South Texas Construction News May 2016 by Construction News

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Volume 3

Number 5

MAY 2016

New day, new digs

Steel style

Turner/Ramirez Architects is enjoying a lighter, fresher feeling at the new office space.

RSS employees Roxanne Gonzalez, Justin Vorhees, Becky Freeman, Sandra Gonzalez and Cheryl Andrews greet customers looking for rebar and concrete construction products in Corpus Christi.

ack Rice Turner founded Turner/ Ramirez Architects in Corpus Christi in 1958, but in 2015-2016 the firm made some major changes. Although Turner is still involved in the firm, partner Philip Ramirez assumed sole proprietorship in 2015 and the office recently moved into a new location. According to Kyle Miller, project architect, the firm moved to its new location in mid-February, after completely renovating an office space on Alameda St. “We removed the existing interior and took it down to the shell,” Miller says. The result is a light-filled, airy space with bright primary colors accentuating

the various work areas. There are eight employees, including Ramirez, Turner and Miller, Brian Bienek, project manager; Diego Martinez, project manager; and Christina Hunter, Jonathan Gonzalez and Joseph Mihoin, all interns. “We are growing our employee base because we are a growing firm,” Miller sasid. The new location is more efficient, Miller says, although the square footage stayed close to the same. “We design in a studio-type environment,” he says. “We all collaborate on projects. There is an abundance of natural light and the space is longer and more linear.” continued on Page 10

heryl Andrews has been general manager at the Corpus Christi branch of RSS (Reinforcing Steel Supply) almost since it opened. The location opened in spring 2009 and Andrews was recruited and started work on Sept. 16, 2009. She has lived in Corpus Christi on and off since 1957 and built her career in similar industries. She says one of the things she likes about RSS is the family atmosphere and emphasis on teamwork. The Corpus Christi location has 12 employees. “We are all a team in this together,” she says. “We are like a big family. It’s a smaller company and we were the first branch. They gave me free rein to do

what I needed to do. I loved that.” Andrews says the people who work throughout the company are supportive and helpful. “It’s very nice to have a supportive headquarters to call on when I need help,” she said. “Since we have opened newer branches, we’ve all helped and nurtured those as well.” In the Corpus shop, which sells concrete forming accessories, sells and fabricates rebar and estimates and details, the crew is also a team with a family mentality. “We celebrate births and birthdays,” Andrews says. “We socialize after work continued on Page 10

For the public good

t was a project that was many years in the making and finally came about as a collaborative and serendipitous melding of the needs of two different entities. KEDT, Corpus Christi’s public radio and TV stations, needed a new facility and Del Mar College needed state-ofthe-art technology for its students pursuing careers in radio and television. They joined forces to create a brand new station adjacent to the college. Teal Construction in Corpus Christi was the general contractor on the $5 million project that started in September 2014 and finished in December 2015. “A number of years ago we were comparing the future needs of the college and the station,” said Don Dunlap, general manager for KEDT. “We were in a lease situation and needed to get out of it. We have state-of-the-art technology that the college didn’t have. They had this piece of land they had no use for. It

The new facility is a joint effort between KEDT and Del Mar College.

was a win-win situation.” According to Dunlap, the college is charging KEDT $100 per year for the land

and also paid for the parking lot and its infrastructure – a move that saved KEDT about $1 million.

The station project was paid for through a capital campaign, which Dunlap is happy to report is about 90 percent complete. “We collaborated on the design to meet the needs of both organizations,” Dunlap says. “We will use the college students as interns.” Tom Gentry was project manager for Teal Construction. Project superintendent was Dusty Lacey. The new construction consisted of 15,000-sf of a suspended concrete foundation and a structural steel building. The exterior is metal wall panels, finished concrete wall, burnished brick façade trim work, and ACM panels with bright aluminum paneling around the top and front entrance. Inside, half the building is polished concrete floors and the rest is carpet. The continued on Page 10

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South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Sending their top techs

Submitted to Construction News

Presentable

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

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

The Terracon team waits to present to the commission for Geotechnical and Materials Testing services at the New Hidalgo County Courthouse on Mar. 31. L-R: Martin Reyes, Juan M. Borjon, PE, Jorge A. Flores, PG, Stephany Chacon, E.I.T., Stephanie M. Rendon, MBA, Chuck A. Gregory, PE, Alfonso A. Soto, PE, D.GE, F. ASCE –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

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

EAE Construction in Edinburg recently repaved part of the Hildago EMS parking lot – making it easier for responders to get to the scene of an emergency faster, according to Ebrahim W. Morales, founder of EAE. –cw

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

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Page 3

Construction News ON LOCATION

Lighting the way It’s time to redevelop middle management development Andy Ray, Principal PFK Texas Houston, TX

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-

South Texas

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

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

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If you are a construction-related company in Aransas, Atascosa, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, DeWitt, Dimmit, Frio, Goliad, Hidalgo, Karnes, Kenedy, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Willacy or Zavala county and are not receiving a free copy of the South Texas Construction News, visit our website.

