Archive for the ‘Company News’ Category

An Inside Look at Egan’s Recent Summer Internship Experience

Sunday, September 25th, 2022

Developing the next generation of the workforce

Ever wondered what a summer looks like as part of Egan’s internship experience? We’re peeling back the curtain to give you an inside look at all that our interns did this summer. Back in full swing this year after two years of remote work, we welcomed 11 interns this summer.

Bridging the company, interns worked on projects within Egan’s Service, Industrial Controls, IT, HR, and Southern Minnesota teams. Within their teams, interns were mentored by coworkers, completed projects, participated in meetings, and were integrated into the flow of operations. 

A few events hosted for our intern group included:

  • Kick-Off Breakfast: Interns were welcomed by our leadership team and provided with an overview of all things Egan.
  • Coffee and Career Conversations: Egan’s Senior Leaders provided their best tips and advice for entering the workforce as a professional.
  • Jobsite Ride Along: All of the interns spent a half day visiting different job sites, learning about Egan’s culture of safety while seeing our business in action.
  • Resume Workshop: Members of the Human Resources team reviewed the interns’ resumes and provided them with their expertise on setting yourself apart in an ever-active job market.
  • Capstone Presentations: At the completion of the program, all interns were able to deliver a presentation sharing their experience and takeaways from being an intern.

Always a bonus to the accomplishments and skills built with the Egan internship experience is new bonds and friendships made. Programmer Intern Jorge Mancilla, stated “My biggest takeaway from interning at Egan was how important it is to build meaningful connections with the people around you. Learning the actual job isn’t too hard when you have experienced professionals mentoring and guiding you whenever you have questions.”

Interested in pursuing an internship with Egan? Visit https://www.eganco.com/careers/ to watch for any openings!

2022 Grunerud-Egan Scholarship Awarded

Thursday, July 7th, 2022

For the second year in a row, in partnership with Sr. Project Manager Dane Grunerud, Egan Company awarded two deserving students with the Grunerud-Egan Scholarship for the upcoming school year.  Based on generations of support for higher education in Grunerud’s family, this scholarship was founded to help others achieve their educational goals related to construction, engineering, and the trades.

Many employees as well as children and grandchildren of Egan employees applied. Selection of awarded recipients was based on financial need, involvement in the community or extracurricular activities, academic activities, and essay/video response. 

Congratulations to the $1,000 scholarship recipients, Carter Leither and Cassandra Jensen! Leither is an incoming freshman at Minnesota State University, Mankato studying Civil Engineering and is the son of Egan Project Manager, Tony Leither. Jensen is studying HVAC Service as part of her apprenticeship schooling and works with Egan’s Service team.

More information about the Grunerud-Egan Scholarship.

Left: Carter Leither and Tony Leither with Dane Grunerud and James Ford. Right: Cassandra Jensen pictured with Dane Grunerud and James Ford

Project Manager Named Top Women in Construction Finalist

Friday, May 13th, 2022

Shannon Kangas was recently named a finalist of the Finance & Commerce 2022 Top Women in Construction awards. Kangas is a Project Manager working within Egan Company’s Industrial Controls team and was nominated for the “Outstanding Project Management/Estimating” category, based on her high performance and going above and beyond for the industry and community. 

Kangas began her career in the AEC industry as a part of Local Union 292 in 2000. During this time, her interest piqued and she knew she wanted to stay in the industry, attending Minnesota State University – Mankato where she studied Electronic Engineering Technology. She has served in various roles in the industry including Electronic/HVAC Technician and Application/Controls Engineer before landing in the role she holds today, as a Project Manager for Egan’s electrical control panel manufacturing business unit. She continues to exceed the standards in this role by managing customer accounts and major vendors as well as up to seven panel shop technicians that produced 3,134 electrical control panels last year alone. Not only a star in her field, Shannon is an assistant coach for the Andover High School Girls Hockey team, who recently competed in its fifth consecutive state tournament. 

This is the third annual Top Women in Construction awards that Finance & Commerce has presented, recognizing the impact women make daily on the construction industry across the state of Minnesota. The Top Woman in Construction was awarded on May 12. Congratulations to Shannon and all of the other local women who were nominated! 

