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Volume 13
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Number 12
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Talking with The Tin Man
Family ties
Glenn Eldridge (bottom left) says Chelsea Decorative Metal Co. is based in Houston and ships all over the world.
L-R: Rick Sorsby, Eric Nedd and Gary Sorsby
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helsea Decorative Metal Co. is a family owned business owned by Glenn Eldridge. He is known as The Tin Man to his clients and employees. “People ask me what I do for living and I tell them I am The Tin Man,” Eldridge said. “They say, ‘Oh are you the one that is in the decorative metal business?’ My friend gave me the name and it stuck.” He says 2015 has been a great year for the company. Larry Kubezzka is Eldridge’s right hand man and Mike, Robert and Tony work in production. Growing up, Eldridge watched his father working in a tin and metal shop in New York.
“My father was an old timer who made deals with a handshake,” he said. “He passed away before I started to build the company. Everything I did, I did from trial and error. I admired my dad as a person and I learned to treat people fair and honestly. And that really works in my business.” Eldridge continued to work with tin ceilings like his father and moved the company to Houston in 1978. “Building the company has been an adventure,” Eldridge said. “I had to take every step by myself. I did not have a partner like my father, so I had to make all the decisions.” continued on Page 18
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ester and Wanda Sorsby founded Aztec Rental Center Inc. in 1966. Their family continues to operate the company at the original facility in Houston and at the Sugar Land location. The store was originally intended to be a sideline business, but it did not take Lester Sorsby long to realize the potential in the rental industry. Today, Wanda continues to handle all the billing and accounts receivables at the Houston location six days a week. She is one of the first people to arrive to work and the last person to leave. Lester and Wanda’s son Rick is the president and Allen Nedd is the vice president.
DECEMBER 2015
Rick’s son Gary and Allen’s son Eric are general managers. Eric’s brother Brian runs the Sugar Land store. “For the first few years of business, Aztec Rental Center operated as a mom and pop company,” Gary Sorsby said. In the early ‘80s the business took a huge leap when the “construction boom" hit. “In 1983, my grandfather realized how big the market for construction was and opened the second branch store in Sugar Land,” Gary Sorsby said. “As Houston expanded outward in the early ‘90s, the Sugar Land market exploded with construction.” continued on Page 18
Into the woods
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.E. Reed Construction LP completed the Sierra Pines Phase II project in The Woodlands in 433 days. Stream Realty Partners is the owner. The Sierra Pines Phase II marks the first-ever-built, six-story, tilt-wall office building in Texas. “In the past, tilt-wall construction has not typically surpassed three stories and is usually associated with industrial-type buildings,” said project manager Brian Owrey. “More than half of the building’s façade is glass. Utilizing tilt-wall panels for a six-story building on a very tight site, Sierra Pines Phase II was successfully completed on time.” Totaling 163,000sf, the $18.2 million project includes a Class A interior lobby with wood paneling, back-painted glass, structural glass entries and stone flooring/walls and a 165,000-sf four-story parking garage.
“The greatest challenge we overcame was the constraint put on us as a result of the small 5 acre site,” Owrey said. “The cutting edge construction method of stacked tilt panels performed requires strategic coordination and layout for both the 4-story walls and the 2-story stacked walls. We were able to perform this with no issues while preserving the required existing trees and site appearance.” E.E. Reed Construction has a positive standing relationship with both the owner/developer and the consultants. Owrey says he attributes the team’s success to solid/trustworthy relationships, constant communication and proactive thinking to mitigate any potential issues.
Sierra Pines Phase II
continued on Page 18
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Full speed ahead
Construction News ON LOCATION
Making sparks fly
The Ober & Sons Inc. crew fabricates and provides structural steel services to Houston and the surrounding areas. Ron Ober and his sons Mike, Ryan and Eric founded the company in 1986. –ab
L-R: Gary Torre, Carlo Alvares, Freddy Torre and Walter Galdamez
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reddy Torre opened Houstonbased AC Tower six years ago. Today, his brother Gary helps him out at the company. “We have three trucks out in the field,” Torre said. “We have come along way since day one. Commercial installation jobs have really picked up in 2015. In addition, we have worked on more restaurant projects in the past few months.” Torre said he began his career in the HVAC business nine years ago. His enthusiasm for working with tools was one of the motivating factors. “I also enjoy interacting with customers and other folks in the construction industry,” he says. “I love my job.” If a young person wants to do what Torre does for a living, he says it is important to take classes at trade school and get good experience in the field. Torre thinks the keys to success in the HVAC business are having the best
equipment, working hard, always being professional and solving problems as soon as possible. Torre hired two technicians, Walter Galdamez and Carlo Alvares, so he can focus on running the company. When Torre has extra time away from the office, he loves attending motocross events at different racetracks in Texas. He likes to ride dirt bikes when he gets the chance. “I am happy I have more time to go to the motocross events since I have more help at the company these days,” he said. “It is something I really enjoy. I began riding dirt bikes when I was a kid.” Looking towards the future, Torre says he hopes to grow the company, but not too much. He likes having a small business. AC Tower is a residential and commercial HVAC company. –ab
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 3
Deck the halls
Submitted to Construction News
Dig day
Brookstone celebrated the groundbreaking of St. Faustina Catholic Parish’s new 36,000-sf home in Fulshear Nov. 8. Jackson Ryan Architects is the architect. –ab
The Salvation Army Harbor Lights Choir performance
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ontractors spread lots of holiday cheer at the Hard Hats and Heels & Casino Night held at Hilton Garden Inn Nov. 19. The Women Contractors Association (WCA) held the event.
