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Volume 15

Number 5

MAY 2016

GarzaBury LLC is Garza EMC

Rocking the pool scene

The Garza EMC team seems to be growing daily as the firm has enjoyed an early success and growth.

Boomer Block and Nikki Kay stand on a grotto RockStar Design Studio designed and built. The grotto seats 10-12 people.

hen Rudy Garza retired as assistant city manager from the City of Austin after 23 years, he wanted to venture into some type of engineering or construction career. With more than 25 years of experience in project management and the delivery of major capital projects, Garza had conversations with several of the companies he had worked opposite to during his stint with the city. During a conversation with Paul Bury, Bury Inc., the two realized that they could help each other and in 2012, GarzaBury LLC was born in a mentor-protégé type relationship with Bury Inc. “When I was with the city, a big part

of my responsibility was infrastructure and I had several opportunities to work opposite the Bury team. I got to know them very well,” Garza says. Now, with their early success, GarzaBury has rebranded and will be proceeding as Garza EMC, an engineering and management consulting firm. Garza is president and CEO. Mainly a site development and water/ wastewater utilities firm, Garza EMC is currently working on the redevelopment project at Ft. Sam Houston, the Dell Medical School and Seton Teaching Hospital at the University of Texas campus, the integrated continued on Page 14

oomer Block and Nikki Kay joined forces to open RockStar Design Studio in October 2014. Together, they renovated an old house in Cedar Park and have turned it into a one-of-akind, over-the-top home for presenting their pools and outdoor living designs. The studio is not only well known for its uber personalized luxury pools and fine outdoor living designs, but also for pool houses, landscaping, tree houses, hardscapes and more. Kay is originally from Brooklyn, NY but moved to the Austin area as a child and says she has grown to be a true Austinite. Block grew up in Houston and has been working in the pool and construc-

tion industry for 32 years. He moved to Austin to challenge himself with the local topography for his unique designs. “He’s a master designer and master builder,” Kay says. “Everything we do comes from his mind and on to paper. Nothing is generated from a computer. It is all personalized to each individual client. “ Kay, who is the business backbone to the company and makes sure that end of the operation is running smoothly, says she met Block seven years ago and they’ve been the best of friends since. “He started teaching me about his line of work,” she says. “I became seriously interested in it and now absolutely love continued on Page 14

Fired up

moke from barbecue restaurants in Austin has made the news recently, even spurring the Austin City Council to consider a proposal to regulate smoke wafting from barbecue joints in Aug. 2015. And even though the city council ultimately decided not to pursue the proposal, Terry Wooten, owner of a new Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que on Congress Ave., took preemptive action, according to Matt Haralson, G. Creek Construction, the general contractor on the project. “Besides the legendary Cooper’s name and the interior finishes, we installed a first of its kind in Austin scrubber system for the four large smoke fired pits,” says Haralson, who owns G. Creek with his brother John Haralson. “Barbecue smoke has been in the news a lot in Austin recently, so Cooper’s decided to be proactive and install a system that takes almost all the particles and odor

out of the exhaust. While too expensive for use by most barbecue joints, the size and customer volume of this Cooper’s made it feasible.” The project cost approximately $3,300,000 and took 10 months, completing on Dec. 17, 2015. Project manager was John Haralson and Shane Luckie, superintendent was Juan Pineda and architect was Kevin Stewart. The scope of the 13,000-sf project included complete demolition and remodel of an 1800’s masonry building. G. Creek added a steel structure, second floor, reframed existing trusses and walls, installed new concrete floors, reclaimed wood throughout, elevator, deck, new roofs, kitchen, pit rooms, dining, bathrooms, walk-in coolers, all new MEP and underground utilities, and a new fire sprinkler and fire alarm. Working in downtown Austin with a Inside a historic masonry building in downtown Austin is the new Cooper’s BBQ.

continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • May 2016

Closer to the action

Nick Bowlin, branch manager, is leading the way for JF&A’s new office in Austin, heading up the company’s existing projects in the area as well as taking on new ones.

ith a lot of business in the Austin area, San Antonio-based Jim Filipowicz & Associates (JF&A) decided it was time to open an office in the state capital. With approximately 15 to 20 projects going in the Austin area at the time, JF&A opened its office at 3913 Todd Lane, Suite 305, in January, and the company has added more projects since the establishment of the branch. Jim Filipowicz, owner and CEO, notes that the company has sought daily jobs to stay more local in the disaster restoration business, and about half of that business is in Austin. The constant traveling was hard on JF&A’s employees and vehicles, and a lot of productivity was lost as they spent about four hours a day on the road. Filipowicz called opening an office there “a no-brainer.”

The office location was strategically chosen to allow JF&A to get people, materials and equipment up to Austin from San Antonio as quickly as possible. Filipowicz estimates that he can get from the San Antonio headquarters to the Austin office in about an hour. Two members of the JF&A team relocated to Austin to operate the office, which is in a flex space, just like JF&A’s first office was in San Antonio. Nick Bowlin manages the Austin office. A graduate of University of Texas at San Antonio, Bowlin majored in construction science and has been with JF&A for three years. Filipowicz notes that with technology making it easy to share info between San Antonio and JF&A’s first branch office, this new location should improve service and response for its Austin jobs. He says, “It makes us a better company, but I also think it makes a better experience for our clients.” JF&A is a restoration construction company that does mostly commercial work and focuses on restoring properties from damage following disasters such as fires, hurricanes and hailstorms. –mh

Austin

CONSTRUCTION NEWS Austin Editor AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net 210-308-5800 Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.constructionnews.net

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyndi Wright Admin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lacie Cortez Production Manager . . . . . . . . . Sue Johnson Marketing Director . . . . . . . Leslye Hernandez Sales Representative . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge If you are a construction-related company in Travis, Hays,Bastrop, Burnet, Blanco, Caldwell or Williamson counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Austin Construction News, please call for a Requester Form, or visit our website. The Austin Construction News (ISSN 15477630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Austin Construction News, and distributed by mail to constructionrelated companies of record in Austin and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba Austin Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.

