Following the passing of John “Johnny B.” Barkowski in 2017, the F.H. Paschen Safety Committee decided to create a safety award in his honor. This award is given to one Paschen/Stalworth Operations staff member who best exemplifies our Safety and Quality Control Approach, and carries on Johnny B’s passion for safety and success in everything we do.
At our annual Spring Safety Picnic on May 23, 2018, the first Johnny B. Safety Award was presented to Jeremy Roach, Superintendent in the Civil Division.
“Jeremy began his career at F.H. Paschen 17 years ago as a laborer, at age 21. He was promoted to Labor Foreman, and became a full time Superintendent in 2016,” said Mark Barkowski, Vice President. “He consistently and passionately runs his projects with a high degree and emphasis on safety, and continually strives to increase his safety knowledge.”
The Johnny B. Safety Award will be presented at Safety Picnics hereafter, continuing the legacy of Safety, Quality, and Production that Johnny B. fostered during his time at F.H. Paschen.
Mark Barkowski (l) and Nick Bilski (r) presenting the award to Jeremy Roach
Jeremy Roach (r) presenting the Johnny B. Trophy with his father, Terry (l).
F.H. Paschen, along with our partners EXP and Burns & McDonnell, accepted the 2018 Infrastructure Construction Award from the Chicago Building Congress (CBC) for the Washington/Wabash Elevated Loop CTA Station.
The iconic CTA Station was designed to become the gateway for Millennium Park and the Loop. This Design/Bid/Build project features a canopy with an architectural oscillating wave pattern, and has become a point of interest for travellers commuting through the Loop.
This latest award joins the Association of Subcontractors and Affiliates (ASA) Outstanding Project of the Year, Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) Project of the Year (Finalist), and Chicago Department of Transportation (IRTBA) Outstanding Transit Contractor of the Year in recognizing this groundbreaking and transformative CTA Station.
Paschen has successfully kept our EMR below .7 for over 4 years. In 2017, we were proud to announce that we had zero lost time incidents, with over 1 Million man hours of work.
This prestigious award is largely due to our top-down, bottom-up approach to safety. Our safety committee meets weekly, and includes vice presidents, general superintendents, and tradesman who all discuss ways to increase safety awareness and prevention. Our multifaceted Safety-Education program – for both field and management staff – had the expected outcome of reducing employee injuries; while continuing to perform dangerous, high-risk work.
The systems we have in place played an influential role in our acceptance of this award. We take pride in our proactive safety approach, which includes subcontractor coordination and improves our field operations. Our Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) system allows our construction crews to analyze the work that will be performed each day and document potential hazards. Lastly, our quality control system, which was modeled after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is a three-phrase approach that reduces the amount of rework performed in the field, while making the work safer for our workforce and our subcontractor’s workforce.
The ARTBA Foundation Awards Luncheon was held at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. on May 15th, 2018.
Mark Barkowski received the Second Place ARTBA Safety Award on behalf of F.H. Paschen at the ARTBA Foundation Awards Luncheon, held at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. on May 15th, 2018.
The Paschen Scholars made their second visit to the 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge construction site. When the Scholars visited last, they met with our Project Manager and Project Engineer to review the plans and walk the site containing only our trailers.
Since that time, steel has been erected, a temporary bridge was built and much progress has been made. The Scholars were given a tour of the site and were prepared with many questions for our Project Manager. The questions ranged from the amount of RFI’s on the project to date to why they took the time to work on the BIM Coordination. They also discussed scheduling and how the project sequencing was decided to ensure minimal down time during the winter.
The Paschen Engineering Scholars program is more than an average internship. 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 each student can seek the STEM career of his or her dreams with confidence.
We are looking forward to many more site visits with our Paschen Scholars!
On May 1st, we joined U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, RTA’s President Kirk Dillard, Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski, and well over 100 Metra employees at the groundbreaking on the Rock Island Rehab Shop Expansion. The facility will serve multiple functions, including job training, rehab, and maintenance of the Rock Island Line train cars.
