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A Publication of O&G Industries, 112 Wall Street, Torrington, CT 06790-5464 © 2006 O&G Industries, Inc. (860) 489-9261 www.OGInd.com

WINTER 2008

KLEENGIANT

KLEENGIANT

O&G partners to develop 620 MW Kleen Energy Power Plant,the most ambitious venture in company historyO&G partners to develop 620 MW Kleen Energy Power Plant,the most ambitious venture in company history

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O&G’S ENERGY & POWER GROUP is making excellent progress on the massive Kleen Energy Systems power plant in Middletown, CT

Everything about the Kleen Energy Power Plant projectis gargantuan. The hundreds of specialized contracts andpermits, the massive and highly technical componentscoming from across the globe, even the price tag at morethan three-quarters of a billion dollars – all reflect theexpansive vision and investment which the Kleen EnergySystems partnership has made.

The 150-acre site itself, looming on a craggy hillside that rises above

the Connecticut River in Middletown, is emblematic of the challenges

facing the project. But as the site is steadily tamed and the footprint of

the complex takes shape, all the planning and preparation, expertise and

old fashioned hard work are paying gargantuan dividends.

The bigger pictureSeven years ago, as this rugged hilltop sat dormant, forces were in

motion to develop it in a big way.

In the Summer of 2001, O&G was approached to partner in a devel-

opment group that would become Kleen Energy Systems, LLC, and the

volumes of legal and bureaucratic compliance work unique to building

a power plant began in earnest.

At about the same time, the larger energypicture was changing shape in an ominousway. In the wake of an overbuild of electricalgenerating plants in the 1990s came the col-lapse, bankruptcy and scandal of Houston-based energy purveyor Enron. This, in turn,triggered an aftershock in the broader energymarket and caused banks and investors tobecome reluctant to pour any more capital intonew energy ventures.

Rather than be foiled, Kleen EnergySystems chose to exploit this fallow time.While the business climate for energy develop-ment slowly returned, O&G forged ahead withplanning, contracting and permitting activitiesso that the group would be in an optimal posi-tion for the time when the market would,inevitably, come back.

Meanwhile, at the state level, lawmakerswere revisiting theirregulations concerningthe production and saleof energy in a post-Enron world. With addi-tional constraints inplay, the ConnecticutDPUC requested pro-posals looking forplants to generate 780million watts (ormegawatts, MW) ofnew energy for the state.They received bids from15 different groups who proposed 21 differentplant designs, and settled on four differentplants: Kleen Energy’s 620MW base loadplant to supply a steady flow of power, andthree “peakers,” smaller plants designed tocome on line only at times of peak demand orduring outages at other suppliers.

When the way officially opened more thansix years after Kleen Energy’s planning hadbegun, O&G crews were more than preparedto hit the ground running.

Big plans, big jobIt was in September of 2007 when land

clearing started. By October, with close to 90acres opened up, excavation began in earnest.

By the end of the project in mid-2010,approximately 1.6 million cubic yards – half ofit earth, half of it rock – will have been exca-vated. John Rouleau is a savvy veteran manag-er in charge of the site work. “The scope of this

project amazes me. You’re probably not goingto see another one like this, really and truly.You don’t build power plants every day, andeven when you do you don’t build them on thiskind of terrain.” Up to 65 workers and 14articulated haulers are doing the excavation.

The site is an old feldspar mine, laced withunderground tunnels. Piles of waste from min-ing, called tailings, are scattered about. Keyareas are on grades exceeding 30 degrees.

Matt Tobin is the engineering manager forthe project. He and his team of LarryChatfield, Bruce Thurston and Bob Wetsel arein charge of mechanical, electrical and con-trols sections. Tobin also acts as the civil engi-neering manager. “This is a very challengingsite. The mine tailings are difficult to deal withbecause they get suspended in runoff watervery easily, so we’ve had to build sedimenta-tion pools to filter the runoff before it leaves

the site,” he says. Tobin also talks about

one of the other site-work issues they con-tend with. “Right under-neath where the steamturbine is going to be,the most sensitive pieceof equipment here, justhappens to be a deepvein of feldspar that theminers chased,” hechuckles wryly. Thesetunnels need to be

removed to avoid future calamity. “So we’reoverexcavating the finished grade by 70 feet,and then methodically filling the hole back upwith shot rock and compacting it all as we go.”

Torrential late winter rains in February andMarch also created challenges on this verysteep site, both with runoff and slick footingfor men and machines that set the scheduleback. With drier weather in the weeks andmonths afterwards, however, Rouleau andcrew have pushed the job back on schedule.

Walt Koziol, Vice President, Heavy & CivilDivision, led the crew that estimated the job.He calls the project a “major civil challenge.”Says Koziol, “There’s a huge amount of utili-ties work involved, lots of excavation. Evendesigning and building ‘laydown’ areas forstaging all the components that will be arrivingby rail, truck and ship from around the worlddwarfs the planning required on typical proj-

Team Leaders: (from top) Director of O&G’s

Power & Energy Division Rick Audette, Senior

Project Manager Lou Kesselman, Engineering

Manager Matt Tobin and Sitework Manager

John Rouleau

KLEEN GIANT Continued from Page 1

This is one of the mostgratifying things I’ve seenin our organization – theability of our people torise to the occasion.

