volume 29, no. 2 a triannual publication of independence ...assets.indexc.com ›...

8
Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence Excavating, Inc. Spring, 2016 Established 1956 Independence Excavating, Inc. • Independence Demolition, Inc. Independence Recycling of Florida • Indy Equipment & Supply Precision Environmental Co. • DiGeronimo Aggregates • Precision ProCut • Flex-Tech Resources, Ltd. Pittsburgh The People. The Work.

Upload: others

Post on 25-Jun-2020

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

Vo lume 29 , No . 2 A Tr iannua l Pub l i ca t ion o f Independence Excavat ing , Inc . Spr ing , 2016

Established

1956

Independence Excavating, Inc. • Independence Demolition, Inc. Independence Recycling of Florida • Indy Equipment & SupplyPrecision Environmental Co. • DiGeronimo Aggregates • Precision ProCut • Flex-Tech Resources, Ltd.

Pittsburgh The People. The Work.

Page 2: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEVic DiGeronimo Jr.

2 Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

Welcome to the summer of 2016. After an extremely mild winter we jumped right into spring with plenty of work to start, continue and finish. All of our various work groups, disciplines and areas are looking forward to an extremely busy year with some already having booked the majority of their work for the entire 2016 season. I’d like to specifically recognize our various general managers for their extraordinary effort in 2015 and continuing right into 2016. Dave Bevan, Ron Brocco, Justin Fox, Don Mahnke, John Percun and Steve Wilk have added so much to the success of their work areas that we all should express our gratitude to them when given the chance. These guys continue to push all of us in many areas to grow and succeed, and their dedication makes our company the safest and best place to work possible. With one of our best years ever, 2015, behind us we are counting on this group to continue the run in 2016. Thank you from myself and the entire DiGeronimo family. We look forward to the future with this outstanding, talented group.

Another very exciting development that I would like to briefly mention is our new Pittsburgh office and heavy shop facility. It’s currently being constructed, and — at this time — the steel is up, heated floors are poured and it should be enclosed in the next few weeks. This is another example of the huge commitment we have made to the western Pennsylvania market. I will be sure to include pictures in future newsletters when it’s completed.

Our building group, Independence Construction, has really expanded their abilities and increased their workload for 2016. Kevin DiGeronimo and all the talented people he has attracted has put us in a great position for several high profile projects to begin in the very near future. It seems the market has really embraced the fact that — with a single phone call — they can start with abatement, demo, site, and now their building needs completed with safe, high quality, construction from one team. It’s extremely rewarding to watch this company take on new challenges and

continue to add projects and new and repeat customers to their resume.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I want to thank all of the DiGeronimo Company employees and valued vendors for either donating food and or money to our Harvest for Hunger campaign this year. We had several employees that helped on our committee effort and so many others that put time and effort into phone calls and more to make this a huge success. We will be providing a minimum of 180,000 meals for the under privileged and needy people in Northeast Ohio. I’m personally very proud of your commitment and the company’s eagerness to help others. We are already discussing next year’s campaign and will again look for your much needed support. Have a great summer, be safe 100 percent of the time, and thanks for all your continued support.

Have a nice day!

CAWV Safety Award — Utility DivisionContractor’s Association of West Virginia recognized IX for 50,000 safe man hours in the Utility Division.

SAFETY

Pictured from left to right: Robert Lafon, Famco, Inc., Eric Sears, IX Field Safety Specialist, and Richard Jeffrey, OSHA

Independence Receives AGC of America Safety AwardOn March 10, 2016, Independence Excavating was recognized by the Associated General Contractors of America — at their national convention, held in San Antonio, Texas — for our commitment to safety.

Our Safety Director, Tom Steblinski, along with Senior Project Manager, Doug Thomas, presented to judges on behalf of our safety culture and proudly accepted the Construction Safety Excellence Award in the Federal/Heavy Division with over 900,000 man-hours worked in 2015.

Congratulations to our entire team and let’s continue to work safely in 2016!

