September 2011 - Reeves Construction Company

The Front Loader
A quarterly publication for Employees of Reeves Construction,
Sloan Construction, R.B. Baker, GA Emulsions, and Southeast
Pavement Services
September 2011
CPI - ―What’s In It For Me?‖
I’m sure by now you have heard about our
CPI (Continuous Process Improvement)
program. Well, I am here to tell you it’s
nothing to fear. This three letter acronym
will assist you in finding ways to do more
with less – less effort, less materials, less
equipment, less time, less space, and less
stress without compromising safety. We
must work together to not only survive but
thrive in these uncertain economic times to
create a more efficient, robust company.
CPI fosters a team approach using our
experience and expertise in implementing
process improvements and solving everyday
problems. We want a questioning and
learning environment where employees
feel comfortable evaluating their day-to-day
activities, asking questions, and making
improvements.
You are probably asking yourself, ―What’s in
it for me?‖ A company with efficient
processes fostered by a continuous
improvement environment ensures a
competitive advantage and ultimately, your
job security. CPI allows you to take control
of your processes by implementing
improvements that make your life easier.
Have you ever been on a job or task and
thought, ―Why do I do this task this way?‖
A lot of times when you ask an employee
why they are performing a particular task,
their response is ―Because that’s the way
we’ve always done it.‖ CPI allows for an
outsider’s approach and out-of-the-box
thinking changing the ordinary into the
extraordinary. The fact that our company
supports continuous improvement tells us
your knowledge and experience are valued
and you are the key to making changes for
the better.
Our employees have worked on more than
22 CPI projects since the program’s
initiation. We will be highlighting CPI
projects each quarter giving you the
opportunity to see what’s going on in other
regions and possibly spark a few ideas of
your own. This quarter we have highlighted
two projects: one from the South Region
and one from Sloan Construction. These
projects show the diversity of project
opportunities within our company.
Reeves’ South Region completed a
project to improve start-up time of the
paving crews resulting in increased
production and lower cost. The CPI
members were Jimmy Nelson, Ron Hester,
Mickey Fore, Doug Petty, George Collier,
and Calvin Mitchell along with Jay
Hammond, CPI Coordinator. After
reviewing the process, it was determined
that ―getting started‖ at the appropriate
time was having a substantial impact on
the day’s production, resulting in higher
costs. This project established a procedure
where the plant foreman, crew foreman,
truck superintendent, and project manager
discuss and set specific load out times for
the day along with implementing a truck
cycle report for tracking the first load. GPS
tracking on the first truckload gives us
unbiased snapshot of how the day got
started and allows us to identify and
correct any problems or delays.
Continued on page 6
Great Dane Trailers
In March 2011, Baker Infrastructure Group, Inc. was awarded a subcontract for the sitework at the new Great Dane manufacturing facility in Statesboro, GA. This factory, which will build semi trailers, is situated on a 72 acre site and includes a
465,000 SF building, 140,000 CY of earthwork, 22,000 LF of underground utilities, 11,000 LF of curb and gutter, 168,600 SY
of graded aggregate base, and 3,500 tons of asphalt. Construction of the $3,700,000 contract will be complete in October
2011. During the course of this project, several crews from Reeves’ East Region have worked alongside Baker’s crews to help
meet the demanding schedule, making this a project for all of us to be proud of.
Presidents Letter
Continuous Process
Improvement
year end.
Production
Safety Guardians
Are you a Safety Guardian? If so, you
along with your supervisor are our first line
of defense against accidents and/or
injuries. I’m counting on you to make a
difference. For supervisors of our Safety
Guardians, I encourage you to include
them in your daily planning and utilize
them as your partner. By working together
closely, you have an opportunity to set the
standard by which others are measured.
Set your goals high and lead by example. I
look forward to reviewing your progress at
As of the end of August, we have
produced 1.56 million tons of asphalt
compared to 1.78 million tons last year
at this time, so we’re a bit behind. As
you know, weather was not very
cooperative the first quarter of this year.
