Facility Rockstars

Part two of our special live compilation from the Avalon Bay North Station Sky Lounge dives deeper into the operational and cultural heart of facility management. A major theme in this instalment is the critical importance of cohesive teams and mentorship. Guests shared powerful personal stories: Dr Ashraf Omran highlighted the successful, collaborative effort to build a $2 million Operational Controls Lab at Mass Maritime, which is now inspiring high schools to build their own labs. Paul Donhauser, whose facilities remit spans 173 countries, detailed the intense challenge and incredible return of integrating siloed global teams into a single, high-performing unit. The discussion emphasized that the facility world often feels like running a "floating city," requiring diverse skills and mutual respect.Innovation and future challenges remain top of mind. Andrew DelPrete reinforced the conversation around AI and automation, describing the next evolution of Building Automation Systems (BAS) where AI sensors allow FMs to literally "have a conversation with your building." Frank Rhodes II from IFMA Boston addressed the pressing, specific Boston-area challenges of sustainability, electrification (like "Alberto 2.0"), and capital planning against the constraints of the local grid. Most profoundly, guests celebrated the Facility Rockstars community itself, describing it as an essential forum where professionals can escape the feeling of being an "unsung hero" and sacrifice their own time and energy to help one another, fostering a genuine, mission-driven team mentality across the entire industry. Takeaways:Break Down Silos Globally: If managing a large or global portfolio, actively work to integrate siloed functions (like operations, EHS, security, and capital projects) to ensure mutual respect and unified goals, dramatically increasing team performance.Invest in Next-Gen BAS/AI Integration: Move beyond basic Building Automation Systems (BAS). Start planning to layer in fault detection, diagnostics, and AI sensors (e.g., on pumps) to enable real-time, predictive maintenance and "talk" to your equipment.Prioritize Electrification and Sustainability Planning: If operating in constrained markets, immediately focus capital planning on long-term investments that address grid constraints, sustainability mandates, and electrification efforts. Competing priorities must not delay this crucial future-proofing.Leverage Projects as Training Tools: Use large, complex projects (like the Amgen job or the lab build) as opportunities to mentor and grow your team's careers. Providing high-stakes, successful experiences builds loyalty and deep passion among employees.Be a Community Mentor: Embrace the "team mentality" of the industry. Be willing to sacrifice time to help a colleague—even if they are outside your company—whether through introductions, advice, or emotional support. This strengthens the entire FM profession.Inspire the Youngest Generation: Actively engage with local high schools or colleges (like Mass Maritime) to expose students to the complexity and opportunity of facilities engineering, ensuring a robust talent pipeline for the future.Quote of the Show:"One of the things I would say that was a super challenge is taking siloed functions, bringing them together, and making sure that everyone shares mutual respect and appreciates what each other brings to the table and works cohesively as a team." - Paul Donhauser

This special first installment of our Avalon Bay event compilation captures the energy, insights, and conversations from the Facility Rockstars live event, hosted 35 floors above the TD Garden at the scenic Avalon Bay North Station Sky Lounge in Boston. The professionals gathered, many of whom are past podcast guests, offered powerful perspectives on the state and future of facility management. A dominant theme was the immediate impact and future potential of AI, with guests like Michael and Harvey confirming they are already using it daily for tasks ranging from proposal analysis and optimizing emails to pulling data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices and Building Management Systems (BMS). They envision AI becoming a mainstream, cost-effective tool within the next three to five years, significantly improving efficiency.Beyond technology, the discussion highlighted significant workforce and community dynamics. Matt pointed to the blending of the experienced, retiring workforce with a new generation as the biggest current challenge, noting the shift in how the new generation operates. Several guests, including Dave and Mike, emphasized the critical nature of teamwork and community, sharing recent project challenges (like coordinating complex floor installations or defense contracting projects) that required intense, multi-departmental cooperation. They universally praised the Facility Rockstars community for providing a crucial forum where professionals, who often feel "alone on an island," can share experiences, solve common problems, and develop professionally.Takeaways:Begin Integrating AI Now: Start experimenting with AI for smaller, daily tasks like optimizing email communication and analyzing vendor proposals. Don't wait for massive enterprise rollouts; get comfortable with the toolkits available today.Future-Proof with IoT Data: Focus on collecting and utilizing data from your BMS systems and electrical meters. This "Internet of Things" data is the fuel that will allow future AI and analytics tools to deliver massive efficiency gains.Bridge the Generational Gap: Actively implement strategies to blend the incoming new workforce with retiring, experienced tradespeople. Create mentorship programs to ensure crucial institutional knowledge is passed down effectively before it's lost.Prioritize Cross-Team Communication: For complex projects, mandate regular coordination across companies and internal departments. Effective, persistent communication is the key to quickly identifying and resolving unexpected issues (like a floor installation problem).Utilize Community for Problem Solving: Actively engage with the FM community to share challenges and avoid "reinventing the wheel." Recognize that most FM professionals face the same core issues, and collective wisdom is the fastest path to solutions.Seek Out Startup Innovation: Stay alert for new startup companies entering the facilities market. These groups often bring novel, technology-driven solutions that could solve persistent operational challenges.Quote of the Show:"I think the biggest challenge is the change in the workforce from the experienced trades that have been around for a long time that are now transitioning out into retirement, and the new workforce coming in and how they blend those new workers in." - Matt Twerdy

