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Remember the Fallen Memorial Day • May 25
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Volume 17
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Number 5
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MAY 2015
Modern family
Better half of a century
Felipe Carstens, center, had the moral support of his parents, Ximena and Enrique Carstens, when he started his own company. Now, he has their support in the office, too.
The owners of Yantis Company are L-R: Arnold Briones, PE, COO; Mike Yantis Jr., CEO; J. Mike Yantis, chairman of the board; Matt Yantis, president
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hough Felipe Carstens established Modern Day Concrete on his own in 2011, his family has joined him in the business as it continues to grow. A year-and-a-half after its founding, Carstens’ father, Enrique Carstens, came onboard Modern Day as director of marketing and sales, and also doing administration. Enrique came to the U.S. from Chile in 1980 with his wife, Ximena Carstens. He studied business at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, where his son Felipe was born while he was working toward his bachelor’s degree. The family returned to Chile, and in 1995, the Carstens returned to the U.S. so Enrique could pursue his master’s degree at the University
of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, TX. For about 13 years, Enrique stayed in the U.S. on working visas. A job with Merrill Lynch brought the family to San Antonio, and his son brought him into Modern Day in 2012. Today, the Carstens are citizens. Felipe’s brother, Cristobal, is foreman, currently working on a job at Lackland Air Force Base. With the busiest workload Modern Day has ever had, Ximena recently joined her husband in the office to help file invoices and catch up on paperwork. “We really have been experiencing growth from the day we started to where we are now,” says Felipe, 30. “When we continued on Page 24
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s the country pulls out of the Great Recession, Yantis Company has come out on the other side of the downturn just in time to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. The civil infrastructure contractor has overcome economic challenges since its inception. At the age of 33, founder John Yantis was unemployed and started the company with $1,000 he had and a borrowed $9,000. He was able to turn enough profit on the first job to keep the business going. Today at 83, Yantis is chairman emeritus of the company he established in 1965. His son, J. Mike Yantis, is chairman, and his son’s sons, Mike Yantis Jr. and Matt Yantis, are leading the company as
CEO and president, respectively. In the most recent internal development, Arnold Briones, PE, joined the third generation of leadership late last year as COO with the distinction of being the first owner outside of the Yantis family. Briones started with the company in 2007. “We’re really excited,” says Mike Yantis Jr. of the anniversary. “We’ve done a lot of different projects around San Antonio. It’s really neat for my grandfather to just be able to look back at some of the things he has done and accomplished.” After running the company for years, John was joined by J. Mike in the early ‘80s. In the early 2000s, Mike and Matt continued on Page 24
Integrating warmth into medical care
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veryone has had the experience of sitting in a doctor’s office feeling uncomfortable in its various spaces that are as sterile visually as they are medically. But when Dr. Teo Sanchez, a full-time ER doctor, set out to open his own office, he envisioned a very different environment. Marksmen General Contractors built Sanchez’s vision in Alamo Ranch Integrative Medicine. The project was an interior finish out of a shell building for medical offices near 1604 and 151 off Alamo Ranch Parkway. Work began on Dec. 15 and was completed Mar. 16. The project encompassed a little under 2,500sf and the cost was approximately $350,000. Use of the space was fairly typical for a medical office with six exam rooms and a consultation room, as well as the doctor’s office, which included a bathroom and a shower. The space also included typical amenities of an office environ-
The Alamo Ranch Integrative Medicine project incorporated several elements, including earth tones and textured wall panels, to make the environment feel relaxing and comforting.
ment, including three storage areas, a janitor’s closet and a break room. One of the most unique areas in style and design was reception, with a curved feature and a nice textured wall panel feature designed by the Shawn Kaarlsen & Associates team. Marksmen’s project manager, Megan Gold, says that architects Shawn Kaarlsen and Mark Hodges worked with Sanchez to create the atmosphere that he wanted. She notes that Sanchez brought them clippings of features that fit his concept, and they based their design on his visions. Sanchez wanted the overall feel of the space to be similar to that of a relaxing spa rather than a typical commercial or medical office. “Dr. Sanchez did a wonderful job of picking some great color tones, and the textures that Mark Hodges and Shawn Kaarlsen brought to the forefront really continued on Page 24
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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In memoriam
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WE MOVE THE EARTH
440 Pinn Road San Antonio, TX 78227 210-675-4990
arvey Victor Marmon Jr., FAIA, founder of Marmon Mok Architecture, passed away Apr. 12 at the age of 89. In the local civic and construction community, he was well known as an architect, community leader and gentleman. Born Sep. 20, 1925 in his family’s farmhouse, Marmon graduated from Jefferson High School in 1943, spent a year studying at LSU and then served three years in the U.S. Army’s 294th Field Artillery Observation Battalion in Europe. In 1950, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture, and started his firm just three years later. His professional career included projects such as the Alamodome, the master plan for South Texas Medical Center and Terminal One at San Antonio Airport. His leadership in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) included every office through president, as well as the Public Housing Administration on the national level. He also served as director and vice president of the Texas Society of Architects (TSA). His service to the community included being an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church, city council appointee to the Hemisfair Advisory Committee, the Children’s Shelter Board of Directors and
president of the San Antonio Kiwanis Club, where he was active from 1956 until his retirement in the early ‘90s. Survivors include his wife, Rosemary; his children, Harriet, Beth, Mark, Mary and Lee; stepchildren, Rob, David and Ric; 10 grandchildren; five step-grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. –mh I joined the firm back in the ‘70s, so I had an opportunity to work with Harvey for many, many years, and I just have tremendous admiration for him. He was a great mentor to me and all the young architects that came into the office. He was always willing to take time to help and guide us. He stressed that the most important thing to us was our firm’s reputation and our integrity. I think Harvey was a consummate professional. –Stephen Souter, Marmon Mok Architecture Harvey was a dear friend with whom I played golf for over 40 years. A true gentleman and a credit to the construction industry. He designed many notable buildings in San Antonio and was involved in so many ways in the betterment of San Antonio. He helped build San Antonio and leaves a legacy of buildings and an architectural firm continuing to carry on the excellent work he started. –Richard Alterman, Alterman Inc.
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Harvey Marmon was the epitome of class and integrity. He successfully taught quality and excellence to lead the company [Marmon Mok] to where it is today. I had the privilege of working with Harvey and his firm on several projects in the early ‘70s and ‘80s. I remember dropping off many a submittal and pay application to their smaller office when they were on Brooklyn. Harvey always made it a point to step out, say hello and shake hands. He treated me with the respect as if I was an owner. The construction and architectural community will miss him. –Jack Janicke, Olmos Equipment
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Fiesta with the IBTX family
Impact brings on the heat
L-R: Dave Hailey, Aaron Krueger and Jay Rose, KGC Construction Services; Adam Neveu, Beyer Mechanical
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he spicy scent of Cajun-style seafood was in the air on Radium St. Mar. 27 when Impact Fire Services hosted its third annual crawfish boil. The event drew crawfish aficionados, as well as the leaders of the company, including CEO Michael Lloyd, who came in from Southern California for the event, and Buck Taylor, president, as well as vice presidents Michael Pool and Benjamin Fowler. –mh
United Rentals L-R: Rachel Berger, Rob Moczygemba and Courtney Hughes-Brown
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Leaders of IBTX outside the entrance to their new San Antonio office L-R: Stephen Smith, Bryan Moore, Lori Green and Randy Purvis
or San Antonio’s annual Fiesta celebration, IBTX Risk Services hosted a Fiesta Open House Apr. 22, which also allowed clients to tour their new location at Reunion Place. Guests enjoyed delicious flautas and empanadas with a homemade wow factor because they were made by the relative of IBTX employee Marcia Lozano. Her uncle, Alejandro Lozano, has a catering company, which provided all of the food with the help of his grandmother. –mh
L-R: Joe Rust, IBTX; Melvin Mitchell, G.W. Mitchell Construction; Stephen Smith, IBTX
L-R: Benjamin Fowler, vice president, and Chris Holcomb, superintendent, cooked 500 pounds of crawfish and 60 pounds of shrimp for the event. L-R: Adolph Fierros, Joeris; Saul Robles, Robles 1; Steve Koehler, The Koehler Company; Bryan Moore (photobombing) and Tom Quintero, IBTX; Stephanie Gattas
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
A new ‘Virtual’ environment
Monitoring progress
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Michael Tollette, president, and Brenda Romano, vice president, welcome everyone to come see the new look of the office at VBX following its significant remodel.
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s the Virtual Builders Exchange (VBX) prepares to welcome more visitors to its Naco-Perrin office in the next few years, Michael Tollette, president, and Brenda Romano, vice president, began a remodel to update the environment. They also incorporated pieces of the organization’s 115 years of history into the design and displays. Working cooperatively with other builders exchanges from around the U.S., VBX is receiving more visitors. Meanwhile, fewer members come in to use the physical plan room. As a result, the changes included creating a formal conference room and a smaller plan room. To get a better idea how to reorganize and improve the space, VBX hired Judy Dement, Dement Interiors, who says that she tried to combine the traditional to highlight its history and the modern to complement what the company does today. Her ideas included installing walls to create a formal lobby and the paint, wallpaper and flooring concepts. “When we looked at the cost of what we wanted to do, realistically it was not within our reach,” says Romano. “So we
turned to our membership, and we were very gratified that our members came through for us big time. They shaved off probably 50, 60 percent of the cost of what we would have had to pay had we not been able to ask for help.” Romano extended special thanks to three entities, one of which was the Builders Exchange of Texas (BXTX) for approving the remodel. She notes that BXTX, the nonprofit side of the operation, owns the building VBX calls home and gave permission for the changes to be made. Lisa Mochel, BXTX president, says that the construction VBX did to make it outsider friendly “has just been remarkable.” John Murray, San Antonio Floor Finishers, is one of the members of VBX who still uses the physical plan room, and credit for the “hardwood” resilient flooring goes to him. Also, Construction News donated the acoustical ceilings and carpet cleaning. Other key contributors included Specified Interiors, Chuck Reynolds, Universal Form Tops, Dittman Painting, Chambliss Plumbing, Blinded by Delight and Budget Tinting. –mh
oof Monitor celebrated its fifth anniversary at the start of the year and, coincidentally, sold the first system of its main product, Roof Sensor, which has been in development since 2008 and set off the formation of the company in 2010. Brad Beldon, president and CEO, is the third generation of his family in roofing. He realized Brad Beldon established a separate company for a new line of roofing there was a need for products he is developing to improve the safety of a building from a roof load-monithe very top of it. toring device to measure the actual live load on top of a While they outsourced much of the work, roof in order to reduce the chance of col- all of the manufacturing is done in San lapse. This device would notify the build- Antonio, because Beldon wanted to keep ing owner in case of too much weight on the jobs here and give back to the comthe roof. munity. A big example that led Beldon to be- With four employees and 43 dealers lieve there was a need for such a product for the product, Roof Monitor has already was the roof drain collapse at Penner’s released its second product, Edge DeMen’s Store downtown, which was due to fense, a safety map that sounds an alarm too much water weight. Collapses due to to warn you if you’re getting too close to snow are often reported in the north dur- the edge of the roof. Marketing across ing winter, but it’s not just snow that the nation and the globe, their patents causes collapse. He points out that water are pending in 50 countries, and they are weighs more than snow, because snow currently developing a third product. has air in it, which makes rain a culprit of Beldon, who has two other separate roof collapse in its own right. businesses, Beldon Roofing for commer After spending two years on proof of cial and Beldon Home Solutions for concept, Beldon formed the company home improvement, built a new office around the technology-based product. upstairs from his existing one for Roof Between its founding and the official Monitor, and he splits his day between launch of the product, the company has the two. Since he is a big Fitbit fan, both been occupied with the development of offices sport treadmill desks. He has lost the electrical engineering, molds, manu- 46 pounds as a result. –mh facturing and software development.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Soaring in the heights
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etween construction and local government, Madeline Anz Slay is a busy woman. She’s celebrating the 15th anniversary of her firm, Slay Architecture, while working to better Balcones Heights as a city councilperson. After receiving her degree in architecture from Texas A&M University, Slay started out working for her father, Jerry Anz, on his demolition crew. In May 1994, she joined RVK Architects, where she worked for seven years. When her husband, Michael Slay, was relocating the offices for his own firm, Slay Engineering, she seized the opportunity to secure some space in his new location so she could establish her own firm. RVK then hired her new firm to finish some of the work she was doing for clients, and business grew. Getting off the ground, Slay recalls that the biggest challenge was doing everything herself. She learned a lot at RVK, and getting work wasn’t necessarily a challenge. She says that the hardest part was knowing when to hire that first person and ensuring there was enough work to have someone on payroll. Within five years, she had more than 20 employees and a second office in Laredo. When the economy crashed, Slay had to cut back. Today, the firm does more private work than public with a total of 15 employees, two of whom are in Laredo. Most of her clients are private repeat clients, and some of them have been working with the firm for more than a decade. Growing up around her father’s general contracting business, Slay says that he told her to go into a field other than contracting, so she chose to pursue architecture. When asked about her perspective on being a woman managing principal in