Our goal for the last 4 months is
843,000 tons. Is this possible? Last
year during the same period we
produced 961,000 tons. So as you can
see it is achievable, but if we can’t do it
safely it won’t be much of an
accomplishment.
Special Recognition
Jerome Boston and Doug Campbell,
For those of you involved in bidding and
managing our work, you know how
extremely difficult it is right now to secure
work, let alone at acceptable prices.
Competitive conditions are worse now
than most of us have seen in our lifetime.
How can we set ourselves apart from the
competition? The answer is simple. We
must become better. If we’re all
committed, CPI can help us accomplish
this goal. We’ve stalled a bit in our efforts
the last few months, but I am confident
that with your help and support, our new
CPI Coordinator, Victoria Keehn, will get
us on the right track. Please give her your
full support and cooperation, and let’s all
make a difference.
I can’t begin to tell both of you how
Sincerely,
heartwarming it was for me to hear of
your recent acts of kindness toward your
fellow man. I’m sure your families are
as proud of you as I am. The two of you
set a fine example for all of us to follow. Bob Land
―A Road Less Traveled‖
On April 9, 2011, Road Less Traveled ministries presented a
free concert at the Brodie Field in Tifton, Georgia where Level
3:16 and the TJ Mauldin Band opened for Michael W. Smith.
Reeves Construction South Region eagerly supplied the
message boards that promoted this exceptional event.
Regional CPI
Reeves met with the Regional
Continuous Process
Improvement Coordinators
and Regional Managers at the
JCB facility in Savannah, GA on
August 16th. At the meeting,
we reviewed the regional
projects and accomplishments
for the past year and discussed
the companies’ next step in Continuous Process Improvement. This
meeting gave us the opportunity to share and discuss our CPI
success stories with all of the companies within Reeves. After our
CPI meeting, JCB Personnel gave our group a tour of the JCB
manufacturing facility and production line providing us the
opportunity to see LEAN in action. This JCB facility manufacturers
the newest generation of skid steer loaders and company track
loaders, in addition to implementing LEAN practices to make these
product lines more efficient and cost effective.
The Extra Mile
While working his normal everyday
job performing traffic control duties
for Sloan Construction, Jerome
Boston went out of his way to help
a gentleman who had lost some
files off the back of his
vehicle. Little did he know that
gathering up these files and
returning them to the home
where he saw the vehicle pull
out from would result in
company-wide recognition.
Sloan’s main office received a
phone call that same day from
the files’ owner, who also
happens to be a local
Magistrate, singing Jerome’s
praises. The Magistrate wanted
to make sure Jerome was
commended for going out of his
way and for being a positive image
for Sloan. No small deed goes
unnoticed! Below is the story told
by the Magistrate:
Pictured Above : Jerome Boston
guess they all fell out on the road.
When I drove back, the traffic
control employee (Jerome Boston)
stopped me where they were
working and asked if I had driven
down the road earlier and
maybe lost a few items. I
explained that I had, and the
gentleman told me that he
picked everything up, drove to
my house, and put the items in
my mailbox. I thanked him and
was impressed that he went
out of his way to pick those
things up when he could have
easily just left them there.
Then, he went out of his way
to take them to my residence.‖
truck before heading out this
morning on the road. I pulled out,
drove down the road and forgot
about them being back there, and I
His last words to me were ―God
bless you.‖ I just think he needs
to be commended for going out of
his way and for being a good
image for Sloan.
―Out on West Georgia Road, Sloan is
doing a paving job. I live at the
intersection of Sandy Springs and
West Georgia Road, and I laid some
things on the back of my pickup
Upstate Bocce Bash
On Saturday, May 21st, two teams of Sloan employees participated in the annual Upstate Bocce Bash which raised a total
of $20,500 for Special Olympics. Kirsten Duffy, Manager of Design Build & Estimating, and Alan Harrison, Region
Sales Manager, coordinated the sponsorship and participation of Sloan’s two teams. The first team, Chew Bocce (Kevin
Goemaat, Richard Crochetiere Jr., Nathan Musgrove, David Marsland, and Diane Lewczyk) played well and came close
to making it through the Round Robin round. The second team, B. B. Kings (Bradley Smith, Angie Laster, Adrian
Kroger, and Rick Crocker) dominated and made it through to the Sweet Sixteen Round. This day-long tournament
focused on friendly competition, enjoying the outdoors, and giving back to the community.
