South Texas Construction News July 2015

Covering the Industry’s News

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The Industry’s Newspaper July 4, 2015

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Volume 3

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Number 7

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JULY 2015

An eye to the future

A growing family

Raymond and Nick Gignac love architecture and the easy-going life of the Texas coast.

Dan Leyendecker, Derek Naiser and Robert Viera are the leaders of the LNV family.

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he founder of Gignac & Associates, an architectural firm in Corpus Christi with offices in Harlingen and McAllen, came to the coastal United States in a circuitous way.

Raymond Gignac was born in Honduras. His family moved to Cuba, but left for the United States in 1960 when Fidel Castro came into power. After a time in New York, the family landed in Harlingen, where Raymond graduated from Harlingen High School and then Texas A&M in College Station with a degree in architecture. He opened his office in Corpus Christi in 1988 and in Harlingen in 2000.

“He opened an office in Harlingen because he had contacts there,” says son Nick Gignac. “He started working from

Corpus Christi where he had moved to after graduating from college in 1975.”

Nick Gignac grew up in Corpus Christi and followed in his father’s footsteps to Texas A&M, where he received an undergraduate degree in construction science.

He went on to get his master’s degree in architecture, graduating in 2010. He hadn’t really planned to become an architect, but a trip to Europe was a gamechanger.

“I took a trip to Europe with some architectural students while I was in the construction science program,” he says. “I was so impressed with the beauty of the buildings in Spain and all over. It inspired me to apply for architectural school. I’ve

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ifty-three years ago, LNV Inc., an engineering, architectural, surveying and construction company in Corpus Christi, began life as the architectural and engineering firm of Smith & Russo.

Now, LNV is celebrating its 15th year.

In April 2000, Dan Leyendecker, Derek Naiser and Robert Viera acquired the firm and originated LNV. In early 2007, LNV expanded its services to include architecture, when it took in the 44-yearold firm of Roots/Foster Associates.

The firm started with seven employees in one office and has grown to more than 140 employees in seven Texas locations.

“Our success is founded in the expertise and dedication of our staff,” Leyen-

continued on Page 14

decker says. “We empower our people to be passionate in all they do and encourage them to influence decision-making processes and outcomes.”

The firm offers employees internal training programs in various disciplines for career growth.

LNV lives the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality.

“It’s great to know our employees are friends outside of the workplace,” Leyendecker says. “Many spend weekends together with their families boating the Corpus Christi Bay, catching games at the local sports bars or enjoying family barbecues.

“Having a good sense of humor will continued on Page 14

Built like a fortress

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anuel Rodero has a long history of general contracting in the Rio Grande Valley, so when he decided to build his own project – South Texas Tactical Shooting Range in Brownsville – he was his own GC. His GC company is also known as South Texas Tactical.

Building an indoor shooting range is like building a fortress, Rodero says. Although the outside is brick, the inside consists of injected concrete walls reinforced with rebar. The unique gun range is the first of its kind in South Texas.

Partnering with Action Target, a company that specializes in indoor shooting ranges, the range includes armor steel with innovative designs resulting in unique, patented technology. The steel bullet trap, now known as the Total Containment Trap (TCT), has become a superior trap within the industry because of its ability to successfully collect bullet

rounds, lead dust and other particles in a way that is eco-friendly and low maintenance for the range owner.

The project consists of two 10-lane indoor ranges, as well as a store that sells and rents guns and accessories. The steel targets are made of AR500 steel, produced to a special carbon-manganese specification and designed to outlast other steel grades.

Another unique feature of the building is its self-contained ventilation system.

“The filtration system for the range is a self containment trap to keep guests and visitors from breathing gun powder and residual lead contaminants,” Rodero says. “The non-recycling filtration system provides fresh, clean air every 3-7 minutes.”

South Texas Tactical Shooting is built like a fortress and offers innovative design in indoor shooting ranges.

continued on Page 14

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South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

In memoriam

The family business

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oyte Gentry, 86, died May 24, 2015, in Corpus Christi. He was born in Louisville, MS, to James and Claudie Gentry on April 11, 1929.

Gentry worked as a plumber in the 1950s and incorporated his commercial plumbing business, Gentry Company, in 1965. He served as president and C.E.O. of Gentry Company until his death.

He was active in the community serving on numerous boards and committees for various organizations including the AGC, MCA, RTA, SWCA, BACALA, Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Bend National Bank and Stonewall Bank, as well as many others. His philanthropic interests included Ada Wilson Hospital, Driscoll Children's Hospital, Christus Spohn Hospitals and the Shrine Temple.

He was a Noble of the Shrine of North America, 32nd degree Mason, and served on the motor patrol and in the Royal Order of Jesters.

He is preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Ruth Gentry, Jamie Scott, Louise Wood; brother, Wallace Gentry and grandson, Jason Boltinghouse.

Hoyte is survived by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Gentry; sister, Faye Collier (Joe); daughter, Traci Fugh (Robert); son, Ty Gentry (Robin); grandchildren, Jeremy Boltinghouse, Tyler Gentry, Kailin Boltinghouse, and Alyssa Gentry.

Alamo Crane is equipped to handle any petroleum related work in the Eagle Ford Shale.

Victor Guzman Sr. and Victor Guzman Jr. are busy bringing great service to their clients.

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ictor Guzman Sr. founded Guzman Construction in Pharr in 2007, but managed through good work and referrals to keep on growing the company through the recession.

“When we started the company, the recession hadn’t started,” says Victor Guzman Jr., president and CEO. “But my father has always been in construction and he enjoys doing it. We’ve always been able to preserver and grow the company.”

Guzman Jr. attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he majored in business administration and joined the company after school the year it was founded.

He says customer service is key.

“Customer service and satisfaction are what we build our business on,” he says. “At the end of the day, the customer is going to refer us and that’s where most of our business comes from – word of mouth.”

The company does both residential and commercial, with some industrial thrown in.

“We have quite a few homes coming up, plus two cold storage facilities,” he said. “We are about to start on a commercial shopping center in Pharr.”

Guzman Construction has roughly eight employees and subs out the rest.

His advice to someone who wants to work in the field is simple.

“Be very detail oriented,” he said.

“You have to be sure and check everything. Mistakes in our industry cost a lot of money. We focus on making sure everything is in place and ordered oon time so we don’t have delays and unhappy customers.”

Guzman Jr. is married to Denisse and the couple have three children. When he is not working, he likes to spend time with the family.

“I also love to fish,” he said. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Heading into the weekend

Fuel tank placement at Laughlin AFB, Del Rio. Meeting the fuel needs of the Air Force.

AFC Builders LLC superintendents give a big smile on a Friday afternoon in Pharr after a busy work week. Standing, L-R: Juan Morales, Javier Sanchez and Leo Pedraza; and seated, L-R: Marco Salas and Eddie Aguirre. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Officer of this dealer’s ship

From El Paso to Beaumont, Amarillo to Brownsville

36 Years of Service to Texas

www.alamocrane.com

San Antonio (210) 344-7370 Austin (512) 282-6866 Toll Free (800) 880-0134

Having served as an executive vice president of RDO Equipment Co. since 2012, Chris Cooper was recently named COO of the company. Based at RDO’s Field Support Office in Fargo, ND, he will be responsible for daily operations across all regions and teams. He joined RDO in 2004 as general manager of the Irving, Fort Worth and Waco locations, becoming vice president of the Texas region in 2007 and vice president of southern construction in 2010. –mh

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 3

AGC welcomes Rye

Industry FOLKS

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Chris Albright Environmental Specialist Terracon

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hris Albright is an environmental specialist for Terracon in Pharr – and that fits right in with his interest in all things outdoors.

On the side, he plays percussion in a church band at First United Methodist Church in Harlingen.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Albright picked up the drums in middle school.

“I bought my first drum set in 7th grade,” he says.

A friend with a band introduced him to percussions and he occasionally went on road trips as a drum tech as the band toured.

He says he is a quiet guy and the noise of the drums appeals to him.

“Strumming something didn’t really interest me,” he says.

In high school, he played hard rock with a couple of bands and wanted to major in music therapy in college, but realized he didn’t have the voice or the multi-instrument talent needed for that job.

