2018 Ajax Annual Magazine

The Future is Riding on AJAX

18 / 2019 2018 / 2019

ACAF Award - SR 758 NAPA AWARD - I-75 - Charlotte and Sarasota Counties

7 Day Challenge - West Terry Street Total Process Reliability Initiative

Inside this Issue………..

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Ajax Corporate Core Beliefs and Values

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Project Manager Academy/FTBA Conference

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CEO’s Message

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What’s The Buzz About Training

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Nothing Happens Until We Sell Something

32-33 Safety Day

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Awards and Achievements

34-35 Career Milestones

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SR 758 - Bee Ridge Road

36-37 Retirements

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I-75 Project - Sarasota/Charlotte Counties

38-39 Outreach Projects

12-13 Pedestrian Improvement Project

40-41 We’ve Got Mail

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Hunters Ridge

42-43 Brag Board

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The Prodigal Returns

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Did You Know? Facebook/Instagram

16-17 7 Day Challenge - Railroad Crossing Project

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Healthy Starts Here

18-19 Manufacturing and Quality Control

46-51 17th Annual Ajax Charity Golf Tournament

20-21 Asphalt Plant & Lab Tours

52-53 Ajax Photo Contest

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Quality Control & Mix Design Operations

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Ajax in Action

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Equipment Division

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Welcome New Arrivals

24-29 Total Process Reliability

Corporate Core Beliefs & Values To achieve our Mission, we encourage… 

Customer Focus

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High Achievement

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Teamwork

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Sense of Urgency

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Innovation

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Do What You Say You Will do

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Risk Taking

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Safe Work Practices

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High Energy

OFFICES:

ASPHALT PLANTS:

North Venice: 941-486-3600

North Venice: 941-486-3420

Odessa: 727-375-5780

Fort Myers:

239-936-9444

Punta Gorda:

Tampa: 813-574-8331

Tampa:

813-769-1990

Port Manatee: 941-845-1138 Fort Myers: 3

239-543-4544 239-489-3320

Largo:

727-499-2168

CEO’s Message

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HANGE IS IN THE AIR. The

John Duncan - Foreman to Project Superintendent Matt Horan - Project Manager in Tampa to Assistant Area Manager and PM for North Venice, and importantly, the return of Mike Morgan from Tennessee to Project Manager in Tampa, and the list goes on.

world is moving faster and change is everywhere you look. Changes from politics, technology, health care, to the way we build roads, and especially the way we live our lives. Some say for the worst; I am thinking they are totally wrong. I, for one, like the more positive approach as change, when embraced, can be the best thing that can happen for the good of all of us. More on that in a minute.

There are many other moves of our folks both upwards and sideways; congratulations to all of you as well. Ajax will continue to strive to get people in the best positions to perform at a high level and enjoy their job.

Our company has grown over the years because of the caliber of people we hire. We will always strive to create a company that respects our employees, provides a great place to work and have some fun.

As previously stated, “Change is in the air.”

Effective March 2019, I will become the Chief Executive Officer for the company and promote Vince Hafeli as President. Vince came to the company in October 2002 and was hired as our Quality Control Manager. Quickly I found out that Vince has a set of skills not seen here before and was easily promoted to Vice President in charge of Plants and Materials. To describe Vince, I would use words such as leader, respected, meticulous, precise, efficient, hard-working, dedicated, honest, loyal, thoughtful, and fair. He has created solid relationships outside the company with vendors and competitors, as well as inside the company with his coworkers. He will carry the Ajax flag well and will move the company forward in preparation of the next set of leaders. Congratulations to Vince as he formulates his mark on the company history. I am most confident in Vince’s leadership, vision and innovation that he will bring for the future of Ajax.

First, I want to congratulate our Team on another great year for the company. We were all performing at a high level from estimating to construction, plant production and mix quality, community involvement and safe practices. Although we Our people were down from the previous continue great year of 2017, we still reached our goal of “exceeding to be the backbone of customers’ expectations.” We continue to keep our stellar our success. reputation intact by doing what we say we will do, having a sense of urgency, being innovative, highly motivated, and using teamwork to achieve positive results. Thanks to all of our employees who have responded enthusiastically to the changes in our company. Keep it going in 2019!

Secondly, I wanted to congratulate some of our folks who have changed job positions during 2018/2019.

Jayson Brown - TPR Coordinator to Project Manager Mike Woody - Project Manager to TPR Coordinator Cassie Rubio - Contract Administrator Assistant to Marketing Coordinator Dave Reed - Mechanic to Maintenance Planner Eric Delaney - Mechanic to Maintenance Scheduler Danielle Bentivegna - EEO Assistant to Project Coordinator Brian Pittman - Project Superintendent to Asphalt Paving Superintendent

Another “Change is in the air” and a clear difference maker is my long time wing-man and good friend, Mark Minich. In July of this year, Mark has decided to “move on” after 34 years with Ajax Paving Industries of Florida. Mark started his tenure with us on January 7, 1985 as Area Manager of our Fort Myers Operation. He moved his family from Indiana to Cape Coral and learned to love the heat. Shortly after, I knew I hired the best person I could have ever found to help me build this company.

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of Andy Decraene. He is respected by his peers and developed strong relationships inside and outside the company. We are confident Matt will be a strong leader and Area Manager. Congratulations to Matt on this promotion.

Mark quickly advanced in the ranks to the position of Executive Vice President in charge of Estimating and Sales. Mark was a force behind the estimating and sales endeavors we have been so successful in formulating. He is the master of the “think tank” with MOT innovation, precision and grade control paving, our design build efforts, construction change initiatives, outside sales efforts, and anything and everything I could throw at him. Without Mark Minich, we would not be the company we are today. He simply gets it better than anyone else I have ever known in this business. A unique skill set and sixth sense and always pushing the envelope to get the best price for the benefit of the company. A humble man I will always cherish as a partner and friend. We wish him well, but something tells me Mark will not be too far away. Good luck Mark and God Speed to you and Jackie. You will be missed.

And last, but certainly not least, for the changes ahead.

My Executive Assistant Ingrid Delaney will retire this July. Ingrid came to us in April 1993 and has been my loyal confidant and treasured assistant for near 26 years. She started with us as the receptionist, moved on to a variety of other positions, and ultimately replaced my previous Assistant. Her list of duties is long, but to name a few would be HR Assistant, Office Manager, Event Coordinator, Plant and Land Permits Administrator, Marketing Materials Manager, Company and Professional Licensing Administration, best of all is her quiet leadership. If every company had people like Ingrid working for them they would be successful, no doubt. Professional, trustworthy, honest, loyal, humble, and certainly beauty at its finest are words that best describe Ingrid. I can’t ever thank her enough for being by my side in good times, and not so good of times, always providing a smile and an enjoyable atmosphere to work in. Ingrid, it was the ultimate pleasure to have you be part of this company and my life. Thank you and may your retirement be as awesome as your life was here at Ajax.

In November of 2006, a young man named Andy Decraene came to us from another Michigan contractor. Andy started out coordinating MOT crews, soon became a Project Superintendent, and with training from Vic O’Hara and Mark Minich became a Project Manager. After the passing of Vic, Andy became Area Manager for Fort Myers in 2010. Andy will fill the shoes of Mark Minich and be promoted to Vice President in charge of Estimating and Sales. I am highly confident Andy will be a great fit and continue on with the “out of the box” vision of Mark Minich.

Congratulations to Andy as this new position for him is well deserved.

Folks, yes, it is true the company will continue to prosper and grow from lessons taught us by those departing, and the energetic new ideas from which our young people bring to us each day. Our people continue to be the backbone of our success. So let us draw on that knowledge to always move forward in a positive way.

Another change will be the promotion of Matt Desotell to Area Manager for the Fort Myers Operation. Matt came to us in March of 2011 with a Degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

An All-American college football player, as well as an Academic All-American, we knew we were getting a future leader and hard-working Green Bay Wisconsin individual. Matt has had great success in managing several large profitable projects under the mentoring

Be safe out there and as always, Keep the Faith!

Mike Horan Chief Executive Officer

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NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL SOMEONE SELLS SOMETHING! Mark Minich Executive Vice President

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he Ajax Estimating and Sales Team turned in a record year in 2018. Over time, the responsibilities this staff has taken on has expanded and now includes the full array of pre-construction activities necessary for business development, engineering, estimating, sales, purchasing, promotion, critical path scheduling, and partnering with clients, manufacturing and construction operations.

Our staff is sharp, experienced, and capable. In 2018, we have had the good fortune to add three new and talented members to the team, Jarryd Ebert, Natalie Woody and Kara Coggins. Our staff continues to grow in capabilities and excel in meeting the new challenges of continuous improvement.

Keep up the good work.

NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL SOMEONE SELLS SOMETHING!

Meet our Estimating and Sales Team

Christie Alvaro - 21 Years General Manager of Estimating Systems & Engineering

Lauren Taylor - 19 Years Estimator

Dave Reid - 17 Years General Manager of Business Development

Joe Minich - 18 Years Estimator

Felipe Jaramillo - 15 Years Alternative Contracting Project Manager

Lee Strauss - 11 Years Estimator

John Long - 20 Years Outside Sales

John Fleming - 12 Years Outside Sales

Mark Miller - 4 Years Estimator

Jarryd Ebert - 1 Year Estimator

Mark Minich Executive Vice President Dan Sardella - 18 Years Bid/Contract Specialist

Natalie Woody - 1 Year Staff Engineer

Kara Coggins - 1 Year Administrative Assistant

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Pro Patria Award &

Employer Support

Freedom

Award - Semi-Finalist

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ake Mary, FL - On Friday, April 13, 2018, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC was one of the employers honored at the Florida Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Annual Awards Ceremony held at The Westin Lake Mary. Ajax employees Mike Woody, Natalie Woody and Matt Horan attended the presentation to accept the prestigious Pro Patria Award which is the highest level award bestowed by an ESGR State/Territory Committee. In addition, they were also presented the Employer Support Freedom Award – Semi Finalist. The awards honor the outstanding Florida employers, military members and committee members.

As stated from a message to employers by State Chairman James E. Dicks, Jr. of the Florida ESGR, “We recognize nine employers who have helped these citizen warriors accomplish their mission. Your policies, practices, and programs support Guard and Reserve employees, their families and the military community. You have embraced our Nation’s best, providing support and helping families through challenging times. By seeking employees who serve in the reserve component, you’ve shown that you value the unique skills and leadership qualities these men and women possess and set a standard for other companies to follow.

To all of this year’s recipients, please accept the deep and sincere gratitude of the Department of Defense for your unshakeable commitment to members of the Guard and Reserves. Your support and partnership is a key part of what makes our military the strongest on earth.”

Matt Horan, Natalie Woody, Commander Mike Woody and Colonel William Temple

We are honored to have the following Ajax employees serve our country. * Project Manager Mike Woody (Commander - Navy Reserve) * General Laborer Derek Ayers (Machinest’s Mate - Navy Reserve) * Airfield Specialist Justin Woody (Master Sergeant - FL Air National Guard) * Loader Operator Michael Brower (Lance Corporal - Marine Reserve) Thank you for your service and dedication. We are very grateful to all the men and women serving in the Armed Forces!

