THE PARK PRESS: Q2 2024

Mission Statement:

Park Construction is dedicated to improving the infrastructure of our communities by providing exceptional construction services. Guided by our core values of safety, quality, integrity, and teamwork, our goal is to exceed expectations and raise the bar of excellence.

In This Issue:

• Project Update: New Shop
• Crew Spotlights
• Safety Message
• Park Named in Top 20 Largest General Contractors
• Park Recognized as one of the Top 200 Workplaces
• Park Runs Advertising Campaign
• Employees moving from Apprentice to Journeymen
• Training Opportunities
• New Hires and Promotions
• Open House Celebration at New Shop
• Park Ave Spotlight: James Brown
• Mental Wellness Holiday Announcement
• Strategic Initiatives Update
• Project Highlight: GPS Training
• Recent Wins
• Park on Social Media
• It Pays To Have Friends!
• EEO/Minority Outreach

Project Update: New Shop

Construction on our new shop location is complete! 🎉

Situated on a 40-acre parcel near the Blaine airport, our new facility and cold storage warehouse are set to redefine our capabilities and enhance our operational efficiency. Check out this video showcase of the entire journey from groundbreaking to completion:

Crew Spotlight: Clint Donald's Crew

This is Clint Donald’s first season working with a full crew, and the results show when he doesn’t have to be foreman and pipelayer. Clint has truly taken ownership of this team, offering praise when they excel and taking responsibility when things don't go as planned.

While I could easily commend Clint for his leadership, it's important to recognize that it takes more than one person to make a team operate at such a high level. Mike Briggs, Chris Jansson, Cody Donald, Nick Johnson, and Steve Douglas have all played crucial roles in propelling this group forward and setting the standard for utility crews.

Despite the numerous challenges that come with digging utilities for reconstructs, this team tackles them head-on, overcoming every obstacle with professionalism and commitment to safety.

Crew Spotlight: Rick Bowen's Crew

A passerby witnessed 2 Park Employees helping an elderly woman with her wheelchair on the Hennepin County Overlays jobsite. The passerby was so delighted to see this act of kindness she was nearly moved to tears and left Park a voicemail stating, “I wanted to call to thank you for having amazing workers”. It is this type of act that truly shows our employees living out Park’s Mission and being guided by our Core Values of Safety, Quality, Integrity, and Teamwork. These are great phone calls to receive. What a great reflection upon our Team at Park!

One of the crew members helping the woman was identified as Mitch Lindberg, we have not been able to determine who the other employee was, but we wanted to pass along this highlight and commend Mitch & the other employee involved, the crew, Rick, and all of Park’s employees for the great work you do day in and day out. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the Park Team and representing Park positively.

Safety Message

The start of this season was anything but smooth. We faced numerous rain delays, constant utility concerns, and the challenge of mentoring new employees. However, you all met these obstacles head-on and successfully navigated around them without letting them bog you down. It's incredibly frustrating when factors beyond your control complicate your work, but I've been immensely proud of how these challenges are being handled professionally.

Despite the difficulties, we have not allowed these obstacles to affect our behaviors to the point where safety is sacrificed. This achievement is a testament to our collective commitment and teamwork. From Park Avenue drivers promptly alerting us to safety concerns to supervisors seeking guidance and ensuring effective communication, the collaboration on the front end has been outstanding.

This has been a full team effort, and it shows. Your dedication to maintaining high safety standards, even under trying circumstances, is commendable. Let’s continue to support each other and prioritize safety in everything we do. Thank you for your hard work and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Park Construction Named in Top 20 Largest General Contractors in the Twin Cities  

Park Construction has been ranked among the top 20 largest general contractors in the Twin Cities! This list was recently unveiled by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, and we are deeply honored to be included.

We believe that success is not achieved in isolation, but through the collective strength of our entire community. Therefore, we extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to our journey - our team members, clients, vendors, subcontractors, and industry colleagues. Your support and collaboration have played a crucial role in our growth and achievements. We are truly privileged to collaborate with such visionary people who share our commitment to quality and innovation.

Park Construction Recognized as one of the Top 200 Workplaces by the Star Tribune  

Park Construction Company has been recognized as one of the Top 200 Workplaces by the Star Tribune! This award is particularly meaningful because it's based entirely on feedback from our incredible employees. The Star Tribune's annual Top Workplaces survey highlights the best places to work in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and we couldn't be prouder to be among them.

