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Volume 18
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Number 9
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SEPTEMBER 2016
Taking Central to market
No limits on the future
L-R: Mark Ehrlich, Dora Clary, (standing) Bryan Ehrlich, (sitting) Carl Ehrlich and Matt Ehrlich are the family leadership at Central Builders Inc. Photo by Requena Photography
Michael Thompson (center left) and Jesse Lang (center right), Limitless Construction, with two of their mentors, Rudy and Julissa Carielo, Tejas Premier Building Contractor
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n 1989, Carl D. Ehrlich started Central Builders Inc. (CBI) to fill a niche doing commercial contracting in the supermarket industry. Today, the company he established working by himself as a carpenter has grown into a family business employing around 80 people. As president, Carl runs operations in the Dallas and Lordsburg, NM offices, where they do work for Albertson’s, one of their long-time clients, and other customers. His son, Bryan Ehrlich, vice president, oversees all of the work done out of the San Antonio office. Currently, local projects include renovations for Northside ISD. Bryan’s older brother, Chris Ehrlich is a foreman at CBI while his younger
brother, Mark Ehrlich, is a project engineer. Mark’s twin brother, Matt Ehrlich, is a staff accountant in the office. Their aunt, Dora Clary, is the company’s special projects coordinator, who also runs the office. Bryan adds that their chief estimator, Greg Lawson, is pretty much family, too. Having started at CBI in the field, Bryan points out that his brothers have done the same. He says they didn’t move up within the company until they knew and understood the ins and outs of everyday construction and what their crewmembers were doing. He adds that they were taught to do things the way their dad was doing them, continued on Page 24
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s a two-year-old minority business enterprise contractor who grew up intent on forging a positive future for himself, Jesse Lang is extremely grateful for all of the help he has received from mentors and fellow contractors in growing his new company, Limitless Construction Services. The support he has received has meant so much that it has inspired a goal to be able to do the same for others. One day, he hopes to start a nonprofit program to help other young entrepreneurs start on a positive path to growing their own businesses. The “Limitless family” has grown and learned under several mentors, including Tejas Premier Building Contractor
through the Maestro Center, and Eugene Walker, EJ Smith Construction, on business and Elsa Brown, Copeland Contracting, on finances through the city’s mentor-protégé program. With experience in the oil field as an equipment operator, Lang attended St. Philip’s College and Northwest Vista College to earn his associate’s degree in nursing, while working toward a minor in mechanical engineering. He moved to Corpus Christi to pursue a four-year degree in nursing and complete his minor in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Lang explains that he studied nursing to take care of his parents, both of continued on Page 24
Banking on a new headquarters
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ocally-based commercial general contractor Metropolitan Contracting Company was thrilled to be selected to build the Bank of San Antonio’s headquarters at 1900 NW Loop 410. Tim Swan, CEO of Metropolitan, notes, “The bank, in some ways, reminds me of our construction company in our early, successful rapid growth, and just to be part of the excitement, seeing the bank employees as they anticipate moving into this new facility, has been really pleasing.” The $10.5 million project took 13 months to complete, and the Bank of San Antonio team was able to move into their new three-story, 57,000-sf building in late July. Swan points out that this was the third building in San Antonio that Metropolitan has built employing its patented tilt wall system, called the ClearView Composite Wall System. “ClearView allows the building to take advantage of the economy and
Metropolitan Contracting Company recently completed the corporate headquarters for the Bank of San Antonio on 410. Photo by Bob Wickley
speed of tilt wall without having the traditional punched window opening,” explains Swan. “It allows for clear bands of glass without the interruption of concrete every five or six feet.” John Franklin, project manager, says that the erection process of standing up the 50-plus-foot ClearView tilt wall panels on the end of steel columns required a lot of care and meticulous adjustments. Also, the tower was extended during construction to increase the visibility of the Bank of San Antonio signage, requiring the team to order more steel during construction. The shell was ClearView construction and glass curtain walls tied together with large cut stone and aluminum cladded panels. The interior included glass walls extending up into glass rails, and features cork-mitered custom stonework. The interior also features marble tiles and wood finishes. continued on Page 24
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Cold treats on a hot day
L-R: Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen; Reid Loehman, Ryan Malitz, Malitz Construction; Coddy Pena, Allen & Allen; John Malitz, Malitz Construction; Buzz Miller, Allen & Allen
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s part of the 85th anniversary celebration this year, Allen & Allen Company took the opportunity Aug. 5, which is 8/5, to host a snow cone social at its lumberyard and decorative showroom on Culebra. Buzz Miller, president and CEO, credits Christina Martin, director of marketing, with coming up with the idea to serve free shaved ice on the date with the right digits. She explains that they wanted to do something to celebrate and show their appreciation to their customers and the people who have done business with the company in those 85 years. “It’s hot outside, and we need something to cool people off,” she says. “Most people in this business are outside a lot, and we just wanted people to come in and enjoy themselves on us. It’s an honor to serve the San Antonio community. We’d like to thank all of the people and businesses in San Antonio who have
made this milestone possible.” The shaved ice gave contractors and other guests dropping by that day the perfect treat to cool off as summer nears its end. Though the August heat was not the right time to host a big party on the property, Martin notes that they will be celebrating the anniversary throughout the fall with a few other events. –mh
L-R: Marcos Ramirez, Lorenzo Lopez and Isidro Silva, BESCO
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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This year’s raffle is Texas-sized
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hat if you opened a big gift package and everything you asked Santa for was inside? This year, Construct A Kid’s Christmas (CAKC) is offering the chance to get your wish. This year’s big raffle at the 16th annual Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala is so big that they had to call it the Grand Gala Raffle Texas-Style! It will be drawn during the evening at the gala, which will be Dec. 1 from 5:30-11pm at the Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall in Exhibit Hall C. With four categories of items – including hunting and fishing, getaways, Big Kid’s Toys, camo and more – the Grand Gala Raffle has a variety of Texasstyle prizes in one big shiny package. The winner of this year’s raffle will win more than 20 different trips and items. “The raffle is a bit different from last year’s when we built the barbecue trailer,” explains Buddy Doebbler, Construction News. “This year will be even bigger and better. Numerous trips, gifts and Big Kid’s Toys, and the winner takes it all. All I can say is WOW.” For more information on the Grand Gala Raffle and the Texas-Style bounty that is this year’s prize, check out the fullpage ad on page 4 of this issue of Construction News.
With a hot prize and the cool Snowmen theme, this year’s gala promises to be the best yet. Proceeds and donations from the gala and the annual Construct A Kid’s Christmas Toy Drive, held the next day, Dec. 2, from 10am-2pm at the Construction News office, 4047 Naco-Perrin Blvd., benefit the Friends of Bexar County, which distributes the unwrapped toys to Bexar County foster children who might not otherwise have a gift under the tree this Christmas. Associations participating in the 2016 gala include the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Associated General Contractors (AGC), American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Builders Exchange of Texas (BXTX) Education Council, Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), Construction News Ltd., Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA), Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA), National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC), Surety Association of South Texas (SAST) and Texas Air Conditioning Contractors of America (TACCA). –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Best shot in the builders’ West
The Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) hosted its annual Sporting Clays Tournament Aug. 12 at the National Shooting Complex. More than 125 attendees gathered at high noon to compete and enjoy food cooked by industry members who brought their smokers. LP Building Products did ribs and brisket. StrucSure Home Warranty and Hotchkiss Insurance did a shrimp boil. Cachet Real Estate did boudin, and Weyerhaeuser did sausage wraps for lunch. –mh
Winners:
1st: Frost Bank
2nd: Parrish & Co.
3rd: Chesmar Homes
In memoriam
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ayton "Ross" Moore, a partner at Lone Star Materials, passed away Jul. 24, at the age of 48, after struggling with poor health related to chronic asthma over the last few years. He was born Jul. 2, 1968 in Weisbaden, Germany. He and his wife, Kathy Buchanan, were married on Jul. 14, 2001, and he had three children. Having worked in sales in many fields, he spent the last 16 years working with Tim Morris and the last 10 as a partner at Lone Star Materials. Survivors include his wife, Kathy; his children, Bailey, Reagan and Tyler; his parents, Dan and Sherye; his brother, Thomas Dru; nieces Hallie and Ashley; and many other family members and friends. –mh
San Antonio
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The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties. 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 San Antonio 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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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
nated – and I know that there were other contributing factors. It wasn’t all me. It was the economy at that time, and so maybe this was just an excuse where they could fire me. It’s all hindsight. It’s history.
Anita Kegley President Kegley Inc.
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ince 1983, Anita Kegley has been running her own general contracting company, Kegley Inc. She built her foundation in the industry working with her husband at the time who did insurance repair work and started Kegley Inc. after their divorce. A few years ago, she founded Construction Zone.co and is a board member for the organization. Describing herself as a very transparent person, Kegley, who turns 60 in October, is a no-nonsense, straight shooter, speaking openly about her life and business. She notes that what is most important to her is that what is said is the truth. She wants people to show her who they are by their actions, but we asked her to show us in words by sharing her story. Where are you from originally? I was actually born in Morehead, KY, and when I was about 2 or 3, I moved to Ohio where I was raised. I got to Texas as quickly as I could – by way of Florida. I lived in Florida for about a year, and then Houston from ’77 to ’79, and then came to San Antonio in 1979. My husband at the time brought me to San Antonio, and he introduced to the construction business. What did you do before getting your start in the construction industry? I started out in accounting. My very first job was doing payroll for 500 people. When I was in high school in Ohio, I went to school half a day and worked part of the day, doing accounting. Then, I worked for a CPA after that. I’m really good with numbers. Then, when I went to Houston, I changed fields. I went into the medical sales field, and I was a sales coordinator doing bidding on medical products. I did that until I moved to San Antonio, and then I started construction, because that’s what my husband did. And that’s where I am today, because I love it. I love being able to build stuff and see what you do instead of working through a pile of paperwork. This is what you did, and it’s there forever, until someone tears it down. What prompted you to start your own company? When I divorced [her husband at the time], I went into sales for a floor covering company from ’82 to ’83, and they terminated me. It was in the era when construction was going down. It was unfortunate that they had terminated me, because I had gone to my brother’s funeral. He was 12 years old, and he was the victim of a violent crime and murdered. So his funeral was on Thursday. I went to Ohio, and I didn’t come back to work on Friday, and that’s why they fired me, because I stayed the weekend to be with my family. So, Monday, when I got back, I thought, “Well, this is crappy. I’m just not going to work for anybody else anymore. I’ll just start my own company.” When you work really hard, and you get termi-
What was most challenging part of starting your own general contracting company as a woman in 1983? Being young and a white woman in a majority Hispanic community, and then credibility. Because a woman in construction? Even today, after being in business 33 years, I still have that same issue that I had when I started. Women are a little bit more acceptable in the construction industry [today]. But it doesn’t bother me. I still take a man when I go – because men in the construction industry give you credibility whether they know anything or not. I’ve proven that over and over again, because I purposely sometimes just take a man who doesn’t know anything about construction, and I take him to the jobsite, and the people will ask questions of the man, even though I’m the one answering it. Then they’ll listen to my answer, and then they’ll go back to the man. It’s just what they do. It’s just like if you had a man in the nursery business. It’s just a stereotype thing. What has your life been like outside of work? My faith is very strong. I’m a Christian, and I’m on fire for God, and with everything that I do, I let the Lord guide me, and more so in probably the last five years, just because I’ve been through a lot of different personal issues. In 2014, my ex-husband died of cancer in March, and then two of my sisters died of breast cancer at 53 and 54, and then I divorced my husband at the end of the year and moved away from him. So, 2014 was bad. When you do have tragedies like that in your life, your faith increases. I was involved in [the National Association of] Women in Construction (NAWIC) a lot during those years, and I did a lot of community service. Probably in 1992, I was on 13 different boards of directors. What are you doing these days? Currently, I just recently got my PPO – my personal protective officer – so I’m a bodyguard licensed in the State of Texas. I’m proficient with my Glock 27 and my .357 Magnum, and I really like that. I actually started that – because I had my handgun license – I volunteered as security for my church that I was attending at that time. After seven months of being with that church, they told me that if I was on the security team, I was going to watch the pastor’s wife. That was going to be my duty, and how I do everything, regardless if it’s personal or business or whatever, I always do the best, because that’s what the Bible says to do. When I volunteered for security at this church, they said, “Well, you need to have your Level 2, 3 and 4.” Level 3 is a security guard, so I am a security guard licensed in the state, and then I’m also a personal protective officer, which is the next level, Level 4. I needed to do that and get that training to be able to volunteer. I spent several thousand dollars, took a week off my construction work to do that last year, and then did my PPO Level 4 this year. But last year, as I was doing this, they told me that I was too much of a liability for them. So, they fired me from my volunteer position. I don’t know why, but I just dusted off my feet and went back to my other church that I belong to, Cornerstone. I haven’t volunteered there yet in that capacity, because I’ve got too much on my plate right now, but that’s probably my next step. In the meantime, I go to the gun range regularly, so that I can be able to be proficient in shooting my Glock. I just
Anita Kegley started her own general contracting company, Kegley Inc., 33 years ago.