The evening featured a buffet dinner, casino style gambling, a performance by Salvation Army Harbor Lights Choir and a silent auction. Funds were raised for WCA and Dress for Success. –ab
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Going up
The Arch-Con Corp. crew erects the first structural steel columns at the new Search Homeless Services Headquarters project in Houston. –ab
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Work zone WCA 2016 board of directors with council member Robert Gallegos
Correction An incorrect photo of Mike White, Texas Construction Association, appeared with his Focus column in October 2015. Construction News regrets the error. –cw Mike White
Houston
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
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The Houston Construction News (ISSN 15477630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Houston Construction News, and distributed by mail to constructionrelated companies in Houston and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba Houston Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
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Jason Leims, Spring Overhead Doors, installs a garage door for a Greenberg & Co. business park project on Westheimer. –ab
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
where they don’t own the equipment. I had a chance to work with a number of Amish people in some of the factories I worked in. They really enjoy woodworking.
Steve Procter President Procter Custom Woodworking
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resident Steve Procter set a goal to do all the custom woodworking when he designed his own home. Now his dream is a reality. He did all the trim carpentry, cabinetry and built a home theater. The project evolved over time and will continue to evolve. Newer ideas have come up since Procter has lived in the home. “It has been a joy and I have a sense of pride that I have been able to do this,” he said. “It is a perpetual work in progress.” For over 30 years, Procter has designed and built a variety of projects in wood, ranging from high end kitchens and furniture to intricately detailed Victorian playhouses and carved rocking horses. Light commercial jobs the company has been involved with include small offices. Commissions are custom built to fit the residence or commercial establishment, including cabinets, bookcases, entertainment centers and entire home theaters with elaborate architectural trim. Procter opened Procter Custom Woodworking in 1984 and works in Stafford, Missouri City, Sugar Land, Katy and Southwest Houston. Where did you grow up, Steve? I am originally from Pennsylvania. I grew up in the Amish country area in Lancaster County. There were about 5,000 people in my hometown. What is it like growing up in your hometown? It was a great place to grow up. The scenery is picture postcard beautiful. There were neatly kept farms with gardens. The Amish people are good, Godfearing, skilled, hardworking people. They keep to themselves and they are just pleasant to be around. The Amish have very tight-knit communities. Some of the Amish people have issues owning certain type of equipment, especially electrical types of equipment. Most of them can work in a factory
What did your father and mother do for a living? My father was an engineer and my mother was a librarian for the elementary school in my hometown. My father built his own house and furniture when he was a young man. He was clever and he always inspired me. I had a working familiarity of tools from him. What high school and college did you attend? I attended Garden Spot High School and I took fine woodworking courses and earned a finance degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I later earned my M.B.A. degree at the University of Houston. What was your first job? I worked for kitchen cabinet and church furniture companies during the summertime in college. During that time, I learned how to use hand plane chisels and scrapers and other non-power tools. How did earning your finance and M.B.A. degrees help you as a business owner? Both of these degrees combined really helped me understand the nuts and bolts of running a small business. What did you do before you opened Procter Custom Woodworking? Before I opened my company, I worked in the corporate world. My job eventually transferred me to Houston. Once I came to Houston, I began acquiring tools so I could build furniture in the bedroom of my apartment. Soon I graduated to a shop and began making custom work for clients. I decided what I really wanted to do was make people happy by doing woodworking projects. What advice would you give to a young person who wants to do what you do today? My advice is to seek out multiple opportunities to learn how to work with tools. There are so many resources in Houston. It is not a requirement to spend an enormous amount of money to get tools to do woodworking. It is more important to talk to people and learn about the different kinds of woodworking you may be interested in. There are many different aspects of woodworking. Explore and find out what you really like to do. What is rewarding about what you do? I am in the business of making people happy and that makes me happy. I enjoy exceeding customer’s expectations.
L-R: Steve Procter and lead man Angel Malave
Do you have any children? I have three children. My oldest daughter is 26. She is married and has a Master’s degree in speech pathology. She is a speech pathologist for Cy-Fair ISD. My son, 18, is a senior at Ridge Point High School. He is planning to study electrical engineering in college. My youngest daughter, 9, is in 4th grade. What are a few of your hobbies today? In my free time, I belong to the Houston Woodworkers Club and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. I have created presentations about custom cabinetry, architectural trim, molding for woodworking clubs, youth groups and high end architectural firms in Houston. I have also tutored students and mentored colleagues in cabinet construction and fine woodworking at my shop. In addition, I am always doing woodworking projects at my home. I am currently working on a dome at my house right now. I built my home theater in the attic and created a dramatic secret door bookcase entrance and a vestibule. The vestibule’s reverse wall is painted like a women’s hat store circa 1910 Paris, with a travertine cobblestone street. Behind the windows, there are builtin shelves for DVDs and Blu-rays. The theater’s walls are covered in mahogany paneling over 2X6 framing, filled with fiberglass batt insulation. For acoustic treatments, I created fabric panels made from half-inch Homosote board, then stapled polyester batting and fabric onto it. The panels attach to the wall with commercial-strength Velcro, which makes them easy to remove.