Lori Santoli, executive EHS leader, joins "Facility Rock Stars" to share her mission-driven approach to environmental, health, and safety. She details her biggest career lesson: "You get more done by being nice". Lori explains that in a regulatory-driven field, building a collaborative culture where people are invested in solutions and trust leaders enough to raise concerns is the key to creating a truly safe workplace.The conversation also dives into critical EHS strategies, including the urgent need to shift focus from traditional OSHA recordability metrics to preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIF). Lori provides actionable advice on how to integrate EHS directly into a company's daily operating system using tools like tier meetings and Gemba walks. She also shares novel approaches, such as using athletic trainers to proactively manage ergonomic injuries and the importance of involving all employee levels, especially middle management, in risk assessments.Takeaways:Re-evaluate Your Safety Metrics: Stop focusing exclusively on OSHA recordability, which can mask high-hazard risks. Instead, shift your focus to metrics that track Potentially Serious Injuries and Fatalities (P-SIF) to concentrate efforts on preventing life-altering events.Integrate EHS into Your Operating System: Don't treat safety as a separate program. Build EHS metrics and talking points directly into your existing daily operations, such as shop-floor tier meetings and leadership Gemba walks.Involve Middle Management: While shop-floor and senior-leadership involvement is crucial, don't overlook supervisors and middle managers. Provide them with the training and tools to lead for safety, as they are the ones reinforcing the culture every day.Involve Employees in Risk Assessments: When conducting risk assessments, bring in the employees who perform the tasks. They know the jobs best, and their involvement serves as an educational tool, helping them understand why controls are in place and empowering them to assess risk in the future.Lead with Collaboration: Ditch the "force-it-through" mentality, even in a regulatory-driven field. You get more done, build more trust, and create better, more invested solutions by being collaborative and working with your people.Consider Proactive Ergonomics: If ergonomic injuries are a persistent problem, explore novel solutions like embedding athletic trainers in the workplace. This "industrial athlete" approach can help identify risks and address minor aches and pains before they become serious injuries.Quote of the Show:"I think it is important to get every level involved to really be successful. And I think when you do that, you really do create those safety cultures because everybody knows what they need to do.”Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-santoli-csp/ 

Kahn Chace, Building Maintenance Manager at Milton Academy, shares his incredible journey from starting as a custodian to becoming a facilities leader. He details how his hands-on experience at every level shaped his management philosophy, which is built on two core pillars: communication and teamwork. Kahn emphasizes that clear, honest communication—both up and down the chain—is the key to motivating a team, building morale, and solving problems effectively before they become catastrophes.Kahn also dives into the practical side of modernizing a facilities department. He discusses the massive project of replacing an outdated, paper-based work order system with a dynamic digital platform. This move revolutionized his team's preventive maintenance program by highlighting critical gaps and dramatically improving transparency with the campus community. He also shares his team's systematic approach to Facility Condition Assessments (FCAs) and the unexpected challenge of rebuilding a department's "brain trust" after losing several key, long-term staff members in a short period.Takeaways:Communication is Your #1 Tool: Foster an environment where your team feels comfortable bringing you problems. Open, honest, and consistent communication prevents small issues from becoming catastrophes and is the foundation of good morale.Invest in Your Team's Growth: Actively identify team members you want to invest in and provide them with clear paths for professional development. This can range from baseline safety certs (like OSHA 10) to advanced credentials (like the CFM).Modernize Your Work Order System: Moving from a reactive, paper-based system to an asset-based digital platform is critical. It can reveal gaps in your PM schedules and dramatically improve communication and transparency with your end-users.Use FCAs to Secure Funding: A systematic Facility Condition Assessment (FCA), even if done in phases (e.g., building envelopes, then mechanicals), provides the hard data needed to make your case for capital funding to leadership and the board.Build Your Peer Network: Actively participate in peer groups (like Kahn's APPO). The creative solutions and shared understanding from colleagues who face the exact same challenges are invaluable.Find Your "Why": Facilities is often a negative-focused job. Anchor yourself in your core purpose—whether it's serving students, supporting patients, or taking pride in your work—to maintain a positive, problem-solving attitude.The Community Members are Your "Eyes and Ears": Your facilities team can't be everywhere. Making it easy for staff, faculty, or residents to report issues (like with a new work order system) turns the entire community into an extension of your team, helping you catch problems early.Quote of the Show:"No one's calling facilities 'cause everything's going great. So just have the mindset of whether you're the person mopping up the mess or you're the person putting a new controller in HVAC equipment. Understand why you're there and why you like to do that, and understand the why of how important that is to you."Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kahn-chace-cfm-698abb38a/ Website: https://www.milton.edu/ 

