Sargent: On-Track Podcast

Herb sits down in the Flywheel Studio with Maintenance Foreman Eric Gifford to talk with Shop Mechanics David Jones and Jon Moores about pulling two people from a burning car on the highway. Jon and David recall the full story on this episode, a conversation you won’t want to miss!News story:https://www.wabi.tv/2024/04/15/couple-pulled-burning-car-i-95/If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Committed, accountable, responsible, and empowered - that’s what it means to CARE about safety at Sargent. Herb sits down with President/COO Eric Ritchie and Safety Director Cam Haggar in the Flywheel Studio to discuss where the idea of CARE came from and what they hope it means to all Sargent employee-owners.If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

CFO Tasha Gardner is joined by Vice President of Human Resources Amanda Martin and Benefits Specialist Jessica Ashe in the Flywheel Studio to talk all things benefits. Though talking benefits isn’t the flashiest conversation, it can save you a serious amount of money to understand all the Benefits Sargent offers. Often, it can even pay to know about your benefits before you need them. Don’t miss this important episode!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Listen in and hear from employee-owners at the Mid-Atlantic all employee-meeting! Sebastian talks with operators, laborers, and more about their thoughts on the meeting, excitement for ESOP growth, and how much they enjoy being in one place at one time! Don’t miss this fun episode!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Superintendent Adam Tenan and a dozen of his crew members jump onto the podcast to talk about what made the Portland Back Cove West Storage Conduit project so special. This project was a true picture of the Sargent Core Purpose and Values. All the employee-owners at BCW continually honed their craft and made this innovative project a complete success and it is now recognized nationally! Congratulations to everyone who made this a win in the field!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb, Eric and Tasha know the new ESOP stock price so it's time for another round of Price-Is-Right! Text your guess to (833) 799-0458 for a chance to win a cash prize! The 11 closest guesses to the new stock price, without going over, will receive a cash prize equal to the new stock price in their paystub. If you get it on the money, you'll win 11 times the stock price! Get your guesses in by this Sunday at midnight.If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb, Eric, and Tasha sit down in the Flywheel Studio to discuss all the great things going on around the company. Between Super/Foremen meetings, all employee meetings, projects ramping up, and more, there is a lot to celebrate! Don’t miss this episode!PREVENTIVE CARE CHALLENGEMarch 4 - March 31, 2024This challenge uses My Plan to walk you through a series of educational activities regarding your preventive care. Each week you will have a series of activities to complete on a specific topic in My Plan (preventive care, dental health, visual health, other screenings at your annual exams). You will learn more about your preventive visits, why preventive care is important and how to maintain your overall health!Get started with your preventative care challenge:·         Log into your PreventionCloud account·         Click “Plans” located on the left menu·         Go to your Recommended “Plans"·         Find the plan tilled "Preventive Plan” and click “Start Plan”·         Once you start the plan, you will see a series of activities that will need to be completed each week to finish the challengeIf you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb is joined by Northern Maine Regional Manager Tim LePage and Superintendent Adam Tenan in the Flywheel studio to discuss the Downeast Wind project in Cherryfield, ME! Adam shares project wins and the hurdles the crew has overcome over the last 14 months. Don’t miss this week’s shout-outs and announcements too! PREVENTIVE CARE CHALLENGEMarch 4 - March 31, 2024This challenge uses My Plan to walk you through a series of educational activities regarding your preventive care. Each week you will have a series of activities to complete on a specific topic in My Plan (preventive care, dental health, visual health, other screenings at your annual exams). You will learn more about your preventive visits, why preventive care is important and how to maintain your overall health!Get started with your preventative care challenge:·         Log into your PreventionCloud account·         Click “Plans” located on the left menu·         Go to your Recommended “Plans"·         Find the plan tilled "Preventive Plan” and click “Start Plan”·         Once