DAVID ONEGLIAPRESIDENT, O&G INDUSTRIES

O&G INDUSTRIES I A COMPANY ON THE GO I WINTER 2008

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ects. Lots of these items are huge. Some of thehigh-value components weigh as much as 500tons and some will be 110 feet long. The tur-bine building alone will be 60,000 square feet,and the primary exhaust stacks will be 215 feethigh and 18 feet in diameter.”

Teams have blasted and finished accessroads, carefully setting grades and curves thatwill allow heavy haul trucks to bring in theoversized components. They are also busypreparing the power block and tank farm area,water treatment plant, and switchyard.

The engineering firm of Milone &McBroom has been hired for all the contractsinvolving water. Almost three million gallonsper day are needed to run the plant. They willbe drawn from Ranney wells driven deep intothe aquifer beneath the adjacent ConnecticutRiver, with no discernible effect on the river’slevel, and will be pumped up the hill to theplant. A treatment facility on site will clean thewater before discharging it back down the hillto the Town of Middletown for its use.

The project team reflects the scope of thejob. O&G has two divisions involved in thismulti-disciplined project: Heavy & CivilDivision and the Building Division. At peak,400 tradespeople will complement O&G’smanagement team of more than 30 construc-tion professionals. Major subcontractors willbe pipefitters, millwrights, boilermakers, high-line voltage specialists and electricians.

Lou Kesselman, who directed the UMasspower plant project, is the Senior ProjectManager. “This is a very aggressive project. Itrequires a lot of coordination. It’s one heck ofan effort.” He describes the engineering workas “just in time” in the early stages.WorleyParsons is the project engineer and hasbeen working with O&G to put together con-struction packages for procuring major itemsand trade contracts. They have been given theresponsibility for design of the facility itself,the powerblock which includes the combustionturbine generators, heat recovery steam gener-ators, the steam turbine, and a portion of the345kV switchyard where electricity generatedby the plant will be transferred to the distribu-tion grid that supplies it to consumers.

The gas-fired, combined cycle power plantOlder power plants were only able to use a

portion of the energy their fuel generates(operating at less than 30% efficiency). Theremaining heat from combustion is generally

KLEEN GIANT Continued from Page 4

Setting the Stage: Sitework has been in full swing from the Fall through the Spring. Ultimately O&G

will excavate some 1.6 million cubic yards of rock and earth here. (from top) Rouleau and site crew

work in the detention pond area that will trap mine tailings in runoff water; a portion of the site being

prepared to house the power plant; (inset) aerial view of site in March, showing its proximity to the

Connecticut River and the approximately 100 opened acres.

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wasted. In a combined cycle gas turbine plant like this one (and like theplant O&G recently completed at the University of Massachusetts atAmherst) a gas turbine generator makes electricity and the waste heatthat would ordinarily be lost is sent to a steam turbine to generate evenmore electricity. This boosts the efficiency of electricity generation toover 60 percent.

So how will the plant come on line and start supplying electricity?Power generated in the plant will go to “step-up” transformers and to aninterconnection to Northeast Utilities’ switchyard (part of this project forthe design/build of the Kleen Energy switchyard has been contracted outto Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution. Once the KleenEnergy switchyard is ready, NU will interconnect or “backfeed” betweentheir 345kV line in the area and the Kleen Energy substation. SaysKesselman, “The backfeed is scheduled for December of 2009 – that’squick. Midsummer 2009 is testing so we can get a jump on startup andcommissioning because of the aggressive June 1, 2010 requirement toactually generate power into the CL&P/NU grid.”

The power of commitmentO&G President David Oneglia speaks of the tremendous capability of

the Kleen Energy team with pride. “This is one of the most gratifyingthings I’ve seen in our organization over this past year-and-a-half – theability of our people to rise to the occasion. Being both an owner and acontractor on this job almost doubles the volume of work required.”With the exception of some “niche” people hired for specialized taskssuch as instrumentat controls and mechanical and electrical systems, ithas been long-time O&G staff stepping up to take on these challenges.

While having no shortage of individuals to commend for working hourafter extra hour to get the work done right and on time, Oneglia singlesout two men who typify the can-do attitude that will make the job a suc-cess: Rich Hall, Chief Financial Officer, and Rick Audette, Director,Power and Energy Division. “These guys have been exemplary. Richstepped up his efforts, put in the time. He came up to speed quicklywhere needed and got all the ‘contractual ducks’ in a row. There are somany contracts here and they all had to be woven together. Rich madesure that happened.”

On the site and in meetings around the state, Rick Audette brought tobear his technical expertise and his ability to communicate complexinformation clearly. “Rick’s knowledge of the energy business reallydemonstrated our credibility and our commitment to the success of thisproject to the permitting agencies, lenders and partners,” says Oneglia.“Rick is truly a cut above.”

Oneglia also gives special kudos to the dogged determination andaccuracy of Walt Koziol, Bill Gerardi, Chris McPadden and theEstimating Department. “The estimators entered into this $760M jobwith no plans, and to their credit we have procured $260M worth of com-ponents from across the globe and we’re off from our estimate by onlyabout $1M. To be able to put the estimates together that accurately, with-out any plans in front of them, is just outstanding.”

