The Pipeline - March 2021

The Pipeline

March 2021

Company Corner

A Message from our CEO

Dear W. W. Gay Family,

It is hard to believe the one-year anniversary of Mr. Gay’s passing is nearly upon us. We have faced many obstacles over the last year, but none of those were as difficult as losing someone who meant so much to each of us. I know we were unable to pay tribute to him in the big way he deserved due to the pandemic, but I am happy to let you know of some special ways we will be honoring him this month.

• The First Coast YMCA has put together a very special event to celebrate the life of Mr. Gay and the impact he had on his family, employees, and community. The Celebration of Life will be broadcasted virtually on Tuesday, March 23 at 6:30 pm. If you would like access to the virtual event, please contact Emily Vurnakes for the registration link.

• If you are in the Jacksonville office, we will be holding a special watch party that evening in the Banquet Room so we may honor Mr. Gay together. If you would like to attend the watch party, please contact Miranda Carr for more information. For the Orlando and Gainesville offices, I encourage you all to watch it together, too!

• A separate funeral service/celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 27 at 11:00 am. The service will be held at St. John’s Presbyterian Church with a reception to follow at Ortega River Club.

Whether you are able to attend one or each of the above events, we look forward to celebrating the life of our founder.

I know many of you have been asking about an update on the main building in Jacksonville. Plans are in motion and demolition is set to begin over the next few weeks. While it will certainly be the end of an era and an extremely tough day as we watch the building come down, it will also be the beginning of a new chapter for us all. Stay tuned for photos and video updates on that construction progress from Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes.

In closing, I wanted to leave you with some special words. Not too long ago I found an issue of our old company newsletter, the “Pipeline Newspiper”, dated back from April 1982. In it was a “Memo from the President’s Desk” written by Mr. Gay. In honor of him this month, I thought it fitting to share this with you all.

Thank you for always being the best in the business!

Paul Jones President & CEO

In the Know

Employee News & Updates

2021 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

Please note that the office will be closed on the following days. This does not affect collective bargaining employees.

MEMORIAL DAY Monday, May 31

INDEPENDENCE DAY Sunday, July 4 & Monday, July 5

LABOR DAY Monday, September 6

THANKSGIVING Thursday, November 25 & Friday, November 26

CHRISTMAS Friday, December 24 & Monday, December 27

NEW YEAR’S Friday, December 31

Staff Shout-Outs

Great Jobs & Accolades

We are always so thrilled to showcase the amazing work of our team each month! If you have an employee, specific job or even a simple email that you would like highlighted, please email to Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes at evurnakes@wwgmc.com.

Dustin Bell (W. W. Gay Iron Worker Foreman), Al Kerce (W. W. Gay Superintendent) & Mano Thamodharan (WestRock Mill Engineer)

Our crew at Westrock Fernandina (pictured left) has done a terrific job on this project! This job included a new heater and flame arrestor, new platforms, HVLC pipe lines and vent stacks.

The Project Engineer on the job was extremely complimentary of the crew, which included: Al Kerce, Dustin Bell and Corey Lybrand (not pictured). Way to go!

The Orlando team received praise from their customer over at AT&T Sanford. They said they were extremely happy with the way the job turned out. They also said that as the chiller was being installed, an OSHA Compliance Officer was watching the process from across the street. After the installation was complete, the officer told them the install was handled in a safe and OSHA compliant manner.

Job well done, team! Compliments from the customer and OSHA, can't beat that!

The Jacksonville Industrial Division received a great acknowledgment from the Plant Manager at GP Brunswick:

"I’ll take this opportunity to say thank you to you, Jerry, and your crews for the quick response on Friday to our request and then for how quickly you started the work and for working to complete it a day earlier than expected. The work was done safely an effectively and we appreciate this effort."

Way to get the job done, crew! Bucky Tyson and the entire Industrial Department would also like to give David "Mudfish" Ray and his crew an "attaboy" for turning the fabrication around for them in order to make the job possible. Great work, team!

