P1 Connection May 2019

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CELEBRATE THE TRADES

May 2019

CONNECTION

Executive Associate Spotlight Innovative Ammonia Team Corporate Sponsorship Winners New Faces + BDays +More

Consider a Trade: Career Benefits and Filling the Labor Gap COLLEGE ISN’T FOR EVERYONE The four-year college degree trend may be changing as the younger generations grow tired of the high-dollar loans and low entry-level pay of the white collar world.

May 1 is National Skilled Trades Day, so what better time to celebrate our own men and women in the trades.

LABOR SHORTAGE There’s a lot of information out there regarding the serious shortage of skilled laborers. Between Baby Boomers retiring and far fewer young people pursuing skilled labor careers, the pipeline is thin.

According to the article “Why More Millennials are Choosing Blue Collar Jobs” in Forbes, “more and more members of Generation Y are taking advantage of on-site training and even apprenticeships, rather than betting a college education will result in a career that will impress and appease their parents.”

Kollin notes that while working in a trade requires physical labor and can be harder on the body (which may deter some), there are certainly distinct advantages.

• No high-dollar, high-interest student loans • Free education while earning income during apprenticeships

Kollin Knox, P1 Group President, says another problem is academia isn’t capturing young people at the right age and encouraging them to consider trades.

• Accelerated early earning potential and good benefits

“Just like many parents who would rather see their children pursue a fouryear degree and corporate job, academia has not typically been promoting or encouraging careers in the trades,” Kollin said.

• Portable career: if business is slow in your region, go somewhere else.

The good news is Kollin sees that starting to turn around as more counselors and educators realize college isn’t for everyone.

“We’re starting to find that academia is cooperating more with those of us recruiting for the trades by promoting that you can earn a very nice living as a skilled craftsperson,” he notes.

Kollin also notes if you’re trying to recruit kids in college, you’re probably too late.

“We need to get kids that decide not to go to college or are in vocational schools. As an industry, we should focus our recruiting efforts toward a younger age than we have historically, preferably at the high school level.”

• Move into an office position later – project managers, virtual design specialists and others often come from the field • Satisfaction: seeing a finished project offers a tangible reward.

BRAIN AND BRAWN It’s not all physical labor, either. Kollin points out that the dependence on ever-evolving technology is as much a part of the construction industry as it is any other industry.

“There are more technology-related jobs, like virtual design construction, coming online in our industry that require more brain than brawn,” Kollin said.

Pam Nolte, Senior VDC Specialist for Piping, is a plumber by trade but now works in the P1 Group Virtual Design and Construction department. continued next page

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P1 Group is now on Instagram! Find us and follow us at p1_group_inc.

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It’s a good living. I wasn’t afraid of physical work, and I like building things.

There’s a lot of satisfaction in building something and seeing your work.”

-Pam Nolte, Senior VDC Specialist for Piping

“Plumbing was actually a second career – it was recommended to me by a friend who worked for P1 Group. He said so many good things about it, I decided to do it,” Pam explained.

“And really, this job is no different, I’m just doing it on the computer instead of out in the field. I’m still doing the layout, utilizing code and reading prints.

It’s just not as labor intensive.”

“It’s a good living. I wasn’t afraid of physical work, and I like building things.

There’s a lot of satisfaction in building something and seeing your work.

When I was out in the field I did a lot of layout and organizing.

Learning a trade might just be a surer path to a stable job, and we look forward to the next generation of craftsmen and women. 

Looking to the future, Pam decided to transition to the office. “Since I have more physical limitations now, I had to think about that,” she said.

Mike Meyers

Electrical Foreman, St. Joseph “My father was an electrician, so when I decided I was through with college, it was the logical choice of occupations. I like the satisfaction of completing jobs by their deadlines and having the equipment work properly. I also like not getting stuck at one place and being able to see an assortment of manufacturing processes.”

Branner Gordon Electrical Foreman, Lenexa

“I have always enjoyed working with my hands. I appreciate a good challenge in mechanically figuring out how things work and are built. I enjoy the gratification of being a craftsmen and seeing the accomplishment of a job functional and well done. I would recommend this trade to anyone who is mechanically inclined and loves to learn.”

Gavin Gilliland

Plumber/Pipefitter Foreman, Lawrence “I chose a career in the skilled trades right out of high school because I was burnt out on the classroom setting and wanted a more hands on approach to learning. I also wanted a skill set that’s useful at home and on the job. Having a dad that is a plumber made my trade choice pretty easy. I like being able to drive by completed job sites and tell my daughters that dad and his coworkers helped build that.”