Austin Construction News • May 2016

Page 3

Meant to rent

Sending their top techs

our HOLT CAT technicians won a state competition and traveled to Little Rock, AR to represent the heavy equipment dealer in the 2016 Tech Wars, a four-day competition with other Caterpillar heavy equipment dealers. From the Machine Division, Jarrett Payton, field service technician tech 5, San Antonio, took first place at the state level, and Autry Adams, field service technician tech 2, Longview, took second. From the Power Systems Division, Alan Lindow, shop service technician

tech 6, Longview, took first place at the state level, and Vince Jones, lead technician, Longview, took second. The four state winners participated in three rounds of completion at the local, regional and state level against 400 of their HOLT CAT peers. This is the first year HOLT CAT competed in Tech Wars, and the company plans to expand the competition in coming years to include its Transport, Ag, Crane, and Electric Power divisions. –mh

The Buda branch of We Rent It opened in 2014.

riginally owned and operated as Allied Equipment Rentals, We Rent It (WRI) began in Bryan, TX when then-owner Charles Mancuso acquired that Allied location in 2001. For nine years, WRI operated under the management of Allen Housley until it was acquired by Cobra Equipment Rentals in 2010. The WRI name, Housley, and the entire family of WRI employees were retained. Housley is head of operations for all stores. Grant Dillon is district manager. “We Rent It strives to provide the best customer service for any project one may need to accomplish,” says Hal Hawkins, director of marketing. “We Rent It ensures the best products are available to rent and purchase and quick and reliable responses are made to any service needs.” WRI opened a new store in 2012 in Pleasanton, added three new stores in 2013 by acquiring Derrick Equipment Rental’s locations and assets in Caldwell,

Bastrop, and Elgin, and expanded to two more stores in 2014, acquiring Longhorn Equipment Company’s assets and locations in Buda and Schertz. According to Hawkins, the stores and employees sponsor a cook-off competition, as well as baseball teams, fairs and rodeos in the specific locations. Roland Duran started with WRI in January 2014 as branch manager in Bastrop and now in the company’s Buda location. There are 15 employees. He says he knows repeat customers are the backbone to his business. “We try to meet their expectations and needs as best as possible,” he says. “Taking care of them means returning customers.” After a career in freight and trucking, Duran says he wanted a fresh start in a new industry. “WRI is a great company and even better people,” he says. –cw

Machine Division state contestants L-R: Howard Schram, Steven Pinkerton, Jonathan Morrow, Autry Adams, Jarrett Payton, Grady Trainor, Paul Boubel

Power Systems Division state contestants L-R: Keven Leon, James Pardaen, Vince Jones, Alan Lindow, Ben Gallo, Wade Nagel

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Austin Construction News • May 2016

It’s time to redevelop middle management development

OSHA adopts new rule to protect workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica

Andy Ray, Principal PFK Texas Houston, TX

Stan Gregory Insurica San Antonio, TX

ost people in the construction industry are familiar with silica dust. This is the dust that is produced when drilling or cutting certain materials, such as concrete or stone. The negative effects of this dust have been well documented since the 1930s, but OSHA’s previous exposure limits did not adequately protect workers. This much needed new rule will curb silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease in America's workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica. The new rule has separate standards for construction and general industries. OSHA estimates about 2.3 million workers face exposure to silica dust at work, including 2 million construction workers and 300,000 workers in manufacturing facilities, foundries, and energy production. It is estimated that the new rule will save more than 600 lives and 900 new cases of silicosis annually. In addition to this fantastic improvement, OSHA also estimates that the new rule will provide a financial benefit of about $7.7 billion per year. In addition to reducing the allowable exposure limit for silica dust, the rule includes employer requirements such as limiting worker exposure through work practices and engineering controls, providing respiratory protection when controls are insufficient, training workers, limiting their access to high exposure areas, and providing medical exams to highly exposed workers. Most employers can limit harmful dust exposure by using equipment that is widely available – generally using water to keep dust from getting into the air or a ventilation system to remove it from the air. OSHA is also providing additional assistance through their free on-site consulting services for small businesses. As this rule goes into effect, specific materi-

als will be made available directly from OSHA. Insurance Pro Tip: many insurance carriers offer compliance and testing services for construction clients. Most of the time, you have to ask for these services directly, so check with your insurance carrier to see if any free services are available. OSHA defines the key provisions of this new rule as follows: • Reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift. • Requires employers to: use engineering controls (such as water or ventilation) to limit worker exposure to the PEL; provide respirators when engineering controls cannot adequately limit exposure; limit worker access to high exposure areas; develop a written exposure control plan, offer medical exams to highly exposed workers, and train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures. • Provides medical exams to monitor highly exposed workers and gives them information about their lung health. • Provides flexibility to help employers — especially small businesses — protect workers from silica exposure. The compliance schedule for this rule will begin to take effect on Jun. 23, 2016. Businesses involved in the construction industry will have one year to become fully compliant. General industries will have two years. Stan Gregory is a Safety and Risk Consultant and a leader on INSURICA’s Risk Management team. He has more than three decades of experience working with loss control, safety planning, and risk management for clients within the construction and energy industries. He can be reached at 210-805-5915 or sgregory@INSURICA. com.

ecently, I polled a group of 200 executives and owners of mid-market companies. The question was this, “How many of you have a formal development program for your middle managers?” Only two people, or one percent of the group, acknowledged such a program. It should be no surprise then that when this same group of executives was asked if their middle managers had driven a significant and sustainable result into their businesses in the last 90 days, the answer was a collective sigh and a frustrated, “no.” The performance disconnect here is clear - executives and owners are consistently dissatisfied with their middle management’s ability to change business results in a meaningful way, and yet there is little being done programmatically to change that dissatisfaction. This performance disconnect is occurring while “millennials,” the most educated generation to hit the workforce in the history of our nation, are rapidly back filling the middle management ranks being vacated by baby boomers that are hitting retirement age at the rate of 11,000 people a day (a demographic trend that will continue through 2030). Executive and ownership’s reflexive response to this performance disconnect is to blame the millennials for the characteristics that define that generation. This shortcut prescription for middle management underperformance is a misread, and we are long overdue for a reframing of the discussion. Hiring smart people and hoping they will “figure it out” is not middle management development. And yet, that is the predominant middle management development methodology used in mid-market companies today. The root of the frustration between executives and the middle managers that are trying to keep them happy is not generational; it is developmental. Mastery in middle management, (the ability to create a significant and sustainable results change), is developed the same way mastery in music, or golf, or carpentry is mastered: through a broad range of experiences over time. The path to middle management mas-

tery, then, is not so much about exploring an unending supply of domain knowledge, but rather digging in and working through real business results change challenges in a tactile way. “Applied Development” is the programmatic response to this managerial challenge that delivers both a high ROI to the sponsoring business and a path to mastery for the middle manager that participates in it. In an “Applied Development” model, middle managers journey toward mastery through solving real performance challenges in the business they are in in repetitive iterations over time. A successful “Applied Management Development” program rests on four pillars: 1) Guidance: Senior peer guidance is critical in any middle management development program. This is where real tactical knowledge transfer can occur. 2) Technique: Lean, Six Sigma, and Design Thinking are all techniques that today’s middle managers need in their problem solving toolkit and “Applied Management Development” supplies training in these techniques. 3) Structure: Real deliverables in tight timeframes assure that development cycles deliver a sustainable ROI to the sponsoring company. 4) Practice: Applied development creates a framework for middle managers to practice their craft repetitively and in different types of management challenge scenarios. It is not a one-time fix but, rather, a change in management process. Taken together as a programmatic approach, the four pillars of “Applied Management Development” deliver middle management capability improvement that can drive sustainable and meaningful change into a business in as little as 90-days, and change the way middle managers work forever. Andy Ray is a principal with the Entrepreneurial Advisory Service Practice at PKF Texas. Contact him at (713) 860-1400 or aray@pkftexas.com.

