Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News February 2016 by Construction News

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Volume 13

Number 2

FEBRUARY 2015

Check our new website

West was best

Plenty of fun features and expanded access await viewers to the new constructionnews.net

L-R: Ryan and Lance Halfmann’s ConScape headed west to Fort Worth.

onstruction News is pleased to announce the launch of its new, redesigned website. Welcome to constructionnnews.net, a site where you will find instant access and expanded capabilities to enhance our five printed publications. Our new website has been crafted to reflect what our readers need and want to know. Additionally, the redesigned site builds upon technology capable of addressing future needs. Upon visiting our site, you will immediately notice streamlined menus, simple navigation and access to the information you want. It’s all there for the viewing! What’s different? New features run the gamut from

easy access to all of our stories – or, if you prefer – stories broken out into the city newspaper they originated in. We now offer classified ads and at present, they are free! So, help us kick it off by taking advantage of this section. Do you need a reprint of your story to add to your walls? It is now easy to order one or more online. Did your secretary keep your copy of the latest Construction News? No problem! Use our easy to find rack location maps to find the closest location to pick up a copy in most areas of the state. Additionally, you can find a full PDF version of our latest papers – even getting a past issue is a breeze.

ith a rented office in Hurst and rented yard in Euless, concrete contractor ConScape needed consolidating. That’s why owner Charles Halfmann’s sons Lance and Ryan, who work for the business as an estimator and a foreman, respectively, were excited to purchase the west Fort Worth property at 3210 Joyce Drive. “We were specifically looking for an office on the west side of Fort Worth. Ninety-nine percent of our work is in Fort Worth; I don’t think we ever go east of 360,” Lance explains. “Also, [the move] is in anticipation of the development of the Walsh ranch area and the development headed west and our proximity to 820

continued on Page 18

and I-30; we can go in either direction.” The search for the perfect property was a five-year mission; Lance even asked a supplier to keep an eye out for potential real estate. Last October, the call came; one of the supplier’s customers was selling a property and, within a month, ConScape moved in with only computers and raw materials, with everything else provided by the previous owner. The 1,400sf office is the perfect size for the Halfmanns (including Charles’ wife, Gretchen, who handles accounting and billing) and their 20 employees. To accommodate future supply increases, the 3000-sf warehouse has the option of expanding to twice its size. continued on Page 18

Up on the roof

hen Autobahn Motor Group needed additional storage for its BMW inventory, one option was to buy more land around Fort Worth’s 7th Street/University Drive corridor. Instead, the dealership adopted a use-what-you-have attitude and, with the help of design-build general contractor Speed Fab-Crete, looked up for inspiration. “The original new car sales building was there, and those buildings actually date back to the 1940s,” Speed Fab-Crete project manager Mitch Hanzik explains. “They were big concrete warehouses; not only are the walls built out of concrete, but the roof is built out of concrete. By doing some structural testing, we were able to verify that the roof structure that was there would support a parking lot. There is limited land on the 7th Street corridor, so here was an opportunity to put a lot of inventory up on the roof without having to buy any more land. We ac-

Rooftop parking and a new clock tower took this dealership to a whole new level.

tually built a new structure over the top of the existing concrete building.” Load testing of the building was Speed Fab-Crete’s first priority to ensure the project could be safely executed, especially since employees would be working in the offices directly below the rooftop parking. “Essentially, swimming pools were fashioned on the roof,” Hanzik explains. “We framed out an area, put a plastic liner in there and filled it with water to simulate heavy loading. Water weighs a little over 8 pounds a gallon, so we can determine how much weight based on the volume of water that we’re stacking this area. Then we can see the deflection of concrete, we can see how much, if any, is pushing down. Obviously, we did all of this testing on a weekend when no one was around and verified that the roof system could handle the loads that we continued on Page 18

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ Feb 2015

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

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Mom, your job is over

Showing stock

HOLT CAT’s Brandon Leonard

L-R: Landmark Equipment’s Ralph Koch and Jeff Burns

attle, horses and sheep weren’t all that was exhibited at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Representatives from construction equipment companies HOLT CAT, Landmark Equip-

ment, Bobcat and Zimmerman Kubota also showed off their stock. The latest in equipment was exhibited for thousands of attendees at the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall Jan. 16 through Feb. 7. –mjm

L-R: Bobcat of Fort Worth’s Toby Decker and Todd Lewis

Mildred Doebbler at 76

n the early evening hours of Dec. 29, Mildred Doebbler took her last breath and left this world for a better place. Her three children, me being the oldest, were with her at the end - which was only fitting since she was always there for us. She was small in size and always very prim and proper. She was also ornery, strong-headed, opinionated and tough when she needed to be. Like I said at her funeral, I am my mother’s son all right. But there was a much different side of her. She always supported the three of us in whatever we decided we wanted to do. She never missed a football or baseball game when we were playing and my sister had many great experiences because of Mom. She was always there to help us and encourage us and her love for the grandkids and us was always the strongest.

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Melissa Jones-Meyer . . . . . Dallas/Fort Worth Editor DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net 817-731-4823 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyndi Wright Production Manager . . . . . . . . . Sue Johnson Sales Representative . . . . . . . . Kent Gerstner Sales Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Reilly Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net

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The Dallas  Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space-available basis. Construction News, Ltd., dba Dallas  Fort Worth Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.

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H Location Dallas/Fort. Worth H Location Austin H Location Houston H Location San Antonio South Texas H Location Publishing the Industry’s News . . .

L-R: Zimmerer Kubota’s Bill Pearson and Rick Schofield

We would sometimes make fun of her little quirks, like dating photos of people in years, months and days. That really came in handy for the funeral, so I guess mother knew best. The last two years of her life were spent in Colonial Gardens Alzheimer's Assisted Living. I know she drove t h e m all crazy at first, wanting perfection for everything, but they came to love her. She was a handful, but they got attached to her and there were lots of tears from staff the day she passed. It was hard to watch this terrible disease take its toll on a once vibrant lady. We can only hope that someday a cure will be found. Mom, you raised your children and took care of daddy but now you can finally rest. Love you always.

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

John Clark President USA Renovations Inc. McKinney, Tx

here opportunity meets preparation, that’s where you will find John Clark, president of USA Renovations Inc. With his enthusiastic drive and entrepreneurial spirit, Clark has embraced out-of-the blue opportunities, and turned them into success stories. How did you start on this path to own your own ceiling and floor company? I actually started my career selling insurance in 2002. Three years later, I saw an opportunity to become a Nationwide Insurance agency branch owner. I had to generate a premium book size to the tune of a couple million in three years. On March of 2008 that goal was successfully reached. It was not until 2008 midyear I realized insurance may not grow as quickly as I had desired. The economic downturn was making growth unrealistic, not to mention the saturated market caused additional pressures on growth. Although I maintained the business at a sustainable growth, I felt I should keep an open mind of emerging markets. And you saw an opportunity there? During the latter part of 2008, there was an opportunity that came along, and that opportunity was building a company from scratch that provided ceiling restoration services to big box centers. Day 1, we sought out experienced workers that had been in the business longer than we had. In April 2009, USA Renovations was in business and our specialty was solely ceiling restoration, which was in heavy demand in big box supercenters nationally. It did not seem as if the economy was stressed due to the demand of our trade. Did you have any reservations about taking on this business at the same time you owned the insurance company? No, I actually had no reservations at all. I saw the idea, the opportunity was there, and I went with it. I knew, “This could be something big.” I had no hesitation. Let’s do it! Whatever it takes, we’ll make it happen.

Do you feel that the entrepreneurial spirit is just something you have always had, and the right opportunity presented itself? Yes. If you have enough desire it will push you forward, there are always opportunities at some point in life, and an entrepreneur will take one of those and make it something. It takes consistent day-to-day persistence, focus and a dream. The path is made up along the way and falls into place. Of course, depending on how impatient you are will determine how quickly you achieve that desire. I never saw myself owning an insurance agency and a construction company. I wasn’t quite sure about what I would be doing at the present, I just knew I wanted to find a great service/product that I would turn into a business to grow the company. That was my dream. How did your work with ceilings grow into a polished concrete business as well? The ceiling business was going great. In 2010, our first year, we completed over 150 projects. Through trial and error, we had our victory year, the one that set the bar. At that time, we had ten crews traveling the U.S. The ceiling company had fantastic profits. During that time, our business discovered polished concrete was an upand-coming industry. As a believer in diversity of what our company has to offer, I felt it was a good addition to our business. I was skeptical of the polish industry at first, but after plenty of due diligence, I realized the risk might be a great longterm investment for the company, maybe this was something that could become something even bigger than ceiling cleaning. Did you have an idea of what you were going to do with it? The average project that we would target was 10 to 20 times the price of a ceiling restoration job. That was the motivation that drove me to take our first project. In 2012, we purchased the equipment necessary to begin. I quickly had to learn all aspects of the polished concrete industry to insure our company was running at an optimal level allowing us to become profitable as soon as possible. I did everything I could to adopt trade secrets and learn the business. Once you get to that point and it all just works, that’s when you feel it’s time to push harder. Now that you’re going into your sixth year with polished concrete as a division of USA Renovations, what advice do you have for people just starting their first year? Take advantage of all training that is made available, especially as the market grows and more training is made available to you. Hire experienced employees – it’s cheaper to hire people that know what they’re doing than to suffer a catastrophic issue that costs more. Today we

