Construction Management • General Construction • Design-Build • Interiors • Pre-Engineered Solutions • BIM
EDiSinside MARCH 2021
Building What Matters Buildings • Community • Legacy
In this Issue:
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EDiS Promotions BIM Case Study: Air Products Headquarters
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Continuing a Delaware Legacy The Vision Takes Shape
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Company News Celebrating Women in Construction
Continuing a Delaware Legacy DuPont Country Club EDiS Company completes the Pool & Fitness Center for DuPont Country Club. Read more on pages 6 and 7.
EDiS Promotions: A Year of Leaders The success achieved by EDiS Company can be attributed to the excellence of our people. From our CEO to our part-time interns, EDiS employs the best and the brightest in our industry and rewards their hard work and dedication with celebrations of their success. To that end, CEO Brian DiSabatino has announced
congratulations! that four members of the EDiS team have been formally recognized with promotions that reflect their commitment to Building What Matters for clients, as well as their commitment to lead our teams to accomplish the extraordinary.
Matt Artymenko
Todd Bosch
14 Years with EDiS Former Superintendent II
3 Years with EDiS Former Estimator
Senior Superintendent
“Matt has proven to be unequivocally qualified to step into his new role as senior superintendent. Matt has a clear understanding of scheduling, problem resolution, field administration, contractor interaction, work sequencing, and site logistics. As a leader, Matt possesses the skills to delegate tasks to achieve the desired goals and the ability to mentor those under his assign. As a team member, Matt has the ability to coalesce within the project team construct to ensure the team’s success.”
Senior Estimator
“I’d like to congratulate Todd on his promotion to Senior Estimator. Todd brings a wealth of experience and estimating knowledge to the team. He is extremely detail-oriented and conveys a level of precision to every estimate he prepares. Todd’s mastery of the estimating process has shone through on numerous projects and certainly lends itself to his new role as Senior Estimator.” – Paul Ignudo, Chief Estimator
– Craig Henry, Senior Superintendent
Paul Brousseau Superintendent II
Mechanical Systems Specialist
3 Years with EDiS Former Superintendent I
13 Years with EDiS Former Superintendent II
“Paul is not just a friendly Canadian native, he is a thoughtful superintendent who keeps his eye on the prize while managing the details. He showed his chops interacting with the clients (management and users) as well as the trades when we were in the bowels of Beebe Hospital. Then at Solenis, he helped push along an 80,000 SF project with a very short schedule. He is a great EDiS team member. Congratulations, Paul!” – Martha White, Senior Project Manager
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Matt Hinton
“Matt’s persistent attention to detail makes him the obvious choice for our Mechanical Systems Specialist. Over the past thirteen years serving as a Superintendent, Matt has gravitated towards the MEP systems. We are extremely excited for Matt to guide our teams in efficient MEP installs and proper equipment functionality.” – Adam DiSabatino, Project Manager
Executive Message
Get Ready to Get Uncomfortable. That’s How We Grow. I
wish I could say the topic of race wasn’t difficult to discuss openly; it would be disingenuous if I did. I need to begin this message by saying that I hope you will give me a chance to take a risk, to break open a conversation that is long overdue. I Brian DiSabatino ask you to allow CEO me some grace where I may not use the right words or may not share your perspective. The bottom line is that I’m willing to take that risk because I am not willing to give up on making this industry better. The bottom line is that the industry has come a long way, but there are still not enough African Americans participating in the joy of building that many enjoy. There is no shortage of talent, nor of energy in the Black community. I know, because I’ve seen it in the classrooms of our vocational schools and elsewhere. But we are missing a vital talent, voice, and perspective that can make our projects better. I, for one, have had the generosity of family and friends paving the way for me to enter this field, so I know my view may be slightly skewed. But in the end, I hope you will add your voice and together we can change course. Together we can share the joy of building. When my grandfather would discuss the early days of our company, and the overt discrimination he experienced as an Italian during his tenure in the business, he’d also discuss the overwhelming discrimination against Delaware’s Black workers, making sure I knew their plight was incomparably worse. I think he, like many of his and other generations, felt stuck in the norm of the day. But sadly, in his day, individuals in the industry often settled for status quo and felt stuck, although they weren’t. I think it is important to recognize “stuckness” (albeit wrong) and challenge it if we are going to achieve our full potential as an industry, as a company, and as people.