The South Texas Construction News (ISSN #2327-4670) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba South Texas Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the South Texas 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 South Texas 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.

FSG (Facility Solutions Group) employees Gabriel Plata and Chris McRae are ready to help customers with their lighting, electrical, energy, technology and signs needs in Corpus Christi. –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Summit it up

Barry Tuttle, operations manager, Tinna Williams and Ryan Duren were celebrating Tinna’s birthday last month at Summit Electrical Supply in Corpus Christi. –cw

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South Texas Construction News • May 2016

OSHA adopts new rule to protect workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica Stan Gregory Insurica San Antonio, TX

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

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

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

itigation isn't the first thing on the mind of most construction companies when considering their information technology infrastructure. However, how an organization stores and manages its data can have a major impact on the overall cost of complying with preservation obligations related to lawsuits. When litigation arises, parties are product enables a company to reasonably obligated to take good faith and reason- limit the amount of email storage per user able measures to preserve unique data while providing employees quick and easy potentially relevant to the case. For the access to archived material. Maintaining a centralized and searchconstruction industry, this can range from emails and other forms of commu- able database of company emails makes nication, to CAD, scheduling and ac- it easier to isolate, preserve and collect counting files, as well as hard copies of the emails of key employees when litigathe plans and specifications, RFIs and tion arises. In addition, it enables more consistent preservation by centralizing submittals. There are several ways a company the process instead of relying on individcan structure data to limit discovery costs ual users to manage their email archives without adversely affecting its business themselves. functions. Below are some practical data Be mindful of electronic communicamanagement suggestions construction tions, beyond emails companies should consider implement- Do employees utilize instant messaging software or text messaging? ing to limit potential discovery costs: Avoid storing data on individual com- These forms of electronic communication have value for companies as they enputer hard drives If each employee stores work on able employees to communicate effitheir individual computer hard drive, ciently with colleagues, clients or cuswhen it comes time to preserve and col- tomers, which can be crucial in the field. lect in litigation, relevant data may need At the same time, they each generate adto be collected from each computer sep- ditional potentially relevant data that arately. This is a time- and labor-intensive may need to be produced in litigation. In process that also will likely result in a sub- addition, especially with respect to mostantial amount of duplicate data. This bile technologies, they may pose unique results in more data to cull through when security risks. it comes time to review and produce to Prior to implementing such tools, the opposing party, which means greater weigh the value of their use with the potential for related litigation costs. Bring IT, discovery costs for the company. In contrast, if employees maintain legal and other relevant stakeholders to their work on a shared server, preserva- the table for an informed analysis. Furtion and collection of that data can likely thermore, develop policies regarding use be performed just once on that server. and retention of this data to help mitigate This benefits the company by keeping discovery costs. If these technologies are collection costs down, limiting the chance already in use, it is not too late to consider of spoliation (the more individual collec- revisions to current policies and prototions you need to perform, the greater cols to minimize discovery costs and imthe chance of technical issues or that rel- prove data security. Jessica Neufeld practices general comevant data is missed) and streamlining mercial litigation with a significant focus on the review and production process. Though it is still best practice to inter- construction litigation and counseling on view key employees to determine wheth- behalf of contractors, developers and deer they’ve saved work on their individual sign professionals. She has both defended hard drives, having a policy in place in- and asserted claims of breach of contract, structing employees not to do so, and negligence, professional negligence, DTPA, which the company can back up with fraud and mechanic's liens foreclosure. Jesregular compliance audits, will help to fur- sica is also a member of Munsch Hardt's ther ensure it can rely on shared storage eDiscovery task force. In that capacity, she advises clients and other attorneys on costlocations for litigation data collections. effective and defensible strategies for the Utilize an email archive An email archiving system captures preservation, collection, processing, review email content in a central location, while and production of electronic information. storing and indexing the emails for easy jneufeld@munsch.com www.munsch. searchablity in the future. This type of com

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

Submissions This is a section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge as space allows. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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: STeditor@constructionnews.net

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Page 5

Spring Fishing Strategies!! by Capt. Steve Schultz

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

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

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

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

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.

