Houston Construction News November 2017 by Construction News

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What’s in a name

Building up capital

Beraht owners (L-R) Mike Roberts, Michael Roberts, and Andrew Roberts.

Kyle and Amber Baker, who are brother and sister, took over Capital Insulation from their father three years ago.

wo years ago, Mike D. Roberts, CEO of Beraht Envelope Systems, had a construction company with a friend, but after their office was ruined during the Tax Day flood, they decided to go their separate ways. Before the split, Michael G. Roberts, Mike’s son and CBO, asked his dad if he could help out. “I got tired of being in the retail industry and was just looking for something different.” Andrew Roberts, COO and Mike’s younger brother, was the first to discover the envelope wall product after seeing it being used at a past site. He did more research and they all decided to make that their specialty. In fact, Michael did his capstone project for his Master’s degree on the system.

www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 14 H Number 11 H NOVEMBER 2017

s you drive down any freeway in Houston, you will see a variety of car dealerships. What makes the Mercedes- Benz of West Houston dealership different is the amount of class and eye-catching architecture. Wier Construction was the general contractor for the project. Steve Wier founded the company in 1991 after working almost a decade in the commercial construction industry. A motto at the company is “a handshake is all it takes” to get a project done, meaning responsibility and integrity are alive and well at Wier Enterprises. The Wier Construction team, which included David Ruiz as the project manager and superintendents Tom Hilbun and Barry Blum, were in charge of providing “Sewell Automotive with a fullservice automotive facility for the Mercedes brand,” explains Tim McLean who is a senior project manager for Wier Con-

Mike has been in the industry for some time now. “When I was a kid, my dad did odd construction jobs so I was around it and I would go out to the jobsites and see what was going on. I’ve been in construction since I was 18 years old, and I’m 59 now.” This was the same way his brother Andrew got into the industry. The name of the company is more than just a name; it is something special. Andrew says it’s important that people know “we are Beraht because it’s a derivative of our last name.” Michael came up with the name after doing some research and finding out that Beraht means bright, brilliant, and illuminating. “Faith is the foundation of our company. Part of our vision is to be a blessing

amily-owned and operated since 1980, Capital Insulation is beginning to grow in thanks to Kyle and Amber Baker who took over the business about three years ago. The Baker’s grandfather started a business called Capital Drywall and Robert Baker, Kyle and Amber’s dad, branched off and started Capital Insulation. He ran the company on the side, but never gave much thought to expanding, and now Kyle and Amber are working on making a name in the industry. Their dad isn’t fully retired, but “when he has other things to do, he won’t come into the office,” laughs Kyle. “My dad still comes in every week, Monday

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through Thursday until about 2pm. I don’t think he’s worked a Friday in the past three years, though.” Although it can be tough to work with family members, Kyle says Amber and he can set aside their differences and focus on the big picture. “It’s nice to have my sister handling all of the finances because I can completely trust her. I couldn’t imagine having anyone else in that position.” Amber mentions that they also have some cousins who work with them and the office administrator is a long time friend of hers. “We’ve known each other since preschool. I have a Polaroid picture of her and me in third grade.” Although they have made some continued on Page 14

Driving elegance

The exterior windows of the Mercedes-Benz dealership allows customers a view of the cars.

struction. The $30 million, 195,000sf facility includes sales, service, collision, and inventory all under one roof and was completed in one year. McLean says, “The site chosen included an existing and abandoned building that once housed a SAM’s Wholesale store. The program by Gensler Architects called for this building to be re-modeled into a facility to house the service/parts department, climatized inventory room, and collision center.” The showroom and sales department are new construction, which was built in the existing parking lot for the former store. “This new construction adjoined the remodel, yet was the architecture’s chance to set apart and marquee the Mercedes design standards as the focal point and main entrance to the facility,” expounds McLean. He goes on to say, “As with any concontinued on Page 14

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

Just a stone’s throw away

Celebrating 50 years

Stone Surfaces Team (L-R): Alfredo Ruiz, Daniela Alvarez, and Diego Urdaneta.

lfredo Ruiz and Diego Urdanta, both originally from Venezuela, have been friends since second grade. They went to college with the intent of majoring in subjects that were similar, but Diego decided to study civil engineering and Alfredo studied marketing. After graduating, Diego took an office job and Alfredo sold everything from computers to fish. When Diego saw the potential in the construction industry, he had the idea to open the first store in Venezuela to sell COMPAC stone. “I told Alfredo to close his fish company and just come with me to listen and see what we could do with this type of product.” Alfredo was skeptical, but went anyway and saw exactly what Diego was seeing. “When Diego asked me if I would open a company with him, I was so excited and said, ‘Yes! Yes!’” After a couple of years running two locations in Venezuela selling COMPAC

products, the surface company decided to open stores in North America. “They gave us a list of places we could go in the United States and we chose Houston because it’s a great place.” They have been in Texas since March of last year and moved without knowing anything about the area. “It’s different, but we like it. Everything is better in Texas,” Urdaneta says with a smile on his face. Ruiz is now the sales director and Urdaneta is the project director at their office and warehouse in Houston under the name Stone Surfaces. There is only one other employee, Daniela Alvarez, who is the branch manager. Although they are just starting out, they have big plans for the future and have a goal of opening stores in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin in five years and to bring in different types of stones to offer their clients. Stone Surfaces is a subcontractor and supplier of countertop materials.-te

The Joeris staff outside their San Antonio office.

eo Joeris got his foot in the construction door when he went to work for his brother Joe after the war. After getting some valuable experience he became an acoustical ceiling contractor before going back into the general construction side of working for William Matera Construction. Leo and Raymond Klaus along with a handful of people worked for William Matera Construction until Matera was killed in a plane crash. “After his death, Dad finished up all their work and started bidding work as Joeris & Klaus Construction Company,” says Gary Joeris, CEO of Joeris General Contractors. “My dad and Raymond Klaus started the company in 1967 focusing on some private work, but mostly school work, churches and public work.” Working through the summers during high school and college, Gary worked for the company as a carpenter, helping out in the office, running errands and estimating. He joined the company fulltime in 1978 after graduating college as a project manager. By the early ‘80s, when Klaus decided to go out on their own, Joeris continued on as Joeris General Contractors and Gary was named vice president of the company. He would continue in that capacity until 1990 when he took on the role as president. His father continued to support and guide him until he retired in 2000. “Dad was pretty good about relinquishing control and, of course, I went to him for advice. We were a good team. He was always open to my opinions and suggestions and I certainly listened to his opinions and suggestions.” The biggest changes for the company came 17 years ago, when Joeris started the strategic planning process for the company. “My aspirations were to grow

the company. You have to keep it growing in some form or fashion to be relevant in this market. We started this strategic planning process and identified goals for the next two to three years. We set goals for getting better; goals for the kind of manpower we would need, what positions we would need people in, and we worked very deliberately in making those goals happen. “I could not have achieved any success without our people. They are the key ingredients. My best blessing was having some really good people to start with from my dad, and we continue to be bring in high quality, high caliber folks with good character.” Celebrating 50 years in business, Joeris General Contractors has been celebrating all year by hosting quarterly fundraising events to give back to the community they love so much. “We hosted a clothing drive to benefit CAM Ministries. We also hosted a can food drive for the San Antonio Food Bank and in August we hosted a school supply drive to benefit CASA, the advocates for San Antonio’s foster children. And just this past weekend we did the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society with John Casstevens, our president, as chairman. In conjunction with the Light the Night Walk we are also doing a teddy bear drive for young leukemia patients in the hospital,” says Angela Cardwell, chief marketing officer. The company commissioned a painting to honor their workers at their 40year mark and will have a sculpture commissioned in their honor for the company’s 50th anniversary. Joeris General Contractors is a general contactor headquartered in San Antonio with offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston. - cmw

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Giving a lift

Jeff Monroe and Christine Reyes at Adobe Equipment are happy to help customers buy or rent forklifts. - te

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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Winner, winner chicken dinner

ssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC) held a BBQ Cook off where families had a finger-licking good time. - te

Locke Solutions Precast was the 1st place winner in the chicken category.

