The Pipeline - January 2023

Our Vision

The vision of W. W. Gay is to be a leader in our industry and our community through an unrivaled commitment to our craft and our people.

Our Mission

The mission of W. W. Gay is to provide the best service, at the best value, with the best people

A Message From Our CEO

Dear W. W. Gay Family,

With our 60th anniversary behind us and a new year well underway, I find myself thinking about a great deal: where we’ve come from, the challenges we’ve faced throughout our six decades, and what the next 60 years will look like for us.

If we’ve learned anything from our history, especially these last few years, it’s that change is hard. It’s also inevitable. Charles Darwin says this about change: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. The scariest part about change is the unknown; no one can tell you if things will be better with change.

What we do know, though, is if things are to be better, they must change. If you take a look back, it makes me proud to realize how far we’ve come. It should make you proud, too. For decades, each of us has felt that responsibility to stay the “best in the business”, to constantly outperform our competition. The only way we’ve been able to do that, and will continue to do that, is by not turning away from the changes. We must be willing to move forward and keep facing those changes head on.

Taking that leap of faith is difficult, and so is being the best year after year. The best advice I have is to remain true to yourself. For our company to be the “best in the business”, we must also stay true and hold fast to our core values; the principles that have made us “us” for all these years. Dedication, Quality, Stewardship. While these values may seem new to some of you, each of these resemble qualities our company and employees have embodied for decades. While no value is more important than the other, stewardship has always stuck out to me. Simply put, it’s the “careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”. I love that definition because it rings true to who we are and my role in leading this great company. One of the great things about W. W. Gay is that we are employee owned. There’s not one specific person that owns this company. We all own it, together as a team. You’ve just entrusted this company to me, and I will always do all that I can to take careful and responsible care of it.

And you, as part-owner, hopefully feel the same way, too. We’re all working for the advancement of the company, but you’re also working for that person to your left, and the person to your right. Each of you

has a purpose and responsibility in what we’re doing. My hope is that we keep that truth close and let it ignite us this year.

“No one can tell you if things will be better with change. What we do know, though, is if things are to be better, they must change”.

There are many exciting things on the horizon for us in the year to come. New programs are being put in place to reward our high performers, with an emphasis on family. We’re going to focus more on what has made this company great, in hopes of reminding each of us why we’re here. I’ll be the first to tell you that I understand new things may be scary, but as your leader, I’m here to support you and keep us heading down the right road. There will be bends and curves along the way, and we’ll speed up and slow down, but we’ll continue down the road…together as a team.

I’m extremely excited about the future and I hope you are, too.

Thank you for always being the best in the business!

Paul Jones President & CEO

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Dedication Quality Stewardship

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Dedication Stewardship

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Marketing Update

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that a new year is already upon us.

For those of you that attended that TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, I can’t think of a better way to have ended the year than being at the game. Not only was a great game of football played, but it was a beautiful day and such an exciting atmosphere! The game had an official attendance of 67,383, making it the highest attended TaxSlayer Gator Bowl since January 1, 2011. It was also the #4 highest attended Bowl game of the season, coming in behind the Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. The game had impressive television viewership of 5.8 million viewers, an increase of +66% year-over-year and the best since January 2016. As you know, our partnership with the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl has spanned many decades, so it was wonderful to see that event be such a success for them and the entire city of Jacksonville.

Thanks to everyone who purchased tickets and joined us!

Peyton and I have some exciting things coming your way this year! In 2023, our goal is to focus on the things that make W. W. Gay great. This includes our core values: Dedication, Quality, Stewardship but it also means YOU! We want to hone in on what we do and how we’re making a difference in our communities. Bring the focus to our people and showcase the hard work you are putting in day after day, because without each of you, we wouldn’t be here!

The online company store is still open with items available for purchase. The 50/50 sale went great and we’ll let you know the next time we’ll be offering that great deal. In the meantime, Peyton and I will be hard at work getting together more items to place on the site. As always, if you have anything specific in mind that you’d like to see, please reach out and let us know.

Moving forward this year, if you’re looking to order swag/merchandise/items for your department or customers, please continue to reach out to Peyton or me directly and we’ll be happy to help you get an order together.

We’re looking forward to an exciting 2023 and please reach out if there’s anything you needed.

Forging ahead,

Emily Andrews Marketing & Community Relations Director

New Building Update

There’s been big and noticeable changes in the last month, with the first walls officially going up on Friday, December 9. The process was incredible to watch and took about a week for all walls to be set in place. Exciting to see the structure of our building officially in place!

