San Antonio Construction News February 2015

Covering the Industry’s News

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Volume 18

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Number 3

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FEBRUARY 2015

Check our new website!

Gifts from God

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

Jim and Barb Hrbek’s adopted twins, Sisa and Emil, pursue their interest in judo at Jim’s dojo, Universal Judo.

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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

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arb Hrbek, sales for Hart Acoustical & Drywall, and her husband, Jim, got exactly what they wanted this past holiday season; they brought their adopted twins, brother and sister, Emil and Sisa, home from Bulgaria.

The story of Hrbek’s new blessings began in September 2012, when her oldest son was visiting with his seven children, three of whom are adopted from Ethiopia. When their grandchildren left, Hrbek recalls that the house suddenly felt so empty and quiet, more so than ever.

Having thought about adoption when she was younger, Hrbek believes God had been leading them to adopt. She and her husband have two sons, but with

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ome general contractors are driven by their strong working relationship with an owner – such as G.W. Mitchell Construction building the Cavender Cadillac Auto Dealership in Live Oak. “Working with the Cavenders is a pleasure,” says John Campbell, senior project manager. “Good group of people, high level of integrity with them. So, we had a great working relationship. Billy Cavender, the owner of this store, towards the end of the project was out there on a day-to-day basis, and he just thoroughly enjoyed walking through, seeing what was going on, asking questions – very involved in the process.

“It was a pleasure working with the owners, working with the owner’s rep, which was Robert Hanley. And the design team was just fantastic throughout the whole process. Everybody came together as a team to complete the job, a very ideal situation.”

both fully grown with kids of their own, they had been empty nesters for 15 years.

When she first approached her husband, he thought she was out of her mind. In January, after Hrbek had done research and sent him photos and then grown quiet on the matter, her husband decided that if they were going to do it, they needed to really do their homework.

Two days later, they attended an adoption meeting, intending to adopt a little girl domestically. They got their home study and were searching when Jim found an article online about two orphans in Bulgaria and announced to Hrbek that he had found their children.

A smooth drive

After a year of work on the project, G.W. Mitchell Construction recently completed the Cavender Cadillac Auto Dealership in Live Oak.

Construction began on the project in November 2013 and finished Nov. 3, 2014. After a 12-month build, the site now sports several buildings. The prop-

erty includes a 21,000-sf service shop, 21,000sf for sales and office space, 7,000sf combined from two floors of parts storage, and a 4,000-sf make-ready building

with four detailing stalls and a pressure washing bay. The total square-footage under roof is 51,000.

The only significant issue the build faced was the amount of concrete work that had to be done on the site. With the entire site of close to 12 acres being paved, the biggest obstacle was local restrictions on pouring concrete prior to 6 a.m., though Campbell emphasizes that the City of Live Oak was a great municipality to work with and has fantastic people. They went from an initial estimate of nine total pours for the parking area to 18. The toughest challenge was getting so many small pours done over the course of the job.

When the team got the tilt-wall up for the service bay and make-ready building, they were able to use that space to store primary systems equipment, which made everything a lot nicer while continued on Page 24

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Where the engineer things are

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hildren can read about what it means to be a firefighter, police officer or a doctor, and thanks to Alane and Raymundo Rivera Jr., they can read about what it means to be an engineer.

In 2009, the husband-and-wife professional engineers co-authored and selfpublished “Rocks, Jeans and Busy Machines,” a 32-page storybook in the Engineering Kids series. This first book tells the adventures of Violet and her friend, Pedro, as they embark upon a trip to the playground. Along the way, they come across construction sites and bridges, learning what it means to be an engineer and how engineers help the people and community around them.

The book series is aimed at pre-kindergarten children, because Alane explains that most programs are for children in middle school or high school. In doing their research, Alane says they found most children had already lost interest in the fields of math and science by that age. They wanted to reach out to kids and engage them at an early age.

They purchased the ISBN (International Standard Book Number), had art student Phillip Sada illustrate their story, self-published and had it printed economically overseas. They sold the book

out of their home, and a few local stores, including the Twig Book Shop and the Learning Store at the Quarry, agreed to carry it. They sought a distributor, and now, anyone can order the book on Amazon or through a store like Target or Barnes & Noble.

The pair wrote a second book, “The Strange Sounds Underground,” focusing on geotechnical engineering, whereas the first book focused on structural. They hope to have a book to highlight each branch of engineering. The second book has an ISBN, but the couple is hoping to find a publisher for the book.

Meanwhile, Alane reads the first book to the couple’s own 3-year-old son, Raymundo Rivera III. Though Alane wanted to wait until he was a bit older, the youngest Rivera discovered it and much to Alane’s surprise, stays interested through the whole book every time.

The couple started their own parttime endeavor, Rivera Engineering, in 2006. Alane graduated from the University of Notre Dame with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and earned her master’s from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where Raymundo received his bachelor’s in electrical engineering. –mh

Raymundo and Alane Rivera wrote a book, a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, to introduce children to the field of engineering.

Bullish on Bobby

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L-R: Guillermo Rivera, Dave Winsand, and Bobby Georg are the men who work in the field at Bobby Georg Construction.

eanne Georg, wife of Bobby Georg, credits her husband for getting Bobby Georg Construction off the ground when they started in 1986. She remembers him passing out cards and knocking on the doors of new builders to

keep the excavation company going.

She also credits their employees for staying with them for the long haul – a decade or longer. Currently, they have two employees, Guillermo Rivera and Dave Winsand. Occasionally, they’ll hire help when work picks up in the summer.

She says they always do their best for their employees – and their builders.

Based in Bulverde, they do work in Bexar, Kendall, and Comal counties. With a mostly residential workload, they do excavation, such as driveways and house pads, and install onsite sewerage systems. They also do pools, which helped keep them busy during the slump in Texas in the late ‘80s. She estimates that 5 percent of their work is commercial, which may be septic or a pad site.

Jeanne believes Bobby got his knack for construction from his close-knit family. When Bobby was in high school, his uncle, Alvin Saur, owned Saur Construction and Bobby and his cousin worked summers for the company, which his cousin owns today. Bobby also shares his uncle’s hobby of hunting arrowheads.

Another hobby Bobby indulged was competing in antique tractor pulls, and so, he collected antique tractors for a period of time. He also loves horses. So, he and their youngest daughter used to compete in cutting. Jeanne notes that Bobby still rides, and they still have a couple of cutting horses. Their daughter’s cutting mare is expecting a foal early this spring.

The couple has two daughters. One is practicing law, and one is going to be a CPA. They work just a block from each other in downtown San Antonio. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

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Mom, your job is over

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Concrete artists

The crew from Decorative Concrete Designs & Repairs were hard at work recently repairing a parking lot in downtown San Antonio.

From left, Andrew Hernandez Sr., owner, Juan and Junior. –cw Mildred Doebbler at 76

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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.

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.

Buddy Doebbler, Publisher

Construction News ON LOCATION

Writing on the walls

PRO-LINE At the Walls Across Texas office on Tesoro, Bob Lynch, president, and Denise Weidner, office manager, have their walls covered in character. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Wired for take off

Industry FOLKS Melissa Haefy Outside Sales Midco Sling Company

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L-R: Mike Benke, project manager, and Brett Bieberdorf, principal, are growing Rural’s work in the Lone Star State with renewed vigor.

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ighteen years ago, Rural Electric went city – Alamo City – and now, Mike Benke has come into the San Antonio regional office, located in Adkins, as a project manager who will help run and grow the company’s operations in Texas.

Established in Mesa, AZ, in 1964, the Bieberdorfs purchased the company in 1977. In 2005, the next generation purchased the company, including president and woman-owner Annie Fogerty and her brother and principal, Brett Bieberdorf. Their father, Roger Bieberdorf, attended high school in San Antonio and founded the San Antonio branch in 1996.

At 73, Roger lives in New Braunfels and still works for the company. Benke coming in to manage daily operations and workloads will offer Roger some relief at the office.

With eight full-time employees in Adkins and people coming in from Mesa to augment the regional workforce, one of Benke’s challenges will be increasing

manpower to grow with jobs in Midland, Lubbock, Waco, Abilene and, of course, San Antonio.

Having served as executive director of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) San Antonio Chapter and working with contractors and IEC chapters across the state, Benke has a lot of connections in the electrical industry. Since the workers travel, Benke observes that it’s not realistic to drive back for classes, and he believes that online courses, as well as support for local apprenticeship programs where the jobsites are, will be part of the solution.

As an electrical manufacturer and contractor, Rural holds patents on several products that they have engineered, all related to their specialty, airfield lighting components. Randolph Air Force Base drew Rural to the area for an airport lighting job and engaged them with electrical Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for an additional nine years. –mh

oday, Melissa Haefy enjoys working with her customers at Midco Sling Company and seeing to their rigging and fall protection needs, but she has been working in the sling business since she was in college.

Haefy grew up in Nederland. After graduating in 1978 at the age of 17, she attended Lamar University. She went to the workforce center looking for a part-time job to help her afford school, and she found work at a sling company in Beaumont.

While studying business, she started at the sling company as a halfa-day receptionist, answering phones and posting to cardexes. She was intrigued by what she was posting and wanted to know more about the product. When she had time, she would go into the shop, and her fellow employees showed her the different types of shackles and clips. She learned by watching, absorbing the information like a sponge. At 19, she was branch manager of the sling shop.

Haefy recalls that at that time, some of the older gentlemen would not talk to women on the phone, because women were not in that industry back then. When a man would call and ask to speak with a man to discuss the product, she handed the phone over to her shop foreman. He would take the call, write the information down, and then she would do all of the pricing and availability and fill the order.

“I didn’t care,” Haefy explains.

“Our branch got credit whether I took

the order or my shop foreman took the order.”

She stayed in Beaumont for about five years, and then went to work in Houston for the same company in 1984. She spent more than 20 years working for a couple of different sling companies in Houston.

Seven years ago, her husband, Roger, was ready to retire and she wanted to work for Midco Sling in San Antonio. She had worked with them and really enjoyed working with their people, and she knew Doug Dry, owner of Midco, as well as his father, Bob. With their future on the line, she interviewed with Mike Grendell, branch manager, and the rest is history, she says.

Haefy and her husband, who worked in the heavy equipment industry, built a home in Sabinal where they still live today. The couple has been married for 15 years and has five children and five grandchildren. Roger builds decks and takes care of all things on the home front. They enjoy going for rides on their Harley Davidson. Haefy also enjoys football and is a huge Texans fan. She and her sister also enjoy traveling together. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

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On the level

Installing plumbers

Paul Wolf, owner of San Antonio foundation repair company Perma Jack, is currently serving his last year as president of the NFRA.

Pat Freund, Primo Plumbing, led the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) San Antonio Chapter installation of its 2015 board of directors. The new executive board includes Perry Beyer Jr., Beyer Plumbing, president; Randy Hunter, REC Industries, vice president; Carter Ramzel, Benchmark Plumbing, secretary; and Bret Bartley, Gibson Plumbing, treasurer. The new Board of Directors includes Greg Bolin, Bolin Plumbing; Kevin Chambliss, Chambliss Plumbing; Maurice Fox, O’Haver Plumbing; Don Harrell, Harrell Plumbing; Brittany Moreland, PEPCO Sales & Marketing; and Nathan Cernosek, Insurance One. –mh

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uilding a firm foundation is Paul Wolf’s business, as both the owner of Perma Jack and a founder of the local chapter of the National Foundation Repair Association (NFRA).

