Beating the odds

Beating the odds

Making bids with incomplete information sounds like a gamble. Terry's Electric Inc. improved its odds with good planning and experience, helping it win the electrical work at the new Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

by Clair Urbain

When Terry’s Electric Incorporated (TEI) built its guaranteed maximum price bid for electrical work on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida, its attention to detail landed it the biggest commercial job it has ever won. That fastidiousness is keeping the job in the black, despite the “design as you go” philosophy of the work and extremely tight completion deadline.

TEI, which recently became part of the Xcelecom Company, is a $40 million electrical contractor. Its founders, Terry and Jeanne Quigley, started the family-operated company in 1979 with five employees. Its commercial division has grown rapidly, completing about $25 million per year in the growing Orlando/Kissimmee area. Industry watchers report the company is the fifth largest electrical contractor in Florida; the company has over 600 employees.

“This is a $10 million-plus job, the largest single job we’ve ever undertaken. It’s also the first casino job we’ve done. I think we got the work because our attention to detail impressed Perini/Suitt, the construction managers on the project,” says Stan Bunch, vice-president of TEI’s commercial division.

Making the numbers work
Behind the walls of today’s casinos, an information superstructure keeps tabs on customers, employees and equipment. From lighting systems to slot machine activity, systems are in place to make the casino environment as secure and as conducive to gambling as possible.

Although the finished systems are complex, TEI estimators had little to go on in the bid phase. They had to use some creative research to come up with a realistic cost.

“We pulled take-offs from electrical drawings, interior design sketches, architectural drawings and exterior drawings. We had to combine three lighting designs into one. None of them were complete. We had four estimators work on this project nearly around the clock for two weeks to come up with a bid we were comfortable with,” Bunch recalls.

The number the estimators came up with was considerably higher than other bidders, but the thoroughness and attention to detail impressed the general contractor. TEI got the job, which broke ground in May 2002; the first phase, which includes building 40,000 sq. ft. of the 100,000 sq. ft. casino, Hard Rock Café and back-of-house area, must be completed by April 2003. The second phase, which has already started, includes building a 12-story, four-star hotel. Once the first phase is completed, the casino will move into the new building and continue operating while the old casino is razed and the final 60,000 sq. ft. of the complex is built. Target completion date is March 2004.

Most TEI commercial division workers are long-time employees who live in the Orlando/Kissimmee area near the home office. “We feel that keeping electricians on the payroll for the long-term is good for our business,” says Bunch. “We train them right from the start and then continue developing their skills as time goes on. We concentrate on safety, and it shows on this jobsite. We have had 152 days so far on this jobsite and they have been accident-free,” he says,

Distance a factor
Running its biggest job ever in Tampa, when the home office is in Kissimmee, nearly an hour away, presents some challenges, says Dennis Postler, project manager. “There are about 35 TEI employees on this job who live near Kissimmee. We run buses to the jobsite every day from Kissimmee so workers don’t have to drive.”

The job averages 40 electricians and six casual labor, but at its peak, will have up to 80 electricians on the job. “We also have a materials manager with three assistants, an assistant superintendent, five foremen and four team leaders. This job isn’t over-staffed, and with proper planning, we can get the work done. On-site support staff include my assistant project manager, Dennis Grenet, a full-time CAD operator and a full-time office person,” says Postler.

To prevent bottlenecks in the construction process, TEI works closely with other subcontractors. “We look at the project schedule three weeks in advance and make a plan on how to get the work done by that date,” says Bunch.

At weekly meetings with other contractors, TEI looks at their progress and discusses ways to help them out. “For example, we were starting to get behind installing cable trays. We worked closely with the plumbing contractor, using our CAD diagrams to figure elevations to assure there would be no conflicts. It worked well,” Postler says.

The on-site CAD operator has been key in getting the company on top of the schedule and sticking to it.

Because much of the design is work in progress, TEI workers flesh out what’s needed, then the CAD operator produces drawings that can be submitted for review and approval. Once approved, the team leaders on the site use the color-coded CAD output to coordinate work. It’s printed on standard letter-sized paper for easy use by the installers.

All work is attached to a cost code on the job so TEI can accurately track how long it has taken to complete a job vs. what has been budgeted.

“We have a very tight documentation process that helps us track progress. It really helps eliminate loose ends at the end of a project,” Postler says.

Because of the extreme technical nature of the lighting, security and information systems, TEI works closely with various specialty subcontractors who are familiar with this type of work. Taking advantage of their expertise helps reduce the odds of falling off schedule or going over budget.

“It’s important to get on a schedule and plan for the work, then follow up with the other contractors to assure everyone is working together,” says Daren McDermott, job superintendent. “We have weekly meetings with the other subcontractors. We set forth from the beginning what we will supply. It’s documented with the other subcontractors. If they have a need, we refer to the document to see if it’s covered. If it’s not, we discuss who is paying for what.

“For example, it’s in our contract to maintain temporary electrical service throughout the construction phase. If a contractor wants more power, we provide it. We also watch how they use the power and make sure they are using it safely,” he says.

While many electrical contractors rig up their own distribution panels, McDermott says TEI prefers to use portable spider boxes for temporary power distribution. “They cost more at the front end, but they are sturdy and provide reliable power. We think they save us money in the long run.”

The 50-amp spider boxes come with a 50' cord and twist-lock plug. The units can supply 220-volt or 110-volt power and have self-contained GFCI breakers. An end receptacle allows another spider box to be plugged into it, creating another 50' run of power.

“They are easy to test. We test them weekly to make sure the GFCI is working correctly. We record the test on a sticker on the top of the unit,” he adds.

