Just as it always is, safety was one of Nickle’s main focuses this year. In February the company sustained its record-breaking streak by reaching the four-year mark without a lost-time accident. Two major programs were implemented to encourage continued safe working conditions. The Safety Shadow Program involves field employees in the audit process on a weekly basis. Each time Safety Director Mike Anderson conducts a job site safety audit, an employee working on that project will walk the site with him. It gives Mike the opportunity to educate employees and answer specific questions regarding OSHA regulations. The Behavioral-Based Safety Program is another initiative established in 2014, which applies the science of behavioral changes to real world problems. It focuses on what people do, why they do it, and a research-supported strategy is applied to improve what people do. Employees are encouraged to observe the behavior of their colleagues, denote good or bad safety conduct, and give advice.

To solidify safety into Nickle’s culture, a contest was held and employees submitted a safety-related slogan that the company would swear by. The winner was mechanic Jordan Tulowitzki who submitted “Nickle Safety … it’s how we’re wired.” He was rewarded with a $1,000 prize and a logo was created to accompany the phrase.

 Nickle was also a recipient of numerous safety awards. In March the company was awarded the 2013 Governor’s Safety Award for bringing “distinction, skill, and integrity to the construction industry” through high safety standards. The honor was co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and the Delaware Department of Labor. Nickle has received this award for the past three years. And for the ninth year in a row, Nickle was awarded a STEP Safety Award by Associated Builders and Contractors. The Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) is based on approximately 20 key elements of contractor safety programs, such as commitment of company management, responsibilities of safety personnel, and budget. This year the company was presented the award at the Diamond level for the first time from both the Delaware and National chapters. Nickle also received its second STEP Award from the Chesapeake Shores ABC Chapter at the Diamond level.

When Nickle celebrated four years without a lost-time accident in February, management made a decision to expand the Elite group. In the past, the company has recognized the Nickle Elite as employees who have been dedicated to the company for 10 or more years. That Elite group now includes those who have been with the company for five years or more. In the current condition of our economy, sticking with one company for five years is a great feat. To honor the 50+ new and longstanding Elite inductees, each member received a Challenge Coin to carry. And on any employee’s five-year anniversary they are presented with a certificate and coin of their own.

Twice in 2014, Nickle was recognized by outside parties as an outstanding subcontractor. EDiS Company selected Nickle as their Delaware Subcontractor of the Year. The EDiS team voted on a subcontractor in the state that has provided an exceptional level of commitment and service to a project or projects they’re working on in conjunction with EDiS. Additionally, Engineering News-Record Magazine named Nickle in its annual Top 600 Specialty Contractors list. Published at the end of October, it ranks specialty contractors by 2013 revenue. It was the first time Nickle appeared on the famed list.

A number of continuing education classes and retreats for field employees and management were held this year. Numerous changes were made to the National Electric Code this year and in order to maintain their licenses, Nickle electricians attended code classes in January and February. Also, classes that focused on training for RGS and IMC pipe threading were held in-house at our Newark and Georgetown locations. Each employee trained on three different types of machines to learn the intricate details of pipe threading.

In October, Chief Financial Officer Neal Donaldson traveled to Arizona for the Construction Financial Management Association Spring Creek Retreat. Neal is the chapter president in Delaware. It’s a non-profit organization that serves the educational needs of construction financial professionals. The trip brought together chapter presidents from around the country to cultivate leadership, team-building, work/life balance, and other topics to excel in the industry. Safety Director Mike Anderson attended the American Society of Safety Engineers conference in Orlando, FL, which included multiple training sessions, attendance by more than 100 exhibitors, speeches and Q&A sessions with high-level national safety executives, and more.

 This year Nickle acquired a business license to perform work in Virginia, expanding its resources geographically to offer its commercial, industrial, residential, and service skills to better serve the entire Delmarva Peninsula. Additionally, a new service was added to our offerings – infrared testing. This process evaluates the health of a building or residence. The test can detect electrical problems through infrared heat before they cause complications and can prevent costly damage. It can be performed in all divisions of construction – residential, commercial, and industrial – and should be performed annually or bi-annually.

