February 2022 Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2022

MONTHLY

NEWSLETTER

FRESH FACE FOR JIM’S The newest neon sign to come to Pittsburg is Jim’s Steak and Chop House.

CDL HELPS FOXY TAKEOVER Operations begin in Canada with the takeover of Foxy tracks.

CONTENTS

LIVE WITH LARRY

01

BUSINESS EXPO

03

MAINTAINER SPOTLIGHT

04

JIM’S NEON SIGN

05

OVERHEAD DOOR

06

FOXY TAKEOVER

06

SAFETY UPDATE

07

ANNIVERSARIES & BIRTHDAY’S

09

PROMOTIONS

09

CORE VALUE COINS

10

SUBMIT YOUR NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK & IDEAS SUBMIT NOW

LIVE WITH LARRY

ANNOUNCEMENTS F R EE COVI D-19 H O ME TEST

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order #4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.

ORDER NOW

UPCOMING EVENTS

MA RCH : EM P LOY E E AP PREC I ATI O N M O N TH

CDL wants to celebrate all it’s employees. Be on the lookout for your appreciation gift from CDL.

MA RCH 31: H O ST I N G C H A M B E R CO F F E E

CDL will be hosting the local Pittsburg Chamber Coffee event on March 31, in the radio room. Tours will follow after the event.

TRIVIA

Scan the QR code to be directed to the employee Facebook page to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

WHAT YEAR DID THE HUMBOLDT OFFICE OPEN?

QUARTERLY MEDIA CONTEST Submit a photo or video telling us what your position is at CDL and why you enjoy working in that position. Prizes include a $250 General Machinery gift card, $230 Arlo Doorbell, $150 tool set or $100 gift card.

SUBMIT NOW

2022 PITTSBURG BUSINESS EXPO GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH On February 18 & 19 CDL, Overhead Door, Sign Brothers and General Machinery attended the Pittsburg Area Chamber Business Expo Members of the CDL team were able to give a Minute at the Mic. This gives members of the chamber the opportunity to discuss new promotions, announcements or bring

awareness to their businesses. Jessica Sager, Director of Communications gave the announcement that CDL will be hosting the Chamber Coffee on March 31 and we will be giving tours to follow.

Stacy Butcher, Business Development discussed his vision and direction for Sign Brothers and encouraged community members to stop in and visit the 508 N. Broadway location to see all the services Sign Brothers has to offer.

CDL team members talked with community members during the event about the importance of HVAC preventive maintenance and other services we have to offer. They also had generators on display and visited with customers about all the alternative energy options we offer including generators, solar and geothermal.

EDWARD JOHNSON RA ILROA D S I GN AL MA I N TA I N E R Hey CDL. I am Edward Johnson and I have worked at CDL as a Signal Maintainer for eight years and seven months. I started out on the ABS in Tuscaloosa, AL and transferred to the BHRR in 2016. I’m from Birmingham and currently service the BHRR and Autauga railroad and International Paper.

CDL has given me the opportunity to apply what I learned going back to school, and continued to train me in the signals. That being said, my favorite job that I’ve been a part of, was during the new installs on the ABS. Getting to see everything come together from start to finish is very satisfying and rewarding.

In my opinion, the most difficult part of the job is finding cut underground track wires after maintenance of way does track work, which makes the best part of the job a successful test of a repaired crossing.

Outside of work, I enjoy fishing and attending local car shows with my friends, as well as spending time with family. I love all types of food (my favorite being grilled or smoked), but I enjoy trying new things.

My favorite place to vacation is my grandmother’s place near Guntersville, AL. It is always peaceful, and the fishing is great.

If I could meet one famous person, it would be Jay Leno, not necessarily for just his comic, but I’d love to see his collection of cars and hear the history behind them.

Interesting Fact About Me: I don’t settle for “it is what it is”. If you are going to do something, finish it and do it right.

My advice for someone wanting to get into the railroad industry is to make sure to be prepared to work in all types of weather conditions. Additionally, when you have time, enjoy it with family.

FEBRUARY 2022

JIM’S STEAK AND CHOP SHOP RESTORED NEON SIGN M AKI N G P I TTS B U RG N EO N AG A I N

One of the advantages CDL has is to have a full time neon technician, Chris LaForte. Chris has been creating neon for decades and continues to help make Pittsburg glow again through new signage and restoration of existing neon. The goal for 2022 is to get 10 neon signs up and the Sign Division and Sign Brothers has successfully gotten 5 signs in the works. Sign Brothers had the opportunity to restore the iconic Jim’s Steak & Chop Shop neon sign.

