Nickle News - March 2023

Nickle News

Providing commercial, industrial, service, & residential electrical work since 1986

Adaptable Employees Kindle Electrical Firm

At a time when many specialty contractors are desperate for workers, Nickle Electrical Cos. is leaning on old-fashioned loyalty to staff its projects. Over the years, the 26-year-old firm has attracted a deep bench of workers who have built long careers at the Newark, Del.-based electrical contracting firm. With a high level of employee retention, the firm was well positioned to weather the early uncertainties of the pandemic and emerge in a strong position, company officials say. That stability has led the company to be a go-to specialty firm for many large contractors in its market.

The firm returned to pre-pandemic levels last year with $40 million in regional revenue, up from $36 7 million the prior year That 9% increase helped move the firm up three spots on ENR MidAtlantic Specialty Contractor ranks, to No 13 Given its steady track record, ENR MidAtlantic has named Nickle Electrical Cos its 2022 Specialty Contractor of the Year

"In an era when people are throwing money around like a freaking arcade game, we do a damn good job at retaining our employees and truly growing organically," says Jeromy Newton, vice president of operations and co-owner of Nickle "At times, I feel like we spend more time on our employees than we do on our customers, but they're our greatest asset "

A big part of Nickle's strategy is recruiting prospects early The firm has maintained relationships with local vocational-technical schools for more than three decades. That investment attracted hundreds of co-ops and apprentices, many of whom are still employed with the company today. Newton says that 60% of Nickle's (cont. on next page)

field employees started as apprentices and have been with the company for more than five years Recently, Nickle expanded its co-op program to include not just electricians, but office staff All combined, Nickle brought on its largest co-op group yet in 2022

Ashley Womer, a third-year apprentice at Nickle, started with the company when she was attending St Georges Technical High School in Middletown, Del One of her first projects was on a laboratory for pharmaceutical company Incyte The opportunity to work on a large, complex project is part of what hooked Womer on pursuing the trades and working for Nickle "I was 17 at the time, and all I could think was 'Oh my God, I can't believe I get to do this for a living,'" she recalls.

Womer says the range of skills that can be learned on the job at Nickle is part of its draw. If she wants to learn specific skills, the opportunities are there. She says that when she's ready to learn about fire alarm systems, for example, "all I have to do is talk to my project manager" to be placed with a fire alarm specialist.

New employees can also see the paths that many in the management ranks have taken Kevin Woodland started at Nickle as a journeyman 17 years ago He worked his way to a leadman position, then became a foreman Five years ago, he moved into a project manager role "What stuck with me when I started was that there was a lot of room for growth, a lot of opportunities," Woodland says "I saw a lot of people moving up I had a young family, and I wanted to do the best I could for them "

Part of that growth was provided through the company's robust mentor program Woodland recalls being assigned to two different foremen as mentors, each with their own management style "Not only did I learn the job, I learned what I thought could be applicable to my managerial style," he says "I figured out what would work and what wouldn't work for me, and I blended that into my own style "

Today, Woodland serves on the firm's mentor committee, where he helps employees find opportunities and assists in identifying employees who could be future leaders "We pair them up with a mentor and set goals," he says "Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't Some people just want to stay on their tools, which is good because we need those people, too."

Newton also remains active in the recruiting and mentoring program that helped him rise from a service manager 14 years ago to vice president. "I'm probably more involved than I should be," he says. "but it's because I love the talent that comes in the door and I want to make sure that we're bringing the right people in--not only for our success, but also their success."

A solid roster of talent also attracts clients Andy Cheezum, vice president at Willow Construction, recalls that the company worked with Nickle sporadically until a 2005 church project in Lewes, Del , caught his attention "It was a complicated project, and I remember they had a really good foreman on that job," he says "That's when we really got to know them and their capabilities they've been our preferred commercial electrical contractor ever since "

Willow has since used the company on projects ranging from health care to manufacturing "They have a pretty deep bench," he says "We know that if circumstances change on a project, they can put a lot of resources on that job "

Rich Tighe, project manager at Whiting-Turner, also sees Nickle as a contractor that "can support just about anything we do out of our Delaware office " Tighe managed the recent Incyte lab project and recalls that he was "impressed with the project manager and the labor they put on the job "

One recent benefit that Tighe noted is Nickle's growing capabilities in prefabrication. This year, the company relocated its headquarters in Newark, Del., and nearly doubled its available space, helping the company expand its virtual design construction and pre-fabrication department. "Everyone is trying to be more competitive in prefabrication, but Nickle is top-notch in regards to prefabrication compared to most of the other electrical contractors in the area," Tighe says.