Austin Construction News • May 2016

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Texas-sized acquisitions Practical tips for limiting discovery costs in construction litigation Jessica Neufeld Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr Dallas, TX

itigation isn't the first thing on the mind of most construction companies when considering their information technology infrastructure. However, how an organization stores and manages its data can have a major impact on the overall cost of complying with preservation obligations related to lawsuits. When litigation arises, parties are obligated to take good faith and reasonable measures to preserve unique data potentially relevant to the case. For the construction industry, this can range from emails and other forms of communication, to CAD, scheduling and accounting files, as well as hard copies of the plans and specifications, RFIs and submittals. There are several ways a company can structure data to limit discovery costs without adversely affecting its business functions. Below are some practical data management suggestions construction companies should consider implementing to limit potential discovery costs: Avoid storing data on individual computer hard drives If each employee stores work on their individual computer hard drive, when it comes time to preserve and collect in litigation, relevant data may need to be collected from each computer separately. This is a time- and labor-intensive process that also will likely result in a substantial amount of duplicate data. This results in more data to cull through when it comes time to review and produce to the opposing party, which means greater discovery costs for the company. In contrast, if employees maintain their work on a shared server, preservation and collection of that data can likely be performed just once on that server. This benefits the company by keeping collection costs down, limiting the chance of spoliation (the more individual collections you need to perform, the greater the chance of technical issues or that relevant data is missed) and streamlining the review and production process. Though it is still best practice to interview key employees to determine whether they’ve saved work on their individual hard drives, having a policy in place instructing employees not to do so, and which the company can back up with regular compliance audits, will help to further ensure it can rely on shared storage locations for litigation data collections. Utilize an email archive An email archiving system captures email content in a central location, while storing and indexing the emails for easy searchablity in the future. This type of product enables a company to reasonably limit the amount of email storage per user while providing employees quick and easy access to archived material. Maintaining a centralized and searchable database of company emails makes it easier to isolate, preserve and collect the emails of key employees when

litigation arises. In addition, it enables more consistent preservation by centralizing the process instead of relying on individual users to manage their email archives themselves. Be mindful of electronic communications, beyond emails Do employees utilize instant messaging software or text messaging? These forms of electronic communication have value for companies as they enable employees to communicate efficiently with colleagues, clients or customers, which can be crucial in the field. At the same time, they each generate additional potentially relevant data that may need to be produced in litigation. In addition, especially with respect to mobile technologies, they may pose unique security risks. Prior to implementing such tools, weigh the value of their use with the potential for related litigation costs. Bring IT, legal and other relevant stakeholders to the table for an informed analysis. Furthermore, develop policies regarding use and retention of this data to help mitigate discovery costs. If these technologies are already in use, it is not too late to consider revisions to current policies and protocols to minimize discovery costs and improve data security. Jessica Neufeld practices general commercial litigation with a significant focus on construction litigation and counseling on behalf of contractors, developers and design professionals. She has both defended and asserted claims of breach of contract, negligence, professional negligence, DTPA, fraud and mechanic's liens foreclosure. Jessica is also a member of Munsch Hardt's eDiscovery task force. In that capacity, she advises clients and other attorneys on cost-effective and defensible strategies for the preservation, collection, processing, review and production of electronic information. jneufeld@munsch.com www.munsch.com

ith two acquisitions, Stantec has doubled its size in Texas. The North American design firm acquired both the Infrastructure Americas Division of KBR last December and multidisciplinary firm Bury Inc. in March. With Texas offices in Dallas, Austin and Houston as well as an office in Alabama, Infrastructure Americas has added 180 professionals (120 which are in Texas) with transportation, water/wastewater and aviation project experience to the Stantec team. The acquisition of the division will strengthen Stantec’s presence in Texas and enhance its infrastructure design capabilities in the Gulf region. Austin-based Bury Inc. boasts 300-employees in offices in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, as well as locations in Arizona and Florida. The firm, which has been in business for more than 30 years, offers infrastructure and buildings design services to private and public sector clients. Bury Inc. focuses on civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing design and structural engineering, as well as surveying, land planning and landscape architecture. The Bury acquisition will help Stantec gain a foothold in the transportation, water and architectural markets, as well as contribute to staff growth. Stantec plans to benefit from Bury’s wealth of experience in community development, as well as the experience of Bury’s staff. Bury officially becomes “Stantec” in September, but will be referenced as “Bury, now Stantec” in the interim, and will continue to operate in Bury’s current offices.

Stantec’s Regional Gulf Leader Fermin A. Diaz

Fermin A. Diaz, Stantec’s Regional Gulf Leader, believes both acquisitions promise to be a good fit for Stantec. “The asset purchase in December 2015 of KBR’s Infrastructure Americas Division, coupled with the recent Bury Inc. acquisition, reflects Stantec’s commitment to provide a comprehensive and diverse level of services to meet the challenges and needs of our clients,” Diaz says. “Both firms complement Stantec’s philosophy to ‘design with community in mind.’ The addition of this talent to our current Texas team provides us the opportunity to expand multi-disciplined services and offer a full suite of professional services from local, trusted partners.” Stantec offers professional consulting in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management and project economics. –mjm

Construction News JOB SIGHT

For the floors

Alex Betancourt with JD Krane, a flooring and tile company based in Pharr, is installing flooring at the Oaks of Kyle multi-family project in Kyle. The GC on the project is FJW Construction. The project includes 204 luxury apartments, plus a clubhouse, and is expected to be finished by Aug. 1. –cw

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Austin Construction News • May 2016

one on. Life was challenging. We didn’t have money, but we learned to stick together. He devoted his entire life to making sure we would be successful. He stressed that it is always family and each other first. He insisted we work here during the summer and on our school breaks. We got good at doing scaffolding. We learned hard work, determination and discipline. We developed a relationship with our mom as we got older. She’s extremely intelligent, and very creative.

