Newsletter
Officers
Daniel Sargent, AIA, NCARB x236
Michael Hochadel, NCARB ............................x650
Principals
Chris Kambar, PE x230
Todd Markevicz, PE ......................................x220
John Wallington, AIA x224
Brent Powell, PE x207
Adam Noga, NCARB, LEED Green .................x670
Amanda Speranza, RA x219
Brian Grinnell, NCARB x949
Associate Principals
Steven Flint, PE x235
Robert Zupack, PE x403
Kenneth Rea, PE ...........................................x649
Samantha Garner, RA x732
Business Support Services
CFO
Troy Lafler x208
Accounting Ben Thomas x144
Widya McQuaid x229
Gina Lincoln x247
IT Team........................
Tory Carissimo ........x241
Lance Eddy x205
Andrew Fabrizi x166
Marketing Team .......... Jennifer Lathrop .....x284
Human Resources
Erin Noger x757
Sarah Sarkar x188
Nate Shipley............x981
Licensing Coordinator & Office
Administrator Candy Falk x259
Offices
615 Fishers Run, Victor, NY 14564 585 742 2222
7615 Omnitech PI, Victor, NY 14564
Company Events Calendar
Friday, December 13th - Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Half-Day Wednesday, December 25th - Christmas Day Full Day
President's Message
As we approach 2025, I’d like everyone to take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve achieved together over the last year. Your dedication and hard work continue to define who we are as a company, shape the exceptional projects we deliver, and reinforce our relationships with our clients
Over the past year, we celebrated some remarkable milestones. These include taking on an insane amount of projects with current clients, onboarding new clients and team members, expanding our physical office, and making investments in our employees and processes to continue refining our dedication to quality. These accomplishments reflect our commitment to our staff, our clients, and our growth.
As we look forward to 2025, I encourage each of you to think about your personal and professional goals How can we support you in achieving them? What skills would you like to develop? Our commitment to quality doesn’t just apply to our projects it also applies to how we invest in our people. Let’s make the coming year one of growth and opportunity, both as a company and as individuals
Thank you again for your ongoing efforts. Let’s keep building on this momentum in 2025!
Sincerely,
Dan Sargent
APD Academy Schedule
Change Order Mitigation
December 5th, 2024
Instructor - Dan Sargent and Michael Hochadel
Heat Load Equipment Calculations
December 12th, 2024
Instructors - Joel Skogen
Specifications
December 19th, 2024
Instructor - AJ Bellavia
Multi-Family Residential
January 9, 2025
Instructors - Donald Holtz
Our vision is to develop well-rounded individuals who gain a deep understanding of the business through a clear career path, enabling them to grow and succeed at APD. We aim to foster a collaborative environment where employees achieve greater accomplishments through education and compassion.
On the Horizon: Events Worth the Hype
November 25th - December 6th: Holiday Toy Drive
APD is partnering with The Pirate Toy Fund to collect toys for children in need this holiday season.
Donations of new, unwrapped toys for children from infant through age 14 are welcome!
Donation boxes will be placed at the entrances to each of our offices.
December 13th: Holiday Party
Friday, December 13 5:00 - 10:30 pm
Victor, NY
Semi-Formal
December 18th: Ugly Sweaters, Gingerbread Houses, and Hot Chocolate Truck
Come join us on Wednesday, December 18th at noon to make gingerbread houses, drink some hot chocolate, and wear your ugly sweaters!
On the Horizon: Events Worth the Hype
APDSEASONSUITE
ALDI - Miami (MOTA), FL
Project Manager: John L
Rewind: Let’s Recap
Recognition Row ALICIA COLOGGI
We are excited to watch Alicia step into her new role as Permitting manager! After 10 years at APD, we are grateful for her dedication and commitment. Congratulations!
JOHN LYNCH
Please congratulate John on his promotion to Senior Project Lead John has been with APD for over eight years and continues to be a valuable part of the APD Team!
NATE SHIPLEY
Congratulations to Nate on his promotion to Human Resources Generalist! In his new position Nate will continue to provide support to all employees.
JOHN SCHELL
Congratulations to John on obtaining his Florida and Georgia license!
