NJ Construction Magazine (Fall 2015)

Transcription

Construction
NEW JERSEY
FALL 2015
The Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey Magazine
Showing Our Strength
• Award-Winning Projects
• Inspiring Stories
• Member Milestones
• Scholarship Awards
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FEATURY
STO
Top Federal Construction Issues:
Waiting for 2016 Candidates to Weigh In
B | New Jersey Construction | Fall 2015
In Memoriam
In Memoriam…Edward Cruz
n July 22, 2015, family, friends and industry colleagues gathered to celebrate
the life of Edward Cruz who passed away July 14, 2015. Ed was co-founder of
ACCNJ member firm E.E. Cruz and Company, Inc. For decades, Ed served the
infrastructure construction industry with grace and distinction, as Trustee to the former
Associated General Contractors of New Jersey, President of The Moles, and leader of
other construction-related organizations in New Jersey and New York.
Born in Camarneira, Portugal, Ed immigrated to the United States at age 9,
settling in the Ironbound section of Newark. He later graduated from Newark College
of Engineering and became a professional engineer in 1968. After working alongside
his father and brothers for twenty years, Ed and his cousin co-founded E.E. Cruz
and Company, Inc., a highly respected firm specializing in tunnels, bridges, deep
foundations and infrastructure work.
Ed’s contributions to the community were immeasurable. He served as Mayor of
Holmdel, spearheaded the creation of Ironbound Bank, served on the boards of the
Richmond County Savings Bank Foundation and Monmouth University. His favorite
causes included St. John’s Church, the Portuguese Heritage Scholarship Foundation,
the Lafayette Street School, the Trust for Public Land, NJ PAC, and the Monmouth
County Concours d’Elegance.
Ed can be defined as an industry icon. He will be remembered as an honorable,
respected, and cherished friend and colleague.
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Fall 2015 | New Jersey Construction | 1
2 | New Jersey Construction | Fall 2015
ACCNJ Leadership
Heading
Board of Trustees
Mark Hall, Chairman
Hall Construction Co., Inc.
Alfonso Daloisio Jr., Vice Chair
Railroad Construction Family of Companies
Benedict Torcivia Jr., Treasurer
Torcon Inc.
J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr., Secretary
J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc.
Jack Kocsis, Jr., Chief Executive Officer
Darlene Regina, Chief Operating Officer
Highway Representatives
Rolando Acosta
Northeast Remsco Construction
Hank Adams
Kiewit Infrastructure Group.
Art Corwin
Moretrench American Corp.
Michael Criscola
Crisdel Group Inc.
David Earp
Walker Diving Underwater Const. LLC
Nelson Ferreira
Ferreira Construction Co.
Thomas Vollers
Vollers
Jeff Waters
Waters & Bugbee Inc.
Richard Weeks
Weeks Marine Inc.
Building Representatives
Clifford Blanchard
Wm. Blanchard Co.
Robert Epifano
Epic Management Inc.
Michael Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick and Associates, Inc.
Robert Gamba
Prismatic Development Corp.
Eric Jensen
Michael Riesz & Co.
Paul Natoli
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp.
James Parry
John D. Lawrence Inc.
Robert Polisano
Network Construction Co., Inc.
James Prisco Jr.
J.R. Prisco Inc.
Building Division
John Baumgardner
BFC, Ltd.
Charles DeAngelis - Division Vice Chair
Vericon Construction Co.
Paul Denehy
Turner Construction Company
John Devecchio
TN Ward Company
Larry Drill
Drill Construction Co., Inc.
John Epifano
Epic Management Inc.
Robert Gariepy - Division Chair
RCC Builders & Developers
Glenn Garlatti
Albert Garlatti Construction Co. Inc.
Tom Gesuale
Skanska USA Building Inc.
John Hall
Hall Building Corp.
Jack Macedo
Macedos Construction LLC
Richard Nugent
Massett Building Company
Stan Thompson
TNT Construction Co. Inc.
Al Zappone
Fabi Construction Co.
Highway Division
Chris Andrews
Gardner M. Bishop Inc.
Josh Benson - Division Chair
Tilcon New Jersey
Maria Fuentes
Aspen Landscaping Contracting Inc.
Steven Maggipinto
Schiavone Construction Co., LLC
Brad Jorrey
J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.
Valentino Rizzo
Beaver Concrete Construction Co. Inc.
Chris Johnson
Tutor Perini
Joseph McCann - Division Vice Chair
Michael Mergentime
Merco Inc.
Jesse Ottesen
Weeks Marine Inc.
Greg Petrongolo
JPC Group Inc.
Jack Spencer
URS Corporation
Gene Sullivan
Railroad Construction Company
Editor’s Note
Heading
Success
and Progress
By Carol Fulton, Membership Development Director
Published by
Associated Construction
Contractors of New Jersey
Raritan Center Plaza II, Suite A-19
91 Fieldcrest Avenue,
Edison, NJ 08837-3627
tel: 732-225-2265 • fax: 732-225-3105
www.accnj.org
Publisher
Jack Kocsis, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
Darlene Regina
Managing Editor
Advertising Director
Carol Fulton
Copy Editor
Advertising Coordinator
Deb Teall
Contributing Editors
Carol Fulton, Jack Kocsis,
Fred Mihelic, Darlene Regina,
Jill Schiff, Michael Travostino
Publishing Consultant
Richard Ecke
New Jersey Construction Magazine is
published by the Associated Construction
Contractors of New Jersey. Copyright by the
Associated Construction Contractors of
New Jersey. No part of this magazine may
be reproduced or reprinted without written
permission of the Editor or Publisher. The
Associated Construction Contractors of
New Jersey does not stand sponsorship for
the opinions or facts of authors and does
not necessarily agree with the opinions
stated by its contributing authors.
here can be no better examples of success than the stories in this issue of the
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp. and Atlantic Concrete Cutting Inc., our
Member Profiles. Forty years ago, the Joseph A. Natoli Construction company
was established with a small foundation job as its first project. The company has
emerged as an industry leader with its handprint on hundreds of high-profile buildings,
including ones with national historic significance. In 1991, Nancy Walker of Atlantic
Concrete Cutting fulfilled a life-long dream of starting her own business. Beginning with
a few dollars in the bank and a small fleet of equipment, this specialty company slowly
and steadily has evolved into one of the most successful WBE businesses in the
Northeast region.
We are always proud to feature our members’ award-winning projects. This year
eleven projects ranging from concrete and steel superstructures to local roads and
bridges were honored for their superior construction.
In his last message as ACCNJ Chair, Mark Hall points to the progress of the
Association during his tenure and talks about the many accomplishments achieved by
the Association since its official merger in 2013. As CEO Jack Kocsis points out in his letter, Mark Hall’s steady leadership and commitment to the newly merged organization
has been directly attributable to ACCNJ’s success.
In her COO Message, Darlene Regina discusses how the expertise and knowledge of
Associate members keep ACCNJ members and staff on top of the ever-changing rules and
regulations that govern construction businesses today. They support our success every day.
On the educational front, the ACCNJ Scholarship Foundation continued to grow and
in 2015 provided scholarship awards of $50,000 to deserving students who demonstrated high intellect, community involvement and excellence in extracurricular activities. Read more about these highly talented students in this issue. Keeping with ACCNJ’s
commitment to education, ACCNJ members participated in the student summer work
program, teaching and mentoring 58 college interns over a 12-week period last summer.
These students were truly inspired by the experience and you can read more about them
in this issue as well.
Aside from direct association activities and highlights, one of our feature articles takes
a look at the top federal challenges impacting the construction industry today.
It is a pleasure to end this year with an issue that focuses on success, progress and current industry issues. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2016.
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Table of Contents
16
1
In Memoriam…Edward Cruz
3
ACCNJ Leadership Roster
5
9
28
46
55
60
Legal Update
Compliance Programs – When They Work
and When They Don't
Editor’s Note
69
ACCNJ Events
Message from the Chairman
70
Labor Management Cooperative
ELEC Drives to Increase Share of Work
for Union Contractors
73
11
Message from the CEO
13
Message from the COO
73
16
Feature
Top Federal Construction Issues:
Waiting for 2016 Candidates to Weigh In
Model for the Future:
A Pre-Apprenticeship Program
76
BAC 150 Years: Longest Tenure in North America
79
Member Profile
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Celebrates 40 Years
Iron Workers and IMPACT to Showcase
Safety at Conference
80
Member Profile
Atlantic Concrete Cutting Approaches
Quarter-Century Anniversary
LIUNA Training Uses Innovation and
Accreditation to Promote Excellence
83
Welcome New Members
85
Member News
91
Labor Partner Scholarships
Labor Partner Scholarships Reward
Students, Honor ACCNJ Members
93
Membership Roster
96
Advertisers Index
28
36
41
Member Projects
ACCNJ Members Produce
Award-Winning Projects
46
Education
ACCNJ Awards Scholarships Totaling $50,000
52
Education
Student Summer Work Program
55
Focus On
Susan Schultz: A Career of Firsts
in the Carpenters Union
58
Government Affairs Report
2015 NJ Election Perspectives
Message from the Chairman
Look back over the last two-and-a-half years. What do you see? I see
fortune and growing pains. Being Chair of the Associated Construction
Contractors of New Jersey (ACCNJ), I believe, more than ever, the merger
of Building Contractors Association of New Jersey and Associated General
Contractors of New Jersey was a wise decision and has truly benefitted our
members and the industry alike.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
By Mark D. Hall, AIC, CPC
ince July 1, 2013, the official date of the merger, the
ACCNJ Board of Trustees has catapulted with its next
generation of leaders, comprised of individuals who are
owners of some of New Jersey’s most successful and reputable
construction companies.
ACCNJ has an in-depth knowledge of the construction industry
and has earned the respect of private and public owners, as well
as government and labor leaders. Member firms employ tens of
thousands of skilled craftworkers each year, work with reputable
subcontractors, suppliers and professionals and directly contribute
to the overall economic stability of our State. I am proud to call you
and all associates my colleagues and peers.
ACCNJ can claim many successes in our short history, thanks to
its leadership and the knowledgeable and highly respected staff,
led by CEO Jack Kocsis. In my final message as Chair, I would like
to touch upon some of our accomplishments.
To begin, we maintain a constant dialogue with our labor partners.
The result is we have identified markets we need to recover and established contract concessions that have opened doors for increased
construction opportunities for members. This was done by way of
formal contract negotiations and market recovery agreements.
We’ve also worked diligently with the trades’ Pension Fund
trustees and professionals to make changes to improve each plan’s
funding status, while still providing a meaningful retirement
benefit for our craftworkers. This is and will continue to be an
ACCNJ priority.
Another major priority is upholding New Jersey’s prevailing
wage. Management and labor need to convince government leaders and taxpayers that prevailing wage is a living wage, allowing
craftworkers to raise families in New Jersey, without public assistance, while carrying their fair share of a necessary tax burden.
Through our Labor/Management Cooperatives, we will continue
to deliver that message.
In Trenton, we supported and advocated for various measures
that created private and public construction opportunities
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through tax credits and other state incentives, while moving initiatives to clarify public bidding laws. Moving forward, ACCNJ is
undertaking an initiative to assure standardize bid forms and expand the use of electronic bidding with DPMC and eventually all
public agencies.
A tremendous focus was on replenishing the Transportation
Trust Fund in a sustainable, constitutionally dedicated fashion.
This matter is still fluid and continues to be an Association
priority.
We also aggressively pushed for legislation that would have allowed for public-private partnerships for various building and
highway infrastructure projects in New Jersey. The bill passed
both the Assembly and Senate and was, unfortunately, conditionally vetoed by Governor Christie. We were disappointed with this
Governor’s action since the bill would have allowed a public body
to use private capital financing to fund viable construction projects. It would have stimulated income, revenue and jobs. With
the increased number of states legislating P3s and the decrease in
public funds for capital projects, ACCNJ will continue to strongly
advocate for this measure. We need strong leadership in Trenton
to assure this. Nothing less.
We continue to track a host of safety issues, ranging from silica
exposure and OSHA record keeping rules to highway work zone
safety. But most impressive is the OSHA Alliance ACCNJ signed in
2014. The Alliance established a forum for ACCNJ members to address safety issues with OSHA specific to the construction industry,
with the overall objective of creating a safer environment for our
craftworkers. Nothing is more important than a safe work site.
In closing, I want to say it’s been an honor to be the first Chair
of ACCNJ and a pleasure working with the members, trustees and
Association staff. I look forward to being part of this fine organization and working with its impressive leadership for years to
come. No good things come to an end. They just start reinventing.
Best to all of you.
Message from the CEO
Meeting Challenges
By Jack Kocsis, Jr., Chief Executive Officer
s all of you know too well, construction isn’t just about
building roads, bridges and buildings anymore. I would
venture to say that 20 years ago 75% of your time was
devoted to the construction process, with 25% of your time
allocated to everything else. Now it’s reversed. As a result, you
had to change as a contractor. So too has your Association in
order to assist its members with the challenges they now face.
So let’s look at some of the issues contractors confront today.
Cash flow is a good place to start. Employees, subcontractors,
suppliers and many more in the chain need to be paid.
Contractors must continually find ways to control costs such as
material prices, insurance premiums and operating overhead in
a slow-pay environment.
Safety continues to rank as a business owner’s priority. OSHA
has stepped up its release of new rules in recent years, changed
reporting requirements and placed a new and ongoing administrative burden on contractors. Low EMRs are expected, and
often mandated, by owners. Not to mention it’s imperative to
keep workers compensation insurance premiums under control.
Finding and retaining qualified, dedicated employees is also high
on the “necessity” list. Construction companies need to develop
and grow a team of management professionals who can navigate
through the inconsistencies in bidding rules and regulations to
first secure a project, then effectively and efficiently manage and
complete the job. Owners and employees need to keep up with the
pace of technological change and new products, which often require research and financial investment. And let’s not forget they
always need to be conscious of the emphasis placed on creating energy-efficient buildings and protecting the environment.
Fortunately, when contractors employ union craftworkers, it
eliminates the majority of concern to recruit trade workers who
possess needed skill sets. Everyone knows the union apprenticeship and training programs prepare their members to be productive and articulate in their respective field. But for the owners of
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these companies that hire union workers, there are other obligations and a price to be paid. Signatory union contractors pay
their workers in accordance with collectively bargained agreements that include a living wage and robust health and retirement benefits. That is what they choose to do and in making that
decision they deal with the challenges of competing in an industry notorious for employing undocumented workers who are
paid in cash. Union contractors must meet monthly, and in some
cases weekly, obligations to pay fringe benefit funds. In more recent years, they’ve also taken on a portion of the trades’ pension
funds unfunded liability. But that is the tradeoff they make for
knowing they have an available pool of qualified workers.
And we cannot forget government regulations that come from
Washington, such as the Affordable Care Act, I-9 compliance
and reporting, HIPPA compliance, and so many more. Today,
more than ever, contractors must rely on expert, third-party
counsel to navigate these burdensome regulations.
While there are certainly many more issues owners of construction companies deal with daily, I’ll conclude with the subject of succession-planning. Do today’s millennials want to
assume the burdens of running a construction company, one
that is extremely vulnerable to recession, tight credit and insurance markets, a changing workforce, as well as inheritance and
other taxes?
In closing, I want to say it’s been a pleasure to work with Mark
Hall as ACCNJ’s first Chair. On behalf of the staff, I want to thank
him for his time, dedication, and guidance these last two-and-ahalf years. We’ve accomplished a great deal and that’s directly attributable to his leadership and the confidence he placed in us.
Moving forward, we will be sure to set an agenda of activities
and goals that will continue to effectively serve members and
help them in achieving their objective of running a successful
construction company. As always, your comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Message from the COO
ACCNJ Associate Members:
Professionals Supporting
Our Industry
By Darlene Regina, Chief Operating Officer
he Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey
(ACCNJ) has quickly become recognized as the only New
Jersey construction association representing commercial
and public construction in four industry segments – building,
heavy, highway, and utility. When you scan the State’s larger
and more sophisticated construction projects, it’s likely an
ACCNJ member is engaged in some fashion on all of these jobs.
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When you stop and think
what’s involved in operating
a construction business today,
you clearly see why you need
the support and expertise
of your outside professionals.
ACCNJ’s general contractors and construction managers
have been part of New Jersey’s construction landscape for
many years. They have built successful companies through hard
work, integrity and commitment. They have also relied on a
team of outside professionals who they have come to trust
and respect. Many of these professionals comprise ACCNJ’s
Associate Membership.
ACCNJ’s Associate Members are suppliers, accountants, attorneys, insurance providers, technology, investment and safety advisors, and other professionals who are critical to a construction
firm. When you stop and think what’s involved in operating a
construction business today, you clearly see why you need the
support and expertise of your outside professionals. How can
one stay on top of and navigate IRS tax rules and regulations, the
volatility in insurance and investment markets, the ever-changing world of technology, the complexity in contract documents,
public bidding laws and overall business compliance?
The Association continues to rely on the expertise of its
Associate Members as well. They generously share their time and
knowledge by notifying staff of a change in their individual specialty, allowing the Association to quickly alert members of yet
another challenge we must embrace.
Associate Members also support the Association’s activities
and events, and for that we are very grateful.
We encourage you to take some time and visit ACCNJ’s website, www.accnj.org, to view the directory of impressive Associate
Members. Click on “Associate” under “Search by Category” for
information on each company and specialty.
We are proud of the 150-year history of combined experience
ACCNJ has serving New Jersey’s construction community and
the reputation it holds as the leading construction association in
the State. We thank our Associate Members for helping us
achieve this recognition.
Feature
Top Federal
Construction Issues:
Waiting for 2016
Candidates
to Weigh In
By Fred J. Mihelic, Public Relations Consultant
s the campaign for the Presidency continues to unfold
over the coming months, the candidates, no matter how
reluctantly, will inevitably reveal their positions on issues
of importance to the American people and the future of our
country. Hopefully included among those issues/positions will
be ones that have either a direct or indirect impact upon the construction industry and its members.
In this edition of New Jersey Construction, we summarize the status of the major topics currently being monitored by ACCNJ and
our parent association, Associated General Contractors of America.
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Infrastructure Funding
ACCNJ actively supports, at both the state and federal levels, a
long-term, sustainable source of transportation infrastructure
funding. At the federal level, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) was
established in the 1950s to provide ongoing investment for the
improvement and modernization of our nation’s transportation
network. The federal motor fuels excise tax was designated as the
primary source of revenue for this investment, but the motor
fuels excise tax has not been statutorily increased since 1993.
Congress has done nothing since to resolve the HTF’s long-term
funding needs.
Since the expiration of the last multi-year highway bill in 2009,
Congress has passed more than 30 short-term measures of varying length, the most recent of which as of this writing transfers
$8.07 billion from the general fund into the HTF and extends the
program’s authorization until mid-December 2015. This will
allow federal highway funding to continue at current levels past
the end of the fiscal year and into most of the first quarter of 2016.
