Serving The SilMan Community
Issue 10
November 2023
Serving The SilMan Community
Issue 01
April 2022
In This Issue
BUSINESS UPDATE
FROM THE FIELD
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
On The Move
On The Move
Business Update
SilMan Engineering
The year is coming to a close with a flurry of business development action. Let’s take a big-picture look at what’s up with the sales team.
Parking
Happy first birthday, SAPS! In our first full year, we have achieved notable engagement and name recognition in the parking industry by attending trade shows. The team attended shows in Seattle, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and San Jose. In these settings, conversations often go beyond mechanical parking, allowing us to introduce SilMan Industries to a new audience. The parking industry has shown itself to be a welcoming place, and we look forward to seeing these new connections blossom in 2024.
Have you visited the new SAPS website? Check it out: silmanautomatedparkingsystems.com
Site Services
As the year winds down, we are wrapping up a large electrical automation upgrade project for GP Antioch. The team has received glowing reviews from Atlanta-based Project Management and Electrical Engineering leaders, which has opened doors to discuss our team’s capabilities to manage National projects. We’ll keep you posted!
National Programs: Our travel teams continue to operate coast to coast, successfully supporting a variety of programs and inspiring new business.
Material Handling
SilMan Industries is becoming a force in the MHE Industry, fueled by our Tupelo-based engineering team (Mechanical, Electrical, and Controls).
The MHE engineering team has stepped up to the plate this year, designing, engineering, and managing increasingly complex applications. These projects are larger in scope and complexity, testing their resiliency and experience, including major retrofits and sortation systems for Amazon and ThredUp, and Pallet Handling Systems for Constellation Brands. These successes build confidence with existing clients and help to win new business.
And finally, just as the newsletter was to be published, another new order from a star customer:
And thanks to a recommendation from a former team member at ThredUp who now works with a Boston engineering firm, we have an opportunity to present SilMan for an $8m opportunity in December.
Lastly, in the most recent business news, we learned that Amazon is now the largest parcel delivery provider. Congrats to our valued client and our teams that have secured SilMan’s relationship with the industry leader!
Repeat Business Matters
David said: “Organic opportunities like this, and the ThredUP project above, begin with our team making a memorable impression on active projects. And as individuals grow their careers in new places, they bring SilMan along. Doing great work on every project is the best way to get invited back!”
From The Field
SMF3 and the Future of SilMan
SilMan Mechanical-Electrical team at SMF3
It is fitting to wrap up another extraordinary year by featuring a project that truly reflects the depth of capability and capacity of SilMan. It is clear that there is a need in the marketplace for a one-stop industrial service company, and the word is out about SilMan.
In this final edition of Under One Roof for 2023, let’s celebrate a project that reflects our collaborative, one-team culture.
As costs of operating fulfillment operations rise, demand continues to increase, and recruiting is a constant challenge, market leaders are looking for ways to add efficiency in a cost-effective way. To accomplish these objectives, Amazon devised a Decant Bypass project at SMF3. The solution adds six new lines to an existing conveyor system.
It was no accident that the client turned to SilMan to execute this project. This project comes on the heels of two previous deployments of the same solution in Indiana and New Jersey. Not surprisingly, the success of these prior experiences paved the road to Stockton. See “Repeat Business” above.
Our team landed in Stockton in late June and is expected to wrap up the project by the end of the year.
Scope of Work
The team modified the existing conveyor while surrounded by a fully operating Amazon distribution center. The project was completed in three phases. Each phase consisted of replacing dual stacked conveyor lines with new wider Motor-Driven Rollers (MDR) conveyors with zero pressure accumulation lines.
This project touched every corner of the company:
And hats-off to the team members who have made the Decant projects a success:
Alexander Watkins, Armando Ramirez, Brandon Carey, Bryce Addy, Christopher Loyd, Daniel Barrett, Daniel Sokol, Daryl Mortenson, David Birmingham, David Rebata, Elizabeth Gibson, Eric Bickford, Garrett King, Gregory Dominguez, Harrison Rupp, Hayden Wirth, Hugo Padilla, Ian Wilson, Irael Hernandez-Rodriguez, Israel Mendez Martinez, Jesse James, John Burns, John Morrison, Justin Neely, Kevin Jackson, Larrisa Newnam, Lindsey Donaldson, Maria Salazar, Matt Anger, Nicholas Lopes, Nick Goulart, Noah Willis, Pedro Hernandez Contreras, Ray Hawkins, Ruben Aranda, Shane Benson, Shellia Jefferson, Skyler Scates, Tommy Ethridge, Tony Napier
Community Spotlight
Meet Hugo Padilla
Hugo Padilla was born and raised in Oakland and attended San Leandro High School.