Celebrating You

Anniversaries & Birthdays

3/2 - Christopher Bolstein: 1 year (Gainesville)

3/2 - Carlos Diaz: 1 year (Jacksonville)

3/2 - Jeffrey Waters: 1 year (Orlando)

3/2 - Ted Williamson: 29 years (Jacksonville)

3/3 - Steven Buonomo: 4 years (Jacksonville)

3/3 - Jonathan Crews: 10 years (Orlando)

3/3 - Charles Griner: 7 years (Jacksonville)

3/3 - William Kerce: 24 years (Jacksonville)

3/3 - Daniel Pridgeon: 13 years (Gainesville)

3/3 - Andre Staton: 1 year (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Latricia Burrell: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/4 - David Drury, IV.: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Colby Isenberg: 8 years (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Weldon Lane: 12 years (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Valerie Polk: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Brett Watson: 7 years (Jacksonville)

3/5 - Dane Adams: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/5 - Charles Crosier, II.: 9 years (Gainesville)

3/5 - John Fields: 31 years (Jacksonville)

3/5 - Henry Glover, III.: 14 years (Jacksonville)

3/5 - Thomas Hamather: 3 years (Orlando)

3/5 - Daniel Hohorst: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/7 - Robert Parr: 25 years (Jacksonville)

3/7 - Beth Sikorski: 5 years (Jacksonville)

3/9 - Augustine D'Arco: 6 years (Orlando)

3/9 - Devan Drake: 1 year (Gainesville)

3/9 - Brent Paxton: 4 years (Jacksonville)

3/11 - Joshua Holland: 2 year (Gainesville)

3/12 - Marina Hoak: 2 years (Orlando)

3/12 - Tanner Holshey: 2 years (Orlando)

March

Anniversaries

3/12 - Alain H. Martinez: 2 years (Orlando)

3/20 - Adam Perschino: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/12 - Steven Ray: 9 years (Jacksonville)

3/12 - Jacob Sapp: 3 years (Jacksonville)

3/13 - Natasha DeGrave: 21 years (Jacksonville)

3/13 - Dewey Detrude: 38 years (Jacksonville)

3/13 - Charles Owens: 4 years (Gainesville)

3/14 - Zachary Breitenfeld: 5 years (Jacksonville)

3/14 - Jason Masters: 27 years (Jacksonville)

3/14 - Daniel Tredinnick: 5 years (Jacksonville)

3/14 - Alexander Wallace: 5 years (Jacksonville)

3/16 - Joe Gaylard, Jr.: 1 year (Gainesville)

3/16 - Jonathan Lopez: 1 year (Orlando)

3/16 - Austin Morgan: 6 years (Gainesville)

3/17 - Ryan Young: 7 years (Jacksonville)

3/18 - Christopher Kirby: 6 years (Gainesville)

3/19 - Zachary Fanelli: 12 years (Orlando)

3/20 - Phillip Brundage: 1 year (Orlando)

3/20 - Kevin Carswell: 1 year (Gainesville)

3/20 - Ricky Deen: 9 years (Jacksonville)

3/20 - Scott Houser: 43 years (Jacksonville)

3/20 - Michael Lindsey: 26 years (Jacksonville)

3/20 - Shurronn Sibley: 2 years (Jacksonsville)

3/21 - Jacob Johnson: 3 year (Gainesville)

3/21 - Sokol Mema: 4 years (Jacksonville)

3/22 - Kyle Craven: 10 years (Gainesville)

3/23 - Timothy Conner: 36 years (Jacksonville)

3/23 - Ryan Moody: 1 year (Jacksonville)

3/23 - Simeon Shelton: 1 year (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Joseph Bouchard: 18 years (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Rebecca Bowen: 6 years (Jacksonville)

3/26 - Cleveland Hill, Jr.: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/26 - Levi Williams: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/27 - Joshua Moseley: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Daniel Peters, Jr.: 2 years (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Clifford Raulerson: 5 years (Jacksonville)

3/31 - Sam Cason: 7 years (Gainesville)

3/31 - Anthony Gullion: 1 year (Jacksonville)

3/31 - Lesdy Rodriguez: 10 years (Jacksonville)

**If you find that any of the above information is incorrect, please reach out to Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes at evurnakes@wwgmc.com so that it can be corrected in our system.

