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Recapping Recent Recognition and Awards

Thursday, November 21st, 2019
365 Nicollet in Downtown Minneapolis

As the leaves have changed and the snowy months arrive, we’re taking a quick look back at a few notable awards and recognition we’ve received since the summer – both at a local and national level.

We’re thrilled to be among such great company in these various categories. A huge thank you to our great customers, vendors, and of course, employees, who make it happen every day on the jobsite and in the office. And, congrats, to all of this year’s winners!

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) Top Private Companies

Moving on up! In 2019, Egan ranks #77 out of 100 Top Private Companies in Minnesota. This is a jump up from last year, where Egan was #82. 

Finance and Commerce 2019 Reader Rankings

For the third year, readers of Finance & Commerce have chosen their most trusted brands and business partners through Reader Rankings. Egan was recognized, again, by readers as a top choice within the “Best Electrical Contractor” and “Best Plumbing Company” categories.

Read more about the Reader Rankings for 2019

NAIOP Awards of Excellence

The 36th annual Awards of Excellence recognizes exceptional developments by The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) members and their teams. Egan had the privilege of working with multiple NAIOP partners on projects across the Twin Cities and in Rochester!

The following Egan teams played a role in these recognized projects:

  • MoZaic East (InterClad)
  • Prime Therapeutics (Electrical)
  • InterContinental Hotel (Electrical, InterClad, Building Technology Integration)
  • One Discovery Square (Mechanical, InterClad)
  • 365 Nicollet (InterClad)

Electrical Construction and Maintenance (EC&M)

We’re thrilled to have made the #44 spot on the Electrical Construction and Maintenance (EC&M) magazine’s list of Top 50 Electrical Contractors in the U.S. for 2019. It’s always an exciting time at Egan when we are recognized on a national level – this year marks our third year in a row on the list!

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Egan Company’s Tim Woolworth to Retire

Monday, August 12th, 2019
Senior Vice President, Tim Woolworth

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (August 20, 2019) – Egan Company, a Brooklyn Park specialty contractor, announced the upcoming retirement of Tim Woolworth, Senior Vice President, in 2020.

Joining Egan’s InterClad (curtainwall/glazing/metal panels) team in 2003, Woolworth has served as the leader of the InterClad business unit since 2010 as Vice President and Senior Vice President. He joined the Board of Directors in 2011.

Starting his career in Des Moines, Iowa, Woolworth worked in various project management, estimating, and management roles before moving into senior leadership at Egan. During his tenure at Egan, the business has experienced remarkable growth and the construction of many notable projects – U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Corporation North Campus, and Cargill Campus – Excelsior Boulevard to name a few.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the InterClad team and provide leadership to this great company,” said Woolworth. “I’m excited to see Egan continue to grow as I head back to my home state of Iowa to spend more time with my kids and grandkids on the lake.” 

Woolworth will remain with Egan until January 2020, at which time he will retire from the Company. Leadership for the InterClad team includes Ryan Woodruff, who joined Egan in early 2019 as his successor.

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. For more information about Egan Company, visit www.eganco.com.

# # #

Media Contact:  
Jessica Johnson
jkjohnson@eganco.com
763-595-4310

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Safety Training Saves a Life

Wednesday, July 31st, 2019

Being prepared when opportunity strikes can yield powerful results. When it comes to safety at Egan Company, the same notion rings true – we prepare our employees for any safety situation. Recently at a customer jobsite, the preparation and heroics of Tanner Knutson, Egan Electrical Field Leader, and Ray Turner, Egan Electrical Journeyman, led to the ultimate result – a saved life.

A Quick and Selfless Response

An average Monday took an unexpected turn when another contractor onsite went into cardiac arrest on the job of Knutson, Turner, and the Egan crew. Reacting immediately to their safety training, Knutson and Turner initiated CPR along with an employee from the other contractor within moments of the collapse. Conrad King, Egan Electrical Field Leader, called 911 while the remainder of the Egan crew assisted EMS arrival and clearing the area.

“It has been confirmed that undoubtedly the CPR onsite is what saved our employee’s life. We would like to give a special thanks to Egan’s crew for their selfless assistance in performing CPR,” said a representative of the contractor. “It was truly amazing to see the training these employees have been through come to light and be performed just like textbook. Our employee is now recovering at home and is extremely thankful to the crew who saved his life.”