Pictured from left to right: AGC President, Charles L. Greco, IX Safety Director, Tom Steblinski, IX President, Vic DiGeronimo Jr., IX Vice President, Rob DiGeronimo, IX Senior Project Manager, Doug Thomas, and Willis Construction Practice Chairman, Paul Becker

Page 3: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

3Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

The People

Hard Work. Commitment. Accountability. Integrity. Sacrifice. These words are the backbone to most meaningful endeavors, but without the people to execute, they are merely that: words.

As my uncle — Vic DiGeronimo Sr. — has stated numerous times, this business is about people, and what sets Independence Excavating apart is the people we are lucky enough to have in our organization.

In 2009, Independence Excavating decided to make its first geographic expansion by opening an office in the Pittsburgh region. At this moment — with the benefit of hindsight — it was a great move, but few can understand the tremendous fortitude it took to make this decision in the midst of our generation’s worst economic climate. Opening a new office requires investment, both human and monetary. At a time when most companies were shrinking, we were trying to expand. It was a bet on the future. A bet on the market in Western Pennsylvania and a bet that we could assemble a great group of people — vested in the ideals and culture that made us successful in Cleveland.

At the outset, we started with a small crew and a few customers. Our first

“yard and shop” was a one acre piece of property and two Conex boxes; now our average job has more laydown and storage area than that.

From such small beginnings, we were able to deliver for our customers and — along the way — enjoy measurable success. As they say, success breeds success; we continued to have steady work, and the size and scope of the projects kept increasing. The growing team continued to deliver results. What started out as a “small crew” of predominately transplants from Cleveland and Erie has evolved into a

Pittsburgh Operations — It’s all about the People!

formidable, Western Pennsylvania-based construction company.

As of the writing of this article, I’m proud to report our forces number more than 150 people, and each and every one of them are an important member of the team. Laborers, operators, surveyors, safety specialists, mechanics, shop support staff, administrative assistants, supervision, project managers, drivers; it takes all of these people — working together, pulling in the same direction, focused on delivering results to our customers and to each other — to continue to make the Pittsburgh branch a valuable asset to our parent organization.

The Work

As our staff has expanded, so has the scope of our services. Most of the work has been high profile, dynamic and difficult, but the teamwork approach we bring to projects has made them successful. These projects range from 150 acre bulk earthwork packages to the grading and utility installation for 150 low income homes in the Hill District and Larimer neighborhoods. We have demolished old hospitals in Oakland and helped build new hospital facilities in Shadyside and Wexford. We have built new retail centers for some of the largest and most prestigious developers in the market, yet can scale down to install steam vaults on college campuses. We

have demolished the ceiling in both the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Fort Pitt Tunnel, but are currently building new roads for PennDOT and The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. We have experience developing sites for casinos, schools, railroads, energy infrastructure and intermodal facilities in this region. As Pittsburgh continually reinvents itself, we are providing services required to aid the developers of old industrial sites along our rivers in the Strip District, the Yough Valley, Lawrenceville, Hazelwood, Neville Island, Aliquippa and Rankin.

Independence Excavating is proud to be a part of the Pittsburgh community. Since 2009, when we established ourselves in this region, we have been fortunate enough to gain new customers, and are humbled to do repeat business for most of them.

Together, we can continue to shape the region.

Justin Fox, General Manager — Pittsburgh Operations

Page 4: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

4 Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

On September 1, 2015, Almono L.P. — in cooperation with the Regional Industrial Development Corporation — issued Notice of Award to Independence Excavating for its Hazelwood-Almono Phase 1 Infrastructure project.

The project is located on a 178 acre land parcel along the Monongahela River, originally developed in 1852 by Jones and Laughlin. The 178 acre plot is bordered on the south by Tecumseh Street and on the north by the Hot Metal Bridge, which was built for Jones and Laughlin in 1900 to connect the mill to the blast furnaces on the other side of the river. At the time, Jones and Laughlin was the fourth largest steel producer in the United States, largely because it developed the process of cold rolling steel.