Additions to the facility include a newly enclosed Diesel Shop, which will allow work to continue through the inclement weather. The storage building will be fully enclosed with side panels and a new roof. This will provide additional storage for material needed to repair and upgrade cars safe from the elements.
A new cast-in-place loading dock at the Coach Shop will allow for reduced delivery times.
A new 40,000 sf state-of-the-art training facility will allow Metra to educate and provide on-site job training. The facility also will include new classrooms, locker rooms, welding booths, overhead cranes, and a high bay area where rail cars will be brought into the building and can be used for training purposes.
Upon completion, this renovated facility will allow Metra to increase the number of cars the can be repaired per year, resulting in upgraded and well-maintained cars for passengers.
We are committed to awarding over 25% of the subcontracting work to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms.
When John Joseph Barkowski (Johnny B) passed away on September 28, 2017, he left behind a legacy that will be long remembered. A legacy that included a commitment to quality, safety, and production that led his company, F.H. Paschen, to become a leader in the area of safety in construction.
But Johnny’s legacy goes much further than that. He’s remembered as a man of great integrity, who lifted up those around him with his knowledge and enthusiasm. From employees to tradespeople to subcontractors, and even to competitors; all knew Johnny as a man of his word—someone you really could look up to.
Having grown up around construction (his father worked as a General Superintendent for Paschen Contractors), Johnny learned many invaluable lessons which he carried throughout his career and instilled in his crew, coworkers, and colleagues. He spent every moment of the 24 hours he was given each day for his work, family, friends, and faith; and did so with tremendous efficiency and passion.
“Johnny B. was a solutions person,” said Maura Barrett of Mega Steel Corporation, a subcontractor that has worked with F.H. Paschen for over 20+ years. “He could make anything work. There were days when we thought things were a complete mess, but he could just guide us right through it.” Chuck Gerage of Omega Demolition Corporation agreed. “John’s word was worth more to me than any signature on a piece of paper. When Johnny told you something, you bet you could always count on him.”
Johnny’s safety record, and his leadership in the industry have helped change procedures and the way that companies handle safety on a daily basis. At the 2018 Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) Awards Banquet, Johnny was awarded the Golden Hard Hat Award. The award was presented by “Safety” Paul Wojcieszak of Sheffield Safety, who made these comments about John:
“His leadership changed the company. F.H. Paschen’s EMR dropped, and their safety has been fantastic. It’s really all based on his leadership–driving the entire company, and the industry as a whole.”
Those who worked with him daily became more than just coworkers—they became part of a close-knit group—almost like a family—due to John’s leadership and ability to encourage people to work at their absolute best. “Johnny B. gave me motivation to be the best I could be, and his confidence in me made me want to do even better,” said O’Neil Douglas, a Labor Foreman at Paschen. “In my second year at Paschen, Johnny B. pulled up in his truck, called me over, looked at me and said, ‘O’Neil, I’ve seen you around and I want you to know, I’ve got plans for you.’ And then he handed me the Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator’s Guide. Not long after that, I became a Labor Foreman.”
“Johnny B and I worked together for over a quarter century, and I miss the camaraderie,” said Joel Pervinich, Project Superintendent. “His ‘OK, OK, alright…’ approach was contagious and you couldn’t help but get enthusiastic when he’d think outside the box. Johnny always encouraged and endorsed the underdog—he never worried about his own career, but rather the careers of those who worked for him.”
Vicki Caruso, Project Superintendent, agreed. “He was always accessible, day or night, whether you sought project-related advice or a sounding board for life’s every changing demand. He sincerely cared about the safety of every one of his soldiers (employees), and returning them home daily to their families. I always admired his silent confidence during an Owner’s meeting, how he could always turn a negative into a positive, and his indisputable LOVE for F.H. Paschen and how he wore those letters as a badge of honor.”
Johnny B. leaves a legacy of pride and a dedication to safety at F.H. Paschen that will be carried on for many years to come. We are grateful to him for everything he accomplished, and will remember him as the pioneer he was—and will continue to be.
Along with the many people whose lives Johnny touched, the Barkowski legacy will continue on with his brothers Mark & Neil and sister Ellen, who commented, “It has been a tremendous blessing for us to have worked so closely with Johnny for 25 plus years here at F.H. Paschen.”