 Company-wide events are always a hit throughout the year, promoting camaraderie and solidarity throughout the business. For the first time, Nickle hosted a Tool-B-Que with United Electric Supply, Klein Tools, Thomas & Betts, and Ideal Industries. Employees were invited to browse tools available for purchase while enjoying food and refreshments. Nickle also revived its annual Company Picnic this year, held at Lums Pond State Park. Employees enjoyed games, prizes, barbecue, ice cream, a corn hole tournament, a photo booth, and much more. Other notable events include a Copper Crab Party, DCA & ABC Crab Feasts, ABC Fall Fest and Chili Cook-Off, and an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

Throughout the year Nickle sponsors and participates in a wide range of community events. Nickle Electrical was a sponsor for the Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass Softball League in the spring. The team was coached by Vice President of Operations Jeromy Newton. In July Nickle supported Delaware Hospice by sponsoring and participating in their 6^th Annual 5k Run & Family Fun Walk. It was a record-breaking event for both the organization and Nickle. There were a total of 296 participants (15 of those from Nickle) more than 100 spectators, 50 volunteers, and 30 sponsors who raised more than $15,000. Proceeds from the event help the non-profit organization provide end-of-life education and support families and patients. For the third year in a row Nickle sponsored the Ronald McDonald House 5k in Lewes, DE. The non-profit organization provides a home for the families of children who are receiving care at local hospitals. To support and raise money for Easter Seals, Nickle employees participated in the 2^nd Annual Walk With Me Delmarva event. The walk raised more than $25,000 for the non-profit organization, which assists children and adults with disabilities.

Also this fall, six Nickle teams ran the Delaware Mud Run to benefit the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware. In total all teams – Full Muddy Jacket, GI Janes, Red Jaguars, Shockers, Beardos, and Wire Nuts – raised $4.695.

A few other events and charities Nickle donated time and money to include Hagley Museum, Sussex Technical High School, Milton Irsh Eyes St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Delaware Hospice Beef & Brew, EDiS Institute/Leadercast, ACE Mentor Program, Sussex Family YMCA, Georgetown Boys & Girls Club, Bike to the Bay, Ironman, DelTech Alumni & Friends 5k Run/Walk, Apple-Scrapple Festival, St. Margaret of Scotland, Sunday Breakfast Mission, Salvation Army Bell-Ringing, and Toys for Tots.

One of the most popular events of the year (and almost every year) is the annual Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Awards dinner. Nickle submitted three projects and all received praise. Hologic DET and Delaware City DMV received Excellence awards and Woodbridge High School received a Merit award. With the addition of these, Nickle now has 31 total Excellence in Construction Awards.

If you’d like to keep up with Nickle news throughout the year, please e-mail Laura to receive our quarterly newsletter, or visit our website and subscribe to our e-mail list. The company also joined Twitter and Instagram this year if you’d like to follow along on social media.

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Over the past six years we’ve donated more than $4,500 between the 5k event, the annual golf outing, and a memorial donation to support the non-profit’s mission. Delaware Hospice aims to provide high-quality health care services and serves as a trusted partner in end-of-life education and support.

This year’s race took place on Wednesday, July 9 and the Nickle team also had a record turnout with 15 participants! First-year participant and Nickle Mechanic Brett Stinson received a medal for finishing second in his age group and eighth overall with a time of 22:05.

We’d like to thank all Nickle employees and family who participated and all Delaware Hospice representatives who continue to put on a great fundraiser.

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We’d like to thank the vendors that participated and all employees who attended. We hope you had a great time and hopefully we can look forward to doing the same next year.

Please visit our Facebook page for a full album of pictures from the events.

