July 2017

Chris-Tel Construction Wins

Excellence in Construction Award

In March of this year, we sub-

mitted four projects to for the

Excellence in Construction

Awards presented by the As-

sociated Builders and Contrac-

tors Gulf Coast Chapter. On

May 5th, some of our associ-

ates traveled up to Tampa to attend the awards

gala hoping to bring home the hardware. We suc-

ceeded and the eagle has landed! Chris-Tel Con-

struction was presented with the Excellence in

Construction Award for Somero Enterprises, Inc.,

Headquarters and Training Facility. Eric Schnei-

der, Project Manager for Somero, accepted the

award on behalf of the firm. We were also pre-

sented with Merit Awards for the Martin Pool Pa-

vilion, Spicer Cottage Historic Restoration and

Eastern Metal Supply (Fort Myers). This was the

first time that Chris-Tel Construction submitted

for this caliber of award and were thrilled with

the results. These awards are presented every

two years, so we are hoping to repeat a win in

2019. Thanks to all of our associates for making

the Somero HQ a safe, successful and award win-

ning project!

THE SUITES AT THE WESTIN HOTEL AT TARPON POINT WILL UNDERGO EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS

AWARDS GALA TAMPA-L TO R: EARL GILL, BRANDI SCHULTE, ERIC

SCHNEIDER, MOLLY SCOTT, HOWARD WHEELER & DONNIE SINGLETON

Chris-Tel Awarded Westin Hotel Renovation Chris-Tel Construction was recently award-

ed an extensive renovation project at the

Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village.

The resort hotel currently has one, two and

three bedroom suites that range in size

from 445 square feet to 3,500 square feet.

These suites will receive an extensive make-

over that will convert the thirty (30) two-

bedroom suites into thirty (30) one-

bedroom suites and thirty (30) studio units.

Construction is slated to begin July 5th and

will take approximately three months to

complete. The AAA, 4-Diamond waterfront

resort is no stranger to construction howev-

er, as construction continues on the 35,700

square foot conference center and bridge

located on 1.6 acres of the property as well

as a new parking area on a separate 3.25

acre site. The conference center is a con-

crete block / steel frame structure that will

include a ballroom that can accommodate

up to 1, 250 guests and can be divided up

into six distinct meeting spaces, a 4,700

square foot pre-function area and a 1,700

square foot terrace overlooking the Caloosa-

hatchee River Estuary. Coupled with the

2,000 square foot porte cochere, the $13 mil-

lion dollar conference center project is slated

to be completed in early 2018, will be a wel-

come addition to the resort property and will

serve the community and groups from out-

side Southwest Florida as a premier confer-

ence destination. There is a live, crew cam

website which shows construction happening

in real time as well as a time lapse from the

onset of construction to the present that can

be accessed from the main page of our web-

site at www.christelconstruction.com.

Both the conference center construction and

the hotel suite renovation are being complet-

ed in conjunction with Christopher J. Lee Ar-

chitects.

The Chris Telegram

Kudos Korner

Volume Eight

JULIE DePIRO

Vice President Finance & Administration

Chris-Tel in the Community

Julie has been with Chris-Tel Construction since October 2006 where

she started as the Receptionist. Shortly after she started, it was appar-

ent that her skills and tenacious work ethic afforded her more respon-

sibilities and she became an Assistant Project Manager working with

project documentation, billings, contracts and submittals. In 2010, Ju-

lie began assisting the accounting department on more financial docu-

ments and pay applications. In July of 2011, she became the Chief Fi-

nancial Officer for Chris-Tel and subsequently Vice President of Fi-

nance and Administration. Julie has an amazing way of mentoring and

managing others coupled with an approachable and dedicated spirit.

