Wisconsin Constructor Issue #2 2012 by Slack Attack

A Publication of the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin

ISSUE 2 • 2012

THE SAMUELS GROUP CONTRACTORS,INNOVATORS, OVER ACHIEVERS

A Publication of the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin

Official publication of the

Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin

Features

4814 East Broadway Madison, WI 53716-4195 TEL: 608-221-3821 FAX: 608-221-4446 Laura Cataldo Editor 2012 OFFICERS Kurt Boson President Mark Rudnicki Vice President Bob Barker Executive Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer STAFF Dave Bohl General Counsel Jim Boullion Director, Government Affairs Jeri Breen Director, Administration Laura Cataldo Director, Workforce and Industry Outreach Jim Falbo Associate Director, Safety Dan Makovec Plan Room Manager Brent Miller Director, Safety & Environmental Services Jackie Troia Team Assistant PUBLISHED BY: Slack Attack Communications Barbara Slack Publisher Nancy Rudd Art Director Kelly Wolf Project Coordinator, Advertising Sales kelly@slackattack.com Wisconsin Constructor® is a quarterly publication of the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, Inc., 4814 East Broadway, Madison, WI 53716-4195, 608221-3821. It is published in January, March, June, and September by Slack Attack Communications, 5113 Monona Dr., Madison, WI 53716, (608) 222-7630. Printing is by Reindl Printing Inc., PO Box 317, Merrill, WI 54452-0317. For advertising information, contact Slack Attack Communications. Subscriptions included in AGC membership dues; non-member subscriptions: $20 per year. Address corrections or subscription information should be directed to the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, Inc., 4814 East Broadway, Madison, WI 53716-4195. USPS #016128. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, WI and at additional offices. ©Copyright 2011 by the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin. Permission to reprint must be secured in advance of publication and credit given to author and Wisconsin Constructor®.

ISSUE 2 • 2012

THE SAMUELS GROUP CONTRACTORS, INNOVATORS, OVER ACHIEVERS

8 The Samuels Group Page 8

The Samuels Group, one of the Midwest’s leading full-service commercial contractors.

AGC SPECIALTY MEMBER PROFILE 14 Van Ert Electric AGC ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE 16 Spider

Van Ert Electric Page 14

Departments 4

Message from the President — The Golden Rule Begins in the Home (Office)

Risk Management — Contractual Risk Transfer Can Make or Break Your Business

Message from the AGC Staff — Why Elections Matter

AGC of Wisconsin Membership

Index to Advertisers

Professional Directory/Buyer’s Guide

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Message from the PRESIDENT kill – Integrity – Responsibility. These are the three core principles of the Associated General Contractors. An Association built of some of the brightest, most hardworking, entrepreneurs and risk-takers in America – the people who make things happen. But something seems to have been lost in this trying economy where work is scarce and competition fierce. More and more, I hear contractors disparaging and complaining about other contractors – some of which are fellow AGC members. Many of us have lost projects to competitors because of suspect or seemingly unethical practices just to “get a job”. Ethical business practices have to start at the top of each individual organization. Sometimes in the course of our busy lives at work and at home, there can be a tendency to forget what our Association is all about.

Kurt Boson 2012 AGC of Wisconsin President

The Golden Rule Begins in the Home (Office)

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Skill: ability or proficiency. There is no doubt that Wisconsin has some of the most skilled craftsmen in our industry. Those of us that work in other states easily attest to the quality of Wisconsin’s workforce.

Have you

BUILT a successful

retirement plan for your employees?

The AGC of Wisconsin 401k Retirement Plan has… contact Chris Moe @ Kelly Financial 608-294-4082 cmoe@kellyfi.com www.kellyfi.com

Securities Offered Through ValMark Securities, Inc. • Member FINRA & SIPC, Investment Advisory Services Offered Through ValMark Advisers, Inc. an SEC Registered Investment Advisor • 130 Springside Drive, Suite 300 Akron, Ohio 44333-2431 • 1-800-765-5201 • Kelly Financial Inc. is a separate entity from ValMark Securities, Inc. and ValMark Advisers, Inc.

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

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Integrity: honesty or soundness. A cornerstone of good business that has to start at the top through leadership and be instilled company wide.

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Responsibility: duty or accountability. AGC of Wisconsin general and specialty contractors take pride in doing the job right and getting it done on time.

