Written by SpringfieldJuly 14, 2014 
Our 2013 Elite Contractor award plaque has arrived! We are so proud of our quality standards and have won this prestigious Duro-Last award every year for the past 17 years. Congratulations to our field crews and THANK YOU for being the best of the best!
Written by SpringfieldJuly 9, 2014 White Papers—Safe Roof Access with Springfield Ladder Anchor
By: Terri Jo Umlor, Springfield SmartAnchor LLC
Work Place injuries and disabilities create an enormous emotional burden on families and a financial dependence on our economy. The ripple can be felt through many generations of families.
When a construction worker who is the head of the household is seriously injured or killed, there is a tremendous burden placed upon the entire community. On average 400 people die each year and 135,000 people are injured as a result from scaffolding and ladder-related injuries. Even if only 1% of those injured people become disabled that would equate to roughly 54 Million dollars of subsistence needed compounding each year to support the injured worker and their family. The portable ladder is the most dangerous construction tool – 34% of all deaths on construction sites were from falls!
Further, there is a prevalent mindset accepted by the general population that construction workers have accidents and get hurt.
We honor our tradesmen and created the Springfield Ladder Anchor to address fall related deaths and injuries, which in turn, reduces the strain on the social infrastructures in our communities and throughout the state.
The Springfield Ladder Anchor safely secures an extension ladder to the roof of a building in order to keep the ladder from slipping sideways along the roofline or slipping out from the wall at the ground level. The product was invented through collaboration between Springfield, Inc., our related commercial roofing enterprise and Great Lakes Stainless (GLS), one of the country’s top stainless steel manufacturers. The Springfield Ladder Anchor is the result of decades of experience in the field, safely and effectively climbing ladders to reach rooftops of every imaginable dimension and grade.
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has a mission to help employers and employees reduce job related injuries, illnesses and death. As such, they provide safety standards and guidelines for multiple industries. The Springfield Ladder Anchor fully complies with the safety requirements for properly securing an extension ladder set forth by OSHA. The product can either be installed on the top edge of the roof or reversed and attached to the face edge of the roof. Because the Springfield Ladder Anchor was designed by people in the roofing business, installing the product to the roof will not cause any damage or create leaks as it is designed to be flashed into the roof providing safe, attractive roof access for years to come.
The Springfield Ladder Anchor was developed for very personal reasons. Springfield, Inc., a related company is in the roofing business with 27 employees out in the field regularly climbing extension ladders to rooftops of every conceivable design. As a conscientious employer and commercial contractor, we strive for excellence in our safety record and OSHA compliance. Of course, simply utilizing an existing ladder anchor system would have been the quickest and most cost-effective path to safety compliance. Unfortunately, as we field tested and reviewed the available solutions; we were not satisfied with the products available. Because this is so critical to protecting our employees, we decided to design and prototype our own device. Partnering with one of the best stainless steel manufacturers in the U.S., Great Lakes Stainless (GLS), we developed the Springfield Ladder Anchor.
Our ladder anchor has a provisional patent filed and has been tested in the field by teams of experienced roofing contractors. In every test, the product worked flawlessly to protect these workers and the product received accolades on the function, ease of installation and sleek, stainless steel design. The Springfield Ladder Anchor has received enthusiastic responses from Michigan OSHA representatives and safety directors at large and small contractors based on the ease of installation and maintenance-free stainless steel construction, coupled with the effectiveness of the device.
Through our affiliated company, Springfield, Inc. we have been installing these on all of our commercial roofs for the past year creating a safe roof access and have received rave reviews from the customers and the employees to the point that our own employees feel “naked” climbing the ladder without the Springfield Ladder Anchor protecting them.
Although there are some competing products attempting to solve this safety concern, the Springfield Ladder Anchor consistently provides superior safety without compromising the roof surface to allow leaks or other damage. In addition, its stainless steel construction makes it durable and completely rust-proof, without additional paint, stain or other treatments.
The Springfield Ladder Anchor was conceived in a collaboration between two successful, second-stage, Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. Although the product is being launched through a separate company (Springfield SmartAnchor, LLC), the enterprise will benefit from the experience and mentoring from both Springfield, Inc. and Great Lakes Stainless Steel.
Springfield, Inc., located near Traverse City, Michigan, started as a roofing company and evolved into a complete commercial service provider. Constantly solving problems on industrial and manufacturing facilities led the team to develop and implement a number of solutions into a system called the SmartRoof™! The company is certified in
Great Lakes Stainless, Inc. (GLS) is one of the top stainless steel manufacturers in the USA and has a mission to serve customers from a foundation of integrity and craftsmanship by building lasting relationships that enrich our lives and communities. They are certified ISO 9001:2008, AWS Welding Process Certification and Certified Minority Business Enterprise.
Both GLS and Springfield, Inc. have agreed to provide back-room support, infrastructure and “loaned employees” on a pro-bono basis until Springfield SmartAnchor, LLC can be self-supporting. This wealth of resources will be a tremendous asset to the start up.
Terri Jo Umlor, Chief Financial Officer at Springfield, Inc. will serve as CEO of Springfield SmartAnchor LLC. She is so passionate about getting this product distributed widely in order to protect workers and save lives, she is leveraging her business acumen and network gained in decades in the commercial roofing industry to promote the Springfield Ladder Anchor. She will add staff and grow the organization strategically, as the cash flow will support it.