For more information and to see all winners, visit Finance & Commerce.

Honoring Women in Construction Week

Friday, March 11th, 2022

Over the past week, we were able to celebrate and recognize the many women who make up the construction industry! This year’s theme was “Envision Equity,” inspiring us to share appreciation, celebrate diversity, and form connections with others in the industry.

Women in Construction Industry Showcase at Brookview Golf Course

As a corporate sponsor for the 2022 Women in Construction Week, Egan was able to share our appreciation for the women who make up the industry. Throughout the week, National Association of Women in Construction Minneapolis/St. Paul (NAWIC-MN) facilitated a series of events. Alongside many other women in the industry, Egan representatives were able to attend several events including a panel on ‘The Power of Social Media,’ an Industry Showcase, a virtual event on ‘Recognizing Women of Color in Construction & the Built Environment,’ and more!

Thanks to all who participated in honoring the women who make up our workforce and for paving the way for generations of women to come! A few employees shared their perspective and experience about working in the industry:

  • Industrial Controls Project Manager, Shannon Kangas: “The challenge and the variety are my favorite part of working in the construction industry – no two days are the same.”
  • Electrician, Nicole O’Connor: “As a female in the trades, I enjoy working together with everyone in the field where we can all be ourselves. I feel encouraged to work toward my strengths and try to be a positive influence to those around me.”
  • InterClad Estimator/Sales, Jill Lancaster: “Each project is unique and while two projects may appear similar from the outside looking in, there are always special circumstances – from the building type, system type, contractor/customer requests, personalities of those involved, etc, so every day has new opportunities and challenges.”

20 Questions with our CEO James Ford

Thursday, March 3rd, 2022

This spring, we welcomed James Ford into the role of President & Chief Executive Officer, following recently retired Duane Hendricks’ leadership succession. Previously, James served as both President and Chief Financial Officer. He also joined the Board of Directors in 2017. We sat down with James for a little “20 Questions” to get to know him better.

In one statement, what do you do at Egan? 

“Create teams with a focus on long-term success”

What’s your favorite part about working at Egan? 

“Hands down…..it’s our amazing people.”

What unique skills or strengths do you bring to your role? 

“I have a natural tendency to be focused on the future, which leads me to be curious and ask a lot of questions about what we should do next, how we can accomplish it, and who can help us.”

When you aren’t at work, what do you enjoy spending your free time doing? 

“I love to play golf and spend time on the water with my family.”

What advice would you have for future leaders in the industry? 

“You will likely master the technical skills you need fairly early in your career; then invest your time in learning how to communicate effectively, ask great questions, build relationships, create consensus, and how to see things from someone else’s point of view.”

What is the most memorable moment you had with a client or customer in the last 20 years? 

“I enjoy meeting with customers when we don’t have an active project with them because then the conversations are less about the current situation and are more focused on how we can build a better long-term relationship with them.”

What’s your educational background look like? 

“Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota.”

What’s one word you would use to describe the Egan team? 

“Resilient”

If your life was a movie, what genre would it be? 

“Action with some comedy.”

What’s your favorite Minnesota season? 

“Summer”

What’s your favorite way to stay active? 

“Walking 18 holes”

How many years of industry experience do you have? 

“If you count my early years helping my dad install flooring, it would be 30 years of experience. Professionally I have been working with contractors for 22 years.”

Where is your hometown?

“Moorhead, Minnesota”

Best vacation you’ve ever been on? 

“Maui”

What was your first job? 

“I worked the meat counter at a grocery store”

What’s the best part of your work day? 

“Connecting with individual team members”

Who do you look to for inspiration/mentorship? 

“Simon Sinek”

What’s your favorite board game? 

“Monopoly”

Something that you’re extremely competitive about? 

“Ping-pong”

What game show do you think you’d have the best chance at winning? 

“Price is Right”

Egan Company Selected as 2022 Bold Awards Finalist

Friday, February 4th, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (February 4, 2022) – specialty trades contractor Egan Company announced its selection as a finalist in the Tenth Annual BOLD Awards, presented by the Minnesota Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth® (ACG.) The BOLD Awards are designed to honor and recognize innovation, inspirational moves, bold visions and leaders that have made BOLD moves to positively grow, restructure or enhance their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders. The program celebrates the corporate leaders and teams that are behind successful mergers and acquisitions, financing and extraordinary strategies that led to sustainability, remarkable performance and/or accelerated growth January 2019 – December 2021. 