Submitted to Construction News

Forked tongue

Great day on the water

Stephanie Rendon, client development specialist at Terracon in Pharr, attended a Rio Grande Valley Vipers basketball game on Mar. 26 and got a selfie with the Viper’s mascot. –cw

Associated Builders and Contractors Texas Coastal Bend Chapter President Kathy Burnette caught and released 29 redfish in Port O’Connor recently. Yippee! –cw

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South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country,. You can hear Ken on radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 6-8 AM on AM 1300, The Zone – Austin, or http://www.am1300the zone.com

Happy New Lake!

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

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

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

Beaver in the willows

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Through the willows

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

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

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Page 7

Team Turner on the move again

n Ap. 2, Team Turner Corpus Christi participated in the Walk MS 2016. The Team Turner participants raised $1,198 for MS by having a chopped beef sandwich plate sale. –cw

Oscar Pena, Patricia Livas and son, Santi Pena

Tiny Team Turner Kids, L-R: Grace Deanda, child of John Deanda, Fabrication Division Safety; Daniel Pena, Ariana Pena, Bianca Pena and Nadia Pena, children of Wendy Pena, Turner Billing department; Miles Scott (stroller), son of Marissa Mendez Fabrication division; and Santi Pena, son of Patricia Livas, Corporate Procurement

Terracon acquires BES

erracon recently announced it has acquired Building Exterior Solutions LLC (BES) of Texas. Terracon is a provider of environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials engineering services with many locations throughout Texas. Terracon will retain BES’ 20-plus employees and offices in the Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio areas. Founded in 2008, with the experience of professionals from architectural, engineering, and construction industries, BES provides investigation, evaluation, and construction solutions for exterior building systems. BES’ experience resolving existing building enclosure problems and developing new integrated building enclosure designs reinforces Terracon’s facilities capabilities and strengthens the firm’s ability to service clients across the country. “BES adds significant bench strength to our building enclosure practice and we are excited to have them join Terracon’s Facilities Division,” said David Gaboury, PE, president and CEO of Terracon. “The depth of their expertise allows us to further demonstrate our commitment to bringing even greater value to our clients.” The BES staff includes licensed engineers and certified roof and waterproofing consultants who provide design for new facilities or rehabilitation of existing building enclosures that exhibit distress, deterioration, and air and/or water infiltration. BES clients include owners, developers, architects, contractors, and organizations such as Kirksey, Memorial Hermann, Lincoln Properties, and Gensler. BES operates as Building Exterior Solutions, A Terracon Company, as of the Jan.

Team Turner participants: Oscar Pena, Turner Construction; Deborah Ramos, Turner Construction; Patricia Livas and family, Turner Corporate Procurement; Mayra Romero Garcia, Turner Construction; Wendy Pena and family, Turner Billing; John Deanda and daughter, Fabrication Division Safety; Martin Mata, Fabrication division; Joshua Barnett, Fabrication division; Julie Leija, Turner Security; and Daniel Naranjo, Fabrication division

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Preparation

David Gaboury

31 closing. “Terracon is well-known in the marketplace and gives BES clients the benefit of an expanded network of resources and capabilities,” said Jerry Abendroth, BES president. “The facilities services capabilities of our firms align perfectly, enhancing our ability to serve clients across the country.” The acquisition strengthens Terracon’s Texas presence as BES joins a network of more than a dozen offices in the state. Engineering News-Record ranks Terracon as the third largest General Building design firm in Texas and Louisiana, and 11th on the Top Texas Design Firms list. Terracon is an employee-owned engineering consulting firm with more than 3,500 employees providing services from more than 150 offices in 42 states. Terracon currently ranks 35th on Engineering NewsRecord’s list of Top 500 Design Firms. –cw

Nothing mini about this birthday

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

Diamond Eight Industries, Santa Rosa, TX, is busy doing the site work for a new Cane’s Restaurant in Weslaco. –cw

Page 8

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

ti and dad was with O’Neil Ford in San Antonio. The two firms had a joint project and dad came to Corpus Christi and met my mom. How did you decide you wanted to pursue architecture? I don’t know that I knew early on, but I was very creative. I think I figured it out in junior high school. By high school, I knew and started taking drafting classes.

