PLANT EXCHANGE ARTICLES
- CS Integrates Energy/Cost Saving Measures
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 5 / September-October 2009
- Curt Smitka, Office of the Vice President for Research, submitted a request last spring for Construction Services to remodel the fourth floor of the Victor Vaughan building. This remodel would include a new kitchen, painting of the entire floor as well as carpet cleaning. Curt was very happy with the budget estimate for the project, however, he did express some concerns regarding the performance of the existing lightingFreshly Painted Rooms...
- Eight New Management Initiatives for Construction Services
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 4 / July-August 2009
- In 2008 Construction Services underwent an extensive examination by U-M Internal Audits. The audit report included the development of eight management initiatives for the department. Significant progress has been made on these eight initiatives...
- Art Museum Grand Re-Opening
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 3 / May-June 2009
- The U-M Museum of Art recently re-opened. The Museum was closed for construction purposes; a new addition which more than doubled the former exhibit space. Construction Services, working in collaboration with Plant’s sheet metal and welding shops, were able to put their signature on numerous visible projects...
- Fireside Chats at U-M Chrysler Center
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 2 / March-April 2009
- Pierpont Commons called for Construction Services’ staff to makeover a vacated area. The intended purpose of the space was to house the North Campus Computer Show Case for computer retail sales, including a student computer work area...
- Keeping the Tradition: Ten Employees Honored!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- In early November an awards banquet was held in honor of graduates of the U-M Skilled
Trades Apprenticeship program. The dinner was held to celebrate and publicly recognize, in
the presence of family members, friends, fellow graduates, and managers, the achievements
of the ten Plant Operations employees who completed an apprenticeship program and
became journeypersons during the three year period of time from 2006 through 2008...
- Rotunda Restoration Project
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- Construction Services is in the third year of an ongoing restoration project in the Ruthven Museum of Natural History. We are being supported by the College of LS&A and the College of Architecture & Engineering...
- 10 RANDOM Questions: Geting to know each other
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- If you could meet one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be?
God, because he is important to me...
- Construction Services Invited to Appreciation Day
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 5 / November - December 2008
- On September 9th, the University of Michigan Health System celebrated their employees by hosting an Employee Appreciation Day. This was the first combined event in which the Medical School and Hospital joined together for employee appreciation!...
- Repairs to Burton Tower
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 4 / September - October 2008
- When pieces of broken limestone were noticed gathering at the base of Burton Tower, the Construction Services department was asked to investigate. By looking through binoculars we were able to determine where this limestone had fallen from. It came from high atop the tower, above the face of the clock...
- Architectural Trade Shops Showcase Talent
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 3 / July - August 2008
- Plant’s Architectural Trade shops were recently under the scrutiny of several guests from U-M’s Hospital Facilities Services. The purpose of the tour was to observe and assess our shop’s operations and capabilities. The tour included the Cabinet Shop, Sign Shop, Spray Shop, and Upholstery Shop...
- LSI NMR Lab Project
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 1 & 2 / January - April 2008
- The Life Science Institute facilities group approached the Architecture and Engineering Department to design the conversion of room 3214A into a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Instrument (NMR) lab. The room was originally design to be a server room when the building was first constructed, however, recently the room was being used as the IT workshop...
- PET/CT Replacement - Part 2
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 1 & 2 / January - April 2008
- The completion of the PET/CT Replacement project took the efforts of some very dedicated Construction Services employees; carpenters, laborers, painters, masons, sheet metal workers, and electricians. The outstanding commitment of this team of trades’ personnel made it possible to meet the requirements and scheduled target dates...
- Regents Meeting Room Upgrade - Fleming Building
- Plant Exchange: Volume 17 / No. 6 / December 2007
- Recently, the Regents’ meeting room located in the Fleming Building underwent an upgrade to improve the lighting and to remove the original sprayed on acoustical ceiling treatment of the dome...
