By: RK
Optimism is high for the construction industry in 2018, but as with any business, the reality of the challenges facing our field is a possibility and you need to stay prepared to weather the storm.
Here are a few tips to help your company remain competitive.
Issue: Skilled Trades Shortage
2017 saw a massive increase in the need for skilled workers, and 2018 is no different. Unfortunately, the industry is having difficulty finding skilled laborers to keep up with the demand. The shortage of skilled tradespeople means builders are facing the stark realization that in order to staff their job sites and stay competitive, they need to provide training, competitive wages and also be prepared to offer more overtime.
Tip:
- Implement creative recruiting strategies and apprenticeship programs to entice students to learn a trade rather than attend a traditional four-year university.
- Offer onsite job training, university credits as part of an apprenticeship program, and benefit packages to sweeten the deal.
Issue: Accelerated Schedules
Unfortunately, with soaring land and material costs, owners and developers are demanding faster construction time lines which leads to accelerated project schedules and places a strain on subcontractors.
Tip:
- Plan ahead. By creating a staffing plan and sticking to it, you will then be prepared to staff your job site during peak construction and avoid paying employees overtime.
Issue: Industry Bias
Graduating design students may feel as though the construction industry isn’t a line of business that will foster their design skills and put them to use. Although the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was adapted at a leisurely pace, successful companies are investing money into building robust BIM departments. Graduating design students have the skillset necessary to fill these positions within the construction industry.
Tip:
- Recruit those graduating with design degrees that require basic skillset and knowledge needed to work in a CAD department. This sought after skill is also appealing to those graduating with a focused design degree from major universities while also guaranteeing more efficient work practices for employers.
RK understands that even when you face challenges, you still need high quality craftsmanship and skilled professionals to create accommodations that represent your company. For additional details on how we can assist you, please contact our sales team at 303.355.9696 and/or rksales@rkindustries.com.
By: Jon L. Kinning, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
The national unemployment rate is at a shocking low of 4.4% due to growth in the manufacturing, construction, professional and technical services, health care and mining industries in 2017. This statistic indicates that the country’s economy is healthy with increased production, more jobs, steady consumer spending and less government involvement, making it hard for people to recognize the strain so many companies are currently facing due to the shortage of skilled trades employees.
Businesses in the manufacturing and construction industries have more open positions for plumbers, pipefitters, welders, electricians, technicians than qualified candidates to fill them. In fact, the skilled trades is currently the hardest segment of the workforce for employers to staff, and the gap is expected to widen. Following are three reasons leading to the gap between open positions and available employees:
- Commercial Construction Market on the Rise
The construction industry is expected to grow, or remain stable, in the next 12 months according to the USG Corporation + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index. The latest index score of 73 is based on three main factors: backlog, new business and revenues – meaning, the outlook for the commercial construction industry is strong and the need for qualified trades workers remains high. Companies affected by the continued market growth are fighting to hire from the same limited pool of skilled trades employees. - Aging Workforce
Manufacturing and construction work can be tough due to the physical demands of the job. Most skilled trades workers can’t sustain the stress to their body much past age 65, with most employees retiring between 55 and 64 years of age. Right now, 53{daeb8d662f58e4975bc93960761d671bdf0aa2ad049ea8a375d2717d280ef80b} of skilled trades workers are over the age of 45 and for every one skilled trades employee who enters the workforce, five retire. 
Stigma Around Skilled Jobs
High schools, student counselors and parents are conditioned to believe that academic prep for college is the best way to go. There is a stigma that skilled jobs are low-paying and offer little advancement, but that does not hold true today. Although some parents would prefer their child to become a doctor rather than a plumber, the truth is that skilled jobs earn a good living and offer real career paths – often into white-collar management roles – and without college debt. However, this stigma results in few young people being interested in pursuing skilled professions. There are now defined pathways to bachelor degrees by starting out in an accredited apprenticeship program. Apprentices now have stackable credits that can be deployed if they choose.
