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SEPT 2018
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Raising the Bar: Training Curriculum Builds Better Service
COMMITTEE Management Team: Stuart Sherrow, Vice President/Lenexa Tony Whited, Vice President/Lenexa Phil Nehring, Executive Vice President John Cobb, Assistant Service Manager Adam Collier, Service Manager Kevin Colvin, Service Technician Kyle Cullen, Service Tradesman Jim Dahlin, Project Manager Brad David, Service Supervisor Mike Haycock, Service Supervisor Sharon Haycock, Operations Analyst William Heron, Service Tradesman Brad Herring, Service Technician Matt Keister, Apprentice Sean Marconette, Service Supervisor David Pate, Service Manager Kyndel Paulsen, Fitter Journeyman Randy Presley, Service Supervisor Ryan Rotterman, Service Supervisor
Talented technicians are just one of the ways P1 Group excels at customer service. That’s why P1 put together a service technician training committee. The committee was assembled over the summer with the goal of developing a technical training curriculum that will address the topics most vital to our associates. The class schedule rolls out this fall, and the training will be offered each year from September through April. Most classes will be held in the Lenexa Training Center, but some will also be delivered at other P1 office locations. Although training will initially be focused on HVAC service, the goal is to expand content to plumbing, electrical, piping and even extend into interpersonal and communication skills.
Through surveying and research, the committee drilled down to discover what training HVAC technicians needed most. A survey was sent in June, and the initial class list was selected based on responses. From there, committee members broke into sub committees. Each took a topic to research and a syllabus for each class was developed along with the number of class hours and any prerequisites. “The training is yet another way we consistently enrich our customers’ experience,” Vice President Tony Whited said. Ultimately, the committee says the mission of this training is improving technical skills to achieve three things: increase productivity, provide economically positive impact and create customers for life.
“An industry competitor once asked our CEO Smitty Belcher ‘what if you invest all that time and money in employee training and they leave?’ to which Smitty replied “what if I don’t train them and they stay?’”
-Tony Whited, Vice President
CLASSES VRF Fundamentals
Boiler Trouble Shooting
Multistack Chillers
Pumps, Hydronics
Chiller Trouble Shooting
VFD Programming: Trouble Shooting/by Manufacturer
Things She Ain't Got Time For: P1 Group’s Hilary Edwards Fights, Wins and Earns Buck O’Neil Award
“I don’t have time for this.” That was P1 Group Proactive Solutions Consultant Hilary Edward’s first thought when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on February 16, 2017. “I told my husband, don’t worry, I got this.” If anything, Hilary says, the whole thing seemed like an annoyance - an inconvenience she was set on getting rid of as quickly as possible. Thanks to a close friend, Hilary was able to get in to KU for a second opinion.
I could to give it a fair, fighting chance to stay strong and maintain the fight.” July 20, 2017 was supposed to be her last chemo treatment, and she made sure it was. Then it was time for surgery - and the holidays. On August 19, 2017, Hilary was already declared NED (no evidence of disease). Tissue biopsies, tumor biopsies, and lymph node biopsies came back clear. “My bilateral mastectomy was August 14, 2017. Reconstruction was November 13, 2017. I finished before the holidays!”
“P1 Group made it clear that my position was always secure and my focus needed to be on getting well. P1 Group is a family company with family always at the core. They embrace each and every associate as family.” -Hilary Edwards, Proactive Solutions Consultant The news wasn’t good. “Based on their findings of the mammogram, ultrasounds, biopsy, and MRI, they deemed my cancer very aggressive and it was imperative I begin treatment immediately,” Hilary recalls. “We were told to plan on spending the remainder of the year (it was only February!) on fighting this battle, and my response was, “I want to be finished before the holidays; how do we make this happen?” When Hilary saw actual dates on her treatment schedule, she knew success was the only option. “I was going to reach those dates, on time. I knew I could push my body and get it to respond the way I needed it to, and I would do what
Hilary says she couldn’t do any of it without her support network. “I was simply blown away by the support – from my family, my friends and especially P1 Group,” Hilary said. “P1 Group was amazing! I was encouraged to work when I felt well and work from home to protect my compromised immune system. Colleagues checked on me,” she said. “There was a huge care basket from my team. Food, cards, and flowers flowed into our home. P1 Group made it clear that my position was always secure and my focus needed to be on getting well. They embrace each and every associate as family.” Congratulations on your victory, Hilary, you’re truly an inspiration!
