Austin Construction News April 2017

Covering the Industry’s News

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APRIL 2017

A flare for air

Amazing elevator for Austin

L-R: Vice President Rick Gonzales runs the service side of San Marcos Air, while President Lucas Novak runs the commercial construction side.

Thyssenkrupp Central Region construction manager JD McDonald can’t wait to bring this awesome attraction to the Austin area.

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ith his background in energy conservation, Lucas Novak, president of San Marcos Air Conditioning Service Inc., believes that sets his company apart from the competition.

“I believe it gives us an advantage with an ability to add knowledge about an area that is becoming more and more important in the building industry,” Novak said.

Novak, who was born and raised in San Antonio, graduated from Baylor University in 2004 with a degree in Business Financials and Management Information Systems. He immediately went to work for a large electric company, where his first big job was a retrofit to Lamar University in Beaumont.

“It was a $15 million job, but they made that back in 10 years in energy savings,” he says. “My background was energy conservation implementation, including to the AC and lighting.”

In 2009, he started a new division for energy conservation at Novak Group, a small general contracting firm owned by his father and brother. In the end, though, he really wanted to go out on his own.

“I guess I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit,” he says.

He had decided that the cash flow was too slow when subcontracting out mechanical work.

“So, I purchased a mechanical contractor,” he says.

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ccording to thyssenkrupp’s website, much has changed since Thyssen and Krupp merged 16 years ago. The company has developed into a modern, global industrial group now seeking to more effectively set itself apart from its competitors.

And with the company’s plans for a never-before-seen tourist attraction in downtown Austin, thyssenkrupp will effectively prove itself unique among its counterparts.

“We’ve been brainstorming for awhile about what we could do in Austin that would not only put the name thyssenkrupp on everybody’s lips, but would also offer a new, unique attraction to bring more visitors into the state’s capi-

continued on Page 19

tal,” says JD (David) McDonald, construction and modernization manager for the Central Region. “The idea is to build the world’s largest, fastest, freestanding elevator that will encompass several very cool features.”

Thyssenkrupp is no stranger to building large, free-standing elevators – their 28-story, free-standing, glass elevator is the centerpiece at the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis and has been called the world’s largest freestanding elevator – that is until now.

Rivaling not only their own elevator in Memphis, the Austin team plans to take the Guiness Book of World Records away from The Shanghai Tower, which is now listed for three records, including continued on Page 19

No rest in renovating these rooms

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ith a specialty in interior finish out, general contractor MW3 Associates just finished a restroom re-do that pleased the owners enough they hired MW3A to do the next set of restrooms ready for a renovation.

The $220,000 job was located on Research Boulevard and was finished in seven weeks, according to Denise Mellow, business development and project manager.

The project consisted of two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms and lockers. The scope of the project consisted of metal stud framing, sheetrock, and wall covering, as well as tile work.

Architect was Carson Design Associates.

Working with this property manager, Kathryn Swift and her team felt easy, and effortless,” Mellow says. “They understood the timing of materials, as well as the necessity of doing some work after

hours and on the weekends and their team made it easy and worked to accommodate us.

“The architect, Alexa Feldman, was present during the whole process answering Requests for Information (RFI) and walking the job site to make sure we were on par with her vision. I really feel we had the dream team on this project.”

Subcontractors on the job included Commercial Flooring Facilitators of Texas, Wall to Wall Finishes, Alpha Granite, Butler Plumbing, Northstar Fire and TM Electric.

MW3 Associates was founded and is owned by Geoffrey Whittaker in 2014.

Typical customers are property managers in commercial, retail and industrial buildings. The company has one office with 17 employees and works throughout the Austin and San Antonio area.

MW3 Associates recent restroom remodel went well with the GC, property manager and architect working on the same page.

continued on Page 19

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

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Fascinated by flooring

Attorney fenced out!

S Austin attorney and owner of Austin Rent Fence LLC James Gill recently found himself locked out of his own office by his own fence company.

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ustin lawyer James Gill is a colorful and entrepreneurial person who has built a name for himself as a dedicated criminal defense attorney.

He’s also built a pretty successful company in Austin Rent Fence LLC.

Little did he know, however, that after a financial mix-up, his own fence company was going to be used against him.

Gill was born and raised in Corpus Christi and says he always knew he wanted to be an attorney, having represented himself on minor traffic offenses while still a minor. He also spent time during high school shoveling toxic waste in the oil fields in 110-degree heat – so he knew

he wanted an office job at some point.

After moving to Austin and finishing his undergrad and law degrees at UT, he found himself one day after a rainy Austin City Limits week sitting on the front porch of his house looking at temporary fencing installed for the music festival. It occurred to Gill that someone was getting paid for that fencing to be sitting there and his second line of work, Austin Rent Fence, was born in 2008. His law firm opened in 2005.

Now, with multiple five-star reviews on Google and Yelp for his business defending people arrested for DWI, assault continued on Page 5

Construction News ON LOCATION

Acing it!

Maegan Flannigan and Julie Holmstrom, Ace Contractors Supply in Austin, have smiles and copies of Construction News for customers. –cw

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Austin Editor — AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net — 210-308-5800 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net If you are a construction-related company in Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet, Blanco, Caldwell or Williamson counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Austin Construction News, please call for a Requester Form, or visit our website.

The Austin Construction News (ISSN 15477649) is published monthly, by Construction News Ltd., dba Austin Construction News, and distributed by mail to selected constructionrelated companies in Austin and surrounding counties.

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Back row, L-R: Denise Mellow; Rick Spiller, sales; Nicole Shirley, office admin; Mike Colley, sales; seated, L-R: Michelle Mellow, bookkeeper; and John Mellow, estimator – plus Daisy Duke, the furry helper.

aying that she is anything but mellow, Denise Mellow tried on a variety of career hats before she found her true love in the flooring industry. The owner and founder of Commercial Flooring Facilitators (CFF) found the excitement and life’s work she was looking for when she was asked to be an administrative assistant for the owner of a flooring company.

“I’ve floated along in different career paths,” she says. “My last job before flooring was catering – making desserts for a personal chef, but I was really bored.”

She decided to volunteer for the Small Business Council, part of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and that’s where she met someone in the flooring industry who was looking for an assistant.

“Within three months I was running his company and making just $8.50 an hour,” Mellow says. “After 8 years of that, I asked myself, why am I doing this for someone else?”

Mellow, who describes herself as very

energetic and outgoing, rolled out CFF in September 2011 with her father, John Mellow, as estimator and her spouse, Rick Spiller, as co-partner and now is getting ready to launch her new website beginning of April.

“With flooring, everything every day is something completely new,” she says.

“There’s always surprises when you look under flooring! What you think is going to be a regular simple job suddenly has 20 obstacles to overcome. To me, that was fantastic. I felt like I had struck gold!”

She admits there have been some days where she wondered if she was up to the challenge of steering the company she started with $2,000 and credit cards, but after a $20,000 first year, CFF is now generating $2 million in sales.

“Anybody can install flooring,” she says. “I make sure my customers understand why they are getting the right flooring and I teach them how to maintain it.Ensuring that they remain happy with it.” –cw

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Sara Wilkus

co-owner, vice president

Michael Boy

co-owner, president Travis Roofing Supply Austin, TX

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ara Wilkus says she and her brother, Michael Boy, are Irish twins since they were born just 15 months apart. Born into a military family with a father in the Air Force, the siblings and their parents were used to starting fresh in new places – a skill that has helped the duo establish a nationwide network of roofing supply companies, each independently owned and operated.

Similar to the traits of twins, Sara and Michael have more in common, it seems, than most brothers and sisters – with entrepreneurial spirits and a willingness to take risks.

Tell me about your early life.

Michael was born in 1976 and I was born in 1977, in Altus OK. Our dad, Gary Boy, was in the Air Force and we moved a lot while growing up.

We ended up in Warrenton, VA where we both graduated from Fauquier High School.

In high school, I wasn’t really into sports, I was more of the introverted bookworm. I got good grades and worked part time at a local pet store (really just an excuse to pet puppies).

Michael was the athlete in the family.

He played baseball and received a scholarship to Chowan University in Murfreesboro, NC. It’s a really small private university.

When I graduated from high school in 1995, I attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, VA. You and Michael both found out that the college track – at least at that time – wasn’t cutting it, right?

Yes, I left college after a year and moved to Dayton, Ohio where my dad lived. By then, my mom, Susan Fitzpatrick, and my dad were divorced. Mom still lives in Virginia.

In Dayton, I worked odd jobs here and there. I wasn’t really focusing on the future at the time.

Pretty much the same thing happened with Michael. He didn’t take to college either and decided to join the Army as part of the infantry.

What happened next?

Funny story! There was a guy I knew

in high school, James Wilkus, who I had lost touch after he joined the Army. When I was 22, the internet was just becoming popular, so I looked him up online. He says I stalked him, but I vehemently deny it!

When he got out of the Army, he drove through Ohio to visit and never left. We got married in Columbus, OH in 2003. We already had our daughter, Jordan, who was born in 2000 and our son, Dylan, was born in 2003.

Meanwhile, Michael had met his wife, Deborah, while he was stationed at Ft. Hood. Deborah is a native Austinite.

They now have three kids, Drew, 15, Ashley, 12, and Brandon, 9.

So, I understand how Michael got to Texas, but what about you?

I went back to college at Franklin University in Columbus, OH and graduated in 2007 with a degree in sales and marketing.

James, who is self taught in IT, worked at Chase Bank and then for the State of Ohio.

In 2007, in August, we moved to Austin, where Michael and Deborah lived. We took a leap of faith. Neither of us had a job yet and we had Michael pick out our house.

I got a job at 360training, working on the website and doing marketing, then I was sales manager. I was there for two years. James was working as a consultant for the military.

Michael was working for a large roofing supply group.

And Michael was asking you to come work with him as soon as you moved to Texas, right?

Yes, but I resisted and took the job at 360. However, Michael was persistent. He kept telling me how great the roofing community was and how much I would learn.

He didn’t tell me that if you are a part of roofing for a year, you’re in it for life!

So, I went to work there in 2009 as purchasing and inventory manager. Once I had gotten that department into good shape, I was ready for a new challenge so I sought out the position of inside commercial sales and from there, I went to outside commercial sales.

Michael had been there for 14 years and was assistant manager when they let him go in December 2014. I had been there five years, and after he left, it was a pretty awkward situation. But roofing is such a fantastic industry that I knew I was not going to get out of it.