So, he went to Susquehanna University and majored in his other interest – the outdoors – getting a degree in earth and environmental science with a focus on hydrology. He graduated in 2009.

In 2012, he married Lauren, who already had a job in the Rio Grande Valley as a teacher. Of course, he followed her there.

“I didn’t have anything lined up

when I came down, but after a few months, Terracon picked me up,” he says.

And even though Texas is a far cry from Pennsylvania, Albright has been able to indulge some of his other favorite activities.

“I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors,” he says. “My uncle is a forester, and me and my dad used to go hiking and camping on the Appalachian Trail.”

Other favorite activities include biking and snowboarding, something he doesn’t get much a chance to do in the Valley.

“I do miss having changing seasons,” he says. “I love snow.”

He also says he misses good diners.

“Texas doesn’t have any good diners,” he says.

Chris and Lauren welcomed their first child, a son, Theo Wesley, in April and becoming a family man might curtail some of Albright’s ambitions for his music.

“The birth of my son and family focus may put some limits on that,” he laughs. “Lauren wants a plethora of children.” –cw

he South Texas chapter of the AGC recently welcomed Colette Rye as the new executive director.

Colette replaces long-time executive director Debbie Schibi, who has embarked on a new adventure with her husband, Charles, to Charleston, S.C.

“I am excited for the opportunity to represent such a vital and growing industry in my home town, continue building the reputable membership and contribute value to our stakeholders,” Rye says.

Colette began her career with an internship and subsequent marketing position with Bay, Ltd. During her time there, she witnessed firsthand the important role that the industry and skilled laborers contributed to the local economy. After leaving Bay, Ltd., she continued in various marketing and membership driven roles, most recently as the director of marketing for the Schlitterbahn development on Upper Padre Island in Corpus Christi.

Starting on the project when it was merely blueprints and sand, she worked closely on both the construction and operations sides, but most importantly she learned that skilled labor and true craftsmanship are a necessary and hard to come by commodity.

“I reflect on this experience with the developers, contractors, sub-contractors and laborers as an awakening into the challenges that are faced within our industry on a day to day basis,” she says.

She begins her new role with simple, but focused goals: to listen to the needs of the local members, to contribute

meaningful representation and to continue chapter growth by welcoming new members. For Colette, this new role is an honor and a privilege she doesn’t take lightly.

“I am committed to bringing the needs of my chapter and members to the forefront of our community, affecting positive change that will improve not only the industry, but also the individuals who build amazing projects and, more importantly, an amazing future for all of us.”

Upcoming events for AGC South Texas Chapter include the annual fishing tournament, scheduled for Jul. 10 at Bluff Landing Marina and Build Corpus Christi Day on Aug. 22–cw

Submitted to Construction News

Drawdown

Submitted to Construction News

Service awards

Tracy Hefley, left, was recently honored for 24 years of service at Testengeer in Pharr.

Alisa Villarreal, right, recently celebrated an anniversary after 25 years of service to the company. –cw

South Texas

National Association of Women in Construction Corpus Christi (NAWIC) sponsored their annual CAD/Design/Drafting Competition for senior high school students. The contest provides recognition to students for creative design, successful problem solving and craftsmanship in preparing architectural drawings. Pictured above, L-R: Daniel Garza, 2nd place; David Triplett, 1st place and Region 7 2nd place; Bruni High School CAD teacher Alfonso Gonzalez III; and CAD chair Vickie Thompson, Dixie Pipe Sales. –cw

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South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Are your construction contracts choking project cash flow?

Michael Kuchar, CPA Doeren Mayhew Houston, TX

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Workers compensation EMR changes Mark Gaskamp, CSP, CRM, CIC, CPCU, ALCM Wortham LLC Austin, TX

hen you think about what’s tying up your available dollars, a variety of culprits may come to mind.

Perhaps you’re servicing a substantial amount of debt, waiting for past-due customer payments or dealing with elevated material costs. But one perpetrator of cash-flow crises that often goes overlooked is the piece of paper you sign in advance of every job — the contract.

ffective July 1, 2015, the world will change, at least in regards to workers compensation experience modifiers in the State of Texas. Last year, Texas began a transition to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) for work comp rates and policy forms.

Construction contracts, or rather the language therein, can start choking your project cash flow before work even begins. So let’s look at some points to consider before signing on the next dotted line.

Front-load, where possible

Payment terms can also impact cash flow. A contract that calls for payment on completion of specified phases can create uncertainty, making project cashflow forecasting difficult. If a contract requires payment in equal installments over the course of a project, it provides predictability, but may not correspond to your expenditures on the job.

Construction projects often involve significant upfront costs. If possible, negotiate a front-loaded billing schedule reflecting your greater cash needs in a project’s early stages.

Also look at language regarding requisitions. It’s not unusual for a construction contract to disallow requisitions for materials until the materials have been installed. To avoid cash-flow disasters, try to negotiate requisition terms allowing you to request payment once materials have been delivered to the job site.

Consider the method of payment, too. You might ask for accelerated methods, such as wire transfers or electronic checks.

Review retainage A 5 percent or 10 percent retainage can easily defer your entire gross profit on a job until after construction is completed. To reduce the impact on your project cash flow, try to negotiate a lower percentage or ask for retainage to be phased out over the course of the project.

For example, the construction contract might provide for 10 percent retainage, reduced to 5 percent when the job is 50 percent complete and eliminated when it’s 75 percent complete.

Other options include limiting retainage to certain job costs, such as the labor component, or eliminating it altogether through the use of letters of credit, performance bonds or other security.

Clarify your construction change orders As you know, construction change orders are inevitable in most construction

The immediate impact is that rates will change for most classifications, some by as much as 15%. This could have a positive or negative impact on your premium and experience modifier calculation. The other impact related to the experience modification rate (EMR).

The workers compensation experience modifier (AKA EMR or eMod) is an insurance rating component designed to integrate the individual risk characteristics of each organization based on prior claim experience into the workers comp premium calculations.

NCCI compiles claim data from insurance carriers by classification, providing a database for comparison and the ability to produce the EMR for each individual policyholder. There are several changes that will occur as part of the transition. Two will have significant impact for most every policyholder.

First, there are major changes in how medical only claims are utilized in the calculation. NCCI’s experience rating rules allow for an experience rating adjustment of 70% for medical-only claims. This means that only 30% of a medical-only claim is used in the experience rating calculation. This change will make it less advantageous to pay claims out of pocket rather than report them to the insurance company.

For example: If you have a $1,000 medical only bill for a cut or eye injury, only $300 would apply to the EMR. This will create an extra emphasis on reducing lost time claims. Once one penny is paid in indemnity payments, 100% of the claim will be included in the EMR calculation.

Second, “spilt points” are changing. The “split point,” which is used to determine the “primary expected losses,” will increase from $5,000 to $15,500. For those that are not aware, there are actually two calculations used to produce the EMR. One utilizes total expected losses (capped at the maximum, which will be increasing to $230,500 per claim). This calculation uses the actual losses relative to the expected losses multiplied by a normalizing factor based on the size of the operation. The

jobs. It’s critical to establish clear terms and procedures for approving and paying them. If your contracts don’t have such terms, your payments may be delayed for additional work. Or, even worse, you might lose out on those payments altogether.

Establish clear procedures for your personnel to identify changes in the scope of work and to promptly prepare and document change orders in accordance with contract terms.

Moreover, before things get to the point of a construction change order, monitor work-in-process reports closely to ensure you can generate the proper paperwork should a change come up.

Match outlays Remember cash flows in two directions, and outflow is as important as inflow. Scrutinize your contract terms with vendors, suppliers and subcontractors. You may be able to avoid cash-flow problems by negotiating payment terms that, to the extent possible, match your cash outlays with your receipts from the owner or general contractor.

For example, include in your subcontracts retainage provisions that have terms similar to those in your contract with the owner. If you’re a subcontractor and your contract with the general contractor contains a “pay-whenpaid” or “pay-if-paid” clause, your contracts with subcontractors should contain parallel provisions. That way, you won’t be forced to pay subs until you collect from the general.

Get to work Once a construction contract is signed and you get to work, there usually isn’t much you can do about the language or terms of the agreement. At that point, it’s critical to regularly prepare project cash-flow forecasts based on your workin-progress reports and make necessary adjustments during the course of the job.