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The company was selected as one of the recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Safety Awards for the third year in a row. The honor was co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and the Delaware Department of Labor.

Mike Berardi, DCA President and Vice President of Wohlsen Construction, said in a letter to Nickle President/CEO Steve Dignan that the award is given to contractors that “bring distinction, skill, and integrity to the construction industry.”

The Governor’s Safety Award was presented at a luncheon on March 7 at Timothy’s on the Wilmington Riverfront.

Earlier this month Nickle was presented with its eighth consecutive Associated Builders and Contractors of Delaware STEP Award for safety. The STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) program is designed to support ABC members with development and improvement of safety and training efforts. The awards are given in five levels based on a company’s safety program – Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. This was the first year Nickle received the top award at the Diamond level for both the local Delaware chapter and the National chapter.

The awards dinner was held on May 1 at Cavaliers Country Club in Newark.

“These awards would not be achievable if our employees did not make safety a part of their everyday routine,” said Nickle Safety Director Mike Anderson. “Our employees are a big part of our safety program and I’m truly grateful to each and every one of them for their safety efforts.”

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Pictured left-right: Department of Labor Secretary John McMahon, Nickle Vice President of Operations Jeromy Newton, and DCA President and Wohlsen Construction Vice President Mike Berardi

Nickle Electrical Companies was recently selected as one of the recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Safety Awards for the third year in a row. The honor is co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and Delaware’s Department of Labor.

Mike Berardi, DCA President and Vice President of Wohlsen Construction, said in a letter to Nickle President/CEO that the award is given to contractors that “bring distinction, skill, and integrity to the construction industry.”

The accolade was awarded at a luncheon on Friday, March 7 at Timothy’s Restaurant on the Wilmington Riverfront.

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Construction Risk Solutions, a risk management and
brokerage firm, presented Nickle Electrical with a congratulatory plaque for
working four years and 1.25 million man-hours without a lost-time accident.
Pictured left-right: CRS Senior Client Manager Luke Bien, CRS Account Executive
Jeff Rees, Nickle President/CEO Steve Dignan, and CRS Director of Safety Bob
Hegburg.

On Saturday, February 1 Nickle Electrical reached another safety milestone. With another year of continuing education and safety training under their belts, employees successfully worked four years without a lost-time accident, equivalent to approximately 1.25 million man-hours. The company’s most recent highlight was reaching one million man-hours without a lost-time accident in March 2013.

“This is a major milestone and awesome accomplishment by everyone at Nickle,” said President/CEO Steve Dignan. “The magnitude of this feat is tremendous, especially in the construction industry. I commend all 157 employees for this tremendous achievement.”

In order to further instill the importance of safety and continue this record-breaking streak, one of Nickle’s goals for 2014 is to implement a Behavior-Based Safety Program. This is an attempt to improve safety culture by analyzing what an accident is and why it may have happened. Then based on those evaluations, a strategy is put into place to prevent similar accidents in the future. Nickle will also improve its Safety Incentive Program, which rewards field employees on a quarterly basis for avoiding lost-time accidents.

An event was held on February 12 to celebrate four accident-free years and extend our Nickle Elite program, which recognizing long-standing employees, to those who have been with the company for five years. Previously, the Elite program only recognized personnel with 10 or more years with Nickle.

To see more pictures from our celebration, please visit our Facebook page.

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Two major milestones were achieved early in the year, breaking previous records. In February, Nickle employees worked three years without a lost-time accident and just a few weeks later, we reached one million man-hours without a lost-time accident. Over this time the company has taken many steps to improve the welfare of its employees. Safety has not only become a necessity on the job, but it’s now a part of our culture. Our employees are immersed in an environment that emphasizes the importance of sending everyone home unharmed at the end of the day. We put value in continued safety training, foremen and Safety Director Mike Anderson conduct weekly safety audits, we now have a Safety Committee with field employee involvement, and have instituted a Stretch & Flex Program to be completed at the beginning of every day. In April a company-wide celebration was held at Dover Downs that included a short presentation regarding the significance of being safe on the jobsite. As of today we have worked 1,428 days without an accident!