Craig & Heidt cookers took home 2nd place in the chicken category.

BBQ Committee Chair, Michael Luck with Locke Solutions, is pictured with the overall winners from Bartlett Cocke #2.

Contract Resource Group took home 3rd place for their chicken.

MB Western won 3rd place for their brisket.

The Enterprise Commercial Paving team took home 1st place in the brisket catergory.

TANYA ERICKSON, Editor Houston Construction News (832) 595-0091

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HoustonEditor@ConstructionNews.net If you are a construction-related company in the Austin area and would like an article about your company and personnel, call Tanya for an interview in person or over the phone. There is absolutely no charge for interviews, articles and photos. All content is free. If you are interested in advertising in any of our 4-city papers, contact Buddy Doebbler, Publisher, at our home office, (210) 308-5800.

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The Houston Construction News (ISSN 15477630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Houston Construction News, and distributed by mail to constructionrelated companies in Houston and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba Houston 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.

MEMCO held a spirit week competition for all of their branches in Texas. The Houston location won for the most social media likes with their representation of DC Comic characters. Members of the group are Gabi Perez, Jessica Tapia, and Minora Monsivais. - te

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

Potential payroll pitfalls

Game of drones

Leann Ussery, CPA, Tax Manager Armstrong, Vaughan & Associates, P.C. Universal City, TX

Lauren Allen, Vice President-Sales BrookStone Insurance Group Dallas, TX

our focus is your company’s growth, but you might be jeopardizing that growth if you’re not aware of various payroll pitfalls. Voluntary compliance with IRS regulations can save hours of time and thousands of dollars in penalties and assessments in the event of an audit, so it’s important to understand how to avoid these issues before that happens.

Contractor vs. Employee Be sure to properly classify your employees and contract laborers. Work responsibilities vary significantly from company to company, so there is no clear definition of who is an employee and who isn’t, but there are some general guidelines. • Contract Laborers are hired by the job, not the hour, with no expectation of on-going employment. They generally have their own tools and frequently have other employment. • In contrast, employees are subject to more control by the employer in terms of when and how they work; tools are generally provided by the employer; and they receive benefits such as paid time off, training, job evaluations, and/or expense reimbursements. • The IRS is suspicious of classifications showing any individual as both an employee and an independent contractor, so avoid this red flag whenever possible. • Payroll reporting is a hassle, yes, but filing Forms 1099 to your employees is not a substitute. An employer who misclassifies employees as independent contractors bears the risk of employment taxes, penalties and interest. • To correct classification errors, the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program is available to offer some relief. Eligible participants pay just 10% of applicable payroll taxes without penalties or interest and are no longer subject to employment tax audits regarding reclassified employees on any prior years. Partnership Compensation If your business files as a partnership, partners should not receive traditional wages except in rare cases but could receive guaranteed payments as outlined in a written partnership agreement. • Guaranteed payments are compensation to partners for services or use of capital or property. Amounts of these payments are determined without regard to partnership income and are generally fixed. Payments should not include any payroll withholding but will be taxed as self-employment income on the partner’s individual income tax return. • Cash payments to partners designated as distributions of earnings are not deductions for the partnership, nor do they increase taxable income to the partner.

S Corporation Owner Wages If your business files as an S Corp, your shareholder-employee compensation is of great interest to the IRS since it is the only portion of your income that is subject to the self-employment tax. • Under-paying yourself may be considered unjustified tax avoidance if the shareholder-employee is also taking taxfree distributions of earnings. Shareholder wages are paid in the same way other employee wages are paid, net of applicable withholding. • If S Corp income is significant and shareholder wages are not comparable, the IRS may recharacterize any distributions and levy payroll taxes and penalties. To reduce risk, use industry standards to determine shareholder wage rates. Auto Allowance and Other Taxable Fringe Benefits Providing an auto allowance to employees for business use of their personal vehicles is a fringe benefit that provides incentives to employees and a tax deduction for the company. Other taxable fringe benefits include adoption assistance, dependent care assistance in excess of federal limits, unsubstantiated expense reimbursements, and educational or mileage reimbursements in excess of standard federal rates. These fringe benefits paid to owners or employees should be treated as additional compensation to the employee, subject to payroll tax. If paid to independent contractors, the total amount paid including fringes should be reported on Form 1099. Classification issues, owner-compensation, and taxable fringe benefit reporting are just a few of the potential dangers of payroll, so contact your payroll professional for help in navigating payroll tax compliance and reporting. Leann Ussery, CPA is tax manager of corporate/partnership returns and focuses on the tax needs of small-to-mid sized entities, including entities with multi-state tax issues. Leann joined Armstrong, Vaughan & Associates, PC in 2008 after graduating from Angelo State University with an MBA in Accounting. She can be reached at 210658-6229.

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hat do the U.S. military, Super Bowl LI, Texas Dept. of Public Safety, Austin City Limits Music Festival and the construction industry have in common? All have utilized drones to enhance the activity at hand. From search and rescue operations to documenting artistic performances to monitoring projects for safety and quality control, commercial drones (also known as “unmanned aircraft systems”) are becoming an increasingly predominant tool to ensure operational success. While the use of drones in the construction industry may not seem like an everyday occurrence, the FAA estimates that by 2018, over 7,500 small commercial drones will be used by general contractors and tradespeople, with most of the usage occurring on construction sites. Think about the benefits: surveying large project sites, inspecting dangerous or difficult to reach locations, creating aerial maps, and providing live video feeds of the job site to ensure adherence to safety protocol. Drones have the capability of completing certain tasks with significantly less risk than a human. But practical and cost benefits aside, it is imperative to consider the full gamut of risks associated with drone usage. Incidents of a drone running out of power, the operator losing control, or in some cases reckless operation can lead to destruction of property and/or medical injury to others. While not as prevalent, hackers have developed tools to interfere with GPS systems, which could lead to liability issues. And one of the most concerning issues when operating drones on a construction site is the type of imagery drones may capture when flying close to the borders of private property, which can lead to claims of invasion of privacy. To be protected, the proper amount of insurance coverage must be in place, and likely your current commercial general liability policy contains an exclusion that prohibits aviation coverage (yes, the FAA now includes drones in its definition of “aircraft”). Therefore, do not assume that your company is covered for drone activities. In its efforts to quickly adapt to the increased usage of drones, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) has issued endorsements to better clarify the coverage applicable to commercial drone use: the Unmanned Aircraft Exclusion (CG 21 09) and the Limited Coverage for Designated Unmanned Aircraft (CG 24 50). These endorsements, which focus on bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury, allow the insurance market to either exclude or include coverage for drone activities. Additionally,

several insurance carriers have stepped up to the plate and now offer drone-specific policies with varying degrees of coverage, including both “owned drone” and “non-owned drone” coverage. When determining whether drone usage is right for your company, consider a few of the FAA’s regulations: • The drone must be registered with and approved for commercial use by the FAA; • Drone operators must be at least 16 years old, pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test/obtain a remote pilot airman certificate, and be vetted by the TSA; • The drone must weigh less than 55lbs and adhere to FAA regulations, including maintenance regulations; and • Drone operation must occur during daylight or during twilight hours, assuming there are running lights on the drone, and the drone must be in the visual line of sight of the operator. As the insurance world adapts to the integration of drones into the construction industry, it is important to establish and implement risk management strategies for drone activities. Always vet drone operators regarding their training and qualifications, and establish specific flight plans for drone usage on job sites. These tactics can both assist in mitigating the risks associated with commercial drone use and make the company more desirable in the insurance marketplace. The use of drones in the construction industry can lead to exciting new ventures and business successes. Ensure that your company is properly protected with the right insurance coverage and policy limits to safeguard your risks. Lauren Allen is a licensed attorney in the State of Texas and the Vice President of Sales at BrookStone Insurance Group. She focuses on collaborating, innovating and delivering risk management plans tailored to her clients’ specific needs. She can be reached at 214-301-3333 or lallen@brookstone-group.com

