

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the beginning of spring in New England. The winter was certainly long and it’s refreshing to have the rain stop and more days of sunlight. During the last several months, a positive work ethic has driven our ability to be competitive and win a healthy backlog of projects. Keep up the great work! These new contracts for all trades are fantastic to see. The downside is an increase in unfortunate and avoidable injuries. Please take the time to set a plan in place prior to holding a single tool to ensure a safe and injury-free workplace. No one wants an injury and we all must work together to improve every day on every project to achieve this goal.
A highlight of the season was the recent years of service dinner. My family and I are extremely grateful for so many individuals and families who choose Cannistraro as a home for their careers. Every group in the company is represented at these gatherings and the teamwork and camaraderie is contagious.
Learning and Development is doing a phenomenal job with training throughout the company. The next big initiative is to roll out Field specific leadership training. We are very excited to see the next generation workforce in the office, shop, and field working together to establish the trust and communication necessary to be successful.
The Gangbox Gazette is the result of many hours of work by several people. Congratulations on a wonderful newsletter.
Best wishes to all for a safe and healthy season ahead,
This summer, we are excited to host another chapter of this awesome workforce development program at The FID! The 2024 program will take place on Monday, June 24th to Friday, June 28th and for one week, our shop becomes home to the best summer camp around. Fifteen local high school students spend a week doing handson educational projects in each of our trades. They learn about Apprenticeship Programs, speak with Cannistraro tradespeople about their careers, and even take a field trip to a few of our union’s training centers. Our hope is that each summer we can make a difference for a few of these students. Since starting the program in 2022, four students have come back to work in the shop as high school co-ops. Recruit, train, and retain. That is our goal! We look forward to another great summer ahead!
We had a wonderful evening celebrating all our employees who hit milestone anniversaries with the company in 2023. Congratulations to all of you for your strong dedication and being a valuable part of our extended Cannistraro Family!
Michael Beggan
Philip Bothwell
David Brunet
Greg Cann
Matthew Cannistraro
Stephen Churchill
Anthony Colantuoni
James Curtin
Justin Dion
Daniel Feeney Jr.
William Gardner
Edward Holden
Wayne Keddy
Thomas Kosik
Angelo Lavanga
Kurt Noelte
Brendan O’Brien
Matthew Quigley
Stephen Scearbo
Derek Seigler
Michael Semler
James Settipane, Sr.
Jason Smith
Matthew Stevens
Ronald Sullivan
David Topham
Frank Colantuoni
Bradford Hawes
Andre Leblanc
Roland Oreste
Meghan Orisko
Anthony Sabatino
Matthew Troila-Kelliher
Dana Walorz
Gregory Decarteret
Robert Dion
Michael Jardim
Richard Ronayne
Robert Snipes, Jr.
Troy Witham
Donald Annis
John Bernard
Keith LaVoie
William Pedersen
30+
Phylis Brunet-Crosby
Jim Fitzgerald
Michael Howard
John Semler
William Acheson
Steve Ahlstrand
Richard Avery
Paul Casali
Kevin Courtney
Andrew Dunn
Pat Harless
John Hegarty
Peter Kelly
Edward Kirk
Lenny Leonardo
Kevin McKee
Kevin Rosa
Kevin Souza
Michael Tgibides
Matt Gifford
Safety Week 2024
Driving Personal Ownership and Strengthening the Safety Culture.
If you see it, you own it. How do your personal safety values compare to those you work with every day? Safety standards, processes & procedures and pre-task planning should be more prevalent than ever to help us work safely. When we do not use these principles to help guide us, how can we take personal ownership and follow best practices? It is imperative that we all take responsibility and leadership for our own safety and the safety of those around us!
Safety Week 2023 is about challenging yourself to embrace accountability for YOUR safety and the safety of those around you. Even when nobody is watching. Fight complacency and stay safe!
This past March we celebrated Women in Construction Week (March 3-9), commending our female colleagues, recognizing their dedication, skill, and resilience in shaping the success of our company. Thank you to all the women at Cannistraro for your contributions; your dedication is valued, and we take pride in having you as valuable members of our team.