want to be prepared. In 2013, I started Construction Zone. co, and that organization is all about developing people and their companies. I’m hoping that it will develop more this year and really take off. I’m also involved in [the University of the] Incarnate Word (UIW), and I’ve been involved raising funds for scholarships, and I’ve been on the development board. Did you attend Incarnate Word? No, I went to UTSA here. But I never finished my associate’s degree. When I found out that the professor was making less money than I was already making, I was thinking, “And he’s got a PhD? I’m already making more than him, and I don’t even have my associate’s?” It’s all about work ethics. So, I just left. But my son graduated from UIW. But I knew Dr. Lou Agnese [president of UIW] from the North Chamber [of Commerce]. I was the chairman of the North Chamber in 1992. He was the chairman of the chamber, and I was the chairman-elect. So I got to know him really well in 1992, and the North Chamber at that time was operating on a shoestring. So, we met on a weekly basis. Even though I was volunteering, I got a lot of inspiration and knowledge just from how he managed and ran the North Chamber or helped in his volunteer capacity. I substituted a lot for him, and I had a lot of cool things. Because Kelly Air Force Base was a part [of the chamber], I got to go on a trip to New Mexico and to Colorado Springs and got a private tour of NORAD, which was two miles underground, and had I not been in that leadership capacity, I would never have gotten that opportunity. We got a private tour and watched a stealth fighter. I even sat in one. I got to meet the Queen of England that year, because she visited San Antonio. So, I’ve been blessed a lot in my lifetime. In the volunteer things that I do, I’ve just done so many cool things. What other community organizations are you involved with? Another organization that is dear to my heart that I work with is Dress for Success. Coming from a family of limited income and limited means, I grew up pretty basic. In high school, my mother couldn’t even afford a telephone. I kind of watched the kids at night while my mom worked second shift. I think that’s why I grew up so young. I was a board member [for Dress for Success] for several years, but now I’m just in an advisory capacity. Right now, I have obligated myself to do an annual golf tournament through Construction Zone.co and Kegley Inc. – I did my first one this year, Apr. 1, and then raised funds for Dress for Success, because Dress for Success not only helps women, it helps them up. It doesn’t hand out or give to them. It helps them get back in the workplace.
That’s close to my heart. I know a lot of women come from abusive families. My first and second husband both beat me where I had bruises and had to go to the hospital. I feel for women like that who can’t get out. I’m a strong woman, and I weathered that, but some women aren’t, and they stay in those relationships forever. Dress for Success is an opportunity to help them get out of that situation. Plus, women that have made wrong decisions and ended up in prison and women off the street. Tell me about your son. When I had my child, I was a single mom. I purposely had a baby, because I’d been married three times at 36, and I thought, “Who needs a man, right?” Unfortunately, my son doesn’t have a father on his birth certificate, but one of the men that I married fathered him. So, I was thankful that he helped to raise him. Anthony Matthew Kegley. I am so proud of him, and he has worked on and off with me in my business, a little bit here, a little bit there. Not on a regular basis, just helping out, doing some accounting, doing labor clean up on a few jobs. He was born in 1992. I was the chairman of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce at that time. I had wanted to get pregnant. I had tried, and after being married three times at 36, I thought, “Why do I need a man?” Obviously, I need a man to help, but that man helped me, and he signed away all of his rights. So, when Matthew was born, being a single mom, at first, I couldn’t find a daycare center to help him. I never thought that I would stay at home. Obviously, I have to support myself. So, I actually transported my mom from Ohio, and for 11 months, she came down and helped me raise him. She would take care of him while I worked during the day, and then when I got home at night, I would take care of him. That was a real blessing. I’ve always made time for him, and it was challenging. But I planned it that way. At that time, my Christian faith wasn’t that strong. I had a good foundation, but I was more about my flesh and what I wanted, not what the Lord wanted, and I know children need a father. So, when Matthew was 2, I did marry, and that man fathered him even though he wasn’t his biological father. That man passed away in 2014, and so that was hard for my son. But he was very Christian-based, and I was fortunate that my son got that Christian base from him and myself. Matthew completed a five-year program at UIW, and at 21, had his master’s degree. Now, he’s working for Argo International, doing senior level accounting and all their 10K reporting for all their U.S. companies. My son’s doing that at his very first job. He’s been there a little over a year. I’m surprised that he went into accounting, but I always encouraged him to do whatever it was that would make him happy. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Tops by design
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everal Texas-based firms earned a ranking in Architectural Record’s “2016 Top 300 Architecture Firms” list. The annual list ranks companies according to revenue (in millions of dollars) for architectural services in 2015. –mjm
#7 HKS Inc., Dallas #22 Corgan, Dallas #43 PBK, Houston #45 Huckabee, Fort Worth #55 Humphreys & Partners Architect, Dallas #58 PGAL, Houston #69 The Beck Group, Dallas #71 Huitt-Zollars Inc., Dallas #72 Kirksey Architecture, Houston #84 GFF, Dallas #97 S&B Engineers and Constructors Ltd. & Affiliates, Houston #109 Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc., Houston #167 PhiloWilke Partnership, Houston #173 STG Design, Austin #184 OMNIPLAN Architects, Dallas #199 Nelsen Partners Inc., Austin #206 Marmon Mok Architecture, San Antonio #243 Meeks + Partners, Houston #248 GSR Andrade Architects Inc., Dallas
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Women of the world
L-R: Sandy Field, receiving the Executive Spotlight Award, and Jennifer Swinney NAWIC’s South Central Region represented seven chapters in Texas, four in Louisiana, and ones in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee at this year’s AMEC.
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pproximately 400 women from across 127 international chapters of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) attended the organization’s 61st annual Meeting and Education Conference (AMEC) Aug. 17-20 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio. More than 100 attendees were attending the four-day conference for the first time. On Wednesday evening, the Fiestathemed welcome party in the ballroom served up Tex-Mex. Thursday morning’s general session kicked off with the Joint Base San Antonio Honor Guard presenting colors and 323D Army Band “Ft. Sam’s Own” vocalist SSG Nakita Fox singing the national anthem. The NAWIC Founders and Scholarship Foundation (NFSF) awarded more
L-R: Connie Leipard, incoming national president, and Riki Lovejoy, outgoing national president
than $65,000 in 51 scholarships to students attending trades and colleges. Also, the executive vice president, Dede Hughes, announced her retirement as of Dec. 31 after 20 years serving in her appointment. In addition to motivational speaker Jennifer Lee helping members “Make Great Things Happen,” several workshops were held from Thursday through Saturday on topics ranging from impacting your work environment to understanding Blue Beam better. The conference also included the NAWIC Officers Workshop, open to chapter members, as well as the gala and passing of the gavel. –mh Photos by Jacqueline Associates
Members of NAWIC’s San Antonio Chapter welcomed members from all over the country and globe to their city. “Women coming together to support one another, and we are not able to do it alone,” comments Michelle Urbanczyk (left), San Antonio president 2014-2016.
Flotilla - ing
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ore than 40 tubes filled with families from the Halff Associates Inc. Central Texas offices (Georgetown, Austin and San Antonio) tubed the San Marcos River and had lunch at Rio Vista Park Aug. 13. According to reports, only one tube overturned! Not bad! –cw
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Beating the heat
L-R: Scott Marshall, Eric Luna, Dedra Beyer and Laura Hay, Beyer Mechanical; Matt Freund, Comfort-Air Engineering; Jessie Delgado and Jillian Spencer, Beyer Mechanical
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he Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) Greater San Antonio Chapter proved its members could take the heat at its Jul. 21 mixer. More than 40 contractor and supplier members gathered at Little Woodrow’s Stone Oak for some food, cold beverages and good times. The mixer was hosted to say thank you to TACL-R: Todd Buck, Mitsubishi; Mike Fauver, Texas Air CA’s local members for support- Products; Eddie McDuff, Flo-Aire Service; Kenner Coon and Anika Smykay, Texas Air Products ing the association and to celebrate the chapter’s growth. after the mixer wrapped to see Little Woodrow’s Some members stuck around Thursday night turtle races. –mh
L-R: Marvin Ohlenbusch, Bobby Ervin, Karl Kaczmarek, Scott Flick and Doug Muenchow, Alamo Crane Service; Jerry McDuff, Flo-Aire Service
Turn up the heat!
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he Texas Statewide Construction Credit Group members have not been spending their summer idly. In April, they had a hula party in Galveston, above, and in July, they celebrated the heat with a fiesta, below, in San Antonio! –cw
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Facts about distracted driving
Lease accounting changes Jill Sterling, Assurance Associate Fisher, Herbst & Kimble PC San Antonio, TX
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oes your company lease office space, construction equipment, vehicles or other physical assets with terms longer than 12 months? Then this new leasing standard, ASU 2016-02 (Topic 842), released by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2016 could have some major financial reporting impacts for you. A list of practical tips to help implement the new standard are listed below. Background – The old standard was highly criticized for not providing a faithful representation of leasing transactions. Therefore, the purpose of the new leasing standard is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lease assets and lease liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet. The new standard also provides for increased disclosure of key information regarding leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard is effective in 2019 (for public entities) or 2020 (for private entities) using a modified retrospective approach. However, early adoption of the new standard is permitted and encouraged. Additionally, the new standard is limited to physical assets only. As such, leases of intangible assets, inventory, assets under construction leases, leases of mineral rights and the exploration for or use of minerals, oils, and natural gas, and leases of biological assets will continue to be accounted for under their original FASB topics. For Lessee – The new leasing standard will primarily affect the accounting of leases for lessees. According to the new standard, lessees will now be required to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. At inception, lessees must classify all leases as either finance or operating. Balance sheet recognition of finance and operating leases is similar, but the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement will differ depending on the lease classification. Finance Leases – Lessee effectively obtains control of the underlying asset at the end of the lease term or through a bargain purchase, lessee use is for most of asset’s economic life, or lease payments made cover majority of the asset’s fair value. Basically, the following will be required: • Balance Sheet: Recognize right-ofuse (ROU) asset and lease liability • Income Statement: Recognize interest on the lease liability separately from amortization of the ROU asset • Cash Flows: Classify repayments of the principal within financing activities
Wes Pitts, Senior Vice President USI Southwest - Austin Austin, TX
and payments of interest within operating activities Operating Leases – Lessee does not effectively obtain control of the underlying asset. Basically, the following will be required: • Balance Sheet: Recognize right-ofuse asset and lease liability • Income Statement: Recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis • Cash Flows: Classify all cash payments within operating activities For Lessor – Lessor accounting for leases will mostly remain unchanged and you should continue to follow existing accounting principles if you are a lessor. However, some changes were made to align lessor accounting guidance and lessee accounting guidance especially related to glossary terms and Topic 606 Revenue Recognition. Tips for Implementing the New Leasing Standard 1. Start preparing now! The best advice is to not wait until you are required to comply with the new standard to begin assessing the impacts to your business. Begin having discussions with your teams now for how you are going to comply and implement the new standard. 2. Begin to analyze your current leasing contracts and determine the financial accounting effects of the new standard on your existing contracts especially in relation to your lending covenants currently in place. 3. Draft new policies or update existing policies for your business such as your lease classification policy. 4. Consider the tax implications and assess your internal controls over lease accounting. 5. Contact a professional for help if you need assistance in determining the impacts to your business or for a plan to comply with the new standard. If you have any questions or would like to talk about the effect of the new leasing standard on your business, please contact us. We can assist you with implementing the new standard or providing you with the appropriate resources to start preparing for the upcoming changes. Jill Sterling is an assurance associate for FHK. Contact her at 210-477-2718 or at jsterling@fhkcpa.com
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ccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), 3,179 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2014 as a result of distracted driving. An estimated additional 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving, such as texting; using a cell phone or smartphone; eating and drinking; talking to passengers; grooming or changing clothes; reading, including maps; using a navigation system; watching a video; and adjusting a radio, or other audio device. There are several facts about distracted driving that all drivers should know: • Ten percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes, and 16 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2014 were reported as distraction-affected crashes. • The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech/NHTSA). • Drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). • Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes. • Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent (Carnegie Mellon). • Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent (University of Utah). • Drowsy driving causes an estimated 1,550 deaths a year and 40,000 injuries (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] Report). • Forty-one percent of drivers admitted they have “fallen asleep or nodded off” while driving at least once; 11 percent said they had done so within the past year, and four percent said they had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the previous month (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Survey). • Brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver listens to conversation or music (Center for Cogni-
tive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University Study). • More than 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior: changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails and shaving (Nationwide Mutual Insurance Survey). Employers should develop a policy that ensures employee safety while using motor vehicles. The policy should be practical, legal, and reflective of the organization’s risk tolerance for activities that might distract employees while they are driving. The policy should state that the primary function of the driver is to drive the vehicle, and that if additional tasks that may inhibit the safe operation of the vehicle are necessary, they should be handled by a passenger/co-worker or when the vehicle is stopped in a safe place. The policy may state that employees who are charged with traffic violations resulting from distracted behavior while driving will be responsible for all penalties that result from such actions, and outline the company disciplinary action that also may result. Once a policy has been developed, employers should ensure that drivers understand the reason for the policy, including the increased odds of an accident, the potential liability for the company, and the possibility of personal injuries or fatalities. Outline the ways in which distractions increase these risks so drivers will understand how to reduce their odds of an accident. It is important to reinforce the policy by providing all new hires with a copy and reviewing it in detail during their orientation; covering safe motor vehicle operations in all driver-training programs; and providing periodic reminders, such as in an employee newsletter. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a sample policy on its website at http://www.distraction.gov/take-action/ employers.html Wes Pitts is a Sr. Vice President and Southwest Regional Construction Practice Leader for USI Southwest - Austin, TX, USA. Wes can be contacted at 512-651-4107, or Wesley.pitts@usi.com.
