The following article is from SMW Local 104's Winter 2017-2018 Newsletter:

Located adjacent to the Mineta San Jose International Airport, Pan-Pacific Mechanical (PPM) is in the process of completing a state-of-the-art Medical Office Building for Kaiser Permanente. Since October 2016, our Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 104 members have been hard at work on the OSHPD level 2 building, which by the time it’s done will have 45,000 hours-worked in total! In catching up with Robert Barrett, the Sheet Metal General Foreman for the project, he explained his perspective and gave an overview of both the building and his experience with the project.

“Pan-Pacific Mechanical was chosen for this project because of the past work we have done with Kaiser Permanente, and how we have performed at a high level. Our reputation has built us a relationship with them throughout the state where we have been responsible for building several Kaiser Permanente buildings. This specific building is being used for medical examinations, evaluations, medical imaging, along with a full service pharmacy with five sets of tool resistant welded security bars installed into the HVAC system.”

On this project, PPM had three certified Local 104 welders with D-1 structural certifications welding at one time. They were welding steel up to 3/8” thick for riser duct shaft supports, air handler unit supports, and exhaust fan supports. Out of the five air handler units, three of were in excess of 17,000 pounds. PPM had two Local 104 detailers working on this project (Gabe Kish and Karl Strong) who did a phenomenal job working out any kinks prior to the installation in each area. Scott Carstairs and Therma Corporation were responsible for the fabrication of all ductwork, and PPM was in close coordination with Therma when it came to fabricating and sectioning the roof duct. At one point in the project, PPM did 37 crane picks of sectioned duct, air handler units, exhaust fans, boilers, and pumps over the course of two days.

“For me, this was the 1st time I had been a General Foreman on a project this big,” stated Robert Barrett. “Now, I have ran crews in the field on much bigger projects like SFO T-3, but this was definitely a first. I had great support from the Superintendent Lake Culpepper, as well as a mentor in the piping General Foreman Matt Eves, who has over 30 years in the Union Pipe Trades. The Sheet Metal Workers’ Local Union No. 104 crew on site at Kaiser Skyport was excellent. We had mechanics with over 25 years’ experience, and Apprentices that spent their 1st day in the trade here on the jobsite. With the crew that I had here, we are able to stay ahead of the schedule by 6 weeks, and we were not held up once by any other craft. There was an onsite IOR (inspector of records) that was very impressed with the installations that were performed here at Kaiser Permanente, by the Local 104 crew.”

The project will wrap up at the end of February 2018, and it’s obvious that this project was successful because of the our Local 104 members performing with top-notch installation procedures. “Every Sheet Metal Worker on this project represented Local 104 to the fullest, and you couldn’t ask for a better crew!”
-Robert Barrett, General Foreman Pan-Pacific Mechanical



Dan Avila, Robert Barrett (General Foreman), Lake Culpepper (General Superintendent), Dustin Fults, Roy Gibbs, Eddie Gomez (Foreman), Paul Gonzalez, Marc Grillo, Jose Jovel, Adam Lindsey, Armando Lopez, Jairo Lopez, James Mackie, Jesse McQuirk (Site Foreman), Nick McKinley, Naoki Nakata, William Nathan, Phil Norman, Bag Rogers, Brian Schlief, Kraig Shrawder, Filipo Sualua, Noel Valdivia, Francisco Vallecillo-Flores, Steve Villalobos, Victor Villarreal, Juan Villasenor, Paul Ward, Roosevelt Washington