P1 HOME
CONNECTION May 2020
WORKING THROUGH COVID-19 INFORMATION IS GOOD. SOLUTIONS ARE BETTER. Project Healthy Buildings: P1 Group Responds to COVID-19
“Information is good, solutions are better.” This is the philosophy behind P1 Group’s approach to addressing COVID-19. When the virus began to impact business across the country, P1 got to work developing useful resources and real solutions for our customers. From Facility Management and Operations (FMO) to service and construction, many of our associates found themselves on the front lines helping customers in healthcare, industrial, commercial and other markets keep facilities running and able to meet the unusual demands caused by COVID-19.
“We educate them, then follow up to stay in touch. This disciplined outreach program has been beneficial in reminding our customers we care and we are their trusted facility solutions provider.” So what has life been like for our service professionals working in critical environments? When COVID-19 hit, P1 Group’s FMO division was among the first to begin intensive on-site safety training, due to the hospital clients our FMO team serves. According to Vice President Dave Beebe, P1 Group’s Safety and HR
Executive Vice President Phil Nehring explains how P1 Group partnered with other industry peers to look at ways to reduce pathogen spread in buildings. “We established a task force with peers around the United States, working with medical professionals, government agencies, and industry experts, to look at a number of ways to reduce the transmission of this virus,” Phil said. The result was “Project Healthy Building”, a group effort to put together ways to improve the health of a building, focusing on four primary areas: ventilation of buildings; UV light disinfectant in the air stream; indirect UV light for the space; and sanitation of hard surfaces with deep cleansing and fogging of the a facility
PROJECT HEALTHY BUILDINGS FOCUSES ON FOUR WAYS CUSTOMERS CAN IMPROVE BUILDING HEALTH
With the input of the group, P1 developed a series of tools including a COVID-19 resources web site, an educational webinar with three subject matter experts, and an in-depth healthy buildings solutions document that focuses on the use of UV-C treatment, building ventilation optimization, and facility disinfection. “We are proactively contacting our customers to let them know we have a service to reduce the transmission of the virus,” Phil said.
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
• Ventilation of buildings • UV light disinfectant in the air stream • Indirect UV light for the space • Sanitation of hard surfaces with deep cleansing and fogging of the a facility
P1 Connection Newsletter
divisions met with hospital staff immediately to ensure our efforts align with hospital policies and resources, with the goal of educating our FMO technicians on the hazards they face and how to protect themselves and others.
room to reduce risk of me bringing anything home to my family.”
The team has been safely working in COVID-19 environments, conducting needed maintenance on critical components of hospitals, like fire alarms, pneumatic tube transport systems, switchgear maintenance, mechanical rooms, and much more.
“I have to be health screened every morning and I have to wear a mask in the building. P1 Group supplied respirators, which I am required to wear when I get into the air-handling units. There are certain areas I can’t be in and I can’t shut certain equipment down due to it being in a negative room or area.”
Some of our technicians shared what working on the frontlines during COVID-19 has meant for them professionally…and personally. “When the virus first started, I had to sign a waiver saying I hadn’t been traveling on a cruise or any hot spots,” Allen Eastridge, Wichita Service Technician, said. “When I get on site [working at Hills Pet Foods in Emporia], I have to take my temperature and verify no symptoms. Of course, most places have plenty of hand sanitizer available.” Bill Heron, Lenexa HVAC Technician, has the double whammy of protecting himself and making sure he doesn’t bring anything home to high-risk family members. “One of the challenges is getting parts right now – I have a big project coming up I ordered parts for, but some now have a longer wait due to the pandemic,” Bill said. “Because my wife is high-risk, we have set up a room at home that has access to the outside and has a shower. We shut off the return in the
2
EDITOR: Victoria Hoffman WRITERS: Beth Martens, Victoria Hoffman DESIGN: Tiffany Oldham
“I have been doing preventative maintenance on the air handlers at Lawrence Memorial Hospital,” Paydon Shaw, Lawrence/Topeka HVAC Technician, said.
