august 2014 - NUCA of North Florida, Inc.

NUCA OF NORTH FLORIDA, INC.
THE FLOW
AUGUST 2014
Boot Installation
Certification Classes
July 29th
August 5th
August 12th
Registration required.
See additional info on page 4.
Upcoming Events
Annual Fishing Tournament
September 27th
Registration & sponsorship
info on pages 8 & 9.
INSIDE THIS EDITION
President’s Message
2
Calendar of Events
3
Certification Classes
4
NUCA of Florida
Conference
5
Conference Photos
6
NUCA News
7
Fishing Sponsorships
8
Fishing Registration
9
Safety Update
11
Sunshine 811
12
President’s Message
Continued
13
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
2014 OFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dear Friends,
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
I hope everyone is doing well, and I would
like to once again thank all of our members for their
dedication and support.
President
Bill Bocchino, Layne Heavy Civil
President Elect
Jon Woodall, John Woody, Inc.
Vice President I
Elliot Jones, A.J. Johns, Inc.
Vice-President II
Tripp Brown, Godwin Pumps
Secretary/Treasurer
Kim Bryan, Petticoat-Schmitt
Civil Contractors
Past President
Mike Woodall, John Woody, Inc.
General Counsel
Tony Zebouni, Regan, Zebouni & Atwood
NUCA of Florida's annual conference July
17 20 at the Renaissance Orlando at Sea World
was a great success. Contractors Day was
informative and well worth your time and the cost of
admission. Thanks again to all of the sponsors,
speakers and the representatives for your dedication
and support. Metro Study brought us up to speed on
the changes in population in Florida, projections,
slabs poured, lot inventory etc… we finally have
some decent news to be cautiously optimistic about.
th-
th
For those who were unable to join us our
theme was Contractor’s Dynasty based on the Duck
Dynasty theme. The Saturday night party was camo
attire which worked out great. The best beard
contest was awarded to the one and only Lauren
Atwell. To show his dedication to our association
he auctioned off the shaving of his treasured beard.
Many jumped on the occasion and we thank you
again for all the support. The conference offered
lots of time to network and learn with other
members and was an overall winner. A special
thank you to our very own Kathy Blackman whose
hard work played a big part in the success of the
weekend.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lauren Atwell, Layne Heavy Civil
William Hood III, J.B. Coxwell Contracting
Mike Kivlin, John Woody, Inc.
Joe Maguire, Coastal Utility Constructors
Brian Pate, Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Con.
Ed Porter, Barco Duval Engineering
Jennifer Setzer, United Service Connection
Wayne Atkinson, County Materials Corp.
Josh Dyer, Staff Zone
Mike Gruber, Ellis & Associates, Inc.
Drew Lane, Advanced Drainage Systems
Ryan Pugh, Ferguson Waterworks
Robert Rowley, Fortiline Waterworks
Jarod Wolford, Martin Marietta Materials
It's still not too late to sign up for our
upcoming events. September 27th is our Annual
Fishing Tournament which has moved to a new
location. We are heading a little south this year to
the Northeast Florida Marlin Association located in
St. Augustine. We wanted a change in venue, and
with your participation it should be a great success.
Alternate
Jamie Saalfield, Beard Equipment Co.
(Continued on page 13)
2
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2014 OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsor
August 5th
Boot Installation Certification
Standard Precast
9:00 am
Beard Equipment Company
Gold Sponsor
United Rentals Trench Safety
August 12th
Boot Installation Certification
Standard Precast
9:00 am
Silver Sponsors
Layne Heavy Civil
Efficiency Shoring & Supply
August 12th
Executive Committee
3:30 pm
Standard Precast, Inc.
Bronze Sponsors
September 9th
Executive Committee
3:30 pm
A.J. Johns, Inc.
Ellis & Associates
Petticoat-Schmitt Civil
September 18th
Board of Directors Meeting
Contractors
September 27th
Annual Fishing Tournament
St. Augustine
3
4
NUCA OF FLORIDA CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
We just returned for the annual NUCA of Florida Conference held at the Renaissance Orlando at
Sea World. The conference kicked off on Thursday night with a welcome reception. Friday was
Contractor’s Day. We appreciate the following companies who participated as Vendor’s for
Contractor’s Day: Sunshine 811, Florida Concrete Pipe Institute, HD Supply Waterworks, CLow
Water Systems Company, Southeastern Surveying & Mapping Corp,, Star Pipe Products, , Gray
Robinson, and Nextran. A special thank you to Larry Giusti and Shaun Wolstein from Harden
from their presentation on the Affordable Care Act. Their was a Awards dinner on Friday night
where the Andrew Scott Johnson Scholarship was presented. Congratulations to Brooke Woodall
who received a $2,000 meritorious award. A total of $23,000 was distributed in awards for 2014.
The big event was the Duck Dynasty dinner on Saturday night. We had a lot of people dress up
and there was camo everywhere. Lauren Atwell was the winner of the best beard contest. Tony
“Uncle Si” Zebouni was the winner of both the best fake beard as well as the best duck Dynasty
look a-like. Lauren agreed to get his beard shaved and over $500 was raised for the state PAC. A
variety of team games followed including a table scavenger hunt, ping pong sling shot and corn
hole toss. There was a silent auction, basket raffle and 50/50 raffle. Make plans to attend next
year’s conference.
5
CONFERENCE PHOTOS
6
Call for Articles for NUCA Business Journal
Do you have a lesson-learned story (front office or on the jobsite) that other contractors could
benefit from knowing about? Have you implemented a new business strategy in you company that
has paid dividends? Has your team learned any OSHA inspection lessons of interest to other
contractors? Articles should focus on issues specific to underground utility and excavating
contractors in the realm of running an efficient or profitable business or how the topic (economy,
taxation) will directly affect them. Please send all abstracts to Anne Luzier for review.