AGC is really about the welfare and the betterment of our industry. When we practice Skill, Integrity and Responsibility on a personal and company level, it makes our entire industry better. When we give our time and resources to the AGC, it is important to remember your competitors are in the same boat that you are. Treat them as you would want to be treated. The AGC is a reflection of its members and by being members, we accept the AGC logo as our industry brand. For AGC to thrive and benefit all of our members, the leaders of our organizations need to instill the basic principles that guide the character and moral excellence for our firms. If there is a link in your organizational chain that is not practicing Skill, Integrity or Responsibility, address it. Make not only your company – but our industry – better. A few years ago, Leadership AGC created a valuable guide that outlines Codes of Ethics. If you need additional copies to initiate a discussion in your company, contact the AGC of Wisconsin office. The projects are scarce. The competition is fierce. AGC’s continued success depends on each of us to practice the Skill, Integrity and Responsibility the Association is founded on. ■

RISK MANAGEMENT am amazed at the level of complacency that still exists today when discussing contractual risk transfer practices with prospective clients. While we would all still love to live in a world where handshakes mean the same thing as a signature, the reality is that longtime friendships among contractors can be ruined, business relationships destroyed, and companies forced out of business because a subcontract agreement is not executed properly. It’s time to bring your business into the 21st century and begin using a proven risk management practice of executing subcontract agreements anytime your business subcontracts out work. A recent discussion with national underwriters for casualty and surety lines provided insight into their concerns about the broad scope informality of Wisconsin’s contractual risk transfer landscape. Much thought goes into hiring a subcontractor: Who has more expertise for a particular task? Who can address an exposure in which you do not want to be involved? Yet, I see companies completely willing to hire subs without properly insulating themselves from the legal liability and financial implications that exist without a signed agreement. This informality can be summed up in one word…. reckless! For higher tier relationships, such as those that exist between a trade contractor and a building owner or general contractor, a common problem I find is that too many contractors go to the last page, sign the contract, and take the stance of,“I had no options but to sign the contract.” It would behoove anyone responsible for signing contracts to have a basic understanding of contractual indemnification and insurance. This is where you should lean on your insurance agent or broker to provide guidance when you receive language or conditions that are unsettling. Negotiating of key language in the indemnification clause can be advantageous, such as changing“sole negligence” to“except to the extent,”deleting the word “defend” in the indemnification clause, removing primary and non-contributory from the additional insured clause, substituting “your work” with “your ongoing operations” to limit your completed operations exposure, and adding “to the extent” to the indemnification clause to

I Robert Tenhagen Sr. Risk Manager, M3 Insurance

Contractual Risk Transfer Can Make or Break Your Business It’s time to bring your business into the 21st century and begin using a proven risk management practice of executing subcontract agreements.

limit your indemnification to that contract. If I ask to see a contractor’s subcontract agreement, I am often told, “Our attorney has already looked at it.”A good contract attorney should be well-versed in developing jurisdictional language that is proper and binding with the best interest of the client in mind. However, contract attorneys are not insurance specialists. While you need appropriate indemnification language and holdharmless wording to provide a legal basis to insulate your company from risk, you also need the proper insurance language to make sure you have a smooth pipeline to a subcontractor’s insurance (money) when a loss occurs. This is where some attorneys can fall short. Your attorney should help you draft the broadest indemnification and holdharmless language allowed. Your insurance agent or broker should help guide your attorney with the inclusion of appropriate waiver of subrogation language, presenting subcontractor of subcontractor language to help provide protection in the event your subcontractors subcontract out work, include venue and choice of law language, and several other important considerations. The agent or broker can provide guidance with insurance requirements including additional insured coverage that is primary and noncontributory and names your company and other higher tiers (i.e. the general contractor or project owners) as additional insureds. An agent or broker could also recommend appropriate insurance coverage and coverage amounts from subcontractors, including extended completed operations coverage within your subcontract agreement. In short, for the best protection for your business, engage both your attorney AND the right insurance broker or agent for a solid subcontract agreement and subcontract management process. ■ Mr. Robert Tenhagen is a senior risk manager at M3 Insurance. Specializing in property and casualty, Robert works with construction clients to develop safety programs, conduct job site audits and develop risk management strategies.

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Message from the AGC STAFF

Why Elections Matter

Jim Boullion AGC of Wisconsin Director of Government Affairs

I know you are sick and tired of politics, and political ads, and polling phone calls and people asking for money for candidates. Wisconsin has had two of the craziest, most intense political years in our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Yes, it sure is getting old. It started in January of 2011 when newly elected Governor Scott Walker was sworn into office and introduced his landmark and controversial reforms of public employee compensation and labor rules to help alleviate a $3.6 billion deficit. Labor unions led a tremendous political fight against the changes that resulted in massive protests in and around the Capi-

