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Volume 14
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Number 8
AUGUST 2017
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Renegade-run business
Branching out
He may seem a little on the wild side, but Justin Silcox is taking a conservative approach to his new company.
L-R: Sergio Serrano, branch manager Randy Towns and Chris Trimble are ready to welcome customers to National Trench Safety’s new Fort Worth location.
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ustin Silcox glances down at his tattooed arms with a self-explanatory chuckle when asked why he named his company Renegade Concrete LLC. But it’s his back tattoo asserting, “I am my family’s keeper” that explains how this renegade will be as a business owner. Being part of a construction family is second nature to Silcox. He started off in his uncle’s drywall and framing business, even moving from Texas to Las Vegas to make his mark on casino, hotel, school, water treatment plant and high-rise projects. When the construction market fell in 2010, he returned to Texas and secured work at Turner Construction as part of a self-perform group. Happy with the company but wanting to expand his
expertise, he joined DPR Construction as a project engineer five years later, just as it was building a concrete division. He was soon tackling high-profile projects such as the Facebook data center and the downtown Dallas Union project. While he enjoyed the work, he kept revisiting an entrepreneurial dream he’d had since childhood, and decided to establish his own Bedford-based concrete business. “Between the knowledge that I’ve gathered from Turner and DPR, and the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained from my time in construction, I might as well give it a shot,” he says. Silcox mastered typical new business continued on Page 17
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onstruction in Cowtown just got safer. Houston-based National Trench Safety LLC opened its 32nd branch location in Fort Worth, strengthening its presence in the Metroplex markets. The company, which specializes in the rental and sales of trench and traffic safety equipment, trench and traffic safety engineering and OSHA-compliant training classes, operates in the United States and England. The newest dedicated trench and safety branch, located at 10301 Blue Mound Road, will mirror the company’s Irving location. Also located in Irving is NTS’ specialty location dedicated to traffic paint and
ancillary products. The Fort Worth branch was added to better service contractors in the area. “Fort Worth is an important extension for our Dallas operation to allow us to continue to service our customer base,” NTS president Ron Chilton says. “We’ve had very strong growth out of the Dallas operation since we’ve opened the branch, which is a testament to the service levels provided by the Dallas team. As we looked at the market, to continue to provide the service levels and response times our customers expect, we needed to add another branch location.” continued on Page 17
Center forward
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ancaster has enjoyed a steady growth in its distribution, manufacturing and retail sectors, and in February added another jewel to its distribution crown, thanks to general contractor Arch-Con Construction and client Denver-based developer Huntington Industrial Partners. Park 20 Distribution Center, located at 3201 N. Houston School Rd., goes beyond a basic concrete building and instead strikes a stylish mix of form and function. The 468,000-sf tilt-wall, crossdock distribution center, designed by architect Mike Meinhardt of Meinhardt & Associates Architects, boasts a 32-ft clear height nestled on a 36-acre site. A few challenges met the Arch-Con Dallas team as they began work on the project. During the grading of this site, limestone was encountered and 14 ft. of rock had to be removed to get to subgrade. Not to be outdone, Mother
Nature proved to be the largest hurdle for the team, with nearly two months of weather delays largely affecting the placement of concrete and other critical path activities. Efforts to overcome the rain impacts included increasing overtime and weekend work, needing additional equipment and keeping access roads accessible for work to progress. The project includes a foundation consisting of piers ranging from 18ft. to 36ft. in diameter at various depths with a 6-in. slab on grade and 8¾-in. tilt-wall panels. The structural steel was erected and decking was pinned down followed by roofing insulation and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) material. A total of 101 overhead doors were installed in the facility, and, to finish the space, the walls received textured paint with three accent colors. Arch-Con Construction delivered on Lancaster’s new Park 20 Distribution Center.
continued on Page 17
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
Ancient art revisited
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New and improved
wo months after moving from their former cramped quarters, Braun Intertec staff welcomed guests to see the geotechnical, environmental consulting and testing firm’s new Arlington office located at 2436 E. Randol Mill Rd. From the company timeline featured on a freshly-painted wall to the spacious offices, guests during their tour at Jul. 20 open house. –mjm
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Joe A. Lambert, Terracon, made this stone relief carving reproduction.
ith Terracon for about 16 years, Joe A. Lambert has worked on a wide range of environmental assessment, subsurface investigation, remediation, and indoor air quality projects. Meanwhile, at home, he works on stone reproductions of carvings from Mayan, Toltec and Aztec pyramids. Born in Vienna, Austria, Lambert’s father was a career State Department diplomat, and he grew up traveling the world. He was raised in Germany, Sri Lanka (which was called Ceylon at the time), Panama, Brazil, and Mexico. Between assignments, Lambert and his family would come back to Washington D.C. for short stateside stays. After graduating from Miami of Ohio in Oxford, OH with his bachelor’s degree in natural sciences – he also took a graduate course in geology and environmental science from the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP)–Lambert began his career in Mexico.
Some of Lambert’s reproductions were made from molds taken from archaeological sites in Mexico and some were made from other reproductions.
While there, he met his wife, Sylvia, and he began visiting archaeological ruins, where he was able to take molds of the original carvings on the sites. He notes that today, access to the pyramids and such sites would be much more difficult, and under these circumstances, he has taken molds from artist reproductions or repro-ductions available through government stores. “I took a mold off the plasteone and made it into stone,” recalls Lambert. “The advantage to having [the carving] in the stone is that they can also be put outside. They’re not going to deteriorate, just like if it were an original carving.” To reproduce the stone carvings, Lambert uses a mortar and cement with different dyes, and the final result is actually poured stone that looks very authentic. “I’ve given away a few of them, not only to friends but also for charity benefit auctions,” he says. “I’ve sold some of them to people who wanted them and kept the rest. And I’m always looking around for a new one to do. Most of them have relatively limited production where I do anywhere from six to 10 of them. I also have a decent collection [of my own]. I still travel frequently to Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, always on the lookout for reproductions of indigenous or preColumbian pieces.” Lambert and his wife love to travel, both domestically and internationally. They have three daughters: Denise, Sophia, and Leslie. With Sylvia being from Monterrey, Mexico originally, Spanish the primary language spoken in their home, and so Lambert is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. He has a bonsai collection, and the family lives on a few acres in the Hill Country, where Lambert says there is always something to do. –mh
The Braun Intertec staff enjoys their new Arlington office space.
Braun Intertec’s Ben Web and Andrew Vargas
Braun Intertec’s Stacy Hicks, Rachel Landrum and Michelle O’Quinn
L-R: Braun Intertec’s William Gamblin and Terra-Solve’s Perry Evans
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Building the next generation
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Construction News ON LOCATION
Thirty years door
Nearly 60 girls attended the Block Kids event.
he construction industry may have a labor shortage, but there is no shortage of young ladies who are enthusiastic about construction! United Rentals and Kiewit teamed up with Girls Inc. and the National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) Dallas chapter to host a “Block Kids” event. “The purpose of this event is to introduce young girls, ages 6-15, to the construction industry,” United Rentals outside sales rep and NAWIC executive
board member Laurel Wesson says. “This year, we had 57 girls attend.” In addition to a building challenge, the girls listened to a women’s panel of industry experts, learned construction safety tips from Kiewit’s safety coordinator Edward Garcia, went through a MetaPosture stretching routine and got a closer look at construction equipment. The event ended with the girls swinging at piñatas supplied by United Rentals. –mjm
The girls perform a MetaPosture stretching routine.
Construction News ON LOCATION
Weld, whataya know?
Oscar Garcia of Garcia’s Welding knows all about providing businesses with fence welding, chainlink and even barbwire fences to make neighbors good ones. –mjm
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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.
Outside sales representative Donald Staggs began working at Weatherford’s Texas Door and Window in February, but he’s no newcomer – he has three decades of construction industry experience! –mjm
Happy to be of service
Engineering firm JQ officially launched its “Day of Service” initiative in its Texas offices to encourage employees to contribute to their communities as a team. The Dallas office will donate its hours to Trinity River Audubon Center, Dallas Life and North Texas Food Bank. The Fort Worth office will volunteer at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Humane Society of North Texas.– mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
Willie E. King Jr. Owner The Basement Kings Fairview, TX
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ust try to tell Willie E. King Jr. that he can’t build a basement in Texas, or win every major martial arts competition in the United States, or live with as many of his relatives and loved ones as he can build a house around. The owner of The Basement Kings would not only do it, but also enjoy the challenge. Tell me about your upbringing. I was born in Los Angeles, CA; we were there for a while, but I wasn’t raised there. We were a traveling family. My father built swimming pools and was a top swimming pool supervisor. We would move to a different city again and again, where my father would train every employee to do the job. We would work there for a while and then someone would offer my father more money and we would pack up and move to the next city. We lived in Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and we were moving back to California when my father was offered a job for a weekend here in Texas. When the person hiring him saw how good he was in Texas, they bought my father a house, we stayed there, and my father worked until he retired. Did you often help him build swimming pools? I started working with my father when I was 9. He paid me $10 per swimming pool at first for gunite. I shoveled all day long. He taught me a little bit how to finish, and then taught me to run the gun that all of the concrete was running through. Then my father took over the steel side, and we started tying steel in the swimming pool. I did that until I was in high school. When I was 17, I was one of the best steel tiers in Dallas, but I packed up my bags and moved away from home. I was a colonel in ROTC and I wanted to go into the military because the sharpest of sharp cadets were at West Point. That’s where I dreamt of going. I spent all of my summers working and I made enough money in the summer. I put myself through my last two years of high school and nine years of college. I didn’t go to West Point; I had a hernia, so I went to Kemper Military in Missouri. While I was there, I got disillusioned with how the military actually worked. It wasn’t the way I envisioned.
