B&M NEWSTHE

The Newsletter about Black & McDonald People and Projects

SPRING 2013

Black & McDonald

A Tradition Of Quality Since 1921

A Special Issue:The Corporate Services of Black & McDonald

Ian McDonaldCo-CEO

Bruce McDonaldCo-CEO

At Black & McDonald, we will always be fi rst and foremost an ‘operations’ company. The people who chase, estimate and execute our work are the face of the company to our clients.

In today’s business environment, in order for our operations people to be successful there is a huge requirement to have a strong support team behind them.

We have a great team of people at Black & McDonald who support our operations. Our groups in Safety, Environment, Quality, Finance, Business Development, Corporate People Resources and Corporate Services all play a big part in the success of our company.

Moving forward, as the demands of our clients become more complex and the need for consistency across the company grows, the roles our support groups play become even more important.

The purpose of this issue of the B&M News is to give some recognition to these unsung heroes and to provide some insight into the services they provide.

To all the support people in B&M, thank you for your efforts. We truly appreciate the contribution all of you make to the company’s success.

Corporate

Services

Group

Page 2

People

Resources

Group

Page 3

Corporate

Finance

Page 3

Quality

Assurance

Page 4

Corporate

Health

& Safety

Page 4

Environment

Committee

Page 4

National

Business

Development

Page 3

INSIDE

As B&M becomes more dependent on technology, an increasing number of application services critical to the operations require greater sustainability and scalability. During the last two years our previous Data Centre facility had experienced four power-related issues and one Internet service interruption during business hours that led to extended outages for our enterprise applications. These included telephony serving four regional offi ces, email, Accubid, and JDE. All of these systems require near round-the-clock provisioning, which has led to the development of a secure, highly-performing Data Centre facility in Toronto. After months of planning and design, including many evenings and weekends, a dedicated IT team led by Marcel Marra and

Henry Theunissen ‘cut over’ to the new Data Centre in late 2012. The move was seamless to the end user community with no related incidents reported. Both the primary and disaster recovery sites are now fully functional, with a full test fail-over planned for May/June 2013. The project has been a tremendous success and now positions Black & McDonald for future growth on a secure and stable infrastructure, including a disaster recovery site. Key people involved in the project include Tahir Muzzamil, Karim Youssef, Justin Morgan, Darren Pearce, Miguel Silva, Brad Cormier, and Steven Necovski. Thanks for your hard work and dedication!

The New B&M Data Centre

Meet The Corporate Services Group: IT, ERP & FSG

Black & McDonald

The people at the heart of Corporate Services Group

Formerly Information Technology, Enterprise Resources Planning and the Facilities Services Group, the Corporate Services Group – CSG – is a centralized group of services focused on continuous improvement initiatives related to technology and transformational projects that support our growth and strategic objectives. The new name recognizes the broad range of services CSG provides. CSG services include:• IT, system and desktop support and helpdesk, • Enterprise software project services, • IT infrastructure and communication maintenance,• Business optimization and training. The Corporate Services Group’s primary objective is to provide leadership, support and governance for technology and strategic initiatives of Corporate and Regional offi ces of Black & McDonald. Where projects require company-wide consistency, or impact our technology infrastructure or applications, CSG takes an early and active role. CSG recently led the successful completion of:• The ERP project with our AMEC and P3 go-lives;

• The migration to a new Data Center enabling for the fi rst time true disaster recovery;• The launch of our new Business Analytics management dashboard system;• Introduction of an enterprise wide sales tracking system, Salesforce;

• The implementation of Finance Business Process Standards and Policies; and• Introduction of a game-changing unifi ed communication system, Lync. For more information about the CSG, contact Ross McDonald at rmcdonald@blackandmcdonald.com.