Wolf became involved in the Perma Jack franchise when he lived next to the inventors of the system in St. Louis in the mid-‘70s. He and a partner opened a franchise in San Antonio in 1979, and in 1986, Wolf bought out his partner’s interest to become sole owner. The company’s workload is about 50/50 between residential and light commercial.

Today, he has two additional dbas, GeoTest Services, which does limited access core drilling for insurance claims investigations and building reuse for firms such as Raba Kistner and Terracon, and Concrete Raising Services, which does mud pumping to raise unlevel concrete flatwork – patios, driveways, sidewalks – to its original elevation.

In the early ‘90s, the NFRA was just getting started in Dallas, and Wolf helped found the San Antonio/Austin Chapter.

He served locally as secretary, vice president and chapter president. Now, he is serving his final year as national president of the association, a position he has held since 2011.

As national president, he brought in Joe McCullough, Association & Society Management Inc. (ASMI) out of Austin, as the NFRA’s first official executive director.

The association also recently changed its name to add “National” to the Foundation Repair Association. With established chapters in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio/Austin, interest has spread beyond Texas with at-large members in Memphis, Phoenix, Alabama and Mississippi. Wolf is also proud of the NFRA push for legislation to require foundation repair contractors to be licensed.

–mh

In memoriam

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arold Vexler, Monterrey Iron & Metal, passed away in late January in the presence of loved ones. He was 100 years old.

Affectionately known as "Mr. Harold" on the Westside, where he worked from the age of 12, he was the son of Abraham Vexler, founder of Monterrey, and Rose Rosner, both immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Every day, he walked to Stephen F. Austin Elementary School with Henry B. and Luz Gonzales. Keen until the end, he remembered the time when we had a town crier. He knew the story of every street and every old building. He was married to childhood friend, Esther Scharlack, for 73 years. They were longtime

members of Temple Beth-El and Congregation Agudas Achim.

Despite many challenges, he successfully operated Monterrey since his father's death in 1944. The family business included his employees and co-workers, as well as the next two generations of Vexlers. He was proud that not one person has ever been laid off for lack of work. He worked steadily until just a few weeks before his passing.

Survivors include Esther; sons, Jack and Stuart; daughter, Jill; grandsons, Jeff and David; granddaughters, Jordan and Ruthie, and Tibarek; great-grandchildren, Rosie and Henry B; and many nieces and nephews. – mh

Harold Vexler celebrated his 100th birthday last year.

2nd Annual Citywide High School Construction Career Day

APRIL 8, 2015 9am - 2pm Freeman Expo Hall

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1200 select San Antonio and surounding area high school students will attend Hosted by to see equipment and skill demonBYF and TCCI strations and visit with area Sponsored by contractors and profesThe Builders Exchange sionals representing Education Council, Gibson Plumbing, Memco various trades and Zachry Construction Corpration industry Marek Brothers, PHCC, professions.

MCA-SMACNA, Beyer Boys, Moen

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Exhibitor Space and volunteer opportunities still available!

For information call Texas Construction career Initiative (TCCI) 210-701-1893

We do custom rebar fabrication for all types of projects, including shop drawings.

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

opened up Jan. 1, 2008 through an acquisition, the first acquisition that we’ve made.

I have learned that you either grow or you fall. So, you’re either trying to grow and continually improve or you start not improving. Quality Fasteners is always looking for more opportunity to grow and/or help the customer improve.

Larry Matula President Quality Fasteners

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ore than 32 years ago, Larry Matula started his own business out of his garage, and he has been steadily growing his company ever since.

Founded upon the premise that specialty hardware could be more readily and affordably available locally in San Antonio, Quality Fasteners specializes in “hard to find items,” supplying fasteners as well as related hardware and tools.

Matula just turned 60, and today, his family is heavily involved in the business.

His wife has been at his side through the whole journey, and today, she works as controller, and now, two of their children work at the headquarters at I-35 and Thousand Oaks.

Seven years ago, the company made its first acquisition and opened another location off IH 10 and East Houston Street.

Having been in the business for more than half of his life, Matula took some time to reflect on the path to this point.

How did you get started on your own with Quality Fasteners?

Back in ’81, I was working for a national company. I had worked for this company for three and a half years after college. It was a great company. I learned a lot but felt that if I was going to try on my own, now was the time.

So, between the oil field bust, Jill quitting her job and having our first child, Quality Fasteners got started. I’ve always wanted to have my own business from when I was little.

Everything was coming out of Houston and Dallas, and so – why not try to have what you need when you need it at a fair price right here in San Antonio? Although ’82 was probably the toughest time to try to start a business with interest rates at 15 percent, I later realized that was probably one of the best times, because a lot of doors were open to opportunity. I was given opportunity to improve the customers’ situation. My commitment was, I will always stock it and give it to you at a fair price. I worked out that price, and slowly built from there.

Officially, we started Jan. 1, 1983. We had our first baby in December [1982].

My wife quit her job. I quit my job, and started Quality Fasteners. We worked out of the garage for about a year. Then I got a van and was doing mobile deliveries but that was still not big enough. We went to a 2,000-sf warehouse in ’84 and then we moved here on IH 35 and Thousand Oaks in ’88. I-10 [location] was

Why did you choose fasteners?

That’s a loaded question in that it kind of picked me. I got married in ’78, graduated in ’78, and followed a lead in the paper to a job that looked like it paid very well, and it did in time. But it was that business side of things that I learned through survival how to make it work.

Fighting through that was the biggest thing that taught me you have to fight through the obstacles to be successful.

What has been a significant challenge for you in running your own business?

Trying to figure out how to make money when most of your items you sell are less than $1. You really have to work hard at finding the balance of helping the customer and still make enough money to be profitable. It all comes together over time but you have to be patient. Continually helping the customer is the key.

What is your customer base?

Some of the key accounts – we do several major manufacturers for production and/or maintenance for just in time inventory along with large contractors and fleet maintenance from San Antonio, Houston and as far away as the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Several manufacturing plants were a learning boost to getting ISO certified. I decided to do that eight or nine years ago. [ISO] is a quality management system, and most of the manufacturers like to have that type of management system in order to continually improve the systems in place, which has helped a lot. We track a lot of different things. For 11 years, we catered to the Pace Foods plant before they shut down.

Contractors – our largest project was a major play in the USAA expansion with a lot of the contractors there. It was the big parking lot and a major add-on to the building about 10 or 15 years ago. To the other construction sides, there’s a lot of variety because of the variety of products we have. We’re able to cater to the glass companies, fleet maintenance of the construction companies, heavy equipment and many other areas. We get into a lot of equipment rental places.

What percentage of your business comes from contractors or construction/equipment companies?

About 40 to 50 percent.

Tell me more about yourself.

I went to McCallum High School in Austin. I was a baseball player, and I was fortunate enough to get a small baseball scholarship that ended up leading to being drafted in ’74 and played in the minor leagues for a year-and-a-half.

That was my first business experience – that baseball was a business, not a game.

And I was not successful in that, because of my business sense at the time. I did not last as long as I would have liked; however, the best thing from being released from baseball was I met my wife, Jill.

We met in ’75, and then I went to

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Mere weeks after his first child was born, Larry Matula established Quality Fasteners.

But, before that, he took a swing at a different business.

Texas State University in San Marcos, graduated with a business management degree. After graduating was when I took on that job, lived in New Braunfels for three years and moved to San Antonio in ’81. The last 30 years is pretty much the business.

Is your wife involved in the business?

She is a major supporting factor. She has been there from day one. We never forget when we had our first baby that she and Melissa would be out in the garage in [Jill’s] little bit of free time to package the bolts so that we could go deliver them in boxes.

We had Melissa Dec. 4 and started the business Dec. 31. So, her first year, Jill would be in the garage packaging and doing it all. She would do all the books and keep track of the numbers. She’s still very involved. How she keeps up with it all, I’m not sure, but she does, and she does a great job.

Tell me about your children.

We’ve got four kids. We’re very proud of them. My son, Mark, got an industrial distribution degree from A&M and then he started working for us three years ago, and my daughter, Courtney, came on with us about six months ago. Courtney went to St. Mary’s. Our oldest, Melissa, went to A&M and she’s a biology teacher at MacArthur High School. My youngest daughter, Brooke, just graduated from Texas State with a therapeutic recreation degree. They’ve all worked here at some point in time.

Where did you grow up? And what did your parents do for a living?

I grew up in Austin with a family of seven: my parents, an older sister and brother, along with a younger sister and brother. I went to McCallum High School, graduated in 1973. My mother was with State Farm for over 20 years being an underwriter for most of the time, and my father worked for the IRS for 20-plus years, retired and became president of KJT Insurance for eight years.

In school and college, what kinds of activities were you involved in besides baseball?

I worked my way through college working for Burger Chef for five years and was managing the store in San Marcos before I graduated. So, that took most of my time; however, I played my share of pool and racquetball. I enjoy traveling to this day to the U.S. Open and National Racquetball Tournament held every year in Minnesota and now Denver.

What do you do for fun?

I spend most of my time probably playing racquetball and golf.

No more baseball?

No baseball – a little here and there. I might get involved with a company softball team. But I’m an avid racquetball player and golfer. As far as the family, probably the best, most enjoyable trips

are several ski trips we’ve made, but trying to get everybody’s schedule together now is getting more difficult.

Looking back, what are your feelings about the time you played baseball in the minor league?

It was very, very exciting to fulfill one of your dreams, to be able to play with – this is going to date me, but – guys like Larry Dierker and Jimmy Johnson. Not very many people get a chance to do that. I felt very blessed to be in the position I was in, and I was fortunate to do what I did. Maybe I could have done more, but what I learned from it all was very intriguing at 19.

You don’t realize what’s out in the world until you get out there and it’s just – another whole world. Baseball is just a life of its own – a business of its own – and most people don’t know all the backend of what all is truly involved in baseball.

What team did you play for?

The Houston Astros minor league called the Appalachian League in Covington, VA. So, we traveled all through Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.

We traveled by bus – not in the luxury bus. My class was rookie league spring training for 1A ball in Coco Beach, FL. I was a pitcher.

Can you describe a little bit of what a typical season in the minors was like?

Baseball was full time. Sixty-plus games in one summer is a lot of playing time. You would practice in the morning with certain routines depending on the position. As a pitcher, I might run one morning, sprints, and the next morning, jog a couple miles, then once or twice a week, pitch batting practice. You played every night except the night of the AllStar Game in July, so you didn’t have much time in between practices. Didn’t have a car, so that made it even tougher.

Half the games were on the road, but the longest trip was three days in a row. Had to be in bed by midnight and up for practice at times 8 in the morning.

Are you involved in any community activities or organizations?

I am fairly active with SAMA [San Antonio Manufacturers Association], and I have been a volunteer for the Valero Open for the last six years as a marshal, along with preparing for our annual washer tournament that Quality Fasteners puts on for the Children’s Shelter. I have also recently put some time in for the Elf Louise fundraising event. As all my kids have grown, I intend on getting involved with some church activities.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I can’t say enough about the employees we have. Out of 28 employees we have several that have been here 10 to 20 years and an overall average of about 10 years. They do a great job catering to the customers to meet and exceed their expectations. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 7

Trading for a student loan-free future

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s workforce shortage continues to loom, members of the industry are trying to introduce youth to careers in the trades at the high school level. With curriculums geared towards college prep, how do you make a case for pursuing a trade instead of going to college? Just look at the numbers.

The website for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) estimates tuition and fees for a full-time (15 credit hours per term) fall/spring undergrad to cost $9,082. That’s approximately $36,328 for four years. Many students are forced to take on a significant percentage of that amount in student debt to pay for college. Some may not even earn an annual salary above or equivalent to that amount upon graduation with a fouryear degree.

