April - Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc.

A Message
From Our
President
by Glenn Nohara
t has been thirteen years since we started
I implementing the Deming Method in our company.
Now would be a good time for us to
remind ourselves about the man who developed
the theories that we use daily at Koga
Engineering & Construction, Inc.
The following excerpts were found on the W.
Edwards Deming Institute website, www.deming.org.
William Edwards Deming was born in Sioux City,
Iowa on October 14, 1900 and passed away on
December 20, 1993 in Washington, D.C. His formal
education included an electrical engineering degree
from the University of Wyoming, a master’s degree
in mathematics and physics from the University of
Colorado and a PhD in mathematical physics from
Yale University in 1928. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, in
addition to teaching assignments at the University
of Wyoming, Colorado School of Mines, the
University of Colorado and Yale University, Dr.
Deming worked in the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and lectured at the National Bureau of
Standards. He also worked with the Bureau of
Census and the Internal Revenue Service.
In the 1950’s at the invitation of the Union of
Japanese Scientists and Engineers and with the
suggestion of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Dr.
Deming helped Japanese manufacturers improve
the precision and reliability of their products
through statistical controls. Toyota Motor
Company was one of the more notable companies
that he helped. The Japanese manufacturers created
in his honor the Deming Prize which is awarded
each year in Japan to a statistician for contributions
to statistical theory. In 1960, the Emperor of
Japan decorated him with the Second Order Medal
of the Sacred Treasure, its highest civilian honor.
For the last forty years of his life, Dr. Deming
consulted world wide. His clients included railways,
…continues on page 2
The Newsletter of Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc.
Volume 18, Number 2, April 2007
Project Highlight
Hawaii Kai Costco Expansion
by Gregg Ichimura
F
or this quarter’s newsletter,
I have the privilege
of introducing you to our
Hawaii Kai Costco
Expansion project with
Ledcor Construction. From
the start in May 2006, two
themes have dominated
this project, time constraints
and maintaining
store operations.
Koga Engineering’s
work included site demolition,
mass earthwork, site
Completed Costco expansion
grading, structural excavation, building slab On your usual job, the construction of the
cushion, underground utility installation / building is the critical path. This job was no different
except that the new concrete pad sat on
realignment, concrete curbs, parking lot grading
and basecourse.
existing utilities that needed to be relocated
Unlike a brand new from the ground up prior to any pile driving for the foundation. We
store, this project was an expansion and renovation
of the existing operating store. Only due and the other on the sewer, both racing to
started out with two crews, one on the water
to the continuous improvement methods completion. The sewer system required trench
ingrained in us were we able to adjust to the excavations to depths of 11’-12’, shoring and
dynamics inherent in this type of project. dewatering. The water system required much
Between the needs of Costco, their customers shallower trench depths but more linear
and the other subcontractors trying to complete
their work, this Koga team needed to be safety a top concern. After the sewer and water
footage with fire hydrants, siphons and public
light on our toes and able to go with the flow were installed and work in the building foundation
could really get started, one team was
on a moments notice.
able to proceed to structural excavation and
the other team attacked the drain system. The
drain was not so much a monster in length,
but with 60” RCP, pipe inverts at the
watertable, a new outfall into Koko Marina,
large drain structures, and trenching into an
active parking lot, it provided more than
enough challenges for its 550 linear feet run.
Now we thought turning over the building
pad would relieve some of the pressure but
Costco always needs parking spaces so, the regrading
and re-alignment of the 130,000 sf of
Site is ready for Koga work
…continues on page 2
Think Sitework…Say Koga!

April 2007
Keeping Up With Mal
On Monday, March 19th 2007, Glenn Nohara and I
were honored at the State Legislature Senate and
House for being named co-recipients of the 2007
Small Business Persons of the Year for our successful
and impressive achievements at Koga
Engineering. As far as I’m concerned, all 100 plus of
you, our employees and ohana should have also
been with us, but somebody had to stay back to
manage the store! In late April, Glenn and I will be traveling to
Washington DC to attend some SBA functions and I’ll be sure to give
George W. and Mrs. Bush your regards.