Michael Kuchar, CPA, is a shareholder and leader of Doeren Mayhew’s dedicated Construction Group in Houston. A top 100 U.S. firm, Doeren Mayhew’s CPAs and business advisors serve more than 500 suppliers and general and specialty contractors doing business domestically and abroad. For more information, visit www.doeren.com.

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smaller the organization, the more normalizing. This helps reduce the impact of one claim on a smaller organization’s EMR. The second calculation includes the actual “primary losses,” those that fall below the “split point” relative to the expected primary losses also capped at the “split point.” Note that there is no normalizing, this is dollar for a dollar ratio without taking into account the size of the organization. So, with the split point increasing from $5,000 to $15,500, if an organization has a higher than average number of claims above $5,000, their EMR will be adversely impacted. This could be a dramatic change. In all other states, NCCI phased this increase in over three years. Texas is doing it all at once.

So over the next couple of years, you can expect some volatility in your EMR. It will be very important to work closely with insurance company underwriters to help ensure the overall rates and premiums are not adversely impacted by dramatic changes in the EMR. You may also want to revisit the current claim reporting process and determine if paying medical only claims remains a cost effective way to control the overall costs.

Lastly, this affirms why the EMR is not an effective safety benchmark. Just because an EMR moves over 1.0 due to the new rating methodology does not make an employer “unsafe.” There are a multitude of reasons for a high experience modifier not related to a safe work place.

Mark Gaskamp is a managing director for Wortham Insurance & Risk Management in Austin. He is a part of the Wortham Construction Industry Practice Group where his responsibilities include partnering with clients to manage safety and risk management exposures to reduce their cost of risk. He is actively involved in the ABC and AGC safety committees, and is a national faculty member of The National Alliance’s Certified Risk Manager’s (CRM) program. For more information, contact Mark at (512) 532-1536 or mark.gaskamp@ worthaminsurance.com or visit www. worthaminsurance.com

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South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 5

Down south No damages for delay clauses: Do they mean what they say?

West W. Winter, Partner McNelis + Winter, PLLC San Antonio, TX

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re contract clauses enforceable in Texas to limit or negate the very substantial damages that may be incurred due to project delays which occur through no fault of your own?

In Zachry Construction Corp. v. Port of Houston Authority of Harris County, a significant construction law opinion which also discusses certain lien release and waiver of sovereign immunity issues, the Texas Supreme Court recently addressed the enforceability of nodamages-for-delay provisions.

Zachry sued the Port of Houston Authority in 2006 claiming damages from delays allegedly caused by the Port when it switched course and ordered Zachry to complete the project “in the wet” and without the benefit of a previously utilized cutoff wall. The Port asserted that the no-damages-for-delay provision in the contract precluded Zachry’s delay damages. Pursuant to the contractual provision, the Port was not liable to Zachry “…for any damages arising out of or associated with any delay…to the Work, regardless of the source of the delay…and even if such delay…results from, arises out of or is due, in whole or in part, to the negligence, breach of contract or other fault of the Port Authority.”

Zachry countered that this provision could not be enforced if the Port’s intentional misconduct caused the delay.

After a three-month trial, the jury found, among other things, that the Port caused Zachry to incur more than $18 million in delay damages due to the Port’s “arbitrary and capricious conduct, active interference, bad faith, and/or fraud.”

However, the court of appeals subsequently held that the no-damagesfor-delay provision barred Zachry’s recovery of delay damages. It then reversed the trial court’s judgment in favor of Zachry, and rendered judgment for the Port, awarding it $10 million in attorney’s fees.

On appeal, the Texas Supreme Court recognized the general rule that a contractor may agree to assume the risk of construction delays and not seek damages. But, the Court also detailed four previously recognized exceptions to the enforcement of such agreements when the delay: (1) was not intended or contemplated by the parties to be within the purview of the provision; (2) resulted from fraud, misrepresentation, or other bad faith on the part of one seeking the benefit of the provision; (3) has extended for such an unreasonable length of time that the party delayed would have been

justified in abandoning the contract; or (4) is not within the specifically enumerated delays to which the clause applies.

The Court further recognized a fifth exception “based upon active interference” with the contractor or other wrongful conduct including “arbitrary and capricious acts,” “without due consideration” and in disregard of the other parties’ rights. Zachry argued that the no-damages-for-delay provision was invalid and based upon the jury’s findings, relied upon these second and fifth exceptions.

The Texas Supreme Court agreed with Zachry and held, among other things, that the no-damages-for-delay provision was unenforceable and that the award of attorney fees to the Port should be reversed. As part of its rationale, the Court reasoned that while contractors can assess potential delaying events when estimating and bidding, they cannot properly assess potential delays that may arise due to an owner’s direct interference, willful acts, negligence, bad faith fraudulent acts, and/or omissions. Another stated purpose behind these exceptions is to preclude a party from insulating itself from liability for its own deliberate and wrongful conduct.

As exemplified by the Zachry holding, no-damages-for-delay clauses can be enforced, but there are numerous viable exceptions. Such clauses certainly cannot be used to insulate oneself from liability for deliberate and wrongful conduct or allow one party to intentionally injure another. Contractors who have suffered delay damages should closely scrutinize the specific facts and circumstances involved as early as possible so they may be fully informed about the impact of any applicable nodamages-for-delay clauses and whether any of these recognized exceptions may apply.

Roman McAllen and his wife, Lisa

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he American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention 2015 brought thousands of architects and design professionals to Atlanta – breaking a few records. Thursday’s keynote, with speaker President Bill Clinton, had the most attendees in AIA Convention history. So did The Party! at the College Football Hall of Fame.

President Clinton kicked off AIA Convention 2015, telling a standing-room audience to tackle pressing global issues and “low-hanging fruit.”

Jennifer Workman, AIA, from AIA Dallas/AIA Texas Society of Architects, was elected an at-large director. She is an associate at Good Fulton & Farrell, a multidisciplinary design firm in Dallas.

From the AIA-LGRV, executive director Carmen Perez-Garcia and her husband, Rolando L. Garcia, FAIA, and Brownsville architect Roman McAllen and his wife, Lisa, attended the convention.

“We had a wonderful time in Atlanta,” McAllen says. “We found the historical neighborhoods incredibly interesting and intact. The Expo was fantastic and we attended the investiture of the Fellows into the AIA.” –cw

Carmen Perez-Garcia and Rolando L. Garcia

On the right: Corpus Christi architect Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, presents Andrew Freear with the 2015 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. (Image courtesy of carlbower.com)

Submitted to Construction News

What a winner!

West W. Winter is a partner at McNelis + Winter, PLLC. A LEED Green Associate, West serves on the board of the Construction Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association and has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in San Antonio for Construction Litigation. West can be reached via email: west@mcneliswinter. com.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Multi-family project AGC President Tré Peacock, right, and executive director Perry Vaughn, left, recognized AGC 2015 scholarship recipient David Gomez, Jr. at a recent chapter event. David is a 2015 graduate of South Texas ISD Science Academy and has plans on attending UT-Rio Grande Valley in the fall to study civil engineering. –cw

#1 in Safety & Reliability For Over A Quarter Century

Michael Lewis, with Construction Clean Up Services, works on the Woodland Creek Apartment job in Corpus Christi. The GC is NRP Contractors, located in San Antonio and Dallas. –cw

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Page 6

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

They have a rough vision of what they want. I break it down into manageable pieces for them and help them achieve their dream.

It also makes it easier to deal with the HOA boards and figuring out who the people are who are troublemakers and who are the decision makers.

You just have to learn to nudge them in the right direction. Let them make the choice you lead them to.

Lee White President/Owner Alazan Builders Corpus Christi

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eing a fourth-generation Texan, Lee White has an affinity for Texas and its history.

His company, Alazan Builders, is named after a Texas bay located just off the King Ranch shoreline.

“It has a historical context,” White says. “And, it’s an unusual name.”

The word alazán is Spanish for a bay horse, a reddish-brown horse, so the name is an interesting play on words.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the small community of Taft.

My father barely graduated from high school. He worked hard all his life to provide for his three children and never saw any financial rewards for his life of backbreaking work.

My brother and I were the first ones in our family to go to college.