Willie E. King Jr. was honored with “Best of Fairview” in 2015.
What did you decide to do when your dream didn’t work out? I was practicing martial arts back then, and won my first tournament as a blue belt. Then when I got my brown belt, they started paying me money every time I won. I got a sponsor and started traveling all around the country competing in tournaments. It paid my way through college, and I graduated in 1992 with an Associates in Accounting, a Bachelors in Finance, Banking and Institution and my other Bachelors in Business Economics. What happened after college? A friend and I bought a small computer company, a small office supply company and a small wiring cable company because those were hot commodities for military bases. We called it “The AFTYN Group” which stood for “Any Freaking Thing You Need” because we didn’t know what we really wanted to do. During the financial crisis in 2009, I had to close up shop, even though we had perfect credit, because banks were closing lines of credit. After the computer company closed, my girlfriend and I decided we wanted to build a house, and we were trying to find someone to build it with a basement – but we couldn’t find anybody! It blew my mind because I knew I could do it in my sleep after digging all of those holes in Texas and putting in all of those swimming pools. I called my uncle and sat down with my father and they agreed that I could do it, and I did. When I built my basement, all of these builders started putting their business cards on my door. I literally went into business overnight! My house then became my show home. I started consulting for basements. Let me tell you, people like to ask questions when it comes to basements. It got to the point where I thought that maybe I should write a book because if they read it, they wouldn’t ask me the questions anymore. Such as? “How do you breathe down there? There is no air down there!” or “Will the tectonic plates shifting crack the walls?” or “The water table in Texas is so high that when you dig a hole, will it fill up with water?” And, they would also tell me the soil is bad in Texas. This is the thing: Texas is one of the weirdest states in the U.S. We have every soil indicative of the entire United States right here, so you can’t say the soil is bad in Texas. You have to say where the soil is bad in Texas, if it’s bad at all. Every reason someone says you can‘t have a basement can be totally dispelled. So did you write that book? I published “Building Basements: The Definitive Book About Basements” in 2011. It started selling on Amazon, and then Barnes an Noble picked it up, and now it’s for sale online at Wal-Mart. You’ll never believe where I sell more copies than anywhere else: Europe –where they call them “Million Dollar Basements” in England – and in the Middle East. So many people think that basements should just be for residential purposes, but you want people to know that you do a very good business in commercial spaces. Even though we build and repair basements, we do a lot of waterproofing. Water is coming up to the sides of foundations and we are waterproofing slab foundations for commercial businesses right now. It’s the number one growing business for us right now in commercial building; it’s keeping us busy and I am loving it! We did the Preston Tower and the elevator shaft and first floor of First National Bank off Preston Road. We’ve been waterproofing slab foundations for the Dollar Store, and have done 10 of those in the past year. We’re waterproofing a lot of parking garages as well.
Willie E. King Jr. started in swimming pools as a kid and parlayed his skills in to a successful basement business.
A lot of people may not believe in global warming but let me tell you, there’s been a change. For the last eight years, I’ve been working and making all of my money in the rainy season and doing construction in the summertime. For the last three years, I haven’t had a “rainy” season; it’s been continual rain. We had over 200 tornadoes in Texas last year! Basements are very beneficial for commercial spaces – basements are free space! Right now you go into rental properties where they can’t give away the space, but imagine if those spaces had basements. Those spaces would rent out much easier to companies that have a lot of inventory to put in the basement and use the floor space for retail. Also, this year, we’ve started to do crawlspaces. Right now, that’s what my focus is on. Working seven days a week, you likely don’t have much free time, but do you enjoy any hobbies or interests outside of work? I used to go on vacation every six months. I love the rain forest and the cloud forest. I like Central America and South America; I love the jungle. I’ve been to Macchu Picchu, to New Zealand, and have done some diving. Martial arts was taking up all of my free time. But one of my students created software, a digital scoring system for competitions. Since martial arts tournaments are in the back ages, everything is still done with pencil and paper. I spent almost all of last year traveling to martial arts tournaments every weekend selling it. It’s revolutionized scoring martial arts tournament competitions. Do you still compete in martial arts? I stopped competing; I had a double hernia and I had back surgery. I would love to compete, but I’ve already won everything that there is that I wanted to win. I’ve won every major tournament in the United States, in my time, at least twice. I no longer teach regular martial arts classes; I only train black belts who are competing. Tell me about your family. I’m still with my girlfriend. Her sister has lived with us for 30 years. My girlfriend’s parents lived with us until they passed. My mother passed about five years ago, but my father still lives with me today. My daughter also lives with us. That’s incredible! You must be the best roommate ever! Well, the good part about it is every floor of my home has a master bedroom and we have seven bathrooms in that house. It’s possible not to have to see anybody. That’s the secret! Yes! My father said, “If you build it, they will come,” and I built it, and they came, and they never left!
Are you still living in the show home that you built your first basement in? Yes, I tried to sell it five years ago, but my family refused to let me! The house that I’m ready to build has a two-story basement. What are you going to keep in this two-story basement? My family! Really I just want to build a steel-frame two-story home with an elevator and the two levels of basement. I’m going to store all of my supplies and work from out of my home. I’m ready to build it now, but I’m just trying to talk my family into it. Are you surprised that this is the direction your life took? People tell me that I’m a legend in my own mind and that I live in my own world, and that’s pretty much the truth. I see things different than anybody else. I do not let people tell me what I cannot do, and I don’t even listen to them to the point where it bothers me. People can tell me I’m crazy, and I literally don’t even hear the words. I always knew I was going to own my own business, but I just thought I was going into the service and thought that when I retired, I was going to buy a company and do something construction-related. I’ve always wanted to own my own company. My father taught me that no one is going to pay me what I’m worth. I felt like if I stayed in the military until I retired, I would have a pension. But I don’t see retirement as my goal. Like right now, I’ve discovered that I’m a diabetic and my doctor let me know that I needed to lose weight. All I did was start going out to work with my guys. I’ve lost all of the weight I need to, I don’t eat any sugar because I’m working and so focused on the job, I’m enjoying myself. Diabetes saved my life. I’m out here on the job where I’m really happy and I’m doing more business out here than in the office because most companies want to see the person in charge. Those people are forwarding me so much business that I cannot keep up. As I said, we’re working seven days a week. And as of last month, I’m no longer considered diabetic, they took me off of the medication. That’s terrific! Well, if retirement isn’t your goal, tell me about the last chapter of your story. I’m going to buy a couple of houses in Central America and I’m going to retire outside the United States. I’m going to build basements, some may be in the Middle East and some in Central America because it’s getting hotter and those places, with a basement, only need a fan. I think I could sell them. The Basement Kings provides basement services, including 3-D modeling, structural engineering, construction, waterproofing and repair services.-mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Winning big at state
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wenty-nine Outstanding Construction Awards were handed out at the AGC-Texas Building Branch convention held Jun. 18 – 21 at The Coeur D’Alene Resort in Idaho. Among the winners were (no photos available): Building ($0 – 2M) Barsh Construction (Centex) – Waco Surgical Arts Building ($2 – 5M) Barsh Construction (Centex) – Dewey Park Community Center Design Build ($0 – 10M) CWA Construction Inc. (Centex) – Allen Samuels Alfa Romero Flat Design Build (Over $30 M) Hunt-Zachry, A Joint Venture (San Antonio) – Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Expansion
Interior Finish-Out ($2 – 5M) Daniels Building & Construction Inc. (Southeast Texas) – Capital One – Beaumont – Edison Plaza Build-Out
Historical Renovation Mazanec Construction Co Inc. (Centex) – First Baptist Waco – Sanctuary & Other Facility Renovations
Residential Multi-Family Andres Construction Services (TEXO) – Ablon at Frisco Square
Health Care ($10 – 30M) Linbeck Group LLC (TEXO) – Cook Children’s Alliance Phase 1 Industrial/Warehouse ($0 – 5M) Weldon Contractors (TEXO) – American Airlines HDQ2 CUP Renovation Mechanical 3 (Over $10M) The Brandt Companies LLC (TEXO) – The Star Electrical 2 ($5 – 10M) Alterman Inc. (San Antonio) – Bexar Metro 9-1-1 Network District Regional Emergency Operations Center
Health Care ($0-10M): F.A. Nunnelly Company (San Antonio) Baptist Emergency Center – NW Military
Other Specialty Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing (TEXO) – Frisco Multi-Use Special Event Center & Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters
Industrial/Warehouse (Over $5M) Pecos Construction LLC – American Airlines Headquarters 1&2 Cooling Towers Replacement
Interior Finish-Out ($500K – 2M) Mazanec Construction Co. Inc. (Centex) – Margaret & Weldon Ratcliff Performance Center
Interior Finish-Out ($0 – 500K) Barrett Building Company (Centex) – KellumRotan Addition – Dr. Pepper Museum
Building ($30 – 75M) J.T. Vaughn Construction LLC (Houston) – Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
Interior Finish-Out (Over $5M) Turner Construction Company (San Antonio) – Statoil North American Headquarters T.I.