After my grandfather died, while the family was at his graveside, a 95-year-old Italian friend of mine, “Q-Ball” Albano, pulled me aside. Q-Ball and I had become fast friends, and for decades he was a wise carpenter in our company. He was my Yoda. Q-Ball told me it was fitting that his journey with my grandfather began and ended at that very grave site. In the 1930s, he had met my grandfather there as they were erecting the mausoleum for my great-grandfather. My grandfather saw Q-Ball wandering the street, and offered him a job on the spot, knowing nothing about Q-Ball or his skills. This put Q-Ball on track to pass along his learnings, trade, and wealth for generations. That memory still tugs on me today.
According to the Urban League, one of the challenges experienced by the Black community is that there have been barriers to creating wealth and therefore transferring it to the next generation. This is something I learned from another Yoda of mine, Dr. Tony Allen. With this in mind, I began to think about how many of us in this industry come from different, but typically European, backgrounds and how our families have enjoyed our trade for generations. I reflected upon how the heritage of construction was accumulated, like wealth, and transferred from generation to generation. Wow. Perhaps this was an underlying root cause of the wealth transfer gap. And then it hit me. If we can share the joy we receive in con-
struction, perhaps we can begin a tradition of sharing knowledge, trade, and wealth between generations. The result? We emerge better, together. When I met Frank Hanson, an African-born carpentry instructor at St. George’s Technical High School, I shared my frustration about not being able to figure out how the bright and enthusiastic Black kids I was meeting in our trade schools were not ending up in our industry and on our job sites. His response: “Brian, they can’t see themselves in this career, until they see themselves in this career.” Another Yoda in my life, because the lightbulb went off (or on). Perhaps, with all of the best of intentions, many of us are not the role models kids need to see in order to project themselves into a career rich with tradition. Perhaps the key to sharing the joy of building was in discovering better role models. So, where do we go from here? We get to work. And we need your help. In 2020, I was fortunate enough to have the support of EDiS and the Delaware Contractors Association to begin an initiative to Share the Joy of Building. We have spent, and will continue to spend, months identifying role models to demonstrate to communities of color that ours is an industry filled with joy, tradition, and the opportunity to build families’ abilities to prosper. We are committed to changing the outcomes of the past, but we can’t do this alone. If you know anyone from these communities who you think would be a good role model, please share their name with me. With your aid we can recruit them to begin to help tell their stories, identify barriers to our industry, and see them become role models for our youth. The sheer presence of their smile and joy for our industry in front of a young person could change the trajectory of our tomorrow. Let’s help them see themselves in this business so that they can see themselves in this business. Let’s Share the Joy of Building.
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The Freeman Highway Maintenance Building EDiS Divisions Deliver for the DRBA The Freeman Highway Maintenance Building project for the Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA), was a true “family” opportunity for EDiS Company, as both EDiS Building Systems (EBS) Solutions and EDiS General Building Services (EGBS) teams worked on the building alongside EDiS to see it through to completion from May 2020 to January 2021. Delivered during the pandemic, this design/build project located in Lewes, Delaware provides additional space for buses, trolleys, trucks, salt, and
other materials storage such as equipment and tools used in DRBA operations. The existing fuel storage tank and pumping system was relocated nearby the new building to make room for the building’s foundation. EDiS saved the client valuable project dollars by recommending a drilled helical anchor system rather than a deep excavation for the building’s foundation. The building was installed directly across from another storage building constructed by EDiS in 2002.
EBS Solutions: EBS Solutions supplied a 7,300 SF pre-engineered metal building through Butler Manufacturing. The clearspan structural envelope was installed along with a painted MR-24 standing seam roof system, Shadowall wall panel system, Skyliner insulation system, and a 10 ft. high interior wall liner panel system. When
EBS Division Manager Chuck Aungst saw that the masonry walls were larger than the Butler wall panels sitting atop them, he instituted a custom base trim using Butler flat stock. This was the first EBS Solutions building constructed with a no dollar-limit warranty, ensuring protection for the lifespan of the building.
