The Owners' Manual | Issue 13 | Summer 2018

2018  issue 13  summer

A sunset view from our Hartford Office Photo credit: Sarah LeClerc, Hartford

issue 13, summer 2018

BL Buzz

All Things Owners

FYI

Around BL........................1-3 Great news!........................9 Project Spotlight.........28-29 BL Meet & Greet...............32

ESOP News......................4-9 Question of the Quarter........................10-15 What is TOD.................16-20

Jobsite Signage...............21 IT Tip..................................25 Ice Cream Fun...........26-27 Safety Tip.....................30-31 Happenings......................33

Front & Back Covers: Calendar House Senior Center, Southington, CT

Check out pages 28 & 29 for a few more pics & information

Sam Haydock and Jen Marks attended the 25th Annual New England Energy Conference and Exposition in Massachusetts.

Jess Osborne (along with Rai Muhlbauer, Mark Heeb & Dan Salameda) attended the NAIOP I.CON Conference in Jersey City, NJ - this was BL’s first time attending the show, but it won’t be our last!

Holly Linder, Blair Richardson and John Schmitz represented BL at the STEM Career Fair.

We love pictures of our employee owners! Please send them our way to share in the next newsletter (Heather Halotek or Jess Osborne)

Some BL gear made its way to the top of Mt. Washington in NH worn by Bob Klein (Bridgeport office) and Michele Smith (Meriden office) - cool!

issue 13 // 1

Holly Linder and Andrew Shafer (with a photobomb by Kevin Kilguss) sported some BL safety vests for “Go Orange” Day! Bob Blickley, Terri Delo and Sharon Lucisano volunteered at the Harrisburg Area Youth Day of Caring.

The Camp Hill office channeled their inner Picasso (or Bob Ross?) for a Paint Nite sponsored by BL’s Wellness Committee. BL held a client appreciation event at the Harrisburg Senators Game - we enjoyed some extra exposure with our name on the billboard.

This photo of one of BL’s projects was taken by Ken Kittredge (Hartford office) with a drone!

BL supported the Bushnell Park Foundation by sponsoring the Summer Solstice event in Bushnell Park in Hartford.

A team of employee owners competed in an evening of Office Olympics to support Junior Achievement. BL sponsored the K-Cup Towers event, and showed our prowess with paper box skiing, rubber band darts (please reach out to Bill Fries or Wayne Violette for a proper tutorial) and several other events. Stay tuned during ESOP month for challenges that may come into play!!

BL’s Mud Volleyball teams got down and dirty and raised a total of $710 (surpassing their goal of $500) for the Epilepsy Foundation! Way to go!

issue 13 // 3

A Special Report from the National ESOP Association Conference

MEET [part of] YOUR ESOP COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

This past May, six members of the ESOP Communications Committee attended the Annual ESOP Association Conference in Washington, DC. The conference theme was “Better + Together” and after three days and a 10-hour drive home, they certainly felt like a much closer team. But for those of you who didn’t get the chance to attend the conference (or spend 80+ hours together), we thought we’d share what we learned.

What was the best idea you heard at the conference? Many ESOP Companies are creating videos to help capture what employee ownership means at their companies. This conference provides a great opportunity to view many of those culture oriented videos. This is something our committee has discussed and been very interested in doing. Maybe 2018 will be the year we capture our video of what employee ownership means to our employee owners at BL Companies… Any last thoughts? GO ESOP GO!!!

Okay, so you probably already know Wayne. He’s been at BL for

to meet NEW ESOPs and their employee owners. I especially enjoy the small group conversations between sessions or during lunch where I can get into a discussion with another ESOP company about their culture and how they communicate the ESOP. I always share a few BL stories of how we do things and make sure to brag (a little bit) about the great things we have done and continue to try and do. What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? 1. Meeting with NEW ESOPs and their employee owners 2. Getting to know our NEW ESOP Communications Committee members. It is not every day you can spend 6-8 hours in a car with 4 of your fellow employee owners. What happens in DC, stays in DC…