With a long history of steel production associated with the site, developers are conscious of not only the historical structures that remain but also of the carbon footprint it once emitted. Because of this, the plan for the site is to be carbon neutral upon completion. In adhering to that approach, the developers elected to have Independence Excavating provide Tier IV equipment for the entire contract. Tier IV is the classification of latest emissions standards as defined by the federal government on May 11, 2004. These standards were required to be implemented into all newly produced equipment by 2015. Due to these standards, you will see some of the newest equipment in our vast fleet working onsite.

A team of twenty-five pieces of Tier IV equipment, a superintendent, multiple foremen, two project managers, a full time surveyor, and 30 of the best trained operators and laborers in the industry is charged with the complete development of Signature Blvd. The development of

Almono: World Class Sustainable Mixed-Use Redevelopment Project in Pittsburgh

CURRENT PROJECT

new Signature Blvd. began with over 100,000 cubic yards of earthmoving, as well as erosion control measures put in place to keep our rivers clean from fugitive sediment. Once the dirt was moved, our team was ready to install the vast network of utilities.

Utility installation included installation of 1,600 lineal feet of 54” reinforced concrete pipe sewer, over 9,500 lineal feet of Duquesne light duct bank and 8,700 lineal feet of sanitary sewer — some of which exceeds 27 feet in depth. Upon completion of deeper sewers and electrical utilities, Independence Excavating forces are installing 15,000 lineal feet of storm sewer, 10,000 lineal feet of water main, 7,600 lineal feet of telecommunications duct bank and excavation and backfill of 9,000 lineal feet of both 20" and 8" gas line.

To complete the work, we will turn to our subcontractors: our recycling division crushed 24,000 tons of concrete to spec 2A material for roadway subbase; Vantage Corporation will install the underground infrastructure for the 122 street lights and new traffic signals;

Newcomer Concrete will install 19,000 lineal feet of city curb and 12,400 square yards of sidewalk; Lindy Paving will complete 30,700 square yards of asphalt paving; A. Merante Construction will complete the Duquesne light duct bank down Second Avenue; and CH&D Enterprises will complete the enormous landscaping package which includes over 45,000 individual perennials.

Independence Excavating would like to thank Almono L.P., RIDC, AL-CM, GAI, PWSA, Alcosan, Peoples Natural Gas, Duquesne Light Company, and all of its subcontractors and materials suppliers for what is shaping up to be another great project for the Pittsburgh community.

Page 5: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

5Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

Typical Somerset County winters involve multiple feet of snow and trips to the local ski resorts. For Independence Excavating (IX), winter meant multiple earth moving spreads and thousands of trips to the fill. The New Baltimore Slope Remediation turned up the heat as temperatures dropped in the town of New Baltimore, Somerset County. The $33 million dollar project for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) entered its most difficult and important phase late in 2015. The project has two main purposes: first — and most notably — is to fix the New Baltimore Slope which has been plaguing the PTC since the original highway was built in the 1940s; second is to widen and re-align 4 Degree Curve, as well as install new drainage for the future total reconstruction of the turnpike in this area. This project will help make the most dangerous and accident prone section of the Turnpike safer for thousands of drivers.

The first phase of the project revolved around the roadway itself. The objective was to move traffic away from the eventual work area to keep the traveling public safe. To accomplish this goal, multiple traffic phases were implemented to incrementally install new drainage, barrier wall, glare screen, asphalt and pavement markings for the new traffic alignments. Crews worked day and night in tight quarters to finish. Nightly lane closures had to be closely coordinated due to the limited timeframe allowed for impact to the traveling public. Work on “America’s first Super-Highway” is dangerous and demanding, but our partners at the PTC, Stahl Sheaffer Engineering and our subcontractors pulled together to finish safely and within our tight schedule windows.

