiple agencies. Especially noteworthy is the fact that two SECON employees are Certified Substance Abuse Program Administrators (C-SAPA’s) authorized to run drug-testing programs. Fewer than 150 individuals hold that certification in the United States. The company invests in intense
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“We have a network of sites for urine collection and alcohol testing. We just don’t hire someone and put them out there. There is a lot of training after hiring an individual or a subcontractor. Our subs are all certified in the areas they need to be. The vetting process is substantial,” Breaux points out. The company seeks individuals with specific personality traits and skill sets. Its turnover rate is
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Industry requires monitoring and
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training upon hiring new employees, or when bringing aboard a new sub-contractor.
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down. We make a difference for employers and their employees’ lives.
- Managing Director Stacy Breaux
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relatively low and many employees pre-date Breaux’s arrival.
individuals who may be ready to take that next step.
“We do look for certain traits. We want longevity, we want folks that want to grow with us, and we want folks that have a certain set of skills. All of our staff goes through a massive amount of training. As part of the training they take a day to work in each department in the company so they get a feeling for the work flow,” Breaux says.
“Folks that want to grow into leadership and management are able to attend conferences to help them to refine their skills for those roles,” says Breaux.
SECON’s preference is to promote from within and the company’s small size makes it easy to observe those
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“I know each employee and the managers and I work closely observing the staff to see who is good at what they do and is ready for the next step. When a leadership role opens we let folks know what we are looking for. The employees know who would fit into the role,” Breaux says.
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Day to Day Breaux spends the majority of her time in the office, implementing company policy and strategic plans while working closely with six top-level managers.
“The seven of us have 75 (combined) years of industry experience. It is much easier knowing I have them backing me up,” says Breaux, who also works hand in hand with the company’s Business Manager to allocate and monitor finances.
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SECON’s service and the quality of its work are unmatched. In addition to its drug and alcohol testing screening services for private industry, the company performs laboratory services for the criminal justice sector, including drug courts and pre-trial diversion programs, and also offers background checks, collection site management and DNA testing. “Basically, we can handle your total program. We find collection sites, we do training and our employees really care about what they are doing for each of our customers. Clients are
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synthetic product commonly called K2 and Spice. Synthetic marijuana compounds are linked to numerous serious side effects that can be life-threatening, including seizures.
loyal to us because we are their one-stop shop and they know they can count on us. There are a lot of companies that say they are 24/7/365 but they don’t answer the phone – we do,” Breaux points out. “Our employees are knowledgeable and friendly. When a customer calls here, whoever answers the phone should know the answer to their question. Our response time is amazing. Our employees love what they do and it shows in their work,” she adds.
Meeting The Challenge SECON is equipped to test the entire spectrum of illicit drugs – amphetamines, barbiturates, bath salts, buprenorphine, etc. – but the newest compound is a
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“Employers don’t know what to do and it is causing a lot of havoc in the workplace. As soon as labs find out how to test for (K2), the people manufacturing it change the compound. There are more than 30 compounds. It is very dangerous and it is not regulated,” Breaux notes. Medical marijuana is another big issue. Keeping up with each state’s laws and knowing whether they are allowing medical or recreational
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Education is the key –
and not just the classroom, but the “street” knowledge and keeping up with what is going on in the world and
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marijuana use can be very challenging. We keep current in order to help our clients with policy development and unemployment/ ADA issues. “Education is the key – and not just the classroom, but the “street” knowledge and keeping up with what is going on in the world and our cities. In order to keep up with day-to-day issues, we attend conferences like SAPAA or DATIA Our industry is very good about sharing information,” Breaux concludes. Whatever it takes in the interest of safety.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: SECON Country: U.S. Industry: Multiple Sectors Est: 1982 Premiere Service: Drug collection and screening services
Managing Director: Stacy Breaux Website: www.drugscreen.com
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Southwest Industrial Rigging:
Your Heavy Lifting and Hauling Needs SWIR provides turnkey crane, rigging, and machinery moving services throughout the Southwest and beyond Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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North American Construction Journal stablished by company President and Owner Harry Baker with a single crane in 1985, Phoenixbased Southwest Industrial Rigging has grown into a well regarded provider of crane, rigging, and machinery moving services throughout the Southwest and beyond. Southwest Industrial Rigging is a true one-stop shop with multiple divisions offering an array of services. The Crane Division operates and maintains state-of-the-art industrial and rough terrain cranes while the Heavy Transport Division hauls loads of any size. The company also offers machinery moving, warehousing, and welding and fabrication services. “The diversity of the company and the amount of what we can offer to our customers sets us apart. It keeps the customer from having to hire three or four different companies to do what we can do in-house,” says Vice President of Operations Mike Madge. “There are so many amazing things we can do here. I don’t like to hear ‘We can’t do that.’ We’ll figure out a way to do it, and get the job done safely.” Today the company maintains four locations in Arizona, employs 155 and works across the country. Its fleet of approximately 1,000 pieces of equipment includes nearly 100
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cranes. In fact, the company has spent approximately $14 million on new cranes over the past few years, highlighted by the purchase of two 330T Liebherr Crawler cranes in 2016 and the purchase of a Tadano ATF 400-G6 in 2017. “We have cranes to handle most any job and our trailers are able to be pieced together depending on the size and dimension of the piece being moved,” says Andrea Williams, the
North American Construction Journal company’s head of Public Relations and Business Development.
