GDI
Craftsman
Commercial Drywall, Inc.
/
Vol.2
No. 10
August 1981
To make CDO better pUac® to work
3P at w@rk through variety ©fi programs In late 1979 CDI began Operation 3P, a program to improve company productivity. Still at work today, 3P, which stands for positive productivity program, carries a “work smarter” theme stressing that by working smarter we can increase productivity without necessarily working harder. Improving productivity by 10 percent is the goal of 3P. Essentially this is the same as reducing costs by that amount, a move which benefits both company and employee alike. Such benefits result from the company’s ability to remain competitive in the marketplace through its lower costs. By being competitive, CDI can accumulate a greater backlog of work thus paving the way for a more stable work situation, better working conditions, increased efficiency through better tools and training, production
rewards, awards, recognition and participation in organized activities. The awards, however, are only a small part of 3P. They simply are the reward for working smarter. But there are other benefits you may have not even thought of. These include project S.A.F.E. which helps make CDI jobs safer places to work. Likewise, our new tool accountability program, which gives us adequate tool supplies and last year’s supervisory training course work to improve company productivity. The CDI Craftsman is a part of 3P. It is a tool to help recognize individuals and improve attitude and morale. CDI’s orientation slide show is designed to improve production by setting out specific information on company policies and expectations. Even changes in our estimating and budgeting procedures and the
Part of Operation 3P's efforts to make CDI more efficient in its operations includes an in-house supervisory training course currently being put together by the company's top supervisors and management.
purchase of our computer are efforts to make the CDI system more efficient. In addition to these items, there are awards used to recognize outstanding achievements. The most obvious are the budget beater lunches and steak dinners which reward jobs for beating their budgets. Other awards include 10-year service anniversary watches, belt buckles and plaques — all part of CDI’s desire to show thanks for a job well done. The Christmas party, the sponsorship of softball teams and two past fishing tournaments, the last of which offered over $4,000 in prizes and cash from entries, the company and suppliers, are all means to foster better attitudes and morale in hopes of improving productivity. The basis for this is that these things, if functioning properly, can work in a cycle for the benefit of everyone. For example, if we do improve our operating efficiency, then we can enjoy these benefits. And, when we have these benefits, we feel like improving our production. Thus, it all works together for the company and the employee. So, 3P is all of these things — it is everything we do as a company to be more efficient and more productive. It is also everything you do as a part of the company to improve your own personal productivity, so that as a team our 10 percent goal will be achieved. Where do you as a CDI craftsman fit? And what can you expect of 3P in the future? First, anything you can do to cut production time and maintain quality will help 3P. This is our work smarter (See 3P, p. 3)
When evaluating an employe®
P@ur G’s tell what to l®@k for (Editor's note: The following article is a recap of a talk presented by Oscar Newton to the CD! supervisory group at a recent breakfast meeting. Mr. Newton is a vice president at American General Insurance Companies and is a foremost speaker. The following article deals with his view of what supervisory and management personnel should look for in an employee.)
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on to make a great contribution to his company and to communities in which they lived. He said one thing that always sticks in my memory: “In selecting someone for a job, I look first for character, and if they don’t have that, it doesn’t make any difference to me what else they have.”
The second C stands for conviction. Toynbee, the British historian, says that of the 21 civilizations that can be traced from their beginning to their peak and to the decline and fall, 19 of these perished not because they were overcome by enemies from the outside, but rather they fell from the inside, by reason of a "evaporation of belief”. Carl Sandburg the great American poet said that whenever a nation perishes and a people go down, one condition is also present — they forgot where they came from. That is, they cease to believe in the creed and in the values that previously made them strong. Everyone can understand that it is hard to build a business or a community or a nation with a bunch of cynics. The believers keep moving when the cynics have stopped and gone back. Well, you might ask, believe what? I want to know what a man believes about himself, about his family, his work, about his neighbors, and about his country. If he is negative in these areas he will be difficult to motivate. I want him to believe in duty and responsibility. One of my favorite creeds is this: "I believe that life is worth living; that people are worth loving; that God is worth trusting”. The third C is commitment which really is belief in action. The Wright Brothers there in that bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio believed that they could fly. Their conviction led them out of that bicycle shop to the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. And their commitment got them into that flimsy airplane. And to the wonder of the world, they flew.