Chris Kelley, President/CEO

Jeff Kelley, Vice President/Sales Manager

Amber Kurkowski Vice President Bilt Rite Scaffold/Bilt Rite Insulation

hris and Jeff Kelley, brothers and new owners of Bilt Rite Scaffold, were a little surprised when they realized that the company that was established in 2006 had hit its 10th anniversary in April. Chris and Jeff bought the company in August 2015. Born in Germany and raised by their father, Charles Kelley, both Chris and Jeff give all the credit to their father for the success they are finding as business owners today. Where did you grow up? Chris: We were raised in the Austin area. We went to San Marcos High School. Were you active in sports or other activities? Jeff: I was active in varsity football and track. Chris: I was more into debate and theater. Jeff was the smallest guy on the football team but has always had the heart to push through. I found I wasn’t meant for that. You sound like you are very different. Does one take after your mother and one take after your father? Chris: Jeff takes more after mom. Lots of personality, easygoing. The nice guy! Calm and caring. Jeff: Chris takes after our father. Very tenacious, a mystery box. Lots of ambition and strong willed. Chris: Yes, I tend to be more like help me or get out of the way! Jeff: It works out well. Sometimes Chris is the accelerator and I’m the brakes. Tell me about your parents. Chris: Dad raised us from the age of

What happened after you left high school? Jeff: I went to Texas State University, majoring in sports science. I’ve always had – and still do – a big passion for sports. At first, I thought I would do something with engineering but I didn’t really like it. My dream was to take Mac Brown’s job! As I spent more time here at Bilt Rite, I worked my way up, became a foreman, then went into the office. I worked my way from the bottom to the top. Chris: The irony is when I started working here I hated it. I was 16 years old and in the Texas heat! As I moved through the company, I found I was really good at drafting and design. I worked one summer in the office doing design and went from hating it to loving it. Jeff: He’s good at a lot of things. Chris: When you design a scaffold, you choose from hundreds of pieces. It’s like Tinkertoys. There are infinite possibilities. It’s very exciting. Tell me about a particular project that stands out. Jeff: The old Highland Mall that Austin Community College has renovated. We put up scaffolding all the way around. It was a year-long project with 850-ft of scaffold. The tallest side was 65-ft tall. Chris: We are also legendary for our trash chutes. No-one builds them like we do. Your ongoing work at one of your projects has led to some new friendships and partnerships here. Tell me about it. Chris: We met Amber at that project. She was subbing us for the scaffolding. Amber: We felt there was a serious need for a quality insulation company. Most of the time you need scaffolding when you are doing insulation work. Chris: So, we started Bilt Rite Insulation in March and Amber came in as a partner. Amber, tell me about yourself. Amber: My husband, Charles Witt, and I own K&W Engineering Solutions. I attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. I was active duty Army from 2007-2012 with the 1st Calvary Division out of Ft. Hood. I also received an MBA

Amber Kurkowski, Chris Kelley and Jeff Kelley are taking Bilt Rite Scaffold and Bilt Rite Insulation to new heights.

degree from Norwich University and I’m currently working on my masters in electrical engineering. I started partnering with Chris by providing structural engineering designs and a stamp for his specialty scaffolding projects. We also brought in Johnny Mikulec as a superintendent for insulation and as a partner. Who are some of your other key employees here? Chris: Our father – he is the biggest piece of this. Then there is Matthew McKinney, branch manager, Greg Martinez, and Chuck Gavarette. They have all been with the company for more than seven years and have helped build the company. We have 42 employees at both businesses. What is the company culture like? Chris: We try to hold some kind of retreat every year. We gave more than $30,000 in Christmas bonuses and we provide healthcare. We treat the company and the employees like family. Everyone gives to the company. In a sense, it’s all about the client. Anyone who is willing to work hard will get the training they need to succeed. I always want to see people succeed and grow. A lot of our friends from high school work here – they don’t need to have scaffolding experience. We will train them and provide opportunities. We have a company softball team and we take part in charity golf tournaments. You do quite a bit of work for nonprofit organizations, right? Jeff: Yes. Over the Edge is a company that provides the opportunity for nonprofits to raise money and name recognition by having participants rappel over the edge of a local high rise building. We built a platform up to the roof of a building in Waco so the people rappelling would be able to step out away from the edge and reduce rope fraying. Chris: We also sponsor a Little League baseball team, The Phantoms. We helped them raise enough money to compete at a national tournament. Some of the other non-profits we work with are Art Alliance of Austin, Texas Wounded Warrior, #BandTogetherTX,

Premiere Combat Group and FORE Charity Golf. What are some of your future plans for Bilt Rite? Chris: We are planning to build a new facility. We are looking for 10+ acres with multiple space for our companies, a showroom, and extras for the employees like a weight room and a game room. We want this to be a place where people want to come to work. We will be breaking ground within a year. We also plan to break into some new markets, such as San Antonio and more. What do you like to do for leisure? Chris: Golf, barbecue, fish, hunt. I’ve always had a passion for psychology, so I like to study that. I want to build an ECG machine that measures brain waves! I’ve always wanted to be an inventor. I also take part in truck shows. I won second at the Hays County Fair! Jeff: Sports! Video games, time with my family, darts – anything sports! I’m very competitive and I’m a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, the Spurs, the Longhorns and the Texas Rangers. Amber: Ride horses. We do hobby farming. We have goats, sheep, horses, a micro pig and dogs. I like to hunt and spend time with my family. Chris and Jeff, are you single, married? Chris: I have a girlfriend, Katie Hodges. Jeff: I have a girlfriend, Courtney Haynes and we have a one-year-old daughter. Chris: They are extremely supportive and are a key part to our success. Any last thoughts? Chris: The emphasis is on our father. He’s always said this is going to be one of the better stories. Jeff: Our father was the right person to start this company and Chris and I were the right ones to come in and make it grow exponentially. Chris: And partnering with Amber has been the best move. Jeff: We know how it is living paycheck to paycheck. We treat our employees right so they don’t leave. Chris: Our business model is to be successful but it’s more about providing something that feeds and supports families and veterans. –cw

The scaffolding for Austin Community College’s transformation of Highland Mall was a huge project.