John Clark polished his entrepreneurial skills on his ceiling and floor restoration business.

only hire skilled tradesmen that must have five years of experience, not to mention we run them through an extensive training program day 1 to learn the USA Renovations way. What do you enjoy about your work? I don’t run this business like a typical construction company. Most think of dirty floors and unorganized warehouses. From the beginning we have always run our office and our team with great organization and cleanliness. We want our customer to see how we will treat their project. What was nice about getting into this business was it utilized all the skills I was extremely good at handling. From employees, to schedules, to equipment needs, we constantly have to be firing on all cylinders or our competition will surpass us. I enjoy that mind set greatly. The best part is looking back at how far we have come and not seeing any limit ahead of us. Our real competitors are the ones five times our size. Those are the companies that should look out. USA Renovations is coming. What is the next step? We currently have a staff of employees that are top notch, allowing us now to focus on sales and growth. Our reputation is getting out there that USA Renovations is a company of integrity, quality, and one that delivers results. More recently, we’ve been focusing on our website, search engine optimization, and customer acquisition. We’ve hired additional sales staff this year; right now we have several more crews plus a great management team. This is causing our office to be busting at the seams. We have plans to move to a larger 10,000-sf facility to accommodate our rapid growth. How will your growth affect your company? That’s a burning question: How else can we insure we maintain our growth? First you have to sustain what you already have. To insure this we have had to increase diversity by focusing on a few trades the construction market needs. Basically we positioned ourselves to take on

more diverse jobs. Our main focus is polished concrete but we must offer a few other trades to insure stable growth. It also gives our customers a break dealing with fewer companies on a job. We can handle more trades, which causes less need for other companies on a project. Currently we are certified installers of concrete sealants in the interior and exterior of the buildings. We are also certified installers of resinous flooring, which is better known as epoxy flooring. Along with ceiling restoration we feel these four trades will allow for a stable platform to grow from focusing on the trades that allow for the most return on investment. Are you excited about growing your business even more than you already have? Absolutely. Our staff and I have a burning desire to grow. The company and I will do what it takes to make it happen. Even if our company was four times the size it is today, I still would be pushing as hard, as I believe our service and final product is second to none. The checkpoint for us is going to be the 10th year in business. By that time we will be so much further along. It’s at that point I know we made it and will be seen as a true large business. There really is no limit how big I would like to see the company get. Personally what are your plans for the future? I don’t see myself stopping at all. I was asked by a mentor of mine, “Everyone has a number they want to reach, what is yours?” My response was, “I don’t have a number.” What excites me is seeing something grow. I’m happy where I’m at; seeing something grow from what was, at one point, nothing, is what makes me wake up in the morning. It’s purpose that gives life to someone. This is my purpose. McKinney-based USA Renovations specializes in providing complete ceiling and floor restoration for a variety of larger-scale markets throughout the country. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Vest dressed

Carpe sunum

Ricardo Arguello of Trinity Drywall & Plastering Systems in Fort Worth suits up for a day of site-seeing. –mjm

L-R: SpawGlass Contractors Inc.’s regional manager Weston Voss and preconstruction services manager Ted Sena step outside the Fort Worth office to savor a sunny moment. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

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Submitted to Construction News

Getting her work out

Customer a-prism-ation

L-R: Prism Electric Inc.’s Luis Hernandez, Blake Combs and Dale Payne celebrate good times at the company’s customer appreciation event held Dec. 19 at Katy Trail Ice House. –mjm

So mulch to see …

ven though she loves working in the construction industry, fitness and fashion has always accelerated the heart rate of Warrior Construction president and CEO Gail Warrior. Now, pulses are racing over her new line of fitness wear called Warrior Elements. “I have had a love and passion for health and fitness for many years before I even started Warrior Construction,” she says. “Many people don’t know that when I was working in corporate America, I was also a personal trainer for a gym in Dallas. I got my certification, and what I thought I was going to do as an entrepreneur was open up a small training studio. Life took over, and I had an opportunity to start Warrior Construction, so I kind of put the health and fitness thing on hold. “In the early part of 2013, I decided to go back into it,” she continues. “I’ve always loved fashion, health and fitness. I’ve competed in bodybuilding competitions and fitness competitions over the years and decided to pursue my passion for fashion as well as health and fitness and merge the two.” Warrior was committed to hiring a local manufacturer and found a womanowned manufacturing business in Arlington to produce her designs, which are inspired by the elements. “The name of the company comes from my last name and the four elements – water, fire, earth and wind. I created designs and things that I liked, colors that I thought were fun and bold. I wanted something that was going to be fashionable, that people would want to wear not only when they’re in the gym but some-

Gail Warrior adds an element of passion to her life with a new fitness wear line.

thing they can run their errands in. We have tops that you could actually wear to work with a blazer or a jacket over it.” Warrior is working hard to get her line on the same successful track as her construction business. “The past year was very busy for me creating the designs, researching manufacturing and looking for the right fabrics,” she says. “I created the website to be able to market online and now we’ve been busy creating and looking for additional sales and distribution channels. I was at a trunk show last month and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.” Founded in 1997, Warrior Construction is a woman/minority owned general contractor with offices in DeSoto and San Antonio. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Work while it’s warm

TNLA’s Sarah Riggins welcomes guests to the trade show.

he Texas Nursery and Landscape Association’s 2015 Winter Showcase and Trade Show was TNLA’s first, but they’re hoping it will become (pardon the pun) an annual event. The Austin-based association combined the business management workshop and the new trade show for a one-stop experience tailored to Texas commercial landscaping/hardscaping businesses. “The Texas Nursery and Landscape Association is thrilled to partner with the Dallas Market Center for the first TNLA Winter Showcase for retail growers, landscapers and the green industry of Texas,” Sarah Riggins, TNLA director of EXPO operations and marketing, says. Exhibitors on the first floor of Dallas’ World Trade Center were eager to show visitors their services and supplies, and

Roundtree Landscaping Inc.’s Laura Gruenau

hope the event will grow in years to come. –mjm

There’s ‘snow’ time to slow down! Carlos Santillan, project manager for Fort Worth general contractor Sebastian Construction Company, knows a possible flurry is in the forecast, so he plans to work as much as he can while it’s sunny. –mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Saving tax dollars with a reverse audit John Wellington, Director of State and Local Taxes Lane Gorman Trubitt PLLC Dallas, TX

f you have not paid all of your Texas sales and use taxes, chances are the Comptroller’s Office will let you know about it. However, when you pay too much sales and use tax, no one is going to tell you. To identify overpayments and seek reimbursements, companies should consider conducting a “reverse audit,” whereby it audits its own records looking for overpayments of sales and use taxes. Take Advantage of Tax Exemptions While many companies have sales and use tax compliance systems in place to prevent overpayment, such systems need to be frequently reviewed to ensure that they are working properly. Business expansion or downsizing, employee turnover, or even just human error can compromise the safeguards you have in place, resulting in overpaying sales and use tax. The majority of overpayments come from unclaimed tax exemptions. With a combined sales tax rate in Texas typically exceeding 8%, it can be well worth your time to ensure that you are claiming all of the exemptions that you are entitled to receive. For example, manufacturers are exempt from sales tax imposed on their manufacturing equipment and related replacement parts and utilities. Beginning in 2014, Texas also offers an exemption for certain research and development expenditures. Timing is Everything One of the best times for conducting a reverse sales and use tax audit is at the start of a major capital project. Even if you cannot commit to the time and expense of a full companywide audit, you can still audit the transactions specifically associated with this project. Not only will you uncover overpayments during the project, but you will also be reminded of previous projects with similar transactions. Another excellent time for a reverse audit is when there is a significant change to state tax law. Changes in tax laws are often overlooked, but can result in significant missed opportunities. As the 2015 Texas Legislature ramps up, many sales tax exemptions are being considered. The Anatomy of a Reverse Audit A reverse audit should look at both your tax compliance systems and your purchasing records. It should encompass your entire business and go back as far as the statute of limitations will allow (four years in Texas).

Sample payments that should be reviewed include: • Warehouse equipment • Safety equipment • Maintenance fees • Service transactions • Software licenses • Protective clothing When examining whether you have made overpayments in these or other areas, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of your operations and the applicable tax law. Companies must be able to examine the process as a whole to maximize the benefit from potential sales and use tax exemptions. Worth the Investment Reverse audits can be a lengthy and involved process, but the rewards can make it well worth the effort. When utilized to its full potential, a reverse audit will not only allow you to claim refunds of significant amounts of overpaid taxes, but will also enable you to update your compliance systems to minimize overpayments in the future. The intricacies of sales and use tax law are complicated. Before tackling them on your own, be sure to work with your trusted state and local tax specialists. About Lane Gorman Trubitt, PLLC Founded in 1950, Lane Gorman Trubitt PLLC (LGT) is one of the largest certified public accounting firms headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Dedicated to serving the middle market, the firm represents a broad range of clients, from individuals to public companies, in a variety of industries. LGT offers traditional accounting, audit and tax services, as well as various other specialized services. In an effort to expand the services we provide to our valued clients, LGT has launched three affiliated companies, LGT Financial Advisors, LLC, LGT Insurance Services Inc. and LGT Retirement Plan Solutions.

