The Ruhlin Company

Engineering continuous improvement The Ruhlin Company is one of OhioÔÇÖs largest construction companies, and its Civil Division is a major go-to contractor for the Ohio Department of Transportation and other infrastructure clients. Keith Regan talks to the divisionÔÇÖs general manager about how the employee-owned company strives for continuous improvement and how the renewable energy market and geographic expansion provide the foundation for future growth. With more than 90 years of experience and four divisions serving the civil, building, industrial and structural markets, The Ruhlin Company is one of OhioÔÇÖs oldest and largest construction companies. Now an employee-owned company, Ruhlin specializes in construction management, general contracting and design-build, using a partnership approach to serve clients in a host of vertical markets.  RuhlinÔÇÖs heavy civil construction division has helped build significant infrastructure in the transportation, highway and energy fields. Civil Division general manager Mike Ciammaichella joined Ruhlin two years ago and was immediately struck by the professionalism of the company. ÔÇ£Folks here know their job well and tend to their business with a high degree of focus and a businesslike approach,ÔÇØ he says. That approach has made Ruhlin a repeat contractor for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), experience that it is seeking to leverage in other Midwestern states and with private clients, though private-sector work remains scarce amid the economic downturn. Part of CiammaichellaÔÇÖs mission with the division is to expand the client base. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs not the greatest timing for that, but weÔÇÖre making headway and feel we are well positioned for when things start to turn around,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£The renewable energy market is starting to come on strong, and weÔÇÖre well suited to perform well there.ÔÇØ RuhlinÔÇÖs experience highlights its ability to complete the most complex and daunting projects on time and on budget, Ciammaichella says. One recently completed job for ODOT is the Interstate 71/76 Interchange project in Medina County. Originally, a $70 million, three-and-a-half-year project, the work was complicated by subsurface soil conditions that were worse than anticipated. Although the price tag on the work rose by $5 million due to change orders driven by the unknown conditions, the work was still brought in on schedule. Similarly, Ruhlin recently won an ODOT contract to complete $57 million worth of widening and upgrade work on I-75 in Montgomery County, construction complicated by a tight, urban location and requiring engineered retaining walls to be installed as well as extensive phasing. That work is set to begin in the spring of 2010 and to take more than three years to complete. ÔÇ£Our company does its best work on complicated jobs,ÔÇØ says Ciammaichella. ÔÇ£We have a good engineering and planning staff that can tend to details and use the latest methods to get a job done on time despite unexpected issues.ÔÇØ Internally, the focus is on continuous improvement. Performance is tracked closely with Primavera scheduling and Viewpoint accounting software. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre always planning forward as well as looking backward to make sure weÔÇÖre staying on track and have a good handle on why things that are working are, and why any problems that arise are coming up,ÔÇØ Ciammaichella says. ÔÇØA lot of it just comes down to paying attention to every detail,ÔÇØ he continues. ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt think itÔÇÖs rocket science. ItÔÇÖs when people donÔÇÖt continue to do the things that got them to where they are that they get into trouble. We spent a lot of time emphasizing the importance of the process and making sure weÔÇÖre paying attention to all the little details and have the procedures and protocol in place and continue to ask questions. We keep asking ÔÇÿwhy?ÔÇÖ until there are no more questions.ÔÇØ Motivating employeesÔÇöfrom the executive ranks to the administrative staffÔÇöis made slightly easier thanks to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that gives workers a direct stake in the company. ÔÇ£Everyone wants to do well for the company as well as themselves,ÔÇØ Ciammaichella says. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre not afraid to call each other on the carpet if someone is not following the best practices, and everyone is also willing to help each other and pitch in, even if itÔÇÖs not part of their job. Having the ESOP program really does raise the level of performance.ÔÇØ That motivation extends to safety, which the company makes clear is the top priority. Under the guidance of safety director Ryan Nicholson, Ruhlin has managed to ÔÇ£get buy-in at every level. There is an understanding that working safely really does make us more productive. ThatÔÇÖs the message that Ryan is taking to the field and offering whatever support is needed on a daily basis, so that everyone understands how important this is to us.ÔÇØ RuhlinÔÇÖs civil business is able to draw on resources from the companyÔÇÖs other divisions, but it also occasionally seeks to enter into joint ventures. For instance, Ruhlin has partnered with Great Lakes Construction and the Trumbull Company to submit a bid on ODOTÔÇÖs $400 million plan to replace the I-90 Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland. The agency plans to short-list three firms and have them develop more complete proposals, with the firms not selected receiving a stipend for their design ideas. ÔÇ£We see joint ventures as a way to complement our talents where we may have gaps on a certain project,ÔÇØ Ciammaichella says. ÔÇ£Partnering is something we are eager to do if it helps us meet the needs of our clients.ÔÇØ Going forward, Ciammaichella says that Ruhlin sees opportunities in the renewable energy market. It has worked on hydroelectric plants in the past and the work involved ÔÇ£fits the skill set of our employees.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Whether itÔÇÖs a hydro dam or a wind farm, there is access work, excavation work, concrete work, rigging and crane workÔÇöwe do all that well; those are all talents we have,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£And thatÔÇÖs an industry where owners are looking for experience with design-build and also looking for ideas. Design-build allows us to be innovative, and we draw on our past experiences for that.ÔÇØ