June 2012 - Empirehouse

W hat’s New At Empirehouse?
Upcoming Empirehouse Jobs
New and recent projects
included the following
contracts!
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY NEWS!!
COMMUNICATOR
Pat and Jeanne Dold happily
announced the celebration of
their 30th Wedding Anniversary
this month. They were married
on June 12, 1982 and have three
children – Christine, who will be
married on June 30, Matthew,
and Mark. They also have one
grandson, Tanner, who was born
on
February
28,
2012.
Congratulations on this milestone
Anniversary!
June 29, 2012
Empirehouse features extraordinary products
& service for new American Swedish Institute
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Boeckerman Graftsrom & Meyer Tenant Build-Out
Amcon Construction
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Cameron Law Office Tenant Build-Out
Amcon Construction
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Venture Bank Tenant Build-Out
Amcon Construction
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Haworth Office Relocation
RJM Construction
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
3M Building 225 West VHB
3M Center
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Sportech Office & Production/Shipping
Amcon Construction
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Allina West Health ED (Labor & Material)
Mortenson Construction
Jason Weld
We’d like to acknowledge and thank Empirehouse employees who
celebrated employment anniversary in the months of April and May
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Owatonna Hospital Counter Partition
Allina Hospital & Clinic
James Bringle
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Point of France – Mirror Replacement
Point of France Association, Inc.
Dave Johnson
Boris Savchuk
Jake Reining
Brad Johnson
Trent Johnson
Jeremy Meyer
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Tiller Corporation
Tiller Corporation
Mike Gilbert
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Allstate Peterbilt
Unispace
Jason Weld
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Suburban Square
Ron Clark Construction & Design
Dave Johnson
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Wells Fargo Film
Mortenson Construction
Mike Gilbert
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Brennen Medical
Lawin Enterprizes
Dave Johnson
Project:
Contractor:
PM:
Baillon Company-Window Replacement
Broadway Street Investors, LLC
Mike Gilbert
By Alana Griffith, Editor
NOTICE TO GLAZIERS:
Pro-10 Training will be offered through
Local 1324 on July 25-26. For more
information, contact Dave Johnson.
Anniversary Congratulations!
June 2002
June 2007
June 2002
June 2001
June 2008
Mike Blumer
July 1991
The Empirehouse Team June and July Birthdays
June
Trent Johnson
July
June 21
Volume 11, Issue 3
Mark Waggoner
Mike Blumer
Howard Wesley Jr.
William Esnough
July 8
July 13
July 17
July 23
The Empirehouse Communicator is published by Empirehouse, Inc., 5200
Quincy St., Mounds View, MN 55112. Phone 763-535-1150, fax 763-535-9151.
For more information about this newsletter, or if you would like to
contribute to its content, please contact Alana Sunness Griffith, at DD
#763-412-4512.
On Saturday, June 30, the Nelson
Cultural Center at the American
Swedish Institute will celebrate the
grand opening of this new and
exciting space. It has been almost
one year since Empirehouse received
the glass and glazing contract from A
& P Construction for the 34,000
square foot, two level addition to ASI.
The new structure is adjacent to the
1908 Turnblad mansion, the iconic
headquarters for the American Swedish
Institute at 2600 Park Avenue in
Minneapolis.
WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT UNIQUE?
There were several areas on the building
where Empirehouse showcased its
talents and abilities. These feature areas
made this project both exciting and
challenging.
Glass Walkway: In October, we
completed the third story glass walkway
link. The shed
style
glass
walkway
assembly
was
fully fabricated,
complete with a
custom
steel
pedestal support
structure and an
aluminum
bar
stock
glass
support
cage
assembly. It was
glazed with high
performance
laminated
silkscreened
glazing and had
a fully welded and re-finished aluminum
receiver frame that was fabricated to
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
GM Views
2
“Dave Says”
3
Anniversaries
4
Birthdays
4
Upcoming Jobs
4
Holiday Schedule
Empirehouse will be closed
Wednesday July 4th in
observance of the
Independence Day Holiday.
