Dennis Riggs: 2015 NRC Field Employee of the year

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Dennis Riggs, general superintendent for Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey, is recognized by colleagues and clients as a trusted source of construction solutions.

The railroad industry is filled with intelligent, hard working men and women with a positive outlook and well-rounded character, which make for a stand up employee. Every year, the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) selects one exemplary employee from a slew of nominations to be named Field Employee of the Year and for 2015, that person was Dennis Riggs, general superintendent for Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey (RCCSJ), Inc.

{besps}May16_DennisRiggs{/besps} {besps_c}0|1_dennisriggs.jpg|Riggs with NRC’s Chuck Baker and Lindsey Collins at the 2016 NRC Conference.{/besps_c} {besps_c}0|2_dennisriggs.jpg|Riggs on a jobsite.{/besps_c}

Riggs began working at RCCSJ as a laborer in March of 1989. He quickly progressed to the position of foreman by 1991, becoming RCCSJ’s youngest ever foreman at that time. By 2000, he had continued his advancement to the position of general superintendent. In this role, Riggs coordinates manpower, organizes deliveries of materials and equipment and spends countless hours answering questions from both customers and project personnel. He oversees as many as 12 projects at one time and deals with a work force of 110 people. He is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Riggs was described by a customer as their “most trusted source for honest, appropriate and effective rail construction and maintenance solutions” and as someone that “has always gone above and beyond.” His colleagues describe him as a mentor, an exemplary leader and “the backbone of the company.”

Riggs says that representing RCCSJ as field superintendent is a privilege and an honor and points to the Daloisio family: Jim, Jamie and Chris, who he says, have always provided him with the resources needed to service customers at the highest level.

“RCCSJ has a workforce who, because of the tireless efforts, makes me shine in a positive light,” Riggs said. “Without their dedication to their crafts, this honor would not be possible.”

Riggs says he was fortunate to learn the business from some great railroad men who shared their knowledge with him including John Morris, Mike DeRose, Bill Dorris, Ken Gilman, Lester Risell and Wayne Riggs.

“Every day I step onto a piece of railroad track, I use the skills these men taught me,” he explained. “They would all be deserving of this award and I take great pleasure in sharing this recognition with all of them. I must also thank my wife, Connie, and my children for their support and understanding, as this is a 24/7 job; Many times I have had to change our personal plans due to one of our customer’s needs.”

“Safety, quality of work and the service that Dennis provides to our customers is the best in the industry,” explained Christofer Daloisio, vice president, RCCSJ. “He truly cares about our customers and our coworkers and shows that in his everyday dealing with all.”

In a letter to the NRC nominating Riggs, Nick Morina, project manager/estimator at RCCSJ pointed out his colleague’s vast wisdom and sound business practices.

“Dennis’ knowledge of the railroad industry is second to none,” Morina explained. “I have had the opportunity to conduct track inspections with Dennis on numerous occasions. His ability to rattle off railroad standards, hole drillings, rail measurements, do’s and don’ts of track construction and his overall knowledge of railroading is extremely impressive. His knowledge is always first and foremost based on the safest industry methods. Dennis constantly preaches building track the ‘right way’ and doing it safely, not cutting corners on either one of these virtues. Customers respect Dennis not only for his complete understanding of track construction, but his fairness in quoting work for potential customers; always doing what is right for the client.”

James Daloisio, president and chief executive officer of RCCSJ had plenty of good praise for his employee and says that Riggs is by far the company’s most important field employee and says he feels that he represents one of the key reasons that the company is and has been successful.

“His quiet and unassuming way, along with his knowledge of track construction and maintenance enables him to work well with all sorts of owners or their representatives,” Daloisio wrote in his recommendation letter.

It is one thing to receive a nomination from your coworkers and boss, but Riggs brought in a number of letters from clients, as well. When your client is happy with the work, one has clearly achieved success.

Honeywell’s MI Engineer Lead Tai Do noted that Riggs always goes above and beyond his role, noting that on a Friday night, given short notice, he assembled a crew to repair a broken rail, which allowed the line to be back in service that same night and customers did not receive any delay in shipment. Do says Riggs provides stellar service – always.

“Dennis is always able to remain calm during stressful situations and his expertise makes him a real asset to the company,” noted Darryl Mosley, maintenance/project specialist for Mexichem Specialty Resins, Inc. “Dennis is a dedicated employee who takes great personal pride in a job well done. He is only a phone call away if ever he is needed. Customer satisfaction is his number one priority.”

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