FALL 2015
Suit-Kote Makes History
in Cortland County
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
1
President’s Perspective FRANK SUITS, Jr.
Another year is officially in the books and Suit-Kote
has added another successful chapter to our history.
The 2015 work season was filled with historic events,
strategic improvements and superior workmanship.
Suit-Kote remains strong with an exciting future on
the horizon. We have grown nearly every facet of
the business in the last decade and are now poised
to continue on this path of strength in the industry.
We are prepared to meet the needs of our customers
and our employees, but we are also aware of the
many challenges that lie ahead as well. We intend
to continue our approach of vertically integrated
managed growth while at the same time keeping our
eye on never ending increases in material costs and
government regulation.
As you will see as you page through this edition of Suit-Quotes, there is a lot going on at SuitKote. We have made tremendous progress in getting government officials to adopt innovative
ways to use their limited resources by opting for maintenance first plans and to create “think
outside the box,” funding plans. An example of this type of change is the Truxton-Tully Road
project. Working alongside our government officials we were able to properly repair a road
while saving the taxpayer money. In essence, we put our reputation on the line to move the
industry forward and my thanks go out to those who did such a great job from the beginning
to the end.
This year, like so many others, we set our focus on safety because nothing matters more to us
than getting everyone home to their families at the end of the day. We are so very proud to
have one of the best safety records in our industry and we realize this is the result of the efforts
of everyone. Our Safety Department has done a great job of improving communication and
making sure everyone follows the best safety practices each and every day of the year. Rest
assured, we plan to keep devoting all of the necessary resources and equipment necessary to
keep you safe and sound throughout spring, summer and fall of each year.
In addition to the strides we are making in the field, our Board of Directors has committed
resources to upgrade our technology and services at each Suit-Kote location. Our computer
systems are being designed to make work more efficient and our new website is more
functional than ever. As the calendar changes each year, we are doing everything we can to
stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of technological advances.
Suit-Kote was founded in 1921 and we have had so many talented individuals represent our
Company with skill, integrity and passion. And we have been fortunate to have some of those
who have dedicated their entire professional life to our cause. I can think of very few who
have upheld the values of this Corporation more than Larry Preston. Larry is retiring this year
after 43 years wearing green. Although I am sad to see him go, I can’t explain how much he
has meant to this company. He has always been there for us filling whatever role was asked of
him, and always with a smile. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty countless times
and I am proud to call him my friend. Larry, your family at Suit-Kote will miss you and we wish
the very best life has to offer in retirement.
I hope you all have a great off season of rest and relaxation - you earned it!
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Suit-Kote Corporation
table of contents
4.
Suit-Kote.com
6.
News From Around the Company
8.
Suit-Kote Employee Health Insurance
New and Improved Website
What’s new(s) in the Suit-Kote family
Still among the best plans in the nation
10. Tully-Truxton Road Project Makes History
Cost effective pathway to the future
12. Take Control of Your Healthcare Costs
Activate your Ally Health membership today
14. Safety Spotlight
An update from our Safety Department
16. Be a Smart Health Care Consumer
New mail order vendor begins January 1st
18. Planning for Your Financial Future
401K investing tips
19. NYSDOT Needs Equal Funding
Transportation industry prepares to fight for funding parity
20. Jerry Townsend Proves Heroes Wear Green
A miraculous story of strength and heroism
21. A True Gentleman Retires after 43 Years
Larry Preston’s legacy will live on
22. Dick Schutz Closes the Door on a Successful Career
Ryan DuBois offers a tribute to his mentor
23. $18.5 Trillion?
The problem is most people don’t know what it means
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
3
The New and Improved www.suit-kote.com
Have you been to www.suit-kote.com lately? If you have, you will notice it looks a lot different. Earlier this year,
the Company’s website received a makeover and had many new features added in hopes of giving visitors a better
understanding of who we are and what we do! In addition, we also added some resources for our employees.
The new design of the site was created to make it easier to navigate and we gave it a sleeker look. By incorporating
more images, we hope to better illustrate how diverse Suit-Kote is and how we are able to cover all of the territory
between Watertown, NY and Pittsburgh, PA.
Now with the simple click of a button you can learn about each location and what type of services they offer. You can
see where we manufacture asphalt emulsion, where we store it and how we move it. All too often people lose sight of
the teamwork that makes Suit-Kote successful, but now all you have to do is go to www.suit-kote.com and you can learn
it all right there.
Shop Suit-Kote
There is a new Suit-Kote store open for business. This store is fully functional
and is the place you can order t-shirts, hats, jackets and much more with the
Suit-Kote named branded on it.
In addition, employees can go to the site to order their uniforms at the
beginning of the year, making it easier to get what you need before the
start of the season. By following a few simple steps, you can order your
uniform and have it delivered right to your home. This site comes with all of
our policies, procedures and employee allowances printed right there, so it
really is your one stop shop for everything Suit-Kote.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
Job Openings
This year the Suit-Kote job application process was put online. Instead of visiting the
office to fill out an application, those interested in working for Suit-Kote can apply
from their computer, tablet or smartphone. We have simplified the process and
have made it more user friendly, allowing applicants to be notified electronically
of receipt of their application and also allows us to better communicate with them
throughout the entire process.
This new application system now lists each of the openings we have company
wide with a job description and the location where the opening is available.
Current employees can use this function to apply for jobs within the company as
well. Prior to the beginning of the work season, employees are free to apply for
job openings within the company that might be of interest.
Suit-Kote Video
We have reproduced a promotional video detailing many of our products and
processes. Visitors to the site can now watch us in action and see how roads are
made and maintained.
Contact us
The new website now allows anyone to communicate directly with Suit-Kote. This tool has been invaluable since it
began. Rarely a day goes by without a grateful motorist sending a note about how courteous and helpful our road
crews have been. It also allows prospective customers a place to inquire and get in touch with the right people making
for a positive experience.
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
5
News from
around the
company
Suit-Kote wins the Vision Award
Saratoga Hilton
Saratoga Springs, NY
September 15 - 18, 2015
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86th
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NYSAOTSOH 86th Annual Conference,
Education Symposium & EXPO
ANNUAL BANQUET
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs, NY
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Banquet
sponsored
by:
Suit-KoteTonight’s
has played
a ismajor
roleininpart
promoting
the
VANTAGE
industry, but we have been exceptional
in
helping
EQUIPMENT
the Master
town ofhighway
superintendents
across New York.
Vision Award
Ceremonies: Bernie
2015 Recipient:
Meyer,
Town of were
Canaan recognized
These
efforts
at the New York State
Suit-Kote Corporation
Association
of
Town
Superintendents
Highways 86th
Tom Hoyt, Townof
of Windham,
National Anthem: Sarah
Vendor Liaison Chair
Page Conference.
