San Antonio Construction News March 2018

Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style

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The Industry’s Newspaper Rodeo Cookoff Page 6-7

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Boom town!

On to the next generation

Dana Delao, estimator for the Hansco Demolition Company.

Shawn and JR Murray

ana Delao is a hometown boy who has seen San Antonio grow by leaps and bounds during his life. Now, he stays busy tearing down old structures and digging the holes for the new ones.

Delao is an estimator for the Hansco Demolition company. If it needs to come down, or the ground needs to be prepared, or the pool needs a hole to go into, Delao will tell you how much that will cost.

Delao graduated from high school in 1980 and immediately started in the construction business as a mechanical insulator. Then he became one of the first asbestos remediators in the state of Texas.

He eventually got trained in estimating and that lead him to Hansco.

With the incredible amount of construction in San Antonio, Delao says he

stays “about as busy as a one-armed paper hanger.”

The company offers many services such as hoe ramming, pool removal, excavation and site work, but their “bread and butter is complete demolition.”

In order to prevent mistakes (“The oops moments do happen occasionally.”)

Delao says there are many checks and balances involved with every job and those moments are very rare. Agencies such as CPS, the Historical Department and Tree Preservation Department all have their inputs on a job.

Further, all commercial structures have to have an asbestos survey done before any demolition or renovation. This is handled by the Health Department. continued on Page 20

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orn into the plumbing trade, Shawn Murray, owner and president of Murray Plumbing Co., will be a fifth-generation plumber when he earns his license. His family’s service in the plumbing industry spans over 100 years.

The company was established in 2005 in Rockport, TX by Murray’s grandparents, James M. Murray and Zachie R. Murray with a paycheck and admirable persistence. “They created a legacy for our family to build on. I remember traveling down to Rockport with my mother almost every weekend to visit my father when he joined the company,” recalls Murray.

In 2007, the company moved to San Antonio and like many great companies, it operated out of the family garage. Years passed with many obstacles along the way

including the “great recession,” but the company prevailed and continued to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the industry.’

“Understanding the requirements of the trade and our customers are sewn into the fabric of who we are. My late grandfather and father James R. Murray worked their whole life in this industry. Their persistence and strong work ethic grew this company and provided a sustainable foundation to build on,” says Murray.

Growing up in the family business has given Murray a clear understanding of how the bigger picture and granular details work together to generate success. “My family drives my passion to deliver my highest performance day-to-day. continued on Page 20

54th Street – a true dining experience

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he 54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse has a growing popularity in San Antonio. The “polished casual,” concept is known for their large selection of “scratch prepared,” menu items as well as 54 draft beers served at 29 degrees and high quality libations using fresh ingredients, made in house daily. The eclectic atmosphere features unique artifacts collected all over the world, an enormous bar with an open keg room and large screen TV’s for watching the next big game. Nana walls open up from the bar area out to the patio with a live open fire-pit and water feature surrounding the area. There is something to see around every corner so that each seat is the best one in the house! It is no wonder that the laid back, eclectic atmosphere draws both young and old alike.

The Struthoff Company, founded in 1993 by Lynn Struthoff with the objec-

tive of providing turn-key commercial construction services, has a history of delivering projects for a wide variety of clients; including restaurants, retail, commercial, medical, industrial, and educational clients. This history, background and experience was instrumental in the successful completion of the project. The new 7,000sf 54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse is located at Loop 410 and Hwy 281 and took 220 days to construct.

The project’s scope of work encompassed site development, utilities, landscaping, concrete pad and paving, brick and cultured stone veneer, wood trusses, wood framing, millwork, TPO, standing seam roof, storefront, doors, windows, painting, ceramic tile, carpet, epoxy flooring, fire protection, plumbing, mechanical and electrical.

54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse, Loop 410 & Hwy. 281

continued on Page 20

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Sign of the times

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L-R: Comet Signs’ owner and CEO Pete Sitterle, owner Tommy Reynolds and president Mikal Harn.

or Mikal Harn, being president of Comet Signs means the fun is in the doing. It also means that the 20year journey in the business world has brought him and his family back to south Texas.

The Texas A & M marketing major’s experience is in the business and corporate world, having worked for such companies as Kraft and AT&T. Working for AT&T brought the Texas native from Chicago to San Antonio, and after moving 10 times in 10 years, the Harn family decided to plant roots in the Alamo City.

This brought him to Comet Signs, founded in 1958 by Art Sitterle and now run by his son Pete. After Harn first owned a small manufacturing firm, the opportunity to join Comet came up.

For Harn, the major learning curve into the sign-making world was primarily in the type of manufacturing processes, but the business side, such as HR, accounting and insurance, is pretty consistent.

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Comet Signs is a full-orbed company, helping clients with complete start-tofinish sign making, including zoning and code research, getting the permits, to making, installing and maintenance on the signs for such companies as HEB, Whataburger, Taco Cabana, Human Credit Union and many others.

Harn is “excited about the future,” as he gets pleasure from not only helping companies grow, but from working with great people and being able to see a finished product. Making custom signs is a particular joy as it’s “very exciting when people want to be creative.”

That makes it fun to come to work every day. Having a project get done on time and well is great for the company for which it’s designed, as well as Harn, who enjoys having a tangible product to see at the end of the day.

And that’s always a good sign.

Comet Signs is a commercial and storefront sign company throughout Texas. –dsz

The write stuff

an Zulli is the new staff editor/writer for Construction News. It only took a 30-year career in the Air Force to get him there.

“Writing has always been in my blood,” he said. “It’s really fun to finally realize this passion after such a long and varied journey.”

Originally from Oak Ridge, TN, Zulli’s family moved to the Springfield, MA, area when he was 10. When it came time for college, he wanted to go into commercial art. “My mother told me to go into journalism,” he said. “I should have listened to her. I’m a better writer than I am artist.”

After three years at Springfield College (where basketball was invented), being an art major didn’t work out. Since Zulli’s dad had been in the Air Force, that seemed like a viable option to finding his place in life, at least for the next four years.

“I wanted to get into a graphics-related field, but ended up instead as security policeman, guarding planes on the flight line.”

“After my first four years as a cop,” Zulli explained, “I cross-trained into audiovisual and extended two years. During this time, I decided to separate and go into the ministry and go back in as a chaplain.”

Zulli and new wife Cindy moved to Dallas to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. During the summers, he was a chaplain candidate, then was commissioned as a reserve chaplain after graduation.

Now with two little girls, they moved to southwest Oklahoma to pastor a “very country church” while being a reserve chaplain at Altus Air Force Base.

After three years there, Zulli applied to go back on active duty and an ascensions board selected him in 1993 to come back on. Twenty-three and a half years later, the journey ended in July 2017 back where it all started at Lackland Air Force

Dan Zulli, USAF (Ret.)

Base, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

During his Air Force career, writing had been a staple of Zulli’s everyday life.

“People’s careers depend upon how well we write their annual appraisals. We have to be able to write well and fast,” he said.

Zulli also writes on the side, doing a complete autobiography project for his kids, and even writing historical fiction novels.

“My first book should be out this summer,” he said, “and the sequel about next year. The first one is already available on the Apple iBooks website.”

Now he writes for Construction News, coming full circle from what his mother told him years ago.

“When people say God works in mysterious ways,” Zulli said, “I’m Exhibit A. But it’s been a fun, wild ride and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Whether guarding airplanes, preaching sermons, or writing news articles, Dan Zulli has always had the “write stuff.” -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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Chill out

Jimmy McDuff, president and CEO of Flo-Aire Service.