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2018 Ajax Construction Awards

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION QUALITY IN CONSTRUCTION AWARD - INTERSTATE I-75 (Charlotte/Sarasota County Line to S. of Toledo Blade Road) Subcontractor to Astaldi Construction Corporation Length: Width: Lanes: Total Lane Miles: Total Tons Placed: Project Cost: Area Manager: Project Manager: Project Superintendent: Construction Manager: QC Manager: QC Technician - Roadway: FDOT Resident Engineer: Project Administrator:

15.681 Miles 56 Feet 6 94 215,318 $27,500,000 Andy Decraene Clay Cross John Eagens Garrett Fons Michael Curle Mark Slomski Nik Patel Brian Kelly

FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION

QUALITY IN CONSTRUCTION AWARD - RURAL SR 31 Improvements from Caloosahatchee River to the Charlotte County Line - Lee County Total Lane Miles: Total Tons Placed: Project Cost: Area Manager: Project Manager: Project Superintendent: Construction Manager: QC Manager: QC Technician - Roadway: Contract Administrator: FDOT Resident Engineer: Project Administrator:

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7.955 14,471 $2,305,274 Andy Decraene Jason Prokopetz Chris Lopez Garrett Fons Michael Curle Mark Slomski Crystal Lesko Todd Potter Christopher Mollitor

ASPHALT CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA

URBAN RESURFACING AWARD SR 758 Bee Ridge Road from Siesta Drive to Siesta Place and from SR 45 (US 41) to Dunn Drive - Sarasota County Total Lane Miles: Total Tons Placed: Project Cost: Area Manager: Project Manager: Construction Manager: QC Manager: QC Technician - Plant: QC Technician - Roadway: Contract Administrator: FDOT Resident Engineer: Project Administrator:

26.75 30,927 $4,100,000 Steve Ayers Nathan Hassler Jerry Hunt Mike Curle Kevin Cruce Austin Wright Bobbi Jo Forman Paul Wingard, PE (KCCS) Trey Barclay (KCCS)

2018 ROADS & BRIDGES TOP 10 ROADS AWARD 10TH PLACE U.S. 17 - Zolfo Springs Project - Hardee County Total Lane Miles: Total Asphalt Placed: Total Concrete Placed: Project Cost: Vice President: Project Managers : Construction Manager: Concrete Operations Manager: Concrete Paving Project Manager: Project Superintendent: QC Manager: QC Technician - Roadway: Contract Administrator: FDOT Resident Engineer: Project Administrator:

5 12,600 20,700 CY $14,530,725 Scott Pittman Scott Gilliard, Matt Horan Tommy Daquanna Leo Remijan Yvonne Kur Bill Meacham Mike Curle Dan Buckingham Trish Moore Chris Hiehle Jaime Mount

DESIGN-BUILD INSTITUTE OF AMERICA FLORIDA REGION DESIGN-BUILD HONOR AWARD

Golden Gate Boulevard - Collier County Total Lane Miles: Total Tons Placed: Project Cost: Area Manager: Project Manager: Construction Manager: Project Superintendent: QC Manager: QC Technician - Roadway: Contract Administrator: Collier County Project Manager: Project Administrator:

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8 21,460 $19,430,000 Andy Decraene Matt Desotell, Felipe Jaramillo Garrett Fons Ralph Bridger, Charlie McCleaf John Savage Mark Slomski Crystal Lesko Steve Ritter Kevin Dugan

URBAN RESURFACING AWARD Presented by the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida

SR 758 Bee Ridge Road

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arasota County - Ajax Paving Industries of FL, LLC received the 2018 Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida (ACAF) Urban Resurfacing Award for District 1. This job, which we served as a subcontractor to Watson Civil, covered areas of Bee Ridge Road from Siesta Drive to Siesta Place and from US 41 to Dunn Drive. The subcontract performed was valued at $4.1 million and consisted of asphalt base, mill, and resurface.

The project was started by Ajax Project Manager Scott Gilliard and taken over and completed by Project Manager Nathan Hassler, Area 1 in North Venice. Project Superintendent Wally Cabral worked diligently to oversee the progress of the job, along with support from the following: Steve Ayers - Area Manager Jerry Hunt- Construction Manager Mike Curle - Quality Control Manager Christie Alvaro - Estimator Bobbi Jo Forman - Contract Administrator

Special thanks to all of the Area 1 crews involved in completing this award-winning job: Paving Foremen Tony Tovar, Robby Popielarz, Chris Ance, Traffic Control Foreman Tommy Richardson, Quality Control Field Technician Austin Wright, Tyler Bowser, Mechanic/ Buggy. Also, thanks to Plant Foreman Tim Gearheart and Quality Control Lab Technician Kevin Cruce at Plant 3 in Palmetto.

By Nathan Hassler Project Manager

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I-75 - Charlotte/Sarasota County Line to South of Toledo Blade Road

Quality in Construction Award Awarded by National Asphalt Pavement Association

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harlotte & Sarasota Counties - The FDOT project included the widening of I-75 from four lanes to six lanes in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Ajax was hired by Astaldi Construction Corp. to manufacture and pave 215,318 HMA tons. Before construction, Ajax proposed a Cost Savings Initiative (CSI) to develop one consistent approach to slope corrections and resurfacing. This approach moved the milling control point and designed a “Best Fit” variable depth milling plan.

This project produced a smooth, quality asphalt pavement that benefited state taxpayers and serves area motorists well.

Many thanks to the Ajax personnel who contributed to the success of this $27.5 million project which included Construction Manager Garrett Fons, Project Superintendent John Eagens, Paving Foremen Lee Lamb, Chris Ance, Robby Popielarz, Jacob Gouveia, GPS Manager Jacob Amann and all their hardworking and dedicated crews.

Ajax survey crews, lead by Jacob Amann, utilized automated machine grade (AMG) control system on the milling machine to correct cross slope and minimize the grade difference between lane 3 and the o/s shoulder, thus eliminating the need to reconstruct the o/s shoulder.

Also, thanks to Plant Foreman Ed Batha, QC Lab Technician Dianne Miller, QC Field Technician Mark Slomski and Alternative Contracting Project Manager Felipe Jaramillo.

The change in the project’s cross slope correction plans resulted in a gross savings of over one million dollars.

Clay Cross Project Manager

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Mill and Resurface Kennedy Blvd.

Downtown Tampa from Ashley Street to Nebraska Avenue

Aerial of Pierce and Kennedy corner

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illsborough County - Downtown Tampa is not the easiest location for a construction project, but Ajax’s Area 3 has been here before. Reminiscent of a project we built in 2007, Ajax was awarded the bid for a Pedestrian Improvement Project on Kennedy Boulevard in Downtown Tampa from Ashley Street to Nebraska Avenue.

The project mainly consisted of widening the sidewalk platforms at each intersection thru the Kennedy Boulevard corridor. Along with the pedestrian improvements, a mill and resurface of Kennedy Boulevard was included. There are many famous local residents working in buildings along this corridor including the Mayor’s office, Tampa City Hall, Hillsborough County Public Services, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Hillsborough County Courthouse, Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Bank of America and BB&T Bank, historic Masonic Lodge and the famous Rivergate Tower, more popularly known as the “beer can” building. Needless to say, the project is also a public relations affair!

pipe structures to be set, 144 LF of 18” RCP, 300 LF of water channelizing trench drain, and 2,200 tons of asphalt milling and resurfacing. All of this work had to be completed within 110 days while also maintaining pedestrian traffic thru the busiest pedestrian corridor in Tampa. Isabell showed no fear and entered this project determined to lead her construction team to success!

The project is on-schedule to complete in early January 2019.

Thanksgiving week marked the start of the mill and resurface work as the concrete crews finish the pedestrian platforms.

I’d like to send a big shout out to crews in the field that worked on this project since September 2018: Concrete Foremen Paul Robinson, John Lake and Eggy Garay-Hernandez, MOT Foreman Joe Blake, Pipe Foreman Eric Dasaro and Grade Foremen Darren Labolt, Andrew Cary and their crews.

I’d also like to send a big thanks to Spencer Wadsworth and Dale Purcell for providing their valuable construction knowledge and insight to help Isabell and keep this job on track for a successful finish. This project team has worked well and resolved field issues with FDOT very quickly and have kept a great relationship and reputation in the field. A job well done for this construction team!

Project Superintendent Isabell Troxell was tasked to lead the project in the field. Coming off a year working with Hillsborough County on various stormwater work order jobs, Isabell was ready for an FDOT project. The project has a short schedule of 110 days with quite a bit of construction work to be completed within that time. There are nine intersections along this corridor and every single pedestrian platform corner will be rebuilt. This includes 36 intersection corners, approximately 2,000 LF of D-Curb, 2,300 SY of 6” sidewalk, 13

Matt Horan Project Manager

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Pipe crew preparing to lift and set manhole

Aerial of concrete crew working at Jefferson and Kennedy

Pipe crew rigs manhole structure

Pipe crew working at Jefferson and Kennedy Concrete crews working together to finish the pedestrian platform

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HUNTERS RIDGE Great Work Deserves Great Food!

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onita Springs - Back in 2017, I started

The awesome crews deserved an awesome lunch for all their hard work. So I decided to order them eight full racks of ribs and four pounds of steamed, peeled shrimp along with all the fixings, dessert and drinks. I set out all the food on my tailgate and rang the dinner bell! Every team member had the biggest smile on their face when I told them to take a break and come eat. They saw the ribs and shrimp and their faces lit up like a Christmas tree. Before we ate, I thanked them all for their hard work and for knocking this project out of the park. Every single team member thanked me as well. They expressed how much they appreciated the lunch and how awesome Ajax treats them. By the way, they finished every piece except for a few cookies.

negotiations with Don Huprich from Hunters Ridge located in Bonita Springs. Hunters Ridge is approximately 75,000 sq. yds. of paving, therefore, this project was broken up into two phases. Phase two being next year. Phase one was 33,000 sq. yds. of 1.5” milling and paving. Construction Manager Garrett Fons orchestrated the start of this construction and made it run like clockwork. We started out with two mills from South Florida Milling. Danny Banks and his crew did a fantastic job with the milling and cleanup efforts. Paving Foreman Chris Ance and his crew, along with Traffic Control Foreman Sam Manahov and crew, were right in there as well doing our portion of the cleanup. Sam went above and beyond making sure the cleanup effort went smoothly. Needless to say, they killed it! The milling and cleanup were started on Monday, April 23, 2018, and completed by noon on Wednesday, April 25.

Impressive, right? Chris’ crew started paving on Wednesday afternoon and the job was completed by early Friday afternoon on April 27. So here are the numbers. They milled, removed and cleaned up approximately 2,200 tons of asphalt millings in 2.5 days.

They placed 2,300 tons of S-3 asphalt in the same amount of time. It was paved full width in one 20 foot pull. They had their challenges set before them with all of the traffic, manholes every few hundred feet and “sidewalk superintendents” giving them guidance along the way.

I would like to thank Foreman Chris Ance and his crew, Alberto Rocha, Cameron Goltry (RIP), Dolores Olguin, Gerardo Quintanilla, Jim Ackley, Jesus Garcia, Larry Tolliver, Mike Wendt, Nate West, Huey Whitman and Gerard Tarin. Also, thank you to Foreman Sam Manahov and his laborers and flaggers from Personnel Response Team. And of course, Garrett Fons! Oh, I forgot to mention….ZERO PUNCHLIST!!!!