Training for Life

Safety is a core value we believe in and invest resources to continue building on its success. As a company, we encourage both office and field employees to further their safety education through online training programs and classes (like CPR and First-Aid), and onsite trainings because, just like Knutson and Turner, we need to always be prepared. Whether it’s at work or at the family cabin, our goal is for all employees to have the confidence to take action.

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Consistency and Customer Service Awarded by Hormel

Thursday, July 25th, 2019

New or existing, big projects or service calls, serving our customers is what drives us. And, occasionally, we’re fortunate enough to be recognized for our work at some of the state’s most identifiable companies like Hormel Foods in Austin, Minn.

This June, Hormel awarded Egan Company and a few other contractors with its Spirit of Excellence Award for 2018. Honorees are qualified for the Spirit of Excellence Award based on various criteria including meeting performance requirements, making on-time deliveries, and providing high-level customer service.

This award marks the third time in four years that Egan’s team has taken home the Spirit of Excellence Award since acquiring Kestner Electric in 2015. Kestner’s long-standing relationship with Hormel prior to acquisition was also well-decorated.

In the press release announcing this year’s award winners, Curtis Southard, Director of Purchasing for Hormel Foods said, “We are proud to partner with these suppliers. They play a key role in helping us deliver inspired food to people around the world and in achieving our key results.”

Fun Fact: Kestner’s first project at Hormel Foods was in 1983!

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Over the River and Through Winona

Thursday, July 25th, 2019

This summer Egan’s Southern Minnesota team capped off its two-year project on Winona’s historic bridge.

The city of Winona is nestled along the Mississippi River Valley roughly 100 miles southeast of the Twin Cities. Known for its picturesque bluffs and small town charm, a few of Winona’s most recognizable landmarks are highlighted by Sugar Loaf, a rock pinnacle created by quarrying in the 19th century, and a symbolic pair of bridges that connect Minnesota to Packer Country.

Though its formal name is the Main Channel Bridge, these two bridges are more commonly known as the historic bridge (opened during WWII in 1942) and the new bridge (opened in 2016 – located slightly upstream from its counterpart). Following the opening of the new bridge, the historic bridge closed for necessary rehabilitation. Now, after more than six years of construction, both bridges are finally complete.

Egan’s Southern Minnesota team got the opportunity to provide its electrical expertise on the city’s historic bridge during portions of the rehabilitation process. Much of the team’s work was completed by tying-off to the barrier walls of the bridge making it more challenging.

The scope included all power and communication on the bridge for roadway and aircraft lighting, and navigational beacons. In addition, Egan installed 150+ aesthetic lights that illuminate the infrastructure at night.

As always, staying safe throughout such a high-risk project was top-priority. Significant safety planning and extra patience from the crew was necessary. With no approach stands to access the work or flat surface on the bridge, Egan’s team worked on barges, flew a boom lift up to the bridge deck, and installed lighting utilizing a reach all from underneath the bridge.

“A heavy focus on in-house prefabrication played a key role in this project’s success,” said Nick Schneider, Egan Company Project Manager. “With no flat surface to set-up a bender on the bridge, we prefabricated miles of conduit, all of the off-sets and bends, and over 70 junction boxes to increase efficiency on the jobsite. It worked out extremely well.”

Overall, the bridge was completed on-time and within a compressed schedule. Egan worked approximately 3,500 hours without a recordable injury or dropping/losing anything into the river – which was another team win!

This past July, a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Governor of Minnesota, Winona Mayor, and various U.S. and State Representatives was held to officially mark the re-opening of the historic bridge.

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Expanded Expertise Means Growth in Rochester

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019

It’s been nearly 365 days since the groundbreaking of The Berkman Apartments, a 14-story luxury apartment and mixed-use building near Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The Berkman marks Egan’s first integrated mechanical and electrical project in the Rochester community.

But, MEP isn’t the only Egan offering that has expanded in Southern Minnesota over the past year. Also added, and growing rapidly, to the list of trade offerings is technology/system integration. Although Egan (previously operated as Nietz Electric until 2017) has served the area for over 80 years, much of this work has been tied to electrical.

In 2018, as a complement to electrical services, technology began as a team of one. Today, with a team of more than a dozen, the group continues to grow with local talent.

“Much of our technology group has a long history of industry experience in Rochester,” said Jeff Young, Egan Company Vice President. “It’s been very well received by our customers, in particular, Mayo Clinic. Other general contractors and building owners have also shown interest and are excited about it.”

