ENGINEERS ARCHITECTS SURVEYORS CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS
Excellence BY DESIGN SUMMER 2015
A DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR CLIENTS AND FRIENDS OF R.E. WARNER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE COVER R.E. WARNER HELPS INCREASE COATINGS PRODUCTION
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FEATURES PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE LAKE ERIE AND THE GREAT LAKES VITAL TO OUR SUCCESS AND LIFESTYLE
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STRATEGIC PLANNING PAR FOR THE COURSE – IS YOUR BUSINESS PLAN UP TO PAR?
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QUALITY DON’T FORGET TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE – YOUR CONSULTANT IS AN EXTENSION TO YOUR TEAM
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PROJECT DELIVERY STAY OUT OF JOINTS – THE PREFERRED TEAMING ARRANGEMENT IS OFTEN A PRIME/SUB TEAMING
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NEW TEAM MEMBER SAFETY WITH SAFETY, CULTURE TRUMPS PAPER - CREATE A CULTURE OF SAFETY
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PROJECTS PROJECT MANAGEMENT FIVE HABITS FOR BETTER PROJECT MANAGEMENT
8-11 CORPORATE NEWS 11 RISK MANAGEMENT MEDIATION – WHY NOT START AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Ted Beltavski, MS, P.E.
As we head through the summer of 2015 it's always good to realize what a blessing it is for our company to be located in the Great Lakes Region. Lake Erie and all the Great Lakes are so vital to our success and our lifestyle. It can be easy to lament all the rain and snow we experience but in truth many parts of the USA envy what we have here and, unfortunately, what many of us take for granted. Our industrial base over a century ago was established through the use of water for manufacturing purposes. Our region grew as an industrial power based on this natural resource. Now many years later as the world experiences shortages of water and unprecedented droughts we can truly appreciate this gift. We at R.E. Warner will continue to develop our technical skills in order to utilize our Great Lakes location as a true benefit to our clients. Keep in mind through all of our design and construction efforts that it's our job as engineers to handle this precious resource with the respect it deserves.
ON THE COVER:
R.E. Warner Helps Increase Coatings Production PPG Industries selected R.E. Warner to provide detailed engineering for the installation of process, piping, mechanical and electrical systems for a new production building known as Building 52 and located on their Cleveland Campus. The project included large batch blending operations, bulk raw material delivery piping design and new electrical substation and utility feed. R.E. Warner completed preliminary and conceptual engineering and detailed civil/structural engineering for the project under a previous contract. EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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STRATEGIC PLANNING PAR FOR THE COURSE Now that golf season is upon us, we are
objective of a business plan is to meet or
reminded how much fun and challenging
beat our business goals.
the game can be as we constantly strive to
The lesson we can learn from the golf
shoot par. As everyone knows, par is the standard an
analogy is that if you bogie the first hole, you must birdie another in the round to
expert should
make par. Worse
meet for a
yet, if you bogie too
particular hole or
many holes, it can
course. "Up to
become
par" is slang for
mathematically
achieving a set
impossible to shoot
standard or goal.
enough birdies to
In business, we
make par.
all set standards or goals. whether it's for
In golf, as you move through the round,
our three year strategic plan, one year
you should think with the end in mind but
business plan, or individual performance
focus on the next hole and make
plans.
adjustments in your swing or club selection
Similar to a round of golf, business plans
before it is too late. In business, we must
include a goal (par) and duration (number
think strategically but act tactically to
of holes). Like golf, where the objective is
achieve our goals before it's too late.
to shoot par or under for the round, the
Is your business plan up to par?
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QUALITY DON’T FORGET TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE Ok, so you've got a contract with a
What about regulatory agency reviews?
Consultant. You even have a Scope of
Multiple agency reviews can be
Work stating what we're going to do.
complicated and time consuming.
Usually you will then ask for a schedule stating when we intend to do it.
Are coordination meetings adequately scheduled?
Don't just file away the schedule believing
Are field visits properly scheduled and
it's the Consultant's schedule so let us
coordinated so as not to disrupt your
worry about it.
operations?
Remember, you have a role to play in the project as well.
compensate for unforeseen events?
