Along for the Ride

I have heard when writing your first blog you should inform the reader a little bit about yourself.  So…

   My name is Penny Schutza and this is the sped-up version of how I came to be a member of the Texas811 management staff.

   The year was 1997.  I was thirty-(something), had been working at a company that repaired and installed new apartment mailboxes and rekeyed apartment complexes for about 8 years.  A pretty physical job in itself.  But, not only did I do these repairs, installations and rekeying projects, I also scheduled the work and ran the office, which included billing, shipping and receiving, merchandise ordering, accounts receivable/payable, staffing, payroll…everything that comes with being an office manager, less insurance or raises.  (Looking back I don’t know how I did all this and still could be of sound mind and body!)  The company had landed a very large contract with the USPS in Arlington installing curbside home mailboxes, which had to be added to our already busy schedule.  This ultimately led to contacting Texas Excavation Safety System for underground line locates.  We were faxing in so many locate requests Mike Losawyer himself, along with tech support, came to our office to set our company up as a remote contractor.  Between the busy calls coming in and scheduling crews for the different job sites somehow Mike and I were, briefly, able to discuss the company and what they were about.  Not long after this first meeting, on a Saturday afternoon, Mike and I met at the T.E.S.S. office.  He gave me a tour of the small office space (well, small compared to our office space now) and we discussed in further detail the company’s operations.  About three weeks later I nervously started my new adventure with T.E.S.S. (Texas811).  As with all new employees I started out as a CSR (or what is now known as a DPA), and slowly but surely made my way through the different departments from Projects, to Trainer, on to a Team Leader, advancing to Quality Assurance Manager, then accepting my current position as Assistant Contact Center Manager.  I believe working in these different positions throughout the company has given me a unique insight to how each department entwines with the other and with the company as a whole, which has helped lead me to where I am today. 

   I can not say enough wonderful things about Texas811 and how grateful I am for the opportunities I have been given.  To watch the company grow, not only going from working in a small business suite to owning an entire building, but also internally--the addition of the many different departments that, although are separate, work so well together as a team; the addition of the different states we now service; the benefits; the Wellness Center; and so much more--has been an experience I am so glad I was witness to.  As great as things are now at Texas811, I know there are bigger and better things in store for us all.  And I am very excited to be along for the ride.

~Penny Schutza

Morning Cup of Coffee...

As I sit here drinking my coffee and racking my brain as to what will be the first sentence in my blog post I realized something.  Every morning for the last 5 years my day starts with a cup of coffee.   The last 3 years have included waking up happy to start my work day.  Now, I’ve had lots of different coffees from different places.  I’ve had Starbucks, 7 Eleven, McDonalds, you name it.  Each cup has its own flavor just as each of us has our own personality.  Furthermore, each of us has even tried out different jobs.   Of course, I’m not saying we are each like a cup of coffee but we each bring something unique to the table.   A great culture and diversity within our company is what helps define who we are.   

 In October of 2009, after my 5 year tenure with Circuit City in the retail industry, I returned to work for Texas811. I should add this was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my lifetime.   I quickly learned that the company had made some remarkable changes since I first worked here in 2000. A fully equipped gym complete with two showers had been constructed, an office expansion that has just recently led to ownership of the entire building and a larger staff were a few of the things that stood out to me.  Since opening for business in the 80’s our company has continued to grow.  In the last three years we have near doubled in size.  With the addition of new states hopping on board we are the leader in what we do.

Starbucks started the coffee house boom in the U.S. in the late 80’s to early 90’s and has grown to 18,887 stores in 55 countries.  I don’t suspect we will have this many offices popping up all over the world, however, we will continue to dominate this industry.     

I’m Kyle Barnes, the Training Manager for Texas811.  I moved to the training department a year after being a floor agent.  I enjoy anything outdoors; wakeboarding, and mountain bike riding to name a few.  Just like I enjoy my cup of coffee every morning I enjoy being part of such an excellent company. 

Kyle Barnes 

Even in a down economy, there is still a lot of digging going on!

Accidents happen when risks aren’t managed by all parties during the process of requesting utility locates prior to excavation and then safely working around underground facilities after locate markings are placed. Job safety, reduced efficiency, chronic delays and even temporary down time can significantly affect an Excavators’ bottom line. Fortunately, there are opportunities for Excavators to improve job efficiency and significantly reduce risks associated with work involving excavation, simply by taking a seat at the table with other industry leaders.

Every month, or quarterly in some parts of Texas, regional Damage Prevention Council meetings take place where stakeholders discuss ways to improve the process associated with safe excavation and take on projects that help make that a reality. A Damage Prevention Council (DPC) is a member-driven association dedicated to the prevention of damage to underground utilities. Typically comprised of construction contractors, utility operators, One Call, utility locators, insurance providers, engineering firms, TxDOT, and other associated industry stakeholders, a DPC meeting provides an optimal forum where stakeholders can share information and perspectives, and then work together on all aspects of damage prevention.

