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CONSTRUCTION
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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
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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Supply on demand
Sending their top techs
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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
L-R: Rental One’s Stacey Fetters, Tom Wade, Shawn Zwieryznski, Todd Shields, Roger Walton, Scott Hammond, David Compton, Prince Williams
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onstruction equipment rental company Rental One has merged with its sister company Supply Depot. The supply division has been rebranded as R1 Supply and is now in place to support the equipment rental business. Customers can pick up concrete-related products and supplies at all of the company’s Rental One locations. Company president Mike O’Neal says a benefit of the merger that customers are sure to notice is the expertise in rental equipment and concrete-related products. ”We are able to operate more efficiently as one company which allows us to serve our customers with excellence,” O’Neal explains. “Also, now we can offer our customers two areas of expertise with rental equipment and a supply division. We have teams concentrating their
efforts in both areas that work very well together to take care of our customers.” A Supply Depot location at 4041 Meacham Blvd. in Fort Worth has been rebranded R1 Supply and operates as a store, but also distributes those supplies to the Rental One branches. Although the merger took place Aug. 1, 2015, O’Neal says it wasn’t until January that they have “truly been operating as one company.” He says client reaction has been positive. “We have seen a lot of excitement with customers once they find out they can conveniently pick up items like rebar from our Rental One locations,” he says. With eight North Texas locations, Rental One rents construction equipment and sells construction supplies including concrete-related products. –mjm
Power Systems Division state contestants L-R: Keven Leon, James Pardaen, Vince Jones, Alan Lindow, Ben Gallo, Wade Nagel
Submitted to Construction News
RHCA board elected
L-R: The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) recently elected its board of directors for the 2016-2017 term: Atmos Energy’s Sheena Morgan, KPost Company’s Luciano Perez, ATCI Contracting Inc.’s Hector Bass, North Texas Ductworks LLC’s Yesenia Garcia, Austin Commercial’s Bianca Sandoval, All Janitorial Professional Janitorial Services’ Evelyn Molina, and RHCA Vice Chair Ruben Landa of K Strategies Group LLC. –mjm
Dallas Fort Worth
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
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Machine Division state contestants L-R: Howard Schram, Steven Pinkerton, Jonathan Morrow, Autry Adams, Jarrett Payton, Grady Trainor, Paul Boubel
The Dallas Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area. 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 Dallas Fort Worth Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Daryl Bowen President Taurus Commercial Inc. Dallas
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he characteristics of the zodiac sign Taurus include practicality, reliability and an eye for beauty, which made Taurus Commercial Inc. the perfect name for Daryl Bowen’s general contracting company. It also speaks volumes about how the May-born Bowen approaches both his work and his free time. Whether Bowen is building one-ofa-kind projects or sailing the seas, he can be counted on to make sure he approaches it with practicality and beauty in mind. Tell me a bit about your childhood; were you raised in North Texas? I grew up on border towns for most of my life; my dad was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, so we moved around a lot. I lived in Del Rio, TX for about five years and went to elementary school there. I lived in McAllen for five years and in Falcon Heights. I lived in El Centro, CA and went to high school there. I wanted to go to college in California, but my parents basically said I could go to school in Texas and they would pay for it or good luck! So, I started to look at Texas schools and I picked Texas A&M. I was supposed to be a veterinarian, but after about two years, I changed majors to building construction and environmental design – and now I can build a really good barn! What made you decide to switch to a different field of study? Did someone you know work in that field? I think it was more of the biology and sciences not sticking and me acknowledging that I didn’t have a passion for it. I had some friends that were in building construction at the time; it looked exciting. I wanted to be more in the architecture side rather than the building side so I got into the environmental design program first and then transferred over to building construction. Did you find work in that field soon after college? When I graduated from college, I immediately got a job for EMJ Corporation and worked there for about eight years, working my way up from being a project coordinator who ordered and shipped all of the blue prints to working as an assistant superintendent, superintendent, warranty manager and then as a project manager. I ended up leaving EMJ Corporation to work for a company called M.A. Mortenson in Minneapolis in their telecommunication department for about three years. It was in the go-go days of the cellular boom, but the CTG group kind of got dissolved because the boom fizzled out. They wanted to send me to Sweetwater to build a 75-turbine wind farm, but I didn’t want to move to Sweetwater. Well why ever not? Sweetwater is metropolis! I’m allergic to snakes! I don’t know, it probably would have been a great opportunity in a different direction, but I
didn’t do it. I ended up staying here and got a job with a general contractor, Pacific Builders. I worked there as a project manager building interiors. About three years into it, I was eating lunch with [Kevco Electrical owner] Kevin Richardson, an electrician I was working with at the time. We were feeling overworked and underpaid. So we said, “Hey, why don’t we start our own general contracting company?” Kevin then says to me “You can be the president!” So I said, “Sounds awesome!” You know, you don’t really understand what that means at the time; you just think, “Hey, I get to be the president of something.” Kevin and I are both Tauruses, and we decided on the name of Taurus Commercial rather than Taurus Construction because we wanted to keep that development option open. We’re a construction company that would also like to get into some development in the future. So just like that, you and Kevin decided to form Taurus Commercial? A month later, I was wrapping up things at Pacific Builders. Ginger Stockton, who is my accountant/ business manager, and I went to move in at Kevin’s office – it was basically a glorified closet where we shared one desk and one fax. Ginger and I worked in that closet for about three months. There was a building in downtown Carrollton that we got a good rate on; we worked in there for about a year and a half. We moved here onto the third floor and worked here for three years. We have been in this suite on the fourth floor for four years; a year ago, we doubled the size of this suite. So Taurus Commercial has been steadily growing? It has. At the beginning, we ended up landing some big jobs that were good clients and have had good repeat business from corporate accounts. This year, we’re on pace for about $20 million. We’re on a nice upward trajectory, but we still have to feed the monster; it’s definitely a treadmill and is not easy. What challenges did you and Kevin face that first year? Not having anyone take us seriously. You’re playing off of relationships that you built when you worked for another company using their good name, and you have to come to the table with your own good name and stand behind what you say. It takes a while for people to learn that. Some people inherently distrust contractors, and the God’s honest truth is that we’re mostly just people who want to do an honest day’s work, make a decent wage and go home. It’s hard to convince people of that sometimes. That was really hard for the first couple of years to get people to take us seriously and give us a decent-sized job. How did you overcome that? Kevin says you have to “touch them seven times.” I don’t know if I believe that, or if there is any magic number, but you do have to be friends with them. People want to work with people they like and they’ll find ways to give you work if they like you. You don’t necessarily have to [bid] low, but you have to be competitive, give them a good deal, a good product and a good finish. If you make them look like rock stars, they’ll come back. What is the thing you enjoy most about your work? I think it’s a lot of freedom and flexibility to chase whatever path I want to go down. We build certain things, but there’s not really anything that we wouldn’t build. I kind of joke and say that if someone said to us, “I need a nuclear reactor,” I would say “No problem! We’re
Taurus Commercial Inc. president Daryl Bowen