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ork is a great way to pay for one’s real fun. For Jimmy McDuff, president and owner of Flo-Aire Service, it means he is able to indulge in his passion of hunting and fishing.

Still, the work needs to be done. And in San Antonio, air conditioning is nonnegotiable.

McDuff came to San Antonio in 1959 and worked for the Trane company as a service tech. He then bought out the service department of Flo-Aire in 1985 and now runs the business.

The company of 70 employees do the bulk of their work on the commercial side, doing primarily institutions like schools, churches and office buildings.

McDuff overseas day-to-day operations, such as keeping on top of the full-time team that just do the bids on new jobs.

The rapid-growing pace of technology keeps everyone hopping, as his folks have to continually train on the latest systems that the many AC companies come up with.

Variable refrigeration flow (VRF) will soon replace all the chillers we’re used to.

And soon, all diagnostics on units will be done via computers in the office, replacing much of the in-person service calls. All new AC units have computers installed in them now.

Flo-Aire will some day go to McDuff’s two sons, Eddie and Jerry, giving him time to spend at his home in Rockport so he can salt-water fish. This house was severely damaged in Hurricane Harvey and is currently being repaired. McDuff said that many homes there were totally leveled from the storm, and he evacuated from Rockport the Friday night Harvey hit. He thought about riding the storm out, but when it hit Category 4, it was time to go.

Imagine—there was a time when there wasn’t any air conditioning in San Antonio. Thank goodness for it now!

Flo-Aire Service is an A/C company, serving the San Antonio and surrounding areas. –dsz

Tool trade-in

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nited Tool and Fastener hosted Milwaukee for the Milwaukee Trade-in event on Feb. 1. Customers and spectators alike were treated to a free lunch, live tool demonstrations and show specials. –cmw

Milwaukee representatives visit with the flood of customers throughout the course of the event.

Customers check out the vast array of Milwaukee products on display.

Milwaukee representatives greet United Tool customers.

United Tool customers watch as a Milwaukee representative puts on a demonstration.

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

people – most of them probably know more than me now! We’re about 3rd in market share in San Antonio, so we’re doing not bad.

James Hiebert

Owner South Texas Solar Systems Inc. San Antonio, TX

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or James Hiebert, ice hockey wasn’t just a game; it eventually became the basis for a game plan on how to run his business. Since he created South Texas Solar Systems after leaving his minor league hockey career, the company has thrived due to Hiebert’s sports-based strategy, his hard work and the talented team with which he surrounds himself.

Even though Hiebert has stopped scoring goals on the ice, he continues to make them for his business.

Please share a little about your background, including any ties you previously had to the construction industry.

I was born in the Northwest Territories in Canada. My dad was actually a general contractor. I was the guy who always had to carry the shingles up to the roof and do all of the grunt work! Luckily, the summers in Canada are quite nice.

I worked for my dad until I was about 15 and then I started playing junior hockey and professional hockey.

Tell me more about your hockey experience.

I played major junior and semi-pro for about seven years. I played all over the states in the minor leagues – the Laredo Bucks, the Manchester Monarchs, the Reading Royals, the Fort Worth Brahmas, the Phoenix Roadrunners – there is a laundry list there.

When I got into the States, I stopped playing full-time in 2007, and I played parttime in 2010. At that point, I decided to pack it in and start South Texas Solar Systems Inc. in 2007.

Why did you choose to start a solar company?

I thought about starting a lot of different businesses in the beginning, but mostly just from reading and doing research about what was going on in the solar market at the time, I decided it was a good idea. There was a Clean Power Plan that President Bush did years ago, and then there was a power plan that President Obama did after that and some state goals in Texas for renewable energy, so I just knew it was a good opportunity. I knew all of the things that I had to do in terms of installing it, and then I did some market research and there were not many solar companies formed in the states. Obviously it was a good opportunity before the market was so saturated, so I jumped on it.

I educated myself, and then I started doing sales and as I got sales, I hired good

I imagine it’s quite a transition from being a hockey player to being a business owner.

The first four or five years were very tough. It was not everything I thought it would be; it was a little bit more complicated than I thought and mostly I thought I was way better than I was! I had a lot of work to do on myself than I realized.

But you have to put it to being new in business. It’s a lot of hard work and staying up late by yourself, focusing on what you need to get done. I learned a lot about everything that had to do with solar and construction, such as doing business permitting and engineering, that’s for sure. You have to learn a lot to get everything done properly. You have to have key people taking care of certain aspects of it, certain skills. I did it on my own, then had a couple of partners, and then bought my partners out. They weren’t able to be as involved as they would have liked.

If someone wanted to switch careers as you have and start a business in the construction industry, what would you tell them?

You have to be very disciplined, and you have to pay your bills before you get paid! If people are going to go into business, they need to realize the sacrifice and commitment. If you have a business, you have to be committed to being a giver, not a taker.

In what way has playing for hockey teams prepared you for running South Texas Solar Systems Inc.?

I make a lot of my business plans the way I would make a hockey plan before a game. You make a strategy and then you try to implement the strategy. There are flow charts involved and roles for each person to play. In business, it is a little different and a little more complex, but it is the same type of thing.

The way this business works is that I have a lot of different goals set, and each person has different goals in the company.

If we all achieve the goals we set for ourselves, then it is a recipe for success.

We just create a lot of goals for key players and people in the organization. As they achieve their goals, the organization achieves its goals, and that’s all that matters to get to the position we are in the solar industry today in San Antonio.

Hopefully, we can keep it up; there are a lot of great companies out there that we are competing with and in order to stay ahead of the game, we have to keep improving.

What do you enjoy about the work you do in the solar industry?

I like the challenge. There is a lot of competition out there so it’s nice to have something to do every day that is a challenge. I also enjoy being a good friend to my employees.

What are your plans for the future of the company?

We have 35 employees in Texas and about 35 in Canada in the two or three locations that we have over there. We are going to be opening more branches over

South Texas Solar Systems at the Helotes Market Place

the next six months to a year. We have a fairly strong expansion plan that we’ve been going through for the last year in the US and in Canada, actually right from the Arctic down to Texas. We’ve been implementing it over the last couple of years and it has been growing in both places, so I’m pretty happy with that.

In San Antonio, we’re adding a few more services onto the solar side of things; we’re going to be adding batteries and demand control for South Texas for the high transmission and distribution charges that people get and I believe 2018 will be a strong year in solar.

With offices in both Canada and San Antonio, are you often on a plane?

My family and I live in San Antonio and I travel to Canada every two to four weeks. It’s not bad; I’ve done it my whole life. Right now, I only get to spend 50% of the time at home. I would like to spend more time with my family for sure.

Share about your family.

I met my wife, Lauren in 2014, when the company was still small. I met her at a career day at an elementary school; she was one of the teachers in the classroom. I guess she had her guard down! She was born in Germany, but was a military girl and was raised her whole life in San Antonio.

Lauren helps me out in the business from time to time, but she really takes care of the business that we have at home with our 9-year-old, Aaron, and our 1½-yearold, Joseph Daniel. We have a pretty big yard and they like to play wrestle. Aaron is

into robotics, tae kwon do and basketball.

Joseph is a small little guy who wheedles around. She’s running around with those two kids and keeping them in line. Her job is way harder than mine!

When you’re not with family, how do you like to spend your time?

I like to go fishing, hunting, and have a couple of beers. The hunting and fishing in Texas is different than it is in Canada.

