Austin Construction News March 2016

Covering the Industry’s News

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Volume 15

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Number 3

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MARCH 2016

Permission to expand

An electrical hub

David Cancialosi and his staff are ready to help expedite your permitting process.

Bobby Neuse has seen the evolution of IES Commercial from its inception in 1998 and manages the company’s five locations in Texas.

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avid Cancialosi founded Permit Partners, LLC in 2008 in Austin out of his home and later moved into office space, but the business has grown so steadily that now the firm has expanded into a space double the size of its current location.

“The space next to us was vacant for several months and with our increased staff size of two project managers and an office manager – and the anticipation of more staff offering building 3rd party inspection and environmental services – we knew we needed to expand,” Cancialosi says.

Cancialosi moved Permit Partners out of his home and into an office on Shoal Creek before moving to the current

address at 105 W. Riverside Dr.

“I wanted to consolidate our files and our meeting space,” Cancialosi says of finding a brick and mortar office. “Most of our projects are complex and all of us might be working on different aspects of a project that takes 6-12 months to get approved. With our office space, everyone knows where each project is at in the development review or entitlement stage and it’s a better setting to have project management meetings for my staff as well as our local and national clientele.”

Cancialosi says his repeat and new clients like the fact that the firm has a location where clients know Permit Partners can be found, with a dedicated continued on Page 14

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n 1998, 16 companies joined together to form Integrated Electrical Services (IES). Today, Bobby Neuse, vice president and general manager of Texas for IES Commercial oversees 260 employees across five locations with San Antonio accounting for approximately 60 percent of his division’s work.

Bob Weik started Bexar Electric, one of the 16 founding companies of IES, in San Antonio in 1962, and Neuse came into the company with several others from K&A Electric in 1978. The company then became Bexar Electric, a subsidiary of IES, and then took on the IES name in the mid-2000s.

Based in San Antonio, Neuse also oversees offices in New Braunfels, Lare-

do, Austin and Houston. In San Antonio, IES Commercial is currently working on Kallison Ranch High School with Joeris.

The company is also working with The Koehler Company and Bartlett Cocke on new and renovation work for Seguin High School.

A recently completed project was $10 million and about three years of work on Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass with SpawGlass. IES has done 36 Drury Hotels since 1980 and did Bass Pro Shop at the Rim in San Antonio.

IES is a nationwide company, and Bobby Neuse is one of seven general managers across the country. He started continued on Page 14

HANDSOME is as HANDSOME does

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t’s not unusual these days to find companies seeking space in the downtown Austin area. After all, downtown Austin embodies cool, creative vibes - perfect for a young tech company that’s making its mark in the world.

Based in Austin, HANDSOME is a design and technology consultancy that got its start in Austin in 2012. When HANDSOME CEO John Roescher went looking for new digs for the up-and-coming company, he knew he wanted to be close to downtown.

He fond the perfect spot in a vacant building at 1000 E. Sixth St. and hired niche design studio, Kartwheel Craftsmanship, to finish it out with a unique style designed to complement the philosophy of HANDSOME.

David Clark owns Kartwheel, opened in 2011, with one location in Austin and seven employees.

“We are definitely a niche company,” Clark says. “The company is a design stu-

dio with the skill sets to build. We design 98 percent of our projects in house.”

About 80 percent of the company’s work is private commercial. Shop/project manager is Mark Thill and Clark did the design for HANDSOME. “We focus on working with brands and pairing their interior space with the identity of the company,” Clark says. “Our experience with interior, furniture and our team of builders can bring it all to life.”

The project is roughly $150,000 and the company moved in at the end of February.

“We got the space as an open box and completely finished it out,” Clark said. “We figured out how to creatively add privacy, conference rooms, work stations and interior layout.”

According to Clark, the completed space consists of a handful of buildings As the Downtown Austin scene gets hotter and hotter, HANDSOME is placed right in the middle of the action on Sixth Street.

continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

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Submitted to Construction News

A fresh Supply

L-R: Ameripipe Supply’s Mike Ligues, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, branch manager Sheryl Russell, Tony Sanders, David Clark and James Beason are enjoying their remodeled Austin office and look forward to providing a more inviting and functional environment for their customers. –mjm

Austin

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Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Individual Health Insurance Mandate and what it means to you

Business is a game! Play to win!

Part 3: Know your cash flow needs

Cindy Brenke, Risk Advisor IBTX Risk Services San Antonio, TX

Carrie D. Bradshaw, Shareholder Brown, Graham & Company P.C. Georgetown, TX

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eginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care required most individuals to maintain health insurance coverage or potentially to pay a penalty for noncompliance.

Specifically, most individuals are required to maintain minimum essential coverage (MEC) for themselves and their dependents. MEC is a term defined in the ACA and its implementing regulations and includes most private and public coverage (e.g., employer-sponsored coverage, individual coverage, Medicare, and Medicaid, among others). Some individuals are exempt from the mandate and the penalty, and others may receive financial assistance to help them pay for the cost of health insurance coverage and the costs associated with using health care services. Individuals who do not maintain MEC and are not exempt from the mandate have to pay a penalty for each month of noncompliance with the mandate.

If you did not purchase MEC beginning Jan. 1, 2014 you faced a penalty of the greater of 1% of adjusted household income or $95 per adult plus $47.50 per child. In 2015, you will have to pay the greater of 2% or adjusted household income of $325 per adult plus $162.50 per child. Thereafter, the penalty will be the greater of 2.5% of adjusted household income or $695 per adult plus $347.50 per child.

The penalty is assessed through the federal tax filing process. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can attempt to collect any owed penalties by reducing

the amount of an individual’s tax refund; however, individuals who fail to pay the penalty will not be subject to any criminal prosecution or penalty for such failure.

The Secretary of the Treasury cannot file notice of lien or file a levy on any property for a taxpayer who does not pay the penalty.

Certain individuals are exempt from the individual mandate and the penalty.

For example, individual’s with qualifying religious exemptions and those whose household income is below the filing threshold for federal income taxes are not subject to the penalty. The ACA allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to grant hardship exemptions from the penalty to anyone determined to have suffered a hardship with respect to the capability to obtain coverage.

Effective for the 2015 filing year, employers, insurers and government programs which provide minimum essential coverage to any individual must present a 1094/1095 to the IRS and a statement to the covered individual that includes information about the individual’s health insurance coverage to prove compliance with the federal mandate.