When you have time to read, what books do you enjoy? I am a history buff. History is mainly what I like to read when I get the chance. I took some history courses in college. I liked history as a teenager, too. I have been a guest lecturer at middle schools and high schools over the years. I spoke about WWI and sometimes WWII. I am very interested in the topic and I enjoy speaking about it. Have you visited any historical sites in the United States? Yes, I have visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobil, AL and Gettysburg National Park in Gettysburg, PA. Do you ever travel back to your hometown? It has been a few years since I went back to Pennsylvania. My mother moved to live closer to my brother in Birmingham, AL a few years ago. Now I don’t have a compelling reason to go back to Pennsylvania. I travel to Birmingham at least every Thanksgiving. Why do you like living and working in the Houston area? I have lived in Missouri City on and off for most of the time I have been in Houston. I like both Houston and Missouri City. Houston has so many resources and culture. Missouri City has the advantages of a small town. Even though Missouri City is growing, it still feels like a small town. What are your plans for the future? I plan to stay at our shop in Stafford for years to come. This has been a great location for us. It is big enough for us now. –ab
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Submitted to Construction News
Great to insulate
Construction commences
Owner Chris Burke, The Insulation Guru, oversees the commercial insulation installation at the Brick House Tavern + Tap project in Sugar Land. –ab
The official groundbreaking ceremony of the Kirby Collection, a new luxury mixed-use development in Houston, took place in early November. Richard Keating Architecture is the design architect and E.E Reed Construction LP is the GC. –ab
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 5
Meet and greet
Engineers up!
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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:
Attendees enjoy lunch at The HESS Club.
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ouston area subcontractors networked with general contractors at the American Subcontractors Association Greater Houston Chapter (ASA) Meet the GC Lunch event at the HESS Club Nov. 19. Ron Garrett, Austin Commercial; Steve Mechler, Balfour Beatty Construction; David Harvey, Jr., D. E. Harvey Builders and Emre Ozcan, JE Dunn Construction spoke at the event. They discussed upcoming work and gave their thoughts on the construction industry in Houston over the next six months and how best Houston area GCs and subcontractors can work together for all to be successful. –ab
Submitted to Construction News
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)
Brian Manning, MC2 Civil Inc., Houston, chats with friends before dinner. Photo by
Annemarie Glasser and Ramon Mejia 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
Right on target Submitted to Construction News
Viewing films
Hoar Construction Houston office employees had a great day at the Urban Land Institute 5th annual Sporting Clays Scholarship Classic held at the Greater Houston Gun Club this fall. –ab
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L-R: Ned Doddington, Gensler, met architect and speaker Eugene Tsui, Tsui Design and Research Inc., at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival held at Architecture Center Houston Nov. 13. The event featured films that show how architecture and the built environment can affect the public, current affairs, natural environments and societies. –ab
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Year-end tax planning includes keeping fingers crossed for Extenders Bill William M. Gerhardt III, J.D., LL.M. Padgett, 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.
Submitted to Construction News
Construction News ON LOCATION
Path finder
Opening doors
The Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Texas Gulf Coast Chapter participated in the 2015 “Find Your Path” Youth Career Expo at NRG Park in October. The City of Houston Human Resources Department hosted the event. –ab
Finisher Adolfo Bonilla, Cambridge Doors & Windows, paints a door in the shop. –ab
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 7
Can a GC sue an architect for bad plans?
Protect yourself during flu season
Kyle Zunker, Associate Cokinos, Bosien & Young San Antonio, TX
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, 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 The trial court LAN/STV (350 S.W.3d 675), Dallas Area misrepresentation. awarded judgment in favor of PBS & J. Rapid Transit (“DART”) awarded Eby CCE appealed. Construction Co. (“Eby”) a contract to 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 not benefit-of-the-bargain After encountering delays and increased costs, 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 court’s judgment. LAN/STV appealed. 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.” It is unclear why the Texas Supreme could recover against LAN/STV. 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 cannot be recovered. However, following errors―in the plans and specifications.” 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. Kyle Zunker is an associate of Cokinos, 542), the Texas Department of 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 William R. Allensworth, Matthew J. due to alleged defects in the plans and 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.
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andemic flu remains a concern for workers and employers. A pandemic can occur at any time and can be mild, moderate, or severe. The pandemic in 2009 was considered by CDC to be mild but it still created challenges for employers and showed that many workplaces were not prepared. The precautions identified in this guidance provide a baseline for workplace precautions during a seasonal flu outbreak, but they may not be enough to protect you during a pandemic. Your employer’s pandemic flu plan should be based on a “worst-case” scenario – one in which the virus causes severe illness and death in larger numbers of people. Planning for the worst-case ensures that employers will have the right type of equipment and enough of it on hand to protect you. It also ensures that employers have planned for additional control options so that they can pick the right combination for the specific pandemic flu virus. You may have additional planning considerations too. For example, you may need to think about what you’ll do if schools and daycare facilities are closed. Ways to prevent flu transmission are: Get vaccinated! Vaccination is the most important way to prevent the spread of the flu. For additional information about seasonal flu vaccine priorities, Stay at home if you are sick. The CDC recommends that workers who have a fever and respiratory symptoms stay at home until 24 hours after their fever ends (100 degrees Fahrenheit [37.8 degrees Celsius] or lower), without the use of medication. Not everyone who has the flu will have a fever. Other symptoms could include a runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your upper sleeve(s). Throw tissues into a “no-touch” wastebasket.
