< Previous“We’re primarily a commercial glazing company, so we do com-mercial, institutional and retail buildings and ten years ago we moved into the high end residential market — not traditional residential windows, but customized contemporary styles — the kinds of jobs that lend themselves to the type of products we put into commercial buildings and so we’ve been slowly building up that part of our business,” explains Menecola. “When we started there were just the two of us,” Menecola recalls, “and initially we would manufacture and install whatever jobs we had during the day. My dad was always the shop guy, so it was my responsibility to do the invoicing and quotes and all that other stuff which I did in the later hours and on weekends. We slowly grew to the point where we have 40 to 50 employees, (including sales people, estimators, design technicians, project managers and installation techni-cians). My dad was involved for the first 15 years and then he became an advisor.” The team’s specialty in the beginning involved glass curtain walls, manufactured under controlled conditions from frame elements that come in lengths of 24 or 30 feet, cut and machined in the shop and assembled with the glass set and sealed in the frames. The finished panels which typically measure five feet wide and twelve to fourteen feet high are then crated on their sides and shipped to the site, where they interlock side by side and are stacked one story at a time. The work goes very quickly, Menecola says, “and one of the good things about unitized curtain walls is that you don’t need a lot of site staff. Usually you can erect panels with a crew of six to eight as opposed to the old way of doing a large job where you’d have 20 to 30 men on the job.” One of Applewood’s recently completed projects is the 12-story national headquarters for AVIVA Insurance. While he describes it as a “traditional office building with four glass sides,” it’s unique in that it has different types of glass on each elevation, different colours of spandrel, and special features where the glass create a wing that protrudes past the corner of the building and up past the roof parapet. Discovery Landingon the Burlington waterfrontAVIVA InsuranceHeadquartersWhen Lorenzo Menecola passed away in 2015, his obituary noted that he measured success in terms of ‘friends and family’ and that emphasis on relationships has continued. For example, the company has installers who are qualified journeymen glaziers on staff, the majority of whom have been with the business for many years. In a commitment to quality and con-sistency, Menecola believes those values are better served by in-house staff as opposed to sub-contracted installers which are used by many competitors but who can’t always obtain the same quality and consistency. Furthermore, Menecola maintains that, “You must develop good relationships with architects, builders and general con-tractors and if you service them and give them good value for what they’re paying you, you’ll get repeat business. That is how we built our business. We do it on a referral business instead of trying to grab everything in town and work for people [we] don’t know. Occasionally you have to take a leap of faith, but I’ll take working with someone I have a history with over working with someone new any day, because you know what you’re getting into.”That interest in developing relationships extends to suppliers as Menecola explained how a partnership with OIKOS Venezia, an Italian door manufacturing company, was formed. “As we slowly built up our business we started to seek other products we could use to complement products we were installing, and one of them is high-end security doors. We had the oppor-tunity to tour their plant before we decided to carry their product, and before they decided they would have us carry their product, they did due diligence on us.” What makes OIKOS Venezia doors so special? “They are unique in the sense they can have an almost unlimited number of finishes on both exterior and interior, anything from wood to stone, from glass to tile, and these doors are incredibly strong. They function well, can be made in very large sizes, and have an intricate locking system almost like a bank vault. They’re high-end and they’re not cheap but they’re excellent for the type of high-end residential jobs we’ve been getting into, and that’s one product we’ve sourced out,” he shares. “Occasionally you have to take a leap of faith, but I’ll take working with someone I have a history with over working with someone new any day.”21CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS “Another partnership that comes to mind is with a company called Reynaers Aluminum (an international company, with branches in 37 countries.) They produce large sliding doors with a lift and slide operation, so you can put in a large heavy door and still manage to open and close it if you’re not very strong. They allow you to open a large part of your fenestration up to the exterior if that is something you need.”Other partnerships celebrated on Applewood’s website include ones with Kawneer, Alumicor, Commdoor Aluminum, CR Lawrence, Agnora and Trulite Glass & Aluminum. These partnerships are especially important, he says, “as the glass business has changed significantly in the 40 years since we started — it was a lot simpler then. There were maybe four glass selections but now there are