EDiS General Building Services: The EGBS team installed a wall liner across the salt bay’s lower half walls (pictured above, center) to protect it from salt storage wear and tear. Salt can damage certain materials over time by causing corrosion to occur under the surface, leading to discoloration, cracking, and crumbling.
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Photography by Daniel Jackson Photo
Case Study Details Dates: March 2020 August 2020 Clashes Resolved: 40,000 between all trades Square Footage: 536,000 SF
Pictured left: Air Products Headquarters Coordination BIM Model
BIM Case Study – Air Products Headquarters Improving Design with Building Information Modeling Services At 536,000 SF, the mechanical and electrical systems on a project the size of Air Products’ new headquarters were complex and challenging both to design and construct. On a project of this magnitude, even the best designed projects can have hidden clashes and pitfalls when it comes time to build. Resolving potential construction challenges during the design phase instead of waiting for actual construction to begin to detect and resolve clashes is essential. Using the high-tech capabilities of EDiS Company’s Building Information Modeling (BIM) Services team, the designers, contractors, and owner can all work together using a 3-D generated model to detect clashes, minimize confusion, uncover errors, and avoid potential change orders. The EDiS BIM team uses cloud-based BIM 360 which allows them, the client, and subcontractors to interact virtually to develop the 3-D model over time. It encourages file sharing across the entirety of the project team without needing access to any special programs or company drives. As the project was completed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, these types of collaborative tools were essential to success since a majority of the collaboration was done remotely. Tasked with virtually modeling and coordinating design with all trades on the job, the EDiS BIM Services team was able to resolve multiple issues prior to construction using Revit and Navisworks software alongside physical laser-scanning technology. For
example, the original design called for the bus ducts that carry electricity throughout the building to run through multiple corridors, bends, and ceilings that would have been inaccessible for maintenance. The bus ducts were also running through actual portions of ductwork, leaving no room for installation. To remedy this challenge, the electrical system needed to be simplified, both in pathway and accessibility. Specially made components to clear the new angles and turns were modeled to test whether or not the system could run through its newly plotted path. Without these design adjustments, correcting the electrical system after installation would have halted construction until a solution was found, and new parts were ordered and installed. This would have had significant cost implications. As an additional benefit to this find, access panels were plotted where originally there were none, allowing for maintenance to be carried out through the lifecycle of the building while lowering operating costs. The EDiS BIM team successfully coordinated and developed a constructible layout for the bus ducts and trades overall. Their solution caused minimal impact to the design and cleaned up major design issues. The EDiS BIM Services team continues to find new and innovative ways to provide clients with accurate and valuable constructible layouts.
EDiS BIM Services
www.edisbimservices.com (800) 995-EDiS bim@ediscompany.com Pictured right: Air Products Headquarters lower-level conduit and busduct coordination
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Continuing a Delaware Legacy Building DuPont Country Club’s New Pool and Fitness Center When the DuPont Country Club embarked on a journey to add value to their memberships with new offerings, they engaged EDiS Company as their Construction Manager to bring their new state-of-the-art fitness center and pool to life. Designed and constructed to exceed member expectations and serve the community, EDiS Company’s primary goal was to build them a facility that would reflect the quality and 100-year legacy for which the DuPont Country Club is known. To reflect this legacy accurately, the original design for the fitness center called for materials that would match the historic building adjacent to it. While kept in impeccable condition, the neighboring building had been constructed with costly materials. The initial design for the new fitness center was considerably over budget. To solve the dilemma, the EDiS Estimating team studied 11 different cost-saving scenarios until they found one that achieved the same look with reduced cost. Every system, finish, and use of space was analyzed and economized so that the owner had the most cost-effective solution while still receiving quality materials and craftsmanship. For example, the project team suggested the client use an EIFS system instead of an architectural metal paneling system because it was nearly identical in aesthetic, yet cost less. For the fitness center’s
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Photography by Daniel Jackson Photo
glass system, a storefront system was chosen instead of a curtain wall system as it was similar in design and aesthetic but kept costs in line. Collaborating with the equipment designer helped EDiS find value in the indoor flooring for the fitness center. The pool decking was switched to a brushed concrete, and the gutter system switched to a stainless steel. When all was said and done, EDiS saved the client almost $650,000 in alternative systems. Successful communication on this project can be attributed in part to frequent meetings between the EDiS team, Rogers McCagg Architects, and all subcontractors. This allowed the project design and construction team to stay in sync with the client’s needs, and the clients and partners to remain updated throughout the project. Frequent and transparent communication allowed the team to solve challenges quickly, which was essential to the project’s success. Construction was completed in two phases: the Phase One focus was on the pool, which the client requested be completed by early summer to accommodate their members. After finishing the pool, the EDiS team turned to the fitness center in Phase Two. Extraordinary planning, excellent communication, and a true team effort has added to the DuPont Country Club’s legacy for years to come.