And this is how Travis Roofing Supply was born, I’m guessing.

Yes! Michael had been approached by roofing supply companies asking him to open a branch for them. He said, why don’t I do it for myself? Once I knew he was thinking about doing it, I asked to join him in the adventure.

We knew the people in the industry, we knew all the aspects. I quit the other company in January 2015 and we started Travis Roofing Supply the next day.

For months we had no trucks, just a big empty warehouse where we spent most of our time walking around and planning. We officially got a truck, a driv-

Travis Roofing Supply employees and owners celebrate after moving into their new headquarters recently.

Siblings Sara Wilkus and Michael Boy share many things in common and started a successful company together.

er, a loader, an inside person and a warehouse guy. Michael and I split up the duties. He was in charge of dispatch, the fleet, IT and residential sales. I was in charge of accounting, purchasing and commercial sales.

We just figured it out as we went along.

Soon, we were able to add one inside sales person and an outside sales person.

At that time, we were just in Austin. We hadn’t really started thinking about going outside of Austin yet.

It sounds like things were going very well.

We had a great successful first year – we were making money, which is unusual in the first year.

In 2016, we started looking outside of Austin. We knew a lot of brilliant people in the industry, for example, Scott Milford, a salesman who was based in Austin but who had an uncle, Mark Milford in Ft. Worth. Mark became the first partner/ manager there.

We started looking in San Antonio and found Raechel Thomas, who was the sister of a salesperson we knew from the former company. She became the second partner/manager there.

Around that time, the former roofing supply group was bought out by a national company and there was a lot of talent suddenly on the market looking for similar entrepreneurial opportunities. Michael knew these people and knew who was successful.

When you say these people were looking for similar opportunities, what do you mean?

With the national company buying the roofing supply group, the culture changed for them. Now, they couldn’t make their own decisions, ideas and decisions had to go up a chain of command.

They lost the flexibility to be able to make instant decisions to better serve their customers.

Travis Roofing Supply lets the managing partners make their own decisions.

There is nothing more motivating than being responsible for keeping your people employed.

It sounds like a great place to work and be involved with. Tell me about the culture.

We are all about family. All of us are able to bring that next generation of roofing professionals in with them. Many of the stores have managing partners whose grown children are working there.

When I look to hire, I look for somebody that is going to fit our culture – it’s incredibly important. I look for a positive spirit and people who are willing to go the extra mile for the customer. I hire people that have personality over their experience – we can teach them the job. I look for strength of character and I want people who walk in the door in the morning smiling.

What sets your company apart from the competition?

This is such a relationship business.

To us, it’s not a dollar or a sale. We really want to get to know our customers and our vendors.

We grill every Friday and our contractors and vendors are welcome. Everybody takes a turn being grill master! It’s turned into quite a competition.

Every month, we have a customer event. In January we had a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, in February we did a Ping Pong Tournament. All winners end up on a plaque or trophy in our Hall of Champions. In March, we had a March Madness Party and coming up in April, we have our third annual Crawfish Boil, Barbecue and Open House on Apr. 21. It’s adult’s only event for employees, customers and vendors. It isn’t a selling event; it is a time for us to show our appreciation for those who have partnered with us, and meet new potential partners. Every year we have a band, but this year The Spazmatics will be playing. We are super excited!

In May, we’ll have a movie night that is family friendly. We love being able to meet our customer’s families and allowing them to get to know ours.

And your husband, James, works with you now, right?

Yes, James came to work here six months ago. He developed software specifically for us that makes us, as a company, faster and smarter. The customer experience at Travis Roofing Supply is very different from what they would experience at another company.

I always say it is great working with my husband – I just keep him on the other side of the building!

What do you and James like to do when you’re not working?

Our son, Dylan plays soccer, so there’s a lot of traveling. Jordan is a great artist.

We try to do movies at the Alamo Drafthouse on a regular basis and we like to check out a different Austin restaurant every month.

I like to bake and my girlfriends and I do a regular thing called “Cakes & Cocktails.”

How about Michael and Deborah?

Michael has never gotten sports out of his blood and he is an avid supporter of his kids’ sports. He coaches both his sons in baseball, basketball, and football. Their daughter, Ashley is into cheer and dance competitions. They are also big into movies, and we try to go together whenever we can work it into our schedule.

Any last thoughts?

The best thing about working with family and in this business is I am excited to get up every day, every day is a new challenge.

I can create my own path and make my own choices, which is rare these days. –cw

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 5

continued from Page 3 — Attorney fenced out! and theft, among others, his fence company, which mainly services the construction industry, has also taken off and sometimes, as Gill would soon find out, is the first place someone might call when they want to put up a fence.

In August 2016, Gill married his sweetheart Courtney Baldwin and the two took off for a fantasy honeymoon that lasted two months and included places such as Caracas, Venezuela; Cape Town, South Africa; and Baghdad, Iraq – dangerous destinations surely, but Gill says he and Courtney are adventure seekers.

While he was gone, he made arrangements for his office rent to be paid automatically, but due to a couple of numbers that were transposed, the payments went off into cyberspace – and the landlord started getting pissed. He decided to bar Gill from entering the premises with temporary fencing – and called Austin Rent Fence.

When James and Courtney returned, he stopped by his office to pick up his checkbook, credit cards and phone (which he had left behind for safety), only to find the way into his office was barred by none other than fencing prominently displaying his own company name.

“I immediately called the landlord, but he just told me to “get a lawyer!” and hung up on me!” James says. “Of course, I am my own attorney and I couldn’t call myself obviously, since I couldn’t get in my office and my hands were tied! When I called my fence company and told them to come remove the fencing, they demanded proof that it was really me! It was a real mess!”

Eventually, it was all sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction, once Courtney got on the phone with the guys at the fence company.

“She’s a pretty strong personality,” James says. “They meekly came down immediately and removed the fencing!”

Stranger still – the whole episode happened on April 1 – and we hope this is the worst April Fool’s joke you have to endure this year! –cwfending people arrested for DWI, assault and theft, among

others, his fence company, which mainly services the construction industry, has also taken off and sometimes, as Gill would soon find out, is the first place someone might call when they want to put up a fence.

In August 2016, Gill married his sweetheart Courtney Baldwin and the two took off for a fantasy honeymoon that lasted two months and included places such as Caracas, Venezuela; Cape Town, South Africa; and Baghdad, Iraq – dangerous destinations surely, but Gill says he and Courtney are adventure seekers.

While he was gone, he made arrangements for his office rent to be paid automatically, but due to a couple of numbers that were transposed, the payments went off into cyberspace – and the landlord started getting pissed. He decided to bar Gill from entering the premises with temporary fencing – and called Austin Rent Fence.

When James and Courtney returned, he stopped by his office to pick up his checkbook, credit cards and phone (which he had left behind for safety), only to find the way into his office was barred by none other than fencing prominently displaying his own company name.

“I immediately called the landlord, but he just told me to “get a lawyer!” and hung up on me!” James says. “Of course, I am my own attorney and I couldn’t call myself obviously, since I couldn’t get in my office and my hands were tied! When I called my fence company and told them to come remove the fencing, they demanded proof that it was really me! It was a real mess!”

Eventually, it was all sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction, once Courtney got on the phone with the guys at the fence company.

“She’s a pretty strong personality,” James says. “They meekly came down immediately and removed the fencing!”

Stranger still – the whole episode happened on April 1 – and we hope this is the worst April Fool’s joke you have to endure this year! –cw

Texas treats

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a-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal hosted its annual subcontractor appreciation day Feb. 10. Plenty of people showed up at the Buda location for some fun and great barbecue. –cw

Brand reconstruction

Submitted to Construction News

Survey says … new board!

L-R: Gregory Cokinos and Marc Young

The Texas Society of Professional Surveyors recently swore in its 2017 board of directors.

Pictured, back, L-R: Jamie Gillis, director; Mike Hoover, director; Joe Breaux, director; L.A. “Bud” Thompson, director; Doug Turner, president elect; Philip Adams, director; and J.S. “Stan” Piper, director; front, L-R: John Barnard, vice president; Bill O’Hara, secretary/treasurer; Trisha Lund, director; Jerry Lehew, president; Heather Sides, director; and Paul Carey, past president.

Not pictured: Robby Christopher, director; David Klotz, director; and J.D. Davis, director. –cw

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local construction and real estate law firm is getting a new look.

Cokinos I Young, formerly known as Cokinos, Bosien & Young, not only has a new name but has rolled out a new logo and website. It’s a fresh image for the 28-year-old firm, which has grown from a single Houston office to employ more than 60 attorneys in additional Austin, Dallas and San Antonio locations.

The change comes as longtime partner Brian Bosien scales back and shifts from private practice work to in-house counseling, as Gregory Cokinos and Marc Young remain as the firm’s leadership. With law firm branding trending toward logo recognition and multiplename firms using one name, it was perfect timing to rebrand the firm.

“We went with a one-name brand – ‘Cokinos.’ It makes it easier for recognition,” Cokinos says. “It’s made it fresh and interesting, and we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from our clients. We went live on Mar. 1, which we did a day before the construction law conference the state

bar puts on; the timing was purposeful.”

While the brand has changed, the firm’s national reach as a fully vertically integrated construction and real estate law firm remains the same. Both Cokinos and Young have built strong reputations in their field since the firm’s establishment. Cokinos, who manages the firm, was the first Houston attorney inducted into the American College of Construction Lawyers. He founded the Construction Law Journal in 2002 and serves as its editor.

He also is a Thomson Reuters-ranked Top 100 Super Lawyer in the State of Texas and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Young left Houston in 2007 to help local principal Stephanie O’Rourke establish the firm’s San Antonio office and grew it into one of the area’s largest law firms, especially in the concentration on construction law. Young now manages the firm’s Austin office and is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas board of legal specialization.

Cokinos I Young offers legal services for public and private sector clients. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

With the local touch

Mission driven

L-R: Brian Regnier, account manager; Cathy Creasy, administrative assistant; Shaun Mahan, vice president Austin; Josh Davis, service manager; and Jerry Roskin, network division manager

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hen Charlie Walker brought Walker Engineering to Austin in the early 90’s to build multimillion dollar projects such as AMD and Samsung wafer fab plants, it attracted some attention.

“Mr. Walker is a savvy businessman and was an electrical engineer by trade,” Vice President and Austin Division Manager Shaun Mahan says. “He proved that Walker Engineering has the expertise and workforce capable of doing large high tech projects in Austin. Our engineering expertise and strength of our field sets us apart from the competition.”

