PIPELINE - Wiginton Fire Systems

WIGINTON
PIPELINE
CELEBRATING THE PAST
AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
After a 6-year hiatus, it was nice to
see all the offices get together again!
SPRING / SUMMER 2015
PIPELINE
Spring/ Summer 2015
01
W I G I N T O N C O R P O R AT I O N
Don’s Letter:
Don Wiginton
02
Operations Update
699 Aero Lane
Sanford, Florida 32771
P h o n e | 4 07. 58 5.320 0
Fa x | 4 07. 5 85.328 0
Mark Erickson
04
wiginton.net
//
qualityfab.net
Wellness Update
Table of Contents
Steve Browne
07
Safety Update
Martin Morales
MANAGING EDITOR
Steve Browne
08
Celebrating the Past and
Looking to the Future
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Steve Browne
12
Softball Tournament
Highlights
13
Steve Browne
Mark Erickson
Martin Morales
Don Wiginton
Branch Updates
Atlanta, Ft. Myers, Gainesville, Houston,
Jacksonville, Melbourne, Miami, Orlando,
Pensacola, Pompano Beach, Tampa
C R E AT I V E S E R V I C E S
& West Palm Beach
SIX Degrees
1217B N. Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32804
4 07.73 0. 31 78
sixdegreeshigher.com
FROM THE CROW’S NEST
DON WIGINTON
A
Ahoy, mates! This is your captain,
scratch that...your old captain
speaking. Effective January 1, 2015, Mark
Erickson officially took command of our
ship as President and Chief Operating
Officer. The Trustees have also appointed
Mark, Alan and myself to your Board of
Directors. Mark is a homegrown Wiginton
guy, starting with our company as a
Designer in 1990. He worked his way
through the Wiginton Pipeline, moving into
sales in 1996 and on to Jacksonville Branch
Manager in 2000.
After 10 years of excellence in Jacksonville,
Mark came to HQ as a Senior Vice
President to lead all Wiginton Branches
through the great recession. In 2013, Mark
was promoted to Executive Vice President,
taking on all company operations but not
officially recognized as our COO until now.
I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone when
I say that selecting Mark Erickson as the
company’s 3rd supreme leader was a very
good choice.
Chairman & CEO
Mark is a prime example for all Wiginton
associates to aspire to. It wasn’t an instant
ascension to the top, but rather a consistent
daily climb, full of the exact same challenges
and frustrations all dedicated Wiginton
associates endure to reach the summit.
I want to ask each of you to continue
to give Mark and his group of leaders
your trust and best efforts so we, as an
employee-owned company, can continue
to watch our stock value rise and each
of you who want to grow as individuals
will. They say that the extra mile is never
crowded. For those of you who want to
follow in Mark’s footsteps, you can always
find him on that extra mile, and he’s
always glad to see you there with him.
Please join me in congratulating Mark
for his well-deserved recognition
and respect.
They say that the extra mile is never crowded.
For those of you who want to follow in Mark’s
footsteps, you can always find him on that
extra mile, and he’s always glad to
see you there with him.
1
OPERATIONS UPDATE
MARK ERICKSON
STEADY AS SHE GOES!
W
We have sailed through some rough waters over the last 6 years and managed to sail
around some of the biggest storms. The last few years the weather has cleared and
favorable winds have been moving us along nicely. On a few occasions we had our ship reaching close
to its top speeds. We grew the top line 16%!, our backlog reached record highs, and we are making
enough profits to pay our ESOP debt obligations, provide pay increases, pay incentive compensation
and invest in re-tooling the ship to prepare for even greater speeds and the next storm that will
eventually come our way. Unfortunately, the fact that we will have to sail through another storm is a
fact of life and we must always be prepared to handle that fact.
How do we do that?
• Conserve cash
• Keep growing Service and Inspections
• Have some fun and enjoy the good times,
while keeping an eye on the horizon
• Create Raving Fans
• Keep our National Division strong
• Keep investing in people who are willing and
ready to accept the next challenge
2
• Rene Ruiz was promoted to Service Manager
in Miami to take over for Hector
• Ruben Gallardo was promoted to Service
Operations Coordinator in Miami to take over
for Rene
• Karl Zink was promoted to Design Manager in
West Palm to fill Mike Thompson’s shoes
• Ed Crosby was promoted to Service
Manager in Jacksonville
• Danny Harrod was promoted to Corporate
Alarms Manager
We also had some recent exciting
events in our management team:
• Tom Smith was promoted to Orlando
Service Manager
• Chuck Patrick completed his transition to
Orlando Branch Manager
• Rusty Parris was promoted to Orlando
Service Operations Coordinator
• We brought on Doug Pfaff as Operations
Manager for the Orlando Branch
• We hired Chris Shea to help lead the
creation of our Charlotte office
• Randy Agee was promoted to VP of
Service Operations
• Dan Kennedy was promoted to
Branch Manager
• Hector Ramirez was promoted to Tampa
Branch Manager
• Patrick Grubbs was promoted to
Superintendent
• Mike Thompson was promoted to Houston
Operations Manager
• Mauro Barrero was promoted to
Service Operations Coordinator
2014
FI N AN C IAL
HIGHLIGHTS
FUTURE VISION
2M
10M
QFS
WFS
5M
.5M
3M
9M
2024
1M
20M/11M
7M
1M
We grew
the top line
20%
4M
2M
16%
7M
1.5M
2M
7M/7M
10M
110 Million
Contract
revenue up
18%
Express
revenue up
4%
Service
revenue up
WOW...Right! This is what it’s all about, growing our company is one thing, but
seeing all of the opportunities it creates for our folks to take the next step in
their careers is what gets me out of bed every day! That’s my job in a nutshell,
creating an environment which people can grow, be all they can be, and
provide world class customer service.