Madeline Anz Slay, managing principal of Slay Architecture
the industry, Slay says, “I tell all women, ‘Knock that chip off your shoulder.’ I work with contractors, and I get a lot of respect from them. And it’s because I don’t walk around with a big old chip on my shoulder [about being a woman in the industry].” Slay and her husband live and work in Balcones Heights, and she saw an opportunity to contribute to the city’s plans for burgeoning economic development and revitalization. She ran for city council and won. Now serving her second term, she is able to balance her civic responsibilities by being just four blocks from the new city hall. Her civic involvement doesn’t end in Balcones Heights. She is also on several boards. Going back to her grandmother, Slay’s family has been involved with St. Peter-St. Joseph (St. PJ’s) Children’s Home, and she has continued the tradition by serving on the board. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Dave Peters President Lone Star State Construction/D. Michael Designs
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t the 10th anniversary of Lone Star State Construction, the general contractor’s founder and president, Dave Peters, has already marked the first anniversary of his design-build company, D. Michael Designs. While his companies enjoy success in the industry, Peters has enjoyed success and experiences in a wide variety of areas outside of his work as a contractor and builder. Let’s start with your first job. I started my first job at the young age of 8 years old, detasseling corn with my older brother, Don, in Macomb, IL. My next job was washing dishes at the age of 10 at Paglia's Pizza. My mom was a nurse at the time and I wanted a mini bike, which she was totally against. She told me if I saved the money up that I could buy it myself. I quit the dishwashing job and started a paper route. Within a few months, I bought my mini bike. This taught me a valuable lesson that if I want something bad enough, I could get it; it would just take drive, ambition and perseverance, qualities that I have kept with me all my life. Tell me about your high school days. I went to Mt. Vernon High School in Virginia, and graduated there, and during that time, I was selling cars. Throughout my high school and into my college days, I was buying cars, fixing them up and selling them to my friends. I had a business in the cars for a long time, and since then, it’s continued. I’ve owned over 60 cars in my lifetime. It got me into going to Germany and picking up sports cars and luxury cars, Mercedes and Porsches, and then changing over the DOT specs from Europe to United States and then reselling the cars. After I got out of high school, I was actually working for a gentleman who owned a small construction company, and he hired me on fulltime. In about a year or so, I outgrew him and opened my own company. And I’ve had a construction business ever since. Did you get started in Virginia? Yes. I opened up a company called 3D Renovations, and it was my brother, Don, who’s 18 months older, and my brother, Daren, who’s 18 months younger. So, that was the 3 D’s. We started working together, and now it’s 37 years since we started 3D, and we’re back together. During that time, we were building the company up and both of my brothers went into military service, following my dad’s footsteps, which was in the Army. My dad was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and Don followed him, going to the Citadel, as well. We all got sent to the Citadel Summer Camp at 15 years old. There was a prestigious award called the Mark Clark Award, which only one camper gets. They looked for a special camper – somebody who was willing to lead and everybody respected and stood
out the most – and I received that award. Then, Daren’s son, Jason, who’s a partner in Lone Star State Construction, also went when he was 15 – he’s now 27 – he got the Mark Clark Award, too. So, we started 3D Renovations, and my brothers went ahead and rolled into the service and I continued in construction. That was in Virginia, and I ended up staying there a total of 18 years, and in 1998, I headed to Colorado. At this time, I was in a band. I’m a drummer, and I sing as well – like Phil Collins, but I wasn’t the lead singer. I was the drummer in my band called Walking Paper. I played with Poison at the Bayou in Georgetown, VA right when they were at their peak. My band won the DC101 Home Tapes Search Contest. Out of 3,000 entries, we were number one in the pop category. So, we got to make a record in a professional recording studio in New York with Caltrick Simone. He was a top record producer at that point. And we got to open up for a headline band, and Poison was the band that was picked for us to play with. That’s great! How did that go? It was great, but it wasn’t really. It started out great, but we didn’t get a sound check. We were supposed to get a sound check before they got a sound check, and they didn’t come in until 4:30. They messed up our sound check, meaning that we don’t get one. So, Rikki Rockett, the drummer for Poison, wanted me to move my drum set 4 inches to the front, because I had a massive drum set, and I told him no. So, we were kind of getting into it, and my manager came up to us and broke us up, and said, ‘Man, you can’t scrap with these guys.’ Then, 20 minutes later, he’s punching out their manager in the hallway, and I’m breaking them up. Needless to say, we went on. We were supposed to do about 15 songs. We ended up doing four before I quit, because we were squealing. It was their sound engineer that was behind the board that was running our sound and they just tore us up. They didn’t give us the proper sound. They didn’t give us our monitors on stage, so we couldn’t hear ourselves. Everything was wrong. So, we decided to go out through the front door. We were written up in the Maryland Musician Magazine, center spread, and it says, “Walking Paper: In Through the Out Door.” It was a great experience gone bad. It was fun playing it and doing all that, but seeing somebody that was in the starlight when we weren’t yet and how we were treated – it opened our eyes. Did it put a damper on it for you? Yes, it kind of did, but overall, it was a great thing. Years later, one of the guys that I graduated with in Virginia, Ed York, is the lead singer’s bodyguard. During that time, I got heavy into the band. We played everywhere, and that was a big part of my life up until I was 45, and that’s when I moved to Texas. One of the band members, Mike McGowan, moved to Colorado, and the band broke up. We’d been together a long, long time. So, he ended up calling me and saying, “Hey, there’s a lot of building going on in Colorado up in the mountains near the ski areas, Eagle and Vail. You could get a job in two weeks, and we could get the band back together.” It was all about the band at that time. I flew out to Colorado, got a job within two weeks and moved within a month. We took all of our stuff to Eagle, CO, and we ended up staying in Gypsum. So, we got the band started again. I started working for a large company called Double R Contracting with George Roberts, and I was his head project manager. I got a hand in being project manager for Kelsey Grammar’s home in Beaver Creek. When I was in Eagle, I joined the volunteer fire department where I was an EMT and a firefighter for seven years, and I answered about one out of every eight
Staying very busy both in and out of the office, Dave Peters, president and owner of Lone Star State Construction, shows off the future showroom for his design company, D. Michael Designs.
calls. My specialty and expertise was extrication – cutting people out of cars that have rolled over several times, because people used to think they can drive on ice and snow, and they can’t. Did you have any previous experience? No, not at all. But what made me go into this is the different experiences throughout my life, the first one being when I was coming home from the Citadel at age 15. I was riding a Greyhound bus back home and going through Georgia, and a man died in front of me. He choked on his own spit, and no one would help him. No one knew what to do. A lot of people around, him fighting for his life, and he died in front of us. That and a couple other incidents that happened while camping, and I wanted to be able to help people in the time of need, because I found out that people don’t know what they’re doing. They’re scared to do anything that involves helping somebody that is in a bad situation. Some people act upon that and other people don’t, and I’m one of those people that act upon it. I wanted to help people out in that respect. So, I joined the Greater Eagle Fire Protection District. Jon Asper was my chief, and he’s the first legally blind chief that there is, I think, in the nation. What came next for you? After working for Double R Contracting, I decided to open up my own company called Habitats West, and one of my first jobs was to build a two-story 5,000sf addition on the existing Eagle Fire Department so we could have a weight room, a kitchen, a lounge area and overnight bedrooms so the firefighters could stay there. During that time, I started doing other jobs, and Habitats West brought in about $1.2 million the first year I was out. So, then, I started using my money from the proceeds of construction to build a recording studio in Eagle called Good Vibrations, because one of my bandmates in Walking Paper was now buying guitars for the Foo Fighters and he knew a lot of the people there, and he was going to bring them up there to record. Then, I headed down to Jamaica. I met a buddy, Bob Disbrow, that liked Jamaica, and about two years after I had been going down there, I flew on a plane with Bob Marley’s Wailers. Bob died in ’81, and the Wailers continued on for another 20-some-odd years. I just happened to be riding on the plane with them going back to Jamaica. Glen DaCosta, the saxophone player, was on the right side of me, and then Vin Gordon, the trombone player, was on the left side of me, and all the rest of the band was all around me. Glen and I hit it off right away. From that point on, we started writing a book about his life with Bob Marley, the 10 years, ’71 to ’81, playing out on the road and on tour. So, I’ve been doing that for the last 23 years. I’ve been to Jamaica
over 60 times. I travel every three months right now. I go to Jamaica two to three times a year and have for the past 20-something years. Are you still working on the book? Yes. And last year, this time, I flew Ratso, Larry Sloman, who is the writer of Mike Tyson’s book, “The Undisputed Truth” – I flew him and his wife out to Jamaica for seven days because I wanted him to be the writer of mine and Glen’s book. The deal I made with him after the seven days was that I would do the interior design of his home in New York with my design company, D. Michael, and he would find me the perfect writer for the book. So, yesterday, he gave me the name of that person who’s going to write the book. We’re moving forward with that aspect. That’s exciting. What else have you been doing? During all those years when I was a teenager and up through high school, a buddy of mine named Layton Golding told me to start purchasing domain names. He was telling me about CocaCola.com and GE.com and all these things that people were buying up that was going to be unreal one day. So, I ended up buying. I have over 70 domain names that I own. I own bobmarleyjamaica.com, redstripelight.com and jamaicamecrazy.biz. So, I own a lot of different websites that I want to sell in the future, and that’s part of my retirement as well. Then, building my companies up – Lone Star State Construction and D. Michael Design. I’m building up the companies until I’m about 60, 65, and then I’m going to leave it to my brothers, and I’m going to go find out what I really want to do in life, and that is right now focusing on music production around the world, putting on concerts all around the world with all the people that I’ve met throughout my lifetime. The construction aspect of my life has been the catalyst to pay for everything, and I’ve got over $200,000 in the book alone, just in research and development. Not only do I have the interviews written, but I also have them taped and videoed. During that time, Glen comes up to me and said, “I had an inspiration three months after Bob died. I wrote a song in three minutes. It’s called ‘King of Reggae’ and I want to record it at your recording studio in Eagle. So, we recorded it 25 years after Bob died. We have that recording. We got all Jamaican artists to play on it. That’s going to be part of the book as well. Anybody that buys the book will get a free download. What is the timeline on the book? I thought it was going to be 10 years ago [laughs]. But thank God it wasn’t because every time I’ve been back I’ve been able to do more research, meet more people and come up with different things that people didn’t know about Bob Marley. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Breaking the (food) bank
L-R: Earl Roberts, DES; Amanda Garza; Oscar Garcia, Fairway Landscape; Alexandria Sepulveda
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he Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio held its second annual Casino Night Mar. 27 at the San Antonio Food Bank. Guests, who were encouraged to bring canned goods for donation to the food bank, enjoyed plenty of games, music, food and refreshments, as well as prizes and a silent auction. –mh L-R: Andrew Alvarado and Raul Garcia, Turner Construction
L-R: Elaine and Leonard Flores, Civil Engineering Consultants (CEC); Oscar and Julissa Carielo, Tejas Premier Building Contractor; Mari and Rafael Llera, Shorm Consulting
On the left: L-R: Susan Mossberger, Creer Believe, and Randy Friedrich, Gibson Energy
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Firmly focused on faith
Industry FOLKS Benjamin Morales Sales San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply
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enjamin Morales changed the course of his career when he joined the San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply sales team on Dec. 1. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Morales graduated from W.B. Ray High School and left home for College Station to attend Texas A&M University. After receiving his degree in marketing from the College of Business, he got his first job in advertising at a firm in Corpus Christi. Since his parents were from Mexico City, the first language he learned was Spanish, and that gave him an advantage at the multicultural advertising agency. In college, Morales met his future wife, Christine, a San Antonio native. After a little less than a year with the firm, he decided to make the jump to San Antonio, but even with his experience, it took awhile for him to land on his feet. He waited tables for about a year before landing a job with a small video production agency in town. Closer to contract labor than being an employee, he used his experience with commercials and onsite video to help with some of their TV shows and video shoots. Soon, one of the video company owners referred him to an IT company for small and medium businesses that needed a sales rep. He worked on the sales side, including with different schools, for close to three years, and then he accepted an opportunity to be
a retail sales rep for Gillette, which included a large family of products and brands such as Oral-B and Right Guard. When Gillette was bought out and his position was cut, he took a retail sales position with Wrigley Company, which encompasses just about any brand of gum that can be found in the store, he says. After three-and-a-half years, with his path for career growth and education limited unless he and his wife left the state, he began searching for a new opportunity. In 2008, he went to work as a commercial sales rep for Texas Industries (TXI), dealing with masonry and stucco contractors. The job was quite different from his previous jobs, but the common thread was one of his strongpoints - relationship building. Today, he still works with contractors at San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply. Morales and his wife recently celebrated their 11th anniversary, and they have a 6-year-old son, Cruz, and a 3-year-old daughter, Paloma. The kids keep him busy with soccer games and swim practice, and he enjoys family barbecues. At 39, he also likes to cruise in his 1964 Ford Galaxie 500, and as a devout Aggie, he bleeds maroon and enjoys watching Aggie football. –mh
Thor Thornhill, center, and his vice president, Stephen Hanz, right, accept an award for their company, HMT Engineering & Surveying, making the Aggie 100.
