At FABCON, our team continues to make a lasting impact in and outside of the workplace.  We are pleased to announce that two of our team members, Beth Elliott and Wanda Triplett, have submitted pieces of art to Chairs with Flair – An Art Benefit for Bridging.

This unique event helps to raise money through a silent auction featuring fantastic pieces like Beth and Wanda created.  We appreciate all of our employees continued efforts in the community.

These pieces were created by FABCON’s Beth Elliott

This piece was created by FABCON’s Wanda Triplett

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The FabconFORCE is proud to continue its sponsorship of two Friends of the Brave events being held in early September.  Friends of the Brave is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance and support through a variety of events and initiatives to raise funds to support our Military, First Responders, and their families.

On Thursday September 8th, the Friend of the Brave Craft Beer Event will feature live music, auctions and more than 30 craft beers for your enjoyment followed by the organization’s golf event on Friday at The Meadows at Mystic Lake Golf Course in Prior Lake, MN.

FABCON appreciates all of the contributions our employees continue to make within our community.  If you are interested in learning more about Friends of the Brave, upcoming events or how to make a contribution, please visit their website.

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FABCON is pleased to announce that Kelly Kroening has been named Continuous Improvement Leader at the company’s Minnesota headquarters.  Prior to this assignment, Kelly filled the Human Resources Coordinator role occupied by Sonya Griffin, who is on military leave from FABCON until the end of September.  She will spend the next few weeks transitioning into her new full-time role.

Kelly graduated from St. Catherine University last year and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development with an emphasis on Training and Organizational Development at the University of Minnesota.   We look forward to her continued contributions at FABCON as the Continuous Improvement Leader.

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We are excited to announce that Los Angeles-based Platinum Equity has agreed to acquire FABCON Precast.

Platinum Equity operates companies across a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and many other industries.

About the acquisition Platinum says this “We have great respect for everything the company has accomplished and look forward to working with the management team to help the business maximize its potential.”  

“We’ve met with Platinum Equity several times already and they like the direction Fabcon is going,” said former FABCON CEO Mike LeJeune. “We feel that they are a great fit for us because they support our overall strategic initiatives.”

Additionally, FABCON CEO Mike LeJeune announced his retirement following the transition of ownership.  LeJeune’s void has been filled by Tom Kuckhahn, who has spent the last 21 years at FABCON most recently as the Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering. More information regarding leadership changes to follow.

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FABCON is proud to once again be holding a United Way campaign in our workplace. Last year, because of the caring spirit of our employees, we raised $22,493.76 to help families in our community. I am excited about the opportunity we have in front of us to do even more for the community in which we live and work.

When you LIVE UNITED, you join thousands of others who are working to turn the stories around for those most in need. One way that United Way creates happier homes and better lives is by opening economic education and health opportunities. For example, in 2015:

•  United Way fed over 229,000 people

•  United Way increased early grade literacy for over 6,300 k-3 students

•  United Way helped over 32,000 older adults and people with disabilities remain independent

It takes an entire community to make a difference and we need you – can we count on you to LIVE UNITED?

Campaign Kick Offs began on September 20th and a celebration BBQ lunch will take place on Thursday, September 22nd for our third shift employees and Friday, September 23rd for all other employees.  Other events throughout the week include daily bingo cards, bake sale and a silent auction.

Thank you for all you do to keep our community a great place to live and work. You can count on me this year to LIVE UNITED and I hope you consider joining me in making a gift to United Way.

Sincerely,

Tom Kuckhahn, President/CEO

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The FABCON Savage blood drive is scheduled from 10am – 4pm on Thursday, September 29^th. 

Nearly 20 people have signed up to fill a crucial need.  There are several slots still open so contact Sharon Reko TODAY.

Do you know?

• Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.
• Blood donation is a simple 4-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.
• Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor’s temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood.
• The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 minutes.
• PLUS! Donors may save time by completing a RapidPass on the day of their donation prior to arriving at the blood drive.
• The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his body. Roughly 1 pint is given during a donation.
• A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.
• A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.
• All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be released to hospitals.

The post FABCON Savage Blood Drive Scheduled for September 29th appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is pleased to welcome Lee Danielsen as the company’s new interim Human Resources Coordinator.  Lee will be assisting Kelly as she transitions to her new position and will fill the void until Sonya Griffin returns

Lee graduated from St. Catherine University last December with a major in Psychology and minor in Business Administration. Recently, she started her Master’s in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota. While she’s not working or studying, she is chasing around her (almost) 4 year old son.

The post FABCON Announces Human Resources Hire appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Always innovating

Ask anyone what’s kept Fabcon on the forefront of the precast concrete wall panel industry and the answer is simple: innovation.

A variety of finishes, the addition of insulation, rolling beds and exposed aggregate are all ways the company has stayed ahead of the curve and ahead of competition.

“The company has always been adaptive. We’ve always responded to what the market throws at us and have come through recessions as a better company. We’re survivors,” Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing says.

