In this 14-month, multi-phase renovation, Gaston Team members including Jake G., Ron P., Mike R., Adam S. and Crew worked alongside General Contractor Shawmut Design & Construction (and other project partners) to provide a complete overhaul of this iconic Kenmore Square Building.
On October 8th, Team Members from Gaston Electrical joined Consigli Construction to participate in the Blackstone Valley Educational Foundation STEM Webinar Series.
The series was developed to introduce middle school students to the many exciting career paths and opportunities that exist in STEM fields – including construction.
Each Team Member took time to explain their respective roles within the company, their responsibilities relating to projects, and their backgrounds. Students then asked questions via the webinar chat function. Of particular interest was the use of BIM in construction coordination, and the important role of women and minorities in the industry.
Recently, Bill Weber, Jr. joined Lonnie Cumpton of NECA National and Tauhira Ali of Milwaukee Tool to discuss offsite prefabrication, pre-planning, and the push for greater efficiency in construction during the “Innovation Studio” podcast.
During the discussion, Bill talked about the history of prefabrication at Gaston Electrical, the hard work to build the division, and the benefits seen on the jobsite today. He also offered advice and best practices for other electrical contractors who may be in the process of establishing their own prefabrication division.
To learn more about Gaston’s Prefabrication Division, you can visit our website by clicking here.
For the third consecutive year, The Gaston Team took an active role in Women In Construction Week activities across Boston and Cambridge. Spearheaded once again by Human Resources Director Nina Radzim, Women and Men from Gaston joined clients, project partners and industry groups at multiple events from March 1st – 7th.
This year, we kicked off the week with an office breakfast to recognize the important role of Women In Construction – and at our office in particular! In the photo below – Cidalia, Christine, Megan, Lindsay, Selene, Nina, Kim, and Karen pause to mark the occasion.
As the week continued, we visited with our friends at Siena Construction in Cambridge for a panel discussion on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion. Nina was joined by Gaston Principals Bill Weber and Mike Weber.
The highlight of the week was The Inspire Awards hosted by The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Massachusetts and their Boston Women In Construction (BWiC) Subgroup. The Annual event was started two years ago to spotlight the important contribution of Women in the Boston Construction Market. This year, Marianne Monte of Shawmut Design & Construction joined Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito to honor the award winners in front of a packed room of our 250 guests. Notably – Gaston’s own Megan Dempsey (Field Apprentice) was nominated for Rising Star and Nina Radzim was nominated for Emerging Leader – Great Job Ladies!
We look forward to supporting Women In Construction Week and The AGC of Massachusetts Inspire Awards again in 2021.
Gaston Electrical employee “Summer Open House” recap – At Gaston Electrical, our Team means everything to us – and taking time to celebrate another successful year as a group is always a highlight of the year – not to mention a great way to kick off the Summer Season. In years past, we have hosted the Summer Open House at our Norwood Headquarters. This year, we decided to change things up and host the event inside one of our recently-completed project sites. So on Thursday, June 27th, the entire Gaston team gathered at the new Night Shift Brewery at Lovejoy Wharf in Boston’s North Station area.
The afternoon included craft beer, raffle prizes, t-shirts, great food, and a chance for our office and field teams to chat and have a few laughs. Bill and Mike Weber took a few moments to welcome everyone and to thank them for their hard work. Needless to say, a great time was had by all.
As mentioned, this year was special because our skilled employees were part of the Cafco Construction Team on this exciting build. With a large brewery location/headquarters in Everett, Night Shift is fast-becoming one of the premier craft brewers in New England. This new restaurant/bar/brewery location adjacent to the Boston Garden and bustling Hub On Causeway signifies their growing popularity and expansion goals.
We’re proud to have played a small role in their growth – and would like to spotlight Eli Smith – Project Manager, Andy Guinane – Project Foreman, and the rest of the Gaston Team who helped make this project a success.
Next time you are in the North Station area, be sure to stop in for a pint or two. Maybe we’ll even see you at next year’s Gaston Electrical Employee Summer Open House!
On Thursday, August 9th Gaston Principal Bill Weber was featured in the latest edition of Engineering News Record’s (ENR) Webinar Series – along with more than 250 attendees from across the country. The webinar was hosted by Richerd Korman, Deputy Editor for ENR, and the topic for this informational event was “Finding Gold at the Intersection of Construction Quality and Safety”. On the panel, Bill was joined by Steve Pianalto of CRB and Kevin Hildebrandt of Miron Construction Company. They shared valuable tips and best practices for delivering quality services in a safe in a timely manner while highlighting the importance of pre-planning, LEAN construction principles, and company safety cultures.
During the week of May 7th-11th, Gaston Electrical joined hundreds of other leading companies from the construction industry in recognizing National Construction Safety Week. According to the official website, the mission of Safety Week is to “collectively raise the awareness of the construction industry’s continuing commitment to eliminating worker injury, and to clearly communicate its dedication to a shared culture of care and concern and the belief that every week must be Safety Week.”
2018 marked the fourth year of participation in the event for Gaston – and we successfully spread the word to all of our team members through site visits, emails, and social media campaigns. This year – Corporate Safety Director Rick Coakley focused on ladder safety training during his “toolbox talk” with our skilled team members. He also took time to introduce our new ladder inspection policy. Highlights of the busy week also included visits to the UMASS Boston Residence Halls, Boston Celtics Auerbach Center at Boston Landing, and AMGEN Cambridge. Gaston is partnered with leading General Contractors on these projects and our commitment to safety for our team (and theirs) was clearly highlighted.
Huge thanks to our field teams and project partners for an informative and engaging week – we look forward to 2019. Below are some photos from our various site visits.
The Women of Gaston play a critical role in the overall success of our company and our industry as a whole.
This statement was shared with our vendors and project partners throughout National Women In Construction Week from March 4th-10th 2018. Spearheaded by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), National Women in Construction (WIC) Week was an opportunity to join other leading construction firms in recognizing the significant contributions and important roles of Women in our industry.
During the week, Gaston arranged for numerous site visits to provide breakfast breaks and generate increased conversation around diversity in the trades. Construction is often an overlooked career choice for women, and we are working hard to help change that.
Below are photos and some of our social media posts from the week. To learn more about our activities and involvement in #WICWeek2018 please contact Nina Radzim or check out our social media channels:
Recently, GastonElectrical was ranked by Banker & Tradesman as one of the leading companies on their “Best of 2017” list.
Via Banker & Tradesman: Every year, we ask our readers to vote for the best real estate, banking, and financial services providers.Winners are peer-selected and come together to celebrate their accomplishments and success.
We are proud to be recognized among other leading firms in the Boston Market – many of whom are our clients and project partners.
At Gaston Electrical, we work tirelessly to maintain and continuously improve safety practices in all aspects of our business. To support this mission, our team members receive regular training on equipment and tools. Recently, Rick Coakley – Corporate Safety Director, attended a three-day Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) training session called JLG University. The event was held at JLG’s training center in McConnellsburg, PA. As one of the largest manufacturers of boom and scissor lifts in the country, JLG University provides advanced classroom and hands-on training for safe operation of their equipment. With the training completed, Rick will include new practices into Gaston’s training curriculum – ensuring an even safer work environment for our team members and project partners going forward.
