The world of hydraulics continues to assist us every day in the construction industry. A few weeks ago we installed roofing on my home under construction. Lamperts delivered the roofing materials with a truck equipped with a boom. The boom allows the operator to place the shingle materials directly on the roof….no more carrying heavy shingle bundles up ladders!

Yesterday the final delivery of drywall took place at my home. Because of the number of trees on the site it is not possible to drive to the rear of the home with a vehicle. Again, hydraulics saved the day. The drywall delivery truck came equipped with a long reach boom.

The operator was able to carefully direct each load of drywall and place it directly outside windows on the east side of the home. The workers were then able to pull the drywall sheets off the boom carriage and into the home. No carrying heavy drywall sheets down stairs!

All these hydraulic booms save countless hours of labor. They also prevent thousands of back injuries each year to construction workers. Without these labor saving truck mounted booms construction would be slower and less safe. The truck booms keep getting better and better, able to place materials further and reach into tighter areas. We all appreciate them on site.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:39 AM | Link

 
Thursday the Board of Directors for Three Links Care Center visited the Millstream Commons site. They like to stop by every so often after they meet to look over the project.

Work is coming along well on the building. The third floor units are being painted and doors and cabinets are being installed. Rich Falck (L) and Wil Brosz (R) from Northfield looked over these units.

The exterior work is starting to be finished up as well. Much of the building is painted now, and retaining walls have been installed where they are needed.

We are still several months away from the December completion, but the Board is excited about the building and that we have maintained our work schedule as planned…a big task for a big project.

Posted by Ray Cox at 10:09 AM | Link

 
Thursday evening Lampert Lumber Yards hosted a contractor appreciation dinner at their yard. It was a nice evening to gather for good food and good visiting.




I like to attend this annual event, as do many Northfield Construction Company employees, as we also get to visit with various vendors. There were representatives from Andersen Windows, DeWalt tools, Bostich tools, among others. The sales people bring samples of new products, new tools, etc. for us to look over.

Lamperts provides dinner and beverages for us. People can connect with each other and visit about all sorts of issues. As the State Representative for the area, I also get lots of feedback from these tradespeople about Legislative issues.

Families are invited to attend the dinner too. Shown here is my son Tristan with fellow Northfield Construction Company employee Dale and Dale’s daughter Delaney…..the cutest little girl at the dinner.

I thank Lamperts for doing this each year.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:17 AM | Link

 
Yesterday Heim Insulation from Rochester was on site insulating my home that we have under construction. Heim pulled up with their trailer and a good sized crew ready to get the job done in a day.










The insulation I selected for use in the wall cavities of my home is called Icynene. In use since 1986, it is a soft foam spray insulation that expands almost immediately when applied. The installer directs the insulation spray by controlling a nozzle on the end of a hose under pressure.

The Icynene insulation puffs up and fills every nook and cranny of a wall. It is totally amazing to watch it applied and see where it ‘grows’, filling knotholes, cracks and crevices.

The Icynene product contains no corrosives, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, or other harmful chemicals. It uses a water-blown agent to expand the product, completely air-sealing buildings and creating a draft-free and condensation-free environment. Iceyene is the only insulation material certified by the Envirodesic Certification Program for ‘contributing to improved indoor air quality.’

Icynene foam insulation is a bit more expensive than other insulation products, but I believe the added benefits are worth it, especially with the rising fuel costs we all face.

Once the insulation is set, all high areas have to be shaved off so the drywall fits tight against the wall framing. This is quite a chore and involves using a thin, flexible saw to remove the material that extends beyond the wall studs.

As part of the insulation contract Heim also installs low expanding foam around all doors and windows, and installs ventilation chutes in the attic rafter spaces.

After all the spraying and shaving is completed, Heim workers pick up and bag all the scraps. Scrap insulation is ground up and used for other types of insulation products. The floors are scraped down and swept and the job is done….for now. Once the ceiling drywall is in place Heim will be back to spray 3” of Icynene in the attic, followed by 18” of blown fiberglass product.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:44 AM | Link

 
We just started work on a new Starbucks coffeeshop in Faribault. It is on the west side of town directly across from the Perkins restaurant.



Work on the foundation has just been completed.

The site is a small area that sat undeveloped for some time. It is very pretty treed site, with a bike path on one side and city owned wetlands to the north.

Stay tuned for future postings on this project....and for a Grand Opening announcement.

Posted by Ray Cox at 1:56 PM | Link

 
Northfield Construction Company is the largest construction company in Northfield, with roughly 35 employees. We own and maintain the necessary equipment to do our jobs safely and efficiently, with a true commitment to customer satisfaction. We bring that commitment of service to every project we undertake....no matter the size of the project.