Recognized in the industry for her indepth employee benefits knowledge and insight, Cindy Brenke is excellent at sharing her more than 14 years of experience with all levels of employees. She is Texas Group 1 Life and Health licensed. She is a graduate from Michigan State University and now resides in Boerne, TX. with her family.

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n part one, we discussed the importance of knowing your score to be able to win the game. In part two, we discussed evaluating your costs and how to use break even analysis to improve your score.

This month, we will discuss how to use cash flow projections to fund your next winning season!

There are basically two methods of recording revenue and expenses:

Cash Basis: The practice of recording revenue when the related cash is collected and expenses when the check is written. The disadvantage is you do not know your profit.

Accrual Basis: The practice of recording revenue when it is earned and expenses when incurred.

The disadvantage is you do not know your monthly cash flow.

We will need these two concepts to coexist for this exercise. Projecting your cash needs involves the following steps:

Step one: You will need your income statement (on an accrual basis). Using the income statement, calculate the percentage of sales for each expense category. For example, if sales are $100,000 and small tools expense is $2,000, the percentage of small tools expense percentage is 2%.

Step two: On a separate piece of paper (or preferably in a spreadsheet if you are comfortable) create a column for each month of the year. Take your best guess and pencil in your anticipated monthly sales for the next year.

Step three: Forecast your monthly expenses by using the average percentages calculated in step one, based on the projected sales you estimated in step two. If your small tools are 2% of sales, in each monthly column you will multiply 2% times the monthly sales to populate the individual monthly small tools expense.

Step four: Convert this monthly accrual projection to a cash basis. You do this by evaluating when you believe each job will pay according to the anticipated contract schedule. Then determine the monthly payments to be made for job related costs such as subcontractors, materials, and other variable supplies.

Step five: Next estimate your monthly payments for general and administrative costs which is relatively predictable based on historical trends.

Step six: Calculate your cash surplus or shortfall. Begin with the expected monthly cash receipts from customers

and deduct cash payments for expenses.

This is the amount of cash flows provided by your operations.

Next deduct anticipated purchases of long lived assets or repayments on debt and dividends to be paid to owners.

Step seven: Repeat this process for each month of the year and calculate the cumulative effect to determine your cash balance for the year. If you have a cash surplus, you are winning. If you have a cash shortfall, you need to start planning.

Identify the month(s) with a cash shortfall. You will need to determine what method you will implement to cover the shortfall. The traditional options are: 1. Deposit personal funds into the company, 2. Borrow from the bank, 3. Borrow from your vendors by delaying the payment of their invoices.

You may have the opportunity to fund shortfalls by squeezing cash from your balance sheet. To accomplish this consider the following: 1. Collecting accounts receivables faster by giving net/15 discounts (or simply printing a due date on the invoice), 2.

Implementing a just-in-time inventory system, 3. Evaluating if you have short term debt that can be refinanced into long term debt, 4. Paying vendors early to take advantage of their discounts.

If your business is in a growth phase, this tool is critical. You can use this to anticipate the cash that will be needed to fund the growth. Many small businesses “grow broke” because they do not have a way to anticipate the cash needs to fund the start up costs related to growth. This concept also applies to an upcoming large job.

By forecasting and proactively managing your cash, you can develop the strategy to coach your team to greater success!

Carrie D. Bradshaw, CPA and CCIFP with over 20 years of construction contractor coaching experience, is the Managing Shareholder of the Brown, Graham & Company, P.C.’s Georgetown office. You can contact Carrie at cbradshaw@bgc-cpa.com or call 512-930-4090.

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

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On the block The FLSA and coming changes: How will they affect you?

Christa Boyd-Nafstad, Esq. The Cromeens Law Firm Houston, TX

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he Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) is a federal statute, regulated by the Department of Labor (“DOL”,) which covers minimum wage and overtime pay for most employees. All nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay at a rate of time and one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Whether an employee is exempt or non-exempt depends on: (1) how much they are paid, (2) how they are paid, and (3) the kind of work they do.

In July 2016, the current threshold for non-exempt salaried employees will more than double. Under the current regulations, a salaried employee will automatically be non-exempt if that employee makes under $23,600 a year, and is exempt under the “highly compensated employee” exception if they make over $100,000. The DOL is changing these amounts to $50,440 and $122,148, respectively. The changes also include a mechanism that automatically adjusts these figures going forward based on inflation and costs of living.

Hourly employees are always nonexempt. Salaried employees making less than $23,600 ($55,440 as of July) are always non-exempt. For salaried employees making more than the minimum threshold, their status depends on if they fall into one of the so-called “white collar exemptions.”

Whether an employee falls into a “white collar exemption” depends on the duties they perform, and not on their job title. For this reason this is often referred to as the duties test. There are three kinds of exemptions: executive, professional, and administrative. The exemption that comes up most often in construction is the executive exemption.

An employee is considered exempt as an “executive” if management is the “primary duty” of their job. The exempt executive must regularly supervise two or more employees. However, “mere supervision” is not enough. The manager/ executive must be responsible for, or have genuine input into the decisionmaking process regarding hiring, firing, interviewing, promoting, selecting and training employees. They should also determine work techniques, plan the work, and apportion the work among employees.

In the construction industry this issue comes up most often in the case of the foreman. Despite the fact that construction workers are almost always non-exempt (meaning entitled to overtime pay), one exception to this is

the Construction Foreman.

The distinction turns on whether the foreman is purely supervisory or if he is a “Working Foreman.”

The foreman, if purely supervisory, is likely exempt under the executive exemption. Of course, if the foreman is paid hourly, or his salary is less than $50,440 (as of July), then he is entitled to overtime pay, even if he is purely supervisory. However, if the forman is salary and meets the minimum salary amount, then the question becomes whether he is an exempt supervisor or a non-exempt Working Foreman.

A Working Forman works side-byside with other construction workers while also performing administrative tasks. A Working Foreman does manual labor and works with their tools for the majority of the day, and also manages other employees and fills out necessary paperwork. The Working Forman is entitled to overtime pay regardless of whether they are hourly or salary, and even if they meet the minimum salary of $50,440 a year ($970 per week). For a salaried foreman to be exempt under the executive exception, he must not devote more than 20% of his working hours to activities not associated with directing other employees.