John and Biby Dykema Owners Dykema Architects Corpus Christi

(Interview with Biby Dykema)

ibiana “Biby” Dykema was one of six siblings born in a family with parents who had strong convictions and progressive attitudes. As a girl growing up, Biby was drawn to the arts and realized in high school that that attraction and her father’s chosen field of architecture actually went hand in hand. In a day when she and only a few other females were freshmen in the incoming class of architecture students at the University of Texas in Austin, Biby has seen many changes in the construction field – and has recently been able to release some of her creative energy in a new way, as one of the founders and the main designer of Curri – a line of tunics and jewelry made in India. Your childhood sounds very interesting. Tell me about it. I grew up in Corpus Christi, the middle child of six children. My father, James M. Bright, was an architect. My father and mother leaned strongly towards helping the underdog. They were very philanthropic. Mom took a bus to Washington D.C. when I was in middle school to protest the Vietnam War - she got tear-gassed! My parents were liberal and lived their convictions. If someone was in need, they could be called on. My younger brother was adopted and he is Afro American. It was illegal in Texas at the time. It was very unusual in the late 60s. They wanted to adopt a baby. They already had five kids, but they wanted one more. The agency said all they had are Hispanic and Afro American children and my parents said, “We don’t care.” When we got to adoption court, the judge looked it up and said, “You know this is illegal,” but they overrode it. We had a great childhood because of that very principled, very artistic atmosphere. They had a lot of artist friends. Early on, mom was a receptionist at Richard Colley Architects in Corpus Chris-

Did any other siblings follow your dad into architecture? No. My older sister is a ballet dancer, she is the head of a dance academy in Winston-Salem, N.C. My younger sister is a Realtor in Austin. One brother is a lawyer in Corpus Christi and my youngest brother works for Don Strange Catering in Austin. One brother passed away. Tell me about Arcosanti. I finished high school early and applied to work in Arcosanti in Arizona. It was started by Italian architect Paolo Soleri and his wife, Colly. Arcosanti is an educational organization devoted to the support of Soleri's noted architectural and urban planning research. I worked in construction there for three months. I was the youngest person to have attended the program. It was amazing. They are still building it. The idea was you build on unusable land and you save the fertile land for farming and production. That’s really incredibe. What did you do next? From there, I went to UT Architecture School. My entering class at school was 80-90 students and only a few females. I was the only female that graduated with my class. Now at UT it’s 51% female. Many females don’t go into architecture because they are not good at math, but it is so little of what you do. It’s a shame that people have that perception. Now, you take a math for architects. You are better off being creative and open minded than having math skills. Now I’m on the advisory council to the school. Twice a year, I meet with students and fundraise and brainstorm about the architecture department at the school. I’ve been doing that since 1995. Tell me about meeting John. Because there were so many men and so few females at school, it was awkward. I just kind of ignored the men. The summer I met him, we had a couple of classes together. I would sit at the front and never turn around to look at the back. One day I left class and I was walking back to the architecture department and he kept yelling, “Hey you!.” I didn’t turn around and finally he yelled, “Hey you in the pink pants!” I was wearing painter pants that I had died bright pink, so I turned around! We dated a couple of years and got married. How did John end up at UT? John got his undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania and was getting his graduate degree at UT. He’s from Michigan originally. He may have stayed in Austin because Austin was booming at that time, but the opportunity to work for my dad was too great for either of us to pass up. In architecture, you intern for three years and then take the exam. I had already decided I was going to intern with my dad. After our internship, we had developed clients and decided to stay in Corpus Christi. We’ve done great here – lots of clients, lots of friends. Tell me about your dad. Well, he is retired now, but he started with Christian, Bright and Pennington in the 1950s, then became Bright Associates, then Bright and Dykema and now it is Dykema. John and I practiced with him for years. I joined the firm in 1980 and John

Biby and John Dykema. Biby is wearing a tunic and some examples of the jewelry items one can find at curristyle.com and in local stores.