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The Journey of Hilary’s Hair
The Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat
How do you keep your network of concerned friends, family, coworkers and supporters connected throughout your journey? Hilary cleverly decided to tell the story through the journey of her hair. She created a private Facebook group called “The Journey of Hilary’s Hair” where she could share her experience in a creative, fun and powerful way, opening with the following statement. “As I begin my cancer journey, my hair will also be going on this journey to ultimately take an extended vacation from my head. As a way to track this journey, we will post fun photos of the way my hair will change, disappear, and ultimately return from its chemo vacation.” She tried a LOT of looks:
By chronicling her journey, Hilary gave the people in her life a way to connect with her experience and the outpouring of love and support on each new post was never lacking. “The Journey of Hilary’s Hair started as a request from some of my childhood friends back home in Portland. They knew I didn’t want to live and breathe cancer, but they wanted a way to be kept informed and up to date on how things were going,” Hilary said. “It became an avenue for me to encourage others; to stay positive, stay hopeful; it also held me accountable to focus on the big picture; the end goal; to remain as positive as I knew I was capable of. “Having this page to look back on confirms how incredibly lucky I was on so many levels and how, overall, my cancer journey was relatively easy compared to what most have to endure. 3
Hilary’s relentless fighting spirit certainly caught the attention of her surgeon and medical team at Kansas University Medical Center. Her team nominated her for the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat at Kauffman Stadium. Baseball icon Buck O’Neil spent many days and nights supporting the Royals from the same seat behind home plate at Kauffman. The Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat program fills “Buck’s Seat” for every home game with a member of the community who, on a large or small scale, embodies an aspect of Buck’s spirit. Hilary was described by her cancer care team as “a breath of fresh air.” Her nomination read: “Hilary went through chemotherapy and a bilateral mastectomy with grace, poise, and a positive attitude. Hilary and Tyler are now large supporters of other cancer-related events in the community, and attend Treads and Threads, which her employer P1 Group is a title sponsor. Hilary participated in the 2017 Komen Kansas City Race for the Cure and was recognized as 1 of 40 breast cancer survivors at the NASCAR Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in October of last year.” “I was beyond humbled, with no words, to have been nominated by my phenomenal surgeon and her team,” Hilary said. “To be awarded the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit in the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat made for a truly ‘great day at the K!’” Hilary proudly took the seat surrounded by close friends and family on August 12. Read Hilary’s KU Patient Story here!
Pitt State Construction Prof Trades Knowledge with P1 Group P1 Group had the chance to serve as a classroom over the summer for a Pittsburg State University construction science professor who wanted to learn more about current trends in the industry. Associate Professor Shannon Nicklaus also had some advice for P1 on tactics for recruiting the best students from construction and engineering programs. Shannon, who leads Pittsburg State’s Mechanical Contractors of America Chapter, and Kollin Knox, P1 Group President, met at an MCA event a few years ago. Kollin invited him to utilize P1 Group as a learning lab anytime. Nicklaus quickly made a trip to P1’s Fabrication Shop in Lawrence, with video camera in hand. He found that the plumbing fabrication video he made was a highly successful teaching tool. “Instead of taking the time to explain things in detail – that eats up 30 or more minutes of lab time – the students watched the video before class so when they got there they were ready to do the assignment,” said Shannon. This summer, Kollin invited Shannon to be at P1 as much as he wanted and together they worked out a schedule so Shannon could learn more about facets of the industry that would most benefit his students. He spent part of that time out in the field, visiting job sites. In the office, he worked with VDC (Virtual Design Construction), estimating and service departments. He also shadowed Brady Kyle, a P1 Group Project Engineer who is a relatively recent Pittsburg State graduate. “He is young enough that he understands where we’re at in school and I was able to talk with him about what students need to know when they first graduate,” said Shannon. P1 Group’s college recruitment team members had the chance, in turn, to talk with Shannon about the best ways to encourage students to think about careers at P1. He advised P1 to play up the innovative aspects of the company and, also, the fact that interns or new graduates at P1 will
Shannon and Sarah discuss Bluebeam. 4
Kollin Knox, Shannon Nicklaus and Sarah Garcia at P1 headquarters. be directly involved in challenging projects; they will be fully immersed almost immediately. “Let them know they aren’t going to get here and push a broom,” he said. “They are going to jump right in on projects. Show them projects, talk about the challenges and rewards of the projects and emphasize they do not need to be a mechanical engineer to be highly successful as a project manager for a mechanical contractor.” Kollin said it was truly a pleasure to have Shannon spend time at P1 Group this summer. “Through this partnership, we gained a better understanding of construction from an academic perspective while Shannon had the opportunity to participate in the daily activities of a specialty contractor,” he said. “I’m confident Shannon will take his findings back to the classroom which will only help improve the students’ experience while preparing them for a career in construction. Shannon is a great advocate for the mechanical and electrical industry and we’re continually impressed with the quality of students from Pittsburg State University.”
