Archive for the ‘Promises Kept’ Category

Calling on Trusted Relationship Amid Sudden Loss of Power

Monday, November 14th, 2022

At 5 a.m. on a Monday, an office tower in Brooklyn Park, Minn. experienced a complete loss of power. The culprit? Exterior bus duct corroding over time later leading to an explosion at the site, cutting all power to the building. With various tenants soon to be occupying the building that day, the property manager, MetroPlains Management, made quick decisions when it came to a reliable solution to the problem. 

Enter: Egan Company.

As a long-time customer, MetroPlains properties across the Twin Cities have been cared for by Egan employees for years. MetroPlains Management Property Manager, Jason Sklar shared, “Egan has been our primary partner for years for routine day-to-day work and significant tenant build outs in office buildings.” Having this established relationship to rely on made decision-making easy when facing this complex issue.

“Late this summer, one of our office buildings had a major power outage that damaged main feeder lines as well as the primary transformer, disrupting power to the entire building. Egan Company, with Project Manager Brent Fritz and a highly skilled trades team, came to the rescue. They had a crew on site immediately and worked with Xcel Energy to plan a temporary fix and install new transformers and temporary feeder lines. Fritz was onsite managing the crisis to ensure we had the best crew working on the problem. Working hand-in-hand with Xcel Energy, our building was back up and running the same day, much to our tenants delight,” explains Sklar.

Owning the Challenge

While the temporary solution was able to tide the building over, the team quickly worked to create a long-term solution with property safety in mind. Once the plan was in place, the work was executed swiftly by Egan electricians. The facility was switched from temporary generators to the permanent system before tenants returned the next day.

“Now our office building is better than ever with updated electrical systems. Egan has ‘owned the challenge’ of taking care of their customers when they need it the most. Thanks to this highly skilled team!” said Sklar.

At Egan, it’s our goal to not only aid in large scale, planned needs and updates, but also to have our customers’ backs in emergency situations. “Owning the challenge” means ensuring that the job is done right, and done safely – every time. According to Sklar, “Fritz continued to work with our property management team throughout to aid in the process of insurance claims adjusters in order to effectively restore our lost infrastructure.” Our response means seeing the project through, from start to finish.

“When it comes to field leaders like Deland Croze, I have the utmost confidence in their ability to make and carry out the best plan of attack.” Brent Fritz, Egan Company Project Manager, reflects. “With the outcome of the project in hands as capable and experienced as Croze’s, this project was sure to be completed accurately and on-time.” 

What could have resulted in a costly, extended process was streamlined by one simple rule: a strong partnership.

(The Egan team on the project included: Brent Fritz, Deland Croze, Valdemar Scherer, Chad Hughes, and John Tupy).

2021 “Best of Promises Kept” Awards

Monday, December 20th, 2021

Each year, we take customer care to new levels. An important part of our workplace culture at Egan Company includes recognizing those who exemplify this care in our annual “Best Of Promises Kept” awards.

Throughout the year, we receive narratives of “Promises Kept” that amplify stories of Egan employees providing exceptional customer service. At the end of the year, a few of these stories are chosen for the “Best Of” award, recognizing those that have gone above and beyond. Traditionally, these have been announced at an Employee Christmas Party;  this year, the awards were presented individually by Egan Company CEO Duane Hendricks and President James Ford. Honored employees were able to gather in a small group to celebrate.

Congratulations to the Individual and Team Promises Kept Award winners! See below to read the recognized stories:

Greg Dupont did a great job in the W5 UPS meeting. Not only was he prepared, but his ability to work around other’s schedules was superb. Greg made the facilities team look good. Thank you to Greg for being such a great partner – this is exactly why we appreciate YOU leading projects at JFB! Great job and thank you for your hard work!

– M. Frana, Maintenance & Operations Lead, General Mills

Dylan McDonah was a tremendous help during the Gustavus Nobel Hall project. He was always looking ahead, and not only for himself but for others as well. Dylan was always ahead of the curve. I went to him many times only to find out he already was taking care of it. He was very conscientious to make sure if he was not going to be there that I always had someone to go to. I think Egan is very lucky to have such a talented foreman. I just wanted to thank the Egan team and say that I look forward to working with Egan again – it was a pleasure!