Sometimes we have no idea how she gets everything accomplished, but

she does...and she does it well! Julie has a quiet confidence, is a dedi-

cated, capable and honest leader, is results driven, quietly competent,

professional, even keeled, detail oriented, thorough, nurturing, helpful,

selfless, a “Mama Bear”, loyal and an all around perfect fit for Chris-Tel

Construction. Her history with the firm, experience and knowledge is

an invaluable asset to Chris-Tel Construction and we couldn’t be more

lucky to have a phenomenal leader in our ranks! Thank you Julie for

being our “go-to” and putting forth the amazing effort that you do on a

daily basis (including some nights and weekends). We can’t stress

enough how important you are to Chris-Tel!

www.chr istelconstruct ion .com

CONSTRUCTION IS BOOMING!

CHRIS-TEL CONSTRUCTION IS PROUD TO HAVE

SPONSORED THESE EVENTS IN SWFL!

TOP LEFT: JOE PRESSLER @ ASSOCIATED BUILDERS &

CONTRACTORS GENERAL CONTRACTORS TABLETOP

BOTTOM LEFT: FRED McCUISTION, RON MARRA, ERIC SCHNEI-

DER AND EARL GILL AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LEE

COUNTY ANNUAL TEXAS HOLD ‘EM POKER TOURNAMENT

BOTTOM RIGHT: EARL GILL, MOLLY SCOTT AND JOE PRESSLER

ATTENDING THE SEMI-ANNUAL STATE OF THE SCHOOLS

BREAKFAST FOR THE LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

VOLUME EIGHT—2017

Projects - In -Process Update

Estero Blvd. Improvements— Segment One is completed.

Estero Blvd Improvements Segment 2—Roadwork begins July 17th, Forcemain extension through Segments 3 and 4 continues.

Bay Harbour Marina— Staff re-recommends approval, will be forwarded to Planning Board and Planning Examiner

Ransom Street/Sunset Place Improvements—Final restoration ongoing

MY Shower Door: Construction will begin late July/Early August

Westin Conference Center: Construction ongoing, finish date slated for Early 2018.

Westin Hotel Rooms Renovation: Demolition and renovation project begins July 5th

Sanibel Library Renovation—Demolition complete, renovation work has begun on Phase I

Gasparilla Inn Renovations—Preconstruction contract awarded, working on preliminary budget

Somero HQ Expansion—Design drawings are in process currently, construction to begin 3rd Q 2017

Cape Coral 47th Terrace Streetscape— Design is currently at 30% and the preliminary budgets are being worked on

Various Commercial Construction: We have a handful of other projects totaling tens of millions that are currently in the pipeline and are in

the preconstruction and preliminary design stages. They will be coming online further into 2017.

Special Projects Group—Hendry County Courthouse historic work recently awarded, Arby’s Port Charlotte continuing, Langford Kingston

Home renovations, Global Motors work continues, Fort Myers Beach hotel renovations in discussion and recently awarded project with Lamar

for Welcome to Cape Coral electronic signage

Lee County School District—Summer projects include: Fort Myers HS Science Labs, Riverdale HS Kitchen, Allen Park Kitchen, Bonita Middle

Kitchen and Bayshore Elementary Cabinetry work.

Lee County Port Authority—work continues on multiple projects for the LCPA via the continuing contract for the Maintenance Division

Collier County Government—Recently awarded North Gulf Shore Wall Replacement, Immokalee Road and Bridge Building and Immokalee Jail

Glass Replacement. Multiple other projects currently in the bidding phase.

D i d Yo u K n o w . . .

We have a “Word of the Week” on our Facebook page? Thanks to our fabulous intern, Emily Papa, we now have a social media campaign that coordi-

nates with our weekly billboard that we have on US 41 in North Fort Myers. I urge you to check out the videos each Wednesday on our Facebook page

and share it with your friends and colleagues! (www.facebook.com/ChrisTelConstruction.com).

www.chr istelconstruct ion .com

An Insider’s Look: Chris -Tel Of fice Expansion

C h r i s - T e l C o n s t r u c t i o n W e l c o m e s N e w A s s o c i a t e s : N o w 3 4 F u l l T i m e E m p l o y e e s

We are currently working on a corporate video! In conjunction with our photographer, we are working diligently on a corporate video that showcas-

es our firm’s talents, services and staff to be used in presentations, on social media and here in our office.

