CIANBRO CHATTER VOLUME 35 NUMBER 1 WINTER 2005
Together, We Can-Do!
PUBLISHED BY CIANBRO CORPORATION
Air Force Memorial Cianbro Proud to be Part of Team... see back page
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Cianbro team constructs 22 piers for Missisquoi Bay Bridge
Cianbro Celebrates Great Achievement, 100% Employee Ownership n
Missisquoi Bay Bridge Project
By Lauren Benttinen and LeAnne Rogers
wnership begins with a dream of creating something where nothing existed before. Our Founders—the Cianchette Brothers—were visionary men. They were tenacious and daring. They knew the value of a positive, can-do attitude and the rewards of an honest day’s work. They also had the ability to imagine what could become of their hard work. Together, they locked arms to place the foundation for something great— our company. Since the beginning, our Founders (December 15, 2004) On behalf of the Cianbro team, believed that by Pete Vigue signs final sales agreement to purchase working together all remaining shares of stock from Bud and Ken Cianchette. Left to Right: Cianbro Board of Directors and by being pro(Seated) Bud Cianchette, Pete Vigue, Ken Cianchette (Standing) Mac Cianchette, Bruce Coggeshall, Bob ductive and effiDesjardins, Eli Karter, and Jim Vamvakias cient, team members should have the opportunity to share in the company’s success. They initiated the teamwork Cianbro thrives on Please see EMPLOYEE-OWNED, page 2 E DED
SINCE 1949
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“The Missisquoi Bay Bridge team pulls together to overcome many unique challenges—from easthern spiny softshell turtle habitats to freezing cold winter temperatures—the team approaches their work with a can-do attitude and it shows!”
Please see MISSISQUOI BAY, page 16
Planning our Future n
By Mac Cianchette
chieving a significant milestone on any project first requires setting some goals and planning for success. The same due diligence is required for us as a company to achieve our next milestone. Through our strategic planning this year, we have set some goals that center around growth and will focus on working the plan to meet the many objectives that will get us there. We’ve realigned our team resources to better focus and centrally
Please see FUTURE, page 31 WINTER 2004
Congratulations
from the State of Maine
ecently the State of Maine congratulated Cianbro on its outstanding achievement in workplace wellness. Last year, the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) awarded Cianbro with the Gold Level of Achievement in their Well Workplace Awards Initiative. The Gold Award recognizes those companies that have successfully built comprehensive worksite wellness initiatives and are demonstrating and capturing concrete outcomes related to behavior change, cost effectiveness, and return on investment. Congratulations to the people of Cianbro for taking control of their health and helping us on our goal of becoming the healthiest company in America!
EMPLOYEE OWNED, continued from page 1 today and they believed that the people working beside them should be the future owners of the company. Today, after 55 years, Cianbro completed the final phase of ownership transition. Instilled with Cianbro’s founding philosophy—treat people with dignity and respect; your word is your bond; and, give back from which you take—our team made the tough decisions and stayed the course. Now, we are rewarded with our company’s highest honor and greatest responsibility; we are 100% owners of Cianbro.
Where we’ve been Since 1979, Cianbro has been an employee-owned organization. In simplified terms, our former ownership was made up of shares of stock issued to the Cianchette Brothers, shares assigned to the Management Incentive Plan (MIP), and the remaining equity shared by all team members in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan Trust. In December 2004, on schedule with our ownership transition goal, our Profit Sharing Plan purchased all remaining shares held by Bud and Ken Cianchette. The MIP shares were also redeemed and subsequently retired. As a result, 100% of all Cianbro stock is now in our retirement plan. This means all team members share in the ownership of our company.
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What does it mean? Each share of Cianbro stock that you have in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) portion of your account is your link to being an employee-owner. You share in the risks and rewards of our business. Future growth of the company will be reflected entirely in the shares held in all our accounts in the Employee Stock portion of our Profit Sharing Plan. Just as it always has been, the primary goal of our employee ownership model is to increase the net worth of our company. This new ownership structure better mirrors the long-term strategic plan for our company’s growth—growth that will be reflected as increased stock value in our ESOP. In effect, strengthening our company’s net worth makes us a financially healthier company; a company that is poised for continued success. The second way we benefit is from cash contributions to our profit sharing once the primary goal of increasing our net worth has been met. Again, in simplified terms, once the company’s net worth has been increased by an acceptable amount, the remainder of our annual profits are available to be used as cash contributions to our retirement accounts.
But what does that mean to us? We are owners. Together, we collectively own 100% of Cianbro. We own
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buildings, equipment, tools and investments. We employ people who we care for and respect. As owners, we must meet our commitments; maintain our assets; fulfill legal obligations; and attend to the communities we live and work in. We owe it to our children and to our next generation of company leaders to mentor and teach them how to be successful. We are charged with holding each other accountable for our actions and learning from our mistakes. We are even responsible for making sure we enjoy a healthy and safe working experience.
Our Future Your financial future is entirely in your hands—now more than ever! Along with enjoying the rewards of ownership, we are bound to assume ownership responsibilities in every aspect of our work. Whether you are a craftsperson, a supervisor, an administrator, your behavior has a direct impact on the bottom line financial success of our company. We will each continue to make ownership a high priority as we carry out our duties each day and together, we will meet the challenges ahead and grow our company with innovation, efficiency and a can-do spirit.
Your life; your future; your company—Take control! WINTER 1999 2005 JANUARY
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE s we welcome the opportunities 2005 will bring, we celebrate Cianbro’s two greatest assets—our people and our values. Both uniquely define our company and differentiate Cianbro from our competitors. Cianbro’s philosophy: treat people with dignity and respect, your word is your bond, and give back from which you take, remains timeless in guiding our company into the future and beyond. Supported by these basic principles, we will continue to add value and provide our customers with creative solutions as we support their needs. With our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) now owning all of the Cianbro stock; we celebrate 100% employee ownership. This was the vision of our Cianbro Founders—Carl, Ken, Bud, and Chuck Cianchette—and today we all share in the risk and rewards of our ownership. Now more than ever teamwork is essential to building a strong company and providing for the economic security of our entire team. As owners, we recognize that profits are earned by our ability to maintain a leadership role in our industry. To remain a leader, we will continue to make health and safety a priority, PETE VIGUE develop our people, concentrate on our strengths, work collaboratively with all stakeholders, and through hard work and innovation satisfy our customers on a daily basis. At the same time, we will prepare the next generation of Cianbro owners. As owners, each and every member of our team contributes and shares in our success. Whatever our individual knowledge or skill, it is critical for each of us to make our efforts count. By always doing our best; reaching out and mentoring new team members; contributing positively to the communities we live and work in; and, leading by our Cianbro philosophy, we will excel as a company. Embracing change and the opportunities that come with change, we take great pride in working with our customers to help them turn their challenges into solutions. By improving our individual knowledge and skills to provide value for our customers, we will expand our capacity to respond to the needs of our customers and allow our company to grow. Our people and our team’s ability to innovate is the central focus of our company’s strategic plan. Over the next several weeks, every person in our company will have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on this plan. As we move forward, we will measure our results, communicate our progress, and make adjustments to our plan. Thank you for your dedication and hard work; your commitment to health and safety; and, your loyalty to our company. Your accomplishments and willingness to work as a team continues to inspire me. I look forward to working with you and making this year our best yet. Let’s go for it!
CIANBRO CHATTER
featured in this issue
JOB SITES
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MAP NUMBER
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
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Baldwinsville Bridge Project............................... 6 Sappi Network Upgrade Project...................... 7 Conoco/Phillips Oil Tanker Project............... 8 Walden Arch Bridge Project............................. 10 FMC Project................................................................. 10 Delaware Memorial Bridge Project.............. 11 Boiler Relocation Project..................................... 13 School Telecommunications Project............ 13 Hadley Falls Fish Lift Project...........................14 Route 35 Summer Street Bridge Project...... 15 East Haddam Swing Bridge Project............ 15 Missisquoi Bay Bridge Project......................... 16 Portland Connector Project................................18 Portland Jetport Runway Project................... 20 Agawam Project........................................................ 21 Walnut Street Bridge Project.............................21 David Webb House Project .............................. 22 Fore River Substation Project........................... 24 Conowingo Project.................................................. 25 Toll Bridge Project................................................... 25 Harrisburg Waste to Energy Project............ 27 U.S. Air Force Memorial Project..................... 32
OFFICE SITES
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n Pittsfield, ME Corporate Office, NNE Regional Office, Fabrication & Coating Facility n Portland, ME Ricker’s Wharf Facility n Bloomfield, CT SNE Regional Office n Baltimore, MD Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Fabrication Facility
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OF INTEREST
Employee Ownership..... 1 Strategic Planning.............. 1 Wellness Congratulation...2 President’s Message......... 3 Meaning of Ownership.... 4 Scholarhip Winners......... 7 AISC Certification............. 9 Desjardins Honored......... 9 Bill Scott Appointed....... 11 Ricker’s Move...................12 Ricker’s Dedication........ 12 Children’s Story...............17
Medical Costs 2005......... 19 Utilities Services FAQ.... 19 Self Serve............................ 20 Neptune Update............. 22 NNE Training.................. 23 Gemmell Honored......... 24 25 Years.............................. 26 In Our Next Issue........... 27 Anniversaries................... 28 In Memorium.................. 30 The Dashboard................ 31 Pillars of Success............ 31
WINTER 2005
What Does it Mean to be an Owner? A
Tina Adams
Mike Bennett
Roy Bolton
Field Administrator, 10 years of service, Harrisburg W.T.E., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Regional Human Resources Manager, 9 years of service, NNE Regional Office, Pittsfield, Maine
Equipment Operator Maintenance Trainer, 26 years of service, corporate equipment, Pittsfield, Maine
s a field administrator, I realize how important it is to develop partnerships with our clients and with one another. I have always felt that it didn’t matter what project I was working on, I would do the best job that I could do. As long as we take good care of our company, our company will take good care of us. Sometimes this means doing things that we don’t necessarily want or like to do, but doing them even so because it’s the right thing to do. It’s important to treat people the way you want to be treated, get answers when you ask questions, and help out when someone needs help. To me, employee ownership means we all should continue our personal growth as owners and recognize the potential of others and help them to develop and grow. Ownership is all about the team members of Cianbro. It’s our responsibility to take ownership in what we do, teach new team members the values that we already know will work and continue to be open to new ideas to help us along the way. One last thing: when I first started with Cianbro, I worked as a craftsperson, hands-on, helping build the Allen Avenue Bridge over the Presumpscot River in Falmouth, Maine. To this day, every time I ride by that bridge I feel such pride in being a part of constructing an award-winning bridge and pride in my team and the work we do. I can’t drive by without telling my passengers to look out in the distance at the bridge and say, “There it is! I helped build that bridge. That’s my bridge.” CIANBRO CHATTER
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here are three key personnel areas that I feel are crucial to our success as a company and are responsibilities that we all should take very seriously as individual owners. Continuing to recruit the best of the best will ensure that we have the pick of the most-qualified team members; team members who will add value and help our company grow. We all need to be looking everyday at who we want to join our team. It means welcoming a diverse group of people into our fold and learning from the new ideas they bring. Once we bring these new people on board, it is our responsibility to mentor them for success. This means taking time to pass on our values, our goals, and our expectations to new team members. Set them up to succeed. In addition, we must continue to challenge our existing team members and provide opportunities for them to grow professionally and enhance existing skill sets by providing training on-the-job and in the classroom. I see my responsibility as an owner of this company to recruit, mentor, and train everyday. Not only is this my responsibility as a human resources manager but it is the responsibility of all the owners of this company. By fostering these behaviors, we all are contributing to the success of our company and I like knowing that everyday we’re all marching in the same direction and working as a team. We all have a tremendous amount of pride in our company and what we do everyday. Having the capacity to develop team members and continuingly improving is what I’m most proud of. The ability to go to work everyday with some of the finest people in the construction industry who do this well is a privilege.
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n October 1980, I was asked to operate our Manitowoc 3900 Vicon and I sure was proud to be assigned a crane of my very own! This meant, also, that it was up to me to keep extra good care of it being the only one to operate it. To make things easier, I had a box made for it and set it up on the crane to store all of my cleaning and greasing supplies in. I also had a bar welded to the car body for shackles and kept a good selection for just about any job I did. I worked on many different projects throughout Maine during the 1980s and I always did my best to keep every crane assigned to me in tip top shape. Without really thinking about it, I was in the habit of acting as if I was the owner of that crane. Now, in my role as equipment operator maintenance trainer I’m working with many different cranes and pieces of equipment and this ownership attitude has spilled over into my daily work. It is important that we maintain and care for our equipment and tools as if they were our very own because they are! We all share in this responsibility of keeping them in excellent working order.
Wayne Jordan, Sr.
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Equipment Operator, 7 years of service, Loch Raven Dam, Baltimore, Maryland
s with other operators, I feel we have an obligation to not only keep our equipment clean and well-maintained, but we also have a responsibility to WINTER 2005
watch out for our team members. By enthusiastically participating in activity plans and understanding what it is I have to do, I can help keep my team safe. Communication in the planning stage is very important but it is also critical that we maintain communication with people working around the equipment throughout the day. I believe we all have a duty to improve our work and learn more every day. What ownership boils down to is treating each other with respect and striving to be the best we can be each and every day.
Trampas King
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Engineering Technician/Fabrication, 5 years of service, Coatings Facility, Pittsfield, Maine
eing an owner makes me look at things a lot different. I look closer at how we do things, the quality of products we produce, how I use equipment, and qualities I look for in people when I’m interviewing them. I feel it’s my responsibility to ask questions and make sure we are satisfying our customers’ needs. It isn’t that I do my job any differently than before, it’s just a different feeling and way of looking at things. It’s an ownership feeling. Now that I am an owner, if something isn’t going well, I want to know if there is anything I can do to help make it better. When interviewing potential team members I look for someone who will work well within our culture and have the ability to develop the skills we need. I look for someone who will be here long-term—like a new family member— someone you would invite into your home to meet your family.
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plan will improve the net worth of our company and ensure the longevity of our company. This ownership structure lays the foundation for long term financial health and success for our company and for us, as owners. I believe that an “open door policy” and easily accessible supervision cultivates a strong sense of ownership and pride. We have an obligation to communicate with each other and to provide feedback to our team members so that we can make the right decisions. It is the people who make this company what it is. I believe we need to continue to cultivate a multi-skilled work force by continuing to provide training for our team. We, as owners, are also charged with being the leaders in our industry with our innovative thinking and can-do spirit.
Amy Page
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Accounts Payable Administrator, 1 year of service, Corporate Office, Pittsfield, Maine
assist in the administrative duties associated with keying invoices and producing checks for our accounts payable. I take this role very seriously, just as I would paying my own bills at home. We have to make sure the vendors get paid the appropriate amount on time. If we didn’t, our vendors wouldn’t be willing to supply our projects with the materials and equipment needed to run a successful construction company and all of us would suffer. I guess you could say that the work I do to continue a smooth payables operation is what I see my role as an owner to be. It is my personal contribution to the success of our company.