Pictured from left – Bradley Smith, Rick Crocker,
Adrian Kroger, Alan Harrison, Angie Laster
Adrian Kroger and Angie Laster from B.B. Kings
team with competitors in blue
Scoreboard picturing Sloan’s logo since
we were a sponsor
Baker Donates to Church
Bakers SR 21 project in Middleburg, Florida afforded them
the opportunity to utilize recycled asphalt and fulfill a need
within the local community.
First Baptist Church of Middleburg and the Kids First
Learning Center were in need of a stabilized area where kids
could be picked up and dropped off throughout the school
year. Baker, along with the help of Duval Asphalt, donated
labor and equipment to place and grade approximately 400
tons of asphalt millings to create overflow parking and a
roadway access for them.
Sloan—Show and Tell
On May 18, Sloan
Columbia Plant Foreman,
Chip Griner, represented
Sloan at Carolina Springs
Elementary School’s
Show and Tell day. The
focus of the day was
vehicles. Chip’s son,
Logan, was very excited to have his Dad, along with Sloan
truck driver, David Phipps, attend and explain to his class
what he does at work. The children loved being able to see
how the dump truck worked and especially enjoyed watching
the bed rise all the way up.
MidState’s Helping to
Rebuild Jones County
MidState’s Ridge Run
Rebuild Macon, Jones County Department of Family and
Children Services (DFACS), some church youth groups
Reeves Construction MidState Region
throughout Georgia, a hand full of local volunteers, and Eddie
was a sponsor for Covenant Care
Wright from Reeves Construction converged on Jones County
Services 2nd Annual Ridge Run, 5K
and began construction on 15 dilapidated home projects. The
and Kiddie Fun Run. The Ridge Run
was held in Macon, GA on August 27. projects ranged from wheel chair ramps, repainting, plumbing,
electrical, and in our case, an almost total rebuild of the
exterior. Each family project was chosen by Jones County
DFACS at no expense to the home owner. We spent three
days and more than 70 hrs. on our project. One hundred
Thank you to everyone that participated in the
percent of the monies needed was donated from corporate
event!
sponsorships and individual donations. We at Mid-State are
proud to be a part of such a wonderful opportunity.
This is a letter from the director of
Ministry Development for Covenant
Care Services to Reeves
Pictured are both before and after photos.
Welcome
Victoria Keehn, Reeves Corporate CPI Coordinator. Victoria
will be working together with regional CPI Coordinators and
Management. Victoria previously worked for United Space
Alliance @ the Kennedy Space Center, FL, where she received
her Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership and her
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification. She has been working
in the Continuous Process Improvements (CPI) for the past four
years. Victoria has two daughters and will be getting married
Spring 2012.
Tony Felix, Asst QC Manager, Corporate Office.
Tony comes to us from the Ga DOT, where he worked for 17
years , most recently as Asst. State Bituminous Engineer.
Tony and his wife, Laurie, have 3 children: Abby Nichol (11),
Kensy Grace (4), and Cohen Daniel (1).
Kyle Weigand, Project Engineer for SPS.
Kyle is a graduate from The Citadel in South Carolina
with a BS in Civil Engineering.
Kyle is an US Army EOD Officer with the 218th MEB
Battalion SCANG, has been to airborne school, and
graduated top 10% of commissioned officers this
year.
Rennie Richardson, Concrete Superintendent for
SPS. Rennie has been in the concrete paving/
earthwork business over 20 years. He is a second
generation construction worker following in his dad’s
shoes. Rennie started out as a laborer and worked
his to the project/general superintendent level.
Rennie is presently in his second year in college
working on a construction management degree.
Joshua Lee, Staff Accountant at MidState Region.
