Giving thanks

 

Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is right around the corner, or maybe it has something to do with the great news we received recently, but Commonwealth is just bursting at the seams with gratitude these days!

First, let us just say how very much we appreciate you -- our clients, employees, future employees, retirees, friends, and...most of all...our families.

To our clients...thank you for the opportunity to provide you with engineering and support services.  We enjoy getting to know you on job sites and golf courses, at restaurants, and in your offices or ours.  We value your time and work to continually earn the trust you place in us. 

To our employees...thank you for your commitment to Commonwealth and for giving your very best every day to achieve our shared vision of being a recognized leader, the preferred consultant, and the employer of choice in the markets we serve.

To our retirees...thank you for the extraordinary 25 years we celebrated this summer!  We are grateful for your participation in our events and for your willingness to mentor others.

To our future employees...thank you for considering employment with Commonwealth.  We can't wait to see what the future holds.

To our friends and family...a very special thank you for your support and encouragement as we pursue a career we love, even when it takes us on the road or keeps us at work a bit later than planned.  You make it all worthwhile.

Lastly, one more thank you to our employees.  It's a big one!  THANK YOU for your wonderful feedback on the Workplace Dynamics survey.  Because of you driving us to be the very best and your willingness to share your thoughts and feelings, Commonwealth can proudly say we are a Detroit Free Press 2013 Top 100 Workplace! 

What are you most thankful for this year?

From the Commonwealth Family to yours --

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

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An Event to Remember....

 

Sure, we're a Top 30 Design Firm and we work hard to get there. That said, we also have a fun side. As you may have read in last month's post, October was our "Fall Fun Month." It was chock full of activities designed to bring employees together for a time of fun, fellowship, and good food. Our talented team works hard to bring world-class solutions to our clients' toughest challenges, and a bit of levity helps to maintain the balance that keeps us at our very best. We are committed to being an Employer of Choice and this is just one way that we work at it every day.

Here's the story in pictures:



Oktoberfest was a blast with festive music, freshly-grilled brats, homemade potato salad, soft pretzels with choice of toppings, and a keg of delicious ice-cold root beer.

Data Management's Diane Wilkie, won first place
in the Oktoberfest homemade potato salad contest,
securing the coveted "Golden Potato Award."

Entries arrive in advance of lunchtime voting in
our 2012 Pumpkin Decorating/Carving Contest.

No pumpkin decorating contest would be complete
without yummy pie with which to feed our employee-judges.

Employees were invited to participate and vote in a Halloween
Hallway & Office/Cube Decorating Contest. Team Lower Level
welcomed visitors downstairs with fun pictures of team members.

Having previously inhabited the lower level before relocation
to the East Building, the Electrical Systems Department's
presence could still be felt in the Haunted Forest.

If visitors survived the other creatures in the Haunted Forest,
this fierce animatronic feline was just waiting to pounce on his next meal.

The East Building's Haunted Hallway completely transformed
this Substation cube farm into a spooktacularly fun place for
employees and kids alike with a haunted hay ride and treats.

Of course, the whole experience would not be complete without
a good old fashioned scare from Substation's Pat Keene.

Visitors to the Haunted Forest for the annual Marketing Department
Halloween Party enjoyed delicious and nutrious treats.

Folks lined up waiting for the party to start and the food to flow.

Who knows who one might meet in the Haunted Forest?
Substation's Bob Uddin made it out just in the nick of time.

Someone wasn't so fortunate. She apparently flew straight
into Purchasing's wall. This is a shot of the fresh crime scene.

This week, Linda Gray (VP of Business Development) and Rich Collins (VP of Transmission & Distribution) are in Columbus, Ohio, for the Electrical Transmission and Substation Structures Conference. Attendees are invited to stop by Booth 3 to register to win a hot new Kindle Fire!

 

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States and lots of important races and proposals will be decided around the country. No matter how you vote, it is important that you participate in this great facet of our republic democracy.

Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day. This very special day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. We owe them a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay.

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I said I wasn't going to do this...

I have to confess...I did not want to write this.  Nope, I definitely did not want to be that person who talks about how great her company is, how nice his coworkers are, or all the wonderful things the company does in the community...but I will. 

Frankly, because it's true and I firmly believe that, if you are looking for an engineering job, then you need to know about it. 

Please forgive my unabashed company pride.

Since you probably don't have the couple of hours it would take for me to truly do justice to the company and the folks around here, I'll give you my version of a "highlight reel."

First, there's the whole employee-owned thing.  It's powerful.  It means that each of us care very much about what gets done and how.  We are invested in our clients and projects in a deeper way.  We are committed to creating the proper conditions for people and careers to flourish and for the best ideas to be unleashed and integrated into how we do business with clients and with each other.