Clean your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Keep frequently touched common surfaces (e.g., telephones, computer equipment, etc.) clean. Try not to use a coworker’s phone, desk, office, computer, or other work tools and equipment. If you must use a coworker’s equipment, consider cleaning it first with a disinfectant. Avoid shaking hands or coming in close contact with coworkers and others who may be ill. Stay in shape. Eat a healthy diet. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and relaxation. Speak with your doctor and find out if you are in a high risk category for seasonal flu (e.g., elderly, pregnant women, small children, persons with asthma, etc.). natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
Construction News ON LOCATION Construction News ON LOCATION
Smiles all around
L-R: Lance Agan, Blake Wathen and Kyle Johnson make every day fun at the Ferguson Glenmont Drive location. The company provides plumbing supplies, HVAC parts, lighting fixtures, pipe, valves and fittings. –ab
Flooring the city
L-R: Jack, Luciana, Mohammad and Mazen, Metro Flooring, help customers choose different flooring options. The company provides residential and commercial flooring. –ab
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Exploring career pathways
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ouston area students learned about the opportunities available to them in the construction industry at the Construction Careers Expo at the Pasadena Municipal Fair Grounds Nov. 5. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Houston Chapter and the Construction & Maintenance Education Foundation (CMEF) hosted the event during National Apprenticeship Week. At the expo, 400 students participated in a variety of hands-on activities hosted by ABC member companies. –ab
CMEF
Skanska
Bechtel
Brock
Turner Industries
Austin Industrial
Performance Contractors Inc.
TNT Crane & Rigging
And the winners are…
Industry FOLKS Megan Tegethoff, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Architect Kirksey Architecture
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egan Tegethoff, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Kirksey Architecture, is currently the youngest architect in the state of Texas after passing her exams and achieving licensure at age 24. Tegethoff began her career at Kirksey as an intern in 2013 while studying at University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. Graduating as salutatorian of her architecture class in May 2014, Megan took her first exam that following August and passed her last exam in May 2015. “Three months later I took my first of seven architectural registration exams (AREs),” Tegethoff said. “The first two exam attempts were not a success; however, I persevered and continued on my path.” For the next seven months, she took one exam every four Fridays and ended up passing seven in a row. “I would schedule ‘social time’ and plan ahead for it so my time was used efficiently,” she said. Tegethoff says she studied about two hours every morning before work each day, another two hours each evening, and about four hours a day on the weekends. After completing her AREs in May 2015, and the required intern development hours, she was officially a licensed architect by Aug. 2015.
Born and raised in Houston, Tegethoff grew up in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District. “Luckily for me my father is a civil engineer who realized early on that my talents and interests would serve me well in the field of architecture,” she said. “Ironically, when I was around 15 years old, I remember him pointing out the big, red, Kirksey sign on our way into town explaining what a great architecture firm it was. From then on, for every trip to downtown Houston, I was on the lookout for that big red sign. “I was hooked and knew that someday I would try to work at Kirksey. I applied for their summer internship as soon as I had met the necessary requirements. Fortunately, working at Kirksey turned out to be a dream come true plus more.” Outside of work, Tegethoff enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She loves to travel, enjoys evenings out, working out and crocheting. “I thrive on the constant growth of new knowledge in the architecture and construction field,” she said. “This past year has certainly become an extraordinary time in my life.” –ab
The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Houston Chapter gave away some nice prizes at its recent Member Mixer at Crisp Nov. 5. Above, Angela Dunkle, Karsten Interior Services, (center), won an iPad mini. Also pictured, L-R: Laura Goodson, Reliant Safety Solutions LLC; Jerry Nevlud, AGC Houston; Dunkle; Paul Johnson and Felipe Arredondo, Reliant Safety Solution LLC. Pictured below, L-R: Jerry Nevlud, AGC Houston and Kevin Duesterhoft, R & M Service Compan, Inc. congratulate Christina Zube, Reliant Builders, on winning an offshore fishing trip. –cw
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 9
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.
Winter shows promise for sow trout
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.
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.
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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!!
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. 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.
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 trips should continue to produce good numbers of trout and scattered reds with
Have an outdoor photo you’d like to share? Send to: HoustonEditor@Constructionnews.net or call Abby at 832-595-0091
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.
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 Submitted to Construction News
Bait and hook
L-R: George Tilotta and David Spear, Meyerland Glass and Mirror Co., caught lots of flounder on a fishing trip to Galveston in October. –ab
U.S. Coast Guard & Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country,. You can hear Ken on radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 6-8 AM on AM 1300, The Zone – Austin, or http://www.am1300the zone.com
Merry Catfish!
on it or some good worms to serve up the blue plate special and start reeling them in.
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can hardly believe it’s almost Christmas time. Summer took so long to end this year I think it messed with my internal calendar! It just seemed kind of cool to slide straight from striper fishing into the deer blind. At least I’m finally not having a heat stroke trying to stand wearing my camo hunting clothes!
If that sounds like too much trouble, just call your favorite fishing guide and let him do the dirty work and clean your catch for you when you are done. That way you can pick yourself up a nice barbeque supper and see some Christmas lights on the way home with your catfish. After all man doesn’t live on turkey and ham alone this time of year, and maybe a fish fry would be a welcome addition to your holiday party. You might just load up the whole crew and bring them fishing with you and start a whole new holiday tradition.