-E. Miller, Superintendent, Kraus-Anderson

The Engineering Management Team for the 20 Washington Ave South project would like to thank the Egan team (Mike Kellner, Gibson Kellner, Jeromy Magill, and Andy Whalen) for the outstanding job they did with the installation of the new Notifier fire system. The building is a 7-story, single tenant building where the tenant was the prior longtime owner of the facility. Being prior owners, the tenant representative is very knowledgeable and protective of the building. We had several meetings and interactions with the tenant’s representative and Mike did a fantastic job describing his approach to transitioning to the new fire system. He provided timelines and addressed all the tenant representative’s questions and concerns. We feel the crew’s knowledge of fire systems and Mike’s presentation skills gave the tenant’s representative a sense of confidence that the project would go smoothly, which it did. Mike and the crew’s unending energy, attention to detail, and passion for the work, delivered a fire system that is well designed, easy to use, and simple to test. Kudos to the Egan crew for a job well done!

– T. Strum, Chief Engineer, Able Engineering Services

Share your experience with us or submit a Promises Kept recognition story by visiting our Customer Feedback page.

Annual “Best Of” Promises Kept Awards

Wednesday, December 30th, 2020

Exceptional customer service means going above and beyond what a customer expects. At Egan, an important piece of our culture is annually recognizing our employees who exemplify this level of outstanding work and service.   

Many times throughout the year, stories are sent to us from customers. Long narratives or short commendation, each story is shared with our Board of Directors who recognize the team or the employee with a gift for keeping their promises.

At the close of each year, two of these special stories are chosen for a Promises Kept Award. This “best of” award recognizes those who have truly gone above and beyond in service to our customers. The winners are usually announced, presented, and celebrated at our annual Employee Christmas Party. Like many things this year, we had to get creative when presenting these awards without the formality of an all-company gathering. In 2020-style, the recognized Egan employees came together in a virtual party to receive their awards for continuing to keep their promises to our customers.

Congratulations to the Individual and Team Promises Kept Award winners! See below to read the customer stories selected for these awards:

Bryce Gransee went above and beyond the call of the job last week when responding to a serious incident. While on the jobsite, Bryce witnessed a worker from another contractor become pinned between some steel and a concrete wall. Bryce and other workers jumped in immediately to provide assistance. When I spoke with Bryce and thanked him, his response was “I just hope someone would do the same for me.” On behalf of Kraus-Anderson and myself, we’d like to say we greatly appreciate Bryce’s ability and willingness to help!


Taylor Klitzke, Safety Coordinator with Kraus-Anderson Construction 

We would like to thank the entire Egan team for the leadership, planning, scheduling, and overall safe execution of the 5400 turnaround and switchgear cleaning. This was the largest turnaround event that has been executed and it wouldn’t have been successful without Egan. Everyone was extremely professional and kept safety and quality as the top priorities. Egan had over 75 employees on site, many being brand new to the facility, and all were receptive to the safety culture. The LVSG cleaning and inspection was completed safely and with the utmost quality. Lastly, the process panel was worked on around the clock to ensure timely execution. The work ethic and quality both crews displayed were above anyone’s expectations. Excellent performance from the Egan team- thank you for your professionalism and support for our 2020 turnaround!


Jennifer Rehder & Richard Thiele of FilmTec – DuPont Specialty Products Division

To share an experience with us or to submit a story for Promises Kept recognition, visit: www.eganco.com/customer-feedback

Reflecting on 75 years as a local commercial contractor

Tuesday, December 29th, 2020

There’s craftsmanship in the trades. A plan comes to life. A team creates a piece of history. This is why we love what we do. Working with customers. Taking care of every detail. Leading the way. Insisting on safety. Keeping promises. All to ensure every single project is seamless. We do it with passion, we do it with pride, we do it for each other. One for all—one source.

Joseph Egan with sons Bill and Costney

The story of Egan Company is one of grit and growth. Before our 12 trades, nearly 1,000 employees, and countless customers, there was one man in a single room pipe shop on the Northern Minnesota Iron Range. In 1905, Joseph Egan was ready to put his dreams into motion. While his new business slowly grew, the country and the world were unsettled. Change was coming, war was on the horizon, building materials were short, and enlisting was the expectation. The small business would eventually have to wait. After ebbing and flowing for decades between serving our country and raising a family, the dream of running a business full-time was restored. And in 1945, as World War II was ending, Joseph and his sons used $3,000 and opened their doors in the Twin Cities. Egan and Sons Plumbing and Heating Company was officially founded.

Innovators by nature, the mission of our founders is still very much a part of today – delivering high-quality craftsmanship and innovative solutions while upholding the promises we make to our customers. This framework has helped us grow, kept us safe, and has played a fundamental role in the tens of thousands of projects we’ve touched in our community, across Minnesota, and throughout the greater Midwest.

Seventy-five years later, we too are navigating an unsettling landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us great challenges, but also a new perspective and much progress. In many areas of our lives, disruption has been inevitable. But we’ve held onto that disruption as an opportunity to build for the future by slowly evolving our business to strengthen and get lean, elevate the customer experience, and drive steady growth. We’re experiencing a time in history that’s required flexibility and pivots to meet the needs of our customers and communities—as well as maintain the health and safety of our employees and their families.