going to build you the most awesome nuclear reactor you ever saw in the whole wide world. Just sign here.” We know nothing about nuclear reactors, but we’ll find people who do and we’ll assemble a team to build the most awesome nuclear reactor. But someone is going to pay that bill, and if you’re willing to pay it, we’re willing to put it together and make it happen for you. That’s led to some really interesting [projects]. We recently finished placing the foul poles at The Ballpark in Arlington, and we did a bunch of their luxury suite remodels, the owners’ bunker suite and we’ll do their Hall of Fame this summer. Two summers ago, at the Dallas Arboretum Children’s Learning Center Expansion, we built touch screen kiosks in 10-ft fiberglass carrots, celery and rutabaga – that was a once in a lifetime thing! We’ll build anything that is not immoral, unethical or unprofitable. So if you need a nuclear reactor, just let me know. Good to know! I’ll keep your card handy. What do you like to do when you’re not building things like fiberglass rutabagas? I play a little bit of golf, although I don’t play as much as I want to. I always say I want to play more golf every year, and I end up playing three, maybe four, times. I like to go sailboat racing. I’ve raced competitively since I was in high school. About eight to ten times a year, I’ll go to regattas and they’re always in beautiful locations, so if I pull the ropes I basically get a paid vacation. They’re in places like Marble Head MA, Newport, RI, and St. Petersburg, FL. I’m going to Annapolis, MD in a week for a three-day there; those are always nice, big, world-class regattas. I’m a fair-weather sailor; I’m not one of those guys who want to go on the Volvo Ocean Race and sail around Antarctica for 30 days – I’m not interested. But if you want to take me to Newport and have me do three races during the day and come back and sleep in a nice comfy bed bed, I’m up for it! How did you become involved in sailing? Was your family involved in it? No, actually, the complete opposite. Besides being a DEA agent, my dad was also a big rodeo guy who rode bareback and was a rodeo bullfighter. When I was growing up, we were always going to rodeos. He asked me if I wanted to fight bulls with him, so of course I did, since I was 15 years old, immortal and bulletproof. I would put clown make-up on and run around the ring and get stomped on a couple of times. My sister’s a barrel racer too, we have cattle and we’re all count-ree!
But when I was in California, I wanted to surf, sail, and go to the beach. So I met some people who were sailing and got into catamaran racing. When I went to college at A&M, my roommate had a sailboat and we sailed in the little utility lake at College Station. When I moved to Dallas, I didn’t sail for a couple of years, but decided I wanted to get back into it so I actively sought out people who were sailing and met them on Grapevine Lake or Eagle Mountain Lake. Do you have your own boat? I used to be a catamaran guy, but I sold my boat because I realized I was spending too much time on everybody else’s boat and never sailed my boat. I also found I could have more fun not having to write those checks! They say a boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood into which you throw money, or that sailboat racing is like standing naked in an ice-cold shower ripping up $100 bills. It’s fun now because they aren’t my $100 bills. Also, I have another theory that if you have the proper apparel – one of my jokes is that I’m “High-Performance Apparel Daryl” – it makes all of the difference in the world. You can splash me in the wet and cold, but if my apparel keeps me warm and dry, I’m having a good time. Does any of your family share your interest in sailing? No; my wife Kimberly goes with me sometimes but she does not sail; she is shore crew. We travel a lot. We just went to Vegas; my wife is a middle school history teacher so for Spring Break, we went to Las Vegas and I gambled zero dollars, because I’m not much of a gambler. We stayed at a place as a home base, and then we went hiking at the Grand Canyon, Red Rocks and Valley of Fire. Being a fair weather hiker as well, at night we would come back to the hotel and sleep in a comfortable bed. Being a Taurus, you have a birthday coming up? I do, on May 19. Do you have any birthday plans, like another trip? You know … no. It’s 49. I don’t wanna do anything. Well, 50 is just around the corner then. Any blowout plans for that? Man, I don’t know. It’s going to have to have an open bar or something! Taurus Commercial is a Dallas-based general contracting company offering complete construction services, from interior remodeling to ground-up projects in the industrial, office, medical, and residential markets. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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Taking flight
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here’s a first for everything, and for Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Mar. 31 marked the general contractor’s first annual charity golf classic. One hundred and forty-four golfers competed on the Tribute in the Colony’s green to raise some green at the sold-out tournament. The event raised funds for two charities: The Park Cities YMCA and veteran suicide awareness organization 22Kill. –mjm
1st Place, Flight 1 (score of 56): BakerTriangle team – Peter Dean, Cole Hord, David Long and Johnny Barnes
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Your company up front and in the spotlight
hen our readers pick up Construction News, there are a few articles and sections about which they often ask, “How do they decide who is profiled in this article?” and “How can I be featured in one of these?” In this article, we’ll answer those questions regarding two of our primary features, our Front Page GC and Spotlight articles. Front Page GC Every month, we feature a general contractor’s recent project on the front page. The size and scope of the project range from small tenant finish out or renovations to large ground up construction. If you are a general contractor with an office located within our coverage area for that city and its surrounding counties, you are eligible to have one of your projects featured on the front page of that paper. The project should be one that has been completed within the last year and is located within our local paper’s coverage area. We will need any information about the build that you can share including but not limited to the project duration, square footage, approximate cost, design team and subcontractors on the job, and details about the build and building process. We will also need a few photos, exterior and interior. Can your company be featured in this article multiple times? Yes, but when you are featured as our Front Page GC, you must wait five years from the publication date of that article to have another
project featured on our front page. This is to ensure the opportunity for general contractors of all sizes and markets to appear on the front page. Spotlight Another monthly feature in our paper is a profile of the head of a company that we call Spotlight. This article is an indepth interview with the person who serves at the very top of a company as its owner, president, principal or CEO. The company can be a general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, architecture or engineering firm, equipment dealer or service provider of any size or specialty. To qualify for a Spotlight article, the featured person’s company must have an office located within the coverage area for the paper in which he or she would appear. The Spotlight can only run in the city in which this person is based. We only do a Spotlight once per individual and per company. The Spotlight focuses on the individual, not the company. The profile covers the interviewee’s background, career, family, community involvement, hobbies and interests, and other personal details. The interview is presented in a question and answer format along with a photo of the person being featured. If you feel you qualify for one of these articles and would like to be featured in a future Front Page GC or Spotlight, please contact your Dallas-Fort Worth editor, Melissa Jones-Meyer, at dfweditor@constructionnews.net or 817731-4823. –mh
Submitted to Construction News 1st Place, Flight 2 (score of 62): John Palms, Roger Moon, Scott Sower and Tommy Osborne
1st Place, Flight 3 (score of 65): Chase Carter, Jeff Baty, Joe Hiebert, Ryan Skelly
Come Union
The Union Dallas celebrated the official groundbreaking of its approximately 800,000-sf office, residential and retail project being built at the intersection of Uptown Dallas’ Field Street and Cedar Springs Rd. Scheduled for completion in 2018, the project is overseen by StreetLights Residential DPR, RED Development and project architect HKS. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
OSHA adopts new rule to protect workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica
It’s time to redevelop middle management development Andy Ray, Principal PFK Texas Houston, TX
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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.