A huge thank you to our dedicated team for making this possible. Your hard work, commitment, and passion are what make Park Construction a truly exceptional place to work. Here's to our continued success and to creating an even better workplace together!

Park Runs Advertising Campaign on iHeart Radio, Streaming & Digital Billboard 

Our new billboard campaign has started running in the Fargo area! This isn't just a sign - it's a testament to our commitment to reshaping and improving the Fargo landscape. 🏗️

At Park Construction, we believe in building more than just structures - we believe in building communities. Our dedicated team works hard to bring innovation, quality, and excellence to every project, big or small. This billboard symbolizes our ongoing promise to make Fargo a better place to live, work, and grow. 

Employees moving from Apprentice to Journeymen 

Park Construction Company would like to recognize the following employee on moving from Apprentice to Journeymen in your union. Park congratulates you on completing this milestone and looks forward to seeing you continue to develop your craft.

• Adam Pickett (Laborer)
• Jesse Virnig (Laborer)

Training Opportunities

Park encourages you to take advantage of this off-season by getting training!

Taking classes through your Union is FREE! The Union will likely cover your hotel, fuel, and airfare expenses, too!

With ever changing technology, continuous equipment improvements, and being a life long learner, we highly encourage you to take advantage of the various opportunities offered through your union.

Improving yourself in the workplace opens many more doors – professionally, personally, and financially. If you are unsure of a class you should take, or a skill you should improve upon, please ask your Superintendent for their input.

“The road to success is always under construction.” – Lily Tomlin

OSHA 30:

All individuals overseeing or managing personnel at Park Construction must have completed an OSHA training within the last five years. A text message has been sent to all supervisors to confirm their training status or assist in setting up training if needed. If you are a field supervisor and did not receive the text message, please inform Jeff Slusser at jslusser@parkconstructionco.com so that we can ensure you are promptly set up for training.

Safety Leadership Academy:

The Safety Leadership Academy is a mandatory program for individuals overseeing or managing personnel at Park Construction. If you have not fulfilled this requirement or wish to refresh your knowledge, please consider the dates provided below. The course spans 2.5 days and has garnered positive reviews, emphasizing its significant value. Even if you are not currently supervising anyone but aim to enhance your safety leadership skills, attendance may be possible based on availability. New supervisors who joined Park Construction this past season, those yet to take the course, or those seeking to augment their safety leadership knowledge are encouraged to reach out to Jeff Slusser for RSVP at jslusser@parkconstructionco.com.

New Hires and Promotions

Park Construction has recently welcomed seven talented new staff members to our team - be sure to stop by and say hello if you get a chance!

Brad Birkholtz – Paving Superintendent

Robert “Bob” Gordon – Heavy Civil Superintendent

Christian “Chris” Hansen – Heavy Civil Superintendent

 Lowell Lofgren – Paving Superintendent

Robert “Bob” Thomas – Paving Superintendent

Caleb David – Project Engineer in Fargo [former intern and has since graduated]

Avery Gordee – Survey Technician

Park would also like to congratulate the following employees on their promotions!

• Shane Jones – Promoted to Utilities Forman
• Sam Ganske – Promoted to Grading Superintendent – Paving Division
• Alfred “Al” Olson – Promoted to Yard Foreman
• Jade Pestorious – Promoted to Sr. Project Manager

Open House Celebration at New Shop

Last Friday was the Open House celebration for our new shop facility and cold storage warehouse in Blaine, Minnesota. 🎉

We held a ribbon cutting ceremony that included our current CEO Jeff Carlson, past CEOs Bruce Carlson and Richard Carlson, past President Duane Prairie, members of the North Metro Chamber of Commerce, and numerous friends and Park staff members. 

Our attendees enjoyed great conversations, games of bag toss, and delicious food provided by the amazing Rolling Smoke food truck. We want to extend our gratitude to everyone who joined us in celebrating this groundbreaking moment, marking a significant chapter in Park Construction's journey.

You can view more photos from this event on our social media pages:

Park Ave Spotlight: James Brown

Everyone has a personal story of trials and tribulations, and what happens outside of work isn't always known to others. I happen to know what James goes through, and I can say that despite tough times, he still comes to work and does his best to remain positive while on the job.

We are all human, and often we bring personal problems into the workplace unintentionally, or we wear our emotions on our sleeves. James, however, is a strong individual. His generosity and outgoing nature make him a great asset to our team. He carries great pride in the work he does for Park, and I want to take this moment to recognize and commend him for his unwavering dedication and positive attitude. James, you are truly a valuable member of our team, and we are grateful for all that you do.