Reminder: Cannistraro Women United is open to all female employees, both office and field. Our next event will be held on Friday, June 7th. We hope to see you all there! Questions? Email Amy, amyc@cannistraro.com.
IT is introducing a new Request Application – your direct line to our applications team! With just a click, you can request features, report bugs, and submit access requests hassle-free.
Accessible from any Apex application or the CMiC landing page by simply clicking the speech bubble in the top right corner, or from the landing page through the ‘Have an Idea?’ button, it’s never been easier to engage with our team.
Submitted requests undergo a quick review by our apps team to ensure the request is valid, clear, and contains all necessary and relevant information. Following this initial phase of review by our apps team, submitted requests are then released for company-wide voting and discussion. Afterward, a dedicated committee regularly assesses these requests, determining their alignment with the business’s overarching goals and requirements. Based on this evaluation, the committee then decides whether each request will be incorporated into the current road map.
Additionally, within the application, you’ll find a dedicated page offering a concise overview of our team’s current projects and any pending action items. This increased transparency is designed to aid in project prioritization and ensure alignment with our company’s objectives.
With our request application, we’re committed to fostering collaboration, transparency, and alignment, enabling us to innovate and grow together as a cohesive team.
Step 1- click the speech bubble or the “Have an idea?” button.
Step 2- Submit your idea!
Step 3- View your or other’s ideas, vote, or leave a comment!
Brian Baima and Bryan Phillips alongside John Cannistraro and Project Manager Hyun Miskelly from Edge Fire Protection had an amazing trip to The new Hyundai Motors Group Meta Plant-Savanah, Georgia.
Cannistraro is completing a Special Hazards Fire Suppression system to protect the vehicle paint booths. This facility is massive, encompassing a 120 acre site and 5 million square feet of buildings!
Congratulations to all Cannistraro employees on their kudos from clients and fellow coworkers!
Erik Cote
“Kudos to Erik Cote for his detailed work, expertise, and patience coordinating plumbing mechanical spaces. Erik’s work is intricate and involves many aspects of the project that he dives deep into so that everything we design can be fabricated and installed to code and with ease for the field. Erik’s dedication to these spaces allows coordinators to focus on the big picture of drawing thousands of feet of pipe, which wouldn’t be possible without their trust in Erik to complete mechanical spaces. Kudos, Erik!”
-Meghan Valyou Orisko, VC Lead Coordinator
Ryan Mrozinski, Kunal, and the rest of the IT team
“I just wanted to pass on some kudos about Ryan Mrozinski, Kunal, and the rest of the IT team. I was finishing a bid late last night and having trouble logging on to Cisco, and Ryan messaged me on Teams and tagged in Kunal to fix the issue. I was pretty impressed that they jumped on to help me during off hours (10 pm or so). So thanks to the IT team!”
-Bradford Hawes, Service Sales Engineer
Estimating Department
“I would like to give a shout out to the estimating department as they are a great group to be involved with. The commitment to build new relationships who can provide long lasting opportunities for the future is great to see. Joe Mecke does show compassion to his team and emphasis collaboration and integrity when taking on a bid which leads to a non-toxic work environment. On the HVAC side Greg and Mike have built a top-tier team who are always striving for continuous improvement to establish predictable profit across all sectors. I have not had a lot of experience working with the plumbing and FP sides of estimating but they all seem like a great group to be a part of.”
-Tyler Carson, Estimator
Service Sales Team
“I would like to give kudos to the entire service sales team. Your hard work and dedication to the service team is unmatched and I can’t thank you enough. You truly understand the importance of building strong, long lasting relationships with your customers, technicians and the rest of the service team. You always go above and beyond to give our customers a positive Cannistraro experience.”
-Roland Oreste, Service Sales Manager
Roy Daley
“Roy Daley has worked for me in the shop for the past 2-1/2 years. He came from Building Pathways. He just got into Local 550 and will be leaving for the field very soon. He has been phenomenal in the shop and will do great in the field. He is the perfect example on how working hard leads to great things. I cant say enough about him, he has been the perfect employee for me!”