The company was founded in 1981 in Dallas with only four employees and is currently the largest commercial electrical contractors in Texas, with 1,500 employees statewide in Houston, DFW, Austin and San Antonio. Walker’s Austin division has over 200 employees including the core electrical group, enduser service team and a low voltage / AV group.

“With this market being traditionally tech focused, we have been right along

lockstep with the changes in Austin.

We’ve taken on several exciting projects this year, including high-rise, mission critical, corporate development and higher education,” Mahan said. “Austin has been really good to us over the years.”

Mahan says mission critical projects are one of Walker’s strengths.

“We understand them,” he says.

“We’ve been doing them a long time and our customers rely on us to do the job right. In order to take on challenging projects, you need the right people in the field and strong project leadership onsite.”

Mahan who’s been with Walker for nine years says, “the key to attracting and retaining good employees is to provide opportunities for employees to develop and grow. Walker is increasing its focus on training and continuing education programs to set itself apart as an employer in the industry.

“If we expect loyalty we need to put our people in a position to succeed,” he says. “We provide the backing and support for them to do that.” –cw

Austin principal Earl Swisher, wearing a sweatshirt from Clemson University, his Alma Mater, with IT Support Tech Tim Maune at a happy hour at the annual staff retreat in February.

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lthough he spent part of his career in New York City, Earl Swisher spent most of his early life in various parts of Texas and came back to Texas in 1996. In 1999, he founded the Austin office for Lawrence Group.

“My whole family lives in Austin,” Swisher says. “I just celebrated 20 years being back and 40 years in the profession.”

The Austin office ranges from six to 10 employees, and focuses on architecture, planning and interior design. Nationwide, Lawrence Group focuses on architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture, graphic design, development and construction management and has four offices: Austin; Charlotte, N.C.; New York, NY and its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, MO. Swisher says future goals for the Austin office include offering design build within the next 10 years.

“I practice down here on a local level with national resources to back me up

Submitted to Construction News

when that’s warranted,” Swisher says.

“Ninety-five percent of the work I do is in Texas. We know the state and we know the culture.”

Notable projects include the Belo Center for New Media at the University of Texas Austin which KUT’s new Public Media Studio, The Fred Pirkle Engineering Technology Center at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and the restoration and renovation of O. Henry Hall in Austin for the offices of the Texas State University system.

“In all of my time here, we really pride ourselves on serving our clients,” Swisher says. “Our major philosophy is helping clients realize their dreams. I have the luxury of working with people who have fantastic visions.”

Employees at Lawrence Group as a whole, and in Austin, are given the opportunity to grow.

“We bring excellent employees in and transition them into ownership and leadership positions,” Swisher says. –cw

Green stream(ing) of ideas

National recognition

In February, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Central Texas Regional Council had a retreat where members met with their statewide board representatives Jane Baxter Lynn, Paul Brown and Scott Gerhardt, to discuss plans for 2017 and to confirm the focus on advocacy, education and outreach. Pictured, USGBC Central Texas Regional Council 2017 L-R: Lisa Storer, vice chair; Andy Kim, communications committee chair; Amy Tasch; Jonathan Kraatz, USGBC Texas executive director; Andrew Clements, treasurer and programs committee chair; Cliff Braddock, development committee chair; Cristian Monsalves, green schools committee chair; Ally Wilson, secretary; Bonny Gray and Esther Rollins, co-chairs. –cw

Flintco LLC won an Eagle Award at the ABC National Convention.

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ssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC) honored 98 projects collectively worth $2.4 billion at the 27th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards during ABC’s Workforce Week ‘17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Feb. 28Mar. 2. Several Texas firms were awarded the coveted Eagles and Pyramids. Below is a list of construction firms in the Austin area that won. –cw Institutional – Less Than $5 Million; Eagle Award: American Constructors, Headwaters School Elementary Expansion, Austin

Institutional - $10 TO $25 Million; Eagle Award: Flintco LLC, Texas Advanced Computing Center Office Building, Austin Institutional - $25 TO $100 Million; Pyramid Award: American Constructors, Tom Glenn High School, Leander Renovation – Less Than $4 Million; Eagle Award: American Constructors, The Gin at the Hutto Co-Op District, Hutto Renovation - $10 TO $100 Million; Eagle Award: American Constructors, KIPP Austin Public Schools North Campus, Austin

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 7

A chipper evening

Double the love

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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter let the chips fall where they may at their annual Casino Night and Chapter PAC Fundraiser event on Feb. 16 at The Oasis. Guests also had the chance to win special items, like Vanessa Kimball with Centex Personnel, who won a Fitbit. –cw

L-R: Larry Lacy, Judith Chavez, Shriners Hospital, and Corky Bynum of the Arabian Shriners, Houston.

Vanessa Kimball

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Submitted to Construction News

Top this

In March, Hoar Construction celebrated a topping out at The Richardson at Tarrytown in Austin. –cw

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Reading the signs

Chris Reading, Terracon, checks on a retail job site in Bee Cave as he makes his rounds for the day. The project is slated for completion in June and the GC is Austin Canyon Corporation. –cw

hen Larry Lacy founded Double L Insulation 21 years ago, he came into it with 24 years of experience, having worked for his father, Jim Lacy.

“My dad worked for a large company and I worked for him, so when I started Double L it was a continuation of where he had left off,” Lacy says. “After he retired, he went to work for me.”

Larry’s son, Garrett, works in the estimating department and his daughter, Tara, works in the admin part. Lacy says there are plenty of employees who have been with him long-term and some who have been there from the start.

“If you like who you are working for, you stay with them,” he says. “In this industry, employees have to bounce around a lot – whoever has the work, that’s where they go. We’ve always had enough work to keep them busy and our employees know that if you stay where you are, you will be further ahead.”

Double L does almost all commercial work and Lacy believes that good service is key.

“All of our jobs are bid, so the lowest bidder gets the job, but we like to think we are preferred,” he says. “A lot of companies don’t have 20-30 years in business and I already had 24 before I even started Double L.”

Recently, Lacy made a generous gift of $5,000 to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston. The donation was spur of the moment, when Lacy was at the Shriners College Baseball Classic in Houston on Mar. 4 as a guest of Mike and Donna Creamer, C2 Mechanical.

“Their son was a recipient of the Shriners,” Lacy says. “He was supposed to throw out the first pitch, but he was reluctant to call attention to himself, so I told him I would make this donation if he would throw the ball – and he did.” –cw

Double L Insulation installs insulation on ductwork, pipe and equipment.

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

The real cost savings you should look for in a fixed price environment

Cyber risk in construction

Scott Allen, CPA, Tax and Consulting Partner Cornwell Jackson Plano, TX

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onstruction companies experience unique accounting structures due to expenses driving revenue as projects move through various stages of completion. By managing a variety of costs, maintaining safety for employees and hiring the right people, owners and project managers can improve cash flow and bid smarter on fixed price contracts.

with a company that produced a gross profit margin of more than 15 percent annually.

Just one of the interesting lessons learned through this experience was that few construction companies, if any, spend the necessary time each year to comb through their budgets and question the true costs of each line item.

In my role as the fractional CFO/controller for a rapidly growing construction company earlier in my career, I experienced the tough reality of out-of-control costs in a fixed contract price environment. Costs were out of control partially because the company’s rapid growth was surreptitiously changing the company’s underlying cost structure and partially because economic conditions had changed. The net result was a squeeze on profit margins and cash flows that placed the company in danger of marching down the primrose path.

Whether it’s the company cell phone plan or fuel and maintenance costs for fleet vehicles, no budget item is too small to scrutinize for long-term savings to the bottom line.

The squeeze resulted in a snowball effect on cash management. The accelerated growth had outpaced the company’s ability to increase the bank line of credit capacity, which meant that any increased demand for cash had to be satisfied through cash flow generated by the jobs. We had to navigate complicated lien rules in order to collect receivables.

We had to re-evaluate billing policies and increase the company’s overbilled positions. When bidding new work, we had to be disciplined in the size of projects the company chased or risk the company’s bonding capacity. Meanwhile, we saw general liability and worker’s compensation insurance rate increases due to changes in the market. We could only hope that materials costs would not follow suit.

Once it became clear that we were dealing with something more systemic than a bad job or two, the owner and I went to work understanding what had happened and trying to correct the underlying issues. Within two years, the company accomplished a true turnaround. Starting with a company that was losing $400,000 a year, we ended up

If your company exists in a fixedprice contract environment — as most construction companies do — expenses drive revenue. Especially with a Post-Recession mindset, profitable construction companies must have the discipline to look at their work–in-process reports every month and identify any expenses that are trending above budget.

There are, of course, other factors that can impact cash flow and profits in any given year. Let’s look at the key drivers for real cost savings in the life of a construction company — both shortterm and long-term.

Cornwell Jackson’s tax team can provide guidance on reigning in costs by reviewing your profit and loss statements, work in process and general accounting ledgers. Contact our team with your questions.

Look for “Defining True Job Costs for Construction Bids” in the May Construction News publication to learn more on this topic.

Scott Allen, CPA, joined Cornwell Jackson as a tax partner in 2016, bringing his expertise in the construction and oil and gas industries and 25 years of experience in the accounting field. As the partner in charge of the tax practice at Cornwell Jackson, Scott provides proactive tax planning and tax compliance to all Cornwell Jackson tax clients. Contact him at Scott.Allen@ cornwelljackson.com or 972-202-8032.

Jim Zimmermann, CPCU, CIC, Vice President –Construction MHBT, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Dallas, TX y now, everyone has heard about numerous high profile cyber security incidents over just the past few years. The data breach involving Target is probably the most widely known, but there are plenty of other breaches extremely large in scope like those involving Sony, Anthem and Yahoo.

The problem is we only hear about these huge multi-billion dollar companies, instead of the thousands of breaches involving small-mid sized businesses that can have painful or even crippling consequences, because these everyday incidents aren’t newsworthy.

However, one cyber security expert says there are two kinds of business owners in this world – the ones that have been hacked and know it, and the ones that have been hacked but don’t yet know it – which may be only a slight exaggeration.

So what do any of these incidents have to do with the construction industry? On the surface, nothing, except for Target which was actually breached through an HVAC subcontractor. After all, the perception is the biggest risk falls on medical providers, financial institutions, retailers with customer credit card data, etc., companies that have the largest IT footprint and access to sensitive data. Not only that, clearly none of the companies listed above, and few if any that you may hear about on the news, are contractors. So, once again, why should a contractor be concerned?