Stan Gregory Insurica San Antonio, TX
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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.
Andy Ray is a principal with the Entrepreneurial Advisory Service Practice at PKF Texas. Contact him at (713) 860-1400 or aray@pkftexas.com.
Submitted to Construction News
Spring board
L-R: Meet the newly-elected Women Construction Owners & Executives’ 2016-2017 board: Gadberry Construction’s Tonya Watson (secretary/president elect), Trade Management’s MaryEllen Evans (legislative), Hill & Wilkinson’s Kristen Marcis (events/ meetings), North Texas Ductworks’ Carmen Smith (professional development), Lane Gorman Trubitt’s Donna Nuernberg (treasurer), Gordon Highlander’s Pam Bird (website/branding) and Hicks Resource Consulting’s Ann Hicks (president). –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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OSHA Issues Silica Law for Construction
Practical tips for limiting discovery costs in construction litigation
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
Jessica Neufeld Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr Dallas, TX
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bout two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces. OSHA estimates that more than 840,000 of these workers are exposed to silica levels that exceed the new permissible exposure limit (PEL).
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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
Exposure to respirable crystalline silica can cause silicosis, lung cancer, other respiratory diseases, and kidney disease. Exposure can occur during common construction tasks such as using masonry saws, grinders, drills, jackhammers and handheld powered chipping tools; operating vehicle-mounted drilling rigs; milling; operating crushing machines; and using heavy equipment for demolition or certain other tasks. The construction standard does not apply where exposures will remain low under any foreseeable conditions; for example, when only performing tasks such as mixing mortar; pouring concrete footers, slab foundation and foundation walls; and removing concrete formwork. The law requires employers to limit worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica and to take other steps to protect workers. The standard provides flexible alternatives, especially useful for small employers. Employers can either use a control method laid out in Table 1 of the construction standard, or they can measure workers’ exposure to silica and independently decide which dust controls work best to limit exposures to the PEL in their workplaces. Regardless of which exposure control method is used, all construction employers covered by the standard are required to: • Establish and implement a written ex-
posure control plan that identifies tasks that involve exposure and methods used to protect workers, including procedures to restrict access to work areas where high exposures may occur. • Designate a competent person to implement the written exposure control plan. • Restrict housekeeping practices that expose workers to silica where feasible alternatives are available. • Offer medical exams – including chest X-rays and lung function tests – every three years for workers who are required by the standard to wear a respirator for 30 or more days per year. • Train workers on work operations that result in silica exposure and ways to limit exposure. • Keep records of workers’ silica exposure and medical exams. Table 1 matches common construction tasks with dust control methods, so employers know exactly what they need to do to limit worker exposures to silica. The dust control measures listed in the table include methods known to be effective, like using water to keep dust from getting into the air or using ventilation to capture dust. In some operations, respirators may also be needed. Employers who follow Table 1 correctly are not required to measure workers’ exposure to silica and are not subject to the PEL. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
Tee totalers
Submitted to Construction News
On a MS-sion The 1st place finishers
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t was time to tear up the tees at the 2016 annual Golf Classic, held on Apr. 11 at Dallas’ Bear Creek Golf Club. The players had a ‘hole’ lot of fun at the event, which was hosted by the DFW Drywall and Acoustical Contractors Association (DACA). –mjm Winners: 1st Place: Mark Long, Ezequiel Perez, Brandon Sparling and Daniel Kampfer 2nd Place: Dick Porterfield, Doug Baker, Gary Batton and Chad Fife 3rd Place: JD Welsh, Todd Chappell, Bennie Lenox and Don Warner Team BakerTriangle had a great turnout for the Walk MS in Addison on April 9th. Combined, the Dallas, Fort Worth and corporate offices raised $8,000 to stop multiple sclerosis (MS), and also served as a major sponsor for the event. The cause is close to the team’s heart: Both executive vice president Brad Baker and prefab president Keith Giddens have wives who have MS. –mjm
Longest Drive: Mark Long Closest to Pin: Todd Chappell
Rick Rogers won the 50/50 raffle.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Lucky Stars
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here was not just one lone star, but several at Grand Prairie’s Lone Star Park on Apr. 8. It was there that the National Utility Contractors Association’s North Texas chapter held its 2016 Awards Banquet and Scholarship Fundraiser, honoring members and companies who shine in the construction industry. –mjm
Extraordinary Leadership Eric Lesch, PCL Contract Bonding (right)
Top Project Over $5 Million Driver Pipeline, Ed “Whiz” Whizenant Accepting
Ditch Digger Award L-R: Travis Inge, Zach Fusilier and Alex Kocher
Extraordinary Leadership Kelli Meyer, Vermeer (right)
2016 Long Suffering Award MC National Trench Safety’s Patrick Keller
2016 Member: Contractor Dakota Utility Contractors Inc. L-R: Travis Inge and Nathan Vyers
Extraordinary Leadership Ed “Whiz” Whisenant, Driver Pipeline (right)
Top Project Over $5 Million REYES Group L-R: Jeff Heimer and Craig Beckendorf accepting
2016 Estimator and Safety Professional L-R: Southgate’s Bob Becky and John Burns’ Tom Thompson
2016 Company Safety Driver Pipeline Ed “Whiz” Whisenant accepting
2016 Extraordinary Member Participation U.S. Shoring’s Chad Pendley
L-R: National Special Event Award NUCA/OSHA Trench Training L-R: North Texas Contracting’s Zach Fusilier and Team Safety’s Greg Strudwick accepting