F.H. Paschen hosted its 3rd Annual P.I.E. (Paschen: Innovations in Engineering) Series event at George Westinghouse College Prep School, where they introduced the Paschen Scholars program to a new set of interested candidates and discussed the field of engineering and how it applies to careers in construction.
Ryan Kinney of Westinghouse opened the event and Antonia Winfrey of Paschen gave an overview of the day. Joe Scarpelli gave a presentation on the history of F.H. Paschen and background on the kinds of projects the company has done. Finally, Tim McCann of Sitech Midwest gave a presentation about the use of technology in construction.
Following the presentation, students were given to chance to network with the presenters and Paschen representatives who were in attendance, to find out more about their career paths and learn more about the Paschen Scholars program.
Special thanks to Charles Johnson, Ashley Prosser, Sharon King, Rick Aiello, and Alan Osinski for attending the function on behalf of F.H. Paschen.
Paschen is proud of our relationship with Westinghouse, and we are looking forward to welcoming the next group of Paschen Scholars into the program.
To learn more about the Paschen Scholars program, click here.
The Washington/Wabash station replaced two adjacent, century-old stations with a new station that features a sleek and modern design, and a signature platform canopy that serves as a gateway to historic Jeweler’s Row and Millennium Park.
The accompanying program read as follows: “By utilizing state-of-the art engineering and construction techniques, materials, and equipment, F.H. Paschen built a quality product, while remaining on schedule and on budget without affecting CTA train or bus service, with minimal disruption to traffic throughout the duration of the project. The construction of the new Washington Wabash Station was successfully completed in close cooperation with City agencies, CTA, the Alderman’s Office, local businesses, and property owners.”
We congratulate our team members for their hard work on this project, and for their continued dedication to our values of Tenacity, Versatility, Ingenuity, and Pride.
Washington/Wabash Project Team:
Matt Moss – Project Executive
Josh Curran – Senior Project Manager
Jeremy Seyller – Senior Project Manager
Tiffany Lomax – Project Manager
Robert Boss – Assistant Project Manager
Dan Erickson – Lead Superintendent
Bernie McNulty – Superintendent
Maria Torres – Asst. Superintendent
Caleb Tackes – Project Engineer
Christian Hubbard – Virtual Design Construction Manager
Las Vegas is never a quiet place, and despite recent events, nothing can suppress the “Vegas Strong!” spirit of this oasis in the desert. Recently, Autodesk (the maker of Autocad and other BIM software) rolled into town, bringing with it over ten thousand of the smartest techies, contractors, vendors, architects, and engineers on the planet. The annual event is a compilation of classes, presentations, networking opportunities, tours, showcases, and social gatherings.
Shawn Phillips (BIM Director) and Christian Hubbard (VDC and Survey), attended the conference, representing F.H. Paschen with the goal of learning new workflows, exploring new products, and brushing up on current skills. They also branched out to our peers in the field, comparing notes, and exchanging ideas. Of significant presence at the conference this year was virtual reality and augmented reality applications and workflows. New to the conference were developments such as Autodesk Forge, the Connect and Construct Summit for contractors, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in conjunction with machine learning.
On November 30th, F.H. Paschen received an Appreciation Award for our support of the Chicago Public Schools Trade Apprenticeship Pipeline (T.A.P.) Program, which encourages and assists recent CPS graduates to get involved and pursue careers in the trades.
The award was unexpected, but gratefully accepted by our very own Chuck Freiheit. The event was supported by SodexoMAGIC—a facilities management company led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who attended the ceremony that evening; and sponsored by the Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO).
F.H. Paschen participated for the first time in the Oak Brook Heart Walk for the American Heart Association (AHA) on September 23. In our first year of participation, we organized six teams with over 50 walkers, which included Paschen employees, family members, and even pets. As a result of our efforts, we raised over $14,500 to support the AHA and their mission.
Paschen is a proud sponsor of the AHA’s Hard Hats with Heart, the Association’s nationwide movement to end heart disease and stroke within the construction industry. According to the AHA, nearly 1 in 3 American adults are living with some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or after-effects of stroke. In the construction industry, the prevalence of CVD is higher than in any other industry.
