ODEBRECHT USA | NOVEMBER 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 since September. 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 EARLY 2011. 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 development of the Odebrecht USA newsletter, please contact Denise B. Cruz at dbcruz@odebrecht.com
BUSINESS
MIA
NORTH TERMINAL
On September 15, the North Terminal’s SkyTrain and its four stations were opened to the public as scheduled. With the SkyTrain in operation, passengers can now easily traverse the 1-mile long North Terminal using the automated people mover system, and the MiamiDade Aviation Department and American Airlines were able to open the remainder of gates at Concourse A. A total of 17 gates were opened in 2010 and only six more remain to be opened in 2011. The North Terminal recently won Southeast Construction’s Best of 2010 Award in the category of Best Vertical Transportation Project and was also presented with a Safety Award by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department for achieving 500,000 man-hours without a loss time injury. O
MIA North Terminal CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) CONTRACT AMOUNT:
$1,055,501,216 COMPLETION DATE:
June 28, 2011 PROGRESS:
86%
BUSINESS
VPP STATUS
MIA MOVER The MIA Mover has obtained OSHA’s most prestigious occupational health and safety recognition in the United States – the Star VPP status. VPP, which stands for Voluntary Protection Program, recognizes employers who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. Star status is the highest status within the VPP program. The MIA Mover is the first project in Florida and second in OSHA’s Region IV (which comprises eight States) to receive this recognition. Scheduled to be operational in September 2011, the MIA Mover is also aiming to obtain a LEED GOLD certification. O
MIA Mover APM System CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Aviation Department CONTRACT AMOUNT:
$259,441,250 COMPLETION DATE:
March 5, 2012 PROGRESS:
58%
BUSINESS
METRORAIL’S
AIRPORTLINK
The AirportLink project has made excellent progress over the past few months. More than 60% of the station signature roof has been installed and it has successfully passed hurricane force tests. On the guideway portion, segmental erection over SR-112 has been completed and only 29 of the 139 U-Beams remain to be erected with 90% of the deck completed. All three Traction Power Substation buildings will be completed by November 2010. Electrical and Systems installation to start by December 2010. Due to the project’s continuing commitment to safety, Miami-Dade Transit has once again presented the AirportLink Team with safety awards: “One year without an accident” and “500,000 man-hours without an accident”. The AirportLink project, which is also working towards VPP, has already reached 400 days and nearly 750,000 man-hours without an accident. O
Metrorail AirportLink CLIENT:
Miami-Dade Transit CONTRACT AMOUNT:
$360,405,395 COMPLETION DATE:
April 29, 2012 PROGRESS:
53%
BUSINESS
NEW ORLEANS Both US Army Corps of Engineer projects in New Orleans - the West Return Floodwall and the Pumping Stations Fronting Protection - have been mobilized and are making progress.
LPV 9.2 Lakefront Pump Stations 1 thru 4 CLIENT:
US Army Corps of Engineers CONTRACT AMOUNT:
$174,147,922 COMPLETION DATE:
June 13, 2013 PROGRESS:
13%
LPV 03.2b West Return Floodwall CLIENT:
US Army Corps of Engineers CONTRACT AMOUNT:
$82,642,365 COMPLETION DATE:
April 12, 2012 PROGRESS:
1%
BUSINESS
ODEBRECHT USA: 20 YEARS
VISIT FROM THE ODEBRECHT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In town for Odebrecht USA’s 20th Anniversary celebration, members of Odebrecht’s Board of Directors took the opportunity to tour the projects in Miami. They visited the Metrorail AiportLink, the MIA Mover and the 1-mile long North Terminal, where they rode the recently inaugurated SkyTrain.