Wisconsin ConstructorÂŽ / Issue 2 â&#x20AC;˘ 2012

tal, with 14 Democratic Senators heading off to Illinois to avoid voting on the proposal, and the recall elections of 9 State Senators. That was only the beginning. Wisconsin also had a very tight State Supreme Court race that ended up in a recount after a clerical error threw the election into doubt. This led right into the petition drives in November and December that resulted in recall elections for Governor Walker and four more GOP State Senators. While two of the State Senators did lose, temporarily giving the majority control of the State Senate to the Democrats, Governor Walker won a surprisingly easy victory in the recall, reaffirming that the majority of Wisconsin voters supported his budget changes. Now we are in the home stretch of the November 2012 elections. We are in a major political battle over control of the State Senate, replacing Herb Kohl in a nationally important US Senator race, and a Presidential race that looks like it will come down to the wire. Why do we care? Why is important to not only put up with all of these political efforts, but to actually step up and do our best to make sure that the pro-construction, pro-growth candidates actually win? Results! Wisconsin demonstrates the results of what happens when the right people get elected. Lost in all of the politics, protests and fighting over the public employee unions and the recalls was all of the great pro-growth legislation and policy changes that Governor Walker and the State Senate and Assembly were able to accomplish in the last two years. They balanced the budget, reduced the growth in local property taxes, passed a series of comprehensive tort reform laws and made significant changes to the tax laws to incentivize growth and investment. They also passed many construction specific law changes that will help the industry such as prohibiting the use of

reverse auctions on public construction projects, prohibited local residency or sick leave rules for workers on public construction projects, repealed Executive Order #108 that mandated the use of apprentices on all State projects and maintained a strong Capitol Budget for State building projects. Governor Walker in particular has made it his mission to reform how State government works. To that end Governor Walker signed Executive Order #61 which will further empower the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to determine the economic impact of administrative rules on small business and increase the flexibilities government must give employers when complying with regulations. The Governor also signed Executive Order #66 which directs all state agencies to begin adopting a “Lean Government”initiative to review how they operate and find ways to eliminate waste, save time, standardize workflow and decrease process complexity. As a result of these and other initiatives AGC of Wisconsin staff and members have already had a number of meetings with the governor’s office and State agencies to talk about construction sales tax rules, speeding up building plan review and inspections for medical facilities and improving the way State construction projects are built and managed. We are planning many more meetings in the near future. So yes, politics is getting nastier every year, and the partisan divide seems to be getting wider instead of smaller and we are all sick of the many political ads on TV and the millions of dollars being spent. At the end of the day it is all worth it! So don’t stop now. There is still a lot of hard work left to do to get the right people elected again this November. Help your favorite candidates by putting up a yard signs, making phone calls or dropping literature and, perhaps most importantly, give them your financial support, through the AGCWI PAC and AGC Conduit! ■

On May 23rd, two weeks before his historic recall election, Governor Scott Walker addressed the AGC of Wisconsin Board of Directors and Legislative Committee. He told the story of the many accomplishments that his administration has already accomplished and what he wants to do in the future to get Wisconsin growing again.

Celebrating Wisconsin’s construction industry and the 2012 Build Wisconsin Award Winners Thursday, December 6, 2012 Lambeau Field Green Bay, WI

SAVE THE DATE

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

THE SAMUELS GROUP CONTRACTORS,INNOVATORS, OVER ACHIEVERS by Mark Crawford

ne of the Midwest’s leading fullservice commercial contractors, The Samuels Group, provides construction management, owner’s representative, general contracting, design/ build and development services for new and existing projects. Key market focus includes corporate, health care, education, and government. The company specializes in green building and utilizes the latest technology and delivery systems such as Integrated Project Delivery and Building Information Modeling to deliver the highest quality and value to their customer. After graduating with a degree in construction management from Northern Iowa University, Sid Samuels joined Adolfson & Peterson Construction’s Wausau office in 1996. Nine years later he purchased that office and established The Samuels Group. Since then the company has grown revenues by 300 percent ending 2011 with a record backlog. As a result of this steady growth, the company recently opened a third office in Des Moines to meet growing demands for its commercial construction, construction management, and general contracting services. The company has several projects under construction in Iowa including The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, University of Iowa Football Practice Facility in Iowa City, and multiple student housing projects at Upper Iowa University in Fayette. “We are proud to continue growing during this challenging economy,” says Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jennifer Guerndt.“The Samuels Group is responsive to our clients’ individual

“Our goal is to grow our business, but at a pace that doesn’t compromise the level of service to which our clients have grown accustomed.” — Sid Samuels, President

