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CONSTRUCTION
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Volume 14
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Number 6
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JUNE 2017
Lighting the way
A concrete plan
1: L-R: Lighting Connection’s Ricardo Mendez, Nancy Cardozo, Ashley Albertson, Maysa Rabadi, Cesar Torres and Jose Gausin
Donald W. Smith (center) with his sons Jordan (left) and Kingsley (right)
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ighting Connection got its bright start as a way to distribute lighting products under parent company Lanehart Electrical Contractors. Partners Randy Garrett and John Lanehart established the company’s headquarters in Irving, with a Buda location following in the early 90s, says vice president of operations Jaclyn Willbrand. Lighting Connection now has roughly 55 employees across both locations, and cultivating them for maximum growth is another company hallmark, according to Willbrand. “One of my favorite things is the employee tenure we enjoy,” she says. “That’s company wide. We recently had
an event where we celebrated everybody with more than 25 years of service – it added up to more than 1,000 years of tenure.” Willbrand attributes that to the company’s culture. “It’s a privately owned, thirdgeneration family business,” she says. “And, it’s that family friendly culture that extends to our employees, where we value a strong work-ethic but not at the expense of our personal and family lives. We encourage employees to be there at the soccer game or make the school play. Our work culture extends beyond the office as well with annual holiday parties, tickets to sporting events and regular continued on Page 7
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f a “Construction Business Owner Candidate” list had ever existed, Donald W. Smith would have checked off a long line of boxes: He has always had the entrepreneurial bug. He had shored up project manager and superintendent experience working for several construction companies. He had been running his own concrete work side business since 2008. Smith even had construction in his blood: His father had dabbled in it throughout his life and several relatives worked in the industry. By October of 2015, it was a natural decision for Smith to make Don Smith Concrete LLC a full-time business. “It was just a realization that everything that it took in order to run a
company, I was already doing it,” Smith explains. “It was a matter of having the courage to step out there, do it and get the right business model started.” Smith drew up a model utilizing mostly subcontractor labor, secured an impressive amount of bonding capability and hired two full-time employees to handle paperwork in his Midlothian office. Then, he got to work. “Once I stepped out there, there was no turning back,” Smith says. “I’ve been successful so far.” His business’ success has been hard earned, but worth it. “It’s a lot of stress,” Smith admits. “I put in a lot of hours. My days usually start continued on Page 7
Dude! It’s perfect!
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hey make it look so easy: Five best friends (and a panda!) complete incredible stunts, make impossible trick shots and film themselves reliving their youth for millions of fans. But where does the high-octane group known as Dude Perfect create and execute these feats? Well, for safety reasons … not just anywhere! That’s why Dude Perfect hired general contractor Taurus Commercial Inc. to construct a perfect environment for the Dudes to collaborate, test ideas and film their antics. Taurus’ project manager Jack Steinberg, superintendent Sean Cole and architect John Taylor of Azimuth Architecture Inc. were tasked with transforming a 138,866sf Frisco warehouse into the ultimate man mecca in only two months. DPHQ2 (or Dude Perfect Headquarters 2) had to house everything the Dudes needed for their exploits. The first
floor would feature a main lobby/kitchen, locker room, a private office for each Dude, a conference room and video editing rooms. It would also contain a large adaptable space with artificial golf turf, a basketball court, a hockey rink and plenty of durable concrete floor that would double as a racetrack and bowling alley. The fun would continue upstairs on the 4,300sf mezzanine featuring a mammoth lounge area populated with theater seating, foosball and pool tables, a golf simulator and large screen televisions. “It was a bare, vacant, brand-new warehouse space and we built out, for lack of a better description, a huge man cave,” Taurus president Daryl Bowen explains. “What they do in this space is a lot of their trick shots, but they’re also video editing, watching the videos, replaying them and strategizing on what Taurus Commercial Inc. gave Dude Perfect the perfect space to plan, execute and film their world-famous shenanigans. Photo by Digital Home Studios
continued on Page 7
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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An organic evolution
JOB SIGHTS
Headline
JC Construction’s Pancho Salazar helps remodel the exterior of Thai Papaya Garden at Euless Town Center. Improvements for the building include replacing the roof. –mjm The Dallas team of Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing is celebrating the company’s 35 years in business as well as recently becoming part of IBP.
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elebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing has evolved and grown throughout its history, and in January, the company saw its latest big change when Alpha became part of the Installed Building Products (IBP) family. Alpha’s new parent company is publicly traded with more than 140 locations nationwide, primarily focusing on the residential market. Alpha will continue to focus primarily on the commercial market with founder Vic Verma continuing to serve as its CEO and partner Henry Schmueckle continuing to serve as president. “Our owners went to great efforts to make sure we were a fit for each other before finalizing the deal,” explains Greg Wiatrek, director of sales/estimating, who handles Alpha’s business development. “As we went through the transition, Henry and Vic ensured that Alpha and all the employees that have been part of this great company for 35 years would continue to be taken care of. The only thing we have been asked to do is to continue to grow.” Since Verma established Alpha in San Antonio in 1982 as an insulation company, Alpha has grown steadily and
Dallas Fort Worth
CONSTRUCTION NEWS Melissa Jones-Meyer/Dallas Fort Worth Editor DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net 817-731-4823 Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.constructionnews.net
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Wiatrek Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge If you are a construction-related company in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin or Denton counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, call for a Requester Form, or visit our website. The Dallas Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area. 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 Dallas Fort Worth 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. © 2017 Construction News, Ltd.
organically, opening offices where their clients and work give them roots. In 1986, Verma’s friends, and clients, at Marek Brothers urged him to open a branch in Atlanta. By 1989, operations in that office had grown so much that corporate functions moved to Atlanta. In 1988, Schmueckle was hired to run operations, introduced waterproofing to the business, and became a partner 10 years later. Alpha went on to open offices in Dallas; Charlotte, NC; Austin; Houston; Orlando, FL; Nashville, TN; Miami, FL; and this year, Tulsa, OK The Dallas office opened in 1996 and has worked on many projects including Toyota Corporate Headquarters and Dallas Love Field. Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing also does fireproofing, firestopping, and most Division 7 services, except roofing, metal panels, and EIFS. –mh
Chuck Tandy, owner of Band of Believers Remodeling, gets to work on his company’s new office space in Euless. The freshened-up space will include a reception area and a showroom. – mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
me a disability note so that I could draw disability, but I declined his well-intended offer because of my personal belief that I should earn my living by the best of my ability. I have limited back movement and the ability to perform heavy-duty work even today as we speak, but some days are very difficult.
Ahad “Joe” Ghafoor, CEO Innovative Design Build Colleyville, TX
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had “Joe” Ghafoor has moved from his childhood home in Pakistan, studied for several years in two countries (and even broke his back!) to work in the construction industry. Even when things got tough for Ghafoor, he got tougher, and found ways around obstacles to create the life and work he wanted. Now, two decades after starting his own design-build construction firm, Ghafoor still is willing to do whatever it takes to keep living his dream. Tell me about your upbringing. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan. My mother was a homemaker and my father was a civil engineer at British construction company GAMMON from the age of 18 until he retired; he only had one job all his life. I had three brothers and four sisters, and I was the youngest. As a child I was always interested in historical buildings, which is still my favorite subject. There are a lot of old buildings in existence from the British era in Pakistan today. Where did you get your education? I attended high school at Cantt Public School Karachi. Then I went to London, England; I did my O Levels and A Levels there. Then I studied at the School of Architecture at Shepherd’s Bush in London, England. I left London in 1979 and came to the United States in 1980 for my education. I landed in New York, but I wanted to come to Texas because I liked the weather and I had some friends that came to Fort Worth first. I applied to University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Arlington and University of Houston. I was admitted to the University of Houston, so I moved from Fort Worth to Houston. To support myself while I attended school, I worked the night shift at Travel Lodge from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and that’s where I used to do my homework. I did it for six years; it was tough. That was the toughest part: Staying up all night and then going to university in the daytime. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn’t! I finally earned a Bachelor’s in Architecture and moved back to Fort Worth. What path did your life take postcollege? I went to work for Everman Corporation, where I designed precast concrete beams for bridges. Then, I had a few contract jobs for other businesses. In 1991, I was working for the world’s 11th largest company specializing in rehab of infrastructure. I was assigned to rehab a Phillips 66 refinery in Borger, TX. During the course of my job, I had an accident and broke my back; my L4 Lumbar fractured. I came back to Dallas and after a few months, the company laid me off. After my back surgery, I tried to get back to a similar job, but I was unable to secure employment due to my injury. I struggled for a more than a year. During my regular check ups with the doctor who had performed the surgery on my back in Fort Worth, I informed the doctor of my limited back movement disability causing me to secure a reasonable job offer. The doctor offered
How did you turn your misfortune around? Well, I always welcome challenging positions, and when an opportunity was presented by luck or circumstances, I decided to avail the opportunity by going into business for myself in 1997. I built my first 5400sf house in Colleyville, not too far from where I live now. What was it like for you, having worked for others in various jobs to owning your own business? You can study from the books all your life but it’s entirely different when you are actually practically doing it. It is challenging to find the right kind of trade-experienced subcontractors to do quality work. My biggest fear, even today, is that when I demand quality work from my workers, if left without supervision mistakes can be made and sometimes be very costly. I just wanted to make sure everything was done properly. I didn’t want to leave a trail of unhappy customers. How did your business evolve over the years? When I started my business, I did residential 100%. I’ve built tons of houses from the ground up. Everything from concept to completion was my responsibility – from brick selection to paint color coordination, turnkey. But, in 2007 through 2009, when the residential market went downhill, I reinvented myself and began looking into commercial remodeling tenant finish-out projects. I invested my time in taking classes and earned five Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Certifications: Principal Design-Build, Project Delivery, Risk Management, Transportation and Waste Water Management. I also earned registration with Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) in Texas and became qualified to do federal and state jobs. When the market went down, I didn’t quit; I re-educated myself in a slightly different direction but still stayed in construction. Now I am doing commercial and residential renovations, additions and rehabilitations to existing structures. I am cautiously optimistic that the construction industry and economic market will stay sturdy for some time to come. Is there a direction you would like to take your business in the future? I have always felt like an innovator with global experiences in design-build concepts and I feel like I have a responsibility to share my journey and energy to inspire future generations. In recent years, I’ve focused my time and energy on the green building culture, digital transformations of solar power and off-the-grid living lessons. With dramatic increases in energy costs, many of our clients have come to realize that building in an environmentally friendly manner also means making smart decisions that translate into financial savings over time. Clients with health problems are also interested in green construction. Whatever a customer’s concerns or motivations, Innovative Design Build tailors the project to address specific needs and interests. What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve done in the past 20 years? Among my favorite projects is the LBJ Library in Austin’s refurbishing/ addition to the existing structure; I enjoyed it because it was a federal job
Ahad “Joe” Ghafoor says his design-build business is his passion.
and everything had to be done by federal specifications. A very well established consulting firm, Raba Kistner in San Antonio, monitored my performance progress. They logged in very encouraging comments. I did a rehabilitation project of La Mansion, a 300-plus room hotel in San Antonio. That was a good learning project.