in 1981 when we got married. We are celebrating 36 years of marriage this year. What is the main focus of Dykema Architects? We have a very diversified portfolio. We have a big range from commercial to residential. John and I are the principal designers and our partner is Josh Seahorn. You have two sons, right? Yes. My oldest son is John “Russel” Dykema III. He is 30 and will graduate from medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas as a doctor June 1. His fiancee will also be a doctor. He will be a psychiatrist and she will be a pediatric cardiologist. My younger son is James Bright Dykema, 27. He runs my import company, Curri. He runs all the importing, shipping, inventory, website (curristyle.com) and more. It’s getting to be a bigger and bigger job. Neither one was interested in architecture, although they are both really creative. James writes beautifully and speaks Japanese. Russel speaks Spanish fluently. James graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Japanese. He was working there when I mentioned to him that this new business was really taking off and I was going to need someone to help. He said he might be interested. What is Curri? It is an import business and it’s two things. I design tunics and have them made out of Indian silks and block prints and we have a group that sews them for us. We have them made in India and then shipped here. We have a jewelry line that I design and we have those made in Jaipur, India. Tell me about how Curri got started. Curri started four years ago. It all started with a pair of shoes! I was interviewing, along with four other firms, to renovate the Best Western Marina Grand on Shoreline Blvd. The owners are Ashvin and Shital Patel, father and son. I had these shoes on, they are really fun, they have little skulls on them. Shital saw my shoes and said, even though they liked what I had presented to them for the renovation and would have hired Dykema anyway, the shoes really sealed the deal! While working with them on the renovation, I mentioned how difficult it is sometimes to find the textiles I need for my designs in the U.S. They invited me to their home in Ahmedabad, India and said I could find that kind of material and items I was looking for there. And from there, you started designing tunics and jewelry? Yes! I started researching India and realized they have very good tailors. On the first visit, I had 10 tunics made.

We went to Jaipur to find stones and jewelry items. When I got home, I sold everything in a week – just by word of mouth. And now the business is really taking off, right? Yes. We first started doing trunk shows in homes in Austin and Washington D.C. We started having Christmas shows, then we got into stores in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas. We are in Julian Gold, Sloan Hall and we are looking for a company to help us with marketing. Our inventory comes into a warehouse here in Corpus Christi where my son is in charge. The Patels are your business partners? Yes. We go to India twice a year. Noone speaks English, the Patels translate. Being a female and not speaking the language, I couldn’t get in the door without them. It’s not tourist stuff. None of us have business degrees. We all work fulltime at other jobs where we are business people. We just did this and we became successful. We have an unusual business model because there is no middle man. It was very serendipitous for us all. I was at a point in my career where I could take a chance and Ashvin was at a point where he thought it would be fun to do something different. It was just the perfect time. People who know me are not surprised. It’s not that different from what I’ve been doing all along. How has Curri changed the lives of the people you work with in India? Our tailor’s whole business has changed because of our business. Our jewelry manufacturer wanted to break into the American market so they did that through Curri. The people are so warm and embracing. We are not there to beat them down in price and they know that. My construction background comes in very handy – I’ve worked with subs and vendors all my life and I know that they have families to support just like I do. I respect that and honor that. I believe that is why I have such good relationships in business. Empathy really carries you a long way. Where is your favorite place you have traveled to? I love Rome. I love Italy. The people are fantastic. You walk down the streets of Rome and you are surrounded by ancient architecture. The people who live there walk past those buildings every day. Who would you buy a beer for? My mom, even though she didn’t drink beer. My mother was the greatest and anyone that knew her would tell you that. –cw

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Page 9

Concrete Industry

It’s all in the tilt wall Luis Higadera, General Manager NOVIDESA San Antonio, TX

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

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 be-

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

hat are the “hot button” issues in the industry? 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 your-

self 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. 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.

cause 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

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

not suited for, and that’s what we’re leaning towards.

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.

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. 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

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

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

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Page 10

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC- Tx. Mid Coast Associated Builders & Contractors

May 4: Member and Young Professionals Social at Victoria Country Club starting at 5:30pm. For more information, contact Kristi at 361-572-0299

AGC- Rio Grande Valley Associated General Contractors

May 6: 2016 Spring Fundraising Golf Tournament at Palm View Golf Course in McAllen. Call (956) 423-4091 for more information.

