Spring 2008 The biannual newsmagazine of the OSCO Construction Group StresconStrescon GearsGears UpUp toto UnveilUnveil AtlanticAtlantic Canada’sCanada’s FirstFirst All-PrecastAll-Precast OfficeOffice BuildingBuilding Atomic Energy of Canada • New York Presbyterian Hospital • Irving Oil Refinery • Hollywood Slots • Boston Museum of Fine Arts • +more... CONNECTIONS is the biannual magazine of cover image: the OSCO Construction Group, published every Spring and Fall to share news and information Strescon’s with our valued customers and employees. All-Precast Comments and submissions are greatly appreciated and may be sent to the editor: Office Tammy Legacy, c/o OSCO Construction Group 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2K 5L6 Building e-mail: [email protected] Saint John, NB OSCO Photo by Peter Horwood (Strescon) construction group OSCO Construction Group members include: steel OCEAN STEEL & CONSTRUCTION LTD - SJ office & plant What’s 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2K 5L6 Fax: (506) 632-7689 • Tel: (506) 632-2600 OCEAN STEEL & CONSTRUCTION LTD - Fredericton plant 550 Wilsey Road • Fredericton, NB • CANADA • E3B 7K2 Fax: (506) 444-7978 • Tel: (506) 444-7989 OCEAN STEEL CORPORATION - office & plant 53 Shaw Road, Conklin, NY • USA • 13748 Fax: (607) 723-4882 • Tel: (607) 584-7500 Inside... NEW ENGLAND SALES OFFICE 25 Burlington Mall Road, Burlington, MA • USA • 01803 Fax: (781) 221-2155 • Tel: (781) 221-2152 OSCO REBAR SERVICES - office 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2K 5L6 Fax: (506) 632-7689 • Tel: (506) 632-2600 YORK STEEL - metal service center 550 Wilsey Road • Fredericton, NB • CANADA • E3B 7K2 what we do Fax: (506) 444-7978 • Tel: (506) 444-7989 Message from the President.........3 Blue Canoe; 380 Bayside Dr. concrete Strescon Office.........................4-6 Cunningham Lindsay......12-13 STRESCON LIMITED - office & plant Atomic Energy of Canada.............7 Marque Projects........................14 101 Ashburn Road • Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2L 3W2 Fax: (506) 632-7576 • Tel: (506) 633-8877 Ocean Steel Institutional & Hotel Hollywood Slots.........................15 Profile: NY-Presbyterian; 808 Somerset Square ..................16-17 STRESCON LIMITED - office & plant 131 Duke Street • Bedford, NS • CANADA • B4A 3Z8 pg.10 Columbus; Mass College of Big Pipe - Maine........................18 Fax: (902) 494-7401 • Tel: (902) 494-7400 Pharmacy; Great Wolf Lodge; FCC Heritage Awards..................20 NEW ENGLAND SALES OFFICE Maine Research Library; Boston Webcams...................................20 25 Burlington Mall Road, Burlington, MA • USA • 01803 Fax: (781) 221-2155 • Tel: (781) 221-2153 Museum Fine Arts; Monmouth FCC Electrical & Cabling............21 STRESCON READY-MIX - plant Unv.; Bayside Student Housing; OSCO Rebar Projects.................22 1212 Berry Mills Road • Moncton, NB • CANADA • E1E 4R8 Emmanuel College..............8-11 Progress Snapshots....................22 Fax: (506) 856-5897 • Tel: (506) 858-7110 FCC Renovations Article: 59 King York Metal Service Center .........22 SCHURMAN CONCRETE - office & plant 240 MacEwen Road • PO Box 1416 • Summerside, PE Square; Irving Oil Refinery; York Misc Metals.......................23 CANADA • C1N 4K2 Fax: (902) 888-2959 • Tel: (902) 888-4331 SCHURMAN CONCRETE - office & plant 412 Mount Edward Road • Charlottetown, PE CANADA • C1A 7L3 Fax: (902) 566-1169 • Tel: (902) 628-0127 pg.26 how we do it construction Profile: OSCO-SJ Shop ..........24-25 Group Safety Report ..................26 FCC CONSTRUCTION - office 2008 OSCORS............................25 25 Year Club...............................27 400 Chesley Drive • Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2K 5L6 Fax: (506) 632-1108 • Tel: (506) 632-7800 MARQUE CONSTRUCTION - office PO Box 6623 • 400 Chesley Drive • Saint John, NB • CANA- DA • E2L 4S1 Fax: (506) 632-1108 • Tel: (506) 634-1144 who we are KENNEBEC CONSTRUCTION - office 400 Chesley Drive • Saint John, NB • CANADA • E2K 5L6 Group Retirees ..........................27 Curling Bonspiel...........................31 Fax: (506) 632-1108 • Tel: (506) 632-7800 Retirement Lane...................28-29 Fresh Faces ..................................31 For more information on our companies, Strescon Supports Troops..........30 Congratulations ............................31 please check out website at: pg.30 Pte Greenslade Bursary .............30 Strescon Flashback .........Back cover www.oscoconstructiongroup.com CONNECTIONS • Spring 2008 what we do Message from the President Keeping the gears turning in a challenging market We are looking forward to a busy 2008. Despite the strong Our group services sector has also been very active. Human Canadian dollar we have been successful in