We want to thank you for being a part of the Egan Company family. It’s because of you, we love what we do. Cheers to 75 years! 

Dig into history further by walking through an interactive timeline >>

Fire Impact Requires Rapid Response from Egan Trades

Monday, December 28th, 2020

For over 75 years, Egan Company has committed to providing exceptional service and keeping our promises to our customers, no matter the time of day nor the severity of the need. When a fire destroyed part of Burnett Dairy Cooperative’s Grantsburg, Wisc. plant this summer, Egan was consulted immediately to develop a plan to get the plant fully operational as soon as possible. 

UNDER AN ‘AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’ DEADLINE

Known for producing award-winning, high-quality cheese products for over 120 years, and with customers waiting for products in their stores, the need to get the plant fully operational as soon as possible was of utmost importance. Working around the clock, multiple Egan crews comprised of six different trades partnered with Burnett Dairy and additional contractors to demolish and rebuild the infrastructure that was damaged in order to get the production lines back up running.

“We’ve worked with Burnett Dairy for the past few years and have formed a strong relationship,” said Dan Reintjes, Egan Company Project Manager. “When the call came in that we were needed to help after the fire, we were there as fast as possible to get the infrastructure and  production lines in perfect working order again.” 

The fire is believed to have started in the boiler building, which will require a complete rebuild. In the meantime, a temporary operation was conceived and constructed to ensure cheese production and assembly continued.  Egan’s process controls team worked late into the first night getting power to three of the plant’s electrical services and started a complete demolition of the fourth 2000 amp 5-section service gear which was then designed, built, installed and operational in nine days. The ammonia compressors were also powered up with generators on the first day in order to get Burnett Dairy’s warehouse coolers running to save all the products that were  already produced. Egan’s Mechanical team worked to make damaged piping safe and get temporary water piping installed as well as planning for a temporary boiler installation.

Egan was one of the contractors that was onsite within 18 hours of the fire trucks leaving the scene and didn’t leave until the plant was fully operational,” said Dave Gaiser, Burnett Dairy Cooperative CEO.  “With their help, Burnett was able to get our retail store back open within a few days so we were able to open for the weekend after the fire.  Within seven days, they assisted with getting one of our packaging lines operating so we could package cheese from other manufacturers and begin shipping to our customers. Egan worked 24/7 coordinating with other contractors to get Burnett running within two months of a fire impacting all utilities servicing the plant.

Beyond the initial scope of work that was completed to get the plant operational, additional projects were finished in order to restore complete operation to the plant. Egan engineers designed and programmed a new control system for the milk transfer and CIP systems that were lost in the fire, and additional electricians were tasked with installing new power distribution panels and feeders as well as installing the new milk transfer and CIP control panels and interconnect wiring.

Working alongside the controls electricians, Egan’s Mechanical trades were tasked with setting up the temporary, 900 horsepower self-contained boiler.  The team was also responsible for hydro testing and repairing all existing piping to ensure functionality and safety due to the fire.

BACK UP AND OPERATIONAL

The plant was back up and operational in 62 days, processing milk from 150 farms, and bringing 300 people back to work.

Burnett Dairy is currently operating with a temporary boiler trailer in place and due to the work of many contractors working within a tight timeline. Next steps for the plant include the design, engineering, and construction of the new boiler building; Egan’s full-time maintenance presence at the plant will continue, and any additional help the site needs as it starts the process of rebuilding from the fire.  

“Egan is a valuable business partner and the accomplishments of the past couple of months would not have been possible without them,” said Gaiser.

MULTI-TRADE PROJECT TEAM

  • 35 Egan onsite electricians
  • 15 Egan controls and mechanical engineers contributed to the needed design and engineering
  • 31 Egan plumbers, pipefitters, and sheet metal workers were onsite
  • 5 limited energy technicians delivered network installations with all new data cabinets and cabling for the plant
  • 10 control panel technicians built eight U.L. 508A control panels on a tight turnaround

Finance & Commerce Announces 2019 Top Projects

Monday, August 10th, 2020

Rapid changes and growth were experienced in Minnesota which included a stadium, cultural center, and multiple housing and apartment buildings, amongst other projects. As a glimpse into the year 2019, Finance & Commerce published its  “Top Projects” piece which highlights the top new construction and remodels around the state. Amongst these, we see a few familiar spaces. Egan was fortunate to have played a role in five of these top projects.

