1. QuaCicon Corporation
PO CBoJ(3050, CfiesapeaR.!, 'V}f. 23327
1209 CBaR.!r<JWad, Suite 316, 'Virginia CBeacfi, 'V}f. 23455
pfione: 757-460-1425 Pa.JG' 757-460-2062
SWa!M CertifieaCBusiness # 707037
February 9, 2016
To: Prospective Employers
From: Carl Edwards - President
Subject: Reference Letter for Mike Cumberledge
Gentlemen and/or ladies,
It is my pleasure to write this letter expressing my unqualified and enthusiastic
recommendation for Mike Cumberledge, who was a loyal, trusted, key and highly valued employee of
my construction company for over 25 years, almost from its inception, until we closed our doors at the
end of 2015. We performed a broad array of often-complex general and heavy/utility construction
projects for the Federal and municipal governments, and Mike was directly involved in many of them.
As a prospective employee, Mike is "as good as they come", in virtually all respects. His work ethic is
second to none, his character, jUdgement, and leadership are exemplary, and his knowledge base
and skills are both broad and deep, and benefit the company and the other employees with whom he
works,
Character and Intangibles
Mike's work ethic, character, integrity, and reliability are second-to-none. He is absolutely
dependable and trustworthy, constructively does exactly what is needed, is always good for his word,
and looks out for the company's interests at all times, He takes his position and responsibility very
seriously, and can be counted upon to keep up with all aspects of the total project, including
reviewing correspondence and administrative matters at home. He commands the respect of
everyone on the jobsite, the crew, subcontractors, and inspectors, and leads by direction and
example. His honesty is absolute, without being na'ive, and he recognizes where his loyalty lies and
the context and potential implications of field events. He is the consummate "team player".
I was always comfortable entrusting projects to Mike, in the knowledge that he would
understand the requirements, raise pertinent questions and convey observations, prudently and
professionally plan and manage the performance of the work efficiently and safely, exercise sound
judgement, and keep the office informed of any developments or concerns. To a large extent, the
office "set the jobs up" administratively and contractually, and monitored them, but Mike took care of
the day-to-day running of his jobs, and assisted the office as needed.
Contract Administration
His administrative skills include proficiency in reading and interpreting project Plans and
Specifications, consolidating the requirements pertaining to individual elements of work, and
identifying conflicts or contractions. He was instrumental in initiating Requests for Information (RFl's)
as needed, and conveying his recommendations where requirements were unclear or ambiguous..

2. As-Built Drawings were kept up-to-date on-site, accurately recording any changes or detail of the
work-in-place, as installed. He proficiently reviews and understands vendor's shop drawings and·
submittals, assisted in their pre-review and coordination for the office's clarifications and submittal to
the owner, and evaluated and implemented the owner/engineer's review comments, upon their return.
He is proficient in reviewing procurement documents generated by the office, including AlA
subcontract agreements, minor and major flow-down Purchase Orders and their detailed scopes,
responsibilities, and limitations. His Daily Reports for each project were accurate, succinct, and have
provided a valuable resource for project review and records. He assisted the office in preparation of
change order proposals, schedules and schedule updates, and expertly took care of all other field
administrative matters, such as payroll, monthly billings, subcontractor pay requests, etc.
Field Coordination and Supervision
He performed site layout and surveying of project limits, site security, erosion control, etc., and
kept records of any changes to the site. Planning of the work, coordination of trades and tasks,
deliveries, and inspections, as well as interfacing with project inspectors and Codes Compliance
inspectors and procedures, were all handled effectively, timely, and professionally. He treats field
safety as a priority and prerequisite, and performs related documentation and record-keeping. His
projects are well organized and orderly, with equipment and materials stored properly, and the jobsite
atmosphere is one of quiet confidence and competence, with discipline and a focus on orderly
prosecution of the work, with little tolerance for drama or other distractions.
Construction Trades and Skills
While it might be simpler to identify areas in which Mike is not proficient, due to his broad­
based experience before and during Qualicon's existence, which included everything from self­
performance of sheeting and shoring deep excavations and pile-driving, forming and pouring heavy
concrete structures, to coordination of detailed masonry building elements and services, the following
is an attempt to identify the areas of his proficiency of which I am aware. Parenthetically, if I have
missed something, and Mike indicates he is competent in a skill or area, you can absolutely count on
his honesty and word.
• Surveying and layout of sites, structures, and underground utilities and grades.
• Layout and coordination of structures and building elements, including stairs, equipment and
piping, including spool piece lengths, and embeds.
• Sheeting, shoring, excavation, and dewatering of deep excavations, including self-performance
of pile driving, pile testing, and pile cap construction.
• Site excavation, filling, grading, backfilling and compaction, and erosion control.
• Underground utilities, including sewer, water, and storm drain, precast structures, up to and
including 23 foot deep manholes and gravity sewer to grade, testing, and record-keeping.
• Safe and orderly demolition of concrete, steel structures, heavy equipment, pumps, piping, and
complex rigging and crane selection.
• Very competent operator of excavators, backhoes, dozer, loader, and crane trucks, and
instruction in the operation of this equipment.
• Concrete forming and bracing, reinforcement installation and securing, embed location and
installation, concrete pouring, curing and protection, stripping and coating.
• Masonry work, and coordination with the masonry subcontractor.
• Steel erection, field welding, and all aspects of miscellaneous metals.
• Roofing, flashing, building insulation, doors and windows, studs, and other building trades.
• Coatings, painting, waterproofing, and coordination with the coatings subcontractor.
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3. • Equipment installation, storage, coordination, alignment, millwrighting, lubrication, and startup.
• Pipefitting, valve and piping coordination and layout, installation, support, and testing.
• Interfacing with and coordination of instrumentation and controls, including coordination with
equipment supplied separately, basic troubleshooting, and startup and testing.
• Interfacing with and coordination of electrical work, including coordination with equipment
needs, basic troubleshooting, and startup and testing.
In summary, it should be obvious from the above list and this letter, that Mike can be entrusted
to run just about any type of work, safely and competently. If there is any aspect of the work with
which he is not fully comfortable, he will make you aware of his concerns, and will utilize his
resourcefulness to reach out to other resources to determine the best approach and course of action
to take.
In the interest of presenting a balanced view of Mike, I offer the following. When I originally
interviewed him, at the conclusion of the interview he indicated there was something I should know
about him before hiring him. You can imagine the kinds of bizarre and onerous thoughts that ran
through my imagination during the intervening pause, after which he said that he is an avid fisherman,
and his weekend tournaments are very important to him, and might conflict with weekend work. His
statement was a relief, and his enthusiasm for hunting and fishing has never been a problem.
Please feel free to contact me in the event that any questions or concerns arise. My cell phone is
(757)-328-8294.
Thanks,
Carl Edwards - President / Qualicon Corporation
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