you start the plan, you will see a series of activities that will need to be completed each week to finish the challengeIf you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb is joined by newly elected President and COO of Sargent Eric Ritchie, CFO Tasha Gardner, as well as Board Members Keith Bennett and Tom Bailey in the Flywheel Studio to discuss Eric’s transition into President of Sargent. Though it may continue to be business as usual for most, this episode discusses why this is a big step in forwarding the Sargent legacy. Don’t miss out on this episode and encourage all Sargent employee-owners to listen!Frequently Asked Questions:Is Herb retiring?No -- Herb is transitioning from President/CEO to CEO, and will remain the board of directors' chairman, while Eric takes on the president role and retains the Chief Operating Officer role.  Is Eric going to take the company in a totally different direction?  How will it change? Eric is fully bought into, and is taking on the responsibility of implementing, the strategic plan we completed in 2021, which has a focus on people and culture as its basis for success.  At its root, that plan calls for us to: Invest in People; Adapt to Market Realities; Acquire Projects; Invest in Equipment & Technologies; Execute & Win in the Field; Celebrate & Promote the Wins -- then back to Invest in People. Herb will also be overseeing strategy and vision in his retained role, and Eric will be reporting to both Herb and the Board of Directors.  The governance of the company is fully behind the strategic plan -- as is Eric -- and is expecting continued progress toward its initiatives.Is this just a step toward selling the company? Absolutely not.  In fact, one of the main reasons for the ESOP was to eliminate that possibility, in practical terms, that we would ever need to sell.  Without the benefit of 100% employee-ownership, at some point in time, the end of Sargent as we know it, would come.  We have built a company with a financial position that is envied.  We are strong financially.  YOU own it.  We're NOT selling it. We've grown a lot in the last four years since Eric has been COO; is he all about growth above everything else? No.  But remember, this growth has taken place while I've been president and it's been a joy to watch and be a part of -- and employee-owners have benefited greatly.  We ALL believe growth is important for us, but not at the expense of culture and the joy we get from being a part of Sargent’s continued success.  Eric's focus is more on a culture of accountability that can improve execution, than to meet any new, top-line revenue number. What will these changes mean to me? At the individual level, very few people will be impacted by this change, though two or three positions may have different reporting lines.  There are no other position/management changes related to this at this time.  The company enjoys successes that have been built long before us – for nearly a hundred years – and though we never have a birthright for success, we are well-positioned to continue the legacy thousands of Sargent employees have built as we head into our second century soon. If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

COO Eric Ritchie is joined by the entire Sargent Safety Team, Safety Director Cam Haggar and Safety Specialists Arthur Herbest, Adam Hinsman, Adam Pollock, and James Joyner in the Flywheel Studio! Eric leads the crew in a discussion about keeping all employee-owners safe on our projects and the best practices to accomplish that goal. What does it mean to have safety 100% owned by each employee-owner on our projects, and how has the construction industry changed when it comes to safety? Answers to those questions and much more can be heard on this week’s On-Track episode, so don’t miss out!If you are an employee-owner at Sargent and would like to be a part of the Safety Committee meeting, you can reach out to your regional Safety Specialist:Adam Hinsman (Southern Maine)ahinsman@sargent.us Adam Pollock (Northern Maine)apollock@sargent.us Arthur Herbest (Northern Maine)aherbest@sargent.us James Joyner (Mid-Atlantic and Piedmont Triad)apollock@sargent.us New Scholarship Program for Children of Employee OwnersSargent is a member of the Employee ownership Foundation and they have announced the establishment of a new annual scholarship program that employee-owners and their children are eligible to receive for their college or vocational education. The Trustee Scholars program will provide scholarship funds for college and vocational school education for employees or the dependent children of employees who are corporate members of The ESOP Association.Application Open: December 15, 2023 - February 15, 2024Each year, the Foundation will award two $5,000 per year scholarships for college or trade school, renewable for up to four years each. Up to $20,000 for a four-year degree.The Foundation will start awarding scholarships for students beginning school in the fall of 2024. Link: https://www.employeeownershipfoundation.org/grants-funding/trustee-scholars?