SEPTEMBER 2024
CHAMPIONS DON’T BELONG ON THE GROUND
What was labeled as the “Fight of the Century,” Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, was knocked down for the first time in his career in the late rounds of a loss to Joe Frazier. When Ali appeared to have already lost the fight, he got to his feet and continued. When asked afterward why he’d gotten up, the champ responded. “The first thing I heard was eight.” I first thought, “I don’t belong here.” He got up and finished the fight because of pride. He was a champion, and champions don’t belong on the ground.
Pride motivates us to get off the canvas and fight; it pushes us to do our best at whatever we are committed to accomplishing. It makes us good fathers, sons, mothers, managers, or employees, and it is essential to believing in ourselves.
Martin Luther King Jr. once delivered a sermon in which he implored men and women to be proud and the best they could be at whatever they did. “Whether a person is a street sweeper or a painter, he or she should always do the best he or she can.” It’s a great lesson for all of us.
Your pride in your work can have an amazing impact on Crete United. For many of us, pride serves as energy and reflects our emotional commitment to the business and our teammates. Be proud of the work you’re doing and of the company you’re building. I’m proud to be on the team with you. I’m proud to be part of Crete United.
Mike Cox | CEO
CEO MESSAGE
CORNHOLE FOR A CAUSE
CSI
Steve Cauley, Master Electrician and Safety Manager at Control Solutions, recently participated in a cornhole tournament that raised over $10,000 for a Colorado-based program dedicated to suicide prevention education. This initiative provides classes in both English and Spanish. Steve collaborated with IEC Rocky Mountain, where he has been teaching electrical apprenticeship classes in the Denver area for 26 years.
FALL KICKOFF CELEBRATION PIPER ELECTRIC
Recently, Piper Electric celebrated the arrival of Fall with an End-of-Summer BBQ, enjoying a wonderful gathering with team members and their families to honor another year of hard work and success. The event was filled with laughter, delicious food, fun games, and great company.
HILLARD ELECTRIC MEDIA DAY
HILLARD ELECTRIC
Hillard Electric recently had an exciting “Media Day” hosted by Logan Troutman, who visited to capture fresh marketing content. From professional headshots to dynamic videos, the day was filled with behind-the-scenes moments that will help enhance future promotions. Stay tuned as Hillard shares some of these highlights in future campaigns!
If your team is interested in scheduling something similar, feel free to reach out to the marketing department to coordinate a Media Day of your own.
CLIMATE WEEK
SUSTAINABILITY
IN FOCUS
EMERALD BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
Crete United was honored to have our partner, Emerald Built Environments, represent us at #ClimateWeekNYC2024, engaging in critical discussions on sustainability and action. This year’s theme, “It’s Time,” underscores the urgency of transitioning from years of conversation to immediate, impactful action.
RELCO RESTORES BROCKTON HOSPITAL RELCO
In early 2023, Brockton Hospital faced a 10-alarm fire, requiring the evacuation of 160 patients. RELCOM swiftly assessed the damage and reconfigured cable infrastructure for critical departments. Over 1 ½ years, they installed new fiber optics, coax, paging, and patient monitoring systems, ensuring the hospital’s smooth recovery. Another job well done!
2024 OUTSTANDING LARGE BUSINESS AWARD
PIPER ELECTRIC
Piper Electric was recognized and awarded the 2024 Outstanding Large Business Award. This award is meant to honor a local company who brings job growth, economic investment, development and innovation to the community. Piper Electric has been in the community since 1983 and has been committed to serving Colorado. Lastly, Piper was awarded a congressional record from Colorado’s Seventh Congressional District for their passionate work within Arvada and its surrounding communities.
CREW OF THE MONTH PIPER ELECTRIC
“This crew has been doing a great job out here at Sun Empire. All these guys come in willing and ready to work. They are starting to get in the groove and are taking items off the to-do list as fast as possible. I am happy that I got a crew of guys not afraid to get their hands dirty and are willing to learn new things. I would like to thank each and every one of you for making my job a little easier!”
-Brandon Novak, Superintendent
EXCITING PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
PRO TECH MECHANICAL
Pro Tech Mechanical is pleased to announce the receipt of a Letter of Intent from Bartlett Cocke for the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Arts and Media Building project. This 85,000-square-foot facility will serve as a hub for music, theatre, and dance education, enhancing the university’s recruitment efforts for accredited programs. Pro Tech Mechanical looks forward to contributing to this landmark project, which aims to inspire creativity and excellence in the arts. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting endeavor!