The model room
Due to the design-as-you-go process of construction, the general contractor has built full-size models of a portion of the gaming area and of the hotel’s guest rooms. The mock-ups help finalize design before construction proceeds too far.

“The life-size mock-up of the hotel rooms has been very helpful,” says Postler. “Initially, they wanted all the outlets easily accessible, but once they saw what it looked like, they decided to drop them behind the furniture. The headboards, which have a light integrated into the side tables, look sharp, but will come with a pre-cut hole in them for the light to pop through. That means we have to be very exact when we wire in the power for those lights. By having this mock-up, we can make the exact measurements and then install the power so it matches up exactly with the headboard.”

The model room also helps the crews to install room wiring quickly. “We are prefabricating the wiring off-site. We take exact measurements, then the CAD operator develops a plan that assembly crews at our mechanical facility can build,” he says.

Each component is labeled with a self-stick tag and palleted with the other electrical components for each room. “The CAD drawings allow us to easily flip the design over because the rooms next to each other are mirror images. We think prefabricating assemblies cuts at least 30 percent of the cost out of the job. The crews can really fly,” he says.

The crews also use prefab assemblies for PVC conduit runs. “We have well over 100,000 linear ft. of conduit in the ground. We prefabricated every 90-degree bend on site with a hot box,” says McDermott, saving substantial time and money when compared with installing a 90-degree elbow.

Simplified supply
Getting supplies and keeping track of them on fast-track projects can become an extreme challenge. To simplify the process, TEI uses a consignment system with select distributors. “We have them give us prices on the whole job of the common things we need, then we have them stock on-site trailers with a more than ample supply,” says Bunch.

Daily, the jobsite foremen or team leaders assemble a supply list of what they will need for the next day and turn them in to Don Levasseur, the materials manager. He enters the order on a personal digital assistant (PDA) outfitted with a barcode scanner. He simply scans a part number out of a directory, then enters quantities and cost codes.

Once a day, he synchronizes the PDA with the desktop computer in the office. From there, the distributor can access the information for billing and refilling the consignment inventory.

“This is the fourth job where we have done this and we think it has cut our material costs by 20 percent. Plus, I don’t have to worry about getting the supply requests in for the day-to-day supplies. It’s already here, and we don’t pay for it until Don scans the order,” Daren says.

Inventory levels are tracked by the distributor. Typically, there is enough inventory to last about two weeks.

For Levasseur, the system works well. “It takes much of the guesswork out of keeping supplies on hand. It takes tons of paperwork out of the system,” he says.

Training for long-term employment
“When we look at jobsite injury statistics, workers who have been on the jobsite for less than a year are the most likley to be involved in an accident,” says Daren McDermott, TEI jobsite superintendent. “That’s why we take new worker training very seriously.”

Employee turnover at TEI is practically non-existent, and McDermott and his associates believe that TEI’s comprehensive training programs are mainly responsible for that.

Before a new employee starts on a jobsite, he or she goes through a three-phase safety program. The first step involves a three-hour meeting where all of TEI’s safety policies are explained, then each new employee gets a TEI safety manual.

Next, the employee goes through a 1.5-hour Owner Certified Insurance Program that covers other safety information in detail, followed by a walkaround on the jobsite that covers specific hazards on the site as well as the following points:

1.) Review of safety manual
• Explain company safety policy
• Explain safety rules

2.) Emergency preparedness and disaster training
• First aid procedures
• Emergency signs
• Reporting, evacuation procedures
• Pregnant women (if applicable)

3.) Lockout/tagout

4.) Fire extinguisher location and use

5.) Trenching safety

6.) Electrical safety/assured grounding program

7.) Personal protection equipment
• Hard hat (required)
• Safety glasses (required)
• Hand protection (gloves, etc.)
• Welding (Hood, glasses, etc.)
• Hearing protection (when required)
• Dual eye protection for grinding
• Fall protection (lanyards, harnesses, etc.)
• Respiratory protection

8.) Vehicles
• Parking, mandatory proof of insurance
• Company equipment
• Speed limits
• Seat belt use (mandatory in company vehicles and equipment)

9.) Housekeeping

10.) Other safety practices
• Smoking policy
• Equipment operation
• Forklift safety
• Lifting practices

11.) Report unsafe conditions and acts (including workplace threats and intimidation)

12.) Confined space entry

13.) Locations of first aid kits

14.) Importance of attending weekly safety meetings

15.) Hazard communication program (location and use of Material Safety Data Sheets)

16.) Company disciplinary procedure

Once the supervisor covers the points on this checklist, the new employee and the supervisor sign the form. “This form must be turned in before the employee starts on the job,” McDermott says.

All employees are certified for scissor-lift operation, and appropriate personnel receive backhoe loader training and certification. “We match the added training to the workers’ specific jobs,” he says. All foremen are certified in the OSHA 10-hour training, have CDL licenses, are trained in CPR and how to handle blood-borne pathogens. “The training seems to be never-ending, but it is important,” he adds.

Weekly safety meetings
In addition to the thorough training at the beginning of employment, TEI backs it up with weekly safety meetings on the jobsite. “They are completed by one of our three full-time safety directors who also does a complete site inspection,” says McDermott.

If a worker disobeys any safety rule, the safety director or supervisor will issue a verbal warning. If the worker is cited more than once for the violation, the safety director can issue a written citation that goes in the employee’s personnel file or can immediately remove the worker from the site.

Daily inspections
Workers inspect the tools they use daily for wear or damage; power cords are checked once a week for nicks, cuts or wear. Equipment operators complete a checklist before operating equipment. Any maintenance issues are directed to the maintenance department.

Published in the March/April 2003 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.