Nickle News - September 2023

Nickle News

Nickle Apprentice to compete in ABC National Craft Championship

On September 16, fourth year Apprentice Andrew Antinora came in first place at the ABC Delaware Craft Championship and will now move on to the ABC National Craft Championship.

The Craft Championship is a national competition that brings together the best skilled tradespeople to demonstrate their superior skills in the industry.

In August, Nickle hosted its first annual Craft Championship where seven third and fourth-year Apprentices competed in a written and hands-on skills test to determine who would move on to the state competition. The hands-on portion required the Apprentices to complete various residential panel and lighting wiring.

Andrew Antinora and third year Apprentice Adrian Cosgrove came out on top and both competed at the state level against Apprentices from other local electrical contractors

State winner Andrew Antinora said he was a little nervous going into the Nickle event “I wasn’t totally sure what to expect but I was also eager to get on the tools and start the skills test,” he said On his favorite part of the competition: “Just being around the whole Nickle crew and hanging out with friends and coworkers,” he said “I also really enjoyed having my wife there to cheer me on ”

Along with the written test proctored by Director of Commercial Construction Randy Spencer, there were employees who volunteered as judges for the hands on portion of Nickle’s event Service Foreman Mike Frieze, Layout Foreman Luis Rivera, Service Foreman Ryan Wade, Safety Director Paul Woodland, and Estimator Dietrich Yontz scored the competitors on aspects such as following provided

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drawings, using correct dimensions, overall appearance of the job, performing the job safely, and more Foreman Mike Frieze, who is a 25-year Nickle Elite, competed in the State and National Craft Championship back in 2001 ABC Delaware President Ed Capodanno was present and he commended the organizers and competitors “The competition went flawlessly,” he said “I am happy to have been able to witness the craftmanship and quality of work done by your apprentices ”

Nickle’s first annual event was put together by Chief Operating Officer Jeromy Newton, Project Manager Brandon Cale, Service Manager Jonathan Harrison, and Project Manager Kevin Woodland “It was an exciting challenge organizing our first annual Nickle Craft Championship, and it made it truly worthwhile seeing how much our apprentices enjoyed the competition,” said Brandon Cale

Andrew Antinora will attend the 35th Annual National Craft Championship in Kissimmee, Florida in March 2024

Vice President's Corner

Jeromy Newton Chief Operating Officer

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and was able to spend time away from your desk or job site Now the leaves are changing, temperatures are falling, and the autumn season brings a new change in mindset

Not only are we putting our noses back to the grindstone, but so are our children We’re transitioning from beach traffic to school traffic -- buses, pedestrians, drop off lines, etc It’s important to stay on high alert and avoid distractions as we adjust to new schedules

Fall is also a great time to focus on home safety and maintenance October is Fire Prevention Month and I encourage you to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. The United States Fire Administration states that having properly working smoke alarms decreases the risk of dying in a home fire by 50%.

Yet another autumnal change is Daylight Savings Time, which is still in effect. Remember we will “fall back” on November 5. For some, this extra hour can have an impact on their health as it disrupts the body’s natural 24-hour cycle, resulting in mood imbalances, hormonal changes, decreased attention levels, and more. Be proactive and begin to gradually adjust your schedule to prepare for the change.

Lastly, the holidays are coming up Stay safe and work smart so you can enjoy that time with your family and friends I wish you the best as we enter the last quarter of 2023

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”

-Sam Ewing

Community Outreach

Nickle Garden

Since May, Nickle’s garden has produced enough vegetables that almost a dozen fresh donations have been made to the Delaware Dream Center, a non-profit organization in Newark, DE that provides community outreach to those in need, including providing “Boxes of Hope” filled with food every week The garden continues to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, jalapenos, squash, and zucchini If you know a family or organization in need, please reach out to lmassimini@nickle email

Delaware Burn Camp

Nickle’s Service Department was honored to donate a generator to volunteers and staff for use at the Delaware Burn Camp in August The free camp provides a safe and natural environment to young victims of burn injuries for physical and emotional healing through supportive companionship and social activities The generator powered various areas of the camp in need of remote electricity “It was wonderful to have working lights and air conditioning,” said Joanne Hutchison, president of the Burn Camp’s board of directors

Kudos

Service Foreman Nelson Vazquez and Apprentice Jaden McClain were praised by a residential customer: "Very efficient, friendly, quiet, knowledgeable professionals that I would definitely like to have back for other projects."

A residential customer praised Service Foreman Rich Heasley for being “ very professional” at her home and complimented his quality of work, timeliness, and thoroughness

Service Foreman Rich Heasley and Apprentice Joseph Delaruelle were also given a glowing review by a customer: “The service people sent to complete the job were prompt and got all the work finished,” she said “I was impressed that they cleaned up once they were finished ”

Mike Berkheimer from St. Phillips Lutheran Church called Nickle’s office to express how impressed he was with Service Mechanic Mike Lehman and how knowledgeable such a young technician was. He also mentioned that his interaction with Apprentice Jacob Smith was very good.

Service Mechanic Mike Lehman and Apprentice Jacob Smith were also praised for work they completed at Palumbo’s Car Care in Newark: “The Nickle team is always diligent and professional!”

Foreman Mike Frieze and Apprentice Owen Withrow were acknowledged by a residential customer in Frederica, DE: “Thank you very much for the quick scheduling, diagnosis, and repair of our home,” he said “We also found your technicians friendly and your prices fair ”

Featured Project

NKS Distributors

Owner: Facility Planning, Inc.