Special thanks to those who relocated to take on these challenges.
Having done it myself, I know it can have its challenges.
If you are new to Wiginton, what you may not realize is that you have found
a place you can be all you can be. It won’t be easy, and yes, we have high
expectations. However, the fact of the matter is, if you want it and are willing
to put the time and effort into it, you can reach heights in your career here
you didn’t even dream of. Take it from me, an entry level Designer in 1989.
3%
Inspection
revenue up
12%
We grew
Pre-Bonus income
WELLNESS UPDATE
S T E V E B R OW N E
There have been lots of Wellness Activities in the past several
months keeping all of us really busy and also really fit and motivated.
F
Hansel Mobley from Tampa, AJ Sanchez
and his family from QFS-Sanford and me
representing Corporate.
Then, we had 52 people participate in the
Daytona 5K on Saturday, January 24. We had
the opportunity to run on the famous Daytona
International Speedway track. It poured down
rain just prior to the race starting, but it cleared
up in time for the race. We had near 100%
participation from the Daytona office and many
more from Quality Fabrication & Supply, along
with employees from the Orlando Branch,
Tampa Branch, and Corporate.
Third time is the charm as we did another
race the following Saturday on February 7. We
competed in the Orlando Xtreme which used to
be a great race on a great course. They had to
move it last minute to a course that was pretty
much underwater and not too fun to run. Leo
Martinez, Vanessa Rojas, Yadi Carrasquillo, Joy
Carrasquillo, and Jim Erwin (QFS employees
or significant others), Jasaan Arruda, Rebecca
Arruda, Michelle Mobley, Hansel Mobley, and
Willie Ward, Ron and Patti Theison from Orlando,
and Michelle and Mike Duckett from Corporate
all did the 5K. Jasaan finished first overall and
Willie Ward finished third overall for males.
Rebecca Arruda finished third for females. Many
others won awards in their age groups. I did the
half marathon and I won nothing except wet feet
and a bad attitude.
The following week, we did the Blacklight Run
in Homestead on Saturday, January 31. Keeping
with the NASCAR theme, the race was at
Miami-Homestead Speedway. It was a night
race with only black light on the course. There
was lots of fluorescent powder and day glo colors
along with loud techno music. Following the
race, there was much dancing and consuming
of adult beverages. Participating were Lawton
Essick, Nicole Logan-Pond, Orlando Uzeda,
Namir Paiz, Mike Dennis, Juan Vasquez, Ruben
Gallardo, and Monica Assaf and their families
and friends from Miami joined Michelle and
Once again, a group of idiots decided to run
all 4 races at Gasparilla. Willie Ward, Jasaan
and Rebecca Arruda, Jim Erwin and I did the
Michelob Ultra Challenge. 15K followed by a 5K
on Saturday morning (12.4 miles) followed by a
half marathon and an 8K on Sunday (18.1 miles).
We all did it and we all finished. I’m glad I did it,
but I will never do it again. Michelle and Hansel
Mobley did the Michelob Ultra Lime Challenge
by doing the 15K on Saturday and the 8K on
Sunday. Leo Martinez did the Leo Challenge by
doing the 5K on Saturday and the 8K on Sunday.
His girlfriend, Vanessa Rojas did the 5K.
First, we had several employees participate
in the Disney Marathon and Half Marathons
on January 10 and 11. Willie Ward, Jasaan Arruda
and his wife Rebecca from Tampa, and Jim Erwin
from QFS-Sanford did the marathon, and Michelle
Mobley and her husband Hansel from Tampa
did the half marathon. Jasaan did the marathon
in under 3:15, which means he qualifies for the
Boston Marathon. Very few runners ever achieve
this. Not bad for a guy who has only been
running for about 4 years.
// Blacklight Run
// Daytona 5K
// Orlando Extreme 2015
// Gasparilla 2015
On Saturday March 14, we reached a milestone
at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville. For this
race, we had the most offices participating in
a single event. Robert Cariveau, Curtiss Young,
Charlie Martin, and Scott Henry from Jacksonville,
Patrick Cordi, his wife Debra and son Trevor from
Atlanta, Willie Ward and Michelle and Hansel
Mobley from Tampa, AJ Sanchez, his wife
Joana, their two young children along for the
ride, Leo Martinez and Vanessa Rojas from QFSSanford, Ron and Patti Theison from Orlando, and
Michelle Duckett’s husband Mike and me from
Corporate all participated. Everyone did the 5K
except Patrick, Willie, Leo, and me who did the
15K. Patrick and Leo did great for their first 15Ks
given the heat. It was a great time for everyone
and the 15K should be on any runner’s bucket
list. It’s a great race. Patrick, Leo, and I all ordered
videos of the race. They have cameras and drones
throughout the race course and they capture
video of you and put it all together. It’s amazing
they can do that and it’s very cool to see yourself
going along and then crossing the finish line.
5
// Blacklight Run
// Daytona 5K
March 28 we did the Rescue Run 5K in Lake Mary.
The Rescue Run benefits the Rescue Outreach Mission
in Sanford and Wiginton has supported them for many
years. Alan Wiginton is on the board for the race and
we have been a sponsor since the first year. We set out
with a goal of being the team with the highest participation. In the interest of space, I won’t name everyone
who participated. I will say that with almost 60 people,
we won the team participation award. George Noboa
won his age group and Gary Inglis came in second
place. Alan Wiginton finished third in the CEO division.