Masons take the heavy angle
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he San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association (SAMCA) hosted its 13th annual fishing tournament Jul. 9 at Redfish Bay Boat House in Aransas Pass with 21 boats competing. – mh Winners: Open Heavy Stringer: 1st: Ward Contracting – Ward Saathoff, Sam Saathoff, Steve Tietze, James Bump 2nd: Rick Stone Masonry – Rick Stone, Rick Stone Jr., Luke Southard, Derrick Stone Heavy Redfish: Garden Ornamental Design – Justin Blalack, Gary Blalack, Mike Colemere
Heavy Trout: Los Vatos Locos – Chris Wiatrek, Greg Wiatrek, Scott Wiatrek, Carl Koennig Guided Heavy Stringer 1st: I-10 Building Materials – Manuel Delgado, Abbey Leeder, Cade Leeder 2nd: Rick Stone Masonry – Ryan Stone, Darrell Vann, Gary DeWinne, Ronnie Lobert Heavy Redfish: I-10 Stone Source – Pat Langlinais, Mike Lobert, Chris Lopez, Mark Tschirhart Heavy Trout: Headwaters Construction Materials - David Gonzales, Ricci Pozzi, Jarrett Finger, Stephen Heicel
1st Place Heavy Stringer, Guided Division
1st Place Heavy Stringer, Open Division
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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When is a deal really a deal?
OSHA raises penalties August 1, 2016
Bethany F. Thompson, Shareholder Gardner Law San Antonio, TX
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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onstruction contracts are notoriously complicated documents, often made even more complicated as a result of numerous exchanges between the parties as to the scope of work, pricing, timeline, and other important factors. The process typically begins with the submission of a proposal or bid, but from there, a variety of things can happen. At times, a contractor will sign and return the proposal; other times, they’ll simply instruct the subcontractor to get started. Finally, and perhaps most frequently, the contractor will submit a lengthy subcontract document to the subcontractor for them to review and sign. It is not uncommon, however, for performance on the job to be underway prior to execution of a final, signed document. If a dispute arises during this purgatory period where performance has begun but terms are still being negotiated, what are the governing terms? This legal issue is typically referred to as the “Battle of the Forms.” A few important considerations for those in the construction industry are below: If you marked up the contract and returned it, that’s a counteroffer Under the applicable common law, if your response or “acceptance” of a contract contains terms that differ from the original document, it is a counteroffer. The legal effect of a counteroffer is that it constitutes a rejection of your customer’s terms and a new offer with your modified terms. If this takes place and the other party accepts your modified terms, you are now bound by those modified terms and there is no further negotiation. You can have acceptance by performance `If you are going back and forth with your customer about contract terms, but at some point that stops and performance of the work begins, some courts will find that you have accepted the terms of the most recent version “by performance.” This is especially common in the construction industry because despite the fact that contracts can be lengthy and take time to negotiate, the project schedule typically must move forward as planned. If you need to begin performing a contract for scheduling reasons but you do not want to accept the contract terms
as they currently stand, it is recommended you clearly communicate, in writing, to your customer that you do not accept the terms, are performing solely to meet the schedule, and expect them to further negotiate with you in good faith. If it is a bad contract and you haven’t signed it yet, do not sign it after a dispute arises If you have rejected contract terms, either through an outright rejection or a counteroffer, or if the contract terms are still in negotiations with no clear acceptance, do not sign a contract after a dispute has arisen. This is especially true for downstream parties such as subcontractors and suppliers. Frequently, upstream parties will tell downstream parties that they do not have a right to payment if they have not signed the contract. This is not true. With or without a contract, the applicable Prompt Payment Act will govern payment procedures. Generally, contracts provide certainty by restricting the parties to certain rules, and if you are in a dispute, most parties will benefit from additional options, not less. Bethany F. Thompson is a Shareholder with Gardner Law in San Antonio and her practice focuses on construction litigation. In a time when many cases settle before trial, she has first chair state court jury trial experience, arbitration experience, and bench trial experience in federal court. Ms. Thompson represents general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on a variety of issues including contract drafting and negotiation, lien and bond payment claims, delay and defect claims, and contract default and terminations. She has presented seminars for a variety of organizations throughout the state, guest lectured on construction contracts at Texas A&M, and is active in both her local chapter of the American Subcontractors Association and the Attorney Council for the national level of ASA. Contact: bthompson@gardnertx.com.
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n November 2015, Congress enacted legislation requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. The Department of Labor is adjusting penalties for its agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s maximum penalties, which were last adjusted in 1990, will increase by 78%. Going forward, the agency will continue to adjust its penalties for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index. Under the 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act, OMB will issue guidance on or before December 15 of each year directing agencies to adjust their penalties for inflation before January 15 of the subsequent year, in line with the statutory formula. The new penalties will take effect after August 1, 2016. Any citations issued by OSHA on or after that date will be subject to the new penalties if the related violations occurred after November 2, 2015. The maximum OSHA penalty for an other-than-serious, serious or posting violation will increase to $12,471 per violation, the penalty for a willful violation or repeated violation will increase to $124,709 per violation, and a failure to abate will increase to $12,471 per day beyond the abatement date. To provide guidance to field staff on the implementation of the new penalties, OSHA will issue revisions to its Field Operations Manual by August 1. To address the impact of these penalty increases on smaller businesses, OSHA will continue to provide penalty reductions based on the size of the employer and other factors.
The new OSHA Field Operations Manual can be accessed at https://www.osha. gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_02-00160.pdf Penalty adjustments will vary depending upon the employer’s “size” (maximum number of employees), “good faith,” and “history of previous violations.” A 10 percent reduction may be given to employers that have not been previously inspected. A maximum of 25 percent reduction is permitted for good faith which is based on the extent of the employer’s written safety programs. A maximum of 70 percent reduction is permitted for employer size, with employers with ten or fewer employees receiving the maximum reduction. Since these reduction factors are based on the general character of an employer’s safety and health performance, they shall be calculated once for each employer. A complete list of the penalty reductions allowed is located in Chapter 6 of the OSHA Field Operations Manual (link above.) For additional information on the change to OSHA penalties, visit https:// www.osha.gov/penalties natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
Shooters take their course
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he American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter held its seventh annual Shoot ‘N’ Skoot Aug. 5 at the National Shooting Complex with 33 teams competing and a record 190 shooters. Back at the hilltop clubhouse, attendees enjoyed complimentary brews from Silver Eagle Distributing and craft beer from GS 1221 and GLI Distributors as well as brisket and all of the trimmings served up by cookers from 2M Lighting, ASSA ABLOY, Alamo Architects, Arias & Associates, Central Electric, Lehmann Engineering, Open Air Studios and Zachry Construction. –mh Winners: Blue Course Team: F.A. Nunnelly Co. – Daryl Frye, Philip Caseres, Blaine, Greg Vaughn, Florin Popa (207) Male: Florin Popa, F.A. Nunnelly Co. (50) Lady: Beverly Baldwin, Alamo Architects (23)
BBQ Cook-Off Winner: 2M Lighting
Team Champions – White Course
Red Course Team: Braun Intertec – Tyler Stein, Bo Hale, Chad Menard, Clayton Hondaley, Joel Phillips (222) Male: Clayton Hondaley, Braun Intertec (50) Lady: Claudia Chavez, RVK Architects (10)
Yellow Course Team: Terracon – Rudy Bazan, Robert Tijerina, Tony Rivera, Art Rivera, Rue Ferguson (249) Male: Tony Rivera, Terracon (52) Lady: Brittany Haberstroh, LPA Architects (37)
White Course Team: J.P. Hart – Clark Curnutt, Smokey Butler, Brad French, Kasper Kotera, Joe (242) Male: Kasper Kotera, J.P. Hart (51) Lady: Maddie Waschko, LPA Architects (9) Green Course Team: TTG – Randy Ortiz, Tae Hwang, Cody Haby, John Miranda, Edward Ortie (208) Male: Randy Ortiz, TTG (49) Lady: Carolyn Pike, Ed Carleton (43)
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Submitted to Construction News
Harriets of fire
Holding down the Fort
Jason Bowen, president of Screens of Mass Construction, traveled from the San Antonio location to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to exhibit with his regional sales manager from Dallas, Paul Kellner, at the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association Trade Show at Arlington’s 1010 Collins Entertainment Center. –mh NAWIC’s Olympians L-R: (back row) Becky “The Runner” Wynne, Berridge Manufacturing; Martha “USA” Simpson, Mauze Construction; Sandee “Jenner,” MCA-SMACNA; Celeste “Drug Tester” Estep, Keller-Martin Construction; Esther “Gold Medalist” Wong, retired; (front row) Dana “Pole-Vaulter” Calonge, Construction News; weightlifter Helga Hausenfraus (with heavy accent) Jennifer Swinney, ASA; Judy “Swimmer” DeWeese, retired
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he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter caught Olympic Fever for its 58th anniversary celebration Aug. 3 at the Petroleum Club. As hosts of the event, which raised funds for Child Advocates of San Antonio (CASA), the chapter’s past presidents showed off their inner Olympian spirit as the industry’s women took to the proverbial Olympic chariots for glory and for fun. “We had a variety of ‘Olympians’ competing: from golfer and tennis player, long distance runner, soccer/basketball player, pole jumpers to weight lifter,” recalls Michelle Urbanczyk, chapter president. “And let’s not forget the physician to check injuries and test everyone to make sure they are clean and sober. There were a total of eight heats and three athletes were put to the test per heat. It was a hoot to watch our chapter just enjoy themselves for the night.”