-Bill Gardner, Fabrication Manager
Jack Semler
“I’d like to sing the praises of Jack Semler, Sheetmetal Foreman currently leading the ductwork for the Kilmarnock Job. Jack has been with Harrington/JCC for 30+ years and is outstanding in his ability to maintain the job schedule, train the younger generation, and prioritize safety. During this Kilmarnock Project Jack was out for 6 weeks after knee surgery but kept up with the job helping to mark up drawings, track RGDs, and prioritize work all while rehabbing his knee!
Personally, as a newer PM, Jack has been a great resource in helping to explain his process and how the is able to manage a job so well.
I cannot stress the value Jack brings to the company enough.”
-Patrick Stanton, Project Manager
Matt Toy, Emily Sabatino, Jeff Rudge, and Sean Foley
“Caulfield gave Matt Toy, Emily Sabatino, Jeff Rudge, and Sean Foley, some major praise. He said in their weekly meetings with his field team and PM’s we are now their preferred HVAC Vendor at MGH. Big props to your team on this. Mark made it a point to make sure I share this with you and upper management.
Devin the senior PM also gave me high praise on Mark Blouin and the way he is running Blake 4.
Big thanks and Kudos to you all, keep up the good work!”
-Jameson T. Buckley, Project Executive
Andrew Lydon and Jake Pimental
Brian Coates from Emerson Hospital called to say he was extremely impressed with Jake Pimental and Andrew Lydon’s work on the gas piping over there last week. They just called in an emergency call through Dan Z and he requested one of the two of them to perform the emergency repair and sent his highest praises.
-Olivia Nikolsky, Customer Care Representative
Brian Burns
Brian Burns has exhibited phenomenal “Team First” mentality and proactive efforts in my time working with him on projects. No better example than a recent situation involving an overnight delivery that was critical in meeting a project milestone for one of the hospital jobs. The package was arriving from the manufacturer via overnight shipping and it absolutely had to be delivered to the job site first thing in the morning. To achieve this, someone had to stay at FID to accept the delivery past normal shop hours and set up the package on the truck so it was ready come morning. Without question, Brian was there to step up and ensure this package made it to the job on time.
Even after the delivery was delayed for several hours, putting us just past midnight with still no package in hand, Brian never waivered and remained patient and positive as we both continued to wait. Once the package was in hand, Brian followed all our standard protocols logging in our package via Notifii and prepping the truck so all the driver had to do when he showed up was take off to the jobsite.
In the end, the package was delivered on time and the client was extremely happy with JCC’s A+ execution when called upon. We couldn’t have done it without Brian, he was the MVP that early morning and I cant thank him enough.
-Jake Cabrera, Project Manager
Jacinta Basden
I started at Cannistraro on November 20th and everyone has been so helpful and kind. But Jacinta Basden was put in charge of my training. I want to recognize her diligence and hard work. She’s great at her job and so knowledgeable and she is not afraid to share it all. She has been a huge help for me in making my transition smooth and stress free.
-Jennifer Vye-Boucher, Project Accountant
Brook Kifle
I just want to make sure Brook Kifle in IT is recognized for going above and beyond in helping me get my at home office all set up and working. He checked back with me to make sure I was all set and he did it all with a smile on his face.
-Jennifer Vye-Boucher, Project Accountant
On March 14th and 15th, we hosted the Peer Group for our Manufacturing Critique and we wanted to give everyone an update on the feedback we received. The event was a tremendous success and I want to thank Jamie Parks and her team for helping everything to run flawlessly. I also want to thank all of those who participated in interview groups for giving thoughtful and honest feedback through a long day of interviews. Finally, I want to thank the whole team at FID for helping to run a facility worth showcasing.
The Peer Group met with members of our teams from Fabrication, Logistics, Virtual Construction (VC), the Field, Purchasing, and Project Management. Based on their facilities tours and those interview sessions, we received a substantial amount of feedback. Below are some selected “greatest hits” of wins worth celebrating and opportunities for improvement worth embracing.
FID Wins:
• Confident, dedicated, hardworking teams in every shop.
• The facility has great equipment and good shop layouts.
• Teams in the shop, field, and virtual construction (VC) are in sync.
FID Opportunities:
• Make small adjustments for all shops to support projects of all sizes effectively.
• Utilize space for the highest and best purpose – reduce material storage at FID for non-fab related items.
• Provide more opportunities for the FID team to collaborate.