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Raising the roof

Holding strong

Mike Kuzich and Jeremy Shepard with Shepard Contracting LLC specialize in roofing services. - te

Employees of Holden Roofing are proud of what their company has accomplished through the years. L-R: Jassica Elguezabal, Beth Schoenberger, Maggie Ortiz, Travis Joyce, Dolores Taylor, Diana Rodriguez, Estrella Silva, and Aubrey Spencer. - te

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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A reminder on contractor best practices in disaster remediation construction projects

Taking cover after the storm Angela A.L. Connor, Associate/Houston office Peckar & Abramson Austin, TX

his hurricane season is on track to be one of the most active seasons of record. Hurricane Harvey hit a vast portion of the Texas coast and affected numerous construction projects. A hurricane of this magnitude results in delays and added costs to projects. As projects get back on track after Harvey, contractors should re-review their contracts to ensure compliance with all notice and documentation requirements, if there is a time and/or cost impact caused by the storm. A hurricane and other “acts of God” are usually known as force majeure events. A force majeure event is an unavoidable circumstance beyond a contractor’s control. Depending on the contract language, if a force majeure event occurs, a contractor may be entitled to additional time and/or costs. Notice In a typical construction contract, there are notice requirements to receive time and money for delays not caused by the contractor. It is critical for contractors to immediately review the contract’s notice requirements to ensure compliance. Contractors should also check the contract to make sure the notice is sent in the correct form, to all required recipients, and contains all necessary content. The notice should explain the cause for the delay and reserve rights for time and money. It is important to note that time delay is not only the actual period of the storm. Contractors need to take into account the limited access to the project site, changes conditions at the project site (e.g. muddy conditions), and demobilization and remobilization time. Additionally, contractors should consult with their subcontractors and suppliers. A shortage of labor, materials and/or equipment would likely cause more delay than the actual storm. By now, contractors likely know the full effect of the storm’s aftermath to their project schedule and costs. Contractors will now need to send a supplemental notice detailing the additional time and costs. Under the AIA Document A201TM – 2007 General Conditions (“A201”), an extension of time and additional costs are altered by a change order.1 This means documentation is required. Documentation AIA recently released the 2017 version of the AIA Documents. This article focuses on the 2007 version because most ongoing projects are contracted under the 2007 version.

To be entitled to time under the A201, the contractor must show there was a delay or delays to the project’s critical path. If time is requested due to adverse weather conditions, the contractor must also submit “data substantiating the weather was abnormal for the period of time, could not have been reasonably anticipated and had an adverse effect on the scheduled construction.” Examples of backup would include NOAA reports and other data showing the actual rainfall at the project site and flooding in the area. A revised schedule should also be submitted along with the adverse weather data. To receive additional cost under the A201, the contractor must submit a complete itemization of costs, labor and materials. A contractor should submit time sheets, payroll records, source documents for costs, and have their subcontractors submit the same itemized documentation. The more documentation a contractor can include the better chance they have of getting additional time and money. Lastly, there are usually time limits to submit the documentation for change orders. It is imperative for contractors to scrutinize their contracts and determine the applicable time period to submit the documentation. While hopefully we will never see another storm like Harvey again, there will be future force majeure events. Complying with all notice requirements and submitting detailed documentation will help prevent a disaster to your bottom line. Angela Connor is a construction lawyer in Peckar & Abramson, P.C.’s Houston office. She represents a wide range of construction industry clients and focuses her practice on construction-related disputes and contract negotiations and drafting. Angela can be contacted at aconnor@ pecklaw.com or 281.953.7705.

n light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, we want to remind builders and contractors of certain best practices and of the laws that apply to the industry as a whole and specifically for disaster remediation contractors performing work in Texas. In 2011, wildfires ravaged over 40,000 acres of Texas land located in Bastrop and Grimes counties. In addition to those wildfires, Texas experienced tornadoes, hail storms, floods and hurricanes on a regular basis. As a result, residential, commercial and industrial properties and structures required construction remediation. While many honest and hardworking Texas construction companies were there to help, some communities were plagued by unscrupulous contractors, referred to as “storm chasers,” who took money up front and failed to perform services as promised. In response to the misdeeds of these storm chasers, the Texas Legislature enacted the Disaster Remediation Contracts Statute which affects contractors who engage in remediation construction projects stemming from a natural disaster. A new law was passed in 2011 by the Texas Legislature and was included in Chapter 58 of the Texas Business & Commerce Code. The law applies to disaster remediation contractors, which are identified as those engaged in the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, reconstruction, or other treatment of improvements to real property performed because of damage or destruction to that property caused by a natural disaster. A natural disaster is defined as widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property related to any natural cause, including fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, or wave action, that results in a disaster declaration by the governor. This means that any construction remediation project related to a natural disaster falls under this new law. After Hurricane Harvey landed, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared at least 43 counties as disaster areas. As such, the law impacts a significant and large area of Texas and the contractors that are in and near these counties. The statute requires any agreement for disaster remediation work be reduced to a written contract. Contracts for disaster remediation projects must contain a disclosure statement with specific language outlining the statute’s prohibitions in boldfaced type of at least 10-point font: This contract is subject to Chapter 58, Business & Commerce Code. A contractor may not require a full or partial payment before the contractor begins work and may not require partial payments in an amount that exceeds an amount reasonably proportionate to the work performed, including any materials delivered. The requirements and legal effects of the statute cannot be waived by any party through contract or other means. Additionally, any violation of the statute is also considered a violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act which allows for the recovery of attorneys’ fees and multiplying damages in certain instances. The law also provides that a contractor may not require a full or partial payment before the contractor begins work and may not require partial payments in an amount that exceeds an amount reasonably proportionate to the work performed, including any materials delivered. Therefore, a contractor cannot require a down payment, draw or other form of payment until work begins. The law does not apply to remediation contractors if they maintain a physical business address in the county or a county adjacent to where the work is to be performed for one year prior to the

Ian P. Faria, Partner Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Law Firm

date of contracting. This exception allows “local” companies to continue business as usual. However, the best practice would be to have your contracts and business practices set to comply with this law so that you can be ready to help in the event the next natural disaster is more than a county away. This new law affects all contracts entered into on or after Sept. 1, 2011. Additionally, contractors would be well served to follow the regular and normal industry procedures. It is recommended that they always have a written contract executed by both owners/ homeowners to ensure that you do not waive your lien rights on the homestead. Moreover, the scope of work needs to be clearly outlined and the liabilities assumed clearly defined in the contract. For instance, a contractor should be careful to avoid assuming mold testing and mold remediation when it is only performing reconstruction services. Another recommended practice is to ensure that a good escalation clause is included in any contract. It is currently unknown what will happen to the price and supply of building materials (such as concrete, sheetrock, insulation, etc.) but the pricing could radically increase based on demand. Additionally, labor and manpower may be scarce. It is recommended that strong independent contractor agreements be used and insurance programs verified before retaining any laborers or subcontractors. Also, strong and repeated communication with the owners and/ or homeowners is encouraged. Clear communication on timelines and scope of work can manage expectations and mitigate against disputes. Finally, depending on the area, careful attention should be taken with respect to permitting and inspections. There are other good practices to consider in remediation construction projects, and therefore contractors are encouraged to contact their attorney or trade organizations to obtain guidance. Ian P. Faria is a partner in the Construction and Government Contracts Practice Group and managing partner of the Houston office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. He focuses his practice on commercial, industrial and residential construction law and also has broad experience in real estate law. He can be reached at ifaria@bradley.com.

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

The exposure lead to a lot of the practical knowledge I gained in the field, but there was always a necessity to get schooling. I started schooling in the 80’s for my apprenticeship, fiber optics, and communication systems. After moving into the office in the mid ‘90’s I went back to school for estimating, project management, and business development. Over the years I’ve completed hundreds of hours of OSHA safety training.