Architect: BSA+A

Engineer: DEDC

CM/GC: EDiS Company

Project Manager: Ken Emmons

Project Management Asst: Kris Hoffman

Foreman: Brandon Fenimore

NKS is the leading beer distribution company in the state of Delaware They recently moved their facility to Smyrna, DE, which was the construction of a new 176,000-square-foot distribution warehouse to bring all operations under one roof Their trucking system delivers beer and wine to liquor stores, restaurants, and bars throughout the state Nickle provided electrical work for a 2000-amp service, distribution panels, lighting and lighting controls, refrigerated warehouse space, loading docks and controls, offices, meeting rooms, and fuel dispensers

Featured Project

Everett Meredith Middle School

Owner: Appoquinimink School District

Architect: ABHA Architects

Engineer: Furlow Associates

CM/GC: EDiS Company

Project Manager: Erik Porter

Project Management Asst: Jennifer Thompson

Foremen: Kevin Gainey & Matt Gillespie

The original Everett Meredith Middle School in Middletown, DE, which opened in 1929, was demolished in 2020 to make way for a brand new, 120,525-square-foot school The two-story building includes classrooms and special rooms for STEM with a media center for students to collaborate There is also a cafeteria, kitchen, gym, and auditorium Nickle was responsible for providing new service, building lighting and power, and a fully operational theatrical system Other systems Nickle assisted with was fire alarm, CCTV, and lightning protection The project was completed in time for the 2022-2023 school year

Safety Report

Director of Safety

At our last company-wide meeting we reviewed the importance of know your “WHY” - the reason you get out of bed and work safely each day We wanted employees to be in touch with what was most important to them The idea is to prevent complacency by understanding that in order to enjoy what you appreciate most, you need to protect yourself and your teammates every day. We felt that if we began to share these “whys” that we would see firsthand the importance of making sure we always look out for each other. There’s more to life than work and we recognize that. Adding a human element to the work we do makes it easier to follow the processes we have in place for safety. When we protect ourselves and each other, we all win. Here are some of the photos submitted by Nickle employees and why they work safely:

Nickle Anniversaries

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

Paul Woodland

Leadman Chris Huhn: “I work safe for more days like this.”

Service Foreman Brandon Fenimore: “I work safe ... because the team needs me!”

Service Mechanic Mike Schaeffer: “I work safe ... so I can drive this beautiful truck.”

Leadman Rodney Tate: “I work safe ... for my work nephews (apprentices) ”

Shop Asst Tyler Mitchel: “I work safe ... because whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins ”

Senior Project Manager Stan Twardus: “I work safe because it’s the little things in life that make it worth it ”

Foreman Khalil Crump: “I work safe ... because I am my brother’s keeper ”

Employee Congratulations

Service Forman Mark Benson, Jr , Service Foreman Chris Eide, and VDC Tech Troy Fitzgerald all celebrated five years with Nickle last quarter, officially entering the Nickle Elite

Leadman Bob Rose celebrated 10 years with Nickle on May 28

Isaac Campos, Brennan Donaldson, Lucas Findeison, Nick Jones, and Mike Lehman completed the State Apprenticeship Program and have received their Journeyman's Licenses

Service Manager Dan Peralta and his wife welcomed Nathaniel Thomas to the world on August 7.

HR/Payroll Assistant Samantha Windle and her husband welcomed Reagan Jane to the world on August 8.

Isaac Campos, Gavin Dutton, Nick Jones, and Michael Schaeffer recently completed their OSHA-30 Hour training.

Service Management Assistant Lauren Jock’s son Daniel Humphrey, Jr. graduated from Newark High School.

Marketing Director Laura Massimini was sworn in as President for the Wilmington, DE chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction.

Service Manager Jonathan Harrison was named Top Dog for great work accomplished over the past quarter He is a Nickle Elite and has held a number of positions from the field into the office

Isaac Campos, Brennan Donaldson, Lucas Findeison, and Bob Rose celebrated apprentice graduations and Nickle Elite

Nick Jones (left) & Service Manager J P Shoop

Mike Lehman (left) & Service Manager J P Shoop

Jonathan Harrison (right) & Jeromy Newton Chris Eide

Mark Benson, Jr (left) & Service Manager J.P. Shoop

Troy Fitzgerald (right) & VDC/Pre-Fab Manager Lee Devine Lauren Jock (left) & her son Daniel Humphrey, Jr

Reagan Jane Windle

Nathaniel Thomas Peralta Laura Massimini

Nickle At Work

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Nickle Named Top Workplace for 7th Year

Nickle Electrical Companies has been awarded a 2023 Top Workplaces in Delaware honor by The News Journal The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage, LLC, a third-party research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. This is the seventh year Nickle has been named to the list.

A few of the aspects measured were company culture, alignment, communication, work/life balance, the direction of the organization, and more. The honor will be announced in the October 8 edition of The News Journal and on delawareonline.com.

In addition to the local award, Nickle came in at #40 out of 90 on the National Top Workplace list for construction industry companies with 150-499 employees

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

Ken Matteson in Dover, DE

Ryan Givens & Ryan Wade at Amazon in Baltimore, MD

Mike Frieze & Ryan Wade

Andrew Antinora

Adrian Cosgrove