2016 Member: Associate, Frost L-R: Alex Kocher, Greg Wilkerson, Travis Inge, Rick Ducharme and Jill McKean
Industry FOLKS Curtis Purvis Roofing Superintendent Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Dallas, TX
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n Feb. 17, Curtis Purvis sat in the audience at the National Roofing Contractors Association’s 129th Annual Convention awards ceremony, politely listening. As the presenter listed the next award recipient’s achievements, Purvis started having multiple “me too!” moments. Every achievement matched his own – but he wasn’t catching on. “I was happy for whoever that was,” he says, laughing, “only to find out it was me!” Purvis was humbled to be honored with the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress’ Most Valuable Player award as well as Professional Roofing’s ONE “Best of the Best” MVP. Since that moment, Purvis has been inundated with congratulatory emails, phone calls and handshakes upon returning to work. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Purvis says of the awards, which now have a place of honor on his mantel. “It’s nice to be rewarded for the things you do, even though I don’t look for it. I do it because it’s what I want to do.” Purvis grew up in the construction industry, thanks to his father, a master plumber who enlisted his son’s help on job sites until Purvis was a young adult. After a brief stint in college, Purvis got a job in the warehousing industry, working as a shipping coordinator for nine years. Hoping to break free from a desk job and spend more time outside,
he was inspired to break into roofing in 2008 after meeting a cousin’s spouse who was in the industry. Purvis’ warehouse and shipping experience only put him behind another desk, however, this time as an accountant for a roofing company. It wasn’t long though before he was coordinating for the maintenance department, and when he was hired at Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing four years later, he soon began working in the field as an inspector. A happy circumstance helped him land the superintendent’s job. “We were short on superintendents!” Purvis says. “I went to go oversee a job and I never left!” It’s a role Purvis feels fortunate to be a part of every day. “I enjoy the interactions with the guys, the customers, and seeing something built,” he says. When he isn’t working, Purvis likes fishing, traveling and volunteering when he can find the time, but free time is rare. Purvis and his wife Kiki share a blended family of six children and two years ago welcomed their “last child,” Kaleigh, “who is younger than our four grandkids,” Purvis says with a chuckle before adding, “The kids are our greatest reward.” –mjm
L-R: Anchor Construction and NUCA’s national treasurer Dan Buckley presents Kiewit-Southgate’s Alex Kocher, National Trench Safety’s Fred Burlbaw, NUCA’s Deana Butorac, McLaughlin’s Kevin Wise and Driver Pipeline’s Ed “Whiz” Whisenant with acknowledgement of the charter.
The Lone Star State now has a consolidated voice with which to take utility contractors’ issues to Austin. NUCA Texas was officially chartered at NUCA’s 51st National Convention in March. NUCA Texas starts out almost 100 members strong as it immediately incorporates both existing national at-large members residing in Texas and the NUCA North Texas membership. The state chapter formed in time to build a strong utility contractor coalition to address the Texas 85th legislature.
Submitted to Construction News
Thrilled to build
The young ladies at Girls Inc. built up their construction confidence at a Block Kids event on Apr. 11. Hosted by the National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) Dallas chapter in partnership with Hilti Inc., the competition introduces elementary school children to aspects of the construction industry and encourages them to consider a future construction career. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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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.
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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
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.
www.constructionnews.net San Antonio Austin South Texas Houston South Texas
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
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Dallas/Fort Worth 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!
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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
Through the willows
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. 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!
Beaver in the willows
Sally Nicholas caught a record hybrid.
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips
This “new” Lake Buchanan makes us all feel like celebrating! Grab some friends and come see us!
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!
Submitted to Construction News
Shooting straight L-R: Tri Dal Ltd.’s Shay Thomas, PCL Contract Bonding Agency’s Melissa and Eric Lesch and Senator Craig Estes take a break from shooting to shoot straight about the construction industry’s most important issues. The four were attending the BYOG (Bring Your Own Gun) 2016 Sporting Clay Shoot at Decatur’s Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds on Apr. 2. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Submitted to Construction News
Daddy/daughter deer hunt
With the help of his 11-year-old daughter Cori Beth, Trades Masters’ North Texas regional manager John VanCleef scored this axis deer on a two-day hunt on a 14,000-acre ranch in Menard, TX. VanCleef also harvested an axis doe and a blackbuck doe (not pictured) on the same hunt. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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Go tee-m! Go tee-m!
The three roofeteers
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t was time for golfers to get their green Apr. 14 at Garland’s Duck Creek Golf Club. PlumbingHeating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) members took their best shots at The 17th annual PHCC North Texas/ CompPAC Trust of Texas Golf Tournament. Dinner and awards concluded the event with three happy teams taking home a trophy to show off on their shelves. –mjm The Pepco Sales team took 1st place.
Three companies worked together to keep 200 students and their teachers safe and dry.
