Safety Shout-Out: Brian Odell

Brian Odell pictured with company founder, Arch Kirkwood has been running work for AJK since 2003. This safety shout-out goes to Brian for his incredible track record of 18 years without one recordable lost-time injury on his job sites. Brian runs a tight ship and cleanliness on his jobs is paramount to him. Having a debris-free job site keeps our crew, clients, and trade partners safe from preventable falls, slips, and ankle rolls. Kudos to you, Brian!

5 Year Hard Hat Celebration

Congratulations to Mike Wood, Lawrence Hernandez, and David Cesena for your 5 year work anniversary and for earning your blue hard hats! We applaud the determination and effort you have demonstrated during your time with us.

Happy Veteran's Day

On this day, we honor all current and former members of the Armed Services. Our country’s greatness is built on the foundation of your courage and sacrifice. With respect, honor, and gratitude, we would like to thank all veterans that have served in the armed forces and for the sacrifices, they have made for our country. Happy Veterans Day to our soldiers, both past and present. We owe you our thanks, but more than that, we owe you our freedom.
 
Thank you to our AJK veterans:
Aaron Arnold, Anthony Guillermo, Gabriel Barragan, Rollie Beaver, Dragan Jovicic, Crandell Kealey, Cameron Milloy, Guillermo Reyes, Mark Smethurst, Mike Toyer, Craig Erving, Anthony Lopez, Alex Guillermo, Octavio Olivares, Jeff Smith, and John England.

LinkedIn - Safety Shout-Out:
Paul Scott

This week's Safety Shout-Out goes to “The Bus” Paul Scott. One key preventative measure ensuring ladder safety is set up in a clutter and debris free area. This minimizes your risk of injury as you come off your ladder. A.J. Kirkwood & Associates, Inc. safety culture will continue to be defined and driven by our like-minded shareholders like Paul!

November 2021 Newsletter

AJK Connection Newsletter - November 2021 Edition

LinkedIn - Safety Shout-Out:
Gary Johnson & Sandy Cardoza

This week's Safety Shout-Out goes to Gary Johnson and Sandy Cardoza working the night shift at John Wayne Airport. We emphasize ladder safety daily. They are accountable to one another to ensure that they stay off the top two steps of their ladder while working in a tight area. This is paramount to our culture and we applaud them for doing things the correct way. Great job, Gary & Sandy

Happy Retirement, Bill Pinney

We wish a warm farewell to Bill Pinney. With 40 years of electrical experience and going into his 5th year with A.J. Kirkwood & Associates, Inc., Bill has decided to retire. For the last 2 years, Bill has mentored many of our up-and-coming leaders while at Long Beach City College. In his farewell speech, he said, "this is the best crew I have ever had in 40 years.” Bill is a great builder and a gentleman. We will miss you Bill, but we certainly will never forget you.

Newest State Certified Journeymen:
Luis Meija, Gavin Casaccia, and Kevin Argueta

Congratulations to our three newest state-certified journeymen. They were committed to school, had perfect attendance at ABC of Southern California and all three graduated this past Saturday. They went on a major shopping spree to The Home Depot and went big with Klein Tools Milwaukee Tool 

LinkedIn - Safety Shout-Out:
Caleb Oberther

We’d like to give Caleb Oberther a “Safety Shout-Out”! While working at the USPS Distribution Facility in San Bernardino, Caleb was thorough in completing his Pre-Plan Task book and noting potential hazards. This USPS Facility has a fast-paced loading dock with multiple forklifts and electric cart operators loading and unloading trucks. It is very important for all workers in the facility to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Caleb did a great job identifying high traffic areas as a potential hazard.

AJK at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.'s Construction 101 Event

We had a great time at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. #Construction101 event this past weekend. This event is geared towards high school girls to spread awareness about opportunities in the construction industry and expose them to the trades. We believe construction is an option for all. We are proud to strive to be an inclusive and diverse organization. We had demonstrative stations set up alongside American Landscape Inc., Hilti Group, and Martin Bros. Our station demonstrated how to wire an electrical outlet and switch.

