Wrapping Up Summer Internships at Paschen

Last week marked the end of this year’s summer internship program. Our interns were spread across the company, filling various roles in our Estimating, Building, Civil, and PPG divisions.

Many of our interns had the opportunity to work on active job sites including 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge, 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project, O’Hare Runway 9C-27C Bid Package #1, American Airlines GEM Facility, and many more.

Last Friday, our interns gave their final presentations on their summer internship experience. Interns from our offices in Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. were flown in to create a collaborative presentation experience in which our interns spoke directly to our executives.

As a part of their final presentation, the interns nominated an employee for a ‘More Paschen’ award. The employees weren’t limited to a specific title, but were individuals who went out of their way to make an impact on our intern’s summer and made a lasting impression on their experience.

We received incredible feedback from our interns! Our industry’s future is bright with talented and innovative minds – we were truly fortunate to have such an excellent group of individuals.

We are wishing our interns a successful school year!

More Opportunity. More Paschen.

Our interns come from all over the nation, studying at schools including Villanova University, Purdue University, Illinois State University, Howard University, Miami University (Ohio), Michigan State University, Iowa State University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Valparaiso University, University of Alabama, George Mason University, California College of the Arts, and Notre Dame University.

F.H. Paschen is one of the first corporate partners of Chicago CRED (Create Real Economic Destiny), an organization dedicated to ending violence through preparing at-risk young men, including returning citizens, for job opportunities throughout Chicago. CRED believes the best solution for ending gun violence is recruiting men most likely to be at risk for shootings and transition them to jobs, thus relinquishing the need to earn money through illicit means.

Today, Michael Reed, a CRED graduate, is a full-time employee of F.H. Paschen working on the CTA 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project. Through this opportunity, Mr. Reed will gain real world construction experience and skills and will earn construction related certifications that will allow him to advance in his new career.  The Company anticipates that through its partnership with CRED, Michael is just one of many who will have an opportunity for a real life change while working on some of Chicago’s largest construction projects through F.H. Paschen.

F.H. Paschen not only provides a job opportunity, but also teaches skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce, making the company a perfect match with CRED. F.H. Paschen looks for more than talent and work ethic when hiring, and F.H. Paschen has always believed in investing in those in our community who need help. While serving others, F.H. Paschen is also always serving the communities in which they work. F.H. Paschen is committed to the Chicago CRED partnership.

More Opportunity. More Paschen.

F.H. Paschen’s CTA Project Executive, Matt Moss, was on WGN Radio discussing the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project.

The Paschen Milhouse Joint Venture credits the Mayor’s Office, CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. and city officials for their leadership and cooperation on this transformative project.

To listen to the interview, click here.

More Versatility. More Paschen.

Peoples Gas hired McKissack & McKissack and FH Paschen, which partnered with Epstein, to design and build the new facility. The firms have committed a projected total spend of more than 50 percent with minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. They also have committed to hiring Chicago residents for at least 50 percent of the jobs during construction.

The facility will reduce maintenance costs, improve the efficiency of customer responses, provide safer traffic flow for employees and include large meeting rooms available for public use. In addition, the building will be constructed to meet City of Chicago sustainability requirements.

“We’re honored to serve the residents of Chicago through our partnership with Peoples Gas,” Roland Schneider, project executive, McKissack Paschen JV said. “We take great pride in increasing the quality of life through the investment of infrastructure and workforce development.”

More Versatility. More Paschen.

We recently celebrated the grand re-opening of the Buffalo Grove Park District Community Arts Center. F.H. Paschen was the general contractor on this $3.3 million dollar renovation.

The project included: a renovation of the lobby, vestibule and multipurpose room. We also installed a new roof and a pitched seating in the 360-seat theater. The new building is LEED certified.

“The Buffalo Grove Park District hired F.H. Paschen to be the lead contractors in renovating our Community Arts Center. The onsite Paschen team was very intelligent, personable, kind, and efficient,” said Kim Cashmore, Superintendent of Recreation. “I was in attendance at the weekly construction meetings and was very pleased to have had my questions answered, while working side by side with Paschen to problem solve any issues that came up. It was a pleasure to have Paschen overseeing the project.”