The Damage Prevention Councils of Texas were established in 2000 to facilitate communication among the regional DPCs as well as Utility Coordination Councils (UCC) and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) sub-committees that shared common damage prevention goals. As a result of this organizational effort, the existing entities began to coordinate their respective damage prevention efforts while new DPCs were established in previously unrepresented areas of the State. This same year, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) was established to continue the damage prevention efforts envisioned by the Common Ground Study.  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and completed in 1999, this Study represents the collaborative work of 160 industry professionals who identified best practices relating to damage prevention. The state level Damage Prevention Councils of Texas and national level CGA are consistently working with industry stakeholders and regulators to produce stronger, more effective results through partnership, collaboration, and the pursuit of common goals in damage prevention.

There are currently 21 Damage Prevention Councils active across the State of Texas.  The areas covered by these councils include around 97% of the population of the state. In promoting a spirit of shared responsibility, regional DPCs welcome all stakeholders who would like to be a part of the damage prevention solution.  As a contractor and professional excavator working in Texas, you are invited to participate in any of the stakeholder roundtables which meet on a regular basis all across Texas.

Don’t be part of the problem when there’s an easy way to be part of the solution.

For access to individual DPC websites and meeting schedules or to find information on establishing a DPC in your area, visit the Texas811 website.

-Doug Meeks

Getting To Know Edward Salgado

Hello everyone!

For My first post I would like for you to get to know a bit more about me. I am 25 years old, my name is Edward Salgado and I work in Technology Services here at TEXAS811. I have been here for 5 great years and I must say I have learned a lot as far as technologies go. I am currently studying to get my Microsoft IT Professional certification for Windows Server 2003/08 R2. My goal is to be certified in many fields of Technology to better myself and the company. Some of my interests are football, basketball, astrophysics, astronomy,  Science/Discovery channel, gaming and of course building high performance PCs. I’d like to point out building/working on high performance PCs is my favorite!! I am very easy going and can get along with anyone. I am pretty simple when you get to the bottom of it.

I am proud to represent and work for TEXAS811. My goal here is to provide ideas, experience, and knowledge to help our company grow and exceed. Thank you all for any support you have given. I look forward to continuing to work for you and with you!

-Edward Salgado

Texas811 Today

There are a lot of good things about being at Texas811, but my favorite is that every day we are not only doing a good job, but we are actually doing good – by helping to protect Texas from the effects of excavation-related damage to our buried facilities: utilities, pipelines, and communications lines.

        As a team, we’re working to build a culture that values those we work with - inside and outside the company. Here are some of our initiatives:

·         Revamp work and compensation structure to closely relate reward to performance;

·         Sponsor events for employees and family members;

·         Open meetings to employees to increase transparency and understanding; and

·         Establish a company-specific social network, Yammer, to foster communication.

On September 2^nd, we opened the “We Care Wellness Center” to provide our full- and part-time employees - and their dependents - with quality family medical care, at no cost to them. We are managing our drug testing program through the clinic, as well as flu shots and other medical related tasks.

How can this make economic sense to a small company like ours? Two years ago, we were forced to change our employee health care plan from fully-insured to partially self-funded. This was made necessary by a proposed 75% hike in our insurance premiums. Financially this means that Texas811 is now responsible for most of the cost of medical care over the employee co-payment. As an example, if a plan participant goes to the doctor, they pay their $30 co-payment. Since the actual cost of that appointment may be $150-200, or even higher, Texas811 pays the balance.

If the clinic operates at half-to-two-thirds capacity, we will be able to offset the cost of routine outside doctor visits and save a possible $100,000 or more per year. As an added bonus, the clinic enables our part-time employees and their families to receive medical care, which was not possible before. We are now looking toward opening the clinic to outside companies and individuals, which will allow us to spread the cost over a wider base and hopefully offer more services.

There’s a lot going on and I’m glad I’m here to participate – I think you will be too.

-Lee Marrs

Expect the Unexpected....

I didn’t realize how hard it would be to write the first post for my company’s blog. I love to write. It is a natural occurrence for me, but this was definitely a challenge. I believe I wasted more time thinking about what the first post should be about than anything else, so eventually I just stopped thinking about it. Now, after a month, I’m still stuck in the same position. So, with that being said, I’m just going to freestyle, if you will.

I did a lot of research about what the first corporate blog post should be about. Most sites said the same thing: getting to know the writers, what to expect from the blog site, and a lot more things along those lines.

As far as what to expect from the Texas811 blog, DON’T! We plan to surprise you with each post we bring your way. We hope to be enlightening and to give you some insight on the diversity that makes up what our company is. We aren’t going to get on here and pretend to be the most grammatically correct people, or to be so professional that we don’t have a life outside of work. We want you to get a feel of our work environment and who we are as a company. What we stand for, what we hope to achieve, and many other things that may interest you, our readers.

My name is Shakheana Fields and I am the Remote Applications Manager at Texas811. I’ve been with the company for about 7 ½ years and I absolutely LOVE my job and the people I work with. I will be one of many employees of Texas811 to post on this site, so I figured the first post should include some things about who I am. Getting to know the person behind the writer is important, well to me at least. I am 26 years old and I have two amazing daughters. I love to read, write, and do pretty much anything that sounds fun to me. I am very social, but a lot of people do not know that about me until they actually get to know me.

I hope you have enjoyed our first corporate post. Stay tuned for exciting things to come!