Austin Construction News • May 2016

Page 7

Spring Fishing Strategies!! 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.

s we approach the month of May, every one of my clients has been asking the same questions. “Is it croaker season, or do you have croakers yet?” Well, as I write this column, croakers have not been really available on a regular day-to-day basis. A couple of the marinas have flown the bright yellow flag for several days, but most of the baits have been small and weak from the high winds and the transporting of these fragile fin fish. I got my hands on a few dozen last week and they were hand picked at one of the local marinas. I must say that it didn’t take long to put together a decent box once we located the right rock in Baf-

Ben Davis, San Antonio, caught this 26-inch Speckled trout south of Baffin Bay using shrimp under a popping cork while fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

fin holding the larger fish. Some may argue that it’s to early to start using these highly sought after summer baits that usually don’t show up till the first of May, but I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong,

Nothing mini about this birthday

Construction News publishers Buddy and Reesa Doebbler wished a happy birthday to Dolly, one of their miniature horses, who turned 10 years old on Apr. 24. This memory was captured when she was celebrating turning 1 month old. –mh

I’ve had some great days in the last few months using lures and shrimp under a popping cork. I think if you’re in the right place at the right time, and you’re a good fisherman, you will catch fish.

Fishing pressure will increase dramatically now and as the summer progresses, I have not seen too many busy weeks on the water this season as of yet, but I’m sure they are right around the corner. Late spring and summer months are very busy on the water. Tournaments will be starting this month and you can bet there will be one every weekend from May thru September. It is very important to stay focused in our conservation efforts. Keeping enough fish to eat is not a crime by any means, but stacking fish into your deep freeze to be forgotten about and discarded later because of freezer burn is a no-no. We rarely keep and fish over the 25-inch mark unless its survival is hopeless. These larger sows are carrying eggs ready to spawn and replenish our ecosystem for the future, so please do your part with these conservation needs. Nuff said!! For the next few month my plan is to continue running south into Baffin Bay and sometimes further south. The rocks in the middle of the bay have been holding good numbers of solid fish. Shorelines with surface bait activity will also not go un-fished! Target thigh deep waters while wading throwing large surface plugs early and switching to slow sinking lures or plastics as your action slows. If your choice is live bait, anchor or drift fish with live shrimp under a popping cork over deeper rocks and sand areas for specks and reds. Summer schedule is filling quickly but fall dates are still available. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your dates. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call or text 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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Austin Construction News • May 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

Happy New Lake!

the waves. Even better than that, the willows provide habitat for just about everything that slithers, flies and swims. You can see the handiwork of the many beavers that we have now and even catch a glimpse of one basking in the sun. Be careful of the wasps that favor the willows to nest in though. It is worth a trip to the willows because much of the flood debris is still hung up in the willow thickets providing a double whammy of cover for fish to hide and feed in and opportunities for anglers to catch them. We have seen some really nice size and numbers of crappie, bass and catfish being brought in, and our charter trips are yielding good steady limits of solid fish.

hen Lake Buchanan started rising last summer we were just happy to have our lake back. We had no idea that it would be a lake so unlike the lake the drought took away. After the long dry years the lake bed grew up so many large trees that we now have a lake that takes a while to learn to navigate and fish. The lower part of Lake Buchanan is pretty much unchanged. There are more willows in the backs of the creeks that make bass and crappie fishing more fun, but other than that it is not much different. Upper Lake Buchanan though is a whole different lake. From the Hi-Line and Canyon of the Eagles area up there is still heavy growth of willow trees that grew to 20–30 ft. high along the river banks when the lake was dry. It is these trees that have changed everything. It is now possible to tie your boat up and fish under a cool shady canopy of willow trees in the middle of the lake on the upper end. In many places the trees are too thick to get through and really hard to see through. You have to just follow along the narrow forks of the river channel and ease your way along. Even if you are familiar with Lake Buchanan you need to allow yourself some extra time to learn to navigate and do your best not to be on the water after dark. Use your GPS to help you keep your bearings because I can tell you from experience, out in those willows it is possible know where you are and be completely lost at the same time! The nice thing about the willows is that they tend to gentle down the lake somewhat. They break the brisk winds that Buchanan is known for and smooth out

Just last week a lady came fishing with us on her 60th birthday with friends and caught the new lake record hybrid bass for Lake Buchanan! Sally Nicholas caught one 26 inches long and 7.9 pounds! What a way to celebrate! This “new” Lake Buchanan makes us all feel like celebrating! Grab some friends and come see us! Sally Nicholas caught a record hybrid.

Beaver in the willows

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished

Through the willows

Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

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

Austin Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ May 2016

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Austin Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ May 2016

Austin Construction News • May 2016

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Concrete Industry Working together to achieve success Wanda Lynn Gibson, president, and Marty Gibson, vice president Gibson Concrete LLC Pflugerville, TX

hat are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? The “hot button” issue that affects the concrete industry from the ground up is the labor force – finding and keeping workers, more so in the field, not in management roles. We recognize that nothing is accomplished until the first shovel hits the ground, so the men that have that job and the superintendents that run the crews are most important. How would you describe the state of the construction industry? The state of the industry is very good right now, there is a lot going on in development. What factors are driving this increase? There are several factors that continue to keep our industry busy: the amount of bonds passed for schools, including a new movement towards the fine arts education. Austin continues to be a desirable place to live across demographics, which lends to an array of development, from schools to churches, to urban living communities, hospitals, education centers, retail, entertainment, roads, etc. It’s a ripple effect.

How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct business? Our bidding has to be selective – otherwise if we are not careful, we can take on too much. Work is consistent, and scheduling is everything to keep projects happening on time and on bud-

get. Other than that, we continue to conduct business and operate with respect and attention to details, the customers, the work force, and Mother Nature. Have there been recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry? The legislation that continues to happen and affect the concrete industry on a daily basis has mostly revolved around contractual language. I believe we can look forward to subsequent bills that will address global warming. This will encompass environmental concerns as well, in which Gibson Concrete will always respect and support laws that both protect our Earth and balance healthy development. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? The labor force is again the topic of the day. In a nutshell, we are losing the tradesman generation. Young men and women are being educated in the construction sciences at universities, but many have not had the opportunity to grow up in or learn an actual labor trade – and so the application knowledge and wisdom that is gained with hands on experience is missing from professionals that we employ on our jobsites or in the offices as project managers, etc. It’s important that we utilize benefits from both, taking aspects from the books but applying it with the practical know-how on a jobsite, in the midst of jobsite variables. We need both. There is a difference

