Grow With Weitz: Investing in Our Employees at Every Stage | |
Team,
Our founder, Charles H. Weitz knew from the beginning that prioritizing his workforce was vital to our company’s long-term success. Over the last 168 years, retaining employees and helping them grow has remained central to our team, so much so that it’s recognized as one of our five core values: nurturing personal growth.
I’m a great example of this principle in practice. I started with Weitz back in 1999 as a project engineer in Colorado and have worked in nearly every operations role since then – even including a short stint in our IT department. There’s no question I have been given opportunities at Weitz that I would not have had at another company. These opportunities pushed me to grow my skillsets, deepen my knowledge of the industry, and work harder for my colleagues and our clients. Truly, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without leaders and mentors who saw my potential and took a chance on me. That’s why I’m committed to the idea of growing from within and investing in our employees at every stage.
My story is just one of many of its kind, which is why I’m excited to spotlight even more of our team members this year in employee profiles as part of our “Grow With Weitz” campaign. These employee profiles will give you the opportunity to hear firsthand from colleagues about how they have stepped up and grown professionally in ways they wouldn’t have imagined throughout their careers at The Weitz Company.
As we aim to overcome the construction industry’s labor shortage, we are doing everything we can to attract and retain talent, which includes promoting these employee profiles and articulating what sets us apart as an employer. As you know, we launched Summertime Staff-Up, a companywide hiring campaign, earlier this week. This effort includes enhancements to our employee referral bonus program, but even more importantly, gives each of us the chance to tell our Company’s story and share how we’ve grown professionally at Weitz. By sharing the “Grow With Weitz” profiles as part of this hiring campaign, you are doing your part to expand our recruiting pool, publicize our career opportunities, and illustrate how we invest in our employees.
Whether you are engaged in conversation with a potential referral or posting on your LinkedIn account, I encourage you to share how you’ve grown during your time with Weitz. Thank you for taking an active role in our efforts to grow our team and position our company for continued success.
Regards,
Kevin McClain
President & CEO
Orascom Construction USA, Inc.
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Summertime Staff-Up: Facebook Post | Like and share this post on your profile for a chance to win a prize. | |  |
Summertime Staff-Up: LinkedIn Post | Like and share this post on your profile for a chance to win a prize. | | |
our commitment to lead with safety | |
Construction Safety Week 2023 in Review | |
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As you may recall, earlier this month we celebrated Safety Week 2023! We asked every project team to complete a different activity each day to reflect on our safety performance, recommit to our goal of zero safety incidents, and reenergize our efforts to send one another home safely every day. From Toolbox Talks to fire extinguisher trainings and fall protection demonstrations to emergency evacuation drills – our project teams went above and beyond to make the weeklong event impactful on their sites.
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One particularly creative event was orchestrated by Greg Cowan, an assistant project manager at the Prairie Meadows Hotel Renovation project in Iowa. Greg developed a fun, competitive activity that focused on crane signaling. Contestants sat behind a wall and sought to “hook” a hardhat using a fishing pole which they directed based upon the signals received from their partner. With a significant amount of forklift usage on this project, the safety week activity reinforced the importance of proper signaling during real-life situations onsite. Check out the video to see the competition in action! | |
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The Weitz Job Safety Analysis (JSA) has been updated to better support our employees and trade partners in the field. This new JSA is streamlined to capture all construction activities and ensure compliance with all High-Risk Activities (HRA).
Within the new HRA section you can add the location, risk, and our level of control over each activity - allowing those reviewing the JSA to identify HRAs with just a quick glance. The new form also consolidates the Controlled Access Zones, Barricades, and Fall Protection sections, while incorporating a new section on Environmental and Weather conditions.
The updated JSA is available on SharePoint and electronically in Procore. Project teams are encouraged to use the form electronically as it can significantly reduce input time.
Kudos to the team that put in time and effort to get the JSA updated: Davey Holmes, Megan Marolf, Mike Newman, Justin Hegge, Chad Sanson, and Robert Saiz!
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FYI: Two Safety Policies Updated! | |
In case you missed it, two safety policies were modified earlier this month:
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PPE policy – The Glove Selection Chart was updated.
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Scaffold policy – The update clarified the requirements regarding the nailing of base plates to mud sills.
Wondering how to stay in the know on these updates? Be sure to regularly check out the company’s Safety Teams channel to learn about important changes like these.