Michael Bernabei, Chief Facilities Engineering Manager for Life Sciences at Hobbs Brook Real Estate. Michael shares his core philosophy, "prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” illustrated by a harrowing story of an arctic chill event that tested his team's emergency preparedness. The discussion centers on the "soft skills" that create a high-performing facilities department, particularly Michael's emphasis on building a team with a "growth mindset". He explains why he values "hungry" engineers willing to learn over those who are more knowledgeable but "stuck in their ways".Michael also dives into the technical side of his role, detailing strategies for managing both legacy and modern buildings. He stresses the importance of long-term capital planning to avoid being blindsided by failing equipment. He explains how he uses a Building Management System (BMS) with "curiosity" to run trends and optimize mechanical systems, and how energy profiling software helps detect excess consumption. Ultimately, Michael’s leadership approach, from approachability to clear communication, is driven by one goal: to "drive a great tenant experience" that feels like a "five-star resort".Takeaways:Hire for Hunger: When building a team, prioritize candidates who are "hungry and willing to learn". A strong growth mindset and a 100% effort level can be more valuable long-term than existing knowledge in a candidate who is "stuck in their ways".Reframe Vendor Escorts as "Free Schooling": Encourage your team to view vendor escorts as a learning opportunity. By being a "fly on the wall," watching technicians, and asking questions, engineers can gain valuable knowledge for free.Use Hypothetical Scenarios in Interviews: To gauge a candidate's real-world problem-solving skills, put them "right in the moment" during the interview. Ask questions like, "You walk into the lobby... and there's water pouring out of the ceiling. What's your first move?".Practice Leadership Through Approachability: As a leader, ensure your team feels comfortable approaching you with questions. If they are afraid of "negative feedback" , they may not report a critical issue, choosing to "do what I think's best, even though it may not be best".Communicate for Capital Budgets: To get funding for large capital projects in legacy buildings, you must communicate issues transparently and continuously. Don't "blindside" decision-makers during budget season by suddenly dropping major expenses on them.Be Curious with Your BMS: Use your Building Management System (BMS) to run trends and analyze data. Look for inconsistencies and systems that are compensating for each other, such as a heating coil overheating air only for a chilled water valve to open and cool it back down.Aim for a "Five-Star" Experience: Set the standard for your team's service high. Michael's goal is that when tenants walk into the building, he wants it to "feel like walking into a five-star resort on vacation".Quote of the Show:"I would just much rather have someone that's less knowledgeable and hungry and willing to learn that's gonna give a hundred percent effort... than someone that's just sort of stuck in their ways and is just here to collect a paycheck..."Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bernabei-0269a133a/ Website: https://hobbsbrook.com/ 