Ravi Natarajan
Anne Perron
Senior Project Engineer, 8 years of service, Agawam Bridge over Route 5, Agawam, Massachusetts
Ironworker, 7 years of service, Boy Scout Building, Portland, Maine
’m particularly pleased with the amount of consideration and time that went into making employee-ownership decisions. Our ownership transition and strategic CIANBRO CHATTER
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t’s a good feeling to be part of a company that is willing to share ownership with their employees and it’s reassuring to know that the Founding Broth-
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ers cared enough about their people that they planned for many years to convey 100% ownership to team members who are willing to align their activities with the mission of our organization. There are many benefits we reap from being owners but it’s not without responsibilities. We owe it to each other to take on the challenges of managing our company in the best manner possible—each and every one of us. One of the challenges of ownership that I feel strongly about is quality. It is important to me as an owner to work with a company that focuses their attention on detail and quality products and services. Our clients recognize and reward quality work and we gain respect in our industry. With respect comes more opportunities and the cycle begins again. Each time we provide our customers with excellent quality, we inevitably strengthen our business. I’m pretty proud to be an owner of Cianbro and I greet each work day with the notion that quality is the foundation of our company’s success.
Archie “Sparky” Wheaton
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Project Superintendent, 25 years of service, Penobscot River Bridge, Prospect/Verona, Maine
eing an owner of Cianbro is a blessing for me and my family. Most people think of construction workers as people who work hard their whole life for an acceptable wage and, if they are smart enough, they manage to squirrel enough money away through the years to have an income at retirement. I feel extremely fortunate that our company is and has already been planning for our future and our livelihood. It feels good to know that every day I can have a positive impact on our company’s net worth and, in turn, ensure a comfortable retirement for myself and my family. My hat goes off to our Founding Brothers that thought enough of their employees to allow them to share in the profits of the company. I also commend our senior managers for making this 100% ownership transition concept a reality. WINTER 2005
The Tale of Two Bridges – Phase II
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By Andrea Robitaille and Peter Smith
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ALDWINSVILLE/SYRACUSE, NY— Cianbro’s task on this project was to build a new five-lane, plate girder bridge which would replace a two-lane truss bridge built in 1950 over the Seneca River. The truss, which was 30 feet wide with only two lanes, was not nearly wide enough to accommodate the 16,000 vehicles relying on this bridge every day. The new 81 foot wide bridge with five lanes has been long awaited by the people of Baldwinsville, New York. Construction of this bridge began with Phase I in the early winter of 2002. Phase I included erecting half—or two lanes—of the new five-lane structure next to the existing truss. Once Phase I was complete, traffic was rerouted onto the new bridge and the demolition of the existing truss was underway. This is where the fun began! The truss demolition did not include a trip to the junkyard. For historical preservation the truss was to be erected at another location about 12 miles away in Plainville, New York. Sessler Wrecking assisted in rolling the bridge about 500 feet off the water for the Cianbro team to start the demolition process. This truss is not a simple structure, to say the least. More than 5,000 pieces of individual steel parts were riveted together with more than 60,000 rivets to form the lower chords, upper chords, vertical members, diagonal members, portal struts, sway frames, wind bracing, floor beams and stringers. These members were each comprised of angles, web plates, splice plates, filler plates, and lacing bars. A little over 20,000 of the rivets were present in the connections of these members. Disassembly required that all of these rivets be removed using rivet busters and if needed, slice torches. Once the pieces were released from their connections they were shipped down to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where Palmer Industrial de-leaded the pieces, blasted, primed and painted them to ship back for erection. To prepare for the return of the truss, a small crew of ironworkers under the direction of Foreman Jerry King, began erecting a temporary bridge in Plainville in order to support the truss during erection. The temporary bridge consisted of six bents, each containing three battered piles and W36 girders span over the navigable canals between the bents. This bridge was also completed in two phases. Once the old truss was rolled out of the way, the new bridge construction team
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Team members erect new Plainville truss bridge which was moved from Baldwinsville began their work led by Superintendent Jim Matt and General Foreman Donnie Fulmer. Foreman Bob Owens began driving sheet piles and pipe piles for the extension of the piers and the abutments for Phase II construction. Once the cofferdams were in place and the pipe piles were driven, carpenter crews went out and set the forms in order for the concrete to be poured. Under the direction of Senior Project Engineer Mark Zagrobelny; Project Engineer Andrea Robitaille; and Civil Foreman Greg Ginnelly, the rehabilitated sections of truss started to arrive in Plainville about 12 weeks after being shipped down to Pennsylvania, for their face lift. The lower chords began going together without a hitch in early July 2004. The truss that was erected last November will be jacked to remove the bunking supports and released from its construction camber. The truss will then be freestanding and the temporary bridge can be removed from the canal. Road realignment will begin this spring and the bridge is expected to start carrying traffic between late spring and early summer. Welders will set the deck pans in preparation for an early spring deck pour. This project has been challenging, to say the least, but with the talent possessed by the Cianbro team, led by Project Manager Mike Bardin; Superintendent Brian Hartness; and Project Engineer Roy Roorda; and—the newest member of our team—
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Field Office Administrator Nancy Garcetti, we are making it happen. Tremendous engineering support for the disassembly and erection of the truss and the erection of the new bridge was received from Bob Courtney, a member of our design team at Ricker’s Wharf in Portland, Maine. Grades have been set and the jobsite’s fulltime surveyor, Tom Martin, has monitored elevations and alignments during both phases of construction. As we begin another year, the team in Baldwinsville prepared for the winter shutdown. The girders of Phase II were set in Baldwinsville and the SIP forms for the concrete deck are in place. Overhang brackets are also in place and when the crew is ready to move back in the spring, the site will be prepped and ready to go for the deck pour. Thanks to our Corporate, Northern New England, Southern New England, and Mid-Atlantic Regional teams who have supported our efforts. Making safety a priority, our team members are focused on what is most important, which is the safety of one’s self and fellow team members. We applaud our team for the great work they have done, and we know we will continue to strive to achieve the highest level of excellence throughout the new year. Our team members are looking forward to the challenges of the coming season.
4 103,379 Project Safe Hours WINTER 2005
Cianbro Announces Scholarship Winners
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he Cianbro Charitable Foundation awarded Cianchette Brothers Scholarships to 21 outstanding college students who are children of Cianbro team members. A special reception was held to honor the 2004 scholarship winners and their families. With a total of $28,000 in scholarships awarded this year, 2004 marks the fifth year of the Cianchette Brothers Scholarship program. Over $125,000 has been awarded since the program was established in 1999. “These are great youngsters,” said Cianbro Chairman Ival “Bud” Cianchette. “We are very proud of them and so glad we can help them further their education. We wish them all the best and hope that many of these bright, young people will find a home right back here at Cianbro.” Cianbro President & CEO Pete Vigue said, “We are blessed to have these young people in our lives. They work hard and they have great attitudes. We believe in each of them and their abilities to reach their goals.” THE 21 STUDENTS—(Starting clockwise from top left) Nadeem Aslam (Brooklyn, NY), Crystal Baker (Pittsfield, ME), Christopher Cochrane (Pittsfield, ME), Kaycea Grignon (St. Albans, ME), Nathan Hartford (Queensbury, NY), Nichole Libold (Shawmut, ME), Natalie Mauro (Frederick, MD), Rebecca Moore (Winthrop, ME), Caileen Nutter (North Berwick, ME), Mary Page (Palmyra, ME), Joshua Philbrook (Hampden, ME), Danielle Ribbons (Clinton, ME), Kristen Ribbons (Clinton, ME), Lauren Robbins (Clinton, ME), Amanda Rollins (Exeter, ME), Amanda Ruksznis (Sidney, ME), Craig Ruksznis (Sidney, ME), Eric Saucier (Pittsfield, ME), Aaron Shorey (Stratton, ME), Rachel Stone (Newport, ME), Jordan Warren (Newport, ME)—attend a variety of colleges. “Each one of these students is outstanding,” said Cianbro Charitable Foundation Trustee Alan Burton. “Tomorrow’s leaders, they have top notch grades. We are thrilled to be able to honor their achievements.” Named for Cianbro’s Founders, the Cianchette Brothers Scholarship program was established in 1999 to help qualified college students of Cianbro team members. The Cianbro Charitable Foundation was founded in the mid-eighties and is dedicated to continuing the Cianchette philosophy of charitable assistance to worthy educational and charitable organizations.
SAPPI Technology Center Network Upgrade Project n
By John Comstock
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ianbro Data Services is in the process of upgrading the voice and data network in the Technology Center Facility at SAPPI Fine Paper’s location in Westbrook, Maine. Crews from both Data Services and our NNE electrical team are working side by side to make this a successful project, not only for Cianbro, but for our customer. This project encompasses running several thousand feet of communications cable
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tray and EMT conduit, as well as approximately 110,000 feet of Category 6 communications cable. In total, our team will terminate and test 550 voice and data ports. Due to the increasing demand for bandwidth, along with the several advancements in network technology, SAPPI engineers felt it was time to upgrade their communications infrastructure. SAPPI’s existing infrastructure is typical in that much of the communications cabling is outdated and has grown sporadically over the years. SAPPI engineers are hoping that the new cabling
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will help alleviate difficulties they have had with moves, adds, and changes. Working with several vendors and a local technology consultant, SAPPI decided to install a Category 6 network, capable of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which they plan to implement after the cabling is in place. Cianbro team members O’Neil Boivin, Bob Lane, Paul Osborne, Ken Sibley, and Jason Work are leading the effort supported by Andy Cote, Chris Flynn, Tom Hamel, Chris McKenna, Pat Pelletier, Doug Peterson, and Earl Tracy.
WINTER 2005
From Oil Rigs to Oil Tanker—The Cianbro Team Continues to Pursue New Opportunities n
By Bob Seegmiller
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ate in the day on Friday, September 3, 2004, Cianbro secured an agreement with Conoco/Phillips and Northrup Grummond Shipyard Systems (NGSS), to complete the warranty work on a million-gallon tanker, named the Polar Adventure. The ship had begun its life in Avondale, Louisiana, at the NGSS shipyard. NGSS and Conoco/Phillips decided to move the vessel from Avondale to the Grand Bahamas to complete the exterior painting and warranty items. The ship sailed to the Bahamas and remained there for several weeks. After being battered by tropical storm after tropical storm and with the threat of Tropical Storm Ivan headed their way, the Conoco/Phillips NGSS Team started looking for another shipyard to compete the project. Searching the eastern seaboard for accommodations, Conoco/Phillips made contact with Cianbro, and in short order made the decision to bring the Polar Adventure to Portland, Maine. This was a welcomed port for many of the crew and construction team from Conoco/Phillips, for Portland was just not a safe harbor from the storm, it was their home port. Several of the crew—graduates from Maine Maritime Academy and residents of the Northeast— were granted the opportunity to be home and visit their families. Sunday was identified as family day, a day they could spend with their families on board the vessel. There is a lot to be said about how a crew feels about their vessel; it was obvious from the beginning that this was going to be a great project. The Polar Adventure arrived at the Cianbro shipyard at 1800 hours on Monday, ironically, Labor Day. It was a tremendous amount of work to prepare the shipyard for the vessel. The existing pier was not capable of accepting a 980 foot long vessel that was half the width of a football field. The existing pier was reinforced with additional wooden pile and steel pile was driven at the dolphin. Cianbro crews worked around the clock throughout the Labor Day weekend for the arrival of our newest guest with plans being prepared to complete 36,000 hours of work on a vessel we had yet to see. The pier modifications were completed just hours before the Polar Adventure came into view for the anxious Cianbro crew and Conoco/Phillips family members waiting at the end of the pier. Quietly and
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The Polar Adventure preparing to set sail after work was completed in Portland, Maine gracefully the ship maneuvered into the harbor and lay alongside the newly modified pier. Lines were secured, the gangways set in place, and the shipyard was buzzing with activity. What an awesome site! By 1200 hours, shore power was in place, the main engines shut down, and the ship was home for many. That Tuesday morning, 40 members of the Cianbro team arrived on site to assess the scope of work and prepare plans for additional crews to arrive the next day. By day two we had over 120 people on site and by day four, upwards of 200. With an obvious sense of urgency the crews did not waste a minute and went straight to work, beginning the task of attacking over 3,200 warranty items, one at a time. The crew of the ship was overwhelmed by our
“This is the most complete ship yet. Never have we sailed on our maiden voyage with a ship with so few open items. Thank you Cianbro!” desire to complete this project which would allow them to leave the Portland harbor with their vessel ready for her maiden voyage. All parties agreed upon one strategy: teamwork. Understand there were several stakeholders—Conoco/Phillips construction, Conoco/Phillips crew, NGSS, and Cianbro—all with a common goal to reduce the warranty list to less than 200 items in three weeks. It is difficult to describe the genuine sense of pride that was the key motivator
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on this project. The crew of the vessel often spoke of the quality of the Cianbro team, the people who were so helpful; self motivated, and truly dedicated to trying their best. Every day was filled with challenges; however, there was never a negative approach to any of the work activities. The Cianbro team pushed forward day after day, night after night, as the warranty list decreased from 3,200 to 2,500 to 1,000 and finished with less than 175. The Chief Engineer of the vessel commented about our work ethic, “It was the last day before we sailed and all the NGSS personnel had left for Avondale, but you guys kept on working. You kept on attacking the punch list. This was incredible.” The project scope consisted of electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, outfitting, pipe, and painting. The largest part of the scope was painting. On the day of the vessel’s departure, the Conoco/Phillips captain said, “This is the most complete ship yet. Never have we sailed on our maiden voyage with a ship with so few open items. Thank you Cianbro!” Truly, this was a great project. The Cianbro team excelled in every measure: safety, production, schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction. A testament to the appreciation of our customer was displayed every day by the Chief Engineer who proudly wore a Cianbro hard hat with these words printed above the Cianbro name, “Thank You.” I hope this article captures the greatness of our people, the greatness of our company, and the privileges that we enjoy as owners of Cianbro Corporation.
4 23,376 Project Safe Hours WINTER 2005
Baltimore Fabrication & Coating Facility Certified by AISC
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By Dottie Hutchins
ALTIMORE, Md. — The MidAtlantic Fabrication & Coating Facility was recently certified by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). In 2002, Cianbro purchased a nearby 76,000 sf fabrication and coating facility with a 21-acre waterfront lot on Curtis Bay. Neighboring a United States Coast Guard Station, the marine facility also includes Cianbro’s regional office where more than 250 team members serve a wide variety of public and private clients from Pennsylvania to Virginia. “AISC certification is a credit to our fabrication and coating team’s ability to take on challenges,” said Mike Hart, Cianbro vice president and general manager of the company’s Baltimore-based operations. “Congratulations on your success in this rigorous program,” said Bobbi Marstellar, AISC vice president of certification. “Cianbro is certified by the American Institute of Steel Construction to have the personnel, organization, experience, capability, and commitment meeting the requirements of the Standard for Steel Building Structures and Simple Steel Bridges with Sophisticated Paint Endorsement-Covered categories as set forth in the AISC Certification Program.” Cianbro’s investment in this midAtlantic facility, coupled with AISC certification, compliments the company’s Maine-based fabrication and coating
operations, which is additionally endorsed for the more stringent Fracture-Critical fabrications. “This facility with its 250-foot bulkhead on the Inner Harbor strategically positions our company to better serve greater Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding areas,” said Dave Leavitt, Cianbro’s manager of fabrication and coating facilities. “And, achieving this new AISC certification for our Baltimore facility allows our team to take on many new opportunities in the region.” “We have already added 26 new fabrication jobs to the area,” said Charlie Cianchette, Cianbro’s operations services manager. “With a goal of doubling our local fabrication and coating team within the year, Cianbro is dedicated to the development of this region and the prosperity of our team members.” AISC, headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural-steel-related technical and marketbuilding activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development. AISC has a long tradition of more than 80 years of service to the steel construction industry providing timely and reliable information.