In a joint statement regarding the bill (H.R. 3038), then-House
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, and
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill
Shuster declared: “This country needs a long-term plan to fix our
roads, bridges and other infrastructure, and this bill gives us our
best shot at completing one this year. By providing resources
through the end of the year, we can ensure construction continues while we work toward a package that could close the trust
fund’s shortfall for as many as six years.”
In another development that has the support of both AGC
and union labor, GOP Congressman Tom Rice (SC) introduced
the “Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act” in early July, saying a
user-fee system is the “most reasonable and reliable” way to raise
the necessary funds. The legislation would increase the federal
motor fuels tax by 10.1 cents per gallon ($17 billion annually)
and provide for an income tax credit to offset the cost hike for average tax payers. The bill would raise $115 billion in additional
revenue over a six-year period and $215 billion over 10 years.
Immigration Reform
It can be argued that America’s immigration policy, or lack
thereof, is in a greater state of flux and confusion today than perhaps at any time in our nation’s history. Our borders, as well as
those of our European neighbors overseas, are being literally
overrun by immigrants and refugees fleeing a litany of abuses
and problems in their own lands, ranging from war to tyranny to
terrorism to economic deprivation.
It’s also clear that most of the host nations, America included,
are ill-equipped to deal with this massive influx of suffering humanity. Due to decades of neglect and drift by both our political
parties, our nation’s response has been chaotic at best as we
strive to strike a balance between heartfelt compassion and realistic self-interest and cultural and economic survival.
Federal immigration laws, regulations and objectives often
seem to conflict with those at the state and local levels where
the upheavals are felt the most. Immigration officers receive
conflicting orders, or none at all, on how to treat those who are
here illegally. Often, we cannot adequately monitor a new immigrant’s health or mental condition, any criminal record they may
have, or whether they will willingly assimilate into our society;
nor can we accurately track their whereabouts once they are
admitted to our country. We are even unable to reach consensus
on how to describe them. Are they illegal, undocumented or
unauthorized immigrants?
Without getting into the weeds on the societal, cultural and
moral aspects of immigration reform, both management and
labor representatives have outlined rational approaches to reform as it specifically pertains to the construction industry. In a
policy position released by AGC of America, the trade organization states:
Federal immigration laws,
regulations and objectives often
seem to conflict with those at the
state and local levels where
the upheavals are felt the most.
“To fix the system, AGC urges that successful legislation must
strengthen national security, create a fair and efficient employment verification system, create a program for temporary guest
workers to meet future workforce needs in the less-skilled sectors, and find a reasonable and rational way of dealing with the
current undocumented population in the US.”
Meanwhile, the North America’s Building Trades Unions offered four basic principles to be included in any comprehensive
immigration reform package: 1) secure US borders; 2) implement a reliable work-eligibility verification system; 3) support
earned legal status; 4) reject a new temporary worker program
for the construction industry.
Federal Overtime Rule
On June 30, the US Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour
Division announced several proposed changes to the overtime
regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. If implemented as is,
the proposed rule would increase the salary threshold for the executive, administrative and professional (EAP) exemptions from
$455 per week ($23,660 per year) to $970 per week ($50,440 per
year). The threshold for highly compensated employees would
also increase from $100,000 per year to $122,148 per year. Both
thresholds would be adjusted annually for inflation.
On September 4, AGC of America partnered with a joint employer coalition group, the Partnership to Protect Workplace
Opportunity, to express their concerns and opposition to the
proposed changes in comments submitted to the Wage and
Hour Division (WHD).
In its comments, the Partnership noted the changes would
more than double the minimum salary level required for EAP exemptions, and added that the proposal would negatively impact
the ability of both employers and employees to operate with
maximum flexibility in structuring employee hours, career advancement opportunities for employees, and clarity for employers when classifying employees.
We are all painfully aware
businesses and consumers are
confronted by multiple layers
of taxes that are both prohibitive
and confusing.
The coalition’s letter urged the WHD to:
• Lower the proposed minimum salary threshold to account
for regional economic and market differences; lessen the
impact on an employee’s ability to work in a part-time
exempt capacity; and lessen the impact on employee
compensation and morale.
• Allow bonuses and commissions to count toward the
minimum salary threshold.
• Phase any salary increase in over time.
• Leave the minimum required salary threshold for
application of the Highly Compensated Employee
exemption at $100,000.
• Abandon the proposal to automatically increase the
salary threshold.
• Keep the current duties test in place for now.
In separate submitted comments, AGC asserted: “The proposed increase should be phased-in over time. To impose such a
large and immediate increase will result in unintended conse-
quences, particularly for small construction companies (the majority of firms in the industry), construction employers in lowerwage regions, and construction personnel.”
Tax Reform
We are all painfully aware businesses and consumers are confronted by multiple layers of taxes that are both prohibitive and
confusing. At 31%, construction companies pay one of the highest effective tax rates of any industry, according to the US
Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis. For contractors, high income
taxes – whether corporate or individual – reduce their cash flow
and the amount of money they have to expand, purchase equipment, hire more workers, or bid on future projects.
As of this writing, both Houses have indicated they will delay
further action on tax break extensions and expired provisions,
and any comprehensive tax reform efforts will likely have to wait
until after the 2016 elections.
Simplifying reporting procedures and lowering the federal
tax burden on individuals, construction companies and other
businesses are necessary first steps toward enacting comprehensive tax reform. Any reform package should include all or most
of the following components to help create an atmosphere of
certainty that will promote increased public and private infrastructure investment:
• Make permanent reasonable tax rates on capital gains and
dividends. Also, make the five marginal tax rates permanent and
within reason.
• Uphold the tax-exempt status for infrastructure financing.
• Support and expand the Commercial Building Energy
Efficiency Tax Deduction (179D), which encourages owners
to increase energy efficiency in new and remodeled buildings.
• Enact a permanent reduction of federal estate taxes to enable contractors to free up resources that can be used to
create jobs and grow the economy.
• Extend and expand work opportunity tax credits that assist
employers in hiring veterans, individuals receiving disability rehabilitation, and residents of empowerment zones or
rural renewal counties.
• Expand and make permanent bonus depreciation and enhanced capital expenditure write-offs that incentivize capital investments and equipment purchases.
Clean Water Act
The US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army
Corps of Engineers on May 27 released a new and final rule that
stipulates which rivers, streams, lakes and marshes fall under
their jurisdiction.
The rules substitute a new definition of “waters of the US”
(WOTUS) throughout the Clean Water Act (CWA) regulations
and have implications for all CWA programs, including water
quality standards, total maximum daily load programs, discharge limitations, stormwater permits, dredge and fill permits,
water quality certifications, and spill protection measures, all of
which make the rule extremely important to those in the construction industry.
The final rule identifies the following types of waters as jurisdictional in all instances, meaning no case-by-case determination is
needed: 1) traditional navigable waters; 2) interstate waters (including wetlands); 3) the territorial seas, 4) impoundments of jurisdictional waters; 5) tributaries; and 6) adjacent waters.
The publication of the new rule in May specified its effective
date as of August 28. In the days following its publication some
27 states jointly filed lawsuits to block the rule. The suits varied
in their reasoning, some alleging usurpation of state responsibil-
ity for management of certain waters, some discussing the overly
expansive nature of the definition of a tributary, and others
claiming that the rule violates the CWA, the National
Environmental Policy Act, and even the Constitution. New Jersey
did not join in the lawsuits.
Despite the benefits fracking
has created, it remains a
source of concern among
environmentalists who generally
oppose any continued exploration
and mining of fossil fuel reserves...
In a report dated May 29, 2015, AGC expressed gratification
that the federal agencies had included several important changes
in the final rule that it had previously requested, including “firsttime exclusions for certain types of ditches that fall outside the
‘tributary’ definition; some limits on when a stream or wetland
should be jurisdictional; limits on areas where waters are subject
to a “significant nexus” test; clarification on stormwater control
features, and an express exclusion for groundwater and shallow
sub-surface drainage connections.”
However, AGC remains concerned about several aspects of the
new rule and is working with Congress to enact legislation requiring the agencies to restart the rulemaking process.
Fracking Restrictions
The oil and gas boom, spurred in large measure through fracking, has created work for geologists, engineers, rig workers, truck
drivers and pipe welders. In turn, this means a higher demand
for restaurants, repair shops, hardware stores, hotels, and laundromats in areas where fracking takes place.
In addition, natural gas and other gases extracted from natural
gas provide a feedstock for fertilizers, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, waste treatment, food processing, fueling industrial boilers and much more. Our increasing abundance of natural gas is
encouraging a long-sought drop in natural gas prices and is making the US an attractive place to do business, especially for energy-intensive industries.
North America’s Building Trades Unions and the Laborers
International Union believe the fracking industry is helping
spawn economic growth and has created millions of work hours
associated with well-site, access-road and pipeline construction,
including gathering lines, transmission lines, and associated
pumping stations and other facilities needed to bring natural gas
to market.
Fracking advocates contend that our increasing reliance on
natural gas, rather than the burning of coal, is creating widespread public-health benefits by reducing air pollutants. Coal
made up about 50% of US electricity generation in 2008, but only
37% by 2012. Meanwhile, natural gas use rose from about 20% to
30% in the same time period.
Despite the benefits fracking has created, it remains a source
of concern among environmentalists who generally oppose any
continued exploration and mining of fossil fuel reserves and advocate a nearly total reliance on renewable energies such as wind
and solar.
In June, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft assessment of its study of the potential impact of
hydraulic fracturing on drinking water. The EPA’s assessment
concludes that hydraulic fracturing activities have the potential to
impact drinking water resources. It adds, however, “We did not
find evidence that these mechanisms have led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States.”
Union construction labor and management generally support
the practice of hydraulic fracturing (with strong environmental
protections) as important technological progress that has
opened new opportunities for employment and the safe development of affordable, reliable energy. They also believe that steps
should be taken to prevent federal regulatory overreach that
would create additional layers of red tape and needlessly slow energy production and job growth.
Multiemployer Pension Reform
Some 10 million workers currently have retirement savings in
multiemployer pension plans that hold nearly $500 billion in assets and play a significant role in generating broader economic ac-
tivity. But, tight credit markets, an overly slow recovery from the
Great Recession, and conflicting tax policies have made it harder
for contributing employers to maintain the solvency of these
plans, and outdated regulations have prevented employers and
employees from taking commonsense measures to secure them.
Today, it is estimated that approximately 10% of all 1,400 multiemployer pension funds are “substantially underfunded” and
could face insolvency in 10 to 20 years, including some of the
oldest and largest plans. The total tab to avoid complete insolvency is currently estimated to be a staggering $42.2 billion.
If left unchecked, the failure of these plans could bankrupt the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC), which serves as the federal backstop charged with protecting these workers’ pensions.
In turn, that would place all plans at risk and endanger the savings of millions of retirees.
In response to this growing crisis, Congress passed the
Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014, signed into law last
December. Among other provisions, the law allows trustees of
plans that are in danger of failing to apply for a temporary or
permanent reduction of pension benefits (within certain limitations) as a last resort to avoid insolvency. Only pension funds in
a newly designated “critical and declining” status are eligible for
the new tool, and trustees must submit an application to the US
Treasury showing that pension benefit reductions are necessary
to keep the plan afloat.
Today, it is estimated that
approximately 10% of all 1,400
multi-employer pension funds are
“substantially underfunded” and could
face insolvency in 10 to 20 years…
If the application is approved by Treasury, plan participants
and beneficiaries have the right to comment and vote on the proposed benefit changes before they take place. If a majority of all
participants actually vote against reductions, they cannot occur.
However, Treasury can override the vote if it determines the fund
is a systemically important plan.
In its interim final regulation, published in the Federal Register
on June 19, the PBGC expanded its ability to help prevent the insolvency of financially troubled plans by allowing them to apply
for financial assistance through a partition process to fund a portion of their benefit liabilities in order to remain solvent.
Under the new rule, plans projected to run out of money in 20
years can apply for a partition that could preserve benefits for
participants at levels above the PBGC guaranteed amounts, if
strict guidelines are met.
Certainly, the most controversial change made under the reform law is to allow a fund to reduce benefit payments to improve its finances. Now, a distressed multiemployer pension
fund can seek to implement benefit reductions and, assuming it
follows the detailed procedures under the new law, will generally
be immune to challenges from the government and lawsuits
brought by unhappy participants and beneficiaries.
Construction labor and management are both supportive of
the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act, calling it a significant
step in the right direction. AGC of America also urged Congress
to enact additional reforms that allow plans to further modernize by choosing from retirement plan models, including the composite plan concept that more equally distributes the risks
associated with retirement plans so employers do not have to
shoulder the entire burden.
The composite plan concept was developed through an AGC
of America-supported, joint labor-management proposal called
“Solutions Not Bailouts” that was presented to Congress in 2013
but was not included in the final reform bill. It would be conservatively funded; have rules for adjusting benefits (up or down),
based on funding levels; include no withdrawal liability, ensuring that accrued benefits will always remain fully funded; include
options to realistically pay off liabilities; and would apply only to
future benefit accruals.
Health Care Reform and Repeal
Arguably, no issue carries more partisan controversy into the
2016 presidential election than the future of the Affordable Care
Act (ACA). Republican candidates almost unanimously are calling for an outright repeal and its replacement with other reform
initiatives, while Democrats are doing their best to defend it, albeit with assurances they will smooth out its rough edges.
When the ACA was passed in early 2010, the Administration
said the 10-year price tag would be about $940 billion. It also
said insurance premiums would be reduced by an average $2,500
a year. After first confirming these estimates (based on incomplete statistics), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) radically
revised its estimates upward as the first returns came in. The
CBO now estimates the program will cost nearly $1.8 trillion by
2019. In addition, health insurance premiums actually increased
an average $2,500 in 2012, and latest statistics indicate that the
upward trend is continuing.
A sizable number of labor unions, including construction
trade unions that co-administer multiemployer plans, are
expressing concerns about the “unintended but destructive consequences” of the Act. In a letter to Democratic leaders in both
the House and Senate, representatives of several International
Unions complained: “Perverse incentives are creating nightmare
scenarios … for non-profit health insurance plans like the ones in
which most of our members participate. Under the ACA, our employees will not be eligible for subsidies afforded other citizens …
yet our plans will be taxed to pay for those subsidies. As such,
many of our employees will be relegated to second-class status.”
In a unified show of discontent over certain aspects of
Obamacare, AGC and several unions, including the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and the Laborers International
Union, joined a coalition called “Alliance to Fight the 40” in opposition to the pending implementation of the so-called
“Cadillac Tax.”
Beginning in 2018, this staggering 40% tax will be levied
against health coverage plans that provide high-end benefits with
low deductibles and co-pays to their participants. Estimates are
that the tax will affect about 26% of plans immediately, rising to
30% by 2023 and 48% of plans by 2028. The administration expects the tax, which will be linked to the consumer price index in
future years, to bring in $87 billion over 10 years and serve as an
important funding source for the entire Obamacare program.
In a letter to all House members in late August, the coalition
urged them to repeal the tax, arguing that many employers will
drop coverage altogether or restructure it to avoid paying the tax,
making the $87 billion estimate unrealistic. Also, those employers who don’t drop coverage will likely require their employees to
contribute more to offset higher costs.
In addition to urging repeal of the “Cadillac Tax,” AGC has
joined the StartOver! Coalition in support of H.R. 45, a bill that
would repeal the Affordable Care Act altogether and start over
with health care reform from scratch.
ACCNJ will continue to work with AGC of America to assess the impact these important issues will have upon the construction industry
and its members.
Member Projects
ACCNJ Members Produce Award-Winning Projects
From a green building in Hoboken to a bridge in Hackettstown to a
library in Jersey City, ACCNJ member projects won awards for the
value they brought to the communities they serve. We are honored to
showcase this collection of superior projects that add to the legacy of
quality our members have imprinted on the state.
Contractor: Tishman Construction, an AECOM Company
Project:
900 Monroe, Hoboken
Award:
52nd Annual New Jersey Concrete
Green Apple Award
The 900 Monroe project is a brand new residential and commercial development in Hoboken that topped out in December 2014
and is expected to be completed in December 2015 as we release
this issue of New Jersey Construction. Distinguishing features include a sun deck with pool, vegetated roof and an automated
parking system that features a concrete superstructure and independently controlled shuttles to store cars twice as efficiently as
conventional parking garages. The Hudson Bergen Light Rail
service directly connects the 900 Monroe project to the Port
Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) trains, while parks, running
trails, popular restaurants, childcare services, cultural activities
and abundant shopping are all within walking distance.
The 900 Monroe Street complex helps fulfill the growing housing demand in Hoboken and will bring more than 100 full-time
jobs to the area. The project was built to LEED-Gold standards
and includes energy-efficient features such as high-efficiency
heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, bike racks, locally
sourced fly-ash, and low-flow fixtures that help reduce stress on
the city’s sewer system.
Contractor: Tilcon
Projects:
Route 63 Bergen County
Passaic County Roads
County College of Morris Campus
Newark Liberty International Airport Taxiway P
Awards:
National Asphalt Pavement Association
Quality in Construction Awards
Route 63 Bergen County: The three-mile project traversed multiple jurisdictions and included multi-directional intersections,
large retail areas and residential locations. To minimize inconvenience to the local community, all the work was performed at
night during off-peak driving hours. Through proper planning
and attention to detail, Tilcon was able to build an aesthetically
pleasing roadway for the local neighborhood.
Passaic County Roads: The project consisted of milling and paving
in six locations – winding country roads through rock cliffs and
blind turns that included residential and multiple-state recreational areas and extensive wildlife. Tilcon coordinated with area
governments to produce smooth, high-quality asphalt pavements.
Passaic Country Roads Project
County College of Morris Campus: Tilcon overlaid and milled
various roads and parking lots to serve more than 8,000 students
who attend the college. Coordinating, scheduling and control900 Monroe, Hoboken (Hudson County)
ling traffic were the biggest challenges and Tilcon worked
through them all to produce high-quality asphalt pavements.
Newark Liberty International Airport Taxiway P: Tilcon milled
and paved the existing taxiway, built two new high-speed taxiways, upgraded the existing electrical system and remediated
ponding problems. Working mostly at night and on weekends in
a high-security area, Tilcon produced a high-quality pavement
for the airport.
Newark Liberty International Airport Taxiway P
Contractor: J. Fletcher Creamer & Son JV with
Joseph M. Sanzari
Project:
Replacement of Route 46 Bridge, Hackettstown
Award:
Regional Winner, 2015 America’s Transportation
Award, “Best Use of Innovation”
In the Spring of 2014, the Creamer-Sanzari joint venture was
awarded an NJ DOT contract to replace the Route 46 Bridge over
the Musconetcong River in Hackettstown. Due to the high volume of traffic across the bridge, NJ DOT elected to use an
Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) delivery method.
Removal and replacement of the bridge had to be performed
during a 10-day road closure.