Recognition Row
Chris Kambar SKYE HANSEN
“Skye Hansen is amazing! She has been doing our Utility Drawings for us since I have been with Habitat, going on 3 years and I would use her for all future projects. Very professional and gets our questions answered in a timely manner ”
- Habitat for Humanity
Chris KambarZAXBY’S TEAM
Shoutout to the Zaxby’s Team! We want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of Steve, John, Noah, and the entire Zaxby’s team. Thanks to their dedication and exceptional service, we’re seeing a growing number of projects coming our way from franchisees Their hard work and commitment to excellence continue to make a lasting impact keep up the great work!
A Year of Growth
2024 was a huge year of growth for APD! Between opening a second office, to nearly doubling our employee count. Oh and we’ve also been busy adding TWO new areas of expertise! We are look forward to all of the new opportunities ahead in our next chapter of growth
We’ve Upgraded
What’s new with our services?
Permitting has transitioned from an expertise to a dedicated service, and Sharenology has been renamed as Construction Management Software!
This year, we’re excited to introduce not one but TWO new areas of expertise! Multi-Family Residential has been made public, and LiDAR 3D Scanning is set to launch publicly at the start of 2025!
Unlocking the Next Level
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
Donald Holtz Senior Architect
We’re excited to share our new Multi-Family Residential expertise, led by Senior Architect Don Holtz Don brings over 30 years of architectural experience, and joins APD with an impressive track record of residential and commercial development across California and New York Before coming to APD, Don owned Holtz Architecture in Los Angeles, where he led a diverse array of projects.
Don's experience in navigating complex entitlement processes, permitting, and project advocacy will be key in advancing APD’s footprint in residential design. As the head of our MultiFamily and Residential Division, he will drive strategic project management and innovative design solutions for our clients nationwide.
Check out Don’s latest article California Dreaming.
LIDAR 3D SCANNING
Riley Beechler Project Designer
We specialize in cutting-edge LiDAR 3D scanning technology, delivering precise and detailed spatial data for a wide range of industries. Our LiDAR solutions provide the insights you need to make informed decisions. With a commitment to innovation and quality, we help clients unlock the full potential of 3D scanning.
Welcoming New Clients and Opportunities
Todd and his team have gained three new JIB Franchisee partnerships! Combined with Corporate, this could potentially lead to 20 new sites over the next five years!
A big shoutout to Amanda for securing signed proposals with Casey’s! We’re excited to share that there are already a few projects in in the works.
Dan has a signed MSA with Panda Express! While it’s not ready for public announcement just yet, we’re thrilled to share that there are two projects brewing. Stay tuned for more details!
A new project for Valvoline has begun construction in Greece, NY! Todd’s team continues to bring the heat!
Employees on the Move
New Employees
Tamzid Mafiq Electrical Technician Intern
Don Holtz Senior Architect
Ben Thomas Finance Manager
Riley Beechler Senior Project Designer
Joel Skogen Senior Mechanical Engineer
Theresa Fuller Senior Structural Designer
Justin Hildreth Senior Architect
CAD Whisperer: Secrets to Success
By Tim Warren
Streamlining Workflows: Tools to Enhance AutoCAD Efficiency
At APD, we are always looking for ways to reduce workload and improve efficiency, particularly when it comes to AutoCAD Through innovative thinking and collaboration, we’ve developed tools that automate repetitive tasks, ensure consistency, and free up our team’s time for higher-value design work
Key Highlights:
1
2
Revision Cloud Freezing and Batch Publishing Tool
This Excel VBA Tool streamlines the process of managing revision clouds and publishing drawing sets:
Layer Freezing Automation: Automatically identifies active revision clouds in layout spaces and freezes their associated layers, ensuring clean and clear drawings for final publication.
Batch Processing Efficiency: Processes an entire set of drawings in one operation, eliminating the need for manual file-by-file updates
Seamless Publishing: Publishes all drawings into a designated folder with clear and consistent naming conventions, ready for client delivery.
Results: Significant time savings, increased consistency, and reduced errors.
Custom PDF Set Publishing Tool for Aldi Prototypes 1
2
Another powerful tool we’ve implemented focuses on creating custom PDF sets for Aldi Prototype projects and, in the future, all prototypes that APD manages.
Tailored PDF Sets: Designers can select specific options and details for retrofits or remodels and generate a custom reference set tailored to their project needs.
Efficiency in Client Deliverables: This tool drastically reduces production time for those creating PDF sets for client releases while ensuring the inclusion of the correct details and options.
Impact: Faster production of PDF sets, improved accuracy, and a more streamlined process for preparing client-ready deliverables.
