Austin Construction News October 2016

Covering the Industry’s News

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Volume 15

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Number 10

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OCTOBER 2016

The family trees

Mixing work and fun

Lee and Debbie Evans pursue their love of trees at Sequoia National Forest when they were near there for a consulting conference.

MW3 Associates employees try not to take life too seriously – making work fun is all part of the deal.

I

n Apr. 2006, Lee Evans and his wife, Debbie, were looking for something that would make use of their talents, their college degrees and give them the flexibility to be an active part of their children’s lives. Certified Arbor Care Inc. was born in an effort to fulfill those goals.

Now, they are celebrating their 10th year in business.

“We had small kids at the time and we wanted that flexibility,” Lee says. “It enabled Debbie to work from home and maintain a family environment, pay the bills, feed the family and be there for the kids’ activities. We keep that philosophy for our employees. We have been very fortunate and very blessed with great clients and great crews. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our family,

friends, clients and our team.

“It’s important to us for our team to be there for their families, take the kids to school on the first day of school and such.”

Lee, who has a bachelors of Science degree in forestry and Debbie, who has a bachelor’s of science degree in biology and a master’s of science degree in environmental science, both graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. They moved to Austin 15 years ago when Lee received a job offer with a landscape company while Debbie was finishing graduate school. About four years ago, the company, which has 24 employees, became HUB certified as a WBE. “Debbie is the only female Registered Consulting Arborist in the state of continued on Page 17

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W3 Associates, a general contractor that specializes in interior finish outs in Austin, believes its team members become part of the family.

“We are looking for members of a family, not crickets!” laughs Denise Mellow, business development and project manager, who insists she is not mellow.

Founded by construction manager Geoffrey Whittaker in 2014, the company has locations in Austin and San Antonio. The company offers deconstruction to remodeling services, construction management, and has in-house employees that facilitate construction from ceiling to floor. Products include architectural wood features, architectural glass and construction of office features.

“Caring is how we get your project

completed within budget, on time, and without compromise to quality,” Mellow says. “Upon turning over the keys, we are invested in the tenants’ happiness and longevity of their space.”

The team atmosphere of the company is fostered through monthly employee birthdays and anniversaries, as well as quarterly outings that include photo scavenger hunts, barbecues, video games, local community work and yearly fundraisers.

“’We can so you Can’ is one of our recycling fundraisers that we do monthly,” Mellow says. “We recycle as much as we can from current projects each month and we pick one property manager to continued on Page 17

Stars in the sports world

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ustin ISD’s House Park was originally opened in 1939 along Shoal Creek, just down the hill from the old campus of Austin High School, as a 6,500-seat football stadium.

Rather than build a stadium for each high school in its district, House Park now serves the district as a multi-purpose facility.

In 2008, the natural grass surface was replaced with artificial turf, and in 2015, Hellas Construction Inc. replaced that turf with its Matrix® synthetic turf, manufactured and installed using Hellas’ Helix technology.

“We are the first to have this ‘twisting’ technology,” says Miguel Gutierrez, Hellas communications and graphics specialist. “During the extrusion process, which takes place at Hellas Fibers, the fiber receives an application that makes it twist, like a helix. This ‘shape memory technology’ allows for the fibers to hold

the infill more securely in place to reduce ‘fly out’ or migration and bounce back to its original position.”

Infill in a football field – or any athletic field – is an important part to the longevity of the field and more importantly, the safety of the athletes that use the field.

“Many different schools use this field as their playing surface,” Gutierrez says.

Interestingly, besides Austin, Anderson, McCallum and Lanier high schools, House Park is also the home of Austin Sol, Austin’s professional ultimate Frisbee team. Their inaugural season home opener was Apr. 9, 2016.

House Park is also the home of Austin Yellow Jackets of the Independent Women’s Football League.

Hellas provides a complete package with their projects, according to Hellas Construction was able to finish House Park Stadium with its trademark turf in just two weeks.

continued on Page 17

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

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ABC introduces new president

Industry FOLKS

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Kenneth Wayne Brade Fleet and Safety Manager Lone Star Materials

K

enneth “Kenny” Brade has worked at Lone Star Materials in Austin for almost 29 years.

Brade, who grew up in Austin, says he got his start in the business by helping a neighbor who delivered drywall.

In 1987, he applied for a job at Lone Star and was hired as a delivery driver. As he has worked there, he has moved up in the ranks and now he’s an integral part of just about everything that happens there.

“I do all the training for the delivery drivers and the boom operators,” he says. “I take care of all the trucks, making sure they are all running properly and have all their safety inspections, as well as routine maintenance.”

As safety manager, Brade is responsible for making sure the employees have all the proper training and are adhering to company – as well as state and federal – regulations.

“I make sure they have all their fall protection, hard hats, safety glasses at all times,” he explained. “We have a weekly safety meeting and throughout the month, I go out and do job checks and field ID’s. I also inspect the jobs after they are done. I can show up anytime, anywhere and I do.”

Owned by Gypsum Management & Supply Inc., (GMS) a national company, Lone Star Materials, is one of many across the U.S. According to Brade, GMS is a great company to work for and as safety manager, it’s up to him to maintain the company’s high standards.

Recently, Lone Star Materials was tested in a mock audit – based on what a real audit by OSHA or the Department of Transportation will do. Brade was proud to say that Lone Star made a 100.

“These audits get us prepared and make sure we have everything we need to pass the state and federal exams,” he says. “The GMS regional safety manager, Taylor Sullivan and I work together to make sure we are upholding all of the company, state, and federal regulations.”

When not working, Brade loves to restore old muscle cars – doing all the bodywork, painting and motor rebuilding himself.

“My wife is real understanding about it and she likes classic cars as well, so it works out great,” he says.

He’s currently working on a 1969 Camaro that he plans to keep. “I decided it was time to do one for myself.”

Under the new management of Dustin Noles, Lone Star continues to thrive. Brade has nothing but praise for the company.

“Working for Lone Star Materials has been great,” he says. “There’s room to grow and I would definitely suggest that anybody looking for a career of this type to try and find a company that is established and treats their employees as well as Lone Star does.” –cw

racey Evers has been named the new president of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter. Evers brings a wealth of association management experience to her new position.

After growing up in Breckinridge, CO., Evers left the ski slopes behind to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she majored in business with a focus in marketing and minored in music.

In the early 2000’s, Evers began her career in association management and spent 10 years with the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, where she was executive director. She left that position to run the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas, before moving back into leading the membership relations arm of Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), based in Austin.

There, she and her team of 10 employees, based all over the state, found major success in growing the membership base.

Evers says she was ready to get back into a broader scope of association management.

“I was ready to get back to this kind of work,” she says. “I missed advocacy and interaction with a board. I really love communications and media relations.

This is a great opportunity.”

As president of ABC, Evers is starting out by visiting with members and getting a feel for where the association has been, where it is currently and where it will go in the future.

Doing that includes a strong emphasis on partnerships with a variety of organizations, including OSHA, to offer and continue to grow training and safety programs. The upcoming Texas Legislative session will also provide opportunities for the association to enhance its communication, education and community outreach, Evers says.

Tracey Evers

Growing up with a dad who owned an electrical contracting business in Colorado, Evers has first-hand experience with the construction industry.

In her personal life, Evers makes use of her musical bent by singing in the choir at Riverbend Church.

“It’s one of the greatest pleasures of my life,” she says. “Austin is full of musicians and many of them bring their talent there.”

Her son, August, 24, is in restaurant management, working for Torchy’s Tacos, based in Austin, where he is on the opening team of their new locations in Denver.

Evers is now focused on bringing her talent to her new position.

“I want to get the message out about what ABC is all about and what we stand for,” she says. “I want to be sure we continue to enhance our member value proposition by facilitating relevant education programs, excellent events, effective advocacy and continue to be the organization that supports and represents the commercial construction industry in the Central Texas area.” –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

GC at work

Clarification The story on the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Annual Meeting and Education Conference in the September issues of Construction News stated that Dede Hughes will be retiring from her position as NAWIC’s national executive vice president on Dec. 31. The statement should have specified that this will be happening on Dec. 31, 2017. –mh

Austin

You don’t generally see a general contractor driving a Bobcat on the jobsite, but general contractor Alan Utz, Alan Utz & Associates Inc., Tyler, is working overtime on his company’s project MedPost Urgent Care in San Marcos. –cw

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

When we moved there, it was during the early 80s and the place was in the middle of an oil boom.

My dad, Joe Weathersby, was an aircraft mechanic. He stayed in Mississippi.

My twin sister, Carrie Lemaire, is a foreman in charge of TPO and metal commercial here at Clear Choice.

Gavin Weathersby Owner Clear Choice Roofing

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avin Weathersby, owner of Clear Choice Roofing in Austin, recently made the news in a good way after his company, in conjunction with the Owen Corning’s Roof Development Project, installed a new roof for a local military family.

