MARCH 2022
Executive Message
By Rick DeNicola, VP of Operations J. Fletcher Creamer & Son has been an industry leading company for almost a century. In my 31 years here, I have seen the company grow and with growth, comes change. There are clearly differenc‑ es between now and when I first started my career here. Change, or simply the per‑ ception that something is different, can be bothersome for some. Many people don’t like to lose the familiarity of their routine, whether it’s at home or on the job, and I can understand that. We become creatures of habit. One of those perceptions which has recently been brought to my attention is that changes have occurred the last cou‑ ple years. The idea that slowly we are mov‑ ing away from the way we have operated for nearly a century seems to be one that has gained some steam among some of us. It has been almost 100 years and I can say with confidence that we still perform the same quality work as we always have, which is why we remain a reliable solutions provider to our customers. I spend a great deal of time in the field and that’s where I have come across this notion the most. “Things are changing Rick” is a popular refrain but when I ask what exactly it is that has changed, the re‑ sponses, when I get one, aren’t very sub‑ stantial. In fact, when I push folks on what has changed, they really can’t point to any‑ thing concrete. I would ask that you don’t confuse change with progress. We are still doing the same work we were two years ago, five years ago or ten years ago. What is different is that we are doing it in a safer more productive and efficient fashion, one that will benefit everyone at Creamer and help to secure the future of the company. We are incorporating the necessary tools that will allow J. Fletcher Creamer & Son to remain the gold standard in the industry. Are we doing some things differently than we have in the past? Sure. We have made some adjustments to the way we do things to make our operation run a bit smoother, like moving to ‑ timesheets from
paper timesheets or implementing new safety protocols from OSHA or clients. Those types of things are progress and it’s all part of operating a business as large as ours. We are simply evolving and keeping up with the times which helps to keep us current in a competitive industry. I know the tendency is to view the past through some sort of nostalgic prism. While I have done that myself from time to time, that familiarity or love of the way things were done 10 or 15 years ago shouldn’t stand in the way of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son becoming a better, more productive, and efficient operation. As far as physical changes to the way we operate, I simply don’t see it. The only physical changes would be improvements to our offices and yards. We are still buying the same type of equip‑ ment and performing the same work, all while
striving to keep our employees safe and healthy in the manner in which we have been for decades. If you see something or experience something that doesn’t seem quite right to you, let me know. I am always open to and available for a discussion. Don’t ever mistake progress as a negative change. I can assure you that our goal is to remain a close-knit family and J. Fletcher Creamer & Son will continue to be run the way it has for close to a 100 years now. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of the dedicated employees that work diligently to keep Creamer the Best in Class. Keep up the great work!
CREAMER’S COVID-19 TEAM
PHOTO: Creamer’s COVID Team meeting while also abiding by all safety protocols. Not pictured: Jonathan Caban
Keeping Creamer Safe One Day at a Time
The challenges in dealing with the COVID-19 virus seem to change on an al‑ most weekly, if not daily, basis. Getting through a normal day in one’s own life while being presented with these challenges can be difficult enough. Multi‑ ply those concerns by nearly a thousand and you’ll have an idea of what Creamer’s COVID-19 Response Team handles on an almost daily, if not hourly, basis. J. Fletcher Creamer’s Director of Risk Management John Papandrea under‑ stands these concerns all too well. So does the COVID-19 Response Team, which he was instrumental in creating when the pan‑ demic barreled into everyone’s life nearly two years ago. “Everyone has had to deal with the im‑ pact of the pandemic and Creamer is no different,” Papandrea said. “We’ve had to pivot as a result and develop a team that evaluates every situation where people may be ill. The executive team has been very aggressive and supportive from the onset about how we handle situations while maintaining the health and safety of our employees.” The seven-person COVID-19 Re‑ sponse Team, which is led by Assistant Risk Manager Mike Valverde, is comprised of Mike Liguori [Technical Training Spe‑ cialist], Jonathan Caban [Technical Safety Trainer], Kevan McDowell [Safety Super‑ intendent], Mike Fice [Safety Superinten‑ dent], Tom Falletta [Safety Superintendent] and Perry Kasturas [Safety Superinten‑ dent]. “This team is made up of the safety professionals within the company,” Papan‑ drea said. “It’s important to remember that this is not their primary role. This is an an‑ cillary role that has been thrust upon them. They are visiting projects every day to help employees work safely. That’s their primary role. “Additionally, though, they are making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails and gathering information with the added COVID-related responsibilities. At times, it can feel like a full-time job on top of a full-
2