Training and Awareness Alleviate Labor Shortage Pressure
Vocational schools offer students a fast-tracked career path, typically two- or four-year programs, into a high demand career without student loans. Apprenticeship programs, like the RK Apprenticeship Program, offer students training in plumbing, pipefitting, HVAC, sheetmetal, ironwork, electrical and structural fabrication while working as a full-time employee with benefits and opportunities for advancement – plus, apprentices can earn up to 45 credit hours towards an Associates in Applied Sciences (A.A.S.).
RK knows that you cannot build a business off of buying talent and believes that we must attract and train the next generation of skilled labor through work-based learning not only for our own success, but also for the future success of the manufacturing and construction industries. We continue to make significant investments in training and developing our talent pool through in-house training programs and by raising awareness. Check out our free whitepaper on the Swiss Apprenticeship model and see how RK is incorporating similar practices.
Clothes to Kids Denver, Inc. helps to provide new and quality used clothing to school-age students from low-income or in-crisis families. The RK Foundation (RKF) has gotten on board in supporting their efforts by fabricating 12 clothing collection bins through the RK sheet metal shop. The bins were placed in Denver Public Schools (DPS) in October for donated clothing. RKF has committed to expand the program further over the next four years. Bin sites include DPS Headquarters, Bill Roberts, Emily Griffith, Hamilton Middle School, Hill Middle School, Holm Elementary, McAuliffe International School, Steck Elementary, and Swigert International School.
After the items are donated, they are picked up, sorted and washed by volunteers, who then help students “shop” for clothes. Founded in 2002, Clothes to Kids seeks to fill the gap that inadequate clothing makes. Research has shown that students who come to school without proper clothing experience low self-esteem, poor social skills, and lack of concentration in class. There are roughly 55,000 students in the DPS system who are in need of better clothing.
Clothes to Kids has a store they run and a family must make an appointment to “shop” at it. Students select a week’s worth of clothing, including five shirts, four pants, one dress (optional), one coat, one pair of shoes, and five pairs of new underwear and socks. Parents are welcome to shop with or without their children. Qualifying students must live in the Denver Metro Area, they must be in preschool-12 grade (or working towards earning their GED), the family must be considered in need of assistance (the student must be receiving free or reduced lunch at school), and they must also be receiving services from a social service agency, school or counseling center.
The partnership between RKF and DPS came about through Hamilton Middle Schooler, Marko Babiak, who “envisioned a program that would create an opportunity for DPS students to help other students in their community”. While in 5th grade, Babiak set up a bin at his school to collect clothing and shoes. The effort was a big success and he helped expand the program and approached RKF to be a sponsor. The collaboration will help to provide school clothing to thousands of students currently in need. Since 2008, Clothes to Kids Denver has provided more than 19,000 wardrobes to students.
By: RK Mechanical
After the recent OSHA VPP audit on November 14th, RK was thrilled to be recommended for the OSHA VPP Star, OSHA’s highest award for world-class safety and health! During the three day audit, conducted by two OSHA auditors and a special government employee from Raytheon, 35 different employees were interviewed and after the evaluations were complete, RK received the a recommendation for the designation that less than 0.03% of companies in the entire nation receive. That means that only 62 contracting companies in the U.S. and three in Colorado are designated with this esteemed rating!
So, what does this mean?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes the value of co-operative efforts by employers, employees, and government agencies to reduce hazards and strengthen worker protection. Created in 1982, The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) recognize employers and employees who have established effective safety and health management programs. The VPP program has been particularly successful in increasing safety in many different industries, including construction, poultry processing, petrochemical plants, tree nurseries, nursing homes, federal laboratories, and even “mom and pop” operations.
The OSHA audit itself, a two-phased, on-site evaluation, is highly complex and painstakingly done. In the first phase, OSHA’s team reviews the applicant’s corporate, division or business unit policies and procedures, including a review of safety and health management programs, document review and assessment of the management commitment to safety and health, and to VPP itself.