Supervision has been defined as “The accomplishment of predetermined objectives through others.” Since those of us with supervisory or management responsibilities must rely on others, our capacity to select, train, motivate and lead others within acceptable limits of time and money is vital. In measuring a prospective employee, or in measuring the present employee for a greater responsibility, there are two overriding questions to which we must find the answers — Can he? Will he? The first question pertains to the person's capacity — is he equipped with sufficient skills and experience to do the job. The second question pertains to whether or not the man is sufficient and mature as a person, whether he is sufficiently motivated, and whether he has the will to do the job. There are several formulas that are used as a checklist or a guideline to measure these qualities of capacity and will. The first is called the “KASH” formula and refers to knowledge, attitude, skills and habits. A second formula is the four C formula of which we will talk about today. The first C stands for character. In any selection or evaluation process, this quality is the most vital to look for. In today’s pace and pressure, we don’t have time to build character, we have to build on it. As Victor Hugo said, “If you want to reform somebody, you have to start with his grandmother!” The great business leader and Our conviction gets us out of the philanthropist, Cason Calloway was safe places and our commitment to once asked by Harvard Business those beliefs can get us in the air, Review magazine to explain his great can lift us above ourselves. success in hiring and retaining Commitment really means saying yes outstanding young people that went to a job, to a family, to a 2
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responsibility, to a creed, to a cause, to an institution that will survive you. For example, a pig and a chicken were discussing their relative contributions to a breakfast of ham and eggs. The pig said to the hen, you are involved, but with me, it is total commitment! The fourth C stands for caring, or concern, or it might be more accurate still and call it love. Love is not that easy to find. The best definition of love comes from an anonymous source! “Love means caring profoundly about what happens to everybody else". Thomas Merton, the great Catholic writer and monk, said this kind of caring enables us “to escape from the prison of our own self". Unless a person can escape from that kind of prison, from an acute selfconsciousness, from a selfishness, he is unable to make any contribution to his family, his job or to his community. Love enables us to give, and in giving, we ourselves receive and grow rich in the ways $ that matter. So, if I am trying to decide and determine if a person will do the job, I want to check his character, conviction, commitment and his capacity for caring, for love. In other words, he needs to be a person of integrity, a believer, a doer, and a lover.
GDI Craftsman Editor: Larry Williams The CDI Craftsman is published monthly by Commercial Drywall, Inc. for its employees and their families. Employees should send their news contributions to Larry Williams, Commercial Drywall, lnc„ P. O. Box 10686, Houston, Texas 77018.
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W©w Austin projects starting CDI-Austin remains a busy place as projects continue to start up as others finish. Presently, the Brockton Business Center is getting its start under supervisor Johnny Kovar. The two one-story buildings that make up the complex will provide drywall, ceilings, insulation and computer flooring work for CDI. Nearby is a job for Trammel Crow which also includes walls, ceilings, insulation and computer flooring This too is being headed by Johnny. One of CDI-Austin's major projects currently under construction is the six-story police station addition. The job which will house administrative offices, is approximately 35 percent complete. The job, under foreman Terry LaRoche, includes a crew of Richard Wilson, Edward King, Ismael Salinas, Danny Guthrie and James Hicks. Other jobs recently starting include the Foley’s store in Barton Creek Shopping Center under Gene Dougherty, a Safeway store remodel and expansion for Lebco ^^Construction under CDI’s Wally ^^Galvan, and leasework in the Capitol National Bank Building under foreman Jerry Brooks. Activity at the IBM complex is slowing somewhat with the completion of buildings 062 and 063 and the final stages of 060 under Bob Fritz. In other Austin news, vice president and general manager Larry Hanvey reports that their annual picnic has been postponed until cooler weather, probably sometime in September. The exact date and location will be announced in the next several days.
Belt buckle awarded Austin foreman, Gene Dougherty has been presented a belt buckle honoring his work for CDI. Gene joined CDI as a foreman i March 1978 and since has been a big part of the success in heading such major projects as the Texas ^^Employees Retirement Systems an Montgomery Wards store. He served for a long time as a lead foreman on the huge IBM 045 project, and is currently heading work at a new Foley's store.
The police station project in Austin shows CDI activity on furrdowns, handrails and other intricate conditions. The job is being headed by foreman Terry LaRoche.