You will be asked to review our submissions and provide comments. This review process takes time and can impact the schedule of your project. Did review?
ourselves to check our work? Have we allowed adequate time to
So what should you look for?
we allow adequate time for your
Have we scheduled sufficient time for
Many of these questions seem obvious, yet we have heard of other Consultants scheduling reviews over holidays or only two days to review as many as a hundred drawings. Your Consultant is an extension of your team and should be treated as such.
As a former President once said, "Trust...but verify” EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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PROJECT DELIVERY STAY OUT OF JOINTS often the knee jerk reaction is "let's form a joint venture"! Joint ventures are separate legal entities formed by two or more firms (members) for a single purpose. They require a separate management structure, financing and insurance. In addition, each member is legally responsible for the entire joint venture. In other words, if one In today's design and construction
member defaults, the other member or
marketplace, more and more projects are
members are responsible for the
being delivered by teams. Whether it’s a
contractual obligations of the joint venture.
designer/contractor or designer/designer
Likewise, the joint venture must remain in
team, teams are commonly being formed
place throughout the warranty period
to offer clients knowledge and experience
unless other provisions are made.
that no single firm can provide.
Consequently, a prime/sub teaming
This arrangement creates additional value
arrangement is often the preferred teaming
for the client and new opportunities for the
arrangement because of its clear and
design and/or construction professional.
simple contracting and management
Once a team is formed, the next question
structure. Except for very large and
becomes "how will it be structured?" Too
complex projects, it is often recommended that teams stay out of joint ventures.
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NEWEST TEAM MEMBER ROBERT P. LACKOWSKI (PERRY) // ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Perry is a 2015 graduate of The Ohio State University with a Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering. His skills include power and control systems. He is proficient in AutoCAD, Solidworks and Matlab. Perry interned with R.E. Warner for four sessions from 2011-2014 and currently resides in Westlake.
SAFETY
WITH SAFETY, CULTURE TRUMPS PAPER Every responsible company professes to
company spirit! It must be strong, real, and
have the utmost concern about safety. We
visible to everyone! It has to be reflected
all have safety manuals, policies,
in everything we do... at home, at work, in
procedures, posters and plans. We sign
our designs and our responsibility to the
forms and hold tool box meetings.
general public. At R.E. Warner, we are
A company that truly cares about safety
proud of our culture and the safety record
creates a culture of safety. It must be a
that reflects it.
corporate philosophy, a mindset, a EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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PROJECTS Mechanical and electrical engineering
power and lighting for a chemical
for the installation of a new hot water
process facility’s Vision Project.
wash system for two existing vacuum
Final design of a buffer conveyor
belt gypsum feeds at a power
support and catwalk at an automotive
generation facility.
manufacturing plant in Cleveland.
Plans and specifications for re-roofing
Detailed design of a steel company’s
the main water treatment building and
Advanced Quench and Temper
office at The Lake County Department
Facility maintenance building.
of Public Utilities’ East District water treatment plant. Detailed engineering for installation of
Engineering for decommissioning of an automotive stamping plant. Preliminary and detailed engineering
a ROBUS portable cleaning system in
and preparation of plans for
a building of an automotive coating’s
relocation of the underground city
plant.
sanitary sewer force main and storm
Preliminary and conceptual
sewer utilities at a Lorain tubular
engineering and preparation of a cost
operations including a topographic
benefit analysis for five detention
survey, lot split and legal descriptions,
basins to help alleviate flooding on
EPA PTI and easement legal
Rose, Kirk, Westwood, Costello and
descriptions.
Biddulph Roads for the City of Westlake. Plans and specifications for
A/E services to assess various City of Cleveland public improvements and provide preliminary design,
construction of site improvements
construction documents and
including roadways, surface parking
construction administration to
facilities, storm water management,
incorporate energy efficiency
and electrical infrastructure including
improvements and help reduce the cost to operate these facilities.
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT FIVE HABITS FOR BETTER PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1)
4)
Reduce your e-mails. There's no better way to communicate with your client and team than in person or by telephone.
2)
Drop the texting during meetings and conversations. Put your phone away! Turn it off! Texting or reading e-mails during meetings is rude and unprofessional.
3)
Don't be late.
Don't ignore deadlines. If you don't take schedules seriously, why should anyone else?