In addition to the walls, structural steel on the South half of the building has been installed and is officially complete. The exterior patio, which we’re all looking forward to putting to good use, is complete on the second floor. Underground plumbing is currently in progress on the South side of the building where the steel is complete.

While Auld & White is spearheading the overall project, it’s been wonderful to see our W. W. Gay Employees hard at work on the building, too. We’re so proud to have our hands on this project and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Thank you to everyone for their efforts in building our new office building! We’re thrilled to see more progress over the coming months and to bring you more updates.

January Anniversaries

01/01 – Micky Prince – 33 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Thomas Arban – 21 Years (Gainesville)

01/02 – Jeremy Caulder – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Dale Reddish Jr. – 4 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Lauren Odom – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Everett Glisson Jr. – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Jonathan Taylor – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Adam Bates – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Collin Bounds – 1 Year (Gainesville)

01/03 – James Arrington – 27 Years (Gainesville)

01/03 – Chase Smith – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Dalton Crawford – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Stephen Driggers – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Joshua Scheider – 6 Years (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Kevin Peeples – 23 Years (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Clinton Roach – 7 Years (Orlando)

01/04 – Justin Cameron – 6 Years (Gainesville)

01/04 – Brent Cason – 17 Years (Gainesville)

01/04 – Gerald Mclendon – 10 Years (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Scott Bohn – 30 Years (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Jeffery Strickland – 34 Years (Jacksonville)

01/05 – Taylor Carroll – 1 Year (Gainesville)

01/06 – Arthur Kight – 3 Years (Gainesville)

01/06 – Jason Conn – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/06 – Glenn Lynn – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/06 – Noah Rook – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/07 – Matthew Williams – 1 Year (Gainesville)

01/07 – Tiffany Barnes – 4 Years (Gainesville)

01/07 – Karl Zink – 4 Years (Jacksonville)

01/07 – Keith Griffin Jr. – 20 Years (Jacksonville)

01/08 – Callon Lott – 3 Years (Gainesville)

01/08 – Ricky Murphy – 16 Years (Gainesville)

01/09 – Andrew Brown – 6 Years (Jacksonville)

01/10 – William Young – 6 Years (Gainesville)

01/10 – Michael Debrule – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/10 – Domonique Faulk – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/10 – Isaac Hayes – 11 Years (Jacksonville)

01/12 – Scott Achtemeier – 23 Years (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Patric Oliver – 13 Years (Orlando)

01/13 – Robert Degrave III – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Ashton Vest – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Cameron Cardella – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Wilson Mishoe Jr. – 9 Years (Jacksonville)

01/14 – William Chesser – 2 Years (Gainesville)

01/14 – Johntravious Cox – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/15 – Dillon Rogers – 15 Years (Jacksonville)

01/16 – Jordan Nichols – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/16 – Bryan Pitman – 8 Years (Orlando)

01/16 – Shannon Turner – 19 Years (Gainesville)

01/17 – Jeffrey Timberlake – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/17 – William Tyson II – 23 Years (Jacksonville)

01/17 – William Waller Jr. – 31 Years (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Joanie Jones – 8 Years (Orlando)

01/18 – Kevin Medina – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Ryan Felch – 7 Years (Jacksonville)

01/19 – Larry Brown Jr. – 14 Years (Gainesville)

01/19 – Jeffrey Crump – 1 Year (Jacksonville)

01/19 – Robert Swain – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/19 – Andrew Locke – 12 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Kellie Wade – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Brandon Romines – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Richard Hayes – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Don Ammons – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Cardell Shuford – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Joshua Ferguson – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Shane King – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Terry Briley – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – William Munroe – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Vincent Ricci – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Robert Mencner Jr. – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Robby Walton – 30 Years (Jacksonville)

01/21 – John Hale Jr. – 4 Years (Gainesville)

01/21 – Billy Fraser Jr. – 4 Years (Jacksonville)

01/22 – Jonathan Leonard – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/22 – Robert Shreve Jr. – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/24 – Jacob Boyette – 3 Years (Gainesville)

01/24 – Branden Raulerson – 12 Years (Jacksonville)

01/24 – John Henderson – 18 Years (Jacksonville)

01/24 – Rhonda Wyre – 39 Years (Jacksonville)