time job, and they are doing it for the ben‑ efit of everyone to ensure their health and safety. It is a lot of work and a lot to ask of them and we are all very appreciative of their tireless efforts.” The COVID-19 Response Team eval‑ uates potential exposure situations to maintain a continued safe and healthy workplace, both in the office and out in the field. The team spends countless hours performing contact tracing to ensure that anyone who is sick, including those who are asymptomatic, remains at home until they are cleared to return to work. The team is responsible for educating employees on their duties and responsi‑ bilities to comply not only with company policies but also with mandates issued by Creamer’s clients. Additionally, the team keeps Creamer employees up to date on federal, state and local guidelines as well those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] and the Occupa‑ tional Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]. “We have a COVID referral form and that is a policy that was created from day one,” Papandrea said. “Any employee that is sick or shows a symptom of an illness is required to report to a supervisor and send the referral form to the COVID re‑ sponse team, which picks up the referral and performs an assessment on each case presented. This may include contact trac‑ ing or simply evaluating minor symptoms or addressing a travel-related situation that may require testing and quarantine upon return. “They contact the employee and gath‑ er all the needed information such as has anyone in the house been in contact with anyone that has tested positive, does any‑ one work in a high-risk profession such as the health-care industry, have they trav‑ eled, do they have symptoms, etc. The team will then assess the situation based on guidance by the CDC and company policy.” The team members report direct‑ ly to Valverde, who now coordinates all
COVID-related responses under the direc‑ tion of the executive team. Valverde meets with the COVID team weekly to discuss and address exposure situations within the organization as well as monitor updates put forth by the CDC. Papandrea said that Creamer does not mandate testing but if an employee displays any symptoms, those symptoms must be resolved for at least 24 hours before that employee can return to work. Testing is left up to the individual and if an employee does test positive they cannot return to work until they have provided test results that are negative. This is what the COVID team assesses and monitors in conjunction with the employees. “That has been the process,” Papandrea said. “There is a lot of communication that goes on. A lot occurs after hours. Some‑ times people are not responsive because they don’t recognize the number that is calling them, so there is a lot of back and forth. There are also language barriers in some cases that we have to deal with. So, there is a lot that goes on that the team has to take care of to make sure we are doing our due diligence and that no one comes into work in the office or out in the field and spreads anything amongst our other em‑ ployees.” Creamer also conducts weekly meet‑ ings, which started at the beginning of the pandemic. Valverde now leads those meetings and provides updates, makes recommendations, and discusses strategy with the executive team. “Basically, the entire executive group keeps a close eye on what’s going on,” Papandrea said. “We are monitoring state and CDC guidelines, state directives where we do business, client mandates in addi‑ tion to what’s going on in our own orga‑ nization and what we can do to keep the employees and their families safe.” “We are very fortunate to have this team of professionals that care about peo‑ ple and who have gone above and beyond during this most challenging time.”
Hudson Bergen Light Rail Transit System
West Side Ave Station Early Works Modifications - Jersey City, NJ
A look at the completed project. Creamer’s construction of this new ramp helped make the station ADA compliant.
Crews worked hard to preserve the integrity of the original building built in 1888.
PROJECT TEAM
the original structure, which was built in the late 1880s. The project consisted of the removal of existing art structures, demolition of the existing staircases, railway platform con‑ crete surface removal, demolition of an ex‑ isting retaining wall and foundation system along the Board of the Education building that is contiguous to the project. The station was originally a two-sto‑ ry wooden building built in 1888 and ex‑ isted in one form or another for more than a century though service stopped in 1948 when passenger service on that branch of the railroad ended. A new station opened in the spring of 2000 and the current ver‑ sion of the station contained walls that were deemed historic structures. During the course of the project Creamer had to be mindful of preserving those walls.
One obstacle that Creamer was able to overcome was the discovery of an un‑ known gravity wall along the Board of Ed‑ ucation Building, which prompted a rede‑ sign in the midst of construction. That wall was demoed and removed to allow con‑ struction of the ADA ramp. “Despite the many challenges en‑ countered on the project that were com‑ pounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, J. Fletcher Creamer’s crews kept the team spirit and rose to the occasion to deliver for our client,” Project Manager Donald Luxa‑ ma said. “Hats off to the crews who drove on empty streets to report to the job site. Also, my thanks to upper management that quickly adapt policies and guidelines to protect the health and safety of our worker and their families.”
lions of Americans who served and died in defense of the United States. So, when you ask him about his father he will lovingly and respectfully speak about the man who passed away in 2017. However, he wants people to realize that the purpose of his actions is meant as a way of respecting all who served, not just his father. “The whole meaning of placing wreaths on these graves is to honor peo‑ ple that gave their lives for our country and served; that’s what I find when I go there,” said Dettman, a General Super‑ intendent for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son who lives in Maryland, just south of Get‑ tysburg, Pennsylvania. “Before you lay the wreath, you stand, state the name of the person and then place the wreath. “All the wreaths are donated, the drivers who deliver the wreaths, their time is do‑ nated. It’s huge. It’s really something. We
General Superintendent Vern Dettman laying a wreath on his father’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery.
