< PreviousWhile this might be cause for anger or frustration, it doesn’t necessarily need to be that way. With historical links to the coal mines dating back many generations, people are understandably attached to their past. However, how does a conversation take place where respect for the values and history of a place takes equal footing with the need for more environmentally sustainable practices and fuel sources? Is there scope for a state, with such attachment to fossil fuels, to make brave transitions that will undoubtedly upset many of its residents and workers. Change can happen alongside legacy though, and despite the outwardly negative outlook, the truth is that these conversations are in fact taking place. Even more positively for the residents of West Virginia, it might be happening in a way that they can get on board with. Clearway Energy Group is, all things considered, a big player in the renewable energy sector. In fact, with over 5,600 met MW of installed wind, solar and energy storage projects, it is one of the largest renewable energy owners in the United States. In discussing its operations in West Virginia, it is evi- dent that the company’s goal is to ensure a positive and suc- cessful transition to sustainable energy. “Clearway Energy Group helps lead the transition to a nation powered by clean energy. As the largest wind energy company in West Virginia, we have more than 580 MW of wind farms in our portfolio and project pipeline, enough to power 210,000 homes.” Given the legitimate concerns around employment and rev- enue, it is vital therefore that Clearway supports communi- ties as part of its efforts. Training, revenue, and community involvement are all important aspects of shifting the mindset of people that have relied upon coal and fossil fuels for gen- erations. In this regard, Clearway’s vision is one of positive engagement. “In the communities where we operate, Clear- way ranks as one of the highest taxpayers, with $3.3 million combined state and local taxes paid annually. We have also fostered more than 60 long-term community partnerships with local nonprofits, educational institutions, and organi- zations. Each new wind farm provides an opportunity to enhance a new community, and we look forward to finding even more ways to give back.” So, where do these new wind farms come in? In recent times, Clearway has opened a small number of farms in the state. Mount Storm Wind and Pinnacle Wind. The farms are 264 MW and 54 MW respectively. However, a recent acquisition feels like the moment when the industry will sit up and take notice of wind energy. Black Rock Wind “powers Grant and Mineral Counties with reliable, affordable, clean energy – and helps West Virginia create a better, more sustainable future.” The company which was originally West Virginia’s first wind farm, was recently acquired by Clearway Energy and has created over 200 jobs this year. While adding nearly 16% more generation to the energy grid, it has also invested over $460M to the local economy. The move is the clearest indication yet that Clearway is in it for the long haul with CEO Craig Cornelius saying, “We are very proud to say that we are the largest operator of wind power plants in the state of West | 70 FEBRUARY 2023Virginia. In the last year alone, Clearway will have invested $460 million. A huge investment that reflects what we see as a bright future.” At the launch of the farm, Governor Jim Justice was highly enthusiastic at the prospect of the farm providing a genuine shift in the way energy is sourced in the state. “Gosh, this is so necessary that we have within our state, and this is really good stuff. Today we’re announcing a great move by Black Rock, a great move in the State of West Virginia, and so many, many, many good things that are about to happen here. I’m a complete believer that West Virginia has to be a diversified state. We don’t want to forget how important [our coal mine jobs and our natural gas jobs] are… but we have embraced the all-encompassing thing. And this wind farm will amp up our wind production. We absolutely do not run off and leave our [fossil fuel] jobs, but at the same time, we absolutely want to embrace all the other ways we can move forward with manufacturing and great jobs.” While much work is to be done to convert many in West Virginia, the conversation has started. This mountainous and beautiful state has much to offer and perhaps the reluctance to shift away from fossil fuels comes for a place of concern. Regardless of the reasons why, the roadmap is clear. Fossil fuels are yesterday’s news and sustainable energy is the only show in town. Clearly, in a part of the world where coal is king, the sector is still in its infancy, but the signs are there already. Wind can be an ally to a clean and smooth transition. | 71 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI O mniDuct is a commercial HVAC ductwork manu- facturer, with four facilities on the west coast. From these locations in Arizona, Southern California, North- ern California and