The intense road to Star status was been an intense one that took a while. “Shortly after achieving our OSHA VPP Star Mobile Work Force accreditation for the field, we asked the shop employees if they wanted to achieve this for the shops as well. The resounding response was yes,” said JP Kennel, Operations Manager for the Xanthia facility. “We began preparation, but along the way, we found that many of the things we already did were [already in place to satisfy] the OSHA VPP Star requirements. We still had to make numerous tweaks to our processes and procedures, though, and we learned a lot about ourselves [in the process]. Stepping back and critically looking at ourselves [allowed us to see] that we were lacking in mitigating possible hazards to our employees. These were the areas we focused on, making great strides in providing a safer and healthier work environment.”
Lindsay Kalis, QSE Systems Manager and main OSHA contact for RK, was the one behind the implementation of the safety management system, and was responsible for everything from application to scheduling while the OSHA team was on-site.
Kalis elaborated on what the audit consisted of while the OSHA team was at RK. “There are two types of VPP certification – Mobile Workforce and Worksite. This audit was for the Xanthia location (the Worksite designation) and Henderson will have theirs next.” Kalis explained that the application for the Xanthia audit was originally submitted in January 2013, but it took a year and a half to get the audit done.
Typically, it takes three months for the application to go through, but in light of the government shutdown and budget restrictions, it took much longer than was originally expected. Along with Kalis, Tom Alvarez, RK’s Manager of Safety, was also instrumental in assisting the OSHA auditors find all of the information they needed.
The second phase is dedicated to reviewing one or more worksites in order to verify that the safety and health management programs are actually functioning outside of the home office, which will take place when the Henderson site is audited.
The Star designation is specifically designed for “exemplary worksites that have implemented comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems; and achieved illness/injury rates below their industry’s national average”. “Our recommendation for the Star Level clearly demonstrates our commitment to the safety of all our team and the passion we have with regard to being a World Class company,” said Ian Welsh, Vice President of Corporate Development.
Not only is this a great boon for the company, but it also helps to enrich the lives of RK workers on a personal level as well. JP Kennel said it best. “Safety and health has to be a part of what we do every day. In order for that to happen, the rules and regulations have to be backed from the officer level on down. That way, the employee truly knows they have the power to communicate when they see an unsafe situation, but more importantly, they know that the company truly cares about them and their family.”
By: RK Mechanical
RK Mechanical, Inc. was recently voted One of Denver’s Healthiest Places to Work by the Denver Business Journal. This means that not only is safety a major concern, but employees’ physical and mental well-being are high-level factors, too. RK’s wellness strategy includes discounted gym memberships, the employment of a full-time wellness coach, and no doughnuts at meetings.
RK Mechanical believes that to have a world-class company, you have to have world-class people who are cared for and encouraged to be healthier. By believing in doing the right thing, the family-owned business can further their already successful organization by ensuring that their number-one resource is healthy and happy.
RK’s prevention-oriented health/wellness program includes helping employees quit tobacco use, lose weight, eat healthier and exercise more through efforts such as corporate gym memberships, a wellness website and an onsite tobacco cessation clinic, which is available four times a year. RK also offers an employee assistance program for help with personal and work-related problems, in addition to overall well-being.
Wellness is an intentional action for RK and they have formulated a strategy for it. Even employees develop and organize their own programs, such as walking groups, biking to work, and even mountain climbing.
This past summer, RK had its annual summer wellness challenge. Employees set many unique personal goals while participating in a variety of activities and most participants who logged their food and exercise for the three month period accomplished some incredible results.
Over 100 employees and family members participated in the American Heart Association Walk on June 7th, which kicked off the challenge. After that, employees handed in food and exercise logs, as well as proof of participation in various events around town.
RK’s Special Projects department was the winning team, with the most days working out twice a day, including bike rides into work, a run at lunch, and biking home. They also participated in the AXS Glenwood Spring Adventure Race.
Two brave RK individuals Rode the Rockies for six days, traveling a total of 471 miles. Additional events included the Color Run, the MS 150 (two day bike ride), the Stampede Run, the Colorado Springs Incline, and the Donor Dash.