Joshua graduated from the Citadel in May of 2011
with a degree in Accounting.
Tim Clay, Project Manager for SPS.
Tim has been in the construction industry 13 years. Tim
began his career in the Army as a Heavy Equipment
Operator and then served 11 years as a reservist in the
Army National Guard. In the civilian world, Tim got his
start as an Equipment Operator, worked his way up in
the field and attended the University of Florida.
After returning from an overseas deployment in 2006,
Tim made the transition from Estimating to Operations,
serving as Project Manager.
Tim and his wife Jennifer live in the Lake Asbury area of Clay County Florida
and have four children. Most of Tim’s free time is spent with his family,
their church, and with good friends. As a new member of the Reeves –
Southeast Pavement Services Team, Tim hopes to further the Reeves
tradition in the field, provide new perspective, and contribute to the overall
success of the team.
David Cochrane, Assist. Controller for Baker Infrastructure Group.
David has 20 years of experience in the Accounting
Field.
Raphael Llobregat, Chief Financial Officer.
His experience with the Group is extensive.
He started in 1999 with the Internal Audit
department of Colas SA (Corporate
Headquarter Paris). Since then, he has
occupied different functions throughout the
Group and different countries (French West
Indies, Dominican Republic and Cuba) before
joining Colas Inc. in 2003. Raphael was
previously the Vice President of Finance of Colaska (Anchorage AK). He holds a Master of Sciences in Finance and Accounting.
Mark Yerkes, IT Tech for Sloan.
Mark comes to us with 12+ years experience ein
IT. He received an Associate of Science Degree
from Bob Jones University, Greenville, South
Carolina in 1995
Rob Loar, Construction Manager for East Region.
Rob started work with East Region in mid- June and
brings with him a degree in Civil Engineering, along with
a great deal of practical experience in the various
phases of highway project management, as well as
field operations.
Rob and his wife, Andrea, have 2 children, Charles and
Mary Catherine, and now reside in Evans, GA. We hope
you will join us in welcoming them to the Reeves family.
Keith Wells, Assistant Project Manager for SPS.
Keith grew up in Aurora Ohio surrounded by the
concrete and construction industry. His father
helped grow a company called Master Builders
in to what is today the Construction Chemicals
arm of BASF. In 2008, he graduated from the
University of North Florida with a BS in
Construction Management.
Emily Alligood HR/Payroll Administrator for SPS.
Emily has worked in the HR/Payroll field going
on 5 years. She graduated from Columbus
State College in Columbus, Ohio.
Taylor Morris, Project Engineer for Sloan.
Taylor began as an intern in 2010 and was hired on
full time in 2011.
Taylor graduated from Clemson in South Carolina.
Joseph Keiffer, Construction Manager for Baker
Infrastructure Group.
Joe has 26 years in site prep on commercial,
industrial, municipal and residential projects and
Field Operations Manager for 6 years.
Fire Department Open House
On September 8, 2011, Our Union, SC Terminal held an
open house for the local fire departments within a 30
mile radius. Six fire departments (City of Union,
Bonham, Carlisle, Buffalo, Jonesville, and Kelly-Keaton)
showed up to enjoy a barbeque dinner and a tour of our
NAPA Diamond Achievement Award facility. Teaming up
for the second year in a row, we continue to work with
these departments to form good relationships with the
community and first responders.
To reassure the Departments that our facility has the
most up-to-date technology and adheres to all safety
requirements, we held a question and answer session to address any concerns.
Lightening the Load with Heavy Job in Reeves’ Mid-State Region
Reeves’ Mid-State region has begun implementation of a new job cost tracking software named Heavy Job. Heavy Job has allowed the
foremen and managers to charge time and costs to pay items with much more ease and with less paperwork than
ever before.
Foremen are now able to submit labor and equipment hours directly from the field with no paperwork. With Heavy
Job installed on their laptops, foremen are able to keep an electronic diary of their projects, which can be easily
filled out with notes and flags that also allow for easy searchable entries. No more messy green diaries or any
more frustrating hours spent flipping pages to find a specific event. All information that was written in the green
diaries can now be stored in Heavy Job including information like photos and pdf’s. Foreman, Marvin Hooks, says
that Heavy Job made the timesheet process more convenient for him since he can turn in his timesheets right
from the field. In general, all of the foremen have found the timesheet entry process much more convenient now
with Heavy Job.