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

needs, whether it is small-scale maintenance work or a new $80-million construction project. We are also small enough that we can be flexible and change to meet their needs quickly.” Following a Strategic Plan Construction starts in the Midwest were down 12 percent in 2011, which meant fewer project opportunities and more competition. Despite these tough market conditions, The Samuels Group secured a number of good projects in 2011, including the University of Iowa, the Rock Haven skilled nursing facility, Woodson Art Museum, Sacred Heart Hospital, and ongoing projects at Upper Iowa University. The Samuels Group was also selected as one of the top-tier construction managers for the State of Iowa. For the most part, this success is the result of a long-term strategic plan the company developed in 2006. “A lot of companies want to load up as much work as possible, which sometimes means you are working for the wrong client,” says Samuels, president of the company. “In 2006 we reviewed all our past projects and determined which ones were the most successful and which ones were not. Our sales team then used this information to create a profile of our ideal client and then engaged potential clients that fit this profile.” This strategy has been highly effective—sales volume has more than tripled over six years. “Having a strategic plan in place that drives business decisions and keeps the organization focused on the big picture is essential for success,” says Samuels. “Our goal is to grow our business, but at a pace

that doesn’t compromise the level of service to which our clients have grown accustomed.” The company strives to continuously improve the customer experience by adding process improvements and services that fulfill important needs. For example, in 2007 Samuels created the Environments Division, an interior furnishing solution that helps clients furnish the spaces they build or renovate. “For many of our customers, this highvalue service makes their jobs easier,” adds Samuels. “This is just who we are and demonstrates we are not a typical contractor.” Exemplary Workforce Performance On July 19, 2012 The Samuels Group achieved one-million man hours with no lost time accidents—a rare accomplishment in the construction industry. The group achieved this incredible safety milestone in less than 10 years. “The one-million man hour achievement is a result of a total company attitude towards safety,” says Safety Director Tim Vick. “Safety is ingrained into the way each person performs their job.” Every Samuels Group associate (field or office), as well as subcontractors, are taught the Samuels Group’s safety program. The main goal is to have everybody return home at the end of the day in the same condition they arrived that morning. Some of the proactive measures that are taken to avoid accidents include daily stretching exercises and pre-task planning checks. This ensures that employees will recognize hazards before they cause an accident and also have their bodies physically ready for all tasks. “Training has become a culture here,” says Samuels. “It comes down to decision-making. Every employee is empowered. All our people—from the receptionist to project manager—have the right to stop work at any time if they see an unsafe situation.” Hiring the right people is another reason the company has been successful. “We devote a lot of effort to ensure we bring on the right talent—not just the skills, but also the desire and passion to have a lasting impression on our clients and their projects,” says Samuels. “Our field staff often has the biggest impact on our clients when construction starts

The Palladian — Wausau, WI The Samuels Group served as the general contractor completing this 64,904 square foot, six-story multi-use commercial building with underground parking garage that is located in the center of downtown Wausau. The first floor is retail space and is currently home to the Wausau Convention and Visitors Bureau. Jefferson Street Inn, the attached hotel, uses the second floor for additional banquet hall space and the third and fourth floors for hotel rooms. The fifth and sixth floors are condominiums.

“The Palladian development constructed by Samuels Group was a 65,000 square foot development that's now become a landmark building in Downtown Wausau. It was a complete pleasure working with Sid Samuels and the entire group to bring this project to fruition.” — Mark Craig, General Manager, Compass Properties

because they are the front-line communicators with the owner for the duration of the project.” Samuels is proud of the hard work that has been invested in creating such a safe work environment.“I’d like to give a special thanks to our field personnel

who are exposed to the most risk in their daily jobs,” he says.“Their focus and care in doing a job that rivals only police, military, and firefighters for lost-time accidents was essential for achieving the one-million-hour safety record and will continue to keep our job sites safe.”

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Selected Projects

Green Lake Government Center — Green Lake County, WI

Lac du Flambeau Tribal Natural Resources Center — Lac du Flambeau, WI

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum — Wausau, WI

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Green Lake Government Center, Green Lake County In 2008, Green Lake County employees were headquartered in a historic courthouse and old gear factory in Green Lake. After The Samuels Group conducted feasibility studies, the county board decided to build a new government center. The 158,000-square-foot, LEED-registered facility was completed nearly $1 million under budget. Over 200 geothermal wells heat and cool the building through a series of heat pumps. “The Green Lake Government Center project won the 2011 AGC Build Wisconsin Award, which was exciting because it was our first large project that included the services of both our construction and interior furnishings teams,” indicates Guerndt. “We were very impressed with The Samuels Group,” adds Marge Bostelmann, Green Lake County Clerk. “The quality of work is outstanding. They were always responsive and gave us the information we needed to make informed decisions during the construction process.” Lac du Flambeau Tribal Natural Resources Center, Lac du Flambeau This 7,200-square-foot facility is the headquarters for the Natural Resource Department of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. The center features office space, laboratories, classroom facilities, and a campground store. A multitude of green features were included in the design, such as photovoltaic cells, geothermal heating systems, and tubular skylights for daylighting (the project is expected to meet LEED certification requirements and will be the model for future tribal green construction). “The Samuels Group worked with us diligently to meet funding requirements for some of the grants,” says Emerson Coy, Director of Planning and Development for the Lac du Flambeau Band. “They were very helpful in designing the building to take advantage of solar energy and geothermal heating. Their team also worked closely with tribal staff during the project and ensured that tribal labor was used.”