Once the traffic was safely moved, the main event was ready to start. Four million cubic yards of dirt and rock were the next target for the IX team, but first extensive erosion and sedimentation controls had to be installed across the 125 acre site. These controls included four HDPE-lined

New Baltimore Slope Remediation UpdateCURRENT PROJECT

ponds, over a mile of rock lined ditches and thousands of feet of compost filter sock. The 4 degree curve was the first cut to be dug into, clocking in at a sizable 1.6 million cubic yards. The impressive Hitachi EX1900-6 excavator lead the charge, fitted with a massive 16 cubic yard bucket. This machine, along with five Caterpillar 777s, was supplied by Bill Miller Equipment. Material was dug, ripped and blasted day and night from the bank and sent to the St. John’s fill area at a breakneck pace, in an attempt to stay ahead of the looming winter. Although it was by all accounts a mild winter, especially given the reputation of Somerset County, it still managed to make things difficult for the team. Three — sometimes four — full-time mechanics worked around the clock to keep equipment operating for both shifts. Both the Pittsburgh and Cleveland heavy shop provided support, along with our partners at Bill Miller, Caterpillar, John Deere, Good Tire Service, and Hitachi. It was all hands on deck with over 80,000 man hours spent on the job through the end of winter. Local 66 Operating Engineers, Local 419 Laborers and Local 1058 Laborers were integral in supplying people up to the task. It became even more challenging when work began on the New Baltimore Slope.

An active landslide is a very problematic place to perform a 2.6 million cubic yard mass excavation, but the IX project team attacked the challenge head on. A carefully planned remediation sequence was created by geotechnical engineers and geologists after many years of studying the area. The plan

included 24 parallel “slots” to be cut along the hillside down to the source of the landslide, a mud seam termed the failure plane. The failure plane was excavated out and benches were installed into competent rock as the cut progressed down the hill. Waste material was hauled up the mountain and then used as fill from the top down, continually covering the benches. Excavation progressed swiftly down the hill as the organized chaos of excavators, trucks and bulldozers moved the overburden and remediated the failure plane. Over 30 pieces of equipment worked in tight quarters moving 30,000 yards a day 200 feet up the mountain on 20% grades.

Spring has finally made it to the Allegheny Mountains, and the end of dirt moving draws near. Winter is over, but there is still significant work left to do. Upon completion of the remediation, the entire site will need stabilized and post construction storm water management features implemented. The new turnpike alignment grading and drainage will be installed and traffic will be restored to its original conditions. We look forward to building off of the hard work that was completed this winter by finishing the project strong. Our partners at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and Stahl Sheaffer Engineering continue to work with us to deliver a project we can all be proud of, even if it is only seen as you speed past at 70 miles per hour.

Before After

Page 6: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

6 Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

AEP Big Sandy Demolition – Phase I Louisa, Kentucky Scope: Dismantlement and demolition of five ancillary buildings, removal of four sections of coal conveyor from the existing plant, demolition of a concrete cooling tower, grading and capping of existing coal pile area and backfill.

Aliquippa Warehouse and Utilities Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Scope: The project scope consists of cut to fill of approximately 200,000 CY, undercut and replace unsuitable material as required, installation of storm sewer pipe, sanitary sewer pipe, water, underground electrical conduits, and trench excavation for gas service and fine grading of a 200,000 SF area for proposed warehouse.

Avon Lake Water Pollution Control Plant Improvements Project Avon Lake, Ohio Scope: Clearing and grubbing of the site, asphalt removal, excavation for two twenty foot settling tanks with a beam and lag retaining wall, excavation of a 40 foot deep pit for installation of a new raw sewage pump station, 3,500 LF of yard piping ranging in size from 4" to 60". Installation of new site storm sewers, new pavement subbase, grading and storm water management controls for the duration of the project.

Bucksport Paper Mill Demolition Bucksport, Maine Scope: Demolition of former Verso paper mill with approximately 9,300 GT of total demolition, crushing and reuse of all hard fill on site.