Mid-State project managers are finding that Heavy Job allows them to save time and prevents confusion between
the field and the office. With Heavy Job’s review/approval process, project managers are able to easily and
quickly ensure that the information being submitted is accurate, catching and editing any errors before they
become a problem. Ever wanted to compare real-time field productions against budgeted productions? Heavy
Job allows project managers to track their real-time productions to provide them with the extra information they need to make real-time
decisions for more efficient and productive projects.
Angela Garcia-Cruz, Mid-State’s Human Resources Administrator, has enjoyed the advantages that Heavy Job brings to her job. Instead of
stacks of timesheet every Monday morning on her desk, Angela just syncs her desktop with the server and in minutes has all the entered
timesheet information submitted by the field on her desktop computer waiting to be approved. ―It saves me hours of input time in many
cases‖, says Angela. The only downside to Heavy Job is that Angela can’t hide behind those stacks of timesheets on her desk anymore.
Mid-state’s estimators are learning the benefits of Heavy Job by not spending hours re-entering costs into an Excel spreadsheet when all
of the information has already been entered in Heavy Bid estimating software.
All around, Heavy Job has allowed foremen, project managers, and office staff to do their jobs more quickly and efficiently. Plans have
been made to roll out Heavy Job to all of Reeves’ regions in the near future so that all of Reeves Construction Company will able to enjoy a
lighter load with Heavy Job.
EAP—1*800*950*3434
An Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, is a special employee benefit
provided by Reeves to assist you and your family members with
personal, marital, family, and job-related issues. An EAP is a job-based
program aimed at helping you resolve problems, both on and off the job,
which can interfere with your job performance. The goal of the EAP is to
assist employees in achieving and maintaining happy, healthy, and fully
productive lives.
A very important feature of the EAP is confidentiality. Client services are
provided up to 4 times, by appointment, by telephone, or in the privacy
of offices away from the workplace. Both you and your eligible family
members may use EAP client services without Reeves knowing about
your participation in the program. No information from the EAP client
services can be communicated to anyone without your written consent.
Retired – East Region
Over the past year, we have had several of our long-term
employees retire. We would like to offer our thanks to the following
for their many years of service and for the experience they provided
us:
James Adams – Loader Operator, Riverwatch Plant (24+ years)
James Bush – Asphalt Distributor Operator (18+ years)
Elbert Mathis – Concrete Finisher (43+ years)
Willie Rogers, Jr. – Laborer/Flagger (20 years)
We are most appreciative of our long-term
employees . . . Their dedication and loyalty, along
with their production of good, quality work are the
backbone of our company. Please join us in wishing
them well in their retirement.
The Clean Sweep
The Clean Sweep - featuring those employees who show
pride in the care of their equipment. The day our camera’s
were sent out they found Jeff Rushing, Lynn Hutto,
Morris Eubanks, and Robbie Platt to have equipment that
was extremely well maintained. These employees will
receive a $100 gift card to show our appreciation.
Jeff Rushing, Plant Superintendent for
Baker Infrastructure Group. Jeff is the
recipient of $100takes great pride in the care of
the plant.
Morris Eubanks, Paving
Superintendent for Sloan, in his
Chevrolet 2500 HD Duramax diesel
pick up. Morris keeps meticulous
care of his company equipment.
Morris has been with Sloan since
March of 1994.
Lynn Hutto, East Region Traffic
Control Supervisor, was chosen as
an individual who takes the utmost
care of her vehicle. Lynn has been
with Reeves East Region since 1991.
Robbie Platt, Distributor Operator,
for the South Region. Robbie has
been with Reeves for 4 years.
Robbie takes real pride in the
maintenance and condition of his
equipment.
