The APG family had a fantastic time at our 37th annual picnic, held at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure!

Everyone began arriving at 9 AM with smiling faces, sporting our APG team shirts. The morning started with sunshine and clear skies, and we could spot APG logos in every direction. With our best walking shoes on, we wasted no time getting to the attractions at both parks. Families filed into lines for superhero and movie-themed rides and played the many arcade and outdoor games at the park. At 12:00 PM, we met on the upper promenade of Universal CityWalk for a lunch buffet. There we enjoyed hot dogs, burgers, perfectly grilled chicken, salad, and desserts. With our plates piled high, we took our seats while the DJ played music and joked with APG team members as they walked by. Some of our favorite Universal characters paid a visit, and we had a great time taking pictures with them! The social media photo booth was a hit too. Attendees took photos with family and friends while the park’s stilt performers made colorful balloon art for the kids. With our bellies full, we were ready to power on through the afternoon to more rides and family fun!

Things got a little stormy in the afternoon, but we didn’t let the rain wash out our day of fun. Many of us hopped on to roller coasters and water rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Others made their way over to Universal Studios Florida to take advantage of the indoor attractions.

APG Preconstruction Estimator George Lambert’s kids wrote thank you cards after attending the picnic. Here are some snippets of what Carlson, Kelsey, and Madeleine had to say:

Thank you so much for organizing this great event for all the families.

The APG picnic is something I look forward to each year! I enjoy going to amusement parks with my dad’s work. Thank you for making this possible for us.

Thank you very much for always making the annual anniversary trip one to remember. I loved this year’s trip to Universal. All the rollercoasters were fun to ride. I always look forward to this trip.
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We’re so glad that everyone had a great time! Thanks to all the employees and family members who attended our picnic this year, and a very special thank you to Bonnie Gerhart for arranging this wonderful event, and to her helpers, Averi Lew and Autumn Esker. We look forward to seeing you all again next year for more family fun.

Every year, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) hosts a seminar and expo to provide industry professionals with updates on the latest trends and requirements in healthcare construction. Held at the newly renovated Disney Coronado Springs Resort on October 17-19, APG sent a group of estimators, project managers, engineers, and business developers to benefit from group discussions and classes related to this year’s theme: Be Prepared! This theme was chosen in response to the unprecedented events of the past year and a half and aimed to highlight the importance of being prepared for unexpected emergencies. Many of those who attended benefitted from educational seminar sessions that focused on “Planning for Emergencies in the Design and Construction of Health Facilities.”
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APG was well represented at the event and heard the latest on construction trends, technical updates, and upcoming code changes for AHCA reviewed/inspected facilities. Constantly improving our skills and taking in new knowledge helps us to maintain our position as Tampa Bay’s go-to healthcare facilities contractor. While an APG booth displayed pictures of our latest projects, hundreds of visitors stopped by to discuss upcoming work and where the industry is headed. We also had exceptional opportunities to network and connect with general contractors, product vendors, and facilities managers. As the expo floor bustled with activity, nearby conference rooms hosted educational breakout sessions that were attended by our engineers and several of our project superintendents. One of these seminars was even led by APG Life Safety Manager BJ Klingensmith! These exciting seminars prepared attendees to envision how healthcare environments will change in the near future and to anticipate the evolving needs of some of our largest clients. We made the most of our opportunity to explain to designers and owner representatives how beneficial the APG approach to design-build can be on their projects. Our ability to provide in-house MEPFT engineering services and then actually build what we’ve designed is truly unique, and we were proud to get the word out about how successful this approach can be. 

The AHCA trade show gave us a fantastic opportunity to sharpen our skills, make new contacts, and pave the way for future work. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!

In December of 2019, APG Engineering was awarded a contract to provide MEPFT design services on a brand new healthcare campus - BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel. Nearly a year and a half later, in April 2021, APG was awarded a construction contract for the electrical and fire alarm systems. While we have decades of experience in healthcare design and construction, this project marks the first time that we have both completely designed and then built a hospital from the ground-up. This is an incredible accomplishment for our company and we’re immensely proud that BayCare and Construction Manager Robins & Morton have entrusted us to deliver their vision. 