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Monthly Lead with Safety Call - Rewind & Look Ahead | |
Have you updated your site logistics plan recently? Andy Bates, Operations Director - Iowa, shared about the importance of site logistics and spotlighted numerous best practices for our teams during the May Lead with Safety call. Intentional planning and consistent communication of site logistics are key parts of setting the expectation for safety without compromise on our jobsites. So, pull out your logistics plan, set aside 15 minutes to listen to this call, and get ready to communicate any needed updates to your team! | | |
SAVE THE DATE for the next Lead with Safety Call: Monday, June 12th at 9 a.m. CST! Joe Harris, Field Operations Manager - Iowa, will lead the call and dive into how project teams can start each day to be set up for success! | |
Employee Referral Bonus Program Updated | |
Did you hear the exciting news? As part of Summertime Staff-Up, our companywide hiring campaign, we announced three enhancements to our employee referral program! Check out the details on these changes below:
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Boomerang Bonus: Bring back any employee who has been gone longer than two years and receive 50% of the stated bonus amount for the respective grade level!
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Increased Incentive: Referrals at a grade level 45 and above will be eligible for a $10,000 referral bonus, up from the previous amount of $7,500!
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Speedy Payment: We know waiting is a drag… That’s why we are reducing the waiting period for payment from 90 days to 30 days. This means you will receive your bonus 30 days after your referral starts with our team.
So, be thinking about who you know that would make a great addition to our team. This summer make a splash and earn some referral cash - click here to submit your referrals today!
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Protect Yourself From Card Skimmers | |
Although using your credit card at gas station pumps and drive-up ATMs is convenient, it’s important to remember that scammers are targeting these locations to steal your information. Cybercriminals attach a physical device known as a card skimmer to the credit card reader of these machines. Card skimmers read the magnetic strip on the inserted credit card to gather the cardholder’s full name, the card number, and the expiration date in a matter of seconds. Once the skimmer reads your card information, the cybercriminals can then use or sell your information. These skimmers are designed to fit tightly over the real card reader at the gas station and ATM, making them undetectable if you don’t know what to look for.
To protect yourself against card skimmers, follow these helpful tips:
- Pay with cash to eliminate the risk of encountering a card skimmer.
- Shake and pull the card reader. If the card reader is loose or looks tampered with, pay inside, and report it to the establishment.
- Use mobile payment options, like Google or Apple Pay, if available.
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IT is excited to announce that Canvas is now available in Box. Box Canvas is a secure, virtual whiteboard which can be used for planning, brainstorming, and virtual remote collaboration. Check out this short introduction video to learn how it can add functionality to your existing processes. | |
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We're growing, and fast! There's no question 2023 is going to be another year marked by exciting expansion and lots of hiring. Check out the list below to see who was recently added to our roster and welcome them to our team! | |
Commercial
Shannon "Ski" Santiago: Project Superintendent I – Phoenix, AZ
Peter-John Rattray: Field Engineer – West Palm Beach, FL
Blake Uhlken: Project Engineer II – Des Moines, IA
Peter Supple: Director of Estimating – West Palm Beach, FL
Mission Critical
Anthony Delmar: Project Manager II – Leesburg, VA
Jason Wilhite: Project Superintendent I – Goodyear, AZ
Luis Campos: Project Engineer II – Des Moines, IA
Ariel Cortes: Administrative Assistant I – Leesburg, VA
Qizar Khan Mohammed: Assistant Project Manager – Leesburg, VA
Tyler Bryan: Field Superintendent – Des Moines, IA
Aviation
Rachel Haufler: Marketing & Proposal Associate – Des Moines, IA
Sarah McDougall: Preconstruction Manager II – Des Moines, IA
Samantha Claypool: Administrative Assistant II – Des Moines, IA
Supply Chain
Andrew Wilkinson: Preconstruction Manager I – Des Moines, IA
| Stay in the know for changes like these, from who moved in to who moved on, by checking out the recent personnel changes page on SharePoint. | | | |
Special Shout Out to Our Interns | |
In addition to the awesome team members mentioned above, throughout the company we excitedly welcomed 63 interns to our team for the summer! Check out the list below and be sure to do your part to make their experience with our company unforgettable! | |
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Blake Johnson: Mission Critical
Jared Rush: Shared Services
Stephen Mastrocola: Mission Critical