The land in Texas is privately owned, so you have to buy a lease and hunt off of someone’s lease. In Canada you can get a license and go on government land or publicly owned land. Anyone can hunt. It doesn’t quite cost as much in Canada, so I do a lot more in Canada. We usually have little small game, rabbits and pheasant, occasionally coyotes and caribou, and even moose – we don’t get them but we like to go for them!

I also like to stay in good physical condition. That hasn’t been working out well the last few years but I keep trying; I play hockey, and I like golf. My wife is in really good shape, so I try to follow her lead.

What are your goals for the future?

My goal is that we keep doing a good job, keep passing our inspections, getting new customers and maintaining what we have and improving the business and services that we can provide the customers.

South Texas Solar Systems Inc. in San Antonio provides solar energy solutions for commercial and residential clients. –mjm

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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Oh, brother!

Domenic Battelli, Greg Tapia and Bobby Tapia.

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efore the construction industry, they were managers at local restaurants. The restaurant industry was viewed as a younger industry and that wasn’t where they wanted to stay. “Once you get older you start having a family and it’s hard to work those hours, so we needed some kind of transition,” says Bobby Tapia, co-owner of Premier Stone Creations.

The company started two years ago with Bobby’s brother and co-owner Greg Tapia. There is also Domenic Battelli, who handles sales for the company. Domenic is considered a stepbrother because they all grew up across the street from each other. Their families are very close. Bobby and Greg’s dad once owned a company in town where the guys started fabricating.

Now, how does that saying go…you can take the food from the person, but you can’t take the person from the food?

They call it borracho bros; it’s a food truck idea that they’ve come up with. They love to cook, make up their own recipes and smoke meats. “The on going joke is the meat always comes out great, so it’s bor-

San Antonio

racho bros because we might have some adult beverages while we are doing it, but it comes out great,” he laughs. Perhaps, some barbeque cook offs will be in the works.

The company is based in San Antonio and establishing a presence in Austin. Domenic is the first person they came to because they trust him and he knows the area. “It was a no brainer to get it going in Austin and see if we can shake the tree a little bit and have some granite fall out.”

Bobby highlights that surrounding themselves with a team of people who have the same passion and the same drive is unbelievable.

In San Antonio they have a crew of 11 guys. While coming into the industry they took an approach making it a fun environment for their employees and customers. He admits they have no problem breaking the ice with customers by cracking a joke. “We want them to know that we are good people and they are in good hands.”

Premier Stone Creations supplies and installs stone for residential and commercial markets. –lv

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

If you are a construction-related company in the DFW area and would like an article about your company, your personnel or your event, call us for an interview.

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Contributing Editors

Melissa Jones-Meyer Ann Keil Jesse Abercrombie San Antonio Area Counties Atascosa, Bexar, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson counties Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net

DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net Visit our Website to sign up for a free monthly Digital Subscription www.ConstructionNews.net The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties.

All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing.

Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis.

Construction News, Ltd. , dba San Antonio Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time. ©2018 Construction News, Ltd.

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Where there’s smoke . . . .

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he construction industry turned out in force on January 26-27 for this year’s Pre-Rodeo Bar-B-Q Cook-Off. Held for the second year at the new permanent location in east San Antonio, everyone was full of smiles as Construction News made our yearly rounds to photo and highlight the companies in the industry showing off their cooking skills. The event just keeps getting better. -bd

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

BONDING Beware the payroll tax quicksand pit!

Indemnity Agreement: The worst contract ever?

Kathleen Dvorak, CPA RidoutBarrett San Antonio / Austin, TX

Eric Lesch, Principal/Bond Producer PCL Contract Bonding Agency Irving, TX

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f an employer gets in deep with past due payroll taxes, especially if in excess of $24,999, it can be difficult to claw out of the quagmire. Getting back into compliance can be time consuming, labor intensive and expensive.

The employer often needs assistance from a tax professional and penalties and interest can be very high.

The IRS is strict when it comes to unpaid payroll taxes. They often see it as theft from employees’ paychecks (the employer withholds taxes from employee paychecks but keeps the money rather than pay it to the government on the employee’s behalf). The IRS does not take kindly to corporate owners claiming withholding on their personal tax returns for payroll taxes never submitted to the IRS.

vided is accurate. The Revenue Officer examines these records and determines how much the business and the owner (using IRS allowable standards for living expenses) can afford to pay. The IRS will investigate and research such things as asset ownership, equity in homes, social media and lifestyle in order to determine ability to pay. They will look for assets recently transferred or sold and want to know what became of the sale proceeds.

In addition to the business being held liable for the employee and employer payroll taxes, any individual the IRS determines to have been a responsible party, may also be held 100% personally liable for the Trust Fund Penalty. The Trust Fund Penalty is the Income Tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employees’ pay but not remitted to the IRS. In determining to whom they may assess Trust Fund Penalty, the IRS will interview everyone who had signature authority, paid bills or signed payroll reports. Unlike corporate shareholders, sole proprietors and partners in a partnership may be held personally responsible for both employer and employee taxes, rather than for just the Trust Fund Penalty.

A taxpayer will receive many IRS notices before the case goes to a Revenue Officer. These notices should never be ignored. Taxpayers should respond and express the desire to come into compliance, or retain a tax professional for guidance and to represent them before the IRS. Ignoring the notices may result in levies on bank accounts or on revenues owed from customers. The “final Notice of Intent to Levy” is an indication that it’s being assigned to a Revenue Officer for aggressive collection.

Unpaid balances of less than $25,000 may be eligible for the IRS Streamline process in which an installment payment plan can be established quickly and avoid having to provide the IRS with financial information. For balances of $25,000 or more, a Revenue Officer, whose primary job is collections, gets involved. Here’s where the quicksand grabs hold with ferocity. A tax lien is usually filed against property. This can be especially problematic as vendors and potential customers become aware of the lien. The Revenue Officer requires the taxpayer to provide a huge volume of financial documents on the business and its owners including financial statements, federal tax returns, lists of venders and customers, bank statements, loan documents, asset lists, lease agreements and more. The taxpayer is required to sign under penalties of perjury that the information pro-

The employer should avoid continuing to fall behind on current payroll taxes.

The IRS refers to this as “pyramiding”. In order to negotiate a payment plan, the IRS will want to see that current payroll taxes are being paid. Collection action stops when a payment agreement has been reached, but the IRS may want the lien to remain in place to protect their interest. Penalty and interest continues to mount on unpaid balances and, although less severe, they will continue to accrue after an installment payment plan has been established.

Employers are well advised to remain current and avoid getting sucked into the payroll tax quicksand pit!

Kathleen Dvorak obtained her CPA license in 1988 while working in private industry.

Kathleen went into Public Accounting in 2001. In 2005 she joined RidoutBarrett, an accounting firm with offices in San Antonio and Austin, and became a Shareholder in 2011.

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s a bond agent, indemnity of the surety company by the contractor is typically one of the most difficult items we deal with and unfortunately the purpose of which is commonly misunderstood. Using it properly is important for setting yourself up for success when using

bonds to secure work.

One of the main components in the foundation of a surety relationship is the contract between the contractor and the surety called the general indemnity agreement (GIA), or general agreement of indemnity (GAI). Indemnity is the guarantee to protect the surety from loss and reimburse the surety for any costs they may incur in the process of bonding.

If you have had the pleasure of signing a GIA then you have probably gone through the various stages of disbelief and frustration as you read it. You think things like “What kind of sane person would sign this?”, “They must think I’m an idiot!” and “No way, I’m not doing it!”

Then you get to the signature portion and realize, “My spouse has to sign this, too?”

The GIA has language that gives the surety complete control and access to everything that a company or individual owns. As a contractor, it will likely be the most one-sided contract that you will ever sign. So then, why would anybody agree to it?