Electrical 1 ($0 – 5M) Walker Engineering Inc. (TEXO) – Preston Garage
Building ($10 – 30M) Turner Construction (San Antonio) – Thomas Jefferson HS Renovation SAISD
Electrical 3 (Over $10M) Walker Engineering Inc. (Houston) – Houston Marriott Marquis Hotel
Specialty Construction Guido Construction (San Antonio) – Shops at Rivercenter Mall
Exteriors KSC Inc. (TEXO) – University of Texas Dallas – Parking Structure Phase 4
Mechanical 1 ($0 – 5M) MLN Company (Houston) – Independence Plaza
Interiors Southeast Texas Drywall LLC (Southeast Texas) – Education First Federal Credit Union
Building ($5 – 10M) Linbeck Group LLC (Houston) – The Kinkaid School Dining & Learning Center Design Build ($10 – 30M) Linbeck Group LLC (Centex) – Baylor University Hankamer Cashion Reutilization Health Care (Over $30M) Linbeck Group LLC (Houston) – Houston Methodist Outpatient Center (OPC)
Building (Over $75M) J.T. Vaughn Construction LLC (Houston) – George R. Brown Convention Center Improvements Office Building & Garage
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
Simplifying Sales and Use Tax: A 4-part checklist
Why Should Contractors Care About Cyber Exposures?
Stephanie Thomas, CPA Principal Thomas, Thomas & Thomas PC Houston, TX
Stan Gregory, Safety & Risk Consultant INSURICA San Antonio, TX
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hile many construction firms find sales and use tax laws to be almost impossible to understand, answering four simple questions about your construction project will help you understand your Texas sales and use tax responsibilities. Identifying the property type, project type, contract type and entity type at the beginning of a project will help you determine your sales tax responsibilities. Once those questions have been answered, understanding your sales tax responsibilities will be a lot simpler. 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. 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. 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. 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 relating to new construction projects performed for taxable entities. Determining the contract type is very important for new construction projects. If the new construction project is performed pursuant to a lump sum contract, the contractor pays sales tax on the incorporated materials, consumable
supplies and equipment rentals. Sales tax is not invoiced to the customer. If the new construction project is performed pursuant to a separated contract, the contractor can purchase incorporated materials tax free by issuing a resale certificate to the supplier. The contractor must pay sales tax on consumable supplies* and equipment rentals. The contractor must charge sales tax on the invoiced incorporated materials charge. The applicable tax rate is based on the jobsite location. Please note that consumable supplies can be purchased tax free under certain circumstances. For additional information, regarding this issue refer to 34 TAC Rule 3.291(b)(2)(B). Sometimes projects have both new construction and remodeling elements. If your project has both new construction and remodeling elements, the five percent rule applies. If the remodeling portion of the total project is less than five percent and not separately stated, the project is treated in the same manner as a new construction project. If the remodeling portion is greater than or equal to five percent of the total project and not separately stated, the project is treated as a repair/remodeling project. If the repair/remodeling portion is separately stated, that portion is treated as a repair/ remodeling project. Conclusion: Determining the project type, property type, contract type and entity type will help you understand your sales tax responsibilities and avoid common headaches associated with sales and use tax compliance.
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 Texas Taxes for The Construction Industry, a tax guide for contractors in Texas, which can be found at www. thomaspc.com or contact Stephanie directly at (832) 559-1564.
yber exposures and the insurance policies designed to respond to cyber-related events have been a hot button within the insurance industry for a few years. With certain industries, exposures are obvious and abundant, but what about cyber risks related specifically to the construction industry? Any industry that conducts business over the internet is at risk, and the construction industry is no exception. According to an article in the Miami Herald, “given the increasing popularity of practices such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Integrated Project Delivery and file sharing between participants in a construction project, contractors may be at increased risk of liability in the event of a data breach. A hacker may be able to access architectural designs, including the designs of security systems and features; financial information; confidential project-specific information; and personal information of employees.” You may remember retail giant Target being the victim of a cyber attack in 2013, which resulted in tens of millions of customers’ credit card data being compromised. What you may not know, however, is that the source of the data breach originated from a small HVAC contractor who was the target of a phishing scheme. An employee received an e-mail from someone who they thought to be a legitimate source, and upon opening the e-mail, malware (malicious software) went to work behind the scenes without being caught by the anti-virus software. In the end, a regulatory commission fined the contractor $218,797 for failure to protect personally identifiable information. Cyber security experts agree on one thing wholeheartedly: the threat of cyber crime isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. According to information from Travelers Insurance, here are some trending cyber threats to be aware of: Ransomware – malware that is installed on a machine, allowing hackers to extort victims Vendors – even if your company is secure, many business partners may not be Negligent Employees – workers create liabilities accidentally or absentmindedly Hackers – criminals who intentionally attack computers and servers Social Engineering – employees being tricked by targeted phishing campaigns It’s important to note that standard commercial general liability polices do not cover claims arising from these types
of events. Sure, there are Cyber Liability policies designed to respond to certain cyber events, but these policies will be underwritten to ensure a contractor is doing everything they can to prevent data breaches. So what can contractors do to thwart off would-be cyber attacks before it’s too late? To begin, here are a few things every contractor should be doing: Train employees and communicate about cyber security. It is estimated that more than half of cyber fraud could be prevented through better education of end users. Utilize security software on company servers and devices. Anti-virus software provides real time protection and automatically receives the most current malware definitions. Ensure firewalls are utilized and updated regularly. Many cyber-related attacks occur because firewalls or antivirus software is out of date. Encrypt mobile devices used to access the company’s network. All devices accessing network drives should be equipped with hardware and software data encryption. Secure all Wi-Fi networks. At the office and at jobsites, all wireless signals should be encrypted and secured with a password. Back up data regularly. Utilize a trusted cloud storage provider. When it comes to cyber security, there is no silver bullet. No matter how secure a company might be, there is no such thing as “100% secure” when it comes to cyber crime. However, if a contractor does nothing to prevent attacks, they are essentially leaving the door wide open to a growing world of criminals. When you take appropriate precautions, at least you can rest easy knowing you’re doing everything you can to protect what you’ve built. 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 210805-5915 or sgregory@INSURICA.com.
Construction News ON LOCATION
Details … details …
Omar Gomez was once in the car detailing business but now enjoys the finer details of his fabrication work at Dallas Marble Stone Inc. in Alvarado. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Confined spaces in residential construction
The Economic Loss Rule and construction defect litigation Part 2: What does the economic loss do? Varant Yegparian, Associate Schiffer Odom Hicks and Johnson PLLC Houston, TX
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ast month’s article provided a brief overview of the economic loss rule1. As discussed, the rule is a type of legal sorting machine: put in information regarding the type of claim or loss, and the rule will tell you whether you have a contract-based cause of action or a tort-based cause of action. While this sorting may not mean much, this article will explain why the rule can provide a powerful defense in a construction defect lawsuit. This article, part two of a three-part series, will explain how the economic loss rule can prove to be useful in a construction defect lawsuit. The Economic Loss Rule, one more time: Why’s it important. The economic loss rule can tell you whether a legal claim is for breach of contract or for tort. But that is not all it does. Again, tort damages cannot be recovered in contract – and – contract damages cannot be recovered in tort. And this is precisely why the economic loss rule can be valuable to a litigant. The significant consequences of this rule relate directly to the types of claims, damages, and defenses that can be raised in a lawsuit. Indeed, if a construction defect claim relates only to a contract (as in the dispute between the project owner and a subcontractor for nonpayment), then the terms of that contract will govern the lawsuit. A court will have to enforce the terms of a contract— something that might have a significant result on the litigation. For example, if the project owner sued the subcontractor for breach of contract, and the contract capped the amount of damages that could be recovered or limited the types of claims that the owner could bring, then the subcontractor would have some options in defending the lawsuit. Again, these terms are part and parcel of the bargain struck between the owner and the subcontractor—it is how they allocated risk. On the other hand, the subcontractor would not be able to take advantage of these contractual provisions in the case where it is sued for negligence by the inspector. Recall last month’s hypothetical: a city inspector comes out to the job site to inspect the electrical subcontractor’s work. During his inspection, the inspector comes into contact with some faulty wiring, is electrocuted, and sues the subcontractor for negligence. Unlike the scenario above, there is no contract between the subcontractor and the inspector and the inspector’s only claim is for the subcontractor’s negligence. And, the subcontractor would not be able to enforce the limitations or caps contained in its contract with the project owner.