To mitigate the interruption of traffic, the bridge replacement
design required the substructure and superstructure be replaced
with precast concrete elements in lieu of cast-in-place concrete.
The use of precast concrete allowed for the total structure to be
constructed offsite. The extensive use of precast concrete necessitated additional detailed planning, more so than a typical
poured-in-place structure, since all fabrication was to be completed offsite and there was no room for error. Everything had to
fit perfectly.
Step one was to complete an all-encompassing as-built survey
of the existing structure. Once the geometry of the 90-year-old,
deteriorated structure was verified, the fabrication of the new
precast concrete structure began. To guarantee all parts of
the structure would fit once delivered to the site and erection
commenced, the contract required that all the precast concrete
elements be assembled at the precast plant site and an as-built
survey completed to verify that all segments were constructed
as designed. This activity, once complete, gave the management
team a very comforting assurance there would be no erection
problems.
Once verification of the accuracy of the precast components
was complete, crews began construction at the site. A work platform was constructed under the entire bridge for worker safety
and to protect the Musconetcong River from debris. In addition,
the platform temporarily supported 10 communications conduits that were suspended from the bridge and needed to be
maintained in service during construction. Crews spent more
than two weeks preparing the bridge for removal prior to the implementation of the detour and the actual demolition.
After several months of detailed planning the crews began the
demolition of the bridge, the first activity to take place during
the 10-day road closure. Crews divided the work into two twelvehour shifts for 10 consecutive days. To aid in the demolition of
the old structure and the erection of the precast, crews utilized
two 500-ton cranes, one on each end of the bridge. As the old
structure was removed, it was reduced to sizes that could be
trucked away for complete disposal.
New bridge precast elements were installed and grouted together with fast-setting grouts and concretes, and the communication conduits were re-attached to the new structure. The new
bridge was opened to traffic in 10 days as required by contract.
The project was fully complete in the fall of 2014, four months
after breaking ground. Typical phased construction was estimated to take two years to complete. J. Fletcher Creamer says,
“Hats off to all involved in the project!”
New Route 46 Bridge over the Musconetcong River, Hackettstown.
Contractor: Hall Building Corp.
Project:
Hudson County Community College Library
Building, Jersey City
Award:
NJBIA 2015 New Good Neighbor Special Award
The six-story, 112,000 sq. steel frame, masonry Library Building
on Sip Avenue complements the surrounding architecture of the
college and Jersey City’s Journal Square. The building’s first and
second floors encompass the 33,500-square-foot library, a
“Makerspace” that promotes learning through creativity and
crafting, a meditation room, three group-study rooms and more
than 70 computer stations. On the next three floors are 33
“smart” classrooms, computer labs, tiered lecture halls and 21
office stations. And on the sixth floor is an art gallery with exhibit space, three classrooms and a rooftop terrace that displays
the college’s 9/11 Monument. The memorial, made of steel from
a World Trade Center structural column, is positioned on the
roof such that the new Freedom Tower is its visual backdrop.
The library is near the Journal Square PATH station, making it
accessible for mass-transit users. Throughout the building, sustainable features, including daylight and occupancy sensors and
high-efficiency mechanical equipment, are incorporated for the
comfort of students and the public.
Hudson County Community College Library Building
Contractor: Torcon Inc.
Project:
Coty Research & Development Center,
Morris Plains
Award:
NJBIA 2015 New Good Neighbor Award
Torcon served as Construction Manager for Coty’s new North
American R&D facility in Morris County. All interior construction and finishes in the 100,000-square-foot building were demolished, followed by fit-out of office, meeting and laboratory
spaces. A new 16,000-square-foot mezzanine was added to the
building. The new center supports Coty’s entire product line,
which includes lip, nail and eye products, fragrances and creams.
The facility features a pilot plant for research and production, a
large testing area with stability chambers, and a consumer trial
area with fragrance testing booths and a full-serve salon for product evaluation.
Coty’s new research and development center, Morris Plains.
Contractor: Ferreira Construction – Tutor Perini
Corporation, a Joint Venture
Project:
Newark Bay Bridge Deck Replacement,
City of Newark and Bayonne
Award:
2015 New Jersey Concrete Innovative Design &
Construction Merit Award
Constructed in 1956, the Newark Bay Bridge is a steel through
arch bridge with reinforced concrete deck that crosses the
Newark Bay and provides access from the New Jersey Turnpike’s
main roadway to the Holland Tunnel. The project consisted of
reconstructing the 80-foot-wide, 1.3-mile section of the existing
Newark Bay Bridge and adjoining Hudson County Extension approachway, and was awarded in the Spring of 2010 to Ferreira
Construction-Tutor Perini Corporation, a Joint Venture. To comply with the Turnpike Authority’s aggressive schedule and requirements to maintain four active lanes of traffic on this heavily
traveled roadway, the project was designed to utilize precast concrete bridge deck panels with a fast-setting, MMA-based (methyl
methacrylate) grout material. In addition, the placement of the
precast deck panels in the tight work zone required utilizing a
gantry crane that traversed the project along its length and also
cleared the bridge’s overhead steel truss.
Also accommodating the aggressive schedule, work was performed during both daytime and nighttime hours. Saw-cutting
and demolition of the existing bridge deck, structural steel repairs, installation of stay-in-place haunch angles and shear studs
as well as other items of work were performed during daytime
hours. The more-than-1,700 precast panels were installed during
both daytime and nighttime hours using the gantry crane and
large hydraulic cranes (where permissible). The precast panels
came manufactured with grout pockets, which enabled the
panels to be lowered onto the bridge’s existing structural steel
and atop the previously installed shear studs. Reinforcement
dowel bars were then placed transversely between panels into
the panels’ dowel pockets. The panels were then grouted in place
transversely, longitudinally and at all shear stud grout pocket locations. The final product was a precast deck grouted to the existing structural steel framework of the bridge. In each phase of
construction, the new precast deck was micro-milled to provide
superior rideability. Sawcut grooving of the bridge deck surface
was the final operation performed prior to the opening of the
roadway to vehicular traffic.
Other items of work on the project included new structural
steel joints, latex modified concrete overlay of existing bridge
deck shoulders, drainage and utility work, concrete parapet and
median barrier curb, bridge superstructure security fence, electrical lighting and installation of an ITS system that allowed for
the eastbound shoulder to be transformed into a third lane of
traffic during peak traffic periods. The $135 million project was
completed by the fall of 2013.
Contractor: Crisdel Group, Inc.
Project:
New Jersey Turnpike Interchange
6 to 9 Widening
Award:
Quality in Construction Award
The project consisted of milling and paving to a depth of 2½” for
the three travel lanes and right shoulder as well as reconstructing
the left shoulder to a depth of 6” from Mile Point 61 to 47.4 on
the New Jersey Turnpike Inner Roadway, both northbound and
southbound, from essentially Interchange 7A to just south of
Interchange 6. The travel lanes and right shoulder were paved
with one 2½” course of a mix designation 12.5M76 and the left
shoulder was paved with one 3½” course of 25M64 Base Course
and one 2½” Course of 12.5M76 Surface Course. The total surface course placed was 140,000 tons and the total base course
placed was 34,000 tons.
Approximately two miles were resurfaced at the southern end
of the project under nightly lane closures. The remaining 11
miles of roadway, both northbound and southbound, were
paved under a full roadway closure. All three travel lanes in both
directions in the full closure were paved in echelon utilizing one
12’-wide paver set and one 24’-wide paver set. All travel lanes
were profile-milled utilizing a 12’-wide milling drum.
All travel lanes in the full closure were subject to an IRI Index
of 75.0 for zero payment adjustment. Bonus payment adjustments were awarded for lot readings below 75.0 and deduct payment adjustments were assessed for lot readings above 75.0.
Project achieved a net bonus for the paving of the travel lanes.
It’s important to note the project was built under a compressed schedule. All paving work as well as bridge deck rehabilitation was completed under the full closure in a duration of
approximately five-and-a-half months.
New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project
Newark Bay Bridge
Contractor: Turner Construction Company
Project:
GAF World Headquarters, Parsippany
Award:
NJBIA 2015 New Good Neighbor Award
The GAF Headquarters Project entailed the interior demolition
and renovation of a 377,000-square-foot, three-story, three-wing
building located at 1 Campus Drive in Parsippany, NJ. This was
an extremely fast-track project, completed in five-and-a-half
months plus one month for the initial interior demolition. The
work at this existing facility included a kitchen/cafeteria, a fitness center, a conference center, amenities spaces, new cooling
towers, new rooftop equipment, an atrium exhaust system, one
new elevator, laboratories for roof shingle testing and office
space. GAF is pursuing LEED Gold.
The plan set quality-control parameters and avenues for continuous communication.
To achieve specified Marshal Air Voids, Tilcon diligently tested
the mix at the plant. To achieve mat and joint densities, Crisdel
Group paved with two pavers, in echelon, thereby minimizing
the amount of cold longitudinal joints. In addition, pavers were
equipped with joint compactors and nuclear density technicians
evaluated the densities of the material being placed. To insure
that density machines were calibrated correctly, Crisdel tested
core samples and correlated the results.
To ensure pavement smoothness was within the tolerances,
Crisdel Group utilized material transfer machines and equipped
millers and pavers with a Topcon Millimeter GPS Grade Control
system. A light-weight profilograph evaluated the smoothness.
To achieve the finished-grade elevation requirements, Crisdel
Group performed multiple surveys on a 50-foot grid system to
verify milling elevations were correct prior to the paving operation. In addition, after each day’s paving, the firm checked the
finished pavement grade to ensure the GPS control system was
working properly.
Ultimately, working cooperatively with all partners, Crisdel
Group satisfied the project requirements and turned over operation of the runway on schedule and within the bonus pay limits
of the Port Authority’s Specified Requirements.
GAF World Headquarters, Parsippany
Contractors: Crisdel Group, Inc., and Tilcon NJ
Project:
Rehabilitation of Newark Liberty Airport
Runway 4L-22R
Award:
Quality in Construction Award
The project required strict adherence to Port Authority and FAA
specifications and tight coordination among all parties – the Port
Authority, Crisdel Group, Tilcon and the subcontractors – in
order to complete a large volume of work in a 75-day timeframe.
In particular, the specifications were stringent on Marshall Air
Voids, In-Place Mat and Joint Densities, Pavement Smoothness
and Finished Grade Elevations, all to meet FAA standards.
Prior to construction, much collaboration developed an asphalt paving plan that would meet all the required specifications.
Newark Liberty Airport Runway 4L-22R Rehabilitation
Member Profile
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Celebrates 40 Years
Paul Natoli (left) and Joseph Natoli (right)
orty years ago, the first project of the newly established
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp. was a foundation for
the Montclair Ice Arena. It proved prophetic, as the firm’s
work on the project led to securing the rest of the Ice Arena job
and laid the foundation for Natoli’s long, successful history.
F
Beginning ... Growing ...
Handing Over to the Next Generation
Joseph Natoli began his construction career as a union Bricklayer,
moving into management as a job superintendent before founding his own company in 1975. The firm was a general contractor
from day one. Over the years, there is scarcely a category in the
public and private sectors Natoli hasn’t tackled – office buildings,
churches, car dealerships, senior housing, nursing homes, educational and institutional facilities, and hotels. Company executives
were always conscious of not putting all their eggs in one basket,
always striving to adapt to current markets.
While Joe was busy building his business, he also built a family, including his son Paul, who became President and CEO of the
firm in 2007. Paul went to work for his father at a young age, and
remembers summers riding his Moped miles each day to the jobsite. He also cites Joe’s unyielding emphasis on punctuality, recalling the day he had to take cover from a driving rainstorm,
waiting 20 minutes for a break in the downpour. When he arrived at the jobsite five minutes late, Joe sent him home, telling
Paul his tardiness had cost him a day’s wages.
Paul graduated first in his class at Purdue in 1989, and spent
nearly 10 years in the field before joining his father in the office.
He credits that decade with instilling an appreciation and understanding of the construction industry, observing the talents and
skillsets of the craftworkers and learning to communicate with
all the professionals on the construction team.
When Joe Natoli speaks of the privilege of working on
America’s heritage landmarks and other prestigious projects, he
is quick to add the only other accomplishment that brings him
more pride is when his son, Paul, took over as President and CEO
of Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp.
While Paul guided many complex projects through much of
the past decade, he also had to deal with the crushing recession.
He served as president of Building Contractors Association of
New Jersey, precursor to ACCNJ, during that time, giving back
his time and talent to the industry just as his father had before
him and working with the Association to help keep member
companies competitive in the most difficult market conditions.
Paul continues to serve as a Trustee on the ACCNJ’s Board.
When Joe Natoli served as BCANJ president, he was intimately
involved with forming BCANJ’s Labor Relations and
Government Affairs policies, building strength in unity with the
Association’s labor partners and working for sound legislative
measure to raise standards in the construction industry. For that
and much more, he will always be highly respected by his colleagues and peers.
But as the economy improves, Paul recognizes that today’s challenges are different. “We and every construction firm in the state
face overwhelming paper work, rules and business regulations,” he
says. “Sometimes it seems like building the building is no longer
the main focus. It’s all the added details and layers that come with
it. Fortunately we can rely on the Association to help with some of
the regulatory and other types of issues we confront.”
Paul continues to uphold the values his father ingrained in the
culture at Natoli Construction. Every week, he meets with project
managers and staff to review the progress and details of all ongoing projects, following the team concept that has been an integral part of the firm’s success, working with many employees
who have been with Natoli for decades. The company also continues to rely on its relationship with subcontractors whom they
have come to know and trust for their quality work and adherence to schedules.
The Natoli Team
History in Historic Places
The company is perhaps best known for its 20 years of restoration work on famous American landmarks – Ellis Island, which
opened the door for Natoli to work with the federal government,
and the most famous of all, the Statue of Liberty.
“My father, a Plasterer by trade, came to this country by way of
Ellis Island,” reminisces Joe Natoli. “Having the privilege and
honor so many years later to be awarded a project on Ellis Island
as a general contractor truly depicts the American Dream.”
The original $11 million Ellis Island project in 1994-95 called
for restoring century-old buildings from the ravages of New York
Harbor weather, preserving their exterior heritage and converting the interiors into contemporary offices and workshops for
the National Park Service, which operates the Ellis Island
Immigration Museum. Natoli has performed numerous projects
on Ellis Island over the last 20 years, including restoration of the
historic Immigration Building, Ferry Building, and construction
of the second phase of the Wall of Honor, that displays the
names of immigrants who came through Ellis Island. On that
wall is Antonino Natoli, Joe’s father and Paul’s grandfather.
Statue of Liberty National Monument – Major Adaptive Resorations
And then came the Statue of Liberty work. The world remembers that Lady Liberty was closed to the public after 9/11. In
2004, Natoli contracted to do a number of safety and security
upgrades. In 2011 the firm was awarded a $27 million contract to
perform significant renovations. The Statue of Liberty reopened
with, for the first time ever, complete handicap-accessibility on
October 28, 2012.
The next day, Superstorm Sandy struck. Three-quarters of
Liberty Island was under water from the unprecedented storm
surge in New York Harbor. Although much of the island’s infrastructure was wrecked – HVAC and electrical systems, docks and
brick pathways – Lady Liberty herself withstood the nearly hurricane-force winds. And Natoli went back to work, quickly and efficiently, so that Liberty Island could reopen on July 4, 2013, with
an elevated structural floor to prevent damage from future storms.
For its impressive work on the Statue of Liberty, which involved working within and around the skeleton of this national
monument to selectively dismantle and replace the existing com-
Sheraton Tara Hotel, Parsippany, NJ
ponents of the statue, Joseph A. Natoli Construction received
ENR Magazine’s 2014 Best Project Award of Merit.
Growing Business Through Trust
Exemplified by the Ellis and Liberty Island projects, Natoli
Construction built its business by establishing a trusting relationship with owners.
A $300,000 lobby renovation for the New York Giants in the
early 1990s started the relationship that grew into the contract
for the NFL team’s $75 million headquarters and training facility
in East Rutherford in 2007. The project was completed in 16
months and Natoli credits that to working with loyal owners,
reputable subcontractors and skilled union craftworkers.
Projects for Rutgers, another long-term Natoli client, culminated in the contract for Rutgers’ New Jersey Institute for Food,
Nutrition and Health on the university’s Cook campus in New
Brunswick. The building is 80,000 square feet, three stories high,
wrapped in glass with state-of-the-art research labs, along with
office space, a preschool, team rooms and foodservice area and
public space.
Natoli also built a 24,000-square-foot addition at Rutgers’
Mason Gross School of the Arts that included a 3,100-squarefoot choral hall, atrium and café, technology and recording studios, dance studio, art studio and offices. On the Livingston
campus is a Natoli-built dining complex encompassing 63,000
square feet on two floors with a full kitchen – adjacent to the
Natoli-built student center. This year, Natoli continued the expansion of the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in Newark.
A Little Nostalgia, A Lot of Confidence
While Joe remains proud of his son and the legacy they have created, he mentions with a certain wistfulness that he misses the
day-to-day hands-on at the helm. “Yes, I miss the people, and the
interaction with them,” he says. “But it’s the proper order of
things, and it’s a very great thing for me to be able to pass on the
company with such confidence.”
The way the company started is very much the way it continues to operate each day: strict adherence to uncompromising
quality, customer satisfaction, hard work, dedication, perseverance and, most important, honor and integrity.
Member Profile
Atlantic Concrete Cutting
Approaches Quarter-Century Anniversary
riving down a country road in Mt. Holly, you would
not suspect that behind the stately, 160-year-old farmhouse lies the headquarters of ACCNJ member Atlantic
Concrete Cutting Inc. The farmhouse has been home to five
generations of Nancy Walker’s family. It is where she and her
husband Doug raised their children and where the concept of
Atlantic Concrete Cutting was born.
D
Crossroads Create a Dream
Newly married in 1991, Nancy was at a career crossroads. She
was having difficulty finding a full-time teaching position in elementary education. Her husband Doug had worked for a small
New Jersey concrete cutting construction firm and was searching
for similar employment. Nancy’s dream of someday becoming
an entrepreneur was looking like a viable option.
Inspired by her father’s own entrepreneurial spirit, Nancy
mulled over the idea of starting a concrete construction business.
“If not for the trust, love and support of my parents, Atlantic
Concrete Cutting Company would have never become a reality,”
said Nancy.
Incorporating in March 1991, Nancy converted an old barn on
the farmhouse property to serve as an office. With $20,000 in the
bank, one truck and a few pieces of used equipment, Atlantic
Concrete Cutting was off and running. By day, Nancy juggled
raising two children, managing projects and driving sealing
trucks, leaving the nights for preparing bids and catching up on
office work.
From that modest start, Atlantic Concrete Cutting Company
has emerged as a thriving, full-service industry leader providing
virtually any state-of-the-art concrete cutting technique
required for private and public projects in the tri-state area
and regions beyond.