Dana Calonge, who took up the torch as a pole-vaulter, estimates that the event raised nearly $1,200 for CASA, propelling the chapter to great heights of giving. “I am so proud to be a past president of the San Antonio Chapter of NAWIC!” says Calonge. “Who knew that a group of professional women could become Olympic ‘athletes’ for the evening and give new meaning to the term ‘doping!’” Fellow Olympian and past president Jennifer Swinney says, “This is my favorite NAWIC chapter meeting of the year. The chapter past presidents always work hard to give the members a night to remember and to benefit a charity that is near and dear to our hearts. Although I looked ridiculous (and I was incredibly hot!), there’s no better reason to be stripped of my last ounce of dignity than raising money for CASA and for the kids.” –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
An impact they can see
Briggs Equipment presented a check to the American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program to help homeless veterans in our community. L-R: Rick Koteras, Shannon Scheibe and Mac Diaz, Briggs Equipment; Carlos Martinez, NVOP; Courtney Harvey and Reid Wilson, Briggs
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o help the American GI Forum help homeless veterans, Briggs Equipment donated $29,827 to the organization’s National Veterans Outreach Program (NVOP). The donation will fund renovations in areas of the NVOP’s Residential Center for Homeless Veterans (RCV). When Briggs’ corporate headquarters, based in Dallas, announced that this year they wanted to focus on veterans, Shannon Scheibe, sales representative, and Mac Diaz, began looking for a way the local Briggs branch could support veterans that was more than just donating money. “We wanted to do something that had an impact that we could see,” says Scheibe. “When we found out that San Antonio has a homeless veterans shelter, it got the ball started. We started visiting and looking at what they did. They did the right work that aligns with what our corporate values are.” With the recommendation from one
of their contractor customers, Briggs lined up the contractor, Nite Construction, for this special project, which includes covering some open porches and quite a bit of other work. Bulverde Glass is going to install mirrors on the wall in the fitness room. Local Briggs employees will also be volunteering man-hours to help paint among other things, rolling up their sleeves and getting involved. Also, Home Depot has offered to cover the supplies that they need. All of the work should be completed in a few months. “Veterans walk through our doors every day looking for an opportunity to get back on their feet, and thanks to supporters like Briggs Equipment, we are able to give them that opportunity,” states Carlos Martinez, NVOP president and CEO. “The renovation and upgrade to the RCV will make an immediate impact on the veteran residents, and it will provide them with a beautiful new living area as they work to stabilize their lives.” –mh
On a team trajectory
In its 10 years, Cleary Zimmermann Engineers has grown from a starting staff of about six people to a team of approximately 55.
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s Cleary Zimmermann Engineers celebrates its 10th anniversary, founders Wade Cleary and Danny Zimmermann, who met in 1996 when Cleary was a student liaison for ASHRAE and Zimmermann was an engineering student, reflected upon what has made the firm successful, allowing it to grow and diversify over the last decade. “Our diversity has helped us have a very level trajectory that hasn’t come with any layoffs in general,” explains Zimmermann, noting that their markets – K-12, higher education, healthcare, federal and municipal, and corporate and private, – have been diverse from the beginning. They have also expanded their service division into complementary areas, including waste/wastewater and building analytics, which has differentiated them in the marketplace. This balance and added diversity has helped the firm through the ebb and flow of the market and economy. Though Cleary and Zimmermann take pride in their success, they are both quick to say that it’s not about them. They are grateful for the group of people
they have assembled who develop individual relationships with their clients and help create the culture and environment of the workplace they enjoy coming in to everyday. “I’m really proud of the folks that we’ve brought on board over this period of time,” says Cleary, noting that finding people who match up with their values has always been their biggest challenge. He recalls a turning point in their hiring process about four years ago when they began doing a series of five interviews with prospective hires, including a dinner with their spouses, to get to know them better and have them get to know the firm better. He notes they have had tremendous results with this. The firm will be celebrating the anniversary, which was Jun. 6, with several events throughout the year, including a fun day with staff tubing on the Guadalupe River and other festivities through Christmas. Based in San Antonio, Cleary Zimmermann Engineers is an MEP engineering firm that also offers building analytics, IT/security, commissioning, and water/wastewater services. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Choosing the right fishing guide 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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he best reference for a fishing guide is a referral from someone who has fished with them or a referral from another well-known fishing guide. If you don’t have that, you can get a good idea of the kind of guide you’d be dealing with by spending a few hours online. Pick your species, pick your location, and then digitally pick apart the area’s outfitters. Here are some good tips on how to choose a good guide without getting bunted. One of the first things you should be aware of is a guide claiming they fish anywhere you want to fish. If you want to fish the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay complex, you should look into a guide who spends most of his time in those waters. If someone calls me and asks to fish in Rockport or Copano Bay, I tell them they should try and find a guide who fishes those waters. I will even make some calls to help assist them to a repeatable guide for that area. These days, a guide’s social media pages are more critical marketing tools than his website, as they often give better insight into his business. Facebook allows a
Submitted to Construction News
A Canadian catch
Patrick Gaylord, First Light Sales LLC, caught this halibut Aug. 2 – at first light, ironically – in Vancouver, B.C. –mh
The best thing you can do with an unfamiliar guide is asking tons of questions. E-mail is a good way to communicate, but the phone is better. You’re potentially putting up a lot of money, which gives you the right to talk through every step of the program. No matter how small or detailed a query, it should be answered thoroughly and courteously. If it seems like you’re bothering the guy when you ask how old his boat is, what kind of tackle he uses, or what you should bring along on your outing, then maybe he doesn’t want—or deserve—your business. Fall fishing 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.
BB Lopez of Austin TX. caught the Texas Trio last week while fishing with Capt. Steve Schultz along the Kennedy Ranch Shoreline.
guide to post up-to-the-minute or daily reports. This kind of consistency gives you an idea of how often a guide is on the water. The more he’s booked, the more likely it is he’s popular and reputable. Scroll back through a guide’s feed and make some mental notes. If there were big gaps between posts during prime time, take warning. Also beware of pictures that have been posted in the past then reposted at later dates. While many guides rely solely on social media to book trips, smart guides and outfitters still maintain websites. If you click on one and it looks like it was built in 1995 with pictures of buddies and family members in multiple boats, take caution. Look for clean, modern web designs that are easy to navigate with information that doesn’t appear to have been written by a third grader. Bios of the guide’s background and personnel accomplishments will give you a good idea of what you’re getting.
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 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 the radio as follows: The Great Outdoors: 5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and The Great Outdoors: 5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin All on iHeart Radio
Seasonal Confusion!
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ugust 9, 2016 at 4 pm, it was 102 degrees for the I-lost-count-howmany-days, so dry your spit evaporates before it hits the ground. August 16, 2016 at 4pm was it 78 degrees and I was worried about getting stuck in the mud! What a strange and wondrous miracle Texas weather can be! It had been so hot and dry that our fishermen who usually try to get in one more fishing trip before school starts finally just decided to find cooler places for a last hurrah. That was ok because I think given a chance, the fish would have left the old hot lake and joined them! I know I didn’t want to set foot out of the house at mid-afternoon. Did you ever see that old 50’s sci-fi movie where if you went outside you just turned into a black smudge on the ground? Like that! Who would have imagined that we would get this nice cool reprieve from the end of summer scorch? I know we still have some hot days to go before fall but I sure don’t miss this cool stretch in-
Neihi Glass, Inc., Pflugerville, 7-27-16 “Carolyn’s Crew” won the company fishing competition!
stead of what are usually the hottest days of the year. I went to the pasture yesterday to check on feeders and what a change! Last time I was scared my truck would
spark a brush fire and, except for tracks under the feeders, you would not know there were any deer left in the country. This time I was crossing wet weather creeks that had risen and there were
plenty of deer to be seen. If you haven’t been out to your deer lease to square your feeders and blinds away for deer season, you’d better get cracking. The sooner you get those feeders spinning out the groceries and telling the deer where to find food the better. As for positioning blinds and putting deer camp together you need to get it done ASAP so there will be several weeks for things to be quiet in the pasture again before opening day. I don’t think shooting a few doves messes with the deer as much as moving around feeders and blinds do. When you hunt and go home things are ok in the woods again. If you are cutting shooting lanes and roads and moving stuff around, that can make the deer uneasy for a while. The best reason to get the lease work over with is FISHING! This little cool, wet spell should get the fish into a good fall pattern sooner than usual and that will give us a longer fall fishing season. All the lakes that have recovered from low drought water levels have had several months to spawn lots of bait fish for the sportfish to thrive on and we are looking forward to an unbelievable fall fishing season! We were already starting to see the stripers and hybrids come out of the summer slump and this nicer weather should turn them back on hard. Get your work done, let the deer lease chill and come get in on the best fall fishing we have seen in years! See you out there!
Submitted to Construction News
A team catch
At the DR Horton Hairy Leg Fishing Tournament Jul. 30 in Port Aransas, L-R: Jesse Morin, assistant controller, DR Horton; Gene Vogelman, fence department manager, Quality Fence & Welding; and Michael W. Faz, superintendent, DR Horton, caught some reds and trout. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Hunters beware!
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hen Tony Tye, owner of Texas South Concrete Pumping, and his son-in-law, Charles Schreiber, recently set out on a hunt in Africa, he returned with a cautionary tale, and he wants every hunter to take heed. Arriving in Windhoek, Namibia after an 11-hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany, Tye and Schreiber rented a vehicle and drove six hours to Tambuti Wilderness, their hunting destination, where they met with owner, Larry Bussby. They settled in at the nice lodge with seven separate cabins, feeling very safe and secure, about 40 miles from Otavi, a very small town, and about five miles inside a remote private property. They made a short run through the farm to get oriented, arriving back at camp around 5:30pm. Since it’s winter in Africa, it was getting dark, and the two men gathered around a campfire on the patio, with the five other people in camp, including a writer for a bow hunting magazine, a cooking lady, her helper, Larry and a couple of guys who worked on the farm. “We were enjoying our first beer and waiting for dinner to be served,” Tye recalls. “It was Father’s Day and now dark with a beautiful, full African moon. We had just opened our second beer when the camp was attacked by five armed gunmen.” This caught everyone by such surprise that the owner thought some of his workers were playing a joke. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and as typical, “no guns at camp,” they were defenseless and at the mercy of the men with all the guns. “Everyone was grabbed and searched, [the gunmen] taking money, phones, jewelry, knives and anything else they could find,” he recounts. “The owner was grabbed from behind. Bolt cutters
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Tony Tye sits outside the main house on a hunting farm in Namibia, Africa. This is where he and his son-in-law were sitting, along with five others, when armed robbers invaded the camp on Father’s Day.
Tye harvested this Oryx, a Gemsbok, at Tambuti Wilderness while on a hunting trip in Africa that went very differently than expected.