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he hail that recently battered the Metroplex made multiple headlines, but one preschool’s story is much happier than it could have been, thanks to three local roofing companies. ER Systems, Energy Roofing Solutions and Springtree Roofing and Restoration, who are all members of the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA), joined forces to donate a new roof to St. Philip’s Episcopal Preschool in Frisco this spring, just in time before hail assaulted the area. The school’s roof had already taken a beating from last year’s hail storms, but that wasn’t the worst part: Another company had cut out sections of the roof to provide samples as part of an insurance arbitration process and had not properly sealed it. Springtree Roofing and Restoration owner AJ Huckaby heard about the preschool’s need and wanted to help. His
company donated labor to temporarily fix the problem areas, but it was evident that the entire building needed a new roof. Huckaby consulted with multiple manufacturers, and ER Systems assessed the roof and decided to donate the needed roofing materlias. Energy Roofing Solutions also jumped to action by donating its services to install the new roof mid-April. Dry, safe and grateful, the preschool teachers and students presented handmade thank you cards to the companies involved, and honored the team with a luncheon. Karen Vermaire Fox, NTRCA’s executive director, is full of gratitude for the companies as well. “Community service is a major part of NTRCA’s mission, and we are proud to have members like Springtree Roofing and Restoration, ER Systems and Energy Roofing Solutions.” –mjm
1st place: Pepco Sales team – James Wickersham, Logan Gourley, Richard Mahoney and John Hefner 2nd Place: Romar Supply – Mark Cleer, Jason Waters, Randy Stanley and Ronnie Stanley
3rd Place: The Steam Team – John Kurek, Charlie Hogg, Patrick O’Brien and Jeff Dobbs
Submitted to Construction News
Trending now
What should people try at least once? People should try bungee jumping, I have bungee jumped at Six Flags, and it is fun! In West Virginia, there is a waterfall near a bridge that you can bungee jump off of. I would love to do that. Christie Smith Howell Crane & Rigging I went to Yankee Stadium in 2003 and sat in the dugout, walked the fields and went into the old Yankee locker room; it was the locker room where Babe Ruth had his locker, and Derek Jeter had two lockers because of all the fan mail he would get, which would fill up one of the lockers. My wife and I had the choice of going to Tavern On The Green or going to Yankee Stadium, and she chose Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, they tore the Stadium down, so people can’t go to it. But it was awesome, a lot of history. Philip Butler Paramount Plumbing As miserable as it looks, I think everyone should attend New Year’s Eve in Times Square with a significant other. I’ve never done it but it’s on my bucket list. It seems like a monumental moment. LeAnn Holt Dallas/Ft. Worth Lite & Barricade Give! Give with all of your heart! Don’t give and expect something in return. Giving makes me happy. A pastor in San Antonio once told me that givers gain! Sometimes, I’ll go to Starbucks and give coffees to people anonymously. I’ve been doing this a long time, and one time, a woman recognized me and bought me one! It felt good to be on the other end of her giving, because I know how good giving feels. Freddie Lopez, freddieamerica.com
Everyone should ride a motorcycle at least once for the sense of freedom that it provides. Merrick Butler, Butler & Butler Construction/Butler Masonry
Dallas architects and architectural firms provided a peek at their industry’s current trends by erecting three-dimensional displays at NorthPark Center. Organized by the The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Dallas chapter, the 26th Annual AIA Dallas RETROSPECT 2016 exhibition showcased the members’ local, national and international works Apr. 7- 16. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Craw shucks!
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veryone was crazy about the craw on Mar. 31 at the Silver Lake Marina at Lake Grapevine! TEXO, the Construction Association hosted a crawfish boil for its members as a 2016 debut for the association’s IMPACT Networking Series. –mjm
A hearty breed
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rchitects, contractors, subcontractors, engineers and clients stopped by Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons Brewing Company on Apr. 14 to support a cause close to their hearts. The Building With Heart event, an evening of food, drinks and networking, was held to generate support for the Tarrant County American Heart Association, raise funds for the Annual Heart Walk in September and increase awareness about how heart disease affects those in the construction industry. –mjm L-R: Huckabee’s Josh Brown AIA and Dennett Construction’s Scott Dennett
Did you know? In the construction industry, 2.1 percent of the people had suffered heart disease or stroke. L-R: Byrne Construction’s Chad Anderson, Benjamin L. Robertson, and American Heart Association’s Stacy Richardson
According to the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, the construction industry has one of the highest incident rates of psychosocial health problems, including stress, fatigue and burnout. Research shows that workers in the construction business are at risk for heart disease and stroke due to physical chemical, biological and psychosocial work hazards.
L-R: JQ’s Carlo Taddei, Douglas Rothermel and Stephen Lucy
Submitted to Construction News
How grand!
L-R: As part of the “Jody Dean Office Invasion” contest, Dallas radio station 98.7/KLUV’s Jody Dean “checked” in on Independent Electrical Contractors Association apprenticeship coordinator Sandy Strevel at her Fort Worth office to give her a $1,000 prize! –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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Concrete Industry Economy strong, but labor shortage a stressor Lance Halfmann, Vice-President ConScape Inc. Fort Worth, TX
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hat are the “hot button” issues in the industry? It 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.
Working together to achieve success Wanda Lynn Gibson, president, and Marty Gibson, vice president Gibson Concrete LLC Pflugerville, TX
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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. 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 budget. Other than that, we continue to con-
duct business and operate with respect and attention to details, the customers, the work force, and Mother Nature. Are there 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 between building out of a book and building on a jobsite. This understanding
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.
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 an attempt. These definitions are not bad if they
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 Inc. in Fort Worth offers paving, tilt wall panels, foundations and stamped concrete. –mjm
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
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Concrete Industry Concrete matters Bill Cloyd, Owner Cloyd Concrete Construction Magnolia, TX
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hat is your background in the construction industry? I have worked in the concrete business for about 30 years. When I first got started in the industry, I helped a few people do small concrete jobs back in the early ‘80s. I was just looking for a way to feed my family. I eventually had the opportunity to do larger concrete jobs. I learned the business as I went and things just took off from there. In your opinion, what is the state of the Houston construction industry? I think the Houston construction industry is still strong. I have noticed in the last two or three months things are starting to slow up just a little bit. We have had a huge boom in the past couple of years. We still haven’t felt anything that is related to the downturn in the oil business. I think we are still doing OK.
