San Antonio Construction News April 2017

Covering the Industry’s News

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Volume 19

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Number 4

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APRIL 2017

Phoenix takes flight

Picking up the mic

L-R: Chardae Mollere Rodriguez and Annette Mollere recently opened their own survey supply company, Phoenix Geosystems.

In auditioning for The Voice, Jennifer Swinney might be leaving the local construction industry behind for a singing career.

hough Annette Mollere and her daughter, Chardae Mollere Rodriguez, tragically lost husband and father James Rodriguez in 2015, they have strived to return to the business to which he introduced both of them.

That’s why the mother-daughter team opened Phoenix Geosystems at 12746 Cimarron Path, Suite 145, in April.

“Though Chardae and I have suffered great emotional losses, we continued to work towards our family goals,” says Annette. “Hence the name Phoenix Geosystems; Chardae and I have decided to pursue a life that can only be described as arising from the ashes. To say that it was a tragedy for my daughter and I to lose him is an understatement.”

James and Annette started dating when they were 17 and were married for 38 years. Starting in 1997, she worked closely with him in developing market segments such as BIM, UAVs, MEP, machine control, and public safety as well doing marketing, sales, customer support and managing their location.

Before working with her husband, Annette taught CAD and 3D modeling at UTSA, SAC and other area colleges.

Chardae, an aerospace and industrial systems engineer, has worked with NASA in robotic systems, Johnson Controls in HVAC, and Turner Construction as a business development engineer. continued on Page 24

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hat started out as a joke has turned into a potentially lifechanging path for Jennifer Swinney, executive director of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter.

Since she’s always singing around the office, around the house, on road trips, and has sung in high school musicals and at churches, a few of her friends suggested she should audition for The Voice. She dismissed it as a joke, knowing that that you have to be outstanding to even have a shot at those singing competitions.

“Then, I realized that it’s not about the races that you win; it’s about the races that you’re brave enough to run,”

says Swinney. “So I thought, ‘Why not?’

“I’ve been singing since I was a little girl! I can remember dancing around my room singing the hits of Dolly Parton, Olivia Newton-John – in her Grease and Xanadu years – and ABBA (we lived in Germany when I was younger).”

Though she’s never sung professionally – unless putting on concerts for her parents counts, she says with a laugh – she has been blessed to receive encouragement and support from all of her friends and family as she prepares for the audition.

“Since the first audition is completely a cappella, I wanted to show vocal range as well as good pitch, so I picked ‘Words continued on Page 24

Craftsman brings new look to Woodlake

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ince Dale Culbertson, president of EIB Contractors, has been doing James Avery Craftsman Inc. jewelry stores for more than 20 years, building the James Avery at Woodlake Crossing, 6914 Highway 78, was like second nature to him.

Culbertson has built more than 100 new James Avery stores across the country and has done countless repairs and upgrades for the jeweler, and so he knows these stores inside and out.

A few years ago, James Avery completely redesigned their stores, but Culbertson has already done several in the new style, including stores in Houston, Dallas, Austin and the first one in the new design in San Antonio, built at South Park Mall in 2014. The Woodlake location is the second in San Antonio to be built in this new style, which Culbertson describes as brighter with a high-end finish out.

Completed by EIB Contractors, the James Avery store at Woodlake Crossing is the second location in San Antonio to be built in the jeweler’s new design style.

As project manager for the job, Culbertson estimates it takes about three months for them to do a James Avery store. Always located in shopping malls or centers, James Avery turns a lease space over to EIB for demo of the former occupant’s store and build of the new James Avery.

The Woodlake location is 3,224sf, and EIB built the sales area, a break room, two restrooms, and a product care room where they can repair broken jewelry that anyone brings in. James Avery furnishes a polish machine that EIB installs for them as well as custom-built sales and stock counters for the sales area. EIB does the cabinets for the back room, break room and work area.

“When I first started building the stores, I dealt directly with Paul Avery, who is James Avery’s son,” recalls Culbertson. “Now, I deal with their project continued on Page 24

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Traditional Korean building in SA

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he Korean Pavilion in Denman Estate Park is a structure like no other in San Antonio. Designated as a monument as a gift from sister city Gwangju, South Korea, its construction followed Korean building traditions.

“Traditional Korean structures do not have a below grade foundation,” says Christopher Kimm, AIA, WestEast Design Group. “All of the building’s

weight is in the roof. Like a boat, the structure uses a ballast, which is located in the roof. The building is supported and held in place by the weight of the structure (the building is so heavy it doesn’t move). The pavilion weighs 79 metric tons.

“No nails, screws, anchors or bolts are used in the construction process. The pavilion is constructed out of pine from

Traditional Korean artists did all of the painting by hand.

Denman Estate Park, off Callaghan and Fredericksburg Road, is unique among San Antonio buildings and construction projects.

Canada that was taken back to Korea where the building parts were made and the structure was pre-assembled.”

After about three months of site preparation, the foundation stones were placed on top of the grade. A modified chainsaw carved and cut the bottom of the foundation pillars to match the surface contour of the foundation stones, allowing the foundation pillars to sit securely on the stones. Salt was laid between the foundation stone and wooden foundation pillars to prevent termites from eating the wood.

“Once the foundation pillars have

been cut to the same height, the wooden floor is assembled over the pillars and the columns are raised on top of the floor,” he explains. “A special ceremony is held when the center ridge beam is raised. A small portion of the center beam is hollowed out and serves as a time capsule. Inside are the names of the builders and the owner. Traditionally, they also placed money and precious metals and stones in here so that the next generation has financial assistance in maintaining the structure.

“Once the pavilion was constructed, the structure was stained with bright colors. A stain is used so that the color soaks into the wood rather than sitting on the surface. Mythical creatures are painted on the pavilion to ward off evil

spirits. No patterns were used to paint the pavilion, only the skills of the artist.”

Four “living human treasures” from Korea were involved in the pavilion’s construction: master stonemason, roofer, carpenter and painter. In Korea, individuals are designated human treasures if they are masters or experts in a skill set or

possess a knowledge base related to cultural heritage, and they are encouraged to pass their knowledge and skills on to keep the traditions alive.

Completed in June 2010, the pavilion took two months to construct and about two weeks to stain. Twelve people came from Korea to attend the opening ceremony, including the mayor of Gwangju. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

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Perfecto teamwork

Working with water everywhere

L-R: Kevin Bonner and Perfecto Cruz, Perfect Floors, do tile for exterior jobs as well as interior jobs.

Scott Hicks and Melany Larenas are heading up Raba Kistner’s new coastal and hydraulic engineering services.

ith a name like Perfecto Cruz, the 24-year-old contractor’s company could only be called Perfect Floors.

With his father, uncle and even sisters in the same business, Cruz learned from his dad and has been doing floors and tile since he was 15. About two years ago, he struck out on his own with Perfect Floors, and he has been growing it slowly.

Wherever someone wants to put tile – whether it’s rock, stone, ceramic or another of the many kinds – Cruz says he will put it up. Whatever goes on the floors or walls, he notes, “I do it all,” such as the stone mosaic he did recently for the exterior of the China Sun restaurant on Naco-Perrin.

Though the company is still small and they do several small jobs, they are also able to take on big jobs, because Cruz teams with his family’s other companies on larger jobs. His brother and cousins do the same work, so if any of them gets a big job, they band

together under whoever landed the job.

Together with his family’s other companies, Cruz has done hotels, which he says have presented the biggest challenge. He gets everybody in his family who is in the business involved in those jobs, because there are so many rooms, which have tile and carpet, to knock out in a certain amount of time. He makes sure he doesn’t rush his jobs, saying, “I take pride in my work, because I really like to do this.”

As a family man, Cruz has two young daughters, Serena and Serenity with his wife, Gabriella. He spends a lot of his time with family and trying to stay active. He likes to play basketball, and he and his family are big Spurs fans and go to the games with their kids whenever they can.

Perfect Floors does interior and exterior tile, backsplash, carpet, showers, wood laminate and all floor repairs for residential and commercial projects anywhere in Texas. –mh

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ith the addition of Scott Hicks, PE, and Melany Larenas, PG, Raba Kistner’s environmental group recently added coastal and hydraulic engineering to its services.

Hicks and Larenas will continue working as a team at Raba Kistner as they have the past three years before joining the firm.

Working in Texas for most of his career, Hicks is Raba Kistner’s new director of coastal engineering. Larenas, a coastal geologist, is the firm’s new director of coastal services and has also worked throughout the Gulf Coast.

“Scott and I kind of complement each other in the work that we do, and a lot of the engineering requires some component of geotechnical and geophysical work, and that’s where I come into play,” says Larenas.

The new service offerings include shoreline protection, beach and wetland restoration, artificial reef design, port and navigation channel design, resiliency

studies, marina and boating facilities, bulkhead and seawalls, dredging and sediment disposal and sand search investigations among others.

Concerned with protection from coastal storms and erosion as well as hydrology inland that can cause flooding and water quality issues, they note that the ripples of these environmental waves can have a serious impact.

This is why Hicks and Larenas focus on projects that can help protect the coast and any areas affected by hydraulic issues, because as Hicks explains, with five of the 25 largest ports in the country in Texas, “It’s a huge economic driver and national security interest, not only for the region but for the nation.”

Based in San Antonio, Raba Kistner Inc. is an engineering consulting firm with Texas offices in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, Freeport, Houston, Lake Worth, McAllen and New Braunfels. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Stepping up to the plate

Here comes the pitch!

Mike Bratten, Beicker Consultants, is helping his son, Tyler, bring a batting/pitching lane to Universal City Park.

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

hen choosing a project to earn his rank as an Eagle Scout, Tyler Bratten turned to his love of baseball for inspiration and his father and scoutmaster, Mike Bratten, PE, a partner at Beicker Consultants, for help.

With his dad as his project coach, 17-year-old Tyler wants to build a batting/ pitching lane at Universal City Park. It will be a single-lane, open-air netted enclosure about 14x70-ft with a 14-ft-tall chain-link fence for security.

Mike, who has been at Beicker for five years now going back to when it was Beicker Martinez, is working on the project with his son, but it was Tyler’s idea to give back to Universal City.

Though they moved to Cibolo a couple years ago, both Mike and his son were born and raised in Universal City.

Tyler grew up playing at Tri-City Little League, as did his dad. Today, Tyler floats between the varsity and JV baseball team as a catcher and as a junior at Judson High School, and he hopes to play in college.