Sgt. Joshua Gallegos has been an Active Guard Reserve for 15 years. Two years ago, his home experienced a burst water pipe – causing extensive damage to the floors, walls and ceilings. As the damage continued to grow, the family of seven found out the cost to repair the home would be $8,000 and was not covered by their home insurance.

Gallegos reached out to the charity Support Our Troops, which stepped up to help the family. The new roof was the final piece.

“This is a wonderful feeling,” Weathersby said. “It feels great to give back to somebody who’s sacrificed so much for us.”

That’s a great story, Gavin.

This was such a good feeling that we decided we needed to do something for our guys around here.

We are looking to start a program independently for police, first responders and fire fighters. Our idea is to have people nominate someone through our Facebook page. Then we’ll go through the nominations and handpick four, then send those names back out on our page and have our Facebook followers pick one from the four.

We are hoping to roll this out in about six months. We will do one roof per year.

Tell me about your early life.

I was born in Greenville, MS. When I was 6, my mother and my twin sister and I moved to Midland/Odessa, which is where I grew up.

My mother, Terry McMillan, had family in that area. She started working at Sears when she was 16 years old – it was her first job application. They offered her a job in Midland and she worked for them until she retired.

In high school, what did you like to do?

I liked playing soccer, but they didn’t really have any school-sponsored soccer programs at that time. I was one of the small kids, so I wasn’t that interested in other sports, although I did like track and anything that involved running. I came in first or second every year on the mile.

I also liked shop.

What did your parents teach you and Carrie that led you to be a successful entrepreneur?

Honesty, integrity and hard work.

You get what you put in.

My mom said – and believed – if you get caught stealing, you should get your hands cut off. If you get caught lying, you should get your tongue cut out.

She’s actually a very sweet lady, but she set the roots and the groundwork right there. You didn’t want to disappoint her. We wanted to be the best at anything we did.

What did you do after high school?

I attended Odessa College in its culinary arts and ice sculpting program. I started out washing dishes and became a sous chef at Midland Country Club. In 1999, I moved to Austin and was a sous chef at Stephen F. Austin Hotel.

I soon realized that this career path was going to consist of working 60 to 80 hours a week and the top pay was going to be around $40,000. I realized it wasn’t going to be enough.

I won some awards and I keep the plaques I got in my kitchen, which is probably a bad idea since everyone wants me to cook!

So, after you decided against a career in cooking, what did you do?

I had met Ron Carson while I was working at the hotel. He worked for Advantage Roofing and became a mentor for me. I started working there in 2001.

After a couple of years in the industry, I realized I had the skills to do it for myself and probably better. I had already gotten the DBA for Clear Choice in 2001 and I opened in 2003.

Since I am not married and have no kids, I have an advantage because I can spend 16 hours a day doing this.

Tell me what makes Clear Choice different from other roofers.

Unfortunately, there is no licensing in this industry and that makes it different from other construction industries.

That’s why you hear the horror stories.

That’s why this trade is tainted.

We believe in keeping up with industry standards. Customer service is a big thing to me. Clear Choice has more re-

Gavin Weathersby welcomes the public’s input into how his company, Clear Choice Roofing, does on its projects.

views on Angie’s List than anybody else and the public keeps on top of that. It’s so easy for the public to review us, we have a magnifying glass on us and I love that.

I welcome that when my competitors shy away from it.

We carry a $2 million insurance policy and our employees are OSHA fall protection certified.

There are 8,400 roofing companies in Texas and we are one of only 15 that have become an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor.

Getting that status takes hard work and dedication. It consists of classes and there is a board of people who evaluate companies who apply.

Tell me a little about your employees.

We have 296 employees. Our headquarters is here in Austin and we have locations in Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio.

I look for people who have a clean background and at least 10 years in the construction industry.

Superintendents are hired through the ranks and get intensive training. We also have great project managers and quality control field supervisors.

Typically, my cell phone does not ring and that’s a good thing. I usually only get a call when something is wrong.

I’m about to ramp back up a bonus incentive program that includes things like trips to Hawaii for top salespeople.

I love what I do and I get paid the same – whether I personally oversee a job or not. I can handpick the jobs I want to do. I don’t take jobs away from the salespeople. If I do a job, it’s generally someone I know.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without a good team behind me from the initial phone call to the end.

How do you keep your good employees?

They enjoy the work atmosphere

and they are dedicated. It’s also due to our credibility. There’s never a question about whether the company is legitimate. We offer long-term employment security.

What are you doing now that has to do with the future?

We were one of the first roofing companies to move into offering solar. I do see the future of solar. It’s basically bringing two industries into one.

Solar companies don’t understand roofing companies. They aren’t up to speed on fall protection or how to breach our roofs to successfully install solar.

It’s a very exciting field. I even had a guy who wanted to put a solar panel on his dog’s house so he could run a little air conditioning unit in there! One solar panel can run a coffee pot, so it might have worked!

I think renewables could save our planet. If Ford had invented the electric vehicle instead of gas, we might have been better off.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I love anything that has to do with water, the ocean and fishing.

I love to travel and once a year I go somewhere exotic.

My favorite place I’ve been so far is Aruba. It’s very laid back and very beautiful. The water is turquoise and the people are friendly.

I don’t like camping because I don’t want to be part of the food chain!

I like to watch documentaries and educational shows. I like to read about history and I like old Westerns.

Who would you buy a beer for?

Tesla. I think he was the true inventor of electricity. He was very forward thinking in areas of energy and renewables. –cw

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Buying, leasing and renting … oh my! Strategic thinking for construction equipment acquisitions Michael Kuchar, CPA, CCIFP, Construction Group Shareholder Doeren Mayhew Houston, TX

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ome construction companies buy and maintain large fleets of equipment.

Others choose to lease these assets and, in some cases, purchase select pieces at the end of the arrangement. Still others opt to rent what they need, for only as long as they need it.

Making the right call among all of these approaches can seem overwhelming. Every contractor would love to have a diverse fleet of equipment ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

But few, if any, want to deal with the potential financial repercussions.

Buying: For daily use It usually makes sense to buy equipment that you expect to use daily or almost daily. If you’re using an asset at or near its full capacity, generally buying and maintaining it will pay off.

For starters, you’ll have the piece ready to go at a moment’s notice and, assuming proper maintenance, be able to extract maximum life-cycle value from it. Ownership also allows you to, where permissible, claim tax deductions for related depreciation, insurance, interest and repair expenses.

On the other hand, coming up with large down payments can be a financial strain. In addition, investing heavily in equipment ties up capital you might better use in other ways. Consider, too: • The space you need to store purchased equipment • How you will transport the asset to and from jobsites • Which resources you need to use in repairing and maintaining the piece As alluded to above, life cycle is everything. Many of today’s construction assets are evolving just as rapidly as the technology used to track and run it. So look carefully into whether you’ll be able to fully use a piece of equipment before it’s outmoded.

Renting: The flexible option Renting offers the most flexibility, allowing you to pay for only the equipment you need for a limited period.

This option often benefits smaller companies — especially subcontractors — lacking the resources to maintain a fleet of equipment. Of course, that doesn’t mean renting can’t benefit larger construction businesses under the right circumstances.

Choosing to rent a piece of equipment means no big down payment, and less money spent on the overall arrangement than with a lease. Plus, rental payments are generally considered

a tax-deductible operating expense, which simplifies accounting.

Renting also frees you from responsibility for maintenance and repairs. And because most rental companies regularly update their inventories, you’ll generally have access to new (or newer) assets.

Naturally, there are downsides. You’ll be at the mercy of rental inventories and, in some cases, renting could increase your overall expenses (compared with leasing and owning), because rental companies often build higher costs into their payment terms.

Leasing: hedging your bets Leasing equipment offers some of the benefits of ownership while mitigating certain downsides. An equipment lease is essentially a loan arrangement in which the lender owns the equipment and leases it to a contractor at a flat monthly rate for a specified term.

At the end of that term, the lessee can opt to buy the equipment, return it or lease new assets. Just as some drivers prefer to lease vehicles to stay up-to-date and reduce their maintenance costs, many contractors see the same advantages in leasing equipment.

With leased assets, you can avoid making large down payments and reserve capital for other purposes. You’ll typically pay a higher interest rate, though.

Leases are usually set up so payments are made with operating funds rather than capital accounts and, therefore, are deductible as an operating expense. But if a lease includes certain options (such as a bargain lease option) it may be defined as a capital lease and, therefore, need to be put on the books.

The right mix of construction equipment acquisitions As mentioned, large construction companies may be able to own their own fleets. But, for small- to mid-sized businesses, some combination of owned, leased and rented equipment will likely make the most sense. Keep in mind, recent changes in accounting rules will affect the way leases are handled and defined in your financial statements.

