SHI Wins a 2012 NJBIA "New Good Neighbor" Award

For the 52nd year, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and New Jersey Business Magazine will honor companies that have built, expanded or renovated commercial and industrial buildings that improve the economy as well as the landscape of New Jersey. It’s with great pride that we report that our client SHI International Corp. has won this prestigious award this year for their newly renovated building in Somerset, NJ.

On November 10, 2011, special guests and friends attended the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of SHI's world headquarters building. New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno delivered the keynote speech to the standing room only audience.

SHI’s headquarters relocation to Somerset, NJ, brought with it 1,000 employees, with the potential for many more as the company continues to grow. The SHI Integration Center is also located in Somerset, NJ, and includes another 100 employees. This will have a positive impact on the local business community for both services and products. Local hospitality, convention, restaurants and hotels are just a few of the local businesses that will see an increase in use as SHI settles into the community.

It is estimated that over 500 construction jobs were created during the build out of the project that lasted for one year.

SHI closed 2010 with $3 billion in revenue. In July 2011, SHI announced revenue of $1.8 billion for the first half of 2011. An increase of 33% as compared to $1.3 billion recorded in the first half of 2010. On October 25, 2011, SHI announced their third quarter revenues were up 29%. SHI recorded strong domestic and international sales growth in its Enterprise and Corporate Sales divisions, growing 25% and 103%, respectively.

SHI opened a new $20 million cloud services data center that became operational in August, 2011. SHI will be using a series of best-of-breed, high performance components in their state of the art data center.

The winning builders, developers, architects, contractors, engineers and other professionals involved in the projects will be recognized at the New Good Neighbor Awards Luncheon on June 1, at the Pines Manor in Edison. This is one of the state’s premier networking events for the design & construction communities.

Emerging Professionals to Launch Mentorship NOW Program

The AIA New Jersey Emerging Professionals Committee received a grant from The American Institute of Architects for their idea about a new mentorship program that facilitates interaction between professionals of all career stages. Mentorship is an essential feature of the development of an Architect’s career.

The program - "Mentorship NOW" - utilizes today’s technology such as social media and promotes interpersonal communication to develop career relationships. Learning through mentorship has evolved from a narrow path to a complex range of possibilities. This organized program streamlines the current process into a more productive form of mentorship relevant to interns and students today that can also benefit seasoned professionals.

Mentoring groups will have four levels of professionals including emerging professionals, mid-level licensed, mid-level unlicensed, and seasoned professionals, who are grouped together through common interests. Fellows will be invited to participate, with the goal of one per group. Mentoring through cross-generational communication will facilitate bridging the gap between different experience levels. Groups will be assembled based on information provided in applications.

As a supplement to the small mentoring groups, the committee will plan bi-monthly educational seminars where all are invited, featuring presentations given by professionals in other fields. Mentorship NOW will add educational seminars as another member benefit. These seminars will have AIA continuing education credits, which will encourage more to participate.

Mentorship NOW anticipates launching this program in the late spring of 2012. The program is being organized by AIA NJ Emerging Professionals Committee which includes a Chairperson from each section, state IDP Coordinator, state Chairperson, Regional Associate Director, YAF Liason and Associate AIA members.

Mentorship Now is also looking for professionals who are willing to volunteer time and teach seminars. If you are interested in doing this please contact Donna Miller at Miller@CornerstoneAG.com .

As AIA National has recently made support of Emerging Professionals a strategic priority, now is the time to foster their development and welcome them into the Institute here at home in New Jersey.

Scotch Plains 911 Memorial

'The Scotch Plains September 11th Memorial is to memorialize the lives of those lost and to celebrate those who survived.' Through local donations, the monument was built on the Alan Augustine Village Green and dedicated to the victims and to the survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The monument features steel from the World Trade Center. Cornerstone Architectural Group is proud to have been asked to donate our time and talent to this most noble effort. Thank You to the Township and to Scotch Plains Mayor Nancy Malool for your recognition. It was our Honor.



Cornerstone Completes Interior Fit-Out for Neptune, NJ Senior Center

The Neptune Township Department of Senior Services and Senior Center was recently dedicated and opened to the senior citizens of the Township. The new facility now provides a multitude of services and special programs within the extensively renovated 12,500 square foot facility. The design challenge? How to take a former Rite Aid Pharmacy building, repurpose it and then transform it into the new home for the seniors of Neptune Township, NJ. That was the challenge that the Township sought of our design team. Cornerstone partnered with Lifespan Design Studio of Loveland, Ohio to create an innovative design solution that exceeded the client's needs. A soft earth tone color scheme created by Erin Jimenez, IIDA is accented by natural wood doors, handrails, simulated wood flooring. Project Architect Marco T. Migliaro, Assoc. AIA managed the project along with Partner Robert F. Barranger, AIA. Vito Tamborrino, Jr., AIA coordinated the on-site project activities during the build out. The new Center now boasts a full-service Commercial Kitchen, separate Fitness Activity Room featuring specialty athletic flooring, a large sub-dividable Multipurpose Room for lunches, group activities and meetings, a dedicated Ceramics Room and an Arts & Crafts Room. The Lobby with warm south-facing exterior glazing bathes this gathering space in natural daylight and features a masonry built-in fireplace as its focal point. This newly created Senior Center project truly sets the bar for design for the aging!