Cianbro’s Donnell Barber (left) and Robert Dziwak fabricate bridge crossframes
CIANBRO CHATTER
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ASCE President, William P. Henry, presents Bob Desjardins with honorary membership medallion
Bob Desjardins Elected Honorary Member of ASCE n
By LeAnne Rogers
O
n October 23, 2004, Bob Desjardins was elected to the grade of Honorary Membership of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The induction ceremony was held in Baltimore, Maryland, in connection with ASCE’s Annual Convention. Honorary membership is the top honor bestowed by ASCE. Only 12 new Honorary Members were elected this year and only 522 other engineers have been similarly honored in ASCE’s history since the society’s inception in 1853. In any one year the society can only award this membership level to .01% of its standing membership which is presently over 100,000 members. According to the ASCE, an honorary member “shall be a person who shall have obtained acknowledged eminence in some branch of engineering or in the arts and sciences related thereto.” Bob was presented a certificate, pin and medallion by the new ASCE President, William P. Henry, P.E., F.ASCE. Bob was nominated to receive this honor by the Maine ASCE Chapter. For more information about the American Society of Civil Engineers, go to the society’s website at www.asce.org. Congratulations, Bob!
WINTER 2005
Walden Arch Bridge
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By Aaron Pethic
he Walden Arch Bridge on Route 52 in the village of Walden, New York, is nearing completion as our crew is putting the final touches on a very difficult project. Work began in April 2003, and was substantially complete Thanksgiving 2004. The efforts are finally starting to show as the arch bridge has now spanned the Wallkill River and is prepared to accept vehicular traffic. The main attraction to our project took place in the winter months of 2004. Onlookers witnessed the crew assembling and installing the arch formwork that was provided by EFCO form company. By mid-February 2004, the pre-tied rebar cages for the arch had been lifted and flown into place, as well as the forms installed on the sides of the arches in anticipation for concrete. On February 20, two crews (one on either side of the river) began pouring the arches in the dawn morning hours starting from the bottom and working their way to the top. Crews reached the preplanned bulkhead in the hours of dusk in near freezing temperatures. Heating blankets and preinstalled ground heaters were part of the plan to keep the concrete warm at such cold temperatures this time of year. Our deepest appreciation goes out to our team members from Glens Falls and Syracuse who helped us get this critical pour done. We appreciate all of their efforts on those cold days in February to make the arches a reality. Many thanks to Art Christian, Dean Cummings, Donnie Fulmer, Jamie Fulmer, Scott Jackson, and Rob Young.
Cianbro at FMC n
By Tom Kennedy and Gail Mayo
W
e would like to update everyone on our FMC, Rockland, Maine, project. We have had another excellent year. We have just passed a safety milestone: ten years without any lost-time accidents. This was accomplished though team member dedication to safety and a very safety-minded client who supports our efforts.
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After the arches were stripped of their forms in early spring of last year, our crew focused on the installation of four precast columns and four pier caps. Some pieces weighed as much as 36 tons each and were installed by matching up female rebar sleeves with male dowels, in some instances only having millimeters to “play” with. Once the columns
View of arches with precast pier caps installed awaiting precast box beam installation
and caps were post-tensioned and grouted, crews went right into the installation of the bridge bearings and concrete box beams. Another milestone was reached in mid-July when the five spans of box beams were installed and one could physically walk from one side of the river to the other utilizing the arch bridge. Special thanks to Pete Cross for coming in to lead the rigging and handling of this portion of the project. Throughout the month of August, crews began preparing for the deck pour and adding on to the bridge abutment walls. On August 26, 2004, team members poured the 225-foot long by 42-foot wide bridge deck with ease. Special thanks to the assistance provided by the Glens Falls project for the deck pour. Thank you to Francisco Cruz, Terry Ding-
The annual shutdown was completed in July 2004. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team members the shutdown was completed in a safe, timely and efficient manner. We would like to give special thanks to our supervisor team members; Joe Friant, Jim Mahar, Darin Merrifield, Charlie Nutter, Al Pressey, Stu Twitchell, Gene Wyman and Mike Lilley in safety, for all the extra effort put in to make this a very successful shutdown. Our client was very pleased with our team and their hard work.
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man, Al Harriman, Gary Labruzzo, Dan Parker, and Robert Young.
September witnessed the dismantling and demobilization of the 4100 ringer crane that graced the Walden skyline for about a year. Stan Gilbert and his machine was counted on for numerous picks throughout the project and Stan is commended for the outstanding job he did behind the reigns of this powerful piece of equipment. Trent Clukey, Ben Eastman, Dave Lewis, Pokey Sinclair, and Dan Wiedmer did an outstanding job dismantling the ringer crane in a safe and efficient manner and shipped it on its way to the next job. There’s been quite a bit of work completed in the late fall months as our primary earthwork sub, SUN UP Enterprises, along with Mexcon, Stillsing Electric, and Marathon Ironworks, have all helped out. The village of Walden has received a much-needed face-lift to its business district in the form of new sidewalks, granite curb, brick pavers, new tree plantings, and new ornamental lighting that illuminates the walkway. Our project wouldn’t be where it is today without the fruitful efforts of the following people for “making it happen.” The crew on site consists of Dale
Andrews, Pete Bersani, Milt Cruikshank, Adan Cruz-Lopez, Dale Frisbie, Stan Gilbert, Buddy (John) Intrabartolo, Dan Moreau, and Aaron Pethic. We also cannot forget the work of Michele Ambrosino, Kenneth Hawkes, Bob Holland, Mike Kaiser, Jerry King, Scott Kretser, Dan Musselwhite, Mark Nordgren, Jason Rourke, and our late friend, Ray Kellogg,
who died tragically in a motorcycle accident in July. He was only with our team for a few weeks, but it felt like he’d been with us for a lifetime.
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47,335 Project Safe Hours
The team at FMC has completed many projects over the year; one of the highlights being a new weed handling building at the plant. We also completed some “outside” projects. We built two new clean room facilities and remodeled another for the Cambrex Facility across town and built a War Memorial Wall in Rockland to honor the Veterans. We look forward to many more safe years with FMC.
4 289,197 Project Safe Hours WINTER 2005
The Delaware Memorial Bridge Project
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By Bruce Arsenault
his project involves the total rehabilitation of electrical systems on the Delaware Memorial Bridge spans. These bridges, linking Delaware and New Jersey, are the largest twin suspension bridges in the world with the span stretching 3,650 feet long and 482 feet tall at the top of the towers. More than 80,000 vehicles cross the spans daily on a combined total of eight lanes. The spans touch down in New Castle, Delaware, and in Pennsville, New Jersey, and have been open to traffic since 1951. The bridge is a lasting memorial to those soldiers who gave their lives in World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. Each year on Veterans Day, a special ceremony is held at the Bridge War Memorial, which overlooks the twin span. Cianbro’s scope of work is to upgrade electrical systems from the existing 5KV to 15KV including two new substations, one in Delaware, and the other in New Jersey. We will be installing new switchgear rooms in the four anchorages. New security lighting will be added under the four approaches, numerous underground power duct banks and over one mile of cable tray. The project got underway on September 7, 2004, with the following team members: Project Manager Bill Kleinfelder; Safety Supervisor Tracy Sofield; Superintendent Bruce Arsenault; Field Administrator Sonya Arsenault; and Justin Perry
Delaware Memorial Bridge—largest twinspan bridge in the world
for electrical support and were followed by Bill Stetson and Andy Gamez two weeks later. Jason Mahla, project engineer, has been working on the PMP and submittals along with Field Engineer Jamie Willett. We have our field office in place and have begun demolition on the old communication and power cables. Cable tray arrived on site in late October and installation will take place this winter. We are planning to be on site until April 2006. The team here at Delaware Memorial Bridge would like to thank the South Market Sreet team, Kate Dudash, Cindy Keniston, and Tom Southern for all of their support during our startup and mobilization process.
4 5,512 Project Safe Hours
Bill Scott Appointed to Construction Institute n
By Leonard Hutchins
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ALTIMORE, Md. — Bill Scott, estimating manager for Cianbro’s MidAtlantic Region, has been appointed to serve the Construction Institute in Reston, Virginia, as a member of the Claims Avoidance and Resolutions Committee. Bill lives in Millersville, Maryland, with his wife, daughter, and son. The Construction Institute (CI) was created through the mergBILL SCOTT er of Construction Division, Materials Division, and Construction Standards Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in October 2000. CI is the first national organization designed to meet the needs of all individuals working within
CIANBRO CHATTER
the construction industry. The mission of CI is to serve members and participants in the construction process; to improve the state of construction practice through both the development of knowledge and technology transfer; and, to advance the knowledge and practice of construction. CI Director Rick Lawhun, P.E., said, “We are pleased to welcome Bill Scott into CI. Bill has the energy, knowledge, and construction experience to jumpstart our Claims Avoidance and Resolutions Committee. Bill can promote mutual trust and respect to establish a winwin working environment.” With 18 years experience in the construction industry, Bill is a 14-year Cianbro veteran. He received a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of Maine, and is completing MBA requirements at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. Bill, an ASCE member, said, “I feel
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honored to be accepted as a contractor’s representative in the CI mix of contractors, owners, suppliers, engineers, and consultants. CI provides a unique opportunity to work together to establish best practices for the construction industry.” Bill added, “In particular, there is a need to be filled because conflicts arise in the construction process. The need is to prevent disputes by timely identification of issues and early promotion of fair resolutions. I am pleased to be a member of CI Claims Avoidance and Resolutions Committee. We will work to establish best claims avoidance and resolution practices, and to disseminate the information to the industry.” Mike Hart, vice president and midAtlantic general manager said, “We are proud to have Bill Scott serve the Construction Institute. Bill is a valuable member of our team and a tremendous asset to both Cianbro and CI.”
WINTER 2005
Cianbro Dedicates Portland Facility to John Ricker, Sr. n
By Leonard Hutchins
C
ianbro recently named their marine facility on Casco Bay in Portland, Maine, after John Ricker, Sr., to honor his many years of loyal service to Cianbro. President & CEO Pete Vigue and Cianbro Founders, Bud and Ken Cianchette, hosted a surprise reception for co-workers, friends, and family on October 29, 2004. Located at 366 West Commercial Street, Cianbro acquired the property in 1970 with the purchase of Bernstein & Jacobson, a marine salvage company. The facility provided deep water access and was critical to the company’s growth, which included the 1967 purchase of Ellis C. Snodgrass, Inc., a local construction company. Now officially known as Ricker’s Wharf, this historic section of Portland’s working waterfront continues to support Cianbro’s southern Maine operations. However, as history usually goes, there is a bit more to the story. Since before the time of purchase, the common reference for this prime, marine facility has always been Ricker’s Wharf—but not the same Ricker. Confused? Don’t be. As the story goes, it was originally called Ricker’s Wharf after the owner of a gas station located there. Now, it will forever be known as Ricker’s Wharf to honor Cianbro’s John Ricker, Sr. “Celebrating the many contributions John Ricker, Sr., made to Cianbro is important,” said Pete Vigue. “John was a mentor to countless members of our team. He remains a friend and positive role model within our company.” John Ricker, Sr., had worked for Ellis Snodgrass since 1953 when Snodgrass died unexpectedly. John soon found a home at Cianbro. He was capable, excelled at his craft, and was good with people. From his Cianbro co-workers, to clients, to the President of the United States, John Ricker, Sr., holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many. “I was blessed with great people on many projects over the years,” said John. “Come to think of it, great crews on the one hand and great bosses on the other made for a great career. I would do it all over again. I am truly proud that Cianbro named Ricker’s Wharf after me. “My wife, Jacqueline, and I spend our retirement years in Stratton, Maine. We have five children. John Junior works for Cianbro—at Ricker’s Wharf, of course. We now have seven grandchildren.” Linc Denison, Cianbro vice president and Southern New England general man-
CIANBRO CHATTER
Left to Right: (Kneeling) Bill Van Voorhis, Pete Vigue (Standing) Mac Cianchette, Bud Cianchette, Bill Dusty, John Ricker, Sr., Gary Chisholm, Ken Cianchette, Frank LeClair, Stan Gilbert, Parker Hadlock, Frank Carll, Bill Moulton, Linc Denison, Sr., Alan Burton, John Ricker, Jr., and Lou Campbell
Ricker’s Wharf Big Move
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By Tara Coffin
n September 2, 2004, the Ricker’s Wharf Team moved across the street to the former W.L. Blake building. Although we didn’t move very far, it took weeks of planning to move our office in a safe and orderly fashion. After years of working out of three trailers scattered about the yard, we have finally put everyone under one roof. Our new office is a lot roomier than the three trailers combined, with a break room, fitness room, larger conference room, three bathrooms, a copier/printer room, and ample warehouse space. Bud Cianchette has been helping out with the interior decorating of the lobby and conference rooms and adding some final touches. Karen Francoeur and her team have been hard at work organizing the warehouse space so that it can service the Portland area projects more efficiently. We are proud ager, said. “I am a very lucky guy. I had John Ricker, Sr., a consummate professional and premier rigger, for a mentor. There is something special about John. He is humble and has a keen, dry, farreaching sense of humor—to go with a friendly smile. His demeanor on the job gave everyone a high level of confidence. He made those of us working with him comfortable in difficult situations.” Cianbro’s Ken Cianchette added, “John was at home as a tugboat skipper, rigger, crane operator—whatever we needed—on land or water. John could work as well with our clients—any of them—as he did with
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of our new “home” and invite our Cianbro family to visit anytime! We had a great team helping to renovate the building and organizing our big move. Many thanks to Julia Allyson for organizing the move, Pat Child and Jason Denison for doing the heavy work, Bill Morgan and Jim Potter for working long hours finishing up the renovations, and the MIS team for moving the server and phone system without any interruptions. Also, we would like to thank Ed Jones and Brent Poulin for listening to everyone’s ideas in the office layout and still staying within our budget! Now there is no evidence that Cianbro once occupied the little piece of land next to the railroad tracks. The trailers have since been hauled away to make way for CMP’s new substation. Although the Ricker’s Team has a new office and is glad to see the trailers go, we know there are some sad little mice that now have to find a new home!
equipment and material. After a storm, John had a crew repairing damage along the Maine coast with a tugboat, barge, and crane. George H. W. Bush, then Vice President Bush, asked John to fix his breakwater wall. The two men were soon on a “George and John” first name basis. Later, when “George” became President, he caused great concern among his Secret Service staff one day when he saw, from his boat, Cianbro equipment on a Maryland bridge project and came ashore looking for his old buddy, John. Regrettably, John wasn’t working on that particular project, but he made a lasting impression on everyone.