15 years, has

been involved

with the ESOP Communications Committee since its inception and currently serves as Committee Chair. His reasons for joining the committee were two-fold – he wanted to learn more about the (then new) ESOP Plan and get more involved at BL. The committee presented a great opportunity for him to do both, and he’s enjoyed being a member & chairman ever since. What did you think of the conference? The conference always presents a great opportunity

Name: Wayne Violette Title: Senior Landscape Architect Department: Civil Engineering Office: Meriden

issue 13 // 5

Joe has been at BL for a

companies ran their ESOPs similar to us but others were completely different. What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? My favorite part of the conference was the round table discussions where we were able to hear more specifics about other people’s companies, what their ESOPs are like and how they are run. What was the best idea you heard at the conference? One idea I really like what that some companies provide projection calculators of how your ESOP account balance can grow. So, it allows people to job at awarding well deserving individuals and companies for their ESOP involvement. What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? The round table discussions with other companies. We were able to share ideas and issues that appeared to really connect with almost every company. Things such as: how to reach field staff and get them involved, etc. What was the best idea you heard at the conference? The best idea I heard was utilizing the entire committee as ESOP knowledge. Other companies provide training

see where their account could be in different year increments depending on a variety of factors. Another idea I liked was to give out “mock statements” at the same time as real statements to employees who are not yet in the ESOP program or not yet receiving statements. These “mock statements” could give fun facts about the ESOP program and explain more about what other people are receiving and how the statements can grow. Name: Sarah LeClerc Title: Staff Engineer Department: Engineering, Land Development Office: Hartford Name: Joe Kempf Title: Environmental Technician/ GIS Analyst Department: Environmental Office: Camp Hill to help new ESOP committee employees to be knowledgeable on the plan and to be able to answer question fellow employees have. Any last thoughts? I’d like to get our ESOP members from all offices to think about getting involved in their local chapter. This could really benefit BL, as we have offices in many regions.

little over 5 years. He joined the committee about 4

months ago, because

he wanted to help communicate and get more involved with BL’s ESOP. What did you think of the conference? The conference was awesome. The theme was “better together”, and the ESOP pride that I experienced there was second to none. The conference did a great

Sarah has been at BL for 2 years. She joined the committee 6 months ago, because she

wanted to get more involved at

BL and have the opportunity to plan fun events for everyone. What did you think of the conference? The conference really opened my eyes to how diverse ESOPs can be. There were companies of all sizes as well as from all over the country. Some

Susan joined BL over 1 ½ years ago. She

throughout the life-cycle of an employee. What surprised me was, we all had the same wants, needs and expectations, from the newest employees right out of college to the oldest employees getting close to retirement. I found it very interesting. What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? Meeting other Employee Owners. Learning about their culture and their successful ideas. Also, telling them about all that we have done and do. I loved hearing about other companies’ share price and their employee investment percentage. I was proud to say what our share price was and how we are 100% ESOP. What was the best idea you heard at the conference? I heard quite a few innovative ideas at the conference. One stands out in my mind - on our business cards, instead of Employee Owned up in the right corner, simply add “Owner” on business cards under

our name and title. It creates conversation. It gives you a reason to explain what an Employee Owned company is. I think it would give the client especially a new one a sense of reassurance on our quality and integrity. We did tell one group about how we earn tickets during ESOP month. How we get a certain amount of tickets when we participate in a game, activity etc. They loved the idea. They were in awe of the great prizes we win. Any last thoughts? I want to thank BL again for giving me the opportunity to attend the conference. I feel I got a lot out of it and appreciate the generosity.

joined the committee in January,

because she wants to be a part of a

positive aspect of BL, share her thoughts and ideas, learn all she can about ESOP, and sbe a part of the planning of ESOP month. She thinks the committee is a wonderful way to build comradery among the different offices. the conference. I learned so much. I was very impressed with the ESOP Association in general. I particularly liked the “Communications Across the Employee Life Cycle” Round Table discussion. We explored the wants, needs and expectations What did you think of the conference? I thoroughly enjoyed