The reason is a very simple one; you won’t get bonding unless you sign it.

Ok, but do they really need personal indemnity?

Typically, the answer to that is “Yes.” The primary purpose of personal indemnity is to keep your attention on your bonded projects. As the owner, you are likely the most qualified person in your business and if you disappear when times get tough the surety is going to have a very hard time investigating and completing the project without incurring a substantial loss. Personal indemnity is the best way to keep you involved in the process. The surety is not a contractor, they can lose money very quickly on a bad project and having you around to reduce their loss is a huge benefit to them.

So much so, that a very smart and cooperative owner can greatly reduce the likelihood of a surety even coming back to them to collect for losses.

Also, having personal indemnity allows them to worry less about the boundaries between your personal and company assets. With every person or entity that signs, more assets and worth can be brought to the support of the bondability of your business. The also means that you have more freedom in how you use your assets because they don’t have to be kept solely in the business.

I promise to stick around and meet my obligations. Why do they need my spouse’s personal indemnity?

Partly to make sure your spouse

knows what you are signing and partly because your spouse will likely gain control of your ownership in the event something bad happens to you. It also helps protect the surety from things that may have been withheld like other companies or trusts.

Does everybody have to do personally indemnity with their spouse?

Having personal indemnity of all owners, including spouses, is the standard way of getting indemnity in the surety business. Nearly all contractors receiving bonds, more than 95% of them, have full personal indemnity with spouses included, so it is very, very common.

Does the surety really take over my business and my personal assets as it says they could at any time they wish?

The agreement is very one-sided and does appear to give the surety very broad power to do many things that would be very bad for you. However, our experience with highly rated and professional surety companies is that they give you every chance to fix the problem and can provide very substantial help if asked.

Remember, the GIA is intended to keep you willingly involved. Many of the things they have reserved the right to do are there for people that refuse to participate.

So, do you just close your eyes, hold your nose, and sign it, or do you try to find a way around it?

Well, that depends on your bargaining power. The main factors that give you leverage are your financial strength, past performance and hunger of the overall surety market. Your agent can pair you up with the best surety and help you determine what options you have.

There are many options that range from full indemnity to just the indemnity of the company with no personal or outside indemnity at all. There are pros and cons to each and the right answer is not always the complete removal of all personal indemnity. Having full indemnity gives you the most bonding flexibility, while having no personal indemnity gives you the least exposure, but limits your bonding flexibility the most.

If you are considering the sale of your business then the handoff from current owner to new owner can be tricky when bonding is involved. If you do a lot of bonding then it is crucial to the value of your business.

Talk to your surety professional about it to see what makes the most sense for you.

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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Beware: Limitation of Liability clauses can be enforced

Is 911 your Confined Space Rescue Plan?

West W. Winter, Attorney The Winter Law Firm, PLLC San Antonio, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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onstruction contracts increasingly contain clauses which seek to limit one party’s potential liability or damages to the other. Such clauses may include express waivers of claims, rights or damages, no damages for delay clauses, waivers of consequential damages, and clauses which limit or cap a party’s available legal claims or potential monetary damages. While these clauses may seem unfair, particularly if the clause is being used against your company, Texas courts routinely recognize and protect the broad freedom to contract and will generally enforce these clauses. Texas courts also typically view participants in construction contracts as “sophisticated parties” who know the consequences of their contractual actions.

Such clauses can have catastrophic consequences if your company is on the wrong side of a bargain where you have agreed to waive claims, rights, or damages or otherwise have agreed to a limitation of your opponent’s liability. Accordingly, the best time to address and mitigate the potential impact of these clauses is during the negotiation phase of your contracts before you have signed away your rights. Be aware that many of these clauses may be buried within other contract language or contained under contract headings which do not give adequate notice of the rights being compromised. It goes without saying that blindly signing any agreement without first reading and understanding all of the provisions contained therein or otherwise consulting with your attorney, could have significant adverse consequences for your business.

If you find yourself on the wrong side of one of these clauses, there are some arguments, in addition to the standard defenses to contract enforcement, that can be asserted depending on the circumstances. While not an exhaustive list, these include that the clause is unenforceable because of public policy concerns, unconscionability, or ambiguity.

For certain types of clauses, it may also be a defense to enforcement that the other party acted wrongfully or that the damages are not of the type which have been waived. Be aware that any time a party to a contract is attempting to avoid the consequences of such clauses, it will be an up-hill battle because, as stated above, courts routinely recognize and protect the broad freedom to contract.

When a “no damages for delay clause” is in issue, Courts have recognized some exceptions to enforcement when the delay: (1) was not intended or contemplated by the parties to be within the purview of the provision; (2) resulted

from fraud, misrepresentation, or other bad faith on the part of one seeking the benefit of the provision; (3) has extended for such an unreasonable length of time that the party delayed would have been justified in abandoning the contract; or (4) is not within the specifically enumerated delays to which the clause applies.

Courts have also recognized an exception “based upon active interference” with the contractor or other wrongful conduct including “arbitrary and capricious acts,” “without due consideration” and in disregard of the other parties’ rights.

As it relates to a waiver of consequential damages, what constitutes “consequential” versus “direct” damages can be very fact specific. Legal precedent is also wide ranging and much confusion persists in the courts regarding the subject of consequential damages. This landscape allows for arguments to be made on both sides of most disputes which involve consequential damages.

If you have agreed to a limitation of liability clause which the other side is attempting to enforce, it is advisable to consult with your construction law attorneys to determine whether any basis exists to defend against the enforcement of such contract provisions which adversely impact your ability to fully recover.

West W. Winter, a LEED Green Associate, serves on the board of the Construction Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association and has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in San Antonio for Construction Litigation. The Winter Law Firm represents general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, in all phases of the construction process, from contract formation through dispute resolution, litigation, and collection. West may be reached via email: west@thewinterlawfirm.com.

SHA has developed a standard for Confined Spaces in Construction (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA) for any space that meets all of the following criteria: Is large enough for a worker to enter; Has limited means of entry or exit; and Is not designed for continuous occupancy.

One provision of the standard re- required confined spaces as well as the quires employers to develop and imple- ability to respond and conduct a rescue ment procedures for summoning rescue in a timely manner based on the site conor emergency services in permit-required ditions and is capable of conducting a confined spaces. An employer who relies rescue if faced with potential hazards on local emergency services for assis- specific to the space. Such hazards may tance is required to meet the require- include atmospheric hazards (e.g., flamments of §1926.1211 — Rescue and emer- mable vapors, low oxygen), electrocugency services. tion (e.g., unprotected, energized wires), OSHA recognizes that not all rescue flooding or engulfment potential, poor services or emergency responders are lighting, fall hazards, and chemical haztrained and equipped to conduct con- ards. The rescue service must also agree fined space rescues. When employers to notify the employer in the event that identify an off-site rescue service, it is the rescue team becomes unavailable. critical that the rescuers can protect their Employers must also inform the emeremployees. The emergency services gency responders of potential hazards should be familiar with the exact site lo- when they are called to perform a rescue cation, types of permit-required confined at the worksite; and provide emergency spaces and the necessary rescue equip- responders with access to all permit-rement. quired confined spaces. Such access may Calling emergency responders to include information on access routes, provide rescue services can be a suitable gates or landmarks, a project site plan if way of providing for rescues in a permit- necessary, and GPS coordinates if in a rerequired confined space. Preplanning mote location. will ensure that the emergency service is Additionally, employers should encapable, available and prepared. sure that the most efficient means to

Prior to the start of the rescue work contact emergency responders is availoperation, employers must evaluate pro- able; any changes to the project site conspective emergency responders and se- ditions are communicated to the rescue lect one that has adequate equipment service; and emergency responders are for rescues, such as: atmospheric moni- willing to visit the site and conduct a joint tors, fall protection, extraction equip- training exercise with the employer. ment, and self-contained breathing apnatarajan.joann@dol.gov paratus (SCBA) for the particular permit512-374-0271 x232

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Stucco on you

Rafael Alvarado

R

afael Alvarado came to San Antonio by way of California in 1995. Via his brother, Alvarado got going in the stucco siding trade and started Alvarado Stucco Systems in 1999.