Dig a little deeper and the answer is very simple: every contractor with an employee and a computer, every single one, is susceptible to the exact same type of attacks to those that hit the multibillion companies above, just obviously on a smaller scale. The argument could actually be made that contractors are more susceptible since their cyber security procedures are as a general rule, much more relaxed than those other industries.

Let’s take a look at some real-life Texas construction company examples: • Through a phishing expedition, several unsuspecting employees clicked on a link and entered password information, thinking (incorrectly) that the request had come from the IT department head. This resulted in not only a large personal data breach, it granted the hackers access to company financial and banking information, bidding programs and strategies, confidential building

designs, and potential access to the systems of other businesses.

• Several general contractors have recently experienced fraud attempts to capture pay estimates on their projects. A letter is sent to the owner on the GC’s authentic letterhead, signed by the CFO and with an authentic looking voided check attached, requesting that all future payments be sent to that new bank account. By the time the owner and GC figure it out, the money is gone.

While it happened with GCs and owners, it could probably more easily happen between a GC and a subcontractor.

• The president of a tech-savvy GC went to a two-day, out-of-town business conference. While gone and during one of the presentations, the CFO received an apparent request from the president to wire $42,000 to the bank account of a consultant they had been working with. The email had the president’s salutation as well his email “style.”

Unable to reach the president (the cyber criminals knew this), the CFO checked with the EVP who confirmed that they had been working with that consultant, so he sent the wire and the money was gone.

The thought that a cyber attack only hits big companies, or only hits medical or financial companies, is naïve at best for contractors and potentially catastrophic at worst.

Pro-active contractors acknowledge the risk exists, install safeguards that deter attacks and train their employees on cyber security, have preplanned responses if a breach occurs, and have insurance in place to protect themselves on top of the internal procedures. Reactive contractors do not, and are literally a click away from sharing all of their personal and financial data with a cyber criminal.

Jim Zimmermann is vice president of MHBT, specializing exclusively in the insurance and bonding needs of contractors for the past 24 years. He can be reached at jim_zimmermann@mhbt.com or by phone at 972-770-1629.

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

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Is a wall Force Majeure?

OSHA’s Fall Stand Down May 8 – 12, 2017

Mike Cortez, Shareholder Andrews Myers P.C. Houston, TX

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hat is the strange question a client asked me recently in the midst of a protracted contract negotiation. At first, I was perplexed, and then I realized, after additional follow up questions, that he was referring to the proposed US-Mexico border wall. First, let me say that this is not a political article or opinion. My intent is to inform contractors on the potential impact on labor, and language in construction contracts that impact any potential relief.

A common construction industry headline or seminar topic over the past few years has centered on the seemingly persistent issue of a labor shortage in the construction industry. During her congressional testimony on Feb. 15, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen stated that labor-force growth has been slowing in the United States and that immigration has been a source of labor-force growth.

Both sides of the political spectrum can agree that immigrants, whether legal or not, make up a large portion of the lower-skilled construction industry labor force. Some estimates state that as much as 50% of immigrants work in the construction industry, and of that portion, 20% are unauthorized workers.

With that said, back to the question of whether the impact of a border wall might be a force majeure or relief from performing contractual duties under Texas law.

First, what is a force majeure? The most basic form of a force majeure clause allows a party’s performance to be excused if it is prevented or delayed by reasons not within the reasonable control of the party claiming excuse and which were not foreseeable at the time of contracting.

Texas law will not imply terms or conditions for force majeure events. It is controlled by the language in the contract. In Texas, absent a force majeure clause, the obligation to perform is absolute and cannot be excused even though performance may be impossible due to causes beyond the party’s control.

In most contracts that I review and negotiate, only labor strikes or disputes are sometimes (not always) listed as a force majeure. However, a party could draft a provision that allows its performance to be excused if it simply becomes uneconomical, unprofitable or perhaps merely less profitable to perform such as the case in the event of an extreme labor shortage. Although most force majeure clauses are drafted to specifically exclude financial or economic reasons for nonperformance, a party with superior bar-

gaining power might be successful in negotiating such a favorable provision.

Overall, there is not much research as to the potential impact of a border wall on the Texas construction industry, as of yet, however most industry experts agree that reducing the immigrant work force will increase costs and potentially delay construction projects.

So, in general, the answer is no, the impact to the construction industry due to the proposed border wall will not permit relief under Texas law, whether it be extended time to perform or increased costs due to replacing lower-skill unauthorized workers with higher-skilled, higher-cost, authorized workers.

In addition, under most construction contract language, if there are delays on the project, the owner or the general contractor has the contractual right to accelerate the work at the contractor’s (or subcontractor’s) cost absent specific contractual relief. If there is a well-drafted force majeure or other clause that can be drafted in to the contract, then it is possible to get relief.

The force majeure clause is often deemed “boilerplate” and not carefully reviewed (unless you are a lawyer, of course). The lesson is that in a jurisdiction that allows parties to exercise the maximum freedom of contract in crafting a force majeure clause, like Texas, it is unwise to rely on boilerplate or fail to actively negotiate the force majeure clause or the contract as a whole in order to address potential risks.

Mike Cortez’s practice is focused on construction related transactions, including large complex energy procurement and construction projects, design and construction contracts, project risk management and lien and bond claims. Mike has significant experience representing clients in drafting and negotiating complex construction contracts under multiple project delivery systems. He graduated from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, and Texas A&M University. He can be reached at mcortez@andrewsmyers.com.

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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etween May 8th and May 12th, 2017, OSHA is asking all employers to conduct a safety talk on fall hazards on the jobsite. Employers can find resources to conduct a training session at: https://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/index.html Falls are a leading cause of falls in construction, representing 35% of all fatalities. Employers can prevent falls when they plan, provide and train workers.

PLAN ahead to get the job done safely

When working from heights, such as ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, employers must plan projects to ensure that the job is done safely. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved, and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.

When estimating the cost of a job, employers should include safety equipment, and plan to have all the necessary equipment and tools available at the construction site. For example, in a roofing job, think about all of the different fall hazards, such as holes or skylights and leading edges, then plan and select fall protection suitable to that work, such as personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).

PROVIDE the right equipment Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. To protect these workers, employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear.

Different ladders and scaffolds are appropriate for different jobs. Always

provide workers with the kind they need to get the job done safely. For roof work, there are many ways to prevent falls. If workers use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), provide a harness for each worker who needs to tie off to the anchor. Make sure the PFAS fits, and regularly inspect all fall protection equipment to ensure it’s still in good condition and safe to use.

TRAIN everyone to use the equipment safely

Falls can be prevented when workers understand proper set-up and safe use of equipment, so they need training on the specific equipment they will use to complete the job. Employers must train workers in hazard recognition and in the care and safe use ladders, scaffolds, fall protection systems, and other equipment they’ll be using on the job.

Employers can download fall prevention materials at: https://www.osha. gov/stopfalls/edresources.html

Copies of OSHA pamphlets and materials can be ordered online at: https:// www.osha.gov/pls/publications/publication.html

Employers can also log their participation of the event and print out a participation certificate at: https://www. osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/ natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Following a new lead

L-R: Randy Pawelek, Harry Moeller and Jerry Hoog recently carried out a leadership transition at Bartlett Cocke General Contractors that has been in the works for about two years now.

Construction News ON LOCATION

Sunny side up

Logan Clark mans the counter and gives customers a friendly helping hand at Sunstate Equipment in North Austin. –cw

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s of the annual shareholder meeting Mar. 3, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors implemented planned changes in leadership. Jerry Hoog transitioned into the role of president and CEO, as Harry Moeller, former president, retired.

Randy Pawelek transitioned from chairman to executive chairman.

With the company 34 years, Hoog graduated from Texas A&M with his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology in December 1982 and started at Bartlett Cocke as an estimator in March 1983 and eventually worked his way up to executive vice president.

A native of Castroville and father of seven, Hoog is very active in his community, serving as president of the Medina Valley Athletic Booster Club, cochairman of the St. Louis Society Wild Game Dinner for 33 years now, and is very involved in his church. He also likes to hunt and trotline fish.

Residing in New Braunfels, Moeller, who started out at Bartlett Cocke as a

layout engineer in the field, says this was the right time in his life to move to the next chapter. In his retirement, he and his wife, Rita, who have been married for 32 years – also the length of his tenure at Bartlett Cocke – plan to spend time with their four grandchildren and travel.

They will be going to the Galapagos Islands in August and Germany next year, and he hopes to do a road trip one summer following the rodeo circuit through the Rocky Mountains.

Pawelek has been with the company 36 years and comments that the transition allows new leadership to step forward.

Moeller calls Hoog “one of his heroes” and “probably one of the brightest minds in construction I’ve ever met,” adding that he will be a great leader. Hoog notes that he will miss Moeller, whom he calls “a foundation for this company for a long time.”

Based in San Antonio, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors also has offices in Austin, Houston, Fort Worth and Baytown. –mh

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

A clap for CapStar

CapStar Electric service tech Ben Lucio illustrates the company’s 24-hour service available recently while getting ready to go on a call in the night.

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fter spending his professional career in the electrical contracting business, CapStar Electric founder George Picken says the Austin-based company is focused on customer success and employee growth.

“If our customers are successful, we are successful,” Picken says. “Our number one goal is to make sure we do what we need to do to make sure our customers are successful.”

Doing the same for employees also matters.

“We try to work hard and at the same time, take care of our employees and give them what they need to be successful.”

Many of his 30 employees were with Picken at his former company, G&R Electrical Construction, which he started when he was 19. He says he started in the field with a man who is a mentor.

“I went to work for Terry Maxwell and he is a really good guy,” he says. “He gave me the opportunity to do subcontracting work for him. He was a mentor, my first

customer and my best and only customer for a long time.”

Picken’s right hand man at CapStar is Robert Saldana and the company hires from within and looks for new employees who exhibit loyalty, a good work ethic and honesty.

CapStar does new commercial construction, industrial, remodels and retrofits.

The company has a Christmas party, as well as an event in the summer for its employees and their families.

Picken is married to Amanda and the couple has two daughters, ages 9 and 5.

They like to take vacations and fish, and the two girls love to ride the three horses that make up part of the family, who live in the country. Other family “members” include three miniature donkeys.

“They are awesome animals,” Picken says.

CapStar Electric is a commercial electrical contractor. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

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Wire rope supplier ????????