MD-80 RELOCATION
2010 CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARD For more than fifty years the Construction Association of South Florida has been awarding individuals for their exceptional work performed in the field. Nominations for the Craftsmanship Awards are received from employers, contractors, developers and owners throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. November 4, Bob Giesler of General Crane received the 2010 Craftsmanship Award in the Crane Rigging and Hoisting category for the work performed during the relocation of the 39-ton MD-80 plane donated by American Airlines to the George T. Baker Aviation School. The job required lifting the plane from Miami International Airport over SR-112 and LeJeune Road. Odebrecht nominated Giesler for the Award and Team Members involved in the MD-80 project attended the event. O
LIFE
On October 13th, Odebrecht celebrated its 20 years of operation in the United States. The event took place in the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts where local Leaders, Clients, Partners and Team Members gathered to commemorate this important milestone. Present at the celebration were Odebrecht Board Members Aluizio Araujo, Gilberto Sá, Luiz Almeida, Renato Baiardi, Sérgio Foguel and Victor Gradin, Braskem’s President Bernardo Gradin, and President of Odebrecht S.A., Marcelo Odebrecht. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, County Manager George Burgess, and Commissioners Carlos A. Gimenez, Joe A. Martinez, Dorrin D. Rolle and Natascha Seijas were also present in the event. The cocktail reception was followed by performances by local South Florida artists who had the opportunity to showcase their talents on the stage of Miami’s most iconic venues. After the show, guests were presented with FEED bags – each bag acquired by Odebrecht USA will feed one child for an entire school-year as part of United Nations World Food Program. Inside the bag, a commemorative book of Odebrecht USA’s 20th Anniversary – “The Elements of a Living Company.” o
LIFE
DECENTRALIZATION
FOR GROWTH 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
AIRPORTLINK
REBUILDING TOGETHER The sound of hammers, shovels and saws aren’t new to Eddie Fitzpatrick, Sr. Starting as a laborer and working up to a construction superintendent, Fitzpatrick was surrounded by jobsite noise for most of his life. Now it’s not noise he’s hearing, it’s the sweet sound of repair. Odebrecht and its joint venture partner teamed up with “Rebuilding Together” to repair Fitzpatrick’s home, in addition to three other Earlington Heights families, with a dedication on Saturday, October 16th. All four houses are within blocks of the Metrorail extension project by Miami Dade Transit, the Airportlink Project. The Joint Venture and Subcontractors provided materials and manpower - 75 volunteers pitched in to provide repairs to the four houses in dire need of attention, making them safe for their owners.
The Richardson Home BEFORE
“My life used to revolve around the construction industry and I am so thankful that they (Odebrecht and JV) are giving back by helping to repair my home,” says Fitzpatrick. “My health may have left me unable to work or fix my house, but I have heart and it is filled with pride when I see what these wonderful folks are doing for our community.” “The new AirportLink project is a huge boom for the area and we want to show our appreciation by offering our services and support to these families in need,” says Paulo Brito, AirportLink’s Project Director. “Many of these homeowners have experienced unforeseen obstacles that have caused their houses to fall into disrepair. It is an honor for us to use our resources to help repair their homes.” o
Extra Walker, owner of one the homes repaired
The Richardson Home AFTER
The Bateman Home AFTER The Fitzpatrick Home BEFORE
The Fitzpatrick Home AFTER
The Bateman Home BEFORE
The Walker Home (interior) BEFORE and AFTER
SOCIAL ACTION
BACK-TO-SCHOOL
SHERIDAN HOUSE
Since 2007, Celi Sherwood has been collecting school supplies for Sheridan’s House Single Mom’s Back-to-School event. “When I really began to understand the concept of my PA, my leader at the time encouraged me to do my part in giving back to the community,” said Celi who chose Sheridan House because of their outreach program to single parents which offer training in finance, parenting, resume and interview preparation and more. “The goal is to prepare the single moms with the training and knowledge necessary to succeed and stand on their own two feet.” Like the Toy Drive (started by Mike Zipse more than 10 years ago), the school supplies collection is getting bigger every year; For the 2010-2011 school year, we were able to provide school supplies to more than 300 children thanks to generous donations by Team Members and support from partner companies and individuals o
MIA NORTH TERMINAL
SCHOOL TUTORING PROGRAM
On September 24, 2010 North Terminal volunteers for the “Green Kids” program visited the two schools adopted by the project - Kinloch Park Middle School and Fairlawn Elementary School - to deliver Odebrecht’s contribution to the after-school tutoring program, assist with the purchase of books and training of the tutors. o
SUSTAINABILITY
RECYCLING PROGRAM As part of our Sustainability Program, we are implementing a new recycling program in our offices and jobsites. Odebrecht encourages you to actively participate in our company’s recycling effort. Some recycling initiatives have already been implemented and your “green” mug is a reminder to use less and recycle more. From paper and normal everyday garbage to a variety of construction materials, Odebrecht is looking to reduce our waste and impact to environment. And with everyone’s participation, we are confident that we can do it! o
LEED ACCREDITATION
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATES Odebrecht USA has three new LEED Green Associates: Alex Pou, Cesar Corch and Deborah Hampton. If you would like more information about how you can become LEED accredited, please contact Thais Reiss at treiss@odebrecht.com. o
EDUCATION THROUGH WORK
INTERNSHIP FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS This past August our Sustainability Internship Program was launched at the MIA Mover project. The Program’s objective is to provide young adults from our partner high schools with an opportunity to broaden their horizons and learn about our business. During a three-month period, the intern rotates amongst different areas of the project learning by “Education through Work.” This pilot stage of the program had Miami Jackson High School graduate Michelle Quintana as an intern at the MIA Mover. Michelle, who is now attending FIU, said the program helped her a lot in maturing and defining her path at the university. “Three months prior to my internship, I never thought that I would have the fortuity of solidifying my ambition and decision of what would become of me,” she said, “I strongly believe that the program will effectively benefit others as well.” Michelle’s experience was only the beginning of the Sustainability Internship Program and there’s plenty of room to grow so let’s get onboard! o
NEXT EDITION: JAN/FEB 2011