“The reason he chose this project is he lives, sleeps and breathes baseball,” says Mike.

Tyler will essentially be the project manager for the job. Since he needs to show leadership for this project, he will be the one talking to contractors about what needs to be done while Mike assists and helps schedule contractors.

Mike is also fundraising for the estimated $15,000 needed to build the project. He notes that Terracon, where he worked for four years before joining Beicker, is planning to donate to the project, as is his own firm. Mike’s family has gathered together $4,000 for it and Tri-City Little League has put down $2,000 for it.

The project needs to be completed

by Tyler’s 18th birthday, Jul. 2, for him to become an Eagle Scout, a rank only about 4 percent of Boy Scouts earn. Estimating that the build will take three weeks to a month, they hope to start construction in early June. –mh

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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

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

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Contractors visit Vegas

National recognition

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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, FL, Feb. 28-Mar. 2. Several Texas firms were awarded the coveted Eagles and Pyramids. Below is a list of construction firms in the San Antonio area that won. –cw

AGC San Antonio won the AGC in the Community – Special Achievement Award for its members’ participation in volunteer work on Morgan’s Inspiration Island last year.

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he 98th annual convention of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) was held Mar. 7-9 in Las Vegas in conjunction with CONEXPO-CON/ AGG.

Each day featured a silent auction as well as educational sessions on a variety of subjects from “Are Schools Really a Viable Talent Pipeline?” to “Lean Into BIM: BIM Only Works if it is Profitable.”

The convention also included Willis Towers Watson Construction Safety Excellence Awards Breakfast, the Alliant Build America Awards Luncheon, and the AGC in the Community Awards.

“We had well over 2,500 attendees, incredible speakers, a lot of energy, and

probably one of the youngest crowds we have ever seen,” says Brian Turmail, senior executive director of public affairs for AGC of America.

“It was a great convention with many opportunities to hear about what is going on with AGC on a national level with legislative issues and our economy,” says Michael Sireno, president of AGC San Antonio and Baker Triangle San Antonio. “It was an honor to represent the San Antonio chapter of the AGC and receive the top award for our charity work on Morgan’s Inspiration Island. It goes to show you how our contractors come together to support and give back to the community!” –mh

San Antonio members at the Chapter Dinner

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TIC – The Industrial Company

General: Industrial – $25 to $100 Million; Eagle Award: TIC – The Industrial Company; Elk Station Units 2 & 3, Abernathy Mechanical – Over $10 million; Pyramid Award: TDIndustries Inc.; One Frost, San Antonio Infrastructure – Heavy; Pyramid Award: Middleman Construction Co. LLC; Singing Hills, Bulverde TDIndustries

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Completely floored

J&R Tile recently remodeled the floor of a lobby at Travis Park Plaza for Kevin Covey & Graystreet Partners, the owner and developer of the building. The owners demoed the floor, and then J&R came in to do an Ardex self-leveling application to receive a 28”x56” Dekton Cosentino “Domoos” flooring on a 1/16” grout joint.

The end result was perfectly flat with the company’s MLT system. The leads on the job were ACT/CTI Triniti Vigil and ACT/CTI Adam Arrellano, assisted by apprentices Ezekiel Rodriguez and Pedro Villanueva. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Gary Haby President Service Mechanical Group

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s the 20th anniversary of Service Mechanical Group (SMG) approaches, Gary Haby, one of the company’s original founders, serves as its president and is celebrating his 70th birthday this month. Today, two of his sons work for the company that he helped establish.

As he looks back at how he got to where he is now, he also looks ahead.

With him and his family participating in the stock show, he sees the young people of the next generation and watches them grow and contribute back to society. The message he takes from this is to “invest in the future,” referring to the kids. “That’s the future right there, and you’ve got to make it good,” he says.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up north of Castroville in a small town called Rio Medina. I attended St. Louis Catholic School out there for eight years, and then I went to a public school, Medina Valley, which was established about the time I became a freshman. I attended college at San Antonio College. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do so I was in computer programming.

In the meantime, the Vietnam War was going on. So, I joined the Reserves, and probably after about a year-and-ahalf of college, our Reserve unit got called up to active duty. I served about 24 months. I was stationed mostly in the states. I was an aircraft engine mechanic, and we worked in their tech school at Hamilton Air Force Base in California, which was very interesting. I had very good teachers there.

We worked with the instructors setting up the classes. We were actually students, and we were kind of the instructors’ assistants. We’d set up the class for whatever they were going to learn that day on a particular aircraft engine. But we were learning also.

What did you do after your service?

I came back to San Antonio and went back to school. I was going to get into

computer programming, but of course, after that time [had passed], everything had changed. So, I was really behind the times.

I talked to some people before I went into the Air Force about getting into the HVAC trade, but I never really pursued it. I had a lot of guys telling me it was a good trade. At that time, the school offered what they called mechanical and environmental technology. You’d go to SAC for two years, and you could transfer to the University of Houston and get a bachelor’s of science.

I went to SAC for two years. I went to University of Houston a year, and during that time, I met my wife. We ended up getting married, and I never did finish school. But I did have a good background.

It was a very high-tech school.

I ended up working for the Phil Price Company. It was a HVAC rep here in San Antonio. They were like a mechanical contractor supplier. I worked for a guy by the name of Dale Vickers. The reason he hired me was because I had attended the University of Houston, which he had graduated from.

What was it like working for them?

It was interesting. I was in the sales, the service part of it, and we actually did the start up of it. I learned every aspect of the field that we had to get into. I looked at a plan, sold the equipment, made sure it was installed right, and then we’d go out in the field and place it in operation.

They had a very good regular service tech that I worked with there. His name was Waymond Keener. That was pretty good experience. I learned a whole lot.

Of course, my background, being in the tech school that I went to – he knew the hands on, but I knew the theory of it, and him and I worked great together. He always told me, “I’m impressed how you can remember everything and know so much about this so young.” I was probably 24. I said, “Well, I don’t know everything.”

How long did you work there?

Probably about three years, and then Mr. Vickers went into the mechanical contracting business, and he asked me if I wanted to go with him. I had some reservations, but I did go with him. I learned a lot about the contracting part of it and the installation part of it.

Then, I had a good background. So, I could communicate well with the suppliers. Also, I was helping on all of their control work. I worked for him probably two or three years in that part of it. Then, of course, at that time, I had more experience, and the Phil Price Company wanted to expand into a service company. So, I went back to work for Mr. Keener. And he and I did start up service, and we serviced chillers and boilers.

And I would help Dale – go in and help them on their controls, kind of part-time. Of course, when you’re young and married and have a kid, you need extra money.

Gary Haby has spent his life in the mechanical industry, and at Service Mechanical Group, he is still an active part of the two-decade legacy he helped build.

Then, Mr. Price passed away, and the service company stayed in business. That was about 1977, and I worked with Waymond in the service business maybe a little bit longer, and then Mr. Don O’Toole – he used to be a service tech for Trane, and he opened his own business.

I went to work for him in March of 1978. He also hired a lady whose name was Judy Dreggors. She knew the mechanical side of it, and she was our office manager. She was an amazing lady.

I could call her out of Laredo, and the next morning, the parts were sitting at the bus station. I don’t know how she got them – that was back before the Internet, and she did a very good job.

I worked with Don from ’78 to ’95. In the meantime, we hired several techs, and Don was a very good person to work for. And the guys we had were just super techs. Everybody got along. And Don let us self-manage. Also, we had a gentleman that Don hired from Trane, Royce Pruitt, who was an excellent person to work for.

He came to work for O’Toole when Ryan, my boy that works here, was born, in August of 1995.

What happened after Don sold the business?

I guess I would say that we were not really set up for corporate operation. The foot didn’t fit the shoe. At O’Toole, things were decided, things happened and things were done. In the corporate world, we had a lot of people making decisions and it wouldn’t work out, because we were all used to self managing. I think they had good intentions, but it didn’t really work out. So, then we established SMG Jul. 14, 1997.

Who were the people who established SMG?

John [Gargotta] came in at Honeywell.

He went to work for Honeywell in San Antonio, and that’s how he met us. We got to know each other. And we said, “We’d really like to break out on our own,” and six of us sat down and formed SMG; Chuck Clark, Dan Parkin, Nolan Wehe, John, Judy Dreggors and myself. Six of us started SMG, and Judy and Nolan have retired, and now it’s the four of us still going.

Tell me about your kids, goats and grandchildren.

My wife is Robbie. I have Shannon, who is my oldest daughter. She was born in ’73. And then we had Michelle. She was born in 1978. Then, we had Ryan, who was born in 1983. And then, we have a set of twin boys, Cody and Cory, who were born in 1985.

Then, I have five grandchildren right now. Shannon has the oldest girl, Brittney, who is 16. And then we have Krista, who is Michelle’s daughter. She’s 10. And then Michelle has another daughter, Kara, who is 7. And then Ryan has a little girl, Ashlyn.

She’s 4. And he has a boy, Caleb, who turned 1 year old in March.

The goats come in because my boys were involved in the Ag programs. At that

time, it was Marshall and O’Connor. The twins went to O’Connor. They were very active – in fact, they were all on the Ag mech[anics] teams and they all went to nationals. Ryan was probably the second highest in the nation when he went. Cody and Cory were second and third. And Ryan’s team came in second, and Cody and Cory’s were second in the nation also.

They each did that two years in a row.

They also built the Ag mechanics projects for the stock shows, and we were a grand champion in San Antonio two years in a row, and then we were a reserve champion in Houston for the projects they built. The girls were active too, showing animals in the stock show.

The girls raised pigs and the boys raised lambs. I think it was all a good experience for them, because it’s a life learning experience. You learn to deal with life in general, because not everything goes your way. You understand that at a competition when you’re in the ring.

The days we spent at those stock shows – you couldn’t have learned that in a classroom. Dealing with the public, the questions they ask and explaining things to them about how it works.

Where do the goats come in?

The granddaughters are the goat girls. We raise goats, because when the boys were raising animals, goats were not part of the stock show, and now they are.

And the girls knew that raising the animals would be a good thing for their daughters to participate in. The girls are really successful at it, because we try to teach that there’s a lot of people who can run at 95 percent, and there’s quite a few people who can run at 100 percent, but as you get up to the 110 and 115 percent – if you’re the best, there’s not a lot of competition.

