Spring is here, and we have a full plate of work! We are fortunate that nearly 100% of our work continues to be with our blue-chip clients, who repeatedly bring us back. That would not have been possible without the outstanding work of all our team members and our Core Value, “Customer Satisfaction is the Core of our Success and Existence.”
We have much to celebrate in 2024; first and foremost, we continue to be recognized as a Best Company to Work for in New York State. We applied for this in the first year it was available in 2007. We remain one of only five companies in the state that have achieved this honor for 17 consecutive years. We should all be proud of this because we all contribute to our culture and make the Companies a great workplace. Another exciting achievement earned at the end of 2023 is a national recognition as a Best Contractor to Work for in Construction, something we should be equally proud of.
The Companies are experiencing a record backlog with some very exciting projects that will break ground in the next 6 months. Our backlog will keep us busy for the next 2.5 years, even if we do not take on another project during that time. We continue our 33-year relationship with the Oneida Indian Nation, leading their most significant expansion in 20 years, the Turning Stone Resort Casino Evolution. The Evolution project includes a 250-room hotel, 1600 car parking structure, and ~150,000 sf Grand Expo center. The Oneida Nation and The Hayner Hoyt Corporation started working together in 1991 when we broke ground on the original casino. They have been a wonderful partner, and we are fortunate that they continue to choose us as their construction partner for most of their projects.
Other notable projects starting or underway include our 10th Expansion/Renovation at Byrne Dairy’s Dewitt facility, Seating Replacements at the JMA Dome, Miron Victory Court (an expansion to the JMA Dome), the Chimes Building Renovation (500 South Salina St) for the Allyn Foundation, Colgate University Buildings and Grounds Complex (3 separate buildings), Exit 34 projects for the Oneida Nation including a Tesla Service and Distribution Center and New Maple Leaf Market, Point Place Casino Expansion and New Hotel, Rome Hospital Surgical Center and ICU addition, Renovation of the 4th floor of the Brook Hotel (Turning Stone’s low rise hotel Hayner Hoyt built in 1995), continuing Lotte Biologics new ADC facility in Building 32 (former Bristol Meyers), continuing the New Football Operations Center at Lally Complex for SU, and continuing the renovations for SU’s STEM programs at Link Hall and the Allyn Innovation Center. That’s a lot of work!
I look forward to seeing everyone at our 20th Annual Service Awards Banquet at the Turning Stone. We will celebrate many significant milestones, including Bob Labarre’s 50th anniversary and Gary Thurston’s 45th. I appreciate all you do to make us successful; we would not be here without you. Be safe!
Jeremy Thurston President
with Stu Cavuto Director of Safety
I love Spring! It is a season of optimism. Days become longer, the temperature gets warmer, and the world is full of promise. Snow melts, flowers bloom, and people once again revel outdoors. In the old days, Spring in central New York meant
the start of the building season. But of course, as we all know, we are blessed to work year-round.
Spring is a time of renewal. So, you can call it appropriate, even ironic, that our insurance renewed on March 1 for the first time. That means we officially reset the clock and are in the running for another injury-free year. Last year, we came close, with Hayner Hoyt and Lemoyne each charting just one minor injury.
This year's insurance renewal was very exciting to us. It will mark the start of our first full year in a new insurance program called a Captive. This program is a form of shared risk self-insurance. Simply put, a Captive is much like a CO-OP store; the companies involved are part-owners of the business.
Access to the Captive is limited. Companies must be invited into the program, and invitations are only extended to the best-performing, safest companies. Our being asked to join this small group is a testament to your efforts to help make us one of the safest companies.
You may ask, "Why would we join this Captive?" There are several advantages to being part of a Captive. Think of it like your auto insurance. The worst drivers force the risk pool with very high insurance rates. The rest of us share rates with other drivers around us. That rate may change with age, marital status, a ticket, or a fancy car, but we all start with a similar number. All the other drivers we share the road with determine our rate. Suppose you could buy your insurance with a group of people who never had an accident, a ticket, or a claim. How would that likely cost you less? Would the insurance company work hard to keep you as a customer?
While the group is limited to a few selected companies, it continues to operate under the umbrella of Liberty Mutual, the company we have been insured by for years. Many people work with have long-standing relationships with us. For example, field ops folks will still see Bob Moore, our Liberty Mutual Risk Advisor, visiting with the Safety Team.
From a safety perspective, it means sharing information and resources with the safest companies around. Here at Hayner Hoyt, we are constantly searching for new ideas to improve safety and reduce risk. As members of the group, we meet frequently to discuss new challenges, ways to improve safety, and lessons learned from incidents or near misses. This information is used to enhance our safety efforts.
Financially, it means we will pay less for our insurance. Insurance costs have risen dramatically in recent years. Being in a low-risk group reduces our insurance rates and overall costs. That means our business will have a competitive edge when bidding on jobs. It also means employees will see increased dollars in the bonus pool as long as we continue to maintain our safe work practices.