The Business Process Standardization (BPS) InitiativeThe Business Process Standardization (BPS) initiative is the development of best practice operating procedures and related training. This includes documentation of Finance, Construction, Service, FMO, Streetlighting, HR/Payroll processes including what to do, when and how to do it, why it is important, roles and responsibilities, and any supporting policies. The BPS initiative ensures that the processes developed and invested in through the JDE implementation will be properly implemented and maintained. We gain improved information and control – ‘one version of the truth’ across business reporting, lowering risk and

increasing quality. Maintaining best practices supports business effi ciencies, and allows for consistent training programs and more fl exibility to leverage regional resources. The Finance BPS program was completed in late 2012 with notable success; leading the effort were Dan Stephen and Greg Jedrzejewski, with executive guidance from John Zimantas and Ross McDonald. A team of controllers from across B&M documented over 40 core processes and procedures, along with a comprehensive policy document. All documentation, including new video training material, is stored on SharePoint and is available to all B&M employees.

Construction is the next priority for BPS. Launched in late 2012, the Construction BPS initiative is led by Phil Jackson and Greg Jedrzejewski with executive oversight from Bob Zurevinski and Ross McDonald. A broad group of Construction Division managers, project managers and administrators are involved in this initiative. Completion is expected by the summer of 2013. For more information about BPS, contact Greg Jedrzejewski at gjedrzejewski@blackandmcdonald.com.

Corporate Finance:Putting B&M’s Resources to WorkBlack & McDonald’s Corporate Finance department provides a wide array of services to both corporate offi ce and the regions – consolidating regional fi nancial statements, preparing tax returns, pension plan accounting and governance, the fi nancial management of assets including real estate, the company’s fl eet of vehicles and specialized equipment, as well as overseeing B&M’s relations with insurers, banks and B&M’s auditors, Ernst & Young.

The group also provides fi nancial resources for the business. John Zimantas, Vice President and Chief Financial Offi cer of B&M, says “one of the great strengths of B&M is our ability to provide bonding and letters of credit. As an example, we have negotiated a letter of credit facility with the Export Development Corporation that provides increased fi nancial capacity to enter into more and larger construction contracts. We can do that because we have a strong track record of success and a strong balance sheet.”

Corporate Finance also supports the JDE suite of Enterprise One business

application software, which provides a consistent framework for all accounting functions, including billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll. “JDE standardization and training facilitates all regions across the company doing things the same way, every time they do it” Zimantas says.

The Corporate Finance department also plays a key role in planning and risk management. “When a region pursues a large project, we can help by reviewing contracts, asking questions, and raising issues” Zimantas says. Finance can also help project revenues and workload, looking an average of 12 months ahead.

“Black & McDonald has been very successful fi nancially over the past ten years” Zimantas says. “We have grown substantially. The growth has been fi nanced by internal cash fl ow from operations. We have no third-party debt on our balance sheet. B&M is conservatively managed fi nancially, which provides a solid fi nancial foundation for the future growth of the company.”

“The Corporate People Resources Group is actually an umbrella of initiatives” says Logan King, Director of Corporate People Resources at Black &

McDonald. “Corporate continuous improvement through the B&M Way is one part of what we do; this is headed up by Nina Durante, Manager, Corporate Continuous Improvement, and Human Resources is the other side of our group, headed up by Jody Bayers, Manager, Corporate Human Resources, supported by Rachelle Nutt, our Corporate HR Generalist, and an Administrative Assistant.”

At the centre of our people-related programs at B&M, an integrated set of training and communication initiatives have been developed to help our people collaborate and communicate, both within teams and committees, and across departments and regions. “Our Continuous Improvement and Human Resources programs under the message of The B&M Way provide guidance and support in how our people leaders can look at improving the skills and

