HVACR Business - September 2009

Jim Folk is VP of Ballpark Operations for the Cleveland Indians. As the 2009 MLB season began winding down, he took time to discuss management philosophy, Opening Day memories, and solar energy with Publisher Terry Tanker.

1) In 50 words or less, what do you do? I oversee the physical plant of the ballpark, capital repairs and improvements, mechanical and engineering, construction projects, safety, security, fan services, maintenance, custodial, grounds keeping, ushers, ticket takers, police, and parking.

2) What does the organizational structure of ballpark operations look like? Front-of-the-house staff includes security, ushers, and fan services. Back-of-the-house staff includes maintenance, custodial, and grounds. We have directors of Ballpark Operations, Facility Maintenance, and Field Maintenance. Each has their own staff.

3) How do you communicate effectively with so many people? We talk to each other constantly throughout the day, and nights and weekends, thanks — or curses — to BlackBerrys and cell phones. We have weekly department meetings, timely homestand meetings, daily pre-game briefings, and checklists — think Mission Control. With a facility as large as this and with so many people working so many different shifts, it is critical we all have an understanding of what each other is doing.

4) How many people does that include?
Approximately 2,000 on a game day sell out;
700 if we’re not sold out.

5) Are you the one that has to field “odd requests” from patrons? Yes, and there are two extremes — getting married at home plate and scattering a relative’s ashes around the infield. We’ve relaxed a little on the marriage ceremonies, but have held the line on the ashes.

6) What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen at the ballpark? Watching my facility maintenance director and his assistant trap a wayward possum in the visiting dugout a few weeks back — pre-game, of course.

7) Were you involved with the new construction
of Jacobs Field in 1994 – now Progressive Field?
Yes, I was here for the first concrete pour, so I got
to see the whole thing come out of the ground.

8) What were some of the management challenges opening a new ballpark? The planning and organizing is truly monumental. Our charge is to provide a safe, pleasant, and comfortable environment to every visitor. Opening the park in 1994 was made even more unusual because President Clinton was scheduled to throw out the first pitch. The Secret

Service and the White House staff descended
upon us and added an additional dynamic.

9) What’s it like to open a new ballpark? In my world, it is as good as it gets, especially if you are able to be involved with the early stages of design and construction. Your fingerprints are everywhere in the building. I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in the opening of three facilities.

10) Did you try to do anything special for Opening Day? It was pretty hectic, but I made it a point to be on the walkway just past Center Field for the national anthem. It was a terrific production.

11) What is your management style? It may sound overly simplistic, but I believe in surrounding myself with talented people, providing them with the vision, and then letting them go. They often come up with a completely different approach to an issue than you may have, or may be comfortable with; but if you trust them, often you learn something. Many times, the organization becomes stronger because of the experience, confidence, and knowledge the staff has gained.

12) How does what you have to manage differ
with attendance?

When we had a string of 455 consecutive sellouts, my peers thought managing almost 45,000 fans day after day had to be tough, but the planning is actually easier. After a dozen games, we knew how to plan for the maximum, and literally everything ran full throttle. When the park is not full, all aspects of our planning are more critical because we don’t want to be under or over on any resources.

13) Do you have to manage differently during a winning season versus a losing season? No. I stress to our staff members that we can’t do anything about what happens on the field. We can’t affect the score, or the wins and losses column. But we can have a 100% impact on whether or not you have a good time. It’s all about customer service.

14) How far in advance do you do plan upgrades
on mechanical systems?

We have a 20-year plan with a rolling five-year
capital plan. We are in the 16th year of the
overall plan.

15) What do you look for when you replace mechanical systems? We are very interested in systems that are highly efficient and environmentally friendly. This is one of our top considerations as we replace equipment and systems.

16) Is there a specific maintenance plan for existing equipment and systems? Yes. We have been very fortunate that our ownership has given us the resources to do preventative maintenance and take care of repairs proactively. They realize stadiums are not disposable facilities, and ensuring proper maintenance maximizes their lifespan.

17) Do you handle the maintenance in house? We handle as much as we can with a staff of about a dozen, and during the season we expand by another 15 or so. We use outside vendors to handle projects beyond our ability. Siemens handles the building automation system. Chem Treat provides chemical treatment for cooling towers. Grainger is the primary vendor for filters and belts, and Cleveland Hermetic provides more specialty components.

18) You recently installed solar panels. Are you happy with the result? The first one we put into place was an 8. 4 k W solar panel on the Upper Concourse. With the help of the Cleveland Foundation, Green Energy Ohio, and a terrific team of architects, engineers, and contractors — along with some incentives from the State of Ohio — we erected the structure in 2007, and it has been producing power ever since.