San Antonio Construction News March 2016

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Volume 18

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Number 3

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MARCH 2016

Fit for their family

Fighting fires

At MACK Construction Group, the leadership team is built upon family and friends working to support one another and the company. L-R: Michael Graves, Frank Garrett Sr., founders Franklin and Mamie Garrett, Ken Palacios

The FACS team L-R: (front row) Lonnie Bodiford; Jonathan Erfurth; Bob Mitchell; Laura Karshis; Benton Terry; Joe Ebrom, vice president; Duane Hannasch, president; Debbie Hannasch; Rodney Ramos; Jonathan Fernandez; Trey Alvizo; Raul Ortiz; (back Row) Clynt Yow; Jimmy Holden; Donna Valiente; David Blank; Deborah Thomas; Troy Reyes

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hough Franklin D. Garrett did not initially set out to follow in his father’s footsteps in the construction industry, he and his wife, Mamie Garrett, founded their own general contracting company, MACK Construction Group, with the intention of leaving a legacy for their children.

After being unable to find unemployment since retiring from the Army in January 2013, Franklin along with his wife, Mamie decided to take a leap of faith and found their own company in October 2014. Franklin had grown up in the construction and engineering world, because his father owned a very similar business when Franklin was growing up.

Today, Frank Garrett Sr. works for his son’s company as chief of construction services, acting as an advisor and consultant. Franklin’s best friend, Michael Graves, also works for the company. He made a large sacrifice and life change, leaving behind a career in Missouri to come work for MACK as the COO and executive vice president. Ken Palacios is MACK’s CFO and executive vice president, and Mamie’s mother, Juanita Benitez, also works for the company as secretary.

Since Franklin, 42, and Mamie, 40, wanted MACK to be a legacy that will provide for their children, hopefully one day providing careers for them, it’s only continued on Page 22

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s president of Fire Alarm Control Systems (FACS), Duane Hannasch has endeavored to stay involved and knowledgeable in his industry to a degree that has probably helped keep the business hot.

Having celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, FACS was founded by James Hockstadt in 1995 when he sought to retire from his company, which did mainly federal government work and some small to medium-sized commercial fire alarm. Hockstadt wanted to keep the business going after his retirement and started FACS as a new company.

In the mid-‘70s, Hannasch had been

working next door at his father’s electrical contracting business, Shamrock Electric, when Hockstadt offered him a job doing fire alarms. When Hockstadt started FACS and became its chairman, Hannasch became president.

In 1997, Joseph Ebrom came on board as a partner and vice president, and he brought new equipment and customers with him. While FACS continued to do federal government work and small to medium commercial, the addition of Ebrom brought work from the higher education and K-12 markets. continued on Page 22

A hall fit for a congregation

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amed for one of the project’s donors, the Beverly Marie Pevehouse Conference Center was built by Zuber Construction on the St. Peter Upon the Water campus.

The project took approximately 10 months to finish and was substantially completed in August 2015. The roughly 7,000-sf building contains two main rooms, a large conference hall and a library. There is also a kitchen, an office, an audio-visual room, two restrooms, and a room called the sacristy.

Rustin Zuber, president and owner of Zuber Construction and project manager for the conference center, notes that the sacristy presented a unique situation when it came to the plumbing. In accordance with the faith as a Catholic church, the sacristy is where vestments and elements used for Communion are stored and where preparation for Communion is done.

Since services are held in the facility, a separate sewer system had to be in-

stalled for the sacristy, because it would be considered disrespectful to clean the instruments with the same plumbing system that serves the rest of the building.

“Originally, it was designed as a steel structure,” explains Zuber of other aspects of the build. “And we worked with the design team to change over to a steel and wood structure for value engineering.”

As for the design, the finishes in the conference hall are a little bit more ornate than in the library. The building features timber trusses and custom chandeliers. Since the design included custom light fixtures, they were ordered early as there was a long lead time on them.

The building has a courtyard that is in a picturesque setting, which is why the building’s site was chosen. Nestled in the Hill Country, the location was a bit remote, which posed a little bit of a challenge. For example, the construction Zuber Construction completed construction on the Beverly Marie Pevehouse Conference Center at St. Peter Upon the Water in approximately 10 months.

continued on Page 22

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

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Metal in his veins

aving worked at his grandfather’s company, River City Steel & Recycling, during the summers since his early teen years, Justin Newell Triesch appreciates how hard his grandfather, Alton S. Newell, worked to make sure his family was taken care of. As a part of the fourth generation, he says it’s a privilege to keep his grandfather’s legacy going.

Newell started Newell Recycling in Kenedy in the ‘40s, and in 1982, he opened River City Steel & Recycling in San Antonio. With scrapyards throughout the United States, the entire family got into the business. In 1990, Triesch and his brother, Bobby Triesch, bought River City from their grandfather, and in 1996, Triesch took it over as president and CEO. Today, his brother works for Newell Recycling of Atlanta, which happens to be where Triesch met his wife, who worked in the HR department In addition to being the owner of River City Steel & there for eight years. Today, Justin Newell Triesch is a family man with his she is half of the HR depart- Recycling, wife, Lina Maria Triesch; 20-month-old daughter, Anne ment at River City. Ray CanaMarie Newell Triesch; and dog, Lucci. He also loves the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. les is the other half of HR and the general manager. He was hired about five years ago after he came and fencing. The company also supplies out of the military, having done four contractors with material for their steel needs. As a scrapyard, contractors also tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Triesch observes, “In this business, it come to them for roll-off containers, takes years and years to learn everything which they fill with scrap on demolition about scrap metal. I’m still learning every jobs. River City then picks up the container day, and I’ve been doing it for 20-some- and pays according to the market that day. odd years. There are just so many differ- River City Steel & Recycling supplies new steel as a steel distribution center, and ent varieties of scrap.”

Through its steel division, River City the scrap division accepts all ferrous and supplies farmers and ranchers with pipe non-ferrous metals. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

An electrical hub

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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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 ac-

counting 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, Laredo, 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. IES is a nationwide company, and Bobby Neuse is one of seven general managers across the country. He started 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

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

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Let the games begin

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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter hosted its inaugural Casino Mixer at the Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) Building on Paesano’s Parkway with 110 guests attending.

Games included blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas Hold ‘Em, and the Attendees emerged from the photo booth complete with props.

L-R: Steve Cannon, Gardner Law Firm, Drew Godwin, evening offered food, Blake Lavender and Melissa Salas, Joeris drinks and prizes. –mh

L-R: Andrew White and Carlos Elizondo, W.G. Yates & Sons; Jason Williams, Pro-Vigil; Josh Howell, Statewide Remodeling; Chad Christesson, Cram Roofing

L-R: Desi Valdez, Red Hawk Contracting; Laura Barnett, Koroseal Interior Products; Drew Godwin and Blake Lavender, Joeris; Tami Williford, Travis Tile

L-R: Kyle Zunker and Stan Curry, Cokinos Bosien & Young; Richard McSwain, Coats Rose; Alice Morgan, Cokinos Bosien & Young

L-R: Jacob Sireno, Baker Triangle; Bill Rhodes, Koontz Corporation; on Randolph and Michael Sireno, Baker Triangle

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The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties.

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Rusty Hastings President Cambridge Contracting, LLC

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t 35, Rusty Hastings is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his company, Cambridge Contracting. With experience working at a large general contracting company, he observes that the biggest challenge of opening his own general contracting business was coming from working on large-scale ground up projects and adjusting to smaller jobs starting out, such as finish outs.

Today, Hastings believes the company found its niche in finish outs and remodels, though he is also doing a few ground up projects. He has doubled the company’s size in revenue every year since Cambridge’s inception in 2011. The company has five employees, including himself, and recently relocated to University Oaks from the airport area.

As he leads his company, he is very much a family man, spending his spare time with his wife and children, one of whom has been affected by a rare muscular disease.

Where did you grow up?

I’m from Pearsall, TX, which is a small town about an hour south of here on I-35. Growing up there, there’s not a lot to do. It’s a small town, small environment.

My mom is a school teacher there, and my dad sells irrigation systems to the local ranchers and farmers in the area.

I went to high school there, and I played all the sports that they offered.

But while I was in high school, I also carried a part-time job on a couple of my buddies’ farms and ranches. So, I got a lot of farm and ranch business experience, which teaches you a lot of values and a lot of hard work and ethics. I think that was a good foundation for my working career.

I attended Southwest Texas, which a year later turned into Texas State. I was there for a year-and-a-half, and I met my wife, Jessica, at a track meet. She ran track. It turned into a good relationship – good enough for me to leave Texas State and come to UTSA. What did you do once you landed in San Antonio?

I landed a really cool job. As soon as I

got into town, I found a job as an assistant property manager for an apartment complex right next to UTSA. Basically, they were paying for my apartment, all the utilities, and I got paid an hourly rate, but I had to be on call every other week.

It was a win-win. I kept that job through the remaining two, two-and-ahalf years to finish up college.

Also, as I landed at UTSA, I had to decide what major I wanted to focus on, and I’ve been into being outdoors my whole life, and I’ve always known I wanted to do something more hands on and a little less behind the desk. I knew they had a construction management degree under the business program. That was the route that I took, and I never looked back. I fell in love with all the classes. I had a good relationship with all the professors.

When I became a senior, I had to do a one-year internship, and I went to my estimating professor, Mr. Perez, and I said, “I need to get an internship. What do you recommend?” He said, “I know Steve Schuetze at Metropolitan. You need to go talk to him.”

How did it go with Metropolitan?

I was their first intern. I did my oneyear internship, and I assisted in managing a $2 million dormitory at TMI and then I assisted in managing a new ground up tilt-wall project that was worth about $3 or $4 million, and as soon as I graduated UTSA, they hired me on full-time as a project manager. I was a project manager there until 2011.