Especially so considering the nature of the highly technical compo-nents coming from China, Germany, Spain, Mexico and literally dozensof countries around the world. All have to be specified, purchased, andarrive on time and undamaged. The complexity is staggering.

“Our team has never just floundered its way through these tasks,” saysOneglia. “They have performed exceptionally.”

Cugno Voted DBIA Regional President

The Design-Build Institute of America’s New England Chapter has anew president for 2008 and it’s O&G’s Jeff Cugno. Director ofProgram Management and Development Services for the BuildingDivision, Cugno has been an active member of the Institute, servedas its V.P. in 2007, and is now heading up the chapter.

“I’m flattered, really, to be heading up the New England Region,”says Cugno. “The members are top-shelf: they’re earnest, they’revery good at what they do, they represent a lot of large companieswith a lot of integrity. These individuals know their jobs, know howto talk about them, they’re in DBIA for a purpose, they’re driven. It’san honor to be president.”

DBIA membership represents professionals in all disciplinesinvolved in construction, from architects and engineers to specialtycontractors and suppliers to legal and financial professionals, andincludes a council of public and private owners – those who wouldseek to have projects executed. DBIA’s mission is to be a “hub” andintegrate the industry’s many parts. “We market awareness of thedesign-build approach as a way of delivering peak value and jobperformance for a broad range of projects,” says Cugno.

While quick to say that design-build is not suited to every project,Cugno is an advocate for the design-build methodology that inte-grates all disciplines into a single team. Key benefits which a design-build package affords owners are not only cost savings and a fasterproject but the ease of working with a single entity under a singlecontract – rather than having to chase the details of different aspectsof a project under a series of separate contracts. “DBIA is saying,give the contract to a team to begin with, let them do their job, andby the time the project hits the field you have a much better handleon what you’re doing.”

O&G’s association with DBIA began shortly after it was founded in1993. Delivering construction management, general contracting and lowbid projects as well, O&G has been a proponent of design-build for years.

Cugno formerly served in a host of governmental positions overa twenty-three-year period, after which he earned a law degree andpracticed planning, zoning and development law, and then returnedto the construction industry. He has been with O&G since 2003.

At the Helm: Jeff Cugnois the Design-Build Instituteof America/New EnglandChapter’s president for 2008.With 23 years in governmentand a background in the law,he takes naturally to the role.

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Some 70 landscape architects arrived at O&G’sEarth Products Showcase in Danbury at the endof January for a special continuing educationprogram. Jointly hosted by the MasonryDivision and the Connecticut Chapter of theAmerican Society of Landscape Architects (CTASLA), the six-hour event qualified for fourAIA/CES learning units and focused on“Enhancing Design Objectives by Creating‘Green Rooms’ with Natural Stone.”

“This workshop gives our members a betterunderstanding of how to incorporate locallyquarried material into their designs,” said BrianRobinson, Landscape Architect with KeithSimpson Associates and president of CT ASLA.“O&G Industries has been a longstanding part-ner of Connecticut’s landscape architecturecommunity, and we’re pleased to work withthem on this exciting program.”

With such a wide variety of natural stonecolors and textures available through theMasonry Division, presenters showed land-

scape architects how the uses for thesematerials in environments are virtually limit-less. Incorporating natural stone into landscapedesigns satisfies the consumer’s desire for cre-ative outdoor spaces and “green rooms” thatemphasize the beauty of natural materials. Theshowroom provided the perfect backdrop toillustrate the uses of these materials.

In addition to the Masonry Division speaker,key presenters included Champlain Stone, Ltd.,Opeil Flagstone Company and Isokern Fireplaceand Chimney Systems.

“We continually strive to offer innovativeprograms that create value for our customers,”said Craig Alvarez, Assistant Vice President,Sales and Marketing for the Masonry Division.“Networking and building relationships withprofessional organizations like CT ASLApromotes top-of-mind customer awarenessand builds a sustainable competitive advantagefor O&G. We are pleased to have members ofCT ASLA participate in this program.”

Sales representatives Jim Gallagher andTony Duarte were asked by over 35 landscapearchitects to do a follow-up call as a result ofthe workshop. Many of the attendees were newprospects. Having never visited the EarthProducts Showcase showrooms they wereimpressed with the extensive and beautifulproduct vignettes on display, the fabricationservices and, above all, O&G’s customerservice. Jim and Tony hand delivered a StoneSample Binder kit to each firm. The kit servesas a stone reference guide, useful when select-ing stone for a design projects. It was createdas an addition for their library, allowing forquick access when showing their clients stonesamples for final selection.

According to Anita Parzuchowski, Director ofMarketing for the Masonry Division and one ofthe organizers of the event, “It really was a fab-ulous day – we were thrilled with the turnoutand the quality of the presentations. Our guestsall gave it high marks.”

Green-scaping: Some 70 landscape architects

enjoyed a day-long CE program at O&G’s Earth

Products Showcase in Danbury. Presentations fea-

tured creative uses for locally quarried stone in

“green room” environments and landscape

designs. (top) A full showroom; (left) presenters,

CT ASLA members and Masonry Division staff

Masonry Division Hosts “Green” ContinuingEd Program for Landscape Architects

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Ray Oneglia, Sr., ranks it right up there withthe most important strategic acquisitions O&Ghas made in his sixty-eight years with the com-pany. The senior Oneglia, along with his broth-er George, have been shepherding the modern-ization and expansion of the quarry, and it isindeed falling into place at a brisk pace.