P1 associates working with larger hospitals, like Lenexa Senior Project Manager Clinton Gechter and Service Supervisor Sean Marconette, are running into the challenges of turning select hospital rooms into negative pressure rooms. NOTE: A negative pressure room uses lower air pressure to allow outside air into the segregated environment. This traps and keeps potentially harmful particles within the negative pressure room by preventing internal air from leaving the space. Negative pressure rooms in medical facilities isolate patients with infectious conditions and protect everyone else from exposure. “I’ve been working with a large Kansas City hospital. In the beginning, it was slow, just a few phone calls asking for some negative pressure isolation room ideas. Around March 9, things took off and it’s been nonstop since,” Clinton said.
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
“Larger hospitals face challenges like what areas to designate as COVID-19; making entire wings negative versus just certain rooms; and how quickly a specific room can be converted to negative if needed.” “P1 has rallied forces to work around the clock as needed to help the hospital get prepared,” Clinton added. “We have been able to work with certain vendors and have found some equipment that has outstanding lead times, which we were able to get on site and operational quickly.” “In addition to navigating the safe creation of negative pressure rooms, we have been trying to educate other P1 Group associates and our subcontractors about some of the hazards they are getting involved with in an operating facility, such as working on a roof,” Sean Marconette noted. “A regular exhaust fan could now be used for a negative room (where germs are isolated), so someone simply walking around near the exhaust fans could be at risk.”
In the days of COVID-19, the more remote jobs are desirable. “I’m lucky one of my jobs is at the T-Mobile cell towers because they are isolated” Chris Lentz, St. Joseph Service Technician, said. “But other jobs require a health screening before I can enter. I have asthma so I have some masks I can wear. I have an N-100 respirator and I have some N-95 masks on hand that I usually wear when I mow.” “When you have a crisis like this, it allows you to reflect on some of the things we may take for granted,” Phil noted. “Without the technical talent to carry forward the mission, we would be like everyone else. I cannot thank our associates enough for their dedication to excellence by continuing to challenge themselves every day to be better. “Not one person can do this alone, it takes a team and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by smart, hardworking and selfless people.”
“Without the technical talent to carry forward the mission, we would be like everyone else. I cannot thank our associates enough for their dedication to excellence by continuing to challenge themselves every day to be better.” -Phil Nehring, Executive Vice President STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
3
Project Profile: Aisin Light Metals LN2 Installation
When Chart Industries called upon P1 Group as a trusted ESP (Engineered Systems Partner) to do the LN2 (liquid nitrogen) installation/replacement at Aisin Light Metals, Project Manager Nick Lawless knew there would be challenges. Through the ESP Program, Chart helps P1 Group by bringing regional opportunities to our attention. In turn, P1 Group supports Chart by promoting their product and sharing opportunities with them as well. Nick says the most challenging components of this project were: • Measuring new piping while the equipment was in use and the new components were not in place • Installing a new system while existing system was running, with limited down time Overall, P1 Group installed 400 feet of new rigid piping and final connection hoses. “In order to replace the system, I had to go out and field measure
for new components being added while the equipment was up and running,” Nick explained. Nick said that besides the equipment being in use while he was measuring, new sub-coolers were being added at a later date and were not yet in place, forcing the team to “best guess” final valve locations. The team had to be nimble as well. During installation, the equipment was still up and running, producing parts. As each piece of equipment came off line, new piping was installed, requiring P1 Group to work quickly in between those production intervals. Nick says team members Brock Ryan and Trace Stone went the extra mile to ensure the success of such a challenging project. “Not only were Brock and Trace able to make sense of the layout as I had intended, they had to make some on-the-fly adjustments to some pretty unforgiving piping,” Nick said. “Since the system is engineered to order and it takes 4-6 weeks to
“Not only were Brock and Trace able to make sense of the layout as I had intended, they had to make PROJECT TEAM some on-the-fly adjustments to some pretty unforgiving piping.”
4
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
“
“Brock and Trace really brought this one home for us. Working right up until Christmas, away from PROJECT TEAMtheir families, they put a nice big bow on the entire package.”
produce, they had to be innovative in making the new system fit while the old system was still in play,” he explained. “While working safely, they had to crawl all over the equipment to place hangers and coordinate limited downtime for the more difficult-to-reach locations.” “We did a similar project at Honeywell, but this was the first time we were called upon for an ESP installation outside of the Kansas City Metro area,” he added. This meant the team was in an area with limited resources (compared to a metro area like Kansas City) and had to overcome obstacles in procuring parts for installation. In addition, Nick noted there was no way to make field alterations once the pipe was fabricated by Chart, leaving little room for error. Stepping in to work while production is in full-swing and getting the job done right is what P1 Group is known for, and the Aisin Metals project was no exception. “Brock and Trace really brought this one home for us,” Nick said. “Working right up until Christmas, away from their families, they put a nice big bow on the entire package.”