5)
Take good notes and meeting minutes and always distribute in a timely manner. No one can retain everything in their head. Distribution within five days shows you are engaged and allows everyone to comment and address action items in a timely manner.
You're supposed to be the most organized person on the team. Show it!
EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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CORPORATE NEWS TWO VALUED MEMBERS OF R.E. WARNER RETIRE AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE THOMAS J. HARTZELL // Senior Mechanical Piping Designer
After nearly 31 years of dedicated service to R.E. Warner, Tom "Mad Dog" Hartzell retired on May 29th. Tom started with R.E. Warner in 1984 as a designer. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Drafting and Design Technology and is certified as an Ohio UST Installer. Tom was an integral part of the Warner/Osborn/Pardee Joint Venture team which was based at NASA Lewis Research Center for five years. NASA staff commended Tom for his work ethics, performance, and particularly in the areas of accuracy and thoroughness. Since then, Tom has continued making important contributions and continued his (L-R) Dave Sminchak, Past Chairman and President dedication to the company by providing high quality Tom Hartzell, Sr. Mechanical Piping Designer work serving as mechanical/process project designer on significant R.E. Warner projects including a L-Valve chlorinator feed system for a chemical processing facility, a compressed air system for an electric power company, a new production building for a coatings company, construction of a new proprietary oil recycling facility, a gasoline blending optimization project, various Ford Motor Company projects, and many more. Tom’s final day of work was honored at our company’s Fourth Friday Celebrations.
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DAVID W. SMINCHAK, P.E. // Past Chairman and President After more than 33 outstanding years at R.E. Warner & Associates, Dave Sminchak, past Chairman and President of the firm, retired on July 2nd. Dave joined R. E. Warner in 1982 in the newly created position of Business Development Manager. At that time, R.E. Warner had a staff of 27 and by 1992, R.E. Warner had grown to well over 100 employees. In 1984 Dave was elected an Associate and Vice President and member of the Board of Trustees in 1986. He was elected President of the firm in 1994 and Chairman in 1995. Prior to joining R.E. Warner, Dave served as Marketing Manager for the Pipe Division of Price Brothers Company. From 1972 to 1976, he served as a design engineer and project manager for Paul A. Frank & Associates, a civil engineering and surveying firm. Dave has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio.
Over the years of his professional career, he has been extremely active and engaged in many professional and community organizations, such as: Leadership Cleveland Class of 1997; Cleveland Engineering Society (president), American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio (member of the Board of Directors), Bluecoats, Inc.; Build Up Greater Cleveland (member and former chairman of the Human Resource Task Force); Marymount Hospital Community Advisory Council; and the Cleveland Zoological Society Development Committee. Dave also authored numerous publications and participated in many speaking engagements. “Dave has shaped our firm into an industry leader. He has been a tireless worker and advocate of our firm since the moment he came here so many years ago” says Ted Beltavski, current President of R.E. Warner. Our company will have a reception on August 5th to honor Dave’s leadership contributions to R.E. Warner.
We congratulate and thank both Tom and Dave on a wonderful career and for their important contributions to the company. They will be missed.
EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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JUSTIN HASELTON IS APPOINTED SURVEY DEPARTMENT MANAGER We are pleased to announce the promotion of Justin Haselton to Survey Department Manager. Justin joined the company in 2008 and has held the position of Senior Civil Engineer in our Civil Department. In recognition of his many contributions to our company, he was nominated and elected to become a Shareholder of the firm in 2012. Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Cleveland State University, is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio, LEED-NC Certified, Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control, and has 12 years of experience in the design and construction of public and private infrastructure improvements. His
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experience includes state, county and municipal infrastructure improvements and site design for commercial properties. He is particularly proficient in stormwater pollution prevention plans, site, grading, public utility plans, parking areas and permitting. As Survey Department Manager, Justin will be responsible for managing our established survey operations; will assist in proposal preparation, and will manage and schedule the survey crews. Justin brings energy and enthusiasm to his new role with R.E. Warner.