Nominated for its BOLD move in late summer 2021, Egan divested its sheet metal fabrication business, Fabricated Duct Systems (FabDuct), to contractor Go Fetsch Mechanical of Shoreview, Minn. Egan’s BOLD move provided a female- and minority-owned business the opportunity to expand and capture additional market share and allowed Egan to focus on its construction and service/maintenance businesses poised for growth.

Corporate leaders and teams representing the nominees from a group of over 100 organizations will be attending the BOLD Awards on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, starting at 6:00 PM at The Fillmore Minneapolis to network and celebrate. This event is a vivid, high-energy BOLD celebration of the businesses that grow Minnesota. The finalists will be showcased for their efforts and successes. The BOLD winners of each category will be announced during the program later in the evening, with the BOLDest of the BOLD winner being chosen via a real-time, live audience vote.  

The 2022 Finalists in each category:

Not for Profit: Free Bikes 4 Kidz, Girl Scouts Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys and InnerCity Tennis Foundation

2020 Start Ups: Luce Line, REVocity, and Telo

Early-Stage: Cytotheryx, GenEQTY, and Rowland Paint

Small & Growing: Durabotics, Self Eco, and Tierra Encantada

Middle Market: Clearfield, Datasite, and Maud Borup

Large & Established: Be the Match, Egan Company, and Starkey Hearing

About ACG (Association for Corporate Growth)

Founded in 1954, ACG has 59 chapters across the globe and the network consists of over 90,000 professionals. ACG Minnesota’s chapter began in 1966 and has nearly 300 members active in Minnesota’s vibrant, business community. ACG Minnesota was 2015 Chapter of the Year with the Executive Director, Nicki Vincent earning the President’s Award that same year. ACG’s mission is to drive middle-market growth. www.acg.org/minnesota

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.

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Media Contact:
Angela Schmidt
Senior Specialist, Marketing Communications
ars2@eganco.com  //  763-504-3471

EGAN COMPANY PROMOTES JAMES FORD TO PRESIDENT & CEO

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (February 2, 2022) – specialty trades contractor Egan Company announced the promotion of James Ford to President & CEO, completing its executive leadership succession plan announced in June 2021. 

As President & CEO, Ford will provide executive leadership to the organization, overseeing all aspects of the company and continuing to execute a strategic plan to redefine the industry by setting a new standard in customer care. Ford joined Egan in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer and transitioned to the role of President in 2021. During his tenure as CFO, James has provided leadership for Egan’s accounting, human resources, and legal functions, as well as acted as an advisor to all lines of business. The Company experienced steady growth through Ford’s leadership, including throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to Egan, Ford spent over 15 years at Eide Bailly LLP, a certified public accounting firm.

“I am humbled and excited for the opportunity to help lead Egan Company. We have a strong history of success over the last 75 years and we will continue to build upon that success,” shared Ford. “Our first priority will be to maintain our focus on our people. From the brand new apprentice to the leadership team, we will continue to focus on recruiting, retaining, and developing the best people in our industry. Secondly, we will listen to our customers and find ways we can help them succeed. We plan to identify and pursue these growth opportunities both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Lastly, we want every employee at Egan to feel like they are able to live and work with a deep sense of purpose. We describe our purpose as ‘With passion and pride, we build better lives and communities – together.’ All of these initiatives will be blanketed with a focus on long-term success, where our short-term goals build momentum for success long into the future.”

Ford also serves as a Board Member on Egan’s Board of Directors. He succeeds Duane Hendricks who served as President & CEO since 2018. Hendricks will remain with Egan in the role of Chairman of the Board.

Read more about James Ford and Egan’s executive leadership transitions over the past year here

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.

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Media Contact:
Angela Schmidt
Senior Specialist, Marketing Communications
ars2@eganco.com  //  763-504-3471

Complexity in Nature Calls for Specialty Systems

Tuesday, December 7th, 2021

Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s (HCME) Project

Combine a unique set of project specifications, sophisticated systems, a strict construction deadline, and what do you get? An opportunity to play to the Egan advantage and complete the new, one-of-a-kind Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s facility in Minnetonka, Minn. The brand-new facility will serve the surrounding communities by providing answers that would otherwise not be determined.