Thank you all for making this happen!

Lee Strauss Estimator/Project Manager

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THE PRODIGAL RETURNS

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n the last six years, Ajax has added many new faces and I look forward to meeting you

all. For the old hands, let me say, it’s great to be back. I left the comfortable confines of Ajax Paving six years ago to move closer to family in Tennessee. While there were some positives personally, I must say that professionally I was never comfortable in the work environment in my home state. As a matter of fact, I felt like a fish out of water.

After some discussion with my family and a few calls to Ajax, I was more than happy to return to my old Tampa stomping grounds. Coming back through the door of the Tampa office felt like coming home. Most of my coworkers were the same ones I had worked with when I cut my teeth at Ajax back in the early 2000’s. Scott and Brian Pittman, Tom Daquanna, Trish Moore, Barbara Hill, Ed Street and, of course, my fellow Project Manager Roger Owens.

Driving out to the jobs, there were also many familiar faces. It seemed natural to pull up on the job and see Paving Foreman Joe White leading the morning huddle. I don’t think Ike Gant has changed a bit. He has operated a paver and helped train Ajax foremen since long before I even knew what asphalt was, so it was no surprise when I saw Ike working with an old face in a new position. Jacob Gouveia had risen up through the ranks to be foreman of his own crew. Those examples are the rule and not the exception here.

Employee retention and the number of people who leave and then return is a real testament to what a great place this is to work!

Due to that familiarity, there was really no adjustment period when I returned. My first few jobs have been part of the Resurfacing Program with Hillsborough County.

We have several Work Order projects currently going with them.

The largest we are on now is the Baycrest Subdivision. It is about 10,000 tons of paving, 118,000 SY of milling along with concrete curb repairs and bringing curb ramps into ADA compliance.

Jerry McCormick, one of our young superintendents, is coordinating our field work. Right now he is working closely with Concrete Superintendent Spencer Wadsworth to keep the concrete crews on track so we can start paving. We are almost complete in the first section of the community and the residents have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of disruption and how easily traffic has flowed through our work zones. Jerry has done a great job setting up detours when a closure is required to repair badly deteriorated valley gutter crossings.

I can’t say enough about the housekeeping on this job. Paul Robinson, Fredy Garay and John Lake have kept everything nice and tidy. Thanks to all the guys working at Baycrest and thanks to all my Ajax family for welcoming me back home.

Mike Morgan Project Manager

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Removing a curb ramp for replacement

Completed curb ramp

A closed intersection waiting on concrete

Railroad Crossing Project West Terry Street

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7 Day Challenge

ee County - In June of 2018, I was contacted by Dave Liccardi from the City of Bonita Springs. He stated Seminole Gulf Railway requested we assist them with the West Terry Street Railroad Crossing Project. SGR was amazed at the way we managed our Colonial Railroad Crossing Project and just had to have us on their new project. The City of Bonita Springs also wanted to

complete a beautification project concurrently. The challenge was set before us. We had 7 days to complete what would typically be a 3-4 week project. Not only did they need this done in 7 days, but the schedule fell the week prior to Ajax’s July shutdown week. If we had one rain day, this schedule would not work!

Construction Manager Garrett Fons assigned Project Superintendent Charlie McCleaf to the task at hand due to his vast knowledge of the work set before us. After many onsite meetings, phone calls and plan changes, we were ready to do what we needed to make this happen. We hired Bonness Construction and Cougar Cutting as part of our team. We were not allowed to work while Seminole Gulf Railway was working. Their schedule was work all day on Saturday and complete by Tuesday at sundown. So we could not work from sunup to sundown for the first 4 days.

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The project scope consisted of demolition to the existing crossing and excavation of 25 feet in all directions surrounding the old tub, a new tub installation for the railroad, new sidewalks and curbing, removal of existing guardrail and concrete wall.

Also, design and installation of a custom guardrail designed mostly by Charlie, new concrete wall for the new guardrail, 8 corners of the canal drainage ditch regraded and riprapped to the water’s edge, milled, paved and restriped.

That is quite the laundry list to complete in 7 days, but we hit it running on all cylinders. We shut down the project area for 7 days. On Friday night at 10 :00 p.m., our lane closures were done and Cougar Cutting and Bonness began cutting 6’x6’ squares, 2 feet deep, on any asphalt within 25’ of the tub, started removing the existing guardrail and concrete and digging for

By Lee Strauss the new footers.Estimator Cougar and Bonness both got out of the way at sunup to let Seminole Gulf Railway do their thing.

On Saturday night, Bonness finished

digging their footers for the new wall, and forming the footers and new curb on both sides of the project. On Sunday, SGR finished their removal of the old tub and started installing their new tub. On Sunday night, Bonness finished their forms and rebar installation and started the pour for the footers and curb. They were out of the way for SGR to get started Monday morning.

Monday night Bonness removed all of the forms and started forming the sidewalk and prepped for the flowable fill they were using adjacent to the new tub. During the day on Tuesday, Bonness worked on the guardrail installation and started the riprap grading and installation all the time

staying out of SGR’s way. Wednesday around the clock, they finished the concrete walls. They also completed the riprap and 57 stone that SGR requested to be brought up to tie into their new tub outside of the roadway.

Thursday was demobilization and cleanup day to get ready for the milling and paving. Friday we milled and paved and Saturday Bonness completed the striping.

The 7 day challenge was met!

Garrett Fons orchestrated the scheduling and answered all of the questions that I just did not understand (in-between his nonstop phone ringing). I learned a ton on this project! You’re a good coach…most of the time.

Project Superintendent Charlie McCleaf was instrumental in making this project run smoothly. Charlie partially designed the railing himself and ordered the custom made pieces.

He had long days and some nights and he made it happen. Well done, Charlie!

Dave Liccardi called me on September 20, 2018, to schedule a meeting for two more railroad projects coming up soon.

As for me, I was just the estimator and salesman behind the numbers and phone calls. Also at times, professional guardrail builder and project manager.

Lee Strauss Estimator

A great big “ Thank You” to the following: Jeff Krull and all of the guys at Bonness Construction for making this happen, sticking to the schedule and

working with such dedication.

Dave Liccardi, City of Bonita Springs and Seminole Gulf Railway for the opportunity to shine and do

what we do best.

Foreman Chris Ance and crew for making this your third job, on a Friday at 5:00 p.m., and working in the blazing sun until sunset to get the project completed.

Traffic Control Foreman Sevdelin (Sam) Manahov and crew for all your support and MOT expertise.

Project Superintendent Chris Lopez for covering over the weekend while Charlie was out catching fresh Mahi

Mahi for me. It was fantastic, in case you wanted to know.

Project Manager Jason Prokopetz and everyone involved in the Colonial Railroad Crossing Pushbutton Project and

for making us look exceptionally good that they HAD to have us do another!

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MANUFACTURING NAPA Diamond Achievement Commendation And Sustainable Commendation

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ll of Ajax’s seven asphalt plants located in North Venice, Punta Gorda, Palmetto, Fort Myers, Odessa, Tampa and Largo were once again rewarded with NAPA’s Diamond Achievement Commendation for Excellence in Asphalt Plant/Site Operations and the Diamond Achievement Sustainable Commendation. This Diamond Achievement Commendation recognizes responsible asphalt operation practices, but also cultivates good community relations.

This award clearly demonstrates a commitment to excellence with a community focus. The selfassessment process addresses five essential facets of the asphalt plant/site: appearance, operations, environmental practices, safety and community relations. Earning the Commendation exemplifies the asphalt plant’s commitment to excellence and continuous improvement in all aspects of facility operations and community relations. This annual commendation is possible through the application efforts of Hector Arroyo and all plant personnel.

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NAPA Diamond Quality Commendation

jax’s seven asphalt plants continue to maintain NAPA’s Diamond Quality Commendation.

This Commendation is a unique self-assessment program that focuses on plant practices resulting in excellent product quality. The Diamond Quality Commendation is an honor in which a company, their customers, their employees and the industry can take great pride. It clearly demonstrates a corporate commitment to quality.

The areas evaluated through the self-assessment process include Quality Management, Aggregate RAP and RAS handling, asphalt storage, drying and mixing, air quality, truck scales, silos safety and control rooms. Earning the Commendation is a mark of distinction signifying a company that follows responsible practices and the blueprint for excellence in the production of pavement material that is produced.

Plant Upgrades & Improvements Plant 1 - North Venice Recycle screen on the shaker deck was replaced.

Lower level of the control tower that was previously a storage room was remodeled and converted into a mix design laboratory that is also capable of performing long term performance capabilities of our mix designs.

Construction of the new storage building that is part of the TPR Initiative was underway prior to the end of 2018.

Plant 2 - Punta Gorda New recycle bin was installed over July shutdown.

New air compressor was installed.

Plant 7 - Largo Construction of the new stormwater management pond is complete. A special thank you goes out to Dale Purcell for managing this project along with his crew of Eric Dasaro, Donnie Bullock, Joseph Nagle, Ramon Kean and Rickie Stephens. Mike Schwabach was the guy that tied it all together in the end.

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Manufacturing & Quality Control

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“A” Team Membership Card - Quality Policy jax is committed to implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System that ensures products and services are delivered in conformance with specifications on time and within budget.

The Ajax Quality Management System is an integral part of the management methodology of the company and is designed to assure the continued reputation of Ajax as a deliverer of superior products and services.

All Ajax employees accept responsibility for ensuring that this policy is fulfilled.

Ajax’s Quality Engineer - Alfredo Castro

I

n 2017, Alfredo contacted me about possible employment shortly before completing his graduate studies at Auburn University. The first question I asked Alfredo was, “Why Ajax?” His response was that he was performing his thesis work at the National Center For Asphalt (NCAT Test Track). During his studies at the track, he had seen many national awards that Ajax had received and he wanted to work for a company that promoted quality. I thought, good answer.

Alfredo traveled down to meet me and several members of the Manufacturing Management Team as well as Ajax Ownership. Based on his credentials and our face-to-face meetings, it was apparent that Alfredo was someone we wanted. He was looking for a hands-on approach and wanted to be in the middle of the fray. It was apparent that he had the Mike Horan “all hands on deck” mentality. Even though he has an advanced degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Pavement and Materials Engineering, he is at work each day with his boots and blue jeans on and is in the middle of it all.

Since coming on board, Alfredo has: 

Worked on some specialized research projects for Mark Minich, Executive Vice President.



Performed field sampling and laboratory analysis on a Hillsborough County Resurfacing project.



Completed mix designs on SP-19.0mm mixes that have proven to be very successful both at the plant and in the field.



Completed multiple mix designs on various projects.



Represented Ajax at the Southeast Asphalt Users Producers Group and the National Asphalt Pavement Association Conference on Stone Matrix Asphalt Mix.

When you get a chance, stop by Alfredo’s office/laboratory to say welcome, and let him show you some of the exciting things that he is working on.