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he culture at HMT Engineering & Surveying has distinguished it among its employees and it is 43rd on the list of the Aggie 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned or managed firms in the world. With his master’s degree from Texas A&M University, Thor Thornhill, president and CEO, believes that the cultural identity of the New Braunfels firm is summed up in its faith-based mission statement, “Building relationships and futures that glorify God.� Thornhill is a member of C12 Group, a board of Christian CEOs and business owners around the country that meet in 12-person boards. He meets with his board once a month at the Petroleum Club in San Antonio. “The idea is to build greater businesses for a greater purpose,� explains Thornhill. “That’s the mantra, and it’s basically that we don’t compartmentalize our faith to two hours on Sunday. We see
Enterprising youth
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If you would like a personal subscription ($35 per year, per city) select â&#x20AC;&#x153;Subscribe.â&#x20AC;? At 29, Roland A. Davila is the owner of his own company, which has seen successful growth since diversifying and attaining SBA 8(a) certification.
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[ourselves] as every day, 24 hours a day, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Christian, and so we bring that into the workplace as well by our mission and our values. We have a company ministry team. We have company Bible studies. We have a company chaplain that meets with our staff and helps them with all walks of life from marriage issues to how to raise children â&#x20AC;&#x201C; anything.â&#x20AC;? Along with some of the staff, their families, clients and vendors, Thornhill also takes mission trips to Peru, where they are working on orphanage, school and church projects. Established in 1977 by Thornhillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father-in-law, S. Craig Hollmig, who ran the business for 30 years, Thornhill left a job he loved at USAA to join the firm, working his way up from being out in the field with the survey crew to being CEO. He has now grown the company from six employees to nearly 40. The firm has done hospitals, hotels, car dealerships and a lot of single-family residential. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;mh
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ast month, the president of RCO Construction, Roland A. Davila, celebrated his 29th birthday. This month, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrating the fifth anniversary of the company he founded. Starting out as a small concrete and site work contractor, RCO has evolved into a growing general contractor. In September, RCO obtained its Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) certification, and a growth period has followed. In the past six months, the company added 15 fulltime skilled employees for a total of 19. When asked about his success at such a young age, Davila responds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It feels good. One thing that I enjoy is my staff and being able to provide something back into the community. All my guys in the office and especially my field workers are so hard working and just knowing [that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m] providing them with a job and supporting them, that makes it all worthwhile.â&#x20AC;? Before establishing his own compa-
ny, Davila worked for Suncoast Post-Tension and then his uncleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction company, HJD Capital Electric. He also studied business management at the University of Texas at San Antonio. With skills learned on the job and in college, he had a handle on the business side of construction when he started RCO. As the sole owner, Davila recalls that the biggest challenge starting out was getting contractors and customers to take him seriously. When given jobs to start him out with something, he completed the projects and proved himself, earning respect and more work. RCO is currently working on projects at Fort Sam Houston and Randolph and Lackland Air Force bases. The company has also performed work at Fort Hood and for United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport. In his spare time, Davila loves to be outdoors. He likes to go hunting and take weekend bay fishing trips to Rockport. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 9
Tex-cellent
Hot shot
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) held its 2015 SubExcel Conference Mar. 26-29 at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in Seattle, WA. For 2015-2016, ASA National has a Texan taking over as president. Letitia Haley Barker, Haley-Greer in Dallas, will step into this role on Jul. 1 from her current office of vice president. At the awards luncheon, ASA presented awards for Excellence in Ethics to 13 companies including Marek Brothers Systems and Holes Incorporated, both based in Houston, and Haley-Greer, based in Dallas. The annual conference’s special events included a welcome reception, a spouses’ tour of Pike Place Public Market, an executive directors’ outing to tour Seattle craft breweries, a national general contractor expo, an attorney’s council reception and dinner at Aqua Restaurant, and a reception and banquet on the last night.
Brian Johnson, 2014-2015 national president, with his vice president and successor for 2015-2016, Letitia Haley Barker
Some of the many education programs included workshops on finding, training and motivating employees, selling and negotiating jobs, building a backlog – regardless of market conditions, and financial management. –mh
L-R: John Glaze; Elaine Garcia, San Antonio Chapter executive director; and Shannon MacArthur, MEMCO in Houston
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Married for 17 years, Cindi and Glenn Johnson, owner of Heat & Treat, have recently taken up a new hobby together – mounted shooting.
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ith a background in two specialized areas, Glenn Johnson took control of his own destiny by starting his own company, Heat & Treat, in 2003. “I’ve done this since I was 12, and I’m 52 this year,” says Johnson. “My dad had a company in Houston called Bob Johnson & Associates, and we did water softening, and then I had an uncle in North Texas that was the RayPak rep, so I was able to combine both sets – hot water and treating water – to start this company.” Based in Schertz with seven employees and a 95-percent commercial/industrial workload, Heat & Treat has done restaurants such as Luby’s and hotels such as the Marriott. The company also services Mrs. Jones’ water softener products. Among the softeners, boilers and sump pumps Heat & Treat does for HEB, it also does the reverse osmosis for the purified water that is added to amoxicillin powder in the pharmacy.
Heat & Treat does everything from small residential projects to large projects like Lackland Air Force Base. The products they work with range from the size of a home ice cream maker to a Ford F-250 with the only difference being volume, which is handy at the Lackland dorms for all the airmen getting ready at the same time each morning. Johnson emphasizes that he enjoys working, but outside of work, he and his wife, Cindi, who is also Heat & Treat’s secretary and bookkeeper, participate in mounted shooting on the weekends. They started recently as the sport, where a shooter fires blanks at balloons while riding a horse, trots into popularity. The couple lives in Spring Branch and works in an arena in Blanco. Helping out and building up skill with four-hour practice sessions. (Check the article in the Outdoor section to see how they did in their first competition.) “It’s just the coolest,” he says. “I’ve never seen anything so fun.” –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Scary IRS letter Kathleen Dvorak, CPA, Shareholder RidoutBarrett San Antonio, TX
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ow about that sinking feeling you get when you find an IRS envelope in your mailbox and you know it’s not a refund check? With anxiety you slit open the envelope knowing it’s going to be bad news. “The IRS says I owe how much?”
Well I may have some good news for you. There’s a possibility you may qualify for penalty abatement. So, if a significant portion of what the IRS says you owe is penalty, and interest on that penalty, it may be worthwhile to work with the IRS in an effort to have the penalty abated. If penalties are successfully abated, interest related to those abated penalties should also vanish. Some helpful IRS agents will actually work with you or your appointed representative to maximize the abatement of penalties and related interest. When working with the IRS in an effort to have penalties abated for clients, some tax practitioners may even occasionally speak with very helpful agents who provide guidance on how to get a bigger abatement. The IRS has programs in place to allow taxpayers, who are not habitually charged with the same type of penalty, to receive a First-Time Abatement Waiver. Before using this get-outof-jail-free card however, taxpayers assessed with penalties should first consider whether or not they may have the penalty removed “for cause” and save the first-time penalty abatement request for a possible future need. The IRS grants penalty abatements when the taxpayer can show just cause for the deviation from the rules or regulations. Unfortunately, being unaware of the rules and regulations is not just cause for abatement. The IRS often grants First-Time Penalty Abatements to qualifying taxpayers. Certain types of penalty assessments can be abated if the taxpayer has not been assessed the same type of penalty within the prior three-year period and if the taxpayer is otherwise in compliance with that same type of issue for subsequent and current periods. If a taxpayer has had, or does have, an installment agreement in place and he or she has been making timely payments according to the plan, the taxpayer is still considered to be compliant and may still qualify for the abatement.
Tax practitioners have available to them an IRS Tax Practitioner’s Hotline which allows practitioners to work on behalf of their clients with agents who are generally very knowledgeable, helpful and frequently authorized to correct issues and grant certain penalty abatements over the phone at the time of the call from the tax practitioner. Unfortunately, because of budget cuts and a reduced staff of IRS agents, the tax practitioner is often on hold for great lengths of time, sometimes between one and two hours before the tax practitioner is able to speak to an agent. However, patience is not only a virtue, but in these instances it can also be fiscally beneficial, resulting in the savings of significant dollars in penalties and related interest. Other options available to qualifying taxpayers are Installment Agreements and Offers-In- Compromise. If a taxpayer finds he is unable to fully pay a tax debt by the due date, he may be able to obtain an Installment Agreement and make monthly payments over time. Penalties and interest continue to accrue however, so the best option is to pay it off as quickly as possible. For those who may find themselves unable to full pay a tax debt over a 72-month Installment Agreement, the taxpayer may be eligible for an OfferIn-Compromise to have part of the tax liability removed. There are many issues involved with Installment Agreements and Offers-In- Compromise for which another article would be required. But know that these are possible solutions to consider when a taxpayer cannot immediately full pay a federal tax liability. If you find the dreaded IRS envelope in your mailbox, know that you may have options for some relief. Kathleen Dvorak obtained her CPA license in 1988 while working in private industry. Kathleen went into public accounting in 2001 and joined RidoutBarrett as a department manager in 2005. She became a shareholder of the firm in 2011.
Compliance quick check: Top common group health plan issues Terrell Taylor, Partner Christ Taylor Insurance Houston, TX Affordability under healthcare reform: Wellness credits and surcharges cannot be taken into consideration when determining affordability under the employer mandate, unless they are tobacco-related. Additionally, small employers must determine affordability for purposes of the Marketplace Notice. Finally, individuals should be informed as to the affordability of coverage for purposes of the premium tax credit subsidies available in the federal marketplace. Payment of individual policy premiums: Some employers have begun to explore the possibility of providing contributions toward health coverage purchased in the individual market, including coverage and employee purchases through either a private or public exchange. In Sep. 2013, the IRS published Notice 2013-54, essentially prohibiting the payment, subsidy or reimbursement of the cost of individual policy premiums by an employer. The IRS requires that a participant in an employer-sponsored arrangement that is designed to pay for health coverage on a tax free basis also be enrolled in a group health plan. Nondiscrimination: Corrections to any failed nondiscrimination test are not permitted after year end. This means that the status of the plan should be monitored during the year so that any adjustments can be made prior to year end. As a best practice, testing should be performed several times during the plan year to help a plan sponsor facilitate corrections and show, upon audit, that the plan passes the appropriate tests. Failure to offer COBRA: If an employer offers benefits that satisfy the definition of a group health plan, the employer should also offer COBRA in connection with the plan. Commonly overlooked group health plans include flexible spending arrangements, health savings accounts, employee assistance programs and wellness programs. Failure to offer COBRA may subject the employer to penalties under ERISA, an excise tax under the tax code, and penalties and remedies by the court. Mixing up HIPPA and COBRA notices: The HIPAA Special Enrollment Rights Notice and the COBRA Initial Notice are commonly confused, but the application and audience are different. Employers should ensure that the HIPAA document is provided to all employees (not just those covered under the plan) who are offered the opportunity to enroll. Conversely, the COBRA document is only provided to employees and spouses who are actually covered under the plan within 90 days of the beginning date.
Medicare/Tricare prohibition: An employer with 20 or more employees may not offer to pay, subsidize or otherwise reimburse the cost of TRICARE or Medicare coverage for employees or their spouses, as this could be seen as taking such coverage into account and incentivizing the individual to drop group health coverage. FMLA: Final regulations released in February 2013 expanded the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to include leave for family members who are on or have been called to active duty. Extended leave is available for an employee to care for a family member with a serious illness or injury. Advance notice of midyear plan changes required: Health care reform introduced the summary of benefits and coverage requirement. Under SBC distribution rules, if a plan changes information or design midyear, an updated SBC must be provided 60 days in advance of the effective date of the change. A summary of material modification (SMM) may also be required on an expedited basis when a plan change is made. Charging employees different premiums: In general, an employer is free to design their plan to charge employees different premiums as long as it is based on bona fide employment classifications or participation in a wellness program. However such plans must ensure they will pass nondiscrimination rules under both IRS code Section 125 and 105(h). Assessing premium differentials based on the satisfaction of a health standard (such as not smoking) is only permitted when it is part of a wellness program that satisfies the five criteria of the federal regulations. Christ Taylor Insurance is an Employee Benefits and Insurance Brokerage firm doing business for over 50 years in southeast Texas, and long-time ABC member. The firm provides solutions to small and medium size companies for healthcare and benefit programs, as well as life insurance and Retirement Plans. Contact the Christ Taylor team at 713-850-7747 or www.christtaylor.com
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 11
Are you ready for new union rules?
Your rights as a whistleblower
Sewell C. “Spike” Cutler, Principal Cutler-Smith PC Dallas, TX
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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Y
ew union-representation election rules are effective as of April 14, 2015; are you ready?