According to field superintendent Danny Kaiser, Gene has always been a good, dependable employee. “He's one of our best at organizing and running a job. He handles his
men well, and is always on top of things,” says Danny. “Fie really has all of the qualities we expect in a good CDI foreman.”
CDI (From p. 1) slogan. It can be done by working smarter. So look for things you can do, steps you can save to improve your personal production. Secondly, your input is important. Your ideas on how to perform a certain task may be used throughout the company to make a big difference in costs. So, share your ideas with your supervisor, your co workers and CDI. Next, realize that as a craftsman, you are needed on the job. You can improve your productivity by being dependable, keeping good attendance, and keeping yourself productive by staying away from accidents and injuries. And, build quality into your job. Many of us fail to realize that quality is free. And, it is the lack of quality that costs in the long run. 3
What can you expect from 3P in the future? In general, look for CDI’s continued efforts to make the company a better place to work. There are certain to be specific activities and undertakings designed to improve the quality of the work environment and the quality of workers. Our hiring and firing practices will work to keep only qualified craftsmen on the job, so that poor performers aren’t allowed to lower morale and attitude. A supervisory training course is in the works so that the overall quality of our leaders and their capabilities are improved. Of course, there will be other endeavors not yet known. And they will all be a part of 3P. But, most importantly, Operation 3P will strive to work for everyone’s benefit, so that CDI will always be a good place to work.
6Dub9 Williams
Paint stupsrwisor on $
EMPLOYEE NEWS
COD ©rafemaoi knDDodl ©0 job On July 31, CDI suffered the loss of Franklin Wagner, 42, a carpenter who was killed while working at the University State Bank job. He died of head injuries sustained when he apparently fell and struck his head on the floor. Franklin was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. by a Lifeflight team, who arrived only minutes after the accident. Details regarding the tragedy remain sketchy as there were no witnesses to the accident. Franklin’s son, Roger, was working with his father, but had left the floor to get some material. Franklin had been employed with CDI since March of this year, but had worked for the company off and on for the past several years. He is survived by his wife, Gloria, and sons, James, Johnny, and Roger. His death is the first fatal on-the-job accident experienced in CDI’s history. The Craftsman on behalf of management and every CDI employee extends its sympathy to the Wagner family.
Supervisor of the month Dub Williams, center, oversees paint progress in a Shell Woodcreek stairwell. Pictured also are Kenny Dixon, left, and Ignacio Gonzales.
CDI’s most recent award for * outstanding supervisor has gone to Walter “Dub” Williams. Dub is now leading CDI’s paint efforts at the Shell Woodcreek project where he has been since February of this year. Dub is a relative newcomer to CDI having joined the company last November. Prior to CDI he was a foreman for DeVries Painting for more than six years. He has also served with Shahan, Inc. for over eight years giving him considerable experience in the painting business. In fact, CDI’s superintendent Ben Boatright served his apprenticeship under Dub. According to Ben, Dub is one of the most knowledgeable paint supervisors in Houston. And, these
Awards presented at Four S®as©oi]S dinner The Four Seasons crew under supervisor Fred Lay was treated to a steak dinner recently. The event was not a budget beaters dinner. Rather, it served as an opportunity to present awards to several deserving craftsmen. The basic purpose of the dinner was to allow CDI to express its thanks to the crew for the tough job they are handling at Four Seasons. The project, one of the most luxurious hotels in Houston, is requiring a tremendous amount of
Veteran supervisor Fred Lay received a wrist watch recognizing 10 years continuous service with CDI.
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quality in addition to demands for production. Because of several factors, the job is not necessarily a "budget beater,” but it is a job where some of CDI’s best craftsmen • are working hard every day to meet f the demands for quality and performance under difficult conditions. Those receiving CDI caps and t-shirts honoring their efforts included Paul Cunningham, Gary Cocran, Larry Turnbow, and Matt Flannery. For outstanding attitude, ability and production, belt buckles were presented to Robert Tunnel, Hilry Robinson, Ken Lane, and Earnest Satcherwhite. And, the job’s supervisor was presented a special award marking 10 years service with the company. Fred Lay, who joined CDI in 1971, received a personally engraved wrist watch in honor of his service with CDI. Fred has been a mainstay of the company over the years heading such projects as the Texaco Building, Houston Centers One and Two and Transco leasework. Just prior to his present job he ran the 55-story First International Plaza. Fred’s overall job knowledge and ^ experience at running large projects make him a top CDI supervisor. Presently, he is heading a crew of approximately 150 craftsmen at the Four Seasons.
