Archive for July, 2020

COVID-19: PLAN, DO, CHECK, ADJUST

Monday, July 27th, 2020

Egan’s preparedness and response during a global pandemic

Social distancing. Quarantine. Essential and nonessential. Adapting to COVID-19, over the last several months, has meant quickly adjusting to changes in all areas of our lives. It has put us in a place to define a “new normal”. For over 75 years, the heart of our business has been to provide skilled trades, professional services, and 24/7 response under all circumstances. Along with the rest of the world, we now know what “under all circumstances” means in the midst of a global health crisis.

While modifying the way we approach our business, Egan Company has continued its daily operations to meet customer needs without losing sight of our highest priority of keeping  our employees and trade partners safe under new and heightened safety measures that would not have even been a consideration just a few short days and weeks before. “In early March, we had to act quickly to ensure the safety of our employees and their families as well as respond to the new guidelines and necessary safety precautions on all jobsites and in all offices,” said Duane Hendricks, Egan Company President & CEO.

During the season of “Stay Home” Executive orders, the construction and skilled trades industry was deemed an essential service as critical to maintaining the health and safety of Minnesotans by Governor Tim Walz. With three offices, shops, and hundreds of jobsites, Egan continued to perform a large part of its work in providing specialty trades to customers. However, this hasn’t happened without challenge and a necessity to think differently. Through a mix of new precautions, remote work, leaner approaches, workforce reductions and furloughs, the response to COVID-19 has demanded focus. About 70% of Egan’s workforce reports to a jobsite or customer facility to perform work each day. For these frontline employees and crews, working remotely isn’t an option and ”six feet apart” is difficult. But the focus remains: ensuring all employees work in a safe and healthy environment, regardless of where the work is performed.

Four months in, the COVID-19 pandemic continues its evolution. In June, the State of Minnesota published requirements that all critical sector businesses need to develop and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Access a copy of the Egan Company COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan below.

Like other companies, we’re still responding and adjusting to the many changes occurring every day, as well as adapting to a new way of working and being there for our customers,” said Hendricks. “In place of our face-to-face interactions, we’ve found new ways to connect by phone and online video calls to continue prioritizing and building relationships.

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There’s no doubt this pandemic will mold our future. And there will be key influences, including the importance of human interaction as well as thinking differently about buildings and building systems. Preparing customers and facilities for future occupancies could take on various different looks like: touchless fixtures, modified mechanical and HVAC systems, technology and building analytics, and even sanitizing lighting. Embracing these opportunities of what may lie ahead, we remain steadfast with the core priority of keeping those we value safe and healthy.

“In the last few months, we’ve learned that we can continue to meet customer needs, have productive remote employees, and maintain successful and positive jobsite environments during this unprecedented time,” said Hendricks. “As we navigate the future with COVID-19, we’ll continue to plan, do, check, and adjust, but our dedication to the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, and their families has been our top priority for 75 years, and will remain our priority for another 75 more!”

Additional resources and articles

Building Optimization with an Intelligent System

Saturday, July 25th, 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept of connecting the computing equipment and smart devices within one location with other locations and equipment across the world—providing a giant network of connected devices and objects into one centralized hub. It’s possible to connect something as small as a light bulb to something as big as an entire building’s operation. These concepts aren’t new, but have taken time to come to fruition. Due to advances in technologies, ease of implementation, and a higher return on investment, this is quickly changing.

Advanced Monitoring, Maintaining, and Reporting

Schneider Electric recently introduced EcoStruxure Building Advisor, an intelligence system for buildings. As an integrator, Egan Company implements this system and provides consultations to facility managers. Building Advisor can provide:

  • Monitoring of equipment failure
  • Insights into energy consumption and mechanical cost-saving initiatives
  • Improved building efficiency by working with an engineering team

In the past, it used to take an experienced facility manager years to understand and optimize building performance. Now, the introduction of this technology makes it possible to gain immediate insights into a building’s inefficiencies, drifts from optimal parameters, and potential equipment failure that can all be used to quickly improve the bottom line, enhance operations, and provide a better working environment.

Typically utilizing the current building automation system infrastructure of sensors and control equipment, EcoStruxure Building Advisor analyzes the operation of a facility and provides the facility manager with detailed information about equipment operation. In addition, this information is scored as to its impact on the energy, comfort, and maintenance of a diagnosed issue. Coupling this information with utility and equipment data, Building Advisor will estimate the current bottom line impact on a deficiency and the potential return on investment for system improvement.

Reducing Operating Expenses for Optimal Experience

Constant monitoring of building expenditures will also reduce costs through early identification of equipment failures or inefficiencies. Monitoring equipment abnormalities will predict likely failure (and provide solutions to fix it before it does). By being proactive in identifying equipment failure, facility managers will reduce downtime experienced by occupants and make for less expensive repair costs and reduced occupant impact.