so many I can’t keep up.” (Writer’s note: He does!) Today, “Architects are sourcing all kinds of unique things.”What kinds of things? Take Integral House, for example. It’s well-known in an affluent area of Toronto, has won multiple awards and has been featured in architectural magazines. The five- level custom home was designed by Shim-Sutcliffe and built by Eisner Murray for the owner who’d requested that three to four-storey glass windows at the rear be constructed to resemble a mathematical sine wave. Applewood’s design-ers and installers accomplished this using custom segmented, high-performance curved glass curtain wall windows that seem to undulate as they wrap three sides of the building. “There were two parts to that job as we got involved with the glass you see in the front elevation, above the entrance,” he describes. This is a custom laminated acid etched glazing façade imported from Spain. “It’s like a second skin to windows already in place and that glass had an opaqueness to it and was designed to be backlit at night and could light up in colour or all white or whatever the owner desired.” Initially, “we weren’t really interested in residential buildings because we didn’t realize how much potential there was, but then we did one in Mississauga in 2003 and it was successful, and we started to look at residences more and more.” That first one included a solarium to accommodate plants and trees, a large, round stained-glass window which Applewood custom designed in a style reminiscent of a Piet Mondrian painting, and a side door wide enough to drive a car through. Why drive a car into a house? The owner was a car collector and behind the round window is a Ferrari on a turntable. Integral HouseToronto, OntarioSEPTEMBER 201822In addition to becoming known in the 2000s for high-end residential homes, Applewood has maintained a high profile when it comes to commercial and institutional buildings. One instantly recognizable project completed in 2003 is the six-sto-rey BMW showroom, visible to thousands of commuters daily on the Don Valley Parkway. It was designed by Quadrangle Architects, built by Bird Construction and features a unitized curtain wall, a custom ground floor high-span curtain wall, and windows created from low-iron crystal clear 12mm glass, framed out in white where six new car models are on display.“From a design and engineering perspective it was a bit of a challenge, but it’s been there for quite some time and touch wood it’s still standing so I guess we did a good job,” says Menecola with typical self-depreciating humour. Another project “still standing” is Discovery Landing on the Burlington waterfront, a 14 200 square foot landmark building that faces out into the lake and offers prime storm and weather watching views through the pre-glazed unitized curtain wall that encloses the oval-shaped observatory. It has two large pivot doors, one on each end, that can fully open to the outdoors. Designed by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, it was completed 13 years ago and offers visitors a reflecting pond in summer and a skating rink in winter, a restaurant and art displays. A new project of which Menecola is understandably proud is the student centre at York University. “It’s similar to Integral House in that it has wood elements that create fins and is an intricate design with lots of elements including glass and wood panels. A challenge for the glass curtain wall construction is that it’s not a square box. It also contained a large amount of interior glazing for railings and stair cases.” That Menecola is still enjoying his work after 40 years is obvious. “I can’t see myself retiring and fishing and I think I still have a few good years in me that I can offer to Applewood so that is my focus.” In addition, Menecola is president of the Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors Association. “I’ve been on the Board of Directors for 20 years. We get involved with contract negotia-tions for the glazier’s union every three years as we are the bar-gaining agent for the management side of member companies and I sit on committees that deal with apprenticeship and try to get young people interested in becoming installers and glass-workers (Architectural Glass and Metal Technicians). You always have to recruit because workers are aging and approaching retirement and Toronto is still very busy in the construction market. (Apprenticeship programs for glaziers require 8000 hours of practical experience, combined with three 8-week sessions in a school environment.) Menecola is right about not retiring soon. When we gazed into our crystal ball on his behalf we didn’t see fishing rods, but we did see more one-of-a-kind architectural glass projects — the kind that make Applewood Glass & Mirror an industry leader. York University Student CentreHeadquarters23CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Installing and maintaining the infrastructure that powers our lives is serious business, and no one takes it more seriously than Capital Electric Line Builders. Even more serious is emergency and storm response, something else the company adds to its roster of services that includes constructing overhead and underground transmission and distribution systems, substations, traffic signals, information technology solutions, and roadway and area lighting.Throughout its over fifty-year history, Capital Electric