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By Vince Hafeli Vice President

Asphalt Plant & Lab Tours

Ozzi Huff, QC Lab Technician explaining the quality control process with

Plant Foreman Mitch Hain explaining the plant process

Tyler Mather, QC Lab Technician and Venetian group

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orth Venice ‐ On March 5, 2018, twenty‐five residents from the Venetian Golf and River Club Community toured Ajax’s North Venice asphalt plant and lab facility. For this special event, Vince Hafeli, Lauren Taylor, Mike Woody, Sammy Loumani, Mitch Hain and Ozzi Huff headed the presentations and tours. Our VIP guests had the opportunity to learn about the different components of an asphalt plant, properties of asphalt, quality control process and all that encompasses working at an asphalt plant and lab along with estimating jobs and project management.

The residents that attended were extremely impressed with the overall operation of Ajax’s North Venice asphalt plant and lab.

Their news publication stated, “They all returned with glowing remarks about their tour. Ajax truly rolled out the red carpet for their visitors, providing first an excellent orientation of their company followed by a tour of their facility. They left the grounds knowing that Ajax is a highly professional company as well as a most cooperative neighbor.”

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Estimator Lauren Taylor and Project Manager Mike Woody

Presentation to Venetian group in the North Venice Training Room

Field trip outside the plant

President Mike Horan with our VIP guests

On March 7, 2018, Vice President Vince Hafeli received an email of thanks and appreciation from the president of the Venetian Golf and River Club as follows.

AJAX FIELD TRIP PERFECT AND THANK YOU!

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Sammy Loumani giving overview of the asphalt plant process

n behalf of the residents of the Venetian Golf and River Club, I want

to thank you for taking us on a field trip of your property. It was very well received by everyone in attendance.

You provided us with an understanding of the quality and professionalism in your organization. It is clear you have strong goals in the areas of safety, teamwork, and professionalism. The question and answer period was open and forthright. Even the question about lighting was answered with concern and desire to resolve the situation.

The tour gave us an up close understanding of the day‐to‐day operations. From the control room to the concrete crushing area, we were totally engaged and impressed with your operation.

Watching the load‐out process

You certainly pulled out all the stops to make it a positive learning experience. There was the upscale SRQ bus, hard hats, safety glasses, and even donuts and coffee.

I am sure you understood our appreciation by all the applause during the meeting. We are very fortunate to have such a fine neighbor.

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special thanks to Regional Asphalt Plant Manager Mickey Cox, alias photographer, for all the awesome pictures he took for this special event.

Thank you again.

John Moeckel, President Venetian Golf and River Club Community Association

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Quality Control & Mix Design Operations

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n 2018, Ajax made an investment to incorporate advanced performance tests to its Quality Control (QC) and Mix Design Operations. Ajax became one of the few contractors to have these in-house testing capabilities. Performance tests were used in 2018 on new mix designs to ensure that the produced mixes would have the best possible quality in the field. The tests were also used for forensic evaluations of existing pavements.

The Ajax Leadership Team wanted to jump ahead and be at the forefront of innovation.

distresses and factors that are found on the roads while the mixes are in service.

The most popular of these performance tests have been used to improve mix designs for rutting and cracking resistance, which are the most common modes of failure in asphalt pavements. Due to the complexity and the cost of the required equipment, full adoption and widespread use of these advanced performance tests in mix design are still expected to take several years. The Ajax Leadership Team looked at this and wanted to jump ahead and be at the forefront of innovation.

Asphalt mix design has been conventionally based on what are called “volumetrics” of the mix (air voids, VMA, VFA, etc.). The industry has recognized that volumetrics are properties that might not always account for the great number of variables that affect asphalt mixes while they are in service. For this reason, a new generation of asphalt tests were developed. These technologies are meant to test the performance and response of asphalt mixes to conditions that accurately resemble the multiple

With the investment made by Ajax, its QC Mix Design Lab is currently equipped with performance testing equipment that will help improve the mixes with resistance to rutting, moisture damage, cracking initiation and propagation, and bond strength.

The performance testing equipment is described below.

By Alfredo Castro QC Engineer

Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) Wheel Tracker:

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his device measures the rutting resistance of mixes by applying actual wheel load cycles to compacted asphalt samples or field cores in a closed chamber at a controlled temperature. Wheels go back and forth on top of an asphalt sample to simulate the traffic loads the mix experiences in the field.

The temperature can be adjusted to the conditions that the pavement is expected to endure while it is on service. The tests can also be run with the chamber flooded to determine the resistance of the mix to moisture damage and stripping.

SCB Device:

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n Auto SCB was also acquired. This device is used for conducting mechanical testing of asphalt. This system is able to perform a wide range of advanced tests that determine the resistance of an asphalt mix to crack initiation and propagation, like the IFIT, IDEAL, and several other monotonic cracking tests. These tests are performed on trimmed semicircular asphalt samples obtained from larger Superpave pills.

Another use for this device is for testing the bond strength of different layers of asphalt through the Shear Bond Strength test.

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s we transition into 2019, it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come in the last twelve months.

Last year we saw key changes in the Equipment Division. We created positions, shifted positions, moved people around, and we embraced change. We decided we wanted to get better. We wanted to become more efficient and thus, we laid out a plan to do so.

Our Main Objectives: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Refine Planning & Scheduling Process Improve Preventative Maintenance Program Maximize Utilization of Main Shop Improve Communications & Relations with Internal Customers Establish an Inventory Control System & Vendor Management Optimize Usage of B2W Maintain

We’re also constructing a 1,600 SF warehouse in North Venice for parts storage that will be managed by NAPA’s IBS program.

We look forward to a successful 2019!

Dan Maitland Fleet Manager

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T

otal Process Reliability

TPR Events

progress of the repairs. There were too

have been the CLAIRE/EIT events. For these events, we bring a crew into the shop for a week to work on one of their pieces of equipment. We choose equipment that needs a little TLC and refurbish it into a like new condition by cleaning, painting and making repairs. So far the teams have really enjoyed the events where they get first-hand knowledge on what TPR is all about, how their equipment works and it makes for great team building. See the great results of our TPR events on the next few pages.

how repairs were being performed. Our new One-Call system was developed to eliminate these inefficiencies. When there is a breakdown, there is now only one number to call and one person to speak to, Dave Reed. He will take down all the information on the breakdown, prioritize the repair and prepare it for scheduling.

This streamlined approach will reduce repair time and increase the quality of repairs.

We have now completed our first & Foremen One of the mostTruck enjoyable Standardization aspects of TPR many moving parts and inefficiencies in Meet your TPR Safety Team

year of TPR and hopefully you have not only heard about it, but have started to see its benefits. Ajax has made a tremendous amount of improvements over the past year; however, we have a long way to go if we’re going to reach our goals. I have heard a substantial amount of support for our new endeavor; I have also heard a few negative comments. One question I have heard more than once is “When is TPR done?” TPR will never be “done.” It is a continuous improvement culture that we all need to embrace. I am confident that the skeptics will see the benefits in 2019 and jump on board. We accomplished several of our goals in 2018, and I would like to take a moment to share those with you.

Communications Probably the most recognizable aspect of TPR has been the numerous newsletters that the Communications Team has been sending out. They have done a great job dispersing information on all of the TPR teams and what they have been up to as well as the TPR events. Hopefully, you have received these newsletters in your emails or check stubs and are sharing with your coworkers. Also, the Communication Team has produced a TPR Orientation video for all new hires to view.

Operator Care The biggest hurdle Ajax faces with TPR is shifting equipment lubrication and inspection duties from the shop to the operator. There are simply too many pieces of equipment for the shop to adequately manage the day-to-day tasks.

All of our Class A equipment has a black box with printed Operator Care Standards inside which lists the daily and weekly tasks the operator is responsible for. In addition, all of the operators have been training on the new standards. The intent behind these standards is to prevent and identify breakdowns before they happen.

Before long, every single piece of Ajax equipment (including the plants) will have TPR standards.

One-Call System In the past when there was a breakdown, the foreman would notify the area mechanic to get it repaired. However, sometimes it wasn’t repaired or the incorrect repair was made.

Sometimes a part was ordered and then was lost in the area shop.

Other times the wrong part was ordered and no one was tracking the

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Inventory Control Before TPR, we had tens of thousands of dollars in parts inventory with no reliable way of tracking what we had, where it was or who ordered it. Ajax is constructing a parts warehouse behind the North Venice Main Shop and NAPA will be running it. We will then have a centralized parts store, where Ajax is the only customer, with better pricing and a dependable way of tracking what we purchase and what equipment it is installed on. Another benefit of having NAPA on site is that we do not pay for the part until we buy it which means we will not have thousands of dollars worth of parts sitting on the shelf waiting for us to use it.

CAM Tech A new position that was added to the paving crews this year was the CAM Tech (Crew Assisted Mechanic). This position was filled by someone already on the crew who has some mechanical skills and wanted more job site challenges. His role is to make minor repairs to equipment so the crew isn’t waiting around for the mechanic to show up. These repairs include: hydraulic hoses, lights, backup alarms, belts, switches, O-rings, batteries, etc. With the CAM Tech making these small repairs, the crew is able to decease down time and can quickly return to paving.

Expectations are set. Now make sure they are met!

Auditing Along with operator care and TPR events comes auditing. The auditing program rolled out in fall 2018. Currently, all Class A equipment and any equipment involved in a TPR event has the possibility of being audited. This is an opportunity for the operator to show off how well he or she

has been maintaining their equipment.

The auditors will be office personnel and auditing will give them an excuse to get out of the office, connect with the crews and learn a little about the equipment.

You’ll never know who’s auditing your equipment until they show up; it might even be Mike Horan.

These are only a few of the highlights from 2018. As you can see, Ajax has accomplished many of its goals in year one, and I’m looking forward to 2019 to see what we can achieve as a unified company.

Jayson Brown TPR Coordinator

E.I.T. / C.L.A.I.R.E. Event

5S Event

February 5-9, 2018

March 5-7, 12-14, 2018

NOW

NOW

THEN

THEN

TEAM

TEAM

Team: Roadrunners

Team: Taking Care of Business

Jerry Quintanilla, Adel Ortiz, Justin Scharping, Sonny Webb Dan Peters, Harry Hoxsie, Cody Dahlberg

Diego Jaramillo, Eric Delaney, Damian Alexander, John Reeser, Joe Nagel 5S Team Leaders: Eric Green, Dan Maitland, Jayson Brown, TBR Rep Lisa Wayne

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C.L.A.I.R.E. Event

C.L.A.I.R.E. Event

Volvo Paver

CAT Motor Grader Renovation

March 26-30, 2018

May 7-11, 2018

NOW

NOW

THEN

THEN

TEAM

TEAM

Team: Shockers Jesus Garcia, Todd Liberty, Pablo Paz, Mark Slomski, Jose Garcia, Dolores Olguin, Alex Ortiz, Justin Scharping, Chris Kerlin, Lee Lamb, Jean Habraham, David Martinez, Billy Byers

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Team: Mud Ducks Squeaky Bowser, Lee McLeod, Bill Van Houten, Stephan Stewart, Shane Stewart, Derek Ayers

E.I.T. Event

5S Event

June 11-15, 2018

July 13 & 16-20, 2018

John Deere Motor Grader Renovation

North Venice Main Shop Overhaul

NOW

NOW

THEN

THEN

TEAM

TEAM

Team: Renegades Daniel Tilley, Tommy Kidd, Kyle Watkins, Derek Ayers, Omar Berry, Matt Fewox, Colin Thompson

Team: Razorbacks Bobby Burrell, Stefan Maldonado, Andrew Cary, Blake Motsinger, Dennis Wilson

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C.L.A.I.R.E. Event

C.L.A.I.R.E. / E.I.T. Event

September 24-28, 2018

August 13-17, 2018

Bomag 9 Wheel Roller 5-8 Hypac Roller

Roadtec Paver NOW

NOW

THEN

THEN

9 Wheel Roller

5-8 Roller TEAM

TEAM

Team: Back To Life Andres Rivera, Tony Rada, Jermarcus Haywood, Anthony Bogan, Woodrow Armstrong, Damian Alexander

Team: Mainliners Chip Gaines, Felipe Monroy, Steve Plummer, Tryston Threet Robby Popielarz, Eric Mrazik, Gary Cantz

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5S Event

November 15-17 & 19-20, 2018 Service Truck # 1516738

NOW NOW

T

TPR Leaders and Committee Members

hank you TPR Team Leaders and Committee Members for your commitment to the 2018 TPR Initiative. We appreciate your hard work in planning, organizing and accomplishing your TPR goals for our first year.