Anyway, that’s what they focus on and they do a very good job of that.

What about you? What do you focus on in your spare time?

Besides helping the grandkids stay busy going to dance recitals and with the animals, I fish and I hunt. I’ve always liked fishing. When the kids were growing up, we fished at Medina Lake a lot, and we had a little place up there we used to go to. We made vacation trips to Disney World. We set it up every three to four years, and that’s still kind of a tradition.

The whole family goes together.

Are you any relation to the owners of Haby’s Bakery in Castroville?

Yes, that was my dad’s first cousin.

Do you still live near Castroville?

No, I live in Helotes. We’ve been in Helotes about 35 years. My wife is from Helotes. She went to Marshall. She is a preschool principal. She was a stay-athome mom, and then as the boys got older and went to preschool, she started to work there and became the principal of the preschool. So, that’s been about 30 years she’s been involved with preschool.

She loves it. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 7

Leaning forward

Civil-minded

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L-R: Ed Mullins, Project Control; Michael Vickery and Michael Sireno, Baker Triangle; John Barbour, Alterman; Jesse Hernandez, TD Industries

t 58 years old, Roberto Gonzalez is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his firm, GGC Engineers. He has been out on his own as GGC for three decades, more than half of his life.

In 1985, he and two partners started their own firm, GRG Consulting Engineers, but after two years, he and partner Ruben Garcia decided to separate from GRG and form GGC. Though Gonzalez notes he always heard from other engineers that the first five years were the toughest, he says, “It always helps, I think, when there’s two of you as partners, because one partner can dedicate themselves to production design and the other can dedicate themselves to administration of the contracts and going out and looking for work. That’s how it worked with me and Ruben.”

For years, Gonzalez handled contract negotiations and the pursuit of work while Garcia loved to do the design, and together they handled the administration of the business. Then, in 2011, Gonzalez bought his partner out, and today he is president and CEO. Born and raised in San Antonio, Gonzalez began getting involved in the community while networking for his firm.

Among other boards and commissions, he has served on the Airport Advisory Board, the Historical Review Board, and as the chairman of the Avenida Guadalupe Association, which focused on revitalization of part of the West Side.

“We did one of the first senior citizen projects here in San Antonio when Henry Cisneros was the HUD secretary,” he recalls of that time. “Then, I became chairman of the board over at CommuniCare Healthcare, [which has] community-based health clinics that serve the poor, the indigent, the underinsured.”

Though he no longer serves on any

boards, he still finds ways to give back.

GGC took part in the first-ever Bexar County Cowboy Breakfast this year.

He and his wife, Carmen VasquezGonzalez, have been married for 36 years.

Now retired, she worked for the City of San Antonio for about 21 years. She’s currently the executive director of governmental and community affairs with San Antonio ISD. Though he used to go horseback riding and play golf a lot, he still gets to play a little golf and likes to hunt.

GGC Engineers is a civil engineering firm that does roadwork design, commercial development, subdivision work, and wastewater and water design. The firm has done work on the Alamodome, the AT&T Center and Bexar County Hospital. –mh

What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

I bought myself a freestyle BMX bike. I mowed lawns and saved up to build a custom BMX bike.

Mike Bratten, Beicker Consultants

– being at the American School of Tampico and having the vendors outside of the gates. I was 6 or 7.

Jim Rymer, Materials Marketing

It would be my 1994 Ford F-150 I bought with cash. That was the first thing I bought by myself without anybody’s help. That was three years ago.

Nick Yuker, Alterman

I bought a 1988 Mazda truck brand new, out of necessity, when I was 19.

Chuck Carreño, Brothers Electric

Alterman hosted the A4LE/AGC Lean Program and gave attendees a tour of the company’s prefabrication shop.

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s one of the prime examples of a lean contractor, Alterman hosted the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) South Texas Chapter and Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter Lean Program Feb. 21. Attended by more than 100 guests, the event focused on lean construction from a specialty contractor’s perspective and included speakers from Alterman, Baker Triangle and TD Industries.

“Alterman Inc., TD Industries and Baker Triangle all spoke to the attendees about each firm’s lean processes, and the journey each firm is on to continuously improve,” says Denis St. Pierre, executive vice president and COO of Alterman.

“Overall productivity in the construction industry has lagged all other non-farm industries for the last 25 years, and firms like Alterman, TD Industries and Baker Triangle are working hard to reverse this trend.”

Michael Sireno, president of Baker Triangle San Antonio, was one of Baker’s speakers, and he comments, “We are participating because we feel that the

For the longest time, I saved to buy a car.

It turned out to be a brand new ’71 Plymouth GTX. I was doing summer jobs to save money to buy a car, and I had about $1,500 saved up, which would have bought me an average car back in those days. But my dad made a deal – he said if I stayed on the honor roll for a year, he would match that money. So instead of buying an old car, I studied, made good grades, and we bought a new car.

Wesley Johnson, Cameras Onsite When I was a young kid, I used to do chores around the house or neighborhood stuff, whether it be mowing grass or picking up leaves for neighbors, and the first thing I bought with my own money was my sporting equipment. When I was about 6, I played T-ball, and I had to raise money, sell things and do chores to be able to save up enough money to buy my baseball glove.

Joey Biasatti, Austin Materials I think mine was probably a football. I got a football every single year for Christmas, because I loved football. That’s what I recall as being my first purchase, because I think mid-year I had to go buy my own football, because I popped it or broke it or it got left out in the rain, as a young kid. I was probably 6.

Bill Mitchell, Pella South Texas The big one was my wife’s engagement ring in 2011. I was probably saving seven or eight months for it. My wife, Melissa Mitchell, and I got married Apr. 14, 2012.

Will Mitchell, Pella South Texas With my first big leasing commission in real estate, I bought a fire engine red BMW when I was 23.

Sandra Rogers, Texas Parking Lots The first purchase I made with my own money and financed was a 1983 Jeep Seagate 7, and that was just a pleasure

construction industry is changing and evolving, and we want to share where we see it going. LEAN is something that we have been doing parts of long before we were aware of ‘LEAN.’ We have always looked for ways of improving our business and how we can deliver a better, faster product for our customers, but knowing more about LEAN gives us that many more tools to use in the process of continuous improvement.” –mh

vehicle to go to the lake, the beach, and the campgrounds. I was 19 years old.

Rene Carreño, Brothers Electric A 1950 Ford. I paid $100 for it. I come from a small town in Iowa. My dad owned a grocery store there, and the guy who had the business across the street from us had traded it in on a new car, and I went down and bought it.

Dale Culbertson, EIB Contractors

Probably clothes [laughs].

Andrea Maestas Maestas & Associates Probably elote [corn on the cob] from a stand in Tampico, Mexico where I grew up. Those are some of my first memories

Roberto Gonzalez, owner of GGC Engineers, and his wife enjoy taking daytrips to local towns as well as symphony and shows at the Majestic.

The first sizeable thing I bought with my own money was my first car when I was a junior in high school. It was a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans. It was what I could afford at the time, and I drove it for all my years in high school and college.

Jerry Hoog Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Bringing a doctor to the jobsite

Shooting for recognition

D. Wilson Construction Co. hosted a Health Fair on its IDEA Ewing Halsell jobsite for the project and subcontracting team that included medical exams and lunch.

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artnering with Porter Medical Associates, D. Wilson Construction Co. hosted a Health Fair Mar. 3 at the IDEA Ewing Halsell project field office.

Lunch was provided during the event, which offered medical care including glucose level checks, eye exams, blood pressure checks, height/weight, and pulmonary exams.

Ruben Cavazos, project manager, explains that they typically have a barbecue or meal for every worker on every project at some point to gather everyone and recognize their workmanship and safety on a personal level and say thank you. This time, they decided to do something a little different.

With about 120 attendees, the majority of them were subcontractors’ employees as well as D. Wilson’s own staff

with Dr. Carlos A. Porter and about four members of his staff.

“This is something new that we thought of and plan to do on every D. Wilson Construction project from now on,” says Cavazos. “It is so important that everyone knows if their blood pressure or glucose levels are high. In the construction industry, there is a ‘tough guy, rarely gets sick and seldom goes to the doctor’ culture. So we brought the doctor to the tough guys, the jobsite.

“Dr. Carlos A. Porter grew up in a neighborhood nearby, and we did not have to ask him twice. He was very generous. This is a way, in partnership with our local healthcare professionals, to help make a difference. If we can get a few guys the medical attention they need early, it could make a big difference.” –mh

Dr. Carlos A. Porter, Porter Medical Associates, and his medical staff administered exams at the first-ever Health Fair D. Wilson hosted for its project crewmembers.

Team – Champion

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he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) San Antonio Chapter, American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) Central Texas Chapter and American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) San Antonio Chapter gathered Mar. 9 at the National Shooting Complex for the “Protects the Health of the Nation” Shoot.

With the name of the event meant to recognize the often-overlooked role of the plumbing industry in society, the PHCC hosted the event with the ASPE and ABPA also participating. More than 100 shooters entered the tournament, which included lunch by Acadiana Café and door prizes. Prizes included six Browning guns, whose winners were Benchmark Plumbing, Moore Supply, You Name It Specialties (x 2), Morrison Supply and George Plumbing.

“We were blessed with some great weather which made the event more enjoyable,” says Carter Ramzel, Benchmark Plumbing. “[We received] lots of positive comments about the National Shooting Complex. We can expect an even larger crowd next year.”–mh Team Winners 1st: Tietze Plumbing – James Bump, Clinton Witheral, Brittany Mair, Justin Nesloney (335)

2nd: Morrison Supply #2 – Kevin Guinther; Jason Hollzhaus; Steve Tschirhart; Duane Wedige, Wedige Plumbing (327) 3rd: Frost Bank – Stephen Ethridge, Jerry Hewtty, Pete Jimenez, Hector Gonzales (327) Individual Winners High Overall: Stephen Ethridge, Frost Bank (95) Runner Up: Mike Swientek, Primo Plumbing (93)

Individual – High Overall

GOOD NEWS! You always look good in Construction News, Guaranteed!

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

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 9

Luck of the architects

Industry FOLKS Zach Tschirhart Project Executive Marksmen General Contractors

H Allen & Allen Co. was just one of 30 vendors at the AIA Product Expo.