WINTER 1999 2005 JANUARY
Athens/Old Town #6 Biomass Boiler Relocation Project
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By Sadie Alley and Elizabeth Bridges
onstruction of the 16-MW, biomass-fueled power plant in Athens, Maine, in 1986 was Cianbro’s first field-erected boiler project. Eighteen years later, in May 2004, we were contracted by Georgia-Pacific to dismantle the plant— including the boiler, turbine generator, plant auxiliary equipment, woodyard equipment, and building steel—and relocate and erect it at the mill in Old Town, Maine, 65 miles away. We mobilized to Athens and started demolition and removal in early June 2004 then mobilized to Old Town to start foundation work in early July. The boiler/turbine building is being rebuilt in the same configuration as in Athens, but with a 24-foot addition off the turbine building for electrical/MCC rooms. It’s a
Dismantling the boiler and boiler building in Athens
complex project requiring a lot of safety considerations, coordination, and planning. The first wave of folks who went to Athens expended a great deal of effort on mapping and piecemarking prior to start of removal. This, in addition to the time spent developing detailed activity plans prior to starting demolition and removal has proven to be very successful. The critical path of the project is the actual dismantling of the boiler and boiler building steel and the shipping and reerection of the steel in Old Town. The Cianbro Fabrication Facility in Pittsfield modified the building steel to fit the new foundations in Old Town. This allowed us to start boiler erec-
tion in Old Town in August. By early October, 162 truckloads of parts had been shipped from Athens to Old Town, many of which required over-width permits (up to 21 feet, 8 inches wide) and twelve loads were 80,000 pounds or greater in weight. The heaviest load transported for the boiler to date is the superheat bundle at 109,000 pounds! The eight-foot, sixinch diameter by 135-foot long stack that weighs 112,000 pounds was also relocated to Old Town. During the month of September, we set the drums and waterwall panels, and the turbine and generator. We continued installing the big pieces—economizer, air heater, fans, and duct—in October in order to close the building in before the worst of winter arrived. The boiler/turbine/MCC building were completed in 2004. Meanwhile, another crew has been working since July constructing foundations in the woodyard at Old Town. The truck dumper, A-frame storage building, hog/screen building, transfer tower and most of the fuel conveyors are also being relocated from Athens. The foundation work is done for most of the relocated structures and equipment and we’re now finishing woodyard equipment erection. Two new conveyors and transfer towers were installed. They were required to get the chips from the woodyard to the boiler which is located a lot further away from the woodyard in Old Town than it was in Athens. Foundations for these new towers and conveyors were completed in 2004. The new boiler feed conveyor will cross over the top of the existing #5 boiler building to get feed fuel to the relocated #6 boiler. The crews started the precipitator, ID fan and stack foundations in October and are finishing equipment re-assembly and erection. The piping team has re-installed much of the old piping removed in Athens and has been running new piping in outlying areas from mill tie-in points to the #6 boiler. The majority of electrical equipment and material is new. Tray, conduit and cable installation is well underway. November 2004, through December, 2004, were the busiest months for the piping, electrical and boiler crews. Construction is scheduled to be complete for first fire by February 22, 2005.
4 166,953 Project Safe Hours
Mark Emery School Telecommunications n
By John Comstock
C
ianbro Data Services is completing a telecommunications cabling project for the Mark Emery Elementary School in North Anson, Maine. The project consists of approximately 230 drop locations at the newly-constructed school. Construction started on the project in early 2004, and the telecommunications portion will be completed in two phases. Each drop location will carry a combination of Category 6 data, RCA
CIANBRO CHATTER
audio, S-video and CATV coaxial cable. Because of the vast lay-out of the school, it is necessary that four intermediate distribution frames be located throughout the building, all linked to the main distribution frame with fiberoptics and coaxial trunk cable. Cianbro Data Services was awarded the contract in June of 2004, beating out four other communications companies. While we were not the low bidder, the technology consultant (Unicom) recognized Cianbro Data Services as having
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Construction of the Mark Emery School the most comprehensive proposal and a reputation in the industry as having one of the best telecommunications cabling teams in the state.
WINTER 2005
Hadley Falls Fish Lift
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By Keith Locke and Terra Thomas
very year, several different species of fish swim up the Connecticut River for their annual spring migration. The target fish are American Shad, Sea Lamprey, Atlantic Salmon, and other migrating fish. The Holyoke Dam in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is home to a “lift” that aids these fish in their journey upstream. In 1991, Cianbro installed a fish diversion facility, which helps young fish migrate downstream. This project involved installing a louver in the adjacent canal to channel the smolt to a carrier pipe, which transports them to the tailrace of the hydro power station. This pipe was fabricated by our Fabrication Facility.
Carpenters form the new suspended slab fish channel as steel columns and beams shape the expanded flume (in background)
Beginning in the summer of 2004, Cianbro returned to the Holyoke Dam to rehabilitate and improve the existing fish lift. “The project improves the ability of the migrating fish to get caught, helping them reach breeding areas upstream,” said Guy Wilson, project superintendent. Guy worked on the project in 1991 and is now heading up the current project. The work to be completed consists of an expansion of the current fish passage flume, replacement of the old lifts with new structural steel towers and hoppers (or “fish elevators”), modification of the passageways and “attraction” water flow, and the upgrading of the operating machinery and electrical components throughout. These improvements will also double the viewing capacity for the fish counters who annually report the total amount of various fish species that pass through the facility to several environmental agencies. CIANBRO CHATTER
The current project will be supported by our Fabrication Facility again as well as civil, electrical, and a mixture of craftspeople. This project is an excellent representation of teamwork by our company. “It has been great to work with the current owner as well as with the previous owner, Northeast Utilities.” added Wilson. By October 2004, the two existing 75-foot tall steel towers had been demolished and taken off site while the existing counting room was removed and dismantled. All existing electrical equipment was carefully removed and taken off site for storage by the owner. After removing some 20 cy of river silt and debris, new concrete walls have been formed and placed as the new fish passage channels are took shape. The iron crew, lead by Ironworker General Foreman Don Smith accompanied by Ron Ayres, Chris Chasse, Todd Hoffa, and Dave Powers has completed the erection of flume expansion steel and is working on building the two new steel towers. The carpentry crew continues to work on concrete placements, and are busy constructing the new fish attraction channels and water bypass channels. Lead by Foreman Josh Justin, crew members, Stuart Hunt, Garrett McVaney, Andy Seng, and Mariana Tubolino, have been busy forming the new channel walls, suspended slabs, and beams that will ultimately route the fish into the new hoppers. Team Member Debra Smith, has assisted in several areas of the jobsite. Equipment Operator Frank Trumble has been instrumental in removing and installing new concrete and steel that required many “blind picks.” Cianbro also welcomes back Operator John Pelland who has been running a mini-excavator with a hoe ram attachment to demolish existing rock and concrete. Dan Tetrault, the electrical foreman, is busy with conduit runs and electrifying all new equipment in the coming months. The new channels will allow attraction water to flow south and migratory fish to swim north as they are literally crowded into the hoppers at the base of the towers. Once enclosed, two new 20-ton hoists will raise the elevators approximately 40feet and discharge the fish into the flume. The water in the flume is at the same elevation as the water at the top of the dam. Once here, the fish will continue to swim north toward breeding grounds. Our management team, lead by Superintendent Guy Wilson includes Craft Superintendent Bruce McNamara; Safety Specialist Barbie Rushford; Project Engineer/Field Engineer Keith Locke; Electrical Superintendent Dave MacMartin; and Mechanical Project Engineer Keith Magoon. Tom Clarke, manager of projects, states, “I am enthusiastic about this project in that it will include significant electrical and instrumentation work performed by our team members. Additionally, it continues our successful relationship with Holyoke Gas & Electric, coming off the #7 Riverside Unit Electrical Upgrade.” Clarke added that Senior Electrical Engineer Dave MacMartin looked forward to integration of this electrical team into the overall project team. The major civil activities are expected wrap up in early 2005 with electrical and mechanical operations finishing this spring. The team is pleased with the progress to date as construction continues to track towards a finish date before the deadline.
4 15,675 Project Safe Hours
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WINTER 2005
Ambitious Schedule, Ambitious Team!
Cianbro Completes Kennebunk’s Route 35 Summer Street Bridge Ahead of Schedule
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As Amtrak speeds by, the Cianbro team places foundations (left) and drives pile (right) to construct the new Summer Street Bridge in Kennebunk, Maine
By Pat Sughrue
t all began on October 12, the day we shut off the main artery, Route 35, which is the lifeline between the Maine Turnpike and the oceanfront towns of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine, to demo and construct a new bridge. MaineDOT planned an ambitious completion date of November 22. The Cianbro team, assisted by Shaw Brothers, came aboard prepared to work and work we did; 12 sometimes 14 hours a day seven days a week! The removal of the existing bridge was the first challenge and with that complete excavations began. Crews began driving sheets to retain soil allowing the railroad to maintain its train services, passenger and freight, sometimes as many as 12 trains a day. The
Summer Street Bridge Team Members Rickey Anthony Thomas Belanger David Bond Michele Burnette Francis Callnan Henry Cook Kevin Crowell
Aaron Cunningham Alvin Fluellen Joseph Friant Garron Heath Randy Hicks Timothy Lancaster Ryan Marcottie
Bradley Marquis Troy Martin Robert McCubrey Jeffrey McPherson Donald Padham Darren Pelletier Douglas Ranks
Scott Remillard Ryan Sargent Pat Sughrue Domingos Tavares Wilson Torres
next chore was to drive 55 “H”pile, prefabricated concrete forms, and begin tying rebar—the team tackled these challenges head on. Before we could take a breath we had the footings poured and were standing the wall forms. All together we tied 43 tons of rebar and placed 750 cy of concrete to complete the abutments. The back filling began and the precast girders arrived to be set. Sidewalks and curbs were placed while crews began demobilizing the yard. Not only did we beat the tight 42 day schedule, we beat it by five days! The Cianbro team worked 37 days straight only taking a single day off, except Aaron Cunningham who spared a day to spend with his wife and new born daughter, Congratulations Aaron and family! With a focus on SAFETY—over 9,000 safe hours and ZERO injuries—everyone involved in the “impossible” challenge was a key player. This project is a perfect example of what Cianbro is made of: People – Pride – Progress. Special thanks to Cianbro’s yard and support teams from Pittsfield and Ricker’s Wharf.
4 9,474 Project Safe Hours
East Haddam Swing Bridge Project n
By Jim Dupuis
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he East Haddam Swing Bridge Project, located in East Haddam, Connecticut, is in high gear installing rigging, containment tarps and performing painting operations. The project also involves the complete removal and installation of a new electrical system, navigational lighting, and traffic gates. Dave MacMartin and Larry Mooney head up this portion of the project. The blasting and decontamination facilities are all barge-mounted in the Connecticut River. Access and egress ladders are being removed and our Pittsfield Fabrication Facility is fabricating new ones. The Swing-Lo brackets and rail system is being orchestrated by Shawn Bickford and his team. Water Rescue training operations are conducted almost on a daily basis. Alan Gemmell and Bethany Dupuis are conducting rigging and tarping over the water to ensure everybody goes home the way they came to work. Alan Gemmell is also our person of all trades; building a small utility shed designed to house Containment operations on truss span Connecticut Department of Transportation equipment and supplies for maintenance storage needs. He is also responsible for organizing our Southern New England training needs. Darren Bye is the project engineer who assists in monthly scheduling, change orders, RFIs, and electrical submittals. Chet Muckenhirn is the project manager and Jim Dupuis is running the day-to-day operations as the project superintendent. Painting activities continued into early December 2004, and will startup again in March 2005. Throughout the winter, electrical repairs and steel replacement will continue. The project is expected to be complete in March 2006.
4 14,302 Project Safe Hours
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WINTER 2005
Missisquoi Bay Bridge
The following people have been instrumental in the success of this project. Incidentally, due to the project’s location in close proximity to two of our operating regions, this project utilized and blended resources and team members from both the Northern New England and Southern New England Regions. n
The Missisquoi Bay Bridge Project Team would also like to give special thanks to the Equipment Group, the Southern New England Regional Office Team and Corporate Operations Services.
TEAM MEMBERS
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Kim Albaugh Donald Arnold Richard Bessett David Bohannon Dave Bousquet Torrey Brown Tom Caldwell Lorne Campbell Gary Chisholm Chuck Chouinard Shawn Clarke Wes Corson Frank Cross Ben Daku Terry Dingman Brady Dix Doug Dow Joe Foley Tom Foy Kim Gemmell Judy Greer Jimmy Harter Kenneth Hawkes Robert Holland David “Hutch” Hutchinson Elwin “Jonesy” Jones Jr. (deceased) Carla Kelley Damaris Kennedy Karl Kuhnen Cory LaRock Jim Maloney Lynne McGibney Jason Molten Douglas F Moore Tom Mucci Dan Musselwhite Mark Nordgren Chris Pond Kevin Pond Alan Pray Bill “Pigpen” Richardson Andrea Robitaille Nick Rossi Jason Rourke Jim Rusconi John Ryan Kim Sieber Brian Smith Jim Snow Chris “Crispy” Stevens Jon Stratton Scott Tierney Bill Van Voorhis Bill Westbrook
Cianbro’s Missisquoi Bay Bridge Project A Team Working Together to Overcome Interesting Challenges
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By LeAnne Rogers
estled between the small, picturesque, New England towns of Swanton and Alburg, Vermont, in the upper northwestern portion of the state, is the Missisquoi Bay on Lake Champlain. The bay is fed by the Missisquoi River, which, according to the Abenaki Indians means “Crooked River.” The St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenakis shares a rich history with this area of the country and is part of an Algonquian-speaking people who are indigenous to northern New England and southern/central Canada. Our team constructing the new, 3,400-foot
View of piers looking east
Missisquoi Bay Bridge, found out first hand the challenges of working near an Indian Burial ground. After an incredibly fast-paced and successful mobilization effort—transporting 190 loads of barge sections and cranes in one month’s time—the team began work on the western side constructing a new approach way. It was here that the team partnered with archeologists and state representatives to complete the work around the burial site in a manner that allowed for recovery of CIANBRO CHATTER
sacred items. This meant the team had to be extremely careful and patient with the work in that area. Our partners were very pleased with our team’s commitment to the shared goals. Meanwhile, the marine concrete crews led by Superintendent Gary Chisholm and General Foreman Mark Nordgren, were working on construction of 22 piers and two abutments, which run parallel and just south of the existing bridge. The piers were constructed using 10-foot, four-inch casings that acted as mini-cofferdams. Once the casings were driven to refusal and “clammed” out, the bedrock below was drilled for rock sockets that helped anchor the piers. At this point the pretied rebar cages, weighing up to 27 tons, were installed and the tremie concrete was placed. When the concrete attained 2,500 psi the casing was de-watered and two feet of cured concrete off the top was demolished to remove any latents. The stem rebar and forms were installed inside the casings, the piers were placed and set for 24 hours, and the forms were removed. Divers then cut the one-inch casing below the water at the lake bottom. Foreman Dave Bousquet and his crew; Welders Loren Campbell and Chris Stevens; and Operator Alan Prey, prepared the removed casing section for reuse on the next pier. One of the first challenges the team accepted was how to complete the pier work almost entirely from the water. There were logistical issues to resolve with the situation of the barge-mounted cranes and their work functions. With up to four cranes on flexi-floats working at one time, the 156-foot pier spans didn’t leave much “wiggle” room between piers. Consequently, when it came to moving one barge, it generally meant moving several of the barges. Superintendent Gary Chisholm and Field Engi-
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WINTER 2005
neer John Stratton led the charge in accomplish this the team worked two choreographing and coordinating the shifts nearly around the clock the last moves. week of September. Completing work in The next challenge was getting the this area is critical to the 2005 schedule as concrete to the pier in the best manner the structural steel will be erected in a possible. The original design of using a west to east sequence. Work on those trailer-mounted concrete pump, slick westernmost piers (1 through 14) was line and barge-mounted placing boom shut down during the month of October. was quickly abandoned and the team On November 1, the team was able to worked with their partners to come up resume above water work only. with a better solution. By allowing a lane Once again, showing a genuine comclosure and alternating one-way traffic, mitment to the successful outcome of the Vermont Agency of Transportation this project, VTrans is reviewing a pro(VTrans) enabled our team to use a posal to eliminate the construction of pump truck to place concrete from the temporary roadways through sensitive existing bridge. The team was able to wetland areas. The change will permit streamline the concrete pour activities lane closures and alternating one-way making for a safer and more efficient traffic during the construction of the project. new approach ways And, if all of these instead of building tempochallenges weren’t rary roads that would enough, the team was have to be removed when also under an environthe job was complete. mentally-driven schedAnother idea the team ule constraint. As it hapcame up with was to leave pens, there is a rare kind the barges and cranes in of turtle called the eastthe lake during the winter ern spiny softshell that rather than demobilizing PHOTO COURTESY OF all of the equipment to makes its home in the RON HASKELL, ALBURG, VT shore, again saving time northernmost area of Male eastern spiny softshell Lake Champlain. Durand money. The barges, turtle ing the month of Octoinstead, will be moved ber, these turtles, which are a threatened adjacent to the nearby existing train tresspecies, make their way to their winter tle, which utilizes a de-icing system. hibernation places in and around the With the addition of several “Ice Eater” existing bridge’s causeways. Translated, pumps, the barges will be kept from this meant our team had to finish all freezing in. under and above water work on Piers 1 Under the watchful eye of Project through 14 by September 30, 2004. To Manager Lynne McGibney, Project Super-
intendent Scott Tierney leads an efficient management team made up of Dan Musselwhite, project engineer (survey); Damaris Kennedy, field administrator; Nick Rossi, safety specialist; Gary Chisholm, marine superintendent; Mark Nordgren, general foreman; Jim Maloney, senior project engineer; and Shawn Clarke, field engineer. They, along with the 31 talented craftspeople on the team have certainly worked together with each other, with the project’s partners and with the surrounding community to come up with some innovative and effective ways to turn project challenges into beneficial opportunities. The team looks forward to the spring 2005 startup and is expecting their first steel deliveries in May. Incidentally, one of the last work activities on this contract has a rather interesting story behind it. The tale goes like this: the contractor who originally began work on the bridge in 1938 went bankrupt before the bridge was finished. Apparently, in an act of defiance, the contractor sunk the barges they were using to work on the bridge so they would not have to report them to the insurance company as assets. Though the barges haven’t been too much of a bother, the local museum would like to display part of the barge in their exhibits. Our team will be responsible to reclaim a portion of the wooden beams that are attached to the vessels. The bridge is scheduled for a fall 2006 completion.