On Sunday, April 12, the MS Walk for Multiple Sclerosis
was held in Orlando. We walked as a group to support
Sheri McCall, Corporate Receptionist, who has struggled with MS since 1996. Joining Sheri from Corporate
were Michelle and Mike Duckett, Debbie Kell and her
husband Tom, Martin Morales and his daughter Chloe,
and my wife Vicki and me. Patti and Ron Theison came
from Orlando Branch, Todd Haigh, Deborah Sherwood
and her husband Mike from Daytona, and Luis Serrano,
Leo Martinez and his girlfriend Vanessa Rojas, Mark
Cayton, and Anthony Miller and his girlfriend Kayla
Rawlins came from QFS-Sanford.
In the interest of space, I didn’t mention everyone for
every race and I may have missed some, but here are
some other Wiginton Warriors who have participated
in events this year:
DAYTONA- Patrick Grubbs and his family, Jeff and
Karan Bryant, Mark Beleinda, Bob Skinner, Andy and
Tina Smith, Kenny and Amanda Mock, Michael Morris,
Joe Markiewicz, Nick and Anna Guerrina.
// MS Walk for Multiple Sclerosis
QFS- Sanford- Edwin Santos, Eddie Pollack, Pedro,
Miseal, and Sonia Pomales.
CORPORATE- Amy Stier and Arlene Rust.
// Gate River Run
Due to the impending summer heat, we will be shutting
down events in May. We hope to have an event in West
Palm Beach, Atlanta, and Houston in the fall. Please
make sure to check bulletin boards if you are not on
company email to see when the events will be and
where. Every new Warrior gets a cool jacket and we
will be doing some custom running shirts this year for
everyone to wear to events.
STAY TUNED AND STAY WELL!
6
Wiginton Pipeline / / Spring Summer 2015
DRIVING,
THE FINAL FRONTIER…
MARTIN MORALES
These are the voyages of the Starfleet Wiginton. Its continuing mission:
to explore new contracts, to seek out new jobs and new customers. To arrive
safely to its destination and return back home. To boldly avert auto accidents.
For most of us driving is a daily task. Whether
commuting to and from work, going shopping,
taking our kids to/from school or vacationing. You
name it and chances are we are behind the wheel.
Inherently, driving or riding in a vehicle exposes
all of us to dangers. A drowsy driver, a distracted
driver or pedestrian. An angry driver, a too happy
driver, a drunk driver… an opportunist (fortune
hunter) driver. Our exposures are enormous. From
injuries, disabilities and even death, to courts and
lawsuits. Regardless if you drive your own or a
company vehicle, you face these every day you get
in a vehicle. Have you ever stopped to think what
would happen if you were involved in a disabling
accident? What would happen to your family? Or
how about you being the cause of the accident?
The statistics don’t lie…according to the NHTSA
(National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration)
available data, in 2011 alone we had:
• 5,338,000 collisions…
• …involving 9,411,520 vehicles…
• …resulting in 2,220 injuries…
• …causing 32,367 deaths (35,244 in 2013)…
• …at a total cost of $2.55 billion dollars
How many unsafe driving acts do you think
happen in 2011 before an accident was recorded?
Frankly not even the NHTSA knows exactly, but,
they calculate that for every one death, 69 injuries
occurred from 165 collisions as a result of 291
vehicles crashing into each other. It is estimated that
80 people lose their lives every day in auto related
accidents in the USA.
So what can you do as an individual driver and as a Wiginton
employee to prevent accidents? (please share with your household drivers)
BE A DEFENSIVE DRIVER:
1. Aim high in steering - Look ahead into your road.
5. Make sure they see you. (Use your signals,
(Don’t stare at the vehicle in front of you.
flashers, head and brake lights, horn.)
Do not tailgate.)
2. Get the big picture - Look for hazards. (Other
motorists, pedestrians, vehicle doors opening)
3. Keep Your eyes moving - Don’t stare. (Use your
peripheral vision.) (Stop the fixed habit stare.)
4. Leave yourself an out.
(Monitor the space cushion around you and your vehicle.)
REMEMBER –
When we drive a
company vehicle, we
are driving a billboard.
Live Long and Prosper...Be Safe
CELEBRATING THE PAST
AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
A
After a 6-year hiatus, it was nice to
see all the offices get together again!
The last time we held this event, we didn’t have
an Atlanta, Houston, or Charlotte location.
We’ve been through a lot as a company and
it was great to celebrate together, put faces
to names, and acknowledge some very
important people to the past and future of the
company. We had the largest turnout ever for
the party and almost had too many for the
room to accommodate.
We had a special opportunity to honor and
thank our founder, Joe Wiginton. Without his
vision, hard work and dedication, none of this
would have been possible. As we near our 50th
anniversary as a company, it was a great time
for us to look back and thank Joe for everything
he has done to build this company. His vision
8
Wiginton Pipeline / / Spring Summer 2015
S T E V E B R OW N E
and drive created the company in 1967. 20 years
later, that vision and drive created Quality
Fabrication & Supply as a separate business
unit. In addition to building a strong and stable
company, Joe also touched many lives of his
employees over the years. We were honored to
have current, retired, and former employees who
were with Joe in the early years. Those included
Gail Wiginton, Jim Wilkins, and Howard Sullivan.
George Stanley gave a tribute to Joe and spoke
of what he has meant to the company and to
him personally.
One of the most important traditions of the
Wiginton Holiday Party is the service awards.