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he American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter hosted its Spring Conference & Product Expo Mar. 16-17 at the Center for Architecture. A total of 30 vendors participated in the expo, which happened to be held on St. Patrick’s Day and was open to all professionals in the architecture and design industry. –mh

Jason Puschot, RVK Architects and AIA president-elect, at the Thomas Printworks table with Paula Smart and Ira Hightower Bowman

Virtual Builders Exchange (VBX)

aving joined the Marksmen General Contractors team in January, Zach Tschirhart is overseeing all of the company’s projects as its new project executive. Before starting at Marksmen, he spent about two to three months traveling out west and rekindled an old passion of his.

While on his journey wandering through all the states west of Texas, Tschirhart stumbled upon Moab, Utah, which he describes as a rock climbing Mecca. Though he hadn’t been rock climbing in 19 years, he gave it a try and got bit by that bug again. For the rest of his trip, he made it a point to visit all of the major rock climbing sites in the Western U.S. About four years ago, he had taken a hike descending into the Grand Canyon with his parents, and he decided to take that hike again on this recent trip. He also went to the northwest point of the U.S. and visited Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and Sequoia national parks.

Born in Houston and raised in Castroville, Tschirhart spent some time living abroad since his father worked in oil exploration. When he was about 11 years old, around 1989, they lived in China for a year, where his parents home schooled him and took the family on a two-week vacation through central China, not able to speak Chinese and with only a guidebook to lead them.

L-R: Aline Yoldi, AIA, and Rafael Bedolla, Assoc. AIA, Pfluger Architects; Gilbert Candia, Curator at Bexar Heritage and Parks Department

Submitted to Construction News

Remodelers for a good cause

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At 16, they lived in Venezuela, prior to Chavez taking over. That was when he developed a taste for rock climbing.

He did a lot of rock climbing and mountaineering there in the Andes.

“When I moved back to Texas, I kind of fell out of rock climbing,” he says. But now, since taking his trip across the western half of the country, he has gotten back into it. He recently rock climbed at Enchanted Rock with his 7-year-old daughter, Marley.

Tschirhart was originally a computer science major when he started at UTSA, but he had been working for a subcontractor doing commercial kitchen equipment in the summers since he was 16. He enjoyed working in the field and decided to change his major to focus on construction.

He worked for the subcontractor for nine years, and then he worked for another general contractor for eight years, working his way up to senior project manager. Some of the biggest projects he has worked on in his career are the Madison High School Fine Arts and Athletics additions as well as the Bexar County Courthouse and Justice Center courtroom expansions and exterior renovations. Now, having just turned 36 last month, he’s looking forward to his career at Marksmen. –mh

In memoriam

eisa Hernandez, HR manager for HJD Capital Electric among other duties at the company, passed away in February. Her coworkers describe her as a friend to everyone. She was with the company for more than 19 years.

Her hard work, dedication and selflessness meant a great deal to the people at Capital. Coworker Kristi Villanueva recalls, “Her door was always open to anyone who needed help, or lend an ear when someone needed to get something off their chest.

Leisa completed Capital’s foundation as a friend, mother and role model. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by the entire Capital team.” –mh

Submitted to Construction News

A supplier honoree

Members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) San Antonio Chapter recently had a day of volunteer work for Habitat For Humanity of San Antonio. –mh

San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply was honored with two awards from ParexUSA, a manufacturer of stucco, EIFS and ready-to-use mortars, at Parex’s annual meeting in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico. While San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply was inducted into the ParexUSA President’s Club, the company was also named Parex’s Commercial Distributor of the Year. –mh

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San Antonio 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.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

All hands on deck

RCO Construction recently placed a new concrete deck at historic building 2248 at Fort Sam Houston. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 11

Is a wall Force Majeure?

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.

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

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Bringing on the heat

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ith 33 teams entering the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter’s annual Chili Cook-Off & Great Gun Raffle, the competition was as hot as the chili entries. Held in the parking lot of San Antonio Shrine Auditorium, the event offered much more than chili, with accompaniments of all kinds and refreshments. –mh

Big City Access

Beck Companies

1st Place – L&M Steel

MK Marlow Company

Lone Star Paving

2nd Place – EZ Bel Construction

Showmanship Award – Spawglass Contractors

3rd Place – Smithers Merchant Builders

HD Supply/White Cap

Submitted to Construction News

The mayor meets the industry

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter, American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) San Antonio, American Planning Association (APA) Texas Chapter and Urban Land Institute San Antonio gathered members from across the A/E/C community for the Mayoral Forum Feb. 28 at the Petroleum Club. L-R: Ron Nirenberg, City Councilman Dist. 8 and mayoral candidate; Michael Sireno, Baker Triangle; and Mayor Ivy Taylor –mh

D. Wilson Construction/Masters Electrical Services

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 13

Submitted to Construction News

On a mission

Checking in Curbside

L-R: Alejandro Hinojosa, Valentin Castillo, Joe Gary, Gene Gary, Jerry Warner, Jim Hutt and David Garza are just a few team members in Walker Engineering’s San Antonio office.

An employee of Central Builders Inc. (CBI) sets equipment at a local HEB prior to the opening of a new Curbside facility. CBI has done several of these facilities in town, which allow customers to shop for their groceries online and the store holds their filled orders at the facility for pickup. –mh

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alker Engineering has been a part of the San Antonio construction market since the mid‘90s with a commitment to providing quality service and expertise in electrical engineering, construction and network services. With the appointment of San Antonio Division Manager Gene Gary in 2016, Walker has expanded its presence in the Alamo City by moving its office to 408 W. Nakoma.

“With such initiatives as SA2020, San Antonio is becoming a hotbed for young professionals, military families and healthcare workers spurring new developments in high-rise offices, mission critical data centers and mixeduse commercial work,” says Gary. “San Antonio is really poised to move to the next level as a destination for new growth in Texas and Walker wants to be a part of that.”

Having built some of the largest mission critical projects in San Antonio for customers like Microsoft, Chevron

and others, mission critical projects are one of Walker’s strengths.

“We understand them,” Gary 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.

With a workforce statewide of over 1,500 workers, the Walker team has completed other large projects in the area such as La Cantera Resort and the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa.” By making these additions to its electrical division and adding resources to its low voltage, AV, industrial and automation teams, Walker has renewed its commitment to providing its standard of service to San Antonio and its surrounding communities.

Founded in Dallas in 1981 by Charlie Walker, PE, Walker Engineering Inc. is an electrical contractor with offices in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

–mh

Creating a new family legacy

L-R: Bill and Will Mitchell now represent two generations of family leadership at the newly purchased and rebranded Pella South Texas.

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ella Products of South Texas is now Pella South Texas under its new ownership, the Mitchells of G.W. Mitchell Construction. Bill Mitchell is CEO and Andy Mitchell is CFO of the regional distributorship.

Now with common ownership, this created the opportunity to build another legacy in Pella South Texas as a familyrun business with Bill’s son, Will Mitchell, as trade sales manager for the window and door business.

At 96 years old, G.W. Mitchell is currently in its fourth generation of the Mitchell family with Will’s older sister, Erin, working for the company for five years now. Bill has been with the company for 33 years, serving as president for 24 years.

G.W. Mitchell has used Pella products on its jobs for decades, including the Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, the Terrell Hills Police and Fire Station, and currently, a townhome project in Southtown.

“My parents have had Pella products – sliding doors specifically – in their house for 53 years with no issues at all,” says Bill. “That was one of the things that I’ve known about Pella since I was little, because literally, we went through the sliding doors every day from the time I was 4 years old until today. Pella makes a phenomenal product, and we want to bring that customer service to the industry. Our goal is taking care of our customers, because the product will take care of itself.”

Will was excited to come in and blaze a new trail, noting that he and his dad work well together and meet daily to discuss the business. He previously had a customer service background and a ministry background with T Bar M Camps in New Braunfels.

Pella South Texas is a supplier of windows and doors with a territory ranging roughly from Del Rio to Kerrville to New Braunfels to Victoria and everything south. –mh

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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Plant grows in Garden Ridge

Delighted to grow

L-R: Aaron Hopper, Garden Ridge plant manager; Kenneth Boultinghouse, Garden Ridge QC; Joey Biasatti, regional manager, Paul Villarreal, director of safety; Jimmy Whited Jr., director of HMA/QC, Lane Bybee, president; Steve Hullett, CFO at Austin Materials’ new asphalt plant.

The team of Delight, L-R: (back row) Kathleen Fast, operations manager; Cyndi Roberts, interior designer/owner; Shelly Badgett, customer relations coordinator; (front row) Cory Baldridge and Julie Ann McKnight, window covering specialist

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unning several large paving jobs in the San Antonio area and seizing the opportunity to self-supply, Austin Materials opened an asphalt plant in Garden Ridge in April of last year.

The new plant has been supplying the company’s jobs such as IH-35 in Comal County, IH-35 in Bexar County and IH-10 in Guadalupe County. But the asphalt plant doesn’t just supply Austin Materials’ projects.

“We also supply a vast number of external customers,” says Joey Biasatti, San Antonio regional manager, who oversees the operations of the local office and the new plant.

He notes these customers are on equal footing with Austin Materials on the supply side, saying they are not pushed to the back of the line because an internal job jumped in front of them. It’s first come, first served – whether the order is internal or external.

Between the paving and materials groups, San Antonio accounts for about

80 of the company’s estimated 250 employees.

“Our whole team at Austin Materials, from labor all the way to president, is a very tight-knit group,” he adds. “It’s a very strong, energetic group that is basically changing the way we’ve done business and really establishing ourselves in the Central Texas market.”

Biasatti joined the company just over a year ago and prior to that, he worked for a building products company for 12 years. He and his wife, Courtney, have been married for 12 years and have a 7-year-old daughter, Isabella; 5-year-old daughter, Adriana; and 16-month-old son, Blake. Isabella plays softball, and Biasatti coaches Adriana’s soccer team.

Austin Materials is based in Austin with an office in New Braunfels. The company has three asphalt plants and two rock quarries in the Austin area and opened an asphalt plant in the San Antonio area one year ago. –mh

A

s steward of Blinded by Delight, Cyndi Roberts has been doing window coverings in San Antonio since Dec. 15, 2004, but as of Feb. 16, her team and customers had twice as much reason to delight with the grand reopening of the expanded showroom.

Roberts expanded to a Hunter Douglas Gallery, primarily selling Hunter Douglas products, which required double the space. Now, the location at 140 Heimer Rd. #685 has absorbed the unoccupied space next door and features more than 100 working samples of window coverings.