3/1 - Harold Freeman (Jacksonville)

3/1 - Jimmy Miller (Jacksonville)

3/1 - Dennis Reed (Jacksonville)

3/1 - Michael Spencer (Jacksonville)

3/2 - Gregory Boykin (Orlando)

3/3 - Travis Denmark, II. (Jacksonville)

3/3 - Christopher Jackson (Jacksonville)

3/3 - John Mathis (Gainesville)

3/4 - James Lane (Jacksonville)

3/4 - Trevor Yawn (Gainesville)

3/5 - Richard Davis (Orlando)

3/5 - Adam Hayes (Gainesville)

3/6 - Devan Drake (Gainesville)

3/6 - Donald Eshelman (Jacksonville)

3/6 - Justice Geiger (Gainesville)

3/6 - George McDonald (Jacksonville)

3/7 - Andrew Pendley (Gainesville)

3/8 - Darrell Connelly (Gainesville)

3/8 - Scott Yelin (Jacksonville)

3/9 - Kevin Bertie (Gainesville)

3/9 - Nathan Kight (Gainesville)

3/9 - Jeremiah Santora (Jacksonville)

3/10 - David Flaherty, Jr. (Jacksonville)

3/10 - Charles Ward (Jacksonville)

3/11 - Timothy Batten (Jacksonville)

3/12 - Craig Rowe, Jr. (Jacksonville)

3/14 - Conner Townsend (Gainesville)

3/15 - Kevin Arnold (Jacksonville)

3/15 - Thomas Hamather (Orlando)

3/15 - Steven Plemons (Jacksonville)

3/15 - Michael Razvaliaeff (Gainesville)

3/16 - Quinton Cates (Gainesville)

March

Birthdays

3/16 - Ronnie Cribb (Jacksonville)

3/17 - Clinton Avant (Jacksonville)

3/17 - William Back (Jacksonville)

3/17 - Barbara Carlson (Jacksonville)

3/17 - Joseph Collier (Jacksonville)

3/17 - Devin Fennell (Jacksonville)

3/17 - David Ray (Jacksonville)

3/18 - Ricky Deen (Jacksonville)

3/19 - Leford Alexis (Jacksonville)

3/19 - Patrick Sheakley (Orlando)

3/20 - Forrest Blair (Jacksonville)

3/20 - Jorge Cardona (Jacksonville)

3/20 - Sheldon Carroll (Jacksonville)

3/21 - Beamon Sapp (Jacksonville)

3/22 - Sam Cason (Gainesville)

3/22 - Frank Gocek, Jr. (Jacksonville)

3/22 - Gabriel Riesterer (Orlando)

3/22 - Michael Rizzo (Orlando)

3/22 - Timmy Taylor (Jacksonville)

3/22 - Ronnie Weston (Jacksonville)

3/23 - Russell Barker (Gainesville)

3/23 - Tangela Morse (Orlando)

3/23 - Connor Padgett (Orlando)

3/24 - Justin Freese (Orlando)

3/24 - Vincent Gocek (Jacksonville)

3/24 - Daniel Tredinnick (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Ian Coleman (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Zachary Gray (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Austin Kenne (Orlando)

3/25 - Matthew Pollock (Jacksonville)

3/25 - Enver Valjevac (Jacksonville)

3/26 - Jeffrey Snow (Jacksonville)

3/28 - Jared Crews (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Jennifer Borum (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Noble McCain (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Tyler Morris (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Robert Parr (Jacksonville)

3/29 - Richard Tison, Jr. (Jacksonville)

3/30 - Russell Dietzel, Jr. (Jacksonville)

3/30 - Dylan Pilcher (Gainesville)

3/31 - William Craven (Jacksonville)

3/31 - Eston Taylor (Jacksonville)

**If you find that any of the above information is incorrect, please reach out to Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes at evurnakes@wwgmc.com so that it can be corrected in our system.

