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Summer 2005
Volume 12, Issue 3
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Articles
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On This Page >>>
Have something
you would like to see published in the Frattalone Scoop?
If so, please contact
Shelly in the office.
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1. From the Corner Office
We wanted summer and now we have it. After an extremely wet June,
we are finally getting the warm and dry weather we, in construction,
were hoping for. Now that everyone is back to work and putting in long
hours, I can only hope each of you has enough energy in the evenings
and on the weekends to enjoy this summer season with your friends and
family.
If you haven’t been able to set aside the time you would like, I
have an opportunity for you. On September 24th, my family and I will
be walk-ing in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s "Light The
Night Walk". The Society is the world’s largest voluntary
health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research,
education and patient services. A few quick facts on the
illness:
- More than 712,145 Americans living with blood
cancer
- Every 5 minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer
- Every 10 minutes, someone dies from blood cancer (55,100
in 2004)
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Sometimes when we are generous
in small ways it can change someone else's life forever. |
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I have been asked to try and form a team of walkers from Frattalone
Companies. The walk will be a 3- mile journey around Lake Phalen in
St. Paul. The walk begins at 7:00 pm with free food and
entertainment starting beforehand. All employees, spouses, kids and
other family members and friends are welcome and encouraged to join
our team. If you would like more information you can contact me in the
office (651- 484-0448), email (nickf@frattalonecompanies.com)
or go to the website at www.lightthenight.org
I would like to thank each of you for your continued support of
Frattalone Companies, Inc. Your hard work and dedication does not go
unnoticed and I want to thank you for that.
Enjoy your summer!
Nick Frattalone,
Executive Vice President
2. Safety & Training Corner
I have exciting news to relate to everyone. Frattalone Companies,
Inc. has recently passed our record of 132,00 hours worked with-out a
loss time injury. The total hours worked without a loss time injury is
now approaching 200,000! The total as of the week ending 7-14-05 is
188,000!
| This is an achievement you personally should be
proud of. The strong safety culture here is showing benefits as
our insurance costs continue to be controlled. We also work more
productively with no employees off work due to an injury. Most
importantly, employees are returning home to their families safe
and injury free. I thank each and every one of you for working
safely and injury free! |
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secret of joy in work is contained in one word—
excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy
it!
Pearl Buck (1892-1973) |
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On certain job sites, Frattalone Companies is required to
participate with several employment programs including On The Job
Training. I wish to thank all of the employees who have been involved
with these programs for your time and the patience you’ve taken to
help teach our new employees to work safely while learning their new
job requirements. These programs are designed to increase the number
of non-traditional workers into the highway-heavy construction field.
I am very optimistic the company will gain some very productive
long-term employees through these programs.
Although we have not had a lost time injury, several employees have
sustained injuries requiring some level of medical attention.
A crushing crew employee twisted his ankle when he stepped
on a rock while climbing down a ladder. Keeping the work area clear
under the ladder may have prevented this injury.
The next injury was a muscle pull in the middle back of an
employee while shoveling. Participating in and continued stretching
may have prevented this injury.
A culvert pipe struck an employee after the choker became unhooked
from the backhoe bucket hook. The employee received a shoulder
abrasion and bruising. Having a safety hook with a latch may have
prevented this injury.
The next injury was a broken bone in a finger, caused by
loading a railroad rail track section on a truck bed and dropping the
rail on the finger. Getting help with a heavy object may have
prevented this.
An employee cut his leg with a utility knife while cutting
drainage pipe. Having help to hold the pipe so as to not slip while
cutting may have prevented this injury.
The last injury was a smashed finger while setting a catch
basin grate. Having a larger piece of silt fabric installed under the
casting would eliminate the need to reach in under the casting to
reposition the fabric, eliminating the chance of dropping the casting
on a finger.
| All of these injuries were medical only, but any
or all could have been much more serious. Your safety is a
personal responsibility. We all make choices. Make yours based
on keeping yourself safe at home and at work. This company
strives to provide the best possible working conditions and
provide each employee a safe and healthy atmosphere where-in all
employees may carry out duties. (Taken from the company safety
policy) |
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Thank you,
Steven Kohler, Safety and Training Director
3. Duluth Harley Ride
We all met at Sal’s Bar & Grill in Withrow for breakfast on
Friday, June 24th. It was a beautiful day for cruising the open road
after all the rain we had days before. There was a nice size group of
about 35 bikes on the ride.
| We continued our journey up Wisconsin Hwy 35
stopping at a few local watering holes to quench the thirst and
wash down the bugs. Tony started the day off with the first
smoky burnout. When we arrived in Superior we stopped at the
Superior Speedway to watch sprint cars and then headed into
Duluth to check into the hotel. |
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It was a long night and even an earlier morning, with clear skies
and 80 degrees. A group of us headed for Bayfield to ride the
ferryboat across Lake Superior to Madeline Island to ride six miles
around and stop for lunch. Everyone hung out on the island, checking
out some shops and Tom’s Burned Down Bar that consisted of a camper
trailer and a tent over it. We made it back to the main land and
headed for Duluth to meet up with the rest of the crew.