Sean Smiley joins Chris-Tel Construction as Project Manager for the $2M and over group. He will be managing projects such as Sanibel Library, Acumed and MY Shower Door. Sean has a de-gree in Building Construction Management from the University of North Florida, Jacksonville.

Chris-Tel Construction has expanded our footprint to make more room for our growing

firm. The Special Projects Group has relocated to a newly renovated building in the back of

the property on Edison Avenue. The new space consists of five offices, a conference room,

kitchen, plan room and storage space. The addition houses Donnie Singleton, Executive

Vice President, Dan Good, Manager Special Projects, Kevin James, Project Manager, Emily

Kinsey, Assistant Project Manager and Brandi Schulte, Bid Coordinator/Assistant Project

Manager. There is also an office for all of the field superintendents from our Special Pro-

jects Group (Bob Morgan, Brian Slowinski, Felipe Amaya, John Radtke and Mike Bolebruch)

to review plans and have a home base. With this expansion, comes more space in the main

office for our new associates. Since 2015, we have more than doubled in staff. This

growth is controlled and purposeful, but at the same time exciting. In the past 2nd Quarter

alone, we have hired seven new full time associates bringing our total number of employ-CHRIS-TEL CONSTRUCTION NEW OFFICE SPACE

HOUSING THE SPECIAL PROJECTS GROUP

Joe Filkowski joins Chris-Tel Construction as Superintendent for the $2M and over group. He will be working on projects such as Sanibel Library, Acumed and MY Shower Door. Joe is OHSA 30 hr. Certified, a Qualified Storm Water Management Inspector and received his education from Edison Community College.

Joe Gill joins Chris-Tel Construction as an Assistant Superinten-dent for the $2M and over group. Currently, he is working on the Westin Conference Center project but will be floating be-tween other vertical projects as they begin.

Emily Papa joins Chris-Tel Construction as Marketing Intern for the summer (and possibly Fall 2017). She is a double major at Florida Gulf Coast University in Business and Marketing. She has been assisting with social media, corporate video produc-tion, our construction app and writing blogs for our website.

Tricia Hennessy joins Chris-Tel Construction as Public Infor-mation Liaison for the Estero Blvd Improvements project as well as the 47th Terrace Streetscape project in Cape Coral. She will be assisting the civil group on both projects as well as de-veloping our internal Public Information services.

Rachel Comerford joins Chris-Tel Construction as Front Office Administration. Rachel will be administering all subcontractor pre-qualification and licensure, assisting with subcontracts and project documentation as well as providing overall front office coordination.

Our website has had a small makeover. We have added a “Crew Cam Live Link”, reorganized our team page and will soon be finalizing our “What

We Do” section. Please remember to share our website with your friends and colleagues. It is our online business card!

Chris-Tel recently became members of the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce! We are thrilled with the work we have recently been awarded by the

City of Cape Coral and are doing in the City of Cape Coral. We look forward to being more engaged with the business community in the Cape!

Brandi Schulte has been promoted! Brandi will be the new Bid Coordinator/Assistant Project Manager for the Special Projects Group. Brandi has

worked with Chris-Tel for almost two years and started out as Front Office/Receptionist. Congrats Brandi! We are so proud of you!

VOLUME EIGHT—2017

www.chr istelconstruct ion .com

Special Edition: From the Helm

There is no “I” in TEAM, however there is an “I” in WIN.