Survey Areas of Specialization: • Boundary Surveys • Route Surveys • Right-of-Way Surveys • Pipeline Surveys • Electric Power Transmission Line Surveys • Horizontal & Vertical Control • GIS Data Collection & Mapping • Topographic Surveys • Construction Layout & Staking • Land Subdivisions • Crane Rail Surveys • Machine Baseline Installation • Deformation Monitoring
R.E. WARNER NAMED TO THE 2015 ZWEIG GROUP BEST FIRM TO WORK FOR AGAIN ZweigGroup has once again named R.E. Warner to its Best Firms To Work For list at number 41 in the Multidiscipline category. The Best Firms To Work For awards recognizes the top architecture, structural engineering, civil engineering, environmental, and multidiscipline firms in the US and Canada based on employee responses to a satisfaction survey about specific metrics such as benefits, corporate
culture, management, corporate values, quality and work environment. “We owe a great deal of thanks to our entire team for their contributions and their dedication to client service in achieving our success and for making R.E. Warner a great place to work” said R.E. Warner President, Ted Beltavski.
RISK MANAGEMENT MEDIATION
When there is a construction dispute, chances are the case will never get as far as a courtroom. More than 95 percent of all lawsuits involving professional liability are settled before they go to trial – but often only after years of interrogations, depositions, countersuits, legal maneuvering and mounting legal fees. No
wonder parties to construction disputes have come to see the arbitration and litigation process as a frustrating waste of productive time and massive sums of money. It makes one ask, if chances are that a dispute will eventually end at the negotiating table, why not start there in the first place? (continued on page 12)
EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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In fact, there is already a method that allows disputing parties to do just that – a comparatively inexpensive and quick process, with established structure and rules: mediation. It is an approach, typically voluntary, that helps disputing parties reach agreement among themselves, thus maintaining or reopening their communications. The approach involves a mediator, an impartial third party who helps resolve conflict by direct and informed negotiations. Consulting with each side and engaging in “shuttle diplomacy” between them, the mediator works with (and on) the parties until they are able to reach their own settlement. Unlike arbitration, mediation is usually not binding on the participants. But no matter, if the disputing parties choose their own solution, they are much more likely to carry it out. There are other advantages to mediation. First, it’s private. No one need be told the details of the settlement or who was legally liable. In most mediation settlement
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agreements, the parties specifically state they are not admitting any fault. In fact, no one but the parties has to know there was ever a dispute. Second, mediation offers an alternative to costly blanket discovery. In litigation, the usual response to a dispute is to spend a lot of money in the form of all-out discovery warfare: written interrogatories by both parties, subpoenas for document production, expert opinions and depositions. Lastly, mediation is highly regarded by the legal professions – for many reasons. In a landmark survey on dispute avoidance and resolution within the construction industry, attorneys rated mediation as the most effective technique for reducing the time necessary to resolve disputes. Provide for mediation in all of your contracts. Mediation has a remarkable track record, especially when it is employed at the appropriate stage of the dispute. (The average rate of settlement in mediated cases is nearly 85 percent.)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT A YEAR OF JEANS FOR A CAUSE Great workplaces know that how a company contributes to the community is an important part of employee morale and fostering pride in the company. This year our employees are helping a different charity/organization every month by paying $5 to wear jeans each Friday. Charities and organizations we are helping during the summer months include: June: Engineers Without Borders http://www.ewb-usa.org/ July: 22Q http://www.22q.org/ August: We Support One Of Our Own! The Ramer family and their battle against pediatric cancer. https://vimeo.com/album/2406728/video/80040863
EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Members of our firm support and actively participate in professional organizations and serve on several technology committees. Below are events recently attended or soon to be attended NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS (NSPS) Trig-Star Program Contest Peter Zwick, P.E., P.S., Senior Project Manager, Professional Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor of R.E. Warner presented Gyumin Kwon from St. Edward High School in Lakewood the Trig-Star award on July 9th. The award is sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and cosponsored locally. The competition is a timed exercise to solve trigonometry problems that incorporate the use of right triangle formulas, circle formulas, the law of sines, and the law of cosines. The TrigStar contest helps to promote careers in surveying and mapping to students at high schools across the country.