“It was great to see the company come together for this cause. Almost everyone knows someone who has been affected by heart disease, so this really means a lot to our employees and their families,” said Anthony Izzi, Paschen Vice President and Hard Hats for Heart Steering Committee Member.
The money raised by the American Heart Association funds research and education while leading to many important advances, including the first artificial heart valve, CPR, pacemakers, and dramatic reductions in heart disease and stroke deaths. Paschen is proud to be involved with such an important organization aimed at bettering the health of our industry and the nation.
Westinghouse College Prep School held the first of eight Community Days on September 20, and F.H. Paschen was on hand to kick off the celebration. Project Superintendents Martin Alderden Jr. and Neil Barkowski, and Surveyor Manager Michael Karcz led an informative and hands-on demonstration on surveying for the school’s Civil Engineering students (including our Paschen Scholars).
Amanda Change, PLTW Engineering Teacher, commented, “Today’s event was wonderful! Thanks so much to Mike, Neil, and Marty for their sharing their expertise and enthusiasm today. The kids picked up on leveling their levels and reading the grade rods quickly, and a few got to calculate the slopes for where water drains into the sewer structures. All in all, the students had a great time getting some sun and learning the art of surveying!”
F.H. Paschen, in conjunction with Hard Hats with Heart, is participating in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart Walk for the first time this fall. Hard Hats with Heart is a construction industry focused group dedicated to supporting AHA’s life-saving mission, which includes raising awareness and money to fund research projects and other educational programs. Paschen Vice President Anthony Izzi, who serves on the Steering Committee for the Chicago Chapter of Hard Hats with Heart, said “This is a very important cause for our company and industry, as heart disease and stroke are extremely prevalent in construction.”
According to the AHA, cardiovascular disease is listed as an underlying cause of death for nearly 1 of every 3 deaths in the United States. It also costs billions of dollars a year in both health expenditures and lost productivity, yet 80 percent of heart disease is preventable.
The goal of the Heart Walk is to encourage preventative action to reduce cardiovascular disease, spur internal team building, and have fun being active; all while acting as a fundraiser to support AHA’s mission. Paschen has five teams participating from the Corporate, Estimating, Building, Stalworth, and JOC divisions. The Heart Walk consists of both one and three mile courses, and is family and pet-friendly.
If you would like take part in the walk or donate to this important cause, click here for the Paschen company page.
AHA Heart Walk Details:
Saturday, September 23
8am-11am
1400 Kensington Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523
2017 Metro Chicago Heart Walk
The CTA Washington Wabash station in the Chicago Loop area opened this morning, after a 2-year construction process. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the station “a new gold standard for what a new “L” station should look like” at the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the station.
The station serves the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple lines, and replaces the Madison/Wabash station, which was demolished at the start of this project; and the Randolph/Wabash station, which will be demolished now that the new station has opened. It is the first new station to open in the Loop in 20 years.
Designed by exp, the station features a cantilevered structural steel canopy with a wave design, elevator towers, a new mezzanine, and artwork throughout the station. The futuristic design is hailed by critics such as the Chicago Tribune’s Blair Kamen as “an authentic blend of form and function.”
The project presented many challenges, which Paschen met and conquered at every step along the way. Trains ran through the work area throughout the day, and utilities that hadn’t been touched in over 100 years had to be ripped up and moved.
8 31 20917 WAWA CTA Ribbon Cutting Brian Fritz Photography (94)
The Paschen Scholars program, in affiliation with George Westinghouse High School, recently completed its second year of onsite construction internships. The program, which grants construction internships to up to 6 freshmen per school year, now has 11 student participants who visit work sites, hear perspectives from various people in the construction industry, and participate in workshops and activities to develop teamwork and creative skills.
Jobsites visited included the AMC building project at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the Western/Belmont Avenue reconstruction, 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge, CTA 95th Street Station, and the O’Hare Runway project. Each visit gave the students an overview of the projects and a chance to ask questions to gain a better understanding of how the teams approach the projects.