GOLDENROD TEAM SAFETY WIN
MAJOR MECHANICAL
Congratulations to the Major Mechanical team at Goldenrod Glen. Today they celebrated 200 days of no lost time incidents on their jobsite. This milestone is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together with a shared goal. It reflects our collective commitment to looking out for one another and creating a workplace where everyone feels secure. Thank you, Kevin, Bryan, Jeremy, Mark, and Dave, for your hard work and dedication. Here’s to many more days of safety ahead.
TRIATHLON TRIUMPH
Kyle Cox, CBS Sr. Operations Manager, recently finished 1st in his age group (20-25) out of 12 male competitors at the Tri the Parks triathlon at John Tanner Park, completing the race in 1:30:19 among 400 total participants! His success comes after a year and a half of consistent training.
To date, Kyle has completed 5 half-marathons and 1 triathlon. He is currently training for the Charlotte Marathon on November 16th and aims to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Eagleman in Cambridge, Maryland on June 10th. Keep inspiring, Kyle! We can’t wait to see what’s next!
WELCOME HOMETOWN MECHANICAL
We are excited to announce Crete United’s partnership with Hometown Mechanical. Based in Davenport, Iowa, Hometown Mechanical is an award-winning full-service mechanical contractor specializing in commercial and industrial solutions in the Quad Cities region. This strategic alliance extends Crete United’s reach into Eastern Iowa and positions us for future expansion into the Des Moines market. Hometown Mechanical has built a reputation over 40 years for excellence in customer satisfaction, emphasizing safety and quality in every project.
MEET THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS TEAM
At Crete United, our National Accounts Team is dedicated to fostering and expanding relationships with major national brands. We focus on scaling these partnerships across the U.S. by providing innovative energy efficiency solutions through our trusted partner network. Our goal is to deliver seamless, nationwide service that supports our clients’ sustainability and operational efficiency objectives. By leveraging the power of our partner network and deepening existing relationships, we aim to drive national growth and ensure long-term success.
PARTNER NEWS
SOLDIER’S ANGELS: HONORING OUR HEROES
By Dwight Abshire, VP of Sustainability
Our Crete Building Services team in Orlando recently had the incredible opportunity to support our veterans through hands-on volunteer efforts with Soldier’s Angels. This amazing organization hosts monthly Military and Veteran Food Distributions, providing essential food assistance to low-income active-duty service members, Guardsmen, Reservists, and veterans across six cities nationwide. These events make a significant difference for thousands of military-connected individuals and their families, but they can’t happen without dedicated volunteers.
On a recent Friday, our CBS Florida team, led by the dynamic trio of Kyle Cox, Angel Rodriguez, and Jose Rosado, arrived bright and early before 8:00 am, ready to make an impact. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Crete Building Services and our fellow community partners who joined us in this vital mission. By 10:30 am, we had successfully offloaded and sorted over 12 tons of canned goods, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and other non-perishable items. The atmosphere was electric; the preparation flowed seamlessly, embodying the very spirit of teamwork that our military exemplifies. But the true magic of the day unfolded at 11:00 am. Under the expert guidance of Ramona Root, a proud USMC veteran, we sprang into action. With her commanding presence, she led us with a no-nonsense approach, instilling a sense of urgency and purpose in our every movement. We guided vehicles in and efficiently distributed cold foods and meats, moving in sync like a well-oiled machine. The rhythm of our work echoed the disciplined cadence of military service, and it was nothing short of inspiring. By 1:30 pm, we had interacted with nearly 300 veterans, sharing not just food but heartfelt conversations and gratitude. Witnessing the smiles on their faces and knowing we were making a tangible difference filled us with pride and passion. This event wasn’t just about distributing food; it was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by these heroes and our commitment to ensuring they never go hungry. Together, we honored their service and strengthened our Crete community. This is what HEROES UNITED stands for!
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
COINCIDENT PEAKS, CURTAILMENT & HOW STRATEGIC LOAD SHEDDING CAN PRODUCE MATERIAL SAVINGS FOR HIGH-LOAD CUTOMERS
What is a Coincident Peak Pricing Program?