_zs=ULwxd&_zl=uvCt3  The Ramsey Smart Dollar Giveaway has begun!Earn points by working toward your money goals on the Ramsey website for a chance to win a cash prize!During the entire month of February, every day that you log-into SmartDollar or EveryDollar, it counts as one entry.SmartDollar is giving away CASH: $500 each week, $1,000 budget bonus, and a grand prize winner of $5,000! If you sign up for SmartDollar, and log in each day of February, you’ll be eligible to win cash prizes all month long!  Link:https://www.ramseysolutions.com/corporate-wellness/smartdollar/sign-up?utm_source=client-distributed&utm_medium=start_redirect&utm_content=direct_entry_start&utm_term=financial_wellness_bu&utm_campaign=start PLUS Sargent is doing its own Ramsey SmartDollar GiveawayEvery week in February, anyone who earns 1,000 points working towards their money goals on Ramsey SmartDollar, will be entered into our own drawing for a chance to win a $250 boot voucher and a $250 Sargent store voucher! $500 total! There will be one winner per week!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Tim Powell from the Workforce Advancement Team is joined by Foremen-in-Training Jacob Lancaster and Brandon Powell in the Flywheel Studio to discuss why Workforce Advancement is crucial to grow our current and future employee-owners. Tim, Jacob, and Brandon share a lot of wisdom in this episode, so you won’t want to miss out! Many important announcements are shared and, as always, don’t skip this week’s solid shout-outs. Don’t forget about the FEDlogic webinars the last Wednesday of every month!FEDlogic is our employee-owners’ independent resource to help navigate and maximize your federal and state benefits.The seminars are educational and completely free to you and your household members!The next one is coming up on February 28th at 2pm.They will be covering Social Security 101 and Disability/Unable to Work & Major Illness (such as cancer, ALS, & ESRD).Sargent employee-owners can sign up using this link:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fJHjCxK0Sjy6xJyCtYkq9g#/registration  New Scholarship Program for Children of Employee OwnersSargent is a member of the Employee ownership Foundation and they have announced the establishment of a new annual scholarship program that employee-owners and their children are eligible to receive for their college or vocational education. The Trustee Scholars program will provide scholarship funds for college and vocational school education for employees or the dependent children of employees who are corporate members of The ESOP Association.Application Open: December 15, 2023 - February 15, 2024Each year, the Foundation will award two $5,000 per year scholarships for college or trade school, renewable for up to four years each. Up to $20,000 for a four-year degree.The Foundation will start awarding scholarships for students beginning school in the fall of 2024. Link: https://www.employeeownershipfoundation.org/grants-funding/trustee-scholars?_zs=ULwxd&_zl=uvCt3  The Ramsey Smart Dollar Giveaway has begun!Earn points by working toward your money goals on the Ramsey website for a chance to win a cash prize!During the entire month of February, every day that you log-into SmartDollar or EveryDollar, it counts as one entry.SmartDollar is giving away CASH: $500 each week, $1,000 budget bonus, and a grand prize winner of $5,000! If you sign up for SmartDollar, and log in each day of February, you’ll be eligible to win cash prizes all month long!  Link:https://www.ramseysolutions.com/corporate-wellness/smartdollar/sign-up?utm_source=client-distributed&utm_medium=start_redirect&utm_content=direct_entry_start&utm_term=financial_wellness_bu&utm_campaign=start PLUS Sargent is doing its own Ramsey SmartDollar GiveawayEvery week in February, anyone who earns 1,000 points working towards their money goals on Ramsey SmartDollar, will be entered into our own drawing for a chance to win a $250 boot voucher and a $250 Sargent store voucher! $500 total! There will be one winner per week! If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