It is important to note that the duty to keep records classifying which employees are exempt or non-exempt falls squarely on the employer. Because of this, employers should begin preparing for the coming changes; evaluating their current exempt positions and determining whether to raise their salary to the new minimum or re-classify them as non-exempt.

In addition, the DOL is expected to modify the requirements concerning the duties employees must perform in order to be considered exempt. These changes are expected to have significant impact and go into place in 2016. For information on the FLSA or any employment matters, please contact me at cboyd@ thecromeenslawfirm.com.

Construction News ON LOCATION

Energetic and electric

Fernando Aldac and Kyle Marcks are manning the store at City Electric Supply in Kyle.

CES has been family owned for more than 30 years and operates in 28 states with more than 400 stores. –cw

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Plenty of excited children gathered for the fun exercise.

he NAWIC Austin Chapter visited Rae McCoy Elementary in Georgetown Jan. 28 for the 2016 Block Kids event.

Plenty of kids took part in the annual program that introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create an awareness of and to promote an interest in future careers in one of the many facets of the industry. The competition involves the construction of various structures with interlocking blocks and three of the following additional items: A small rock, string, foil and poster board. –cw

L-R: the first, second and third place winners

NAWIC event volunteers, including top, L-R: Amy Maresca, Misti Shafer, Gala Burns, Molly Drazic, Sandra Johnson, Taryn Ritchie; bottom, L-R: Terri Fleming, Aimee Busby, Kimberly McDaniel, Chaundra Callaway and Cindy Richter

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Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

James Gill Owner Austin Rent Fence

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here are you from?

I was born and raised in Corpus Christi. I went to WB Ray High School.

I was a big sports guy. I played varsity soccer all four years and was team captain my senior year.

I played varsity football in my senior year, as well.

I actually received some awards during my soccer career. I also played soccer at Southwestern University in Georgetown.

When did you move to Austin?

I relocated to Austin for an undergraduate degree in the mid 90s. I went to school at the University of Texas.

When I graduated with a degree in government and a minor in history, I wasn’t quite ready to enter the workforce, so I thought I should get some more education. I went on to finish my law degree at UT, as well.

When did you know you wanted to be an attorney?

I guess it was always there. I remember representing myself on traffic tickets when I was still a minor!

It probably wasn’t a lifelong goal, I just knew I didn’t want to do hard labor when I grew up.

I used to shovel toxic waste in the oil fields during summers in high school.

Shoveling anything in 110-degree heat will make you want to sit in an office!

Tell me about your parents. Siblings.

My mom was a lifelong teacher and

my dad worked in the oil fields. He was the same age as I was when I started my law firm. He started a trailer rental business during the oil boom of the 80s.

He is retired now, but he did everything from being an engineer to owning part of a company. When he was younger, he was a rig hand.

I have a younger sister who is a physician’s assistant.

In our house, it was very school oriented. We always had to make excellent grades.

My dad was always willing to help me as long as I was in school and doing well. He told me if I wasn’t – then get a job and pay for everything yourself!

My mom was very involved in our social and academic careers – she was a math teacher.

I am still very close with both of my parents today.

When did you open your law firm in Austin and how did you become involved in the temporary fencing business?

I opened the firm in 2005. And the fence company started in 2008. The plans began in 2007.

I’ve attended every Austin City Limits music festival since it started. I live not too far from Zilker Park.

One year, it had rained during ACL and I noticed that the temporary fencing stayed up for a month.

I thought to myself - I bet they are getting paid for every day that fence is up! So, I got a line of credit, bought a bunch of fence, found a site to put it on, got a truck and trailer and started work.

How many employees do you have now?

We went from two of us to currently having six employees full-time and three part-time. I did have a partner but I bought him out several years ago.

What is the biggest part of your fence business?

The number one thing is construction sites. We also do a tremendous amount for events – festivals, racing, parties – anything that serves alcohol!

TABC rules say events serving alcohol have to have a fence up.

We always used to simply do panels for six years, but now we’ve expanded to doing barricades and posts in the ground for a wider variety of things.

About 80 percent of our business is for private clients.

James Gill and Courtney Baldwin will be getting married in August.

Barley and Madsen may be part of the ceremony!

Does it ever get confusing – having two full-time businesses?

It is a very complicated yet delicate balance.

I have people helping out with the phones and I’ve gotten very good at scheduling and prioritizing what can be done by me and what can be delegated.

Sometimes, I’m answering law office on one phone and Austin Fence on the other!

What was the most memorable event you have ever fenced?

We did the original Fun Fun Fun Fest – it was basically a city built inside the fence. It was decided that things had to be moved. We really had to remove everything and we had to set it all up again in a different spot. We literally had to rebuild the entire city. That was in Waterloo Park back then.

You own a third business, as well, don’t you?

Yes, I also own an RV park in Mason County on the Llano River. It’s a new business for me. It’s on 15 acres with 1,000 feet of river front. The property is called Dos Rios and it is where the James and Llano rivers converge.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to become a successful businessman?

Two main things: 1. You have to learn everything from the ground up so you can understand the company and run it yourself if you have to.

2. Take a risk! I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, but I would much rather try and fail than not try at all.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

This afternoon I am finishing up at work and heading out to the Greenbelt with the dogs.

I like to hunt – not big game – I’m more of a bird hunter.

I’m an avid kayaker. Austin is a great place to do it.

Are you married?

I am engaged to Courtney Baldwin and we are going to get married in August.

She is a physician’s assistant at Westlake Dermatology. We actually met at a Bob Schneider concert in Austin.

We have two dogs: mine is Madsen and hers is Barley.

Do you like to travel?

I love to travel. I started traveling while I was in law school and did some schooling at the University of Victoria in New Zealand and the University of Malta in Malta. I’ve been to Thailand, Australia, the UK and most of the Caribbean.

What was your favorite place?

The most beautiful was New Zealand. The nicest people were in Fiji. The best hunting was in Argentina.

Are you planning a trip for your honeymoon?

Not sure yet. Potentially, we might find an island somewhere like Bali or Seychelles.

What other hobbies do you have?

One of my other hobbies to reduce stress is to cook. I am the chef in the house. I love to cook - whether it is longterm smoking brisket, seafood dishes or wild game.

I actually like the TV show Top Chef.

The season 9 winner, Paul Qui, is from Austin. We did the fencing for the construction of his restaurant.

My love of cooking is followed closely by Saturday tailgating at a UT football game and then going in the stadium!

Who would you buy a beer for and why?