A top 100 U.S. firm, Doeren Mayhew’s CPAs and business advisors serve more than 500 suppliers and general and specialty contractors doing business domestically and abroad. For more information, visit www.doeren.com.

The Healthcare billing experience Kristen Harder, Account Executive Catto & Catto LLP San Antonio, TX

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magine you are at HEB shopping for your weekly meals. You begin shopping and all of a sudden other people start placing items in your basket that you did not know you needed, nor did you budget for. Then you get up to the cashier and they gather some money from you and then tell you, “We will bill you for the remaining balance. ” Three months later you get a bill in the mail. You’re not only caught off guard by the charge that is very surprising, but you’ve forgotten what all you bought at HEB on that trip, and you have no idea what else was placed in your basket by others. Wouldn’t that be irritating? Of course it would be. It is not the way we as consumers shop for anything else, as it just is not rational.

Next, imagine that you’re going to buy something very important to you, perhaps a flat screen TV. What if you found that the prices were not posted.

Or, the best and the worst TV, according to quality statistics, were priced about the same or better yet, the worst TVs were the most expensive. Again, doesn’t sound right or make sense. Well, isn’t it interesting that when we utilize the healthcare system, the shopping and billing experience is much like the above scenarios? Not rational.

It should be no surprise that managing our personal health or the health of a close person consistently ranks in the top five for most adults. The longer I am in the insurance business and help my clients manage their health and navigate the healthcare system, the more I realize just how confusing it is.

Think about it: if you need to have a knee surgery, how do you find and research top quality orthopedic surgeons?

Do you Google ‘top orthopedic surgeons in my area‘? Do you ask a few friends who may have had knee surgery prior? Then you remember that you better check to see if they participate in network with your health insurance company. What about the price? There are so many different reasons we choose a provider and trust them with our personal health, but unfortunately, consumers are not privy to choosing a provider proven to have the highest quality of care with the best of outcomes because transparency is lacking in healthcare today.

As consumers, we should be equipped to choose the practitioner who is best in class at what they do. And by “best in class,” I mean a measurable quality metric that makes that practitioner truly among the elite. For example, if I

need back surgery, I want to go to the BEST back surgeon in my area and know what my out of pocket costs will be so that I can determine the best provider to use. Should be easy, right? It is not. In fact, there is usually a long wait to get in to those “best doctors” because they are the best and often times we do not like to wait six weeks or longer for something we need done today.

Good news. You’re not the only one who is frustrated. Thankfully we are starting to see solutions emerge. We partner with a company who is now doing quality reviews for proven top physician practices and their outcomes, and so in this network they negotiate the pricing down with the top providers, ensure that their members are seen within three business days. This is real savings for employers, key information for employees who are seeking treatment, and a real breakthrough in the system. Self-insured companies should be aware of this option because it is a great way to see real dollar savings, and to know that their employees are going to top providers by utilizing this service.

Kristen specializes in employee health benefits for mid to large employers in Texas.

Through her experience, valued client partnerships and heavy involvement in the community, Kristen understands and strives to combat the challenges that employers and executives face in regard to providing an attractive benefits portfolio while protecting the company’s assets and liabilities, as well as balancing these expenses with their budget. Let me know how I can help.

Call me at 210-222-2161 x254.

Submitted to Construction News

It takes a village

On Sep. 10, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Austin Chapter members partnered with Rebuilding Together Austin for a project on the Navier family home. –cw

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

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How does “Ban the Box” affect you?

Zika Virus protection for outdoor workers

Shelly Masters, Principal Attorney Cokinos, Bosien & Young Austin, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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O

hat is “Ban the Box”?

“Ban the box” is a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance that prevents employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal history until a conditional offer of em-

ployment has been made.

History of Ban the Box

The movement began in early 2000s by the “All of Us or None” grassroots civil rights organization led by formerly incarcerated and convicted people. Currently, 24 states and over 100 cities and counties have adopted some form of ban the box.

Only nine states and several cities apply ban the box to private employers.

Texas does not have a ban the box state law. Travis County and Dallas County are the only counties that have ban the box. Austin is the first and only city in Texas to implement ban the box. In 2008, Austin City Council passed an ordinance that prevented only public employers from asking about criminal history during the initial application process. On March 24, 2016, the Council passed a ban the box ordinance that applies to private employers as well. The new ordinance took effect on April 4, 2016.

Why ban the box?

Supporters of ban the box argue that criminal history on a job application unfairly and arbitrarily limits the pool of qualified job applicants.

Local Ban the Box rules In Austin, City Ordinance No.20160324-019, or “ban the box,” includes findings by the city council that denying an employment opportunity based on criminal history is “unjust; is detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City; prevents the reintegration of the persons into the community; creates a burden on public resources and law enforcement; contributes to crime and recidivism; and contributes to unemployment and harms the local economy.”

The ordinance applies to public and private employers. It applies to all private employers with 15 or more employees working in Austin’s city limits. This includes full time, part time, contract work, and temporary workers. It does not apply to jobs that have a legally mandated insurance or bond requirement that dictate disqualifying an individual based on criminal history.

The ordinance allows an exception for a staffing agency. A staffing agency may make inquiries into criminal history when it has identified a job to which the applicant will be employed or placed in a staffing pool.

An employer still has authority to withdraw a conditional employment offer for any lawful reason, including the determination that an individual is unsuitable for the job based on an individualized assessment of the individual’s criminal history.

What should an employer NOT do?

An employer that falls under this law may NOT:

• publish any information about a job that automatically disqualifies based on criminal history • inquire about an applicant’s criminal history in an application • solicit criminal history information or consider criminal history, unless the employer has first made a conditional offer of employment

• refuse to consider employing an individual because the individual did not provide criminal history before a conditional offer

• take adverse action against the individual unless the employer has determined that the individual is unsuitable based on an individualized assessment.

What should an employer do?

First, review all current application forms and make sure there are no questions regarding criminal background. Second, modify the hiring process. An employer should not inquire regarding criminal history or consider criminal history in any way until a conditional offer is made.

If an employer chooses to take an adverse action against an applicant because of criminal history, the employer must inform the applicant in writing about the decision being based on criminal history.

Penalties Austin Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office will enforce the ordinance. There is a one-year grace period. If the violation occurs before April 4, 2017, only a warning will be issued. After April 4, 2017, the first violation will likely result in a warning, followed by a civil penalty of up to $500.

Shelly Masters is a Principal in the Austin office of Cokinos Bosien & Young. She represents clients in the areas of construction, labor and employment, and commercial law. CB&Y has been representing the construction industry for over 25 years. She can be reached at smasters@cbylaw.com or (512) 615-1139.

utdoor workers may be at the greatest risk of exposure to Zika virus, which is primarily spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Your employer should inform you about the risk of exposure through mosquito bites and how to protect yourself.

Current science-based evidence suggests that approximately one out of five infected people develops symptoms of Zika virus, usually beginning 2-7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

Symptoms are usually mild and can last 2–7 days. The most common symptoms of Zika virus infection are fever, rash, joint pain and red or pink eyes. Other symptoms include myalgia (muscle pain) and headache. These symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever or chikungunya.

During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be detected in the blood and is capable of being spread from an infected person to a mosquito that feeds on that person. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

OSHA recommends that your employer:

Train you on how to protect yourself and about the importance of eliminating areas where mosquitoes breed at your worksite and provide insect repellents and protective clothing for your exposed skin, and encourage their use.

How to Protect Yourself: Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or another EPA-registered active ingredient on skin that is not covered by clothing. Always follow label precautions.

• If using permethrin, spray it on clothing and gear only—not directly on skin.

• Choose a repellent that provides protection for the amount of time that you will be outdoors.

• After returning indoors and before eating, use soap and water to wash skin that has been treated with insect repellent.

Reapply repellent when returning outdoors or after eating.

• Wear clothing that covers all of your skin, including socks that cover the ankles and lower legs and hats with mosquito netting to protect the face and neck.

• In warm weather, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. This type of clothing protects you from the sun and provides a barrier to mosquitoes.

• Get rid of sources of standing water (e.g., tires, buckets, cans, bottles, barrels) whenever possible to reduce or eliminate mosquito breeding areas.

• OSHA and NIOSH recommend that you talk to your supervisor(s) about any outdoor work assignment(s) or travel to Zikaaffected areas if you are or may become pregnant, or, for males, if your sexual partner is or may become pregnant.

• Consult CDC information on Zika virus and pregnancy: www.cdc.gov/zika.

• If you routinely work with insecticides to control mosquitoes, you may require additional personal protective equipment.

• If symptoms develop, seek medical attention promptly. Discuss any possible exposure to mosquitoes or infections spread by mosquitoes with a healthcare provider. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Fore sure!