From every angle you look at this recently completed 64,000-square-foot project, it provides a unique set of characteristics. The $53 million dollar facility was efficiently designed in part by the Medical Examiner’s staff themselves with the goal to make the process simpler and decrease autopsy times.

UNIQUE PROJECT SCOPE

When it comes to a Medical Examiner’s office, the details are imperative. Considering the weight of the work completed within a multitude of research labs, precision is of the utmost importance.  Providing a wide variety of plumbing systems and more, Egan’s scope of work included a complete mechanical build out of the building.

From the coroner’s office to research and development labs, a variety of different systems were designed and installed to meet the needs of this project. The intricacies of this nature of work are immense – especially when it comes to the complicated drainage, sanitary, ventilation, and redundancy systems. The team was able to install elaborate systems from the autopsy room and tables themselves to precision air valves throughout the facility and large exhaust fans and air handling units to ensure proper ventilation and drainage.

This project speaks to the testament of “it’s all in the details”. When tasked with the opportunity to provide new, innovative solutions, the team always stepped up.

“From my perspective, Egan has been a top performer on the HCME project since day one.  I’ve been extremely satisfied with the work that Egan has completed to date and their willingness to work as a team to provide innovative solutions to challenges as they arise,” shared Kris Rubenzer, Knutson Construction Senior Project Manager. “HCME is a very challenging and complex project, and we’ve been fortunate to have a reliable partner like Egan on board to provide the mechanical expertise that was needed on this project.”

One great example of this is seen in the autopsy tables. These state-of-the-art tables are equipped with the necessary tools, including automatic height adjustment features. The sheer complexity of scoping the piping below required a great deal of accuracy. Similarly, the floor drains are not your average drain, rather, they have a distinctive design that allows them to “flush”.

Even when it comes to the award of this project itself, our team was uniquely positioned for the opportunity thanks to our relationship with Knutson Construction, the General Contractor.

“This project took a great deal of pre-planning, coordination, additional design and accuracy,” said Ian Wilson, Egan Company Senior Project Manager. “With the help of our partners at Knutson and our amazing field foreman and modelers, we were able to install this project with accuracy and efficiency.  In our industry, it is not everyday that we get to work on and build a project of this scale and importance . . . we are very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be  a key partner on this project.” 

For more information on the new Hennepin County Medical Examiners, see the recent media coverage: Star Tribune or Kare 11. Further project details can be found on the featured project profile.

Built on Hard Work And Doing The Right Thing

Tuesday, November 30th, 2021

Impact of CEO Duane Hendricks

Always going the extra mile: a true testament to the hard work, perseverance, and dedication showcased by Egan Company CEO Duane Hendricks. Now, after 19 years with Egan (four of which were spent as President & CEO) and four decades in the industry, Hendricks will retire from his role in February 2022. 

HARD WORK FROM START TO FINISH

As you can imagine, the construction industry that awaited Hendricks 40 years ago looked worlds different than it does today. Changes loomed at every corner and Hendricks had a front row seat for it all, from the betterment of work environments to new technologies like the revolutionary introduction of the battery drill. While providing a very firm foundation for his career, this was only the beginning. 

Hendricks grew up in Motley, Minn. and started working at an early age, quickly developing a strong interest in working with his hands. Upon graduating high school, he jumped into the trades as an electrical apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, quickly working toward master electrician.

During these early years in the field, Hendricks established a key strength: an unmatched work ethic. He shares, “I developed a strong work ethic at a young age because I was surrounded by high energy people and I always enjoyed what I did, so the work came easy for me.” 

With his drive and determination in one hand and his passion for the electrical industry in the other, it comes as no surprise that Hendricks was prominently positioned for leadership opportunities in the field. He was known to have upheld extremely high standards for those he managed, but that was in turn consistently reflected in their work.

Hendricks adds, “I was fortunate to have success through many opportunities. I’ve had great mentors, a supportive wife, family, and the grace of God as I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone with the drive to succeed . . . and I’ve done the same for others.” 