VC Wins:
• Confident, engaged, and willing to assist.
• Communication with Shops. No negativity towards extra needs from them at times.
• Proud of the team’s transition into Revit and excited about their part in future tech. platform opportunities.
VC Opportunities:
• More use of automation within Revit on deliverables.
• More clarity and involvement within the estimate.
• Peers to have a better understanding of what makes the VC process successful.
Logistics Wins:
• Immense pride coupled with positive attitudes. Customer focused and a strong recognition that they are a major support contributor.
• Well organized.
• Collection of metrics, have strong platforms to measure performance.
Logistics Opportunities:
• Appreciation and recognition needed for the effort they put forth.
• Incorporation/ Informed on project kick offs and project planning for aspects they are responsible for.
• Revamping of Notifii. How we may better input and extract information to liven up the system.
Moving forward, the Fabrication, Logistics, and VC teams will be hard at work implementing quick wins and planning more involved improvement projects to take full advantage of the Peer Group’s feedback. We will continue to keep everyone updated on our progress.
Matthew Cannistraro Operations Manager – Fabrication and Manufacturing
The ’23 cohort completed their final presentations on April 1st, and while they’ll have a closeout appointment with Samantha next month to received feedback on their presentation and recommendations for next steps beyond the CLA (as well as a celebratory luncheon) next month, their formal CLA program has concluded. They will now transition to serving as mentors to the ’24 cohort and later providing guidance when the new cohort tackles work on their projects. The ’24 CLA cohort kicked off on April 3rd.
Jameson Buckley
Amy Cannistraro
Steve Cook
Marc Driscoll
Patricia Grenier
Andrew Heiser
Tom Kosik
Emily Leopold
Wendy McGrath
Joe Mecke
A little bit about the Cannistraro Leadership Academy (CLA):
The CLA is a yearlong program co-facilitated by Samantha Shaw and Al Fox. The cohort-based model combines monthly workshops, group projects, and
individualized coaching to help individuals identify their leadership strengths and prepare for future leadership roles. It emphasizes real-life leadership in business, focusing on leading effectively, exercising good judgment, and applying emotional intelligence. Participants assess their traits, skills, and team dynamics to enhance performance.
Cannistraro Snacks & Facts is our new regular series of voluntary presentations and training sessions led by various subject matter experts on a variety of topics. The purpose of this series is to create an in-person forum where employees can present information to the community followed by an informal discussion to answer questions, gather feedback, and/or build consensus.
Future Sessions (11AM-12PM for all dates)
May 30th – Brian Baima – Special Hazards
June 20th – Joann Pickard – Textura
July 31st – Amy Cannistraro – Boston Residents Job Policy
August 27th – IT – VDI
Every day the Service Dispatch Team helps solve our client’s needs and emergencies, but what exactly does this entail? We asked the team to share some insights.
What would do you want people to know about your job?
“Dispatch is an extremely rewarding career! We’re essentially the central hub of communication between the customers and our amazing team of skilled service technicians. Our role involves managing incoming service requests from various sources, including customers, service technicians, sales teams, and project managers. We prioritize these requests based on urgency and assign the right technician to each job. It’s all about smooth operations, satisfied customers, and successful team effort.”
-Nicole Marshall, Service Coordination Manager
What is the most challenging part of your day to day?
“Balancing my eagerness to help everyone with the need to focus on one task at a time poses the greatest challenge in my day.”
-Maria Leyva, Customer Care Representative
What is the most fun/enjoyable part of your day?
“The most enjoyable/fun part of my day is how each and every day we make each other smile. Even on tough days, we always know how to cheer each other up. This is so special to me because this has made us so close. It’s rare to find such a supportive and enjoyable group to work with.”
-Catherine Ristaino, Customer Care Representative
Something employees might not know about YOU?
“Many of my colleagues may not know that English is my second language. Spanish is my first, making me bilingual.”
-Maria Leyva, Customer Care Representative
A few sentences on how you would describe your job to a stranger
“The job of a dispatcher is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle. We are constantly rearranging our day-to-day plans to exceed the needs and expectations of our customers, field and internal team with urgency, the highest possible amount of detail, and efficiency. If something does not work, we keep searching for the perfect solution to whichever issues arise.”