During Ajax’s Safety Days held on January 4, 2019 in Tampa and January 11, 2019 in Fort Myers, the following employees were recognized and awarded $100 for completing one year on a TPR Committee. Once again, thank you for your expertise and contribution to the TPR Initiative!

CAM Clay Collins Chuck Matukaitis Chip Gaines Bob Popielarz, Sr. Wally Cabral CENTRALIZED SHOP Matt Horan Charles Lindsay Dale Purcell Mark Miller

THEN

CLAIRE/EIT Clay Cross Chris Lopez Erica Washington Garrett Fons Justin Scharping Rickey Helsel COMMUNICATIONS Sandy Philipps Elliott Kress Ingrid Delaney Sammy Loumani Lauren Taylor INVENTORY CONTROL Hector Arroyo Chad Schmidtke Ginger Johnson Mickey Cox Tim Gearheart Tyler Bowser

TEAM

OPERATOR CARE Mike Woody Angel Salinas Alex Claessens Jerry Hunt Brian Pittman Gerardo Quintanilla PAVING FOREMAN TRUCK REDESIGN John Savage Chris Ance Jacob Gouveia Tom Daquanna PLANNER/SCHEDULER Dave Reed DejanVujaklija Nate Hassler Scott Gilliard Tommy Kidd PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Matt Desotell Crystal Lesko Price Whitman John Eagens Tim Smith Ryan McCarthy 5S Eric Green Eric Delaney Jim Price Joe White

The following Team Leaders received a special plaque in honor of their commitment in making their teams run efficiently and for staying on track with their TPR goals.

Clay Collins Clay Cross Eric Green Hector Arroyo Jayson Brown John Savage

Team: Outlaws Payton Ray, Eric Delaney, Reynaldo Guerra, Allen Marquis

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Matt Desotell Matt Horan Mike Woody Nathan Hassler Robert Kern Sandy Philipps

FMI 2018

Project Manager Academy

C

hicago, IL – FMI Institute held their Project Manager Academy from April 17 - 20, 2018, at the Marriott Chicago O’Hare.

Throughout the four-day course, Asphalt Superintendent Brian Pittman from Tampa and Project Manager Clay Cross from Fort Myers were able to take part in a wide range of presentations and discussions including:    

Profitable customer relationship development Powerful, integrated project teams Financial control of your projects Planning projects for profits and customer satisfaction

Each module was delivered by a different person with varying professional backgrounds and construction experience. The class consisted of sixteen total attendees from New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Utah, and Florida. Even though each of the attendees came from different trades, we were all able to relate and share valuable information that benefitted each other.

The experience itself strengthens our professional development and will make us more efficient managers.

By Clay Cross Project Manager

2019 FTBA Construction Conference

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n January 24, 2019, Mike Horan received correspondence from Richard M. Hewitt, P.E., State Construction Pavement Engineer, from the Florida Department of Transportation in Deland regarding the Ajax speakers at the 2019 FTBA Construction Conference held in Orlando on January 17 - 18 as follows:

Andy Decraene Area Manager

I want to thank Ajax Paving for providing speakers for the 2019 FTBA Construction Conference - Asphalt Sessions and Concrete Paving Session.

During the Asphalt Sessions, Matt Desotell provided a very informative presentation on Ajax Paving’s use of 3D Models and Automated Machine Guidance for asphalt paving. During the Concrete Paving Session, Andy Decraene also provided a very informative presentation on Ajax Paving’s use of 3D Models and Automated Machine Guidance for concrete paving. Both Matt and Andy delivered very professional presentations that provided a great deal of valuable information as they discussed how Ajax Paving implemented the 3D Models and Automated Machine Guidance technologies to increase construction efficiencies and increase the quality of the constructed pavements.

Also, please thank Mark Minich who put me in touch with Dann Rawls (Caterpillar) and Laikram “Nars” Narsingh (Vogele/Wirtgen) as both Dann and Nars provided great presentations on new and emerging technologies available on Caterpillar’s and Vogele’s asphalt paving equipment.

Last, but not least, thanks for Ajax’s past support of industry events as Felipe Jaramillo of Ajax Paving spoke at a previous FTBA Construction Conference, as well as past FDOT Design Training Expos.

Matt Desotell Project Manager

Glad we have such progressive contractors interested in advancing new technologies to improve construction quality and reduce project time, as well as, being willing to share that knowledge and experience with the Department, CEI’s, and Construction Industry at large. Thank you very much!

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What’s The Buzz About Training?

A

jax values their hard-working and dedicated employees. We want them to continually learn practical and safe techniques in any environment they may be working. Therefore, training continues year round at Ajax to enhance employees’ skills, keep them safe and knowledgeable. Also, our training allows managers and field staff to work collaboratively and gives them the opportunity to discuss innovative and creative ideas in the process. Employees have attended various training sessions, workshops and conferences such as FTBA, ACAF, Bid2Win Conferences, Traffic Control Training, Safety Briefings, TPR Workshops, Asphalt Paving Levels I and II, Asphalt Plant Levels I and II, Equipment Training, Smith System Driver Training, CPR and First Aid, as well as many other educational opportunities.

Below are just a few of the sessions held for Ajax employees throughout the year. Given the right environment and opportunities you can all strive to excel in your careers.

ITCP Briefing on June 27, 2018, at 6 a.m. with the Florida and Michigan crews at Tampa International Airport.

ITCP Briefing - Tampa International Airport

Screed Training on February 26, 2018 at the North Venice Shop

ITCP Training with Isabell Troxell and Project Managers

CPR Training at Ajax’s Largo Facility on September 4, 2018

Operator Care Training at the Palmetto Shop

Operator Care Training Sessions were held on Saturday, June 16, 2018 for the paving foreman and paving/screed operators. The training was held at three separate locations lead by Squeaky Bowser at the North Venice Shop, Justin Scharping at the Fort Myers Shop and Eric Delaney at the Palmetto Shop. They reviewed the daily checklist to keep the equipment working effectively and efficiently.

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Safety Day 2018

S

afety Day was held at the Charlotte Harbor Conference Center in Punta Gorda on January 6, 2018, with approximately 450 employees and guest speakers in attendance. Ajax Michigan was represented by CEO Jamie Jacob, CFO Jim Friel and Safety Director Joe Landino. Bob Heuer from Guy Hurley, LLC also came for this special annual event.

in September 2017. Mike announced the topics to be covered for the day which included Work Zone Safety, new OSHA Silica Standards, Ajax Cell Phone Policy, and Total Process Reliability (TPR). Mike hoped all the employees enjoyed their bonuses due to Ajax’s smart estimating team, and the dedicated and hard working employees who helped make Ajax very successful.

He also announced the project awards and remarked that Ajax is the second largest asphalt producer in Florida. In addition, we now have ten paving crews and a truck fleet that is second to none.

As always, Ajax’s goal is zero injuries, zero accidents, and zero driving infractions, and it is up to the dedication and efforts of each employee to help us reach that goal!

Safety Leaders

Guest speakers included Attorney Phillip Russell, Ogletree, Deakins Law Firm for the morning session and Attorney Karen Ferguson from Bennett, Jacobs & Adams, Anthony Huey from Communicate Clearly, Scott and Jenna Richardson from Compass Drug Screening for the afternoon sessions.

President’s Briefing Mike Horan opened the morning session stating that Safety Day goes back to the 1990’s, and we currently have three leaders in the Safety Department; Safety Director Mandy Kustra and Safety Managers Eric Green and Bob Kern. Bob Kern came on board

Safety Director Mandy Kustra addressed the new OSHA Silica Standard, and gave a review of our annual injuries and claims. Safety Manager Eric Green reviewed the Internal Traffic Control Plan, daily huddles, and also refreshed everyone’s memory on Ajax’s Cell Phone Policy.

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Safety Manager Bob Kern introduced the Safety Committee members, followed by a humorous and enlightening housekeeping video produced by the Safety Team featuring Austin Wright, Garland Hopkins, Todd Johnson, Chris Cook, Manuel Valle, Chip Gaines and Donnie Britch. The video focused on keeping equipment clean.

Bob also reviewed the new process for becoming a member of the Safety Committee by completing an application. They are looking for inspired thinkers to present their big ideas to enhance Ajax’s Safety Program and help take it to the next level.

Human Resource HR Manager Sandy Philipps reviewed ASR health benefits, First Stop Health Telemedicine, new health risk assessment process, and 401K opportunities available to employees. She also mentioned the TPR Communication Team will be emailing flyers to keep Ajax employees informed of future TPR events and news.

Asphalt Plants Thanks to Regional Asphalt Plant Manager Mickey Cox, Ajax employees viewed a very professional and informative video narrating the “Mystery Behind Asphalt Plants and What Happens at the Plants Each Day.”

Guest Speaker Attorney Phillip Russell’s topic was “What to do when an OSHA representative shows up at the job site.” Some of his advice included introduce yourself, get management, find out if they have the authority to show up on the job site. He also stated that OSHA’s hot topics for 2018 were silica, trenching and ITCP. Phillip reminded the employees that it is their responsibility to bring safety issues to their foreman or manager’s attention. It’s the little things. If you see something unsafe, report it.

Raffles and Prizes Before the morning session ended, Mike Horan drew raffle tickets and the employees read one of the ‘Ten Rules of the Road’ after which they each received $200. This served as a reminder that Ajax employees should learn and apply the rules in their daily lives to stay safe. Some winners of the $200 were Michael Eaton, Jasen Starks, Leroy Vickers, Matt Desotell, Tommie Harris, Roberto Rodriguez, and Desmin Belvin.

Once again Mike drew raffle tickets and the employees played Ajax’s cornhole game - no rules.

Leonard Lowe had the first opportunity with no luck.

But Mark Slomski won a cash prize when he walked right next to the cornhole board and dropped it in remember - no rules. Next employees came up to the platform to estimate the cost of injuries according to ACIG. Dave Reid estimated the cost of a router cuff injury, Tim Gearheart - cost of back injury, and Kurt Truran - cost of knee injury.

1.

Ajax Ten Rules Of The Road

Be safety minded each day and remember to take 5 minutes at the start of each day and assess any potential safety concerns.

2. Always follow safety rules and procedures; especially 3 points of contact when climbing on equipment.

Use legs to lift and ask for help when needed.