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Below, we asked P1 Group field associates to share what they like best about working in a skilled trade.

Steve McIntosh Millwright Foreman, Lenexa

“I chose a skilled trade because I always liked building things. Union labor gave me a good wage with benefits to raise a family. I enjoy seeing a project finished with pride, and I like that there is something different from job to job.”

Wade Wilson

HVAC Technician, Las Vegas

“I chose a skilled trade because I’ve always been a hands-on type of person. I like to learn how things work. There’s always a variety – work is not the same every day. The biggest reason to consider skilled trade is the shortage of skilled tradespeople that are able to take a job from conception to reality. There are plenty of jobs for talented craftspeople.”

Jeff Gardner

Electrical Foreman, Lenexa

“We build and maintain infrastructures that allow commerce and society to function. In my opinion, the societal contribution of skilled labor is unparalleled. There is never any question whether what you’re learning is actually applicable to your field. You get paid throughout the apprenticeship without accumulating student loans, and I now have the dual satisfaction of working with my brain and my hands.”

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Numbers Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Gloria Keating’s Early Career Calling Spotlight By the 8th grade, P1 Group CFO Gloria Keating knew exactly what she wanted to do. She even recalls writing an 8th grade graduation paper declaring she planned to be an accountant.

Probably one of the younger CFOs you’ll find at any corporation, Gloria certainly has the gift of numbers.

“I’ve always loved math and science,” Gloria said. “I like the process of problem solve and checking – finding out where things go.”

Gloria took her first accounting elective in high school – and finished an entire year’s curriculum in one month.

“It was fun and it was easy. I love the language of accounting – it’s a language of its own. If you know it, you can read and see things most people can’t,” Gloria explained. “It’s also a portable career – with accounting, you can work in any industry.”

Although she was just out of school and obviously very young, Gloria’s potential caught the attention of P1 Group CEO Smitty Belcher.

“In 2000, on that same audit, Smitty said “you’re going to work for me one day.” Several years later in 2007, when Gloria was just 28, Smitty called and made Gloria a formal offer.

Her response? “Absolutely not.”

“I loved public accounting – all the different offices and customers. I was afraid if I went to work for just one customer, I would get bored. I also worried I didn’t have enough experience to handle a large company.”

But Gloria says she really liked the people she met at P1 Group, and came to realize construction accounting was anything but boring.

Gloria started as a CPA, and it was her second week on the job as an auditor when she first touched base with the company that would become her future home.

“In construction accounting, each job is like its own set of books,” Gloria said. “The forecasting and estimating keep things interesting.”

“I was in public accounting on my very first audit outside the office, auditing AD Jacobson and Huxtable & Associates – the precursor companies to P1 Group,” she said.

The appeal of such a challenge finally won her over and she’s been with P1 Group ever since, playing an integral role in building and improving the company’s accounting functions.

Gloria and family

Today, Gloria’s daughter Kayla is following in her mom’s footsteps. She just graduated from the University of Kansas with her master’s degree and currently works as a CPA.

On the Side: Creative Flair and Helping Others Prior to her career in accounting, Gloria was a caterer for nine years while in school.

She says catering is a lot like auditing.

“You walk in to a place of business, talk to them, figure out what they need, come up with a deliverable and go do the work,” she said.

Wedding cake by Gloria

Gloria still keeps her creative talents sharp hosting and catering large family events, making wedding cakes, party planning, doing flower arranging, and even orchestrating home remodel projects (with the help of her electrician husband).

Gloria says she finds fulfillment in her current volunteer work at Birthright, giving free pregnancy tests to women facing unplanned pregnancy.

“As someone who was a young mom when I had my daughter, this was a good fit for me,” Gloria said.

“It’s great to just be there for someone, be that calming presence, with no judgment. Having the opportunity to help people during difficult times really puts your life in perspective.” 

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SAFE

Critical Training Keeps P1 Associates at the Top of Their Ammonia Ammonia Safety Game

Working with industrial ammonia refrigeration is probably one of the most dangerous jobs in our industry. Safety and training are top priorities at P1 Group, particularly in this highly regulated segment.