Certified as WBE and Growing
Atlantic Concrete Cutting began its first decade primarily in the
private sector, performing sawing, coring and drill operations on
commercial buildings in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
The firm expanded its services to include wire sawing, road,
wall and slab sawing, roadway sealing, bridge deck grooving and
curb sawing. All of that necessitated an expansion of the original
building to encompass a training center. They hired union craft
workers and converted a second barn into a fabrication and machine shop, warehouse and maintenance garage.
“The commercial side of the business was booming for us in
the beginning, but when that sector hit the recession, we needed
to focus more on the heavy and highway sector,” said Nancy.
In an effort to broaden her scope beyond new services and into
new markets, Nancy realized the value of becoming a certified
WBE. She had strong knowledge of the business side of construction but would need to become proficient in the technical aspects of the company operations to qualify. Through her
membership in the National Concrete Sawing and Drilling
Association, Nancy traveled the country training in such courses
as blueprint reading, core drilling, saw cutting and wall sawing.
She even headed to Japan to learn more about new technologies
in wire sawing.
After ten years in business, the company was granted
WBE/DBE status in seven states on the East coast. Not without
lessons learned, however. “If you’re starting a WBE construction
company in New Jersey,” Nancy advises, “be prepared to have
your authenticity questioned. Document, document, document
everything.”
Despite the challenges of certifying, Nancy recognizes the rewards have come in the many opportunities open to WBEs.
Atlantic Concrete Cutting has grown to 50 employees and 35
Safety on the Cutting Edge
Concrete cutting is, of course, dangerous work. Nancy focused
more and more on safety as the company expanded, creating a
full-time safety director role and beefing up safety and training
policies.
Atlantic Concrete Cutting operators are trained on the most
modern technology and equipment, receiving both field and
classroom instruction through the company’s in-house training
program. In addition, operators are required to take a minimum
of eight hours of OSHA safety training every year after they have
completed the OSHA 30-Hour safety course.
That emphasis on safety led Atlantic Concrete to invest in cutting-edge technology like Ground Penetrating Radar, or GPR,
which allows operators to analyze the subsurface of a floor or
wall without having to evacuate a worksite, unlike potentially
dangerous radiography or X-ray devices. Atlantic Concrete
Cutting has put its practical applications – locating extension cables and conduit in concrete, pinpointing pipes, utility mapping
and more – to use at the Cherry Hill Mall, for example, and at
various sites in New York City. With it, contractors can avoid hitting a gas line – or even a graveyard.
Confronting Challenges, Marking Success
trucks. On any given day, 10 to 15 crews are dispatched to various projects throughout the region. While the headquarters remain in Mt. Holly, the company also has satellite offices in
Pennsylvania and North Jersey.
Rewarding Work with ACCNJ Members
Nancy joined the former AGC of New Jersey, now ACCNJ,
in 2008, and enjoys reminiscing about some of her favorite
projects, many of which were performed
with ACCNJ members. They were part
of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s
mega projects, widening the Garden
State Parkway and the construction
Turnpike Exits 6-9.
“When the Tropicana garage collapsed,
we were dispatched there in 30 minutes
and stayed on for nine months,” Nancy r
elated. In addition to countless school
and hospital projects, Atlantic Concrete
Cutting is proud to number these
ACCNJ-member projects in its portfolio:
Giants Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Robert
Wood Johnson, South Street Seaport,
Temple University, the University of
Pennsylvania, The College of New Jersey
and Princeton University.
Post-recession, Nancy notes that competing against non-union
shops is the firm’s biggest challenge. Day to day, keeping up with
complex state and federal regulations looms as another challenge.
But she is quick to emphasize their successes in the industry,
particularly the projects on which the company can prove its
value by providing a multitude of services and disciplines.
“Best of all,” Nancy concludes, “Atlantic Concrete Cutting is
part of the ever-changing infrastructure in our region – New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. I can see our triumphs every day.”
Education
ACCNJ Awards Scholarships Totaling $50,000
By Carol Fulton, Membership Development Director
ight deserving students received a total of $50,000 through
the Association’s scholarship programs, presented at the
ACCNJ June Membership Meeting on June 9, 2015, at
Hilton Gardens Inn, Edison.
Two other students each received an award through the Floor
Covering Institute of New Jersey’s 7th Annual Scholarships.
These students demonstrated exemplary qualities in their
intellect, determination to perform well academically, desire to
excel in extracurricular activities and devotion to their communities, as evidenced by their many volunteer efforts. They shine
as the best-of-the-best of their generation. We are proud to
introduce them – their accomplishments and aspirations – to
the ACCNJ community.
E
Donald R. Waters Scholarship
John Sauerland chose to travel two hours each day from his
home in Andover to Mountain Lakes High School because the
academics were more challenging. Then he chose to play football
and lacrosse, wrestle and run track, requiring hours of practice
after school. Finally, he joined various clubs that often met until
8 pm. His days were long and action-packed – but John took advantage of every opportunity he could.
John Sauerland, accompanied by his proud parents, is presented the
Donald R. Waters Scholarship.
His academics were outstanding. With a full schedule of
Honors and Advanced Placement classes, John wanted more.
He was the first to enroll in AP Latin at Mountain Lakes, and was
the first and only member of the Latin Honor Society, winning
awards for outstanding performance on the National Latin
Exam. He took AP Calculus a year early, and was one of the first
to take the newly created Honors Multivariable Calculus course.
John was elected a member of the National Honor Society and
selected as a Peer Leader.
He was president of the Economics Club and secretary-treasurer of the American Club. He was twice nominated game
captain for his winning football team. His lacrosse team won
the State Sectionals.
He gave countless volunteer hours to the Key Club, Tom
Coughlin Jay Fund, Morristown Soup Kitchen, Starlight
Children’s Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Community
Food Bank of New Jersey and many other organizations. He
helped train the local youth football team. And he worked 20
hours a week at the Barnes & Noble Café. John entered Boston
College this fall, where he plans to pursue biology or physics.
ACCNJ Foundation Scholarships
Benedict Torcivia, Sr. Memorial Scholarship
Eric Teleghani discovered the tough job of leadership when, as
captain of the cross-country team at Peninsula Catholic High
School in Newport News, Virginia, his number-one seeded team
came in fifth at the largest meet in the state. Eric challenged two
problematic team members to run with him on every workout,
putting forth all they had. He also demanded his own best effort
every day. His team won all three post-season races, a feat never
before achieved at Peninsula Catholic.
Eric was introduced to this “lead by example” philosophy back
in fifth grade, when he joined the Boy Scouts and ultimately
earned his Eagle Scout award. He served two terms as class vice
president, was Club President Captain of the Varsity Basketball
team, and captain of Varsity Track and Varsity Soccer.
Eric’s stellar performance in his Honors and Advanced
Placement-filled schedule led to his election into the National
Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta,
the Mathematics Honor Society.
He was active in Students Against Destructive Decisions, the
STEM Club, the Interact, Religion and Spanish clubs. He was selected as a Peer Retreat Team Facilitator and served on the
Liturgical Team. Eric served with the Youth Volunteer Corps,
took years of piano lessons, joined the summer swim team and
was an assistant youth basketball coach. During school, he
worked for two years at a car wash and four years at Douglas
Aquatics as a lifeguard and assistant manager.
Eric entered the University of Virginia this fall to study biomedical engineering.
Michael Jensen Memorial Scholarship recipient Thomas vanVelduisen
pictured here with his father and brother.
Eric Teleghani, in the company of his family, receives the Benedict Torcivia
Memorial Scholarship.
Michael Jensen Memorial Scholarship
Thomas vanVelduisen suffered the worst-possible loss – the
death of his mother – and rose triumphant because of faith, hard
work and the love and support of others. He credits the spirit of
his hometown of Chesterfield with keeping him going during his
mother’s struggle with cancer.
His passion for scouting also helped him through, and took
him all the way to Eagle Scout and the Order of the Arrow. He
volunteers at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cranbury, and for
his Eagle Scout project, he built a playground at the church.
Thomas graduated from Northern Burlington County
Regional High School after enrolling in every Honors and
Advanced Placement class that fit his schedule. He was elected to
the National Honor Society, the National Chinese Honor Society,
and the National Art Honor Society. He received an OMer award
for his work with Odyssey of the Mind. He made the Varsity
Swim Team and, outside of school, swam with the Burlington
County Aqua Barons and the Jersey Devilrays.
For Thomas, engineering is another all-consuming passion. In
his Technology Honors class, he led a five-person team building a
robotic exo-skeleton that gives the user extra arms, a prototype
for helping the disabled and expanding human ability. He was a
founding member and served as president of his high school robotics team. This fall, he entered Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University in Daytona Beach to major in aerospace engineering.
Laura Romanski has been swimming for nearly half her life. At
Hanover Park High School in East Hanover, she captained both
her high school and community swim teams. When she offered
her talents to the Kids 2 Kids program, she discovered a passion
for helping children with disabilities. During the past four years,
she has established strong bonds with many of them, nurturing
their abilities and helping them realize new achievements. One
young boy, who barely spoke when she met him, blossomed with
her encouragement into speaking whole sentences, venturing
into the water and ultimately completing an event in his first
swim meet. Kids 2 Kids now uses Laura’s experience with this
young boy as a training case study. Laura was asked to join the
executive board of Kids 2 Kids, and serves as the spokesperson
for the organization to the business community.
Laura also brings her artistic talent to the K2K program, creating an art program for the special-needs children. The K2K
Board of Directors considers her “a transformational leader
(with) perseverance, persuasion, passion and persistence.”
During this active volunteer work, Laura also carried a full
schedule of Honors and Advanced Placement classes. She was
elected into the National Honor Society, served as vice president
at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. For Anna, that experience was the “rare opportunity” to gain experience in her field
and affirm her career decision.
Laura Romanski receives an ACCNJ scholarship award in the presence
of her parents.
for the Key Club and secretary for the student government, attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as the
Hanover Park Ambassador, played Varsity soccer, and worked
part-time as a lifeguard and swim instructor.
Laura now attends Penn State University, majoring in arts and
architecture.
Anna Colonna’s self-described “passion for people” led her to pursue a career in nursing as she entered Boston College this fall.
Academically, her high school career at Red Bank Catholic was stellar, loaded with Honors and Advanced Placement classes in every
subject, earning her membership in the National Honor Society.
But Anna’s extracurricular and volunteer activities were just as
impressive. She earned three Varsity letters for winter and spring
track, throwing shot-put, javelin and discus. She played club
rugby and enjoyed powerlifting. She sang, danced and acted in
Pegasus Productions, a local drama group, had roles in five plays
and musicals and ended up as a Manager on the Pegasus Board
of Directors, responsible for finding scholarships and awards related to performing arts.
Anna served as president of the school’s Knit, Loom and
Crochet for Charity club, crafting blankets and stuffed animals
for local causes. As a member of the LIFE Club – Living in Faith
Effectively – Anna worked on local service projects year-round.
Along with her father, she served breakfast once a month at the
local Knights of Columbus and served as a Eucharistic Minister
for St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Freehold.
And she worked – as a camp counselor for four summers with
Freehold Township Parks and Recreation and during the school
year as a babysitter for two toddlers. But her life-changing work
came through her unpaid nursing internship, shadowing nurses
Michael Pais entered the Honors College at Hofstra University
this fall, the first in his family to attend college. But the achievements of his father and grandfather inspired him. They left Spain
as poor farmers, immigrating to the United States with little except the will to create a better life for their family. At 17,
Michael’s father joined the International Laborers’ Union,
worked two full-time jobs and in a few short years was able to
build his own home, marry and become a father.
As a child, Michael set his sights on becoming a doctor, spending his leisure time watching House and Grey’s Anatomy and
planning his academic career. In middle school, he qualified as
one of seven students to enter the gifted and talented program.
Then he qualified for the Morris County School of Technology,
one of 30 out of 200 applicants accepted into the Healthcare
Sciences Academy. By the time he graduated, Michael had completed numerous college-level courses and demanding clinicals
and internships. He even designed, built and programmed a medical-surgical robot for an NJIT-sponsored course in Medibotics.
As a member of Health Occupation Students of America,
Michael was a finalist in the national HOSA competition. He volunteered with Alzheimer’s patients and gave 160 hours of internship in medical offices. He captained the JV basketball team and
the Varsity soccer team. A member of the track team, he also
coached soccer and track for Rockaway Borough leagues.
Michael’s varied gifts distinguished him among the many talented students at Morris County School of Technology, where he
was considered “a multi-dimensional individual… with superior
intellect, at ease socially…an accomplished athlete and leader.”
Michael Pais and parents celebrate after receiving an ACCNJ scholarship.
John F. Donohoe Scholarship
Nadia Tolli entered her junior year in the Civil Engineering program at Manhattan College with an already-impressive resume
of practical experience. She appreciates the multifaceted aspect
of her field, which has allowed her to work in an estimating department and on a jobsite in the same summer, helping support
the field from the office AND lay a reinforced concrete deck
across active tracks at Hudson Yards. This past summer she experienced structural design first-hand.
In addition to her demanding academics and rewarding work
experience, Nadia is a Supplemental Instruction Leader for the
Center for Academic Success and a member of the Tau Beta Pi
Engineering Honor Society, devoting many hours a week to tutoring for both organizations. She is an active national and student member of the ASCE, and a founding member of the
Manhattan College Delta Mu Chapter, whose primary charity affiliation is Prevent Child Abuse America.
Lee Collins is flanked by his parents on left and Kathy and John Donohoe
on the right.
John F. Donohoe Scholarship
Kathy and John Donohoe were on hand to present the John F. Donohoe
Scholarship to Nadia Tolli, pictured here with her parents and godparents.
Nadia counts herself “lucky to be surrounded by people who are
extremely passionate about their careers,” most especially John
Donohoe himself, who was a strong supporter of and frequent visitor to Manhattan College. She relates he was known for his commitment at every visit to answer “any and all questions students
had for him.” She hopes to emulate John Donohoe and become an
example for others just as he was for countless students.
But according to the chairman of the Civil & Environmental
Engineering Department at Manhattan College, Nadia is already
there, “the engine” of student participation in class. He writes
that Nadia represents the principles and values that John
Donohoe lectured about to students, reminding him of John “by
being the QUIET THUNDER.”
Leon Collins begins his junior year at The College of New
Jersey’s Civil Engineering program with a reputation for not only
a fine intellect but a compassionate concern for others. In class,
he can be observed helping students with difficult course material. In the community, he volunteers at the Mercer Street Food
Bank, Habitat for Humanity Restore and the Wilson School, all
in Trenton.
Lee grew up with Legos, building blocks and K’nex, captivated
by creating structures higher than humans. From his hometown
of Cinnaminson, he was awed by the many civil engineering feats
visible in nearby Philadelphia. As he pursued academics in high
school, Leon discovered that, in engineering, he is able to merge
his interest in art and design with his passion for the sciences.
He recognizes that today’s world demands less design and construction of new structures and more reconstruction of an aging
infrastructure. But for Leon, civil engineering still calls for the
same creative thinking, science and mathematics. It still creates a
presence on which society depends.
In addition to being a member of ASCE, Leon participates in
Humanitarian Engineers, the College Union Board, the TCNJ
Club Team Tennis and the Math Club. Considered personable
and a man of integrity by his college professors, he was selected
as a TCNJ Ambassador for campus-wide outreach. His desire is
“to make a lasting impact” as a civil engineer, sharing his knowledge to inspire others to enter the field.
Floor Covering Institute of New
Jersey 7th Annual Scholarships
Melissa Hand started playing soccer when she was four, a
passion that kept her striving for the top of her game through
school teams and town travel teams. In Club Soccer, Melissa
earned the Coach’s Player Award. She made Varsity her
freshman year at Somerville High School and was a key player
when the soccer team won the state championship last year.
During her four years on the team she received the Most
Improved Player Award and Senior Leader Award, and in the
summer volunteered as a soccer trainer, working with young
kids as they learned the drills.
Her confidence and sound judgment made her one of only
48 seniors to be accepted into the highly selective Peer
Leadership program, mentoring freshman as they transition
into high school. Melissa was also a member of the Student
Council for three years.
While soccer demanded a great deal of her time, Melissa
also participated in Somerville High School’s Save Our World
Club and the Ski Club. She credits soccer for honing her teambuilding and time-management skills, but Melissa puts
academics first, representing the top 5% of her class after
completing a rigorous schedule of Honors and Advanced
Placement classes throughout her four years. She was accepted
into the National Honor Society for her junior and senior years,
and was a volunteer tutor for middle school students.
Outside of school, her volunteer work at Green Knoll
Rehabilitation Center and Ivy Rehabilitation Center had her
assisting physical and occupational therapists with both elderly
patients and young kids with special needs. This experience and
her love of science are leading her toward a career in the healthrelated sciences, perhaps as an occupational therapist. She
entered the University of Delaware this fall as a first step
toward her goals.
Katherine Lund matriculated from a small middle school in the
quiet beach town of Brigantine to the massive Atlantic City High
School, with four times the number of students. She found herself a minority, experiencing, in her words, “the truth about the
other side of things.” From this melting pot in the classrooms
and hallways of ACHS, Katie learned to speak to those from different cultures and different walks of life. She learned not to
judge others by their backgrounds or appearance. She recognized that, despite all the differences, the students at ACHS share
a common trait: their humanity.
Katie also discovered the importance of truthful and reliable
knowledge and the dangers of ignorance. These revelations fostered a desire to pursue a career in broadcast journalism so that
she may join the effort to distribute reliable information quickly
and thus help preserve peace in communities and the nation.
She started that pursuit this fall at East Carolina University in
Greenville, North Carolina.
Katie takes with her an impressive academic record, having
carried a full load of Honors and Advanced Placement classes
throughout her high school years. She also balanced demanding
academics with equally engaging extracurricular activities. She
was an active member of the high school choir and Drama Club,
carrying those interests out of school as a member of the All
South Jersey Chorus, the TLC Academy of Dance and singing in a
band. She also made the varsity swim team all four years and the
varsity track team her junior year.
Her volunteer work covered a lot of humanity, from a riding
stable for the disabled to the Superior Court of New Jersey’s
Juvenile Conference Committee, where she reviewed cases and
recommended steps to help first-time young offenders avoid
future criminal activity. Katie helped build houses for Project
Homecoming in New Orleans and planted trees in Costa Rica.
Close to home, she volunteered with Atlantic Youth Interaction, a
church youth group, for four years, participating in community
service projects and fundraising. And she even found time to
work as a Sales Associate in two retail operations!
Education
Student Summer
Work Program
By Jill Schiff, Executive Director of Operations
fter a long, harsh Northeast winter and a brief stint
with spring, most in our area looked forward to the
far-too-few summer months in New Jersey. Taking
vacation or spending time at the Jersey Shore topped the list
of what to do. Unless of course, you’re a college student enrolled
in a construction discipline and were fortunate enough to be
selected for the Construction Industry Advancement Program’s
Summer Internship.