Design Team Owner: Rockland Sports LLC Architect: Rogers McCagg Architects Civil Engineer: Duffield Associates Mechanical Engineer: DEDC Structural Engineer: MacIntosh Engineering
“EDiS was diligent in coordinating with the club staff to make sure that they minimized the impact on the membership, while also maintaining a safe work environment. We could not be more pleased with the professionalism, work ethic, and partnership that the EDiS team has given us.”
- Rob Wirth, CEO Rockland Sports LLC
Butler Solution Provides Flexibility & Schedule Acceleration
Unique Delivery Challenges Presented by COVID-19
EDiS Building Systems (EBS) Solutions suggested a Butler Manufacturing pre-engineered metal building be used for the construction of the fitness center. Butler solutions are custom engineered to specific dimensions, structural criteria, and materials in accordance with local building codes. In addition to the cost savings associated with systems construction, Butler’s system is designed to assemble quickly, enabling it to be built up to 30% faster than is possible with conventional construction methods or wood framed buildings. By manufacturing building, roof, and wall systems off-site and coordinating and assembling on-site, the team was able to secure a quicker ground-up construction time frame. Additionally, because Butler Systems are pre-engineered, EDiS was able to work through constructability issues before they could occur in the field. With time-consuming steps eliminated, the project started sooner and was finished within the client’s requested completion date.
Safety and health meetings were held on a regular basis and were enhanced and increased in frequency once COVID-19 guidelines were implemented. Pre-planning conferences were conducted alongside coordination of the different trades to include safety and health topics like fall safety, equipment handling, COVID-19 avoidance, and more. Daily inspection reports were completed by each contractor verifying the inspection of their work areas, tools, and equipment. EDiS gathered the most up-to-date systems like Christiana Care’s CareVio symptom monitoring app to monitor contractor employees as they traveled to work each day. Carpooling was eliminated, sanitation stations set up, trailer restrictions implemented, distancing rules were established, and the daily Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates presented. Temporary signage was also created to direct the flow of “traffic” of patrons on the active job site once the pool was completed. EDiS custom banners encouraging masks and social distancing were placed on the site as well.
Award-Winning Work: The DuPont Country Club Pool and Fitness Center project was recognized with 2020’s highest honor from the Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware Chapter - the Excellence in Construction Award. The project and the EDiS team were recognized for tight deadline completions, quality of work, and successful cost-saving approaches. Congratulations to the team!