The company now regularly employees around 10 people, but depending upon the job, can go up to 25 or so.

One such recent job was doing the exterior of the 1,003-guestroom Grand Hyatt in downtown San Antonio.

For Alvarado, it’s important to tell his employees to concentrate on the job as well as to respect it. With a high-rise like the Grand Hyatt, remembering these items is paramount. And, getting to know the general contractors well is important in order to know the needs and dynamics of a particular job.

Customers like a stucco finish because it’s durable and can be textured and painted to an intriguing look.

What’s not good about stucco is when one’s son decides to play in the trough of wet cement and lime as it is being mixed. Alvarado’s then 4-year-old son, Rafael, Jr., decided it looked too inviting at one job site (a woman’s house).

After getting good and covered with the wet goo, Alvarado had to strip the adventurous lad down to the skin and hose him down right there on the woman’s lawn.

Fortunately, the boy got cleansed of the stucco before it got stuccoed all over him!

In his spare time, Alvarado is very involved in the Catholic Church-based ACTS Retreats. These retreats begin on Thursdays and end with Sunday Mass. Alvarado is a missionary/director of the retreats and has done them not only all over Texas, but in Oklahoma, Mexico and Central America.

Alvarado Stucco Systems is a locally owned and operated exterior siding company in San Antonio. –dsz

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Spring action on surface plugs

Page 11

building worms, Serpulidae), much like coral reef-building animals, and make their tube homes out of calcium carbonate. Over time, these tubes build up into very large rock-like reef structures. These structures hold tons of baitfish and, in turn, hold plenty of predator species also.

Wading gives you the advantage of getting close to these structures without spooking the fish.

When I pull into an area I am going to wade, there are certain things I’m looking for before I just bail in the water. Bait in the area is the first sign that gives me hope in catching fish. Where there is bait,

there will be fish. They may not be eating, but they’re there. On a top water morning I really like seeing lots of surface bait on the water. This is small mullet, shad or perhaps a flicking shrimp going across the water. Seeing these signs is definitely a place to throw surface plugs.

I like spreading everyone out across the area to have a better chance locating where these fish are holding. Long cast walking your lures side to side, pausing at times or perhaps small bursts of speed will help you find the right rhythm it takes to catch the big girls. I really get focused and into a zone when fishing surface

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Shoalwater Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Diawa Reels, Simms Fishing, ForEverlast Fishing Products, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, and AFTCO Clothing.

T

hey say the older you get, the faster time goes by. I can’t agree more with that statement because we are staring March in the face.

February was a very busy month for me and really turned out a lot better than I anticipated. Our wade fishing trips in Port Mansfield were very productive and, although we did not catch trout over 10 lbs, we were able to produce some personall best fish for a few of our anglers.

I’m really looking forward to spring weather patterns and warmer weather this month and will certainly be searching for some Baffin Bay wall hangers.

Spring on the Laguna Madre is one of my favorite times of the year to fish.

The weather starts warming up, flowers start to bloom, shrimp start migrating into our bays and it seems that everything starts coming to life. We have so many options of fishing in the spring.

Sometimes I can’t decide which fishing spot I want to go to first. One of my most preferred methods of fishing in spring is wading with top water plugs over the prehistoric worm colonies that were formed more than 3000 years ago in the Baffin Bay complex. These worms are called serpulids (after the family of tube-

Chris Jones of San Antonio had a successful wade fishing outing down in Port Mansfield several weeks ago with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Limits of trout and reds with several trout in the 6-7 pound were caught on corkys and soft plastics.

plugs. I really like to pretend I’m pulling my lure through a minefield, waiting for the explosion. The anticipation is something that drives me to work harder and harder when fish are playing hard to get.

Some of my favorite top water plugs are the mirr-O-lure Top Dog series, like the He Dog and She Dog. When fish don’t seem to be too interested or I’m not getting the hook-up, I’ll downsize to a Top Pup. Also, don’t overlook a floating corky or a super spook.

My 2018 calendar is now open for bookings throughout the year. Don’t hesitate in booking your fishing trips because my dates usually go pretty quick, especially during the more popular months. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting adventure give Capt.

Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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

Are you suffering from the end-ofhunting-season blues?

Y

ou don’t have to suffer you know.

We are real lucky to live in a place where there are good opportunities for sportsmen to indulge their habits year ‘round. Just think, you can hunt a little, then go fishing and hunt some more. By the time deer season gets here again your skills will be sharper than ever!

Yes, we do have spring turkey season coming up soon, but have you ever been hunting for exotics? Just think about it.

Year ‘round you can book a trip to hunt exotics. Imagine being out in the pasture on a fine Hill County morning and hearing an elk bugle in the mist. How about watching buffalo graze beneath a sunset sky. How strange to see a nilgai from India browsing along right here in Texas.

There are all kinds of exotic animals available for hunting. Species like axis deer, black buck, nilgai, and elk are readily available and there is no telling what else is out there in the pastures today.

The trophy potential of these animals and the experience of hunting them is exciting enough, but many of them are also just delicious!

Maybe best of all is the fact that you can hunt when it is convenient for you.

You are only limited by your schedule, not by a specific hunting season. If you prefer to hunt in warmer seasons, you are all set! You don’t have to contend with crowded pastures and it is easier to plan around available vacation time.

Now of course you will want to get in some fishing with all that hunting. Here is your fishing outlook for this spring.

On Lake Buchanan as well as most other area lakes, the white bass are headed up river on their spring spawning run.

Trolling with diving lures works great for whites but Fleflys, jigs and spoons do well too.

Stripers and hybrids are roaming the lakes in big schools looking for shad, but your bait or lure will work just fine. Spring is often when the larger stripers and hybrids are taken.

Catfishing is picking up on trotlines and jug lines, especially along the bluffs and tree lines. Rod and reel fishing with live bait or cut shad should get you a good catch too.

Crappie (the tastiest fish in Texas freshwater!) are moving into the shallows to spawn. They can be easily caught with live minnows or jigs.

You don’t have to suffer the blues all the way till next November! All around you are convenient, hassle-free opportunities to get outdoors to fish and hunt.

You can go hunting for something completely different without having to set up, feed and maintain a hunting lease – just go exotic! You can go fishing without having to clean up, tune up and trailer a boat to a good spot – just hire a fishing guide!

Spring is here! Come on outside and as always don’t forget to get the kids outdoors too. They are the future of our Texas natural resources!

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

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

YouTubing it

Travis Polk, Stevens Drilling shared this photo of a large mouth bass he caught in the Guadalupe River while filming for their YouTube channel Isnagtv. –cmw

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

A swinging experience

R

egional Sales Manager, Brad Peery with PPG Paints shared these photos from the Phoenix Open in which he took F.A. McComas Painting and FAK Painting to their suite on the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open. -cmw

Page 13

Filling the freezer

Jack McKinney, Voges Drilling Company harvested a record-class buffalo near Mellette, SD with a home-made .338-06. Together, with a hunting partner, about a ton of choice meat cuts were brought home. –cmw

L-R: Michael McComas, F.A. McComas Painting, Jeff Stelzer, vice president FAK Painting and Brad Peery.