Richard Branson – the man is fascinating. After he bought an island, he needed an airline to get his friends to the island, so he bought an airline.

Willie Nelson – the stories he could tell! I would tell him to tell me any story he wants! I’d like to hear about when his tour bus got pulled over. –cw

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

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before you leave the dock. If you’ve kept logs in the past like most serious anglers do, review them. Think back to previous years or outings that were successful.

What lures did you throw and which ones did you have the most success with.

What were the weather conditions like, cold, windy, cloudy, sunny, etc.? Try to predict what your day is going to be like and look back to find a similar day in your logs. Don’t be like most routine fishermen who go to the same spots over and over because they caught a good fish with their grandpa when they were a kid.

Spring Fishing Forecast

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Majek Boats, Evinrude Outboards, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ­­­ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products MirrOlure, and Columbia Sportswear.

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ey folks, here we are already in March and the weather already feels like summer. We have been having days in late February where temperatures are reaching the upper 80’s, and sometimes touching 90 degrees.

Fishing season is upon us early this year so don’t hesitate in planning your summer outings.

For the next few months we will spend many days walking countless miles wading the shallow waters of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay in search of one of the most sought after trophies that roam the inshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Mark Walters (Left) and Chris Huey (ForEverlast Prostaff) had a successful day on the water wading with Capt. Steve Schultz on Baffin Bay last week.

Most anglers know that wintertime is when speckled trout are at their peak weight. A 30” trout caught in the middle of the summer may only weigh 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 lbs.; where as that same fish may be 9-1/2 to 10 lbs. in the winter. These heavier trout make your catch that much more

gratifying.

One of the most important tools to have before you venture out for your day on the water is something that can’t be purchased. A GAME PLAN must always be one of the first things you should have

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Way to go!

Levi Farris, 9, shows off his first buck! His dad is Matthew Farris, owner of Keene Roofing Inc. in Leander. –cw

Now that you have arrived to your predesignated fishing spot, your next decision should be which lure to throw. My suggestion to most of my clients is to throw a lure you have confidence in. I always start out with a lure that has been a producer for me in the past. If I have a group of customers, I always try to mix it up. I start everyone off with a different lure. This helps me determine what the fish are wanting on that given day. After we have established what the fish want we can all go to the same type of lure.

Don’t get caught up in some new item that came in a fancy package and costs a small fortune or a lure that your buddy gave you and said these are what I catch all my fish on. Remember one thing when your walking down the aisles at Bass Pro Shops or Academy, fishing lures are packaged to catch the eye of the fisherman rather that the fish.

I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2016 season. Don’t wait till 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.

Texas Style

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San Antonio Austin South Texas Houston South Texas

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Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

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

Kids Love Fishing!

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’ve been in the fishing business almost all my life and nothing is as much fun as taking kids fishing. I don’t know what it is about kids and fish that makes something magical happen.

Part of the allure I’m sure is getting to go fishing with the grownups. It is a little rite of passage. It doesn’t matter if they go with mom and dad or grandma and grandpa, every kid loves to see and learn new things at the side of their favorite people. Nothing makes them feel more special than for you to share something you love doing with them because they understand that it is a gift.

If you are jerking a perch out from under a sun drenched dock, crappie from the riverbank, largemouth from a stock tank or catfish from a Kid Fish even at the coliseum, it is that tug on the other end of the line that is just magical. Fishing is entertaining because it gives us immediate, continuous feedback. Fishing beats video games because you can always find a way to cheat or manipulate your way to achieving a goal in a game, but not in fishing. Right quick the fish let you know they don’t care a thing about messing with you because they are largely in charge of the situation. If they feel like biting, you don’t know when or where or how they’ll do it. No telling whether they will try to sneak off with your bait or hit it so hard they knock it out of the water and just keep on chasing it. Most of all, who knows what you are going to catch and how big it’s going to be! And maybe the fish will just turn loose and leave you wondering what just happened…. Nope you can’t just reset the level on that and try it again!

Then there is the fact that fish are just so darn fascinating in the ickiest way. When it comes time to clean the fish you catch

most kids are awestruck. First thing, a soft little finger tip has to just see what one of those googly fish eyes feels like. Next comes the anatomy of a fish lesson. Fish guts are just amazing when you are a kid. They are smelly, not too bloody and so many different colors and purposes.

I never met a kid who could pass up a chance to just watch fish being dressed.

If you go ahead then and wet another hook and line under the fish cleaning station and get to catching what is lurking there for a quick lunch it just gets more interesting!

they can and will often out fish you. One bunch of little kids comes to mind. When it came to be picture time to show off their catch at the trip’s end, they all preferred holding their catch like favorite teddy bears embraced by both arms and hugged up tight with big happy grins! II bet Mom was thrilled with that load of laundry!

Spring break – kids – you know what to do.

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips

Fish are just fun. You can watch them in an aquarium with calm fascination, catch a serious case of the giggles over a dare to touch one, or just put a hand full of minnows down your sister’s shirt and run like the dickens. And don’t think girls can’t get into fishing just like boys do because

All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You

Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com

Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

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At bat

Austin loves its bats – there are more than 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats that call Austin home. To symbolize that relationship, in 1998 sculptor Dale Whistler donated this 18-ft tall, 20-ft wide monument called Night Wings, which can be seen at 300 S. Congress Ave. and the Barton Springs Traffic Island.

Photo Credit: Leavitt2me Photography

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 9

Purple trees in Texas?

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f you are out driving around in Texas and you see purple painted tree trunks and fence posts – it doesn’t mean that someone who loves the color purple (me, for example) lives there.

In fact, purple paint on trees and posts mean the same as a prominently displayed “No Trespassing” sign. Purple was chosen due to the fact that even people who are color blind will see it.

The law was added in 1997 to the Texas Penal Code regarding Criminal Trespass and was created to allow Texas landowners an alternative to posting “No Trespassing” and “Posted” signs that would give the same legal weight, but without the cost of signs or having to frequently replace them.

Section 30.05 of the Texas Penal Code, dealing with criminal trespass, says that: (paraphrased) ‘A person commits an offense if he…enters property of another without consent…and that he had notice that the entry was forbidden.’

One of the code’s definition of notice is the placement of identifying purple

paint marks on trees or posts on the property and that those marks are: vertical lines at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide, placed between 3- 5 ft. from the ground, and that their placement is in a location that is easily visible to a person approaching the property, and that the markings be no more than 100 feet apart on wooded land or 1,000 feet apart on open land.

