TFM employees took a quick break on Monday, April 8, to view the solar eclipse! We enjoyed a few snacks and the company of our neighbors from Wellbridge Physical Therapy!
We used viewing glasses and even a paper plate to view the sun as it was covered (partially) by the moon.
Thanks to everyone who came out!
TFMoran held its annual company gathering, known as the “Harvest Lunch”, on the day before Thanksgiving in the Great Hall at the Bedford Village Inn. The Portsmouth division staff joined the Bedford staff for a full company gathering of more than 60 people! Thank you to the Bedford Village Inn for the amazing food and beautiful venue.
The principals were very happy to thank the staff for their hard work and dedication to the Company. Jeff Kevan was recognized for his 30-year career at TFMoran, which will come to a close at the end of the year when he retires.
Dylan spoke about the great achievements we’ve made as a company this year, welcoming 13 new hires and celebrating 2 other long-time employees’ transitions into retirement.
It was a great beginning to the Thanksgiving holiday break, as folks headed home to spend time with their families.
Thank you TFM Principals!
The Wellness Project is a series of Lunch & Learns held once a month to teach staff how to incorporate healthy choices into our lives. Sessions are held monthly, and cover a variety of topics from finance to nutrition and fitness! Three sessions have been held so far, and the series will continue into the new year.
Session 1 – How Money Works & Budgeting for Success
The first session was held in November, with a focus on finance and budgeting. Attendees enjoyed sandwiches and cookies from Market Basket while listening to Sara Janes Hoag of Primerica. Sara Janes presented “How Money Works”, which taught us about the Rule of 72, Mutual funds, the “3D’s” of successful investing, and more. She also touched upon “Budgeting for Success”, covering the 6 simple steps to help us create a budget and free up money in the future. These topics, once understood and applied, can have an incredible impact on employees’ personal finances!
Session 2 – The Road Back to Wellbeing
Amy Perez, ACC, CPC of Amy Perez Coaching joined us to learn how to take care of ourselves, and our family when we’re not feeling 100%. Emotional drainage and zoom fatigues have been impacting our office and social lives. Amy showed us how to get back out there – even if it is overwhelming. Through this session, we gained resources for the emotional well-being of all ages!
Session 3 – The Carb Addiction & Blue Zones
Courtney Eaton, RDN, LDN of New England Nutrition Advisors joined us to discuss “The Carb Addiction”. In her presentation, she gave us some insight into the good and the bad so that we are able to navigate the complicated world of carbs. Courtney also presented about Blue Zones, the 5 geographic pockets of the world where the improved quality of life helps its residents live longer. By implementing a few wellness practices, these people are experiencing amazing health outcomes and saving money on healthcare! Courtney showed us a few things that we could do to improve the length and quality of our lives.
Session 4 – Estate Planning and Myths
Megan Martucci, Esq. of Feniger & Uliasz, LLP joined us to learn the basics of estate planning and how proper planning can give us the confidence and peace of mind that our families are taken care of in the future. She also discussed myths surrounding estate planning and how to avoid probate. Megan pulled back the veil of what estate planning entails, how the probate process works and how it can be avoided, and covered some of the consequences of not having an estate plan in place.
Session 5 – Investing for Retirement and Social Security
Sara Janes Hoag of Primerica joined us once again to present the do’s and don’ts of investing for retirement. Her workshop covered the types of savings accounts we need, retirement savings strategies, the power of compound interest, tax-deferred vs. taxable investments, the cost of waiting to save, and more. Sara Janes also covered Social Security to give us a better understanding of Social Security benefits, other factors that may impact these benefits and taxation.
Session 6 – Musculoskeletal Health
Tom Fontana of Family Physical Therapy Services joined us to discuss musculoskeletal pain and prevention. We learned about the positions we hold and movements we make that affect our backs, and how to defend ourselves against pain by making our movements more efficient, safer, and pain-free. Tom also covered core strengthening and balance training to maximize performance. The secret is having a strong core – which includes everything from your hips to your shoulders!