were put around his neck and [he was] choked until he said he would give them money. “We were all taken inside the lodge,
forced to lay stomach down on the floor with our hands tied around our backs and locked in a room. The owner was taken to his cabin where he was beaten
and forced to open his safe. He was then tied up and left on the floor. “I really thought that they would come back and execute all of us. After about 30 minutes, we couldn’t hear any noises and were able to find my knife and cut ourselves loose. We found some guns and ammo, armed ourselves and broke the door down. Now, we were ready for a gunfight. However, the thugs had left, stealing the camp vehicle. The owner had also gotten free. “Camp was in total chaos. A phone was found and neighbors were called for help. All hunting lodges within 100km were notified and roadblocks were set up to capture the gunmen.” Tye says that the gunmen were located about 50km away. Three of them ran and were not found. The local community that set up the roadblocks caught the driver and used force to make him provide names of the gunmen. One, Tye notes, was wanted for murder. The next day, the authorities interviewed Tye and the other survivors of this ordeal, who told the story over and over all day. From that point on, they were armed at all times, and though they stayed the rest of the week, the trip was never as expected. “I am not blaming the outfitter or anyone else other than the thugs,” states Tye. “We were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank the good Lord no one got killed or hurt too badly. The money and items stolen totaled about $15,000 U.S. dollars. To this day, Charles and I have not recovered anything. “We got back and Texas sure looked good. The moral of the story is don’t think it can’t happen to you. The stories you hear are true. Protect your gun rights. Be aware of where you are and who you are with and be careful in your travels. Don’t be scared; be safe.” –mh
Birds of a feather
he San Antonio Quail Coalition hosted its seventh annual Conservation Banquet Aug. 11 at San Antonio Shrine Auditorium. This year’s fundraising event grossed about $288,000 with more than 400 in attendance. –mh
Young Brothers Fire Protection L-R: (seated) Tyler Towles, Josh Everly, Coby Young, Raul Sanchez, Dana Collavo (standing) Clayton Young, Rusty Young, Jerry Young and Danny Sanborn
L-R: Gerard Jimenez, Maverick of Texas Construction; Troy Fabre, San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply; Dre Gutierrez, Maverick; Marty Bostick, SA Masonry; John Hewtty, Ruben “Redbeard” Rodriguez and Luis Castro, Maverick
E-Z Bel Construction L-R: (seated) Jimar Betancourt, Stephen Park, Jesse Menchaca, Randy Hood, Ish Garcia, (standing) David Rivera, Frankie Mendoza, Joe Cavazos and Geronimo Acuna
L-R: (seated) Brandon Cook and John Cox, DR Horton; Saul Farias, Urban Concrete; Mike Zezula, Beicker Consultants; (standing) Tucker Stephens, Urban Concrete; Brandon Zolninger and Kevin Cole, DR Horton
Floyd Lyssy Construction L-R: (seated) Howard Labus, Ed Gorzell, Floyd Lyssy (standing) Kyle Coleman and Braden Lyssy
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Stepping up to take their shots
1st Place – Pro Division
1st Place – Open Division, Class A
1st Place – Ladies Division, Class A
1st Place (Gun Winner) – Youth Division, Class A
2nd Place (Gun Winner) – Youth Division, Class B
2nd Place (Gun Winner) – Youth Division, Class C
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o help bring children “success beyond circumstance,” Niznik Concrete Contractors hosted the 27th annual SA Youth Charity Fun Shoot Aug. 13 at the National Shooting Complex. The fundraiser benefits SA Youth, an organization that helps low-income children and at-risk youth stay in school or get a second chance to complete their education and get workforce training. EDP Concrete was the big buyer this year, and Nolhan Construction and EZ-Bel Construction were the buyers for the camping trip. The event raised around $80,000 for the kids. –mh Winners: Pro Division 1st: Marty Adams, Field Construction (98) 2nd: Jay Gable, The Bank of San Antonio Insurance Group (98) 3rd: Tom McClughan, Valero (95) Open Division Class A 1st: Jody Johnson, Field Construction (93) 2nd: Chris Christians, Lynwood Materials
(93) 3rd: Dustin Patrick, HD Supply/Whitecap (92) Class B 1st: Gayla Gregory, CMC Construction Services (75) 2nd: Daniel Karns, Frank Moravits (75) 3rd: Matt Woltersdorf, CMC Construction Services (75) Class C 1st: Jerome Valdez, FO Foundation (62) 2nd: Jeremy Pfenniger, ASCO Equipment (61) 3rd: Ricardo Guaiardo, CMC Construction Services (61) Ladies Division Class A 1st: Anissa Banks, Keith & Anissa Banks (92) 2nd: Chandler Mross, Bexar Concrete Works (85) 3rd: Gayla Gregory, CMC Construction Services (75) Class B 1st: Melissa Mahan, EDP Concrete (64)
2nd: Valerie, Stautzenberg (64) 3rd: Irene Vallejo, Sun Coast (60) Class C 1st: Jodi Schultz, Niznik Concrete (48) 2nd: Taylor Gilstrap, CL Concrete (48) 3rd: Denise Garcia, JR Sitework (47) Youth Division Class A 1st: Montgomery Cain (84) 2nd: Rylan Wagner, Keith & Anissa Banks (83) 3rd: Keaton Kuntchik, Frank Moravits (82) Class B 1st: Daniel Karns, Frank Moravits (75) 2nd: Jackson Gable, Bank of San Antonio Insurance Group (75) 3rd: Gunner Lowry, Keystone Concrete Placement (73) Class C 1st: Clayton Matney, Johnston Industries (63) 2nd: Adam Seabers, Frank Moravits (63) 3rd: Andrew Karns, Frank Moravits (60)
1st Place – Ladies Division, Class B
1st Place – Ladies Division, Class C
Have an outdoor photo you’d like to share? Send to:
SAEditor@Constructionnews.net or call Mary at 210-308-5800
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Big fish in Louisiana Fishing aficionados from Quality Fence & Welding recently took a fishing trip to Venice, LA, where they caught more than 75 oversized reds, varying from 36 to 43 inches, in just a day-and-a-half. –mh
Craig Noto, president Sean Bates, commercial estimator
John Hoot, general manager
Albert Castillo, commercial estimator
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Why have an exit plan? (Part 1 of a 2-part series)
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ooner or later, every owner leaves his or her business. Some choose to plan their exit so it happens in their time frame, under their control, and results in the amount they need for a comfortable retirement. Others seem resolved to just let it be a surprise. Many owners avoid discussing life after the business. That is understandable when we are talking about something you built, and that is part of your identity to family, friends and colleagues. Perhaps you’ve made enough money in your career so that the disposal of your most valuable asset, the business, isn’t important to you. Even if that is the case, your employees and customers might have a different opinion. I talk to owners every day who want to pretend that either they will run the business forever or that it will find some magical way to continue without them. Like everyone who works in business transitions, I know the standard answers to the question, "What is your exit plan?" • "I intend to look for a buyer in about five years." • "I still enjoy my business. Talk to me after I get tired of it." • I'll sell anything for the right price if someone offers it." Each of those answers is a version of "I haven't thought much about it, and I really don't want to.” If you are over 50 years old, there are a couple of very good
reasons to start planning now. "I intend to look for a buyer in about five years." That's fine, but five years is the minimum amount of time needed for any serious tax planning. Of course, the Internal Revenue Service already has a plan for how they will handle your proceeds, so you could just choose theirs. "I still enjoy my business. Talk to me after I get tired of it." That is clearly too late. Whether you are selling to employees or family or marketing the company to third parties, the business needs to be running well to survive a transition to new ownership. Once you start losing interest, it gets much tougher. "I'll sell anything for the right price if someone offers it." What is the "right" price? If you received an offer tomorrow, how would you know if it was the best offer you might ever see? Planning is only deciding how you want things to work out, and checking them against reality. Just because you have a plan doesn't mean you will use it today or tomorrow, but it will be there when you choose to put it into action. Next month, we’ll discuss the special challenges of selling a construction business. John Dini is the president of MPN Inc. He has been working with business owners on exit strategy planning for 20 years.
Coming to the table
L-R: (standing) Scott Wiatrek, Greg Kanning, Kenneth Moore, John Leifester, Paul Brennan, Tom Walthall, Adam Matthys, Tyler Stein, Tony Ridout, Tom Freund, Tom Wright, Bert Mazac, (seated) Mike McGinnis, Chris Christians IV, Jon Marek, Debbie Hannasch, Bethany Thompson
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter installed its new board of directors at the recent joint board meeting. Officers: President: Kenneth Moore, KCM Cabinets Vice President: Bert Mazac, Big B Construction Secretary: Debbie Hannasch, Fire Alarm Control Systems Treasurer: Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen Company Immediate Past President: Tom Freund, Comfort-Air Engineering Directors: Paul Brennan, NAPCO Precast Jordon Brown, Quality Fence & Welding Chris Christians IV, Lynwood Building Materials Adam Dawson, Padgett Stratemann & Co. John Leifester, Dedicated Landscape Solutions Jon Marek, MEMCO Adam Matthys, Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Dustin Michalak, Ridout Barrett Tyler Stein, Frost Corporate Banking Chris Thiel, Alterman National Representative: Greg Kanning, Dumas Hardware Chapter Attorneys: Bethany Thompson and Tom Walthall, Gardner Law Firm – mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Excelling through diversity
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he Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio hosted its seventh annual awards gala, “A Night in Old Havana,” Jul. 22 at San Fernando Hall in Downtown San Antonio. The event included a photo booth, cigar rolling, a caricature artist, silent auction, dinner and dancing with live music by the Westside Horns. –mh
Esperanza Award: City of San Antonio, Economic Development Department
Corporate Sponsor of the Year: Zachry Construction
Professional Services Provider of the Year: Ridout Barrett
Safety Award – F.A. Nunnelly Co. and SpawGlass (tie)
General Contractor – Greater than $10 Million: Turner Construction
General Contractor - $5-$10 Million: Skanska
MVP Award: Julissa Carielo, Tejas Premier Building Contractor
Ahead of the Curve Award: SpawGlass
Volunteer Instructor of the Year: Rafael Llera, Shorm Consulting Rookie of the Year: Limitless Construction
Prime or General Contractor of the Year: Robinson General Contractors
Subcontractor of the Year: Central Electric
Owner – Under $5 Million: Alamo Colleges
General Contractor – Under $5 Million: F.A. Nunnelly Co.
Owner – $10 Million & Above: Bexar County/Community Arena
Supplier/Vendor of the Year: Emergency Service Restoration (ESR)
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
The eagles take flight
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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter hosted its 2016 Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet Aug. 4 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. –mh
Mechanical: Industrial, Less than $2 Million A/C Technical Services HEB RDC Expansion
Mechanical: Commercial Less than $2 Million A/C Technical Services O’Reilly Auto Distribution Center – Selma, TX
Mechanical: All Projects over $10 Million TDIndustries One Frost
Industry Professional of the Year Bill Dawley, SureTec Insurance
Renovation – Less than $4 Million Metropolitan Contracting Company Rand Building Renovations
Infrastructure: Heavy Middleman Construction Company Singing Hills
Institutional - $25M - $100M Bartlett Cocke General Contractors UT Health Science Center San Antonio Academic Learning & Teaching Center
Supplier of the Year Steve White, AmeriCRANE
Volunteer of the Year Dustin Keenzel, SpawGlass Subcontractor of the Year Chris Martinez, Central Electric
No Photo Available: Chairman’s Award Congressman Will Hurd
General Contractor of the Year Gabriel Ochoa, Harvey-Cleary Builders
Industrial – $25 to $100 Million TIC-The Industrial Company, Elk Station Units 2 & 3
Interiors: Acoustical, Drywall, Millwork or Plaster Marek Brothers Systems, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Federal Government/Military – $10M - $100M SpawGlass Lackland Airman Training Complex Dormitory #4
A check from the Sonny Schirmer Excellence in Construction Memorial Fund was awarded to Juan U. Palafox, Joeris, who was this year’s National Craft Championship Gold Medal winner in carpentry.
Other Specialty Construction More than $10 Million Keystone Concrete Placement Dollar General
Commercial – $5M - $10M Joeris General Contractors The Pearl Bottling House
Commercial – Less than $2 Million Metropolitan Contracting Company The San Antonio Eye Specialists Clinic
Other Specialty Construction – Less than $10M Keystone Concrete Placement La Cantera
The Koehler Company Community/Public Service Texas Rangers Heritage Center Commercial –$10M - $25M Tom Benson Imports
Electrical: Commercial, $2M - $10M Southwest Electrical Contracting Services University of Texas Health Science Center’s Academic Learning & Teaching Center
continued on Page 23
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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continued from Page 22— The eagles take flight
Central Electric Electrical: Commercial Less than $2M Electrical: Industrial $2M -$10M Hyatt Regency F/A System Replacement SAWS Brackish Groundwater – Desalination Wells
Residential: Multi-Family Galaxy Builders, Twin Creeks at Alamo Ranch
Renovation – $4 Million to $10 Million Central Builders Inc., HEB-Houston #54
Institutional – Less than $5 Million Alpha Building Corporation, UTC Flooring
Historical Restoration – Less than $2 Million Alpha Building Corporation, President’s Office Renovation
S.T.E.P. Award Winners
Interiors: All Other Interior Finishes Intertech Flooring One Frost Bank Campus
2016 Chapter Safety Excellence Awards: Under 100,000 Man Hours Gold: Smithers Merchant Builders Silver: Middleman Construction Bronze: Leonard Contracting 100,000-500,000 Man Hours Gold: Skanska USA Silver: The Koehler Company Bronze: Metropolitan Contracting Over 500,000 Man Hours Gold: Harvey-Cleary Builders Silver: Saulsbury Industries Bronze: Yates Construction
Silver Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Central Electric G.D. Interiors Keller-Martin Construction Koontz Construction Gold Alpha Building Corporation A/C Technical Services Aerohead Mechanical Baker Triangle BETCO Scaffolds HJD Capital Electric Huser Construction Co. Joeris General Contractors Jordan Foster Construction Marksmen General Contractors MK Marlow Company SpawGlass T&D Moravits The Koehler Company
Platinum Garney Companies Keystone Concrete Placement Marek Brothers Systems Skanska USA Southwest Electrical Contracting Services TDIndustries Yates Construction Diamond Harvey-Cleary Builders International Mechanical Service Leonard Contracting Middleman Construction Company Moore Erection Saulsbury Industries Smithers Merchant Builders TIC-The Industrial Company
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Putting on a big show
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he Mechanical Contractors Association of Texas (MCAT) held its annual Conference and Products Show Jul. 20-24 at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa in Montgomery, TX. Attendees represented 22 contractors and 34 vendors and sponsors from across Texas. The four-day program included the opening reception, casino night, golf tournament, annual meeting, educational seminars, board meeting, and project manager and service manager training. –mh 2016-2017 Board of Directors President: Rick Gopffarth, Dynamic Systems, Dallas Vice President/President-Elect: John Gargotta, Service Mechanical Group, San Antonio Treasurer: Randy Bradshaw, MIINC, Dallas Past President: Brent Watts, Dynamic Systems, Houston Directors John Anthony, Anthony Mechanical, Lubbock; Ron Dauzat, CFI Mechanical, Houston; Roger Ford, Dynamic Systems, San Antonio; Bobby Grimes, A & G Piping, Fort Worth; Jeff Henkener, Dynamic Systems, Austin; Chad James, Harold James, Fort Worth; Jim Letsos, The Letsos Company, Houston; Aaron Richards, The Porter Company, Austin
ROMAR Supply & Steel Fabrication
continued from Page 1 — Taking Central to market and once they learned it his way, they could make suggestions as to what might work better. Though Bryan says his father might respond that he’s already tried it that way and can say why it won’t work. Working in this family-run environment, Bryan feels there is an openness and straightforwardness that extends to everyone in the company, and everyone gets to have their opinions heard. Employing many carpenters and skilled tradesmen and craftsmen as well as traveling with their customers have been key elements to CBI’s success and longevity. Bryan also gives credit to their father’s work to build the company through tough times in the early years
and to keep the management team involved in the field operations. Handling exclusively commercial work, CBI’s workload is about 80 percent private with about 20 percent of its workload in the public sector. Not long ago, the company completed the first HEB Curbside in San Antonio and now has built the inaugural four Curbsides for HEB, which are in Houston, Austin, and two in San Antonio. Central Builders Inc. is a general contracting company that also does construction management and design build. Based in San Antonio, the company has satellite offices in Denton, TX, and Lordsburg, NM. –mh
continued from Page 1 — No limits on the future
Milwaukee Tool
Ferguson
whom are elderly. His mother, Maria, who is from Mexico, has always been a housewife, and his father, Jesse, served 22 years in the U.S. Army and is disabled. Today, he is fully involved with their care, assisting them in their daily lives. While in Corpus Christi, Lang started doing construction work on the facility maintenance side, picking up multiple contracts for pressure washing at first. Moving into other areas of construction, he also relocated to San Antonio and became certified as a minority business enterprise through the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency, (SCTRCA). Since the initial inception of Limitless
in February 2015, two key members of the team have been helping to grow the company. Michael Thompson, project manager, grew up with Lang in El Paso and came to San Antonio to help him with the business. Rudy Martel, foreman, produces and self-performs many scopes of work, which helped the company expand. Limitless Construction Services is a general contractor and full-service construction firm, self-performing concrete and asphalt, demolition, excavation and site work. The facility maintenance services offered include pressure washing, landscaping, millwork and carpentry. –mh
continued from Page 1 — Banking on a new headquarters
Johnson Controls
HTS
The Bank of San Antonio building is three stories totaling 57,000sf with glass walls, marble tiles and wood finishes on the interior. Photo by Bob Wickley
With the new corporate headquarters full of offices, workspaces and a few conference rooms, the bank’s state-ofthe-art technology, including a lot of automations involving TV screens, had to be coordinated throughout the building. “The Bank of San Antonio’s new building was truly a collaborative effort between the ownership team, design consultants, general contractor and subcontractors,” says Jane Feigenbaum, COO of Metropolitan. “As with any construction project, this one had its own unique set of challenges, but with everyone’s hard work and cooperation, the project was completed successfully.” Echoing those sentiments that the shared vision and goal made the building process run very well, Swan says a lot of credit is due to the bank’s representative on the project, Tom Moreno, whom he says is “a very construction-savvy executive who was very helpful in the process.” Moreno, executive vice president, operations and technology, for the Bank of San Antonio, says they have already received a lot of positive feedback on the building from many people in the community. “Metropolitan did a fantastic job,” Moreno comments. “One of the things that I really value about Metropolitan is the open lines of communication that they establish at all levels throughout the project. That was something that I think contributed to the success of the project.
