Happy New Year! NewsSplash is back to bring you news from around CH2M HILL’s operations and maintenance business – stories about our company, our partners, our communities, our industry and our people. You might have noticed we’ve got a new look and that there’s no longer a little OMI in our logo. What does that mean? Simply put, it means we now offer our public- and private-sector clients more! That’s because one of the most exciting things that happened in 2009 was the integration of CH2M HILL OMI and CH2M HILL Facilities Services, which has been delivering award-winning facility management services as part of the CH2M HILL family since 1985. Together under the CH2M HILL name, we offer a wider range of O&M solutions than ever before – every day, or just when you need it.

 

The 13-member CH2M HILL team responsible for operations of the City of Walla Walla, Wash., wastewater treatment plant is an outstanding example of our company’s commitment to safety. Thanks to the team's efforts, the plant has earned Voluntary Protection Program STAR status, the highest award for a safety program in the U.S. The two-year process culminated in December with a three-day, on-site evaluation by representatives from the Washington Department of Safety and Health, who noted best practices such as the prevalence of safety discussions in meetings and the use of color-coding to mark potential hazards. The Walla Walla team has completed more than 3,000 days without a safety incident and has won the Water Environment Federation’s George W. Burke, Jr., Facility Safety Award, the wastewater industry’s top safety honor. CH2M HILL has managed Walla Walla’s wastewater treatment plant and biosolids land application and industrial pretreatment programs for 10 years.

In a time when some communities are in the unfortunate position of having to close libraries, the City of Lafayette, Calif., recently opened a new one – an extraordinary site that also serves as a community outreach center for education and the arts. To ensure its valuable assets are well-maintained, the city retained CH2M HILL to perform operations and maintenance services at the 30,000-square-foot facility, including setting up special events and supporting city council meetings. Built in stone and wood in a contemporary Bay Area Craftsman style, the mixed-use library and learning center includes a community hall, an arts and science discovery center and an amphitheater. Lafayette is among the first clients to benefit from the 2009 integration of CH2M HILL’s O&M businesses, capitalizing on our long track record of successfully serving cities and our solid facilities management portfolio. CH2M HILL was selected because our culture closely aligns with that of the city .

We’re always honored when long-standing partners choose to continue our contracts. It’s a vote of confidence for the quality service we strive to deliver every day. CH2M HILL has operated and maintained the City of Fayetteville, Ark., wastewater facilities for more than two decades. Following a competitive process, the city once again selected CH2M HILL, based not only on our qualifications but on our successful track record. Early in 2009, the city and CH2M HILL earned an Outstanding Achievement Award for Public/Private Partnerships from The United States Conference of Mayors for promoting sustainability at the city’s wastewater facilities and in all city operations. More recently, our Fayetteville team was recognized by the Arkansas Department of Labor, the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission and the Arkansas Insurance Department for working three years without a lost day away from work. We thank the City of Fayetteville for its faith in us, and we look forward to continuing a partnership focused on principles of service, safety and sustainability.

Across the U.S. during the holiday season, CH2M HILL employees traded traditional corporate parties for a chance to help others in need as part of an enterprise-wide commitment to helping our local communities. Nearly $150,000 was donated to local nonprofit organizations, including food banks, homeless shelters, educational programs, and more. More than a dozen CH2M HILL offices raised funds and provided 500-plus bikes and helmets to local children from Dallas to Dayton. In Santa Ana, Cal., $10,000 was donated to the Boys and Girls Club, where employees donated 90 hours to help serve a pre-Thanksgiving dinner to families of children who attend the club. In Atlanta, seven non-profit organizations each received a $2,000 donation, including Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, where employees will team up on January 23 to build a “green” home for a needy family. “Our friends and neighbors faced significant challenges during the holidays,” says CH2M HILL CEO Lee McIntire. “It’s important to our people to help those whose needs are much greater than our own. It’s gratifying to see the many ways our employees gave back and served others in the spirit of the season."

For the past 20 years, CH2M HILL has partnered with the National League of Cities to honor co-founder James C. (Jim) Howland and to recognize outstanding projects through the Awards for Municipal Excellence. Eight cities were recognized during the Congress of Cities for programs that demonstrate community determination, individual commitment, outstanding collaboration and creativity toward improving the quality of life in local communities. Congratulations to Slidell, La.; Savannah, Ga.; Long Beach, Calif.; New York City; Estes Park, Colo.; Burnsville, Minn.; St. Louis; and Seattle. Learn more about the awards by watching the 20th anniversary video, or tune in to the NLC-TV webcast of the awards ceremony. The 2010 nomination package will be available Feb. 1.

On a typical day, you’ll find Jim Rakow working as a wastewater treatment plant operator in West Chicago, Ill., where he’s worked for nearly 20 years. Zoom in a bit closer, and you’ll see he’s an artist with a knack for photographing people and places. As a boy, he toted his camera on family vacations, capturing where he was, what he saw and who he met. Through the years, he’s traveled around the globe with his camera, always wanting to figure out what people were thinking and what they might be doing one month, one year or even 15 years later. On a 2009 family trip to a renaissance festival, Jim was inspired by a bearded man dressed in medieval clothing. He snapped some photos and submitted them to a local gallery for a community banner project called “Faces.” The West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission selected Jim’s photo as one of the Top 20 faces to be displayed on city banners lining West Chicago’s Main Street.

During the holidays, like many people, I try to take stock of the previous year. Here are some of the highlights:

• Our safety numbers improved for the fourth year in a row and we saw our projects win many safety awards.
• We grew to more than 2,200 employees and added facilities management capabilities to our suite of services for public- and private-sector clients.
• We saw some of the highest customer satisfactions ratings ever received and were honored by the renewal of long-term contracts.
• We ramped up our internal sustainability efforts and worked with clients on innovative, “green O&M” approaches.
• We expanded our revenue enhancement capabilities, helping clients find all the revenue they’re entitled to, which certainly helps in these challenging economic times.

We’ve provided creative and customized solutions to help our clients address specific challenges, and we’ll do that even more in 2010 by offering consulting services for clients who need our help to support or optimize their operations.

We’ve also continued to grow our commitment to improve the communities where we live and work. During the holiday season, CH2M HILL made an enterprise-wide decision to forego holiday parties and instead put our support behind community organizations. As a company, we also broke Water For People’s Workplace Giving record, donating almost $230,000 to help people around the world with their water, sanitation and health and hygiene needs. As I write, the devastation in Haiti is splashed across our TV screens, and I know we’ll find a way to help there, too.

We have big plans for 2010, including a customized wellness program to help put our employees on the path toward healthier lifestyles. By making smarter choices, improving cardiovascular health and reducing stress in our lives, we’re making an investment that will lead to a healthier and safer workplace.

We will continue our commitment to what we call Everyday Excellence, with the spirit of respect and the best interests of our clients and employee-owners in mind. We are thankful for our continued partnerships and welcome your comments and suggestions.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2010.

Respectfully,

Elisa M. Speranza
President

Conferences are a great way for us to connect with clients, share our technical expertise and support our industry. When your plans call for you to attend a conference, make sure to look us up. Here are some of the upcoming spots where you can meet us:

January 20-22
U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting
Washington, D.C.

January 22-25
Georgia Municipal Association Mayors’ Day Conference
Atlanta

February 21-24
Water Environment Federation Utility Management Conference
San Francisco, Calif.

April 13-15
International Facilities Management Association Facilities Fusion
Philadelphia

April 19-21
Design-Build Institute of America Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Annual Conference
Dallas

May 28-31
Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference
Toronto, Ontario