Between graduating college and the time leaving Metropolitan – I love the outdoors, so mountain biking is a huge deal for me – I became a competitive mountain biker. My wife and I ran a lot.

We still do. I did some half-marathons and some marathons.

When did you get married?

We got married in 2007 in Mexico. It was a very cool, very boutique wedding.

We buckled down and had our first kid in 2009, my daughter, Kadence. She’s a perfect kid, blonde hair, blue eyes.

When she was 2 years old, we noticed that the other 2-year-olds at her daycare just seemed to be physically more advanced than her. We took her to her pediatrician and said, “Something’s going on. She’s not really running or climbing stairs as well as the other kids.

There’s just something wrong.”

The pediatrician said, “Let’s do some blood work to help figure it out – maybe there’s something underlying.” We had blood work done, and it came back with some really high, scary levels of a couple things that are indicators for a muscular problem. So, then the pediatrician sent us to a pediatric neurologist, who saw us and diagnosed her with a condition called spinal muscular atrophy, SMA for short.

There’s three types. Type 1 is the worst; the baby never sits up, never crawls and is basically wheelchair-bound their entire lives, which is a very short

Rusty Hastings is celebrating five years of running his own company, Cambridge Contracting.

During that time, his family has grown, too.

lifespan, five to six years. Type 2 crawl, but they never walk, and their lifespan is pretty normal. Type 3 is what my daughter has, which is the least severe. She can walk. She can run. She plays. She acts like most kids, but as she gets taller and heavier, her muscles don’t grow with her body. They stay like a 2-year-old’s muscles basically her whole life, and they get weaker. Eventually, she will be wheelchair-bound.

It took about two months to diagnose her with SMA. So, we had to deal with that. My wife and I are both athletes, and we had these high expectations of our first kid, and it was a big blow to us. It was a huge deal knowing that our daughter will eventually be in a wheelchair.

We’ve been dealing with that since then.

It’s a hereditary disease. I’m a carrier.

My wife’s a carrier. But we don’t show signs of it. One in every 10,000 kids has this disease. It’s very rare.

At the time we were getting the diagnosis, my wife was pregnant with my son. So, the doctor said, “The baby inside you could have this disease. There’s a 50-percent chance that it has it.” We had to go to Houston to get tested, and my son is not affected. He’s not even a carrier, which is rare too. So, my son, Cooper, was born in 2012.

My wife and I wanted a third kid, and we did IVF up in Washington, D.C. with a specialist. We did it three times and with no luck. We got pregnant naturally very easily, and we said, “We’re going to give it a shot and just hope and pray that everything works out okay.” So, we had our third kid, our daughter, Kolbie. She was born in 2014, and she’s a carrier like me and my wife. So, she’s not affected.

Were you transitioning into your own company around the same time that Kadence was diagnosed?

That was a very hard time in my life.

As I was making that transition, the first two months after I started Cambridge, we were being diagnosed. It was a really tough time. It was April or May of 2011 when all of this was going down.

Luckily, I decided to take this career path that I did, starting Cambridge versus going to work for another large contracting company, because I had really good offers. Something just said, “Start Cambridge. You’ll have some flexibility. You know the clientele. You know the subcontractors. Metropolitan gave me a foundation to build from. Your wife has a good job. She has a steady income. She has insurance. So, let’s take the risk.” So, I did that.

I think I’m very fortunate that I chose that, because if I was at Metropolitan and I was having to go through all the issues that I was dealing with my daughter, it would have been very challenging. I would have had to take a lot of time off, a lot of doctors’ visits.

How is Kadence doing now?

She’s doing really good. She goes to

Fair Oaks Elementary. She’s in first grade, and she walks, runs her own little unique way. She’s got a really good support group there at the school. All the teachers know her, and they know of her condition. Every year, my wife and I go to the class and we read a book about SMA to the students. All the kids know that she has the disease, but they never talk about it. You can’t really see that she has it, unless you watch her go up steps. She has to grab the handrail and pull really hard.

She’s a very intelligent kid. She’s super smart, but her physical side is just really weak. But she’s doing great.

Tell me about the fundraisers you organize for SMA.

Right now, we have one in August in Fredericksburg. We have a 5K run event, and we’ve teamed up with a family out of Houston whose daughter actually passed away because of the disease. She had the most severe type. But they started this annual run event around the third year of it, and now, my family and I have kind of taken over the event.

Cambridge has a huge influence in donations. Back in August, I advertised to my really loyal subs, just trying to get a vibe for how they would react, and I had tremendous feedback. We ended up raising, I think, about $7,000 or $8,000, which was pretty good.

Where does the money you raise go?

It goes to the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, GSF. It’s a family in California whose daughter had Type 1, the worst kind, and she also passed away, but they’ve devoted their whole lives to fundraising for the disease. Everything about what they do is for this organization.

We met them at the annual conference for the disease two years ago, and they have a huge event, a marathon in Santa Barbara, CA, because that’s where they live. We went there in November and ran the half-marathon with my daughter. I pushed her in the stroller, and I did the whole half-marathon – which was extremely hard, because there’s a lot of hills in Santa Barbara compared to what we’re used to here.

They’re just such a cool family. So, everything we do, we contribute the money to them. My kids, even at their birthdays – my son, Cooper, just turned 4, and people didn’t bring gifts to the party.

They donated, and Cambridge wrote a check to their foundation for the amount of money that everybody that came to Cooper’s birthday party gave. It’s just a good thing to do for the foundation and for the disease.

What else can you tell me about your family?

My wife is an attorney, and we live in Fair Oaks. We don’t have a lot of free time to really do anything right now. We’re raising three kids, all 6 and under. Plus, I’ve got a business to run, and she’s got a professional career, too. So, we’re busy. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 7

Who would you buy a beer for and why?

Access to the supply floor I’d buy John Denver a beer, because I think he is a very unique individual, and I grew up listening to his music through my dad and my grandpa. And I’ve always admired him for his uniqueness. I’d just like to sit down and chat with him.

Rusty Hastings, Cambridge Contracting I’d buy a beer for Ronald Reagan. I’d buy as many as he’d want. He’s a hero and a national treasure. I like what he did. I like it enough that my last son’s middle name is Reagan.

John Calhoun, United Tool & Fastener

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Members of the team at Access Distributing Company L-R: Jim Rice, Rolando Arsate, Elias Rodriguez

n Jan. 1, Jim and Terri Rice celebrated the 20th anniversary of their flooring supply business, Access Distributing Company. Today, Rice still has customers that have been coming to him for their flooring needs since he started working in the wholesale flooring industry in 1983 for another distributor, 13 years before opening his own company.

Rice notes that one challenge has been adapting to the changing economy and market over those two decades. He observes that the commercial market has remained fairly steady lately. Commercial comprises about 50 percent of the business.

With a diverse customer base on the commercial side, Access is supplying a 40,000-sf condo project off Broadway.

The company also does a lot of supply for San Antonio and Edgewood ISDs. Some of their contractor clients are doing Sonic Drive-Ins outside of San Antonio, and Access supplied flooring for the Jim’s Fron-

tier Burger that recently finished on 410.

“We pride ourselves on customer service,” says Rice. “We make every effort to help our customers find the exact product they need for their project. We service customers such as contractors, remodelers, flooring stores, lumber yards, school districts, government entities, churches, flooring installers and the general public.”

Rice’s father was a flooring installer, and he worked with him in various capacities since he was 5, including working for the retail business his father opened in 1979. After three years there, he moved into the wholesale side in 1983.

Rice and his wife met at 14 at Highlands High School on the Southside. They have been married for 35 years.

Serving San Antonio and South Texas, Access Distributing Company supplies carpet, residential and commercial; carpet pad; ceramic tile; wood, vinyl, laminate and rubber flooring; grout; mortar; natural stone and installation supplies. –mh

Submitted to Construction News

Representing the region

With the creation of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Texas Chapter and the restructuring of the association on a statewide level comes the new South Texas Regional Council, based in San Antonio. L-R: Fred Galvan, Turner Construction, treasurer; Larry Graf, DRG Architects/G5 Homes, vice chair; Marc Stroope, Langley & Banack Attorneys, co-chair; Pam Carpenter, Seventh Generation Design, co-chair; Anna Morton, Anna Jean Morton, PE; Hazem Rashid Ali, UTSA School of Architecture; and Elizabeth Kertesz, San Antonio 2030 District, secretary (not pictured: Ben Bowman, Alamo Architects, and alternate council member Michael Britt, Lake|Flato) –mh

Probably Carly Fiorina, and not because of anything political, but I find her fascinating in that she was also in a man-oriented field, and how she suffered through what she had to go through to become who she is and the position she was in with HP. I would just love to pick her brain on how she got through it all.

Riki F. Lovejoy, RFL Consulting/NAWIC Probably Teddy Roosevelt would be interesting, because I just read his biography, and that man was a workaholic and a force to be reckoned with just in personality and what he accomplished.

Robert Herbage Hospitality Design Group I’d probably buy one for Mark Cuban right now. I saw him on TV last night, and I’d make him come down to San Antonio and drink a beer. I’d like to get him to change his mind on the Riverwalk.

Scott Friedrichsen Roddis Lumber & Veneer I would say Mark Cuban. First, it’s my understanding that he’s very difficult to get to, so to me it would be a challenge to get him to accept it. And second, his vision for business is just great and I think that I would want to have conversations about business.

Danny Mendez Beldon Roofing Company

I think Ted Nugent, because I started reading his book, and he’s a totally different person than I thought of back in the ‘70s when I used to listen to his music.

And I would just like to sit down and talk to him, because he seems to be a downto-earth person, and he seems very interesting in reading his books.

Duane Hannasch Fire Alarm Control Systems I’d buy my dad a beer. He passed away in 2004. And I’m not sure what I would ask. I just don’t think I ever bought my old man a beer.

James Dielmann, J.W. Dielmann Inc. My daughter, Shanna. Just to see her. We lost her on Easter of 2014.

