This past weekend we hit Ocean Beach again, for the 4th consecutive year competing in the Leap Sandcastle Classic. Teamed with Taylor Design, Interface Engineering, Audio Visual Design Group, and BKF Engineers; we worked with students from Lafayette Elementary in San Francisco, building a sandcastle inspired from their creative minds. (Read about the evolution of our final sandcastle design here.)

After a dreary 8am start, through wind and rain; the team lived up to their name — making waves by taking away the coveted Best in Show 1st Place trophy! A huge and well deserved congratulations!

“This is my 4th year coming out for the LEAP Sandcastle competition. It is something I look forward to every year. The energy, the participation, and the joy from the all the kids makes this an event I want to be continue to be a part of. All the kids involved were so engaged and really passionate about the quality of the sandcastle, that being a captain was a blast! We had an extremely successful day capped off by a 1st place trophy! My thanks go out to Lafayette for being so much fun to work with, the parents, and the other Truebeck, Taylor, and Interface Engineering volunteers for contributing to a successful sandcastle.”

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and brought their friends and family. It was wonderful to see so many Truebeck’s out there ‘making waves’ and having fun!

Contributing towards Leap’s Art in Education programs — in music, dance, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, and architecture — Our team exceeded our donation goal, raising over $7,000; with the help of sponsors Norman S. Wright, Quezada Architecture, National Air Balance, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, Trane, Timothy C. and Deborah D. Terrill Fund for Marin, and many individual donations.

 

 

 

Last week Sean Truesdale spoke at Bisnow’s Oakland Future of Office event and this week the media company published a recap of the speakers’ analysis and perspectives on the hot market.

You can read the full article here.

“Opportunities like Uptown Station don’t exist in San Francisco,” making Oakland more ideal, said Truebeck Construction co-founder Sean Truesdale, above with Bay City Mechanical VP Joseph M. Percia and VP of business development Theodore Garcia. “This is a big moment in Oakland for tech just like it was five years ago for San Francisco.”

Last night, Truebeck brought out two mighty teams to the eighth annual Catholic Charities Bocce Tournament at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos. Truebocce Ballers and Truebetter Believe It represented us at a fundraising night of bocce, ring toss, raffles, dinner, drinks, mingling and all-around fun!

The funds raised at the tournament support numerous programs that Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County provides to more than 54,000 individuals and families of all cultures and beliefs.

Thank you to all those who volunteered their time to support this cause!

On June 23rd we held our 2nd Annual Mike Tolbertson Memorial Golf Tournament at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton.

This special event honors Mike Tolbertson – one of Truebeck’s best Superintendents and a dear friend to many of us – and benefits Mike’s four children. All proceeds from the tournament go to their education trust fund, established by Truebeck in 2015.

This year we sold out the tournament with 144 players and 24 sponsors! Truebeck is so grateful for the generous support from our industry partners – a big thank you has gone out to:

ALCAL Specialty Contracting
Wareham Development
Barker Blue
Silicon Valley Mechanical
ACCO
Rosendin Electric
Joseph J. Albanese
Bayside Interiors
Morrow-Meadows
Alliant Group
Air Systems
Decker Electric
JW McClenahan,
Alliance Roofing
iNtegrity+
El Camino Hospital
Schuff Steel
Gallina
KI
Avid Bank
Preston Pipeline
Vitality Group
Parker, Smith & Feek

“Sonoma State will now have a world-class building to house their world-class program.” 

More than 1,000 students enter Sonoma State University’s wine business degree and professional programs annually from around the nation and globe. Truebeck was selected to build their new state-of-the-art facility on campus. The groundbreaking ceremony for the 15,000 square-foot Wine Spectator Learning Center was held on June 1, 2016, with over 200 people in attendance.

The $9.15 million project will be located on the site of the current SSU Student Commons building campus. Working under the design-assist delivery with TLCD Architecture, the design will utilize modern learning and working practices to inspire collaboration for students and visitors. The Student Commons will encompass a student hub, a wine entrepreneurship laboratory, an outdoor study terrace and a wine business research laboratory. Additionally, the classrooms, student commons, faculty-industry hub, and venues for public seminars and events will be equipped with state-of-the-art features, such as multi-point video conferencing for technology-enabled learning, video production with broadcast capabilities, and multimedia exhibit and research stations for hands-on teaching and learning.

Amongst the 200+ in attendance, featured guests included U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, philanthropist Sandy Well, and Marvin Shanken, Wine Spectator editor and publisher. The construction will be fully paid for by private donations, most notably the $3 million gift by Marvin and Shanken’s Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which kick-started the project and was recognized by naming the center.

At the unveiling of the architectural rendering, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St Helena, chairman of the Congressional Wine Caucus stated “Sonoma State will now have a world-class building to house their world-class program.”

From left to right: Sonoma State University President, Ruben Aminana; Rep. Mike Thompson; School of Business & Economics Dean, Bill Silver; Wine Business Institute Director, Ray Johnson; California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom; Wine Spectator publisher Marvin Shanken; and Gary Heck, Institute chairman and head of Heck Estates.

On May 12th, Truebeck sponsored the Laughs for Life Gala hosted by the San Francisco Suicide Prevention organization. Our Team for Tomorrow volunteers were among the over 300 people attending the special event which included dinner, a comedy show and silent auction.

The mission of the Laughs for Life Gala is to celebrate the triumphs of the agency, help raise awareness and funds, and ultimately enjoy comedy and laughter. It’s the one day taken out of the year to change the tone and celebrate all of the lives that have been saved, honor all of the people who work hard, and remember those that are struggling or have struggled with mental health and loss.

