TFMoran welcomes Southern New Hampshire University student, John DiFrancesco, as a Marketing Assistant Intern in the Bedford office. John is a senior at Southern New Hampshire University studying Business Administration with a concentration in Small Business Management. He has spent a semester in Florence, Italy, where he created a marketing plan for a small winery, Nistri Vignole. In addition, John is a marketing chair for the Southern New Hampshire University Gearheads, a club created for car enthusiasts. He also has experience as a photographer and looks forward to utilizing his photography skills in his new position.
Archive
TFMoran sponsors SNHU Penmen for Patriots 5k to help NH Veterans
TFMoran once again showed support for the Southern New Hampshire University “Penmen for Patriots 5k” by sponsoring the road race. This annual event, held on November 3, 2018, supported Veterans Count, a program of Easterseals which “provide resources and services to veterans, service members and their families. Easterseals Military and Veterans Services, in conjunction with Veterans Count, developed a one-of-a-kind program which has a proven track record of helping service members and their families with a wide range of family, personal and financial needs.”
The rainy weather wasn’t enough to discourage supporters from running the race which took place on the beautiful SNHU Manchester/Hooksett campus. TFMoran’s Jenn Clark, Maureen Kelly, Shaun Vando, Jeff Tate, Dylan Cruess along with his daughter Cate, all participated to show their support for a great cause.
Other supporting companies included Able Ebenezer Brewing Company, who provided a free beer to all participants over the age of 21, for a well-deserved post-5k beverage. American Flatbread Company provided pizza; Coca Cola of Northern New England provided nonalcoholic refreshments, while Stonyfield Organic brought yogurt to the event to help runners fuel up before the race. The first 400 registrants also received complimentary long sleeve shirts, as a memento. Thanks to all the local sponsors for making this a fun-filled, successful event for such a worthy program.
NH Union Leader’s Front Page Midterm Election coverage photo captures TFM’s Dylan Cruess and daughter Cate
TFMoran’s COO, Dylan Cruess’ daughter Cate, captured the eye of Thomas Roy, a Union Leader photographer, at the Governor Chris Sununu victory party on election night. The caption read “A smiling Gov. Chris Sununu shows a photo of his cat to 5-year-old Catherine Cruess of Bedford, who attended Sununu’s election night party at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Manchester with her dad, Dylan.” The photo appeared on the front page of the Wednesday, November 7, 2018 edition under the large headline “Midterms draw big crowds in NH”. The story “Sununu
captures second term” was written by Dave Solomon of the New Hampshire Union Leader.
To view the story, click this pdf link NH Union Leader Front Page Nov 7 2018
TFM takes a break for a little Halloween fun
Spider webs wrapped around the stairwell and bats flew around a black light lit ceiling. Glow sticks and candy scattered the tables while strobe lights flashed through the mirrors. Spooky creatures like spiders, ghosts and haunted pumpkins filled the TFMoran lobby, creatively decorated by receptionist Jenn Clark. Friday October 26th was the perfect day for a company Halloween party. The ghost busters theme song played through the speakers as the staff enjoyed Puritan’s famous chicken tenders along with an assortment of other delicious foods. And, thanks to Maryanne Murray for making her festive witch’s finger and spider cookies.
Games were played and laughs were had. After a week of voting “how many pieces of candy corn are in the jar”, Shaun Vando came closest guessing 795, just 9 pieces short of the actual count of 804. Dylan Cruess took the win for the first ever pumpkin toss, beating out anyone who dared challenge him. After competing against multiple coworkers, Adam Jimenez also managed to come out on top as the winner for the Pumpkin Strongman. Many employees came dressed in their best Halloween costumes hoping to win two tickets to Haunted Acres. Although all the costumes were excellent, Jeff Tate was voted number one as he sported a cow costume.
Robert Cruess receives DeStefano Barrett Legacy Award at the NH CIBOR Cares 10th Anniversary Celebration
Congratulations to TFMoran’s Chairman, Robert Cruess who received the annual DeStefano Barrett Legacy Award on October 17, 2018. The award was given by New Hampshire CIBOR Cares in collaboration with NH CIBOR at their Tenth Anniversary Celebration held at Fratello’s Italian Grille in Manchester, NH. The event highlighted the impact of New Hampshire CIBOR Cares over the past ten years through its charitable good works and giving. Andy Smith, David Choate III, and Allison Ropes were also given the award and all were awarded $1,000 to donate to a 501(c) (3) organization of their choice.
The event also raised funds for NH CIBOR Cares (501(c) (3) organization). According to their website, “NH CIBOR Cares has no overhead expenses with 100% of proceeds raised used to support local immediate need non-profit organizations and individuals throughout the state as well as non-profits supported by NH CIBOR members. Last year, CIBOR Cares provided over $30,000 to local non-profit organizations and immediate need situations throughout the state.”