The process began with months of coordination between the APG Engineering team and a large group of trade designers and consultants. We provided construction documents for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology systems. The project consists of a 320,000 square foot, six-story hospital tower with an emergency care unit and an intensive care unit. The patient tower is connected to a three-story medical arts building and a central energy plant. Engineering such a complex critical care facility requires an incredible attention to detail, and our experienced team has been up to the challenge from the beginning. Vice President of Engineering Mike Dobbs and Director of Engineering Rolando Alvarez have led the charge, even as an unprecedented global pandemic necessitated major design changes. For example, many areas of the hospital will now be capable of maintaining negative air pressure to handle a large volume of patients who need special care for dangerous respiratory conditions like Covid-19. 

After building documents were finalized in November of 2020, the project broke ground and APG was awarded the construction contract after a competitive bidding process. With a combined total of 45 years of healthcare construction experience, Senior Project Manager Austin Buxton, Project Manager Tommy Poore, and Project Superintendent Eric Beal were the perfect team for the job. Concrete was already being poured as we mobilized on site, so laying out sleeves and conduit clearances was a critical first step for our work. BIM Specialist Jordan Sibbach tackled this task immediately and has assisted our field team in preventing clashes between our work and what’s being installed by other trades. With an anticipated completion at the end of 2022, we still have plenty more to do. Over 60 of our technicians will bring their talents and can-do attitude to this project site and, to them, we say “THANK YOU!” 

Building just one hospital of this size and caliber could be the highlight of any contractor’s career, but APG is currently involved with several at the same time. We’re able to successfully manage them all because of the decades we’ve committed to finding and training the best and brightest electrical construction team in Tampa Bay. Our hundreds of journeymen and certified technicians enable us to staff major projects in a way that our competitors simply can’t match, and our engineering team gives our clients confidence that there is no job we can’t handle. With the in-house ability to completely design and build some of the largest and most critical buildings in the state, APG offers something stunningly unique in the industry. 
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Congratulations to everyone involved with this project so far. Please keep up the exceptional work, and look out for a Pipeline update on our progress next year!

As a leader in advanced technology solutions, global manufacturing, and supply chain management, Jabil has over 260,000 employees across 100 locations in 30 countries. With a local Tampa Bay presence stretching 30 years, Jabil chose St. Petersburg as the location of a new world headquarters that could bring employees together in a modern, environmentally-friendly and highly connected campus. At 175,000 square feet, this 4-story building includes office spaces, conference rooms, collaboration rooms, and customer engagement spaces. Amenities include a café, dedicated IT Helpdesk, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. 

APG Technology was brought on board by the design team as a technology consultant for the project and was ultimately selected as the systems installer and audiovisual integrator in partnership with Gensler Architects and Skanska USA. Conceptualizing, designing, installing, and integrating technologies for a company as large and diverse as Jabil was a monumental task. Through design and construction, Project Manager Ryan Racioppi and General Superintendent Denzil Randolph coordinated their efforts with the many parties involved to deliver a solution on time and in budget. A high level of collaboration among our designers was required to ensure that proposed systems would meet the goals and expectations of the owner. Our technical site team, led by Audio Visual Project Foreman Scott Wilson, became an extension of Jabil’s IT group and worked with them hand-in-hand to deliver a seamless and uniform communications experience in every room of the facility. The finished product is a culmination of years of effort and represents the passion for excellence that APG strives to deliver on every project. 

