Atlantic Plant Maintenance

APM: Delivering Excellence

Established in 1976 as a wholly-owned affiliate of General Electric’s Power Generation Services business, APM headquartered in Pasadena, TX provides maintenance and construction solutions around the world.

Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

Established in 1976 as a wholly- owned affiliate within General Electric’s Power business, APM headquartered in Pasadena, TX provides maintenance and construction solutions to industries and utilities around the world.

The company under the direction of CEO, Jake Locklear, and Chief Operations Director, Dan Reinhardt, provides multiple turnkey solutions across the industry. APM plans, executes, and manages various aspects of industrial and process construction projects including EPC, estimating, planning, project management, industrial installation, general construction, consulting, construction management, commercial support, building erection, process piping installation, and foundations.

Nimble and versatile, APM shines and takes great pride in its ability to tailor and match product requirements to the specific needs of each client across a wide array of sectors.

Following GE’s acquisition of legacy Alstom, the APM company acquired a U.S. boiler business in 2016 and began taking over management responsibility of a Canada boiler business in 2018.

“We don’t want to be a single craft business; we want to be a multi craft turnkey solution with relationships to many trades to meet any need as a turnkey partner to power customers. It made sense to bring the companies together – we need one standard for the business not one for boiler and another for turbine. We needed a consistent unified expectation to perform any need for our customers – no matter what technology or craft we are deploying,” says Locklear.

As Reinhardt explains, “our number one customer (GE) is also our shareholder. That makes us unique as we are measured by our ability to be good stewards of our projects and of the business.”

He estimates approximately 8,000

APM craftsmen will be on site at GE projects around the world this year, pushing $400 million in revenue.

What separates APM from others in its field?

“What differs is our professional integrity and the fact we do not compromise. It would be easy when we are resource strapped to grab someone who is not trained properly but we won’t compromise the job or the business. We will not do a job if we don’t have the people. We do not compromise the APM way. Our people take pride that we don’t sell out and that we are honest with the customer,” Reinhardt notes.

Building an Invested Workforce

Locklear stresses the company’s commitment to promoting a collaborative approach involving every employee.

“Our number one advantage is our Superintendents and craftsmen who deliver; without them we are nothing,” he says. “We have core values of safety, quality, and integrity and partnerships with our labor organizations. We see

this as a joint venture where we are contributing money into craft training programs, then deploying the best craft team to deliver the best outcome for our customers.”

The company’s Leadership

Development Center in Pasadena, TX boasts 80,000sf of classrooms and an industrial mock up deck with hands-on training to identify and develop key leaders.

“It is a mix of things designed to help the Superintendent and his team become the best they can be and deliver for the customer,” Locklear says. instructed to act like an owner, that their assets are theirs to run and to grow.

“We feel that by running an open and transparent business the byproduct is that our field resources feel like an owner. What we have done in the field is we have total buy-in with what they do on a day-to-day basis. Our job is to build the model and get it to the Superintendents who use the model every day,” he explains.

Reinhardt stresses the field teams are “They are stakeholders, and what they do on a day-to-day basis impacts the business. It’s key to communicate with your employees and to bring them in as part of the solution. It’s amazing what they can come up with in the

field. They like that they’re part of it, so I push ideas downhill to see what they keep coming up with,” Reinhardt elaborates.

Day-to-Day

As is the case across every sector of the construction industry, APM grapples with an aging workforce and a lack of skilled replacements with an approach that differs from others in the same predicament.

“Yes it is a challenge, but I think the challenge is we need to better advocate the need and value of a skilled trade. We need more skilled crafts here in the U.S., and it is a job people respect and value,” Locklear says.

Which goes back to APM’s concerted effort to develop an invested workforce.

“The best companies are the ones that don’t have talent shortages because people just want to work there and be a part of the culture. People want to be where they feel like they are part of the culture, where they feel like they make a difference and are part of an overall great experience,” Reinhardt explains. “You are a stakeholder and you have a say. We provide an experience and dynamic that people value.”

The company maintains strict focus on safety.

“Everyone knows the playbook on staying safe we are all running the same plays. . The focus has to be more on being intentional and mindful on safety, executing your safety disciplines each and every task, and not compromising when it gets tough. That’s when you identify where your true values are,” Locklear observes.

Reinhardt adds APM holds toolbox talks and empowers the STOP program at jobsites. Additionally, APM uses a daily safety discipline in which every employee is expected to identify their top three risks for the task at hand and make three personal commitments to mitigate the risks.

“We feel that by running an open

and transparent business … our

field resources feel like an owner. What we have done in the field is we have total buy-in with what they do on a day-to-day basis. Our job is to build and model and get it to the Superintendents who use the model every day.” “ - Dan Reinhardt, Chief Operations Director

Employees are expected to share their commitments and reflections with each other for accountability and shared learning. It not only keeps us safe, but it builds an interactive workforce where people get to know each other and want to build each other up.