The rule was created in September 1997 and amusingly had an original requirement that landowners also post a sign on the property explaining that the purple markings meant no trespassing.

That requirement for posting a sign expired one year later, in September 1998.

Placing purple markings around your property – as per the Texas code above – to give notice and mark boundaries, does have the same legal weight as a “Posted” or “No Trespassing” sign; unfortunately, few people know what the markings mean.

But, now, you are not one of those!

–cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Shaping up the landscape

Osvaldo and Odon with Southern Botanical, out of Houston, work on the landscape of a new restaurant under construction in San Marcos. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

A woman’s touch

Laura Franco Diaz is working at the Oaks of Kyle multi-family project in Kyle. The GC on the project is FJW Construction. The project includes 204 luxury apartments, plus a clubhouse, and is expected to be finished by Aug. 1. –cw

Page 10

A

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Full speed ahead into new era

s Construction News continues to cover the construction industry in Texas in our five printed newspapers, the company is also launching some exciting new opportunities in digital, social media and other projects.

With the addition to the staff of Leslye Hernandez, marketing director, and Dana Calonge, account manager, Construction News is well equipped to launch into this new era of digital mobility.

“Reesa and I are very excited that Leslye and Dana have joined our Construction News family,” says Buddy Doebbler, publisher and owner. “So much will happen this year with our papers, social media reach and new digital products.

Having the two of them out in front leading the charge will assure we will go to the next level.”

Leslye Hernandez leslye@constructionnews.net Leslye grew up outside of Washington D.C., in Fairfax, VA., where her father was a pilot for the Air Force and her mother worked at the Pentagon.

Because of the military connection, Leslye spent her childhood moving from school to school.

“I was never in the same school for more than a year,” she says. “It forced me to reinvent myself on a regular basis to make new friends. Thus, I’m in marketing!”

Leslye has worked with and around construction for many years, which led to her moving into marketing.

“I became familiar with construction many years ago when I was responsible for building out hundreds of stores at Opryland and the Opryland Hotel in Nashville as the merchandising director,” she explains.

In 1992, she was recruited by Play By

L-R: Dana Calonge and Leslye Hernandez are well familiar with the construction industry in Texas. Drop them a line or give a call to 210-308-5800 to find out how they can help you and your business.

Play, a large international toy company, located in San Antonio and fulfilled a long-time goal.

“I was absolutely ecstatic because it was in San Antonio,” she said. “I had visited and fallen in love with San Antonio and said if I ever had an opportunity to live there, I would like to settle there. I have been all over the world and San Antonio has not disappointed!”

After leaving Play By Play, Leslye opened her own ad agency, Odyssey Graphix.

“I had the pleasure of marketing a wide variety of firms from restaurants to construction and published several magazines,” she says. “I have always been drawn to the construction industry due to the wonderful folks involved in the business.

“Having read Construction News for years, and its coverage of the people,

companies and projects, I was thrilled to be invited to join the team,” Leslye says.

“As the digital age has evolved, publishers are moving to digital delivery of content and I look forward to participating in that growth for Construction News as we expand our social media footprint, add digital delivery of our papers and launch an e-newsletter mid-year.”

She is married to Juan Hernandez and has two daughters and a son. She started at Construction News in October 2015.

Dana Calonge dana@constructionnews.net

You could say that Dana has been in the construction arena in San Antonio for her entire career – starting with Alterman Electrical Contractors as a vocational education student while still in her senior year at Alamo Heights High School.

Dana also grew up in an Air Force family. Her father worked at the Pentagon and the family was stationed there just prior to moving to San Antonio and Kelly Air Force Base when Dana was a junior in high school.

After graduation, Dana stayed on with Alterman for 30 years, moving from her original position as a receptionist to the position she retired from as senior project manager.

While attending UTSA, she met and married her husband, Dick, and the two were married in 1985 and have one son.

After retiring from Alterman, Dana says she spent about one-and-a-half years accomplishing a lot around the house, getting to have breakfast with her son again, and ultimately deciding it was time to have conversations with adult people and not her dog. At that point, she joined Vision Construction as the company’s business development director and stayed for about three years.

A chance meeting between Leslye and Dana, who had known each other through the San Antonio NAWIC Chapter, at Alterman’s annual Christmas party led to a lunch date.

Leslye’s enthusiasm for the direction Construction News is taking got Dana’s attention.

“I met Buddy when I was on my very first project for Alterman,” Dana said.

“When he and Reesa started the San Antonio paper in 1998, I thought it was a great idea because it gave so many people and companies a chance to be seen.

“With more than 30 years in the construction industry, I want to use my extensive experience and network base in Texas to help grow Construction News in all five of our markets.” –cw

2016 AIA Fellows announced

O

n Feb. 12, the American Institute of Architects announced the newest members of its prestigious College of Fellows. Only about 3,200 of AIA's more than 88,000 members hold this distinction. Congratulations to the 149 individuals elevated to Fellowship this year. Eleven Texas Society of Architects members were recognized and five of those are in Austin.

(Photos and biographical information courtesy AIA)

Lawrence Connolly, FAIA Connolly Architects Lawrence Co n n o ll y, FAIA, has transformed the architecture of animal shelter design by bringing these buildings out of the shadows and creating bright, thoughtfully programmed, conscientiously designed facilities that contribute directly to the quality of care of the animals, create efficiencies for challenging operations, increase the number of visitors, and ultimately encourage pet adoption. His practice, Connolly Architects & Consultants, has helped more than 100 animal shelter clients in 24 states improve the effectiveness of animal welfare. The Bexar County Humane Society, for which he served as shelter design consultant, received a Business Week/Architectural Record Award in 2004.

Phillip Reed, FAIA Cotera+Reed Architects Phillip Reed, FAIA, has spent much of his career creating a more sustainable, healthy, affordable central Austin.

He has designed and managed major public and private projects, such as Austin’s New City Hall and the I-35 Makeover Project. He has also helped to broaden the definition of public architecture to include environments and infrastructure while shaping long-range public policy that is a model for communities across the country. A long-time member of the Austin Design Commission, Reed was instrumental in writing the Downtown Design Guidelines and expanded Urban Design Guidelines, as well as a member of critical task forces focusing on density bonus programs, transit-oriented development, and residential regulations.

