PHOTO: DENISE CRUZ
ODEBRECHT USA | APRIL 2010
With all that happens in our company, it’s important that we keep everyone informed. With that in mind, this newsletter captures the highlights of the first quarter of 2010. The stories are organized in 4 main sections:
O BUSINESS addresses our project accomplishments, and future opportunities we are working on; O
LIFE is all about people working and living the Odebrecht life;
O SOCIAL ACTION covers our efforts to impact the lives of people in our community; and O SUSTAINABILITY features our move towards sustainable practices. Our next edition will be published in JUNE 2010. We count on you to share both the small and the big accomplishments of the Company, Teams, and Individuals.
Your contribution is vital. Help us spread the w ord!
To make your contribution or learn how you can be involved in the creation of the Odebrecht USA newsletter, please contact Denise B. Cruz at dbcruz@odebrecht.com
BUSINESS
METRORAIL’S
PHOTO: DENISE CRUZ
MIC-EARLINGTON HEIGHTS CONNECTOR
During the past few months, the Metrorail MIC-Earlington Heights project has made excellent progress. As the U-beams and segments are erected, the guideway is beginning to take shape. More than 15% of the U-beams have been installed and erection of the segmental portion across SR-112 has begun; the first pier segment was put into place on March 22. The MIC station’s roof support (bent beams) has been completed and focus now is on the platform columns and beams. Installation of the roofing system is schedule to start by June 2010. Additionally, all three Traction Power Stations along the project’s extension are well underway.
The Team now looks forward to start the casting of the new guideway decks, the West Bound Tie-in with the current MDT guideway system, start the installation of the cantilever segments, advance the MIC Station to the Platform level and the initial procurement activities for the train control system. Additionally, the project has reached 250,000 man-hours without a loss time accident in March 2010, becoming entitled for the Safety Achievement Award that will be presented to the Team later this month. O
PHOTO: GILES GARRISON PHOTO: MARK POROPAT
Metrorail’s MIC-Earlington Heights Connector CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Transit COMPLETION DATE:
April 29, 2012 PROGRESS: PHOTO: MARK POROPAT
29%
BUSINESS
MIA
NORTH TERMINAL
MIA North Terminal CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) COMPLETION DATE:
June 28, 2011 PROGRESS:
80%
The North Terminal is on track to complete the final phase of the AB Infill Project delivering two additional International Gates, one additional security check point, and two Automated People Mover (APM) Stations.
The North Terminal continues to beat the schedule in the D-Remodel Project: Phase 3 is forecasted to be completed two months ahead of schedule, delivering one more international Gate.
Additionally, ten Concession Areas in the AB Infill Project have been delivered ahead of schedule.
Moreover, the North Terminal Team has achieved an important milestone with the start of foundations at the Teardrop Ramp, kicking off Phase 2 of the Federal Inspection Facility (C-FIS ) Project. O
The North Terminal is well underway in the process of assisting the Client in the partial re-opening of Concourse A by Summer 2010. This will result in seven additional Operational Gates, and the re-opening of remainder of the Concourse A and APM system by Fall 2010.
PHOTO: DENISE CRUZ
PHOTOS: ANDY ROMERO
BUSINESS
MIA Mover APM System CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Aviation Department COMPLETION DATE:
March 5, 2012 PROGRESS:
35%
PHOTO: GREG MEARS
Northbound Le Jeune Rd. Beam Erection
Southbound Le Jeune Rd. Beam Erection
MIA MOVER The MIA Mover project continues to make great progress. The beam installation over Le Jeune Road represent the project’s most recent milestone. In a process that lasted two nights, the Team worked from 11p.m. to 5 a.m. to get a total of six beams installed over the north and south bounds of Le Jeune Road. More beam erections are scheduled for the month of April and May to fill in the missing sections between the new MIA Mover station and MIC station. Even from the ground, clearly noticeable is the installation of guiderail posts and beams on top of the elevated guideway deck. The first section of guideway is scheduled to be turned over to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. for their system fit-out by the end of May. As for the MIA Station, construction continues toward the Roof Level with exterior block and column encasement of the Structural Steel Frame. The installation of MEP work at the ground level is proceeding as well in the adjacent Parking Garages to bring Chilled Water and Permanent Power to the Facility. O
LIFE
DAN’S LEGACY After 14 years of hard work, our colleague and friend Dan Spencer is retiring. From California to Iraq and back to Louisiana, Odebrecht USA has been blessed with Dan’s experience, dedication and passion for this business.
CULTURE PROGRAM
Dan, your leadership and kindness will be missed. Odebrecht was lucky to have you. Enjoy your well-deserved “vacation” (but you if get bored, you know where to find us!). Best of luck from all of us at Odebrecht. o
In the weeks to come, Odebrecht USA will launch its first Introduction to the Odebrecht Culture Program. Our goal is to make sure that 100% of our Team Members go through the program. We will have several sessions to accommodate everyone. Participants will be referred by their Leaders and distributed into the different sessions. The Culture Program is a tool created by the Organization to help you get to know, understand and practice the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO). The purpose is to make sure you know why it is important for you to develop certain Competencies and specific Characteristics so you can better succeed. The Culture Program will be a mix of guest speakers, presentations, and an interactive online tool that will guide you in the comprehension and reading of the books Survival, Growth and Perpetuity and Education through Work written by our founder, Dr. Norberto Odebrecht. The time has come for you to know more about TEO. Get to know it, understand it and practice it! o
OSHA 30-Hour Class: Participation of Small Businesses
The numerous trainings that have been made available to our Members, Clients, and Subcontractors have allowed us to raise safety awareness and practices. The high attendance of the OSHA 30-Hour classes is proof of the increased interest of our associates, including many Clients and Small Businesses. As Odebrecht USA continues to raise Safety awareness, we have decided to create a mascot and a slogan to represent our initiatives. An internal contest was held and Odebrecht Members submitted their ideas: the final result is a combination of Mark Poropat’s slogan and Ilú Rivera’s mascot. We hope you will embrace Safety Sam, and warn you that you will be seeing him around very often! o
PHOTO: DENISE CRUZ
LIFE
by Emílio Odebrecht
The strategy of decentralized management is still subject to doubts and questioning on the part of public officials and private companies. It shouldn’t be.