The 58 students that participated were up at dawn, barely
saw the beach, and maybe were lucky enough to squeeze in a
quick vacation before heading back for the fall semester. But,
that’s okay, because after their 12 weeks of interning for one of
New Jersey’s top construction companies, they were able to look
back at one of the best summers of their lives.
Don’t take our word for it – here’s a sample of what the
students and their supervisors had to say:
A
Matthew McAnally
Villanova University
EIC Associates
Spending the night at the LaGuardia Airport project on runway
extensions with the objective of learning all the time and complaining none of the time proved to be the summer experience
for Matthew. Working with superintendent Nestor Martinez, engineer Caroline Ortiz, and a host of craftworkers and Port
Authority inspectors brought an abundance of valuable experiences in three months that could not have been achieved anywhere else. Even though Matthew joined the team at the final
phase of the project, it became his life. Nights were long and hectic, but at the end of it all, to stand on the runway and look back
at the finished product was an unbeatable feeling.
Hannah Collura
Rowan University
Joseph Jingoli & Son Inc.
Assisting in the management of a $1.5 million site improvement
contract that involved demolition, earthwork and utility construction/relocation, along with the initial foundation construction phases of a $39 million general construction contract for a
new academic building at Rowan University, Hannah was exposed to a wide variety of construction management on her
home school turf. In addition to working in an office setting, she
spent time on-site reviewing and processing submittals and RFIs
and inspecting construction and tracking progress, allowing her
to develop practical and efficient jobs skills. Hannah was also
able to independently manage projects, write agendas and compile meeting minutes. JJS has extended Hannah’s employment
part-time through the fall semester.
Timothy K. Mathew
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Northeast Remsco Construction
Timothy completed a summer internship with Northeast
Remsco Construction, Inc. on August 19, 2015. At the start of
his internship, Timothy was afforded the opportunity to complete an OSHA 30 Hour/Globally Harmonized System training
course offered by ACCNJ. He was assigned to work under
Thomas Ulisse, PE, on NJTA Contract P100.297 – Bridge Deck
Reconstruction MP 121-131. During his internship, Timothy
was responsible for reviewing contract plans and specifications,
reviewing and processing submittals and RFIs, communicating
with vendors for procurement and submittal tasks, reviewing
as-built plans to create AutoCAD drawings for new bridge
drainage and bearings, performing takeoffs and reviewing plan
quantities. Timothy worked diligently during his internship
and was recommended for the CIAP scholarship opportunity
offered by the program.
Mateusz Sepko
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Trevcon Construction Co., Inc.
Yatin Tuteja
Matt had the opportunity to work on various projects in
Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Beach Channel Drive,
FDNY Brooklyn Navy Yard, SI DOT Foam Room and Pier 17. He
completed an OSHA 10-hour safety program before starting
work. The bulk of his time was spent at the Pier 17-South Street
Seaport project, where during his first week he attended a
progress meeting to get caught up on the status of the job.
Throughout his internship, Matt was exposed to all aspects of
marine construction and construction management. He prepared and submitted RFIs and submittals to the construction
manager, calculated takeoffs, contacted vendors for quotes,
wrote purchase order requests, and helped review drawings and
specifications. According to Matt’s supervisor, Assistant VP Dan
Li, perhaps one of the biggest learning experiences for Matt was
discovering the requisites and precautions one faces when obtaining and renewing permits and licenses in New York City.
Matt was also exposed to administrative and engineering tasks
in the field, including logging truck’s mix data and pre-bid conferences with owners and walkthroughs to analyze different
scopes of work. The best validation that the program works is
when a student continues after their 12-week internship, which
Matt will be doing with Trevcon.
Working on a variety of tasks this summer for a general contractor proved valuable in bringing Yatin one step closer to his goal
of becoming a project engineer. The opportunity allowed him to
write daily job reports with photos and coordinate, organize and
update the flow of construction work including files and drawings. Yatin was also able to verify delivery of materials and crosscheck it against project documents and approved submittals. He
participated in jobsite safety meetings and walkthroughs, attended weekly construction progress meetings and assisted with
on-screen takeoffs for the Rutgers University Ernest Mario
School of Pharmacy addition project.
Craig Nowlen
Atlantic Concrete Cutting Inc.
Craig’s summer internship provided great opportunities for him
both professionally and personally. Working for a subcontractor,
his experience was narrowed down to one facet of the industry,
allowing him to track every step of a construction project, thanks
to the amazing team at Atlantic. Prior to starting, Craig used his
spring break to tour the Atlantic facilities, apply for his security
cards for both TWIC and SWAC, and complete both the OSHA
10-hour and CSDA training. Once he began his 12 weeks in May,
Craig was off and running. He searched online forums for job opportunities for Atlantic, met with companies about potential
work, learned how to write proposals and visited sites for inspections. Craig also learned how to invoice projects, do takeoffs,
write quotes and follow up with contractors. The bulk of his time
was spent with Stu Fishman, the New York area project manager,
who had a tremendous impact on Craig. Being on site and interacting with various individuals responsible for the work was his
favorite part of the process. A summer that allowed him to stand
on the decks of the Brooklyn Bridge and Verrazano Bridge, the
runway at JFK, the shadow of the monstrous John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier docked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and travel
four-stories deep in the basement of Tower 4 of The World Trade
Center, would prove to be a humbling, educational and overall
awesome experience.
Marcantony Cunha
EE Cruz Inc.
Working in the estimating department, Marcantony would help
lead estimators bid multiple projects. A typical day would include calculating project quantities, researching specifications,
collaborating with potential subcontractors for quotes, and assisting with value engineering proposals. When asked, frequently, why he’s always smiling, for Marcantony it was simple:
He’s living the dream. He strongly believes this opportunity was
a gift and couldn’t be happier. He can confidently state this was a
life-changing experience.
Nicholas Cuono
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp.
This summer Nicholas gained hands-on experience by applying
classroom lessons to real-world operations and expanded his understanding of the goals and responsibilities of a construction
company. In the office, Nicholas assisted project managers with
closeouts and worked closely with the estimating department,
reaching out to subcontractors and organizing proposals. While
in the field he worked on five various projects at different stages
of completion, and served as an assistant to the superintendent
on each of the projects. He attended jobsite meetings, administered toolbox talks and safety orientations to subcontractors,
verified material deliveries, reviewed specifications and blueprints, maintained the daily logs and prepared reports for project owners. Nicholas exceeded the company’s expectations and
was a pleasure to have on board.
Focus On
Susan Schultz:
A Career of Firsts in
the Carpenters Union
By Jill Schiff, Executive Director Operations
fter 36 years in the Carpenters Union, Susan Schultz
shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, quite the
contrary. On many occasions, she has stepped up and
stepped out of her comfort zone, which has fostered her rise
through the union. Leading the way for other “sisters,” Sue is no
stranger to being the first to go forward in a sea of “brothers.”
The only daughter in a Connecticut family of sons, Sue was encouraged to do what she wanted and was never told she couldn’t
because she was a girl. The day she accidentally learned about the
carpenters union and the opportunity to join, Sue knew nothing
about the trade and yet felt compelled to do it. Her family’s support of her decision was paramount. No stranger to a union (her
father was a teacher), Susan Schultz became one of three females
to become an apprentice in 1979 for Local 43, Hartford, CT.
Extremely nervous and unable to drive a nail, Sue laughs now
at how unprepared she was her first day, including losing a contact lens before she even left the house! Sue quickly put her
nerves aside and began soaking up all she could learn about the
trade. She poured footings and foundation walls, worked on a
roof that she accessed from a ladder 15 feet away and walked a
beam – to this day, she can’t remember how she got across.
But making it through her apprenticeship proved to be the
solid foundation Sue needed in the union. After a decade in
Connecticut, Sue found her way to Carpenters Local 15, now
Local 253 – Bergen County, eventually working on various bridge
jobs for Bishop-Sanzari-Creamer JV. Sue recalls her first meeting
with the general foreman and how he saw more potential in her
than she saw in herself. She reminds us that sometimes you can’t
see yourself as others see you - he obviously had great vision.
Expecting a lot from people, her foreman knew he could get 100%
from her and began giving her work of a foreman, which in turn
gave her the confidence to speak up. Sue was promoted to foreman, a position she held with the company for six years.
Sue’s last memorable job with BSC was the Xanadu project in
2005, before being tapped as an instructor for the Kenilworth
A
Training Center. But not just an instructor, the first female instructor. Perhaps a bit ironic, but when asking Sue if she wasn’t a union
carpenter what career path would she have chosen and, without
hesitation, she said a teacher. This was truly a perfect fit. However,
it also presented great challenges. Being accustom to getting a job
done in the field and translating that into the classroom to help
someone learn was a difficult task, but one she was more than willing to accept. Sue found this to be an extremely rewarding position. She enjoyed seeing things “click” for the apprentices.
As part of her willingness to take on new challenges, Sue has
always been active in volunteering, something near and dear to
her. She planned and implemented the Volunteer Organizing
Committee for her union, led the Women’s Committee, chaired
the NRCC Sister in the Brotherhood program, served as the
International Sisters in the Brotherhood Eastern District representative, was the first woman delegate to the NRCC, was appointed chair of the NRCC SIB Recruitment and Retention
Program, appointed to the planning committee for the 2015 SIB
Conference, and is the captain for the UBC Sisters Race for the
Cure team.
With such an incredibly impressive resume, it comes as no surprise that effective June 1, 2015, Susan Schultz was appointed as
the first female Council Representative for the Northeast
Regional Council of Carpenters. She has since left her home at
the training center and is settling in nicely at the regional offices
in Edison. With this advancement, Sue focuses most of her energy on promoting the craft to a non-traditional audience –
women. She is armed with an arsenal of firsthand experience
that she readily shares, which makes her an incredible role
model and mentor to not only the women she meets, but, dare
we say, everyone.
She works hard to dispel the misconceptions of others by promoting today’s union as open to all interested and willing to
work hard to earn an honest day’s pay. Representation by union
leadership and protections of a collective bargaining agreement
are also a common conversation Sue will have with potential apprentices. She doesn’t deny being a woman in a non-traditional
field is tough and that you won’t bump heads with others, but
the amount of support you get from your union is critical in your
success, something Sue recognized years ago.
For those that have already taken the first step and know becoming a union carpenter is the right career choice, Sue shares
this advice: go for it with all you can, both in school and out in
the field. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; we all do when we’re
learning something new, that’s how we learn. There’s a learning
curve with any new position, be patient and work hard. Our employers are counting on us to be productive in the field, better
and faster.
As an industry veteran, Sue has seen many trends, most recently, at the UBC General Convention. While in attendance, she
noticed a more open-door mentality, acceptance and opportunities for women. She’s excited to be part of the new forward-thinking approach and watching more women move into leadership
positions. Sue is equally excited about her new role at the NRCC,
meeting new people and working to move the initiative forward
with others that share her beliefs and passion.
Don’t be misled, this hard-working, dedicated industry trailblazer still makes time for family and friends. Now that she has
mastered the art of driving a nail, Sue’s no stranger to tackling
projects around the family house in Connecticut with her 86-yearold father. “There’s something about him that’s so encouraging,”
Sue quietly conveys. A trait his daughter undoubtedly inherited.
Government Affairs Report
2015 NJ Election
Perspectives
By: Michael A. Travostino, Government Affairs Director
s you know, New Jersey’s legislature consists of two houses, the
Senate and General Assembly. Election cycles rotate every two
or four years. Within NJ’s 40 legislative districts (LDs) this
year, all 80 seats in the General Assembly are up for a popular vote in
November. At the time of this writing, we’re less than a month away
from Election Night 2015. We’ve taken a look at some of the races that
political watchers have in focus. For those of us in the construction industry, of course, we will be focused on candidates who support our
initiatives.
A
of the state as a whole, has been fraught with heavy policy and
political issues that directly affect both business and the taxpayer. The long-term decline of Atlantic City casinos, property
tax increases, massive unemployment and the county’s tax base
have all developed as polarizing issues. Cable TV ads, aggressive
mailing campaigns and strong get-out-the-vote efforts will increase as Election Day gets closer in this year’s fiercest battleground district.
District 38 (Bergen)
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland Counties)
In this conservative-leaning district in southernmost Jersey, the
makeup is currently split, with one Democrat and one
Republican representing the interests of the constituents.
Incumbent Assemblyman Rob Andrzejczak (D), an Iraqi war veteran, has teamed up with another war hero in his running mate
Bruce Land (D). The current sitting Republican in LD 1,
Assemblyman Samuel Fiocchi (R), and his running mate Jim
Sauro (R) are trying to prevent a Democratic sweep. There are
several parochial issues within the district such as horseshoe
crabbing, veteran care, fishing interests and disparity in property
taxes that normally dominate the electorate’s interest. Aggressive
cable TV ads will play a role in shaping the election as the candidates enter the final stretch of the campaign season.
District 2 (Atlantic County)
Easily the most-watched Assembly race in the state this year,
LD2, much like LD1, consists of one sitting Assembly Democrat
and one sitting Assembly Republican, which creates another
South Jersey split district. Incumbent Assemblyman Vince
Mazzeo (D), and his running mate Colin Bell (D), are facing off
against incumbent Assemblyman Chris Brown (R) and his running mate Will Pauls (R). This legislative district, and this region
Democrats generally have been on a solid run of election night
successes in Bergen County in recent cycles. In LD38,
Democratic incumbents Assemblymen Joe Lagana, and Tim
Eustace are attempting to keep their party’s momentum going by
fending off a challenge from Republicans Mark DiPisa and
Anthony Cappola. Republicans had nominated another candidate to run alongside Mr. DiPisa after Mr. Cappola indicated he
was dropping out of the race due to racially insensitive comments he made. The potential last-minute slate change for
Republicans has weakened their chances for an election-night
upset, but the historical fact remains that Democrats won only
by a very slim margin two years ago. Soaring property taxes,
commuter issues and needed infrastructure upgrades for the region are routinely included in this district’s constituency concerns, on which the candidates take strong positions. Cable TV
ad buys will run repeatedly in this heavy New York-influenced
market for the Democratic incumbents’ benefit now through
Election Day.
As you read this, Election Night 2015 will have come and gone and
collectively we’ll move onto the next race. While some political pundits
believe two years is a long time in politics, the looming 2017 NJ election cycle in which the governorship and all 120 seats in the
Legislature are up is right around the corner. Stay tuned…
Legal Update
Compliance Programs –
When They Work and
When They Don't
By Richard T. Preiss, Peckar & Abramson, PC
Introduction
In today’s regulated economy, compliance programs are a necessity across most industries. That is no less so for the construction
industry.
How a compliance program is developed, whether it is tailored
to a particular company, how it is viewed and supported by management, and whether it is “genuine” are all important considerations in determining whether a compliance program will be
effective, whether it will protect the company and its employees,
and whether it will create a culture of compliance.
There are two basic approaches in determining why a company should have a robust compliance program and they are not
mutually exclusive. The first approach involves a company’s decision to define itself as a responsible corporate citizen because its
leadership believes that is the appropriate way to conduct business. The other is self-protective—a company with a robust compliance program is more likely to benefit from employees who
are aware of the risk of non-compliance and committed to avoiding the consequences of that risk.
Perhaps the most critical overall factor in developing a compliance program is to gain from the best in human motivation and
avoid the consequences of the worst.
Why Have a Compliance Program?
Federal and state prevailing wage laws, false claims with both
civil and criminal implications, OSHA, environmental regulations, building codes, set aside programs, and a host of other
laws and regulations have made doing business more complicated and costly, and have placed construction companies and
their employees in need of compliance programs that guide them
through the regulatory maze and the accompanying legal risks.
Any construction company that wants to conduct its business in
compliance with all these laws and regulations and thus avoid
costly mistakes and damage to its reputation has little choice but
to put a compliance program into place. Any construction company that does not recognize the value of this approach is making a serious mistake as the costs of non-compliant conduct can
reach shocking levels. Those costs can include the loss of business opportunities, the inability to work for government entities,
civil lawsuits, and perhaps even criminal prosecution.
Companies whose names appear in the media for the wrong reasons or who do not appear to do business in an honest and compliant way pay a high price for their failure to avoid
non-compliance.
Compliance programs that are championed by management,
professionally executed, and regularly updated keep a company
and its employees away from legal risk. Through clarity of policy,
company education, and active involvement in key regulatory issues, companies can save money and time, and protect their reputation. When each member of the company knows and
understands the applicable rules, there is a significantly greater
likelihood that the company will act in a compliant manner.
Those contractors who hope to compete for contracts with any
federal agency must have a compliance program that satisfies the
rigorous and specific requirements of the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR).
Companies that actively train their employees to comply with
specific policies, obtain those employees’ guarantees that they
have read and understood the policies, and record their attendance at training sessions, can have an advantage when an employee uses bad judgment and causes the company to undergo
regulatory scrutiny or criminal investigation. Such a compliance
program could enable the company to persuade a regulator or
prosecutor (or in some cases even a judge) that the company
should not be penalized for the improper action of a properly
trained rogue employee who committed a non-compliant act despite all the excellent efforts of the company to be sure none of
its employees did so. Such circumstances are, of course, never
pleasant for anyone; however, the protection of the company is
directly linked to the protection of all its employees.
Finally, as stated earlier, having a genuine compliance program
that sets forth what is expected of everyone, and explains why, is
the right thing to do for both the company and the employees,
and increases the likelihood that the company as a whole will understand and fully commit to the program.
An effective compliance program
should begin with a risk assessment
by the company, working with
competent counsel, to determine
potential legal risk based upon the
company’s line of business.
The Elements of a Successful Compliance Program and the
Culture of Compliance
A genuine and successful compliance program begins with the
executive management’s acceptance of the need to implement
and support the program. That acceptance must be sincere and
enthusiastic, for it is the responsibility of management to lead a
culture of compliance. Any disparagement of the policy among
management will be quickly detected by the employees and the
program will almost certainly be doomed to failure.
A culture of compliance is one that unconditionally recognizes
that compliance is as much a part of the business of the company
as is, for example, business development. Without both, the company will not survive in a competitive and highly regulated construction market. Thereafter, executive management must ensure
that all levels of the company’s management “buy in” to the program and take ownership of it, along with the employees. That
means pushing down the expectation of a culture of compliance
to everyone from the top level of the company to the bottom.
Any genuine compliance program and policy must be properly
tailored to the individual company and the business it conducts.
So called “off the shelf ” programs are rarely effective and are
quickly seen by employees for what they are – a haphazard and
insincere solution that solely addresses appearances and has little to do with the actual business of the construction company.
Such programs will not be taken seriously by the employees.
For example, a local builder of private homes has little use for a
compliance program designed for a contractor that builds affordable housing financed by HUD. A civil contractor that builds
roads and similar infrastructure and that obtains all of its business by competitive hard bidding for government financed contracts has very different compliance needs from a builder of
private commercial buildings. And a national commercial building contractor has different compliance needs from a regional
commercial building contractor doing business within one state.