Economy strong, but labor shortage a stressor Lance Halfmann, Vice-President ConScape Inc. Fort Worth, TX

hat are the “hot button” issues in the industry? Its seems like the problem for contractors across the board is a shortage of qualified labor, because the work is definitely there – it’s been there for two years – but the labor is the issue. I think right now, with there being so much commercial work available, sometimes your eyes get bigger than your stomach and you take on more work, or you get more work because everybody is spread so thin. A lot of times you take on jobs and the schedule is demanding and your labor force is so short you find yourself behind the eight ball before the job starts. What we’ve learned to do is to back off and take the work that we think we can handle so that we’re able to properly man our projects. I don’t want our customers upset with us or to think we’re not

capable. We know the job, we know what we’re capable of and so we’re not going to extend beyond our means. We want to maintain quality and not just take on more than we can handle. I’ve heard that from many people, that there is so much good work out there that you almost have to rein yourself in and not get overextended, because then you’re into overtime hours and labor, which will eat up your profit margin. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? I’ve been with ConScape 15 years, and business is as good as I have ever seen it. My dad, Charles Halfmann, who has been in this industry 48 years, said he’s only seen one other time that was comparable to this as far as the quality of work that’s available.

between building out of a book and building on a jobsite. This understanding is huge and must be respected in ways to build and foster the tradesmen vocation with the construction industry in order to maintain its health and integrity. That said, recent interest with high school curriculum offering trade certifications again is promising. How are you dealing with these challenges? For Gibson Concrete, it started a long time ago when Marty began the trade. Since then, he has not only respected it, he knows a tradesman when he sees one and hires them! From there, you manage a business well to provide a good place of employment and keep those great employees. It’s also nice when the long-term employees become your recruiters and bring in others that may possess the same work credentials and ethics. What is on the horizon for your industry? Technology affects everything, always on the horizon is a better, faster way of getting from point A to point B – in our industry, one personal experience is with surveying equipment for both layout and concrete placement. The instruments and software designed for the tasks are pretty good. What are the rewards of the industry? At the end of the day, you can look back and see productivity – literally, you can see a permanent foundation or building that will contribute to the community in different ways: socially, physically, economically, spiritually…it’s an honor to be part of it and lend our expertise and talents in this way. What are keys to being successful? First, let’s define success – Webster’s Dictionary defines success as: 1) the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame; 2) the correct or desired result of

There’s definitely an increase in business. As I said, we’re trying to stay level in what we can do. It’s awfully tempting to bid a lot of work but I have to temper that enthusiasm. How is this increase affecting your company and how you conduct business? We’ve increased our labor and we’ve increased the pay of our employees, which is good for them, too. We’ve concentrated on our margins and have been able to pick the work that suits us better. We don’t have to chase work that we’re not suited for, and that’s what we’re leaning towards. Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry relating to transportation or the environment? I think change has been more local; with the increase in the amount of truck traffic, the Redi Mix suppliers are more conscious of the weight of their trucks going down the road; they seem to get stopped a lot [by police officers]. They have to be careful and conscious that they’re not overloading their trucks because that could become a hazard. As far as legislation pertaining to us directly, nothing drastic has been happening. All that has really affected us is the labor shortage.

an attempt. These definitions are not bad if they also consider the journey and consequence of such success! Success to the owners of Gibson Concrete would first take into consideration the goals which might be summed up to livelihood, contentment/happiness, and purpose. Thus far, as owners and employer, we have certainly provided towards our own and other’s livelihoods; we have experienced many hours of contentment and happiness (along with frustration and sorrows); and we have come to learn and see how all has great purpose. So in this way, we are very grateful and successful people! We are successful because we have the eyes to understand what we already are and have. If you were to revise the question to how to run a successful business, I would elaborate on the last decade where we learned how vital the owner presence and direction is when it comes to leading a company, both administratively and in the field. In the same breath, a company is not run by one or two people or owners. You learn to strategically (and harmoniously) surround yourself with a great team of experts in the different positions called for. You seek and maintain the good working relationships, both with your internal and external customers, and let go of the rest. You start and finish strong knowing that your name is on the product. The fruit: after working together for several years, the cohesiveness between the field and office has a profound impact on projects when it comes to communication and decisions made that can either make it a good day or not so good day. Finally, Gibson Concrete takes the time to identify and recognize each person for the person they are, and for their contribution to the success of the company. We do this in several ways, including, but not limited to: prayer, vacation benefits, monetary recognition, performing charitable functions together, play and social time. –cw

What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Thank goodness fuel has leveled off. It has helped our bottom line, just with our day-to-day travels. I would say the general price increase as opposed to two years ago, by roughly 20-35%, is in labor, and 25-35% in material. Rebar has been steady and forming material has been good. Concrete has been the increase that we’ve seen the most, along with labor. What do you think is on the horizon for your industry? What we are looking for is anything equipment-wise that can reduce labor cost because of the shortage right now. We try to make sure that we are up to par on that. We’d like to keep that equipment running so we’re not working our labor too much; we’re more productive and more efficient that way. In our industry, pretty much everything is labor-driven, and we’re dependent on quality people. We’re just trying to retain what we have. Anything that will take care of our people is what we’re concentrating on. If they’re happy, we’re happy. ConScape in Fort Worth offers paving, tilt wall panels, foundations and stamped concrete. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • May 2016

Austin translation

An ‘internal adjustment’

Gadberry Construction Company’s Dustin Gadberry

The new leadership at O’Connell Robertson will focus the firm on expanding and adapting to significant growth the firm has seen in its markets. L-R: Kim Cochran, Amy Jones, Rick Burnight

adberry Construction Company’s Austin office just opened in January, but CEO Dustin Gadberry says the idea for the new location originated in 2009. That’s when the general contractor (along with the rest of the industry) was weathering an economic crisis. Even though the company had Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston offices, GCC only focused on the private sector. “It was tough because we were really singular,” he says. “Coming out of that, I developed a strategy to diversify in a mix of state, local municipality and federal work as well as our private sector. We’ve done exceptionally well in taking on the municipality work. Austin is the next phase of our state work; we just landed a four-year contract with the Texas Facilities Commission, which gave us a great entry point. We’re committed to becoming a state builder here and integrating into the community. “When we talked about going to Austin, it was a foregone conclusion that we weren’t just going to be smoked in,” he continues. “We were going to become a staple office, a recognized name, some-

body that everybody knew and respected. Having this location allows us to be there when a client needs us and not be an absentee contractor.” To help hire and lead the Austin team, project manager Nick Keyte is transferring from the Dallas office. “Nick has really taken a front seat on this and has been the one cultivating all of the relationships,” Gadberry says. “He’s really been able to dig in and I couldn’t be more impressed with the progress in Austin.” Located at 111 Congress Ave., Suite 400, the Austin office offers the same services as Gadberry’s other offices – which Keyte says pleases local clients. “We’ve been here meeting clients and it’s been extremely well-received,” he says. “It’s been absolutely amazing.” “The clients, the subcontractors, the city of Austin – it’s been better than we all imagined,” Gadberry agrees. “We really feel like this is going to be a breakout market for us. We couldn’t feel luckier than to be in this city. ” Dallas-based Gadberry Construction Company provides GSA and commercial general contracting. –mjm