Tim Zemencsik Operations Manager Highlights Electrical Houston

im Zemencsik, Operations Manager at Highlights Electrical, wears many hats each day. His duties include human resources, safety management, project management, estimating, sales, customer relations and training. Where did you grow up? In Conroe, Texas and graduated from Conroe High School. After that, I lived in Magnolia for 29 years and moved to Tomball two years ago. How did you learn all of your skills? My father was the greatest influence in my life when it comes to my skills. He was a person that could do anything he put his mind to. Working with Pop was one training session followed by another. Working on cars, woodwork, electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, heavy machinery, concrete work, flooring, landscaping, fencing…I could really go on and on. I never forgot in all my years the things Dad taught me. “Anything worth doing is worth doing right,” he would say. “Leaders have the ability to see what others cannot,” he loved that one. And he taught me that Rock and Roll died when we lost Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. I didn’t have a clue who these people were growing up in the ‘80’s, but in time I learned. If you worked in my Dad’s garage you listened to old Rock and Roll. Dion and the Belmonts is my favorite. How long have you been working for Highlights Electrical? I started in 2001. What made you want to work in the electrical industry? I was inspired after I graduated high school by a very good friend of my father’s who was an electrician. My first electrical teacher, Arnold Webber, was also very encouraging. I was working on the new Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center with him and learned a lot. Arnold was a perfectionist and doing things right was everything to him. He was a true craftsman. I worked with him on the Del Lago Resort project also. As a young man, before I was even licensed, I got into a lot of big commercial projects, which is probably why my aptitude for that kind of work accelerated so quickly.

Aside from handling the HR in the office, what else are in you charge of? I’m the safety officer for our company, which is a very demanding job, and one I take very seriously. My crews count on me to keep them safe; they have families and children, all of which drive me to perform my safety duties to the best of my ability. I help with tools and equipment, building maintenance, fleet management, estimating, project management, managing my customer accounts, data system designs and installations, fabrication estimates, and other duties as assigned. Operations is very demanding, you have to manage your time well. I like to jokingly say an Operations Manager is one who performs precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge. What other positions do you take on during the day? Guidance counselor, comic relief, bathroom attendant, coffee technician, and housekeeper. I’ll go where I am needed. I’ve studied some philosophy and psychology and I think both have really helped me in HR. What is your favorite part of your job? I’m a purist electrician. I enjoy the complicated projects, design, planning and doing the impossible. I’m at my best when things are at their worst my friend Stephen told me years ago. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms? I’ve been involved in seven major storms in my career. People like myself have to step up when things get bad. I recently did a project for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I was asked to do the job by word of reputation, which is an incredible place to be. There are only two dam facilities in the country that have horizontal hydrodrives and we did the one at Lake Steinhagen recently where they needed to change out a medium voltage transformer 4160 or 5KV. One of the unique parts about this dam is the structure is made of concrete and it floats. Everything had a timeline because the 12,000-lb. roof that accesses the interior, which is below the water line, is where the mechanical room is, so we had to take the 12,000-lb. steel lid off the top of it and get everything in and everything out before it rained. Oddly enough, this was scheduled right before Hurricane Harvey. We monitored the storm and added additional personnel to the crew and just got after it. We did all the work and sealed the roof back, which is a spillway for discharge from Sam Rayburn. After Harvey, our roof got tested because the water did go over the spillway and that following week, I got a phone call from my contact James at the Army Corps and he told me he was

Employees of Highlights Electrical (L-R): Time Zemencsik, Paul Miller, Mike Lee, Fred Meisner, Wayne Compton, and Charlie Brown.

very impressed, there wasn’t a single leak. They lost power, but everything did what it needed to do – the generator came on and it transferred and rolled over. James was the first one to go down and check everything out and, in his words, “everything was picture perfect.” It’s challenges that come with my job that I like. Is there a project you completed that really stands out for you? One that you will never forget? Yes, that would be Greensboro Tower Plaza in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. United Guarantee was the biggest tenant in the building we constructed. It was near the Jefferson Pilot building in downtown. It was incredible how fast the building went up. We did every interior buildout for all the tenants. At times we had 100 electricians on the property. We did all the data and communication cabling, also. I was very proud of that project and still am. I met my wife Kathy Jean in North Carolina when I started the job, and she moved back to Texas with me when I finished. We were happily married for 20 years until I lost her to cancer. I still miss her very much. I’m dating a school teacher now who works for Klein ISD, Sandra Clifford. Sandra is a wonderful lady and I’m happy she’s in my life. Tell me about how you came about meeting your wife while working on this project. Some local guys I came to know on the jobsite invited me to a barbecue in Kernersville, it’s near Winston-Salem. Country Western music was playing, I got a tap on the shoulder, was asked to dance, and I danced with her for 20 years. Kathy introduced me to the Smokey Mountains, to this day I still love it there. Gatlinburg and Cherokee are favorite places. Do you have anything you would consider your greatest accomplishment in your career? It’s my job at Highlights. The staff at Highlights I work with, the crews, and the customers we work for make every day great. Brett Daniel, the owner of Highlights, is a great person to work for and

he’s created a great company. I’ve been at Highlights for 16 years now. This is where I’ll retire someday. It sounds like you really love this company. I really do. I manage a fine group of electrical workers, most of which I’ve hired over the years. Highlights is a great place to work. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? I enjoy reading. I believe knowledge is power of the mind, body, and spirit. I enjoy deer hunting and coin collecting, but my passion has been the study of Civil War history. Over the years I’ve consumed many books on Civil War history, too many to count. I’ve travelled to all the battlefield sites, some more than once. Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, and Chancellorsville were some of my favorite sites. I enjoy almost anything about history. If I missed my calling in life it would be a Civil War Park Ranger. Electrical work pays better, so I think I’ll stay where I’m at. Do you have a favorite book? This is going to sound so strange, but I would have to say The National Electrical Code book. I use it every day, it helps me to do my job, and over time I have mastered that book. I can share that knowledge with others so they understand what I do. Shelby Foot is one of my favorite authors of Civil War history and I really enjoy Grant Comes East by Newt Gingrich. Can you offer up any words of advice for the younger generation? Put down your smart phones, stop texting, and just walk away. Try actually talking to people and having real conversations. Seriously, go to school if you want to be a good electrician. Pay attention and learn everything you can in the field. Never forget safety! Have a plan for your career and life. “If you fail to plan you can plan on failing,” is what my dad taught me. - te

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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the upper and lower Laguna Madre. These trips will be primarily targeting trophy trout with artificial lures while wading. As most of you know, these are the best months for targeting big sow trout for the wall. If you’re looking for a single day trip or a multiple day trip I can accommodate either. The Port Mansfield trip will include accommodations in a luxurious five-bedroom house that will sleep up to 10 fishermen. The Laguna house has all comforts of home with a large outdoor deck and cooking area to entertain clients and guests. A two-day minimum is required for the Lower Laguna Madre trips. If you are interested in either of the winter wade fishing packages don’t hesitate to give me a call to discuss rates and packages.

Don’t overlook winter fishing 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

I still have several open dates for the 2017 season, and my 2018 calendar is also open for bookings. Don’t hesitate in booking your fishing trips because my dates usually go pretty quick, especially during the more popular months. I’m also offering some trophy and management deer hunts in South Texas if you are interested. Please call me for specifics and pricing. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

y the time you read this article, I am hoping we will be in some sort of fall weather pattern. These hot days are getting old and this writer is ready for some cooler weather. The last few months have been a struggle for everyone in the Coastal Bend as we are still trying to get on our feet after Hurricane Harvey. I’m looking forward to some winter wade fishing for trophy trout in the upper and lower Laguna Madre.