Meanwhile, trade apprenticeship programs are offering students the opportunity to forego mountains of debt incurred at a university for a chance to earn a living during the day while attending classes in the evening.

At U.A. Local 142, the San Antonio Area Plumbers and Pipefitters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) offers students a five-year program to become a plumber, pipefitter,

Second-year apprentice at Local 67, Ralph Vera, polishes the special cross design put on top of the fourth-year toolbox project in honor of fourth-year apprentice Johnny Torres, who was killed last year.

HVAC technician, or welder. Frank Southers, U.A. Local 142 training director, estimates that it costs him $17 an hour to train an apprentice who must complete 1,300 school hours, working out to roughly $22,000 total per student. However, Southers notes, the cost of the school is covered by a trust agreement or other form of grant payments from the federal and state level.

Apprentices only pay the program an annual $100 registration fee, which can cover books and shop materials. The students must also pay any state registration fees and any fees required by the state to maintain their credentials. For example, every plumbing apprentice must register with the state Board of Plumbing Examiners, which involves a $15 annual registration fee, and once they graduate from the program, the plumber will have to pay to maintain his or her license.

The fees are nominal compared to the income working apprentices make, which is tied to a percentage of the journeyman rate. In plumbing, pipefitting, or HVAC, first-year apprentices currently begin at $13.68 an hour, 45 percent of a journeyman’s rate. By attending school, maintaining a 75 or better in each course, and working in the field a minimum of 2,000 hours annually, apprentices earn

wage bumps every year. The rate becomes 50 percent in the second year, 60 in the third, 70 in the fourth and 80 in the fifth. Southers estimates that a journey worker starting out can earn $63,000 a year, plus benefits including pension and health and welfare.

Also, he points out that the apprentices receive a range of additional training, including OSHA 30 and for HVAC, EPA certification. He adds that if they still want to get a college degree after they turn out of the program, apprentices are awarded 32 hours of college credit that they can use toward an associate’s degree. Southers has an associate of applied sciences (A.A.S.) degree.

Another example is the Sheet Metal Workers Local 67 JATC program. Doug John, training coordinator for Local 67, notes that as a nonprofit organization, the four-year program only requires apprentices to pay a one-time $50 tuition.

All books and training materials are free, and apprentices earn while they learn.

They work for a contractor to earn a living during the day and learn the trade at night. The program is a 7,200-hour requirement through the Department of Labor (DOL), plus 800 classroom hours.

Apprentices turn out of the program as journeyman sheet metal workers, for which the wage established here in San Antonio is $25.60 plus fringe benefits, in-

cluding health and welfare, insurance and pension. John notes that the fringes also pay back into the apprenticeship program. He estimates the total fringe package to be $13.85, bringing the total journeymen package to $39.45.

A first-year apprentice coming into the sheet metal program starts at $11.52 an hour, which is 45 percent of the journeyman rate. Every six months, as regulated by the DOL, providing that the apprentices meet the program’s educational criteria and maintain at least a 70 in their courses, they get a raise. The program starts in August. So, in February, a first-year apprentice will be raised to $12.29 an hour, 48 percent of the journeyman rate. Then, raises follow at 51, 55 and 60 percent of the journeyman rate, and in four years, an apprentice will reach the full pay rate of $25.60 an hour.

John, who went through a sheet metal apprenticeship when he was unable to attend college, notes that the only requirements for the program are being at least 18 years old, having a high school diploma or GED, and being a U.S. citizen.

Both Southers and John emphasize that there is more earning potential and higher pay tiers that their graduates can work toward once they are in the field as journeymen. After they turn out of the apprenticeship programs, it’s up to the individual, depending on their work and goals, as to how far they go and how much they can earn with the education they’ve received at almost no cost to them. –mh

In the U.A. Local 142 apprenticeship program, Joe L. Trevino learns his trade in class while getting on-the-job training and experience at Dynamic Systems, Inc.

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210-587-7634 www.GPSofTexas.com NOTICE OF PLUMBER, PIPEFITTER, HVAC APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITY Local 142 J.A.T.C. will be accepting applications for Apprenticeship February 23rd thru March 6, 2015.

Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Friday from 8:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 am, and 1:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4:00 pm Minorities and Women are encouraged to apply.

PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS J.A.T.C. 3630 BELGIUM LANE â&#x20AC;˘ SAN ANTONIO, TX 78219 (210) 226-2661 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Must be 18 years of age at time of applying.

Must have a high school diploma or GED or be a graduating senior in May 2015.

Must have a certified birth certificate, official sealed high school transcripts and diploma or GED grades to complete the application process.

DD-214 required for Veterans.

At U.A. Local 142, Ken Hicks prepares to make a 4-inch on 6-inch saddle T from two straight pieces of pipe. He drew a template, affixed it to the pipe, cut the pipe and then welded it together.

Mike West conducts a lift of equipment during the rigging exercise at U.A. Local 142.

He had to rig the machinery, signal to the operator and move the machinery from a set location to another.

Page 8

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

In memoriam

E

dmund V. Valdez, better known as Ed, passed away Jan. 15 at the age of 54. Valdez worked as a construction superintendent for Leonard Contracting for 20 years, and he worked in the local construction industry for more than 30 years.

Born May 12, 1960 in San Antonio, he served in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years from 1987 to 2007. He started at Leonard Contracting in 1995, and he was well known and well respected by fel-

low employees, subcontractors, suppliers and design team professionals. He was an avid outdoorsman, fond of hunting and fishing.

He was also the father of triplets, now 16 years old.

Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth; children, Anthony, Alyssa, Mercedes, Edmund, Elena and Emily; parents, Max and Rose; grandfather, Braulio; brother, Richard; sister, Rose Marie; and many nephews and nieces. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

The news has a nose for BBQ

The Construction News team at the paper’s headquarters in San Antonio enjoyed a Friday barbecue, courtesy of salesman and pit master Kent Gerstner. L-R: Buddy Doebbler, publisher; Jim Reilly, sales; Cyndi Wright, managing editor; Sue Johnson, production manager; Mary Hazlett, San Antonio editor; Kent Gerstner, sales. –mh

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art of the NeoPod Systems business model is focused in on larger projects, explains Michael Miller, Texas operations manager, noting that the larger projects are where the system really shines.

Since the prefabricator of bathroom units likes to do projects that get into the hundreds of units, a recent job proved a need for a bigger space with greater capacity. Running close to 50 workers daily, the company is currently building 600 units for a Great Wolf Lodge hotel and waterpark in California. The job prompted a move to New Braunfels in August.

At the previous facility in San Antonio, which opened in 2011, they turned out about five pods per day. Now, at the new facility in New Braunfels, Miller estimates they are hitting eight per day. Approximately 50,000sf, the building is one big warehouse, whereas the old facility had two warehouses that divided the space.

The New Braunfels location is at the northern edge, outside of the city limits between New Braunfels and San Marcos.

This is good for Miller, who lives in Austin and commutes to the facility pretty much every day.

Miller went to the University of Illinois, Champaign, for mechanical engineering. He started doing CAD work for NeoPod, and grew from there, doing programming of the CNC machine and reading plans and specs.

NeoPod does units for projects that require hundreds of identical rooms, such as hotels, dorms and military barracks. A recent example is the mental health facility project in Austin called The Oaks that NeoPod did for University Health System (UHS), developing the plan from scratch. Miller notes that UHS is planning to use it for multiple projects across the country, and NeoPod will be able to build the bathrooms in New Braunfels and send them out just as they did for Austin. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 9

If you took a class in any subject, what would it be?

Texas Apprentice William Stewart Triple R Electric ABC Apprenticeship Program

I would really like to learn to play the fiddle (violin some people call it) the Western cowboy way.

Frank Wisdom, Wisdom Estimating Services

A

One of the [things that] I’m continuing to learn is the actual running of the business. So, if there was an additional business course that I could take, that would always be helpful, I think.

Agustin Tellez, Intelligent Engineering Services

s a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, William Stewart decided to pursue work as an electrician when he got out of the service. After all, he did electrical work for two decades. However, he did not know to keep track of his hours so he could apply his electrical construction trade experience toward taking the journeyman’s exam.

To learn the electrical trade and earn his journeyman’s license as a civilian, he enrolled in the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) apprenticeship program.

Currently in his fourth and final year, Stewart has done the entirety of his apprenticeship at Triple R Electric.

When he completes the program in June, he hopes to stay with Triple R as long as they will have him. He is aiming to get his master’s license one day.

Electricity always interested Stewart. In grade school, he did various school projects with series and parallel circuits. He would also disassemble remote control cars and boom boxes.

Stewart’s father served in the Marine Corps for 21 years, and when he retired, the family moved to San Antonio.

Stewart spent 10th, 11th and 12th grades at Theodore Roosevelt High School. After graduating, he joined the Navy at 19 and choosing an electrical job was the perfect fit. He spent his last few years in the service as an underwater ship husbandry diver, due to direct current (DC) underwater welding.

“I never actually used it in the field, so to speak,” recalls Stewart. “But in school, I did have a chance to both cut and to weld underwater in a controlled environment, so that if I needed to, I could use it.”

While he observes his experiences with the trade in the military and in his apprenticeship are similar, he notes that they’re also very different.

“In the military, I was all about repair, replace, maintain,” he explains. “I had no clue that there was a National Electric Code, and there was a reason why certain devices were put in certain places or at what heights or anything like that.”

Stewart credits ABC’s apprenticeship program, calling it invaluable, with preparing him to take the journeyman’s exam and excel in his field and at his company.

When Stewart has some spare time, he enjoys golf or motorcycle riding. At home, he and his wife, Julie, have a son in the Marines and a daughter at home and one granddaughter.

The couple has been married for nine years, and Stewart notes that they are a churchgoing family. They also enjoy country western dancing. –mh

They’ve got gusto!

L-R: Sandee Morgan, MCA-SMACNA executive director; Jennifer Swinney, ESC Consultants; Sandy Field, Horizon Construction, NAWIC national president; Celeste Estep, Keller-Martin Construction; Robbie Nelson, Nelson Interiors

T

he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) doesn’t need an occasion to gather women in the industry together, explains Sandy Field, NAWIC national president.

Proving that to be true, Field drove in from Houston just for the San Antonio Chapter’s Holiday After Party. The eve-

ning of cocktails and dinner pairings by Gustology was held Jan. 26 at the St. Anthony de Padua Recreation Center.

“San Antonio always does things with gusto; here, it was just Gustology,” declared Jennifer Swinney, director of Region 7. –mh

L-R: Kari Wirth, Mauze Construction, and husband, John; Becky Wynne, Berridge, and husband, Tom Kaufman; Martha Simpson, Frost Bank, and husband, Don Ridall

L-R: Angela Young, Workplace Resource, and husband, David; Judy DeWeese, Mauze Construction, and husband, Ben McGowan; Veronica Mangiapane and Vanessa Ruiz, Ridout Barrett

I would say the class that I need to take – would be [about] understanding the financial side of the business a lot more, because I need to understand the financial side of it with my position now.

Jeff Howard, Klecka Electric Company It’s a flip of the coin. It’s either learning Hebrew or Aramaic – or whatever it is – to better understand my Bible by going back to lexicons or the actual scrolls or what have you, or a class on the CAD program to draw up and lay out rooms for those who are working with me to better understand what I’m trying to make that electrical in the room look like.

William Stewart, Triple R Electric Psychology. Getting to know how people think and how you can work the situation for a win-win is always optimum. So, understanding people will help you get to that win-win situation.