Name: Susan Dougherty Title: Administrative Assistant Department: Transportation Office: Hartford

issue 13 // 7

employee-owner means to me” essay contest, with a cash prize for the winning submission. They had people from their company submit a 1-2 page essay on employee- ownership; what it means to them, why they think being an employee owner is valuable, etc. They ended up receiving a lot of great submissions and it really helped showcase why being an ESOP is so special. Name: Julia DeFrances Title: Marketing Coordinator Department: Marketing Office: Meriden What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? The encouragement to progress and to be creative. What was the best idea you heard at the conference? That there’s never a bad idea. Name: Karina Molnar Title: Billing and Accounting Operations Associate Department: Accounting Office: Meriden

Karina has

it was a great conference. I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and share ideas with other employee-owned firms. I was surprised at how many different types of firms there were in attendance – one minute you could be talking to someone from a bioengineering company and the next you could be talking to someone from a brewery. What was your favorite part(s) of the conference? Spending time with my fellow committee members. We had three days to get to know each other better, share ideas, and have fun. What was the best idea you heard at the conference? One company I spoke to did a “what being an Plus, she found the chance to help and learn a great opportunity and experience as well. What did you think of the conference? The conference was a great experience, not just to be able to get to know some of our ESOP team but to have the opportunity to meet people from other ESOP companies and to be able to share knowledge. I wasn’t surprised but was enlightened with the positive atmosphere.

been at BL for 2 ½

years, and joined the committee about 6 months ago. She joined the committee because

she liked its focus on educating employee-owners about our ESOP plan, developing programs/events and growing the company culture.

Julia has been at BL for almost 10

months and has been on the committee

since January. Julia started at BL the

week before ESOP month, so her first introduction to the committee coincided with her introduction to BL. During ESOP month, she realized how important the committee is to BL’s culture, and she knew that she wanted to be a part of that team. What did you think of the conference? Overall, I thought

GREAT NEWS

✳ ✳ ✳

STOCK PRICE BL’s 2017 stock price is $3,956.21 19.2% increase from 2016

✳ ✳ ✳

ENR RANKING BL is ranked at #286 on the ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms List for 2018

issue 12 // 11 i sue 13 / 9

Can you match the baby pics with the Employee Owner? Not sure what someone looks like? Try checking out the Company Directory on the Intranet!

*An answer key will be posted to the Intranet next week

issue 13 // 11

1

2

3

8

6

10

7

11

15

16

17

4

These BL employees just happen to be brothers!

9

5

13

12

14

19

18

20

issue 12 // 15 issue 13 // 13

22

21

23

25

27

26

30

31

29

32

33

ANA SUPRENANT

JOY KLOSS

ANDY LORAW

KATHY RODO

ANNETTE HYLAND

LISA PAVANO

24

BOB CAPPELLI

MATT STARK

BRETT STARK

MIKE ARCHER

CAROLYN STANWORTH

MOLLY KEEREWEER

CODY L’HEUREUX

NELLIE MARGIOTTA

CRISTY SHAMUS

PETER SCHIRMER

28

DAVID PARENT

QUINN DUFFY

DENIS RIOUX

RAY BJORKMAN

DOMINICK CELTRUDA

SAGAN SIMKO

DOUG CAMPBELL

SARAH LECLERC

EMILIA RUBINO

SHANNON POWERS

32

HOLLY LINDER

STEVE CAPPELLI

JAMES T. RUITTO

SUSAN MCDOWELL

JESSICA BATES

TIFFANY BOURGEOIS

JESSICA OSBORNE

WAYNEVIOLETTE

JOSEPH SOJKA

34

issue 13 // 15

T RANSIT O RIENTED D EVELOPMENT

T ransit Oriented Development (also known as TOD) is an exciting and fast-growing trend creating vibrant, walkable, and pedestrian- oriented communities centered around high-quality transit systems. The main goal of a TOD district is to create a dense, mixed-use community filled with commercial, residential, office and entertainment facilities centered around or located near a transit station. Successful TOD communities provide easy access to the central transit station through multiple modes of transportation including walking, driving, biking or switching from one mass transit to another. Ease of commuting within the TOD district and to other destinations becomes a major reason for communities to quickly develop and creates demand for new mixed-use project opportunities. The visioning and planning of these new potential TOD districts often starts with upfront efforts and the establishment of TOD districts by the municipality. Federal and state funding is available for municipalities to develop TOD strategies, guidelines and master plans for these districts. With these strategies in place, a long- term transit-oriented vision can be accomplished through the continual focus of developing mixed-use parcels appropriate for the TOD district.