“You need to fall back on your core values and training to do things the right way. I would rather have an argument about a missed schedule than tell a wife her husband is in the hospital tonight. I’ll have that argument every single time gladly,” he stresses. Reinhardt and Locklear both have extensive football background and Reinhardt describes their roles in the sport’s lexicon.

“In my mind, Jake is the head coach; he’s Belichick and I’m the offensive and defensive coordinator. I am there to support and coach folks in the operations group, more of a mentor,” he says. “To establish direction for the company is huge for the CEO. President Kennedy said we’re going to the moon. You can make that ask and if you have the right people you can make that happen.”

APM serves as a governing member of The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), the only multi-trade association that has a relationship with each of the historical 14 building trades. It is the premier national trade association for the union construction and maintenance industry with membership of more than 2,000 contractor firms.

TAUC’s tripartite dialogue methodology enhances cooperation among the union, the contractor, and the owner-client for successful project delivery.

Through TAUC, APM has access to an Environmental Health and Safety Committee that ensures its members are kept up to date on the latest safety policy developments at OSHA. Its Government Affairs Group is active in legislative efforts that affect the union construction marketplace. Its Industrial Relations Committee advances relationships with the 14 building trades.

“We had our first Industrial Grade Innovation (IGI) conference in Detroit last June and had contractors surrounded by companies like Dewalt, Procore, and Microsoft. It was all focused on innovation, safety, and technology. TAUC’s efforts to move the industry forward when it comes to technology makes it a very comprehensive organization,” Reinhardt notes.

Looking Ahead

The need for power is a given, meaning the solutions APM has provided for nearly 40 years will always be needed.

Reinhardt says: “No two days or weeks are the same. It is always changing, what new tech works and what does not. The different directions, the different hot button topics, and what solutions you come up with – the industry is ever-changing.”

Locklear concludes: “I am the first college graduate in my immediate family.That was the dream of my parents and grandparents. My grandfathers worked 25 and 43 years

for Ethyl Chemical Corporation on the Houston Ship Channel. One of my grandfathers passed 6 months before I was asked to serve APM as its CEO. If I told him I was the CEO of a major union construction company, he would have told me he was proud. We get to play an important role in making sure the lights come on, and that hard working, professional craftsmen and women go home safe to their families and communities. That is our passion, and we get up every day finding ways to deliver those outcomes while improving. It’s the people we work with and the process we are part of. We get to build the country – those things are inspiring.”

Jake Locklear, APM President &CEO

Jake has been part of the APM business for more than 13 years and currently serves in the role of President & CEO. Jake operates from a position of servanthood to the craftspeople that make up APM. He believes that the business starts and stops with their people’s safety and professional development. Jake received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2000 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. After spending two years at a Houston-based law firm, counseling employers in a variety of labor and employment contexts, he joined APM as the first General Counsel. In following years, Jake joined the Board of Directors in multiple roles, including Secretary and Vice President, before his promotion to President & CEO in 2015. Jake has also worked in close partnership with leading industry associations and government relations during his tenure, including his current role as President of The Association of Union Construction (TAUC).

COMPANY INFORMATION

Company Name: APM

Country: United States

Industry:

Power Generation Solutions

Dan Reinhardt, APM Chief Operations Director

Dan has been part of the APM business for more than 22 years and currently serves in the role of Chief Operations Director. Dan has deep technical and industry knowledge and experience, which is leveraged to mentor and lead the Operations functions across APM. Dan operates by empowering his teams to take big swings with the right information that improve the business and industry. Dan received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1981. The following year, he began his career at Westinghouse Electric as a Field Service Engineer, and later progressed into management over the business’ central region. He joined APM in 1996 and spent time leading the APM Specialty Services business before his recent promotion to oversee all APM Operations functions globally.

Est: 1975

CEO: Jake Locklear

Chief Operations Director:

Dan Reinhardt

Carlisle Brake & Friction:

Continuous Drive For Perfection

Carlisle Brake & Friction of Medina, OH is an industry-leading provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and transmission applications to OEM and aftermarket customers

Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

As it nears the end of its first century of operation, to say that Carlisle Brake & Friction of Medina, OH hit the ground running and never stopped might be understating the case just a bit.

Founded in 1924 by Samuel K. Wellman, the company has built an impressive legacy throughout its history. It developed and produced transmission linings for Henry Ford’s Model T in that same year, enabling the legendary automaker to bring automobiles to the masses and usher in America’s enduring love affair with the open road. “Our legacy has always been one of producing highly-engineered, specially designed materials and systems,” says company President Ted Messmer, a 1992 graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point who joined Carlisle in September 2015 and holds an MBA in Finance from the Fuqua School of Finance at Duke University.