-Olivia Nikolsky, Customer Care Representative
Check out this water feature mock up that is going to be installed in the lobby of 1 International Place.
Weston & Sampson hired Cannistraro to work on this specialty project out at the FID.
The blooms of Spring not only bring flowers but also outdoor dining. Along with tulips and daffodils, Boston residents and tourists alike will notice chairs and tables sprouting up along the sidewalks in early April. Nearly every type of eatery in the city will soon be setting up their outdoor dining areas with Back Bay being one of the most notable. There are plenty of options for all types of cuisine along Newbury and adjacent Boylston streets. Find your favorite establishment and enjoy a relaxing meal while soaking up the sun.
Boston whale watching cruises begin operating again in late March - so spring is the perfect month for seeing these magnificent creatures up close, along with friendly dolphins and numerous fish and sea birds. boston-discovery-guide.com/boston-whale-watching.html
One of the best places to see cherry blossoms in New England is here in Boston! Visit the Charles River Esplanade, Boston Common, the Public Gardens, or the Arnold Arboretum to see these beautiful blooms. The cherry blossom trees start blooming around the end of March or the first week of April, with peak blooms around the second and third weeks of April.
The zoo is such a fun way to spend the day — and Boston has two of them! Try Franklin Park Zoo for a bigger, Boston-based experience, or visit Stone Zoo in Stoneham with younger children who may appreciate a smaller space. Spring is the perfect time to observe the animals that are no longer hiding from the cold!
10 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced into thin half moons
1 zucchini, sliced into thin half moons
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
¾ cup grated pecorino cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ cup fresh tarragon, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, squash, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the pasta, peas, cheese, lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and toss to combine. Stir in the basil and tarragon, if using.
4. Season to taste, garnish with more basil, and serve.
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
16 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 large eggs, room temperature, divided use
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 fully cooked boneless ham steak (12 ounces), cubed
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange onions and asparagus on a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan; toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly; reserve 1/4 cup vegetable mixture for topping.
2. Preheat a greased waffle iron. Separate 3 eggs. Whisk flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper and remaining salt. Add milk, 3 egg yolks and melted butter; mix gently but thoroughly. Stir in remaining onion and asparagus mixture and 3/4 cup shredded cheese.
3. In another bowl, beat 3 egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Fold into waffle batter. Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook ham until heated through; keep warm. In same skillet, fry remaining eggs until yolks are set. To serve, top waffle with ham and 1 egg. Sprinkle with reserved onion and asparagus, and remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
POMEGRANATE RELISH
½ cup walnuts
¾ cup pomegranate seeds (from about ½ large pomegranate)
¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
RICE AND ASSEMBLY
2 cups basmati rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
10 mint sprigs
8 ounces feta, sliced ¼-inch thick
Directions
POMEGRANATE RELISH
1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.
2. Toss walnuts, pomegranate seeds, olives, oil, mint, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
RICE AND ASSEMBLY
3. Combine rice, butter, and salt in a 13x9” baking dish, then pour in a scant 3½ cups water; top with mint sprigs. Cover tightly with foil and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven; pluck out mint. Fluff rice with a fork.
4. Heat broiler. Arrange feta over rice. Broil until rice around edges of pan is browned and crisp and feta is starting to brown, 8–10 minutes. Spoon pomegranate relish over.
We exist to empower the life-changing impact of mastering a trade.
For us, a trade is any skill, in any role, contributing to our company’s betterment and to the care of our customers. Everyone at Cannistraro works in a trade; we believe that everyone can maximize the value of their contributions and most significantly improve their own wellbeing by continuously sharpening their craft and growing in their trade.
We support this journey by advancing craftsmanship and shining a bright light on the importance of progress and professionalism in our industry. We treat all team members like family and provide the best possible training and coaching. We nurture trusting and highly valued business partnerships in order to create opportunities for everyone to thrive.
SafetyProtection from danger, risk, or injury
IntegrityHonest and strong moral principles
Continuous ImprovementThe pursuit for perfection in everything we do
CompassionCare and concern for others
CommitmentDedicated to a cause, activity, and/or people
CollaborationWorking together for a shared purpose
J.C. Cannistraro, LLC