The Center provides performances for Buffalo Grove and the surrounding communities.

More Versatility. More Paschen.

Congratulations to Vaniqua Lee of our Florida office on being recognized by the South Florida Chapter of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) as Woman of the Month for June 2018!

The NABWIC was founded to increase the national awareness of African American women in the construction industry. The award is given to recognize the recipient’s dedication, commitment, and valuable contributions to enhancing economic opportunities through various programs.

Vaniqua has been with Paschen for 6 years, serving as the “jack-of-all-trades” for our Florida office. She was hired as an administrative assistant, promoted to a marketing coordinator, and currently is a Project Engineer. Vaniqua commented, “My time here has been filled with learning, sharing, motivating, and definitely worth the PASCHEN.”

We salute Vaniqua on this well-deserved honor!

For most Falls Church residents, it’s just another humid mid-Spring day. But for 40-year resident Andy Parks, it’s special. He’s sitting on his porch enjoying the spring rain with his dog Summer for the first time since last August.

It’s a moment made possible by F.H. Paschen staff volunteering with Rebuilding Together on Saturday, April 28.

“You couldn’t put a price tag on that day,” Senior Estimator Anthony Edwards explained.

Before that weekend, Andy lived mostly confined to the home he shares with his wife Kitty. It’s not that Andy didn’t want to leave; he physically couldn’t on his own.

Andy had double-knee replacement surgery closely followed by other health problems, and is now confined to a wheelchair. Without an access ramp, the wheelchair made getting out of the house a major obstacle. He could only leave his house to attend doctor appointments, but even those outings posed a problem since couldn’t get out of the house without assistance. The local fire department had to be called for each appointment to help Andy out of the house and down the porch.

Noticing the urgent need, Andy’s physical therapist referred him to the local chapter of Rebuilding Together. Rebuilding Together, Inc. is a national non-profit organization that focuses on safe and healthy housing solutions by connecting low-income homeowners with volunteers who can help.

F.H. Paschen staff volunteered with Rebuilding Together to help Andy and Kitty live a more mobile life. “When we were there it felt like we were helping a family member out, it didn’t feel like work,” Edwards said, “They opened their arms up to us like they’ve known us their entire lives.”

Over a two-day period, Paschen staff volunteered nearly 20 hours, and using their construction expertise, built a ramp from the front door to the driveway. In addition to the much-needed ramp, Paschen staff, with help of other volunteers, made many other interior and exterior improvements to the home. The crew completed tasks including repairs to the kitchen range hood, installing a fire extinguisher, cleaning the gutters, and fixing the backyard fence.

“It was an awesome fulfilling experience, and to give back to someone is such an amazing feeling,” Administrative Assistant Amy Dineen shared, “especially with him not being able to leave on his own since last summer.”

When asked how his life has changed, since the ramp installation, Andy quickly replied with a smile, “I can get outside now.” If gratitude could be personified, it just might look like a man on his porch relishing the rain with his dog.

More Opportunity. More Paschen.

The Conrad Sulzer Regional Library was built by our Paschen family of contractors in 1985. Recently, we were privileged to renovate this historic Chicago Public Library.

This interior renovation was completed in ten phases across three floors, in order to keep the building fully operational throughout construction.

Project Engineer Sean Lewis stated, “The interior renovation was especially challenging due to the magnitude of the renovation scope and the library’s one and only requirement – keep the library 100% operational at all times.  This posed many coordination challenges, including a 10 phased project schedule for the base scope. The library was pleased throughout the project with the quality of work and the minimal impact that we had on the patrons and staff of the library.”

Work included new flooring and painting throughout the building, a new lobby circulation desk, three new conference rooms, upgraded power and data, new fixtures/accessories at all seven bathrooms, a new AV system in the auditorium, and children’s area upgrades. The entire library lighting system also was retrofit with upgraded LED fixtures.

The job was completed by F.H. Paschen’s Preferred Projects Group (PPG). For more information on our wide variety of services and delivery methods, click here.

More Versatility. More Paschen.