An effective compliance program should begin with a risk assessment by the company, working with competent counsel, to
determine potential legal risk based upon the company’s line of
business. A risk assessment is best performed by interviewing executive, middle, and lower level management to gain a complete
understanding of the company’s business and where its business
intersects with compliance issues.
Once these steps have been taken, the company should adopt a
written compliance policy that summarizes the company’s compliance goals. It should clearly state that meeting the expectations in the compliance policy is an obligation of every employee
at every level.
The policy should be written in plain English, without excessive legalese, and should be as concise as possible. After all, the
policy is designed to communicate primarily with employees,
not lawyers. Compliance policies that are overly complicated and
recite at length the text of laws and regulations provide little useful guidance and are often viewed as indecipherable and impractical – and rightly so.
Policy rules should be set forth succinctly and should cross-reference other policy rules as necessary. In every instance, policies
should include the expectation that business will be done honestly, carefully, transparently, and in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
The compliance policy should specifically state that all employees are representatives of the company and that they are expected to act accordingly and to be compliant.
The policy should also include basic provisions that require,
among other things: honest records; accurate recording and allocation of costs; transparency in dealing with clients and potential
clients; definitions of a conflict of interest and an expectation of
undivided loyalty to the company by all employees; special care
on any publicly funded project with detailed guidance, as necessary; precise rules on the giving and receiving of gifts and other
things of value to or from all categories of persons; policies on
dealing with public officials and public employees including public clients, their representatives, and law enforcement; a detailed
description of who employees should approach with compliance
questions; and a requirement that any and all misconduct, violation of law, or violation of the compliance policy by anyone in
the company or doing business with the company be reported to
the company immediately.
Of course, specific additional policies and guidance will be necessary depending upon the needs and business of the company.
Managers and employees must also understand why a compliance program is necessary in the first place. Simply imposing a
set of rules is not an effective way to encourage support for a policy and is less likely to result in a company that accepts a genuine
culture of compliance that governs how the employees are expected to behave and provides them with an informed view of
their compliance obligations. The reasons why a compliance program and a culture of compliance are expected and required
should be explained in a training program specifically designed
for the company.
Training programs should be carefully thought out, and the
training materials should be closely related to the compliance
concerns applicable to the company.
At the outset, training should be provided in person by competent trainers in the presence of respected members of management, who in turn show their support with their attendance and
participation, as appropriate.
This training can consist of a combination of video presentations to a group of employees accompanied by discussion,
and perhaps even a recitation of some of the basic principles of
the compliance policy. The training should be designed to
encourage employee participation and can be conducted with
internal or external resources. It is also a good idea to use an
appropriate method to test the employees’ understanding of the
compliance policies.
Training should be designed to address the actual risks facing
the company and the employees. Trying to address every conceivable risk is not only nearly impossible, but would damage the
credibility of the training program and take far too long.
Once training is completed, the sessions should be well documented, and all employees should be required to “sign off ” on the
compliance policy in writing or electronically, stating that they
understand and agree to follow the policy and that they understand there is zero tolerance for violations. This impresses upon
the employees that they will be held accountable for any violation.
Once a compliance program is in effect, employees must be encouraged to ask questions. There should be a designated venue
for employees to seek guidance or advice when they have a compliance question. The answers can be supplied by a well-trained
compliance officer or an attorney, who should always be the one
answering legal questions.
Obtaining answers to compliance questions can be as simple
as walking into the designated person’s office and having a conversation. It can also be done by phone or by email. Regardless of
the manner in which an answer is sought, it must be easy to get a
timely answer, the question and answer should be documented
so it is clear the inquiry was addressed, and there should be no
recriminations for asking a question. No matter how silly or uninformed the question might appear initially, it should be taken
seriously and answered appropriately. What is critical is that the
company encourages all employees to feel comfortable asking
questions. This assurance is really in the company’s interest, in
that its employees will be less likely to make mistakes that could
prove costly to the company.
Training programs should be
carefully thought out, and the
training materials should be
closely related to the compliance
concerns applicable to the company.
The most important questions among employees are those
that are asked before they take action that might constitute a violation. These types of inquiries must be encouraged. Equally important is the delivery of clear, concise, and prompt responses
from those responsible for compliance. Unless the answers are
provided promptly, the value is lost.
Imagine an employee who asks, “May I take this government
employee out for dinner this week” and then receives an answer
three weeks later saying, “No, you may not take that person to
dinner.” The employee will have already violated policies, perhaps violated the law, and will be unable to undue the harm. In
such circumstances, the lack of prompt responses will result in
little respect for the value of the compliance program.
Once the compliance program is in place, there must be a system by which employees of the company will be held accountable
for compliance policy violations and where prompt corrective action will be taken. In addition, this prompt corrective action must
apply to all employees and not just the ones at lower levels in the
company. In short, everyone must be held accountable.
Disciplinary action may involve retraining, an oral or written
reprimand, or, at worst, termination of employment for serious
violations. Disciplinary action should be imposed by a respected
manager at a higher level of the company so as to convey a
strong message that the company takes violations seriously and
will hold everyone accountable. The lack of credible discipline
could haunt the company some day in the event of a violation
that becomes the subject of a regulatory investigation or criminal
prosecution. One of the first questions posed about the efficacy
of the company’s compliance program is “And what did you do
to the employees who violated your policy?” The lack of discipline among lower tier employees only gains little respect from
regulators and prosecutors.
Finally, while management is wise to listen to concerns from
employees about the compliance program and perhaps make
changes based upon reasonable concerns, they should not tolerate any comments that claim that elements of the policy “don’t
make sense” or “are completely unrealistic.” It should be made
clear that this is the company’s policy and it must be followed –
like it or not. Similarly, complaints about compliance at “water
cooler meetings” should be strongly discouraged.
When Compliance Programs Do Not Work
In his prior position as a public prosecutor, the author was able
to observe many occasions when compliance programs ultimately failed. Several mistakes in approach that commonly occurred are discussed below.
The most obvious policy failures were those in which the compliance program was itself a fraud. This was often apparent, for
example, in the cases of boiler room “pump and dump” operations designed to separate unsophisticated “would-be” investors
from their money by unlawful manipulation of penny stocks and
thinly capitalized companies. Those sorts of compliance programs were merely a front to regulators who were often not paying attention to the behavior of the persons running these
dishonest firms. Indeed, proof that the compliance program was
a fraud was used to persuade a jury of the guilt of the company
and its employees.
The lack of credible discipline
could haunt the company some day
in the event of a violation that
becomes the subject of a regulatory
investigation or criminal prosecution.
Cases in which employees do not perceive management’s
strong support for a company’s compliance programs are similarly problematic. For example, managers will often sympathize
with their employees’ complaints that the program is a nuisance
and makes it more difficult to do business. However, these kinds
of complaints should be rejected immediately and firmly.
Managers should explain to employees that the compliance
program is an important part of doing business and is no less
important than the other parts of the company’s overall approach to running a successful business. Managers should also
explain that the compliance program will also save the company
money in the form of reduced legal fees for dealing with compliance violations.
Compliance programs also fail when the executive managers
imposing the rules fail to recognize the perception among many
employees that compliance rules are counterintuitive, unfair,
and inappropriately limit an employee’s freedom to apply their
own set of personal “ethical standards” to situations.
In the construction industry, for example, some companies
have recognized that employees who accept meals, gifts, and
other items of value create legal risk for themselves and the company. For example, if a mistaken or fraudulent change order proposed by a subcontractor is then recommended by the
construction manager (CM) or general contractor (GC) to the
owner, the owner will be very suspicious of the motivations for
the CM/GC’s recommendation if the owner learns that the subcontractor has given things of value to the employees of the
CM/GC. When the compliance policy says that employees cannot
accept such things, it naturally creates some resentment at the
concept that an otherwise ethical employee would allow herself to
be “bought off ” with a meal. Accordingly, there should be a detailed explanation of the legal risks to both the company and the
employee when such gifts are accepted. This explanation should
following the rules and not being held accountable. In such situations, regulators, prosecutors, and judges will view the compliance program as ineffective.
Final Thoughts
be provided anytime there is a chance that an employee perceives
that something is being taken away by a compliance rule.
Some companies also denigrate the effectiveness of their compliance programs by treating compliance training as a chore and
appointing lower level employees to conduct the training.
Ideally, the trainers should be people well-respected within the
company who know and understand the company’s business.
When time, money, or resources are a concern, such that a senior
person cannot perform the training, a respected manager should
attend the training session as a participant and lead by example.
Perhaps one of the most important factors that cause a compliance program to fail is the lack of consequences and accountability for employees who violate the compliance policy. There is no
better away to ensure that a compliance program will fail as when
there is no prompt corrective action taken in response to a compliance violation. The company is sending an implicit message to
its employees that the program and the policy are mere window
dressing, and they will not be held accountable for violations.
The failure to maintain a zero tolerance policy for compliance
violations, combined with a failure to have documented reasonable disciplinary action for those violations, also guarantees that
the program will be of little use as a defensive mechanism and
will be viewed by regulators, prosecutors, and judges as being in
bad faith.
Disciplinary action must be fairly imposed upon all employees, both management and non-management, for violations of
the compliance policy. Enforcement of the compliance policy
upon the lower level employees without holding all employees
(including managers) at all levels accountable for their compliance violations will breed cynicism, and a regulator or prosecutor will spot such unfairness immediately. That unfairness will
be held against the company, especially if the person whose actions are in question is a manager who has a track record of not
Compliance programs, by necessity, have to consider that employees all have their unique sets of values that they learn from
their parents, their clergy, their professors, and from life experience, and that those values may allow actions that are innocent
enough but still constitute a violation of regulations and law
placing the company at legal risk. A genuine culture of compliance recognizes the employees’ prior life experience and the existence of personal ethical codes, but it also recognizes that it is the
company’s compliance rules, and not individual standards of
ethics, that must guide employee actions in conducting the business of the company.
Compliance programs are far more likely to be effective if the
basic approaches suggested here are adopted by a company that
is serious about its compliance program and creating a culture of
compliance.
“5 Takeways”
• Within today’s highly regulatory environment, construction companies must develop a structured and well-defined
compliance program to avoid legal risk.
• A genuine compliance program and policy must be specifically tailored to the individual company and the business it
conducts.
• Compliance programs must be championed by upper management, who establish a strong culture of compliance
among company managers and employees alike.
• Companies must encourage employees to ask any questions concerning the policy, provide prompt and thorough
responses, and establish mandatory in-person training sessions to ensure that each member of the company fully understands the policy rules and the importance of acting in
compliance with the program.
• Once the compliance program is in place, a company must
hold all employees accountable for compliance policy violations and take prompt and fair corrective action.
This article was first published in the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics
August 2015 issue of Compliance & Ethics Professional and appears here with
permission from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.
The information provided in this publication does not, nor is it intended to, constitute
legal advice. Readers should not take or refrain from taking any action based on any
information contained in this article without first seeking legal advice.
The author is a partner at Peckar & Abramson P.C. in New York and advises companies on compliance matters. He was a prosecutor in the Manhattan District
Attorney’s Office from 1980 to 2011 and handled numerous white collar investigations and prosecutions. The author is grateful to Peckar & Abramson’s founding partner, Robert S. Peckar, for his valuable assistance in preparing this article.
ACCNJ Events
Annual Fishing Trip
ugust 13 was a beautiful day for ACCNJ members and
colleagues who boarded The Paramount from Brogan’s
Basin in Brielle for the annual ACCNJ fishing competition. Eighteen miles out to sea, fish were in abundance and none
of the participants came back empty-handed. It was a successful
day of networking and camaraderie for all who attended.
A
Bill Coffin, Laborers Local 172 pulled in the winning fish
Annual Golf Tournament
and Dinner
he beautiful Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck
was the setting for the 2015 ACCNJ golf tournament and
dinner on October 5. This annual Association event is
always a sell-out and this year was no exception, with players
teeing off from two club courses on a perfect fall afternoon.
The day ended with golfers gathering for dinner, conversation
and an awards ceremony.
Congratulations to Kiewit-Weeks-Massman, AJV, 2015
Championship Course Winners, Carpenters Local #254, 2nd
place winners and Eastern Concrete Materials, 3rd place winners.
T
Kiewit-Weeks-Massman, AJV, 2015 Championship Course Winners
ELEC Drives to Increase Share
of Work for Union Contractors
By Mark Longo, Executive Director,
Engineers Labor-Management Cooperative
n its drive to increase share of work for union contractors,
Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC) expanded its
efforts in 2015, introducing a unique blend of advocacy, advertising, social media and participation in strategic events.
The labor-management fund of Operating Engineers Local
825, ELEC ramped up its social media outreach in the fall after
unveiling an innovative new website that offers valuable tools
and special features for contractors.
“Everything we do is focused on helping our contractors win
work, because when they win, our Local 825 Operating Engineers
win with good, longer-lasting jobs,” said ELEC Chairman Greg
Lalevee, who is also Local 825’s Business Manager.
I
How Contractors Gain Access
New Website Aids Contractors
Igniting ELEC’s Brand
The new ELEC website – www.ELEC825.org – was designed for
use on mobile phones and tablets, making it more accessible to
contractors on the jobsite. Still equally “friendly” on desktop, the
website has added sections that accentuate its focus on economic
development opportunities.
“The new website offers valuable tools and information for
contractors and developers as well as for union members,” said
ELEC Business Development Specialist Kate Gibbs, who spearheaded its design. Gibbs assists contractors by helping them advocate for approvals, facilitating market recovery grants and
providing resources to help increase share of work.
ELEC’s Market Recovery Program (MRP) offers financial assistance to union contractors to help them to win contracts in specific private-sector markets in which union labor is currently
underrepresented.
To take advantage, Gibbs urges contractors in good standing
to register on the website. “Because this grant information is
proprietary to union contractors, they must register to access
these pages,” Gibbs explained. “There is an entire section devoted to market recovery grants, from applications to projecttracking, plus a summary of grants that have been awarded,”
Gibbs said.
ELEC also lit a match under its advertising program in the fall by
airing a TV spot on cable channels throughout New Jersey and
five counties of New York State.
“Communicating who we are, what we stand for and what
we do fuels our effectiveness,” said Lalevee. “Our operators
literally move mountains every day and build monuments that
will be around for generations: stadiums, highways, bridges,
high-rises, pipelines. When we promote our achievements in this
light, people take notice. It reinforces pride, it makes non-union
operators want to join with us, and it shows our contributions to
the region.”
The TV campaign reaches into more than two million households, complementing the ongoing, targeted advertising in select
business and trade publications
It’s All About Advocacy
All of ELEC’s efforts – from staff work to advertising and
social media – support the advocacy of issues critical to economic success. ELEC’s team continually campaigns for transportation infrastructure investment, pipeline approvals and
regulatory changes.
ELEC’s social media activities helped shift public opinion on
possible funding solutions for the Transportation Trust Fund
(TTF) earlier in the year. A daily barrage of social media postings
on Facebook and Twitter, combined with the use of editorial cartoons, charts, maps and other support tools, helped boost public
opinion in New Jersey by 13 percentage points – from 37% of the
population to 50% who would support an increase in the gas tax
to help finance road improvements and mass transportation, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
• ELEC's Facebook “likes” climbed to more than 3,300.
• Ad impressions exceeded 4 million and followers defined
as "engaged users" numbered more than 120,000.
• Twitter logged more than 320,000 impressions in just six
months, targeting legislators, media representatives and
those who closely follow politics.
A steady stream of interesting postings on Facebook and
Twitter revealed the inconvenience communities endure when
bridges are closed for months. The postings all linked back to
the “deficient or obsolete” roads and bridges as defined by the
state. Gibbs noted people begin to understand this issue directly
affects them.
“The general public takes for granted that our roads and
bridges are safe,” said Gibbs. “When the public sees our own
government considers them deficient or obsolete, hopefully that
upsets people enough to register their voices during the year, and
especially on Election Day.”
The Voice of a Champion
As ELEC and Local 825 have increased their profile, reporters
and media outlets now come to them for public comment on
public issues. The result is an ELEC and Local 825 that are respected as spokesmen and women on issues that are crucial to
the livelihoods and success of craftworkers and contractors.
This became apparent in the debate over pipeline proliferation. After publishing Op-Eds on the need to “tamp down” overthe-top anti-pipeline hysteria, ELEC was invited to participate in
a public forum hosted by NJ Spotlight in which ELEC could provide a counterpoint to the opinions offered by vocal environmentalist opponents. ELEC also played a role in many of the business
conferences, including the NJ Business Summit in Atlantic City,
NJ SEED’s Regional Economic Summit and the NJ Spotlight on
Cities, all platforms to air the concerns and views of craftworkers
and contractors.
Staying True to its Mission
Lalevee notes that as ELEC concentrates on special efforts throughout the year, it continues to promote other broad initiatives.
ELEC worked toward the passage of the Permit Extension Act
and the Water Infrastructure Protection Act, and voiced its support to the NJ Board of Public Utilities in favor of PSE&G’s $1.6
billion plan to upgrade aging gas mains throughout its system.
ELEC also continues to emphasize to Local 825 members
the importance of training, particularly as equipment and
technology evolve, and of maintaining
their professional licenses and security
clearances. In support of this, ELEC expanded the number of credentials on its
reimbursement list to ensure Local 825
members remain ever-ready to work day
one, when contractors need them.
During 2015, ELEC remained true to
its mission, creating opportunities by
bringing union contractors and operating
engineers together to advance the record
of quality and safety that defines their
work. By building on common ground,
labor and management will continue to
construct monuments to the future that
benefit New Jersey communities for
generations to come.
Model for the Future:
A Pre-Apprenticeship Program
By Tom Peric, President, Galileo Communications Inc.
hile jobless rates and educational testing often dominate the latest local and national news, in Hudson
County, New Jersey, something special is going on.
What some might regard as an overdone cliché, “Not just a job,
but a career,” is turning into an everyday reality.
In September, the NJ Carpenters Apprentice Training and
Educational Fund (NJCATEF) established a formal pre-apprenticeship program through a $250,000 grant from the New Jersey
Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The goal is
to recruit upwards of 40 female and minority residents from
Hudson County into the Carpenter’s pre-apprenticeship training
program during the 18-month program. The ultimate goal is to
transition those pre-apprentices into the full Carpenter’s
Apprentice Training Program.
A key component to gaining the grant was working with a variety of partners that shared the same goals related to employment
and education, according to the Fund’s Executive Director,
Ridgeley Hutchinson. The group included the Hudson County
One-Stop Career Centers, the Hudson County School of
Technology and the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters.
“For those who are not familiar with pre-apprenticeship, it creates an opportunity for individuals to participate in a part of the
actual training program while they decide if carpentry is the
right career choice for them,” explains Hutchinson. “It also gives
the Training Director the chance to evaluate the participants to
discern if they have the qualities necessary to succeed as a
Carpenter, assets such as ambition, commitment and a sincere
interest in the carpentry trade.”