Because of Nickle’s commitment to these safety values, the company received numerous awards. In March we were selected as a recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Safety Award for the second year in a row. The honor was co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and the Department of Labor. In May, Nickle also received its eighth consecutive Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) Award, this year at the Platinum level. We also received our first Platinum STEP Award from the ABC Chesapeake Shores chapter in September. The STEP program is designed to support ABC members with development and improvement of safety and training efforts.

Nickle and its employees has always made an effort to be involved in the community. Our outreach extends across the entire state of Delaware and beyond, helping those in need and touching the lives of many when they need it the most. We’re proud to have sponsored and donated to more than two dozen projects, events, and organizations throughout 2013, and have a few already lined up for 2014. Below is a small sample of 2013’s events:

For the third year in a row, Nickle was a sponsor for the Milton Irish Eyes St. Patrick’s Day parade and Lucky Leprechaun 5k. The proceeds benefited the Milton Fire Department Training Program, Best Buddies Delaware, and Casa San Francisco. Our parade float promoted the value of building environmentally-sustainable projects.

Since 2009, Nickle has been sponsoring the Sussex Family YMCA’s annual golf tournament that takes place every May. This year we were the exclusive title sponsor donating $4,000 to the organization’s Open Doors Program. The program supports families struggling with financial matters who wish to be active in the YMCA.

Since 2008, Nickle has been a sponsor for the Delaware Hospice annual 5k. Every July we provide a donation and multiple employees brave the stifling heat to run and walk more than three miles to show support.

In September Nickle was a hole sponsor for the Joseph D’Amico Sr. Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament at Cavaliers Country Club. The event is for a scholarship fund that supports an exceptional Catholic high school student as well as an outstanding student at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Kennett Square, PA. It also provides grants to charitable organizations that were supported by Joe during his lifetime.

To raise money that will provide scholarships to Delaware Technical & Community College students through the Alumni Board Scholarship Fund, Nickle sponsored the 6^th Annual Alumni & Friends 5k Run/Walk. The event took place in October on the Wilmington Riverfront.

Also taking place in October was the 2^nd Annual Run 4 the House 5k Run/Walk to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware. The organization offers affordable housing to families with seriously ill or injured children being treated at local hospitals.

Nickle sponsored one of Delaware’s most coveted events – the Apple Scrapple Festival. The mission of this 22^nd annual event is to promote western Sussex County, actively involve all community organizations, and help elevate awareness of agriculture. The festival included events such as a scrapple carving contest, library carnival, car and craft shows, live music, and more.

This year marked the 1^st Annual Easter Seals Walk With Me Delmarva event. Nickle was a sponsor and the proceeds of the event help the non-profit organization provide life-changing services to children and adults with disabilities. The event took place on the Baywood Greens Golf Course in Long Neck where participants walked the first nine holes of the course, totaling approximately three miles.

Nickle Foreman Ryan Kennedy and his wife Alicia participated in the 30^th Annual Bike to the Bay event this fall to benefit research to cure multiple sclerosis. They chose the 75-mile ride through Southern Delaware, beginning in Dover and ending at Delaware Seashore State Park.

Just a few weeks ago, several employees rang in the holidays with the Salvation Army bell-ringing at Wal-Mart near Prices Corner. Nickle employees have been participating in this event for five years. The Salvation Army has been utilizing the famous red kettles since the late 19^th century and they’re now recognizable around the globe. Donations provide holiday dinners, toys, and clothing to families in need. Volunteers also bring gifts to hospitals and nursing homes. In the United States alone, approximately 4.5 million people receive assistance during the holidays thank to the Salvation Army.

Some of the other organizations Nickle has supported throughout the year include United Way Delaware, Biggs Museum of American Art, Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, University of Delaware Athletic Fund, Christiana Fire Company, Hagley Museum and Library, and Sussex Technical High School.