Invisible exclusions, part II Charles E. Comiskey, Sr. V.P. Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates, inc. Houston, TX

ast month we began the discussion of “invisible” exclusions – exclusions that may not be brought to the attention of the insurance buyer and that will not be declared on a certificate of insurance. Discussed were three endorsements that gutted the contractual liability coverage required in most construction agreements. This discussion focuses on five other largely invisible endorsements that delete needed (and usually required) coverage. Classification Limitation General liability coverage usually covers all operations of an insured. A classification limitation restricts that coverage only to certain specifically listed classifications on a policy. If an operations falls outside of that description (in the insurance company’s opinion), no coverage is provided. For instance, we recently reviewed the coverage for a large excavation contractor. 100% of their work was performed underground, but their classification as stated on their policy excluded any damage to property underground. Good deal for the insurance company, right? Not so good for the unaware contractor. Habitational or Residential Exclusion When addressing a group of contractors, I like to ask how many of them never do any residential work. The vast majority raise their hand. The follow-up question is whether they would do residential work if requested by their largest customer, or their mother or sister, and the story changes. A residential exclusion is an absolute exclusion. There is no exception for certain customers or family members. What is the definition of “residential”? It varies widely and may be negotiable, but many insurance companies have a very broad definition including anything with a bed – homes, apartments, condos/townhomes, jails/prisons, dorms, barracks, sometimes even hotels or motels. If confronted with a habitational or residential exclusion, don’t assume. Ask. Insured vs. Insured Exclusion A Named Insured vs. Named Insured endorsement excludes cross claims against members of the same economic family and is perfectly acceptable. An Insured vs. Insured exclusion, however, excludes coverage for any claim made by any insured against any other insured. If your firm is an additional insured on another contractor’s coverage, it is an insured. An Insured vs. Insured exclusion eliminates all coverage should your firm bring litigation against that other contractor. Subsidence Exclusion A subsidence exclusion is really a thinly veiled construction defect exclu-

sion. The wording varies from insurance company to insurance company, but usually includes reference to collapse of drains, improper soil compaction and movement of earth in any manner. For any contractor performing underground or concrete work, a subsidence exclusion could be deadly. Punitive, Exemplary or Multiplied Damages Exclusion Punitive/exemplary claims against contractors are rare and difficult to prove, but practically every construction-related claim includes an allegation of violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This is a much easier allegation to prove, and if proven the damages are multiplied three-fold. As recommended last month, discuss these exclusionary endorsements with your insurance broker, and verify that they are not included in your insurance program. But what if you are the upstream party depending on a certificate of insurance? Two steps can be taken: 1. In your insurance requirements, state that these endorsements are prohibited on the downstream party’s insurance program; and 2. Require a copy of the Schedule of Forms and Endorsements page verifying that they haven’t been included in the underlying insurance program. If any of these endorsements are being used, obtain copies and read them carefully with the assistance of your insurance broker. Attempt to negotiate around any undesirable wording, or consider selecting another contractor whose insurance program more closely complies with your needs. Next month we will discuss frequently misunderstood additional insured issues and the invisible exclusions inherent in them. Charles E. Comiskey, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, CRM, PWCA, CRIS, CCM, is Sr. V.P. of Brady Chapman Holland & Assoc. and is National Chairman of the Construction Insurance Practice Group of RiskProNet International, the 5th largest brokerage organization in the U.S. He can be contacted at 713.979.9706 or charles.comiskey@bchinsurance.com.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Wood for wishes

Superintendent Tim Cox, Tim Cox Construction, measures his cut on lumber that will build the new a Wish with Wings office addition in Fort Worth. Southlake Commercial Construction serves as the general contractor on the 988-sf project. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 7

Don’t spoil your claim

Forklift Safety

Karen Landinger, Principal Cokinos, Bosien & Young Austin, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

t is common knowledge that if you plan to sue the driver who ran into you at the intersection, you need to photograph, inspect and adjust your damages to preserve your claim. What seems so obvious in the context of an automobile accident often gets lost on the construction site. Deadlines, schedules and weather can all make the need to correct a problem seem more urgent than the need to document the problem. However, without proper documentation, notification and preservation, you might end up picking up the bill for someone else’s mistake. In simple terms, spoliation is the improper alteration or destruction of evidence that is important to the evaluation of claims in litigation. The spoliation of evidence may give rise to a presumption and instruction to the jury that the evidence would have been harmful to the party who destroyed or failed to preserve it. Last year, the Texas Supreme Court instructed that a duty to preserve evidence exists when “a party knows or reasonably should know that there is a substantial chance that a claim will be filed and that evidence in its possession or control will be material and relevant to that claim.” Brookshire Bros., Ltd. v. Aldridge, 438 S.W.3d 9, 20 (Tex. 2014). A spoliation instruction will be provided where “(1) the spoliating party acted with intent to conceal discoverable evidence, or (2) the spoliating party acted negligently and caused the non-spoliating party to be irreparably deprived of any meaningful ability to present a claim or defense.” Petroleum Solutions, Inc. v. Head, 11-0425, 2014 WL 7204399, at *5 (Tex. Dec. 19, 2014). As a result of job site dynamics, spoliation is a considerable risk in the construction industry. In the Miner Dederick case, the spoliation of evidence resulted in the loss of a $727,000 verdict by Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Corporation (“Gulf”). Miner Dederick Const., LLP v. Gulf Chem. & Metallurgical Corp., 403 S.W.3d 451, 455 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2013, pet. denied). Gulf contracted with Miner Dederick for the expansion of a hazardous material containment building which included the pouring of a new foundation. Following completion, the foundation began leaking at an expansion joint. Gulf requested that Miner Dederick repair the expansion joint pursuant to a warranty.

Miner Dederick refused to remedy the defect, but sent three separate requests to Gulf asking for the right to inspect the expansion joint. Gulf denied Miner Dederick’s requests, and undertook repair which included covering the expansion joint with a new sealant and pouring several inches of concrete over it. Gulf subsequently sued Miner Dederick for the cost of the repairs. During trial, Miner Dederick sought a spoliation instruction asserting that Gulf destroyed or concealed evidence regarding the alleged defects of the expansion joint. The trial court denied the request and awarded Gulf $727,000 in damages. On appeal, the First Court of Appeals ruled that because Gulf was aware of the chance that it would file a claim against Miner Dederick, Gulf had a duty to preserve the expansion joint, and, by resealing the joint and covering it with concrete, Gulf breached that duty. The court also found that Miner Dederick was injured by Gulf’s action and consequently reversed the judgment of the trial court. Given the harsh effects of a spoliation instruction, contractors would be well advised to err on the side of caution when it comes to preserving evidence. Merely taking photographs and documenting expenses may not be sufficient. See id. at 470 (finding that the value of the spoliating party’s photographic documentation was insufficient because the non-spoliating party did not have opportunity to conduct forensic testing). The Miner Dederick Court suggested that if a party has a legitimate need to destroy evidence, it might discharge its duty by giving the other party notice of the claim and a right to inspect and test the evidence before its destruction. The failure to follow procedures may result in a loss far greater than the delay. Karen Landinger is a principal of Cokinos, Bosien &Young, a full service law firm with offices in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. For more information on our services, please visit www.cbylaw.com

Construction News JOB SIGHT

It’s the bomb!

Mechanical contractor DeColores Industrial gets a lift at the Bomb Factory in Dallas’ Deep Ellum district. The historical building was originally an automotive plant and then an actual munitions factory during World War II. Once construction is complete, it will become the largest concert venue at 48,000sf. C1S Group is overseeing the design-build services. –mjm

afety rules developed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulate the safe use of forklifts and other “powered industrial trucks” in the workplace can be found in 29 CFR 1910.178. This standard is available at the OSHA web site: http://www.osha.gov A forklift is a powerful tool that allows one person to precisely lift and place large heavy loads with little effort. Using a tool such as a forklift, cart or hand truck instead of lifting and carrying items by hand can reduce the risk that you will suffer a back injury. However, there is great risk of injury or death when a forklift operator: • Has not been trained in the principles of physics that allows it to lift heavy loads, • Is not familiar with how a particular forklift operates, • Operates the forklift carelessly, or • Uses a forklift that is not safe due to malfunctioning or missing parts. Whenever an attachment is used that could affect the capacity or safe operation of a forklift, its use must be approved by the forklift manufacturer. The employer must mark the forklift to show the new weight with attachment. The maximum capacity at the highest elevation must also be shown. OSHA standards require that the employer ensure that a forklift operator is competent to operate the forklift he or she is assigned to use. The employer must document operator training and an evaluation of the operator’s performance while using the forklift.