I came from humble beginnings and I’ve tried never to lose touch with that humility.

Where did you go to college?

I went to Texas A&M University in College Station and majored in construction science.

After I came back, I eventually settled in Corpus Christi by choice. I love the city, love the people and love the culture.

I received my master’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Psychology and construction science?

I’ve always been fascinated by the human personality.

People say “what do you do with a degree like that?” I say, “I use it every day.”

When dealing with clients, you find people who have a hard time articulating what they want.

You have to learn to read people and know if they need two choices or unlimited choices.

Sometimes having unlimited choices makes people freeze up. If I read them and I sense that, I say, “OK, do you like A or B?” That makes it much more manageable.

When did you start Alazan and what is the main work Alazan Builders does?

Alazan began in 2007. Prior to that, I’ve been in the construction business since 1972.

I started out as an estimator for a commercial construction company that specialized in churches, banks and schools.

When I first went out in the 1990s, my company was Lee White Contractors.

Most of our work now is condominium work – interior renovations and exterior work for the condominium associations all over South Padre Island.

I prefer remodels and renovations, just because I love a good mystery. You never know what is going to be behind that wall when you open it up.

We fill a specialty niche. One of the things we do is concrete spalling. Not many companies in Texas do that.

What is concrete spalling?

Concrete spalling is the result of moisture coming in contact with steel reinforcing in structural concrete. As the steel rusts it expands, popping holes in the concrete and leading to degradation of the structural integrity of the concrete. The repair of structural concrete is a complicated process of moisture-proofing, or replacing the damaged steel, and rebuilding the damaged concrete using concrete specialty patching products.

Who do you do work for?

I have about 15 properties I work on and then individual customers in Corpus Christi.

I end up getting calls from people who have been burned by other people who call themselves contractors. Folks that give the construction business a bad name.

We work very hard to build a strong working relationship with each of our clients. We treat the $5,000 job as importantly as the $200,000 job.

What is your business philosophy?

About 10 years ago, a couple that I attend church with who own a condo on the island asked me to come out and look at a patio door they wanted replaced.

While I was there visiting with them they called their property manager and she came down.

She said, “While you are here, I’ve got a couple of projects for you to look at. I said, “sure, why not?”

That was 10 years ago and we have been working on those condos ever since.

Never despise small projects because you never know what they are going to lead to. I never turn up my nose.

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

210 494 7100 956 969 5703

Lee White is a fourth-generation Texan with a love of Texas history and cooking Indian cuisine.

You have a mission to help kids with their education – in school and in life.

In the summer, we employ a lot of college students who are trying to work their way through school. I have a strong emphasis on education. We try to build their work schedule around their course schedule. Their education is the most important thing

I also serve as an advisor to my fraternity at A&M Corpus Christi.

That’s very rewarding. One of the things I emphasize with those young men is grades and financial responsibility.

I give them a gift each year for graduation – a description of what it means to be a gentleman.

One of the first things I tell them is before this year is out, you will know how to tie a bow tie – and they do! (laughs) You also employ veterans.

We hire a number of veterans. One of my top new guys right now just got out of the army after serving five tours in Iraq with the Special Forces. He’s like one of my kids. He shows so much promise. He’s also going to school.

We work very hard to be like a family at Alazan. I treat my employees like I treat my clients – the way I would like to be treated. Even if it costs you a little more, it all comes back in the end.

Most of my business comes from referrals - clients I have worked with for years.

Tell me about your family.

I have four adult children who have scattered to the wind in San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta and Orlando. Their names are Teresa, Sean, Allison and Eric – that’s in chronological order (laughs).

What are some of the programs you are involved in?

I’m involved in a number of community organizations. I serve on the board of the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation.

This foundation deals with health issues with an underserved population Nueces County.

I’m also on the Sister Cities Committee, in charge of fundraising.

What does that involve?

We facilitate student exchanges with sister cities around the world. Next month, we are sending students to France, Japan and Taiwan.

My job is to raise money so that we can provide plane tickets for them.

Interested kids go through an interview process. We try to pick students who will be good ambassadors for Corpus Christi and we don’t want economics to be a factor or an undue burden on their family. So we provide the money for the plane trip.

These are high school juniors who will spend two weeks abroad learning about a different culture.

Then, we have students from those sister cities visiting and staying with host families here. We try to provide educational opportunities for them along with some fun stuff.

There is a lot of marine research that goes on here. Because we want them to go back with a better understanding of Corpus Christi, we arrange for special visits to some of these learning centers where they are researching shrimp, ocean pollution, and more.

Hopefully they go home with a little better understanding of Texas.

What do you like to do when you have spare time?

I don’t have much time for hobbies. I love cooking and I think I am a pretty good cook of Indian cuisine.

I belong to a number of groups that get together and do wine tastings and wine tours.

I love travel and I have spent a lot time traveling in Mexico and Europe just on my own. I pick a city someplace where I don’t know anybody there and show up and start practicing my Spanish and exploring the city.

You have a great laugh and you seem comfortable with your life.

I feel like I have a well-rounded life.

I’m in a good place in my life. I have a good circle of friends that charge my batteries.

I believe that’s one of the keys to success: Surround yourself with people that challenge you and charge your batteries.

–cw

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 7

A lasting experience

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Premier Yamaha Boating Center, Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ­­­ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.

Tony Rios and son, Trent Rios of San Antonio, recently caught these sow trout that will both be mounted. Tony’s trout went 8 lbs. and was 30 in. while Trent’s fish was 26 in., 6 lbs. Both trout were released after photos by Capt. Steve Schultz.

If you are interested in helping out in any way, you can visit Majesty Outdoors website at majestyoutdoors.org. Also look up ForEverlast products at foreverlastonline.com for some of the finest hunting and fishing products in the industry.

L

ast month I had an opportunity to be part of something special. One of my sponsors approached me to see if I would be interested in being a part of a TV show that helps fatherless kids in the outdoors. The organization is called Majesty Outdoors. They focus on taking fatherless teenagers on their maiden outdoor adventure. Whether it be in the field or on the water, the show focuses more on educating the teen in the outdoors more than harvesting a large trophy animal or fish for the TV show. In addition, every teen who appears on Majesty Outdoors television is eligible to receive financial support to further their education beyond high school.

On this outing the sponsored teen, Stephen, was from the San Antonio area

day two, both anglers joined myself and Bill Blodgett for another day of trout and red fishing. The day started out fast and furious with both Stephen and Marty catching their limit of trout in less than an hour and continuing to catch keeper trout while looking for a trophy. Before long the trout bite turned off and we were in search of redfish. We transitioned over to the flats where we got out of the boat and commenced to wade a sandy flat for reds. Although red fishing was slow for the day, both gentlemen did manage to hook up on slot size reds and experience the pull of a true South Texas saltwater fish. What a great experience having these two young men on my boat for the day, along with two of the finest men in the industry, Bill Blodgett of Majesty Outdoors and Billy Gerke of ForEverlast Outdoor Products.

To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors @ gmail.com.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

and he was joined by another gentleman Blodgett. On the first of two days Stephen set the pace fishing with Guide Preston Whitely by landing a 30-in. speckled trout. Both Stephen and Marty shared the camera time by catching speckled trout throughout the day. On

Submitted to Construction News

B2B

Submitted to Construction News

I’ll take a float

These ladies from KJM Commercial in Corpus Christi took part in the 40th Beach to Bay Relay Marathon. The race honors the men and women serving in the U.S. military. –cw

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

(361) 949-7359

www.baffinbaycharters.com steveschultzoutdoors@gmail.com Terracon’s Sylvia Quinones, enjoyed cooling off this summer with her grandchildren, Edgar and Desi Rodriguez, at Garner State Park.

U.S. Coast Guard & Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed

Page 8

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Fun in the sun-filled Valley

Terracon adventures

JB Carey III, Carey Sheet Metal, spends as much time as he can on South Padre Island. Left, nice catch! Right, JB’s favorite past-time: treasure hunting. But don’t ask where, the location is secret!

Terracon’s Lupe Torres took it to New York for a Yankee’s game.

L-R: Ross Smith, Andy Carey and John Carey, Carey Sheet Metal, didn’t flounder when they went fishing recently!