It’s all in the tilt wall Luis Higadera, General Manager NOVIDESA San Antonio, TX
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hile construction companies and owners search for ways to streamline the building process, save on costs, and create sustainable and energy efficient designs, Luis Higadera, NOVIDESA, believes that insulated concrete tilt wall can help achieve all of these goals. “The benefit is that you have three steps in one,” explains Higadera. “Once you lift your panels, you have your concrete, your metal stud and your insulation, and as a system, it’s more cost effective than conventional construction.” By doing these three steps in one, Higadera says the panels save costs on labor, concrete and steel. In conventional
What are a few major changes in your industry in the last few years? There are new products and tools to use for larger jobs. Laser screeds are now used on jobs and this cuts down on labor. These new products help us give a better product to the customers. What are few challenges you have
construction, once a concrete tilt wall is lifted, a subcontractor will put in the insulation and another subcontractor will put in the metal stud. Combining these three steps in one panel makes it less expensive to install and more energy efficient in the long run. With expanded polystyrene (EPS) providing the insulation in these panels, they provide protection from hot and cold, and they mean lower electricity bills for the end user. Using the index that measures the heat transmission resistance of the wall, the R-value of the insulated concrete tilt wall is 20. Higadera cites the 2015 International Building Code as requiring continuous insulation with an R-value of 7 1/2, and points out that the panels exceed the code-required R-value by more than double. He also says that using conventional construction, if the builder or owner wants more insulation, will add to the cost of construction. In this sense, the NOVIDESA system is the same cost but has an R-value of 20. When the 2015 code was implemented, NOVIDESA came to San Antonio
seen lately? I think with as many people laid off in the oil business, that we are going to see a slow down in the coming year. It is still a very diversified economy here in Houston. I think established customers and contractors will continue to do OK. I have several builders I do work for as a subcontractor that are very established in the area. They are going to continue building because their name is out there. You have to have a good product, a good response to problems in the field and good relationships to keep your business going. You have to know how to ride the storms out. What advice can you offer to a young person who wants to pursue a construction career? My advice to a young person would be to get with a reputable company that has been around a while. Learn the business. Start out as a laborer and work your way up. If you have
because the panels presented a convenient way to meet and exceed the code, Higadera explains. “The 2015 code requires a continuous insulation, and all of our products give you a continuous insulation,” he says. “What it means to have a continuous insulated wall with the R-value that we have is that you’re going to have a lower [electricity] bill on your building.” Another point Higadera makes is that the wall will be less thick than it would be in conventional construction, creating more space inside. The insulated concrete tilt wall will be 9 inches if you would use it in place of a 5 1/4-inch conventional concrete tilt wall. But as another benefit to having three pieces of the process in one, he says that when you add the metal stud and insulation to that conventional construction, the wall will be thicker than 9 inches. The insulated concrete tilt wall panels have been used for more than 20 years, he says, and NOVIDESA has been using them in Mexico and in the Rio Grande Valley, but this kind of panel is used across the world. The panels are
aspirations to own a company, see about taking business and accounting courses. It is important to know all aspects of the concrete business, not just how to do the work. What is on the horizon for the construction industry? I think it is still going to be a good market but I don’t think it will be as busy as it has been in the past two or three years. What does it take to be successful in your industry? I think the keys to success in the concrete business is having good customers that pay well and pay on time. I have employees that have worked with me for a long period of time. You have to treat employees good because they are your business. They have to be taken care of and rewarded for the work they learn how to do. Cloyd Concrete Construction provides residential and commercial concrete services. –ab
manufactured in Mexico, but the technology was engineered in Italy. When NOVIDESA started in 2006, Higadera recalls having to convince customers of the benefits, but as the years have passed, he observes that insulated concrete tilt wall is becoming more popular because of its advantages, especially under the 2015 code. One example of the product’s use is a recent project in San Antonio with MD Construction, a concrete contractor, where NOVIDESA supplied insulated concrete tilt wall for a retail commercial building on Potranco Road. Higadera estimates that nine panels used in the build totaled about 5,000sf and were done in two-and-a-half days. NOVIDESA started in the Rio Grande Valley, and since arriving in San Antonio, Higadera has worked with Diego Rodriguez, owner of MD Construction, on supplying materials for jobs. Higadera notes that Rodriguez was the first subcontractor in the San Antonio area to be trained to work with the insulated concrete tilt wall. –mh
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
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Hole in won
embers of the Dallas and Fort Worth/Tarrant County chapters of the Independent Electrical Contractors Association (IEC) had a feeling in their putt Apr. 12. The association hosted its 10th annual Tom Jones Memorial Golf Tournament at Euless’ Texas Star Golf Course, and 212 golfers competed in morning and afternoon flights to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the IEC Foundation. –mjm Winners: Morning: 1st Place, First Flight: Troy Skipmore, Tyler Mileger, Chris Tucker and Chad Knowles 1st Place, Second Flight: Brett Skyllingstad, Corey Bryant, Ron Canion and Scott Anderson Closest to Pin: Jeff Wolfla Straightest Drive: Jordon Jones Afternoon: 1st Place, 2nd Flight: Gary Sodd, Roger Peterson, Randy Aldridge and David Layton Closest to pin: Wes Shahan Straightest Drive: Shaun Kell
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Creating quite a row
A perfect 10!
Skanska’s Eric Bunner trains for The Prosper Row-a-thon, a grassroots fundraising event he created for Cornerstone Assistance Network of North Central Texas, which helps Collin County’s needy. On May 21, individuals or teams will join Bunner in rowing an entire marathon (42,195 meters) on an indoor rowing machine (aka “ergometer” or “erg.”). –mjm
L-R: Brothers Kevin and Merrick Butler pull out all of the glamorous stops to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Butler & Butler Construction/Butler Masonry. To share the joys and successes of the past decade, the brothers hosted a gala Mar. 26 at Dallas’ The City Club. –mjm
Jeff Wolfla won “closest to the pin” in one of the morning flights.
The golfers fight the morning chill before the first flight.
Submitted to Construction News
Center of it all
BRS Architecture and Byrne Construction Services help break ground on the Link at Richland Hills activity center Apr. 19. Construction on the 26,500-sf facility, which will include a gymnasium, weight and cardio areas, indoor walking track, fitness studio, an arts and crafts classroom and community rooms, is slated for completion April 2017. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA - Fort Worth
NAWIC - Dallas
American Institute of Architects
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
May 11: AIA/CSI ACME Brick Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd., Fort Worth, 1pm.