Our scope was not limited to a standard structured cabling system or a basic conference room projection screen. Rather, it involved some of the most advanced, innovative, and complex systems in the industry. For example, the facility’s main conference center is a multi-purpose room used for events, meetings, and presentations. This room can easily function as four separate divisions, two larger spaces, or one combined gathering room. Two laser projectors with fixed-frame projection screens and two 86” LG displays are powered by the Crestron NVX System, which is a platform designed to deliver flawless video, audio, USB, and control over IP. A high-quality sound system includes speakers connected to wireless, gooseneck, and ceiling microphones designed to identify and amplify human voices. An assisted listening system accommodates ADA requirements for an assembly space, and Vaddio Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras operate in conjunction with a Bi-Amp Digital Signal Processor certified by Microsoft Teams. These same features extend to an executive boardroom designed to host high-security global meetings. Here, a video wall of eight 55” monitors are controlled by two touch panels that completely integrate the video, audio, and lighting systems from a centralized location. 

More than 60 collaboration rooms were provided with a Crestron Flex+Microsoft Teams system, which allows for a native Microsoft Teams experience but also provides the flexibility to add different devices. Another 114 rooms were integrated with Samsung displays, HDMI table connections, and AD Rings to allow the user to connect video or audio with any device. A total of 90 touch panels were installed and connected to Jabil’s Microsoft Exchange Server and Robin scheduling software to display scheduled meetings at the entrance of each conference room. Dozens of additional displays were provided for wayfinding signage, café menus, customer support queues, and security stations.

To assist with the practical implementation of all these systems, APG Technology was also contracted to provide workstation installation assistance for the approximately 850 employees that moved into the campus. We set up dock stations and monitors and neatly organized the thousands of feet of cables that bring it all together. This process took longer than expected as the project schedule was revised due to complications arising from the pandemic, so APG Technology Project Manager Kevin Runia and General Superintendent George Moreno scheduled technicians as needed.
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After years of hard work, the Jabil headquarters is now fully operational. With a complete suite of industry-best technologies in place, this beautiful facility will help Jabil achieve their goal to “make anything possible and everything better” for decades to come. We are grateful to Gensler Architects and Skanska USA for giving us the opportunity to bring our passion and experience to their team. Congratulations to APG Technology on an outstanding job!

​An entire year has passed since we last shared an update on the St. Anthony’s Hospital expansion project, and a lot has been accomplished in that time! APG is proud to be working with Robins & Morton on this 90-bed expansion of a major hospital in St. Petersburg. As one of the largest hospitals to serve the constantly growing population of Pinellas County, St. Anthony’s plays a critical role in the community. BayCare is making major investments in the facility to improve the patient experience by adding a tower with all private patient rooms, relocating the cafeteria and kitchen to the first floor for easier access, creating new educational classrooms, expanding inpatient dialysis, and relocating several existing hospital services. A major component of our work involves building a new Central Energy Plant. This is a particularly challenging task because of the extensive shut downs and changeovers required to power an existing facility from a new source, and we’re excited to announce that the CEP is now complete and has been handed over to hospital staff for operation. ​

​Construction of the CEP involved creating an all-new medium voltage electrical system, which was overseen by Project Superintendent Ricky Thomas. Ricky and his team installed over 16,000’ of highly sensitive medium voltage cabling between electrical switchgear, transformers, and a massive new substation that weighs more than 50,000 pounds. At 35’ long, the substation was so large that it couldn’t be installed in one piece and had to be separated into smaller sections that could be lifted up to the second floor, then rolled across a 100’ span of existing roof. Careful planning and weeks of preparation enabled us to manage this difficult installation without problems or any damage to the existing hospital. Emergency power is provided by three 15kV 2.5mW bi-fuel generators that connect to 15kV switchgear lineups with two separate utility feeds for extra redundancy. Now that the new CEP is up and running, utility changeovers from existing equipment are underway and several major hospital loads have already been transferred. We’ll soon begin the challenging process of re-feeding the remaining existing gear in the hospital from the new switchgear in the CEP.