Second, Commonwealth has a team of people who are incredibly talented and confident, yet humble.  In fact, many of them even lead or serve on the boards setting tomorrow's industry standards because they are just that passionate about their work.  But it's not all work around here.  If you want to enjoy a simultaneously fast-paced, yet remarkably relaxed atmosphere, then this is the place for you.  You certainly won't be bored, but you'll also have plenty of time for your weekly massage, employee softball team game, "What's for Lunch Thursday," or a delicious Relay for Life Cookout on the lawn listening to our own "Boiler Room Band".  For being so productive, folks around here certainly have work-life balance figured out.

Third, our projects are interesting and challenging.  Barges in Alaska, tower testing in Spain, under the Hudson River in NYC, who knows where you'll be and what you'll experience as part of your Commonwealth career!

Fourth, the benefits are great.  Click here to check them out for yourself.

Finally, while I could go on and on, I'll close with the biggie.  I very much admire my colleagues for thinking and acting beyond themselves.  Commonwealth enthusiastically embraces social responsibility and demonstrates leadership in the community to make a positive impact, not just for employees, but for everyone who lives and works in the surrounding area.  Whether sponsoring the annual Hot Air Jubilee, supporting the local performing arts scene, providing winter coats for kids or food for pets, collecting toys for Toys-for-Tots, cleaning up the roadsides, or mentoring future generations of potential engineers, Commonwealth employees are happiest when they are giving back and helping others.

I think you'll agree that my company pride is well-founded.  If you are looking for a terrific place to work, I invite you to check out our Current Jobs. 

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Noteworthy News

Lots of great things going on with our folks this month!  Here are some highlights:

• Congratulations to Kellynne Cole, who was honored today with a Volunteer Appreciation Award by Blackman Township (MI).  Township Supervisor, Dan Hawkins states, "Kellynne has been a Godsend for our Beautification efforts...she personifies the concept of 'giving' and is a true ambassador of Community Connection for Commonwealth Associates."  Kellynne is a CADD Operator in Department 40.

Kellynne Cole receives her award from Township Supervisor, Dan Hawkins.

• Paul Reed, P.E., a Transmission Section Manager in the Northwest office, recently traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to build a home for an impoverished family living in a retired landfill.  Paul reports, "We served breakfast one morning to 250 people in this community with another outreach program and also added electrical and siding to a room extension at a local orphanage run by a third ministry."  

Transmission Section Manager Paul Reed, P.E.

Reed with the team by their handiwork.

• Also in the Northwest office, Admin Treasure Arens, reports that she will be receiving two tickets, which were drawn by lottery, for the August 18^th PBS Antiques Roadshow Tour Event in Seattle.  Treasure states, "I am very excited because it is one of my favorite TV programs and it will be fun learning about my items...you never know, I may be selected to be on TV!"

• The Commonwealth Softball Team just wrapped up the first half of their 2012 season and started the second half with a big 26-4 win over Pentar Stamping.  Congratulations on an exciting season so far!

• This week, Commonwealth staff and their family and guests will take part in the Summer Big Event -- which this year is a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the reigning World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals.  The evening will begin with a picnic on the famed Pepsi Porch.  It should be a wonderful evening and a great opportunity to connect with other departments and new employees!

Easter Break and New Videos Released

Welcome back!  Hope your Easter break was enjoyable.  Can you believe the temperatures we've been having recently?  Of course, some have experienced more Midwestern storms wrecking havoc.  Our thoughts are certainly with those impacted.

Around Commonwealth, things have been exciting!  We've brought in a number of talented new folks to join the expanding team, are overhauling our website, and have created a series of videos to help tell the great story that is Commonwealth.

Here's a first look at Connect With Confidence:

If you are an engineer searching for that next job, or know someone who is, you'll want to watch this sneak peek of Working at Commonwealth:

You can view all of our new videos on our YouTube channel here.

What a week!



Several of our running club members enjoying the beautiful weather.

It's been a very exciting week here at Commonwealth.  We have great new projects underway, new hires to welcome, promotions to celebrate, a contest winner who came literally within one cent of guessing the actual stock closing price, and a number of fun, upcoming events which provide a terrific opportunity for employees to connect with one another and with the community around us.

I'd say it doesn't get much better than this, but then there's always next week!

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WE'RE HIRING!

NEW! 