Septimus Mendoza, Hercules Wire Rope & Sling Co. Inc., demonstrates the art of unwinding cable at the shop in North Austin. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Hard work pays off

Edge Electric’s monthly foreman meeting, the company celebrated two employees who have passed their journeyman exams. Congrats to Preston Jenson and Moises Perez.

Pictured is the Field Management Team, top, R-L: Ryan Elwess, Tommie Johnson, Jon Jones, Mike Butler, Raymond Flores, Danny Gil, Nate Torkelson and Mackey Fair; bottom, R-L: Preston Jenson, Russell Johnson, Moises Perez and Israel Delgado. –cw

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 11

Submitted to Construction News

Clay play

Spring into Action on Baffin Bay

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Majek Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Diawa Reels, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ­­­ForEverlast Fishing Products, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, and AFTCO Clothing.

Tina Reeves, project manager at The Reynolds Company, says she loves to shoot clays and practices in Leander at Eagle Peak Range. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

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he month of April is just around the corner and is one of my most favorite months to be on the water. Hopefully the strong winds that we are accustomed with in March will give us a few windows in early April on get on some trophy trout. While winter fishing generally yields heavier fish, spring is the time where you can catch more numbers of those same fish. The fishing is usually a lot faster pace also. Typically during winter months fishing is done with a slow retrieve, using a soft plastic or a sub-surface slow sinking lure to give lethargic fish plenty of time to attack the prey. However when spring rolls around, fish become quite a bit more active. This gives anglers a wider verity of lure choices to use and these fish are much more aggressive.

With spring conditions upon us and the coldest of weather and water temperatures on the decline, we can look forward to some great fishing along the shorelines of the Laguna Madre. Shrimp have already started to show up at the local marinas from the northern bay systems. By the time you read this article they will be well on the way south of the JFK Causeway along the King Ranch shoreline. Using these little guys under an Alameda Rattling cork can produce some constant action when drifting over grass beds with scattered potholes. If you’re opposed to using live bait a soft plastic tied 18 in. behind a mauler can be just as effective. Kelly Wigglers ball tail shad has become on of my favorite go-to soft plastics. Bone Diamond is this captasin’s choice but they have an assortment of other colors that work great on trout and reds also.

Spring is also a sign of the annual drum-run through the coastal bend.

Black drum make their way from the south through the landcut and from the north through CC Bay and the ICW on the way to Baffin. These cousins of the redfish family are not the most photographic species of fish in our bay system, but certainly one of the best eating this writer can recommend. With live shrimp on a bottom rig or a pound or so of fresh dead shrimp, one can sometimes make short work of a limit. These black drum can sometimes save the day for none experienced anglers like women and kids just wanting a tug on the end of their line.

Katie Ulher, a student at Notre Dame, spent her spring break rippin lips on Baffin Bay with her dad David.

Katie caught her limit of reds and trout including this 27-in. redfish and a 25-in.

On the line

For the remainder of March and April I will be keying on Trophy Trout fishing in Baffin Bay. Water temperatures already reaching the upper 60s and getting close to that magical 70-degree mark will make fishing explode in the coming weeks.

Don’t miss the boat… Call now to get that fishing get-a-way you’ve been waiting for.

I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2017 season. Don’t wait until all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Biggs Plumbing project manager Scott Ferguson took part in the Austin Team Championship fishing tournament, hosted by the Carp Anglers Group on Lady Bird Lake, on Feb. 23-24. The ATC is a catch and release carp tournament that just celebrated its 16th year in Austin. Ferguson poses with his big catch – a 29-lb. Common Carp. –cw

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

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

We are fishing again!

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o Spring Break is winding down as I write this! Whew, it was a busy week!

I apologize to anyone we were not able to find a fishing trip for during Spring Break. That one week a year there are simply never enough boats to go around.

Don’t despair though if you missed it.

Spring Break is usually just the very beginning of the fishing season and as the water continues to warm up the bite just gets better. The best of the year is yet to come!

It looks like we are in for a good year for all species of lake fish. We have caught lots of nice sized crappie over brush piles so far. The bass are plentiful and getting nice and healthy and hungry. Catfish have already got quite a following among the local fishermen. The stripers and hybrids coming in from our fishing trips are nice and round too. Everything is feeding well, growing and spawning like mad.

We even had a bunch of needle nosed gar that spent 3 days spawning on a shallow rock pile by my house.

It is so good to see the lake coming full circle after the drought. Now we are coming to the best part. The lake is healed up, fertile and nurturing the fish populations. We see that pattern often in lakes that were very low and had rebounding lake levels. Some of the largest fish we have seen in a long time will be caught in the next few years. For the lakes that are still suffering low water levels, hang in there. The rain will come and your lake will come back better than ever too.

It is a wonderful thing to see the lakes seeming to bloom right along with the fresh new leaves on the trees and the abundance of wildflowers. Hill Country

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes are fantastic this year!

You have some time to get out and catch fish and see the country side at its best. Just don’t wait too long to make reservations because things are booking up early this year. If you need Mother’s Day or Father’s Day trips or one for your graduate this summer you need to be calling before someone else does!

We always enjoy seeing the families that visit us at least once a year. We get to see the kids learn to fish and grow up fishing and spending good family time on the water. These days we all get so busy that those trips are priceless and we feel lucky to be able to help make them happen. Nothing compares to the happy squeals and hollers of a kid when we yell, “fish on!!!” and watch the fun begin!

Bee Electric from Elgin, TX

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished

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

Submitted to Construction News

Reaching higher

Joshua Knox, owner of Alden Roofing, climbs the mountains during a trip to the company’s location in El Paso. –cw

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 13

Taking one for the team

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he 2017 COPPERA Company fishing trip turned out to be a angler’s paradise at Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, with great food, good company and, of course, fishing.

Pictured above, journeyman plumber Daniel Fletcher took Fisherman of the Year honors for his 23-lb. catch. Below, a group of employees, L-R: Triston Morales, Adam Holmes, Jon Mandro, Robert Pittman, Daniel Fletcher, Sam Dowdy Jr., Naaman Tatroe, Jesse Hernandez, Miguel Hurtado, Kale McQuillen. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Last for the year

The team at Swinerton Builders took a last opportunity to go on an end of season dove hunt. –cw

San Antonio

April 20 – 30

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

GOOD NEWS!

You always look good in Construction News, Guaranteed!

Call us for a Company Profile (210) 308-5800

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Rodeo Austin brings out BBQ teams

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ore than 90 teams signed up to cook barbecue and help fund scholarships for children at the second annual BBQ Austin event at Rodeo Austin on Mar. 3-4.

BBQ Austin brought thousands of people to the Texas State Fairgrounds to sample plenty of barbecue and other items.

Barbecue teams started working on Friday and continued into the wee hours of Saturday as they prepared their delectable treats. All proceeds raised by the teams fund Texas scholarships. –cw

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017

A “SAM’-ple of great

L-R: Sam Hanna and Christopher Solomon believe employees are the company’s biggest asset.

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n 1970 Samir “Sam” G. Hanna, left his home in Egypt and came to the U.S. with only $250 and a goal of one day financially supporting his family. After several years in a leadership role with a national engineering firm, in 1994 Hanna established his own surveying company in Austin named Surveying And Mapping, Inc., which later became Surveying And Mapping LLC (SAM). In 2014, SAM LLC celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Under Hanna’s direction, the firm has expanded from its initial offering of professional land surveying services, to include digital aerial mapping, terrestrial, mobile, and airborne LiDAR services, hydrographic surveying, subsurface utility engineering (SUE), utility coordination, and geographic information systems (GIS). The company now has a wholly owned subsidiary, SAM-Construction Services LLC® (SAM-CS), that specializes in construction phase services. In 2016, the SAM family of companies acquired So-Deep Inc., a nationally recognized subsurface utility engineering company,

and this further expanded the geographic and service reach for the SAM family of companies.

In January 2017, Hanna announced his retirement from the daily management of the company, but he remains chairman of the board and continues to serve as an advisor to the management team. SAM is currently led by Christopher M. Solomon, RPLS, who has been president since December 2015.

Hanna’s founding philosophy for the company is still its guiding principle: to stay focused on quality of work and customer satisfaction, and to recruit the best people and provide the most advanced equipment and training. Ultimately, he believes in the importance of having talented and committed employees.

“We value the people that work for us above all else,” Hanna says. “Without them, there’s no other way we could succeed.” –cw

SAM has more than 600 employees in several offices nationwide, with its headquarters located in Austin, Texas.

Submitted to Construction News

Viva Las Vegas!

Several National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) members represented Texas at the NUCA National Convention. Hosted in Las Vegas Mar. 4-6 at the Palms Resort and Casino, attendees enjoyed educational sessions, speakers, team building challenges, and the legendary food! –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Cobra in Dallas

Cobra Stone Inc. has rock quarries in Florence, Lueders, Liberty Hill, San Saba and Georgetown – and on Mar. 15-16, the natural stone production company was well represented at the Dallas Build Expo. –cw

Women rocking WIC Week

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he week of Mar. 4-11 saw the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) celebrate all things that enhance the success of women in the construction industry and the Austin Chapter was no different.

With events scheduled for the duration of the week, as well as individual events, there was plenty going on.

More than 8,000 middle school students participated in Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2017, and NAWIC had the opportunity to lead some of the girls in a project that encouraged creativity and logic.

“What a privilege to get to spend time with our future engineers and architects,” says Sandra Johnson, Austin NAWIC treasurer and owner of Edge Electric.

“We may have even met our future Austin NAWIC president!”

Johnson says Austin NAWIC members might be obsessed with Kendra Scott, and during the weeklong Kendra Gives Back event, 20% of all purchases made were donated to the chapter’s 2018 Scholarship fund, for a total of $385.83.

“This year, we’re giving away three

$2,500 checks, and we’re hoping to surpass that amount year,” Johnson says.

Johnson’s mother, Lesa Osborne, came up to Austin to instruct a DIY class.

“She embodies everything I could ever hope to be (talented, driven, a stellar mom, a stellar boss lady, etc.), and it was my absolute honor to get to share her,” she says. “Don’t tell anyone in Corpus, but she says we were her favorite class!”

The chapter’s second annual Yoga Happy Hour was a success, as well.

“Have you ever been to a yoga class where it’s OK to be silly? Me, neither,” Johnson describes. “The Edge Electric ladies knocked it out of the park once again, and those margaritas were OH EM GEE delicious. What a great way to unwind!”