Private development and public funding within these TOD districts help to create a vibrant and energized community that is sustainable. BL Companies has been involved in TOD planning projects including one example in Milford, Connecticut. This TOD planning project was funded by the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Grant Program from the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM). The City of Milford was one of eleven projects throughout the state to receive funding for this study. The OPM Planning Grant Program allows municipalities to work with planning consultants to further develop actionable strategies for the development of TOD districts. BL was awarded the role of planning consultant for the project. The scope of this TOD study included interpreting the existing and proposed physical conditions of the TOD district, researching and understanding market and demographic forces, and artfully creating a workable concept for the development of a key land parcel north of the Milford Train Station. The TOD district not only includes the train stwation and immediate area surrounding it, but also much of the Milford Downtown Core.

issue 12 // 21 3 17

FACTORS

DRIVING THE TREND TOWARD TOD • • Rapidly growing, mind-numbing traffic

congestion nation-wide • • Growing distaste for suburbia and fry-pit strip development • • Growing desire for quality urban lifestyle • • Growing desire for more walkable lifestyles away from traffic • • Changes in family

Milford charming downtown filled with restaurants, shopping and an iconic center green that is very active during the summer due to the harbor front area being a short walk away. However, this downtown core is utilized less during the other seasons and does not feel ideally integrated into the train station center and its users. The Milford Train Station is a heavily utilized station along the Metro-North Rail line and represents a major opportunity to better connect train users to the surrounding area and the downtown. Our project considered many options to enhance the experience from the train station to downtown and vice versa. These enhancements were categorized as key gateways and connections, streetscape improvements and placemaking enhancements. All proposed enhancements are intended to develop a strong circulation network for all user groups (pedestrian, car, train, bus, bike, etc) throughout the TOD district. The project’s study area included the train station and much of the downtown area as mentioned, but our team also focused on developing a concept plan for multiple key parcels north of the train station. These City-owned parcels are primed for redevelopment and are sitting at the “front door” of the train station. Following the TOD principles and strategies has a

developed by our team for the project, we were able to create a creative, prudent and feasible TOD concept plan that included a mix of residential, commercial, and office space. The concept plan is highlighted by a multi-story (3-5 stories) mixed-use building with retail/ restaurant/office space on the first floor with the upper floors being designated for residential use. The proposed multi-story building wraps around serve the new development but also has the potential to serve the train station and the downtown area. In addition to this proposed signature mixed-use building for downtown, the concept plan also included a variety of residential townhouse options that would convert a surface parking lot into an attractive street lined with architectural style, trees, sidewalks, lighting, etc. Over an approximately two- year period, BL Companies met with City Staff, elected officials, stakeholders, business owners and hundreds of residents to develop a TOD Plan and Strategy appropriate for the City of Milford. After delivering our reports and presentations, the City of Milford has adopted the TOD Principles and Strategies developed as part of this project and is actively pursuing the redevelopment of at least one of the key parcels identified in the study

structures: more singles, empty-nesters, etc •

• Growing national support for Smart Growth • • New focus of Federal p

licy

benefits of TOD • • Higher quality of life with better

• • Increased foot traffic and customers for area businesses • • Greatly reduced dependence on foreign oil, reduced

places to live, work, and play • • Greater mobility with ease of moving around • • Increased transit ridership • • Reduced traffic congestion, car accidents and injuries • • Reduced household spending on transportation, resulting in more affordable housing • • Healthier lifestyle with more walking,

pollution and environmental damage • • Reduced

incentive to sprawl, increased incentive for compact development • • Less expensive than building roads and sprawl • • Enhanced ability to maintain economic competitiveness

and less stress • • Higher, more stable property values

issue 11 // 17 3 9

precedent imagery

Jobsite signage is a great way to showcase BL and the types of projects we do! Have a job in construction? Please reach out to Jessica Osborne to obtain a BL banner. A few things to be aware of before hanging a sign at a jobsite:  Obtain the Client’s permission  Check with local municipal zoning officer to determine of a temporary sign permit is required. If it is, fill out the paperwork and obtain the permit.  Use heavyweight zip ties when attaching to construction fencing. These banners act as sails and are subject to heavy wind load.  Remove and replace if the banners look worn or damaged.

