MM-News-Fall-2014 - MacDonald

HIGHLIGHTS
P3 Safety plays a starring role
P4 Continuing to take great care
S
P6 Poised for a rewarding retrofit
VOLUME 2 | QTR 4 | 2014
Sustaining service excellence
:+: BY MARK DEWEIRDT
Truitt has been in business in Oregon for over
40 years, growing from their cannery roots to
operating multiple USDA and FDA approved
food production facilities. Truitt has maintained
a solid commitment to sustainability, as they
consistently identify ways to use less energy in
their plants and distribution methods, and then
put those plans into action.
As it is the hallmark of how we do business,
MacDonald-Miller’s relationship with Truitt
Brothers is grounded by a superior service
relationship. Bill Herring, the Maintenance
Manager, is a big fan of Chad Hollmeyer. Bill
says, “Chad does a great job of identifying and
communicating issues and solutions for us.”
Chad and John Van Camp from the Oregon
BPG energy team met with Bill to strategize a
long term plan that would deliver efficiency
measures while having a positive impact on
plant productivity.
The first phase of that plan was to add
Catalyst fan speed control to the (6) Trane
20 ton constant volume Intelipak rooftop
units (RTUs) serving the production floor. Bill
felt using Catalyst to control the RTUs would
help keep his people more comfortable and
significantly lower his utility spend. The project
had a 1.7-year simple payback after BPA/
Energy Trust incentive funding, and allowed
the units to be reset remotely – thus it was a
huge win. A percentage of the energy savings
will be invested in engineering and mechanical
modifications in phase two of the energy plan.
Bryan Nix collaborated with Transformative
Wave to engineer the wireless, VFD, Tridium
based BMS software solution and managed
the installation. After six months of operation,
the energy savings are strong and the client
is looking forward to MacMiller focusing
our energy expertise on other plants in the
company network.
FACES
I N TH E
FIELD
They do whatever it takes
to make a difference
:+: BY KELLY JOHNSON
Hard working and steadfast, MacDonaldMiller Maintenance Technicians provide the
essential day-to-day service to customers,
keeping them comfortable and happy 24/7,
365 days a year. Through preventative
maintenance and repair of HVAC systems,
these diligent employees serve as the face
of the company and are truly why buildings
run better with MacMiller. In each issue,
we’ll highlight a different “face in the
field” to help you get to know the person
in the van a little better. In this issue you’ll
meet Glenn Venera, a 26-year veteran
of MacMiller.
: . CONTINUED ON P3 “FACES IN THE FIELD”
PAGE 1
Gus Simonds
President
Helping the community
always comes first
:+: BY GRANT GUMMOW
In January of 2014, “One Night Count” counted over 3,100 men, women and
children living on streets of King County without shelter, a 14% increase over 2013.
In an effort to help reverse this unfortunate trend, Plymouth Housing Group created
“Housing First”, a program that addresses this growing homeless problem.
Founded in 1980, Plymouth helps people who have been homeless for years by
providing them with a safe, affordable place to live, accompanied by one-on-one
case management and supportive services, mental health counseling, treatment for
drug and alcohol addiction, 24-hour building security, referral to job opportunities,
and social activities in the community.
MacDonald-Miller recently partnered with Plymouth to help make their buildings
run better, and we’re dedicating a spot to educate people about the great work
Plymouth Housing does for our local community.
Climbing Higher Still
The construction recession for the Northwest is clearly
over, as tower cranes return in full force to the horizon!
At $180 million this year, MacDonald-Miller will surpass
our previous all-time high water mark for company
revenue. Compared to last year, 2014 illustrates an
increase of New Construction work of over 50%!
Special projects are up 10%, and Service is up 11%.
I’m very proud of the company we've built – and
doggedly improved – through the long recession. The
results of our efforts around LEAN and silo busting can
be seen by how gracefully MacMiller is ramping up while
delivering on time, safely, and on budget, project after
project, large and small.
For 2015 we expect to exceed $200 million revenue.
While this may seem like a big number, we’re actually
already operating at that rate now. And our backlog is
building for a strong 2016 as well!