Terracon’s Jorge Flores, wife Dora, and children Lucy, Sofia and Georgie have visited several places this summer, including Niagara Falls and Ontario, Canada on the Maid of the Mist Boat Ride. Pictured above, the Hoover Dam was also on the agenda.

Submitted to Construction News

A trip to the island

It might be raining but you still gotta eat, says Louie Turner, a welder and fabricator at Carey Sheet Metal in Harlingen.

Rocky and Keith Foerster, Darlene and Fernando Omana, Gill Roofing, Bill Trbula and Jimmy Brown recently made a short trip to have dinner at Castaways Seafood in Port Aransas. –cw

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 9

From war to construction to pre-med

I

t’s fitting that Jay Graves works in the construction industry now. He learned a lot from his father, a contractor in the Dallas area. He also learned about being in the military – and that came from personal experience, as well as family history.

Jay likes to say he’s been in the military his entire life with the exception of three years. He was born on a military base to a father who was a mechanic in the U.S. Army. His grandmother was also in the army – she built airplanes during WWII. His grandfather and an uncle were also in the military.

In fact, Jay and his father almost overlapped in their service – he joined three years after his dad retired.

Jay thought he wanted to go to law school more than anything, so he signed up as a paralegal in the army, but he equates that experience with selling his soul to the devil.

“I despised it,” he said.

After coming back from his first tour in Iraq in 2006 (he did five tours), his buddy convinced him to try out for Special Forces.

Which he did – along with 300 other hopefuls. At the end of a grueling 24 days, there were only 72 left.

And after the selection, only 56 actually became a Green Beret. Jay was one of these elites.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “I did not even see myself as being one of the top candidates. But you don’t know what they are looking for. The team is very diverse, you could say it is a team of Renaissance men.”

While serving on After five tours in the military, Jay Graves is happy to spend time with his companion, Daisy. active duty, Graves was awarded a Purple Heart – he got shot three times in the arm during a firefight – and the Bronze Star with Valor.

Fast forward to 2015 and Graves is now out of active duty. He is in college, studying nursing and pre-med at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, where his goal is to attend medical school. It was while there that he met the owner of Alazan Builders, Lee White, who is an advisor to the fraternity Graves belongs to, Beta Theta Pi. “I needed some work on the side so I can continue to go to school,” he said. “I’ve worked for a lot of people, but working with Lee is the best ever. It’s very professional and there’s no micromanaging. It’s a sign of trust. It’s amazing and rare.”

He doesn’t really have a title per se, but basically does whatever job Lee assigns to him – including interior and exterior renovations.

As to his personal life, the 30-year-old says he has just been too busy with the military to settle down just yet.

“Basically, it’s just me and my dog and that’s it,” he says. –cw

Jay Graves with a 50 caliber machine gun in Iraq.

Engineering a match

L-R: Calvin T. Ladner; Patrick D. Veteto; and Robert C. Hickman

L

condition assessments, windstorm design and inspections, and security systems services to the menu of LJA’s full service offerings, enhancing LJA’s engineering services, project management, and surveying services,” says Veteto.

Robert C. Hickman, PE, senior vice president, Midstream Infrastructure Division, says, “Pat brings a strong background in public works, including specialized experience in structural condition assessments, dam safety investigations, and underwater bridge and major marine inspections. He is also involved in the design and management of homeland security improvements. Pat and RVE are well known and respected in the Corpus Christi area and we are proud to be affiliated with our new team members and have the opportunity to continue to serve the firm’s long term clients successfully.”

Ladner said no changes were planned for the RVE staff except additional hiring to accommodate increasing project requirements. –cw

JA Engineering Inc. (LJA), the largest employee-owned engineering firm in Houston, has acquired RVE Inc. (RVE), a long-standing engineering firm in Corpus Christi. RVE Inc. was founded in 1959 by William B. Ogletree and was primarily a structural engineering firm.

Over the years, the firm changed ownership several times and from Russell-Veteto Engineering in 1989 evolved into RVE Inc. in 1999.

“Although both companies have undergone name changes over the years, our simultaneous mission statements to provide comprehensive, quality engineering services fit smartly together,” says Calvin T. Ladner, PE and president of LJA. “The addition of RVE brings a 15-person firm with over 56 years of experience serving a diverse mix of clients, many of whom have been clients for decades.

Pat Veteto, PE, RPLS, will continue to lead the Corpus Christi group as vice president of LJA. “RVE brings subsurface utility engineering, structural engineering, bridge

CONSTRUCTION

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One big fan

A Metro Electrics electrician installs a huge fan at the new Toyota dealership in Brownsville. The GC is Comanche Contractors. –cw

Page 10

A

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Summer fun in the sun

rchitects, designers, engineers and contractors took their tools to East Beach in Galveston May 30 for the annual sandcastle competition.

More than 60 teams had their eyes and shovels set on winning the Golden Bucket Award. Participants stretched along the beach, sculpted their sand piles and worked non-stop for five hours.

The judging of the sandcastles was rated on originality of concept, artistic execution of the concept, technical difficulty, carving technique and utilization of the site.

The Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) hosted the event. –ab Congrats to the winners!

Most Complex: PflugerFlintco - Positive/Negative Most Hilarious: Kirksey - Jurassic Seuss Most Lifelike: CDI: Medusa Best Traditional: Gensler - Drift Outside the Shell Best Architectural: cre8/Duratech/ Matrix - Michael's Grave Let the Games Begin: Walter P Moore/ Baker Concrete Operation Stars and Stripes: SWA Group - The Lone Star-fish The Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite Award: Freese and Nichols Inc. - Left Shark Best Team Sign: Ziegler Cooper Architects - 20,000 Leaks Under The Sea Best Team Costume: US "N" SAND - Lame Duck Season AIA College Challenge Award: The University of Houston Architecture Students and Alumni - Baymax: Your Personal Sandcastle Companion

That’s Entertainment: Integrity Structural Corp.

Power Up with Integrity

Gold Bucket Winner: Kirksey - Jurassic Seuss

Silver Shovel Winner: Gensler - Drift Outside the Shell

Bronze Shovel Winner: The Dow Chemical Co. Beauty and the Beachslayer

Honorable Mention (4th Place) Ziegler Cooper Architects 20,000 Leaks Under The Sea

Honorable Mention (5th Place): Matrix Design Built By The Egyptians

Honorable Mention (6th Place): HDR Inc. - Texas Pictionary

Family values

Specializing in Industrial Scrap Metal & Container Service

We buy Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Iron, Stainless Steel, Steel, Brass & Radiators 2300 Frio City Rd.

210-927-2727

www.monterreyiron.com

Fred Garza, seated front with wife, Alba, says Venamex is a Christian company that started with a good spiritual foundation in business and life. Partner and nephew Fabian Carmine Eliantonio is standing at the left rear.

F

red Garza, his wife, Alba, and nephew Fabian Carmine Eliantonio are all stakeholders in the development and contracting business, Venamex LLC in Corpus Christi.

“My wife and I have been in construction business for more than 30 years,” says Fred Garza, with 20 of those years in San Antonio before making the move down south. The move was precipitated by family and business reason.

“I have parents getting up in age,” Garza explains. “Plus, there was an opportunity to do some projects down here, like a joint project with Zachry that consisted of a baseball field in Robstown in 2003.”

The company employs six full-time employees, including Fred, president; Alba, secretary; and Fabian, vice president. Additionally, Fred estimates there are up to 400 workers that come in for Venamex, depending on the size of the project.

Generally, there are about five to six major projects going on at any time, including one current project, a shopping center in a residential area.

“We generally have several projects at a time,” Garza says. “We don’t get overloaded and we don’t want to overcommit. That’s not good business.”

He thinks of the company, its workers and its customers as family.

“We like to establish a long term relationship with customers and we understand the importance of building trust and carrying out their projects in a timely manner and within budget,” he says. “We are here to stay. We keep it very professional. Our goal is to treat every project as if it is our own. The size of project doesn’t matter. Clients know we take a very vested interest in their project and it becomes like family.

The company has an annual catered Christmas party, complete with a band, for clients and employees alike. –cw

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 11

Electrical Industry Growth strong, skilled labor weak

years then opened their business.

Thayer Long, Executive Vice President/CEO Independent Electrical Contractors Alexandria, VA

H

ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you heard of an increase or slowdown in business?