Construction News ON LOCATION

Stone dedicated

First place winners

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hirty-six teams turned out to participate in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Austin Chapter annual fall golf tournament held Sep. 13 at Star Ranch Golf Course. Congrats to the winners! –cw

First place: Austin Wood Recycling: Miles Hindsman, Casey McGlaufin, Mike Yaw Second place: TD Industries: David Smith, James Shaw, Kyle Kramer Last place: Rogers-O’Brien: Elvin Randell, Suzanne McMahan, Sandy Tingley, Vanessa Kimball Iris Hu shows off the beautiful selection at Best Stone LLC in Austin. –cw

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Austin Construction News turns 15

15 years later

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he Austin edition of Construction News started in June 2001. That makes 15 years of covering Austin’s construction industry – through the downturn around 2008, through the tragic events of September 2001, and right up to 2016, as we watch the industry grow and flourish in ways we could not imagine. Here are just a few highlights and revisits with some of the companies we featured in those first issues.

L-R: Sandra Archer, Keith Laferriere, Torrey Kyle, Beth Selbe Lasita and Larry Stephenson are part of eight employees at Pinnacle Construction.

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innacle Construction was the second general contracting company we featured in the Austin edition of Construction News – way back in July 2001. The company had just completed a Chuy’s Restaurant, the one located on IH35 North, which is still going strong.

We checked in with Pinnacle owner and founder Beth Selbe Lasita to see what is new with the company she started in 1989.

“The company is not much bigger than when I started it,” Lasita says. “At one point we had 10 superintendents and two project managers. Shortly after that, the economy had a downturn and I had to lay people off. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I made a conscious decision to stay a smaller, custom builder. Since then, I haven’t had to go through that cycle again.”

The company now has eight employees and handles mostly restaurants and many retail projects.

“Restaurants can be stressful,” Lasita says. “They have a deadline of when they will have their grand opening, so everything has to stay on schedule. You also have potential employees coming in for interviews. Some of the guys that work for me had hair when they started – they don’t anymore!”

Lasita has been in the construction industry since 1981. She began working as a buyer for a homebuilder in McAllen.

Within months, she advanced into project management and relocated to San Antonio where she worked as a PM assistant in the industrial warehouse shell construction. After visiting friends in Austin, Lasita knew this was to become her home. In 1984, she joined an Austin company specializing in restaurant construction. For the first three years she was the manager of estimating and suc-

cessfully obtained company contracts ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000 locally and throughout the United States. Advancing within the company, she began project management, overseeing their construction finish-out division; it was here she got the idea to start her own business.

In 1989, she organized Pinnacle Construction and later incorporated as Pinnacle Construction of Austin Inc. Today Beth and Pinnacle Construction of Austin are well recognized for their work in the entertainment building industry completing over 250 restaurant and entertainment projects. She attributes that success to teamwork and repeat business.

“We have so many repeat clients and relationships here in Austin with owners and architects, etc.,” she says. “There is a lot of pride and accomplishment in what we do. We are such a team oriented company. There is a lot of accountability and a lot of gratification.”

In her personal life, Lasita, married to Tony Lasita, has a teenage daughter and has expanded into a new career as a restaurateur. Ten years ago, she and her partners opened the first The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen. They are about to start building their fourth one.

“It’s kind of funny because people thought my owning a restaurant would hurt the construction side, but for clients it actually helps. They know I understand both sides,” she says.

Lasita was 26 years old when she started Pinnacle and says Austin was the right place.

“A 26-year-old female starting a business in a man’s world couldn’t happen in too many cities,” she says. “Austin is a great place because it is accepting of everyone.” –cw

June 2001 – When the very first issue of Austin Construction News hit the stands and mailboxes, there was not even an office yet, although one opened by the middle of the month. Now, the Austin paper is managed by editor Cyndi Wright and you can submit your stories and photos to her at Cyndi@constructionnews.net.

July 2001: Pinnacle Construction built the Chuy’s Restaurant at 2320 N IH-35 and became our second front page general contractor to be featured. Read the story to the left to see what’s changed for Pinnacle in 15 years.

August 2001 – Alpha Painting won second place in an AGC sponsored fishing tournament, even though president Bonnie Sells doesn’t quite remember that exact tournament. See what is going on with Alpha Painting since we mentioned them in 2001 in the upcoming November 2016 issue.

Sep. 2001 – Although we’ve covered general contractor Austin Commercial through the years, the difference between the first paragraph of their front page project story in our fourth issue in 2001, and how Austin is now, is worth a mention. The story started out: It’s been many years since a new high-rise build-

ing has appeared in downtown Austin, so the elegant and impressive 23-story construction at 300 West 6th is attracting much attention.

Wow, what a difference in Austin’s downtown landscape 15 years makes!

Oct. 2001 – Our very first Spotlight feature appeared in the fifth issue of the new paper and we interviewed Jack Wheeler, who started Wheeler Coatings in 1982 as a one-man operation. The company is now called Wheeler Coatings Asphalt and is owned by Oldcastle Materials.

Nov. 2001 – For our sixth issue, we covered an American Constructors project, the Performing Arts Center at Cedar Park High School. American Constructors celebrated 30 years in business in 2013.

Dec. 2011 – As we have consistently done throughout the years in all of our papers, Construction News has been the place to find news from the various construction associations that operate in Texas. In the seventh paper of 2001, we featured the winners of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Construction awards. Many of those construction companies still make the Austin paper in one way or another on a regular basis. Congrats!

Don’t forget that Construction News is now digital and on social media. To start a digital subscription, which is free and open to anyone, visit ConstructionNews. net, click “Subscribe,” and complete the online subscription form.

Like us on Facebook, www.facebook. com/ConstructionNewsLtd; follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/cnewsltd; and connect with us on LinkedIn. –cw

What will you do when you retire?

To answer your question, I think my wife and I just plan to keep on doing what we are doing once we retire! Take advantage of being able to travel to see friends and family, more than likely spending time with what will be grandkids one day! At the rate we are going, we just hope we get the chance to call it quits once we hit 65!!

Jason Smith, ICON Plumbing, Heating & Air Ltd. I plan on retiring to a beach somewhere, living simple and relaxing! I would also like to do volunteer work with children or the elderly.

Tina Reeves, The Reynolds Company The question is difficult for me since I'm only 27 and feel like I'm just starting so thinking about the end is a bit weird. I’ll give it a shot though! I am an avid golfer and have not been able to travel much in my life. I would love to travel the world to truly see how different the world is as opposed to portrayed and get a real taste of different cultures. A bit of a pun intended.

I feel like during the process I would definitely grow as an individual and find a new passion or at least a new focus for existing ones. All while hitting the links in places I've never been of course!

Chris Kelley, Bilt Rite Scaffold/Bilt Rite Insulation

Dig in the dirt and watch chickens! I would like to live on about 50 acres of land where I can showcase our great Texas grassland prairie and also grow my own food. I can expand from just four backyard chickens to a larger flock that provides eggs for my local community non-profits.

Christina Moon, Halff & Associates I plan to volunteer at area schools to promote STEM education. I also hope to actively participate in a program like Habitat for Humanity.

Mike Moya, Halff & Associates

My perfect retirement would be a home in the Texas Hill Country during the winter and a home in the mountains in Colorado in the summer. Both with river front, of course! Might as well dream big!

Cyndi Wright, Austin Construction News I plan to be guiding Austin Canyon Corporation for years to come, however, as I start to anticipate my next life chapter, I look forward to many more adventures with my lovely wife, Sue.

I want to travel – EVERYWHERE! Sandra Jonson, Edge Electric Traveling a few times a year, but I would love to retire on LBJ Lake and hope to have grandkids surrounding me!

Kayvon Leath, National Association of the Remodeling Industry

(The photo is of Mike and Sue on a trip to France - they are in Paris, atop the Eiffel Tower.)

Mike Nazar, Austin Canyon Corporation

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 9

Fall fishing forecast

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.

L

abor Day typically ends the summer for vacationers and out-of-town anglers and kicks off the start of hunting season. This relieves a lot of the fishing and boat pressure in our Coastal Bend waters. Busy guides start seeing a definite decrease in weekday charters as most anglers concentrate on weekend bay fishing. But don’t let all of those signs keep you off the water and away from some of the best fishing of the season.

I’m talking REDS! BULL REDS!

September and October are some of the best fishing months of the year here on the Laguna Madre. The first fronts of fall start blowing in triggering a migration that is about to begin. Scattered redfish will school-up and most will begin a journey to the gulf. They will be feeding vigorously along the flats and shorelines, fatting up and preparing for a winter. We will be ready for some of the best line-stripping, rod bending action of the year.