We are extremely proud of the building.” For Metropolitan, the superintendents on the job were Troy Moul and Reginald Burke, and the project administrator was Joseph Daniel. The architect was Chesney Morales & Associates for the shell building and LK Design Group for the interior finish out. The landscape architect was L.H. Bell Landscape Architecture/Planning. The civil engineer was the Bank of San Antonio building’s neighbor, Pape-Dawson Engineers, while Beicker Martinez Engineering did the structural and Cleary Zimmermann Engineers did the MEP. Raba Kistner Consultants did the geotechnical testing. Project Control of Texas was an owner’s representative on the project team. The subcontractors on the job included Keystone Concrete, Modern Machine Shop for the structural steel, Powell Commercial Cabinets, Alamo Tile & Stone, Winco of South Texas, Samuel Dean Sheet Metal, Hull Doors of San Antonio, Champion Glass, Marek Brothers Systems, Allegiance Floors, MARZ Tile Co., Campbell Painting, Automatic Fire Protection, Flo-Aire Service, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Satex Plumbing Co., Triple R Electric, Mesa Equipment, Choate USA and Brown Excavation & Utilities. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Metropolitan Contracting Company is based in San Antonio and takes on projects of all sizes in the private sector. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Green Building Putting a LID on design Tony Recine, Senior Engineer SPACECO Inc. San Antonio, TX
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s low-impact development (LID) gains momentum, civil engineering firms have gained the opportunity to incorporate LID components and educate clients as to the benefits of implementing LID in their projects.
“These incentives for low-impact development are relatively new,” says Tony Recine, a senior engineer with SPACECO Inc., who notes that the San Antonio City Council’s vote in February has incentivized the use of LID features, and this has led him to educate himself more about LID options and their benefits. “I am familiarizing myself to become more competent in the design and recommendation in these types of strategies to my clients, developers, and how that can impact how they utilize the site.” Though he notes that the environmental benefits are clear, Recine believes it will be more challenging to make the benefits of incorporating LID features clear due to the possible additional costs of trying to comply with the LID initiatives. He points out that a lot of these features are natural best management practices, such as bioswales, landscape elements designed to remove pollutants from surface water runoff, and pervious pavers, which allow rainwater runoff infiltration through the pavement surface.
“[These features] would seem initially like they’re less costly to install, and that may be true,” he explains. “However, it also calls for a reduction in the buildable space of the property, and of course, developers are looking to get as many residential dwelling units, or if it’s commercial, [as much] square-footage as they can lease out. So, you’re asking them to reduce the possible density of the property. “There could be zoning changes that can be made to give them higher density, and where they could make that up is in going vertical, but again, a vertical structure, as opposed to spread out, is more costly. There has to be a change in the way they think of developing the site. And by having these low-impact best management practices, these are also ongoing maintenance issues, in order for them to function effectively at improving air and water quality. So, there are at least tradeoffs and initial costs involved, and that’s why the city offers incentives.” On his first experience with LID on a
Green building on its way to mainstream Lovleen Gill Aulakh, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Pre-Construction & Sustainability G2 Builders Corporation Austin, TX
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ow would you describe the current state of the green building industry? I would say the green building industry is gradually becoming mainstream. There is rising public awareness and demand for green buildings. This has led to progressive transformation in construction industry where now green techniques and materials are becoming more readily available at more competitive prices. This momentum is supported by various government incentives, rebates, grants and tax credits as well as more stringent energy codes and adoption of green codes by various cities all over US. Interestingly, the City of Austin is credited with adopting the very first green building program in the U.S. way back in 1990. And, since then, it has inspired many such programs including LEED, acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Have you seen an increase in your green building construction? Austin is seeing unprecedented growth right now and the construction industry is booming. On one hand, green buildings are becoming kind of a norm in public and institutional building sectors: for example, all City of Austin’s municipal buildings and all new buildings at UTAustin are required to be certified as LEED silver; on the other hand, green buildings are taking the commercial sector by storm – the number of green-rated commercial and multi-family buildings in downtown Austin and other large-scale developments is steadily increasing. With the advancement of City of Austin’s green codes, standards and incentives, green buildings are becoming more and more desirable and profitable. We are also seeing a gradual increase in
green projects that come our way. What are the ‘hot button” issues? I would have to say “Green Washing” has been a “hot button” issue in the green building industry for a long time. One aspect of “Green Washing” has been the trend of just scoring well on green scorecards to win tax breaks and grants by any means necessary. For example, targeting the cheapest and easiest green points like adding bike racks or electric charging stations which might never get used. What are the major changes in recent years? In recent years we have seen a lot of new green building materials and construction technologies coming to the market and gaining a lot of acceptance. For example, Low-E glass, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances and water sense labeled fixtures, Low VOC paint, recycled content carpet, bamboo flooring etc. have now become standard practices and are easily available at local stores. We are also seeing better construction waste management practices and op-
project, which he notes was simply the widening of a road with more than 5,000sf of impervious cover, the client specifically requested a design that would reduce stormwater runoff. After incorporating a bioswale feature using engineered soils and native plants to catch runoff from the roadway surface infiltrating to a special stormdrain design, the client had him redesign it to eliminate the LID feature because it turned out to be too costly and put the project over budget. Recine believes it will come down to the developer’s vision of the project. He feels that some developers will see the inherent value in spending more to incorporate these features, recouping that investment by drawing the kind of tenants they want to the site. LID components can add a natural and very nice aesthetic to the environment, and mixed-use development can reduce impact as well, since the property encourages walking or cycling. He cites the Pearl Brewery area as an example that incorporates many LID features. Some developers may also be interested in taking advantage of the incentives the city offers, perhaps giving them a break on compliance with other parts of their development’s codes, such as parking or other issues. Some features can be incorporated with a much smaller impact on initial costs and none to the developable space. For example, in a parking area that normally might have islands for trees and green space to reduce the heat sink of large amounts of pavement, those islands can be turned into bioretention cells that can treat stormwater runoff. This doesn’t
require any additional space and might not cost much more to build, but the plant life and infiltration has to be maintained so it functions as it needs to throughout its service life. As Recine notes that the city is incentivizing LID to help reestablish the hydraulic cycle closer to pre-development conditions to recharge ground waters and improve water quality among other impacts, he adds that the burden is on him to learn as much as he can about different LID techniques and land-use strategies. One of the educational tools he is using, available through the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), is the San Antonio River Basin Low-Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual. He describes it as comprehensive, covering best management techniques of rain gardens, planter box filters, permeable pavements and other ways to minimize pollutant loads. “It’s a change of culture that I think is going to take some getting used to – at least from my end,” he says of the LID practices becoming more common and incentivized. “I’ve been doing land development consulting for almost 20 years, and [LID] is something that I have to start thinking of and better understanding.” SPACECO provides civil engineering and surveying services in the residential, commercial and industrial markets. After being stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio as a military engineer from 1994 to 1998, Tony Recine has been working in land development consulting and civil engineering since 1999. –mh
tions. All our waste haulers have good systems in place to process co-mingled or mixed waste and send the least minimum to landfill. In addition, the City of Austin has also been providing some great incentives for commercial recycling programs. In fact, at G2 Builders we try to accomplish five green goals with all our design build and fast-track projects: water conservation, energy conservation, indoor air quality, waste management and green material selection. One of the acknowledged disadvantages of green building has been the additional cost. Is this statement still true? How are the additional costs balanced against energy, water, or material cost? I feel with the new LEED V4 guidelines and emphasis given on passive solar design, deeper green strategies and holistic sustainable design this statement will soon become obsolete. We did a cost analysis for one of our recent design build projects – a 5,000-sf office building – it showed that an initial investment of 1-4% for incorporating green strategies like cutting edge HVAC system, solar PVs, efficient light and water fixtures, insulated building envelop etc. can pay for itself in just 5-7 years. In general, we don’t shy away from paying extra for better commodities and services. In the green building industry, even a 1% extra initial investment can provide a much superior product, which is good for environment, good for all the occupants and good for saving money in the long run in energy bills, operating costs and health benefits. In fact, if we consider the life-cycle cost of green buildings instead of upfront cost, we’ll find that green buildings are a total win-win. On an average LEED certified project, green buildings use 25% less electricity, have 19% lower operating costs, lease for
20% above average and have 12% more resale value than a conventional building. Is the green market becoming more competitive? Please explain. Unlike a decade ago, when the green building industry was a niche market; it is now driven by consumers. Public acceptance, desirability and profitability of green buildings has resulted in the green market becoming more competitive. Newer and better sustainable products and services are launched every day by both industry giants and entrepreneurs. But that’s a good thing, because as they get more mainstream, prices drop and they become reachable to more and more people. For example, we now install solar powered cameras on our job sites and guess what! They are at least 40% more economical than the regular site cameras we used before. What makes G2 Builders green? We operate our company sustainably - just working with us means you are making a difference. We try to accomplish the five green goals I mentioned before. G2 also promotes LEED to all new design-build project owners by providing complimentary LEED scorecard analysis and, on request, we provide LEED cost analysis. We use PROCORE, a cloud-based software for our construction documentation that gives our employees flexibility to work from anywhere. It also saves paper as everything is archived digitally. All of our construction sites implement basic green strategies. We use solar powered construction cameras on our jobsites and promote teleconferencing to reduces the number of trips to the job sites. Earlier this year G2 Builders Corporation was recognized as an Austin Green business leader for our green initiatives. –cw
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Green Building Advancements in sustainable building David MacLean, Houston Operations Manager |N|V|5 Sebesta Houston, TX What do you consider is the current state of the local construction industry? Houston is a national leader with respect to number of LEED certified buildings and total square footage of LEED certified projects. Registration of new LEED registered projects has actually increased slightly, for both new and existing buildings, in anticipation of the updated Version 4 (V4) Rating System implementation this Fall. |N|V|5 Sebesta sees continued growth in higher education and specialty laboratory. New office space has slowed. What sparked your interest to get involved in your industry? My father was a general contractor so I have been involved in construction for as long as I can remember. My passion for sustainable design has grown from an understanding that our buildings consume a large amount of energy and thereby contribute significantly to pollution. I realized many years ago that I was able to make a positive impact by advocating for better design practices, technical innovation and user training. What trends do you see in green building in recent years? Many green strategies/products
have become more mainstream/expected with project outlines. The industry has also progressed from commonly starting with energy and water efficiency measures in mind to a more holistic approach that incorporates more outcome based strategies. We are moving beyond energy and water and toward human health and environmental equity. How do you define green building? I think that "Sustainable Building" is a more accurate description – but "Green Building" has better name recognition and a greater share of public consciousness - and refers to building / construction practices that are environmentally responsible and make use of materials and resources efficiently. This should also include the construction practices/worksite conditions and transition into a building’s operation and maintenance and eventual demolition - the whole life-cycle of the project. In your opinion, what is the most sig-
IECC, version 4, WELL, wind and water Chris Mundell, AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED, AP BD+C, Associate/ProjectManager/DesignPerformance Leader Gensler Dallas, TX