Bottom line: O&G is closing in on a safe,environmentally friendly facility running thelatest in crushing and processing equipment,netting a 20- to 30-fold increase over thequarry’s productivity when purchased in2006. The plant will produce a host of prod-ucts but king among them is a high-quality,light-colored sand perfectly suited to numer-ous commercial and residential uses.

Major, visible progress is being made everyweek. A new entryway with greatly improvedsightlines and attractive landscaping, twolanes for truck entrance and egress, two newtruck scales and a new scalehouse wereamong the first improvements made. A 30-foot-high, landscaped berm was created par-allel to the plant’s closest neighbors to bufferthe sounds and sights of the operation. Theformer shed where quarry operations andequipment repair took place has been expand-ed and enclosed. A new vehicle washing facil-ity is in the works to keep the sites’ trucks intypical “O&G top-shelf appearance.”

But the most impressive changeis thesprawling five-acre plant for processingstone, one of the largest in New England. It

looks a bit like an amusement park ride forrocks, with hundreds of yards of yellow-and-black conveyors and rails connecting the hop-per and primary crusher (where the “shotrock” from blasting, is fed in and roughlycrushed) to the different processing towerswhere final crushing and screening occurs.

Both George and Ray Oneglia, Sr., arequick to attribute the great success of thisproject to the team that is making it all hap-pen. These talented senior O&G employeesare bringing years of experience to bear.

For instance, early on in the acquisitionphase, it was Bill Stanley, VP/MaterialsDivision, who analyzed the geology of thesite and gave the company the assurance thatthere was a very significant lode of stone tomine – that the stone would convert to a high-quality sand and that it was worth the outlayO&G would have to make for acquiring andimproving the quarry. Stanley is also confi-dent that the sand, widely used on state proj-ects in New York, will be approved for use onstate projects in Connecticut where reservesof high-quality sand are hard to come by.

Other contributors to the quarry purchasewere Vice Chairman Ray Oneglia, Jr.,Secretary Ken Merz and Chief FinancialOfficer Rich Hall who were instrumental insuccessful negotiations for the acquisition.

Also in at the beginning, and continuing tobe involved, was Ken Faroni, Planning andPermit Coordinator, who saw to it that all the

required federal, state and local regulatorypaperwork for mining and reclamation werebrought into compliance. He is involved inany permit-driven, land use activities at thequarry. “We’ve got a very good relationshipwith land use regulators and our neighbors inday-to-day operations. We appreciate thecooperation we’ve received from them. Ibelieve they appreciate our proactiveapproach at the quarry,” says Faroni. He adds,“We’ve also received quite a few compli-ments on the entryway aesthetics and sight-line improvements.”

The senior Oneglia brothers also single outthe self-effacing division VP, Tony Damiano.Says Ray with a chuckle, understating hisappreciation for Damiano, “Tony’s done apretty good job designing this plant on hisdrawing board.” He credits Damiano withbeing a driving force, someone O&G trusts tomake things happen. Damiano, in turn, prais-es his crew: “Our team has done a fine job,it’s absolutely been a team effort. We all doour part. We’re pulling on the same end of therope and things are proceeding on schedule,”he says. Damiano also appreciates the contri-butions G&S Electric’s Greg Dalton andDonald Baldwin have made doing all theelectrical work involved in the new plant.

Veteran quarryman John Jenkins also con-

tributed to the design of the plant, and is a

“go-to” guy on site, guiding development and

the installation of the plant. Having overseen

Full Steam Ahead with improvements and expansionsat Quarry No. 5 in New Milford


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NEW HEART FOR NO. 5 The crushing plant,shown here in March approaching 50%completion, will help crews start churningout 20 to 30 times the current volume ofhigh-quality product this Summer.

operations in the company’s Southbury quar-

ry since 1979, Jenkins was a natural choice

for revamping Number 5.

Under the critical eye of Lester

Klimaszewski, Construction Superintendent,

every grade and every concrete pier and foot-

ing fit the equipment like a glove. Equipment

installers from plant manufacturer Kemper

Equipment had never worked on a job this

precisely prepared. “They don’t come any

better than Lester,” says Oneglia.

And then there are Dave Guerrera, being

groomed to take over operations this Summer,

and Bob “Rabbit” Pranulis, who, with

Guerrera, have been essential to developing

the site. Says O&G VP Leo Nardi, “There

were eight carpenters, four laborers and mul-

tiple operators on the job at all times and there

were no headaches. It’s been going flawlessly.”

Credit also goes to Jimmy Zambero, Vice

President/Equipment, who has been planning

and outfitting the new vehicle washing facili-

ty, ensuring that its size and capabilities

match up to O&G’s current and future needs.

The old crushing equipment still churns

along at the quarry, but when the new plant

comes online this Summer it will process

almost three times the quantity of stone an

hour. Thanks to the vision of George and Ray

Oneglia and Tony Damiano, and the dedica-

tion of a small army of skilled, veteran O&G

employees, the new quarry will be a far cry

from its roots in the 1800s when mule teams

hauled wagons of stone through dark tunnels

and out to the nearby railyard – and even a far

cry from just a few years ago.