You may recall earlier efforts by the current administration's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enact substantial changes to union-representation election policies and procedures, changes to substantially expedite union elections and eliminate procedural protections employers had when faced with union election petitions. The new rules, sometimes called "Rocket Election" or "Quickie Election" rules, were set aside after a determination that the board adopting the rules at the time included improperly- appointed members. The prior reprieve has turned out to be temporary; a properly-constituted NLRB adopted a final rule in December, effective April 14, 2015, which implements accelerated election rules. Not only does the new rule accelerate the union election process, it also has some real gems to assist unions in organizing workgroups. The Final Rule, as published in the Federal Register, is 182 pages long, but its most important impacts can be summarized as follows: 1. Union representation election petitions may now be submitted electronically, including petitions, voter lists and statutorily-required notices; in the past, these had to be submitted by mail, inperson or by facsimile. 2. Regional directors for the NLRB are now expected to set a "pre-election hearing" within eight days after hearing notice issues, and conduct a post-election hearing 14 days after the filing of any objections; importantly, and critically, elections will not be stayed (delayed) pending resolution of most issues, whereas in the past, elections were not held until pre-election issues, including the validity of voter lists and potential bargaining units, were resolved. 3. Employers must submit a position statement setting out issues with the prospective election at least one business day before the hearing, or waive such issues; previously, all relevant issues could be considered. 4. Employers will now be required to give the union a list of possible voters, their locations, the job classifications, and will have to include personal phone numbers and email addresses for all such employees, and this list has to be provided within two days after the regional director directs that election be held. So, em-
ployers are required to actively assist organizers in their efforts to line-up employees against them. Bottom line, the process of going from the collection of expressions of interest (election cards) to actually conducting the election is vastly faster, and the employer is required to help the union get in touch with its people. While the new rules are couched in terms of "fairness," most press favoring the new rules is written with the assumption that all employers are large, well financed, and have only the worst interests of their workers at heart, something most small business owners know to be false. Small businesses are required, as a matter of practical reality, to hire counsel to challenge elections, and they have to do it quickly – while unions already have full-time, trained professional organizers and counsel on staff. Congress passed a bill blocking the new rules, but President Obama immediately vetoed the legislation. Challenges have been filed, including one filed by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), in Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas. Employers must ensure that they know the rules governing representation elections. Most importantly, employers must maintain a clear line of communications between the employees and company management. Employees who know their employer has their best interests at heart are less likely to call for a union election. If you learn of strangers hanging around jobsites or contacting your employees, find out about what's going on so you can ensure that any decisions made are made with factual information in hand. Union organizers rely upon poor communication and misinformation and they are pros at doing this. At the first sign of difficulty, be sure you consult with counsel about what you can - and cannot - do in responding to a union organizing campaign. Cutler-Smith PC focuses on representation of construction trade contractors and the commercial construction industry. For more information on the firm and its industry advocacy, call 214-219-0800 or see the web site www.TexasConstructionLaw.com
Submitted to Construction News
Teaming up with ladies in construction
L-R: Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran takes a selfie while playing a round of golf with industry women Sandy Wolff, SAWS; Kristi Pena, HJD Capital Electric; and Krystal Nerio, Prosperitus Solutions, at the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) golf tournament. –mh
ou may file a complaint with OSHA if your employer retaliates against you by taking unfavorable personnel action because you engaged in protected activity relating to workplace safety or health, asbestos in schools, cargo containers, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, motor vehicle safety, and securities laws. Whistleblower Laws Enforced by OSHA Each law requires that complaints be filed within a certain number of days after the alleged retaliation. • Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (90 days) • Clean Air Act (30 days) • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (30 days) • Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (180 days) • Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (180 days) • Energy Reorganization Act (180 days) • Federal Railroad Safety Act (180 days) • Federal Water Pollution Control Act (30 days) • International Safe Container Act (60 days) • Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (motor vehicle safety) (180 days) • National Transit Systems Security Act (180 days) • Occupational Safety and Health Act (30 days) • Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (180 days) • Safe Drinking Water Act (30 days) • Sarbanes-Oxley Act (180 days) • Seaman’s Protection Act (180 days) • Section 402 of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (180 days) • Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act (180 days) • Solid Waste Disposal Act (30 days) • Surface Transportation Assistance Act (180 days) • Toxic Substances Control Act (30 days) • Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (90 days) Your employer may be found to have retaliated against you if your protected activity was a contributing or motivating
factor in its decision to take unfavorable personnel action against you. Such actions may include: • Applying or issuing a policy which provides for an unfavorable personnel action due to activity protected by a whistleblower law enforced by OSHA • Blacklisting • Demoting • Denying overtime or promotion • Disciplining • Denying benefits • Failing to hire or rehire • Firing or laying off • Intimidation • Making threats • Reassignment to a less desirable position, including one adversely affecting prospects for promotion • Reducing pay or hours • Suspension If you believe that your employer retaliated against you because you exercised your legal rights as an employee, contact OSHA as soon as possible because you must file your complaint within the legal time limits. An employee can file a complaint with OSHA by visiting or calling the local OSHA office or sending a written complaint to the closest OSHA regional or area office. Written complaints may be filed by facsimile, electronic communication, hand delivery during business hours, U.S. mail (confirmation services recommended), or other third-party commercial carrier. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Pulling for a good cause
Every month people across Texas read Construction News... Dallas/Fort Worth Austin San Antonio
Houston South Texas
It pays to advertise! First Place Team L-R: Caleb McCarty, Jorge Hinojosa Jr., Harry Williams, Jorge Hinojosa Sr., Mario Cantu, Colton Haun
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he Precast Concrete Manufacturers Association (PCMA) of Texas hosted the fifth annual Pull for Pompe Apr. 18 at the National Shooting Complex. Proceeds from the event benefit research into Pompe Disease, also known as acid maltase deficiency and glycogen storage disease type II, a rare neuromuscular disease that affects approximately 1 in 40,000 people in the world. Approximately 400 construction industry professionals from across the state brought in an early estimate of $100,000 for the 2015 fundraiser. PCMA of Texas has raised more than $600,000 for the Acid Maltese Deficiency Association (AMDA) since the event’s inception in 2011. –mh Winners: Team 1st: Summit Engineering – Jorge Hinojosa Jr., Caleb McCarty, Mario Cantu, Harry Williams, Colton Haun 2nd: E-Z Bel – Ish Garcia, Ryan Garcia, Travis Benke, Bruce Benke, Mike Oliver 3rd: Frost Bank – Raul Barberena, Mark Maloney, Stephen Ethridge, Brandon Carpenter, Chris Wray
Lady 1st: Tricia Kocurek, WMC #2 2nd: Kelsey Robinson, Nucor Steel #2 3rd: Brance Anderson, A.H. Beck Foundation Junior 1st: Kolby Vacek, WMC #1 2nd: Orlando Garcia, Bexar Concrete #3 3rd: Brance Anderson, A.H. Beck Foundation Lewis Class A 1st: Colton Haun, Summit Engineering 2nd: Stephen Ethridge, Frost Bank 3rd: Mike Oliver, E-Z Bel Class B 1st: Scott Billingsley, AMDA 2nd: Roland Garcia, San Antonio Rough Rider 3rd: Willie Guerra, Manco Class C 1st: Steven Rodriguez, San Antonio Rough Riders 2nd: Jason Ochoa, Austin Bridge & Road 3rd: James Bailey, Vulcan Materials #1 Course HOA Red: Ernest Taylor, Bexar Concrete #2 Green: Harry Williams, Summit Engineering Yellow: Brad Frerich, Bexar Concrete #1
Cool and classy
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he Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) San Antonio Chapter held its 2015 Sporting Clay Shoot Apr. 2 at the National Shooting Complex. –mh Winners: Top Team: M&M Manufacturing – Kenny Turner, Randy Barington, Jeff Jackson, Robert McCorcle, Wes Van Rite Class AA 1st: Edgar Gonzalez, County Wide Service 2nd: Aaron Caldwell, Trane 3rd: Randy Barington, M&M Manufacturing Class A 1st: Eric Jones, A/C Technical 2nd: Juan Alvarado, Beyer Mechanical 3rd: Tyler Stein, Frost Bank Class B 1st: Adam Burroughs, GMI 2nd: Ross Toman, Toman Bros 3rd: Mark Lane, Beyer Mechanical Class C 1st: Mike Mathis, Johnson Supply 2nd: Duane VanDyke, D&C A/C Service 3rd: Brian Leonard, LENNOX
Top Team
First Place in Class AA
First Place in Class A
Top Lady: Chardae Mollere, Turner Construction First Place in Class B
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 13
What makes you smile? My wife, Jennifer, has a way of making me smile when I’m down. We both have good senses of humor, and every day we make each other laugh somehow. So, when she knows I’m in a bad mood, she’ll joke me out of it and vice versa. Kevin Bisang, B&E Contractors Just the wonderful life that we’ve been given and that the Lord allows us to wake up and enjoy every day, and usually any time I’m down, whether it’s at work or at home, I have somebody that puts a smile on my face because we joke or laugh or something. I think that God has put us here for a reason and He’s giving us that day, and that’s why it’s called present. Megan Gold, Marksmen General Contractors Watching [others] smile. I love to see other people in good moods, and that makes me smile. Patrick Harris, Concrete Renovation People just being people, especially kids being kids. I tend to be an observer. I watch people a lot. Everybody seems to do strange things all the time, and you don’t really notice it unless you watch. There are a lot of them that everybody does the same. I tend to get a chuckle out of that. David Ross, Texas Plumbing Diagnostics Looking back and seeing everything we’ve done – where we started and where we are now. Sometimes, you get caught up in everyday problems, but then you’ve got to sit down and look at where we are and see what we’ve done. We’re all working together. We’re all making a living. It just makes me feel good to know how far we’ve come. Felipe Carstens, Modern Day Concrete I’m one of the very fortunate ones. I’m really never down. I’ve got way too much to be grateful for to really ever be down. I’m pretty in check knowing where my parents come from to know that everything I’ve got is a huge blessing. There’s not much that ever gets me down, but if I did, I could think of where I could be. I’ve been very fortunate, and I know it. Benjamin Morales, San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply I think about time with my family. That’s what makes me smile. I have a wife and two kids. Any time with them always makes me happy. Ray Luna, Champion Glass Thinking back to some of those low places that we’ve been, and then trying to help people and then looking at ourselves and saying, “It’s not that bad.” It’s reflecting on those experiences and memories of what I’ve been through. And ultimately, it comes back to my family. Rudy Fernandez, Blue Planet Machinery God. When I’m down, I know that all I have to do is pray, all I have to do is talk to God, and I know that He is always going to be there for me, because He will never leave me or forsake me. Jennifer Wilborn-Hickman, Wilborn Steel Co. Seeing somebody else happy or smiling. Greg Kanning, Dumas Hardware All it takes for me to feel better is take a look at my husband’s face, my children’s faces or my granddaughter’s face, and I feel the joy of just being around them. Nothing can be bad when they’re around. Cherie Foerster, Builders Exchange of Texas
Construction News ON LOCATION
Entrenched in their work
Reggae music, because it’s part of my soul. It’s all about struggle. And it’s created in a way that is appealing to the ear. Dave Peters, Lone Star State Construction/D. Michael Designs Road trips with Bunco Beaches - the best getaway with eight of the funniest girlfriends ever. Never stop smiling or laughing – LIFE IS GOOD! Betty Addie, Vestal Steel Seeing someone with joy. When my son is happy and has peace. Being a parent, it’s amazing how when your son’s happy, you’re happy. Robbin Bostick, San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply
The sales team for the Vermeer location in Selma gets their moment in the sun with one of the company’s ride-on trenchers. L-R: Brady Urbanek, Kevin Keith, Dan Riley, John Carver and Fernando Menjares –mh
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San Antonio Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ May 2015
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Pre-summer patterns and tactics by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Premier Yamaha Boating Center, Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.