Generally, the construction industry is strong in the vast majority of the country. It is still rebounding from the economic downturn, but the majority of business owners are cautiously optimistic about the future and that the increased business will continue. Most sectors (i.e. healthcare, education, manufacturing and commercial) are experiencing an incline in work and state and local government investment in infrastructure is also driving growth.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

A healthier economy is certainly a

huge help to any recovery. This leads to more confident business owners and consumers.

What are the “hot button” issues in your industry?

The largest threat to the electrical industry is a shortage in skilled labor. Electrical contractors across the country are struggling to find individuals who want to join this rewarding and lucrative occupation. There are very unique opportunities available to electricians, including apprenticeship, that allows students to earn money and gain on-the-job skills to accompany their classroom learning.

Additionally, electrician is a very entrepreneurial field. We have many people who have graduated from our apprentice program and worked for a contractor for

Wired for change Mark Coshal IEC San Antonio, Instructor IES Commercial, Superintendent San Antonio, TX

T

he National Electrical Code (NEC) is published every three years, and each new edition brings changes to the electrical industry. When the local building codes change, the impact is even more drastic and immediate, according to Mark Coshal, a third-year curriculum instructor for the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) San Antonio Chapter and a superintendent for IES Commercial.

At 38, Coshal has been working in electrical for 15 years, 12 of which have been with IES. He has been an instructor at IEC for eight years, and in 2013, he earned national recognition as Instructor of the Year. He is also on IEC’s book review committee, which writes the curriculum and keeps it updated.

His experience in the field and as an educator, who also spends time in the IEC classroom as a student to stay current, affords him a good opportunity to keep up with the amount of changes in the industry, which he feels is one of the most difficult things about being in electrical.

“We get a new code every three years, and so we have to keep up with that,” says Coshal. “But then, technology changes, and every time they add a com-

puter or add a different type of light fixture or even just changing out a regular incandescent lamp for one of those little compact fluorescents that everybody is going to now – it makes an impact on the way that things have to be wired in the [projects] from the ground up.”

With these changes in technology, he observes that the code book is now covering areas that were not there in the past, including circuitry and electronics as well as solar power and green energy.

With standards leaning toward the green, that adds to the complexity of those electrical jobs.

“One of the issues with going greener is that you get a bunch of transient loads on your circuitry that causes an increase in ampacity on your neutral wires,” he explains. “The first thing that

What is on the horizon for your industry? Changes in technology; equipment; materials?

Technology is changing in the industry. To combat the labor shortage, companies must be more efficient in handling and installing electrical material.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other tools increase the need for digital availability. The adoption of smart devices has been prevalent on jobsites.

The technological improvements are going to continue to positively impact the construction industry.

With the recent emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry?

Lighting and lighting controls have been a recent revolution in electrical work. This includes using more energy efficient lighting fixtures, controlling and automating lighting for maximum efficiency, and energy use for heating and cooling system. According to the Energy Information Administration, 60% of an office building electricity is used in lighting, cooling and venting the space. With

went away was what they call multi-wire branch circuits, which is sharing of neutral loads on different circuits. They’re requiring independent neutrals for everything, which adds wire to the job, adds circuit ampacity, which increases wire size, and in essence, it makes the job cost more money.

“They’re going to save money in the long run by running a more efficient light bulb essentially, but in the initial cost, it’s pretty substantial. There’s quite a bit more wire to be pulled. There’s larger wire that has to be pulled. The transformers associated with all of those circuits have to be increased in size to be able to handle the increase in capacitance on the wires.

“It’s changed the way that everything is circuited. It’s changed the way that we route our conduits. It’s changed the way that we size all of our conduits and our wire and then, of course, the cost impact. So, we have more work going into a job.”

Meanwhile, the industry is still suffering a labor shortage. More work going into a job means more labor to get the job done on accelerated schedules. With the field being drastically undermanned, Coshal comments that they need more people who know what they are doing and the IEC apprenticeship school helps to turn installers into electricians by preparing them for their journeyman test to get their license. He believes the key is to

their impact on so many different systems, electrical contractors are leading the way on making substantive improvements to buildings’ energy-efficiency.

What cost increases relate to your industry?

Commodity and material costs are always fluctuating, driven by normal courses of supply/demand globally. Wages rates are starting to rise markedly, and will continue to do so with labor shortages and again, economics of supply and demand.

What are the rewards of the industry?

A career in electrical involves working in a challenging, sophisticated, and technologically evolving industry. It provides one with a lifetime skill and endless education due to the constant construction evolutions. Electricians will always be in high demand and continue to provide high wages.

IEC is a trade association representing more than 3,000 members with 53 chapters nationwide. IEC is the nation’s premier trade association representing America’s independent electrical and systems contractors. –cw

get the knowledge out there so the people in the field understand the changes that are happening – why they are upsizing neutrals and why transformers are getting bigger, for example.

“In the field, we see it on a print and then we do it,” he says. “But in the classroom, you’re able to teach them why that’s happening. You can actually show them the physical difference that is being produced by the different types of greener things and it doesn’t just have to do with the green stuff. “Computers do the same thing. With everything becoming more and more computer-oriented, you have more and more circuitry in buildings for computers, and they do the same thing. They produce a capacitive load that increases neutral demand. A lot of it is taken care of with the code and we have to adapt the curriculum to meet that code and to teach what’s new going on in the field.”

While many of his students are new hires, some are also people who have been in the industry for a while, because in the electrical industry, knowledge really is power.

“A person that understands why he or she is running a wire from point A to point B is more valuable than a person that has to be told, ‘Okay, pull that wire from point A to point B.’ Contractors will hire new people and want to put them in school to get them to learn.” –mh

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Jan: Construction Forecast Feb: Construction Safety Mar: Construction Education

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July: Electrical Industry Aug: Service Providers Sep: Green Building Trends

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Oct: Specialty Contractors Nov: Architecture & Engineering Dec: Construction Equipment

Page 12

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

TACCA comes back

On the line

T

he Lone Star State’s Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ACCA) is now an independent entity again.

ACCA Texas reclaimed its previous name, Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) as of Apr. 1.

Well known as TACCA since its founding in 1969, the state entity changed its name to ACCA Texas in 2000 when ACCA National brought chapters into affiliation under a federated structure from the top down starting with the national office, according to Todd McAllister, TACCA executive director.

Since the chapters were affiliated at the national, state and local level, members were required to pay dues to all three entities. Earlier this year, ACCA made the decision at the national level to forego federation. Now, TACCA is separate from ACCA, and though McAllister says they still encourage members to join ACCA on the national level also, national membership is no longer required. Members will only have to pay dues to their local chapter and the overseeing state entity, TACCA. Though the name and logo have changed, McAllister and David Mathews, TACCA president, assure members that the local and state levels will continue with business as usual, offering the same services and hosting the same events as always. The 10 chapters that comprised ACCA Texas also remain the same under TACCA. Those chapters include Abilene, Austin, Coastal Bend, Greater Houston, High Plains, North Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Greater San Antonio, South Plains and Waco.

In the 15 years under the name ACCA Texas and McAllister’s tenure as the state association’s executive director, he explains that the disaffiliation from national came about because everything about association business models and the way

Team Williams: Gene Williams, Victor Williams, Walter Williams, John Williams

T

David Mathews, president of TACCA

a nonprofit trade organization operates has changed. Mathews adds that national did the billing for all the state and local chapters, which was approximated to require about 400 different billing structures for dues across the country.

The change will allow the TACCA board of directors to run the organization with autonomy. The only difference was that they had to adjust the dues structures for the local and state levels.

The new organizational structure will benefit smaller contractors in the HVAC industry, as Mathews recalls that several small contractors could not afford to pay dues to all three levels of the association and subsequently left ACCA. McAllister observes that since returning to the familiar TACCA name, they’ve seen several small contractors come back.