Teamwork: (l to r) Dave Guerrera takes thereins this Summer; Barbara Snow runs the newscalehouse; John Jenkins keeps tabs on progress.(bottom, l to r) The team turning plans intoreality: Wilton Atkinson, Roger Pereira, RussMartocchio, Dan Paparazzo, Chester Swieton,Brian Sokol, Construction Superintendent LesterKlimaszewski, Yard Foreman Dave Guerrera,Foreman Bob “Rabbit” Pranulis, Site ManagerJohn Jenkins, Mike Dionne and Joe Suita.

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“When I started here I was instructed that thephilosophy of the company was to deliverexcellence to our customers in quality, serviceand value,” says Bill Stanley, a 28-year veteranand Vice President/Materials Division whooversees the company’s quality control func-tion, among other things. Stanley remains a

standard bearer of that philosophy as he directshis tight-knit group.

Quality control begins long before any of theproducts and services O&G delivers – aggre-gates, concrete, asphalt and the means by whichthey are installed – ever get near a customer’sjobsite. It can begin literally years before, whenpotential sites are evaluated for mining opera-tions. Says Stanley, “We start with identifying,

analyzing and selecting our sources of materialsfor aggregates. We evaluate the raw land. Wedrill cores, we dig test holes, we determine ifthe site is suitable and how it may fit into oursystem.” With tightening land use regulations,permitting sites for the production of aggre-gates has become an arduous process, he adds.

Quality is monitored throughout the process-ing of raw materials into finished products, andextends to both their delivery and installation.Asphalt, for instance, is not only made to spec-ification and tested for compliance but QualityControl provides assistance to ensure it is beinglaid down properly, being compacted properly,and rolled in the right patterns for optimalinstallation. When it comes to concrete, from

pumping and consolidation to finishing, theinstallation is monitored.

The construction world grows more complexall the time. Government oversight and regula-tions, coupled with innovations in engineeingand construction, have pushed capabilities –and quality control responsibilities – to new

heights. The Quality Control Department haskept pace.

Specifications for new materials that just tenyears ago were a push or even impossible arenow common: 10,000 psi concrete for highrises; road surfaces that take traffic within hoursof lay-down; environmentally friendly perviousconcrete that lets water to pass through; self-consolidating concrete that flows like water

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How “iHealthy” are you?There’s something exciting at O&G. The company’s new iHealth program is all about making it even

easier for employees and their families to live healthier and happier lives. iHealth aims to help you

become more informed about your health, more in-tune with wellness, and more inspired to take

the necessary steps to improve your health. Contact the HR Hotline at 860-496-4888, and stay

tuned for further information in upcoming issues.

Excellence in the DetailsO&G’s Quality Control team is busyeverywhere, insuring that superiorproducts and services aredelivered consistently

BILL STANLEY

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JIM MAHER

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LEIGHTON DAVIS

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MATERIALS OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR Leighton Davis inspects the Waterbury asphalt plant’s production during a recent visit

into complex forms; fast-setting concrete thatgains strength overnight. Quality Control haskept up to speed with it all, and helped O&Gstay on the cutting edge even as it maintains thecompany’s longstanding, uncompromisingcommitment to quality.

Stanley proudly points to an ongoing job thattypifies providing the latest in materials andinstallation while delivering superior results forthe customer. This large job required the instal-lation of miles of 340kV underground powertransmission lines for which O&G supplied theknow-how, manpower and special materials.“We needed a special concrete and granularbackfill material to draw heat from the line andenhance the flow of electricity. In materials andinstallation, we are exceeding all expectations.”

One of the routine challenges QualityControl faces is at the company’s recyclingoperation at the Seaview Avenue facility inBridgeport where waste asphalt and concreteare given new life. “You never know what the

incoming stream of materials is going to be,what the production is going to be. We have toreact on a monthly basis, as to what the inven-tory coming in will be, what value it has, whatwe can make from it,” says Stanley. For morethan a decade O&G has been making recycledsubbase for roads, but true to form the compa-ny is again at the forefront, investing in ways toturn the salvaged materials into higher value

products. “That’s another innovation O&G ispursuing so our guys spend a lot of timeinvolved there. It’s the way to move forward.”

The two men who head up the QualityControl Department are Leighton Davis andJim Maher. Maher, as Quality ControlManager, handles the Department’s administra-tive responsibilities. His primary duties focuson day-to-day and job-to-job operations. Maherhandles reams of paperwork for jobs, from bidthrough completion, certifying the commitmentO&G makes for products, delivery and installa-tion, getting an engineering stamp on the speci-fictions, and distributing essential informationto the producers and dispatchers. He is also incharge of the testing of concrete, asphalt andaggregate out in the field and in the dozen labsO&G maintains across the state.

Leighton Davis is a Materials OperationsSupervisor, working out of the BostwickAvenue facility in Bridgeport. Though his workdovetails with concrete and aggregate quality

control, Davis’ chief responsibility is asphalt,and the majority of that is with the State ofConnecticut, O&G’s largest asphalt customer.The state requires an inspector at the producingplant whenever O&G is making asphalt for oneof its Superpave highway projects. When theneed for inspections and tests peaks, as it doeswhen multiple paving jobs are running simulta-neously, outside independent testing labs are

contracted to work at Leighton’s direction. “Ido what I need to do, when I need to do it,” saysthe 18-year-veteran with a smile, referring tothe irregular hours seasonal nightime pavingand other activities bring. “I work whenever Ineed to and do whatever is needed to keepproduct going out the gate.”

