Nickle News - December 2022

Nickle awarded ABCares Cup for service to local community

Nickle Electrical Companies was presented with the ABCares Cup from the Delaware chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors. The new award is given to an ABC member company that is active in the community, not only with ABC projects but other community service projects with their company. It was based on a point system for participation and social media shares utilizing the hashtag #ABCaresAlways.

"ABCares was excited to present Nickle Electrical with the ABCares cup; as a member company that embodied our mission statement to provide opportunities to make a difference in our State by giving of our time, effort & treasures," said ABCares Committee Chair Sallie Ann Conner "Nickle Electrical's team members served on the committee as well participated in several ABCares projects, and offered and coordinated many volunteer projects for their team throughout the State Nickle Electrical has set a great example of Making a Difference and showcasing that #ABCaresAlways "

Nickle's projects this year included volunteering at the Brandywine Valley SPCA, Delaware Humane Association, Ronald McDonald House, Coastal Cleanup, and more The company also collected items for donation to local school districts in need of supplies and a Thanksgiving food drive for those in need during the holiday season.

President's Corner

Steve Dignan President/CEO

One dollar, one can of food, one hour of your time To you these may seem like small concessions, but they could have a huge impact on the life of someone in need

While we can't all dedicate money, items, or time, those of us who do have that privilege also hold a certain level of responsibility to utilize those advantages to the benefit of our society; to improve the community and make it a better place for us to live and work in

Helping others has been proven to kindle happiness within ourselves It boosts self-confidence and provides you with a sense of accomplishment It also increases social awareness and creates positive bonds within society.

While I believe people are inherently good and willing to help others, compassion and open-mindedness is hard to come by these days. Those two traits are essential in making community service successful. Practice empathy, put yourself in someone else's shoes, mind your neighbors, and seek solutions for hardships. Let's humble ourselves and promote the stories of others.

I'm proud of the dedication to our community that the Nickle team has shown throughout the year. Their enthusiasm led to special recognition at a recent award ceremony (see previous page) and I can't wait to see what future service they provide

Let's continue to take care of our community and each other

- Gamaliel Bailey

Nickle also contributed to many non-profit organizations via sponsorships including Delaware Hospice, Atlantic General Hospital, Delaware Technical and Community College, Beebe Healthcare, Little Sisters of the Poor, Boys & Girls Club of Rehoboth, Stop Soldier Suicide, Meals on Wheels, Autism Delaware, Wreaths Across America, Boardwalk Buddy Walk, St Margarets of Scotland, and many more

"Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use."

Community Outreach

First Responders Day

In October, Nickle employees took lunch and breakfast to Christiana Fire Company and Cheswold Fire Company to celebrate First Responders Day Thank you to these brave men & women for keeping our community safe

Pallet Village

Nickle was involved with a project in Georgetown, DE to help build 28 temporary residences for homeless families The structures will provide temporary relief as the homeless transition back into society The Pallet Village project is ongoing with Springboard Collaborative and First State Community Action Agency, who hope to have at least 40 structures built and a community building

Veterans Fund

For the seventh year in a row, Nickle and its employees raised money for Friends of Delaware Veterans, Inc to support the organization's trust fund The fund provides financial assistance to pre-screened veterans for healthcare needs, housing support, educational and training programs, and other financial emergencies. Nickle matched, dollar for dollar, what every employee donated and we're happy to say we were able to give a total of $8,210 this year.

Kudos

Service Foreman Carlos Colazzo and Apprentice Anderson Ramos were complimented by multiple residential customers this quarter The first said, "Carlos and Andy did a fantastic job They were always very communicative and open with what they were doing They described the entire process from beginning to end and worked tirelessly to get the switchover completed " Another said, "Besides being great guys, their work was splendid Everything was even better than I thought possible Very professional job "

Service Manager J.P. Shoop and Service Foreman Mark Benson, Jr. fixed a voltage issue at a residential customer's house and were given kudos for their work: "I appreciate that [J.P.] took the time to drop by and it was just at the right moment! Your help in consulting with Mark was crucial and shows once again how good the Nickle company is at customer service."

Mel Waples of King George Construction praised work by Service Foreman Hunter Poisson and Apprentice Jacob Smith for work at the Dover Air Force Base: "I thought you were sending me high schoolers Boy was I wrong! These guys were great at their craft and great guys as well They are hard workers and I could show their work ethic to some of my people ” He also said he looks forward to having them back in the future.

Featured Project

Delmarva Corrugated

Owner: Four M Investments, LLC

Architect: Alliance Architecture

Engineer: Smith Miller Associates Consulting Engineers

CM/GC: North Star Construction Management

Project Manager: Stan Twardus

Project Management Asst: Katelyn Stanitski

Foreman: Rich Hadley & Guido Lauer

Delmarva Corrugated is a facility that manufactures and labels cardboard boxes This is a new facility the company relocated from New Jersey The larger plant allows the company to triple its tractor-trailer loads per day and supply customers within a 300-mile radius Electricians installed two 4,000-amp, 480-volt switchboards and were responsible for all electrical components within the building There were a lot of underground phases installed prior to the concrete being poured and most of Nickle's underground work was built via our in-house pre-fabrication shop

Featured Project

Incyte Lab Building & Parking Deck

Owner: Incyte Corporation

Architect: L2P/Stantec

Engineer: NV5

CM/GC: Whiting-Turner

Project Manager: Kevin Woodland

Project Management Asst: Kris Hoffman

Foreman: Rob Basara

Incyte, a pharmaceutical research and development company, has been expanding across Wilmington, DE for the past 6+ years Most recently, the organization built a six-story laboratory and two-story parking deck adjacent to its headquarters The building is made up of two floors of offices, four floors of labs, plus a basement and penthouse Nickle was charged with providing all electrical components for both the new building and the parking deck, including security, fire alarm, elevator controls for three total elevators, lightning protection, lighting controls, heat trace, site lights on top of the parking deck, gate controls, 60 car chargers, and a new medium voltage board with two feeders from two different substations from Delmarva Plus there were four generators installed that work off five ATS switches in the emergency electrical room in the basement Contract-wise, this is Nickle's largest project to date.