John Campbell, G.W. Mitchell Construction I would say it would be a toss up between communication and psychology. I think that’s the biggest key to success, to be able to help not only employees, but customers and be able to relate the balance of needs. Not that you can be everything to everybody, but the more you understand of people and the better you can communicate to people, the better the situation is going to be.

Larry Matula, Quality Fasteners

Probably something in archaeology. I’ve always been interested in history, and I think Bobby might like something like that, too. His uncle was always hunting arrowheads, and of course, in this type of business, when you do dirt work, you have a higher opportunity for hunting them.

Jeanne Georg, Bobby Georg Construction It would probably be economics. I’d really be curious to understand why a lot of the problems with our economy can’t be fixed so simply. In my mind, it’s very simple, but for some reason, everything seems to be complex when it comes down to the way the government handles things. So, I’d like to understand that a little more.

Jesse Cantu III, Paradise Painting I’d probably like to take a class about time management, how to better manage time between business and family commitments, life and time – activities, work, family and pleasure.

Paul Wolf, Perma Jack Probably Spanish for all the obvious reasons [laughs]. I think it’s a neat language, and it would be great to be able to communicate on that level.

Kurt Mosel, L.C. Mosel Company Travel. Not that I get to do it, [but] because I would like to do it.

Sherrie Miles, Century Electric I would say cooking. It’s just a passion.

Gilbert Dominguez, Century Electric I would probably like to be fluent in Spanish. In the area that we live in, I think it’s important to have a second language and to communicate with people, but it’s also a matter of self-growth. I love to learn.

Megan Gold, Marksmen General Contractors I’d learn how to speak Spanish. If there is anything in business, especially in our area – Spanish would be so beneficial.

Mark Marlow, MK Marlow Company

Page 10

San Antonio 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

I

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

L

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 ON LOCATION

Why so blue?

L-R: Chuck Graves, Selma branch manager, and Austin Cowan, inside sales coordinator, have a new company name on the wall since we last saw them. Last year, Volvo Rents became BlueLine Rental. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 11

Don’t spoil your claim

Forklift Safety

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

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

I

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 ON LOCATION

Think fast-eners

L-R: Dustin Pippin, Stephen Faulstich and Matt Eagles, Quality Fasteners, were enjoying cookies and gearing up for the New Year. –mh

S

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

Comfort is golden

W

hen brothers John and Robert Freund left their engineering jobs to establish Comfort-Air Engineering, they never imagined that the company would last. But, Jan. 24 at Sunset Station, they gathered with countless Freunds – and friends of Freunds – to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary.

“We traded some security for a lot of opportunity,” says John with a laugh. “We started from scratch and we brought it to a certain point, and then our kids took over. They’ve done a better job than we did.”

Since John and Robert retired in 2001, the second generation – John’s children, Andrea Wurzbach and Tom Freund, and Robert’s children, Matt and Pat Freund – have taken over ownership and operation of Comfort-Air. “There’s a lot of pressure, because their names come up so many times from our customers,” comments Andrea, the oldest of the children. She adds that they feel blessed that their employees not only stick with the company, but are bringing their children in to work for the company, too.

“My biggest satisfaction is that we

L-R: Robert and John Freund, brothers and co-founders of Comfort-Air Engineering, laughed and reminisced at the company’s 50th anniversary party.

have a second, and even a third generation of owners of Comfort-Air,” says Robert. “But even more important is that we’ve got some second generation employees. That means a lot to me because that means that we’re not only supporting our family, but we’re supporting our workers.” –mh

Marilyn Freund with her daughter, Andrea Wurzbach, and Andrea’s husband, Bill Wurzbach

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

By Southwest

Industry FOLKS Tim Doege Warehouse Manager/ Purchasing Agent

Big State Electric

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or Tim Doege, the end of 2014 marked 22 years at Big State Electric. While he does a little bit of everything, he primarily purchases material and takes care of the warehouse.

At 48, Doege estimates that he has known Vincent Real, president of Big State Electric, probably 40 years. They both grew up in farming families, just doing different types of harvesting, and sometimes, they would all eat lunch together.

Back when Real was an electrician at Big State, Doege was working night shifts at the HEB warehouse, and Real stopped by to ask Doege’s wife, Kathy, if he was looking for a regular day job.

With their oldest daughter, Jessica, just starting school, Doege jumped at the chance to be there for his family rather than miss things like school functions.

He started at Big State working for the owner at the time, Palmer Johnson, and his brother-in-law, Dwight, while Real was out of town on a job. Today, with many of the electricians having been with the company for so long, the Big State team is like a second family to him. Doege thinks it might have been God’s plan for him to be there.

As for his first family, Doege and his wife have two daughters. Jessica, 28, works at HEB, and Kelsey, 24, will be graduating from the University of the Incarnate Word in May with her degree in physical therapy. When their kids were in school, they raised show pigs, and to this day, Doege still raises them for kids to show.

The way Doege puts it, it’s an awesome hobby that he just couldn’t quit. Kids show pigs for him from Corpus Christi to well north of Austin, and he says, “That’s my other family, too.”

Living east of San Antonio near St. Hedwig, Doege has about 40 sows ranging from around 300 to 700 pounds.

“It’s a chore,” he says. “Right now, I spend probably, on an average day, a couple hours a day, but when we’re having babies in the summer, it’s six to eight hours a day, besides work. It’s a lot of time spent out there, and they’re all show pigs. We raise them for kids to buy them and show them.

And we go down, and we support them, and it’s became a way of life.”

He says he couldn’t quit the pigs because of the kids, and now that he has a granddaughter, she has already gotten her first taste of showing them. While he was helping with the stock show recently, 3-year-old Kylie actually got to show, and she will show again at the San Antonio Stock Show in February. He recalls that the next day, when he called his wife, who runs an in-home daycare, she told him that Kylie couldn’t wait to show again. –mh

The SwRI team uses an apparatus, intermediate-scale multi-occupancy apparatus (ISMA), for a test. A wall is constructed by the team and tested on the ISMA.

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outhwest Research Institute (SwRI) helps various industries solve technological issues through a wide range of applied research and development at its San Antonio headquarters. So, it should come as no surprise that the nonprofit makes contributions to the construction community, both locally and industry-wide.

“SwRI has active research and testing in several areas related to the construction industry: fire safety, blast safety, pipeline safety and earthquake/vibration safety,” says Matthew Blais, director of the Fire Technology Department. “These areas are split between our Fire Technology Department and Mechanical Engineering Division.”

He notes, “The push in industry is to make products lighter, stronger and less expensive, all the while maintaining the safety of materials used in construction.”

As an example, he observes that polystyrene and polyurethane have

come into widespread use as insulation materials, but being highly combustible, it is critical that they include fire retardants to be safe. He also cites the replacement of steel in expanded metal decking with fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP), which can fail structurally in a fire unless carefully designed.

“These materials and methods of construction are all tested to rigorous standards in our laboratory to ensure structural integrity or fire safety,” he says.

SwRI’s scientists and engineers help solve technological issues, develop better materials and create new methods of construction. The organization is actively involved in the codes and standards bodies that set the performance standards for materials used in construction.

“After thousands of years of experience with fire, humans are still learning to protect themselves from it,” he says.

“This is especially true in the construction industry.” –mh

Born to be board

An ‘Intelligent’ decision

The Linbeck Group’s Chuck Greco, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America senior vice president, installed the AGC San Antonio Chapter’s new Board of Directors at its Jan. 12 installation luncheon. L-R: (standing) Mike Sireno, Baker Triangle; Luis Berumen, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; Patrick Byrnes, Linbeck Group; Katherine Willis, T.H. Willis Company; Joe Irizarry, Raba Kistner; Paul Poettgen, HCDT Insurance Agency; Albert Gutierrez, Guido Construction; (seated) Sam Nunnelly, Core Continuum; Blaine Beckman, F.A. Nunnelly Company; Mike Kaiman, Turner Construction; and Kristian Pearson, Joeris General Contractors –mh

The leaders of IES L-R: Trey Zuehl, partner; Justice Edge, partner; and Agustin Tellez, managing partner

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pon celebrating its 15th anniversary, Jaster-Quintanilla San Antonio, LLP changed its name to Intelligent Engineering Services, LLP (IES).

The rebranding does not affect the firm’s current or future work with clients or owners, and its entire team of engineering professionals remains.

Since 1999, the San Antonio firm had been operating as an independently owned and operated structural and civil engineering firm.

Agustin Tellez, Jr., PE, managing partner, explains that the firm stands out as one of the few in the area that provides both structural and civil engineering services.

“Many of our clients like the idea of going to one firm for two disciplines,” says Tellez. “So, that has been a definite benefit for us and for our clients in providing two services out of one firm.”

Recent examples of the firm’s work

include the Sky/Trauma Tower at University Hospital, the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center expansion and the San Antonio International Airport terminal expansion.

With the firm’s new name, Tellez says the immediate goal at IES is to make sure all of its clients know that the change is only a change in name. He emphasizes that it’s the same people and same team currently working on its clients’ projects.

“We look forward to continuing to work for those clients and pursue other markets, and pursue other locations as well, and continue to grow our staff and our resources,” he says, noting that they are planning to add more locations in Texas.

Fifteen years ago, Tellez began at the firm as a project engineer, and he bought into the firm soon after. Then, the firm had 10 to 15 employees, and today, it has 30. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 13

Buying into their future

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ifteen employees of Metropolitan Contracting Company started off the New Year by joining in the ownership of the company, purchasing a combined interest of 9 percent.

The new owners join current owners Tim Swan, CEO; Steve Schuetze, president; and Jane Feigenbaum, COO.

“All our employees were offered the opportunity to purchase and, I suspect, more will follow,” says Swan. “With this purchase, about one-third of the employees own the company. Jane was our first purchaser about eight years ago and this sale to the broader group represents the next step in a slow, careful transition of management and ownership.

“Jane has effectively operated the company for the past several years, while Steve and I have continued to work daily and support her as necessary. Steve and I will continue to own meaningful interests in the company and will be involved in an active manner on a day to day basis for many years, but will undoubtedly play a diminishing role as Jane and a new generation of owners assume greater and greater responsibilities.”

Under the new ownership structure, the commercial general contractor’s officers will continue to manage under the oversight of an elected management committee. Officers and employees remain in their current positions.

“Jane, Tim and I recognize that making ownership available to another generation is the key to seeing the company continue to prosper into the future,” says Schuetze. “This first sale to a broader group of employees represents two years of planning and is a very exciting step for our company.”

The employees who purchased varying units of ownership include Jim Bliss, superintendent; Chris Bryan, superintendent; Greg Curtis, chief estimator; Fernando Diego, senior project manager; John Franklin, senior project manager; Taylor Jordan, senior project manager; Jennifer Lee, assistant project manager; Arthur Lewis, assistant superintendent; Tom Lindell, senior project manager; Kristin Lipscomb, project administrator; Georgette McCue, senior project administrator; Robert Medina, carpenter; Stanley Slomchinski, carpenter; and Curtis Stavinoha, project manager. –mh

Jane Feigenbaum

Steve Schuetze

Tim Swan

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Page 14

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

A Mark-ed difference

A league of his own

When Edgar Garcia isn’t busy at his law office, he’s out on the golf course – often handing out prizes to PDA players from the San Antonio construction industry.

A team in business and in the field – literally – Mark Marlow, president and CEO, and Todd Thomas, vice president, have had many triumphant hunts together.

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n the past three decades, MK Marlow Company has transitioned from general contracting to drywall and from Victoria to San Antonio.

As an assistant in woodworking classes at Texas A&M University in College Station, Mark Marlow and a fellow teaching assistant leapt at the opportunity to build a new television set a local station. Just like that, in 1985, Design Construct was born.