To put it another way, aspiring candidates aren’t asked to go
from zero to 60 mph. The pre-apprenticeship program is a
thoughtful, thorough introductory approach to the requirements
of the carpentry profession, including its rewards and obstacles.
Hutchinson concedes some people might have a misconception of what a carpenter actually does on the job. The training is
rigorous, it can be as long as five years, and it requires a commitment no different from attending college.
On the business side, the program also serves as a security
blanket for businesses looking to hire carpenters. “We want to
ensure that if we send someone to a job, they will deliver as
promised,” says Hutchinson. “Failing to do so is a cost to everyone. The advantage of pre-apprenticeship for our employers is
W
that the pre-apprentices are not sent to work until they have
completed the program and graduated into the full apprentice
training program, thereby protecting the contractor from the
possibility of hiring someone who may not be the best fit for the
job. Our goal is for the pre-apprentice to succeed but also for the
business that hires him or her to thrive.”
A driving force of the grant is in preparation for billions of dollars of new construction scheduled to take place in Hudson
County over the next few years. State and county officials are intent on meeting the demand with potential candidates from the
Hudson County community who might not otherwise have the
career opportunities these new jobs will present.
“I represent Jersey City, and we have more development than
ever before,” says William "Bill" O'Dea, a Hudson County
Freeholder. “In the past, it's been sometimes challenging to put
programs together that get local women and minorities all the
way through the process and into the apprenticeship of the
union. The Carpenters are one of – if not the most – proactive
NJCATEF Director Ridgeley Hutchinson announces pre-apprenticeship
program grant
building trade unions when it comes to wanting to get women
and minorities into their trade, which I think is going to work really well.”
Hutchinson points out that the program carries with it a
broader dimension that isn’t restricted only to the carpentry portion. Workforce readiness skills and adult basic education will be
provided by the Hudson County One-Stop Career Centers and
the Hudson County School of Technology.
The program offers classes and training in a “soft skill” area
that is also vitally important. Anyone in the workplace with even
a modicum of experience knows that soft skills such as communication, empathy and listening are very important to someone’s
ultimate success.
“Ultimately, the participants will be rewarded with the skill
and proficiency they need to become full partners with the safest
and most professional carpenters in the construction industry,”
says Hutchinson. “When a person graduates from our program,
we need to ensure that everyone succeeds. That means our new
graduates have demonstrated the skills and attitude that today’s
construction industry demands. When we send them out to a
contractor, we have full confidence in their ability.”
Tom Peric is President of Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Galileo Communications
Inc. He writes frequently about the construction and HVACR industry.
Entering the NJBUILD
Hudson County PreApprenticeship Program
Candidates interested in entering the pre-apprenticeship program must meet these requirements:
•
Be a female or a minority residing in Hudson County
(including veterans and ex-offenders)
•
Be at least 20 years of age at the time of enrollment
•
Possess a high school diploma or High School
Equivalency (HSE) diploma*
•
Possess a valid driver’s license
•
Score a minimum seventh-grade level on the Test
of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
•
Demonstrate a legitimate interest in pursuing a
career in the building and construction trades
•
Be drug-free
*A maximum of 10% of participants can enroll without a
diploma or HSE, but must obtain the HSE before the end
of the training cycle.
Heading
BAC 150 Years:
Longest Tenure in
North America
By Richard Tolson, Regional Vice President
International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers (BAC)
o you know what the Union Pacific Railway (1865), the
telephone (1876), Standard Oil (1877), General Electric
(1878), the light bulb (1879) and Ford Motor Company
(1903) all have in common? The International Union of
Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (1865) has been around
longer than all of them! That’s right, the International Union of
Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers just celebrated its 150th year
of continual service to our industry, making the BAC the longest
continually operating International Union in North America!
From September 14 through 18, delegates from across the
country and Canada came together in Baltimore to vote for our
International leadership, adopt resolutions and begin the
process of charting the course for our next 150 years. Baltimore
was an appropriate site, as a handful of bricklayers from there
joined with a handful of bricklayers from Philadelphia in 1865 to
form our original Union. So, under the Leadership of President
Jim Boland, the stage was set for us to B.uild A.dapt C.hange! the theme for our convention.
One of the 18 delegates NJBAC sent was rank-and-file member
of Local 4 Rich Joyce. Brother Joyce offered the following: “Now
is the time to build up the BAC! Using both our past successes
and failures as a road map for change. We must adapt to, and
prepare for, new technologies in our business and support and
D
encourage the changing face of our workforce. Most important,
we must be political activists. We must register our members and
we MUST vote! We can no longer have unmet expectations from
BAC-endorsed politicians. We must demand their support.”
Presentations at the convention ranged from politics to
immigration and the workforce to technological advances
throughout the industry. Workshops covered a variety of topics
as well, from Labor/BAC history, apprenticeship and training
to member mobilization.
Gary Mercadante, a 36-year member of NJBAC and the BAC
Fund Administrator, attended his first IU convention and came
away with the following quote from Jim Boland: “We are all capable when the chips are down of doing far more than we think we
can. Things don’t always go as planned. Learning to function in
the face of adversity, failure and acute disappointments all while
physically and mentally tired; find hidden reservoirs of capability in all of us.”
“I was re-energized listening to President Boland’s vision for
the future of this great Union”, said Mercadante. “Build. Adapt.
Change. Staying united sustained us through the toughest economic times of our lives, and if we as Union leaders continue to
persevere as our predecessors did, perhaps 150 years from now,
future members of the BAC may be looking at the group picture
taken on the steps of the Baltimore Hilton as we celebrated
150 years of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied
Craftworkers.”
Along with the convention, the BAC held our apprentice
contest at our national training center in Bowie, just south
of Baltimore. Apprentices competed in brick, block, tile,
stone, concrete and plaster. Access a video link by going to
www.bacweb.org and clicking on the Training, Education and
Safety tab.
Lynn Canfield, a recent addition to the Local 5 staff and a firsttime attendee of the convention commented, “Everything the
convention had to offer was a wealth of information and brilliant
in its presentation. I found the BAC convention tremendously
advantageous to anyone wanting to improve their own status as
a member and their Union overall!”
The NJBAC was well represented at the convention. Of the 13
committees, I was privileged to chair one, John Capo served as
Secretary of another and Ken Simone, Kevin Duncan, Leon Jones
and Carlos Crespo served on others. Brother Capo offered this:
“It was humbling to be in attendance with other delegates from
around North America, and to understand that 150 years ago, in
the same city, delegates similar to us started to plan the future of
the BAC. And we, at this moment, are tasked to play a part in
planning the future of our great Union for the next 150 years! It
was truly an honor.”
“Now is the time to build up the BAC!
Using both our past successes and
failures as a road map for change.
We must adapt to, and prepare for,
new technologies in our business
and support and encourage the
changing face of our workforce
It has often been said that we stand on the shoulders of giants.
I have now had the privilege of being around long enough to actually have known some of those giants. All the Building Trades
Unions have them.
We must honor them by continuing to BUILD together for the
good of our entire industry. We must all ADAPT to changing
technologies to ensure a bright future for those that will follow
us. And we must all CHANGE our leadership styles to encourage
a diverse workforce to fill the needs of tomorrow! BUILD.
ADAPT.CHANGE. That is what the BAC has been doing for 150
years. That is what we will continue to do.
Iron Workers and
IMPACT to Showcase
Safety at Conference
By Kevin Hilton, CEO, IMPACT
n late February of 2016, the Iron Workers and their labormanagement arm, the Ironworker Management Progressive
Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), will gather to talk safety,
business growth and the unmatched quality of the Iron Workers
across three days in sunny Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at Disney’s
Coronado Springs Resort.
The North American Iron Workers/ IMPACT LaborManagement Conference is IMPACT’s grand showcase, where
ironworkers exhibit their expertise—unparalleled safety, unrivaled quality and stellar productivity—to construction industry
leaders. IMPACT is geared toward building bridges between
ironworkers, contractors and owners.
“We value safety in apprenticeship and training—our first
priority is to ensure every ironworker goes home safe at the end
of the day,” says Ironworkers General President Eric Dean.
“That’s why IMPACT funds the Iron Workers Safety & Health
Department, hosts safety trainings, partners with the National
Training Fund to promote Iron Workers’ apprenticeship programs and rewards those participating in projects with zero
safety incidents.”
A buffet of breakout and training sessions aimed at contractors and ironworkers will cover topics ranging from work opportunities in the reinforcing industry to crafting locals’ images
through creative strategies and tactics associated with getting
contractors more work. With the valuable takeaways from these
sessions, ironworkers and contractors can be at the forefront of
innovation in the industry.
I
“We value safety in apprenticeship
and training—our first priority is
to ensure every ironworker goes
home safe at the end of the day.”
The year’s top Iron Workers projects are also honored at the
conference. Contractor-submitted projects in five categories
(Bridge/Structural, Architectural/Ornamental, Reinforcing,
Industrial/Rigging/Machinery Moving and Fabrication), will be
judged on their innovation and commitment to safety on the job.
“Our strength as an organization lies in the incredible commitment to innovation by our board of trustees, staff and partners,” said William Brown, CEO of Ben Hur Construction
Company and management co-chair for IMPACT. “The level of
interest we’ve seen in IMPACT this year is truly a testament to
the value of our programs.”
To register for the conference, please visit
http://bit.ly/IMPACTMeeting2016 or call 800-545-4921 for
more information.
Heading
LIUNA Training Uses Innovation
and Accreditation to Promote Excellence
By Robert Lewandowski, NJLIUNA Communications Director
Local 172’s newly renovated facility in Folsom
n a given year LIUNA Training, the labor-management education fund of the Laborers’ International Union of North
America, offers close to 160,000 hours of hands-on and classroom training to more than 10,000 New Jersey members. These
enrollment figures are similar to that of a mid-sized college. But
size alone is not the main driver of training for the Laborers
Union. Creating opportunity—for construction workers and
their employers—is.
Expanded and renovated facilities, nationally accredited curriculum, ANSI-certified instructor training, numerous certificate
programs, and onsite training through its mobile training units
are just some of the features, programs and services available to
signatory contractors and union members.
LIUNA Vice President and Eastern Regional Manager
Raymond M. Pocino explained the union’s philosophy regarding
training: “In a competitive industry like construction, LIUNA
Training’s mission isn’t merely to stay abreast of industry
changes, it is to stay ahead of the trends and set the standard for
workforce development, construction safety and productivity.
We are not interested in merely offering the services our members and contractors want today. We are building the programs
they will need—now and in the future.”
I
Facility Upgrades Expand Access to Training
This fall marked the rededication of Local 172’s Safety Education
and Training facility in Folsom. Renovations and upgrades to the
South Jersey complex have transformed the training center from
good to great by adding a 15,400-square-foot training bay which
will allow year-round, all-weather, hands-on training. New stateof-the-art classrooms encourage enhanced educational opportunities through technology, and redesigned outdoor training
areas have been established to meet the industry’s various construction needs. In addition, the training center’s significant investment in solar technologies has flipped electricity usage from
being a major operational expense to potentially being a moneymaker as electric generation outpaces use.
“We are not interested in merely
offering the services our members
and contractors want today.
We are building the programs they
will need—now and in the future.”
Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey CEO Jack
Kocsis was on hand for the center’s dedication and noted that
the special day marked the end of a long process between labor
and management--from initial conversations to strategic planning to the eventual ribbon-cutting.
“Everyday, contractors and construction workers from the
building trades are working collaboratively to develop industryleading training programs,” Kocsis explained to the packed room.
“Training Fund excellence--for everyone from the newest apprentice to the most seasoned journeyman--is the cornerstone of excellence in the field. LIUNA’s commitment to training will pay
dividends not just for its members but for the entire union construction industry,” he said during his message of congratulations.
The Folsom Training Center is one of three major facilities
LIUNA has in New Jersey. Local 472 Safety Education and
Training Center in Aberdeen and the Construction Craft
Laborers Training Center in Jamesburg are the other two.
Worksite instruction is also available to ACCNJ contractors and
ALL their employees through LIUNA Training’s three mobile
classrooms. These technology-equipped buses reach worksites
throughout New Jersey offering site-specific safety talks at a time
and place convenient to the contractor. A quick call to one of
LIUNA’s training centers is all it takes to request a visit from a
training unit.
ANSI-Accreditation Drives Instructor Performance.
News of LIUNA Training receiving accreditation through the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has repositioned
the labor-management fund within the industry. What started as
a three-year process just to attain the coveted accreditation for its
instructor development program has rapidly morphed into a
highly coordinated and intensive education and professional assessment program for LIUNA instructors. Independent educational consultants are brought in from throughout the country to
teach and also assess LIUNA staff on modern educational practices and techniques. Effectively, ANSI accreditation is turning
skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen into effective teachers who
are able to develop and deliver quality, differentiated instruction
to workers regardless of the topic.
LIUNA’s Pocino was able to simplify the complex standards and
certifications set forth as part of the program. “Most industry
professionals don’t have the time to fully understand the nuance
and details of LIUNA Training’s Instruction Training and
Certification Program,” he explained. “But they do understand
the role ANSI plays internationally in setting standards for industry excellence and then safeguarding those standards through
continual evaluation and assessment. This is what LIUNA
Training has been able to accomplish working with ANSI and we
are seeing the benefits both in the classroom and on the job.”
While LIUNA’s Instructor Certification process is known for its
rigorous standards and requirements, eight instructors in New
Jersey have already received full certification, having met all the
educational requirements and displaying practical and academic
proficiency in activity-based instruction. Of course, there is no
end to the learning process as instructors are continually reevaluated and upgrade their skills. A few instructors are further elevating their practice to become premier technical and instructional
experts in either Training of Trainers or Curriculum Design.
Local 172 SET Officers
Looking Ahead, Working Together
Adaptability is a key requirement for industry competitiveness
and LIUNA Training is using its willingness and ability to change
to better serve its members and contractors. Whether it is
through strategic partnerships with urban communities like
Newark, Jersey City, Paterson or Camden; special emphasis programs that encourage or mandate training such as OSHA-30 or
ICRA; or workforce development programs like Helmets-toHardhats, LIUNA is using its commitment to worker training as
a key driver of industry excellence and as an effective way to differentiate the union construction industry from competitors. It
is a formula that works to serve employers and employees alike,
exactly as it should.
NJ Construction Craft Laborers
Apprenticeship Program (Jamesburg)
Mike Cackowski, Apprenticeship Director
732-521-0200
Construction Craft Laborers Training &
Apprenticeship Fund (Jamesburg)
Don Howard, Training Director
731-521-0200
Laborers Local 172 Safety Education
and Training Fund (Folsom)
Joe Demarco, Training Director
609-567-1959
Laborers Local 472 Safety Education
and Training Fund (Aberdeen)
Joe Scerbo, Training Director
732-583-6235
Welcome New Members
Heading
ACCNJ welcomes these six new members, who
joined between March and September 2015.
We invite you to visit their websites, contact
them for services and welcome them at
Association events in the coming year.
ACTIVE
Complete Installation Inc.
Complete Installation of New Rochelle, NY, specializes in
commercial furniture installation. The company is located at
211 E. Main Street, Suite 194, New Rochelle NY 10801, and
is represented by Philip Ravanello, Controller. He may be
reached by phone at 914.440.9688 and email at
[email protected].
Dale Construction Company Inc.
Dale Construction of Glenside, PA, specializes in carpentry for
the building sector. The company is located at 70 Limekiln Pike,
Glenside PA 19038, and is represented by Mark Spadaccino,
President. He may be reached by phone at 215.886.1544 and
email at [email protected].
Pro Construction Specialty Corp.
Pro Construction Specialty of Linden specializes in scaffolding
for commercial construction. The company is located at 821
East Linden Avenue, Linden, and is represented by Jake
Barbanel, President. He may be reached by phone at
908.862.9488 and email at [email protected].
Warrior Installations Group LLC
Warrior of Glastonbury, CT, an installation contractor, provides
services for union contractors working on commercial and retail
projects, including millwork, casework, store fixtures and retail
store buildout. The company is located at 25 Cider Mill Road,
Glastonbury CT 06033, and is represented by Tim Sullivan,
President. He can be reached by phone at 860.899.8289 and
email at [email protected]. Visit the website at
www.warriorinstall.com.
ASSOCIATE
AON Risk Solutions
AON of Morristown provides insurance and risk management to
the construction industry, offering risk solutions, assessment,
consulting, insurance products and management services. The
company is located at 44 Whippany Road, Morristown NJ
07960, and is represented by Denise Fox, Vice President. She can
be reached by phone at 973.463.6212 and email at
[email protected]. Visit the website at www.aon.com.
Samap U.S.A. Corp.
Samap USA of Brooklyn is a shop-fitting and furniture installation contractor headquartered in Italy and now signatory to the
Carpenters. The company is located at 18 Bridge Street, Unit 2A,
Brooklyn NY 11201, represented by Petro Sartori, Business
Development Director. He can be reached by phone at
646.843.9575 and by email at [email protected]. Visit
the website at www.samap.it.
Member News
CohnReznick LLP
CohnReznick is pleased to announce Frank P. Longobardi, a valued, long-time CohnReznick executive, was elected Chief
Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2015. Former co-CEO Ken
Baggett began his tenure as the firm’s first Chairman of the
Board, while former co-CEO Tom Marino remains a member of
the Executive Board through May 2016, when he will retire.
Previously a member of the Executive Board and Regional
Managing Partner – New England, Longobardi has served as a
member of the firm’s Go-to Market
Committee, which oversaw the
strategic planning for industry and
service specialization when
CohnReznick was formed in 2012
with the merger of J.H. Cohn and
Reznick Group. Prior to that,
Longobardi was responsible for all of
J.H. Cohn’s industry groups, bringing standardization to the marketing, leadership development and
Frank P. Longobardi, new
continuing education efforts of each
CEO of CohnReznick LLP,
practice. He joined the firm in 2007
now works in the firm’s new
when his own firm, Haggett
Manhattan headquarters.
Longobardi, combined with J.H.
Cohn, helping the latter organization dramatically expand its
presence in the Northeast.
Longobardi relocated to New York City this past summer and
operates out of the firm’s new national headquarters at 1301
Avenue of the Americas. The new location represents a significant expansion and upgrade, featuring state-of-the-art work
spaces and collaborative meeting areas completely customized
for the needs of the growing firm. When the move into the new
location is complete, expected by the end of 2017, it will bring together 39 partners and more than 300 employees.
CohnReznick also announced that Jay Graham, CPA, MT, has
joined the Roseland office as a partner in the firm’s tax practice.
With more than 20 years of diversified public accounting experience, Graham has provided tax services to privately-held C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, and individuals in a
variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, retail, technology, and professional services. He has extensive expertise in tax compliance and consulting, ASC 740, and Tangible
Personal Property Regulations. A member of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Graham earned his accounting degree from Drexel University and his master’s degree
in Taxation from Villanova University School of Law.
Ferreira
Construction
Company, Inc.
Ferreira Construction is pleased to
announce the addition of Jerry J.
