The Pipeline - May 2021

The Pipeline May 2021

Company Corner

A Message from our CEO

Dear W. W. Gay Family,

Summer is officially here, and I don’t know about you, but this year seems to continue to fly by! It is hard to believe that demolition on the main building in Jacksonville is also here and well underway. It was undoubtedly a difficult goodbye as we watched the building come down, but what a significant moment for our company. It marks so many things including change, new opportunity, new vision, but most importantly, it symbolizes turning the page to a new chapter for all of us. While the building will be new, our history will remain. Honoring our past within the walls will be an essential element and one we look forward to putting on display.

For photos of the demolition, please see pages 4 & 5. Our Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes has also been documenting the entire process, so stay tuned for some exciting videos that will help keep each of you in the loop on the new building’s progress.

As for the new building, we have been taking our time with the concept. Being such a vital piece to our operation, we want to ensure that we are setting the company up with a 30-year plan and preparing for the future. It goes without saying that our industry is currently booming, so our focus is on allocating our resources to current jobs and not yet breaking ground on our headquarters building. That day will be here before we know it, though!

On a different note, I know many of you have been asking about our annual company picnic. Unfortunately, with the uncertainty of restrictions, there are currently no plans to host the event this year. I know how important this tradition is to many of you, so we are hoping to host this event when the time is right again. However, we’re excited to soon announce the dates for the Awards Banquet and Christmas party, so look out for that information in an upcoming email.

In closing, our company is so fortunate to be extremely busy in all areas of the business. While it is great to be busy, I understand that with busyness also comes stress. Through these times, let’s remember to be helpful and continually boost up one another. If you need support, reach out to someone who can give you guidance. It will take each one of us to continue to make this company great, so let’s not forget to work together!

Thank you for always being the best in the business!

Paul Jones President & CEO

In the Know

Employee News & Updates

Demolition on the Jacksonville main building officially began on Monday, April 26. A group of employees, friends and family members gathered for a small ceremony before the first part of deconstruction began. While it is certainly the end of an era, it is also the beginning of a new chapter for our company. We are very much looking forward to rebuilding and being stronger than ever! Demolition will continue for much of the next few weeks. From there, design and concept drawings will continue before construction on the new building begins.

For updates on the progress, stay tuned for exciting videos from Marketing Manager Emily Vurnakes.

**Thank you to Alvaro Barrera of FL Mech for being available to photograph on the day of demolition!

Staff Shout-Outs

Great Jobs & Accolades

We want to give a big thank you to Devin Townsend in the Gainesville office for saving the day! On March 30 there was a flash flood in Gainesville. The team was working at UF Health Shands Hospital and saw water running into the hallway. The team immediately reacted and realized there was something wrong with the storm drains. The loading dock area had roughly 3' of standing water which was quickly running into the basement near pumps and equipment. However, with the teams knowledge of the storm drain locations, Devin quickly responded and was able to get to the storm grates and clear the area of debris. His quick and brave response prevented major catastrophic failures from occuring.

Devin, Shands Hospital and W. W. Gay thank you for going the extra mile and helping our customers in every way. All our employees are truly the best in the business!

The Jacksonville Precast Division has a big job on their hands with the new Ascension St. Vincent's St. John's County Hospital. The job broke ground on March 29 and consists of the team erecting a total of 697 pieces. In the short amount of time since breaking ground, they have already placed nearly 300 pieces. Wow!

Key Precast team members who are involved with this project are the following: Damon Redditt (Connector), LJ Hammonds, Chris Bilodeau (Riggers), Robert Mencner, Ed Kaminski, Mike "Cadillac” Collins (Welders), Brian Roberts, Ashton Vest (Carpenter/Ironworker app./Grouters), Nick Minor (Crane Operater running Florida Mechanical Crane) Jason Conn (Foreman/Connector/Pusher) and Glenn “Donk” Lynn (Superintendent).

Great work to each of you on this job! We can't wait to see the finished product.

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.