- Daughter of Russ Page,
Annual
NYSAOTSOH President
Mahar, Town of
The Benediction:
VISION Pat
Award
is given
each year at the Town
Executive Committee Plaques:
Denmark
Page, Town
of Leicester who
and
Highway Conference to an Russ
associate
member
has
Jeff Griswold, Town of Preble
Recognition of Past Presidents
demonstrated
exceptional
service to New York’s local
& Special Guests:
Keith
President and Incoming
Hurtgam,industry.
Town of Hartland
highway
President Acknowledgment:
Golf Prizes:
Pat Mahar and
Matt Brayman,
Stadium
International
Trucks
Russ Page, President 2014-2015
and Jeff Griswold, Incoming
President 2015-2016
Mike Murphy was on hand to accept the award on
Lexie Paddon,
behalf of the more than 700Performance
Suit-Koteby:men
and women
Mohonasen High School Choir
who made it possible.
and Acapella Group
Evening Entertainment:
Human Resources
Update
The Accents Band, Compliments
LADA Prizes:
Jack Hill, LADA
of Beam Mack/Mack Trucks
Both the job application and
online return to work
100% County Membership
Wine and Soda during
process
were implemented Beer,
this
year, and have been
Participation:
The Accents Band
Meyer, Town ofThey
CanaanhaveCompliments
of Beam
veryBernie
successful.
made the
company more
Mack/Mack Trucks
compliant in the event of an audit, saved employees
time and reduced both the amount of paper needing to
be printed and foot traffic throughout the office. For the
online job application, managers can request an open
position be posted or taken down from the website,
and it can be done in a matter of seconds. For the
online return to work process, employees were able to
complete their return to work forms in the comfort of their
home before they started the work season.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
A couple of the projects that will be completed
throughout the offseason for 2016 are the online new
hire orientation process and online exit/layoff form
process. Many of the forms that are completed during
the online return to work process are the same forms
as what will need to be completed during the new hire
orientation, so much of that workflow has already been
created and tested. Like the new return to work process,
the new hire orientation will save employees time by
only typing in their information once and having that
information automatically prefill throughout the rest of
the forms.
New York State Extends
Suit-Kote’s PDH Accreditation
The New York State Education Department renewed SuitKote’s continuing education certification for professional
engineers. This license allows the Company to share our
road maintenance knowledge with engineers across the
state. By teaching our craft to the engineering community
it allows us to properly illustrate best practices and more
importantly, best uses for our industry’s products and
processes.
We are honored the state once again recognizes SuitKote as an industry leader with the qualifications and
experience to share our expertise with professional
engineers.
NYS Thruway Tests our New
Highly Modified Asphalt (HIMA)
Suit-Kote Micro-Surfaced a 12.75 mile (one lane section,
driving lane) of the NYS Thruway with our new HIMA
(Highly Modified Asphalt) micro surfacing product. This
product has 6% polymer modified asphalt which is 2
to 3 times the normal amount of polymer than a typical
polymer modified AC. The project went from the PA line
east bound 12.75 miles.
The idea of using this product on the Thruway was
sparked in October of 2013 while teaching a PDH
training session for the Thruway’s Buffalo Division. Gary
Risley continued to work with Thruway officials and was
successful in getting them to test our new HIMA micro
surfacing product, which seemed like a perfect fit for this
application.
continue to utilize a McConnaughay mill, which we
have used in producing PMA in Cortland since 1996.
The project was completed in September and it amounted
to approximately 1,100 tons of HIMA Micro-Surfacing.
The product performed so well the project was expanded
to install a 5 mile section of centerline repair utilizing the
HIMA micro product.
As a result of this
cooperative effort, SuitKote is in
discussions
with the Thruway’s Chief
Engineer and Director
of
Maintenance
and
Operations to offer a
comprehensive
PDH
training segment for these types of applications so its
use can be expanded to the entire Thruway system.
Construction of Tonowanda Polymer
Modified production Facility Completed
On
September,
5, 2015, Mark,
Dean, and the guys
began producing
Polymer Modified
Asphalts
(PMA)
at the Suit-Kote
Tonawanda facility. From breaking ground in March
to September, this facility has taken shape to become
similar to the Cortland facility – a concentrate tank and
letdown tank, which will feed the existing storage tanks
for the distribution of Polymer Modified Grade asphalts.
The actual production facilities are indoors, allowing
production to continue during inclement weather. We
So far, the guys
have produced over
1 million gallons in
good order. They
will be able to
produce
multiple
grades that can be
used in New York,
Pennsylvania and Canada. This winter, we’re looking
to add lab testing equipment for PMA in western New
York. This will insure quick and precise turnaround in
producing various grades.
We appreciate the efforts of everybody that has had a
hand in getting this facility up and running!
Belmont Adds a New Face
Rich Hampshire has joined Suit-Kote Belmont as Lab
Tech/ Assistant Mill Operator. Rich is a veteran of
the United States Navy and has more than thirty years
of experience in the Construction Trades and Electrical
Industries.
Oriskany Expands Territory
Suit-Kote Oriskany has expanded east into Fulton,
Montgomery and Schoharie Counties. Steve Gloo has
been chosen to be our sales representative for this new
market area.
Oriskany would like to welcome the following new
employees: Al Shephard - Transport, Charles Hayes
- Distributor, David Jeanotte - Yard and Gretchen
VanSlyke has returned as our Administrative Assistant.
Watkins Glen
Kevin Palmer found a wallet in the road with a large
amount of cash in it. He managed to track down the
person and return the wallet to a very grateful individual.
Congratulations to Kevin for doing the right thing!
Buffalo
Congratulations to Mike and Mary Kehl whose daughter
Jessie is expecting to give birth to their first grandchild
any day now.
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
7
Suit-Kote Employee
Health Insurance
Still among the best
plans in the nation
It seems like every time you turn on the tv or read a
newspaper you find something about the skyrocketing
costs of healthcare in the United States. Our government
leaders in Washington used this issue to institute a “fix”
called the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
According to many experts in the field, this program has
only made it worse and luckily, Suit-Kote made dramatic
changes to its’ own plan to minimize the damage.
A few years ago, Suit-Kote’s health insurance costs were
rising out of control. We were on the verge of losing
significant coverage for everyone in the plan. Our plan was
in a state of what some refer to as a death spiral because
it was completely unsustainable. Something had to be
done quickly to ensure our families remained covered
with a program flexible enough to meet the ever changing
demands and regulations of this industry.
On October 1, 2012 Suit-Kote Corporation made a major
change to its’ health insurance plan and the philosophy
of delivering this much needed coverage. We moved to
consumer based health insurance model utilizing a high
deductible heath plan (HDHP) with an associated health
savings account (HSA). On day one of the plan, the SuitKote Board of Directors (BOD) voted to jump start each and
every employee’s HSA account by contributing $2,000 for
those who had single coverage and $3,400 for two person
and family participants. This was done to give everyone
an opportunity to learn more about how to use this new
system, but to also to make people have a financial stake
in their health care costs.
Another important change made in October of 2012 was
resetting our coverage year to coincide with a calendar
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Suit-Kote Corporation
year. In essence, this change meant the new plan that
was instituted would reset just three months later, and all
employees would be eligible for another $2,000/$3,400
to be contributed into their HSA by the Company. It was
important to the BOD that everyone get an opportunity to
save as much money in this account to be used for years
to come.