Many smaller renovations within the hospital have already been completed, including a new kitchen, servery, executive administration offices, respiratory therapy space, and loading docks. Construction of the patient tower is progressing quickly, and we now have at least 80% of it completely roughed-in. With power going live and many areas already occupied by hospital staff, we’re on track to meet our scheduled completion date in April of 2022.
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Project Superintendent Ricky Thomas and his foremen, Cody Kiesewetter, Seth Keck, and Quentin Clark, have done an outstanding job in coordinating this work with our partners, Robins & Morton and BayCare. We are also proud of the hard work of Senior Project Manager Anthony Ciquera, Life Safety Project Manager James Sutton, and the entire support team on site. We’ll keep you updated as this marquee project progresses. Thank you to all involved for your continued hard work and dedication to “Doing It Right”!

Many in the APG family are ready to get back together, and we’re very excited about the 2021 Annual Family Picnic that will be held on Saturday, November 13 at Universal Orlando Resort! Invitations will be sent by email to all APG employees in mid-August. Each employee may bring their spouse or a guest and their children who live with them. We understand some may not feel comfortable at the event because of the ongoing pandemic, and attendance isn’t required. 

When you receive your email invitation, please respond to let us know if you’ll be attending. If you are, please fill out the requested t-shirt sizes and other information needed before the big day. Your ticket will be a Park-to-Park pass that allows entrance to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. You can arrive at any time after the parks open and travel between both parks throughout the day. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy all of the major attractions.
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At 12:00pm, our entire group will meet at CityWalk for lunch. Seating will be available in five different restaurants, all connected by a common promenade. After our lunch event, you and your family can enjoy the rest of the day in the parks at your leisure. We hope everyone is excited and looking forward to a great day together!

A strong continuing education program is absolutely essential to developing a knowledgeable, experienced, and highly qualified workforce. At APG, we’re passionate about providing our employees with opportunities to build on their skills and talents, no matter how long they’ve been in the trade. To cultivate an “always advancing” mindset, our Training and Development department offers dozens of in-house classes and programs to help every member of our team learn and grow. Have you taken advantage of the many courses they offer?

Corrie Fernandez, Training and Development Manager, and Kevin Gerhart, Training and Development Specialist, take the lead in these efforts by heading up the “T&D” Team. They coordinate, organize, and track every course we offer. One of the leading programs APG makes available to all of our employees is the Electrical Apprenticeship program, which is managed in partnership with Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC). Enrollment is highly encouraged, even for those not working in the field. The program’s goal is to transform someone from a green helper into a licensed Journeyman Electrician in four years. All fees, including tuition and textbooks, are paid 100% by APG. Each year, we give out cash bonuses at our annual Safety Awards event to celebrate accomplishments like perfect attendance and an A-average. For the 2021-2022 school year alone, APG is expected to have over 100 employees enrolled in the Apprenticeship program. To encourage success, we’ve begun offering Journeyman Exam Preparation courses to give our employees all the tools they need to confidently take and pass the final test. We’re very proud of the hard work of our many apprentices!

An extension of the Training and Development team is Mike Mears, Vehicle Safety Instructor. Everyone that drives an APG vehicle is required to enroll in a Driver Safety class that emphasizes the importance of safe driving practices both during and after work hours. Mike also teaches a class on Resource Protection, which helps us make sure that we all have the tools we need, when we need them. Thanks to our Resource Tracking ToolWatch App, we can now transfer, request, return, and search for tools by site or even employee.  

One of the most popular series of classes offered by the T&D Team is about using PlanGrid and Bluebeam Revu. Corrie and Kevin are nationally certified trainers for these programs and are a wealth of information on the many tools and features that can help us do our jobs more easily and efficiently. The T&D team also works with each APG group to identify unique training opportunities that will increase our skills, value, and confidence. Classes currently offered include AVIXA, Microsoft Certifications, Professional Development, Project Scheduling, and more.

