The team spent the next day at one of our wastewater treatment construction projects where they interacted with a panel of former LDP engineers and toured the site guided by another recent LDP graduate. After lunch, we dove into DiSC profile styles and how we can use them to gain self-awareness and communicate more effectively in our roles. To wrap up the day, a panel of PC’s construction executives and vice presidents from along the East Coast joined the group to share their unique career paths and advice for the LDPs as they progress in their careers. With the day’s formal program concluded, we headed to Top Golf for some fun and networking.

The final day began with a session about PC’s core values, what they really mean and how they guide our actions across the company. To wrap up the Academy, we worked together to develop leadership statements, our “elevator pitches” about who we want to be and how we want to be seen as leaders.

The group was engaged and energized from start to finish, asking thoughtful questions and grasping every opportunity to learn and build connections with their peers. They make me excited about the future of PC!

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PC women from both operations and office roles spent the day working on a duplex build site in Burlington, Vermont. Women make up about 10% of the construction industry nationally, and at PC we are just above this average. It is not uncommon to be the only woman on a team or jobsite, so having a crew comprised completely of women was really exciting.

We worked with the affectionally self-named “Geezer Crew” on this build. It was inspiring to work with a group of retirees who have become long-time volunteers for Habitat. Their passion for building and giving back was evident as they led our crew through several projects, including setting up scaffolding for a scheduled roofing crew, framing and roofing front porches, installing ZIP sheathing and various other tasks to progress the build. It was really exciting to see the progress that we made at the end of the day, and we look forward to participating in this event again next year!

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Industry wide, only about 9% of the construction workforce is made up of women, and only 1% in field positions. At PC, women make up of 16% of all employees, 4% of craft/field employees, 21% of our operations team, 16% of managers and 12% of executives. These numbers are exciting because we are above industry average, but we are far from a 50-50 split of men and women so there is also room for improvement. All of our superintendents are male, and we hope that will change as we continue to develop the next generation of operational leaders at PC. Research has shown that more diverse teams perform at a higher level and are more profitable, so as employee-owners, we know that having more women on our teams is good for all of us.

During this morning’s event, we broke into smaller groups to share memorable and challenging experiences from our careers in construction. Some women shared stories of being in the field for over 30 years and described how the atmosphere and attitudes have changed in positive ways, especially with support from our PC team. We talked about running jobs while pregnant, and then being a new parent and the challenges that come with that transition. While every woman’s experience is different, we all relate to being a minority in a male-dominated field, and it was nice to share and learn from our fellow PC women.

A common theme was one of the results of COVID – increased flexibility in remote work and flexible hours. Some women talked about how they embrace flexible hours to better suit their family’s schedules. Others value eliminating long commutes a few days a week, allowing more time with their children. And these benefits extend well beyond just women in construction, but to all employees in all industries, and are so important to increasing fulfillment as a whole person.

As we look to the future, we will continue getting our team of amazing women together, connect the field and the office side of the company, and reinforcing One Team, One PC. From providing safety gear that is made specifically for women to planning trainings on negotiations and critical conversations, we are excited about the future of Women in Construction at PC and hope to continue to be an example for the industry!

Check out this video honoring the women of PC, past and present.

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Last Thursday, a standing room only crowd gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s new Firestone Medical Research Building. There was a lot of pride in the air as attendees spoke of the incredible opportunity this new building will bring to the Vermont community, and the great odds the project overcame to get to today.

Construction began on this 60,000-square-foot, four-story laboratory building right in the midst of the COVID pandemic. While the University talked about stalling the project, they also knew that time was of the essence. With funding in place, they hit the go button and the PC team immediately engaged, starting construction in September 2020. Now, two years later, the University is ready to continue their groundbreaking research in a space designed and constructed to support their collaborative efforts.

The new Firestone Medical Research Building is connected to the existing Health Science Research Facility constructed by PC in 2001. It features flexible, cutting-edge modular facilities to improve efficiency and help interdisciplinary teams of researchers collaborate more effectively. Construction included research lab space, with associated lab support, write-up and office spaces, and core spaces for circulation, conference rooms and kitchenettes. Approximately 250 faculty, post-doctoral fellow, staff and students will be served by the new facility.

Read more about the Firestone Medical Research Building.

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We all know that our industry continues to face a tremendous workforce shortage. Building an inclusive culture where employees feel valued, respected and empowered to use their voice is just one way we can support the effort.