Working Safely Because the company services such a diverse range of industries and clients, Williams says safety training is ongoing and ever-involving as SWIR strives for industry best standards. “Our crane operators are certified in a national program and our riggers are
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qualified through on-the-job training and instructor led Advanced Rigging Courses. Our people are very well trained and they are re-certified or re-qualified every 12 months to three years, depending on the industry we’re working in. Every industry has their own set of regulations that we have to follow, so we have to stay on top of those to make sure we not only meet, but also go above and beyond the standards. We’ve done a really good job of that,” Williams
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North American Construction Journal says, adding that “we strive to keep the number of incidents and injuries down, that is our goal.” Employees are accountable for injury prevention as well as property loss caused by accidents. Madge says the amount of training SWIR operators and riggers receive is second to none and enables them to complete each job to the company’s exacting standards, safely and on time.
Doing The Job SWIR is currently involved in the $1.7bn Loop (South Mountain Freeway) project for the Arizona Department of Transportation. It will
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add 22 miles of freeway to the Phoenix metropolitan system, connecting the east and west valley. Project completion is targeted for late 2019. “We have around 14 cranes on that project right now and every couple of months we move our large cranes there for bridge work. It’s one of the biggest projects we’ve been involved with in our history,” says Madge. The company is also involved in another freeway project in Las Vegas and has transported multiple girders to that location. It also recently completed work on two Apple facilities in Arizona and Oregon.
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The diversity of the company
and the amount of what we can offer to our customers sets us apart. It keeps the customer from having to hire three
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or four different companies to do what we can do in-house.
- Mike Madge, VP of Operations Williams says the investment in equipment has paid dividends “especially on the crane side. We have the machines our customers need. They function properly and they don’t break down.” Project Managers work closely with clients throughout the life-cycle of every job, ensuring that problems are handled in a timely manner and that potential delays are identified and avoided. The company self-performs the vast majority of its work but when sub-contractors are needed, SWIR examines their safety history, their financial health, and their ability to meet SWIR’s insurance requirements. The company most often utilizes sub-contractors on the
transportation side for services such as pilot cars and police escorts. In regard to technology, Madge says “we’ve just launched a whole new system to make the company run more efficiently.” The company partnered with WrightPlan, in Ontario Canada to create a solution that would tie all functions and divisions together on one system.
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It is important to groom and
train our existing work force so that they can grow within the company … We have to be self-sustaining in some regards to maintain the pool of skilled
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labor required in our line of work. - Andrea Williams,
Public Relations and Business Development
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“Since we started the implementation in 2016, we are more effectively managing our jobs from start to finish, giving us more control over the expenditure of resources. That allows us to provide better project projections and budgets to our customers and has improved the overall sustainability and health of the company,” says Williams. “Running a crane 10 years ago is very different than operating a crane now just because of the constantly upgrading computer systems. Our operators take training classes to not only keep in compliance, but to stay on top of industry regulations and safe practices,” Williams points out.
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Since its small beginnings in Casa Grande, AZ, the company has strived to maintain a good reputation for completing projects safely, on time, and with state of the art equipment. “Our past growth and projected growth relies heavily on providing excellent service to the existing industries we work within and obtaining new clients in new industries. In order to work for clients in new industries, we have to research and stay on top of regulations and safety requirements in those fields. We strive to make that a core part of our vision, “ says Williams.
Some Challenges As is the case across every sector of
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the construction industry, procuring quality replacements as older operators retire is difficult. Specifically, in the crane industry, replacing exiting talent with new talent has become more of a challenge in recent years as younger generations are choosing to pursue careers in other industries. “It is important to groom and train our existing work force so that they can grow within the company. A lot of our employees that start off as drivers and riggers eventually become equipment operators when they show an aptitude for the trade and a willingness to put in the extra effort. We have to be selfsustaining in some regards to maintain the pool of skilled labor required in our line of work,� Williams notes.