In this issue of Perspective, you'll get a sense of
the diversity of the work we're currently doing: an
Energy Retrofit Project in Oregon, the UW Medical
Center Expansion Project in Seattle, and a Building
Control Retrofit in Bellevue. And most belly warming
is how our service department and our special projects
group teamed up to design and build the mechanical
system for a coffee roasting plant.
As in the picture above, there’s still a peak to summit,
but we can see clearly the way to the top as we look
forward to an even more exhilarating 2015.
We are impressed with the Plymouth mission and admire their great efforts to
demonstrate the affordability of sustainable building designs for low-income
housing. In 2013, the Plymouth’s Pat Williams Apartment received the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED Homes Mid-Rise Platinum certification. Here, Plymouth
provides safe, supportive living for 81 of the 1,000 formerly homeless adults
served every day in 13 of their buildings.
The tremendous work of Plymouth not only supports individuals who need such
assistance, but also saves the taxpayers millions of dollars a year – a fact
derived from the American Journal of Public Health in 2013.
To learn more or to find out how you can support
Plymouth Housing Group, please visit
www.plymouthhousing.org.
CONTINUED FROM COVER
SAFETY
FACES IN THE FIELD
Safety plays
a starring role
:+: BY LEE PYFROM
One of MacDonald-Miller’s most critical
safety goals is to encourage all employees
to be on the lookout for hazards, correct
them, and work safely. Through our new
Safety Star and Safety Champion Reward
Program we‘re confident that we’ll
continue to achieve superior levels
of workplace safety.
To meet the new award criteria,
nominated employees should:
Fully support our safety program
and policies
Have good knowledge of workplace
hazards
Maintain excellent overall safety
performance
Encourage others to work safely
Assist in the correction of safety hazards
The safety department will choose Safety
Star award winners on a quarterly basis
via nominations and direct observations.
Each award winner will receive $100 and
be individually recognized at the Quarterly
Operations Meeting. Up to one employee
in each department is eligible to win
each quarter.
Consequently, at the October 2015
Operations Meeting, the Safety Star
winner from the past year who best
represents the above criteria will be
designated the Safety Champion for the
year. This outstanding employee will be
awarded $1,000 for his or her efforts.
Nominations can be made by simply
emailing Lee Pyfrom a quick note on who
you are nominating and why you are
doing so. Let the nominations begin!
G
Glenn Venera
26
YEARS
Glenn Venera joined the MacDonald-Miller team 26 years ago
as a third-year apprentice. Since that time, the industry has grown
leaps and bounds, just like Glenn’s knowledge and expertise.
Known for his great customer service and immense capabilities, Glenn
has served as a Foreman in the south sound zone, which covers South
Seattle to Federal Way, for over the past decade.
“I’ve learned from a lot of great people over the years and I really enjoy the guys
I lead now,” Glenn commented. “As a Foreman, I encourage the crew to use the
wide-range of resources that exists at MacMiller – what we have available to us
here is truly incredible..”
With his high level of proficiency, Glenn is the primary technician for many critical Data
Center environments that require him to maintain and repair specialized equipment.
He appreciates that as customers run into issues with their building he can not only
provide his assistance but can also recommend other MacMiller resources.
“As we’ve grown with the electrical, plumbing and controls division we’re not
just out there alone,” Glenn said. “This company never throws you out there
to fail – there’s always someone to call and someone to help.”
Glenn has seen many changes at MacMiller during his
years of service. In his early days, he recalls when
technician’s used pagers and pay phones to communicate.
“The company has advanced so much,” Glenn recalls.
“Safety is also getting better all the time – the requirements
were not quite as stringent back then.”
Glenn is the proud dad of two great kids – a daughter
who’s in her second year at Central Washington University
and a son who’s a high school junior. The family loves to camp
and has recreational property in Cle Elum and near Mt. Rainier
where they enjoy riding quads and hiking.
MacMiller is fortunate to have Glenn as an integral member
of the team!
PAGE 3
DB the team
University of Washington | OWNER
NBBJ | ARCHITECT
MORTENSON | GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Sparling | ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Notkin | MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Contract | $28-$35 MILLION
THE PROJECT | DESIGN-BUILD | University of Washington Medical Center Phase II | Seattle, Washington
Continuing to take great care
:+: BY NICOLE MARTIN
This challenging hospital project provides the
physical structure for the second phase of
expansion at the University of Washington
Medical Center (UWMC). MacDonald-Miller
completed Phase I in 2011. This second phase
increases safety and quality of service to patients
in a modern, high-performance environment.