During the second week of July, the students started working on their own construction projects. Second year students constructed bridges out of popsicle sticks. They formulated cost estimates, designed the bridges, and built them to spec to withstand a weight test. First-year students used the same principles to design and build personal shelters. Each group inspected the other’s work, and gave feedback on quality and safety.
The Paschen Scholars program will continue throughout the school year. In 2018, F.H. Paschen will welcome a new group of students for the third year of the Paschen Scholars program, bringing the number of scholars to 17.
The day began with a summary of work at both airports, including an overview of the O’Hare Modernization Program, the day to day operations, and key “fun facts” for the students about airport operations. The students were then escorted to the airfield, where they visited the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting training simulator, and learned about the facility and how airport rescue teams are trained.
The students then visited an active jobsite on an in-operation airfield at the Runway 9C -28C project. From there they visited the Airport Maintenance Complex to see how the fleet of snow removal equipment is utilized to keep runways and taxiways open during the winter months.
Finally, the students toured the American AirlinesStinger construction site to learn how the building is being completed next to a fully operational concourse.
Diana Mendoza, Freshman at Westinghouse College Prep, commented “I thought it was informative with different terms and interesting with the various surprises and the nitty gritty details.” Ramon Quninto, Sophomore at Westinghouse College Prep, added “I thought it was really interesting because of the planes and the things I learned. I didn’t expect the airport to be so massive, and the jobsites look very cool. It was a great experience.”
We thank the Chicago Department of Aviation for giving these students the opportunity to see the airport from a different perspective and to observe the various operations of an active airfield.
The Western/Belmont Avenue Viaduct demolition and intersection reconstruction project was officially deemed completed on July 24 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel attended and made remarks about the project. The viaduct, he said, was “an eyesore” that needed to be removed due to its age and condition. It was built in the mid-1960s to accommodate traffic for Riverview Park, which stood at the site until 1967.
F.H. Paschen demolished the structure over one weekend in March 2016, which kicked off a 16-month transformation of the intersection. We rebuilt Western Avenue between the Chicago River Bridge and West Roscoe Street, and widened some of the cross streets along the route. A new deck was built for the Chicago River Bridge, and we updated lighting, sidewalks and medians, sewers, signals, streetscapes, and landscaping.
Our team put many long hours into completing this important project for the City of Chicago. We are proud of what they accomplished in such a short time.
The 2016 and 2017 Paschen Scholars traveled to S.T.A.T.E. Testing’s laboratory last week to learn about materials testing. Students toured the laboratory and participated in demonstrations about aggregate and soil testing, gradation, and participated in a proctor test. Students took a closer look at the ingredients in concrete and asphalt mixtures, learned about new performance testing technologies like the Hamburg wheel track test and the disk-shaped compact tension test (DCT), and the asphalt analyzer, and observed the testing of a compression strength cylinder.
F.H. Paschen has partnered with George Westinghouse College Prep, a diverse, selective enrollment high school, to provide resources and training to better prepare students for careers in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.
Our new website is designed to introduce our talented team, showcase some of our most recent projects, and highlight the tenacity, versatility, ingenuity, and pride with which we approach our work.
Chuck Freiheit, Chief Operating Officer, described the objective this way:
“What we want everyone to understand is that we deliver a lot more than simply ‘on time and on budget’: We bring a determination to overcome every obstacle that stands in the way of success; we have the ability to take on any type of construction challenge; we have a knack for finding creative solutions to unique problems; and we have a deeply rooted commitment to fairness, to the communities in which we live and serve, and to getting the job done right and making sure that everyone is safe along the way.”
The new website is designed to be easier to navigate, cover our projects and expertise more thoroughly, feature photos of our people and our work throughout, and work equally well on desktop, mobile, and tablet.
F.H. Paschen and George Westinghouse College Prep School inducted the next five students into the Paschen Scholars program on May 26, in a Hard Hat Ceremony at the F.H. Paschen headquarters in Chicago.
The five chosen students represented the top 18% percent of the freshman class, and included those who expressed an interest in construction. They join the six students chosen in the inaugural 2016 program.