01/25 – Garrett Davis – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Joseph Cannady – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/27 – Zane Britton – 3 Years (Gainesville)

01/27 – Joseph Bouchard V – 2 Years (Jacksonville)

01/27 – John Leonard – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/27 – Edward Martinausky – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/28 – Damon Redditt – 4 Years (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Jared Colburn – 2 Years (Gainesville)

01/29 – Garrett Denson – 5 Years (Gainesville)

01/29 – Donald Chaney – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Dylan Collins – 3 Years (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Troy Pagnotto – 4 Years (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Zachary Gray – 5 Years (Jacksonville)

01/31 – Alexander Hankins – 1 Year (Gainesville)

01/31 – Bradley Griffin – 1 Year (Gainesville)

**If you find that any of the above information is incorrect, please reach out to Marketing Coordinator Peyton Beasley at pbeasley@wwgmc.com so that it can be corrected in our system.

January Birthdays

01/01 – Billy Rispoli (Orlando)

01/01 – James Young (Gainesville)

01/01 – Michael Ferguson (Jacksonville)

01/02 – Jacob Jervis (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Garrett Denson (Gainesville)

01/03 – Viola Highsmith (Orlando)

01/03 – Atakan Ciftci (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Logan Mcvey (Jacksonville)

01/03 – Dylan Mcvey (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Gregory Butler (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Nicholas Bailey (Jacksonville)

01/04 – Douglas Colley (Jacksonville)

01/05 – Thomas Allgeyer Jr. (Jacksonville)

01/06 - Edgar Rivera Jr. (Orlando)

01/06 – Michael Hartley (Jacksonville)

01/07 – Joshua Epps (Jacksonville)

01/08 – Paul Jones (Jacksonville)

01/08 – Harris Phelps III (Jacksonville)

01/08 – Stanley Shaffer Jr. (Orlando)

01/09 - Steve Trammell (Jacksonville)

01/09 – Brock Williamson (Jacksonville)

01/10 – Eris Vega (Jacksonville)

01/11 – Brett Crenshaw (Jacksonville)

01/12 – Jason Masters (Jacksonville)

01/12 – Micah Hodges (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Dalton Price (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Roberto Hernandez (Jacksonville)

01/13 – Wadly Theophile (Orlando)

01/14 – Valerie Day (Jacksonville)

01/15 – George Schwab (Jacksonville)

01/15 – Clayton Roerig (Jacksonville)

01/16 – Ian Townsend (Gainesville)

01/17 – Bryce Olds (Orlando)

01/17 – Daron Morgan (Jacksonville)

01/17 – Austin Parker (Jacksonville)

01/17 – Simon Smith (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Andrew Locke (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Thomas Cooper (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Kellie Wade (Jacksonville)

01/18 – Paul Hodge (Gainesville)

01/18 – Travis Scott (Gainesville)

01/18 – Paul Hodge (Gainesville)

01/19 – Timothy Flanagan (Orlando)

01/19 – Darrell Heath (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Thomas Arban (Gainesville)

01/20 – James Carr (Gainesville)

01/20 – John Oneal (Jacksonville)

01/20 – Edward Martinausky (Jacksonville)

01/21 – Dean Neyrinck (Orlando)

01/21 – Charles Hicks (Orlando)

01/21 – Jason Smith (Gainesville)

01/21 – Robert Duke III (Gainesville)

01/21 – Steven Hall (Gainesville)

01/21 – Lance Walko (Gainesville)

01/21 – Joseph Shepard (Jacksonville)

01/21 – Keith Griffin Sr. (Jacksonville)

01/22 – Glenn Lee (Jacksonville)

01/23 – Kyle Craven (Gainesville)

01/23 – Richard Tipping Jr. (Jacksonville)

01/23 – Billy Fraser Jr. (Jacksonville)

01/24 – Malinda Bostic (Orlando)

01/24 – Derrick Woods (Jacksonville)

01/25 – Heckmil Dejesus (Orlando)

01/25 – Henry Beckwith Jr. (Jacksonville)

01/25 – Joseph Bouchard V (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Harrison Tharpe (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Garland Pierce III (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Peggy Griffin (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Steven Buonomo (Jacksonville)

01/26 – Ariel Kesler (Gainesville)

01/27 – Gabriel Nevarez (Jacksonville)

01/28 – Gary Ranard (Gainesville)

01/28 – Don Ammons (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Amanda Wenzel (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Dillon Rogers (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Mark Thompson (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Robert Alexander (Jacksonville)

01/29 – Ryan Dapprich (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Coen Purvis (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Andrew Stenbeck (Jacksonville)

01/30 – Ryan Horten (Jacksonville)

01/31 – Jason Bryce (Gainesville)

In The Know

Jacksonville Corporate 5k

Shout out to this group from our Jacksonville office for attending Jacksonville’s Corporate 5K this past October. Our W. W. Gay team joined over 1,000 fellow community business partners for the largest and best office party in downtown Jacksonville.