P1 Plumber Takes Second at UA National Competition Tanner Hansuld, a P1 Group plumber who finished his apprenticeship in June, placed a very close second at the 2018 UA National Apprentice Competition in Ann Arbor, Mich., August 11-15. A member of Local 8 Plumbers and Gasfitters, Tanner went to nationals after placing first at state and then winning his regional competition in Minneapolis this summer. At nationals he competed against six other plumbers representing Denver, Pittsburgh (PA), Buffalo, Houston, Toronto and the Australia Plumbing Trades Employee Union. “Local 8 is very proud of Tanner,” said Chris Simmons, Local 8 Training Coordinator. “We have not had a member reach this level since 1973. Tanner did not win this year but he was a very solid competitor. He made Local 8 and P1 Group look very good.” The competition spanned five days – two days of written testing and three days of hands-on projects. Tanner said the most challenging portion was a bathroom rough-in project in which contestants installed fixtures and a water heater in 12 hours. Other hands-on work included a layout project, copper soldering and a brazing project. Tanner said his apprenticeship and his experience in the field at P1 Group prepared him well for the pace and intensity of the competition. “Working at P1 definitely helped me,” said Tanner. “I’ve been able to get experience with different types of projects, like healthcare and industrial, working with different systems,” he said. “I didn’t feel like they threw anything at me that I didn’t know.” Tanner ‘s dad, Ray Hansuld, a warehouse driver, has been with P1 for nearly 20 years. Tanner started his apprenticeship with the goal of working at P1, and he marked that milestone officially after turning out this summer. Currently, he is on a project at St. Luke’s South. Congratulations, Tanner! Way to represent!
Tanner Hansuld at the Saint Luke’s South jobsite earlier this week. Photo credit: Nate Christensen, Foreman
If P1 Group Was a Piece of Art...
“Metallic Weave” has been hanging on the wall in Lenexa for a few weeks and gets lots of compliments from P1 associates and visitors. It does seem to fit right in.
...it might look like this. Walking through an art fair in Venice, FL, a few months ago, Smitty and Donna Belcher happened upon some art they thought would be perfect for P1’s Lenexa lobby. The piece, “Metallic Weave”, was created by Joseph Ferris, a metal artist. “We were drawn to the stainless steel look and the colors (black and red). We thought it was perfect for P1,” Smitty said. Ferris has a background in industrial design and he creates large metal sculptures as well as unique metal wall art. He typically begins his wall pieces with simple linear and circular designs and then uses advanced metal finishing processes to etch the metal so it reflects light. Finally, he adds several coloring applications to create vibrant colors. Thanks to Smitty and Donna for this creative contribution! 5
: More than Meets the Eye
Do you have a project with equipment needs beyond P1 Group’s typical trade skills? Are there heavy, complex pieces of machinery being moved or set? Are major conveyor systems involved? Do you need to construct a pre-fabricated office or erect a storage mezzanine? Is equipment or a structure being demolished? The Millwrights can handle it. Millwrights were once specialized carpenters, dating back to antiquity, who completely designed and constructed mills (of the flour, saw, paper and fulling varieties). Due to its historical roots, Millwrighting is considered one of the oldest engineering trades. Most of us know the P1 Group Millwrights work in heavy industrial and manufacturing environments moving and installing large and/or complicated equipment. But there’s a lot more to their capabilities. Today’s Millwright installs and dismantles machinery and equipment according to specifications in layout plans and blueprints. “We are precision experts when it comes to machine and equipment alignment using cranes, hoists, jacks, micrometers, and optical laser alignment tooling to set equipment down to the 1000ths of an inch,” P1 Group Project Manager Jim Nisely said. “P1 Group millwrights can repair, troubleshoot and perform maintenance work in manufacturing plants, power plants and other factories.” Nisely also notes Millwrights have to have exceptional problem solving skills, because they work on the maintenance aspect of moving equipment and manufacturing lines that can only be out of service for short periods of time. “We have the ability to get into deep maintenance and work on complicated pieces of equipment that require precision alignment,” Jim said. Remember to think of customer opportunities outside your area of expertise, and keep Millwrights in mind for your next opportunity or service call. “When performing our typical service at a plant or manufacturing facility, there may be other opportunities to increase business and revenue by looking at what a Millwright could provide,” Nisely said. “We might secure a contract that wasn’t expected, or we may be able to add on to what service is already being provided. It’s a win-win because it adds value to the customer and revenue to P1 Group.” If you have a customer or opportunity that might benefit from Millwright capabilities, contact Jim Nisely at 816.215.1780 or jim.nisely@p1group.com.