Congratulations to the award recipients, and a big Thank You to NH CIBOR Cares for the great work they do for the NH community!
The Glen House featured in NHBR’s October “From the Ground Up”
One of TFMoran’s Structural Engineering projects is now complete, just in time for leaf peeping season! Located at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road in Green’s Grant, The Glen House, a 68-room new hotel is welcoming visitors. The October issue of New Hampshire Business Review, features the project in a special section “From the Ground Up”. TFMoran is proud to be a part of the project team with Martini Northern and BMA Architectural Group. We invite you to check out the article by clicking this pdf link NHBR_From The Ground Up_Oct 26-Nov 8 2018 issue or by reading the text below. Congratulations to the new Glen House!
New Hampshire Business Review From The Ground Up
The Glen House
Martini Northern constructed a nearly airtight hotel with the functionality to withstand Mount Washington’s winds in a classic New England design to which visitors have become accustomed.
The Glen House, a newly constructed 68-room hotel at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road, may technically be one of the newer structures in the region, but its roots run deep in the White Mountains.
The new hotel, built by construction management firm Martini Northern, of Portsmouth, is the fifth iteration of The Glen House to stand near the site of the original, which opened in 1852 to visitors flocking to the Northeast’s highest peak. The new, stately structure, which opened to the public on Sept. 12, pays homage to its predecessors by including aspects of its previous incarnations, offering a classic look in a bucolic setting.
The overall design is similar to the previous Glen House featuring clapboard siding and a front porch that evokes a traditional New England look, much like the grand hotels of New Hampshire.
While it may have the feel of a hotel that has been in place for generations, Martini Northern used an innovative approach to construct an energy efficient, sustainable, self-sufficient carbon neutral building. Thirty geothermal wells provide heating and cooling while future offsite hydro and solar will provide further energy generation.
Additionally, The Glen House has four inches of rigid and spray foam insulation on all exterior walls and eight-inch insulated hunter panels on the roof. The result is a very tight envelope for the building that sits in an area prone to excessive wind and cold.
At the heart of the three-story hotel is its expansive great room, which extends from the lobby to a welcoming sitting area featuring a towering stone fireplace. Massive windows reach up to the cathedral ceilings framing expansive views from the west-facing rooms and lobby overlooking a network of trails as well as spectacular views of the Presidential Range.
Step further inside and visitors will discover walls adorned with vintage photography that illustrates the long and storied life of the Mount Washington Auto Road, and The Glen Houses that came before — a touch that carries some of the historic DNA from its previous life. The reception desk and bar incorporate boards salvaged from an old barn on the property.
“The wall coverings and recycled timber highlight what it looked and felt like here all those years ago,” notes Martini Northern President Peter Middleton. “There are images of a car race heading up to the summit and scenes of everyday life in the North Country.”
The guest rooms feature comfortable Shaker-style designs — providing a traditional feel — and yet guests can take advantage of amenities such as a gym, several dining options, an indoor salt water pool and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.
Planning and design for the project began in earnest in 2015. Construction began in April of last year and was completed in September. As with any project, there were challenges — not the least of which was the location. Though beautiful, the setting presented a few obstacles that needed to be overcome. First and foremost was the weather which shortened the construction season and impacted workers every day.
Building in Pinkham Notch, located well north of most population centers, the project started with a sense of urgency as it progressed through the spring and summer of 2017.
“Obviously, with the winter coming, we built our schedule to get the building up and enclosed so we could work all winter inside,” Middleton says. “Then we could start to finish the outside in the spring.”
Nearly 20 days were lost during the long winter months as conditions made getting workers and material to the site, through the snow and ice, extremely difficult. It was just one of several elements that made the project unlike any other.
“The location was definitely a challenge but the owner involvement really offset it,” says Middleton. “The owner involvement was substantial and helpful — from design through construction.”
Owned by the Mount Washington Summit Road Company and managed by Olympia Hotel Management, The Glen House sits near the base of the Auto Road — a landmark that Middleton is coincidentally quite familiar with.
“My grandfather was close friends with the father of the owner of the Auto Road,” he says of his personal history with Mount Washington. “So there’s some history there. My grandfather ran Pinkham Notch for almost 40 years. There’s a proprietary connection there.”
It’s also a return to earlier projects for the Portsmouth-based firm. Middleton has now worked on projects at the summit and the base of the 6,288-foot mountain.
“For me personally, [overseeing construction of The Glen House] was very rewarding,” Middleton says. “When I was at the University of New Hampshire, studying to be an engineer, I worked with Harvey Construction on the summit building [the Sherman Adams Building] for two summers. It’s nice to have worked at the top and at the bottom of the mountain.”