Keeping with our commitment to ensure associates in the field are highly trained and prepared for the work ahead, P1 Group recently partnered with Wagner-Meinert LLC to develop a comprehensive set of maintenance procedures for our ammonia technicians and relevant personnel.

Michael Schram, Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration Service Manager, said the process was iterative, developing and revising the procedures together over the course of several months.

“This was a several-month process with multiple revisions back and forth between our groups collectively,” Michael said. “The primary intent of the procedures is to protect our employees and those working with them on the ammonia systems being serviced.”

“In addition, the procedures help us meet the compliance requirements set forth from the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), and governed by OSHA and EPA,” he explained. “P1 strives to be the safest and most all-inclusive ammonia provider in the region, and this training propels us toward that goal.”

Ammonia technicians from P1 Group’s Lenexa and Wichita offices participated in the three-day training.

Each attendee was awarded a certificate along with continuing education credits for their efforts. Managers, coordinators, and support staff audited the training as well.

Michael will speak more on this training at the upcoming Ammonia Safety Day in June. P1 Group is a regular participant in the annual event, hosted by Kansas City Community College and the Garden City Ammonia Program, in conjunction with the EPA.  P1 GROUP ASSOCIATES WHO COMPLETED THE TRAINING INCLUDED:

• Brad Fredrickson • Cody Dunkel • Troy Stewart • Arthur Groves • Beth Martens • Michael Schram

• Tony Whited • Jennifer Morris • David Pate • Jamar Jackson • Mitch Sturke

IIAR CONFERENCE BUILDS NETWORK AND BRAND FOR P1 GROUP P1 Group Vice President Tony Whited and Michael Schram recently attended the 2019 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference.

The event was attended by more than 2,000 people from North America and Europe, representing all facets of the industry including design engineers, contractors, end users, academics, scientists, trainers, and government agencies.

According to Tony, P1 Group took the following benefits away from the event: • • • •

Building new partnerships and engaging potential clients Learning and discussing groundbreaking industry trends at the world’s largest meeting dedicated to the natural refrigeration industry Promoting our latest products and services in front of natural refrigeration experts and key decision makers Growing our brand and enhancing the impact of P1 Group in our industry

“All of this means our customers can rest assured working with P1 Group,” Tony said. “If, and when, they are audited for compliance, P1 has proactively worked to ensure their best interest.”  4

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Project Profile: Hunt Midwest Ammonia Compressor CMH Energy Rebate Retrofit

Through an innovative approach to this ammonia energy project, P1 Group’s Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration team beat rebate projections and ultimately earned Hunt Midwest rebates of more than $120,000 based on annual electrical savings of more than 920,000 kWh for the SubTropolis underground business complex in Kansas City.

SubTropolis is the largest underground business complex in the world, created through the mining of a 270-million-year-old limestone deposit. In the mining process, limestone is removed by the room and pillar method, leaving 25-foot square pillars that are on 65-foot centers and 40 feet apart.

P1 Group partnered with Clear Results and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) for the Hunt Midwest-owned Subtropolis facility upgrade. The project consisted of removing two old rotary vane compressors, installing a new Frick screw compressor, and installing an all new PLC control system.

“The energy savings come from “off cycling” all the ammonia compressors during peak demand times,” Michael Schram, Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration Service Manager, explained. “This is a different approach than the conventional method of kilowatt hour savings.”

Schram notes the team was also able to cycle freezer fan coil units to capture additional rebate dollars.

The project was design-built in-house, and entailed an ammonia screw compressor install, PLC control integration of the ammonia engine and the installation of a 40,000 sq. ft. freezer.

P1 Group put its single-source capabilities to work, including building technologies, design-build, electrical construction, and mechanical construction.

Due to the expertise of P1 Group, Hunt Midwest received rebates from two KCP&L rebate programs. Under the Custom Business Energy Efficiency Program, Hunt Midwest was awarded $100,000 for 605,000 kWh of savings, and under the Block Bid Program, they were awarded an additional $20,688 for 923,282 kWh. 

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NEW

NE W FACES

NEW MAY

Please join us in welcoming our newest P1 Group associates.

Jeff Harris Safety Specialist Las Vegas

Tammy Vance Project Coordinator Pryor, OK

Becca Nash Service Coordinator Wichita

SPECIAL DELIVERY Baby Declan Jax Patterson was born to Wichita Project Engineer Chris Patterson and family on April 6. Declan was 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 20 inches, with a healthy head of hair, at birth!