Customers are charged based on their electricity usage during period peak power demand on the power grid. “Under these programs, electricity usage during just a few peak demand periods determines significant portion of their overall costs”
Why do these Programs Exist?
When the grid is experiencing increased demand, grid operators would like to be able to balance capacity and demand so that every consumer could reliably have energy. This pricing program acts as a way that companies can limit their demand if possible. Charges are based on a companies demand during peak 4CP periods, thereby encouraging customers to reduce usage.
What is 4CP in ERCOT?
4CP represents the highest electricity demand hour for each month from June to September. These hours of demand are typically the highest demand seen on the ERCOT grid for the entire year.
Can You Predict 4CP Days?
Predicting peaks is increasingly difficult. “In a market rapidly evolving on both the supply and demand sides, the interation between new products and participants with established ones can lead to counterintuitive outcomes”. Attempting to load shed during anticipated CPs is possible and can lead to cost savings.
What is Curtailment?
This is the practice of actively reducing electrical usage to avoid high spot-market energy prices and attempt to avoid demand measurements that are used for establishment of demand charges in the following year. Conversely, there is a cost to curtailment where the business is voluntarily limiting their production or operation during such energy curtailment periods.
What are Large Flexible Loads? (LFLs)
Large Flexible Loads are customers that have a demand greater than or equal to 75 MW and can adjust their power consumption quickly and reliably. Examples are Data Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities. Growth in LFLs is expected to be substantial in the coming years pushing demand expectations higher and increasing unpredictability in 4CP days.
Batteries & Solar’s Impact on 4CP Load
ERCOT’s increased use of solar generation allows for “lower prices during peak load and contributes to more volatile hours later in the evening when net load ramps are largest”. This load generation that solar energy provides allows for batteries to charge during inexpensive hours and discharge during periods of grid scarcity.
Why is This Important?
Managing the load that your company uses during these “Coincident Peak” hours can drastically reduce the charges on your energy invoices for the following year. Being up to date on market trends and the changing ERCOT environment is crucial to avoid being caught off guard by the changing dynamics.
Source: Gridstatus.io, ERCOT.com, EIA, Amperon
Contact James Byerly for more information: james@creteunited.com | (469) 928-2024
SUSTAINABILITY
DEFINING THE SCOPES
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced (directly or indirectly) by almost every process in our fossil-fuel dependent world, affecting the planet’s health and contributing to climate change. The scale of these emissions is vast, but there are manageable ways to track and reduce them. The movement to decarbonize is gaining momentum, and various actors – governments, investors, consumers, etc. – are calling for change. As a result, organizations across sectors are beginning to gain an understanding of how many emissions they are producing, why they are being produced, and where they’re coming from. This information can lead to the development of an emissions inventory, which shows the net release or intake of emissions, helps to identify areas for emissions reduction, and provides information to help quantify, manage, and report on these efforts. Additionally, with actionable data in hand, organizations can set appropriate net zero goals, such as Crete United’s 2030 goal of reducing emissions by 25% on its way to net zero by 2040.
GHG EMISSIONS
– SCOPES 1, 2, 3, AND 4
The first step is to understand that GHG emissions are organized into four categories - Scopes 1, 2, 3, and 4 (visual above)
SCOPE 1: DIRECT EMISSIONS
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization and primarily include:
Onsite Energy Consumption: These emissions are generated by fuels directly used in onsite operations (for example, natural gas for heating buildings) and can typically be tracked via utility bills.