Other Austin Chapter WIC Week activities included volunteering at Capitol Area Food Bank Central Texas Food Bank where the ladies sorted and cleaned 3,750 lbs. of food; and a job site tour hosted by Ryan Companies at the newest Oracle campus. Crockett High School construction technology students joined NAWIC for this event. –cw

Construction technology students joined the ladies at a Ryan Companies job site tour.

Austin NAWIC volunteers at Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day included, L-R: GeKai Halton, Balfour Beatty; Pilar Avalos, Hensel Phelps: Kelli Mitchell, Hensel Phelps; Sandra Johnson, Edge Electric: Becky LowdenKnight, Lowden-Knight Group; and Taryn Ritchie, Ryan Companies.

Introducing the next gen of potential architects and engineers at Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2017

The gals got busy and helped Capitol Area Food Bank

Kendra Scott donated 20% of proceeds during WIC Week to the Austin Chapter’s scholarship fund.

Time to get de-stressed at the second annual Yoga Happy Hour.

Sassy’s So Shacky hosted a DIY workshop.

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 17

THIS TH MON

Women WomenininConstruction Construction Opening the gates for women Jordon Brown, Gate Assistant Manager/ Marketing Coordinator Quality Fence & Welding Company San Antonio, TX

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t 28 years old, Jordon Brown has been with Quality Fence & Welding since November 2012. After spending her first five months with the company as the receptionist, she has moved up to gate dispatcher/ marketing assistant to her current position as marketing coordinator and assistant gate department manager.

Having spent nearly five years working in the construction industry, Brown recently shared the insights she has into being a young woman in a construction office and the field.

I just stumbled upon a job opportunity at Quality Fence & Welding; the environment here is very inviting and we were a perfect fit. I can’t say I chose the career as much as the career chose me!

What is your background in the construction industry?

I had no background in the construction industry when I started at Quality Fence & Welding. The company took a chance on me and now I sit on the ASA board and attend events for organizations ranging from AGC to the San Antonio Apartment Association and in between. I would like to think that I have become the staple among young females in the construction industry.

How would you describe your experience working in the industry as a young woman?

Working in a male-dominated industry is challenging some days, but as a young female, I have found that these men have such valuable knowledge, and if you are willing to listen and learn, they are willing to teach.

Why did you choose a career in the construction industry?

What opportunities has the industry given you to broaden your horizons or take on new challenges?

It is not so much the construction industry as it is Quality Fence & Welding,

especially Craig Noto and TJ Howard, that have allowed me to become versed in a very specific trade of cameras, automatic gates and alarms. This technology is ever evolving, allowing me to gain knowledge and speak confidently about the products.

I would have never known all of these items if Craig and TJ had not seen my potential and taken a chance on me.

Plus, handling the marketing for the company, I am able to attend events and network within the construction industry.

What are the advantages younger women might find in pursuit of a career in the industry?

As young females, we have the advantage that we are eager and willing to learn! Women want to be independent and like a challenge. It also helps that women have a certain “state” about us that brightens any job site!

What specific challenges have you faced as a young woman in the industry and how have you overcome those challenges?

Most challenges that I have seen and experienced are men on sites taking a female, especially a young one, seriously.

However, it is not hard to overcome that stigma as long as you know your stuff!

The stigma of women in the construction industry 10 years ago was definitely more challenging, but with more women earning degrees in the field and being on job sites, those stigmas are

fading. It’s allowing us young females to walk on a job site and be acknowledged.

So thank you to all of those women who paved the way for us women today!

How has being a part of the construction community changed or influenced your life as well as your perception of the industry?

The construction industry is such a small world; most people use the analogy of “six degrees of separation of Kevin Bacon,” but in the construction industry it is more like three degrees! It’s not just an industry; it is a family! Everyone knows everyone, and we all band together in order to build this amazing city and state.

Members of the construction industry look out for each other, and that’s what makes it such a unique field. If anything, I am the lucky one to be part of this family!

What are your goals for your future in the industry?

My goals are simple: to do the best job that I can each and every day and appreciate every day to the fullest – that is embracing the good with the bad. Be respectful, eager, knowledgeable and up for a challenge because no job site goes exactly to plan! You can only continue to grow in the construction industry, if you continue to grow you as a person.

Quality Fence & Welding does commercial and residential fencing and welding, as well as access controls. –mh

Construction is a relationship business Catherine Case Larson, Business Development Director DCA Construction Austin, TX

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ow did you get into the construction industry?

After I spent 23 years in surgical sales in the Dallas area, my husband and I moved to Austin. I took a hiatus from working for 13 years, and then took a position with Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter as the marketing director and membership sales.

That’s where I met Randy Don Carlos, one of the founders of DCA Construction.

It took me five months of persistence to get him to join ABC and that tenaciousness impressed him! He called one day and said, we need to do lunch, and offered me a job. I’ve been here three years and my nickname is “The Bird Dog”!

What do you enjoy about working in the construction business?

The common denominator from surgical sales to construction is I mostly work with men. A bonus is that I’m really enjoying networking with other women in commercial construction, as well.

It’s a fabulous field and I’m enjoying the heck out of this. I love building relationships and that’s so important in this field. It’s phenomenal!

I really love introducing people to new contacts and networking.

field and a really diverse group of people.

One thing I learned in a course on entrepreneurship at SMU that has been invaluable to me is to know your strengths and weaknesses.

For example, when I walked into DCA brand new, I didn’t know what a tilt wall was. I was naïve but I learned by listening and asking questions. Once you learn, you will be constantly learning.

I’ve also been very involved with taking our safety courses. It’s important because you never know when you are on a job site if you will need those skills.

Have you faced any specific challenges as a woman in the construction industry?

I would say that once an individual realizes that I have the knowledge, the respect comes. At first, they might look at you and think, who is this? But, I’ve made it a mission to learn what I need to know to be knowledgeable. Once you are introduced and they can tell you know what you are talking about, it is not intimidating.

There are a lot of smart people in this

What advice can you offer women who are thinking about a career in the construction field?

I would say, go for it! The daughter of DCA’s other founder, George Allen, is here now, doing an internship while she is on spring break and for the upcoming summer break. Haeli is studying construction management.

It’s a tremendous field with a lot of opportunities. –cw

NEXT TH MON

May 2017 Concrete Industry

If you would like to represent your company in your industry, call the San Antonio Office for an Interview Buddy Doebbler (210) 308-5800

If you would like to represent your company in your industry, contact AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Jan: Construction Forecast Mar: Construction Education May: Concrete Industry July: Electrical Industry Feb: Construction Safety Apr: Women in Construction Jun: HVAC & Plumbing Aug: Service Providers

Sep: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment

Page 18

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Women in Construction Room for growth for women in construction Erin Stansell, Project Manager Tellepsen Houston, TX

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hen talking to project manager Erin Stansell, one gets the feeling she has a passion for every project she undertakes at Tellepsen, a commercial, industrial and concrete construction firm. Stansell tackles the day to day plans of working with contractors and money scheduling.

But the construction industry is also an area where young women can forge a successful career in management and in the field. Mentoring young students is part of the ongoing change.

How did you get started in construction? When did you decide this was the career for you?

A high school program called Explorers. They introduced you to careers that you might fit into from career testing results. Construction was a good fit. But I thought ‘construction?’ Yet once I learned more and did some job sharing in high school I realized that’s what I wanted to do. The whole of seeing that I could be part of something that was a tangible result at the end of the project appealed to me. That was fulfilling for me. Eventually I majored in engineering, but found out that Purdue had a construction management program. So I quickly switched to that in my freshman year and that’s the rest of the story.

So are you a planner and an organizer by nature?

Yes. I knew when I put on the hardhat and stepped out into the field.

Part of what I do now is I help with the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of America here in Houston. It’s great to introduce high school students to the construction field. I would never have known about a career I love if I didn’t have an introduction at a young age.

Did you have a mentor?

There’s not one specific mentor. I can definitely say I’ve had so many.

What are the benefits for women pursuing a career in construction?

There’s a lot of opportunity out there for good jobs and the ability to grow a career. Even in management. There’s another side of construction in management, but there’s also a lot of opportunities in the field as well.

Being a woman in industry is positive Paula Pacanins, President Container King

How quickly can women move up the ladder?

If it’s something you love and you put a lot of effort into it, you can move up quickly. I saw quick growth because I was ready to learn and listened and worked really hard. So, if you want to put a lot of effort into it I think there are a lot of opportunities out there.

What challenges have you seen?

There’s a lot to construction. It’s a lot of work. It’s an ongoing learning process.

It’s a short schedule where people want a lot built in a short amount of time. It’s always a challenge meeting deadlines!

I’ve seen a lot more areas in skilled trades out in the field, like women becoming electricians and plumbers. There is a tremendous amount of growth in these fields. Also there is growth in management. I see companies starting to see the benefit of having both men and women in management.

Trade schools are a good start, too.

You don’t have to go to a four-year school but you can make just as much if not more than some people who are in management. They have a lucrative career, but you can also have an equally lucrative career in the trades. And you can work into management positions from there.

What is your advice to young women today?

I would steer them towards what their interests are, such as do they like architectural engineering, for example, or are they interested in going to trade school. Construction is one of the indus-

that certification as quickly as you can and then start taking advantage of those contracts and get the word out that you are woman-certified. That means a lot of business.

Denton, TX

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hat has been your experience as a woman working in the construction industry?

In my experience, it has been overwhelmingly positive.

I feel that if you come in and you know your product and you are providing great customer service, that’s really all they’re looking for. [Customers] don’t care if the company is a woman-owned company or a male-owned company. They never ask that question. They really just want to know that you can follow up on the promises that you made and that you are going to provide them with a quality product.

What advice would you have for women who want to start their own businesses in the construction industry?

I would advise them to go for it. We hear a lot about how women are at a disadvantage but I don’t really see that. I feel that if a woman works hard and provides the same quality product as a male-owned company, she’ll have the same opportunity. Don’t let the perception that women are at a disadvantage cause you to stop from fulfilling your dreams.

What resources are available to

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women who would like to start their own businesses?

There are amazing resources. For instance, in the city of Dallas, there is a center that helps historically underutilized businesses. Companies who are owned by women, minorities and veterans can utilize this, which gives them the resources they need to be able to take advantage of the contracts that are out there for women. My business isn’t quite woman-certified yet, but I’m almost there, and often when I share that with government entities, many of them are looking for female-owned companies to do business with. My thought is to get

Let’s talk turkey

on’t get your feathers ruffled if you have a hard time getting some gobblers this spring.

Biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) say Texas Rio Grande wild turkey numbers are way up, thanks to well-timed rainfall and cooler summer conditions over the years. The conditions have been optimal for turkey reproduction and recruitment, which means that many areas where turkeys were lost due to drought are seeing a comeback.

While more turkeys may seem like great news for hunters, the early spring green-up and abundance of hens this year may impact breeding behavior and make them not as willing to come to the call this season.

Have you found associations to be helpful for women?

I have found that networking does make a difference and you can meet a lot of people fast if you belong to associations. Honestly, I wish I could network more but I am so busy.

How would you encourage women to broaden their knowledge of owning a business or working in the industry?

There’s so much knowledge out there. My advice would be to read a lot of books. I try to read one or two books every month. I make notes and try to take an idea from every book I read and implement it into what I’m doing. I love Napoleon Hill’s How to Win Friends and Influence People; I reread that book as many times as I can. I think it’s about just life lessons in general; it’s a good book.

I try to read every newspaper I can get my hands on and I try to watch every news station. I don’t like to focus on one; my thought is to listen to every one of them and form my own opinions.

tries that have the least amount of wage disparity. Not only do you get paid better, you are choosing a job that has a skill that pays better than many entry level jobs.

Are there networking groups for women wanting to go into the construction field?

NAWIC (National Association for Women in Construction) is a great place for women to network. One of the things I appreciate about NAWIC and being involved in the network there is getting to know professional contacts. They are focusing on getting both men and women into the construction industry and they provide scholarships too. There is scholarship money available and it can be used toward college or trade school.

The more people are involved, that will give you more people to mentor.

Yes! The construction field can be a very rewarding career. If someone likes schedules, and they are organized and like numbers, this could be a good career move for them. Then there’s the project management route, which is a great career choice. You can utilize your skill set and do a job that you love.

Experience or education – which is most important?

Experience is a huge factor. Even though many companies are requiring more education, it’s good to ultimately build respect within the industry for you as a person, and it comes from the knowledge you gained through experience. –dh

What lessons have you learned along the way?

Every time you make a mistake, don’t let it get you down. Just keep going. There are a lot of pitfalls, and no one really knows what to tell you and what to do. You just learn as you go.

One good thing is my partner and I never took a loan; we sat down and said, “We’re just going to build our capital by focusing on sales first.” I do believe that’s why you don’t see us on all of the job sites; we didn’t have the money to go out and invest in containers to put on the job sites. But for the last three years we have just focused on selling, selling, selling and every bit of that money is reinvested into our inventory so that we could have inventory to put out on the job sites.

What do you hope the future holds for your business?

My competitors are at all of the construction sites. I’d love it if I could drive down any street in the Metroplex and I could see Container King containers on all of the job sites. That would be my dream.

Container King offers mobile offices and containers for construction job sites. – mjm

Apparently, flocks are already beginning to break up and the toms have been strutting for a few weeks now.

“That means many hens could become interested in breeding near opening day of the season, effectively hampering a hunter’s chance of luring love-struck gobblers,” Jason Hardin, TPWD Upland Game Bird Program specialist, says. “If you do go early in the season, some of the best hunting could be mid-day after hens split off from males. However, by mid-season most of the hens should be bred and incubating eggs, leaving a large number of mature gobblers looking for love. Also, if conditions remain mild and if we get in a few more timely rain events, Texas can expect another good year of nesting and populations growth.”

Turkey season for the Rio Grande – North Zone runs April 1- May 14. –mjm

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 19

continued from Page 1 — A flare for air That was San Marcos Air, opened in 1986 by Bill Mann and purchased by Novak and a silent partner in 2012. Rick Gonzales is vice president.

Currently, there are 40 employees and Novak retained all the office and admin staff that came with the company.

The logo is “No shortcuts, no surprises.”

“Our culture is one of respect and professionalism,” he says. “We believe when you treat employees with respect, they will treat customers with respect.

We have a family atmosphere and that’s very important.

“When I look at new hires, I look at will they fit in here because culture is so important. If the culture is good, that spills over to the customers.

“The thing that gets me excited and drives me the most is seeing my employees do well and be successful.”

San Marcos Air Conditioning Service cites a lot of charter schools, office, restaurant and retail as part of its workload, including the Seguin Public Library, Gold’s Gyms, Ross Dress for Less, breweries, and YMCA’s.

Novak’s goals for the company include growth.

“I’d like to double the size in the next five years, specifically the service side,” he says. “In terms of revenue, we quadrupled in the first three years of ownership.” –cw

SM Air is a HVAC mechanical contractor in San Marcos.

continued from Page 1 — Amazing elevator for Austin world’s fastest elevator and tallest elevator in a building.

“The one we are going to build in Austin will top 4,000 ft., easily taller than the 2,074-ft Shanghai Tower and the 2,165 ft.

The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, currently under construction,” McDonald says. “Guests will have an option of taking the slow ascent, in order to take advantage of the views, or for those daredevils seeking a thrill, they can choose the other option which will take them up to the top at a rate of 100 ft. per second and when they get to the top, they will be propelled into the atmosphere. Of course, they will be outfitted with parachutes for a safe landing afterwards.”

When asked what would happen if the wrong button was pushed and guests without parachutes ended up on the fast run into airspace, McDonald said

a helicopter with a catchall basket will always be on standby at the top for wayward, free falling tourists.

Where will the next greatest Austin attraction be located and when will it be available for that maiden journey? McDonald says the curious will just have to wait until next April Fool’s Day to find that out! Gotcha! –cw About the photo: thyssenkrupp is actually in the design process of bringing MULTI, the world’s first rope-free elevator that will harness the power of linear motor technology to move multiple cars in a single shaft both vertically and horizontally. This part is not an April Fool’s joke – thyssenkrupp has actually built a test facility in Germany, pictured, to design and build this new elevator technology.

Round-Up Halff Associates Inc. has welcomed Richard Grayum, PE, LEED AP, as a senior project manager in Austin Land and Site Development. Grayum brings more than 20 years of varied experience in civil engineering. Grayum is a licensed engineer in the State of Texas and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional. He volunteers as the president of the Balcones Civic Association and the District 10 City Council appointee for the Environmental Commission. He earned his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Houston.

Round-Up Submissions

Submit Info & Photo:

DCA Construction recently announced the promotion of Kevin Foltermann to partner.

Foltermann joined the firm in 2005 as a project manager/estimator.

He graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in construction science and joined DCA shortly after.

Since joining the firm, some of his key projects include Lantana Ridge Office Park, Bluebonnet Electric headquarters and retail centers in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.

Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net

(210) 308-5800

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Flynn win

continued from Page 1 —No rest in renovating these rooms

MW3 Associates in a general contractor specializing in interior finish outs. –cw

GC Flynn Construction is working on the Retama Hall Dormitory Remodel in San Marcos.

The project should be finished in July. L-R: Flynn’s David Garza, Art Campbell and David Jenkins stand in front of the elevator shaft built by Tejas Elevator Co. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

On their oath MW3A’s recent restroom remodel was finished in seven weeks and the contractor will be doing the second floor bathrooms next.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Tilting towards finished

Ernest Alba, Central Texas Tilt Wall, is a subcontractor on this soon-to-be retail space in Austin. The GC on the project is Knight Construction. –cw

Texas Statewide Construction Credit Group swore in its new board of directors during a general meeting in Austin. Taking their vows were Lori J Drake, president/chairman; Austin LaFaille, CBA vice president; Tami Gardner Behner, secretary ; and Belinda Miller Haynes, treasurer. Committee chairs also took on their roles at the ceremony, including Stephen Wilson, New Member Orientation; Joel N Gloria Macias, Programs and Hospitality; Toby Brutsman, Legislation; Jason Walker and Molly Atlas, Finance; and Audit Susan Viereck Interchange / Ethics Gloria Macias. –cw

Page 20

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Frostbite fun

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reater Austin Contractors & Engineers Association had its annual Frostbite Golf Tournament on Feb. 27. Congrats to the winners! Rob Reyes, J.L. Powers & Associates, shot a hole in one to cap off a perfect day on the greens. –cw 1st Flight 1st place: Casey Carnes, Dewitt Carnes, Bobby Tarbutton, Steve Hampton

3rd place: Brent Cummings, Michael Ehrhardt, Michael Stevens, Brandon Dewbre 3rd Flight

2nd place: Brennan Eklund, Ben Busby, Karl Sonntag, Zach Juarez

1st place: Logan Edmonson, Mike Chaney, Jim Ladner, Greg Hampton

3rd place: J.J. Michael, Wayne Voswinkle, Raul Gonzalez, Carlos Ismola

2nd place: Stan Reece, Kevin Ramberg, Eric Brown , Steve Free

2nd Flight

3rd place: Bobby Evans, Arthur Carrasco, Luis Chavez, Robert Salinas

1st place: Cody Chambliss, Roland Nunez, Glen Dvorak, Jeff Kana 2nd place: Chris Heck, Sean Blanchard, Alan McArthur, Robert Pavur

Closest to the Pin: Sean Blanchard Longest Drive: Jim Ladner

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Central Texas

NARI

Associated Builders & Contractors

Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Apr. 7: CPR Class, 1-3:30pm Apr. 27: Meet the Contractors, 4-7pm, at Norris Convention Center May 5: Spring Golf Tournament, 11am6:30pm, at Grey Rock Golf Club For more information, (512) 719-5263

Apr. 12: “Know Your Numbers” training and lunch, 11am-1pm, Sunshine Camp, 2225 Andrew Zilker Road Call Kayvon at 512-375-2601 for more information

ACCA

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Air Conditioning Contractors of Amer.

Apr. 5: Chapter meeting, Big Daddy’s Burgers, 9070 Research Blvd.

May 3: Chapter meeting, Big Daddy’s Burgers, 9070 Research Blvd.

For more information, austinnawic.org

Apr. 13: Membership luncheon at 11:30 am at Dave & Busters Auditorium May 4: 2017 ACEA Central Texas Infrastructure & Design Construction Symposium, 8am at Austin Convention Center For more information, 512-836-3140

AIA American Institute of Architects

Apr. 18: Luncheon speaker series at Mercury Hall, 615 Cardinal Lane, 11:30am1pm. Speaker: Daniel S. Hart, FAIA, PE, Parkhill, Smith & Cooper.

For more information, (512) 452-4332

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

May 4: Electrical Tradeshow & Wire-Off Competition (1-6pm) and general membership luncheon (11:30am-1pm) at Norris Conference Center, San Antonio.