Baby Samuel Oliver McCray was born to IT Support Tech Cody McCray and family on April 8. Samuel was 5 lbs, 8 oz, and 18 inches at birth.

Baby Bryn Kennedy Lassise was born to Service Accounting Manager Morgan Lassise and family on April 18. Bryn was 7 lbs, 8 oz at birth.

Declan Patterson 6

Samuel McCray

Bryn Lassise

Congratulations to all moms and dads!

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B I RT HDAYS + A NNIVER SAR IES + AWAR D ED Office and field associate birthdays and work anniversaries + awarded work

MAY BIRTHDAYS 1

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Parker Dean Enrique Flores Tanner Hansuld Morgan Malm Gerardo Pena-Estrada Austin Bartow Darrin Bretthauer Stephen Hennesy Ron Isbell Ralph Pena Michael Rockhill Joshua Hebert Penelope Stone Trevor Burns Christina Griffin William Jones Daniel Rankin Gaudy Sanchez Dalton Nehring Jeremy Treadwell Jeremy Welch Bo Wempe Angel Castillo Keaton Middendorf Zachary Noll Mitchell Stansell Bradley Thompson

WORK ANNIVERSARIES 5 Years

Shanon Copeland William Heron Matthew Keister Steve Klamm Jacob Parker James Penry Russel Presley Paul Spicer Alex Vanleeuwen Timothy Wardlow Eric Williams Brad Winsor

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Benito Garver Ben Pruett Peter Kelley Michael Farve Roderick Moore Antonio Navarro-Mendez Jay Rimel Johnny Hicks Brady Munsterman Gregory Cook Daniel Head Jesse Alvarado Carlos Contreras Robert McNamee Wesley Smith Brandon Valentine Riley Bengel Samantha Keith Steven Mcintosh Mark Ashcraft Jim Dahlin Christopher Patterson Keegan Gray Jacob Hille Thomas Kelley Brian Moore

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Harold Green Dillan McDowell Jose Mejia Blasie Munoz Duke Norris Kenneth Stiles Ethan Martin Warren Chism Kaleb Palmer Bruce Weis Matthew Brush Robb Eder Jeffrey Erdman Kenny Sands Dennis Miller Brody Foos Adam Keller Carl Larsen Jason Larsen Gunnar Mccartney William Owens Mikhail Bashmakov Brian Brown Brad David Andrew Douthit

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Stuart Solomon Anthony Suckiel Eugene Swindale Bryan Tongue Scott Dyer Michael Spellman Paul Spicer Michael Lindsay Alex Quick Melissa Wilson

AWARDED highlights

10 Years

Morgan Lassise Michael Spellman

25 Years Eric Seigler 35 Years Dave Beebe

Elec + Pipe/Berry Global/KS

Park Hills S HS/HVAC

Pipe + Plbg+SM/Meow Wolf/NV

National Weather Service/HVAC Chngout

SM/Opportunity Village/NV

Saint Luke’s/SLS MRI Chiller Repl + SLC Tower

Elec/CMH Low Voltage Tower/MO

Pumps Reloc

Millwright/CertainTeed/MO

Clint Properties/9229 Ward Pkwy Office Space

Elec/Ft. Riley/KS

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CS WINNERS

Corporate Sponsorships Aid Associates’ Cherished Charities

Marvin Reese: Kansas Pray & Play Players College Preparatory Workshop

Chad Andrew: Grace Community Church’s Nazarene Youth Conference

P1 Group is always looking for ways to support the communities in which we live and work, and the bi-annual Corporate Sponsorship competition allows us to do it for the charities nearest and dearest to our associates’ hearts.

The event assists high school students in the Pray & Play program, who may not otherwise have access to this kind of help, in preparing for ACT and SAT testing. There is also help for identifying college scholarships.

Congratulations to Scheduler/Dispatcher Marvin Reese from our Lawrence office and Building Technologies Foreman Chad Andrew from our Lenexa office on winning the Spring Corporate Sponsorships.

Chad chose the Grace Community Church’s Nazarene Youth Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Each winner earned $500 for their charities.

Marvin chose the Kansas Pray & Play Players College Preparatory Workshop, hosted by the Kansas Pray & Players basketball organization.

Marvin says the money will go toward paying for a facilitator of the event.

“This is not just a one-day event. We will continue to assist those in need through tutoring assistance as well,” Marvin said.