Finally, it means better service. I'm sure we all have experience working with a large company for a customer service matter. These days, it can mean long waits on hold or a seemingly endless chain of telephone options that all end in recordings. Many businesses don't even post a number for a live customer service person; instead, you must talk to the computer or email your service request. Our insurance group is different. Our group has a special team at Liberty that deals only with members of our insurance group. They have already demonstrated a strong commitment to accessability. Answering the phone, returning emails, or quickly calling back are standard operations for them. Sometimes, team members have shared personal phone numbers to assist us after hours for issues that can't wait until they return to the office. While we (thankfully) have yet to have much experience with claims, overall, the group has
Saving the best part for last… At this point, you are probably wondering, "How will this affect me?" The good news is, you don't have to do anything different. You now benefit from equal or better coverage with better service. The only change you would see is, in the event of an incident, personal attention means quicker response. For example, when a deer struck one of our company vehicles, the day I filed a notice of claim, I received a call back from the adjuster with confirmation and suggested steps to get the vehicle quickly repaired near the driver's home. When the driver asked if he could use a more convenient shop closer to his worksite, we had
I want to thank each of you for your contribution to our positive safety record. Your efforts make it so we all return home safely. We were invited into the group because we demonstrated a low incident rate and high efforts to reduce risk and injuries. Your Safety Team pledges to work even harder this year to reduce risk and make worksites safer. Each of you deserve our very best. We aim to ensure
Happy Spring, rom YOUR Safety Team
.S. I am pretty ok with Autumn, but you'll never hear the Safety Team folk say, "I love the Fall."
with Vadim Potorac Network administrator
Scanning QR codes has been a convenient way to access the information you need just by opening your
camera app; however, these codes may not always be what you think they are. Because they're widely used, bad actors have weaponized QR codes to use them in phishing attacks. Not long ago, the Federal Trade Commission released a consumer alert warning people to be on the lookout for harmful links hidden in QR codes.
WHAT IS QUISHING?
Since QR codes are nearly everywhere to provide users with easy access to information they need, people are prone to scan them without second-guessing their purpose. Seeing this vulnerability, bad actors have chosen to imitate those helpful QR codes, only to lead the person who scans it to a spoofed site, steal their information, or install malware on their device. So, quishing is a type of social engineering attack designed to fool people into thinking something is harmless, but the goal is to access your information, steal your bank account credentials, and much more.
WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?
QR codes are everywhere: in restaurants, mass transportation, commercials, signs, walls, and even companies ship their products with QR codes, so consumers can access manuals on their phones. We've all just accepted the QR code. And, to that end, we trust them. After all, how harmful can a simple QR code be? The answer to that question is… very. Cybercriminals are counting on the idea that most consumers always assume QR codes are harmless. Those same criminals also understand that their easiest targets are those on mobile phones. Why? Most desktop operating systems include phishing protection. Phones, on the other hand, are far more vulnerable to those attacks.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
The simplest thing you can do is not scan QR codes, especially those from unknown sources. The recommendation is that if you see a QR code in an unexpected place, you inspect the URL before opening it. When inspecting the link, some things to look out for include making sure you recognize the URL, and even if you do, look for misspellings or a switched letter. The Federal Trade Comission also advises that if you receive an unexpected email or text with a QR code, don't scan it, especially if it urges you to act immediately. If you think the message looks legitimate, you can verify the validity of the sender by using a phone number or website that is confirmed to be authentic to verify the information. So, unless you are 100% certain of the source of a QR code, never scan it with your phone. Another tip is if you receive an email with a QR code that purports to be from Company X, but you look at the sender's email, and it's from Gmail or some random (unknown) domain, chances are pretty good that's a quishing attack. Lastly, we recommend you protect your phone and accounts by updating your phone to its latest OS and placing strong passwords and multifactor authentication on your accounts.
Dennington Director of Human Resources
Congratulations! Our collective effort has earned us the distinction of being with Joyce
named one of the 2024 Best Companies to Work for in New York for the 17th consecutive year. By the time we see each other at the annual Service Awards dinner on April 19th, we will know where we rank among the 27 medium-size companies in our category. Our consistent rankings attract top talent and many candidates list this recognition as one reason why they want to join our team. So, thank you for making us a place where others want to be!
A huge thank you to everyone who referred a friend/ colleague last year. The economy remains a candidatedriven market, meaning that the demand for talent (new hires) is greater than the supply of available people in our industry. However, in 2023 we saw a 10% increase in employee referrals -- 30% of all hires were referrals from current employees, up from 20% in 2022. It’s likely you know someone who is already living and working by our core values. If you would be proud to work on the same team and if they are interested in hearing more about our opportunities, please send your referral my way! And don’t forget, our employee referral program may provide a cash incentive to you.
Whether you are enrolled in one of our health care plans or have insurance elsewhere, understanding your benefits and the resources available to you can help avoid frustration and unexpected costs. Health insurance is complex and confusing, so the more information the better. To that end, beginning in March HR Insider , will appear in your email inbox. HR Insider will include indepth information about health insurance, pharmacy benefits, a new surgical benefit program, mental health care, and various topics. Stay tuned for more to come on this!
As always, please contact me or Julie Smith if you have questions or need additional information about anything. We are a resource for you!
Joe Hanley Asst. Superintendent
Rob Massett Carpenter 3
Bill McDougal Carpenter 4
Uriel Crawford Carpenter 2
Eric Gohringer Sr. Project Engineer
Zack Linderman Sr. Project Engineer
vice president OF OPERATIONS