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Millwright Capabilities Shaft coupling alignment: optical laser and dial indicator alignment procedures Heavy equipment rigging, hauling and setting Welding Structural steel fabrication Machinery fabrication Machinery assembly and disassembly Overhead conveyor systems Bulk handling conveyor systems Dust collector and baghouse assembly and installation Screw conveyor systems Drag conveyor system Belt conveyor systems Bucket elevators Machinery safety guarding and fencing Package handling equipment Robotics and automation equipment installation Steam turbine installation, rebuilds and maintenance Gas turbine installation, rebuilds and maintenance Blueprint reading: basic, intermediate and advanced Pre-fabricated enclosures such as refrigerated and office enclosures Precision grouting for equipment or structural base plates Perform all duties of a carpenter Demolition of all types of equipment and structure
Project Profile: Churchill Containers Plant Relocation Working Together to Increase Bottom Line Talk about keeping Millwrights in mind, when Proactive Solutions Consultant Ann Liggett went on a cold call with Churchill Containers, she learned they were getting ready to relocate their operations to a new facility. Even though Churchill’s mechanical work was covered by another contractor, Ann told them about P1 Group’s additional capabilities and the client expressed interest in having our Millwright and Electrical experts look over their new plant. “This is a great example of a project that followed a process of sales making first contact and the rest of the team following through to be awarded the project,” Jim said. P1 Group ended up landing both the Electrical and Millwright work for this client, leading to a $1,700,000 contract awarded in September, 2017 and completed in February, 2018.
Scope of Work Designed, provided and installed (1) storage mezzanine with a capacity of 150 lbs./sq. ft. that was 32’Wx83’Lx15’H. Design included (18) 5x5x3 piers to support platform Design included area underneath platform to be enclosed with prefabricated panels creating a maintenance shop and pump room. Design included (2) 10x10x10 pre-fabricated offices to be installed on the top of the mezzanine. Designed and installed (1) Fork Truck Ramp 14’-6”W x 40’-0” L Designed and installed (1) Silo foundation 18Wx50Lx2’D Designed and installed (6) foundation footings for Chiller Tower Designed, provided and installed (1) pre-fabricated area 24Wx40Lx8H underneath existing mezzanine. Designed, provided and installed (1) pre-fabricated grinding room 25Wx26Lx16H. Designed, provided and installed (1) pre-fabricated maintenance office 12Wx18Lx10H Designed, provided and installed (1) manufacturing firewall 180’-0”Lx24’-0”H
Included (1) Fire rated 12x12 roll-up door and (1) Fire rated 10x10 roll-up door Designed, provided and installed (3) 8020 fenced areas for maintenance storage and maintenance repair.
SEE IT IN ACTION! Watch the time-lapse video of Churchill Container’s SFQ (Level 2 Safe Quality Food) plant section coming together. 7
Provided services to relocate (4) plastic mold machines, (2) robot cells, (2) color printers (2) grinders (1) shrink wrapper and misc. shop equipment. Equipment was relocated from existing facility in Shawnee Mission to new facility in Lenexa.
NE W FACES Please join us in welcoming our newest P1 Group associates.
OUR OFFICES ARE CLOSED
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Cliff Pray Project Manager Wichita
Jeff Robinson HR Coordinator Lenexa
P1 GROUP BL OD DRIVE
2018 PAID HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
We are closed on the following holidays so our associates can spend time with family and friends. Monday, September 3: Labor Day Wednesday, November 21: Day Before Thanksgiving Closed at noon Book your appointment today at
esavealifenow.org enter sponsor code P1Group For additional details contact Taylor Huff at 785.213.8578 taylor.huff@p1group.com.