In 1987, the company relocated to Victoria. At the time he left school, Marlow had his bachelor’s in construction science and was six credits away from a double master’s in land development and construction management.

As a general contractor, Design Construct did so much ceiling and drywall work subbing for other local general contractors in Victoria that Marlow added a second company, Acoustics Unlimited.

That proved to be the beginning of the

drywall company as it grew and kept growing. In 1995, Marlow bought out his partner and everything reincorporated under MK Marlow.

In 2008, Marlow opened a San Antonio office, and in 2010, the company consolidated its operations to San Antonio.

Marlow still commutes from Victoria, dividing his time between traveling for work and being at home with his wife, Jackie, who is a retired medical technician, and his 17-year-old daughter, Alex.

After Alex graduates from high school, Marlow and his wife will move to a ranch they own in Bandera.

Marlow credits his vice president, Todd Thomas, with running the company, seeing to the day-to-day operations.

He emphasizes that he has no complaints – except, he notes, laughing, he used to the youngest person in the company at 22, and now he’s the oldest at 53. –mh

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his year’s golf season will bring the 35th anniversary of the Pathetic Duffer’s Association (PDA), a golf league founded and enjoyed by members of the local construction industry.

Robert Freund, owner of Comfort Air-Engineering, and George Watson, former director of construction for SAISD, were two of the founding members.

Since 2004, Edgar Garcia, E. Garcia Law, has served the organization as president.

In this role, he does pretty much everything for the weekly events – score keeping, handicap calculations, collecting money for the pots and paying the winners.

“I decided to make it worth my while by promoting it from the start-up league it was at the time,” recalls Garcia. “I remember winning first place in ‘C’ flight at Mission Del Lago and my prize-winning envelope contained a grand total of $7, of which $4 I put into the pot. Now, players may win a prize worthy of bragging.”

He explains that the PDA is marketed to construction industry members who enjoy golf and can find time every Monday afternoon to play nine holes of golf.

They rotate, playing rounds at courses across the area from March through October, finishing with their year-end tournament.

About 75 percent of Garcia’s clients have some involvement in the construction industry, and several are members of the PDA. Some of the most recent players include Anita Kegley, Kegley Inc.; Dave Sanchez, Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA); Scott Tak, Alpha Consulting Engineers; and Larry Ybarra, Service Shade Shop.

He says, “It’s fun for me because as I hand out the ‘winning’ envelopes each and every week, I get to play Santa Claus and watch the ‘winners’ eyes light up when I call their name at the gathering after our round to come forward to collect their ‘winning’ envelope.” –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 15

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.

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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

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.

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 water 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 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.

Submitted to Construction News

My best buck

Daniel DeWinne, project manager for the Power Systems Department at HOLT CAT and son of DeWinne Electric’s Ronnie DeWinne, shot this monster whitetail buck Dec. 14 in South Texas. He called it “a buck of a lifetime” scoring 201 1/8 B&C. He was on a hunt at the Texas M3 Ranch, which is owned by Theresa and Fred McComas, F.A. McComas Commercial Painting. –mh

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

www.olmosequipment.com

WE MOVE THE EARTH

440 Pinn Road San Antonio, TX 78227 210-675-4990

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San Antonio 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

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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

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

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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.

Texas Style

    

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston South Texas

Deep in deer country

ecca Major, 16-year-old daughter of George Major Jr., owner of Holes of San Antonio, shot her very first deer on the first weekend of the New Year. As her father was gutting the doe, she asked, “Can you show me where the smoked sausage is in this deer?” –mh

Becca took this doe down with a 130-grain bullet from a .270.

Becca was in good company on her milestone hunt. Connor Schultz, son of Capt. Steve Schultz, shot this buck on the same weekend of hard hunting in Deep South Texas.

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 17

Twice in a lifetime

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his holiday, Gary Weaver, president of Timber Tech Texas, got to have a “once in a lifetime” experience for the second time! He traveled to the remote southwest corner or Uganda to see the majestic mountain gorillas.

Weaver and his tour group trekked nearly straight up the mountains for 2 3/4 hours to find the Habinyanja family of 18 gorillas, including five babies.

“As we approached the family, the 28-year-old silverback, Makara, charged us … stopping 3 to 4 meters from our group,” recalls Weaver. “Makara was only bluffing and sending a signal not to mess with his family … especially the four grandchildren present.

“We were still able to get close, though not the 4 to 5 feet of last year. An 8-month-old was feeding from the mother’s breast while the infants played on the jungle floor as well as in the trees from bottom to the top of the canopy. One Infant male pounded his chest, imitating something he had seen his silverback father doing. A truly rewarding experience.” –mh

Makara, the silverback, stands guard as his baby nestles in the arms of its mother.

Gary Weaver points out the gorillas in the distance.

The young gorillas take to the trees.

While in Uganda, Weaver “adopted” a poor primary school, donating a little more than $600 and a cleaned-up laptop with accessories to the school.

Submitted to Construction News

Submitted to Construction News

King of the mountain

Great outdoorsmen Terry Beck, You Name It Specialties, recently took client Royce Graff, director of the National Shooting Complex on a hunt in Brady, TX. Scott Huggins, “a true outdoorsman” of the Worldwide Adventure Network, hosted the hunting trip. –mh

Gary Joeris, president of Joeris General Contractors, shot this mountain lion Jan. 15 on a hunting trip with dogs in snowy Salinas, Utah. His guide estimated its weight to be 150 to 155 pounds. –mh

Beck harvested this axis buck in velvet.

Graff harvested this 10-point whitetail buck.

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Six broken records at 87

Submitted to Construction News

The buck stops here

Louis Mosel sits proudly before the certificates honoring him for breaking six skeet shooting world records.

A 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

Submitted to Construction News

On the hunt again

t the L.C. Mosel office on Redland Road, patriarch Louis Mosel’s walls are covered with awards from various skeet shooting tournaments, but recently, the 87-year-old and a shooting partner broke six world records.

At the 2014 World Skeet Championship Oct. 3 at San Antonio’s National Shooting Complex, Mosel and Robert Myers, a former submarine commander that Mosel first met about 15 years ago at a shoot in St. Augustine, teamed up in the Senior Veteran events.

Mosel’s son, Kurt Mosel, notes that his father and his shooting partner had plenty of competition as thousands shoot at this event every year in various classes. The Senior Veteran division includes men ages 80 to 90.

In their class, the records Mosel and Myer broke included 190 x 200 in 410 Two-Man Team, 194 X 200 in 28 Gauge Two-Man Team, 195 x 200 in 20 Gauge Two-Man Team, 183 x 200 in Doubles Two Man-Team, 293 x 300 in 12 Gauge TwoMan Team and 872 x 900 in HOA Two-

Man Team.

Though he began his mechanical contracting business in 1947, Mosel didn’t take up skeet shooting until 1990. The Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA) San Antonio Hunters Symposium event first introduced Mosel to the sport.

“I didn’t know anything about shooting a shotgun, but that’s when I started learning,” recalls Mosel, who says he was used to going on deer hunts with the MCA before the skeet shoots started.

In his early 80s, Mosel spent a few years as captain of the Senior Veteran AllAmerican Team. In February 2009 and April 2011, Mosel’s photo appeared on the cover of Skeet Shooting Review with his fellow All-American Team Captains.

The March 2010 issue also included his participation that year as captain of an All-American Team.

When asked what he enjoys about shooting, Mosel answers simply, “Winning.” –mh

Submitted to Construction News

The granddaddy of big bucks The grandsons of Bert and Tonia Mazac, Big B Construction, did very well on a hunt guided by their grandfather at LAMM Ranch in D’Hanis. –mh Raygan shot this 189 7/8 buck for 19 Blaze shot this 144 8-point buck. scoreable points.

Raygan and Blaze Brown, daughter and son of Robert and Bridgett Brown, Brown Excavation & Utilities, wasted no time getting out on another deer hunt at Victoria Oaks Ranch after last month’s successful hunting trip. –mh

Daylin Wiederstein, 12, shot this 8-point buck.

Mason Pollaro, 15, shot this 10-point buck.

Son of Garrett and Janell Taylor, Delta T, 8-year-old Lawson Taylor shot this 8-pointer, his first buck on the hunt.

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 19

Love is…

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ll you need? Working as a team? Some of you are partners at home and at the office, and your definition of love includes being the business yin and yang to one another. Many couples work together in a construction business, and many couples work in the industry, even if not at the same company.

We wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day and thank you for bringing your love and family to the local construction community. –mh

Niznik Concrete Doug J. Niznik, president, and Cindy Niznik, vice president Married 29 years (30 in September) Worked together 30 years

Guido Construction Maryanne Guido, CEO, and Tom Guido, president Married 40 years, Working together 25 years

Leonard Contracting Mike Leonard, president, and Elsa Leonard, CFO Married 29 years (30 in May) Working together 22 years

Rick Stone Masonry Pam Stone, secretary-treasurer and Ricki Stone, president Married 38 years, Working together 15 years

Mr. Plumber Charles Sagray and Denise Sagray, owners and operators Married 41 years, together 45 years Opened business together in 1977

Ridout Barrett: Anthony (Tony) Scott Ridout, managing shareholder, and Karen Ivy Ridout, special projects coordinator Married 18 years, Worked together 19 years

Tejas Premier Building Contractor Julissa Carielo and Oscar Carielo, pilot and co-pilot Married 14 years, Working together 6 years

Easy Drive Annette Mollere, marketing director, and James Rodriguez, vice president Married 33 years, Working together 9 years

Keith Foerster, estimator for American Roofing and Sheet Metal, and Cherie Foerster, executive director for the Builders’ Exchange of Texas.

Married 12 years

Groesbeck Masonry: Kathleen J’Nette Harlan Groesbeck, VP/secretary, and James Dean Groesbeck, president Married 42.5 years, Working together 24 years

Big B Construction: Bert Mazac, president, and Tonia Mazac, vice president Married 21 years, Working together 7 years

O’Krent’s Abbey Flooring Center: Margie Kramer O’Krent, owner and CFO/VP, and Samuel (Sam) I. O’Krent, owner and CEO/president Just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, together for 38 years Working together since 1997

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

She’s got that glow

His legacy in Lindsey

L-R: (front row) Lindsey Sutherland, Angel Robles, Mike Isbell, (back row) Mario Benavides, Chuck Samuel, Robert Barquin Married 24 years, Sharron and Bill Hanson are partners in their business, seeing the decorating and architectural world through honey-colored eyes.

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he stone known as honeycomb calcite probably sounds unfamiliar, but anyone who has visited one of the It’s aGLOW shops, either on the Riverwalk or in Fredericksburg, recognizes the honey-colored, translucent stone.

Stores all over the U.S. carry candle covers and light covers – which show off the stone’s luminous radiance – jewelry boxes and other items made by Colors of the Wind right here in San Antonio.

Sharron and Bill Hanson were both in corporate America before being fired on the same day. At the time, they were living in Utah where the natural stone is mined, and she discovered the stone at a booth in a bazaar during a shopping trip.

She became intrigued by the untapped potential that could be mined from the stone. She presented a marketing plan to the mining company the stone comes from and got the exclusive to market its stone. Her husband got in-

volved to help her find ways to make the products she dreamed up.

Since establishing the company in 1998 and relocating to San Antonio in 2003, Colors of the Wind sells their products wholesale to stores across the nation. Approximately 30 percent of their business is for architectural use of the stone.

“It’s used anywhere you would use onyx or marble,” explains Sharron, managing principal. “It’s not good for flooring as much in high traffic areas or countertops, unless you don’t cook. It’s like marble; it will scratch. It’s easy to repair though. We use it mostly for bathrooms for vanities and accent pieces. We’ve used it as a fireplace surround, and we’ve also used it for lighting.”