If you have talked to any hunters or been hunting you then you know that we are having a really good deer season. We have plenty of nice healthy deer to hunt and there are some truly amazing antlers on the bucks this year. We are seeing racks on some of our low fence deer to rival their high fence cousins. They can definitely get your blood pumping! Don’t forget to consider donating any surplus venison you may have to Hunters for the Hungry so we can make this season a little better for someone else too.
On blue cat, on yeller cat and on humpback blue! Merry Catfish to all and to all a fish fry! Thank you to everyone who turned out to vote to pass Proposition 6 and protect our right to hunt and fish in Texas for ours and future generations! It is a privilege we can continue to cherish thanks to you.
The recent rains have brought the countryside into a welcome time of renewal after all the old dusty remains of summer. Where there was bare dirt and crispy vegetation now there is plenty of tender green stuff growing. Trees that were just barely staying alive are even putting on new growth and regaining health before winter sets in. Sometimes it almost looks like a false spring! Another thing that I love about these cooler months is CATFISH. I know, fa-lala-la-la and Happy Holidays and all that stuff is this time of year, but it is a wellkept secret that we have a heck of a catfish season this time of year that nobody seems to notice. Any angler that can tear himself away (or escape) from the holiday rush to go catfishing will usually be well rewarded.
McPherson catfish
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!
Catfish love to move around and feed this time of year. You can bait you up a catfish hole with some old smelly soured maize, or just chunk them some cattle cubes to get them interested and coming in to check on what’s for lunch. Then all you need is a hook with something stinky
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Fall color at Lake Buchanan
Submitted to Construction News
The buck stops here
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L-R: Brian Burdick, Joe Guyer (not pictured with deer), Matt Clark (guest), Cliff Hinton, Mike Clark and Robert Salzberg, FireTron
eady for the weekend, FireTron Inc. Stafford office employees went deer hunting at a ranch Freer in mid-November. Each project manager who went on the hunting trip had success getting their buck. Steve Cloninger, vice president of design; David Maloy, president, and Steve Guyer, vice president, made sure they all had a great time for all of the hard work and success they have contributed to FireTron. –ab
The fire pit kept the hunters warm in the evening at the ranch in Freer.
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
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Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Best in show
Got elk?
Costello partners Chad Hablinski and Stephen Wilcox (center) attended the Junior Livestock Auction at the Fort Bend County Fair in October. Costello purchased Rossie Uresti's Grand Champion Lamb. –ab
President James Pernell Davis, Advanced Concrete Designs Inc., went on a successful elk hunt in New Mexico this fall. –ab
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Calling all hunters
Reelin’ it in
The Bury Inc. Houston office made time this fall for their annual Dove Hunt in the Texas Gulf Coast area. –ab Gregory Cokinos, SpawGlass, caught this redfish at a fishing tournament in Seadrift Nov. 10. SpawGlass’s resident company fishing expert Michael Emmons says the "What is it Fish" shown in the Houston Construction News November issue is a Toad Fish. –ab
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Like father like son
The big cat
Submitted to Construction News
Line em’ up
L-R: Justin Thompson, Meyerland Glass and Mirror, took his son Adler fishing at Chocolate Bay in Brazoria County. –ab
Dusty Stafford, Stafford Services, shot this 29 lb. bobcat at his ranch in Navasota in early November. –ab
Fast Track Specialties LP recently had a team at the Camp Aranzazu Fishing Tournament and placed 3rd out of 32. Congrats to Patrick, Allie, September, and Romel. Camp Aranzazu is a therapeutic recreational camp located in Rockport for children and adults with special needs. –ab
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Ringing Singing Tree coming to Austin
The Ringing Singing Tree
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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
Tool time
Construction News ON LOCATION
Painting with precision
Freddie Bermudez loves working as a painter at Unique Painting Corp. The company provides commercial and residential painting and pressure washing. –ab
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The United Tool & Fastener showroom
he United Tool and Fastener (UTF) Houston location teamed up with some of their top vendors to host an Open House Nov. 3. Vendors such as DeWalt and Protective Industrial Products had demos and one-day show specials. Owner Bobby
Williams says this year’s event was a huge success. United Tool and Fastener is a construction supply company offering a range of supplies, tools, and equipment. The company also has locations in Austin, San Antonio and College Station. –ab
Attendees check out the safety demonstration.
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
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The spark of something big
John Quebe, IEC Texas Gulf Coast, was awarded an honorary lifetime membership, recognizing his 21 years of involvement, including his service as IEC National president in 2007.
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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
Construction News ON LOCATION
Mingle and jingle
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Houston Chapter hosted a Holiday Shopping Extravaganza at the HESS Club Nov. 19. L-R: Guest, Katie Grix and Danielle Cockrell. –ab
Construction News ON LOCATION
Reaching for the stars
What are you thankful for? I am thankful to work in the Houston construction industry. I am happy to be here. Joe Garofalo Standard Roofing & Sheet Metal
I am thankful for my wife Karen. We have been married for 44 years. She still helps me out at the company. Tony Miller Miller Electrical Construction Inc.