At the conclusion of 2013, an analysis was done and all
of our efforts were deemed a success because we had
finally slowed down our health insurance cost curve, but
still more had to be done. After considering several ideas,
the BOD decided to increase the cost of the premium on
employee dependents who are members of the plan.
Although it may have been difficult for some, this tax
deductible payment made by plan participants who cover
family members is still well below the New York State and
national averages.
EMPLOYEE PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS
SINGLE COVERAGE:
National average - $1,146 (18% of total cost)
Northeast - $1,309 (19% of total cost)
Suit-Kote - $0 (0% of total cost)
FAMILY COVERAGE
National average - $4,549 (24% of total cost)
Northeast - $4,318 (23% of total cost)
Suit-Kote - $2,600 (16% of total cost)
Source: Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits
Suit-Kote’s health insurance plan premium costs are
not quite as high as the employee contributions when
compared to the nation. Put simply, Suit-Kote contributes
more towards the health care premium while other
employers simply pass it on to the employees and their
families. When compared to how much of the health
insurance premium employers pay Suit-Kote picks up a
greater share than most other companies.
and independent authorities to track corporate
contributions across the country. As you can see in the
chart Suit-Kote contributes more than twice the as much
than the average employer.
EMPLOYER PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS
SINGLE COVERAGE:
National average - $5,143 (82% of total cost)
Northeast - $5,268 (80% of total cost)
Suit-Kote - $5,241.84 (100%)
FAMILY COVERAGE:
National average - $14,525 (76% of total cost)
Northeast - $14,780 (77% of total cost)
Suit-Kote - $13,252 (84% of total cost)
Source: Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits
2016 is the year when Obamacare’s next big step toward
full implementation and the fact that many of the insurers
in the “Healthcare Marketplace,” have already folded
or dropped out it is placing quite a strain on the health
insurance industry. Suit-Kote is faced with another
decision - significantly reduce coverage or alter the
corporate contribution to HSA ‘s. After careful deliberation
and analysis of the projected average HSA balance each
participant has, the BOD decided the best way to move
forward was by reducing the corporate contribution to
$1,000 for single participants and to $2,600 for two-person
and family plan members.
Suit-Kote understands this is not a welcomed change,
but it was the best option available. A vast majority of
our participants have saved more than enough money
to keep their out-of-pocket costs stable, but those who
have higher healthcare
needs are likely to be
EMPLOYER HSA
slightly affected by this
CONTRIBUTIONS
decrease.
SINGLE COVERAGE
Although this change
National average - $515
may seem unfortunate,
Eastern Region - $446
Suit-Kote still far exceeds
Suit-Kote - $1,000
the contribution of
virtually any company
FAMILY COVERAGE
in America.
There
National average - $890
are several studies
Eastern Region - $667
conducted by health
Suit-Kote - $2,600
insurance companies
Many of the changes being made to our plan are not being
done purely because of the increasing cost of health care,
instead they are a decision of necessity resulting from
government intervention.
Still looming on the horizon is the Affordable Care Act’s
high-cost plan tax (HCPT), sometimes called the “Cadillac
plan” tax. This tax will be implemented in 2018 is likely to
affect as much as 46% of employers with more than 200
workers. Amazingly, the effective ways to avoid paying
this tax requires employers to:
1. Increasing the deductible and other cost sharing;
2. Eliminating covered services;
3. Capping tax-preferred savings accounts like Flexible
Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts
(HSAs), or Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs);
3. Eliminating higher-cost health insurance options;
4. Using less expensive (often narrower) provider networks;
5. Offering benefits through a private exchange.
Source: How Many Employers Could be Affected by the Cadillac Plan Tax?- by Gary Claxton and Larry Levitt.
Essentially, the Affordable Care Act was created to stop
employers from offering generous health insurance plans.
It is believed their reason for doing this was to decrease
the overall cost of health care in this country by forcing
companies to cut services and increase costs to plan
participants. The more we learn about the ACA, the more
understandable it becomes that so many have fought so
hard to stop it.
Suit-Kote will continue to move forward offering the best
possible health insurance plan to its employees and their
families, but we hope our workforce understands that
many of the changes we make are not our choice, instead
they are being forced upon us by Washington and Albany.
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
9
Suit-Kote, Cortland County and
NYSDOT Make History Together
A two-lane blacktop road in Cortland County, N.Y.,
benefited from a sophisticated pavement preservation
overlay that combined two lifts and two types of asphalt
emulsions, that are anticipated to provide a high level of
service in the years to come.
It’s no secret local government agencies across the United
States have been forced to do more with dwindling
resources. They have been charged with finding new,
innovative ways to repair and maintain our transportation
infrastructure at a lower cost, because if we continue with
past practices, soon our system will be unsustainable.
In recent years a need to rehabilitate the Truxton-Tully
Road was identified, and was selected to be a full road
reconstruction project completed with costly land
acquisitions, structural improvements and an HMA
binding and wearing layer.
Local and state
officials employed
a new approach
to funding by
applying the New
York State DOT’s
Forward
Four
philosophy
to
this project. This
idea tries to match projects by using four determining
criteria to qualify. First, it must benefit the overall
transportation system, not just a specific project. It must
focus on pavement preservation and optimize return on
investment. And finally, it must meet strict sustainability
guidelines.
Subsequent to ironing out funding mechanisms, officials
from Cortland County and locally based Suit-Kote Corp.
engineers worked together to find a solution that would
use alternative products and material formulations,
resulting in a safe, durable roadway, and capable of
achieving the same life cycle as other more costly,
conventional processes. Eventually the project was funded
with 80 percent federal (MAP-21 and STP-Flex funding),
13 percent State of New York (Marchiselli funding), and 7
percent Cortland County funds.
High-Float Emulsions
After realizing there were not enough funds to complete
the project as first envisioned, combined with a change to
the Federal Aid project criterion enacted by the FHWA, it
spurred a completely new approach to deciding how to
best address the issues with Truxton-Tully Road.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
Although it was new to NYS DOT, Suit-Kote decided to
propose a process we had perfected in many counties and
local communities across New York. For the binder course,
we proposed to use a dense graded cold mix utilizing a
high float, medium-set, hard-based asphalt emulsion
(commonly referred to as HFMS-2GH), with a top course
mix paver with slight modifications, such as wider screed
plate and a modified angle of attack.
In the process, Suit-Kote found it to be important to hold
the rollers back from the pavers in order to enhance the mix
cure and set characteristics. After compaction the paving
course is ready to accept traffic much like conventional
hot mix paving.
consisting of a similar dense graded cold mix with smaller
aggregate for a smoother, tighter finish.
Work crews would return to the project later to install a
surface treatment wearing course that consisted of an
application of high float rapid-set, polymer-modified
surface treating emulsion (HFRS-2P) and NYS DOT
approved 1A-sized aggregate.