Mathews notes, “I think it’s a positive adjustment for contractors throughout the state, and I think it’s going to be a really good thing for us.” –mh

he temps and the teams were in sync when 49 boats entered in the Associated Builders and Contractors Mid-Coast Chapter (ABC) annual fishing tournament held July 13 in Port O’Connor. ABC paid out $11,190 to the winners. Congrats! –cw Winners Redfish 1st: Team Williams 2nd: A-Team 3rd: Trout Slappers Redfish Stringer 1st: Team Williams 2nd: Brock 3rd: Deez Nuts

Trout: 1st: Last Cast 2nd: Los Primos Hooked Up 3rd: Deez Nuts Trout Stringer 1st: Last Cast 2nd: Wading Wonders 3rd: Waterloo Combo Stringer 1st: Last Cast 2nd: A-Team 3rd: Wading Wonders Flounder Pot High RPM Redfish Spot Pot Reel Time

Team Last Cast: Will Janecek, Josh Doehrman, Ken Miller, Markie Zimmermann

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 13

Association Calendar

Leaders of the pack

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

Jul. 1: ABC First Wednesday Mixer, 5:307pm, Rockit’s Whiskey Bar & Saloon. For more information, contact Kathy Burnette at (361) 289-5311.

Jul. 16-17: 21st annual Fishing Tournament, Marker 37. For more information contact Venessa Spencer at (361) 2895311.

AGC- South Texas Associated General Contractors

Jul. 10: Annual Fishing Tournament, Bluff’s Landing, 4242 Laguna Shores Rd., Corpus Christi. Call 361-289-0996 for more info.

AGC TBB Assoc. Gen. Contractors Tx Building Branch

Jul. 28-31: 38th annual AGC TBB Convention at Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe.

For more information, visit www.agctbb. org.

AIA - Corpus Christi American Institute of Architects

Jul. 24: Code Academy from 8am to 5pm

NAWIC - Corpus Christi Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Jul. 21: Dinner and business meeting at The BBQ Man Restaurant beginning at

5:30pm. The public is welcome, cost is $20. For more information, contact Vickie Thompson 361-299-6278 or 361-4380593 or check out nawic.org or nawiccorpuschristi.org.

RCAT Roofing Contractors Assn. of Texas

Jul. 16-18: Summer Membership Meeting/Seminars, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Rd, Cedar Creek For more information, call 512-251-7690

USGBC U. S. Green Building Council

Jul. 9: IECC Codes Jul. 21: North Texas Sustainable Showcase 2015 For more information, visit www.usgbc-centraltexas.org

Submissions Submit your association events for this calendar.

Free of charge STeditor@constructionnews.net

E

The TSPE officers

ngineers from all areas of Texas gathered at the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) Conference & 79th annual meeting at the Omni Houston Hotel in Houston Jun. 17-19.

Julia M. Harrod, PE, F.NSPE, garnered the TSPE Engineer of the Year award and Ardita Dushi, PE, APMP, won the TSPE Young Engineer of the Year award. In addition, Nancy Blackwell, PE, AEI Engineering Inc., was installed as TSPE's new president.

Seminar topics during the event addressed the professional, economic, social and political aspects of engineering in Texas.

Exhibitors at the conference included ADS Pipe, Hobas Pipe, Horizon Environmental Services, Inc., JPH Land Surveying Inc., Lime Association of Texas, Locke Solutions, SAM Inc., Texas Concrete Pipe Association and Texas Hydrant Services. –ab

TSPE Engineer of the Year, Julia M. Harrod, PE, F.NSPE, receives her recognition from Harold “JR” Reddish, PE.

Submitted to Construction News

Welcome to the neighborhood

Nancy Blackwell, PE, AEI Engineering Inc.

TSPE Young Engineer of the Year, Ardita Dushi, PE, APMP, (right) receives her award from Harold “JR” Reddish, PE.

Round-Up

Lower Rio Grande Valley American Institute of Architects (AIA) had a grand opening, ribbon cutting and open house on June 11 at its new location in Mercedes, TX. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Wine all you like

NAWIC Corpus Christi Chapter #4 had a good turnout at its membership mixer June 4 at Vino Mio Social Club in Corpus Christi.

Michell Patton, Maverick Engineering and Vickie Thompson, Dixie Pipe Sales, manned the sign in desk. –cw

Architectural designer Seth Hammonds has joined the Stantec Austin office. As architectural designer, Hammonds will deliver K-12 and higher education projects throughout Texas and the Gulf region.

Submissions Email with “Round-Up” in the subject line (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue to: STeditor@constructionnews.net

Page 14

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Beachin’ it

T

he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Texas Chapter (PHCC) annual conference took place at the Moody Gardens Hotel Spa and Convention Center in Galveston Jul 11-12.

Despite all the rain in the area, air conditioning and heating contractors from around the state gathered at the opening reception. The next day, 22 vendors showcased their products at a tradeshow. –ab

Nancy Jones was honored at the event for all her hard work at PHCC Texas.

continued from Page 1 — An eye to the future enjoyed every second of it.”

Both Raymond and Nick Gignac feel that community service is important.

They are invested in helping to guide the future of downtown Corpus Christi, where the office in located in a historic old hotel, by serving on the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District. Raymond has served as chair of the board and is still on the board, while Nick has served on sub-committees and had a hand in the popular Artwalk event.

They also feel strongly about the future of the environment and do many LEED projects.

“We are in the process of designing three new LEED projects and have already done seven,” Nick says. “The last two projects we constructed are LEED certified.”

Gignac & Associates is the architec-

tural firm on the huge project constructing Corpus Christi’s newest high school, Veterans Memorial High School. Another large ongoing project is the new Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) building. Both of these projects will be LEED certified.

Gignac & Associates has 17 employees, including architect Rolando Garza, who has been with the firm from the beginning; architect and interior designer Carolyn James, since 1994; and Juan Mujica, manager of the Valley offices.

They’ve enjoyed having employees from all over the world, including France, Nigeria, India and Puerto Rico. Once a year, everybody gets together for a fish fry and at Christmas, a large party.

“We stick together and offer good benefits and salaries above the median,” Nick says. “We share the good times.” –cw

continued from Page 1 — A growing family Rick Shelton, Shelton Plumbing (right) and friends

L-R: Rhonda Dowdy and Sam Dowdy, S & D Commercial Services (center)

Milton Frank, Milton Frank Plumbing Co. Inc.

get you far at LNV. It’s not unusual to hear contagious laughter throughout the building.

“Whoopie cushions, funny stickers placed on hard hats, detached computer mice and rubber snakes are just some of the weekly pranks,” he says.

LNV’s superintendents also find unique ways to break the ice with new apprentices, for example, sending them to get “toe nails,” “board stretchers,” or “sky hooks.”

As part of the 15th anniversary celebration, employees from the South Texas offices relaxed to live music on a private dock at Harrison’s Landing. Everyone enjoyed oyster shooters, a fish taco bar, and “LNV Island,” the signature drink. Door prizes, which featured a day off, were also popular.

Leyendecker says the firm’s business practices include matching the right

team to surpass the client’s goals for quality, timely delivery and budget. The focus on understanding the client’s needs has allowed LNV to be involved in the area’s most innovative and cost-effective projects.

“We value the reputation we have built through the years for accurately recognizing and assessing the unique requirements of each project,” Leyendecker explains. “We pride ourselves on our honest relationships with owners, stakeholders, design teams, subcontractors and suppliers.”

LNV has offices in Austin, Corpus Christi (headquarters), Dallas/Fort Worth, Harlingen, Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio.

The firm’s construction team handles a variety of projects, from simple remodels to complex renovations and new construction. –cw

continued from Page 1 — Built like a fortress L-R: Ray Jones, Raven Mechanical LP and Carter Ramzel, Benchmark Plumbing Patrick Freund, Comfort-Air Engineering Inc.

The HVAC units weigh 40 tons each.

Challenges to the $2.6 million project, which took six months, were lots of

rain and government red tape.

The range is located at 2100 Village Center Dr. in Brownsville. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Safety counts

editions can be Did you Pastdownloaded at know? www.ConstructionNews.net

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Record breaking

Airika Stevens, at Wil-Con LLP in Harlingen, receives the National AGC Safety Award (NASA) certificate for a zero incidence rate in 2014. Also receiving NASA awards: W. Murray Thompson Construction; SpawGlass Contractors; Peacock General Contractors; Peterson Construction; and Scoggins Construction. –cw

SpawGlass held its 3rd annual CJ IV Memorial Fishing Tournament in Port O'Connor June 5-6. Despite the weeks of rain, this weekend turned out to be perfect weather for the event. More than 200 people attended Friday night's Captains party, catered

by Jake's BBQ. More than 40 boats competed on Saturday from SpawGlass locations throughout Texas and clients. Griesenbeck took home the first place honor with a 27.16-pound stringer, breaking the tournament record. –cw

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

Page 15

70 years of roofing

What’s on your bucket list?