A policy of wellness also means having world-class safety standards. The company’s safety and quality efforts include having full-time, licensed safety and quality-control managers who demand top performance. RK also operates according to top safety/quality standards, such as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs, earning Star Mobile Workforce certification.
By: RK Mechanical
If you were to ask a high school student about the options that their guidance counselor gives them for the future, most would tell you one thing: college. In the past 50 years, most schools (and parents) push their children to go to an institution of higher learning; they see it as the only option for gaining success, achievement, and a happy life.
Let’s face it though: a lot of people are not cut out for college. This isn’t a bad thing either. There might be a stigma about it that has cropped up in recent years, but some people don’t want to be in school for another 4-8 years after just finishing 12 of them. It used to be that guidance counselors would offer the option of a vocational school, depending on the student that was sitting in front of them. Not so much anymore.
In an article from Forbes magazine’s website[i], Genevieve Stevens, interim dean for instruction at Houston Community College’s central campus, said that “For two or three generations, the focus has been to go to college, get a degree and in doing so you will ensure a brighter future with more access to employment. We started focusing on academic institution, but left behind the notion of work-force education.” In light of this trend, the skilled trades industry has suffered.
According to the same article, ManpowerGroup has listed for the last three years running that the hardest segment of the workforce to staff has been the skilled trades – welders, electricians, machinists, which are so prevalent in manufacturing and construction. There are indications that it’s only going to get worse in the coming years. RK Mechanical has a potential solution to this worrying development.
RK has an apprenticeship program where apprentices get trained, and at the end of four years, they finish with a Journeyman’s license. Additionally, RK partners with the Community College of Aurora, Colorado (CCA) to give the apprentice the opportunity to complete an AA degree in Applied Science as part of that apprenticeship program.
The message that RK wants to deliver is that college is a great path, but not the only one. A skilled trades path provides a rewarding career, financial stability, a sense of accomplishment, and a career track of increasing responsibility and rewards. The other great thing about working for RK is, in addition to the skilled trades path, you have the college option as well, in light of their partnership with CCA. It really is the best of both worlds.
[i] Wright, Joshua. “America’s Skilled Trades Dilemma: Shortages Loom As Most-In-Demand Group Of Workers Ages.” Forbes.com, March 17th, 2013. www.forbes.com/sites/emsi/2013/03/07/americas-skilled-trades-dilemma-shortages-loom-as-most-in-demand-group-of-workers-ages.
By: RK Mechanical
RK Mechanical, Inc. won two Award of Excellence trophies at the ABC-EIC awards on October 19th. One was awarded for the new Rooftop at Coors Field and the other was for the work that RK did on the Aspen Art Museum. RK also won a second place Award of Merit trophy for the Denver Union Station project.
While the original plan for Coors Field, located at the now-famed corner of 20th and Blake Street in Denver, was for a modest stadium of 43,800 seats, the first season of Rockies baseball, played at Mile High Stadium, set an all-time MLB single season attendance record of 4.5 million. Due to the mass amount of fans and interest, the construction team added an additional section to the stadium plans – specifically the right upper deck.
Hailed as one of the most spectacular stadiums in MLB, Coors Field’s history goes beyond its 1991-1995 construction. In 1994, the construction team made a discovery of ancient archaeological proportions – a Cretaceous-era dinosaur egg, an unidentified dinosaur rib, and the crown-jewel: a 7-foot-long, 1,000-pound Triceratops’ skull. The discoveries of the fossils led to the birth of Dinger – the purple dinosaur mascot of the Colorado Rockies.
Coors Field officially opened for the start of the 1995 MLB season, hosting its first game on April 26th. Cultivating the next generation of fans, the Colorado Rockies announced in October of 2013 their plans to add a brand new rooftop viewing and entertainment area on the upper right field deck and concourse. Populous, the original architect on Coors Field, created a master plan for the new, two-level, 38,000 square-foot area to include multiple bars, restaurants and social gathering areas to be completed with a ‘LoDo’ (Lower Denver) theme, including stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.