On Thursday, May 31, F.H. Paschen  held its annual “Hard Hat Ceremony” and inducted six new scholars into the three-year Paschen Engineering Scholars Program. Past scholars have worked on Chicago infrastructure projects such as the CTA’s 95th Street Red Line Terminal Improvement Project and the new 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge over Lake Shore Drive.

“At Paschen a key core value is for us to seek and provide opportunities for all. Our affiliation with GWCP provides Paschen with a way to invest in our community by providing a great opportunity for young people,” said Chuck Freiheit, Chief Operating Officer of F.H. Paschen.

The program includes three years of STEM curriculum, summer internships, exposure to college engineering programs, construction site visits, classroom-to-site applications, and one-on-one support ensure students have the opportunity to seek the STEM career of his or her dreams with confidence.

“Our goal for the Paschen Scholars Program is to follow these talented young people through their college years by continuing to provide real world summer intern opportunities,” said Jim Blair, Chief Executive Officer of F.H. Paschen. “Upon completion of their college studies, they begin a challenging and satisfying professional career by joining our Paschen team.”

To read our press release, click here.

More Opportunity. More Paschen.

Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association, Inc. (MWMCA), an organization created to advance minority-owned firms, has named Paschen the “Most Inclusive Prime Contractor of the Year.” This honor underscores Paschen’s long-time commitment to community engagement, diversity and inclusion through their philosophy of creating real opportunities for all.

“Inclusion is important in broad terms because it allows small businesses owners who have been historically disadvantaged opportunities, but on a more personal level it means women and men can feed their families,” MWMCA President Wayne Frazier said. “Paschen is doing things differently than other primes. They are bringing the same attitude of inclusion that they’ve fostered throughout their company for many years.”

As part of the company culture, Paschen has committed to exceeding MBE/DBE/WBE project goals, in addition to hiring a diverse team throughout the organization.

Paschen’s accomplishment was formally recognized on May 11, 2018 at the MWMCA’s 15th Annual Spring Breakfast in Baltimore.

To read our press release, click here.

More Opportunity. More Paschen.

F.H. Paschen delivered the new American Airlines L Stinger Concourse at O’Hare International Airport, the first gate capacity expansion in 25 years.

“This project is a true testament of the successful collaboration between client, designer and contractor. The progressive spirit of the team made the project successful in so many ways,” said Frank Mullaghy, Vice President of Paschen’s Aviation Group. “Key performance indicators with respect to the budget, schedule, safety and quality were achieved through the commitment and experience of our managers and workforce coupled with the mutual respect of each team member, open communication and transparency across the project.”.

Paschen also delivered on their commitment to utilizing a diverse group of subcontractors and workers. Paschen granted over 47 percent of this project’s subcontracts to minority and women owned businesses and over 48 percent of work hours were performed by skilled minority workers.

Paschen was selected along with the design team of Corgan, Jacobs, Thornton Tomasetti and HTP, who together provided a seamless integration of design and construction. Utilizing a CM@ Risk delivery method, Paschen delivered this project on time and on budget by working hand-in-hand with the Design Team, Department of Aviation and American Airlines while minimizing disruptions to active airfield operations.

To read our press release, click here.

To listen to our interview on WGN Radio, click here.

More Ingenuity. More Paschen.

F.H. Paschen celebrated the completion of the first phase of the CTA 95th Street Red Line Station Improvement Project alongside joint venture partner Milhouse Engineering & Construction. A skilled, diverse workforce of over 1200 executed this work, including residents from the local community who will enjoy access to the improved station regularly.  

“We lead by example. A diverse workforce is ingrained in the history and culture of Paschen, and for each project we build a diverse workforce represents the community,” said Matt Moss, Vice President of F.H. Paschen. “Through collaboration with CTA and our design partner, EXP, we were able to maximize the station’s architectural impact and operational function, providing the best value to the CTA and their customers.”

Committed to growth and building capacity in diverse and local businesses, Paschen and Milhouse have awarded 30 percent of this project’s subcontracts to disadvantaged businesses.

The new South Terminal re-opened Sunday, April 15, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, local aldermen, a handful of elected officials and students from the F.H. Paschen Scholars Program on-site to announce the milestone. The station is located in the center median of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) at 95th Street.

To read our press release, click here.

More Opportunity. More Paschen.