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igh winds and an abundance of rainfall in April made fishing a little more difficult for most of last month. There was also one storm where severe weather moved through and winds were clocked at 60 mph, catching some anglers by surprise and far from home. Despite some harsh weather and terrible water conditions in the upper lagoon, our bay system should prosper from the rains and recover for the upcoming summer months. With May approaching, you should start seeing those croaker flag starting to appear at the local marinas. Fishing strategies will change as we make the transition from shrimp to croakers. Rock structures, reefs, grass beds and potholes are areas which need to be keyed on. It is very important when approaching these areas to use a trolling motor or push pole. Anchoring up on the outside edges of these areas can be very productive on spawning trout. Setting up on these locations is the key to catching fish. Always approach the intended area with the wind at your back, carefully estimating the length of your anchor rope and the distance of your cast. Once you have drifted over the area, you intend to fish
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because your anchor didn’t hold or you misjudged the wind. You might as well find a new area to fish and try that spot later in the day. During the summer months here in the Coastal Bend, anglers can find some of the best fishing along the entire coast. Our bays are loaded with resident fish and tide runners, which constantly are arriving from the Gulf. With school being out for summer and the weather getting better everyday, that can only mean one thing . . . boating and fishing pressure will be one of the most important factors for not being able to find large quantity of fish or stay on those fish once you have a bite going. That is why I emphasize so much that the best fishing is usually during the week instead of on a weekend. Another alternative to getting away from the heat and crowded bays is late evening and night fishing. Fishing late into the evening and into the night during the full moon can get you out of everyday crowds and into some of the more popular fishing areas without being hassled by novice boat operators and inpatient anglers. I have experienced all aspects of these people trying to move-in on a set of rocks or a sand pocket you are catching fish from and scare all the fish away. It has reached a point where you have to do some homework and really think about how you will go about catching fish on any given day. My tech-tip for the month keys on using braided line when fishing either live bait or artificial lures. Power Pro Slick 8 is this captain’s line of choice. It’s smooth as
Davin Cox of George West shows his catch before getting back in the boat with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
silk feel gives you extra long cast and is sensitive enough to feel every bite. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-8133716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
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San Antonio Construction News • May 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
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h, springtime in Texas! The Hill Country wildflowers are winding down, school is wrapping up and the fishing action is heating up! We are off to a good start this year on Lake Buchanan. The old lake hasn’t caught much water over the winter months, but we have learned to fish the low lake and know how to cope with it. So far we are seeing lots of good healthy fish trending larger as fewer people seem to want to mess with a low lake. As with any other game animal, the secret to getting bigger trophies is letting them have more time to grow. I know I’m always on my soapbox trying to get people to realize the importance of getting out and taking their kids hunting and fishing. I firmly believe the old adage, “Take your kid hunting and you won’t be hunting for your kid.” I once had an old judge on my boat who told me he never had a kid in his courtroom that had a hunting or fishing license in their pocket. I think it is the combination of time spent with our kids and letting them have a chance to learn the lessons nature can teach that can help them become more balanced and confident people. With that in mind, try to take a little time as school lets out for the summer to
look at your summer plans and go ahead and make your reservations for family travel and events. Try to book your hunting or fishing trips through vacation time instead of having to settle for just doing anything you can still do at the last few days of vacation. Our schedule and I’m
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sure that of most other recreational services looks like spring break all over again during the month of August because of the end of vacation panic. We do appreciate the business, but we really hate to turn families away because they all want to go at once. During early summer we see nice weather before summer heat really gets settled in and that makes outdoor trips more comfortable. As far as fishing is concerned the earlier trips will usually have better fishing and larger fish because they are just ending their spawning season. The fish will continue to bite well through the summer months, but sometimes if we have a really hot summer they will start to slow down around mid-August. That is why trips earlier in the season are so good for bringing the kids along. You want to get them hooked on fishing with a good strong “catching” trip so they will want to continue fishing. As we get into the months of the year when we can see more rainfall we are all
hoping that the El Nino pattern we are moving into will bring the much needed rains to begin restoring our lakes and rivers to more normal levels. If that doesn’t actually happen, at least it should bring in some water to freshen up out water bodies and keep fishing good. At any rate its prime time fishing now and I hope you can find the time to join us – on the water!
Submitted to Construction News
Can’t beat their heat
Glenn and Cindi Johnson, Heat & Treat, competed in a mounted shooting competition last month in Bandera, and Cindi took first place in the Senior Level Lady’s category. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
A cool Cruz
Who? Us? Charles and Margaret Timms, Timms Trucking, had adorably fuzzy guests in the oak tree in their backyard. Seeming fond of this particular spot, this is the second year in a row that they have found baby owls that were born in this tree. –mh
Cruz Morales, son of Benjamin Morales, who is in sales at San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply, loves cruising around town in his dad’s 1964 Ford Galaxie 500xl. –mh Photo by Rick Staggs
The Timms found these baby owls nesting in their tree last year.
Submitted to Construction News
Scouting a couple good bucks
This year, the owls came back, and new babies have arrived!
Jon Marek, MEMCO, and Michael McGinnis, Allen & Allen Company, harvested these bucks on a recent hunt at Bear Scout Reservation. They won the hunt in a live auction while volunteering at the Boy Scout Golf Classic in September. Marek and McGinnis have become actively involved with the Boy Scouts, introducing them to the construction world. Among other efforts with the Boy Scouts, both are on the Boy Scout Shoot Out committee working toward an event at the National Shooting Complex in May. L-R: Ken Lamb, who runs the scout reservation, McGinnis and Marek –mh
Have an outdoor photo or story you’d like to share? Send to:
SAeditor@Constructionnews.net or call Mary at 210.308.5800
Submitted to Construction News
A bird of a different feather
26 Annual Funshoot th
Saturday, August 1, 2015 National Shooting Complex to benefit SA Youth This snowy egret was hanging around the peaceful Korean pavilion at Denman Estate Park when David Hazlett, husband of Mary Hazlett, San Antonio editor for Construction News, snapped this shot. –mh
For Information, contact Cindy Niznik (210) 497-8121
Hosted by
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
2015 TCCI BYF High School Construction Career Day was a HUGE Success!
210–701–1893
Scholarship winners
A special Thank You to our Sponsors, Exhibitors, Contributors and Volunteers
Build contest winning teams
SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR . . . . April 6, 2016
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Welcome to Crawfish city
Terracon strikes gold
oasting 1,200 pounds of its big event’s namesake Cajun delight, Big City Access hosted its fifth annual crawfish boil Apr. 23 at its Universal City location. More than 350 guests were expected for the customer appreciation event. –mh
L-R: Christian Mireles and Maddie Williams, MEMCO; Neville Spicer, Big City Access
L-R: Mike Ghazawi, senior principal; Chuck Gregory, senior principal; Laura Campa, principal; Lee Garrett, principal; Joe Lambert, principal
Barbara Roberts, Big City Access, and Greg Wiatrek, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing On the right: The Trevino Group L-R: Joe Garcia, Norma Reyes, Jessica Garcia, Simon “El Rey” Reyes
The Robles 1 crew was one of the first groups in line for trays heaping with crawfish. L-R: (standing) Andy Brumgard, Darrell King, Javier Villarreal, Adam and Stephanie Robles, (seated) Lorina Brumgard, Ann King, Isela Robles and Karinne Henley
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ith more than 140 offices across the U.S., Terracon, the employee-owned consulting engineering firm, is celebrating a half-century of success and longevity since it was founded in 1965. The San Antonio office hosted a 50th anniversary party Apr. 7 with a well-engineered spread of delights, including refreshments, appetizers and cake. With more than 125 expected to attend, guests took home Terra-Q BBQ Sauce, the label boasting that it is “guaranteed not to contain hazardous waste, lead or asbestos,” as a parting gift. “Fifty years is obviously an awesome accomplishment,” says Chuck Gregory, senior principal, who also serves as vice president and regional manager over the San Antonio, Laredo and Pharr offices. “We’re proud of where we come from, but we know we’re not finished. “Personally, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. I’m proud of the people that we work for and work with, and I’m proud to be able to be able to provide for my family and the community here in San Antonio.” –mh
L-R: Rudy Bazan, Terracon; Jason Nelson, Bury; David Wegmann, Bexar County
L-R: Fernando Aguilar, Slay Architecture; Scott Tak, Alpha Consulting Engineers; Chuck Gregory, Terracon
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Driving on the edge
Marching to the beat of BBQ
James Rodriguez, vice president, and his wife, Annette Mollere, marketing director, keep Easy Drive running smoothly at the company’s East Nakoma location in San Antonio.
L-R: Katherine Schwille, Sophia Reyes, Kara Kilian, Jaclyn Jackson, Kristin Heggy, Megan Warren
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fter 65 years in business, Easy Drive is still on the cutting edge of its industry. As a supplier for engineers, surveyors and contractors, the family-owned company has evolved with its customers as their needs become increasingly technological. James Rodriguez, vice president, says that the company has solutions to fit those needs, and those solutions are what they sell to customers. As of about six months ago, those solutions now include drones. As this new technology is up and coming and the FAA changes their regulations, Rodriguez notes that drones will become more and more of a tool for contractors, and Easy Drive will have them on hand as they grow in popularity and utilization. “The exciting part about it is that we’re always on the leading edge,” says Rodriguez of his family’s company. “The construction industry has just been bombarded by more and more technical needs,” explains Annette
Mollere, marketing director. “The best practices for construction have evolved into a very technical field and it really is pushing our customers into being different types of corporations.” Mollere estimates that 85 to 90 percent of construction companies have become adopters of new technologies to stay competitive in the modern market and become more efficient. She notes that even smaller companies have learned that equipment like a robotic total station would make them more precise and more attractive to a general contractor looking to work with small businesses whose efficiency will complement their projects. Easy Drive also supplies the San Antonio Police Department with laser scanning and robotic technology, which they use for high tech mapping of crime scenes and accident sites. Easy Drive has two San Antonio locations, one on Ruiz and one on East Nakoma, and one in Austin. –mh
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n support of the March of Dimes March for Babies event, KFW Engineers & Surveying held a barbecue fundraiser on Mar. 27. Every year, the firm raises money to benefit March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. More than 200 people, including employees, clients and local businesses, enjoyed food and games. L-R: Steven Krauskopf, George Weron, Blaine Lopez The barbecue was by Blanco BBQ and KFW’s pit masters Jason Soto. This year’s fundraiser brought in Townsley, Raul Morales and Eduardo more than $7,350 in donations. –mh
The bigger the more Texan
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Capital gets back to nature
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L-R: Lance McLaughlin, Jamail & Smith; Craig Noto, Quality Fence; Roy Olivarez and Eric Thomas, Ryland Homes
ince it’s well established that everything is bigger in Texas, that saying provided the theme for the 11th annual Quality Fence & Welding Customer Appreciation Party Apr. 8 at its office on Wetmore Road. Guests arrived decked out in their finest Texas gear, including cowboy boots and hats. –mh
The HJD Capital Electric team completes a bridge on the Medina River Greenway. The project encompasses a 6.5-mile trail in and around Pleasanton Road, including bridges, culverts and extensive concrete pathways through uncharted territory so pedestrians can fully enjoy nature at its best. –mh
L-R: Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen Co.; Dawn Thompson, ACCA; Greg Kanning, Dumas Hardware; Bert Mazac, Big B Construction
L-R: Lee Harrington, Dawn Vernon and Katie Whatley, Drash Companies
Quality Fence & Welding staff got decked out in true Texas style.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Texas leaders take the reins
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he Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America held its 96th annual convention, 360 Degrees of Construction, Mar. 18-20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. At the convention’s officer installation dinner, Texas found representation at the national level of the association in two of its three highest offices. Chuck Greco, chairman of The Linbeck Group, was installed as the president of AGC of America for 2015. Though the general contracting company is headquartered in Houston, Greco is based in San Antonio, his hometown. Linbeck also has an office in Fort Worth. Greco earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, where he served as cadet captain, executive officer, in the Corps of Cadets. He is past president of the Construction Industry Advisory Council for Texas A&M’s Department of
Construction Science, and he serves as regional director for the Texas Wildlife Association. “Thirty-six years ago when I started my career with Linbeck, I never imagined that one day I would be serving as president of the Association General Contractors of America,” stated Greco. “During the course of my career, I had countless opportunities to observe just what a positive impact the association had on our business and our industry. And more often than not, those benefits were the product of years of work by involved contractors and association staff. Clearly, AGC was the place where people were fighting to improve the industry’s future. That is why the theme for my tenure as your president will be ‘AGC today for a better industry tomorrow.’” Art Daniel, president and COO of AR Daniel Construction Services in Cedar
Hill, TX, was installed as vice president of AGC of America for 2015. The familyowned contracting company does highway and utility construction in Texas and surrounding states. Daniels graduated from Houston Baptist University and went on to study civil engineering and landscape architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. He also served as president of AGC of Texas in 2004. At the Alliant Build America Awards Luncheon, Greco stepped into the spotlight again, joining the Linbeck Zachry Joint Venture team when the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, located in San Antonio, won Best New Construction Management Project. “I’m very proud of the Linbeck Zachry Joint Venture team,” says Doug McMurry, executive vice president of the San Antonio Chapter. “Winning this prestigious national award for the Tobin Cen-
ter is quite an accomplishment. Locally, we all know the high quality of the industry’s construction work. However, it’s especially gratifying to know that our counterparts from across the country agree that this was an outstanding project.” Sundt Construction also received an Alliant Build America Award in the Highway and Transportation Renovation category for its $25 million 7th Street Bridge project in Fort Worth. The Willis/AGC Construction Safety Excellence Awards Breakfast was held that morning. Other events included a prayer breakfast, student chapters annual meeting and luncheon, the Education and Research Foundation Board of Directors luncheon, a luncheon for spouses and guests, Celebrate Construction Night, the AGC-Willis Construction Safety Program, a board of governors luncheon and several educational sessions. –mh
The Linbeck Zachry Joint Venture team won an Alliant Build America Award for the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio.
Chuck Greco (right) accepts the position of president of AGC of America for 2015 at the convention’s officer installation dinner.
Art Daniel takes the podium after accepting the position of vice president of AGC of America for 2015.