AIA - Corpus Christi American Institute of Architects

May 17: Chapter meeting at  Water Street Seafood Company, 309 N. Water St. Corpus Christi. 5:30pm Social, 6pm presentation and meeting sponsor: BPI / American Olean Program: AODSI6, Advanced Ceramic Tile Methods, Standards and Ma-

terials 1LU / HSW, NCIDQ, HDA Presenter: Tracy Robertson. RSVP to dgmontez@ aiacorpuschristi.org or (361) 8872124.  Dinner is free to architects, associates and allied members. Interns are $5 and other guests are $20  May 24: Lunch Time CEU at Silverado Smokehouse, 4522 Weber Rd., Corpus Christi. Sponsor: SmartVent. Presenter: Ryan Werda. Cost: $5/AIA Members, AIA Associate Members and AIA Corpus Christi Allied Members. Guests $8.  RSVP: (361) 887-2124 or dgmontez@ aiacorpuschristi.org

SCTMC Safety Council of the Texas Mid-Coast

May 3-5: OSHA 3115, Fall Protection May 10-13: OSHA 3095, Electrical Standards. To enroll in any of these classes, go directly to UTA OSHA Education Center, https://web-ded.uta.edu/wconnect/ CourseStatus.awp?&Course=oshhom

Submitted to Construction News

Appreciated

continued from Page 1 — New day, new digs Once on the south side of Corpus Christi, the new location is now closer to the bayside. “It’s a lot more centralized in town,” Miller said. “It’s more visible and more convenient for clients and employees.” Miller said the firm is focusing most of its efforts on Corpus Christi and growing the community. “We still work all over South Texas and the United States, as well,” he says. “However, currently our bread and butter is local commercial projects.” Some recent projects include a new

workforce development center at Del Mar College West Campus, a 48,000-sf, $14.5 million project; Kleberg Bank new executive headquarters; Salvation Army New Center of Hope; and a Harley Davidson retail outlet in Laredo. The firm’s new location is already hosting events, including a recent American Institute of Architects Corpus Christi Chapter political advocacy event. Miller says at some point there will be an event to signify the opening of the new digs. –cw

continued from Page 1 —Steel style periodically. We like to do things together.” One of those things coming up is to help one of Andrews favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity, build a home in the local area. Teamwork also plays into the relationship the company has with its customers. “We will help them through their project with whatever they need and not just in sales, but afterwards, as well,” Andrews said.

Potential employees don’t need to have a lot of experience – or any – in the business, as long as they are willing to work and have the right attitude,” Andrews explained. “We look for someone who is energetic, takes pride in their work and wants a job,” she says. “Someone who wants to work as a team because that is what we stress here.” RSS was formed in 1991 and has branches in Austin, Belton, Odessa and Corpus Christi. –cw

continued from Page 1 — For the public good

Terracon’s Jorge A. Flores, PG, (Pharr office manager) presents Lupe Leal with his 10-Year Appreciation Award. –cw

front reception lobby is divided into radio and TV and there is a wing on building mostly for radio production and control and four sound rooms, along with a music library, space for news announcers, a central meeting room and a central equipment room that houses big racks of electronics and equipment that ties it all together, Gentry said. “The biggest room in The brand new facility offers many upgrades to Corpus there is the TV studio,” GenChristi’s public radio and television stations. try said. “It houses all their TV cameras and production equipment.” “Weather was a challenge,” he said. The studio has supporting rooms, “When we started we were in that big with audio and production control, and rain event - we had a lot of rain days on TV and editing rooms, which also work as the project. sound rooms. “A lot of the sound issues were chal The studio is very highly rated for lenging. It was not typical construction. sound. There are double walls with an in- We all learned a lot.” sulated concrete roof. Designing extremely quiet mechani “There is all kinds of insulation in the cal systems also provided some challengwalls and on top of the walls,” Gentry es. says. “You walk in there and you think “They had to be very quiet systems there’s something funny going on with with low air flow,” Gentry says. “Installing your head because there is no sound.” large ducts in very confined spaces in the Other areas include prop storage ar- ceilings was really, really tight.” eas, restrooms, accounting and office Gentry said that although there was space. lots of input from many people at the One unique feature of the project is weekly meetings due to all the entities an outdoor performance plaza. It con- involved, everybody got along great. sists of a courtyard in the front with an “Dykema was just fantastic to work exterior stage and a provision for pro- with,” he said. “John and Biby and Josh jecting videos onto the wall. are very cordial and easy to get along Dykema Architects was the project with. WKMC Architects [coordinating ararchitect and Biby Dykema, who has chitect for Del Mar] was there to make been active on the station’s board in the sure we did things right and they did. Del past, said she and husband John Dyke- Mar was very easy to work with as well. ma visited plenty of pubic radio and TV Don Dunlop is a very nice guy. Everybody stations to see what features worked the involved was very nice to work with.” best. Gentry said Teal Construction also “Station management knew what helped philanthropically by donating lathey needed,” she says. “John and I bor and materials throughout the projtoured other stations all over Texas so we ect. confirmed what they needed. Del Mar Teal Construction, based in Houston was delightful to work with.” with offices in Corpus Christi does both pri Josh Seahorn, partner at Dykema vate and public work. The firm does all Architects, was the Dykema project man- commercial with schools, auto dealerships, ager. design-build, fire stations, libraries and a Challenges on the project consisted small amount of industrial. –cw of several things, Gentry says.