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COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Southwest Industrial Rigging Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 1985 Premiere Service: IHeavy civil lifting and transportation services
President/Owner: Harry Baker Website: www.swirusa.com
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RN Civil Construction :
Water, Wastewater and Heavy Civil Construction Specialist
RN Civil Construction of Englewood, CO provides Design/Build, general contracting and construction management services to deliver high-end projects Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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stablished in 2002, RN Civil Construction of Englewood, CO provides Design/Build, general contracting and construction management services, specializing in water, wastewater and heavy civil projects. The company was founded by Dan Niehus and Dave Reynolds and generates annual revenue of approximately $50m. RN Civil Construction is committed to completing projects safely, on time and on budget and works closely with its clients throughout every phase of each project.
Operations As a General Contractor, RN Civil Construction self-performs the majority of work on many projects, allowing it to maintain close watch on the budget, schedule and quality of work. The company performs construction layout and surveying, excavation, concrete framework, rebar and concrete placement, rough carpentry, yard piping, process piping and mechanical equipment services. It has developed and calls on a core group of trusted subcontractors in the specialty trades such as electrical and finish carpentry. The company’s Safety and Health
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policy is monitored closely and strictly enforced with the goal of protecting every employee from work-related accidents or illnesses. Modifications and improvements are made regularly and supervisors are charged with being aware of the safety performance of every worker on their team. The company considers working safely to be an integral part of quality control, cost reduction and job efficiency.
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organically and provides opportunities for advancement for employees that express a desire to move up at each level of the company.
Premier Projects
RN Civil Construction is also an advocate of the Design/Build methodology and has built projects ranging from $300k to more than $10m. Clients prefer the shorter construction schedule, the accuracy of the budgeting process, value engineering, design consultation and the opportunity to be involved with the selection of equipment and sub-contractors. The company prefers to grow
Aspen Consolidated Sanitation Treatment Facility: The company self-performed all earthwork, concrete, yard piping, interior piping, process equipment and general civil site work for this $5.1m improvement project performed while keeping an existing facility operational. Treatment capacity capabilities were improved and increased. A twostory digester building addition now houses jet aeration mixing pumps and aeration blowers that replaced an existing system. Work on the Headworks Building included raising the dumpster room roof, installation of new equipment and relocation of existing equipment, and construction of a new concrete retaining wall. Snowmass Water and Sanitation District: Work on this $23.9m expansion of an existing wastewater treatment facility that will increase plant capacity to 2.46 MGD began in August 2017. Project Manager Dave Ortt told The Aspen Daily News that a 2020 project completion date is possible but that “no quality or safety will be compromised.� Work includes removal of 160,000 gallons
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WHATEVER IT TAKES. WHATEVER THE CHALLENGE. With over 60 years of waterworks experience, we’ve helped our customers with some of the most complex and challenging demands. Whatever it takes, we are up to the challenge.
Aurora (720) 859–3060 Find the closest waterworks location near you by visiting FERGUSON.COM/WATERWORKS ©2018 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.
0118 712674
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of water drained through porous polymer bags to trap sludge from the retention pond, repurposing existing facilities and construction of new aeration basins, secondary clarifiers, disc filters, UV disinfection, odor control facilities and associated piping and buildings. The existing plant will remain operational throughout the project. Woodmen Hills Regional Water Reclamation Facility: This $11.4m project was built at an existing facility in El Paso, CO and required extensive planning and coordination to keep the existing facility up and running while the new facility was under construction. Work consisted of mass excavation, dewatering,
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concrete placement, yard piping, interior process piping, metal building, electrical, instrumentation and HVAC. RNC Civil Construction installed clarifiers, pumps, mixing equipment, blowers, diffusers, a chemical fee system, dewatering screw press and polymer blending system. Genesee Advanced Water Treatment Facility: This $8.9m construction of a new treatment facility located in Golden, CO was completed in 2017 and designed to meet current future drinking water standards. The new facility houses all process equipment as well as a laboratory, chemical storage area and administrative offices. The facility is operated by a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The project was funded through Colorado’s revolving fund and RN Civil Construction had to comply with several state and federal requirements.