In the sphere of government, its adoption would result in a better-quality public service because there would be more clarity as to who is responsible for what; the base that serves the public would be prioritized, and we would have leaner support structures, especially at the top. When it comes to business organizations, decentralization is the best way to further the growth of businesses, by gaining more ground, and the growth of people, because it enables the creation of environments that are much like small firms, in which leaders and team members can think and act like the owners of the business. The idea is to form a synergistic confederation of small, autonomous firms. Why are so many companies not decentralizing? Most likely because decentralization is a process that requires trust. Without trust, I cannot delegate; if I cannot delegate, I will centralize, or worse yet, compromise. When I centralize, the company’s size determines the extent of my own possibilities; it is certainly not as big as the possibilities of everyone who comprises it. In order to work, the process of decentralization need not be restricted to services. It should also include management as a whole, with the corresponding responsibilities and authority, to ensure that those who are delegated responsibility can gain more ground and make full-fledged decisions when the time is right.
Responsibility without authority is a straitjacket; it is not delegated. And authority without responsibility is madness. The right to learn from one’s own mistakes should be part of the process. The magnitude and consequences of a mistake will be mitigated by applying what I call the pedagogy of presence. Those who delegate power and responsibility have the duty to offer their time, presence, experience and example to the delegatees. Therefore, decentralization does not mean abdicating power, because delegation requires the delegator and delegatee to be on the same page, culturally and philosophically, while fully mastering the business, its objectives, their priorities and desired results, and agreeing results-sharing in advance. It involves a relationship of partnership and trust between leaders and their team members. Viewed this way, decentralization is a process that must be monitored and evaluated from the perspective of mutual commitment: from leaders, who must be educators who can transfer culture and expertise; and from their team members, who must invest in self-development to achieve tangible and intangible results through the satisfaction of their Clients. O
SOCIAL ACTION
HAITI Port-au-Prince Airport: American Airlines Terminal before and after the reconstruction.
RELIEF
After three weeks of hard work, Odebrecht completed the restoration of the Port-au-Prince International Airport. On February 19th, the airport was re-opened and American Airlines was able to resume its operations. During construction, Odebrecht implemented training workshops for Haitian workers involved in the reconstruction project. The local workers received training in safety, demolition, carpentry, rebar, concrete and finishes. Meanwhile, Odebrecht contributed to Haiti earthquake relief efforts in Miami as well. Medical supplies, food, water, clothing, diapers and baby formula are some of the items that were bought and collected. Additionally, Odebrecht participated in the Temporary Protective Status (TPS) Drive organized by the Haitian Lawyers Association, in conjunction with the City of North Miami. Volunteers assisted more than 400 Haitians to apply for TPS status due to the earthquake.
SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY JOIN THE MOVEMENT.
ODEBRECHT USA IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE LEADERSHIP AND ACTION TO ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR ORGANIZATION, AS WELL AS THAT OF OUR CLIENTS AND COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. As we move forward in developing our sustainability goals and plans for this year, a series of campaigns will be launched to help us better understand the issues and challenges we are facing and to motivate innovation and positive change. We will form committees to help us set priorities and goals and implement changes. We invite you to participate, engage in this cause, help us figure out problems through innovation, and learn how we can work in new ways. If you are interested in taking part in a sustainability committee, contact Renata Pinheiro.
LEED Education is the core of our movement towards sustainability. We need to make sure we understand how to better serve our clients by offering solutions and alternatives that are more sustainable. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) provides a concise framework aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. We are happy to see that our group of accredited professionals is growing, and we encourage you to register. Take advantage of the incentives Odebrecht is still offering!! For more details contact Leticia Novis at (305) 341-8865.
Congratulations to our FOUR new LEED Green Associates: Victor Lavigne, Juan Zheng, Pablo Rodriguez and Colette Bashir.
GREEN KIDS
SCHOOL PROGRAM Odebrecht USA has initiated our outreach program in our current projects’ neighboring schools. Our goal? Reach 10,000 kids until the end of 2011’s school year. We are targeting children in underprivileged communities to instill in them a sense of responsibility for their actions towards the environment. Topics vary from water conservation, recycling, and energy use. The idea is to have participation of the Team Members from all projects and offices, and to promote interaction with the community. If you are interested in participating in the School’s Program, contact: NORTH TERMINAL – Maria Rios MIA MOVER – Mary Tude METRORAIL – Jackie Contney MAIN OFFICE – Leticia Novis NEW ORLEANS – Colette Bashir
NEXT EDITION: JULY 2010