- PET/CT Replacement - Part 1
- Plant Exchange: Volume 17 / No. 6 / December 2007
- Construction Services took on a great deal of responsibility when they accepted the PET/CT Replacement project. The challenge of planning and coordinating construction activities to occur in accordance with on-going radiology procedures was quite the task. Taking into consideration the high volume of patient treatments performed, the expedient turnover of this area back to the customer was vital...
- Coworkers Hold Benefit for the Family of Sam Rochon
- Plant Exchange: Volume 17 / No. 5 / October 2007
- On Saturday, August 11, 2007, several of Sam Rochon’s friends and coworkers hosted a hog
roast to benefit his family and to celebrate his life...
- Residential College Administration - Tyler House - East Quad
- Plant Exchange: Volume 17 / No. 5 / October 2007
- The facilities group within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) came to Construction Services requesting assistance with the design and implementation of the renovation of the Residential College Administration area in the Tyler House of East Quad...
- Student Employee Works to Improve Conditions for Heavy Truck Drivers
- Plant Exchange: Volume 16 / No. 7 / July 2007
- Phil Drazewski, a student employee of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), is busy this summer improving conditions for heavy truck drivers. By taking measurements of seatbelt adjustments and ingress/egress handles, he hopes to improve both future driver safety and comfort...
- New Look for Golf Pro Shop
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 6 / May 2007
- In early January 2007, the manager of the University of Michigan Golf Course hired Construction Services to replace their existing main desk. The manager and the golf course staff wanted the desk positioned in the back corner of the pro shop for a more spacious feel, as well as, being more convenient...
- Construction Services Presents Safety Awards To Staff
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 5 / March 2007
- Jeanette Craft, Secretary Intermediate in Construction Services and Karen Diroff, a temporary employee in the Carpentry Shop, prepared the Employee Safety Awards presented to all of our full-time employees. We received a 50% reduction award in 2006 for reducing incidents by 10%...
- Welcome Desks
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 4 / January 2007
- The main entrances to the University Hospital and Taubman Health Center have a new look! As part of the renovation work at the main entrances of the hospital, Construction Services was hired to build and install custom welcome and valet desks....
- Cabinetry Shop Gets “Lean”
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 3 / November 2006
- The cabinetry shop has initiated a Lean Manufacturing team to reduce waste, including saw cut-offs, excess inventory and physical movement from machine to machine...
- Med Sci I, 2nd Floor A-Wing Demolition Project
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 2 / September 2006
- In response to the results of an Employee Satisfaction survey taken by Construction Services employees, members of the Labor Management Council (LMC) decided to pilot a program entitled ‘Crucial Confrontations™.’...
- Construction Services and “Crucial Confrontations”
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 5 / May 2006
- The Construction Services Shop recently completed a major demolition project at the Med Sci I building. The project was completed by a composite crew of skilled tradesmen from Construction Services and the Ohio Concrete Sawing and Drilling, Inc...
- New Project Assistants
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 4 / February 2006
- This past Fall, Construction Services welcomed three new Project Assistants: Mike Petit, Mike Folk, and Samantha Brandt...
- Riser Replacement
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 4 / February 2006
- On November 21, 2005, Construction Services began a very challenging project. For 47 days, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, Construction Services managed a project that replaced 22 sanitary risers effecting 82 Intensive Care Unit rooms in the UM main hospital. Due to the sensitive nature of the areas impacted, the project required a 24/7 work schedule...
- Hospital Gets Help From Construction Services
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 3 / December 2005
- This fall, Construction Services kicked off the implementation of the new Orders Management Project (OMP) that is expected to be completed by fall 2006. OMP is a massive clinical computing project that will improve the quality and safety of inpatient care in our Health System...
- A Fresh Look
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 1 / August 2005
- In February, Construction Services proceeded with a badly needed renovation in Ruthven Exhibit Museum. The under-utilized area
was in need of electrical and mechanical upgrades. An overall increase of the exhibit area was also desired...
