25 Years...and Counting!

This July, Commonwealth celebrated 25 years of being an employee-owned engineering firm providing world-class consulting expertise to the electric power industry and our utility, municipal, institutional, and industrial clients.  You can read more about this particularly meaningful milestone on p. 28 (p. 30 of the .pdf) of Jackson Magazine's August issue. 

The festivities included monthly fun activities, the official unveiling of new glass panels in our hallway of history; a Friday evening gala at the newly renovated Robert Snyder Hall in Jackson College's impressive Potter Center, where we recognized our founding shareholders and employees; and a spectacular day full of food, frolicking, and fun at our employee family picnic on the grounds of our headquarters in Jackson, Michigan. 

We feel truly honored to work with such accomplished colleagues, many of whom serve on the committees setting tomorrow's industry standards, and even more honored to be given the trust and loyalty of our outstanding clients -- among them major utilities, industrial leaders, and some of the world's most prestigious educational and healthcare institutions. 

Here is a look back at some of the best memories from this past week...we hope you enjoy them!

On Thursday, President Dennis DeCosta proudly revealed
 two new commemorative panels representing the past 25 years.
 

 



Friday evening's gala attendees enjoyed the culinary delights of
Continental Services before the program.







 

 

Guests raved about the humorous delivery of keynote speaker, author,
and former professional comedian, Garrison Wynn.

 

 

 

 Saturday's family picnic included: two bands, one dessert contest, a pinewood

derby championship, inflatables for kids, and the Great Anniversary Giveaway.

 

 

 

25 years meant 25 lucky employees took home 25 very cool prizes.

 

The other winner was the fight against cancer, as President DeCosta
and the VPs took to the dunk tank to raise money for Relay for Life.

 

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We're tops!

It's official!

We've been named a 2012 Top Workplace: http://www.topworkplaces.com/frontend.php/regional-list/company/freep/commonwealth-associates

Click here to view the full list: http://www.freep.com/article/20121118/BUSINESS06/121115019 and here to read the insights coming out of this year's competition: http://www.freep.com/article/20121118/BUSINESS06/311180166/Behind-2012-Free-Press-Top-Workplaces-results-Sense-connection-crucial.


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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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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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Spooktacularly good fun...

Now that the sugar coma is finally wearing off, it's time to fill you in on the great time we recently had at our annual company Halloween Party, organized by Dept. 50.

Folks couldn't wait to get in on the fun!  The line started forming early outside the door to get into the festively decorated side conference room.  With lights low and the tables set with fun decor and tasty treats of doughnuts, cider, candy, fruit, cheese and crackers, etc., attendees began to enter, undeterred by the hauntingly creepy music which helped to set the tone.  Upon doing so, they were treated to a selection of costumes, masks, and other playful accessories to have fun with to further liven the mood. 

Post-event comments confirm it was another great success -- one which would not have been possible without the help of fellow colleagues willing to lend a hand with decorations and Commonwealth (100% employee-owned and managed!) for providing the yummy treats!

Recruitment: Full court press?

While the phrase "court recruits" might evoke the image of a delectable meal at a trendy, new bistro, it actually refers to Commonwealth's hoops action.  Engineer John Stieber and a group of colleagues have been playing basketball Monday nights after work at the RAC, Jackson County's nearby multi-purpose sports facility, and the group is looking to expand.

Stieber, a guard/power forward, recently took a few minutes to share a little bit about the team.  He noted that the real secret to their on-court success was that the players share a common bond.  That bond: 60Hz.  "It helps us to stay on the same wavelength on the court," he said. 

When asked whether anyone on the team might be likely to switch careers and turn pro, Stieber replied, "It's mostly just getting out to have fun and get exercise; I personally won't entirely give up my goal of becoming a professional athlete until I hit 35, but as a group our focus is to have fun."  Not unexpectedly, this news was most reassuring to the team in HR.

Stieber indicated that, beyond the friendships and opportunity to socialize, what he liked best about working at Commonwealth was that "Commonwealth has given me important projects to work on the day I began working here as an intern.  This exposure, and having supervisors that have been in the business for decades means that I've been able to grow my skills very quickly."  He continued, "Commonwealth encourages personal growth and will help you in your goals, such as obtaining a master's degree or becoming a professional engineer."

If you are looking for a rewarding career and fun activities in which to take part, then you'll want to learn more about Commonwealth.  Just visit http://www.cai-engr.com/. 

No basketball skills are necessary, but they're always welcomed.