“The event is held every four years, and has been going on for decades,” Chad said. “It’s an opportunity for high school students to be united in a time of worship, teaching and community service.”

Chad says the money will assist those students who may not otherwise have the means to attend.

This spring, P1 Group Executives have the tough job of selecting the two final winners out of 23 worthy applications. The competition for the next set of sponsorships will happen in Fall 2019. 

National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at P1 Group Celebrating National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, P1 associates brought their kids for a fun-filled day on April 25. Kids learned what mom and dad do at P1, made some cool crafts, got a workout with a fitness expert, carried a potato across the parking lot (hands free, of course) and got balloon sculptures.

They even had a special guest visit from Rachel Santschi, news anchor on KMBC-TV Channel 9!

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P1 Group is now on Instagram! Find us and follow us at p1_group_inc.

Golf

March Madness Bracket Winner Alan Sparling Gives Back Every year, P1 Group hosts a March Madness bracket challenge designed to build a bit of competitive fun around the office and support great causes that are meaningful to our associates.

The winner of the bracket challenge receives half of the entry proceeds, and P1 Group matches the other half to make a donation to a charity of the winner's choice.

Giving the Basics provides the necessities of life, not covered by government assistance programs, that most people take for granted such as laundry soap, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper and other personal care hygiene products. These products immediately impact low-income families with small children, students, battered women, veterans, seniors, former prisoners and the mentally ill.

This year, Project Engineer Alan Sparling was our lucky winner. Alan will be donating $670 to one of his favorite charities, Giving the Basics.

"I really like the charity mission Giving the Basics has of helping people succeed by providing basic hygiene products," Alan said.

Alan says it was Auburn University that sealed his win.

"I didn't choose Virginia to go all the way. The pick that won it for me was Auburn. I watched them play in the SEC tournament and they looked good. I knew they would make a run and it would separate me from the rest of the office when they beat KU!" (Sorry Jayhawks!)

"This boosts confidence and prepares them for success.

I think the access most of us have to personal hygiene items is something we take for granted. There are many people who don’t have shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste etc., and these are things that can empower people to succeed." 

The access most of us have to personal hygiene items is something we take for granted. There are many people who don’t have these things, which can be tools for empowerment and success.”

-Alan Sparling, Project Engineer

ABB VFD Training Sharpens Expertise Keeping our experts sharp: Service technicians from the HVAC, Electrical and Sheet Metal departments recently underwent ABB VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) startup certification on the current ACH550 and the new replacement ACH580 series. The two-part class focused on the differences between the new and old drives, troubleshooting, and a hands-on portion where participants were given setup programming tasks with VFD training cases. The majority of the equipment in P1 Group’s industry have VFDs we install, service and startup.

Educating our staff on this technology makes us more efficient and an even stronger single-source provider. 

P1 Group is now on Instagram! Find us and follow us at p1_group_inc.

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MORE Recruiting the next skilled trade laborers: In St. Joseph, General Manager Heather St. Clair and Service Supervisor Ryan Rotterman participated in the West Platte Career Day. Ryan is the VP of the West Platte Board of Education. Students in grades 7-10 had the opportunity to listen to five or six presentations on various career paths, including mechanical engineering, U.S. EPA, city administration, architecture, Laborers Local 663, pipefitter, chemists, flight attendant and pilots, information technology, and health sciences.

P1 HAPPENINGS

P1 Group associates Pam Frazey, Shannon Boer, Kelly McBride, Emily Barber, Sarah Garcia; Renee Boggs, Vicki Jesse, Amanda Cox, Roxanne Sturgeon, and Laura Adkins took time to support the healthcare community at the Saint Luke’s Foundation “Books and Boutiques”, supporting the programs, patients and families of Saint Luke’s South Hospital.

Empowering Associates: A recent cohort of new P1 Group associates visited the University of Kansas Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena construction site, where P1 Group is performing construction of a team shower facility and large public restrooms, as well as the fabrication and installation of ductwork and HVAC equipment to condition the space.

P1 Group’s Spring blood drive in Lenexa brought 21 people out and resulted in 22 total units of life-saving blood!

P1 Group is “Back for the Challenge” at the Kansas City Corporate Challenge 2019. In our first week we earned 53 points with walking, disc golf, bike race and flag football, all benefiting the Special Olympics. Stay tuned for updates and support our upcoming games!

P1 Group is now on Instagram! Find us and follow us at p1_group_inc.