BUILDING TOGETHER March 2019 Tommy’s Car Wash | Plainfield Township, MI
Upcoming Events April 1-5 | Spring Break Stay-Cation Register on EVinsite April 1 | E&V Store Opens for Purchase EVinsite April 10 | Safety Meeting E&V Warehouse April 10 | E&V YOUniversity Finishing and Painting E&V Warehouse April 19 | Good Friday Office is closed for 1/2 day April 22-25 | Safety Week Pinnacle Center April 24 | MiCareerQuest Devos Place Don’t forget to check EVinsite for all upcoming events and details!
Safety Tip: Underground Utilities: Always plan your excavation tasks ahead of time and ensure there is an emergency plan in place in case a utility line is damaged! BUILDINGTOGETHER | March 2019
WE CAN HELP EVERYONE, EVERY DAY DOUG EDDY SENIOR FIELD MANAGER “I’m from the government and I’m here to help!” You may have laughed or rolled your eyes at that, but there is truth to that saying. We are fortunate to work for a company that truly believes in “safety first”. E&V believes safety is #1 to us as employees, to the trade partners on our projects and to the industry as a whole. And while we are an industry leader in safety, the rest of the industry hasn’t always been on board. Therefore, in 1974 the State of Michigan passed Public Act 154 and created MIOSHA; and yes, they did this to help us. OSHA doesn’t investigate construction projects to catch you doing something wrong, they are actually focused on your employer’s compliance with MIOSHA requirements. The Act made it your employer’s responsibility to provide you with the tools and training to help you do your job safely.
Most likely the unsafe acts we see aren’t because the person woke up that morning with the intent to work in an unsafe manner or to get hurt, but rather they didn’t have a plan that involved safety. There will always be the renegade that will work unsafe regardless of the tools and training given. That situation would be a rare instance if all employers “Led From the Heart” and saw a moral obligation in the safety of their employees. It’s obvious when companies only have a written safety program and don’t have a safety culture. They don’t send their employees out with a plan to get the job done safely. These companies “stress out” during an OSHA investigation; some even instruct their guys to leave if OSHA shows up. Public Act 154 was enacted to help those employees. As leaders in safety, it’s also our job to help trades understand safe working conditions. With all of your help, we can continue to improve safety on every construction site, one project at a time.
We get frustrated with guys on our sites who see us as the safety police forcing our rules upon them, but our frustration needs to start with their employer. Page 1
WELCOME TO THE E&V FAMILY! Congratulations Team! E&V received the Pinnacle Award at the 29th Annual Excellence in Construction Gala on Wednesday, March 27 in Long Beach, California. In 2018, the company was honored with a National Excellence in Safety Award. The Pinnacle Award for safety is touted for recognizing the Best of the Best, an industry leader focused on providing an example for others to follow and taking an active role in providing training and guidance for other companies looking to better their program.
Dan Helfenbein
Firestopping Technician
Ray Schlegemilch Interiors Carpenter
Thanks to all of you for making this possible! We appreciate your commitment to keep our project sites safe on a daily basis!
Thanks for your hard work! I’ve been asked to highlight some projects the painting crew has worked on in the last six weeks. We’ve had a very full schedule for the start of 2019! As I reflect back, I realized that within that time period, we‘ve been part of 17 different projects. Eight of which both began and finished in the last three months. There are a few projects I’d like to highlight: Clark at Franklin, MedMen (West Palm Beach), Trinity Health (PBS-K) and Muskegon Career Tech Center. All of these projects are uniquely different and presented their own challenges. Clark at Franklin: We have been tasked to skim the existing wall infills on the first, second and third floors of the building. It’s unique because the infills are block. With the help of an awesome trade contractor, Pete Sass, the team was able to develop a system that provides a high quality product at an efficient rate. It’s the first time I have had to prep a wall for finishes with a grinder and a hammer.
Clark at Franklin
MedMen - West Palm Beach: I want to highlight this because on short notice we were able to send people down there to finish the peg board walls and hickory ceilings. Props to Parker Slagh who is working tirelessly and learning a lot very quickly. Thank you to George Martinez and Paul O’Brien, for their willingness to leave on a moment’s notice and working for long, hard hours to get the job done. Trinity Health - PBS-K: This project presents a lot of challenges because of the massive size (110,000-SF) and how fast paced the renovation is. It requires a lot of flexibility and long hours. While it may seem like an impossible feat at times, the amazing attitude of George Martinez and Bobby Erickson it makes it seem possible.
MedMen - WPB
Trinity Health - PBS-K
Lastly, I would like to highlight a unique opportunity we have to teach high school students about drywall finishing at the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center. For the third consecutive year, Eric Shafer is finishing an entire house with the help of about 30 teenagers. Thank God it’s him, not me. Great job Eric! I could go on and on about the incredible things our division is capable of, but I only have so many words. I’ll end it with: Dustin, George, Eric, Paul, Berto, Bobby, Parker, Xavier and Noah, I am honored to work with such talented and classy individuals. With our current backlog, I’m excited to see what the rest of the year will bring. Thanks Matt Harburn | Painting Division Manager BUILDINGTOGETHER | March 2019
Muskegon Area Career Tech Center Page 2
WRAPPING UP - BIG FINISHES IN THE MONTH OF MARCH Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of each of these projects! During March, we had several large projects wrap up, which is why we’re changing up this section to highlight each of them a little more! Read more about these projects at elzinga-volkers.com/projects.
UMRC - Kresge Skilled Nursing
LifeChange Community Church
Samaritas - Saginaw
Siliconature
BUILDINGTOGETHER | March 2019
Page 3
Congratulations Kelly!
April 22-25
Kelly O’Brien (EV Group) and his wife, Carly, welcomed their daughter Parker into the world on March 10!
Women in Construction
Please discuss this with trades on your project site! More information and registration can be found at: www.elzinga-volkers.com/safety-week Elzinga and Volkers will once again host our Alive365 Safety Week program in April! Kicking off the week, our Safety Symposium will center around accountability at every level in corporate safety programs. From corporate leadership to project managers and those with boots on the ground, how can managers ensure each person is following safety protocols day in and day out? Whether a 30 year veteran of the industry or a recent high school graduate, how can employees be kept accountable? We are also offering complimentary trainings and certifications for any of our trade contracting partners April 22-25. Trainings include lift training, first aid, OSHA 10-Hour, scaffolding, qualified rigger, fall protection, cultivating world class safety and a lunch and learn with MIOSHA.
The first week in March is recognized as Women in Construction Week. It’s a time to celebrate the women in the industry (especially ours!). Did you know, E&V’s workforce is comprised of 17% women? That’s 7% above the national average!
Open for Business!
In It to Win It.
On March 6th, Carey Portraz, Matt Harburn and Ryan Fuller teamed up to take on CWDA’s annual Rally event!
O P E N POSITIONS
We’re always looking for qualified individuals to join our team, and the best team members come from your referrals! Contact Rachel Austin if you have questions. We’re looking to hire people for the following positions: BUILDINGTOGETHER | March 2019
The E&V store is open for spring sales! Order logoed items now through April 13. Access to the store can be found on EVinsite. Traveling Field Manager Interiors Painting Experienced Concrete Laborer Firestopping Technician Project Manager Page 4