A Message from Our Founder & CEO, Joe Messner, Jr.
2023 is off to a great start, with spring around the corner. Fortunately, it appears like we really dodged winter this year! My 3 girls were very disappointed with the lack of snow days; but the JGM Team will take it!
Our Sales & Estimating Team continues to do a great job filling up the pipeline as our strong backlog takes us out to the end of the year. We are seeing many opportunities in 2024 as well, which is great to see. I can’t believe we are talking about work in 2024! Time flies.
As we continue our pursuit of becoming the safest, fastest, most effective fabricator & constructor in the world, there are many milestones that we will achieve along the way that are reason for celebration. With that said, I am proud and grateful to every single JGM team member that has helped us achieve over 1,000,000 Man-hours Without a Lost-time Incident! This achievement is a testament to the culture that we have built over the years at JGM. This takes hard work, courage, commitment, integrity, & discipline every minute, every hour, every day by all our team members. Executing SAFE WORK, day in and day out is HARD WORK. It’s not easy and requires a tremendous amount of collaboration, pre-planning, and disciplined execution.
I would like to highlight and thank several key folks that have been instrumental to this achievement:
Rob Policastro, JGM’s Health & Safety Manager, is our cheerleader everyday motivating and inspiring us to put forth our best effort to make sure everyone goes home safely.
Our entire Safety Committee, who meets monthly to proactively explore ways to further improve our safety culture. They review good catches, near misses and any incident to further understand how we can prevent future issues.
Our F.A.S.T. TEAM (First Aid Support Team) lead by Kyle Wick and Tanner Crum. These guys have done an incredible job training and making sure we have the necessary lifesaving equipment in place, so they can act at a moment’s notice. It’s comforting to know we are in great hands!
And lastly, thank you to all of our Project Managers, Estimators, Superintendents, Foremen, Shop & Field Craft, Drivers, Ops Managers, Maintenance & Office Personnel! It takes a village!
Let’s continue the pursuit of uncompromising safety as we head towards 2,000,000 man-hours without an LTI!
Stay Safe.
Joe Messner, Jr.
Founder & CEO
CALLING ALL STUDENTS AND UPCOMING GRADUATES
Now Hiring Entry-Level Positions and Summer Interns
Do you know of any students graduating this spring who might be interested in, or are well suited for, a career in construction and steel fabrication? How about a current Thaddeus Stevens or Penn Tech student looking for an internship for the summer? Have them get in touch to schedule a visit!
In 2022, JGM accomplished many goals to improve the safety of our work environment. First, we added three new members to our First Aid Support Team (F.A.S.T.). We are now nine members strong on two shifts! Last year, the F.A.S.T. team met monthly to discuss a variety of safety topics including AED/CPR refreshers, cervical spine immobilization and the application of cervical collars, bleeding control and first aid, tourniquets and their application, airway adjuncts, and more. All “classroom” time was completed alongside hands-on training. Additionally, the team trained on all emergency shutoff locations for our CNC equipment.
In addition to safety trainings, we have grown our relationship with the Westwood Fire Company. Joe Kennedy, EMS Chief, has been instrumental in the training of our team members and has attended several F.A.S.T. meetings. Mike McWilliams, Fire Chief, will be doing a walkthrough of our facility soon to update information regarding JGM hazards, utility shutoffs, overall layout, and access points. The Westwood Fire Company also played a critical role in JGM’s Steel Day by providing traffic signage and parking support.
Lastly, JGM continues to invest in the F.A.S.T. team and our safety equipment. F.A.S.T. team posters have been created and are displayed around JGM’s property identifying participants. Additionally, all JGM vehicles have been equipped with JGM First Aid Kits; two Physio LifePak CR-2 AEDs have been placed in the main and shop office; and we are continually adding and upgrading the safety equipment in our Go Bags to ensure we can perform tasks quickly and efficiently should an emergency occur.
We are about halfway through the fabrication of over 4,700 tons of structural steel racking for this state of the art automatic storage and retrieval system. Even more exiting, JGM field crews started the installation and erection of the racking in February! JGM crews are setting the safety standard on site with our early morning stretch and flex exercises, daily Job Safety Analysis (JSA), documented good catch program and weekly safety review meetings. Both fabrication and construction resources are at their maximum involvement as we are in the thick of this exciting project.