The Corporate People Resources Group:Finding New Ways To Accelerate Performance

National Business Development:Helping B&M Think Nationally, Act Locally

The National Business Development team provides sales and marketing support, focused on Facility Management & Operations contracts, Public-Private Partnerships (P3) bid support, and multi-region service work. “We know B&M’s greatest strength is the local relationship between us and our clients. Everything we do builds on that relationship” says Scott Harris, Manager of National Business Development. Scott Harris oversees the National Business Development team, supported by Marie Chaban and Dennis Martini, Directors of National Business development, and Nasima Mirzaeva, Project Manager. Much of the focus of National Business Development is on large FM opportunities and P3 project bids. “P3 projects are an extraordinarily competitive and intensive integrated design process. We’re fortunate as a company to have had success in P3s in BC, Southern Ontario and in Bermuda. So we can align ourselves with fi rst-tier partners. We’ve found we have the most success when our role is electrical and mechanical contracting and ongoing facility management” Mr. Harris says. “Pitching a P3 project is often an eight-month process, and it’s a full-time job for several people to prepare the materials. Just to get through the Request for Qualifi cations stage, onto the short list, can take three months.” Mr. Martini focuses on Facility Management & Operation and Service projects. “Our role is recognizing where specifi c talent exists with Black & McDonald, and tapping into that expertise to help support both national and local opportunities” Mr. Martini says. An example is our expertise in wind and solar energy developed over the past ten years, which can now be transferred to new opportunities wherever they occur. From writing, updating, and archiving project profi les, to producing marketing literature and creative materials for use in trade shows, events and exhibitions, Marie Chaban provides marketing support across the company. Marie also ensures there is consistent branding in our print and display communication, vehicle and building signage. Marie has also implemented a print-on-demand system that avoids warehousing brochures that can easily become outdated. A digital archive of marketing material is available on the SharePoint system.

abilities of their teams through improved communication, networking, mentoring, cross-functional teamwork, succession planning, and employee development” says Logan King.

Two larger groups spread the messages of the Corporate People Resources Group. The B&M Way Council, staffed by Regional Improvement Co-ordinators, work throughout the company fi nding ways to improve effi ciencies through collaboration, sharing and networking. On the Human Resources side, a National HR Council infl uences and engages managers on HR policies and procedures. B&M’s HR Toolkit is a set of resources and materials used when conducting performance appraisals and reviews, succession planning and managing people.

“At the end of the day, the programs and initiatives of The Corporate People Resources Group are working together to support the big picture needs of the organization” says Logan King. “People development, sharing of best practices and striving to continuously improve, provide the tools and support each region and the company as a whole needs to embrace our people, our most important asset. It really is the ‘Way’ we do business.”

Black & McDonald

“To ensure the operational practices of Black & McDonald involve safety procedures, practice and processes that create a culture that believes zero incidents are possible and that all incidents are preventable.” Mission, Corporate Safety

In August of 2012, Ray Pleasance, Director of Corporate Safety, joined Black & McDonald to oversee health & safety for all the operations of the company. Under his stewardship with the full support and commitment of our National Safety Committee B&M has adopted the OHSAS 18001 international safety standard and is now involved in establishing committees, developing

our core safety manual, and building Codes of Practice/Standards, a library of best practices/safe work procedures to be available on our SharePoint System. Dan Ransom,

Co-ordinator of Corporate Safety, joined B&M in December to oversee the prequalifi cation process and support Corporate Safety initiatives. They’re the fi rst steps in the development of a comprehensive Safety Management System. “We’ve had the same safety system in place since the mid-90’s” Pleasance says. “We needed to update and align our Safety Management System with recognized industry standards.” OHSAS 18001 is considered by our major clients to be the preferred Safety Management System. Our ongoing safety performance is viewed as a primary indicator of how we do business for many of our largest customers. Black & McDonald’s ‘tier one’ clients are telling us that the ‘TRIF’ (Total Reportable Injury Frequency) needs to be improved year over year. We will accomplish this by clearly defi ned policies and practices, that are rigorously applied to deliver our desired results. When the new Safety Management System is fully implemented, B&M trades will see an elevated awareness of safety across the company, more defi ned safe work practices defi ned both by division and the nature of their work on their jobsites. Supervision will see elevated levels of support in the form of more comprehensive training and support. “We’re building a safety culture” Pleasance says. “Safety culture is what your people do when they think nobody’s looking, if they continue to do the right things, then we all win.”

