P1 Connection May 2023

P1 C NNECTION

Safety Awareness happens all year long, but May is full of safety-related events reminding us to get home safe! At P1, a core value is “Safety First, Quality Always”. This core value is proven time and again with the many awards won by our Safety team over the years. These awards are for the best and most innovative safety programs in the nation, showing how the P1 Safety team makes safety about a lot more than rules – it’s a culture P1 associates understand from the minute they get on a jobsite, because they know it’s the way to ensure they’ll go home safe each and every day. During Safety Week, we take a minute to remind ourselves WHY we do it, and continue to go home safe to our families.

May 6 at Shamrock Hills Golf Course, with proceeds going to help the family of a fallen construction worker

You Are Not Alone! The P1 Safety Department will help educate associates about suicide prevention and resources. Dial 988 for help.

P1 SAFETY COMMITTEE

The P1 Safety Committee is another way P1 demonstrates a staunch commitment to safe practices across the organization. As part of P1’s commitment to safety, a Safety Committee was formed. This committee is made up of employees from various trades, ranging from management to field. The committee meets monthly to discuss safety challenges - and solutions - for various areas of the company and field. The committee looks at trending safety topics, as well as recent injuries, in an effort to develop strategies that prevent these incidents from happening again. This is just one more way that P1 puts SAFETY FIRST.

Source: StopConstructionFalls.com

Pictured from left to right: Bry Grame, Nate Christensen, Wes Trammel, Andrew Ritter, Michael Wessel, Greg Sweeney, Robb Eder, Cheri Totta, Brad Herrin, Kayla Hicks, Toby Stephens, Jason Quattlebaum, Shawn Ross, Riston Breiner, Shawn Norris. Not Pictured: Kollin Knox, Don Campbell, Brent Neis, Casey Walsh, Dave Wright, Kyndel Paulsen, Alex Pannell, Phil Van Hoecke & Pat Kent

Associate Profile on P1 Service Manager Sean Marconette Driven to Success:

Considering the things that Service Manager Sean Marconette has accomplished during his career, you could say he has a drive for success, but on the weekends he has a different kind of drive: National Hot Rod Association Racing.

Sean grew up in Lawrence, KS, and went to Baldwin High School. Before he graduated, his dad put the bug in his ear to go into HVAC repair as a career.

“He told me there are guys that work on the AC units, and they are always busy and always in demand,” Sean said.

So Sean enrolled in the two-and-a-half year HVAC program at Pittsburg State’s technical school.

Pittsburg, KS, is a small town, and while attending Pittsburg State, Sean discovered there wasn’t a lot to do in the area.

“There was drinking, fishing and street racing,” Sean said.

So he found himself gravitating toward the street racing. “Pittsburg had a lot of people with fast cars, and many college kids joined in,” he said.

Sean says in hindsight, the street racing was foolish…and dangerous. One specific wake-up call was the catalyst for him to call it quits.

“We used to run races in Lawrence and Topeka,” Sean recalled.

“One night, I was racing, going 130 mph down a city street. I saw lights behind us and I stopped, but the guy I was racing ran through the stoplight. Luckily, no one was hurt.”

After that, he put street racing behind him, but the driving passion had taken hold, so Sean trailered that car and took it to legitimate races only.

A friend introduced him to National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Class Racing - and that is what he still competes in today.

“I consider NHRA Class Racing a thinking person’s class,” Sean said. “It has very specific rules and you have to figure out how to win within those rules.”

In 1997, he purchased a 1984 Ford Mustang, with a 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine and manual transmission, with the purpose of building the car for drag racing only.

“When I bought it, I was looking for a specific car to meet the needs of racing. Over the years, I have done all the body work, painting, and mechanical - all except the machine work to the engine,” Sean said.

In 2015, he sold the engine out of the Mustang and started building a new engine to perform at a higher level.

“I had to find somebody that would take on my engine project, and I was able to find someone in Arkansas to build it for the specifications I wanted,” Sean said. “It took roughly a year for them to make it suitable and within the rules of this class of racing.”

Sean is currently the only person in the world running this car/engine combination. In 2019, all his hard work paid off when he set the NHRA Super Stock national record.

