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Volume 15
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Number 12
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DECEMBER 2015
Making a mark in Texas
Polishing up Austin
The Ryan Companies South Central Texas team, based in Austin, stand before the beautiful downtown skyline.
Paul Marriott, left, with NW Family YMCA branch executive Steve Peterson, celebrating at the grand re-opening on Oct. 24. Resfloor did the floors in the renovation.
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yan Companies US Inc., founded in 1938 in Hibbing, MN., is a 3rd-generation family-owned business with 11 regional offices in the U.S. The Austin office, which opened in 2012, is the headquarters for the company’s South Central region. “We’ve been working in Texas since 1999,” says Rich Leisy, vice president, construction, for the South Central region. “Our customers were doing more and more business in this part of the country, so it made sense to open an office to better serve their needs.” The president of this region, Hunter Barrier, is a Texas native, born in Ft. Worth. According to Leisy, Barrier has 25
years experience as a developer, with 15 of those years in Texas. “Every Ryan office has a developer and operations leader,” he says. “Our strategy in Texas has been to create our own opportunities and pursue designbuild projects, as well as customer driven build-to-suit projects.” To achieve that, approximately half of Ryan Companies’ work is develop/ build, while the other half is third-party construction work. Eighty percent of the company’s projects are design-build. The company is 100 percent commercial. “We develop deals – office, retail, multi-family and healthcare – and we continued on Page 14
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aybe one of the first things one notices about Paul Marriott is that English accent that American women seem to love. Marriott came by it honestly - he grew up in London. “In England, you leave school a little earlier, so I started working at age 16,” he says. “Concrete coating has been the bulk of my career.” With all of that experience, Marriott and his wife, Helena, opened Resfloor Concrete Solutions in Austin in 2014. Resfloor specializes in resinous flooring, diamond concrete polishing, decorative stained concrete, concrete prep and sealing, and moisture mitigation. Marriott says he reached Austin in a
roundabout way – first traveling extensively through the U.S. with a friend. In 1996, Marriott ended up in Austin. “He wanted to visit Austin, I’d never heard of it,” Marriott said. But he decided to stay and started a family. Now, he and Helena have two daughters, ages 8 and 9. The family-owned business prides itself on delivering the highest-quality workmanship in the business, Marriott says. “We really focus on quality more than quantity,” he said. “We are pretty lean and efficient and I’ve never been short of work.” continued on Page 14
A new school in Lakeway
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he Goddard School is an early childhood education provider with more than 400 franchised schools in 35 states and hundreds of markets – and now, there is one in Lakeway, as well. GSI (Goddard School Inc.) was recently named the number one childcare franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine for the fourteenth consecutive year. The schools accept children aged six weeks to 6 years old. When Austin businessman Raul Alvarez decided to build a GSI franchise there, he hired G2 Builders Corporation as the general contractor. Ragu Sada is CEO of G2 Builders. The $1.5 million project took 12 months and was finished in October 2015. According to Mercedes Ortegel, general manager of G2 Builders, the project was new construction with site development work included.
Consisting of a wood frame building with wood trusses and a shingled roof, the exterior is EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems), an insulating, decorative and protective finish system for exterior walls, similar in appearance to stucco, and limestone. The interior consists of drywall, paint and Marmoleum floors, a natural linoleum that is anti-microbial and easy to maintain, said Brett Witzig, project manager. Project superintendent was Paul Maurer. Included is an indoor gym facility with high ceilings and specialized flooring for children to enjoy playing despite disagreeable weather conditions. The project had a few unique challenges, Witzig and Ortegel said. “Because of the topography, we built a large retaining wall,” Witzig said. “The sloping site was a challenge to get level. The exterior of The Goddard School is EISF and limestone.
continued on Page 14
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
A senior leader
Submitted to Construction News
Austin spirit
Trepex Construction specializes in building senior residential, like this facility in Cedar Park.
B Boo! The Baker Triangle Austin office got into the “spirit” of Halloween with some excellent costumes! –cw
Stucco & EIFS Products • Custom Color Matching Cement, Lath & Trim Products
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uilding cost-effective senior housing with amenities is the focus of Trepex Construction, founded by Brent Hammond in Austin in 2014. “We develop, build, manage and operate the buildings we build,” says Daniel Parker, general superintendent. “We are a one-stop shop that specializes in senior housing.” In partnership with Civitas Senior Living, Trepex is the general contractor for the projects, after which Civitas steps in and manages and operates the properties. Trepex also builds for other owners, as well, like a current project under construction in Burleson. The company works all over Texas, with projects in Dripping Springs - an assisted living facility and a four-story independent living building - and one coming up - a multistory senior living facility in Ft. Worth. “A lot of what we do involves investors coming to us, we do the construction and Civitas does the management,” Parker says. He says almost everybody in the seven-employee company has worked together before for other contractors and construction-related companies. “Brent had the plan of doing some-
thing great, so he found key people to have involved in it,” Parker said. “That’s how we got together.” Other key employees include Rick Mertz, LEED, AP, BD+C, executive project manager, and John O’Sullivan, partner and advisor. Hammond’s background includes 20 years of civil engineering and construction, primarily in the Central Texas region. Mertz has 20+ years of construction experience in multi-family, municipal, senior housing, office and retail. O’Sullivan has more than 30 years of experience as a subcontractor, jobsite superintendent and project manager for more than a dozen assisted living and nursing home projects. Parker, from Lufkin, has more than 10 years of experience in senior housing. He says the company really enjoys building projects for the care of the elderly. “Trepex wants to develop a new standard to this industry,” he says. “We provide the best, most effective way to build this type of project. It allows us to add more amenities to the buildings. There is a lot of care and thought that goes into this. It goes beyond sticks and bricks.” –cw
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
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Engineers up!
Positive thinking
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ames Johnson, president and CEO of Johnson Contracting, accidentally got involved with commercial construction while a freshman in college. He fell on hard times and joined a labor crew for a local general contractor and then became a regular employee. He later became superintendent and then a project manager for a competing company. “After nearly 10 years in the field I felt I needed something more and wanted to have my own company,” said Johnson. “My thought process, drive and motivation changed after having my two boys.” Outside the company, Johnson’s activities are whatever his family wants to do. He said his two sons, Easton (4- yearsold) and Rowan (1-year-old) want to do whatever daddy does. His wife, Audrie, likes to go western dancing. “My family is my motivation,” he says. “Having my own family has changed everything about me. My wife supports my every move, except for decorating and dressing the boys.” Johnson said his family has defined the term unconditional. When asked what he would like people to know about him, Johnson said, “I pride myself on having integrity and never losing focus on the people that help with the process of life, business and family. I feel that all people have something
L-R: Joe Alvarez, Naismith Engineering, Corpus Christi; Anthony Luce, Brown & Gay Engineers, Frisco; Crespin Guzman, executive director at Texas Section ASCE, Austin; and Fabian Herrera, Brown & Gay, Dallas/Ft. Worth
C L-R: Rowan and Easton
positive to contribute. No matter what happens to me, I always tell myself, and those around me, to “Charlie-Mike” which means continue moving. Whatever is meant to happen, you have to continue moving to get to the next stone. In business, profit is important but not the end all-be all. Greed can never become your business plan.” He later added that his family are huge Texas Longhorn football fans. Johnson Contracting provides residential and commercial construction management, remodeling, upgrades, concrete, demolition, framing and trim services in Austin and surrounding areas. –rd
ivil engineers from across Texas gathered Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in San Marcos for the 2015 Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON). –cw Award winners were: Award of Recognition and Honor Region 6 Governor: Nancy S. Cline, PE Honors Awards John N. Furlong, PE (Dallas) Donald E. Willhouse PE (Austin) Government Civil Engineer Award Michael D. Talbott, PE (Houston) Professional Service Award Lawrence D. Goldberg, PE (Houston) Henry C. Leighton, PE (Bastrop) Professional Service to Students
Award Alexis A. Clark (Austin) Sean P. Merrell, PE (Dallas) Service to People Award Joe R. Zimmerman, PE (Houston) John A. Focht Jr. Citizen Engineer Award William Todd Thurber, PE (Houston) Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award 2015 OCEA West 7th Street Bridge City of Fort Worth – TxDOT 2015 Award of Merit Manor Expressway Toll Road Phase II Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
Photos by Annemarie Glasser and Ramon Mejia
What wood a carpenter do?