Overall, Egan has added 130 employees in Rochester alone since the start of 2018. Large-scale, multi-trade projects like The Berkman and Destination Medical Center’s Discovery Square have played a role in this growth.

We’re looking forward to continuing to grow these expanded areas of business. Taking on new opportunities with our existing customers, as well as adding new ones, is a challenge we’re ready for.

Jeff Young, Egan Company Vice President

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Disrupting the Status Quo Through an Innovative Mindset

Monday, May 13th, 2019

Observe an Egan jobsite or walk into our shops, how do you recognize innovation? Whether you see it in the form of tools or technology, safety practices, better processes, posters or signage… we are continuing to change the way we build.

Recently, a customer shared feedback about how they believe their projects with Egan have been successful due to focused service, very fast responses, and innovative approaches. In response, thank you. We’re grateful our customers recognize this. Applying innovative practices happens intentionally. Delivering on this approach takes diligence.

In 2018, we leaned heavily into innovation and Lean practices. If we can provide further value with our trade offerings, increase the efficiency of a service, or shorten timelines all together, it’s our promise to do so.

Our newest Lean practices embrace our futuristic mentality to always be improving while maintaining our aggressive commitment to safety:

  • Implementing 5S Methodology: the 5S system is a Lean manufacturing process designed to improve efficiency through organization; this practice has been most recently implemented in all our shops and warehouses.
  • Promoting My Good Idea: through Egan’s formal innovation program, My Good Idea, there have been over 200 business improvement ideas generated and shared within the first nine months of the year.
  • Eliminating Waste and Applying 30/30: waste is found in everything we do – at work, home, and play. There are eight types of waste we address: defects/ rework, over producing, waiting, not using employee talent/ideas, transportation, inventory, motion and extra processing. Most recently, the 30/30 Rule was applied on our jobsites. 30/30 is a method for eliminating waste that reminds us to have our tools, materials, or equipment within 30 feet or 30 seconds for efficiency.

By disrupting the status quo, we embrace innovation as an essential. Through the development of a continuous improvement mindset and fostering an environment where new ideas and efficiency improvements are welcome, innovation has become a part of the daily value we provide with our work and to our customers.

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Building Rooms With a View

Monday, April 22nd, 2019

Downtown Minneapolis continues to grow in size as more high-rise buildings have joined its skyline in the last year. Former parking lots have converted into 20+ story apartment buildings in seemingly expedited fashion.

Egan Company’s InterClad team has played a role in adding to the exterior and interior beauty of multiple new construction high-rises. Last year, the team finished its scope of work on three luxurious apartment and condominium buildings throughout different downtown neighborhoods – and, even more high-rise work is kicking off for 2019.

“High-rise housing is a major draw for us right now,” said Todd Fechner, InterClad Operations Manager. “With our team’s experience, we’ve been able to build some great relationships with a few of our customers who are taking on these projects. In turn, we’re getting to partner with them again and again.”

Though high-rise housing and hospitality isn’t new for Egan, having simultaneous scopes of such massive sizes is – and, has become the new normal. With this, honing in on specialized glass handling equipment like SmartLifts has helped the team execute multiple big projects efficiently and safely.

Over the past year, Egan has invested in six SmartLift glass handling machines that have played a role in reducing soft tissues injuries on the job, as well as help speed up overall installation time.

“Throughout last years’ projects, we’ve learned how valuable these [SmartLifts] are,” said Fechner. “We strive to continue pushing the envelope when it comes to using innovation within our industry and utilizing SmartLifts have allowed us to remain cutting-edge. We’re excited about what the future looks like using them on upcoming projects.”

365 Nicollet

A 30-story, multi-family and retail development located on historic Nicollet Mall. This contemporary, urban living space includes 10,000 square feet of street level retail space and 370 high-end apartment units.  

SCOPE:

  • 16,000 square feet of glazed aluminum curtainwall system
  • 120,000 square feet of pre-glazed windows and terrace doors
  • Custom metal panel system: reveal seam wall panels, flush seam soffet panels, and composite wall panels
  • All curtainwall and metal panels were prefabricated in Egan’s shop

The Legacy

This lavish condominium complex overlooks the Mississippi River in the Downtown East neighborhood of Minneapolis. It is complete with a 17-story tower, eight-story midsection, and 14-story riverfront tower that boasts 374 total units.  