Seattle, the company services western USA. OmniDuct builds commercial ductwork and sells it to mechanical contractors, whom Jon Collins, Vice President of Operations at OmniDuct calls the company’s “primary customer base.” While this may be its primary market, the company also serves a wide range of customers that install ductwork. What makes this company differ from its compet- itors, however, is its unique ability to design custom products | 72 FEBRUARY 2023with exact specifications for each individual project. As Collins explains, the company is capable of building bespoke products as and when they are necessary. “We are pretty much a full-custom commercial HVAC duct manufacturer, so something we build today we might not ever build again, or we might build tomorrow.” With a product range that varies from custom homes to anything commercial and light indus- trial, the skill involved in this company cannot be overstated. Collins explains, “We can build products anywhere from three or four inches large up to 20 or 30 feet in size.” What makes this service even more impressive is the speed at which the company can support its clients. OmniDuct operates a 24-hour turnaround time from when customers purchase the order to when the team deliver it on their site. With such a broad base and a dynamic range of products, it would be easy to believe that OmniDuct could run into challenges. Keeping so many plates spinning must be difficult. Unsurprisingly however, the company is versatile and flexible enough to adjust scale and size on an hour- by-hour basis. It is not uncommon for OmniDuct to have both large and small products being built the same day. | 73 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONCollins explains that OmniDuct has the ability to switch “at the drop of a hat” in order to service customers. “OmniDuct’s number one goal is to make sure customers are successful.” Established in 1982, OmniDuct celebrated its 40th anniver- sary in 2022. It’s a multi-generational company, which has always been important to Kyle Brumleu, CEO of OmniDuct. With a rich and varied history, the company has built a repu- tation on experience and reliability. Given that Kyle’s grandfa- ther Ed Brumleu set up OmniDuct forty years ago as a way of maintaining support for customers of a previous venture that had gone bankrupt, it is easy to see how this reputation has been earned. Brumleu’s father then joined the company in 1982, becom- ing President in 1991. Brumleu explains that this marked a period of sustained success for the company. “Through his leadership, we expanded from Southern California to Sac- ramento, Northern California,” servicing those markets until 2008 when OmniDuct further expanded to service Washing- ton and Arizona. With a history dating back three generations, OmniDuct has surely encountered some memorable projects. Given the nature of world events in recent times, it is unsurprising to learn that two of these have been completed recently. The Gila Resorts and Casino in San Tan Mountain, Chan- dler, which Collins describes as “an interesting project” for the company, is a prime example of the ability that Omni- Duct has to draw upon its resources to ensure the client is satisfied. With the project being shut down for a month, fears were mounting that costs and deadlines would surely be missed. When the project reopened, the expectation of completion date had not changed. This meant that Omni- Duct had to “ramp up” production speed to enable the cus- tomer to meet the deadline. Collins explains, “The General Contractor’s expectations seemed somewhat unrealistic, but through coordination with the customer and our team's desire to ensure the customer was successful, the project was completed on time.” Another unique project for the team was the Tule River Tribe Casino & Hotel in Porterville, CA. Collins explains that, in the normal running of projects, a large job site will facilitate the storing of materials. This one, however, did not. This meant that OmniDuct had to come up with a “unique solution.” In an example of the innovative thinking that takes place at Omni- Duct, the company delivered products on 53ft trucks. For this project, one trailer would be left on site with the materials "With a rich and varied history, the company has built a reputation on experience and reliability." needed that week, staggered within the truck in the order it was needed. OmniDuct picked up an empty one on the way back after each delivery. Collins explains, “it was a challenge, but also something that we figured out and it really helped our customer tremendously in being efficient on that job and also sticking to the deadlines that they needed.” With the exception of the facility in Sacramento, the company has been able to reduce the square footage of the other three facilities, reducing the number of shifts from three to one to produce more duct work each day and more pounds every year. Collins explains the rationale for these changes. “We’ve really figured out how to be much more efficient with our space