His success on jobsites was reflected in advancements in the office as a project manager. He describes this transition as the first pivotal moment in his career. But, it didn’t come with ease. At the time, Hendricks was working for Comm-Tech Electrical, formerly located in Plymouth, Minn. Hendricks lists the first year transitioning from the field to the office as one of the most difficult changes. He was extremely passionate about working with his hands and had to learn how to pour this passion into his new role. From there, he became a co-owner of Comm-Tech, which was later acquired by Egan Company. 

“My professional career has gone way beyond what I had ever planned or expected,” shares Hendricks. “Every day, I’m honored to work with—and to have worked with—all the great people at Egan Company.”

From overseeing the industrial/process controls business to all of Egan’s electrical groups as Executive Vice President to later leading as COO and then CEO – the rest is history. 

DOING THE RIGHT THING

With 40 years of construction industry experience under his belt, he has led Egan through difficult circumstances. Hendricks’ biggest piece of advice?: “To work hard, always do the right thing, treat everyone with respect, stay focused, and never stop learning. Treat others the way you want to be treated and be a good listener.” His legacy is rooted in his deep investment in the trades, the industry, and ensuring that the right decisions are made to meet the needs of employees and customers.

Throughout his pronounced career, Hendricks always made a point to build up and develop individuals in the workforce. He believes in creating opportunities for individuals to step into new roles while providing them with the guidance, resources, training, and support to succeed. This bleeds into the importance he places on mentorship and opening doors for others.

“Life is full of opportunities, it’s all about how you respond to them. It’s critical that you look for smart, humble, hungry candidates with related training and/or experience . . . people that are intellectually smart, work well with others, and are willing and eager to learn. Those are the kinds of people who are able to build your company.”

His innate desire to do the right thing goes far beyond Egan itself, spending time in a number of different leadership roles throughout his career including serving as National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Minneapolis President and Governor, a member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) board, Minnesota State Board of Electricity Chair, and as a member of the Construction Codes Advisory Council. 

With hard work and perseverance, Hendricks lists his biggest accomplishments as 40 years of marriage with his wife Linda (who has also spent the last 19 years as an Egan employee), two children, and three grandchildren. As he enters into this next season of his life, Hendricks is looking forward to a variety of different things, with the top priority being spending time with his grandsons. He also looks forward to building a new workshop, his river home, traveling with Linda, and many outdoor activities throughout the year.

VISION FOR EGAN LEADERSHIP

Hendricks’ role in implementing and improving the current operational processes within Egan will further his legacy for years to come. He’ll remain with Egan as Chairman of the Board, sharing his support and guidance toward long-term success of the company as well as the promise of a great place to work.

At the forefront of this leadership succession, current President James Ford will step into the role of President & CEO in February. Since joining Egan in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer, Ford has worked alongside Hendricks in pursuit of providing the highest level of customer care across the board. 

“I am confident that Egan will continue to flourish with Ford at the reins,” states Hendricks. “Egan Company is in a great position for this transition.”

The leadership provided by Duane Hendricks will impact Egan Company for years to come – we’re immensely grateful for the years he poured into not only the business, but every Egan employee for the past 19 years.

2021 Inaugural Grunerud-Egan Scholarship Recipients Announced

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021

This year, in partnership with Egan Company Project Manager Dane Grunerud, Egan was able to award two deserving students with the first Grunerud-Egan Scholarship for the Fall of 2021. Founded upon generations of encouragement and belief in higher education, this scholarship aims to help others achieve career aspirations within the construction, engineering, trades, or related fields.

Many qualified applicants—all children or grandchildren of Egan employees—applied. Recipients were selected based on financial need, involvement in the community or extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and essay/video response. 

Congratulations to our award recipients Lucas Aberwald and Brooke Edlund! Aberwald is a freshman attending the University of Minnesota Duluth to study Mechanical Engineering and is the son of Electrician Dan Aberwald. Edlund will be attending Ridgewater College to complete its electrical program and is the step-daughter of Senior Project Manager Randy Kalthoff.

We’re honored to aid in supporting the future of our industry! Read further about the Grunerud-Egan Scholarship.