A few of us rode to Two Harbors to meet up with an old friend and
past employee of Frattalones. The last day we packed up early and
headed for home. We stopped and looked at a job site to make the trip
count, then rode back into the cities. Everyone made it home safely.
Thanks, go to Frattalones for a fun and eventful weekend.
Hope you can all make it again next year.
Lee Beemer - Assistant Project Manager
4. Project Profile
This Scoop’s project spotlight is on "Scheel’s All
Sports" located in The Riverhills Mall in Mankato, MN. The
project consists of putting a 40,000 plus square foot addition onto
the mall for Scheel’s All Sports. It started this past April and
incorporates the three main strengths of Frattalone Companies;
demolition, excavation and site utilities.
We first began with the demolition of the existing structure where
the addition would be connected to the mall. After the demolition was
completed, the real fun started with the excavation of the basement.
While the existing mall is a slab on grade structure, the addition has
a 16-foot deep basement, which means we needed to export approximately
30,000 cubic yards for the building portion alone.
Currently, Mark Carlson and his crew are working to install an
elaborate drain tile system under the floor of the entire addition and
hope to have the building backfilled by the middle of August. A large
portion of the parking lot is also being redone around the addition.
If all goes well, we hope to be completing this project by the
beginning of October.
I would like to thank the original demo / dirt superintendent, Mike
Rickert, for his work to get this out of town project started and
setup. Also a special thanks goes to Dan Sumption and his utility
crew, as well as Mark Carlson and his crew for their hard work to keep
this project running on schedule throughout the summer.
Ben Eiler, Project Manager
5. Employee of the Month
Each month the superintendents nominate an employee who they feel deserves the title of "Employee of the Month" for the previous month. The person who is chosen receives a gift certificate for $100.00 and picture on a plaque in the office. Congratulations to the
following:
- April,
2005 - Dallas Nestvold
- May,
2005 - Don Giles
- June,
2005 - Dennis Hogan
6. Holiday Schedule
Listed below are the days that Frattalone Companies will be closed this year:
- 09/05 -- Labor Day
- 11/24 -- Thanksgiving Day
- 12/26 -- Day After Christmas
7. Frattalone Golf Tourney
We will be playing 9 holes with a
2-person scramble format.
When: Sunday, September 11th
Where: Gem Lake Hills Golf Course
Cost: $20.00 per person, which includes golf, golf
balls and lunch after the tournament.
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The 7th Annual Central Lakes
College Golf Tournament held on July 26th was a huge success,
raising over 21,000 for the heavy equipment program.
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Please call Shelly
in the office if you are interested.
8. Oh, Baby!
Maverick Jamison Woyke, son of Jesse & Kelly Woyke, was
born on July 11, 2005. He weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19.5"
long.
Avery Mae Piechowski, daughter of Eric Piechowski & Tina
Schwab was born on July 15th, 2005. She weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. and
was 19" long.
Mason Robert Giles, son of Tim & Belinda Giles, was born
on July 22nd, 2005. He weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. and was 18.5"
long.
Congratulations!
9. Company Meetings
Following are the dates for the all company safety and
informational meetings for 2005. These meetings are a very important
part of keeping you informed of company policies and procedures.
Attendance is mandatory.
- Thursday, 8/4/05
- Thursday, 10/20/05
All meetings will start at 4:00 p.m.
10. Holiday Party
Mark your calendars… the Frattalone Companies’ Holiday Party
will be:
Saturday, December 10th
Jimmy’s Conference Center
Vadnais Heights
Back by popular demand, we will be having a CASINO NIGHT! For our
out of town guests, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday
Inn Express, which is connected to Jimmy’s.
11. Jerry Richert Memorial Race
The 5th Annual Jerry Richert Memorial Race will be held at Cedar
Lake Speedway on September 10, 2004. Frattalone Companies has reserved
the VIP tower where there will be food and bever-ages served before
the race. The cost is $20.00 per person, which includes admission to
the VIP tower, food, beverages and a memorial t-shirt. Please contact
Shelly Boss in the office for more information and/or tickets.
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