This year, to celebrate Construction Inclusion Week, we want our employee-owners to focus on how diversity, equity and inclusion can make our teams stronger. It just takes a few simple actions to engage and build momentum as we continue our DEI journey.

Safety is at the core of our people first value – our goal is always to send every employee home safely. We often focus on physical safety, but psychological safety is also important. Our company-wide toolbox talk during Construction Inclusion Week will focus on psychological safety and speaking up. The message reinforces that it is every team member’s responsibility to speak up for safety, and that it is equally important to ensure that all team members feel safe and empowered to speak up. They need to understand that they won’t be reprimanded or called out for sharing ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes. We hope this topic will spark conversations about the power of inclusion.

We are also asking our teams to think about what inclusion means to them. For some, maybe it’s considering using an alternative to “hey guys” when addressing a group. Maybe it means feeling supported as a parent who has to leave a little early to accommodate their child’s schedule. Maybe it means being able to access certain company information in another language. Actions don’t need to be grand to have an impact – small changes can make a big difference.

Throughout the week, we are offering activities to get our team of employee-owners involved in different ways. From Employee Resource Groups and community service activities to gatherings focused on celebrating our diversity and lots of prizes!

At PC, we know that we are on a journey of continuous improvement when it comes to inclusion, but we hope that highlighting it throughout the week – and continuing that momentum throughout the years to come – will reminded everyone of how important it is to take always care of each other and put people first.

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Yesterday the University of Vermont celebrated the construction progress on the Firestone Medical Research Building with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The project marks a pivotal moment in UVM’s advancement as Vermont’s premier research institution.

Construction began last October and consists of a 62,250-square-foot, four-story addition to the Health Science Research Facility. Upon completion, the Firestone Medical Research Building will provide flexible research lab space, lab support, write-up and office spaces, core spaces for circulation, conference rooms, and kitchenettes.

To date, 60 cubic yards of existing concrete was removed and recycled locally during demolition; 2,800 cubic yards of locally manufactured concrete foundations and slabs have been placed; and 400 tons of structural steel with 88% recycled steel content have been erected. More than 90% of the work is being completed by Vermont construction labor.

Currently, rough-in continues for mechanical, electrical and plumbing and interior framing is complete on two of the four floors with drywall installation underway. Installation of the large triple-glazed curtainwall windows will finish up this month and exterior brick masonry will begin in the next week.

The building was designed with sustainability at the forefront, with the expectation of achieving LEED Silver certification. Supporting that effort, over 75% of construction and demolition waste will be diverted from the landfill.

The PC Construction team, many of whom (including myself!) are UVM graduates, are excited to be part of this groundbreaking project!

The post Ceremonial Groundbreaking Marks Progress at the Firestone Medical Research Building appeared first on PC Construction.

We mobilized onsite in October 2020 and fast tracked the start of construction to allow work to continue through the Vermont winter with a focus on utility relocations – including a 24-inch storm line that ran through the site at a depth of nearly 25 feet – and the building foundation. Last month, steel erection began right on schedule. The Dean of the College of Medicine is a vocal supporter of the project and has shared his enthusiasm as erection has progressed.

Firestone is an addition to the existing Health Science Research Facility (HSRF), which PC constructed in 2001. Upon completion, the two buildings will be seamlessly connected.

PC has self-performed the demolition scope which included removal of the HSRF exterior brick wall assembly and significant concrete demolition in the basement and first floor. HSRF is a fully occupied laboratory building, so all work is coordinated with the LCOM team to minimize impacts to occupants and ongoing research. Throughout demolition, emergency egress has been maintained by coordinating shoring requirements with egress paths to maintain safe access for construction and occupants.

Construction will continue into next year with the facility opening in Fall 2022.

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While we were unable to run together this year, we all appreciated the motivation to get outside and move our bodies. Alex Hango ran a new personal record when he completed his 5k in 19:03. He set the bar pretty high, motivating the rest of our team. Ryan Giroux was a Corporate Cup Challenge first-timer this year and put up a good showing. Andy Seaton took advantage of a beautiful fall day to complete his race on the trails at Catamount. Laura Clements said of her race, “This event is an annual benchmark for me in my fitness journey. This year, I ran by more hay bales than people however!” And while I enjoyed the opportunity to choose the perfect day for my race, I am hopeful that we’ll be able to run together again next year.

This year has shown us what we are capable of, forcing us to adapt and change at a moment’s notice. Events like the Corporate Cup Challenge help bring the community together, even if virtually. Fingers crossed for next year!

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