NAWIC

RCAT Roofing Contractors of Texas

Apr. 27-29: Annual Fishing Tournament and quarterly membership meeting at Woody’s Sport Center in Port Aransas.

For more information, (512) 251-7690

USGBC U.S. Green Building Council

Apr. 20: UT Medical Center Tour, http:// usgbctexas.org/events Apr. 22: Earth Day Event at Houston Tillotson University, http://usgbctexas.org/ events For more information, 512-470-9923

Submitted to Construction News

First Flight 1st place

CAT caught in Dallas

Second Flight 1st place

Third Flight 1st place

Networking was the name of the game at the annual Build Expo. Mar. 15-16 at Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Austin was represented by HOLT CAT among others. –cw Hole in One

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Construction News ON LOCATION

Canyon can-do

Smile CAT-cher

Lance Snider, Austin Canyon Corporation, is project superintendent on this retail/ medical space under construction. One part, due to be finished in November, is leased

by Austin Regional Clinic, while the adjoining shells will be finished in June. –cw

Megan Stotts, inside sales rep, has a big smile ready for customers at Texas First CAT Rental in San Marcos. –cw

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 21

Bringing on the eats

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ssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter had its ABCOSHA Partnership Chili/BBQ Cook Off on Mar. 9 at VFW Post 8787 in Austin.

Plenty of teams left with awards and everybody had a great time. –cw (not pictured: Third place chili - Biggs Plumbing)

People’s Choice Award: Beckett Electrical Services

1st place chili: Texas Concrete

2nd place chili: OSHA

3rd place beans: SpawGlass

1st place ribs: BCS

1st place mystery meat and 2nd place beans: Beckett Electrical Services

2nd place ribs: Builders Gypsum

3rd place chicken: Slater Painting Company

3rd place mystery meat: DPR

3rd place ribs: Bergelectric

2nd place chicken: TDIndustries

1st place beans: JE Dunn

2nd place mystery meat: SpawGlass

1st place chicken: Builders Gypsum

Submitted to Construction News

Submitted to Construction News

Sweet shooting

Thanks!

Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Centex Chapter had its annual Guns and Roses Valentine’s Day Shootout at Austin’s newest shooting facility, The Range, on Feb. 14. Pictured above, Matt Tolbert, president of Global Electric, and friend, Tina Soules, took first place at the event. –cw

Swinerton Builders hosted a Subcontractor Safety Appreciation Breakfast for its 160,000-sf project at the Domain, AUS13 Domain 8 Project. Custom Yeti ramblers were handed out to the subcontractor that has gone above and beyond this last month. About 100 people attended the event. –cw

Page 22

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Paying it forward

Tim Tadlock, Red Raiders head coach with Cody Creamer, left.

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everal years ago, C2Mechanical Services LLC owner Mike Creamer and his son, Cody, were spending a Sunday afternoon working on Mike’s wife’s Jeep in the barn.

“We live out on a little ranch and we have burn piles going out there on a regular basis,” Creamer says.

Cody, who had just entered high school, threw shock absorbers from the Jeep into the trash, which he then emptied into the burn pile. Thirty minutes later, while standing nearby, one of the shock absorbers exploded, causing a flash fire that caught Cody.

Creamer says Cody was burned on pretty much every part of his body that was exposed – his face, arms, ears and hands. Cody was burned over 21 percent of his body.

“The worst of it hit him on his hands and arms,” Creamer says.

The family immediately left for the nearest hospital in Georgetown, where Cody was sent on within an hour to Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, one of the country’s premier places for

children with burns.

Although Cody was never considered in critical condition, he spent a month in the intensive care unit at the hospital – where Mike ran his business from the hospital room.

“I’ve got a contractor business. I can’t just shut down because my son was in the hospital. They let me set up an office in his room,” Mike says. “I ran my whole business spread out on a floor in a hospital room in Galveston. My customers understood.”

Cody has had eight surgeries and is facing one more, but Creamer says he has full function of everything.

“He was young,” he says. “The scarring is fairly minimal. He’s had some skin grafts but all the recent surgeries have been to smooth out some scar tissue.”

In fact, due to the intensive work done at the hospital to keep his circulation and nerves protected in his hands, Cody started playing the guitar as part of his physical therapy.

The Shriners do not accept payment from any family whose child they treat.

Even those with the ability to pay, like the Creamers, are not charged.

“We’ve never been charged a dime,” Creamer says. “Everything our insurance didn’t cover, they took care of. That’s why we donate to them. They didn’t have to do this for us. They never asked for any money so we are paying it back in full plus some.”

Besides the Creamer’s financial donations, part of that payback includes Cody, who doesn’t like the limelight and prefers to be low key, helping the Shriners by filming a commercial with the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team that can be seen on YouTube. He also speaks to people to tell the story of what happened and how the Shriners helped him.

“Nobody at his high school actually knew that he had filmed a commercial and was on national TV,” Creamer says.

“Cody doesn’t want to be treated like a victim. The only way some of them found out is they follow the Red Raider Baseball Team and they saw tweets about it the

Cody Creamer, left, and Landon Coats, right, spent a day with the Texas Tech baseball team.

day Cody and Landon Coats (another boy who was helped by the Shriners) went up and hung out with the team.”

The Creamers are happy to do whatever they can to raise awareness for the Shriners and what they do for families of injured kids – and to make everyone aware of how dangerous fire can be.

“Cody’s goal is to let parents and kids see the dangers of a simple burn pile and hopefully others will not have to go through what he has,” Creamer says. “Be very careful with fire!” –cw

Cody Creamer throws out the first pitch at the Texas Tech vs Ole Miss. Saturday game of the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic in March.

Austin Construction News • APR 2017

Page 23

Here comes the pitch!

What was the first thing you bought with your own money? bought with my own money was parts to fix the mower so I could mow lawns to make money.

Clay Howry, Hidell Builders Supply

Stevie Ham, accounting manager for Alden Roofing in Austin, bought these with her entire first paycheck in 2005 to wear to a New Years Eve Party. She thought it was such a smart purchase at the time! lol Melanie Knox, Alden Roofing

Starting when I was 11 or 12, I would babysit. My girlfriends and I would go to Highland Mall almost every Saturday and shop at Spencer’s Gifts. I bought patchouli oil, cheap costume jewelry, gag gifts, racy T-shirts, and posters. I remember one poster I loved was the one with where a “hippie” girl stuck a daisy in the barrel of a soldiers rifle. Make love not war….

Debbie Richardson, Hidell Builders Supply When I was about 9, I had a walking paper route. And as a son of a WWII vet, I played cowboys and Indians with toy guns. The first item I bought with my route money was a plastic gun. Had it about a week and realized it was a waste of money and not worth it.

Monty McMillan, Hidell Builders Supply I was 17 and had saved my money to buy a 1955 green 2-door Chevy Sedan. I didn’t know how to drive yet so I had to have my older brother drive it home for me.

Daniel Alcala, Hidell Builders Supply

I’ve bought a lot of boring things with my own money BUT recently purchased my first real piece of art. It was a big deal for me and I’m quite proud of it, so I’m going to go with that for my answer. I attached a picture. The artist is Kiah Denson.

Stacy Johnson, Austin Canyon Corporation

When I was 8 years old, my grandfather gave me an old broken lawnmower and a book on how to repair it. The first thing I

A Daisy BB Gun! It had so little power you could follow the BB with your eyes once it came out of the gun!

Nick Page, Nick’s Bricks Masonry Inc. I bought a 1996 Mustang GT Convertible when I was 19 – Loved that car!

Sandra Johnson, Edge Electric Probably a Debbie Gibson cassette tape or Tiger Beat!

Sara Wilkus, Travis Roofing and Supply

Dazed to raise

Pictured, front, L-R: Marco Barrio, Cassidy Emens, Veronica Emens, Tamara Ary, Terri Fleming and Braylon Byford; back, L-R: Andrew Smith, Fred Emens, Jason Ary, Nathan Ary and Chantal Nieft.

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ogers-O-Brien Construction sent a team called the RO Rollers – Dazed & Confused to participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Texas Bowl for Kids Sake. This year’s theme was Peace, Love & Bowling – GROOVY Baby!

“This was our 10th year of participation and

we raised $3,391, which will go towards the recruitment of volunteers, screenings to ensure child safety, and to providing ongoing support to children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships,” says Rogers-O’Brien team member Terri Fleming. –cw

Advanced Seed Stage winner at HOLT Ventures SXSW Industrial Pitch Competition L-R: Adam Bridgman, director, HOLT Ventures; Charlie Strickland, managing director, HOLT Ventures; Corinna Holt Richter, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, HOLT CAT; Brian Lowry, investment manager, Caterpillar Ventures; Lu Yan, CEO, Yan Engines; Peter John Holt, executive vice president and general manager, HOLT CAT; Dave Harris, president and COO, HOLT CAT

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OLT Ventures, the investment arm of heavy equipment dealer HOLT CAT, hosted its first-ever SXSW Industrial Pitch Competition Mar. 14 at the SXSW Startup Village in Austin. Three Texas companies made it to the finals, and one of them won in its category.

Partnering with Caterpillar Ventures, Brick & Mortar Ventures, and Cottonwood Technology Fund, HOLT Ventures hosted the live pitch competition to discover and expedite technology innovation in the construction, resource, energy, and transportation industries.

At the competition, 15 finalists from across the country – and two from Europe, specifically the UK and Netherlands – competed in three categories. The categories were classed according the maturity stage of the projects: Seed Stage, Advanced Seed Stage and Series A/B Stage.

Each category had one finalist representing Texas with Genesis Dimensions, Houston, competing in the Seed Stage;

Yan Engines, Austin, competing in the Advanced Seed Stage; and Bractlet Inc., Austin, competing in the A/B Stage.

Only one of the Texas companies emerged victorious. Yan Engines won the Advanced Seed Stage with a D-Cycle piston it is developing to increase fuel efficiency 20 percent as a retrofit or designed into existing engines.

PermitZone, based in Raleigh, NC, won the Seed Stage, with a simple way to apply for, pay for, and receive permits online. 5D Robotics won the A/B Stage with micro positioning that can replace or enhance GPS over a large area.

Each of the winning companies received a portion of the $50,000 cash prize as well as exclusive tours of HOLT CAT with the company’s executive team and Caterpillar’s R&D and machine testing facilities in Peoria, IL. They also received pitch presentation feedback and strategy coaching from Brick & Mortar Ventures and Cottonwood Technology. –mh

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Austin Construction News • APR 2017