Stay tuned for updates, but until then, that’s it for “Keeping up with Mal”
Aloha and all the best…
Safety
Congratulations to all Koga Engineering &
Construction, Inc. employees for no lost time in the
first quarter of 2007! Hats off to Koga Management,
Ken Grote, Kristi Koga and all the field personnel
for doing a great job with our new Daily AHA
(Activity Hazard Analysis) Program. The program’s
success stems from management buy in and their
communicating the importance of the program to
the Koga employees. Every morning on every job, the first item of work
is to review the day’s tasks through the use of an AHA. This allows the
men to understand the daily activities, the exposures (safety risks) and
the controls that will be implemented to minimize or reduce the exposures.
The Daily AHA is a great awareness and communication tool for
the team to visualize and plan the task ahead.
Again, congratulations to all and remember “Safety” is everyone’s
responsibility.
Upcoming Safety Commitments 2007
• Updated Safety Program Review with Project Managers & Foremen
- Fall Protection
- Fleet Policy
- Trenching & Excavation
- Confined Space
- Respiratory Protection
- Substance Abuse
• Special Training Classes for Project Managers & Foremen
- First Aid / CPR
- Hazwopper 8 hour
• Company Wide Training
- Hazardous Communication
- Defensive Driving
- Ergonomics/Stretching/Lifting
Quote: All of us must get involved to have an impact. No one is
impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.
Page 2
by Dennis Okazaki
Project Highlight
Think Sitework…Say Koga!
…continued from page 1
parking lot became an immediate priority. This parking lot work was
divided into five separate unequal phases in order to minimize lost stalls
as well as the impact to vehicular and pedestrian flow. The work areas
for the various phases were barricaded and fenced as much as possible
but again we could not eliminate the mixing of construction activity and
the general public. Much thanks to the Hawaii Kai Towne Center management
for their continuous assistance and understanding throughout
this project. Leolani Kini and George Gardner received the brunt of all
the complaints while still allowing us the space we needed to complete
our work.
Our Koga crew also endured a
period of night time work. While the
majority of the gang was cranking
away during the day, a select group
was chosen to attack some of the
interior improvement work within
the existing store…all after business
hours. This was actually a nice
change of pace for some; time
Cheyne Pratt installing sewer manhole
seems to move much faster at night. The night attack gang was tasked
with structural excavation, surplus disposal and sand cushion work for a
new freezer in the middle of the store. Low-emission equipment, tight
aisle space, Costco restocking operations, proper air ventilation within
the store and noise concerns outside of the store were all issues that
were addressed and ultimately overcome thru the pre-planning completed
during our team meetings.
Sheila Uyeoka from Hawaii Pacific Engineers was the design civil
engineer that had to deal with most of my phone calls. Her promptness
in dealing with every issue that arose minimized the impact from the
inevitable problems that come up when you’re making new improvements
to match into existing conditions.
Finally, I need to acknowledge the two foremen who alternated running
this job, Bryant Akiona and Efren Mateo. A “Job Well Done” goes
out to these two leaders and the Koga men & women who completed
their work on time and within budget.
President’s Message
telephone companies, manufacturing companies,
government agencies, hospitals and universities.
…continued from page 1
At Koga Engineering, over the past thirteen
years, we have learned that:
1. Deming’s method is not easy, but it
works.
2. Constancy of purpose is key. We must Dr. William Edwards Deming
have the discipline to stick with it.
3. When things went wrong, it was always traced to not applying Dr.
Deming’s theory.
Until the next Koga Report, keep practicing Deming and work safely.
We Dig…Hawaii!

Think Sitework…Say Koga! April 2007
Koga Jobs
Oahu Current Projects . . . . . . . . . General Contractor / Client
Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center . . . . McCarthy / Kiewit JV
Schofield Commissary Phase II. . . . . . Bodell Construction Company
Capitol Place Condominium
and Offsite Sewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.
Hawaii Kai Costco Expansion . . . . . . . Ledcor Construction Inc.