James Brady, FAIA In his 45-year career in education as architect, planner, and advocate, Jim Brady, FAIA, has created exemplary student- cen tered learning environments, championed best practices and stakeholder engagement that keep learning at the forefront of the planning and design process, and transformed organizational and leadership development nationwide. He has led the educational facilities studio of Page and served as executive director of America’s Schoolhouse Council, associate executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards, and international president of the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International.

Ernesto Cragnolino, FAIA Alterstudio Architecture The work of Ernesto Cragnolino, FAIA, seeks out and engages conflicts that are intrinsic to a project’s individual circumstances.

His architecture occurs at the site of conflicting desires, such as where the desire for view and natural light conflicts with the need to protect from the sun, or where the desire for lightness conflicts with the requirements of structure. His buildings also embrace subtlety and nuance, elevating direct corporeal experience of the space over visual expression.

Cragnolino’s designs have earned him 22 local and regional AIA awards, and four national awards. He is a partner at Alterstudio Architecture and was an adjunct professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture from 2003 through 2011.

Al York, FAIA McKinney York Architects With economy, restraint, and an uncommon sensibility for context, Al York, FAIA, creates architecture that resonates with a timeless sense of belonging by exposing the underlying grace of the ordinary and revealing beauty within familiar situations. A partner at McKinney York Architects, York has made lasting contributions to the Texas community through award-winning projects that include small-scale residences, cultural and academic institutions, and revitalized urban structures. Recent notable projects include the Leander Transit Facility and MetroRapid Stations, African American Cultural and Heritage Facility, and nationally-recognized McGarrah Jessee Building adaptive reuse, which transformed a mid-century bank building in dire straits into office space for a thriving creative ad agency.

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 11

Construction Education Many changes in construction education Joe Horlen, Department Head, Department of Construction Science

Texas A&M University College Station, TX

I

n 2009, Construction News visited with Joe Horlen about construction education at Texas A&M University. We talked to Mr. Horlen again this year to find out what changes have taken place since then.

What has changed in your department concerning student recruitment?

The change has largely been the number of students recruited from high schools vs junior colleges. In 2009, our largest percentage were students coming into Texas A&M straight from high school (50 percent), with roughly 25 percent coming from junior college. That’s flip-flopped. Now, we have roughly 50 percent coming from junior college and 25-30 percent coming from high school.

The number of students coming into our program due to a change in major has stayed about the same – 25 percent.

That’s true of many majors – A&M overall is taking more students from junior colleges.

There has been a slight increase in the number of veterans coming in. We are quite veteran friendly. They make really good students, but it’s not a significant total of the student body.

What has changed concerning scholarship availability and student numbers?

The change there is we’ve increased the number of scholarships and the dollar amount. In 2009, we had 150 students receiving scholarships totaling about $250,000. Now, we have 250 students getting scholarships totaling more than $450,000.

In 2009, we had roughly 600 students in our undergrad program – now we have somewhere around 1,050. We have grown fairly significantly.

What has driven that change?

I attribute it to the word starting to get out about the Bachelor of Science in Construction Science degree being a good career path. It is similar to the construction management degree, which is what some schools call it.

One of our biggest challenges was making students aware of this. Five years ago we hired a recruiter who is working with junior colleges and high schools.

We are actually turning away a high-

NEXT MONTH April 2016

Women in Construction

er number of applicants now. The number of applicants has really grown.

What are your recruitment goals?

We still need to work on and continue to improve our recruiting and getting the word out there and continue growing that way, but we’ve obviously turned the corner.

It’s still a struggle. There is something like 2,500 high schools in Texas, so you could work all day and never get to them all. We’ve starting making inroads there and we are seeing results. There is still lots of ground we could cover and there is still opportunity, especially to expand the percentage of women in our program. Currently, we run to 10-15 percent women students in our department, at the college as a whole, it’s 50 percent.

We would like to see our percentage of women increase over the next five years and that’s one of our plans that we are just now implementing.

The percentage of women is still the same as when we were 600 students - we’d like to be double where we are in 5 years.

I’m hopeful. The industry is very interested in women. We have experienced success in recruiting minority students, especially Hispanics, which now make up about 30 percent of our student body. We have worked hard with several high schools and junior colleges that have high populations of minorities. I am hopeful we can continue that trend as we work to expand our number of women in the program.

What is causing the low numbers of women coming into the program?

Historically, it has been a male domi-

nated industry and there’s still that perception out there.

In all honesty, I think the industry is not a 40-hour work week and it’s not an 8-5 job for the most part. I think that impacts some segments of the population more than others.

We have the impetus to make it known that it is a good professional career for many people.

What kind of salaries do these graduates find?

Last year the average starting salary was around $60,000.

It’s continually improved. There was a period right after our interview in 2009 where the salaries kind of slowed down, but it improved. It’s still one of the highest starting salaries for undergraduates on campus.

What is the strategy for getting a variety of people interested in this field as a career?

The key is getting them interested in early high school and junior high school.

For the most part, students who will be high school seniors apply in the summer before their senior year to college.

They already have a good idea of where they want to go and what they want to do.

That even applies to some juniors. So you better get to them when they are freshmen and sophomores. We are even trying to get into some junior high schools.

What is one of the biggest changes in your department?

From what I’ve seen and heard, the change we’ve seen has been the fact that most students in our program used to come from a construction background, for example, their families were in the construction business. That’s no longer true.

Some are, but the vast majority is looking for a good career and they found out about working in the construction field.

It’s a little different type of student, that doesn’t have that background, but they are very bright and capable and with the internship and summer jobs they can get caught up very quickly.

You still require students to take a one-semester internship, right?

Yes, and the number of interns has grown, as well. The number of companies hiring our interns has increased to about 500, up from roughly 300 in 2009.

There are about 175 companies that take our interns on a consistent basis.

Do those internships turn into jobs for the students after graduation?

Yes. In 2009, about 50 percent of our graduates went to work full time for the companies they interned with. That’s jumped to about 2/3. Out of the roughly 85 percent who get a job offer from the company they interned with, 2/3 take the job.

That’s the word we try to get out to these companies - if you want to hire our grads, you better hire our interns. That’s the best route to getting our students and then keeping them.

We still have 100 percent of our graduates finding full time employment as soon as they graduate – that has not changed.

What is the future for students thinking about going into your program?

The good news is the industry is dong well. We are having a job fair this week (early February) and we estimate we will have 170 companies there, which is the largest department job fair at Texas A&M.