Corporate Health & Safety: Zero Incidents Are Possible

Our founder, W. J. McDonald addressed Quality Assurance in the fi rst of the eight principles of our business philosophy, when he said “Do the job right – regardless”. In today’s market, quality programs are a prerequisite for doing business. In 2011, Black & McDonald formed the National Quality Assurance Council, a team of subject matter experts within our company that meet annually to address a quality-related agenda. The purpose of the council is to:• Stimulate and foster excellence in product and service quality;• Promote a company-wide quality culture while sharing resources, learning, and technical expertise in quality principles and practices;• Increase effi ciency in our operations;• Facilitate new business growth. “The decision by the senior management team to establish a national quorum for quality assurance allowed us to push our quality culture forward”, says Tracy Mason, Quality Assurance Director, Power Generation Region and chair of the Council. “Black & McDonald

has developed an excellent reputation for its safety culture; quality is also essential to our operations.” The council provides an opportunity to discuss quality amongst our operations, to organize and share intellectual property and resources that the company has developed over the years. A national QA library has been established, centralizing quality program documents for access to all regions, and indexing the company’s welding procedures. Members of the National Quality Assurance Council include Fernando Ciccarelli, South Western Ontario; Gabrielle Patriarca, Southern Ontario; Philip Craig, Atlantic; Erin McMenemy, AMEC/B&M; Peter Nowacki & Peter Spoor, Canadian Base Operators; Tracy Mason, Ken Barley, and Dorina Nixon, Power Generation; Marc Baillargeon and Tyler Kurka, Saskatchewan; Jean Pierre Cote, Quebec; Irek Iskat, Robert Thain, John Olson, and Mark Hupe, Manitoba; Charlie Welkie, Western Region; and Rick Beck, U.S. Operations.

The B&M Quality Assurance Council:Setting The Cornerstone of our Business

From left to right: Fernando Ciccarelli, Ken Barley, Jason Malone, Peter Nowacki, Peter Spoor, Gabriel Patriarca, Philip Craig, Erin McMenemy, and Tracy Mason at the 2013 Quality Assurance Council meeting.

“If we don’t look after our

people, they won’t look

after the business for us.”

The Black & McDonald Environmental Committee was formed in 2004 to help implement the Black & McDonald Corporate Environmental Policy, “To proactively identify and implement environmentally friendly practices within our facilities and operations, while insuring that each employee understands his or her duty to protect the environment”. This committee includes a representative from each region and meets monthly by conference call. The Committee mandates:• Defi ne a set of environmental practices that constitute the minimum acceptable level of environmental compliance;• Communicate these practices to employees;• Track performance relative to the corporate metrics. The Environmental Practices & Operating Guidelines Manual was created to address these mandates. Since the rollout of the

Manual, Black & McDonald has been tracking the anticipation and management of environmental hazards for projects. The Environmental Committee provides a forum for developing company environmental policy, and tracking/sharing environmentally friendly practices between regions. The Committee strives to initiate new programs throughout the company and monitor the program impacts. The focus of the program includes reducing energy consumption, reducing and recycling waste, and project stewardship. The Committee produces an annual Environmental Strategic Plan identifying past years accomplishments and the upcoming year’s objectives; quarterly reports to the Senior Management Team on project stewardship and progress on initiatives; and a poster distributed throughout the company that documents our past year’s work.

The Environment Committee, Our Green Stewards

Among Us New Employees

AlbertaDave Butler, 1st Year ElectricianStacey Crook, Electrical PMRick Dewitt, Electrical EstimatorSean Fullwood, JM ElectricianAnthony Garanis, 2nd Year ElectricianSpencer Grywacheski, JM ElectricianRobin Houlihan, Mechanical PMLuis Machado, 3rd Year PlumberSean Mangal, 2nd Year PlumberJustin McCaughey, IOL LabourerSyed Rizui, Building OperatorCorey Roberts, 3rd Year ElectricianAndrew Robinson, Sheet Metal MechanicMurray Robinson, Sheet Metal MechanicMatthew Rollins, JM PlumberEvan Slowski, IOL LabourerTanner Tasse, IOL LabourerShaun Toplass, 4th Class Power EngineerRamon Yam, Building Operator