accommodate
the
unique
and
challenging installation method. The
structure included internal wiring and
LED lighting strip integration. The
6,500 pound, 12’ long x 5’ wide x 11’6” tall unit was transported 15 miles to
the site in south Minneapolis on a
heavy duty low-boy trailer. Once it
arrived, it was hoisted by the jobsite
tower crane from the ground to the
third floor to begin its insertion
between the existing mansion and the
new expansion. The glass walkway
unit was carefully maneuvered
through the decorative historic
elements on the mansion’s exterior
stone walls and slowly lowered into
the cavity. With only a small margin of
error allowed, architect John Cook of
HGA stated “it was the coolest thing
I’ve ever seen, like watching the
Space Shuttle dock to the Space
Station”.
Transparent Structural Glass Wall
and
High
Performance
Windows: The owner and architect
strove to achieve a well lit and
welcoming reception area. We
provided over 1,200 square feet of a
Canadian
designed
thermal
composite aluminum window system
which was glazed with high
(Continued on page 2)
Glaziers Corner
We are recording field
hours differently for
billing purposes.
DAILY: Call
Stephanie at
763-412-4522
and leave a
message with
the this
information:
 Your name
 Job name
 Job number
 Hours
 WIP number
If you have questions,
contact Stephanie via
phone or email to:
[email protected]
Dave Says …
Views
By Dave Johnson
- Monthly comments from the General Manager , James Bringle
The Heat is ON!
Summer is here! Not only is the temperature outside climbing, but many of our projects
are heating up and well underway. The American Swedish Institute is finishing this month,
Radisson Blu is 50% complete, Mother Baby is about a third done, and Orchestra Hall is
starting. Plus other projects will also be done this summer. So, the heat is ON!.
The work will be fast and furious. Radisson Blu and Mother Baby both need to be 100%
complete by December and Orchestra Hall needs to be complete by June 1, 2013. All the small to medium
projects we have in our backlog are scheduled for completion this fall so we all need to be ready for the
heat. Every department will be under fire this year to be more efficient, meet the deadlines, and deliver
quality work. When we work as a team, we can meet these demands.
Teamwork is going to be critical. Each department is just as important as the other and we all have to work
towards the same goal. We will be making a few changes on how we move from one department to the
next. When all the dust settles and everyone understands who is handling each step, it will make
everyone’s tasks easier, more efficient and we will be able to meet the deadlines. Teams do NOT win as
individuals. It takes everyone to focus on winning together. By the end of the year, if we all have the same
goal in mind and execute the plan, we can win as a TEAM! Have a Great Summer and enjoy the heat!
(Continued from page 1)
performance glazing. This system tied the air barrier into the wall system to create an exceptionally energy efficient
system. In addition, Empirehouse provided 3,800 square feet of a custom machined aluminum bar-stock monumental
curtain-wall framing system, glazed with high performance insulated glass. To offer a clean and flush appearance on
the exterior of the building, we used a framing system that was structural
silicone glazed with custom profile extruded tapered covers.
wood doorway.
Specialty Art Glass: When walking up to the building to the entry, an
iridescent translucent blue textured glass custom fabricated by
Architectural Glass Art of Louisville greets visitors. Since AGA could not
provide glass suitable for a northern climate, we shipped the art glass to
Viracon, Inc. in Owatonna for fabricating into insulated glass units. We
then installed these custom fabricated lites into an 800 square feet area
into the structural glass wall. Not only does the entry glass visually please
the eye, the texture creates interest and entices visitors to enter through
the Nordic contemporary
In the field, we are consistently working with many of the same contractors. We
have become familiar with how they run their projects allowing us to know what
to expect. There is no doubt every job is run different. The job can meet our
expectations when we step in and control what we do, and what our sub
contractors or other trades do. In the past it was always easier to walk away
from problems and let someone else deal with. In order to get what we need to
do our job, we need to be able to work effectively with our contractors. I realize
that sometimes this can be a little overwhelming and sometimes not “fair”. Our
long term goal is to come out ahead because we took a little extra time at the
beginning of the job to dig a little deeper. We know how valuable jobsite
meetings can be if properly attended and participated in. I know for a fact that
other trades have come to us for answers before even approaching the
General Contractor. So keep looking ahead and thinking about the overall
project so we can continue to be the glazing contractor of choice and leaders in
our field.