Employee Spotlight

When you meet Megan McIntire, our March Employee Spotlight, there are two characteristics that immediately stand out: her positivity and friendly nature. More often than not, Megan can be found dressed in a smile and lending a helping hand to those in need. Working out of the Gainesville office for the past 16 years, Megan wears many hats in her role as Office Manager. She is the one behind the scenes keeping everyone together and each day running smoothly. From assisting with financials, to unjamming the copy machine, no task is too big or small. She does what it takes to make sure each team member, both in the office and out in the field, has the tools needed to succeed. Helping Director of Operations Chris Stalnaker and the Gainesville office shine is always her top priority!

Megan grew up in the small town of Starke where she spent a majority of her life. After graduating high school, she moved to nearby Gainesville and enrolled for classes at Santa Fe College. Not long after beginning that chapter in her life, her studies were unexpectedly put on pause when she was diagnosed with cancer. Faced with that life-changing statement, Megan found it within herself to stand courageous and knew she was strong enough to beat her toughest battle. Over the course of 7 years, she underwent an astonishing 23 surgeries, all in the fight to save her life. Now 100-percent cancer-free, Megan attributes her positive outlook on life to battling and surviving her cancer diagnosis. Her fighting spirit during those difficult times has helped her become the person she is today. She is grateful for each day and the opportunities they bring.

Even though Megan was unable to continue her education at Santa Fe during those years, she was fortunate enough to find a part-time position with W. W. Gay. A former Foreman recommended her for an open position with the Commercial Division and it was then in 2005 that she began her career with the company. From there, she transitioned over to the Service Department and then took on the role as Administrative Assistant to Tom Smith, then Director of Gainesville Operations, for 8 years until he made his recent move back to the Jacksonville office. Megan’s day-to-day is never the same as she has a hand in anything from billings, accounts receivables, project pre-qualifications and accounts payable. She has also been an instrumental piece in the migration over to COINS. In 2019, Megan worked tirelessly to soak up as much information as possible on the new system so she could ensure the Gainesville team had a quick and smooth transition. Due to her extensive knowledge on COINS, she is heavily relied upon company-wide and has quickly become the problem solver when it comes to questions. Megan has even made several trips to the Jacksonville office to help train the Project Managers and Project Administrators on specific tasks within COINS.

Megan is a loving wife to Brian, her husband of 8 years, and mother to their 7-year-old daughter Ella. Megan claims Ella as her miracle child and lucky charm, ever-so-fitting as she was born on St. Patrick’s Day. When Megan isn’t wearing her hero cape at work, she is moving mountains for her daughter, shuffling her to gymnastics, ballet, jazz and baton classes. The family loves to be outdoors, especially hunting in Georgia. Megan has a true knack for baking and seriously considered starting her own cupcake business. At one point she even had an investor ready to make the dream happen! Instead, she and Ella spend their time baking in the kitchen together, one of Megan’s favorite past-times.

Like most employees, Megan has been with the company for so many years because of its family atmosphere. Her coworkers are more than people she works day-in and day-out with; they are part of her extended family. She has built many close relationships during her 16 years and can’t imagine working anywhere else. “This company means so much to me. I care, not just about my success, the success of the Gainesville office, but about W. W. Gay’s success overall”.

Congratulations to Megan and thank you for shining your positivity on each of us!

Quick Answers

Favorite quote: "I'm unstoppable because I don't know how to stop" by Tina Fey

Last movie you saw: "Hamilton"

Dream dinner guest: Theresa Caputo

Best Gainesville recommendation: Embers restaurant

I'm happiest when... I'm baking with my daughter

Megan McIntire Gainesville

Out in the Community

Jacksonville

In celebration of Valentine's Day last month, the Jacksonville office collected Valentine's Day cards and candy for a local nursing home. Christy Smith and Miranda Carr delivered the donations to the residents at Park Ridge Nursing & Rehabilitation! Great job, ladies! We know the residents felt loved.