oing forward with a vision for growth, O’Connell Robertson has put a new leadership structure in place that will help the architectural and engineering firm to accommodate the changing marketplace and workforce. With the firm for about 30 years, Rick Burnight has served as president and CEO for the last 12 years. Under the new structure, he remains CEO. Now, Amy Jones has taken on the role of president, and Kim Cochran has taken on the role of COO. Burnight wants to remain active in the practice and some of the firm’s projects. Jones and Cochran, with the firm for 19 and 22 years respectively, have been principals for several years and have been planning for this change over the last 12 to 18 months. “I think it was a good internal adjustment, if you will, that will really stimulate some positive things for the firm,” says Burnight, adding that he believes the

evolving marketplace and environment will respond better to and be stimulated by the new leadership and their ideas, goals and objectives. Of the new leadership structure, Jones comments, “I think it really takes advantage of the strengths of that leadership team, from Rick’s focus on the practice and always enhancing the work that we do, Kim’s focus on the operational requirement to support that practice, and then my focus on our firm vision and the relationships and people that we need to have to make it happen.” With a fairly long-tenured staff, Cochran notes, “We’ve worked together, along with our other partners, for a number of years as we developed our vision.” Founded in 1950, O’Connell Robertson is a full-service architecture and engineering firm focused on the education and healthcare markets. Based in Austin, the firm also has an office in San Antonio. –mh

Win-win

First place winners: 5F Mechanical

pawGlass Austin had its 2nd annual Charity Clay Shoot Apr. 14. More than 185 subcontractors and vendors signed up to participate and the

company was able to donate more than$45,000 for its charity, Any Baby Can, in Austin. Congrats to the winners! –cw

Second place winners: Martin Marietta

Austin Construction News • May 2016

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Association Calendar

Round-Up

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News

May 13: Spring golf tournament, Onion Creek Club. Registration starts at 11am. Shot Gun at 1pm.

AIA American Institute of Architects

May 12: AIA Austin Awards Celebration, 6-8pm, Saengerrunde Hall, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin. After party 8-11pm. For tickets or more information, contact Ingrid Spencer at 512-452-4332

ASCE Texas Section

NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

May 11: Social at Factory Builders Store Time 5-7pm May 19: General Membership Meeting with Rusty Shelton and “Mastering the New Media Landscape.” 2525 W Anderson Ln #365. 11am-1pm. $30 members $40 non-members. Lunch is provided May 25: Builders Roundtable. 11:30am1pm. Must be builders, designer or architect. For more information on these events, contact: kayvon@austinnari.org.

American Society of Civil Engineers

May 7: Texas Historical Marker Dedication one block south of the Holiday Inn Corpus Christi, 10:30am May 9: The Fundamentals of Wind Flow and Wind Load Standards webinar on TexASCE.org, noon For more info on these events, contact Annemarie Gasser at 512-472-8905

Centex IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

Electrical Construction Tradeshow, The Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Lane, free admission, door prizes, Wire Off competition. For info call David Johnson at 512-832-1333

CTSA Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

May 6: Annual golf tournament, Star Ranch, Hutto May 10: Monthly membership meeting, 5:30-8pm, Embassy Suites, 5901 N IH 35, Austin. Speaker, Justin Welch, association attorney. For more information, contact Wendy

NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

May 4: Chapter Meeting (How to Advance Within the Company). A panel of women construction company owners will present their story, including their path to owning their company, challenges they have faced in a male dominated industry, and suggestions on how to advance within the company. Come hear from Laura Culin with Austin Lumber, Sandra Johnson with Edge Electric, Britanie Olivera with Building Team Solutions and Cindy Richter with Vanguard Fire. May20-21: NAWIC Regional Forum in New Orleans

SFPE - Austin/San Antonio Society of Fire Protection Engineers

May 11: Monthly meeting, topic tentatively fire safety concerns with storage of intermediate bulk containers. Check www.sfpe-asa.org for more information.

For the kids

DCA Construction announces three additions to its team: Jay Darwish has joined as a senior project manager. He has 29 years of experience as a field engineer and project manager. Darwish’s work has included projects in the advanced technology, institutional, corporate, retail, government and healthcare. Kenny Nordell has joined as estimator and project manager. Nordell is a construction manager with nine years of experience. His experience ranges from the formation of conceptual estimates to turning over facilities for full use, including the management and performance of work in between. Haven Seward has joined as assistant office manager. She graduated from Texas State University and worked for seven years in the tech industry focusing on crisis management and contract relations. She has two years of administrative accounting experience.

Submissions

Associated Builders & Contractors

Lambert at 512-299-0150

Round-Up

ABC Central Texas

Heldenfeld’s Enterprises Inc. has recently hired Paul Elrod as general manager overseeing manufacturing and project delivery operations for HEI’s San Marcos and Corpus Christi precast concrete plants. Elrod attended Colorado School of Mines for mechanical engineering, earned a CPSCM from University of Houston and formally trained in Lean through the Toyota Production Plans in Bartlett, IL. He was previously director of operations for Senior Flexonics Pathway and director for Lutheran Social Services.

Raba Kistner Inc. has announced that Yvonne Garcia Thomas, PE, has been promoted to manager of Geotechnical Engineering for the Austin office. Having been employed with Raba Kistner since 2004, she will now be responsible for management of all geotechnical activities performed out of the Austin office, including management of personnel and geotechnical operations, department budgeting, scheduling and coordination of field operations. She will continue to work as a project manager on geotechnical engineering projects.