South Region Employee - Going ―The Extra Mile‖
On August 10, 2011, Joey Tanner received a call from James Dydell, a gentleman passing
through one of our work zones a couple of weeks ago. James asked to speak with a manager or
owner. Joey told him the manager was out and asked if he could help with anything. James
stated that he wanted the manager to know what kind of people our company had working for
us and what he thought of our company.
As James Dydell was passing through our lane closure, his car stalled backing up traffic. One
of our mechanics, Doug Campbell, saw the traffic stop and went to see what was wrong.
James said his car stalled and was having trouble getting it out of the roadway. Doug
immediately helped him push his car onto the shoulder of the road. Doug then offered to run
James up to the auto parts store so he could get what he needed to repair his car. After
returning, Doug assisted him with the repair so that James could be on his way.
James stated that it was over 100° that day and his family stayed with the car while he was
gone to the store. After repairing the vehicle, they continued on their travels.
James’ point in calling was to express not only his gratitude towards Doug, but also to express
the courtesy and helpfulness of Doug. Also, James said that Reeves’ must be a top notch
company to employ people with these characteristics. He was very thankful to Doug and
Reeves for the assistance.
Annual Open Enrollment
Reeves Construction, Baker Infrastructure Group, and
Sloan Construction will be holding their annual Open
Enrollment for Health Insurance and Benefits in late
October and early November. If you have any
questions on your current enrollment status, please see
your HR Administrators.
Thank you!
Family Days
East Region is holding their annual Family Day on October 8th from
11am-3pm at Wildwood Park on Clarks Hill Lake in
Columbia
County.
South Region is holding their annual Family Day on October 8th from
10am-5pm at Veterans State Park at Lake Blackshear.
MidState Region is holding their annual Family Day on October 9th
from 2pm-11pm at the Ga National Fair in Perry.
Baker—November 5th –Savannah / October 25th - St. Augustine (more
information to follow)
MidState Region Donates
School Supplies
Sloan AC Terminal
I’m pleased to announce that the Sloan AC Terminal has
earned NAPA’s Diamond Achievement Commendation for
Excellence in Asphalt Plant/Site Operations for 2011. Winning
this award is a great honor and shows to our employees and
neighboring community that we are dedicated to responsible
operational practices and continuous improvement. I want to
thank all that are committed to spreading excellence among all
of our asphalt
plants/sites.
Reeves Mid-State was excited to help some local
school systems with some back-to-school supplies.
Children in Jones, Bibb, and Laurens Counties will
be able to go back to school this year with the
necessary supplies need to complete their daily
academics.
A Customer is Forever
In the last quarter, you should have all noticed a major focus on our
Customer Service. We are now more dedicated than ever to making
sure that we provide our customers the services they are expecting
and paying for as well as a ―little extra‖ effort. Our goal is to retain all
of our current customers and gain prospective customers throughout
all of our markets. It takes each one of us to treat our customers with
respect, honesty, and courtesy to ensure that Reeves is the choice of
contractors for their needs. It is important to remember to treat
everyone you come in contact with as a customer because you never
know when it may actually be a customer or potential customer that
you are talking to. If you have any suggestions or ideas of ways we
can improve our customer service, please feel free to share them
with your regional committee member or a manager in your region.
Your cooperation in ―ramping up‖ our customer service will be greatly
appreciated!
Pictured are Frank Sosnovik, Laura Fike, Dianna
Laurence, Angela Garcia, and Andy Gray.
CPI, Continued from page 1
Sloan Construction is completing a project
that minimizes material defects and rework
in their Quality Control process allowing
Sloan Construction to submit for Quality
bonus dollars on their jobs from the DOT.
The CPI team members are Adrian Kroger,
Troy Going, Sandy Going, Rhodes Dutton,
Mike Snellgrove, Vicky White, Kenny Roy,
and Tyler Grenier along with Joe Davis, CPI
Coordinator. This project was a great
example of where inconsistencies in the
process, insufficient training and
misunderstood job expectations were found
to be the underlying causes of
inefficiencies. These implemented
improvements were documented in the
appropriate quality procedures and
manuals. This team also generated a data
base for collecting inspection metrics and
implemented in-house Quality Control audit
and training program. By implementing
these improvements, Sloan Construction
has already seen an increase in incentive
dollars received.