Catching redfish can sometimes be very challenging due to their very picky

Fall fishing brings more variety to the ice chest. This flounder came in at 4-1/2 pounds and 22 inches long caught with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

eating habits. I’ve seen reds follow a gold spoon for yards only to turn and swim away at the last minute. There are several different strategies when fishing for reds.

Wading the shallow flats around shell reefs and grass beds is one of the most enjoying techniques and also my favorite.

These areas can also be worked with a shallow draft boat rigged with a good trolling motor or a push pole.

When wading for reds I like using a 1/8 oz. Johnson Gold Weedless Spoon at-

tached with a 20# shock leader and a swivel. This spoon is small enough to work slow in shallow water and won’t spook the fish like some of the bigger baits will. If the wind is up and stalking quietly isn’t a factor try using a topwater plug like a Top Dog Jr. or a Super Spook.

These baits will more than likely trigger some larger redfish as they imitate a mullet in distress. When working topwater lures for reds, remember to work them slow and don’t jerk to soon when you get

a blow-up. Redfish mouths are on the bottom of their heads and they must turn sideways or attack from the top to inhale the surface bait.

Live bait is another effective technique for producing big boxes of redfish.

Local marinas have gone to great lengths to catch and keep bait alive for guides and sport fishermen. Croakers and Piggy Perch are the main live baits during this time of the year. Shrimp will be making their way back into the bay system as the waters get cooler.

When fishing from a boat with live bait, key on grass lines and drop-offs early in the morning. Use your trolling motor or push pole to position your boat around these areas so you don’t spook any fish in the general area. Cast live croakers or grunting piggy perch to the grass line and wait patiently. Keep an eye out in the distance for sudden wakes and frenzy bait in the water. Occasionally a school of redfish will appear and you better be ready to give chase. When ever possible use your trolling motor to pursue these schools of reds, for they can be very skittish and evasive. Just last week, as we were anchored on the King Ranch shoreline, a herd of redfish appeared swimming towards the boat. As I was preparing my clients for the excitement, my 7-foot FTU Green Rod doubled over in the rod holder. I instructed them to cast to the school as I reached for my rod and reel that by now had a screaming drag. POW! It was gone. In all of the excitement we had three hook-ups and landed two redfish. As the gold flash disappeared into the deeper water, all we could do was watch. The school of reds must have been several hundred large and all seemed to be oversize. We retied and the chase was on again.

Fall fishing dates are still available.

Don’t wait till 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.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • Oct 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

Eyes in the Sky

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ave you spent any time playing with the amazing satellite images you have at your fingertips these days? I don’t just mean checking out how many swimming pools are behind the privacy fences in your neighborhood either. This technology is a sportsman’s dream. The best part is that you can zoom in to get quite a bit of detail. In one of the images of my place I can even make out how many of our black barn cats were lounging in the parking lot!

Got a new deer lease this season?

Load up the satellite images for those pastures. Zoom in close and you can see the features of the land and the locations of water that your game will be coming to. Look closer and you can see the way the contours of the land form natural funnels that the game travel through and even the very trails they use. Now you know where you want your feeders and your deer stands to be located. Couple this with some good game cameras and you get a head start on really making the most of your lease. It used to take years of hunting to get this kind of familiarity with a place, and now you can do it with an evening at your computer.

Satellite imagery is even more of an advantage for fishermen. You know how I was encouraging everybody to get out and visit the lakes that were being dried up by the drought? While that was an excellent opportunity to get a look at some of our favorite fishing spots, satellite images can take you a step further. Plink around on the images of your favorite lake, or the one you plan to visit next, until you find the link that lets you also see the historic images for that area. I know that on Lake Buchanan they have several sets of images that go back for years.

Some of the images show the lake full,

others half empty and one even shows that lake during a flood. Older images might not have quite as good resolution as newer ones, but studying them can give you great information on how the river channel travels through a body of water, what places keep water and where islands will come up. This and just the general picture of how a body of water is laid out should give you some good places to start fishing, even if you are visiting a lake for the first time.

There are two other very important sources of free information that every sportsman should have preferably on his phone, (no, don’t leave it at home…mute it, but have it in case you need it). Now days there is no reason for you to ever go out on the water without a last minute check of weather forecast and a look at current radar. You just don’t have any excuse for putting yourself in harm’s way anymore, yet we see people do it all the time because they just don’t bother to check the weather first. The last important tool to have and learn to use are the maps and gps on your phone. Even if you are lost your phone probably can show you exactly where you are and how to get back to the boat ramp or deer camp.

Check it out and get on out there now and make the most of our great Texas outdoors this fall!

Full moon fishing

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

Missed the boat!

Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Submitted to Construction News

Destin-ation wedding bells

Chris Kelley, president/CEO of Bilt Rite Scaffold/Bilt Rite Insulation, popped the question to girlfriend Katie Hodges while the couple was on vacation in Destin, FL. She said yes, and happily shows off her new bling. –cw

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 11

Submitted to Construction News

Fasten your seat belt

On Sept. 13, the Reynolds Company Austin location hosted a Reynolds Company Counter Day to feed attendees breakfast tacos, display and train on Orion products and let people get up close and personal with the Change Racing Lamborghini that raced at Circuit of the America’s during the weekend of Sept.

17. Pictured, L-R: David Deschaine, Patrick Bush and Andrew Gonzales of Alterman Electric’s Austin team. –cw Submitted to Construction News

Opening fun

Paul Marriott, Resfloor Concrete Solutions, was out bright and early on opening morning of dove season at his new lease in Manor and brought home dinner. Paul says it was all accomplished in a white T-shirt: Who needs camo? –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Rocking it

H+sp Architecture sent a team to participate in the Fit Company Challenge Sep. 10 at Zilker Park. The Fit Company Challenge promotes fitness and health in the business community by honoring and challenging those companies and leaders that lead by example, and inspiring others to follow. –cw

Have an Outdoor Story or Photo?

Send to: AustinEditor@ ConstructionNews.net or call Cyndi at 210-308-5800

Page 12

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Dove-licious

Catching some cool

Leah Baxter, business development director, and Patrick Flynn, president/CEO, of Flynn Construction spent some of the hot summer in the coolness of Alaska, fishing on the Kenai River. While on their trip, they caught sockeye, pink and silver salmon. Leah’s silver salmon was the first one of the season with the Kenai Cache Outfitters. “Our guide was really excited!” she says. –cw

Jason Smith, ICON Plumbing, Heating & Air Ltd., took full advantage of the opening of dove season. Pictured above, the take from a some of the hunters in Smith’s group, and right, the finished product ready to hit the grill. –cw

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 13

Work and play

It was golden

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he Texas Masonry Council hosted its annual convention Aug. 3-5 in Austin. Besides playing golf, betting big on a casino night, holding a workforce development fundraiser and a live auction, the organization handed out its 2016 Golden Trowel Awards to honor its best and brightest. –cw

O

n Sept. 17, a team from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Construction Leadership Council donned their “work” gear and got to work – mixing a float down the San Marcos River with a trash pickup. Above: It wasn’t all hard work!

Below: The team managed to get plenty of bags of trash to leave the river sparkling clean. –cw

C.W. Oates Masonry Inc., Austin, for The Catherine. Architect was Rhode Partners.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Is it work or fun?

Putting their best to the test To get the job done, you use what you’ve got – and sometimes that makes it all the more fun. Rick Vavro, owner of Austin Underground, was “forced” to put his 1953 Chriscraft on the water as part of the company’s project of doing a 2,000-ft bore under Lady Bird Lake in Austin. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

New home

The Plumbing Apprentice Contest brought students to San Antonio to compete for the opportunity to represent PHCC Texas on a national level.

T

Travis Roofing Company in Austin moved to its new home over Labor Day weekend at 5010 Burleson Rd. GAF came out and provided the barbecuing for the crew. –cw

he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Texas Apprentice Contest Aug. 12 brought students from chapters across the state to St. Philip’s College. They competed for the chance to represent PHCC Texas at the PHCC National Apprenticeship Contest Oct. 20 at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio.

Valentin Bedolla, R.E.C. Industries, San Antonio, won first place, while Abram Hoffman, Raven Mechanical, Houston, took second. Their competition included Jacob Alborn, Bolin Plumbing;

John Crawson, Central Texas Plumbing Solutions; Alejandro Soto, Beyer Plumbing; and Frankie Valdez, Coppera.