The target demographic to build a customer base will be roofing contractors, safety directors and facility managers. Springfield Ladder Anchor will initially be distributed by Springfield, Inc. Every new roof will be installed with the safety device. A professional roofing company, Springfield has strong relationships with key customer influencers, such as facility managers, roofers, HVAC, maintenance, and construction workers. Terry Umlor, CEO of Springfield, has an established reputation as an innovator and problem solver. He will use his political capital to open doors and spread the word throughout his network.
We see the biggest challenge will be getting the safety “buy in” from smaller residential contractors who subcontract their laborers and aren’t liable for injuries and/or having people “do it” for compliance only and not really buy into the importance of embracing safety.
When we have succeeded, the 400 people that statistically die each year in fall related accidents will be returning home after work to their families; 135,000 fall related accidents per year will have been prevented; the workers that would have been seriously affected by death or injuries will be able to continue to support their families; the economy will not burdened with the estimated 54Million dollars of subsistence compounding each year to support injured/disabled workers and OSHA will no longer site falls from ladders as a leading cause of injury & death in construction.
The number of lives we protect will have a ripple effect on the families and communities we serve. When safety directors and facility managers everywhere understand and embrace safety of their workforce – when a construction worker is viewed and someone worthy of all efforts to keep safe – we will have made our goal.
Written by SpringfieldJuly 2, 2014 How does one define the “culture” of an organization? It’s an interesting topic and something successful companies must pay attention to.
http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/12/17/what-organizational-culture-really-is/?utm_source=brief
Written by SpringfieldJune 23, 2014 At Springfield, we have long known that our highly reflective white Duro-Last PVC roofs are a big energy saver for our clients. As an installer of green roofs, we understand how beautiful it is to see living plants on your roof as well. Whether you want a white reflective roof or a living roof – call on Springfield – We can do it all and we will take care of your building as if it were owned by our grandmother! For more information:
Written by SpringfieldJune 11, 2014 “Simply eliminating construction worker deaths from falls alone would save nearly 300 lives each year, according to the infographic.”
— Kyle Morrison, Senior Associate Editor for Safety + Health Magazine, Infographic: Construction Industry Fatalities
Springfield installs permanent fall protection systems and safe roof access “Ladder Anchors” to commercial buildings, keeping your employees safe from harm and keeping you in compliance with MI-OSHA. Visit our website for more information or give us a call at 1-888-469-0059.
Written by SpringfieldMay 5, 2014 
Springfield employees and family members celebrate at Short’s Brewing Company’s 10 year anniversary party. Thanks Joe for creating over 90 jobs in northern Michigan! Thanks, too, for hiring a local contractor (that would be Springfield) to take care of your roofing, lighting, and fall protection needs.
Written by SpringfieldApril 23, 2014 The freeze/thaw cycle in Michigan can really mess with your roof. Springfield recommends a spring and a fall check up on your roof to head off potential difficulties before they become major inconvenience to your work day. We want you to worry about running your business and let us worry about your roof. We’re on Top of it! For more information on the freeze/thaw topic read Did This Winter Wreck Your Roof?
Written by SpringfieldApril 15, 2014 Commercial Construction Internships in northern Michigan!!!
Are you a college student? Are you interested in learning about Commercial Construction, Business Management, how to perform Energy Evaluations, and practical hands on business management? If so, you may be a candidate to be the 2014 Springfield SmartIntern. Springfield strives to stay on the cutting edge of building renovation, energy conservation, and employs a variety of degreed professionals to serve our commercial clients with the latest and greatest technology while knocking it “out of the park” with customer service. We are looking for a college student(s) that have similar interests to work with our fantastic team during the summer of 2014. Get more information by contacting Terri Jo at TerriJo@springfieldsmartroof.com.
Written by SpringfieldApril 8, 2014 It’s been 3 years since OSHA has implemented a revision for crane operators (Subpart CC). This revision requires operators of crane equipment to be certified, qualified, or licensed.
If an audited employer program is used it can be very costly for the owner, however, the employee could not use the qualification at another place of employment.
Other alternatives are out there but need to be OSHA approved. A government entity can be used for training, testing, and licensing. These qualifications would be transferable to another company for the employee.
Subpart CC excludes boom trucks with articulating or knuckle booms but not with straight booms.
Remember there are also certain requirements when to have a qualified signal person or rigger on the job site based on various circumstances. OSHA has specifics on certification and training for forklifts along with many other loading and maintenance procedures in the workplace.
source: Professional Roofing magazine Sept 2013 (you will need to register to read the full article.)
Written by SpringfieldMarch 31, 2014 No one or no company rises to the top without an extraordinary effort. Always being on the lookout for new and better ways is a great way to get to the top or keep climbing. Employee training is the way to keep your company thriving.
Three hurdles need to be overcome. Giving up resources for the training time, risk of losing trained employees, and a willingness to change. It’s an investment for the training but how much do you lose by having a less trained employee do a project?
Once the employee is trained another effort needs to be made to put the new ideas/changes in place, follow through is hard to do. Losing someone you trained should not hold you back from training, the percentage that stays usually out weights the ones that leave and it’s worth the risk to have an all well-trained staff then none.
Re-evaluating your processes can seem to be a waste of time but it’s important to keep updating your systems to pump up efficiency. The best way to learn better or new practices is by watching others—either by classes, webinar, videos, etc.
Employees that are kept in training programs and continue to be motivated by their employers usually stay with their job instead of find work elsewhere.
Providing your employees the opportunity of growth will continue to keep them committed and engaged to being the best!
Source: Professional Roofing magazine December 2013 Elevating Professionalism article by Amy Staska