L-R: Kelvin Reinhardt, Lime Association of Texas, and Larry Welch, Texas Asphalt Pavement Association, Buda
For the Department of Labor’s inaugural National Apprenticeship Week, a carpenter would attend the open house Nov. 5 at the UA Local 142 in San Antonio to introduce themselves to possible future carpenters. L-R: Bernie Helge, coordinator from San Antonio’s Texas Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund, was joined by the area coordinator from Austin, Tommy Moore. –mh
Austin
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Year-end tax planning includes keeping fingers crossed for Extenders Bill William M. Gerhardt III, J.D., LL.M. Company NamePadgett, Stratemann & Co., L.L.P. San Antonio, TX
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usinesses and their tax advisors are once again gazing into a crystal ball and pondering whether to make certain year-end business decisions based on their tax consequence. Congress has hampered tax planning for individuals and businesses since 2010 when it began extending expiring tax cuts and deductions for one or two-year periods, sometimes even retroactively. This year is no different as many tax provisions are currently expired, but there has been some progress in Congress on an Extenders Bill for 2015. If passed, popular business deductions such as 50% bonus depreciation (currently expired) and Section 179 expensing limits of $500,000 (currently at $25,000) with a $2 million overall investment limit would be extended to the 2015 taxable year. Although nothing is certain, an Extenders Bill is expected, so keep your fingers crossed. In any event, traditional tax planning practices continue and start with looking at the big picture. How is 2015 going to end up and what kind of growth or revenue is expected in 2016? Your answer will determine whether to accelerate income or deductions before year-end or defer the same into next year. If a high tax bill is expected for 2015, accelerate deductible expenses, purchase supplies, and consider repairing equipment and vehicles before year-end. To lower current taxable income and shift it into 2016, delay billing notices so that payment won’t be received until early next year (cash method businesses), or delay product shipments or providing services until next year (accrual method businesses). Alternatively, if a higher tax bill in 2016 is anticipated, a business should consider strategies to accelerate income and defer its deductible expenses. Fixed asset strategies should be reviewed to estimate how year-end purchases may increase deductions. Generally, a full half-year’s depreciation is available on depreciable property purchased and placed into service during the tax year. However, if more than 40% of the year’s purchases are placed into service in the last three months of the year, the mid-year convention is triggered and less depreciation deductions can be taken on these end of the year purchases. A de minimus safe harbor exists for expensing small purchases that cost no more than $500 or $5,000 per item or invoice, with the higher threshold only available to businesses that have certified audited financial statements.
Of particular interest to property construction companies and engineering or architecture firms performing services for real property projects is the Section 199 deduction for production activities. The deduction equals 9% of the lower of qualified production activities income or taxable income without regard to the deduction. The deduction is capped at 50% of W-2 wages allocable to the domestic production gross receipts. Businesses and their owners have also learned that the additional 3.8% net investment income tax applies not only to personal investment income or gain, but also to income from a business in which the tax payer is a passive participant, i.e. members of a LLC or shareholders of a S corporation who do materially participate in the business activities. Looking into the future, there appears to be little appetite for wholesale changes to the Internal Revenue Code prior to the presidential election. However, some legislation in 2015 did impact future tax preparation and compliance. The Surface Transportation Act of 2015 will move up the deadline to file partnership returns to March 15 and move back the deadline to file C corporation returns to April 15 starting for 2016 taxable year returns that are due in the spring of 2017. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 contained a couple of important tax provisions. The most far-reaching tax change eliminates the TEFRA unified partnership audit rules and the electing large partnership rules effective for returns filed for partnership tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017 (but generally electable earlier) and replaces them with streamlined partnership audit rules. Businesses should consult with their tax advisors early and often to make sure tax strategy is part of their year-end planning. William M. Gerhardt III, J.D., LL.M. Taxation, is a tax consultant at Padgett Stratemann & Co., L.L.P. He can be reached at 210-253-1670 or at william.gerhardt@ padgett-cpa.com.
Smart-money use of non-business time Kirk Quaschnick, President Mogul Wealth Strategies LLC McKinney, TX
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uccess in the construction industry often depends on the ability to manage our time well. Whether scheduling meetings, doing the books, or training new people, successful business owners know that every day is a calculated race against the clock.
But what about non-business time? That has a dollar value, too. How you use your free time is a determining factor in the quality of life you enjoy. That’s why some people can work 70 or 80 hours a week, yet still manage to participate in a highly rewarding home life. Meanwhile, others see leisure time as an opportunity to channel surf the television and fall asleep on the couch. We spend time, just like we spend money We can waste time, just like we can waste money. Ask yourself, “How can you get the best value from your nonworking time?” Evaluate how to best use time from the following: • The pleasure factor. This can override all other considerations. If you enjoy planting shrubs or building a new kennel for the dog, go ahead. If not, you might be better off hiring someone to do the work for you, and instead put in a few extra hours in the business or spend more time with your family. • The dollar-value-of your-time factor. This is a hard-cash tangible based on how much your time is worth. If your work time is worth $120 an hour, your leisure time is worth the same. So, if you don’t really enjoy the task of cutting the lawn, hire the neighbor kid to do it for $25, and go to a ball game or take the dog for a walk in the park. • The convenience factor. In spite of the cost, it is sometimes better to hand over the receipt shoe box to a CPA rather than do your own taxes; to call the plumber rather than fix that leaky faucet yourself; or to tote home carry-out rather than spend an hour making dinner. • The guilt factor. This is perhaps the most powerful reason we end up doing things we’d really rather not do. Since you are in this industry, you are talented enough to do most tasks by yourself. The tendency to feel guilty because someone is mowing your lawn while you are out playing ball is natural. Prioritize what’s most important to you and be a good steward of your time - let others help you with that.
Beyond dollars We are often so caught up in what we do that it consumes us. If we don’t learn how to break away, we risk never fully enjoying the fruits of our labors. So: • Learn how to relax. Many in the construction industry don’t feel comfortable out of “business mode.” So we try to do work at home. Try learning to be more than just a businessperson; it will be fun and will make you fresher and more focused at work. • Plan your leisure activities, just as you do with business. Map out your day off to include a little yard work, watching your daughter’s softball game, and an hour pure relaxation. • Don’t bring work home or on vacations. Leave the briefcase in the car. Encourage customers not to contact you at home. If you force yourself to get all your work done before you leave, you’ll get more done on business time, like getting ice cream if you finish your veggies. One of Zig Ziglar’s most famous quotes is, “Treat every day like it’s the day before vacation…” I believe this quote, if taken to heart, can make you more productive than ever before. If you’re like most business owners in the construction world today, you work hard putting in long hours each day doing what you do best. One of the rewards should be a comfortable lifestyle; make sure you take the time to enjoy it. Kirk G. Quaschnick, CLU, ChFC, ARPC, is the president and co-founder of Mogul Wealth Strategies, LLC in McKinney, TX. Since 1992, Kirk has helped his clients in financial, business, and estate planning, as well as financial advising, investment advisory and wealth management services to business owner executives and individuals. For additional information on the information or topic discussed, please contact Kirk at 214-420-7152, or email him at kirk@mogulwealth.com.