May 4: 23rd Annual Golf Classic, Cowboys Golf Club, 1600 Fairway Drive, Grapevine, 10:30 check-in. May 16: Dinner meeting, “Industry Appreciation Night” May 20-21: South Central Region Forum, New Orleans, LA
ASA North Texas American Subcontractors Association
May 12: Schmooze & Mingle – Crawfish Boil, Morrison Supply, 3200 Irving Blvd., Dallas, 4pm. Contact Kelly Dando for details at (817) 640-8275 or Kelly@asanorthtexas.org. May 14: 13th Annual Poker Run for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital & Happy Hill Farm, 9am. Visit www.asa-northtexas.org or contact LaDell Tullos for details at (817) 640-8275 or ladell@asa-northtexas.org. May 19: Luncheon with CFMA, Hackberry Country Club, 1901 W Royal Ln, Irving, 11:30am. Contact Kelly Dando for details at (817) 640-8275 or kelly@asa-northtexas.org.
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
May 9: Dallas branch meeting, 11 am
NAWIC - Fort Worth Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
May 5: The Who’s Who in Building and Construction Showcase, Texas Rangers Baseball Club, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, 2pm. May 18: Business dinner meeting, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N, Fort Worth, 5:30pm. May 20-21: South Central Region Forum, New Orleans, LA
NTRCA N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.
May 25: Lunch & Learn meeting, International Bowling Museum Arlington, 621 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, 11:30am
ASSE – Southwest
NUCA
Am. Society of Safety Engineers
Nat’l Utility Contractors Assn.
May 9: Chapter meeting
CFMA
May 5: PORKaPULLuza 3rd Annual Clay Shoot & BBQ, Dallas Gun Club, 3601 S Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville, 10am.
Construction Financial Mgmt Assn.
PDCA - Dallas
May 19: Luncheon with ASA, Hackberry Country Club, 1901 W Royal Ln, Irving, 11:30am. Contact Kelly Dando for details at (817) 640-8275 or kelly@asa-northtexas.org. May 23: CFMA Golf Tournament, Timmaron Country Club, 1400 Byron Nelson Pkwy, Southlake, 7:30am.
Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.
CSI – Dallas Construction Specifications Institute
May 10: Chapter meeting, Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Road, Addison, 5:30pm. May 31: CSI Dallas Happy Hour, Katy Trail Ice House, 3127 Routh St., Dallas, 5:30pm.
CSI – Fort Worth Construction Specifications Institute
May 11: AIA/CSI ACME Brick Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd., Fort Worth, 1pm.
DACA
May 11: Happy Hour
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
May 17: Lunch meeting at Brookhaven Country Club
PMI – Dallas Project Management Institute
May 27: Dallas Lunch & Learn, Panera Bread, Park Lane/Central Expwy, 7839 Park Ln., Dallas, 11:30am. May 27: Plano Lunch & Learn, Café Express, Shops at Legacy, 5800 Legacy Dr., Plano, 11:30am.
RHCA Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.
May 20: Annual Sporting Clay Classic, Elm Fork Shooting Sports, 10751 Luna Rd., Dallas, 7am. Contact Yolanda Tafoya at Yolanda@regionalhca.org or (972) 786-0909 for details.
Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Assn.
SAM
May 18: Membership meeting, Courtyard Marriott TownePlace Suites, 2200 Bass Pro Court, Grapevine, 11:30am.
Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex
IEC - Dallas
May 5: Dinner meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy, Dallas, 6pm.
Independent Electrical Contractors
SEA – Dallas
May 13: IEC Night at the Ballpark, Globe Life Park, Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Bluejays, 5pm “All You Can Eat Porch”, 7:05pm game.
Structural Engineers Assn.
May 17: Lunch meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 205 Northpark Center, Dallas, 11:30am.
IEC - Fort Worth
SFPE – DFW
Independent Electrical Contractors
Society of Fire Protection Engineers
May 13: IEC Night at the Ballpark, Globe Life Park, Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Bluejays, 5pm “All You Can Eat Porch”, 7:05pm game.
May 2: Meeting and lunch, Double Tree Hotel, 4099 Valley View Ln., Farmers Branch, 11:30am.
NAMC
Texas Glass Association
Nat’l Assn. of Minority Contractors
May 10: Membership Dinner Meeting, Hilton Inn DFW, 2001 Valley View Ln, Irving, 6pm.
May 19: Launch event, Globe Life Park, Cholula Porch, Arlington, 6pm.
TGA/NTD
NARI - Dallas
TPWA – N.TX.
Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Texas Public Works Assn.
May 10: Meeting, ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings, 989 W. Sandy Lake Rd, Coppell, 6pm.
May 19: Sporting Clay Tournament, Alpine Shooting Range, 5482 Shelby Rd., Fort Worth, 1pm shotgun start.
continued from Page 1 — Causing a lift chuckle). They also join the company’s San Antonio team for an annual skeet shoot/dove hunt and cookout held for employees and customers. The example of camaraderie is set at the top with Howell and runs deep through the ranks. “What I like about Howell Crane, and what sets Howell Crane apart from any other crane company I’ve worked for, is how involved the owner is,” Boucher says. “Audie Howell is very involved in the day-to-day – I’d almost say by the hour – and I love that about him. The fact that he takes this much interest in his own company says a lot.” Boucher, who has worked in the crane and rigging industry since high school, enjoys helping Howell mentor the Dallas team, which his staff appreciates. “I’ve enjoyed working for Mike since I’ve been here,” Coleman says. “It’s my first year in sales and he’s really helped me out a lot, and so has our owner. How-
ell Crane’s kind of a big mom-and-pop operation; we’re all known by names; we’re not a number. The owner calls us and checks on us. They’re just good people all around.” Smith agrees, saying her favorite part about working at Howell Crane & Rigging Inc. is her co-workers. “I really enjoy my job,” Smith adds. “Mike is a lot of help, and Blue is too.” Boucher says he likes working with a great team that makes a difference for the customers. “The biggest compliment we have gotten is on our service. We pride ourselves on service and safety. Our guys are highly trained; they’re very efficient in what they do,” Boucher says. “If we’re cheaper on the dollar, that’s a plus, but safety and customer service are the two key components we try to tackle.” With offices in Dallas and San Antonio, Howell Crane & Rigging Inc. offers crane and rigging and trucking services. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Driven to succeed Even though the firm focuses on high-profile projects, Hegarty says HNTB also focuses on its professionals, ensuring that there are opportunities for employee happiness and growth. It is something he has seen firsthand since joining the firm in 2013. “Our North Texas office makes sure to have numerous team building events – we genuinely enjoy getting to know each other outside of a working environment,” he says. “Just this year we have departmental outings for Whirlyball, Top Golf, Dave and Busters, Rangers games, Bocce tournament and several happy hours. We also have hosted an office-wide “pub quiz” and March Madness bracket competition.” In addition to creating bonds outside of the office, HNTB strives to ensure their professionals feel they are on the right career path within the company.