What sets this particular process apart from others is
that the HFMS-2GH contains 70 percent residual asphalt
content where conventional medium-set emulsions
contain only 65 percent, thus promoting maximum
adhesion, flexibility and coating.
Cortland County officials embraced this alternate plan
utilizing a special specification section of the regulations
and presented it to the NYS DOT Region 3 materials
engineer’s office. This new cooperative effort of a private
company – along with state and local government
officials – proved to be a ground-breaking partnership.
This alternate strategy was accepted and the project was
successfully completed in late September 2015.
Topped with Chip Seal
The final phase of this project was a surface treatmentwearing course, known to many in the industry as a “chip
seal.” This process was ultimately chosen because it offered
the most cost-effective and durable wearing solution. By
using a high float polymer modified asphalt emulsion, it
allowed for quicker adhesion and increased aggregate
retention.
Suit-Kote Corp was the materials supplier and the
contractor for the entire project. Subcontractors were used
for various structural enhancements needed to stabilize
the road.
For the first time in New York State history, a federally
funded total reconstruction project was converted to a
cost-effective preservation project that would instead
utilize dense graded cold-mix asphalt with a specialized
enhanced HFMS-2GH, consisting of 70 percent asphalt.
In the end, this project represents a win for cooperation
between the private and public sectors, but most of all it is
a resounding victory for the taxpayer.
The project ran
smoothly,
with
the dense graded
cold mix being
manufactured
offsite
at
a
nearby Suit-Kote
quarry, and was
applied
using
conventional paving techniques. As this road originally
was constructed over a frost-susceptible subbase, dense
graded cold mix is the product of choice because if
cracking occurs, it will heal itself.
On a more technical side, the mixture gradation for binder
and surface mixes are very similar to Superpave 19mm and
12.5 mm. During construction Suit-Kote utilized a portable
mixing unit (pugmill) that was equipped with a split bin
hopper and calibrated belt scales to produce the dense
graded cold mix material, along with a conventional hot
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
11
Take Control of your Heath Care Costs
Activate your ALLYHEALTH Membership Today
The Healthcare Industry is changing. Costs continue to rise at
record levels and more and more families need to find more
cost effective ways of getting the help they need.
Suit-Kote would like to reintroduce you to the future of
medicine. As part of your health insurance plan, you are
eligible to access Ally Health at no additional
cost.
As with many employers like Suit-Kote that
provide health benefits to their employees,
healthcare is a complex issue for us,
and we know it is for you as well. It
affects each of us in different ways. As
a company, our goal is to provide our
employees with the best Healthcare
possible in as cost-effective a manner
as possible.
To help us with this goal, we’re very excited to remind
you of the addition of our new Telehealth program that
will provide you and your family with access to care on
your schedule. Anytime. Anywhere. Twenty-four hours
a day. Three hundred sixty-five days a year.
We have partnered with Ally Health and this service is already
available to you and your family.
What AllyHealth Does for You
We know that your health needs don’t always revolve around your doctor’s schedule. After-hours care can leave you
waiting for hours to see a doctor, instead of resting and recovering. AllyHealth allows you and your family to see doctors
and pediatricians from the comfort of your home via video chat or phone. All of AllyHealth’s doctors are Board Certified
and trained to deliver the highest quality in medical care anytime, anywhere. These doctors have the ability to diagnose
you, prescribe medicine when appropriate, and send prescriptions directly to your pharmacy of choice.
And there is NO COST for you to consult with a
doctor, so use it as much as you need!
Plus, as an AllyHealth member, you and your family will also get unlimited access to medical bill negotiation specialists,
discounts on prescription medications at your local pharmacy and more.
For a complete list of services included in the program and how they work, visit AllyHealth.net.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
13
Safety Spotlight
On August 27th a tanker hauling milk was passing one of our CIPR trains and
tipped over into a swamp. A number of our employees saw the tanker tipping
over and immediately ran toward the tractor and jumped into the water. The cab
of the tractor was beginning to fill with water and when one of our employees,
Eric Hill reached the window of the passenger side, he saw the hand of the driver
pushing against the window. He tried breaking the window, but could not. He
then started to try and open the door, but could not until a number of other
Suit-Kote employees joined. They successfully opened the door and saved the
driver from drowning to death. The driver suffered only a minor cut and was very
thankful for the actions of our crew.
On September 10th an amish buggy with a father, mother, toddler and baby
were passing a CIPR train when the horse spooked and dragged the family into a
swamp. Jeff O’Shea was acting as a pilot truck and saw the incident in his rearview
mirror and immediately jumped out of his truck and jumped into the swamp to
help the family. His first two questions were, “Was anybody thrown into the water
and are there any babies in the water?” The woman said no and handed her baby
and toddler to Jeff to bring to safety. Another Suit-Kote employee jumped out
of his truck to help aide in rescuing the family from the ditch. The family was not
injured and was also extremely grateful for the response from our crew members.
These stories should make all of us proud to work at a company with employees who act so courageously and this article
serves to recognize Eric, Jeff and their respective crew members for acting so selflessly.
Environmental Regulatory Compliance - A Job Well Done
By: Katie Niver
Throughout the 2015 operating season, staff of all SuitKote facilities not only worked hard to keep the pavers
paving and crews operating, but to keep their facilities in
regulatory compliance, resulting in one of the smoothest
seasons on record from an environmental regulatory
compliance perspective. Throughout the season, many
facilities were subject to New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation inspections. All inspections
were successfully managed, with the majority of facilities
receiving no fines thanks to the hard work that SuitKote employees put in on a daily basis to maintain an
environmentally compliant and safe work place. Across
the company, facilities do an excellent job to ensure
compliance, from Suit-Kote Tonawanda successfully
passing their annual Coast Guard Inspection and EPA
Audit to the staff of Suit-Kote Watkins Glen and Jamestown
working diligently to shift regulatory programs based on
the ever changing State regulations.
Facility staff are responsible for not only attending annual
safety training every year, but have the added responsibility
of conducting mandatory onsite training as well. These
onsite trainings vary from making several phone calls to
mobilization of the company’s Spill Response Unit followed
by an actual boom deployment across the Tioughnioaga
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Suit-Kote Corporation
River. This year, the Spill Response Unit received an
upgrade with the purchase of a new trailer, which houses
all of the spill response materials. This upgrade will help
ensure that Suit-Kote has the ability to respond quickly
to an environmental emergency and help do our part in
protecting our workplace and the environment.
To date, the 2015 season is an environmental success
and with everyone continuing to strive for excellence, we
expect the remainder of this season and the 2016 season
will be just as great!
Propane Leak Near-Miss Prevented
By: Josh Lynn
On June 12th, Joe Goodman (Suit-Kote employee)
identified the release of propane gas near a local LPG
containment. A steady stream of compressed liquefied
propane gas was leaking from the relief valve on a 20 lb
cylinder. The Suit-Kote employee immediately notified the
Safety Department of the leak. The cylinder was placed off
to the side so that it was not around any ignition sources
/ flammables.