Company Vehicles: Emissions generated by vehicles directly owned by an organization. Many organizations use fleet management systems to track distance traveled and fuel efficiency to quantify direct emissions from transportation. Additionally, it is becoming more common for companies to incorporate EVs into their fleets to help reduce emissions. Crete United is actively pursuing this strategy and will begin implementing a hybrid-EV fleet in 2025.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT SCOPE 2, 3 & 4
CRETE UNITED AWARD
EXCELLENCE IN TEAMWORK
MVP NOMINATIONS
Amanda Adair – ProStar
Andrea Campbell – Crete United Andrew Arellano – ProStar
Andy Erlenborn – John’s Services
Aparna Sharma – Crete Corporate
Arlindo Dalomba – Crete United Ashleigh Crow – Crete United Ben Eller – Crete United Brad Poe – AC Corp
Carly Krupa – Crete Corporate
Chase Overcash – FSSI
Chris Steele – ProStar
Christina Pham – Crete United
Cricket Kelly – Hillard Electric
David Shirley – ProStar
Elisabeth Blum – Crete United
George Heath – American Legacy
Jay Levin – Crete United
Jeff Reed – S&W
Jim Hance and – Hillard Electric
Easton Schneider - Hillard Electric
Joel Byerly – CSI
Johnny Palmer – FSSI
Jonathan Capps – FSSI
Kyle Adkins – FSSI
Kyle Cox – Crete United
Leslie Perez – Crete United
Lilly Zuluaga – Crete United
Luke Overcash – FSSI
Mark Sentovich – Crete United
MG Williams – Crete United
Mike Capps – FSSI
Mike Stamey – FSSI
Nick Miller – Crete United Nonso Agolue – ProStar
Paul Bertrand – Dynaire
Paul Pruitt – Crete United
Robert Kinley – FSSI
Seth Golden – Crete United
Seth Phulpagar – Crete United
Shane Bridges – FSSI
Sierra Lopez – ProStar
Stacy Bulow – John’s Services
Tim Klieber – John’s Services
Tommy Day - FSSI
Congratulations!
MVP AWARD
RECIPIENT
Kyle Cox Crete United
CRETE UNITED AWARD
RECIPIENTS
Lilly Zuluaga Crete United
Kyle Adkins FSSI
Paul Bertrand Dynaire
Jeff Reed S&W
KUDOS
NEW HIRES, ANNIVERSARIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NEW HIRES
Hillard Electric
Easton Schenider, Apprentice
Ryan Chapin, Apprentice
Michael Zimmerman, Communications
Derek Downing, Service Account Manager
Cody Holman, Apprentice
Jose Maldonado, Apprentice, Eric Wright, Journeyman
William Miller, Journeyman
Cristian Aguilar, Apprentice
Clifford Willea, Communications
RELCO
Chris Power, Apprentice
RECENT WINS
Crete United
“Operation Level Up!” is a newly implemented month-end close process introduced in Q3 across all accounting teams in the organization
Piper Electric
Verizon Cellular Data Center
ProTech Mechanical
First Service Job with Space X
ANNIVERSARIES
Legacy Mechanical
10 Years: Theodore Doyle
7 Years: Bryan Mijangos
6 Years: Johnny White
CRETE UNITED TALOS
PEERS RECOGNIZED FOR KUDOS/FEEDBACK OBSERVATIONS IN TALOS
AC Corporation
James Smith
Vladimir Veshkin
Juan Hernandez
Andrew Shaw
Johnny Hoskins
APA
Dylan Boylan
Michael Ovitt
James Lawlor
Kevin Swayne
Henry Seibold
Joseph Fredericks
Jay Zimmerman
Andre Contois
Anthony Impelluso
CSI
Aaron Hill
Andrew Connor
James Taylor
Aaron Alward
Anthony Baldocchi
Joel Byerly
Crosby Electric
Colin Chandler
Joshua Mejia
Jaquez Myrick
Jeff Brandt
Kristopher Adams
Michael Ousley
Pablo Garcia
Brantley Nolen
IMA
Kevin Navarro
Carl Burton
Major Mechanical
David Maze
Peter Erny
David Sawatzke
Vong Lor
Andrew Clem
Travis Geis
Alan Groff
Jordan Caudle
Zachary Evans
Nielsen
Mathew Gravelle
Jason Leadens
Michael Lewis
Shane Citron
Jonathan Hernandez
Haydon Rogers
Piper Electric
Jason Perman
Marc Escobedo
Zackary Banfill
Daniel Amaro
Austin Fiala
Michael Goldrick
Rogelio Munoz
Omero Salas
Daniel Baxter
Simon Bergkamp
Michael Grimsley
Zachary Marshall
ProTech Mechanical
Anthony Guerrero
Edwin Garcia
Daniel Amaro
Oswaldo Munoz Ordonez
RELCO
Timothy Dunn
Stanmark Electric
Tyler Radley
Thomas Martinez
Cory Ott
Sara Jernigan
Daniel Pinson
Jordan Hicken
Leif Hayes
Jordan Hicken
Travis Quinlan
Tyler Radley
Daniel Pinson
Cory Ott
James Van Cleave
RELCO
Adam Barela
Dallas Williams
Misael Llamas-Morales
What is an MVP? An MVP is a versatile and adaptable leader who is committed, dependable, and always willing to assist team members or customers. They embody a positive attitude and serve as brand ambassadors, lifting the team up.