NEW PROJECTSCleveland Hilton Hotel Connector Tunnel Cleveland, Ohio Scope: Excavation, sheeting, shoring and dewatering package to facilitate construction of an underground cast-in-place concrete pedestrian tunnel linking the new downtown Cleveland Hilton Hotel with the Huntington Park Garage.

Cleveland State University – Chester Building Demolition Cleveland, Ohio Scope: 105,000 SF mass demolition of a two-story building including separation and demolition of two pedestrian walkways, foundation removal and shoring.

CSX National Gateway Clearance Improvement Project: Shenandoah Junction, WV Track Lowering Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia Scope: Lowering of two CSX tracks under an existing Norfolk Southern bridge. Mainline track work will happen during weekend outages. The scope of work includes disabling and reassembling 2,600 LF of track panels, excavation and haul off of 10,000 CY, installation of sub-ballast, and ballast, E&S, clearing, drainage improvements, paving, and striping.

Huntington Parking Garage Fire Line Cleveland, Ohio Scope: 300 LF of 8" fire line, 6" standpipe from the roadway into garage and site restoration.

Intergate. Ashburn Ashburn, Virginia Scope: Excavation and backfilling for foundations for a 139,518 SF data center building, 17,000 SF of exterior concrete hardscape, 11,000 SY of asphalt paving, and 7,000 LF of curb and gutter as well as associated earthwork with the hardscapes where IX is currently performing the site work.

MWAA Phase 2, Package B Rail Yard and Maintenance Facility Dulles, Virginia Scope: Dry utilities at the Dulles rail yard, where IX is currently performing site work operations. Work consists of trenching, blasting, concrete encasement, and premium backfill of 36,000 LF of underground electrical duct bank. Installation of more than 30 vaults and 323,460 LF of conduit.

NEORSD Ridge Road Emergency Repair Brooklyn, Ohio Scope: Replacement of approximately 1,000 LF of 72" RCP combined sewer in Ridge Road. The project includes bypass, paving and reconnection of 60+ residences and businesses. The additional work will be added to our current contract for the NEORSD Chevy Blvd Detention Basin.

Public Improvement of Scranton and Carter Roads Cleveland, Ohio Scope: Reconstruction and rehabilitation of approximately .6 miles on Carter Road between Columbus Road and Scranton Road. Work includes the reconstruction of existing pavement with concrete pavement, curb replacement, driveway repair, catch basins and roadside drainage features, pavement markings, and making curb ramps ADA compliant throughout the project length.

Twinsburg – Building A Twinsburg, Ohio Scope: Clearing, SWPP, soil stabilization, topsoil movement, and grading making building pad ready for foundations.

“SAFETY DAY” BREAKFAST

The DiGeronimo Companies Annual Safety Day Breakfasts began in March 2016, and were held in Cleveland (10th Annual), Pittsburgh and Chantilly, to recognize our safe work efforts and to stress the continued emphasis we all need to make on a daily basis to remain one of the safest contractors in the nation.

Page 7: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

7Independence Excavating, Inc. • www.indexc.com

It is with tremendous excitement and anticipation thinking that in seven short months, the Pittsburgh Branch will be moving into our brand new, state-of-the-art office and shop facility. As we flipped the calendar from 2015 to 2016, our internal forces “broke ground” and commenced moving dirt for the building pad. Although we fought Mother Nature, we turned the pad over to Bear Construction, our design builder, on February 1st. Footers for the 30,000 square foot facility went in very quickly, and by March 1st a majority of the steel was erected.

As I write this article, I am pleased to report the building is well ahead of schedule with the roof, underground plumbing and structural masonry complete. The crews are working towards beginning floor pours for the shop.

Some highlights of the building include 20,000 square feet of shop space, and

New State-of-the-Art Office and Shop Accommodates Growing Pittsburgh Operations

10,000 square feet of office. The shop was designed around the idea of being able to pull Cat 777 haul trucks inside and repair them. The door dimensions, crane hook height and capacity, and floor thicknesses will accommodate the largest pieces of equipment in our fleet. The other feature definitely worth noting is that the shop floor will be heated. This is great news to our mechanics who have laid on a lot of frigid floors in our current unheated shop.