Jessica Goodhue, a seasoned EH&S Manager at Channel Fish Processing, discusses her extensive experience spanning from the manufacturing floors of Massachusetts to the remote and challenging environments of the Alaskan seafood industry. Jessica emphasizes that effective communication is the single most critical lesson from her career, detailing how it builds trust, overcomes significant language and cultural barriers with a diverse international workforce, and fosters true collaboration. She shares powerful stories of creating an inclusive and safe environment for employees from countries like Mexico, Somalia, Ukraine, and Fiji, which required adapting everything from housing and dietary plans to daily operational training.The conversation explores the unique complexities of working in remote locations, including logistical hurdles like planning around volcanic ash, adapting to life on processing vessels that operate as "small floating towns," and implementing robust safety programs where no municipal fire or police services exist. Jessica shares her core EHS philosophy: a program is only successful if it's visible, actively implemented, and genuinely helps employees in their daily tasks. Using real-world examples, she illustrates the power of "thinking outside the box" to automate processes, reduce human error, and solve complex environmental challenges like improving wastewater quality by examining the entire upstream chemical handling lifecycle. Takeaways:Prioritize Communication to Build Trust: Make yourself an approachable resource for everyone, regardless of their department. When employees feel comfortable asking questions—even ones they think they should know the answer to—mistakes and accidents are prevented.Use Visuals to Bridge Language Gaps: In a multicultural workplace with diverse languages, simple pictures, diagrams, and hands-on scenarios are often more effective than text-heavy documents. Show, don't just tell.Be Visible and Engaged: An effective safety program isn't just a binder on a shelf. Walk the floor, talk to employees, and observe processes to understand their real-world challenges and confirm that your programs are helping, not hindering.Think Beyond Your Immediate Resources: When faced with a challenge, involve people from different disciplines (operators, engineers, electricians). A fresh perspective can lead to creative and often automated solutions that eliminate risks.Aim for Elimination, Not Just Mitigation: When addressing a hazard, always push to engineer it out of the process entirely (like automating chlorine monitoring) rather than defaulting to PPE and procedures as the only solution.Investigate Problems Holistically: When a parameter is off or an issue arises, look at the entire upstream process. The root cause is often found in an unexpected place, such as chemical handling procedures impacting wastewater quality.Embrace an "It's All Experience" Mindset: Say yes to opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone. Whether the outcome is good or bad, every experience is a chance to learn, adapt, and grow your skills.Quote of the Show:  ”I always believe in going for it, because at the end of the day, good experience, bad experience, it's experience, and it's gonna help you no matter what.” Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-goodhue-b50744271/ Email: jgoodhue@channelfish.comWebsite: https://channelfish.com/

In this special edition of Facility Rockstars, we take you inside the recent ISPE event at the iconic Gillette Stadium for a fast-paced compilation of conversations with professionals across biotech, pharma, life sciences, and facilities management. Hosted by the producer of Facility Rockstars, Amanda Goyette, chats with attendees from organizations like CBRE, Moderna, CHA, New England Biolabs, and more, asking each guest a few simple questions in order to create connections. The result is a lively snapshot of how diverse, curious, and connected the facilities world truly is, with plenty of laughs, sports banter, and thoughtful insights about building stronger industry relationships. Takeaways:Community matters. Many guests highlighted how Facility Rockstars helps bridge professionals across industries — from biotech to manufacturing — to share ideas and resources.Facilities work is never the same day twice. As Agata from CBRE noted, no two days look alike, making facilities management both challenging and rewarding.Networking drives innovation. Attendees expressed genuine curiosity about connecting with peers to learn how others are tackling similar operational or infrastructure challenges.Education and advocacy are key. Glenn from TC Controls emphasized promoting facilities management as a valuable and overlooked career path.Cross-industry learning sparks progress. As Steve from NECI shared, innovation often happens when different disciplines collaborate and exchange best practices.Facility professionals wear many hats. From engineers to HR leaders, every guest brought a unique perspective that shapes the broader facilities ecosystem.Quote of the Show: “The most progress happens when different disciplines come together and teach each other how they’re innovating within their space.” — Steve Hardigan, NECILinks:Facility Rockstars LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-rockstars Facility Rockstars Website: https://facilityrockstars.com/ 