> Project Manager – Donald Luxama > Project Engineer – Matt Teiltelbaum > Superintendents – Sean Desmet & Carlos Pereira > Safety Superintendent – Perry Kasturas > General Superintendent – Chris Mabie > Foremen – James Bonpietro, Tony Borges, Jeff Cochran, Jason Mulch, Juan Pego & Josh Vanauken > Estimator – Vince Valentini It’s been over a year since J. Fletcher Creamer & Son completed its work on the West Side Avenue Station Early Modifica‑ tions project in Jersey City and with each day that passes, the thousands of com‑ muters who file through the station are re‑ minded of its historic significance and how Creamer was able to preserve the spirit of
Honoring the Fallen
The Wreaths Across America Project It’s about honoring those who served. That’s why Vern Dettman joined the thou‑ sands of others who participated in the Wreaths Across America program last De‑ cember. Dettman placed several wreaths, including one for his father, Lavern Dett‑ man, who is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. While Vern Dettman honored his fa‑ ther, who served in the Army during the Korean War, he was also honoring the mil‑
3
CREAMER’S COVID-19 TEAM
PHOTO: Creamer’s COVID Team meeting while also abiding by all safety protocols. Not pictured: Jonathan Caban
Keeping Creamer Safe One Day at a Time
The challenges in dealing with the COVID-19 virus seem to change on an al‑ most weekly, if not daily, basis. Getting through a normal day in one’s own life while being presented with these challenges can be difficult enough. Multi‑ ply those concerns by nearly a thousand and you’ll have an idea of what Creamer’s COVID-19 Response Team handles on an almost daily, if not hourly, basis. J. Fletcher Creamer’s Director of Risk Management John Papandrea under‑ stands these concerns all too well. So does the COVID-19 Response Team, which he was instrumental in creating when the pan‑ demic barreled into everyone’s life nearly two years ago. “Everyone has had to deal with the im‑ pact of the pandemic and Creamer is no different,” Papandrea said. “We’ve had to pivot as a result and develop a team that evaluates every situation where people may be ill. The executive team has been very aggressive and supportive from the onset about how we handle situations while maintaining the health and safety of our employees.” The seven-person COVID-19 Re‑ sponse Team, which is led by Assistant Risk Manager Mike Valverde, is comprised of Mike Liguori [Technical Training Spe‑ cialist], Jonathan Caban [Technical Safety Trainer], Kevan McDowell [Safety Super‑ intendent], Mike Fice [Safety Superinten‑ dent], Tom Falletta [Safety Superintendent] and Perry Kasturas [Safety Superinten‑ dent]. “This team is made up of the safety professionals within the company,” Papan‑ drea said. “It’s important to remember that this is not their primary role. This is an an‑ cillary role that has been thrust upon them. They are visiting projects every day to help employees work safely. That’s their primary role. “Additionally, though, they are making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails and gathering information with the added COVID-related responsibilities. At times, it can feel like a full-time job on top of a full-
2
time job, and they are doing it for the ben‑ efit of everyone to ensure their health and safety. It is a lot of work and a lot to ask of them and we are all very appreciative of their tireless efforts.” The COVID-19 Response Team eval‑ uates potential exposure situations to maintain a continued safe and healthy workplace, both in the office and out in the field. The team spends countless hours performing contact tracing to ensure that anyone who is sick, including those who are asymptomatic, remains at home until they are cleared to return to work. The team is responsible for educating employees on their duties and responsi‑ bilities to comply not only with company policies but also with mandates issued by Creamer’s clients. Additionally, the team keeps Creamer employees up to date on federal, state and local guidelines as well those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] and the Occupa‑ tional Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]. “We have a COVID referral form and that is a policy that was created from day one,” Papandrea said. “Any employee that is sick or shows a symptom of an illness is required to report to a supervisor and send the referral form to the COVID re‑ sponse team, which picks up the referral and performs an assessment on each case presented. This may include contact trac‑ ing or simply evaluating minor symptoms or addressing a travel-related situation that may require testing and quarantine upon return. “They contact the employee and gath‑ er all the needed information such as has anyone in the house been in contact with anyone that has tested positive, does any‑ one work in a high-risk profession such as the health-care industry, have they trav‑ eled, do they have symptoms, etc. The team will then assess the situation based on guidance by the CDC and company policy.” The team members report direct‑ ly to Valverde, who now coordinates all
COVID-related responses under the direc‑ tion of the executive team. Valverde meets with the COVID team weekly to discuss and address exposure situations within the organization as well as monitor updates put forth by the CDC. Papandrea said that Creamer does not mandate testing but if an employee displays any symptoms, those symptoms must be resolved for at least 24 hours before that employee can return to work. Testing is left up to the individual and if an employee does test positive they cannot return to work until they have provided test results that are negative. This is what the COVID team assesses and monitors in conjunction with the employees. “That has been the process,” Papandrea said. “There is a lot of communication that goes on. A lot occurs after hours. Some‑ times people are not responsive because they don’t recognize the number that is calling them, so there is a lot of back and forth. There are also language barriers in some cases that we have to deal with. So, there is a lot that goes on that the team has to take care of to make sure we are doing our due diligence and that no one comes into work in the office or out in the field and spreads anything amongst our other em‑ ployees.” Creamer also conducts weekly meet‑ ings, which started at the beginning of the pandemic. Valverde now leads those meetings and provides updates, makes recommendations, and discusses strategy with the executive team. “Basically, the entire executive group keeps a close eye on what’s going on,” Papandrea said. “We are monitoring state and CDC guidelines, state directives where we do business, client mandates in addi‑ tion to what’s going on in our own orga‑ nization and what we can do to keep the employees and their families safe.” “We are very fortunate to have this team of professionals that care about peo‑ ple and who have gone above and beyond during this most challenging time.”
Hudson Bergen Light Rail Transit System
West Side Ave Station Early Works Modifications - Jersey City, NJ
A look at the completed project. Creamer’s construction of this new ramp helped make the station ADA compliant.
Crews worked hard to preserve the integrity of the original building built in 1888.
PROJECT TEAM
the original structure, which was built in the late 1880s. The project consisted of the removal of existing art structures, demolition of the existing staircases, railway platform con‑ crete surface removal, demolition of an ex‑ isting retaining wall and foundation system along the Board of the Education building that is contiguous to the project. The station was originally a two-sto‑ ry wooden building built in 1888 and ex‑ isted in one form or another for more than a century though service stopped in 1948 when passenger service on that branch of the railroad ended. A new station opened in the spring of 2000 and the current ver‑ sion of the station contained walls that were deemed historic structures. During the course of the project Creamer had to be mindful of preserving those walls.