In addition to Martini Northern, the project team included BMA Architectural Group of Amherst and Bedford-based design firms Stibler Associates and TFMoran as well as HEB Engineers of North Conway and Yeaton Associates of Littleton. Martini Northern’s onsite team was led by superintendents Ray Michaud and Roger Davis, and assistant superintendent Ben Middleton.
Key subcontractor partners on the project included GB Carrier Corp., of Conway; Chestnut and Cape, Inc., of Northwood; as well as Granite State Plumbing & Heating of Weare, Ray’s Electric, of Berlin, and Superior Fire Protection Inc., of Hooksett.
All of our key partners were so critical to the project’s success and we had great participation from everybody,” Middleton says. “It was not an easy project — everybody had to drive a couple hours to get there with many of the workers staying overnight. They were all outstanding people to work with.”
Established in 1999, Martini Northern is a Construction Management/GC firm that oversees building needs throughout New England on institutional, corporate and healthcare markets.
October ground breaking event held for Franklin Savings Bank in Goffstown, NH
After being postponed for a few weeks, due to heavy rains, the ceremonial ground breaking event for the new Franklin Savings Bank in Goffstown, NH took place on a sunny Friday, October 5, 2018. More than a dozen key people involved in the project lined up with shiny new shovels, ready to dig in for the official ground breaking photo. Included in the photo were FSB’s president and several from the FSB leadership team, town officials, and representatives from Paramount Partners, Sullivan Construction and TFMoran.
Construction has all ready begun for the new 2,161 square foot branch office located on Mast Road in the Pinardville area, and is expected to be complete in February 2019. The bank will be part of Abingdon Square, a mixed-use development designed by TFMoran that currently includes a Rite Aid pharmacy and workforce housing. The bank will feature two drive-up lanes, a smart ATM and technology bar. This will be the eighth full-service location, and the third office in southern New Hampshire.
The FSB project team includes Paramount Partners of Quincy, MA, DeStefano Architects of Portsmouth, Sullivan Construction of Bedford, NH and TFMoran. TFMoran provided land surveying, civil engineering, structural engineering, traffic engineering, permitting and landscape architecture services for the project. This is the second bank project for this team, the first was the FSB in Merrimack, NH completed in 2017.
NH Business Review “From The Ground Up” features Saint Anselm College’s new Student Center Complex
One of TFMoran’s civil engineering projects was recently featured in New Hampshire Business Review’s “From The Ground Up” section. TFMoran is proud to be a part of the team for the new Saint Anselm College’s Roger and Francine Jean Student Center Complex in Manchester, NH!
To view the story, click on this pdf link NHBR From The Ground Up Sept 14-27, 2018 issue
Or, read the story below:
New Hampshire Business Review – September 14 – 27, 2018
FROM THE GROUND UP:
Saint Anselm College’s Roger and Francine Jean Student Center Complex
Eckman Construction took a vision and transformed it into a community and intellectual meeting space for future generations of Saint Anselm students to enjoy.
When Eckman Construction began work on the new Roger and Francine Jean Student Center Complex on the campus of Saint Anselm College in the fall of 2016, there were a few unique challenges — not the least of which was creating a space that reflected the long and respected traditions of the Manchester college.
“One of the things that was great about the project is the architect brought a fresh look to the building and yet still honored the Benedictine tradition which is reflected in so many buildings on campus,” Eckman Construction Vice President Preston Hunter says. “But it also introduced contemporary design elements which are more in keeping with the interests and needs of today’s students.”
Completed this past spring, the Roger and Francine Jean Student Center Complex is a 53,280-square-foot building in the heart of the campus, on the site of the former Cardinal Cushing Student Center, which was built in 1960. The new student center is now home to a variety of organizations, including the health center, mail services, student government, the internship office, career services, the study abroad program, the Meelia Center for Community Engagement and an academic resource center. It also now includes a new book store, a 260-seat auditorium, a Starbucks café, study areas, gathering spaces and a game room — all illuminated by natural light, thanks to the expansive windows looking out across the campus and providing one of the best views from the Hilltop.
“It was outdated, but highly utilized by the college,” Hunter says of the old structure, which had undergone only minor renovations since 1967. “There were a lot of different organizations and programs in the building. It really was the hub for all student activities on campus, but it didn’t really reflect the way the college was using it, and it didn’t provide the spaces the students were looking for these days.”
The project — part renovation and part new construction — involved demolishing nearly half of the old student center and then building around all four sides of what was left. The remaining 20,000 square feet was gutted and stripped down to the original structure in preparation for the rebuild of the new complex.
“In the 1960s, the structures were very robust, so it was worthwhile to save the bones of the portion of the building that could be repurposed or adapted to meet the new program and the new use,” Hunter says.