This special episode is a celebration of the incredible women making a significant impact in the facilities management industry. We hear directly from female leaders who are shaping the future of the field with a core philosophy that leadership is about people, not just buildings. These experts share their experiences managing vast, multi-campus institutions by acting as a "conductor" for diverse departments like procurement, risk management, and capital planning. They offer a masterclass in building positive team culture through bold strategies like the "no assholes rule," which prioritizes humility and team cohesion over raw technical skill. The conversation highlights their innovative approaches to talent management, effective change implementation, and fostering a proactive, hospitality-minded service culture. Listeners will also gain invaluable insights into their expert handling of technical and safety challenges, from using causal analysis for incident investigation to leveraging data through custom "control towers" and improving processes with accessible technology like mobile ticketing and QR code audits. Takeaways:Prioritize Team Cohesion with the "No Assholes Rule." When building a team, remember that technical skills can always be taught, but it is very difficult to train for humility. Do not keep a highly skilled but disruptive individual on staff if they undermine the team's cohesion, as it is not worth the negative impact.Implement the "30-Day Rule" for Change Management. When introducing a change that may be met with resistance, such as new office furniture or different coffee, communicate to your team that the change will be in place for 30 days before any requests for reversal are considered. This forces a trial period and allows people time to adapt, often reducing initial complaints.Use the "Five by Five" Exercise to Understand Team Dynamics. To improve communication and avoid "drama," conduct an exercise where you ask your direct reports a series of questions about their work preferences (e.g., "Do you prefer a plan or to just go?"). Post each person's preferences on their cube wall so colleagues know the best way to approach them, such as scheduling a meeting versus having a spur-of-the-moment conversation.Adopt Causal Analysis Over Root Cause Analysis. For incident investigations, shift focus from finding a single "root cause" to understanding all the causal factors involved. Major incidents are rarely due to one failure but rather a series of breakdowns where all the "holes in the Swiss cheese" line up. This approach involves identifying each failure in the timeline and creating a specific defense mechanism for each one to prevent recurrence."Inspect What You Expect" with a Control Tower. Create a "control tower" to get a daily snapshot of your most critical operations. This system, which can be built simply in a spreadsheet, should automatically flag exceptions, such as when vendor costs exceed a set variance or if a data feed fails overnight. This allows you to manage by exception rather than digging through raw data daily.Leverage QR Codes for Simplified Auditing. To track trending issues in real-time, create focused audits with 3-5 questions and link them to a QR code. Place these QR codes around the facility for staff and even visiting executive leadership to scan with their phones. This makes providing feedback seamless and brings in "fresh eyes" that can identify problems you might overlook.Build Your Professional Network Before You Need It. Proactively build relationships with vendors, mentors, and peers in the industry. Don't wait until you have an urgent problem to reach out. Having a strong network already in place allows you to leverage those connections for advice, guidance, or services when the need arises.Quote of the Show:"Whenever you have a major incident, it's almost always the Swiss cheese model. It's not one thing that occurred, but it's a breakdown of an entire system and all of those holes in that cheese lining up."Links:Katie HuardLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-huard-081584190/ Website: https://blountfinefoods.com/ Tatyana Blankenship LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatyanablankenship/ Website: https://www.416group.org/ Kimberley DoughertyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-dougherty-190b686/ Website: https://www.cbre.com/services/transform-business-outcomes/lab-services Gretchen CatlinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-catlin-29311149/ Website: https://www.maine.edu/ Agata GojzewskaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-gojzewska-cfm-345331a4/ Website: https://www.cbre.com/ Emily Giannola LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-giannola-m-s-79958927/ Website: https://www.tecomet.com/ 

Mark Bloodworth, Founder of Lifeblood Performance and a powerhouse in building high-performing teams,shares his core leadership philosophy, "Tell Less, Ask More," a powerful framework designed to close the gap between management and the workforce. He explains why leaders should stop providing all the answers and start asking questions to unlock their team's "Frontline Intelligence"—the deep, intimate knowledge that employees have about their own processes. Through compelling stories from his time at Kodak and recent client successes, Mark illustrates how this approach builds confidence, engagement, and a culture of continuous improvement focused on people, not just processes. This episode is a masterclass for any leader looking to empower their unsung heroes and transform their team into a true asset.Takeaways:Adopt a "Tell Less, Ask More" Mindset. Instead of defaulting to giving instructions, practice asking more questions. Mark suggests running a "human leadership experiment" where you intentionally ask for your team's thoughts before sharing your own to see what happens. This simple shift invites your team into the game rather than leaving them on the sidelines.Trust Your Team's "Frontline Intelligence." Your frontline staff are not just pairs of hands; they possess invaluable knowledge about their work. Make it a priority to access this intelligence by asking for their ideas on how to improve processes and solve problems. Mark's biggest lesson learned is that people usually know the answers to their own problems; they just need a system that empowers them to bring those answers forward.Engage Your Team in the First 13 Seconds. When starting a meeting or briefing, if you haven't gotten your team talking within the first 13 seconds, you may have already lost their engagement. Start by asking a simple question to get them thinking and contributing immediately, signaling that their ideas and opinions matter.Apply Continuous Improvement to Your People. Businesses often focus heavily on improving processes but neglect their people. Treat team development as an ongoing necessity, not a one-time event. Mark uses the analogy of a sports team that wouldn't just train in the pre-season and then expect to win without continuous coaching and support all year.Be the Guide, Not the Technical Expert. A leader's role is not always to have the most technical knowledge, but to guide the team to find their own solutions. In an early experience at Kodak, Mark realized he didn't need to know the chemical details of a problem; he just needed to ask the right questions to help his team walk through the process and arrive at the answer they already knew.Quote of the Show:"One person being the center of intelligence and thoughts and ideas isn't gonna last as long as a whole group of inspired, engaged people." Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrbloodworth/ Website: https://www.lifebloodperformance.com/ 