One obstacle that Creamer was able to overcome was the discovery of an un‑ known gravity wall along the Board of Ed‑ ucation Building, which prompted a rede‑ sign in the midst of construction. That wall was demoed and removed to allow con‑ struction of the ADA ramp. “Despite the many challenges en‑ countered on the project that were com‑ pounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, J. Fletcher Creamer’s crews kept the team spirit and rose to the occasion to deliver for our client,” Project Manager Donald Luxa‑ ma said. “Hats off to the crews who drove on empty streets to report to the job site. Also, my thanks to upper management that quickly adapt policies and guidelines to protect the health and safety of our worker and their families.”
lions of Americans who served and died in defense of the United States. So, when you ask him about his father he will lovingly and respectfully speak about the man who passed away in 2017. However, he wants people to realize that the purpose of his actions is meant as a way of respecting all who served, not just his father. “The whole meaning of placing wreaths on these graves is to honor peo‑ ple that gave their lives for our country and served; that’s what I find when I go there,” said Dettman, a General Super‑ intendent for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son who lives in Maryland, just south of Get‑ tysburg, Pennsylvania. “Before you lay the wreath, you stand, state the name of the person and then place the wreath. “All the wreaths are donated, the drivers who deliver the wreaths, their time is do‑ nated. It’s huge. It’s really something. We
General Superintendent Vern Dettman laying a wreath on his father’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery.
> Project Manager – Donald Luxama > Project Engineer – Matt Teiltelbaum > Superintendents – Sean Desmet & Carlos Pereira > Safety Superintendent – Perry Kasturas > General Superintendent – Chris Mabie > Foremen – James Bonpietro, Tony Borges, Jeff Cochran, Jason Mulch, Juan Pego & Josh Vanauken > Estimator – Vince Valentini It’s been over a year since J. Fletcher Creamer & Son completed its work on the West Side Avenue Station Early Modifica‑ tions project in Jersey City and with each day that passes, the thousands of com‑ muters who file through the station are re‑ minded of its historic significance and how Creamer was able to preserve the spirit of
Honoring the Fallen
The Wreaths Across America Project It’s about honoring those who served. That’s why Vern Dettman joined the thou‑ sands of others who participated in the Wreaths Across America program last De‑ cember. Dettman placed several wreaths, including one for his father, Lavern Dett‑ man, who is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. While Vern Dettman honored his fa‑ ther, who served in the Army during the Korean War, he was also honoring the mil‑
3
are the only country that does something like this and does it all at once on one day. And, what I found while I was waiting in line to lay a wreath, there was no talk of poli‑ tics or anything of that sort. It was all about putting a wreath on the grave. That’s what makes it so inspiring.” Wreaths Across America organizes the event every December and provides the wreaths that will be laid at more than 2,500 cemeteries in all 50 states, at sea and in other countries. Dettman, who says he usually goes by himself to Arlington, has participated in the event four times. He got involved in Wreaths Across America after noticing wreaths on sur‑ rounding graves during one visit to his fa‑ ther’s grave. After speaking with relatives of those military personnel, Dettman decided
Wilkens Avenue/ Frederick Avenue
Water Pipe Replacement Project Baltimore, MD
PROJECT TEAM
> Project Manager – Patrick Shannon > Project Engineer – Jignesh Patel > Superintendents – Joseph Wielepski > Safety Superintendent – Paul Fields > General Superintendent – Lavern Dettman > Foreman – Christopher Hollifield > Estimator – Terrell Maroney
he wanted to be part of the program. His daughter Amanda, 33, and granddaughter Evelyn, 3, also laid a wreath in December at a military cemetery near their home in West Palm Beach, Fla. Dettman said it took about a year and half to get his father’s ashes interred at Ar‑ lington. His father, a Buffalo native, passed away at the age of 81. Dettman’s father was stationed at an orphanage in Okinawa during the Korean War. Part of his duties involved loading small children and babies onto helicopters so that they could be relo‑ cated. “We’re all going to lay these wreaths and show respect to all these people, not just Vern,” Dettman said.
Baltimore has many nicknames, in‑ cluding Charm City, the Monumental City and The City That Reads. It’s also now, a Creamer City as J. Fletcher Creamer & Son continues its work on the Wilkens Avenue/ Frederick Avenue Water Pipe Replacement Project. The project, which began last March, entails replacing various sizes of water main from 6 to 20-inches. Additionally, Creamer is reconnecting all water services, replacing fire hydrants, and valves. “The notice to proceed was given in March [2021] and installation of the pipe began in May,” said Project Engineer Jignesh Patel, who has been with Creamer for just over two years. “We have finished with the first half of the job which is on Wilkins Avenue. All mains are back in ser‑ vice and the paving has been completed. We started on the second half of the job, Frederick Ave, in December and we are still doing the pipe installation.
Harvey Switching Station Clifton, NJ
PROJECT TEAM Headstones of our fallen heroes decorated with wreaths as part of the Wreaths Across America Project.
“The contract completion date is March 2023 but we are hopeful that we can have the whole thing done by October of 2022. Our production has improved on the sec‑ ond half of the job because there are less intersections and less services. Overall, we have already installed 7,000 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe and have approxi‑ mately 4,000 linear feet left to complete. There have only been some minor issues with the project, none of which proved to be an impediment to completing the job. As a result of supply chain issues some material that is normally readily avail‑ able had 12-to-15 week lead times. “We are finding alternate solutions and going to multiple vendors to see who can get the material to us so it does not impact our schedule,” Patel said.
