1.)    Title: National Sales Administrator

3.)    What is your favorite hobby? Reading. Most people don’t know this about me, but I am a big-time reader and enjoy word search puzzles on my down time just to keep my brain active.

4.)    What was the last movie you went to see? How would you rate it? Wow, it’s been awhile. I usually wait until movies come out on DVD. Hmm, last one seen at the movie theater was Memoirs of a Geisha. Yes, it has been that long.

5.)    What is your favorite season of the year, and why? My favorite season of the year is Fall. I love to see the changes around me—out with the old, in with new.

6.)    If you were a character from FRIENDS, which one would it be and why? Monica. Just like her, I have extreme energy, I can be a bit anal at times, I enjoy cooking, and cleanliness is not an option—it is a must. What better role to play than to play yourself?

7.)    What was the last book you read? A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This book expresses every emotion. It is an excellent read.

8.)    If Hollywood made a movie about your life, what song would play during the opening credits? “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” by The Hollies

10.) Do you have any pets, odd hobbies, or talents? I have an old cat named Princey that I rescued 14 years ago off the street. Her name used to be Princess until I found out ‘she’ was a ‘he.’ Poor cat. As far as talent goes, I can play the guitar, the piano, and oddly enough I also play the accordion very well. As a child of a Croatian family, if you didn’t learn an instrument or your heritage dance, you weren’t considered a “real” Croatian.  So my musical abilities stem from a cultural requirement of sorts. I also have a passion for writing. It has always been the number one thing I have loved. I had poetry published at the ages of 14 and 16. One day, I will write a book—keep an eye out for it!

Alligator cracking, sinkholes, buckled pavement – oh MY!  We’ve gathered some of the most excellent defects in parking lots we’ve seen.  Enjoy – and if you recognize any of these heinous happenings, give us a call!

John Garcia, Regional Project Manager

A: My favorite job so far was installing brick pavers at Lot L of U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois.

2. When did the job begin? A: In the Fall of 2007.

3. How long did the job last?

A: We were on site over 10 weeks.  During that time, we excavated 75,000 sq ft and installed over 20,000 sq ft of brick pavers every day, covering a total of 265,000 sq ft (or 4.5 football fields).

4. Why did you enjoy it so much?

5. Were there any complications?

A: Yes, we encountered several obstacles; but, our entire crew was tenacious and our teamwork and engineering paid off in the end. We overcame permitting and union issues, we dealt with a temporary job shut-down and weather-related delays, the brick pattern had to be adjusted last-minute, and we had to re-route power to the viaduct once the telephone poles were removed.

6. Was the client satisfied?

A: The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) was very satisfied with the outcome.  With this lot and their other eco-friendly initiatives, ISFA is leading the green movement in Chicago and in the Major Leagues.

7. What did you learn from this experience?

Hey 2011!

Check them out below and, if you join, look for us at various events throughout the year!  We’d love to chat with you and share industry tips, business success stories, and even personal achievements (like sticking to your resolutions in 2011).

AAA

Atlanta Apartment Association

http://www.atl-apt.org/

ACTHA

Association of Condominium, Townhouse & Homeownerswww.actha.org

AFE

Association of Facility Engineerswww.afe.org

BBB

Better Business Bureauwww.chicago.bbb.org

BVCOC

Bridgeview Chamber of Commercebridgeviewchamber

BOMA

Building Owners & Managers Association: IL, CA, GAbomasuburbanchicago.com

http://www.boma.org/

CAA

Chicagoland Apartment Association

http://www.caapts.org/

CAI

Community Associations Institute: IL, CAhttp://www.cai-illinois.org/

http://www.cai-grie.org/outside_home.asp

http://www.caioc.org/

CCIM

Certified Commercial Investment Member

www.ccim.com/

Chief Engineers

www.chiefengineer.org/

Cobb County

Cobb Chamber of Commerce

http://www.cobbchamber.org

CSCC

Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce

www.chicagosouthlandchamber.com

GNMAA

Greater North Michigan Avenue Association

www.gnmaa.com

GOA

Greater O’Hare Association

www.thegoa.com

Huntley

Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce

www.huntleychamber.org/

ICSC

International Council of Shopping Centerswww.icsc.org

IFDA

Illinois Funeral Directors Association

www.ifda.org/

IFMA

Internat’l Facility Management Association: IL, GAhttp://ifma.org

http://www.ifmaatlanta.org/

IHLA

Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association

www.stayillinois.com/

IMA

Illinois Manufacturers Association

www.ima-net.org

IPRA

Illinois Parks and Recreation Association

www.ilipra.org/

Naperville

Naperville Area Chamber of Commercenaperville.net

NAPA

National Asphalt Pavement Associationwww.hotmix.org

NPCA

National Pavement Contractors Associationwww.pavementpro.com

Pavement

Pavement Magazinepavementonline.com

PRSM

Professional Retail Store Maintenancewww.prsm.com

RFMA

Restaurant Facility Management Associationwww.rfmaonline.com

SBA

Schaumburg Business Association

www.schaumburgbusiness.com/

WSCCI

West Suburban Chamber of Commerce & Industry

www.westsuburbanchamber.org/

Over time, cracks will appear in every parking lot.  Cracking is caused primarily by the effects of the sun and moisture.  The sun oxidizes asphalt pavement causing it to harden and shrink.  When this happens, the pavement breaks at its weakest point (usually along the joints).  Water seeps into the cracks and softens or weakens the sub-base.

Why should you care right now? During temperature fluctuations, common in “freeze thaw cycles” in the colder parts of the country, water that is trapped beneath the surface can widen cracks and even cause pavement heaving.  If left untreated, cracks can quickly spread to adjacent areas and worsen with heavy traffic loads.

Properly attending to cracks and treating problems in a timely manner is cost effective, because it delays more expensive restoration such as resurfacing or reconstruction.  A budget should allocate funds for crack sealing once every 2 to 3 years.

There are six basic types of cracks: (click here for images on all 6)

Click HERE to learn more!  Have a question on when to crack seal?  Comment below or contact one of our parking lot experts at (888) 773-ROSE.