The project allows a more streamlined, integrated
organizational structure for the interventional
services including surgery, interventional
cardiology and radiology, diagnostic radiology,
and peripheral supporting areas. Additional
inpatient beds will also be provided.
This Phase II project provides the build-out of
shelled spaces within the new Montlake Tower,
and entails significant amounts of interior
renovation for both inpatient and outpatient
occupancies in the Pacific and Muilenburg
Towers. Some of this work includes build-out of
the Montlake Tower, renovation of existing ORs,
renovation of Prep and Recovery, and renovation
of other support and peripheral spaces in older
portions of L3 in the UWMC. It also includes the
build-out of the shell floors L5, 6, and 7 of the
Montlake Tower into nursing bed floors for the
Intensive Care Units or Medical Surgery Units.
In order to maintain continuous hospital
operations throughout the construction, the
project is organized sequentially in multiple
phases, allowing for incremental occupancy
milestones. This phasing remains flexible due to
patient and operation needs or infrastructure
requirements. The work will occur in or adjacent
to mechanical, electrical and other infrastructure
that must continue to support patients. Patient
and life safety will be of primary importance
and, of course, must be carefully considered.
individual room will have to be accomplished
simultaneously. Renovations must be perfectly
orchestrated between the nursing staff and
construction team so that patient care goes
undisrupted.
To tackle this complex project, design packages
were individually broken out, and the 9-month
design-assist preconstruction process started in
June of 2013.
“As the existing hospital is renovated and the
ceilings are opened up, we’re the eyes in the
field, helping Notkin and NBBJ through the
design process,” says MacMiller Project
Executive Michael Burrus.
Because this massive project is being executed
while the hospital is fully occupied, immense
scheduling and coordination must occur
throughout the project. Our scope of work
is literally sandwiched between patients in
the NICU and cancer care. These two areas
reside on different floors yet share common
plumbing risers – this means that work in each
“It’s an exciting project”, states Senior PM
John Solem. “Mortenson and UWMC are
implementing lean practices and we’re installing
our prefabricated multi-trade racks which means
less workers on site. It’s safer and quieter with
smaller crew sizes and we’re doing as much
work off site as possible.”
the crew
L-R IN PHOTO | KURT RUSSELL | ASHKAN MOHABBATI | ANTHONY PHANEUF | MATT KACHUR | RYAN FLEMING | T
JOSH HOWARD | MIKE HARTL | RAY SAGDAHL | KRIS NEFF | JERRY FOSTER | JASON POLFLICT | PAUL BIEKER | TIM
BOB SHELDON | KEVIN HOFFMAN | JEFF PHILLIPS | CARLOS ORTIZ | NOT PICTURED | ACTON WOODY | TOM SC
CHRIS SCHOOLING | JIM BUTLER | CHRIS BROWN | CALEB GURA | JASON MAGRUDER | PAT CABE | JOHN SOLEM | M
Build-Out and Renovation Mapping
University of Washington Medical Center
Our esteemed estimators come through
:+: BY MARIA BOYER
The UWMC Phase II project has provided
some unique challenges throughout the
Pre-Construction budgeting process. As the
design progressed from conceptual, design
development and construction documents,
our Estimating Team completed pricing updates
that validated the project’s MASC. This was a
significant undertaking in both departmental
resources and time due to the complexity of
the multi-phased construction schedule and
the uniqueness of each construction area.
Our Senior Estimator, Jeff Phillips, was the
project estimating team lead, orchestrating the
efforts of Linda Bucher, Christian Guerrero,
Gene Kuhns, Travis Leyva, Ryan Hunter and
Gary Howe in preparing the initial budget.
The varying state of the design documents
necessitated the use of all of our estimating
programs. This included leveraging our
conceptual estimating tools for those less
defined areas to complete detailed take-off
using our ESTMEP & DUCT 3D integrated
software program.
