Author Archive

Give a little, Lift a lot

Friday, June 9th, 2017

“Convenient, more comfortable, and so cool,” –words Patti Franz, Stable Pathways Director, uses to describe the new scissor lift donated by the Fridley Lions Club and Egan Company. Stable Pathways is a nonprofit program providing horse-assisted activities for people living with physical and cognitive challenges.

Operating out of Oak Haven Farm in Oak Grove, Minn., Stable Pathways is home to six therapeutic equines – including three horses and three big ponies, and a small staff made up of mostly volunteers. Since opening its doors in 2009, Stable Pathways has grown from three clients to now roughly 40-60 clients.

Due to this growth and varying needs of its clientele, it became evident that a more systematic way to mount and dismount from the horses was necessary to help limited-mobility riders. Prior to this lift, volunteers were manually lifting these riders on and off the horses – a process Franz says was “awkward and taxing” for all parties involved.

In order to help raise money to purchase a custom-made, push-button controlled lift, Stable Pathways began the “Lift Us Up” campaign. To help their efforts, the Fridley Lions Club gave a partial donation to the nonprofit in 2016; then in March 2017, the fundraising efforts came to full fruition when the Lions Club completed their sizable donation allowing Stable Pathways to move ahead with their purchase.

To help construct this 4×7 square-foot platform, Egan donated the required materials and permit to install it at Oak Haven Farm. Don Fehringer, Egan Company Electrical Journeyman and dedicated volunteer for six years at Stable Pathways, provided the labor to do the disconnect and power feed for the lift. All of the construction finished in early May and was ready for riders and volunteers (and horses!), to begin instructional training by the end of spring 2017.

“Egan’s and Don’s sponsorship of the permit and materials has been tremendous for us,” said Patti. “We wouldn’t have this [lift] otherwise. It is great for our staff, the horses, and every client that rides at Stable Pathways.”

We Are Egan – Anthony Sailer

Thursday, June 8th, 2017

“I take each job day-by-day and stay positive. Egan has been an amazing company to work for as they always provide any tools or equipment needed to get the job done.”

Meet Anthony Sailer, Electrical Field Leader who has been with Egan Company for six years.

His favorite hobby outside of work is going on motorcycle rides with his fiancé.

Our company is shaped by who we are, not just what we do. Together, we are Egan.

In The News: Egan Featured in ECM

Friday, June 2nd, 2017

The Mayo Clinic’s Richard O. Jacobson Building is home to the country’s only Proton Beam Facility that allows a beam to be manipulated into different patterns depending on a cancer size and type. The work Egan’s Rochester team completed on this innovative facility was featured in Electrical Contractors Magazine.

Read more: Electrical Contractor Magazine

We Are Egan – Levi Watkins

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

“An Egan perk I love is the Safety Buck program. Egan is always trying to do things to improve employee satisfaction and keep us safe.”

Meet Levi Watkins, Glazier Field Leader who has been with Egan for over 15 years.

Levi is an avid traveler – so far he has visited 24 different U.S. states and 19 countries! He also enjoys biking and spending time with his wife and two children.

Fun Fact: Levi has had a few brushes with fame, having met President George Bush Sr. (when he was POTUS), as well as Charlton Heston, Dan Rather, Penn and Teller, and Kevin James.

Egan’s Growth is “Electric”

Monday, May 22nd, 2017

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) calls Egan’s growthelectric” and now we know why! Thank you to all our employees; your hard work is what has helped us reach #2 on the list of Top Electrical Contractors.

Every year, the MSPBJ publishes a list of top electrical contractors in the State of Minnesota, ranked by revenue.

View the entire list on the MSPBJ website

Don’t Take a Rain Check on Summer Maintenance

Wednesday, May 17th, 2017

Don’t let severe weather rain on your parade this summer. Wind, hail, and thunderstorms could damage your electrical and mechanical equipment. Avoid costly property damage and make sure your equipment is protected by doing routine preventative maintenance this summer.

Tips to keep your building running at top performance:

Tip #1 – Install hail guards to prevent damage to your HVAC equipment
Tip #2 – Clear airborne debris from HVAC equipment coils
Tip #3 – Clean and replace air filters to ensure proper indoor air quality
Tip #4 –
Install a lightning protection system to reduce risk of damage
Tip #5 – Routinely clean your drains to avoid costly plumbing backups

Even if there’s nothing wrong with the system yet, multiple storms can have a cumulative effect on your equipment. Repeated damage may require a full replacement of the equipment, meaning significant downtime of your systems. Take preventative steps now to protect your facility’s equipment this summer.

For more information, contact Egan’s Service team.

Faster, Safer, More Accurate Panel Production

Wednesday, May 17th, 2017

In an increasingly automated world, the construction industry has stayed relatively manual. Machines simply can’t replicate the level of precision and technique required to install building systems; however, Egan Company’s U.L. 508A Panel Shop has found one way to use automation to its advantage.