> Project Manager – Andrew Puk > Project Engineers – Elif Sipcikoglu/ Greg Matlosz > Superintendents – Douglas Trosky > Safety Superintendent – Kevan McDowell > General Superintendent – Chris Mabie > Foremen – Matthew Blaine, James Bonpietro, Kevin Dawson, Liandro Grego, Thomas Meyers, Jason Mulch, Ruy Pereira, Joshua Vanauken & Phil Zehrer > Estimator – Don Smart J. Fletcher Creamer & Son faced some interesting challenges in its recently com‑ pleted Harvey Switch Station project, tasks that, in addition to being a bit risky, helped maintain the integrity of a residential New Jersey neighborhood. The construction of a new PSE&G substation at 121 St. Andrew’s Boulevard in Clifton began in August 2020 and was completed in February 2022. A pair of GIS buildings were installed. This included all the foundation and A-frame tower frame‑ work along with a new yard. The foot‑ prints for each of the buildings were each 100X100 feet featuring a basic slab design and structural steel with precast concrete panels. According to Project Superintendent Doug Trosky, a precast water detention system that was 150 feet long and 16 feet deep was also installed and that’s where one of the challenges arose. One hundred
Creamer = Community Creamer’s Charitable Involvement
Crews prepping the area to install ductile iron water main.
4
Thus far, over 7,000 LF of ductile iron water main has been installed.
Crews prep the area for repaving.
Gabriel Garcia grew up in Jersey City and has never strayed far from his North Jersey roots. So, when it came time to give back to the community, the Creamer
The GIS Building & Control Rooms were constructed with approximately 196 structural steel members.
20,000-pound precast boxes had to be placed in the ground but because of 230 kV overhead electrical wires, some maneu‑ vering was needed. “We had a fairly large crane on site, but the difficult part was installing the box‑ es under the transmission towers and the power lines,” said Trosky. “You know how usually a crane can go high up when there is a lot of space? Well, picture the arm of the crane sitting at a 45-degree angle most of the time. Our arm had to be at 20 degrees a lot of the time. We always had to be very low so we wouldn’t encroach on power lines that had 230,000 volts of elec‑ tricity running through them.” That work, however, was safely com‑ pleted, along with the construction of the
buildings, transformer bays and yard foun‑ dations, allowing one of the project’s fi‑ nal stages to begin – constructing a wall around three sides of the facility to keep the facility and the public safe. Additionally, such a fence allowed for the aesthetics of the neighborhood. “The station is in a residential neighbor‑ hood and there is a church and a school on one side,” Trosky said. “A lot of times with these substations it’s just a chain link fence but we wanted it to blend in and be nice. It’s over 300 feet long on three sides of the property. “It is precast walls and columns that sit on a foundation. We had to drill 10 feet down and 36 inches wide over 100 times for the columns. Once we installed the col‑ umns there was a panel system that was placed between them. That took a good two months after the buildings were done.” Trosky added that February work in‑ cluded the final stoning of the yard and the roadways. A fence subcontractor was also called in to install a black, decorative alu‑ minum fence on the side of the property not covered by the columns/panel system. Crews had to work with their crane at a low angle for a large portion of the job to not interfere with power lines.
Crews had to work with their crane at a low angle for a large portion of the job to not interfere with power lines.
Project Engineer didn’t hesitate, offering to oversee the company’s participation in The Brown and Gold Christmas Toy Drive on December 10 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT]. Garcia, who is a NJIT graduate, worked on the Brown and Gold program while in school as a member of Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. A discus‑ sion he had with Chris Schubert, Cream‑ er’s Manager of Talent and Retention, led to the company participating in the Brown and Gold program during which J. Fletcher
Creamer employees at the Brown & Gold Christmas gift wrapping event on the campus of NJIT.
5
are the only country that does something like this and does it all at once on one day. And, what I found while I was waiting in line to lay a wreath, there was no talk of poli‑ tics or anything of that sort. It was all about putting a wreath on the grave. That’s what makes it so inspiring.” Wreaths Across America organizes the event every December and provides the wreaths that will be laid at more than 2,500 cemeteries in all 50 states, at sea and in other countries. Dettman, who says he usually goes by himself to Arlington, has participated in the event four times. He got involved in Wreaths Across America after noticing wreaths on sur‑ rounding graves during one visit to his fa‑ ther’s grave. After speaking with relatives of those military personnel, Dettman decided
Wilkens Avenue/ Frederick Avenue
Water Pipe Replacement Project Baltimore, MD
PROJECT TEAM
> Project Manager – Patrick Shannon > Project Engineer – Jignesh Patel > Superintendents – Joseph Wielepski > Safety Superintendent – Paul Fields > General Superintendent – Lavern Dettman > Foreman – Christopher Hollifield > Estimator – Terrell Maroney
he wanted to be part of the program. His daughter Amanda, 33, and granddaughter Evelyn, 3, also laid a wreath in December at a military cemetery near their home in West Palm Beach, Fla. Dettman said it took about a year and half to get his father’s ashes interred at Ar‑ lington. His father, a Buffalo native, passed away at the age of 81. Dettman’s father was stationed at an orphanage in Okinawa during the Korean War. Part of his duties involved loading small children and babies onto helicopters so that they could be relo‑ cated. “We’re all going to lay these wreaths and show respect to all these people, not just Vern,” Dettman said.