By now you are probably asking yourself,
―How can I get involved in CPI?‖ Well, I’m
glad you asked. The first step is to observe
your day-to-day tasks and procedures
looking for ways to do them smarter. Then
talk with your supervisor or fill out and
submit a Project Suggestion Form to your
regional CPI coordinator, manager, or front
office. Once your suggestion is reviewed,
your Regional CPI coordinator or I will meet
with you to discuss your idea and get the
improvement process started. Your CPI
Coordinators are listed below by location:
Andrew Ray – Southeast Pavement
Services (478) 476-0388
Michael Burdette – GA Emulsions
(912) 257-6736
Mark Gilbert – Reeves Mid-State Region
(478) 743-0593
Jay Arnett – Reeves East Region
(706) 731-5256
Victoria Keehn – Reeves Corporate
478) 471-2371
CPI requires each of us to take an active role
in our work procedures by thinking about two
simple questions, ―Why do I do this?‖ and
―How can I do it better?‖ With little effort
and a lot of dedication, practicing continuous
process improvement becomes easier than
saying it.
Trace Martell – R. B. Baker Savannah
(912) 964-6513
John Cosgrove – R.B. Baker St. Augustine
(904) 824-9901
Joe Davis – Sloan Construction (Greenville
and Columbia)
(864) 968-2250
Jay Hammond – Reeves South Region
(229) 386-144
Victoria Keehn,
CPI Coordinator
Intern Stories — Summer 2011
My summer internship with Reeves Construction was an enormous benefit for me. In addition to
gaining on-the-job estimating experience working alongside Mr. Charles Boyd, I was also given
on-site challenges that I successfully completed and learned from. Even though most of my
responsibilities involved performing Takeoffs -confirming quantities proposed in a bid document
using ProContractor- I was also responsible for riding resurfacing projects and setting up bid items
in the Heavy Bid software program. The knowledge gained from actually stepping out of the classroom has given me the skills necessary to stride beyond the rest of my graduating class like no
textbook ever could. Furthermore, the people I worked with were wonderful in guiding me through
situations I was not accustomed to, but more importantly, trusting me enough to perform tasks
usually given to those with more experience. I really appreciated the estimating work and looking
down my career path, I see myself one day bidding another project. Although I still have two more years of college left before I graduate, I
now eagerly look forward to my next summer internship and have Reeves Construction to thank for that.
Sincerely,
Jeffery Allen Smith Jr.
East Region Intern— Georgia Southern
During my summer internship at the Perry Terminal, I
took a week off to go on a mission trip half-way around
the world. This land is like no other land I’ve ever
seen. The people are different, but yet, they are the
same as you and me. Their way of life cannot be fully
comprehended and neither can their generosity. This
land is called Kenya, Africa.
I went with a small group from the church I attended
during school. Our plan was to start a mission. The
pre-construction is what our agenda said, but that’s not all that we did. Yes we sat in
meetings talking about what kind of land we wanted and what our budget was. We also
had the chance to see how the tribes of Kenya live.
The majority of work I did was in the schools. I taught English and Math to small children who were so eager to learn. Our team also gave
composition notebooks, pencils, and pencil sharpeners to as many children as we could. While I was at the
schools, the other team members were helping build small homes for 4 different families. One family in
particular touched my heart; three children abandoned by the mother were slowly dying of hunger and of a
parasite called ―jiggers.‖ We built a new home for them and their grandparents who are too old to do any
activity except for sitting. I told our driver that I wanted to go into town (2 hours away) to buy 3 pairs of
shoes and 3 pairs of socks. He gladly took me, and after they were treated for the jiggers, I handed the children the first pair of shoes they had ever owned.