Golf Pro Ricky Fowler teeing off on hole 16 of the Phoenix Open

Page 14

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Worth the wait

J

anuary 30 was the day HOLT CAT owners and employees have been waiting to attend for over two decades. On this special day the ground was broken on the new 85,000sf facility in Georgetown.

City officials, Holt employees and other dignitaries came out for their first view of the site and renderings of the new facility to be constructed across from the Georgetown Airport.

Corinna Holt Richter, HOLT CAT’s president, began the ceremony and welcomed all attendees. Georgetown mayor Dale Ross and city manager David Morgan shared their comments on how great it was working with the HOLT team and their city team who made this project a reality in a very short time-frame.

CEO Peter J. Holt gave the final comments before the customary turning of the earth.

“We are hopeful we can get construction completed by mid-year 2019,”

said Mr. Holt. “We knew we needed to be here in Central Texas on the north side of Austin and Georgetown has been the perfect partner to get us here.

“Finding this site and finding really good partners with the City of Georgetown made it all come together.

“The economy is booming, the I-35 corridor is booming and the growth is here. The location is perfect and it is dead center in our territory and growth. We couldn’t be more excited.

“I do feel pretty quickly both locations will be full. Meaning the growth is so apparent and the demand so high I just have a feeling that pretty quickly after we open, we will have close to double our employment in the overall Austin area that we have today.”

Hooker Contracting Co. Inc. of San Antonio is the general contractor for the project. -bd

L-R: Peter J. Holt, city manager David Morgan, mayor Dale Ross and Corinna Holt Richter turn the first shovel of dirt.

HOLT CAT employees enjoying the ground breaking.

Rendering of the new 85,000 sf facility.

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Page 15

Ice is nice

Let the good times roll

Elizabeth and David Martinez, D&E Ice.

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an you imagine a world without ice? Neither could David Martinez, owner of D&E Ice. Along with his wife Elizabeth, Martinez started his cool company in 2009 after a 23-year career at Xerox.

Martinez saw an ice machine one day and figured that he could fill a need in hot San Antonio delivering ice to construction crews out in the field. Or, to any event or business that needs ice, like weddings, churches, oil fields, even bars.

The annual Gerlach Livestock Show for the Northside Independent School District was a big affair in January, which Martinez does every year.

Since OSHA requires ice and water at work sites, Martinez stays busy delivering the goods. He specializes in those remote sites that are hard to get to, which makes it difficult for the workers to have access to ice.

Martinez gets the request normally a few days prior to the need, then goes to

his ice machines to fill up the fresh ice in 10 and 20lb bags, then hauls it out to the crews in his custom-built trailer.

Some orders come from a contract, while others are a verbal and a handshake. “I still believe in my word,” Martinez says.

In addition to ice, Martinez delivers water and sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. He’ll even do frozen ice pops if the customer requests them.

Elizabeth takes care of all the bookkeeping, banking and admin that come from having one’s own company.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Martinez rides his Harley as often as he can, weather permitting.

Martinez responded to Rockport after Hurricane Harvey, bringing muchneeded ice to relief workers and families, and will respond if another emergency arises.

D & E Ice is an ice service located in San Antonio. –dsz

D & E Ice keeping things cool on the job site.

GOOD NEWS!

Call us for a Company Profile (210) 308-5800 All content is free!

Philip, Iliana and Gene Burzynski

G

oing to work with dad is more than a cherished memory for Philip Burzynski, project manager for GB Contractors; it’s a permanent lesson.

As Burzynski was completing school, he was also working with his father half days and full time in the summer. He says he was supposed to attend Madison high school, but was home schooled in order to finish school early and step into a full time role in construction. He officially started working with his father in ’95.

His anxiousness allowed him to explore every phase of construction. “After this many years, you know when something is not right, that is a benefit of being so fascinated with construction.” His father, Gene Burzynski, started working in the industry in the ‘70s. Philip adds his father always told him paying attention to details and quality are the two things that are going to set you apart from the rest.

Philip remembers working together five years ago on a commercial project.

They were under a tight deadline. Deadline felt even tighter when the 18-wheelers carrying the interior finish out materials started showing up. “I remember having to pull two days over night there. I stayed up all night long, dozing off and sleeping there. The next morning there was my dad ready to roll and pick everything right back up. It wasn’t even his project, but it was team work.” Philip laughs and says he’ll never forget seeing his father that next morning was like a ray of sunshine. “I thought, oh, thank God! I get to go home!”

Well it looks like there may be more generations of GB Contractors to come.

Phillip has four boys who may follow dad and grandpa’s roots. “Two of them are interested in construction and another

likes to draw.” Philip has always told them they don’t have to follow the construction industry, but he has instilled the lessons his father taught him – the old school lessons.

Family is GB Contractors with only four employees being Philips wife, Iliana, both Mr. Burzynski’s and one other hard working employee.

This year the team is volunteering in Rockport and Ingleside on two projects.

A friend of theirs had insisted they come on down and see if they could volunteer.

There was another contractor who needed help so they went and became registered builders to help with Hurricane Harvey destruction.

“There was a widow that needed her home reconstructed. She had very limited income and insurance. We worked with locals and a local architect in San Antonio to come up with a design that worked for her. We are going to hit her budget with as much volunteer work as we can get.”

GB Contractors have recently completed projects in Boerne and are working on both Perry Steakhouse locations in San Antonio. The company is also finishing up a private gym with all new plumbing, and electrical making the facility energy efficient along with a new parking lot.

This year they are also putting in a little more effort into the residential side. Philip assures the company is not drifting away from commercial. He enjoys it too much.

This group’s tenacity in construction is permanent. Let’s see what memories and lessons the year will bring.

GB Contractors is a new construction and renovation contractor serving San Antonio and surrounding areas. –lv

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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

Appealing to a new generation Tamara Schmoekel, Workforce Development Director Associated Builders & Contractors San Antonio, TX

A

ttracting new generations to the construction industry requires a creative approach. They are more selective than their parents were when job hunting. They want a career that pays well, fulfills their need for happiness, creativity, and purpose. The Safety Committee and Workforce Development Committee at Associated Builders and Contractors are using maverick approaches for safety training, leadership training and community outreach to focus on the needs of this new generation in addressing the labor shortage.

ABC is founded on the merit shop philosophy and is profoundly committed to a culture of safety that is serving the betterment of our members, companies, and community. It is these very qualities that attract new employees to our member companies.

A 2015 industry poll stated that mentorship and opportunities for growth attracts and retains employees. Investing in employees’ training shows that you believe in their ability and support their growth in the company. Many of our members support their employees through the ABC National Center for Con-

struction Education and Research (NCCER) apprenticeship program that offers on-the-job training while they learn new skills. Our leadership training courses address the needs of companies concerned about succession and introduce new skill sets that favorably affect their image and productivity.

Employees stated that another important factor for recruitment and retention was safety. They felt a company shows it cares about its employees by emphasizing safety practices. ABC’s Safety Committee has dedicated itself to safety education by raising money to of-

Noble work John Landwermeyer, Managing Principle, Austin Operations Arias Geoprofessionals Austin, TX

H

e’s never met a superintendent who wasn’t as smart as a whip. If you are a general superintendent you must know about earthwork, concrete, framing, mechanical, electrical, etc. The list is endless because it is an industry that rises from the ground to the final punch list.