The propane cylinder supplier was called and notified of
the incident. About 30 minutes later the supplier arrived.
You can see in the picture below, how much pressure had
built up inside the cylinder. There was a bulge around the
weld seam.
The pressure was so severe that the supplier had to release
the liquefied propane gas at the Suit-Kote facility so that it
did not rupture while in transport. The propane supplier
thanked Joe for detecting the leak.
Normally when a propane cylinder is filled; there is an OPD
(Overfilling Prevention Device) valve that prevents the
cylinder from being overfilled.
In this case, the OPD valve had
failed and the cylinder was filled
beyond its working capacity.
This is what caused the release
of propane.
If this problem was not detected, there was a serious
chance that the cylinder would have ruptured. This could
have caused a chain reaction and sent the other propane
cylinders off like missiles. These cylinders could have
launched into surrounding tanks, buildings or even at
employees. This may have lead to a potential spill, property
damage, injuries or worse. Because of Joe’s attention to
detail, we were able to go home at the end of the day.
Below are some basic tips for inspecting or handling
propane cylinders:
• Inspect the cylinder for damage - Cracks / broken weld
points / rust
• Never place your face over or in front of a Relief Valve
• Always wear PPE (gloves & safety glasses) when handing/
changing tanks
• Beware of flammability / ignition sources
• Listen for gas escaping
• Smell to see if odor is present
• Look for frost on the coupling
• Inspect the valve
• Store cylinder with relief valve facing up on 33 lb cylinders
and place 20 lb cylinders upright.
• Static Electricity can also ignite propane vapor as well as
a cigarette or open flame.
• Be aware of emergency procedures BEFORE there is an
emergency
An Update on Jamey Crumb
By: Paige Bliss
On June 3rd, Jamey Crumb was pushing recycle material off the wing of a paver into the hopper with a 5 foot long
shovel as part of his job as a laborer on a cold in-place recycling train crew. In the process of completing this task, the
webe rolled onto his steel toed boot and struck his leg causing a compound fracture to his tibia and fibula. John Gilbert,
the crew foreman, pulled Jamey away from the machinery and Jamey’s crew immediately called 911 while providing as
much comfort as they could to Jamey. Jamey was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital and was eventually sent to
the operating room for surgical repair of his fractures and was released from the hospital a few days later.
Shortly after this accident we produced a toolbox talk to explain the accident to the workforce. We wanted to take this
opportunity to provide an update on Jamey’s recovery. It has been a long four months for Jamey. Jamey’s recovery is
progressing and he is positive about the steps he has made so far. He has monthly follow ups to check his bone growth
and has recently started physical therapy. Speaking for everyone at Suit-Kote, we are all happy that Jamey is continuing
to heal and we wish him the best throughout the remainder of his recovery.
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
15
Understanding and Maximizing your
Comprehensive Benefit Plans
Since
2012
Falcone
Associates, Inc. has had the
distinct privilege of working
with Suit-Kote Corporation
on the employee benefits
programs offered to you.
We have come to know
many of you and your
dependents through open
enrollment meetings, calls
By: Bernard Gleeson
to our office and safety
meetings. Our commitment
to you is to provide you with the highest level of service
possible.
With health care expenses continuing to
rise, modifications have had to be made to your health
program to ensure its sustainability. While change
is sometime unexpected, we have worked diligently
together with Suit-Kote to assess plan benefit levels and
costs.
critical care services you avoid using your HSA card, thus
preserve your HSA dollars.
Suit-Kote Corporation was one of the first employers in
the upstate region to offer this progressive and valuable
benefit.
There is more information contained within on
ALLYHEALTH and instructions on how to activate your
account. We encourage you to become familiar with this
program and treat it as part of your overall health plan.
MAIL ORDER PRESCRIPTION
DRUG PROGRAM
Beginning January 1, 2016 Express Scripts Home
Delivery Pharmacy will fill your new and refill mail
order prescriptions. PrimeMail will no longer serve as
the prescription mail order vendor.
The old saying that “Nothing is good nor bad unless by
comparison” holds true. As we assess the benefit levels of
the Suit-Kote health program and compare it to regional
and national data, it is evident that The Suit-Kote plan
remains above the highest averages.
In January of 2015 a telemedicine program called
ALLYHEALTH was introduced to Suit-Kote employees.
This new benefit was offered at no additional cost to
Suit-Kote employees. The ALLY HEALTH telemedicine
program was offset in place to assist Suit-Kote employees
in managing their out of pocket medical expenses while
preserving their HSA account balances.
BE A SMART CONSUMER
To provide an analogy, would you drive to Grocery Store
A to buy milk when you have a coupon for a free gallon of
milk at Grocery Store B? Probably not!
So as you look at your total health program through
Suit-Kote, look at ALLYHEALTH as that free coupon. You
have 24 hour 365 day access to board certified physicians
free of charge for unlimited calls and for all your eligible
dependents, even if they are not insured under the SuitKote medical plan.
By using the ALLHEALTH telemedicine plan for non-
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Suit-Kote Corporation
If you have prescription(s) with PrimeMail with refills
remaining after January 1, 2016, your prescriptions will
automatically transfer to Express Scripts Home Delivery
Pharmacy. You will not need to take any action. (Some
specialty medications and compounds will require a new
prescription before refill can be dispensed)
Refills can be requested from Express Scripts Home
Delivery Pharmacy beginning January 1, 2016. Ordering
refills is easy; they can be ordered online, by phone or
through the mail. You can use your PrimeMail prescription
numbers to order your first refill with Express Scripts.
Starting January 1, 2016 you can access forms online at
Express-Scripts.com, or call Member Services at 1-855315-5220.
You will be receiving additional information at your home
about this change. Please look for this information and
keep it handy.
PLEASE NOTE: This change only impacts mail order
prescriptions. If you are not currently using the mail order
program, there will be no impact to you.
BE A SMART CONSUMER
If you or a covered dependent are taking a maintenance
medication, the Express Scripts Home Delivery Pharmacy
program will likely benefit you.
Using the mail order program you will receive a 90 day (3
month) supply of medication for just 2 copayments after
your deductible.
HOUSE KEEPING ITEMS
Flu Shots
Suit-Kote conducted a Flu Clinic in October. If you have
not received a flu shot we would encourage you to do so.
Flu shots are NOT subject to the deductible under the SuitKote medical plan. They are paid 100% when administered
by a participating provider. You may receive your flu shot
at your physician’s office, Rite Aid Pharmacy and Wegmans
to name a few.
A Reminder on Preventive Health Care
Services
Preventive Services are NOT subject to the health plan
deductible and covered at 100% so go ahead and schedule
your preventive visits.
Preventive Services include:
• Well Child Visits
• Adult Routine Physical Exams
• Adult and Child Immunizations
• Mammography
• Pap Smear
• Routine GYN Exam
• Prostate Screening
• Preventive Colonoscopy
Lost or misplaced an ID card
We can have your medical or dental ID card replaced and
provide you a temporary ID card immediately while you
wait for the new ID card to arrive.