Employees with 5 years of service receive their
choice of an engraved buck knife or Mont Blanc
pen. At 10 years, employees receive either a ring
or a bracelet. Every 2 years after 10, employees
2 0 1 5 AWA R D R E C I P I E N T S
34 YEARS
Jeff Bryant- Inspector, Daytona
Judge Peterson- Inspector, Orlando
Jim Wilkins- Sales, Orlando
32 YEARS
Gail Wiginton- Sales, Corporate
Bene Nieves- Foreman, Orlando
30+ YEARS / / Jeff Bryant
30 YEARS
Todd Weaver- Superintendent, Orlando
Cliff Lore- Sales, Tampa
28 YEARS
Robert Jolly- Senior Vice President and CFO, Corporate
Ron Theison- Sales, Orlando
Gary Inglis- Inside Sales, QFS- Sanford
Tommy Gant- Service Technician, Tampa
24 YEARS
30+ Years / / Gail Wiginton
Debbie Bien- Vice President of Purchasing, Corporate
Mark Erickson- President and COO, Corporate
Rosie Roedig- Administrative Assistant, Corporate
Steve Dibble- Service Operations Coordinator, Melbourne
Tom Otto- Foreman, Orlando/National
22 YEARS
Anita Mann- Personnel Administrator, Corporate
Ralph Pettus- Foreman, Tampa
Mike Thomas- Inspector, West Palm Beach
20 YEARS
30+ Years / / Bene Nieves
Lawton Essick- Designer, Miami
Chris Hendricks- Designer, Orlando
Lester Green- Vice President, Plant Manager, Pompano
18 YEARS
Monica Assaf- Administrative Assistant, Miami
Vincent Hidalgo- Service Technician, Miami
Roy Cavender- Welder, QFS- Sanford
Belen Roman- Senior Administrative Assistant, Tampa
16 YEARS
30+ Years / / Cliff Lore
Dean Triche- Service Technician, Jacksonville
Robert Castro- Foreman, Miami
Ernie Rodriguez- Vice President of Engineering, WFPE
Chuck Patrick- Vice President/Branch Manager, Orlando
Chuck Lake- Sr. Vice President/Plant Manager, QFS- Sanford
Joel Summerfield- Vice President/Branch Manager, West Palm Beach
2 0 1 5 AWA R D R E C I P I E N T S
14 YEARS
Harry Connelly- Systems Administrator, Corporate
Chuck Scheerer- Service Technician, Gainesville
Abel Delgado- Superintendent, Miami
Jose Pineiro- Foreman, Miami
Inti Martinez- Stocklister, QFS- Sanford
Ruben Mercado- Sales, QFS- Sanford
Pedro Pomales- Weld Layout, QFS- Sanford
Brian Crawford- Sales, Tampa
30+ Years / / Jim Erwin
Larry Boraiko- Professional Engineer and Designer, WPB
12 YEARS
Buddy Hogg- Foreman, Jacksonville
Scott Henry- Inspector, Jacksonville
Ricky Martin- Inspector, Melbourne
Jorge Machado- Foreman, Miami
Javier Morffi- Service Technician, Miami
Bob Seamon- Sr. Alarm Technician, Orlando
Humphrey Edwards- Warehouse, Pompano
Chris Keller- Warehouse Lead, QFS- Sanford
30+ Years / / Jim Wilkins
Tito Rodriguez- Yard Lead, QFS- Sanford
Orlando Smith- Stocklister, QFS- Sanford
Travis Brewer Sr.- Service Manager, Tampa
Willie Ward- Superintendent, Tampa
Gary Endicott- Service Manager, West Palm Beach
10 YEARS
Michelle Duckett- Assistant Controller, Corporate
Jason Kirk- Sales, Jacksonville
Charlie Martin- Design, Jacksonville
Harold Leake- Inspector, Melbourne
David Walker- Foreman, Melbourne
30+ Years / / Todd Weaver
Ed Cruz- Foreman, Orlando/National
Tyler Hughes- Foreman, Orlando/National
Jason Endicott- Service Technician, West Palm Beach
5 YEARS
Debbie Kell- Premier Accounts CSR, Corporate
Matt Creasman- Sales, Jacksonville
Frankie Lopez- Service Technician, Miami
Matt Yielding- Extinguisher Tech, Orlando
Josh Pfeiffer- Sales, Tampa
20-28 Years / /
Wiginton Pipeline / / Spring Summer 2015
receive a diamond for their ring or
bracelet. After 30 years, employees
receive a Rolex watch. Since he passed 40
years in 2013, we’re going to have to figure
out what to get George Stanley for his
50th in 2023.
14-18 Years / /
12 Years / /
Since we didn’t have a company-wide
party for a few years, we acknowledged all
the award recipients for the previous years
since the last party. In the interest of time,
we had all of them come up for a group
picture. Congratulations to everyone who
was honored and thank you for all you do.
Thanks to everyone who made the party
a success. Special shout outs go to Vicki
Anderson who puts this together and
makes everything go off without a hitch,
and to George Stanley who put together
the video and did all the photography.
We had a special opportunity to
honor and thank our founder,
Joe Wiginton. Without his vision,
hard work and dedication, none of
this would have been possible.
S T E V E B R OW N E
10 Years / /
5 Years / /
11
W I G I N T O N
// Miami Wins the Trophy
We had 7 teams participate this year: Reigning champion Miami, West Palm,
Atlanta, QFS-Sanford, Orlando Branch, Jacksonville, and the Beach Boys
(combined Melbourne/Daytona). Once again, Miami proved themselves
as the best by beating Orlando in the final. It was a very close final
game that was decided in the last at bat. Great job everyone
who came out to play, cheer, and/or help!
12
Wiginton Pipeline / / Spring Summer 2015
BRANCH UPDATES
ATLANTA
A lot has happened since the last
newsletter. In 2014, the Atlanta Branch
had its biggest year to date, improving
on our 2013 revenue by a whopping
50% and topping the $5 million
revenue mark for the first time.
Due to the lack of a state-sponsored
apprenticeship program, we have
begun an in-house apprenticeship
class, based on the AFSA program and
currently have ten apprentices enrolled
in the first year.