Demand is high right now, even with the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

Typically, about 10 percent of our graduates go into the oil and gas sector.

The other markets in Texas are doing well as it relates to hiring our graduates.

The Austin market has grown a lot for us.

Of the four major cities, typically the largest number of graduates go to Houston, then Dallas/Ft. Worth, then San Antonio, then Austin. Now there seems to be a three-way tie for second place between DFW, San Antonio and Austin. It may all be equal by this spring! –cw

Page 12

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

The stars of Austin

M

embers and guests of the Austin Chapter of Associated General Contractors (AGC) met on Feb. 12 for the annual Outstanding Construction Awards Banquet at the AT&T Conference Center on the University of Texas campus.

Congrats to the winners! –cw Photos courtesy JJ Photography

Building 2 ($2-$5 Million) GC: Braun and Butler Construction St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Design Firm: Stephen L. Gele’ Architect Inc.

Building 5 ($30-$75 Million) GC: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Lamar Central Design Firm: STG Design

Building 4 ($10-$30 Million) GC: Joeris General Contractors Ltd. San Marcos CISD Bonham Pre-Kindergarten School Design Firm: Huckabee Architects Right: Interiors GC: Lasco Acoustics & Drywall Inc. – Austin Georgetown Public Safety Operations & Training Center Design Firm: Architects Design Group & KAH Architecture

Building 1 ($0-$2 Million) GC: Braun and Butler Construction Eagle Bank Round Rock Bank Design Firm: Cutright & Allen Inc.

Specialty Construction GC: Chasco Constructors Lexus of Lakeway Design Firm: Castles Design Group

Left: Design Build 1 ($0-$10 Million) GC: The Beck Group Domain II Plaza Redevelopment Design Firm: Beck Architecture

Interior Finish Out 2 ($500K-$2 Million) GC: Sabre Commercial Inc. University of Texas at Austin, Perry Castaneda Library, New Learning Commons Design Firm: Gensler

Design Build 3 (Over $30 Million) Design Builder: Hensel Phelps Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Terminal East Infill Design Firm: Page/

Industrial/Warehouse 1 (Up to $5 Million) GC: Sabre Commercial Inc. PODS Warehouse Facility Design Firm: fuseARCH Studio

Health Care 1 ($0-$10 Million) GC: Sabre Commercial Inc. St. David’s South Austin Medical Center Hybrid Operating Room Design Firm: H&SP

Building 6 (Over $75 Million) GC: Austin Commercial Austin Bergstrom International Airport Consolidated Rental Car Facility Design Firm: Demattei Wong Architecture

Design Build 2 ($10-$30 Million) GC: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Project: Rankin County Replacement Facilities – Hospital & Wellness Center Design Firm: O’Connell Robertson

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 13

Round-Up

List makers

Halff Associates celebrates its first year on Austin American Statesman’s “Top Workplaces 2015.”

S

everal Austin-area commercial construction-related companies recently found themselves on a “nice” list: The Austin American Statesman’s Top Workplaces 2015. While it’s nice to land on the list, it’s especially nice to be nominated, since anyone (even a non-employee) who is a fan of a business’ culture can put that company’s name in for consideration.

Workplace Dynamics then contacts each company to distribute surveys; at least 35% of the employees must complete surveys for the company to be considered. For the 2015 list, 81,344 employees at 319 participating companies filled out surveys so that their workplace might be included in the “Top 100.” Inclusion on the list not only reflects employee happiness within a company, it also can lure top talent to work there.

Although no construction companies were listed in the “Large Size” category, two “Midsize Companies” was honored.

This is the second year on the list for builder DPR Construction, which landed the No. 6 spot as well as the paper’s special “training” award, while five-time winner Surveying And Mapping LLC took No. 20.

To prove that good construction can come in small sizes, construction companies nabbed spots in the “Small Employers” category as well. Engineering and architecture firm Halff Associates is enjoying its newcomer status to the list at No. 24, as is Efficient Air Conditioning, which came in at a close 26th place. Four-time winner EEA Consulting Engineers rounded out the category for the construction industry by grabbing slot 32. –mjm

Project Control, a division of Raba Kistner Inc., announced that Greg San Marco is being promoted to regional vice president of the Austin region. He will manage and oversee all aspects of Project Control’s regional office including operations, leadership, project management, and business development. San Marco has more than 30 years of experience in various construction project management and civil engineering related fields. He is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and is a registered P.E.

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

Ware in the world

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Central Texas

NAWIC

Associated Builders & Contractors

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar 10: Chili-BBQ Cook Off (OSHA Partnership). Limited to first 30 teams to register. Contact Todd Smith, chairman, Central Texas OSHA Partnership, at (512) 2949678 or e-mail at todd@slaterpainting. com with any questions.

Mar 4: Job Site Tour, 9am-1pm. Tour of the new Engineering Education and Research Center at Crockett High School with Hensel Phelps and students.

Mar 7: Yoga Happy Hour, 5:30-7:30pm at the AGC office. Wine and cheese.

Mar 10: Community Involvement, 5:158:30pm. Chapter meeting at Capital Area Food Bank. Space is limited to 20 volunteers. Email jamied@mechreps.com to sign up.

Mar 6-12: National Blood Drive. All NAWIC chapters are holding blood drives throughout the U.S. Go into any BCCT donor center in Austin and mention NAWIC sent you.

AGC Associated General Contractors

Mar 9-11: AGC of America Convention, San Antonio

CTMCA Central TX Masonry Contractors Assn.

Francisco, Jesus and Jorge, AJ Mechanical, work on a new warehouse in Kyle.

The GC on the project is 4e Construction Services in Kyle. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Electric avenue

Mar 24: General meeting, 6pm, Pappasitos Cantina

NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Mar 31: General membership meeting, 4-8pm, Moontower Saloon. For more info email kayvon@austinnari.org

Be sure to be included!

Send your calendar events to: Austineditor@constructionnews.net

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Masonry up on 54th Street

Albert and Juan, with Pimco Masonry Inc, out of San Antonio, work on the new 54th Street Grill and Bar project in San Marcos. The GC is WB (Wilson Barnes) General Contractors out of Dallas. –cw

James Madrone and Vince Rodriguez with New Braunfels Electric work on a Starbucks/Newk’s in San Marcos. The GC on the project is Workman Commercial.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of March. –cw

Page 14

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Working the line

David, Raul and Luis with H&T Utilities, out of Elgin, are busy replacing a gas line near I-35 in Kyle. –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Working with heart

continued from Page 1 — Permission to expand phone and digital presence.