And how will Fabcon continue to innovate, grow and adapt? Key leadership and customers weighed in on what’s worked well over the years, and what they see on the horizon.

Q: HOW WILL FABCON GROW IN THE NEXT 45 YEARS?

Tom Kuckhahn, President and CEO
We are now under new ownership and are excited to take the show on the road. We’ve spent a long time on operational excellence and making better products. Under Platinum’s ownership, we’ll focus on strategic growth through geographic expansion. Having more plants in new locations will allow us to do more work with our existing customers.

Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
It’s definitely the time to grow. We’re building a plant in New England and the timing is perfect. By expanding we can better serve more customers and continue to gain market share.

Edward F. Piekarz, CEO, TriCon Construction Services and Management Corp.
I see them saturating the east coast.

Jack Grotkin, Co-President of RJ Ryan Construction
They’re going to have to diversify their product. They’re going to have to come up with ways to continue to make their architectural features better.

Q: WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BEST INNOVATIONS AT FABCON?

Tom Kuckhahn, President and CEO
VersaCore was a big deal for us. It was created in order to provide a precast solution with superior R-Values, design flexibility, and sustainability ratings. We wanted to increase our market share and that was a product that allowed us to do it. We’re continuing to work on product innovations.

Fabcon was also the first to bring automation to the precast market in the U.S. Automation was painful and expensive but innovative and allowed us to improve our quality and have success with our customers.

Mike LeJeune, former President and CEO
We took out the step of putting the panels on the ground. When we did it, we would have an 8-ton panel spinning in the air, which wasn’t safe so we worked with the crane company to eliminate the spin. Working directly off trucks almost doubled our setting rate.

Getting architectural certification has worked well for us, too. We’ve done some sandblast buildings that I’m really proud of. That certification helps us get work that we wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.

Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Our finishes. The top of our panels started out really ugly. We had a John Deere dealer next door and I think our original finish involved a John Deere rake. Now we have a variety of beautiful finishes.

The national account program was great, too. We started that in 1992 with accounts like Home Depot. To this day none of the other precasters have figured out how to do it.

Bob Anderson, RC Anderson Company
There’s been constant improvement of the product and constant attention to how they can improve whether it’s pricing, productivity, or final appearance. They’re always looking for another way to improve and take it to the next level.

Q: HOW HAS FABCON CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Edward F. Piekarz, CEO, TriCon Construction Services and Management Corp.
Fabcon has always evolved to meet market needs. They’re not stagnant. If there was ever a problem – and sometimes there were problems, they would be in touch and tell us here’s what they were doing to get it fixed.

They’re willingness to change for our benefit is impressive. They’re the leader in precast panels. They stay at the forefront and that’s clearly Mike’s stewardship.

Jack Grotkin, Co-President of RJ Ryan Construction
They’re streamlined the process and are more efficient in the field. The plants are more efficient now, too. Mike and everyone we work with listen to their customers. They’re loyal to their customers and we’re loyal to Fabcon.

Q: WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS OF FABCON?

Mike LeJeune, former President and CEO
The best part is the people. It sounds trite but everybody who has worked here says it. We have a great, family-friendly atmosphere. Family comes first and we honor that. If there is ever a crisis, or death or illness, you really see people step up and come together.

Tom Kuckhahn, President and CEO
There exists an esprit de corps here. We’re like a big family. It’s not just a job, you work with the same people for a long time. The longevity of our management team and many others who have worked here for decades proves that.

Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Because you get to see the finished product, there’s a sense of pride in what we do. It’s fun to point out to your family the buildings we’ve created. And they’re not just buildings, we’re helping other companies expand, grow and succeed.

We also have great relationships with our customers. First, we try to give them anything they want. Our commitment to our customers got us through a lot of recessions. And we look under every possible rock when times are tough. We’re a lot more flexible about the types of jobs we’ll do when things slow down.

Also, our commitment to safety is better than ever. We are very committed to a whole safety culture and have made significant changes to keep people safe. We have a dangerous environment with tons of materials moving around. We now focus much more on preventing injuries.

The post New Owners, New Leadership and a New Plan of Action: Building on 45 years of Ideas and Innovation appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is pleased to introduce David Vanbibber as the newest Production Supervisor at the company’s Ohio plant. Previously, David held an interim shift supervisor position with FABCON and has become a very valuable management team member in recent months.

David comes to FABCON with 19 years of experience in manufacturing, including 8 years as a production supervisor in HVAC and Optics. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his 13 year old son and coaches his baseball team. David also enjoys golfing, playing softball and snowboarding.

We appreciate David’s efforts and look forward to continued contributions in his new role.

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FABCON’s Jim Houtman joined the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Manufacturing Table of Experts to discuss the state of the industry, as well as the importance of a quality workforce for continued growth.

Click the image below to read the full article:

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FABCON is pleased to welcome Tony Spanos as the company’s new Team Assistant in Grove City, OH.