- Roof Protection For Rooftop Staging Projects
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 6 / June 2005
- Rooftop projects are on everyone's "to do list" now that the weather has finally warmed up in Michigan. A building's roof is the first
line of defense against Mother Nature. Therefore, here are some roof Do's and Don'ts to help maintain the integrity of the facility...
- Buhr Building's Electrical and Mechanical Analysis
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 5 / April 2005
- In February, Construction Services conducted an electrical and mechanical evaluation of the Buhr Building. About two years ago, we
provided power for 49 Digitization Workstations for The University of Michigan's libraries. These stations are used to digitize every book
that the University owns for a Google project...
- Project Reports
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 4 / February 2005
- In the fall of 2003 the Senior Managers in Construction Services developed an outline for documenting the projects completed by our department...
- Construction Services Earns UMHS Recognition
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 3 / December 2004
- Construction Services has been heavily involved in the updating and restoration of the Children's playground area on the top level of Mott Hospital during the summer of 2003...
- Construction Demolition Waste and Recycling Pilot Program a Success
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 3 / December 2004
- Construction Services and Grounds & Waste Management have teamed up to pilot a new partnership for construction debris reuse and recycling...
- Summer Upgrades at the Law Quad
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 2 / October 2004
- This past summer Construction Services has worked with the Law Quad to upgrade Legal Research and Hutchins Hall by bringing the buildings into the 21st century...
- Cool Solution
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 6 / June 2004
- Over the winter, problems were detected in the Medical Science II Cooling Towers. The cooling tower piping had corroded and tests indicated that the Medical School could face the possibility of a catastrophic system failure during the upcoming cooling season...
- Department's New Home
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 5 / April 2004
- November 2003 marked the completion of the renovation of the Construction Services office in Plant. After many years of making due with offices that were cramped and inefficient the renovation has created a space for its managers that allow them to effectively complete their work assignments...
- New Material Acquisition Pilot Program
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 4 / February 2004
- Construction Services and MStores have partnered in the development of a program for material purchasing they hope will provide
significant improvements to acquisition of materials required for construction and renovation projects...
- ICU Renovations
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 3 / December 2003
- Recently Construction Services completed renovations to three nursing stations in the Hospital's Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Since ICUs are a unique and sensitive environment, Construction Services faced key challenges of conducting the renovation work while the ICUs continued their
operations...
- Welcome to New Employees
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 3 / December 2003
- Construction Services is happy to welcome two new managers to our family: Rich Gross-Foreman I Architectural Trade Shops, and Mark Bevington-Project Assistant...
- Volunteer Cross-Functional Team
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 2 / October 2003
- In the Winter of 2000 Plant Operations began working on a strategic plan for the department, "Vision 2005". One of the four major focus areas of this effort is "People" and the Volunteer Cross Functional team was born...
- An Intern's Perspective
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 1 / Summer 2003
- My name is Kevin Morgan and I am an architecture student working as a project intern under Rick Eathorne and Alan Swan. In the last few months, I have received an education in itself...
- 2002 In Review
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 3 / Winter 2003
- Construction Services has been involved in hundreds of projects in 2002. These projects have ranged in size from the small one-to-two hour projects to very large and complex projects in many locations on campus. Nearly two years ago, Construction Services divided the campus into areas managed by our Managers of Construction Services...
- Implementing Vision 2005
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 2 / Fall 2002
- In the Fall of 2000, Construction Services began examining the way we provide our services. We focused on the changes we anticipated in the campus community (we did not anticipate former President Bollinger's departure) and how we needed to structure Construction Services to meet the needs of our customers...
- Greetings and Farewells
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 1 / Spring 2002
- Over the past year, Construction Services has made many changes in its family. Since March 2001, there have been promotions to management positions in Construction Services, as well as to management positions in other parts of the University, retirements, full-time trades positions added in place of contract temporary employees, and people promoted from within...
Content modified: October, 2009
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