And so, the risks faced by the contractor in this scenario could be far greater than those in a lawsuit governed by a contract. Conclusion It might not seem like much, but the economic loss rule can have huge implications in a lawsuit. In complex, multiparty construction contracts, there might not be a direct contractual relationship between the various entities involved in the project. Depending on what goes wrong and who is involved, a defendant may be stuck defending a lawsuit without the protections it bargained for in its contract. Those bargains represent a carefully balanced allocation of risk, and the prospect of facing litigation risk without the contractual protections can be a difficult situation to stomach. Because it sorts between contract and tort claims, the economic loss rule plays an important role in helping defendants in construction litigation reduce their risk by enforcing contractual terms. Because the economic loss rule is so important, those in the construction industry need to be aware of court cases interpreting the doctrine. Next month’s article will explain recent developments in the case law surrounding the economic loss doctrine and why it is important for those in the construction industry.
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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efore beginning work on a residential homebuilding project, each employer must ensure that a competent person identifies all confined spaces in which one or more employees it directs may work, and identifies each space that is a permit-required confined space. The competent person does not have to physically examine each attic, basement or crawl space, if the competent person can reliably determine whether the spaces with similar configurations contain a hazard or potential hazard that would require the permit-space classification. The initial evaluation may be done using existing experience and knowledge of the space by the competent person and does not need to be documented. Spaces in a residential home may be assistance). considered confined spaces or permit- However, extreme heat in an attic required confined spaces during the can be considered a serious physical hazconstruction or remodeling process. ard such that the attic could be considHowever, the vast majority of the stan- ered permit-required confined space. dard’s requirements only apply to per- OSHA has not quantified how hot it must mit-required confined spaces, and at- be to trigger the permit-required contics, basements, and crawl spaces in a fined spaces requirements. However, residential home – three common spaces heat that is extreme enough to cause – will not typically trigger these require- heat exhaustion (e.g., dizziness, headments. aches, severe sweating, cramps) may im Attics: In many instances, an attic pede an entrant’s ability to exit the attic will not be considered a confined space without assistance and would make a because there is not limited or restricted confined space permit-required. means for entry and exit. For example, an Basements: Basements in a residenattic that can be accessed via pull down tial home that are designed for continustairs that resemble the structure of a ous occupancy by a homeowner are not stationary stairway and do not require an considered confined spaces under the employee to ascend/descend hand- standard, provided the basement is conover-hand would not be considered a figured as designed (e.g., has permanent confined space if there are no impedi- stairs, a walk-out entry/exit, or an egress ments to egress. window installed). Attics that are determined to be con- Crawl Spaces: Crawl spaces in a resifined spaces would generally not be per- dential home will not typically trigger the mit-required confined spaces because majority of the requirements of the stanthey typically do not contain the types of dard unless they contain a physical hazhazards or potential hazards that make a ard such as an exposed active electric confined space a permit-required con- wire. fined space (those that could impair an natarajan.joann@dol.gov entrant’s ability to exit the space without 512-374-0271 x232
Room to foam
Varant Yegparian Schiffer Odom Hicks and Johnson PLLC 700 Louisiana Ste. 2650 Houston, TX 77002 Tel: 713.255.4109 vyegparian@sohjlaw.com
The Texas Supreme Court has described the rule as follows: “A plaintiff may not recover for his economic loss resulting from bodily harm to another or from physical damage to property in which he has no proprietary interest. Similarly, a plaintiff may not recover for economic loss caused by his reliance on a negligent misrepresentation that was not made directly to him or specifically on his behalf.” LAN/STV v. Martin Eby Construction Co., Inc., 435 S.W.2d 234, 238 (Tex. 2014).
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To surveying with love
To help solve the labor shortage, Demilec’s new training initiative, conducted in Spanish, teaches Spanish-speaking work force spray foam techniques.
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L-R: Proline Surveying Ltd. crew chief Shane Scott and rodman Enrique Delao are enjoying spending the summer surveying North Texas job sites! –mjm
wenty-one percent in 2012. Fortysix percent in 2014. Fifty-two percent in 2015. Fifty-six percent last year. These percentages are the share of builders reporting labor shortage in the construction industry. The concern is heightened in Dallas/Fort Worth as the area is experiencing both a population and construction boom. Notice a trend? Demilec, an Arlington-headquartered spray foam company did and also recognized another trend: A significant Spanishspeaking labor force who wanted to work, but who were blocked from acquiring construction-related skills due to a language barrier. Demilec decided to address both
challenges simultaneously by launching a Spanish-language spray foam applicator training program this summer. Taught monthly, the sessions assist those who only speak Spanish and who are seeking a new field of work. Each monthly threeday session covers spray foam safety guidelines, building science and code issues, dispensing equipment and application techniques for all Demilec spray foam systems. Students have the opportunity to troubleshoot equipment and spray away in Demilec University’s Spray Lab. Upon the program’s completion, attendees are certified by Demilec to apply the company’s spray foam insulation products. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Sustainable working
That’s cool
Foreman Juan Trevizo and Ruben Juarez had high praise on hot days for their employer Falkenberg Construction Co. in Mesquite. The men say that the company cares for their crews and reminds them throughout the day to take breaks and to stay hydrated. –mjm
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Sparking interest
Welder/equipment operator Dalton Newton of Hart of Texas Construction in Arlington shows off his sparking skills. –mjm
Bill Reed, USGBC founder, served as keynote speaker.
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ow can designers, clients and communities stay informed about true sustainability and integrate it in their environments? The “2017 North Texas Sustainable Showcase: Integrative Design” event, held Jul. 13 at the Plano Center, had the answers. Hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Texas chapter and the Dallas chapters of
American Institute of Architecture (AIA) and Construction Specification Institute (CSI), the event’s vendor booths highlighted the latest in sustainable products. Serving as keynote speaker was Bill Reed AIA LEED, the founding member of USGBC and principal in firms Integrative Design Collaborative and Regenesis Group. –mjm
Big Ass Fans
LightArt
National Gypsum Company
Rulon International
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Wishes granite
Cristian Molina, who has owned Molina Granite and Marble in Irving for 12 years, enjoys fulfilling his customers’ granite countertop dreams! –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Laguna Madre Reds 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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s we move into one of the hottest months of the fishing season, I can’t help but be excited about what the month of August has in store for us. We have been blessed with some great trout fishing this year, but the red fishing has been a little off in my opinion. Earlier in the season we had good action with mixed boxes of reds and black drum, but as soon as May arrived and we started fishing croakers, redfish seemed to vanish. This month we should see an increase in the
Jeff Holt of San Clemente, California caught this 35-in. redfish on a recent outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Fish was released after photo.
amount of reds hitting the cleaning table. One look at a redfish and you know it’s built for brute strength. With its blunt face and broad-shouldered look, it’s a fish with a fight even before it’s hooked. Unlike the speckled trout with its long, sleek look and ability to throw hooks, the redfish is honed to test your tackle and strength. The Laguna Madre is home to many species of fish, but to many anglers, the redfish rules the bay. The months of August, September and October can be some of the best fishing months of the year on the Laguna Madre. The first fronts of fall start blowing in triggering a migration that is about to begin. Scat-
tered redfish will school-up and begin staging in various parts of the bay system before they begin their journey to the gulf. They will be feeding vigorously along the flats and shorelines, fatting up and preparing for winter. You better be prepared for some of the best line-stripping, rod bending action of the year. One of the best techniques to attack these schools or pods of redfish, is to use your trolling motor to position your boat upwind in order to make long casts without spooking them. Use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz. jighead with your favorite soft plastic or a piece of dead shrimp to entice the fish. Usually, once the first one is hooked, you can bring the school to
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you as you reel the fish closer to the boat. If you’re lucky, you can stay on the school for a while before someone notices you or you have to crank the motor to look for another school. Most of these reds are slot red, meaning they are between the 20-28 in. mark, enabling you to keep three in this range. Sometimes there are schools of larger redfish (bull reds) which can be in the 30-in. range all the way up to 50-in. plus. These reds are typically the brood stock and are released after photos. However, if one accidently dies or you would like to keep an oversized red, you can retain it with your tag on your license. The month of August typically ends the summer for vacationers and out-of-town anglers. This relieves a lot of the fishing and boat pressure in our Coastal Bend waters. Busy guides start seeing a definite decrease in weekday charters as most folks prepare the children to return to school and others prepare for the upcoming hunting season. But don’t let all of those signs keep you off the water and away from some of the best fishing of the season. I still have several open dates for August, (16, 17, 28 and 31). September dates available are 6, 11, 12, 20. Don’t wait, these dates won’t last long. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or email him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com.