>11 job receives award! ^fere no small words coming from someone who also is acknowledged as one of the cities top painting experts. For CDI, Dub has lived up to this reputation having tackled a tough Shell Woodcreek Project. At Shell, CDI has had to overcome a number of obstacles. These include doing the work out of sequence in an attempt to give the client a 100 percent touch-up free job. For this, the company had to paint much of the building after the carpet had been laid, doors hung and other work normally following paint already in place. This was to prevent damage to the painted surfaces once they were completed. In addition, says Dub, the Shell job is a unique combination of commercial and industrial painting. “Some portions of the job required industrial paint and application, while others were typical, but difficult commercial work.’’ A tremendous amount of work * nder a tight schedule also faced
Dub and .. his crew- "We worked a lot f overtime to get certain areas of heJ°b„comPleted °n time. The work was- difficult to anticipate from one day to the next which put a strain on everyone here,” says Dub. To reflect just how much work was involved, Dub says that nearly 500 gallons of paint were required for the ceilings on each floor at the project. All things considered, Dub has done an excellent job. Under his guidance the work has gone as smoothly as one could expect. And, the superintendent there, Ben Boatright, is extremely happy with Dub and his abilities. “There's none better than Dub in the paint business as far as I’m concerned,” says Ben. “There may be some as good, but there’s none better than Dub.” During the time before taking over the reigns of Shell Woodcreek, Dub headed the painting on the Associated Milk Producers and the Ashford Five projects. Fie and his wife Dolly recently celebrated 30 years of marriage.
They have three children — Douglas, a chemical engineering student at A&M, Craig, who attends high school, and Sheila, a graduate of Criminology from Sam Flouston State University. Dub says that he and Dolly have spent most of their spare time involved in sports with their children. Fie also enjoys hunting although he doesn’t spend a great deal of time at it. The Craftsman is happy to recognize Dub for the outstanding job he is doing for the company and wishes him a long and successful career with CDI.
Brian Landry
Estimator bright addition to paint group
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CDI's painting operations have grown substantially in recent months with a number of major contracts added to its backlog. With this influx of new activity, much of which is now underway, has come the need for more conscientious personnel in both the field and in the office. One of these individuals who has distinguished himself already is estimator and assistant project manager Brian Landry. Brian joined CDI in October of last year and now plays an active role in virtually every paint project undertaken by CDI. He brings to the company a background in drafting as well as previous experience with a Houston demountable contractor. With his aggressive and responsible nature, Brian has done well handling ^^the demands of our growing paint n and vinyl operation. Specifically, Brian works in conjunction with Robin Cravey, paint contractor manager, in ordering materials, securing samples of vinyl
for client approval, and figuring all changes to the jobs. In addition, he has the responsibility for seeing that the right amount of both paint and wall covering are shipped to the jobs at the proper time. He also maintains CDI’s vinyl rooms, making sure that needed material is in stock and ready for job site delivery when needed. ,. . Some of the projects on which Brian is currently serving as the the Fou^Leaf^Condominiifmsj Three Post Oak, and the Tenneco Employee Center, A recently completed |ob on which he worked was the large Palais R°yo' store in w"'owbrook
sssra»jfcthe company. And, he is a!ways ^
“yfRobr-Add^naljy9^Brian is 5
Maintaining CDI's vinyl room is one responsibility of paint estimator Brian Landry (right), shown above with paint contract manager Robin Cravey.
good at coming up with ideas and suggestions on doing things a little better, plus he is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep his job running smoothly.” Brian is a native of Port Neches having moved to Houston three years ago. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont where he studied architectural drafting and civil engineering. He is married and his wife Susan is a nurse at Memorial City Hospital. On weekends, the Landrys usually head back to their hometown and on up to Toledo Bend for fishing or skiing. They also enjoy lounging at the beach whenever possible.