Correction James Rodriguez The staff of Construction News was saddened to hear about the death of James Rodriguez, Easy Drive San Antonio vice president, on Nov. 21. James was a vital part of and longtime friend of the construction industry in Texas. A complete obituary will appear in the January issue of Construction News.
Mike White
An incorrect photo of Mike White, Texas Construction Association, appeared with his Focus column in October 2015. Construction News regrets the error. –cw
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 5
King of safety Can a GC sue an architect for bad plans? Kyle Zunker, Associate Cokinos, Bosien & Young San Antonio, TX
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general contractor wins a bid and starts on a project only to find that the architect or engineer’s plans and specifications contain numerous errors. The plans require 50, 60, or 70% revision and the general contractor’s costs skyrocket. Can the general contractor recover from the architect? Last summer the Texas Supreme Court said no. After this summer, it is not so clear. In Martin K. Eby Construction Co. v. CCE sued PBS & J for negligent LAN/STV (350 S.W.3d 675), Dallas Area misrepresentation. The trial court Rapid Transit (“DART”) awarded Eby awarded judgment in favor of PBS & J. Construction Co. (“Eby”) a contract to CCE appealed. construct a portion of a light rail. LAN/ The Houston Court of Appeals held STV, a joint venture, prepared the plans that CCE’s costs in hiring a subcontractor and specifications for the bid documents. to complete the road were out-of-pocket After encountering delays and increased costs, not benefit-of-the-bargain costs, Eby sued LAN/STV for negligence damages. Therefore, CCE’s costs were and negligent misrepresentation. The not precluded by the economic loss rule. jury and court awarded Eby $2.25 million. As such, the court reversed the trial LAN/STV appealed. court’s judgment. LAN/STV argued the economic loss The facts of CCE and Eby appear rule prevented Eby from recovering similar. Given that the Texas Supreme against LAN/STV. LAN/STV’s argument Court overturned Eby, one would think was that Eby’s damages were benefit-of- the Court would overturn CCE. However, the-bargain damages (i.e. lost profits on the Court did not. Instead, the Court its construction contract), instead of out- withheld judgment. The Court first of-pocket costs (which are not precluded explained the Eby holding: “the economic by the economic loss rule). The Dallas loss rule barred a general contractor from Court of Appeals rejected LAN/STV’s recovering delay damages from a project argument, and held that Eby’s delay architect with which it did not contract.” damages were out-of-pocket costs. The Then the Court said that the arguments economic loss rule does not prevent in CCE are “best addressed by the trial recovery of out-of-pocket costs, so Eby court on remand.” could recover against LAN/STV. It is unclear why the Texas Supreme The Texas Supreme Court took up Court handled the CCE case differently the case and said the true issue was than the Eby case. One interpretation is “whether the [economic loss] rule that CCE shows contractors can still have permits a general contractor to recover claims against architects for negligent the increased costs of performing its misrepresentation, if the damages are construction contract with the owner in a out-of-pocket expenses. Eby makes it tort action against the project architect clear that delay damages are not for negligent misrepresentations― considered out-of-pocket expenses and errors―in the plans and specifications.” cannot be recovered. However, following The Court held the economic loss rule CCE, it is not clear which costs would be prevented Eby’s recovery and the Court considered out-of-pocket costs that a reversed. The Court noted that on contractor could recover from an construction projects there are many architect under a negligent misrepresparties involved, and that the parties entation cause of action. Stay tuned for should rely only on their contracts and clarification from the courts as to which insurance to recover their economic losses. costs, if any, a contractor can recover Meanwhile, there was a similar case from an architect for negligent in the Texas courts. In CCE, Inc. v. PBS & J misrepresentation―i.e. errors―in plans Construction Services, Inc. (461 S.W.3d and specifications. 542), the Texas Department of Kyle Zunker is an associate of Cokinos, Transportation (“TxDot”) hired PBS & J Bosien &Young, a full service law firm with Construction Services, Inc. (“PBS & J”) to offices in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and draft engineering plans and specifications Austin. For more information on our for a new road. TxDot awarded the services, please visit www.cbylaw.com\ general contractor work to CCE, Inc. ____________________________ 1 Special thanks to G. Stewart Whitehead, (“CCE”). After an erosion problem arose due to alleged defects in the plans and William R. Allensworth, Matthew J. Sullivan and Will W. Allensworth for their specifications, TxDot placed CCE in presentation and paper on this topic at default and CCE incurred costs in hiring a the Basic Course in Construction Law, subcontractor to complete the project. Nov. 12-13, 2015, Austin, Texas.
Submitted to Construction News
Apprenticeships that shine
Celebrating the Department of Labor’s inaugural National Apprenticeship Week Nov. 2-6, Anita Friesel and Cheyenne Kramm represented Austin for the Sheet Metal Workers (SMW) Local 67 Nov. 5 at the UA Local 142 Open House in San Antonio. –mh
L-R: Raymond Risk, president and CEO of the TCA Safety Group; Gina O’Hara, vice president of Anco Insurance and master agent of the TCA Safety Group; Rick Segura (holding award), senior safety manager at D.E. Harvey Builders; Jason Beers, director, D.E. Harvey Builders and Brian Chester, executive vice president of United Mechanical and TCA chairman.
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magine you are a painting subcontractor arriving at a job site to find that a drywall subcontractor left a mess the previous day. This could be dangerous for your crew that must now, for example, set up ladders on top of drywall dust, but you don’t have the authority to order the drywall subcontractor to clean up the site. Only the general contractor can do that. If this were you, you might be appreciative of a general contractor that strives to keep construction sites safe and clean to avoid incidents like this one. When 2,400 subcontractors in Texas were asked by the Texas Construction Association (TCA) Safety Group which general contractor does the most to keep job sites safe, they chose D.E. Harvey, a division of Harvey-Cleary. As a result, the company was honored with the first-ever General Contractor Job Site Safety Award, which was awarded at a meeting of the TCA Board of Directors on Oct. 28. “I’m honored that we received this award from our contractors, but I’m not
surprised because our safety program is second to none,” says Jason Beers, director of Harvey Builders. “We want every individual worker to go home safe to their families so they can come back the next day and provide for them.” The TCA Safety Group is a workers’ compensation insurance safety group written by Texas Mutual Insurance Company. This is the first General Contractor Job Site Safety Award ever presented by the group. Gina O’Hara, a vice president at Anco Insurance and master agent of the TCA Safety Group, said she wants to see it become a coveted annual award. “We want to bring focus to messy worksites because subcontractors were having lots of trips, slips and falls stemming from poor cleanup of job sites,” she said. “It falls back on the general contractors to monitor their own work sites and the subcontractors who voted to honor Harvey with this award felt that they do it better than most.” –cw
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
The hard part was Austin was a laidback town. There were lots of places to play, but no money to be made. So I started substitute teaching to make the bills.
William Biggs President/Owner Biggs Plumbing Co. Inc.
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illiam Biggs thinks his mother was trying to create a Renaissance man when she raised him – involving him in many different endeavors such as piano lessons, flying lessons and fencing. It seems to have worked, since Biggs is a musician, a painter and a man deeply interested in cultural anthropology – the study of cultural variation among humans. His parents were not afraid to junket to exotic locales with their two sons and possibly pitch a tent to save money while traveling. Biggs, a 5th-generation Texan, was born in Taylor, but moved to Austin when he was 6 months old and is a product of the famed 1970s atmosphere that defined Austin in those days. Where did you go to high school? I went to LBJ High School. I grew up in northeast Austin. I was into band, German Club and science. Why did you join the German Club? When my dad was in the Army, he was stationed in Germany. I found it somewhat strange and fascinating. There was a woman in our neighborhood who taught after-school German. When I was a freshman, I spent two weeks in the summer with a family in Germany. My family joined me there and we explored that area – Germany, Paris, Switzerland, Austria. I was completely lost in Paris, I had zero French, but my brother, Scott, knew some French. Did your family travel a lot when you were growing up? When we could, we traveled a lot. Every now and then, we would do an exotic vacation. We went deep into Mexico, taking trains, small planes. My parents were ready to go adventuring, pitch a tent. You mentioned band. Are you a musician? In high school, I played French horn and guitar. I played guitar in a jazz band. I spent five to six years in college trying to make it as a musician. The last band I was in was called Spiny Norman, it was that late ‘80s new wave, ironically charged music. It was fun.