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AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE (ACI) ACI 318-14: Reorganized for Design Building Code Seminar Date | Cleveland Hilton Garden Inn Matt Benovic, P.E., S.E. attended a seminar to get acquainted with the new organization and various technical changes to the building code requirements for structural concrete in order to ensure our designs fully comply with the new code. ASSOCIATION FOR IRON AND STEEL TECHNOLOGY (AIST) GOLF OUTINGS Professionals from R.E. Warner’s metals market are enjoying rounds of golf, lunch and dinner and prizes at the AIST Midwest, Pittsburgh and Canton golf outings in support of the organization’s scholarship and education initiatives.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ASCE) CLEVELAND SECTION EVENTS Construction Tour of the Cleveland Convention Center Hotel Thursday, April 30, 2015 Ryan O’Hearn, E.I. and Peter Zwick, P.E., P.S. participated in a Turner Construction guided tour of the 32-story, 600-room hotel that will be connected underground to the Global Center for Health Innovation and the new Convention Center. Construction is scheduled for completion in time for the Republic National Convention in July 2016. R.E. Warner is the project surveyor responsible for site survey and layout. History of the Veterans Memorial Bridge May Centennial Event May 12, 2015 | Cleveland Metropark’s Merwin’s Landing Peter Zwick, P.E., P.S, Ryan O’Hearn, E.I. and Matt Barratt, P.E., LEED AP BD+C attended the presentation and dinner meeting on the “History of the Veterans Memorial Bridge” as part of the ongoing 100 Year ASCE Cleveland anniversary. Centennial Gala Annual Meeting June 2, 2015 | Stillwater Place Banquet Center at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Ryan O’Hearn, E.I. attended the ASCE annual dinner meeting honoring the 10th project of the 10 for 100 years, the Emerald Necklace and the Centennial Gala to cap the 100th ASCE Cleveland Year. Keynote Speaker, Mr. Robert
Reitherman, Winner of the 2014 Civil Engineering History and Heritage Award spoke on "A Historical Perspective and Some Speculations About the Future". Ms. Debra Berry, Vice President, Cleveland Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners spoke on "Cleveland Metroparks: Past, Present, Future". CLEVELAND ENGINEERING SOCIETY (CES) Leadership Breakfast Series April 21, 2015 | Growth and Opportunity Panel: Connecting People with Communities to Economic Opportunity May 12, 2015 | NOACA’s Regional Strategic Plan: Goals & Strategies June 16, 2015 | Opportunity Corridor Revitalization for Cleveland & Northeast Ohio The 135th Annual Meeting June 25, 2015 | The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Brett Neff, Vice President, Business Development was inducted to the CES Board of Directors at their Annual Meeting. E5LEADER ONE-ON-ONE COACHING AND MENTORING Three R.E. Warner executives worked with E5’s business and personal development leaders for one-on-one coaching to teach, train, educate and motivate them to live a life of equilibrium spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially.
EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN – SUMMER 2015
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Our mission is to provide technical solutions through teamwork and a passion for service. Since our founding in 1951, R.E. Warner & Associates, Inc. has experienced steady and continuous growth. Building on our traditional strengths and values, we have entered into new fields only when it is consistent with the basic mission of our company. Today, R.E. Warner is a full service, multi-discipline consulting firm serving both public and private clients. We call ourselves multi-discipline because we offer professional services in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and process engineering; architecture and planning; surveying; and environmental science and engineering. Our impressive list of clients includes many of our nation’s largest steel, automotive and chemical producers, electric power companies, health and educational facilities, and various agencies of the federal, state and local governments.
R.E. Warner’s mission is to provide technical solutions through teamwork and a passion for service. Our areas of practice include buildings and facilities, industrial operations and process engineering, infrastructure, transportation, energy management, surveying, environmental and construction services. In order to fulfill our mission to our clients, R.E. Warner consistently recruits, hires and retains the leaders in our profession. In recognition of our great workplace, R.E. Warner has been named a multi-year winner of the NorthCoast 99 Award, presented annually by the Employers Resource Council to the top 99 companies to work for in Northeast, Ohio. We invite you to contact many of our peers to discover how working with R.E. Warner can be economical, efficient, professional and down right pleasant!
If you would like a printed version of this publication, please email Lydia Janis at ljanis@rewarner.com. 20
ENGINEERS ARCHITECTS S U R V E YO R S CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS