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Volume 19
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Number 6
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JUNE 2017
Keeping up in the races
With ‘a servant’s heart’
Cy Jary, owner of Con-Cor Incorporated, and his wife, Susan, enjoy watching the races up in Austin and have even sponsored a car recently.
Terracon’s San Antonio team is celebrating 25 years as part of the local construction industry and local community in the Alamo City.
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s president Cy Jary reflects upon reaching the 30th anniversary of his company, Con-Cor Incorporated, he observes that the milestone holds a lot of heartache and a lot of reward. Having learned from the school of hard knocks, Jary notes that the company started out in February 1987 as an interior finish out business and then grew to doing public sector work, mostly remodeling, for the federal, state, county and city market. From early on, Con-Cor had to adapt to the changing market. When the savings and loan crisis hit in the late ‘80s, Jary transitioned away from interior finish out to general contracting. “We have done some fairly substan-
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aking on the largest project that Superior Contracting Services (SCS) has completed to date for Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, SCS recently delivered the fully renovated Goodwill Operations Office, Warehouse & Clearance Center located at 4810 Eisenhauer Rd. Trey Wiederstein, the owner of SCS, has been working with Goodwill on their projects, including their retail stores and Donation Stations, since 2009. He notes that this is the first time Goodwill, a nonprofit social-enterprise, has made a move in distribution facilities in about 15 years, and this move doubled the amount of local distribution and sorting squarefootage they have available. The 198,000-sf project broke ground in late August 2016 and was completed ahead of schedule at the beginning of January this year. With 12,000sf of office, 22,000sf for the Clearance Center, 14,000sf for e-commerce and electronics
tial projects,” he recalls. “I think the biggest new construction was about $5.5 million, and then the biggest remodeling was about $8.2 million for Randolph Air Force Base.” In the last four or five years, Jary cites a decline in public sector spending as one of the latest challenges after surviving the Great Recession, but he explains that the company has aimed to stay as lean as possible, keeping busy with Job Order Contract (JOC), the Air Force’s Simplified Acquisition for Base Engineering Requirements (SABER), and Multi-Award Construction Contract (MACC) work. Though he was born in New Mexico while his father did work there, Jary grew continued on Page 25
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aving grown to nearly 100 people, the San Antonio office is roughly the fifth largest office Terracon has out of its 140 locations across the U.S., and this year marks the firm’s 25th anniversary in the Alamo City. Celebrating all year, the office decided that this quarter-century milestone was the perfect time to produce its first-ever Fiesta medals in honor of its 25 years here in San Antonio, the home of Fiesta. Including the milestone in their email signatures is helping to spread the word, and they will work the 25th anniversary into the theme of their annual client appreciation party in October. Chuck Gregory came into the San Antonio office in 1995, three years after it
was established. Today, he carries several titles, including regional manager for South Texas, including San Antonio, Laredo, and Pharr, and San Antonio office manager. He is also a senior principal and vice president. In his tenure, Gregory has seen the office – and the city – grow and evolve. He has seen the emphasis on safety increase after the firm embarked upon its incident/injury-free journey six years ago. He has seen the branch bounce back from the Great Recession, going from a leaner staff of 63 people to almost 100 now. He has also seen people rise from entry-level positions to project managers to department managers and even leaving San Antonio to manage a continued on Page 25
Where there’s a Goodwill
Superior Contracting Services recently completed the new Goodwill San Antonio Warehouse & Clearance Center on Eisenhauer Road.
recycling, and 150,000sf for warehouse, sorting and distribution, the multifaceted use of the space made the project unique while posing challenges to meet the specialized needs of the different work areas. Wiederstein explains, “There are actually four different occupancies in the building, subdividing the areas into the office; the ecommerce spaces and electronics processing areas where they handle recycling of electronic components including batteries and a lot of sensitive materials; the warehouse space; and a Good Careers Academy where they offer a commercial driver training program. “With that many different users in the building and a Clearance Center open to the general public, each area has its own security and access control to ensure people aren’t just making their way throughout the building who shouldn’t continued on Page 25
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
An organic evolution
This company is on fire
The San Antonio team of Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing is celebrating 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 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. In San Antonio, Alpha’s biggest project to date was the University Health System Hospital Expansion, and the company also did the AT&T Center. Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing also does fireproofing, firestopping, and most Division 7 services, except roofing, metal panels, and EIFS. –mh
Chelsey Wiatrek recently volunteered to man ABC Fire Systems’ sponsored hole at the ABC South Texas Spring Golf Tournament.
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ecent years have brought some exciting changes for ABC Fire Systems as the company has expanded its services and involvement in the construction community. While the company still does sprinkler and alarm systems, in the last two years, they have been doing a lot of water storage tank and fire pump installations as well as fire main underground work. They’re also starting to do specialty suppression systems. They have grown their team from one Responsible Managing Employee (RME) to three senior RMEs now, and they have added a fire protection engineer. Also, Chelsey Wiatrek, who started at ABC in August 2012 as a receptionist, has moved up into project manager and marketing roles. “We try to help our customers not only on the installs, but after the installs,” she says. “We’re big on building customer relationships. In regards to inspections, recently, we have been doing a lot of hydrant flow tests for different municipalities and developers.
“We’re still doing a lot of big multifamily new construction projects like apartment complexes, and lately, we’ve done a lot of large warehouses. And we’re still catering to small business service inspections and installations.” ABC has also gotten involved in the construction community through the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter and its events. A graduate of UTSA, Wiatrek and her husband of five years, Clay Wiatrek, a senior project manager for Landmark Structures, have a daughter, Kayden, who will be turning 2 in July. When she’s not at work or an event, Wiatrek enjoys spending quality time with her family. She loves being outdoors, hunting, fishing, doing outdoor photography or painting. She and her husband also love taking their daughter to Gruene and Canyon Lake. ABC Fire Systems is a full-service company that handles installation, inspection, and service for a variety of fire systems. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Drive to help children
1st Place Team
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o help provide life-saving care to patients at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors hosted the inaugural Miracle Drive Fore Kids May 4 at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course. The event, which included lunch and a dinner reception, benefit the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation. With 19 teams participating, the event brought in more than $75,000 before expenses. “Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is proud to be a part of the construction of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, and we are also proud to support the Children’s Hospital SA Foundation with the Miracle Drive Fore Kids golf tournament,” says Jerry Hoog, Bartlett Cocke president and CEO.
“This year’s tournament was a tremendous success and we are hoping to build on what was achieved this year and create even more success in 2018 and 2019. We also want to thank all of our subcontractors and vendor partners who helped make this event successful. Just like in the construction of our projects, without teamwork and the support of our subcontractors and suppliers, we cannot excel!” –mh
Winners 1st: Beaird Drilling – Stewart Beaird, Steven Beaird, Mitch Beaird, Mallory McAdams 2nd: EDP Concrete – Todd Fields, Damon Smith, Al Loya, Leif Henderson 8th: ISEC – Jason McGarvie, Michael Cerrone, Rey Rodriguez, Stetson Isdale
Three decades, three generations
Members of the Tietze team L-R: Edward Guerrero, Barry Waechter, Brittany Mair, James Bump, Tracy Tietze, Steve Tietze, Alvin Johnson and Corey Vullo
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hen Steve Tietze started Tietze Plumbing, his newlywed wife and co-owner of the business, Tracy Tietze, was a teacher at a Northside middle school. Having recently marked its 30th anniversary, the company now has Tracy running the office. After working for his cousin during summers in college, Steve started his own company, doing new custom homes. At first, working out of their house, Steve ran the office, and during the summer, Tracy would help with the bookkeeping. Soon, they hired Tracy’s mother, Pat Davenport, to manage the office, which she did for almost the entire three decades since. Meanwhile, Tracy had worked her way up to become a principal with Northside and later retired. When her mother needed to retire three years ago, Tracy came in to run the office. Today, the company runs five to seven trucks, and in 2008, they transitioned into repair service and remodeling. Tietze specializes in water
heaters, commercial boilers, residential water heaters, water softeners and water treatment. Outside of work, the Tietze’s have three daughters: Bethany, Hilary and Courtney. Bethany, the oldest, was an industrial engineer for Boeing and is now working for Legacy Mutual Mortgage. Hilary is a real estate agent in Rockport. Courtney is graduating from sonography school in December. They recruited their son-in-law, James Bump, Bethany’s husband, into the business. He took his journeyman exam in May and is on track to get his responsible master plumber’s license in one year. They hope he will eventually help run the business. The Tietzes love to travel so much that they purchased an RV. They recently went to Florida to fish for tarpon and Steve has hunted in Canada, Colorado and Mexico. Tietze Plumbing does residential and commercial repair services and remodel. –mh
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Reaves ready to retire
hough the firm Gaylord Reaves started, GE Reaves Engineering, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Reaves recently announced that he has sold the business and is retiring. As the buyer of GGE Consulting Engineers, Inc. dba GE Reaves Engineering, Gustavo Gonzales, takes over as president, Reaves stayed on as a consultant until he retired in May. Having worked in the gas industry for a few years, Reaves started his firm when the gas industry took a downturn. With his engineer’s and surveyor’s licenses, he began working from his kitchen table. “I learned most of this by the seat of my pants, because I had never worked for a consulting firm before,” recalls Reaves. “I’ve had very good clients and very good friends in engineering, real estate, and construction, and I just kept developing those relationships over the years.” Becoming active with the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) helped get his business off the ground, and he joined the Greater and North chambers of commerce for several years. He has also had to persevere through some struggles with the business in his 35 years. Now, as he prepares to turn 69 in December, he will be able to do a lot of little things he has wanted to do. He plans on air conditioning his garage and setting up a little space of his own for working on small projects, mostly honey-dos. He adds that he will continue to be involved and do volunteer work with Haven for Hope. Also, he and his wife, Karen Reaves, have been volunteers and contributors for the Rape Crisis Center, and they will continue that involvement. Both Gaylord and Karen have had to deal with some health issues. Going back to 2002, Gaylord has had several surgeries on his back and neck. And in 2008, when he and Karen were dating, she nearly died. In the hospital with a lung infection, she started hemorrhaging internally. When
Gaylord and Karen Reaves have been through a lot together in the last decade, and now they have time together in his retirement.
the doctor told Gaylord she would die by morning or he could operate but she probably wouldn’t make it off the table, he told the doctor to operate. When the doctor asked who he was, Gaylord answered that he was her fiancé, and that was how they got engaged. Karen recovered and had a bilateral lung transplant. The couple was then married in 2009. He says that she helped him through a lot, and that they helped pull each other back up. His gratitude also goes out to the others who have stuck by him and helped him through difficult times, saying, “Thanks to good friends – like Buddy Doebbler, both as a client and as a publisher.” –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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A special Saturday
Testing their metal on the green
Twenty TACCA members volunteered their Saturday morning to help athletes with disabilities compete, achieve their goals, and realize their dreams.
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oming together for a heartwarming experience, the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) Greater San Antonio Chapter volunteered at the San Antonio Area Special Olympics Spring Games May 6 at Heroes Stadium. “TACCA members love taking part in the Special Olympic Spring Games each year!” says Dawn Thompson, TACCA’s executive director. “We’re volunteering our time, ‘giving back,’ but really it’s a blessing to us to experience the courage, strength and joy that the athletes demonstrate as they reach for their goals.” –mh
1st Place Gross
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ore than 100 golfers turned out for fun and fellowship at the Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA) of San Antonio’s 24th annual Golf Tournament Apr. 20 at SilverHorn Golf Club. –mh
Winners
Lending emotional and moral support to the Special Olympics, TACCA members stood behind the athletes cheering them on.
TACCA volunteer Bryce Freund, Comfort-Air Engineering, helped a participating athlete prepare for an event at the Special Olympics Spring Games.
San Antonio
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
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The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba San Antonio Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
©2017 Construction News, Ltd.
1st Gross: Paul Naizer, HTS; Tony Sowa, Lackland AFB; John Gargotta, Service Mechanical Group; Scott Naab, Trane 1st Net: Jay Bridgewater and Trent Lesikar, Petrin; Jeremy Jones, M&M Metals; Charlie Schlechty, Morrison Supply 2nd: Scott Wunsch, Larry Wunsch & Associates; Steven Garza, Skanska; Kurt Mosel, LC Mosel; Reid Loehman, Malitz Construction
3rd: Aaron Caldwell, Texas Air Products; Chris Finger, Texas Chiller Systems; Joe Cielencki and Ray Cielencki, M&M Metals Longest Drive Hole 1: Charlie Schlechty, Morrison Supply Hole 18: Jeff Vogt, Dynamic Systems Closest to the Pin Hole 5: Chip Drewry, Murray & Associates Hole 7: Julio Jones, M&M Metals Hole 13: Aaron Caldwell, Texas Air Products Putting Contest: Monier
Robert Hood, AJ
Photo by Mary C. Haskin Photography
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Alex Ocasio President Cross Branch Surveying
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fter a whirlwind and winding journey, Alex Ocasio found his calling in the construction industry in surveying, and for the last seven years, he has been running his own company, Cross Branch Surveying, with his friend, Barbara Bruce, who worked with him at a previous surveying company. As the kind of person who stops his truck to help a possum get down from a position stuck on a fence, Ocasio also has a passion for animals. Cross Branch’s two mascots have the office wired for treats and attention. And Ocasio reflects back on how he got here with a job he loves and an office that’s like another home. What was it like growing up in Puerto Rico? I had three sisters, one brother. I’m the middle child, the oldest of the boys. So, there’s a total of seven in the family with my mom and my dad. The whole neighborhood was family. My aunt was on one side. My grandfather was in front of us. Grandpa and Grandma had 16 kids, so it’s a big family. Everybody shared. Behind our house, we had a huge avocado tree, and my grandpa had bananas and plantains at his house. It was always very family-oriented. I had a good childhood. My dad was a truck driver and baker. We had a little panaderia in town, and he was a truck driver for feed for stables. Today, my brother, Alvin, works here with me. I moved his whole family over here from Puerto Rico about two years ago. I see them now, and my two nephews, his kids, speak English and have things that we didn’t have. We grew up speaking Spanish. I like to see them doing better than we did, have the tools that we didn’t have. Growing up in Puerto Rico was very family-oriented, and we were very religious Catholics. Friday night, it was rosary at my grandma’s, Sundays everybody goes to church. I grew up in Camuy. It’s the romantic city of Puerto Rico – that’s what they call it. It’s a coast town. We were always at the beach. We were outside all the time. We played tag. We lived on a hill, and we played baseball [laughs]. When I go to visit, I just relax. I try to go every year. Tell me about your time in the Army. I was in college, and I was going for agro-industrial. One day, I woke up and I said, “I want to join the Army.” I went to the recruiter’s station, and he said, “Well, you need to watch the video first.” And I said, “No, just give me the test. I’m ready.” And this was without telling my family. I took the test, and I got everybody together Sunday night, and I said, “I’m joining the military.” The Army is big in Puerto Rico, because the Army is the only branch that sends us to an English school, and it’s right here at Lackland Air Force Base. I’m one of those people that I want to see what’s behind that door. I love my town, but I wanted to see what else is out there. At the beginning, I was going to go Reserve, but the sergeant came and asked me, “You really want to learn
English?” And I said, “Yeah!” He said, “Go active duty.” I said, “Okay.” He changed the papers, and I went active. From there, I went to Fort Sill, OK for about a month and then I came here to Lackland for the DLI, Defense Language Institute, and I was there six months. That’s before basic training. You have to pass that before you go to basic, and by the time you get to basic, it’s easier, because you’re learning English at DLI, plus you’re learning Army stuff. Then, I went to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, and that’s where I took basic training, during the winter. Being Puerto Rican, I’ve never seen snow, and there was a group of us from the English school stationed together there, and there we are, at midnight, looking at snow falling. We go to bed at 8 o’clock. So the drill sergeant caught us looking, and said, “Oh, you guys have never seen snow? All of you, outside.” We got outside in the snow, making snow angels and doing PT and singing “Jingle Bells” in the middle of the night [laughs]. That was my first experience with snow. Where did you go after basic training? I came here again to Fort Sam, because my job was infantry medic. We were here about two months. From here, though I had never lived in the states and just finished boot camp, my orders right after that said, “You’re going to Germany.” I thought, “I just learned English, and they’re sending me to Germany.” Over there, they assign you like a sponsor for a couple of months, so you get used to life in Germany. As soon as I stepped off of the bus that picked us up, it was a Puerto Rican guy. I said, “Thank you, Jesus!” So, we all became friends – it’s a big Puerto Rican community over there too – inside the Army, everybody helps each other. I was in Germany for three years, and I went to Bosnia from Germany. We set camp. We were the ones that went in before anybody else, and when we went in, there was mud up to our knees. Since we were on a peacekeeping mission, we had to set up everything for the people who were coming in after us. So we had to set up the place we call “tent city,” the MASH unit – the mobile hospital. The way they were going to live depended on us. I was there for a year-and-a-half, and then I went back to Germany and became in charge of the STD [sexually transmitted diseases] area for the whole K-Town [Kaiserslautern] area. What a job! [laughs] An interesting job to say the least. From there, I came back to the states and was stationed at Fort Hood. We did tank competitions – I was a medic assigned to a tanker unit. As a medic, they give you a section that you’re in charge of. When these guys go out in the field, you’re with these guys. You’re their doctor. If you’re a good medic, and you take care of them, these guys will take care of you. What was next for you? From there, I went to NTC, National Training Center in California’s Mojave Desert. The tours there are two months, but I kept volunteering to stay, so I stayed about a year. In late 2001, I thought, “It’s time to do something else.” I had done two reenlistments. I had done a tour. They gave me the plane ticket to go back to Puerto Rico, and I said, “I’ll just stay here.” And I drove my car down to San Antonio. I lived in my car for about a month. I didn’t have a place to stay or anything. This was when I walked into Survey Associates. I was at the front desk, filling out an application, and the owner of the company, Linda Lively, passed by me, looked at me, and said, “What are you doing here?” I said, “I’m just filling out an application, ma’am.” She kept walking, and then came out of her office, and said, “You? Come here. You want to work here?” I said, “Yes, ma’am.” And I started the next day.
Alex Ocasio has his two rescues, Angel and Sweetie, to help keep spirits high and friendly at Cross Branch Surveying’s office.
So, that’s how you got started in the industry. I had no idea what survey was. I just needed a job. I needed to get an apartment. I got into the field, and I said, “This is not for me.” So, I told her husband, who was there when I got back. And he said, “Oh, okay.” So, I got home – I was staying with a friend at that time – and they called me and said, “Come back and give us a chance.” I said, “Man, they called me back.” So, I went back and I stayed with them for 11 years. I loved it. I loved working outside, the freedom, and it was constant learning. You get to travel, and in Texas, being outside is just amazing. I didn’t want to do anything else. I learned everything – how to work with the instruments, the data collectors, what surveying really means. Me and Barbara always stayed there with them. One day, they came to us – her husband asked if I wanted to have lunch, and I went to lunch, and he said, “Do you think you can run this company?” I said, “Yes!” And he said, “You’re going to get it. That was the answer I was looking for. You didn’t hesitate, so I know you’re going to do good.” We did the paperwork, and that’s the story. We opened Cross Branch in 2010, and it’s been a journey. From not knowing English to going into the military to living in my car – and those nights when you’re in your car, those are the nights you sit there and think, “Should I go back?” It wasn’t in me to go back. I was going to make it happen no matter what. There’s a saying we have in Spanish that means, “God squeezes you but never chokes you.” So, I knew that whatever I went through, I was going to come out on the other side. What do you do in your spare time? Go to the gym. It’s my other life. It’s me leaving the stress there. I like to go to the gym and lift heavy things – and spend time with the girls [gestures to his two dogs in the office]. I’ve got these two girls, Angel and Sweetie, and Angel one day came back with a kitty in her mouth. I thought, “My God, she killed a cat.” No, she decided to adopt a cat, and she nursed the cat. I was never a cat person, and now, two years later, I have a cat. That’s her baby. Angel and Kitty eat together, they sleep together. When I got Angel from the pound, she had just had babies, and she still had that maternal instinct. Have you always rescued animals? It started at Survey Associates. I’ve always been a dog person, and since we were out there working, I started running into dogs. I started seeing the dogs that needed help. I would see dogs that were chained up and always brought them water. One time, a guy who used to work there, he said, “My dog had puppies,” and I said, “I’ll take one.” It was a Catahoula
mix, beautiful dog. I called him Napoleon, because he was so tiny with a big attitude. He came in, and he was with me all the time. Then one day, we were driving on Highway 90 and I see this little red-nosed pit bull on the side of the road on the bridge. I stopped and opened the door, and she just jumped in. She had a cable wrapped around her neck. I remember spending the whole night picking fleas off her and digging the cable out of her neck. I named her Sunshine. She became my Sunshine. She went with me everywhere. Napoleon was a good dog, but my ex-wife wanted him and he went with her. Sunshine stayed with me. She was with me through good and bad. I had Sunshine for 11 years, the whole time that I was at Survey Associates, and they let me bring her to work. I think that’s where I get the whole bringing them to work thing, because when we were there, they had a poodle they brought to the office, and I said, “Can I bring my dog, because I don’t want to leave her?” And they said, “Go ahead, bring her!” Sunshine was my light. One day, she got sick, and I took her and found out she had cancer. They gave me about 2 feet of medication for her, and I gave her the medicine, but I said, “That’s not her. That’s not the Sunshine I remember. I can’t do this – extend her life because I’m being selfish.” So, Good Friday, I put a blanket down for her and we sat on the floor. She slept and then when she got up, she was jumping and barking, happy. We went outside, and Sunshine just looked up at the sky. I played with her, and I started making sausage and chicken, cooking for her. I thought she probably felt better, but the next day, she wakes up and she’s in pain again. So, I called the vet and said, “I cannot be selfish.” They made her feel at ease. [pauses] But she was gone, and then two days later, I said, “We need to save another one.” So, I went to Animal Control, and Angel was just lying there in her cage, like her spirit was completely broken. I asked them about her, and they said, “She was a momma dog, and nobody wants her because she just had puppies and she’s a pit bull. She’s been on death row 10 times, and every time they put her there, one of the employees takes her out.” They opened the cage and Angel laid at my feet and took a deep breath. I said, “Girl, let’s go.” They said, “If you take her, we will void the fees.” I said, “You do that, and I will still make a donation,” because what they do over there has to break your heart on a daily basis. Angel has her own personality. She’s so outspoken. She likes to talk. And last year, we got Sweetie. I kept going under the bridge to go home, and she was there for two or three days in the same spot. I parked, open the door, and she jumped in. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Bergmann’s history in Boerne
Good sports
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he Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) hosted its annual Sporting Clay Shoot Mar. 23 at the National Shooting Complex. Shooters enjoyed lunch, dinner and beverages as well as a giveaway and raffle. –mh
Randy Bergmann has kept his parents’ company going with two of his daughters representing the third generation in the business.
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his year, Bergmann Lumber Co. is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a family-owned and operated lumber and hardware supply business in Boerne. Established in 1957 by Edgar and Ruby Bergmann, the company has spent all six of its decades on Main Street. Originally across the street from where it stands today, the Bergmanns bought the current property in 1969 because they needed more space. In 1980, their son, Randy Bergmann came into the business. Growing up, Randy worked at his parents’ business often, recalling, “I only had one other summer job in my life and that was working for a veterinarian here in town.” Though he earned his degree in building and marketing from Texas State Technical Institute in 1971, Randy did not think he would be taking over his family’s
company. But in 1993, when his father decided to retire, he and his wife, Darlene, bought the business and kept it going. Today, two of their three daughters, Christina and Shanna, have worked at Bergmann since high school. Their daughter Shelly works at USAA. The shop also has two company mascots, Sadie and Pixie, a mother and daughter puppy pair. Though they don’t do too much lumber anymore, Bergmann started out being equal parts lumber and hardware and still sells to contractors and members of the industry, but these days, the jobs are mostly residential with a little commercial. Randy observes that most contractors he knows in the Boerne area are doing residential work. With 60 years in business, the
Bergmann Lumber Co. had a tradition of giving imported calendars to customers as gifts. The local paper wrote about the discontinuation of the calendars. company has seen Boerne grow tremendously, bringing a lot of new people to town. New customers might not know that every year Bergmann used to give its customers collectible calendars imported from Germany. The company began the tradition in 1964 but had to discontinue the practice a little over 10 years ago when they were no longer available from the company in Germany. Turning 66 years old soon, Randy says that he doesn’t do much outside of work, explaining, “I really don’t have any spare time. I’m here basically 10 hours a day and eight hours on Saturdays. When I get through here, I’ve got a little bit of my grandparents’ property that I inherited from my parents, and I’ve got a few cows out there. So, I leave here at 6 o’clock and go out there and feed and don’t get home until 7 o’clock.” He still takes care of those cows, and adds, “It’s nice going out there and just sitting at the barn and watching them and the deer, jack rabbits and all the animals. I enjoy it.” Bergmann Lumber Co. sells paint, hardware, lumber, fencing, gravel and sand, and masonry supplies, including cement mix and rebar. –mh
Top Team
Top Team: A/C Technical Services – Eric Jones and Tyler Stein, Frost Bank; Greg Vaughn, F.A. Nunnelly; Patrick Granchell and Matt Fischel, Joeris
Top Lady: Krystan Donnell, Texas Air Systems
Class AA: 1st: Clint Ullman, SpawGlass 2nd: Edgar Gonzalez, County Wide Service 3rd: Aaron Caldwell, Texas Air Products Class A: 1st: Chris Oravetz, Diversified Pure Chem 2nd: Cody Meyer, Wilks Air Conditioning 3rd: John Gill, D&C A/C Service Class B: 1st: Perry Beyer Jr., Beyer Plumbing Co. 2nd: Shane Sampson, VIP Staffing 3rd: Scott Hutcheson, Texas Air Systems Class C: 1st: Guy Miller, Wilks Air Conditioning 2nd: Matt Bode, Robert Madden, Industries 3rd: Antonio Johnson, Wilks Air Conditioning
1st Place – Class A
Top Lady
1st Place – Class AA
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Plumbers unite on the green
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he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) San Antonio Chapter and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) Central Texas Chapter hosted their fifth annual joint Golf Tournament May 4 at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. Drawing 100 golfers, event offerings included a cigar bar and breakfast tacos, a putting contest, and a practice range at 7 o’clock in the morning. –mh Photos by Steven Schneider, Albert Sterling Associates
Winners
1st Gross: Gunn GMC/Chevy – Mike Baird and Bryan Cataloni 1st Net: CJS Plumbing – Chris and Brad Horton Longest Drive: (The Golden Throne Award): Brad Horton, CJS Plumbing Putting Contest: Stephen Ethridge, Frost Bank
Of course, women rule!
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he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter held its annual Golf Tournament May 10 at the Republic Golf Club. The event included lunch, dinner, two drink tickets, raffle prizes, and surprise special guest, Elvis. –mh
More Winners
Women’s Longest Drive: Dawn Vernon Women’s Closest to the Pin: Melissa Ann Men’s Longest Drive: Ben Olson Men’s Closest to Pin: Rob Moczygemba
Putting Contest: Ralph Gaines 1st Place Mixed Team: Ralph Gaines, Bret Gains, Elvis, (not pictured: Kathy Bower and Saul Robles)
& Associates, and Ana Ginter, Alderson &
1st Place Gross
1st Place Women’s Team, L-R: Dawn Vernon, Anita Kegley (top), Eva Ramirez, Christy Rhone. Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
1st Place Gross 1st Place Men’s Team, L-R: Steve Shipps, DR Horton; Tucker Stephens and Brad Urbanczyk, Urban Concrete; (not pictured: Tom Newman, DR Horton). Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
Submitted to Construction News
Leaders in their own class
Tournament chairpersons Maurice Fox, O’Haver Plumbing, and Chris Phillips, Jacobs Engineering
Greg Bolin, Bolin plumbing, takes a seat and a swing – and a miss – from the “Golden Throne.”
Several industry members recently graduated from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter’s Leadership Academy. The annual professional development program was started four years ago and accepts 22 participants each year. The 2017 graduates included Carl Koenning, Eloy Ramirez, Jason Garner, and T.J. Farmer, Alterman; Daisy Gonzales, Choate USA; Jackson Nahoum and Scott Smith, Guido Construction; Andi Galloway, Andrew Chaudoir, and Pamela Moczygemba, Joeris General Contractors; Charles Rombold and Michael Denton, MW Builders; Brandon Eastep, Sundt Construction; Chris Doerr, Superior Metal Services; Yvette Reyes, T&D Moravits & Co.; Amanda Moguel, Dillon Arends, and Stephen Martin, TD Industries; Desiree McGarvey, The Gardner Law Firm; and Addisu Negash, Halie Green, and Raul Garcia, Turner Construction Company. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Texas Apprentice
JOB SIGHTS
Ezekiel Rodriguez NTCA University Apprenticeship J&R Tile
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zekiel “Zeke” Rodriguez entered the construction industry doing tile because his uncle, Triniti Vigil, introduced him to the trade. As he learns from his uncle, he has also enrolled in an apprenticeship program that he expects to complete this year. The online tile installer apprenticeship program through National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is supposed to take about three years to complete, but Rodriguez spends a lot of his spare time doing the coursework, and in his first year, he has already completed all of the tile-related courses. He only needs to complete the ones that cover business-related areas now. Meanwhile, Rodriguez works at J&R Tile where his uncle has worked for about 10 years. His uncle is a Certified Tile Installer (CTI), and Rodriguez aims to become one in the future. While Rodriguez has other family members in construction, his Uncle Triniti is the only one in tile. After seeing what his uncle does, he decided that’s what he wanted to do. He started at J&R at the same time that he began his apprenticeship. At 24 years old, Rodriguez is simultaneously taking online apprenticeship classes and working toward earning his GED through an online program. He attended John Jay High School, but left during his senior year and went to work at a factory. Before his uncle introduced him to the tile trade, Rodriguez worked at a few different factories, including Sterling
Foods, where his father has worked since around the time Rodriguez was born. Rodriguez packaged boxes or doors, and the jobs left him wanting more. When he found tile, he found something that he says is interesting and different every day. At J&R, he does a little bit of everything, including setting tile and making cuts – anything that’s needed. He is also a preapprentice trainer, teaching new hires the trade as he learns it. Meanwhile, he works on his apprenticeship. The online courses offer him a lot of flexibility to take the 423 hours of classroom required for the Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program. The classes include videos and quizzes, which he needs to score 80 percent or better on to pass. He also needs to log 6,000 work hours. Though Rodriguez spends most of his spare time on his online classes, he enjoys time with his family, including his sister, who attends the University of the Incarnate Word, and he helps take care of his little brother, who is handicapped. Rodriguez also enjoys reading and watching movies. –mh
Gillette AC was the mechanical contractor for general contractor Cambridge Contracting as they brought Rosella Coffee to the downtown historic building, The Rand. EJ Gibson is the project manager for Cambridge, and Steve Crawford is the superintendent. –mh
L-R: Raymond Limon and Ian Palacios, Comfort-Air Engineering, replaced hail-damaged vent caps for the City of San Antonio at Fire Station #23, 1750 Skyplace Blvd. Alpha Building Corporation was the general contractor for the job, which was one of 21 repairs being done as part of the Citywide Hail Damage Project. –mh
Brotherly bonds
L-R: Having grown up around the trade, Chuck and Rene Carreño have built their own electrical contracting company, Brothers Electric.
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s the name suggests, Brothers Electric is a family-owned – and faithbased – business. Brothers Rene Carreño and Chuck Carreño started their own company in April 2010, realizing a dream that eluded their father in his career. Introduced to the trade by their father, Rene Carreño Sr., who worked as an electrician for more than 40 years, the Carreño brothers did not think they would end up in the trade themselves, but as they realized that their dad had taught them a lot on weekends doing side ventures, they realized it was a good opportunity to pursue. In 1983, Rene, the older of the two brothers, started in the IBEW Local 60 apprenticeship program, finishing in May 1987 and becoming a journeyman. Then, in 1989, Chuck started in the same IBEW apprenticeship program, earning his journeyman’s license in 1994. Since starting up seven years ago, Brothers Electric has done the Powerhouse TnT Gymnastics studio, a 35,000-sf
gymnastics and tumbling center, as well as several ground up office and retail build outs and the rebranding when 7-Eleven convenience stories came to town. Fuel storage and dispensing comprises a lot of their work. Outside of work, both brothers love the outdoors, whether it’s the beach or camping, and are avid sports enthusiasts from UTSA football to the Dallas Cowboys, and of course, the Spurs. They also have families of their own. At 53, Rene and his wife have been together 30 years and have a daughter who is in broadcasting and a son who just graduated from Texas State and wants to be a play-by-play commentator. At 48, Chuck has been married for 26 years and has three children. His oldest daughter is in retail, his middle daughter works in insurance, and his son just graduated high school. Brothers Electric does service work, new installation and remodels mostly in the commercial and industrial markets. –mh
L-R: Fernando Diego, senior project manager; Chris Bryan, superintendent; and Michael McCartney, assistant project manager, Metropolitan Contracting Company, noted that their team was just doing a few punch items before turning over their job at Voigt Park in Hollywood Park. The picnic tables behind them were waiting to be put in place on the other side of the pavilion later that day. –mh
Urban Concrete provided the concrete and Hill Country Steel manufactured and erected the steel work for general contractor Cambridge Contracting on the renovation of City Church in the historic Cameo Theater in Downtown San Antonio. Cambridge’s project manager on the job is Rick Nanez, and the superintendent is Roger Villarreal. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Balancing overhead, budgeting and risk to increase project profits 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
What is an Onerous Bond form? Donnie Doan, Director of Surety/SW Region Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Dallas, TX
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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
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.
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Important revisions to the 2017 AIA owner/contractor agreements
Lightning safety when working outdoors
Andrew Harris, Attorney Andrews Myers, P.C. Austin, TX
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA 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.
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 in the vehicle for at least 30 minutes after strike outside the heaviest rainfall areas hearing the last sound of thunder. or even up to 10 miles from any rainfall. Phone Safety: After hearing thunMany lightning victims are caught out- der, do not use corded phones, except in side during a storm because they did not an emergency. Cell phones and cordless act promptly to get to a safe place, or phones may be used safely. they go back outside too soon after a storm has passed. If signs of approach- • Stay away from all metal objects, ing thunderstorms occur, workers should equipment, and surfaces that can connot begin any task they cannot quickly duct electricity. stop. Proper planning and safe practices • Do not shelter in sheds, pavilions, can easily increase lightning safety when tents, or covered porches as they do not provide adequate protection from lightworking outdoors. When thunder roars, go indoors! If ning. you hear thunder, even a distant rumble, • Seek fully-enclosed, substantial get to a safe place immediately. Thunder- buildings with wiring and plumbing. In modern buildings, the interior wiring and storms always include lightning. Check NOAA Weather Reports: Pri- plumbing will act as an earth ground. A or to beginning any outdoor work, em- building is a safe shelter as long as you ployers and supervisors should check are not in contact with anything that can NOAA weather reports (weather.gov) and conduct electricity (e.g., electrical equipment or cords, plumbing fixtures, corded radio forecasts for all weather hazards. Seek Shelter in Buildings: Employ- phones). Do not lean against concrete ers and supervisors should know and tell walls or floors (which may have metal workers which buildings to go to after bars inside). hearing thunder or seeing lightning. • Avoid isolated tall trees, hilltops, NOAA recommends seeking out fully en- utility poles, cell phone towers, cranes, closed buildings with electrical wiring large equipment, ladders, scaffolding, or and plumbing. Remain in the shelter for rooftops. Avoid open areas, such as at least 30 minutes after hearing the last fields. Never lie flat on the ground. Avoid water, and immediately get out of and sound of thunder. Vehicles as Shelter: If safe building away from bodies of water (e.g., pools, structures are not accessible, employers lakes). natarajan.joann@dol.gov should guide workers to hard-topped met512-374-0271 x232 al vehicles with rolled up windows. Remain
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San Antonio Construction News • June 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
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
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Gaining access
Casting a wider net
Craig Noto, president of Quality Fence, and gate manager, TJ Howard, are bringing Access Control Solutions and its expanded services to customers.
Members of NAPCO Precast’s leadership L-R: Paul Brennan, CFO; James Zertuche, safety manger; Todd Davidson, president/CEO; Jorge Londono, vice president/chief engineer; Cipriano Deluna, plant manager; Isaac Rodriquez, industrial engineer/materials manager; Frank Mitchell, field operations manager; Suzanne Price, director human resources
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bout 15 years ago, Quality Fence & Welding started doing automation to complement its gate projects and has built upon that service. Now, Access Control Solutions is officially a dba of Quality Fence. With 24 years of experience in access control and security, TJ Howard, gate and automation manager, joined Quality Fence & Welding a little over six years ago. When he got there, the access control and automation division had three people and two trucks. In the last two to three years, they’ve had a lot of growth on that side of the business, and today, with temporary employees, they currently have 17 people and eight trucks. Howard train and teaches his team members, demanding the best from them With their state security license, Howard can ensure that his people have been fingerprinted, background checked, and drug tested. “When people ask me what we do, I say we’re kind of a one-stop shop for
security,” says Howard, noting that Quality Fence does physical security with gates, and through the Access Control side, they can do electronic security too, including low-voltage and integrated automation. Access Control Solutions also does remote services that allow customers to view camera systems, track GPSequipped vehicles, and adjust building lighting and temperature from their smartphones. Doing both commercial and residential systems, Access Control Solutions has done 14 high-security antiterrorism operators in Laredo, and several jobs at Lackland Air Force Base, including the gate and automation for the canine handler school. Howard and his team also wired the whole property at Quality Fence for network access. Access Control Solutions’ services include gate automation, access control entry systems, alarm systems, and security cameras. –mh
Getting out into the open air
John Burke, Dustless Air regional account manager, welcomes guests to the San Antonio location’s Open House
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ffering lunch and tours of its facility, Dustless Air Filter Company hosted an Open House Apr. 19 at its North Weidner Road location. The company, which does sales, delivery, and installation, welcomed guests to see what they can provide to the HVAC industry in terms of air filter sales and service, providing belts and HVAC cleaning and maintenance chemicals. –mh
L-R: John Burke; Kyle Gish, Dustless Air president; Doug Muenchow and Scott Flick, Alamo Crane
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aving joined NAPCO Precast as president five years ago, Todd Davidson observes that the company has changed and expanded a lot in over two decades of history. In 1994, Jaime Iragorri started NAPCO Precast doing insulated wall panels and parking garages. After doing countless projects, including the Navy pier in Chicago, which was one of their most well-known projects, NAPCO’s patriarch, Iragorri, passed away in 2008. Today, the company still does its original precast concrete products and has expanded into doing stadiums, gymnasiums, some dormitory work and some blast-resistant work. The company also performs all of its own engineering work in house. Originally from Atlanta, Davidson has about 13 years of experience in the industry. Paul Brennan, CFO, has been with the company two years and has an extensive background in construction. Jorge Londono, vice president of engi-
neering, has more than 30 years in the business. With around 150 people working for NAPCO today, Davidson notes that about 15 of them have been with the company more than 20 years. NAPCO is also active in the community, sponsoring Monticello High School, a charter school that offers technical programs and is around the corner from their facility. “One of the biggest challenges facing most folks in construction nowadays is just finding the workers and folks that are interested in getting into the business,” explains Davidson. “So we feel like it’s important that kids understand that they have that option, and we look to support those kinds of efforts.” Outside of work, Davidson and his wife, Leighette, have been volunteering for the Family Fair Committee at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo since 2011. Based in San Antonio, NAPCO Precast manufactures, engineers and installs precast concrete products. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Putting the show in showroom
ith around 300 guests in attendance, Expressions Home Gallery, a Morrison Supply Showroom, hosted its Grand Opening May 9 with vendors actively cooking light bites using their live appliances. Vendor chefs set up cooking stations in three of their kitchens and other appetizers and treats were set up throughout the showroom along with beverages and cocktails. While the live appliances naturally
offer customers the opportunity to experience how they work firsthand, they also allow the venue to be used for events, explains Jennifer Williams, director of events and communications. “We’re going to be doing an Iron Chef contest here in October benefitting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,” adds Shellie Phillips, manager of the new showroom. Sandee Morgan, executive director of the Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA)
says that MCA and the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) are planning to host a happy hour at the gallery sometime this summer. The opening of the extensive kitchen and bath showroom at 9901 Broadway, Suite 104, combined three stores within a 10-mile radius, bringing all of those employees under one roof and one brand. Expressions has lighting, appliances, plumbing and hardware. –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Burning bright
L-R: Liz Short and Deneen Jobo, EAS Design Irma Hetrick and Alex Gonzales, Hollaway Interiors
L-R: Jennifer Williams and Shellie Phillips
L-R: Jeff Siebersma and Suzanne Faircloth, Kohler; Danny Rumble and Troy “Sac” Holzhaus, Morrison Supply Company
Sandee Morgan, MCA-SMACNA, and her husband, Carl Morgan, Expressions Home Gallery
Vendor Sub-Zero Wolf prepared hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening. L-R: Garth Blackburn, executive chef; Glenn Giltner, vice president of sales and marketing; Amy Kerr
Chardae Mollere-Rodriguez, Phoenix Geosystems, shared this fun moment with her mom, Annette Mollere, in honor of Mother’s Day. “My mother is a firecracker. She is fierce, courageous, and full of a fire that even the darkest night can’t put out. She’s the strongest woman I know, always putting the happiness of others before herself. Together, we started Phoenix Geosystems, but it is her passion that burns brighter than any fears we must overcome.” –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Page 15
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.
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.
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
Cruising the tropics
Tim and Kelly Wilson watched the waves in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
K
elly Wilson, member services director for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter, and her husband, Tim Wilson, recently treated themselves to a fantastic eightday cruise getaway. Leaving out of Miami, they went to Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and St. Maarten. –mh
They even found themselves stopping by Margaritaville on their Caribbean cruise.
The couple enjoyed warm sand and beautiful beaches while in Grand Turk.
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. 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.
Have an Outdoor Story or Photo? Send to: SAEditor@ConstructionNews.net or call Mary at 210-308-5800
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country, You can hear Ken on the radio as follows: The Great Outdoors: 5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and The Great Outdoors: 5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin All on iHeart Radio
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Boomer’s History
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 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.
S & D Plumbing’s annual outing (both photos)
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
Unexpected present
Randy Duerr, Alamo Bolt & Screw, and his family brought in this haul Apr. 19 on a special fishing trip out of Port O’Connor with Capt. Wild Bill’s Service. The trip was a surprise 82nd birthday party for his mother, Ginger. They caught the limit of black drum, some gafftop, whiting, and mango snapper. Though they had gone often when Duerr was younger, this was the first time his mother got to go fishing in about 35 years. L-R: A deck hand; Duerr’s wife, Julie; Randy; and his mom –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Page 17
Going Coastal
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he Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) held its 38th annual banquet May 4 at Freeman Expo Hall. Attendees enjoyed refreshments, food by Don Strange Catering, raffle prizes and a live auction. –mh
L-R: Thomas Luna, Urban Concrete; Paul Gambill and Casey Pearson, Guido Construction
The Gavin Steel/Helotes Pits group and guests got together for some food, fun and conservation at this year’s CCA Banquet.
Beth and Kenneth Moore, KCM Cabinets
Submitted to Construction News
When fire meets water
Chelsey Wiatrek, ABC Fire Systems, caught this 6.75-lb largemouth bass on her recent fishing trip with her father. “My dad, Howard Stulting Jr., and I have had some great times on this lake,” she says. “This marks our sixth annual trip to Lake Fork. My dad caught two bass, each weighing over 6lbs, within five minutes of each other! We got rained on again this year, but it didn’t matter because we kept reeling in the bass!” –mh
Brittany Chambers, Terracon, and Chad Menard, Braun Intertec
L-R: Hubert McBride, Joeris; Mark Hebert, Ryan Zwicke, Russell Asher, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
L-R: Wade Mayfield, Joeris, and Keith Martin, executive director for the San Antonio Rodeo
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Fishing for fun and funds
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osting its 21st annual Mr. & Mrs. Big Trout Scholarship Tournament, Niznik Concrete Contractors drew anglers to the water for fun and fundraising. The event raises scholarship funds that are awarded to marine biology students at Corpus Christi A&M University. Meanwhile, each boat went fishing for its own tournament awards in four categories; trout, redfish, flounder, and heaviest stringer. –mh
Women 1st: Mrs. Big Trout – Dwayne Clark, Pattie Gamez, Lori Hidy, Lynda Cootey 2nd: MKM – Matt McNeill, Kim Bullmar, Michelle Caron 3rd: Saltwater Sassy – Allan Thompson, Tammy Thompson, Melissa Bridges
Winners Pro Division
Men 1st: Why Bother – Chad Danet, Trey Danet, JJ Coffland, Mike Bess 2nd: Fishing Team For Reel – Art Soto, Jonathan Soto, Bobby Garcia, Danny Soto 3rd: Omar Sahadi Team – David Alvarez, Daniel Alvarez, Omar Sahadi
Men 1st: Texas South Anglers – Garrett Meneffee, Phillip Mangan, Travis Orsak, Cody Stripling 2nd: Red Hawk Fire – Chad Broadwater, Chris Clarkson, Hunter Neil, Lee Willis 3rd: Alamo Concrete #1 – Greg Bittice, Curtis Staunoha, Rodney Eikenberg, Jake Wheels
Winners Amateur Division
Women 1st: Croaker Strokers – Kenny Prescott, Kimberly Prescott, Suzanne Hagenorf 2nd: Team Chata – Daniel Garcia, Monica Garcia, Annette Ytna, Amanda Trejo 3rd: Waders & Baiters – Steven Catalanni, Gracie Rodriguez, Julie Dahl, Bailie Crawford
1st Place Women’s Pro Division
E-Z Bel Construction sponsored a $6,000 scholarship, which was presented to Emily Collier.
1st Place Men’s Pro Division
1st Place Women’s Amateur Division
Johnston Industries sponsored a $6,000 scholarship, which was presented to Zach Russell.
1st Place Men’s Amateur Division
Submitted to Construction News
That magic moment
At last year’s American Subcontractors Association (ASA) Subfest, Jordon Brown, Quality Fence & Welding, was surprised with a proposal from then-boyfriend Zach Knerr, Davila Electric. This year, ASA surprised the now-engaged couple with a banner commemorating that special moment. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Doing more for foster kids
This year, for the first time, CAKC Gala committee made an extra donation to CASA to help foster children year-round.
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he Construct A Kid’s Christmas (CAKC) Gala, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that benefits Bexar County foster children, recently presented the Child Advocates of San Antonio (CASA) with a check to further benefit those children in our community. “The gala has gotten bigger and better every year,” says Sandee Morgan, gala co-chair and executive director of the Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA). “With the proceeds from the 2016 CAKC
Gala, we were able to provide $60,000 to purchase Christmas presents for children in the care of Bexar County Protective Services and we collected and donated additional toys through the gala and [CAKC] Toy Drive. “The additional $40,000 donation to CASA will help serve those same children throughout the entire year. CASA provides critical advocacy and services to children in the custody of Bexar County Child Protective Services.” –mh
Submitted to Construction News
Nationally outstanding
The Society for Design Administration (SDA) San Antonio Chapter received the 2016 Chapter Excellence Award (CEA) May 13 at EDSymposium17 in Minneapolis, MN. Chapters from across the U.S. and SDA Canada compete for the sole CEA each year. L-R: Monica Hodges, office manager for San Antonio’s Barker & Associates and SDA national president; Tina Falcon, office manager for MS2 Consulting Engineers and SDA San Antonio Chapter president; and Liliana Moreno, office manager for DBR Engineering and SDA San Antonio Chapter President-Elect –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
You are Dad’s sunshine
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fter mothers have their day in May, it’s time for fathers to take their turn in the spotlight. Dads play big roles in who their children will turn out to be, and there is certainly no shortage of fathers in the construction industry, many of whom have brought up their sons and daughters in the industry. Happy Father’s Day to all of you raised by and raising the next generation. –mh
“My favorite thing about my dad is his laugh!” says Lauren Guido Tew, Guido Construction, of her father, Tom Guido, president of Guido Construction, seen here with Lauren at her wedding.
“My favorite thing about my dad was his extraordinary attitude in spite of everything… and of course his cooking!” says Lindsey Sutherland, president of G.D. Interiors, of her father, Gary Sutherland.
“My dad has always made sure that I know he is proud of me and supports me in my decisions and efforts in life,” says Mary Hazlett, Construction News, of her father, Edward Paul. “He has sacrificed throughout his life so that I could be happy, and he has turned his life upside down to be here for me and his granddaughter. My father is unconditional love personified. Thank you for everything and for being you, Dad!”
“My favorite thing about my dad is how he is such a hard worker,” says JR Trevino, Treco Enterprises, of his father, Edward Trevino, president of Treco. “I’m lucky that he instilled that in me at a young age. Thanks, Dad!”
Mike McGinnis with his wife, Lisa, and their four boys. L-R: Dylan, 14; Wyatt, 16; Ryder, 8; Lisa and Mike; Tyler, 11 “I have learned that helping others makes them feel good, but makes you feel good too!” says Dylan. “I have learned that it is good to have fun,” says Wyatt.
“A man of so many talents and passions I think they actually named ‘the most interesting man in the world’ after my father,” says Chardae Mollere-Rodriguez, Phoenix Geosystems, of her father, James Rodriguez. “Daring and fearless, both my father and grandfather [Edward Rodriguez] are the source of my strength. Masters of the one-line dad jokes and kings of the goofiest dance moves. The nicest humans I have ever met, these men would do anything to help make a better life for those around them. Both my grandfather and father are my inspiration to become an engineer. With a brilliance and innovative creativity that can’t compare, the world is a better place for having their mark on it.”
“Moving up through the trades, everyone has a mentor to look up to; I was lucky enough to have my father as a mentor in life and my career,” says Corey Childers, IES Commercial, of his father, Tommy Nentwich, who also works at IES. “He’s motivated me to be the best I can be in everything I do. Happy Father’s Day!”
L-R: Roland F. Gonzales, Hispanic Contractor Association (HCA) board member; Roland H. Gonzales Jr., president of Roland’s Roofing Co. and father; Bryan M. Gonzales, general and project manager of Roland’s Roofing Co., salmon fishing in Oregon “Our father is literally our best friend,” says Bryan. “Whether it’s advice on life or just grabbing a quick lunch, he’s the first person we call. I feel so very fortunate to have him in my life. Happy Father’s Day, Pops! I love you! Cheers!”
“He taught me that whatever I am doing, to do my best and to be as good a man as I want my boys to be,” says Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen Co., of his father, William. “These are the same skills I try to teach my four boys.”
“He taught me how to hunt and skin animals,” says Ryder. “I have learned all about hunting and fishing and taking care of the outdoors,” says Tyler.
June 18, 2017 Trey and Jordan Wiederstein, Superior Contracting Services (SCS) with sons, Trace, Ty and Talon, whom he calls the future of SCS. “We want to build stuff like Daddy!”
“About the best gifts a father can give a son are a good name, a faithful example to follow, and a legacy of excellence and integrity; thanks for all three, Dad,” says Greg Vaughn, F.A. Nunnelly Co., of father, George Vaughn, president of RVK Architects. “Happy Father’s Day.”
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Page 21
Women who make the world go ‘round
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he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter hosted its annual Industry Appreciation Night & Awards Ceremony May 3 at the Petroleum Club of San Antonio. This year, the chapter honored many of its outstanding members with awards and recognition. The ceremony also included the naming of a scholarship established in honor of one of its most dedicated members, Judy DeWeese, replacing the chapter’s old scholarship fund, which was named after a founding member. After the naming presentation, the inaugural Judy DeWeese Scholarship was
awarded $2,000 to Cynthia Hernandez, a construction science and management major at UTSA who will be graduating in December of this year with her bachelor’s degree. “I’m ecstatic and absolutely floored – I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised by anything,” comments honoree DeWeese. “Sponsoring and supporting scholarships is really, I think, one of the best things we could do to improve the workforce in the industry. So, it’s a big deal for all of us to have scholarships and grant them, and to have one named after me was just unbelievable.” –mh
Membership Awards Terri Paisley, Dawn Holmes, Becky Rodriguez and Elizabeth Connally; (not pictured) Krystan Donnell, Christi Etterling, and Michelle Urbanczyk
Friends of NAWIC – Silver KW Construction
Going Above & Beyond Award Becky Rodriguez, Zachry Corp
Retired Member Honorees Judy DeWeese, Esther Wong (not pictured), and Alice Dolle
Naming of the first-ever Judy DeWeese Scholarship Award L-R: Dana Calonge, presenter; Cynthia Hernandez, scholarship recipient; and Judy DeWeese, scholarship honoree
Friends of NAWIC – Diamond Urban Concrete (not pictured) and Workplace Resource
Friends of NAWIC – Club Sponsor Ridout Barrett
20-Year Member Honoree Jennifer McElroy, AECOM
Friends of NAWIC – Gold American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Connally Law, and Arts & Advertising
Going Above & Beyond Award Eloina Benavides, Arts & Advertising
Stepping Up Award Heather Osborn, Nelson Interiors
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Conservation and plumbing codes for all seasons
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 in and unclog their pipes.
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 sup-
San Antonio, TX
H
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.
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-
Everyone needs water David Delgado, Manager 1st Plumbing Services Austin, TX
H
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
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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!
Rene Lopez Responsible Master Plumber/Estimator SOS Companies
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.
HVAC & Plumbing
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
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. 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 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
ports 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
money I pay my mechanic hurts. I’m sure people feel that way about plumbers. Is Plumbing education available for those wishing to enter the industry? We offer training at our training facility in Austin. 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 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
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Electrical Industry
If you would like to represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact your DFW Editor for an Interview Mary Hazlett (210) 308-5800 SAEditor@ConstructionNews.net
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
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
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
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?
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 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
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San Antonio Construction News • June 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
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
Who said safety can’t be fun?
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or OSHA’s National Safety StandDown Week, Cram Roofing hosted a Safety Celebration May 11 at their facility on Casa Bella. All of the company’s employees were invited to bring their families to enjoy hotdogs, hamburgers, an ice cream bar, and fun that included bouncy houses of all sorts, a dunk tank, and a safety photo booth with props.
“We’re doing a safety stand down, because we believe in safety, and we want our men to not just believe in and think about safety; we want them to know that their families are important to us, and we want them to go home each day to their family without loss of limb or life,” owner Gary Cram commented as the DJ played “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats in the background. –mh
Blische was prepared to fight back next time. L-R: Cassidy; Cherie Foerster, Cram Roofing; Keith Foerster, American Roofing & Metal, with Lola; Corey Childers, IES, and his wife, Victoria
Gary and Kim Cram Mark Eichelbaum, Cram vice president and COO; his wife, Jen; and their daughters, 13-year-old Bailey (left) and 9-year-old Meagan
Before his time in the dunk tank, Kevin Blische hung out with his wife, Stephanie and 6-month-old daughter, Emerson
Kevin Blische, Cram’s head estimator, got dunked when one girl decided to run up and hit the button the easy way.
In the safest sumo showdown possible, Cram Roofing squared off against American Roofing & Metal as Cherie Foerster, Cram’s safety manager, challenged her husband, Keith Foerster, to three rounds on the mat.
Cram employee Brian Hyland brought his family L-R: Son, Ian; wife, Allie, 11-week-old daughter, Emma, and Brian
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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continued from Page 1 — Keeping up in the races up here in San Antonio. His father having been an architect in town, Jary got his education in architecture, but decided he wanted to actually build things rather than just designing them. Because of his background, he has brought architectural perspective to his design build projects. Today, at 58, Jary enjoys hunting and going to the races at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Though he doesn’t have a racecar of his own, he participates in track days when they are provided cars to run on the track. About a month ago, Con-Cor sponsored part of a team and got their logo on a racecar. Jary and his wife, Susan, got to be in the pit with the crew and car. Susan runs the Con-Cor office as vice
president and office manager. She and Jary met where he got his hair cut, and they began dating. About two or three years later, he was in a car accident on I-37 when a light pole fell over and came through his windshield. Though he was very lucky, his hands were damaged and he couldn’t drive, so Susan came in and helped him. She’s been working at ConCor since 2009. The couple also has a place at the coast in Port Aransas where they go quite a bit to enjoy time on the beach and fly a lot of kites. Con-Cor Incorporated does general contracting, remodeling, and design build work, primarily in the public sector, but other avenues as well. –mh
continued from Page 1 — With ‘a servant’s heart’ different Terracon office. “I think our people here are what make the difference,” says Gregory. “We’re in a service business, and I think we have a group of service-minded individuals who have a servant’s heart. If you’re going to be a good consultant, that’s what you need.” That service goes into helping their clients succeed as well as their communities, he explains. Terracon’s San Antonio office has volunteered on several community service projects, including working with Habitat for Humanity, working the inaugural Bexar County Cowboy Breakfast, and helping to clean up the San Antonio River with the Basura Bash. They also support their clients in their fundraisers for their foundations. In terms of projects, Terracon is doing the geotechnical engineering and
materials testing and inspection for the Frost Bank Tower downtown. The firm has done a lot of work for Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, HEB, and USAA. Two of the office’s largest projects were the warehouses for Amazon in Schertz and San Marcos at more than a million square feet each. Also, they are finishing an environmental project in Corpus Christi to run new power lines under a deeper ship channel. “We all understand that without clients, there’s no need for us,” he says. “So, we really appreciate our clients and the value of the relationships we have with them. Those relationships are what drive our whole business.” Terracon is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm that offers environmental, facilities, geotechnical and materials services. –mh
continued from Page 1 — Where there’s a Goodwill
Blast from the past
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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
Submitted to Construction News
A first for everyone
At Goodwill’s new Clearance Center, people can purchase goods by the pound versus the piece, a unique aspect of Goodwill’s operation at the new facility.
be in certain parts. So creating new entries for different employee levels and the public to access the space were some of the critical items that we had to deal with.” One big challenge on this job came from the age of the building. Almost everything was restored or resurfaced. Flooring varied throughout from VCT and carpeted offices to wood laminate in conference areas to polished and sealed concrete where sorting and recycling activities occur. “The largest issue is that with Goodwill San Antonio being a donation-related business, you just never know what kind of products are going to come through the door,” he says. “This meant additions to the fire sprinklers to improve coverage areas for different types of fire hazards. For example, there are certain areas of the building where there’s plastic or where there’s clothing stored – each one presents their own fire hazard. Thus, they had to be isolated and treated individually by area. A significant investment in fire monitoring systems to ensure the safety and security of staff and patrons was a first priority for the client.” While the fire protection and safety measures posed issues towards the end, a different challenge came at the beginning of the project. “The adopted 2015 mechanical code in San Antonio prompted for 36-ft-high partition walls to be built in order to create the air-conditioned outlet space,” he recalls. “It was almost like building a building inside of a building, from an insulation standpoint, in order to meet the
new codes. So, these 8-inch-thick, tripleinsulated interior walls were quite a feat to build working carefully around existing structure, mechanical and fire systems. We spent about two-and-a-half months just working on the walls before we could get on to any other finish activities.” The superintendent on the project was Brian Reynolds. The architect was Architectura SA, a firm that has worked with Goodwill as long as SCS and with SCS on many Goodwill projects. The MEP was QuadTech Engineering. “In the mechanical trades, we had Absolute Power, who did extensive remodeling of the electrical and lighting systems to accommodate the new stateof-the art sorting and packaging systems,” says Wiederstein. “Masters Mechanical handled all of the new air conditioning systems for about 60,000sf of new airconditioned space. Topaz Fire Sprinkler was instrumental in getting through the city’s hurdles, dealing with this old building and unique fire system requirements. H.J. Otis Plumbing, always a faithful sub of SCS, handled all of the new restroom facilities for employees, public restroom renovations, and all of the natural gas and re-piping work required to bring the building up to code. Quality Remodel of San Antonio handled all of the framing and drywall for all of the new interior walls and acoustical ceilings.” Established in 2014, Superior Contracting Services is a commercial general contractor specializing in most private sector work. –mh
At its monthly Customer Appreciation Breakfast, Lynwood Building Materials did something different for May and had the event’s first-ever giveaway. Ernest Alvarado presented a gift-filled backpack to winner Cesar Garcia, Stevens Contracting. Garcia said he has never won anything before. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Construction Industry Events
Raising the bar-B-Q
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter raised the bar for its annual BBQ Cook-Off & Subfest this year with a record 35 teams participating and 600 guests, more attendees than ever before. The May 12 event at Helotes Fairgrounds included live and silent auctions, raffle prizes, barbecue dinner, cold beverages, and fun for the entire family, such as balloons, face painting, and caricature artists as well as Kona Ice serving up a nice cold treat on a warm sunny day. –mh
Winners Chicken 1st:Comfort-Air/Primo Plumbing 2nd: Western States Fire Protection 3rd: Southern American Insurance Agency Mystery Meat 1st: Dedicated Landscape Solutions 2nd: Allen & Allen Co. 3rd: Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Ribs 1st: Intertech Flooring 2nd: Western States Fire Protection 3rd: Southern American Insurance Agency
Brisket: 1st: Zachry General Contractors 2nd: NAWIC/“Make It Rite” 3rd: Western States Fire Protection
1st Place Brisket – Zachry General Contractors Grand Champion – Western States Fire Protection
Grand Champion: Western States Fire Protection Reserve Champion: Zachry General Contractors Best Camp: ESC Safety Consultants Bloody Mary Contest: NAWIC/“Make it Rite” Washer Tournament 1st: Sunstate Equipment 2nd: Joeris
Best Camp – ESC Consultants
1st Place Chicken – Comfort-Air/Primo Plumbing
1st Place Ribs – Intertech Flooring
1st Place Mystery Meat – Dedicated Landscape Solutions
Bloody Mary Contest Winner – NAWIC/ ”Make It Rite”
With spring in their step
Alamo Crane Service was the corporate sponsor of the event.