Jim Rice, Access Distributing Company I think I would like to buy it for the ex-CEO that we had, Shay Kalmanovich, because he was the one who gave me all the opportunities. He told me, “I believe in you,” and here I am – I own my own place.

Jesus Cardenas, 911 Restoration My superintendent, Ronnie Hargett, and my foreman, Eloy Sandoval. My foreman has actually shown me a lot, and my superintendent is that teacher who is always strict with you but he’s strict because he wants you to learn more and wants you to be better. I would buy them a beer anytime.

Felipe Castillo, Joeris I like history. I’d love to buy a beer for George Washington or someone like that, and just soak up all the knowledge, experience and stories. I’m a real history buff, and I really like the history of the United States, and I think what some of our past leaders have done is really fascinating.

Brandon Bendele, Braun Intertec Any one of my friends, because usually if I’m buying him a beer, I know he’s got my back.

Kenneth Moore, KCM Cabinets

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Business is a game! Play to win!

Part 3: Know your cash flow needs

Individual Health Insurance Mandate and what it means to you

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

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

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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.

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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.

In memoriam Earl Sydney Achilles, who owned several successful businesses including Turner Welding & Erection and Texas Dance Hall, passed away Jan. 27 at age 83. Born Dec. 24, 1932 in San Antonio, he will be remembered as a loving, giving, hardworking and dedicated family man.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Frances; children, David, Carolyn, Thomas and Earl E; grandchildren, Leslie, Wes, Reece, Grady, Eli, Kylie and Nash; great-grandchildren, Mackenzey, Ryan, Wiley and Waylon; brother, Jerry; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Michael Lee McGee, a senior project manager for Morganti Texas/Casias Construction JV, passed away Feb. 15, 2016 at the age of 64.

Born Jan. 4, 1952, he graduated from Thomas Edison High School in San Antonio and worked many years as a project manager in the construction industry.

Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Mary; sons, Robert, Timothy and James; sister, Mary; seven grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 9

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

What are the dangers of power tools?

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

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, 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 non-exempt 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.

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ppropriate personal protective equipment such as safety goggles and gloves must be worn to protect against hazards that may be encountered while using hand tools.

Workplace floors shall be kept as clean and dry as possible to prevent accidental slips with or around dangerous hand tools.

Power tools must be fitted with guards and safety switches; they are extremely hazardous when used improperly. The types of power tools are determined by their power source: electric, pneumatic, liquid fuel, hydraulic, and powder-actuated.

To prevent hazards associated with the use of power tools, workers should observe the following general precautions:

• Never carry a tool by the cord or hose.

• Never yank the cord or the hose to disconnect it from the receptacle.

• Keep cords and hoses away from heat, oil, and sharp edges.

• Disconnect tools when not using them, before servicing and cleaning them, and when changing accessories such as blades, bits, and cutters.

• Keep all people not involved with the work at a safe distance from the work area.

• Secure work with clamps or a vise, freeing both hands to operate the tool.

• Avoid accidental starting. Do not hold fingers on the switch button while carrying a plugged-in tool.

• Maintain tools with care; keep them sharp and clean for best perfor-

mance.

• Follow instructions in the user’s manual for lubricating and changing accessories.

• Be sure to keep good footing and maintain good balance when operating power tools.

• Wear proper apparel for the task. Loose clothing, ties, or jewelry can become caught in moving parts.

• Remove all damaged portable electric tools from use and tag them: “Do Not Use.” Guards

The exposed moving parts of power tools need to be safeguarded. Belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, flywheels, chains, or other reciprocating, rotating, or moving parts of equipment must be guarded.

Machine guards, as appropriate, must be provided to protect the operator and others from the following:

• Point of operation.

• In-running nip points.

• Rotating parts.

• Flying chips and sparks.

Safety guards must never be removed when a tool is being used. Portable circular saws having a blade greater than 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) in diameter must be equipped at all times with guards. An upper guard must cover the entire blade of the saw. A retractable lower guard must cover the teeth of the saw, except where it makes contact with the work material. The lower guard must automatically return to the covering position when the tool is withdrawn from the work material. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Correction In a caption under a photo with the headline “Give them a sign” on page 32 in the February 2016 issue of San Antonio Construction News, Drash Contracting Company was incorrectly identified. Construction News regrets the error. –cw

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Bringing your fleet up to speed

The committee for PHCC’s Fleet & Accessory Showcase L-R: (front row) Jimmy Shafer, Shafer Services, Fleet Committee Chairperson; Gary Haecker, National Wholesale; Steven Schneider, Albert Sterling & Associates; (back row) Heidi Trimble, PHCC-San Antonio executive director; Maurice Fox, O’Haver Plumbing; Amy Berg, Jennings Anderson Ford; Perry Beyer Jr., Beyer Plumbing; Cody Foust, Leasing Associates; (not pictured) Kylie Ortiz, Plumber’s Choice Water

W

ith business and the economy heating up, contractors in the plumbing, HVAC and electrical trades might not have time to research or shop for new fleet vehicles or the accessories and graphics packages to go with them. That’s why the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) San Antonio Chapter is hosting the Fleet & Accessory Showcase Mar. 10, 3-7pm, at Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall 2.

To give the owners and managers of contracting companies the chance to see the latest vehicles as well as accessories and services available for them, the local PHCC chapter is inviting these decision makers, members and non-members, from across the San Antonio area to see what’s new and what could improve their fleet and operations.

Jimmy Shafer, Shafer Services, originally brought the idea to the PHCC because he realized contractors see trucks, graphics and accessories, such as ladder racks, on the street, and the PHCC could offer them the opportunity to not

only see these things up close, but invest in them for their business.

With about six months of work on the event, the PHCC has brought the event to a large, climate-controlled space where they can gather the dealers for trucks and vans and their accessories.

Shafer notes that some of the modern shelving that will be shown has not been seen in San Antonio. Many of the new accessories are lighter, stronger and more efficient for use of their service technicians. Some can reduce the need for techs to crawl around inside vans on their knees.

Fleet service providers will be there, offering wraps and graphics packages, GPS services, roadside assistance services, and leasing companies so contractors can explore the option of leasing fleet vehicles. Valero will also be there to educate contractors about their fleet program.

Passes are $15 per person. To RSVP, email admin@phcc-sanantonio.org, call 210-824-7422, or visit www.phcc-sanantonio.org. –mh

Texas Apprentice Felipe Castillo Jr. Joeris General Contractors ABC Apprenticeship Program

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hen Felipe Castillo Jr. started at Joeris in April 2012, he told them how he used to help his grandpa building things and doing carpentry here and there when he was younger. When he heard that the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter was offering a carpentry apprenticeship, he seized the opportunity to learn more while getting on-thejob field experience with the support of his new employer.

Now, as a fourth-year carpentry apprentice, he says, “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge out of the class. I know I get a lot of hands-on [experience] out in the field, but there’s little stuff that you won’t learn out in the field that you’ll learn in the class. It’s the best thing you could do, because even if you already have experience in the construction world or as a carpenter, you’ll learn stuff that you think you knew, and you’ll find other ways to make it easier for you doing whatever project you’re on.”

Castillo has always been driven by his ambition to learn more and move up within his field. In high school, he gave up band and sports to go into the Army’s Junior ROTC program. He always wanted to go into the military, and his four years working his way up through the junior ranks allowed him to enlist as a PFC, which is an E3.

Following his basic training and IT, Castillo stayed in Maryland to take extra courses. After being away from

home for two years, Castillo decided to go reservist and return to his family. Today, he is still in the Army Reserves as a sergeant and is waiting on his promotion to E6.

Born in Laredo, his family still lives there. The oldest of six children, he has four sisters between him and the youngest, his brother. He and his wife moved to San Antonio about six years ago. His wife, Susie Castillo, is a fulltime student at UTSA, majoring in psychology.

Castillo and his wife are very active in their church, formerly Bandera Road Community Church, now City Church, but still known as BRCC. His wife volunteers in the bookstore, and he volunteers in the coffee shop, where he is a barista doing lattes and espresso shots.

Though they enjoy going on hikes or bike rides, he and his wife spend most of their time at the church, volunteering four days a week.

As he turns 30 this year, Castillo continues to learn and grow in his field through his job and apprenticeship program, noting, “It helps me a lot, because it’s not just carpentry. We have concrete and a little bit of electrical, and we go through reading plans. It’s just a little bit of everything.” –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 11

Coming up with solutions

Silvana Nappo, corporate vice president and COO, and David Joyner, engineer, at the San Antonio headquarters of Unlimited Structural Solutions, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

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ith the goal of promoting green building that would also withstand disaster, Silvana Nappo, along with her husband, Domenico Provenzano, opened Unlimited Structural Solutions (USS) in San Antonio in 2011.

Since then, Nappo, her husband, and Owen Abramov, an owner in New York, have been promoting the use of their product, USS Panel, prefabricated threedimensional lightweight structural panels that are a sustainable insulation form.

According to Nappo, these panels are hurricane, tornado, termite, mold and fire resistant as well as anti-seismic. They can be used in commercial and residential projects in various building elements such as the walls, floor, roof, stairs and partitions.

Projects that have used the panels include a Whole Foods in Austin, an opera house in Dallas, and brick buildings that are being rebuilt in New York. With projects all over the country, the company plans to build a factory in Texas in the

next year or so.

Nappo, the majority owner of the company, has worked all over the world.

Born in Italy and raised in Connecticut, she has worked for Lamborghini USA, the Franklin Mint, Versace, and as a jewelry designer, she had her own show on QVC from 1992 to 1994.