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ow would you describe the current state of green building in Texas? There are definitely mixed feelings about “sustainability” and “green.” I think some people still think sustainability is a critical issue dealing with environmental and economic concerns. There are also some people in the industry that are feeling a little burnout with the words “green” and “sustainability.” There is a lot of greenwashing; everything’s green now. When we talk about green in the building industry, we are now talking about two key items. The first is about green code/regulation requirements, while the other is about voluntary green programs. A green building code is something you have to follow in order to permit/occupy your building space, whereas a green rating system might be a voluntary program. An example of a voluntary rating system that many are familiar with is USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Building construction codes have become more sustainable now; most of the stuff we have seen with LEED over the past years is now being incorporated into these codes. In 2012, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) was released
where it had specific requirements for sustainability that project teams have to do. The City of Dallas made a new building code that has sustainable requirements in new construction and first time finish-outs. So you’re meeting green requirements for code reasons versus following a LEED certification. As codes become more sustainable, rating systems programs like LEED will continue to raise the bar. Do you think green building is becoming more affordable? Yes, more sustainable products and materials that are being used for construction of our buildings are not at higher costs than a non-green product. Nowadays, most manufacturers have some type of green aspect in their product because they’re trying to keep up with the demand. Here in Texas, there are local manufacturers that are really helping to support the sustainable aspect of our projects. I think products are becoming more eco-friendly than they have in the past. What are the hot button issues in the green building industry? We’re seeing an increase in the awareness of human health. There’s a new green building program called the
nificant challenge the green building industry faces? The perception that building healthy, sustainable and high-performing buildings is cost prohibitive. While some green strategies/technologies do have a cost premium, there is a definite ROI for these upgrades. Commercial office buildings are built to a high level of high performance because the market demands it. This is not true for all school systems or residential homebuilders. We need to do a better job of educating these consumers about the opportunities available to them from green buildings. How has green building advanced over the years? The industry had gotten better at leveraging systems thinking over employing individual strategies. “Return on Green Investment” is a standard mantra for most advanced developers, designers and contractors. Manufacturers have continued to roll out products that differentiate themselves from their completion and attract Green designers and consumers. Any good designer should be able to create a building that is 20 percent more energy efficient and uses 25 percent less water than current code, without a cost premium or very short ROI. What is on the horizon for the green building industry in Houston? Houston is already a leader in advanced design and construction. We have some of the best practitioners right here. It is an exciting time to be in the WELL Building Standard and it is more focusing on the occupants within the building or space. It is looking at the indoor environmental quality of the building such as air and daylight as well as human factors like fitness and nourishment. We are realizing that although it’s important for our buildings to be sustainable, it’s just as important for our occupants inside these buildings to be able to address health concerns. Obesity, asthma and other allergies are all affecting everyone who lives, works or plays in these buildings. Are there any changes in the industry? Going back to codes, there’s also a huge significant impact coming soon. This fall, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2015, will be adopted in Texas. We’re not sure exactly how it will be amended at the municipality levels, but it’s really going to push teams to focus on the energy side of projects. We’re going to have to look at smarter designs, better building envelopes, as well as more efficient mechanical and lighting systems. It seems that we’ll also have to look more closely at energy services such as commissioning and energy modeling. In the past, they were only part of the project if we were seeking a LEED certification, and now it can be part of every future project. Is the green market becoming more competitive? I think there is definitely more awareness of sustainability, so there is a better opportunity to be competitive. Certain companies are trying to push that they are “better than everyone else” and they’re going above and beyond in their sustainable service, technology or product.
Green industry. I see a number of critical things happening here that are very exciting. a.) LEED Version 4 (V4) takes full effect this fall. It will raise the bar on minimum expectations and allow for better accounting of both the embodied energy of a product and the chemical risk involved in placing that product in your breathing zone. b.) The adoption of a Texas wide increase in the energy code takes place shortly. Everyone will need to up their offerings. c.) The City of Houston has recently approved an energy and water efficiency program called PACE, that will immediately remove most barriers to the implementation of upgrades to older commercial and industrial buildings. d.) There is growing interest in the WELL Building Standard that focuses squarely on the health opportunity inside a building. e.) USGBC Texas Gulf Coast is working hard with stake holder to better understand how we can provide better buildings to historically under represented developers, school systems, communities and individuals. f.) Recent flooding has highlighted the need for better design solutions. USGBC’s Neighborhood Development Rating System offers some proven pathways to success in this area. We are working to understand how we might help. g.) This is Houston. We like to lead, not follow! –ab |N|V|5 Sebesta is a provider of full-service engineering, energy performance, commissioning and sustainability services. –ab
One of the big changes in LEED is the new version 4, officially going to be starting Nov. 1, 2016, which has new requirements for materials. Instead of looking at single attributes like recycled content and regional materials like in the past, we now will have to look at multiple attributes and full life-cycle assessment of the product. The concern is if not all of the manufacturers want to step up to these new requirements, then you’re going to lose the competitive bidding because not everybody’s products will be equal. What is on the horizon for the green industry? Obviously, renewable energy is still a huge future green opportunity. Although Texas is a big oil and gas state, it has at the same time become one of the largest producers of wind power. So I think there is going to be a push for more wind and solar generation farms. There’s still potential technology about battery storage, which would help with renewables as well. The biggest concern here in Texas is water. We’re a state that has serious flooding followed by serious drought. With all of the people moving to Texas, will we have to have enough potable water for residential and commercial usage? We need to look at options for treating water on site and reusing it. Consumer demand and new technologies will continue to push the building industry to be more sustainable. Hopefully, we can all still work together on helping reduce our impact on our environment. With more than 5000 professionals in 46 offices, Gensler is an integrated architecture, design, planning and consulting firm. –mjm
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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Green Building LEED: Meeting the triple bottom line for Texas Gail Vittori, LEED Fellow, co-director Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems Board member Green Business Certification Inc. Washington, D.C.
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exas is a pioneer in the sustainability movement, stepping forward to find new and exciting ways to advance resource efficient buildings and create a healthier environment where we live, learn, work and play. Through the pursuit of LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the world’s premier green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Texans are taking advantage of the benefits of the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit. Buildings account for an enormous amount of global energy use and nearly 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. LEED certification positions new and existing buildings across all building types to achieve electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. In fact, be-
tween 2015-2018, LEED-certified buildings in the United States are estimated to result in $1.2 billion in energy savings – the equivalent of 23.5 billion kilowatt hours – $149.5 million in water savings, $715.2 million in maintenance savings and $54.2 million in waste savings. This trend is not just sweeping the nation. Worldwide, there are more than 79,600 LEED commercial projects, comprising 15.3 billion square feet of space, more than 161 countries and territories. And in Texas, there are currently more than 1,700 LEED-certified projects totaling more than 333 million gross square feet – the equivalent to 305 Empire State Buildings – across each space type and sector. Texas also ranked eighth in the 2015 Top 10 States for LEED, an annual ranking of states in terms of square feet of LEED space per state resident, which showcases a commitment throughout
the state to a sustainable built environment. In Austin, the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, the first LEED Platinum certified hospital in the world, exemplifies the many benefits of LEED certification. The 32-acre campus used native, drought-resistant landscaping that saves an estimated 1.4 million gallons of water a year with an additional 1.7 million gallons in annual savings thanks to low-flow bathroom fixtures. The energy savings from high efficiency lighting and air conditioning is enough to power, heat and cool 300 averaged sized homes a day. Acknowledged as an industry leader in high performance healing environments, Dell Children’s Medical Center’s investment in healing gardens, healthy and high performance materials, natural light and energy efficient mechanical systems result in measurable environmental and health benefits to patients, staff and the broader community. Programs likes the Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) initiative are also making building energy and water efficiency more attractive and affordable for property owners throughout the state. First implemented in Texas in 2013, PACE finances 100 percent of the upfront costs for energy efficiency upgrades for industrial, commercial, and some residential properties, eliminating barriers like elevated initial costs and access to capital. PACE upgrades, like energy management and wastewater recov-
ery and reuse systems, are designed to reduce energy and water consumption, lower utility costs and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also contributing to the local economy through technology investment job creation for our local workforce. Emerging as a major economic driver in the United States, green building construction is rapidly outpacing overall construction nationwide, according to the 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study from USGBC. Between 2015 and 2018, green construction will account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs – more than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector – generate $190.3 billion in labor earnings and contribute $303.5 billion to the gross domestic product. In Texas alone, green construction will contribute 1,259,000 jobs, $71.79 billion in labor earnings and $107.13 billion to the state’s GDP. Of those metrics, LEED-certified projects will account for 244,00 jobs, $14,41 billion in labor income and $21.39 billion to the state GDP. To learn more about LEED, USGBC and the green building community as a whole, join us for the 2016 Greenbuild in Los Angeles, Oct. 5-7. Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building and features three groundbreaking days of inspiring speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of Los Angeles’ green buildings.
NEXT MONTH October 2016
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Specialty Contractors 2016 Schedule
Jan: Construction Forecast Feb: Construction Safety Mar: Construction Education
Round-Up Russell Yeager has been promoted to president of San Antonio at Big Red Dog Engineering. Previously serving as the local office’s vice president, he has 10 years of professional experience in site planning, engineering design and project management. As president, he will manage the firm’s clients, oversee project design teams and spearhead the team’s community outreach and volunteer efforts. He has been with the firm for five years. He is a graduate of the University of Texas.
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: SAeditor@constructionnews.net
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July: Electrical Industry Aug: Service Providers Sep: Green Building
Oct: Specialty Contractors Nov: Architecture & Engineering Dec: Construction Equipment
Page 28
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors
Sep. 5: Closed for Labor Day Sep. 7: Breakfast Club; Alamo Café on 281; 7:30am; for more info, email Dawn Coleman at dawn@abcsouthtexas.org Sep. 12: Fall Golf Tournament; Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club; 11:30am; for more info, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org
AGC Associated General Contractors
Events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated. Sep. 8: Brown Bag Lunch: Construction Claims & Disputes, noon Sep. 12, 19, 26: STP Unit 3 Planning and Scheduling, Class 1, 2 and 3 respectively; 1-5:30pm Sep. 16: CM-Lean Refresher and Exam, 8am-4pm Sep. 20-21: OSHA 10-Hour (Free), 8:30am-5:10pm Sep. 22: Mandatory Cook’s Meeting, Helotes Fairgrounds, 1pm Sep. 29: CLF View From The Top, The Petroleum Club, 5:30 -7:30pm Sep. 29-30: PMDP Module – Risk Management, 8am-5pm
AIA American Institute of Architects
Sep. 7: Latinos in Architecture 3rd Annual NEXO Exhibition Opening; Center for Architecture, 6pm; free admission, includes refreshments; for more info, email Adrianna Swindle at aswindle@lakeflato.com Sep. 12: Canstruction Can Opener Awards Ceremony; Saks Fifth Avenue Wing, North Star Mall; 6pm, free admission, includes refreshments; for more info, email Torrey Carleton at torrey@aiasa.org Sep. 21: Design Awards Juror Lecture; Chiego Lecture Hall, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave.; 6pm; free, includes wine reception, lecturers afterwards Sep. 22: Awards Banquet; St. Anthony Hotel; 6:30pm; reservations $125/person; for more info, email Torrey Carleton at torrey@aiasa.org Sep. 25: Chapter Meeting; Fiesta Room, Luby’s, 911 N. Main Ave.; noon; members $20, non-members $25; no RSVP
ASA American Subcontractors Association
Sep. 13: Construction Safety Summit, TEEX Training Center, 7am Sep. 14: OSHA 10-Hour in Spanish, Day 1; ESC Consultants Office, 7am Sep. 20: General Membership meeting, Petroleum Club of SA, 6pm, “Hunting Regulations Update” Sep. 21: OSHA 10-Hour in Spanish, Day 2; ESC Consultants Office; 7am Sep. 22: HR Records & Retention Seminar, Padgett Stratemann Office, 1:30pm Sep. 27: Sales Tax Lunch & Learn, Ridout
Barrett Office, 11:30am Sep. 29: Texas Hold ‘Em & Pour Off Mixer, Aggie Park, 6pm
CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt. Assn.