Thank you to Jacksonville's friends at Premier Water and Energy Technology, Inc. for putting a smile on these faces with this ice cream truck! Grateful for that continued partnership through the years!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2021 WORKSHOP SERIES

It's time to invest in you! Join us for a fun series of skill-building workshops, in-person and virtually.

April 16

May 12

June 9

July 14

August 18

September 15

October 13

November 10

Written Communication

Dressing for Success

Effective Meetings: Tips for Meeting Organizers & Participants

Business Etiquette

Positive Assertiveness

Staff Pick - TBA

How to be a Linked-In Allstar

Having Difficult Conversations

Location: Service Building Banquet Room

Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (Lunch will be served!)

RSVP: To the Outlook Invite

EmpowHER: Encourage Educate Elevate

W. W. Gay is pleased to announce a women's networking group for the women on our team! Formed by women at WWGMC for all women at WWGMC's family of companies.

WHO: All women at the WWGMC family of companies, in all cities

HOW: Meet monthly for lunch

WHAT: Guest speakers, topic discussions, skill building and more

WHEN: March 11 at 11:30 will be our program kick-off

Our goals are to:

1. Inspire women at WWGMC's family of companies to support each other and engage as a team

2. Continue developing the knowledge aand skills necessary to be successful women in business

3. Explore women's issues in our industry and their potential solutions

4. Build lasting friendships among the women at WWGMC's family of companies

For more information, please contact Miranda Carr at 904-394-7236 or mcarr@wwgmc.com.

Jacksonville Office Update

The Jacksonville office was proud to be a sponsor for the annual Ascension St. Vincent's Ortega River Run on Saturday, February 27. For decades, the race has been held at Episcopal School of Jacksonville, St. Mark's Campus and hosted by the local running store, First Place Sports. Proceeds of the race benefit the financial aid and scholarship program at the school. The family-friendly event offers a 1-mile fun run and a 5-mile run/walk. The office put together a team, close to 30 participants, and employees were encouraged to invite their families.

It was a beautiful morning spent with great company, supporting the local community!

Gainesville Office Update

Late in February, the Gainesville office participated in the 13th Annual Horseshoe Tournament & Member Mixer. The event was held by the Builders Association of North Central Florida and W. W. Gay was the title sponsor. Hundreds of members and their guests attend the event each year to enjoy great food and friendly competition! This year, our very own Ron Lowe and Brian Forgarty (pictured below) took home the 1st Place prize! Way to represent W. W. Gay, guys!

Also in February, W. W. Gay was one of many sponsors for the 8th Annual Ronald McDonald Kids Sporting Clays Tournament held at the Bradford Sportsmen's Farm. The event featured a day full of fun, prizes and shooting clays! Several employees participated in the tournament, but our very own Teddy "TJ" Rebardo played a special part in the afternoon. He spoke about his personal journey with having a child born with medical needs and how the Ronald McDonald House impacted their lives. They took in his family so they had a place to call home that was near the hospital where their newborn son was being cared for.

What a wonderful event to be part of and thanks for sharing your story, TJ!

Orlando Office Update

The Orlando team has been hard at work with a chiller replacement project for CBRE, Inc. in Daytona Beach. The project is to be completed in multiple phases in order to maintain operation of the building tenant, Florida Power and Light. The team will be replacing two (2) Trane chillers, two (2) Trane air handlers and installing a new Trane outside air unit on the roof. The contract is valued at $749,526 and is expected to be completed next month.

CBRE, Inc. & FPL have commended the field team on workmanship & safety measures, which has resulted in additional projects to bid. The team on this project is Zach Fanelli (Foreman), John Shore (Superintendent), Jason Strickland (Superintendent) and Laura Jones (Project Manager). Great job to the entire team!