Neal Donaldson, Nickle's chief financial officer and co-owner, helps lead the company's innovation efforts, and, although he generally takes a conservative approach in business, he sees prefabrication, VDC and other IT efforts as critical investments, noting that the CAD department has increased from one person to eight in six years "That's a big deal," he says "We're definitely reaping the benefits now, but over the next 10 years we're going to be very good at it "

Still, Nickle has remained largely conservative in terms of expanding the business Donaldson says he expects the firm to continue growing at a measured pace, on average increasing revenue by a few million dollars per year It's a continuation of the firm's approach throughout its history

Founded by Paul Nickle in 1986, the firm was acquired by current owners Steve and Debbie Dignan in 1991 The company gradually expanded into a multi-million dollar business that now performs commercial, industrial, residential and service work throughout Delaware, southeast Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. In 2016, the company started a succession plan that would transfer ownership of the company from the Dignans to Newton and Donaldson.

Looking ahead, Donaldson says he expects to continue the firm's gradual growth pattern. Although he says the company would consider acquisition opportunities, it would only pursue ones that enabled Nickle to expand into new geographic areas.

Newton shares that view, always keeping an eye toward the possible impact on employees "We prefer a conservative, organic growth," he says "We slowly take on more work, slowly take in more employees and slowly get better We take pride in that " Newton adds, "I don't care if we make $20 million or $100 million, we need to be profitable There are 200 families that we need to feed every week That's important to us "

Community Outreach

Sunday Breakfast Mission

Right before the holidays, Nickle employees volunteered at Sunday Breakfast Mission's food warehouse, sorting donations and preparing them for packaging to give to the community The organization's mission "exists to serve the homeless, addicted, and impoverished through Christ-centered programs to meet their spiritual, social, and physical needs Visit www sundaybreakfastmission org for more information Thank you to Jerry Casey, Steve Dignan, Greg Hudson, Joshua LeMon, Laura Massimini, Russ Panetta, Maria Trujillo-Hernandez, and Paul Woodland for your help

Friendship House

Nickle collected clothing throughout January and February to donate to The Friendship House, an organization that helps the homeless and the houseless with supportive programs such as a clothing bank, transitional housing, case management services, basic hospitality, and more With five drop-in centers across the state, Friendship House helps approximately 250 people per day Visit www friendshiphousede org for more information Thank you to all who donated

Rock Your Socks

For World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), people around the world wear brightly colored, mismatched socks to show their support. A handful of Nickle employees helped the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware mismatch and package socks to prepare for fundraising. Thank you to Taylor Burden and Lisa Houston for volunteering in Sussex County, and John DeMatteis, Heather Shupe, Laura Massimini, Katelyn Stanitski, and Samantha Windle for volunteering in New Castle County.

Kudos

Service Foreman Rich Heasley and Apprentice William Darby were complimented by a residential customer, who said "over the years I have used different electricians and I have never been satisfied with their work. Until I decided to call Nickle Electrical to repair an electric line for me. You did the job right both times I have used your company. Great company and great employees."

A residential customer also gave kudos to Service Foreman Mark Benson, Jr & Apprentice Seth Harnett: "Mark and Seth were not just professional electricians They were patient, super courteous, and they explained everything in layman's terms Top flight "

Featured Project

The Chancery Market Food Hall

Owner: McConnell Johnson

Architect: BEAM Architecture

Engineer: DEDC

CM/GC: Delaware Construction Services

Project Manager: Jeff Stilwell

Project Management Asst: Lauren Jock

Foreman: Andrew Yerkes

At 1313 North Market Street in Wilmington, DE, there is a new, modern food hall The Chancery Market, now open to the public, totals approximately 12,000 square feet and has half a dozen eateries, plus a full-size bar Plans for an outdoor patio area are also in the works Nickle's work included the installation of electrical components to the food court and lounge, including new lighting, lighting controls, power to vendor stations, and electrical service upgrades

Featured Project

The Flats

Owner: Woodlawn Trustees

Architect: Architectural Alliance

Engineer: Blake & Vaughan

CM/GC: DiSabatino Construction

Project Manager: Kevin Woodland

Project Management Asst: Katelyn Stanitski

Foreman: Khalil Crump

The Flats is a revitalization project for housing in downtown Wilmington, DE Currently under construction is Phase IV, which includes three buildings for low-income tenants Work consists of new secondary service, distribution, lighting, devices, fire alarm, and site lighting for a total of seven new townhouses and 45 apartments This phase is scheduled to be complete by the end of the summer The Flats will eventually include seven phases and result in more than 450 apartments and townhomes

Safety Report

Paul Woodland Director of Safety

If you're like me, you're thankful for the mild winter season we've had and are looking forward to springtime Daylight hours are increasing, improving the visibility of our commutes to and from work The first quarter of the year is when we focus on getting back to basics to keep complacency at bay. This is an ongoing process, but this is also when we take a quick glance in the rearview mirror and set our course for what lies ahead. I'm pleased to report that we had 116 individuals maintain their required training for all four quarters of 2022. This is an improvement of 21% from last year. I'm also pleased to report we had 27 people complete their OSHA 10- or 30-hour courses in 2022. Our commitment to keeping our continued training fresh will ensure we're promoting the safety culture throughout the organization.