Our Near Miss Reports have tailed off at a rather disappointing pace. I realize
that they are sometimes hard to write without using the same issues over and
over. Remember that any precaution we take we can use as a Near Miss. So
let’s get back on top of these. Bob has told the shop staff that he expects one
Near Miss report per week from everyone. And, if they do not turn one in, they
get a day off without pay (probably a Wednesday). If this works for the shop,
we may have to institute it in the field as well. So, maybe asking for only one a
week can be accomplished by each of us.
Enjoy the summer! Have fun, be safe.
Dave
Beginning in July, our Employee
Self-Service Web Site will be
provided to us with our payroll
services. The web address is
https://eservices.paychex.com/
secure. The company ID is: 0456 F903
Your username is the first initial of your first name and
your entire last name using lowercase letters.
(example: “Joseph Bean” would be jbean.) Your initial
password is the first initial of your first name
combined with the first initial of your last name (make
sure these are capitalized and last name includes any
punctuation and the last four digits of your Social
Security number (example: using Joseph Bean with a
Social Security # XXX-XXX-6677, the password would
be JB6677).
If you have the same first initial and last name as
another user, your username may not follow the rules
listed above. Please see James or Pat D. for assistance
if this applies to you.
Upon clicking the Secure Login button for the first
time, be sure to change your password.
You can select any item on the employee tab by
clicking on the left menu links. Note: For password
resets please see James or Pat.
HUMAN RESOURCE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES?
As a reminder James Hutera is now HR. For any
questions regarding payroll, vacation, hours or
benefits please make sure to see James. You can
reach him at [email protected] OR via
phone at 763-412-4509.
TEAM EMPIREHOUSE - Home Again!
Mary Faue, Jenn Kelly, Mike Guiggisberg, Jeanette Dolan
By Mary Faue
Team Empirehouse RODE AGAIN, raising $4,177.50 to help
create a world free of Multiple Sclerosis!
The first 75 miles on Saturday were pretty easy. The weather was
great and the winds were manageable. The next 75 miles on
Sunday was another story. Team Empirehouse had the right idea
of starting the day pretty early leaving Hinckley before 6am hoping
to get ahead of the heat and winds. That idea worked for the first
12 miles. As the day went on, the heat and the winds increased
which made the ride more challenging. No
matter what the
weather conditions were, at the end of the day, when you cross the finish line it is such a great feeling knowing you
can make a difference riding for someone who can’t but is cheering for you as you ride by.
The opening of the Nelson Center at the American Swedish Institute
positions the museum as a primary cultural center for the region for Nordic
arts, music and culture. The public is welcome to visit on June 30 from
11:00am – 9:00pm when they will feature the Grand Opening of the new
building and outdoor spaces with special international musical guests,
craft demonstrations, and family activities.
INTERESTING NOTE: Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen
Silvia of Sweden will visit ASI October 5–6, 2012. The royal visit is in
honor of the dedication of ASI’s new Nelson Cultural Center.
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Empirehouse would like to thank our vendors that sponsored Team Empirehouse: Beaupre Aerial Equipment,
Carciofini Caulking, Daylight Designs, Division 8, Northern Capital Insurance (Mike Ryan), Oldcastle
Building Envelope – Wausau, Tubelite (Rick Hillsheim), and Viracon (Tom Heidrick).
Quote of the day:
“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”
Summer is already here and what a strange year it
has been so far. Not only has the weather been
unusual, but our business has taken a different
direction. Usually in June we are scrambling to keep
up with our general contractors or attempting to get to
jobs. This year our shop is able to keep up or even
get ahead of their fabrication schedules. In the field,
we are right on schedule for our installed products.
As I look back and think about what is happening, I
believe most of it can be attributed to the experience we have gained over the
years. This starts with the Sales Department and runs all the way through the
entire company which includes Estimating, Poject Managing, Fabrication,
Installation, and Accounting.
IMPORTANT MESSAGES FROM
THE H.R. DEPARTMENT
Steven Wright