Early on, he dabbled in soccer but left sports when he fell in love with cars. His first car, and his favorite for life, is a 1972 Nova. His passion for cars has continued throughout his adult life. Today, he still enjoys working on cars and competing in non-sanctioned races. Shhh, don’t tell.
After high school, Hugo attended Holy Name University and earned a BA in Business management. Through his college years, he worked full-time at an auto parts store and accepted a position with World Pack, a 3PL and warehousing firm based in Newark after graduation.
Hugo’s journey to SilMan began about five years later as he asked himself how he might make a better living. He broke it down into three options:
Police Officer – BART Operator – Electrician
Luckily for us, Hugo has cousins working in the Trades and was persuaded to join the Electricians Union. In his third year, he worked with SilMan and returned in his fifth year, during which he turned out.
In addition to cars, Hugo relishes live music, especially Mexican music and Blues. He has also been “happily unmarried’ for seven years. His partner is a veterinarian, and they appear to have more of a zoo than a home (his words, not mine!) as she takes in all manners of wounded animals, in addition to their own pack of dogs and cats.
What do you love about SilMan:
I love to work hard, so it’s great to be at a place where I am trusted to get the job done without being micro-managed. I am so grateful to Tom, Rick, and Justin for their respectful leadership style.” – Hugo
Alex on Day One with AJ
Shellia and Lindsay at MHEDA Women’s Conference
Eric Always “Steps Up” to the Task at Hand
Jeff Porter and Team at Mebane
Bill Humboldt (Koerber) and Todd Sadler at Mebane
Avi Nigoche at Mebane
Caelin Harris at Mebane
Jamie Danford at Mebane
Mark Davenport and Howard “Fish” Fisher at Mebane
Paperless in Mebane
Fleet Feature: Ahoy, ASR Group! (Photo: Joshua Muniain)
Safety Tip
Winter Driving Tips
Most of us travel to visit family for the holidays to sip eggnog and offer our blessings around the ol’ yule log. Even if you are not looking forward to the pleasantries of holiday gatherings (Eddie, ahem!), you certainly don’t want to get stranded on the roadside.
Every year we face winter conditions, some harsher than others. Either way, winter conditions can make it difficult to get to our destination safely. 70% of US roads, including 70% of the population in the US, live in places with snowy/ice conditions during the winter, which increases the possibility of an accident significantly.
In general, remember that it is much harder to stop a vehicle on a slippery highway. Driving on snowy/icy roads can take your car ten times longer to stop completely (AAA).
So slow down and give yourself plenty of distance and time to stop for the conditions ahead of you.
The following are a few best practices for Winter Driving from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
In summary, we all know it’s incredibly risky to be on the road during winter conditions. Therefore, it is best to safely plan out your trip even more diligently and prepare for the cold slick road ahead.
Team Member Jams,
curated by the Safety Team
Jeff Piazza
“Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw
The original SilMan team member was born and raised in Novato, California, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump north from San Leandro.
When he is not being the Site Services tough guy or talking football, he can be found boating on a lake with family and friends, mountain biking, training, or donating blood and platelets.
About this song: “I believe this is the way we should live our lives and appreciate every minute we have. We never know when it will be our last.”
Foundations
Reflections On The Way We Work & Connect
Emotional Intelligence profoundly affects a person’s ability to create more rewarding, collaborative, and productive relationships. Our ability to empathize with the emotions of others improves our communication and, in most cases, a deeper understanding of one’s self. We often confuse Sympathy with Empathy. Sympathy is a reaction to the plight of others, while Empathy is sharing another person’s emotions. Emotional Intelligence enables us to empathize with others, putting ourselves in their shoes and understanding their emotions. This helps build stronger connections and promotes more meaningful relationships. Emotional Intelligence isn’t just about having soft skills. And it’s not a set of mindfulness practices.
Individuals with high emotional Intelligence find they have better discussions, make better decisions, give better feedback, and are great communicators. As we reflect on all the things we have been blessed with, let’s dig deeper and look for opportunities to build stronger relationships by understanding and managing our emotions and being aware of the emotions of others. This will lead to an inclusive culture rich in Trust and Empathy.