Apprentices third year and higher had to prove themselves in several competencies, specifically plumbing code, tools and equipment, and systems roughin for drainage systems and water systems. Students took a written test and enjoyed dinner the day before, as well as lunch and an awards presentation on the day of the contest. –mh

Page 14

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Exceptional architecture

Installations and awards

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he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Austin Chapter met Sep. 7 at McCormick & Schmidt’s in the Domain to install its 2016-17 officers, as well as hand out some well-deserved awards. –cw

NAWIC’s 2016-27 Board, top row, L-R: Jamie Leonard, San Marcos Air, secretary; Misty Shafer, Compliance Recources Inc., director; Kimberley McDaniel, Dynamic Reprographics, director; Nikki Guinn, Biggs Plumbing, director; Amy Maresca, Edge Electric, director; Taryn Ritchie, Ryan Companies, director; bottom row, L-R: Sandra Johnson, Edge Electric, treasurer; Chaundra Callaway, Equipment Depot, immediate past president; Toni Osberry, AGC, president; and Aimee Busby, Waste Management, vice president.

L-R: Toni Osberry, Lucy Roberts of Austin Lumber and Chaundra Callaway as Toni and Chaundra present an inscribed watch as a token of appreciation to Lucy for 30 years of commitment to NAWIC.

T

he Texas Society of Architects (TSA) recently announced the recipients of the 2016 Honor Awards. This program recognizes exceptional members, firms, individuals, and organizations for outstanding achievements in support of the profession of architecture, the built environment, and quality of life in Texas. Honorees will be recognized at the 77th Annual Convention and Design Expo, Nov. 3–5 in San Antonio. –cw Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts FAIA, Sinclair Black, FAIA, Austin Professor Sinclair Black’s career in professional practice and architectural education demonstrates a lifetime of courageous accomplishment in urban planning and the built environment. He is the educator of generations of architects and planners and has produced publications, learned articles, and lectures in support of AIA and the profession. His career has included significant advancement of standards for urban public spaces and innovative master planning. Black has been a visionary in advocating for the importance of natural environments within Austin’s urban core, and in the revitalization of the city’s downtown streetscapes. His work supports the Texan cultural heritage, and his contributions have left the state richer in its urban fabric.

L-R: Toni Osberry, Molly Drazic, Efficient Air Conditioning & Electric, Chaundra Callaway. Toni and Chaundra present Molly with the WIC of The Year Award as a token of appreciation for outstanding service and dedication to the Austin chapter.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Library tales

Jennifer Naughton is holding down the fort at the DPR Construction project site for the Texas State Library Repository in San Marcos. –cw

Architecture Firm Award Miró Rivera Architects, Austin

Miró Rivera Architects has established an international reputation for excellence in architectural design and leadership in its professional practice. The firm’s principals and staff have made significant contributions to architectural and planning higher education. They also encourage connections between AIA and academia, and generously serve as jurors for component and school of architecture design competitions.

Miró Rivera’s design work has advanced the quality of the built environment and raised the bar for AIA and the professional practice.

Associate Member of the Year R. Wilson Hanks, Assoc. AIA, Austin Wilson Hanks is a visionary leader who is sharing her time, talent, and passion to help transform her community through leadership in AIA Austin and TxA. She has energized and expanded the AIA Austin Emerging Professionals Committee, connected the committee to the larger design community through work with local craftspeople and suppliers, and helped shape future TxA conventions, all while starting her own firm. She is an exceptional associate member.

25-Year Award Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Austin

The LBJ Presidential Library, located on the east campus of The University of Texas at Austin, is an icon of modern architecture designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Completed in 1971, the LBJ Library embodies and expresses what a presidential library should be on both a functional and symbolic level. Bunshaft’s strikingly simple yet innovative approach to the library’s design created a monument to Johnson, his legacy, and the era of architecture during which it was built.

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 15

Specialty Contractors ASA focuses priorities on issues that directly impact construction subcontractors Marc Ramsey, Director of Communications American Subcontractors Association Alexandria, Va.

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undreds of associations represent companies and individuals in the construction industry. The American Subcontractors Association carefully focuses its priorities in order not to waste its members’ resources and to avoid redundancies. Thus, ASA’s highest priorities are issues that have a direct impact on construction subcontractors and that are unlikely to be addressed by other major construction associations to the benefit of subcontractors—including, for example, payment timing, retainage, contingent payment, mechanic’s lien and payment bond rights, risk allocation, and safety and health regulations with a direct impact on specialty trade contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers.

ASA’s secondary issues are those that impact the construction industry gener-

ally, that is, issues on which other construction industries are working but on which ASA’s involvement may make a difference. These secondary issues may include broader safety and health issues, employment issues, and tax issues.

ASA’s tertiary issues are those that impact businesses, such as ASA members, generally. These issues may include, for example, broader tax and employment issues that may have a unique impact on construction subcontractors.

“I firmly believe that there would have been little, if any, action on subcontractor issues, particularly payment issues, during the last 50 years if not for ASA’s leadership through education and advocacy,” said ASA Chief Advocacy Officer E. Colette Nelson. “Indeed, even on those few occasions when ASA has not

Low voltage, high demands Thomas Schluter, President Beckwith Electronic Engineering Co. San Antonio, TX

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hen it comes to commercial life safety, security and communication systems, Thomas Schluter, president of Beckwith Electronic Engineering for the last 25 years, has to keep apprised of the changes sweeping through his industry as well as the latest shifts in the local market affecting his business.

What are the latest trends in your industry?

1) Increase in the construction of standalone emergency centers, clinics and office buildings. Beckwith has been able to provide customers with a packaged low-voltage solution, which includes: nurse call, fire alarm, access control, CCTV, security and public address systems.

2) Increase in the amount of business we do with out-of-town contractors coming into San Antonio and Austin due to their markets/areas being slow or be-

cause the companies they do business with are opening or moving to our area.

Beckwith has been able to grow its customer base by doing business with these new clients.

3) Local healthcare facilities are being acquired by national healthcare organizations and the decision-making is being transferred to their headquarters not located in San Antonio or Austin.

4) Employee healthcare costs are increasing at a higher rate than before.

Beckwith pays for 90 percent of its employees’ healthcare premiums; this has increased our cost of doing business.

What are some of the recent increases or decreases in business and the driving factors behind them?

[As previously noted] Increase in the construction of standalone emergency centers, clinics and office buildings. New corporations are moving to our city due

been directly involved in a state’s legislative or regulatory action on subcontractor payment, the individuals who led those advocacy efforts leaned heavily on ASA’s model legislation and supporting materials.”

During the last few years, and for the immediate future, ASA’s principal subcontractor-focused issues include: • Assuring that subcontractors have payment assurances on projects financed through public-private partnerships at both the federal and state levels. In most cases, without separate statutory authority, construction subcontractors on projects financed through P3s do not have the payment protections provided by mechanic’s liens or payment bonds on P3s. ASA supports extending the tenets of the federal Miller Act and state Little Miller Acts (i.e., requiring the prime construction contractor to provide a payment bond) to P3s. During the last six years, most states that have enacted legislation authorizing the use of P3s have included such a bonding requirement.

• Requiring federal and state government contracting entities to process and pay change orders in a timely manner. ASA members report that con-

struction owners, in both the public and private sectors, increasingly delay processing change orders until the end of a project. This not only requires both prime contractors and subcontractors to finance this part of the project, but effectively shifts all negotiating leverage to the owner—since the prime contractor and subcontractors already have completed the work for which they have not been paid.

• Encourage federal and state governments to improve the transparency of their payment practices. This includes making the prime contractor’s payment bond more readily available to subcontractors and suppliers (e.g., by posting it on a Web site), making available information on payment to prime contractors (e.g. the City of San Antonio posts a list of payments to its prime contractors on its Web site), and by providing a report on the status of each change order on a project.

ASA continues to work on its traditional issues, including payment (e.g., payment timing, retainage, mechanic’s lien and payment bond rights, contingent payment, etc.) and risk allocation (e.g., indemnity, additional insured, etc.).

–cw

to a booming economy, lower cost of living expenses and available workforce.

our industry increasing competition. We have been able to weather the storm by providing great customer service with dedicated customer service representatives that follow up with our end users on a regular basis.

2) Having the right information at the right time allows us to make decisions in a timely manner. This required us to change out our old accounting, estimating and time management system.

What are the current “hot button” issues affecting the industry relating to your specialty?

1) Job safety is becoming a hot button in our industry. Beckwith’s project managers and lead technicians are all OSHA certified.

2) Cross training across multiple disciplines. Beckwith cross-trains their technicians to install and program different systems, allowing us to be more cost effective.

3) Design built projects. Beckwith has professional engineers, designers and industry experts on staff who can perform the design, sales, installation, commissioning and certification of lowvoltage and life safety systems saving the end user and general contractor money.

What are some of the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to your specialty?

Local healthcare facilities being acquired by national healthcare organizations and the decision making being transferred to their headquarters not located in San Antonio or Austin.

What are the most significant challenges in recent years in the type of work you do, and how you are handling them?

1) New manufacturers have entered

What are the keys to being successful in your specialty?

1) Our people are the most important and valued part of our company.

They are the main reason why Beckwith has been and will continue to be successful.

