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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One of the projects given an award at the Excellence level was Hologic DET. The facility, located in Newark, manufactures medical imaging systems for women’s health examinations such as mammograms. The nearly 10,000-square-foot addition doubled product and output at the existing facility with cutting-edge technology. Team members: Estimator Dave Spittle, Project Manager Eric Webb, Foreman Jim Wills

The second Excellence award was given to the new, state-of-the-art Delaware City DMV facility. Nickle successfully designed and built the electrical systems for this 48,000-square-foot project serving New Castle and Kent County Delaware. Team members: Senior Estimator Matt Healy, Project Manager Brandon Cale, Foreman Brian Morgan

The third award was given at the Merit level to Woodbridge High School. This project was almost half a century in the making. The new 160,000-square-foot facility opened its doors to more than 600 students in September with modern, state-of-the-art features to educate today’s youth. Team members: Project Manager Dave Schreffler, Foreman Ed Starkey

“Congratulations to all the employees who worked on these projects,” said Nickle President/CEO Steve Dignan. “It’s a reflection of all the hard work everyone puts out on every project both big and small.”

Nickle now holds a total of 31 ABC Excellence in Construction Awards. The honors were presented at an awards dinner on November 20 at the Chase Center on the Wilmington Riverfront.

For more information on these award winners and future Nickle news, please subscribe to our email list. Or you may email Laura at ldignan@nickle.email to receive a hard copy of our quarterly newsletter.

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New Behavioral Network, a non-profit that contracts with the Division of Family Services to provide parenting education and community resources to families in need, knew they had to find a way to reunite Christian and his family. First, his mother and a secondary caretaker were trained on his specific needs (he receives one-on-one care from Bayada Home Healthcare for approximately 16 hours per day). Another step to bringing Christian home was to have all of his essential medical equipment at home. Once the machines had arrived the family and Bayada realized there wasn’t enough electrical support in the house. That’s when Katie Klingensmith, a case manager with the Parent Aide Program of NBN and wife of Mechanic Jim Klingensmith, contacted Nickle Electrical.

Electricians added three circuits and seven outlets to the home to support all of Christian’s equipment along with air conditioning. And at the end of August Christian spent his first night ever at home with his family in Wilmington.

“I can’t express how happy I am and it’s almost like a miracle,” Reyes said in a letter. “It’s like we’re starting all over again after so many years.”

Work totaling approximately $2,500 was performed at no cost and Rumsey Electric provided the material also at no cost.

“The family is very pleased with the work and grateful for Nickle’s willingness and ability to help bring their family together under one roof,” Klingensmith said. “Without Nickle’s help, Christian would remain in foster care. This is a huge step for the family and is not possible without Nickle’s help.”

*This story will appear in our upcoming 3rd quarter newsletter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please email Laura at ldignan@nickle.email

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The new assortment still contains some traditionally significant projects such as PS DuPont Middle School, Delaware Hospice, Dover Air Force Base Mortuary, and the Amtrak Wilmington Station.

Those of which are now mixed with new, state-of-the-art projects Nickle has completed including Red Lion Energy Center, Howard High School, Seeds of Greatness Bible Church, and the Amazon Warehouse in Middletown, DE.

Check out our projects page for more information and click here to download our new portfolio.

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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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Project Manager: Eric Webb

Foreman: Chris Cichocki

Contract Amount: $785,000

The Newark Post recently wrote an article about the Newark Charter School, which will open to students on Thursday. We are very happy to have been a part of this great project. Nickle began working at Newark Charter in August 2012. The building is a 114,000-square-foot renovation and addition to the old Chrysler Lear plant that was revamped into an academic building. Newark Charter was a design-build project completed in conjunction with Bancroft Construction, Blake & Vaughan Engineering, Inc., and Fearn Clendaniel Architects. The project was finished in approximately one year and includes a gymnasium expansion and theater lighting system. It was delivered on time and on budget.

This job will be highlighted in the Project Showcase of our next quarterly newsletter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Laura Dignan – ldignan@nickleelectrical.com

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DelDOT officials broke ground yesterday on the new Delaware City DMV, a 42,000-square-foot complex intended to replace the small, overcrowded New Castle location. We are happy to announce that Nickle was recently awarded the project and we are excited that the job is now underway. The facility is expected to open in late 2014.

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Nickle’s work will include new primary service, transformer installtion, secondary service, as well as wiring and installation of all associated electrical gear, building and site lighting, and special systems such as fire alarm.  Work is scheduled to begin next week and a Fall 2011 completion date is anticipated.

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