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50,340 Project Safe Hours
One Good Thing Leads to Another…And Another… n
By Dottie Hutchins
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e’re not exactly sure how it all started, but somewhere along the line an idea for a children’s story about the Missisquoi Bay Bridge Project was born. Like all ideas, this one was nurtured by many, and one step led to the next. First, Cianbro’s project team fleshed out the idea and gave it direction. Soon one of our characters, Cheery Grissom, came to life. Next, we needed someone to translate this growing idea into words, so we asked my father, Leonard Hutchins, to help. We also needed someone to transform the words into drawings, so we asked our Chatter designer, Jean Cousins, to help. Our characters worked with construction equipment. Like the vibratory hammer which shook and shivered so fast it growled. We called it the Grumpy Growler. And, our project manager, Nelly Right, met Granny Spiny, an eastern spiny softshell turtle. With our first chapter complete, our client and friends at VTrans generously agreed to be our editors and continue to be our guide. This story is meant for children of all ages and our goal is to make it available on the VTrans project web site and at www.cianbro.com. We’re also looking for ways to get it to children everywhere. If you would like to help or if you would like to receive a PDF of the first chapter, please e-mail dhutchins@cianbro.com or call (207) 487-3111.
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WINTER 2005
Portland Connector Project Update
Kudos to Team Leaders and the Crews Who Make it Happen!
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By Parker Hadlock and Dottie Hutchins
ORTLAND, Maine — Celebrating ZERO incident reports, Maine’s first highway design-build project is on schedule with the completion of Bridge 3 and the Veteran’s Intersection utility and roadway work in November 2004. After the earthen preloads placed last year have caused the desired settlement, next construction season will bring the completion of the new Connector roadway, along with Bridges 1 and 2, under the able management of Lou Campbell. Our team’s focus on safety, innovation, and responsiveness to the project stakeholders is responsible for the success of this project. Together, we thank our team leaders, their crews, and others for a job well done:
n Elwin “Jonesy” Jones for setting up the crane for pile driving and steel erection; and, setting up the bidwell for a complicated deck placement, which accommodated a bridge curve, variable cross slope, and flare. (There are no words to describe how much we miss Jonesy. He was a pillar. Jonesy died in an auto accident October 10, 2004.) n Hank Cook and Scott Remillard whose excellent planning ensured the pile driving and erection of the four spans and precast deck came in below budget. n Doug Ranks for leading the substructure and deck concrete effort through 25,000 work hours without a single safety incident. n Tom Belanger for leading the rebar installation, most recently completing the deck rebar below budget. n Wayne Cray whose concrete placement experience is always valuable. n Paul Belanger whose excellent planning skills and attention to detail earned the respect of our client. Paul was also charged with the tricky work of completing the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall cap and barrier. n Tom Gallagher for stepping aboard and giving the barrier light posts a boost before winter weather. n Rod MacKay and Gary Mason for completely handling the rigid frame bridge rebuild of a 1920s era concrete railroad bridge. n Gary Guindon, who we discovered ties rebar as well as he runs a crane. It’s flexibility like this that makes our company efficient! n Bob McCubrey for outstanding operating around the confines of three rail lines. n Robert “Bobo” Hall, Brad Marquis, Cherylee Williams and Walt Beleckis for standout contributions, along with Ryan Marcotte, who most recently was asked to step into a foreman role at the PPLC project. n Our equipment group’s Tom Ruksznis and Terry Gallant for helping us prepare the bidwell for the deck placement and convincing me (Parker) it could be done. n Shaw Brothers’ Steve Walton, Jeff Faye, and Dave Doucette for completing the utility and roadwork safely and on schedule with minimal traffic impact. n Louis Berger’s Joe Lowry whose traffic plan was the foundation of a very successful traffic management effort to keep 30,000 vehicles
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Team members erect first piece of steel for bridge 3
per day moving through our project safely! Finally, we welcome Darren Shoff from our Mid-Atlantic team. And, welcome to Barry Anderson, new to our company as a carpenter helper and already a contributor to our success. n
Together, with our design-build partners—Shaw Brothers, Louis Berger Group, and S.W. Cole—along with our client, MaineDOT, we thank the City of Portland and our neighbors for helping out with problem solving and moving us toward the finish line. This project impacted local businesses, adjoining neighborhoods, and the traveling public on a daily basis. We reached out for their help and we delighted in many responses that came in through our project web site, www.portlandconnector.com:
“I work at the Metro at 114 Valley Street and I live in South Portland on Westbrook Street. Therefore, I use the Veterans Bridge every day to get to work. I must say, that I have been very impressed with how well the construction workers have kept the traffic moving...from day one. I have never sat in a traffic jam hoping the project will be over soon. They have done their utmost working around commuters and it has been greatly appreciated. I am way impressed.” – JM, South Portland “I am continuously amazed how organized the worksite is left when they are done for the day. It always looks so ‘neat’ for a construction project! The flaggers are always pleasant and patient. I am so impressed with the work they are doing I don’t even mind waiting when I experience delays. Well done. Keep up the great work! Thanks!”
– PD, Cape Elizabeth
Work and planning will continue this winter for the new Connector road. Cianbro is also constructing CMP’s Fore River Substation across the street from our new Ricker’s Wharf facility. When complete, the Connector and Substation will both contribute to economic development in the area.
4 35,893 Project Safe Hours 18
WINTER 2005
Medical Costs Rising in 2005
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By Rita Bubar
ational medical costs are increasing by 12-18% each year and at a faster rate than we are making change here at Cianbro. Through our efforts in wellness we have been able to resist this trend for the last few years. This year, however, our health care rates will increase by about 10%. Dental and vision rates will increase slightly as well. Because affordable health care is one of the most important benefits to our team members, our company will pay the largest portion of the increase. Our health care cost per team member for 2005 is expected to be $7,102, up from an estimated $6,481 in 2004. Since 1996, our cost per team member has increased at an annual rate of 11%. If this continues, our cost per team member will be over $19,000 a year in just ten years. If we have 2,000 team members enrolled in medical, the total cost will be over $38 million a year. We simply cannot allow this to happen! As a result of this increase and to keep our overall costs in line, our safety awards program and our wellness points have been discontinued as of January 1, 2005. Further, new and rehires no longer need a pre-employment physical but are still required to complete a respiratory questionnaire and a substance abuse screening. With these changes, we should offset some of the increased costs of health care. We need everyone to help control medical cost. Being healthy and eliminating at-risk behavior is the only way this is going to happen. There are three ways this can benefit you: n Help you improve your overall health. n Increase your take-home pay — lower medical costs means more money in your paycheck. The Healthy LifeStyle Program (HLP) credit is a savings of more than $1,600 a year for a family — that’s enough to heat or cool your home for an entire year! n More funds to contribute toward your profit sharing. Lowering medical costs as a company means more savings and more money available for profit sharing. Moreover, so that everyone will understand their health risks, all team members and their spouses will need to complete an annual Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) as part of their eligibility for medical coverage. Team members who are enrolled in the Healthy LifeStyle Program are already meeting this requirement. Our goal is to be the Healthiest Company in America! While we aren’t getting there quite as fast as we would like, the good news is that change is happening. Cianbro’s Wellness Program won the 2004 Corporate Health Achievement Award presented by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the 2003 Well Workplace Gold Award presented by the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA). Congratulations to the people at Cianbro who are taking control of their health!
NUMBER OF TEAM MEMBERS WITH RISK
Risk Reduction Statistics 350
10%
13%
300
24% 31%
250 200
27%
67%
150
64%
100
74%
50 0 Weight
Cholesterol Excercise
Blood Nicotine Replacement Pressure Quit Rate
Team members with risk at start of 4/01/04
Tobacco
Stress Nutrition Depression
Team members with risk at end of 10/20/04
Utilities Services FAQs By Jerry Burton, Gail Mayo and Shawn St. Jean n
Why do linemen wear wide brimmed hard hats? Two reasons: n The wider brim all the way around the hat started way back when linemen were trying to find a safer way to work with the power. The first linemen hats were made of felt. The wider brims were used so that a lineman could feel when they were close to the hot line before they put their head on it. This was the first attempt at working safely on the pole lines. Today’s linemen still wear the wider brimmed hard hats for the same reason. n To keep the rain from running down the back of their necks when working. This is especially important when they are working in the “Power Zone,” which is the danger zone on the poles.
What special PPE do linemen have to wear? Rubber gloves and rubber sleeves These enable them to safely work on power line voltage up to 15kv without getting injured. n
Fire Retardant Clothing These special clothes must be worn at all times by linemen. n
How are linemen classified and what are the requirements? n 3rd Class – Entry level - Graduate of “lineman school” such as a technical college - can work on live voltage up to 600 volts with direct supervision - must train at this level for at least one year n 2nd Class – Must complete training and testing - can work up to 15kv without supervision - must train at this level for at least one and a half years n 1st Class – Must complete more training and testing - can work up 345kv and can run a crew in the absence of foreman, with superintendent’s approval - must train at this level at least one year n Line Foreman – Must have at least one year of experience as a 1st class lineman and must have superintendent approval to become a foreman
Percent figures indicate REDUCTION in risk activity by participants from April 2004 to October 2004.
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WINTER 2005
Portland International Jetport Runway Project
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By Troy Martin
ork at the Jetport began in May 2004, after Cianbro was awarded a Runway Expansion Contract from the City of Portland, Maine. The project included lengthening the primary runway by 400 feet, upgrading the navigational aids, replacing the approach light structures, and installing runway centerline and touchdown lights on a 7,000-foot long runway. It was necessary for much of this work to be completed in the summer months—days and nights—prior to the scheduled six
Team members placing a 250 foot-long threshold light bar
day runway shutdown in early September. Shutdown work involved completely repaving and striping the runway, finalizing the earthwork and light foundations in the safety area, and tying in the runway lights. Cianbro crews immediately began work last spring on the foundations for the electrical regulator building, emergency generator building, and electrical substation. Tom Gallagher led the civil crews through this effort which was completed on schedule. Once the buildings were complete, the focus shifted to the construction of 45 concrete approach light bases, a 650foot long blast deflector, and a localizer antenna foundation.
Just around the corner, Paul Belanger and crew members were busy constructing two very large concrete manhole structures as part of the runway drainage system. While our electrical crews were waiting to take over the regulator building, they remained very busy bringing the primary power to the site while also assembling and erecting the light pole structures. The electrical team was led by O’Neil Boivin, Marty Roach, and Aaron Wedgewood. As soon as the concrete was set, our structural crews, led by Bill Moulton, went to work on the steel structures which included an antenna array platform, blast deflector, and a catwalk bridge that spanned over the Maine Turnpike. When the day finally arrived for the shutdown, Cianbro crews were poised and ready for the challenge ahead. With careful planning and prep work civil and electrical crews formed, reinforced, and placed a 250-foot long, 110-cy concrete light bar all within 24 hours! Thanks for the great effort by our hard working team. Special thanks also go to our subcontractors for the critical work they accomplished. Shaw Brothers Construction moved a corner of the earth to the City of Portland with over a quarter of a million cy of material placed. Moulison North Corporation worked diligently to set over 300 light bases in the runway and to complete the associated electrical work. Blue Rock Paving did an outstanding job laying their 45,000 tons of pavement—27,000 in just the first few days of the shutdown! And finally, we would like to thank Pine State Safety Lines for their paint marking efforts. The runway shutdown was a complete success thanks to the dedicated efforts of everyone involved. Work was wound up last fall and was complete by year’s end. Several small crews will return this year to complete the remaining items in the contract.
4 22,080 Project Safe Hours
Team Member Self Serve and Electronic Pay Stubs Now Available n
By Vera Bryant
Self Serve Cianbro’s Team Member Portal has been enhanced to include a “Self Serve” module and an Electronic Pay Stub module. Tim Flewelling and Gary Smith from Corporate MIS worked with Corporate Payroll and Human Resources to develop these applications for Cianbro team members who have a connection to the Internet. Electronic pay stubs have the added benefit of saving time and money. As owners of our company, team members can save the cost of printing, handling, and mailing paychecks and deposit advices by enrolling in this exciting new benefit. This option is available to all Cianbro team members.
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Electronic Pay Stubs Team members who have 100% direct deposit, Internet access, and an email address, are eligible to receive their pay stub information through the Team Member Portal. The electronic pay stub looks similar to a printed deposit advice. Team Members who enroll have the benefit of seeing their pay information for the prior week on Wednesday afternoon. Also, pay stubs for the past 12 months are available for viewing or printing. To take advantage of this benefit, team members first need to enroll in Team Member Self Serve on the Team Member Portal. The next step is to enroll in Electronic Pay Stubs. On Wednesday afternoon of the next pay period, an email will be sent to the team member to advise
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them that their pay stub is available for viewing. Team members will continue to receive a deposit advice in the mail for two weeks. After that, no more deposit advices will be mailed – all access to pay information will be through the Team Member Portal. For information on how to access the Team Member Portal, call the MIS Help Desk at (207) 679-2411.