Yes, construction has a rough, loud and dirty reputation, but it’s the knowledge that overpowers all of it. “If you think that it is easier than going to get a college degree in engineering; then I’d disagree with you. It’s extraordinarily difficult.”

Why aren’t people getting into the industry?

Partly, because it’s a lot harder than people imagine. These guys have to get up before the sun and work through the night. It’s literally sweat, blood, tears, dirt and rust. They are not walking into a chrome glass building.

What does the industry need to do to attract the youth?

You have to get a taste of it when you are young. And because of its reputation, we don’t allow young people to get exposed to it. If Jesus Christ were growing up in Austin today, he wouldn’t be a carpenter because nobody would let him swing a hammer. Construction has made tremendous strides in safety improvement. People in the business should be free in saying, ‘Hey put on your hard hat and follow me.’ We need to let them shadow. I see interns on job sites, such as civil engineering and architecture students. When you’re in school and in college, especially as a freshman, you’re taking calculus, chemistry, and physics; you have no idea what you are going to be getting into.

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

fer free safety training to its members. A culture of safety is emphasized with the S.T.E.P. program, a systematic guide and educational tool for implementing and maintaining a culture of safety.

Community outreach is at the forefront of our members’ commitment to South Texas. Our partnerships with local schools increase public investment in building the skills of the next generation.

This collaboration supports the collective effort to alter the community mindset of the construction industry with a longterm focus on recruitment. In identifying and developing programs for community outreach, companies adjust their own strategies to invite opportunities for young workers. One company initiated a mentoring program. They partner with the craft teachers as guest speakers and mentors for students showing interest in construction. Another success story is the industry tours hosted by ABC’s cohort of members. They invite, principals, teachers, and counselors to view the construction process from conception to completion with opportunities to talk one-on-one with industry professionals about the opportunities for a successful career in construction.

This type of one-on-one engage-

ment with students, parents, schools, and the community is the catalyst necessary for radical change in the mindset from construction as a low skill/low wage job, to construction as a phenomenal opportunity for a rewarding career without all the college debt! High schools students can graduate with NCCER certificates earning a higher wage than their peers. Apprentices can take advantage of continuing education through member safety and leadership training opportunities in their quest to climb the career ladder. This is only one of the many opportunities available to build a career in construction.

Kids all start out fascinated by construction with their toy cranes, bulldozers, and hard hats. They even build miniature metropolises with their Lego sets.

So when do they lose that passion and what can we do to reignite it? It is no secret that the industry is afflicted with an undeserved reputation reinforced by commercials saying there is a plumber in all of us. Combating that image is not possible without the collective effort of industry and community working collaboratively to build successful careers for our community and a better future for our industry. –cmw

Does Arias Geoprofessionals have an intern program?

We have hired interns. One of our large commercial projects had an on-site intern from Texas Tech and she was a freshman. She was out there all summer long and as best as I can tell she was walking around catching the disease.

That’s what happened to me. I was studying civil engineering and I had no idea what I was going to be doing. I got the pleasure of working on a remodeling job here in Austin. Construction is construction; you go out there, convert and you build something.

With women joining the business we have to clean up our act a bit. Us guys can’t run this place like a dorm room with ladies in our presence. The women I know in this business are super smart.

Some of the most admirable women I know work in this business. They may not spend two hours putting on their makeup in the morning, but they are making a real difference in the world.

What are the takeaways?

Overall the takeaways interns receive from any company add up to their realization of what role they want to play in the industry. We get college degree applicants for entry-level jobs and I know that their potential is too high, that they will likely move on. All the better if we can get students exposed to entry-level work, so they can make informed career choices after graduation.

How have the women who’ve joined the business helped educate the industry?

So, what have we learned? You need to get out there and get those hands dirty. Ask questions to anyone with a pair of ears. When it comes to the youth who crave a taste, give it to them. There are still high schools that provide workshop courses. Of course, in college, you can enroll in construction-related courses as well.

Here’s a fact. Robert Arias founded the company out of his garage in 1996.

Today the company is 22 years old and has grown to about 100 employees. They are in five cities, Austin being the fifth. Mr. Arias has established a culture of investing in and entrusting employees to take care of clients. The clients, in turn, take care of us. It’s a relationship-building cycle that gets stronger and stronger. –lv

Construction News ON LOCATION

Construction News ON LOCATION

Fastening with a smile

United pose

The guys at Quality Fasteners were all smiles while visiting with Construction News.

L-R: Angelo Parker, Mike Overland, Matt Casillas, and Stephen Faulstich. –cmw

L-R: Miguel Linares and Mike Carta take a pose by one of their delivery trucks at United Rentals, 5333 E. Houston St. –cmw

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Page 17

NEXT TH MON

Women in Construction

If you would like to represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact us for an Interview SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Focus on programs and scholarships

crease. It depends on many things – economy, market conditions, government oversight, etc. – especially as technology has evolved and changed the way people learn and do business.

Charlene Anthony, Senior Director, Construction Futures and Education Associated General Contractors of America Houston, TX

What does the AGC Houston chapter offer in the way of construction education?

We have a very robust safety and education program at AGC Houston. The bulk of our construction education courses are designed to train commercial construction professionals, from superintendents to CEOs. We offer professional development rather than skills-training classes.

Regarding safety education, AGC Houston partners with the University of Texas at Arlington to offer OSHA classes.

AGC Houston is the largest OSHA training facility in the country according to 2017 statistics. We now offer evening OSHA classes as well.

Our core curriculum classes run the gamut from First Aid/CPR/AED to Contract Law. All of our classes are taught by industry professionals.

We also offer AGC of America national curriculum programs, such as the Project Manager Development Program, Building Information Modeling or BIM education and the LEAN Construction Education Program. AGC of America also offers a credentialing program in the BIM and LEAN programs. We are a national testing center for those who want to earn the Certificate of Management in LEAN or BIM. Have you seen an increase in enrollment or interest in these construction education programs?

We are a membership organization, so we do our best to offer courses, programs and seminars that meet our members’ needs. With respect to nubers, it’s hard to say. We’ve seen some courses with participation increase, and in some courses, we’ve seen participation de-

How is the AGC Houston chapter overcoming these challenges?

We try to focus on the programs that are most needed and most attractive to our members. For instance, we used to offer monthly brown bag luncheons designed for Human Resources professionals that offered programming specific to the construction industry. Our members asked us to create a forum in which they can share industry best practices and talk about new regulations that affect their businesses. We begin this in 2016 and it has been extremely successful, and proven to be a great member benefit.

How do you recruit young people?

We have a very robust modern scholarship program – and I say modern because our records date back to mid‘90s to the present. We have given away about a half-million dollars to about 140 people. It is intended for students who are members, dependents of members or who belong to an AGC Student Chapter. This year, we received approximately 40 applications. We have a very active committee comprised of our members, a few of whom have received

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

The Trades in high schools & beyond Jerry Thomas, CAE Executive Director Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Dallas, TX

I

n days past, one could find a trades program in almost every junior high/senior high school in America. Remember shop class?

Then the “everyone should attend college movement” came along and trades courses went to the wayside. Over the years, we found many people were either not prepared for nor had no business attending college. The entire period of “everyone attends college” helped, I believe, in part to create a void in the blue-collar workforce.

Apprenticeship programs during that time trained and graduated fewer experienced workers while most workers depended on more experienced craftsmen for training. As those with less skills, education and experience entered the workforce, the trades suffered and shortages grew.