By far, the most important classes we offer are related to Safety. The T&D Team regularly partners with our Safety Department to organize safety-training classes like OSHA 10, OSHA 30, CPR, and First Aid. Other safety classes on confined space environments, fall protection, trench shoring, rigging, and the use of heavy equipment are also available. APG is completely committed to safety at every level of the company, and everyone is responsible for keeping their certifications up to date. Do you have multiple certifications or licenses and find it hard to keep track of what needs to be renewed and when? Send an email to education@apg.company and we can help you stay on top of them with automatic renewal reminders. 
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At APG, we have a passion for excellence and a desire to go above and beyond to be the best at what we do. Thanks to the enormous efforts of our Training and Development team, everyone has opportunities to learn and advance in their field. We hope to continue supporting you in reaching your goals, excelling in your craft, and building on your knowledge. 

Over the last year and a half, APG has been ramping up our social media presence by actively engaging on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Our goal is to build stronger relationships with our employees, clients, and community. Managing the company’s daily interactions and posts across multiple platforms takes a great deal of work. To keep it all on track with informative and interesting content, we formed a completely new department: Social Media Marketing. Have you met the team? Carol Quiroz takes the lead as our Social Media Coordinator, working alongside Graphic Designer Averi Lew. Their content team includes Michelle Lebrias, Gaby Camp, Jessica Griffith, and Kevin Gerhart, who each contribute to different project tasks as writers, editors, designers, photographers, and more. 

Why is APG taking social media so seriously? Studies show that over 90% of Millennials and nearly 50% of older generations are active social media users. With so many people online, we have a phenomenal opportunity to show the general public what APG is all about. We can create strategies to help our audience understand our brand, our values, and our commitment to “Doing It Right.” Through project photos and client experiences, we can highlight our safety culture, our quality of workmanship in the field, our expertise on a wide array of project types, and our uniquely talented team.  These types of posts help existing and future clients to see what makes APG stand out from other contractors. They also help us recruit talented people looking for a career in construction.  

On Facebook, we show pictures from our annual family picnic, golf tournaments, fishing tournaments, fireside socials, service anniversaries, and more. In addition to our public Facebook page, we have two private Facebook groups reserved just for APG employees and their families. Our Wellness Group page is dedicated to sharing weekly workout routines, fitness challenges, healthy lifestyle tips, and good eating habits, while the Employee News Group page announces company updates and events. As a family, we encourage each other through challenges and start traditions that bond us together. 

Here are just a few comments we’ve received about our recent efforts in social media:   

“Working at the Lakeland office, this APG page is a great way to stay connected with what is going on throughout all our company locations. I love to see all the beautiful photos of the job sites and all the employee accomplishments. Thank you for all your hard work keeping us all up-to-date and informed.”
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“You do a fabulous job posting all the great pictures of the projects that the guys are actively on. I love to see all the great work they have done. All of it looks beautiful and neat. I enjoy every picture you show. Especially the employee of the month; it’s nice to see them recognized.”

“I love keeping up with all the latest, from projects to employees, and all the wonderful community service this amazing company does.”

“I love how APG recognizes employees for a job well done. It’s wonderful to see their pictures and stories, a moment for them to truly shine! They know they are important and appreciated!”

Although the Social Media Marketing team’s primary responsibility is related to marketing with online platforms, they use their technical and creative skills to help our other groups with graphic design, document creation, website management, photography, film production, newsletter editing, proposal presentations, ads, brochures, and flyers. You’ll see their work in every issue of the Pipeline and on the official APG website. Their photographers take professional and high-resolution pictures to showcase our award-winning projects, track progress from preconstruction to final buildout, make employee portraits, and capture memorable moments at company events. Have you noticed all of our fresh new designs on company notices, signage, employee resumes, client proposals, and brochures? The Social Media Marketing Team worked on those as well.

Our social media presence has come a long way in the past year, and we appreciate the encouraging feedback we’ve received so far.  Our recent expansion into company videos posted on YouTube has been especially popular, and we’re excited to announce that several new videos are in the works.   With well over 1,000 subscribers across various online platforms, the Social Media Marketing team’s hard work is paying off and we can’t wait to see what they have planned next!