Webcor's South Bay team gathered at Arena Green Park in downtown San Jose for its third community clean-up of the year.
On Nov. 4, the Webcor South Bay team gathered at Arena Green Park in downtown San Jose for its third community clean-up of the year. Together, the team picked up 22 10-gallon bags' worth of trash in just a few hours.
Webcor partnered with the city's "Beautify SJ" program to obtain supplies for the event. The Beautify SJ program provides trash-grabbers, trash bags, gloves, vests, and trash pickup in exchange for volunteers' time. It is an amazing way to clean up the city without holding volunteers responsible for the fees associated with trash pickup.
"I was very happy to have the opportunity to volunteer at the community clean-up in San Jose twice this year," says Sr. Project Accountant Mona Pacheco. "Working side-by-side with my fellow Webcorians to make a small difference at the local park gave me a great sense of community. I don't live or work in San Jose, but I was born and raised in the Bay Area, so I was just helping my neighbor."
While the event was organized in the South Bay, it was open to all employees. The clean-up team included volunteers from the SJSU SAC project, Google, Carlysle, the Alameda office, Munger, and the Estimating team. The goal of the Community Clean-up was to not only show appreciation for our community, but also to encourage Webcorians to socialize with those whom they may not typically.
"This was a time for unstructured, non-work-related conversation. This is something I get to do with my SJSU SAC team, but not something I've done before with the rest of the San Jose team," says Project Engineer Adam Lutz.
Overall, the event was a day full of fun and giving back. "Events like this really help me appreciate that Webcor is more than the "8 a.m. – 5 p.m. behind my laptop.' With the right team… even the mundane (e.g. picking up trash) cannot stop us from having a good time and doing good for the community," says Sr. Director Craig Blinston.
In honor of Earth Day, Webcor's PA/PC group partnered with local non-profit Save the Bay to help pick up trash at the Fort Baker Horseshoe Cove in Sausalito.
Sun, sand, and sea – all the makings for a perfect day at the beach.
But when Webcor's Project Accountant/Project Coordinator (PA/PC) group met at Sausalito beach on a Saturday morning, they were on a mission bigger than catching some rays.
Rather, the group partnered with local non-profit Save the Bay to help pick up trash at the Fort Baker Horseshoe Cove in Sausalito, CA. As climate change and pollution threaten the Bay Area, Save the Bay leads initiatives to make the region more sustainable for future generations.
With all social-distancing measures in place, Webcorians were eager to reconnect in-person after a year of remote work. For Project Coordinator Leslie Mejia, it was the first time she had met many of her teammates face-to-face.
"I was hired last summer during the pandemic. I haven't had many opportunities to meet others in-person, so it was a great way to meet some of my fellow Webcorians," she says.
Many brought along family members and friends to help out, including Project Coordinator Brittany Gilbert, who was joined by her partner and 2-year-old twins.
"The kids enjoyed putting on their gloves, using the trash grabbers, and seeing some of the interesting things that washed up on the shore," she recalls.
Together, the group spent hours picking up trash, collecting cigarette butts, plastic, Styrofoam, disposable masks, shoes and even a toilet brush. The sheer amount of waste collected was eye-opening for the volunteers.
"Living, working, and building in close proximity to the bay, I think it's important to understand how our everyday behaviors affect water resources and ocean life," notes Jan Yi, field administrative manager.
"It's shocking to think that you could come back the very next day and have just as much trash, if not more than what we collected that day," adds Staff Accountant Cynthia Zolezzi.
The team had a rewarding volunteer outing and was able to fulfill their Earth Day Planet pledge – all while reconnecting with one another. If you are interested in organizing a volunteer day in Northern California, make sure to check out alloneocean.org for family-friendly volunteer opportunities.
After all, every day should be Earth Day.
Webcor achieved TCO for Jardine on April 7, marking the significant completion of the 250,000-SF residential building in the heart of Los Angeles.
Between a pandemic, protests, and a continuously evolving building design – the team at Jardine has not had it easy.
But on April 7, they had every reason to celebrate. The project officially earned its temporary certificate for occupancy (TCO), marking the significant completion of the 250,000-square-foot residential building in the heart of Los Angeles.
Webcor has been fully involved with the project from the start, working closely with the project's developer Kilroy in the early planning and preconstruction stages. The urban village development, On Vine, includes a residential building, commercial buildings, restaurants and retail spaces. Ultimately, Webcor was awarded construction of Jardine – a luxury residential building that boasts a residential roof deck, door-to-door valet service, and a subterranean parking garage.
Rendering by Kilroy
The Power of Partnership
When Jardine broke ground in December 2018, the team was immersed in challenges surrounding design and cost.
"Kilroy has an in-house design team along with an out-of-state Architect (GBD Architects), so juggling their expectations with the on-the-ground reality proved to be a bit challenging," explains Project Director Ahmad Tahir.
Thankfully, Webcor had worked with Kilroy before on the Columbia Square project and was able to draw on past experiences and lessons learned.
The team's expert interpersonal skills also came in handy when coordinating with Hathaway Dinwiddie, the contractor responsible for the construction of the commercial portion of the development. Due to the close proximity of the projects, the teams were always in communication with each other to ensure their schedules were aligned. When COVID-19 struck and widespread protests impacted their central jobsite, having another general contractor to bounce things off of proved to be very helpful.
"Suddenly, there were a host of other safety regulations we had to abide by. We were able to exchange advice and best practices with Hathaway," notes Ahmad. "At the end of the day, both of our goals were to keep everyone safe and to keep the projects running."
In spite of the challenges encountered along the way, the project team remained resilient.
"There were a lot of staff members who left Webcor or were transferred to other projects," recalls Sr. Project Manager Graciela Santillan. "It was challenging to learn the history of the project after they left, but we worked through it together as a team."
The project's success is a true testament to the power of One Webcor, with the team self-performing concrete and carpentry. Together, they provided a united front and consistently delivered high-quality work.
"Kilroy always commented they could never tell who was who," Ahmad laughs. "Everyone was eager to step up to the plate and do whatever it takes."
When the project is fully handed over in May, the team leaves behind not only a new addition to the Los Angeles skyline, but a lasting impression with an important client.
"We certainly hope that we exceeded expectations with Kilroy. They have a very collaborative way of working, and we fit right into that culture," notes Ahmad. "It was an important project for a client we would love to work with again."