COMPANY NEWS
Tw© apprerto©@s ©am buckles Two apprentices — Casey Huff and Eddie Williamson — received belt buckles in recognition of their development into outstanding CDI craftsmen. Casey has been with CDI less than two years, but in this short time has exceeded all expectations. Randy Robinson, with whom Casey has worked since starting with the company is greatly impressed with his abilities. "He catches on quickly and doesn’t mind hard work. In fact, he has more ability and determination than I thought possible in a 19-year-old. I wouldn't be reluctant at all to leave Casey in charge of any project he might be on,” says Randy. Eddie, too, has managed to impress those with whom he works. Only a first period apprentice, his willingness to learn and his fast production make him a pleasure to work with. "Journeyman carpenters enjoy working with him and sharing their knowledge,” says foreman and uncle Tommy Williamson. In addition to this eagerness to learn, Eddie has achieved a remarkable attendance record, missing only four hours of work this year for a better than 99 percent attendance rate. The Craftsman is honored to help CDI recognize these two carpenters and leaders of tomorrow. Their future certainly looks bright as excellent CDI craftsmen.
Y@ut? work shows
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A company may be spread over the entire nation and employ thousands of people but the average person forms his judgment of it by what he thinks of its products or services. Once made, a bad impression caused by a poor product or service is almost impossible to erase. The impression your work makes on a customer is your company’s strongest advertisement.
CD/'s new tool accountability program is being spearheaded by (l-r) Rita Jones who works with the new computer, Dennis Yanowski who oversees all tool related activities and Linzy Bean, tool and equipment manager.
Mbw program to increase t®®Q efficiency In recent months CDI has instituted a new tool inventory program designed to cut the company's losses due to theft, loss and inefficient transfer and use. The system, designed with the aid of a consulting firm, W. Kent Ferguson and Associates, has already proven successful. The program incorporates a new identification paint scheme of purple and orange, individual serial numbers, and a systematic process for recording and tracking tool movement. Under the system, CDI’s Dennis Yanowski maintains primary responsibility over CDI tools from their purchase to their distribution to the job sites and their subsequent movements. He is aided by CDI newcomer Linzy Bean who serves as the company’s tool and equipment manager. To facilitate all of these activities, CDI has purchased a special computer to record the entire tool inventory. The computer can produce a complete readout in seconds on every tool of value including its description, repair history, value, serial number, location and date of purchase. According to Dennis, the use of the computer enables CDI to move tools more efficiently from one job site to another. "Now, because a person can get a tool he needs in 6
less time, he no longer needs to hoard the tool while it is not in use,” says Dennis. Dennis says that CDI has nearly three-quarters of a million dollars invested in tools, thus showing the true need for such an inventory system. “With our computer and the new tool program we hope to accomplish several goals. With it we think we can reduce response time for tool needs, eliminate hoarding, make foremen more responsible for their tools, and deter tool theft,” says Dennis. In association with the crime prevention portion of the program, Ferguson and Associates has been retained as an investigative agency to reduce losses due to thefts. This process utilizes the information generated by the computer plus follow-up investigations concerning any tool unaccounted for. If such a tool is determined stolen, efforts are then made not only to recover it but to prosecute those responsible for the theft as well. Already, it has led to the arrest of a CDI employee in conjunction with alleged job site thefts, while others are currently being investigated. With 0 this type of program in effect, it goes without saying that CDI has pledged to prosecute anyone involved in sue matters to the fullest extent of the law.
Carpenters, finishers, painters team up
Quality evident m Palais Royal job CDI has named the Palais Royal store in the new Willowbrook Mall as its project of the month for July. The job, for general contractor MinerDederick, began in mid-April and was completed in late July. The project involved a 23,000 square foot area which included drywall partitions, acoustical ceilings, insulation, finishing, and painting. In ’ addition to the routine interior work, there were approximately 750 feet of furrdowns and approximately 4,000 square feet of drywall ceilings. A crew which averaged around a dozen craftsmen manned the job. They produced a high quality finished product while working under a compressed schedule. Heading the work were carpenter foreman Eddie Sams, finishing foreman Herb Hawkins and paint foreman John Thornton. For the carpenters, Bill Peters, Bill Sadler, Bill Sadler, Jr., and Red Davis all combined for an excellent effort. In addition, James Holland was singled out for this work in insulating against the deck. According to Eddie, several of his men worked overtime the final
weekend in order to meet the deadline. The finishing operation under Herb followed very closely behind and came away with a high quality job. Those contributing in this phase of the work included Bruce Winn, Robert George, Delores Gibson and Terry Reece. "These people deserve a lot of credit for producing such quality, especially on all the furrdowns,” says Herb. Herb also complimented the work of Eddie and his carpenter crew for an excellent hanging job which made the finishing a lot easier. Following these two trades, the painters completed the CDI effort with paint and wall covering for the elaborate retail store. John utilized three painters and three vinyl craftsmen including Lynn McCoy and Luis Berrueta, both of whom distinguished themselves with fine efforts. The Craftsman extends its thanks to Eddie, Herb and John for putting together a really great job. Their teamwork, as well as their individual performances resulted in a job of superior quality.