Sean does all the driving and the work on the car, but racing isn’t something that he does alone. Sean says his wife Rose is critical to the process as well.

“Meeting Rose was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” Sean said.

“I won’t go to the track without her. She is my crew chief. She helps me do burnout and enters all the information after I make a quarter mile pass. Racing for us is a team effort.”

Sean and Rose have been married for 14 years and during race season, they spend most of their weekends traveling to races, which averages about 20 races each season.

They go all over the Midwest from Heartland Park in Topeka, KS, to Eau Claire, WI, and many places in between, including Sean’s favorite track in Earlville, IA.

Sean is currently the only person in the world running his car/engine combination. In 2019, all his hard work paid off when he set the NHRA Super Stock national record.

More often than not, Sean is the number one qualifier at the Midwest Class races and he’s proud of the work that he has done on the car to put himself in that position.

“I enjoy the satisfaction of creating something and achieving the goals of making the car faster. That’s the drive for me,” Sean said.

That same drive shows in his work with P1 Service over the years. His career at P1 has spanned 32 years, starting with his goal to work for Huxtable and Associates.

In 1990, Sean was one of three people accepted into the apprenticeship program - out of 103 applicants – and he recalls P1 CEO Smitty Belcher was on the interview panel.

“From the first day Sean came to work for us, he’s had an insatiable desire to learn all he could about the HVAC industry. Over the years, Sean has done everything to make sure he is on top of the latest technologies in our industry,” P1 CEO Smitty Belcher said.

“He has also passed on his knowledge and experience to those that he worked with and mentored. Sean has truly been an asset, not only to P1, but also to the customers that we serve.”

Sean says he enjoys his work as an HVAC technician for the same reason he loves working on his car.

“I love the challenge of figuring out how the equipment works, why

it’s doing what it is doing, and how to fix it,” Sean said.

Early in his career he wanted to learn and understand everything about the building systems and how they operated and that drive pushed him to become a National Environmental Building Bureau (NEBB) certified technician.

NEBB certification shows that individuals that have undergone rigorous requirements set forth by NEBB to prove proficiency in building systems. Sean is one of only a select few at P1 who have obtained this certification.

Sean said the NEBB test is like testing for an engineering degree, but the certification opened the doors for him to work on a lot of projects he wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

He has done the start up for many new buildings in healthcare in the Kansas City area, and was able to travel not only to Travis AFB in California, but also to a jobsite in Japan.

Sean was promoted to Service Manager in 2022, but before that he served as a Service Supervisor and Trainer, providing training classes for technicians from all of the offices.

As a service manager, he still enjoys getting out in the field when he can and hopes that through his training, he can help younger technicians gain knowledge and experience.

“I was fortunate enough to have two extremely knowledgeable mentors in Ken Beebe (retired) and Vice President Tony Whited, both of whom were instrumental in coaching me along the way,” Sean said.

And he hopes to pay it forward. “I hope my leadership and training has brought the same valuable mentorship to others.” 

NEBB certification shows that individuals have undergone rigorous requirements set forth by NEBB to prove proficiency in building systems. Sean is one of only a select few at P1 who have obtained this certification.

P1 SERVICE HVAC EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PROJECT BRINGS COMFORT AND EFFICIENCY TO EXCELSIOR SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

QUICK FACTS

5 INSTALLED OVER THE SUMMER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Temperature control is imperative for performers and audiences alike, so when the Excelsior Springs High School (ESHS) Performing Arts Center started noticing humidity and temperature issues about three years ago, Schneider Electric called P1 in to help with a large HVAC replacement initiative.

ROOF-TOP UNITS

2 AIR HANDLING UNITS

2 WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

4 PUMPS INSTALLED DURING SCHOOL YEAR

STAY

P1 Service Project Manager Andrew Noone explains that when the facility started allowing outside air, the rooftop units were no longer the right size to function properly.

“In the gymnasium, they had a ground source condenser water loop, which goes to a water source heat pump, which feeds chilled and hot water to an air handler,” Andrew said.

“Adding the outside air changed the size of the equipment considerably. This led to some challenges, but the team got it all figured out and finished, even in a tight time frame,” he added.

Andrew says the development of this project actually started in 2020, when Schneider invited P1 to take a look at ESHS needs. At the time, they just wanted a budget.