Safety Report

Paul Woodland Director of Safety

We're in the season of gratitude right now and at Nickle Electrical we are thankful for the participation and involvement we've seen from our Safety Committee members Their dedication was evident at a recent meeting when the members were challenged to come up with the biggest obstacles we face at our job sites, and the overwhelming response was distractions, which come in many forms. Two people agreed to be captains and the Committee was split in half. Both captains, Foreman Khalil Crump and Leadman Trey Phillips, were given a particular distraction to address. They were then tasked with giving a presentation at the next Safety Committee meeting on how the distractions they face could be reduced or eliminated. Both presentations were well received and the plan going forward was to utilize these presentations as the basis for our fourth quarter company Safety Stand Down. Letting the Safety Committee members know they have a voice and can help shape the way we address hazards and prevent incidents is beneficial to growing our safety culture.

We also had a Safety Committee member, Service Foreman Quennel Chapman, bring an employee he is mentoring as a guest. This practice is very valuable and we intend to increase attendance at future meetings in this way to improve communication with more employees and increase the likelihood that the safety culture will be received and understood by all. Thank you to the following individuals on the Safety Committee for your support and commitment to keeping our job sites safe every day

Andrew Antinora

Dustin Beideman

Mark Benson, Jr Quennel Chapman

Khalil Crump

Brennan Donaldson

Lucas Findeison Tom Glanding

Jonathan Harrison

Kevin Murphy

Dan Peralta

Trey Phillips

Jamie Russell Ashley Womer Jason Wright Andrew Yerkes

Nickle Anniversaries

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Mark Benson 27 years

Ryan Wade 16 years

Fran Kaiser 15 years

James Headley 9 years

Dan Peralta 9 years

Jonathan Harrison 7 years

Jerry Casey 5 years

Lucas Findeison 4 years

Andrew Antinora 3 years

Anthony Finocchiaro 3 years

Jeremy Mauck 3 years

Brian Morgan 29 years

Dave Pipher 16 years

Jim Klingensmith 15 years

Jim Scalia 15 years

Dan Harrison 9 years

Katelyn Stanitski 2 years

Mike Frieze 25 years

Jennifer Thompson 16 years

Scott Hadaway 12 years

Sherry Perry 11 years

John DeMatteis 9 years

Red names indicate Nickle Elite status

Employees who have been with the organization for 5+ years

Employee Congratulations

Project Manager Brandon Cale received the Top Dog trophy for great work over the past quarter

Leadman Fran Kaiser celebrated 15 years of service with the company

Leadman Jim Klingensmith celebrated 15 years of service with the company

Leadman Jim Scalia celebrated 15 years of service with the company

Mechanic Jerry Casey celebrated 5 years of service with the company, officially entering the Nickle Elite Nelson Vazquez completed the State Apprenticeship Program and now has his Journeyman's license.

Mark Benson, Jr. graduated from the Maryland State Apprenticeship Program earlier this year.

Service Manager Ted Smith, Jr. completed his OSHA 30-hour training.

Apprentice Erik Larson, Shop Driver Tyler Mitchell, and Apprentice John Mroz completed their OSHA 10-hour training. The following employees were recognized by the Safety Department for various behavior-based safety observations and utilizing Stop Work Authority: Service Foreman Quennel Chapman, Business Development Laura Massimini, and Shop Driver Jamie Russell

Fran Kaiser (left) & Jeromy Newton

Brandon Cale

Ted Smith, Jr (left) & Paul Woodland

Nelson Vazquez (left) & Ken Emmons

Mark Benson, Jr (left) & J P Shoop

Jim Klingensmith (middle), Neal Donaldson, & Jeromy Newton

Jim Scalia (middle), Neal Donaldson, & Jeromy Newton

Jerry Casey (left) & Kevin Woodland

Nickle named ENR Mid-Atlantic Specialty Contractor of the Year

Each year a panel of judges and editors from Engineering News-Record magazine sift through submissions from companies that are hoping to be named a top contractor in the publication. This year, Nickle Electrical Companies was chosen as ENR's Mid-Atlantic Specialty Contractor of the Year, an honor that has earned the company a spread in the magazine's December issue.

The local publication covers construction news in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Senior and junior employees were interviewed about Nickle's success, management style, community service projects, expansion into new markets and sectors, recruitment, safety, innovation, and more

Nickle was recognized at the ENR MidAtlantic Regional Best Projects Awards Luncheon in Baltimore back in October

The magazine will hit stands at the end of December, or you can find the article at www enr com/mid-atlantic

Ted Smith, Jr at Estes Trucking

Mike Schaeffer at 1313 Food Hall

Luis Rivera,

Ben Jezyk at Lodge at Lewes

Jim Klingensmith