One of the principles of Pine Island Cranberry’s facilities management program is care: making sure all facilities are safe, clean, and attractive. To date, one of our proudest achievements is how well we maintain our seasonal workers’ camp. Built in 2008, our seasonal camp (known as the big camp) is one of the best in the state of New Jersey. Particular care is taken every year to maintain the camp to our own high standards in order to attract and retain seasonal team members.

Facilities Manager Louis Cantafio says he thinks it’s nicer than the housing he had when he was at college. “It’s a great campus-type set-up,” he says. “The state inspectors always say it’s the nicest one they’ve ever seen. Best seasonal camp in the state. Maybe even the world.” He has a detailed process that is meticulously followed every year for set-up. Once the start date for the seasonal employees is determined, he schedules the state inspection and makes sure everything is completed. The water is tested quarterly. The facilities team then changes the smoke alarm batteries, arranges for range hood cleaning and inspection of the fire suppression system, and schedules heater and dryer vent cleanings.

While a lot of that is done by licensed contractors, our team is busy prepping the rest of the camp, making sure everything is clean and in good condition. They make sure everything is stocked (linens, cleaning supplies, cookware, dishes) and that all the required posters are updated as needed.

Supervisor Gerardo Ortiz is in charge of seasonal recruitment and says that having a good camp makes it easy. “We like when people come back,” he says. “When we have places open, our returning guys always have a friend or a cousin who they can recommend. People who know what the deal is and what they’ll have to do. And they want to come! This place, it’s a five-star place.” What makes it better, he says, are the amenities. “It’s clean, the rooms are bigger, and there’s more privacy. We only have four or five guys in each room, and each room has its own bathroom.”

There are plans for making it even better. “Bill is always looking for ways to improve,” he says. There are plans to add a second screened gazebo as well as a basketball court. Long-time season team member Alberto Torres is also the (spectacular) camp cook. “The kitchen building is also a great place to hang out,” Gerardo says. “The guys come in, watch TV, play cards. It’s nice. And it makes people want to come back.”

Louis agrees: “It makes us more competitive for quality staff. We have the best in the world, and we want to treat them that way.” Gerardo adds, “Bill Sr. always used to say, if you’re a good worker but can’t come back for a while, the door is always open. There’s always a spot here if you’re a good worker. Our guys, they know what they have to do and they do it, so we want to make them happy.”