Did you go to UT? Yes, I received my BA and MA in cultural anthropology. While I was working on my Ph.D., I got sick and it took a while to recover. My ultimate goal was to become a college professor and teach students about what it means to be human. Just the other day, I was talking to my wife, Rachael, about Thanksgiving and I wondered, what did the Pilgrims really eat at that feast? I find that stuff fascinating. What makes and keeps some societies violent? It’s a very broad subject. Unfortunately, I wasn’t finding a job in that field. In 1995, my dad made me a deal and I went to work fulltime at Biggs. What was the deal? I wouldn’t have to do plumbing in the field anymore. I had done that my entire life on and off since I was 15. In college, I was one of the first people in Austin with a backflow testing license, so I worked for Biggs and other companies. In 2004, I took over the management of the company. My father, Bill, is still involved, he is retired but he consults. My mom, Neva, is still the secretary-treasurer and still does some of the bookkeeping. Tell me about your parents. My father was a draftsman, working at different manufacturing companies. My mom was a teacher. When I was 4, my dad decided he needed a more stable trade so he went to work for a plumber. He could see the writing on the wall for draftsmen. The technology that would end up doing a lot of what draftsmen did was still about 20 years off, but he knew it wasn’t going to be long-term. He knew plumbing would provide security for his family. He started Biggs Plumbing in 1972. Sounds like your dad had great foresight. What did your parents teach you? My parents are extremely hard workers. They have always been people who are willing to do whatever it takes themselves and not rely on somebody else to do it for them. They have an ethic of producing work. Hard work and labor are not things to be looked down upon, they are something to be proud of. My mother steered with a strong moral compass. How you treat your employees and customers is more important than making money. My dad has always been very inquisitive. He always wants to know what is going on before jumping in with both feet. It was not always easy watching them struggle in the early years with the plumbing business and I didn’t get to see my father enough, but his commitment was to provide for his family. That level of work ethic is more apparent in the construction world than in the academic world.
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Office: 512-837-1028 Fax: 512-837-7234 www.csiconcretesupply.com 404 West Powell Lane Suite 201 Austin, Texas 78753
This past summer, the Biggs family traveled to Colorado and explored a gold mine.
Growing up in Austin in the ‘70s steered my view that it’s not always bowls of cherries and Corona on the beach. Sometimes you have to toil. Was your dad your mentor? Dad’s not a real hands-on mentor. He’s more of a follower, watching what I was doing. He shares advice and opinions. He is a storyteller. Tell me a little bit about Biggs Plumbing. We dabble in government, but our business is mostly private. We do highend office buildings, like the Quarry Oaks Atrium and Champion Office Park. Following the needs of Austin, we’ve been doing a lot of high-rise apartments and hotels. Since 2005, we’ve been taking on larger and larger projects. We try to maintain a good mix. We try to manage the customer base and what the markets bring, like churches, cinemas and retail centers. We pay attention to new technologies in plumbing, but it’s a gradual change. How many employees do you have? Currently there are 75 employees. Some of those have been here 30 years or more. Mike Parker, operations supervisor, has been here for 31 years. Isaias Aleman, a field plumber, has been here 30 years. There are others. We always have a Christmas tamale party – that’s been a tradition since my dad’s time. We sponsor different employee’s things, like soccer leagues. We also take part in the ABC chili cook-off and golf tournament. We have quarterly safety and employee meetings with snacks. We don’t get to see each other all the time. It’s hard to get them all in one spot. I always let them know when we are together that it takes all of us to do this. I feel lucky that I have the trust of the employees. I can’t do it without them. Tell me about Rachael. She is communications manager for
Capgemini. She went to Harvard. She’s the smart one in the family! She enjoys working a lot. How did you meet? We met through mutual friends at Anderson Consulting in 2000. I hate to use the word “foodies,” but we both love food. We both attended events with these friends that involved lots of food – sometimes we were the only two there. We started going out in 2002 and we got married in 2004. She is from Albany, N.Y. She moved to Austin because she is not a big fan of cold weather. She happened to end up in Austin during a tour of the U.S. on a beautiful day in February. She decided she was done looking so she moved here. She went to McCombs School of Business for her MA and went into consulting. We have two children. Lillian is 8 and Wilson is 6. You and Rachael love to travel, right? Yes. As a family, we have gone to Colorado twice in the summer and this year, we are going back to go snow skiing. We’ve been to Main, Vermont, Disney World and the beaches in Texas. We are working on getting the children their passports. Rachael and I have been to Europe, Italy, France, Belize, Aruba, all over the U.S. and more. What has been your favorite place so far? We honeymooned in Italy a year after we got married. It has been the most fun place. I learned a little Italian and we had the best relationships with people. It is a warm feeling. We try hard to communicate with them and they treat you very well. What are your hobbies? I like to snow ski, play golf, play guitar and trumpet and paint oil paintings. Rachael likes to read, do Yoga and she coordinates volunteers at the kid’s school. –cw
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 7
One other precaution to consider when fishing this time of the year is the presence of duck hunters on the water. These guys are very early risers and will definitely be on the water way before any angler has his first cup of coffee. Watch running to close to duck blinds and shorelines with decoy spreads. These guys don’t take discourtesy lightly and they deserve to be there as much as you do. Before closing, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. If you are searching for the perfect gift for the outdoors person in your family, I offer gift certificates for your convenience. Give me a call and I can set one up on a moments notice.
Winter shows promise for sow trout by Capt. Steve Schultz
I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2016 season. Don’t wait until all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
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.
A
s I sit here reflecting on the awesome fishing season that we had in 2015, I can’t help but be excited for the upcoming year. This year we were blessed with substantial rainfall that’s going to payoff in big ways. I haven’t seen our bay system in this good of shape in many years and am confident that next season will surpass the accomplishments that we achieved the year. While we are just entering the second year of the new trout regulations, I can honestly say that I have already seen some improvements in the quality of our fish. Numbers have stayed strong throughout our bay system, even through the fall season when we usually see a drop in the action. I presume it will only get better!! Entering the month of December I will continue to fish limited days in between hunting trips. These trips will primarily be wade fish days using artificial lures. However, I will still accommodate clients that prefer to stay in the boat. Wading
Les Hogan holds up his 30”redfish as Carl Deaver looks on. Both men are from the DFW area and were fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
trips should continue to produce good numbers of trout and scattered reds with some trophies as the water gets cooler. Soft plastics like gambler FlappNShads and Down South Lures will be the norm while water temperatures stay relatively high. As soon as we see those water temperatures start to really fall, we will make the transition to a larger, slower moving target such as a MirrOLure or Corky. Speckled Trout will change their diet to larger shad and mullet as they prepare to survive the winter months. Pay attention to your surroundings and adjust your game plan to what presents itself on any given day.
Submitted to Construction News
Start ‘em young!
Daniel Parker, Trepex Construction in Austin, submitted these photos of his sons. The family loves to spend time hunting and fishing. Blake Parker and Tyler Themis, found some good fishing at the Texas coast. –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 U.S. Coast Guard & Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
Page 8
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Right on point
Hook ‘em!