Along with the beautiful weather, it was great to get out of the office and spend the evening together.

Chili Cook Off

Before the holidays, our Jacksonville office put on a Chili Cook-Off Competition featuring lots of homemade chili and judges!

Congratulations to (from left to right) Johnny Boehm, Haylee Graham and Bridget Guthrie for being our top three winners.

Inspiring the Next Generation

This previous October, our Jacksonville office was thrilled to welcome a small group of students from Bishop Kenny High School for a “lunch and learn” about our company and industry. Employees from different divisions within our company spent time speaking with the students, giving them great insight on what a career here would be like. They then spent time touring our Fabrication Shop, seeing the work in action.

We’re grateful for opportunities like this where we’re able to interact with the youth in our community and look forward to more days like this!

Hot Off The Press!

Shout out to our COO Tom Smith for writing and publishing his first children’s book!

Inspired by his real-life Shih Tzu puppy, “Boss Bandit and the Mysterious Hole” is officially out now and we couldn’t be more proud of him.

For those of you who know Tom, you’ll agree that he is one of the most hardworking people you’ll ever meet. Between his constant dedication to our company, serving on multiple boards, to recently earning his Contracting License for both Georgia and Alabama, to being Chairman of Deacons at his church, Tom never slows down. Yet he somehow found time to write this book in his spare time!

Safety Is Our First Priority!

Shout out to our Jacksonville Safety department for receiving “Platinum” status for the Associated Builders and Contractors STEP Mamangement System.

The STEP program recognizes companies throughout the construction industry who show a continuous commitment to ensuring the safety of jobsites. We are thrilled to have been honored with this accomplishment!

Jacksonville Christmas Party

Orlando Christmas Party

Gainesville Christmas Party

Employee Spotlight

Scott Arrington

Gainesville

When you chat with our January Employee Spotlight, you’ll quickly realize how much he enjoys what he does. Scott Arrington, out of our Gainesville office, has been with W. W. Gay for nearly 27 years and can’t imagine working for any other company. “I knew very early on that I would spend my entire career here. For nearly three decades, I have always felt appreciated and taken care of”, says Scott. “When things have gotten tough over the years, W. W. Gay has continued to invest in me. Because of that, I will always do everything I can to invest back into this company”.

Growing up in the small town of Williston, Florida, W. W. Gay was always part of his life for as long as he could remember. W. W. Gay trucks were always seen driving around town and many of his cousins worked full-time for the Gainesville office during the summers. He gives credit to those same cousins for recommending him for the job.

In 1996, Scott visited the Gainesville office, applied, and was quickly accepted into the apprenticeship program. When he turned out in 2011, he was thrilled to receive the award for “Most Outstanding Pipefitter”.

Scott knew the pipefitter route would be the direction he’d take as many family members were welders, so he had a strong interest in the trade. Before even entering the apprenticeship, Scott could be found doing welding projects just for fun and practice.

“I knew very early on that I would spend my entire career here.”

Throughout his long career, Scott quickly learned the importance of becoming well-versed in all sides of the trade. He is a certified “jack-of-all-trades” and knows plumbing and pipefitting like the back of his hands. Scott strives to constantly adapt to all situations and has never wanted to be in a situation where he didn’t know something, which has led him to spend his time learning all he can. From plumbing jobs at schools, changing out chillers to running work at hospitals, Scott has truly seen it all. As a Healthcare Superintendent, Scott seems to enjoy the hospital work.

The UF Health Shands Tower is one that sticks out to him as it was one of the largest jobs he’d ever been on. His responsibilities for that job included managing all the labor and keeping with materials and was one he’s extremely proud of. The AT&T building in Gainesville is another job Scott loved being part of. Not only did he have an excellent team, but the work done was of great quality with no hiccups and it was just an overall great experience.