Jim’s Steak & Chop Shop restaurant took new owners in the middle of 2021. With the grand re-opening in September of 2021 the owner reached out to Sign Brothers to help craft a new look to fit their new menu. Since that job went so well the owner decided it was time to give their old sign a fresh face. Chris not only installed new neon he also hand painted the sign to give it the vibrancy in the daylight and the glow in the night.

See it in person by eating at Jim’s or drive by and see it at 1912 N. Broadway.

Original Sign

Restored Painted Sign

“ NICE JO B ! MY GRAN D PA , KARL KRAN E R , MADE TH AT SIG N! I’M S UR E H E WO U L D APPROVE ! W E L L DO N E ! ” -RUSSE L L STEWA RT

Restored Neon Sign

S.E.K. OVERHEAD DOOR FO R AL L YO UR G A RAG E D O O R N E E D S

Opening in May of 2021, we had zero customers and two employees. Quite the gamble! After a few name changes, partnership disturbances, and logo adjustments, we now have over 450 customers and four employees.

We provide a wide range of services including being able to repair all garage doors and garage door openers.

We are a dealer for Amarr, Wayne Dalton, and Genie Direct and have all brands of door openers.

We are currently working on jobs for Russel Stover’s in Iola, KS, John Deere in Parsons, KS, Jayhawk Chemicals in Galena, KS, and Grand View Products in Parsons, KS, as well as numerous residential customers throughout the four states. Our goal for SEK Overhead Door for the next few years is to reach over a million plus in sales and to employ eight to 10 employees.

FOXY STARTUP RAI N , S N OW O R S H I N E

The “FOXY” takeover is really the creation of a couple of Watco railroads and extensions of two others. The GDLK gains some track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the WSOR gains some track in Wisconsin. Watco will also be operating on former CN track in Wisconsin as the Fox Valley Railroad or FOXY. As the final piece, Watco will be operating on former CN track in Canada from Sault Ste. Marie, north. All together it will add about 270 crossings to our US maintenance portfolio and 22 crossings in Canada. All the properties have other track-side assets to maintain too like radio towers, hot-box detectors and swing bridges. We’ve added supervisors Andy Wood in the US and John Amendola in Canada as well as several maintainers.

Additionally, we would like to give a huge shoutout to our team working on the FOXY Railroad in Wisconsin during the startup. This picture shows just how deep the snow was (at least 2.5 to 3 feet), in which our crews had to dig and remove in order to conduct their testing and inspections. Being in the railroad industry is not easy, but it is rewarding! We appreciate you!

FEBRUARY 2022

NATIONAL LADDER SAFETY MONTH PREVE N T I N G FAL L S TH RO U G H E D U CATI O N

Almost every home in the United Sates has one, and chances are you have used one personally either at work or at home. From changing out a light bulb to getting on top of a roof, ladders are a common piece of equipment used in almost every home or building and appear to be harmless — and yet according to Injury Facts, thousands of people are killed due to falls from a ladder or scaffolding work. In fact, falls are the second leading cause of death next to highway crashes.

Understanding the different types of ladders as well as safe ladder practices are key to preventing falls and other potential injuries.

Here are some helpful tips to always keep in mind when using a ladder provided by OSHA: - Read and follow all labels/markings on the ladder.

- Avoid electrical hazards! – Look for overhead power lines before handling a ladder. Avoid using a metal ladder near power lines or exposed energized electrical equipment.

- Always inspect the ladder prior to using it. If the ladder is damaged, it must be removed from service and tagged until repaired or discarded.

- Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) contact on the ladder when climbing. Keep your body near the middle of the step and always face the ladder while climbing.

- Only use ladders and appropriate accessories (ladder levelers, jacks or hooks) for their designed purposes.

- Ladders must be free of any slippery material on the rungs, steps or feet.

- Do not use a self-supporting ladder (e.g., step ladder) as a single ladder or in a partially closed position.

SAFETY COMMITTEE UPDATE BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR A PRIZE BY COMPLETING YOUR WEEKLY HSI SAFETY TRAINING

Employee’s have the chance to win a prize valued at $250 by simply completing their required weekly HSI safety training. Two prizes will be awarded July 1st and four will be awarded February 1st. For questions reach out to Mark Biehl.