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month). Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net South Texas: STeditor@constructionnews.net Construction News ON LOCATION

It’s gorgeous

L-R: Craig Webb, Steve Gause (VP, Factory Builder Stores), Kitty Decareaux (VP Cabinet Sales & Showroom Designer, Factory Builder Stores), Paul Marshall, Steve Brown (board and league director president, Miracle League at Town & Country)

n Apr. 8, at the tail end of the 3rd annual Taste of Austin event, ProSales Editor-in-Chief Craig Webb presented Factory Builder Stores with the 2015 ProSales Excellence Award for Showroom Design. Along with this achievement came a $500 donation to be given to a charity of

their choice. Paul Marshall, division president, selected Miracle League at Town and Country, a group with which he is actively involved to receive the donation. The donation was accepted by Steve Brown on behalf of the Miracle League at Town and Country. –cw

Rob Presley shows off some of the beautiful displays at Summit Stoneworks in Buda. –cw

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Austin Construction News • May 2016

Construction News ON LOCATION

Pitch perfect

Come on in!

ose I. Guerra Inc. hosted its Washer Pitching Tournament at the Austin office Apr. 7. In addition to the tournament, attendees enjoyed music, food and fun. Congrats to the winners! –cw

First place winners: The “MRI” Team, Stephen Greco and Stuart Bloomquist, Mechanical Reps Inc. Victor Jones, inside sales coordinator at BlueLine Rental in Buda, has a great smile to welcome customers. –cw

Second place winners: “G” Squared, Lalo Sanchez, the City of Austin, and JR Sanchez, Jose I. Guerra Inc.

continued from Page 1 — GarzaBury LLC is Garza EMC pipeline project with Tarrant Regional Water District, a storage tank for SAWS and the firm did design and construction management for a lift station in Buda. “I am ecstatic with how far we have come in such a short period of time,” said Garza. “We look forward to continuing our strategic alliance with Bury, recom-

Third place winners: “Peddlers”, Steve Kreitzer and Kyle Kramer, HTS

Worst place winners: Lauren Gammon, Coleman & Associates and Emily Jaster, JQ

Construction News ON LOCATION

On the go

mitting to our founding principles and the future growth of Garza.” The company currently has 20 employees and plans to relocate to offices in both Austin and San Antonio. “We are going to continue to build on what we’ve accomplished so far,” Garza said. –cw

continued from Page 1 — Rocking the pool scene it. It’s an exciting industry and I have found that I have passion in my work. It’s a very rewarding job. “When clients cry over the paradise we’ve built for them, you know you did a great job and helped someone turn their dream into reality.” From residential to commercial projects, their philosophy is simple. “We treat everyone how we want to

be treated,” Kay says. “We make sure they’re getting an awesome design and an awesome build experience.” When not working, both enjoy time with family, cooking together, cars, motorcycles, races, boating and everything that has to do with water. “We love any kind of water – creeks, lakes, beaches and, of course, swimming in our pools!” Kay says. –cw

continued from Page 1 — Fired up

David Elving with AIM A/C and Heating Services, Buda, grabs lunch and heads back to work. –cw

Patrons have already made the new location a popular place to grab some great barbecue and soak in the atmosphere.

historical building made the project unique, Matt Haralson said. “Approximately one-third of the project was an existing 1800s masonry structure on Congress Ave.,” he says. “The struggle was to keep the historic flavor of the existing building, but doubling it in size and making the existing portion structurally sound, as well as adding MEP, elevator and full kitchen and smokers, all while working in a downtown environment with little to no parking. “Since the site was downtown, it was very difficult to access and had no parking, in a high traffic area. Work was com-

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

pleted while trying not to disrupt the JW Marriott on one side and the business with a shared wall on the other, while dealing with festivals and parades.” According to Haralson, working with the ownership team from Cooper’s was great. G. Creek Construction is a family-run commercial construction company incorporated in 1992. John and Matt Haralson are the 3rd generation of builders in the Austin Area. Located on South First St. in Austin, G. Creek has 20 field employees and does ground up build, remodels, renovations, design builds and more. –cw

Texas Style

    

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston South Texas

Austin Construction News • May 2016

Page 15

Recording a success story

The finished project was ready for the kids returning from Spring Break.

PR Construction’s Austin location took the opportunity presented by Spring Break to build a big surprise for students at Kealing Middle School who are interested in careers in the music business. According to Matt Hoglund, Business Unit Leader for the Texas region, the construction company’s relationship with LifeWorks and Rebuilding Together Austin – two non-profits dedicated to bettering the capital city – led DPR to an opportunity to work with mindPOP and Spotify to build three recording studios at the middle school. “These two companies were willing to donate some of the equipment they used during SXSW to the middle school and we said ‘this is right up our alley’,” Hoglund said. “Spring Break gave us nine days to renovate a 1,500-sf space into three sound wave recording studios. I believe it is the first of its kind in a school in Austin.” DPR has a long history of giving back to the community and 25-plus DPR vol-

unteers worked days, nights and weekends to make the project happen, donating more than 800 man-hours throughout the project. They built three studios, each 150 sf and a common area. The work involved demolition, three layers of insulation to meet the sound rating needed, mechanical and electrical work, drywall, painting and reinstallation of artwork and murals. “We worked from Friday night straight through to the next Sunday so the kids could walk in on Monday and start using it,” Hoglund says. “It gives kids interested in a music career a place to do it, rather than taking a field trip to an existing studio. It makes them self reliant and it makes Kealing more attractive as a school.” Hoglund says DPR’s motto is “Building great things” and the project fit perfectly with that. “We are builders and we enjoy building,” he says. “When you are successful, you should give back to the community.” –cw

Reimagining the river barges

Houston’s METALAB won the competition with their vision for San Antonio’s new river barges. L-R: Andrew Vrana, Joe Meppelink, David Richmond

hree Texas architecture firms competed in San Antonio’s International River Barge Design Competition with different design proposals for the new barges. On Apr. 1, the City of San Antonio and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter announced that METALAB, a Houstonbased firm, was the competition’s winner. “The current river barge design was created for HemisFair ’68 to offer visitors rides up and down the length of the river,” Councilman Roberto C. Treviño, who

A rendering of Austin’s Sadi Brewton and Jonathan Davies’ river barge design. Photo courtesy of the City of San Antonio

is also an architect, said in a statement. “METALAB’s design is modular, modern, and offers the possibility for barge uses we couldn’t have imagined before.” As a finalist at the open house, METALAB principal Joe Meppelink commented, “We’re incredibly honored. For us, it’s the project of a lifetime, because we’re an architecture product design firm, and we’ve designed some products at or around this scale. We’re really interested in the intersection of architecture and product design. So, it’s really an ideal project for us in that way.” Luna Architecture + Design, based in San Antonio, came in second place with its river barge design, and Sadi Brewton and Jonathan Davies, Austin, came in third among the finalists. Designs were showcased at a Mar. 28 open house at the AIA San Antonio’s Center for Architecture where members of the public could view the designs and submit comments about them. The winning design was presented to the city council late last month, and a test barge is planned for early 2017. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Early safety lessons

Kris-Con Supplies and Rentals and Werner Fall Protection provided a fall protection class for TDIndustries at the UT/Dell Construction site in March. It was an early class and participants were able to watch the sun rise through the clouds. The class consisted of the do’s and don’ts of fall protection, proper fitting, inspection and an onsite lift. –cw

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Austin Construction News â&#x20AC;˘ May 2016