“P1 provided a very comprehensive budget,” Andrew said.

That budget was so detailed and well done, when the school was ready to move forward in 2021, they decided not to go out to competitive bid, but instead moved forward with P1.

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Even though the project was being sketched out as far back as 2020, typical supply chain equipment delays pushed part of the project out, forcing some of the installation to go from summer installation to fall.

“This is never as ideal because school is in session and the team has to work around student and staff activity,” Andrew said.

“We got a jump start on rough-ins over the summer, but we couldn’t do much without the actual equipment.”

When the delays continued, the project wasn’t remobilized until early 2023. The P1 team was given a five-week period to work in the day time, and the high school shifted activity out of the gym to accommodate. That time frame was down from the original 12-week installation plan. As usual, the P1 team worked through the challenges and got the project delivered on time, also assisting with test & balance and controls. 

PROJECT TEAM:

ANDREW NOONE, PROJECT MANAGER

DOUG SINCLAIR, PROJECT MANAGER

BRIAN HEINEN, FOREMAN

DEREK WOODS, FOREMAN

MICHAEL SANDIDGE, FOREMAN

WES YOUNG, FOREMAN

When a mouse most likely made a 5kV chiller starter its home at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE), chaos ensued. Fortunately, due to the quick thinking of Field Service Technician Garrett Whited, the P1 Electrical Preventative Maintenance (EPM) Team was called in to help.

“We wanted to get in the door at Sire EnergySIRE,” Garrett said. "During a visit with Proactive Solutions Sales Manager Tom Argubright, we learned SIRE’s chiller starter had experienced a damaging ARC Flash event.”

EPM Breaker Shop Rescues Damaged Chiller Starter

Garrett says he immediately thought of the P1 EPM division and breaker repair shop, and that’s when Electrical Preventative Maintenance Project Engineer Wade Buck and his team got involved.

“Garrett has played a crucial part in introducing our team to regional ethanol plants, and has really helped spread the word on P1 and the services we offer,” Wade said.

This is a unique opportunity for the breaker shop, as it is the first time the shop has redone a complete starter for one of these chillers in-house, although they have often serviced this type of equipment on-site.

“We were able to hone in on the skills of two of our electrical testing technicians,” Wade noted.

“A centrally located breaker repair shop is proving more and more advantageous for P1 EPM. The leads from the ethanol industry have helped us grow across the country.”

- Wade Buck, EPM Project Engineer

Results of an arc flash event that took place in the main vacuum contactor cabinet.

“Rich Breeze has a lot of experience with the vacuum contactors in this unit and he’s utilizing his breaker rebuilding expertise on this larger scale project. Allen Hulett’s skills shine with the wiring, controls, and sequence of operations on this starter,” Wade said.

The breaker shop is bringing in more and more projects, working on things like fuse disconnect switches, low and medium voltage breakers, and generator accessory compartments, to name a few.

“A centrally located breaker repair shop is proving more and more advantageous for P1 EPM,” Wade said. “The leads from the ethanol industry have helped us grow across the country.”

He says they are seeing business from coast to coast, including breakers shipped in from Minnesota, New York, and on-site work scheduled in Washington State.

“If we find deficiencies during an on-site job, we can ship the equipment to our breaker shop, which gives us a good balance of manpower during the week," Wade said. "The central location adds the advantage of better turnaround time and shipping convenience for the customer." 

Laying the Foundation for Success in Ankeny, IA

You may just be hearing about a new P1 Service office in Ankeny, IA, but a small team of P1 experts has been working in the area for nearly 10 years.

According to Field Technician Garrett Whited, the team of Randy Wallace, Doug Cypher, and Gary Kessel started working in Iowa ethanol plants, specifically on centrifugal and water cooled screw chillers, in 2014.

They retired in 2018, and Garrett took over this work. “I cover Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, parts of the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Illinois,” he explained.

Randy Wallace, who is once again employed with P1 as a field consultant, has returned to the Ankeny area.

With all of the work that has continued to build with ethanol plants in the area, Garrett said it made sense to re-open the office started by the original group back in 2014.

Interviews are underway for a general manager and other staff, and Garrett says the office should be up and running over the next couple months.