First time going fishing
1st Place Low Net Team
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ith about 160 golfers taking to the green, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter held its Spring Golf Tournament May 1 at TPC San Antonio. The event, which included breakfast and lunch, benefit the Contractors Apprenticeship Trust (CAT). –mh
Winners
Canyons Course – Four-Man Scramble 1st Gross: Catto & Catto – Mark Baublit, Michael Doucet, Jamie Amoretti, Matt Chapman 1st Net: Smithers Merchant Builders – Todd Treka, Roger Benavides, Gregg Chinn, Luke Healy
2nd Net: SpawGlass – Justin Calvin, Mario Corona, Rodney Watts, Jeff Young Men’s Closest to the Pin: Jeffrey Jendrzey, Comfort-Air Engineering Women’s Closest to the Pin: Michelle Davis, Joeris General Contractors Oaks Course – Two-Man Best Ball Championship 1st: Gunn Chevrolett – Bill Boyd, Willie Nelson 2nd: A Clean Portoco – Joshua Perez, Jamie Dexter
1st Place Heavy Stringer
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he Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio hit the coast May 5-6 for its inaugural fishing tournament. With 13 teams entering the 3 Amigos (Texas Slam) Tournament, every angler won a door prize, courtesy of Paychex, CPS, BDI and the HCA board of directors. SpawGlass, Turner Construction and Holes of San Antonio hosted an opening night reception with a shrimp and crawfish boil. Saturday was a whole day of fishing, wrapping up with the weigh-in and awards dinner at Rockport Beach Pavilion. –mh
Winners Heavy Stringer 1st: Edward Pape, Vaquero Group; Gerard Orta, Midco Sling; Tom Quintero, IBTX 2nd: Morales Floor Covering/SpawGlass 3rd: Pro Landscape Solutions 1st Heavy Red: Alaina Keller, ProLandscape Solutions; Brian Harris 1st Heavy Trout: H-E-B Red with Most Spots: Turner Construction
1st Place Low Gross Team
1st Place Two-Man Best Ball Championship
1st Place Heavy Red
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Hosted by Construction Industry Associations
Come together for Fiesta
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ith around 200 partygoers in attendance, the San Antonio chapters of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) hosted their Viva Fiesta Kick-Off Mixer Apr. 19 at historic VFW Post 76. The associations had a joint Fiesta medal especially for this occasion. –mh
L-R: Rebecca Holden, Pac-Van, and Hilda Ochoa, 8A Electric, with her daughter, Iza
L-R: Lynda Boots, Blaine Beckman, John Delgado, Doug Nunnelly, Bill Wyman, and Nina Morales, F.A. Nunnelly Co.
L-R: Steven Garza, Skanska; Carol and Tom Freund and Andrea Wurzbach, Comfort-Air Engineering; Kerry Stanush, You Name It Specialties
L-R: Ben Cantu, Urs and Laura Senser, Big City Access
L-R: Heather Osborn, Nelson Interiors; Tony and Karen Ridout, Ridout Barrett
Having a grape time
Duffers by design
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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter hosted its fourth annual Wine Festival Apr. 25 benefiting the ABC UTSA Construction Management Scholarship. The event, held at the Boerne Wine Company in Boerne, allowed approximately 60 attendees to spend the evening tasting wines and enjoying appetizers. –mh
L-R: Steven Cannon, Gardner Law Firm, and Tom Valenti choose wines from the selection to sample.
1st Place Low Gross
L-R: Dale and Annie Harrison, Rogers O’Brien Construction; and Jeb Dixon, Joeris
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he American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) co-hosted the 29th annual AIA/ASLA Acme Brick Scholarship Golf Classic May 8 at the Republic Golf Club. –mh Tom and Mary Valenti, Platinum Wealth Solutions of Texas
L-R: Eric Rypple, Frost + Keeling Associates; Russell Jenkins, SpawGlass; Brittany O’Brien, Cokinos|Young
Lindsey Sutherland, G.D. Interiors, and Jon Marek, MEMCO
Wade Mayfield, Joeris, attended with his wife, Vanessa, who encouraged Wade to try some of the wines. “It’s not Coors Light,” he says.
Winners
1st Gross: Scott Tak, Thomas Hamer, Derek Woodruff, Stephen Bourassa
1st Net: Joe Domine, Jerry Dobbs, Gordon Bohmfalk, Jeremy Bateman Closest to the Pin #3: Aaron Staas Closest to the Pin #5: Frank Cosme Closest to the Pin #8: Daniel Flores Closest to the Pin #13: Lee Garrett Closest to the Pin #17: Stephen Geri Longest Drive #4: Brent Anderson Longest Putt #9: Daniel Flores
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Their piece of the Pie
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o show appreciation for the customers he credits with supporting him in his career and the friends he has made in the industry, Tony Piepryzca, aka “Tony Pie,” Hart Acoustical & Drywall, hosted a Retirement Party May 4 at Bluebonnet Palace in Selma offering open bar and good company. –mh
L-R: Steven Schultz, ABC; Elsa Leonard, Leonard Contracting; Ben Davis, Beck Companies; Michelle Davis, Joeris General Contractors; Tony Piepryzca; Mike Leonard, Leonard Contracting; Lori Piepryzca
L-R: Charlie Bochat, American Interiors, and Tony Piepryzca
Tony and his wife, Lori Piepryzca
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC
IEC
Associated Builders & Contractors
Independent Electrical Contractors
Jun. 1: Silica Standard; ABC office; 8-11am; for more info, email Dana Hickman at dana@abcsouthtexas.org Jun. 5, 8, 12, 15: Print Reading Courses: Phase 1&2; MEMCO office; 2-7pm; for more info, email Dana Hickman at dana@ abcsouthtexas.org Jun. 7: Breakfast Club; Alamo Café off 281; 7:30-8:30am; for more info, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org Jun. 9, 16, 23: OSHA 30-Hour; TDIndustries office; 8am-4:30pm; for more info, email Dana Hickman at dana@ abcsouthtexas.org Jun. 15: Summer Shindig; Bluebonnet Palace; 4-7pm; for more info, email Ruby Trejo at ruby@abcsouthtexas.org
Jun. 12: Continuing Education Class, IEC office, 5-9pm Jun. 16: IEC Graduation, Norris Conference Center, 6:30-8pm Jun. 17: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, IEC office, 8am-5pm Jun. 23: 9th Annual Sporting Clay Fun Shoot, San Antonio Gun Club, 1-6pm For more info, on these events, call 210431-9861 or visit www.iecsanantonio. com
AGC Associated General Contractors
All events are held at the AGC office unless otherwise stated. Jun. 1: Beginner Construction Surveying with Field Applications, 8am-5pm Jun. 2: Advanced Construction Surveying with Field Applications, 8am-5pm Jun. 5: Brown Bag Lunch: OSHA’s Water, Rest and Shade, noon-1pm Jun. 6: STP Unit 5: Improving Productivity and Managing Project Cost, Week 4, 1-5:30pm Jun. 8, 12: Beginner Scheduling, 8am5pm Jun. 12: Outstanding Construction Awards Luncheon; The San Antonio Airport Hilton; noon-1:30pm; to make a reservation, sponsor or for more info, call 210-349-4921 or email kwilson@ sanantonioagc.org Jun. 13: STP Unit 5: Improving Productivity and Managing Project Cost, Week 5, 1-5:30pm Jun. 19: Advanced Scheduling, 8am5pm Jun. 22: Lean Unit 4: The Last Planner System, 8am-noon
ASA American Subcontractors Association
L-R: Sandy and Mike Bohlen, Lori and Tony Piepryzca, and Heather and Rick Mason
Jun. 6: Lien Law Seminar; Gardner Law Firm; 1:30-4:30pm; $40 for members, $50 for non-members Jun. 8: Baseball Night Jun. 15: Summer Shindig, Bluebonnet Palace, 4-7pm, free Jun. 20: General Meeting; Petroleum Club of SA; 6-8pm; guest speaker is Mike Shannon, interim director of Development Services; $35 for members, $45 non-members Jun. 21: Safety Update; Western States Fire Protection office; 11:30am-1pm Jun. 30-Jul. 1: Annual Fishing Tournament; Paws & Taws, Rockport For more info on these events or to register or RSVP, contact Jennifer at 210349-2105 or jennifer@asasanantonio.org
GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.
Jun. 9-10: Saltwater Fishing Tournament; Port Aransas Civic Center; $450 tournament entry for up to four anglers per boat
HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association
Jun. 21: Monthly Mixer; The Quarry Golf Club, 444 E. Basse Rd.; 6-8pm; presentation by University Health System; free for members, $10 for nonmembers Jun. 29, Jul. 6, 13, 20, 27: OSHA 30-Hour; five consecutive Thursdays; 9am-4pm; HCA office, 101 W. Euclid Ave.; $200 for members, $300 for non-members; materials, breakfast, and lunch provided June: OSHA 10 in Spanish (date TBD), free training in Spanish, HCA office To register or get more info on these events, call 210-444-1100, email admin@ hcadesa.org, or visit www.hcadesa.org
MCA–SMACNA Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
Jun. 7: Regular & Associates Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Jun. 14: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am Jun. 15: Summer Shindig, Bluebonnet Dance Hall, 4pm Jun. 28: Joint Labor/Management Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 11am
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Jun. 7: General Meeting; Petroleum Club; networking 5:30pm, dinner 6pm; members voting for new board
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Jun. 3, 17, 24: Plumbers Continuing Education Jun. 8: Night at the Missions Baseball, 6pm; Jun. 10-11: Master Plumber Test Prep Jun. 13-17: PHCC-TX Conference, Lost Pines Resort, Bastrop
SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
SAMCA Jun. 15: Golden Trowel Awards Banquet; The Sunset Station; 6:30pm; $100 per person; for more info or to make a reservation, call Debbie at 830-606-5556
TACA Texas Aggregates & Concrete Assn.
Jun. 14-16: 63rd Annual Meeting, “Engagement Defines Us”; Four Seasons Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving
TACCA Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.
Jun. 5: 28th Annual Golf Tournament; The Club at Sonterra; registration 11am, shotgun start at noon; $150 per golfer, includes lunch, dinner, giveaway and cold adult beverages; to register, visit TACCAGreaterSanAntonio.org For more info on this event or TACCAGreater San Antonio, visit TACCAGreaterSanAntonio.org or contact Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222 or dawn@taccagreatersanantonio.org
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Page 29
Farewell, Mrs. Robinson
Florida comes to town
Metropolitan Contracting team members gave Nancy Robinson a big send off into retirement. L-R: (standing) Greg Curtis and Stefani Saidler; Cari Takao, Fisher Herbst & Kemble; (seated) John and Nancy Robinson, and Kristin Lipscomb
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embers of Metropolitan Contracting Company gathered Apr. 27 at the Voigt Center, part of Metropolitan’s recent project at Voigt Park, in Hollywood Park to bid farewell to Nancy Robinson, the company’s controller and employee of more than 28 years who retired in April. With Metropolitan celebrating its 30th anniversary last year, Robinson has been with the general contractor since almost the beginning, joining the company on Nov. 15, 1988. She took over and oversaw many tasks at the office, including accounting, insurance, payroll, contract setup, and job cost troubleshooting, among several others. After guests enjoyed lunch at the new venue, Tim Swan, CEO, addressed attendees, recounting fond memories he and COO Steve Schuetze have of Robinson and paying tribute to all she has done for the company. “With respect to the new controller, Matt Howell,” whom Nancy trained to take over her position, Swan said, “There is really no way to replace Nancy.” Then, Swan paused and spoke heartfelt words while trying to hold back tears, and scarcely a dry eye could be found when he was done. “She was the right person at the right time for the right job. And she did it all with excellence, integrity, loyalty, and humor. As Jane [Feigenbaum] so well said: ‘Nancy kept us safe and dry for 28 years.’”
Bonnie Bennett-Smith cuts the ribbon at the official grand opening of Florida Tile at Alamo Downs.
Nancy responded, “Thank you.” And Swan continued, “You ran the race well. You finished good, and you deserve what’s coming, and we wish you well and give you grateful thanks.” Robinson commented, “They are the most honest, wonderful company in San Antonio, the best construction company in the world to work for – honest people with integrity. I couldn’t have been luckier to have this job for all this time. They are really great people.” Asked what she was going to do now that she was retired, she answered, “I am going to sit on the porch and watch the birds and drink coffee.” –mh
ntil recently, Florida Tile’s only Texas location was in Dallas, but on Apr. 27, the Lexington, KY-based company held a Grand Opening for its new San Antonio location at 7007 Fairgrounds Parkway, Suite 117. Local members of the construction industry, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and friends and family of branch manager Bonnie Bennett-Smith attended and enjoyed live entertainment, a variety of catered food, and drinks from Antigua, a mobile bar. –mh
Tim Swan gave a touching farewell speech at Robinson’s retirement party.
L-R: Richard Mireles, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and John Lake, guest, grab a drink at the Antigua Rolling Bar.
L-R: Isaac Bojorquez, Jane Feigenbaum, and Nick Lopez
Submitted to Construction News
Showing their medal
L-R: Mike Ghazawi, PE, principal/geotechnical department manager; Lee Garrett, PG, principal/environmental department manager; and Chuck Gregory, PE, principal/vice president/regional manager wore Terracon’s first-ever Fiesta medal. The firm received a lot of great feedback on the colorful piñata-shaped medal and ran out quickly. –mh
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L-R: Diana Dosmann and Candy Reyes, guests and San Antonio residents, browse the tile selections.
Florida Tile’s San Antonio team L-R: Darren Clark, Bonnie Bennett-Smith, Kyle Raymond, Anne Galmor, Richard Moore
Florida Tile’s corporate leaders came into town for the official opening. L-R: Sean Cilona, Ric Cornwell, Doug Hayes, Michael Franceschelli, Luca Setti, Kelly Petty, Kristie Rymiszewski
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
Where water meets fire
Bringing youth to the industry
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ore than 200 business partners, customers, and vendors attended the annual Crawfish Boil at Impact Fire Services this year. The event served up 600 pounds of crawfish and 100 pounds of shrimp. –mh
HOLT CAT recently donated a generous $100,000 to SA Works to help educate the city’s youth about the opportunities available to them in the industry. Photo by Steve Huedepohl
Impact Fire Services recently hosted a full house of crawfish aficionados at its San Antonio facility on Radium.
Vendors and customers who couldn’t take the spicy heat inside stepped outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.
L-R: Marcus Rocha, sales representative, and Albert Salazar, sprinkler superintendent, prepare for Impact’s big crawfish boil.
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n HOLT CAT’s continuing efforts to invest in technical education and workforce programs that bring the next generation into the industry, the heavy equipment dealer recently donated $100,000 to SA Works. Dedicated to building the workforce pipeline, SA Works has several programs intended to introduce not only students but also teachers to industries and careers that they might not have previously considered or know exist. “SA Works is really working to solve what I and we at HOLT feel is both a simple and complex problem at the same time, which is the vocational education environment has been deteriorating for decades,” says Peter John Holt, executive vice president and general manager. “And just recently it has had a bit of a resurgence thanks to organizations like SA Works and people like Charles Butt that are focused on this education space and providing multiple pathways to success for young people.” While the education system is part of the more complicated issues, Holt notes that one of the simper issues that they can improve upon is awareness. He observes that most families simply aren’t aware of the opportunities out there in more technical employment arenas, such as
diesel technicians, mechanics, pipefitters, and welders. This is why HOLT CAT’s contribution will be put toward improving awareness in San Antonio of the many great opportunities in the industry. With the funds going toward the nonprofit’s marketing and awareness campaign, SA Works will be able to increase the visibility of its programs in order to reach the next generation and inform them about the options available to them in a technical field. HOLT CAT’s donation will allow them to run ad campaigns and overhaul their website, which will include adding a matchmaker-type system where students and their families can explore the various employers in San Antonio that are offering internships and summer jobs, such as HOLT CAT. The company formally started with SA Works two years ago with a program called Alamo Academies, which they work closely with. “The idea is that this is one of simpler problems that exists in the gap of education and employment,” he says. “Simply getting a couple hundred more kids interested in some of our industries, companies or jobs that are out there, I think can go a long way to not only helping us but helping the community.” –mh
Drawing upon the workforce pipeline, heavy equipment dealer HOLT CAT has hired people directly out of high school who have interned with the company. Photo by Steve Huedepohl
Submitted to Construction News
A space to Share
EquipmentShare has opened a new location at 5433 Randolph Blvd. Jorge Cabasos is the general manager of the new facility on the northeast side of town. The Columbia, MO-based company uses technology to aid contractors in utilizing their rented and owned equipment. –cs/mh
San Antonio Construction News • June 2017
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Two decades of alohas
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ith leis, refreshments and a wide selection at the buffet, SpawGlass hosted its 20th annual Luau May 18 at Blue Bonnet Palace in Selma. To make the 20th anniversary of the event even more special, the general contractor gave a way a trip to Hawaii. –mh
L-R: Johnny Williams, Cribley Enterprises, and Gabriel Jairala, Ingram Readymix
L-R: Kathy Curran-Kelly, Dynamic Systems Inc., and her husband, Kevin
L-R: Noel Rodriguez, Big City Access; Shannon Cadena, People Ready; Darren Friesenhahn, Home Depot
L-R: Jonathan Bradley, Katie Crews, Stephanie Dixon, Becky Roberts, Melodye Tomsu, and Justin Calvin, SpawGlass
L-R: Richard Evers and Joe Irizarry, Raba Kistner
L-R: Randy Hood and Antonio Vergara, E-Z Bel Construction
L-R: John Wright, Alterman, and Dana Calonge, Construction News
L-R: Mario Espinoza and Dewayne Moore, Anchor Fence
L-R: Amber Cordova and Brittany Jansen, FABCO
Polished approach to growth
L-R: Ruby Trejo, ABC, and Nicole Krueger, Williams Scotsman
Star rises in Spring Branch
L-R: Enrique Carstens, director of marketing and sales; his son and the company founder, Felipe Carstens; and Albert Goss, project manager, are proud of Modern Day Concrete’s new home.
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n just two years, Modern Day Concrete has doubled in size. Owner and founder Felipe Carstens has made several changes that have successfully advanced the growth of the business he started six years ago. Having outgrown its former location, Modern Day moved across the street to 10942 Wye Dr., Suite 206. The relocation brought them from 900sf to 3,500sf, allowing them to fit all of their trucks, team members, and equipment. Having gone from about 10 employees two years ago to around 22 today, they built two offices when they moved in a year-and-ahalf ago, and they are currently building two more. Felipe also expanded the company’s installation side, focusing on resinous flooring, such as epoxies, urethane mortars, and polyurethanes. These now account for 50 percent of their business while polished concrete is still their main focus, accounting for the other half. He notes that being on the specs for
HEB now has spurred a lot of growth for Modern Day Concrete. “If they don’t know about us, they see us on the spec,” says Felipe. “Then, they start using us for all their other projects. And that’s been happening a lot lately.” He adds that they are also the only installer on specs for a Georgia-based chicken restaurant that is expanding. Adding even more to their growth, they are now certified installers for BASF for the San Antonio area and the region extending to Corpus Christi and down to the Rio Grande Valley, and their relationship with BASF has allowed them to be more competitive. With so much growth, Modern Day fine-tuned its organization. Felipe also hired Albert Goss, a project manager who oversees all projects so that Felipe can focus on the bigger picture and moving the company forward while Goss handles day-to day operations. Modern Day Concrete does polished and resinous floors. –mh
Richard Almaguer and his wife, Cheryl, with their boys L-R: 8-year-old Coleman, 6-year-old Carter, and 12-year-old Logan
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hat started out as a summer job for Richard Almaguer at 17 years old became a career that led him to start his own company, Star State Plumbing, in 2015. Though he loved the company he worked for in San Antonio for 20 years and appreciated everything he learned there, Almaguer felt it was time for him to go out on his own, which allowed him to be closer to home. Now, based in his hometown of Spring Branch, he can control his own hours and gets to spend more time with his wife of 14 years, Cheryl, and their three sons. His children are growing up in Spring Branch just as he did, which is important since the local community is very near and dear to Almaguer’s heart. He loves how friendly everyone is and he takes pride in how the community welcomed him and his new business. He has a lot of customers from his area, and he
gets about 95 percent of his business from word of mouth and referrals. With nine employees, the company does work in Spring Branch, New Braunfels, Boerne, Canyon Lake, and of course, San Antonio. Running four service trucks, Star State keeps pretty busy. As Cheryl works in the office as the company bookkeeper, Almaguer fixes water heaters and water leaks, and he clears drains. If a customer is gutting their house for a remodel, he can put in all new pipes or run new water lines. “The highlights are taking care of people,” he says. “Taking the extra steps and understanding if somebody needs something or being able to help somebody out – it’s nice to help someone out every once in a while.” Star State Plumbing does residential and commercial service repair as well as remodels mostly on the residential side. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • June 2017