As a product researcher, she has traveled between Italy, France and the Orient. She and her husband met in Italy, and while they lived in Spain, she traveled to the United States for her husband’s company, which owned patents for the cracking in the refining process of gasoline with collected CO2, bringing her to the Southwest Research Institute for testing.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Unlimited Structural Solutions has distribution centers across the country. With a crew of installers, a cement engineer, structural engineer and design group, the company sells and installs sustainable prefabricated insulation panels. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Water well for Fort Sam

The Trevino Group, Barker & Associates, and Matkin-Hoover worked together to design a new Edwards Aquifer water well to serve about 150,000 service men and women at Fort Sam Houston. GC, The Trevino Group, began construction in November when a drill rig and supporting equipment were mobilized onsite to begin drilling the approximately 1,000-ft deep water well. The Trevino Group and Davenport Drilling are currently working on drilling an additional 200 to 400 feet until the required amount of water is being produced. –mh

www.constructionnews.net

Construction News JOB SIGHT

A hotel off Broadway

L-R: Luis Salinas, Shawn Gibson, Albert Vasquez and Charles Compton, Mulder Fire Protection, installed the fire suppression system in the new Homewood Suites by Hilton with 112 rooms and four stories. The GC on the project is DD&B Construction, and Matt Sawina, superintendent/project manager, expects the project to be completed in late spring. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Adding metal to the mill

Construction News ON LOCATION

Formed by the Collier family

Universal Form Tops, a family-owned laminate countertop manufacturing company, celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. L-R: Jim Welsh, sales; Sandy Collier, scheduling; Becky Logan, bookkeeper; Leonard Cortez, sales –mh

Members of the sales team at Roddis Lumber & Veneer L-R: John Williams, Bob Weaver, Tom Klar, Jim Barnhart

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s Roddis Lumber & Veneer prepares to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the family-owned business next year, the supplier has made a few changes, adding a new division and a new product manager to run it.

On Jan. 1, Roddis opened a metal door and metal frame division, bringing John Williams, who has more than 20 years of experience, on as the division’s product manager.

“We sell primarily to commercial and residential cabinet shops throughout South Texas,” explains Scott Friedrichsen, operations manager. “We also are in the residential and commercial millwork business where we sell doors and windows. Our target [in that division] is the custom homebuilders. Of course, we have a lot of contractors and GCs that are our customer base. So, since we’re already selling doors and windows, we decided to go into hollow metal doors and frames and hardware.”

Friedrichsen estimates that business

revenue is 50-percent commercial and 50-percent residential. Roddis has been a supplier for Hotel Emma and the St. Anthony Hotel restoration. With the company for 17 years, Friedrichsen’s wife is the granddaughter of the founding Weaver. Today, Tom Weaver is the company’s president. Friedrichsen believes the family ownership and being in a single location for most of its history has led Roddis through the nine-plus decades in a changing market.

He notes that they have always adapted quickly and focused on the customer. He adds that they’ve had very low employee turnover. With most of its staff with the company for many years, the stability of the organization has been an asset to the company.

Founded in 1922, Roddis Lumber & Veneer has been owned and operated by the Weaver family for nearly a century. The company primarily supplies hardwood plywood, hardwood lumber, melamine, and doors and windows. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

Intern-al staff

L-R: Tony Recine, Jorge Bernal and Earl McIntosh, SPACECO, have been working together since the civil engineering firm opened its San Antonio office. Bernal is a junior studying civil engineering at UTSA and has been interning at SPACECO. McIntosh notes, “We have two interns, and we’re looking to hire another one. We have a very good relationship with the UTSA School of Engineering, and they’re doing a lot of things to help us to attract more interns to work with us, and it’s working out wonderfully.” –mh

Submitted to Construction News

A fond farewell

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company hosted a farewell party for Leroy “Butch” Stucky just before he retired on Dec. 31. Though he joined the company in 1999 working parttime outside sales, he was always there for his customers, even on his days off. He will be enjoying retirement with his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 13

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

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.

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.

Most anglers know that wintertime is when speckled trout are at their peak weight. A 30” trout caught in the middle

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.

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.

Submitted to Construction News

Good show

L-R: Sal Guajardo, Spencer Foley, son of Reyne Foley, Biela Glass, and Michael Garza of East Central High School Ag Mechanics program, welded this 18' utility trailer to be exhibited at local stock shows, including Bexar County Jr., San Angelo, S.A.L.E. and Houston. The trailer won 1st place in its division and reserve grand champion at the Bexar County show and 3rd place in the Low Boy Trailer division in San Angelo. –sj

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

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

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San Antonio 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!

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 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.

Purple trees in Texas?

Send us your photos and stories.

Outdoor activities and sports Fishing • Hunting • Biking • Racing Hobbies • Crafts • Entertainment

All content and photos are placed free of charge.

Email to: SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net or call Mary at 210-308-5800

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips 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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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

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 15

Finding himself on the hunt again

Don Flint Newbury was able to go hunting for the first time since Aug. 2012 thanks to the special gun and track wheelchair his friend Lytle Arche (right) donated for his use.

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ven though an accident left him confined to a wheelchair, Don Flint Newbury has been able to return to his favorite pastime, hunting, thanks to help from his friend, Lytle Arche, and his company, Arche Ranching.

Newbury worked at Lynwood Building Materials for 12 years before his accident, breaking his neck at C5 on a shallow dive into a swimming pool. He doesn’t know what went wrong that day, but today, he is basically a quadriplegic.

He cannot walk, and he does not have any strength in his fingers.

Since his accident, Lynwood has had two benefit shoots to help Newbury with his medical expenses. All of the funds Lynwood has raised have gone to his medical bills, which helps him and his wife, because Newbury has to have a caretaker, and his wife, Zoila, works five days a week as a dental hygenist. Newbury says he cannot express how supportive his friends and co-workers have been, including Chris Christians III and Chris Christians IV.

With immense gratitude for the help with his medical bills from Lynwood’s benefits, Newbury says that Arche helped him a lot too, allowing him to regain a part of himself that had been lost until recently.

“The hunting part of it did a lot for my morale,” Newbury explains. “[It got] me out of the house, because the four walls do close in, and just to get out and do stuff or be around people doing stuff that I used to do, it’s totally great.”

A high school buddy of Newbury’s, Arche designed a special gun that his friend could shoot with a special trigger operated by his mouth. Rather than a scope, the gun has a camera controlled by a joystick so that it does not have to be against Newbury’s face. Additionally, Arche Ranching donated a special track wheelchair and a special wheelchair accessible blind that fits the special gun inside in a rack – all for this special guy.

Horns of plenty

It was a sight in downtown San Antonio like no other. Ninety longhorns, including 20 calves, paraded along city streets in celebration of the SA Stock Show and Rodeo. This was the fourth year Hope and Derrick Thurmond, owners of Four Seasons Seamless Gutters, joined the cattle drive and used 62 head of their own cattle from Thurmond Longhorns in Adkins, TX. –sj

Photo credit: Carmen Pena@onelovephotogsatx

Casino and Vegas, owned by Russell Tiner of Cross T Ranch in Bandera, were also crowd pleasers.

“I’ve been hunting my whole life,” Newbury says. “I think I killed my first deer when I was 6 off my dad’s lap.”

At his family’s ranch in Charlotte, named Eisenhauer after his mother, Newbury used to do wildlife management, always careful not to damage the herd.

He sold packaged hunts and guided a lot of hunters on deer and dove hunts.

This holiday season, Arche posted the custom made gun to Facebook with the words “Merry Christmas.” Since Newbury doesn’t look at Facebook that much, Arche finally had to tell Newbury to go check Facebook. When Newbury saw Arche’s post, he was almost in tears. Newbury visited Arche and his wife at Christ-

Newbury with one of his bucks before his accident

mas to tell them thank you.

Now, at 53, Newbury has been able to visit his friend’s property in Cotulla to go hunting for the first time since his accident three-and-a-half years ago. Arche and his father own the gun in a trust because it has a suppressor on it to cut down on the noise and the recoil. As the owner of the gun, Arche is always there with Newbury when he shoots it. –mh

The special gun, which is owned by Arche, features a camera for Newbury to see his target and aim, and a trigger that he can operate with his mouth since he does not have any strength in his fingers.

Bagging some quality redheads

S

tephen Faulstich, Quality Fasteners, and his buddies recently enjoyed a successful duck hunt – and a spectacular evening sky – in Port Aransas.

“My buddies and I ended up bagging five redhead drakes and one redhead hen,” says Faulstich. “Captain Aaron Mack

from Mack’s Guide Service took us out on his airboat to a blind among some mangroves. It was a beautiful day to end the 2015-16 duck hunting season.” –mh Photos by Lefty Ray Chapa

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

In memoriam James Wilson Srp III, 66, president of Better Built Enterprises, passed away Feb. 8. He was born Feb. 10, 1949 in Corpus Christi to James Wilson Srp II and Alice Mae Jones. He was lovingly raised by his father, Jim, and Eunice Marie Srp in Corpus Christi.

He attended Texas A&I in Kingsville and played football under Coach Gil Steinke. He played on the Javelina National Championship teams in 1969 and 1970.

With his own general contracting and design build firm in San Antonio, he had no plans to retire. He loved his work and the people with whom he worked.

He loved cars and built a collection, from classics to muscle cars to new cars.

He made friends throughout the U.S. and Canada visiting car shows, buying, showing, selling and trading.

His greatest joy was his family and grandchildren, whether he was driving his "gator,” teaching grandkids how to catch catfish in the Guadalupe River, cooking, collecting recipes, or playing a quick pick-up basketball game with his grandkids.

Survivors include wife of 45 years, Kimberly; their three children, Tracey, Michael and Matthew; nine grandchildren, Hannah, Hailey, Aiden, Crockett, Mary Michael, Eli, Cullen, Beckett and Ivy; his brother, Jeff Srp; and many nieces and nephews. –mh

W

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Pave wave

Evan, Edward, Ramon and Joe with Blackout Paving are enjoying a sunny day as they work repairing asphalt in a parking lot. –cw

Questions from the future members of the industry

hile the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry focuses on bringing in the next generation, several programs have emerged that are specifically geared towards educating high school students about the career opportunities available in these fields.