In order to help bring the new rooftop area to life, the Colorado Rockies partnered with Mortenson Construction for their general contractor, Populous and ME Engineering. With a proven track record of successfully completing complex stadium projects, RK Mechanical, Inc. was selected as the mechanical contractor for the Rooftop at Coors Field.
As an ASME and AISC certified contractor, RK Mechanical is rooted in tested processes designed to deliver predictable results. Surprise internal audits throughout the duration of the project helped to ensure that the team was doing what they said they would do with trained and certified personnel, as well as properly documenting progress along the way. By ensuring clarity of goals and expectations, the RK Mechanical team was able to effectively work with on-site personnel without compromising standards.
There were a number of challenges regarding scheduling on the project that occurred while RK was on-site, including an extremely short time line and the freezing temperatures that come with Colorado winters.
The crew worked outside in the dead of winter and experienced multiple delays due to -20 degree temperatures. Not only were the team’s toes and fingers numb, the adhesive glues would actually freeze during installation, limiting exposure duration. On several occasions, the team would have to stop work for the inclement weather and work longer shifts the following week to make up for the schedule delays.
In order to meet the quick project deadline and combat the unpredictable weather, team members were asked to work 60-70 hours per week. This daunting task was met with employee perks and motivating incentives including weekly gift card drawings to those who worked over 60 hours the week before. This tactic kept employee morale high and inspired the team to keep pushing toward the project deadline.
Value engineering generates alternatives that secure essential system functions at the best project value. Implementation and rigorous use of value engineering strategies help to keep the project within budget. RK Mechanical’s level of experience in selecting equipment, systems options, and constructability, all play a major role in the value engineering effort. On the Rooftop at Coors Field project, the RK Mechanical team followed strict processes to keep the project within budget, while maintaining the integrity of the design intention.
In addition to the quick schedule and wicked winter weather, the RK team was met with an additional obstacle – the stadium itself. Half of the area below the concourse level was above part of the stadium seating. In order for the team to complete the below slab plumbing, they had to erect a 250-foot long, 30-foot wide and 30-foot tall ‘dance floor’ scaffolding. The ‘dance floor’ allowed the team to reach the below slab to install the new plumbing system.
The team’s creativity was also tested while setting project equipment, due to the downtown location. The team was tasked with placing the make-up air units (MAUs) by flying them in over the top of the stadium without disrupting or hitting any of the expensive and hard to replace stadium lighting. Completing this assignment involved an extremely large crane and meticulous attention to detail. The crew was able to place all of the project equipment without error, due to constant communication and team collaboration.
The Rooftop at Coors Field project was finished in March of 2014 just before Opening Day in April. The new, 38,000 square-foot space hosts an abundance of food vendors, including the Tavern Ballpark, CHUBurger Colorado Craft Casual Grill and Tuaca Terrace Bar. In addition to the new restaurants and bars, fans can utilize the new garden setting area and cabanas, watch the game on the outdoor TVs, enjoy pre-game entertainment and, of course, root for their Colorado Rockies to win!
By: RK Mechanical
On October 19th, 2014, RK Mechanical, Inc. won two Award of Excellence trophies at the ABC-EIC awards on October 19th. One was awarded for the new Rooftop at Coors Field and the other was for the work that RK did on the Aspen Art Museum. RK also won a second place Award of Merit trophy for the Denver Union Station project.
The Aspen Art Museum was a labor of love from the beginning. Known for its “A-list” residents, exquisite homes and breathtaking vistas, Aspen, Colorado has become one of the most sought-after destinations in the world. It is home to affluent and influential executives, movie stars and musicians, making it the site of some of the most expensive real estate in the nation.
Since the community is accustomed to only the finest of everything, residents and visitors have high expectations for the city’s buildings and architecture. With that in mind, the Aspen Art Museum hired Shigeru Ban, the top architect in the world, to design their new digs. Ban, known for his unique use of cardboard tubes, won this year’s Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. He dreamed up the new 33,000 square-foot museum to fit within the city’s astonishing mountain landscape located at the base of the luxury ski resort.