AtlanticCraig Atkinson, DDC Technician, NS ServiceKeith Blaxland, Service Plumber, NS ServiceMark Chiasson, FMO Department Manager, NS ServiceJohn Dooks, Plumber, NS ServiceRene Gates, HVAC Technician, NS ServiceJeff Keeping, Assistant Controller, AccountingThomas LeBlanc, Project Coordinator/Mechanical Estimator, NB ProjectsCraig Ralph, VP, Business Development, NL, AMEC B&MClaudette Roy, HVAC Technician, NS ServiceMichelle Ryder, FMO Administration, NS ServiceDarren Sutherland, Electrical Foreman, NB ProjectsPaul Wardlow, Electrical Technologist, AMEC B&MMatt Wilson, HVAC Apprentice, NS Service

British ColumbiaKen Krahn, Project Manager

ManitobaMark Brissette, 2nd year MillwrightTravis Gibson, 2nd year MillwrightDerek Jones, 1st year MillwrightDarcy Rintoul, 2nd year Millwright

QuebecMelvin Afonso, Payroll ProcessorSylvain Beauchamp, Project Manager – Mechanical DivisionGérald Caron, Superintendent, Reservoir Projects, Mechanical Div.Sophie Dauth, Executive AssistantSteven Dupras, Mechanical Superintendent, Mechanical DivisionMichael Gallant, Electrical Estimator, Electrical DivisionRobert Groulx, Contract Administrator, Mechanical DivisionPat Maiorano, Business Development ManagerDenis Rivière, Mechanical Supervisor, Mechanical DivisionClaude Turcotte, Project Manager, Mechanical Division

André Vignola, Piping Estimator, Mechanical Division

SaskatchewanHenry Bartee, Safety AdvisorJodie Charles, BC/AB PayrollPatrick Famoyin, Project Coordinator Brendan French, Mechanical Project ManagerPat Kilgour, AB/MB Accounts PayableMitch McNally, Junior Mechanical EstimatorDarrell Mills, Service Field SupervisorBill Olchoway, Service ProjectsAlecia Shewchuk, FMO Administration

Southern Ontario Kayyoum Ali, Project Manager, SOURIrina Anton, QA Clerk, PGRRyan Bajc, Project Manager, SOR-MSara Belanger, Customer Service Rep., FMO/SDaniel Coratti, Project Coordinator, FMO/SBruce Cornyn, HSE Manager, WURPeter Deguara, Sr. Project Manager, SOR-MScott Donoghue, Project Coordinator, PGRDwayne Edwards, Division Manager, SOR-MMark Entwisle, TWE Coordinator, PGRBill Forbes, Project Scheduler, PGRBabette Geck, Cost Control Analyst, PGRAdam Glavine, Estimator, WURJames Handy, Jr. Project (Site) Coordinator Syeda Hassan, Purchaser, FMO/SShima Hassan-Zadeh, Customer Service Rep., FMO/SHowie Hope, Project Mgr., FMO/SMelissa-Ann LaHay, Safety Coordinator, FMO/SLuis Landa, Electrical Scheduler, SOR-MGilles Lemay, Quality Assurance, PGRPatrick Leong,Legal Council, FMO/S Colyn MacDonald, Chief Estimator, SOR-MMegan MacPherson, Admin. Assistant, WURJakub Malec, Project Coordinator, SOURTahirah Manji, Customer Service Rep., FMO/S Kurt McDonald, Work Control Lead, PGRLynne Mills, Preventative Maintenance Administrator, FMO/SMartin Oseni, Operations Manager, FMO/SJoe Pascoe, Sr. Project Manager, SOR-MCap Pitts, Sr. Estimator, SOR-MMichele Ricco, Manager, Utilities Estimating, SOURMike Russell, Project Coordinator, PGRDouglas Samson, Purchasing Product Manager, FMO/SLouis Stoltz, QA Inspector, PGRLisa Taylor, Sales, FMO/S