WINTER 2005
Agawam Update n
By Terra Thomas
Agawam Steel Repairs Cianbro’s project scope at the South End Bridge in Agawam, Massachusetts, continues to be expanded and much work is yet to be done. We have begun the installation of temporary tension ties in order to relieve stress prior to performing repairs on the lower chord top and bottom plates and web plates. We have also begun the installation of shoring towers set on piles driven into the river. These towers enable us to jack the bridge in certain locations so we can repair truss diagonal plates, lower vertical gusset plates, and lower chord web plates. Prior to driving the pile, we had to remove several mussel species and have them safely relocated. Jacking has begun and we are moving along with the repairs. Superintendent Razor Ray was welcomed to Agawam in July and at his side is Project Engineer Ravi Natarajan, Project Engineer Kevin Donovan, and Safety Specialist Tom Houghtaling. The team at Agawam would like to extend thanks to Alan Fisher, Joe Orlando, and Tom Gilbert for their significant aid with this project. Route 5 & 57 Rotary Project In May of last year, we began construction on the Route 5 & 57 Rotary in Agawam. There were two overpasses that needed repair at this busy rotary which consisted of partial and full depth concrete replacement on the deck and repairs to the abutment walls. Work began with installing adequate shielding prior to removal of the deteriorated concrete on the deck. We also removed and reset granite curbing as well as installing a new median guardrail. With these tasks completed, the paving commenced and a deadline for August completion was established. The Eastern States Exposition was to begin soon and the road needed to be available for the estimated explosion of traffic. After the paving was done, the road was striped and open to traffic. This job was completed in time for the “Big E,” as planned. Final milling and paving of the approaches was completed in October. Superintendent Razor Ray also runs this project with General Civil An installed shoring tower aids in the removal Foreman Gary Lovett taking care of of a plate at Pier 1, Span 2, Truss D on the the crew. Team members included South End Bridge in Agawam
Armando DeLeon, Bob Drzewiecki, Steve Hoare, Tim Houghtaling, Fran Jourdenais, Ken Landy, Garrett McVaney, Ray Moore, Jason Underwood, Scott Underwood, Valerie Wilochka, as well as student intern, Ed Pellerin.
Springfield Emergency Pipe Line In August, a third job was completed in Agawam that included emergency repairs to a pipe line. On the other side of the Connecticut River, the Springfield Water and Sewer Department had a 36-inch water main in need of repair. Again, the project team successfully met the challenge head on. The management team, associated with this project consists of: Project Engineer Ravi Natarajan along with Steve Hoare heading this project. Welders Bill Van Hoeson and Tod Parisek have been performing the repairs on the pipe. Also on the project are Mark Arsenault, Tim Baril, Mark Burch, Kyle Chapman, Bob Costine, Bob Drzewiecki, Jeff Lee, Paul Leighton, Mak Rosado, Jim Rusconi, Steve Trombley, Scott Underwood, Jason Underwood, and Bill Van Voorhis. This project was completed in October.
4 109,372 Project Safe Hours CIANBRO CHATTER
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View of Walnut Street Bridge
Work Begins on the Walnut Street Bridge Sidewalk Expansion Project n
By Kate Dudash
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he South Market Street team continued their marketing efforts to obtain additional work in the Wilmington, Delaware, area. Their efforts paid off in September 2004, when Cianbro was awarded a sidewalk expansion project at the parallel bridge upstream from our South Market Street Bridge Project. The Walnut Street Bridge Sidewalk Expansion Project broke ground in late September. The work includes widening the northwest sidewalk to accommodate the new townhouse community that is part of the overall development of the Wilmington waterfront that is aimed to attract people back to the downtown area. Cianbro will be replacing steel members, upgrading the concrete sidewalks with granite curbs and brick paver walkways. In addition, we will be erecting a stair tower that will allow community members to access the bridge to commute into the downtown business district. In doing so we have to relocate and upgrade the bridge’s primary electrical feed. We are working for Pettinero Construction who is the construction manager for the development of the river front. They in partnership with DelDOT are rehabbing this bridge and areas east along the river as part of the community upgrade. DelDOT recommended us to Pettinero for this and future work as a direct result of our quality work at South Market Street thanks to Sean Kearns, Guy Pike and the rest of our South Market Street Team. Our scope at Walnut Street will be completed by mid-January 2005. The team is comprised of Bill Kleinfelder, project manager Mike Mauro, civil superintendent Tom Southern, electrical superintendent Kate Dudash, project engineer and Cindy Keniston, field administrator.
4 2,123 Project Safe Hours WINTER 2005
Neptune Project Update n
By Sandy Paige
Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) The good news from May 2004, was that LIPA chose Neptune to be the provider of 600 MW of electric transmission capacity deliverable in the summer of 2007. Since May 2004, the Neptune management team has been through negotiations for the transmission contract with LIPA. On September 29, 2004, the LIPA Board of Directors approved the contract and sent it to the New York Comptroller for final approval and execution. The Neptune team is confident that a major milestone towards achieving financial closing and notice to proceed (NTP) has been accomplished.
Development and Long-term Equity While negotiating with LIPA, the Neptune management team also selected and negotiated deals with the providers of development capital and long-term equity. Energy Investors Fund and Starwood Capital have provided capital to finish development of the project. Both of these investors are highly-respected in the energy and capital markets; they have been exemplary partners.
Next Steps The Neptune management team now turns its attention to finishing the key milestones required to achieve NTP. Major remaining items include: negotiation of the EPC contract, completing the amendments to all three major environmental permits, completing land and marine surveys and working out interconnection issues with the operators of the grids which the cable connects. NTP is targeted for late Spring 2005.
Main house on right with new wood shed, generator building, and newly constructed barn to far left
The David Webb House
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By Garry Sawtelle
an you believe it — another summer construction season has come and gone? Last year was our fourth season renovating and performing maintenance on the David Webb House in North Haven, Maine. We are looking forward to starting up activities in May of this year.
Summary Neptune is a very different project than it was last year. The addition of new managers, (a new CEO, CFO and Vice-President of Planning), a transmission contract with LIPA, new investors and new development capital provide plenty of reason to be pleased. There remains much to be done, but with each completed milestone our project becomes less of a development project and more of a construction project. Visit www.neptunerts.com for more information on the project.
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View of new barn (right) and two out buildings
Last year we constructed a new barn and wood shed to replicate a nineteenth century style building that was beyond repair. The new building was constructed on a frost wall foundation with a veneer shelf and completely finished off inside with knotty pine and custom made doors. In the main house, our crew installed
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antique paneling and duplicated moldings to match the eighteenth century window styles. We also did a lot of landscaping; spreading loam and seeding the areas where sewer pipes were installed to the guest house. Additionally, we removed basement windows and installed new ones and assisted in the installation of removable fence around 14 apple trees on the grounds to keep the deer from eating all the apples. The team assisted in painting the complete inside of the main house as well as cutting stone for the veneer on the barn & wood shed and installing the electrical and data systems. Thanks to the crew for all their hard work! The team includes Superintendent Garry Sawtelle, Foremen Bob Currier, Harry Pooler, and Tom Richter, and team members, Scott Belanger, Steve Bevis,
Jake Dionne, Marvin Graves, Shawn Lambert, Chris Queens, Mike Roderick, and Eric Witham. Also thanks to Betty Brescia, Brent Kirby, LeAnne Rogers, and Vickie Weaver
in the Northern New England Regional Office for all of their help over the duration of this project.
4 21,857 Project Safe Hours WINTER 2005
Northern New England Training Initiatives
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By Heather Wyman
he primary function of the Northern New England Training team is to train and upgrade our NNE team, which includes providing ongoing craft training and apprenticeship programs in electrical, pipefitting, millwright, instrumentation, concrete finishing and masonry, rigging, equipment, and welding certification. We also support safety and specialty training and provide training for our supervisory team. For the purpose of maintaining our training programs and expanding our training options we have taken advantage of some income-bearing opportunities and grants created to subsidize the training of Maine workers. As the training team develops capacity and credibility, doors have been opening for us to “sell” our training and other services to contractors and to the construction education community. Listed below are some of the ways we have been able to stretch Cianbro’s training dollar for the benefit of our company.
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Grants ver the last two years we have taken advantage of a number of grants available to organizations that have proven training programs and cultures. This includes the Metal Works Grant which was administered trough the Maine Metal Works Products Association and the Center for Workplace Development of the University of Southern Maine. This grant enabled us to provide classes in math, spanish, AutoCad, and computers at the Amethyst Project for team members in southern Maine. It also allowed our own in-house trainers to go through trainer upgrade training. In 2003, we applied for the Governors Training Initiative (GTI) Grant through the Maine Department of Labor and our application was accepted by the state to deliver flash protection training and high voltage safety training to our existing electrical, utility, safety, and supervisory team members in-house. The GTI Grant was used to pay for the wages of these team members and instructors, mileage expense incurred by CIANBRO CHATTER
For the last few years, Cianbro has been and still remains the only accredited Assessment Center in Maine through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)...We’ve had the opportunity to partner with some great clients who have requested our services... the instructors and for materials used for the program. The GTI Grant award was for over $12,000 and was used to train a total of nearly 400 Cianbro team members! Another opportunity presented itself again in the summer of 2004 with the Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training Grant. Working in collaboration with Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), we applied for a grant that would upgrade and/or teach new skills to our existing Utility Services team members in pole top rescue. The money we received from this grant— over $7,000—paid for 11 team members to participate in a week-long seminar instructed and facilitated by KVCC.
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Other Partnering Opportunities or the last few years, Cianbro has been and still remains the only accredited Assessment Center in Maine through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). With this accreditation, we are able to administer pipeline examinations to contractors who work on liquid or natural gas pipelines throughout the country. We’ve had the opportunity to partner with some great clients who have requested our services such as: Phoenix Welding, Portland; United Electrical, Bangor; Godwin Construction, Windham; and most recently, Quality Hardwood, New Hampshire. Another relationship we are very proud of and hope to build on is with Central Maine Community College in Lewiston. The City of Lewiston was awarded a grant through the Department of Environmental Protection for the Brownfields Initiative for Local Development Program to help train
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some of the city’s dislocated or disadvantaged workers. This program fits very well with what our existing craft trainers have been teaching, so our very own Richard “Gramps” Moulton and George Arsenault, along with Alan Goepner were tasked with teaching basic math, hand tools, power tools, blueprint reading, and rigging to the students at the Lewiston Campus. These classes will foster a continuing relationship with CMCC and we look forward to working in partnership with CMCC in providing quality instructors for their training initiatives. Our latest endeavor is collaborating with the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to provide classes in basic blueprint reading and employability skills to women, minorities, and underprivileged individuals. This is part of the MaineDOT’s “OJT Constructive Services Program” of which, myself, other industry representatives, and State and Federal Highway Commissioners, were part of the development of the request for proposal from which providers were asked to bid on the classes they could provide. MaineDOT is very excited, as we are, to work together on this project. Strategically speaking, these opportunities have not only generated a little income, but they have also given us an opportunity to partner with businesses, agencies, and educational entities throughout Maine and New Hampshire. It is important to us and to the construction industry as a whole, to train and develop skilled craftspeople for the future, as well as maintain strong relationships with the vocational schools to attract and retain the talented team members in Maine through the programs offered in schools statewide. WINTER 2005
Cianbro Constructs Fore River Substation
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By Phil Dube and Dottie Hutchins
ianbro is constructing Central Maine Power’s (CMP) new Fore River Substation on the site of our old office location at 328 West Commercial Street in Portland,
Maine. Constructed in concert with the Portland Connector Project, we installed conduit in tandem with the Connector team’s work activities throughout the Veteran’s Intersection area and St. John Street. The timing of the two projects was a perfect fit. We also installed conduit down Commercial Street as far as the Casco Bay Bridge. Conduit installation began in early March 2004. Headed up by Todd Folsom, our team installed 9,600 lf of concrete duct bank comprised of over 70,000 lf of six-inch conduit and 2,000 cy of concrete.
Other unique challenges included: n Engineering the path to install the new duct bank working with Louis Berger Group to stay out of conflict with other utilities; n Coordinating work activities with traffic flow up to 30,000 vehicles per day; n Weaving our way through cobblestones and turn-of-the-century utilities; and n Remaining sensitive to the communities’ needs and interacting with over four dozen businesses along the way.
Duct bank installation was completed in September and site work for the new substation began on September 30. This type of substation has no exposed conductors and is unique to Maine. All conductors that are typically exposed in a standard substation are enclosed in a pipe type structure, which is charged with a gas. This type of substation is called a Gas-
Working with Shaw Brothers, Cianbro Foreman Todd Folsom and team members, Jill Caron and Darren Weymouth, install conduit at CMP’s Fore River Substation located across from Cianbro’s Ricker’s Wharf facility on Casco Bay
Insulated Substation. One important advantage to this type of substation is being able to locate it in small spaces making it a perfect fit for Portland. This first-of-its-kind substation for the state of Maine will be completed this year.
4 12,019 Project Safe Hours
Connecticut ABC Honored Those who Strengthened our Training Program n By Lelah Campo, President of Connecticut ABC
R
OCKY HILL, Conn.—On September 15, 2004, the Connecticut Association of Builders and Contractors (CT ABC) honored those individuals and companies who have been so supportive in developing CT ABC’s apprenticeship and craft training program. CT ABC has been working for over five years towards developing a topnotch, state-approved, apprenticeship training program to educate apprentices across the trades for merit contractors. Driving that movement were some longtime members of CT ABC, including Cianbro. Many companies in the CT ABC worked diligently towards the goals for apprenticeship training. This was a long process of getting the curriculum
CIANBRO CHATTER
approved by the state of Connecticut, beginning classes in unlicensed trades, and now finally beginning classes in the licensed trades. Cianbro was given special honors for support above and beyond the call of duty. When it became apparent that there may not be a master trainer for 2004, Cianbro’s Southern New England Regional Training Coordinator, Alan Gemmell, stepped up to become certified. In order for a journeyman to become certified, they have to go through a weeklong training program provided by National Center for Certification Education and Research (NCCER). This intensive training program is only available four times a year at a variety of locations. Alan attended his training class in the very exotic location of Ohio. After becoming a certified instructor,
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Alan further volunteered his time to certify 12 teachers to teach the program at the local level. This involved over 40 hours of donated time to CT ABC. Alan also supported and instructed classes for the Carpenter’s Training Program. Over a span of approximately 32 weeks, with a total of eight attendees, the carpentry classes were held weekly. The curriculum included basic carpentry skills, as well as residential framing. At the end of the program, there were three graduates. Cianbro’s Armando DeLeon, finished with a satisfactory completion of the carpentry level of the program. On September 15, 2004, at a Connecticut Governor’s Dinner with approximately 100 members present, plaques were presented to integral players in the development of the Apprenticeship program. Congratulations to Alan Gemmell and Cianbro for their tremendous effort to further the partnership program for all merit contractors.