But what else do those students want to know? If each of them could ask a member of the AEC community one question, what would it be?

We asked students in the Builders Exchange of Texas’ Pre-Employment Architectural & Construction Exploration (PACE) Program to submit their questions, and then we passed those questions on to members of the AEC industry for answers. These are the responses we received.

Where did you start, and what college courses did you take? Did you make mistakes in college?

I come from a family of engineers. My father is an electrical engineer and my mother was a mechanical engineer.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in engineering.

While in high school, I focused on math and science classes and also took hand drafting electives. Hard to imagine, but there was life before AutoCAD and Revit. While attending college, I worked for my father’s consulting engineering firm in the summers. My responsibilities included CAD drafting, making site visits to water and wastewater treatment plants, and helping with some basic level electrical design. This experience furthered my interest in the MEP industry and ultimately led me to take a position in the engineering division of Marmon

Mok when I graduated from Texas A&M in 1994.

In college, I took several electives that were focused on the HVAC industry and I was involved with the student chapter of ASHRAE. While these activities helped prepare me for my first job, I still had a LOT to learn once I started.

My biggest mistake in college was my initial thinking that I could succeed in my college coursework with the same study habits I had relied on in high school. In high school, I was able to coast through most of my classes without much effort. I got a rude awakening my first year of college and realized that I needed to buckle down and prioritize my studies if I was going to succeed.

Wade Cleary, PE Managing Principal Cleary Zimmermann Engineers What motivates you when starting/ designing a new project?

FEAR!

Fear can be a very strong motivator. I suppose I’m exaggerating a bit, but it

seems like each time I start a new project I wonder if my work will live up to my client’s e x p e c t ati o ns .

Architecture is all about problem solving and every project has its own unique problems. This means that we architects have to always be looking for new solutions.

I recently participated in a conference sponsored by the Catholic Church where I met a liturgical artist and sculptor who shared the same experiences as I whenever she starts a new commission.

She referred to it as “the artist’s curse.” I laughed when I heard this, but there is a lot of truth to it. We all want to give our clients something that is unique to their needs, yet we wonder if we are up to the task. Somehow we succeed. It’s this “fear” within us that drives us to do better each time we start anew!

Jim Heck Senior Vice President Fisher Heck Architects What inspired you to do what you do?

I am a general contractor, which allows me to build things. My father always said to me if you do something you enjoy doing then you will be successful. When I was very young, I found a job with small concrete contractor. I could have found a

job working inside and not faced the cold winter or the hot summer, but I also enjoying being outdoors too.

It was always fun to get ready for a pour and have so many people working together. I then moved more into ground up building construction where I could participate in each phase of constructing a building. After almost 40 years, it is still fun to start up a new project. I believe I am successful because I love what I do. Thanks, Dad. Rick Smith President Keller-Martin Construction What is the most difficult part of the process of building?

The most difficult part of the process of building is managing the teams that build the project.

As a general contractor, we are responsible for hiring the people that put the building in place. This includes our own employees as well as other companies called specialty contractors.

At the construction site, you have multiple personnel, as well as in the office. Project managers and their assistants work to make certain that contracts are in place to get materials and crafts people to the projects when they are needed.

The specialty contractors are those companies that are very good at one aspect of construction. Each team uses the plans to know where to put their part of the work and the specifications to know the details of what they are to contribute to the project.

A successful general contractor is one who is able to successfully communicate and coordinate with all the different teams that it takes to build a building.

When everyone does their part and respects the work of the other teams, then all the teams win. The owner gets a well built building to serve his needs for years to come.

Lane Mitchell Vice President G.W. Mitchell Construction If you have a program that educates high school students on the trades or aspects of the AEC industry and you would like to submit questions from your students for members of the professional community to answer, please contact Mary Hazlett at saeditor@constructionnews.net or 210308-5800. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

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Page 17

Restoration to the rescue

The making of a Dielmann

The staff of 911 Restoration has come to the rescue of many homes and businesses that have suffered a disaster.

Some members of the J.W. Dielmann team have been with the company for more than half of its existence. L-R: Richard Hansel, design/engineering manager, with the company for 14 years; Matt Reilly, senior project manager, 17 years; James Dielmann, president; Andy Arellano, vice president, 20 years; Tony Walleck, service manager, 15 years; Aaron Pauli, senior project manager, 13 years

or Jesus Cardenas, the most rewarding part of owning 911 Restoration of San Antonio is seeing customer reviews that liken his team to superheroes, coming into a challenging situation to help the owners and end users get their lives – and properties – back on track.

The 911 Restoration crew rehabilitates properties after disasters such as a flood or fire have damaged them. The San Antonio office has three certified technicians, four helpers and two people in the office. The field team works on houses or businesses that have been flooded or burned, doing clean up, dry out and demolition. They also do mold removal.

Born in Mexico, Cardenas came to the U.S. in 1989. He started at 911 Restoration in California in 1991 as a helper, doing carpet cleaning and dry outs. He went to school and became certified and then worked as a technician. After becoming a field manager, he decided he

wanted to start his own franchise and chose San Antonio.

Since opening its doors in the Alamo City in April 2010, 911 Restoration has worked on several difficult jobs. At Martindale Army Base, his crew had to work in four feet of crawl space digging to repair a burst sewer line. On another challenging job, a hotel had fire sprinklers flood and damage three stories two days before the holidays. With more people hired to come in and help, the 911 Restoration crew was able to finish in two days and used extra equipment to ensure that no mold would grow.

Having earned his citizenship while in Texas, Cardenas lives in Schertz with his wife, Mariana, and their blended family of four children. He loves horses and owns a couple of racing horses. He and his family travel with the quarter horses to race them all over the region.

A nationwide company, 911 Restoration offers water and fire damage services as well as mold remediation. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

Personnel connection

L-R: Kenneth Trujillo; Jon Marek with his dog, Gracie; Marisa Hernandez and David Musquiz were all keeping very busy at MEMCO, where they provide their construction industry clients with skilled labor and other employees. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Building up the block

L-R: Hector Villarreal and John Turner, Rick Stone Masonry, lay split face block for the new Band Hall at Edgewood ISD’s Kennedy High School. General contractor F.A. Nunnelly Co. and architect Debra J. Dockery worked together on the design build project. The project manager is Kyle Wisniewski and the project superintendent is Patrick Nichols. The project is currently on schedule for fall of this year. –mh

H

aving celebrated the 20th anniversary of J.W. Dielmann Inc. last year, founder and president James Dielmann counts himself and his company as fortunate to have marked such a milestone.

Believing there are a lot of things in life more important than your job, such as God and family, Dielmann observes that your job has to be pretty important too, and because of that, he wants everyone, himself included, to enjoy what they do.

“We have a great group of employees, and I think we have a great group because if somebody doesn’t want to work here, we help them find a place they want to work right away,” says Dielmann. “We have and have always had a retirement plan and insurance. Those were two things that I always wanted but didn’t have working for somebody else.

So, we started that right away.”

After working for two other companies in the fire alarm business for 16

years, he struck out on his own with a client base that was very familiar with him, and today, a lot of his work comes from his clients’ repeat business. He began by working out of his house, having built a small office in his garage.

“It was a very smooth transition. I took out a line of credit with the bank that I never had to use,” he says. “I worked by myself for a year and then I hired my first employee, Andy Arellano, who has been with me for 20 years, and he’s now the vice president of our company.”

At 57, Dielmann and his wife, Donna, have two children and three grandchildren, and spending time with family is very important to them. He also loves the outdoors, going hunting and fishing as much as he can.

Founded in 1995, J.W. Dielmann Inc. sells, services and installs fire alarm systems as well as fire extinguishers. The company does jobs including remodels, high-rise renovation, medical office buildings and schools. –mh

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San Antonio 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

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 19

Winter chili in the air

T

he Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) hosted its annual Chili Cook-Off & Washer Tournament Jan. 29 at Raymond Russell Park. – mh Winners: Chili 1st: Corey Construction 2nd: Bella Vista Homes 3rd: JP Hart Lumber

Construction News ON LOCATION

Safety training in progress

Showmanship 1st: Mike Hollaway Custom Homes 2nd: DR Horton 3rd: SABOR Washer Winners 1st: Bella Vista Homes – Steve Louis and Tim Pruski 2nd: Michael Murphy, LP Building Products, and Chris Jergens, DR Horton 3rd: The Chesmarian Slingers and Ringers (Chesmar Homes) – Cody Moore and MJ Clausen

At Terracon’s San Antonio office, Jessica Anchondo-Chapa, health and safety specialist with Cintas, gave a training session on first aid and CPR to a dozen people from Ramco Drilling and Terracon’s internal staff. Terracon does these first aid safety training sessions on a regular basis for the engineering firm’s technicians and project managers so they will be aware of their surroundings while on the jobsite and so that if someone needs help, they will be able to help them. –mh

1st Place Chili

1st Place Showmanship

Master Builder Chili – Bella Vista Homes

People’s Choice – Chesmar Homes

Construction News ON LOCATION

The buzz on the board

David Herrera and Chelsea Peterson had quite a workload on the board at Baish Electric Company. Baish’s biggest current projects include a Davita in New Braunfels, an IDEA school in Monterrey Park and a U.S. Renal Center on San Saba. –mh

Page 20

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Events are at ABC office unless otherwise stated.

Mar. 10: Chili Cook-Off, Parking Lot across from ABC office; for more info, contact Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org Mar. 11: OSH730 Permit Required Confined Space Standard; for more info, contact Chris Preetorius at chris@abcsouthtexas.org Mar. 21-25: OSH222 Respiratory Protection; for more info, contact Chris Preetorius at chris@abcsouthtexas.org Mar. 25: OSH720 Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure for Healthcare Facilities; for info, contact Chris Preetorius at chris@ abcsouthtexas.org

AGC Associated General Contractors Events are at AGC office unless otherwise stated.