May 12

June 9

July 14

August 18

September 15

October 13

November 10

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

Celebrating You

Anniversaries & Birthdays

5/1 - Michael Kennard: 19 years (Gainesville)

5/1 - Agelvi Medina: 1 year (Orlando)

5/1 - Walt Traxler: 18 years (Gainesville)

5/1 - James Vennard: 19 years (Jacksonville)

5/2 - Robbie Farr: 10 years (Jacksonville)

5/2 - Justin Grimm: 2 years (Orlando)

5/2 - Melinda Harden: 7 years (Jacksonville)

5/2 - George Parish: 17 years (Jacksonville)

5/3 - Donald Eshelman: 5 years (Jacksonville)

5/5 - Randall Glisson: 13 years (Jacksonville)

5/5 - Edmund Paquet: 1 year (Orlando)

5/5 - Ashley Adams: 17 years (Jacksonville)

5/7 - Scott Durban: 14 years (Jacksonville)

5/8 - Kyle Dermody: 4 years (Jacksonville)

5/8 - Jonathan Starling: 3 years (Gainesville)

5/9 - Edgar Rivera: 3 years (Orlando)

5/10 - Rory Singletary: 32 years (Gainesville)

5/10 - Darren Wesley: 8 years (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Jerry Hunt: 5 years (Orlando)

5/11 - Daniel Pole: 6 years (Orlando)

5/11 - Joshua Suber: 5 years (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Vergil Sykes: 6 years (Gainesville)

5/12 - Lancin Hersey: 22 years (Gainesville)

5/12 - Cole Hughes: 6 years (Gainesville)

5/13 - David Andarcia Diaz: 1 year (Orlando)

5/13 - Marcos Silva: 1 year (Orlando)

May

Anniversaries

5/14 - Clint Geer: 8 years (Gainesville)

5/14 - Jinner Gonzalez: 1 year (Orlando)

5/14 - Jacob McCaffrey: 7 years (Gainesville)

5/14 - Clayton Ranard: 6 years (Gainesville)

5/15 - Juan Muniz: 3 years (Orlando)

5/15 - Jonathan Tedder: 2 years (Orlando)

5/16 - Kyle Seas: 14 years (Jacksonville)

5/18 - Deborah Glisson: 6 year (Jacksonville)

5/18 - Nathan Kight: 4 years (Gainesville)

5/18 - Brandon Mercer: 4 years (Jacksonville)

5/18 - Chris Stalnaker: 23 years (Gainesville)

5/19 - Forrest Blair: 11 years (Jacksonville)

5/19 - Cody Peterson: 7 years (Jacksonville)

5/20 - Richard Curl: 2 years (Gainesville)

5/20 - Matthew Losco: 2 years (Jacksonville)

5/21 - John Combs: 42 years (Jacksonville)

5/21 - Ransom Moxley: 8 years (Gainesville)

5/23 - Jame Brigman: 8 years (Jacksonville)

5/23 - William Dugger: 3 years (Jacksonville)

5/23 - Robert Horton: 33 years (Jacksonville)

5/23 - Trevor Putt: 5 years (Gainesville)

5/24 - Steven Terranova: 2 years (Orlando)

5/24 - Bonnie Walker: 4 years (Orlando)

5/25 - Jerry Carnley: 11 years (Gainesville)

5/25 - John Dehoff: 4 years (Gainesville)

5/25 - Timothy Patterson: 5 years (Jacksonville)

5/26 - Coty Jones: 1 year (Gainesville)

5/26 - Wayne Durban: 45 years (Jacksonville)

5/26 - Aaron Scarberry: 6 years (Jacksonville)

5/27 - Deborah James: 23 years (Jacksonville)

5/27 - Brad Sullivan: 35 years (Gainesville)

5/28 - Ronnie Cribb: 8 years (Jacksonville)

5/28 - Trenton Leitch: 8 years (Jacksonville)

5/28 - Connor McKenney: 2 years (Jacksonville)

5/28 - Kobe Pilcher: 2 years (Gainesville)

5/28 - Ashley Woods: 8 years (Gainesville)

5/29 - Dylan Crews: 6 years (Gainesville)

5/30 - Sandra Binger: 3 years (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Cody Braddock: 4 years (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Quinton Cates: 4 years (Gainesville)