Captain Jamie McDonald, Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, shares insights from his extensive career as a marine engineer, educator, and leader. He introduces his core management philosophy that performance is a product of ability multiplied by motivation, providing a framework for diagnosing and solving personnel challenges. Captain McDonald discusses the importance of creating policy to implement vision, using his own efforts to establish new graduate programs—like the "Four plus One" and a potential doctoral degree—as prime examples. He also touches on the significance of financial literacy for engineers, innovative energy projects at the MMA campus, and a harrowing story of surviving a storm at sea that shaped his perspective on overcoming challenges. Takeaways:Diagnose Performance Issues: When an employee is underperforming, determine if it's an ability problem (requiring training) or a motivation problem (requiring a deeper understanding of the individual's circumstances).Hire for Passion: When hiring, look for passion in a candidate, as it is a key driver of motivation and can lead to better employee retention.Become an Implementer: Recognize that great ideas are common, but the real value lies in being an "implementer" who knows how to navigate systems and enact policy to bring those ideas to life.Embrace Financial Literacy: Facility managers should understand financial concepts like present and future value to make sound business and project decisions.Practice Active Listening: In meetings and one-on-one conversations, make a conscious effort to "say a little and listen a lot" to ensure people feel heard and to gain a fuller understanding of the situation.View Policy as a Tool for Change: Approach policy not as a bureaucratic hurdle but as the mechanism for making substantive changes and driving an organization toward a future vision.Quote of the Show: "These are the people that we want in the program. Change makers, visionaries, and implementers."Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcdonald-6b5872153/ Website: https://www.maritime.edu/ Email: jmcdonald@maritime.edu 

Mark Netherton, Maintenance Manager at Grower Direct Farms, New England's largest greenhouse, shares insights from his diverse career in chemical and dairy manufacturing, explaining how the core principles of maintenance management translate to the unique environment of a 50-acre indoor farm. He emphasizes that patience is the most crucial lesson he's learned, as priorities on the floor can shift in an instant. The conversation covers the importance of creating a work environment where employees feel a sense of joy and fulfillment, which Mark sees as essential for long-term success.The discussion takes a dramatic turn as Mark recounts a devastating fire that affected 30% of their facility, wiping out all supporting departments, from shipping to the boiler room. He shares the incredible story of how the entire team, from the owner to the operators, rallied together to restore power, water, and air within 48 hours. Through this experience and his day-to-day leadership, Mark illustrates how building a proactive, empowered, and resilient team is the key to overcoming any challenge. Takeaways:Implement a Tiered PM System to Balance Production: Structure your preventive maintenance into levels to work around production needs. Mark uses a three-level system: Level 1 for weekly visual checks , Level 2 for more involved mechanical inspections, and Level 3 for major, scheduled rebuilds. This allows for continuous monitoring without constant disruption.Assign Technicians Ownership of Specific Zones: To increase pride and accountability, divide your facility into zones and give individual technicians complete ownership of their area. This empowers them to manage all work orders and PMs in their zone and encourages them to build stronger relationships with the operators and managers in that area.Prioritize Character and Attitude in Hiring: When hiring, place a higher value on a candidate's attitude, integrity, and ability to be a team player than on their existing technical skills. Mark states he would choose a less-skilled person with a great attitude over a highly-skilled individual "any day, every day, twice on Sunday," because skills can be taught, while character is ingrained.Set Clear Expectations During Onboarding: On a new employee's first day, sit down with them and clearly communicate your expectations regarding core values like honesty and integrity. At the same time, tell them what they can expect from you as a manager to establish a foundation of open and honest communication from the start.Document Everything to Improve Future Work: Cultivate a rigorous habit of documentation for all maintenance activities. Ensure that notes are left on work orders and PMs, and attach all relevant documents, such as third-party service reports, directly to the asset's file in your maintenance software.Promote a "Safe Keeper" Mentality: Foster a safety culture that goes beyond individual responsibility. A "safe conscious person" not only thinks about their own safety but also acts as a "keeper" for everyone around them, ensuring the entire team goes home in the same condition they arrived.Quote of the Show:“It goes honesty, integrity, and then character right underneath it.” Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marknetherton2/ Website: https://growerdirectfarms.com/ Email: manetherton@gmail.com 