Line Builders has completed countless diverse but critical projects. It is clear why it remains a trusted partner on large and complex projects: it gets the job done on time, within budget, and does not compromise quality or safety to do so. In 1967, the company was founded to serve the utility industry by building substations, distribution systems, underground installations and high-voltage transmission lines. In the 1970s, Capital Electric Line Builders expanded its services from electri-cal transmission and distribution to include street lighting and traffic signals, and today, its diversity is a key part of its strength. MDU Resources Group acquired Capital Electric Line Builders in 2001, and since that time, Capital Electric Line Builders has tripled its revenue to exceed $100 million annually. It now regu-larly operates in eight to eleven states and expands its reach to forty-eight states for emergency and storm restoration as part of MDU Construction Services Group, Inc. MDU Construction Services Group is composed of 17 diverse companies and has more than 5,000 employees across the country.“MDU Construction Services Group is one of four business units owned by MDU Resources. The other business units include Knife River Corporation, Written by Jessica FerlainoWBI Energy and a group of electric and natural gas utility companies that serve more than a million customers in eight states,” explained Capital Electric Line Builders President Greg Darkenwald.The company’s business lines, as outlined on its website at www.celbinc.com, complement each other beautifully. The utility companies distribute natural gas and generate and transmit electricity throughout eight states in the Northern Plains and the Northwest; Knife River Corporation mines and produces construction materials like gravel, asphalt and concrete products; and WBI Energy transports and stores natural gas and constructs pipelines.MDU Construction Services Group provides a full spectrum of construction solutions, from underground utilities and excava-tion to electrical, mechanical and fire suppression systems as well as transmission line construction. The diverse group of companies also manufactures and distributes transmission line construction equipment and supplies.From its headquarters in Riverside, Missouri and satellite office in Dayton, Ohio, Capital Electric regularly operates in eight to eleven states. However, it can also draw from its sister and parent companies’ resources, which includes a large fleet of specialized mobile equipment. “Capital Electric Line Builders installs traffic signals, electronic signboards, smart highway systems, traffic cameras, and street lighting.”25CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS FoleyEq-383.indd 18/7/18 3:43 PMThe company’s ability to “leverage financing and draw on a large number of national accounts to maximize our rental, lease and capital purchase dollars by being part of the MDU Resources Groups,” is another benefit of the 2001 acquisition, explained Fleet Manager Glen Page.The company carries the materials, equipment, and resourc-es required to respond quickly to routine and emergency requests, and its fleet is well-maintained and well-equipped. Senior Vice President Jim Tepper says that the company’s need to urgently address traffic signal and street light emergencies means the right equipment needs to be available when urgent circumstances arise.Darkenwald stressed the importance of having the right resources – including capable employees – to supply planned and emergency service across the multiple states the company serves. He says that the crucial element of covering this huge area is “support from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW),” and management that embraces the compa-ny’s culture.The company “is active in NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association), IBEW Locals 53 in Kansas City, Missouri, 304 in Topeka, Kansas, and 1002 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as lineman apprenticeship programs such as Southwestern Line Constructors, Missouri Valley Line Constructors and American Line Builders Association,” explained Safety Director Travis Johnson.In addition to its headquarters and satellite office, field offices are established on location at projects when required. Currently, Capital Electric Line Builders has a fairly significant workforce in Oklahoma, so it has established a field office there to support those projects. It also develops relationships with various industry organizations in the areas in which it commonly operates.Capital Electric Line Builders installs traffic signals, electronic signboards, smart highway systems, traffic cameras, and street lighting. It also performs routine maintenance and emergen-cy repair following everything from massive damage from weather events like hurricanes to system damage from vehicle accidents or equipment breakdown.The strength of this division is strongly correlated with the economic strength of the communities in which the company operates. When economies are strong, Capital Electric Line Builders is strong. This is especially true when readily available funding at the state and federal levels, which Tepper noted, “impacts the quantity and size of projects available.” “We can construct or perform maintenance on overhead and underground distribution, substations, and transmission lines up to 345 kilovolts.”SEPTEMBER 