Session 7 – Physical Fitness – Running Form
Matt Harris of Runner’s Alley joined us in the Bedford office to perform a running form clinic! Matt took us through the 4 main points of running with good form to achieve maximum efficiency and comfort. He also taught us about the technology behind athletic footwear, and how to find the right fit!
Session 8 – Stress: Adapt or Perish
Dr. Phil Szalowski of Broadway Chiropractic joined us to discuss the effects of negative stress on our bodies and how to combat it. Participants made goals of how they can integrate exercise and other wellness practices into their daily routine, which will help with how they respond and react to stress.
TFM celebrated the end of the week with some Halloween festivities last Friday! Employees enjoyed fall favorites from the Puritan Back Room including chicken tenders and mac & cheese! For those with a sweet tooth, Maryanne Murray brought in some festive desserts: witch’s finger cookies and mummy apple pies!
The winners of the Reese’s and candy corn jars were announced, which had been on display all week for employees to guess. Mike Krzeminski had the closest guess on the Reese’s, while Steve Bibeau was closest on the candy corn. Members from the Civil, Structural, and Landscape Architecture teams faced off to claim victory in the “Pumpkin Strongman” competition, which Structural Engineer Ezequiel Galvan won. Others tested their speed in mummy wrapping a colleague. Marty Gavin and Sharon Monahan won the prize with the quickest wrap, but Julia Chartier and Diane Martineau definitely earned style points! A few daring souls dressed in costume hoping to receive votes from their peers for the grand prize: a $50 gift card to Market Basket! Jeff Tate pulled out all the stops, sporting an inflatable piggyback on the witch costume, which was voted winner, although honorable mentions included Alex Croteau’s Indiana Jones and Chris Chiaramonte’s koala!
The TFM Portsmouth division also celebrated the spooky holiday with Halloween-themed festivities! Employees were invited to dress in costume and eat chilling snacks from Buffalo Wild Wings. Names were drawn of who would be mummified with toilet paper, and all were encouraged to participate in a pumpkin carving contest!
TFMoran took a well-deserved break at the end of the work week by celebrating Cinco de Mayo a little early, on Friday, May 3rd. The festive fare came from Shorty’s Mexican Roadhouse of Manchester, it sure was a big hit with the TFM-Bedford team! The Taco Bar was the most popular by far, along with mexican rice, refried beans, quesadillas, chingalingas, chicken tenders, and of course, their famous hot tortilla chips and salsa. The fiesta table also included a big pan of Taco Mac from Mr. Mac’s in Manchester, delicious!
Between the delicious food, the tasty variety of cervezas, the very colorful festive decorations and lively music, a fun-time was had by all. Thank Goodness It was Friday!
On Friday, December 15th, TFMoran’s staff and family celebrated the Christmas season together at the Bedford office. Thanks to Galen, Jenn and Kelsie, the reception area was as festive as could be – complete with a beautifully decorated 9 foot Douglas Fir Christmas tree, and lighted greens strung along the railings of the open stairway. Tidewater Catering Group, of Manchester, put on a festive display of appetizers, fruits, cheeses, vegetables and Christmas cookies that all enjoyed.
Though this year’s theme didn’t mention unique Christmas sweaters, Nick and Lee went along with the Christmas string of lights theme on their matching sweaters – and they even lit up! That’s the spirit we like – “Get Your Festive On” was indeed mentioned on the invitation, after all.
One week into his retirement, after 40 years with TFMoran, Joe Sears blessed us with his presence. He and his wife Suzanne enjoyed the annual TFM Christmas Party, as Joe chatted with former co-workers about his future plans in retirement life.
And, of course, “Santa’s Workshop” was a big hit with the little ones. Christmas craft projects, like foam gingerbread people were decorated with stickers, markers and pom poms for ornaments to hang on the tree. Clear glass ornaments were stuffed with green pom poms to make a grinch face, and white cotton for snowmen -all adorned with creations of hats for custom-made ornaments. Thank you to Jen Porter’s daughter Jocelyn, who was Santa’s helper and organized the craft workshop for the kids.