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau An 8,500 square-foot building addition was needed to accommodate BMO Harris Bank’s donation of M&I Bank’s collection of Owen Gromme paintings. Building features include ADA-compliant bathrooms on the main and lower levels, an elevator, and green design elements and sustainable materials to maximize energy efficiency. “The Samuels Group went above and beyond as our business partner,” says Director Kathy Foley.“They were incredibly organized and completed the project on an unbelievably tight timeline, with a tight budget. The company also fully embraced the unique requirements of an art museum that might have been lost on other contractors, such as lighting, humidity, and temperature controls. In short, The Samuels Group was a total pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job.”

Sacred Heart Hospital — Eau Claire, WI

Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire This project consists of replacing a nine-story curtain wall system, including the demolition and replacement of exterior veneer curtain wall structures, glass and metal panels, and glazing. The Samuels Group provided budgeting, scheduling, mock-ups, and preconstruction work to support the architectural design, and partnered with OSHA to support the agency’s strategic plan by developing strategies to improve safety and health in the construction industry. The project is scheduled for completion in 2014. “I really like their team approach,” comments Mark Preston, Construction Coordinator for Sacred Heart Hospital. “They are outstanding coordinators, from pricing out the project to managing subcontractors. They have kept disruption of patients to an absolute minimum and are very careful about controlling contamination and dust.” Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa The $75-million Upper Iowa University capital improvement project includes three buildings constructed by The Samuels Group. The campus is the site of a new LEED-certified liberal arts building, student center, and suite-style housing complex for students. The 34,000square-foot liberal arts building includes prominent daylighting, geothermal loop system, and low-VOC floor and wall

Upper Iowa University — Fayette, IA

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Flambeau Hospital — Park Falls, WI The Flambeau Hospital project was a remodel and expansion that included several renovated areas such as triage and trauma rooms and a newly constructed main entrance with covered canopy that made the emergency room entrance more prominent and easier for patients and visitors to find. Samuels Group Environments, The Samuels Group’s commercial furniture division played an important role by providing healthcare furniture solutions designed to increase productivity while making patients more comfortable.

“Forming a long-term relationship with our project’s architectural/construction team was important to us and it turned out to be an invaluable experience for all parties involved. I worked with The Samuels Group from the initial planning of our project through construction completion. Their team became familiar with our facility, our staff and our processes. Ultimately, they became an extension of our team and I am confident that decisions were made in our best interest.” — Dave Grundstrom, Chief Admin. Officer, Flambeau Hospital, Park Falls & Phillips Centers

Dunn County Health Care Center — Menomonie, WI The Samuels Group was selected as the Construction Manager to complete the construction of this new 109,000 Sf facility with a large central core building, two small core buildings, and 9 housing buildings with a budget of $22,000,000. 12

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

coverings. Sustainable materials, energyefficient lighting, water conservation systems, and low-VOC interior coverings were also used in the student housing complex. “Communication with The Samuels Group has been outstanding and they keep us up to date on schedule and costing,” says Bryan Jolley, Executive Director of Facilities Management for Upper Iowa University. “They have been highly responsive to our needs throughout the project.”

Noel Residence, Wausau The Samuels Group served as the design-build and general contractor for this 29,838 square-foot home in central Wisconsin. For a general contractor this was a rare opportunity to blend OldWorld style with modern technology and amenities. Unique design and craftsmanship is evident throughout the home, including high coffered ceilings, customized molding, circular wood stairs, and hand-scraped hardwood floors. State-of-the-art security, temperature, and lighting controls provide a safe, efficient, and comfortable environment. “The Samuels Group was very open and flexible in helping create a Hampton-style home on the Wisconsin River,” says owner John Noel. “We were so pleased with the experience that we invited everyone who worked on the project to our home for dinner and cocktails as a way to thank The Samuels Group and its subcontractors.” Looking Ahead The construction industry is still struggling to recover from the Great Recession. It is still a challenge for clients to secure the funding they need. “We are as flexible as possible in our approach to clients and provide as many high-value services as we can,” says Samuels. “Nobody delivers the number of services that we offer in-house, including development, architectural, construction, and furnishings. We also assist clients in find-

ing suitable property, funding, tax credits, grant writing, budget development, and marketing support.” The Samuels Group invests in technology when it is appropriate and useful. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is utilized to merge construction, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical plans to identify conflicts and choke points so problems don’t arise in the field. Even though the process saves clients time and money, for Samuels the greatest value of BIM is that it inspires communication. “At the end of the day, technology in construction is an excellent tool for stimulating communication and developing models,”says Samuels.“And better models create better opportunities to deliver programs in the best possible way.” The Samuels Group continues to rely on AGC Wisconsin for guidance and support. “I’ve been a member of AGC since 1993,”says Samuels.“I value the depth of their resources and their willingness to help. We have strong relationships with staff at AGC and I feel very comfortable giving them a call whenever we have a question or need some advice.” Samuels is grateful his company has been able to maintain its employee base throughout the economic downturn and still build a solid backlog of construction work for the coming year. “Even though we would like to see more projects in central Wisconsin, overall we have fared well during a time of uncertainty,”he says. “A contributing factor to this success is our client-focused approach—something we will always embrace. It is about understanding the changing needs of our clients and providing the necessary services they need to reach their goals. Providing a multitude of services that can be accessed to move a project forward to construction is our strength; building a great facility is simply what we leave behind.” ■