5/30 - Joseph Howland: 19 years (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Noble McCain: 14 years (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Kenneth Murph: 8 years (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Steven Weldon: 4 years (Jacksonville)

5/31 - Troy Adams: 4 years (Gainesville)

**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.

5/1 - Joshua London (Jacksonville)

5/1 - Brayton Lowe (Gainesville)

5/1 - Cody Powell (Jacksonville)

5/2 - John Henderson (Jacksonville)

5/2 - Timothy Newman (Jacksonville)

5/2 - Brandon Romines (Jacksonville)

5/3 - Jamie Webb (Jacksonville)

5/3 - Ryan Wegner (Jacksonville)

5/4 - Timothy Hunter (Jacksonville)

5/4 - Graham McGeorge (Pensacola)

5/4 - Troy Muse (Gainesville)

5/4 - David Pillow (Orlando)

5/5 - Brandon Sullivan (Jacksonville)

5/6 - Jerry Carnley (Gainesville)

5/6 - Jorge DaSilva (Orlando)

5/6 - Deborah Glisson (Jacksonville)

5/6 - Jose Hernandez (Jacksonville)

5/6 - Alain Joseph (Orlando)

5/7 - Justin Adamkiewicz (Orlando)

5/8 - Hallie Bennett (Jacksonville)

5/8 - Andrew Hartley (Jacksonville)

5/8 - Johnathan Ranew (Jacksonville)

5/9 - Derek Guyton (Jacksonville)

5/10 - Richard Colonel (Gainesville)

5/10 - Seth Coston (Jacksonville)

5/10 - Cody Rhoden (Jacksonville)

5/10 - Robby Walton (Jacksonville)

5/10 - Hunter Wheeler (Gainesville)

5/11 - Scott Chesser (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Roland Davis (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Andre Edmonds (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Leslie Ellison (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Isaac Hayes (Jacksonville)

5/11 - Jacob Musselwhite (Gainesville)

5/11 - Jonathan Rojas (Jacksonville)

May

Birthdays

5/12 - Jordan Connors (Jacksonville)

5/12 - Cole Cushman (Jacksonville)

5/12 - Jane Sanders Jackson (Jacksonville)

5/12 - Elizabeth Shore (Jacksonville)

5/12 - James Smith (Gainesville)

5/13 - Mark Hofrichter (Jacksonville)

5/14 - Andrew Bent (Orlando)

5/14 - Peggy Tipping (Jacksonville)

5/14 - Bradley Vennard (Jacksonville)

5/14 - Oral Walker (Jacksonville)

5/14 - Kevin Williams (Gainesville)

5/15 - Christopher Stoia (Jacksonville)

5/15 - Colton Mullis (Jacksonville)

5/15 - Charles Sweat (Jacksonville)

5/16 - Jorge Barrios Medina (Orlando)

5/16 - Ryan Blauvelt (Jacksonville)

5/16 - Jason Blong (Jacksonville)

5/17 - Dustin Anderson (Jacksonville)

5/17 - Willard Beattie (Jacksonville)

5/17 - Nicholas Busbin (Jacksonville)

5/17 - Jonathan Leonard (Jacksonville)

5/17 - Mark Pacheco (Jacksonville)

5/18 - Raymond Perkins (Jacksonville)

5/18 - Derrick Ross (Gainesville)

5/19 - Sabrina Bourque (Jacksonville)

5/19 - Luis Jaramillo (Jacksonville)

5/19 - Susan McLeod (Jacksonville)

5/19 - Gregory Murdock (Orlando)

5/20 - Danny Kerr (Jacksonville)

5/20 - Christopher Kirby (Gainesville)

5/20 - Sokol Mema (Jacksonville)

5/21 - Kenneth Hovey (Gainesville)

5/21 - Nick Koulias (Jacksonville)

5/21 - Clayton Ranard (Gainesville)

5/21 - John Songer (Orlando)

5/21 - Cory Sturdivant (Jacksonville)

5/22 - Joseph Crews (Jacksonville)

5/22 - John Reynolds (Jacksonville)