Phillip Morris, Morris Construction, went deer hunting in Medina, TX in October. –ab
Paul Marriott, Resfloor Concrete Solutions in Austin, is an avid outdoorsman. Shown above, fishing for those big trout and flounder is a favorite past-time. –cw
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Linking continents
Tee party
First place winners, Ryan Companies, L-R: Ben Carter, Trevor Spring, Michael Putegnat and Ryan Ritchie
Austin’s G2 Builders general manager Mercedes Ortegel spent three weeks in India in October and November setting up the company’s new office in Nagpur, India and training the staff. Also pictured is Manmeet Sethi, who has a masters in Construction Management from Texas A&M and leads the India office. Ortgel went to Delhi, Mumbai and Nagpur during her visit. The photo is in front of a very famous temple in Delhi called Birla Mandir. –cw
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter had its golf tournament on Nov. 12 at River Place Country Club in Austin. About 125 people enjoyed the beautiful fall day and rounds of golf. –cw Winners: 1st place – Ryan Companies 2nd place: Architectural Division 8 3rd place: Harvey Cleary
Submitted to Construction News
Redneck round up
The folks at the Raba Kistner Austin office dressed up for Halloween as their favorite “redneck” characters. L-R: Gabriel Ornelas, PE and vice president of the office; Wendy Dickey-Danzoy; Yvonne Garcia Thomas, PE; James Stearman; David Brown; Richard Shimono and, kneeling, Dustin Sablatura. –cw
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
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Aggie honors
Submitted to Construction News
#teamchaundra
NAWIC Austin participated in the Susan G. Komen Race this year in support of 2015-16 chapter president, Chaundra Callaway, as she is currently battling breast cancer. The 2015-16 chapter secretary, Jamie Leonard, is a breast cancer survivor. Pictured above, L-R: Chaundra Callaway and Jamie Leonard. Pictured below, front row, L-R: Gavin Callaway, Rachel Young, Terri Underhill and Amy Tallas; middle row, L-R: Courtney Tucek, Toni Osberry, Jaycee Tucek and Jimmy Alexander; and back row, L-R: Will Garner, Ben Garner, Rhonda Ryckman-Nebgen, Jamie Denton, Jamie Leonard, Fairy, Chaundra Callaway, Heather Alexander, Sharon Alexander and Chrystal Nebgen. –cw
Submitted to Construction News
Bond and beyond
CTE owners, L-R: Chris Tewell, Walter Kurowski, Andy Tewell and Bob Henry
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Cedar Park Overhead Doors employees had a great time watching the new James Bond movie “Spectre” at the annual employee appreciation holiday party at iPic Theaters Nov. 14. –cw
Submitted to Construction News
Halloween fun
Ryan Companies Texas team put together a collage of the fun everyone had at the company’s Family Halloween Night. –cw
entral Texas Equipment in Pflugerville has a long history of Aggie pride, with three of the four current owners being Texas A&M University former students, as well as the original founders. In October, the company was named as a member of the 2015 Aggie 100, which honors the fastest-growing companies in the world, owned or operated by Texas A&M University former students. Central Texas Equipment was ranked 81st with a compound annual growth rate of 37.31% from 2012 through 2014. Owners, President Andy Tewell, ’71 BS in Marketing, Vice President of Sales Bob Henry, ’89 BS in Urban Forestry, and Vice President of Marketing Chris Tewell, ’96 BS in Mechanical Engineering, are all Aggies, with Vice President of Operations Walter Kurowski being the only nonAggie owner. H.C. Dulie Bell and his hometown friend, Joe Teague, both class of ‘39 Texas A&M former students, originally founded CTE in 1946. The company was sold to Crescent Machinery in 1998, but six years later the
four current owners recreated Central Texas Equipment in a management buyout. CTE currently employees 19 team members dedicated to providing great sales, rental, parts and service to the customer. All four owners are from Austin and the Aggie owners all chose Texas A&M for different reasons. “Andy played football for Texas A&M,” Henry said. “I enjoyed the traditions. My uncle and a cousin are both Aggies.” Chris Tewell is Andy’s son and Walter Kurowski is his son-in-law. They have a close Aggie family bond in the company. The Aggie 100, a program created by the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship in Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, honors graduates from across disciplines for their entrepreneurial endeavors and success as business leaders. When not at work, Henry says everybody loves to golf, something else they have in common. Central Texas Equipment (CTE) is a Construction Equipment Dealer representing various manufacturers. –cw
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Ringing Singing Tree coming to Austin
The Ringing Singing Tree
H
ouston-based JK Welding is constructing the Western Hemisphere's first Ringing Singing Tree. The company serves clients throughout Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. "We are thrilled to be a part of this art project, which will be installed in Austin," said owner John King, JK Welding. "Our staff considers it a great honor to be a part of the project.” King says JK Welding became involved with the project when an attorney from Austin contacted the company to build this for him based off some prints provided by Tonkin Liu from the United Kingdom. According to King, the Ringing Singing Tree is estimated to stand nearly 17 feet tall and weighs 20 tons, incorporating 22 levels of precision piping. “This is a wind-powered musical sculpture that takes its cue from two likedesigned sculptures in Britain and Saudi Arabia,” King said. “Its galvanized steel
pipes are arranged in a stacked swirl formation mimicking a tree bent as it's blown by the wind.” As the wind whispers through these pipes, a haunting and melodious hum covering several octaves ushers out. Every time a guest sits underneath this fantastic art and music-based sculpture, they will hear a different song. King added that the steel pipes are fabricated both for aesthetical qualities and toning. Specific narrow slits are added on the underside of certain, expertly placed pipes to produce their desired sound. The Austin Ringing Singing Tree will be on public display at 18433 FM 529 in Cypress for six months to a year before its moved to Austin. “This project is so unique what fabrication welding shop wouldn’t want to be a part of it,” King said. “JK Welding wants to be a part of making history as this giant wind chime becomes a part of history here in Texas and the rest of the world.”
The JK Welding team
JK Welding provides welding, custom fabrication, design and installation for jobs and projects of all sizes and scope. –ab
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 11
Construction Equipment Equipment dealers association evolves to better serve its members
Rick Lawhun, President/CEO Equipment Dealers Association St. Louis, MO
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ver the past several months, the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA), formerly known as the North American Equipment Dealers Association, has undergone significant change in an effort to better serve its members. The association’s evolution has included development of a new brand, which includes a new name, logo, vision, and mission, as well as a new governance model and membership model. The new brand was created to communicate that the association is evolving and engage positive perceptions, while drawing attention to the renewed focus of the organization – government relations, manufacturer relations, and regulatory compliance. After careful consideration, the 2014-15 board of directors determined
that dropping the geographic descriptor better aligned the organization with the regional equipment dealers associations and strengthened the organization’s position as the largest international organization for equipment dealers. Throughout its 115-year history, the association has had a few different names, but its purpose has remained unchanged – to help dealers succeed. The new name and brand will continue that purpose by raising the association’s visibility and making it more effective in pursuing its primary focus areas. As of Oct. 1 of this year, the association’s governance model changed from a 17-person appointed board to a 9-person elected board. The 2014-15 board felt a need to create a leaner structure that can
Snorkel
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he new Snorkel S3219E provides 19feet of platform height from a 32-inch wide chassis and can lift 550 lbs. Nonmarking tires and saloon-style entry gates are fitted as standard. It is part of the new Snorkel hydraulic drive electric slab scissor lift family that was launched earlier this year. The family includes four models: S3219E, S3226E, S4726E, and S4732E. Designed for the rental industry, the S3219E is packed with innovative features that benefit both the rental company and the operator. The new dual shear design scissor stack features oversized pins to increase stack rigidity and increase the life of the machine. The platform is made from 12-gauge diamond plate, eliminating the need for grip tape. The S3219E’s 36-inch roll-out deck extension has telescopic rails meaning that the operator can utilize the maximum floor space of the platform whether stowed or extended. Upper controls are hard mounted to reduce theft and the lower controls are positioned in the rear of the chassis, allowing easy access when machines are parked side-by-side. A control panel for loading is located on the external toe board of the machine, allowing the operator to ‘walk’ the machine onto a truck without needing to be inside the platform. The lifts have a gravity-actuated, over-center active pothole protection system that does not rely on springs or hydraulics. The kingpins have been enhanced by a factor of eight, to eliminate breakage, especially from forklifts when moving the machines. The S3219E has a 90° steering design. Efficient maintenance is an important factor for rental companies, and the Snorkel scissor lifts feature an ‘inside-out’ twin door tray design which makes ser-
vicing the equipment light work. The smaller door trays also carry less weight, meaning less strain on the door hinges. The tray is housed in heavy-duty ¼ steel that provides additional protection to the machine’s electrics. The chassis features a solid plate underneath it to protect the undercarriage and a flat top to ensure that any debris falls onto the ground during power washing and does not remain within the machine. With 25% gradeability and a long duty cycle per charge, the new Snorkel series of electric slab scissor lifts are designed to deliver a long working life with minimal downtime and low maintenance costs. The lifts are now in production and are available to order. To find out more about the Snorkel S3219E, contact Ahern Rentals on 800400-1610 or visit www.ahern.com.
