New York City is our community and we’ve lived and worked here for three generations. Our city has been the hardest hit by the pandemic, and we’re here to help.
On Friday March 27th, Governor Cuomo suspended all non-essential construction in New York State. While this closed nearly all the electrical construction projects Hugh O’Kane Electric was working on, HOK continues to operate our essential telecommunications division. This work product is instrumental in providing broadband communication to all those working remotely.
Our team has been in constant contact with all of our telecom customers throughout this pandemic and the Company has made significant safety adjustments in order to continue our telecom support. Hugh O’Kane Electric is taking every precaution to protect our technicians who continue to work and give HOK the ability to service our customers.
How We’re Protecting Our Workers
We are staggering our crews’ start times, spreading out the locker rooms, making the best use of digital technology to get assignments directly to technicians in the field, and sanitizing trucks and equipment after each shift in order to protect our employees and continue our 24 hour telecom operations. As of April 1st, 2020, the company rented additional warehouse space in Queens to help spread out the telecom operations, distance our crews, and continue our number one objective of providing the safest workplace for our employees.
Beginning March 13th, approximately 90% of the HOK administrative staff began working from home and our team has risen to the challenges that remote working brings to our industry. Our estimating department, AR, AP, finance, payroll, & project admins have all been able to get their work done and I’m confident this will continue as long as our administrative staff needs to #stayhome and work remotely.
We’d like to do more.
The Company has reached out directly to some of New York City’s largest hospitals to offer Hugh O’Kane Electric’s services to aid in the temporary hospitals that are being setup throughout the city. Please contact myself, Sal Toscano or Lou Cresciullo if you know of an electrical or telecom need that Hugh O’Kane Electric could provide manpower or material to address the COVID-19 crisis. As a family and as a company, we want to give back and support the greatest city in the world during one of its most critical times of need. WE ARE HERE TO HELP!
Helping Those Who Are Most Vulnerable
Additionally the Hugh O’Kane Electric Board of Directors recently voted to make multiple donations totaling $150,000 which will be directed to the NYC charitable organizations listed below. This will be paid for by reductions in Ownership salaries as well as donations from personal accounts. We all know that besides the health & healthcare consequences of this pandemic, there are so many at-risk & vulnerable people impacted in our NYC community.
We encourage everyone reading this to visit the links below and either make a donation or try and find a way to make a difference in your local community.
https://www.foodbanknyc.org/covid-19/
https://www.aliforneycenter.org/
We hope everyone and their families are safe and healthy!
Thank you,
John O’Kane
Executive Vice President
Hugh O’Kane Electric Company
jokane@hokane.com
Salvatore Toscano: stoscano@hokane.com
Louis Cresciullo: lcresciullo@hokane.com