Baltimore has many nicknames, in‑ cluding Charm City, the Monumental City and The City That Reads. It’s also now, a Creamer City as J. Fletcher Creamer & Son continues its work on the Wilkens Avenue/ Frederick Avenue Water Pipe Replacement Project. The project, which began last March, entails replacing various sizes of water main from 6 to 20-inches. Additionally, Creamer is reconnecting all water services, replacing fire hydrants, and valves. “The notice to proceed was given in March [2021] and installation of the pipe began in May,” said Project Engineer Jignesh Patel, who has been with Creamer for just over two years. “We have finished with the first half of the job which is on Wilkins Avenue. All mains are back in ser‑ vice and the paving has been completed. We started on the second half of the job, Frederick Ave, in December and we are still doing the pipe installation.
Harvey Switching Station Clifton, NJ
PROJECT TEAM Headstones of our fallen heroes decorated with wreaths as part of the Wreaths Across America Project.
“The contract completion date is March 2023 but we are hopeful that we can have the whole thing done by October of 2022. Our production has improved on the sec‑ ond half of the job because there are less intersections and less services. Overall, we have already installed 7,000 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe and have approxi‑ mately 4,000 linear feet left to complete. There have only been some minor issues with the project, none of which proved to be an impediment to completing the job. As a result of supply chain issues some material that is normally readily avail‑ able had 12-to-15 week lead times. “We are finding alternate solutions and going to multiple vendors to see who can get the material to us so it does not impact our schedule,” Patel said.
> Project Manager – Andrew Puk > Project Engineers – Elif Sipcikoglu/ Greg Matlosz > Superintendents – Douglas Trosky > Safety Superintendent – Kevan McDowell > General Superintendent – Chris Mabie > Foremen – Matthew Blaine, James Bonpietro, Kevin Dawson, Liandro Grego, Thomas Meyers, Jason Mulch, Ruy Pereira, Joshua Vanauken & Phil Zehrer > Estimator – Don Smart J. Fletcher Creamer & Son faced some interesting challenges in its recently com‑ pleted Harvey Switch Station project, tasks that, in addition to being a bit risky, helped maintain the integrity of a residential New Jersey neighborhood. The construction of a new PSE&G substation at 121 St. Andrew’s Boulevard in Clifton began in August 2020 and was completed in February 2022. A pair of GIS buildings were installed. This included all the foundation and A-frame tower frame‑ work along with a new yard. The foot‑ prints for each of the buildings were each 100X100 feet featuring a basic slab design and structural steel with precast concrete panels. According to Project Superintendent Doug Trosky, a precast water detention system that was 150 feet long and 16 feet deep was also installed and that’s where one of the challenges arose. One hundred
Creamer = Community Creamer’s Charitable Involvement
Crews prepping the area to install ductile iron water main.
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Thus far, over 7,000 LF of ductile iron water main has been installed.
Crews prep the area for repaving.
Gabriel Garcia grew up in Jersey City and has never strayed far from his North Jersey roots. So, when it came time to give back to the community, the Creamer
The GIS Building & Control Rooms were constructed with approximately 196 structural steel members.
20,000-pound precast boxes had to be placed in the ground but because of 230 kV overhead electrical wires, some maneu‑ vering was needed. “We had a fairly large crane on site, but the difficult part was installing the box‑ es under the transmission towers and the power lines,” said Trosky. “You know how usually a crane can go high up when there is a lot of space? Well, picture the arm of the crane sitting at a 45-degree angle most of the time. Our arm had to be at 20 degrees a lot of the time. We always had to be very low so we wouldn’t encroach on power lines that had 230,000 volts of elec‑ tricity running through them.” That work, however, was safely com‑ pleted, along with the construction of the
buildings, transformer bays and yard foun‑ dations, allowing one of the project’s fi‑ nal stages to begin – constructing a wall around three sides of the facility to keep the facility and the public safe. Additionally, such a fence allowed for the aesthetics of the neighborhood. “The station is in a residential neighbor‑ hood and there is a church and a school on one side,” Trosky said. “A lot of times with these substations it’s just a chain link fence but we wanted it to blend in and be nice. It’s over 300 feet long on three sides of the property. “It is precast walls and columns that sit on a foundation. We had to drill 10 feet down and 36 inches wide over 100 times for the columns. Once we installed the col‑ umns there was a panel system that was placed between them. That took a good two months after the buildings were done.” Trosky added that February work in‑ cluded the final stoning of the yard and the roadways. A fence subcontractor was also called in to install a black, decorative alu‑ minum fence on the side of the property not covered by the columns/panel system. Crews had to work with their crane at a low angle for a large portion of the job to not interfere with power lines.
Crews had to work with their crane at a low angle for a large portion of the job to not interfere with power lines.
Project Engineer didn’t hesitate, offering to oversee the company’s participation in The Brown and Gold Christmas Toy Drive on December 10 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT]. Garcia, who is a NJIT graduate, worked on the Brown and Gold program while in school as a member of Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. A discus‑ sion he had with Chris Schubert, Cream‑ er’s Manager of Talent and Retention, led to the company participating in the Brown and Gold program during which J. Fletcher
Creamer employees at the Brown & Gold Christmas gift wrapping event on the campus of NJIT.
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Team Creamer at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.