David Biesenbach of San Antonio had a stellar day fishing last month with Steve Schultz Outdoors. David managed to catch his limit of trout up to 27 in. and a limit of slot redfish.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Our fishing report lately has been rather sporadic with the extreme high tides we’ve had for several weeks. Water levels have been elevated at least two feet above average and that makes fishing not so consistent. Everyday seems to be a challenge staying on fish because they are so scattered throughout our bay system. What you do one day may not necessarily work on the next day, even though all conditions remain the same. Needless to say, we are covering a lot of water each day, including water that typically we could not get to earlier in the year. Trout and redfish are still our primary target fish and black drum when they are available. I’m hoping for some colder weather so we can possibly target some flounder also. Bull reds are still being caught with schools of 100-200 fish in the 34 to 48-inch range. These schools, when found, can test your equipment and stamina as there is no giving up in these fish. Recently, we boated 16 bull reds in a morning before my clients threw in the towel. Looking into the winter months, and I’m talking about January and February, I will be offering wade fishing trips in both

Don’t forget to send us your company Halloween photos

Baker Triangle Houston, Halloween 2016 (Dec, 2016) issue

Email to HoustonEditor@ ConstructionNews.net Send photo and caption

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Houston Construction News • November 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

Fall & Winter Fishing by Max Milam

ooling water temperatures start a feeding frenzy. The fish are starting to develop eggs and need to eat more to get ready for the spring spawn. In terms of striper and white bass this means huge schools of feeding fish slowly migrating towards their spring spawning areas. With a little experience and some good electronics a fisherman

can capitalize on some of the best and most overlooked fishing of the year. I know it’s also time to be out in the field hunting Buckzilla, but what can beat spending a Friday night in the hunting camp frying up some fresh fish with good company? Fall striper fishing is some of the most exciting fishing, hands down. The cold fronts can make it a little tricky to get a comfortable day on the water, but can also trigger some of the best feeding frenzies of the year. The cooling waters and ample forage fish from the spring and summer bait spawns create some of

Fall Sunrise at Lake Buchanan

the best schooling top water action the year has to offer. I have seen schools up to three acres feeding on the surface in late October into mid-November. The stripers are usually easy to find this time of year, even when not feeding on top.

in depth has the potential to hold both quality fish and large numbers of fish. If you don’t want to spend the time needed to locate the fish, and you just want to spend some time on the water, just call your favorite fishing guide.

The easiest way is to find a windblown bank. Then look for a submerged structure that offers an ambush point for the fish to take advantage of – remember they are predators. I like to look for ledges, humps, and long points with fast drops. Anything that offers a fast change

White bass are one of the most popular fish in our area, but they are often not targeted much in the fall and winter. Spring time is not the best time to catch white bass. Winter white bass fishing is one of my favorite types of fishing. On any given day from November through February I can typically take the boat out for an hour or two and have a limit of nice fat white bass. They are easy to find and tend to follow similar patterns to the stripers, but they usually are found further up the river system than the stripers. They tend to stage around the mouth of the rivers they spawn in during the spring, and can be found using electronics. My favorite way to catch white bass is to drop jigging spoons to the depth that the fish are holding at, and then hang on. You will know when you’ve got the right bait at the right depth. Once again if you don’t have time, between work and chasing Buckzilla, then give your favorite fishing guide a call and they can do the leg work for you.

Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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Cup runneth over

he hook – or rather, the Pook – brings them back! Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing’s annual Pookie Cup Invitational, a fishing tournament held Oct. 12-14, at Port Mansfield, gave company superintendents, project managers and estimators two days of bonding, drift and wade fishing fun and cash prizes! –mjm Winners: 1st Place: TR Mayfield, Miguel Pecina and James Miller

2nd Place: Mike Harper 3rd Place: Tim Rosenberg

2nd Place: Ronnie Waldrop, Vince Patterson and JC Cottrell

Doving every minute

owell Crane & Rigging Inc. customers and employees popped in to enjoy the company’s 23rd Annual Skeet Shoot and Dove Hunt on Oct. 14. The popular event was attended by 280 guests, who enjoyed full use of the 1800 acre Howell Ranch in Olmos, TX – in between big bites of barbecue! –mjm Howell Crane & Rigging’s Mickey Mikolajczyk, Tommy Beaver and Audie Howell

3rd Place: Adam Matthys, Taylor Emmons, Tim Rosenberg and Brett Schropp Big Red Day 1 Winners: 1st Place: Danny Burgan 2nd Place: James Miller 3rd Place: Justin Lambert Big Red Day 2 Winners: 1st Place: Juan Venegas Maintenance project estimator Barry Heinley

L-R: Tim Rosenberg, Joseph De Long, Mike Harper and Adam Matthys

L-R: Executive vice presidents Art Canales and Doug Combes with president and CEO John Kafka

Safety director Justin Lambert

L-R: Peter Pantusa and Dustin Murphy

L-R: Buckle winner John Starks and Audie Howell

L-R: Audie Howell and buckle winner Suzi Schacht

L-R: Bryan Brietzke, John Fritz and Dean Fritz prepare barbecue for the guests.

L-R: Howell Crane & Rigging’s Trisha Grein, Kelsey Davis, Courtney Bennett and Melissa Scott

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

Horses, planes and doors

Industry FOLKS Ann Marie Hartwell Project manager and estimator Arrow Services Inc.

Pilots arrive at Schweiss Doors Friday for fun, food and a Schweiss factory tour.

ike Schweiss is one focused individual. Rather than devoting time and energy to a wide variety of activities and undertakings, he finds fulfillment in two areas of interest - doors and horses. From his point of view, everything else is pretty much a diversion. It's been that way for much of his adult life. Doors are Schweiss’ first passion. “I just can’t stop thinking about them. From the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night, doors are on my mind.” This obsession is a good thing. He’s the founder of Schweiss Doors, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of bifold and hydraulic doors. Doors weren’t on his radar screen in his early working life. After graduating high school, he worked on the family dairy located about two hours west of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Over the next several years he began manufacturing numerous farm and ag-related products. The moment that changed his life forever came in 1980 when a friend told him he was good at making things and why not make a bi-fold door. Schweiss replied,“What’s a bi-fold door?” He couldn’t stop thinking about this idea. A few months later, he designed his first door, a 14-ft x 14-ft for a utility shed owned by the local county highway department. Through the 1980s, he zeroed in on making bi-fold doors for farms and agricultural-related businesses. And the rest is history.

Schweiss designed a system that relies on nylon straps rather than cables for operation. He developed new markets over the next two-plus decades, to include aviation. In addition to bi-fold doors, he developed hydraulic doors. One of the larger doors is a 94-ft x 62-ft for SpaceX at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Schweiss’ most recent success story is Hurricane Harvey’s havoc on the South Texas Coast. The aftermath of the hurricane at the Aransas County Airport in Rockport, TX was devastating, hangers were destroyed. That is, except for the hangers that had the Schweiss doors which helped to support the buildings. Those were still standing according to Mike Geer, Airport Manager. Geer chose to ride out the storm in the airport terminal, a probable staging ground for relief and recovery efforts. He wanted to be there to assist first responders. “It was like having a 747 with parking brakes on a full throttle just outside the door; it was incredibly loud. We had hurricane force winds for 13 hours,” said Geer. Creating tremendous interest within the construction and architectural industry is the Schweiss Hydraulics. Builders like the clean and trending styles, yet rugged design of these products. Heavyduty hydraulic cylinders provide super stability. As one builder commented, "Hydraulic doors with the Schweiss name, it doesn't get any better." -rd

nn Marie Hartwell, project manager and estimator for total demolitions, started working for Arrow Services Inc. at the end of August this year, but has been in the industry for 14 years. She says the company is a perfect fit for her because she has known, and even worked with, most of the other employees for years. “I love working here because everyone feels like family and there is almost no turnover.” Hartwell’s job is to bring in total demolition projects for everything from houses to large commercial buildings. She is in the process of growing the demolition sector for the company. She is the only woman in her position in the Houston area. She started out working part-time in an office for a demolition company. She learned to read the blueprints and gained enough knowledge to answer questions from clients. She started getting sent to potential job sites to measure out the houses and learned how to bid for projects, which eventually led to her bidding on large commercial projects.