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Photography by Daniel Jackson Photo
The Vision Takes Shape Wellness & Professional Center Adds Next Piece to the Whitehall Plan When EDiS CEO Brian DiSabatino and his development partner Rich Julian of Eastern States Development co-founded the Town of Whitehall, the vision was clear: to create a place that would once again connect people, inspire good heartedness, contribute to physical well-being, and be so thoughtfully built that it would sustain itself into the next century. More than a decade later, that vision has become a reality. The most important piece of the Whitehall plan – the people – has come together in the form of homes of all different sizes, styles, shapes, and values. There are single homes, townhomes, and will soon be apartments in the mix. As part of serving those people, Whitehall welcomed Appoquinimink School District’s newest elementary school, Lorewood Grove Elementary, an 840-student facility that opened its doors in September 2020 to students in grades one through five. EDiS served as the Construction Manager for the school, located in the center of Mapleton Village in Whitehall, allowing many of its students to walk from their nearby homes. Lorewood Grove’s location also lends itself to serving as a gathering place, offering opportunities for community interaction between Whitehall residents and the school through participation in student performances and holiday events. With the housing piece in place and the education piece completed, a focus began on the amenities, specifically health and wellness. Opening in February 2021, the 20,000 SF Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center embraces the community’s holistic approach to well-being, bringing high quality medical services to a walkable distance for residents. The Center speaks to the heart of one of Whitehall’s core philosophies – building better communities through health. Wellness now literally sits at the
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intersection of community and education as the new facility takes “Center” stage in the town’s center. The project, delivered safely and on schedule even through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, is just one more of the building blocks needed to solidify the vision of the Town of Whitehall for its residents and the surrounding community. What is next for Whitehall? Stay tuned for more great announcements to come in the near future! The Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center has space available for businesses looking to serve the greater Middletown community! For more information, contact Gordan Winegar, gwinegar@dsmre.com. Health & Wellness
Community
Education
Retail/Business
Entertainment
ChristianaCare Opens at Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center The EDiS team completed a fit-out for ChristianaCare’s newest satellite medical facility at the Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center. The 10,000 SF office opened in March 2021, specializing in neurology, pediatrics, and primary care. This new office continues the mission of ChristianaCare to bring the healthcare people need into the communities they serve.
“We are on a mission to deliver the right care, at the right place for everyone, in all the communities we serve. Patients who choose a ChristianaCare practice benefit from the advantages of being connected to Delaware’s largest, most advanced health care system, including electronic medical records, easy referrals and access to a secure patient portal that helps them to actively engage with their providers in their health. We’re excited to provide families in Whitehall and surrounding areas with high quality, convenient care close to where they live.” - Lisa Maxwell, M.D., MHCDS Interim President, ChristianaCare Medical Group
EDiS Project Team Operations Manager: Chris McCone
Project Manager: Sara León
Superintendent: Lloyd Baker
Project Engineer: Jacqueline DiSabatino
Health & Safety: Jim Ruggiero
QA/QC: Gregg Clark
Accounting: Rhonda Burg
Contracts: Jackie McKee
Design Team Architect: Architectural Alliance, Inc. Civil Engineer: Vandemark & Lynch Structural Engineer: Larsen & Landis MEP Engineer: Blake & Vaughan Engineering Testing & Inspections: Tetra Tech Surveying: Construction Layout Services
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DICK DISABATINO AWARD
NEW FACES AT EDiS
Congratulations to the Honorable Margaret Rose Henry for receiving the esteemed Dick DiSabatino Award at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce's 184th Annual Dinner. The late Dick DiSabatino Sr. was a third-generation former president of EDiS Company and a pioneer of construction management in Delaware. This award was established in the mid-1990s to recognize contributions to shape opinion and public policy in Delaware.
Nick Perez
Superintendent, Interiors/Service nperez@ediscompany.com
Nick Perez has joined the team as our newest Interiors Division Superintendent! His prior experience as a lead carpenter has allowed him to manage workforces efficiently and effectively on any given project.
CONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations to EDiS Project Engineer Jacqueline DiSabatino and her new fiancé Zach Flowers, who is currently serving in the United States Navy. Jacqueline and Zach, pictured here with their dog Charlie, were engaged on December 25, 2020.
COMPANY ANNIVERSARIES April
Mark Grunza Rhonda Burg Christina Loveland-Raider Mark Alberti Melissa Rysak Bob Brescia Todd Bosch Chris Courtney
May
Rob Belfiore Chris McCone John Paulson Matt Artymenko Gregg Clark Kyle Jordan Rodger Breeding
June
DOWNSTATE OFFICE RELOCATES Our downstate office has relocated to Rehoboth Beach! The new address is:
19160 Coastal Highway, Suite B Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
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Jimmy DiGuglielmo Kurt Vandenbraak DJ Lowe Andrew DiSabatino III (A3) Michael Buck John Kastle Javier Pantoja Jared Fersch Kristin Caras Sara León Joe Pedicone IV Mark Vible
24 years 21 years 14 years 5 years 5 years 4 years 3 years 3 years 22 years 20 years 15 years 15 years 10 years 8 years 4 years 25 years 23 years 21 years 16 years 14 years 11 years 6 years 5 years 4 years 3 years 3 years 3 years
Roger Tighe
Project Manager rtighe@ediscompany.com
Roger Tighe has joined the team as our newest Project Manager. Honed over two decades in the construction industry, Roger brings his superior skills in planning, organization, and execution to EDiS projects and clients.