L-R: Michael and Kari Sireno, Baker Triangle, and Holly and Kristian Pearson, Joeris
L-R: Chuck Greco, Linbeck; Lane Mitchell, G.W. Mitchell Construction; and Doug McMurry, AGC San Antonio executive vice president
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Region 7’s farewell forum
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The Region 7 Forum was the last time these women of NAWIC will gather as Region 7 before the merge with Region 5. Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held its Region 7 Forum Apr. 17-18 at the Hilton Hill Country Hotel & Spa in San Antonio. This is the final Region 7 Forum before Region 7 merges with Region 5 to form the South Central Region, which will include Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. Region 7’s last hurrah coincided with San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration, and Friday evening allowed guests to join the festivities with a hospitality suite and party bus to the Fiesta Oyster Bake and Riverwalk. On Saturday, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor gave the opening remarks at the breakfast reception where the keynote speaker was Heloise. That evening, Region 7 closed its final forum with the awards banquet featuring DJ Ray and fun with lipstick/palm reading, caricatures, psychometry and Urial the Magician. Many Region 7 members took home awards that make this forum even more special to them. ESC Safety Consultants won first place for Safety Excellence in the Regional Safety category. Regional Safety
Awards also went to Austin’s Hensel Phelps and Vanguard Fire Systems. The DFW ladies cleaned up at the Women In Construction (WIC) Week Awards with Fort Worth taking the WOW Award, and the Dallas Chapter taking the Spread the Word Award. The Dallas and Fort Worth Chapters also took the PR & Marketing Regional Awards. Houston took the PR & Marketing Most Improved Award and the WIC Week Award for Most New Members. The Corpus Christi Chapter won the Membership Consistency Award. The San Antonio Chapter took home the Professional Development & Education Award. Dana Calonge, Vision Construction, received a 25-Year Longevity Pin. The forum also hosted several workshops with guest speakers, including “What to Do If OSHA Shows Up/Top OSHA Citations” by Ted Dunnam, ESC Safety Consultants; “2015 Human Resources Update” by Cynthia Mergele, Padgett Stratemann; “Work It Out! Demystifying the Male Female Workplace Dynamic” by Marny Lifshen; and “The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media” by Summer Salazar. –mh
The last leaders of Region 7 L-R: (standing) Sandy Field, national president; Judy DeWeese, past national president; (seated) Riki Lovejoy, national president-elect; Jennifer Swinney, regional director
Submitted to Construction News
Getting into the social swing of things
L-R: Jennifer Swinney and Mayor Ivy Taylor
Professional Development and Education Award: San Antonio Chapter
25-Year Longevity Pin: Dana Calonge, left, pictured with Sandy Field, national president
Putt out to greener pastures
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fter having to reschedule its golf tournament due to rain on the original date in March, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter drew 218 golfers to its annual event Apr. 6 at the Club at Sonterra. –mh
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter’s Emerging Professionals hosted a Top Golf Social Apr. 18 at the Top Golf driving range on 1604. –mh
Metal Studs Drywall
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Winners: North Course 1st Gross: Bob McIntyre, Greg McDaniel, Kevin McIntyre, Dana Delao 1st Net: Rick Corso, Saul Robles, Rachel Townsend, Woody Woodward 2nd Net: Chris Guido, Scott Kellner, Scott Royal, Omar Medina
3rd Net: Jamie Amoretti, Craig Noto, Jason Marcom, Clint Wurzbach Longest Drive: Jason Marcom Closest to Hole: Woody Woodard South Course 1st Gross: Curtis Brown, Jesse Rodriguez, Nick Calderon, Warren Bito 1st Net: Mark Garcia, Bob Delgado, Willie Valdez, Mike Valdez 2nd Net: Jacklyn Rudd, Loretta Rudd, Greg Adams, Steve Proctor 3rd Net: Clayton Hundley, Clint Haney, Shaun Folks, Garrett Keller Longest Drive: Greg Adams Closest to Hole: Steve Proctor Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 23
The future takes a career day
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he Texas Construction Career Initiative (TCCI) hosted its second annual citywide High School Construction Career Day Apr. 8 at Freeman Expo Hall with approximately 900 students attending and 58 companies participating. Twenty-nine schools came from all over San Antonio and South Texas, including Del Rio and Leakey. Parents were also invited to attend this year. Just a few hours into the event, contractors had already told Stacy Gunderson, workforce development training coordinator for Marek Brothers and president of TCCI, that they considered the event a big success, making quality contacts with teachers and students who were engaged and excited to talk to them. The event included a student build competition and guest speakers Mayor Ivy Taylor and boxer Jesse James Leija. Five scholarships were also awarded to students to help them pursue careers in the industry: two donated by Diamond K Construction for $750 each, two Gordon Hudson Honorary Scholarships for $750 each, and one ASA Mike McGinnis Honorary Scholarship for $1,250. “It is our belief that we owe it to our industry to tap the potential of these amazing young men and women,” says Cherie Foerster, executive director of the Builders Exchange of Texas and vice president and treasurer of TCCI. “The students will come away from this event understanding that this industry is willing and eager to invest in their futures.” –mh
Student Build Competition: 1st Place Team: MacArthur High School (pictured with Jesse James Leija) 2nd: Reagan High School; 3rd: Brandeis High School Photo by Kevin Barton, VBX
Jesse James Leija holds up his championship belt as he talks to the students about their futures. Photo by Kevin Barton, VBX
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
Mayor Ivy Taylor addresses the students who may become the industry’s next generation. Photo by Kevin Barton, VBX
Jonah Morales accepts the ASA Mike McGinnis Honorary Scholarship from its namesake, Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen Company. Photo by Kevin Barton, VBX
Hart Lumber challenged students to hit the nail on the head – without breaking it.
United Tool & Fastener gave the students a lift in the safety department.
Cram Roofing For the competition, six teams of students from different schools in the greater San Antonio area built a 4x6 bathroom with fully functioning plumbing and electrical.
Gibson Plumbing An ASL translator for the hearing impaired signs for Alamo Crane Service’s presentation to a group of students.
Braun Intertec
Marek Bros.
Beyer Boys
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Springing into tee time
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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter held its spring golf tournament Apr. 6 at Fair Oaks Golf Club. –mh Winners: Live Oak Course 1st Low Net Team: Link Staffing 2nd Low Net Team: Wurzel Builders 1st Low Gross: Smithers Merchant Builders
Longest Drive: Elizabeth Burkholder Closest to the Pin: Justin Kanas Blackjack Course 1st Low Net Team: Contractors Building Supply 2nd Low Net Team: IES Commercial 1st Low Gross: Lone Star Reprographics Longest Drive: Jason Boney
continued from Page 1 — Modern family started off, the main issue was getting work, having work to do all the time. Sales was our biggest challenge. “Nowadays, it has completely shifted. We don’t have a problem at all with sales. We have too many calls, too many jobs actually, so we have to turn down a lot of work. It’s really hard to turn down work when you’ve been in a position where all you want to do is try to get this job, and now we are having to turn it down. But it’s the right thing to do, because if you bite off more than you can chew, that’s not a good situation for anybody either. You want to be responsible about the way you do that.” Focusing on commercial work, Modern Day does microtoppings and overlays. Though the company does not pour
concrete or do anything structural, Felipe says that an overlay, which is 1/4 inch thick, can make concrete that is very beat up look brand new. The thickness of an overlay allows it to be polished by grinding it down while microtoppings are credit card thin and can only be stained and sealed. Felipe had been working in the industry when he decided to branch out on his own four years ago. To start, he did polished and stained concrete, and then he began branching out with epoxy coatings, slurries and polyurethanes. Past projects include Myron’s Prime Steakhouse on Northwest Military and Hot Joy in Southtown. –mh
continued from Page 1 — Better half of a century came on board. Mike estimates that they will do around $75 million this year. Though they have traveled, most of their work is in San Antonio. Covering everything civil, Yantis does earthwork, utilities, paving and concrete drainage. Most of their work involves subdivision infrastructure for big builders, and they also do commercial and public work. “I’ll always consider it my grandfather’s company,” Mike comments. “So, [the 50th anniversary] is a neat moment for me to be able to say that we’ve come this far from something that he started from literally scratch. “We were able to go through the ups and downs of the market – through the
1st Low Net – Live Oak Course
challenges they had in the ‘80s when things were horrible, they were able to find Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the WalMart Distribution Center. They were able to find big jobs that kept the company going, kept everybody employed and made it. “For me personally, a huge challenge was the Great Recession and how that changed our company. I’m really proud that we were able to go through that – a horrible housing downturn, a commercial downturn – and be able to diversify our workload enough to keep everybody employed and still come out on the other end and be here now when things are better.” –mh
1st Low Gross – Live Oak Course
continued from Page 1 — Integrating warmth into medical care
1st Low Net – Blackjack Course
1st Low Gross – Blackjack Course
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contributed to making it feel like a warmer environment that really resonated with the owner’s integrative approach to medicine,” explains Gold. “So, it makes you feel more relaxed and [gives the impression of] a healing environment. “I think the overall design effect is a very warm environment where you feel more at home and at ease so you can relax. Every room has the right kind of earth tones and texture to really put the patient at ease, and that was Dr. Sanchez’s intent with the design and the way that the architects captured it.” She adds that Sanchez, as a doctor who seeks out creative and more natural ways to treat his patients with an integrative approach to medicine, could not have been easier to work with and was very receptive throughout the process. She emphasizes that their goal is always to keep the owners informed and listen to their needs and wants, which built respect and trust with Sanchez. She observes that the owner’s intimate involvement was unique working on this project. Another unique aspect of the project was also one of the most challenging. The approximately 170sf of textured wall panel run over three locations took a lot of research and coordination to have it installed. Gold comments that Campbell Painting did a wonderful job with installing, finishing and painting the panels, which required a very high level of detail. Another challenge was scheduling several subcontractors on the project on its relatively short schedule. Gold and Craig Stautzenberger, superintendent, were able to coordinate all the subs to be onsite as scheduled and minimize how much they had to work on top of each other.
Marksmen General Contractors helped Dr. Teo Sanchez realize his dream for his own integrative medicine practice.
The MEP engineer on the project was Ed Monaco, Monaco Engineering. Subcontractors on the job included FloAire Service, Beyer Plumbing, Circle Electric, Campbell Interior Systems, KCM Cabinets, Champion Glass, Spectra Contract Flooring, Wessely-Thompson, Tero Technologies, San Antonio Security, Mission City Specialties, Hufcor, Service Shade Shop, Sign Resource Management and Hospital Klean of Texas. Mark Baublit, president, and Butch Dixon, vice president, established Marksmen General Contractors in May 2014. The company does remodel and finish out work on the private side and schools on the public side. Currently, they are also expanding into ground up projects. –mh
editions can be Did you Pastdownloaded at know? www.ConstructionNews.net
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
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Concrete Industry Making the cut Patrick Harris, President Concrete Renovation, Inc. San Antonio, TX
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hen cutting into concrete, Patrick Harris, president of Concrete Renovation, Inc., counts his 32 years of experience as one of his most valuable and important tools.