“When I first started, I would go to the bid meetings, and the guys were looking around asking ‘Who brought their secretary?’” She still gets weird looks when she goes to the jobsites, and many of the men think she is with the Health Department. “Most of the guys who work for other companies are really nice to me now, even though we are all bidding for the same job.” They share a great camaraderie and have lunch together often and even look out for her if there is a jobsite that is in a bad area of town. “I’ve managed to remain competitive, but also cultivate a relationship with them.” The employees enjoy attending sporting events together and they support the Captain Renaud Foundation and local children’s sports teams. Arrow Services, Inc. is an abatement and demolition contractor in Houston. - te

Taking on something new

John Guel is the Houston branch manager for New Guard Coatings Inc.

eing part of a new branch of a business can be exciting, but also very stressful. John Guel, branch manager for New Guard Coatings Inc., is taking it all in stride. The company is based out of the UK and was founded over 40 years ago. Ben Cooper, the CEO, is one of many in his family whom the company has been passed down to. The Pasadena branch opened in February of this year and Guel is learning all he can about the products. He was in the oil and gas industry for over 20 years and was laid off during the time when that industry slowed down. He helped to open New Guard’s new location in February. “I’m learning a new product and industry and moving forward as quickly as I can.” He says his transition hasn’t been too difficult because he learned a little about the products while in the oil and gas industry. But “there are so many new products to learn. I do a lot of reading and a lot of researching.” Guel is the only one in the office for

now and he admits that things can get a little hectic. “Customers who call want the product as soon as possible and trying to work with that can be difficult at times, but I work as hard as I can to get it to them when they want it.” He says that he will stay all night to get something completed just so they can have it ready the next day. “We try to get our products out as fast as we can to our customers because customer service is very important to us. If it’s local, I’ll deliver it myself, which then gives me a chance to meet and talk with them face-to-face.” This seems to be working because Guel says most of their work is coming from repeat customers who are also sharing their name with other companies. When he has time, he likes to fish at the beach in Galveston. “It helps me find myself again and gets me ready to go back to work the next week.” When he’s not fishing, he’s cheering on all of Houston’s sport teams. New Guard Coatings Inc. is a distributor of protective coatings. - te

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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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

Bringing engineering home David Eastwood, President

Geotech Engineering & Testing Houston, TX

ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? In our experience, the construction industry started off slow, but started to stabilize towards the second half of the year. What factors are driving this slowdown? One of the most notable factors for us relating to a decrease in business is the Petrochemical Industry slowdown. How has this slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? Some of our major clientele include homebuilders and land development companies. With oil and gas being so vital to our city’s economy, if there is a

slowdown, the result is less people moving to Houston, which in turn means less houses are being built. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? The “hot button” issues in our industry mainly consist of qualifications and speed in which we can deliver our services to the client. What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the

Opportunities are up in architecture Michael Malone, FAIA Past President, Texas Society of Architects Austin, TX

Founding Principal Malone Maxwell Borson Architects Dallas, TX

ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? It’s wonderful! The level of activity and optimism is fueling tremendous opportunities. Has the architectural industry seen an increase in business or a slowdown? There’s a palpable increase since the recession, and it’s understandable in terms of increased projects, challenges finding qualified staff in a strong job market and the ability to build backlog and security. What factors are driving this increase? For our firm and clients, the primary driver seems to be the attractiveness of Texas, and Dallas specifically. The continued influx of people has created opportunities for growth in virtually every sector of professional services. How has this increase affected the industry and how you conduct business? It has allowed us to expand our staff, offer them better benefits and upgrade our office environment and technology. It has made us more selective about the work we undertake, demonstrated in more appropriate fees and more satisfactory business relationships. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? With all of this growth, there are negatives: lack of available qualified staff, higher construction costs and the impact on the environment and quality of life this much building represents. What have been the major changes in the architectural industry in recent years? The continuing impact of technology in the way we practice and the inherent

ways it allows services to be commoditized are the main changes we see. This has been an ongoing issue, and we don’t know yet if the result is less thoughtful and less-carefully made buildings. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? I believe it’s the commoditization of professional services, the idea that everyone does the same thing and offers the same product. Differentiating yourself and your firm in the present environment is very challenging but increasingly necessary. What are the costs increases related to your industry? Salaries go up in strong construction markets, but beyond that, the largest costs continue to be in the areas of staff support and benefits. How are you dealing with these challenges? As a firm, we’re committed to a certain level of salary and reasonably generous benefits for all our staff. We build our business plan for the year with these costs (and associated overhead) as the basis for what we need to do and how we need to perform. Once we know we have these costs covered, we’re able to plan for profitability and additional expenses. We invest heavily in technology when we’re busy knowing we can’t afford this when times are leaner. What changes are on the horizon for your industry? We’re always sensitive to changes in the economy and ready for it to retrench or slow down. Regardless, we feel certain Texas will do as well or better than the rest of the country, and that gives us comfort. We do wish the state were more focused on issues of educational quality and appropriately funding it for the long-term benefits it promises. We see this lack of co-

Architecture & Engineering

Sept: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment

type of work you do? A high increase in new companies entering the Houston market would probably be the major change in our industry. This makes it so much more competitive in attracting business. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages? Cost increases? The most significant challenge for this industry is still the constant fluctuation of our economy. What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Cost increases include the cost of labor, and parts and maintenance for our rigs has constantly increased over the years. How are you dealing with these challenges? Vetting of suppliers is a common practice of ours now, as well as the consideration for vendors with pricing becoming so stringent.

herent educational policy and the disparities in funding and outcomes as a potential long-term issue for the state, perhaps the greatest issue. What is rewarding about working in your industry? Creating the built environment is a gift and a privilege. To work with clients and

What is on the horizon for your industry? Multiple advances in drilling equipment and engineering software has helped expedite our processes and procedures. Incoming changes in qualification requirements for city jobs will also help in selecting a more broad variety of companies. What are the rewards of the industry? The feeling of assurance that people’s foundation will be well designed and the soil will be accounted for. What are keys to being successful in the industry? I think it is most important to focus on various sector markets to explore, as well as keeping up with our company’s reputation of working adequately, quickly, and affordably. Geotech Engineering & Testing specializes in geotechnical, materials testing, environmental, and forensic engineering services. - te

contractors to create and build something is the most rewarding thing in the world. The Texas Society of Architects, with 15 regional chapters and 7,000 members, is one of the nation’s largest organizations for the architectural profession. It is headquartered in Austin. - ke

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

NEXT TH MON Kidd Roofing

Construction Equipment

If you would like to represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact your Houston Editor for an Interview Tanya Erickson (832) 595-0091 HoustonEditor@ConstructionNews.net

“Robust environment of work” Rob Welker, President and Partner Hoefer Wysocki Architecture Dallas, TX

hat are the “hot button” issues in your industry? • The client profile – Each client requires a different type of service from our firm. This demands that we be flexible and adaptable to meet stringent requirements on the government side, tight budgets on the private sector, and a performance driven environment at an institutional level. What are the “hot button” issues in your industry? • Beyond the building – Architecture is our craft, but it is not all about building. As a result of our strategic approach on performance, we are looking for ways to create value for our clients. This complex process culminates into inspiring and engaging environments that affect our quality of life. • Economy – We are at a great point where there is great opportunity for designing and constructing new facilities. It is also a good time to focus our energy into meaningful and impactful engagements. For this reason, we provide a fully integrated service for each of our clients, which allows them to make the most educated decision that will allow them to be successful while creating graceful architecture that reflects their ambition. • Work force – The ability of skilled workers, because of economic demand, has created a robust environment of work. This leads to confor-

mity and over inflation in delivery of projects. Our focus on performance identifies key driving issues that help our projects navigate the complexity of the construction environment. • Construction cost escalation – Difficult to control costs, AE fees are at risk • Urbanism – More people are moving to the city unlike their parents. The younger work force are interested in city living and the amenities. This will continue putting pressure on how we provide enough supply of housing/ schools/retail to the increasing pollution of the urban core. Public transportation is a must. What are the major changes in recent years relating to the type of work that you do? Implementation of technology and more accurate digital models have allowed the opportunity for more robust communication at the conception of a project all the way to construction administration of a project. As we make early decisions of design, we can now look in real-time the impact on energy consumption, budget,