Intended to be a multi-use structure, Ban’s design welcomed visitors and locals, encouraging them to use the space as a public area. With jaw-dropping views of Ajax Mountain, the property would be accessible, free of charge, including the roof deck and café. Every aspect of the design was crafted to reflect the style and grace of the community, married with the rugged and glorious landscape. This might be illustrated best by Ban’s exposed three-dimensional truss ceiling.
In order to help bring their conceived facility to life, the Aspen Art Museum teamed with Turner Construction Company for their general contracting, along with Shigeru Ban Architects and CCY Architects. With a proven track record of successfully completing complex mountain projects, RK Specialties, Inc. was selected as the steel fabricator of choice. Everyone on the team knew this was no ordinary project. They also knew they were up to the challenges that would lie ahead.
As an American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) certified contractor, RK Specialties (RKS) is rooted in tested processes designed to deliver predictable results. The success of the project was due to having appropriately trained and certified personnel on site and properly documenting progress along the way. By ensuring clarity of goals and expectations, the RKS team was able to effectively work without compromise to ensure high safety and quality standards.
The remarkable museum design posed many difficulties for the project team as the exterior of the building was comprised of glass, structural steel and Prodema wood paneling. Behind the wood is 40 tons of structural steel and behind the steel is a wall of glass. In order to fabricate the steel to fit the building specs, the RKS team opted to pre-assemble all of the steel components in the shop to pass a ‘fit check’ (in-house quality procedure). Once the steel was fabricated and passed the check, the team delivered it to the project site where it had to be disassembled, and reassembled all over again.
Although this process required more work on the front end, it mitigated the risk of not meeting the building size requirements during the crucial installation phase.
The Aspen Art Museum had a very aggressive schedule, with construction beginning in March of 2013 and completion planned for July of 2014. Although this type of schedule is normal and expected in the construction industry, nothing about working in Aspen was normal.
The physical location of the project was the number one challenge. The city is located just under 180 miles away from the RK Specialties shop in Henderson, Colorado, at an elevation of 7,900 feet. Not only was the distance a factor for meeting delivery requirements, but the infamous and inconsistent Colorado winter weather also played a key and, often vicious, role.
The crew was forced to make tough decisions regarding travel and safety when faced with the blustery and treacherous conditions presented by I-70’s Vail Pass. Weather often forced crews to turn around before ever reaching the job site.
All of these factors played a big role in the RKS project team’s schedule management. In order to combat the scheduling interferences, the team used Bluebeam software to stay organized and share information internally, the structural steel was pre-assembled in the shop to avoid possible size inaccuracies, and there was consistent communication between the various trades to make sure they were still on schedule for deliveries, in addition to accounting for the chance of inclement weather and working around the remote project location, regarding distance and travel time.
The construction team was handed their biggest project challenge right from the start. Both the Aspen Art Museum and the world-renowned architect Ban knew what they wanted the museum to look like, but they had absolutely no idea how it was going to be built. For example, the staircase was not a normal design, in that it was to be accessible from both the inside of the building for those viewing the exhibits, as well as from the outside of the building for public access to the roof. With the help of the 50 plus person in-house CAD Department, the RKS team was able to provide value analysis, conquering the test through multiple rounds of design changes and on-going collaboration with the glass and wood construction teams. In addition to CAD, the team used a value engineering, pre-assembly approach in the shop for all of the structural steel components prior to project installation.
Aspen, like the majority of ski resorts throughout Colorado, gets a heap of snow each winter. This is great news for those who snowshoe, ski, snowboard, snowmobile, etc. But it is less appealing news for construction companies who are selected to work there. While the new Aspen Art Museum was being built, the city was blessed with just under 200 inches of snow. Although it is not possible to control Mother Nature, it serves as a true test to the skill and flexibility of construction teams when her interruptions can be effectively managed.
The Aspen Art Museum opened on the 9th of August, 2014, hosting museum tours, concerts, films, a dance party and even a sunrise yoga session!