MGBW E-News Week of 6.02.25: Arrivederci Nino Zizzo, AEU Safety Award Win, Lunch & Learn and more!

June 02, 2025

MGBW E-News Week of 6.02.25: Arrivederci Nino Zizzo, AEU Safety Award Win, Lunch & Learn and more!

Arrivederci to MGBW Purchasing Director, Nino Zizzo!

After 12 years at MGBW, our beloved Purchasing Director Nino Zizzo is saying ‘arrivederci’ (goodbye) to us as he ventures into retirement on June 6. Nino started out in the grocery retail industry for 26 years before transitioning to Knight and Carver Yacht Center in National City as Purchasing Manager in 2003. MGBW retained Nino in 2013 as Purchasing Agent for New Construction when we acquired the National City yard, and we couldn’t be happier we did!

During his time with us, Nino took initiative to implement the correct processes and improve procedures that have made Purchasing the well-oiled machine it is today.

His advice to anyone that wishes to be successful here is simple, “Always give it your best and do your best. You may think that your work goes unnoticed, but you are working for a company that values their employees, takes notice of their employees, and rewards their employees. Take advantage of opportunities because those are the times to prove yourself and highlight your strengths to a company that pays attention.”

Nino’s most excited about the infinite travel opportunities ahead, with his house in Sicily at the top of the list. He’s very proud of his granddaughter and can’t wait to spend more time as the “cool babysitter.” Nino plans on relaxing with some saltwater fishing and hitting the greens in his free time as well.

Fernando Lopez is stepping in to the role of Purchasing Manager and looks forward to applying the knowledge learned under Nino’s mentorship.

Nino, enjoy your more than well-deserved permanent vacation!

MGBW Awarded 4^th AEU Safety Award!

American Equity Underwriters (AEU) announced MGBW’s fourth Safety Award win within the past seven years, recognizing our commitment to creating a safe work environment made possible by our extensive safety protocol under the leadership of Environmental Health & Safety Specialist Colin Keeney. Colin accepted this award alongside Facilities Manager Thomas “Tommy” Oman at the annual AEU award ceremony and national forum in Charlotte, NC last month.

MGBW takes a proactive approach to safety, purchasing the highest-quality materials and equipment and frequently replacing worn items to ensure employees are properly protected.

Additionally, Colin imparts knowledge of the most up-to-date safety procedures on our staff during each new hires’ detailed safety orientation.

After attending the AEU forum Colin noted, “We were able to gain insight into a variety of important topics, bring this knowledge back to the yard, and most importantly apply it the right way.” Topics were strategically scheduled to assist safety leaders in their organizations, providing insight into field-tested methods and solutions to common safety, claims, and leadership issues.

As the saying goes, there’s safety in numbers and MGBW recognizes the commitment you make to ensuring each other’s safety and the overall safety of the yard. With that, we’d like to thank each of you for making this award possible by bringing back our tradition of cooking rib-eye steaks for our next yard lunch. Save the date for Thursday, Aug 14 because the management team looks forward to serving you!

June 5 Lunch & Learn: Mindfulness for Busy Minds

MGBW will welcome RN & Certified Mindfulness Coach Jean Frazier this Thursday, June 5 for an interactive session focused on research-based mindfulness techniques you can apply every day! She’ll share info. on practices to help reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and foster joy in the workplace.

RSVP is mandatory – please sign up with HR in person or via email at delia@marinegroupbw.com and take a second to fill out this brief survey by end of day Monday, June 2. Lunch will be provided. We hope to see you there!