Don Bezek, Director of Global Health and Safety at Griffith Foods, shares his core philosophy that safety is ultimately about serving and protecting people, a principle embodied in his company's motto, "Nothing you do here will be as important as going home to your family and loved ones".Don discusses how Lean principles can be powerfully applied to health and safety, viewing injuries as the ultimate form of waste. He explains how tools like Kaizen events, tiered meetings, and root cause analysis help engage employees and create a safer work environment. A key theme is the importance of closing the communication loop with employees; Don details how Griffith Foods implemented a multilingual, QR-code-based system with their partner, Origami Risk, to make it easy for employees to report concerns and see tangible results. The conversation also explores the unique cultural nuances of managing safety on a global scale, the specific challenges of the food industry, and Don’s advice for aspiring HSE professionals. Takeaways:Make Your People-First Philosophy Visible. A core principle of a strong safety culture is visibly and consistently communicating that people are the top priority. An effective way to do this is to post a clear, simple message at every plant entrance, such as, "Nothing you do here will be as important as going home to your family and loved ones". This constantly reinforces the company's values.Create an Easy and Closed-Loop Reporting System. Employees will tell you how to improve your factory if you make it easy for them to speak up and prove that you're listening. Implement a simple reporting tool, like a QR code posted in work cells, that allows any employee to quickly report unsafe conditions or positive behaviors. Crucially, you must follow up on these submissions and communicate the actions taken, thereby closing the loop and preventing "empty promises".Integrate Lean Principles Directly into Safety. Frame safety improvements through the lens of lean manufacturing by treating employee injuries as the ultimate form of waste. Use lean methodologies like Kaizen events to make incremental improvements and root cause analysis to find permanent "hundred-year" fixes instead of just retraining or counseling an employee.Incentivize Proactive Engagement, Not Just a Lack of Incidents. Shift your culture from being reactive to proactive by changing how you measure daily success. Instead of defining a "good day" as one with no incidents, require teams to also submit a proactive report—like an unsafe condition or a positive safety observation—to be considered "green" for the day. This actively encourages employees to look for opportunities to improve.Measure Culture with a Safety Perception Survey. Go beyond compliance audits to understand the "touchy-feely" aspects of your safety culture. Implement a brief, accessible survey (e.g., via QR code) that asks questions about leadership, communication, and employee feelings about safety. Use the results to create a "Start, Stop, Continue" action plan unique to each facility, addressing weaknesses and reinforcing strengths.Prioritize Soft Skills and Mentorship for Leaders. In today's world, technical safety answers can be found quickly, but influencing people requires strong soft skills. Focus professional development on areas like servant leadership, communication, and time management. Additionally, seek out two mentors: one who is a safety expert and another from a different department who can help you navigate your company's unique internal culture.Quote of the Show: “People will engage if they’re being heard.” Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donbezek/ Website: https://griffithfoods.com/ 

Doug Blake, founder of Rez-Stone Industrial Flooring and the Director of Industrial Flooring at Kaloutas, shares decades of experience, moving beyond the simple "paint it ain't" philosophy to dissect the complex world of high-performance flooring solutions. He covers everything from the critical importance of proper joint repair to minimize downtime and equipment damage to selecting specialized systems like ESD, Novolac, and Vinyl Ester for unique environments in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and defense facilities. Doug emphasizes a solutions-based approach, stressing the need for thorough inspection, asking the right questions, and understanding the science behind moisture mitigation and surface preparation to ensure a long-lasting, safe, and compliant floor. Takeaways:Treat Floor Repairs Industrially: Don't just patch failing joints. To create a lasting solution, you often need to cut out the damaged area entirely, rebuild it with a heavy-duty mortar, and then re-cut and fill a new, clean joint to prevent recurring failures.Question the Specs: Whether it's a new build or a renovation, don't automatically assume the provided flooring specification is right for your facility's use case. Push back and ask contractors why a specific system was chosen to ensure it's not over-engineered or insufficient for your needs.Prioritize Moisture Testing: Moisture vapor is the number one cause of flooring failures. Before installing any non-breathable system like epoxy, insist on a discussion about moisture and recommend professional testing to avoid costly blisters and delamination down the road.Ask for Real-World Examples: Instead of relying on small test patches or manufacturer samples, ask a potential flooring contractor to show you a real, completed project in a similar environment that is several years old. This provides tangible proof of the system's long-term performance.Verify Surface Preparation Methods: The longevity of a flooring system is highly dependent on the mechanical bond to the concrete. Ask your contractor about the Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) they plan to achieve and ensure their prep method (e.g., shot blasting vs. diamond grinding) is appropriate for the specified system.Plan for Rapid Return to Service: When downtime is costly, discuss fast-curing materials and multi-crew installation plans with your contractor. While some materials may cost more upfront, the savings from getting your operations back online sooner can be substantial.Quote of the Show: “Paint it ain’t.” Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-blake-4871bb12/ Email: dblake@kaloutas.com Phone number: (978) 697-3551Website: https://www.kaloutas.com/ 

