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CONSTRUCTION
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(210) 308-5800
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Volume 13
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Number 5
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MAY 2016
Causing a lift
Driven to succeed
L-R: Howell Crane & Rigging Inc.’s Blue Coleman, Christie Smith and Mike Boucher
HNTB’s Michael Hegarty helps steer his North Texas teams to success.
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owell Crane & Rigging Inc.’s Dallas office has only been open for a little more than a year, but it’s working to develop a bond that feels like it goes way back, both with customers and employees. The Dallas office was born of owner Audie Howell’s desire to relocate the West Texas branch to a North Texas location. Starting with two cranes and quickly building up to six, the office’s rapid growth reaffirmed Howell’s decision, which means they plan on staying put for a while. “We’ve been blessed when it comes to business,” Dallas branch manager Mike Boucher says. “We came in optimistic and hit the ground hard. We want-
ed to see what we could get out of the market. There was a lot of room for growth, even though many crane companies have been here a long time. That barrier has been a challenge to break, but we’ve been very fortunate. I believe there’s always room to make a mark, it’s just a matter of having the right people in the right position.” For Howell Crane’s Dallas office, the “right people” are its 13 employees, including Boucher, office assistant Christie Smith and territory salesman Blue Coleman. The crew enjoy fishing and hunting with customers (“We’re from Texas; if we don’t have a gun in our hands, it’s usually a fishing pole!” Boucher says with a continued on Page 18
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NTB’s legacy in Texas can be traced back to 1910, when a founding partner of the firm worked as part of the design team on Austin’s historic Congress Avenue Bridge. More than a century later, the firm bridges the gap in their clients’ needs with architecture, engineering, planning and construction services offered through offices in 27 states. Not forgetting its roots, one of those states is Texas, where HNTB has seven offices, with two of them in Plano and Dallas. Leading the two teams is Dallas office leader and vice president Michael Hegarty. Together, the teams work on high-profile transportation engineering, transportation planning, environmental,
aviation, structures, construction management/inspection, public involvement, urban design, municipal and federal projects. “The DFW Metroplex is growing at such a rate that HNTB, working along with several other partners, needs to ensure that roads, airports and public transport can accommodate the gradual increase in population,” Hegarty says. “DFW currently has a sustainable capital program that rivals some stats because of numerous corporate relocations to North Texas. It is the economic engine of North Texas with an annual impact of roughly $37 billion to the region.” continued on Page 18
Fuel injector
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hen the new owner of a dilapidated Springtown gas station approached Innovative Design Build’s A. (Joe) Ghafoor for a project consultation, his request was an urgent one. An addition to the 700sf facility was desperately needed in order to compete with neighboring gas stations, and the retail store was in dire need of remodeling. An additional 600 sf space was also required for merchandise in the “Bear Cave,” a shopping concept gaining popularity in Texas gas stations. It was a tall order, and given the owner’s limited budget, it would be understandable if Ghafoor declined the project. “The building’s structure, which was built in 1952, had never been renovated, was in poor condition, the electrical system was outdated and the roof was in a terrible state,” Ghafoor explains. “I see this situation often. Too many businesses
fall on hard times, resulting in poor conditions of the structure due to lack of periodical repair and maintenance. Then, once ownership changes, they want to bring the structure up to date. Therefore, it is very challenging to bring it to current code and back to functional condition. Electrical work is the most difficult to bring to current code because so many unlicensed or unprofessional individuals have made alterations to outside lights and other equipment. “I am always looking for a ground-up project, which is a lot easier to build,” Ghaforr says. “But every now and then, a challenging project like this lands on my desk. It’s hard for me to walk away when I see an old building which has potential in danger of being bulldozed.” Ghafoor accepted the challenge. The project’s scope of work required him to build a new 600-sf addition, connect or continued on Page 18