​In March of last year, APG was awarded the AdventHealth Tampa P4 Tower Expansion project by Robins & Morton. The nearly $12 million contract covers electrical construction for a brand new, 300,000 square foot patient tower on the Tampa campus. This project is expected to be complete in September of 2021.

​While we can’t say what the future will bring, we do want to let our APG family know what we’re currently experiencing. As we continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to provide a snapshot of the hard work that our HR and COVID Tracking teams are doing. We also want to thank our employees for their good attitude and to discuss important reminders as well as where we have room for improvement.

COVID-19 tracking is a monumental task for a company with 430 employees. Thank you to the HR, COVID Tracking, and Safety teams for the incredible work you are doing! Employee time away from work must be coded correctly and details about employee absences related to the virus must be collected in order to ensure that APG is reimbursed correctly for COVID-related paid time off. What can each employee do to make this process easier? First, if you have symptoms of the virus (fever, headache, body aches, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, cough, chest pain or pressure), notify your jobsite supervisor IMMEDIATELY. Your supervisor will encourage you to seek a medical diagnosis from your doctor or telemedicine and will connect you with someone from the HR Team, who will guide you through the necessary steps to keep your family and coworkers healthy. 

Telemedicine is a great first step if you are experiencing symptoms. Our APG health plan provides telemedicine options through Cigna, which are covered at 100% for those with COVID symptoms. If you are referred for testing, you may have to wait several days for the results. While you are waiting, follow CDC guidelines and observe quarantine procedures (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html). You may be tested and/or quarantined if you personally have symptoms or if you’ve been exposed to someone who does. Once you receive your test results, communicate them to your contact from the APG COVID team immediately so you can be cleared to return to work, or if you’re positive, so that future care plans can be discussed. 

If someone on your jobsite tests positive, you may be sent home for quarantine and testing. Communicate with someone from the HR Team regarding the testing timeline or for recommendations on testing facilities. Please respond as quickly as possible to requests for information about your CV-19 absence. If you live with someone who tested positive or is exhibiting symptoms, please reach out to the HR Team so that they can advise you. They will need to collect information if you will be missing time at work to provide care. This information is necessary under IRS rules.
 
We appreciate the cooperation of those employees who have already experienced COVID-related absences, and many thanks to the supervisory team who is coordinating care and returns to work for those going through this process. Overall, the limited number of APG team members who have tested positive (13 as of printing) has been impressive considering the size of our company and the number of jobsites we work at every day. There have been relatively few shutdowns and we are confident that with the continued use of social distancing procedures, proper sanitation practices, and the wearing of masks, our incident rate will continue to decline.

While we’re in this unprecedented situation, it’s important to remember that we’re in it together. What you do at home has an impact on those you work with. We are seeing a trend of employees being exposed to the virus during their off hours. Please use your best judgement and follow CDC guidelines when engaging in social activities on your own time. Practice safety at home the same way you do at work. Please remember to wear a face covering, wash your hands frequently, follow proper sanitation procedures, and maintain social distancing, no matter where you are.

Please let someone know, right away, if you are not feeling well. We want you to be safe and healthy whether at work or at home, and the precautionary steps you take may help us avoid jobsite shutdowns and serious illness. Thank you to each and every employee for your continued diligence in this effort, and please keep up the good work! We will get through this as a team.

We truly appreciate our hardworking apprentices and our IEC apprenticeship instructors, who had an especially challenging last semester. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s IEC apprenticeship and graduation ceremony was held virtually. But we still wanted to recognize our hardworking and high achieving apprentices in person. On Friday, June 5th, a special lunch and short program were held in their honor at the Clearwater office. In spite of the circumstances, we still rewarded our employees for their hard work, dedication, and skill. While maintaining physical distancing and taking all necessary precautions to ensure safety, we were able to celebrate our apprentices and the effort they put forth. After a delicious lunch served outside from the APG food trailer, the apprentices were called by year to receive their bonus letters and merit certificates.

Our celebration wasn’t the only one, however. The IEC Florida West Coast Chapter Graduation ceremony was unlike any other, as the program was held virtually on YouTube and it went live on Thursday, July 16th at 7:00 pm.

The program began with a slideshow of all of the graduating apprentices, including our very own Joshua Day, Jesus Deluna, David Dueker, Michael Elverd, Tyler Harder, Ryan Hynes, Jeffrey Johnson, Stefanos Katsiopis, Dale Kimball, Jeffrey King, James Knapp, Kenneth Kubler, Carlos Largel Jr, Brian Latham, Dirk Osgood Ebanks, and Andrew Stock. It then moved to a graduation speakers segment, followed by recognition for those with four years of perfect attendance, and afterward the Instructor Awards. Congratulations to Anthony Harwood Thomas for receiving the Rising Star Award! The next part of the program highlighted the honor apprentices, which included APG apprentices David Dueker, Jeffrey King, James Knapp, and Andrew Stock. Finally, the socially-distanced Wire Off results were displayed. We were so proud to have four finalists: David Dueker, Ryan Hynes, Brian Latham, and Andrew Stock! And we were even more excited to learn that Andrew Stock was the winner! Not only that, Andrew was honored for achieving the IEC Graduate Trifecta—perfect attendance all four years, honor apprentice, and Wire Off winner.
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We know that this school year was especially difficult, but our instructors and graduates went above and beyond. That’s why we were proud to present our sixty-two apprentices with a combined total of $55,000 for their achievements in the IEC apprenticeship program. To all of our apprentices, congratulations on a job well done and thank you for your dedication to learning our trade! 