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CDI craftsmen are shown t )s progressing well under the The project, for Lyda, Inc., Winder.
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The 23,000 square foot Palais Royal store in Willowbrook Mall displays some of CDI's excellent furrdown and ceiling work.
©Di-Sam] Aotao® continues progress Richard Lopez, warehouse and labor foreman for CDI San Antonio, expressed appreciation for two outstanding workers, Juan “Pablo” Leza and Preston Barragan. Pablo has been with CDI for almost two years and Preston about eight months. Together with Richard, the two men have done excellent work keeping jobs stocked and clean and keeping the warehouse in top-notch shape. Paul Jones reports that the Alarmex remodel is now complete. He also says that we have received an addition to the contract for the RCA remodel. North Frost Center is doing quite well under the leadership of Bob Winder. Joe Solis and Gary Schultze did a great job wrapping the beams in the atrium with Mirawall at North Frost. Pete Williams and Roger Pons have completed the job at the University of Texas Health Science Center. And, the San Antonio office has reported that a letter of intent has been received on the Greatview Office Building. CDI will do the core and ceilings and will also use CDI extrusions on this four-story project.
CDI-Systems continues rapid growth %
Lots of activities surround CDI operations in Dallas as field forces continue to grow and new projects come aboard. The latest major project to become part of CDI’s efforts is a 40-story Fort Worth office building for Linbeck Construction Company. The project, City Center Two, is scheduled to start in October and will include the drywall core and tenant work. Meanwhile, construction activity for the company is picking up at a hectic pace. At the Placid/Elm, some 25 craftsmen under supervisor Lee Romine have completed virtually all of the core stocking with work underway above the 40th floor. Assisting Lee on the project are lead foreman Don Faulkner, labor foreman J.C. Braddock and ceiling foreman Dick Schrieber. All of the hanging wires are in for the acoustical ceiling with grid work just getting underway. At the Park Central project, approximately 35 craftsmen were treated to a barbecue lunch honoring the excellent progress being made on that building. Core work there is winding down while leasework under Bobby Burgess is getting off to a quick start. A second barbecue lunch was also held in July for the Farmer’s Branch Bank Building under David Toms. The 10-man crew was treated for
CDI Craftsman Commercial Drywall, Inc. 3705 Piney Woods P.O. Box 10686 Houston, Texas 77018
Construction on the 50-story Placid/Elm building in downtown Dallas continues for CDI. Under the supervision of Lee Romine, corework is well on its way while acoustical ceiling grid work is just getting started.
their excellent production on that recently started project. In other construction news, Dudley Chisholm and his crew of 12 are stocked up to the 14th floor with both sheetrock and metal on the 40-story Continental Plaza in Fort Worth. The job, for H.C.B. Contractors, began earlier this Spring. And, Laverne Chandler, who previously spearheaded Park Central, is starting the Cedar Springs project, a seven-story structure with Austin Commercial. Laverne will head the job which includes the drywall core and acoustical ceilings.
According to Mike Grogan office activity remains heavy with several major projects being bid in the last several weeks. And, says Mike, there is still a lot of work coming up. Sam Beard continues to head the lease space management end of the work, coordinating all of the activities surrounding CDI-Systems leasework. Alan Smith has been named chief estimator and will coordinate ail bidding and sales efforts for the office. And, CDI has a new face in Barbara Harrison who will provide additional clericai and office help for the fast growing branch operation.
BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE
PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 2840
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