ALLIANZ FIELD

“The soccer-first venue transformed a once-contaminated and vacant lot in the Midway area into a thriving, popular, and must-see destination.”

Read more about this Top Project

Egan services provided: Curtainwall, storefront, ticket windows, nanawall, entrance doors, and art glass

HOĊOKATA TI

“The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s culture center blends modern design with visual representations of Native American traditions and history.”

Read more about this Top Project

Egan services provided: Cafeteria build-out, stadium, theater, in-floor radiant heating, cogeneration, glass handrail, glass doors, skylights, sage glass, storefront, aluminum doors, curtain wall, auditorium, low-voltage, lighting controls systems, emergency system, generator, and electrical wiring

ONE DISCOVERY SQUARE

“The city of Rochester and other partners have been developing the 16-block area around Mayo Clinic since 2013 into a complex called the Destination Medical Center. Their hope is to build and enhance the DMC’s reputation, not only for medical treatment but also for research.”

Read more about this Top Project

Egan services provided: Mechanical systems, mechanical controls, aluminum curtainwall, aluminum entrance doors, glass handrails, building automation controls and engineering

RAFTER 

“Rafter is an $83 million high-rise luxury apartment in northeast Minneapolis designed to reflect the area’s artistic vibe.”

Read more about this Top Project

Egan services provided: Curtainwall, storefront glass, metal panels, fin wall, glass guardrail, nanawall, sliding glass doors, and fire-rated glass

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF ROCHESTER

“Over the last four years, the previous 40-year-old Ronald McDonald House had to turn away nearly 4,000 families due to operating at capacity. But the new facility will serve more than 600 families per year.”

Read more about this Top Project

Egan services provided: Added additional parking, play areas, active play areas, and remodel of the existing building

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

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.

From the Archives – The Egan Philosophy

Friday, May 1st, 2020

Deep in the archives, was a 1970 copy of Egan News. It prominently featured “The Egan Philosophy”. Fifty years later, we still hold the same values. As always, our customers are at the forefront of our work, and will continue to be for years to come. 

Don’t take it from us, read what our customers have to say:

“Everyone I’ve worked with at Egan has approached their work in a professional manner, with a clear goal of providing the highest quality of work.”

“Continual support throughout the entire project from initial design through turnover and warranty period. I can always rely on Egan.”

“The group from Egan working on our project has assisted to make this project a team effort. They get the job done safely and on time. They are also willing to do whatever it takes.”

“I enjoy working with the Egan Team because they are highly skilled both in the office and the field.”

“Very easy to work with, and I am very confident in their abilities to execute at all phases of the project.”



Egan Company COVID-19 Response and Preparedness Plan

Friday, March 13th, 2020

We’re all experiencing an unusual time with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak developing throughout the United States and in our communities. Like you, the safety and well-being of our employees and their families, our customers, and our colleagues are of utmost priority.

Across the company, we have taken preventative measures to stay prepared

Below are the precautions and practices Egan has implemented over the last week to “slow the spread”:

  • Mobilizing a Task Force team that is meeting daily to closely monitor the situation, quickly implement safe working environment strategies as outlined by public health agencies, and continuing to develop our prevention, preparedness, and response plans
  • Encouraging all Egan employees to self-monitor daily for symptoms that could be associated with viral respiratory infections (fever, cough, shortness of breath) before coming into work
  • Enacting key CDC guidance, including social distancing, hygiene measures, and minimizing large social gatherings
  • Leveraging technology and various communication avenues to keep employees informed of changing expectations and updated tactical plans
  • Implementing screening protocol (cruise or recent travel, known exposure, symptoms)
  • Limiting all non-essential in-person meetings and placing restrictions on visitations
  • Encouraging remote work wherever viable

Asking for your support by following similar precautions

To ensure the safety of everyone on the job, Egan is asking all customers, partners, subcontractors, vendors/suppliers to also follow similar protocols. This includes:

  • Adherence to CDC and MDH guidance
  • Maintaining ongoing communication and informing Egan of any anticipated project changes or supply chain interruptions
  • Screening all visitors prior to visiting or working at any Egan site, shop, or office

We are also committed to doing our part to limit the spread of COVID-19 and maintain a healthy workforce

At this time, Egan is not experiencing (and does not anticipate) delays in responding to customer needs. We will continue to uphold our commitment to providing responsive, high-quality, skilled trades services to keep our customers’ facilities and their systems operationally sound. We will also continue to serve our customers’ construction and fabrication needs, while implementing necessary precautions on jobsites to monitor and maintain the health of our workforce.

Our thoughts are with anyone who may be affected by the coronavirus. As the situation evolves, we will work alongside you as we all manage through this unique challenge together.

Useful information and resources