// Atlanta 2014 Holiday Party
want to burn him out, so
Joseph “Scooter” Beard has agreed to
make the transition from Foreman
to join our Service department as a
Service Tech, so he can split the work
load and on-call duties with Howard.
Thank you, Howard, and best of luck to
you, Scooter!!!
We have also managed to find time to
get together outside of work, including
our annual Summer Picnic (which is
coming around again at the end of
May), an annual Fall Camping Trip,
bowling nights, softball tournaments
and wellness events. We participated
in the 3rd Annual Ordner Construction
5K, and maybe the highlight of the year
was the Atlanta Team’s first Holiday
Party and Softball Tournament in
Orlando this past December. A great
time was had by all, and not only did
the event make an impression on the
Atlanta Team, but the Atlanta Team
made an impression on the event,
dancing and partying until they ran us
out of the ball room at 2:30 AM!!!
A good portion of the Atlanta Branch’s
contract work is in the Charlotte, North
Carolina area, leading to rumors that
we are planning to open an office
there, and we can finally confirm
those rumors.
Like Ann, Howard Lindsey has been
our Superhuman Service Tech, able to
handle any customer and answer every
5:00 PM Friday afternoon service call,
and we really like Howard and didn’t
Job Name: Location: Contractor:
Numbers:
Sales Rep:
Designer:
Foreman:
Project Atlantic –
Atlantic Healthy Foods
Conley, Georgia
Tippman Construction
2,072 Sprinkler Heads /
2,500 GPM Fire Pump
Mitch Bortner
Chris Burgess
Wesley Ruark
// Project Atlantic
New Hires
In Atlanta since the last newsletter
include Apprentices Trevor White, Trey
Moultrie, Tony Moultrie, Aaron Monkus,
Justin Denham and Jesse Charette,
Foremen Wesley Ruark, Chris Stamps,
Matthew Day and Chris Goss, Inspector
Scott Charette, and Designers Randy
Knight and Carlos Germany.
New Hires in Charlotte include Manager
Chris Shea, Foremen Kevin Gault and
Brad Harris and Apprentices Brandon
Shirley and Tyler Harris. Welcome to all!
// Atlanta Softball Team
Also, as of the release of the last
newsletter, Ann Rhodes had just started
as our Administrative Assistant and was
learning our system and process. Since
then, Ann has become proficient in all
facets of our business and has handled
Contract, Service, Inspections, Payroll
and HR duties all on her own. In an
effort to not wear her down in the near
future, we decided to hire a second
AA, and that search is ongoing. We
would not be as successful as we have
been without Ann doing what she does.
Thanks, Ann!!!
Project Spotlight:
// Charlotte Crew
Christopher (Chris) Shea has come
aboard to spearhead the growth
and development of the Wiginton
Charlotte office. Chris brings with him
a degree in Fire Protection Engineering
Technology from Seneca College in
Ontario, Canada along with nearly
20 years in the business, primarily
with Western States Fire Protection
in Montana, Texas and Colorado.
He has experience in design, sales
and management, and he is excited
about the opportunity to spread the
Wiginton brand into another market.
FORT MYERS
Fort Myers is growing!!! We added the
following new employees in 2014-2015.
New Hires
Marcus Sunderland (Apprentice)
Ed Hackett (Service Technician)
Cari Dovico (Administrative Assistant)
Fort Myers had a great year in 2014.
We forged new relationships with property management companies and builders in the area. While new construction
is on the rise, we remain committed
to being the model of a service and
inspection branch, with a few select
contracts sprinkled in.
13
We look forward to continued growth
in sales and relationships in the months
ahead! We went to the Christmas party
as a team in December and had a great
time interacting with other employees
in the company. It has not been without
its struggles but, anything worth doing
is worth doing the best you can.
GAINESVILLE
Gainesville finished with another strong
performance in 2014 with $179K net
income at 22.8% GM. The office also
went through many changes, including
Mike Ivey taking on a larger role as the
interim Area Manager and Buddy Hogg
transferring to the Jacksonville office.
Mike officially began his new position
as the Gainesville Area Manager on
January 5th and is working long hours
learning his position and bettering
himself personally and professionally.
Jay Hyatt and Tim Kerce tested for
NICET Level-I in ITM and both are
certified inspectors. They are also
signed up for level-II already. Recent
new hires include Michael Bertrand
and Rufus Bolen. Welcome to the
team guys!
HOUSTON
As everyone may already know,
Houston has moved into a larger office
located at 505 Garden Oaks Blvd.
With this new location comes growth,
including new staff members, Kate
// Houston’s New Location
Mercer (AA/Inspection Sales), Mike
Thompson (Operations Manager), who
relocated from the West Palm Beach
office (Thank you Joel Summerfield!),
and Mike Smith (Sales) who came to
us from a competitor, FLSA. Mauro
Barrera, one of the first Wiginton
service technicians, hired on in 2012,
has now taken on the role of S.O.C. We
are proud to say that Wiginton in Texas
// Big Tex Parking Garage Project
is now registered with the United States
Department of Labor. Our registered
apprentices are Sergio Hurtado and
Joseph Trevino Jr.
14
Included in our service growth, we
have taken on a large project with
Finfrock Construction in San Antonio,
TX (Big Tex Parking Garage) that will be
completed on time and under budget
due to the commitment and hard
work of Jared Barnett (Foreman). This
project was the result of a relationship
with our Orlando office. Thank you
Pete Aziz!
fantastic year for Wiginton Fire Systems
as a whole. Having gone through such a
tough year makes it that much sweeter
that the rest of the company helped
carry the torch. What a great company
we all work for and thanks for pulling
us through!