Reporting to Maher are technicians MikeSmoly and John Kiesel. To many employees onO&G job sites across the state, Smoly andKiesel are the face of Quality Control. Theyvisit the job sites and plants around the stateand beyond in their mobile test vans, armedwith the equipment and know-how to conductfield tests that monitor product quality. The pairdivides their responsibilities, usually geograph-ically, so all job sites and facilities receive theQuality Control assist they need.

Although primarily involved in sales, SueDuffy, Assistant Vice President/MaterialsDivision, works with the Q.C. Department rou-tinely. She ensures that the products going into

every job are priced properly according to thespecifications to give customers optimal value.“It seems like there are no standard specifica-tions any more,” says Duffy, pointing to thevariety of technical variations required for con-crete and asphalt. Working with Jim Maher, shehelps ensure that the products ship to job sitesaccording to specs and that O&G delivers on itscommitment to quality, service and value.

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SUE DUFFY

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JOHN KIESEL

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MIKE SMOLY

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The Story Behind the NameDid you know that this issue of “On the Go” can trace its origins back to 1966? That’s when the Oneglia &

Gervasini Construction Company ran a contest looking for a name for their new newsletter. Two young men, John

Gemetro (father of John Gemetro, Jr., VP/Heavy & Civil Divison) and Richard Gallegos, came up with the winning

name, “On the Go,” that this newsletter still carries. Playing off the “O” and “G” of the founders’ names, the pair

captured the spirit of the bustling company that was, and still is, always “on the go.” And now you know.

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Building and Land Technology, a prominentreal estate developer headquartered inNorwalk, approached O&G with a deal:transform their 15-acre hilltop site inDanbury from raw land into a leveled siteready for construction and O&G could havethe “run of the hill” – all the stone O&Gcould extract for its own use in construction.

With the deal offered, Bill Stanley, VicePresident, Materials Division, checked out theraw land and determined it would be a win-win situation for O&G and BLT: the hilltoppromised to offer a plentiful amount of high-grade stone suitable for processing into a vari-ety of products. And indeed it is proving so.

Getting operations up and running, how-ever, was anything but a run-of-the-millaffair. Head of a three-man team that hasbeen on the hilltop from “day one,” sitemanager T.J. Oneglia recalls the difficultprocess of getting the mining operationgoing. “We had to fight our way in here,beginning in November of 2006. We clearedthe trees, drilled and blasted a road up thehill, not much more than a goat path at first,

and then worked on a site that was so smallit was like working on a postage stamp.”

Unlike the company’s established quar-ries where lots of space is available forstockpiling processed stone, the hilltopafforded virtually no space at the start, andjust barely enough now. The challenge hasbeen working on that “postage stamp” whilekeeping pace with the crew from TedOndrick Company and its portable crusherwho churn out as much as 5,000 tons ofproduct a day. Oneglia and company shufflestone here to make room there, and makethis product for that project, and sell stonewhen stockpiles build up. But like a puzzlewith just a few pieces left to fit in, opera-tions are falling into place through carefulmanagement, teamwork and a lot of hustle.

Mike Simmons was with Oneglia at thesite from the beginning. Simmons runs thescale house and handles the logistics of pro-ducing the right types and amounts ofprocessed stone. The two look back on theearly days and shake their heads. “Very fewemployees would do what Mike did,” says

Oneglia with a smile, in admiration ofSimmons and how he would drive his owncar up to the top of the hill and sit in itthrough the winter as a makeshift office,before there was even room for a trailer andscale house. “Mike would have his cellphone, his Nextel walkie-talkie on the dash,pencils here and there, taking orders, hand-writing tickets, calling the plants and dis-patchers to move the stone. I can’t sayenough about his dedication.”

Oneglia has the same respect for loaderoperator Ryan Dayton. “Ryan works non-stop loading trucks and stockpiling material.He’s entitled to coffee breaks and lunch buthe’ll hardly ever stop moving. Some dayshe’s handled 5,000 tons of product andloaded 230 trucks, and that’s working intight, tight quarters, around the crushingcrew and incoming trucks, and he’s neverhad an accident. Ryan makes it look easy.”

The kind of teamwork that overcomesobstacles, complimented by skilled crushingoperations from Ted Ondrick, has made thehilltop into a highlight for all concerned.

Hill Tamers: Digging into the hilltop

site and establishing a workable plant

yard by yard has been a daily test of

ingenuity. (top) O&G’s team, from left:

Mike Simmons, site manager T.J.

Oneglia and Ryan Dayton; (bottom, l

to r) machines work safely in tight

quarters; the Ted Ondrick’s crushing

crew, and loader operator Dayton,

work like “Tasmanian devils,” says

Oneglia.

