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Volume 14
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Number 7
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JULY 2017
Having a wrecking ball
Worth the wait
For The Demo Company, fun is a core value.
It took five years, but Ron Wygal’s latest venture is ready to go.
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he core values listed on The Demo Company’s website – “Have fun!” “Call bullsh-t!” “Great people!” “Go electric!” – aren’t typical. Neither is funfocused company owner Dave Boroughs, who learned how to prioritize his business’ values through his years in construction. Alabama-born Boroughs was raised in the industry; his dad’s construction company employed Boroughs throughout high school and college. He then graduated from Auburn University with a Building Science degree and an ignited interest in commercial construction and project management. After moving around the country building healthcare projects for a startup, Boroughs settled in Texas and began
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estled among an older Fort Worth neighborhood, a vibrant cultural district and unceasing construction on Montgomery Street, the new Fort Worth Camera location is ready for its close-up. FORT Construction’s superintendent Matt Averitt and project manger Kadie Midkiff collaborated with award-winning architect Bart Shaw and owner’s representative TownSite Company to create a camera enthusiast’s nirvana. The project, located at 1600 Montgomery St., began last June and was completed in February. The shop’s exterior style fits neatly into its surroundings and is a credit to Shaw’s thoughtful eye – the space is modern enough to hold its own with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History across the street, with industrial character that keeps up with the neighboring homes’ charm. The store, which is comprised of
working at DPR Construction. When his success on a Children’s Medical Center project generated $80 million worth of work in North Texas, he asked DPR if he could help open a Dallas region. “I was very lucky and it speaks to DPR’s entrepreneurial spirit that they let us run with that. We ended up growing that office to $250 million and over 150 employees,” he says. “They were an outstanding company to work for and outstanding to me.” Despite work success, Boroughs felt the pull of his own entrepreneurial spirit. “I thought about 30 or 40 years down the road, when I looked back at my own career, I really wanted to be that guy who knows how to start, buy, sell and acquire
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fter five years of preparation, Ron Wygal is ready to introduce his latest venture. In June, Wygal unveils his new design/build firm, Endurance Constructors, and the talented team he has brought together to bring it to life. “I guess the motivation for this is my background and experience, and that it is what I am called to do,” says Wygal, who has worked in engineering design and construction for more than 20 years. “I’ve been diligently working on this for about five years to get it complete, to get the team fully intact and comfortable with one another.” Wygal, who will serve as president, will rely on senior consultant commercial
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construction J. Parenteau and director of residential construction Brian Salcedo. HRO Architects and Craddock Architecture will provide design services, Charles Gojer & Associates will offer civil and structural engineering, and Elite Facility Systems will serve as finish and product specialist/germ control for medical facilities. The pre-fab and industrial design build team will offer the architecture design of MJMc’s Mike McCoy and Charles Gojer & Associates. “Between Craddock Architecture and HRO Architects, as well as Charles Gojer & Associates and Elite Facility Systems, we will provide design build services for medical facilities,” he says. continued on Page 7
Camera ready
FORT Construction and architect Bart Shaw focused on creating a glossy new Fort Worth Camera store.
exposed concrete, glulam beams and steel, is also photogenic from every angle. One backlit wall, peppered with graduated circular openings, cleverly references a camera’s light aperture. Those circular openings are echoed in Fort Worth Camera’s eye-catching white metal sign, which is stretched out from the building’s side like an arm taking a selfie. A large butt glazed window on one side of the storefront acts as a lens, inviting the curious to peek into the store. Inside, customers are immediately greeted with a wide concrete wall displaying rows of antique cameras, posed behind a long glass display case. Polished concrete floors reflect the bright lights dangling from a corrugated metal ceiling. A lounge area, illuminated by lights meant for studio use, entices people to sit and stay awhile. The space, which is as practical as it is stylish, includes both a 48-seat and a continued on Page 7
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Astro-nomical anniversary
As grand as planned
Three generations of family, many of whom have worked for the company, were on hand to celebrate Astro Sheet Metal’s anniversary.
LATICRETE co-owner Henry B. Rothberg (center) cut through the ribbon to celebrate the company’s plant expansion.
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ore than 150 guests filled Irving’s MCM Eleganté’s ballroom Jun. 22 to congratulate Astro Sheet Metal on their latest milestone. “Our company turns 50 years old on July 1 and we are holding a celebration to thank our customers, vendors, employees and everyone that has been involved
around the business for helping us make it this far,” Astro Sheet Metal president Carrie Edomm says. In addition to a buffet and sentimental slideshow, guests were treated to entertainment from a magician and a handwriting analysis expert. –mjm
Company president Carrie Edomm (far right) greets guests.
L-R: Jill, Avery and Ronnie Roark of Advanced Industrial Metal Fabrication
L-R: Magician Kendal Kane performs for Texas Finishing Company’s Toni Thompson, Ken Martin and Wes McLeroy.
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rand Prairie just got a bit grander! LATICRETE recently completed its 70,000sf Grand Prairie plant expansion, which nearly doubles the company’s existing 100,000sf facility. To celebrate, LATICRETE hosted a day of family-friendly festivities at the plant Jun. 14, including face painting and ice cream, tours of the facility and a ribbon cutting. On hand to commemorate the occasion were LATICRETE co-owner and senior vice president of training Henry B. Rothberg, District Director Murphy Simpson and District 1 City Council Member Jorja Clemson representing Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen and the City Council. The expansion makes the plant LATICRETE’s largest manufacturing and distribution center outside of the company’s Bethany headquarters. The company will use it as its national distribution hub and will deliver high-volume items and other specialty products to LATICRETE customers in the Texas region. The Grand Prairie manufacturing plant is one of LATICRETE’s eight in the United States and one of 21 worldwide.
LATICRETE expressed deep pride in the expansion as well as in its American roots, cueing up Bruce Springsteen’s tune “Born In the USA” during one speech. “We began as, and remain, a family business,” Rothberg said at the event. “This celebration was not only about our business development and expansion into new markets, but our growing family in Texas.” LATICRETE offers products and systems covering tile and stone installation and care, resinous and decorative floor finishes, and concrete construction chemicals, restoration and care. –mjm
LATICRETE’s Joshua Martin (far right) gave guests tours of the new facility.
Construction News ON LOCATION
Love and a door
LATICRETE employees now have nearly twice the space, thanks to the expansion.
Love That Door’s Mike Parker says there are lots of doors, fixtures and accessories to love in the company’s Frisco and Grapevine locations. –mjm
Dallas ★ Fort Worth
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Melissa Jones-Meyer . . . . . Dallas/Fort Worth Editor DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net 817-731-4823 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Wiatrek Production Manager . . . . Helen Greenwood Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net
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The Dallas ★ Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space-available basis. Construction News, Ltd., dba Dallas ★ Fort Worth Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Isam “Jamal” Khoury Owner GE Greenway Environmental LLC Frisco, TX
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s a young boy, Isam “Jamal” Khoury came to the United States full of his grandfather and father’s knowledge about how to improve the environments in which they lived, worked, traveled and shopped. It’s no surprise then that Khoury was inspired to forge two careers from it – one in environmental services and the other in real estate and development. He hopes to inspire his children by example to improve the world in their own ways. Share with me a bit about your background. I was born in Jerusalem, Israel. My father was always involved buying real estate, worked in civil engineering and real estate development. My grandfather worked as a city planner, so he was always traveling and building new roads to Israel. Growing up, seeing them travel and talk about real estate and development instilled in me an interest in going into real estate and becoming a developer and an environmental consultant. I left Jerusalem in 1978 when I was 10 or 11 years old to come to the States; we moved to California. We stayed there for a year; my father bought a restaurant and ran it for a little while and then sold it. My father has always been a kind of pioneer who is always looking for great opportunities. He’d buy houses and fix them up and sell them or refurbish an old shopping center or multi-family buildings and sell them. He also worked as a project manager for a big construction company directly involved in the new construction of large office buildings, from start to finish. My father would take me with him during summers to work. I was so inspired to see how empty land could be transformed into such beautiful architectural designs. How did you end up in Texas? We ended up moving to Ohio for two years, and then we moved to Dallas. I went to the University of Texas at Dallas, graduated with a degree in economics and finance but couldn’t get a job. I ended up going to law school; when I came back after I finished I started working with an attorney for a short time. That’s when I realized that real estate is my passion. My father had started a REMAX office so I went to work for him and tried to develop that business. We developed a brokerage firm for a while and then from there we expanded it. I started buying and selling for myself and I started making more money. I then got involved in the commercial aspect of real estate and involved in bigger projects and started developing shopping centers. How did you add the environmental consulting to your career? Real estate has always been a key component of my life. The environmental aspect is an important addition to real
estate that works hand in hand with it, which I started doing in 2007. To be honest, sometimes opportunities present themselves in situations where difficult decisions have to be made. Those adverse moments turn out to be the best decision you ever made. The real estate market was on the downturn along with all of the financial markets. I had to figure out a different strategy and to stay within real estate, because that is what I have always known and have built my career. Being a real estate developer environmental concerns are always a consideration when purchasing and developing property. So I decided to get more involved from the technical side of environment. It wasn’t easy; there are many classes, state exams along with on hand site training. I went to work for an environmental consulting company for a year. My core objective was to learn, learn and learn. After I felt I was ready to grow on my own, I started my own business, GE Greenway Environmental. How does your business benefit the construction industry? The company is an environmental management service firm created to provide the highest level of air quality and to take care of our environment. It offers innovative and technologyadvanced solutions and alternatives to environmental concerns. One thing we do is test products before installation to make sure that asbestos-containing material is not present. In the United States, building manufacturers are not allowed to have asbestos-containing materials in their products. However, other countries, like China and Canada, are allowed to do so. Although there are regulations and laws preventing any manufacturing of it domestically, unfortunately these laws do not pertain to any foreign manufacturer. They are free to use any material they deem necessary to create their products. Builders install these products and later find out they have asbestos; eventually it has to be removed and abated and the costs are exorbitant. Our company will test samples of these materials before they are installed. It’s an extra cost but it saves them a lot of money and time in the future. Our company has many wonderful clientele. We take care of all of the environmental needs for Texas A&M dental school and do a lot of work for property management companies for different malls. What is your philosophy about business? For me, it is about taking care of the customer and to always do the right thing. I believe in karma. It’s not about the money for me; the money is a benefit of what I do. I believe in life opportunities are always available but you need to have the proper skills and training in order to understand that. There are a lot of bumps in the road, so it’s important to focus and be persistent about your long-term goals so they can be achieved. What lessons have you learned from being in business? I’ve learned to be persistent and to focus on what I’m doing and to never give up. It’s so easy to just let things go sometimes and that’s when you really need to push forward. There are always problems and issues that come up and some are bigger than others, but you just have to work through them instead of just giving up on them. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the construction industry or anyone who has dreams of being a business owner? Get as much training in the business
Isam “Jamal” Khoury (top right) wants to make the world a better place for his wife Vanda (top left), children (bottom) and his customers.
as you can so that you have the tools to be able to see more opportunities that are available. You always have to be training, learning and just stepping out and seeing what’s happening around you. Again, I also really believe in karma! Don’t try to do short cuts. Just do it the way that you’re supposed to do it and make sure the customer is happy with what you’re doing. It makes you feel better; if you’re doing the right thing, you’ll have no conscience about it. Do you enjoy your work? Yes. For me, what I do is not really work. I like to assist companies and enhance a situation or make sure they don’t get into a liability situation. At the same time, it makes me feel good to do the right thing, to be helping others. Between the real estate and environmental businesses, you must be busy. I am! For example, right now I’m building a 15,000sf shopping center in McKinney and developing it myself. With the environmental business, I do it by appointment and go take care of things. I have to wear a couple of hats depending on the situation. Do you have any free time for fun? I love vacations; I love to travel! I think it is very important to travel. It actually rejuvenates you and helps you refocus on what you’re doing, and at the same time you’re having fun. Once you’re away from the hustle and bustle, you get ideas and things come up in your mind when you’re just traveling. When you’re just doing nothing, the best ideas come up sometimes. I feel inspired to come back to work I love to go to New York; New York City is one of my favorite cities to go to – I guess my personality kicks in! I’ve been pretty much everywhere: Florida, California, Italy, Germany, and France. I travel a lot. Do you collect anything when you travel? I love bringing back sculptures and paintings. When I didn’t have any money when I was younger and traveling, I would bring back matchbooks from restaurants and places I visited in different countries. I used to have thousands of matchbooks but now only have a few, as some got lost over the years. They have sentimental value. Tell me about your family. I have been married to my wife, Vanda, for 16 years. I’ve been blessed with two wonderful kids – my son Anthony and my daughter Maya. My son, who is 14, loves wakeboarding. A friend of mine owns a wake
park and my son goes to practice. He loves to play soccer, but wakeboarding is the number one thing he loves to do. My daughter, who is 11, loves animals; she loves parrots, she loves dogs. I think she’ll be a veterinarian one day. She always wants me to buy her animals, and I have to tell her that I don’t want a zoo in my house! She also likes sports; she plays soccer and she’s very fast. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and healthy family. Do any of them help you out in your businesses? My son does. If I need a report revised, he will go in there and do it. I’ll check it and make sure it’s spelled right, but he’s very smart like that. I actually pay him to help me, so it’s a good way for him to learn. My daughter is still pretty young [to help in the environmental business, but she’s a good writer too. What do you hope the future holds for your business? I hope it continues to grow and to develop into a prosperous business that I can give to my children. I think first and foremost family is and should always be number one. You have to take care of your family and support them as much as you can. You must always be there for them, especially your kids because they rely on you. You have to give them the best of your time for them to be able to learn and to grow from your teaching and ultimately, that’s what they will do with their family. Who inspires you? My father’s been very smart in real estate and he’s helped me a lot. My mother, God rest her soul, she was always the persistent part of it. She’d never give up, even when she was fighting for her life. She wanted to live, and she was always positive, no matter what. It was sad when she passed away four years ago, but she was so positive and so strong. Both of my parents have been such a positive inspiration. My father, thank God, is still with us. He’s almost 80 years old, and he’s strong and he’s healthy. We’re both involved in the real estate. As for the environmental business, he comes with me sometimes to meetings, but he doesn’t really get involved, he just kind of hangs out. That’s sort of like when you were a kid hanging out with him while he worked, except the roles have been reversed! Exactly! That is true! Circle of life! GE Greenway Environmental is a professional environmental service specializing in asbestos inspection, environmental site assessment, waste management, liquid and solid disposal and energy efficiency services. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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What dreams may come
Gensler, “Dallas County Records Building”
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hree local architecture firms’ unbuilt designs were chosen out of 43 entries for their vision of what could be. The annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dallas Unbuilt Design Awards sought entries “responsive to beauty, poetry, context and previous condition, inspiration, process, environmental and social impact, economy and consumption.” CallisonRTKL, Gensler and FTA Design Studio Inc.’s winning renderings were announced at a gallery show and awards party May 18 at Dallas’ Filter Building. –mjm
FTA Design Studio Inc., “National World War One Memorial” (winner of “People’s Choice Award”)
HQ heads into the future
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MYCON General Contractors took a 1979 building and transformed it into a headquarters fit for the future.
hat better way to celebrate 30 years in the construction industry than to relocate to newly renovated headquarters? MYCON General Contractors recently re-skinned and revamped a building it acquired in 2015 that will serve as its home base. The company recently moved its operations to the 50,205sf
space, which sits on a 1.9-acre tract located at 17311 Dallas Parkway. With the help of O’Brien Architects, the MYCON project team infused the 1979 building with a more modern feel, energy-efficient HVAC systems and new technologies that will help the company keep up with the fast pace of the next 30 years. –mjm
L-R: MYCON employees Stacy Walls, Ryan Kemp, Alan King and Mike Heard enjoy the new break room.
CallisonRTKL, “Vertical Campus”
Well played!
Gensler, “Klyde Warren Park Promenade”
Top slicing
Ridgemont Commercial Construction superintendent Brian Thompson (center) made barbecue for 200 Ridgemont, KDC, Page Architects and subcontractor company members May 31. The cookout celebrated the topping out of Healthcare Associates’ 90,000sf office building in Irving. –mjm
L-R: BakerTriangle leadership Brad Baker, Scott Abegg, Jonathan Habashy, Bryan Baker, Wayne Walker and Steve Baker grabbed their clubs for a cause. The 2017 BakerTriangle Golf Classic, held Jun. 5 at Dallas Athletic Club, raised an estimated $30,000 for OurCalling Ministry. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Tees and tackle
Now on the BBQ circuit
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he Fire Sprinkler Contractors Association of Texas (FSCATX) held its 7th Annual Skins & Fins Tournament June 8-10 at the South Shore Harbor Resort. The threeday event kicked off with classes and vendor shows on Friday, followed by a golf tournament on Saturday and a fishing tournament on Sunday to close the weekend. More than 400 people from across Texas attended the event with 25 teams competing in the fishing tournament and 38 teams for the golf tournament.–cs
L-R: Acme Electric, which provided the grounds for the cookoff, was proud of its own Daniel Bjerke, whose ribs received an award from IEC chapter president Terry Browning.
L-R: Dan Merritt, David Stone, Lance Prince and Alan Hertz
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ain didn’t keep the crowds from coming! Several hundred curious and hungry guests attended the Independent Electrical Contractors’ (IEC) Fort Worth/Tarrant County chapter’s wire off and first annual barbecue cook-off. The event, hosted at Acme Electric in Fort Worth on Jun. 3, brought out the members’ competitive side. Wife-off competitors were Cable Electric’s Francisco Gabriola and Mario Gonzales and
JMEG’s Kelly Sustaire. Sustaire won the wire-off and will represent the chapter at the IEC National Apprentice of the Year Competition in Phoenix in October. Twelve cooking teams participated in the barbecue cook-off, which is set to become an annual tradition. It was such a hit that the association is already scheduling its second barbecue for next spring. –mjm
Jason Zinn, Wes Davis, Carlos Rojas and Mario Moya
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FSCATX gave its members a chance to visit with vendors.
L-R: JMEG’s Kelly Sustaire and Cable Electric’s Mario Gonzales competed in the wire-off.
In memoriam
They started it!
obert “Bob” Vernon Baylis, a founder of City Wide Mechanical, passed away May 16, 2017 of neuroendocrine cancer. Born in El Dorado, AR, Baylis was a graduate of Longview High School and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M and a Jurist Doctorate at Southern Methodist University. A professional engineer registered in ten states, Baylis founded mechanical contracting company City Wide Mechanical in 1985 with the late Gary Kennedy and retired in 2008. Baylis was dedicated to the bird dog field trial sport, was inducted into the “Field Trial Hall of Fame” in 2015 and was actively involved in the Texas Bird Hunters Association. Baylis is survived by his wife of 61 years,
Barbara, son Brad (Sherrie) daughter Belinda Bradley (Kerry) and four grandchildren. Funeral services were held May 23 in Longview followed by a memorial service Jun. 1 at Dallas’ Scofield Church. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
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An event highlight was the ABC Supply racecar.
No rivalry here!
he Garland branch parking lot of ABC Supply Co. Inc. was filled with “Founder’s Day” festivities Jun. 7 as guests feted Ken and Diane Hendricks. The couple established the roofing material distribution company 35 years ago and has grown it into a 700-location powerhouse. “We’re taking time to celebrate them, their vision and the big dreams they set in 1982,” Garland branch manager Ryan Morgan says. “We come together and celebrate as associates and we include our ven-
dors, our customers and our contractors.” A mechanical bull, a DJ, vendor booths and a catered lunch were highlights of the event, but a clear guest favorite was ABC’s racecar that was on site. “That was one of the things that Ken and Diane had a lot of pride in; we have two racecars that run in the Indy series and we have one of the show models out today,” Morgan says. “It’s great for kids, contractors, employees and families to get in, take pictures and make memories.” –mjm
L-R: James Lovett and Travis Lovett aren’t just brothers, they’re co-workers at ACF Tarp and Awning, located in Fort Worth and Dallas. –mjm
Vendors, including C-CAP’s Susan Kittrell and Ben Gromatzki, were featured at the event.
ABC Supply’s Felipe Rostro prepares to feed the masses.
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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continued from Page 1 — Having a wrecking ball all different types of construction businesses and understand how it works,” he says. “I knew I wanted to leave and do something purely entrepreneurial from the grassroots up; it was just figuring out what to do.” Although becoming a general contractor made sense, he wasn’t willing to poach DPR’s clients for his start-up. Instead, he studied the subcontractor model, looked for what the industry lacked and decided a different kind of demolition company was needed. “I put the plan together and in October 2015 decided to make the leap,” he says. In January, Boroughs partnered with LASCO president Jeff Thomas and Mullis Newby Hurst’s Sam Mullis to start The Demo Company. The company does everything from interior tenant improvement demo to selective structural demo to full-blown building wrecking, with a
strength in technically complex projects and technically complex environments. As they tear stuff apart, Boroughs is also busy building up the best staff. Their philosophy is simple – focus on building the best culture, find great people and then get out of their way. “We work very hard every day to make sure our culture is at the core of what we do,” Boroughs says. “You spend more time at work than you do with your friends and family, so if you’re spending that much time with them, you’d better be having a good time.” Judging by The Demo Company’s core values, they certainly are. The Demo Company in Dallas is a full-service demolition and abatement subcontractor. –mjm PHOTO CREDIT: Micah Nunley, White Unicorn Agency
continued from Page 1 — Worth the wait “Outside of that, both of these architectural firms, along with ourselves and Gojer, also provide design build services for office retail as well.” The team has already hit the ground
Construction News ON LOCATION
Surface mention
Jonathan Arguello of Innovative Surfaces of Texas would be talking all day if he had to list the many surfaces the decorative concrete company offers. –mjm
Welcome home! running, with a Dallas retail strip center and a Killeen retail interior project. Endurance Constructors is a design/ build company in Dallas. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Camera ready
The Holbrook Company’s Sherri and John Holbrook welcome Sergeant Peter Scharff (center) back to work at the Grand Prairie office after his year of military service in Kuwait and Afghanistan. –mjm
Camera models line up for a photo op inside the store.
30-seat classroom. A room is available for individual tutoring sessions, and customers can also utilize a rental studio. A cozy children’s area for the next generation of photographers is a sunny spot in the building. As any photographer knows, there can be challenges in getting the shot just right, and the team faced their own during the construction process. The store was constructed among weary and wary neighbors. Residents already had years of battle training from museumgoers parking in the neighborhood rather than paying garage rates. In the past year, Montgomery St. construction has ramped up in preparation for the new Will Rogers Memorial Center as well, further inconveniencing and irritating the neighbors. It was no surprise, then, that the construction team had their work cut out for them from the start. “We had very poor weather at the beginning stages and throughout the project, which caused unforeseen issues. However, with project team coordination we were able to overcome the weather impacts with minimal setbacks,” Midkiff says. To ease the neighbors’ minds, Averitt worked to establish a line of communication. “Matt developed a great relationship with the neighbors around the site to make sure they were aware of important milestones that could affect them,” Midkiff says. FORT Construction also had to work within the area’s very limited space, presenting a challenge not just in mat-
erials delivery, but also when the concrete tilt walls needed to be lifted from their casting beds with a crane and set over cast-in-place walls. A lot of the miscellaneous steel for the butt glazed window frame assembly was selfperformed by FORT Construction. “We had an extremely tight site, which caused us to have little to no space for materials, parking and site layout for tilt wall casting beds, but we all worked together and made it work,” Midkiff says. “Subcontractors had to be flexible with many mobilizations. Everyone had to be flexible and communicate throughout this entire project. We really appreciate the neighbors’ help with parking assistance and their patience during the project.” In addition to the team’s hard work, Midkiff also gives the project’s architect credit for the project’s success. “The front feature concrete wall is very unique, as well as the design and tilt wall process,” she says. “Bart Shaw was extremely creative not only with the building itself but with overcoming issues as they arose.” Now that the Fort Worth Camera project has been fully developed, the store is ready for exposure. “Fort Worth Camera is a great addition to the cultural district,” Midkiff says. “We are proud to be a part of bringing such an innovative design to life.” FORT Construction is a full-service construction firm offering design build, preconstruction, construction management and general contracting services. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Simplifying Sales and Use Tax: A 4 Part Checklist Stephanie Thomas, CPA Principal Thomas, Thomas & Thomas PC Houston, TX
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or many of the construction firms we work with, sales tax is the bane of their existence. Texas has some of the most complicated, confusing rules that if not applied properly, can lead to steep penalties. Determining the property type, project type, contract type and entity type will help you determine your sales tax responsibilities. Once those questions have been answered, understanding your sales tax responsibilities will be a lot simpler. 1. What type of property is it? Commercial business – Commercial property is non-residential property. Examples include restaurants, manufacturing plants, office buildings, hospitals, malls, hotels, etc. Residential - A residential property includes property used as a family dwelling, multi-family apartment or housing complex, nursing home, condominium, or retirement home. 2. What type of entity is it? Taxable entity – entity is not exempt from Texas sales and use taxes. Tax exempt entity- governmental, educational, charitable or religious entity that is exempt from Texas sales and use taxes. 3. What type of project is this? New construction - all new improvements to realty, including initial finish out work to the interior and exterior of the improvement. It also includes the addition of new usable square footage to an existing building. Repair/Remodeling/Restoration - to rebuild, repair, replace, alter, modify or upgrade existing realty. A mix - is a project that has both elements. For example, adding a wing to an existing building has both new construction and repair/ remodeling elements. 4. What type of contract is it? Lump sum contract – the charge for labor and incorporated materials is one charge. Separated or line item contract- the charge for incorporated materials is separately stated from the charge for labor. How to Use the Checklist to Charge Clients The answers to these questions determine how clients are invoiced and when sales or use tax is due on purchases. The following information is general and reflects current Texas sales tax rules for repair/remodeling projects performed on commercial property for taxable entities. Repair/remodeling/restoration projects on commercial property for taxable entities are taxable, with few exceptions. Sales tax should be invoiced as a separate line item on the total charge, except separately stated unrelated services charges. The applicable tax rate is based on the jobsite.
In most instances, the contract type for commercial, repair/remodeling projects does not matter. However, there are exemptions for labor, if the repair/remodeling project is performed pursuant to a separated contract in a designated disaster area or the property listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For example, Thomas Construction is the general contractor on a commercial, remodeling project with a XYZ Corp, a taxable entity. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. If the construction services are performed pursuant to a separated contract, Thomas Construction only charges sales tax on the separately stated incorporated materials charge. If the service is performed pursuant to a lump sum contract, Thomas Construction should charge sales tax on the entire charge. Sales Tax the Contractor Should Pay The contractor can purchase incorporated materials and subcontractor services tax-free by issuing a properly completed Texas resale certificate to subcontractors and material suppliers. Sales tax is due on consumable supplies and equipment rentals. Conclusion Determining the project type, property type, contract type and entity type will help you determine your sales tax responsibilities. Once those questions have been answered, understanding your sales tax responsibilities will be a lot simpler.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided above is general in nature and is not legal advice. The provider of the information makes no representation regarding the law and/or its application to any entity’s specific situation. Because state tax laws, policies, and applications are dynamic, please consult with a state tax professional for a complete rendition of the law as it may apply to your specific situation at a particular time. Since 1998, Stephanie Thomas, CPA has helped clients with sales and use tax issues. Thomas, Thomas & Thomas, PC is a CPA firm that works exclusively in state tax issues only, helping clients all over the country address sales and use tax audits, minimize sales and use tax deficiencies, and understand how to comply with applicable sales and use tax laws. If you have more questions regarding sales and use tax, refer to Stephanie’s book, Texas Taxes For The Construction Industry, which can be found at www.thomaspc.com or contact Stephanie directly at (281) 4691103.
Taking Back Control in a Difficult Commercial Auto Insurance Market Stan Gregory, Safety and Risk Consultant INSURICA San Antonio, TX
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ommercial auto insurance is becoming more difficult to manage each year. Rates continue to increase, and insurance carriers are limiting their appetites for anything but best-in-class risks. Before we look at what you can do to take back control of your auto insurance program, let’s take a look at the reasons behind this hard market. 1. Cell phones are huge distractions. More than one quarter of all crashes involve distracted drivers talking on phones or texting. As younger drivers are hitting the streets, this problem is continuing to grow. 2. People are driving more. In the first half of 2016, we saw a 3.3% year-overyear increase in mileage driven, nationwide. This trend has been continuing for some time, and we are at an all-time high for mileage driven. Unfortunately, more driving translates to a higher frequency of accidents. 3. Medical costs are escalating. In fact, the rate of medical inflation is growing 1.5 times the rate of other costs. This is a big concern for insurance companies because experts agree there is no easy solution in sight. 4. Frequency and severity of auto accidents are both increasing. Claims costs can come from a rise in frequency or severity of accidents. With commercial auto, both are rising. 5. Auto repair costs are rising significantly. As the price of cars has gone up, so have the costs to repair them after an accident. With newer cars, even minor repairs can cost major bucks. 6. In 2016, auto insurance carriers in the state of Texas ran an average of a 110% combined loss ratio. Simply put, this means the commercial auto insurance industry is losing money. To make up for this, insurance carriers are tightening their driver qualifications, and rates are trending upward to compensate. There are a few troubling things to note about these trends. Many of the trends simply do not have solutions. The insurance industry cannot do anything about more drivers on the roads, rising medical costs, or rising repair costs. Many industry experts believe the auto insurance industry will continue the pricing trends we are seeing for years to come. For auto insurance buyers and commercial fleet managers, the time for proactive fleet management is now. While many carriers are limiting their appetites and increasing rates, the best pricing is
always reserved for customers with bestin-class fleet management programs. Here are six things every business should be doing to manage their fleet. 1. Hire qualified drivers. Insurance companies typically exclude drivers after three violations. Best-in-class companies will examine a potential new hire’s driving record to determine if their moving violations could result in future problems with procuring auto insurance policies. 2. Check driving records regularly. In addition to pulling MVRs for new hires, best-in-class companies will pull employees’ MVRs regularly to check for new violations. 3. Implement a robust fleet safety program. This includes documenting the program and consistently communicating the company’s expectations to all employees. 4. Adopt and enforce a company policy for personal use of vehicles. While a lot of companies have personal use policies in place, many don’t enforce the policy in a consistent manner. 5. Train your drivers. Whether your insurance agent offers decision driving training or you contract with a vendor to provide training, it’s important to train new hires and re-train existing employees using proven risk management techniques. 6. Monitor drivers and vehicles using technology. There are a variety of options available for fleet managers to monitor fuel economy, speed, hard braking, and aggressive driving. These systems may require initial an investment, but the potential insurance savings can pay for them many times over. Stan Gregory is a Safety and Risk Consultant and a leader on INSURICA’s Risk Management team. He has more than three decades of experience working with loss control, safety planning, and risk management for clients within the construction and energy industries. He can be reached at 210-805-5915 or sgregory@INSURICA. com.
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
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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The Economic Loss Rule and Construction Defect Litigation Part 1: What is the Economic Loss Rule? Varant Yegparian Schiffer Odom Hicks and Johnson PLLC Houston, TX A. Introduction Litigation is the last place anyone in the construction industry wants to be in. That is why owners, developers, contractors, and sub-contractors should draft their contracts with an eye toward the possible lawsuit. To that end, a contract’s terms (capping damages, excluding claims, specifying specific types of relief, etc.) represent a careful allocation of the parties’ risk—the “benefit of the bargain.” Parties to a construction contract rely on the negotiated terms to provide a measure of certainty—letting them know what to expect over the course of a construction project. The ability to rely on a contract’s terms is especially important in litigation; being able to use a contract’s terms as defenses to a lawsuit can radically alter a person or company’s decision to sue. Therefore, knowing whether a contract’s terms can be used in a lawsuit is essential. A legal doctrine known as the “economic loss rule” is especially important in determining whether contractual defenses will be available in a lawsuit. Indeed, the rule provides a useful weapon to those who find themselves in litigation. This article is part of a three-part series which will explain what the rule is, how it works in a lawsuit, why it is important to the construction industry, and how some recent court decisions affect the rule. B. The Economic Loss Rule The economic loss rule is a legal sorting machine: put in information about the parties, the type of damage, and whether there is a contract and it will spit out whether you have a contract or tort claim. This sorting might not seem like much, but drawing a line between contract and tort claims can have significant consequences for a lawsuit. This is because tort damages cannot be recovered in contract – and – contract damages cannot be recovered in tort. C. Tort or Contract: What is my claim? In a construction defect lawsuit, the plaintiff usually asserts two types of claims: contract and tort. A breach of contract claim is straightforward: a party will claim that it had a contract with the defendant to, for example, to do all electrical subcontracting on the project. If the subcontractor fails to do its job properly, it will be liable or responsible to the plaintiff for breach of contract. A tort claim—i.e., one for negligence—is a little more complicated. In the example above, assume again the
subcontractor did not properly install the wiring for the project. If a third-party inspector is inspecting the electrical work and gets shocked due to the faulty wiring, he could bring a personal injury suit against the subcontractor. This would be a tort claim. Importantly, the inspector could not bring a breach of contract lawsuit against the subcontractor because there is no contract between the two. The inspector’s contract would be with the project owner, not the electrical subcontractor. Therefore, the inspector’s claims would be limited exclusively to tort—not contract—damages. D. The Economic Loss Rule, Again: What does it do? Returning to the example above, the inspector could not sue electrical subcontractor for breach of contract because no contract between the two existed (hence, tort damages cannot be recovered in contract). Likewise, the project owner could not sue the subcontractor for negligence because the damage suffered by the owner—improper wiring— is covered entirely by its contract with the subcontractor. This sorting of contract and tort is the key feature of the economic loss rule. E. Conclusion The legal “sorting” provided by the economic loss rule—its way of separating contract claims from tort claims—is important in litigation. While some might think the difference between a contract and tort claim might is obvious, sometimes it is not. As will be explained in next month’s article, the economic loss rule can be particularly useful for those in the construction industry when there is an issue regarding what type of claim— whether contract or tort—a plaintiff has actually pled. Varant Yegparian 700 Louisiana Ste. 2650 Houston, Tx 77002 • Tel: 713.255.4109 vyegparian@sohjlaw.com
Checking in on the children
Eighteen industry companies donated $70,874 to Children’s Health during KIDstruction Week, which raises funds for family support services for ill children. Participating in the second annual event was McCarthy Building Co., Schwob Building Co., Kent Companies, Cadence McShane, Chamberlin Roofing and Waterproofing, Dynamic Systems, HDR, Hilti, HKS, Presslink, Ridgemont Commercial Construction, Skanska USA, Smithgroup JJR, Spring Valley Construction Co., Stantec, Walter P. Moore, WHR Architects and TEXO. –mjm
Workplace violence Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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orkplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors. Homicide is currently the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States. Research has identified factors that may increase the risk of violence for some workers at certain worksites. Such factors include exchanging money with the public and working with volatile, unstable people. Working alone or in isolated areas may also contribute to the potential for violence. Providing services and care, and working where alcohol is served may also impact the likelihood of violence. Additionally, time of day and location of work, such as working late at night or in areas with high crime rates, are also risk factors that should be considered when addressing issues of workplace violence. Among those with higher-risk are workers who exchange money with the public, delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, public service workers, customer service agents, law enforcement personnel, and those who work alone or in small groups. In most workplaces where risk factors can be identified, the risk of assault can be prevented or minimized if employers take appropriate precautions. One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, con-
tractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel. By assessing their worksites, employers can identify methods for reducing the likelihood of incidents occurring. OSHA believes that a well-written and implemented workplace violence prevention program, combined with engineering controls, administrative controls and training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence in both the private sector and federal workplaces. This can be a separate workplace violence prevention program or can be incorporated into a safety and health program, employee handbook, or manual of standard operating procedures. It is critical to ensure that all workers know the policy and understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and remedied promptly. In addition, OSHA encourages employers to develop additional methods as necessary to protect employees in high risk industries. OSHA recently issued a Directive on Workplace Violence that can be located at: https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/ Directive_pdf/CPL_02-01-058.pdf natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
The next generation
Fifty-nine electricians graduated from the Independent Electrical Contractors Association (IEC) Fort Worth/Tarrant County’s apprenticeship program Jun. 15 at Arlington’s Bob Duncan Recreation Center. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Clash of the castles
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he sands of time did not stop association members from competing in a childhood favorite activity. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston chapter hosted members across Texas for the 31st Annual AIA SandCastle Competition on June 3 at Galveston East Beach. Fifty-eight teams competed to win different awards and spend a day at the beach with fellow members, putting together masterpieces of sand. Kirksey + Metzger pulled off a three-peat, winning its third consecutive first place Golden Bucket.–cs
Winners
Golden Bucket: Kirksey + Metzger – Surf and Turf
Silver Shovel: Gensler + Harvey – Return of the Crawfish Bronze Shovel: Ziegler Cooper Architects – Quest for the Holy Pail Fourth Place: Pfluger Flintco – Clash of the Icons Fifth Place: Page –’Tis the Sea-sun Sixth Place: HKS with DPR Construction – Crash Sanding Annual AIA College Challenger: Richard Meier – Barcelona I “LIGHT” Best Team Signage: Browne McGregor Architects – Houston, We Have A Sculpture Best Team T-Shirt: Page – ’Tis the Sea-Sun Best Costume: Philowilke Partnership – 5th Element The Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite: ASCE Houston – Bowser’s Beach Bash!
Tallest Standing Structure: Kirksey + Metzger – Smurf and Turf Best Sports: VLK Architects – Pirates of the Super Bowl Best Science Fiction: HKS with DPR Construction – Crash Sanding Houston-Centric: Gensler + Harvey – Return of the Crawfish! Kidtastic! Lego Edition: Perkins + Will/HOAR Construction –The Truth About Legos Best Traditional Castle: Kirksey + Metzger – Smurf and Turf Best Architectural Icon: Freese and Nichols, Inc. – Mayan Pyramids
Kirksey + Metzger
Freese and Nichols, Inc.
Gensler + Harvey
Kirksey + Metzger
Home at last
Local construction companies presented Collin County Deputy Sheriff William Armstrong keys to his new home May 24 after two tornados struck his residence within a year. Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors, Maverick Framing, United Mechanical, Fabulous Floors, Hatfield Drywall, Sterling Roof, Ace Decor & Painting, A&A Landscape, Murray-Ward Concrete, OCE Electrical, SR Equipment, JL Parker and Normac Kitchens helped rebuild the home for Armstrong and his family. –mjm
Ziegler Cooper Architects
Construction News ON LOCATION
Surface mention
L-R: Lighting up the room with their smiles and customer service are Jeff Lindsey, Belinda Dickard and Seth Winburn of Lightfoot Mechanical. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Protecting Yourself from the Sun and Heat 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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ith summer in full swing and temperatures on the rise, you must really be prepared when spending a full day on the water. Temperatures have already started reaching the mid to upper ‘90s during the hottest part of the day and with the heat index, that could feel like 102-105 degrees. It’s very important to stay cool and drink plenty of fluids so that you don’t get dehydrated. Proper hydration improves mood, boosts brain function and prevents fatigue.
Cameron Lopez of San Antonio had a nice mixed stringer of fish while pre-fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors for a tournament. Note the sun gloves and sleeves that help protect this angles from the harsh conditions we work in.
When planning for your day on the water, pack your cooler with drinks that don’t have high amounts of sugar and carbs in them. These drinks will not quench your thirst and instead make you crave something else to drink. Beer is not a very thirst quenching beverage either. I know what you’re thinking,
Submitted to Construction News
Absolute friendship
Don’s best friend! Donald Walker, project manager at Absolute Construction in Garland, has a true blue friend in “Gage,” his 6-month-old Blue Heeler. –mjm
“Steve Schultz is getting old and soft”. I remember him when he was younger, he’d have a cooler full of Silver Bullets every time the boat left the dock. That’s true, and I’m not saying you should not drink beer while fishing, but it should be done in moderation and water should be added in between every couple of adult
beverages. That’s enough on the speech of beer on the boat. One drink that’s good to have on your boat during the summer is several bottles of Pedialyte. Pedialyte is a medical-grade hydration solution specially formulated with the optimal balance of sugar and electrolytes needed to help replenish vital fluids, minerals, and nutrients, which, when lost, can lead to dehydration. Electrolytes are minerals essential to your health. They help carry electrical signals that power your nerves and muscles, maintain your blood’s proper pH, and balance fluids in your body. You get electrolytes from what you eat and drink, and you lose them any time you lose fluids, like when you sweat or go to the bathroom. Another way I stay cool is by dressing in the proper clothing. Many of the fishing clothing companies make performance fishing clothing that helps keep you cool all day long. Columbia, Aftco, Under Armor and HUK are just some of the few that this captain wears on a daily basis. Light color garments work best on sunny day’s. This style of clothing has become very popular with most of the guides in our area because they also carry an SPF rating of at least 50 to protect you from the sun. You can also find shorts and fishing pants made of the same quality material. Speaking of sun protection, let’s not forget to apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before you hit the water. I typically use Neutrogena sunscreen products daily and try to remember to reapply mid-morning if possible. Most of the time I forget to do this, so I always have my trusty buff around my neck that I pull over my cap to shield my face and neck from the sun the rest of the day. These buffs are also handy to help keep your cap on your head when running across the bay. Y’all know how guides hate to go back for caps!! Stay Salty my friends!! I still have several open dates for August, September and October of 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 e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 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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Zebras Attack!
know, it sounds like the name of a bmovie from the 1960s. Don’t worry, you won’t wake up one morning to find Zebras munching on the shrubs in front of your house or running rampant in the streets. I’m talking about another kind of Zebra. Zebra mussels. I bet you have already heard the public service commercials from Parks and Wildlife about Zebra mussels. You know, “Clean, Drain, Dry your boat” in a catchy little jingle. If you don’t have a boat you may not even pay attention anymore. But do you use water for drinking or bathing or keeping your grass alive? Then you need to know about this! Zebra mussels and quagga mussels are almost the same. They found their way to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of Eastern European ocean-going vessels in the 1980s and by 1990 have already infected all the Great Lakes. They are in 29 states already and sadly, Texas is now one
MB Construction
Horizon Construction
of them. A single adult can produce 100,000 adult offspring in her life and each of them will do the same. They are filter feeders that consume the plankton that is the very foundation of the native food chain from the water. This makes the water crystal clear as it has been stripped of nutrients and changes the amount of light that penetrates the water. More light leads to unnatural and sometimes toxic overgrowth of algae that can kill native fish and aquatic birds. If that’s not bad enough, they attach themselves to everything in the water. No more barefoot beachcombing or letting the kids play in the sand at the lake’s edge, zebra mussels shells can cut you to pieces. Anything left in the water gets coated with them, even crawfish. Worst of all they stop up intakes for water systems. From the cooling of a boat’s engine to supplying a thirsty city, if it pumps water from an infected waterway the mussels will clog it up! Expect your water bill to increase due to expensive efforts to clean and maintain water treatment facilities. Zebra and quagga mussels have had an easy time traveling with people from one waterway to another. We move a lot of things by water. Between shipping and recreational activities we never thought much about moving from one body of water to another until now. Our only hope is to slow them down by learning to be vigilant about adequately cleaning and drying out our boats. Something as innocent as a wet rope or soggy carpet on a boat trailer can introduce the invasion into a new lake. So far no one has any way to eradicate or control the mussels without causing harm to others. I hope you will take a little time to learn more about zebra mussels. You can go to my Facebook page; Great Outdoors Ken Milam Radio Show and listen to the podcast of the interview we had with Monica McGarrity, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Invasive Species Team Leader about Zebra mussels in Texas Lakes, and “like” the page while you are there. The more people that understand what we are up against the better. Maybe one of you will hit upon the idea that will make a difference. You are the most innovative people I know!
Aloha!
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elisa Byron, administrative specialist for Kevco Electrical Construction Inc., spent two weeks of June living on island time, as she enjoyed an incredible Hawaii vacation. Byron shared snaps of her two favorite places with Construction News: Oahu’s Lanikai Beach and Kauai’s Poipu Beach. Sun, sand and surf – we’re booking our tickets! –mjm
Byron in the unbelievably blue waters of Oahu’s Lanikai Beach.
Kauai’s Poipu Beach is another of Byron’s favorites from the trip.
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Shipping mates to Europe
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isiting Germany had always been on Pauline Lesch’s bucket list. However, her husband, PCL Contract Bonding Agency president Clem Lesch, was once stationed there in the 1960s and not as eager to return. Fortunately, pals Fred Keen, who founded TEPCO Contract Glazing, and his wife Terry helped Pauline change Clem’s mind. Together the four friends embarked on a trip to remember. The group took a 14-day Viking River Cruise along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers in April. They toured Amsterdam and Kinderdijk in The Netherlands; Cologne, Koblenz, Miltenberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau in Germany; Melk and Vienna in Austria and Budapest, Hungary.
Clem takes time to smell the tulips at the Keukenhof Gardens.
There was one surprise (every trip has one!): After enjoying a day of blissful weather on the ship’s sundeck spotting castles, fortresses and cathedrals, passengers had to retreat to lower decks for nearly three days. Sundeck railings were collapsed and the deck cleared to accommodate the 67 locks through which the ship would need to travel. “The locks were a novelty at first, but by the time we got to #67, no one batted an eye,” Pauline says. The rest of the trip more than made up for it, however. Whether it was wooden shoes, windmills, halftimber houses or Heineken, the “Grand European Tour” didn’t disappoint! –mjm
Industrial windmills in Kinderdijk that once were used to pump water from reclaimed land are still inhabited by families and maintained in case of an emergency, such as electricity loss to the new system.
Housing shortages after World War II resulted in people living in boats on canals, which have become a permanent feature in Amsterdam.
Clem admires the half-timber house construction in Rothenburg.
Clem finds wooden shoes in his size
L-R: Pauline and Clem enjoy the unique charm of Vienna’s Hundertwasser Village
L-R: On their last night in Austria, Fred and Clem enjoyed the “Taste of Austria” buffet on the Viking Skinir.
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Taking it to the limit!
Fine lines
ARMOR’s Joe Chenoweth and his son Tommy show off some of their slab crappie limit on Lake Murval. The father and son enjoyed the fishing trip, guided by Bubba Broadus, in April. –mjm
L-R: Mark Piland and Steve Young Rick Hylton JMEG Electrical Contractors’ Rick Hylton, Mark Piland and Steve Young had luck with their fishing lines on a Jun. 2 fishing trip. While out and about in Buras, LA with fishing guide company Cajun Fishing Adventures, the three fishermen caught their fill. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
The Keys to fishing success
ucky is the man who goes fishing. Luckier still is the man whose wife drops a line with him! Globus Management Group’s Joe Veach and his wife Jennifer Veach of WB Kibler Construction enjoyed a trip Jun. 1 to the Florida Keys, a fishing spot they had never tried before. “My wife and I were told we would be lucky to get two of the big three inshore in any given 24 hour period,” Joe says. “People come back year after year trying.” Not much could discourage the Veaches, who were just happy to be on
In hog heaven
the Key’s beautiful blue waters. “We started off early and she had two tarpon by 9am,” Joe says. “The biggest was 6 ½ ft. long and more than 160 lbs. We finally leadered and cut her loose for a catch at the boat after an hour fight and over a mile chase. We next hit the flats with artificial baits and I hooked the bone fish followed up by a permit on the same bait 30 minutes later wrapping up a grand slam.” And they said it couldn’t be done … “What a lucky trip of a lifetime!” Joe says. –mjm
guns,” Boroughs continues. “You fly over the acreage and flush out and shoot hogs. I’ll bet we got somewhere between 80 and 100 pigs.” The men stayed at the lodge on the property, which is owned by a state congressman who does all of the cooking. Other perks include “night vision hunts” using infrared technology and target shooting. Weeks later, Boroughs still can’t hide his enthusiasm about the experience. “HeliBacon was a great outfit,” he says. “I’d recommend them to anybody; they did a phenomenal job. It was awesome!” –mjm Josh Barnes and Guy McGough paused for a selfie during the hog hunt, and their expressions can’t hide the fun they’re having!
T Joe should have a permit for a permit this size.
Jennifer caught this awesome tarpon the first 10 minutes of the trip.
The tarpon seemed to make a beeline for Jennifer, who nabbed this one early on.
he Demo Company’s Dave Boroughs, Josh Barnes and Guy McGough were flying high in helicopters as they went hog hunting Jun. 7-10. “HeliBacon – yes, that’s its real name! – is just outside of College Station and they hunt about 40,000 acres. For people who aren’t hunters, feral pigs and hogs are actually a nuisance and destroy a lot of farmers’ crops and land. HeliBacon is hired to get rid of the hogs on this property, and we pay him to go get rid of the hogs on this property, so he has a good business model! “They give you all of the safety training and they take you up in a helicopter and give you automatic machine
Joshua Barnes and Guy McGough.
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Two in one!
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Open air open house
he rain held off Jun. 22 so that Bobcat’s McKinney location could host its open house outside. The team invited guests to grab a bite to eat from the food truck, meet the staff, inquire about services and watch demos. –mjm
Epic Supply employees, customers and vendors all wanted to tame the event’s mechanical bull.
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ood cake, good friends and a good spin on a mechanical bull – what better way to celebrate two huge company milestones? On May 25, Epic Supply Inc. invited employees, customers and vendors to a celebrate the grand opening of the company’s Fort Worth branch as well as Epic’s 10 year anniversary. Owners Jay and Shelly Hall and Ross and Vicki Ryon were on hand to welcome and reminisce with guests about the many good things that have happened since 2007. –mjm
L-R: Bobcat’s Mitch Stouffer and Ken Peterson
L-R: Epic Supply co-owner Ross Ryon reminisces with customer Wade Nelson of CPC Plumbing. L-R: Poured Concrete Foundation’s George Colin, Ricardo Colin and Balthasar Colin and Bobcat’s Todd Lewis
Kraft Tools’ Laura Barber Epic Supply co-owner Jay Hall (third from left) welcomes guests to the party.
L-R: Epic Supply customers Toby Bland and Wesley Stafford of Century Mechanical
Multiquip’s Mike Maynard
Family fun
Marek DFW foremen Juan F. Valdez and DFW Top Mechanic Nery Rodriguez
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t was a day of sun and shore for Marek Bros. Systems employees. The Dallas/ Fort Worth team invited workers and their families to enjoy the day at the 2017 Marek Family Picnic hosted Jun. 10 at Carrollton’s Sandy Lake Amusement Park. In addition to fantastic food, the event featured balloon art, face painting, and paddleboats for the kiddies. –mjm
Project manager Frank Suarez enjoyed spending the day with his family
Carlos Cabrales and his family
Project manager Colton Hinson and Daniel Amado call bingo numbers
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
THIS TH MON Jan: Construction Forecast Mar: Construction Education May: Concrete Industry July: Electrical Industry Feb: Construction Safety Apr: Women in Construction Jun: HVAC & Plumbing Aug: Service Providers
Workload, costs, labor shortages up Bill Groves, President Charles VandeZande, Vice President of Estimating Groves Electrical Service Inc. Farmers Branch, 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? In the DFW Metroplex, the workload exceeds the available manpower. In the last few years there have been several large projects in the Metroplex that have taken a lot of the available workforce to complete. With large projects like The Star, Frisco Station, Toyota North American Headquarters, State Farm Insurance and Legacy West, everyone that is willing to work has a job. With all of this work, prices have gone up and budgets are getting exceeded. You have to be able to not only help with budgets and bid the projects, but find ways for owners to save money and get projects in budget. This includes working with the general contractor to redesign projects in a way that the owner still gets what he wants at the budget he can afford. At Groves Electrical Service Inc., we have an experienced and valuable estimating and design team to help with this. If you don’t have the ability to do this, the jobs go over budget and will not be funded or at least put on hold until they can get them redesigned and rebid at a later date.
What are the hot button issues in the industry? One of the hot button issues in our industry is safety. When you start a job, contractors want to meet the person responsible for the safety in your company. They want to see a specific person that will be held accountable if something goes wrong at the jobsite. It is every contractor’s responsibility to make sure that every employee goes home at the end of the day. The electrical trade has certain inherent dangers associated with the trade and contractors want to know how you are going to mitigate those dangers so that employees can work safely. The “Good Old Boy” way of doing things without the proper training and safety equipment is disappearing fast. Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area? We have found more general contractors opening up shop in the Metroplex every day. We receive email bid requests from contractors we have never heard of every week. We try to vet each general contractor before deciding if we will give them a bid on bid day.
Living by the code of safety Ben Tijerina, Assistant Project Manager HJD Capital Electric San Antonio, TX
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n September, the 2017 code will become effective. What changes can electrical contractors expect to see in the new code? The code changes every three years. It’s always minor changes. The NEC [National Electrical Code] has always been about safety. My view is that the NEC is there to protect people and equipment. There are always going to be changes, and most of them have to do with safety and safeguarding people and equipment. The arc-fault requirements always get expanded every time they do these revisions. The arc-fault, circuit interrupters, became required in 2011. This is because of personal safety. It’s geared more toward residential than commercial, but when they changed the code, they made it required to have every electrical circuit that is going to what they call “a living area” be protected by an arc-fault breaker to help prevent house fires. If an extension cord is broken and starts a fire, the arc-fault breakers will catch that and interrupt the circuit. That way there’s no damage down the line. Do you use the code often in the field? As an installer in the field, [the code] goes more into the design of these buildings and how they build them. It is something that as an electrician, you do need to know, but it’s not something where we’ll have a codebook right by us and pull it out. As far as requirements or arc-fault and other safety [factors], those usually get integrated into the design. We’ll be told, “You’re going to use this kind of breaker here now. A couple of years ago, we used this kind, and now, you’re going to use this updated kind.” Is it more relevant for new installation
as opposed to service and repair? When you get into service and repair – normally, when you touch a system, you do have to bring it up to code. For instance, if we did a residential call, which we don’t really do at Capital, but if we did, and the customer is asking for an interior panel to be changed out, then as an electrical contractor, you would have to go in and update everything to meet the new code requirements. When we go in and renovate places, if the systems aren’t meeting the code requirements, we have to update them. We go into buildings they want to renovate and [the electrical system] doesn’t meet the new code – or doesn’t even meet the code for the past 10 years – so you get in there and you have to update it. When you update a system that is so old that it doesn’t meet the code, do you have to update or replace the whole system? Depending on how old the equipment is, sometimes it’s easier just to pull it all out and start new. I’ve run into that several times. But then, you get certain
Electrical Industry Sep: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment
With the recent emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry? The lighting industry and LED lamps are the way of the future and the future is now. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages for the electrical industry are a big issue facing electrical contractors in North Texas. When a seasoned veteran retires, they are harder than ever to replace. At Groves Electrical Service Inc., we are training in the field and in the classroom. We have always trained and promoted from within, and now it is more important than ever. We are finding it harder and harder to find young talent these days. The electrical trade needs to be held in the same regard as a four-year college degree. Spend four years in the trade and become a journeyman while getting paid. Contrast that versus spending four years in college and receiving a degree along with student loan debt. What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Labor and material are up. General contractors are utilizing “Doc U Sign” for subcontractors and are becoming more and more unwilling to negotiate favorable terms and conditions with subcontractors, shifting costs from the general contractor and forcing them upon the subcontractors. Texture payments are also an additional cost added to the subcontractor. Has the theft of copper affected pricing of work? Copper theft is still a big problem. In the past year, we have had a new school in
situations where you can retrofit what is already there and make it meet the new code requirements. It just really depends on how old the system is. Whenever we run into systems that are, let’s say, over 30 years old, that’s usually when we just completely replace. On some of these older systems, we’re working with a piece of switchgear that’s 30 years old, and they want you to pull a new subpanel out of it, you get to the point where we need a breaker for this switchgear, and the breaker for the switchgear just isn’t available new. It’s usually only available when it’s refurbished, and it’s so expensive that it’s actually cheaper to just replace the whole system. When it gets that bad, it just depends on what kind of system it is. Do you run into that often in commercial construction and renovation? What fraction of your work poses this kind of challenge? I would say it’s about one-third. We don’t run into a lot. Also, a lot of the work Capital does is with the government and the city, and a lot of the work is on a budget. When things like this happen, it comes back with a large cost, and they try to do something different instead. In addition to costs for the owners, what are the factors that affect retrofit-ting for electricians? One of the biggest things with the NEC and with us in general in the industry is safety. That’s always a big deal, especially when we’re dealing with electricity. That’s key for us. It’s very important that no matter what we do, especially in researching all these things. When you get into some of this older gear, and you have to start researching what it is we need to do to accomplish
Dallas hit twice. Once they stole from the plumber and once from us. Our sports lighting projects are always susceptible to theft due to the secluded nature of the projects. Are there solutions to the copper theft problem? There is no foolproof way to stop copper theft. We cannot install the copper until the job is secured. We utilize aluminum conductors when allowed. What are the rewards of the industry? The rewards are many, such as the relationships that are created as time goes on with owners, general contractors, engineers and other trades. As with all construction trades, the feeling of accomplishment you get with each project, large or small. Whether you are a young apprentice installing your first ceiling fan or an experienced apprentice finishing a single room, you get a feeling of accomplishment. For the foreman and project manager, it might be the first football game on a new field or the opening of a school, restaurant or fire station. The electrician is the first on site with temporary power and the last one finished after we put the plug and switch plates on the devices. You get to meet or at least see all the trades work and learn something on every project. What are the keys to being successful? Hard work and good preparation is the only way I know to succeed. You have to keep current in your field and not let technology or code changes happen without your knowledge. Electrical contractor Groves Electrical Service Inc. specializes in a wide range of projects, including educational, municipal, hospitality, municipal and retail. –mjm
the goals that have been given to us by the contractor, safety is always the most important thing. You never know what you’re going to get into when you pop open a cover of a piece of switchgear that’s 30 years old. When we get into these older systems, we’re very cautious. And I don’t want to say more cautious than we are with the new installation, but the luxury for us with the new installation is we can make sure everything’s correct before we turn it on. When we go to an existing system, we’re always challenged with what could be behind those covers that we’re not seeing. What’s an example of such a safety concern? Some of the locking mechanisms on some of the panel covers of older gear – the way they were designed, they could pinch wires. I’ve seen that before. I’ve seen bolts come loose on panel covers and fall inside a piece of switchgear that’s energized. That’s never a good feeling – to hear something fall in there. Everybody usually turns their head when they hear something fall because they know there’s a possibility it’s a bad situation. For instance, if a bolt falls – and it would have to be a perfect situation – but it could fall in between two of the bus bars or in between the bus bar and the metal frame, and then, that would cause that phase to ground out and you would have an arc-flash, which depending on the size of the system could be life threatening. It’s something that we’re always looking out for. Having been recently promoted to his current position, assistant project manager, Ben Tijerina has been with HJD Capital Electric for three years and has been an electrician since 2006. –mh
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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NEXT TH MON
Service Providers
If you would like to represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact your DFW Editor for an Interview Melissa Jones-Meyer 817-731-4823 dfwEditor@ConstructionNews.net
Electrical horizon Vincent Real,President and CEO Big State Electric Ltd. Austin, TX
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ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? I feel Texas has been vibrant and creative to keep our economy healthy. Texas leadership has always been proactive attracting large industry and Fortune 500 companies. No matter where I go or turn there is construction projects of all sizes including infrastructure and highway improvements throughout the state. I would say the economy in Texas is fair. Have you heard of any increase or slowdowns in business? Obviously the oil production decrease and under $50 a barrel oil has had an impact on Texas. Our Houston office has definitely been feeling it for the last 10 months, but we see light at the end of the tunnel. We have been budgeting many projects for large companies and we feel it is only a matter of time until they are released. We have also noticed a lot of consolidation in facilities with the larger companies. The Permian Basin is very active at the moment and we hope it trickles down to the Eagle Ford and other parts of South Texas. On the bright side, we are seeing a lot of activity in San Antonio, Austin and Houston with public education bonds being passed to build more schools. There seems to be a lot of activity in the higher education arena also. Medical and data centers, also seems to have some activity. What are the factors driving this increase/slowdown? I believe not only national, but also international companies focus on Texas. It is a company and industry friendly state that does not handcuff large industry with laws and regulations. Not that our state leaders
don’t protect our state and the people that live here, they just seem to be more sensible and use common sense when it comes to what is decided for the large companies and what is good for our state and its cities. Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area? We do see a considerable number of general contractors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors from other states setting up offices in the areas where we work. Especially in the last 10 years large contractors, from the East and West Coast, pursing large government and municipality projects in the state. What are the costs increases relating to your industry? We historically have had labor increases due to inflation and insurance coverage continuing to rise. We have invested a large amount of funding on two full time safety personnel and looking for a third so we have one in each office. We are also increasing safety and certification training. We have seen a positive side to this by lowering our modifier and reducing our insurance premium.
Texas thriving George Green, Vice President of Preconstruction VA Electric Houston, TX
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he construction field is constantly changing with technology, code and different types of buildings being built. The electrical industry in the Houston area is no different as the technology changes and the customers look for the new and different in their projects. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you heard of an increase or slowdown in business? Despite rumors of a slow down in construction due to political games, we have been experiencing quite the opposite, and with design firms still backed up, we don’t see it stopping abruptly or anytime soon. Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area? No. We are based in Texas and cover most of the state. The cat got out of the bag several years back about Texas having one of the strongest economies, and we have been fighting off non-local competition ever since. The vast majority of these outside contractors that sought to expand into Texas and have since retracted after taking their lumps. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? Skilled labor. The number of quality, skilled electricians, or young men/ women looking to pursue the trade is outweighed by the amount of positions
becoming available. What is on the horizon for your industry? Electrical materials and installation techniques are constantly evolving. These evolutions are largely focused around safety, reduction of energy consumption and production increases. A few specific items we keep an eye on include lighting fixtures, intelligent lighting controls and equipment/ installation testing requirements. With the recent emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry? This answer varies depending on building type. An easy answer would be lighting and lighting controls. Those two components usually equal, and often times exceed, the cost of all other electrical materials on new construction projects. Much of this is due to advancements in lighting fixtures and the ever-expanding use of lighting controls to include daylight harvesting. Another answer that often gets overlooked is mechanical system
What is on the horizon for your industry? We have invested in various software, more computers, ipads, cell phones and state-of-the-art tools. We are doing more training, preplanning, prefab and taking more emphasis on material and logistics. In simple terms, reducing task and steps on the project site.
Back in the ‘90s, we did a project at a research facility where high voltage cable grids were installed overhead in the interior of a large building. This was to mock up high voltage utility lines that we see in our cities and rural areas. Monkeys lived in this facility for years and were observed to see if the frequent exposure had any side effects or caused medical issues.
Have there been any significant code changes in the last year? Yes, related to the energy codes regarding lighting, lighting controls, daylight harvesting and automation of window shades in large buildings.
What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? I would say hiring. We have become a society that feels they are entitled to high wages and benefits when they have no experience. I had a friend tell me his son just started his first day as an intern at a large company and one of the other interns in the group asked, “I wonder how many hours they expect us to work?” That scares me when this type of mindset exists for potential new hires. I am seeing it too often.
With the recent emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally-friendly change relating to your industry? I think in the electrical industry it would be the disposal of incandescent, florescent lamps and ballast. You can’t dispose a large quantity when doing a demo project. I know Big State Electric is doing a better job recycling and collecting cardboard, pallets, etc. for recycling instead of throwing in the dumpster. We have been on some large projects when owners are seeking LEED Certification for silver, gold or platinum recognition for their buildings. On these projects you have multiple dumpster separating cardboard, pallets, scrap metal, sheetrock, trash, etc. to score points. Have you seen an increase in safety awareness? Yes, I would estimate a 30 percent increase in the last five years in our company. As a minimum, all our employees are OSHA 30 or OSHA 10 trained along with many other special certifications. What is the most unusual application of electricity you have seen?
demands. As building and insulation materials improve, so do the efficiencies of mechanical systems, which usually account for 25-plus percent of the tenant’s electric bill. Not only does this change get noticed monthly when your electric bill arrives, but your reductions in mechanical loads can also lead to reductions of service sizes saving you money up front on construction, or giving you extra capacity should you ever add equipment or realty. Has the theft of copper affected pricing of work? No, you will always have a few bad eggs but if you need to charge the customer for something they will never see nor use a better purchasing and
What are the rewards of the industry? The friends I have made and every project we complete and getting that warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment. I am very proud of our company name and I smile every time I see one of our trucks on the road or seeing our sign hanging on a new construction project. What are keys to being successful? I think finding people to work in your organization that are self- motivated, driven with a desire to be a servant and that are engaged daily. We all work hard in our organization but we try to have a little fun while we are doing it. Big State Electric Ltd. headquartered in San Antonio, with offices in Austin and Houston Texas, has been in business for over 50 years performing all facets of electrical services from 38 KV to low Voltage telephone/data cabling. –cmw
handling protocol should be put in place. What are keys to being successful? We are still looking for those keys, but persistence and making sure the people that we take care of at VA has gotten us pretty far in a short amount of time. Tell me about your company. VA Electric was formed at the tail end of 2013 with simple “old school” core values, a handful of good people, a couple of great customers and a desire to produce quality electrical services. Four years later, a few more great customers, and around three hundred employees later we still stick to the same simple core values today, just on a much larger scale. –cs
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
Upper management
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he Construction Management Association of America’s (CMAA) North Texas chapter hosted its 3rd Annual Awards Banquet May 24 at Irving’s DFW Sheraton. The event, which is the chapter’s largest of the year, honors outstanding achievement in the practice of construction management as well as local owners who support the chapter. –mjm Renovation/Modernization - Between $5 Million -$10 Million, Shields Elementary School, Cadence McShane
Buildings & New Construction – Between $15 Million – $30 Million, TCU Worth Hills Parking Garage, Hill & Wilkinson
Transportation – Less Than $50 Million, Bush Intercontinental Airport Runway 8L-26R, Huitt-Zollars
Buildings/New Construction – Less Than $15 Million, Preston Garage, Adolfson & Peterson
Public Works – Greater Than $15 Million, Shepherd Drive Drainage and Paving, Huitt-Zollars
Program Management – Buildings TCU Worth Hills Parking Garage HPM
The rarest bird
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L-R: An elated David Reynolds celebrates his albatross with golfing buddies Corey Kaiser and Johnny Coppage.
avid Reynolds, founder and CEO of DP Reynolds & Associates in Lewisville, recently experienced a golf rarity: An albatross (double eagle) at hole #18 par 5 at The Lakes at Castle Hills. After a good drive off the tee box, he was 204 yards out needing to hit over a creek and onto an elevated green… …and then into the hole, which he did. Some put the chances of making an albatross at about 1 million to 1, while others believe it’s actually 6 million to 1. Up to that moment, Reynolds had not even made a difficult-but-a-bit-morecommon hole in one. “It was unreal,” Reynolds said of the moment he and his two friends walked up to the hole to verify what they thought they had just witnessed. “We were like three little kids walking up there because we had a premonition it was in the hole, but we weren’t positive. We walked up, and there it was laying down at the bottom of the cup. It was surreal.” “The good part of the story was that one of the other players who was a 22 handicap, receiving one stroke on the
Transportation – Greater Than $100 Million, United Airlines IAH New Terminal C North, VRX Inc.
hole for a $5 per hole bet, hit on the green in two shots and made a 15ft. putt for his first ever eagle to cover up the albatross,” Reynolds says. “It was really a celebratory moment.” And about that bet … “I came out on the short end because when you hit a hole in one, the rule of thumb is that you buy everyone a drink at the 19th hole, which is the bar,” Reynolds says, laughing. “So really, it was a mute point because I was buying everyone drinks.” The story, however, remains priceless. –mjm
This scorecard was no doubt a pleasure to fill out – check out the circles!
★★★
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Buildings/New Construction – Greater Than $30 Million, Farmer Bros. Coffee Manufacturing Plant and Headquarters Faithful + Gould
Renovation/Modernization - Less Than $5 Million, Stephan Pyles’ Flora St. Café, Structure Tone Southwest
CMAA President Steven Solka and Project Award Chair Nicole Countryman
Independence Day ★★★
ndependence Days has long been marked as a patriotic day and have often taken place outdoors. Families often celebrate Independence Day by having picnics or barbeques or just an opportunity to gather with family and friends. 241 years ago, the United States declared their independence from Great Britain’s rule. The legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain actually occurred on July 2 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia in June. After voting for independence, Congress turned their attention to the Declaration of Independence, which merely explained the decision for independence. Prepared by a committee of
five, Thomas Jefferson, the primary author, the document’s contents had been debated and revised by Congress, giving final approval two days later on July 4. The one year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was commemorated by thirteen gunshots fired in salute, once in the morning and once again as evening fell on July 4, 1777 in Bristol, RI. Congress made the Fourth of July an unpaid holiday in 1870, but in 1938, Congress changed the Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence to later serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. -cmw
Construction’s Wonder Woman
Many in our industry have been waiting for an update on Ann Busker of Rogers-O’Brien, who we featured in Construction News’ February issue. At the time of the article, Busker was awaiting a kidney transplant, as her possible organ donor was undergoing time-consuming tests and interviews. We are happy to report that Busker’s donor was approved and the transplant was successfully performed in May. Busker said her new kidney started working immediately and she feels better than she has felt in ages, even with a few new allergies and side effects to medications. She even felt well enough to attend a screening of “Wonder Woman” with her daughter last month. We’d say that’s a fitting celebration! –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Celebration of subcontractors
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he American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) North Texas chapter hosted its annual awards program Jun. 8. The event, hosted at Irving’s DFW Airport Marriott, honored members for their outstanding contributions, including the late Pat O’Brien of Rogers O’Brien, who was honored with the association’s “Impact Award,” and the Construction Education Foundation (CEF) on its 20th anniversary. –mjm
Subcontractor $0-1 million, Encore Mechanical, Keller ISD South Early Learning Center
Outstanding General Contractor $2 -$20 Million (Platinum) MEDCO Construction Chase Oaks Church Sloan Creek Campus
Outstanding General Contractor $20-$50 Million (Platinum) Rogers-O’Brien Cypress Water Development
Architect of the Year GFF
Safety Award: Division I Holder Construction Group
Safety Award: Division I GMi
Outstanding General Contractor Under $2 Million (Platinum) MEDCO Construction Adolescent & Young Oncology Coalition at Baylor All Saints Medical
Individual Award Fred Wilshusen
Beacon Award – Volunteer of the Year Kristie Martin-Migi, FC Background
Engineer of the Year, Romine Romine & Burgess Inc.
Safety Award: Division III Haley-Greer, Inc. Subcontractor $15 + Million (Platinum) Walker Engineering Raytheon Intellicenter Subcontractor $10-$15 Million (Platinum) Walker Engineering Turtle Creek Offices Subcontractor $5-$10 Million(Platinum) Walker Engineering Inc. T5 at Dallas - Project “Wizard” Administration Building Subcontractor $1-3 Million (Platinum) Walker Engineering Inc. Preston Garage
Safety Award: Divison III MEDCO Construction
Not pictured: Critical Electric Systems Group, $3-5 Million (Platinum), Pizza Hut
Having a shell ol’ time!
Industry FOLKS Melisa Byron Administrative Specialist Kevco Electrical Construction Inc. Grand Prairie, TX
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or Melisa Byron, taking a job last year as an administrative specialist at Kevco Electrical Construction Inc. is what she calls “totally new thing” career wise. “I have always worked retail, and this was my first full-time job” she explains. “This was a big jump, an exciting new thing to try to get into something new that I’ve never experienced before.” Her trust fall was in good hands. “Kevco is owned by my stepdad, Kevin Richardson, and my brother Blake is the office manager,” Byron says. “I used to come into the office and help my mom with paperwork. He came to me a little over a year ago and asked if I wanted to come in and work full-time in March of 2016. “I came in and I’ve been taught a lot,” Byron continues. “They’ve answered a lot of questions that I had and actually, it’s worked out really well. It’s been a good thing; I’ve enjoyed it.”
Byron has two daughters and one granddaughter. She and her husband Charles, who were high school sweethearts, celebrate their 25th anniversary in October. When she’s not running around for her kids or working, she has several ways to regroup. “I like to read,” she says. “I love the beach and just be outside and swim. I love spending time with family, being social with my friends, catching up and going to dinner.” With work, family and fun in balance, Byron is looking forward to what the future holds. “I’d like to continue with Kevco and just keep doing the work that I’m doing now and, of course, learn new things as they come in,” she says. “Professionally and personally, I would just like to keep on the same track that I’m on right now.”
1st place team: Burnsco
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ulled guns and pulled beef – the National Utility Contractors Association’s (NUCA) North Texas chapter ensured May 24 was full of both! The association’s 4th annual PORKaPULLuza Clay Shoot, hosted at Lewisville’s Dallas Gun Club, was a three-flight day of capping clay, biting into barbecue, and pulling for prizes. –mjm First Place Team: Burnsco Construction High Individual: Cotton Raley (96) Flurry Tie: Carson Collier/Mike Dennison and KC Arwine and John Howard Kane PHOTO CREDIT: Gary Bihary
Cotton Raley scored as the shoot’s high individual.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
A-plus trades
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inety-eight apprentices representing nine trades celebrated the end of a four-year journey Jun. 15. The Construction Education Foundation (CEF) hosted its annual graduation ceremony at Irving’s Westin Hotel, acknowledging all of the graduates for their efforts and sacrifices as they mastered their trades. –mjm
STP
Construction Management
Pipefitting
Welding
PHCC Plumbing
HVAC
Sheet Metal
Plumbing
Electrical
Remembering the journey
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ometimes when things don’t work out, they do. Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and Associated General Contractors (AGC) had unsuccessfully attempted a merger in 1994. However, just because the two associations weren’t combining into one didn’t mean they couldn’t train together, and Construction Education Foundation Inc. (CEF) was created. “Starting in the first quarter of 1995, there was a vision committee that met weekly for an entire year to try and figure out how to mesh the training programs that existed into one organization that would offer construction education,” CEF president and executive director Jane Hanna says. “There was no staff, no logo, nothing! But there were programs that had been successful for both groups, so that was the determination.” As the vision team continued to meet in 1995, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) became CEF’s third sponsoring association. Hanna, who had been with ABC since 1977 and was serving its vice president of education at the time, was recruited to lead CEF. Under her two decades of guidance, she has grown CEF from a staff of three people, 50 training companies PHOTO CREDIT: Kenneth Houston Photography
The CEF staff: (seated, l-r) Joanna Noble, Jane Hanna, Lori Purviance, (standing, l-r) Jeff Porter, Patty Scroggins, Raelee Johnson, Jackie Coulson, Denise McIntire, Lily Gonzales, Kate Bossard, Beth Reynolds, Cindy Leslie and Robb Gentry
and a budget of $126,000 to staff of ten, a much larger budget and nearly 300 companies training. Hanna says CEF’s work isn’t just professional, it’s personal. “One side is what we do for industry,” she says. “Companies send these individuals to us to upgrade their craft professional skills, as in trades training, or their career development skills, like a journeyman upgrade. We have those individuals anywhere from one semester all the way up to eight semesters of trades training. Our job during that period of time is to pull their skills forward so that person can do the job well, safely, on time and on budget. On the craft side, our job is to turn out someone who is a journeyman and then master in their trade. “The heart issue of it,” Hanna continues, “is that we also know that when these people in training leave us, they leave with an enhanced skill set that helps them make a better living for themselves, a better living for their families and better citizens for our communities. It’s an add-on to the whole economic engine of the state of Texas and North Texas.” CEF is an industry-driven organization governed by a board of directors appointed by TEXO (ABC and AGC) and ASA. “Our job as staff is to listen to industry, work with industry experts to produce excellence in workforce development classes for the North Texas market,” said Hanna. To celebrate two decades of success, CEF hosted an anniversary dinner Apr. 27 at Las Colinas’ La Cima Club. “It was fabulous,” CEF’s special events and facilities manager Lori Purviance says. “We had the founding board members, the vision committee, the first group that started the trade councils and almost all of our past chairman from 1996 there. We had industry people there, along with ASA’s Beverly Reynal and TEXO’s Meloni McDaniel.” After walking down memory lane, staff that had served CEF for 15 and 20 years received tenure awards. For them and for the guests, the evening helped them see how far CEF had come. “We say this around here a lot, that we just climb the mountain, get to the top, stick the flag in the summit and go right back down the other side of the mountain
so we can climb the next one. We never sit down or talk about the climb, the journey or how we got there,” Hanna says. “At the dinner, I told everyone that the intent of the night was that we were going to sit on the summit and remember these last 20 years, the jagged edges and rugged stones, but also those grassy knolls, lush valleys and smooth slopes. The best is yet to be” –mjm
L-R: Founding Trade Council members Steve Kennedy (Amber Electrical), Frank Dale (Frank Dale Construction), James Belota (DynaTen Corp) and Steve Humphrey Jr. (Humphrey & Associates)
L-R: Founding board members Gary Coulson (Brandt), Frank Dale (Frank Dale Construction), Buddie Barnes (Dee Brown), Fritz McKinstry (Hill & Wilkinson), Jack Lowe (TDIndustries), Dan Ruehs (Texas AirSystems) and TDIndustries’ Bob Ferguson
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
Round-Up TDIndustries announced the following:
AIA - Dallas
NAWIC - Dallas
American Institute of Architects
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
July 13: North Texas Sustainable Showcase, Plano Event Center, 2000 E. Spring Pkwy., Plano, 8am
July 13: Block Kids July 19: Mixer event
NAWIC - Fort Worth
AIA - Fort Worth
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
American Institute of Architects
July 20: Industry appreciation event, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N., Fort Worth, 5:30pm
July 13: North Texas Sustainable Showcase, Plano Event Center, 2000 E. Spring Pkwy., Plano, 8am
NTRCA
ASA – N. Tx.
N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.
American Subcontractors Assn.
July 12: Meeting, International Bowling Museum, 621 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, 11:30am
July 13: 2017 Bowling Tournament, AMF Euless, 1901 Airport Fwy., Euless, 5pm July 27: Luncheon membership meeting, Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N O’Connor Rd., Irving, 11:15am BPI/legal message, 11am registration, 12pm lunch and program
CFMA Construction Financial Mgmt Assn.
July 20: Membership meeting, Hackberry Creek Country Club, 1901 W. Royal Ln., Irving, 11:30am
DACA
DFW Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Assn.
July 26: Membership meeting, Courtyard Marriott TownePlace Suites, 2200 Bass Pro Ct., Grapevine, 11:30am
ECAT Earth Moving Contractors Assn. of Tx.
July 21-23: Annual meeting, Holiday Inn NW Sea World, San Antonio; for more info, call (325) 340-8370
IEC - Fort Worth Independent Electrical Contractors
Jul. 13: Lunch & Learn, IEC Training Facility, 5811 E. Berry St., Fort Worth, 11:30am
NARI
TDIndustries announces the promotion of Andrew Kobe to vice president and business manager for process solutions. Kobe has led the preconstruction and sales for process solutions since 2015. Kobe is a graduate of Ferris State University and began his career at TDIndustries in 2008 as a summer intern and was one of the first interns to be hired prior to completing his senior year. Kobe’s notable projects include the Triquint Semiconductor (now Qorvo) and Cook Children’s Hospital.
TDIndustries announces the promotion of Hattie Peterson to senior vice president of marketing and communications. Peterson, who recently held the title of vice president of marketing and communications and has led the department since 2014, brings 20 years of experience to her position. Prior to employment at TDIndustries, Peterson held marketing leadership roles with three engineering/ architectural firms. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a degree in Business Administration/Marketing.
Tayloe Call has joined KWA Construction as executive vice president. In his new role, he will oversee daily operation and work with president Brian Webster in all of the firm’s initiatives. Call previously served as president of LECESSE Construction Services, senior vice president at Bozzuto Construction Company, project executive at Branch & Associates and project superintendent at Marshall Erdman & Associates. Call earned his Bachelor’s degree from South Dakota University and his Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.
Jeffrey Brown has joined general contractor Structure Tone Southwest’s Dallas office as director of business development. In this role, Brown will help the firm continue to develop its client relationships and projects throughout North Texas. Brown, who previously worked at CBRE, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.
PMI – Dallas Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.
July 8: Breakfast meeting, Marriott Courtyard Plano at Legacy Park, 6840 North Dallas Pkwy, Plano, 9:30am July 13: Dinner meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 6:30pm July 28: Lunch and Learn (Dallas), Jason’s Deli – Addison Walk, 5000 Belt Line Rd., Dallas, 11:30am July 28: Lunch and Learn (Plano), Café Express – Shops at Legacy, 5800 Legacy Dr., Plano, 11:30am
SAM Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex
July 6: Dinner meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, 6pm
TSWCCG Tx. State-Wide Construction Credit Group
July 20-21: Meeting, Beaumont Ranch, 10736 CR 102, Grandview
TPWA Tx. Public Works Assn.
July 15: Bullseye (Young Members Event)
USGBC – N. Tx.
Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
U.S. Green Building Council
July 11: NARI Night, Ferguson in Grapevine, 512 E. Dallas Rd., Grapevine, 6pm July 27: Women in NARI (WIN) Blue Mesa Grill, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 11:30am
July 13: North Texas Sustainable Showcase, Plano Event Center, 2000 E. Spring Pkwy., Plano, 8am
Courtney Emich Spellicy has joined AECOM to grow the firm’s Buildings + Places (B+P) practice in Dallas. In her role, Spellicy will help increase the AECOM’s design presence in multiple markets, including North Texas. Spellicy brings 11 years of experience in architecture, engineering and construction to her new role, and was previously employed by Campos Engineering and The Beck Group. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Dallas.
Baker Triangle is pleased to announce the promotion of Preston Pressley to Vice President, Business Development and Marketing. Pressley has been with Baker Triangle for six years and is a graduate of Texas A & M University.
Round-Up Submissions
This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month). Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio
saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin austineditor@constructionnews.net Dallas/Ft. Worth dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston houstoneditor@constructionnews.net
The tassels have turned!
It was their largest graduating class ever! The Independent Electrical Contractors Association’s (IEC) Dallas chapter graduated 99 students Jun. 19 at Irving Convention Center. Congratulations, grads! –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
New again
JOB SIGHTS
Aguirre & Fields’ president Mark Gribble and Intertek’s Doyle Smith
Juan Campos of Grand Prairie general contractor BLH Building Inc. is kicking up some dust! Campos is helping to transform the former (and iconic) Sally’s Floral Shop at 4215 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth into an attorney’s office. In addition to preserving the shop’s refrigerated case, the new owners also hope to repurpose the shop’s sign. Construction will be slated for completion this summer. –mjm
Aguirre & Fields employees Geoff Scheid, Jena Foster, Eugene Lee, Emily Wohlgemuth, Elizabeth Hazzard, Cesar Razo, Eric Schluter and Amanda Quisenberry
f Aguirre & Fields’ new address – 5320 N. Tarrant Pkwy. in Fort Worth – sounds familiar, that’s understandable: The engineering and planning firm’s previous office was only steps away in the same business park. However, business has been booming, and the firm needed room to grow. “We had some unanticipated growth, but it’s a good problem to have,” office manager Eugene Lee PE says. On Jun. 6, Aguirre & Fields hosted an open house to celebrate its recent move and invited members of the industry to tour the new space. “This was a shell space, so we had involvement with the floor plan, material selection, color selection, even the light fixtures and the HVAC in the space. We have 10 employees right now, and this
space has the capacity for 21,” Lee says. “It’s pretty exciting that we have a custom space that we’re able to reside in right now.” –mjm
Aaron Stevens of Lambert Construction gets to work on the remodel of a retail space and an adjoining Little Caesars in Fort Worth. –mjm
Wade Trim’s Mark Schluter and Aguirre & Fields’ COO Dave Lubitz PE
Tarek Jamal, striping extraordinaire at TNJ at Arlington, gives a Fort Worth Tiger Mart parking lot a facelift with a bit of white paint. –mjm
David Swinney of plumbing subcontractor RV Construction gets the ground ready for new pipes that will service Fort Worth’s newest Boomer Jack’s. Moore Construction Management serves as the general contractor of the project, which is slated for completion in August. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • July 2017