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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net
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(210) 308-5800
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Volume 15
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Number 11
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NOVEMBER 2015
Attention to detail
Top Gunn, the company
L-R: H.W. “Bucky” Clark and NG Cotton have worked together since the company was founded by Cotton in 1999.
The Top Gun team
he J. Irwin Company in Bastrop has grown from seven employees when the company was formed in December 1999 to roughly 230 employees working all over the U.S. today. Formed by NG Cotton, the company is responsible for installing hundreds of compressors for gathering systems, and numerous processing plants as well as hundreds of miles of pipelines. “We are all into the natural gas industry,” says H.W. “Bucky” Clark, who started with the company in 1999 as a welder and is now chief operating officer. “We constructed one of the first two PAQUES treating facilities.” These facilities use technology discovered in The Netherlands to provide bacteria, AKA bugs, that eat the most poi-
sonous aspect of natural gas production: H2S or hydrogen sulfide. “It was in response to the Clean Air Act (in 1990),” Clark said. “It cleans up the gas where it is fit for human usage. The gas company we built it for was the first one to ever build it and incorporate it into a high pressure system.” J. Irwin Company counts among its clients many major midstream gas producers in Texas, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Oklahoma and more. Clark says they make a concerted effort to promote from within. “Ninety-five percent of our supervisors started and worked their way up, including myself,” he says. “We don’t want continued on Page 14
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op Gunn Equipment Rentals Inc. is becoming famous for their humorous down home recording for incoming calls. General manager Brandon Marrs records a new message every month. If someone is fortunate enough to be put on hold, they’ll hear a different message and great music. The company has two locations, a north store and a south store. The south store has just completed renovations to improve ability for customers to get in and out of the store and allow for more rental inventory. “We are homegrown, locally owned and proud of it,” said Marrs. “We are technically a corporation but try our best to not come off as one. We try to have a good time here at work and with our cus-
tomers. And we take pride in not being too politically correct.” Every year on the last weekend in February, the north location has an open house. Jay Gunn, the lone original brother and owner, makes more than 100 lbs. of his now semi-famous venison chili. There is a raffle and door prizes. All of the proceeds from the raffle are matched by the company and donated to Austin Pets Alive. They donate the use of equipment to many schools, churches and other charitable organizations in the greater Austin area, as well as give discounts to all current and former military personnel, the Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and EMS First Responders. continued on Page 14
A new presence for YMCA
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fter the Village People made a hit song in 1978 titled “Y.M.C.A.” that touted a less expensive place for a young man to find a bed, the organization has shifted its focus – and its branding – to reflect the mission of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. In the years since, the Y has become better known for its programs and services that focus on whole family health and opportunities for developing a service ethic. A recent project by general contractor Rizzo Construction Inc. has helped the NW Family YMCA in Austin accomplish this with a renovation of the facility that was built in the early 2000s. The two-phase remodeling project was started in April 2015 and the facility had its grand re-opening on Oct. 24. Rizzo’s Brian Lauterjung has been with the firm for 16 years and was project
Warm wood and an open concept, plus beautiful polished concrete floors, have given NW Family YMCA an updated look.
manager. Pat Tims was project superintendent. “The project was done in two phases because we had to keep them operational the whole time,” Lauterjung says. “There were certain things we could not do during normal hours, so we worked nights and weekends.” For example, one subcontractor, Resfloor Concrete Solutions, owned by Paul Marriott, worked nights from 10pm to 5am to finish the floors. Lauterjung said it was good subcontractors like this that helped move the project forward. “We definitely have good subcontractors,” he said. “Everyone was committed.” The project included doubling the child watch area, adding a multi-purpose room, adding a new spin room, enlarging the lobby and reception area and providing a new break room for staff and members. continued on Page 14