Scott is man who stays busy around the house! He enjoys wood-working and building new things for himself, friends, and family. Whether he’s tinkering with welding or woodworking or working on vehicles, Scott always has a project to keep him occupied. He even enjoys kayaking and fishing, even though he doesn’t get out on the water as much as he’d like.

Overall, Scott enjoys his life and how he makes his living. “Some days it’s hard to believe that nearly 27 years has gone by. I’ve never once had to drag myself to work, I just love it that much.”

Congratulations Scott! We’re lucky to have you!

Quick Answers

Favorite quote:

“Slap some bacon on a biscuit, we’re burning daylight” – John Wayne

Best Gainesville recommendation: Downtown Gainesville

I’m happiest when.. When I’m working and everything’s going good.

Safety Corner

FROM YOUR DIRECTOR OF SAFETY

Greetings and Happy New Year to all of our W. W. Gay Employees. I hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe Christmas and New Year’s. 2023 is now upon us and our work activities throughout W. W. Gay will be ramping up and schedules will become more demanding. The beginning of a new year gives us the opportunity to remind you just how important safety is. This should be top of mind in both your personal and professional lives.

Why is safety so important? Among the long list of reasons, most important is the wellbeing our employees. At the end of each day, we want them to be able to go home in the same condition in which they came to work. Our hope is always for zero injuries. Safety practices are a vital piece to each job site to help keep our employees from injury. Yes, workplace safety protocols are put in place to prevent deaths, injuries, financial losses, property damage but they also exist to increase worker productivity, enhance product/ service quality and promote good public relations. A workplace that has good safety procedures and a strong understanding of the task at hand, is beneficial to everyone involved.

We will continue to do our part in keeping us the ”best in the business” but need your help along the way. Remember that each individual is a part of the Safety Team. If you see something, say something so we can all help each other.

Your Safety Department is always here for you, so call us. Thanks to all and let’s make 2023 the best ever.

Stay safe,

Steve Ray Director of Safety

MEET THE TEAM

Shelly Arnold

Shelly Arnold plays an important role in the Safety Department as our Safety Administrator. On most days, you can find Shelly behind the scenes ensuring everything is running smoothly within the Safety Department. On a long list of duties, Shelly handles everything from job site injuries and workers compensation to employee vehicles, email communications and invoices. Shelly does it all!

Before finding her way to W. W. Gay just under three years ago, Shelly worked for industrial plant Cedar Bay Generating for over 24 years. There she held similar responsibilities working directly with the General Manager and HR Department. Once Cedar Bay sold the plant, she spent a short time at Miller Electric before Don O’Neal recruited her our way. Don and Shelly worked together at Cedar Bay, so it was an easy decision for Shelly. She is from Jacksonville and jumped at the chance of working for W. W. Gay because of the positive reputation. Her husband also works for us in the Industrial Department, which made the decision even easier.

Thanks for all you do, Shelly! We’re glad you’re here.

Jacksonville

American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red

Back in November, employees from our Jacksonville office attended American Heart Association’s “STEM Goes Red Event”. Held at UNF’s campus, a large group of female middle school students took part in specific STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) workshops and learned about each industry. We were thrilled to lead the Engineering workshop and introduce the girls to a small piece of what our company does. Each group of girls got the opportunity to build a chair or cross out of PVC pipe.

We had a blast connecting with the students and hopefully inspiring them to pursue a career in STEM!

Orlando

The Orlando office has been working on a big project recently with SkyWater, a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Minnesota. Their Kissimmee location announced an expansion back in September after being awarded a $36.5M Department of Commerce Grant through Osceola County. The Orlando office was quick to host a presentation at their facility in October and has since been busy installing new infrastructure and relocating tools in preparation for the expansion.

Some of the work in progress includes: nitrogen gas systems, argon gas lines, stainless steel and coated exhaust systems, CO2 and high purity oxygen systems, acid waste piping and systems, and QA/QC.

Due to the nature of our NDA and SkyWater’s relationship with the Department of Defense, Orlando was unable to provide photos within the facility of the work being done.

The key personnel for this project include Project Manager Laura Jones, Foreman Steve Haupt and Lead Journeyman Lee Hodge. Great job to everyone on this project and we look forward to more updates!

2023 Holiday Schedule

Please note that the office will be closed on the following days.

Memorial Day Monday, May 29th

Independence Day Tuesday, July 4th

Labor Day Monday, September 4th

Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23rd & Friday, November 24th Monday, December 25th

Christmas

New Year’s Monday, January 1st

This does not apply to collective bargaining employees.