FAST FACTS: Aisin Light Metals LN2 Installation/Replacement LOCATION
CONTRACT AMOUNT
Marion, IL
$68,130
DURATION
9
PROJECT TEAM
days
NICK LAWLESS Project Manager
BROCK RYAN Foreman
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
TRACE STONE Journeyman
Completed December, 2019
5
Electric Guitars to Electrical Maintenance: Associate Profile on Jeff Gardner
There’s just something about electrical things that appeals to P1 Group Electrical Preventative Maintenance Manager Jeff Gardner.
finding the sound pleasing. I later learned it was a D chord. It should have been named the Jeff chord!” he said.
Jeff says he originally became an electrician because he enjoys working with his hands. He finds great satisfaction in doing something tangible, so it is no surprise he also spends his leisure time in an equally fulfilling manner.
After that, learning to play consumed the majority of his free time. He acquired many instruments over the years and has become proficient on guitar, bass, piano, and drums.
Not only is Jeff a skilled electrician, he is also a highly skilled musician and spends his free time playing the guitar and writing music. He learned to appreciate music at an early age. His brother, Jeff’s elder by four years, was already a drummer by the time Jeff was born. When they were little, they would pretend to be Alex and Eddie Van Halen. “I got my first guitar at seven years old. It came from what used to be the JC Penney Outlet at 75th & I-35 in Overland Park, KS,” Jeff said. “It was a bright red electric guitar and absolutely awesome. I paired it with a little Radio Shack amplifier and my brother and I set out on our musical journey of parental terror.” After receiving that guitar, Jeff proceeded to figure out how to play it. He said he would pick it up and see what sounds he could make with it. “I remember early on figuring out a finger placement pattern and
“All the instruments are self-taught and I play by ear. I’ve taken a few guitar lessons over the years, although my knowledge of theory is limited,” Jeff said. He taught himself to play by listening, so he’s familiar with a lot of other people’s music, but writing his own music is his true passion. He feels the act of creating something is more enjoyable than learning what someone else did. He describes it as the combination of melodic pleasure and mathematical discovery. “You can take the same three chords and write hundreds, if not thousands, of songs that are all different due to the patterns. The instruments present endless opportunity to create with finite materials. That’s fascinating to me and its grip has never let go,” Jeff explained. His musical passion has been fueled by a variety of styles and genres. He fondly remembers listening to “Happy Together” by the Turtles,
“I’ve come to value things like reliable income, healthcare, and overall stability. Those facets are seldom associated with career musicians in my experience.” 6
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
on his Fisher Price record player, but was also influenced by his older brother, whose tastes were more toward heavy metal. “As I got older I began to like Dave Matthews because he’s a fantastic songwriter with a unique playing style,” Jeff said. “But I enjoyed a combination of a lot of different music, like Tool, Helmet, Rush, The Police, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, and Phil Collins, to name a few. My favorite genre and artist will vary by the day and my mood.” Now he says his style is a mesh of all of it and he loves playing both acoustic and electric. Although music consumed a great deal of his time, he decided not to pursue it as a career because, he said, when weighing the options, his pragmatic side prevailed. “I’ve come to value things like reliable income, healthcare, and overall stability. Those facets are seldom associated with career musicians in my experience. Perhaps it’s a cop out, but I would also never want to push music to the point where it feels like work,” Jeff said. So what does the future hold for Jeff’s music? He wants to continue playing as much as possible and share it with his sons with the hope they derive from it the same passion and joy.
“I got my first guitar at seven years old. It came from what used to be the JC Penney Outlet at 75th amd I-35 in Overland Park, KS. It was a bright red electric guitar and absolutely awesome. I paired it with a little Radio Shack amplifier and my brother and I set out on our musical journey of parental terror.”
HAVE A LISTEN: You can hear some of Jeff’s music by clicking here.