NEW TESTING LAB TO BATTLE THE PANDEMIC EDiS Company recently completed a new COVID-19 testing lab for Delaware State University to support quicker and more efficient testing in New Castle County. With less than a month to complete, our project team saw that the project finished on schedule for a safer and healthier Delaware community.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS April
Mike Miller Joe Skipski Christina Loveland-Raider Jerry Doherty Kyle Jordan
May
Amanda Wolf Warren Ellis Rhonda Burg Paul Ignudo Andrew DiSabatino III (A3) Marianne Skipski Danielle Skipski
June
Beth Press Lloyd Baker, Jr. Martha White Mark Grunza Mike Freda PJ Anderson
4/09 4/09 4/18 4/24 4/28 5/06 5/08 5/10 5/14 5/18 5/22 5/29 6/08 6/09 6/10 6/14 6/25 6/28
FUTURE BUILDER! One of our favorite people with EDiS website consultant Circle S Studio, Sarah Millard, shared with us her adorable new baby Rylie in her official EDiS Company uniform. Sarah served as the Circle S project manager for EDiS’ new website, all the while working on this little project of her own! We have no doubt she’ll be a future builder in no time.
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Female Project Team Members Anne Skibicki ChristianaCare Project Manager, Design & Construction Deborah Rey ChristianaCare IT Project Manager Stacey Dempsey ChristianaCare Project Designer Ryan Elizabeth Clark Architectural Alliance Project Manager Sara León EDiS Project Manager
From left to right: Jacqueline DiSabatino, Anne Skibicki, Sara León, Stacey Dempsey, Ryan Elizabeth Clark. Not pictured: Deborah Rey, Rhonda Burg, Jackie McKee.
Celebrating Women in Construction Case Study: ChristianaCare at Whitehall Wellness Center
Jacqueline DiSabatino EDiS Project Engineer Rhonda Burg EDiS Accounting Jackie McKee EDiS Contracts
March marks Women in Construction (WIC) Week, which aims to highlight women and their many achievements in the construction industry. It also provides a platform for The National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) thousands of members across the country to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women who want to enter the construction industry and to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry as a whole. EDiS Company’s recently completed project for ChristianaCare at the Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center is the perfect example of how the industry has evolved. The project involved women in construction at all levels, from ownership, to the design and project management team, to the support staff.
“In celebrating Women in Construction Week, one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is the Whitehall Wellness & Professional Center and ChristianaCare fit-out. It is a special project, especially this week, due to our women-driven team. I worked under Project Manager Sara León, who I learn so much from on a daily basis. She teaches me how to manage projects on time, on task, and on budget. I also enjoyed working alongside Jackie McKee, who made sure to keep us on track on the administrative side, and Rhonda Burg, who kept cost accounting up to date. Everyone worked so seamlessly as a team, and it made the project enjoyable and a truly valuable learning experience. In addition to the EDiS team, we also had a female architect, Ryan Clark from Architectural Alliance, and client Anne Skibicki from ChristianaCare. It is great seeing this shift in what used to be a predominantly male industry.” - Jacqueline DiSabatino, EDiS Company Project Engineer
“It has been a pleasure working with this group of talented women. It was a truly collaborative experience; everyone was focused on the common goal of creating a beautiful, comfortable, and functional space for ChristianaCare’s patients and caregivers.” - Anne Skibicki, ChristianaCare Project Manager, Design & Construction “I have absolutely loved working with this team of talented and dedicated women, all of whom are making their mark in the construction industry.” - Ryan Elizabeth Clark, Architectural Alliance Project Manager
Construction Management • General Construction • Design-Build • Interiors • Pre-Engineered Solutions • BIM
For more information on EDiS Company services, contact: DE 302.421.5700 PA 6 1 0 . 9 1 8 . 8 5 4 0 www.ediscompany.com
Melissa Rysak, CPSM Director of Marketing & Business Development Support (302) 421-2977 • mrysak@ediscompany.com