Precision, speed, and safety are the cornerstones of any successful shop. Whether for an in-house job or a customer, the goal is to deliver a product quickly and correctly – the first time. And that’s why our panel shop implemented the Steinhauer ModCenter, an automated modification tool that provides fast, clean cut holes in each control panel.

Shop professionals previously measured, drew, and cut enclosures by hand – taking up to four hours per panel. Although this is a time honored way of providing a quality panel, it is not efficient and leaves room for human error or injury.

By allowing for multiple clean cut outs and back panel drilling/tapping tasks to be completed all at once, the machine improves the overall quality of each control panel.

Egan’s Panel Shop wiremen program the Steinhauer ModCenter to cut each panel per customer specifications. By eliminating the need for wiremen to manually measure, drill, tap, and process, the time for each panel is reduced to about 30 minutes – 87.5% less than if done manually.

This machine frees up a lot of time for our wiremen to work on other aspects of our projects, and get panels out the door much quicker. We estimate it does the work of nearly two people.

-Tim Blair, Egan Panel Shop Manager

Once specifications are programmed, it can be saved as a template for future use – making repeat orders or modification of standard equipment even faster.  Delays and waste are greatly reduced, and shop personnel are less likely to be injured during the drilling and milling process.

Watch the Steinhauer in Action: bit.ly/EganSteinhauer

“This tool enhances Egan’s already excellent safety program, by reducing the risk associated with cutting and drilling into a panel with power tools,” said Jeff Hawthorne, Egan Company Senior Vice President.  “We appreciate the efficiency of this machine, but we appreciate the increased safety it provides the shop even more.”

With this great new addition to the panel shop, Egan is now able to be more responsive to customer’s needs and produce more consistent products with a promotion of greater safety.

Final steel beam set at Athletes Village

Thursday, May 11th, 2017

The University of Minnesota’s Athletes Village provides the campus a new multi-sports facility for Gopher student athletes. The brand new $166 million sports center will officially open in January 2018, housing facilities for men’s and women’s basketball and the football team.

In May 2017, the official Topping Off Ceremony took place, where the final steel beam was set. Egan’s InterClad team is providing the facilities’ curtainwall, translucent panels, and interior and exterior glass.

Check out this walking tour of the new facility

 

We Are Egan – Jimmy Vaughn

Wednesday, May 10th, 2017

“We all spend a majority of our time at work; it’s important that we routinely take time to reflect and enjoy why we do it. Personally, I work hard every day so I can provide my family with as many experiences as possible.”

Meet Jimmy Vaughn, Electrical Field Leader who has been with Egan for over three years.

Outside of work, Jimmy likes to relax by playing guitar or browsing for guitars to add to his collection. In addition to music, he also enjoys spending time at the lake with his family and friends.

Our company is shaped by who we are, not just what we do. Together, we are Egan.

Creating the Ultimate Luxury Shopping Destination

Monday, May 8th, 2017

Shop, Dine, Stay – Galleria Edina is a testament to the trend for shopping malls in Minnesota. Many malls across the state have adopted a philosophy of creating a shopping destination, offering places for people to shop, eat, engage in recreational activities, and sleep.

The Galleria was initially developed in 1976 with Gabbert’s Furniture Store, and slowly stores were added and enclosed to create a mall similar to the Southdale Center. Since its initial construction, Egan Company has been involved with various expansions and developments of this luxury shopping mall.

In 2008, Galleria Edina was expanded and a new 18-story Westin facility – comprised of 225 hotel rooms and 82 high-end condominiums – was attached to provide the full destination experience. The building also includes a pool, bar/restaurant, meeting space, ballroom, and different parking options. Egan provided Design/Build electrical services and installation of the phone/data, access controls, and fire alarm. A security system and cameras were also installed in the facility’s parking ramp.

Since the construction of Westin Galleria, Egan has assisted with numerous projects, including cooling tower upgrades, owner upgrades to vacant spaces, and pump system replacements. The installation of the mechanical and electrical systems, required coordination of many trades including pipefitting, sheet metal, plumbing, electrical, and millwrights. In addition, Egan provides routine maintenance on retail locations within the mall and Westin Edina Galleria.

Currently, the mall has over 375,000 square feet of retail space, and a recent addition on the mall’s east side adds 20,000 more square feet. The expansion adds several restaurants, home furnishing stores, and apparel shops. Galleria Edina also features a new concept of a ‘restaurant-in-a-bookstore’ at the relocated Barnes & Noble.

Egan has brought many mechanical and electrical solutions to the Owner at all phases of the project, including suggested grease interceptor piping routes, water feature plumbing, and recommended rework to existing and new electrical panels for tenant requirements.

-David Kray, Kraus-Anderson Senior Project Manager

Project Team: Kraus-Anderson Construction, Hines Property Management

Egan Services Provided: Cooling tower upgrades, pump system replacement, mechanical system build-outs, millwright services, electrical infrastructure, fire alarm, phone/data, access controls, security system, and 24/7 maintenance