SCOPE:

  • 116,000 square feet of pre-glazed windows
  • 400 terrace doors
  • Custom profile flashing at each opening
  • All curtainwall was prefabricated in Egan’s shop

Rafter (Opening Summer 2019)

Adding more depth to the Northeast neighborhood of Minneapolis, this 26-story apartment building is complete with 283 units and 6,000 square feet of street level retail space.  

SCOPE:

  • 47,000 square feet of pre-glazed windows and terrace doors
  • 7,400 square feet of glazed aluminum curtainwall and storefront
  • 20,000 square feet of insulated metal panels
  • 28,000 square feet of metal siding panels
  • Glass handrails and miscellaneous interior glazing
  • All curtainwall and storefront frames were prefabricated in Egan’s shop.

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Putting Trash to Good Use

Tuesday, April 16th, 2019
Complete control system for a trash burner at HERC

During the annual fall shutdown, Egan Company was involved in upgrading the four burners that continually burn trash to produce energy. After 20 years without burner upgrades, Egan controls engineers, electricians, millwrights, and pipefitters were tasked with designing, programming, and installing a newer and more efficient process for the four burners.

“The most challenging aspect of this integrated project was the very tight timeline,” said Randy Kalthoff, Egan Company Project Manager. “We had four weeks to upgrade and connect all four burners so that they were fully operational and continuing to burn and produce energy.”

Fabrication of key components ensured the project was completed on time. Piping components were fabricated in Egan’s Mechanical Shop.

The four control panels, designed, fabricated, and programmed in Egan’s UL 508A Panel Shop, were installed by Egan electricians and can be remotely controlled from GRE engineers in the control room of the facility.

Next up at HERC, Egan electrical and mechanical teams will be partnering with HERC, GRE, and a number of other contractors during the upcoming spring shutdown to replace the large conveyors and the ash handling units.

Egan helped us take a system that was over engineered and more complex than we needed and create an intuitive system for everyone. It’s always great working with Egan and the multiple trades that we utilize every project.

– Eric Freitag, Maintenance Leader at HERC

Core Project Team: Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), Great River Energy (GRE)

Services Provided: electrical and mechanical demolition and installation, control panel fabrication, field device wiring, design, engineering, and programming of electrical controls, millwright services, pipe fabrication

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Refined Initiatives Stimulate Safety Rate Reduction

Friday, April 5th, 2019

To be successful in the construction industry is no different than being successful in any feat, it requires consistency. Success demands day in and day out preparation, proper tools and effective training, equipment, and conditions. When it comes to safety, this recipe for success is the same.

From our company leaders to our field leaders and all of our employees in between, we believe the key to being safe is being proactive and consistently engaging our people with safety in everything we do. At Egan Company, safety is everyone’s job. It’s everyone’s job to make sure our safety policies and procedures are being consistently executed. It’s everyone’s job to help us achieve our goal of ZERO injuries and to come home to our family and friends at the end of the work day.

Through much hard work and a refined focus, Egan achieved its Total Recordable Incident Rate goal of < 2.0 for 2018. Our incident rate for the year was 1.87 (down from 2.42 in 2017) which is substantially below the average rate for specialty trade contractors in Minnesota (4.70). This was accomplished with over 1.8 million hours worked.

“Moving the safety needle in 2018 was a great achievement for us as a company,” said Reid Romer, Egan Company Safety Director. “Our safety incident rate is a direct reflection of the time and energy we’ve invested collectively to minimize risk and protect our people. This progress comes from specific safety initiatives we committed to improving over the past few years and we are now seeing rewarding results.”

An example of one of the changes made in 2017 was within the new employee on-boarding process. This process was specifically addressed after recognizing a pattern that new employees were consistently getting injured within their first six months on the job. Egan acknowledged this, invested in changing it, and elevated it on its priority list. As a result, new employee injuries have significantly decreased.

Though we are proud of this progress in 2018, Egan has no plans of slowing down its drive to be the best-in-class when it comes to safety. Utilizing employee and peer group feedback and experiences from last year, the bar is set even higher for 2019.

“Our goal is to continue to engage with our employees and do everything we can to keep this injury reduction track trending in 2019,” said Romer. “We’ll continue to fill the information and training pipelines, as well as remain diligent with planning in both the pre-mobilization and throughout our jobs. This, along with a team approach, will continue to give us an opportunity to lead the way for safety on our projects this year and in the future.”

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