“Experience makes a big difference in cutting concrete,” says Harris. “A good operator can make it look really easy, and a poor operator can get the job done but it would take a lot more time than somebody that had the knowledge. Being trained to cut concrete and learning the profession really is a lifelong process as with any other construction trade that the longer you work at it, the more you learn, and the better you become.” Harris notes that the aggregate within the concrete has an effect on the diamond-tipped blades, and depending on the aggregate, that can cause costs to increase or decrease. And project costs keep going up as he observes that the cost of concrete alone continues to climb at about 6 to 7 percent each year. For the most part, all concrete saws are diamond-tipped. There are different
mixes and hybrids of metals that bind the diamond tips to the blade. “You have to have the proper mix of metals and diamonds and diamond sizes to get the desired cut that you want,” he explains. “In the Houston area, where they have river rock aggregate, you get 4,000 to 5,000 feet of cutting out of a blade where, in other places that have limestone, you’ll get 10,000 to 20,000 feet of cutting. So, your blade costs in the Houston area are probably three times more than they are in a place that has limestone.” He emphasizes that while San Antonio has some limestone, there’s also some river rock since the area contains a mix of different rock. Since the rock in the San Antonio area can vary, the key to getting a longer life out of a blade is knowing what you’re cutting, which means
knowing about the aggregate within the concrete. That information isn’t always known or available, making the process more intuitive based on a cutter’s expertise. “Usually, a cutting company has the knowledge of what they’ve cut in the past and where those lines are, and most contractors do not know what kind of aggregate is in their concrete,” he says. “If you had a larger job, you’d want to search that information out. On a smaller job, you’d probably use past experience for the concrete in that area. “There are maps of the different type of aggregates, but I have seen house slabs that had two different types of aggregates in the same slab, so it’s more of an experience of where the concrete is coming from and what aggregate the plant is using.” There are also proper speeds for different blades. The ideal speed is not calculated in RPMs, but at 10,000 feet per minute. The smaller the blade, the faster you would turn its RPM, the bigger the blade, the slower it turns. As for the actual cutting, like anything else in construction, you have to have the right tool for the right job. There are three main categories of concrete saw types: a core drill, a slab saw and a wall saw. There are also curb saws, made
specifically for cutting curbs. The core drill cuts round holes and leaves the center part intact, which is called a core. This is used for pipes, plumbing, and sometimes, even windows. These cuts can range from 5/8 of an inch to around 60 or 72 inches. The slab saw or pavement saw is for flat surfaces, cutting down into the concrete, typically for utilities, such as the trench drain Harris is doing right now at SAMC so they can run electrical conduit through the driveway. This cut can vary from .110 to 1/4 of an inch, which is .250 in width. The wall saw is bolted on and trackmounted, usually for making window or door openings through an existing wall. Having been in the field for three decades, owning his own concrete cutting company for almost 30 years now, and being an active member of related associations, such as the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association and the American Society of Concrete Contractors, Harris has accumulated a wealth of knowledge he uses every day in the field. “I’m always available to talk to people about concrete cutting,” he adds. “It’s a passion of mine and the more people know, the better educated they are. And we need more young people to learn, and to want to learn, the profession.” –mh
Have cements changed? Dave Suchorski, Senior Technical Services Manager/ Sales Manager Ash Grove Cement Company, Ankeny, IA
C
ement is one of the world's most popular building materials and has been used for over 2,000 years. Structures such as the Roman Coliseum were constructed using a form of cement. Some are still standing today. Cements changed very little until 1824 when an Englishman, Joseph Aspdin, received a patent for his new method of proportioning and blending raw material based upon chemistry. He named his product Portland cement because mortar made with his product had a color similar to a natural building stone that was quarried from the Isle of Portland off the coast of England. Improvements by Aspdin and others have led to the cement we are currently using. Portland cement has not changed significantly in the last 100 years. In 2004, the Portland Cement Association surveyed all 123 cement plants in the U.S. and Canada (P. Tennis, J. Bhatty, 2005). This survey collected and compared cement data in three different areas: chemical and phase composition, fineness, and strength. This data was then compared to survey data from 1994 and the early 1950s. These surveys proved there have been very few chemical changes. While cement is still made up primarily of calcium, silica, alumina and iron, there has been a slight change in the phase composition. Tri-calcium silicate (C3S), the compound primarily responsible for early strengths, has increased, while dicalcium silicate (C2S), the compound responsible for later age strength, has decreased. These phase composition changes, as well as an increase in fineness (Blaine) result in modern cements that have higher early strengths. There has been a demand in construction to increase early strengths to speed up construction processes, allowing wall forms to be stripped earlier and pavements and slabs to be opened to traffic sooner. Although cube compressive strengths between the cements from the 1950s and the 1990s are not directly comparable due to a change in the water content used to make the strength samples, the table shows an approximation of the strengths and how they have gone up since the 1950's. (See table.) Blended cements One of the bigger changes in the cement industry is the increase in the amount and types of blended cements being manufactured. Blended cements combine Portland cement with Supplemental Cementitious Materials (SCMs) and other minerals to produce cements with specific enhanced properties. SCMs are materials
such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag, silica fume, calcined clay and volcanic ash. These materials are either blended with ground cement or interground with cement clinker at the finish mills in tightly controlled proportions. The SCMs chemically combine with the hydration products of the Portland cement to reduce the permeability of concrete and increase concrete durability. Blended cements can be formulated to mitigate Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) in concrete containing reactive aggregates. Blended cements can also be formulated to increase sulfate resistance in concrete exposed to high sulfate soils and water. Certain blended cements can be used to lower the heat of hydration in mass concrete, such as dams and large foundations. Blended cements can also have gypsum contents optimized for the blend of the cement and SCMs. Gypsum is used to control the setting of cement to prevent false and flash sets in concrete. The gypsum does this by controlling the alumina portion of cements. Some SCMs also have alumina compounds that can compete with the alumina compounds in the Portland cement for the gypsum. This can lead to rapid slump loss and setting problems in concrete. Blended cements can have increased gypsum to optimize the SCMs. Blended cements are manufactured to comply with ASTM C 595, Standard Specification for Blended Cements. The blended cements are designated as Type IP(X) for pozzolan blended cements containing fly ash, or natural pozzolan SCMs, such as calcined clay or volcanic ash or Type IS(X) slag blended cements, where (X) is the percent of SCM in the blend. For example, Type IS(25) is a blended cement with 25% slag. In recent years, another type of blended cement has been gaining popularity in North America, Type IL. This is a Portland cement type that contains interground limestone. Cements blended with up to 35% ground limestone have been used for many years in other parts of the world and are often the predominate cement used. By intergrinding limestone, the clinker content of the cement can be lowered. Lowering the clinker content helps to reduce the CO2 emissions per ton of cement and thereby per cubic yard of concrete. Concrete is a green building material. Durable concrete has a long service life that expends very little energy, giving it a long, sustainable life cycle. Reducing the CO2 emissions during manufactur-
ing helps concrete be an even more sustainable building material. Research has shown that controlling the fineness and the particle size distribution during intergrinding results in a cement that produces similar properties as concrete made with other types of cements. The cement industry faces increasing regulatory issues and is constantly striving to reduce energy consumption. As the industry responds to these challenges, changes in the manufacturing process may result in slight changes in the cements produced. The cement industry will be working with the chemical and admix industry, concrete producers, researchers and specifiers to provide cements that will produce durable and sustainable concrete that can last for centuries. Suchorski is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and a registered professional engineer in Kansas and Wisconsin. Dave has over 30 years experience in the cement and concrete industry. He is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, a member of the Board of Directors and serves as the chairman of the Curing Concrete Committee. Dave is also a member of the Parking Lot, Pervious Concrete and Hydraulic Cements Certification Program and Chapter Activities Committees. –cw References: For more information on cements go to The Portland Cement Association website: http://www.cement.org. Bhatty, J.I., Tennis, P.D., “Portland Cement Characteristics-2004,” Concrete Technology Today, Vol. 26, No. 3, CT053, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, December, 2005, pages 1-3. http://www.cement.org/tech/pdfs/CT053_cement.pdf Tennis, P. D., “Portland Cement Characteristics -1998,” Concrete Technology Today, Vol. 2, No. 2, PL992, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, August 1999, pages 1–4. www.cement.org/tech/pdfs/pl992.pdf “Portland Cement: Past and Present Characteristics,” Concrete Technology Today, Vol. 17, No. 2, PL962, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, July 1996, pages 1–3. http://www.cement.org/pdf_files/pl962.pdf
Page 26
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Concrete Industry Paying attention to the details Kimberly Acosta, Owner KDA Custom Floor Co. Katy, TX
W
hat sparked your interest in stained concrete flooring? In 1949, my grandfather and his brothers came to Dallas and opened a company installing all types of flooring, including stained concrete and hardwood floors. They were one of the first people to introduce concrete staining to the United States. I learned all about stained concrete from my family over the years. I asked my family members questions about stained concrete at family reunions and when we got together for the holidays. I opened KDA Custom Floor Co in 2005.
A KDA Custom Floor Co. crew member does a stained concrete project.
In your opinion, what is the state of the construction industry? There is plenty of work right now. We got really busy last year in April and we didn’t slow down. Normally there is a slow down in December and January. We just kept on going this year. We have stayed very busy with commercial projects in 2015.
What types of changes have you seen in your industry since you opened your company 10 years ago? We still do things the old school way, but I have noticed nowadays more people prefer a sealer for protection. Polished concrete and overlays are more popular these days. How do you stay up-to-date with new trends? It is my goal to attend the World of Concrete in Las Vegas next year to learn about new technologies and products in the industry. I get so busy it is hard to leave for a few days. I want to go though! We recently took part in a polished concrete class to freshen up our skills. I went to a flooring convention this past year to gather new information about products and services as well. In your opinion, what are the keys to success in your industry? First of all, you have to know exactly how to do stained concrete. It is important to do it correctly.
In addition, I think you have to pay attention to details, be professional and provide excellent customer service. If a young person wants to do what you do today, what advice would you give him or her? I think it would be a good idea to become an apprentice and learn from a more experienced person in the industry. If you are just starting out, you can educate yourself by watching how-to videos online provided by a reputable manufacturer. What is on the horizon for your industry? I think polished concrete will continue to become popular in the future for both residential and commercial jobs. KDA Custom Floor Co. specializes in the installation of stained concrete flooring, epoxy flooring and prefinished hardwood flooring for commercial, residential, interior and exterior projects. –ab
The foundations of a successful conference
T
he National Foundation Repair Association (NFRA) hosted its 25th annual conference Apr. 16-17 at the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio. More than 220 members and guests came from across Texas and the country to attend the milestone event. With chapters based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio/Austin, NFRA recently added the national designation to its association name as there are now members in 18 states with more chapters being established. As celebrity spokesman for Olshan, a foundation repair company with locations in many states and several in Texas, legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan was the special guest speaker at Friday’s luncheon. Ryan answered pre-selected questions from his audience and shared a few stories from his long and successful career in major league baseball. One lucky guest at each table won an autograph and got to have their photo taken with the Hall of Famer. The night before, Barney Fife provided entertainment – and character – at the dinner, which included mariachis and a silent auction. On Thursday, during a construction
tour of San Antonio with guide Ken Erfurth, members learned about the building of the Tower of the Americas, the Guinness World Record move of the Fairmount Hotel and the raising of the former Liberty Bar house off its foundation by member Dodson House Moving. Erfurth illustrated the tour with binders full of information from the convention bureau and other sources with photos of the historical construction and hotel relocation. Other events included the board meeting and educational programs. The sessions covered a broad range of topics such as “Raising a Building,” “Engineering Ethics,” “Soil Types in Texas,” “Drought,” “Backfilling Methods for Tunnels” and “Underslab Insurance Coverage… It’s Baaack!” Crediting his team with organizing the conference, Paul Wolf, NFRA national president and owner of Perma Jack Foundation in San Antonio, comments, “Everything went really well. We had rave reviews. Half of the classes were changed from last year to new subjects, and we had a lot of good comments about the new subjects and new speakers. It’s a lot of work, but it sure came out good and it showed.” –mh
The 25th Annual NFRA Conference brought a major league legend to podium. L-R: Joe McCullough, executive director; Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher; Paul Wolf, national president Photo by Kyle Wolf, Wolfman Performance Productions
Team members from San Antonio firm Westbrook Engineering Photo by Kyle Wolf, Wolfman Performance Productions
L-R: Randy Mobley, NFRA immediate past president for the six years prior to Wolf’s presidential term; Pete Falletta, PE, Terracon, who was a speaker at one of this year’s sessions; and comedian Barney Fife. Photo by Kyle Wolf, Wolfman Performance Productions
L-R: Nolan Ryan with Blake Stephens, GPS of Texas, who was one of the lucky guests to win a baseball autographed by the Hall of Fame pitcher. Photo by Kyle Wolf, Wolfman Performance Productions
L-R: Kenny Dutton, Du-West Foundation Repair; Raymond Hensen, URETEK; Scott Turnage, URETEK
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 27
Job supply meets job demand
W
orking with Bexar County and Texas Construction Careers (TCC), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio chapters, and the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) hosted the Better Jobs Fair Apr. 15 at the San Antonio Airport Hilton. The event drew an estimated 164 attendees with 30 employers and exhibitors hoping to fill a wide variety of open positions. Exhibitors observed that approximately 80 percent of the guests were oil field workers who had been laid off or believed layoffs were imminent. The remaining 20 percent were veterans and craft workers, as well as job hunters hoping to find a career in construction and looking for a place to start. Hilda Ochoa, vice chair of the CLF, explains, “The construction industry is in dire need of workers, anything from specialty workers to laborers, and the layoffs in the oil field prompted us to say, ‘We are ready to absorb all of those folks. Come see us. Come talk to us.’” Giovanni Guzman came all the way from the McAllen area to talk to exhibitors and submit applications. “I was working on pipelines, and I got laid off. I heard about the job fair, and I wanted to see if I had a chance to get a job and see the different kinds of jobs [available].” –mh
Olmos Equipment meets one of many interested new prospects.
At Raba Kistner, Frank Martinez (left) said the turnout was great and surpassed their expectations. Martinez was taking applications for three field technicians. Merry Raba (second left) said that they were looking to fill 10 positions statewide and were willing to relocate the right people qualified for construction materials technician openings.
Turner Construction collected resumes to help in the search for workers.
At Alamo Crane Service, Paula Kohut (right), credit manager, said they were looking for certified crane operators and truck drivers as well as a shop foreman.
Having heard about the fair the day before, Greg Uhlig (right), DEA Specialties, jumped at the chance to fill two open installer positions. He had these jobseekers fill out applications. Jon Marek, MEMCO, speaks with a prospective job hunter that brought copies of his resume.
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Round-Up Katherine Lopez has joined Big Red Dog Engineering as a graduate engineer. With two years of experience in municipal engineering with the City of Corpus Christi while working towards her bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University– Kingsville, she is currently enrolled in the G.I.S. certification graduate program with an emphasis in water resources at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In her spare time, Lopez enjoys fishing, hunting, archery, running and ice skating.
Julia Wiblin has joined IBTX Risk Services as director of business development. Based in the company’s Dallas/Fort Worth office, she will cultivate and manage business relationships for that location and the San Antonio office. With more than 10 years in the insurance industry, she has specialized in sales support and business development for the past seven years. She is a licensed Property & Casualty general agent.