AllenHulett&RichBreezeinspectdamageanddocument conductorlocationspriortoremovalofthestartercabinet.

Freshpartsandfreshpaintnowtaketheplaceof sootanddamaged componentsinthecontactorcompartment.

We can’t wait to see what the breaker shop brings in next!

STAY

NEW FACES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please join us in welcoming our newest P1 associates.

JEREMY PRICE EARNS FIRST GEORGE STULLER AWARD

Congratulations to P1 Pipe Fabrication Shop Manager Jeremy Price on earning the first annual George Stuller award from the UA and Pipe Fabrication Institute (PFI) The award exemplifies someone who, just like George, has a passion for efficiency, quality, innovation, and an undeterred pursuit of the very best practices in the pipe fabrication industry.

STAY TUNED FOR THE FULL STORY, COMING THIS JUNE.

Pictured, from left: Greg Howell PFI Labor Chairman and President of Dixie Mechanical; Jeremy Price, and Christopher Haslinger, Administrative Assistant to the General President & Pipe Fabrication Committee Chairman with the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada

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Scott Rains Operations Manager Wichita

Christine Hawkins Proactive Solutions Consultant Lenexa

Victoria Walkowiak

Project Coordinator Lenexa

Justin Sorem Project Engineer Lawrence

Adam Schieber Senior Project Manager Lenexa

MAY BIRTHDAYS

BIRTHDAYS + ANNIVERSARIES

Office and field associate birthdays and work anniversaries

WORK ANNIVERSARIES

20 DUKE NORRIS

PAYDEN BAUMAN

HAROLD GREEN

JEFFREY SCHRADER

CASEY VANDE VELDE

21 CURTIS HAWK

CLAYTON PIXTON

STEVEN ANTILLON

ETHAN MARTIN

22 WARREN CHISM

AARON COOK

KALEB PALMER

CHRISTIAN REYES

23 MIKE CRAINE

JEFF ERDMAN

MATT BRUSH

RENE DELGADO

ROBB EDER

JOSHUA MASSEY

KENNY SANDS

24 SHAWN FRALEY

STEVEN DELP-ROBINSON

25 CARL LARSEN

JASON LARSEN

TRISTAN LEMEN

GUNNAR MCCARTNEY

MIKE OWENS

NOAH WEISBENDER

26 MIKE BASHMAKOV

BRIAN BROWN

BRAD DAVID

27 KYLE FREEMAN

MARC CARPENTER

BRYAN TONGUE

28

TRINITY RONEY

BRADLEY CLOUTIER

MARK DYER

PAUL SPICER

MICHAEL WARNER

29 RYAN GIOVENCO

MATHEW MOFFITT

CORBYN SCHULER

30 MIGUEL LANDA-GARCIA

ROBERT ALLEN

DAVID YOUNG

31 JOSH HAYES

MELISSA WILSON

5 YEARS: CONNOR HAYES, GARRETT HICKS, LEE JACOB, KEATON MIDDENDORF, MICHAEL ROSS, EVAN

VOGELSMEIER, DEREK HAVERKAMP, VICTORIA HOFFMAN, BRANDON LONG, KYLE POSER

10 YEARS: TIM HOOVER, JUSTIN BOND, GEOFF COLLINS, NICK GURERA, KYLE BRADY, JEFF LUTTMAN

15 YEARS: DOLAN BOXBERGER, SUSAN GIBLER, TROY HOFFMAN, NOLAN ROBERTS

20 YEARS: JACOB YOST, ERIC AFFOLTER, BROOKS PEEK

25 YEARS: BRAD HERRING

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

 P1 Kids Invade HQ: From delicious donuts and face painting to K.C. Wolf, P1 kids had a blast at "Take Our Sons and Daughters To Work Day". The kids even helped the community, packing food for YouthFront's "Something to Eat" Program. Thanks to the P1 volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring the program successfully home - you guys are SAINTS.

 Same great tools, new location: The P1 Tool Shop has officially moved! The new 19,000 sq. ft. facility is located at:

2040 Princeton Blvd. Lawrence KS

Questions regarding the shop or tool usage should be directed to Greg Dowdle, greg.dowdle@p1group.com.

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