The students each participated in interviews and activities to determine their abilities, creativity, and engineering aptitude. The Scholars will participate in the three-year program, and will visit Paschen three times a week for 3 weeks in July for the next three years; visiting jobsites, doing intern work, and learning about the culture and the world of construction.
Michael Baggett
Jaymes Hernandez-Garrity
Diana Mendoza
Alfonso Ochoa
Cristian Tovar
The 2016 Paschen Scholars are:
Tiana Collins
Kayla Garcia
Justino Martinez
Ramon Quinto
Jose Reyes
Gustavo Sanchez
Joe Scarpelli, Executive Vice President of Paschen, said of the students and the program, “We are very excited to welcome our second class of Paschen Scholars. It was a great turn out at the event and a pleasure to meet our new scholars and their parents at the Hard Hat ceremony. Special thanks to John Barkowski who gave wonderful Hard Hat introduction.”
F.H. Paschen is proud to support George Westinghouse College Prep, and is committed to the mentorship of students interested in learning more about the construction industry through the Paschen Scholars program.
George Westinghouse College Prep is a new-start school that now offers two competitive programs; a selective enrollment College Preparatory program and a College and Careers program. A concerted effort by community activists, educators, parents, Chicago Public Schools, the City of Chicago and concerned citizens led to a newly constructed campus being built to house the new school. Find out more at New Westing House.
F.H. Paschen began 2017 with significant construction award wins, reflecting a strong start to the year.
In March, we were recognized as “Contractor of the Year” for 2016 by the African American Contractors Association (AACA). The award was presented to President/CEO Jim Blair at the 24th Annual AACA Membership Awards, held March 15 at the South Shore Cultural Center.
On May 5, The March of Dimes presented F.H. Paschen with the 2017 Construction & Transportation Award. The award was given to recognize the Union Station Transit Center, which opened in July of 2016. Chief Operating Officer Chuck Freiheit accepted the award at the Construction & Transportation Awards Luncheon.
Prior to these awards, FHP received the Illinois ASLA Award for General Design—Constructed Projects for our work on the Hubbard Woods Park Pavilion, and the CISCO Award for Infrastructure for the Cermak/McCormick Place CTA Station.
Congratulations to all who worked so hard to help us earn these honors!
F.H. Paschen ended 2016 on a high note, and continued that streak into 2017, with awards for three of our banner projects.
In November, F.H. Paschen was selected as Transit Contractor of the Year by the Chicago Department of Transportation for our work as contractor on the Union Station Transit Center. The Center, which opened in July of 2016, handles over 3,400 CTA commuters and services six CTA bus routes.
In December, the Washington-Wabash CTA Elevated Station Design was selected as the winner in Interior Design Magazine’s Best of Year Awards in the “On the Boards: Commercial” category.
And in January, F.H. Paschen was informed that the CTA Cermak-McCormick Place Station, which opened in March of 2015, will receive the 2017 Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) Pride in Construction Project of the Year award in the Infrastructure category. F.H. Paschen will receive the award at the CISCO Annual Meeting on January 27, 2017.
F.H. Paschen is thrilled to receive such prestigious awards for these important projects, and congratulates the project teams for their hard work and dedication.
On August 19, Paschen and SYTE Corporation, a small general contractor in the Chicago area, announced that the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) in Washington, D.C., formally approved our joint application for a Mentor/Protégé Agreement in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program between F.H. Paschen and SYTE Corporation. This approval is in effect for a 1-year period. It is annually reviewed by the SBA for adherence to Agreement provisions and may be renewed for a maximum of 6 years.
The purpose of this federal Program is to encourage eligible Mentors to provide a broad range of business development assistance to eligible small business Protégés primarily but not exclusively in the federal market place. Such assistance may include technical and/or management assistance, financial assistance in the form of equity investments and/or loans, subcontracts, and/or assistance in performing prime contracts with the federal Government through joint venture arrangements. Accordingly, our first joint venture named Syte Paschen JV has been formed and we are actively pursuing federal contract work with our new Protégé as one feature of our assistance to SYTE Corporation.