The 10,000 square foot office space will be a tremendous upgrade over our current situation. The initial buildout will include 14 offices, with room to build out several more as our growth continues. The current floor plan has two conferences rooms, one which will serve as a “bid room” and the other as a formal conference room. Also included are typical community areas like a kitchenette and business center.

Justin Fox, General Manager — Pittsburgh Operations

It’s hard to believe that seven years ago we were sitting on an acre of rented ground, with two Conex boxes and a Kentucky trailer sitting on it, and were calling it the new Pittsburgh yard.

It’s amazing what can happen in a very short period of time. You can’t help but be impressed as you drive out of the yard and pass the new state-of-the-art shop being built on the property, with eight bays, the room to accommodate a 777 haul truck, heated floors and an overhead crane that will allow Pittsburgh to perform undercarriage and engine repairs, complete machine rebuilds, as well as fabrication and welding.

Independence Excavating purchased its current property in 2010 on Saxonburg Blvd., which consisted of 20 acres and an

Pittsburgh Operations Team — Second to None!Jeff Vivian, Operations Coordinator

Right now, we are working hard to nail down details such as floor coverings, paint colors, and fixtures. Personally, working on this building is probably one of the most rewarding and fun experiences of my career. How lucky are we? Not many people get a chance to design and build an office building to their exact liking, and to me, this is an initial result of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of so many. A new chapter will begin for the Pittsburgh Branch when we move into our new facility, and I for one, am more than excited to see what the future holds.

old 30,000 square foot warehouse/shop. In 2009, we hired our first carry-all driver and field mechanic, outfitted each with a truck, and started to really perform our own support work in the Pittsburgh area, making us more efficient and cost effective when completing projects. From our original staff, we have grown to two lowboy drivers, two shop mechanics, three road mechanics, two fuel/greasers, two apprentice mechanics, two shop delivery drivers, and one yard/support shop employee.

As noted above, the Pittsburgh heavy shop and support shop has been growing steadily over the last seven years and is always trying to add great talent to the company, allowing us to support and service the work we have in the western Pennsylvania region. I am extremely proud of the people who I get

to work with every day. Each person has a unique skill set and personality, which makes the whole group much greater than the sum of its parts. We are a team! I want to thank each and every one of these employees for their hard work and dedication. Without their help, and the support of the DiGeronimo family, we would not have been able to grow and expand the way we have in the last seven years. We can only imagine where we will be seven years from now…

Page 8: Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of Independence ...assets.indexc.com › backissuesnewsletters › IE_Newsletter_2016_2_S… · Volume 29, No. 2 A Triannual Publication of

Editor: Stacey Kirth • [email protected] • Assistant Editor: Matt VallesComments and suggestions can be submitted by mail, email or phone to: Independence Excavating, Inc.Cleveland Office: 5720 E. Schaaf Rd. • Independence, Ohio 44131 • 216.524.1700 • [email protected] Office: 3826 Saxonburg Blvd. • Cheswick, Pennsylvania 15024 • 412.767.9800 Mid-Atlantic Office: 14703 Willard Rd., Suite J • Chantilly, Virginia 20151 • 703.430.1005 Independence Demolition - Denver Office: 600 17th St., Suite 2800 South • Denver, CO 80202-5428 • 720.437.8862

www.indexc.com • An equal opportunity employer • Declaration of Independence © 2016 Independence Excavating, Inc.

In July of 2015, Independence Excavating, Inc. executed the civil work package at The Block Northway (formerly known as The Northway Mall), located north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania along McKnight Road. The Block Northway is a 500,000 square foot redevelopment of the former Northway Mall that will introduce new retail shops and new restaurants to the area by the fourth quarter of 2016.