Some people think that because a company is a bit larger than other companies that it isn't possible to deliver prompt, courteous service. That is simply not true regarding our service. We care about each and every customer and provide top quality service and construction for every project we undertake.

A perfect example of a smaller project that we do occured last week. A customer called to see if we would re-build the deck on their home. The deck had deteriorated to the point it was unsafe. The concrete support piers were fine, but the wood structure was in bad shape. Project Manager Phil Olson met with them, priced the work, took out the permit and quickly repaired the deck.

The work was pretty much a one-man job....Brent Hauge was the perfect fit for it. Brent has worked with Northfield Construction Company for many years and performs lots of remodeling work for us. He handled things perfectly for this small repair job.

Brent did a great job creating a good looking baluster and newel post railing for the deck. It blends in with the 1920's stucco home very well.

Don't hesitate to call Northfield Construction Company with your smaller project. We are cost competitive with all other firms and individuals for all projects. Our highly trained workers often complete projects in much less time than more inexperienced workers. And all our workers are fully supported by the safety and construction equipment necessary to complete a job.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:48 AM | Link

 
The folks planning the Northfield Sesquicentennial events are organizing a Governor's Ball.

The event will be held on December 17th at Carleton College's Great Hall. We will honor four local men who governed states....three who governed Minnesota (Al Quie, Karl Rolvaag, and Ed Thye) and one who governed Mississippi (Adelbert Ames). Dancing music will be provided by the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra for the black-tie optional Governor's Ball in Northfield.



This will be a great way to end the sesquicentennial year of celebration. Put the date down on your calendar and plan to attend. Tickets are $50 per person and will be available soon.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:19 AM | Link

 
One of the homes we have under construction was hit by arson last Saturday night. The arsonist entered the home and ignited windows that were on the site waiting to be installed. When the windows caught fire the ignited the wood framing behind them.

The incident was reported in the Northfield News on Wednesday:

"8/9/2005 11:25:00 PM

Police seeking info on suspicious firesNORTHFIELD --
The Northfield Police Department and Minnesota Fire Marshal's office are investigating two fires that occurred on the northwest side of Northfield Sunday morning.
At 2:28, a.m., a house fire was reported on the 500 block of Ivanhoe Avenue. The house was being constructed by the Northfield Construction Company (NCC).

NCC owner Ray Cox said the fire caused little damage, but the potential for damage was huge.
"There are a lot of homes right there that could have caught fire," Cox said. "This is really dangerous stuff."
Northfield Fire Chief Gerry Franek said they were lucky to have caught the fire so quickly.
"If it had been 10 to 15 minutes longer, we probably would have lost the whole house," Franek said.

Three blocks away, a truck fire was reported at 3:19 a.m. on the 800 block of Highland Avenue.
Unfortunately, the fire was not caught in time and the vehicle was totaled.
Officials have concluded that the house fire was intentionally set and that the truck fire was likely arson as well, though it is not known whether the two events were caused by the same person.
"The close proximity really makes me wonder if they aren't connected," Northfield Police Sgt. Roger Schroeder said. "But right now we don't have enough information to know for sure."
To provide information on either incident, call the Northfield Police Department at 645-4477 or the tip line at 663-9494."

Fortunately, a neighbor's dog started barking and woke the neighbor. She saw the flames in the home and immediately reported the fire. The Northfield police and fire department responded in short order and extinguished the fire with only minor damage to the home, requiring replacement of three windows.

There have been a series of arson fires in Northfield in recent weeks. Over the July 4th weekend College City Homes had two townhomes completely destroyed by an arson fire. Steven Schmidt Construction has had minor fires in their new homes under construction. The Carleton College dairy barn was burned to the ground about 10 days ago. The fire fighters told me they have had numerous fires in dumpsters and debris corrals on construction sites.

This is very, very disturbing. To have an arsonist loose in the community puts everyone's lives at risk. Fire is not something to take lightly. In this most recent fire the occupied house next door could have easily caught fire. Hopefully the police and State Fire Marshall will be able to identify this arsonist and deal with him or her to the full extend that the law allows.

Posted by Ray Cox at 1:57 PM | Link

 
Northfield's big community festival is the Defeat of Jesse James Days. This is held each year around September 7th and recognizes the day in 1876 when Jesse James and his gang robbed the First National Bank in Northfield.

The community event really kicks off with a hog roast for supporters and sponsors in mid-August. Ellen and I attended the event, representing Northfield Construction's sponsorship. This event was held last night at the rodeo grounds by the Cannon River. There was a big crowd on hand to enjoy the roasted hog and Minnesota fresh sweet corn.




The Defeat of Jesse James Days royalty was on hand to greet everyone.