Submissions
Round-Up
Laurie Montgomery has joined the office of Westwood as a business development specialist supporting the firm’s land division. With 13 years of experience focusing on business development in the commercial and real estate industry, she is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), a member of Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), and the Real Estate Council of San Antonio (RECSA). She earned her bachelor’s in mass communications from Montevallo University.
Raba Kistner Inc. announces: Sam Blanco, AICP, has been promoted to associate of Raba Kistner Environmental. With the firm since 2002, he is currently responsible for managing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and natural resource planning and permitting projects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University in Kingsville and his master’s in environmental science from Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. Dick McNary has been named COO of Raba Kistner Program Management (RKPM). He will retain his current role as president of Project Control of Texas (PCT), and in his new role, he will direct efforts of RKPM and its subsidiaries, PCT and PC Sports. After joining PCT in 1985, he became COO of the firm in 2007 and president in 2012. Jeff Haberstroh has been promoted to vice president of Project Control of Texas (PCT). With PCT for seven years, he currently serves as the program manager for the expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. He is also serves a city councilmember in Boerne and is a member of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). Paul G. Hawryluk, PE, has been promoted to vice president of Project Control of Texas (PCT). He will continue to serve as the senior program manager for the $485 million Kyle Field Redevelopment for Texas A&M University. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from Texas A&M University-College Station and is a member of the Council of Education Facility Planners (CEFPI), the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Project Management Institute.
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
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors
Events are held at the ABC office unless otherwise stated. May 4: Future Leaders Task Force meeting, 4pm, for more information, email Steven Schultz at steve@abcsouthtexas.org May 13: Safety and Health Committee meeting, noon, for more information, email Dana Hickman at dana@abcsouthtexas.org May 14: Membership Mixer, 3-6pm, Topgolf San Antonio, for more information, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org May 20: Government Affairs Committee meeting, 7:30am, for more information, email Steven Schultz at steve@abcsouthtexas.org; Apprenticeship Committee meeting, noon, email Dana Hickman at dana@abcsouthtexas.org May 25: Memorial Day, office closed
AGC Associated General Contractors
All events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated. May 1: CM-BIM Exam, 12:30-4:30pm; CLF Night Golf Tournament, Alamo Golf Club, registration 4:30pm, shotgun 5:30pm May 5: The Basics: Marketing/Business Development, 6-8pm May 8: Education Committee meeting, 8:30am May 12: The Basics & Mentor/Protégé Program, 6-8pm May 13: Brown Bag Lunch: E-Verify, noon May 14: Kirk Global Compass Marketing Series – Social Media, 7:30-9:30am; Brown Bag Lunch: Enceptia, noon May 15: Fun Shoot & Mixer; The National Shooting Complex; noon-6pm; deadline to register is May 13; to make reservations or for more information, call Kelly at 210-349-4921 May 21: Safety and Health Committee meeting, 11:30am May 22: Board of Directors meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8am May 26: CLF Steering Council meeting, noon
AIA American Institute of Architects
May 4: AIA/ASLA ACME Brick Scholarship Golf Tournament, 11:30am-7pm, Silverhorn Golf Club May 6: Building Enclosure Council Book Club meeting, 11:30am-1pm; Center for Architecture May 12-13: Small Project Practitioner’s Presentation; CoSA Development Services Department presentation by Richard Chamberlain; 11:30am-1pm; Center for Architecture May 18: Chapter Meeting For more info: visit www.aiasa.org
ASA
es; to register, visit www.hcadesa.org, email admin@hcadesa.org, or call 210444-1100 May 13: Lunch and Learn, TBD May 20: Monthly meeting/Mixer, TBD Jun. 5-6: Safety Fair & Training, Alamo College, 8300 Pat Booker Rd., Live Oak; Friday: Safety Training, Saturday: Safety Fair; OSHA 10 (English/Spanish): noon3pm; safe land training, CPR training, food trucks, games, breakfast both days, vendor exhibits For more info: www.hcadesa.org
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
Events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated. May 1: IEC of Texas meeting, Austin, 8am1pm May 4-6: IEC National Policy Conference, Washington, D.C. May 12: A&T Committee meeting, 11am May 18, 19: Motor Controls Class, 8am5pm, Glen Mazur teaching May 18: Continuing Education Class, 59pm May 20: Board of Directors meeting, 11am May 23: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm May 25: Memorial Day, IEC office and school closed For more info, call the IEC office at 210431-9861 or visit www.iecsanantonio.com
MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
May 5-6: SW Pipe Trades Labor/Management meeting; Hard Rock Hotel, Tulsa, OK May 20: Joint Industry Fund meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am There will be no Regular and Associates meeting this month
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
May 6: General meeting, Petroleum Club, 5:30pm, Industry Appreciation Night May 15-16: Region 5 Forum, Biloxi, MS May 21: Board of Directors meeting, Urban Concrete Office, 5:45pm
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
May 2, 16, 30: Plumbers Continuing Ed classes May 6: Bradford White, Water Heater Training, 7 am/11am May 14: Membership meeting; St. Phillip’s College, SW Campus; 11am; topic is Plumbing Apprentice Program registration
SAMCA
American Subcontractors Association
San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
May 21: Mock Bid Day Workshop; teaching how to put a bid together and what general contractors look for when requesting bids; 9am-1pm; members $50, non-members $75 Jun. 3: Lien & Bond Claim Seminar; 1:304:30pm; Padgett Stratemann; members $150, non–members $165 To register, call 210-349-2105 or email contact@asasanantonio.org
May 27: Membership meeting; The Barn Door Restaurant, 8400 N. New Braunfels, noon; speaker is Raul Carrillo, OSHA; $30 per person; for more information, call Debbie at 830-606-5556
CMAA Construction Management Assn. of America
May 12: Owners Forum; The Plaza Club; 11am-1pm; speakers are Mike Frisby with CoSA, David Wegman with Bexar County, Gina Gallegos with TxDOT; members $25, non-members $30; lunch will be served; for more information, email Brian Beach at btb@freese.com
HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association
May 8: TopGolf Experience; TopGolf San Antonio, 5539 N. Loop 1604 West, 3-6pm; $60 per person, $150 per team of 3, includes golf, food, two drink tickets, priz-
SDA Society for Design Administration
May 28: Monthly Chapter meeting; “Design Phases and Project Management”; noon-1pm; The Barn Door Restaurant; for more information, email cdelgado@ lehmanneng.com
USGBC U.S. Green Building Council
May 14: Monthly luncheon; The Barn Door, 8400 N. New Braunfels Ave.; 11:30 am-1pm; speakers are Charlene Heydinger and Jonathon Blackburn on “PACE in Texas: Helping Finance Energy Building Upgrades”; members $30, non-members $40, student $20; for more information, email Jane Baxter Lynn at cooridnator@ usgbc-centraltexas.org
San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Page 29
‘Faith and family’
Submitted to Construction News
Putting the green in Earth Day
In celebration of Earth Day and the LPA Inc. 50th anniversary, LPA San Antonio (formerly OCO LPA) planted 50 trees along the San Antonio River in partnership with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA). L-R: Suzanne Scott, SARA general manager; Mickey Conrad, LPA principal; Lowell Tracker, LPA principal; and Mark Oppelt, LPA principal with other members of the LPA San Antonio staff –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Funds to help families
The Sundt Foundation, the charitable arm of Sundt Construction, donated $9,000 to three family-focused nonprofit organizations in Texas. The funds raised through employee donations that were matched dollar for dollar by the company went to the Children’s Shelter, San Antonio Sports and Hands to Hands Community Fund. –mh
A
South Texas for the win!
t the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National Excellence in Construction Awards in Fort Lauderdale, FL, several members of the South Texas Chapter were named as winners at the association’s highest level of recognition. The South Texas Chapter was also honored with a membership award for chapter growth. –mh
L-R: Jennifer Wilborn-Hickman, Wilborn Steel Co., with her husband, Bruce Hickman, and 6-year-old son, Ace Hickman, and 23-year-old son, Devon Wilborn
T
he most important areas of life for Jennifer Wilborn-Hickman are faith and family, and she dedicates her time to multiple endeavors supporting both. In San Antonio, Jennifer has spent 24 years working at Wilborn Steel Co., which was founded by her father, Tom Wilborn, and brother, Ernest Wilborn. Starting as a volunteer during her senior year at Providence High School, she now oversees the company’s American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) certification program. The certification requires a rigorous annual audit to maintain and allows Wilborn to bid on certain government and private jobs. In 2005, Jennifer became the company’s AISC management representative and internal auditor. “I give thanks to my dad and my brother for believing in me, allowing me to have such a great job opportunity and doing so much for me,” says Jennifer. She adds, “I owe a big part of who I am today
A-1 Fire & Safety
to my mom, Lydia Wilborn, because she has led by example, and she has taught me so much about love, selflessness, dedication and honesty.” Back home in Atascosa County, Jennifer puts her values to work as vice president of the Poteet Police Association. Elected to her current position in October, she organizes fundraisers, the first of which was a successful Trunk or Treat Halloween event and most recently, she organized the association’s booth at the Poteet Strawberry Festival. The cause hits close to home since her husband, Bruce Hickman, and her 23-year-old son, Devon Wilborn, are Poteet police officers. She also has a 6-year-old son, Ace Hickman. Jennifer and her husband are active in New Wine Church, both of them in leadership for the couples fellowship. Also serving in leadership for the women’s fellowship, Jennifer is a greeter and church treasurer. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
Submitted to Construction News
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Going blue
Guiding light
To show support for St. PJ’s Children’s Home and raise awareness for child abuse prevention, the Quality Fence & Welding staff wore blue Apr. 10. –mh
DID YOU KNOW . . . .
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Journeyman Victor Palacio, a new employee of HJD Capital Electric, guides equipment and materials for the COSA traffic signal light installation on Zarzamora at the Ceralvo and Brady intersections. –mh
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The third-generation Alpha
Kathy Acock has taken on a new position as CEO of Alpha Building Corporation, and Jonathan Rogero is now the third generation president.
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he board of directors at Alpha Building Corporation elected Jonathan Rogero the San Antoniobased general contractor’s third generation president. Kathy Acock, after serving 25 years as president of the company her father, Gordon Kovich, started 45 years ago, stepped up to the role of CEO. The transition became effective Apr. 1. As Acock’s son, Rogero, takes on his
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new position and responsibilities, he is instituting a multi-faceted rebranding throughout the company, including its offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Edinburg, College Station, Lubbock, El Paso, Conroe and Stephenville in Texas; Memphis and Murfreesboro in Tennessee; and Fayetteville, AR. In 1993, Rogero started at Alpha as a laborer, and worked his way up the ranks through many roles, including carpenter, crew foreman, project manager and estimator. He earned his associate’s degree in construction project management and bachelor’s degree in business administration by going to school nights and weekends, and he joined the corporate office. Rogero has unveiled a new corporate logo and says, “Our primary focus for many years had been Job Order Contracting. Over the last two or three years, we saw the need to go into the CSP, design-build and CM at-risk projects. That is a big change for us.” He adds that they are switching to an enterprise software system to streamline internal communication and operations. As part of the succession changes, Rogero also named his new executive leadership team: Andy Hicks, vice president of construction operations; Dan Perry, vice president of accounting and finance; and Rob Crow, vice president of business development. Acock has watched her son rise through the leadership of the company, and remarks, “He and I have worked together since 1993. He started in the field. He had a lot of room to grow, and he did. I feel like the company now has transitioned to its third generation, and I know my parents would be very proud of that, very proud of Jonathan and probably a little bit amazed at what their small firm had grown into.” –mh
San Antonio Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ May 2015
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2015
M
Mom’s the word
others make the world – and the construction industry – go ‘round. There are a lot of mothers who work in construction, too. Though Mother’s Day is one Sunday in May, we know mothers deserve appreciation every day of the year. To honor the women who worked so hard to raise us – some who did it while working at a construction company – here are some of the industry’s moms. –mh Megan Gold, Marksmen General Contractors, and her mother, Carol Rode
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Minnie Luna, mother of Ray, David and Joe Luna, Champion Glass
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Frances G. Hidalgo, mother of Margaret Timms, Timms Trucking, passed away Mar. 9, 2013.
Setting Clearview tilt wall panels on new 4-story office building
Maryanne Guido, Guido Construction (second left) with her children and grandchildren L-R: (standing) Son, Cosmo; husband, Tom; daughter, Lauren; son, Michael; (sitting) son, Chris, with his wife, Adrienne, and their two children, Maverick and Maximus
from El Paso to Beaumont Amarillo to Brownsville
Rosie Brown with her daughter, Jordon Brown, Quality Fence & Welding
Below: Kristi Pena with her sons L-R: Christian, Donovon and Mathew
www.alamocrane.com 36 Years of Service to Texas San Antonio (210) 344-7370 Austin (512) 282-6866 Toll Free (800) 880-0134
Crystal Noto, Quality Fence & Welding, with her mother, Teresa Noto, and sister, Amber Noto
Janie Lopez mother of Kristi Pena HJD Capital Electric