Good luck and Good Fishing.
Texas Style
★ ★ ★ ★
San Antonio Austin South Texas Houston
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 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
A sportsman’s expectations
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uring almost all of man’s existence on this beautiful earth he has had to forage and hunt and fish if he wanted to eat. The grim reality was that sometimes we went hungry because we don’t control nature’s whims. Even when we learned to cultivate crops nature still had ways to leave us sitting down to an empty dinner plate. We have learned a lot of tricks and skills to give us an advantage over nature’s ways. We can wear good clothes to tolerate the elements. We can disguise all kinds of hooks as good eats for the fish. We can be sneakier and shoot farther and feed and bait and monitor the dickens out of our quarry, but things will always really be just beyond our control. That’s just how it is supposed to be, always has been, always will be. I think it is nature’s way of defending itself from us proud, big brained humans. For the first time in history we have drastically changed the way we survive. We work and earn money that can be exchanged for whatever we need. If we put change in a vending machine, it spits out a soda. We can swipe our debit card and fill up our gas tank and travel far. Food is selected from a bountiful supply and can be served up fresh right away for just some cash. I can log in online and my new hunting boots will be here tomorrow as long as nothing goes wrong. Things are great until we apply our modern sensibilities and expectations to nature. Deer don’t get a memo with the time to arrive in the meadow we have paid good money to hunt. Fish chase shad and eat shad, and shad just swim around behind their delicate noses with
Chamberlain Roofing, Buda
no rhyme or reason, they just go where the other shad go and can’t be bothered to notice us much at all. A quick change in the weather and the ducks you have been planning to surprise might not show up at all, or they moved on last week. Nature doesn’t care much about man. Natural things just do their best to stay out of our way. That is why we hire a guide. It doesn’t matter if we want to hunt or fish or shoot the rapids. If we want to have a good chance to be successful and have a good time, we benefit from the help of someone who has spent thousands of hours learning to pursue whatever we are after. A guide can’t just go out and sack up some fish for us or drag back a big buck every time like going to the grocery store, money in, goods out. It doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t get paid all that money just for the hours he puts on the clock with you. You don’t see all the hours of scouting and preparation or the equipment maintenance and expense. You don’t see all the times that nature has thrown him a curve and disappointed him or sent him home with way better success than he could have hoped for because that is what the natural world does. It is not man’s world, at least not yet. I am thankful for that!
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Hansel Group
FINALLY!
A Coffee Cup For The Left-Handed
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Playing in the dirt
Companies, associations, families and individuals can take a ride on the wild side at Extreme Sandbox. The venue also hosts educational camps for kids.
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lay shoots, golf tournaments, cookouts, bowling – all fun, but they’ve been done. What if the next corporate or family outing was “like Disney World on steroids?” That’s how Extreme Sandbox founder and CEO Randy Stenger describes his 15acre extreme heavy equipment adventure venue in Pottsboro, just an hour north of Dallas. Situated on a slice of the Tanglewood Resort and Conference Center, guests can fulfill their childhood dreams operating real construction rigs. Taking construction equipment for a joyride was a dream of Stenger’s, who used to spend his days behind a desk. “I was a corporate guy with no background in construction, which is funny, most people think I would have that back-
ground, but nope, I’m just a big kid at heart,” he says. “I have three boys and we would drive by construction sites. One of my oldest kids would ask, ‘Dad, wouldn’t it be fun to go play in that stuff?’ I said, ‘Heck yeah, it would!’ That was really where the birth of the idea for Extreme Sandbox started.” In 2012, with three pieces of equipment, a construction trailer and a small plot of Minnesota dirt, Stenger juggled full-time corporate work with getting his part-time company business off of the ground. Stenger said the business exploded the first year, and expanding the Minnesota location was only the beginning. He opened the Pottsboro location last year, and says North Texas’ response has been high, especially for corporate events.
“Our typical corporate events are 2040 people, although we can go as low as three to five people or up to 100,” he says. “Usually, we run six to eight pieces of equipment on our sites, and we like to run our equipment in pairs. At our flagship, we have two excavators, two bulldozers, two wheel loaders and some mini-excavators. All of our sessions start out with our instructors running a group clinic for about 25 minutes. We have our own videos that we’ve created. Most events are three to four hours where they will be rotating throughout. “Our sites are very interactive; we’ve built amazing spectator areas so not only can the person in the cab have fun, but it’s fun for the spectators,” Stenger continues. “We have little headsets where the spectators can talk to the people in the cab and they can take cool photos and socialize.” Then there is the ‘car crash finale,’ an option most groups add to their packages. “We take a car and then use our 26-ton excavators to basically demolish the car,” he explains. “Someone in the group will be the one in the excavator. It’s usually a showstopper and a good grand finale that the whole crowd can watch.” Stenger didn’t initially target construction companies as a possible audience “because we thought the companies already had the equipment,” he explains. “But we’ve realized that a lot of the leadership for these large construction companies may never have actually been in construction equipment. It’s obviously a great team-building exercise for a large construction company, even for the secretary answering the phone. If you want her to be more connected, this is a great area for her. You can take her out to a team
event and actually get her in the equipment.” “We get a lot of contractors that bring out their spouses and kids – our minimum age is 14,” he continues. “In the old climate, contractors used to go to a job site and throw a kid in their lap [and let them ‘drive’ the construction equipment’] but now there is too much liability and you can’t do it. At Extreme Sandbox, a contractor can bring out a spouse and kids and run the equipment together. The family has a new appreciation for what these contractors do for a living. We make it an experience.” Stenger expanded Extreme Sandbox’s reach to include student outreach programs and camps to bridge the skills gap. “My business has evolved a little bit; we’ve really coined the phrase ‘edutainment,’ where we try to combine education with entertainment,” he says. “We give a very real-life experience, and we’ve been able to leverage that to get high school kids excited about the trades. That’s kind of our core focus going forward, trying to find more ways to help address the skills gap in schools. We’re still evolving though; we don’t do a ton of camps at the Dallas site because it is fairly new. The camps are usually arranged through the dealer; we’re sponsored by Komatsu. A lot of the heavy equipment camps are through the local distributor, which for the Dallas market is Kirby-Smith. Many times, if someone approaches Kirby-Smith or KirbySmith is working with someone, they’ll set up a camp. Sometimes high schools will contact us directly.” Whether the equipment drivers are kids or adults, everyone at Extreme Sandbox gets a chance to play in the dirt. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
They’re golden
he United Masonry Contractors Association of Dallas/Fort Worth celebrated its members and those who support the craft of mansonry at its annual Golden Trowel reception, banquet and awards ceremony. Held Jun. 13 at the D/FW Marriott, the event also celebrated the architects, craftsmen, and suppliers that support the association and its members. –mjm
Education Facility (College University) Group 5 Winner: SMU Harold Clark Simmons Hall, Wilks Masonry LLC Honorable Mention: Center for Excellence for Energy Technology, South Campus, Tarrant County College, DMG Masonry
Residential Multi-Family Group 2 Winner: Farmers Market – Harvest Lofts, Metro Masonry Construction Inc. Honorable Mention: Knox Heights, Metro Masonry Construction Inc.
Education Facility (K-12) Group 6 Winner: Washington Heights Elementary, Wilks Masonry LLC Honorable Mention: Lebanon Trail High School, Skinner Masonry LLP
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Government/Institutional Group 3 Winner: North Richland Hills City Hall, Wilks Masonry LLC
Honorable Mention: Skinner Masonry LLP
Apex
Centre,
Industrial/Commercial Group 4 Winner: Forty Five Ten on Main, TST Construction Services LLC Honorable Mention: The Brady Residential Tower, Dee Brown Inc.
Hardscape/Landscape Group 7 Winner: Crescent Vision, TST Construction Services LLC
Honorable: Discovery at the Realm, Austin Masonry Construction Restoration Group 8 Winner: Tarrant County 1895 Courthouse West Entry and Lawn Reconstruction, TST Construction Services LLC Honorable: Bank of America Plaza Renovation, Austin Masonry Construction (dual architects) Block Group 9 Winner: 7th and University, Gay & Sons Masonry LP Honorable Mention: Kyle Field Redevelopment Project, DMG Masonry Ltd.