Mar. 7-9: Morgan’s Inspiration Island “Extreme Build,” Morgan’s Wonderland Mar. 9-11: AGC of America Convention; Grand Hyatt San Antonio; for more info: http://meetings.agc.org/convention/ Mar. 23: OSHA 10-Hour, 8:30am-5:30pm Mar. 24: OSHA 10-Hour, 8:30am-12:30pm Mar. 28: Annual Golf Tournament; The Club at Sonterra; 11am registration, 12:30pm shotgun; deadline for player entries: Mar. 23. For more info on playing or sponsoring, call Kelly at 210-349-4921. Leadership Academy, Week #1, 12:30-4:30pm Mar. 29: The Basics Module #1: Elements of Running a Successful Construction Business, 6-8pm

AIA

Hall, 420 E. Cesar Chavez; 6-11pm; gaming, food, DJ, prizes, open bar for beer/wine/ set-ups and BYOB, silent auction; individual entry $50, includes $2,000 gaming chips; sponsorships available: No Limit Sponsor: $1,500, Big Blind: $1,000, Small Blind: $400 For more info, contact Patty at admin@ hcadesa.org or call 210-444-1100

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors Events are at IEC office unless otherwise stated.

Mar. 7, 8: Motor Controls Class, 8am-5pm Mar. 14: Continuing Ed. Class, 5-9pm Mar. 19: 16th Annual Barbecue Cook-Off & Apprentice Competition, Helotes Festival Grounds, 10am-6pm Mar. 26: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, IEC Office, 8am-5pm Mar. 25: Good Friday, IEC offices and school closed For more info visit www.iecsanantonio. com or call 210-431-9861

MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.

Mar. 2: Regular & Associates meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Mar. 9: Labor/Management meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 11am Mar. 16: Joint Industry Fund meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Mar. 31: 22nd Annual Golf Tournament, SilverHorn Golf Club, 1:30pm shotgun start Apr. 6: TCCI Construction Career Day, Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall, 9am

American Institute of Architects

NAWIC

Mar. 3: Radiant Heating and Cooling Systems Continuing Education Program; AIA Center for Architecture, 1344 S. Flores St.; 11:30am-1pm; RSVP required Mar. 4: Images of Sustainability Photography Exhibition Opening; Rosella Coffee, 203 E. Jones Ave., #101; 11:30am-1pm Mar. 28: Monthly meeting; Luby’s, 911 N. Main Ave.; noon-1pm; no RSVP required For info on these events, visit www.aiasa.org

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

ASA American Subcontractors Association

Mar. 3: SubExcel, Miami, FL Mar. 10: 21st Annual Excellence in Construction Awards; Pearl Stable, 307 Pearl Pkwy; 6pm cocktails, 7pm dinner, 7:45 program; $95/guest, $950/table of 10, includes entertainment, cocktails and dinner; coat and tie requested, black tie optional; to RSVP, contact Jennifer at 210349-2105 or jennifer@asasanantonio.org Mar. 15: General Membership meeting, The Barn Door Restaurant Mar. 22: Lunch & Learn: Taxable Income, Padgett Stratemann Apr. 6: TCCI Event, Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall

CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt. Assn.

Mar. 22: Chapter Luncheon, Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels; 11:30am1pm, RSVP to Stephanie at stephanie. harms@padgett-cpa.com or 210-8286281, ext. 1575

GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.

Mar. 14, 21: OSHA 10-Hour Training, Course 2, $99/attendee, only 40 spots available Mar. 28: TAB Energy Code Update Training, $39 per attendee Apr. 1: NAHB Designation Course “Marketing and Sales for Building Professionals”; The Gunter Hotel; $149 NAHB members, $199 non-members

Mar. 2: General meeting/Industry Awards Night, Petroleum Club, 6-8pm Mar. 6-12: National WIC Week Mar. 8: Jobsite Tour, Pearl, Hotel Emma, 1pm, RSVP required Mar. 9: Lien Law Presentation Lunch and Learn; Urban Concrete office, 24114 Blanco Rd.; 11am-1pm Mar. 10: Career Day at CCA of NISD; Warren High School Construction Careers Academy, 9411 W. Military Dr.; 11:30am1:20pm; RSVP Required Mar. 11: Golf Tournament, Silverhorn Golf Club, 11am Mar. 12: Wine Down & Design Hard Hat & Safety Vest Decorating Day; Stray Grape, 16630 San Pedro Ave.; 3-6pm Mar. 26: Wounded Warriors Gardening Day; 8:30am-12:30pm; RSVP, base restrictions

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Mar. 1: Sporting Clay planning committee meeting, 11:30 Mar. 5, 19: Plumber’s Continuing Education classes, PHCC office Mar. 10: Commercial Fleet & Accessory Showcase; Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall; 3-7pm For more information on these events, visit www.phcc-sanantonio.org

SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Mar. 31: Annual Golf Classic; The Republic Golf Club; 1pm shotgun start; $125 per golfer, $25 per non-golfer; for more information, contact Debbie at 830-606-5556

SDA Society for Design Administration

Mar. 24: Monthly Chapter Luncheon; The Barn Door, 8400 North New Braunfels Ave.; noon – 1pm; topic is Health Insurance Requirements Update; for more info, email angelica@tejaspremierbc.com

HCA de San Antonio

TACCA

Hispanic Contractors Association

Tx. Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Mar. 8: Lunch & Learn Mar. 23: Monthly Meeting/Mixer; The Quarry Golf Club; 6-8pm; free/members, $10/non-members; Frost Bank – Fraudulent Payment Activity, MassMutual – 7 Major Concerns of Business Owners Apr. 1: Casino Night; St. Joseph’s Society

Mar. 24: Sporting Clay Shoot; National Shooting Complex; lunch 1pm, shoot 2pm; awards dinner immediately following; $135 per shooter, members may attend awards dinner at no charge (one attendee per member company); RSVP required; for info call Dawn at 210-901-4222

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 21

Leading the way for women

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s a member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) for nearly 30 years and having served on the national board for nearly a decade, Riki F. Lovejoy, president of RFL Consulting Solutions, is currently serving her term as the association’s national president.

Having worked in the insurance and hospitality industries, Lovejoy was searching for a different career path. At one time, she had worked as a temporary bookkeeper and secretary for a masonry subcontractor. The company’s vice president would take the office staff on “field trips” to the projects they were working on at the time, and Lovejoy was fascinated to see the projects coming out of the ground to become a building.

Feeling drawn to the construction industry, she found a receptionist position with a general contractor, starting at the bottom and aiming to work her way to the top while going to school. Two years later in 1987, she joined NAWIC’s Greater Orlando Chapter, drawn by a tuition reimbursement program the association offered at the time.

She immediately became actively involved, serving on the chapter board and spending three years as chapter president. Though NAWIC had to discontinue its tuition reimbursement program, she remained active with the association and continued her education, eventually earning her associate’s degree in construction technology and bachelor’s in business management with a minor in management information systems.

Meanwhile, she moved up in the construction company, and for about two years, she had her own small carpentry business, which did carpentry, con-

Riki F. Lovejoy, national president of NAWIC

crete, masonry and miscellaneous specialty installations.

In 2007, members of her NAWIC chapter approached her about running for director of what was then Region 3, Florida, which she did unopposed. In this new role, she saw a different view of the association and realized how much influence NAWIC could have on the industry, changing it for the better and encouraging more women to become a part of it.

With the goal of making a difference in the industry, as national president, Lovejoy aims to help the association adjust to the newly restructured eight regions, to help new millennial members see the value in NAWIC and the leadership skills it can provide, and to grow the association and its reputation as a professional organization.

Lovejoy is also president of her own construction management consulting firm, RFL Consulting Solutions, which she founded in Florida in 2001 and relocated to Texas in 2012. The company specializes in owner representation. –mh

Round-Up Ryan Bloom, Associate AIA, LEED GA, has joined Stantec as a designer. With more than four years of architectural design experience, he will apply his technical knowledge and past project coordination experience within the firm’s Texas Buildings Group. He earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture with a minor in construction management at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Yantis Company announces: Todd Compton is promoted to vice president of business development. He has been in the A/E/C industry for 20 years, having spent the last three years as a director with the company.

Mike Schaeffer is promoted to vice president of field operations. With the company since 2007, he will be responsible for the management of all the company’s field employees and equipment.

He is a graduate of UTSA. Moises Valadez is promoted to general manager-utility division. With Yantis since 2007 and with 20 years of experience in the construction industry, he has worked on high profile projects throughout San Antonio, including Dollar General and Alamo Ranch among others.

Sundt announced the following: John Carlson has assumed the role of corporate strategic business officer.

With the company for 33 years, he was the Texas district manager. In his new role, he will assist with strategic projects for building, heavy civil and industrial work throughout Texas and nationwide. He will continue to educate and advocate for the use of alternate project delivery methods and focus his efforts on national industry organizational involvement.

Eric Hedlund has returned to the state and taken on the role of Texas district manager. A longtime executive with the company for 29 years, he will lead the general contractor’s expansion in Texas just a few years after helping to establish its office in San Antonio in 2010. In addition to heading up Sundt’s offices in Fort Worth and San Antonio, he will be responsible for the overall performance of the district’s building projects, including acquiring and executing work.

Jorge A. Olivares, PE, has been promoted to San Antonio operations manager for HMG & Associates. He is responsible for all aspects of the day-today operations. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and he is currently a commissioned officer serving in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

continued from Page 1 — Fit for their family fitting that the company name is actually an acronym of their children’s first names: Maylin, 16; Avery, 6; Caleb, 14; and Kyleigh, 12.

There’s another acronym that is important in the operation of their company. Franklin notes that the company revolves around three values: family, integrity and teamwork, or FIT. He says that if your body is fit, you are in good shape, and “If your company is fit, you can go a long way.”