I am thankful to spend lots of time with my father since he lives with me. I am his caretaker. Margarita Gonzalez, Mundo Tile
I am thankful for my wife Stacy and our three children. Danny Argo, A-Plus Glass Service
I’m thankful to work in the building supply business. Javier Zavala Universal Building Materials LLC My wife Angela is wonderful and helps me out by tending to the administrative duties. I am thankful for her! Daniel Baez, Baez Electrical Services I am thankful to live in Crosby. It is a wonderful small town. Linda Harvey, Bohar Mechanical I am thankful commercial work has kept us very busy in 2015. Beau Cunningham, Cotemp Inc. I am thankful I learned the plumbing trade from my father and my grandfather. I learned everything I know from them. Jaren Walker, Gary’s Quality Plumbing I am thankful for all our employees! Scarlet Castillo, Sunbelt Supply I am thankful I am able to spend lots of time with my 21-year-old daughter Samantha. Whitney Wright, The Wright Striping My three children!
Steve Procter, Procter Custom Woodworking
I am thankful to work with my husband, Pino, every day. Jennifer Zannone Pino’s Electromechanical I am thankful I have had the opportunity to meet so many different people over the years. Bob Ray, Ray Glass Co. Inc. I am thankful to own my own HVAC company in Houston. Freddy Torre, AC Tower
A group of employees from SpawGlass Houston went adventurous and tried their hand at skydiving at Skydive Spaceland in November. –ab
BEST Construction Tool?
I am thankful to live and work in Sugar Land. Eric Bruce, Michael Neil Cabinetry I’m thankful I opened Locke Solutions in 2013. Asher Kazmann, Locke Solutions I am thankful my daughter Jacqueline helps me operate the business. She does a great job. Rawi Tabbah, International Stoneworks Inc.
ADVERTISING in Construction News 210-308-5800
www.ConstructionNews.net
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Better together
Industry FOLKS Rachel Calafell, PE Senior Associate/Project Manager Walter P Moore (WPM)
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un fact about Rachel Calafell, PE: she never made a B in school in any grade and was recognized by USA Today as one of the top college students in the United States in any major. A native Houstonian, Calafell earned her bachelors in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University, summa cum laude, and masters in Structural Engineering from Texas A&M University, summa cum laude. Calafell became interested in the construction industry when she worked on a challenging Rube Goldberg project in high school. The project required schematic design and planning, design, testing, and construction of an egg-launching apparatus which exhibited various principles of physics in 60 seconds time, starting with the entry of a golf ball into the system and ending with the automatic exit of the golf ball from the system. “My first project at WPM was as structural engineer for the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion reconstruction and expansion after Hurricane Ike,” she said. “The fast track schedule involved more than doubling the size of the tensile membrane structure in a mere 164 days, to allow for an opening night concert by the Dave Matthews Band. “I worked tirelessly on the project, including being in the office on New Year’s Day! I still have a 100-lb. bolt that I was given as a souvenir from the project.”
Calafell likes facing new challenges every day and working with an outstanding team. She was the 2015 recipient of the Javier F. Horvilleur Outstanding Young Structural Engineer Award. The Horvilleur Award is presented annually to one young structural engineer at the firm who has best exemplified excellence in technical design, client service and business acumen. The award is named for and is in appreciative memory of Javier F. Horvilleur, P.E., (1954-2002) who was an inspirational leader-engineer at WPM for over two decades. As the WPM Houston office’s learning coordinator for two years, Calafell has mentored several young engineers. She has also published articles about projects and shared an adjunct professorship in the Architecture Department at the University of Houston. Calafell is married to her husband Dag and they have a 7-month-old son named Jacob. She loves spending time with her family, traveling around the world, playing clarinet in woodwind ensemble at church, meeting friends for dinner, reading various genres for a book club and cooking. –ab
Jennifer Zannone helps her husband Pino run Pino’s Electromechanical in Stafford.
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riginally from Naples, Italy, Pino Zannone came to the United States in 1979 with the dream of opening a company. He established Pino’s Electromechanical in 1989. His wife Jennifer helps him take care of the administrative work and talks with customers. She began working full-time at the company in 2011. The couple met in Houston through mutual friends and have been married for five years. “Pino visits commercial jobsites on a daily basis,” Jennifer Zannone said. “He has been especially busy with hotel and restaurant projects this year. We have had a better this year than we did in 2014.” The Zannones and employees look forward to gathering at a hotel for a pasta dinner and champagne at the end of the year. “It is nice working with my husband,” Jennifer said. “We have had the chance to
meet so many people with different backgrounds. We are grateful to stay so busy.” When it is time for a break, the couple likes to watch TV in the evening or take day trips on the weekend. “We had a great time camping at Brazos Bend State Park this fall season,” she said. “It was just a 25 minute drive from our office in Stafford. We were able to relax for a few days.” They have also explored San Antonio and other parts of the Hill Country. Jennifer says she and her husband hope to travel to Italy one day in the near future. “Our company goal for the next few years is to expand more into Houston,” she said. “There is so much work there right now.” Based in Stafford, Pino’s Electromechanical provides HVAC and refrigeration sales, service and installation. –ab
King of safety
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
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 15
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
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-
Link Belt
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.
Case
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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.
For more information on the TCC1100, contact HOLT Crane & Equipment at 877-714-0978.