In total, over 130 separate pricing value
‘buckets’ had to be established and
maintained throughout each of the
three budgeting rounds to allow for
identification of scope variances and
value-added design options. This level
of detail provided budget transparency
and a means to clearly communicate
mechanical cost driven components with
the University of Washington, Mortenson
and the Design Team.
“A project of this size and speed has
taken a high level of collaboration
between the design and construction
teams. This project delivery method is
filled with challenges but will ultimately
result in an efficient installation done
right the first time. Our success on
projects like these is critical as field
installation times are getting shorter
and shorter on every project.”
Rory Olson | DETAILING MANAGER
Due to an owner request, the detailing team
for UWMC Expansion Phase II moved to the
jobsite. This was a huge undertaking in moving
five detailers to the jobsite. Detailing remotely
TOMMY WEIR | JASON SMITH | KEITH MEYER | JERRY SIMICICH
WRIGHT | NORVIN BETTS | ROB PEMBLE | CHELSEA REYNOLDS
CHMIDT | JOE JOHANSSON | LENI DOBNER | DREW CUTRIGHT
presented many challenges that were overcome
on a consistent basis by the team assigned.
MICHAEL BURRUS | KEN LEIKER | KEVIN VINCENT | JOE DANIELS
PAGE 5
Poised for a rewarding retrofit
YOU
ARE
HERE
:+: BY BRIAN WHEELER
LOCATION | Bellevue, Washington
Bellefield Office Park is a 16-building, 725,000 SF business park on the
southern edge of downtown Bellevue. Recently, Talon Capital Properties
selected MacDonald-Miller to complete a $1M retrofit of the building
automation and control systems for this eastside urban oasis. This
significant project, anchored by replacing the old with the new, is driven
by a desire to elevate efficiency and comfort for this portfolio of buildings.
The overall scope of the task is to convert, upgrade, and integrate
16 existing separate buildings into versatile and communicating high
tech office space. This will entail implementing new building automation
engines, 700 new controllers, and integrating 200 existing controllers
into the new system architecture.
The challenge here is not foreign to MacMiller. We are charged with
removing legacy control devices and related items from existing equipment,
then installing brand new control mechanisms to render existing
equipment vastly improved. And we must execute all of this during
occupied hours, without interrupting business as usual for the tenants.
The primary rationale behind this project is to create financial and
operational efficiencies, enhance comfort, and improve property value.
Additionally, meeting Puget Sound Energy’s conservation criteria is also
very critical – the project was approved under a $300,000 PSE grant
based upon projected energy savings from the advanced load-based
control strategies which could not be implemented with the legacy
control systems.
To summarize the technical aspects, this undertaking involves converting
and integrating 1970’s era office buildings from old pneumatic and
electric controls to a 2014 compliant web-based, open platform building
Photos by kick spark creative
BELLEFIELD-GATEWAY
BELLEFIELD OFFICE PARK | Campus-wide Controls Upgrade
automation system. The new systems, as they are completed, are
electronically connected into the campus supervisor station. From there, all
are communicating over one common network within the business park,
and accessible from anywhere in the world. All new building control systems
communicate back to the Host Supervisor via the Owner’s XLnet inter-park
network so the onsite engineering staff can access from the roof, from the
tenant suite, or real time from their lounge chair while on vacation.
This is indeed a project that will deliver improved comfort for the tenant.
The site engineering staff has expressed, on numerous occasions, their
appreciation for the ease and functionality of the new system. And as is
always the case with MacMiller teams, we get great satisfaction in taking
on technical challenges and coming through for all our client’s needs.
