June 1, 2022

Message from the corner office

Good morning!

Winter is over, spring was skipped, and summer is here. As another construction season begins, we are reminded that the health of our employees is essential to our success. With the scale of work we have coming up, we need our employees to be safe and healthy in order to get the projects complete and have a successful season.

Safety means taking care of our wellbeing, both mental and physical. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and serves as a reminder of the importance of our mental health. The many demands that come with being in our industry affect our mental health in a unique way. Across the nation, construction has among the highest percentage of suicides out of any industry. If you are feeling down, struggling, or stressed, we are here to help. There are several organizations that can help, which we can direct you to.

It is our hope that our team stays safe and healthy. As our construction season begins let’s prioritize safety on and off the job. I am looking forward to a great summer and working with you. If you are lucky I may even cook for you at your jobsite soon.

Jeff Carlson

Safety Spotlight

Last year we had an incident where an employee was walking on a jobsite and stepped on a steel plate covering a catch basin. Unfortunately, due to construction traffic, the plate had shifted and two of the plate corners where not in contact with the catch basin. When the employee stepped on the plate, the corner he stepped on dropped from beneath him, causing him to drop into the catch basin. 

In the investigation and through numerous conversations, the decision was made to cut plate coverings to size and weld tabs on them to prevent shifting. It's a long process and will continue into next year, but progress has been made thanks in large part to these two fine employees, Tyler Danielson and Cole Thompson. Thanks for helping our employees stay safe!

Project Spotlight

Park Construction was awarded the MNDOT TH 36 – TH61 Project in the Winter of 2022.

The project mostly consists of milling and overlaying spanning 13.6 Miles of Highway. This project has special parameters involving Weekend Shutdowns, Thermal Profiling, Intelligent Compaction, and a 5.0 Void Bituminous Paving Mixture.

Work Scope:

• Milling Bituminous; 452,846 SY
• Bituminous Paving; 10,3021 Ton
• Project Contract Amount; $17,409,397.22
• Duration; Spring of 2022 – Fall of 2022

Theft

As you are all aware, there has been an increase in theft over the past couple years and it seems it is becoming more brazen. When you arrive on the jobsite, make sure you roll up your vehicle windows, keep any valuables with you or keep them at home, and lock your vehicle. Regardless if you plan to exit your vehicle for a short period of time, take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your property. These thieves see an opportunity and will swoop in and take what they can in minutes, if not seconds. 

Park Photo Contest Winner - Craig Kohnen

Nate Kohnen, Superintendent extraordinaire, showing us that he can still get his hands dirty!