The Westin downtown, the Hotel La Contessa and Landry’s Chart House in the Tower of the Americas have all used their stone. –mh

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ast year, Gary Sutherland, owner and founder of G.D. Interiors, passed away, but his daughter, Lindsey Sutherland, has been keeping his company and his legacy alive ever since.

Sutherland says that she is serving as president with her sister as vice president, and that they never had any intention of selling the business or closing its doors.

Sutherland has memories of working with her dad and of their mother, who passed away 10 years ago, working at G.D. She also notes that the employees have been there for years and are like family. She credits them – Mike Isbell, general manager; Angel Robles, estimator; Mario Benavides controller – with helping her transition from being a teacher to being president of G.D.

“I just feel my sister and I both have a responsibility to keep these employees working, as well as honoring the legacy

of my father and what he started over 30 years ago,” she explains. “And not only have we completed work that was under contract before my dad’s death, but we’ve built a good backlog for 2015. So, we’re going in a good direction and I’m excited about it.”

Having taught high school for 10 years, Sutherland has found balancing everything to be her greatest challenge. She assumed her role at G.D. a little more than six months ago, and she planned to resign her teaching position, but she wanted to give it one more semester. Between the transition and the personal side of everything at the company, she finally resigned from teaching in mid-January. She feels like she is starting fresh as she is now able to be at the office a lot more.

She observes, “I never would have expected that I would be enjoying it so much, but all these guys are such a great group of guys, and it’s always been a family since I was little.” –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

Traffic control Construction News ON LOCATION

Not Iron Man

L-R: As trucks come and go, Raymond Perez, Trish Llanes and Ryan Santos have got it all under control at Triple-S Steel. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION Sheet Metal Man! The new superhero stands guard outside Verbet, which specializes in air distribution products. L-R: Rodrigo Rojas and Brian Perez stand next to the full-size sculpture the team made out of their product, which was mostly ductwork. –mh

Ready for R & R

John Tezel, Tezel and Cotter, outgoing immediate past president of the Mechanical Contractors Association( MCA), had to lie down after four years of hard labor on the board of directors.

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 21

Construction News ON LOCATION

Industry FOLKS

He’ll give you a lift

Megan Gold Project Manager/Estimator

Marksmen General Contractors

T

hough Megan Gold started at Marksmen General Contractors about three months ago, she is already wearing several big hats as a project manager, estimator and bookkeeper.

Gold believes that getting in on the ground floor of Mark Baublit’s startup is a great opportunity for her.

She has known Baublit and his family, and she feels she has found a wonderful fit, calling it a very Christian-based company.

After earning her finance degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, she went to work for a CPA. Later, she worked for a software company, and before that, she worked for a roofing company, where she moved into roles of project management and estimation. Now, she is hoping to continue with the vision that she and Baublit share for the company.

Her husband, Jared, who works in construction, sparked her interest in the industry. He graduated from A&M with his degree in construction science.

“It’s just my nature, in general, as a problem solver,” explains Gold. “I love puzzles and coordination and building a product and being part of that. So, it goes hand-in-hand with my natural skills of problem solving and building relationships and customer service.

“I just really love that process, being part of something where you are

building something from nothing into something great. I also have a strong background in accounting and finance. So, it works really well to be hand-in-hand with the project management side of construction and estimating, especially cradle to grave, because you get to see everything and know where your numbers are and how things are being affected.”

Gold and her husband both hail from Fredericksburg where they met on a blind date. He was 23, and she was 18, two weeks from going away to college. Soon, Jared decided to go back to school, and the couple worked through college life together. Gold recalls it being a little different, because they were married about a year into school and most of their friends were not married. Of course, she says she wouldn’t have done it any differently.

Outside of work, church is very important to Gold. She attends a support and biblical growth group. She also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and donates blood and tissue regularly.

She and her husband enjoy visiting family in nearby Fredericksburg as well as Jared’s father in Carlsbad, NM. They also have two dogs at home, a red heeler and a blue heeler, who were littermates and are like their babies. –mh

Tom Ottaway runs all of the commercial sales and contracting for Home Elevator of Texas, which often entails making businesses and public buildings accessible to the disabled. –mh

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Selfie style

L-R: We were there to take their photo, but Leslie Acevedo and Jessica Guerra, A-1 Fire & Safety, wanted to be the first to take their own picture for the paper. –mh

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2015 came a little early

L-R: Jennifer Shipley and Connie Kuykendall, IES Commercial, were prepared for the New Year with a 2015 calendar up on their wall before it was even Christmas. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

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L-R: Eddie Ortiz, Pearl Fernandez and Ray Montanez are in (cement mix) over their heads, literally, at San Antonio Masonry and Tool Supply. –mh

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Construction News ON LOCATION

Facilitating higher education

Yilmaz Hatipkarasulu (far left), Harry Moeller (with scissors) with representatives from Bartlett Cocke and John Murphy (right) officially open UTSA’s new lab facility.

Photo courtesy of UTSA; Photographer Vicki Gray, Action Photos Online

T

he University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) held a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 20 for its new Department of Construction Science facility, the Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Teaching and Research Laboratory.

The new facility will host five specific construction science and management (CSM) classes with 30 students in each section. The laboratory includes advanced computing systems capable of effectively using nine different applications, including Building Information Modeling.

Bartlett Cocke funded the facility through a generous gift, and its representatives attended the ribbon cutting, including Harry Moeller, president of both Bartlett Cocke and the UTSA Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC).

“We are committed to the UTSA Department of Construction Science because we believe it is important to the

sustainability of the local construction industry,” states Moeller. “And we are committed to the application of technology, such as Building Information Modeling at the construction site to make our projects safe, our schedules faster and keep construction costs below budget.

“For this reason, we committed our financial resources to the UTSA Construction Science program to help make their vision of a Building Information Modeling Laboratory a reality. It helps ensure that the UTSA graduates we hire have experience working with the latest technologies so that they may help us apply that technology in the field.”

Dean John Murphy comments, “Bartlett Cocke General Contractors has supported the UTSA College of Architecture, Construction and Planning for many years, and their substantial support provided in this circumstance will greatly enhance teaching and learning opportunities in a major way.” –mh

Off to work they go

L-R: We caught Ronnie Willis, Cole Gibson and Ken Jackson, Air Care & Canyon Lake Air Conditioning, just before they left the office for the field on a warm winter morning. –mh

Reinventing himself in retirement

MUSTANG COLT SERVICES Serving Customers Honestly Electrical Contracting • Commercial/Industrial Special Projects San Antonio, TX Weslaco, TX

210 494 7100 956 969 5703

L-R: Kathy Acock, president of Alpha Building Corporation, with Rich Booher, who retired from his position as vice president last month.

A

fter 21 years with Alpha Building Corporation, Rich Booher retired from his position as executive vice president of the general contracting company Jan. 16.

Growing up on Osseo, MI, a town of perhaps a hundred people, Booher enrolled in Eastern Michigan University intending to pursue teaching, but was caught up in the Vietnam draft. His path

to a construction career began with the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army sent him to Michigan Technical University for his bachelor’s in civil engineering. He retired as a lieutenant colonel with a Legion of Merit in 1993.

After retiring, he joined Alpha as marketing director, becoming director of operations in 1995, and taking on his role as executive vice president in 2004. He has also served the construction community in several organizations, including the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Texas A&M Construction Industry Council Research and Development Committee, and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE).

“I have been lucky in my lot of life,” says Booher. “I have been blessed with good health, good family, good friends, good work, good fortune and enough smarts to appreciate it.”

Having just turned 70 in December, Booher struggled with the idea of retiring, because he says he’s not tired of working, but he will figure out what to do in retirement after several trips he and his wife have planned. They will be traveling to Albuquerque and Jamaica, as well as trips to see their four children – and of course, their five grandchildren, all of whom live out of state.

"I have learned you have to be a person who is willing to change, and take a very lifelong learning approach to be adaptable,” he says. “You need to continuously reinvent yourself on a regular basis. One of Charles Darwin’s statements…

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.’ Enjoy life!” –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 23

Round-Up Shennandoah Goodson has joined Project Control of Texas, Inc. as marketing coordinator. She will be responsible for the overall marketing efforts of Project Control and PC Sports, Inc. Before joining the firm, she was a public relations and marketing consultant for a variety of authors, small businesses, and Inc. 500 companies across the country. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin.

Eric Garcia has joined IBTX Risk Services as safety consultant for loss control services. With more than 17 years of experience in safety management, he is a certified OSHA 500 Train-the-Trainer for the OSHA 30- and 10-Hour classes and teaches on multiple subjects including scaffold, PPE, excavation, fall protection and rigging. His training includes 40-Hour HAZWOPER, CPR, First Aid Train-the-Trainer and Confined Space Entry.

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors announced the following:

Skanska USA announced today that Steve Lyons has joined the company as director of business development for its Central and South Texas operations. Lyons has worked in the industry for the past eight years. Lyons joins Skanska from SimplexGrinnell. In his new role, he will work closely with Skanska’s operations teams to support the needs of current and potential clients. Lyons is involved in many industry organizations including the Society for Marketing Professional Services and the Society of American Military Engineers. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Submissions

Round-Up

Tally J. “TJ” Rogers has been appointed to the board of directors. He currently serves as vice president of estimating and has been with the company for 11 years, having started as a senior estimator. He earned his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology from Texas Tech University. He has also volunteered countless hours to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was honored with the Bright Lights Award for being a top fundraiser.

Jerry Hoog has been promoted to senior vice president of operations for South Texas.

Having previously served the company as vice president of operations of South Texas, he has been with the company for 32 years and is an employeeowner as well as a member of the board of directors. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from Texas A&M University, and he is the current president of Medina Valley Athletic Boosters.

James Anderson has been promoted to vice president of operations for South Texas. Having joined the company as a cooperative education student, he has been with the company for 21 years and is an employee-owner. He earned his bachelor’s degree in construction science from Texas A&M University.

Jacob R. Fuentes, EIT, has joined Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc., as a construction materials engineering and testing engineer-intraining. Prior to joining the firm, Fuentes served as a construction inspector and engineering assistant for TxDOT’s San Antonio District.

He is certified by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, and the Texas Asphalt Paving Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2014.

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).

Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net

Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net South Texas: STeditor@constructionnews.net

Submitted to Construction News

Board de San Antonio

The Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio inducted its 15-member 2015 Board of Directors Jan. 21. L-R: (seated) Shelley Woitena, Padgett Stratemann; Estela Garcia-Perez, board president, Fairway Landscape and Nursery; Irene Maldonado, City of San Antonio, EDD; (standing, first row) Russell Syma, Joeris General Contractors; Leonard Flores, board secretary, Civil Engineering Consultants; Henry Villarreal, Turner Construction; JR Trevino, board treasurer, Treco Enterprises; Rafael Llera, Shorm Consulting; Josh Hill, board vice president, Hill Bros. Construction; Wayne Terry, H-E-B; (second row) David Mendoza, DOZA Construction; Edward Pape, Vaqueros Group; Kevin Jones, HJR Contracting & Management; Roland Gonzales, Cokinos, Bosien & Young; Jesse Torres, CPS Energy, (not pictured: Tricia Ramirez, board exofficio, A-Ram Plumbing). –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

continued from Page 1 — Check our new website!

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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.

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 see-

they finished the main showroom and interior.

The design of the interior was held to a standard set by Gensler, the primary architect for General Motors that sets the design criteria for all Cadillac dealerships.

This creates an image that determines certain aspects such as finishes and other aspects of the franchise facility’s appearance.