In March of this year, APG was awarded the Suntrax Connected/Automated Vehicle Test Facility project by Alston Construction. At nearly $8 million, this contract includes electrical construction, fire alarm, and voice data. We are happy to have Alston Construction as a new partner and are looking forward to a long and successful working relationship.
 
This cutting-edge facility in Polk County, located off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, is being developed by the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. It will be used to further the research, development, and testing of new transportation technologies in a safe and controlled manner. The 475 acre site will include a 2.25 mile long, multi-lane test track (the only high speed autonomous vehicle testing area in the southeastern US), a 200 acre infield for connected and autonomous vehicle testing, featuring several simulated transportation environments, a welcome center with offices and classrooms, workshops and warehouses, and multiple test tracks. Once this project is complete, the testing and technological developments that will come out of this facility will improve transportation safety, efficiency, and accessibility for years to come.
 
A project of this technological complexity gives us the opportunity to hone our skills. We are using one of our newest tools, the Trimble System, with the help of our BIM team, to provide a highly accurate layout which will save time during our electrical rough in. In order to keep all areas of this massive site connected, including 18 different buildings, 17.5 miles of voice data cable will be installed, enough to go around the autonomous vehicle test track eight times! This cable will also connect the new fire alarm system, an eight node network across nine buildings, each with a fire alarm panel reporting to two central station communicators. This system will have a global network annunciator in the guardhouse, allowing the security staff to monitor all system events from a single location.
 
All of us at APG were excited to earn this contract and to be a part of a project that will drive the future of transportation. We greatly appreciate having been selected by Alston Construction. We are proud of the hard work of Senior Estimator George Lambert, Project Manager Richie Hollie, Project Superintendent Mike McGuire, Project Foreman John Lenges, Life Safety Project Manager Eric Brockmeier, Voice Data Project Manager Keith Hoover, BIM Specialist Quinton Robertazzi, and the entire team on site. Keep up the great work!

In 2018, Brasfield & Gorrie awarded APG a multi-million dollar contract for the AdventHealth Celebration Tower project. While this hospital expansion was underway, it was decided that the new patient tower would be fed from an expanded CEP. After competitively bidding the job, APG was awarded the CEP upgrade and shortly afterwards yet another contract to fill the third floor of the new patient tower with operating rooms. What began as a mostly shell tower expansion evolved into a $14 million contract that encompassed electrical construction and BIM coordination services. We’re especially proud to have earned multiple contracts after work began, as this paid tribute to the outstanding service and quality we were working hard to deliver. Our team’s dedication and attention to detail paid off in a major way!
 
AdventHealth Celebration is expanding to meet the increasing demand for healthcare in fast-growing Osceola County. The hospital plans to eventually have 400 patient beds, and this new space will allow for the expansion of multiple programs. The patient tower will add about 172,000 square feet spread over five floors, some being built out and others left as shell space to accommodate growth. It will also include a new loading dock and receiving area, an executive administration office space, 80 patient beds, multiple cath labs, and operating rooms. These projects will provide hundreds of construction jobs, new healthcare positions, and even better services for patients—adding value to the entire community.
 
The CEP Generator Upgrade project adds a 4,700 square foot generator building that will hold three new 2mW generators, paralleling gear, and a 5kV system with new medium-voltage substations. This emergency power is especially critical in Florida because of our potential for severe weather and hurricanes, and all this new generator capacity will be put to good use. AdventHealth Celebration will be prepared to face any storm with the assurance that they have life-saving emergency power continuously and reliably available. Working on an existing hospital is always a challenge, but that’s especially true when modifications are being made to the power plant. Intense coordination is required to keep the hospital up and running while the new generators are integrated into the existing system, adding an additional layer of complexity to an already complex job. Our team performed more than 15 major shutdowns, each of which was precisely scheduled and arranged to minimize impact on facility operations. Our decades of experience on major healthcare projects has been critical to our success on site. 
 
All of us at APG were excited to earn these contracts and we greatly appreciate being Brasfield & Gorrie’s contractor of choice. We’re proud of the hard work of Senior Estimator Jonathan Henley, BIM Manager Artie Hackett, Senior Project Manager Bruce Chabotte, Project Superintendents Rick Thomas and Noel Vester, and the entire team. Keep up the great work!