WINTER 2005
Take me to the River— Conowingo, Maryland
Toll Bridge Sidewalk
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By Michael Manoski
ownstream from the Conowingo Hydro-Electric Dam, buried beneath the waters of the Susquehanna River lies a 30-inch diameter petroleum pipeline which is owned and operated by Colonial Pipeline Company. This specific pipeline runs from Texas to New Jersey. At a particular location along this pipeline, approximately in the center of the river, there is an anomaly within the pipe. This section of pipe will be inspected and repaired once access has been provided by Cianbro. After successful negotiations with Colonial, Cianbro’s Mid-Atlantic team landed a two-option contract agreement. Under Option 1 of the agreement, Cianbro provided a 650-foot long by 20-foot wide stone riprap causeway. The purpose of the causeway is to allow access to perform inspection and maintenance at the anomaly location. The scope of work for Option 1 includes furnishing and placing 4,000 cy of MSHA Class II Riprap Stone from the western shoreline to a midpoint in the river and placing 20, 60-inch diameter steel pass thru pipes which will allow the Susquehanna River to flow thru the causeway. Under Option 2 of the agreement, Cianbro will install a cellular cofferdam system. The scope of work under this option includes raising the already placed causeway and extending it which equates to an additional 11,000 cy of riprap stone. The specifics of the cellular cofferdam system include 10 cells for an overall inside area measuring 116 feet by 64 feet. This consists of driving 660, PS31 sheets for a total of 22,000 sf. Other work items consist of furnishing and placing 6,600 cy of cellular fill (CR-6 Stone) and installing and maintaining a turbidity curtain around the perimeter of the cofferdam. Unique challenges to this project involve working approximately 2,000 feet downstream from the Hydro-Electric Dam. Peak water discharge rates are 74,000 cubic feet per second as opposed to 5,000 cubic feet per second during off-peak hours. In addition, the project has also had to deal with flooding and down time during the month of September 2004, due to all of the hurricanes and tropical storms that have hit the Mid-Atlantic region. That resulted in Installation of coffercell the release of approximately 600,000 cubic feet per second of water during that period! According to Colonial representatives, this is a signature project; it is being monitored by federal officials including U.S. Department of Transportation. Ed Kloeber and Brian Carr are recognized for preparing the conception and design of the project that lead to us getting the contract. The project team includes Peter McCormick, project manager; Kevin Mitchell, project superintendent; Mike Mauro, craft superintendent; Mike Manoski, project engineer; and Dave Cygan and Tracy Sofield, safety specialists. Valuable assistance also came from Jason Johnson and Cindy Keniston. Team Members Calvin Andrews, Aaron Barbalate, Anne Blaska, Ken Harrell, Mike Potter, and Gary Wise have made this project successful. A very special thanks goes to Rod MacKay and his crew including James Leavitt and Charles Butts from the Northern New England Region for their assistance with the installation of the cellular cofferdam system.
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he Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge spans the Delaware River at a length of 545 feet. This heavily traveled bridge, which was built in 1938, connects Easton, Pennsylvania, and Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The scope of work includes the replacement of the concrete sidewalk and the associated structural steel on the north and south side of the bridge. The work involves removal and View of the Route 22 replacement of the bridge from the Penn- pedestrian sidewalk sylvania approach including saw cutting existing concrete slabs, removal and reinstallation of the structural support framing, pouring new concrete sidewalk slabs, as well as lead abatement and coating of the existing handrail on the bridge. Some of the complexities of the project include an aggressive schedule, working multiple shifts, tight working conditions on the bottom and top of the bridge, and strict environmental requirements. Cianbro completed the sidewalk replacement in midNovember 2004. The project team did a great job of dealing with tough demands and conditions. The project management team is headed by Project Superintendent Kevin McConaughey. Supporting Kevin is Chuck Brower, Josh Matz, and Craig McConaughey with their strong crew which includes Gerry Arnold, Rodney Bardin, Ron Begley, Keith Berube, Doug Boutaugh, William Craig, Canaan Hess, Kerry Hinkle, Randy Mixon, Thomas Moore, Thomas O’Donnell, Brinton Ramey, James Rouse, Terry Rosensteel, Eric Swanger, Henry Temple, and Pete Woods. This is truly a Cianbro project; from supplying the structural steel and self-performing the traditional work to taking on new tasks with self-performing the prep and field coating of the existing handrail. This project is being used as an anchor project for Cianbro to gain QP 2/QP 3 certification. Supporting this effort is Ben Gilbert, Jamie Marquis, and Lee Stanley of the Pittsfield Coatings Facility. This is a new client for Cianbro and our team is doing a great job on this challenging project. Hopefully our success at this project will lead to the development of more opportunities in the eastern Pennsylvania area.
4 17,345 Project Safe Hours
4 8,489 Project Safe Hours CIANBRO CHATTER
By Josh Matz
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WINTER 2005
Pete Vigue Presents Watches and High Praise... as Cianbro Honors Team Members for 25 Years of Loyal Service Roy Bolton
“Roy is one of those people who is always smiling. With tremendous spirit and enthusiasm, he has helped us train and teach our people how to safely operate equipment—always with a smile. We are thankful for Roy’s contribution to the success of our company.”
Charlie Cianchette
“Charlie cares deeply about the people he works with. He is a leader in this company. I respect people who will stand up and be counted, and we appreciate the contributions Charlie has given this company.”
Ed Kloeber
“Ed Kloeber is one of the most thorough and conscientious people I have ever met. He is a great builder and engineer. Ed’s commitment to our company is outstanding and we are grateful for his many contributions as a leader, mentor, teammate, and friend.”
Rod MacKay
“Rod is one of our most organized supervisors with a serious commitment to his team. Rod is very loyal to Cianbro’s ideals and sets a great example of what it means to be dedicated to our company’s vision and goals.”
Wes McGibney
“Wes McGibney was one of the first people to endorse 100% tie-off in this company. He is a leader and has contributed greatly to our company over the years. Wes started as an ironworker and worked his way through the ranks. He is a hard worker and well respected.”
Doug Moore
“Doug is a very caring guy with a heart as big as a house. He volunteers his time to groups
CIANBRO CHATTER
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including his church. Doug is a tremendous person. We’re happy to celebrate his 25 years with the company. Doug is a great person, a good leader, and an important asset to this company.”
Doug Ranks
“Doug has made a significant contribution to the success of our company and has assisted in the growth and development of many young people in our organization. He is a great teacher.”
Jackie Robinson
“Jackie demonstrates all of the values we talk about in our company. She is an outstanding person and makes an outstanding contribution to our team. We all can learn from her.”
Mike Scott
“Mike has displayed tremendous character in this company; not only with his words but also with his actions. Mike is one of those people who works—without complaint—and gets the job done. Mike sets the example for others to follow.”
Nancy Sidelinger
“Nancy is a tremendous asset to our company. A mentor, a perfectionist, and a fair, trusted leader with a great heart; Nancy is truly committed—she is one of the most respected people in our company.”
Ernest Stein
“Ernie is a steadfast team member you can always count on to get the job done. He is a quick-witted and talented supervisor. We are fortunate to have Ernie on our team and celebrate 25 years of dedicated service.”
Tom Stone
“Tom has made a tremendous contribution to the success of our company. Our entire team appreciates Tom’s support and friendship.”
Terry Vanadestine
“Terry is an ambassador for our organization, setting the example for people to follow. We can’t thank Terry enough for his contributions to this company.” WINTER 2005
Harrisburg Waste to Energy Project
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By Bobbi Collins
he Harrisburg Waste to Energy Project, located at the Harrisburg Materials Recycling and Recovery Facility in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a municipal waste burning plant owned by the City of Harrisburg. There are many different phases to this project; Cianbro’s scope of work is to provide labor, materials and equipment to install three boilers and to retrofit the existing waste to energy facility for combustion of 800 tons per day of municipal solid waste and energy recovery in the form of steam generators. The installation will involve work from “chute to stack,” which includes the boiler, air pollution control system, mechanical equipment, piping, valves, fans and ductwork. Cianbro is working for the patent holder of the boiler feed system, Barlow Projects Inc., of Fort Collins, Colorado. Barlow is furnishing the major equipment systems, while Cianbro is furnishing all piping, ductwork, and some structural steel. Cianbro’s Fabrication and Coatings Facility is fabricating the steel and ductwork for the project. Artist’s rendering of Harrisburg Waste to Energy Project planning and schedulProject ing are underway under the leadership of Project Manager Nick Bell and Project Superintendent Will Adams. Superintendent Tom Perrier and crew completed mobilization in September 2004, and have offloaded permanent equipment deliveries and performed Boiler 1 steel erection. Electrical Foreman Larry Kershner and his team have surveyed and made the existing electrical systems safe as well as set up construction power. The remaining management team includes Tina Adams, document and cost controller; Bobbi Collins, field administrator; Paul Gaboury, scheduler; Tom Mawhinney, project engineer; Rich Mykut, field engineer; and Paul Smith, QA/QC. Cianbro anticipates completing this one-year project in September of this year and demobilizing the following month.
4 19,746 Project Safe Hours
In Our Next Issue! n
Weldon Station
In September 2004, Cianbro crews mobilized to the Weldon Frequency Conversion Project site on the Penobscot River in Mattawamkeag, Maine, to complete the rebuild of four hydro-electric units. n
Health Risk Score
Do you know how to calculate your health risk score? Our health educators use this score to determine your relative risk of developing future health problems. The educators are here to help us reduce our health risk score. n
Bill Kleinfelder
Cianbro Project Manger Bill Kleinfelder was recently elected to the board of directors for the Baltimore, Maryland, Metro Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Offering congratulations, Mike Henderson, ABC chapter president, said, “Cianbro’s Bill Kleinfelder is an outstanding leader in the construction industry. A far-sighted professional, Bill promotes education and training within the industry. We look forward to the benefits of Bill’s experience. He will be a great influence.”
CIANBRO CHATTER
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WINTER 2005
CIANBRO ANNIVERSARIES Team members with three or more years of service who celebrated their last date of hire anniversary between July 1 and December 31, 2004.
42 Years
Robert J. Desjardins n
39 Years
Thomas I. Caldwell n
32 Years
Edward D. LePage Bruce A. Mitchell Charles E. Rounds n
31 Years
Nelson C. Estes George F. LePage n
30 Years
James I. Ellis Rodney A. Leach William C. Mucci Dale E. Wilson n
29 Years
Manley E. Bragdon Roger S. Leach Jr. Forester Sprague Jr. n
27 Years
Alan R. Burton James P. Francis Larry R. Scott n
26 Years
Rita M. Bubar Louis F. Campbell Harry Curry III Mark W. Nordgren Douglas B. Smith n
25 Years
Roy H. Bolton II Charles Cianchette Wesley G. McGibney Douglas E. Ranks Michael B. Scott Nancy L. Sidelinger n
24 Years
Eric S. Brown Henry T. Cook Robert T. Doiron Brian D. Hjort n
CIANBRO CHATTER
Robert Jamison Kaven Philbrook
23 Years
Parker Hadlock Michael A. Hooper Brent F. Kirby David P. Lewis Gary A. Parker Shelby A. Sawyer David C. Sutcliffe Stanley G. Worthley n
22 Years
Wayne L. Blodgett James G. Davis William H. Dusty Alan R. Goepner Aubrey L. Moore Richard K. Moors Chet J. Muckenhirn David A. Rines n
21 Years
Bonnie Brown Mona D. Evy Alan D. Fisher Michael F. Foster Ronald K. Oliver Daniel S. Perkins Brian W. Watson n
20 Years
Michael W. Hart Roger D. Hutchins Jeffrey W. Libby Lee R. McCoubrey Dan D. Orcutt Charles H. Pooler n
19 Years
John S. Clifford William L. Davis James M. Haut Lloyd E. Moore n
18 Years
Penny-Lynn H. Abbott Paul R. Belanger Gary J. Bollinger Laura H. Henry n
Scott B. Ludden Thomas J. Lufkin Bradley H. Marquis Robert C. Owens James R. Rusconi
Mark A. Stone Glen A. Thornton Robert E. Vaughn Elbridge G. Watson Thomas Wozniak
Francis R. Adams Elizabeth T. Bridges Neal T. Dawes Bruce D. Dube Barry J. Gordon Gary D. Gorman Michael L. Goucher Judy C. Greer Warren L. Knowlton Kevin M. Violette Eric L. Witham
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Anthony A. Ayotte Shawn H. Bickford Brenda L. Cote Carl L. Cross Joseph C. Friant James F. Leavitt Ernest J. Long Thomas B. Meunier Ronald S. Nickerson Dale D. Smith Thomas J. Smith
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17 Years
16 Years
15 Years
Raymond M. Bast Steven G. Cianchette Trent C. Clukey Robert B. Currier Jack H. Dodge Jr. Kevin M. Dyer John P. Gamage Michael R. Hilton James R. Jiorle Howard A. Lynds Glenn G. Masse Dan P. McNally Brian E. Michaud Hoa Nguyen Carol J. Ouellette David G. Parsons Timothy D. Pushor William W. Ring Norman L. Scribner n
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14 Years
Mark D. Arsenault Bruce L. Arsenault Michael V. Billings Faunce L. Cleaves Philip R. Dube Allan D. Harriman Charles L. Johnson Sr. Thomas A. Kennedy Lynne A. McGibney Billie J. Perkins Daniel L. Reed
13 Years
Thomas L. Batchelder Euclide J. Cormier Sidney E. Dunham Kellie A. Duplisea Christopher D. Elliott James R. Foley Yves P. Gagnon Andrew P. Gamez Lawrence W. McAlpine Lee A. Nadeau Shawn H. Ramsay William A. Scott
12 Years
Lorne D. Campbell Earle A. Cianchette Larry F. Coston Steve B. Morgan James W. Reinhardt Gary W. Smith Victoria L. Weaver n
11 Years
Lauren E. Benttinen Denis R. Bernier Charles A. Brower David A. Chase Clarence A. Cote Terrance L. Hayes Todd A. Hoffa Dawn M. Lewis William J. McLeod n
Scott B. Mitchell Kevin C. Mitchell William J. Mixer William A. Muise Roderick M. Nicholson Tod M. Parisek Martin G. Roach Brian A. Rogers John R. Ryan Robert Q. Seegmiller
10 Years
Mark S. Blanchard Barry G. Brooks Thomas E. Carranza Milton A. Cruikshank II Alvin R. Cureton Sr. Joseph T. Davidson Eric E. George David G. Hollinger Earl M. Jones Jerry A. King Jon W. Larochelle Walter T. Lee Jr. Rick C. Leonard Dennis A. Ryan Jr. Michael S. Stevens Jerrill N. West Dennis R. Briggs Sr. n
9 Years
Jon G. Collins Benjamin T. Gilbert Geoffrey E. Goodrich Adam S. Guiggey Chester H. Guilford III Donald F. Lesperance Lawrence W. Litchfield Jr. Lawrence D. Oliver Jr. Steven C. Trombley Amy E. Webber Von L. Weese Debra L. Wilson n
8 Years
Robert E. Beisaw Lucian F. Berry Michael D. Bishop Joshua M. Brown Charles A. Bubier Jason A. Butler Richard B. Cameron n
SW UMMER INTER 2004 2005
CIANBRO ANNIVERSARIES Team members with three or more years of service who celebrated their last date of hire anniversary between July 1 and December 31, 2004.