Refresher training must be given if the operator is observed operating the truck in an unsafe manner, is involved in an accident, near miss, or is assigned a different type of truck. In a car or truck the front wheels steer the vehicle. A forklift has the steering wheels in the rear. The rear end of the forklift swings in a circle around the front wheels that support most of the load. The operator must check that there is room for the rear end to swing when making turns. A forklift is not as responsive as a car when turning the steering wheel. Rear steering makes it difficult to stop a forklift quickly or swerve and still maintain control. It is important, then not to drive a forklift fast or round corners quickly. If you drive a forklift on an incline, you must keep the load on the uphill side. Otherwise, you may have no weight on the wheels that steer and can lose control! The load could also fall off or cause the forklift to tip. Often a large forklift load obstructs the driver’s view in one direction. It may be necessary to travel long distances with the load to the rear (in reverse for most forklifts). natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Precision vision

hat was supposed to be a seasonal mechanical engineering position turned into something much more permanent for Cody Shook. “I started in the industry the summer after I graduated high school,” the owner of Precision Flow Engineering remembers. “The truth of the matter is, I got into it as a summer job and just kind of never quit!“ Even as Shook took night classes at the University of Texas at Arlington to earn his mechanical engineering degree, he always managed to stay in the industry. He worked his way Cody Shook took his years of knowledge and experience and turned them into his own TAB and Cx company. up to operations manager, and, though happy in the position, the desire to start his own busi- of fun and I never really lost heart. There ness was growing. In April 2013, he took were a lot of challenges, times of high the plunge starting his own Testing, Ad- profits and times of no profits, but I never justing, Balancing (TAB) and Commis- for a minute doubted that we were going to be okay. We’re starting to find our name sioning (Cx) firm in Mansfield. “I come from a reasonably long line in more and more specifications and of self-employed people,” he says. “I there’s not a billboard in Texas that can don’t know if you can subscribe to the buy us better exposure than that.” As he grows his business, Shook has fact that entrepreneurship is in your blood, but my family have always worked a clear-cut mission. for themselves in some capacity, wheth- “We’re very proud of the customers er part-time or full-time. Somehow that we’ve earned and of the product that bug got planted and it was very difficult earned their business. I’m also very proud to shake. I knew that when I got to be 70 of the personnel we put in the field and years old, if I didn’t at least try [to start the pay and benefits we’ve been able to my own business], I was going to have offer this early in the game.” “I want repeat customers that like quite a significant void in my life.” Fortunately, his years of work experi- dealing with us. I want my employees to ence had prepared him for the unex- come to work every day without dreading it and to go home safely. And,” he pected. “The first year was an extreme adds, laughing, “I’d like to make a few amount of work and was an adventure,” bucks! Those are my three goals and I he says. “The highs and the lows were a lot doubt they’ll ever change.”–mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Round-Up

Dos décadas

The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) celebrates two decades of service to local small and emerging contractors! L-R: President John Martinez; board member Ruben Landa, K Strategies Group LLC; board member Marciela Reyes, Reyes Group; Aguirre Roden Inc.’s Pedro Aguirre; board member Perfecta Gallegos, City of Dallas; Innovation Mechanical’s Mike Treviño Sr.; Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Monica R. Alonza; and Chairman of the Board Ben Muro, Acme Brick –mjm

MYCON General Contractors in McKinney announced that John Hero, LEED AP BD+C, has joined the company as business development manager. Prior to joining MYCON, Hero served eight years as business development manager for another major general contractor. He also executed market growth strategies for Gilbane Building Company and oversaw business development activities at ATC Associates. Hero attended the University of Minnesota and is a LEED AP with a specialty credential in Building Design and Construction.

Layne has openings for the following positions: Project Foreman in Frisco, Texas

Position requires 10 years of related work experience in slurry wall technology and 10 years of experience with hydromills, diaphragm wall grab, drag line or drill attachment. Experience may be gained concurrently. Travel required, dependent on job site location. Must be able to temporarily relocate as necessary for long term assignments to various unanticipated project locations in US. Requires strenuous activity such as walking, bending, climbing and being able to lift minimum of 50 pounds and the ability to work in difficult ground conditions and work environments.

Multiple openings for a Hydromill Operator in Frisco, Texas

Foreman – Specialized Heavy Equipment in Frisco, Texas

Interested applicants should forward a resume to: Jean Witt Layne 6811 Ash Street Frisco, TX 75034

Balfour Beatty Construction announced that Deren Wilcox has been hired as vice president of business acquisition for North Texas. Wilcox, who will be based in the company’s Dallas office, has more than 15 years of experience in the AEC industry. Wilcox holds a Masters of Organizational Leadership and Ethics MSOLE from St. Edwards University in Austin and a Bachelor of Science from The Citadel in South Carolina. Architecture, engineering and planning firm SmithGroupJJR announces the addition of Kevin Glasscock AIA, LEED AP, as senior project manager at its Dallas office. Previously an associate principal at Omniplan Architects, Glasscock brings nearly 30 years of experience to the firm. BakerTriangle has promoted David Long to president of Triangle Plastering LTD of Mesquite. Long is an eight-year veteran of BakerTriangle and was formerly project manager for Baker Drywall Dallas. He will manage all plastering operations for TPL across the state of Texas. Lee Ann Collins has been named the fourth managing partner of CPA firm Lane Gorman Trubitt, PLLC. Collins, who previously served as partner, will replace managing partner Bob Knight, who will remain as partner to help Collins in her transition. Collins acquired her BBA in accounting from Abilene Christian University and began working on construction industry clients at Dohm & Wolff (which merged into LGT), first in the auditing and then in the accounting and consulting department, where she became department leader. She will oversee day-to-day operations and long-term planning for the firm. Hill and Wilkinson General Contractors announces the following promotions in the firm’s Richardson office: Matt Sisco, LEED AP, has been promoted to vice president - division manager/institutional. Sisco, a 15-year veteran at Hill & Wilkinson, has been involved in supervising the construction of more than 16 million s.f. of commercial projects. He is a Texas A&M University graduate with a degree in construction science. Matt Smith, LEED AP BD+C, has been promoted to vice president – group manager/healthcare. Smith, who holds a degree in construction science from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Regis University, has 18 years of experience in the construction industry with a focus on healthcare projects.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 9

Mother Nature cranks up winter by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Premier Yamaha Boating Center, Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, Interstate Batteries, Pure Fishing, Mirr-O-Lure, ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.

s we roll into February, which I consider our coldest part of the winter, we are faced with constant weather changes. Cold fronts every four to five days followed by warming trends in between. This makes it hard to plan for any type of outing on the water, mainly because you never know how severe the weather is going to be, and depending on an accurate weather forecast is practically impossible. For this reason, you must be ready to roll on the spur of the moment. February can be a tough time to locate fish, but with a little knowledge of fish habits, you can eliminate a lot of wa-

Mark Afram of Corpus Christi caught this 4-lb. Speck on an Original Corky Devil on a cold morning last month in Baffin Bay, while fishing with Capt. Steve Schultz. Water temp. was 46 deggrees at the start of the day.

ter and narrow down the areas in which you want to fish. Learn to read the water. By that I mean look for signs of baitfish and game fish that may be present. Some examples would be, starting with the most obvious, is feeding sea gulls. Find the feeding gulls and specks are sure to be present. Feeding pelicans are another dead give-away. Schools of hungry specks are feeding on the shrimp or baitfish, sending them fleeing to the surface to escape. Another sign of feeding specks are so called “SLICKS.” The active feeding of game fish and regurgitation of baitfish they are eating cause these oil slicks floating on the surface. You will usually detect a sweet smell near the slicks. Fishing under and around these slicks is very productive for specks, as most fish will be caught on the bottom as they wait for injured baitfish and/or the remains of

The buck drops here

eneral contractor Rogers-O’Brien’s deer lease has quickly become a place where memories are made. Project superintendent Tony Dougherty recently scored this 10-point deer, field dressed at 150 lbs. Dougherty had just packed up his gun when he spotted the deer ready to step out, saying “I had to reload and everything.” Project manager Dustin Moore’s son, Caleb, recently shot his first deer, an 11-point buck with a 16-inch spread, at the lease. The father and son are so proud of the buck that it might just earn a place of honor in their game room at home. –mjm

Tony Dougherty’s “10”

Dustin Moore’s son Caleb with his first deer

baitfish falling from the surface. The best way to fish the birds or the slicks is to quietly drift or wade into the area being extra careful not to disturb the feeding fish. If you’re in a boat equipped with a trolling motor, use it instead of running your outboard! Fishing pressure is beginning to be a big issue this time of the year. With most of the anglers wading and pre-fishing for upcoming tournaments, you can bet there will be someone in a spot where

your want to fish, especially if it’s one of the more popular spots in Baffin. Cathead, East Kleberg and some of the other well-known areas that have been known for big fish will be congested always. If you’re in one of the more popular spots and fish don’t seem to be biting, don’t throw in the towel too early. When you decide on an area to fish, give it time. I sometimes see a fisherman pull into an area to fish and get out of his boat. If he is not catching anything in a short while, he will get back into his boat and leave to try another area. It’s important to fish an area thoroughly. This time of the year your cast-to-catch ratio is probably going to be 300 to 1. In the product section this month is something that every angler must have if they are wading in fridge water of the Laguna Madre. My Simms waders are by far the most important item on the boat during the winter months. They are the toughest, driest, and most comfortable pair of waders I have ever owned. Layering up with Simms clothing and finishing out with your Simms waders, you will be assured that you can with stand Mother Nature’s hashish conditions. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Already booking for the 2015-fishing season. Good luck and Good Fishing.

STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

(361) 813-3716 (361) 334-3105 www.baffinbaycharters.com steveschultzoutdoors@gmail.com U.S. Coast Guard & Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country,. You can hear Ken on radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 6-8 AM on AM 1300, The Zone – Austin, or http://www.am1300the zone.com

How to get the most from your guide I have been a fishing guide since 1981. I have fished thousands of trips and met jillions of fine people. For the most part things go well, but not every time. Sometimes people can mess up their own trip without even trying. Here are some tips to help you always get the most out of your guided hunting or fishing trips. 1. Give your guide some lead-time. This is especially important if you need a trip during a high demand time like spring break or summer vacation. Remember, if you know about a good guide, there are probably a couple of thousand other people that have his phone number too. The further you can plan ahead, the better chance you get the day you want. 2. It is never a good idea to change the game plan without advising your guide. It is understandable that the number of people in your party might change between the time you book a trip and finally get to go. Tell your guide so he can have what is needed for your trip at hand or help you make other arrangements. If you find

you are running late, let your guide know. 3. Don’t show up to your fishing or hunting trip stinking drunk. Nothing spoils a good time like having to wag a semi-conscious hunting buddy all over the pasture with you. Find out what your guide’s policy is regarding alcohol. If it is permitted, be sure you have a designated driver so you don’t have to sleep it off in the guide’s back yard. 4. Try not to bring too much stuff. When you are on a guided trip you need to be able to move around well and not be hindered by gadgets, excess baggage and monster ice chests. Ask your guide what you need to have with you. 5. Keep an eye on the weather, not the weather where you live, but the weather in the locale where you will be fishing or hunting. Every year we see a lot of people bail out of the truck looking like they came to the wrong party. Weather is not just what happens to you on the way to the car. When in doubt, call your guide. You can be sure he will know what to expect because his very livelihood depends on him knowing what direction the wind is coming from.

6. If you are an experienced hunter or fisherman it’s okay to share your stories with the rest of your party. Just don’t be a know-it-all. When you hire a guide, you are getting a chance to learn from his experience. Everyone does things in their own way and you are sure to pick up something useful if you just keep your eyes and ears and your mind open. 7. Don’t expect the guide to discipline your children. If your kids are disruptive and disobedient, they may not be ready for a guided hunting or fishing trip. Most guides enjoy getting to work with kids because it’s fun to see them have a good time and learn something new, but your trip is still serious business. Just remember you hired a guide, not a babysitter. 8. Last but not least…tipping. If your guide has done a good job for you, reach in your pocket and tip the man. Your tip will be much appreciated and will let him know he did you a good job. Try not to ask your guide to give you back $2.50 in change. C’mon! In short guides are people too. We want to do the best job for you that we possibly can if you will let us.

Submitted to Construction News

Bow wow Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You

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Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

Ryan Halfmann of concrete contractor ConScape Inc. nabbed this 10-point buck on a recent hunt in Protection, Kansas. Halfmann used a bow and arrow at 20 yards to get the buck. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 11

Submitted to Construction News

Animal all stars

n Alexandra Acosta’s house, all of the pets are characters, and their movieworthy names are proof! The Action Gypsum Supply sales representative is the proud owner of Boston terrier “Riddick,” a Persian Himalayan named “Optimus Prime,” “Eve,” a lionhead rabbit named after the “Wall-E” character, and guinea pigs “Peter Parker” and “Mary Jane” (who, incidentally, is male). In Acosta’s opinion, they steal the show! –mjm

Eve (center) with Peter Parker and Mary Jane plan their escape.

Buck truth Castro Roofing of Texas’ AJ Rodriguez got this buck on a winter trip to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Sherman. Estimated at 200 inches, this 15-pointer was shot with a bow and arrow, which is Rodriguez’ preferred method of hunting. “Before shooting this buck, I watched him fighting another buck for a few minutes,” Rodriguez recalls. “After showing his dominance, he proceeded to walk down the trail where I had been stalking him for the last few days. When the moment of truth came, I was completely jacked up with adrenaline, so it was very difficult to maintain my composure. I remember my hand trembling as I began to draw the bow back. The interesting part for me is that once the bow is drawn, everything goes into slow motion, the adrenaline goes away and there is a feeling of complete relaxation. After the shot you go through everything that you experience before drawing back the bow, for what seems like a long time.” –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

The buck stops here Optimus Prime is optimally fluffy.

All about that bass

uperintendent Larry Kirby of Ridgemont Commercial Construction in Irving took it to the limit one more time when it came to his catch on a recent fishing trip. One of his best was a 16-lb. striped bass. –mjm

L-R: Carson and Connor Schultz both harvested their first buck this season. (Capt. Steve Schultz’s sons (Steve Schultz Outdoors) Carson’s deer was a straight up six-pointer weighing 165 lbs. and Connor’s deer was an eight-pointer weighing 175 lbs. Both deer were harvested in McMullen Co. Way to go boys! Made Dad Proud!! –rd

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Far trek

efore she started navigating the wilds of the construction industry, Austin Industries estimating clerk Taunda Tustison lived for a year in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has yearned to return ever since. Four years later, she got her chance, traveling 30 hours last December to her former home. Once there, she headed straight for White River, Mpumalanga to spend Christmas with nearly 30 relatives on her cousin’s large timber-community farm. The balmy 85-degree weather meant she spent Boxing Day jet skiing and swimming on the dam. She then visited Kruger National Park where she fulfilled a lifelong dream to see a leopard, which she calls one of her “top 5 animals.” Tustison also saw a large herd of nearly 75 buffalo (a rarity in those parts, she was told), a black rhino, elephants, giraffes, baboons, zebras, kudu and hippopotamuses. Johannesburg was Tustison’s next stop, but she didn’t seem to stop at all. Inspired by her college professor aunt who protested against apartheid and met Nelson Mandela, she visited the Apartheid Museum “It was really cool to be able to see what [my aunt] stood up against,” Tustison says. “It was intense; I sat in a replica of a cell that Nelson Mandela was in on Robben Island. To experience that, and then to see how this man was so happy and kind, made me realize how lucky I am.”

Elephants crossing at Kruger National Park.

Tustison took a licking during her “cheetah walk.”

Afterward, it was time to get up close and personal with the region’s wildlife. “I went to the lion park and actually got to pet two baby lion cubs and a fullgrown cheetah during a cheetah walk – we got to walk with it and pet it. It licked me to pieces! Even though it’s a tamed animal, you can still tell it’s a wild animal! You have to stroke a cheetah really hard, or else it will think you’re a fly [buzzing it,

and get agitated]. I’m really glad I got to do it; that was one of my favorite parts of the trip.” To top off her vacation, Tustison indulged in a bit of shopping. Eager for a momento to remind her of her love for South Africa (although she’d love to forget Johannesburg’s abundance of snakes), she settled on a stone carving of two giraffes kissing. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

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Forecast: Sunny

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Steeling away

hat growth can the design and construction industry expect to see on both a local and national level in 2015? That was the question on attendees’ minds as they took their seats at Dallas’ Latino Cultural Center on Jan. 20. Fortunately, nationally recognized analysts Cliff Brewis of Dodge Data & Analytics and Anirban Basu, chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors, provided optimistic forecasts for the upcoming year at the 2015 Economic Outlook, hosted by the American Institute of Architects and TEXO. Brewis assured the crowd that they lived and worked in “one of the best places to be” due to the diversity of the local economy. Non-residential building was expected to grow. Consumer demand is expected to refocus attention on distribution centers. Retail construction may lean toward renovation rather than new construction. Healthcare construction, while higher than it has historically been, might decline a bit, and education construction indicates “a positive direction.” Supporting many of Brewis’ predictions, Basu regaled the crowd with his witty and informed presentation on what’s ahead for the construction indus-

Speakers Cliff Brewis and Anirban Basu

try, offering insights into what specifically drives each sector and what it means for construction in 2105. After the presentations and a drawing for an Apple Watch, more than 300 attendees took advantage of networking time during happy hour before attending presentations by the Young Constructors Council. –mjm

What’s your most annoying habit? Ryan: I’m too impatient – no patience at all when people move slow. I want to get something done. Lance: I’m thinking about my answer … (to his brother, Ryan) What do you think? Ryan: I don’t think you’re very patient either. Ryan and Lance Halfmann, ConScape Inc. (Clearing his throat) That; what I just did. I do it all of the time. Allergies. John Clark, USA Renovations My most annoying trait is pacing, especially when I’m on the phone. I probably pace 15 miles a day on the phone. I can’t not do it; it’s impossible! I have an office, and it’s kind of cramped. I’m sure my employees get annoyed when I invade their personal space, just ricocheting off the walls when I’m on the phone. I can’t help it, and it’s irritating, that’s all I can say! Cody Shook, Precision Flow Engineering My husband Aaron teases me that there is only 24 hours in a day, because I try to cram so much into those 24 hours! Renee Gilmore, Firemans Contractors Inc. My most annoying trait is that I am always talking on the phone with clients, so it is annoying to the office staff as they hover around me waiting their turns to talk to me and then get interrupted with more clients’ calls. AJ Rodriguez, Castro Roofing My most annoying trait is that I expect everyone to work as hard as I do when they’re here! I have some youngsters here who are dragging their feet! Fabian Grimaldo, All-Tex Supply Inc. My most annoying trait is that I repeat myself a lot! It’s like I feel I’m not clarifying myself and someone says, “You’ve already said that!” I tend to over-explain. Kim Cogbill, Perma-Pier My most annoying trait is that I talk too much! You could say I’m a Chatty Cathy, except they named me Elizabeth! Elizabeth Dahlgren, Lane Gorman Trubitt