NEXT MONTH Construction Forecast
react more quickly in addressing industry issues and influences. The new model also allows dealer members to directly determine the board member who will represent their interests and speak on their behalf at the national level. The August 2015 election of board members was the first such event in the history of the organization and members responded by returning more than 1,000 ballots. Also as of Oct. 1 of this year, the association’s membership model changed from a federation structure, where the regional associations were the members of the national organization, to a direct membership model, where the dealers are the national members. In approving the new model, the 2014-15 board determined that the new structure facilitates direct communication with dealer members and positions the organization as the unified voice representing the interests and needs of the dealer. Not only have the dealer members positively embraced the change, but industry entities as well, including manufacturers, vendors, and other associations having similar missions and goals. As president and CEO of the Equip-
Bobcat
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he most popular frame size in Bobcat history got a new upgrade. Operators already familiar with the 700 and 800 platform loaders tout the performance, comfort, visibility and machine protection of the machines. Now, the M-Series lineup is more complete, from the radius lift path and all-around versatility of the S510 to the extra power, vertical lift path, reach and large, highflotation tires of the S590. Premium M-Series cab has new positioning for better visibility; increased cab space, best-in-class pressurized interior and reduction in cab sound levels provide the ultimate in comfort. Stronger hydraulics and more than 20 percent improved attachment performance increase attachment productivity. The model offers increased performance; convenient, easy-to-use controls and many other features to save time and effort on the job. A host of M-Series machine protection features simplify daily maintenance and prevent damage to the machine.
Leica
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ment Dealers Association, I am fortunate to have played a small part in implementing these significant changes. The 201415 board of directors had the wisdom, foresight, and courage to implement change when status quo would have been acceptable. They can be proud of their accomplishments knowing that the future of the Equipment Dealers Association is bright. About Us Founded in 1900, the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA), formerly known as the North American Equipment Dealers Association, is a non-profit trade organization representing 4,500 retail dealers extensively engaged in the sale and service of agricultural, construction, industrial, forestry, outdoor power, lawn and garden, and/or turf equipment. EDA provides essential value to its members by enhancing the dealer-manufacturer relationship and advocating for a positive legislative and regulatory environment. EDA is headquartered in St. Louis, MO and is affiliated with regional associations located throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information, visit www.naeda.com.
eica Geosystem has introduced the world’s first self-learning MultiStation Robotic Total Station. The Leica Nova
The hallmarks of Bobcat performance remain in the new 500 platform: construction, smart cooling and a maintenance-free chaincase. Horsepower ranges from 49 in the s510 to 66 in the S590. Travel speed in the 2-speed option tops out at 11 mph in all models. Rated operating capacity ranges from 1,650 lbs to 2,100 lbs. An Auxiliary high flow option in the S550, S570 and S590 powers the hydraulic system to 26.7 gpm. For more information, contact Quality Equipment at 512-251-3415 MS60 brings together all available measurement technologies in one instrument, including 3D scanning, robotic total station capabilities, and GPS connectivity. To further meet the demands of ever-changing work sites; the MS60 multistation combines the latest measurement technology with the world’s first self-learning targeting recognition environment, ATRplus. With the use of dynamic laser control, history logs of reflected laser targets and tighter sensor synchronization, Leica’s ATRplus technology ushers in the latest generation of robotic total stations and the one and only MultiStation capable of continuously adapting to a changing environment. For more information contact Easy Drive at (512) 447-9879.
Page 12
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Deere
Case
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ntroducing the new D Series excavators, built inside and out to provide what you wanted – more power, more durability, more comfort and more control. They offer a new boom and arm design, enhanced hydraulics, a redesigned cab, a stronger undercarriage and more standard features, including a control pattern selector, free swing, additional handrails and a heated air-ride seat. All of it together helps you get more done. In addition to the already-impressive controllability of our CASE Intelligent Hydraulic System, D Series excavators have a new electronically controlled hydraulic pump, a larger control valve and a new solenoid valves. These upgrades help boost breakout force, increase lifting strength and improve responsiveness, which enables the machine to work faster throughout the work cycle. In fact, cycle times are up to 8% faster than our C Series excavators.
D Series excavators use an SCR Tier 4 Final solution that’s cleaner burning and provides up to 12% increased fuel efficiency without sacrificing power. As an after treatment system, SCR lets the engine run at peak performance to provide full throttle response throughout the work cycle. And best yet, SCR is simple. No DPF regeneration. No new maintenance. No downtime. Just pour and go. When you invest in CASE equipment, you need it to last. We make it easy. D Series excavators are no exception. A Standard oil sample ports allows for quick sampling of engine oil and hydraulic oil while grouped service points, tilt-out coolers and auto-locking side panels that stay open make it easy to perform routine maintenance. We even added new handrails to make it easier to get around the machine. For more info or to schedule your demo, call ASCO at 800-687-008
he John Deere 1050K was designed and built with state-of-the art tools and techniques. Boasting more power and weight than the J-Series model it replaces, the 1050K Dozer delivers the performance you need for mining, quarrying, road building, and other large-scale applications. When you compare it to other crawlers in its class, the John Deere 1050K is the obvious choice. From the ground up, the completely redesigned 1050K features a John Deere PowerTechTM engine with the superior power-to-weight ratio to provide the traction needed to push more material. Dual-path hydrostatic transmission allows you to push a full load through turns without losing material, unlike torqueconverter transmissions on competitor machines. Other enhancements include
an EPA Final Tier 4 (FT4)/EU Stage IV diesel engine for work in nonattainment areas. And a new EcoMode that regulates engine rpm to burn up to 25-percent less fuel. Plus the visibility, operating ease, responsiveness, and reliability you've come to expect from our crawlers. This dozer is loaded with all the fatigue-beating amenities an operator needs to get “in the zone” and become more productive. Maintaining big iron doesn’t have to be a big deal. Backed by the RDO Promise – Uptime GuaranteedTM, you get a level of guarantee that no other John Deere or competitive brand dealer offers – a commitment to providing the ultimate in service and care when you purchase your equipment from RDO Equipment Co. Learn more by contacting your local RDO Equipment Co. store today.
Xtreme
Caterpillar
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he Cat® 415F2 Backhoe Loader delivers performance, increased fuel efficiency, superior hydraulic system and an all new operator station. • Ergonomic Operator Station – Ample legroom inside the cab makes rotating the seat simple. The air suspension seat provides operator comfort. • Load Sensing Hydraulics – The Backhoe Loader’s load sensing piston pump provides full hydraulic lifting and digging forces at any engine speed. Variable flow pump matches hydraulic power to work demands.