Cute Family. Nice Belt! Jeff has been married to his wife Jennifer for 11 years. “She’s amazing and proof that at some point I was, in fact, a good salesperson,” he said. They have two boys, three-year old Tristan and five-year-old Hayden.
ith a er Jeff w g n u o y tly A sligh martial arts in black belt
Jeff’s interests range beyond music. “For a good part of my life, I’ve also had an interest in martial arts,” said Jeff. He began learning when he was 12, and is in pursuit of his 3rd Degree Black Belt. However, he has put that on hiatus since his P1 Group colleague, Project Manager Alex Van Leeuwen, urged him to take up mountain biking. “He’s been gracious enough to take me under his wing as a very experienced rider,” Jeff said. “So far it’s been a blast!”
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
Jennif er, J and Hayd eff, Tristan en
7
B I RT HDAYS + A N N I V E R S A R I E S Office and field associate birthdays and work anniversaries
MAY BIRTHDAYS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
MAURICE ASBIE PARKER DEAN TANNER HANSULD ANDREW HARRIS MORGAN MALM GERARDO PENA-ESTRADA AUSTIN COLE BARTOW DARRIN BRETTHAUER RON ISBELL RALPH PENA MICHAEL ROCKHILL ROBERT GONZALES TREVOR BURNS WILLIAM JONES DANIEL RANKIN KEVIN HARVEY KOBY MONEY DUSTIN RAINES THOMAS SPARKS CASEY WALSH III BO WEMPE KEATON MIDDENDORF ZACH NOLL ROBERT ZARO BEN PRUETT TRAVIS COOP CORY MANN DANYUAL ZARATIEGUI
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
MICHAEL FARVE RODERICK MOORE ANTONIO NAVARRO-MENDEZ JAY RIMEL JOHNNY HICKS JR RODGER BRICKER MATTHEW MACKO BRADY MUNSTERMAN TIMOTHY BURGESS DANIEL HEAD II JESSE ALVARADO JR ALEX RODRIGUEZ JOHN GREEN ANDREW NELSON WESLEY SMITH BRANDON VALENTINE SAMANTHA KEITH STEVEN MCINTOSH JIM DAHLIN CHRISTOPHER PATTERSON JAMES FOSTER II BRIAN MOORE STEPHANIE TEMMEL
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
WORK ANNIVERSARIES
5 YEARS: AARON DUNBAR ANDREW MAGINNESS ANTONIO NAVARRO-MENDEZ KENNY SANDS ALAN SPARLING 10 YEARS: JOSEPH BECK DARRIN BRETTHAUER TOM CRUMRINE GEORGE DEDRICK, JR BRANDON UNDERWOOD JACK VARNS
8
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
HAROLD GREEN DAVID MULDER DUKE NORRIS ADRIEL ROSS ETHAN MARTIN WARREN CHISM KALEB PALMER BRUCE WEIS MATTHEW BRUSH ROBB EDER JEFF ERDMAN KENNY SANDS SHAWN FRALEY JOSEPH MUNIS WILLIAM HINTON CARL LARSEN JASON LARSEN GUNNAR MCCARTNEY WILLIAM MICHAEL OWENS II MIKHAIL BASHMAKOV BRIAN BROWN BRAD DAVID
27 28 29 30 31
MARC CARPENTER DAVID MOAYEDI GERARDO MORAN CRUZ EUGENE SWINDALE BRYAN TONGUE MICHAEL SPELLMAN PAUL SPICER MICHAEL LINDSAY BLAKE HALTERMAN FRANKIE MARTINEZ DAVID YOUNG MELISSA WILSON
15 YEARS: MIKE GOSSMAN JESSE PARKS 20 YEARS: MELDAN ENGEMAN JOHN SHERMAN 25 YEARS: LARRY BOLZ
N E W FAC E S AND AWARD ED W O RK AWA RD ED W O RK
NEW FACES
CONSTRUCTION April, 2020
Mike Flores VDC Specialist - Piping Lenexa
Blue Valley School District/BVHS Addition Stillwell, KS | $148,620 | ELEC University of Kansas/Regnier Hall Elec. Room Lawrence, KS | $285,429 | ELEC University of Kansas/Waste Line & Dill Trench Lawrence, KS | $60,000 | PIPE USDA/Tenant Improvements Kansas City, MO | $747,254 | SM
NW MO State University/Student Union Roof Maryville, MO | $261,476 | PIPE Haskell University/Library Chillers Lawrence, KS | $1,842,392 | ELEC/PIPE Univ. KS Health System/Cambridge Tower 8 Kansas City, KS | $6,937,998 | ELEC North KC Hospital/Pharmacy Renovation Kansas City, MO | $755,090 | PIPE/PLBG/SM