“We have numerous one-on-one career path discussions to make sure everyone is growing and learning in their roles within the company, and that they are happy with what they are doing,” Hegarty says.” HNTB North Texas is on a mission to have a general management focus of building pride of place.” “The HNTB North Texas office has been growing rapidly since its inception in 1965. Just since 2013, our staff has nearly doubled in size to our now 108 employees,” he continues. “Our main focus now that we have a great portfolio of talent on board is to keep our employees happy and ensure that they maintain a work-life balance while producing quality results for our clients.” HNTB is an employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm serving public and private owners and construction contractors. –mjm
continued from Page 1 —Fuel injector “fuse” it with the existing structure, demolish the dividing wall without compromising the structure’s integrity and also bring it up to code. Ghafoor felt confident he and his team could meet or possibly beat the project’s 90-day deadline and impress the client as well. “I have a great professional relationship with my structural engineer, Jerry Coffee, who always gives me sound advice and his professional opinion on operation and maintenance,” Ghafoor explains. “Innovative Design Build has a very positive relationship with many of the experts in the construction field. Our company consults with these professionals on a regular basis in order to deliver the desired outcome.” Innovative Design Build started by giving the structure firmer footing, thanks to a new foundation. For additional support, concrete masonry unit (CMU) structural walls were utilized as well. The team topped off the structure with a new timber frame roof and installed larger windows and a wider door. New counters freshened up the interior of the building, and, to bring the facility up to date, IDB renovated the bathroom to meet all American Disability Accessibility requirements. The structural wall
between the remodeled addition and the gas station was also removed, connecting the two spaces. Ghafoor and his team not only brought the building up to date, they also completed the 90-day project in only 65 days. The gas station that had once been “running on fumes” was now refueled and ready for business. Looking back on the renovation process, Ghafoor is glad he took the challenge, even though he admits the gas station’s original condition caused occasional doubts. “After all of the construction documents were completed and approved, I had second thoughts, thinking, ‘What have I got into now?’” Ghafoor admits. “However, after a few weeks of progress when I could see the resulting fruit of my labor and the labor of many others, it was very satisfying to complete a project early and within budget. Ask any contractor - those feelings are hard to put in words!” Located in Colleyville, general contractor Innovative Design Build specializes in commercial and residential ground up construction, rehabilitation and additions, and also focuses on green building. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016
Submitted to Construction News
Quite a product-ion
Dallas/Ft. Worth Lite & Barricade Inc. president Shane D. Howell (far right) welcomes guests and describes one of the products, an ADA SpeakMaster, on display at a product showcase event held Apr. 13 at the company’s Dallas office. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
Safety in numbers
Trinity Drywall & Plastering Systems president Brad Bryant proudly holds the 2016 Excellence in Construction Safety Award presented to him Apr. 18 at the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI)’s annual convention in New Orleans. The company was recognized for “greatest overall increase in safety, training and awareness among AWCI member companies with between 500,000 and One Million Man-Hours in 2015.” –mjm
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Round-Up Lane Gorman Trubitt (LGT) and its affiliate company LGT Financial Advisors LLC (LGT FA), announced two new additions to their partner groups: Kevin Warneke CPA, an assurance services professional, has been named a partner of LGT. With more than 15 years of public accounting experience, Warneke’s primary focus will be on client service. His responsibilities include all aspects of audit and consulting engagements from planning, assessing risk, and supervising staff to the review and presentation of final deliverables to management and board of directors. Scott Gunn, JD CFP CPFA, a financial planning consultant who has more than 20 years of investment consulting and financial planning experience, has been named a partner of LGT FA. Gunn, who joined LGT FA as principal in 2009, will be responsible for investment advisory services, comprehensive financial planning and qualified plan consulting to employers. Scott also serves as LGT FA’s Chief Compliance Officer. Several staff level promotions at LGT’s Dallas office have also been announced: Babita Sherchan and Shehzana Ali became manager in the firm’s assurance services department. Callie Nixon and Elliot Nolan were promoted to Senior I employees. Rachel Luker and Britney Castilleja graduated to Staff II. Trey Hardy was promoted to Senior I in the firm’s tax department.
Architecture, engineering and planning firm SmithGroupJJR promoted Clint Menefee AIA, LEED AP BD+C to principal at the firm’s Dallas office. Menefee joined SmithGroupJJR in 2006 with a focus in the planning and design of a diverse range of higher education building typologies. Menefee earned a bachelor’s of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, followed by a Master of Architecture from Clemson University.
Buyers Barricades in Richland Hills announces two additions to its team: Matt Sauer has joined the team as a project manager. Sauer’s job duties include managing contract work, quoting commercial jobs, onsite supervising and managing special events. His past experience includes outside sales with an industrial supplier, operation of longline striping, and work as a supervisor/dispatch/project manager in traffic control for three years. Sauer earned an Associates of Arts degree from Longview Community College. Cole Benton has been hired as an estimator in outside sales. Benton’s duties include analyzing data to estimate time, cost, labor and material required to perform services from start, to maintenance to completion. With seven years in the construction industry, Benton previously worked as an assistant project manager and rough carpenter for RJM Contractors. Benton earned a bachelor’s in marketing with a sales concentration at Texas Tech University’s Rawls College of Business. Sundt Construction Inc. has hired Arun Verma as a projects control manager in the company’s Fort Worth office. Verma’s experience encompasses the entire spectrum of project controls and management for federal/Army Corps of Engineers, commercial, industrial, light rail, highway and energy projects. Verma earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the K.K. Wagh Institute of Engineering Education & Research in India and a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from Texas A&M University.
Submissions Email with “Round-Up” in the subject line (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue to: DFWeditor@constructionnews.net
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • May 2016