3. Always use the personal protective equipment assigned to you.

4. Remember the 10’ rule of acknowledgement when approaching trucks or equipment.

5. Remember to always do the 360° walk around before starting equipment.

6. Remember to look twice before moving equipment or trucks from stop position.

Prevent any backing accidents by being alert and aware.

7. Understand today’s Internal Traffic Control Plan (ITCP).

8. No personal cell phones on the job site.

Cell phone use prohibited by truck drivers or while operating equipment in the work zone.

9. Always use a spotter when alone and away from crew and equipment.

10. Be highly visible and be in the right place. Stay within your assigned operations and lighted area if working at night.

Afternoon Session The afternoon sessions were held for the managers, superintendents, paving foremen, plant personnel, mechanics, and truck drivers. Topics included ‘Crisis Management’ by Anthony Huey, and Attorney Karen Ferguson covered ‘Workers Compensation - Do’s and Don’ts,’ followed by ‘Reasonable Suspicion.’ The CDL drivers learned about tire maintenance, annual DOT documents, electronic logs for the ‘Keep Trucking’ app and, finally, expectations on pre-trip/post-trip.

This annual event was a very informative, thought provoking, and a highly successful day. As always, “Stay Safe!"

By Mandy Kustra Safety Director

Safety Team Member: Donnie Britch, Todd Johnson, Garland Hopkins Chip Gaines, Austin Wright, Manuel Valle, Chris Cook,

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Years of Services

20 Years of Service

25 Years of Service Career Milestones Duane Heineman

Mike Horan presented Service Award to Christie Alvaro

during Safety Day on January 6, 2018. We would like to extend our gratitude for your hard work and n over the many years you have worked at Ajax.

Congratulations Ajax employees on your well-deserved recognition!

J

oin us in congratulating the following awesome Ajax employees on their Service Awards that were presented to them during Safety Day on January 6, 2018. We would like to extend our gratitude for your hard work and dedication over the many years you have worked at Ajax.

25 Years of Service

30 Years of Services

15 Years of Service 15 Years of Service

of Service

Mike Horan presented Service Awards to Dennis Wilson and Joe White

Duane Heineman

15 Years of Service

20 Years of Service

Vinny Ferrone, Jim Wynn, Dana Martiello, Dave Reid, Kyle Holmes, Vince Hafeli, Mickey Cox, Vinny Ferrone, Jim Wynn, Dana Martiello, DaveReggie Reid,Lewis, KyleTom Holmes, Virgil Workman, Aaron Ashley, Schaare Vince Hafeli, Mickey Cox Virgil Workman, Aaron Ashley, Reggie Lewis, Tom Schaare

Mike Horan presented Service Award to Christie Alvaro

ervice Award to Christie Alvaro

Mike Horan presented Service Awards to Dennis Wilson and Joe White

Vinny Ferrone, Jim Wynn, Dana Martiello, Dave Reid, Kyle Holmes, Vince Hafeli, Mickey Cox, Virgil Workman, Aaron Ashley, Reggie Lewis, Tom Schaare

Mike Horan presented Service Awards to Dennis Wilson and Joe White

ane Heineman

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20 Years of Service

10 Years of Service

30 Years of Services

25 Years of Service Duane Heineman

Mike Horan presented Service Award to Christie Alvaro

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to them during Safety Day on January 6, 2018. We would like to extend our gratitude for your hard dedication over the many years you have worked at Ajax.

5 Years of Service Mike Horan presented Service Awards to Dennis Wilson and Joe

20 Years of Service

Mike Horan presented Service Awards to Dennis Wilson and Joe White

Duane Heineman

15 Years of Service

Vinny Ferrone, Jim Wynn, Dana Martiello, Dave Reid, Kyle Holmes, Vince Hafeli, Mickey Cox, Virgil Workman, Aaron Ashley, Reggie Lewis, Tom Schaare

Shane Williamson, Larry Sizemore, Lee Strauss, Glenn Pic, Michel Wendt, Russ Moorhead, Marco Rada, Robert Burrell, Jim Price, Jayson Brown, Hector Arroyo, Garrett Fons, Mandy Kustra, Jamie Simmons

15 Years of Service

Jesus Garcia, Henry Suggs, Matt Horan, Leo Steen, Nate Hassler, Bobby Wolfe, Paulo Chanfrante, Chris Stewart, Darrell Dobson, Shawn Cole, Tyler Bowser, Dwayne Barnett, Nancy Bachop, Steve Ayers, Chris Ance

Vinny Ferrone, Jim Wynn, Dana Martiello, Dave Reid, Kyle Holmes, Vince H Virgil Workman, Ashley, Reggie Lewis, Mike Woody, Lucus Van Tassel, Broderick Belvin, Aaron Saenz, John Savage, Larry Plummer, Deicy Spennachio, DanielleAaron Smith, James Clennon, Garry Schultz,Tom Schaare

oran presented Service Award to Christie Alvaro

Leo Will, Sam Manahov, Bill Van Houten, (not in picture - Stephan Stewart, Cody McKeand, Philip Nace, Rayon Robinson, Alberto Rocha)

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Congratulations On Your Retirement!

As you look back on your life’s work, and see all the good you’ve achieved, we wish you a wonderful retirement as a reward for a job well done!

Wishing you the best as you retire.

B

arbara Hill - Thirty-three years with the same company! Now that is very impressive and shows great dedication. It also speaks volumes of what a great company Ajax is to work for because of their commitment to the employees’ well being, advancement opportunities, and staying true to Ajax’s Corporate Core Beliefs and Values.

It was 1985 when Barbara started with Ajax, and for those of you who were not around or can’t remember 1985; Ronald Reagan was President, Christa McAuliffe was selected to become the first school teacher in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, Back to the Future was the big hit at theaters - and the ticket only cost $2.50, gas was $1.09/gallon, the average home price in America was $40,000 and 1 out of 5 of Ajax’s current Florida employees was 5 years old or less (Sorry Barb, but thanks for providing me that data)!

Barbara Hill joined the Ajax “A” Team on December 30, 1985. During her thirty-three years with the company, she filled many positions. Barb started as a receptionist when the main office was located in Murdock, Florida. After six months, she was promoted to the Payroll Department entering all field hourly payrolls. Her next move was to Accounts Payable where she honed her skills on the job and by taking accounting courses as well. After a year, Barb was promoted to Accounts Receivable where she handled invoicing for Steak and Stone and plant billings.

In 1987 Ajax expanded to the Tampa market, and Barb was promoted to a new position of contract administrator for Area 3. Ajax continued to grow at a rapid pace, and in 2004 we badly needed a company-wide EEO/DBE officer to keep up with demands of our biggest customer, FDOT. Barb was once again ready to take on a new challenge. She stepped right into an incredibly demanding position, learned the rulebook inside and out, and did an excellent job managing the mountains of paper required to keep Ajax and its subcontractors in compliance while we build government projects year after year. Barb retired on December 31, 2018, and we thank you for your many years of hard work and dedication. Enjoy your retirement!

Scott Pittman Vice President

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ernie Brunelle - Bernie started at Ajax on March 4, 1998, and after twenty years of service, retired on February 1, 2019. Bernie was a jack-of-alltrades for Ajax. Through his many years with our company, he worked as a loader and plant operator at Ajax’s four asphalt plants located in North Venice, Punta Gorda, Palmetto and Fort Myers.

Bernie was one of those valuable employees that could go to any plant and perform multiple tasks. In 2007, he was heavily involved with the setup and initial operation of the “New” Plant 4 in Fort Myers. Perhaps Bernie’s most enduring quality was his calmness. Bernie was always relaxed and prepared for the task at hand.

Bernie’s adaptability will be greatly missed, but we hope that he enjoys the travel that he has planned during his retirement.

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Rusty Reynolds Southern Regional Plant Manager

aul McCabe - Paul was hired on September 29, 1994. He spent over twenty-three years with the Ajax family. In today’s world, that is an outstanding accomplishment. In the Ajax World, that has been and continues to be the normal. Great individuals such as Paul arrive and become lifers.

During Paul’s tenure, he worked in varying capacities. Most recently, he worked as a Field Quality Control Technician, primarily in the Tampa Division. Paul was instrumental and always available and ready to work. He trained those around him to be better at what they did.

Paul always enjoyed participating in the Annual Ajax Charity Golf Tournament. He told us that he plans to travel abroad with his girlfriend, spend more time with his grandkids and play additional gigs with his band.

Paul retired on December 29, 2018, and we all wish him the best in his retirement. We hope that he has the ability to see all of his plans come to fruition, as he worked hard for it and deserves a phenomenal retirement.

Mike Curle

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Quality Control Manager

In Loving Memory of Robert Ray

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1965 - 2018

obert Ray, Plant Operations Manager for Ajax passed away on May 25, 2018. Robert was hired on May 6, 1996, as our Operations Manager for the asphalt plants. He was instrumental in pursuing the outside sales portion of our business and was one of the members of Ajax’s first Safety Committee in 1997. Robert had his hand in every asphalt plant move and installation. In 1998, Plant 1 in North Venice was the first new plant that Robert was in charge of installing. In 1999, he moved old Plant 1 to Moore Haven, now renamed Plant 4, and moved it again in 2001 to the current Plant 4 site in Fort Myers. Then came the purchase of Plant 5 in Odessa and the rehabilitation of that plant. Robert was an essential part of its transformation. In 2007, the old plant was replaced with the new Plant 4 in 19 days. Robert was the key man in making that happen; a feat that to this day is unbelievable. Plant 6 in Tampa was installed in 2008 by Robert and his team. Again, accomplished in a short period of time.

In 2012, Ajax purchased Plant 7 in Largo and Robert was there to orchestrate the revitalization of that plant and install key components. Robert was the man we relied on to bring our plants to their outstanding condition, and Ajax received many NAPA Asphalt Plant Awards through the years because of him and his team’s dedication to excellence. In 2015, Ajax won the prestigious National Award for Ecological Operations thanks to Robert and the North Venice plant personnel. Ajax was truly honored to have him work for the Company. He exemplified integrity and character in everything he accomplished day in and day out.

Robert mentored and helped many of our Ajax employees and was as “Yellow and Black” as anyone in the company. Robert was well respected and had a great rapport with the employees and vendors. He was a dedicated family man. Robert and his wife, Joy, thoroughly enjoyed their time away at their cabin in the Everglades while fishing, hunting and visiting with family and friends.

Robert and Joy participated in many of the Annual Ajax Charity Golf Tournaments and were big supporters of the event. He will be greatly missed by all. Rest in Peace, Robert.

Mike Horan CEO

In Loving Memory of Fred Hillard 1950- 2019

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red Hillard, Director of Corporate Development for Ajax Paving Industries, Inc. in Michigan passed away on March 4, 2019. Fred was employed with them for 47 years and was a dear friend to everyone at Ajax in Michigan and Florida. During those years of countless hours of hard work and fun times, Fred helped establish much of the foundation that everyone lives and breathes each day at Ajax. Fred was one of the original Lieutenants under Herb Jacob, along with Jamie Jacob, Mike Horan, Mark Johnston and Al Farina, making Ajax what it is today. Fred helped established Ajax Paving Industries of Florida with Mike Horan back in 1981 when Mike Horan moved down with his family. Fred assisted for approximately ten years traveling back and forth from Michigan to Florida. Fred enjoyed his job and golfing, but he most loved spending time with his family and friends. Fred will be remembered for his amazing personality, great sense of humor, hilarious stories, smiling face, and his dedication to the company and to everyone who worked there. He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Carol Hillard. He is the dear father of Brad (Sarah) Hillard and Katie Hillard, and proud grandfather of Aubrey, Austin and Sloan Hillard. Rest in peace dear friend as you will be remembered by all. Our happy memories of you will live forever!