Anthony Lopez
SAFETY TOPIC
FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION MONTH
FIGHT FOODBORNE ILLNESS: SIMPLE STEPS FOR SAFER MEALS
This month take an active role in preventing foodborne illness, also known as “food poisoning.” The Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – that’s about 1 in 6 Americans each year. Each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Following simple food safety tips can help lower your chance of getting sick.
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS
Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Symptoms of foodborne illness can include: vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain – and flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache.
HANDLE FOODS SAFELY
Although most healthy people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems. In addition, some people are at a higher risk for developing foodborne illness, including pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or diabetes). To keep your family safer from food poisoning,
FOLLOW THESE FOUR SIMPLE STEPS:
1. Clean
2. Separate
• Separate raw meats from other foods
• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.
• Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.
3. Cook
• Cook to the right temperature
• Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products for all cooking methods. These foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly.
• When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.
4. Chill
• Refrigerate foods promptly
• Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below.
• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F.
• Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the countertop. Safely defrost in the fridge, cold water, or microwave. Cook food thawed in cold water or the microwave immediately.Always marinate food in the refrigerator.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator
• the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.
SOCIAL MEDIA TIP
One of the most effective ways to drive engagement is by spotlighting employees and partners. Showcasing the people behind the work fosters connection, builds community, and highlights the unique contributions of those who make the company thrive.
If you’d like to be featured or feature someone else in one of our upcoming social media posts, please click below to fill out the form! This is a chance to share a story, celebrate a success, or highlight a meaningful project!
DO YOU NEED MARKETING OR EVENT SUPPORT?
Designed for use by both employees and partners, this new tool aims to streamline communication and centralize all event requests. Once submitted your request will be reviewed and somone from the Marketing team will be in touch with you shortly.
CRETE UNITED BUSINESS CARDS NEW ORDERING PROCESS
When ordering select Original Paper, Square Corners & Matte Finish
Crete United has partnered with MOO to simplify your business card orders! In just a few clicks, you can easily create and order your business cards using our official Crete United template.
PARTNER RESOURCES
SALES
PARTNER SCOREBOARD - SALESFORCE UTILIZATION
Overall Score = Platform Adoption + Pipeline Health Each Metric is Worth 10 Points
Platform Adoption Score (40 Points)
• Average Salesforce login frequency is 2 or more times per week.
• Number of opportunities past due date is 0.
• Salesforce YTD closed won is 80% or more of Spectrum YTD Rev.
• Average age of closed opportunities is 2 days or more.
Pipeline Health Score (30 Points)
• At least 15% of pipeline consists of opportunities with a dollar value of $500K or less.
• Top 5 customers in the pipeline should account for less than 60% of the pipeline dollar value.
• The Goal to pipeline ratio should be 2x or greater.
For any additional training or support with Salesforce, please contact Michael Downing at Michael@creteunited.com, call 704-560-6685, or send a message in Teams
PARTNER RESOURCES
HUMAN RESOURCES
SMART TIPS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER VISITS
Your health plan’s Member Services team is here to make sure you get the care you need. For immediate help –including finding a provider or talking with a provider about your benefits – call 888-326-7401, Opt. 2
These tips can also make your healthcare experience easier:
• Call Member Services if you want to see a non-network provider. We’ll set up the visit and explain your benefits to them so you have a smooth check-in.
• Bring your Benefits ID card to every appointment. Your Benefits ID card has all the plan details your providers need. If you need a replacement card, call Member Services.
• Call Member Services if you’re asked to pay upfront for care. The only out-of-pocket expense you should pay at the time of service is a copay or deductible, if you have one. We’ll work with the provider to confirm amounts and your benefits.
• Compare any provider bills to your Explanation of Benefits (EOB). If the amount due on a provider bill is higher than the amount your EOB says you owe, email bb@elapservices.com. We’ll start the process of resolving it on your behalf.
Health Plan or Provider Questions?
We’re here to help. Call 888-326-7401, Opt. 2.