“The overall look is very clean, a lot of floor-to-ceiling glass, a lot of wide open spaces, very sharp edges and finishes,” Campbell describes. “The stone panel system on the exterior of the building was an interesting design concept. It worked out great. It gives, again, a very clean finish. It makes the facility look like it’s crafted primarily out of large-cut stones when in actuality, it’s a panel system.”

The superintendent was Art Ramos.

Engineers included Pape-Dawson Engineers on the civil, Kalmans Marshall En-

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ing, 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.

Past editions can be downloaded at www.ConstructionNews.net

Specializing in Industrial Scrap Metal & Container Service

gineering on the MEP and Robertson Consulting Engineers on the structural.

The architect was Kenneth L. Turnell, Castles Design Group.

Among the subcontractors on the job, Zinsmeyer Mechanical & Welding did steel erection and tilt-wall erection, Urban Concrete did the concrete work, IES Commercial did the electrical and Gillette Air Conditioning did the mechanical. Other subcontractors included Texas Fifth Wall Roofing and Arrow Glass. Also, Broussard Group did the demountable wall system, or DIRTT wall system, and Pro-Vigil did the security systems.

World War I veteran G.W. Mitchell founded G.W. Mitchell Construction in San Antonio in 1921. The general contracting company passed down to the second and third generations of the Mitchell family, who still own it today. The company does mostly commercial work. –mh

Cavender Cadillac’s showroom

continued from Page 1 — Gifts from God

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Confounded, she pressed for more information, and he replied that he had found twins in Bulgaria and – pointing out that she always said he should look for signs that God is telling him this is what they’re supposed to do – he added that they do judo in their orphanage in Bulgaria.

“Mind you, my husband is a twotime Olympic coach and he teaches judo,” says Hrbek, noting that he owns Universal Judo on Nacogdoches. “So, he sees this article of two little orphans that are all the way in Bulgaria, and they do judo, and he said, ‘Now, don’t tell me that’s not a sign.’”

In August 2013, the couple changed their adoption from domestic to international, filling out more paperwork and

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jumping through more hoops. After almost a year, in May 2014, they were able to travel to Bulgaria to meet the children, who didn’t speak any English yet and whose alphabet was Cyrillic, but soon started to learn the very basics. The Hrbeks stayed in contact after returning home, and they even left stamped envelopes, encouraging the kids to stay in touch with them.

At long last, the Hrbeks went to Bulgaria for two weeks and brought their children home the day before Thanksgiving. They enrolled in school the next week and entered an ESL program. In addition to the holidays, the kids celebrated their 13th birthday in December with their new family. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 25

Construction Safety Partners in safety Account Manager and

Casey Wenzel,

Regional Manager

MEMCO

San Antonio and Houston, TX Wenzel

S

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

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

C

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

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

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

“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,

Marek

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

be encountered, and how to best ensure protection for the temporary workers.”

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-

Page 26

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

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

W

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

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

Profit Margins 2% 3%

1%

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

$50,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,250,000 $5,000,000

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-

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

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

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.

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-

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

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

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San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 27

Construction Safety Stop the job for safety risks Eliazar Flores and Abel Moya, Owners American Safety Consulting Harlingen, TX

W

hat are the major risks in construction?

The major risks in construction are the focus four: falls, electrical, struck-by, and caught-in-between.

What are ways to identify and reduce risk?

Identify and reduce risks by conducting job hazard analysis, proper education/training of employees and have every employee have the authorization of stopping the job if they see a risk.

How important is a good safety record in the construction industry?

Companies with great safety records hold everyone in the company accountable for safety: from the owner to management to the employees. Allowing everyone to be a competent person, having proper training and taking OSHA 10 & 30hour classes. This makes all employees happy and eager to perform on the job, thus fewer accidents, no OSHA citations, and lower insurance rates. In the end, it increases the ability to secure job contracts.

What can be done to increase safety awareness and create a safe working environment?

Taking care of each other by communicating. Many employees see a hazard, but don’t communicate it to other employees or other trades. This is when an accident happens. It only takes a second for an accident to happen. It also only takes a second to communicate and prevent the accident.

What safety programs are available?

There are several types of training programs. We recommend doing research on what is best for your company.

There is the OSHA.gov website to find free information on training and free classes as well.

What kind of training is available?

We provide the OSHA 10 & 30-Hour classes in Construction and General Industry, American Heart Association First Aid/CPR/AED certifications, equipment training (forklift, aerial lifts, heavy equipment, etc.) and specialized meeting and training in the office, warehouse or on the jobsite.

American Safety Consulting has over 30 years combined experience in construction, oilfield, and general industry. Eliazar Flores and Abel Moya (both OSHA Outreach trainers) have gained the respect and recognition of being true professionals in the health and safety field. They provide the highest quality of service through job-site inspections & safety training. –cw

Decade of development

T

hrough one of the worst economic downturns in recent U.S. history, San Antonio and its construction community have faired better than most other cities, even experiencing a large influx in population. San Antonians, as well as local contractors and construction-related businesses, owe a lot of credit for the current development boon to the City of San Antonio’s “Decade of Downtown” and SA 2020 initiatives.

When the River Improvements Project opened the River Walk extension north to the Pearl in 2009, a lot of housing developments started to pop up in the area. That same year, Mayor Julian Castro came into office and declared the next 10 years to be the Decade of Downtown. At the same time, he initiated the SA 2020 effort, asking the community what they would like to see in San Antonio by the year 2020, and one area identified as a priority was downtown.

“It was really the political side and the community side making downtown a priority and understanding that great cities have great downtowns,” explains Lori Houston, director of the Center City Development and Operations Department

for the City of San Antonio, the Center City encompassing the city’s original 36 square miles, including the North River District and Southtown. “We really took that energy and capitalized on that, and started working with the development community to understand what would really help accelerate development in our downtown and that resulted in several policies that assisted in minimizing the risk in downtown development and helped create the redevelopment boom you’ve seen in downtown today.”

That boom entails a surge of investment over the last five years and still to come over the next five. Examples of development include the San Antonio River Improvements Project, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center expansion, the HemisFair Park area redevelopment and the San Pedro Creek restoration. The ripple effect through the industry and the city has had an impact on voters’ priorities regarding investment in new construction and renovation/rehabilitation projects.

“In 2007, the bond program that the voters approved included $10 million for downtown improvements,” estimates

Houston. “And then, in 2012, the voters approved a little over $90 million for improvements to the downtown area, which included streets, drainage, park improvements, the Hemisfair amount [of $30 million].”

The aforementioned projects and others represent nearly $1 billion in public improvements. The Tobin Center alone was a $203 million investment in redeveloping the municipal auditorium into a world-class performing arts venue.

When the SA 2020 vision was unveiled, one major goal was to increase the residential base in the downtown area by 7,500 residential units by 2020. As a result, in addition to public improvement projects, there are 3,800 housing units that have come online or are under construction.

At this point, halfway to the total goal, those 3,800 units represent approximately $545 million of investment with the city, providing about $54 million in incentives to bring about these projects. The new residential developments that have opened have 95 to 99 percent occupancy, demonstrating a market for downtown living along with the amenities and neighborhood businesses that cater to the demand created by residents. Working with HEB, Houston notes that a grocery store is finally coming to downtown with HEB proposing a 12,000-sf store. Also, the restoration of two miles of San Pedro Creek through the downtown area will bring 40 acres of property out of the flood plain to allow for new development. All of which means more construction jobs. –mh

Blue Star Phase II

Plans for the HemisFair Park area redevelopment The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Page 28

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Construction News ON LOCATION

A concrete court

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors

Using the products John and Karen Cavazos have at Stampcrete, the couple created a miniature basketball court in the back room of their shop. –mh

All events are held at the ABC office unless otherwise stated.

Feb. 2: Future Leaders Task Force meeting; 4pm; for more information, email Steven Schultz at steve@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 10: Texas Legislative Day; Austin; for more information, email Steven Schultz at steve@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 11: Safety & Health Committee meeting; noon; for more information, email Dana Hickman at dana@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 17: Fall Protection & Ladders; TDIndustries, Texas Room, 12700 O’Connor Rd.; 8am-4:30pm; for more information, email chris@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 17-18: OSHA 10-Hour, 8am-1:30pm; for more information, email chris@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 18: Apprenticeship Committee meeting; noon; for more information, email Dana Hickman at dana@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 19, 23: Print Reading Course, 8am1:30pm; for more information, email chris@abcsouthtexas.org Feb. 20, 24: Print Reading Course; 1-6pm; for more information, email chris@abcsouthtexas.org

AGC

register for one or both days; registration fees vary but for one day, the fee for ASPE members is $300, includes a computer rental, lunch, and 0.8 CEUs per day For more information on these events, call Chris Phillips, ASPE Central Texas president at 210-262-2142

CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt. Assn.

Feb. 24: Chapter Luncheon; 11:30am1pm; Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels; to RSVP, contact Stephanie at 210-828-6281, ext. 1575, or stephanie. harms@padgett-cpa.com

HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association

Feb. 5: Lunch and Learn; Joe’s Crab Shack, 255 E. Basse Rd.; 11:30am-1pm; presentations by Turner Construction and Seeking HR; members free, nonmembers $10; to RSVP, call 210-444-1100 or email Patty at admin@hcadesa.org Feb. 18: Membership meeting; for more information, visit www.hcadesa.org Mar. 19-20: OSHA 10 in Spanish; 203 Norton St.; breakfast will be provided; limited to 40 attendees; members $25, nonmembers $40; to RSVP, call 210-444-1100 or email Patty at admin@hcadesa.org

IEC

Associated General Contractors

Independent Electrical Contractors

All events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated.

Feb. 2: BIM Unit 3: Contract Negotiation and Risk Allocation; 8am-5pm Feb. 10: Professional Liability Insurance Seminar, TBA Feb. 12: Salsa Taste-Off Mixer; 5-7pm; Joeris General Contactors New Headquarters, 823 Arion Pkwy.; to submit your salsa or be a sponsor, call the chapter office at 210-349-4921; deadline to enter your salsa is Feb. 9 Feb. 13: Education Committee meeting, 8:30am Feb. 19: Safety Committee meeting, 11:30 a.m.

Feb. 24: CLF Steering Council Meeting, noon Feb. 27: Board of Directors meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8:30am

All events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated.

Feb. 3: NFIB Day at the Capitol, Austin Feb. 6: Skills USA Competition, 8am– 4pm Feb. 9-12: IEC National Business Summit, New Orleans, LA Feb. 16: Continuing Education Class, 5-9pm Feb. 17: A&T Committee meeting, 11am Feb. 18: Board of Directors meeting, 11am Feb. 20-21: Strategic Planning Session Feb. 28: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm For more information on these events, contact IEC at 210-431-9861 or visit www. iecsanantonio.com

AIA American Institute of Architects

Feb. 21: Beaux Arts Ball; Alamo Beer Brewery, 202 Lamar St.; 7pm-midnight; RSVP required; for more information, visit www.aiasa.org Feb. 23: Monthly meeting; The Fiesta Room of Luby’s, 911 N. Main Ave.; noon1pm; no RSVP necessary; cost is $25

ASA American Subcontractors Association

Feb. 18: Trust Fund Act Seminar; Ridout Barrett, 10843 Gulfdale; 1:30-4:30pm Feb. 25: State of the Economy Discussion with Judge Nelson Wolff, Membership meeting; 11:30-1pm; location TBD; members $30, non-members $40 Mar. 5: 20th Annual Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet; 2015 at the historic Pearl Stable; cocktails 6pm; company table $950, individual seat $95 For more information on these events or to reserve a seat, email contact@asasanantonio.org or call 210-349-2105.