Promises in design Aaron Dahl, Co-founder & Partner Acuform Architecture San Antonio, TX

elebrating ten years in practice, Acuform Architecture prides themselves on referrals and repeat clientele, assisting clients with all aspects of private sector commercial work and aiding in the process from initial site selections and securing governmental approvals through getting doors open and processing warranty claims. The hallmarks of their service include their candid, sometimes blunt, communications, and their ability to remain accessible to their clients throughout the entire design and build process. Describing the construction industry as healthy, Dahl says “San Antonio has been well-positioned to take advantage of the growth specifically with regards to military, medical, and housing. I am confident that the recent growth in this market will domino into other areas of construction and we will have several years to come of steady continued work. “Business activities have increased over the past twelve months. The growth has been good for businesses bottom line, but general contractors are having an extremely difficult time getting subcontractors to even look at projects. Subcontractors are unable to find talented workers, leading to increased construction costs and less-than-perfect construction. “The business community, like Wall Street, is bullish about the future. The environment in Washington is more favorable for businesses small and large and

organizations that were holding steady for the longest time are now moving forward with plans for expansion. Another factor we’re starting to see is some new faces emerge as decision makers in key markets as the Baby Boomer generation continues to move into retirement. This younger generation is more willing to take on capital debt to secure a better future than their predecessors.” Maintaining the level of service and quality that their clients have come to expect has been challenging. Owners are putting more pressure on design professionals and contractors to get things done faster - the QA/QC tends to take a back burner in the interest of getting the doors open. “My partner, Shawn Willis, and I find ourselves spending our weekends redlining drawings, reading field reports and prioritizing tasks for the coming week.” The “hot button” issue in the architec-

timeline and overall experience. Predictive analytics has allowed us to test in real-time that potential outcome of functional decisions in planning and design. We are seeing a shift from an evidence-based design approach to a results-driven approach that takes into account current and relevant data that is customizable and unique on geographical location. Public/Private/Partnerships (P3) are gaining acceptance to fund for revenue generating projects. What are the most significant challenges your industry faces? One challenge is integration in project delivery to assure functional and performance results that add value to our clients. A growing list of threats happening nationally and internationally – from the wrath of Mother Nature to local and global sponsored terrorism, is causing a void of much-needed regional suppliers to the new/immediate buyers. Labor shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry is impacting cost and timely building turnover. The construction industry is reaching out to educational institutions like high schools and community colleges to create partnerships with them to ensure future supply of skilled labor. What is on the horizon for your industry? • Rearrangement and reorganization of financial approach to project delivery. Partnering with industry leaders to advance healthcare delivery, creating better educational models that meet today’s demands and think big when it comes to urban design to reassure social equity and resilience.

tural/engineering industry is sustainability. “Unfortunately, this term has been commandeered by the green building people, but it’s more than just selecting efficient mechanical systems and renewable materials. Clients expect their buildings to last 70-80 years. Clients who already own and operate existing facilities are keenly aware of how much it costs to operate and maintain an older building. We are constantly trying to remain abreast of current technologies in order to provide our clients a durable, low maintenance facility for not just years, but generations to come,” adds Dahl. Major changes in the industry, in recent years are the rapid adoption of sustainable design principles. This has driven design like never before. Many items that used to be part of the LEED(R) requirements have been adopted by the International Code Council and are now required by law. It seems like every three years designers have a whole new layer of sustainable design elements that are required by code. Design professionals and contractors are continuously educating clients who are always seeking a good value. Some elements with a short payback period are defensible, but there are a lot of things required by code that don’t make much sense for most owners. In addition, labor shortages continue to be the most significant challenges in the industry. “Clients are willing to pay for what they need, but across the design and build industries we simply cannot find the right talent to fill the positions out

• Filling the gap between the millennials’ wants to the baby boomers’ needs. Designing and delivering flexible spaces and finding creative ways to give everyone flexibility. How does this affect how you conduct business? First and most of all it affects our people by creating an emphasis on intellectual capacity more so than production. It also makes sure that our studio structure is a catalyst for good ideas and a vehicle for our stellar design leaders to make an impact in their communities and our business. What factors do you feel are driving this? Technological advancement in rapid prefab, 3-D printing and augmented reality will continue to impact how buildings are designed and built. With the rise in labor cost and shortage of skilled labor, these technologies will be the future. Right now, we are reaching the tipping point to move more into the highly automated building construction industry. Increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption and impact on the environment will shape how buildings are designed and built. More strict regulation will force the construction industry to reinvent itself. Hoefer Wysocki Architecture is a full-service architecture, planning and interior design firm with offices in Dallas and Kansas City. The firm focuses on healthcare, commercial, retail, hospitality/entertainment/multifamily, government, judicial, education and urban and master planning projects. –mjm

there,” say Dahl. Designers are starting to see some influences of the sharing economy on design. For years, clients have been looking for adaptable spaces, but now even large organizations are recognizing the value a small portion of their building may have for other organizations or small businesses. Much as houses are now being designed with Airbnb suites, “owneroccupied” buildings are considering ways to partially separate new facilities to accommodate small tenants. All design professionals must offer a value proposition to their clients in the form of a better-built environment at a lower upfront and ongoing cost. “We achieve this through creative design solutions tailored to our clients’ specific needs that utilize practical and cost effective construction systems. The trademarks of our service are working as a team with the Owner and the Contractor in order to produce the most successful result possible.” In conclusion, Dahl says, “The greatest reward is a referral from a client we worked with five or ten years ago. It’s a testament to our skills and foresight that a client from several years ago continues to appreciate their facility and recognizes the role that Acuform played in getting it built.” Acuform Architecture is a full-service design firm focused on private sector commercial work. –cmw

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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Association Calendar

Round-Up

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

AIA American Institute of Architects

Nov. 10: ArCH Film Fest - If You Build It, 7pm, Buffalo Bayou Partnership – Sunset Coffee Building Nov. 11: ArCH Film Fest – Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, 3pm, Rice Media Center Nov. 12: ArCH Film Fest - AIA I Look Up Short Film Festival, 3pm, Buffalo Bayou Partnership – Sunset Coffee Building Nov. 13: ArCH Film Fest – Columbus, 7pm, Rice Media Center

Nov. 9: Golf Tournament, Kingwood Country Club

John Castilla has been named President of Welty Construction Company at their new Houston location. Castilla has spent 28 years working in various capacities for a Fortune 100 national contractor. -te

TACCA Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Nov. 14: End of Summer BBQ Gala, 6 – 9pm, SPJST Lodge #88 TSPE Texas Society of Professional Engineers

Nov. 6: Golf Tournament, 4:30 – 7:30pm, Top Golf Katy WCA

ASCE

Women Contractors Association

American Society of Civil Engineers

Nov. 30: Hard Hats & Heels 20th Anniversary Event, Kim Son Restaurant

Nov. 1: Water for People-Beer for Us,

Stantec welcomes Alton Frailey to the global design firm as an education specialist. He has served as superintendent for multiple school districts. -te

Family fun

Wayne Schramme with Schramme Construction Co. had a great time with his family at the Fort Bend County Fair. He is pictured with his daughter, son-in-law, his two grandchildren, and his wife. - te

Submissions

Associated Builders & Contractors

Nov. 16: Scholarship Cornhole Tournament, 5 – 9pm, Marek Brothers Systems, Inc.

6 – 8pm, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., contact Adam Eaton 231-425-0174 or Jonathan Sandhu 713-646-1101

Round-Up

ABC

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/Fort Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net

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Houston Construction News • November 2017

Fishing with friends

raves Winlectric held their fifth annual fishing tournament at Stow-Away Marina on Lake Conroe. - te

continued from Page 1 — What’s in a name to the community. We want to determine how and where we can help,” shares Michael. The team offers construction services that range from Design-Build to general

contracting. Beraht Envelope Systems is a full service construction service provider and envelope system contractor. – te

continued from Page 1 — Building up capital changes since taking over, they are keeping pretty much to the same work plan as his dad had going. “Don’t fix something if it’s not broken, right?,” Kyle explains. Before taking over the business, Kyle graduated from Texas State University and his sister graduated from Sam Houston

State University. Kyle spent a lot of time, especially during the summer, at the office with his dad and says some of his fondest memories come from that time. Capital Insulation is an insulation contractor in Houston. - te

continued from Page 1 — Driving elegance

JD Ryan from Daniels Ventures holds up his prize while Justin Wiens from Graves Winlectric looks on.