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Playing house
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ocal builders and architects had a play date to design and construct adorable abodes for the pint-sized set, and all for a good cause! Playhouse entries for the “2017 Parade of Playhouses” were assembled and on display at Dallas’ NorthPark Center July 7-23. Proceeds from a raffle to win these miniature mansions benefitted Dallas CASA. –mjm
“Cuadrado” Domiteaux + Baggett Architects and Robert Hopson Construction Group
“The White Owl’s Den” Perk Homes and Nicollo Abe
“Whimsical Cottage” LRO Residential and Brian S. Easley Residential Designs
“Tipping Point” OMNIPLAN INC. and Austin Commercial
“Paw Rescue” Holder Construction Company and Riaan Kotze
“Grasshopper Playhouse” BudfordHawthorne Homebuilders and Bob Borson
“Game Changer” HARMAN
“CUCKOOhaus” Beck Architecture LLC
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On the lam(inate)
Martin Flores, high-pressure laminate fabricator at Tailor Made Counter Top Company in Alvarado, focuses on making sure the finished product meets his high standards. –mjm
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Material world
Operator Terrance Gomez installs a last bit of trim to ready the new Alvarado location of By the Yard Materials, which will offer aggregate and sand material delivery and pick up of landscaping supplies. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 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
SERVICE PROVIDERS Sep: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment
Clients changing to attract talent
and not feeling well about their day-today treatment can make them vulnerable to thinking about a move.
David Reynolds, CEO/Founder DP Reynolds & Associates
What are major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work that you do? Every emerging generation brings new challenges. The advancements in technology have introduced a generation of candidates in the work force that are often expecting to have instant success, structure and flexibility within their work environments. If you think about it, those in the work force under 35-38 years of age enjoyed growing up with some of the most well-structured, organized youth leagues/activities and have played on or around some of the nicest facilities ever built to date. They are also able to obtain substantial amounts of data and information instantly from the comforts of their dorms or bedroom. They are carrying these modern-day luxuries into today’s workforce. I’m seeing frustrations in both the candidates and top executives, which I feel is driving down workplace tenure averages. Loyalty is almost non-existent in some cases we are witnessing. This ultimately hurts both sides but especially our clients as projects ultimately suffer.
Lewisville, TX
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ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? A lot of regions across the country have awakened in terms of overall construction, especially commercial. Dallas and Austin continue to be boom markets as hospitality, healthcare, office, higher education, high-tech and high-rise residential are all under construction or are in the planning stages. Houston’s K-12 cycle remains on the high end. Incoming phone calls and emails requesting assistance have spiked tremendously since the first of the year. I believe human resource departments were trying to keep within their recruiter budgets in 2016 but have since become overwhelmed by the hiring authority’s demands due to projects and the lack of quality talent. They are now reaching out more than ever for assistance at this point.
belief among these industry executives that the market will continue to expand at least through the middle of 2018. Coupled with material costs increasing (e.g. steel, concrete, copper), the lack of skilled labor could cause a slight slow-down in the market among quality builders unless owners/equity groups are willing to spend more money to continue hiring the best builders for their investments.
What factors are driving this? The demand placed on us for finding people within the construction market is driven by consumer confidence in spending money, which ultimately drives building. Specifically for the Texas market, I believe we may be seeing the effects that Texas is truly a business friendly state where there are fewer interferences for businesses, which may be reason for the unprecedented growth in our state. I’ve read studies and hear various opinions and forecasts from construction executives that I speak with daily that market optimism in the fourth quarter of 2016 took on an even greater intensity in the first quarter of 2017, reaffirming my company’s spike in emails and phone calls this year. There also seems to be growing
How has this affected your company and how you conduct business? Simply put, the demand for people allows us to narrow the scope of the quality of clients we work with. Currently, we are generally able to be selective in working with only clients that have an overall good reputation within the industry. A good indicator is a general contractor that has an impeccable reputation with subcontractors or subcontractors that have good reputations with general contractors. If a general contractor client treats their subcontractors well, they typically treat their employees well. For us, this brings an intangible value into play that a passive candidate may not have within another work environment. They may be compensated well, but a taxing workload
Reaching new heights Marvin Ohlenbusch, COO Alamo Crane Service San Antonio, TX
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ow would you describe the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? The San Antonio market seems to be steady. We have seen an increase over last year. I think this may be due the political change. However, the elected politicians need to get busy and deliver what they all promised. They seem to fall into the Washington click when they reach DC – taking care of themselves and forgetting why they are there That hurts the businessmen and women of America. What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown? As for my business, I’d like to believe that our prices and how we treat our customers is the driving force behind our increase. We do our best to pay more attention to customers needs, first and foremost, above our own. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? “Price difference” is a hot issue. The cheapest way isn’t always the best way. We do our best to let the customer know all the charges up front and not have any surprises at the end of the job. Sometimes, you get rewarded for that. And sometimes it slaps you in the face. What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do? More competition driven by the
downturn in the petroleum industry the past several years is one of the biggest changes. With that downturn, we are seeing more and more companies popping up and trying to make a go of it. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages? Cost increases? Finding competent operators is the most significant challenge. Many operators that are looking for work have come from the petroleum sector whereby they went through a training program. Many of those programs were a two to threeday school, and operators received NCCO accreditation. Another challenge is staying current with OSHA reporting and all government mandates. It’s a costly process. What are the cost increases relating to your industry?
What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? There is a definite skills shortage being felt in the industry, coupled with a tightening of immigration policy by the Trump administration, which may increase labor costs. Clients are being forced to become unique in attracting the level of needed talent. That said, we’re not only focused on clients that have up-to-date market compensation packages, but also have a lot to offer besides compensation. Regarding the passive candidate, we find they are typically well-compensated
Keeping abreast of regulations and the training that it mandates is an ongoing item. That never changes. How are you dealing with these challenges? As in all facets of business, costs are significant issues. Labor, overhead, training, and insurance are just the tip of the iceberg in increasing costs of doing business. We work to be proactive instead of reactive. We try to stay ahead of the game and are constantly staying in touch with OSHA and government entities that regulate what we do. What is on the horizon for your industry? Changes in technology; changes in codes, ordinances or laws; other? If I had a crystal ball that one would be easy. As I said earlier, politicians need to remember what they promised before the election and put their promises where their mouths are. Tax repeal would be a good start. Health care is probably number one. Keeping our great country safe is yet another. What are the rewards of the industry? The best reward and only reward is a satisfied customer. Satisfied customers come back. When they come back the company profits. Profits roll down the ladder to a profitable company and allowing better pay for employees as well as creating more good paying jobs. Employees that are well paid, well trained and have great benefits, tend to do their absolute best. And they want to do their
so additional attractions (e.g. fostering of a true work/life balance, project types, a true family feel to the work environment, flexible hours, unique personal office spaces, how a client treats their subcontractors, etc.) are often the appeal that will at least help us in getting them in front of a client. What are the cost increases? We are spending a lot more time and effort in finding a passive candidate who is an actual fit and who is seriously ready to listen and explore. Also, due to an aggressive labor war in the market, by the time we uncover or have someone within our network ready to present to our clients, the candidate may have another offer or two in hand from other directions. At this point, we’ve spent a lot of time, energy and effort in trying to close these deals, sometimes to no avail. How are you dealing with these challenges? We try to do all that we can to help educate our clients as to what we are seeing in the market (e.g. unique salary adjustments that aren’t costing any more money to the client, unique ideas as to what the younger generations are truly looking for, etc.) and, sometimes more importantly, to efficiently get good offers in front of a candidate they feel has the skillsets they need. What is on the horizon? Again, treating others the way we want to be treated, forming and nurturing relationships long-term, in my mind, are the key components to our success but also keeping up with market trends. DP Reynolds & Associates is a professional labor recruitment firm specializing in construction, including new commercial vertical construction, manufacturing/heavy material handling and infrastructure. –mjm
absolute best for not just the customer, but for themselves and the company. Many of our customers would rather have us follow them wherever their jobs are than to have to worry about someone new. What are keys to being successful in the industry? There are a few things that can make you successful in this industry. One is having good sales people that meet with the customer, listen to their needs and make suggestions. Good sales people follow through with dispatchers and operators, and stay in touch with the customer from start to finish. They make sure the job is preformed to the customer’s satisfaction. Two is to stay with it from start to finish. You’re going to have tough times in any business, but you have to stick with it. Giving up is not an option. And three, safety is above all aspects of any job no matter how large or how small. It is the most essential of them all. Even on the smallest job, if safety is not on the forefront it could be catastrophic. After encountering problems placing equipment on the rooftops of buildings in the early 70s as a refrigeration company, Marvin and Margie Ohlenbusch knew something had to change and purchased a Skyhook brand crane. Seeing the need in the industry in San Antonio another larger machine was purchased. Other companies began using the newly created Alamo Crane Service and the rest, as they say, is history. –cmw
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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NEXT TH MON
GREEN BUILDING
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
Portable assistance Melisa Kirkpatrick, Owner The Outhouse Boys Houston, TX
H
ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? I would say from our perspective, the construction industry has held steady over the years, but there has been a slowdown in multi-family construction. We are finishing up on our current projects and our clients say they do not have anything else on the books in the Houston area. What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown? I think the economy is better in Texas so we have not seen it slow down like other states have. How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? We are a fairly new company. The Outhouse Boys started when the economy was beginning to decline. Our business model is loosely based on maintaining strategic growth while sustaining a loyal customer base.