LinkedIn - Safety Shout-Out:
Erica Torres & Miguel Huerta

Safety is far-reaching A.J. Kirkwood & Associates, Inc. It is communicating, collaborating, and setting the tone every day by being self—accountable and looking after everyone on your crew. Whether working on lifts or ladders, falls are the number one risk that we face daily. Erica Torres and Miguel Huerta were presented with a couple of Amazon gift cards as a "thank you" for working safely!

LinkedIn - Shout-Out John Windle

Installation at Cal State Fullerton Baseball Clubhouse.

2021 Safety Meeting Photos

We had an amazing turnout at our safety meeting. We also presented the following awards to our deserving and dedicated employees: Rookie of the Year, Iron Award, Look Ahead & Planning, Best Electrical & Low Voltage Teamwork, Best Prefabrication, Oustanding Mentors, and Safety Awards. Click on the link above to scroll through a recap of our safety meeting. 

Safety Shout-Out: Eric Tissel

We want to give a Safety Shout-Out to Eric Tissel at Pomona College! He created a “Safety Corner” to really highlight where he put his IIPP, PPE, Required Postings, and First-Aid. Good ideas make all the difference. This one was Eric’s!

AJK Sponsors C.W. Driver Companies 2021 Safety Summit

We are honored to be a sponsor for C.W. Driver Companies Safety Summit event this year. Like C.W. Driver, we have a rigorous safety program and a “Safety First, Safety Always” culture that our employees live by. We had a great time attending this event as it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about risk management, OSHA safety regulations, and building a safety culture from industry experts.

AJK Awarded ABC SoCal's Platinum Safety Award

We are honored to be awarded the Associated Builders and Contractors of Southern California Platinum STEP safety award this year. 

Promotion Announcement:
Christina Dinh

We would like to congratulate Christina Dinh on her promotion to Marketing Coordinator! Since her promotion to this role in July, she has taken the initiative to lead the redesign and launch of our company's new website. She plays an important role in AJK’s marketing communications and we are excited to see what she will accomplish in her new role.

Promotion Announcement:
Brad Hanenberg & Henry Gutierrez

We are excited to announce the promotions of Brad Hanenberg to Vice President of Strategy & Planning and Henry Gutierrez to Vice President of Field Development! They are respectable leaders within our organization and have been an integral part of AJK's growth and success. Thank you both for your hard work and dedication over the years. We look forward to your leadership in your new roles.

Safety Shout-Out: Guillermo Reyes

We’d like to give a “Safety Shout-Out” to Guillermo Reyes. After his great job for us at Orange Coast College, his quality work has been brought to Cal-State Fullerton. Not only is he an outstanding electrician that helps the newer apprentices learn the trade, but he’s also pictured here doing everything correctly with an all-terrain forklift - setting the example for others as he normally does on a continual basis. Thank you so much, Guillermo!

Employee Recognition: Richard Mayer

Richard Mayer earned the respect of the City of Santa Monica inspector and gets the seal of approval for preferred contractors. This comes with quality workmanship and proficiency. Great job Richard!

Promotion Announcement:
Jesse Vallin, Foreman

We would like to congratulate Jesse Vallin on his promotion to Foreman. Under the guidance of Ernesto Nuñez and Brian Odell, he is ready, willing, and beyond capable of bringing home the Newport Marriot project for us. I also want to give a shout-out to Eric Tissel for working with and assisting Jesse during his first three years at AJK. It certainly takes a village and many people have played vital roles in Jesse’s development

LinkedIn - LA Coliseum Transformer Install

Check out the installation of the transformers at the LA Coliseum Project. We are installing 8 total transformers in all. At the beginning of the project, there were concerns on how to accomplish this. However, Kevin Hall and Terry Scott thought of an innovative way to install at this historical landmark.

LinkedIn - Hammer Museum Conduit

Great conduit installation work by Brandon Mendez at the Hammer Museum in Westwood.

September 2021 Newsletter

AJK Connection Newsletter - September 2021 Edition