Ellen had a good time visiting with the Junior royalty.

Part way through the evening the James Gang came riding through the area at full speed, pistols blazing and horses ears pinned back....quite a sight.

I chatted with Chip DeMan and Wayne Eddy at the event. Both these men have been instrumental in keeping the James Gang and the Defeat of Jesse James Days organized. Chip still is one of the James Gang...Wayne has had to retire due to health reasons.

After the hog roast Ellen and I went to Central Park to hear local artists reading some of their work.

This is part of Artswirl, a 10 day arts event sponsored by the Northfield Arts Guild. Artswirl features just about every art venue you can think of during the 10 day period.

I especially enjoyed Steve Swanson's reading of his piece about buying a used car for his grandson...with a twist coming where he didn't follow his own advice.

Northfield is a busy community, full of all sorts of activities. Defeat of Jesse James Days kicks off the fall and welcomes back our many Carleton and St. Olaf College students. Come visit here on September 7-11 if you can.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:02 AM | Link

 
Northfield Construction Company was again a corporate sponsor of the Cannon River Festival hosted by the Cannon River Watershed Partnership.

It was held on Saturday under beautiful blue skies with a light breeze. Lots of people came out to Bridge Square in Northfield for the event.

The purpose of the Water Festival is to make people aware of water quality in the state, and specifically, in the Cannon River watershed. There were lots of environmental organizations staffing booths, as well as several area organizations such as Just Foods Coop, the Garden Club, etc. Northfield City Council people, including Dixon Bond shown below, were in attendance.

I again participated this year as part of my legislative duties. John Curry with Clean Water Action and I discussed Minnesota's Clean Water Legacy Act. We are working to get this legislation passed as it is needed to implement water clean-up policies for the state.

Northfield is a busy, active place with lots of people that truly care about taking care of our natural environment. I'm pleased to support the Water Festival and participate in any way I can.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:23 AM | Link

 
Molly Woehrlin from the Northfield Garden Club contacted me the other day about moving a rock for the Club. The Club is creating a nice garden in the Riverside Park area off Seventh Street. This site is just north of the Millstream Commons building we are constructing. A pergola was constructed in late July. The design calls for a large rock to be placed at the end of the pergola.

The Club found a rock they liked in rural Northfield. It is large…probably weighing a couple of tons. It has a nice raised vein of quartz running lengthwise.

Scott Wells and I went to the site on Monday with one of Northfield Construction’s rough terrain forklifts and a dump truck. Scott is a very good equipment operator. He managed to navigate the field ditch and pick up the rock neatly. We placed it into the truck on blocking, strapped it down, and headed back into Northfield to Riverside Park.

Once at the park Scotty lifted the rock off the truck and carried it over to the prepared site. Molly was there to see that the rock was turned and placed properly. The Club plans to plant roses and some other bushes around the rock.

The rock looks great.....Molly took a photo of Scotty and me resting on it when we finished moving it. You can clearly see the quartz vein in the rock.

While Molly said a billing should be sent to the Garden Club, I plan to do this work as a community service project. I like helping out organizations when I can by doing things we are good at that are difficult for them to do on their own. While we don’t move a lot of special rocks, we have the necessary equipment and can handle such tasks easily.

Posted by Ray Cox at 7:19 AM | Link

 
Another warm evening and another community event. Last night I participated in Northfield’s ‘National Night Out’ event. I staffed a booth promoting home security which included a sample of deadbolt locks. I also gave away pencils to the school kids, and carpenter pencils to those needing that type of pencil.

Northfield Police Chief Gary Smith and other police officers organized the event again this year. It was bigger and better than previous events, and in spite of being very warm out, there were lots of people that came to enjoy an evening of fun, food and demonstrations.








The city provided hot dogs, chips, pop snow cones and ice cream….all welcome items on such a warm night.

The Defeat of Jesse James Days candidates were all there. Lots of buttons and tickets to events were sold. Many of the Junior Defeat of Jesse James Days royalty candidates were also there. I had a good time chatting with several of the candidates.

My table was next to Kurt Larson from Larson's Printing. Kurt designed this year’s National Night Out logo and printed a bunch of tee shirts. He was selling the tee shirts with all proceeds going to fund the National Night Out event.

You can see more National Night Out photos by going to the Northfield.org website. This was another great community event....something that makes Northfield a wonderful place to live.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:06 AM | Link

 
I will again be representing Northfield Construction Company at the annual National Night Out this evening. It will be held on Fifth Street in front of the police station. I plan to have information on home security. I'll also be handing out pencils, rulers, golf tees....stop by if you are downtown this evening. It will be a warm evening, but should be lots of fun.

Posted by Ray Cox at 6:20 AM | Link