The Samuels Group has been a member of AGC of Wisconsin since 1993.

Potawatomi Bingo/Northern Lights Casino — Carter, WI 75,000 square foot construction of a new casino for the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe. This project features high-end interior finishes, state-of-the-art electronics and security throughout the gaming, conference, and bar/restaurant areas. This casino was featured in the July 2006 issue of Native American Casino magazine.

“It has been a memorable experience working with The Samuels Group. They always had the owner in mind. They made sure to meet all deadlines and were vigilant about staying within our budget. The Samuels Group and their employees stand out as a very personable firm. We are pleased with the results of the building and continue to be pleased with their attention to detail.” — Cheryl Waube, General Manager, Potawatomi Bingo Northern Lights Casino

Rock Haven Skilled Nursing Facility — Janesville, WI Rock Haven is a new 128 private room, 178,000 square foot residential style assisted living facility. Seven structures laid out over 26 acres in a campus like setting designed to resemble a village. Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

MEMBER PROFILE

Specialty Contractor

Van Ert Electric an Ert Electric was founded in 1964 by Mel Van Ert. In the 48 years since inception, Van Ert has grown both geographically and technologically to support its customers’ needs. Van Ert is headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin with offices in Kaukauna, Eau Claire and Kingsford, Michigan. Having performed work in 20 states, some of the larger projects include: Inland Empire Energy Center, Romoland, CA, a 800 megawatt natural gas fired combined cycle unit; Weston 4 Power Plant, Weston, WI, a 500 megawatt coal fired plant; OSL (Oriented Strand Lumber) plant in Houlton, Maine, a large OSL plant manufacturing and sawing dimensioned lumber from the oriented strand process; Deer Creek Power Plant, Basin Electric, Brookings, South Dakota, a 300 MW Combined Cycle Plant. Van Ert is presently performing the electrical and instrumentation contract for WE Energies 50 MW Biomass Co-Generation Project on the Domtar, Rothschild, Wisconsin site. Van Ert’s services include substations, medium and low voltage power distribution systems, process controls and instrumentation, PLC programming,

UL listed control panels, interior and exterior lighting, lighting automation, grounding systems, heat trace systems, fire alarm, security and access control systems, structured cabling, phone systems, fiber optics, thermal imaging, motor brush inspection, arc flash evaluations and coordination studies. Van Ert is a full service contractor. Projects include office buildings, schools, medical facilities, hotels, dairy, food processing, food packaging, UL listed custom control panels, Bureau of Aeronautics (airport) projects, street lighting, DOT traffic signals, water and wastewater treatment plants, pulp and paper mills, ethanol plants, mines, nuclear plant maintenance, natural gas, coal and biomass fired power plants. Van Ert has on staff senior project managers, project managers, professional engineers, engineers, programmers, instrumentation technicians, teledata technicians, panel shop wiremen and master electricians. They offer design/build expertise in all of the markets they serve. Van Ert has been an Associate member of AGC for 8 years. They have incorporated many of AGC’s safety

WE Energies Biomass Project – Rothschild, WI

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2, 2012

ideas and publications into their safety education and training. Van Ert has received three Build Wisconsin awards from AGC. Van Ert was recognized three times in the past seven years in EC&M (Electrical Construction and Maintenance) magazine as being in the Top 50 Electrical Contractors in the nation. The company is a member of other Trade Associations including Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA), Wisconsin Paper Council, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Bob Van Ert, President of Van Ert Electric Company, Inc. has recently been elected President of the Wisconsin Chapter of NECA. Management at Van Ert have served on local apprenticeship committees for over 40 years. For more information on Van Ert visit their website at www.vanert.com. ■

Van Ert Electric Company has been a member of the AGC of Wisconsin since 2004.

Dudley Tower – Wausau, WI

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

MEMBER PROFILE

Associate Member

Spider n 1947, the founders of Spider – two painting contractors who needed a better way to access a 250 ft tall steel bridge over a deep ravine – created the powered suspended access business by introducing the well-known Spider basket. Since then, Spider’s product and service offering has expanded to serve the needs of an ever-growing marketplace. Spider is the largest manufacturer and distributor of access and safety solutions in North America, serving customers from 25 locations. From basket, traction hoist and platform rental, to safety and Competent Person Training, to specialty-engineered products and wind turbine access—Spider has a strong team of professionals, along with a national network of sales, service & support capabilities to provide clients with the most reliable access solution available.