According to Mario L. Short, SYTE’s president, “This SBA approved partnership with F.H. Paschen will enable SYTE to expand its construction and facilities maintenance offering, while pursuing more complex projects around the nation. Being able to working collaboratively with an industry leader like F.H. Paschen, makes me confident we are better positioned than ever to add tremendous value to our valued clients and partners.”
Paschen President and CEO James Blair stated, “Paschen has a long and successful history of mentoring small businesses, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged, minority-and women-owned enterprises. We view the small businesses we work with as our partners, working closely with them to help them develop through new business opportunities and invaluable experience on larger, more complex jobs. Moreover, we have admired the manner in which Mario has championed the work of SYTE for years. His ethical, disciplined, and strategic approach aligned perfectly with our business model, and made establishing a strategic Mentor/Protégé partnership a no-brainer.”
SYTE is F.H. Paschen’s 3rd protégé since 2010. The first two, Industria Paschen and dsi Paschen, and their associated joint ventures, were successful in achieving over $70 million in federal contract awards from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Ohio National Guard, Wisconsin National Guard, US Air Force, US Air Force Reserve and the General Services Administration (GSA) in the states of Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Union Station Transit Center, built on a surface parking lot on Jackson Boulevard between Canal and Clinton Streets, was designed for commuters to connect to buses and trains while easing traffic congestion around Union Station. The station opens on Sunday, September 4, and a Grand Opening ceremony was held on Tuesday, August 30.
Dignitaries such as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and US Senator Dick Durbin were in attendance.
The Transit Center will provide boarding for CTA bus routes No. 1 (Bronzeville/Union Station), No. 121 (Union/Streeterville Express), No. 151 (Sheridan), No. 28 (Stony Island), No. 124 (Navy Pier), and the No. 156 (LaSalle). These routes carry nearly 3,400 passengers daily.
Features of the Transit Center include a new transfer tunnel connecting to the existing Amtrak pedway, a staircase and elevator from the new tunnel to the street, and CTA bus islands with canopies.
Paschen representatives were in attendance at the American Public Works Association (APWA) Public Works Expo, in Minneapolis, MN, where we received National Awards for two projects.
The Thornton Composite Reservoir, completed in July 2015, received the Project of the Year, Environment, $75 Million or More award; and the Cermak-McCormick Place Elevated Green Line, completed in February 2015, received the Project of the Year, National Structures, $25-$75 Million award.
Tim Bea, Project Manager for the Thornton Reservoir project, and Jeremy Seyller, Project Manager for the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line project, were in attendance to receive the awards. Paschen is honored to receive such prestigious awards for these important projects.
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies recently announced their selections for the 2016 American Architecture Awards, and The UNO Galewood Elementary School, located at 2050 N. Natchez Ave., was chosen as one of the award recipients. Awards will be given at the Chicago Athenaeum Awards Gala Dinner Ceremony on October 3.
Galewood Elementary, built for the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO), was a fast-track, design-build project which was awarded in November 2011 and required completion and occupancy in the Fall of 2012. This type of schedule had never been attempted or achieved before. The main building is a three-story steel and precast structure which houses the classrooms and offices. The primary design feature is the adjacent 58-foot tall “skyspace” with a sloped wall, which houses the multipurpose room and resources room, and was envisioned as a “library of the future”. This project achieved LEED Silver status.
The American Architectural Awards, now in its 22nd year, are among the most prestigious distinguished building public awards, honoring new and cutting-edge design in the United States. The winners are chosen from a short list of 380 projects, from which 74 projects are selected by a distinguished group of architects and educators.
Our 2nd Friday in the Field occurred on July 22. Participants included our six Paschen Scholars, interns, and new hires, and all had a wonderful day visiting sites and learning about what Paschen does from those who are doing it in the field.
The group started by visiting the I-90 Jane Addams Tollway jobs, where the participants saw Paschen and Stalworth teams in action and learned about the jobs being done there. After lunch in the afternoon, the group visited our Ozinga project in Des Plaines.
Thanks to Chris Fedro, Marcus LuMaye, Dustin Vibbert, Tim Bea, Paul Spencer, and our project crews at both sites for taking the time to show our group their projects and encourage our interns and new hires to #learnwithpaschen.