Update on access to Explanation of Benefits
(EOBs) for Dental Plan.
Effectively immediately, to request a copy of an EOB for
dental claims processed prior to January 1, 2015 you must
contact Member Services using the service phone number
on your Dental ID card.
Questions, Concerns or When in Doubt, Call Us
The team at Falcone Associates, Inc. is here to assist you.
Our staff will provide you with prompt, thorough and easy
to understand answers to your benefit questions. We
understand that your Suit-Kote benefits are important to
you yet sometimes can be complex. Please call us, we are
happy to help.
What is my role in helping curb rising
health care costs?
We all have a part in helping curb rising health care costs.
Taking better care of ourselves. Weight loss, stopping
the use of tobacco products, exercise, better eating and
nutrition habits all have a positive impact on health care
costs, but more importantly, quality of life. Excellus offers
many programs at no charge to help insured adopt a
healthier lifestyle. Go to www.excellusbcbs.com
FA LCO E
A S S OC I A T E S
I
N C O R
P
O R
A
T
E
D
9011 Lodi Street • Syracuse, NY 13203
Phone 315-422-6128 • Fax 315-422-3746
Renee Guariglia
Executive Vice President
Project Co-Leader, ext: 239
[email protected]
Bernard Gleeson
Vice President
Project Co-Leader, ext: 257
[email protected]
Debbie Crouch, ACSR
Employee Benefits Consultant,
ext: 258
[email protected]
Cindy Shepard
Employee Benefits Consultant,
ext. 242
[email protected]
Sue Gardner
Account Administrative Support,
ext. 243
[email protected]
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
17
Planning for your Financial Future
Investing in Your 20s Head or heart: How do
and 30s: Millennials you make decisions?
While the baby boomer generation
Think Differently
Staying socially and emotionally
engaged may be key to investing for
your future
Millennials are often criticized in the
press for putting off financial planning
and being too risk-averse. According
to a 2014 survey, millennials devote
less than one-third (28%) of their
portfolio to stocks and over half (52%)
to cash, while non-millennials keep
almost half of their portfolio (46%) in
stocks and less than a quarter (23%)
in cash.
If you fit this picture, there may be a
good reason you’ve put off saving
and investing. For one, you’ve just
witnessed the effects the Great
Recession had on your parents. Or,
like millions of other college grads,
you may have thousands of dollars in
student loans due. Saving may not be
a priority.
Staying out of the retirement
savings arena is a decision that could
significantly affect your quality of
life down the road. Notwithstanding
the economic recovery that began in
earnest in 2009, 32% of 18- to 30-yearolds said they haven’t started investing
in their retirement because they don’t
know enough. And fully 42% claimed
they didn’t have enough money to
invest. A recent Wells Fargo study
showed that most millennials put half
their income toward paying off debt,
with a roughly equal number claiming
that they live paycheck to paycheck.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
grew up digesting streams of logicbased data and print media, the way
that millennials absorb information
and communicate is considerably
different. According to Stanford
Professor BJ Fogg, you may be wired
to respond better to short, digestible
videos on investing topics, directed
one-task workshops, and more
motivational approaches designed to
inspire taking action.
No matter your age, when investing,
emotion plays a more important
role than you may recognize. Some
of our earliest memories of money
inform our lifelong relationship with
it. If you’ve talked to anyone who
lived through the Great Depression,
which completely destroyed 9 million
savings accounts in three years, you
will understand how risk-averse this
group has been from a young age.
While there are parallels between
the Great Depression and Great
Recession, you are likely to have very
different response mechanisms to up
and down markets than your parents
or grandparents. Having grown up
with social media, you probably
have a support network in place. This
helps to know you are not alone. But
there are also innovative sources of
retirement advice available online or
that exist in less formal settings and
are designed to be more relevant to
the digital generation.
Wherever you connect financially
as a millennial, it’s important to
find a more relaxed way of talking
about retirement—one that instills
confidence to take action. Rather
than formalized financial education
that you might get at a work meeting,
you may enjoy interacting with others
who are in a similar life stage, willing
to share their knowledge of saving
and investing.
While no two investors are alike,
fortunately, there are resources
that can help in making complex
decisions—like how much to save—
easier.
Nothing in this publication shall be
construed as providing investment
counseling or directing employees to
participate in any investment program
in any way. Please consult your
financial advisor or other appropriate
professional for further assistance with
regard to your individual situation.
Don’t Leave It to Your Ex:
Update Your Beneficiary
Designations
One of the most important pieces
of information on your retirement
account is also one of the most
overlooked — your beneficiary
designation. If you’ve been married
or divorced, had children, started
a business, or suffered the loss
of a spouse since setting up your
retirement accounts, read on.
Similar to a will, a beneficiary
designation on your 401(k) or IRA
legally defines how your assets will
be distributed upon your death.
The rules governing beneficiaries
are different for 401(k) accounts and
IRAs.
Not naming a beneficiary on your
account generally means that your
assets will be paid to your estate
and will be subject to probate. Some
people name their spouse and
children as beneficiaries, while others
choose a charity or other entity,
such as a trust. You should regularly
review your beneficiary designation
to ensure it is up-to-date, and share
any changes with anyone who is
helping you with estate planning to
ensure that it meshes with your will.
If you don’t know who you’ve named,
review your current plan agreement,
contact your plan administrator, or
call your financial advisor or legal/tax
professional.
State Commits $8B TO MTA – NYSDOT Needs Equal Funding
In October, Governor Cuomo committed
the state to providing the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) with over
$8 billion to close its five-year capital
program funding gap. Suit-Kote along
with other business and community
leaders throughout the state called foul
and demanded equal funding for the
state’s roads and bridges. Politicians
throughout the state have joined our call
to restore “Parity” in funding between the
MTA and Department of Transportation
(DOT).
For over two decades, the MTA and DOT
five-year capital programs were equal
in size (parity). Then, in 2010, when the
Senate Republicans lost their majority
for the first time in fifty years the MTA
implemented a five-year capital plan that
was $5 billion greater than the DOT’s plan.
Road and bridge conditions throughout
the state suffered because of this funding
disparity - now is the time to restore
parity to the two capital programs.
History
In the early 1990’s, the Governor and
Legislature create the Dedicated
Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF)
to pay for the DOT capital program and
the Dedicated Mass Transit Trust Fund
(DMTTF) to assist with the MTA and other
transit system’s capital programs.
At that time, upstate drivers were asked
to have a portion of their gas taxes and
auto fees directed toward the DMTTF.
Today, upstate drivers pay nearly $300m
annually to mass transit, about 90 percent
of which goes to the MTA.
In return for upstate drivers’ financial
assistance it was agreed that the DOT
and MTA’s five-year capital programs
would be similar in size and would be
negotiated simultaneously.
Through 2005-09, both five-year capital
programs were similar in size and
adopted within months of each other.