This technology doesn’t just provide a list of failed equipment and temperatures outside of range, but ongoing access to an energy engineer, working with the facility team to address the issues found, recommend solutions, and provide accountability and support. Continual commissioning of a building is required to maintain peak operation.

Our customers are always looking for innovative ways to reduce operating costs, and if we can cut costs on their monthly utility bill without the expense of tenant comfort, I’d say that’s a win,” said Kirk Wahlstrom, Egan Company Building Automation Manager. “We’ve piloted EcoStruxure Building Advisor at our own facilities and have benefited from the insights. We’re excited about growing this technology to help our customers not only reduce downtime and cost but improve their building’s value.

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As technology continues to grow and evolve, facility managers—like the rest of the world—will need to continue heavy investment into IoT. These trends and technologies are here to make our lives easier, comfortable, and more secure.

For more information about EcoStruxure Building Advisor, view this 3 minute introduction video >> or request a demo to explore more about how this technology might be implemented in your facility.

KEEPING OUR PROMISES AS ONE EGAN COMPANY

Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

If you’ve been in the industry a while, you may remember a few of our former names – Egan Companies or The Egan Companies. If you’ve really been in the industry a while, you might recall our original name, Egan & Sons Plumbing and Heating Company which was founded by Joseph Egan and his sons Bill and Costney.

For 75 years, Egan Company has offered an array of specialty trades and professional services across the industry; and for many of those 75 years, the diverse skills and trades were divided into a number of individual companies and brands. Egan Company as we know it today is only 15 years old!

Over the years, Egan diversified and merged with existing mechanical, electrical, automation, technology, controls, and a number of other specialties. Each specialty then had its  own unique brand. The brands below consolidated to one corporate identity Egan Companies, Inc. in 2002 before evolving to simply become Egan Company years later:

  • Egan Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
  • Egan-McKay Electrical Contractors, Inc.
  • Egan Automation, Inc.
  • InterClad, Inc.
  • E&S Insulation Co.
  • The Egan Companies

This consolidation and positioning triggered an opportunity to develop a new brand promise and logo that would encompass all of Egan’s specialty trades and services—and represent the only company in our local markets with capabilities and services that are unmatched by anyone.

Fun Facts:

  • Egan’s old familiar logo was the letter “E” constructed of two triangles and three rectangles.  Depending on the entity, the logo was either black, red, green, blue, or maroon and was the Egan brand for almost twenty years.
  • The base of our current Egan logo was formed by three grids that represent the mechanical, electrical and systems business functions. This joined frame structure emphasizes the fact that each of our business groups is dependent on the others working together and doing its separate and combined job to support the Egan brand. Supported by this grid base, EGAN stretches across all three grids linking them together as one.
  • To ensure our dedication to our customers and community was highlighted as well, a new tagline was added, Building on Promises Kept. This reflects our long history of building in the Midwest and our commitment to keeping our promises, always. It serves to remind us to focus on the integrity of doing what we say we will do and when we will do it each day. It also serves to communicate to everyone who sees our logo that Egan stands behind our word, our promises.

EGAN COMPANY ELECTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Wednesday, July 1st, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (July 1, 2020) – Egan Company, a Brooklyn Park specialty contractor and systems integrator, announced the promotion of Mike Tengwall to Senior Vice President and Electrical Group Leader. In this senior leadership role, Tengwall is responsible for overseeing business operations and strategy for Egan’s business unit that provides complete electrical services and process controls which includes engineering, a U.L. 508A panel shop and IntelliBatch, Egan’s concrete batching product.

“Mike’s experience in the electrical industry and proven leadership provides an opportunity for our Twin Cities electrical teams to work more closely together,” said Duane Hendricks, Egan Company President & CEO. “I’m excited for Mike to expand our services and continue offering a great experience to our customers.”

Tengwall has over 30 years of experience in the electrical industry, with 13 of those being at Egan. Throughout his career, he has held many roles including: Electronic Technician, Electrician, Master Electrician, Project Coordinator, Electrical Specialist, Project Manager, Group Manager, and Business Leader. His experience includes working with various building owner customers including Michael Foods, Andersen Corporation, Ford Motor Company, as well as numerous General Contractors. He graduated from Brown College with a degree in Electronics Technology.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal highlighted Tengwall’s promotion in its People on the Move feature.

About Egan Company
Egan Company is a privately-owned, specialty contractor providing building trades to general contractors, engineers, building owners, property managers, and facility engineers. Specialties include: electrical, mechanical, curtainwall/glazing/metal panels (InterClad), millwrights, building technology, controls and system integration, and 24/7 service. Egan serves every stage of a building and provides in-house expertise in planning, design and engineering, construction, and maintenance.

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Media Contact:
Angela Schmidt
arschmidt@eganco.com // 763-504-3471