A Hawaiian vacation. My aunt is from there, so I’d like to go see it.

Cathy Beaudin, NAWIC-CC Go to Alaska and go fishing. Like on a cruise.

Vickie Thompson, NAWIC-CC and Dixie Pipe I would build a new house and attach it to my mom’s house so I could live with her while she is still with me.

Darla Lee Omana, Gill Roofing, Corpus Christi I haven’t played golf in many years and have never been good at it. On my bucket list is to learn golf at the same time as my son, who is now almost two years old, and to play once a week with him in the years to come.

Matt Ezell, South Texas Building Partners, Corpus Christi From the team at SpawGlass South Texas: Veronica Gutierrez – sky diving Kevin Bennett – swimming with sharks Margie Lopez – visit the other six continents Daisy R. Bennett – build a school for children in Africa Short list: watch my youngest son get his college degree. Other longer-term: See James Taylor live in concert and speak Spanish like a native.

Lee White, Alazan Builders, Corpus Christi

1. Visit that famous bridge, the Golden Gate, in San Francisco and see with my own eyes mankind’s beauty … at the same time admire the surroundings and understand the reasons behind all those love stories where people have died, in the name of love.

2. Spend one entire day … or week voluntarily at a hospital working directly with elders and children.

Liz Cantu, Briggs Equipment, Corpus Christi Our bucket list is kind of small right now.

We only have one, that is to take a drive up the west coast from California to Washington state, stopping along the way at various locations and spending the night where we may be when it gets dark.

Osvaldo Sosa, Harlingen Glass & Mirror Co. Inc. From ABC Texas Coastal Bend: Kathy Burnette: Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro Venessa Spencer: Travel the world Amber Godines: Visit Italy Well, it was skydiving, but just crossed that off a week ago so now I would put swimming with sharks as one of the next items.

Connor Friedrichs, REFCO, Pharr I’ve always wanted to live on a houseboat in California. My other bucket list items include living in a loft apartment in downtown Austin while working at Whole Foods and visiting Scotland, the home of my maternal ancestors.

Cyndi Wright, South Texas Construction News

Fernando and Darlene Omana maintain a solid reputation for good work in Corpus Christi.

G

ill Roofing in Corpus Christi is celebrating 70 years in business this year – and owner and president Darlene Lee Omana couldn’t be happier.

Richard Gill, a roofer by trade, established the business after WWII came to an end. He had learned his craft from his uncle in Oklahoma when he was helping support his family during the Depression.

Gill offered a young Darlene the opportunity to move to Corpus Christi from Dallas after high school and he would teach her to run the business.

“That was in 1973,” Omana says.

“They wanted to retire and fish!”

And now, after 42 years, she and her husband, Fernando Omana, have a steady customer base made up of longtime clients and new clients that hear of their good reputation. Fernando spends his days out with the crews. He came to work for Gill in 1995 and the couple started

Construction News ON LOCATION

dating in 1997. In 2004, they tied the knot.

And even though the company doesn’t really have annual events for the employees, there are other ways this group acts like a family.

“We are godparents to some of their children,” Omana says. “Anybody that wants to is welcome to come to our house for Thanksgiving. We have employees that have been here 20 years. We take care of them and we want them to take pride in their work. All of our guys go to church. We are just real lucky.”

In her spare time, Omana is a member of National Women in Construction (NAWIC) and will be receiving her 40-year pin next year. Close to her heart, however, is the charity Loving Spoonful, where she has been president for more than 20 years. The non-profit provides necessary items, such as Christmas presents and school clothes, for children who have been impacted by HIV in the coastal bend. –cw

Bigger and better

Fasten up!

Tyler Weeks, Steve O’Neil and manager Josh Ramirez took some time out of their busy day for a photo at Fastenal on Leopard Street in Corpus Christi. –cw A ribbon cutting and open house on April 30 saw more than 300 guests at Wholesale Electric Supply.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Living mas!

Brown Concrete & Construction employees Shawn, Lil George and George Brown were in Corpus Christi from their home in Alabama doing work on a new Taco Bell.

The GC is Horizon Construction. –cw

W

holesale Electric Supply Co. started more than 65 years ago in a small metal building located on the fringes of Houston. Now, there are 12 branch locations in Texas and four international locations.

In Victoria, Pam McKellop, daughter of founder Clyde G. Rutland, opened a location in 2004. The Victoria location recently celebrated moving into a brand new location, with a ribbon cutting and open house on April 30 that saw more than 300 guests.

The manager of the Victoria location is Dana Gollnick, who started working in the electrical business in 1972, right out of high school in Corpus Christi.

“I moved to Victoria with another electrical company,” he said. “I was driving back and forth for 2 1/2 years.”

Then an opportunity to work in outside sales with Wholesale Electric opened up and Gollnick snapped it up.

“I started out of my house because

we had trouble finding a spot,” he remembers.

Eventually, the company found a spot in a warehouse that used to be an auto paint and body shop.

“Me and two other guys worked there,” he said.

Now, the company boasts 21 employees, including outside, inside and warehouse and everybody works out of a much-nicer, newly-constructed building.

“Without the warehouse people, the drivers - even the person answering the phone, we are only as good as the people who work here,” he says. “We work together as a team. It’s a good group of people.”

Dana’s wife, Lillian Gollnick, is the office manager and Jeremy McIntosh is the operations and purchasing manager.

“On Friday afternoons after work, we hang out and let the stress of the week go,” Gollnick says. “Everybody is welcome.” –cw

Page 16

South Texas Construction News • Jul 2015

A weekend filled with warriors

Donors provided 415 boats for the Weekend Warriors to spend some relaxing time on the water fishing.

R

on Kocian, team lead at Caterpillar Victoria, was recently named a Fortune 500 magazine “Heroes of the 500” for his work with wounded veterans during a special event each May. Ron’s father, Ron Kocian Sr., a veteran, started the big event in Port O’Connor in 2007. Called Warrior’s Weekend, the blowout bash includes fishing, food and lots of hugs and smiles. This year, roughly 915 veterans, some with families, dogs

and caretakers, came to take part.

“Down here, veterans are always a big subject,” Ron says. “They always get a lot of support. It’s always in your heart and you grow up with that.”

Ron Jr. downplays his role in the event, giving most of the credit to his dad and other board members.

The event is specifically for those who have been injured while serving their country – and that includes post-

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Prep work

Ron Kocian works for Caterpillar’s North American Excavators in Victoria.

traumatic stress syndrome (PSTD).

“It’s a huge struggle for them,” Ron says. “We do whatever we can for as many as we can.”

The veterans receive a hero’s welcome when they fly into Houston and are met at the airport. From there, 13-15 busses transport them to Victoria, where the celebration continues with the “Field of Honor” ceremony, where flags are dedicated to each visiting veteran, as well as other servicemen. This year, the field included nearly 3,000 flags.

“All of our local veterans and local people pick someone to honor,” Ron said.

“Each flag has a name on it.”

The veterans stay in Victoria, Port Lavaca, Seadrift and, of course, Port O’Connor.

“We take over Port O’Connor!” Ron laughs.

There is no cost to the veterans attending the festivities. Flights, hotels, food and boats are donated. Private donations and open doors support the annual weekend. A full-time medical staff is on standby for any problems that arise.

“Once you meet one or two of them, you will be caught,” Ron says. “Once you see how genuine they are. They are incredible people. You want to do more for them.” –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Regulars

Jorge, Carlos and Francisco of Wedge Excavating out of Dallas were preparing a site in Corpus Christi for an upcoming project. –cw

Hugo, Dustin, Fred and Robert from United Rentals on Leopard Street in Corpus Christi visited Ole Café for their lunch hour. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

The road in

Diamond Eight Industries LLC employees work at the Mont Meta Cemetery in San Benito doing concrete asphalt paving. The company is pouring concrete at various sections in preparation for laying two miles of asphalt at the cemetery. –cw