He recently graduated from Ohio University in the spring of 2015, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and he has since continued on to schooling at Capital University Law School pursuing a post-baccalaureate paralegal certificate.

Tony has always had a strong interest in construction from the time he was very young playing with Legos. His father, Michael, has worked with Fabcon for numerous years, and has decided to begin his career too! 

Tony enjoys all things sports related, and likes to be competitive in all aspects of life.  Growing up in a very small southeastern Ohio town, Tony was excited with new potential opportunities after moving to Columbus.

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FABCON has been featured in several feature briefs within the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Consult the Experts column.  The topics of discussion were wide-ranging, covering topics such as the benefits of working with precast, industry growth, the importance of establishing and maintaining first-class construction practices.

Click the image below to view the entire collection of Feature Briefs from FABCON Precast.

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FABCON is pleased to welcome Dave Rothman to the company as the new IT Manager.  At FABCON, Dave will be responsible for overseeing all IT systems, applications and personnel. 

Dave joins FABCON with 20 years of experience as an IT leader, much of which was in the pharmaceutical industry. He brings a great deal of IT experience, as well as technical certifications with a degree in International business from The College of Idaho in Caldwell, ID.  He also holds a Lean Sigma Yellow Belt. Dave prides himself on his ability to translate strategic business vision into execution, fostering strong partnerships with internal stakeholders, and resolving complex issues.

Dave is married with 3 children, living in Albertville. When not spending time with his family, he can be found on a wakeboard, kiteboard, snowboard or mountain bike.  We look forward to Dave’s contributions within the company.

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FABCON is pleased to announce three new officer promotions within the company.

John Allgaier: Vice President of Business Development and Supply Chain

Kim Capel: Vice President of Administration

Jeff Prewitt: Chief Operating Officer

John Allgaier has been with FABCON for just over one year as Director of Supply Chain after more than 30 years with General Mills.   In that short time, John has proven himself to be very strategic and results-oriented at the same time.  His record in Supply Chain shows a strong focus on strategic partnerships and willingness to think outside the box for solutions.  John will retain his supply chain responsibilities, but will also focus on FABCON’s research and development efforts.

Kim Capel joined FABCON in early 2014, and in her time as Director of IT, Kim has distinguished herself as a strong communicator, facilitator, and someone who gets things done.  In her new role, Kim will be responsible for the IT, QA and Engineering departments – an integral component of FABCON’s daily operations. 

Jeff Prewitt’s promotion to Chief Operating Officer comes after leading Field and Project Management functions at FABCON for more than eight years and almost 17 total years at the company.  Throughout his career, Jeff has demonstrated a commitment to safety, quality and nurturing a spirit of innovation, making him an ideal candidate to lead FABCON’s manufacturing operations moving forward.

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In construction, nothing ranks higher than consistency.  From executive leadership to manufacturing, our emphasis on quality and consistency is what’s allowed FABCON to succeed and grow into the company it is today.

Read more in FABCON’s recent feature brief about the importance of consistent practices throughout our entire business.

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Precast has helped many businesses and organizations increase its physical footprint while reducing their carbon footprint.  Our feature brief, Gray is the new Green, talks about the sustainability of precast and how FABCON has continued to innovate a technology that has remained largely unchanged.

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Today, many companies are faced with expansion or production changes that require building modifications to be made.  In the feature brief titled Building to Accommodate Growth Spurts, we explore how precast allows for flexible reconfiguration in a timely manner without disrupting the entire structure.

growth_spurts

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FABCON is pleased to welcome Philip Reed as the company’s newest Project Manager at our Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania office.

Philip brings more than ten years of project management experience to FABCON in both commercial and residential construction.  Additionally, he also served in the United States Navy.

Philip enjoys spending time with his family, flying his plane on the weekends and playing outdoors with his three children.  We look forward to Philip making an immediate impact within our project management team.

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FABCON is pleased to welcome Ted Locklear as the company’s new Corporate Reliability Engineer.

Ted brings more than 26 years of experience to FABCON, including 20 years in the United States Air Force, where he served in a variety of roles including F-15 Crew Chief, Aircraft Maintenance Management Instructor and Training Superintendent.  Ted also lead Maintenance and Reliability efforts at Gerdau Long Steel, a global steel industry leader, for five years.

 Ted has three sons, Dalton (17), Cody (12), and Jordan (10) all of whom play baseball, meaning a lot of time spent at ballparks.  In addition, Ted and his family enjoy hunting, fishing and camping.  We look forward to the valuable insight  Ted will provide and the impact he will bring to FABCON’s reliability efforts.

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Speed is a strategy. No matter how large or small your commercial construction project is, meeting schedule milestones is essential.  Structural, insulated precast concrete wall panels offer an integrated solution that reduces construction time.

This feature brief takes a closer look at how FABCON has leveraged our manufacturing and construction capabilities to help our partners complete their projects quickly and efficiently.

speed_efficiency

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