LMN Architects
of 7 floors with two below grade levels of parking, GLY Construction
9th & Lenora, Seattle | Design-Build, 40 story apartment tower,
405 units, Sellen Construction
South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC), Lacey | 50,000 SF,
Design-Build, plumbing & mechanical, complete renovation for 1-story
building to convert to higher learning, Korsmo Construction
AWARDS
Yakima Legends Casino, Yakima | Design-Build, includes a new 250 room hotel, conference center, gaming area and retrofit of the existing casino,
Yakima Nation, Swinerton Builders
8th & Howell, Seattle | Design-Assist, 1,264-room hotel, includes a 45-story tower, 6 underground parking floors, large convention center space with ballrooms, meeting spaces, retail stores, laundry and kitchen facilities, Sellen Construction
Boeing 2-25, Seattle | 35,421 SF, 5 floors, Plan-Spec, Office TI,
Washington Patriot
RECENT MAJOR PROJECT
500 Fairview, Seattle | 178,000 SF lab/office space consisting
The sweet aroma of success
:+: BY STEVE FLINK
DESIGN-BUILD | Cafe D'arte Coffee Roasting Plant
LOCATION | Federal Way, Washington
The recent MacDonald-Miller Cafe D’arte project came to
fruition thanks to the lasting impression Scott Gideon and Bill Kegley made on this
client with their equipment repair talents. Due to the proficiency and responsiveness
they provided this small coffee roasting business, Cafe D’arte tapped MacMiller for
design-build services needed for their warehouse/office relocation to Federal Way.
This design-build project encompassed the installation of new gas piping, exhaust flues,
and the welding of steel duct to connect roasting equipment components. Nash Patwardhan
became an expert on coffee roasters after designing the mechanical scope for the project.
Rick Wolf and Justin Wolff detailed and installed the (3) 30’ high flues as well as the welded
steel duct in between the equipment. The challenge of the space was a good one, and
the result was pure artwork. It should also be noted that Bill Johns was a one-man crew,
installing all the gas piping and devices from the meter to (4) roasters. Tim Felton helped
with some last minute emergency modifications, and Scott Gideon wrapped up the project
with his start-up assistance. Coffee drinkers across the region can thank this MacMiller team
for their morning wake up calls!
"12th mac"
On blue Fridays you can find many of our
employees showing their “12th Mac” spirit.
Helping Boeing spread their wings
:+: BY JANA RIEDER
PLAN-SPEC OFFICE TI | Boeing Building 2-25 Density Improvement
LOCATION | Seattle, Washington
Earlier this year, Washington Patriot awarded MacDonald-Miller the Boeing Building 2-25
Density Improvement project. The task spanned five floors of Plan-Spec office TI work
as Boeing desired to open up the existing floor plan to allow for more work-stations,
conference rooms and kitchens. Work commenced in June, and currently MacMiller is
installing new VAV boxes and controls on these floors as well as renovating and adding
select plumbing fixtures. Troy McLaughlin, Superintendent with Washington Patriot had
this to say about MacMiller’s work on the project:
the mighty macS
The Mighty Macs, our north end softball team
participates in the Co-Ed/Rec league with
the Everett Parks Department.
“MacDonald-Miller has proven to be an excellent choice for HVAC and Plumbing work at
Boeing 2-25. Their experience with the building and working with Boeing has helped our
team stay on top of the schedule of this multi-phase project, in which work on multiple
floors is overlapping. In addition to quality workmanship, they have accomplished their
work professionally and have provided all advance notifications required. This has helped
our relationship with Boeing and is just another way that Washington Patriot is gaining the
confidence of this Boeing team as the project progresses. We look forward to completing
the remainder of the project with MacDonald-Miller in the same way it has gone so far.”
MacMiller is looking forward to working with Washington Patriot to complete
a third floor by the end of the year and a fourth and fifth floor
in Q1 of 2015 for a total of 35,421 SF.
ALS iCe BuCket ChALLenGe
Seattle staffers chill out while helping to raise
funds for ALS with the ice bucket challenge.
PAGE 7
PRSRT FIRST-CLASS
US POSTAGE
IN THIS ISSUE
P1
PA I D
Sustaining service excellence
PO Box 47983
Seattle, WA 98146
P1 Faces in the field
SEATTLE, WA
PERMIT #1578
P2 Helping the community always comes first
P3 Safety plays a starring role
P4 Continuing to take great care
P5 Our esteemed estimators come through
P6 Poised for a rewarding retrofit
P7 The sweet aroma of success
P7 Helping Boeing spread their wings
macmiller.com
SEATTLE
TACOMA
EUGENE
EVERETT
1-800-962-5979
BELLEVUE
PORTLAND
BEND
Cafe D'arte Coffee Roasting Plant
VOLUME 2 | QTR 4 | 2014