Grapevine High School. She is a very good student and is receiving a “Best Student Award” in her History class. I’ve been teaching her to drive on Sundays. She’s also taking Taekwondo classes, and is two belts shy of getting her black belt. I am proud of that; it is something she wanted to do. After high school, she wants to study medicine or wants to be an IT engineer developing robots.
Who has inspired you in your life and in your career? I have always admired Pakistan founder Quaid-i-Azam, President John “Jack” Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Winston Churchill and President George H. W. Bush’s Secretary of State James Baker for his English, proper accent and pronunciation. I also admired a former infantry marine, my former boss, Walter W. Ward, who passed away last year. His Irish ancestry was reflected in his good character and he was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He fought in the Korean War. He was a very good man, and I am still in contact with his family. As a matter of fact, I’ve kept a very good rapport with most of my former bosses. I believe it is a very valuable asset I have which very few people can claim. There is nothing in this world that I would not do for them if they asked me.
Do you think you will continue to live and work in the area or will you move or work in a new industry? I like it here in the Metroplex. I’ve been here since 1980 and I know the area and surrounding cities and counties well. I have also come to know some of the city officials and others from the construction industry such as engineers and architects. I have volunteered in my community for four years. To the City of Hurst Citizen Police Academy, I was appointed as a vice president for two years when the president was commissioned and he joined the police force; I was then elected for two more years. I have volunteered for GCISD budget steering committee and for the Dallas Election Commission. I will stay in this line of work. I have a small but dedicated field crew. I am in search of a reasonable yard where I can store my material and have room to expand and then I can buy my own construction equipment rather than rent equipment. That would be an ideal setup, and I am working towards that goal.
What do you like to do in your spare time? An idle mind is the devil’s workshop so I try to keep myself busy by fixing things around the house. I also like to travel, but by car, not by air. I have been to the Grand Canyon, which was beautiful and inspired me. I saw the Hoover Dam, which I have seen many documentaries about. I have seen the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which amazed me. I have seen the London Bridge – open and shut, which doesn’t happen very often. I saw Big Ben in London. I also saw the Empire State Building and also the World Trade Center Towers before they fell. I’ve been to New Mexico and Colorado and Niagra Falls, just name the few. Have you always been interested in seeing the world? When I was in fourth grade, I collected stamps. I had three or four albums full of stamps from around the world, don’t know what happened to them! Tell me about your family. My wife has a masters degree in English from Pakistan. In recent years she graduated from Tarrant County Community College (TCCC) in paralegal studies. She would like to pursue her career in law; she has worked at the Tarrant County Attorney General`s office in the child support and bankruptcy departments. My daughter is now finishing Colleyville Middle School and going to
It sounds like you have really enjoyed your work. I love what I do. I’m very fortunate that I chose the field I am in. Maybe I was influenced by my late father to follow in his footsteps and go into architecture, and then circumstances brought me to this field. I would not trade my profession for any other profession in the world. This is my passion and I love what I do. It all starts on a piece of paper with a few scribbles and lines, talking to the client, listening and grasping what their desire is, then a few sketches, and finally on to the computer (drafting board). I do all of those steps and try to turn other people’s dreams into reality. Located in Colleyville, Innovative Design Build offers custom design and turnkey construction services. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Blast from the past
Top it like it’s hot
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opgolf was in full swing for Subcontractors Association of the Metorplex (SAM) on May 3. SAM hosted a warm, almost-summer-evening of fun, food and prizes for its members at Topgolf Dallas. -mjm
L-R: Astro Sheet Metal Co.’s Steve Paxton, Reid Paxton, Reece Paxton and Austin Paxton
L-R: SAM board of director members Doug Cook, City Wide Mechanical and May Ellen Evans, Trade Management
They’re in it together
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Nearly 350 students and family members attended CEF’s first annual All Trades Student Appreciation Barbecue.
n the past, each of the Construction Education Foundation’s (CEF) seven trade councils hosted its own barbecue for its program’s students. Although thoughtful, hosting seven separate barbecues wasn’t practical and didn’t foster a sense of community among the students. “Our students never saw each other,” Jane Hanna, CEF president and executive director, explained. This year, the CEF staff decided to work smarter and not harder in their hosting duties, and streamlined the events into one, creating its first annual “All Trades Student Appreciation Barbecue.”
“We didn’t know how it was going to turn out,” Lori Purviance, CEF’s special events and facilities manager explains. “We had no expectation, because it’s not a mandatory thing. If the event falls on your class night, obviously you will be here. But to get students to come back a second night is hard.” “We were worried no one was going to show up, but we filled up the tent!” Hanna says. More than 350 students, instructors and family members gathered at CEF’s Irving office on May 11 to celebrate being in the trades together. “It really turned out well; we were thrilled,” Hanna says. –mjm
CEF streamlined the event from seven separate barbecues to one.
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oining the Construction News team is Carol Wiatrek. I’m her, Carol Wiatrek, the new managing editor. Many of you know me, at least in San Antonio, and a few in Austin, but rest assured, I’m no stranger to the construction industry. In San Antonio, I was a part of the construction industry for 22 years through my affiliations with The Builders’ Exchange of Texas and Associated Builders & Contractors Inc. South Texas Chapter. Through the years I have met many great people who have been great inspiration to me. After being absent from the construction industry for five years it’s great to be back, and I look forward to establishing many more friends in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. I’m telling you about me, but I look forward to telling stories about you, your company, your employees, and fun activities you all are involved in. I have three beautiful children, two daughters and a son. My oldest daughter, Regan, is a certified make-up artist and licensed cosmetologist. My daughter Kirsten is a second-year pharmacy student. My son Jacob is a junior in high school and varsity soccer player. I have an amazing three-year-old grandson, Landen, who is the joy of my life. There is nothing better than walking in the door to hear the words, “Mimi’s here.” Now you know my story, let me tell yours. We at Construction News want to
tell the industry about you and your company. We have a great section called “Industry Folks” where we introduce the employees behind the scenes from the receptionist to project managers. In addition, we have our “Great Outdoors” section; we like to publish the photos of your employees and/or their family members at play whether it being hunting, fishing, skiing, playing basketball, baseball, picnics, sky diving, etc. Don’t be bashful! Share your stories and photos with us by emailing them to your local paper editor. The construction industry is truly a tightknit family-let’s all get to know each other. –cmw
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Creating a winning social media strategy
Michael Klasno, Media Specialist & Web SEO
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very business looking to achieve success through social media needs to have a well written social media strategy designed to reach their customers and get the desired result. Just as social media channels are not equal in scope, demographics and reach, all social media channels might not be right for your company goals. Your social media strategy needs to be market specific just for your company. What works for a big box competitor with a large advertising budget and huge staff may not work or be practical for your market. Your custom social media strategy should contain everything from your goals, your target audience, and what that audience wants or needs. Then you can decide which social media channels can be utilized to best reach your customers. Everyone from the business owner, to in-house staff, to your hired gun Social Media Specialist must be involved in setting the goals and building your branded social media strategy. Setting attainable, measurable goals is an important component to a good social media strategy. These will
help you achieve the results you are looking for. Set measurable goals like getting more sales, customer leads, website traffic, and building credibility and expanding the brand image. Likes, followers and retweets should be a much smaller component of every business’ main goal. Making a profit! A strong ROI can be achieved by leveraging social media to build online credibility. If your brand is credible and trustworthy ‘Likes’, followers and retweets will happen organically. For best results, begin with only two or three goals. Having too many goals can affect your focus. Once you have a list of goals it’s important to figure out your target audience. The basis of every marketing strategy is the target audience. You need to know four things about your audience; who they are, what they want, how to reach them, how to please them. If you can’t please them and give them what they want, they won’t interact with your social media updates, buy your products or give way to forming any relationship with you. Knowing who your target audiences are and what they want will help you choose the right social media, create relevant content, and write the perfect social media updates. You want to choose social media channels that are frequented by your target audience. Looking at social media demographics can help you with this. For instance, if you find that most of your audience are baby boomers and senior citizens, then the right social media to use might be Facebook since 45% of internet users age 65 or older now use Facebook. As stated, start out with only a few relevant social media platforms. Remember that having more than 3 or 4 social media accounts means more work (and
Full of heart
cost) for your in-house team or the hired specialist. I suggest you do a simple social media audit to inspect your current social media activities to determine where you are, what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. If you have been using social media for a while, you already have analytic available to compare. Begin by analyzing everything from what you have posted, what types of posts worked best, what posting time was most effective, who are your key industry influencers, etc. If you are new to social media I suggest you look at pages owned by your competitors to see how well their social media performance compares to the industry standard. You can use the results you get from this audit to continue doing more of the effective things and to tweak or discard the ineffective. If you don’t have any business social accounts on which to perform an audit, the best option may be to start by contacting a Social Media SEO Specialist. Prepare a content strategy that includes everything: blog posts, white papers, well written social media updates, photos, quotes, videos, etc. The first thing
you must remember while creating your social media strategy is that every social media platform is different; what works on one network might not work on another. That ‘Donut’ image by Social Rank is a fun reminder that each social media site comes at content from a different perspective. Share different things on different social media and craft unique updates for each. Use the data you collect from your audit and other analyses to see what your audience wants and give it to them. Your content strategy should be based on your goals, your audience, the social media you are using, what has worked for you in the past and what is working for your competitors. You want to use all this together to help you achieve your desired results. Make sure you have a company blog where you create and provide fresh original content as well as industry wide news and announcements. Providing free quality content can be a great way to build trust and with trust comes credibility. Remember, people on social media don’t want a sales pitch, they want to be engaged and there’s no better way to do this than with content. Make sure you create fresh content, mix in a little from other sources and have a proper promotion plan to expose it to as many readers as possible. In conclusion, social media success takes time. It doesn’t happen instantly. You might notice some positive changes at the beginning, especially if you take the right steps by collecting data and giving your audience what they want instead of assuming. But achieving the goals you have set can take 3 to 6 months. Plan accordingly and be patient. Article provided by Michael Klasno Search Engine Optimization & Social Media Specialist in Southeast Texas. –cmw
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Whiz kidding
L-R: Byrne Construction Services’ Matthew Avila, John Avila, Martin Lehman and J.R. Evans
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heir hearts are in the right places! Byrne Construction Services hosted its 3rd annual “Building With Heart” event on May 18, which was also sponsored by MULTATECH, JQ, BOKA Powell, DPR Construction, Imperial Construction, Quorum Architects and Sedalco Construction. General contractors, engineers, developers and others gathered at Fort Worth’s Tortaco restaurant to learn about the American Heart Association’s annual Tarrant County Heart Walk. –mjm
L-R: Byrne Construction Service’s Tracey Hart, Mike McWay and Dana McCans
Dixie and Leo Craig, MULTATECH
Quorum’s David Lee and American Heart Association’s Stacy Richardson
L-R: Derek Whisenand and Dujon Randolph of Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth share a chuckle. –mjm
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Choices, choices!
Alison Groom is excited about the many door, gate, window, lantern, stair and specialty iron options Adoring Designs offers through its Fort Worth and Dallas showrooms. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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continued from Page 1 — Lighting the way barbecues, and employees get first consideration on any new jobs posted. Everybody has the opportunity to learn and take on new responsibility. We are very big on keeping the lines of communication open.” Communication with customers is also key to Lighting Connection’s success. Willbrand says the company works hard to earn its reputation, staying on job sites
Scape quote
to help troubleshoot and provide added services. “We tailor packages to people’s budgets and we stay in touch with industry trends,” she says. “Something we hear over and over again is how people appreciate our attention to service.” With Irving and Buda showrooms, lighting distributor Lighting Connection services multi-family and residential clients. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — A concrete plan at 5am. and end when I’m done doing whatever I need to do. So if that’s 3am or 4am., that’s what it is. But it’s also a very rewarding field; you get to see something come together.” Also rewarding is meeting and helping new people. “It’s humbling that we get to meet so many people,” he says. “In order to be successful, you just have to be respectful and treat people the way you’d want to be treated. I enjoy my customers, seeing things come to fruition, walking away at the end of a job and knowing that the customer is satisfied.” After less than two years as a fulltime business, Smith says his company is already tackling new types of work. “I’ve put in competitive bids; I’ve tried not to bid work just to stay busy. I bid according to what the market is bearing,” he says. “We’re just getting into bonding municipal work,” he says. “I’d like to grow to the point where I
am at least a respected and recognized name in the industry,” he continues. “I’m currently trying to get my Minority Business Enterprise and my Historically Underutilized Business certifications to try and get some opportunities with the Texas Department of Transportation and larger companies. I’d like to see us grow to $5 million or $10 million a year in the next five to 10 years.” The qualities that made him an attractive candidate to establish a business now help him as he continues this journey. “In this business, if you speak the language, you’ll know if that person knows what they’re doing within five minutes of talking to them. For the most part, I’ve had very good experiences. People have been very open and willing to help me get to where I want to be.” Don Smith Concrete LLC services commercial, government and residential projects.–mjm
Josh Richards can answer questions about Fossil Creek Tree Farm and Nursery’s Landscape Co.’s hardscape design and installation services for commercial projects. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Garage hand
continued from Page 1 — Dude! It’s perfect! their next big bit is going to be.” With the two-month clock ticking, the Taurus team placed highest priority on installing the mezzanine – usually a months-long endeavor. Fortunately, one of Taurus’ California clients built mezzanines and immediately came to Frisco to construct it. “We had to wait six weeks for the mezzanine before we could do any work in the office areas,” Bowen says. “The mezzanine was difficult because we had to build a structural steel frame within the warehouse and pour concrete on top of it for the second floor. We precisely placed 260sf of building pads for the mezzanine columns inside the building. Once we got that installed, we could then move forward with building walls and things underneath or above the mezzanine.” Since the Dudes are always hurling objects through the air, protecting the lighting and the sprinkler heads became the next much-discussed topic. “The guys fell in love with light fixtures made by Big Ass Fans,” Bowen says. “They were really expensive, and had not been through the first run of production yet. We found they didn’t provide the brightness required for video filming and we ended up using a newer fixture from Big Ass Fans to meet the Dude’s brightness and impact resistance needs. It wasn’t the original fixture that they requested and we were one of the first to use that light fixture. “We also had to put cages on the fire sprinkler heads so that the guys wouldn’t accidentally hit one and flood the building,” Bowen continues. “We had several meetings with the fire marshal to discuss requirements for sprinkler heads’ protection from projectiles. Many options were proposed and we eventually found a heavy-duty cage-type cover. It required changing out 270 sprinkler heads to accommodate this. It was a big deal; we didn’t know if they were going to allow this change, but in the end, the fire marshal was happy.” In addition to a tight deadline and planning for future flying objects, Dude
Perfect fans presented a challenge as well. When word somehow got out who would be occupying the space, fans would visit the job site almost daily, hoping to snag a Dude’s autograph. One prankster posted a fictional Dude Perfect meet-and-greet on social media, which prompted fans to swarm the job site. More than one group of admirers invited themselves to tour the space. Wisely, Dude Perfect waited until construction was complete before branding the space or moving in personal items. The Taurus team’s biggest challenge happened seven days from the project’s completion. A water line broke, flooding a quarter of the space including the mezzanine, the walls, the main ceiling and flooring of the offices, the restrooms and the conference room. “Here we are coming down to the finish line and we’re all getting excited because we’re going make it,” Bowen says. “Then I get a phone call on a Saturday and the workers say, ‘Hey, guess what?’ “It’s all part of the fun,” he laughs good-naturedly. “We were there that day sucking water up, tearing out and throwing away damaged sheetrock, wood, vinyl and tile flooring, carpet and ceilings. We redid the wiring and ductwork insulation – anything that would soak up water. We got more carpet and finishes that matched the original. We undid it, redid it and finished in time so they got what they ordered. We returned the space back to new condition in seven days and did not miss the deadline. Failure was not an option, and it’s amazing what our team can do! They were appreciative that we jumped on it and made it happen.” Judging from the YouTube video of the Dude Perfect team giving a tour of their new headquarters, it’s obvious that the guys think their new headquarters is perfect. “I think they’re pleased,” Bowen concurs. Dallas-based Taurus Commercial Inc. is a full service general contracting company. –mjm
Dave Hinderland, owner of Garage Living in Irving, is happy to show and discuss with customers flooring, cabinets, wall storage, car lifts, garage doors and renovation services.-mjm
Getting in on the ground more
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rom putting on roofs to putting on greens – roofing industry members enjoyed a sunny day on the ground for a change May 15 at Grapevine’s Cowboys Golf Club. The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) hosted its Golf 2017 tournament, which included morning and afternoon flights followed by an awards ceremony. – mjm Morning flight winners: 1st Place: NTRCA Combine Team – Elevation Sales’ Gianni Marcantonio, James Ryerson, Jason Stanley and Steve Wilcox and Associates’ Steve Wilcox 2nd Place: Team First Texas Insurance – Brettco Roofing’s Holly Green, StayDry Roofing’s Larry Brown and Jason Brown, Asco’s Daryl Woods 3rd Place: Team ABC Supply – Andy Maxvill, Jim Darnell, Tanner Blanton, Ronnie Goldsmith and Ramon Aguinaga Closest to the Pin – Gulf Eagle Supply’s Blake Babcock Longest Drive – CertainTeed’s Charlie Seone Afternoon flight winners: 1st Place: Team ABC Supply Scott Adams Team 2– Bazan Roofing’s Angel Bazan, DK Construction’s Danny Clampitt, Chris Breckeen and Chess Ingram 2nd Place: Team Roofers Choice Insurance – Brett
1st Place Morning Flight: NTRCA Combine Team
1st Place Afternoon Flight: Team AB Supply Scott Adams Team 2
Scott, Jack Scott, Rodney Bell and Mervyn Salas of Roofers Choice Insurance 3rd place: Team ABC Supply Scott Adams Team 1 – ABC Supply’s Khris Killeen, DFW Premier Roofing’s James Pendergrass, and Jon Stewart, Malarkey Roofing Products’ Dean Strommer Closest to Pin – Christian Brothers Roofing’s Blake Gilette Longest Drive – Titan Contractors’ Scott Cruthers
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Balancing overhead, budgeting and risk to increase project profits
What is an Onerous Bond form? Donnie Doan, Director of Surety/SW Region Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Dallas, TX
Scott Allen, CPA, Tax and Consulting Partner Cornwell Jackson Plano, TX
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onstruction companies experience unique accounting structures due to expenses driving revenue as projects move through various stages of completion. By managing a variety of costs, such as overhead, budgeting, and talent, owners and project managers can improve cash flow and bid smarter on fixed price contracts. Overhead and Budgeting While profits (or lack thereof) are directly driven by job costs, don’t forget to factor in overhead: • Office payroll and benefits • Building rent or mortgage • Utilities • Internet • Insurance • Marketing • Equipment and supplies • Professional services • Professional dues • Meals and lodging • Shipping and postage • Cell plans Every dollar of overhead reduces your ability to compete and bleeds money from profit margins. Make the time and effort to examine every overhead line item on the profit and loss statement. Look for opportunities to reduce overhead. If it has been 2-3 years since you last shopped the item, whether it is property and casualty insurance, a cell phone plan or your electrical provider, do so. You may be surprised at the amount of cost you can drive out of your overhead. Finally, make the time and effort to develop a comprehensive budget incorporating your understanding of your job cost drivers, your targeted sales numbers and your refined overhead. Develop the discipline to compare your actual performance to the budget on a monthly basis, if for no other reason than to refine your understanding as to the cost drivers within your business. Talent and risk This brings me to your pool of talent. FMI Quarterly noted in a 2016 survey of construction firm owners that lack of experienced field supervision and project schedules posed some of the top risks to their bottom line. This points to the critical role that the right talent plays in a company’s success. And, as we know, skilled talent is very hard to come by in this field. Traditionally, many construction companies have had a busy season and a slow season in which workers are furloughed and start collecting unemployment. PostRecession, companies have downsized their primary workforce and brought on temporary labor through staffing agencies as needed. Others have changed their business model to eliminate the slow season
and keep employees busy year-round. Whichever hiring and retention option you choose, the main idea is to right size your workforce and make sure you are hiring the right people in the first place. A temp-to-hire option through a staffing agency can reduce the risk of hiring the wrong person who costs money in training and time but ends up quitting a few weeks or months later. The more you can stabilize and train a strong pool of talent, the less likely you are to outlay unemployment, worker’s compensation or other employee costs. Stay disciplined Over the past decade, the construction industry has seen even the biggest and longest-running construction companies fail. A regular study of contractors by risk management consultancy FMI concluded that getting too much work, too fast, with inadequate resources led to inadequate capitalization. Often, the hubris within leadership led to the company’s downfall, assuming they were too big to fail. Imagine the risks, then, to a small operation. A dedicated CPA can perform an analysis of past jobs and predict the likelihood of profitability on future jobs. If your company is regularly averaging a negative margin, for example, it won’t be long before your company risks its bonding capacity — or worse — is headed toward bankruptcy. Before taking that risk, get to the bottom of your true costs so your company can thrive in a competitive fixed-price environment. 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. 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. Download the Whitepaper: The Real Cost Savings to Look For in a Fixed Price Environment on CornwellJackson.com
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bond form to be wary of is the notorious Onerous Bond. When a bond is determined to be extremely one sided or unfair to the principal or surety, the industry catch word is ONEROUS. Of course what is considered onerous by one party, such as the company being asked to write it, is often seen as perfectly legitimate by another, such as the entity requiring the bond. To make it even more frustrating, some sureties agree to write forms that others will not and vice versa. Total conformity is rarely found. But even if your surety agrees to write a form deemed onerous for some reason do you really want them to? After all YOU are the first and last line of defense!
the Bond amount shall automatically be increased by any Change Order, but a Change Order which reduces the Contract price does not decrease the Bond amount.
What Are Some Elements That Make A Bond Onerous? Here are a few pointers: First, watch out for key terms or phrases that make it easier to invoke liability or vary the burden of proof. A prime example of this is the following wording commonly found in some bond forms, “The Surety further agrees that in the event of a breach of the Subcontract on the part of the Principal…as determined in the sole discretion of the Contractor…”. There are at least two danger points in this clause. It only states “in the event of a breach,” but the extent of a breach can vary greatly and not every breach is material enough in nature to justify a default termination. This would potentially allow the obligee under the bond to recover from the surety what it could not from the principal to the contract. And this is all determined, “in the sole discretion of the Contractor (Obligee),” does that sound risky to you?
Does This Make You Angry? If not, try the following; “If effective action to correct the noncompliance is not taken within seven (7) days of the giving of notice to Surety, then this bond shall be payable to Owner on demand.” This clause severely limits the available options and makes it impossible for the surety to defend or even develop an initial response to the claim.
“Immediately Pay,” “Without Contest,” “Waiving All Defenses!” Another example taken from an often used form says, “the Surety will upon presentation of bills by Contractor, immediately pay the same without contest, waiving all defenses which the Surety may have as Surety or which the Principal may have under the Subcontract…”. This probably sounds crazy to you but it is used by several North Texas contractors. Some Bond Forms Increase The Surety’s Liability Some City of Dallas bond forms bind the principal and surety to the City of Dallas for 110% of the contract price to cover additional court expenses, attorney’s fees, etc. The same form also states that
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Safe guards
Making the construction industry a safer place to be are Turner Construction Company’s project safety manager Lindsay DeJonghe and area safety manager John Cairasco, both of whom are in the company’s Dallas office. –mjm
So, What Is The Moral Of The Story? You Must READ THE BOND FORM These are only a few of the onerous bond forms being used today. You must read the bond form, or better yet, ask your MHBT Bond Account Manager to review them. Be prepared to negotiate the language in the form or use alternative bond forms if the assumed risk is not acceptable to you or your surety company. Always remember that you are the ultimate guarantor when a bond claim is made. The surety may pay, but they will be knocking on your door shortly. It is important that you do your contract and bond review early in the bidding process. Many jobs now require that modifications or changes be presented as a condition of the bid or negotiation process. If issues with the contract or bond forms are not addressed in a timely manner, your bid could be deemed nonresponsive and thrown out, or you could lose your ability to negotiate the terms or forms when it comes time to sign the contract. MHBT serves clients from our headquarters in Dallas, Texas with branch operations in Austin, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Midland.
In memoriam
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arle Grady “E.G.” Hamilton FAIA, 97, passed away May 8 in Dallas. He studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis and graduated in 1943. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he worked in Detroit for World Trade Center architect Minouri Yamasaki before moving to Dallas in 1952. In 1956 with George Harrell, he established Harrell + Hamilton Architects, which later became OMNIPLAN. Hamilton’s notable projects include NorthPark Center, phase two of the Dallas Convention Center, the second Republic Bank Tower and Mountain View College. Hamilton received AIA Dallas’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He is predeceased by his daughter Sarah and is survived by his wife of
44 years, EAnn Thut, daughters Leigh Miller and Kathryn Starensier, five grandsons and 12 great grandchildren. Photo Credit: Nick McWhirter AIA
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Important revisions to the 2017 AIA owner/contractor agreements Andrew Harris, Attorney Andrews Myers, P.C. Austin, TX
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very ten years the American Institute of Architects (AIA) revises its construction agreement templates. The AIA documents are widely used throughout the construction industry and while many parties amend the templates to address specific issues and/or projects, parties frequently utilize the standard language as the starting point for negotiating the modified terms of their agreement. This document addresses a few noteworthy revisions to some of the most commonly used AIA documents. The following changes are contained in the updated A101—2017 Stipulated Sum Contract and the A102—2017 Cost Plus Fee with Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract. • Date of Commencement and Substantial Completion: The revised AIA forms provide a “check the box” option for both the date of commencement and the date of substantial completion. For the date of commencement, the parties may select: the date of the Agreement, the date designated in Owner’s notice to proceed, or a mutually agreed date. For the date of substantial completion, the parties may select a specified date or designate the number of days from the date of commencement. • Liquidated Damages/Incentives: The revised AIA forms now contain blanks that the parties can fill in to account for liquidated damages and for bonuses/ incentives (presumably for early completion) in the contract’s total sum. • Retainage: The revised AIA forms contain a more detailed retainage provision, including a default assumption that retainage will be withheld. • Termination for Convenience: The revised AIA forms still allow the Owner to terminate the contract for convenience. However, the new version anticipates a termination for convenience fee payable to the Contractor. The parties may negotiate the amount of the termination for convenience fee and include it in this section. • Insurance and Bonds: The revised AIA forms now include a separate exhibit to allow the parties to more specifically detail the project’s bonding and insurance requirements. The insurance exhibit is a large departure from the previous AIA documents and the changes too numerous to mention in this article. However, a contracting party should review the new exhibit in detail with its insurance carrier prior to executing the contract. The following changes are contained in the updated A201—2017 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.
• Written Notice/Electronic Notice: The revised A201 adds electronic transmission as a method of providing all contractual notices—except for notices of claims, which must still be served only by courier or by certified or registered mail. • Contractor Indemnifies Against Lien: The revised A201 includes a new provision in which the Contractor agrees to indemnify and defend the Owner against any downstream liens or claims, provided that the Owner has properly paid the Contractor. • Choice of Law: Like past versions, the revised A201 requires that the contract be governed by the law in the jurisdiction where the project is located. The updated A201 goes further and specifically excludes that jurisdiction’s choice of law rules. • Minor Changes in Work: The revised A201 allows the Architect to order minor changes in work and if the Contractor believes the minor change will impact the contract sum or time, the Contractor shall not proceed with the work and must notify the Architect. If the Contractor proceeds without notifying the Architect prior to commencing work, Contractor waives any right to modify the contract sum or time. • Arbitration: The revised A201 requires that arbitration be conducted in the place where the project is located, unless the parties agree otherwise. These changes, like any other contract provisions, can be further modified or amended by the parties. However, contractors and owners should review the updated 2017 AIA documents to determine how these revisions may impact future negotiations. About the Author: Andrew Harris focuses on advocating for general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and owners on a variety of construction–related issues such as litigation, arbitration, and contract negotiations. Mr. Harris is an attorney in the Austin office of Andrews Myers, P.C. and can be reached at aharris@andrewsmyers.com or https://www.andrewsmyers.com.
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Bass line
Two hundred fishermen put their fishing skills on the line at the American Subcontractors Association (ASA)/TEXO Bass Tournament, hosted April 21-22 at Lake Fork Marina. Team Acton Mobile’s Joe Alcala and Jason Wells topped in total weight and in the TEXO’s Challenge Cup Standings, while Cypress Equities’ Scott Tubbs and CORE Construction’s Gary Frazier nabbed first in “Big Bass.” –mjm
Lightning safety when working outdoors Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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ightning is a dangerous natural force. Annually in the United States, cloud-to-ground lightning occurs 20 to 25 million times and over 300 people are struck by lightning. During the past 30 years, about 50 people, on average, have been killed by lightning strikes every year, and many more suffer permanent disabilities. Lightning is unpredictable and can strike outside the heaviest rainfall areas or even up to 10 miles from any rainfall. Many lightning victims are caught outside during a storm because they did not act promptly to get to a safe place, or they go back outside too soon after a storm has passed. If signs of approaching thunderstorms occur, workers should not begin any task they cannot quickly stop. Proper planning and safe practices can easily increase lightning safety when working outdoors. When thunder roars, go indoors! If you hear thunder, even a distant rumble, get to a safe place immediately. Thunderstorms always include lightning. Check NOAA Weather Reports: Prior to beginning any outdoor work, employers and supervisors should check NOAA weather reports (weather.gov) and radio forecasts for all weather hazards. Seek Shelter in Buildings: Employers and supervisors should know and tell workers which buildings to go to after hearing thunder or seeing lightning. NOAA recommends seeking out fully enclosed buildings with electrical wiring and plumbing. Remain in the shelter for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last sound of thunder. Vehicles as Shelter: If safe building structures are not accessible, employers should guide workers to hard-topped met-
al vehicles with rolled up windows. Remain in the vehicle for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last sound of thunder. Phone Safety: After hearing thunder, do not use corded phones, except in an emergency. Cell phones and cordless phones may be used safely. • Stay away from all metal objects, equipment, and surfaces that can conduct electricity. • Do not shelter in sheds, pavilions, tents, or covered porches as they do not provide adequate protection from lightning. • Seek fully-enclosed, substantial buildings with wiring and plumbing. In modern buildings, the interior wiring and plumbing will act as an earth ground. A building is a safe shelter as long as you are not in contact with anything that can conduct electricity (e.g., electrical equipment or cords, plumbing fixtures, corded phones). Do not lean against concrete walls or floors (which may have metal bars inside). • Avoid isolated tall trees, hilltops, utility poles, cell phone towers, cranes, large equipment, ladders, scaffolding, or rooftops. Avoid open areas, such as fields. Never lie flat on the ground. Avoid water, and immediately get out of and away from bodies of water (e.g., pools, lakes). natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Meet the parents
others and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, siblings, family friends – so many people take on the role of parenting. Construction News would like to wish a “Happy Mother’s Day” and “Happy Father’s Day” to the men and women who have shaped those in our industry and those who are raising the next generation (some of whom we hope will grow up to work in construction!) –mjm
L-R: Danielle, Mackenzie, Huntington and Jeff Killion of Johnston Products
L-R: PCL Contract Bonding Agency’s Melissa Lesch and her mother, Amparo Meza, who recently turned 80
L-R: Silas and Frank Boehler of All About Roofing
TEAMWORK
WITH CONSTRUCTION NEWS
L-R: MHBT’s Kris Monk, Leslie Halencak, MHBT’s Laurie Carter and mom Pat Carter
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Summer Alternatives 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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ell, in the fishing industry there is a saying, “The wind is your friend.” I really want to believe that, but lately the wind hasn’t been very friendly. I know you probably read this every year by anglers, but this year it seems like there is no relief. I know we will be begging for a breeze come August, but for now I wish it would give us a break. Since the beginning of May and the arrival of Croaker, fishing strategies have changed. Rock structures, reefs, grass beds and potholes are areas which need to be keyed on. Anchoring up on the outside edges of these areas can be very productive on spawning trout. Setting up on these locations is the key to catching fish. Always approach the intended
Jeff Hawkins of San Antonio caught this 28-in. trout last week on the King Ranch Shoreline. Fish was just over 7 lbs and was released after photo by Steve Schultz Outdoors.
area with the wind at your back carefully estimating the length of your anchor rope and the distance of your cast. Once you have drifted over the area you intend to fish because your anchor didn’t hold or you misjudged the wind, you might as well find a new area to fish and try that spot later in the day. During the summer months here in the Coastal Bend anglers can find some of the best fishing along the entire coast.
Submitted to Construction News
Earning his striper
L-R: Critical Electric Systems Group (CESG) BIM manager Nathan Mann and his fishing guide proudly show off the striper Mann recently caught on Lake Texoma. –mjm
Our bays are loaded with resident fish and tide runners which constantly are arriving form the Gulf. With school being out for summer and the weather getting better everyday, that can only mean one thing. Boating and fishing pressure will be one of the most important factors for not being able to find large quantity of fish or stay on those fish once you have a bite going. That is why I emphasize so much that the best fishing is usually during the week instead of on a weekend. Another alternative to getting away from the heat and crowed bays is late evening fishing and night fishing. Fishing late into the evening and into the night during the full moon can get you out of everyday crowds and into some of the more popular fishing areas without being hassled by novice boat operators and impatient anglers. I have experienced all aspects of these people trying to move in on a set of rocks or a sand pocket you are catching fish from and scare all the fish away. It has reached a point where you have to do some homework and really think about how you will go about catching fish on any given day. 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.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 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
Boomer’s History
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used to sit with my great, great grandma and listen to her stories of her life. Childhood encounters between her family and the Native Americans, hearing the shooting during a Pancho Villa raid when they lived near the border and watching with a little girl’s big eyes when a notorious outlaw passed through town. Her tales of daily life told of walking for miles to visit neighbors who were ill or who had a crop to bring in, toiling in the fields in the summer and hand sewing the precious old quilts that still warm our beds today. I was fascinated to imagine how it must feel to have seen so much change in the world. I guess I fit in with the last snippet of the Baby Boomers. I was born in the late 1950s, not at the crest of the Baby Boomer wave, but before the Beetles and Love Children. I have been just rocking along, living my life and not really reflecting on how much change I have seen in my life, until the birth of my first grandchild. Guess who’s becoming Grandma now? The difference between the world this grandbaby will grow up in and the world of my youth is pretty astounding too. Sure, all the technological stuff I have seen is worth noting, but I think mostly about the way that people experience and learn about the natural world. I was raised in a rural place by people who survived by farming, ranching, blacksmithing and such. I was taught that planting and nurturing led to the best eating in the world. Hunting wild game was just survival and also led to the best eating in the world. Children were still taught the old adages about weather omens and how to tell that change was coming without a weather report. The old timers had both hands wrapped around the pulse of the natural world. I am so fortunate to have had the chance
S & D Plumbing’s annual outing (both photos)
to learn from them. Now I meet so many people from different walks of life that come and fish with us. The majority of folks are from the large cities now. Cities have education and jobs and opportunities that people need and can’t find in the country. But I’m beginning to worry about the way kids now experience the world outside. I almost fell over one day when a couple of kids jumped out of a mini-van in my parking lot and started chasing a “bunny” that was my in-laws dachshund! It is not at all unusual to meet customers who show up dressed all wrong for the weather conditions we are about to face. I think weather has just become what happens to you on the way to the car. The human world has gotten so fast paced and demanding that I don’t know how parents manage it. They have my admiration and respect! It is no wonder that the natural world doesn’t get noticed unless it spoils someone’s plans. My revelation in all of this is that it is up to us “Boomers” and grandparents to invest our time and experience in our youth so they can learn to value and appreciate the wonder of the great outdoors. Seriously, we don’t have time to get old! We have work (and play) to do!
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com
Submitted to Construction News
Shore was fun
L-R: Annette and Keith Bell, president of Intex Electric, enjoyed a Mid-April vacay in Cabo San Lucas. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Fighting chance
ver since Construction News featured AEE company owner and budding boxer Demetrus Harris in the January issue, we’ve received multiple requests for a follow up on his fighting. We’re happy to report that, after years of intense training and focus, Harris fulfilled his dream, signing his first fight contract and having his pro boxing debut May 20 at the Laredo Energy Arena. It was during the match, however, that life hooked a mean right, causing Demetrus to reconsider his decision to go pro. During the first half minute of his pro debut, his opponent jabbed him in the head with 10 oz. gloves, impairing and blurring his vision for the remainder of the match. Even though Harris, 36, is in top fighting form and had plenty of experience sparring, he couldn’t deny that a gloved punch could make a
profound and permanent impact on his health. With a wife, children and a new baby daughter on the way, he knew he couldn’t risk any further injury that would jeopardize his family. After the match, Harris hung up his gloves, and celebrated reaching his goal. “I have always preached how I am a family man first!” he wrote on his Instagram page after the fight. “I got a chance to live a dream and I enjoyed every minute of it! The fire still burns to compete but I have to consider my safety first. “Never give up your dreams without trying to fulfill them,” he adds. “I can go to my grave saying I gave all that I could but Father Time caught up with me.” Harris now plans to concentrate on his children’s sporting dreams and hopes that his journey inspires others to go for their goals, whatever they may be. –mjm
Harris (seated) has his hands wrapped before the fight and checked by the commissioner.
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Demetrus Harris (right) realizes his dream of signing a fight contract as his coach, John Garcia, looks on proudly.
Harris (third from left) is thrilled that he realized his boxing dream and hopes to inspire others.
Kids play
ritical Electric Systems Group employees strapped on their bike helmets and laced up their tennies to benefit the health of local children Apr. 22. The group participated in the Alliance Data Red Balloon Run & Ride, a 5K run/walk, a 1k fun run course and bicycle rally held at Plano’s Children’s Medical Center. All proceeds that the team raised benefitted the medical center’s Children’s Health programs. –mjm
JUNE 18
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Submitted to Construction News
Farm fresh!
Ready for a close pup
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4-week old puppy found its way into the hearts of Stephanie Walcott and Kayla Henry of Center Point Renovations in Flower Mound. The “chiweenie” was in bad shape, having been rescued from an abusive and flea-ridden home with a Craigslist plea posted on its behalf. Walcott and Henry swooped in, adopted the pup, and named it “Warrior” for coming out the other side of its terrible circumstances. It doesn’t have to fight at all for the love it’s receiving now. –mjm
PCL Contract Bonding Agency’s Eric Lesch caught this bass at his family’s farm in Valley View. –mjm
L-R: Stephanie Walcott, “Warrior” and Kayla Henry
Four-week old “Warrior”
GOOD NEWS!
You always look good in Construction News, Guaranteed! Call 817-731-4823 DFWeditor@ ConstructionNews.net
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Page 15
Surf on their turf
True fit
L-R: Buyers Barricades’ Shelba and Steve Buyers, Danielle Boyd and Marie Rhom C1S Group’s Fit Company Team: (top, L-R) Randy Jackson, Jordan Meadows, Cameron Smith, (bottom, L-R) Henry Olivi, Christine Clary-Lackey, Julie Strong and Clint Wilson
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ore than 200 participants from Dallas area companies pushed their physical limits Apr. 22 at Flag Pole Park. Among them was the C1S Group team, who spent the morning at the 2017 Spring Fit Company Challenge testing their strength, conditioning, power, agility and endurance. Hosted by the Fit Company Institute, the event encourages companies to incorporate fun and effective corporate wellness programs. Teams are split into three or four people that complete a variety of stations to challenge their fitness level and earn points for their company. The sweat equity C1S Group put into the event paid off: The team finished first place in the Micro Division! –mjm
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wo hundred sixty guests enjoyed the songs, the swag and the shrimp at Buyers Barricades on May 6. The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Dallas/Fort Worth Future Leaders 4th Annual PAC Spring Fling, hosted by the company at its Richland Hills location, featured a band, a raffle for nearly 40 door prizes, a shrimp boil and a chance to be a Top Gun in the cockpit of a flight simulator. Proceeds from the family-friendly event benefitted the AGC’s PAC. – mjm
L-R: Texas Lime’s Kyle Riggs, Frost Bank’s Jill McKean, AR Daniel Construction Company’s Bo Davis, Joshua Davis and Austin Bridge & Road’s Boone Massey.
Clint Wilson
Randy Jackson
Jordan Meadows
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Feels like family
Jaime Gomez is enjoying his newest role as Viega’s regional manager/master plumber for the central region, saying he appreciates working for employers who feel like family. –mjm
Guests lined up for a shot at nearly 40 door prizes
North Texas Contracting’s Paul Casteson (left) takes fight in a simulator, which was a highlight at the event.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
THIS TH MON 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
Plumbing provides “great lifestyle” Roger Wakefield, LEEP AP O+M, Owner Texas Green Plumbing Company Richardson, TX
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ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you heard of an increase or slowdown in business? There is definitely an increase in work. The number of plumbers, fitters and welders working right now is great. Better than that, the future looks promising. We are always looking for great service plumbers and apprentices that are interested in something different and they are getting harder to find. What factors are driving this increase? Population increase in Texas has a lot to do with it. I think it goes back to Rick Perry trying to bring so much business here. It worked. There are 200 people a day moving into the Dallas area and it shows. Roads are more crowded, houses are harder to find, and even rentals are going fast. Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area? Unfortunately yes; not necessarily in the plumbing industry but there are some. Roofers and fly-by-night general contractors are starting up new companies every day. People really need to watch out whom they are working with – in any industry. What is on the horizon for the plumbing industry? Smart meters and meter monitors are something worth talking about. There are many companies trying to get out ahead on this. MeterDog is one that I am really impressed with from Kona Labs. You can get a report every morning let-
ting you know your meter movement and flow. I think this is going to be a great tool for homeowners or plumbers looking for water leaks. Also, LeakTronics has some fantastic listening devices that are changing the way we do leak detection and locating. These are two of the best products that I have started using. With the recent emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry? This emphasis isn’t enough or soon enough. We are going to have to get busy teaching people about water conservation and not just teaching but getting them involved. I’ve been involved with GreenPlumbers USA for many years now so I have seen this coming. I just had a booth at Earth Day TX 2017 at Fair Park in Dallas. It was a wonderful event. And there are so many people interested in water conservation that it makes me wonder why they have to seek out ways to save water. Each city should be actively getting this information out there. San Antonio Waters System (SAWS) is fantastic about that. I
HVAC business heats up Sam Kelly, President New Balance A/C Houston, TX
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hat is the state of HVAC right now in Houston? I think it’s quietly optimistic. As much as we try not to be, we’re tied to the temperature swings. When it’s really cold in the winters or hot in the summers, we’re busy. We try to promote maintenance and all of those things year-round, and every year is a challenge. I’ve noticed with the economy from 2008-09 to now, it’s gotten better every year. With the political uncertainty that was going on before the election and now the post-election issues that are going on, I think it’s causing some people to hesitate. We’re going to need air conditioning no matter what happens, but I think it’s keeping people from reaching into their wallets for $10,000 systems that they’ve wanted to do the last two summers. We’re just now getting people to move on that type of stuff where they have been putting it off for two years. I’m a firm believer in global warming and greenhouse gas. Some people are pushing that as not being real, and unfortunately, it’s very real. In our case, we’re better off because if it does get warmer in more days of the year, we will be more in demand. I’d rather not be busy for that reason. With Houston being so big and busy have you seen a number of outside contractors coming in to the area? I’m not for sure about that in our field. There are 100,000 to 150,000 people
moving into Houston each year. I think a lot of people are transferring people here, big corporations and stuff. I don’t think there is a lot of outside competition coming in and taking our work from us. Do you have any big problems going on in the industry right now? I think the big issue for everyone right now is finding qualified help or young people willing to learn this trade. When we get them, we really embrace them. We pay for their training and give them as much as we can. I think the future is going to need hands-on people. The Internet and computers can only do so much for us. They’re not going to install things for us. They’re just going to design it. It’s going to take people with skills to make this happen. Do you feel like there is enough training out there but it is not be utilized? I think there’s a problem with the school structure. As far as junior high, and then in high school, they’re pushing them into college. I know my peers from the last
HVAC & Plumbing Sep: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment
attended my first GreenPlumbers USA training class there in 2008. Eddie Wilcut said then that San Antonio had doubled in population the previous 25 years but they were using the same amount of water. That’s what we should all be doing. Do the new water restricting fixtures impact plumbing installation? No, they are actually just as easy to install. There are no reasons that we shouldn’t be using them. When some low flow products first came out, there were some issues. Those have been resolved and improved upon. The American Standard H2Option Dual flush toilet is one of the best I’ve ever used. I have an American Standard ActiClean that I am putting in next. It will clean itself and it is a highefficiency toilet. Now that’s great. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Getting younger people into the trades. I don’t know why the millennials all want to go to college and have outrageous debt for a job skill that they will probably never get to use. You can sign up in the union apprentice training program for five years, get paid while you work, go to school at night two times a week and graduate making over $60,000 a year with no college loans to pay off. Plumbing is actually fun. I love building things and I really love walking in a building and figuring out what the problem is. This really is a wonderful career. Anyone can turn this into whatever kind of job they want, from plumber, foreman, and superintendent and all the way up to director of operations. You can do whatever you want to in this trade, even work on computers all day doing estimating and AutoCAD. The list goes on and on. Is plumbing education available for those wishing to enter the industry?
generation went to the trade fairs and school fairs to try and get students interested. The counselors, themselves, were pushing them out and not letting them talk to the kids. There was this idea that if you don’t go to college, you’ll lose out in the end. It’s so unfair because it’s untrue and there are so many people that are not capable to go to college. We need people in trades. Do you see any changes coming in the industry as far as materials, technology or equipment? It’s changing dramatically and really fast. It is all going to “smart” homes and computers. Everything has a motherboard on it, and they talk to each other. You can access it from your phone or computer. The other thing is the disparity between the U.S. and the rest of the world on what type of equipment we have. In the rest of the world, 97 percent of it uses mini-splits, like Frederick or Mitsubishi. That is what you see in Europe and Asia. Only about five percent of people in the U.S. are using mini-splits but it is growing by around 33 percent each year. How has R-22 being phased out affected the industry? It is causing a big stir because most companies are charging over $100 a pound for it right now. It’s going to be completely phased out in 2018, so they are going to sell off the stock that they have now. It’s quadrupled the price in the last three years. They’re having some replacement Freon, but when you change your outside condenser to the new refrigerant, you have to change the system. Instead of having to change a
Absolutely. The union apprentice training program is available all over Texas, all over the United States. There is also the Construction Education Foundation (CEF) and Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Association that have training programs available. What I like about the union is that when you graduate, you can put those hours towards a degree. What are the rewards of the industry? You can have a great lifestyle in this industry. We are paid well for what we do. Don’t get me wrong, we work hard for it. At the end of the day, if you are willing to work for it you can have the lifestyle that you want to have, any level lifestyle. What are the keys to being successful? Always give 100 percent every single day. Love what you do! There are a lot of people that are lazy and don’t want to work hard. If you just give 100 percent, eight hours work for 89 hours pay, you will be ahead of most of the people around you. If you really want to do better, read about your trade every day. Every day, I read for at least 30 minutes from different sources about plumbing or business. I want to set myself and my company apart from all of the others. Knowledge is something that you can never lose. I am a LEED AP, and accredited GreenPlumber USA and I have every Master Endorsement that the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners has. I am also a certified HVAC technician. I want to know as much about my trade as possible. That way I can do the best job available for my customers every time. Texas Green Plumbing owner Roger Wakefield was recently won American Standard’s “Plumber Know How” contest and has been named their “Plumbing Expert.” –mjm
condenser for $2,000, they have to do a system for $10,000. That’s the change that we have to deal with. Have there been any costs increases on your side? Not really. It has stayed the same with the economy. Equipment prices usually go up 2-3 percent a year. That has been going on at least a decade. The biggest spike is the Freon and precious metals. What are some of the rewards of the industry? It is the job satisfaction of making somebody comfortable or saving them money on their electric bill. It’s just something that we can do for someone that many people cannot. The real reward is having second and third generation customers. I’ve been doing it for almost 30 years, and I’m able to take care of their needs. What are the keys to being successful? I read the other day “The only thing that needs to be in place is that you have to love the thing you do. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t be able to deal with the ups and downs that make you successful.” If you love what you do, everything else follows. What can you tell me about your company? We focus, primarily, on residential retrofit change outs. We do service, maintenance and replacing people’s air conditioning units. We do some new construction but not too often. We do 30 percent commercial service, maintenance and changing equipment in, mainly, the Greater Houston area.–cs
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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NEXT TH MON
Electrical Industry
If you would like to represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact your DFW Editor for an Interview Melissa Jones-Meyer 817-731-4823 dfwEditor@ConstructionNews.net
Conservation and plumbing codes for all seasons Rene Lopez Responsible Master Plumber/Estimator SOS Companies San Antonio, TX
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ave there been any significant issues in the plumbing industry recently? Of course, everybody’s conserving water. So, all our flush valves, showerheads, lavatories need to be water conserving. The only issue that we’re finding now in the industry is that we’re getting to a point where not using enough water in our water closets, we are not being able to float the material down the pipes as far now, and pipes are becoming more likely to get clogged because of it. We think we’re at a point where this may be as water conserving as we can be. In fact, there’s a job that I’m working on now that SAWS came in and asked them to use smaller valves and fixtures and they’re already having problems with it clogging. So, we are having issues with this already. There’s a thing with the urinals that Sloan has devised, and we’re trying to save water using waterless urinals now. And we have for quite some time – probably the last decade, if not longer – but they’re finding that the uratic salts in the urine build up because they’re not flowing them out either. So, there are different methods in which they’re doing it. They’ll put in waterless urinals or they’ll put in urinals that will flush every three days as opposed to every time you use it, just to make sure that they’re clearing out the pipe. There’s a lot of issues with that right now, and that’s one of the big things that I’m trying to teach our apprentices about. What are plumbers able to do to try to rectify those situations? How are the new generations of plumbers tackling those new issues? We’re still tackling them the way we’ve always tackled clogs, and that’s using mechanical augers and hydrojet-
ting, which is using a high-pressure hose that we send down the pipes in order to blast the pipes clean. It’s just that now, we’re having more of it. We’re making more money doing it, but unfortunately, it’s costing the consumer. Why are these systems being made this way? Is there anything the consumer can do to combat these issues? These are required by code – what size water consuming fixtures are put into homes and businesses. So, really, there’s nothing they can do. It’s now a matter of the engineers designing the plumbing piping system in a different way to allow this to work better. When you flush your toilet, you want those items to float out of the pipe. They’re not swept away by the water. They’re actually floating on top of the water as it exits your pipes in your building. So, if you put more grade or slope on the pipe, then it leaves it behind, because the water runs out faster than the other items do. So, it’s really an engineering issue that we’re up against, and I do not think that we’ll see at least water closets come down any more in the near future as far as water use – unless the engineers have a plan or the consumer decides it’s worth paying us more money, more often, to go
Everyone needs water David Delgado, Manager 1st Plumbing Services Austin, TX
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ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? It seems like the construction industry is booming. We have been slammed since opening our doors eight years ago.
What factors are driving this increase? We’re seeing a lot of people coming in from Houston, California and New York. The cost of living is cheaper here as compared to those markets. Are you seeing an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area? Yes, we see a lot of contractors coming from all over who have moved here. They have to work and if they’re willing to take the chance and try to establish themselves, then so be it. How has this affected your business? If anything, it will help us out ten, fifteen years down the road. We are experienced with the elements and the water
down here. They are not accustomed to our water and climate. It’s not bad workmanship, and the work is up to code, but if you don’t use the best materials and techniques for all the hardness and other minerals in our water, then a few years down the road, we’ll be doing repairs on they’re work. We’re more experienced with our area, and incorporate higher standards because we don’t want problems eight, ten years down the road. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? Code upgrades, the different municipalities and their infrastructures. Waterlines for example, with so many new projects being built, it limits the big suppliers that supply water. Instead of replacing
in and unclog their pipes. Would these be issues that only engineers can solve or is there anything the plumbing industry can do about them? They’re requiring that we install these fixtures with these rates of water usage. So, it’s really now up to the code committees that rewrite their code every three years. There’s the UPC [Universal Plumbing Code], IPC [International Plumbing Code], and NPC [National Plumbing Code]. So, there’s a lot of different codes out there that different municipalities and states use depending on what they want to use. Right now, San Antonio uses the IPC. When you do the state exam, they use the UPC. I really think it’s determinate upon the codes and how the engineers are going to design their systems to allow them to work better with the type of water saving fixtures that we have. And we need to save water! With all of these different codes and variations, does that make it difficult for plumbers or your students? Should there be one code instead of many? No, I think that it benefits different parts of the country to have different codes. For instance, if you go up north, when it snows, there’s something that has to be done for the venting so that they do not fill up with snow and you no longer vent the plumbing system. And what they do is they actually enlarge the vents from about a foot below the roof line going up through the roof. This makes it to where as the vent air is exiting the vents – it has water in it, and that water condensates up against the pipe, which then freezes and it begins to make that opening smaller and smaller to where it doesn’t vent as well. Now, our code here in town also mentions that, but we don’t need it here, because we don’t have those issues. But up north, there are different issues. On the West Coast, there are different issues –
you have earthquakes, so you have to design those systems differently using extra supports that we do not require down here. Here, it gets real cold and you take a shower and you feel the difference – you feel how cold that water is. Up north, it would freeze if they put it at the same elevation below the soil level. Right here we use about 12 to 18 inches. Up north, they’re at 6 feet so that it doesn’t freeze. I think you need all the different codes. I typically teach mostly the IPC, because that’s what they use here in this area, but I certainly let my students know that there are different codes. Are there any other issues that are important in plumbing today? One other thing that is very important, you have to understand that the plumber protects the health of the nation. Were it not for the plumber, we would have third world diseases here. We would have people dying more than normal from water issues such as what happened in Corpus and Carrizo Springs, what’s going on in Michigan. The water that we ingest has to be protected by us through backflow prevention – once it exits the purveyor’s pipe, we do not want that water to reenter the purveyor’s pipe, because if something has occurred in that location that the water has entered in, and it has become contaminated and is able to reenter the purveyor’s pipe, now you’re making all the citizens sick in that neighborhood, in that region in addition to the location that has had the issue. Backflow preventers here have to be certified every year, and this is just to protect the people and the purveyor from anything happening to their water or sanitary sewer system. With SOS Companies since 2014, Rene Lopez has been a Responsible Master Plumber since 2007. He has also been a fourth-year instructor for the PHCC apprenticeship program for two years now. –mh
old lines with 36 or 48-inch lines, the old 24-inch stay in place. They just boost up the pressure. Because water pressure demands have doubled, the pressure is on the homeowners who had great water pressure for years, making them more susceptible to issues.
money I pay my mechanic hurts. I’m sure people feel that way about plumbers.
What specific codes changes have affected your industry? The standards for efficiency ratings for water heaters is a big one, requiring water heaters to be made bigger with more insulation so they run more efficiently. In many cases, newer replacement water heaters will not fit in the same space, so you have homeowners saying “what do you mean, my new water heater won’t fit?” Having to explain to somebody why their plumbing needs to be redone, is tough.
What is the cost increases relating to your industry? The cost of brass went up 20-30% due to lead-free requirements, which raised the prices of other materials like PVC. It becomes a chain reaction.
What is the most significant challenge your faces? Finding qualified employees, plumbers, is our biggest challenge. I could put eight more plumbers in vehicles right now. We turn down more work everyday. We can’t get qualified people. They’re just not coming into the business. All the vocational training has been taking out of the schools. I wish I had taken a mechanics class when I was in school. The amount of
Is Plumbing education available for those wishing to enter the industry? We offer training at our training facility in Austin.
What are the rewards of the industry? Unlimited potential. Plumbing is not the oilfield, but if you put in your time, you can make a great living. Everyone needs water. Why did you decide to work in the Plumbing industry? A buddy of mine called me up and asked if I wanted to help him out during the summer, so I did. The owner of that company asked me if I wanted a job, so I decided to give it shot and I haven’t looked back. 1st Plumbing Services is a commercial and residential plumbing company based in Austin with an office in San Antonio. -cw
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
continued Summertime in Texas Matt Freund, President Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) Austin, TX
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t is that time again in Texas! When temperatures begin to climb, HVAC companies know that their busy season is starting and it is going to last for a solid six months or more. While sagacious owners strive to balance their workload throughout the year, there is no doubt that the cooling season in Texas is the most busy, most stressful, and hopefully the most profitable time of the year.
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n 2017 and beyond, the HVAC industry faces a variety of challenges. Some of these are not exactly new – aging workforce, getting more young people to enter the trade, safety, Baby Boomer / Gen X / Millennial coexistence – but some new challenges are also presenting – changing refrigerants, energy efficiency requirements, manufacturers selling/ shipping equipment directly to owners, smart device integration, “uberization” of service industries. It is the responsibility of the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors
Association (TACCA) to keep an eye on these types of issues, and to take action as necessary to protect our industry. This year, TACCA sponsored HB 3029 / SB 1439 during the 85th Texas Legislative Session. This bill is intended to provide a more structured licensing path for people in the HVAC industry, and also allows them to shorten their on-the-job experience requirements by completing classroom work and competency exams. This bill was filed to help attract new workers to the industry by aligning the
HVAC occupational code with statewide initiatives related to P-Tech vocational training and the 60x30TX plan. At both the state and local levels, TACCA chapters offer education and training opportunities for all sizes of companies involved in all types of HVAC work. On a broader scale, TACCA tracks and comments on industry issues through affiliation with national organizations. The EPA has announced that current refrigerants will be phased out in the coming years because of their ill effect on global warming potential (GWP). Current alternatives include flammable refrigerants and that could introduce a totally different safety concern to the industry. Energy efficiency requirements for HVAC systems continue to increase with every release of codebooks. Code changes not only affect HVAC, but many of the other trades as well. Architects, engineers, and contractors must work together to comply with code requirements without driving the construction cost too high, thereby making projects unattractive. Internet sales of HVAC equipment are on the rise. While this may seem desirable to some, our trade associations are looking into the broader repercussions of this trend from an EPA perspective, a licensing perspective, and a code
Enjoying the day
compliance perspective. Technology definitely has a place in the HVAC industry, as more and more people want to be “connected” to their HVAC system(s). The demand for these modern conveniences requires HVAC companies to adapt to the technological changes, while keeping the owners of these HVAC systems both safe and comfortable. The “uberization” of service industries is definitely on the rise. Many customers are inclined to schedule a service call the same way they would purchase other goods, and this definitely changes the way HVAC companies will think about marketing in the future. Adapting to the behavioral trends of our customers will be important for successful companies moving forward. HVAC has transitioned from a luxury to a necessity in Texas over the past 50 years. Job demand in this industry continues to rise, and workers must be ready to backfill positions being aged out, and also fill new positions being created. Although there are new challenges facing this industry every year, HVAC continues to be a rewarding career for those involved at all levels and at all parts of the supply chain. TACCA contractors are ready to meet these challenges, and love to say “Bring on the TEXAS HEAT!” –cw
Forecast: Fun
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hile the attitude of most local weather forecasters was that storms were inevitable on May 19, PCL Contract Bonding Agency kept their eyes to the skies and hosted the company’s “32nd Annual Attitude Adjustment Party” anyway. Their optimism was contagious, and soon Lake Grapevine’s Jackson Pavilion in Rockledge Park was full of guests ready to defy the weather predictions with a barbecue feast and washer tournament. –mjm L-R: Kevco Electrical’s Kevin Richardson and PCL’s Eric Lesch
RHCA’s Julio Flores, Redi-Mix’s Dax Rutherford and Brian Heins, RHCA’s John H. Martinez–D. and RHCA “Foreman of the Year” Sostenes Muñoz of Omega Contracting
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mariachi band, family activities, a health/wellness fair and expo greeted industry members at Dallas’ Mountain View College on May 13. The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) hosted its annual “Day of the Construction Worker,” an event dedicated to the construction industry’s men and women. Individual members were also recognized at the event for their excellence in performance and safety. –mjm
Lifetime Achievement Award Jose Garcia, Andres Construction Services Field Construction Worker of the Year Manuel Soria, Archer Western Herzog Superintendent of the Year Juan Castro, Archer Western
Foreman of the Year Sostenes Muñoz, Omega Contracting Excellence in Safety Manager Award Michael Barefoot, Webber LLC Excellence in Safety Worker Award Camilo Rojas, Andres Construction Services
RHCA celebrated construction workers with a mariachi band, prizes, awards and family fun.
L-R: TransAmerican Underground’s Brent Lewis, PCL’s Pauline and Clem Lesch and TransAmerican Underground’s Brian Whitaker and Trag Bailey
L-R: Armor Wealth Management’s Joe Chenoweth, PCL’s Melissa Lesch, American Subcontractors Association’s Beverly Reynal and Walker Engineering Inc.’s Mike McAdams
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Page 19
Run of good luck
What three things do you need to do your job? The three things I need to do my job are people with integrity and discipline! People Integrity Discipline Clay Rudick Rudick Construction Group Inc. The three things I need to do my job are patience, determination and follow through. Wayne T. Lawrence Diversity Resources Group I need my car to get to wherever I need to, whether it’s to a client or my office. I need Melissa Welch, who is my left hand and I need Kim Green as my right hand; they’re my two champs, I can’t do anything without them these days. Mark Meyer Texas AirSystems I need my cell phone. I need the team that I have around me. I think that’s very important, the team that you actually have to do the job; for us, it’s our estimators, our project managers and the guys in our field. The third thing I need is my car! AmySwartz, Critical Electric Systems Group (CESG) I need a plan, I need a team and we need clarity. John Pluff Enviromatic Systems I need great people, time, and time to think. Matt Strong, C1S Group Only three? To do my job, I need support from our company, an opportunity and quality subcontractors. Tim Smith, Steele & Freeman Inc. I need 20/20, a good tape measure and a big planner to keep track of whom I have coming in and what’s going on. Tabitha Bray, Cabinet Savie
The three things I need to do my job are patience, a good pair of work gloves and the will to get dirty! Zac Siegler Volstrukt Agile Framing Systems That’s easy: The three things I need are a great team (my staff), the customer base and marketing. I’m one person, I have to rely on my staff to be together on the same mission. Our customer base is our lifeblood, our sales. Marketing is important because we need to get more customer base to support the larger offering so that we can continue to get more product out of landfill. Jerry Noel Visions Paints Inc. The three things I need to do my job are: 1: Great field work – we’re breaking new ground with our new Ready-Mix Delivery Service for self-leveling underlayment, because it’s new, there’s lots of scrutiny and every project has to be a “10.” 2: Customers who recognize and adopt new practices – innovation is the hallmark for progress, an open mind invites real opportunity. 3: Truth – Do what you say and do it right the first time. Clint Schramm LATICRETE SUPERCAP The three things I need to do my job are: 1: People’s trust that I will handle their stories and reputations with care. 2: My iPhone, which I use to take photos, record interviews, take notes and input contact information. Let’s not forget the ability to research anything unfamiliar on the spot and the maps app on that device, which has prevented me from losing my way countless times! 3: Copies of Constructions News, tons of business cards and a smile (oh, wait, that’s five things!). Melissa Jones-Meyer, Construction News Ltd.
A stand on safety
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early 300 riders roared up to Johnston Products of Dallas for a day of games, music, food, a silent auction and a car and bike show unlike any other! The 14th Annual Poker Run, hosted May 20 by the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), benefitted Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Happy Hill Farm. –mjm
More than 1,000 field and home office personnel participated in MYCON General Contractors’ Stand Down for Safety on May 10. The event was part of OSHA’s National Safety Stand Down, which raises awareness of fall protection. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Happy 1st!
The Arch-Con Corporation team recently celebrated the Dallas office’s one-year anniversary! Since opening last year, the office has completed 624,000sf of industrial space, with more than 2,000,000sf of retail and industrial construction underway. –mjm
L-R: Andrew Chung, Johnston Products of Dallas’ Lori Chung and Gene Johnston, and Alex Chung
L-R: Smart Systems’ Jim Cunningham, Rogers–O’Brien’s Stephen Kralik and AEC Corp.’s Mark Farrell
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Craw abiding citizens
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ounds of mudbugs were on the menu May 17 at Morrison Supply’s Dallas location. The branch partnered with the American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) North Texas chapter for its annual “Schmooze and Mingle Networker and Crawfish Boil.” Guests went cray-cray for the crayfish, entered their names for prizes and met with local vendors who were promoting their wares and services in between big bites of ‘bugs. –mjm
L-R: Encore Mechanical’s John Reynal, and McMillan James Equipment Co.’s Sam Langlitz and Jeff Langlitz
Laticrete Supercap’s Grant Imhoff
L-R: Aire Dynamics’ Mike Rose and Morrison Supply’s Charlie King
Morrison Supply Dallas branch manager Gregg Mitchell and ASA North Texas executive director Beverly Reynal
L-R: Hugh Cunningham’s Jay Ballard and Convoy Servicing’s Michael Nguyen
L-R: Morrison Supply’s Mark Davis, Holister Peters and Eugene Forney
Striland Construction’s Gina and Elmer Strieker
Aubrie Bynum, husband Clay Jenkins of Morrison Supply and son Caden
L-R: Brandt’s Brian Walsh and Jacob Quiroz
Brenda and Jose Vazquez of MEMCO
L-R: Entech Sales and Services’ Todd Jarrett and TDIndustries’ Watt Attaway
New Generation Mechanical’s Roman Perez and wife Rebecca
L-R: Mechanical Partners’ Tim Kocurek and Alex Guerrero
L-R: Howell Crane & Rigging’s Sedric Thomas, Lisa Valdez and Raymond Jenkins
Submitted to Construction News
Ice house of cards
The Conley Group, through its foundation, partnered with the Care & Mercy Foundation, sponsoring a poker tournament series at Bedford Ice House May 13. Games, raffles prizes, a live auction and an opportunity to give back to those in need made for an afternoon of fun. L-R: Conley Group’s Bill Conley and Care & Mercy Foundation’s Blair Thomas -mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Enjoying the Chase
Beck Group and KDC topped out JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s 1 million s.f. corporate campus at Legacy West. Designed by HKS, the campus will include multiple mid-rise buildings, a training and conference space, a food court, a health and wellness center and technology and telepresence capabilities. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Association Calendar
Round-Up
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
Nat’l Utility Contractors Assn.
Jun. 22: Bark + Build Kick Off Party, SPCA, 2400 Lone Star Dr., Dallas, 6pm Jun. 28: Women in Architecture Speed Mentoring Mixer, Dallas, 5:30pm
Jun. 16: Barbecue Battle – NUCA North Texas’ First, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, 6050 Azle Ave., Lake Worth, TX, 6:30pm, Contact deana@nucanorthtexas.com or (682) 402-4293 to register.
AIA - Fort Worth American Institute of Architects
PDCA
Jun. 2: Tandy Hills Pavilion Exhibit Reception, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Gallery 9, 1300 Gendy St., Fort Worth, 6pm
Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.
Jun. 16: Summer Shooting Event, Ferris, TX
ASA North Texas
Project Mgmt. Institute
American Subcontractors Association
Jun. 8: 2017 Awards Program, The DFW Marriott, 8440 Freeport Parkway, Irving, 5pm reception, 6pm dinner and 6:45 awards program. Cost is $95 per individual or $750 a table.
PMI – DALLAS Jun. 8: Professional Development Conference, Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Dr., Hurst, 7:30am
PMI – FW Project Mgmt. Institute
American Soc. of Plumbing Engineers
Jun. 8: Professional Development Conference, Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Dr., Hurst, 7:30am
Jun. 3: Rangers Vs. Astros, president’s meeting and scholarship game, Globe Life Park, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, 6:15pm
Regional Black Contractors Assn.
ASPE – DFW
CFMA – DFW Construction Financial Mgmt Assn.
Jun. 15: Membership meeting, Hackberry Creek Country Club, 1901 W Royal Ln., Irving, 11:30am
RBCA Jun. 15: 14th Annual Golf Tournament, Bear Creek Golf Club, 3500 Bear Creek Ct., Dallas, 6:30am. Visit http://tournevents. com/_tournament/?event=regionalblac kcontractorsassociation for more information.
CSI
SAM
Construction Specifications Institute
Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex
Jun. 8: Annual CSI Dallas Chapter Awards Banquet, Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Rd., Addison, 5:30pm
Jun. 1: Dinner meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, 6pm
FSCATX
SCWCPA
Fire Sprinkler Contractors Assn. of Tx.
So. Cen. Wall, Ceiling & Plaster Assn.
Fire Sprinkler Contractors Assn. of Tx. Jun. 8-10: 7th Annual Skins & Fins Weekend and Vendors Tabletop Show, South Shore Harbour Resort, 2500 South Shore Blvd., League City, TX
Jun. 14-16: 65th Annual Convention & Trade Show, Hyatt Regency Houston/ Galleria, 2626 Sage Rd., Houston
IEC - Dallas Independent Electrical Contractors
Jun. 9: IEC Night at the Races, Silks Dining Room, 4th Floor, 1000 Lone Star Pkwy, Grand Prairie, 6:35pm. Cost is $60 per person. Jun. 19: Graduation ceremony, Irving Convention Center
IEC - Fort Worth
TEXO The Construction Association
Jun. 3: 2017 TEXO Softball Tournament, Hurst Athletic Complex, 2104 Precinct Line Rd., Hurst Jun. 29: 1st Annual Raymond L. Critchfield Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament, Coyote Ridge Golf Club, 1640 West Hebron Pkwy, Carrollton, 8am. Cost is $100 per person, $400 per team or $25 per person for awards luncheon only.
Independent Electrical Contractors
TLPCA
Jun. 3: IEC Fort Worth/Tarrant County 1st Annual BBQ Cook off and Annual Wire Off Contest, Acme Electric Company, 5000 Martin St., Fort Worth, 9am. Cost is $150 per team, $50 for electricity. Jun. 9: IEC Night at the Races, Silks Dining Room, 4th Floor, 1000 Lone Star Pkwy, Grand Prairie, 6:35pm. Cost is $60 per person.
Tx. Lathing & Plastering Contractors Assn.
NARI
Jun. 14-16: 65th Annual Convention & Trade Show, Hyatt Regency Houston/ Galleria, 2626 Sage Rd., Houston
This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month). Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net
House guest greeter
TSPE - Dallas Jun. 7-9: TSPE Conference & 81st Annual Meeting, Omni Southpark Hotel, 4140 Governors Row, Austin
NAWIC - Dallas
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Jun. 7-9: TSPE Conference & 81st Annual Meeting, Omni Southpark Hotel, 4140 Governors Row, Austin Jun. 15: Meeting, 11:45am
Jun. 15: Chapter meeting, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N., Fort Worth, 5:30pm
JQ Infrastructure (JQi) has promoted Chris Bitter PE ENV SP to associate, Infrastructure. Bitter brings more than a decade of project management, civil engineering design and construction administration experience to the group. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
Data center construction expert Scott Rugen has joined construction management firm Structure Tone Southwest as an account executive. Rugen brings 22 years of experience in build-ing data centers to his new role. Rugen will be based in the firm’s Dallas office as part of its expanding Mission Critical team, which builds ground-up data centers and expands existing facilities.
Tx. Public Works Assn. – N. Tx
Jun. 20: Luncheon, NTTA Maintenance Center, 11110 Research Rd., Frisco, 11:45am Texas Society of Professional Engineers
NAWIC - Ft Worth
Jay Whitson has joined the company as a project estimator for roofing and sheet metal. Whitson will review plans and specifications to compose bids and estimates for projects and assist in the review, negotiation and execution of contracts.
AECOM named Steven Janeway AIA NCARB LEED BD+C as regional director for the firm’s Buildings + Places (B+P) practice for the Gulf Southwest. Janeway will work in the Dallas office and joins vice president/managing principal Ted Kollaja FAIA in leading the practice. Janeway, who has more than 30 years experience, earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee, an Associate of Architectural Technology from Walters State Community College and attended Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design Professional Development Program.
Submitted to Construction News
Jun. 13: NARI Night at JRH Design + Build, 5307 E. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, 6pm Jun. 22: WIN (Women in NARI), Blue Mesa Grill, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 11:30am
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Kelley May has been hired as administrative assistant. May’s duties include maintaining and distributing the project list, assisting with change orders and shipping and receiving.
Engineering and surveying firm McKim & Creed Inc. announced that Jeff Allen has joined the company’s Dallas/Fort Worth office as a geomatics project coordinator. Allen, who began his career as an instrument operator, brings 34 years of experience to his role. Allen will help manage survey operations within the Dallas/Fort Worth region, including reviewing projects, developing and maintaining schedules and coordinating multiple crews and subcontractors.
TPWA
Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Jun. 15: Block Kids, Girls Inc., Love Field Campus, 2040 Empire Central Dr., Dallas Jun. 19: Dinner meeting, Wyndham Garden Dallas North, 2645 LBJ Frwy., Dallas, 6pmNAWIC - Fort
Julianne Lute has joined the company as an administrative assistant in the safety department. Lute’s duties include entering data for employee records, maintaining employee files, performing audits of records and coordinating the orientation of new hires.
Submissions
NUCA – N. Tx.
American Institute of Architects
Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing announces the following additions to its Dallas office:
Round-Up
AIA - Dallas
TSPE – Fort Worth
UMCA United Masonry Contractors Assn.
Jun. 6: Golden Trowel Awards, DFW Airport Marriott North, 8440 Freeport Pkwy., Irving, 6pm. Cost is $80 per person or $150 per table reservation. Contact Lindsey Geeslin at lgeeslin@texasmasonrycouncil.org for information.
Customers were greeted with arms wide open May 10 at Landmark Equipment’s Sany Open House, hosted at Landmark’s Irving location. Those who came to see the latest Sany products and speak with factory engineers and service reps also met TRAXX, a 35ft. tall Sany transformer who puts the “part” in party! Before his Landmark appearance, TRAXX represented Sany in China, Germany and a U.S.-based Con-Expo. – mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
Into the Blue
H
undreds of construction industry members turned out for “The Who‘s Who in Building & Construction Showcase” held May 4 at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Hosted by the Blue Book Building & Construction Network, the event gives attendees an opportunity to meet and network with industry vendors, scope out the latest trends and learn about projects being built in the Metroplex. –mjm
Lone Star Fire Sprinkler Inc.
JC Commercial Inc.
Rocky Duron & Associates Inc.
SpawGlass
Beck
Muckleroy & Falls
Basecom Construction Services
Alpine Roofing Construction/ATIS
ARSI Construction Equipment
Big Sky Construction Company
Byrne Construction Services
Wurzel Builders
Cadence McShane
Azteca Enterprises Inc.
Blue Book Building & Construction Network
Construction News ON LOCATION
In memoriam
Lumber of love
F
arzin Pourshahidi, 55, superintendent at Humphrey & Associates, passed away May 14, 2017. A memorial service was held May 18 at Mount Olivet Chapel in Fort Worth, followed by a celebration of his life at Humphrey & Associates’ Fort Worth office. The company also established The Farzin Pourshahidi Memorial Fund in his honor. “The Farzin Award for Mechanical Excellence (F.A.M.E.)” was set up in CEF’s Trust Fund to be awarded annually to a CEF mechanical graduate who exemplifies Pourshahidi’s dedication to excellence. –mjm
L-R: Brenda Brechbuehl, Caroline McInnis and Lee McInnis love to display The American Lumbermill Company’s reclaimed lumber, which is the Azle-based company’s specialty. –mjm
Jack the sniffer
L-R: Three-year-old Emma and Scott Lewelling recently opened their home to “Jack”, who was surrendered by an elderly couple unable to keep the 4-year-old Jack Russell Terrier in their retirement community. Lewelling, a manager at Boulder Designs of DFW, says Jack is a wonderful companion, has energy to spare and a strong desire to sniff out adventures (and food) and explore, despite being nearly blind in one eye. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jun 2017