Change has been a constant over the past several weeks and we have all had to be quick to adapt to new guidelines and procedures. As the pandemic evolves, APG is committed to following the latest guidance and using best practices to ensure that we can continue providing an essential service to our community while maintaining the health and safety of our employees. No matter what the future brings, our mission to make a positive difference in the lives and businesses of our customers, partners, employees, and community remains the same. We will always be a team who goes above and beyond in serving our customers and each other.
 
Safety has always been and continues to be our highest priority on every jobsite. In order to stop the spread, we have implemented an exposure prevention, preparedness, and response plan. At the beginning of each workday, the project superintendent or foreman must ask each employee a series of questions to determine if they have been exposed. If the employee answers no to all of the questions, they are cleared to work. If not, they are sent home and given specific instructions to follow. They will be asked to provide clearance from their doctor and/or a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to work. All employees must follow the CDC guidelines to prevent illness, such as maintaining social distancing and practicing good hygiene, and are being provided with personal protective equipment. Extra steps are being taken to regularly clean and disinfect all equipment, tools, and vehicles and to minimize the sharing of these items among employees. We appreciate the efforts of Safety Director Sean Hendry and Safety Compliance Officer Dale Rive in developing and implementing this plan.

​In October of last year, APG was awarded the Amazon KLAL Gateway project by AECOM Hunt. At more than $18 million, this innovative and technologically advanced project  involves electrical construction, life safety, and BIM. More and more people have come to rely on Amazon in their day‐to‐day lives and we are excited to play a role in making that process even more efficient. 
 
This fast‐paced project is scheduled for completion at the end of May. It includes a 223,000 square foot sorting facility, a maintenance building, a service building, and a storage building at the Lakeland Linder International Airport. Amazon already has a fulfillment center in Lakeland, and this new facility will allow the company to fly goods in and out of the nearby airport. It’s a true win‐win for the community, providing revenue and creating 800 to 1,000 jobs when construction is completed.  
 
In order to maintain continual operation, the facility will have one 250kW generator, three 2000kW backup generators, and paralleling switchgear. To ensure that we meet the accelerated schedule, our crews have been working 10 hour days as well as Saturdays. Our construction team, with help from voice/data, recently pulled together to complete the main MDF/UPS room in just one week in order to enable hand‐off of the room to the Amazon IT staff. Our vendors played a key role in helping us procure all of the gear, as well as miscellaneous material needed for us to finish this room in spite of the many last minute design changes. 
 
All of us at APG were happy to earn this contract and we greatly appreciate having been selected by AECOM Hunt. We are proud of the hard work of Vice President of Preconstruction John La Fuze, Life Safety Senior Estimator Jeff Haas, Senior Project Manager Brian Stine, Project Manager Richie Hollie, Life Safety Project Manager Eric Brockmeier, Project Superintendent Vaughn Orluski, and Life Safety Superintendent Rollie Blake. We would especially like to thank our field team for going above and beyond on site every day. Keep up the great work! 

​In November of last year, APG was awarded the Tampa International Airport (TPA)—Main Terminal Curbside Expansion and Central Utility Plant project by Hensel Phelps Construction Co. At nearly $15 million, this contract includes electrical construction, BIM, audio/visual, voice/data, and security. We are looking forward to a successful and long-term partnership with Hensel Phelps and TPA.

​This project involves the addition of a new vertical circulation building (VCB) on the airport’s blue side to streamline arrivals and departures. The blue side curbsides will get four new lanes for arrivals and four for departures, which will be dedicated to passengers with only carry-on bags. This will make things easier and faster for passengers who don’t need to spend much time at the curb. It also includes the addition of a new central utility plant and electrical service building, allowing for future growth, all with no impact to daily operations and while maintaining the first-class customer service experience that passengers have come to expect at TPA. The airport currently handles 21 million passengers annually, and with these improvements and others, it is expected to increase capacity to 34 million passengers a year.
 
This project presents a number of unique challenges to overcome. Because it is separated into two parts, double the work is required for project billing and direct purchase orders. There are nearly 4,000 feet of enclosed bus duct, which will take hours of investigation and coordination with our BIM team confirming the amperages match and the routings align with existing tie-ins. The new vertical circulation building consists of adding onto the existing electrical services with a new 1200 amp distribution board from the normal branch, a 400 amp from the equipment branch, and a 100 amp from the life safety branch. The new central utility plant and electrical service building portion of the project will have eight separate 4000 amp electrical services and a 1500kW diesel generator.
 
This project is just getting under way (substantial completion is expected by December 2021) but we are very excited about this new opportunity and wanted to share a brief overview. All of us at APG were happy to earn this contract and we greatly appreciate having been selected by Hensel Phelps. We are proud of the hard work of Preconstruction—Special Projects Terry Ryan, Senior Project Manager Ted Maczuga, Project Manager Josh Smith, Project Manager Jack Chonsky, Project Superintendent Chris Gobright, and the entire team on site. Keep up the great work!