APGElectric

We Moved!

Our Lakeland and Orlando offices have recently been consolidated to one new convenient location on Lakeland Hills Boulevard.

On Friday, February 24, 2012, APG Electric and the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony at our newest office location, 1804 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, on the northwest corner of Lakeland Hills Boulevard and Bella Vista Avenue, in the "APG Electric Building." More than sixty invited guests turned out for the celebration, including representatives from local businesses, the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, and APG Electric customers, vendors and employees. The event was a combined unveiling of our recent expansion and an opportunity to introduce APG Electric to potential new customers in the Lakeland area.

The new Lakeland office is much larger than our former space, a few blocks south, in order to accommodate the addition of our Orlando employees to the Lakeland staff.  In this expanded space, we are better positioned to respond to upcoming growth in Lakeland and the surrounding markets, as well as being more readily accessible to the Clearwater team. And here's a bit of APG Electric trivia: Did you know we have been members of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce since October 24, 1989?  That's 23 years!

For the Open House, our office suite and event tent were decorated with APG-blue balloons, hard hats, and APG takeaway souvenirs for our guests. Along with a tour of the new space, guests were treated to a buffet lunch, catered by Southern Gourmet, and a dessert table featuring a variety of cupcakes, cake pops, and candy, all served under a large tent in the parking lot behind the building.

Congratulations to the Lakeland office staff for hosting an enjoyable afternoon, and kudos to event planner Events by Joann, who helped to make the open house a big success.

Thank you all for your support as APG Electric continues to grow in the exciting Lakeland market, and stay tuned to Pipeline for more information about future Lakeland-area events.

Do you know someone looking for work in the Polk County area?  Karri Edwards welcomes job applicants from Lakeland and the surrounding areas by appointment. Please direct all potential applicants to call the Applicant Information Line at 863-688-0600 x 504 for details.

APG Employee Volunteer Update

We are very proud to report that in the first quarter of 2012, APG Electric employees volunteered 1,157 hours in service to our community. In other words, in addition to working hard on the job each day, the APG Electric Team has already donated hours equivalent to one person working 40 hours a week for over six months. That's a lot of extra hands dedicated to serving others, thank you! Please keep up the good work, and don't forget to submit your volunteer hours to julie.bennett@apgelectric.com each month.

New Certifications

Congratulations to Kip Goulder who passed the LEED Green Associate exam on Thursday, March 8, 2012. This certification confirms Kip's general understanding of LEED concepts and sustainable building practices, such as the knowledge to implement the many different ways of using less energy, water, and natural resources - creating less waste and fostering a healthier, more comfortable environment. LEED certifications are highly distinguished and widely accepted in the building, design and construction world.

Congratulations also to Jim McMillan, Paul Frances, and Chuck Pennell for acquiring NICET Level II Certification for Fire Alarm Systems. They will each receive $150 in gift cards to celebrate this outstanding accomplishment.

Customer Connections

Following a recent lunch meeting and tour of our office, the safety manager for Skanska USA Building wrote to share some observations about APG and specifically about one of our fine employees, Lance Rogers.

I enjoyed the tour of your office and warehouse and was very impressed with the organization and housekeeping. You have a lot to be proud of at APG. During my visit we spoke about Lance working at the Sun Dome. I came across him working between 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm there about a month ago. I asked him what was wrong and why was he working during lunch? He said that APG takes care of him while he is working, but when he makes an error he corrects it on his time. I thought this was an extremely strong comment and sets a great example for everyone on the project. Lance is a good worker, but also a great human being.
- David Espy, Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Skanska USA Building

Last month, Adam Taylor and Sal Paturzo from our Service Division provided power for a new freezer and related equipment and lighting for long time customer Ruth Eckerd Hall.  When the project was completed, the facilities technician sent us a note to express appreciation for a job well done.

Once again a stellar performance by your professional and talented crew.  You and your team are the special forces of the industry.  Thank you.
- Ray Mccoy, Facilities Technician, Ruth Eckerd Hall

The IEC Fire Alarm Training Task Force Meets in Houston

The IEC Fire Alarm Training Task Force met on January 18-19, 2012, at the IEC Texas Gulf Coast Chapter in Houston. At this meeting, the Task Force, including APG member Mike Millard, reviewed the input that was received from IEC of Oregon and the IEC Florida West Coast as a result of their beta testing of the new fire alarm training module. Their beta testing was developed based on current National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technology (NICET) requirements and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72-2007. Based on the discussions at this meeting, it was determined that the fire alarm module is of good quality and that IEC will move forward in undertaking the final editorial steps in preparation for final publication in early summer of 2012.

APG played a significant role in the Florida West Coast Chapter's beta testing last year. Mike Millard was an instructor, six of our employees assisted outside of class, and nine others actually enrolled in and graduated from the course. As a result of their training, each graduate was able to successfully complete the NICET II certification exam. With six more of our employees currently enrolled in the course, APG is well on its way to having all of our systems technicians obtain NICET certification.

IEC SPARK Recognition

APG recently enjoyed special recognition from the Independent Electrical Contractors organization for our outstanding commitment and dedication to safety based on our responses to their Safety Program Awareness and Retention Kit, or SPARK.  This program is a method for companies to evaluate their safety program by giving it a "safety check-up". Companies rate themselves in twenty-six different categories based on a specific set of criteria and add up their scores to indicate their level of achievement. APG was one of thirty-five electrical contractors from the Florida West Coast Chapter to participate in the evaluation and one of seven to qualify for the highest level of "Grand Achievement".