issue 13 // 21

Legal Topic

You’ve heard the adage,“Words matter.” And, of course, they do. What you write in an e-mail, a report, a contract, a letter is critically important. But did you know that capitalization matters as well? Typically, in legal documents you will see what are known as “defined terms.” This means that a word has been given a special meaning in that document; it has been defined. An example is in our Letter Proposal. For those of you who do not write contracts, the Letter Proposal is our main contracting document. On page two of our Letter Proposal, we say the following,“The location of the Project is ___________________________, referred to below as the “Site.” The word Site has now been defined. Going forward in this contract if you are using the term Site to refer to this same location of the Project, you should use Site, with a capital “S.” If you are talking about any old site, you would leave the word with a lower case “s.” While this sounds ridiculously picky, it is very important. Once you define a term, if you refer to that term again, you must use it in its capitalized form or it

simply will not mean what you want it to mean. Please think about this as you write your contracts. As always, the Legal Department is happy to help.

issue 11 // 21 i sue 3 3

Have an idea for the newsletter? Suggestions? Comments? Questions? We’d love to hear from you!

Please reach out to Heather Halotek or Jessica Osborne

Most offices have at least one Hot Desk phone that employees can login to when traveling from another office. After logging in, the phone will mirror your existing phone. Select the Login button and the system will prompt you for your extension and RingCentral pin code. When you are done using the phone, select the Logoff button.

If you have forgotten your RingCentral pin, you can reset it via the RingCentral user web portal.

Access your extension settings online at: https://service.ringcentral.com/

Select settings from the top menu, then pick your name on the left, then select User Password from the menu at the bottom.

issue 11 // 23 i sue 3 5

Vanilla is the #1 selling flavor.

It takes 12 lbs. of milk to make a gallon of ice cream.

Chocolate syrup is the favorite topping to put on ice cream.

The ice cream cone was invented in 1896. While popular lore claims that the ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, a New York City ice cream vendor – Italo Marchiony – actually seems to have created the cone in 1896 to stop customers from stealing his serving glasses. He patented the idea in 1903 and it took off in popularity at the World’s Fair the next year.

The major ingredient in ice cream is air.

July is National Ice Cream Month. It was created by Ronald Reagan in 1984. It takes approximately 50 licks to finish off a scoop of ice cream. The United States is the top ice cream consuming country in the world.

Source: National Ice Cream Retailers Association

CONNECTICUT MERIDEN Wentworth Homemade Ice Cream in Hamden Les’ Dairy Bar in Meriden Praline’s Ice Cream in Meriden

NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE Popbar in Charlotte Two Scoops in Charlotte Golden Cow Creamery in Charlotte

Ice cream season isn’t over yet! (Does it ever really end? We think not!) Need a break and want Here are a few ice cream shops near BL’s various offices that will satisfy summer’s sweet craving: to grab a local scoop?

HARTFORD Arethusa Farm in Litchfield Milkcraft in West Hartford UConn Dairy Barn in Storrs

OHIO CANTON Pav’s Creamery in Canton Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream in Green Main Street Cones & Coney’s in Akron PENNSYLVANIA CAMP HILL Rakestraw’s Ice Cream Company in Mechanicsburg Maggie’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard in Mechanicsburg Urban Churn in Harrisburg KING OF PRUSSIA Zwahlen’s Ice Cream & Chocolate in Audubon Scoops in Conshohocken Petrucci’s Ice Cream in King of Prussia PITTSBURGH Antney’s in Pittsburgh Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream in Pittsburgh Page Dairy Mart in Pittsburgh RHODE ISLAND WARWICK Papa’s Ice Cream in Warwick Clementine’s Homemade Ice Cream in East Greenwich L’il Rhody Ice Cream in West Warwick TEXAS HOUSTON Marble Slab Creamery in Houston Dulcia Hand Crafted Ice Cream in Houston Freezy Frenzy in Houston