No “Run of the Mill” Job to Reap the “Run of the Hill”

t

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RetireesFrom 1979 to 2007 BILL AHERN operated an O&G asphalt plant. “All I’ve ever done is make blacktop,” he chuckles, minimizingthe many responsibilities his position required. Bill looked up to his superiors, both John Leverty and Tony Damiano, and fondlysays of Damiano “he’s ‘the Chief,’ a real working man’s boss.” After nearly 29 years with the company Ahern retired this pastSeptember. “It was really something to be at O&G so long and see how the company grew and grew, and to be a part of it.” Afterhe retired “Bill Ahern” remained on the job – the senior Ahern’s son is also named Bill and also works as an asphalt plant opera-tor. “When my son came home from ten years in the Navy I felt very comfortable with his security coming to work for O&G,” hesays. Bill and his wife Noreen are snowbirds, wintering at their home in Sarasota and returning to Stratford when it’s time to puthis boat back in the water for a summer of fair weather cruising and fishing in the Sound. Smooth sailing, Bill!

In 1971 Nixon was still in office, a stamp cost six cents, and REECE HOBEN joined O&G, fresh out of the Navy and with a new wifeand a baby on the way. “Because the company was relatively small back then, I was able to grow with the job as we transitionedto a nationally ranked construction company,” he says of his years in charge of the operational end of the business. He recollectsthe freedom Ray Sr., Francis and George gave him to do his job (“They didn’t micromanage me”) and the way “spirited discus-sions” were often the way of arriving at a business decision. Hoben also sees his contribution to the development of the constructionmanagement methodology at O&G as one highlight of his long career. “We knew it was the way to go and it took work to convincecommunities of the benefit.” The Hobens – Reece and wife Gerry – are relocating to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, with a golfcourse out their back door and an air mattress on the floor as they prepare their new home. Thanks for 36 years of service, Reece!

PETE LONGO sat behind the wheel of big trucks for 41 years all told, the last 29 or so O&G trucks, mostly dump trailers and tri-axles out of O&G’s Southbury quarry. “O&G was a good company to work for,” says Pete. “You keep your nose clean, you’ve gota steady job and steady pay.” He remembers the years before coming to O&G when, as part of a family trucking business, drivingwasn’t his only responsibility. He didn’t miss all the headaches that went with maintaining the equipment on off-hours and week-ends after the driving was through, and appreciated the clean, reliable equipment O&G always provided. Retiring at a relativelyyoung 61 years, Pete’s new motto is, “Life is short.” The call of work often kept Pete working long hours, sometimes seven daysa week for weeks on end. Now he relishes time with his wife, Carol, and family members. His new pastimes are helping take careof his new grandson three days a week, toying with his John Deere and working on his “honey-do” list. Keep the shiny side up, Pete!

He had worked at various auto dealerships, but when a job became available at O&G, JOE MUCKLE went for it. “The pay was verygood, it was close to home, and the people seemed good to work for.” That was in 1979, and almost 30 years later Joe Muckle hasretired after remaining with O&G for the long haul, working on big trucks and mixers in the company’s South Main equipment repairfacility. “O&G was great to work for,” he says. “You gave them an honest day’s work and you were paid well for the day.” Joe hasnot been doing a whole lot special since retiring in December; instead, he’s been enjoying his freedom from the time clock. That,and tackling his wife Sandra’s list of projects. The Muckles will be married 49 years this October (the secret: “I’ve learned that ‘Yes,dear’ is the correct answer for most anything,” he laughs). Having lost one child last year, Joe appreciates time spent with his sonand daughter and five grandchildren, including one whom they’ve brought home to live with them. Sounds good to us, Joe!

When a teeenage SAL RINALDI joined O&G, JFK was our president and “Beatlemania” was the rage. That was in 1963, and Sal hadonly been in America for three years, having left his home near Naples, Italy, at 16. After 45 rewarding years (most of it pavingroads, the last few years excavating building sites) Sal Rinaldi bid a fond farewell on the first of May. “I want to thank the entireOneglia family – O&G was a great, great employer,” he says. “They were gentlemen and treated me like family.” He recalls how heand his superiors always worked well together. “I never refused to do a job,” he says, remembering the unexpected “little” jobs thatwould pop up and mean sacrificing weekends off. But he did grow wary of night paving on busy interstates. “I’ve seen a lot of acci-dents after midnight. I was almost hit myself. Drivers don’t read the signs.” That’s when he switched to excavation. Sal and hiswife, Linda, are cooking up plans with daughter Alicia to visit Italy later in the year. Grazie, Sal, for 45 years of dedicated service!

BRUCE WALPOLE retired in September after 25 years at O&G. His first assignment was to the Waterbury Water Treatment Plant asa project manager in the field; he then served as a project manager in the Preconstruction Department at the Main Office, workingmostly on school and university projects. “O&G is a very sound place for anyone wanting to be in construction. The managementvery much cares for their employees. You work hard but you’re rewarded for your efforts.” Having left O&G, and Connecticut, theWalpoles moved to Michigan where wife Mary works as a nurse and Bruce works at a hospital in Grand Rapids doing facilities plan-ning and management. The couple purchased land with waterfront access to Lake Michigan, and is now overseeing the construc-tion of their new home. Bruce has his eyes on hitting the links but for now he and Mary are occupied with settling into the area thatwas their favorite vacation spot for years. Hope you’re building extra rooms for the kids and grandkids!