The civil work package was awarded to Independence Excavating, Inc. and included, but was not limited to: demolition of existing asphalt, concrete, and utilities; installation of four underground storm water detention/infiltration systems totaling a capacity of approximately 2,500 CY, associated storm water pipe, and appurtenances; installation of sanitary sewer pipe and appurtenances; Installation of both domestic water and fire support systems; earthwork and grading of the site; hardscape and landscape; concrete curb, asphalt pavement, and stripping. The overall project was divided up into two major phases, Phase I and Phase II. Collaboration between Independence Excavating, Inc., the Owner and multiple trades working on-site was essential to overcome the many obstacles, in order to achieve several aggressive major milestone dates and to ensure the success of the project.

In addition to the base contract mentioned above, Independence Excavating, Inc. established good working relationships with other companies on-site and was contracted by both Rycon Construction (Prime contractor at The

Out with the Old, In with the New — The Block Northway

Block Northway for redevelopment of existing and new structures) and Definis Mechanical (Mechanical contractor at The Block Northway) to perform the following: excavate/backfill for building foundations and slabs on grade; excavate/backfill exterior and interior sanitary sewer, storm water, gas, etc.; installation of storm water pipe and appurtenances.

The Block Northway project has also led to the development of several positive safety practices that have been implemented at The Block Northway and other sites in Pennsylvania. Some of these practices include a site specific safety orientation map of the project site, with key personnel information and hazards identified, as well as hard hat stickers—specific to the project—to ensure that workers have been properly orientated with the site and the hazards associated with the work.

Overall, the project is approximately 67% complete, and is currently expected to be complete on or before June 1, 2016.

CURRENT PROJECT

Thank you to our generous employees and business partners who contributed to make this campaign such a success.

DiGeronimo Companies and Partners raise over $40,000 for

Calfee Halter & GriswoldCarron Asphalt & PavingClimaco, Wilcox, Peca, Tarantino & Garofoli LLCColumbus Equipment Co.Cuyahoga Valley Trucking Co.EnviroserveFrantz WardHoffman GroupLindy Paving Inc.Miller Cable CompanyMintek ResourcesNorthstar Asphalt Inc.Ohio CatQT Equipment, Inc.Wenger Excavating

Jeff BadnerMelissa BalserDave BevanJeff BonomoGreg BraunRon BroccoDave BronzaRick BrzeczkowskiEdwin ButlerJason CarlTed ChuhaSteve CindricTim DiamondLeo DiFrancescoDonald DiGeronimoLisa DiGeronimoDebra DiGeronimoRob DiGeronimoBobby DiGeronimoMichael DiGeronimoGreg DiGeronimoMary DiGeronimoJoe & Colleen DiGeronimoJohn DiGeronimoNick DiGeronimoRick DiGeronimoVic DiGeronimo Jr.Vic DiGeronimo Sr.Eric DombrowskiJoe DorseyJoe DzubaraAndy FetzerJustin FoxCathy FoxAndrea GalmariniKen HaberHildi HamrickBecki Hatgas

Dan HazlettTodd HooverLarry HrovatCliff HunkleyLaureen IncorviaRichard JubyJill KepplerBernie KinsingerStacey KirthBen KobakNick KortowichMichael KovacichRick KraszewskiScott LamereColleen LoredoSteph and Don MahnkeLarry & Michelle MahonRob McAteerJason McLeodBrandon MeyerAlex MoloneyStehanie MrazMarge NagyMike OrlandoAdam RobertsonRick RobertsonScott RodgersGeoff RussellMark & Jonathan SaffellJohnnie SaraneyJohn SavageFrank SchriackCarrie ScianoMeridith ShoopLeo SlanskyGabrielle SmithDonna StaskoTom & Linda SteblinskiJeff StevensBrian SutterMike SwitzerNeil SwitzerKellie TallentireDoug ThomasD’Arcy ThompsonTerry TomaskoGary TrinknerJoy VaneskeyKelley VangelderJeff VivianTerry VodickaSteve WilkMike ZazFrank Zottola