and with our time. This has helped the company to continue to grow with less space and resources,” adding that for him, this has been “probably our biggest milestone we’ve achieved over the last few years.” Innovation notwithstanding, the key to OmniDuct’s success runs deeper than clever fixes. Brumleu explains that in his opinion, longevity has been achieved through the company Gila Resorts and Casino Chandler, AZ Tule River Tribe Casino & Hotel Porterville, CA | 74 FEBRUARY 2023culture. He explains that the company is “driven by our core values – integrity, caring and stewardship” adding that Omni- Duct has a “continuous improvement mindset.” This has never been more evident than in the recent past which has seen the company experience a period of sustained growth. “Over the last ten years, our continued drive to become a lead manufacturing company and also really embrace the con- tinuous improvement mindset has led to the team reaching some important milestones.” OmniDuct’s culture is, according to Brumleu, something the team thinks is “really important to [their] success.” The company has many employees with a “really long tenure.” As Brumleu explains, longevity is synonymous with the com- pany. “Around 25 to 30 per cent of the staff here have worked with us for over ten years.” He goes on to explain that the company is “very family-feeling and oriented.” This culture is something of huge importance to those at OmniDuct. Brumleu explains that one of the company’s core values is caring, which he feels the company puts a lot of effort into when it comes to employees and team members. He says, “With any decision we make, we ask ourselves ‘is it of the highest integrity?’ and ‘are we doing this with a caring heart and being a good steward of all the resources that flow through our door?’” For both Collins and Brumleu, the future may be bright, but this is down to one core facet of the company; the employees. In fact, for Collins, it is the staff that make OmniDuct a successful company. “The success of this company is not from any kind of CEO, or Vice President of Operations, or any kind of a high-level executive. I think every single person in this company really adds to the value of it. Without a group effort by all, it doesn’t really matter who we have at the top. It’s everyone and their collective efforts that really makes the company successful.”WRITTEN BY MANUELA ARMINI I t was 1982 when David Osborne headed to downtown Min- neapolis to fix a doorbell button at a local bookseller. Little did Osborne know that what he had considered the lowest point in his career as a carpenter would be the start of a suc- cessful journey in the fixture installation industry. Forty years later, David Osborne is NFI's proud founder and CEO. Today, NFI (Nationwide Fixture Installations) employs more than 250 people and installs fixtures nationwide for big clients like Life- time, PF Chang’s, Jeep, Primark, Disney, and Nike. However, this is not a one-man story but rather the story of a team of men | 76 FEBRUARY 2023and women ready to take on a challenge and stick together in times of hardship. So, let's start from the beginning. NFI self-performs their fixture installation projects. In a vast country like the United States, most fixture manufacturers don't provide nationwide installation services. Deploying staff throughout the country to do the job is just not profitable for them. That's where Osborne and his team come in. Once doors, fitting rooms, wall panels, vanities, kitchen counters, retail fix- tures, or cash wraps have been delivered to the store, hotel, or senior living facility, NFI's team assembles and installs them. From custom and architectural millwork to casework, wooden and plastic fixtures to signages, NFI carries out a broad range of installations. Due to its consistently strong performance and growth, its services have also expanded to include site surveys, project management, and maintenance, turning NFI into a one-stop shop for all customers' needs. Among its most important projects, NFI counts the installa- tion of custom millwork for Luxottica retail points, Nike stores, all Primark stores in the US, and Lifetime Fitness facilities. Other examples of NFI's work include architectural millwork installation at Victoria's Secret and Warby Parker stores throughout the US. “NFI self-performs their fixture installation projects.” | 77 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION"Architectural millwork installation is really a differentiator for us," says Mike Haddon, COO of NFI. "When you visit a retail store and you see aisles of metal gondolas, there's probably hundreds of companies that could install that, but that's not the business we're shooting for. We're shooting for the one that's a little more complicated, and takes a higher skill level." While NFI's original focus was retail, it has diversified its customer base over the past five years. Its clientele now includes a variety of markets, from hospitality to entertain- ment, senior living facilities, and amusement