What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? The issue for the portable toilet industry is customer service; making sure you are consistent despite the challenges of any given jobsite. The Outhouse Boys strives to have the best service and most reliable employees. We make sure to keep up with each account and take ownership of each project. What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do? Changes in our industry include holding the drivers accountable for their daily activities. Our trucks are GPS-
Servicing ahead Grant Dillon, District Manager We Rent It
tracked so we know when a truck is on the customer’s property. We are also able to use this for jobsites that may be hard to locate or off the grid in every area of the city. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? One of the biggest challenges we face is keeping our employees motivated and engaged in our mission. I believe our working environment reduces the pool of individuals who desire to take on the challenge of a portable restroom driver as a career. We have however, been fortunate to build a solid foundation of dedicated employees. What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Fuel is our biggest cost. The second one would be products. We don’t want to over-supply our customers with products that will just go to waste if they aren’t used. How are you dealing with these challenges? We are always looking at our routes to see what is the most efficient way to drive through the city. We let our drivers give input on what works the best since they are out there on the road. We give equipment at a lower cost of ownership and items that give us a better return on investment. In addition, we are trying to create strategic alliances with our vendors to improve our buying power.
Buda, TX
H
ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? I’m cautiously optimistic! The Texas markets have shown steady growth over the years and seem to continue showing this growth. Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? We have seen an increase in business. The industry seems to be bouncing back from the slowdown from the past several years. What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown? We benefit from a good market. Central Texas is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Multi-family housing, schools, medical facilities and general construction projects have impacted our growth. Of course, building customer relationships are what we depend on to sustain our long-term success. How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? The increase in business has allowed us to hire more people and buy more rental equipment. It has also allowed us to open new locations like our new location in Georgetown. Our process of how we conduct business is the same, just on a larger scale. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? Rental Rates are always a “hot button”. While the cost of doing business increases every year, rental rates are slow to rise. We’re doing more volume, but putting less to the bottom line. Profit margins are tightening up. We have to do more to make less, whether it is regulations, the cost of new rental fleet or just the cost of employees. The cost of hir-
ing quality staff has gone up significantly. What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do? I would say the most noticeable change is the fact that there are so many companies renting equipment. Our industry has more competition than ever. When I first started in this business, there were three or four companies and now there are twenty or thirty. You can’t drive more than a few miles without seeing an equipment rental company. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages? Cost increases? Overall the cost of doing business make it much more difficult to produce profits. Hiring qualified service minded people in all areas of our business is always a challenge.
What is on the horizon for your industry? Equipment telematics are improving. This allows us to track the location and condition of our equipment. We are also investing in electronics for our sales staff to improve communication. In addition, we are also investing in product training for our mechanics and sales staff. What are the rewards of the industry? It’s fun! Our business is fast paced and never boring. It’s a TEAM effort. It takes everyone playing his or her role to make our organization a success.
our employees incentive for using the products the correct way and not wasting the consumables. What is on the horizon for your industry? I see our clients starting to use more hand-washing stations and containment trays on their jobsites. What are the rewards of the industry? The portable toilet industry isn’t glamorous. For us, the rewards are exceeding our customers’ expectations no matter how large or small the project. The best compliment we can have are customer referrals and repeat business. What are keys to being successful in the industry? Being safe, efficient, friendly, and clean. Briefly describe your company. The Outhouse Boys is a full-service portable toilet company that strives to be the best in our industry. We want to make sure we provide the very best service to each of our clients. We started off with an idea on a napkin and are now a multi-million dollar company. All of the partners are now 100% committed to the continued growth and expansion of the company. - te Hiring and retaining quality people is a huge key and, of course, a competitive spirit, servant’s heart, passion for excellence, and flexibility to change. We have opportunities every day to create value and make our customers’ buying experience positive. I believe in building trust with our customers through effective communication and delivering on our commitments is essential for success. As we continue to grow and change, our priority will always stay the same. We want to provide our customers with quality equipment and exceptional service. Originally owned and operated as Allied Equipment Rentals, We Rent It (WRI) in Bryan, TX is a Texas independent construction equipment rental company with six locations. Dillon joined the We Rent It team in 2014 during the acquisition of Longhorn equipment as District Manager of the Austin and San Antonio markets. -cmw
What are keys to being successful in the industry?
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What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Fleet. The cost of construction equipment has risen every year and rental rates have remained basically the same for the past 10 years. The cost of hiring good quality people is an ongoing increase. You have to be willing to pay for your assets and our people are our asset. Training, insurance, and general wages are up across the board. How are you dealing with these challenges? We try to increase utilization and drive revenue. We are trying to buy
Is the truck bed half-full or half-empty? Hardworking Jon Veal of Springtown general contractor Diamond Peak Construction is fully hoping “half-empty” is the answer as he clears the bed of debris. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Round-Up
Unlimited energy
Ready to rock?
Jonathan Balmos, project manager at T Rock Roofing and Construction, is ready to provide industrial and commercial roofing materials and installation to North Texas. – mjm
Stephen Knobbe PE has been named North Texas office leader for HNTB Corporation. An HNTB vice president, Knobbe oversees 100 infrastructure professionals and is responsible for the firm’s Plano and Dallas office operations. Knobbe, who joined HTNB in 2007, has more than 30 years of experience on projects for state departments of transportation, tolling agencies, transit and rail providers as well as program management expertise. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. -mjm
C1S Group announces the following additions:
Juan Rodriguez joined Structure Tone Southwest’s Dallas office as vice president of new construction. In this role, Rodriguez will oversee the strategies, partnerships and operations of the company’s large-scale projects across North Texas. Rodriguez has worked in construction for nearly 25 years, most recently serving as the regional vice president of operations for Balfour Beatty (formerly as Centex Construction), where he managed operations for the firm’s Dallas, Austin and Houston offices. -mjm
Submissions
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MYCON General Contractors announces the appointment of Shawn Pyatt as the company’s new chief financial officer. Pyatt brings more than 25 years of financial and executive leadership experience and will be responsible for the firm’s financial management and accounting functions. Pyatt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from McNeese State University.
Round-Up
It’s just another busy morning for Ricky Carrington of Lucky’s Floors Unlimited in Weatherford. The warehouse wizard is tasked with moving 120 pallets with the help of his trusty steed! –mjm
TDIndustries has announced the hiring of Amy Messersmith as chief people officer. Messersmith most recently led transformation efforts at Pizza Hut and also served as senior director of human resources at PepsiCo Corporate and as a global HR lead for IT. She also held leadership positions at Frito Lay North America and worked as a consultant at Price WaterhouseCoopers and Anderson Consulting. Messersmith will manage People Department efforts in each of TD’s Texas and Arizona locations. -mjm
Mehdi Ben-Ayed has been hired as an electrical EIT. Ben-Ayed is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri where he designed electrical systems used in several campus renovation and demolition projects.
Brooke Holley has been hired as a mechanical designer. Holley, who recently earned her plumbing design certification, has 15 years of industry experience having worked with several Dallas engineering firms. Gil Lopez has been hired as a construction superintendent. The El Paso native has more than 20 years of construction experience and is a 14-year veteran of the United States Marines Corps.