In 2010, the Senate Republicans lost
control of the upper house. That same
year the Executive and Legislature
enacted a five-year capital program
for the MTA, but not for the DOT. The
entire Senate Republican Conference
voted against the MTA five-year funding
program with many siting the need to
equally fund the DOT capital program
when explaining their opposition. From
2010-14, the MTA’s capital program
exceeded the DOT’s program by $5B
billion the largest funding disparity since
the dedicated funds were created.
If there is parity, will the MTA and DOT
capital programs be the same size?
No. Parity is only considered between
portions of the MTA’s capital program
that are approved by the Capital Program
Review Board (CPRB). The MTA’s 2015-19
overall capital program is about $29.1
billion while the portion that would go
before the CPRB is $26.1 billion.
The CPRB has three voting members; one
appointed by the Governor, the Senate
Majority Leader and the Assembly
Speaker. For the CPRB to adopt the
MTA’s capital program the vote must be
unanimous.
with the Governor and the Assembly
calling for such a study be released
before the 2015-16 budget was adopted.
No needs study was ever released by the
DOT, so NYMaterials and LADA, working
with their industry partners, conducted
their own five-year capital needs analysis
for the agency which they calculated at
$28 billion.
The Time for Action is NOW!
The MTA is receiving the state
financial assistance it says it needs;
it's time to restore parity between the
MTA and the DOT to begin to address
the critical state and local needs of
our highways and bridges. The DOT
needs at least an additional $8 billion
five-year commitment from the state
before they formally adopt the MTA
capital program.
In 1996, 1999 and 2004 the Senate
Republican’s representative on the CPRB
vetoed the MTA’s program to insure
the mass transit capital program and
the highway capital program would be
considered jointly during the legislative
budget process and that parity would be
maintained. Ultimately the MTA and DOT
both received similar size five year capital
programs.
2015-19 Capital Programs
Historically the Executive has allowed
the DOT to release a five-year needsbased capital program request. In 2014,
the Senate Republicans negotiated a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
19
Jerry Townsend Proves Heroes Wear Green
It was Friday, August 30, 2013 when a call rang out putting
every Suit-Kote employee’s biggest fear on display for the
world to see. The call was to a 911 operator explaining
a person was injured and trapped beneath a large piece
of construction equipment. Rescue personnel were
immediately dispatched and on their way to the scene.
Witnesses gathered trying to help in any way they could,
soon realizing they were practically helpless and would
need to wait for the rescue team.
The minutes waiting for the firemen and medical
professionals to arrive seemed like hours and all anyone
could do was take a moment to pray for the best possible
outcome. What would take place after this moment to the
present day is a story of tremendous bravery and a long
road to recovery.
On that Friday in August, Suit-Kote Roller Operator Jerry
Townsend was doing what he did every day - operating
his rubber tire roller. The crew was mobilizing to a new
road that was to be surface treated. As Jerry steered
the 50,000 pound machine down a hill, a hydraulic line
ruptured, taking with it the ability to stop the roller. In the
heat of the moment, Jerry Townsend had to let his instinct
take over as he tried to direct the machine, now travelling
about 60 mph, out of harms way. With oncoming traffic,
Jerry did his best to steer the out of control roller away
from motorists and eventually succeeded by making a
sharp turn off the road into a ditch.
At impact off the
road, the roller
climbed a slight
embankment and
flipped over on its
side, trapping the
hero underneath.
To make matters
even worse, the
ditch was filled
with enough water to complicate the rescue. Jerry
Townsend, with his coworkers Chris Dean and Jared Jack
scrambling to help, kept his head above water until help
arrived.
When emergency crews arrived they immediately
requested assistance from the medical center to guide
them through the rescue. Two trauma surgeons and a
Lifeflight crew were dispatched from Forbes Regional
Hospital to make sure every precaution was taken before
removing the roller.
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Suit-Kote Corporation
Once the plan was
decided, two tow
trucks were used to
pull the machine out
of the ditch. Once
it was clear of Jerry,
the doctors moved in
and started the vital
life saving procedures until he was stable enough to be
transported to the medical center.
Jerry Townsend was placed in intensive care when he
arrived at the hospital. He remained unconscious for three
days. He sustained a long list of injuries: two fractured
vertebrae in his neck; two fractured vertebrae in his back;
nine broken ribs; a broken right clavicle; his pelvic bone
broken in three places; a broken tibia and fibula in his right
leg and has a rod in his right leg; and two broken toes in
his right foot. Jerry would undergo a couple of surgeries
and skin grafts and doctors used more than 150 staples to
close his injuries. He spent 28 days in the hospital before
returning home to complete his recovery.
Fast forward to today - Jerry is back at work at Suit-Kote
in Meadville, PA. He remains a hero and an example of
the men and women who go out on the road every day,
performing under pressure in the heat of the summer.
What Jerry did on that tragic day in August was nothing
short of miraculous. He sacrificed himself to save others
from danger. He and his coworkers who sprang to action
that day exemplify what Suit-Kote is all about.
,
Jerry Townsend Begins New Chapter
It is hard to believe
the
accident
happened a full
two years ago,
especially when
you see Jerry
working
today.
Jerry has recovered
tremendously well.
He is still attending physical therapy a few times a
week and walks with the assistance of a cane.
Jerry is currently our Meadville Distributor Dispatcher.
Moving from a roller operator to a dispatch position
is not an easy transition, but as you can probably tell,
Jerry seems determined to meet whatever challenge
is before him.
A True Gentleman Retires after 43 Years
There is an old saying, “actions speak louder than words.”
No other statement sums up Larry Preston’s Suit-Kote
career better.
It all began on April 17, 1972 when Larry was hired to
drive for Suit-Kote. He joined the Oneonta branch and at
the time nobody could have predicted he would spend
the next forty-three years of his life dedicated to the only
professional family he would ever know.
Many faces have changed over the years, but one has
remained through the good times and the bad. Larry
Preston is a humble professional who has always chosen to
lead by example with a quiet and kind demeanor. Although
he worried about the company and his co-workers, Larry
always made those around him feel comfortable and
confident in their roles.
hard pressed to find one of them who does not consider
him a dear friend to this day. He treated customers and
employees like family. There was not much he wouldn’t
do to help them in a time of need or offer encouragement
when the job was difficult.
In talking to those who know Larry best, a story emerged
illustrating the kind of person he is. Ron Hughes
remembers, “one time while I was operating a brand new
distributor truck, a bar gasket broke spewing oil all over
me. It was quite an unexpected mess, but Larry did not
panic. Instead he quietly removed his shirt and handed
it to me and then offered me a ride back to change and
clean up. Right before I jumped in his truck I told him, I
didn’t want to get asphalt all over his interior. Larry using
that dry humor simply grinned and said, ‘well try not to
then, but as you know we are in the asphalt business.’ This
is only one story of many that will keep Larry in our hearts
and minds for many years to come.
Larry Preston has been there for Suit-Kote day in and day
out for the last forty-three years. He has never complained
and always performed his duties with the utmost integrity.