Mike Horan CEO

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Outreach Projects

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harlotte County - Ajax Paving Industries received a special thank you note from Carol (Gaines) Weaver for donating 42 tons of asphalt to the project that Sunland Paving spearheaded. Sunland Paving’s Bobby and Geri Gross along with their staff donated their time and expertise for this project. They went above and beyond to help meet an October 18, 2018, deadline to have the entrance ready for the installation of new signs at William R. Gaines, Jr. Veterans Memorial Park. The efforts made by everyone involved in this project showed the respect and desire to honor Bill’s service and willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

William R. Gaines, Jr. Veterans Memorial Park

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Carol (Gaines) Weaver’s note to Ajax stated the following: “I wanted to thank you personally for your generous donation of 42 tons of asphalt. I appreciate your hearts of gold for this project at William R. Gaines Park.”

arasota County - Thanks to our generous Ajax North Venice employees,

numerous single mothers and their children living at Our Mother’s House were not disappointed on Christmas morning. Jamie Simmons, A/R Supervisor, has been spearheading this project for many years and our Ajax employees have always come through bringing joy to the families. With the money donated from our North Venice Main Office and Area 1 employees, we were able to buy gift cards, toys, children’s clothes, diapers, ink cartridges which were just a few items that were requested by residents at Our Mother’s House.

Cassie Rubio, Mandy Kustra, Ingrid Delaney, Jamie Simmons, Bobbi Jo Forman, Natalie Woody, Adriana Rahe, Sandy Philipps, Kara Coggins, Megan Krouse, Ginger Johnson, Lauren Taylor

Our Mother’s House is a non-profit, non-denominational residential housing program offered by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. They provide a safe and secure environment for single mothers and their children and help them achieve self-sufficiency through education, vocational training and personal growth.

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Metropolitan Ministries

illsborough County - In the spirit of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Cassie Rubio from the Ajax Tampa Office organized a food and toy drive for each holiday respectively. Thank you to the Ajax Tampa Office staff for generously donating for each fundraiser and giving a helping hand to Metropolitan Ministries, a local nonprofit organization located in Tampa. They greatly appreciated the donations!

Trish Moore and Nancy Bachop with the Thanksgiving donations

Metropolitan Ministries helps families and children, no matter how serious their needs. They provide food, housing and life skills through education and training.

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AJAX TAKES PART IN HURRICANE MICHAEL RELIEF EFFORTS

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Loading up the Ajax lowboy

he wrath of Hurricane Michael tore through the Southeastern U.S. in October 2018. Some Florida cities were destroyed beyond recognition. Thank God we were spared from destruction, but some of our friends in the Panhandle were not as fortunate. A paving company based out of Panama City, Roberts & Roberts, Inc., lost their office. Many of their employees lost their homes and all their possessions. These folks are friends and needed assistance.

Therefore, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC took up a collection from its employees so we could purchase gift cards that would be handed out to Roberts & Roberts employees on our behalf. President Mike Horan announced that Ajax would match the donations dollar for dollar. Our Ajax employees pulled together to help others in need and, with the matched donations, were able to purchase $10,000 worth of gift cards. We bought $50 and $100 Home Depot, Target and Walmart gift cards which were distributed to those in desperate need. In addition, Ajax donated many different sizes of tarps and stacks of bottled water which Tommy Kidd, David Kidd, Squeaky Bowser, Chip Gaines and Tryston Threet loaded on the lowboy.

On Friday, October 26, 2018, Ajax employees Dejan Vulaklija and Aaron Saenz kicked into high gear and headed out from Ajax North Venice to Panama City with their load of supplies and gift cards which were delivered to the many very thankful victims of Hurricane Michael.

We appreciate our generous Ajax employees for stepping up to Mike Horan’s challenge to help meet the needs of others during a very stressful time in their lives. A great big thank you! We are very grateful to all of you who contributed to this worthy cause.

And they’re off!

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Dejan delivering the box of gift cards

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Brag Board Kudos to Ajax Area 1 in North Venice, Area 2 in Fort Myers & Area 3 in Tampa

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uly 26, 2018 - After consulting with Safety Manager Eric Green, Foreman Major Flowers and Alex Jones went into action assisting the Florida Highway Patrol on a fatality that occurred at Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg around 6:30 a.m. Below is an email Eric Green received from the FHP in appreciation for Major Flowers and Alex Jones’ quick action and assistance.

Mr. Eric Green - c/o Ajax Paving, I would like to commend both Major Flowers and Alex Jones for their actions today. This morning there was a fatality accident in which a pedestrian lost his life. Your two employees took it upon themselves to stop, get their safety equipment on including their traffic flags, and start directing traffic. This traffic accident was worked by FHP, but another Deputy and myself came to assist with traffic. Without the help of your employees, it would have been a much bigger mess than it already was.

Grade Foreman Major Flowers and Alex Jones, Loader Operator Ajax Tampa - Area 3

I want to say thank you for having employees that decided to take the action they did. It helped a lot with the flow of traffic. I also want to give both of them a BIG thank you as well. I attached a photograph of them as they were directing traffic for your records.

Thanks to all of you.

Corporal Terry Trautman

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Operations Bureau

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ugust 8, 2018, Area Manager Steve Ayers, Estimator Lauren Taylor, Construction Manager Jerry Hunt, Project Superintendent Christopher Stewart and Contract Administrator Bobbi Jo Forman received the following email regarding their Manatee County Central Jail Paving Project.

Good afternoon everyone, This is just to say thank you to everyone for doing a great job on this project. You have been a pleasure to deal with from the first phone call all the way through final billing. Property Management and the Sheriff’s Department couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. Your company has a reputation for being professional, courteous, and big on communication, and I can see why.

We are very impressed.

Thanks for a job well done.

Charles Frazier

Construction Coordinator Manatee County Government Property Management Department Construction Services Division

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Corkscrew Shores Project

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n October 18, 2018, Ajax Construction Manager Garrett Fons in Fort Myers received the below email from Ray Blacksmith, President of Cameratta Companies, LLC regarding their Corkscrew Shores Project. Great job Foremen Chris Ance, Sam Manahov and crews.

I’m president of the Homeowner’s Association for Corkscrew Shores. Your crew finished paving my Corkscrew Shores development yesterday and are completing the necessary striping. I am emailing to commend your firm and employees. I met each day this week with Sam Manahov who kept me abreast of the day’s paving location and schedule which allowed me the ability to keep my residents informed. Sam and the entire crew were professional, polite, patient, understanding and responsive to any of our residents who they encountered. This resulted in a seamless paving operation. I look forward to your completing the balance of the development on or about the summer 2019.

A

U.S. 17 Project ugust 14, 2018 - Vice President Scott Pittman, Project Managers Scott Gilliard and Matt Horan received the below congratulations:

To: US 17 Project Team, I wanted to let everyone know that the U.S. 17 Project was selected for 10 th place by Roads & Bridges in their Top 10 Roads Projects for 2018! I would like to thank everyone for their efforts and hard work…this was truly a team win achieved in no small part through relentless partnering efforts.

Special thanks to Matt Horan and Scott Gilliard with Ajax Paving…well done!

Please feel free to extend thanks to anyone not copied on this email…too many names to list!

James “Jamie” Mount, PE

Again, sincere thanks to everyone for their hard work!!!

Sr. Project Engineer Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc.

Rose Arbor Circle

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Port Charlotte

ovember 1, 2018 - Denise Ward contacted Ajax in North Venice on November 1, 2018, and wanted to express her appreciation on a job well done by Ajax employees on her street. She has lived on Rose Arbor in Port Charlotte for many years and was very impressed with all the fine workers, in particular mentioning Traffic Control Foreman Chris Cook who answered all her questions and concerns in a very courteous manner.

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une 18, 2018 - People still write hand notes thanking Ajax employees for a job well done. Congrats to Project Superintendent Gerry McCormick and Paving Foreman Jacob Gouveia and crew.

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Did You Know?

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A C E B O O K

e have entered the Facebook and Instagram World! Have you been online and read about the shout outs, special events and updated news on what’s happening at Ajax? In August of 2018, Contract Administrator Assistant Cassie Rubio from our Ajax Tampa Office took on this challenge and is doing a great job! Take the time to read the variety of postings, such as Monday Motivations, awards, career opportunities, special employee recognition and the list goes on.

These sites are here to build community relations, keep us informed of events and help us stay connected to the company you so proudly work for in Florida.

In addition, visit Ajax’s web site to find valuable information on Employee Navigator, job opportunities to pass along to your friends and family, news and resources, etc.

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I N S T A G R A M

Healthy Starts Here!

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ealthier, happier and more informed employees begin with Ajax’s Annual Health Screenings.

The screenings were held in North Venice, Fort Myers and Tampa areas beginning in March 2018.

Nancy Bachop entering mobile clinic in Tampa and having blood pressure checked

Ajax again provided on-site screenings to conduct the assessments for our employees’ convenience. However, 2018 marked a new chapter in promoting health/wellness at our annual health events for our employees and their spouses. For the first time, an on-site workplace mobile clinic from National Diagnostic Services was provided to conduct these health screenings and improve our employees’ experience. Employees were able to call or go on-line to set up appointments prior to arrival of the Heart Mobile. The friendly and courteous health staff assisted patients with scheduling, sending reminders, and streamlining the process.

The Annual Health Screening included: Biometrics screening (Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, Glucose), Waist Circumference, BMI, Blood Pressure and Nicotine Test.

Best of all, employees were able to get their results on the same day and receive a consultation with a medical doctor to discuss their individual health concerns in a confidential manner. We encourage our employees to take advantage of the wellness screenings provided as part of Ajax’ insurance benefit package. Prevention is the key to our own personal wellness journey.

Our goal for 2019 is to extend the time available for our employees and their spouses to make their preventative health screenings a priority beginning in late January 2019.

We look forward to the return of the Heart Mobile in order to provide valuable health information to our most important asset our employees!

Sandy Philipps HR Manager

Area Manager Steve Ayers is all smiles at his health screening with Scott Baty, MA in North Venice

Mobile Unit Staff - Hannah Megdall, Jennifer Bloodworth, Brittany Michalowicz, McKenzie Wilson

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17th Annual Ajax

Charity Golf Tournament

Thank you for another successful

event! - Ajax held their 17th Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Sarasota National Golf Club in Venice. Such a good time was had by all at this venue that Ajax has already booked next year’s golf tournament at the same location for Saturday, May 4, 2019.

TOURNAMENT WINNERS ARE… 1st Place Winners

The golf teams teed off at 8:30 a.m. for an awesome day of fun, food, raffles and awards. Many great prizes were raffled during the lunch session.

Matt Lockmiller won four Pre‐Season Bucs tickets, John Miller won the Ryan Glenn, Brandon Wright, Tyler McCarthy, Chase McCarthy iPad, Ajax employees Paul McCabe and Nate Hassler each received $100 2nd Place Shell gas gift cards, Dan McWilliams Winners received a $250 NAPA gift card and Marc Young won Ajax’s cornhole game just to name a few great prizes.