Spider is recognized as a top 75 rental company in North America. Its products are made in its ISO 9001:2008 certified factory in Seattle. Spider employs standard work instructions (SWIs) that document the complete manufacture, inspection and repair of new and used rental equipment. SWIs ensure Spider delivers the same high quality equipment, consistently and professionally prepared across all locations. Getting the product right every time results in the best productivity for the customers. Spider trains certified technicians to these standards, tests them for competence, and audits for compliance. Train…test… audit. It’s simply the best way to ensure customers’ productivity. Spider’s market leadership shows in the details: over 30,000 manufactured Spider hoists, $22 million suspended access rental fleet, 24/7 technical sup-

Steel Structure Access with Modular Platform

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

port, engineering/PE stamps nationwide, dedicated risk management group, and “A+15” rated insurance coverage. All of this adds up to over 65 years of market leadership for Spider. Spider continues to strive to make its customers more productive in ways they value: increased uptime, lower cost of ownership, safer operation for employees. Visit www.spiderstaging.com for more information about Spider’s products and services, or contact the Chicago team at 877-7743370 or 847-455-6627. ■

Spider, a division of SafeWorks, LLC, has been a member of the AGC of Wisconsin since 2000.

Concrete Bridge Access with ST-180 Work Basket

MEMBERSHIP General Contractors ACS, Inc. Alfredson Bros. Construction Co., Inc. Bacco Construction Company Bachmann Construction Co., Inc. Bauer & Raether Builders, Inc. Blue Sky Contractors, LLC Oscar J. Boldt Construction Co. The Boson Company, Inc. BriMark Builders, LLC Camosy Incorporated Capitol Underground, Inc. Community Living Solutions LLC J.P. Cullen & Sons, Inc. Dane County Contracting, LLC Dell Construction Co., Inc. Ellis Stone Construction Company, Inc. Marshall Erdman & Associates Paul V. Farmer, Inc. J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. Fowler and Hammer, Inc. Ganther Construction, Inc. Gorman & Co., Inc. Gundlach Champion, Inc. Hamann Construction Company Hammersley Stone Company Hoffman, LLC Holster Construction, Inc. Homburg Contractors, Inc. IEI General Contractors, Inc. Ideal Builders, Inc. Howard Immel Inc. Klobucar Construction Company, Inc. Kraemer Brothers, LLC Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. Lunda Construction Company Magill Construction Company, Inc. Market & Johnson, Inc. Maryville Construction Company, Inc. McCabe Construction, Inc. McGann Construction, Inc. McKee Associates, Inc. McMullen & Pitz Construction Company C.R. Meyer and Sons Company Miron Construction Company, Inc. M.A. Mortenson Company Parisi Construction Co., Inc. Progressive Construction Services, LLC Quasius Construction, Inc. Rasch Construction and Engineering, Inc. Riley Construction Company, Inc. Rossi Construction Co., Inc. Ruzic Construction Co. The Samuels Group, Inc. Scherrer Construction Company, Inc. The Peter Scherrer Group Jos. Schmitt & Sons Const. Co., Inc. Sjostrom & Sons, Inc. C.D. Smith Construction, Inc. Speedway Sand & Gravel, Inc. Staab Construction Corporation Stevens Construction Corp. Kenneth F. Sullivan Co. TCI Architects, Engineers, Contractor, Inc. Tri-North Builders, Inc. Vogel Bros. Building Co. Vonasek & Schieffer, Inc. Frank O. Zeise Construction Company, Inc.

Specialty Contractors A&A Environmental, Inc. Acme Construction Metals, Inc. J.F. Ahern Co. Appleton Lathing Corporation Applied Ecological Services Architectural Products of Wausau, Ltd. August Winter & Sons, Inc. Austad & Son, Inc. Badger Swimpools Inc. Balestrieri Environmental & Development, Inc. Bartingale Mechanical, Inc. Bassett Mechanical C&S Construction, Inc. Ceco Concrete Construction Central Ceiling Systems, Inc. Coppens Metal & Roofing Corner Stone Construction of Janesville, Inc.

Crowley Masonry E&A Enterprises, Inc. Faith Technologies, Inc. Falcon Drilling & Blasting, Inc. Forward Electric, Inc. Gauthier & Sons’ Construction, Inc. General Heating & Air Conditioning Howard Grote & Sons, Inc. H&H Group Holdings, Inc. H&H Industries, Inc. Hagen Decorators, Inc. & North Central Insulation Marshall Hanes Steel Erectors, Inc. Hasheider Roofing & Siding, Ltd. Hooper Corporation Hurckman Mechanical Industries, Inc. Interior Installation Services Klein-Dickert Co., Inc. Lewis Construction Inc.