Today the company employs between 1,500-2,000 individuals worldwide, generates $430 million annual revenue and is one of several companies under the diverse Carlisle Companies umbrella. It maintains nine manufacturing plants across Asia, Europe and in the Americas and is a member of the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA).

“We never rest on our laurels. We’re almost 100 years old and we continue to get better every day. How we service customers, develop products, manage operations through continuous improvement is always at the

A decade later the company’s revolutionary sintered metal disc brakes – the materials are fused together into a solid mass by combining pressure and heat without melting them – became standard issue in Goodyear Tire Company’s fleet of aircraft.

And so it has gone throughout Carlisle’s innovative history. The company has grown to become an industry-leading solutions “We never rest on our laurels. We’re almost 100 years old and provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and we continue to get better every day. How we service customers, transmission applications for OEM and aftermarket customers in the aerospace, mining, construction, military, agricultural, motorsports, industrial, highway, rail and renewable energy markets. “develop products, manage operations through continuous improvement is always at the forefront because there is always a way to do better.” - President Ted Messmer www.constructorsjournal.com

forefront because there is always a way to do better,” Messmer asserts.

“As an employee it is very inspiring because they know everyone around them has that same desire and that pursuit of excellence. That challenges you to do more and to enjoy what you are doing,” he adds.

Day To Day

Messmer sees his primary role as one of providing the company’s workforce the tools and training to be successful and the leadership and support necessary for each individual to achieve their goals.

“We empower our people and have a shared vision and a shared purpose from our customers all the way through our company. Having that shared vision of purpose and helping them be successful in turn makes the company successful. I try to make sure I understand the

“We never rest on our laurels. We’re almost 100 years old and we continue to get better every day. How we service customers, develop products, manage operations through continuous improvement is always at the forefront because there is always a way to do better.” - President Ted Messmer

needs of our customers and the needs of our employees and try to find ways to bridge any gaps in order to make us effective and to accomplish our goals,” he explains.

The company’s Carlisle Operating System (COS) focuses on robust, high quality processes and incorporates Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to drive continuous improvement for both the business and its customers.

“Every vendor we work with we insure has the same level of excellence in driving quality. We have very high expectations and work with our Supply Chain to make sure the right processes are in place to sustain high performance and on-time delivery. That’s critical when we’re building brakes that are stopping huge dump trucks or stopping planes on runways – there is no real room for error there,” Messmer says.

Safety is ingrained into the company’s culture. Carlisle maintains a safety incident rate that is half the industry standard.

“It’s something we’re very proud of. We have always have had a safety-driven culture, not only what our products do in the marketplace, but from the top down. We take care of each other [and] we’ve been able to maintain

that high degree of safety through COVID where employees are sometimes distracted,” Messmer notes. The company maintains a COVID dashboard on its website to keep employees up to date on protocol and procedure.

Membership in the NFPA has proven to be quite beneficial for the company.

“It keeps us in tune with regulatory changes and technology developments in the market and obviously helps in networking with suppliers and customers. Those are big drivers why we’re members,” Messmer says. The ongoing global pandemic is unlike anything anyone has seen in their lifetime. Despite its shattering impact on every aspect of life, Messmer says Carlisle is absolutely committed to operating as normally and as efficiently as possible.

“We’re a very global company and we’re absolutely racing to make sure all those plants are able to support our customers. It’s even more challenging when we’re in China, India and Europe,” he says.

From an operations perspective, every day presents the opportunity to become better in order to

produce the safest, most reliable brake systems that protect operators working in rugged terrain and dangerous climates around the world.

“We like those challenges. On top of that we’re clearly faced with the economics that drive cyclical markets. We have to ramp up production for when there is a shortage of materials or a heavy demand for infrastructure. We can go from developing a new product to ramping up very quickly to meet extreme economic market demands,” Messmer says.

Looking Forward

This company is never satisfied and will undoubtedly carry the same enthusiasm for the work it does into its second century of operation. It has invested heavily into new product development such as autonomous vehicles, electro-hydraulic technology, increased capabilities for off-highway products and braking by wire.

“Our legacy has always been one of producing highly-“engineered, specially designed materials and systems.” - President Ted Messmer

Research and Development is the beating heart of the company, which produces a dizzying array of well over 100 distinct products and is renowned for its wet and dry brake and transmission friction material competencies.

Looking back on his early career, Messmer says the piece of advice he might give himself would be this: “I would probably have more respect for the fact that the plane or train I was on stopped where it was supposed to stop and I was able to walk on and off safely.”

Which sums up what Carlisle strives to accomplish every second of every day quite nicely.

COMPANY INFORMATION

Company Name:

Carlisle Brake & Friction Country: United States Industry: Construction Est: 1924 Premier Services: Global solutions provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and transmission applications. President: Ted Messmer Website: www.carlislecbf.com