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Bobcat
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obcat® compact excavators are your smart choice for general excavation and site preparation projects. Bobcat excavators offer more exclusive features to help you be more productive and maximize your uptime. At Bobcat of Houston, find the industry's largest excavator lineup and find your ideal combination of dig depth, arm configuration and tail swing style. Smart options – such as the only clamp-ready extendable arm, the unique Pro Clamp system or Hydraulic X-Change – solve your unique jobsite challenges. With more than a dozen approved compact excavator attachments, Bobcat can maximize
your versatility and limit the need for multiple machines. For more information, contact Bobcat of Houston at (866) 414-8236.
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 every hour of every day. PRODUCTIVITY 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.
FUEL EFFICIENCY 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. SERVICEABILITY 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
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Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Construction Equipment Snorkel
Xtreme
T
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. Easy maintenance 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. Durability 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 at 800400-1610 or visit www.ahern.com.
X
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. Built to last, 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. Innovative standard features, such as 360° operator visibility from the cab, and an integrated boom lift point to support suspended loads, help to minimize the risk of acci-
dents. Long life boom rollers are maintenance free, and reduce boom chatter for smoother operation when positioning a load. Xtreme operator boom controls are specially 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.
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Exchanging ideas
Talking points
The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Houston Chapter hosted a breakfast and held a mayoral debate between the top two candidates in the run-off for mayor - Sylvester Turner and Bill King. The event took place at the Crowne Plaza at NRG Stadium Nov. 13. –ab
The Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) Greater Houston Chapter hosted a social hour at the Crowne Plaza Reliant in late October. Todd McAlister discussed topics in the Texas HVAC industry. –ab
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 17
Round-Up
Submitted to Construction News
Top golfers
The Balfour Beatty Construction Houston office has promoted Kim Barrow to project executive. In her new position, Barrow will oversee operations for the commercial, education, healthcare and municipal sectors as well as participate in strategic planning and goal setting for the Houston division.
The Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) Houston Chapter hosted a Golf Tournament at TopGolf Nov. 16. L-R: Michael Talbott, PE, Harris County Flood Control District, Representative Dennis Paul and Nancy Blackwell, PE, AEI Engineering Inc. –ab
Construction News ON LOCATION
Always cool
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN) has hired Emmanuel De Pau, PE LEED AP, as senior project manager for Houston’s large diameter pipeline group. De Pau has 23 years of experience with water transmission projects. De Pau holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston-Victoria, and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas. Thomas Mountz, PE, D. WRE, CFM, has joined LJA Engineering Inc. as project manager in the firm’s Water Resources Division. Mountz has over 42 years of experience. Mountz is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
L-R: Robert Brown, Mario Jinez and Steve Sanoff, Bellaire Air Conditioning, prepare to install an air conditioning system at a Houston area commercial job. –ab
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors
HAGA
Dec. 2: Young Professionals December Mixer Dec. 5: Young Professionals Community Garden Project Dec. 12: PAC Christmas Party Dec. 10: Young Professionals C.Y.C.L.E. Bike Build Dec. 15: ABC PAC Pork Butt Fundraiser For more information call 713-523-6222
Houston Area Glass Association
AGC Associated General Contractors
Dec. 9: Safety Professionals Happy Hour For more information call 713-843-3700
Dec. 3: Holiday Social Happy Hour For more info: www.houstonglass.org
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
FPA Foundation Performance Assn.
Dec. 9: Annual Members meeting, 6:45pm, Appreciation Dinner, 7pm, HESS Club, For info:www.foundationperformance.org
Raghuraman
Sanborn
Woodall
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
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Give me a T
Dec. 16: Annual Holiday Party For more info: www.mcahouston.org
NAWIC Dec. 15: Dinner meeting, 6pm, 024 Grill (Westin Memorial City) For more info: www.nawic-houston.org.
Dec 2: Membership meeting, 9am Dec. 8: Safety meeting, 10am For more information call 281- 679-1877
Meeks
MCA
American Institute of Architects
ASA
Griffith
Mechanical Contractors Association
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
American Subcontractors Association
Adamchack
Dec. 16: Monthly meeting For more information call 713-869-1976
AIA Dec. 5: Museum District Walking Tour Dec. 12: 7th annual Gingerbread BuildOff Dec. 19: University of Houston Art & Architecture Campus Tour For more info: www.aiahouston.org
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.
The Stantec Houston office has hired Rick Adamchack, senior project manager; John Griffith, designer; Kyle Meeks, designer; Lavanya Raghuraman, designer; Bonnie Sanborn, planner; and Rhonda Woodall, architect/project manager.
NECA Nat’l Electrical Contractors Assn
Dec. 5: Annual meeting and Christmas Party Dec. 8: Houston JATC Meeting and EMT meeting For more information call 713-977-2522
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Dec. 9: Member Lunch, Saltgrass Steakhouse For more info: www.gulfcoastphcc.org L-R: Yashar Golestani and Saadat, Ace Sign & Electrical Co., install a new sign at Best Buy in Houston. –ab
Page 18
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Neverending stories
Submitted to Construction News
Gather ‘round
T
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 TEXOsponsored 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
Texas Masonry Council
ROMCO Equipment Co. employees enjoyed the sunny day at the Houston Contractors Association (HCA) Fall Golf Tournament at Wildcat Golf Club in October. –ab Armko Inc.
SpawGlass McCarthy Building Companies
continued from Page 1 — Talking with The Tin Man Eldridge loves his job because everyone is happy to deal with the products. He says decorative metal ceilings can be traced back to the Civil War. “There are styles that reflect the turn of the century, as well as the Victorian era, which is our most popular style,” he said. “Customers find the metal ceilings nostalgic, remembering them as kids in their corner drug store or ice cream parlors.” The tin ceiling tiles are used in restaurants, office buildings, bars and night clubs, retail stores and churches, as well as on the movie sets of Coyote Ugly and Spiderman, Jonah Hex and True Grit.
