Serving The SilMan Community
Issue 06
March 2023
Serving The SilMan Community
Issue 01
April 2022
In This Issue
BUSINESS UPDATE
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
FOUNDATIONS
On The Move
On The Move
Business Update
On the Move *Special Edition*
Building our network and expanding our knowledge and skills are fundamental ingredients of our continued success.
In March, two SilMan teams did just that.
World of Concrete
The Civil Team leaders attended World of Concrete in Las Vegas, March 15-17, along with over 48k attendees.
Rafael reported that the event offered many new technologies, tools, supplies, and best practices that will immediately impact his team’s effectiveness. Such as a solution to help clean up after concrete jobs that could easily take an hour of every project.
The construction industry’s move to electrical equipment was abundantly clear as more and more customers are seeking to reduce emissions in and around their facilities.
Rafael remarked “the World of Concrete conference is an international event, China, Poland, New Zealand, you name. Every aspect of construction is represented. Our team members from other trades could get a lot of value from attending.”
Jeff had this to say about the trip: In an effort to keep our team at the forefront of the latest and greatest technologies, our civil team attended the World of Concrete in Las Vegas. This effort will empower us to work more efficiently and perform our work at a higher level.
Click photos for full-screen viewing.
ProMat
On March 20-22, SilMan sent a delegation from our MHE team to ProMat in Chicago. At a record 51,000 attendees this year, this is the world’s largest material-handling event. This is the third time SilMan has participated in this conference (2017, 2019, 2023).
This event is an unparalleled opportunity to build personal networks and discover new technologies and applications.
The highlight of the week, however, is SilMan’s own ProMat Bash! Approximately 150 clients, partners, and friends attended the party, which featured a rocked-out Violin Trio..Yep, violins!
Team members in attendance were Ben Ohmart, David Birmingham, David Rebata, Garrett King, Ian Fulton, Jonathan King, Kevin Jackson, Shellia Jefferson, Steve Emahiser, Tom Mangin, and Tommy Ethridge.
Click photos for full-screen viewing.
From The Field
Brooklyn Basin Automated Parking
“This project is a testament to how efficient our team can be with a collaborative client. Smoothest ever!”
– Tyde Biggerstaff
Our Automated Parking team has wrapped another project at the Brooklyn Basin complex, just a few miles from our office.
It was our first project with Hawk Development.
Brooklyn Basin was formerly the 9th Ave Terminal of the Port of Oakland. Today it is in the process of being transformed into a multi-use destination, including residences with automated parking. Here is a little history of this facility.
This is our third system installed at this location, the first two as an installer for the now-defunct CityLift.
The Scope of the 67-space project included Mechanical (steel erection & equipment installation) and Electrical (wire and energize system)
This was a true partnership. Our client also embraces a team approach which created an open, welcoming environment on the job site. They were ready to support us at every step.
For instance, the loading and staging areas were free and clear, ready for SilMan, which is often overly complicated by the disconnection with other trades on the site overlapping with our team’s arrival
Key Team Members on this project include
“This project was a great success. Our team was amazing and has essentially acted as a sales and marketing team for SilMan. And they really took ownership of this project! We now have opportunities to bid on more work with Hawk as a result of their work. It also shows what we can produce working hand-in-hand with a collaborative contractor. Teamwork and coordination were the #1 key to success.” – Jeff Piazza
Community Spotlight
Meet Jose “Mini Chango” Martinez
By popular demand, our featured team member hardly needs an introduction. However, today we are diving into the story behind the man!
But first, for the uninitiated, the nickname: Jose earned the “Mini Chango” title coming into SilMan behind his older brother, nicknamed – you guessed it – Chango! In Spanish “chango” means monkey or slang for a hairy man.
Jose came to the U.S. from Jalisco, Guadalajara.
He was raised on a farm and reports that his family was very poor. However, he learned the value of hard work from his father, which included working on the farm during school breaks. And we’re not talking about Spring Break: this was lunch break.
Martinez has worked in construction for 20 years, guided into the Union by his uncle when he arrived in the States. He’s been with SilMan for 8 years.
Mini Chango is a multi-skilled member of the Civil team, with expertise in machine operation, excavation, grading, concrete, and piping.
In his spare time, he has been pursuing CrossFit training.
What is your favorite part of working at SilMan?
“I appreciate the communication at SilMan, and that we get the tools we need to succeed. I am grateful to Tom and Rick for supporting us with chances to learn new things, and giving us opportunities. And for Tom learning Spanish!”
Jeremy on Day One
Sean on Day One
Justin at Mebane
Staging Area at Mebane
John, Pam and Tommy at MSU Career Fair
On the Job at the Port of Oakland
Our Millwright Team and the Brooklyn Basin APS project were featured in the Local 102 newsletter in March.
Foundations
Reflections On The Way We Work & Connect
Positive champions have a ripple effect on all they meet.
Whether personal or professional, Trust is the foundation of relationships. And since the lack of trust can lead to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, it is important that we seek tools that encourage well-being for ourselves and those around us.
Trust is a two-way street. It requires both parties to be open, honest, and reliable.
By bringing an uplifting mood to relationships, we can overcome strained communication and misunderstandings.
That’s right! Positivity can generate Trust.
This is particularly important when working with others to achieve shared goals. Without Trust, it can be challenging to collaborate effectively, and productivity can suffer.
By being open and honest you can strengthen your relationships and provide a positive effect on your community.
Positive champions have a ripple effect on all they meet.