Thursday September 13 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Lenexa Training Room 13605 W. 96th Terrace, Lenexa, KS
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Thursday, November 22: Thanksgiving Day Friday, November 23: Day After Thanksgiving Monday, December 24: Day Before Christmas Tuesday, December 25: Christmas Day Monday, December 31: Day Before New Years Tuesday, January 1, 2019: New Years Day
B I RT HDAYS + A NNIVER SAR IES + AWAR D ED September office and field associate birthdays and work anniversaries + awarded work
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 1 2
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Adam Dalsing Ronald Rotterman Dustin Dieker Mark Grothaus Kevin Keller John Kraus Manuel Berumen James Sevold Adriana Larios Robert Siavii Aaron White James Dennis Marty Hedrick Craig Koppa Jacob Parker John Rotterman John Long James Mahan Christopher Flint Damien Hilt
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Cody Kahrs Cecilia Leyva Kenneth Sweetwood Jim Durkin Matthew Tialavea Daniel Beebe Jason Coleman Darrick Hoffer Raymond Leader Jacob Massey Seth Pollock William Schultz Robert Vestal Terence Maguire Craig Mondroski Cheri Totta Ann Liggett Carlos Munoz Richard Staples David Wiebler
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Eric Affolter Rhonda Carter Tim Hartman Victoria Jesse Kevin Mulloy Andrew Noone Matt Wilmore Joshua Huff Chris Lauver Adam Lewis Charles Plotner Jeremy Jarboe Michael Lindsay Dustin Livingston Miguel Salinas Brock Schmidt Tyler Dillon Douglas Feagans David Jellison
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Jerry King Joshua Ridings Koupasong Volavongsa Charles Dickman Robert Gaston Matt Hill Todd Kramer John Schmeltz Derrick Walker Nathan Jordan Zachary Mendiola JB Ashcraft Justin Bond Jackson Pyper Brandon Ruud Kahami Alterman Glenn Bartholomew Peter Rodgers
WORK ANNIVERSARIES
5 Years Matt Damon Casey Drinkard Andy Dunbar Rick Ellis Ann Liggett William Noland
AWARDED highlights
Olathe Medical Center Campus
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Robert Thompson Charles Carrell Richard Hawver David Jelinek Jason Nixon Brad Stitz Jordan Supplee Scott Hefton Aaron Robison Jared Brock Shawn Conz Matthew Brackney Bonnie Bond Adam Collier Mathias Linden Jesse Parks Dan Tylski Paul Gudbaur Garrett Scott Kathy Wacker Mike Wurts
10 Years Clyde Andrews Brandon Valentine 15 Years Benjamin Schrader 20 Years Michael Haycock Todd Mihalchik David Rollo Jeffery Shaw
• Central Plains Piping
• University of Kansas Health/Marillac Replacement of rooftop units
• Olathe Medical Center Piping + Sheet Metal
• Exide/Salina Rooftop unit replacement + Electrical feasibility report + Replace 6 exhaust fans and 4 exhaust roof hoods
• Simmons Foods Piping • CertainTeed Millwright + Electrical + Piping • Honeywell Piping • Wolf Creek Nuclear Piping
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• Ability KC (through JE Dunn) Temporary cooling unit • SFB Plastics Replacement of 2 rooftop units
HOW DOES $100 SOUND? Associate Tagline Contest is Here! In celebration of our 100th Anniversary, P1 Group will be creating branded materials throughout the year featuring a special P1 100-year logo, tagline, and more. But we thought it would be more fun to get everyone involved, so we’re officially launching the P1 Associate Tagline Contest. The prizes are pretty sweet, so try your creativity and throw some ideas our way – you have nothing to lose! Taglines are short, snappy and accurately capture the spirit of the organization or event. This particular tagline should capture the spirit of celebrating 100 years. You will have until end-of-day Friday, September 14 to get your entries in. Send as many as you like! One winner and two runners-up* will be announced on October 1. *runners up will be contingent on number of entries – if not enough entries, there will only be one winner
DO IT FOR THE MONEY AND THE FAME WINNER: $100 Visa Gift Card + P1 Group Yeti Tumbler + Coverage on blog, social media and newsletter (bragging rights). RUNNER/S UP: P1 Group Yeti Tumbler + Coverage on blog, social media and newsletter (bragging rights).
Contest Rules
Employees may enter as many tagline ideas as they like. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. CST September 14. Contest is open to P1 Group associates only (all P1 associates are eligible to win). Final winners and runners-up will be chosen based on executive votes. Winners and runners-up will be announced Monday, October 1. Winner and runners-up will be featured in a newsletter article, blog post and social media. Winning tagline may be used in some marketing materials, but Marketing reserves the right to decide how and where tagline is used.
Here is a short narrative to help get you in the spirit of P1 Group’s 100th anniversary: Success is never in the rearview mirror. At P1 Group, the success of our future is anchored in our past: a ‘safety first, quality always’ approach to everything we touch, a staunch commitment to customer care and perseverance in finding the right solution for the right customer at the right time to improve the quality of life for those we serve. Powered by 100 years of quality and innovation, we embrace another century of success as the trusted national provider of facility solutions.
Please send all entries, as many and as often as you think of them, to Victoria.Hoffman@P1Group.com.