Madison Crushing & Excavating Co., Inc. Madison Gas & Electric Company Martell Construction, Inc. H.J. Martin & Son, Inc. Middleton Construction Middleton Insulation Systems, LLC Monona Plumbing & Fire Protection, Inc. Neuman Pools, Inc. North American Mechanical, Inc. Northern Electricians, Inc. Omni Glass and Paint, Inc. Ostrenga Excavating, Inc. H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection Corp. Prairie Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Pro-Foamers, Inc. Quality Erectors & Sheeters, Inc. Continued on next page.

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Specialty Contractors (continued) Quality Insulators, Inc. Robinson Brothers Environmental, Inc. Rockwell Group, Inc. Rohde Brothers, Inc. SPE, Inc. Terra Engineering & Construction Corporation Don Theobald Masonry Tri-City Refrigration, Inc. Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Inc. Van Ert Electric Co., Inc. Veit, Inc. Ver Halen, Inc. Wall-Tech, Inc. Westphal & Co., Inc. Zander Insulation/Solutions

Associate Members AON Risk Services of Wisconsin Akerman Senterfitt Wickwire Gavin Allied Insulation Supply Allstar Financial Group American State Equipment Company, Inc. A. N. Ansay & Associates, Inc. Arch Insurance Group Axley Brynelson, LLP Badgerland Supply, Inc. Baker Tilly Benes & Krueger, S.C. Block Iron & Supply Company Blueprints, Inc. The Bruce Co. of Wisconsin Brunsell Lumber & Millwork CNA Surety Corporation Candlewood Suites Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Clifton Gunderson LLP Cobb-Strecker-Dunphy & Zimmerman, Inc. Construction Data Services Construction Risk Associates, Inc.

County Materials Corporation The Daily Reporter Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental DeWitt Ross & Stevens DirectNetworks, Inc. Discher Architectural Millwork Endres Manufacturing Company Scott Engroff, LCC Enterprise Fleet Services Fabco Equipment, Inc. Farrell Equipment & Supply Company, Inc. The Forker Company Gallagher Construction Services Gerdau Ameristeel–Appleton Hatch Building Supply Hausmann-Johnson Insurance Hayden Murphy Equipment/Hausmann Insurance Ideal Crane Rental, Inc. Iron Planet Janesville Brick & Tile Janesville Sand & Gravel Company Kahler Slater Kelly Financial Kendell Doors & Hardware, Inc. Komisar & Spindler, S.C. Krukowski & Costello, S.C. LaForce, Inc. Lakes Brick & Block, LLC LarsonAllen Lee, Kilkelly, Paulson & Younger, S.C. Liberty Mutual Surety Lincoln Contractors Supply, Inc. Lindner & Marsack M3 Insurance Solutions, Inc. Manitowoc Cranes, Inc. MasterGraphics McCarty Law LLP McElroy Metal Inc. McFarlane Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Wisconsin Constructor® / Issue 2 • 2012

Melli Law, S.C. Murphy & Desmond, S.C. Neenah Foundry Company Nimsgern Steel Corp. O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong S.C. Park Bank Premier Engineering & Testing Purple Cow Organics Quarles & Brady, LLP R&R Insurance Services, Inc. RSM McGladrey Reynolds Crane Service River Steel, Inc. J. Ryan Bonding, Inc. Safe-Con, LLC Sand Source Services, US Schenck Business Solutions Security Insurance Slack Attack Communications Smith & Gesteland, LLP Spancrete Inc. Spider Staging LLC Stetson Building Products SVA Construction Services Temp-Air, Inc. Travelers Truck Country Vander Bloemen Group LLC Verona Safety WK Construction Co. Inc. T. Wall Properties Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C. Willis of Wisconsin, Inc. Wilderness Development Wingra Stone Company—Wingra Redi-Mix, Inc. Wipfli LLP Zurich

Interested in becoming a member? Contact Laura Cataldo at the AGC of Wisconsin office for membership information: 608-221-3821 cataldo@agcwi.org

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INDEX TO ADVERTISERS American State Equipment..............................IBC Balestrieri .....................................................IBC General Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. .......15 Hooper Corporation .......................................15 Hurckman Mechanical Industries, Inc. .................6

Ideal Crane Rental, Inc...................................IFC J.F. Ahern Co. ................................................18 Kelly Financial, Inc. ..........................................4 Lycon Inc. ......................................................18 Middleton Insulation Systems ..........................IBC

M3 Insurance...................................................7 Pro-Foamers, Inc............................................IBC Stetson Building Products, Inc..........................IBC Tweet/Garot Mechanical, Inc. .........................17 Wall-tech, Inc.................................................BC