That portion of the process involved saving a central piece of the structure, which had a historic slate tile hip roof. Eckman then began new construction of roughly 25,000 square feet around the remaining portion — a process that involved technical challenges. High-wall basements, which were necessary due to the sloping site, and working right up against the occupied Stoutenburgh Gymnasium meant ensuring continued egress.
Additionally, as with any renovation project, there were unexpected discoveries that necessitated creative solutions.
“We discovered there was a data hub for the campus network located in the corner of the basement portion of the existing building that was scheduled to be demolished,” Hunter says. “This was a mission-critical piece of equipment for the campus, so we built an entire concrete bunker around this equipment and kept all of the wiring and the fiber optics live throughout the demolition and construction process.”
Eckman brought a lengthy relationship with Saint Anselm to the project. The student center was the 15th project the Bedford- based construction company has completed for the college. It marked the fourth Saint Anselm project for Senior Project Superintendent Mike Tremblay and it was the seventh that Project Manager Brian Baroody helped lead on campus. Project Executive and Eckman Vice President John Deloia was responsible for seeing the entire project through, from pre-construction through cost estimating, technical support and finally construction. It was also his seventh project at the Manchester campus.
“This was certainly an enjoyable, fun project for our team because we always enjoy working with clients with whom we have a strong relationship,” Hunter says. “You know what the college wants, you know what the expectations are, and there’s a lot of trust there. When you’re working with a client who you have a long track record with, there’s a lot of trust right off the bat and it makes it a smoother process.”
Hunter also credits the many subcontractors and design professionals who worked on the project with helping to bring it in on time and under budget.
“We couldn’t get the job done without them,” Hunter says. “The success of projects like this often hinges on the performance of the subcontractors we hire to do the work — it’s very important.”
Partners on the project included civil engineering firm TFMoran, of Bedford (“Like Eckman, TFMoran has been working on campus for decades and their experience and knowledge of the campus was really instrumental to the project, as well,” Hunter says); JSN Associates, of Portsmouth; Design Day Mechanicals, of New Ipswich; Hampshire Fire Protection Co., of Londonderry; Longchamps Electric, of Manchester; and Ace Welding, of Merrimack, among others. Since project architects, BHDP Architecture, is based in Cincinnati, Eckman helped with investigating existing conditions and coordination during the design phase.
Funding for the project came in part from a $6 million contribution from Roger and Francine Jean — for whom the complex is named. “They were very involved from the beginning,” Hunter says.
“They recognized the importance a student center like this would have for the college in pursuit of its mission. They were really wonderful to work with. Mr. Jean toured the building several times and was very supportive and complimentary of our work. We were thrilled to successfully deliver this new, beautiful facility with their name on it.” Shortly after the ribbon cutting in May, the complex again became the focal point of campus life on the Hilltop.
“It’s just a great place for the entire student body to come and hang out,” says student James Bloor ’19. “This is such a modern building now. The amount of work that everyone has really put into making this such a dynamic and fulfilling environment for everybody on campus – I think it’s amazing.
TFMoran Projects on display at the 30th Annual 2018 Tri-City Expo
The Tri-City Expo. An event where the three Greater Chamber of Commerce of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, NH come together for a yearly tradition of businesses coming together to network and show off exactly what they do. There were nearly 200 exhibitors, attracting over 1,200 attendees. Admission was free and the general public was welcomed to walk through and engage with the people representing their businesses with any questions they may have! The 30th Tri-City Expo was held Thursday, September 27th at the NH Expo Center at The Manchester Downtown Hotel.
TFMoran had a festive fall-themed booth, including a big pumpkin displaying the TFM logo, painted by TFMoran’s receptionist Jenn Clark. Multiple civil and structural engineers staffed the booth representing the company through out the afternoon and evening. TFMoran was also the only engineering company participating in the expo and showed off many of our latest projects within the Tri-City region! It wasn’t all business however, during the Expo you could visit The Bistro to enjoy a variety of food and drink samples from local restaurants. That wasn’t all, there were companies giving out free chair massages!
2nd Annual Fulcrum Charity Golf Classic is a Win Win!
Both TFMoran’s Dylan Cruess and Dan Blais took their skills to the green for the 2nd annual Fulcrum charity golf classic. This charity was in support of the New Hampshire Food Bank raising money for families across the state in need. The tournament was held at the beautiful Manchester Country Club on September 10th, 2018 with lunch and dinner being provided for the golfers. Although the sky was filled with clouds and had an occasional drizzle, they golfed on and completed all 18 holes. But playing the course wasn’t the only win. Throughout the day, golfers had an opportunity to win a wide range of contests and raffles as well! If you didn’t want to register as a golfer for $250 a participant, there was still an option to sponsor this event from $150 to $1,500.
The winners of the golf classic walked away with orange jackets marking their achievement. Unfortunately, TFMoran did not come in first but being able to help feed thousands of local families, neighbors, children and people we walk with every day is truly our real triumph.