He earned the respect of everyone who has ever come in
contact with him and he will not be easily replaced.
2012 Oneonta Division Summertime Pig Roast.
Larry @right seated next to his Father-in-Law (Niles) and across the table
are Town of Milford Highway Superintendent and good friend Rick Atwell.
We are sad to say goodbye to our friend and co-worker,
but after such a successful career, we can be proud and
happy for him and his family as he heads to retirement.
We wish you the very best and if you get bored, remember
there is always a place for you at Suit-Kote.
We hope you enjoy life after Suit-Kote - you have earned it!
Larry Preston spent his entire career putting Suit-Kote first
just about every day. He was eager to get started early in
the morning and did everything he could to make sure the
needs of the customer and the safety of our workers were
at the top of every day’s “to-do” list.
After years behind the wheel of a distributor, Larry was
chosen to lead Oneonta. As the General Manager he
never lost sight of what it takes to get the job done. His
leadership style was simple and reflected where he came
from - “we are never late with the oil,” is what he used as
his guiding principle. Larry understood that in order to
remain at the top of the industry in his territory, Suit-Kote
would have to attend to the little details and do them well.
Scores of highway superintendents have come and gone
during Larry’s tenure at Suit-Kote and you would be
(from left to right) Ron Hughes, Bill Bellen, Larry, Bill Kelly, Jack
Turner(back to camera), Jack’s retirement party.
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
21
Dick Schutz Closes the
Door on a Successful Career
By: Ryan DuBois
In 1991, after 14 years at Goulds Pumps and 2 years
at Hoffman Air & Filtration, Dick Schutz was looking
for something different to do when an opportunity at
Suit-Kote opened up. He, with the support of his wife
Jane, decided to make a career change and become a
member of the Suit-Kote family. Over the next 24 years
Dick would establish himself as a hardworking, detail
oriented and loyal Suit-Kote employee.
Dick started within the Operations Division, but as
the Company grew and continued to evolve, so too
did Dick’s responsibilities. Eventually he would find
himself responsible for managing the Company’s
environmental, health and safety program.
During his tenure at the helm of the environmental,
health and safety program, Suit-Kote and the world we
live in changed dramatically. The Company experienced
significant growth and more than doubled the size of
its workforce. They acquired and built a number of new
facilities, while continuing to modify and enlarge older
facilities. The Federal, State and local governments
did their part by doing what they do best—creating
thousands of laws to regulate private industry.
However, one thing that always remained constant
was Dick spending long days and nights in his office
researching, analyzing and developing a plan to attack
the next task on his to do list.
Some of his days would be spent writing safety
programs for employees to follow or investigating
the most recent accident. Other days he would be
preparing to appear in front of local town planning
departments seeking approval to build facilities such
as the Suit-Kote Terminal. And when environmental
state agencies wanted to inspect our facilities for
compliance, Dick would spend his day walking them
around and showing them Suit-Kote was adhering to
the regulations. Regardless of what he was working
on, you always knew you were in reliable hands.
When I asked Dick what the best part of his tenure
at Suit-Kote was, he said, “The people, the Suit-Kote
family. There was always a ‘can do’ attitude when
it came to tackling any project or problem. Also,
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Suit-Kote Corporation
there was the forward-looking thought process
of management, especially Frank Jr., to look for
opportunities to grow the Company and help
secure the future of all employees. I believe that my
greatest accomplishments were in working with local
municipalities in order to ensure that Suit-Kote could
grow locally.”
Dick will spend his retirement days in North Carolina
attending NRA meetings, traveling to handgun
shooting competitions, and writing outdoor/gun
related articles for magazines (the guy really likes his
guns!). But above all else, Dick will cherish spending
time with his family, especially the newest addition,
his granddaughter Brynley Stevens.
On a personal note, I want to thank Dick for the
guidance he has provided me and patience he has
showed me over the last 6 years. I learned very
quickly in my career that Dick had the knowledge I
needed to successfully manage the environmental,
health and safety program at Suit-Kote, I just needed
a way to mine it out of him. From that point forward,
I channeled my inner two year old and started to ask
that common question two year olds tend to ask about
everything…But why? To this day, the question should
give Dick nightmares since I asked it so many times,
but inevitably without hesitation, Dick would provide
a detailed answer to the question. Thank you Dick.
Lastly, on behalf of
Frank and Paul and
Suit-Kote employees
both
past
and
present, thank you for
everything. You have
positively impacted
this Company and its’
employees over the
last 24 years in more
ways than anyone,
including
yourself,
probably
realizes.
We wish you
nothing but
the best!
If you have driven north or south
on Interstate 81 between the Tully
or Preble, NY exits you will no
doubt notice the large Suit-Kote
sign on the side of the building.
It is hard to miss, even at night
because the sign is the only light
in the darkness. However, as you
pass by your eye might catch
another sign that reads “18.5
Trillion.”
Many motorists have passed our
facility and a great majority do so
scratching their head wondering
what that might actually mean.
Our website has received emails
asking for an explanation and
others have offered their own
commentary, rarely, if ever,
getting it correct. If you have read
to this point and you know what it
stands for, congratulations, if you
are still wondering, that is not so
good. $18.5 trillion is the current
national debt of the United States
of America.
The sign hanging on the Interstate
81 side of our Preble facility
currently reads $18.5, but sadly
when it was first put up a year ago,
it read $17.8 trillion. We continue
to update the sign each time the
debt rises another $100 billion
dollars which happens way more
than one would think.
Many have asked why we have
this sign so prominently displayed
where literally hundreds of
thousands of motorists can see
it each year? The answer can
be easily delivered by Suit-Kote
President and CEO Frank Suits, Jr.
Mr. Suits first had the idea while
driving when he saw a similar
sticker on the bumper of the car
in front of him. The sight of this
simple sign really made him start
thinking about exactly how much
debt we have saddled the next
several generations with because
our government leaders refuse to
make the hard decisions.
“After driving home that day, I
realized that bumper sticker made
a difference and by a difference, it
made me take a moment out of
my day to reflect upon the need
to do my small part to try and
change the future,” said Frank
Suits, Jr. “It was then that I came up
with the idea of putting the sign
up in Preble. If this sign would
just get a fraction of the people to
think about it for a minute or force
those who do know what it means
to figure it out it is well worth it.”
Our country will eventually
collapse under the weight of our
national debt. Right now every
man, woman and child in the
United States share of this debt
stands at $57,489. If you just
look at those who actually pay
taxes, their share is $155,200. At
this rate our future will be owned
by the likes of China and other
countries who are willing to help
us live above our means and use
government as a tool to take from
some and give to others.
The purpose of this sign is to get
you to think about it. Get you to
do something about it. Get you to
talk about it. Most of all it is to get
you to CARE about it. Our future
depends on getting this under
control and we need the will to do
it and that starts with you taking
that first step!
Suit-Quotes Fall 2015
23
1911 Lorings Crossing
Cortland, New York 13045
(800) 622-5636
www.suit-kote.com
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Suit-Kote Corporation