201826 FoleyEq-383.indd 18/7/18 3:43 PMTo see the caliber of projects Capital Electric Line Builders undertakes on the signals and lighting side, one has to look no further than KC Scout, a $25.5 million intelligent transporta-tion system in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The company served as the prime contractor on the initial build and contin-ues to provide maintenance for this project. “The project included thirty-seven message boards, seven-ty-five CCTV cameras, twelve-hundred vehicle detectors, hundreds of pull boxes and thousands of feet of conduit and fiber optic cable along with construction of a traffic operations center,” said Tepper. The project was completed on schedule and within budget. Capital Electric Line Builders was also responsible for upgrad-ing traffic signal controls at 451 intersections in Ohio. The project was completed without the need to power down the cabinets, which resulted in minimal traffic disruption and savings for the customer. On the transmission and distribution side, Capital Electric Line Builders has seen a significant increase in work over the past eight years. This has included projects exceeding $50 million for clients like Ozark Electric, the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, as well as Evergy – formerly KCP&L and Westar Energy.The group’s primary focus is outside line construction and substations, according to Vice President of Transmission and Distribution Colby Atwell. “We can construct or perform main-tenance on overhead and underground distribution, substa-tions, and transmission lines up to 345 kilovolts.”Capital Electric Line Builders is nearing completion on the Clearwater to Viola project, which is expected to be finished this fall. The job entailed replacing twenty-two miles of aging transmission infrastructure and upgrading it to a double-circuit 115-kilovolt line with bundled conductor for increased capacity for Westar Energy. The Geary County Project is another project of the transmis-sion and distribution group which consisted of two separate projects, the first of which was a new 345-kilovolt to 115-kilovolt substation on a twenty-acre greenfield site. When it was put into service this spring, it became the largest of Westar Energy’s 345-kilovolt substations to date. “The second part of this project involves tying this new substa-tion into Westar Energy’s existing 345-kilovolt and 115-kilovolt transmission infrastructure. In total, we will build or rebuild a total of twenty-four miles of 345-115 kilovolt transmission line to service this new substation. The line portion of the project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed late this fall,” explained Atwell. Capital Electric Line Builders has trained, licensed, and expe-rienced signals and lighting technicians holding certifications from the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA), American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), and more. They are skilled, safe, and professional. Capital Electric Line Builders continues to grow to satisfy increas-ing demand for its services. Employees who want to work for a company that has their back and can offer job security and a unique company culture are in high demand. There is no shortage of opportunity for dedicated employees who share the company values of Capital Electric. Foremost among these values is safety. Capital Electric Line Builders parent company has proven itself a leader through its involvement with organizations like the Electrical Transmission and Distribution Partnership that has developed work methods and education to reduce lineman injuries and fatalities. Capital Electric Line Builders is proactive with regard to employee safety and wellbeing and has received a number of awards that acknowledge its safe performance and commit-ment to safety. Most recently, it was recognized by insurance company Liberty Mutual with the 2017 Silver Safety Award. Greg DarkenwaldPresident of Capital Electric Line BuildersSEPTEMBER 201828The insurance industry calculates a factor called ‘days away restricted or transferred’ or DART to track any injuries that keep employees from a job. Capital Electric Line Builders rating is in the top third of the industry. It also received MDU Construction Services Group’s 2017 safety award.The company, contrasted with the five-year industry safety average, “has outperformed the industry averages in three major performance indicators of total recordable incident rate by twenty-five percent, lost time incident rates by forty percent and days away restricted time) by six percent,” Johnson noted. He attributes this to the value that employees place on their safety and the safety of others. Production, quality, and safety are held to the same high standard, and this is communicated to employees from the beginning. An employee’s new hire orientation serves as Capital Electric Line Builders’ first opportunity to establish expectations and present the training programs and safety activities required of all employees. “Within the first thirty days of an employee being hired, a super-visor will again reinforce our commitment and expectations with the employee. Continuous education and reinforcement “Production, quality, and safety are held to the same high standard, and this is communicated to employees from the beginning.”29CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Next >