Having retired a military officer, Franklin also earned a bachelor of science from the University of CaliforniaRiverside and a doctorate of jurisprudence from California Western School of Law in San Diego. Growing up in San Diego, Franklin met Graves while in high

school, and the two have known each other for about 28 years. Born and raised in San Antonio, Mamie has focused on her and Franklin’s children and supporting her husband at MACK as the vice president.

Since its inception, MACK has done work at the AT&T Center and separately for the Spurs Organization. The company is also working at the Alamodome, in three residential communities, and on infrastructure work for the city.

MACK Construction Group is a construction, engineering and project management firm. The company specializes in demolition, site work, project management and facilities management services as well as general construction, both commercial and residential. –mh

continued from Page 1 — Fighting fires

Early on in his fire alarm career, Hannasch took his work to the level of community service, saying that after he moved to Bulverde in the early ‘80s, “I got on the volunteer fire department, because my thought process is here I am designing fire alarm systems. It would be nice to know how smoke moves around in buildings. It gave me insight on how fires progress and the nature of fires.”

Every summer, Texas A&M hosts municipal fire school at its campus called the Brayton Fire Training School, and the fire department sent Hannasch to the school for about four years and he also took some HAZMAT courses there.

While he was volunteering with the Bulverde Fire Department, the department progressed to include emergency medical services (EMS). Hannasch went

through EMT Basic and is now a paramedic on a volunteer basis with Bulverde Spring Branch Fire & EMS. He still volunteers and helps teach EMT Basic classes there.

For more than a decade, he’s also been a volunteer at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on the Medical Committee. His wife, Debbie Hannasch, FACS HR manager, is on the stock show and rodeo’s Raffle Committee. They have both served on boards for Bulverde Spring Branch, and Debbie is on the board for the American Subcontractors Association (ASA).

FACS does service, design and commissioning of fire alarm systems. The company offers design, monitoring, test and inspection services. –mh

continued from Page 1 — A hall fit for a congregation team had to truck water to the location for the site work.

Zuber notes that though every project has its challenges, this one went very well and rather smoothly. This was Zuber’s second project working with the owners and architect, and so, they worked very well together as a team.

With the property owned by the Archdiocese of San Antonio and operated by the local Catholic church, Zuber says he worked with owners representatives Alton Petsch and Steve Lipman as well as the Rev. Michael Boulette, the

founder of St. Peter Upon the Water. He notes that they expect a high level of quality, but were a pleasure to work with.

The superintendent on the project was George Slagle. The architect on the job was Fisher Heck Architects with principal architect Jim Heck and project architect Glenn McGuyre. The structural engineer was Lehmann Engineering.

MEP was ESA Mechanical & Electrical Engineering. Civil engineering was Jim Maxwell. The AV/acoustical consultant was BAi out of Austin.

Subcontractors on the project include Longhorn Site Work, Alamo Masonry Rock, Symm Welding for the structural steel, Jorge Adame for the rough framing, Limon Insulation & Acoustical Ceilings, Quality Roofing, Hill Door & Hardware, Samuels Glass, Johnny Brink’s Floor Store, JE Travis Painting, Burton Interiors for the acoustical panels, Klinger Specialties Direct for the toilet compartments and accessories, Hardin Plumbing, Trade-Mark HVAC, DW Electric, Freed & Barker Concrete Company, and Southwest Sound & Electronics for the AV.

Suppliers included Roddis Lumber & Veneer for the wood doors, Foxworth Galbraith for the lumber, Texas Timber Frames for wood trusses, Fredericksburg Custom Cabinets for the wood cabinets, and Weston Woodworking for the plastic laminate cabinets.

Established in 2003, Zuber Construction is celebrating its 13th anniversary this year. Working throughout the Hill Country, the general contractor primarily handles commercial work, including medical, retail and office buildings, camps and religious institutions, but has also done some highend residential projects. –mh Photos by Aaron Yates, KerrvillePhoto.com

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Page 23

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

Texas A&M University College Station, TX

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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

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Construction Education A supplier of safety knowledge John Calhoun, Branch Manager United Tool & Fastener San Antonio, TX

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ince United Tool & Fastener is a supplier, one might not think to turn to them for safety training, but the company has found great value in offering this type of construction education to its customers as well as its own sales staff.

As branch manager of United’s San Antonio location, John Calhoun notes that safety is a big part of their business.

With two safety specialists based in Houston, Charlie Gerston and Amy Ryan, United offers training through all three of their locations, either at the local branch or the customer’s location.

United Tool & Fastener offers free training sessions in fall protection, ladder awareness and inspections, and power tool safety. They also offer training for which they charge, including OSHA 10Hour and 30-Hour, first aid and CPR, flagging and rigging.

“It’s a service, and it builds loyalty and awareness,” says Calhoun. “It helps us do a better job for the contractors that

we deal with. If we can help them prevent an injury, everyone wins.”

The benefits of the supplier offering safety training to its customers include being able to offer training on the customer’s schedule and generally being able to accommodate their needs. If a customer needs training on a particular day and their own internal safety professional is busy at the time, they often reach out to United and they can typically do it.

In offering training, United Tool & Fastener benefits from being able to offer its customers valuable training that can help prevent on-the-job injuries and make the workplace safer for everyone.

Calhoun estimates that probably between 30 and 40 percent of his customers take advantage of the fact that United offers these various types of training.

This includes contractors from all areas of the industry, including concrete, forming and general contracting. He notes that

Hands-on training works Arash Rahmatian, Ph.D, P.Eng, Assistant Professor University of Houston (Downtown), Engineering Technology Department, Structural Analysis and Design Program Houston, TX

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ow have construction/engineering education and training changed over the years?

The projected percent change in employment from 2014 to 2024 is 8 percent while the average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

The reason is the variety in the construction and civil engineering industry that makes this field more prominent amongst other engineering fields.

The promising future of civil engineering is potential and tractability with other fields such as materials, chemistry, electronic, computer and mechanics that already lead to civionics specialty.

As we focus more on the construction industry, we determine more emphasis on optimizations: cost, weight,

energy, size, durability, and sustainability.

Application of computer and software on the other side has boosted this industry one step ahead of traditional construction.

Most of the education has been guided toward knowledge and research over new materials and utilizing, validating more laboratory tests.

How important is “hands on” training?

The latest research shows that students who build using the hands-on experiment had "a deeper understanding" of the concepts than the students who had lecture-based lessons. I believe building a concrete cylinder by following its correct steps in the lab makes memorizing the ratio of water to the cement or

virtually everyone they sell to owns a ladder and needs ladder inspections, and anybody who works at heights will need fall protection training, which is one of their most popular classes.

The supplier doesn’t only offer this expertise to its customers. United’s sales representatives also go for safety training.

“It’s just as important for our people to have the training as the contractor,” says Calhoun, noting that their outside and inside sales people know to ask certain questions and to identify certain opportunities to get the safety specialists involved.

“I don’t think you call sell somebody something that you don’t know anything about,” he adds. “If someone were trying to sell me something, and I perceived that they don’t know anything, how can they tell me I need it? They don’t know. At least, we have some basic knowledge.”

United is part of the Evergreen Marketing Group, a network of supply houses from across the U.S. and Canada, and Calhoun explains that the group aims to train outside salespeople about tools, anchors and everything they sell, and in the last 10 years, safety has been a big focus.

Evergreen offers 10-hour safety courses for salespeople as well as a course every October addressing confined space.

“Our people get to experience rescuing and working in towers and tanks,” he

says. “I would think most salespeople have no clue what it’s like to work in a tunnel and would not know how to get somebody out if there was a problem.

That class is only offered once a year, and we always have somebody in it.”

He continues, “Most all of our outside reps have OSHA 10s and OSHA 30s behind them. Right now, all of our outside people are going through the first aid and CPR course, because they’re on jobsites too, and there may come a day – and I hope not – when they need to perform [first aid or CPR].”

Though the safety specialists are not on site to sell, their demonstrations on fall protection and other safety training illustrate the importance of a harness that is in safe condition as well as other types of supplies United sells. The value of teaching safety and proper use of the proper supplies can translate to sales of those supplies from salespeople who are knowledgeable about the products’ impact, especially when it comes to safety, in the field.

United also does safety demonstrations at various events, including inhouse showcases and the Construction Career Day for local high school students.

United Tool & Fastener is based in Houston with branch locations in San Antonio and College Station. John Calhoun has been branch manager of the San Antonio location for about 13 years now. –mh

total volume of aggregates or volume of any supplementary material much easier than looking at a collection of numbers.

In any aspect, civil engineering is more tangible than other engineering fields, which makes it more attractive.

What are some of the areas of study?

Asset integrity monitoring with application of sensor, image processing, pre-cast tilt up walls, light weight concrete, acoustic concrete and fire resistance remediation.

What opportunities for construction/ engineering education are available at the University of Houston-Downtown?

In the engineering department, the faculty tries to involve students more in practical experiments, real industrial challenges and solutions, and innovative projects through building a real sample.

Here at UHD we spend more time with students in smaller size teams which lead to higher productivity and results.

New concrete lab and equipment and continuous link to American Concrete Institute (ACI) helps to keep our students updated in the latest concrete and material technology. Application of sensor in the construction industry, which is a new knowledge and image processing via 3D camera, is taught to the students and our annual workshop in structural health monitoring (SHM), which is very unique in this field and strengthens our department level of knowledge and abilities.

What are ways to attract young people to the construction/engineering industry?

I had the chance to teach to the gifted-talented students last semester about civil engineering. For the first day, instead of talking or showing videos, I took them to the concrete lab and asked them to make their own concrete sample and cast it in an ashtray form of maple leaf.

Then they decorated it with marble.

On the second day, I asked them to measure difference in the level of the building and then they worked with analysis software demo.