Park Mental Wellness Holiday – Friday August 2, 2024

Park Construction would like to give notice of our upcoming Mental Wellness Holiday on August 2, 2024. During this time, all Park Construction employees will be provided with the day off to disconnect from work related tasks to focus on self-care and activities that promote mental wellbeing.

In our industry, workers often face high levels of stress, long working hours, physically demanding work, and a high risk of workplace accidents. All these factors can take a toll on a worker's mental health. Park believes that taking this time off will not only benefit our employees’ mental health, but it will also allow employees to return to work with renewed energy and focus.

Park’s Project Managers and General Superintendents will be communicating this with all clients and project teams on active projects. We look forward to providing an opportunity to promote a culture of wellbeing in the construction industry and at Park Construction Company.

Strategic Initiatives Update

In January of 2024, Park Construction’s Senior Leadership had identified 5 strategic initiatives that would be emphasized and focused on in 2024. Each initiative committee is guided by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Below is an update to each of the key strategic initiative committees since our last newsletter.

Divisional Alignment for a Common Goal: Division Managers

• Members: Charlie Borene, Dewey Kimmes, Jake Droessler, Mike Christianson, Mike Nottestad
• The group has met to discuss a multitude of topics from sales and revenue plans, market outlook, & equipment resources.
• This group has also prioritized the collaboration between the different divisions for the betterment of Park Construction. There have been many projects awarded this year in which our different divisions are collaborating and working together on. Check out the recent wins section for additional information.

Training: Jeff Slusser

• Members: Jeff Slusser, Trent Cottingham, Ryan Pace, Dewey Kimmes, Bob Bruski, Sam Ganske, Larry Puck, Jennifer Clemens, Josh Prudhomme, Kelly Elness.
• Continuing to develop a more effective and educational onboarding strategy.
• Defining critical training areas that must occur during onboarding to facilitate an easier transition to park construction.
• Identification of on/off-season training opportunities for field and office staff.
• Introducing a training resource for front-line supervisors to enhance their field leadership skills.

Mental Wellness: Jake Droessler

• Members: Chad Grady, Derick Sonnenberg, Jake Droessler (Chair), Jeff Slusser, Josh Swankier, Kelly Elness, Rachel Stein, Rick Norenberg, Trent Cottingham 
• Held the May Mental Wellness Stand-Downs on various Park Construction job sites.
• Upcoming Park Mental Wellness Holiday on Friday, August 2th, 2024.
• Updated Employee Resources Page on Park’s website.  
• Incorporated Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training into the offerings at Park’s 2024 Safety Days event.

Recruiting & Retaining Employees: Charlie Borene

• Members: Jennifer Clemens, Brandon Larson, Chris Grimes, Charlie Borene, Jake Droessler, Kelly Elness, Sam Ganske, Trent Bolin.
• Facilitated iHeart Radio streaming campaign for recruitment of new employees.
• Facilitated a digital media marketing campaign with digital billboards in Fargo, ND area.
• Facilitated radio advertising campaigns in the Grand Forks and Fargo, ND areas.
• Attended multiple career fairs at Midwest Universities, Trade Schools, and Community Career Events.
• Working through additional outreach opportunities with Local Unions.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Efficiencies: Shawn Bloch

• Committee: Shawn Bloch, Jeff Carlson, Rachel Stein, Ted Gabel, Josh Prange, Alex Havis, Robert Bruski, Jeremy Schmitz, Kelly Elness
• Participated in an online AI Excellence in Construction Virtual Summit. From this summit we learned that there are companies using AI search engines to help with their market research, organizing bids, automating spreadsheets, and even doing image analysis of damage to equipment.
• These search engines include Chat GPT, Bing AI, and copilot.microsoft.com. You can create a free account for ChatGPT or can type in copilot.microsoft into an internet browser to start searching. You can take letters or emails that you type up and run them through ChatGPT to help clean it up and make it more professional if needed. If you need to produce a letter to a subcontractor that they are in default of their contract, ChatGPT can help you. Rachel Stein and Kelly Elness have been using this and would love to help get you going if you are interested.  
• One last thing that some of us have been using is Read AI with Microsoft teams. Go here to create an account: Automated Meeting Reports, Transcripts, Notes, Video, Coaching, Scheduling.  Creating a free account will allow you to do 5 meeting reports for a month that summarizes the meeting for you. We encourage you to create a free account and start using it on your next meeting.