The Results:
Time Savings: Tasks that previously took hours can now be completed in minutes
Customization: Tailored PDF sets and drawing processes meet the unique needs of each project.
Consistency and Quality: Automated tools ensure every deliverable meets high standards with minimal risk of error
These tools represent our commitment to empowering the design team with efficient solutions that simplify workflows and elevate productivity.
If you have ideas for additional tools or improvements, we encourage you to share your thoughts Together, we can continue to innovate and improve our processes! Stay tuned for more updates on how we’re transforming AutoCAD workflows.
Marketing Madness: Jenn & Erin Unleashed
Team Updates
A big thank you to everyone who attended our recent APD Academy class! If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry you can catch the recording to stay updated on all things Marketing.
Important Announcement:
This will be the final edition of our newsletter. Moving forward, all marketing updates and news will be shared in our new Teams channel! You can find it under APD Engineering & Architecture > Marketing.
Be sure to keep an eye on the channel for the latest updates and news!
During 2024 our Linkedin Page had over 100K impressions...
So let’s take a look at a few of our best performing posts:
Culture
Project Photography
Halloween Post:
52 Reactions
5 Comments
6 Reposts
1,446 Impressions
Chiefland Zaxby’s:
52 Reactions
1 Comment
1 Repost
1,441 Impressions
Business Development
Our Growth Announcement:
42 Reactions
4 Comments
2 Reposts
2,799 Impressions
Projects
Heritage Christian Services:
38 Reactions
1 Comment 1,318 Impressions
QC Chronicles
with
AJ Bellavia
Operations Team Update
The Operations Team would like to share some of the exciting things we have been working on and update you about key initiatives going forward.
Below are some highlights of recent accomplishments, and we encourage everyone to start using them if they haven’t already.
Project Quality Auditing Process
Created and Continue Developing the Retrofit (SEG) Template
Please help us expand and improve it!
Created and deployed the APD AutoCAD Tool Palettes
LiDAR acquisition and implementation
Mirror Prototype – significant headway has been made to automate mirroring drawings for ALDI.
The following are initiatives we are currently working on or will be taking up in the near future.
Facilitate RFI responses – use previous RFI’s and responses to aid us in responding to new RFI’s
Engage with staff and seek areas where training, standards improvement, or automation would be more beneficial
Automate the tedious
Centralized project management software
Hot Desking
Network Upgrades
Ai – Explore ways Ai can help our business
Develop and expand Standards Libraries
Improve CAD blocks – build in limits to ensure appropriate usage
Improve Layer Manger Standards
The Operations Team represents Us All! If you are interested in or have a ‘special skill’ and would like to be a part of any of the initiatives listed above, please reach out to Brent Powell
Mentoring
I want to focus this month’s column on the topic of Mentoring.
Mentoring is a term tossed around a lot, but it is challenging to nail down the “best” or most effective way to achieve a successful mentoring approach within an organization. There are many opinions on the topic, none of which are right or wrong 100% of the time.
For some, a formal approach to mentoring is beneficial, and for others, it is not. The same goes for the informal approach. For many, something in between works best.
APD does not currently have a specific mentoring program, but it promotes, supports, and encourages a culture of Mentorship in whatever form it takes for each individual. If you want a formal mentor/mentee relationship with regular meetings, identify an individual you would like to mentor you and ask them. If you want to take a less formal approach, follow the lead of another and learn as much as you can from them. You can ask them to be your mentor or not.
t is important for everyone at every experience level to approach their daily activities, knowing people are looking to each other to learn from and we all have something to offer We traditionally think of a mentor as someone with more experience mentoring someone with less, but that is not always true Anyone can be a mentor! There are situations where someone with more experience may rely on a less experienced teammate to mentor them in new technology or ways of doing things
In my own personal experience, a less formal approach worked for me In fact, I have had several different mentors throughout my career who helped me develop Professionally, Technically, and even Personally Thinking back, they probably didn’t know they were my mentor(s) at the time (we didn’t put a label on it), but they do now, and I am grateful to them I found professionals I respected and learned as much as I could from them That worked for me, but for others, a more formal mentorship would have worked best.
Regardless of which approach to mentorship works best for you, as professionals, it is important to have a mentor(s) to help you progress through your career. The best people to learn from are those we recognize as doing what we want to do well. That’s a good place to start.
If you would like more information about mentoring or would like help in connecting with a mentor or mentee, please reach out to Sarah Sarkar, Nathan Shipley or AJ Bellavia.