With the first quarter of 2015 already
complete, we are pleased to see several
long standing contract jobs come to an
end. The Ft. Benning
800-Unit Army
// Rodeo trail riders making their way to the
Housing project is in
Rodeo at the NRG Center in Houston
its final month after
two and half years
of hard work. The
Nestle R&D facility
in Cleveland is now
100% complete after
a year of work and
two extremely cold
winters (just ask
Buddy and Luke).
Moreover we
entered 2015 with almost 3M in
When we relocated here in January, we
backlog and have been very busy in
didn’t realize that the Rodeo trail riders
service. Two very nice service billing
would be camping out in the parking
months in February and March have
lot across the street. See our view of
us on budget for the year, and our
the trail riders making their way to the
missed inspections are at an all-time
world’s largest rodeo! This endeavor
low, so the S&I department recently
takes two weeks to make it from San
Antonio to the NRG Center in Houston
celebrated with a nice luncheon at
where the rodeo is held. During the
Longhorn’s Steakhouse.
first week, Houston celebrates a
Friday, called Go Texan Day, where
I’d like to acknowledge those that have
Houstonians dress in Western/Texan
taken the next step in their career by
attire. Most of us wear this attire
taking on new roles. Ed Crosby formerly
on a daily basis, with the exception
our Service Coordinator was promoted
of cowboy hats. Next year, Kenny
to Service Manager, and Jason Kirk,
Trevino has committed to ride the last
formerly a designer, was promoted to
three days of the trail into downtown
Service & Inspection Sales Consultant.
Houston. Yee-haw!!
Together the two are turning the
service department in a new direction
Houston continues to grow at a faster
and it is really cool to watch.
pace and has been afforded one of the
best economies due to our gas, oil and
Much like the last few years we continue
petrochemical industry. Having stated
to find new talent. Scott Abrams joined
that, Mauro Barrera and Kenny Trevino
our team January 5th as an Inspector
have been diligently working on getting
and Ronnie Stoner joined our team
us the inspection and service contract
February 2nd as a Service Tech. They
in the Ascend Plant at Chocolate Bayou,
both bring a wealth of knowledge and
where Wiginton has already solidified
are fitting in with the team very well.
a long term relationship. The duo is
Heath Barton rejoined our field team
also working to close on the inspection
March 30th as a foreman. Welcome
contract at Arkema Chemical Plant by
back Heath!
the end of the second quarter. We also
expect to see growth in our service
department through the pursuit of
Inside the office we have two new
inspection contracts with local property
Administrative Assistants. Kelsey Keller
management, such as Sealy and Stream
joined the team in September 2014 as
Realty/KTR.
our Service and Inspections Admin.
She handled almost everything until
Until next year... Happy trails from
Amanda Erlandson joined in December
Houston, TX.
2014. Amanda will handle the duties
of a Senior Admin and is already
straightening things out! Kelsey will
transition to our Inspections Admin.
2014 is clearly in our rearview mirror
Together they are a solid team and
and although it was somewhat of a
are fun to work with.
difficult year for Jacksonville, it was a
JACKSONVILLE
Anniversaries
Ed Crosby
1 Year
Kyle Hydeman
2 Years
Ronald Gardner
3 Years
Coy Fogarty
3 Years
Evan Taylor 5 Years
Matthew Creasman
6 Years
Kevin Geisendorff
8 Years
Pablo Michilena
9 Years
Charles Chancey
16 Years
Wayne Faircloth
30 Years
Congratulations to everyone listed
above, but a special shout out to
Wayne! I think you’ve been around
since Moby Dick was a minnow! Thank
you for 30 years of dedicated service!
room for future Design, Sales, and
Operational people. A new phone
system will keep us all connected. We
can now work in our offices without
bothering the person next door! A big
thank you goes out to Mark Erickson
and Robert Jolly for all their help with
this move. We really appreciate it!
Both Daytona Beach and Melbourne
offices had a great 2014!
In Daytona, Robert Skinner and his staff
have worked extremely hard. Andy
Smith’s first year as a SOC has allowed
him to develop his management and
sales talents! Patrick Grubbs has
assumed the Field Superintendent job.
He is traveling between the two offices
handling all Contract and Express
type projects. Patrick has done a great
job growing into this position. As any
Superintendent or past Superintendent
Wayne Faircloth
, celebrating 30
years with Wiginton Fire Systems
MELBOURNE
The Melbourne Branch is off to another
great year! Our pipeline of talent
continues to grow and mature. All
of our employees have been working
very hard to close out 2014 and keep
building the momentum into 2015.
// New Melbourne Branch Location
Our latest news is our move. We have
completed the build out of a new
Branch office! All of our staff love the
new offices. We now have room to
grow. We are leasing from one of our
best customers, Sutton Properties. The
new office is located a stone’s throw
from Harris Corporation. We are able
to respond to service calls a lot quicker
from this location.
The new office was planned so that
as we grow the branch we will have
will tell you, this is a tough job. He gets
more windshield time than anyone else!
Keep up the good work! Deb Sherwood
is the first AA to receive FASA/BASA
Certification. This is a tremendous
help to the office while they are
expanding the related services. A big
congratulations goes out to Deb for
this accomplishment! Rob Yarborough
is our Alarm guru, his experience and
talent has allowed the Daytona Twig to
expand its services to a select group of
customers. Rob also assists with all the
alarm work in Melbourne. His dedication
and hard work is greatly appreciated.
The team of Todd, Jeff, and Mark has
taken great care of our Inspections
customers. Nick, Ken and the rest of
the team completed more service
work than any Twig ever has!
Nick Guerrina is a super star for
the Daytona team! His talents are
unsurpassed by any other Foreman.