- Do not use the top step/rung of a ladder as a step/rung unless it was designed for that purpose.

- Use a ladder only on a stable and level surface, unless it has been secured (top or bottom) to prevent displacement.

- Do not place a ladder on boxes, barrels or other unstable bases to obtain additional height.

- Do not move or shift a ladder while a person or equipment is on the ladder.

- An extension or straight ladder used to access an elevated surface must extend at least 3 feet above the point of support (see diagram). Do not stand on the three top rungs of a straight, single or extension ladder.

- The proper angle for setting up a ladder is to place its base a quarter of the working length of the ladder from the wall or other vertical surface (see diagram).

- A ladder placed in any location where it can be displaced by other work activities must be secured to prevent displacement or a barricade must be erected to keep traffic away from the ladder.

- Be sure that all locks on an extension ladder are properly engaged.

- Do not exceed the maximum load rating of a ladder. Be aware of the ladder’s load rating and of the weight it is supporting, including the weight of any tools or equipment.

While some of these dos and don’ts may seem obvious, it’s important to keep things in perspective. According to National Ladder Safety Month, every year over 100 people die in ladder-related accidents, and thousands suffer disabling injuries.

The good news, however, is that ladder safety is becoming a key safety topic among employees in the construction industry.

While falls from ladders are a growing concern, it’s also reassuring and important to remember that ladder-related injuries and fatalities are completely preventable.

FEBRUARY 2022

ANNIVERSARIES 1 Year: David Roby, Michael Schroeder, Tommy Welch, Richard Hall 2 Years: Mark Biehl, Jaime Jimenez, Patrick Lewis, Justin Vratil 3 Years: Garret Nair, Brad Freidline, James Wohl

AI LEONARD

4 Years: Karen Leonard, Navon Cook 5 Years: Christopher Robinette 6 Years: Ai Leonard 8 Years: Sandra Ellis 14 Years: Curtis Featherby

SANDRA ELLIS

DIRECTOR OF BNSF CONSTRUCTION

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

BIRTHDAYS Austin Bridges, Cody Clark, Richard Hall, Jake Jungmann, Jamie Ballou, John Laderer, Aaron Gore, Keith Warren, Nathan Wingebach, Zach Kyser, Michael Wright, Joshua Hammons, Spencer Ingram, Mark Nelson, Criag Newport, Madison Saxinger, James Taylor, Ronald Low, Joshua Smith, Bradley Lindsay, Dennis Kester, Christopher Calliotte, Lucas Hood, David Hart, Chris Laforte, Justin Vratil

CURT

FEATHERBY

DIR ECTOR OF SA FE TY

“Curt has done a great job as our safety director he is a good and loyal employee here at CDL Electric” -Larry Seward, CEO

PROMOTIONS

Congratulations to the following on their recent promotions:

TREY TOBEY SIGNAL INSTALLATION FOREMAN NICKI HUTCHISON SERRMI PROJECT MANAGER

CORE VALUE COIN RECIPIENTS FEBRUARY SA FETY F I R ST: Eric Dumler Adam Redd

Matt See Chris Foster

Mike Relph

S ENS E OF U R GENCY: Dani Gardullo

Korey Delmont

Brooke Shanks

QUALIT Y A BOVE A L L : Erick Tackkett

O N E TEAM. ONE DR EA M . : Ryan Sodamann

Tera McFarland

Jacquelyne Pierce

Sonja Jones

Curtis Wakeman

Lawrence Allen

Ali O’Malley

Korey Delmont Dani Gardullo

2021 CORE VALUE COIN RECIPIENTS LUNC H W I T H L AR RY TH U RS DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 0

On Thursday, February 10th Larry Seward, CEO treated the Core Value Coin recipients who received all five coins to lunch to celebrate their success. These recipients are Nathan Martinez, Nolan Rife, Ali O’Malley, Dani Gardullo, Larry Hicks, Josh Newport. Core Value Coins are given to individuals who show a distinct action that needs to be recognized that directly correlates to a core value of the company. These coins are Safety First, Sense of Urgency, Can Do, One Team.

One Dream, and Quality Above All. Managers and fellow staff members can nominate employees by emailing nominations to Jordan Hawkins, Human Resource Employee Relations at Jordan. hawkins@cdl-electric.com.

FEBRUARY 2022