Ben O'Donnell, the Innovation and Facilities Engineer at Novia Corporation, shares his journey from a six-year-old welder to a hands-on innovator in the metal fabrication industry. He shares his profound belief in the power of long-term solutions over short-term fixes, illustrating his philosophy with real-world examples of process and product innovation at his company. The conversation also explores the critical role of self-confidence in career growth, the importance of listening to and empowering coworkers, and practical strategies for training new talent in the industry. He also provides a compelling look at how a mindset focused on continuous improvement and genuine problem-solving can lead to significant advancements in efficiency, quality, and overall job satisfaction. Takeaways:Advocate for Long-Term Solutions: While acknowledging the occasional necessity of a "bandaid" fix, consistently push for comprehensive, long-term solutions that address the root cause of a problem, even if it requires a significant upfront investment.Re-evaluate Longstanding Processes: Regularly examine and question procedures that have "always been done that way." Introducing new technologies or materials can dramatically increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the final product's quality.Amplify the Voices on the Floor: Actively seek feedback from the individuals performing the day-to-day work. They often have the clearest insight into recurring issues, and addressing their struggles can lead to widespread improvements.Cultivate Confidence: Recognize that self-belief is a game-changer. Finding confidence, even through seemingly unrelated experiences, can fundamentally improve your approach to challenges and your ability to trust your own judgment.Turn Customer Issues into Opportunities: When a customer encounters a problem with a product, view it as a chance to connect with them directly, collaborate on a solution, and ultimately build a stronger, more positive relationship.Prioritize Aptitude and Attitude in Hiring: When bringing new people into the industry, focus on their work ethic and personality. Skills can be taught, but innate qualities like drive and a willingness to learn are harder to instill.Innovate to Make Work More Enjoyable: A key aspect of innovation is eliminating tedious, labor-intensive tasks. By improving or removing these annoying parts of the job, you can boost morale and allow your team to focus on more impactful work.Quote of the Show:"I like getting the feedback directly from people whose voices aren't always heard and trying to work with them to solve the issues that they have." Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-o-donnell-b2a059226/ Email: ben.odonnell@noviacorp.com Website: https://noviacorp.com

Michael Manning, a seasoned facilities management professional who currently serves as the Facilities Manager at Omega Optical, shares his invaluable insights on transforming a facilities department from a cost center into a key driver of business strategy. Michael takes us on a journey from the boiler room to the boardroom, detailing how effective communication, data-driven decisions, and proactive planning can elevate the role of any facilities team. He discusses the critical importance of building a strong, empowered team founded on trust and advocacy, shares gripping stories of handling on-site emergencies, and offers practical advice on everything from implementing a CMMS to championing real-world sustainability initiatives that make a tangible impact. Takeaways:Advocate for Your Team in the Boardroom: Don't just ask for a new boiler; present the data. Use maintenance records and invoices to build a business case that shows the long-term value of preventative maintenance and crucial upgrades, turning your department into a strategic partner.Build Trust First, Make Changes Later: When taking over a new team, spend time observing and listening before implementing changes. Announce that you trust their expertise and are there to make their jobs easier. This builds immediate goodwill and opens lines of communication.Involve Your Team in Change: When a change is necessary, bring the affected team members into the conversation early. Explain the "why" behind the decision and ask for their input to ensure a smoother transition and greater buy-in.Create a "Macro View" During Emergencies: In a crisis, your most important job as a leader is to step back. Trust your trained team to handle the immediate cleanup and focus your energy on coordinating the next steps, like scheduling cleaning crews, managing communications, and mitigating further damage.Champion Your Unseen Heroes: Make a conscious effort to introduce your custodial, grounds, and maintenance staff to upper management. Highlighting their contributions and years of institutional knowledge ensures they feel seen, valued, and appreciated.Seek Out Knowledge Relentlessly: You don't need to be an expert in everything. When an HVAC tech or an electrician is on-site, ask questions. Show genuine interest in what they do. This not only broadens your own knowledge base but also builds stronger relationships with your vendors.Quote of the Show:"The more information that the board members or even the CEO or the top executive level know, the better you can prepare and do that preventative maintenance."Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-manning-8a033a16b/ Email: mgm85101@gmail.com Website: https://omega-optical.com/ Facility Rockstars is sponsored by Kaloutas, operating the way you operate in order to make your life easier. Learn more at: https://www.kaloutas.com