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Page 11

People’s Choice: GP7 Construction

Fajita 1st Place: L&G Concrete Construction

Pan de Campo 1st Place: D&J Site Construction Co

The smell of spring

sunny day and the smell of smoking meat was the fare at the 2016 annual Associated General Contractors Rio Grande Valley Chapter’s Fajita Cookoff and membership mixer Mar. 31 at the AGC headquarters in Harlingen. Twenty teams took place in the annual event. Congrats to the winners! –cw

Pan de Campo 2nd Place: Terracon Consultants Inc. HD Supply Waterworks

L&R Precast Concrete

Raba Kistner

United Rentals

Camacho Demolition

Beans a la Charra 1st Place: NM Construction Co.

Salsa 2nd Place: AD8 South Texas

Beans a la Charra 2nd Place: Camacho Demolition, LLC

Construction News ON LOCATION

Raising a Cane’s

Chicken 2nd Place: L&G Concrete Construction Chicken 1st Place: United Rentals

Fajita 2nd Place: Alpha Building Corp. Salsa 1st Place: Terracon Consultants

AFC Builders in Pharr is framing a new Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant in Weslaco. –cw

Page 12

South Texas Construction News • May 2016

Moms of South Texas

n May 8 we celebrate those women who helped shape us into the people we are today – our mothers and the women who were like mothers to us. After all, we all know that a mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go. We asked people to share photos of their mothers and tell us something she taught them that has helped them by successful. Happy Mother’s Day! –cw My mom, Christine Rendon, is my best friend. It’s not her words that inspire me as much as her way of life - she has a heart of gold and treats people with sincerity. I try to emulate that. Submitted by Stephanie Rendon, Terracon, Pharr My mother, Marge Huddleston Rode, taught us to live your life as Christ teaches us with your words, actions and deeds. Submitted by Jennifer Rode Hartman, VCS Companies, Victoria

This is my husband’s mother, Celia Omana. He calls her “ My Madrecita.” Fernando Omana says that his mother taught him divine power and to see through the eyes of a person to feel their hearts. Submitted by Darlene Lee Omana, Gill Roofing Co. Inc., Corpus Christi

On the right: Till this day my mother always says, “Stand up for what is right.” She taught me to speak up for myself and others, and that has helped me succeed in life. Pictured, my mother Olga Kiefer (Mimi) with my son, Miles James Scott. Submitted by Marissa Mendez, Turner Industries, Corpus Christi

My mom and dad started the company years ago... she had a stroke and it left her paralyzed, but she is still our center.” L-R: Sarah Sagredo-Hammond, Yolanda Sagredo, Roy Sagredo Sr., Roy Sagredo Jr. Submitted by Sarah Sagredo-Hammond Atlas Electric, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Plumbing Services Inc., Alton

My mother, Blanca Gonzalez, a woman of few words, taught me morals and respect where my success lies today. Submitted by Sylvia Quinones, Terracon, Pharr

My mother, Enriqueta Perez, was a stayat-home mom, allowing us 15 children to receive constant, nourishing attention while instilling in us the best family values. Submitted by Ernestine P. Valadez, Academy Window Coverings, Corpus Christi

My mother, Hazel Lee, is very special. She always supported us in whatever we did, good or bad, she would stand beside us always and support us in anything we decided to do. Submitted by Darlene Lee Omana, Gill Roofing Co. Inc., Corpus Christi

My mother, Cindy Dujka, taught me work ethic and how wonderful a mother’s love is. She’s amazing! Submitted by Kristi Stevenson, ABC Texas Mid-Coast Chapter, Victoria