Caleb Nall: Mission Critical
Artur Kharlamov: Shared Services
Madelaine Brennan: Shared Services
Nicholas Hanson: Florida
Jack Davis: Mission Critical
Bre Skala: Omaha
Jasper Walsh: Florida
Katherine Ruge: Florida
Antoine Emil: OEC
Tyler Wegner: Supply Chain
Madisyn McCormick: Industrial Cedar Rapids
Mara Cosenza: Shared Services
Shelby Schroth: Mission Critical
Hunter Servey: Mission Critical
Sebastian Castano Calzada: Florida
Darius Butler: Phoenix
Ryan Nugent: Industrial Tecnico
Carina Pablo: Rocky Mountain
Gabriel Mergenthaler: Rocky Mountain
Erich Berg: Phoenix
Tiaunna Little: Iowa
Tyler Gearhart: Iowa
Lucas Gardner: Iowa
Jonah Miller: Mission Critical
Adam Wolf: Iowa
Benjamin Sukin: Rocky Mountain
Haley Mazza: Mission Critical
Louis Jones: EPI Power
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Ibram Shenouda: EPI Power
Mitchell Badding: National
Andrew Bonneau: Rocky Mountain
Keidyfer Leon: Rocky Mountain
Morgan Balch: Florida, Marketing
Trevor Formanek: Mission Critical
Drew Penningroth: Iowa
Blaine Colman: Florida
Austin Weide: Florida
Bevan McSharry: Industrial Tecnico
Brady Burnett: Industrial WPS
Brady Johnson: Industrial Cedar Rapids
Heather Craig: Industrial Tecnico
Samuel Hotovec: Iowa
Connor McSperrin: Mission Critical
Jacob Roberts: Mission Critical
Haylee Heim: Omaha
Chandler Ranasinghe: National
Lily Dosedel: Shared Services
Stephen Cowan: Iowa
Mallory Leazer: Mission Critical
Cameron Sopoinski: Omaha
Jack Harris: Mission Critical
Daryn Lamprecht: Mission Critical
Quade Barry: Industrial Tecnico
Wyatt Uhing: Mission Critical
Jaily Gonzalez: Omaha
Andrew Wedemeyer: Shared Services
Nicholas Martinez: Industrial Tecnico
Aaron Bumagat: National
Jill Chandler: National
Benitha Lubamba: Shared Services
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Employee Spotlight: Sarah McCowen | |
This year our monthly employee profile will feature a Wellness Committee member from around the company. These spotlighted employees have stepped up to support their co-workers and office wellness efforts. Check out the profile below to meet another person you have in your corner on your journey to "Build a Better You!"
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Business Unit: Mission Critical
Job Title: Project Safety Manager
Why are you passionate about health & wellness? I get very excited when I have people tell me how much better they feel when they eat healthier, work out, or have improved their mental wellbeing. I believe that creating a healthy lifestyle is so important and I want people to see and feel the benefits from it, even if they are only making small changes. I truly want people to live their best life, whatever that means to them, and if I can help them reach that goal in any way, that makes my life even better as well.
Favorite food? Spaghetti
What wellness advice do you have for fellow team members? Get off your phone, turn off the TV, and enjoy life!
What are some of your favorite ways to de-stress? Definitely bubble baths when I’m tired and need to relax. If I have more energy, I love going for walks, whether around the neighborhood or on a trail.
If you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be? Hugging – I love to give hugs!
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Project: Entegris Rockrimmon
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Contract Amount: $95,000,000
Kudos to the Rocky Mountain business unit and Industrial Group for teaming up to secure this high-tech facility - talk about cross company collaboration at its finest! Entegris expects to invest more than $600M in the construction of the campus over the next several years, totaling nearly 1M SF across all three phases. Click here to learn more about the client and team's formula for success!
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Project: DSM Project Next Gen
Location: Tonganoxie, Kansas
Contract Amount: $27,984,780
Congrats to the Industrial Group on its recent win with a newly established client! The DSM Petfood facility will implement next-generation automated and robotic equipment for ingredient receiving, micro-batching, blending, transporting, and packaging of unique petfood premix offerings. The facility will be DSM’s most advanced premix facility in North America and operate on 100% renewable electricity. Click here to learn more about this design-build project.
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Project: Woodland Hills Life Plan Community
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contract Amount: $271,000,000
Shout out to the National team on this exciting win in the luxury senior living market! The Woodland Hills development will consist of independent living apartments and villas, assisted living, and memory care on an 18.785-acre site. Click here to read more about the community and its lavish amenities.
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Are you aware of or concerned about unethical, illegal, dishonest, or fraudulent activity? If so, submit an anonymous report online by using the EthicsPoint button or by calling our Ethics Hotline at 1-844-965-1242.
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