With approximately 80 percent of its business being residential, Blinded by Delight has also done vertical blinds for the UPS on Callaghan and basic blinds for several apartment complexes.

With five full-time team members, one part-time employee, and an intern who is retired Air Force and comes in to do design work with them, Roberts also has contract employees who have

worked with her since she started.

Having earned her degree in interior design from UTSA in 1992, Roberts worked for Home Depot for about nine years and Bed Bath & Beyond for about three years. Eager to get back to selling and doing what she loves, she started out doing window coverings out of her home and garage.

Today, as a Christian business and a member of C12, a Christian board of directors, Blinded gives back to the community by donating window coverings to veterans’ homes and battered women’s shelters, and giving to Ransomed Life and the Fur Ball for the Animal Defense League of Texas. At 48, Roberts enjoys photography and travel as well as the company of her two Pekingese dogs, Francesca and Gizmo.

Blinded by Delight sells and installs blinds, shades, shutters and drapery as well as exterior solar screens and solar roller shades for both the residential and commercial markets. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 15

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.

T

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.

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.

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.

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 361-3343105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail. com.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Have an Outdoor Story or Photo?

Send to: SAEditor@ConstructionNews.net or call Mary at 210-308-5800

Submitted to Construction News

Working the winter festival

Mike Bratten, one of the owners of Beicker Consultants, took part in the Winter Festival at Universal City Park Feb. 18, which welcomes about 7,000 people every year. Selling rustic wall art, he was fundraising and accepting donations for a pitching/batting lane his son is planning for the park. (For more details, see story on page 4.) –mh

Page 16

San Antonio 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!

S

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

Send to: Mary Hazlett, SA Editor SAeditor@ ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

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

Share YOUR photos and stories . . . fishing, hunting, skiing, biking, racing, or any outdoor activity and sport.

Don’t forget GREAT Vacations you’d like to send us!

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

Texas Style

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San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 17

Outback adventures

A family that fishes together

S

andra and Darren Rogers, Texas Parking Lots, took a spring break family vacation to Los Suenos, Costa Rica, which Sandra says was an amazing experience. –mh

Northern Territory with Uluru in the background

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hile celebrating their 34th anniversary, Craig and Teresa Noto, Quality Fence & Welding, went Down Under in February, checking off a destination that has been on their bucket list for a very long time.

While in New Zealand, they visited Rotaroa and the Glow Worm Caves.

Having seen the thermal ponds and geysers, Craig notes that there was volcanic activity everywhere. They also went to the Marae Hangi dinner and concert. They saw Queenstown, the Milford Sound, the Dart River, vineyards and live music in every town. They also visited the MT Cook Glaciers as well as Christchurch, the botanical gardens, and a great museum covering the history of Christchurch.

In Australia, they visited Melbourne and attended the St. Kilda Beach Music Festival. They also got a chance to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild. They also saw Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta. While there, they saw the sunrise and sunset changing color of the iconic rock formations, took a camel ride, and enjoyed dinner, eating exotic fair such as kangaroo and crocodile, under the millions of stars of the Milky Way. Then, in Cairns, they visited the beautiful beaches and rainforest – where they saw crocodiles, birds and wallabies – and enjoyed three tank dives at the Great Barrier Reef, which Craig called the “best diving in the world.” Finally, in Sydney, they swam and surfed at Bondi Beach, saw the famous Sydney Opera House, and explored the Blue Mountains. –mh

Diving in the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns

Speed boat excursion on the Dart River

The Rogers family loves fishing together, and so a trip to Costa Rica was the perfect getaway.

The iconic Sydney Opera House

L-R: Their daughters, Kayla and Kendall, caught a 75-lb tuna and an 80-lb tuna.

View of the beach from the Daintree Rainforest

Sandra made friends with a monkey in the jungle, noting, “They would eat out of our hands.”

In addition to the 85-lb tuna their son, Carson, caught, he also caught this sailfish, which he took for a swim.

Page 18

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Addressing active shooter scenarios

Equestrian bowmaster

Tess Shelton recently took her shots at the South Texas Archery Riders International Horseback Archery Competition. Photo by JBeatty Photography

James Maddock, active shooter consultant, squares off with Anita Kegley, Kegley Inc., before giving a presentation to ConstructionZone.CO on jobsite safety in active shooter situations.

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hat would you do if an active shooter situation suddenly emerged on the job? That is the question that speakers from ESPADA Security & Logistics recently posed to members of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter, National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter, and ConstructionZone.CO. ASA hosted the presentation on active shooter awareness, as its executive director, Jennifer Swinney, explains, to empower its membership and give them the tools and knowledge to feel more confident if they find themselves in this dangerous situation.

“Crime isn’t limited to boundaries such as ‘unsafe’ areas, etc., and neither is the construction industry,” says Swinney.

“We build everywhere, at any time, and on any given day, industry workers might find themselves in a situation that has escalated to violence.”

Patty Wylie, president of the NAWIC San Antonio Chapter, wanted to bring the presentation to NAWIC’s members.

“I thought it would be a good topic, especially for women in the construction industry, and women in general. It’s a crazy world we live in and you never know what someone is going to do – whether at work, home or out in the public,” she says.

Joe LoBrutto, who has served in law

enforcement for 17 years, including about four-and-a-half years as a military police officer, is an adjunct instructor to ESPADA, having helped create the curriculum for these courses.

He says the key strategy is Avoid Isolate Defeat (AID), avoiding if at all possible, isolating yourself if you can’t get away, and using whatever resources at hand to defeat the shooter only as a last resort. On a jobsite, he notes that there may not be safe exits from higher floors or places to hide without walls in place, and so the best defense is to always have a plan and know what actions you can take in case of such a situation.

“We really want them to focus on getting away. Get their family members, their friends and just don’t allow the person access to you,” he says. “And then if that doesn’t work, how are you going to defend yourself? How are you going to defeat them?”

Based on research by Texas State University and the FBI, he states that between 2000 and 2015, there were approximately 200 active shooter incidents across the nation.

“The probability is actually fairly low that you individually are going to be affected by it,” says LoBrutto. “However, because of how bad the outcome is, we’re always talking about preparation, and this is really a preparation for all locations.” –mh

T

ess Shelton, product consultant for Intertech Flooring and daughter of Teri Shelton, external business development for Materials Marketing, ranked 13 out of 22 archers competing in the South Texas Archery Riders (STAR) International Horseback Archery Competition last month.

The event, held at Guadalupe Hills Stables in Seguin, was Shelton’s first time competing. As a mounted archer with STAR, Tess has been training in Marion, TX since August for this competition. Teri notes that they train and have a course set up at a private ranch owned by Cheryl Cielencki, SpawGlass, in Marion.

Tess owns one of the horses she rides, a APHA Medicine Hat Paint named Pierre, also known as Simply Roddin’ Real, and her newfound passion will take her to Poland later this month to attend a clinic and compete with other archers from around the world.

“It was a complete honor to be able to compete in the second annual South Texas Archery Riders Competition,” says Tess. “It was full of such amazing competitors, I feel so lucky to be able to have participated in such a great sport with such awesome people. For me, mounted archery is a fantastic blend of the beautiful art of archery and my passion for horses. It’s the perfect sport in my eyes.” –mh

Shelton took aim at great heights in the international competition held in Seguin in March. This course, the Qabac, is a 90-meter track with three 20-ft-high poles that have a symbol at the top, and it is usually run in about 12 seconds. Photo by Tyler Horan

As a product consultant for Intertech Flooring, Tess Shelton works with architects, contractors and developers, but outside of work, she is a mounted archer and competes on an international level. Photo by Hadley Hudson.

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 19

Young Ag mechanics help build something new

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s part of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the inaugural Ag Mechanics Marketplace Auction Feb. 25-26 at the Morris Activity Center brought in just over $74,000 with 18 lots.

With close to 150 people attending and more than 50 registered buyers, many of the bidders and attendees were members of the construction industry, including Wunderlich Builders, Urban Concrete Contractors, Urban Land Clearing & Compost, Allen & Allen Co., G&G Contracting, KCM, Joeris and Shadrock & Williams among others.

“With the buyers’ help and the kids’ participation and what they brought, we really knocked the ball out of the park,” says Wade Mayfield, a superintendent at Joeris and committee chair for the Ag Mechanics Auction, who described all the feedback on the event as positive and the overall result as “phenomenal.”

With several girls participating in the auction, two girls from Gilmer FFA were the Grand Champions with their student-built project, a metal-framed, cedartopped picnic table. With an estimated $700 worth of materials, the project brought in $10,000 from winning bidders, Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk, Urban Concrete

Contractors, which was the title sponsor for the marketplace auction.

Other student-built projects included a tripod deer feeder, metal porch swing, outdoor gazebo, fire pit, and double entry gate.

“I think the auction gives us a chance to show these kids that we really appreciate what they do, and also teach them that a vocational skill – any kind of skill – is well worth the money,” says Ronnie Urbanczyk, who feels that this teaches them that what they do has a value and they can earn an honest, noble living doing it.

“You don’t have to be a college graduate to make a living and make a difference in the world.”

With two daughters and a son, Ronnie explains that he thinks it’s great to see girls interested in the trades and learning to use their hands, and he adds, “To see those two girls win the grand prize, that was just

awesome to me.” He says the picnic table he and Terry purchased is on the back porch of the house. “It’s too beautiful to put it anywhere else.”

With a love for Ag Mechanics, Ronnie believes the auction has been needed for a long time, and credits the buyers with jumping in to do their part. He notes, “Hopefully, it’ll be bigger and better next year.”

The Career Fair also drew members of the construction industry with this year’s event drawing double the number of booths as last year. –mh

Urban Concrete Contractors

CMC Commercial Metals At the Ag Mechanics Auction, the Grand Champion team, two girls from Gilmer FFA, built a cedar picnic table that drew its winning bid from Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk, Urban Concrete Contractors.

Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Zachry Group

The auction’s Reserve Grand Champion from Alto FFA was a covered livestock feeder.

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

HOLT CAT

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Page 20

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Outstanding advocate

Mark Jones, Structure Tone Southwest, was named National CASA Association Board Member of the Year for his work with the local nonprofit organization.

H

aving joined the board of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) in February 2013, Mark Jones, regional vice president of Structure Tone Southwest, was honored as National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association Board Member of the Year.

