8 minute read
6 Messages from Ajax Leadership
CEO‘S MESSAGE
was a year of re-investment in the Company! Your company has taken a large step forward in adding 9 new storage silos at three plants with an additional truck scale at each, new cold feed bins at Plant 2, and an array of other improvements including new load out systems at every plant. A much needed new laboratory at Plant 4 will be built this year, as well as a newly re-modeled existing building at Plant 1 to house our mix design lab has been completed. We also made an investment in a training and meeting center we call the “Ajax Barn” in the back 40 acres behind our Venice Main Office. This facility will be used for quality and safety improvement training, leadership training, entertainment and community activities, and many other company and social activities. The Main Office in Venice is going through a re-model of the existing office as well as an addition that will add 5 new offices and a much needed additional conference room. Our staff has been very patient with the saws, hammers, and mess to do all this work while still taking care of our business. I am very proud of our team and the way they have been so cooperative and helpful in the design. When finished we will a have a better and efficient office that will be a pleasure to work in, I promise.
2019 Our Tampa Division has their new office well underway in Temple Terrace. A beautiful building on our new property off US 301, which also has a satellite shop to do quick maintenance work orders, with additional office space for field folks and a new equipment wash system similar to the ones at Ft. Myers and Venice. Our hope is we will be moving to the new location mid-summer. The Ft. Myers office on Rickenbacker will also have a re-model this year and will commence in the near future pending permits. Additional offices and conference room are in order there as well as the addition of a truck bay on the satellite shop, again designed for quick work order completion. We have finished the new wash bay system and it is in use. As always we take pride in our equipment through all of our efforts in Total Process Reliability “TPR” and employee involvement. Comments from the public about the nice equipment we have is a testament to the involvement of our people. So congratulations and hopefully you are as proud of your Company as I am.
The Horizon looks clear and full of opportunity so let’s make the best use of it for another successful 2020.
Stay Safe out there! Keep the Faith!
Mike Horan, CEO
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A message from Vince Hafeli, President
AS I prepared to put this message together, I thought about topics Mike has covered in the past. I struggled because over the years Mike has prepared his annual letter and covered most everything. So I decided to talk about family. What is family? We talk about Ajax and family quite a bit around this company. Merriam Webster describes family as the basic unit in a society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children. I would describe family as nurturing and caring for those within your circle. It requires having the tough conversations with those that are important to you and holding them accountable. It means that you look out for and take care of those that are important to you.
Family is at the top of the list of priorities. Family is something that has to be worked on because it can be difficult. They say that you can choose your friends but you cannot choose your family. There is truth in that statement. I have aunts, uncles and cousins that I have not seen for years. They are family, but not necessarily friends. My personal family is tiny, yet large. The tiny family is my wife, son, daughter and an aging uncle. My father, mother and brother all passed at relatively young ages. I recently connected a few years ago with some family that I had never met. We text every other weekend and have seen each other three times over the last seven years or so. I guess that qualifies as family.
My large family is truly at Ajax. I spend more time with folks in this company than I do with anyone other than my wife. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for most all 450+ employees. I have always committed to my “tiny” family to do anything that I can to help them. My large Ajax family should know that I also hold the same to be true here in our workplace, however that also means that at times there may be difficult conversations.
By now you must be wondering who is this guy and what is all of the jibber jabber? As the new President, I feel that it is important that our employees, partners, vendors and customers understand that I hold the same values that Mike did in the twenty-eight years that he steered the Ajax ship.
My commitment is that Ajax has been and will continue to be about family. PERIOD!!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Continuted from page 4
Remember that in my definition of family there is accountability.
• Managers hold their staff accountable. • Foreman hold their crews accountable. • Crewmembershold one another accountable. • Customers hold Ajax accountable. • Ajax holds our vendors and partners accountable. In the end, I am accountable.
So what are my long range goals?
Build upon the Ajax culture that I inherited and make it even better - safety, employee retention, quality and reputation.
Continue to concentrate on being the low cost producer so that we can prosper in tough economic times and soar when times are prosperous.
Look for ways to expand the company so that there is room for upward growth within the organization.
My vision is to be known as the guy that left behind a highly motivated group of laborers/ technicians, equipment operators, foreman, secretaries and managers that will propel the company forward.
So how does the future look?
We have a strong backlog for 2020. The Florida Department of Transportation continues to have a strong work program. The resurfacing program is slated to increase significantly in the upcoming FDOT fiscal years which is promising for our industry. We have a great group of managers/leaders that will be around for years to come. We are working on developing a formalized training plan to help employees improve and to help those that want to advance and develop a career path. We are scheduling classes for our leaders and managers so that they can improve their skills. We continue to grow our trucking fleet and have the best group of drivers in the industry!!! Bottom line, we are investing in our people because they are truly our number one asset.
Be safe out there and continue to make the family proud!
Vince Hafeli, President
ESTIMATING & SALES
A message from Andy DeCraene
CHANGING BUT UNCHANGED
Last year Mike Horan wrote, “Change is in
the air”. This statement couldn’t be more truthful for the past, present, and future. The world is constantly evolving and perpetually changing. We must stay ahead and embrace our new normal as it approaches. Our estimating staff is seasoned with many years of experience and continually advancing in technology. We understand the need for change and will continuously work hard to advance.
We also understand somethings never change or are better left unchanged. “Nothing happen until someone sells something.” Made famous by Henry Ford and used by our founder Herb Jacob, this simple fact will not be changed by technology or advancements. This quote, “Nothing happens until someone sells something”, hung on the wall in Mark Minich’s office and has been the motto of the estimating department for years. It now hangs on my wall and I couldn’t be more proud. We should be proud to follow in the footsteps of the ones before us. We stand on their shoulders now, elevated by their sacrifices and hard work. They’ve built our foundation that will be left unchanged. Now it’s our turn build upon it. Let’s make it happen!
Be confident in this team to take us to the next level. The Estimating and Sales staff is highly motivated and geared up for success. Our secret sauce has always been our culture and we have a great one. Moving forward this will stay unchanged and strengthen.
Our essentials are simple.
Believe in Yourself and Ajax. To be highly sucessful you must be a believer.
Be Customer Focused. The customer is always right. Drop the ego and be humble.
Like People. People skills are important. Be genuine and respectful.
Take Ownership. Offer solutions and not excuses. No blame game.
Have a One Team Approach. Be quick to give credit to someone else, share the lead, and help everyone succeed