In his free time, Eldridge likes to spend time with his daughters, watch football, attend concerts, write and watch television shows. He has traveled to places such as Las Vegas, Massachusetts and England. “We plan to stay right here in Houston,” Eldridge said. “We are always trying to getting more business. We go by the theory that the customer is always right.” Chelsea Decorative Metal Co. is a manufacturer and supplier of tin ceiling tiles, tin ceiling crown molding, suspended ceilings and tin tile backsplashes. –ab
continued from Page 1 — Family ties
Professional Flooring Supply AON Fire Protection Engineering
Acme Brick
Axoscape
Growing up in Houston, Gary Sorsby joined the company full-time in 2001 and Eric Nedd came on board full-time in 2005. “We both have worked at the company since we were about 8,” Eric Nedd said. “We worked every summer and during school holidays. We started out sweeping the floors.” Nedd says it was important for him and Sorsby to learn the business from the ground up. Over the years, they worked in the yard, made deliveries and did counter sales. They gained experience assisting homeowners and contractor customers. When the Sorsby and Nedd families
have free time, they enjoy watching the Houston Texans and college football on the weekends. In addition, they like to go fishing at Matagorda Bay and deer, quail and hog hunting in South Texas. “Our goal is continue to grow the company in the future,” Nedd said. “We are here to stay. Our number one priority is customer service.” Aztec Rental Center is a construction rental and retail business. The company is a one-stop dealer for heavy equipment rentals, new and used equipment sales, trailers, backhoes, forklifts, temporary fencing and aerial lifts. –ab
continued from Page 1 — Into the woods
Bury, Inc.
Rogers-O’Brien Construction
Submitted to Construction News
Art of construction
McCarthy Building Companies Inc. recently broke ground on a project to expand the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), one of the largest museums in the United States and also the oldest art museum in Texas. Nearly 200 Houstonians attended the event, including government officials, industry leaders and key stakeholders. –ab
Founded in 1976 by E.E. “Gene” Reed, E.E. Reed Construction is a commercial general contractor. The corporate headquarters is located in Sugar Land, and the company also has offices in Austin, Dallas, Washington D.C. and California. In 2012, Reed’s son, Mark, assumed the role of president.
Over the years, the company has completed office buildings, healthcare, hospitality, retail, religious, warehouse and education facilities. –ab Key Professional Team: Superintendent: Brad Mitchell Architect: Powers Brown Architecture
The Class A interior lobby
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Page 19
Creative can structures
C
onstruction, engineering and architecture firms competed in CANstruction Houston at CityCentre in November. The teams showcased their talents by designing and building giant sculptures made entirely of canned foods. At the close of the CANstruction exhibition, all of the food used in the structures was donated to the Houston Food Bank.
Congrats to the winners! –ab
Public Favorite and Juror’s Favorite Cobb, Fendley & Associates Inc. Hunter is a MIGHTLY Big Problem Best Meal INTECSEA / Worley Parsons Group Let’s Turn Hunger Inside Out
Juror’s Favorite High School Memorial High School / Mentor: WGW Architects Inc. - SS Hunger Honorable Mention #1 HOK/DPR Construction - CANstruct a Sports Logo Rubix Cube Benjamin Franklin Award Recipient WGW Architects Inc. Best Use of Needed Items Costello Inc. - Kicking Away Hunger
Best Use of Labels: Meeks + Partners Peacock Symbolizes Awakening
Structural Ingenuity: PBK Inc. Fed Up With Hunger
Mario vs. Hunger - Kirksey
Feast of Burden – Manhattan, Huitt-Zollars, Morris
Best Sign: Powers Brown Architecture - Twrk-Can-It
Honorable Mention #2: Bury Inc. - St. Basil Cathedral
Happy Holidays
Follow Your Peeps to End Hunger – Arch Con and Mitchell Carson Stone
Submitted to Construction News
A different perspective
Superintendent Chuck Dickinson, Toney Construction Services Inc., took this photo of a trash chute installation in Houston and it suddenly becomes art. –ab
Page 20
Houston Construction News • Dec 2015
Trick or treat
I
n late October, folks in the Houston construction industry had fun wearing their costumes to work for Halloween. Employees at companies including Bendco, Marek, Baker Triangle, Raba Kistner Inc., Century A/C Supply and NCI Building Systems had a spooktacular time! –ab
Baker Triangle Marek
Bendco
Century A/C Supply
C NCI Building Systems
Raba Kistner Inc.
Making the rounds
ustomers, vendors and employees attended the Wildcat Electric Supply Casino Night at Saint Arnold Brewing Co. in October. During the fun-filled evening, folks enjoyed beer tasting and played Texas Hold’em, craps, blackjack and darts. They also had the chance to play the Money Machine. Based in Houston, Wildcat Electric Supply is an electrical supplier. –ab
L-R: Frank Morfin and Rosy Guera, Southwest Shipyard
Aurelio Bueno and Kristen Butts, Wildcat Electric Supply
L-R: Crystal Magana and Kristen Sherman, Wildcat Electric Supply
Larry Meadows, J.A. Controls