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CONSTRUCTION
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Volume 13
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Number 8
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AUGUST 2015
Supply and demand
Sparking the imagination
L-R: Jay Martinez and James Deshazier
L-R: Richard Amburgey and Kerry Stewart
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ranch manager Jay Martinez says 2015 has been a good year for the Morrison Supply Conroe location. “The new construction jobs haven’t stopped since all the rain in May and June,” Martinez said. “There is no season for new construction so that has been going well.” Morrison Supply employees, vendors and customers attended a crawfish boil at the Conroe location in the springtime. “We served 500 lbs. of crawfish during the afternoon,” he said. “We also had a golf simulator on site. We try to have an event every few months, if we can.” Martinez says he spends most of his time at the store and gets out in the field
every now and then. Working in the industry since 1996, he joined the company as an inside salesman in 2007 and became a branch manager in 2011. “My advice for someone who wants to do what I do is to start in the warehouse and learn all about the products,” Martinez said. “In my opinion, you have to know how to look people in the eyes and have a conversation. Eye contact is big. “Be quiet and listen and take it in. When someone is talking, don’t finish his or her sentence. Be willing to work from 7am until closing time.” Martinez helps the inside salesman at the counter especially during the morning rush. continued on Page 13
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stablished in 1999, Arks and Sparks Inc. moved to its current location in Conroe last August. Richard Amburgey is the owner. Amburgey became interested in welding after high school and has worked in the industry more than 30 years. “I started the company in my garage at home,” Amburgey said. “After spending a few years at a Spring location, we relocated to our current shop because we saw opportunity in Conroe.” Today, Kerry Stewart works in the welding and fabrication shop and Amburgey’s wife Cindy takes care of all the paper work. “Sometimes, I will come to the shop at 7am and go directly to a jobsite in the
field,” he said. “I spend my time both in the field and the shop. “I really enjoy fabricating steel from scratch. I am happy I have the chance to do something different every day.” In 2015, the company has had lots of work in the industrial and commercial industries. “In addition, we have worked on several welding projects for the food and beverage industries, as well as hotels and fitness centers,” he said. If a young person wants to be a welder, Amburgey says you have to enjoy what you are doing because if you don’t you will get bored. continued on Page 13
Learning to fly
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ouston’s first indoor skydiving facility comes with a state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnel that moves air up in a column, creating an experience that realistically mimics the real thing. General contracting firm Structura recently completed the FLY Memorial – Houston project at 9540 Katy Freeway. The owner is SkyGroup Investments LLC. Chief operating officer Keven Jones, Structura, says the building’s steel and concrete shape is a reflection of the equipment it encases and was constructed around the wind tunnel equipment. The construction cost for the 10,163sf, ground-up construction project was $5 million, which does not include owner-supplied equipment. According to Jones, the enclosed section of the tunnel is the flight chamber, which has a floor of aircraft quality stainless steel.
“The building interior is an efficient and effective public space that produces a fun and energetic atmosphere,” he said. The facility also has a retail area, classroom for training and private meeting space available for rental. Jones says the shape of the building created much curiosity during construction with as many as 20 people stopping by daily and asking “What is it?” The weather was a major challenge for this project. The high volume of rain that fell during the early phases of construction hindered excavation and completion of the foundation. Another major obstacle was a concrete shortage as a result of the high number of projects under construction in the Houston area. “Securing the concrete needed required creativity and the ability to act quickly to purchase concrete when it was iFLY Memorial – Houston exterior
continued on Page 13