He has the potential to become one of
our future leaders!
The Daytona office has won another
attta boy!!! They are the FIRST AND
ONLY office to have 100% participation
in the Wellness Program. All of their
personnel and family members took
part in a 5K at the Daytona International
Speedway! Congratulations to all of you
who participated! Stay healthy and live
long! As a new Branch Manager, I could
not be more proud of these talented
team members! I and the entire
company appreciate the hard work!
A big thank you goes out to you all and
your families!
Here in Melbourne, Beth and Jen have
taken charge of getting us moved out
of the old office and into the new office.
They have been able to add this huge
task to their already busy schedule.
Their ability to keep our office moving
during this tough time is appreciated!
Our new SOC, Steve Dibble, continues
to amaze me! He has the greatest
customer base, they all love him! I
cannot go anywhere without someone
asking about him! I show up to look at
a job that he took the call for and the
people are disappointed! They really
love this guy! He is the crown jewel for
the Melbourne office. Our new Designer,
Robert Blake, is developing into a great
team member. His field experience and
willingness to learn has helped him
develop his skills and become a better
Designer. Our Inspectors, Harold Leake
and Ricky Martin, are doing a fantastic
job keeping up with the workload. All
our Field guys, Ronnie, David, Allen, Kip,
and the rest of our team, have done a
great job with our newest customer
The Austin Company.
We were very lucky to land Project
Magellan. This was the code name the
papers used for the expansion at the
Melbourne Airport. We were able to
get on The Austin Company’s team to
build three large projects. Our youngest
Foreman, Ronnie Grove, installed two
of these projects. A total of 1,100,000
square feet of office and lab area was
built for Northrop Grumman. Ronnie,
you are the man! His ability to keep
this PM team happy is second to none!
To all the WFS offices that sent men
to help us, THANK YOU!! We could not
have done this without your help! We
are grateful!
In closing we are set for another great
year! I could not be more proud of the
team here and in Daytona. Thank you to
all of you! Thank you to all our friends
in the Sanford office! Chuck, you and
your staff are a great bunch!! To all our
friends in Corporate, thank you for all
you do to keep this machine rolling!
Remember, Profit, Growth, People
Pipeline, and Raving Fans!!! Recipe
for excellence!
MIAMI
Births:
Designer Edgar Lopez and wife Patricia
welcomed a new son: Emmanuel
Levi, born March 23, 2015 at 5:00pm,
weighing 8-1/2 pounds and 21 inches in
length. Congrats to the Lopez family!
15
Anniversaries
ORLANDO
Joe Brady
4 years
Julio Velasquez
1 year
Marcos Sime
1 year
Orlando Uzeda
9 years
Eric Tysinger
1 year
Lawton Essick
21 years
Otmara Izquierdo
24 years
Robert Castro
14 years
Jose Gonzalez
8 years
Daniel Kipka
8 years
Jose Pineiro
15 years
New Hires
9/14 Headley Feanny – Fire Alarm Tech
9/14 Humberto Martinez Perez –
Contract Dept/Apprentice 2
10/14 Alberto Fernandez – Inspector/
Apprentice 2
10/14 Miguel Agosto – Service Tech
12/14 Evert Abella Mendez – Contract
Dept/Apprentice 1
01/15 Franiel Rodriguez – Contract
Dept/Apprentice 1
Promotions:
We had quite a few promotions at
the Miami office, and it all started
with our Service Manager, Hector
Ramirez, who accepted the position of
Branch Manager of the Tampa office.
Our S.O.C., Rene Ruiz, was promoted
to Service Manager, and Inspector
Ruben Gallardo, became our S.O.C.
Congratulations to all for your welldeserved promotions… we wish you
much success!
Birthdays
16
3/7
Jacqueline Ceballo
3/12
Frank Sauleda
3/27
Johanes Jimenez
4/2
Heber Bethencourt
4/3
Alberto Fernandez
4/15
Robert Castro
4/21
Lawton Essick
4/30
Miguel Agosto
5/11
Franiel Rodriguez
5/17
Nicole Logan-Pond
5/20
Jose Gonzalez
5/22
Ernie Rodriguez
5/23
Frankie Lopez
We are on track to a successful year
in beautiful Orlando!! The local market
is moving in the right direction and
our national market is still rocking and
rolling! We have completed four more
Preferred Freezer facilities in Miami,
Houston, CA and NJ, continuing to
deliver a great product for the end user.
New Hires
A big welcome to our new employees
who have joined our family here in
Orlando. In the design, department
we have Craig Sloma and the famous
Tom Terry has rejoined us!! In the Field,
we have Dustin Atkinson, Jamik Baker,
Brandon Barreto, Jeff Busck, Kevin
Busck, Eric Hill, Matt Hughes, Anthony
Ajdukovic, Chad Porter, Michael Presco
David Salas, Oswaldo Sanchez, Patrick
Sanchez, Mark Schroeder, Robert Torn,
Cody Whitley and returning to the Wig
family, Luis Cotto and Radames Lopez.
In our Service and Inspection
Department, we welcome Kenneth
Sanchez, Jorge Suarez, Jorge S. Suarez,
Hunter Weaver, Travis Wynsma, Joe
Yanni, and Shawn Jones. We are also
honored to have Doug Pfaff, Kelli
Sessions and Judy Schult join our
operations team. Welcome all of you!!
Erin Bullin and Cody Carlisle who have
been working in the Field have moved
into Design, and are busy learning the
ropes as a Designers. David Hart has
moved from our Design Department
into National Sales and is off to a
running start. Tom Smith has been
promoted to our new Service Manager
and Rusty Parris from the Tampa
Branch is our new Service Operations
Coordinator.