Widely recognized over the years for innovative and successful programs that go beyond crisis hotline support, SFSP offers the kind of comprehensive social services that not only help, but also empower men, women, and youth. Through the efforts of thousands of supporters, more than 70,000 people a year benefit.

191 miles, 14 people, 2 days! No problem.

Truebeck partnered with Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) for the annual 2016 Golden Gate Relay – one of the most challenging and scenic races in the Bay Area. Sponsored by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), our runners took on the 9-year legacy of ISPE’s team and ran the 191-mile course from Calistoga to Santa Cruz, raising awareness and funds for Organs ‘R’ Us.

The relay took 40 law enforcement agencies, 36 cities, 7 counties, Caltrans, Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio Trust, National Park Service GGNRA, California State Parks, 20 sponsors, 30 property owners and thousands of runners, walkers and volunteers to accomplish.

Our Team Captain, Jason Beck from Alexandria, had this to say: “As I reflect on the running of this year’s Golden Gate Relay the word that comes to mind is effort. The entire team put forth an incredible effort. From the early morning start, to the heat on both Saturday and Sunday, to the lack of sleep – everyone gave it their all. We had an entire team of newbies as well, who collectively came together and discovered something about themselves. It was a great team effort and I can’t wait till next year!”

For a taste of what it’s like to be on the road to relay race awesomeness, check out the video and story below.

** Click here to view our video **

7:30am Saturday we started on our 191-mile journey – fresh-faced, bright-eyed and all smiles, with little idea of the adventure we were embarking on. Van 1 kicked off the relay with our first runner on the road and said goodbye to the other half of our team in Van 2, who would meet us 4 hours later at the first Van exchange point in Napa.

Each and every person was dedicated to our team and the event, putting their all in to every step they took. Personal bests were shattered, barriers broken, and confidence gained.

With no shortage of high-fives and cheering that would make the Gold Rush proud; the team helped push and encourage each other through the challenges of the course.

Through sleepless nights and learning a lot about our fellow colleagues, we were always there to support the needs of our teammates, no matter what.

Our hand-over exchanges were part of the fun, and by the last legs we were confident, seen in this behind-the-back pass.

All modesty and comfort was thrown out the window, and privacy for that matter. Any opportunity for sleep was taken advantage of.

Friendships and bonds formed, antics ensued, and no one was harmed. This is our story as we’re willing to tell it; because what happens in the van, stays in the van!

At the end of it all, 31 hours from when we first set off, we met our final runner – Jaime Golditch – on the beach of his hometown, to cross the finish line as a team. One of the most fun aspects was the diversity of our team, with people from various departments and roles across Truebeck.

Congratulations to the team on a successful journey and strong finish!

On Tuesday, May 3rd, Truebeck participated in Silicon Valley Gives and helped My New Red Shoes exceed their fundraising goal with a one day total over $55,000! A BIG THANK YOU to all the generous Truebeck donors who graciously supported this local charity that has a direct impact on the children in our community. Truebeck employees contributed over $1,100 this year!

The Silicon Valley Gives campaign raised $7,853,781 in one day for over 1,000 local nonprofits in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco and San Benito Counties. The top three fundraisers were: Education – $$1,111,086, Humanitarian – $413,018, and Children – $397,916.

My New Red Shoes had this to say:

“Thank you for hosting such an amazing event for My New Red Shoes yesterday! We are so humbled to know that you and your employees support what we do and the children we serve!”

Last Friday, Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow volunteers partnered with the ISPE San Francisco Chapter for their annual Chocolate Factory program. Our team visited Ponderosa Elementary School in South San Francisco to help the fifth-graders learn about construction and the pharmaceutical industry by building chocolate factories with craft supplies. Started by Genentech in 2006, the Chocolate Factory project teaches students about science and engineering concepts, with the hope of interesting them in science and engineering careers.

The teachers had this to say:

“This was great—we’ve never seen such good projects from the kids.  The volunteers really helped them stay on task and we’ve never seen such a great clean up afterwards.  Thank you Truebeck!”

We certainly left a positive impression on the kids and faculty, who have already asked us back next year!

The International Interior Design Association of Northern California (IIDA NC) held its annual Honor Awards, and Truebeck (formerly BNBT) was there to sponsor and attend the celebrated event. Truebeck is proud to sponsor an organization dedicated to pushing the boundaries of interior design and furnishing.

This year, a total of 95 projects were submitted across all categories with a total of 18 award winners from firms including Aidlin Darling Design, Gensler, HOK, Studio O+A and more.

“Now in its 12th year, the Honor Awards is one of the most anticipated award events amongst the region’s design community,” said Fae Urban, President of the IIDA Northern California. “Every year, we are amazed by the number of projects submitted and the caliber of work coming from Northern California’s top talent. One of our goals is to inspire the future designers of tomorrow and there is no doubt this event inspires us all to create our best work when designing the spaces where we live, work, and play.”

The winning projects were judged for suitability to the project challenge, originality of the design solution, and the successful integration of interior forms, finishes and furnishings.

John had this to say:

“The IIDANC Honor Award is the only annual event that gathers all of the major architects, interior designers and industry partners in the Bay Area world of interiors in one place.  There are approximately 500-700 attendees each year.  Our sponsorship and attendance at the event allows our firm to advertise who we are and what we do in the world of Interiors projects. It also simultaneously allows us to build new relationships with key industry partners, and to reinforce and strengthen existing relationships in this market. This interiors market as a whole is a great diversification of our overall work portfolio to compliment our ground up building projects.”