VP of HR Amanda Martin sits down in the Flywheel Studio with HR Manager Claire Ryder, Benefits Administrator Jessica Ashe, Human Resources Specialist Justin Embrey, and HR Coordinator Cassie Redihan to talk about all things HR! This is a great episode to learn more about the team and why they are an awesome resource for all Sargent employee-owners. The group also shares some important announcements that you won’t want to miss!  New Scholarship Program for Children of Employee OwnersSargent is a member of the Employee ownership Foundation and they have announced the establishment of a new annual scholarship program that employee-owners and their children are eligible to receive for their college or vocational education. The Trustee Scholars program will provide scholarship funds for college and vocational school education for employees or the dependent children of employees who are corporate members of The ESOP Association.Application Open: December 15, 2023 - February 15, 2024Each year, the Foundation will award two $5,000 per year scholarships for college or trade school, renewable for up to four years each. Up to $20,000 for a four-year degree.The Foundation will start awarding scholarships for students beginning school in the fall of 2024.Link:https://www.employeeownershipfoundation.org/grants-funding/trustee-scholars?_zs=ULwxd&_zl=uvCt3  The Ramsey Smart Dollar Giveaway starts on February 1st!Earn points by working toward your money goals on the Ramsey website for a chance to win a cash prize!During the entire month of February, every day that you log-into SmartDollar or EveryDollar, it counts as one entry.Since there are 29 days in February, everyone still has the opportunity to submit 29 entries!SmartDollar is giving away CASH: $500 each week, $1,000 budget bonus, and a grand prize winner of $5,000! If you sign up for SmartDollar, and log in each day of February, you’ll be eligible to win cash prizes all month long!Link:https://www.ramseysolutions.com/corporate-wellness/smartdollar/sign-up?utm_source=client-distributed&utm_medium=start_redirect&utm_content=direct_entry_start&utm_term=financial_wellness_bu&utm_campaign=start PLUS Sargent is doing its own Ramsey SmartDollar GiveawayEvery week in February, anyone who earns 1,000 points working towards their money goals on Ramsey SmartDollar, will be entered into our own drawing for a chance to win a $250 boot voucher and a $250 Sargent store voucher! $500 total! There will be one winner per week! If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

COO Eric Ritchie is joined by Superintendent James McCarthy in the Flywheel Studio and dials in Regional Manager, Southern Maine Matt Thibault, Project Executive Nick Rosswog, and Superintendent John Madigan to discuss their current projects. How do these two projects add value to what we do and what important lessons have they learned? Answers to those questions and more on this week’s episode! New Scholarship Program for Children of Employee OwnersSargent is a member of the Employee ownership Foundation and they have announced the establishment of a new annual scholarship program that employee-owners and their children are eligible to receive for their college or vocational education. The Trustee Scholars program will provide scholarship funds for college and vocational school education for employees or the dependent children of employees who are corporate members of The ESOP Association. – That’s us.Application Open: December 15, 2023 - February 15, 2024Created by the Employee Ownership Foundation for children of employee owners.Open to employee owners and family members of corporate members of The ESOP Association at the time of application.Each year, the Foundation will award two $5,000 per year scholarships for college or trade school, renewable for up to four years each.Up to $20,000 for a four-year degree.Scholarship winners will also be eligible for a paid internship in the Washington headquarters of The ESOP Association.The Foundation will start awarding scholarships for students beginning school in the fall of 2024.Apply Now!https://www.employeeownershipfoundation.org/grants-funding/trustee-scholars?_zs=ULwxd&_zl=uvCt3 File your taxes for free!We’ve invested in SmartDollar to help you take control of your finances—including your taxes. And that means you can file with Ramsey SmartTax for free! (And what’s more budget friendly than free?)Get started with Ramsey SmartTax here. If you don’t have a SmartDollar account yet, create your account and you’ll find Ramsey SmartTax in the Money Tools tab in SmartDollar. Company Keyword: sargent6536Happy filing!  