The word win is defined as being successful or victorious in

a contest or conflict; to acquire or secure as a result of a

contest, bet or other endeavor. More often than not, when

we think of the word win, we correlate that to a game, pro-

ject or bid. But do we ever stop to think that we want to

“win” daily at work? Being part of team (be it a sports

team, organization or corporation) is a role that most of

us have had at one time or another. At Chris-Tel Construc-

tion, our team as a whole is bigger than its parts, and the

parts and individuals that make up our team are our big-

gest asset. Having the inclination and desire to win each

and every day creates an atmosphere of positivity and pro-

ductiveness that will constantly propel Chris-Tel forward.

Many times we hear the old adage of “you are only as

strong as your weakest link”. There is an “I” in LINK and

that “I” represents the individual. The word link is defined

as a ring or loop in a chain; a relationship between two

things or situations especially when one thing affects the

other. Each link at Chris-Tel Construction has a definite

effect on the other and when one is weakened, the entire

chain can become unproductive. When we do hire a new

individual for the team, we want to be sure they have the

experience behind them to fulfill the responsibilities of

their role, the enthusiasm and want to be here as well as

the notion of understanding the bigger picture. This not

only creates harmony in the office and on the job site, it

instills confidence and cohesiveness in the eyes of the cli-

ent as well as asserting our ethics and values into every

project.

A strong group is also comprised of employees that fit

within the organizational culture. The “I” in FIT represents

the individual. The word fit is defined as of suitable quali-

ty, standard or type to meet the required response. We

strive to consider how a potential employee would fit with-

in our culture. What attributes do they possess that would

benefit our organization? Do they have the desire to do

what is necessary in order to pursue the common goal of

winning? Good talent is more than just experience and

knowledge, it is an individual commitment to a group ef-

fort is what makes a team work and will ensure the growth

and success of Chris-Tel.

We have nearly doubled in size since 2015 and currently

employ thirty-four full time associates. This growth is a

direct result of each individual putting forth their efforts

to WIN at work each day. The LINKS that make up Chris-

Tel Construction FIT together seamlessly in order to create

a successful construction management firm providing the

best service, expertise and quality to our clients. So if we

continue to fit, link and win as individuals through our at-

titudes and commitments, we will facilitate our teams’ ef-

fort to advance and Propel Chris-Tel.

Thank you all for what you do and continue to do on a dai-

ly basis, our team is stronger for it.

Laps of Luxur y: Mar tin Pool Pavil ion in Grandeur Magazine Spotlight The Martin Pool Pavilion project, which was completed in May of this year, has been in

the public eye in more ways than one. First, Chris-Tel submitted this project to the As-

sociated Builders and Contractors Gulf Coast Chapter (ABC) Excellence in Construc-

tion Awards back in March. At the May ABC Awards Gala in Tampa, we received a Mer-

it Award for this one-of-a-kind residential expansion. Shortly thereafter, the editors of

Grandeur Magazine (published by the NewsPress) featured the project in their June

issue with at title called “Laps of Luxury”. The story, written by Andrea Stetson, de-

picted an open door feature on the owners, Gary and Erica Martin and discussed in

detail the specifics of the expansion as well as the home and the couple. The 4,700

square foot recreation and entertaining space sits on Peekins Ranch Cove and in-

cludes a 38,000 gallon, Myrtha style lap pool, complete with a Colorado timing system

and diving blocks on the top floor and a 25 yard gun/archery range below the pool.

Also included in the expansion is an indoor/outdoor living area, a yoga room, luxury

bathroom, billiards and table ten-

nis, outdoor decking and walk-

ways, staircase, pavers, a new roof

on the entire structure (to include

the main house) and landscaping.

All in all, the $3 million renovation

took eighteen (18) months to com-

plete and created a cohesive look

on the entire property. Already the

home has been enjoyed by the

owners, residents of the communi-

ty and the Martin’s family mem-

bers. The Martin Pool Pavilion pro-

ject truly is one of the most

unique projects our firm has ever

completed and we are so proud of

the finished product that the own-

ers can enjoy for years to come.