Sep. 20: Chapter Luncheon; 11:30am1pm; Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels; to RSVP, contact Stephanie at stephanie.harms@rsmus.com or 210828-6281, ext. 1575
ECAT
MCA–SMACNA
SFPE – Austin/San Antonio
Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
Society of Fire Protection Engineers
Sep. 7: Regular & Associates meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Sep. 14: Joint Labor/Management Meeting Sheet Metal, MCA-SMACNA Office, 11am Sep. 21: Joint Industry Fund meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Sep. 28: 39th Annual Hunter’s Symposium, Bexar Community Range, 1pm
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Sep. 7: General meeting, Petroleum Club, 6pm, Installation of incoming board
Earthmoving Contractors of Tx.
PHCC
Sep. 9: Land Stewardship Workshop for Contractors; Dr. Pattie Dodson Public Health Center, 2805 N. Navarro St., Victoria; field tour on local ranch; registration/ $10 includes lunch/refreshments; for more info, please contact Clinton Faas at cfaas@texas-wildlife.org or 210-826-2904
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.
Sep. 15: Membership Mixer; San Marcos Iron Doors, 18730 Stone Oak Pkwy; 5:307:30pm; no cost to attend Sep. 21: Houzz University Class; GSABA Ray Ellison Ballroom, 3625 Paesanos Pkwy; 8:30am; $25/person, includes breakfast; to register and for more info, visit https://www.sabuilders.com/eventcalendar/
HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association
Sep. 7: 2016 Model Contractor Development Series begins; held additional Wednesday evenings Sep. 14 and 28, 6-9pm, runs through Nov. 2; the eight-part series program is free to all, with a $100 “refundable at graduation” deposit; call 210-444-1100 for last minute availability Sep. 21: Monthly Meeting/Mixer; celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month; HCA Office, 101 West Euclid; networking and “fiesta” entertainment begins at 6pm; members/guests are free OSHA 30 Safety Classes – pending dates in September; email Safetytrainings@tdi. gov or call 512-804-4610 For more info: hcadesa.org, call 210-4441100 or email admin@hcadesa.org
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
Events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated. Sep. 5: Closed for Labor Day Sep. 6: IEC School Year begins, 5:309:30pm Sep. 17: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm Sep. 19: Continuing Education Class, 5-9pm Sep. 24: 16th Annual Golf Tournament, Olympia Hills Golf Course, 9am start For more info call 210-431-9861 or www. iecsanantonio.com
Sep. 1: Early Bird Registration for Oct. 1 PHCC Fishing Tournament; Nominations for 2017 Executive Board accepted Sep. 8: Membership meeting; The Petroleum Club; 11am Sep. 10, 24: Plumber’s Continuing Education classes Sep. 12: DOL-Approved Fall Plumbing Apprentice classes begin To RSVP or for more info on these events, visit www.phcc-sanantonio.org
SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
Sep. 29: 21st Annual Sporting Clay Tournament & 16th Annual BBQ Cook-Off; San Antonio Gun Club; 3pm; registration deadline is Sep. 22; shooters $100, nonshooters $25, BBQ teams $50; for more info, call Debbie at 830-606-5556
SDA Society for Design Administration
Sep. 12-24: CANstruction; North Star Mall; joint event with AIA supporting SA Food Bank; for more info, email Stephen Lara, LPA, at slara@lpainc.com
Sep. 21: IBC/IFC Compartmentation Requirements – Designing and Enforcing Fire and Smoke Separations and Opening Protection; San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins; 8:45am-3:30pm; register at http://sfpe-asa.org/event-2251049/ Registration
TACCA Tx AirConditioning Contractractors Assn.
Sep. 15: Member meeting; Alamo Café; 11:30am; RSVP required; first member attendee is free, additional attendees and non-members $20 each Sep. 23-24: 23rd Annual Fishing Tournament; Corpus Christi; $100 per angler, guided boat package $295 per angler; to register or sponsor, visit TaccagreaterSanAntonio.org Sep. 27: General Safety & OSHA Confined Space Regulation Training Seminar; Carrier Enterprise; 1-4pm; members $30, non-members $50 For more info, contact Dawn Thompson dawn@taccagreatersanantonio.org or 210-901-4222
TXSWCCG Tx Statewide Construction Credit Group
Sep. 18-20: Quarterly meeting; coincides with NACM’s 2016 All South Conference at Stockyards in Fort Worth; for more info, email lorid@lonestarmaterials.com or visit nacm-all-south.com
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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A super family all their own
This generation’s iron man
After their visit to the courthouse, Reyes and Lacie Cortez celebrated the adoption of their four children, L-R: Rey, Kyle, RyLee and CJ, with an evening out at Incredible Pizza.
Andrew Holmgreen, president and founder of Holmgreen Iron Works, was recently contracted to reproduce the historical cast iron columns around the State Capitol to replace a damaged section of the century-old ironwork.
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fter waiting 10 years for their dreams of being parents to come true, Lacie Cortez, office administrator for Construction News, and her husband, Reyes Cortez, officially finalized the adoption of four sibling bundles of joy Aug. 1 at the Bexar County Courthouse. Married for 11 years now, Lacie and her husband decided they wanted to become parents one year into their marriage, but when they were unable to have children of their own, they decided they would grow their family through fosterto-adopt. After years where it always seemed like something was blocking the way to this path, they set out to start the process in 2015, taking classes and doing all of the background work to meet the requirements in December. Always wanting to have a big family, they wanted to adopt a group of siblings, and just two weeks after getting their license in mid-January, they had four kids at home. In the six-month waiting period before the foster parents could become adoptive parents, they had to help the kids with some developmental issues that had resulted from their previous neglect, such as speech delays and missed physical milestones. The three older siblings needed the most help in the transition, but Lacie and Reyes were able to help them make progress in leaps and bounds. CJ, the oldest, is 8, and he is modeling after his new daddy, always trying to help people and taking up archery, since Reyes is manager of the Texas Archery Academy. Growing up as a protective parent to his younger siblings, CJ had to
learn to play with toys and be a kid. Kyle, 4, is very active and is excited to be starting pre-school with his big brother this year. RyLee, 3, is the only girl and is always laughing, dancing and singing. Rey, or “X-Rey” as they call him, is 2, and he made the easiest transition and is just enjoying being a toddler. Lacie says that it feels like the fosteradopt of these four kids happened overnight, but it has been a long time in the making. While she and her husband have had to adjust, going from a family of two to a family of six, she notes it is a fun adjustment, and they feel ecstatic that the adoption is finally official so that they can all breathe easier knowing they will be a family for the rest of their lives. –mh
Members of the Construction News team decorated Lacie’s door to celebrate adoption day.
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s a sixth generation ironworker, Andrew Holmgreen opened his own welding and metal fabrication shop, Holmgreen Iron Works, a little over five years ago. Born in San Antonio in 1975, Andrew is also a sixth generation San Antonian. His great-great-great-grandfather, George Holmgreen, bought a struggling iron works company based on the banks of the San Antonio River and operated it as George Holmgreen & Sons until electing to change the name to the Alamo Iron Works as it had unofficially come to be known. Though Andrew initially intended to follow a different career path, he found himself drawn into the iron industry. After graduating magna cum laude with his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, he attended law school until 2008, when he realized he was not enjoying it. Since he always enjoyed building things and rehab projects, such as the
1931 bungalow where he lived while attending college in Houston, he decided to come back to his family’s roots in iron. He began by taking a class in blacksmithing in Santa Fe, NM. When he returned to San Antonio, he enrolled in the welding technology program at St. Philip’s College. In 2010, with the assistance of many family members, friends and mentors, he opened his own business, and one of his greatest mentors, Roy Bellows, whom he worked with in Buda, helped him settle on naming it Holmgreen Iron Works. Today, Andrew has been married since 2005 and has three children, ages 5, 7 and 9, who attend St. Mary’s Hall. Holmgreen Iron Works is a specialty metals job shop, offering gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). The company also does repair and manufacturing and offers mobile welding. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
Taking on both sides of the job
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ince Adan Ochoa started out on his own in 2009, he worked with his father, Felix M. Ochoa, who had been in construction for more than 40 years. Though his father passed away in March, working with him up to the week before he died, AO Design & Construction has continued today with Ochoa doing both the blueprints and the construction for each project. Growing up, Ochoa was always on jobsites with his father. He also rode his skateboard a lot. So, the father and son would build their own ramps. Ochoa developed an interest in architecture drawing and helpWith AO Design & Construction, Adan Ochoa has ing to build skate parks. continued the work he had done with his father for seven years. After graduating from UTSA with his master’s degree in architecture, Ochoa applied to work at Noting that it has been difficult advarious firms, but at the time, the hiring justing to doing the construction side freezes put in place because of the eco- also without his father, Ochoa has kept up nomic slowdown prevented him from with a rigorous schedule: getting the kids getting a position. With a wife and three ready for school around 5 or 6am, meetchildren to take care of, he decided to go ing with clients around 10am, then workinto business for himself working with ing on the jobsite until about 5 or 6pm, going home around 7, doing everything his dad. he can with the kids until around 8 or 9pm, and getting on the computer to work on blueprints until 2 or 3am. One part of his father’s legacy was helping clients who were on limited budgets, and though Ochoa notes that AO is taking on clients with bigger budgets lately, he still helps those he can, working with them on budgetary concerns. AO also does volunteer work with a few different programs. One is STAR (Students Together Achieving Revitalization), which works with the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation doing work on historic homes. AO also volunteers with HAT (Hardship Assistance Team), helping out residents in need. The last project AO did with HAT involved clearing a woman’s backyard so she can have a playground for her grandchildren. At 40 years old, Ochoa and his family still live on the south side of San Antonio, where he and his wife, Roxanne, a registered nurse, were born and raised. Their daughter, Tessa, 17, runs track and hopes to go into the medical field. Their 14-yearold daughter, Faith, wants to be a veterinarian, and their 9-year-old son, Maddox, is into the science and engineering programs at school. AO Design & Construction does mostly historical restoration, particularly in the residential market. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
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San Antonio Construction News • Sep 2016
30 years of sculpting sand
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rchitects, designers, engineers and contractors headed to East Beach in Galveston for the 30th annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sandcastle Competition Aug. 20. More than 60 teams had their eyes and shovels set on winning the Golden Bucket Award. The judging of the sandcastles was rated on originality of concept, artistic execution of the concept, technical difficulty, carving technique and utilization of the site. –ab
1st Place Gold Bucket and Best Team T-shirt Award and Kidtastic! - Disney Edition Award: Finding Gory - Kirksey and Metzger Construction
2nd Place Silver Shovel & Best Cinematic Award and Tallest Standing Structure Award: Curse You Sand Baron! DowChemical
3rd Place Bronze Shovel and Best Traditional Castle Award: The Junk Yard -Gensler and Harvey
4th Place Honorable Mention and Best Costume Award: Game of Bones - Ziegler Cooper Architects
6th Place Honorable Mention: The Jungle Book Brown & Gay Engineers and Hoar Construction
Best Architectural Icon Award: FKP Architects and AEI
5th Place Honorable Mention: Slay the Dragon Page and Bartlett Cocke
The Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite Award: Little Shop of Horrors - HDR & HPCC