My most annoying trait probably is that I am a workaholic, since I get here at 6 a.m.! I expect everyone else to be a workaholic too! Mark LeMay, JQ Co-workers have told me I whistle too much! I used to work in an open office with cubicles, and whenever I would start whistling, my office mate would grab his stress ball and throw it at me. That was the nicest thing he threw; sometimes it would be something a bit harder! Some people either really like whistling or really don’t. Ted Sena, SpawGlass Contractors

L-R: George Chavez and Mario Zarate of steel fabricating and erecting company MACON Inc. work on Westover Village’s newest 10,000-sf retail space. Ridgemont Commercial Construction serves as general contractor on the project, which is overseen by superintendent Larry Kirby. –mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Submitted to Construction News

It’s time

Glad hatters

A Seiko watch was the perfect parting gift for administrative assistant Julie Meeks when the time came to retire after nearly 16 years at Frank W. Neal & Associates Inc. Meeks (center) was presented with the watch by Jane and Frank Neal at the company’s Christmas party Dec. 21. Meeks, a member of the Society for Design Administration’s (SDA) Fort Worth Chapter, will continue to head up Canstruction as she has for the past decade and plans to travel with her parents, spend time with her five grandkids and looks forward to the summer birth of her sixth grandchild. –mjm

L-R: 2014 AIA Dallas president Lisa Lamkin AIA “passed the hat” to incoming president Bob Bullis AIA at the association’s holiday party Dec. 4. The hat, signed by past presidents, is adorned with a dime store tiara to honor female presidents who have held the position. Bullis will sign the hat when he passes it to current president-elect Zaida Basora FAIA in December. –mjm Photo courtesy of WJN PHOTO

Rock stars

ccolades were carved out for natural stone craftsmanship leaders at the North Texas Stone Fabricators Association’s second annual awards gala. More than 150 people attended the event, held Jan. 16 at Arlington Hall at Lee Park and coordinated by Elliott Fischer, IMC Stone Collection. In addition to the awards gala, a highlight of the evening was “Cocktails for the Cure”; Curb Appeal Renovations’ Robin Burrill, president of American Society of Interior Designers’ Texas chapter, was honored, with all event proceeds donated in her honor to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Wes Cooper, Choice Fabricated Stone and Cooper Excavation, was also honored at the event with a lifetime achievement award. –mjm

Residential Design Features: 1st Place: The Granite Shop Project: Gaywood Fireplace Architect/Designer: Tracy Rasor ASID, Dallas Design Group Suppliers: IMC Stone Collections Honorable Mention: A&A Granite and Limestone Project: Honey Onyx Bar Suppliers: IMC Stone Collections Residential Kitchens: 1st Place: Choice Stone Project: Montgomery Residence Architect/Designer: John Young Suppliers: IMC Stone Collections, Levantina Light Commercial: 1st Place: A&A Granite and Limestone Project: Highland Park Courthouse Main Entry Architect/Designer: Larry Boerder AIA Suppliers: Continental Cut Stone

L-R: Robin Burrill, TEXAS ASID chapter president, and NTSFA president Bobby Gladu.

Honorable Mention: Active Granite Project: Koerth Kitchen Architect/Designer: Judy Koerth Suppliers: Expo Stone

Additional winners: Light Commercial Honorable Mention: Stone-Tec Project: Lobby of Hunt Oil Architect/Designer: Judy Pesek ASID, Gensler Suppliers: Stone-Tec

Artistic Design: 1st Place The Granite Shop Project: Mulhouse Gallery Floor Architect/Designer: Alana Villanueva ASID, Avid Associates Suppliers: The Granite Shop

Artistic Design Honorable Mention: The Granite Shop Project: Rufford Court Architect/Designer: Joanie Wyll ASID, Joanie Wyll & Associates Interior Design Suppliers: The Granite Shop L-R: NTSFA president Bobby Gladu congratulates Wes Cooper on receiving a lifetime achievement award.

Residential Baths: 1st Place: The Granite Shop Project: Woodfin Bath Architect/Designer: Tracy Rasor ASID, Dallas Design Group Suppliers: The Granite Shop Honorable Mention: The Granite Shop Project: Hamilton Powder Vanity Architect Designer: Alana Villanueva ASID, AVID Associates Suppliers: The Granite Shop Craftsman Award: Jesus Bustos, Artistic Design, The Granite Shop (Mulhouse Gallery Floor)

Construction News ON LOCATION

He digs his work

It’s a dig day for Gerardo Haros of Fort Worth directional boring company Haros Brothers Co. Haros has a “hole” lot of work to do on a White Settlement Road development project. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

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Construction Safety Safety records affect profits Kraig Kyle, CSP, CHST, CHSP, Vice President CORE Safety Group Irving, TX How does construction safety impact a company? With over $55 billion spent annually in disabling workplace injuries and illnesses, workplace safety practices have a tremendous impact, both morally and financially, on organizations within the construction industry. In today’s competitive market, organizations are seeing profit margins shrink and are seeking ways to reduce cost and improve their bottom line. Total Cost of Accident $1,000 $5,000 $10,000 $25,000 $100,000

$100,000 $500,000 $1,000,000 $2,500,000 $10,000,000

Profit Margins 2% 3% $50,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,250,000 $5,000,000

$33,000 $167,000 $333,000 $833,000 $3,333,000

Our clients have recognized that, by implementing an effective zero accident culture, they have been able to influence their worker’s compensation premiums, reduce turnover and related overhead cost, ultimately increasing profitability, and creating a differentiator between them and their competitors. How important is a good safety record in the construction industry? A good safety record is not only cru-

4% $25,000 $125,000 $250,000 $625,000 $2,500,000

5% $20,000 $100,000 $200,000 $500,000 $2,000,000

cial in remaining profitable, but also in remaining competitive. The majority of construction projects are bid versus negotiated, and when you consider that labor cost makes up approximately 40% of all construction cost, worker’s compensation premiums between contractors can vary by as much 2% of the construction value. Bearing in mind that most construction companies are fortunate to make 5% OH&P on most projects, 2% becomes a major factor in whether or not a

Cultural transformation: Establishing safety as everyone’s core value Chris Williams, Safety Director Associated Builders & Contractors Inc. Arlington, VA

onsider these two safety vision statements: - “On every project, at all times, safety is our top priority.” - “We make NO compromise with respect to morality, ethics, or safety. If a design or work practice is perceived to be unsafe, we do not proceed until the issue is resolved.”

Both sound great on the surface - “at all times, safety is our top priority” and “we make NO compromise”. Yet, they reflect two distinctly different safety cultures, which show in their overall safety performance. Consider that, for the company where safety is a priority, their Total Recordable Incidence Rate (TRIR) is a full two times the national average for a construction company of their size and work type. The TRIR for the company that doesn’t compromise on safety, and won’t proceed until safety issues are resolved? 0.20. That’s 95% below the industry average. The simple reason behind why company A and company B have such vastly different safety numbers lies in how leadership and, as an extension, their employees, perceive safety. When safety is perceived as a priority, it means that

other priorities - schedules, cost overruns, etc. - can move ahead of safety. When safety is a priority, the emphasis on performing work safely, every single time, without exception, lags or is shunned completely. A safety climate is established - one that changes constantly and one where safety is important only when things are going well. A true world-class safety culture one where a near-miss, let alone an incident, is considered as a failure to be remedied immediately and learned from to prevent it from occurring again - places safety as its core value, upon which every decision, big or small, is based. The foundation of that culture is leadership’s uncompromising commitment to achieving a zero-incident jobsite and unwillingness to waver from safety as their core value. The structure of a world-class safety culture comes from the total belief, by ev-

company can contend with their competitors. Additionally, with changes to indemnification law and adjustments being made to insurance endorsements, more owners and general contractors are moving to wrap-up insurance programs to eliminate cross litigation and also take advantage of the financial benefits of running a safe project. Accordingly, they are establishing stringent pre-qualification safety requirements and are taking a closer look at the safety culture of contractors before issuing contracts.

ment practices commonly used within the industry. We can then use this assessment to determine the best approach towards reducing their exposures.

What are ways to reduce risk? There are numerous ways to identify and reduce risk, but we like to start off by conducting an assessment of our clients’ safety management and loss control practices. The assessment focuses on a variety of measurements that not only identifies and evaluates areas of noncompliance and risk, but also determines if their current program policies are being effectively implemented or even practical. Additionally, the assessment provides a benchmark for how the organization is performing as compared to federal regulations and best manage-

Does an increase in the volume of construction affect safety? The construction industry is currently booming across many portions of the United States and abroad, which is great news. However, construction organizations are now faced with another challenge; finding enough skilled workers to keep up with industry demands. This brings forth concerns and risk for employers who may hire employees with less experience and lack the time necessary to train employees on critical safety procedures. Additionally, enforcing safety requirements can become a challenge for employers. In scenarios where disciplinary action would typically call for suspending or removing the individual, the lack of skilled labor to replace that individual can make this decision much more difficult, particularly when faced with completion deadlines. CORE Safety Group is a safety consulting group with an emphasis on providing safety and loss control services to the construction industry. –mjm

ery employee, that not only is every incident preventable, but that each employee is responsible to their safety and the safety of those around them. Sounds great in theory, but what about when you have 150 employees on five different jobsites and superintendents with three distinctly different leadership styles? Or, how about, as with Company B (where they don’t compromise on safety and won’t perform the task until it’s completely safe), with 4,000 employees worldwide? Transforming your culture isn’t as difficult as you may think. Again, it all starts with the CEO and senior leadership’s commitment to sending every employee home in the same, or better, condition than which they arrived, and exhibiting that commitment to all employees. That causes a trickle-down effect regional managers and superintendents see this commitment to safety as the core value and, regardless of leadership style, begin to use it with their crews. Focus rewards not on the number of hours worked without a lost-time incident, but individuals who stopped work when they recognized a hazard or who helped a fellow employee safely tie off. In short, everyone is responsible for - and accountable to - each other. Take the Alcoa example; when Paul O’Neill (who would later become Treasury Secretary under President George W. Bush) took over as CEO in 1987, he stated unequivocally that his core value was a zero-injury workplace. He needed to change the culture.