Steve Litherland, Bermont Excavating, won the child’s ride on toy donated by Flagler.

Steve passed it along to teammate, Dave Boff for his 2 year old son, Caden, to enjoy.

Now that is a happy boy!

Ajax was very honored to distribute $36,000 to various charities and organizations.

We are very grateful for our

Randy Folk, MacKenzie Peyton, Chris Taylor, Tim Gearheart 3rd Place Winners

generous sponsors and participants and appreciate their involvement and contributions!

Once again, on behalf of Ajax, we would like to extend our gratitude for helping us achieve our goal!

Mark Miller, Vincent Aguayo, Scott Pittman, Greg Woodard 46

Grand Prize

50/50 Cash Winner

John Miller iPad

Matt Lockmiller Four Pre‐Season Bucs Tickets

Dan McWilliams $250 NAPA Gift Card

Bill Hall, Advanced Asphalt of SW Florida, charitably donated back the $385 he won from the 50/50 Cash Drawing. Thank you very much for your generosity and thoughtfulness. It is greatly appreciated!

Brian Trefry LIT Cooler Randy Barnett Golf Bag

Kelly Rockow Keurig

Silent Auction Winners - Round of Golf for Four

Vince Aguayo ‐ River Strand Golf & Country Club William Zima ‐ Sarasota National Golf Club William Zima ‐ Venetian Golf & River Club Steve Sherman ‐ Waterlefe Golf Club

Thank you to our

Volunteers - It takes a lot of time,

effort and teamwork to put a successful golf tournament together, and we could not have done it without our remarkable volunteers. From our North Venice office staff bagging all the promotional items to our awesome volunteers working during the

tournament organizing and distributing raffled prizes. Their involvement made a great impact on the success of this event and is greatly appreciated. Steve Ayers set up the golf tournament at Sarasota National Golf Club and, as usual, did an exceptional job. We appreciate MOT Foreman Chris Cook offering his time to set up the directional sign on US 41 which guided

Ingrid Delaney, Sandy Figueroa, Sharon Cusick, Steve Ayers, Ginger Johnson, Ricki Markle, Kathy Henderson

Danielle Smith, Adriana Rahe, Natalie Woody, Sandy Figueroa

Jamie Hill ‐ Lakewood Ranch Matt Horan ‐ Legacy Golf Club

the participants to Sarasota National.

Chris was also a big help setting up the prizes. We can’t forget Squeaky Bowser and Tryston Threet who loaded and unloaded signs and other supplies onto our new TPR trailer before and after the golf tournament. We also had some very helpful children volunteer. They pitched in organizing and boxing items as needed. A great big “Thank You.”

Kai Krouse, Megan Krouse, Hope Horvat, Kathy Henderson, Aubree DeCraene, Christie Alvaro

Our assembly line filling goodie bags: Scott Gilliard, Dan Maitland, Megan Krouse, Pierrette Carter, Ginger Johnson, Jamie Simmons, Mandy Kustra, Bobbi Jo Forman, Adriana Rahe, Nate Hassler

The DeCraene Family Cheryl, Matthew, Andy, Aubree

Squeaky and Tryston loading and unloading all the items before and after the golf tournament

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Special “Thank You” To Our Sponsors Proceeds Benefit Many Organizations Thank you for your tremendous support which allowed Ajax the opportunity to distribute $36,000 in 2018 to various establishments as noted below. $10,000 $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 2,500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 500 $ 200 $ 200 $ 100

The Dave Fons Memorial Fund for The Advocacy of Truck Safety in Memory of Garrett Fons’ Dad Crossroads Hope Academy in Memory of John Markle FTBA Scholarship ACAF Scholarship SUCA Scholarship Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay Care Net Manasota Child Protection Center, Inc. Disabled American Veterans Drug Free Punta Gorda Feeding Tampa Bay Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County Habitat for Humanity for Lee and Hendry Counties Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Inc. John Hopkins All Children’s Foundation Lee Building Industry Association Builders Care Loveland Center Lupus Foundation of America Make a Wish Foundation - Tampa Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation - Tampa National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Maitland Our Mother’s House - Venice Police Athletic League of Tampa Salvation Army - Venice Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children United Way of Lee, Hendry & Glades Counties YMCA of Southwest Florida Salvation Army - Fort Myers Salvation Army - Tampa Muscular Dystrophy Association

PLATINUM SPONSORS Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC Bartow Ford Bennett, Jacobs & Adams, P.A. B&W Paving Contractors of SW Florida, Inc. Callaghan Tire Curb Systems of SW Florida & Sarasota Dobbs Equipment Eaton Corporation Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC Gator Grading and Paving, LLC Gator Water Analysis & Treatment , Inc. Great Southern Equipment - Marc Young Guy Hurley, LLC Mike and Carol Horan Interconn Resources, LLC Key Bank National Association Martin Marietta McShea Contracting, LLC Merrill Lynch - Joseph Adamchak MSB Services, LLC Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Rapid Trucking, LLC Roadtec, Inc. Shell Fleet Navigator Shendell & Pollock, PL South Florida Milling Suncoast Auto Parts / NAPA Sunland Paving Company Tincher Concrete Construction, Inc. Turtle Southeast, Inc.

SILENT AUCTION SPONSORS Lakewood National Golf Club Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch River Strand Golf & Country Club Sarasota National Golf Club Venetian Golf & River Club Waterlefe Golf & River Club

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GOLD SPONSORS

HOLE SPONSORS

EHC, Inc. Ingevity PCard O’Reilly Auto Parts Palmdale Oil Company, Inc. Safety Products, Inc. John and Wendy Savage Suncoast Paving, Inc. Vulcan Materials Company Walters, Levine & Lozano Winzer / KAR Products, LLC Zero Tie TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

BMG Conveyor Services / Davis Industrial Coastal Precast of Florida, Inc. Dana Site Development & Paving, Inc. David, Heather, Noah & Nathan Reid Farr, Farr, Emerich, Hackett, Carr & Holmes, P.A. Franz Tractor Company Guymann Construction of Florida, Inc. Marathon Petroleum Company Matthews-Currie Ford Mobil Arc Welding & Fabrication, Inc. Nextran Truck Centers Ring Power Corporation S.E. McDonough & Associates, Inc. Sun State International Trucks, LLC Wantman Group, Inc.

ACPLM, Inc. Acme Barricades Advanced Asphalt of SW Florida, Inc. Arroyo Process Equipment, Inc. Associated Asphalt, LLC B2W Software, Inc. Babe’s Hardware of Venice, Inc. Bermont Excavating, LLC C-Squared CGC, Inc. E.D. Etnyre & Company Felton Asphalt Maintenance Florida Transport Service, Inc. Forsberg Construction, Inc. Gardner Asphalt Supply Kelly Tractor Kolor Trax Unlimited Mader Electric Motors Kate’s Enviro Fencing, Inc. Keeton’s Office Supply Company R.H. Moore & Associates, Inc. Scott Linder Sales, LLC UCM, Inc. Universal Engineering Sciences, Inc. Verified Label & Print, Inc. Woodruff & Sons, Inc.

DOOR PRIZE SPONSORS

Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC Dobbs Equipment David & Deicy Spennachio Flagler Construction Equipment, LLC

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Photo Gallery T

hank you Ernie McFarland for another year of awesome golf pictures.

Ernie is an avid golfer, and we appreciate him taking the time to photograph this special event. He does an awesome job capturing all the fun team poses!

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Golfing, Sunshine & Good Times

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C

ongratulations! Ajax had a company-wide photo contest starting in August 2018. Submissions were due by September 15th, and the winners were announced on September 26th. The six winning photos are included in the 2019 Ajax calendar. Although it was a tough decision by our judges Bob Kern, Nate Hassler and Adriana Rahe, the following photos were chosen and prize money distributed as noted below.

Ajax Photo Contest

Best Overall Photo $500 Brandon Thomas Best Job Photo $100 Austin Wright Best Crew Photo $100 Sonny Webb Best Equipment Photo $100 Diego Jaramillo Best Plant Photo $100 Dejan Vujaklija Best Photo Representing Ajax $100 Joseph Dutton In addition, the following employees received a $25 gift card as honorable mention for their photos which were chosen to be included in the 2019 Ajax calendar: Eugene Hamlin, Adrian Sawyer, Ozzi Huff, Mickey Cox, Dragan Savic, Tryston Threet and Brandon Thomas.

BEST OVERALL PHOTO

Tampa International Airport Project Submitted by Brandon Thomas Screed Operator

BEST CREW PHOTO

Cape Coral Utility Expansion Project White Board Safety Huddle at Sunrise Submitted by Sonny Webb Project Manager

BEST JOB PHOTO

US 17 - Zolfo Springs Project Submitted by Austin Wright Quality Control Field Technician

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BEST PHOTO REPRESENTING AJAX

Ajax Paving Train on SR 80

Submitted by Joseph Dutton Project Superintendent

BEST PLANT PHOTO

Ajax Plant 5 in Odessa

Submitted by Dejan Vujaklija Truck Superintendent

BEST EQUIPMENT PHOTO

Equipment Pride We keep it clean & shiny at Ajax!

Submitted by Diego Jaramillo Traffic Control Foreman

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Ajax in Action

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Welcome New Arrivals!

Please join in welcoming these bundles of joy to our Ajax Family!

Reese Michelle Hassler

Moses de Jesus Jaramillo

Cali Louise Burtch

Nate and Lindsay Hassler celebrated the birth of their daughter, Reese, born on June 28, 2018, weighed 7 lbs.

8 oz. Reese is with her big sister, Brynn. Nate is Project Manager in Area 1 in North Venice.

Felipe and Jaimie Jaramillo celebrated the birth of their son, Moses, born on July 26, 2018, weighed 9 lbs. 13 oz. Moses is with his big sister, Victoria and brother, Jonathan. Felipe is the Alternative Contracting Project Manager in North Venice.

Parents Miranda and Mike Burtch, along with grandparents Tommy and Penny Richardson, celebrated the birth of Cali, born on September 14, 2018, weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. Cali is with big sister, Paisley. Tommy is MOT Foreman in Area 1 in North Venice.

Ajax Baby Watch 2019 Kason Reed Mancini

Lennox Sage Gillespie

Frank and Savannah Mancini celebrated the birth of their son, Kason, born on September 17, 2018, weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz.

Kason is with his big sister, Madison. Frankie Mancini is a QC Field Technician.

Parents Nathan and Nicole Gillespie, along with grandparents Bob Radcliffe and Jamie Simmons, celebrated the birth of Lennox, born on November 22, 2018, weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. Lennox is with his big brother Lavande. Jamie is AR/Billing Supervisor.

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Joy is coming your way!

Get ready for a lifetime of love.

Congratulations to Matt and Bridget Horan. They are expecting their first child in May 2019. Matt is a Project Manager in Area 1 in North Venice.

Our mission is to provide construction services and products which, when measured, exceed customers’ expectations.

An Ajax publication by the employees.

Thanks to our employees whose great attitude and superior work performance make Ajax such a great place to work!

Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC One Ajax Drive North Venice, FL 34275 941.486.3600 www.ajaxpaving.com