Power Generation & Energy Group Job Listings

Lead Mechanical Engineer

Department: Power Generation & Energy
Location: Jackson, MI
Reports to: Department Manager


Responsible for:
- Guiding junior-level engineers and designers in mechanical engineering design and engineering study efforts. 
- Working on challenging assignments that include investigating, trouble-shooting, and solving mechanical engineering issues involving boilers, balance of plant equipment, air pollution control equipment, steam turbines, gas turbines and water treatment systems. 
- Routine work, to include: developing integrated systems designs and performing supporting calculations; preparing technical specifications for mechanical engineering equipment; preparing engineering studies; performing independent reviews of work performed by others, including calculations and drawing preparation; coordinating and providing guidance to other engineers, project managers, client personnel, and suppliers to ensure a complete and timely design; performing reviews of existing facilities to propose upgrades and replacements and presenting findings and recommendations to clients and peers; and mentoring less-experienced engineers. 
- Potential project management of smaller projects. 

Requirements:
- 10 or more years of experience in the design of mechanical engineering systems for non-commercial heavy-industrial plants (power or chemical), with a focus on integrated, detailed system design for new plants, modifications, or replacements. Past experience should include selection of equipment, piping materials, and control philosophy, as well as preparation of performance sizing calculations and specifications. Sound working knowledge of heat balances or piping design is a plus. 
- Candidates must hold a BSME or MSME degree from an ABET-accredited university; be able to coordinate their work with others; have good leadership, communication, analytical and organizational skills; and have experience in serving as firm/client liaison in a support or lead engineering role. 


Construction, commissioning, and start-up experience is a plus.


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Instrumentation & Controls Engineer 
Department: Power Generation & Energy
Location: Jackson, MI
Reports to: Department Manager


This position offers you a great opportunity to be a part of an I&C engineering and design team engaged in design of distributed control systems, modifications to new and existing power generation facilities, and plant controls betterment projects. The ideal candidate will have experience with instrumentation and final control elements, distributed control systems, and programmable logic controllers as applied to power plant systems. Experience with logic diagrams, instrumentation installation details, piping and instrument diagrams, motor control schematics, specifications, studies, and cost estimating is desired. 


Requirements:
- 10+ years of applicable experience
- BS or MS degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited university
- Registration as a professional engineer. 
- Must have good communication, analytical, organizational and computer skills and be able to coordinate your work with others. 


We are looking for a person who has leadership skills, pays attention to accuracy, is detail oriented, can be responsible for self-directed learning, consistently meets deadlines, is able to work on several projects at a time, and can deliver both large and small projects.

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That's Music to Our Ears

It's official...

Commonwealth is cool!

Citing our Boiler Room Band, among other things, we snagged the coveted title of "Rockin' Place to Work."

Sure, we knew we like it, but there's something far cooler about seeing it in writing.

You can access the article here.
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The Groundhog Has Spoken

You might not be aware that groundhog hairs are used for tying trout flies, such as the 'Chuck Caddis, or that early American Indians once used sturdy woodchuck hides for the soles of moccasins, but I bet you're aware that Phil saw his shadow again and it's six more weeks of winter!  That's why, about this time, you might want to consider a terrific Commonwealth job in our Atlanta office.  To find out what's available, click here.


Once you've done that, you might want to discover the other interesting facts about groundhogs you might not know:  http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html

Stay warm!
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The fun starts here!

CONNECT is Commonwealth's social involvement committee.  Its mission is to organize and manage a range of voluntary activities and events for Commonwealth employees, to foster camaraderie, personal and professional growth, and goodwill/corporate citizenship beyond our walls.  

Any interested employee is welcome to join the committee and participate in any of its 3 focus areas: Culture, Compassion, and Community.  

Commonwealth is committed to being an employer of choice.  

In her blog, HR guru Susan Heathfield offers the following 12 Characteristics of an "Employer of Choice":

 1)   Job security

 2)   Empowerment and authority

 3)   Respect

 4)   Opportunity for growth

 5)   Access to information

 6)   Commitment

 7)   Involvement

 8)   Positive relationships with co-workers

 9)   Work/life balance

10)  Performance culture

11)  Fairness

12)  Recognition

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On Location: Roanoke, Virginia

This month, for those considering employment with Commonwealth, or simply wishing to learning more about us, we are featuring a series of posts showcasing our various office locations.  We are pleased to continue this week by introducing you to our Roanoke, Virginia office in America's picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains.  We trust you will find it, as we do, to be a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

Nicknamed "The Star City," Roanoke, Virginia is considered the cultural and business hub of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is the fourth largest city in the state and is home to many cultural attractions.  Roanoke's bustling city center is filled with lovely historic buildings, amazing upscale restaurants, and great shops.  It's easy to spend a whole day just exploring the blocks of this amazing area.  You may wish to stop by the historic City Market to see the produce and wares grown and created by local producers, especially as Roanoke is located within the designated "North Fork of Roanoke" winemaking region.