Jones received the award Mar. 13 at CASA’s national awards luncheon at its annual conference in Seattle. His CASA program also receives a $1,500 award in his honor. His contributions to CASA include Structure Tone’s renovation of the San Antonio office at little to no cost, reaching out to an artist whose work raised more than $5,000 for the program, and creating an installation that showcased 20 photos of children served

by the program and its volunteers.

Noting that he was very humbled by the honor, Jones says he joined CASA because, “I thought I could make a difference, and there’s no better cause than our children, children that can’t help themselves.”

As a major donor at the Construct A Kid’s Christmas (CAKC) Gala each year, Jones notes that CASA helps the same Bexar County foster children the gala has always helped and that CAKC donated a large sum to CASA this year.

Sandee Morgan, co-chair of CAKC, notes that this year, the nonprofit has partnered with CASA to support the kids throughout the year, not just at Christmas.

–mh

Submitted to Construction News

All wrapped up

L-R: Andy Flores and Isaac Rodriguez, One Day Signs, work on wrapping on a sales vehicle for WolfPack Roofing & Construction. –mh

Submitted to Construction News

Digging into the future

Submitted to Construction News

Viva Las Vegas!

Annette Mollere and her daughter, Chardae Mollere Rodriguez, Phoenix Geosystems, attended the CONEXPO-Con/AGG at the Las Vegas Convention Center Mar. 7-11. At the con, Chardae posed with the first 3D-printed excavator, which actually operates. –mh

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

Construction News ON LOCATION

Well supplied

Carline Buck and Jason Bailey keep the supplies coming at Morrison Supply in New Braunfels. –cw

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 21

Hard hats and heels

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he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) reminds us that the industry isn’t just for boys anymore. The girls have been holding their own more than ever before!

And Women in Construction (WIC) Week, Mar. 4-11, was a chance for NAWIC members to celebrate their presence in and contributions to the construction community.

On Monday night, the ladies from the San Antonio Chapter met at Painting with a Twist to begin WIC Week by painting a hard hat and heels. Patty Wylie, Johnson Controls and president of NAWIC San Antonio, says, “It’s not as easy as the artist made it look. Mistakes were made but were corrected with the help of the two artists. We all had a great time!”

On Wednesday morning, speakers visited the Construction Careers Academy (CCA) at Warren High School speaking about women in the industry and the careers open to them. Sponsored by Urban Concrete, the event included lunch provided by the culinary students of CCA.

“We were honored to speak to junior and senior girls studying constructionrelated fields about women in construction and the shortage of skilled trades,” comments Dana Calonge, Construction News and NAWIC member for 27 years.

“All are taking part in a two-year build out project of five Tiny Homes that will be auctioned off after completion.”

On Wednesday evening, NAWIC San Antonio hosted its general meeting and for WIC Week, they had Renee Watson, manager for Bexar County’s Small Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Program, disadvantaged business enterprise liaison and Title IV coordinator, whom Wylie describes as “a great speaker and very informative.”

The annual golf tournament, which usually takes place during WIC Week was postponed due to spring break and the weather. The tournament will be held on May 10.

Chapter members ended the week with a nice relaxing gathering at Stray Grape for the Wine Down with food and, of course, wine for all. –mh

Women “wine down” to finish out the week. L-R: (front row) Dawn Holmes, Work Place Resource; Christine Fuentes, Turner Construction; Gloria Silva, AH Beck Foundation Company; (back row) Lynne Grix, CPA; Martha Simpson, Mauze Construction; Patty Wylie, Johnson Controls; Kari Wirth, Mauze Construction; Becky Wynne, Berridge Manufacturing

Members of the NAWIC San Antonio Chapter participated in a variety of events for WIC Week, celebrating women in the construction industry, and they kicked off the week’s events with an evening at Painting with a Twist.

Women in the industry talked to CCA girls about working in construction. L-R: Jennifer Parlett, Marmon Mok Architects, who spoke about healthcare architecture; Kjirsten Olson, Sundt Construction, who spoke about women in STEM; Dawn Holmes, NAWIC/Workplace Resources; Michelle Urbanzyck, NAWIC/Urban Concrete; and Dana Calonge, NAWIC/ Construction News, who spoke on the shortage of skilled trades

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Their time to shine

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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter hosted its 22nd annual Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet Mar. 2 at Pearl Stable. In addition to acknowledging honorees, attendees enjoyed dinner by Heavenly Gourmet and entertainment by the Johnson High School Jazz Band. –mh

General Contractor of the Year SpawGlass

Project Manager of the Year Justin Bendele, Joeris General Contractors

President’s Award Thomas Freund, Freund Enterprises

Project of the Year – Under $2.5 Million Frost Motor Bank SpawGlass

Project of the Year – $10 - $25 Million Fabra Elementary School Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Pioneer Award George Major Sr., Holes of San Antonio Project of the Year – $2.5-$5 Million Montessori School of San Antonio Keller-Martin Construction

Project of the Year – Over $25 Million KIPP Cevallos School Joeris General Contractors

Project of the Year – $5-$10 Million US Customs & Immigration Services Structure Tone

Project Superintendent of the Year Jose Dominguez, Keller-Martin Construction

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 23

The taste of victory

T

hings heated up at Alterman when the electrical contractor hosted the Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter’s 14th annual Salsa Taste-Off Feb. 23. The sun was as hot as some of the salsa, but there were refreshments to keep everyone cool, and music and a photo booth to keep everyone entertained. –mh

Alamo Iron Works

1st Place – Beldon Roofing Company

Showmanship Award – Tri-Tech Surveying Company

Marksmen General Contractors

2nd Place – Black Contractors Association (BCA)

Terracon

People’s Choice – Alterman

3rd Place – Galaxy Builders

National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)

Submitted to Construction News

Survey says … new board!

The Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS) 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

Baker Triangle

Page 24

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Contractors ante up

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embers of the Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio put all their chips on the table for the association’s annual Casino Night Mar. 2 at Aggie Park. With around 125 in attendance, the event features plenty of casino games, food, drinks, a DJ, a silent auction, a jewelry station, an Oakley representative offering sunglasses for half off the retail price, and a shoe shine station. –mh

continued from Page 1 — Phoenix takes flight

“But I truly believe her real love is to fix equipment,” says Annette. “She and her father would spend hours taking instruments apart and putting them back together.”

With Phoenix Geosystems, Annette says they are focusing on building and precision measuring technologies, which includes the GeoMax product line that utilizes open source software.

“The construction industry is exploding, and the digital BIM environment is quickly proving to be the standard of excellence,” observes Annette. “It’s great to have a product that is an affordable solution and can produce a solid return on investment. We are

excited to be able to provide a line of equipment that is a real solution to digital growth for our customers.”

Annette also expressed her gratitude to the local construction community, saying, “Our construction customers, surveyors, suppliers, associates and even competitors who have reached out to Chardae and I – you’ve helped, encouraged and prayed for our mend.

We are blessed and proud to work in an industry with such outstanding individuals.”

Phoenix Geosystems sells survey supplies, including GeoMax equipment and products. –mh

continued from Page 1 — Picking up the mic

L-R: Dave Sanchez, HCA; Lisa Casarez, ESR; Stephanie Tovar, Bartlett Cocke; Estela GarciaPerez, Fairway Landscape & Nursery; JR Trevino, Treco Enterprises

of Love’ by The Mamas & The Papas and “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera. I love Mama Cass. Her voice is simply out of this world. So singing her songs always bring out a bit of attitude and sass in me.

‘Beautiful’ is just such a gorgeous song, both rhythmically and lyrically, so I can really get into it because it evokes such emotion within me.”

When asked what she would do if she makes it through the first round of auditions, she says, “Oh my gosh, wouldn’t that be CRAZY?! I checked the rules, and they state that if I get a callback and if I’m fortunate enough to be selected, then they will schedule the date ahead of time. So, in that case I would meet with the board of ASA to tell them the good news, and hope they would

support my time away – and of course call in to vote. Maybe I can wear my ‘I heart ASA’ shirt on TV and tell the board I’m doing this as a marketing tactic? [laughs]” If she wins and gets a recording contract, she explains that she would love to make an album of rare hits from the ‘40s, taking old hits, like the Andrews Sisters, and modernizing them for mainstream radio play, “bringing back the old big band style with a unique spin for today’s generation.”

She’s not nervous yet, because she’s going into this to have fun and with a joyful heart. She doesn’t want to put pressure on herself or overthink things.

Especially since this is just a joke – April Fool’s, everyone! –mh

continued from Page 1 — Craftsman brings new look to Woodlake

L-R: Wayne Combs and Rita PalacioCombs, HEB; Enrique Carstens, Modern Day Concrete; Yvette Robinson, Robinson General Contractors

Wayne Terry, HEB, took a break from gaming to get his shoes shined.

Texas Apprentice Nick Yuker Alterman IBEW 60/NECA South Texas Electrical JATC

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t 24, Nick Yuker was named Apprentice of the Year by the IBEW 60/NECA South Texas JATC. It’s an honor he has been striving to earn since he entered the five-year journeyman apprenticeship program.

It’s also an honor he now shares with his father, who was Apprentice of the Year in 2005.

Yuker’s dad, Wade Yuker, became an electrician at the age of 38, and he graduated from the same apprenticeship program. Today, Nick works at Alterman as a service tech, and coincidentally, his father also worked for Alterman. Wade went through the program himself, and suggested that Nick should apply.

After working as a carpenter and doing various other jobs, Wade decided to pursue a career as an electrician to help support his growing family. Nick is one of four children with a 27-year-old older brother, a 16-yearold younger sister, and a 14-year-old younger brother. But so far, he is the only one to follow in his father’s footsteps.

In his first six months in the trade, Nick served as a helper, running pipe, pulling wire and installing some gear for a project. When that job finished, he was sent to Alterman Sep. 24, 2012, when the program placed him with the electrical contractor. He will be graduating from the apprenticeship program Jun. 29 and will stay at

EIB Contractors has been building James Avery stores for over two decades and the Woodlake Crossing location is the newest one in San Antonio.

Alterman with aspirations of moving into the office as an estimator.

In regards to being Apprentice of the Year, which only goes to one person in each class’ final year, he notes that this has been his goal from the beginning, and achieving this goal is extra special, because of the connection to his father.