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
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Sunny-up with a side of siding
L-R: Akilyas Yacob, Doug Persing and Josh Hughes of First Texas Exteriors prepare for a sunny day of siding installation. The Keller-based company often hires deaf employees and teaches them the construction trades. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
Page 17
continued from Page 1 — Renegade-run business issues, like securing insurance and conquering QuickBooks, but didn’t hesitate to reach out when needed. He hired an advisor to help map out future business goals, but it was the counsel of Melissa Johnson, a partner at Universal Fence Company, that helped most. “She and her partners have already started a company and made it successful,” he says. “It’s nice having her there because she’s been there and done that. She’s given good direction on what not to do, but at the same time she doesn’t interfere.” Silcox is determined to start small with an available crew of 20, a strong idea of the projects he’ll commit to, and a goal of having both commercial and residential sides to his business. “Right now, we do a lot of the smaller stuff that nobody wants, which is gaining us more work and larger projects,” he says. As his project log builds, his uncle’s influence can be felt, especially in the way he treats customers. “My uncle brought me into this ‘old school,’ where a handshake meant something,” he says. “Today, you need to have paper backing, but I still try to bring this to clients. I don’t want to throw out an
estimate; I want to see the job, talk to the owner, see what they like and provide suggestions. I don’t want to be someone who walks out there and says, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it for $4,000 and not turn over a quality product. I may not be able to change the industry, but that’s the idea behind Renegade – that ‘old school’ handshake.“ Even though his employees may not see his back tattoo under his shirt, he hopes they see its sentiment in how he treats them. “I want my employees to feel like everybody matters,” Silcox says. “Most people who know me from DPR and Turner know that I am very passionate about what I do, especially in the self-perform industry. I take my little close-knit family, and I’m very protective. I want everybody that comes into Renegade and everyone that works with us as partners to understand that it’s family. We all have to do it together. The most important people are the workers. Without them, we’re just a name.” Subcontractor Renegade Concrete LLC. offers concrete services including site paving, foundations, driveways, retaining walls, stamping and staining. –mjm
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA - Dallas
NTRCA
American Institute of Architects
N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.
Aug. 24: Fellows Dinner, Petroleum Club – Sky Lobby, 2200 Ross Avenue, 39th Floor, Dallas, 6:15pm
Aug. 9: Annual Mini-Trade Show, Austin Ranch, 2009 Anderson Gibson Rd., Grapevine, 9am
AIA - Fort Worth
NUCA
American Institute of Architects
Ntl. Utility Contractors Assn.
Aug. 24-26: Prosperity Conference Aug. 30: TxA Visit, Huckabee, Burnett Plaza, 801 Cherry St., Ste. 500, Fort Worth, 6pm
Aug. 16: TopGolf, 2201 E. 4th St., Fort Worth, 5:30pm
ASCE- DFW
Aug. 10: Meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 6:30pm
American Society of Civil Engineers
Aug. 10: Sporting Clay Shoot, Elm Fork Shotgun Sports, 10751 Luna Rd., Dallas, 11am
ASA North Texas American Subcontractors Association
Aug. 25: 2017 Annual Clay Shoot, Alpine Shooting Range, 5482 Shelby Rd., Fort Worth, TX, 8:15am
ASSE - FW American Society of Safety Engineers
continued from Page 1 — Branching out Serving as the new location’s manager is trench safety veteran Randy Towns, who oversees several employees and plans to increase staffing in the next three months. “NTS has developed a strong name in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth market over the years and this branch location will allow us to be able to better service our customers,” says Towns. “With the
construction going on in the area and the delays traffic can create, it’s important to have a second location to be able to better service contractors working in the Fort Worth area.” Supplier National Trench Safety provides the construction industry with a complete line of trench and traffic safety equipment, as well as engineered solutions and OSHA-compliant training classes. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Center forward
Aug. 15: Chapter meeting, University of Texas –Arlington (Fort Worth campus) 1401 Jones St., Fort Worth, 11:30am
CFMA DFW Construction Financial Mgmt Assn.
Aug. 17: Membership meeting, Hackberry Creek Country Club, 1901 W Royal Ln., Irving, 11:30am
Aug. 10: Membership meeting, Atkinson Toyota, 39660 Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy., Dallas, 4:30pm
RHCA Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.
Aug. 17: Membership luncheon and orientation, Goodwill Industries of Dallas, 3020 N. Westmoreland Rd., Dallas, 11:30am
SAM Aug. 3: Dinner meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas
Aug. 10-11: METROCON17 Expo & Conference, Dallas Market Hall, 2200 Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, 12am Aug. 17: Wine Happy Hour, 6pm
IEC - Fort Worth Independent Electrical Contractors
Aug. 4: 11th Annual Clay Shoot, Alpine Gun Range, 5482 Shelby Rd., Fort Worth, 8am
NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Aug. 8: NARI Night at Factory Builder Stores, 512 E. Dallas Rd., Grapevine, 6pm
Park 20 boasts 468,000sf of distribution space.
RBCA Regional Black Contractors Assn.
Construction Specifications Institute
Aug. 3: Roy Neu Clay Shoot Event, Dallas Gun Club. 3601 S. Stemmons Frwy., Lewisville
construction or about to break ground. “Park 20 Distribution Center kickstarted Arch-Con’s presence in North Texas,” Martin says. “It was the first project we were awarded after opening our Dallas office and I’m proud of its success with an on-time completion, short punch list and significant shared savings.” General contractor Arch-Con Construction offers construction services, delivery methods and LEED expertise for office, industrial, retail, corporate interiors, hospitality, multi-family, community and healthcare projects. –mjm
Aug. 17: 8th Annual Career Night, DFW Marriott South, 4151 Centreport Dr., Fort Worth, 6pm
Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex
Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Assn.
In the end, Arch-Con felt the effort was more than worth it. “The team worked well together and each of the members were responsive to each other’s needs and requirements to keep the job moving in the right direction,” senior vice president Robert Martin, who leads Arch-Con’s Dallas office, says. Since Arch-Con’s entry into North Texas in 2016, its Dallas office has quadrupled its employee base and completed 624,000sf of industrial projects with 2 million sf of industrial, retail and hospitality currently under
PMI – FW Project Mgmt. Institute
CSI – Dallas
DACA – DFW
Rock and rain were the biggest challenges in building the project.
PMI – Dallas Project Mgmt. Institute
NAWIC - Dallas Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Aug. 16-19: Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, Anaheim, CA Aug. 21: Topping Out 2016-17/Kick Off 2017-18
NAWIC - Fort Worth Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Aug. 16-19: Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, Anaheim, CA Aug. 24: Meeting, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N., Fort Worth, 5:30pm
SEAoT - Dallas The Construction Association
Aug. 15: Membership meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 205 N. Park Center, Dallas, 11:45
TGA – N. Tx. Div. Tx. Glass Assn.
Aug. 8: Member meeting, Wyndham Garden Hotel, 2645 LBJ Fwy., Dallas, 6pm
TLPCA Tx. Lathing and Plastering Contractors Assn.
Aug. 10: Annual Clay Shooting Event, Elm Fork Shooting Sports, 10751 Luna Rd., Dallas
TPWA – N. Central Tx. Public Works Assn.
Aug. 22: NCT Branch Luncheon, Dallas, 11:45
UMC United Masonry Council
Aug. 2: Texas Masonry Council (TMC) Convention, San Antonio Aug. 8: Meeting, Mi Camino Restaurante, 3830 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, 6pm
USGBC U.S. Green Building Council
Aug. 10-11: METROCON17 Expo & Conference, Dallas Market Hall, 2200 Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, 12am
Page 18
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
First place winners Redi-Mix Concrete
T
hirty-six teams pinned their hopes on winning the ultimate bowling battle rolling through Bowlero Euless’ lanes Jul. 13. The American Subcontractor’s Association’s (ASA) North Texas chapter hosted its third annual “Split Happens” Bowling Tournament, its biggest tournament to
date. Dallas Door and Supply Co. took third place, City Wide Mechanical scored second, and Redi-Mix Concrete finished the evening in first place. TDIndustries left the tournament with “Dead Ass Last” bragging rights, and City Wide Mechanical’s Rick Mitchell took home the Top Strike trophy. –mjm
Rick Mitchell earned the top strike honor.
TDIndustries proudly placed “Dead Ass Last.”
JOB SIGHTS
Sam Vasquez, apprentice at Kingfisher Mechanical, grounds a box at an upcoming Sports Clips in Hudson Oaks. The project, overseen by general contractor Andco Construction, is slated for completion in August. –mjm
Billy Gillespie of Ragle Glass Company helps install three glass panes at Weatherford’s Vintage Car Museum & Event Center after the former panes fell prey to BB pellets. –mjm
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Painting playlist
Justen Scurlock, supervisor at MMI General Contractors Inc. in Weatherford, prepares to play the tunes for painting the tones. –mjm
L-R: Huntsman Design’s Ahmad Donaldson, Lalo Gonzalez and David Hoesh create an arch as part of the theming of SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium. Fort Worth Ridgmar Mall’s upcoming 27,000sf attraction, which will offer snorkeling with stingrays, will be completed in September. Hill Design Build serves as general contractor. –mjm
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Busy B’s
Marc Wallace and John Hart of Robert B’s Plumbing Co. in Arlington will be spending the day in the trenches – literally! –mjm
Jason Ray Donihoo of Mesquite-based Firefly Earthworks in Dallas clears two lots on Jacksboro Hwy. in Fort Worth. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • August 2017