building a good backlog resources are working hard to see where we can enhance our of work in Canada and the United States. In our structural steel divi- employee benefits for our office, plant and field employees. sion, we were pleased to receive the award for 8,000 tons of Recently, we have hired an employee benefits consulting firm to structural steel for the $1.6 Billion potash mine expansion near review and recommend how we can make our employee benefits Sussex, New Brunswick. Also, we obtained 3,100 tons of structural package better and more cost-effective. We will be announcing in steel for the Koch Cancer Research building at the Massachusetts the coming weeks some revisions to our medical, dental, life insur- Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Another US-based project ance and group RRSP plans which I believe you will be happy to we are working on is the 1,400 ton Eastpier waterfront condomini- hear about. All of our employees need to be properly looked after; um project in Boston. In the mid-Atlantic market, we received a both during times of personal or family setbacks and once they’ve contract for 1,100 tons of steelwork for reached retirement. Information & educa- two academic buildings at Fordham Despite the strong Canadian tion sessions are being scheduled to help University in New York City. dollar we have been successful you take advantage of the enhanced retire- Our precast concrete division will in building a good backlog of ment planning tools that will be available. be filled with activity as well after receiv- work in Canada and the Needless to say, the economic climate ing two large awards; a 2,300 car United States. continues to provide surprises to every- parking garage at the Halifax one; both business and consumers alike. International Airport in Nova Scotia and a design build federal The demand for resource commodities, such as iron ore, potash, prison in Berlin, New Hampshire. oil & gas and just about any natural resource you can think of con- Our ready mix, steel service center, reinforcing steel and con- tinues unabated. At the same time, some manufacturers are crete pipe divisions also expect to have a busy year in Atlantic experiencing difficult times with the rapid appreciation of the Canada. Canadian dollar against our biggest trading partner, the United In our construction division, we are participating in the pre- States. Here in New Brunswick, we seem to have a mixture of both construction management of the Sussex potash mine expansion I trends, with energy-based and resource-based projects leading referred to earlier. Presently, we are working with Cementation future growth prospects while forest products-manufacturing busi- Canada Inc., who are designing and building the new sinking pro- nesses have been forced to make cutbacks. duction and service shafts at the mine for the Owner, Potash In the United States, the ongoing depressed housing market Corporation of Saskatchewan. and the tight credit markets pose challenges for the immediate Our electrical, instrumentation and mechanical divisions are future. Nevertheless, companies that are diversified in their product also working diligently to finish their existing projects and have base, customer base and geographic markets will always find obtained additional work. opportunities somewhere. Our plans are to continue to be one of In 2007 our Group sales revenue had a healthy split with about those companies. So let’s keep the gears turning and enjoy the sum- 60% in Canada and 40% in the USA. We expect that this year will mer season with our friends & families at the same time !! be a similar split with about 65% of our work based in Canada. At the same time, we have budgeted to increase our sales volume in almost all of our business units. Hans O. Klohn President, OSCO Construction Group CONNECTIONS • Spring 2008 3 what we do companies involved: Strescon 4 CONNECTIONS • Spring 2008 what we do photos by Peter Horwood (Strescon) “Like Giant Lego® Blocks” All-Precast Office Building Erects Like a Dream During Worst Winter in Years What better way to showcase great products than to use them tion; less delays; smoother processes; lower costs; and faster ten- yourselves? Strescon is currently getting ready to unveil their new ant occupation? All-precast residential and office building provide corporate office - the first all-precast office building in Atlantic all that and more. Canada. Although a common building practice in Europe, all-pre- cast construction is just starting to catch on in Canada. Developers SAFETY AND COMFORT have been taking advantage of the technology for all-precast park- While quicker erection can get tenants into buildings faster, ing garages for many years now, but a revolution is poised to the security of all-precast concrete