Big River Steel – Osceola, Arkansas
The JGM crew working at Big River Steel’s NGO line continues to grow in numbers and projects. We have just begun the installation of BRS’s beautiful coil packaging and slitting line which is expected to continue for the next 2 to 3 months. As a nice bonus, JGM has invested in state-of-the-art alignment tools and equipment – shiny new “toys for big boys” – for precise installation of this advanced equipment. Additional projects are on the schedule to begin this spring and summer.
GO BEHIND THE SCENES
Focused on Improvement
JGM conducts Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) surveys twice per year, which is a measure of employee loyalty and satisfaction. Our goal is to be reflective and listen to our internal customers, our employees, and make those impactful improvements that will align with our company value “COMMITMENT TO SELF IMPROVEMENT”. Living our values starts at the top, but requires us to listen to the wants and needs of our entire organization. We continue to implement many of the suggestions and continue to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to be the employer of choice for our family.
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JGM Team in Training
In mid-January, JGM’s leadership team, project managers, and supervisors participated in a two-day training that covered topics such as operational excellence, time management, and strategic thinking. Check out this behind-the-scenes photo of our team in training!
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
JGM Donates Welding Material to Local Technical College
Recently, our fabrication shop donated 100 test plates with 50 backing bars all positioned to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Students used the plates and backing bars to test their welding skills. We’re thankful for our continued partnership with Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and are proud to support the next generation of welders and fabricators!
Q1 RECOGNITIONS
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JGM Is Committed to Self-Improvement
We are proud to announce the following welders completed certifications to advance their skill sets in the shop.
Will Bellano FCAW 3G, GMAW 1G. AWS D1.1
Javier Camacho GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Jose Faccio Caraballo GTAW 6G. ASME
Raul Castano GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Isac Castro GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Justin Ender GMAW 1G. AWS D1.1
Mike Houser GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
James Murray FCAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Mike Quinn GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Raymond Reagin GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
Donald Sharp GMAW 1G. AWS D1.1
Alexander Ventura GTAW 6G. ASME
Zach Willey GMAW 2G. AWS D1.1
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Meet Joshua Shaver, Project Engineer
From supporting construction projects to streamlining our change request system, Joshua has become an instrumental part of the JGM family. To learn more about Joshua’s roles and responsibilities, what he enjoys most about working at JGM, and his hobbies outside of the workplace, check out our blog!
We are proud to add safe, knowledgeable, and driven individuals to our growing team. Join us in welcoming the following new employees!
Will Bellano, Welder 1
Rodney Bowser, Ironworker Foreman
James Brown, Driver
Justin Ender, Shop Apprentice
Anthony Mills, Journeyman Welder
Oscar Rodriguez, Ironworker Welder
Joshua Shaver, Project Engineer
Michelle Shipman, Project Accountant
Jose Velez, Pipefitter Foreman
Drew Ziccard, Regional Business Development Executive
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Q1 Anniversaries
1 YEAR
Salvador Garcia
Steven Hicks
Dan Jones
Jaime Kevles
Josh “Gator” Miller
Bryan Morales
Jon Morris
Jay Sinclair Jr.
Ronnie Treser
Travis Welter
2-5 YEARS
Isac Castro (4)
Reed Leavitt (2)
Pablo Monroy (4)
Sasa Randjelovic (5)
Austin Tritt (5)
6-10 YEARS
Raul Castano (7)
Pablo Monroy-Castano (7)
16-20 YEARS
Chip Ashenfelter (16)
Joe Messner Sr. (17)
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Offering Incentives for Recruiting New Talent
Our team members play a critical role in helping us connect with and recruit new talent. To reward employees who refer their family and friends to the JGM team, we offer a bonus up to $3,500. Yes, you read that right!
When a current JGM team member refers a friend, family member, or acquaintance who aligns with our core values, that employee is eligible to earn up to $3,500.* This is just one of the many competitive benefits of working at JGM!
Referral brochures are available in both digital and print copies for you to pass information along to a family member or friend. To request a referral brochure or to learn more about this offer, please contact Cassandra Romero at [email protected].*
If you have a job that you needed yesterday, contact JGM today.
