Newsletter:  June 2004 a "It's a fast-paced job. We have homes in every stage of construction, trim, rough and I just finished the layouts on 4 new foundations." – Toby Anderson, LeDuc & Dexter Residential Foreman, speaking about Sailhouse at Marin Pointe. "Nobody will ever see the piping routes we had to take to make the connections unless they open the ceiling like we did." – Jeff Shank, LeDuc & Dexter Commercial Foreman, speaking about the BV Winery lab project. "One of our goals is to invest in our employees and their futures" – Tom LeDuc, speaking about "The Bullet Proof Manager" program for middle managers at LeDuc & Dexter Inc.

Centex Homes – Sailhouse at Pointe Marin	RESIDENTIAL

Centex Homes, a nationally known residential developer, is in the midst of building a project that will total 66 upscale homes in the new community of Sailhouse at Pointe Marin located in Novato. Centex Homes is currently building and selling homes in 28 states across the U.S. plus England. Centex Homes has 9 communities with homes for sale in the Bay Area, 7 in the East Bay, one in Benicia and Sailhouse at Pointe Marin.

This model is one of 4 floor plans at Sailhouse at Pointe Marin. (click image to enlarge)

New slabs are being poured while homes on upper ridge are in the roughed out construction stage. (click image to enlarge)

Sailhouse homes are luxurious, one and two-story residences, ranging in size from 2,700 to 3,500 square feet. The architectural styles include European Country, California Rustic and American Country. The four floor plans are displayed in open model homes on Palmer Drive off Ignacio Boulevard in Novato. The homes are currently listed from $869,000 to $915,000.

With 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 bathrooms plus kitchens that have additional island counter sinks and other amentities, there are an unusually high number of hot and cold water lines in each home that are well suited for the Vanguard Piping System that LeDuc & Dexter is installing at Sailhouse. Toby Anderson, LeDuc & Dexter foreman on the project says, "It's the highest amount of water lines I've seen coming out of a MANABLOC , some homes have 48 water lines."

LeDuc & Dexter's Sam Samay tightens gas lines in single story home. (click image to enlarge)

LeDuc & Dexter's Oscar Caballero connects one of 36 water hook ups on a Vanguard MANABLOC located in a user-friendly location in the garage.  (click image to enlarge)

Anderson says things are moving right along for LeDuc & Dexter, "It's a fast-paced job. We have homes in every stage of construction, trim, rough and I just finished the layouts on 4 new foundations."

The Hidden World of Retrofit Plumbing – BV Winery Lab	WINERIES

The stonework is the first thing to take note of at BV Winery. Century old stonework sometimes covered with ivy vines on the exterior walls, and stonework that was used to build a maze of interior rooms, cellars and hallways throughout the winery. Once inside the winery the second thing to take note of are the 20-foot high wooden casks that line the walkway in the main cellar. Wooden casks are, for the most part, just a memory of wine country history.

At BV Winery, old meets new with stucco section and old stonewall covered with ivy. The offices and upstairs lab are in this building. (click image to enlarge)

LeDuc & Dexter's Dave Bowen works along the lab wall where cabinet sinks, water, gas and vacuum lines will be installed. (click image to enlarge)

BV Winery was founded in 1900 and still bears some the original elements that make it a retrospective glimpse of the past. Adjacent to the old winery building are the newer stainless steel tanks and ultra-modern winemaking equipment built with cutting edge technology. The old building is home to wine tours of the eclectic cellars, the bottling line, business offices and winemaking lab.

BV Winery felt it was time to expand the size of the lab facility, which shared space in a tank room. The answer to the remodel expansion of the lab in the historic structure was to retrofit and transform the tank room into a lab. The thick concrete floor was demolished and repoured after all of the tanks and supports were removed. LeDuc & Dexter's commercial department had the design/build task of retrofitting the plumbing that would supply the lab with hot and cold water, vacuum lines, nitrogen gas lines and deionized water.

Drilled pipeline holes in the lab floor had to be offset to go around cement beams below the floor in order to come up in the proper place for the layout of this island workstation, of which there are three. (click image to enlarge)

Jeff Shank and others on his crew worked many hours in the office area from 5 a.m. until 8 a.m. when business hours begin at BV Winery. (click image to enlarge)

Jeff Shank is the foreman on the project for LeDuc & Dexter, "The lab is directly above the offices and there's a 4-foot space between the concrete lab floor and the drop ceiling in the office. We had to layout penetration holes in the lab floor to run our piping in that 4-foot space that also had 3-foot concrete beams like you see on a freeway overpass running through there."

"Because the office hours are 8 to 5, we came to work at 5 a.m. for weeks to set up ladders in the office to be able to work overhead through the drop ceiling T-Bar tiles. It was quite an adventure. The other thing is that nobody will ever see the piping routes we had to take to make the connections unless they open the ceiling like we did," says Shank. That's the only way one would ever discover this hidden world of retrofit plumbing at BV Winery's new winemaking lab.

Lab piping, as seen from removed section of T-Bar ceiling in office area. (click image to enlarge)

Investing in Employee Futures	THE COMPANY

Tom LeDuc and Art Dexter are totally convinced that certain investments in their employees' futures can bring immediate returns. "The Bullet Proof Manager" is a 12-month management and leadership skill development program that LeDuc & Dexter has enrolled 6 middle managers in with the idea that they will be able to implement the new skills they acquire immediately into their day-to-day management techniques and be able to retain their skills for future use. One of the goals that Arty and I set was to invest in our employees and their futures," says LeDuc."

Beginning last December, Residential Superintendent Kevin Delong, Commercial Superintendent John Dunn, Purchasing Agent Tammy Townsend, Warehouse Manager Steve Garner, Hydronics Manager Tom Schefer and Super Service Plumbing Manager Jon Schutz started the program. On the third Thursday of each month from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. the group members view two videotapes of well-known motivational speakers and leaders, such as, Zig Zigler, Tom Hopkins and Lisa Ford.

Taped topics include customer service, leadership, goal setting, challenges of change, handling stress, performance appraisals, how to motivate for peak performance and how to manage diverse personalities. The taped segments are followed with group discussions, practical application exercises and personal action plans.

The LeDuc & Dexter employees taking the course had this to say about the personal benefits of the program:
 

Kevin Delong Residential Superintendent	"I think it's really been good for the people who are new to management. We've found that we're all going through the same situations. It opens up the channels for thinking."
John Dunn Commercial Superintendent	"This program helps you handle things better and teaches you how to be adaptable to situations that come up. I've learned that I need to have more empathy for employees and be more meticulous in my job."
Tom Schefer Hydronics Manager	"I've learned about a lot of the mistakes I was making in the past. I'm learning how to deal with employees and customers and how to be a better negotiator. I'm using what I learn in class everyday on the job."
Steve Garner Warehouse Manager	"I've gone to other seminars by myself and brought information back to share with others, but this is better because members from our management team are sharing information together in class. This way we're all on the same page."
Tammy Townsend Purchasing Agent	"It's opened my eyes to some things I've never thought about before. I learn something new every time like the strengths and weaknesses of each person in our department including me. That has helped me determine which person is best suited for certain jobs and tasks."
Jon Schutz Super Service Plumbing Manager	"I've learned that having a steady attitude is more effective than being up and down when dealing with employees. Controlling your temper can come from things like positive activities and relaxation. Exercise and eating better is also a key."

Tom LeDuc is excited and pleased with the program that is at its halfway point in completion, "Arty and I think this is a really good thing. We feel that the cost of the program and the time it takes to complete is going to bring the company a return with better management and give these people skills they can use in their personal life also."