At last, unanimously, they found civil engineering as their desired future job with certainty. It means that hands on training always works for any level of audience. We just have to design our plan to be comprehensive and smart. –ab

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

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Page 25

Charming

ven though some people won’t have the luck of the Irish on their side this St. Patrick’s Day, many of us have a little bit of luck we keep in our pockets, on our keychains, or on our desks. Some items seem to have good luck and others just have good memories or connotations, so we keep them close. We asked to see some of your good luck charms, and here are some of the unique items members of the construction community sent in response. –mh

“[This] is a picture of a 1928 Silver Certificate one of my grandparents gave me when I was younger. I lost my grandparents when I was very young, so I keep this on me all the time as good luck and a reminder of them.”

Casey A. Sierer, Terracon Billy Southwell,The Southwell Company, has this pocketknife that he received from his grandfather when he was 8 years old.

As was customary, his grandfather did not just give him the pocketknife; he asked Billy if he had a nickel. Billy handed him a nickel and said, “But it has your initials on it.” His grandfather told him,“No, those are your initials.” And Billy has carried it over 50 years.

When Scott Southwell, Billy’s brother, also The Southwell Company, was asked about his good luck charm, he simply produced this pocketknife of his own.

“This is one of my grandfather’s dog tags from WWII that I have carried on my keychain since the late ‘90s when my grandmother gave it to me after he passed away. He was in the U.S. Navy and stationed at Pearl Harbor when they were attacked by the Japanese, Dec. 7, 1941.

That morning he got up early to go to a church service despite being out late the night before with all of his buddies. They decided to sleep in instead of going to church, and he ended up losing almost all of them in the attack that day. This is a later tag than the ones he wore that day but it is marked with a ‘C,’ which means he was a Christian. It kept him safe that day so I figure it will help keep me safe too. My wife and I also had our first child on Dec. 7, so I know there is something special about it.”

Stephen Faulstich, Quality Fasteners

“I have a key chain that I have had for a long time. It is handmade by my uncle, carved deer horn that looks like a duck head. It is pretty cool.”

Jon Marek, MEMCO

“My lucky charm is a little monkey named ‘What.’ It’s the year of the monkey for the Chinese New Year… Good things are coming!”

Reyne Foley, Biela Glass

Anthony Heye Jr., Planet Pickup, says that this was something his wife, Nanette, and daughter, Kindall, gave him shortly after opening Planet Pickup. He keeps it with him all the time.

Belen Aguilar, PBK Architects, purchased this Armenian spinning top while in Iran for her wedding. Though she does not know the individual who made it, she provided this explanation behind it: “Quartz are believed to have mystical healing powers. Once you hold one, the quartz absorbs your energy and purifies it. The spinning top is a metaphor for balance. The spin finds its balance by continuously spinning and never stopping. It gives us this moral: one will be in balance as long as one remains in motion. This particular Armenian spinning top was hand crafted by the son of one of the few survivors from the Armenian Genocide during WWI. His father fled from the Soviet Union and immigrated into Isfahan, Iran as a war refugee.”

“Wristband my grandmother gave me over 10 years ago. My grandmother was a die-hard Longhorns fan.”

Brad Beldon Beldon Roofing Company “My good luck charm is the number 3. I use it in all my bids to help me get them.

Sometimes, I use a couple of them in the final numbers to give me extra luck! One of the reasons my favorite number is 3 is that is the day I was born in October.

[Also,] the Holy Trinity is: God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Ghost.”

Anita Kegley, Kegley, Inc.

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

Running the stock show

Submitted to Construction News

Little scrapper

Members of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s Hall of Fame Committee L-R: (front row) Jane Merritt; Ora Ann Strey; Jolene Weichold; Pamela Scribner; Sharon Wong; (back row) Scarlet Tate; Kenneth Moore, chairman; Frank Dodson; Kathy Waclawczyk

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At only 20 months old, little Anne Marie Newell Triesch, daughter of Justin Newell Triesch, just cannot wait to dive into her daddy’s business, River City Steel & Recycling.

Those feet have a long way to go before they can reach the pedals, but she’s ready to practice steering. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Teams you can take to the bank

very February, Kenneth Moore, owner of KCM Cabinets, relocates to an RV park near the AT&T Center grounds, living out of a trailer for the month while performing his duties as a chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

“I make that choice because of being the chairman, being there everyday, overseeing the Hall of Fame building,” says Moore. “And I am blessed with having wonderful volunteers working under me.”

He points out that the month-long event’s impact on the City of San Antonio is more than $200 million in revenue. With 43 committees running the show, he estimates that there are roughly 6,000 volunteers, all unpaid, who come together at the same time every year to help make the stock show and rodeo a success.

The Hall of Fame Committee honors those volunteers. A volunteer is someone in their first two years of volunteering with the exposition, and after two years, volunteers become lifetime members and are recognized as committeemen.

Having always worked under the Hall

of Fame Committee, Moore began volunteering in 2001, became a director eight years ago, and became a chairman four years ago. Overseeing the Hall of Fame Committee and its approximately 50 volunteers, Moore and his team begin preparing for the show in August.

The committee hosts a Hall of Fame induction ceremony and runs the Hall of Fame building at the show, something Moore notes very few rodeos have. The committee also does fundraising events, including a fajita lunch, serving about 250 plates, and this year, they raised around $1,200 for the Rodeo Ticket Committee, which they use to send Wounded Warriors to the rodeo. They also did a fundraiser for “empty saddles,” creating scholarships in the name of life members or volunteers who have passed away in the previous year.

Moore adds that he got involved with the rodeo because of its history and to help the kids.

“This year, we committed a little over $12 million in scholarships to our youth in Texas,” he said. –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

An illuminating inventory

L-R: Flo-Aire Mechanical works on the HVAC system while Triple R Electric installs the light fixtures for the main lobby of the future Bank of San Antonio on 410. Metropolitan Contracting is the GC. Reginald Burke and Troy Moul are the superintendents on the job, and John Franklin is the project manager. The project is expected to be substantially complete by mid-June. –mh

The showroom is bright with lighting fixtures of all kinds at Lighting Inc. on Blanco Road. L-R: E.T. Trevino, manager; Jourdin Ivey, receptionist; Analicia Hernandez and Mary Ann Zimmerle, sales; Maria Castillo, office manager; Ashley Holladay, executive assistant –mh

Construction News ON LOCATION

Preparing for things to heat up

L-R: Bruce Saldana, Brian Wilson, Jim Gandy, counter sales, and William Richardson were in the warehouse as Johnstone Supply, a supplier of heating, air conditioning, appliances and motors, prepared its inventory for summer, the busiest time of year. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016

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At their service

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Grapevine digs in

L-R: Fred Rodriguez, Jesus Martinez, Max Rodriguez, George Strickland and Paul Juarez, Grapevine Group Concrete Contractors, were excavating on the site of a new 12,000-sf tilt-wall project that will be a medical building with lease space. Grapevine is doing all the concrete and site work, including the beams and tilt-wall panels. Drash Contracting is the GC on the job, which started in mid-January. David Byrd is the superintendent, and Andy Drash is the project manager. –mh

Submitted to Construction News

Leaving their marker

In honor of the 150th anniversary of The Southwell Company, which has made all of the Texas historical markers, the company received a historical marker of its own Jan. 27 at Maverick Park. The company received the Texas Treasured Business Award at the marker’s dedication. L-R: Billy and Scott Southwell with their father W.P. Southwell Jr. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Framing station

L-R: Yoshi Kanagusico and Kasu Kanagusico, L&H Contracting Inc., frame the interior light gauge stud walls for the City of San Antonio Fire Station 32 located in the Medical Center. F.A. Nunnelly Co., the GC on the project, has successfully completed multiple fire stations for the City of San Antonio. The project manager is Blaine Beckman, and the project superintendent is David Sonnen. Construction is scheduled to be completed this summer. –mh

L-R: Terry Morrell, Sundt senior vice president/Texas district manager Eric Hedlund and Jon McKelvain

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undt Construction has a new ranking: The general contractor has been designated as a “Military Friendly Employer” by Victory Media, which publishes G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse.

Companies competed for the designation and were selected based on their military recruiting efforts, percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs for veterans and their company policies on National Guard and Reserve Service. Sundt consistently shows commitment to employing military talent, whether they are active duty, military spouses or veterans. The company also connects with the armed forces via recruitment and training organizations, its website and social media platforms.

The honor comes as no surprise to Jon McKelvain, Sundt’s preconstruction manager for the Texas district, and senior project superintendent Terry Morrell, who both work in the company’s San Antonio office.

McKelvain, who served more than five years in the Navy as a general aviation officer aboard the USS Nimitz and as an officer on the USS Warrior, started his Sundt career in 2010 as a senior estimator.

“There is a strong tie between Sundt and the military that is based on our long history of working together,” he says.

“The company supports the military

community in many ways, from building projects to community service work specifically focused on service members and their families. Once I came on board at Sundt, I met a lot of veterans. I also came across quite a few people who serve in the reserves that don’t have any problems getting time off to fulfill that commitment. Sundt is fully supportive of it.”

Morrell, who served in Vietnam as an aviation ordnanceman and third class petty officer, was in charge of aircraft and pilots in LeMoore, CA, with his last duty being VA122 squadron. He joined Sundt nearly 10 years ago.

“It became apparent to me that Sundt construction was very big on hiring veterans and acknowledging veterans within the company,” Morrell says. “Every Veterans Day, they’ll send a companywide email acknowledging veterans within the Sundt family. And I would dare say that every veteran within Sundt has a sticker on his or her hardhat that says ‘Sundt’s Military Veterans Still Serving America.’ There was a project where they put up a huge American flag on the job and it made the news.

“There’s a good sense across the company, a great appreciation for the military for the service it provides to the country as a whole,” Morrell adds. “That’s felt throughout the company.”

Sundt, now in its 126th year, has Texas offices in San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso. –mjm

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San Antonio Construction News • Mar 2016