Love the outdoors?  Try hiking, biking, walking nature trails, fishing, and paddling in the cool, clear waters.  You'll find an abundance of natural choices in Roanoke with 69 parks, 5 greenways, Carvin's Cove, the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, and Appalachian Trail.

The Roanoke Valley is conveniently located off of Interstate 81 and the Blue Ridge Parkway at the southern tip of the Shenandoah Valley.  Experience the railroad heritage, take in the arts and culture, shop, eat, and enjoy the wealth of outdoor recreation in the heart of breaktaking mountains.  Surrounded by scenic beauty, the Roanoke region is a perfect place for Commonwealth employees to live and work. 

Soak in the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Experience Roanoke's exciting nightlife

Follow your rising star to "The Star City"

Shop, dine, and explore in downtown Roanoke

Pretty as a picture!

Children of all ages enjoy the Shenandoah Valley's rich railroad heritage

Just a few of the highlights:

• Taubman Art Museum
• Center in the Square
• Mill Mountain Zoo
• Discovery Center 
• The Art Museum of Western Virginia
• The Science Museum of Western Virginia
• History Museum of Western Virginia

On Location: Mount Vernon, Washington

This month, for those considering employment with Commonwealth, or simply wishing to learning more about us, we are featuring a series of posts showcasing our various office locations.  We are pleased to continue this week by introducing you to our Mount Vernon, Washington office in the rugged and majestic Pacific Northwest.  We trust you will find it, as we do, to be a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

"Spectacular!"  "Breathtaking!"  "Magnificent!" 

These are just a few of the words sure to come to mind when you visit our Mount Vernon location.

Nestled between the San Juan Islands in the Puget Sound to the West and the Cascade Mountains with the scenic Cascade Loop drive to the East, Mount Vernon, Washington is the county seat of Skagit County. 

At just 60 miles from Seattle and 90 miles from Vancouver, it is an easy distance to virtually anything you might have in mind.  Skagit County features an abundance of action, adventure, relaxation, and culture, but you don't have to leave home to find recreation, entertainment, and family fun, because Mount Vernon has enjoyed a rating of #1 "Best Small City in America."

Historic Downtown Mount Vernon offers much in the way of boutique and antique shopping and fine dining, or you may wish to grab lunch at one of the great eateries and enjoy the day at Edgewater Park.  Perhaps you'd prefer to walk your dog along the miles of paved trails, take a whale-watching tour in the San Juans, kayak the Skagit River, or go eagle-watching in Concrete. 

In Mount Vernon, the sky's truly the limit.

Be surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery

Explore the limitless playground

Witness firsthand the majestic Bald Eagle in flight

Mount Vernon, a nature lover's paradise

Enjoy the gorgeous Tulip Festival



Tackle the slopes of Mt. Baker



Just a few of the highlights:

• Skagit County Tulip Festival
• ClearLake Triathlon
• Shakespeare Festival
• Anacortes Arts Festival
• Anacortes Jazz Festival
• Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival
• Skiing at Mount Baker

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On Location: Atlanta, Georgia

This month, for those considering employment with Commonwealth, or simply wishing to learn more about us, we will be featuring a series of posts showcasing our various office locations.  We are pleased to continue this series by introducing you to the great southern city of Atlanta, also affectionately known as "The Big Peach."  We trust you will find it, as we do, to be a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

 

Despite its humble beginnings as a settlement at the intersection of two railroad lines, Atlanta today is a major business city and the primary transportation hub of the entire Southeastern United States.  It contains the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies and is also home to the many cultural institutions and exhibits.  As Georgia's Capitol and largest city, Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlantic metropolitan area.

 

Trendy, gracious, vibrant, and energetic, Atlanta is the ultimate blend of Southern hospitality and multicultural influence, lending to its reputation as one of the nation's leading international cities.  Additionally, to the delight of environmentalists, it is unique among all major American cities for its lush tree canopy, earning it the nickname, "City in a Forest."

 

Whether you are an avid sports fan, a student of urban architecture, or an outdoor enthusiast lured by the balmy climate into one of Atlanta's spectacular city parks, you are sure to find plenty of activities to meet your cultural and recreational needs here.



Atlanta Stadium

 

Centennial Olympic Park



Atlanta Aquarium



Atlanta Zoo

 
Just a few of the highlights:

 ·         Atlanta Botanical Garden

 ·         Georgia Aquarium
 ·         Fox Theater
 ·         Braves Museum & Hall of Fame
 ·         Georgia Dome
 ·         Centennial Olympic Park
 ·         Atlanta Motor Speedway  


Don't forget to visit us on Facebook for more great photos and information! 

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