The showroom floor provides ample space for moving around and looking at new models.

Gerald Jernigen Jr. and Gerald Jernigen Sr. with Jernigen Electric Contractors brought their family out for a fun day fishing.

struction project, there were weather challenges, especially trying to get a 16-acre site installed with an underground detention system and some soil remediation. Another specific challenge was introducing 14ft tall by 20ft wide Rytec high-speed doors into the existing CMU exterior walls for the SAM’s building. This installation required special shoring and introducing a new steel frame support before re-framing the openings and installing the doors.” McLean says this project was unique because the team was able to create an LEED certified project by merging an old facility together with new construction. “The interior and exterior build-out incorporated the use of AESS Steel, architecturally exposed structural steel painted with performance coatings. Cold rolled metal framing, dens glass, ACM panels, EFIS, 12in CMU, and glazed aluminum curtain walls make up the majority of the exterior along with a thermos plastic

polyolefin rook incorporated with specified edge flashings and copings to meet an ES-1 rating for wind and pressure,” McLean describes. Upon entering the showroom, customers will notice the stainless steel doors and frames, quartz agglomerate countertops, wall coverings, Pantheon tiles, clinker tile, and Rytec high-speed doors. Because of the Texas heat and humidity, 973 rooftop tons of A/C were installed. “Everyone performed like the new Mercedes/AMG Project One – dynamic,” boasts McLean. The lead architect, Eric Summers-Perry, and Carl Sewell’s right hand man and owner representative, John O’Connor were invaluable sources of information. Their knowledge, combined with that of the Wier team, made the entire project a great success.” Weir Construction is a general contracting company located in Houston that specializes in the automotive and medical fields. – te

Giving thanks

Scott Hudson (L) from Graves Winlectric presents Jacob Talbert from Lancaster Electric his first place award.

hanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the previous year. We can trace this holiday tradition to meagerly documented celebrations at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts held in 1621 and one held in Virginia in 1919.

It has been an annual tradition in the United States by presidential proclamation since 1863. On Dec. 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress. This resolution changed the national Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the fourth. He had try to achieve this change two years earlier by presidential proclamation, arguing an earlier celebration of the holiday would give the country an economic boost. Historically, Thanksgiving kicks off our “holiday season.” “Harvest” today probably has a different meaning than it did in 1620. We have so much to be thankful for. Let us not forget all the many blessings that we have, not just in the food we put on our tables, but the many things that allow us to obtain our “harvest.” -cmw

Houston Construction News • November 2017

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NAWIC’s new leadership

n Aug. 30, Beth Brooks, CAE took over the role of executive vice president of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), a continuation of more than 30 years of leadership for the Certified Association Executive. “Professionally, I have been in association management my whole career,” she says. “This is my fourth association and my third as an executive director, executive vice president or CEO.” Involvement in one’s community was a value instilled early in Brooks’ life. “Both of my parents were huge volunteers within the community; I was raised in a service-oriented environment,” she says. “I never gave it much thought throughout college, but I was always a volunteer, such as serving as president of my sorority, so I guess it was in my blood.“ Upon graduation from Texas Lutheran University, Brooks began her career in association management, working as director of communications for the Texas Dental Association, coordinating annual conferences for 7,000 attendees as well as the TDA’s publications and membership. After 10 years, she joined the Texas Pest Control Association as the association’s first fulltime executive director. A decade later, she served as CEO for Texas Society of Association Executives for 15 years. Brooks, who will oversee her duties from NAWIC’s Fort Worth headquarters, is excited about her new role in the women’s association and its future. “Our board has noted this is a very exciting time for NAWIC, and it is one of the reasons they hired me; they’re looking for change and to grow this organization,” Brooks says. “It is very

Beth Brooks

exciting to me; I’m very honored to be a part of this.” “NAWIC has a strategic plan, and one of the pillars of the strategic plan is to assess and create the infrastructure of the organization,” she continues. “One of my first big goals, and it will take months, is to look at the infrastructure of the staff, our processes, and streamline what we’re working on, as well as review and update the governance structure of this organization.” In her free moments, Brooks enjoys spending time with her husband of 35 years, her 22-year-old son and the family dog, Buddy. She also enjoys traveling, swimming, the ice sport of curling and is an inaugural member of the long distance walking initiative EverWalk. –mjm

November 11 A day to say Thank You to those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces

bserved annually, Veterans Day honors military veterans. This day originated as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War 1. Veterans Day gives special thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. Often, Veterans Day is confused with Memorial Day, the day to honor those who served and died while in military service.

Thank you for your Service Sacrifice Patriotism

Texas-sized vision building façade can be fully constructed, finished, shrinkwrapped and put on a truck ready for install prior to a shovel ever hitting the ground. Dry-in is positively impacted and scaffolding use can be drastically reduced, if not eliminated. It’s also an attractive option to use in a labor-strapped industry. “With as much work as we currently have going on in Texas, we just don’t have the field resources that we used to have,” Pressley explains. “When we look at prefabricated methods, we see a parallel to reduction in manpower needs, which are getting harder and harder to find in these loaded markets.” “We also feel like it’s a strong benefit to our clients and to their clients. They’re getting a product that has gone through a very stringent quality control process,” he Exterior prefabricated metal panels are manufactured in adds. “Every phase of BakerTriangle Prefab’s prefabrication is checked, Dallas plant, but are used throughout Texas, verified and scanned so that such as the Austin Aloft Hotel project. we know we are building to akerTriangle’s investment in a vision correct standards. We feel owners are five years ago is starting to pay off for getting a streamlined, consistent product Texas construction. that allows us to work alongside our The company joined the StoPanel general contracting partners to help deliver affiliate program dedicated to building them their building in a timelier manner.” panel systems that adhere to consistent The initial challenge was educating standards. It then opened a stand-alone the industry on the benefits of prefabricated prefab plant in Dallas focused on exterior panels. manufacturing pre-finished exterior wall “The industry is not necessarily used to panels. The division, BakerTriangle Prefab, is or comfortable with it, so we have invested the only DFW market-based affiliation and a lot of resources in marketing and raising serves a 500-mile radius, which includes its awareness of what prefabrication is and Austin, Houston and San Antonio branches. when it can be applicable to projects. We “I think our leadership team, led by constantly have people come through the Bryan Baker and Steve Baker, are fabrication facility and talk with them about visionaries, not only in our market here in methods and constructability. We have DFW but visionaries within the drywall and personnel that explain the vision, not only acoustical industry nationally. They fly at a to general contractors but also to architects, 5,000 ft. view and are always looking at owners and development groups. what’s coming,” Preston Pressley, “I think we’re just now starting to see BakerTriangle’s vice president of business the industry gravitate towards this development and marketing, says. “Several investment,” he continues. “Especially years ago, they saw that European markets moving into 2018, it’s really starting to pick were starting to do things a little different, up steam in our Texas markets, and not and I think they really latched on to only with our clients (contractors) but also prefabrication. They made a heavy invest- with architects and owner groups. We are ment to try and get ahead of the curve and seeing them mandate prefabrication get started with that here locally in Texas.” methods into their master specifications as Prefabricated panels offer Texas standard practice moving forward. We are builders several benefits. The panels are excited to be delivering a unique process to built in a controlled manufacturing envi- this great industry, and look forward to ronment versus unpredictable field latching on to this wave of momentum we conditions, guaranteeing a higher degree are seeing towards prefabrication.” of product quality and sidestepping BakerTriangle PreFab was launched unexpected schedule delays due to under the umbrella of BakerTriangle, which weather. If prefabrication is introduced has nine Texas locations. –mjm early enough in the design process, the

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Houston Construction News â&#x20AC;¢ November 2017