& Son helped with the purchase and dona‑ tion of 413 gifts. “I was always taught growing up to give back,” Garcia said. “Christmas is a big holiday for the kids and it’s always good to give back and help out those in need. This is an event that I have been working on since I was in college. We would fundraise and accept donations, whether they were gifts or monetary, and afterwards purchase gifts with the money that was donated. “There was a meeting we have with one of our officers where we talked about ourselves where we went to school, what our career path is, a getting-to-knowyou type of meeting. I brought it up in the meeting that this is one of the things I did and later Chris heard about the event and asked if I was interested in helping out and whether I wanted us [Creamer] to get in‑ volved. I took it from there.” Garcia helped organize Creamer’s contingent that went to NJIT and wrapped gifts. The primary recipients of the dona‑ tions were the Newark YMCA, La Casa de Don Pedro [a Newark Youth Service orga‑ nization] and the Ironbound Community Corporation. “I can see this going forward,” Gar‑ cia said. “We’re already talking about how we can help out next time and as long as Creamer wants to help, the door is always open. It lets people know about Creamer and what we are about. You never know, maybe down the road we get people who want to work with us because we give back to the community as well. It’s not the only
6
community service that is done, though.” Two of the other service programs of which Garcia spoke were spearheaded by Schubert and Patrick DeCicco, a Project Manager located in Folsom, N.J. Schubert helped organize Creamer’s participation in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk in Point Pleasant, NJ on October 17, while DeCicco tackled the Treats for Troops Candy Drive last November. Creamer raised close to $1,500 during the Cancer Walk while the Treats for Troops drive collected 324 pounds of candy that was sent to deployed military service members and veterans as part of a program created by Soldiers’ Angels, an organization whose mission is to provide aid, comfort and resources to the military, veterans and their families. DeCicco also helped collect a second donation of more
than 500 pounds of candy in addition to the candy that was donated by Creamer. “I have been volunteering with Sol‑ diers’ Angels for about 10 or 12 years and that includes talking to some of the troops that are having family issues, just lending an ear, Christmas stocking collections for troops and things like that,” DeCicco said. “That was all my family and a little circle of friends but this year I decided to see if the company wanted to support Treats for Troops. I went to Soldiers’ Angels and told them, and they decided to put me and Creamer in as a pickup site. “We had candy coming in from all over New Jersey, between scouts, church‑ es, schools, we had enough for two ship‑ ments. The goal is that when Halloween is over, the candy that you overbought or collected can be donated to soldiers and give them a little taste of home. Meanwhile, we’re also collecting candy that people would normally just bring to work or throw away. It was a lot bigger than I thought.” DeCicco said some people who do‑ nated showed up with one bag while oth‑ ers came with 100 bags. He said that he felt so rewarded when all was said and done that he plans to do it again in 2022. Schubert, meanwhile, also said that Creamer is looking forward to once again participating in the cancer walk. The com‑ pany had previously participated in a walk at The Meadowlands Racetrack and planned to attend that walk again last year but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Schubert said that Creamer intends to return to The Meadowlands this year. The Point Pleasant walk was a way to get involved with another charity event in which cen‑ trally located employees could participate.
NEW HIRES
PROMOTIONS
Michael Bernal Superintendent
Patrick Cannon Superintendent
John Downey Estimating Engineer
Tiffany Gaidus HR/Onboarding Associate
Jonathan Gilbert Project Engineer
Brian Hilton Purchasing & Inventory Specialist
Brett Hughes Project Engineer
Susan Kim Estimating Assistant
Louis Nazzaro Installation Coordinator
Peter Paul Ng Office Engineer
Christopher Ruiz Surveyor
Stephen Ruther Superintendent
Nelson Sanchez Jr Senior Project Manager
Leah Scheff Fleet Analyst
Jarrod Wood Surveyor
Jackie Cubbedge Senior Project Engineer
Angela DeLotto Director of Administration
Douglas Doolittle Superintendent
John Dugan Senior Project Manager
Daniel Fowler VP of Corporate Services & Special Projects
Scott Geraghty Assistant Superintendent
Gabrielle Grompone Rebecca Hirsch Senior Project Senior A/R Engineer Associate
Christopher Luna Superintendent
Louise Marquez Supervisor of Accounts Payable
Greg Matlosz Senior Project Engineer
Jignesh Patel Senior Project Engineer
Andrew Puk Senior Project Manager
Lisa Razzoli Receipt of Goods Associate
Jason Smith Assistant Superintendent
Alexander Terenik Senior Project Engineer
Evan Watson Superintendent
Andrew Volpe Assistant Superintendent
Elif Sipcikoglu Senior Project Engineer
Creamer employees collected over 324 lbs. of candy for Soldiers’ Angels.
7
Team Creamer at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.