parks. Most of NFI's customers are long-term partners who have been relying on NFI's expertise for decades. "They trust us. They understand how our business works. They understand that we're looking out for their best interest and that everything we say, we do," says Osborne. This longevity and dedication to building lasting relationships is clearly something that sets NFI apart from its competitors. However, the truth is that it would count for nothing if it weren’t for the skill and quality that the company offers its clients. "We're in a commodity business. However, our bar is not to meet the customer requirements; it's to exceed their expec- tations." says Haddon. This goal is why NFI's projects are self-performed, meaning they are always carried out by NFI's staff and not by sub-contractors. This gives the company maximum control over the quality of the service it provides. However, when providing nationwide installation services to important clients self-performing implies an absolute trust in your team. "I brought on some wonderful team members who are more like family members than associates. They care about the business as much as I do," says Osborne. He goes on to emphasize that he has never been a micro- manager. Instead, he has always believed in empowering people. Haddon too backs this view up. "Our people are our product. They are our secret sauce," he says. "Empowering them with the ability to grow and make mistakes, it gives them the ability to gain that confidence, and your customers then understand that this person, man or woman, that is managing my business, they care about it." While it could be relatively easy to win new customers, main- taining them is much more difficult. The extensive list of NFI's long-term customers is the best testimony to the success of this culture of empowerment. Yet, NFI's journey has not always been easy. Like many other businesses, NFI was seriously affected by the restrictions of the Covid pandemic. Thankfully, Osborne and Haddon could rely on their team. A group of resilient and passionate men and women who rolled up their sleeves and stepped up to the challenge. For the first 35 years, NFI's clientele consisted almost entirely of retail businesses. In 2017, Osborne and Haddon under- stood that shopping behaviors were changing. Local malls started to empty, and the younger generation was more drawn to online stores such as Amazon. This realization drove NFI to start diversifying its business. While Osborne and Had- don were exploring new markets, the closure of retail shops throughout the country continued. The result combined with the Covid pandemic resulted in the largest revenue decline in company history. "It really, in a lot of ways, forced us to look at other markets." Pivoting can always be a tricky maneuver, particularly in the midst of a Pandemic. As such, the transition from retail work to other markets wasn't flawless, as the challenge was twofold. On the one hand, NFI had to find new customers in markets other than retail while on the other, Haddon had to convince his team they could perform jobs in different sectors successfully. Thankfully and, given the success the company has enjoyed over the years, unsurprisingly, the first challenge turned out to be easier than expected. Soon, NFI secured new customers in the automotive, senior living, and entertainment markets. However, the NFI team was initially skeptical about working on jobs they had never done before. Nonetheless, they eventually accepted the new challenge, fueling the company’s recovery. "That mentality change doesn't happen overnight," says Haddon, "but when you start to convert some of these opportunities, you get to a point where you think, don't tell me what we can't do. Just tell me what we can do." Thanks to its team's resilience and the onboarding of new customers, NFI made up for the loss of revenue due to the Pandemic and, quite impressively, experienced significant growth. "Our ability to rebound, I think, is really a testament to the people that we have and their commitment and work that they've put in," says Haddon. One of the most unusual works in this period was the assem- bly and installation of the scenery for the Star Wars ride at Disneyland in both Florida and California. "It was something that, frankly, we never really thought about," says Haddon. Now fully back on track, Osborne and Haddon are looking forward to the future. Their vision is always people focused. They enjoy working with their team and getting the job done. The team is also pursuing other opportunities in the automo- tive sector. "A lot of car dealers are upgrading. The cost of cars has gone up, and as a result of that, the amount of money spent in the showroom has increased dramatically," says Had- don. Senior living is another area that is in constant growth. Regardless of all the changes however, two things have been and will always be at the core of NFI's service: empowering its people and exceeding customers' expectations. | 79 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >