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Volume 19
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Number 5
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MAY 2017
Meeting in the middle
Roofing rises
L-R: Robert Luna and Barry Middleman, having similar temperaments and cultures in their firms, have combined to form Luna Middleman Architects.
L-R: Roland H. Gonzales Jr. and Bryan Gonzales, Roland’s Roofing, take pride in their San Antonio roots, and were presented with a plaque from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
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ore than a decade after first meeting and working together, Robert Luna, Luna Architecture + Design, and Barry Middleman, Mdn Architects, have combined their architectural practices to form Luna Middleman Architects. Luna is the president and CEO of the new firm, and Middleman is principal, staying on as a consultant, mentor and advisor. “I have been looking for years for a sort of succession plan,” explains Middleman, who turns 77 this month. “I really don’t want to literally retire, because I love architecture. I just don’t want to run a business anymore, and that’s where Robert is taking major pressure and the load off of me. So I’ve got the best of both worlds. I’ll still be
able to exercise what ability I have, because this is my one and only real hobby in the world, actually since I was 8 years of age.” Luna notes that he and Middleman have known each other since working on Plaza Las Campanas, and coincidentally, they both graduated from Jefferson High School here in San Antonio. “My respect for him and what he has accomplished was vital, ” Luna, 56, says of Middleman. “I looked to him as a mentor as we were developing our firm, and so from that initial coordinated work effort, I think it was a unique relationship that we established. I saw it as a learning experience for us, and Barry was agreeable to working with us. Since then, we stayed in continued on Page 24
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ince the hailstorm last year, residents of San Antonio may be seeing Roland’s Roofing vehicles a lot more in their neighborhoods, even though the contractor’s workload is usually split evenly between residential and commercial. As the third generation in the family business, Bryan Gonzales observes that due to the damage from last April’s hail, their crews have been doing more residential than ever while maintaining their commercial side. “It’s really been monumental,” says Bryan, noting that they’ve always kept busy through referrals and word of mouth. “As soon as that hail storm hit, we were inundated, booked out a year almost right away with residential work.
We have been taken aback, and it was really all hands on deck.” One of Bryan’s main objectives coming into the business in 2009 was to help make his father’s life a bit easier. He wanted his dad, Roland Gonzales Jr., to be able to enjoy shaking hands and have some relief from the day-to-day operations. But since the hailstorm, his dad has become more involved again. Though his dad is still busy, Bryan notes that it’s nice working with him. A natural entrepreneur, Roland Gonzales Sr. founded Roland’s Roofing in 1970 after serving in the Korean War. As the business grew, his only son, Roland Gonzales Jr., joined the company in 1978, after earning his degree continued on Page 24
A tale of two hospitals
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fter winning competitive bids for both projects, F.A. Nunnelly simultaneously built two Emerus Baptist Hospitals, the Northwest Military location and Zarzamora location. Construction began on both sites in December 2015 and finished Nov. 22, 2016 at Northwest Military and Oct. 26, 2016 at Zarzamora. Both projects were roughly 38,000sf each. However, at Northwest Military, about half of the first floor, approximately 9,800sf, was hospital space with the rest being lease space for medical offices to be finished out at a later date. Zarzamora has the same exact shell of the building, but the entirety of the first floor was built as hospital space. The facilities utilized high-end architectural features, including interior and exterior masonry, decorative wall panel systems, terrazzo flooring, 3 Form paneling, and state-of-the-art exam rooms. On the medical side, both projects also included nurse call systems in each
F.A. Nunnelly Co. simultaneously built two nearly identical Emerus Baptist Hospitals, one of which is located at Northwest Military and 1604.
patient room, unique life support systems and medical gas systems as well as backup generators for emergency power to maintain life support in the case of electrical outage. “They were two separate projects,” explains Bill Wyman, project manager for the Northwest Military facility. “But due to the timing of it, due to some of our shared subcontractors, there was a lot of coordination that had to take place between both projects in order to schedule all the work and delivery of materials and everything so that both projects could keep moving forward. “Between the subs, suppliers and our project teams, there was a lot of shared knowledge going back and forth for both projects. So, if there was a problem on one project, it was able to be solved on both of them.” The subcontractors’ coordination impressed Wyman and Kyle Wisniewski, continued on Page 24
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Getting the party started
Love and marriage and Holes
L-R: Mark Novell, UFP Schertz; Craig Noto and Jordon Brown, Quality Fence; Mike Randle and Blair Casey, UFP Schertz
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icking off Fiesta early, Quality Fence & Welding hosted its annual Customer Appreciation Party Apr. 6 in the parking lot of its Wetmore location. The Fiesta theme included Fiesta necklaces and toy maracas as well as fajitas and queso for guests to enjoy with refreshments, of course. There were also raffle prizes and a beanbag toss. –mh
Fred and Karen Maberry have been working at Holes of San Antonio since the early years of the company – nearly four decades.
W L-R: Crystal and Teresa Noto, Quality Fence; Charles and Mary Lugo, AGC
L-R: TJ Howard and Sean Hilbrandt, Quality Fence, with the new gate Howard debuted at the party
L-R: Bert Mazac, Big B Construction; Scott Wiatrek, Dedicated Landscape Solutions (on the phone with cousin, Greg Wiatrek, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing); Ron Luhring, Allen & Allen Co.
So cool they’ve got to wear shades! L-R: Andrew Chaudoir, Joeris; Jon Randolph, Baker Triangle; Sean Bates, Quality Fence
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Working in a Natural setting
General contractor McPherson Construction, along with its team of 10 subcontractors, was finishing work on the Natural Grocers location on North New Braunfels Avenue as it prepared to open at the end of March. The project manager on the job is Jeff Heit. –mh
hile Fred and Karen Maberry will be celebrating 43 years of marriage this year, they have been working together at Holes of San Antonio for 36 of those years. As they sit at desks facing one another in their office, they explain that their history is a long one. “I’ve known Fred all my life,” says Karen, who turns 63 next month. “My dad was the best man at his mom and dad’s wedding.” Their fathers met as cadets learning how to fly in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Fred was born in San Marcos, and Karen was born in Albuquerque, and though they traveled with their fathers in the military, the two have made their lives in San Antonio, where Karen’s father served on one of his last tours, with their own family. Fred and Karen have two children, Crystal, who is 42, and Aaron, who is 37. In their spare time, Fred enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing, and riding his motor-
cycle, while Karen spends a lot of time with their three grandchildren. Meanwhile, they’ve made their careers at Holes of San Antonio. Having started in construction at 24, Fred was working for the Laborers Local 93, setting precast at what is now the Omni La Mansion del Rio, when he met George Major Sr., founder of the company. Fred took a hose – which he didn’t know Major was using – to clean concrete out of the grout pump he was running, and that was how they met. In 1978, just one year after the doors opened, George started as a laborer for Holes of San Antonio and became a machine operator. In 1981, Karen came onboard to help with the bookkeeping. She taught dance to preschool children before joining Holes. “She’s my best friend,” says Fred. “She’s the best wife in the world, best mother in the world, and best grand-mother in the world. I couldn’t have done better.” –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Submitted to Construction News
PUTZ AROUND TOWN JC Putz here . . . Old age seems to make people react in different ways. Most slow down, play it safe and easy or read a good book. But for some Type A’s like our publisher they just go off the deep end and on to their third or fourth childhood. Yes he really did it. He bought a Can Am Spyder Trike. I asked some of the staff to comment on this development. Dana-Account Manager: Does it sound like a Harley? Melissa-DFW Editor: Is he really going to ride it up to Dallas?
Terri-Admin/Accounting: doesn’t try to expense it.
Meet the midwife Hope he
Mary-SA Editor: No he can’t take my daughter Loxley for a ride on that thing. Helen-Production Mgr: I’m new here. Does he always do crazy things? Reesa-Wife & co-owner: I know he’s not losing his mind. That’s been gone for years. Putz-Roaming Reporter: Personally I think this was a great thing to happen. He will be so interested in his new toy he might forget to come to work. Then the staff can do anything we want. YES!
When C. Darren Schultz, PE, Cleary Zimmermann, showed up at a meeting at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio to unexpectedly meet Sister Christine, the midwife who delivered him. “It is truly a pleasure to see how our work and our lives here in San Antonio come together,” says Schultz. “San Antonio is a tight-knit community where we are all seemingly one person away from being connected to everyone else. I had the fortunate experience of meeting the midwife who delivered me 50 years ago here at the Santa Rosa Hospital after discussing the history of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and the evolution of the Santa Rosa Hospital over the past 150 years. It was truly a privilege to spend this time and share this experience with these elegant ladies.” L-R: Sister Christine, C. Darren Schultz, and Sister O’Brien of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio/Santa Rosa Hospital System. –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Delivery from the Easter bunny
It was his birthday! Employees showed their appreciation by trashing his office and his truck! He had to wear the hat all day. His office is still a mess days later!
What’s this all about?
With that, I’m outta here!
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter purchased and filled 48 Easter baskets for the children of the Fort Sam Houston Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC). The WFSC provides coordinated activities and services to patients, next-of-kin and extended family members. –mh
Plumber to the rescue!
A good friend of Richard Almaguer, owner of Star State Plumbing in Spring Branch, found this and immediately thought of his plumbing buddy. The friend made a special stop at the shop to drop it off to Almaguer, who thought it was too funny and said, “Who knew they made plumbing action figures.” –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Reimagining the river
In 1963, Ignacio Torres (right) was one of eight architects who contributed to the original master plan for the River Walk.
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s the River Walk prepared to host events for Fiesta, 91-year-old retired architect Ignacio Torres reflected upon being part of the master plan study committee in 1963 for the reimagining of the River Walk as well as the fact that he gave the project its name. “The downtown river had always been an eyesore and a problem area in San Antonio,” recalls Torres. “Along came Mr. David Strange. He was the president of the Chamber of Commerce. He approached the problem head on and in multiple ways. “One of those approaches was to invite the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to join him in this project. The AIA welcomed the idea and assigned eight members to the project. They were Cy Wagner, [myself], O’Neil Ford, Edward Mok, Brooks Martin, Arthur Mathis, Thomas Pressly and Boone Powell.” Torres explains that with Wagner leading the group, they met at his office every week for three or four months. In open discussion, the team reimagined the area as Wagner listed main points on his chalkboard. They would tackle topics such as creating quiet and loud zones, active and passive areas, building materials, landscaped areas, and signage size and lighting. “The main purpose was to develop a master plan to indicate a guide for future
San Antonio
development,” Torres explains. “Cy would take all these suggestions and, in his own great style, he interpreted them into presentation drawings.” There was just one more question in the air and Torres came up with the answer. “All the members of the team were asked to suggest a name for the project. I chose the name Paseo del Rio, because I noticed that the word ‘paseo’ had so many meanings in Spanish, and they all seemed to apply.” With definitions including “leisurely walk,” “parade,” “public park,” “corridor,” and “passage,” Torres notes that, luckily, Paseo del Rio was selected. A lifelong San Antonio resident, Torres still lives here at Villa de San Antonio. He served in the Air Force during World War II, earned his degree in architecture from the University of Oregon, and spent 35 years working in architecture. Today, he has been married 66 years, has five children, and six grandchildren. “As an architect, I have been fortunate to have executed many large and small projects, but I can truly say the Paseo del Rio was my favorite,” he says. “It’s such an unbelievable feeling to know that someday maybe one of my descendants will say, ‘My grandfather named that beautiful river the Paseo del Rio.’” –mh
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
Mary Hazlett, San Antonio Editor — SAEditor@ConstructionNews.net — 210-308-5800 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Wiatrek Production Manager . . . . Helen Greenwood Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dana Calonge Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net If you are a construction-related company in Atascosa, Bexar, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina or Wilson counties and are not receiving a free copy of the San Antonio Construction News, please call for a Requester Form, or visit our website.
The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba San Antonio Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
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Submitted to Construction News
Help granted
Delivering checks to four nonprofits, the Sundt Foundation, the charitable arm of Sundt Construction, donated $11,575 to San Antonio community organizations. The grants went to the Martinez Street Women’s Center for its Community Health Program, the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas to support its leadership development efforts, Service Dogs Inc. to support its goals of rescuing shelter dogs and training them to serve those with hearing loss or mobility challenges, and Transplants for Children to fund its programs to help transplant recipients through the transplant process. –mh
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M. Ashley Hohmann Managing Member Hohmann Development Services, LLC
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aving founded Hohmann Development Services (HDS) in 2002, M. Ashley Hohmann has been running his own company for 15 years now. With substantial growth in the past four to five years, they have taken on more large type projects and added counter sales for stock toilet partitions and hardware to the business. These additions have allowed HDS to expand the number of general contractors and end users it services. Hohmann notes that he is trying to grow the business gradually, and they incorporated last year. Having lived in San Antonio all of his life with a special fondness for the Texas Hill Country, Hohmann is now 52 years old, and recently took some time to tell us a little bit about how he came into the industry and the people who have influenced his path along the way. Where did you grow up? I grew up in San Antonio but was I was born in Fredericksburg, TX. Growing up, we spent all weekends there at the family ranch. Raising cattle and hunting were a big thing with us. For some time, we built fence to divide up the property between all the aunts and uncles. It took several years in the granite countryside. There was always something to do – repairing fence, cutting trees, building stock tanks, and of course, catching perch from the small creek. What was your introduction to the construction industry? My dad was into construction his whole life. He moved from Fredericksburg to San Antonio to become a union carpenter and start work with my uncle Buck DeHart and Harvey Hancock of HH Hancock Construction building a lot of the buildings at Southwest Research Institute. So, as a kid, I spent a lot of time there seeing all the different aspects of construction and picking up Coke bottles around the site to sell them.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Later, when I was in middle school, he had a project building an aluminum plant in Dallas. He introduced me to a hammer and an endless supply of lumber to pull nails and stack. We worked helping build forms and trenches for the pouring of concrete. Soon after that, he started working for Ed Flume Building Specialties, which was a building specialties company like ours is now, as head of construction and installations. As high school began in approximately 1979, I started spending summers working there doing odd jobs and starting to learn the installation trade. I eventually went full-time just out of high school and worked there for over 22 years. So your dad was able to train you in this business? Yes, we would work side by side to review site conditions, layout and start installation projects, trouble shoot service calls, and he showed me a lot of mechanics of the installation, how to work with and use the proper tools, and metal working until he left around 1986. I did learn a lot from him. Although I may not recommend my son work for his dad, I wouldn’t give away that type knowledge for the world. I didn’t appreciate it when it was being handed to me, but he taught me the dos and don’ts of construction and how to work and work hard. As a specialties company, we did small jobs and some larger projects. I was soon in charge of running projects in the field whether it was coiling overhead doors, operable partitions, or large skylight systems. I then moved up into project management, estimating, head of safety and starting a service section for the company. Then, while still doing these tasks, I became vice president of architectural sales for San Antonio and Austin helping architects write specifications and promote some of our proprietary products. I also mentored, for many years, under Edward Flume. His business decisions and financial knowledge helped form my understanding of what it takes in this business. What do you like to do in your spare time? Our current work schedule does not allow for too much spare time. We are trying to allow for steady controlled growth. But, I do enjoy stealing away to the Hill Country Highland Lakes area for some boating, fishing, and relaxing outside along with a little golf or tennis. Tell me about your family. My wife, Michaelle, of close to 29 years now, is very influential in my life. She has helped me through the good and the not so good times. Today, she runs her own histology laboratory and finds time to help with the daily operations of the company behind the scenes. I couldn’t replace her. She’s very important to me and to what we are doing here. Our companies share office space as two separate entities. So, in her spare time, she helps me. She assists our company with the administrative tasks, accounting, and even with some estimating items. We work well together. We have two grown kids. One of them works for her. We have one grandson. He’s 14, and he’s doing great. We like to spend a lot of time with him. We like to go fish together and also play a lot of tennis together. Other than that, he likes to beat me at Ping Pong [laughs]. What has been the most challenging part of your career? I guess the most challenging was deciding to start [Hohmann Development
This year marks the 15th anniversary of M. Ashley Hohmann’s company, Hohmann Development Services.
Services] in the first place. I was always apprehensive about starting my own business – there seemed to be so many obstacles to overcome. It was never a goal or a dream to get the business underway. And when we did, it was a slow and methodical pace that allowed us to make good on the promises we made to our customers. When we started the company, we took on jobs as they presented themselves one piece at a time. Initially, I set out to do site work and concrete that went along with pre-engineered metal buildings we helped design and erect. Since then, we’ve gravitated back to our specialty background in the more finished aspect of construction. As we grow, we still go out of our way to make good on those same promises. You mentioned going back to school. What was involved in that? I did not start college until later in life and working in the field for 10 years. In 1992, I started night school at San Antonio College with no specific direction except to finish. It took so long that my homebuilding degree program changed many times. I moved on to finish at UTSA in construction management. Ed Flume Building Specialties was influential in my school endeavors. They allowed me to flex my schedule and sometimes take day classes as needed while I was putting in 40 to 60 hours a week at work. I blame my sister for keeping me in school [laughs]. She said, “Keep going; you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Did you see that light after you earned your degree? Yes, I did, because I had already quit my job, started the business, needed to finish school, and did not have much direction. At that point, I was a little unclear on my direction, but had plenty of light. What did your mom do? She taught kindergarten and worked at the church, and then she worked at Alamo Heights National Bank until she passed in 1980. She was a great woman and a good inspiration for me. She taught me a lot of core values and common sense. A big motivation for me is that I knew she would want me to get my education. That’s why I went back to school. Have you been a part of any local or community organizations? At one point, I was vice president of the Construction Management Association of South Texas for a couple of years. While doing this and going to school, I helped UTSA start set up a student chapter of the Construction Management Association.
I am part of a homeowners architectural committee to evaluate and approve residential improvements in our neighborhood. We also do a lot of work with the Discalced Carmelite Monastery here in San Antonio, off of Culebra Road by Southwest Research. They have a large property and buildings that require extra maintenance or at least some attention. We like to spend time out there, helping with landscaping, limb cutting, running the tractor, or changing light bulbs. We still do that to this day. I will have our crews go out there when they need something. We also provide our services with small construction projects out there every once in a while. This week, we sent guys out there for two or three days to clean up the courtyards and powerwash the area. They know we have a special ladder that can get way up in the Chapel to change the bulbs. We have got a great relationship – we love what we are doing out there; they trust us to do it. Do you have any personal goals that you’re working toward or would like to accomplish in the future? I want to try to make sure I can maintain and/or grow the company in a way that benefits the ones that help make this happen. My goal is to make sure we can take care of all the families that are counting on us because we for sure count on them. What do you enjoy about your work? I think coming up with answers for customers, doing research for a project, and trying to find a solution for a problem with a certain product is an essential part of making this enjoyable. I think I’m lucky to be afforded a set of tools to use to help solve these construction-related problems and run the company as well. My wife is the biggest part of my life and we are able to share that at work – that helps make this more enjoyable. Although I do not plan on retiring any time soon, it is enjoyable to know that we have built something to pass on. How did you meet your wife? Her friend was sponsoring our church league basketball team. We were playing at the Jewish Community Center, and she was in the stands watching and I was riding the pine. It was more of a blind date kind of thing when we finally got set up, but we met on the basketball court. Have you played many sports? I played baseball for eight years with little league and continued into high school. After that, I enjoyed playing basketball in city and church leagues. Now, I love playing bad golf when time permits and tennis with my grandson. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Bringing in more green
Two days in College Station
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he American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Alamo Chapter held its annual Golf Tournament Apr. 6 at Canyon Springs Golf Course. The event drew 139 players and raised a net profit of $31,900, an 8-percent increase over last year’s event, setting a record for the local chapter. They also gave away more raffle prizes, valued at $7,100, than ever before. –mh
The first day of TACA’s Short Course ended with a panel discussion relating to concrete truck safety and reducing rollovers within the industry. L-R: Paul Stalter, Cemex; Kerri Todd, Burnco Texas; Rick Welton and James Welch, Martin Marietta
1st & 2nd Place – Low Gross & Low Net Winners L-R: Mike Cervera, James Keithley, David Hartmann, Zach McManus 3rd: Paul Naizer, Tony Sowa, Brad Gilbert, Brian Perlberg
Most Room for Improvement – Team L-R: Cameron Cross, Jesse Ortiz, Mario Mijangos, Daniel Parsell
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he Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association (TACA) hosted its 2017 Short Course Mar. 2-3 at Cavalry Court in College Station with 57 attendees from across the state. The two-day conference hosted several educational seminars and included a golf tournament at the Traditions Club, a sporting clay shoot at the Tonkaway Ranch, a mountain biking trip, a private winery tour, and a networking reception. On the first day, Gary Mullings, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, (NRMCA), spoke about workforce development in the ready-mixed concrete industry, and Rick Kolster, Peak Performance Group, got everyone thinking about generational changes and how they affect how business is done today. On the second day, Melissa Fitts, Westward Environmental, and Chris Pepper, Winstead PC, discussed recent changes to the Air Quality Standard Permit for Concrete Batch Plants. Also, John
Smart, Winstead PC, reviewed changes to laws affecting human resources, and Dr. Mark Dotzour, real estate economist and former chief economist of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, was the final speaker. –mh
Golf Winners 1st: Brad Bowman and Shaun Griffin, Allied Concrete; Doug Ulsh, Sika Corporation 2nd: Jack Langston, Quality Trucking; Shane Bass, Hanson Aggregates; Eric Reinhart, Trinity Lightweight; Brian Skomp, United Rentals 3rd: Rob Van Til, River Aggregates; Joey Biasatti, Austin Materials; Mike Bess, Vulcan Materials; Ryan Miley, Alleyton Resource
Sporting Clay Winners 1st: Joe Mathia, Martin Marietta 2nd: Jorge Hinojosa, Bexar Concrete Works I 3rd: Frank Koy, Koy Concrete
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Wired to win
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he Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) San Antonio Chapter hosted its 17th annual BBQ Cook-Off & Apprentice Wire-Off Mar. 24-25 at the Helotes Fairgrounds. The cook-off teams competed in a wide variety of categories, and the winner of the wire-off will go on to represent the chapter at the National Apprentice of the Year competition in Phoenix, AZ this October. The two-day, family-friendly event included raffle prizes and a washer tournament as well as the Kid’s Fun Zone with a bounce house, face painter, horseshoes, beanbag toss, petting zoo and pony rides. –mh
BBQ Winners Brisket 1st: Elliott Electric 2nd: Eldridge Electric 3rd: Premier Staffing 4th: Hill Electric 5th: Hill Country Electric Supply
Chicken 1st: Mission City Electric 2nd: Circle Electric 3rd: IES Commercial 4th: Summit Electric Supply 5th: Premier Staffing
Pork Ribs 1st: Mission City Electric 2nd: IES Commercial 3rd: Circle Electric 4th: VA Electrical 5th: Carl Electric Gumbo 1st: JMEG 2nd: Dealers Electric Supply 3rd: VA Electrical 4th: Circle Electric 5th: IES Commercial Chili 1st: Beard Electric 2nd: Eldridge Electric 3rd: Summit Electric 4th: JMEG 5th: Circle Electric
Beans 1st: Hill Country Electric Supply 2nd: Eldridge Electric 3rd: E-Tel 4th: Burrus & Matthews 5th: JMEG Dessert 1st: JMEG (Skillet Caramel Pecan Cake) 2nd: Graybar Electric Supply (Avocado Delight) 3rd: Burrus & Matthews (Baked Apple Sopapilla) 4th: Beard Electric (Apple Streudel) 5th: Mission City Electric (Pineapple Upside Down Cake)
Open 1st: Circle Electric (Ribeye Steak) 2nd: Hill Electric (Pulled Pork & Sausage Sandwich) 3rd: Mission City Electric (Crab-Stuffed Quail) 4th: E-Tel (Crab & Scallop Stuffed Shrimp) 5th: JMEG (BaconWrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin) Bragging Rights 1st: Circle Electric 2nd: Mission City Electric 3rd: IES Commercial 4th: Eldridge Electric 5th: JMEG, Premier Electrical Staffing (tie)
Wire-Off Winners 1st: Hunter Bakel, JMEG 2nd: Tyler Wood, Berg 3rd: Michael Varnum, Good Electric 4th: David Kerley, Mission City Electric 5th: Christopher Luna, SWECS 6th: Royce Tanner, Eldridge
COOK-OFF
1st Place Open Division and Bragging Rights – Circle Electric
1st Place Brisket – Elliott Electric 1st Place Gumbo and Dessert – JMEG Electrical Contractors
1st Place Chicken and Ribs - Mission City
A night in the clouds
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ith a light and paper cloud installation creating the “NightLight” theme, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter lit up the Print Annex on McCullough Ave. Apr. 8 with its annual Beaux Arts Ball. –mh
Photos by David Rangel
L-R: A guest of the ball poses under the clouds with Elizabeth Wilson, Wilson Architecture; Crista Saxon Reed, Cleary Zimmermann and ball committee member; Adam Reed, Ford Powell & Carson and San Antonio Chapter board president; and Kevin Covey, Greystreet Partners and Print Annex sponsors, who donated the space for the ball.
1st Place Beans – Hill Country Electric Supply
Rebecca Bruce Comeaux, Lake|Flato and chair of the ball, and David Comeaux, Lake|Flato, pose in the phone booth brought to the event by Cultural Based Interiors (CBI). Guests enjoyed posing in the phone booth throughout the evening.
1st Place Chili – Beard Electric
Another highlight of the night was the nitrogen ice cream bar provided by Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating.
San Antonio City Councilman (and architect) Roberto C. Trevino, Dist. 1
For a sweet treat, IES (Intelligent Engineering Services) sponsored a donut wall as a surprise reveal at the end of the night.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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What are three things you have to have to do your job? I need a phone for sure. I need employees that share the same passion that I share for what I do. I need the upper management’s backing – and I do have it – on whatever I decide to do. For me to be successful at what I do, I need my bosses to back me up. Roque “Rocky” Leal, Austin Materials Communication. Just to stay in touch with our customers as far as what they need and how to make them happy and make come back. And [that applies] in the work environment too. Everything goes a lot easier when everybody knows what’s going on. Customers. And lumber. Tom Buenrostro, Allen & Allen Co. I need my motivation to work, which is pretty much there all the time. It’s the urge to get up early and go in every day. I like going into work. I need my wife. We get along so well, and just knowing that we have that comfort zone. And I need the knowledge that people can count on me to come up with some sort of answer. M. Ashley Hohmann Hohmann Development Services I have to have my cellphone, because I spend half of my day on the phone; an iPad or computer, because I spend the other half of the day sending out emails; and the right attitude, because my job title is client relations and have to deal with a lot of clients. Rebecca Mansfield Catamount Constructors My computer and my cellphone are basically all I need, because I can do all my work on my cellphone or on the computer. I do 95 percent of my work on the computer. Quint Cabiness D. Wilson Construction Co.
I’ve got to have good solid employees around me. If you surround yourself with good employees, you’ll probably be successful, and it just makes life easier. I’ve got to have more time, because I like to spend time with my employees and learn together and develop stronger teamwork. And a vacation! [laughs] Richard Weldon D. Wilson Construction Co. Definitely my iPad because one thing that I brought into the business was trying to go as paperless possible. And I would say a good vehicle. And having a great team to work with. Bryan Gonzales, Roland’s Roofing I would say skills, knowledge and the want to get to the very top. Skills, in order to become great at your job. The want is the most important one in my opinion. That’s the thing that actually drives you to get better, to learn better, to be the best. Zeke Rodriguez, J&R Tile
Pat Plazek, president of NARI San Antonio addresses attendees including Armando and Jana Valdez, Haven Design & Construction; Bryan Smith, Vision Design + Build; Shea Pumjero, Younique Designs; Kendra Facundo, Delta Granite; Gracie Hoyer, The Front Door Company; and Cox Tile employees.
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he National Association for the Remodeling Industry (NARI) San Antonio Chapter and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) hosted a joint mixer Mar. 22 at Cox Tile. –mh
Common sense. It’s a stressful environment, so you have to be driven to want to do it. And the last one is you should enjoy people, because construction is based on relationships. Todd Davidson, NAPCO Precast Well, I don’t have to have anything, because my job is done. I’ve run my race. I’ve crossed the finish line. I made it! Tony Pieprzyca Hart Acoustical & Drywall I need a challenge to keep me focused and enthusiastic to do my job. As long as I enjoy doing it, I’ll continue. Bill Hunter, OTS
Industry FOLKS Sergio Perez Stucco Manager San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply
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ergio Perez started out at San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply doing tasks like pulling orders in the warehouse, but today, he is the stucco manager. At 37 years old, Perez has been with the company for 17 years. His brother was a driver for the company and got him his start there. Though his brother is no longer with the company, Perez is still there and really enjoys helping his customers. “Before I came here, I was doing irrigation sprinklers,” says Perez, explaining that he installed sprinklers and did hardscape work, too, with rock and stucco, mostly on residential projects. After starting at San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply, he progressed to mixing stucco, and he’s been mixing it and color matching for commercial and residential projects for about 10 years now. “It’s just a great place,” he says of his company and work environment where he oversees about eight people. “I like to work every day. I come here every day looking forward to it. I like my employees. We work great together. It’s different from any other work.” Born and raised in San Antonio, Perez’s father was in the Air Force and retired, but has since passed away, and his mother still works at the Harlandale
Remodelers mingle
Civic Center, where she has worked for the last 35 years. His brother is still driving, but now he’s working in the oil field. He also has a sister, who lives in Kansas and works as a nurse. Living in the Harlandale area, Perez and his wife, Erika, met at Harlandale High School, where their sons go to school today. Erika works as a nurse at CentroMed Clinic. The couple has five boys, all of whom keep them very busy. His oldest, Sergio Perez Jr., is 16 years old. And his four younger sons all have names that start with the letter J: Joel Perez, 15; Joshua Perez, 12; Jonathan Perez, 10; and his youngest, 6-yearold Jayden Perez. “They all love playing sports,” he says. “They play football, baseball – in school and out of school, they’re playing sports. And I help out coaching them also in football. I would play sports a lot myself, but I’m busy with them. So, I stay active with them. “In my spare time, I’m always with my family. We like going out camping, to the coast, Port Aransas or Corpus. I really like to spend time with the family.” –mh
Craig Scott, vice president of NARI, visits Lisa and Peter Moon, Paper Moon Painting, at their table at the association’s mixer with NKBA.
John Cox, Cox Tile, speaks to guests as the host of the event.
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Defining true job costs for construction bids
Why are your commercial auto rates increasing?
Scott Allen, CPA, Tax and Consulting Partner Cornwell Jackson Plano, TX
Jeremy Sandusky, Partner MMA-Southwest Dallas, TX
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t the heart of a profitable construction company is an accurate bidding process. An accurate bid involves much more than expected materials or your subcontractor and labor costs. Other variables to consider are the weather, the subs (or GC), customer expectations and how you expect your competitors will bid. The more you factor in these variables across all bids, the closer you can get to a competitive that matches true costs.
rom ready-mix suppliers and aggregate haulers to contractors with large automobile or truck fleets, businesses nationwide are seeing profit margins narrow because of escalating commercial auto insurance rates. The bad news is that the trend has no signs of slowing, given the myriad factors that are driving up costs. The good news is that companies can take proactive measures to reduce losses and mitigate risk.
Construction companies can get very efficient at estimating the expected costs per job; however, they don’t always factor in “hidden” job-related costs in developing the bid: • Labor-related benefits • Fleet vehicles (owned or rented) and maintenance • Fuel • Small tools and other job consum- ables • General liability insurance • Safety program If these costs are not considered, the company is at risk for missing the expected job profit, particular- ly in longer-lived jobs.
The two primary factors driving auto losses are rising medical costs resulting from accidents, and an increased number of miles driven. Loss of Focus Distracted driving is having a severe impact on commercial auto lines. The number of gadgets beckoning for drivers’ attention means people are focusing less on the road, and more on the technology that surrounds them. In fact, during daylight hours, more than 660,000 drivers across the country are using a mobile phone or fiddling with an electronic device while driving, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a result, eight people are killed and nearly 1,200 injured every day in the U.S. in crashes related to distracted driving, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Not surprisingly, the number of distracted driving claims has skyrocketed, as well. Higher Repair Costs When an accident does occur, the cost of repairs puts additional pressure on insurance carriers, who pass on the expense to businesses in the form of higher premiums. Newer model cars, vans and trucks have more expensive parts, like rear-mounted cameras and side sensors. So, a small fender bender can end up costing thousands to repair. Add to that the impact of hail losses in Texas and other parts of the Southwest on these newer, more expensive vehicles, and the cost of claims becomes a significant problem for insurance carriers. In fact, the industry commercial auto combined ratio for Texas was 112.6 percent in 2015, more than five percentage points worse than the countrywide rate of 107.4 percent. Strategies to Reduce Losses Businesses that have drivers on the road can take proactive measures to help reduce the number and cost of claims and put downward pressure on rising commercial auto rates. The first line of defense is a good offense, which means hiring qualified drivers with a clean track record, and implementing a fleet safety program. Documenting the training requirements, maintenance schedules, mobile device use policy for drivers, and
Reducing job costs and increasing margins Identify the areas that have historically experienced cost overruns and develop incentive plans for the project management or field supervisory team to minimize costs. If bonuses are tied to the following key performance indicators, it can help to improve per job realization: • Cost-effective materials sourcing Efficient and timely use of labor • Waste reduction • Safety management • Early troubleshooting on budget or timeline concerns • Timely work in process updates • Quality standards (minor punch lists) If you have never instituted a specific accountability program for these KPIs, develop standards for two or three and incorporate them into the next round of new work. If there is already some level of accountability in place, audit the results and look for additional areas for improvement. When designing the incentive plan, it is important to keep parameters in place so that cost savings achieved do not come at higher costs in another category. For example, a labor savings incentive program may inadvertently incentivize the foreman to bypass safety protocols. An accident on the job will potentially result in long-term increased costs in worker’s compensation insurance (not to mention legal claims) that far outweigh the labor savings. Design the program so that any bonuses are not
paid until the warranty period has run in order to assure cost savings do not come at the cost of quality. Realization meetings can identify jobs that provided a healthy margin as well as jobs that lost money. By reviewing past performance, you can get a better sense of where bidding and costs were not aligned, the drivers for cost overruns and even whether a project type is still worth pursuing. For these meetings to be effective, you have to have accurate cost reporting. When looking at past jobs in which a company made or lost money, it’s a good exercise to understand exactly what drove the costs. Even though every company at some point has experienced a freak of nature, an accident or a materials shortage, there are usually more cost drivers that the company and its management can actually control. One of the other areas that a company can review — and this ties to a longer-term shift in the business strategy — is the type of job bid. Conditions change, and the jobs that used to be lucrative for a company can slowly whittle away margins due to higher competition, compliance issues or threadbare budgets. At the company I served, it was determined that K-12 school construction projects had experienced tightened margins, shortened project timelines and increased competition. Shifting the segment focus to junior college improvement projects, a market segment with less competition, helped the company to improve profit margins. 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 “Balancing Overhead, Budgeting and Risk to Increase Project Profits” in June’s Construction News. 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.
other safety program components provides a clear and objective reference resource and sets expectations for everyone involved. Likewise, companies need to hold drivers accountable for safety. When one MMA-Southwest client found he was continually dealing with auto losses, he started charging employees part of the deductible. After the drivers had to put up their own money to cover the cost of claims and repairs, his losses went way down. The business owner also implemented a zero-tolerance policy for drivers who had been with his company for less than three years. If a driver had an accident during this probationary period, they lost their job. In short, safety is a culture, and it starts at the top. That means continually communicating to drivers that safety is one of the most important things in your company, so they begin to take it seriously. Monitoring drivers with telematics can also help foster accountability. Tools like the Lytx Drivecam® video telematics safety program can help modifying driver behavior. For example, if the footage shows the driver’s tendency to continually slam on the breaks, he may not be paying attention while on the road—an issue that can be brought to the driver’s attention during a safety review. Similarly, telematics can help identify other risky practices, like speeding, cutting off other vehicles, and running stop signs, giving employers the opportunity to hold drivers to higher standards of safety. Drivecam footage of accidents can come in handy when filing a claim—including admitting responsibility and closing a claim quickly for accidents in which the company’s driver clearly was at fault. Most major commercial auto insurance carriers offer helpful materials to guide loss control efforts, including model fleet safety plans, driver selection tools, and vehicle accident kits. By taking proactive steps to improve driver selection and training and promote a culture of safety, businesses can minimize losses from auto claims, while doing their part to keep premiums down and make our nation’s roads safer.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Making the most of early mediation
OSHA Delays Enforcement of New Rules
R. Carson Fisk Andrews Myers P.C. Austin, Texas
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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any dispute resolution clauses in construction contracts contain a requirement that the parties mediate prior to pursuing litigation or arbitration. Mediation, at its heart, is simply a facilitated negotiation, with the mediator helping all parties find consensus to resolve a dispute on their voluntarily agreed upon terms. A successful early mediation—before legal or arbitration proceedings have started—helps the parties save the time, money, and energy. Hence, early mediation is often contractually required. But success is never a foregone conclusion, and the parties should understand that successful early mediations often share a number of characteristics. Exchange information. Early mediations generally occur before there has been a formal exchange of information, such as through discovery in a lawsuit. That limits the knowledge the parties bring to mediation with respect to the others side’s position. A lack of information as mediation commences means more time is spent in mediation simply learning about the facts rather than focusing on resolution. Exchanging information beforehand can bypass this issue. Carefully select the mediator. Due diligence should be exercised when choosing a mediator to ensure that he or she is knowledgeable and qualified. There are a number of excellent mediators in the Texas market and beyond, but not all may be suitable for a construction-related dispute. Generally, websites are a useful source of information about potential mediators and objective criteria, such as board certification in construction law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, provide further insight as to a potential mediator’s qualifications. Similarly, mediators may have different styles (e.g., facilitative or evaluative) and practices (e.g., full-time mediator or actively practicing lawyer), each of which may be more appealing in certain settings. Provide information to the mediator Many mediators will request a mediation position memorandum from each of the parties prior to the mediation. The parties should take advantage of this opportunity to give the mediator some background and identify the settlement priorities for the respective party. At the very least, the mediator should be contacted in some manner so that such information can be conveyed. An informed mediator is able to more quickly focus on resolution rather than learning about the issues and background information. Be organized and prepared. Understanding the elements of claims and defenses is key to a successful
mediation, as is the ability of one party to show the other party that it can provide support for such claims and defense. Given the lack of or limited information provided in connection with an early mediation, organization and preparedness are of paramount importance. If a claim is comprised of several items, each item should be addressed and having a comprehensive damages model, supported by documentation, often proves useful. If the other party asks for certain information as the mediation progresses, one should readily be able to locate it. Being prepared also encompasses having an understanding of the party’s settlement goals heading into the mediation, and taking the time to prepare a draft settlement agreement in advance may prove to be immensely valuable. Be open-minded One of the major benefits of mediation is control of the outcome. When mediation occurs before the parties have had the benefit of full discovery, it may be more difficult to assess the likelihood of a positive or negative outcome. When decisions must be made with only partial information, considerations have to be made on factors other than simply the likelihood of prevailing or losing. Matters such as time saved, costs avoided, and relationships preserved should all be considered, and may be more easily considered in early mediation as the parties may not have become fully entrenched in their positions. Mediation is a valuable tool for parties in a dispute who wish to avoid the time-consuming, costly, and distracting aspects of formal proceedings. In general, the earlier mediation occurs the greater the benefit that can be achieved. However, to increase the chances of success, parties to an early mediation should give particular attention to the various tips discussed above. Success is never guaranteed, but these tips will undoubtedly aid the parties and make success more likely.
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he U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers. Silica is present in products that contain sand, a commonly used construction product. Inhalation of silica can cause a reduction in pulmonary function and lung cancer. The agency has determined that additional guidance is necessary due to the unique nature of the requirements in the construction standard. Originally scheduled to begin June 23, 2017, enforcement will now begin Sept. 23, 2017. OSHA expects employers in the construction industry to continue to take steps either to come into compliance with the new permissible exposure limit, or to implement specific dust controls for certain operations as provided in Table 1 of the standard. Construction employers should also continue to prepare to implement the standard’s other requirements, including exposure assessment, medical surveillance and employee training. The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a delay in the effective date of the rule titled “Occupational Exposure to Beryllium,” from March 21, 2017, to May 20, 2017. Beryllium is used in nuclear reactors, satellites and specialty machine parts, such as non-sparking tools. The delay will allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration an opportunity for further review and consideration of the rule, in keeping with a Jan. 20, 2017, White House memorandum, titled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review.” OSHA published the final rule on Jan. 9, 2017, and previously announced the ef-
fective date would be postponed to March 21, 2017. On March 1, 2017, OSHA sought comments on a further extension to May 20, 2017. OSHA has now determined that the further delay is appropriate for the purpose of additional review into questions of law and policy. The extension of the effective date will not affect the compliance dates of the beryllium rule. The last delay concerns OSHA’s online recordkeeping reporting feature for employers to submit injury/illness data on an annual basis. When implemented, OSHA will provide a secure website that offers three options for data submission. OSHA is not accepting electronic submissions at this time. Updates will be posted to the OSHA website at www.osha.gov/ recordkeeping when they are available. To keep abreast of OSHA changes, workers and employers can sign up for Quick Takes. Quick Takes is an email update that is sent twice a month. To sign up to receive Quick Takes, visit this link: https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes/index.html natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
Mother’s Day Sunday, May 14 s ear with tors!” Y “20 ealing ntrac o of d ral C ne Ge Metal Studs Drywall Acoustical Insulation
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9018 Tesoro Suite 101 San Antonio, Texas 78217 (210) 826-4123 Fax (210) 826-5801
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Aspiring to new heights
Between a rock and the green
1st Place team with Robbin Bostick, right, SAMCA golf chairman and president of San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply
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he San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association (SAMCA) hosted its annual Golf Classic Mar. 30 at the Republic Golf Club. –mh
Winners 1st: Brian Powers and Brandon Lamb, Betco; Michael Hunt, Curtis Hunt Restorations; Harry Ellis, United Restorations
2nd: Jeff Shannon, Lehigh Cement; Jim Williamson, Lhoist; Rick Dunn 3rd: Alamo Cement – Jeff Windham, Chris Smith, Rhett Morrow, Christian Snethkamp
The 2017 ASA SubExcel convention culminated in a banquet held inside the Rock Room at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Construction News JOB SIGHT
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) hosted its annual conference, SubExcel, in Denver, CO on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Mar. 15-18, with a theme of helping contractors reach their peak performance. SubExcel has a little bit for everyone,” says Paul Brennan, CFO of NAPCO Precast. “We started the event off with a welcome reception co-hosted by ASA’s president, Robert Abney, and the ASA Denver Chapter. The education started the next day with an inspiring speech by Redmond Ramos, a former Navy combat medic assigned to the Marines and his inspiring story of overcoming adversity. “ASA breaks the education into a variety of topics from a GC panel to a discussion of performance management through innovative technology for the construction industry, and all points in between. ASA brings together chapter leaders to discuss trends in legislation and the courts affecting subcontractors. “It’s not all work and no play. There was time to visit Denver. There was a tour of some of the haunted establishments in Denver, and the banquet on Saturday night to wrap up the event was held at beautiful Red Rocks amphitheater,
Framing the firehouse
L-R: John Leifester and Paul Brennan, ASA San Antonio, took photos with the iconic red rocks while in Denver for SubExcel.
including a backstage tour. At the banquet, a variety of industry awards were handed out.” Also attending SubExcel with Brennan was John Leifester, Dedicated Landscape Solutions, who is now ASA National’s new co-chair for the National Leadership Council. –mh
L-R: (front) Carlos Gonzalez, superintendent, and Joe Ledezma, foreman, with general contractor Crownhill Builders, worked with framers from Artco Industries on the Cibolo Fire Station #1 addition and renovation. The project is expected to be completed at the end of June. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Amounting to a success story
Doubling Downs
Catamount’s San Antonio management staff is excited and proud to be celebrating the company’s 20 years in business. L-R: Scott Reynolds, president; Shane Harrell, project executive; and Michael Dixon, preconstruction manager
L-R: Quint Cabiness, Greg Winters, and Richard Weldon in D. Wilson Construction’s new San Antonio office
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riginally started by four employees working from a barn in Evergreen, CO, Catamount Constructors recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, having grown to three offices with approximately 200 employees. With offices in the Denver area and Atlanta, Catamount came to San Antonio to co-locate with its sister company, MCC Construction, which specialized in federal work. MCC was one of two companies Catamount acquired, opening their markets to federal work as well as medical. Today, the San Antonio office has about 50 of the company’s 200 employees with Scott Reynolds, one of the original founders of the company and president, runing the Alamo City office. Located at 1604 and Lockhill-Selma, Catamount’s office is inside a five-story building the company built for a client. “We’re client-based and not geographybased,” explains Rebecca Mansfield, director of client relations. For example, she
Memorial Day, May 29 A day to remember those who died in active military duty
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or many, Memorial Day means a day off of work, barbecue cookouts, family picnics, and community pools opening for the summer. But as we all know, the true meaning of Memorial Day is much more than an “opening day” for summer fun. It’s a calling to honor those courageous men and women who have served and given their lives for the causes of freedom, liberty, and peace. Memorial Day is a Federal declaration and is observed on the last Monday in May. At dawn on this day, flags are lowered to half mast on state and government buildings, and American flags are placed on gravesites at national cemeteries. At 3pm, traditional ceremonies include the sound of TAPS and the 21-
offers, “One of our clients has a job in Denver, CO [where they’re headquartered]; however that’s being managed out of San Antonio, because of relationships with San Antonio.” She adds that the San Antonio office is currently working on several UPS facilities across the country, including the San Antonio hub and recent expansion of their freight facility here. Having worked in 49 out of the 50 states, Catamount currently has 1.5 million square-feet of industrial under construction right now out of just the San Antonio office, which accounts for more than $100 million in work alone. Mansfield also notes that though Catamount is 20 years old, the company’s staff is comprised of a lot of millennials, as management focuses on training their own people. Based in Lakewood, CO, Catamount Constructors is a commercial and industrial construction management and general contracting company. –mh
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s D. Wilson Construction Co. celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, the San Antonio team is settling into its new location at 1858 Grandstand Dr. The new office at Alamo Downs is almost double the size of the branch’s former locale on Starcrest Drive. Since relocating in November, the San Antonio team has observed that the biggest benefit of the new office is the location itself. Richard Weldon, regional manager overseeing the San Antonio operations, notes that the team is now more centrally located to its projects with easy access to major routes in town, including Loop 410 and highways 90 and 151. “It makes it much easier to get to and from our projects,” says Weldon. With much more square-footage, the facility has more office space and a bigger, better conference room, which makes it easier host clients as well as hold internal meetings. The San Antonio branch needed more space to accommodate recent growth.
“Our business has grown about 30 percent in the last three years,” Weldon estimates. “We have increased, almost doubled, our volume each year for the last three years.” He says that, currently, the D. Wilson San Antonio team is working on three charter schools, a school cafeteria project, and several retail projects. Weldon and his office manager, Quint Cabiness, are fairly new to D. Wilson. Weldon came on board to run the San Antonio office in August 2013, and Cabiness started with the company about two-and-a-half years ago. Cabiness notes that the company recently joined the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. And for fun, office members participate in industry events, including the ABC Chili Cook-Off as well as golf tournaments and shoots. Based in McAllen, D. Wilson Construction Co. is a general contracting company with its only branch location in San Antonio, which opened in 2010. –mh Gun Salute. In Washington, DC each year, a Memorial Day Parade is held, as well as other parades throughout the country. Veterans Day, usually observed on Nov. 11, is many times confused with Memorial Day. This day is designated to thank the retired Veterans who have served in the armed services - the difference being they came home. Veterans were also willing to dedicate their lives in service to prepare and defend our nation when necessary. We remember those who didn’t come home on this Memorial Day and thank those Veterans on Veterans Day who were also willing to dedicate their lives in the protection of our nation and protection of our freedom and way of life. –rd
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Material matters
Submitted to Construction News
BBQ birthday bash
With a tour, barbecue dinner, and door prizes, EPI Electrical Enclosures & Engineering hosted a 50th anniversary party Mar. 29 at its West Commerce location. With more than 65 people in attendance, guests included Ramiro Cavazos, president of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and City Councilman Ray Lopez, Dist. 6. –mh
The Materials Marketing sales team L-R: Michael Mortensen, showroom manager; Mark Olivarria, design and sales assistant; Michele Iapicco, sales and design; Teri Shelton, external business development; Terri Williams Villafranco, sales and design; Jim Rymer, CEO Photo by James Valdez
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s Materials Marketing continues to grow, Jim Rymer continues to oversee the company his father founded more than 50 years ago. In 1965, one year after moving his family to San Antonio from Tampico, Mexico, Don Rymer Sr. founded the company on the concept to import Saltillo tile and hand-painted tile from Mexico. He built the business through warehousing and wholesale distribution. With his accounting degree from the University of Texas, Jim began consulting for the company in 1980 after working in Dallas and Houston for several years. Then in 1981, he and his brother, Don Rymer Jr., bought the business from their father. Don has since retired, and Jim is the CEO. “When Don and I bought the business, we decided that we wanted to sell through our own showrooms as well as to have the distribution,” recalls Jim. “So, we opened showrooms, over a
period of time, in California, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Chicago, and the latest one was Atlanta.” With 10 showrooms in all, the company is still based in San Antonio. They have acquired two other businesses in the last five years; A.J. Brauer, a 360acre Texas limestone quarry in Jarrell, TX, and Design and Direct Source, which does large commercial projects involving multiple keys and doors, such as hotels and apartments, across the country, including the Hotel Emma. With more than 200 employees in Mexico and just under 200 stateside working for Materials Marketing and its two other platforms, the company works with limestone, travertine, marble, and adoquin, making fireplaces, range hoods, architectural stone, landscape, mouldings, mosaics and tiles. Materials Marketing manufactures and supplies luxury stone and tile products for residential and commercial projects. –mh
All in the civil family
Maestas & Associates leadership team L-R: Rikki Anderson, PE, PMP, director of engineering; Andrea Maestas, vice president; and Ernest Maestas, PE, president and founder
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ith Ernest Maestas at the head of the firm he founded in 1989, his children have joined him to make Maestas & Associates a family-run firm that also has a family-friendly office culture. Andrea Maestas, Ernest’s daughter and vice president, says that the familyfriendly atmosphere is very important to them, allowing for a work-life balance. Ana Peters, director of marketing, notes that every now and then, some of the staff will bring their kids by the office, adding that Ernest loves kids, so he doesn’t mind. Also, Andrea points out that the firm is a bit of an anomaly in the civil engineering professional services industry in that it is comprised mostly of women with women outnumbering men about two to one. All of their CAD techs are women as well as their director of engineering, Rikki Anderson. Anderson is one of four professional engineers at Maestas, along with Ernest,
his son, Michael Maestas, who is also a certified floodplain manager (CFM), and Jason Scheppers, who is a transportation engineer. His father also a civil engineer, Ernest earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from New Mexico State University. He started his firm in 1989, and Andrea started working there as a CAD tech in high school and through college when she earned her art history and criticism degree from UTSA. In 2010, Andrea came back to work at the firm. She and her dad love golf and participate in a lot of golf tournaments. With projects that are mostly municipal, the firm has done Hausman Road, the first horizontal design build project the City of San Antonio has undertaken, and the Market Street realignment for the redesign of the convention center. Headquartered in San Antonio, Maestas & Associates is a civil engineering firm that specializes in drainage and utilities. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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of the past and being replaced with three to four trout, a redfish or two and maybe a flounder. There are a few tournaments going even farther than that incorporating a live fish weigh-in to their venue. All the professional redfish tourneys are live weigh-in and several trout tournaments also have gone to this format.
Mr. & Mrs. Big Trout Tournament 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.
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ishing tournaments are becoming more popular than ever. Whether it’s freshwater or saltwater it seems like there is a tournament to fit every angler’s level of competitiveness. Redfish, Trout, Bass, offshore or inshore there is a tournament for you. With all the conservation concerns and limits on trophy fish being implemented, tournaments are taking a different approach. Weigh-ins consisting of limits of trout, reds, and flounder are part
Doug Niznik and the folks at Niznik Concrete Company run one tournament that has become very popular in the construction community. Most of you are familiar with the Charity Fun Shoot benefiting the Downtown Youth Center that has been going on for over 20 years. Like the charity shoot, Doug started Mr. Big Trout tournament for a few close friends and business associates to cut loose and have fun at the coast. This year they will celebrated their 21st annual tournament. The tournament which started at the Bird Island Hilton with eight or 10 boats has grown to 60 boats and 200 anglers. For the last 10 years or more they have implemented a live weigh-in procedure and a guided division for corporate groups wanting to entertain clients. The tournament format has always been conservation minded using artificial lures only and never weighing in more than a handful of fish per boat. Recently the tournament went even further only allowing one trout, one redfish and one flounder to be weighed-in per boat. The tournament has gotten so big, they have had to base it from the lower deck at Doc’s restaurant.
into a holding tank to be observed before they’re release. If the fish weighed were alive and healthy the team would receive a one-pound bonus for their efforts. Deductions were also implemented for those fish brought in dead. This tournament has gone even further than most other in the area, offering Scholarships to two students attending Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. One female and one male student majoring in Marine Biology at Texas A&M will receive a $6000 Scholarship to further their education. This year’s tournament will be held on May 5th and 6th at Doc’s Restaurant on Padre Island.
Bobby displays his 27” redfish while Randy Wyatt looks on. Both were fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
lease fish back into the bay system where they can recover and regain their senses quickly. The ICW or any deep water area that has plenty of tidal movement usually is best. Another key issue is handling these fish at the weigh-in. Experienced personal were brought in to manage the process making every effort not to stress the fish before their release. Fish are measured and weighed and then placed
For more information visit the website at mrbigtrout.com This tournament is becoming the way of the future and I foresee many other groups going to this format. I still have several open dates for the 2017 season. Don’t wait until all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or email him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
Submitted to Construction News
Dreaming of Eastertime
Location is very important when a live fish weigh-in is part of your venue, says Doug. You must have a place to re-
Is that the Easter Bunny? Quint, 18-month-old son of Chris Christians IV and the fifth Chris Christians of Lynwood Building Materials, was skeptical. But we’re sure the real Easter Bunny left him a fun-filled basket this year! –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Wanna iguana?
Construction News publishers Buddy and Reesa Doebbler embarked upon a cruise in the Caribbean at the end of March. While on Grand Cayman Island, Buddy found an iguana that likes to pose regularly with tourists as they pass by. It’s currently unclear whether or not the iguana was tapped to write a special Caribbean issue of the paper, but rumors abound at the CN office. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 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
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Summer’s just about here!
rom what we are seeing here on Lake Buchanan, it looks like we are in for a great summer! After the extended drought brought low lake levels, we had several years for trees and undergrowth to take over the empty lake bed. It went from looking like a barren desert to an open plain choked with dense vegetation taking advantage of the rich silt and moisture. Now as the experts predicted, the drought – flood cycle is pretty much complete. The water has been back for over a year now and the smaller vegetation has had enough time to decay, leaving the willow trees still somewhat surviving and covering the decaying skeletons of groves of chinaberry, cottonwood and mesquite trees. The water chemistry has returned to that of a normal healthy lake. The food chain has been recharged by all the nutrients added to the water. The schools of shad are plentiful and spawning every chance they get, so that means that the fish have all they can eat! The bottom line is that well fed fish grow and reproduce like mad, and that is what we are beginning to see hanging on our fish hanging board at the dock!
Texas Air Products brought a group form 5F Mechanical out fishing and pulled our first big fish for the year.
now and we are seeing the results on the scales. Folks below Lake Buchanan will get to enjoy those hybrids too. Thanks to all the structure in the water we saw the best crappie fishing year we have had in a long time too. They were running larger and more plentiful that anyone has seen in years. Our largemouth stringers are heavier and the blue catfish are always a nice reward for the trotline and jug line fishermen as they too continue to get larger each year since they were introduced. I know I refer to Lake Buchanan a lot, but the truth is that there were so many other fisheries across the state that have gone through the same terrible drought and have come back too. For the lakes that are still awaiting the right rainfall, don’t give up! When that rain does come, good things will follow! If you have wanted to get back to fishing, this might be the time. I know a lot of people quit fishing when they couldn’t find water at their favorite destinations. Well now is the time to get back on the water, because you don’t want to miss the kind of fishing we have coming up this year. If you are new to fishing, come on! This is the best time to learn about fishing, when the fish are biting well and are big enough to brag about! Hope to see you on the water!
We are just getting the season started, and already seeing bigger fish coming in than in recent years. The theory is that we may have lost quite a few hybrid stripers to the floods of last summer. That may have balanced our striper and hybrid populations a little better in the striper’s favor. They don’t seem to have as much competition for the food supply
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com
Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!
A little hunter in the making
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ike McGinnis, controller and director of purchasing and inventory control at Allen & Allen, was very proud of his 7-year-old son, Ryder, for harvesting his first two deer. –mh
Have an Outdoor Story or Photo? Send to: SAEditor@ ConstructionNews.net or call Mary at 210-308-5800
While hunting with his older brother, Tyler, Ryder (left) got his first buck, at the family lease in Sabinal.
After landing his first deer, Ryder wanted to get an axis doe next. Dick Grant, a friend and outdoor mentor to McGinnis’ boys, invited him to the Corazon Ranch in Brackettville, where he got his wish. We bet the hat brought him some good luck.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Stronger together
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he team at the Catamount Constructors San Antonio office stays active throughout the year with quarterly teambuilding events as well as quarterly charity events. “It is a huge deal to Scott Reynolds [president] and Catamount that all team members companywide volunteer and raise money and other donations every quarter,” says Rebecca Mansfield, director of client relations. “The San Antonio Food Bank and Fisher House at Lackland Air Force Base we do every year, and we add two other unique organizations to work with each year.” “‘Shared Success’ is one of Catamount’s core values. This is not some verbiage that is written on a wall or on some marketing piece – the entire staff and principals of Catamount live by this value. It is very important to everyone in the firm that we give back to the community. The entire staff in the office is given a day each quarter to volunteer in the community.” –mh
For one of the days the team at Catamount Constructors gets off every quarter to work at a nonprofit, the San Antonio office spent the day at Primarily Primates, a primate refuge right here in the Alamo City, for which they had raised money and sponsored two primates.
Instead of a traditional holiday party, the San Antonio office participated in a Scavenger Hunt at the Pearl with drinks and appetizers afterwards. The winning team received a cash prize.
Crew-style rowing teambuilding day on Town Lake in Austin
Catamount’s San Antonio team volunteered at the San Antonio Food Bank Mar. 10. Also, the office collectively donated $383 in cash and 76 pounds of food, making the final donation for 2017 3,906 pounds, in turn creating 3,213 meals for those in need.
With teams basically split between the women and the men, the San Antonio office tackled the 13th Floor’s Great Room Escape. Rebecca Mansfield notes that the women made it out, but the men? Not so much.
Campaigning for a cause
Send to: Mary Hazlett, SA Editor SAeditor@ ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800
The Schultz family came out to support their Man of the Year. L-R: Elizabeth, Michael, Frances and Mike Schultz
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fter being nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Man of the Year, Michael Schultz, whom you may know from Capital Pumping and being listed as a Top 25 realtor in the San Antonio Business Journal, is on the campaign trail to raise money for this great cause. Introduced to the LLS two years ago, Schultz has spent time with many people who have been personally affected by these and other blood cancers, and his campaign will be raising money through several events through Jun. 6 to fight leukemia and lymphoma and find cures for them. The first event, the Clays for a Cure Shoot, was held Apr. 13 at the San Antonio Gun Club. The event drew 108 shooters and included a dinner; a live auction that included a fishing trip, Spurs games, rounds of golf; three gun raffles; and an awards presentation. “It was an awesome turn out,” says Schultz. “I just want to thank everyone who sponsored me today, everyone who came out and showed support and love
for this great cause, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This is an awesome thing, and I couldn’t do it without everybody who came here today.” Schultz says that the next events he is organizing for his fundraising campaign include a fashion show and a big grand finale event. If he raises more than $150,000, he will go to the LLS National Gala in New York and receive a dedicated research grant in his name. –mh
The winners of the Clays for a Cure Shoot were the Frio County 4-H Clay Busters.
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!
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Open house
Cementing her place in construction
Kirsten Carabin (right), owner of Desire Cement Tile, with the manager of her factory in Vietnam, Le Hang, who has worked for her since she was 18. Inset: Carabin’s partner in Desire Cement Tile, Caroline Reichardt
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hough Kirsten Carabin had no background in the construction industry, her love of cement tile propelled her into her own business with Desire Cement Tile in 2006. As a lawyer by trade, Carabin utilized cement tiles in the construction of her offices for her law firm. While in Vietnam to acquire her own factory, she met her business partner, Caroline Reichardt, who is French-Vietnamese, and is based in Vietnam and handles sales in Europe since she grew up in Paris. Bringing her understanding of the Western aesthetic to the design, production and export process, Reichardt acts as a cultural interpreter. “Ten years ago, cement tiles were not in vogue, and it seems to me now that cement tiles are all the rage,” observes Carabin. “So, we’ve spent this time really perfecting our product, perfecting our production. We re-engineered this entire product. It was not easy, but it’s been a labor of love.”
To set their cement tiles apart, Carabin wanted to add something sparkly to set the cement apart and developed a mother of pearl inlay that she notes was a quite a feat to engineer. They do any shape, pattern, or inlay on their tiles from the smallest at 10cm to the largest at 50cm. Having recently celebrated the company’s 10th anniversary, Desire recently finished the Hotel Emma here in San Antonio as well as several hotels overseas and a first-class lounge in the Hong Kong airport. They’re currently working on a hotel in Japan. They also premiered their own brand at the recent floor covering show in Orlando, FL. A San Antonio native, Carabin has shifted her focus to Desire and only does law for a few clients she has had for many years. She also does real estate development. Desire Cement Tile designs, manufactures, and sells cement tiles all over the world. –mh
L-R: Celina Lopez, Fisher Heck Architects; Cindy Delgado, Lehmann Engineering; Paula Smart, Thomas Printworks; Stephanie Mayo, Open Studio Architecture; Kayla Bessellieu, Hossley Lighting Associates; Loretta Rodriguez, Kimley-Horn and Associates; Laurie Breen, Villa Park Architecture/Planning/Interiors
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elebrating its fifth anniversary this year, Open Studio Architecture hosted its annual client appreciation event Apr. 13. After five years in business, the firm, founded by Greg Shue and Aaron Clark, wanted to show its gratitude to everyone who has supported its growth, comments Stephanie Mayo, business manager. Professionals from an array of fields, including construction, engineering, product representatives, and clients attended and enjoyed dinner from the Teka Molino food truck. –mh
L-R: Mark Taylor, Red Hawk Contracting; Steven Kraufkopf and Erin Ramirez, KFW Engineers & Surveying; Mark O’Connor, O’Connor & Kezar; Greg Shue, Open Studio Architecture; Ray Kezar, O’Connor & Kezar
L-R: Jeff Harmon, Benco Dental; Jacob Ockerman; Shirley Ockerman, Open Studio Architecture, with Reese Ockerman; Ryan Jones, Texas MedBuild Commercial Construction
L-R: Steve James, Hossley Lighting Associates; Aaron Clark, Open Studio Architecture; Justin Lieck, Modecco
L-R: Desi Valdez, Red Hawk Contracting, and Jaime Hernandez, Open Studio Architecture
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Construction News reaches out “What better way to help small, diverse, and veteran businesses reach their potential than through partnerships in the industry,” she says. “There are opportunities for success in small, minority, women and veteran-owned companies with many available resources. We hope to share educational and training opportunities in our special feature publication as added exposure for these programs and partnerships.” To get involved or offer ideas on topics and points of interest, Dana Calonge wants to hear from companies of all sizes and of all kinds on our small, diverse and veteranowned special feature publication coming in August. You can contact Dana Calonge, Construction News, at 210-308-5800 or dana@constructionnews.net. –mh
Construction News ON LOCATION
Keeping the supply coming Holding up our first-ever special feature publication in 2002 on the SBC Center, Dana Calonge was a senior project manager for Alterman on what is now the AT&T Center.
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he San Antonio construction community is home to a unique mix of small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses. In August, Construction News will be celebrating that mix with a special feature publication focusing on the small, minority, woman, and veteranowned (SMWVO) businesses. “The significance of the special feature is to help small, minority, woman and veteran-owned companies gain exposure in the industry and hopefully grow their businesses,” says Dana Calonge, who is helping to coordinate efforts behind the publication. “We think it’s important certainly for small, diverse, and veteran businesses to grow and we want to help them, because that’s certainly what our monthly paper does.” Noting that some SMWVO businesses
might not be aware what opportunities are available to them or how to gain access to them, Calonge explains that this special feature publication will hopefully allow SMWVO companies to connect with sponsors and companies that have diversity goals. The special feature publication will include articles on a variety of subjects, including overcoming obstacles as a SMWVO company, obtaining the certifications required by companies and municipalities to qualify for their diversification goals, insurance and bonding, and commercial lending. As the publication comes together, we are asking for ideas from members of the construction community about what you would like to see in this special feature.
The operations team in the warehouse was manning the ship at Mid-Coast Electric Supply on Nacogdoches while several members of the Mid-Coast team participated in the company golf tournament. L-R: Joe Arredondo, Victor Martinez, Robert Light, and Rene Tristan –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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Appetizers with their tee
Submitted to Construction News
Boots on the floor
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erving up some appetizers and two drink tickets for refreshments, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter hosted its annual Topgolf Mixer Apr. 13 at the recreational venue on Loop 1604. –mh
Boots, the beloved poodle of Kirsten Carabin, Desire Cement Tile, demonstrates that he is a good boy, sitting on some of the company’s cement tile used in a shower. –mh L-R: Alex Heye, Choate USA; Jeff Heye, AR Utilities; Martha Larson, Lynwood Building Materials; Dustin Keenzel, SpawGlass; Leslie Christians, Carl Schumann, Ashley Fousek and Chris Christians, Lynwood Building Materials; Justin Kuehler, Jack Laurence Corporation
L-R: Mason Belk, Ivonne Perea and Desi Valdez, Red Hawk Contracting; David Ramos, Terracon
L-R: Steven Schultz, ABC; Wesley Johnson, Cameras Onsite; Blake Lavender, Joeris
L-R: Jay Young, Lone Star Reprographics; Maggie Seay, Emerald Fox Marketing; Brandon Bates, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
L-R: Justin Kanas, RSM US; Eric Johnston, Amegy Bank; Jessica Newill and Steven Cannon, Gardner Law Firm; Jeffrey Jendrzey, Comfort-Air Engineering
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In memoriam
illiam “Bill” Ray Barhight, a plumber with Arnold Moos Company, lost his battle with cancer and died peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones on Mar. 21. He was 52 years old and had been a plumber his entire career. He attended Floresville High School and received his GED. Before joining Arnold Moos on Oct. 21, 2004, he worked for Ashley Plumbing and A-1 Tri County Plumbing. “With deep sadness, our hearts go out to the Barhight family,” says Christine Moos, vice president and marketing director of Arnold Moos. “Bill Barhight was an accomplished, dedicated and well-respected man. He was a loyal friend that will be greatly missed. He gave over 12 years of excellent service to his customers and loyalty to his employer. His last years, he was able to work side-byside with his brother, James.” After 34 years in the trade, he retired on Feb. 24 of this year. He
enjoyed fishing and shooting pool. He had a great sense of humor and was a Godly man. He is survived by his children, Craig and Kathy; grandchildren, Jesse and Jessica; mother-in-law, Virginia; brothers, David and James; sisters, Lori, Sherry, and Lisa; as well as family, friends and co-workers who will miss him. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Face to face with the next generation
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he Texas Construction Career Initiative (TCCI) welcomed an estimated 1,350 high school students to its fourth annual Construction Career Day Apr. 12 at Freeman Expo Hall. “Overall, the focus of the event is to excite students about construction, and with the boost we’ve had here today and the participation we’ve had from the industry, I think we’re really succeeding at that,” says Kyle Kuenemann, owner of Diamond K Customs and a director for TCCI. Eight teams took part in the student build competition, including students from Sam Houston, John Jay, Reagan, Boerne, MacArthur, Brandeis, CCA, and Lanier high schools. Kuenemann notes that the contest gives students an opportunity to apply and
prove their knowledge of what they’ve learned in school. It also steps up the game for the teachers to concentrate on the current industry standards and preparing their students to work in the field. Raul Vasquez, training director for the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) San Antonio Chapter, who has helped run and oversee the contest every year, observes that the students who participate in the contest are more likely to stay in the trades, knowing that this is a career path with potential for them. “We started this four years ago, and I’m seeing them now out in the field, and they’re the ones that stayed,” says Vasquez. “These students here are really learning what their trades are asking for out in the field.” –mh
Joeris General Contractors
The Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA) gave students the virtual welding experience.
Jon Wayne Service Company Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA)
Comfort-Air Engineering & Primo Plumbing
Allen & Allen Co.
Diamond Plumbing
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
Dynamic Systems
This year’s Construction Careers Academy (CCA) team for the student build competition was all girls.
Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
Gibson Plumbing
Wilborn Steel Co.
United Tool & Fastener
Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC)
Milwaukee Tool
Middleman Construction Company
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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What do you want? A medal!
Contractors’ night out
L-R: Felipe and Christina Hinojosa, Headwaters Construction Products; Barbara and Gabriel Durand-Hollis, DHR Architects L-R: Joel Cepeda, Hart Acoustical & Drywall; Kathy Rodriguez and Ronnie Diaz, Eco-Staff
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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter hosted a Happy Hour Mar. 29 at Little Woodrow’s off 281 where members and guests had the opportunity to mix and mingle with other industry members while enjoying some refreshments. –mh
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iesta is the time for parties and medals, so the American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter, in conjunction with Latinos in Architecture, got the best of both worlds, celebrating Fiesta with a launch party for their inaugural Fiesta medal. With Fiesta festivities at La Fonda on Main Apr. 13, the proceeds from the medal sales benefit the AIA San Antonio Scholarship Fund. –mh Photos by Al Caballero
L-R: Ramiro “R.C.” Contreras, Galaxy Builders; Daniel Navarro, A Clean Portoco
L-R: Markus Washington, Tracy Cleaning; Alex Heye, Choate USA; Chris Cherniss, Catto & Catto
L-R: Shea Shirley, Dausin Electric; Bill Dawley, SureTec; Jim Swindle, Alamo Surety Bonds
Pulling for remodeling
1st Place Team
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he National Association for the Remodeling Industry (NARI) San Antonio Chapter hosted its Skeet Shoot Apr. 12 at the National Shooting Complex. –mh
Winners 1st: Chris Walker, Christopher Contracting; Daniel Sexton, David Hildebrand, and Corey Boswell, Buffalo Contracting 2nd: CROSS – Charlie Scott, John Stewart, Preston Scott, Craig Scott 3rd: Bin There Dump That – Keven London, Fred Wakefield, Grant Norman, Neenah Marie
Best Shooter – Fred Wakefield
AIA San Antonio debuted its first-ever Fiesta medal at its La Fonda Fiesta party.
L-R: Carolyn Peterson, FAIA; Felipe and Christina Hinojosa, Headwaters; Humberto Saldana, AIA, Saldana & Associates; Sue Ann Pemberton, FAIA, UTSA CACP professor; Allison Chambers, Ford Powell & Carson
Partygoers mixed and mingled on the patio.
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Starting the week in full swing
continued from Page 1 — Meeting in the middle touch, and all the way until we finally culminated an agreement and put this together. It’s been an exciting process. I’m just glad that Barry is still in the office helping me through the transition and guiding me along. It’s a wonderful way to be able to transition into a bigger and better firm.” The merger of the two firms was official in March, coinciding with the 44th anniversary of Mdn and the 23rd anniversary of Luna. The continuity of both firms, totaling 67 years in the industry, is intact with all 23 team members joined together. Along with its staff, Luna is bringing its Pro Sports Development division,
which is in negotiations to build new stadiums similar to San Antonio’s Toyota Field in several cities, including Vancouver, Fort Collins and Fort Worth. Also, coming to the table is Luna Creative, Luna’s marketing and media division, which includes services such as branding, graphics, 3D printing, and drones for videography. Luna Middleman is based at 9639 McCullough Ave., formerly Mdn Architects’ office location. The firm has already contracted a $130 million resort in the Caribbean and is in the early stages of negotiation on new Morgan’s Wonderland parks in Fort Lauderdale and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. –mh
continued from Page 1 — Roofing rises 1st Place Gross – North Course
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he Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter hosted its annual Golf Tournament Mar. 27 at the Club at Sonterra. With 228 golfers taking to the green that day, the event included lunch, dinner and unlimited beverages. –mh
North Course Winners
1st Gross: Joe Mathia, Brook Henderson, Polo Mendez, Rodney Eikenberg 1st Net: John Benavidez, Keith Colvin, Ralph Ruiz, Ed Boyld 2nd Net: Travis Edlund, BG Horner, David Wright, Lester Maxey 3rd Net: Tyler Fleming, Kevin Blische, Brandon Gaeke Longest Drive: Dustin Lozano Closest to Hole: Travis Edlund Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
1st Place Net – South Course
South Course Winners
1st Gross: Mike King, Jeff Ray, Rocky Shoffstall, Logan Richter 1st Net: Scott Stafford, Tim Tabbert, Ray Hendricks, Martin Heath 2nd Net: Neilesh Verma, Sam Beierle, Sean Kemmy, Rodger Canales 3rd Net: Matt Mainer, Ramiro Contreras, Bruce Williams, Tom Crow Longest Drive: Logan Richter Closest to Hole: Adam Matthys
in biology from St. Mary’s University, because of the need that his father had at the time. Bryan’s aunt, Cookie Gehring, came into the ranks later to help manage the books. When Roland Jr. came on board, they only did roofs, but he received so much demand for other services that he slowly grew their services to all things exterior, including siding installation, carport installation, gutters and downspouts, and windows. Then, about 10 years ago, their customers began to ask them about interior services, so he opened up a sister company called Alamo Handyman. Much like his father before him, Bryan came into the business to help his dad. Though he worked at Roland’s
Roofing during the summers through high school, he studied music and marketing at UTSA and went along his own path for a while. Then, his father offered him an opportunity to try to grow the business more and help create a company culture, which he has been doing. Bryan feels the company is part of the fabric of the community and with its Hispanic and military roots, he notes that the heart of Texas is near and dear to them. Based in San Antonio with a satellite office in Austin, Roland’s Roofing is a commercial and residential roofing company that offers a variety of exterior services. –mh
continued from Page 1 — A tale of two hospitals
1st Place Gross – South Course
Industry FOLKS Tom Buenrostro Counter Sales Allen & Allen Co.
The interior of the Emerus Baptist Hospital that F.A. Nunnelly Co. built at Zarzamora at the same time it was building the one on Northwest Military.
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hough Tom Buenrostro started in the yard at Allen & Allen Co., he now works counter sales, mostly millwork and lumber, and is celebrating 25 years with the company. Having started with the company part-time in September of 1991 for a work study program while attending Burbank High School, Buenrostro came to consider the people there family. He credits Pat Knight, who was president and general manager at the time, for not just being his mentor, but being more like a hero. “I think Mr. Knight had a big part in me staying here this long,” says Buenrostro. “He’s been gone since ’99, but he left such a big impression on me – the way he was, the way he treated people.” He adds that because of Knight, “It was an honor to work here and it stayed with me.” The things he enjoys most about his job are the customers, some of whom he says come in occasionally just to talk or laugh, and dealing with the challenges of his work. Buenrostro deals with a lot of the older, historical homes in San Antonio in areas such as King William and Lavaca. He says he even has architects and designers come in sometimes who say they’ve heard he is the guy who to talk to about historical homes. One of Buenrostros favorite hobbies is bicycling around the area where
he lives. Having grown up in Southtown, he rides his bike around the area and will see his customers – contractors working on homes in the district – and he’ll stop and look at the job and work they are doing. His customers get a kick out of him checking in and making sales calls on his bicycle. Sometimes, he’ll ride to the address of a certain order to see the progression of the work and what they are doing with the products he sells them. He really enjoys seeing them use the materials for preservation or restoration work. Buenrostro and his wife, Wendy, have a daughter, and he goes for rides a lot with her in a trailer that he pulls behind him on the bicycle. He says that he never had an interest in having kids, but since his daughter was born, he can’t get enough of her. He was 38 when she was born, so he explains that he had all the fun he needed before her, and now she takes up a lot of his free time, because he likes doing everything with her. Today, at 44, Buenrostro’s daughter is in kindergarten, his wife works at Amazon, and sometimes he enjoys woodworking, especially repurposing materials and making countertops. –mh
project manager for the Zarzamora facility. Wisniewski notes that when the owner expedited the schedule, they had to reschedule all the suppliers, materials and equipment to come sooner than expected, and that would not have been possible without those parties working with them to help them overcome that challenge. Some of the biggest challenges faced during the build regarded permitting as well as a record number of rain days in October. On Northwest Military, Wyman recalls that the biggest issue was with unforeseen utility permitting due to it holding up so many other parts of the project’s critical path. The timeframe to finish out and punch became compressed up against the deadline because, for example, he says they were only able to get water to the building about three weeks before they were ready to turn the building over. Again, their subcontractors worked with them and worked extra hours to make sure it was done on time. “The project owners gave us very high regards following the project’s completion. They have told us that they use F.A. Nunnelly as the standard with their contractors that they use across the nation because of our success in completing fast-paced schedules,” says Blaine Beckman, vice president of operations. “The owner has a great relationship with us and they were very impressed with our ability to take our original schedule, completely redo it with a concentration of phased construction
in order to meet their expedited schedule, and our abilities to close out our projects with all documentation turned in to meet all their funding requirements so they can close the project out on their end.” The superintendent for Northwest Military was Mike Pate, and for Zarzamora, the superintendent was Daryl Frye. The design team was the same for both projects. The architect was Philo Wilke Partnership, based in Houston. The structural engineer was ASA Daily, also based in Houston. The MEP engineer was Telios PC, based in Sugar Land. The landscape architect was RVK Architects, based in San Antonio. Subcontractors that worked on both projects included Urban Concrete Contractors, South Texas Erectors, JR Waterproofing, Texas Fifth Wall, Architectural Division 8, and Baker Drywall. Subcontractors on the Northwest Military project also included The Koehler Company, JE Travis, Opiela Mechanical, Weber Electric, WPM Construction, and Earth Tones. Subcontractors on the Zarzamora project also included AC Technical Services, Eldridge Electrical Co., Mesa Equipment, Texas Ecogrow, and AR Utilities. Established in 1922, F.A. Nunnelly is a commercial general contractor that specializes in public, private, retail, educational, healthcare/medical, some light industrial work and is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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THIS TH MON
Concrete Industry Blazing a trail in a now trending market Felipe Carstens, President Modern Day Concrete San Antonio, TX
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hat’s the most pressing issue for you working in the concrete industry today? I would say the most pressing issue for us, on the installer side, is making sure that our company and other companies out there are doing quality work. That’s [an issue] that we run into all the time. We are a certified company. It took so many years to get here. In construction, most of it is hard bids with schools, universities, and so forth. And a lot of times, you get people who are not qualified bidding a job or underbidding a job. We’ve been through certification and all the training, and we run into this a lot. We get underbid by somebody who is not really qualified to do a job. And I think a lot of the bigger companies here in town see the same thing happening. I’ve talked to a lot of business owners that are in the same line of work we’re in, and that’s something that has come up over and over again. But at the end of the day, long-term, I think if we just stay on the path we’re on, doing good work, being honest, doing things with integrity, we’re going to be just fine. We’ve been able to double, even triple in size, almost yearly. So, as long as we keep those core things going, I think we’re going to be okay. What has it been like in the business since concrete floors became the trend? When we started, there were very few [companies] in San Antonio that
could do polished concrete, so prices were higher. Now there are some that are unqualified that really go low, but there are also some good, qualified companies, so it’s much more competitive. The industry is booming and there’s a lot of demand. Talking about trends, polished concrete and epoxy coating, seamless floors – if you go downtown to any condo, it’s going to be stained concrete or polished concrete. That industrial look is everywhere. You go to any of the new HEBs, and they’re all polished concrete. You go to any new store, and you see [a seamless concrete floor]. There has been so much opportunity on that end that of course other people are going to jump into it. The market is there. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what I did. I branched off another company that I was working for. I think it’s natural, as long as we keep our standards. We’ve been doing this for a while already, so we can’t get hung up on the little things. We have a bigger picture to look at. When it comes to competition, that’s how I look at it; we just have to worry about ourselves.
Shortages, higher cost in concrete labor and materials Denis Gee, Vice President Structure Tone Southwest
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hat are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? Labor and material shortages continue to be issues in our industry. Qualified concrete labor is spread so thin that it can be hard to maintain quality. We’re celebrating our 40th anniversary in business this year, and part of the reason we’ve been able to maintain that success is we’ve built really great relationships with our subs. We treat them very well and we request the best of the best from our partners so we know we’re building at the highest quality possible.
How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? It’s very busy in North Texas. We’re not quite at the peak we saw in 2007 before the economy dipped, but we are extremely busy. I don’t think the industry has the labor to return to the pre-2007 peak, but the demand certainly seems to be there. Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown?
An increase for sure. What’s driving
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that is the almost 400 people a day who are moving to the Dallas and North Texas area. That population growth quite literally affects almost all sectors, from housing, to office buildings, to restaurants and all the other services that people rely on. How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct business? We have been able to expand into new markets considerably. For decades, Structure Tone Southwest was known as a commercial interiors contractor. But in recent years, we have expanded to not only build out the interiors of all kinds of spaces – corporate, restaurants, retail, manufacturing, etc. – but also built a solid business in ground-up new construction as well. We recently even became a Certified Tilt-Up Company given how much new tilt-
JUNE 2017 HVAC & Plumbing
What measures do you take to try to keep costs down so you can be more competitive? It’s a list of things. We try to be as efficient as we can with our equipment. For example, better, bigger, newer machines are usually faster, and you get more production done at a time. Organization. For example, when we start a job, Albert [Goss, project manager], usually talks to the GC ahead of time. If it’s a big job, he’ll go in and plan up construction we have been doing. We continue to conduct our business the same way we have for 40 years – with our focus on our clients and our partners – but we’re able now to bring that business to many more avenues. What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years?
Dallas, TX
As for materials, the law of supply and demand is certainly at play. Combine the high demand with the labor challenge related to truck delivery drivers and the issue is compounded even further. We aren’t seeing this issue quite as much with cement as we are with aggregate and sand.
What other ways do you distinguish yourself when a trend is everywhere? There’s actually a few things. You want to focus on quality and customer service. We are very good at customer service. That’s one of the reasons why we’re still here. If we hadn’t done things a certain way, we wouldn’t be where we are today. After a job, we go in and take care of touch ups. Even though it’s not our fault, it’s still our floor. I think overall, the majority of our customers see that. I think people realize that: “Even though it wasn’t their fault, they still came back and took care of all the issues.” I think those little things that you have to do sometimes [bring customers] back, and I would say 80 percent of our business is repeat business. There are only so many general contractors out there. So if you have a bad name around town, you’re going to start getting pushed out. We’re here for the long run. We’re not going to do anything that’s not ethical or right. We try to be as efficient as possible. We try to get the best pricing as possible in order for us to transfer that to the customer and give a better value overall. That’s how you stay in business when it’s really competitive out there.
What I have seen is more a change in the real estate market that concrete specifically, but those changes are affecting concrete. We are seeing more and more of what used to be called “value office” buildings – now called Suburban Class “A” buildings. The traditional office building was all glass and steel, but now concrete tilt-wall options are supplanting that since they are more economical to build and maintain. Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry relating to transportation or the environment? In the past you could put a batch plant on site for a large job, but the laws have changed to no longer allow that. Now it takes so long to get a temporary batch plant permitted that it doesn’t make sense. We are back to buying concrete from readymix suppliers. A few concrete contractors have built their own batch plants but those plants aren’t mobile, so they still aren’t batching right on site. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces?
the whole thing out before we actually get in there. So when the crew gets in, they have a guideline to follow, and everything goes a lot smoother. Productivity, organization, the fact that we’re getting a lot of the materials from the manufacturer, which has cut our costs down significantly – if you start adding all those little percentages, at the end of the month, they add up to a big cost savings. We’re able to get a 5 or 6 percent return on that. All those things make us more efficient, and the more efficient we are, the better value we can give a customer, the more we can grow. What would you say about the future of the concrete industry? For decorative, I think stained concrete and polished concrete is going to be even stronger. It’s been growing tremendously in the last decade. I think urethane mortars and epoxies are going to replace any other form of flooring on the industrial side. I think from now on industrial kitchens, food processing plants, commercial kitchens, restrooms, hospitals – you will not see VCT tile. I think these systems – urethane and epoxies – are going to make up 90, 95 percent of what flooring is on these types of jobs. They have so many benefits. [They] make people’s work easier when they’re maintaining the property, clean rooms, and kitchens. Even though it’s grown so much, I really see it doubling or tripling in the next five to 10 years, and that’s why we’re pushing forward so much with what we’re doing. Established in 2011 by Felipe Carstens, Modern Day Concrete specializes in decorative and functional concrete. –mh The No. 1 challenge is finding qualified labor. We have been trying to combat that by sticking with our name-brand, qualified concrete subcontractors that know us and that we have built a terrific relationship with over the last four decades. But it’s tough – everyone wants to work with them. What are the cost increases relating to your industry? In the last year, we’ve seen concrete raw material prices go up 10 percent and labor by 15-20 percent. What is on the horizon for your industry? Aside from continued labor and materials challenges, I see two main changes affecting how concrete is used: 1: The finishes that we’re putting on tilt walls is starting to change. There are more options now than ever before. The technology of the raw materials has improved so we can now put all kinds of new materials on the wall panels, like form liners or brick. We’re beginning a project soon that is using stained concrete tilt walls; you don’t see that very often. 2: Height limitations are being stretched. It’s not uncommon now to see a six-story tilt-up building. The industry has learned new techniques for building tilt walls and for bracing them. With offices in Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio, Structure Tone Southwest is one of only a handful of general contractors across the U.S. to become a Certified Tilt-Up Company. –mjm
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
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Around the State
Savie businesswoman
Industry FOLKS Jimmy Whited Jr. Director of HMA/QC Austin Materials
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Grapevine’s Chamber of Commerce help owner Patti Allen celebrate the opening of Cabinet Savie.
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ast year, Patti Allen was Christmas shopping in historic downtown Grapevine when she couldn’t resist buying a little something for herself. That “little something” happened to be a space that would become the home of her new cabinetry, countertop and hardware business, Cabinet Savie. Located at 411 S. Main Street, Cabinet Savie offers 20/20 design, sales, delivery and installation services. The location also boasts a sleek showroom featuring vignettes and product samples, including Silestone quartz, Sensation Granite and Dekton. It’s a gift that Allen, who formerly worked for J&K Cabinetry, has wanted to give herself for a long time. “It was a very easy decision to make,” Allen says of starting her new venture. “My kids would tell you that I always had a dream of opening my own business. All of the experiences that I’ve had have brought me to today.” To help her in the business, Allen has
recruited office manager Shere Dyar and designer Tabitha Bray, who has six years of design experience. Bray says Allen’s decision to branch out on her own in a Grapevine location makes perfect sense. “She loves the downtown Grapevine area; she’s been a resident here for more than 30 years,” Bray says. “She’s been involved in cabinets and construction for quite a while.” Allen and her team hosted a ribbon cutting and open house for Cabinet Savie on Apr. 11, nearly two weeks after the business’ grand opening. On hand to congratulate them was the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce and Allen’s many construction connections that she has formed over the years. “All of the responses have been very positive,” Allen says with a smile. Cabinet Savie in Grapevine is a supplier and installer of cabinetry, countertops and hardware. –mjm
t Austin Materials, Jimmy Whited Jr. takes hot mix asphalt (HMA) and quality control (QC) very seriously, bringing lots of experience and certifications to the table. As an executive level manager, Whited oversees two different divisions, HMA and QC, for the entire company, including its four hot mix plants and two quarries, floating between the Austin and San Antonio areas. “Our director of QC, Jimmy Whited Jr., brings roughly 25 years of experience and is highly regarded as one of the most influential and knowledgeable professionals in the business,” says Joey Biasatti, the San Antonio regional manager for Austin Materials. Having grown up in Austin, Whited began his career in the industry right out of high school in 1995. He was with Ramming Paving Company for 10 years prior to its acquisition, and when he came back to the company years later, it was operating under its new name, Austin Materials. Before returning to the company, he spent two years as director at the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association where he helped members statewide and helped bridge the gap between TxDOT and the association’s contractor members. After working for an engineering firm in Austin, he started taking certification classes through the National
Family way
Powered up
L-R: Gary Allison, Patrick Klaerner, Estaban Fernandez and Michael Melton welcome everybody to stop in PowerHaus Equipment.
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lmost everybody that works at PowerHaus Equipment in San Marcos worked together at a recently closed lumberyard. Started in 2015 by Patrick Klaerner and Michael Melton, co-owners, the store carries Stihl and Echo equipment, as well as repairs any brand small engine. “We were all employed together at Tuttle Lumber,” Klaerner says. “Michael and I put some money together and we all put our talents together and opened PowerHaus Equipment when Tuttle closed.” Klaerner, who was born in Fredericksburg, came to San Marcos to attend Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University) and graduated with a degree in Industrial Technology. He went to work for Tuttle Lumber and worked there for 35 years, starting as an estimator, doing some of the accounting and more. “I did about every job there was to do there,” he says.
Melton, from Gonzales, also moved to San Marcos to attend college, but went to work for Tuttle and ended up as manager of hardware until the business closed. “It’s like he was born to do it,” Klaerner said. “He’s a real hands-on guy.” He says PowerHaus Equipment brought the same customer service philosophy to the new company they had at the last one. “We have a long standing tradition of personal service,” he explains. “When you come into our shop, you will be greeted by an owner. We offer good, personal, local service. We are locally owned and operated.” When not working, Klaerner likes to do woodworking at home. Melton, who just got married a year ago, says he is an outdoor type person. “I love bicycling, rock climbing and anything to do outdoors,” he says. “When I’m not selling our tools, I’m outside using them.” –cw
Institute of Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). He also took state certification classes through the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association along with TxDOT. The classes were cosponsored, and he earned three certifications pertaining to hot mix, aggregates, and base-type materials. He also earned certification from the American Concrete Institute (ACI). “I kind of learned everything in the construction business from asphalt to concrete to soils to base, how to lay it, place it, construct it, test it,” says Whited. “And kind of fell in love with the business.” Today, at 40, Whited lives in Liberty Hills with his wife, Laura, and their three children. Son Layne is 17 years old, and daughters Miranda and Chambree are 15. Laura is the director for admissions and marketing for their church’s private school. Whited and his wife are very active in their church, both serving as ushers. They are also on the committee to help the upgrade its school and church. They also participate in the Austin Rodeo BBQ Cook-Off and enjoy going to their place on the Frio River with the family to camp and go tubing. –mh
L-R: D&M Enterprise owner José Negrete and one of his five sons, Martin Negrete
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o matter how busy José Negrete, owner of remodeling business D&M Enterprise, gets with remodeling projects around the Metroplex, he’ll never need to clone himself to tackle it all. He simply assigns the work to four of his five sons, who have all learned at their dad’s knee. One of José’s sons, Martin Negrete, recalls working as a child with his father when he was on job sites, where he was usually assigned a harmless task such as painting. Martin found that he liked it enough to join his dad full-time in the business when he turned 18. José’s other sons – José Jr., Ricardo and Serafin – enjoy helping Dad as well and mostly work on Dallas Independent School District projects. Time will tell if D&M Enterprise gains more recruits. José’s youngest son, age 15, is still in school and hopes to become an architect. José’s two daughters, however, have yet to be lured into
working with Dad. Interestingly, before José started in construction, not one member of his extended family had worked in the industry or could show him the ropes. José fell into the industry when he came to Texas from Seattle for a visit. Despite his lack of experience at the time, a construction company quickly hired him, and José became an official Texan and construction worker. He learned on the job, eventually building up enough experience to establish his own remodeling business. Thirty-five years later, José and his sons can be seen in North Texas commercial spaces laying down floors, putting up walls, and of course, Martin says, the harmless task of painting. “I like it,” Martin says with a shrug, laughing. General contractor D&M Enterprise in Mansfield specializes in commercial remodeling projects. –mjm
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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All teed up
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he American Subcontractors Association maxed out the course Mar. 31 at TPC San Antonio with 37 teams that came out for a beautiful day on the green. –mh
Net Winners
1st: Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing – Adam Matthys, Mark Dade, Todd Calder, Eric Wanke 2nd: Alamo Crane – Bobby Ervin, Warren Mutz, Bill Dimmitt, Mark Vallier 3rd: Martin Marietta – Shaun Forks, Kris May, Johnny Brown, Scott Hanson
Gross Winners
1st: Health Markets – Todd Meuth, Jay Patterson, Adam Lowe, Ben Chambers
2nd: Alterman – Chris Thiel, Jeff Froboese, Teddy Badurak, Vernon Haney 3rd: Marek Brothers – Tom Smith, Brian Cox, Todd Crosby, Mark Williams Closest to the Pin: Johnny Brown, Martin Marietta Longest Drive – Men: Robert Morin, NAPCO Precast Longest Drive – Ladies: Kathy Bower, The Blue Book
Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
1st Place Net
1st Place Gross
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Industry FOLKS Tony Pieprzyca Outside Sales Hart Acoustical & Drywall
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or 26 years, Tony Pieprzyca, better known as “Tony Pie,” has worked at Hart Acoustical & Drywall, but as of Apr. 21, he officially retired. Turning 66 this year, he has finished the race, he says, and while he has his health, he wants to have some fun. He’ll be spending time with his wife, Lori, who is also retired but has her own business. The couple has many four-legged companions in retirement, including dogs and horses. Lori loves to show horses, and Pieprzyca says he will be at the ranch riding. “I’ve got a small piece of property I run some cattle on, and I’m going to have the time to give it that I haven’t been able to over the years,” explains Pieprzyca. “I’m going to do my share of coast fishing. I love my bay fishing. Luckily, the ranch cuts the distance between the coast in half, so I can be there in 90 minutes from the ranch.” Since Pieprzyca took drafting courses in college, he started out in the industry at Beldon Roofing & Remodeling on the remodeling side where he worked as a draftsman and sales. Then, he went on to learn all aspects of insulation at Williams Insulation. When one of the owners of Williams opened a company called Great Southwest Supply in Austin, Pieprzyca went to work at the Austin commercial distribution center for drywall, metal studs, insulation, acoustical ceilings, and grid, doing what he does now. After a year, a Great Southwest Supply was opened here in
San Antonio, and Pieprzyca returned to San Antonio. In January 1991, the company closed, but Pieprzyca was called in for an interview with Wayne Hart and Hank Bransom, and in February, he was working at Hart, helping them get the commercial side going strong. While Pieprzyca says he will miss the people, he notes, “I’ve got a lot of things that I want to do, and I’ve got time. I’ll still be able to see the people. You make some great friendships that will hopefully last until we’re all gone. It’s one big crazy family; we just happen to be in construction.” Though he has his going away party at Blue Bonnet Palace on May 4, Pieprzyca will still be around. He will be continuing as a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) for his wife’s company. Since his wife of 39 years, Lori, has always liked to sew, she started an embroidery company with her partner, Jeri Twitner, doing shirts, caps and blankets. Pieprzyca served on the state board for ABC for 15 years and on the South Texas Chapter board since the 1990s. He has also been a chairperson for a booth at NIOSA for about 25 years and working it for more than 30 years. And of course, he’s very active with the rodeo, running the horse sale and on the Steering Committee for the horse show. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
Association Calendar
Industry FOLKS
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
Roque “Rocky” Leal Operations Manager Austin Materials
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s of this month, Roque “Rocky” Leal has been working with Austin Materials as operations manager for one year. In his position, he oversees day-to-day operations for the field in San Antonio. “I handle all the outside work,” explains Leal. “Every day, I schedule the work for the following day, for the evening, or for the night shift. I go ahead of the crews to the jobsites, make sure everything’s ready to go, set up all our subs, and basically get everything ready so that when the day crew or the night crew gets there, it’s ready to go.” Currently, Leal is working on I-35 from the interchange with 37 to Splashtown as well as the I-10 project at Ralph Fair Road. “I like everything I do,” he says. “It’s teaching younger people the trade, the business. My son has followed in my footsteps and my father’s footsteps.” Growing up in a small town on the outskirts of Brownsville, Leal recalls the closest store was 10 miles away. So, he worked on the family farm after school. His father worked as a general superintendent and construction manager for 44 years and introduced Leal to the industry. After about a year of college, Leal decided it was not for him and joined his father at a paving company in the Rio Grande Valley. Eventually, work brought him north when he took a job
in Houston with another paving company. When they opened a New Braunfels division, he relocated, and then he joined Austin Materials. Having started his construction career in 1990, Leal has been in the industry for 27 years now and he has always worked in heavy highway construction. He has even served his community doing the work he has done all of his life. He notes that Industrial Asphalt and Austin Materials recently did the Hays County Youth Softball Field, donating work for the parking area and roads into the park. He was one of many who volunteered his time, operating the machine and cooking lunch for everyone. Now that his own son, 25-year-old Rocky Jr., has grown up with his father in the trade, he works for Austin Materials too, but he’s in the Austin division. Living in San Antonio, Leal and his wife, Lydia, who is a full-time mom, also have four daughters. Briana, 22, is studying criminal law and will be graduating from UTSA. Miranda will be graduating from high school this year, while Angela will be starting high school and Yarely will be starting middle school. –mh
Taking his sites to a new size
ABC
IEC
Associated Builders & Contractors
Independent Electrical Contractors
May 1: Spring Tournament; TPC San Antonio; 7:30am-2pm; May 3: Breakfast Club; Alamo Café off 281; 7:30-8:30am; for more info, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@ abcsouthtexas.org May 8, 10, 15, 17: Print Reading Courses Phase 1 & 2; MEMCO Office, 2-7pm; for more info, email Dana Hickman at dana@ abcsouthtexas.org May 31: Happy Hour; Little Woodrow’s off 1604; 4:30-6pm, for more info, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org
All events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated. May 15: Continuing Education Class, 5-9pm May 16-17: IEC National Policy Conference, Washington, DC May 20: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm May 23: Membership Luncheon, The Barn Door, 11:30am-1pm May 29: Memorial Day, IEC office and school closed For more info on these events, call 210431-9861 or visit www.iecsanantonio. com
AGC Associated General Contractors
All events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated. May 8-9: PMDP Module 3: Project Administration, 8am-5pm May 11: CLC Hard Hat Tour: VIA Project, 22139 US Hwy 281 N., 3pm May 16: STP Unit 5: Improving Productivity and Managing Project Cost, Week #1, 1-5:30pm May 17: OSHA 10-Hour, 8:30am-4pm May 18: OSHA 10-Hour, 8:30am-3pm May 19: AGC Fun Shoot & Mixer; The National Shooting Complex; noon-6pm; deadline to register is May 17; title sponsor is Alamo Crane Service; to make reservations or for more information, call Kelly at 210-349-4921. May 22: BIM Unit 3: Contract Negotiation and Risk Allocation, 8am-5pm May 23: STP Unit 5: Improving Productivity and Managing Project Cost, Week #2, 1-5:30pm May 25: CLC Membership Mixer, 4:30 – 6:30pm May 30: STP Unit 5: Improving Productivity and Managing Project Cost, Week #3, 1-5:30pm May 31: OSHA 30 Hour, Day #1, 8am-5pm
ASA American Subcontractors Association
In its 25 years, Pesado Construction has grown to a steady crew of about 125 employees, and now the company continues to expand through job size.
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s Pesado Construction marks its milestone 25th anniversary, founder Bill Hunter notes that there have been a lot of challenges to get where the company is today. From the very beginning when he was 29 to today at 55, he has never stopped learning. Since he didn’t have family or a mentor in the business, he learned as he went, and it was quite a challenge for him getting started on his own with just his pickup truck. He didn’t have any equipment or financing, making the first several years a real struggle. With so many lessons he has learned along the way, the greatest lesson, he says, is that if he had faith, he would be blessed with what he needed at the proper time. His philosophy is that the harder he works, the luckier he gets, and that attitude has helped him not to worry as he did long ago. “You don’t add a single day to your life with worry,” says Hunter. Though, he points out, “It took a lot of long hours [to get here] and a long time to assemble a team. Once you get to
the size we’re at, you can attract quality talent, but when you’re small and struggling, it’s hard to attract quality talent, and a lot of it is you have to instill the confidence in people to come join you. Then, you’ve got to treat them right, treat them as family and partners. My first employee is still with me. His name is Jesus Compean, and a lot of my employees have been here for 10 years or longer.” Having reached his goal for growth of his team, Hunter decided to focus on expanding the company’s scope about 10 years ago. He began by getting into building wastewater treatment plants and doing bigger jobs. Today, Pesado is doing a large distillery expansion in Austin and is about to start work on a large, $27 million sewer job in Kerr County. They also have a lot of work with local private developers as well as San Antonio Water System (SAWS). Based in San Antonio, Pesado Construction is a heavy civil general contractor that specializes in excavating, laying pipe and pouring concrete. –mh
May 2: Ladder Training; ESC office; 7:3010:30am; $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers May 8-12: National Safety Stand Down May 12: Subfest & BBQ Cook-Off; Helotes Fairgrounds; open to the public from 5:30-10:30pm; $20 per ticket May 16: General Meeting; Petroleum Club of San Antonio; 6-8pm; speaker is Neal Juern on “Business Continuity”; $35 for members, $45 for non-members May 17: OSHA Update; Western States Fire Protection office; 11:30am-1pm May 18: ASA Lunch & Learn; The Petroleum Club of SA; “Contingent Pay”; 11:30am lunch, noon-1pm presentation; $30 for members, $40 for non-members For more info on these events, to register or reserve a spot, contact Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 or jennifer@ asasanantonio.org
HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association
May 5-6: Inaugural Fishing Tournament; Rockport; for more info or details on sponsorships, visitwww.hcadesa.org May 17: Monthly Mixer; The Quarry Golf Club; 6-8pm; presentations by VIA and Alamo Colleges; free for members; $10 for non-members May 19: Safety Fair; Free OSHA 10-hour & CPR/First-Aid trainings, both in English and Spanish For more info or to register for these events or sponsor, call 210-444-1100, email admin@hcadesa.org, or visit www. hcadesa.org
Round-Up Submissions
Submit Info & Photo:
MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
May 3: Regular & Associates Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am May 17: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
May 3: Industry Appreciation Night & Awards Ceremony; Petroleum Club of SA includes special scholarship naming and recipient; networking 5:30pm, meeting 6pm; RSVP by May 1 to Michelle Urbanczyk at MichelleU@urbanconcrete. com or 210-490-0090 May 10: Annual Golf Tournament; The Republic Golf Club; registration 11am, shotgun start 1pm; early “birdie” rates available $150 per player; lunch, dinner, contests, raffles, prizes; for more info, contact Eloina Benavides at 210-5455498 or eloina@artsandadvertising.com
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
May 4: PHCC/ASPE Golf Tournament, Hyatt Hill Country Resort, 8am shotgun May 6, 20: PHCC Plumbers Continuing Ed May 18: Training at PHCC Classroom, Raypak Boilers, 8am May 23: Board of Directors Meeting, Petroleum Club, 11am May 25: PHCC Plumbing Apprentice Graduation Ceremony, St Philip’s College Cafetorium, 11am
SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
May 31: Membership Meeting; Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410; noon; $30 per person; for more info, call Debbie at 830-606-5556
TACCA Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.
May 9: Lunch & Learn: Sales and Use Tax Workshop; Ridout, Barrett & Co.; noon1:30pm; $35 for members, $75 for nonmembers; includes lunch May 18: General Member Meeting; Old San Francisco Steakhouse, 10223 Sahara Dr., 11:30–1pm; RSVP required; first member attendee is included with membership, $20 each for additional attendees and non-members Jun. 5: 28th Annual Golf Tournament, The Club at Sonterra, 11:30am For more info on or to register for these events, or to join TACCA-Greater San Antonio, visit TACCAGreaterSanAntonio.org or contact Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222 or dawn@taccagreatersanantonio.org
Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.
SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net
(210) 308-5800
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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What it means to be a mom
his will be the first year I will be celebrating Mother’s Day as a mother. My daughter, Loxley, is already 8 months old, and that time has passed in the blink of an eye. Although, I feel like my experience as a new mom is vast and immeasurable. As a first-time mom, I’ve listened to the hard-earned wisdom of the mommy veterans, and as I discover each new joy and worry of motherhood, I have come to realize that I have no idea how any of us do this. But it’s the most rewarding and indescribable of anything I’ve ever done. My baby can’t talk yet, but every day is a great chance to tell your mother how much you love and appreciate her. Spend time with her. Trust me; that will mean more to her than you know and it will make her day. To every mom and every one of you who celebrates your mom’s part in your life, Happy Mother’s Day! –mh
Yvette’s husband, Kurt Robinson, Robinson General Contractors, and his mother, Bonnie “She has a heart of gold!” Yvette says of her mother-in-law.
“It’s hard to find just one favorite thing about my mother Carolyn Hastings, but the easiest one to identify is her joy for life,” says Rusty Hastings, Cambridge Contracting. “She is always glowing and can make any bad situation good.”
Mary Hazlett, San Antonio editor for Construction News, and her daughter, Loxley
Dana Calonge, Construction News, and her son, Dylan, are very close. “The things that I love most about my mom are who she is, who she has helped me become, the fact that she is my best friend, and the way that she says, ‘I love you’ at the end of everything,” says Dylan.
“My mother: she is beautiful, soft at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel,” says Sarai Simpson, a rotational project engineer at Structure Tone, of her mother, Shannon Dennis. “Everything that I am, and all that I hope to be, I owe to my mother! The sacrifices she has made, while teaching me responsibility and accountability along the way, makes her the epitome of a Phenomenal Woman. My MOTHER!”
Yvette Robinson (right), Robinson General Contractors, and her mother, Kinney Garcia
“My favorite thing about my mom is her heart,” says Jennifer Swinney, executive director of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter. “She has a way of just ‘knowing’ when I’ve had a bad day, and she’ll call me to say that she made homemade spaghetti and wants to drop it off for me. Regardless of how busy or stressed her day is, she ALWAYS makes time for my phone calls, and just listens. She never asks anything from me. She’s just full of love, completely, and she always puts a smile on my face and fills me with joy.”
“My favorite thing about Mom is that she’s very creative with a big imagination,” says Yvette.
Mandy Baublit (right) and her mother, Queeta Hoffpauir
Mandy Baulblit, Marksmen General Contractors, has three daughters: L-R: Mallory, Mattie and Megan (front) “My mom works very hard in construction and she really enjoys it,” says Megan. “I am proud of her for doing her best and setting a great role model for me and other people, too. She really works hard and still knows how to create and have fun with us! Love you, Mom!” “My mom is one of the best people I know,” says Mattie. “She is kind, caring, hilarious, and selfless. She puts others before herself, especially her children. She has the most caring heart, and I’m so grateful to be able to call her my mom and my best friend.”
Jacob Sireno, Baker Triangle, and his mother, Kari Sireno
“I’ve never known anyone who showed or displayed unconditional love like my mother,” says Wade Mayfield, Joeris General Contractors.
“I would not be who I am today without my beautiful and strong mother,” says Mallory. “My mom is selfless and kind and always knows how to put a smile on my face. I hope to one day be as determined and strong as her. She is there for me no matter what and I will always be here for her. She is my role model and best friend.”
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
San Antonio Construction News • May 2017
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An all-access pass to crawfish city
his year, Big City Access brought its sixth annual Crawfish Boil to the Blue Bonnet Palace in Selma on Apr. 13 with all the crawfish guests could eat, plenty of refreshments, and Cole Degges provided live entertainment. –mh
L-R: Russ Earnhart, C4 General Contracting & Consulting, and Ben Cantu, Big City Access
L-R: Troy Thames, Brittany Holmes, Vici Morrow, Jose Rodriguez, and Nemo Galindo, Big City Access
L-R: Jon Randolph, Baker Triangle; Craig Noto, Quality Fence & Welding; Barbara Roberts, owner of Big City Access; Greg Wiatrek, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
L-R: John Williams and Todd Winder, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; Bob Winder and Matt Bowden, Marek; Tony Buentello, Bartlett Cocke
L-R: Joe Garcia, Jessica Garcia, and Andrea Hughes, The Trevino Group; Dustin Hutcherson
L-R: Mike Mills, Barbara Becker, Thomas Becker, Andrew Hernandez, and Ray Hegwer, Dulaney Exterior Solutions
L-R: Steve Daugherty, Alamo1; Urs Senser, Big City Access; Clayton Littlefield, Hasdorff & Convery PC L-R: Tony Pieprzyca and Hank Bransom, Hart Acoustical & Drywall
L-R: Ryan Murphy, JSR; Neville Spicer, Big City Access; Danny Frias, JSR
L-R: Kathy Bower, Blue Book; James Evanicky, Big City Access; Nancy Flores and Kim Smith, Blue Book
L-R: Gena Lundsten, Jason Lundsten, Ruby Saldana, Sylvia Sheppard, James Sheppard, Samuel’s Glass.
L-R: Justin Calvin and Rusty Reininger, SpawGlass
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San Antonio Construction News • May 2017