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• Machine Performance – The proven Cat C3.4B engine delivers solid performance, meets Tier 4 Final/Stage IV emission standards, and requires no diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). • Machine Versatility – A broad range of performance matched Cat Work Tools make the Cat Backhoe Loader the most versatile machine on the job site. All backhoe loaders have standard thumb ready sticks. For more information, contact HOLT CAT at 877-714-0978 or visit HoltCat. com/BHL
Link Belt
he TCC-1100 110-ton has been well received and is the third in a growing lineup of Link-Belt telescopic crawlers, cementing the company’s presence in the market. Its design focuses on robustness, simplicity and reliability for the general contractor or bare rental fleet owner. It offers an impressive capacity chart at radius that rivals even lattice crawler cranes with a similar base rating. Its full power boom, fabricated from ultra-highstrength steel and formed in Link-Belt’s own facility, makes it fast and east to operate. The main boom is 150 feet (45.7 m) long and incorporates Teflon wear pucks to eliminate boom grease.
treme Manufacturing’s XR4030 heavy-duty rough terrain telehandler can lift up to 40,000 lbs. Designed for lifting large loads, the XR4030 also boasts up to 30 ft. of lift height and a forward reach of up to 16 ft. 4 in., maximizing its use for many applications across the jobsite. Xtreme Manufacturing telehandlers’ feature a solid steel plate chassis, high quality components and a reliable Perkins engine, making them ideal for working in tough conditions, such as large construction sites, as well as oil and gas, utilities and mining applications. The XR4030, like all Xtreme telehandlers, is designed to get the job done safely and efficiently. Standard features, such as 360° operator visibility from the cab, and an integrated boom lift point to support suspended loads, help to mini-
mize the risk of accidents. Long life boom rollers are maintenance free, and reduce boom chatter for smoother operation when positioning a load. Xtreme operator boom controls are designed to permit the operator to keep one hand on the steering wheel at all times. The Xtreme XR4030 is designed to be the ‘swiss army knife’ of the jobsite, with its lift capacity and reach providing a solution for most jobsite lifting applications. The XR4030 can further be customized with a range of attachments, which now includes a new pipe & pole grapple attachment that can lift pipes and poles up to 7 ft. diameter, with a lift capacity of up to 35,000 lbs. The Xtreme XR4030 is available to order. To find out more about the Xtreme XR4030, contact Ahern Rentals at 800400-1610 or visit www.ahern.com.
H Location Dallas/Fort. Worth H Location Austin H Location Houston H Location San Antonio South Texas H Location For more information on the TCC1100, contact HOLT Crane & Equipment at 877-714-0978.
Publishing the Industry’s News . . .
TEXAS Style
Home Office (210) 308-5800 www.constructionnews.net
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 13
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Central Texas
IEC
Associated Builders & Contractors
Independent Electrical Contractors
Dec. 2: Annual Christmas party at Abel’s On The Lake from 5-8pm. Dec. 10: “Future of the Industry” Panel and board of directors installation at Texas Land & Cattle, 1101 S. Mopac from 3:30-5pm. For more information on these events or to RSVP, email amy@abccentraltexas.org or call 512-719-5263
Dec. 4: Christmas Party & Casino Night 2015 at the Centex Chapter from 6:3010pm. For more information, contact Erica at 512-832-1333.
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Dec. 2: A tacky Christmas sweater party at Big Daddy’s Burgers at 5:30pm.
ACEA Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.
PHCC
Dec. 3: Holiday luncheon at Dave and Busters from 11:30am-1pm
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
AGC Associated General Contractors
Dec. 15: Holiday party at The Long Center for the Performing Arts Kodosky Lounge from 5:30-9pm. Call 512-4427887 for more information.
CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt. Assn.
Dec.10: Holiday party at Hilton Austin from 4:30–7pm. Visit www.cafe.cfma. org/centex/home for more information and to RSVP.
CTSA Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.
Dec. 8: Holiday meeting at Embassy Suites, 5901 N IH35 from 5:30-8pm. Call 512-255-6373 for more information.
Dec. 4-6: Responsible Master Plumber Course, 8-5, must attend all three days. Lunch provided on Friday and Saturday. For more information, contact Amy Noska at 512-523-8094 x203.
TACCA Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.
Dec. 8: Holiday party at Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill at Bass Pro, 6:30-9:30pm. Bowling, burgers and fun. Call 800-9984822 for more information.
TSPE Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Dec. 16: Holiday luncheon at Wyndham Garden Inn, 3401 IH35 frontage road from 11:30am-1pm. Call Keri R. BurchardJuarez at 512-485-0019 for more information.
Round-Up Kyle Hunt has joined Stanley Consultants as an environmental project principal. Based in Austin, he will focus on business development, introducing the company’s wide range of environmental services to energy, infrastructure, and industrial clients in Texas and the surrounding states. Hunt’s environmental experience includes nearly 25 years of sampling, testing and monitoring. He formerly held positions as director of sales and business development for Sutron, and as quality assurance manager for URS Corporation. A native Texan, Hunt has a chemistry degree from Texas State University.
Round-Up Submissions
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
Thomas Burr has joined Raba Kistner as chief operating officer and senior vice president of Raba Kistner Environmental (RKE). Burr has 21 years of experience in the environmental field, including most recently with Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I), where he was office director and environmental and infrastructure operations manager. Burr received his MS in Environmental Science from Baylor University in 1994 and his BS in Biology from the University of Oregon in 1992.
Industry FOLKS Lance Magana Architectural & Design Rep American Tile & Stone Austin
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ance Magana grew up in Taylor, TX just outside of Austin. After graduating high school he lived in Chicago for a few years. He said it was too cold there so he moved back to Texas. Magana graduated from the Art Institute of Austin with a bachelor in interior design. After graduation, he went to work at American Tile and Stone and said he really enjoys the people he works with. Magana has always wanted to design furniture, but likes learning about this business. In addition to being the archi-tectural and design representative, Magana also works on commercial accounts, with dealers and with builder programs. He shows the various products the company offers along with newly introduced products including wood, carpet, vinyl and artificial grass. After three years of working for American Tile and Stone, he was promoted from working in the showroom and back counter to architectural and design representative. Outside of the office, Magana’s hobbies and interests include restoring furniture, boot camp classes, cooking, traveling and spending time with his family and friends.
Gaia and Magana on one of their outings
“I really love my family. My parents still live in Taylor, in the house where I grew up. I have two brothers and one sister. I also have two awesome sistersin-law, one niece and four nephews. We are all very close and spend a lot of time together cooking and going on family trips,” said Magana. His pet pal is a pit-bull mix named Gaia. “She’s an awesome pet to have. She’s a large dog that thinks she’s a lap dog. She’s a great furry friend to have.” As far as his future plans, he said he is satisfied where he is and really likes working with everyone at American Tile and Stone. He wants to continue to grow there and learn as much as he can. –rd
Submitted to Construction News
Coming soon!