Resubscribe to the On-Track Podcast text messages:833-799-0458UNSTOPor“Add me to the list”If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Pete Parizo from the Workforce Advancement team leads Workforce Advancement Director Kevin Gordon, Superintendent Peter Broberg, and Foreman Spencer Whittemore in a conversation about the different ways to mentor someone. Each of them shares a time when someone invested in them by being their mentor and as well as when they became a mentor and what that means. Important wisdom in this episode that you won’t want to miss!Teladoc is a completely free way for Sargent employee-owners to get in touch with a doctor at home, in a hotel, basically from anywhere.Sargent has partnered with our health insurance provider Diversified Group to offer Teladoc at zero cost. Use of Teladoc is 100% covered by Sargent for you and your dependents when you are covered by the Sargent health insurance plan.It’s completely confidential!1-800-TELADOC (835-2362) Teladoc.com Get started now because who wants to set up an account while you’re sick? Before you can meet with a doctor for the first time, Teladoc needs some background medical history. – so don’t wait.Set up your account online and then you’ll have access to the mobile app so you can use it anytime and anywhere.When you’re setting up your account online, after hitting the “register” button in the top right-hand corner, there will be check box at the bottom by “next” that says, “I have a code from my employer, insurance or Teladoc Health” you do not need to check this box to proceed.It’s a great tool and can save you an expensive trip to the ER or walk-in-care.·         Teladoc - The convenient choiceo   Talk to a doctor in minuteso   Visit by phone or videoo   Available 24/7/365, anywhereo   Get a prescriptiono   Cannot treat more severe medical conditions·         Family Doctor - The in-office choiceo   Long-term relationship o   Periodic checkupso   Treats more severe issues o   May not be available for days o   Must leave home or worko   Sit in a waiting room with other sick people·         Urgent Care/ER - The emergency choiceo   Available 24/7/365 o   Treats emergency issues o   High cost of careo   Long wait timeso   Must leave home or worko   Sit in a waiting room with other sick peopleIf you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Pete Parizo from Workforce Development sits down with first year laborers Dustyn Davis and Aaden Lane in the Flywheel Studio to discuss leadership. With this discussion, Pete hopes to encourage anyone to be leader, no matter what position you hold. But what does that look like? An answer to that question and many more on this week’s episode, along with some quality shout-outs!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Regional Manager, Northern Maine Tim LePage is joined by Regional Manager, Bangor Jim Braley, Superintendents Scott Blanchard and Richard Gushue and Foreman Adam Kapaldo in the Flywheel Studio. This crew sits down to discuss their projects in the Brewer Maine area and compare lessons learned and their biggest wins during the 2023 season!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb, Tasha, and Eric celebrate the Christmas season in the Flywheel Studio. If you’re looking for an episode to fill you with holiday spirit, look no further than this one. Merry Christmas everyone!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Staying healthy and checking in on yourself is something we all tend to put on the back burner during busy seasons of our lives. Neglecting your health can lead to avoidable injuries or sickness, and the same can be said for mental health. Herb is joined by VP of HR Amanda Martin and HR Manager Claire Ryder in the Flywheel Studio to have a conversation with Erin Craw, a Mental Health First Aid Instructor from Youturn Health. They talk about staying mentally healthy during times of stress and Erin shares the importance of distinguishing between mental health and mental illness. Just like eating healthy, taking a daily walk, and making regular visits to the doctor for a check-up, it’s important to keep your mind healthy. Erin shares the best ways to manage mental health during this episode of the On-Track Podcast.If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

Herb is joined by General Manager Asphalt & Aggregates Joshua Shaw and Asphalt Plant Manager Ed Barnes in the spacious Flywheel Studio to discuss the season and all the changes at the Sargent Asphalt Plant and Quarry during 2023. A good time, good discussions with some good people. Don’t miss this episode!Expansion at the Asphalt Plant:https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uk5vpagjd7srwrtwf6v8k/New-area-at-the-Asphalt-Plant.jpg?rlkey=g1a7dw0dx7ee7za83adeyapnh&dl=0If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us

COO Eric Ritchie is joined by Vice President of Operations, Mid-Atlantic Justin Porter and Vice President of Operations, New England Doug Morrison to discuss the Sargent 2023 season. What did we learn, and what were our biggest wins? A lot to celebrate in this episode and don’t miss some awesome shout-outs!If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website. https://sargent.us/apply/If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:sbennage@sargent.us