5/22 - Christy Smith (Jacksonville)

5/23 - Amy Britton (Gainesville)

5/23 - Austin Morgan (Gainesville)

5/23 - Austin Nettles (Gainesville)

5/23 - Ryan Romedy (Jacksonville)

5/23 - Michael Scribbins (Jacksonville)

5/25 - Stuart Babins (Jacksonville)

5/25 - Tom Smith (Jacksonville)

5/26 - Blake Crawford (Jacksonville)

5/26 - Kenneth Gray (Jacksonville)

5/26 - David McCray (Orlando)

5/26 - Daniel Pilcher (Gainesville)

5/27 - Mason Pye (Jacksonville)

5/28 - Micheal Collins (Jacksonville)

5/28 - Troy Townsend (Gainesville)

5/28 - Shawn Damron (Jacksonville)

5/28 - William Williams (Jacksonville)

5/29 - Michael Amendola (Jacksonville)

5/29 - Kevin Lee (Jacksonville)

5/29 - Christopher Pittman (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Kenneth Hall (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Tashad Lake (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Aubrey Pickett (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Roy Romines (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Duwan Smith (Jacksonville)

5/30 - Jacob Stephens (Jacksonville)

5/31 - Stephen Beatty (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

Eddie Green Gainesville

On any given day in the Gainesville office, you can find our May Employee Spotlight coming to the rescue of the entire team. Working in the Warehouse since 2019, Eddie Green has always been a critical part of the Gainesville operation. Not only does he manage all shipping and receiving, but he also handles all coordination efforts to ensure materials are delivered to the correct site in a timely manner. No day is the same for Eddie and he is constantly juggling multiple tasks at once. Director of Gainesville Operations, Chris Stalnaker says of Eddie, “It’s the little things he does that make the biggest difference for our team. For instance, we recently needed a part that was necessary for us to pass an AHCA inspection with Shands Hospital. The part was being overnighted, but Eddie was able to track it down before its scheduled arrival and actually received it off the route to guarantee it was in our hands. Eddie always goes above and beyond!”

Eddie was born and raised in Middleburg. Before finding his way to W. W. Gay, he worked for Airgas, a welding supply company in Jacksonville. He ran the yard there for over 9 years, but quickly tired of the long commute from Middleburg to Jacksonville every day. He had a friend who worked for W. W. Gay in Gainesville and recommended him for an opening in the Warehouse.

Eddie and his wife Kirsten now reside in Starke. The couple were married just two short years ago but have been together for over 10 years. They were high school sweethearts and while they do not have any children yet, they are excited to hopefully start a family soon. For now, though, they are enjoying their life together as husband and wife. Before the pandemic halted most traveling, Eddie and Kirsten loved to take spontaneous trips across the United States. Lucky for them, they were able to fit in a trip to New York City right before everything shut down. Nowadays they are just happy to take short weekend trips around the state. Another love of theirs, also put on hold for the time being, has always been going to concerts. They’ve been known to travel far and wide to see their favorite musicians, including country/rock band Whiskey Myers. Even though they don’t mind traveling far for concerts, their venue of choice has always been the House of Blues Orlando in Disney Springs.

The other love in Eddie’s life is hunting, which is something that he has always known. He claims to have learned to hunt before he could crawl or walk. Most of his free time is spent enjoying this passion with his 9 hunting dogs. Just recently, Eddie traveled to Kentucky for a hunting trip where he took home his biggest deer to date. His first time visiting the state, it quickly became his new favorite place.

When asked about working for W. W. Gay, Eddie responded with, “I’m sure you get this all the time, but the family atmosphere is the reason I love it here so much. Every person I’ve ever met just wants the best for you, which makes it a great place to work”. Among other things, he enjoys the opportunity to work with all parts of the business, including foremen, project managers and vendors. “There’s always a problem to solve or an emergency to handle, which keeps the job interesting”, says Eddie.

Thank you for all you do, Eddie! It does not go unnoticed and we’re so glad to have you on the team!

Quick Answers

Favorite quote: "A day without laughter is a day wasted" by Charlie Chaplin

Last movie you saw: I just rewatched "I Love You, Man" not too long ago.