Because of O’Neill, the automatic routine at Alcoa became that, for any injury, the unit president had to report it to the CEO directly within 24 hours and present a plan to ensure that the type of injury never occurred again. If you embraced the system, you were promoted. Floor employees became supervisors; supervisors became directors; directors became vice presidents - if they committed to zero injuries and embraced the routine of making sure you learned everything possible from them to prevent them in the future. What happened next was astonishing - not only did Alcoa’s safety program change from reactive to proactive, but its entire culture shifted - the keystone safety habits O’Neill instituted built new corporate habits that streamlined the company’s manufacturing process and increased profits (and employee salaries). Transforming a safety culture from one where safety is a priority to one where safety is THE core value doesn’t have to be difficult; it just takes commitment and instilling the importance that each team member not only performs their duties safely, but also watches out for their coworkers. It’s about creating a sense of family, building relationships among our employees so that everyone understands that safety isn’t about the individual, but the people and our families that we work and live with. It’s an interdependent effort, and one that, as we’ve seen in the examples above, can be achieved no matter the company’s size. –cw

Page 16

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Construction Safety Partners in safety

be encountered, and how to best ensure protection for the temporary workers.” “The supervising employer is required to set up a method for employees to report work-related injuries and illnesses promptly and must inform each employee how to report work-related injuries and illnesses.”

Jon Marek,

Account Manager and

Casey Wenzel,

Regional Manager

MEMCO

San Antonio and Houston, TX Wenzel

Marek

afety on the job is always a priority. If you’re a contractor, every employee’s safety is your responsibility. But what happens when your employee comes from a staffing company? The answer is that his or her safety and job-specific training is still your responsibility; however, you have a partner in the employee-protection process. Marek Employment Management Company, known as MEMCO, provides skilled tradesmen/semi-skilled workers and unskilled labor for a wide variety of commercial construction companies. Along with local OSHA representative Raul Carrillo, Jon Marek, manager for MEMCO in San Antonio, helped establish a partnership between MEMCO and OSHA through the safety administration’s alliance program. Marek cites excerpts from a document available at OSHA’s website, “Recommended Practices: Protecting Temporary Workers” with guidelines for the responsibilities regarding a contractor and staffing company:

“Staffing agencies should provide general safety and health training applicable to different occupational settings, and the host employers provide specific training tailored to the particular hazards at their workplaces.” “Host employers should provide temporary workers with safety training that is identical or equivalent to that provided to the host employers’ own employees performing the same or similar work.” “Staffing agencies need not become experts on specific workplace hazards, but should determine what conditions exist at the worksite, what hazards may

While the staffing company is the primary employer on paper, the contractor client is still the supervising employer. Marek, who believes most injuries are preventable, equates MEMCO’s role to being like an HR and risk management team. In this joint-venture employment structure, when an employee is injured on the job, MEMCO will respond to the injury, specifically MEMCO employees Marek and David Musquiz, who both have their OSHA 30. They act as the employee rep, and they will handle the injury for their client. MEMCO and their client each records the injury. To promote safety in the industry, MEMCO’s San Antonio facility recently added a classroom where they have already hosted OSHA training classes. Marek explains the goal is to have a variety of inexpensive training opportunities throughout the year. He notes that this gives associations such as the Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) and American Subcontractors Association (ASA) an

additional location to hold their OSHA/ Educational classes. Some of MEMCO’s clients don’t have a facility to do their inhouse training, and they will now be able to use the new classroom. Regarding the benefits of the alliance with OSHA, Casey Wenzel, MEMCO’s Houston-based regional manager, explains, “Establishing a personal relationship with the local OSHA representative gives us great access to information, and having a relationship with OSHA prior to a jobsite inspection, we already have a rapport. So, there is a comfort level, and this is a great benefit to our customers, who are ultimately the responsible party. “It’s all about cooperation. Construction is obviously a high-risk industry, and there are a lot of misconceptions out there with regard to responsibility of temporary employees’ safety on a jobsite. Regardless of whether the employee is permanent or temporary, that employee is the responsibility of the supervising contractor – and as a staffing company, it’s our responsibility to make sure our customers are providing the appropriate training and equipment, and to help provide guidance when needed. “Ultimately, the safety of our employees depends on our customer. If we can help our customers establish a safer worksite, we can help keep costs down, keep breadwinners providing for their family, and hopefully better the industry as a whole.” –mh

Never let your guard down Francisco “Paco” Guajardo, Safety Director, Millard Drywall & Acoustical Construction Austin, TX

hat sparked your interest to work as a safety director, Paco? I worked for many years as a superintendent. During that time I got to see my share of accidents that happen to mostly Hispanic workers. At that time there was very little training specifically done for our Spanish speaking workers. Even now, Spanish workers are more vulnerable if they can’t understand safety instructions. When I was offered the job as safety director for Millard Drywall & Acoustical Construction, I jumped at the opportunity. Vice President Jim Millard was enthusiastic and committed to implementing a better safety program that would make a difference for his employees. What are your daily responsibilities as safety director? I am responsible for promoting and

managing our company’s safety program. I spend a good amount of my time doing site visits making sure our crews are protected from any risk of injury. What is rewarding about your job today? I get a lot of support from my administration. What a big difference that makes when I need to request spending on safety equipment. Our crews are very receptive to my site visit. They know I am there looking out for their safety. I tell them, “the way you left for family and home this morning, that’s the way I want you to return – safe and sound.” I really enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work. I feel like I make a difference.

How have you seen construction safety improve over the years? I have noticed more training tools and many of these written in different languages, which reflects our diversity in our work force. Even some of our suppliers offer safety training. What are the major risks in construction? We all know that the construction industry accounts for the largest number of fatalities due to falls, electrocutions … the list goes on. So it’s extremely important to drive home to our workers that safety always comes first. Never let your guard down! Does Millard Drywall & Acoustical Construction have construction safety classes? Yes, we recently had a fall protection class. The class took place because, as a growing company, we felt the need for our workers to have continuing education on fall protection as a part of our safety program. All of our workers are required to have a working knowledge of safe use of fall protection equipment and systems. What did the foreman learn during the

class? All of our foremen had to wear their harnesses in order for the trainer to observe and show if the harness user was wearing it properly. The foremen were then lifted off the ground enough to have their feet dangling, using a large metal tripod and were taught how to adjust the leg straps of the harness to be able to sit properly in the harness to wait to be rescued. This is key because if at the event a person falls and has a harness and does not adjust the leg straps properly, that person is only left with 15-20 minutes to be rescued. Whereas a person who properly readjusts the harness to be sitting on it instead of dangling is given more time, two hours of rescue time. When sitting in the harness, you are allowed more blood flow to the legs, where in hanging the leg straps of the harness cut off blood flow and because of that it does not circulate to the rest of the body properly. What is on the horizon for construction safety? I believe we are going in the right direction. There is more online training on different safety subjects, but you cannot ever replace a classroom setting. –ab

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 17

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA - Dallas

CSI – Fort Worth

American Institute of Architects

Construction Specifications Institute

Feb. 18: AIA/CSI UTA Building Science EXPO, UTA School of Architecture, 601W. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, 12:30-9pm

AIA - Fort Worth

ICRI - NT

American Institute of Architects

Int’l Concrete Repair Institute

Feb. 18: AIA/CSI UTA Building Science EXPO, UTA School of Architecture, 601W. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, 12:30-9pm

Feb. 12: Membership meeting, The new Dave and Buster’s, 9450 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, 11am

APWA

NARI

American Public Works Association

Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Feb. 8-10: Texas Annual Public Works Short Course 2015 Conference, New Braunfels Civic and Conference Center, Courtyard New Braunfels River Village.

Feb. 10: Meeting, Arizona Tile, 2701 Regent Blvd. #100, DFW Airport, 6-8pm

ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

Feb. 7: 90th Anniversary Casino Night Celebration, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Drive, Dallas, 6:3011pm Feb. 24: 8th Annual TSPE E-Week Awards Luncheon, Plano Centre, 2000 East Spring Creek, Plano, 11:30am-1:30 pm

ASA North Texas

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Tan paint, perhaps?

NAWIC - Dallas Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Feb. 16: Dinner meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, 5pm networking, 5:30pm registration, 6pm dinner and program

NTRCA N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.

Painter Chris Carroll of Lewis Painting in Euless prepares to put another coat on a canopy above a tanning salon on 7th Street in Fort Worth. –mjm

Construction News JOB SIGHT

TEP-top

Feb. 14: Annual Awards Banquet, Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, 6-11pm

American Subcontractors Association

PMI – Dallas

Feb. 12: ASA/TEXO Top Golf Tournament, Top Golf at the Colony, 3760 Blair Oaks Drive, 6-9pm. Feb. 26: Monthly lunch meeting, Las Colinas Country Club, 11:30 am for BPI Meeting, 12 pm lunch and program.