Killian, CPA, as the company’s Senior
Vice President & CFO. Jerry has been
working with contractors for 35
Jerry Killian recently joined
years as a CPA and was most recently
Ferreira Construction as
a partner with Wiss & Co., LLP, also
Senior VP & CFO.
an ACCNJ member. Jerry is a CCIFP
and a CPA in various states and is active in a number of construction organizations.
Gilbane Building Company
AGC of America reports that Michael McKelvy will succeed
Thomas F. Gilbane, Jr., as president and CEO of Gilbane Building
Company, effective January 1, 2016.
Hall Building Corp.
Hall Building is pleased to report it is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year! The company’s work on the Hudson County
Community College Library in Jersey City, recipient of an NJBIA
2015 New Good Neighbor Special Award, appears in this issue’s
Award-Winning Projects feature.
Hall Construction proudly celebrates 70 years in 2015, opening
its doors in August 1945! The firm is also pleased to welcome
Glenn Matt, new Senior Project Manager for the Paterson #16
Elementary School Project.
Lendlease LMB Inc.
Lendlease was selected the 2015 ENR New York Contractor of the
Year, featured in the July 20, 2015, ENR New York issue, and retained its fifth-place ranking in ENR New York’s 2015 Top
Contractors.
Member News
Joseph A. Natoli
Construction Corp.
Featured in a Member Profile in this issue of New Jersey
Construction, Joseph A. Natoli Construction is proud to
celebrate its 40th anniversary.
The company also promoted Thomas
G. Sutphen, Jr., to Chief Financial
Officer. A Rutgers graduate, Sutphen
received his CPA license and MBA in
2001, and began his career with Ernst
& Young. In 2005 he joined Wiss &
Co., an ACCNJ member, where he
provided auditing, accounting and
tax services to privately held conThomas G. Sutphen, Jr.,
struction companies. He moved to
was recently promoted
Natoli Construction in 2013. Sutphen
to Chief Financial Officer
is a member of the American
at Joseph A. Natoli
Institute of Public Accountants
Construction.
(AICPA), the New Jersey Society of
Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) and the Construction
Financial Management Association (CFMA). He is also treasurer
of the Flemington Wrestling Association.
Resolution Management
Consultants, Inc.
Resolution Management, a consulting firm headquartered in
Marlton, announces two personnel successes.
The firm welcomes the addition of
Ross Stutzman to its Construction
Dispute Avoidance and Resolution
team of professionals. Stutzman
brings more than 12 years of professional construction experience in
both onsite field project management
and construction claims consulting.
As a Project Manager and Owner’s
Representative, he worked on resiRoss Stutzman recently
dential and commercial projects. As a
joined Resolution
construction claims consultant, Ross
Management Consultants
brings a successful track record of
of Marlton.
evaluating claims and contract disputes related to delays, inefficiencies, and faulty construction on a
large variety of projects including education, gaming, parking facilities, waste water treatment plants and highway construction.
Ross is active in his community as a volunteer youth sports coach
and with American Cancer Society Relay for life events. He holds
a bachelor’s degree in business management from Penn State.
Consultants congratulates David
Rochelle on earning his Engineer in
Training (E.I.T.) Certification.
Rochelle, a Staff Consultant, has
worked on assignments involving
public and private owners, contractors and federal government agencies. His project experience includes
David Rochelle of
transportation, residential, commerResolution Management
cial, education, hospitals and governConsultants earned in
ment facilities, and his experience in
Engineer-in-Training
claims analysis includes assistance in
(EIT) certification earlier
the performance of CPM Schedule
this year.
Analysis on projects ranging in value
from $20 million to $150 million for various Departments of
Transportation and state agencies.
Vericon Construction Company
April 27, 2015, marked Vericon’s official 10th anniversary! To
commemorate the milestone, the company established Vericon
Foundation, a charitable organization aimed at giving back to
the communities in which the company works. In addition,
Vericon hosted an anniversary party at Liberty House in Jersey
City, bringing together clients, vendors and the personnel from
the company’s three regional offices. “It was a spectacular celebration,” Vericon reports, “and we thank everyone who could
join us, as well as all the clients, suppliers and partners who have
contributed to our success over the past 10 years!”
Vericon Construction celebrates its 10th anniversary with a spectacular
event in Jersey City.
Member News
WithumSmith+Brown, PC
WithumSmith+Brown reports it
remains committed to growing its
corporate leadership team,
promoting three senior managers
to partner level. This year’s
advancing class includes Michael M.
Kulick, CPA, MBA; Nicole D. Lyons,
CPA/CFF, CVA; and David J.
Poillucci, CPA, MST.
Michael Kulick is a member of the
WithumSmith+Brown’s
firm’s Construction Services Team.
Michael Kulick, a member
He has more than a decade of public
of the firm’s Construction
accounting experience, including auServices Team, was rediting, financial statement preparacently promoted to partner.
tion and analysis, as well as business
consulting with a focus on both private and publicly held entities.
Kulick provides accounting and auditing services to clients in the
manufacturing, distribution, ERISA, construction and retail industry sectors.
The key to Kulick’s success is his dedication: “I aspire to be
recognized as a partner that others can always rely on,” affirmed
Kulick. “I will continually work to help clients surpass their business goals and reach a new level of success.”
Kulick received his MBA with a concentration in finance from
the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University and his
BS in accounting from Providence College. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
(AICPA), the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants
(NJCPA) and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).
Rutgers Honors Richard Weeks
with Medal of Excellence
ACCNJ staff were pleased to attend the Rutgers School of
Engineering 2015 Medal of Excellence Dinner on October
15, 2015, as Richard Weeks, Chairman of ACCNJ member
Weeks Marine, Inc., received the school’s Medal of
Excellence Award. Weeks was honored for his “outstanding
professional accomplishments and managerial leadership,
setting high standards of excellence serving as a role model
for today’s Rutgers engineering students and pursuing activities that generally benefit the greater good of society.”
Weeks graduated from Rutgers in 1950 with his engineering degree and assumed presidency of Weeks Marine in
1960, guiding the company as it became a strong national
marine contracting business fielding a fleet of more than
400 vessels.
Richard Weeks,
Chairman of ACCNJ
member Weeks Marine,
was honored as the
Rutgers School of
Engineering 2015
Medal of Excellence
recipient.
Giving Back
Vericon Foundation is proud to report it raised $71,000
for Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy!
In Spring 2015, in honor of its 10-year anniversary, Vericon
Construction established Vericon Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at giving back to the communities in which the
company works. To kick off the first year, Vericon sponsored an
inaugural charity golf outing on September 8, 2015, to benefit
the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, which educates and assists atrisk children.
“The level of enthusiasm and support from sponsors surpassed all of our expectations,” says Vericon President Charles
DeAngelis. Despite nearly record-high temperatures, more than
100 golfers and volunteers, including golf pro Chi Chi Rodriguez,
were in attendance at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield. The
Vericon Foundation’s proceeds totaled $71,362, all of which was
donated to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy.
Vericon Foundation donates more than $71,000, the proceeds from its inaugural charity golf outing on September 8, to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy,
which educates and assists at-risk children. From left, Vericon VPs Tricia
Russell and Stephen Mellett, Vericon President Charles DeAngelis and professional golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez, who founded the Academy.
Labor Partner Scholarships
Labor Partner Scholarships Reward Students,
Honor ACCNJ Members
Laborers 172 Safety, Education and
Training Fund
Laborers Local 172 SET awarded a $20,000 scholarship in honor
of Greg Petrongolo of ACCNJ member JPC Group, Inc., of
Blackwood. Pictured here, from left to right: Ray Pocino, LIUNA
Eastern Regional Manager and President Emeritus of Local 172;
parents with scholarship recipient James Coia; Anthony
Capaccio, President and Business Manager of Local 172; and
Greg Petrongolo of JPC Group.
Construction Craft Laborers Training &
Apprenticeship Fund of New Jersey &
Delaware
Construction Craft Laborers designated its scholarship this year
to ACCNJ Chairman of the Board Mark Hall, president of Hall
Construction Company of Howell. Pictured here with Mark Hall
(on right) is Don Howard, Director, Construction Craft Laborers
Training Center.
George H. Laufenberg Scholarship Fund
The fund celebrated 20 years in 2015, presenting 37 scholarships
to the children and grandchildren of union carpenters in New
Jersey and New York. In its two decades, the fund has distributed
more than $3 million in scholarships to 440 deserving students.
Membership Roster
Heading
Commodore Construction Corp.
Global Installation Resources
Complete Installation Inc.
Gramercy Group Inc.
J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.
Grove Construction LLC
Crisdel Group, Inc.
Hall Building Corp.
JR Cruz Corp.
E.E. Cruz & Company, Inc.
Henegan Construction Co., Inc.
Dale Construction Company Inc.
Charles J. Hesse, Inc.
DeFoe Corp.
Hi Tech Data Floors, Inc.
Degmor Inc.
Hunt Construction Group
DePalma Contracting Inc.
Hutton Construction, L.L.C.
American Pile and Foundation LLC
Diamond Huntbach Construction Corp,
IEW Construction Group
J. Anthony Equipment Co.
Drill Construction Co., Inc.
Ingrassia Const. Co., Inc.
Archer Steel Construction Inc.
Driscoll Construction Co., Inc.
Intercounty Paving Associates, LLC.
Aspen Landscaping Contracting, Inc.
Dryden Diving Company Inc.
JBL Electric Inc.
A-Tech Concrete
Willard Dunham Const. Co.
Jensen Koerner Crane Service, Inc.
Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Inc.
Durr Mechanical Construction Inc.
Jett Industries Inc.
Atlas Concrete
EDA Construction Co.
Joseph Jingoli and Son, Inc.
B & G Restoration, Inc.
EIC Associates, Inc.
JPC Group, Inc.
Barr & Barr, Inc.
Epic Management, Inc.
J-Track, LLC
ER Barrett, Inc
Everlasting Contracting
JVN Restoration Inc.
Beach Electric Company Inc.
Exterior Wall & Building Consultants
Kiewit Infrastructure Co.
Beaver Concrete Construction Co., Inc.
Fabi Construction, Inc.
Kiska Construction Inc.
Bergen Engineering Co.
L. Feriozzi Concrete Company
Lanyi & Tevald Inc.
Berkowsky & Associates, Inc.
Ferreira Construction Co., Inc.
C. LaTorre Construction LLC
BFC Ltd.
Fitzpatrick & Associates, Inc.
John D. Lawrence, Inc.
Wm. Blanchard Co.
Force Concrete & Masonry Corp.
Lend Lease, Inc.
Brennan Industrial Contractors
Forsa Construction L.L.C.
Edward Leske Co.
Bristol Environmental Inc.
Foster Contracting, Inc.
Linde-Griffith Construction Co.
Buck Construction
Foundation Structures, Inc.
LRC Development Corp.
Case Foundation Company
Fromkin Brothers, Inc.
Macedos Construction Co., Inc. of NJ
CCA Civil, Inc.
Furino & Sons Inc.
Madison Concrete Co.
Central Jersey Wrecking & Recycling Inc.
Gardner M. Bishop, Inc.
Marathon Contracting Corporation
Century 21 Construction Corp.
Louis Gargiulo Co., Inc.
Massett Building Co.
CJ Drilling Inc.
Albert Garlatti Const. Co.
McCloskey Mechanical Contractors Inc.
Coastal Steel Construction of NJ, LLC.
Gilbane Building Co.
Merco, Inc.
Collavino Corp.
Glasgow, Inc.
Michels Corporation
ACTIVE MEMBERS
A.P. Construction, Inc.
Abatement Unlimited Inc.
AbateTech
ABC Construction Contracting Inc.
Acoustical Services, Inc.
Affiliated Environmental Services NJ Inc.
Aliano Brothers
Allan Briteway Electrical Utility
Contractors Inc.
Molba Construction, Inc.
Skanska Koch
Skanska USA Building, Inc.
T. Moriarty & Son, Inc.
South State, Inc.
C. Moschella Builders, Inc.
Sparwick Contracting, Inc.
Joseph A. Natoli Const. Corp.
Stanker & Galetto, Inc.
Network Construction Co., Inc.
State Line Construction Co., Inc.
Nicholson Construction Company
Sundance Construction Co., Inc.
Nordic Contracting Co., Inc.
Taas Contracting LLC
Northeast Remsco Construction, Inc.
Tarheel Enterprises Inc.
Nurminen Construction Corp.
Techno Acoustics Holdings, LLC
Chris Anderson Roofing &
Erecting Co., Inc.
Oradell Construction Co., Inc.
Tilcon New Jersey
Aon Risk Solutions
PAL Environmental Services
Tishman Construction Corporation of NJ
AVOW Communications
Pala Construction Corp.
TNT Construction
Philadelphia D&M
Torcon, Inc.
Building Contractors Association
of Atlantic County
B. Pietrini & Sons
Trevcon Construction Co., Inc.
Pinnacle Environmental Corp.
TriState Construction Inc.
Building Contractors Association of
South Jersey
Pow-R-Save Inc.
Turner Const. Co.
Binder Machinery Company
Pravco Inc.
Tutor Perini
Boswell Engineering
J.R. Prisco, Inc.
URS Corporation
Brent Material Company
Prismatic Development Corporation
USA Environmental Management
C & H Agency
Pristine Services Inc.
Vericon Construction Company LLC
Campbell Foundry Company
ProContractor Inc.
Vollers
Capital Steel Service, LLC.
Pro Construction Specialty Corp.
W.E.S. Works LLC
CFS Steel Company
Railroad Construction Company, Inc.
Wade Ray & Associates Construction
Clarity Testing Services Inc.
RCC Builders & Developers
CNA Insurance Company
Reicon Group, LLC
Walker Diving Underwater
Construction LLC
Michael Riesz & Co.
Walsh Construction Company
Rocket Construction Co., Inc.
TN Ward
Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall &
Furman, PC
M.E. Sabosik Associates
Warrior Installations Group LLC
CohnReznick
Samap U.S.A. Corp.
Waters & Bugbee, Inc.
Fred M. Schiavone Construction, Inc.
Louis J. Weber & Associates, Inc.
Columbia Partners LLC Investment
Management
Schiavone Construction Co., LLC
Weeks Marine, Inc.
Schleifer Associates, Inc.
West Bay Construction Inc.
Schnell Contracting Services LLC
Wetlands, Inc.
L.M. Sessler Excavating & Wrecking, Inc.
Wyndham Construction, LLC
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
J.M. Ahle Co., Inc.
Alliant Insurance Services
Allied Fire & Safety Equipment Co., Inc.
Aluma Systems
Ambassador Medical Services, Inc.
American Global LLC
Codeworx VCL LLC
Connell Foley LLP
Conner Strong & Buckalew
Construction Agency Professionals (CAP)
Construction Claims Group
Construction Information Systems
J.F. Shea Construction, Inc.
Construction Risk Partners, LLC
Simpson & Brown
Fred A. Cook Jr., Inc.
County Concrete Corp.
Liberty Stone & Aggregates, LLC
Syrstone, Inc.
CTS Cement Manufacturing, Co.
Links Insurance Services, LLC
T.E.S., Inc.
Dale Group Insurance & Bonds
Lum, Drasco, & Positan
Taylor Oil Company
DGI-Menard
M&T Insurance Agency
Traffic Safety Service LLC
Eastern Concrete Materials, Inc.
Management Planning, Inc.
Travelers
Eii, Inc.
Marsh USA Inc.
True & Associates
The Construction Advisory Team
at Emerald Financial
Mercadien, PC
Merritt Construction Services, Inc.
Turner Surety and Insurance
Brokerage, Inc.
Enterprise Fleet Management
Mid-Atlantic Surety, LLC
Unique Scaffolding Systems
Evergreen Recycling Solutions
Montecalvo Disposal
United Rentals Inc
Excelize Software Private Limited
Weiser Mazars, LLP
Floor Covering Institute of New Jersey
MSPC Certified Public Accountants
and Advisors PC
Florio Perrucci Steinhardt & Fader, LLC
New Jersey Alliance for Action
Wiss & Co.
Foley, Inc.
New Jersey Food Council
Withum Smith & Brown, PC
Andrew Frank & Co.
Northeast Prestressed Products, LLC
Zurich Speciality Products/Surety
Frenkel & Company
Oldcastle Precast Pipe
Garden State Highway Products, Inc.
Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
The General Contractors
Association of NY
PennJersey Machinery, LLC
Glenn Insurance Inc.
Edward J. Post Company
The Gordian Group
Pro Safety Services LLC
The Graham Company
ProSpec LLC
Grassi & Co.
RCC Fabricators Inc.
A.H. Harris & Sons, Inc.
The Reinforced Earth Company
Haydon Bolts, Inc.
Haztek, Inc.
Consultants, Inc.
Hedinger & Lawless L.L.C.
Re-Steel Supply Co., Inc.
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Safegate Safety Solutions
The Hyde Agency
Sax Macy Fromm & Co., PC
Jesco, Inc.
Seawolf Consultants LLC
Jovin Demo, Inc.
Selco Manufacturing Corporation
Kelken Construction Systems
Seneca Insurance Company Inc.
R.S. Knapp Co.
Shorelands Construction, Inc.
L & A Laboratory Installations
Skyline Steel, LLC
Lafarge
Smolin, Lupin & Co., P.A.
Let It Grow, Inc.
Starr Companies
Lewis & McKenna
Stone Industries Inc.
Liberty Mutual Surety
Susanin, Widman & Brennan, P.C.
Weldon Materials Inc
People's United Equipment Finance Corp.
Advertisers Index
Advanced Drainage Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Kelken Construction Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
J.M. Ahle Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Laborers’ International Union of
North America (LIUNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Aspen Landscaping Contracting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Masonry Contractors of New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Michels Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
International Union of Bricklayers
and Allied Craftworkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Building and General Construction
Laborers Local 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Mill Cabinet Local 252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Moretrench American Corporation . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover
Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Building and General Construction
Laborers Local 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
New Jersey Carpenters Apprentice Training
and Educational Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Carpenter Contractor Trust NY/NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Clarity Testing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
New Jersey State Building & Construction
Trades Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Cohen Seglias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
CohnReznick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Nordic Contracting Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Connell Foley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 825 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Construction Craft Laborers Training and
Apprenticeship Fund of NJ and Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Construction and General Laborers’
Union Local 172 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Peckar & Abramson, PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
J.R. Prisco, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Railroad Construction Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Construction Risk Partners, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover
Schiavone Construction Co., LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover
J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tilcon New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC) . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Tishman Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Epic Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Torcon, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Fitzpatrick & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Turner Construction Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Foley, Incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Tutor Perini Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Hall Building Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Unique Scaffolding Systems, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hall Construction Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vericon Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Heavy and General Construction
Laborers Local 472 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Vollers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Hyde Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Weldon Materials, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Ironworkers Local Union No. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
WithumSmith+Brown, PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Ironworkers Local Union No. 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

NJ Construction Magazine (Fall 2015)

Transcription

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