Dream dinner guest: My grandpa. He just passed away last year. He was my hero and I'd love one more day with him.

Best Gainesville recommendation: I highly recommend attending a Gator baseball game in their new stadium...it's amazing!

I'm happiest when... I'm in the woods with my friends and family.

Safety Corner

FROM YOUR DIRECTOR OF SAFETY

“No job is so important, and no task is so urgent that we cannot take the time to perform our work safely”. Whether you are out in the field or in the offices, you are familiar with this safety creed and how vital it is to our operation. W. W. Gay always strives for the highest safety standards and it takes each of us to accomplish this.

In addition to our weekly “Toolbox Safety Talks”, we will be featuring monthly safety updates here and introducing you to members of our safety team. We hope this information helps keep safety top of mind for each person within our organization. If you have any questions or concerns regarding safety, please reach out to me or a member of our team.

Stay safe,

Steve Ray Director of Safety

MEET THE TEAM

Out of the Jacksonville office, Safety Specialist Jorge Cardona has been on the safety team for 6 years. During the beginning of his career here, he was assigned to be on-site at the Johnson & Johnson project. Nowadays, Jorge juggles time between the office and being out on the jobsites looking after our team members. While in the office, he assists with anything from incoming safety issues, writing reports, to providing training for upcoming projects. Jorge is currently visiting the Ascension St. Vincent's St. John’s County and Baptist Clay County sites once or twice a week.

Jorge thinks it’s important for each employee to remember that the safety team is here to help. “We are here working for each of you. If an issue arises, even if it seems minimal to you, please come to us with that information. The more we know, the better we can serve you". Jorge continues, "While you may be alarmed if and when the Safety Department appears on your jobsite, remember that the last thing we want is to stop the project. Our sole purpose is to make it easier for everyone to work as a team".

Thank you for helping keep our team safe, Jorge!

Safety Sense

COVID-19 & Face Masks

While some local authorities have relaxed the wearing of masks, please be reminded that OSHA still requires the following policies when on jobsites:

• Wearing of masks are still required, covering the nose and mouth

• Wash or sanitize your hands frequently throughout the day

• Keep a safe space between yourself and others if possible

Jacksonville Office Update

W. W. Gay has been the long-time presenting sponsor for Make-A-Wish Foundation's annual "Walk for Wishes" event. This fundraiser celebrates wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. The familyfriendly event was held on Saturday, May 1 at the Jacksonville Zoo and we were so excited to represent our company with a team of 71 walkers! We were the largest team the "Walk for Wishes Jacksonville" event has ever seen, which meant we easily won the "Largest Team" prize at the walks conclusion. Amazing! Also as a team, we raised over $2,800 to help grant wishes!

It was wonderful meeting so many employees' families and enjoying a 1-mile walk together on a beautiful morning. Thank you to everyone that participated and donated to such a meaningful cause. It was a great day for an even greater organization!

Orlando

The Orlando Team is wrapping up another exciting project at Disney World this spring! The Fort Wilderness Horse Barn Shade Corral Plumbing install is near completion. The team originally received this contract in February 2020 but it was unfortunately put on a temporary hold due to COVID-19. However, that did not slow down the rapid turn-around of completing the first half of the structure late last year. The second half of the barn structure is nearly complete and they have had no issues with meeting Disney’s FAM (Facility Asset Management) schedule and deadlines. Very impressive!

This project featured several hundred feet of plumbing piping and 20 custom-made horse drinking stalls, installed with ease by the experienced Orlando team. The horses have since been moved into the first half of the structure and anticipated second half completion of the project will be late spring. This was such a fun project because the team was able to work outdoors and be around the animals!

Key Orlando team members who were involved with the success of this project were the following:

-Charles McLaurin (First Side Lead Foreman)

-Jimmy Elliott (Second Side Lead Foreman)

-Taylor Hill

-Jeremiah King

-Jesse Ransom

-Jamie Blankenship

-Jeff Waters (Project Manager)

What a special project for our team to have been a part of. Wonderful work team! We commend you on a job well done!