CO VID -1 9 R ESO UR C ES P1 Group has been hard at work with other industry peers and health experts to create resources for you and your customers. Our COVID-19 Resource Microsite is continuously being updated with articles, videos, and more that include timely information and solutions for those working with facilities during this time. We know this is just the beginning of a “new normal”, and while no one really knows what that will look like, P1 Group continues to work with teams like “Project Healthy Buildings” to stay on the cutting edge of what’s next in terms of healthy building solutions for our customers Recently, we collaborated on a webinar featuring expert panelists Dr. Richard Jackson, M.D., M.P.H, Professor Emeritus, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health; Ken Lutgen, Marketing & Key Accounts Manager, SERVPRO of Olathe/Lenexa; and Dean Saputa, Managing Partner, UV Resources, each sharing insight into the spread of pathogens along with technologies and practices to help improve the overall health of your facilities. The webinar was a great success and is a recommended educational experience for all of us in this industry. Click the images to the left to visit these resources.
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
9
Pretty Amazing: Inspirational Stories It’s great what humans can do in the face of emergency, and these stories are no exception. sort, and sure enough, the directive came down from the DOD shortly thereafter. There was no time, Don had to make this happen NOW. “The mother of a girl on the softball team I coach owns the embroidery company Sew What?. They had done team hats for us. I saw she is now making face masks for COVID-19 protection,” Don explained.
SAFETY FIRST…AND FAST Don Campbell sat in a leadership meeting on Monday, April 6 hearing that the Department of Defense may require all personnel working at army and military facilities to wear a face mask of some
He immediately got in touch with his friend and asked how soon she could make 30 masks to meet P1 Group’s immediate need. The Sew What? team wasted no time in saving the day, working all night on the masks which Don picked up at 6 a.m. and was able to deliver to the jobsite by mid-morning on Tuesday, April 7. As the need for masks continued to grow for P1 associates working on site, Don quickly found additional vendors to deliver higher quantities, ensuring the safety of our customers and associates. “When it seemed like things were getting worse by the day in New York and Taylor's options had vanished I couldn't justify waiting any longer,” Laurie said. “I was worried they might take steps to keep people from leaving NY so I didn't want to risk that.” On March 27, she flew to NYC, got Taylor and a U-Haul, and drove back to Kansas City. “I was really hit by the enormity of the situation when my flight had only six passengers, and then an empty LaGuardia airport when I arrived,” Laurie remembers. “There were literally no passengers to be seen. It was surreal to say the least.”
RISKY BUSINESS…HAPPY ENDING When the news hit of just how hard New York City was impacted by the Coronavirus, Laurie Supplee (wife of P1 Group Vice President and Architectural Metal Team Leader Allen Supplee) knew she had to do something. Allen and Laurie’s son, Taylor, was getting ready to graduate from Columbia in New York City. His dream and long-term goal was to live and work in the Big Apple. Unfortunately, Coronavirus derailed his plans by making his living environment unsafe and squashing job offers.
10
Laurie and Taylor immediately hunkered down in quarantine from the rest of the family upon return, and today everyone remains healthy. While Laurie and Allen are happy to have Taylor safe at home, she says she’s truly sorry he had to change the plans he worked so hard for. “We know we are lucky to have gotten him home and that he will be a success wherever he is,” Laurie said. “But I'm still buying his Columbia regalia and taking graduation pictures, even if I have to Photoshop the campus in behind him! ” Laurie’s story even made the local news – watch the video here.
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
THANK YOU! P1 Group thanks ALL of our associates, from the essential office and field personnel who reported to their respective work sites every day, to those working at home doing their best to provide support and keep things going. Thank you for being team players and for navigating an unprecedented crisis with diligence and grace.
STAY IN THE KNOW! Like us and follow us on
11