“Every opportunity you get, you need to make the most of it,” says Nick. “It felt kind of unreal when I was named Apprentice of the Year, because I’ve been working for five years toward this, and all the hard work is finally paying off.”

With a love of building things and creating things with his own hands, Nick spends his spare time working on his home in Spring Branch and with his wife, Amber, whom he married last year. She is an academic program coordinator for UT Health Science Center of San Antonio, and the two were introduced by his sister-in-law.

Nick fills his time outside of work with some simple joys of life, including playing video games or watching movies with his family. He and his wife also enjoy going out two-stepping or swing dancing. –mh

manager who used to work for me and went to work for James Avery.”

With such a positive, long-standing working relationship between EIB and James Avery, two members of the EIB team have gone to work for the jewelry company. Larry Dalby, who worked for EIB for about five years, is now a project coordinator for James Avery. And 17 years ago, EIB team member Robert Schultz went to work for the retail jeweler, and today, he is director of facilities operations for James Avery Craftsman Inc. “We have partnered with EIB on 90 percent of our retail projects,” comments Schultz. “We credit this decision to EIB’s customer service, quality of craftsmanship, close attention to details and their understanding of our needs and the ability to maintain project budgets and schedules.

“EIB has been working with us for over 17-plus years; Dale Culbertson has worked with us on our retail projects for over 25 years. They were a key part of rolling out our new store design and look several years ago. This new look took about a year to develop and EIB worked with us to work out any issues and helped with some design changes for functionality.

“We continue to recommend them to any company who is looking for a quality GC that will work with you as a partner on a project. They have a strong reputation in

the GC community and have a deep and qualified talent pool to pull from for projects.

“An example of working with us on a tight schedule would be our Pearland location several years ago; this project was delayed in permitting and didn’t start until three weeks into the construction schedule.

Our opening was tied to the grand opening of the center. EIB not only made our deadline with 25-percent less time to do it in, they kept the project on budget as well.

We look forward to working with them on projects in the future.”

The superintendent on the job was Eric Shultz. The architect was Thomas Oppelt of Paddle Creek Design out of Kerrville, and the engineers were Wilson & Associates and Joe Carreon of Kinetics Consulting, both local to San Antonio.

Subcontractors on the job included Larry Cheatwood of TLC SA for the electric, Satex Plumbing, All Service Air Conditioning & Heating out of Schertz, Allegiance Floors, DeGeus Tile, Weston Woodworking for the cabinets in the break area and product care room, and Centurion Painting.

Founded by Dale Culbertson in May of 2000, EIB Contractors is a family-owned business. Culbertson shares ownership with his two sons, Mark and Jay, and his daughter, Kim. EIB does commercial retail as well as Luciano restaurants and work on Army and Air Force bases across the U.S. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 25

THIS TH MON

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

A

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,

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

H

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

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

If you would like to represent your company in your industry, call your San Antonio Editor for an Interview Mary Hazlett (210) 308-5800

If you would like to represent your company in your industry, call your San Antonio Editor for an Interview Mary Hazlett (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 26

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

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

W

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 Denton, TX

W

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.

D

What resources are available to 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

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.

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 induswith government entities, many of them are looking for female-owned companies to do business with. My thought is to get 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.

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

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

them and form my own opinions.

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

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 27

Vans with versatility

Commercial AC is hot

L-R: Shane Lindener, Kendall County Air; Jason Gillis, Modine Manufacturing; Kirk Culak, Kendall County Air; John Chavez, Gunder Associates; and Matt Bode, Robert Madden Industries

Rolando Pedraza is the commercial vans manager for Mercedes-Benz of Boerne.

W

hether your company is a plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and heating, general construction or transportation contractor, one of the things you have in common is the need to get around to do your work. That’s probably why 70 to 80 percent of Rolando Pedraza’s van sales at Mercedes-Benz of Boerne are to members of the construction industry.

As commercial vans manager and salesman, he and his team of onsite salespeople help contractors find the right model van to suit their needs. At Mercedes-Benz, customers have the option of two vans, Sprinter and Metris, both of which come in passenger and cargo models. The Sprinter, which Pedraza notes is more popular with contractors by far, is also available as a crew van or cab chassis.

This is the second-generation Sprinter model, which is still relatively new to the U.S. market, having been introduced here in 2010. Then, MercedesBenz introduced the Metris, which is more “garage friendly” for those who do not want a full-sized commercial van.

Pedraza notes that the Metris is often good for service-type applications, while the Sprinter could be used for working on new installation.

Pedraza adds that they have a fourbay service center dedicated to commercial van service. Another large segment of their business is conversions,

which they facilitate with certified, approved outfitters, allowing customers to customize as much as they want with features such as TVs or USB ports.

Another advantage, he points out, “We have more safety patents than any other manufacturer worldwide. Safety is at the highest priority when they’re designing these vans for carrying passengers or valuable cargo, which is their livelihood, if you will.”

When looking at the cost of ownership, Pedraza says that the safety features should equate to lower insurance costs. As a bonus, these vans only require oil changes and service every 20,000 miles, which means less maintenance intervals and requirements.

“Mercedes-Benz broke ground in June of 2016 on a manufacturing plant in South Carolina for Sprinter and Metris vans,” he says. “That’s going to mean being able to produce these vehicles faster. This is the number two market for Mercedes-Benz commercial vans in the world, and they’re going to be more U.S. friendly.”

Serving the Greater San Antonio area, Mercedes-Benz opened in Boerne in 2006.

Pedraza, who has been with the company going on seven years now, has been dedicated to commercial vans going on five years now. Having sold for various manufacturers, he has been in the automobile industry for more than 25 years. –mh

Submitted to Construction News

On their oath

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

W

ith its commercial market on fire, Robert Madden Industries, HVAC supplier, hosted an open house Mar. 16 coinciding with Modine Manufacturing bringing its “mobile tradeshow” as a stop on its Innovation Tour.

“The commercial department at Robert Madden is exploding right now,” explains Ken Davis, territory sales manager for Robert Madden. “We’ve grown 70 percent over last year, and last year, we grew 50 percent over the year before.”

Davis adds that the open house showcased heavy commercial HVAC products such as designated outside air,

unitary heaters, duct heaters, and designated computer room cooling systems.

Dave Roach, vice president of Robert Madden, notes that this open house gave them an opportunity to bring in their customers and potential customers and introduce them to the Modine product line.

Jason Gillis, who is one of Modine’s reps for the San Antonio area, notes that among the guests coming to check out the unit in their mobile showroom were contractors who purchased a unit for a hotel rooftop that they will be installing and servicing, and they came to learn more about it. –mh

L-R: Ray Lopez, Dave Roach and Tejeda, Robert Madden Industries; and Mike Schooman, Northeast Air Conditioning, were working with customers at the counter during Robert Madden’s open house event.

Page 28

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Round-Up Bartlett Cocke General Contractors announce the following: Larry Hunnicutt has joined the company as a safety manager.

With more than 20 years of experience, he has an extensive background in safety. Previously, he served as the HSE supervisor for the expansion of the General Motor’s assembly plant in Fort Wayne, IN. Martin Johnson has joined the company as a superintendent.

With more than 27 years of experience in the industry, he was previously a superintendent at Browning Construc-tion where he supervised the his-toric remodel of the Atascosa County Courthouse, several new schools and a number of other multimillion dollar projects.

Christopher Keith has joined the company as a safety manager. With more than 14 years in the industry, he has been involved in multiple renovations of military bases, including Lackland Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and Kelly Air Force Base among several others.

Jerry E. Summers has joined the company as a superintendent. With more than 25 years experience in the industry, he was previously a superintendent at Koontz Construction and has supervised a number of large and complex construction projects such as The Broadway and the Army Residence Community.

Clayton W. Zercher has joined the company as a project manager. He began his career in welding and then transitioned into the construction in-dustry where he has more than 10 years of experience. Previous-ly, he was with Koch Pipeline Company, Bechtel, and Zachry Construction.

Erika “Rikki” Anderson, PE, PMP, has joined Maestas & Associates, Inc. (MAI) as the director of engineering. With more than 15 years of civil engineering project management and design experience, she will be responsible for supervising and overseeing all engineer ing design personnel. Her background includes four years as a project manager with the San Antonio Water System. She has worked on large, public sector multimillion-dollar capital improvement water and wastewater projects.

Jeremy Moreno has joined Terracon’s Nondestructive Testing (NDT) services as a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). With more than 16 years of experience in quality control and welding services for the engi-neering, manufactur-ing, and construction industry, he is responsible for evaluating fabricated goods in accordance with applicable codes, specifications and drawings.

Andrew Hunt, a senior project manager for Project Control, will serve as a trustee on the Texas Biomedical Research Institute Founder’s Council Board. As a trustee, he will support the council’s mission to cultivate interest in the Texas Biomedical Research Institute among young leaders in the San Antonio area and to foster lifelong support for the Institute and its work.

Round-Up Submissions

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

Submit Info & Photo: SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Submitted to Construction News

Structures of a different design

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors

Apr. 5: Breakfast Club, Alamo Café off 281, 7:30-8:30am Apr. 13: Topgolf Mixer, Topgolf San Antonio, 3-6pm Apr. 25: Wine Festival, Boerne Wine Company, 4:30-7pm Apr. 26: Happy Hour, Little Woodrow’s off 1604, 4:30-6pm May 3: Breakfast Club, Alamo Café off 281, 7:30-8:30am For more info on these events, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org

AGC

HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association

Apr. 5-6: OSHA 10-Hr. Training in Spanish; to register, email safetytraining@tdi.texas. gov or call 512-804-4610 Apr. 19: Monthly Mixer; The Quarry Golf Club, 6-8pm; free for members, $10 for non-members; to register, visit www. hcadesa.org, email admin@hcadesa.org, or call 210-444-1100 May 5-6: Inaugural Fishing Tournament; for more info, visit www.hcadesa.org

Associated General Contractors

IEC

All events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated.