The firm, consisting of four current staff, takes a building project through the permitting process from start to finish.

And over the prior eight years these projects have consisted of everything from a homeowner wanting to add a deck all the way up to a commercial developer building a multi-family project, plus more.

“We assemble the documents from the design team and we interface with the city,” Cancialosi explains. “Our expert knowledge of city codes and our relationships with city staff enable us to move the permitting process quickly and smoothly.”

Another part of Permit Partners is land development consulting. As a registered lobbyist with the City of Austin, the firm assists clients obtain an array of real estate entitlements and working with executive management at the City of Austin to discuss complex issues on a client’s behalf.

“We represent clients before various city boards and commissions to get them the necessary approvals in order to move forward with their project,” Cancialosi says. “Our Project Management approach

to getting approvals done quickly and effectively is what helps us achieve our clients’ desired results – and being a client oriented firm we get great satisfaction from achieving results. I’ve had contractors tell me, “You guys are a definite necessity for what we need to do – without you we cannot swing hammers or get construction loans until the permits or entitlements are approved’”

Cancialosi has a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas State University and his experience includes being an urban planner and code inspector for the City of Austin and San Marcos, project manager for a 16 entity Regional Water Planning Group, urban planner and assistant to city manager at Wimberley. He has developed several single-family, multi-family, and industrial properties over the years. He is also a veteran, having served in the United States Marine Corps. He continues to work with Wounded Warriors, Disabled Veterans Group, supports Cancer Benefits, and volunteers with the J.K. Livin’ Foundation, mentoring at-risk youth on how to live a healthy life by making healthy decisions resulting in a productive start to their lives. –cw

continued from Page 1 — Headline as a journeyman electrician with Bexar Electric in October 1978 and worked his way up to president of Bexar Electric.

Once Bexar Electric took on the IES name, he became vice president and general manager.

He and his wife, Connie, have been married since 1979. They live in Marion,

where Neuse has lived his entire life, and have three daughters and four grandchildren.

The San Antonio IES Commercial & Industrial main office has four branches and does every facet of electrical, including lowvoltage wiring and service work. –mh

continued from Page 1 — HANDSOME is as HANDSOME does

Chris and Anne McKee, of McKee Electric, in Kyle, take a quick photo break. The company has operated in Central Texas for more than 20 years and in 2011, they were selected to participate in Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Heart of Texas Build. The home was built for a wounded soldier and his new bride. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

A vista with charisma

Scott Schaede is superintendent on this 200-unit multi-family housing project, to be called Kyle Vista. R.J. Allen & Associates Inc. is the GC on the project, expected to be finished at the end of August. –cw

inside a building.

“We built free standing buildings inside a warehouse. It’s very modern,” Clark says.

Interior materials include pine tongue and groove – which Clark says is a very affordable product. Then, Kartwheel treated it differently by putting an oil stain mix on it. Each “building” has two structure walls and two walls of glass.

“You can see throughout the space,” Clark said.

Since the client wanted a congregation area inside the office that was different from the normal kitchen area, Clark and his designers came up with something exceptional. They used an ancient Japanese method, Shou Sugi Ban, which preserves wood by charring it with fire, and topped it copper, to build a u-shaped bar that creates a stunning space for gatherings.

The lighting in the space is also intended to be unique.

“Instead of doing fluorescent lighting, we are going more towards a pendant lighting with a reflective bulb so that it softens the touch of the interior and it doesn’t feel so office spacey,” Clark says. “We are doing some sconce lighting on some of these buildings inside the building on the exterior to showcase that interior/exterior feeling. The concept is definitely what they wanted.”

Clark says the bulk of the project included only a few materials to keep it simple.

“It’s been a very straightforward build project,” he said. “The challenge is always on the front end - when you are designing. If you have done that right, the construction should be easy. HANDSOME will be able to house 40-50 employees when they are at capacity with an open floor plan.”

According to Valerie Vacante, chief strategy officer at HANDSOME, the company wanted their flagship location (there is a second location in Russia) to embody beauty.

“Now more than ever, people expect and react better to beautiful experiences, not only in the digital world but in the physical world too,” she says. “We put people first when making decisions, creating purposeful interactions and experiences; beauty, usefulness and delight are

HANDSOME CEO says David Clark, Kartwheel Craftsmanship, captured the exact mood the company wanted to create in its new home.

core to design and it is embedded in our new space.”

HANDSOME is planning to use the space to host iconic Austin events.

"The Austin community is where we started and supporting the community is very important to us; the 7,500-sf space features room to host events that we can co-host and co-present with our client partners industry-wise and on a grassroots level,” Vacante explains. “Examples might range from industry-specific events taking place during SXSW to after work meet-ups or hands-on workshops focused on human-centered design and emerging technology.”

In fact, it was just announced that the location will be available for use during SXSW.

“It is the first space of its kind to become available for SXSW, and has great potential to be an exclusive locale during the festival,” Vacante said. ​“HANDSOME sits perfectly located in­ -between the Spotify House, the Fader Fort, Fair Market and half­-a-­dozen restaurants and bars.”

According to Vacante, the location also accommodates 5-plus "War Rooms," which act as evolving mosaics documenting HANDSOME’s exploration and knowledge creation.

HANDSOME CEO John Roescher said his experience with Clark and Kartwheel Craftsmanship has been exceptional.

"Working with David Clark and Kartwheel has been a great experience,” Roescher says. “The kind of creative, hands on, resourceful, solution driven mentality of David has been a breath of fresh air and exactly what HANDSOME needed in this process. We wouldn’t be where we are now, with a beautiful, thoughtfully designed studio, that exudes HANDSOME’s culture and personality, without Kartwheel." –cw

Austin Construction News 窶｢ Mar 2016

Let them eat cake!

T

he Austin Flintco Constructive Solutions folks celebrated National Chocolate Day on Jan. 27 with a lot of fun and sweet stuff. 窶田w

Page 15

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Chicken on the grill

Wyatt Management, out of The Woodlands, is general contractor on this Pollo Tropical Caribbean Chicken on the Grill and Zach, Marshall, Marselo and Saul are getting started on the new project in Kyle. 窶田w

Page 16

Austin Construction News • Mar 2016