NUCA Safety News
Do you receive the NUCA Safety News which is published bimonthly? Check out the May/June
publication with the link below. If you are a NUCA member and you are not receiving the NUCA
Report, please email [email protected]. NUCA Safety News, May-June 2014
SAVE THE DATE
NUCA FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
October 8 to 10th
Newport, Rhode Island
The conference will include contractor roundtables, a
management boot camp, committee meetings, a keynote
address, and four NUCA Leadership Institute modules.
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8
9
10
NUCA SAFETY NEWS
By Jeff Blomgren
PPE and Women in the Workplace
In a recent National Safety Council magazine article, (Safety and Health magazine July 2014)
Finding the Right Fit by Thomas Bukowski, I re-discovered some issues that we had to deal with
before the economic downturn. Women in the workplace and the unique problems presented in
the area of PPE is something that is largely misunderstood today.
In terms of providing PPE to women, the sometimes controversial idea that, “women are not men”
takes on significant safety meaning. This is not astoundingly earth shattering but, in fact, no
matter what we say about equality, women are different! Personally I think that’s a good thing. In
any case, there are significant differences in physiology that require changes in the PPE mindset.
Women are mostly smaller. A men’s small vest may not fit a five foot woman. Men’s small safety
shoes may not fit a woman’s foot because as a rule women’s feet are smaller and narrower than a
man’s foot. Gloves may not fit correctly and end up being a hazard. Hard hats designed for men
may not fit properly and may have to be equipped with a chin strap to keep it on or perhaps, an
alternative might be, allowing the employee to shop for one that fits and putting company logos on
it. While a qualified woman may seem to be a better candidate, size wise, for confined space
entry, if not specifically selected for a woman, the harness may not fit properly resulting in risk to
the employee. Safety glasses come in sizes but a small pair of safety glasses might not be the
answer.
Increasingly, we see many women entering the construction industry for a variety of reasons, need
for employment, challenge, opportunity, love of outdoors, etc. Many of the same reasons men
enter the construction workforce but the needs are significantly different and more challenging in
providing safety products that will enhance the experience.
We welcome the diversity and believe that something we love to do ought to be available to
everyone regardless, and frankly, many women operators take better care of equipment and have a
better feel for the machinery than men because they don’t take the opportunity to operate a big
piece of machinery for granted. Sorry guys but it’s the truth.
There are lists of safety equipment suggested by manufacturers specifically for women. You can
access the International Safety Equipment Association’s list through the following link,
safetyandhealthmagazine.com
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12
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
September 26th-28th Jon and I will be chairing the President’s Cup Golf Tournament at the PGA National Resort
and Spa, located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I look forward to seeing you there!
Always remember that our association is here for you and to help in any way possible. If any members
have new ideas or suggestions to help better our industry or the way we operate please reach out. As you can tell
when our association stands together no obstacle is too large. We are here for each other to continue to build our
industry for ourselves and for those to come after us.
In closing, thank you all for your continued help and support. May the "Business Gods" treat you well! If
there is anything I can be of assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact me. Remember to continue to do
business with our members.
Sincerely,
Mike
13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PETTICOAT-SCHMITT CIVIL CONTRACTORS EXPANDS INTO WATER AND
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT CONSTRUCTION
JACKSONVILLE, FL. (July 28, 2014) – Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors, Inc., has expanded their services to include
water and wastewater treatment plant construction. This expansion will supplement their current services of water and
wastewater mainline construction, site development and roadway construction.
Serving as Petticoat-Schmitt’s new Vice-President and leader of the treatment plant effort is NUCA of North Florida two
time past-president and current NUCA of Florida president, Lauren Atwell. Lauren brings over 30 years of construction
experience with most of his time spent as the senior leader specializing in treatment plant construction. Lauren also brings with
him another tested professional in the treatment plant construction field, John Chase. John’s role with Petticoat-Schmitt is
Senior Project Manager.
“We are very excited to have Lauren and John join our team,” said Petticoat-Schmitt President Ryan Schmitt. “I’ve
known Lauren for many years largely through NUCA events and have seen first hand his quality leadership.”
Prior to joining Petticoat-Schmitt, Lauren was the Senior Vice-President of the Plant Division for Layne Christensen.
John Chase worked with Lauren at Layne where he served as the District Manager for the Plant Division. Both Lauren and John
have degrees in civil engineering from Clarkson University and Georgia Tech, respectively.
“Our decision to expand into the treatment plant field creates opportunities for diversification and growth while taking
advantage of the investment we have made in our personnel and processes over the last few years,” comments Ryan Schmitt.
“We are all on board to implement the next phase of our growing company.”
About Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors, Inc.
Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors, Inc. is one of Northeast Florida’s leading construction companies specializing in the
civil contracting industry. Owned and operated by Ryan Schmitt, the 2011 and 2012 chairman of the National Utility Contractors
Association (NUCA), the company performs water and wastewater mainline construction, site development, treatment plant and
roadway construction for public and private entities in Florida and Georgia.
Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors, Inc. was ranked in the fastest 50 growing companies in Jacksonville in 2010 and
2011. Petticoat-Schmitt was also named to the fastest growing 500 companies by Inc. Magazine in 2011. In 2009 and 2012,
Petticoat-Schmitt was awarded the William H. Feather Safety Award by NUCA as one of the safest companies in the nation.
NUCA also recognized Petticoat-Schmitt with the National Community Service Award for charitable work its employees
performed at Seamark Ranch.
For more information call (904) 751-0888.
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