Apr. 3: Leadership Academy, Week #1, 12:30-4:30pm Apr. 10: Leadership Academy, Week #2, 12:30-4:30pm Apr. 11: Beginner Construction Surveying with Field Applications, 8am-5pm Apr. 12: Advanced Construction Surveying with Field Applications, 8am-5pm Apr. 13: CLC General Membership Meeting, 4:30-6:30pm Apr. 17: Leadership Academy, Week #3, 12:30-4:30pm Apr. 19: AGC/ASA Joint Mixer; VFW Post 76, 10 10th St.; 4:30-6:30pm Apr. 24: Leadership Academy, Week #4, 12:30-4:30pm Apr. 26: Lean Unit 2: Pull in Production, 8am-noon

Independent Electrical Contractors

AIA American Institute of Architects

Apr. 8: Beaux Arts Ball – NightLight at the Print Annex; local artists Stuart Allen and Cade Bradshaw of BRIDGE PROJECTS created a site specific installation of paper and light called “night LIGHT” installed at the Print Annex (empty industrial building behind the Express-News) Apr. 12: Fiesta Medal Launch Party Apr. 21: COTE Images of Sustainability Exhibition; Rosella Coffee; exhibition opening at 6pm; features local artists and their thoughts on sustainability in San Antonio Mar. 30-Apr. 21: Women in Architecture Exhibit; AIA Gallery; three-week exhibit for Women’s History Month celebrating the diverse work of all of the members of the architecture and design community; exhibit opens Mar. 20 and will be on display through Apr. 21

ASA American Subcontractors Association

Apr. 4, 18: CPR & First Aid Course; ESC Consultants office; 8am-1pm; $45 for members, $55 for non-members; to register, email jennifer@asasanantonio. org Apr. 12: TCCI Event; Freeman Expo Hall; to volunteer, email Jennifer at jennifer@ asasanantonio.org Apr. 18: General Meeting – “General Contractor Panel”; The Petroleum Club of SA; Networking 6pm, Dinner 6:30pm; $40 for members, $50 for non-members Apr. 19: Fiesta Mixer hosted by AGC & ASA, VFW Post 76, 4:30-6:30pm Apr. 25: Seminar: “Employment 101”; Gardner Law Firm; 1:30-4:30pm; $40 for members, $50 for non-members.To RSVP or for more info on these events, email Jennifer at jennifer@asasanantonio.org

ECAT

L-R: Alec Ferguson, formerly OCI Solar, Jared Chase, LPA; Adam Reed, Ford Powell & Carson and president of AIA San Antonio; and Casey Nelson, Lake|Flato Architects, were among several volunteers from the local architecture community to get crafty creating part of the installation for the American Institute of Architect (AIA) San Antonio Chapter’s Beaux Arts Ball. –mh

11am-6pm; for more info, visit www. sabuilders.com

Apr. 10: Continuing Education Class, IEC Office, 5-9pm Apr. 15: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, IEC Office, 8am-5pm Apr. 25: IEC National Membership Workshop, IEC Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, 8am-4pm Apr. 27-28: IEC of Texas Meeting, Austin For more info on these events, call 210431-9861 or visit www.iecsanantonio.com

MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.

Apr. 5: Regular & Associates Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Apr. 12: TCCI Career Fair, Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall, 8am-2pm Apr. 19: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Apr. 20: 24th Annual Golf Tournament; SilverHorn Golf Club; registration 11:30am1pm, shotgun start 1:30pm

NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Apr. 12: Skeet Shoot; National Shooting Range; 11am-7pm; for more info, for more info, visit www.remodelsanantonio.org or email martha@cross-tx.com

NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Apr. 5: General Meeting; Petroleum Club; Networking 5:30pm, meeting 6pm; new member induction ceremony and speed networking May 3: General Meeting/Industry Appreciation Night May 18: NAWIC Golf Tournament Jun. 22: 1st Annual Burger Bash

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Apr. 4: Booth at Ferguson Enterprises – Rewards Tradeshow, Fiesta Texas location Apr. 13: Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 11am-1pm, topic is I-9 filing during the Trump Presidency Apr. 15, 29: Plumbers Continuing Education Classes, PHCC office Apr. 20-23: Plumbers OSHA-10, 8-HR, 18HR Code Classes, PHCC office Apr. 25: PHCC/ASPE Golf Tournament Registration Deadline For more info on these events, email heidi@phcc-sanantonio.org or call 210824-7422

SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Apr. 26: Membership Meeting; Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410; noon; $30 per person; for more info, call Debbie at 830-606-5556

Earthmoving Contractors of Texas

TACCA

Apr. 26-27: Board of Directors Meeting; Wyndham Garden Inn, 3401 S IH 35, Austin; board meeting at 4:30pm on Apr. 26, travel to State Capitol morning of Apr. 27 to meet with committee members; meetings are open to all members; for more info, contact Charles Frerich at 325340-8370 or 1ecat.tx@gmail.com

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.

Apr. 1-2, 8-9: Spring Tour of Homes;

Apr. 20: General Member Meeting; The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, Suite 700; 8:30-10am; City of San Antonio, Development Services Department; RSVP required; first member attendee free, $20 each for additional attendees and non-members; for more info or to join, visit TACCAGreaterSanAntonio.org or contact Dawn Thompson at 210-9014222 or dawn@taccagreatersanantonio. org

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 29

Concrete rises to the top

In addition to running the tile business with his stepsons, Bart Randolph started his own concrete countertops company. L-R: Cody Miller, Matt Kirk, Bart L. Randolph and Michael Miller

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aving worked with concrete cement products since he was 16, Bart L. Randolph decided to mix it up, and in January 2016, he opened Tex-Crete Countertops & Designs.

As concrete countertops gain popularity, Randolph saw an opportunity to get into an area that was familiar and allowed him artistic freedom. He says that customers have allowed him to be creative in his own designs, which he notes is a key advantage of using concrete for countertops versus other products, such as marble or granite.

“Concrete is very customizable,” says Randolph. “You can mold concrete into any type of shape, any size and also, with pigmenting concrete, the colors are limitless.”

With the color worked into the concrete, they custom make concrete batches with white cement, because the concrete pigments take to the white much better than with a gray concrete. The biggest challenge is matching an exact color.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Randolph went to Madison High School, where he enrolled in the vocational program they had at the time and took a masonry class, working with concrete, brick and tile. Today, he has his own tile installation company, Randolph Tile. In the tile business, he has always worked with a lot of cement products.

At 44, Randolph has been running the tile company for about eight years, and as he concentrates on growing the concrete business, his stepson, Michael Miller, who works for the tile business full-time, has been helping to run the tile side. His stepson, Cody Miller, who is a senior in high school, also helps out during summers and his breaks.

Randolph also has a stepdaughter, Kylie.

His son, Korbyn, is 24 and in the Army. His wife, Jana, works at USAA.

Tex-Crete Countertops & Designs does artisan concrete designs for residential and commercial projects. –mh

Construction News JOB SIGHT

A roof over the River Authority

Beldon Roofing recently wrapped up a new roof project for the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) at its Euclid office as a subcontractor for general contractor RCO Construction. RCO’s construction supervisor, Aaron Villarreal captured this shot using the company’s new drone. –mh

Lots of services and goals

Though Darren Rogers helped establish the company in 1985, Darren and Sandra Rogers have been running Texas Parking Lots together as executive vice president and president respectively for about six years now.

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oday, Sandra Rogers is the president of Texas Parking Lots, a company her husband, Darren Rogers, co-founded in 1985. But originally, Sandra was a customer of the company, which was how she met and befriended Darren.

Having gotten into commercial real estate right out of high school at 17 years old, Sandra did that for 25 years. She started in an administrative role, became a property manager and then director of property management, and eventually part owner. As a commercial property manager, she hired Darren for several years to do their parking lot work.

She and Darren were married in 2009, and they decided to buy out his business partner so she could join him in the company, which she did in 2011.

When he was 21, Darren had started the

company with his partner, who did pressure washing. Darren expanded the services of the company, which was originally called South Texas Power Wash and Striping.

Sandra notes that she helped him rebrand and grow the company, taking what she knew from being a customer for so long to the vendor side. She adds that one thing being a customer has brought to her perspective as a vendor is high expectations of their employees, because she knows what customers expect of them and of their work.

With 24 employees total, Sandra says that they have 12 in the field currently, but they are hiring to try to keep a base of 15 in the field. One of their crew leaders has been with the company for 20 years.

With a handful in the field that have been with them for seven-plus years, their goal is to have a team of 15 in the field who have all been working with them that long.

To achieve this goal, when Sandra joined the company, they added 401K with matching – they have 95 percent participation in the 401K plan – full benefits including medical and dental insurance, and vacation and sick pay.

Some of the jobs they’ve done include the parking lot striping for Toyota as well as work for the Amazon Fulfillment Center and La Cantera Resort & Spa. The company also recently added vapor blasting to its list of services.

Sandra explains that this method uses 92 percent less water than sand blasting and allows them to control the amount of pressure so they can clean materials such as limestone without damaging them.

Texas Parking Lots does asphalt paving and repair, concrete repairs, crack filling, power washing, sealcoating, signage, striping, wheel stops and vapor blasting. –mh

Page 30

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Following a new lead

Raising clubs and funds

1st Place Gross

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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.

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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

onoring the company’s patriarch, Galaxy Builders hosted its second annual Arun Verma Memorial Tournament Feb. 21 at the Club at Sonterra. Last year’s tournament raised more than $45,000 for the American Heart Association, and with this year’s event, drawing 112 registered players, they hoped to raise more. –mh Gross Winners 1st: Norman Longoria, Mario Longoria, Walter Dyer, David Hernandez

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

2nd: Marco Garga, Michael Wallace, Tim Rice, Patrick Conway 3rd: Chris Palumbo, Nick Meadows, Benny Torres, Bobby Davis Net Winners 1st: Roger Canales, Hector Garcia, Walter Martinez, Tom Garcia 2nd: Travis Edlund, Howard Lutz, Andrew Ozuna 3rd: Kevin Maldonado, Matt Shipman, Sam Beierle, Jim Muse

1st Place Net

Texas Style

   

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Give them a sign

L-R: Lee Kee and David Kee, supervisor, One Day Signs, complete leveling one of the posts on a jobsite sign made for Drash Contracting. Also helping on the installation were Isaac Rodriguez and Eloina Benavides. –mh

San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017

Page 31

Brand reconstruction

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Bank on it!

Job superintendent Chris Harper with GC Joeris General Contractors is on an Amegy Bank of New Braunfels project. The finished date is slated for end of August. –cw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Lunch landing

A crew from Millberger Landscaping takes a lunch break from a hotel project on IH35 in New Braunfels. –cw

L-R: Gregory Cokinos and Marc Young

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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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San Antonio Construction News • APR 2017