Final Thought Backed by its considerable industry experience, armed with a vast array of services, and bolstered by its reputation for reliability and consistent delivery of quality projects, RN Civil Construction has carved out a sustainable long-term niche.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: RN Civil Construction Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2002 Premiere Service: Water, wastewater and heavy civil projects
Owners: Dan Niehus, Dave Reynolds Website: www.rncivilconstruction.com
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Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC
An All-Star Collaboration Joint venture of Fluor Enterprises, Inc., American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc., and Traylor Bros, Inc. takes on $3.98bn Tappan Zee Bridge project Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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When taking on the largest bridge construction project in New York State’s history, a consortium of companies was required to execute the $3.98bn Tappan Zee Bridge endeavor. Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC, a joint venture incorporated in 2012, is made up of Fluor Enterprises, Inc. (30%), American Bridge Company (23.3%), Granite Construction Northeast, Inc. (23.3%), and Traylor Bros, Inc. (23.3%). The powerhouse companies combine local, national and international expertise under a single banner and received a notice to proceed in January 2013. The cable-stayed bridge owned by The New York State Thruway Authority is a Design/Build marvel that has made extensive use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The 3.1-mile span across the Hudson River is formally named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and links Rockland and Westchester counties. It replaces the 61-year-old Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge that opened in 1955. The bridge will have an anticipated lifespan of 100 years and will be fully operational by June 2018. The north span opened to traffic in August 2017 and will eventually carry the northbound and westbound traffic of Routes I-87 and I-287 and
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incorporates a shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians. Upon completion, the south span will carry the southbound and eastbound traffic of the two highways.
The Collaborators Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR): This global engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and maintenance giant designs, builds and maintains facilities for clients on six continents. Headquartered in Irving, TX it ranks No. 149 on the Forbes 500 list and had revenue of $19bn in 2016. American Bridge Company: Based in Coraopolis, PA, American Bridge’s projects include a significant proportion of the world’s large bridges, marine installations, and
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cutting-edge construction of complex bridges for more than 60 years, completing more than 135 major bridge projects across the nation. The company manufactures pre-stressed concrete structural elements in its precast yards and has developed some of the most innovative construction techniques in the industry. All told, the project has utilized more than 1,700 sub-contractors and suppliers while employing more than 7,000 individuals.
Site Safety other complex structures. It is renowned for its project experience, safety leadership, reputation for integrity and competence, commitment to in-house development of human talent, equipment fleet, and its advanced engineering technology. Granite Construction Northeast, Inc: This division of California-based Granite Construction operates as a civil contractor and is based in Tarrytown, NY. Its projects include highways and bridges, marine, airports, mass transit, and Design/ Build projects. Granite Construction offers airport construction services in New York and New Jersey. Traylor Bros. Inc.: The company has self-performed highly technical,
When major players join forces on projects of such scope, they bring with them industry standard safety protocols developed and refined through decades of shared experience. According to a fact sheet posted to the www.newnybridge.com site, TZC workers are required to: • Wear hard hats at all times in work areas • Wear hearing protection in the vicinity of operations that produce high levels of sound • Wear high-impact safety glasses with rigid side shields at all times • Wear thick work gloves at all times • Wear safety-toed footwear
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with ankle support at all times • Wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life vests when working on barges, boats and temporary trestles • Wear water-activated beacons that flash when submerged in water • Carry rust-proof whistles for long-distance emergency warning • Wear high-visibility vests and pants • Wear safety harnesses when working at heights of six feet or more
300,000 cubic yards of concrete and 220 million pounds of steel. When completed, the bridge will have eight general traffic lanes, wide shoulders and Emergency/Express bus lanes, and six scenic overlook locations.
Project Highlights
The bridge’s signature characteristic are its eight main span towers, which were topped off in December 2016. Each stands 419 feet tall, each slopes at a five-degree angle, and each includes internal maintenance
The numbers associated with the massive undertaking are staggering – 14 miles of main span cables, 50 miles of foundation piling,
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To enhance the collaborative effort and facilitate the sharing of information, members of the TZC team and Thruway Authority personnel are working out of the same office.
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North American Construction Journal elevators engineered to match the slope. A key component throughout the project has been the use of the I Lift New York super crane, one of the world’s largest. Owned by TZC and officially registered with the Coast Guard as the Left Coast Lifter, the crane sits on a 384-foot marine barge with a 328-foot boom with a lifting capacity of more than 1,900 tons – greater than the combined weight of 12 Statues of Liberty. The crane has allowed TZC to pre-fabricate huge sections of the bridge weighing up to 1,100 tons off site at Coeymans Yard before shipping them downriver for placement. All told, the crane set more than 100 assemblies of steel girders and multiple concrete pier
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caps. It is also assisting in removal of the existing bridge and the crane’s use throughout the project is estimated to save the state approximately $1bn. TZC has continually monitored environmental impact on the Lower Hudson Valley, placing data stations at each landing on either side of the river and other key locations to gather information on noise, vibration and air quality. Of particular concern is protecting the region’s endangered peregrine falcon population. Once the bridge is completed, more than six million man hours of construction time will have been accumulated.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name: Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC Country: U.S. Industry: Bridge construction Est: 2012 Premiere: Joint venture to build the new Tappan Zee Bridge Website: www.tappanzeeconstructors.com
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