While working at the terminal, I learned the different testing procedures for testing asphalt and emulsion
products. I never thought I would enjoy learning about a ―sticky substance,‖ but I did. While studying at
Georgia Southern University, we do not take the time to learn specific materials and see how it reacts. I
enjoyed learning how to use the lab equipment and understand what the test results mean. John Wade, the
Lab Manager at the Perry Terminal, explained each test and the purpose of each test well. He was able to
answer every question I had. Not only did John answer
my questions, but so did Terry Hogan, the Site Manager.
Everybody who worked at the terminal answered my
questions and were willing to teach me new skills I could not obtain in school.
I’m very thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a Reeves’ Intern. Never would
I have thought to see myself in the Asphalt and Emulsion Industry, but now all I want
to do is study this simple yet complex material.
Brooke West
GA Emulsions and A/C Terminal Intern— Georgia Southern
Employee Spotlight
Lindy Philbert, MidState Region
Q. What song best describes you?
A. Baby Don’t Worry About A Thing by Bob Marley, because I take care of my business
and my family
Q. If you were a food what would it be?
A. Linguini Pasta, because everyone likes it and everyone likes me.
Q. What might someone say about you?
A. I am kindhearted and very helpful
Q. What is something you are very proud of?
A. I am proud of myself, because I feel like I turned out to be a good person.
First Annual Bark for Life
Chris Morris, Pipe Foreman for Baker,
and his wife Madrae took time out of
their busy schedule to promote, set-up
and man the first Annual Bark For Life
held at Atlantic Park in Fernandina Beach, Florida in cooperation
with the American Cancer
Society. The event was to help raise
money for dogs who have cancer and
their treatment. A portion of the
proceeds go to the local Humane Society to
Chris and Madrae Morris
Chris and Madrae Morris
help dog owners pay for cancer treatment for
their beloved pets when they are unable to pay. The balance of the funds raised go to the American
Cancer Society. We thank Chris and his wife for giving of their time and talents to this worthy cause.
Stone Bridge Tournament
Reeves’ South Region participated as corporate sponsor
for the 9th Annual Stonebridge Tennis Tournament
in Albany, Ga. Players rating from 2.5 through 5.0
competed in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
This annual tournament attracts players from
outside a 100 mile radius of Albany.
Name that Employee!!
SEE LAST PAGE FOR NAMES
Brag Corner
Congratulations to Dallas
Zeke Richardson (Project
Suggs (Project Engineer,
Engineer & QC Tech) and
East Region) and Mary
Stacy Tennyson were
Johnson Suggs, who were
married on Saturday, June
married on Saturday,
11, 2011 at Watkinsville
June 11, 2011 at Elam
Baptist Church in
Baptist Church in Millen,
Waynesboro, GA. Best
GA. Best wishes to you
wishes to you both for a
both for a long and happy long and happy future together!
future together!
Robin Smith is the proud new
uncle of Georgia Matthews
Spratlin.
East Region proves if you
are around each other long
enough, you really start to
look alike!!
Pictured Left to Right:
Charles Boyd, Karen
Phillips, Kay Langham,
and Rebekka Bennett
Georgia was born on June 7,
2011 at 3:52pm. She weighed
7.9lbs and was 20‖ long.
Congratulations Uncle Robin!!
Kelly Morris, South Region HR/Payroll Admin, placed
1st in 2 categories in the Farm Credit Photography
Contest. Pictured below are the pictures and the
categories they placed in.
Daniela Zanatta’s (East Asst. Controller) son,
Anthony Zanatta, graduated from Greenbriar
High in Evans, GA this past spring. He began
college this fall at Augusta State University.
Anthony will begin completing his core classes
while trying to determine what major he will
pursue.
Congratulations Anthony!
―The Red Barn‖
Rural Landscapes
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
Do you have a story idea for the newsletter? Has your child won
an award, done something praise worthy, are you a new
grandparent or is there a new engagement to report? If so, we
would like to hear from you. Please send your story ideas or
suggestions to Human Resources in your region or to Leanne Howard at [email protected].
Name that Employee!! - Answers
―Home Alone‖
At Home in the Country
1.RANDY ENGLAND
2.CHARLIE STEWART
3.JOHN SWEENEY