As part of our ongoing relationship with George Westinghouse College Prep School, F.H. Paschen recently organized two events to involve students at Westinghouse who are interested in the construction industry.
PASCHEN SCHOLARS
On April 26, F.H. Paschen kicked off our Paschen Scholars program. Students who participated represented the top 18% percent of the freshman class, and included those who expressed an interest in construction.
Twelve students participated in a group interview to determine how they worked together, then they were then given a chance to show their creativity and engineering abilities with raw materials—spaghetti and marshmallows—to construct a tower. Finally, Paschen conducted one-on-one interviews with the participants. Six students were chosen from this group, and will represent Westinghouse as Paschen Scholars.
The Scholars will participate in the three-year program, and will visit Paschen three times a week for 3 weeks in July, visiting job sites, doing intern work, and learning about the culture and the world of construction.
Special thanks to Antonia Winfrey, Tiffany Lomax, Jacob Kleiman, and Mary Kate Ward for helping conduct interviews and for help with coordinating this event.
WASHINGTON-WABASH CTA STATION SITE VISIT
On April 28, 2016, fifteen Westinghouse engineering students were invited to attend a site tour of the Washington/Wabash CTA Station construction site. Students were instructed on the correct use of safety gear and the importance of safety on a work site. Following an overview of the project by the Project Managers and Project Engineers, the students were led to the construction site to observe work being performed, and to learn about what happens at a jobsite.
Following the tour, the group returned to the site office, where they were treated to lunch, followed by a review of the plan grid and survey and surveillance images. During lunch, the project staff held a question-and-answer discussion outlining their experiences and how they came to work in the construction field.
Thanks to Washington-Wabash staff for participating in this event: Project Managers Antonia Winfrey, Josh Curran, Tiffany Lomax, and Frank Cassata; Project Engineers Rob Boss and Ross Hanchett, Senior Superintendent Ron Martin, Superintendent Dan Erickson, Project Engineer/Quality Control Courtney Wilson, and Virtual Construction Project Manager Christian Hubbard.
Comments by some of the student participants included:
“Today’s trip really opened my eyes to how much work really goes into a construction project. I had always wondered why it takes so long to simply break down the old structure and build [a new] one, but it is way more complicated than it looks. I think I have this perspective because I am going to be an Economics/Business Major and have never really acknowledged or took note of the numerous steps that engineering-related work accounts for. I think it is really interesting how there are hundreds of drawings and sketches that are designed for one sole project, and I really like how they are organized and managed [on the iPad app]. For the two construction managers that were inside the office, I thought it was really interesting that their field of study did not necessarily mean that they would do hands-on work for that field, but [they] instead branched into the management aspect of it.”–MARCO
“What I found interesting was the fact that Paschen has to work without stopping or shutting down the trains. They have to find ways to work around the trains, not to disturb it. Also if they delay in something they have to pay for it. Something I learned about engineering was that everyone has a different part while working together. Everyone is kind of their own boss and in charge of completing their task”.–GABY
“Something that really stood out to me was the amount of hours the engineers work! Not only that but the pressure they have with working around the CTA schedule, and if they delay the trains, they have to pay! The CTA asked for a renovation yet the engineers have to work around them. Also, the way in which they had to outline everything before the documentsharing application they have now [was so tedious]! Another important thing was that Paschen has to work from underground up—not even ground level—they had to go past that.”–MARICRUZ
“I learned that Paschen tests concrete using a powerful machine. The machine applies 6,000 pounds of force to a block of concrete. If the concrete doesn’t have the capability to take the pressure, it crumbles.”–MARQUIS
“Something that I thought was interesting was how deep Paschen had to go just to replace the columns. Also, it was interesting how they had to rent out the spaces and businesses so that they could put support beams [underground or around the construction site].”–KENYEA
“One surprising thing I learned about Engineering is that even if you go to school for a certain major, you may not [stay] in the exact field. I did not know what field of Engineering I wanted to go into, but now I know as long as I have an engineering degree, I could be anywhere in the field or designing.”–LAVONTA
