Spilde comes to The Samuels Group as a 2012 graduate of The University of Northern Iowa, Construction Management program.  Prior to coming to The Samuels Group, Spilde gained experience in construction management and general construction labor in addition to being the construction superintendent for a residential remodel in West Union, IA on an episode of the ABC television show “Extreme Makeover.”  As project administrator, Spilde will provide administrative support to project managers.  He will be working on The Samuels Group’s Dunn County Healthcare project in Menomonie, WI.

Maass, also a 2012 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa Construction Management Program, comes to The Samuels Group with experience in masonry, construction management and worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers in quality assurance. As Project Administrator, Maass will provide administrative support to project managers.  He will be working on The Samuels Group’s project at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, IA.

The Samuels Group will act as Construction Manager-Agency during the Dunn County Health Care project with the architectural team of ADG/Hoffman providing architectural services.

The groundbreaking event featured speakers, including Gene Smith, County Administrator, Steve Rasmussen, County Board Chair and Sheila Harsdorf, State Senator, District 10, followed by a ceremonial dig and deserts and refreshments served in the current facility’s cafeteria.  The ceremony was held on the future grounds of the new health care facility adjacent to the current Dunn County Health Care Center.

Sid Samuels, President of The Samuels Group instructs students during the bid day competition at UNI.

The Samuels Group recently participated in a bid day competition held in Professor Benjamin Ashburn’s University of Northern Iowa estimating class.  The bid day competition was designed to give students entering the construction field a real-life look at the process through which a commercial construction estimating department delivers a bid to a customer.

Five teams made up of sophomore and junior UNI construction management students competed.  Sid Samuels led the competition for the construction management students, handing out bids to the teams on simulated “fax machines,” keeping time and offering advice to all of the teams as the competition progressed.  Simplified project and subcontractor data for a fictional bank project were prepared by The Samuels Group estimating department for the competition, along with a “right” answer for the teams to shoot for.  Teams needed to constantly check for new subcontractor bids as they prepared their own bid which needed to be in a sealed envelope delivered to the “owner” at a set time near the end of the class period.

Additional stress was placed on the students by constant reminders about the time constraints they were under, giving the competition the lifelike sense of excitement of an actual bid day.  In a testament to the difficult job that a commercial estimating department performs, one team failed to come up with a bid amount in the set time, two teams had bids that far exceeded the right answer and one team bid nearly $300,000 low.  The winning team delivered a bid that was $50,000 high of the correct $1,600,000 answer.  Not too bad for their first try at a lifelike bid day considering all of the difficult factors that go into preparing a bid.  All of the students may not end up in an estimating department someday, but through the competition they all gained some appreciation for the job that the estimating departments at their future employers perform.

Representatives from The Samuels Group, OSHA and Sacred Heart Hospital at the signing of the partnership agreement, on April 30, 2012 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, WI.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Wisconsin Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program have established a strategic partnership with The Samuels Group Inc. to reduce workers’ exposure to hazards and the likelihood of serious injuries at the Sacred Heart Hospital Curtain Wall Replacement Project in Eau Claire.

“This voluntary strategic partnership is focused on identifying and controlling hazards, improving safety and health programs, promoting a cooperative relationship between labor and management, and encouraging employee participation in achieving a safe and healthful workplace,” said Mark Hysell, OSHA’s area director in Eau Claire.

Approximately 50 tradespersons will be replacing a nine-story curtain wall system for the hospital. The $20 million project, scheduled to be completed in 2014, consists of demolishing and then replacing the exterior veneer curtain wall structures, glass and metal panels, and glazing.

“We have an excellent safety record, but we continually strive to improve the quality of existing safety programs and subcontractor safety orientation and control.  This partnership with OSHA will proactively help us and our clients to be better safety advocates while providing safe work environments,” said Tim Vick, Safety Director of The Samuels Group.

The Samuels Group, a commercial construction contractor headquartered in Wausau, will implement a site-specific safety and health program that will include a weekly safety “stand down,” a daily stretch and flex program, and hazard-specific training.

Wisconsin’s consultation program is funded by federal OSHA but operated by the state of Wisconsin.

“The Acuity Safety Award is a testament to the commitment to safe work practices that are achieved by our employees through hard work and dedication to the programs we’ve put in place,” Safety Director Tim Vick related, “In our industry workplace hazards are constantly emerging and changing, it requires a great deal of skill and effort by all the men and women on our team to continually identify and react to these hazards. Thanks to them we are able to receive this recognition again this year.”

The Samuels Group’s safety program is taught to every associate working in the field or office, and all subcontractors submit written safety programs for each project.  The attention paid to their safety program has allowed The Samuels Group to attain a record 9 years and 950,000+ hours without a lost time accident.  Their safety record also contributed towards a nearly perfect EMR (Experience Modification Rate), a rating used by the insurance industry to determine worker’s compensation rates.  These safety accomplishments factored in to The Samuels Group earning the Acuity Award.

Ellias has several years of experience as an HR professional and has achieved the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.  She will work from the firm’s Wisconsin office.

Green Lake County officials such as County Clerk Marge Bostelmann, Head of Maintenance Scott Weir and Sherriff Mark Podoll and Deputy Mark Putzke are interviewed.  Putzke talked about the work that went into the facility and the challenges of building a facility that must meet state and federal requirements.  “We can’t say enough about Potter Lawson [Architect on the Green Lake project] and The Samuels Group,” Putzke stated.

The justice center replaced a building that was over 100 years old and created a safer environment for employees of Green Lake County and its citizens.  The building is LEED Registered and the techniques incorporated into its design and construction resulted in a building that was 30-35% more economical to run, further benefiting the community.

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight sends veterans to Washington DC to view memorials honoring their service to the country.  During the most recent Honor flight, 85 veterans traveled to Washington DC and viewed the World War II monument and other memorials on the National Mall as well as a changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider and Arlington National Cemetery.

The 2^nd annual Harley’s Heroes Motorcycle Benefit Ride will be held on June 16, 2012.  Events include an organized ride from Harley-Davidson Wausau to King Veterans Home with a block party to follow featuring music by the Bad Downs.

Picture: (left to right) Troy Torgerson (Samuels Group) and Jeff Zriny (Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce) front row with veteran residents of Renaissance Assisted Living Facility.

http://ministryhealth.org/SCH/News/AngelsAmongUsProduces52000forMinistrySaintClaresHospital.nws