Project Management Institute

Feb. 12: Dinner meeting, Crowne Plaza North Dallas/Addison, 14315 Midway Road, Addison, 6:30pm

RHCA Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

ASSE American Society of Safety Engineers

Feb. 23: 42nd Annual Professional Development Conference of the Southwest Chapter, T. Boone Pickens Training and Conference Center, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas.

CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt Assn.

Feb. 19: Membership meeting, Hackberry Country Club, 1901 West Royal Lane, Irving, 11:30am

CSI – Dallas Construction Specifications Institute

Feb. 27: 8th Annual Pillar Awards Breakfast, Omni Dallas Hotel, 555 South Lamar Street, Dallas, 7-9:30am

TEXO The Construction Association

Feb. 9-10: ABC Legislative Day Feb. 12: ASA/TEXO Top Golf Tournament, Top Golf at the Colony, 3760 Blair Oaks Drive, 6-9pm

TSPE - Fort Worth Texas Society of Professional Engineers

Feb. 17: E-Week Banquet, Ridglea Country Club, 3700 Bernie Anderson Avenue, Fort Worth, 12-2pm

Feb. 18: AIA/CSI UTA Building Science EXPO, UTA School of Architecture, 601W. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, 12:30-9pm

TEPCO Contract Glazing’s apprentice glazer Luis Tristan waves from his perch at the Park Hill Surgery Center in Fort Worth. The 55,000-sf building, which also includes office space, will open in February. Adolfson & Peterson serves as general contractor on the project. –mjm

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Driven to pour

Cowtown Redi Mix Concrete workers show good form as they pour a Fort Worth Baptist Church’s driveway, one of many projects that are part of a two-mile swath of development on Rosedale St. near Texas Wesleyan University. Cowtown Concrete paving foreman Billy Hawkins and Fort Worth general contractor Jackson Construction oversee the project, which will be completed in March. –mjm

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Page 18

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Archi-toy-cture

New year, new roofs

This home was one of two adopted by the NTRCA for a much-needed roof makeover.

James A. Ruff of LEMCO Construction Services, seen here with a K’NEX ferris wheel, was a docent at the event.

dults squealed, “I used to play with one just like that!” Teens with “can you believe they played with that?” looks on their faces whipped out cell phones to take photos. Children played at tables in the “construction zone,” building the next Guggenheim out of wooden blocks or LEGOS. All ages learned how architecture has influenced childhood at “Come Play @DCFA: Building Toys.” Hosted Jan. 17 at the American Institute of Architecture’s Dallas Center for Architecture, visitors examined a toy timeline showing how our fantasies have been built throughout time. On display were vintage and modern toys, including the familiar Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Erector Sets and Barbie Dream Houses, as well as the unfamiliar Eames House of Cards, AstroBrite and Girder and Panel Sets. –mjm

78-year old veteran whose roof was on the verge of collapse and an elderly disabled woman whose unlivable home was plagued with leaks both started 2015 with safer homes, thanks to a yearly tradition started by local roofers. Members of the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA), working with Midwest Roofing Contrac-

tors Association and Rebuilding Together, donated materials, labor and funds to put new roofs on the two South Dallas homes. The NTRCA annually adopts homes to reroof as part of the association’s yearly community project; this year’s project was led by AJ Huckaby, NTRCA president-elect and owner of Springtree Roofing and Restoration. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Check our new website And speaking of searching, don’t worry – we’ve included a nice search function that will allow you to find exactly that story or photo you remember seeing, but can’t quite remember when, in one of our local editions.

So, jump in and start exploring. Let us know what you think. As always, contact us with your questions, comments and suggestions – you can find that information under the “contact us” tab right at the top.

continued from Page 1 — West was best A ‘construction zone’ was designated for kids to build using wooden blocks and LEGOS.

“It worked out well,” Lance says. “We’re able to buy material in bulk. The guys can come here and get stuff rather than making a run to a supply store. We can also do maintenance on our own equipment here. This is the best thing we’ve ever done.” The consolidation of the office and yard has financially streamlined the op-

eration as well. “We’re not throwing away money on rent,“ says Ryan. “And, we’ll have something to sell in the future.” Commercial concrete contractor ConScape Inc. specializes in industrial and machine pits and architectural, decorative and stamped concrete. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Up on the roof would be putting on them.” Once the building was deemed structurally sound, the parking lot was constructed. In 2006 and again in 2010, Speed Fab-Crete had performed this task on buildings adjacent to the BMW dealership, connecting the two buildings with skybridges and outfitting the first with a ramp. A skybridge now also connects the BMW dealership’s rooftop parking lot to these two neighboring buildings, resulting in the three buildings being connected by bridges. The dealership is now able to drive a car up the first building’s ramp and end up parking it at the BMW dealership. With function in place, form was the focus; dealership owner John Chase envisioned the addition of a European-inspired clock tower. Architectural firm Callahan & Freeman designed the 43-ft. tall tower with an analog clock that could be illuminated at night. “Basically, it’s a steel structure that is mounted to the top of the building. We built the structural steel skeleton of the clock and then put a stucco veneer on it,” Hanzik says. “We thought it was a neat architectural feature.” Despite extensive construction, the dealership remained open. “Fortunately, there are a lot of back streets there and we were able to stage the majority of this project coming off the back of the building,” Hanzik says. “That’s how we stayed out of Autobahn’s way most of the time. The only time we couldn’t was when we had a big crane out there and had to clear cars out and move people around. But, other than the

noise they’d occasionally hear, we were pretty much out of their way. They deserve kudos for being able to work around our construction without missing a beat.” Hanzik also commends Autobahn Motor Group for seeking out an efficient way to increase their square footage. “I think they’re good stewards of the land,” he says. “They could have bought more land, tore down buildings to put down big parking lots if they wanted to, but they were conscientious of the look of the dealership and of the neighborhood. This was an opportunity to utilize existing space and be creative in their utilization.” The six-month, 26,250-sf project was completed in December 2014. The relationship between Speed Fab-Crete and Autobahn Motor Group, however, was far from finished. “About the time we finished it up, Mr. Chase called me and said, ‘Hey, we have two buildings left that don’t have roof parking; we’d better start looking at them!’” Hanzik says with a laugh. “So now we’re looking at the adjacent Volvo and the Jaguar dealerships. “It was a fun project,” Hanzik continues. “I feel privileged to work for the Autobahn Motor Group and I just really appreciate their knowledge of construction and input. We’re a great team and it’s a wonderful relationship.” Fort Worth-based Speed Fab-Crete is a design/build general contractor and precast concrete manufacturer. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 19

Surprise!

L-R: SureTec’s John Knox ribs PCL’s Clem Lesch about an old report card from the birthday boy’s childhood.

he guest list was easy. So was choosing the party food. What wasn’t so simple was finding a way to get the birthday boy, Clem Lesch, PCL Contract Bonding Agency, to his surprise 70th birthday party at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Farmers Branch. This came up, then that, leaving some to wonder aloud if Lesch would have to be told about the scheme just to get him there. Finally, a friend called him

They’ve moved forward!

Make a wish!

pleading that he had a crisis only Lesch could solve, and could they meet for a drink at the hall to discuss it? Ever the pal, Lesch came to the rescue, and, unwittingly, to a party where more than 50 of his friends, clients and family were waiting to give him the surprise of his life. –mjm

L-R: Striland Construction’s Gina Strieker, PCL’s Pauline Lesch and Striland Construction’s Traci Strieker L-R: PCL’s Lisa Borhaug, Trenae Donovan and Jennifer Picchi

L-R: Tri Dal Ltd. Rick Muller, PCL’s Eric Lesch with Tri Dal Ltd.’s Tim Mullkin and Doug McNabb

Toyota has officially moved to Plano, where on Jan. 20, a 2015 TRD Pro Series Tundra was rigged with a plow to break ground on the site of Toyota’s $350 million campus. The North American headquarters, which will be stationed at the intersection of Headquarters Drive and Palomino Crossing, will be designed by architect Corgan Associates and overseen by developer KDC and project manager JLL. –mjm

Page 20

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Feb 2015

Office romance

very day is Valentine’s Day for these construction couples who love working together! One couple has only just begun, others have a few years under their belts, and some have celebrated milestone anniversaries, but all of them show how to make love work! –mjm

“Steve commissioned this painting by well-known Texas artist James Spurlock to celebrate our 53rd wedding anniversary,” says Jackie Humphrey. “All of these pictures were taken since we’ve been in business except the wedding picture. In fact, the Hawaii picture was at an ABC Convention and the lower right ski picture was with the Dallas Ski Club in Snowmass, CO on a trip with an architect friend.”

Melissa and Eric Lesch PCL Contract Bonding Agency Married 15 years

Bobby and Diana Tutor Tutor Electrical Service Married 31 years

Steve and Shelba Buyers Buyers Barricades Married 11 years

Jackie and Steve Humphrey Humphrey & Associates Married 53 years

Aaron and Renee Gilmore Firemans Contractors Married 19 years

Willie and Elva Fonseca Willie’s Stone Supply Married 17 years

Casey (Potter Concrete) and Tony Troxclair (Buyers Barricades) Newlyweds

Gretchen and Charles Halfmann ConScape Inc. Married 47 years