We are planning and looking forward to
seeing everyone at our annual Summer
Picnic. See you soon!!!
PENSACOLA
Herman Suero and Bert Wynne are
still working on the Ascend plant in
Pensacola. Over the past 20-years, the
guys have been inspecting each and
every system on the Ascend plant using
an Excel spreadsheet developed by
Alan Dias that became the norm. Over
the last five plus years Bert Wynne put
together a much more comprehensive
spreadsheet listing every system, types
of systems, building numbers, areas,
system numbers, etc. Late in 2014, Bert
was able to convince Ascend to use
Wiginton’s tablet based method for all
2015 plant inspections. This, in effect,
gave both guys their own full routes
on plant, including all of the Publix
inspections off plant.
As they both work through their own
routes, each have been challenged
to begin selling off plant inspections
across Pensacola and the surrounding
region. If our plan works, we stand to
grow the office in the next year or two.
Herman celebrated 14-years with
Wiginton on 3/26/15. He also worked
for Wiginton in Miami years before but
left for a year or two before returning to
Wiginton. All told, he has 20+ years in
the fire sprinkler industry.
POMPANO
QFS Pompano continues its endeavor
to acquire nationally recognized
projects in South Florida, South
America, the Caribbean and beyond:
• Skyrise - Miami Eiffel Tower
• Porsche Design Tower
• City View Tower
• Southgate Tower
• Chateau Beach Hotel
• 400 Sunny Isles
• 1600 Collins Avenue
• Treasures on the Bay
• Margaritaville
• Costa Hollywood
Please spend a moment on a virtual
tour of these projects!
Our current export projects include:
• Kimpton Hotel - Grand Cayman
• Certified Mega Mall - Aruba
• Baha Mar - Bahamas
• U.S. Embassy - Port Au Prince, Haiti
• Scotia Bank - Nassau, Bahamas
• Citizens Bank - Georgetown, Guyana
QFS South Florida has been fortunate
to have a capable and willing group of
employees that share a passion for their
prospective areas of employment. We
were fortunate to have our AA, Mary
Troiano, return to her former position
Jan. 14, 2013. We also added Thomas
Howells to our Inside Sales Department
Jan. 1, 2013.
Anniversaries
Bill La Rue
22 years
Lester Green
21 years
Mary Troiano
2 + 16 prev. years
Thomas Howells
2 years
Patrick Troiano
9 years
Lester Vazquez
15 years
John Cone
12 years
Edmundo Noboa
14 years
Humphrey Edwards 13 years
QFS Pompano continues its mission
as the tip of the spear with regard to
customer sales, service, and delivery in
South Florida.
TAMPA
Big Projects
As 2014 comes to an end, Tampa
once again finished strong. Right out
the gate, 2015 will present another
challenge. Brian Crawford landed by
far the biggest job Tampa has ever
done: Southern Wine & Spirits. SWS
is a 440,000 square foot warehouse/
racks addition to the existing building.
The challenging part is the schedule
in which the customer requires us to
have this done. We have four months to
install a total of 33,624 sprinklers. 27,816
are rack sprinklers alone. There are a
total of 30 racks 500 feet long with
4 levels of in-racks, “sounds like fun.”
Bobby Taylor was designated to the job
as site superintendent while TJ Brewer
will be the job site foreman.
New Hires
Contract Team
Due to the demand of so much work
and a vision to grow, we needed to
stock up on young future resources
in order to mold our next upcoming
Foremen. Let’s welcome aboard:
Alec Stephens
Robert Valdez
Anthony Lopez
Stephen Gude
Joey Dos Santos
Juan Obando
Mckenzie Griffen
James Daniels
Carlos Martinez
Julian Garcia
Service & Inspections Team
With the promotion of Rusty Parris
to Orlando, it left us with a huge
void in Inspections. Let’s welcome
aboard: Mark Van Buskirk. He brings
us 16+ years of experience with many
certifications. Also, Leon Bidwell was
transferred from Contract to Service
and is now our new Service Tech.
Promotions
TJ Brewer promoted to F-2
David Baldwin promoted to F-2
Robert Hall promoted to D-1
Anniversaries
Cliff Lore
30 years
Thomas Gant
28 years
Ralph Pettus
22 years
Belen Roman
18 years
Brian Crawford
14 years
William Ward
12 years
Joshua Pfeiffer
5 years
W. PALM BEACH
Anniversaries
David Gutierrez
1 Year
Joey Layton
1 Year
Scott Sutherland
2 Years
Kenneth Williams
2 Years
Chris Hixon
2 Years
Ken Gallagher
2 Years
Scott Katcher
2 Years
Lilia Camacho
2 Years
Danvas Atkinson
3 Years
Jeremy Jones
4 Years
Karl Zink
7 Years
Keith Warnock
12 Years
Julie Renfrow
12 Years
Jenni Brown
16 Years
Doug Russell
32 Years
New Hires
Ryan Crosby / Service Tech
Leo Quintero / Helper
Chris Simonson / Helper
Greg Stephens / Foreman
Scott Stephens / Helper
The West Palm Beach branch is looking
forward to a summer picnic at The Rapids
Waterpark at the end of June.
// Southern Wine & Spirits Project - Tampa
17
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ATLANTA
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CHARLOTTE
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DAYTONA BEACH
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FORT MYERS
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GAINESVILLE
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HOUSTON
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JACKSONVILLE
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MELBOURNE
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MIAMI
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ORLANDO
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PENSACOLA
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POMPANO BEACH
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SANFORD
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TAMPA
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WEST PALM BEACH
FIRE SYSTEMS
699 AERO LANE, SANFORD, FL 32771
P | 407.585.3200 F | 407.585.3280
wiginton.net