Archive for November, 2016

Taking a Ride with BPPD

Wednesday, November 30th, 2016

Earlier this year, Egan hosted a Brooklyn Park Police Department (BPPD) K-9 Fundraiser to raise funds for stab- and bullet-resistant vests. Two lucky winners, Jason Lindula, Egan Company Safety Coordinator, and Gary Setala, Egan Company Account Executive, won a ride-along with BPPD Officers Tom/Kilo and Jason/Bongo. Read about Jason and Gary’s firsthand account of their nights:

Jason’s Ride-Along

Jason’s ride-along was on Saturday, November 12. He was out with Officers Tom and Kilo from 6:45pm-2:15am.

We were dispatched to a “suspected” drunk driving related crash where the driver was not wearing a seat belt and hit the wind shield, luckily he was not ejected and was out of the car talking to another cop by the time we got on the scene. There were also several noise complaints that we dealt with that lead to some interesting conversations for the cops.

There were times where I was nervous when we were in apartments and they were talking to some people who may or may not have been under the influence and were becoming agitated. We also had the lights and sirens on driving at a high rate of speed. It was interesting to see how some people are oblivious to a cop approaching them from behind.

Gary’s Ride-Along

Gary’s ride-along was this past Friday, November 18. He was out with Officers Jason and Bongo from 6:30pm-2:30am.

The first call of the night was an armed robbery for pharmaceutical drugs at a local drug store. We left the police station at a high rate of speed with lights and sirens. Bongo was out trying to track the robber, but due to the wind and cold, the scent was not present. The robber disappeared into the neighborhood.

The second call was a mother and mother in-law domestic dispute. Evacuating the mother in-law and others from the home resolved the issue.

The third call was to support Corcoran Police with a vehicle drug stop. Bongo provided sniffing support for searching the vehicle for drugs. Again wind and cold hampered the search, but drugs were found.

Another call assisted a concerned neighbor of an elderly women. She went to bed without turning lights off, bringing her dog in, or closing the patio door. Several officers prepared for the worst when entering the condominium. The lady was found alive and upstairs sleeping.

Also, we then took the time to bring a young man watching a construction site in his vehicle a cup of coffee. Jason had met him a few nights earlier on patrol thinking he might be a bad guy. Needless to say it was a great gesture by Jason Buck.

Donating Food for Local Families in Need

Monday, November 21st, 2016

When we set goals, we not only meet them, but exceed them! Egan employees in both the Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota offices banded together during our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive to exceed our goal of donating five barrels of food with a total of eight overflowing barrels of food for local families in need.

Partnering with the Twin Cities based Community Emergency Assistant Programs (CEAP), and the Southern Minnesota based Channel One Regional Food Bank and The Salvation Army in Austin, employees donated non-perishable items so families in our community can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

CEAP is a Brooklyn Park-based nonprofit dedicated to helping families gain financial stability and maximize their ability to live independently. Channel One Regional Food Bank is nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping feed people in need in Rochester, MN. The Salvation Army in Austin is a local center of the national Salvation Army that operates across the United States. Their mission  is to feed, to clothe, to comfort, to care. Thank you to CEAP, Channel One Regional Food Bank, and the Salvation Army for providing food and comfort for those in need this holiday week.

Pneumatic to DDC – Building Automation System Options

Wednesday, November 9th, 2016

Many buildings still operate with a pneumatic building automation system, or have no system at all. Converting a system to digital data control isn’t as challenging as one may think.

Utilizing Egan Company’s gradual upgrade transition process, we’ll provide maintenance on an existing system until a building manager is ready to transition to a brand new and efficient model.

A system’s transition process would include:

  • Remote access – You don’t need to be in front of the system to monitor it. We can access a system from a secure network for monitoring or general building knowledge.
  • Major system updates – We’ll take care of any manual updates until the system is set to do it automatically.
  • Minor repairs – Systems will be monitored to ensure everything is in proper working order. If it’s not, we’ll dispatch a licensed and union-trained technician to fix it – day or night.
  • Software upgrades –  Any necessary Internet patches will be incorporated.

If you operate a building and think you are ready to start the process to upgrade your pneumatic building automation system, we’ve got you covered – from installation to 24/7 emergency support.

We are Egan – Paul Burggraff

Tuesday, November 8th, 2016

Paul Burggraff“Foremen cannot do the jobs by themselves. We rely on the skills and knowledge of the tradesmen working on our projects.”

Meet Paul Burggraff, an Electrical Field Leader who has been with Egan for 22 years.

In his spare time, he enjoys kiteboarding with his kids. “I like to see my kids realize that some of the most rewarding things come from challenges and determination.”

Our company is shaped by who we are, not just what we do. Together, we are Egan.

Moving on up ENR Top 600 List

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

ENR600_2016Engineering News-Record listed Egan Company as #63 for its Top 600 Specialty Contractors – a 30 spot jump from last year! Egan was also listed as #45 on the list of Top 50 Firms in Electrical and #13 on the list of Top 20 Firms in Glazing and Curtainwall.

This list is based on annual revenue from companies across the United States. This year, the group listed on the Top 600 Specialty Contractors topped the $100 billion revenue mark, an increase of 7.8% from the previous year.

 

Improving the Travel Experience

Tuesday, November 1st, 2016

Have the ultimate travel experience – in the airport. Many airports are focusing on traveler satisfaction and adding new features to their facilities to improve the overall experience. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is doing this by taking building automation system integration to the next level.

Previously, MSP had disparate systems that functioned separately and required a lot of maintenance. For the past few years, Egan Company has helped merge these systems into one open architecture platform so various divisions within the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) can operate more efficiently.

In addition to centralizing disparate systems, Egan is working to install a new Wastewater Information Display System (WIDS) in select Terminal 1 restrooms. This system enables MAC to automate many processes and eliminates the need for unnecessary walkabouts.

20160219_125728The new system includes thermal people counters in doorways to keep track of the number of people who enter the bathroom. After a certain number of people have entered the bathroom, the display outside the bathroom switches into “clean mode” and it alerts MAC Facilities to assign an employee to clean it.

While the bathroom is in clean mode, the display tells travelers that it is closed for cleaning and where the next closest bathroom is located. The WIDS interfaces to the security system so card swipes by MAC Facilities places the restroom into clean or normal mode.

Advanced mechanical systems were also installed that adjust delivered and exhausted air depending on what mode they are on – unoccupied, occupied, or cleaning. Motion sensors are used to increase the ventilation rates when the restrooms are in use and to reduce ventilation when vacant. During cleaning mode, the ventilation rates are set even higher to diffuse the odor of cleaning products. This results in energy savings for the airport.

“The ventilation system and thermal people counters are newer technologies that improve the traveler experience,” said Ryan Haller, Egan Company Engineering Manager. “If you go to an airport and the bathroom is smelly, that’s all you’re going to remember. The WIDS helps alleviate some of those issues.”

Egan also monitors other components of the restrooms and provides alarms to the appropriate MAC department when the system requires, including the hot water system and lighting loads when lamps or ballasts need replacing.

In total, Egan has installed the WIDS in three newly renovated bathrooms and retrofitted the system in two additional bathrooms, located in Concourses C, E, and F. A sixth one located in the main terminal will be completed later in 2016.

Core Project Team: Metropolitan Airports Commission, Michaud-Cooley Erickson, Morcon Construction, Kraus-Anderson

Egan Services Provided: Retrofit and new installation of building automation system, Wastewater Information Display System, thermal people counters, advanced ventilation systems.