Chaminade University Library . . . . . . S & M Sakamoto, Inc.
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Waikikian Tower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dick Pacific Construction Co., Ltd.
Trump International Hotel & Tower . . Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc / Kiewit JV
DHHL Kapolei Office Facility. . . . . . . . Kiewit Building Group
Kaua‘i Current Projects . . . . . . . . General Contractor / Client
Kapa‘a Homesteads Well No. 3
Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State of Hawai‘i, DLNR
Kuhio Highway 16” Waterline. . . . . . . County of Kaua‘i, DOW
Ka‘iulani of Princeville . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shioi Construction, Inc.
SVO Wyllie Road Reconstruction . . . . Unlimited Construction Services, Inc.
Westin Princeville Ocean Resort . . . . . Unlimited Construction Services, Inc.
Bradley Sarmiento massing out the last building pad at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
Big Island Current Projects . . . . . General Contractor / Client
Hilo Judiciary Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . Swinerton Pacific
Kealakehe Intermediate School
Administration and Library . . . . . . . . Summit Construction
Maui Current Projects . . . . . . . . . General Contractor / Client
Honua Kai Lot 4 Kaanapali . . . . . . . . . Ledcor Construction Inc.
Maui No Ka Oi
Hilo Judiciary
Koga Bits & Pieces
Congratulations to the following Koga Ohana Members:
New Parents
Cheyne Pratt (Oahu Laborer) and Cassandra
Placido
Baby Boy – Cheyden Hokuali‘i Kalilikane Pratt-
Bernades
February 19, 2007 19”, 6 lbs 10 oz
Newlyweds
Bryant Akiona (Oahu Foreman) and Cindy Kawahara
Wed on February 17, 2007
We Dig…Hawaii! Page 3

KOGA REPORT
The Newsletter of
Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc.
Volume 18, Number 2 • April 2007
Phone (808) 845-7829 • Fax (808) 845-3742
www.KogaEngineering.com • info@kogaeng.com
Lic.#ABC6826
An Equal Opportunity Employer
P.O. Box 31289
Honolulu, Hawaii 96820
April 2007
Team Spotlight
Interview with Kip Furugen, Foreman for the project
Give a brief description of the overall job.
Installation of 6500 lf of new 16” waterline along Kuhio Hwy. Laterals,
fire hydrants, tie-in to existing water lines, setting up nightly traffic control,
trench paving and final resurfacing.
What was the challenge you were presented with on the bridge
Removing 440 lf of existing 12” waterline and brackets from under the
bridge without dropping materials or WORKERS into the Wailua River! It
was also challenging to work on the scaffolding with life vests and fall
protection while working on a “hanging bridge”. Nightly traffic control
was also difficult as well as limited working hours.
How was your team involved in
coming up with the solution
We had lots of team meetings with
questions and answers. Flowcharts
were extremely important to show the
job sequencing. Safety plans were critical
and scheduling was also key.
How did you and your team feel
about this work
We were challenged and excited. There
were a lot of expectations and questions
from people waiting to see how
we were going to pull the 16” pipe
under the bridge.
Page 4
Working at night on 440 ft. of hanging
scaffolding
What are you most proud of
I am most proud of my team members! Mahalo to Troy Furugen, Randall
Kaui, William Victorino, Dustin Cremer, Todd (Rocky) Refamonte, Tony
Think Sitework…Say Koga!
Kuhio Highway 16” Waterline Project Team
Team Alliance – Troy, Kip (Project Foreman), Rudy and
William
Prem, Rudy Inong, and
Project Manager Alvin
Fujioka. Also a special
thanks to Alvin & Rudy
for their dedication to
this project and for flying
over to Kauai from Oahu.
Any last words
Thanks to my team for
almost 1 year of night
work. They all showed
dedication, determination
and a commitment to safety. Lastly, thanks to their families for putting
up with this type of work schedule!
Team Alliance – Alvin (Project Manager), Tony, Randall, Rocky and Dustin
We Dig…Hawaii!