& Son helped with the purchase and dona‑ tion of 413 gifts. “I was always taught growing up to give back,” Garcia said. “Christmas is a big holiday for the kids and it’s always good to give back and help out those in need. This is an event that I have been working on since I was in college. We would fundraise and accept donations, whether they were gifts or monetary, and afterwards purchase gifts with the money that was donated. “There was a meeting we have with one of our officers where we talked about ourselves where we went to school, what our career path is, a getting-to-knowyou type of meeting. I brought it up in the meeting that this is one of the things I did and later Chris heard about the event and asked if I was interested in helping out and whether I wanted us [Creamer] to get in‑ volved. I took it from there.” Garcia helped organize Creamer’s contingent that went to NJIT and wrapped gifts. The primary recipients of the dona‑ tions were the Newark YMCA, La Casa de Don Pedro [a Newark Youth Service orga‑ nization] and the Ironbound Community Corporation. “I can see this going forward,” Gar‑ cia said. “We’re already talking about how we can help out next time and as long as Creamer wants to help, the door is always open. It lets people know about Creamer and what we are about. You never know, maybe down the road we get people who want to work with us because we give back to the community as well. It’s not the only
6
community service that is done, though.” Two of the other service programs of which Garcia spoke were spearheaded by Schubert and Patrick DeCicco, a Project Manager located in Folsom, N.J. Schubert helped organize Creamer’s participation in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk in Point Pleasant, NJ on October 17, while DeCicco tackled the Treats for Troops Candy Drive last November. Creamer raised close to $1,500 during the Cancer Walk while the Treats for Troops drive collected 324 pounds of candy that was sent to deployed military service members and veterans as part of a program created by Soldiers’ Angels, an organization whose mission is to provide aid, comfort and resources to the military, veterans and their families. DeCicco also helped collect a second donation of more
than 500 pounds of candy in addition to the candy that was donated by Creamer. “I have been volunteering with Sol‑ diers’ Angels for about 10 or 12 years and that includes talking to some of the troops that are having family issues, just lending an ear, Christmas stocking collections for troops and things like that,” DeCicco said. “That was all my family and a little circle of friends but this year I decided to see if the company wanted to support Treats for Troops. I went to Soldiers’ Angels and told them, and they decided to put me and Creamer in as a pickup site. “We had candy coming in from all over New Jersey, between scouts, church‑ es, schools, we had enough for two ship‑ ments. The goal is that when Halloween is over, the candy that you overbought or collected can be donated to soldiers and give them a little taste of home. Meanwhile, we’re also collecting candy that people would normally just bring to work or throw away. It was a lot bigger than I thought.” DeCicco said some people who do‑ nated showed up with one bag while oth‑ ers came with 100 bags. He said that he felt so rewarded when all was said and done that he plans to do it again in 2022. Schubert, meanwhile, also said that Creamer is looking forward to once again participating in the cancer walk. The com‑ pany had previously participated in a walk at The Meadowlands Racetrack and planned to attend that walk again last year but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Schubert said that Creamer intends to return to The Meadowlands this year. The Point Pleasant walk was a way to get involved with another charity event in which cen‑ trally located employees could participate.
NEW HIRES
PROMOTIONS
Michael Bernal Superintendent
Patrick Cannon Superintendent
John Downey Estimating Engineer
Tiffany Gaidus HR/Onboarding Associate
Jonathan Gilbert Project Engineer
Brian Hilton Purchasing & Inventory Specialist
Brett Hughes Project Engineer
Susan Kim Estimating Assistant
Louis Nazzaro Installation Coordinator
Peter Paul Ng Office Engineer
Christopher Ruiz Surveyor
Stephen Ruther Superintendent
Nelson Sanchez Jr Senior Project Manager
Leah Scheff Fleet Analyst
Jarrod Wood Surveyor
Jackie Cubbedge Senior Project Engineer
Angela DeLotto Director of Administration
Douglas Doolittle Superintendent
John Dugan Senior Project Manager
Daniel Fowler VP of Corporate Services & Special Projects
Scott Geraghty Assistant Superintendent
Gabrielle Grompone Rebecca Hirsch Senior Project Senior A/R Engineer Associate
Christopher Luna Superintendent
Louise Marquez Supervisor of Accounts Payable
Greg Matlosz Senior Project Engineer
Jignesh Patel Senior Project Engineer
Andrew Puk Senior Project Manager
Lisa Razzoli Receipt of Goods Associate
Jason Smith Assistant Superintendent
Alexander Terenik Senior Project Engineer
Evan Watson Superintendent
Andrew Volpe Assistant Superintendent
Elif Sipcikoglu Senior Project Engineer
Creamer employees collected over 324 lbs. of candy for Soldiers’ Angels.
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101 East Broadway Hackensack, NJ 07601
Acquires Chubb
The APi Group Family of Companies Continues to Grow APi Group Corporation, the parent company under which J. Fletcher Creamer & Son operates, added to its family when it completed the acquisition of the Chubb fire and security business (“Chubb”) from Carrier Global Corporation on January 3, 2022. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Chubb has approximately 13,000 employ‑ ees globally and a sales and services net‑ work spanning 17 countries serving more than 1.5 million customer sites in Asia Pa‑ cific, Canada and Europe. The business is a globally recognized fire safety and secu‑ rity services provider, offering customers complete and reliable services from design
and installation to monitoring and on-going maintenance and recurring services. Upon completion of the transaction, Russ Becker, APi’s President and Chief Ex‑ ecutive Officer stated, “Today we welcome the 13,000 employees of Chubb to the APi family and begin the work of swiftly inte‑ grating Chubb into APi and leveraging the opportunities this acquisition creates. We begin 2022 as the world’s leading life safe‑ ty services provider. Since announcing the acquisition on July 27, 2021, the level of excitement from our international custom‑ ers and our teams about the opportunities the combined platform will bring has been extremely encouraging. “This validates our belief that the trans‑ action will be highly accretive with compel‑ ling synergies and that it will help acceler‑ ate revenue growth through cross-selling certain products and services. We couldn’t be more excited about the prospects of working with such a talented, international leadership team that believes in the same values and has the same employee and fo‑ cus as we do at APi.” Chubb will be part of APi’s Safety Ser‑ vices segment and its leadership will report through Paul Grunau, the newly appointed President of the APi Group International Division.
We’re Going Digital!
The Pipeline is going digital starting in July! Check your mail later this summer for a postcard with information on how to get access.