BRIDGEPORT Plasko’s Farm in Trumbull Timothy’s Ice Cream in Bridgeport Goody Basset’s in Stratford

MARYLAND BALTIMORE

The Charmery in Baltimore Taharka Brothers in Baltimore Bmore Licks in Baltimore

MASSACHUSETTS NORWOOD Crescent Ridge Dairy in Sharon Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream in Hyde Park Furlong’s Candies & Ice Cream in Norwood

NEW JERSEY PISCATAWAY Thomas Sweet Ice Cream in New Brunswick Dairy Deluxe in Highland Park Petrucci’s Inside Scoop in Piscataway

NEW YORK MELVILLE Old Fashioned Ice Cream in West Babylon Catch the Wave in Plainview Charlotte’s Frozen Yogurt in Farmingdale

issue 13 // 27

The Calendar House Senior Center in Southington, CT is complete! BL began working on this project back in 2014 with a space needs assessment of the existing Senior Center. A new building was designed - BL provided full multi-discipline services on this project! An open house/grand opening is scheduled for September 13 th . Congratulations to all on a successful project!

issue 13 // 29

THE BEST LIFEJACKET IS THE ONE YOU WEAR

It’s tempting to boat without wearing a life jacket especially on nice sunny days when you want to feel the water spray. But for safety reasons and with the advent of lightweight materials, there’s no excuse not to wear a life jacket on the water!

Check with your state boating officials on the law for your boating or water sport activity.

Source: http://www.uscgboating.org

◊ When capsized in rough water. ◊ When sinking in unexpectedly heavy sea conditions. ◊ When thrown from the boat as a result of a collision.

◊ When injured by rocks or submerged objects. ◊ When unconscious from carbon monoxide fumes. ◊ When tossed into freezing water. ◊ When thrown off balance while fishing. ◊ When unable to swim because of heavy or waterlogged clothing. Certain life jackets are designed to keep your head above water and help you remain in a position which permits proper breathing. To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard Approved life jacket for each person aboard. Boats 16 feet and over must have at least one Type IV throwable device as well. All states have regulations regarding life jacket wear by children. Adult-sized life jackets will not work for children. Special life jackets are available. To work correctly, a life jacket must be worn, fit snugly, and not allow the child’s chin or ears to slip through. Life jackets should be tested for wear and buoyancy at least once each year. Waterlogged, faded, or leaky jackets should be discarded. Life jackets must be properly stowed. A life jacket especially a snug-fitting flotation coat or deck-suit style can help you survive in cold water.

How Do Life Jackets Save Lives? Things to Know

Coast Guard approved, in good and serviceable condition, and the appropriate size for the intended user.

Lifejackets Must Be

Wearable lifejackets must be readily accessible. You must be able to put them on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency (vessel sinking, on fire, etc.). They should not be stowed in plastic bags, in locked or closed compartments or have other gear stowed on top of them.

Accessibility

issue 12 // 35 3 1

Meet & Greet

Thursday, August 30 th 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm 355 Research Parkway, Meriden, CT 06450 RSVP by August 24 th Come enjoy cocktails and tasty bites while networking with BL Companies’ employee-owners and learning about employment opportunities. Raffle begins at 6:30 pm

BL Companies is hosting a “meet & greet” at our Meriden office. This is an opportunity to celebrate BL, our ESOP and current employment opportunities. The event has been shared with contacts, family members, and on social media networks. We are hoping that this inaugural event will help us find the next employee owner. Any questions, please reach out to Bret Boudreaux or Jessica Osborne.

August 30 “Meet & Greet” in Meriden

September 3 Labor Day (Day off!) 5 ICSC PA/NJ/DE Show 7 Employee Owner Meeting 12-15 Leadership Foundations Prog. 19-21 Leadership Essentials Prog.

Did you know... BL anniversaries can be found on the events calendar on the Intranet!

October ESOP MONTH!!!

issue 13 // 33

2018  issue 13  summer

NEWSLETTER TEAM: Heather Halotek Jessica Osborne Jocelyn Taylor Julia DeFrances

CONTRIBUTORS: Doug Campbell Julia O’Brien