2) Our manufacturers are also a big part of our success. Their products keep up with our customers’ needs and requirements.

Established by Jack Beckwith and George Ridder in 1962, Beckwith Electronic Engineering is a distributor, contractor and consultant that designs, sells, installs and services commercial communication systems. Thomas Schluter bought the company from its founders in 1991, having earned his professional engineer license while working under Beckwith. –mh

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Architecture & Engineering 2016 Schedule

Jan: Construction Forecast Feb: Construction Safety Mar: Construction Education

San Antonio • Austin Dallas / Fort Worth Houston

Apr: Women in Construction May: Concrete Industry Jun: HVAC & Plumbing

Call for Ad Space (210) 308-5800 Reservations

July: Electrical Industry Aug: Service Providers Sep: Green Building

Oct: Specialty Contractors Nov: Architecture & Engineering Dec: Construction Equipment

Page 16

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Specialty Contractors Building relationships is key Jonathan Strellow, Project Estimator for Roofing and Sheet Metal Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Houston, TX

In your opinion, what is the current state of the local construction industry?

I think the market in Houston is really good due to the severe change in weather.

The weather has driven business in an upward manner since we have extreme temperatures and humidity as well as wind and severe storms.

There are has been weird weather this year. I think this will probably happen for seasons to come because the state of the core of the earth and the atmosphere.

I think our weather systems and storms are going to keep getting more severe.

We have seen this over the last couple of years. There is more frequency in tropical storms too.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces?

The challenge right now is trying work around the rain and wind. This has put a lot of jobs off schedule.

There is a higher demand for the subcontracting roofer out there right now. It is getting harder to pinch the penny these days.

What is your advice for a high school graduate who wants to do what you do today?

I would say it helps if you have a knack for logic and numbers and have some type of general construction background.

It would be a good idea to spend a year in the field and then come in and do the work on the desk using software programs.

That way you have knowledge about what to look for when you go out and assess a roof.

How has your industry advanced over the years?

There is a high demand for TPO roofing systems. People are using this system for reflective purposes and energy savings.

What are the keys to success in your industry?

I think the first thing is to realize your job is in the field and at the desk but it really starts and ends with the customer.

You have to build a line of communication to let the customer know you are here to help him or her.

They need to know you can get the answer to them or have someone else help them out.

Building relationships and friendships is so important in the construction industry.

Why is your job rewarding?

I really enjoy helping people solve problems. At the end of the day, that makes me feel good about what I am doing.

I do this every day, whether it is helping someone with his or her roof or help-

ing him or her figure out how they are going to put a long lasting, safe roof on a building.

What is on the horizon for your industry?

I think Houston is still growing, which is unreal because it is the fourth largest city in the United States.

It is amazing how many apartments, gas stations and grocery stores are in Houston. I have never seen so many restaurants in a city in my life.

There are still areas in the city limits that are being pushed out more and more every year.

When you look at what Houston encompasses as far as square miles, it is amazing to find there is still room to grow.

I think in the next five years Houston is going to continue to grow. More businesses are going to move here.

Even though there have been severe climate changes lately, overall Houston is great place to build a warehouse or corporate office. Houston has so much to offer.

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing provides commercial roofing, waterproofing, commercial building restoration, parking garage renovation and roof leak repair services. –ab

Outlook “conservative but positive” Lisa B. Brown, Co-Owner/CFO Michael E. Brown & Associates LLC (MEB&A) Dallas, Tx.

H

ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms?

Overall, everyone we speak with, from glazing contractors, consultants and architects, etc., the feeling is a conservative, but positive, outlook going forward. More monies are being released for government projects, as well as hospitals and schools, which is always a good sign of continued growth. We’ve also seen a significant increase in multiuse buildings, not only in the local DFW area but throughout the country. These buildings are also being built with LEED in mind, which is good for everyone.

Have you experienced an increase in business?

MEB&A has seen a steady increase in all of our divisions over the past 12 months. We offer shop drawings, take off, consulting, design, application engineering and technical services for the glazed wall industry. We’ve also incorpo-

rated “project assistance” as a tool to help our customers with phone calls to architects and general contractors, to reviewing specifications and product recommendations.

What factors are driving this increase?

We like to think that our growth is due to our quality of work, good customer service, communication and overall experience with more than 35 years. We also recognize that there has been an uptick in the construction industry over the past two or more years in all areas.

How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct business?

The increase in business has affected lead times slightly for shop drawings, application engineering, etc. We also have found it a bit challenging to find/hire experienced personnel, but in the last few months we’ve been able to fill our needs with qualified drafters and additional

staff. This makes an immediate impact with scheduling and lead times. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and the continued growth as this fiscal year comes to an end.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces?

As with most industries, it’s finding good personnel to fill positions. The construction industry seems to have been hit hard in this area over the past few years.

The need for more vocational and technical schools, as well as internships, needs to be addressed.

We need to get people involved in what can be a very satisfying career, with many different areas of interests. The construction industry offers working in the field (concrete, framing, installation of product/glass) to creating shop drawings, estimating, take off and engineering careers. It really does have a lot to offer, we just need to do a better job of getting the word out. We also believe that apprenticeships should be considered in all areas of business. Offering a high school student the opportunity to see what interests him or her might help everyone out in the long run.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Cost increases for services MEB&A

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

provides would be more in software updates, upgrades, etc. We try to stay current with newer versions of AutoCAD, Revit, Wind Load analysis, GoTo Meeting, Blue Beam, etc. We also look at our hardware (computers, printers, etc.) about every six to 12 months that may need to be upgraded as well. We have found that keeping up with the newer products has made us a more productive and competitive company. We want to be prepared and offer seamless communication and transfer of documents for both incoming and outgoing information.

How are you dealing with these challenges?

Well, we try to anticipate costs on an annual basis. We plan ahead with a budget allowance for renewals and upgrades for any software. The hardware really can depend on when we hear or see something that would help improve our daily workflow, communication with our personnel and, of course, with our customers.

Michael E. Brown & Associates LLC provides consulting, shop drawings, design, fab drawings and application engineering.

The company has experience in designing glazed wall systems and curtain wall consulting. –mjm

Texas Style

   

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 17

continued from Page 1 — The family trees

continued from Page 1 — Mixing work and fun choose a charity and we donate all recycling that month to the selected charity.”

In January 2017, the company will be hosting their annual fundraiser with the Susan G. Komen Foundation as beneficiary.

When dissecting the company name, MW3A represents the three companies Whittaker owns – construction, painting and glass modular walls.

But having fun while working is a motto for this company.

“Every year, we completely redo our office,” Mellow says. “Knock down walls, add on, reshape and renew. Then we host a party for all our clients, tenants, property managers, building engineers, and people who are supportive of the current fundraiser.

“We are also a pet-friendly company.

We have two office cats that the office was originally designed around and three dogs that wear the company logo shirts to work each day.

“Spend a day with us!” Mellow says.

“I swear, we would have a highly rated sit-

com if they spent time following us with cameras.” –cw

Round-Up Bay & Associates Inc. recently announced the promotion of Mike Fulk and Dan Reasner to Professional Engineer.

Both passed the spring 2016 Texas Board of Professional Engineers electrical engineer exam on the first try — an accomplishment managed by only 60 percent of those who sit for it. Fulk has been with Bay since 2012 and Reasner joined the Bay team in 2014.

Submissions

prune trees and we remove trees. We help with tree preservation and working with builders and municipalities to make sure everyone is in compliance with local rules.”

Every year, the company has a skeet shoot for its commercial customers and vendors. This year was even more of a shindig with the anniversary.

“Every year, it gets bigger and better,” Lee said. “This year we had a live band, Aaron Einhouse, plus we went outside the norm and contracted dinner out to a BBQ competition winner. It turned out to be fantastic – everybody had a great time.”

Lee said there were 60+ shooters at the event, held Sept. 9, and 90+ people attending the dinner and concert. They raised a little over $700 at the skeet shoot for the 100 Club of Central Texas Survivor Fund.

The couple has three children, Lilly, 4, Michael, 11, and Ellie, 14. –cw

Round-Up

Texas,” Lee says.

In the last four years, they have expanded their tree care services to include expert witness testimony and tree appraisals.

In the last ten years, Certified Arbor Care has grown from one ISA Certified Arborist and one pruning crew to four ISA Certified Arborists, one Registered Consulting Arborist, five pruning crews, a field technician, a field supervisor and an office manager.

Certified Arbor Care does about 70 percent commercial work and 30 percent residential. One of their major commercial customers is Austin Community College, where they maintain all of their campuses. They also just finished a big project at the State Capitol.

“Everything we do is tree maintenance or tree mitigation,” Lee says. “What I always tell people is we deal with everything with trees except planting and transplanting. We treat sick trees, we

Fulk

Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping (BBCP) welcomes Jason Benson as the new Austin branch manager.