We thank all of you for your participation as committee members, volunteers, survey participants, and dedicated employees that continue to improve upon Park’s success and work toward a Safe and Successful year in 2024.

Project Highlight: GPS Training 

Park Construction recently hosted a day of comprehensive GPS training at a project site in Fargo. We had nearly 40 attendees getting hands-on equipment training on excavators and bulldozers, all outfitted with the latest GPS technology and real-time connections to Trimble Earthworks.

Our training curriculum also encompassed staking, topography, and volume calculations using the Trimble TSC7 Data Controller. Attendees learned to perform accurate volume calculations directly on material stockpiles. By mastering these essential skills, our members can now execute volume calculations in the field, eliminating the need to rely on office-based resources for quantity assessments.

We would like to thank Ziegler Construction for their assistance with these training services. Together, we're raising the bar for excellence in construction operations, empowering our staff to not only meet, but exceed industry standards with confidence and proficiency.

Recent Wins

Here are some of the projects we recently won bids on:

• Jamestown Inert Landfill 0192 Cell 10
• Fargo WWTP Flood Protection – Collaboration between Park’s Heavy Civil & Concrete Crews.
• Perley Grade Raise -– Collaboration between Park’s Heavy Civil, North Dakota, & Concrete Crews.
• 64th Ave Horace
• UPRR TC Intermodal Terminal
• CR 81 & Hillsboro Bridges
• ASN CR6
• Lindstrom Shores
• Monticello H.S. Tennis Courts
• Ham Lake Culvert
• Wayzata Gleason Elementary
• Eagle Brook Church
• Shoreview 2024 Street Rehab
• Eagle Brook Campus Wide Sealcoating
• Eagle Brook Church Maplewood
• Eagle Brook Church Anoka
• Hugo 125th St & Dellwood
• Osseo 2024 Street
• Lebanon Hills Maintenance Facility
• MidCountry Bank – Collaboration between Park’s Commercial and Paving Crews.
• Anoka County 86th Lane Signal
• Inver Grove Heights Hilltop Elementary – Collaboration between Park’s Commercial and Paving Crews.
• Lino Lakes Miller Crossings
• Beltz Park
• MPHA Washington Ave Parking Lot
• Scott County CSAH 78 & 69
• Wayzata Schools Welcome Center
• Marty’s Deli Parking Lot
• Dakota County CP 31 & 32
• Village Park
• William State Park
• Eagle Brook Spring Lake Park
• Wayzata Greenwood Elementary
• MNDOT SP 2735-218 TH 100
• Blaine NW 2024 Street Recon
• St. Paul Park 3B Design
• Universal Services Shop – Collaboration between Park’s Commercial and Paving Crews.
• Silver Oaks Park
• Dupont Parking Lot 
• Salita Law Firm
• 1481 Marshal Ave
• Napa Shakopee – Collaboration between Park’s Paving & Concrete Crews.
• U of M Bridge 62553
• Eden Prairie Center Dr.
• Bloomington Parks
• Culvers Lino Lakes
• Swissport Fueling Valve Replacement
• MPLS Schools – Webster Storm Sewer
• Grove Ridge Apartments
• MPLS Schools – Nellie Stone Johnson Storm Sewer
• Maquoketa, IA Substation Demo & Foundations
• Universal Services Yard Grading

Park on Social Media

One of our goals for 2024 is to have a bigger presence on social media. We are posting weekly content on multiple platforms, and we encourage you to follow us, like our posts, and leave a comment or share it if you feel inspired. You can find us on the following sites:

It Pays To Have Friends!

Remember our Referral Bonus Program! It’s Simple – if you refer someone and they get hired, you get a bonus!

We believe that our employees are our most valuable asset and that they are in the best position to recommend qualified candidates to join our team. If you know someone who would be a great fit for our company, please reach out to your supervisor or HR for more information on how you can participate in this program. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to growing our team with your help.

EEO/Minority Outreach

It is Park Construction’s commitment to support our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy & Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) to create a workplace with diversity, inclusiveness and fair treatment. In effort to achieve and maintain this commitment, our Company is continually striving to diversify its personnel to reflect the changing demographics of the construction industry. We highly encourage employees to refer candidates who are women, people of color, or any member from a protected class for employment opportunities at Park.