One of Nickle’s 2013 goals was to focus on continuing education and training programs for both field employees and upper management. In June select employees participated in a hands-on pre-planning workshop to better understand the tactical process that goes into running a project smoothly from start to finish. This fall a handful of people at both our Newark and Georgetown locations attended a class devoted to conduit bending, led by Pre-Fab Manager John Zuvich and Mechanic Joe Habbart. Nickle employees also attended an all-day course dedicated to Blueprint Reading, hosted by ABC. Nickle also provided multiple Arc Flash Safety Training classes in October. These types of classes educate employees on the dangers of performing hot work on or near energized equipment. Our Vice President of Pre-Construction Dave Spittle attended the Lean Construction Institute’s annual conference in Dallas, TX. Lean construction is a project method that involves collaboration between the owner, architect, engineers, general contractor, and major subtrades. This teamwork results in lower cost, shorter schedule, and fewer change orders with an overall goal of eliminating waste and rework. Chief Estimator Mark Benson and Project Manager Brandon Cale also attended a conference in Illinois to learn the ins and outs of lightning protection, a major portion of many of our projects.

There’s recently been a major push to integrate technology into our industry’s best practices and “going paperless” is an emerging trend. Nickle introduced Computer-Aided Design software to its business practices in 2007. The software enhanced productivity, improved time management, reduced waste, and assisted in providing the best quality work to our customers. Today we continue to use the software and have recently dabbled in CAD’s counterpart Building Information Modeling. This year Nickle hired its own CAD/BIM Tech Dale Graham who has received extensive software training. Two employees were also fortunate enough to have a guest column published in the November/December issue of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s publication Delaware Business discussing the advantages of this technology and how it has helped Nickle improve its processes.

In order to promote internal communication and team-building, Nickle instituted a quarterly breakfast meeting this year. Every three months office employees from both the Newark and Georgetown location meet at a central location to connect during breakfast. During these meetings management takes the time to focus on various topics regarding the wellbeing of the company, announcements for the upcoming months, and address any questions or concerns employees may have. We also introduced a fun award called the “Top Dog,” which is given to an outstanding employee who is voted on by his or her colleagues. Our first meeting took place in July, the second in October, and we have plans in January for another.

In November, the company recognized some of its most dedicated employees – the Nickle Elite – who have been with the company for 10 or more years. Dedicating time and effort to one company for more than a decade is a major triumph. The economy and the workforce have had its ups and downs, but the Nickle Elite weathered the storms. This year there were 21 employees celebrating company anniversaries of 10+ years, five of which were welcomed into the Elite in 2013.

The annual ABC Excellence in Construction Awards event was a success for Nickle this year. We submitted two projects and attained two more honors. Nickle received an Excellence Award for a fit-out and renovation at Hosting.com, a web hosting company located in Newark that provides 24/7 assistance to more than 4,000 customers across the country. Nickle also received a Merit Award for a major remodel of Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington. This brings our total ABC Delaware Excellence Awards count to 28.

Throughout all of these major endeavors, we were still able to have fun – the Copper Crab Party, ABC Fall Fest & Chili Cookoff, Phillies Game, Electric Expo, DCA Crab Feast, and ABC Crab Feast – are a few of the many events Nickle employees attended.

Some of Nickle’s most notable jobs that were featured in our newsletter’s project showcase this year included University of Delaware’s East Campus, Newark Charter, St. Francis LIFE Center, Dentsply, and our ABC Award Winners Hosting.com and Howard High School of Technology.

Thank you for continuing to read Nickle’s blog and support our company. We appreciate all of your assistance – we couldn’t have been this successful without you.

To read about Nickle News throughout the course of the year, you can sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter. Please e-mail ldignan@nickleelectrical.com to start receiving your copy of the Nickle News.