Benson is a seasoned veteran in the industry and has been with Brundage-Bone since 2007. Jason brings a new level of management style to Austin due to his history of working up in the ranks and taking on nearly every task available in concrete pumping.

Reasner

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).

Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net

Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Church perch

Everybody is on the team at MW3A - even the shop dogs who wear their logo shirts to work!

continued from Page 1 — Stars in the sports world

SpawGlass project superintendent Adam Shipley and Parker Blaschke keep an eye on the progress of Phase 2 of Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin. –cw

The stadium, owned by AISD, is used by different schools and even professional teams for a variety of sports.

Gutierrez. The company provides preconstruction and pre-design, along with topographical and geographical studies in order to understand the project from below the ground up.

“We have in-house designers that designed the field,” he says. “We provide custom end zones and custom logos. The client selects the turf color and the color of the markings.”

Once the project started, Hellas supplied and installed the turf and infill.

The client also received an after-fill kit so they can quickly repair any problems.

“We also provide regular maintenance on the field,” Gutierrez said.

“For all of our sports surfaces, we have a specific maintenance plan. It’s very important for Austin ISD, as well as the city of Austin, because a lot of sports are played there. It is utilized year round.”

The almost $400,000 project took only two weeks for a complete turnaround and Gutierrez says that is normal.

“Our quickest project in 2016 was a 20-day installation,” he said.

Hellas has hundreds of clients in Texas and also in almost every state, including Alaska. There are 19 office locations nationwide and the company is based in Austin.

Hellas Construction is a sports general contractor established with 64 employees in 2003 by Reed J. Seaton and Bob Alllison. The company now boasts 813 employees, with construction crews making up the largest part.

“At any given time, we have up to 62 projects going on nationwide,” Gutierrez said. –cw

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Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Submitted to Construction News

Green council

Helping hands

T

he Associated General Contractors (AGC) Austin Chapter had its 2016 Sporting Clay Tournament benefitting the Construction Leadership Council on Sep. 8 at Capital City Trap & Skeet Club. Congrats to the winners! –cw Right: Winning team was Hensel Phelps

Left: Top shooter was Blake Green with SpawGlass, pictured with JD Holzheauser, CLC Austin co-chair.

Green won an axis deer hunt.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Green grass needed

National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Austin Chapter members spent a Saturday pitching in to help build a Habitat for Humanity home. Pictured, top row: Stephanie Hayes, Andrews Myers; Cindy Richter, Vanguard Fire; Chaundra Callaway, Equipment Depot; Lindsay Woods, Harvey Cleary; Aimee Busby, Waste Management; Jamie Leonard, San Marcos Air; Kimberley McDaniel, Dynamic Reprographics; bottom row: Nikki Guinn, Biggs Plumbing; Tracy Skrasek, Contractors Access Equipment; Toni Osberry, AGC. –cw

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AGC

PHCC

Associated General Contractors

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Oct. 6: Fish Fry at Texas Disposal Systems wildlife ranch. Call Toni Osberry at 512442-7887 for more info.

Oct. 19-21, 2016: CONNECT 2016 (includes Oct. 20 Product & Technology Showcase), San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, For more info: www.phccweb. org/connect, connect2016@naphcc.org or 800-533-7694

AIA American Institute of Architects

Meligaul and Efrain with Tri-County Sprinklers are installing a sprinkler system at a MedPost Urgent Care project in San Marcos. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Smoothing the way

Oct. 15-16: 30th annual homes tour. For more information, contact Erika at 512452-4332 Oct. 18: Luncheon speaker series from 11:30am-1pm at The Highball, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd with Dominique Davison, AIA NCARB LEED AP BD+C, principal of DRAW, and creator of PlanIT Impact. Additionally, the 2016 meeting and election of board of directors will be held for 2017.

Oct. 12-14: 41st annual conference and trade show, Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center, Grapevine, TX. Complete details and registration links can be found here: http://roofingcontractorstexas.com/tradeshow

TACCA

CTMCA

Tx Air Conditioning Contractors Assn

Central TX Masonry Contractors Assn

Oct. 15: HVAC – Getting it Right, 8am5pm at Wingate by Wyndham. Eight hours of TDLR-approved education.

Oct. 27: TACCA hosts Air Conditioning Live (ACL) at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin. ACL 2016 will include Educational Breakouts (counts toward TDLR ACR Continuing Education), Legislative reception that includes a silent auction, networking and the chance to meet vendors who specialize in HVAC contracting equipment and services.

Oct. 27: Clay shoot, Capital City Trap & Skeet Club, 8407 Lindell Ln., Austin. Arrival time, 2:30pm, shooting 3-5pm, dinner and awards, 5-7pm. Registration deadline: Oct. 21, after Oct. 21, add $5 per person. Shotgun raffle. Contact Josh Abel at 512-312-6657 for info and to register.

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

Oct. 25-29: IEC CON at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio. President’s Reception and Award Gala at 6:30pm on Oct. 29.

NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Oct. 19: Fall Social Jaime and Palin with Texerra Design & Construction are busy finishing out at a new Schlotzsky’s Café & Bakery at Tanger Outlet Mall in San Marcos. –cw

RCAT Roofing Contractors of Texas

NAWIC

TACCA - Greater Austin Tx Air Conditioning Contractors Assn

Oct. 4: Membership meeting, 5:30-8pm, Saltgrass Steakhouse, 10614 Research Blvd.

Oct. 6: Annual golf scramble, Star Ranch Golf Course in Hutto, registration begins at 7am.

TSPS

Construction News ON LOCATION

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Texas Society of Professional Surveyors

Friday smiles

Oct. 5: Chapter meeting, Big Daddy’s Burgers & Bar, 9070 Research Blvd #101, 5:30-7pm. Topic: NAWIC 101, a team building exercise (noodles are involved!) and presentation of chapter committees.

Oct. 12-15: 65th annual convention and tech expo, San Marcos. For more information, contact DJ Kyle at 512-327-7871.

Nov. 11: Abilene Seminar on the NEW 2016 ALTA/NSPS Standards, Abilene Civic Center - Upstairs Conference Room Abilene, TX. Contact Brenda Null at 512327-7871 or BrendaN@tsps.org for more information or visit: www.tsps.org/ abilene_seminar.

Past issues of Construction News can be downloaded at www.ConstructionNews.net Raymond Gaitan and Juan Franco are all smiles on a Friday afternoon at Ingram Readymix in San Marcos. –cw

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Page 19

Plumb good design

Halloween fun

Denise Shaw and her family spend as much time outdoors as possible.

A

s an Army brat, Denise Shaw attended high school in Heildelberg, Germany, but spent a lot of her youth in the North Virginia area. She says she moved to Texas in 2000, right after college at Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, GA.

She paid her dues with some larger architectural and design firms before opening her own company a little over three years ago, Plumb Architecture, where she is founder and principal architect.

“Before that, it was just a side gig,” she says. “Thankfully, it turned into a fulltime job.”

It was serendipitous that she became the owner of her own company at that time, since her baby is now three years old.

“The new business and the baby happened the same year!” she laughs.

As sole employee of Plumb Architecture, Shaw has the freedom to work with clients – commercial and residential – in the manner she finds fits best.

“What sets me apart is the collaboration I can have with my clients,” she says.

“The program I use is a three-dimensional program, so we can work together to see how the project is going to look and make changes in real time.”

Shaw has worked in the architectural field since 1994. In this time she has gained a wide array of experience on various project types – from a high-rise office tower and performing arts centers to high-end dental offices and custom residential designs. She is actively involved with the local chapter of the US Green Building Council’s Green Schools

Tops by design

S

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

Committee and has been involved in the AIA Austin’s Architecture in Schools program since 2007.

With husband, Ron Acuna, a 13-yearold stepdaughter and a three year old, the family likes to spend as much time as possible outdoors. –cw

Keep Construction News in mind this year when your office undergoes a spooky transformation like Baker Triangle did last year!

Send your photos from Halloween to cyndi@constructionnews.net

Page 20

Austin Construction News • Oct 2016

Submitted to Construction News

Submitted to Construction News

They’ve got spirit …

Stud signing

Yes, they do! At the beginning of September, Brandt celebrated college football with College Colors Day. Employees were encouraged to wear their favorite team’s colors to work. At Brandt’s Austin office, colleges from across the country were represented. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Got the right stuff

Wayne Garner and David Fickey have the right equipment for jobs big and small at Jon’s Rental in Austin. –cw

Bailey Elliott Construction Inc. is currently working on the Bee Creek United Methodist Church project. On Sunday, Sep. 11, the church’s youngsters had a stud signing event in the room that will be their new youth room. –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Second gen

Briggs Construction, San Marcos, is a family business with Curtis Briggs, founder, and his daughter, Vicki Schawe. –cw