Journeyman Group joined owners Southpark Crossing LLC at a breaking ground ceremony for Southpark Crossing on Oct. 29. –cw
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Neverending stories
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hree days didn’t seem like nearly enough time. But somehow it was, and hundreds crammed their social calendars full of parties, tours, educational sessions, a 200-exhibit design expo, an awards ceremony and even a TEXO-sponsored after party. “STORIES,” the Texas Society of Architects’ (TSA) Convention & Design Expo, was held at Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (and at various landmarks throughout the city) Nov. 5-7. Design professionals from the Lone Star State and beyond came to network and stay current on the latest in architectural products and services. Attendees were also treated to delights only the BIG D could deliver. TSA arranged for tours of several prominent landmarks, including the Sixth Floor Museum and Old Courthouse, the Nasher Sculpture Center and Reunion Tower. -mjm
The spark of something big
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Rogers-O’Brien Construction
SpawGlass
Armko Inc.
his year’s 58th annual Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) National Convention got a spark of new life, rebranded as the IEC Con 2015. The convention and expo was held Oct. 21-24 in Tampa, FL. Other changes, which included streamlining the educational sessions and focusing on more interactive and peer-to-peer programs, drew significantly more guests to this year’s convention. Joseph Cephas, vice president of public affairs for IEC National, notes that one of the biggest sessions was the Great Idea Swap, where attendees came in with one great idea, wrote them down, shared them and voted on the best ones. He says, “With that, there are just so many different ideas floating around the room that it would be difficult for somebody not to have an idea that impacts their business.” Overall attendance was 1,572, a 23 percent increase from the previous year. The number of registrants from electrical contracting companies who took advantage of the entire convention, signing up for every event, was 285, a 32 percent increase in their primary target market from the previous year. The expo also grew with more than 100 exhibitors from a wide variety of industry vendors. The 2016 IEC Con will be held in San Antonio. –mh
Philip Doubek, a founding member of the CenTex Chapter, was awarded an honorary lifetime membership, recognizing his contributions and time given to the success of IEC.
Frank Nerio, CenTex IEC staff, at a session during the IEC National Convention. Professional Flooring Supply
continued from Page 1 — Making a mark in Texas
Jordan & Skala Engineers
Headwaters Construction Materials
have been focusing on growing our existing client base, which includes UPS, General Electric, Target and SAGE Hospitality,” Leisy says. Leisy says the company’s first significant project in Austin, currently underway, is a 292-unit affordable housing development in partnership with the City of Austin Housing Authority. Additional regional projects include Avnet, a 58,000-sf Class “A” office building in San Antonio, a renovation for DoubleTree by Hilton in
Austin, as well as a 450,000-sf office development near downtown Austin. There are about 30 Ryan employees in Texas and they are spread out on projects in various locations throughout the state, which makes it hard to get together outside of work. “We have an annual Halloween party and are planning a Christmas party,” Leisy says. “We also try to do more informal outings like golfing and attending F1 races to stay connected.” –cw
continued from Page 1 — Polishing up Austin
Bautex
The company employs four people. Marriott says he doesn’t want to work 80-hour weeks, so he maintains long-term relationships with customers. “When I’m not working, I’m a family man,” he says. “We enjoy a balance between work and family. That’s my motto!” When he isn’t working, Marriott is an avid outdoorsman, hunter and kayaker.
Beck
AON Fire Protection Engineering
The family enjoys fishing, boating and camping as a group. And Marriott already has a picture in mind of what he wants the future to look like. “I’d like to work 15 more years at the most, then live frugally, travel and read good books,” he says. –cw
Acme Brick
continued from Page 1 — A new school in Lakeway
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The whole site is on a retaining wall. Rocks were also challenging.” Ortegel said major flash floods posed a challenge. “There was severe flash flooding on the property,” she said. “We established our building pad immediately in order to gain leverage, to drain properly, and we installed our site utility drainage systems simultaneously, to avoid construction delays and keep water flow moving away from the building and be collected properly.” Ortegel said working closely with architect/engineer Keven Patel, Triangle Engineering, was constant during the project. “We worked with Keven Patel constantly, on this difficult site, due to existing tree constraints that needed to remain and abstruse development work connections,” she said. “We also worked with Mr. Patel to ensure the structural integrity was never compromised and that
we supplied above and beyond his requirements in all cases.” She also had high praise for the owner. “Mr. Alvarez is a wonderful owner, who has shown continuous support of our firm in coordinating and completing these tasks,” she said. “We shared and communicated daily reports to Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Patel so they were always aware of site circumstances and advancements in our progress. Having this open line of communication constantly between the architect and owner has helped us achieve this goal of completion successfully.” G2 Builders Corporation was founded in 2014 and has two locations in Texas. The firm specializes in hospitality, office and industrial, retail and “fast-track” projects. The commercial general contractor firm works all over Texas. –cw
Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 15
Winning the Hunger Games
People’s Choice: TyCANnosaurus Rex – “Make world hunger go extinct.” The Architectural Engineering Group; Bommarito Group; Turner Construction
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leven teams of architects, contractors and students delighted crowds at Barton Creek Square Mall on Nov. 14 with their imaginative and colorful structures entered into the 2015 Austin CANstruction event. Well over 30,000 of cans were donated to the Capital Area Food Bank, along with several thousand dollars, after the event ended on Nov. 22. The event is sponsored by the local chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Society for Design Administration (SDA). –cw
Structural Ingenuity: “Ring of Fire.” Walter P. Moore; Page
Best Use of Labels: “We CAN Give Hunger a Kick, Charlie Brown.” Keiwit Building Group; Bury
Best High School Entry and Best Meal: “Todd the TurCAN.” Akins High School with Ryan Companies
Juror’s Favorite: “Solving the Hunger Puzzle.” KGA Architecture; DCI Engineers; EEA Consulting Engineers; Kimley-Horn & Associates; Hoar Construction
15 to 500 Ton Capacities Available for your Toughest Projects
Honorable Mention: “EMOTICAN.” STG Design; Rogers-O’Brien Construction
Industry FOLKS Lisa Sanchez Office and sales Lone Star Materials
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isa Sanchez has been with Lone Star Materials in Austin for seven years and says she wears many different hats. “I do everything here,” she says, with an emphasis on office and sales. “I translate a lot because the majority of our customers speak Spanish.” Sanchez came to Lone Star Materials through a temporary agency and never left. She says she loves working there. “We are very functional-dysfunctional family,” she says with a laugh. “We spend more time with each other than we do with our families. Everyone gets along pretty good. It’s awesome that Lori and I are the only girls here.” Sanchez grew up in Anthony, N.M. and moved to Austin in 1995 when her parents decided to move there. She is a single mother of three children, Dale, 6, Alexa, 9 and Ashleah, 11. She and the children spend a lot of time with Sanchez’s parents. They also enjoy attending church at Shoreline North, hanging out at the park and going swimming at the pool. Reading is another favorite pastime. Close to their hearts is an organization called A Gift of Purpose, started by a couple who are friends with Sanchez.
Alamo Crane is always there to give a big lift. The organization gives to Mexican orphanages. “The kids always help me,” Sanchez says. “They help me find people to sponsor the children.” Also, each child picks a particular child they want to help and packs a box of gifts for that child. Three years ago, Sanchez went with A Gift of Hope to Nueva Laredo, Mexico on one the organization’s trips. She says the organization was created by a friend who was himself adopted. “He was an orphan and he was adopted and given a second chance,” she says. “So now, his mission is to give these children hope that they will also be adopted.” Sanchez also says she loves to cook. “I just go into the kitchen and make stuff,” she says. “My mom cooks, too, and I learned a lot from her.” –cw
from El Paso to Beaumont Amarillo to Brownsville
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www.alamocrane.com San Antonio (210) 344-7370 Austin (512) 282-6866 State Wide (800) 880-0134
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Austin Construction News • Dec 2015
Paws for a cause
ustin area architects, designers and builders created unique dog houses at the annual Barkitecture, held Nov. 8 at “Snout by Snoutwest” at Austin’s Triangle Park. Funds raised by the fun event will benefit Hounds for Heroes. Congrats to the winners! –cw
Best in Show: Earth Dog - Austin Community College / A&E CAD Dept
Fort Frisbee – Wilmington-Gordon
The Bark Side - Big D Design & Casabella Architects
Winner Sid’s Top Crib and Top Fundraiser: Inugoya Newcastle Homes & un.box Studio Dog Days of Summer - IDSS (Interior Design Student Society) Paw Chic Boutique - ATX Investments & DeVille Custom Homes
The Four Seasons - The Canine Center For Training & Behavior
Pup-A Frame - Breckbuilt
Leash Lounge - Dick Clark & Associates