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Hosting.com Project

Left-Right: Hosting.com Operations Manager Turner Huffaker, Estimator James Vanderslice, Project Manager Dave Schreffler, Foreman Kevin Sheldon

Howard High School Project

Left-Right: Project Management Assistant Kelly Dignan, Senior Project Manager Stan Twardus, Senior Estimator Matt Healy

This year Nickle Electrical was awarded two Excellence in Construction awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware chapter. This brings the company’s total ABC awards count to 28.

The project given an award at the Excellence level was a fit-out and renovation in Newark for Hosting.com, a web hosting company that provides 24/7 technical support, cloud assistance, and other specialized services to more than 4,000 customers across the country. The business already had two existing data centers, which included a 2,000-amp service and a 3,000-amp service. Nickle provided work for a third data center totaling 12,000-square-feet with a 4,000-amp service. Electricians also ran conduit to six existing 500-kilowatt generators and installed two 500 kVA uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems for backup emergency services.

A major remodel of Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington was given the second award at the Merit level. This was a $5.3 million project totaling 190,000-square-feet. The Nickle team ran more than 12 miles of conduit and 77 miles of wire throughout the school. A 350-kilowatt natural gas generator was also installed for backup power. This type of generator is beneficial to the school because it has a lower cost of operation, lower cost in fuel compared to a normal diesel generator, and it’s also clean and environmentally friendly.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all of the employees that were part of these award-winning projects,” said President/CEO Steve Dignan. “Job well done.”

The honors were presented at an awards dinner on November 21 at the Chase Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. Check out our Facebook page for more pictures of the award winners. More information about Nickle’s projects will be in our upcoming newsletter. If you don’t receive our newsletter and would like to be added to the mailing list, please e-mail ldignan@nickleelectrical.com

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Back Row (l-r): Joe Habbart, Steve Dignan, Jim Wills, Tom Sulpizi, John Doyle, Kevin Sheldon

Middle Row (l-r): John Guhl, Debbie Dignan, Joey Rinarelli, Bobby Husbands, Ryan Kennedy, Dwight Nicholson, Mark Benson, Stan Twardus, Dave Schreffler

Front Row (l-r): Kris Hoffman, Jimmy Gray, Brian Morgan, Carol Cole

More than 20 Nickle Electrical employees were honored at a dinner party on November 8 at Deerfield Country Club for their long-time allegiance to the company. Personnel who have worked at Nickle for ten years or more are considered the Nickle Elite and serve as great role models to others in the industry.

“I hope to keep working [at Nickle] from now until whenever I decide to retire,” said Brian Morgan, a member of the Elite who is celebrating 20 years with the company. “One of the best things about working for Nickle is that, for a company of this size, we’ve always had all of the support and the tools we needed to get the job done. Nickle is a well-oiled machine, with support from the office, support from the delivery guys, and support from everyone around us.”

The 21 employees of the Nickle Elite have fulfilled a total of 312 years combined, equating to more than 13 million man-hours committed to Nickle Electrical.

“It brings me great pleasure to see this collective group of dedicated people celebrate their accomplishments,” said President/CEO Steve Dignan. “The loyalty these employees hold is the pillar behind Nickle’s success.”

Check out our Facebook page for a full album of pictures!

NICKLE ELITE

Steve Dignan             26 years

Debbie Dignan          22 years

Jimmy Gray               22 years

Brian Morgan            20 years

Carol Cole                  19 years

Mark Benson             18 years

Mike Frieze                16 years

Kris Hoffman             16 years

Bobby Husbands      16 years

Jim Wills                    15 years

Joe Habbart               13 years

Joey Rinarelli            13 years

Stan Twardus            13 years

Ryan Kennedy           11 years

Dave Schreffler         11 years

Kevin Sheldon           11 years

John Doyle                10 years

John Guhl                  10 years

Dwight Nicholson     10 years

Steve Poore               10 years

Tom Sulpizi               10 years

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