Kerry W. Chapman Thomas G. Dewey Chester B. Dolloff Jason P. Evasius Todd J. Folsom Langis D. Gagnon Timothy A. Garnett Robert A. Gould Dennis A. Greene Mitchell E. Hayden Randy A. Hicks Earl H. Hughes Joseph B. Hyde Edward E. Jones Scott A. Knowlen Kevin Kokotovich Michael L. Lovejoy Timothy G. Murphy Carolyn A. Murray James J. Peakes George P. Phillips William N. Pulk Jr. Santiago Q. Sanchez Patrick L. Slawek Donald A. Smith Christopher L. Stevens Raymond M. Therrien Darren D. Tibbetts Chris Tozier Troy T. Twitchell Juan A. Ugalde Robin M. Wiley Daniel J. Williams
7 Years
Scott L. Belanger Richard L. Bessett Torrey B. Brown Kristen A. Chipman Ralph S. Clukey Jamie R. Douvielle Kenneth R. Eaton Jr. Wayne S. Enman Alvin J. Fluellen Paul J. Gaboury Anthony A. Graham Lawrence G. Johnson Brian R. LeSage James A. Maher Jr. Jody R. Meader George T. Mirakian James L. Pelletier Augustus Reece n
James D. Robinson Garry A. Sawtelle Wesley A. Sweatt Norman W. Taylor Jose P. Ventura Casey R. Wedgewood
6 Years
Kenneth J. Battista Robert W. Blackmore Darcey T. Bubier Michael T. Bushey Christopher J. Chasse Stacy O. Clement Andrew M. Cochran Bobbi J. Collins Jose F. Garcia Mauro A. Gonzalez Maurice A. Gould Debora L. Grignon Nicolas R. Guardado Thomas P. Jackemeyer Wayne A. Jordan Douglas J. Lacroix Laurette Laverdiere Jeffrey K. Lee Eric R. Lewin Manley B. Lyons Thomas L. McVaney Daniel J. Partridge Scott S. Penney Anne MG. Perron David A. Powers Richard A. Preble Gregory P. Roy Juan F. Salazar Jeremy S. Sherman Henry L. Temple David P. Veinote Ronald D. Willis Jr. n
5 Years
Aaron F. Barbalate Daniel D. Barre Michael I. Bentley Robert B. Boone Scott J. Brace Michael J. Brooks Scott K. Bumps Jeremy A. Butler Joseph E. Chamberlain Sr. Steven M. Colby Thomas C. Conklin n
Dwain E. Coughlin Robert P. Courtney James P. Dunnigan Keith R. Edwards John T. Ethier Todd A. Fulmer Michael R. Gales Buaris J. Gervais Gary Guindon Robert C. Hennigan Larry C. Lee Samuel A. McVea David R. Mixon Clyde M. Newby III Gerardo A. Ramos George Rendon Terry L. Rosensteel Mitchell Rubin Brian K. Sheeder Jerilyn R. Underhill Rebekah L. Walker Robert R. White Jason T. White Heather B. Wyman
4 Years
Mohammad H. Alsaleh Lisa M. Barnes William E. Birney Christopher L. Brann Darren E. Bye John W. Campbell Thomas E. Clarke Gary N. Cleaves John E. Cooper Rodney W. Crocker Eric R. Crowe Neil G. Dupont Michael J. Fisher Russell D. Flagg William E. Follett Jr. Barbara Fortin-Poirier Dusan D. Golac Darren E. Gray Christopher M. Henry Scott A. Jackson Michael H. Kaiser Cindy P. Keniston Eric M. Lane Young T. Lee Robert S. Lehay Eric G. Lyons Ryan L. Marcotte n
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Garth Miller Joachim K. Moehs Mikel A. Moty Daniel H. Parker Adele D. Phillips Brinton R. Ramey Shawn A. Reid Mary L. Schreiber Brian K. Smith Patrick N. Steeves Jeremy R. Tolman Jose A. Torres Todd P. VanLiew Kevin P. Walker Jeremy S. Whitney Lynn G. Williams Timothy W. Young
Thomas N. Martin Carol Ann. Meloy William J. Morgan II Gregory A. Morse Sue Noiles David L. Perrault Justin J. Perry Gloria J. Richards Carl A. Ritz Peter K. Robshaw Makiel Rosado Matthew J. Ward Byron A. Weymouth III Jonathan P. Withee Thomas J. Zwizinski
3 Years
Hunter J. Anderson Ronald D. Ayres Ralph E. Bailey Jason L. Batchelder Maurice B. Batchelder Jesus Bernal Robert E. Brecke Elizabeth A. Brescia Donald G. Carlow Sharon G. Caron Ulicer Castro Kelvin E. Charles Patrick L. Child Charles Chouinard Arthur R. Christian Anthony A. Colangelo Jr. Patrick M. Cronin Colin V. Davis Michael W. Davis Armando DeLeon Samie M. Finch Lee C. Fortier Charles J. Gervais Anthony G. Golden Roland C. Gross Oscar A. Hernandez Mark R. Jacobs Karen A. Keesler Karl L. Knight Steven J. LaChausse Vincent R. Lago Jason G. Lavertu Stacie A. Leavitt Milton E. Martin n
WINTER 2005
IN MEMORIUM
In Memory of
Elwin “Jonesy” Jones, Jr.
July 13, 1949 – October 10, 2004
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By Lincoln Denison, Sr.
here are only a few people who you meet in the course of your life who leave a lasting impression of strength and ability and instill a level of confidence and trust above all others. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing Jonesy has experienced these feelings. On any given day in “JONESY” his 31 years with Cianbro he would make the most difficult situation look relatively easy by applying his very basic belief that if it was broken it had to be fixed. He accomplished this belief by using uncanny ability to size up the problem and then apply his knowledge, experience, and uncompromising work ethic
to get the job done. Jonesy knew how important and necessary it was that the equipment we use every day must work efficiently and safely for the crews to achieve their daily goals. He inspired everyone that he worked with by doing whatever it took to ensure that they had what they needed to move their project forward. With all that said, Jonesy had a very special way of going about his business each and every day. He would always greet you with a smile and took the time to ask how you were doing, despite his busy schedule. He did big things like assembling cranes on large barges or operating equipment that nobody else would or could operate, but he also did little things for anyone who asked. Jonesy would be covered with oil and grease after working long hours and when everyone else was worn out with lots left to do he would jokingly say, “Sit down. I’ll get it!” and he did! He was on the road for most of his career and worked on projects from Maine to Maryland. For those of us who remember when we used company call numbers on our radio the most familiar call was “59 Jonesy” and
when you called he would say, “Don’t touch anything! You guys mess up more in five minutes then I can fix in a week!” He is survived by his wife, Sheila (Evans) Jones of Berwick; a daughter, Susann Polland and her husband Daren of West Lebanon; two sons, John Jones and his wife Christine of Somersworth, N.H., and Shaun Jones and his companion Erica of Berwick; a brother, Robert Jones of Waterboro; three sisters, Maxine Frappier of Chicopee, M.A., Mary Eck of Greentown, P.A., and Judith Buckman of Berwick; seven grandchildren, Samantha Polland, Wesley Polland, Austin Jones, Riley Jones, Joy Clark, Ricco Clark and Cody Clark; and several nieces and nephews. Jonesy was a unique person who will always be thought of as one of our finest team members; he gave us all confidence. He loved watching the projects being built and was always modest about the huge role he played in building them. We will all miss Jonesy, but are thankful that we were blessed to have him as a teammate and a wonderful friend. Jonesy was tragically killed in an auto accident on Sunday, October 10, 2004.
IN MEMORIUM In Memory of
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CLINT FRASIER CIANBRO CHATTER
Clint Frasier
lint Frasier, 65, Cianbro mechanical foreman, passed away on August 18, 2004, in his home in Ballston Spa, New York, after a brief illness. Clint joined the Cianbro team in 1995. During his eight years of service, he worked on many projects including Kimberly Clark, International Paper, Encore Paper, and Newark America. After learning of his illness, Field Administrator Sharon Caron, rallied the troops to collect pictures of Clint. She created a collage that was framed and sent to Clint in the hospital. His family said that the pictures and thoughtfulness brightened his day. Greg Couture, Clint’s supervisor at the Kimberly Clark project, said, “Clint was very dependable. He was a team player who was respected by all of his team members. Clint was a big asset to Cianbro and the construction industry.”
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WINTER 2005
FUTURE, continued from page 1
coordinate our business development and estimating efforts for our customers. This will allow us to distinguish ourselves through our responsiveness, performance, and quality. It also will increase our capabilities for creative problem solving. Our team’s ability to innovate is the central focus of our company’s strategic future. By improving our ability to provide value for our customers, we will expand our capacity to respond to the needs of our customers and allow our company to grow. As we move forward we will measure our results in six core elements (or "pillars") of our business—Safety & Wellness, People, Customer Satisfaction, Productivity, Financial, and Culture. We will communicate our progress and make adjustments to our plan. Like everything we do, the real success will come from our teamwork in executing this work. While senior managers have taken the lead responsibility in these efforts, success requires the contributions and insights from our entire team. The path for us is certain and clear. We know there will be some challenges along the way. However, we can achieve anything by working hard together and putting our minds to it. Because of that, our future is bright at Cianbro!
The Dashboard
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By LeAnne Rogers
ust as drivers use the dashboard controls of an automobile to maneuver through traffic, we use controls and measurements to help us successfully navigate our strategic plan. Based on the Pillars of Success, our company’s strategic plan includes a roadmap of how we will continue to improve our organization’s operations following our vision and mission. Each pillar has goals and strategic initiatives, which define what we are striving to achieve in that area. These goals are broad in nature and correspond with our mission and vision. They are limited in number to achieve a good balance and combination of initiatives. We clearly know what the target outcome is for each initiative and our senior managers “grade” performance in each of the six core pillars at least twice per year. These initiatives are assigned to senior management leaders. These leaders are responsible for keeping the team on track and for reporting current status. Each initiative has a budget, as appropriate, and teams are responsible for calculating the return-on-investment or, in other words, the projected savings we will see when the initiative has been fully implemented. Probably the most important part of our strategic planning “dashboard” though, is the measurements and controls we will use. Each and every initiative has a measurable element that are CIANBRO CHATTER
the controls on our dashboard that will tell us how well we are doing, much like a speedometer tells a driver how fast the vehicle is moving. This way, our team will be “in the driver’s seat” and constantly monitoring progress. For example: One of the goals under the people pillar is to attract, develop and retain the best team members. One of the initiatives under this goal is to provide education and training to our team. The measurement we use is the ratio of training hours to work hours. The target is the specific percentages we will strive to meet for craftspeople, supervisors, management and leadership participants. As the strategic plan is finalized and the details of the goals are laid out, the specific measurements will be determined and the dashboard will take shape. In assuming full responsibility for ownership, our team will be taught how to interpret what the dashboard is saying in keeping us abreast of where we stand on our goals periodically throughout the year. We expect all team member owners on our projects and throughout the company to integrate the dashboard information into the daily operations of our business. To affect positive changes within company, we will see the strategic plan goals in activity plans, team member profiles, safety meetings, value-engineering, client relations, new hire orientations, training programs, estimating, and in company publications, to name a few. With the dashboard, we will have the tools and measurements to guide our behaviors in the pursuit of our company goals and, ultimately, financial success, both personally and professionally.
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Our Cianbro “Pillars”of Success n
By LeAnne Rogers
A
t Cianbro, we have six core elements that we call the “pillars” of our business. These pillars stand for the central concepts that we, as owners, use to map our success. We gauge our success with measurement tools specifically designed for each pillar, which are all tied directly to Cianbro’s long-term strategic plan. How we, as team members and owners, manage our behavior and resources, as they relate to the goals and initiatives set by our strategic plan, will affect every single aspect of our company.
Our Cianbro pillars are: n
Safety & Wellness –
Working safely and making good health a priority;
n People – Treating fellow team members with dignity and respect and understanding the expectations, schedules and goals of the team;
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Customer Satisfaction –
Listening to our customers and understanding their needs; n
Productivity –
Performing quality work on schedule; n
Financial –
Managing equipment, materials and tools and expenditure of company resources; and,
Culture - Remaining an open shop contractor by supporting each other, working as a team and fostering trust in all relationships.
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WINTER 2005
Flying High Above Our Nation’s Capitol
C
By Michael Manoski
The memorial is both bold and graceful and truly representational of the Air ianbro is proud to be a member Force. The design is based upon three of the construction team to build stainless steel spires that will soar skythe United States Air Force ward over a three-acre granite paved pedestrian plaza. The strucProject Memorial tural skin of each spire conoverlooking our sists of 3/4–inch thick, hotnation’s Capitol. The Air rolled, stainless steel plate Force Memorial will honor (Grade 316L) welded to the millions of patriotic men form a triangular cross-secand women who have tion. Into the void created served in the United States by this triangle, highAir Force. The memorial will strength, reinforced conadditionally pay tribute to crete will be cast composour nation’s private military itely with the stainless steel industries for the conplate skin. The tallest of the tributed technology and spires will ascend 270 feet innovation that helps make with a base width of 13 feet, American airpower superior. nine inches and tapering to The memorial will be built a width of one foot, six on the property of the Naval Aerial view of the inches at the tip elevation. Annex in Arlington, Virginia, spires in architect’s A glass bead-blasted finish which overlooks the Pentarendering will be applied to the staingon and has a spectacular, unobstructed view of the entire Washing- less steel surface. Working with Centex Construction ton, DC, area. Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to see the memorial as Company, Cianbro will be on site in late January 2005, through the end of the they enter and exit our nation’s Capitol.
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CIANBRO CHATTER
year. Our scope of work includes constructing concrete reinforced foundations (pile caps, grade beams, pedestals and slab-on-grade) for each of the three spires totaling approximately 2,200 cy of 5,000-psi concrete and 226 tons of rebar. Cianbro will also erect the three stainless steel spires in segments and place approximately 247 tons of rebar and approximately 761 cy of 12,000-psi concrete as part of the spire infill. Cianbro will work with Mariani Metal Fabricators to fabricate the stainless steel segments. On September 15, 2004, the Air Force Memorial Groundbreaking and Site Dedication Ceremony was held at the project site. Featured speakers included Mr. Ross Perot, Jr., Foundation chairman; the Honorable James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force; and General John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff. Attending the ceremony from Cianbro’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Team was Tony Cygan, marketing development manager; Mike Hart, vice president and general manager; Pete McCormick, project manager; Mike Manoski, project engineer; Bill Scott, estimating manager; and Andy Vickers, estimator.
WINTER 2005
Wishing you a Safe, Healthy, & Happy New Year!
CIANBRO An Equal Opportunity Employer
CORPORATE OFFICE, NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND REGION, FABRICATION & COATING FACILITY P.O. BOX 1000 ONE HUNNEWELL SQUARE PITTSFIELD, ME 04967 PHONE • 207 487-3311 FAX • 207 679-2465 SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND REGION 40 EAST DUDLEY TOWN ROAD BLOOMFIELD, CT 06002 PHONE • 860 286-3000 FAX • 860 242-6276 MID-ATLANTIC REGION, FABRICATION FACILITY 605 PITTMAN ROAD BALTIMORE, MD 21226 PHONE • 410 636-3000 FAX • 410 636-3111
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Chatter Editor – LeAnne Rogers • Chatter Team – Lauren Benttinen, Roy Bolton, Vera Bryant, Tara Coffin, Cailin Lawler, Gail Mayo, Sandy Paige, Andrea Pelletier, Mary Schreiber, Terra Thomas, Heather Wyman Special Thanks to – Mike Brooks and Bonnie Brown Design and Layout — Jean Cousins • Contributing Editor– Dottie Hutchins n