ASPE American Society of Plumbing Engineers

Feb. 9-10: Green Plumbing Design (GPD) workshop; San Antonio; registration is $385 for ASPE/IAPMO members; earn 1.6 CEUs for participating in the two-day workshop; successful candidates will earn the GPD designation Feb. 11: Full-day workshop on Intermediate Plumbing Design; San Antonio; presented by Peter Kraut, South Coast Engineering; workshop awards 0.75 CEUs; registration is $250 for ASPE members Feb. 12-13: Revit MEP Training; Austin;

MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.

Feb. 4: Regular and Associates meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Feb. 17: Cost of an Hour Seminar, Morgan’s Wonderland, 4pm Feb. 18: Joint Industry Fund meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am

NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Feb. 4: General meeting; The Petroleum Club; 5:30pm; speaker is Jeana Watts, Busy Busy Feb. 19: Board of Directors meeting, Urban Concrete, 6pm

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Feb. 7, 21: Plumbers Continuing Education Feb. 11: Membership meeting; Silverhorn Golf Course; 11am-1pm; speaker is Jack Inselman, Metrostudy Feb 23: Designated Risk Manager Session Feb 24: Board of Directors meeting

SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Feb. 25: Membership meeting; Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410; noon; $30 per person; for more information, call Debbie at 830-606-5556

SDA Society for Design Administration

Feb. 26: Monthly meeting; “Accounting for the Design Firm”; The Barn Door, 8400 N. New Braunfels; noon-1pm; for more information, email cdelgado@lehmanneng.com

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 29

Construction News ON LOCATION

Setting a good example

Running up that Hill

L-R: Rocky Hill, president; Keno Urbina; Ruben Rossette; Wes Clark, vice president; and Elder Rice help their customers shape the terrain in South Texas at Rocky Hill Equipment Rental with heavy construction equipment including rocksaws, trenchers and backhoes. –mh

Boy Scout Pack 485 stopped by J&R Tile to visit a contractor for their engineering patch.

After a tour of the operations and checking out blueprints, Triniti Vigil, lead tile setter, stayed late, after working all day, to give a demo and work with the young men for some hands-on activities in the warehouse. –mh

With coffee to go

Having done sitework in the construction industry and having had an antiques business and a restaurant and bar on St. Mary’s Street, Rob Deering is running Design Materials and opening its own coffee house on the side.

O

riginally started by Barbara Gilmartin in 1982, Design Materials Inc. is now under the ownership of her son, Rob Deering, and as of Feb. 1, the design center opened its own coffeehouse to the public.

When his mother retired five years ago, Deering purchased the company and began redesigning its profile. H a v ing started out as a distributor for Saltillo tile, Design Materials now sells wood floors and carpet with degreed designers in the shop. The staff deals with designers, architects and builders.

They do substantial commercial jobs, such as the recently completed Aldacos restaurant and big banks, and very highend residential, specifically multi-million dollar homes, or a simple backsplash for a kitchen. They do walk-in retail, too.

Since he enjoys buying and selling, Deering’s other contributions to the business include a gallery, which offers art, furniture and lighting. His latest innovation is Beacon Circle Coffee House and Gallery, which is attached to the showroom on Warfield, but has its own entrance and is now open to the public.

Deering explains that the coffee house caters to their customers while also being open to the public. Beacon Circle’s interior is also heavily repurposed, because Deering believes in repurposing. The walls, the bar and more were made out of Design Materials’ reused palettes.

Surprisingly, the coffee roaster that supplies their store has been next door to them for about 12 years – and Deering never knew it. They would get a lot of

people coming in for coffee, but they only sell the beans. Now, having been taught by professional baristas to do the coffee right, Beacon Circle will serve up fresh coffee and sell it to go, even by the gallon. –mh

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Page 30

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

F

Wise man

rank Wisdom was going to start his own company when he retired; however, he realized that though he might slow down sometime in the future, he doesn’t actually intend to retire.

So, at 57, he started Wisdom Estimating Services a little bit earlier than he expected.

Wisdom started out in construction as a draftsman at Structural Engineering Associates, but after three years, he went to work for Manufactured Concrete Products as an estimator. That was when he found his calling. He went on to work as a senior or chief estimator for Joeris General Contractors, The Struthoff Company, Urban Concrete Contractors and Browning Construction Company.

Finally, he spent a year at Joeris again before starting his company in August 2010.

“I love it, because it’s something different,” says Wisdom. “It’s not always the same old thing. I like seeing different things and bidding on different work.

From jobs that go from $300,000 up to $516 million – I’ve bid on work that big.”

His favorite thing about having his own business is the freedom, particularly freedom to choose with whom he wants to work.

Under his own company, Wisdom is an official subcontractor for Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) and has bid military work across the South and Central U.S. He has also done work for Koontz-McCombs Construction and Alamo Architects.

As if inspired by his name, Wisdom also enjoys teaching. Companies often hire him to teach their teams how to estimate jobs. He has also volunteered time

For almost 15 years, Frank Wisdom has been running his own one-man estimating show as managing member of Wisdom Estimating Services.

to teach classes on estimating.

Though he is a one-man show, Wisdom’s wife, Linda, helps him around the office, makes phone calls, and assists him when he’s estimating. Married more than 28 years, the couple enjoys fishing and hunting. –mh

Going up in luxury

Over the last three decades, Don Zimmerman has taken single-family residential luxury to the next level with Home Elevator of Texas.

T

hough residential isn’t a market that is typically associated with elevators, that was the market that inspired Don Zimmerman to establish Home Elevator of Texas 30 years ago.

The company has two sides. Half of the business sells and installs luxury home elevators in multi-story homes as well as stairway lifts and residential dumbwaiters. The other half is commercial wheelchair lifts and accessibility elevators, such as patient lift systems that are monorail, such as those found in schools, churches, courthouses and military bases.

“The residential is either going to be homebuilders or private homeowners, and the commercial base is going through commercial architects and bidding to general contractors, or sometimes just building owners that need to make their building accessible to be able to lease their upper floor,” explains Zimmerman, noting that this allows businesses to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Of the residential half of his company, Zimmerman estimates that 50 to 60 percent of the business is luxury elevators for new homes, and about 40 to 50 percent of that end of the business is re-

lated to accessibility for those with disabilities or health reasons.

He emphasizes that the luxury of having an elevator in your two, three, or four-story home is still the driving factor on the residential side. He notes that many luxury home buyers and builders are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, and the convenience and luxury of having an elevator is alluring.

Residential elevators are different in that they typically have a manual swing door as opposed to automatic sliding doors, they usually have a 1,000-pound capacity compared to commercial elevators, and they have to be made to different codes. They are also versatile and can be decorated with wood interiors and hidden in a corner or even a closet, or they can have glass and be in the center of the house.

After Zimmerman got out of college in 1977, he got a job working at Montgomery Elevator Company and went through their engineering and sales training for residential elevators and accessibility lifts. After the company moved him to San Antonio, they decided they would not offer the residential elevators in the area, and Zimmerman struck out on his own with Home Elevator. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Page 31

Construction News ON LOCATION

Material girls (and guys)

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Call or Email us!

There is no charge for stories or photos.

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Extinguisher Cabinets & Onsite and In-Shop Servicing of all types Fire Hose The team of Design Materials, Inc. gathered together in the company’s showroom, which contains dozens of displays. Some are wood, and many exhibit countless styles of ceramic, porcelain and stone tile. –mh

Onsite fire extinguisher training 203 E. Rhapsody

San Antonio, TX 78216

email: info@a-1fireandsafety.com www.A1fireand safety.com

Taking the initiative

Members of the TCCI board at the first ever Construction Careers Fair

A

s building up the future workforce of the industry continues to be vital to the construction community, the Texas Construction Career Initiative (TCCI) was established to help reach out to the next generation of the industry.

Officially established in July, the new Texas nonprofit organization is currently working on its 501(c)3 status. Its leaders have their roots in San Antonio’s construction community. Stacy Gunderson, Marek Brothers, serves as TCCI president; Cherie Foerster, The Builders’ Exchange of Texas, is vice president/treasurer; Jon Marek, MEMCO, is secretary; and Bret Bartley, Gibson Plumbing, and Kyle Kuenemann, Diamond K Construction, are directors.

The board shares the responsibility equally and all came together over a common cause; they were the committee for the first Construction Careers Fair in April, and as they prepared to host their second annual event this year, they decided to form the official organization.

“Our goals are to provide the very best experience we can provide for the students and educators in attendance and for the contractors supporting the event,” explains Foerster. “We would like to get our city and county leaders involved in the event and have more districts from outside the San Antonio metropolitan area be able to attend.”

The organization works on various challenges of coordinating the event. In financing an event of this magnitude, funding is the biggest challenge. Also, logistics are a challenge. Last year, attendance was capped at 700 students, and

this year, due to tremendous response and interest, the cap has been raised to 1,200 students, which is requiring a lot of planning to create a flow for that many students with more than 100 volunteers and 120 teachers and chaperones. –mh

210-342-5518

FAX

210-342-3533

Page 32

San Antonio Construction News • Feb 2015

Life as Catamount

Construction News ON LOCATION

Baby on board

At H.J. Otis Plumbing, Jim Otis has a grandchild on the way – very close, in fact! His daughter and company president, Brandi Otis Alfieri, was about 36 weeks into her pregnancy when we saw her at the end of January. –mh

15 to 500 Ton Capacities Available for your Toughest Projects Reroofing at SAMC. We can help you stay dry in all types of building trades.

Peanut Factory Lofts project team L-R: John Constante, assistant superintendent; Scott Reynolds, president; Bruce Jeno, superintendent; Shane Harrell, project executive

W

hen MCC Construction was officially dissolved in January 2013, the San Antonio office and its staff became employees of Catamount Constructors, which had bought majority shares in MCC more than 10 years ago.

Shane Harrell, project executive, was with the company at the time, having joined Catamount in October 2012, and today is the head of the San Antonio team. Harrell enjoys the range that the company has nationwide, allowing him to see other construction methods, such as ones that are seismic or weather related.

Having grown up in San Marcos, Harrell attended Texas State University. He has worked for Wunderlich Builders, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors and Byrne Construction. At 38, he and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, 4-yearold Megan and 2-year-old Brooke.

The staff participates in quarterly volunteer days. In March and September

2014, the staff did food drives and work days for the San Antonio Food Bank. In May and December, they did donation drives and work days for Fisher House.

They are currently collecting food donations leading up to their next volunteer work day, scheduled for this month, at the food bank.

One of Catamount’s biggest and most recent projects in the Alamo City is Peanut Factory Lifts in downtown San Antonio, an adaptive reuse project in which the old factory building and the silos, abandoned for decades, are being converted into multifamily units blocks from UTSA’s downtown campus.

“2015 is lining up for a great year, with new projects in retail, industrial, multi family, Sr. living, energy and federal markets,” comments Scott Reynolds, president of Catamount. “We expect to see a continued increase in South Texas construction activity through 2015 due to strong economic conditions in the State of Texas.” –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

Framing the sky

At Allied Skylights, which does both commercial and residential skylights, Juan Avila was working on welding the frame for a skylight. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

It’s a sign! from El Paso to Beaumont Amarillo to Brownsville

www.alamocrane.com 35 Years of Service to Texas San Antonio (210) 344-7370 Austin (512) 282-6866 Toll Free (800) 880-0134

L-R: Annette Mollere, John Escalante, Brian Goode and Lorrie Johnson want their customers to be safe and take it easy – Easy Drive, of course! –mh