We were recently recognized by Associated Builders and Contractors through the organization's STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) program. It's designed to support ABC members with the development and improvement of safety and training efforts. Nickle received the award at Platinum Status. This is the 17th year in a row being honored with a STEP award.

In December, we also celebrated one year since the distribution of the Kask helmets to the last of our field employees. The helmets provide much-improved head protection and are now the standard issue for all employees We're beginning to see additional companies adopting helmet requirements, understanding the tremendous benefit they offer front-line employees This comes at a time when the number one cause of fatalities in construction--falls from heights--is actually on the rise, despite the continued focus on this hazard

We also continue to expand the participation of field employees at each Safety Committee meeting to improve communication from these meetings to our front-line personnel If we all maintain focus on protecting ourselves and each other, 2023 will be a very successful year!

Nickle Anniversaries

Red names indicate Nickle Elite status Employees who have been with the organization for 5+ years

Employee Congratulations

Pre-Fab employee TJ Garvey welcomed his sixth grandchild, Sydney Jane, into the world on January 6

Service Director Ken Emmons welcomed his second grandchild, Myla Jo, into the world on January 11

Vice President of Operations Jeromy Newton was sworn in as Chairman for the Associated Builders & Contractors

Delaware Chapter His initiatives this year include membership growth, continued growth with the young professionals' group, bringing back the Craft Championship, and more

Foreman Eric Eide and his wife welcomed Emilia Marie into the world on February 1.

Service Manager Jonathan Harrison proposed to his girlfriend Erin Dignan. They are planning a 2024 wedding.

Foreman Eric Eide, Mechanic Dave Pipher, and Foreman Jason Wright completed the OSHA 10-hour course as a refresher to support their OSHA 30-hour certification.

Apprentices Brandon Lately and Christian Rothermel completed their OSHA 30-hour training.

Pre-Fab employee Joshua LeMon completed his OSHA 10-hour training.

Foreman Mike Frieze celebrated 25 years of service with Nickle on December 20

Mechanic Dave Rykaczewski celebrated 5 years of service on January 8, officially entering the Nickle Elite Business Development Laura Massimini celebrated 10 years of service to Nickle on February 11

Ben Jezyk completed the State Apprenticeship Program and received his Journeyman's License Service Management Assistant Lauren Jock was voted Top Dog by her office colleagues for great work over the past quarter

Jeromy Newton

Emilia Marie

Mike Frieze (middle), Steve Dignan, & Jeromy Newton Dave Rykaczewski & Kevin Woodland

Sydney Jane

Ben Jezyk (left) & Stan Twardus Lauren Jock (left) & Jeromy Newton Jonathan Harrison (left) & Erin Dignan

L-R: Debbie Dignan, Laura Massimini, Steve Dignan, & Neal Donaldson

Myla Jo

Nickle At Work

info@nickle.email

www.nickleelectrical.com

Facebook.com/NickleElectrical

Instagram: @NickleElectrical

Twitter: @NickleElectric

Local Construction Scholarship Available

The Wilmington, DE Chapter #96 of the National Association of Women in Construction provides scholarship funding every year for students (male or female) entering a construction-related degree program. Applicants must pursue a career in a construction-related field, be enrolled as a full-time or part-time student, be a resident of Delaware, and be at least 17 years of age. Visit www.nawicde.org for more information and to download the application. You may contact Laura Massimini at 302453-4000 or lmassimini@nickle.email if you have additional questions.

We're Hiring

With six years of the Top Workplace in Delaware designation, you can be part of our quality team, too Room for growth, endless opportunities, and great benefits await We currently have openings in the following positions:

Project Manager

Service Manager

Journeyman

Trainer/QAQC

Visit www nickleelectrical com/careers or scan the QR code below

Want to join the Nickle team? We have a few open positions and are always accepting applications.

Scan the QR code to visit our Careers Page and apply today

Carlos Arbolay-Pagan at The Flats Dave Rykaczewski at The Flats

Nelson Vazquez at RAM Office Fit-Out

Jaden McClain at RAM Office Fit-Out

Brandon Lately at RAM Office Fit-Out