When you listen to BERNIE WHITE talk about his work history, you can’t help but be struck by the wide range of experience: con-sulting engineer, machine designer, home designer, work for a painting contractor and a drywall contractor and a small construc-tion company. It’s experience that all channeled into the position he held at O&G as an estimator in the Building Division for near-ly 17 years where he helped prepare bids for many projects. “If you’re not happy going to work every day you shouldn’t be there.I always wanted to go to work,” he said. He laughs recalling how he would use O&G’s kitchen to prepare Italian lunches with loadsof garlic and onions: “They had to install a bigger exhaust fan that really worked!” For the first few months after retiring in Decemberhe “went nowhere, did nothing.” Now he’s finding more time to do architectural designs for homes “at my leisure” and enjoying it.His wife, Adrienne, is a registered nurse in New Haven, and the Whites make time to be with their daughters’ families

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On the Move

The Taft School Dining Hall Watertown, CTConstruction began in June on this project,which includes the demolition of theArmstrong Dining Hall in the Horace DuttonTaft building and the construction of a 24,000SF addition to replace it. Remaining areas ofthe first floor and basement will be renovatedin phases and new MEP systems installed.Other floors will be renovated to eliminatecode violations. The architecture of the addi-tion matches the existing character of the TaftSchool campus. The project will be complet-ed in January, 2010 and will be LEED Silvercertified. The O&G team includes ProjectExecutive Brian Holmes, Senior EstimatorBill Coyne, Preconstruction Manager LarrySchilling, Project Manager Dan Hetzler,Superintendent Cliff Morin and Christina O.Rossi, Project Engineer. The architect for theproject is the Gund Partnership, Cambridge,Massachusetts, headed by Partner-in-ChargeJohn Prokus, Project Architect Eric Svahnand Designer/ Construction AdministratorMatt Formico

Early Child Magnet School Bloomfield, CTThe Early Child Magnet School will be aone-story, 46,500 SF preschool servingBloomfield and surrounding communities. Itwill achieve a Silver Certification with theU.S Green Building Council LEED forSchools Program. The building facade willfeature prefinished white cedar siding andslate shingles. Each classroom will havesloped tectum panel ceilings, while the cafe-teria and multi-purpose rooms will featurewood ceilings. Each classroom will haveradiant floor heating, and an indoor air qual-ity monitoring system will cover the entire

building. There will be a central 7,000 SFopen courtyard and greenhouse, parking for100 cars and a 30,000 SF playground.O&G’s project team includes Lorel Purcell,Preconstruction Manager, Richard Jones,Project manager, David Holcomb, ProjectSuperintendent and Michael Saccoccio,Project Engineer. Tai Soo Kim Partners is theproject architect, with design consultantsBVH Integrated Services, Fuss & O’Neill,CR3, CCR Pyramid and Steven WinterAssociates. The entire building assemblywill be commissioned by Strategic BuildingSolutions. URS Corporation is the owner’srepresentative.

Iroquois Gas Transmission System MarketAccess Project Brookfield and New Milford, CT & Dover, NYTo capture market opportunities, IroquoisGas is upgrading its transmission stations,including the addition of gas cooling units toincrease transmission capacity; pressure-reducing and -increasing facilities to inter-face with other market operators; new stationcontrol facilities; and site improvements toparking, access roads and landscaping.O&G’s Project Manager is Ram Parasu-raman. Superintendents are Burt Lively andLenny Cortigiano.

Three Rivers Community College Norwich, CTThis $65M Department of Public Worksproject is in full swing, with Phase IIturnovers expected to begin in late Summer.The Central Utility Plant was turned over tothe owner on schedule in early May. Wings1, 2 and 4 are on schedule for turnover in lateSeptember, and Wing 3 in mid-December.Upcoming months will see significant finish

work taking place within these wings asflooring and science casework proceed.Superintendents Al Trudel and Brian Pracutaare working closely with Project EngineersDave Dion and Christina O. Rossi to coordi-nate the intricacies of these classroom andoffice spaces. Sitework Superintendent RayDzen has been developing parking lots thathad been delayed or rephased to meet theowner’s needs. As Phase II nears completion,the owner has asked O&G, with SkanskaUSA, to look at the possibility of rephasingPhase III so the classrooms can be usedwhile the last wing is renovated.

Environmental Studies Magnet School Stratford, CTO&G is nine months into what is expected tobe Connecticut’s first public school to attainthe U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDSilver certification. Tai Soo Kim Partners ofHartford designed the 105,000 SF, 45-class-room building. The school will boast suchenvironmentally friendly features as a gardenroof that captures rainwater for irrigation,low-flow plumbing fixtures, a daylight har-vesting system to automatically adjustindoor lights depending on the amount ofincoming sunlight, a wind turbine, and an icestorage system for peak cooling load reduc-tion. Biofiltration swales and a vegetatedopen space area equal to the building’s foot-print will promote on-site filtration of rain-water runoff from the site’s imperviousareas. The school will be clad with high-per-formance glazing, split-faced block and acedar rain screen. Fuss & O’Neill ofTrumbull, Spiegel Zamecnik & Shah Inc. ofNew Haven, and BVH Integrated Services ofBloomfield all assisted Tai Soo Kim Partnerswith the school’s design.

THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL, LAKEVILLE, CTFlinn Hall is one of two dormitories O&G recently completed for the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. The building has achieved LEED Silver Certification and is the seventh

building O&G has completed for the school.

A SAMPLING OF NEW PROJECTS AT O&G

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