Jasneet Virdi, Project Coordinator, WURJessica Walker, Project Coordinator, WURWenying (Vivien) Wang, Estimator, SOR-MRichard Woodward, Regional Estimating Manager, WURShane Young, Jr. Estimator, SOURTina Zloty, Admin. Assistant, FMO/S

Southwestern OntarioDavid Burr, Solar PV TechnicianWalter Hanisch, Business Development RepresentativeJohn Hlohinec, HVAC JourneymanRick Holsappel, HVAC JourneymanBrian Robertson, HVAC JourneymanNick Sicoli, 4th Year HVAC-R

U.S. OperationsSamantha Beaven, DispatcherDaryl Bennett, Planning Services CoordinatorDavin Burbee, Claims AdjusterMatt Epp, CAD DesignerAshley Gutierrez, DispatcherKathy Kraemer, GIS SpecialistJosh McNabb, Safety AssistantSusan Schleuning, Project Analyst

Movers & Shakers

QuebecKristina Labre from FMO/Service Billing Administrator, SW Ontario to Operational Support, Construction Division, Quebec.Raphaël Paquin from Project Coordinator Training, Northern Ontario to Project Coordinator, Quebec.

SaskatchewanKayleen Cote from BC/AB Payroll to BC Accounts PayableAshley Oslon from FMO Admin. to Service Contract SalesHeather Roberston from Service Admin. to Fabrication Admin.Francis Robin from Construction Site Foreman to Fabrication Estimator

Nuptials

Congratulations to Travis Head on his marriage to Marina on March 3 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Parenthood

AlbertaAngus Potskin (FMO) welcomes a boy, March 20.

AtlanticMarie & Iain Campbell (ABM) welcome a granddaughter, Jorja Marie, Dec. 10, 8 lbs, 4 oz. Pam & Jeff Fader (NS Service) welcome a boy, Dylan George, Nov. 26. Kelly & Dewi Jones (ABM) welcome a boy, Taylor Morris, Dec. 10, 6 lbs, 10 oz.Kim & Rob Lacey (NL Service) welcome a boy, Samuel George, Jan. 6, 8 lbs, 4 oz. Gale MacDonald (Atlantic Accounting) welcomes a Granddaughter, Julie Kathryn Campbell, Dec. 14, 8 lbs, 14 oz.Alissa Pencer & Mike Mattie (NS Service) welcome a girl, Aria Jane, Feb. 24, 7 lbs, 12 oz.

Black & McDonald Limited

Corporate Offi ce:2 Bloor St. East, Suite 2100Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8Tel: (416) 920-5100 Fax: (416) 922-8768

Offi ces:Goose Bay (709) 896-2639St. John’s (709) 747-1406Fredericton (506) 459-1650Moncton (506) 858-5688Bathurst (506) 547-8070Halifax (902) 468-3101Montreal (514) 735-6671Ottawa (613) 526-1226Pickering (905) 837-1291Scarborough (416) 298-9977Toronto (416) 366-2541Mississauga (905) 672-1110Hamilton (905) 560-3100London (519) 681-4801Winnipeg (204) 786-5776Regina (306) 924-0885Saskatoon (306) 652-3835Calgary (403) 235-0335Edmonton (780) 484-1141Kelowna (250) 491-7474Vancouver (604) 301-1070Kansas City, MO (816) 483-0257Sandy City, Utah (801) 569-9219

Associated companies:AMEC Black & McDonald (902) 474-3700CBO (705) 446-9019Entera (416) 746-9914Land & Sea (902) 461-2009Roberts Onsite (519) 578-2230

B&M News Editor:Ross Maddever (416) 486-3199

Correspondents:Robert Burns AtlanticSophie Dauth QuébecDonna Smerdon N. Ontario Dawn Dabarno S. OntarioPhil Taggart S.W. OntarioMarcel Brissette ManitobaShawn Ochitwa SaskatchewanDave Morrow AlbertaCharles Saramo British ColumbiaEric Vogel U.S.

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