As craft worker numbers declined, an age gap was created between today’s young people and the “veterans” of the trades - those in their late 40s and beyond. I’ve seen figures, for example, of electricians where the average age of a Journey-level electrician is 48 years of age. The huge gap between high school age graduates and today’s tradespeople will need narrowing if we’re to have adequate numbers of trades people to satis-

fy workplace demand.

To begin the replenishment phase of the trades, the Texas Legislature in 2015 decided it was time to bring other opportunities into high school that would satisfy graduation requirements. This move allowed trades courses, among others, to once again be offered to high school students. It benefits those not wanting to go to college but pursue work in the trades or other fields. The options to choose an apprenticeship or vocational program upon graduation from high school should help to narrow the age gap already mentioned. But it won’t happen overnight.

Today, our associations and other groups are working closely with high schools to put in place an introduction to the trades in 9th and 10th grades. Students may then choose a trade they want to pursue in the 11th and 12th grades and upon graduation, enter an apprenticeship or other training program while working full-time in that trade.

Additionally, with our IEC program, high school students are earning college credit hours and on-the-job experience

AGC scholarships in the past, and it is exciting to have these people come back to help us with this program.

We also have AGC student chapters on the campuses of the University of Houston, Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State, Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University.

We have relationships with all of these schools because they all have very unique construction programs. The whole point of it is that we want to bring people back into the industry.

Does the AGC Houston chapter offer programs that are focused on young professionals?

I manage a young professionals group, the Construction Leadership Council. I also manage our Leadership AGC group, which is a program developed by young leaders for young leaders. The program is for mid-level employees who work in the greater Houston commercial construction industry and have the potential to become a future leader within their organization. We will kick off our fifth class later this fall.

Since 1923, AGC Houston has supported local commercial construction through the advancement of issues important to the industry, and offers education and professional development, safety training, market data resourcing and member networking. –mjm

Texas Style

in the electrical trade. Upon graduation, they enter our electrical apprenticeship school where they earn additional college credit hours upon graduation. From there, graduates will be able to finish a few courses at the community college to earn their Associates degree. The high school to apprenticeship program is a huge win-win for the student, high school and our industry.

Hopefully, with enough high schools participating, we can meet the evergrowing demands of America’s marketplace and trades. It’s way past time for all of us to “talk shop”. It’s time for action.

Looking for educational opportunities after high school, many trades have bolstered apprenticeship with expanded programs of newer technologies in their standard apprenticeship programs.

These new technologies attract young people who like the challenges presented in higher mathematics and science disciplines. Studying to become an electrician for example fills the challenge these students need.

Electricians are highly skilled and significantly compensated for their unique knowledge and abilities. They require up-to-date training as new technology emerges, creating more opportunities for the electrician to improve upon their skills. Enrolling in a four-year apprenticeship training program combines the on-the-job training and formal related technical instruction one needs to prepare for this high-demand field. This means a person gets paid to work while receiving a top-notch education in the electrical field. This type of apprenticeship training provides the student knowl-

★ ★ ★ ★

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

edge, technical skills and practical experience necessary to succeed in today’s trades.

Students have an array of great apprenticeship and educational opportunities in the trades today that offer good pay and training and a fulfilling career.

Carpentry, plumbing, sheet metal, steel worker, pipefitter, glazier, bricklayer, AC/ Heat are just a few of the trades along with electrical that offer young people today a challenging, rewarding, well-paying career. We must encourage these folks to consider the trades as a career if we’re to continue building America.

-cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Coming full circle

A salsa hot evening

1st Place: Construction Leadership Council (CLC)

T

Pollock Construction Cleaning, LLC owner Carrie Pollock

C

arrie Pollock, lives about one mile from where she was born and raised. In fact, Nacogdoches Road was just a two-lane country road. As a girl, she used to have a horse in her backyard and would ride it to the store.

That was then.

Now, Pollock owns Pollock Construction Cleaning, specializing in postconstruction clean up. And, boy, has San Antonio grown.

Pollock was a biology major at UTSA. After college, life took her to Dallas for the next 20 years. A friend of hers had a cleaning business and needed a partner.

After a spell, Pollock decided this was something she could do on her own.

Thus, back home to San Antonio she came, where one daughter could finish high school here. Pollock Construction Cleaning was born in 2007.

The work is steady because Pollock will sometimes work with a single contractor who also has steady work. But she also gets calls from contractors out of the blue who want her service.

One recent cleaning job was the new HEB on Alamo Ranch Parkway.

While Pollock prefers work in town, a job is “never too big, never too small. I never turn down work,” she said.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the business is seeing the buildings “come to fruition,” from being a hole in the ground to being finished with people working in them.

She also “loves getting paid.”

In terms of the future, Pollock would like to transition more into building maintenance. She is aiming for getting the contract for six businesses.

Until then, post-construction cleaning is a sure thing, with its various components of the rough clean, final clean, then “powder puff” clean at the end.

Yes, San Antonio sure has grown.

And as long as there are new buildings, they will need to be cleaned. Good thing the local girl came home.

Pollock Construction Cleaning is a post-construction cleaning business in San Antonio. –dsz

he Association of General Contractors (AGC) held their annual Salsa Taste Off Mixer on the grounds of Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, Feb. 15. The evening was cool but the salsa was hot. All photos courtesy of Mary Haskin Photography. -dz Salsa winners: 2nd Place: Black Contractors Assn. (BCA) 3rd Place: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Showmanship Award: MK Marlow Company LLC

People’s Choice: FSC Electric

Construction brothers

L-R: Billy Marin and Alejandro Villasana

B

illy Marin and Alejandro Villasana really aren’t related like Jonathan and Drew, but the pair formed their own general contracting company after working together in construction and then deciding they can do it too.

With just $50 in the company checkbook, New Generation Construction started in July 2016. The duo thought, “We can do it right.”

Both Marin and Villasana had experience in various construction trades.

But going from labor to management meant that there was much to learn and the education is constant.

“The learning curve is always there,” Marin said.

New Generation Construction has done everything from the Federal Reserve building in Fort Worth to being part of the rebuilding efforts in Rockport after Hurricane Harvey.

Their largest job to date was one of the early ones: a $300,000 46th Street Pizza restaurant that was a complete

renovation.

“We don’t say no to anything,” Villasana said.

When not running their business, both men spend much of their free time being involved in their kids’ various sports and extra-curricular activities.

Marin coaches his kids in year-round sports in the Catholic Youth leagues, while Villasana has high-schoolers who participate in on-going sports programs that keep him on the go.

Which means that running one’s own business doesn’t mean much when they are home. “We go from being owners of the company to workers at home!”

Marin laughs.

But it’s all good. “The fun part is being with the family,” Villasana said.

Not only are Marin and Villasana building structures, most importantly, they are building legacies at home.

Next Generation Construction is a general contracting firm in the San Antonio area. –dsz

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Networking subs

Page 19

Industry FOLKS Travis Polk Driller Stevens Drilling La Vernia, TX

W

L-R: Duane & Debbie Hannasch, Fire Alarm Control Systems; John Hoot, Quality Fence & Welding; and Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen Co. visit at the American Subcontractors’ (ASA) Membership Mixer held on Jan. 23 at Alamo Café. -cmw

New leadership

The 2018 Board of Directors for the San Antonio Chapter of Associated General Contractors (AGC) were installed into office Jan. 22. Back Row L-R: Jeff Bryan, Joeris General Contractors; Bill Roberts, T&D Moravits & Co.; Eric Hedlund, Sundt Construction Inc.; Patrick Byrnes, Turner Construction Co. Third Row L-R: Mike Sireno, Baker Triangle; Chris Thiel, Alterman Inc; Hilda Ochoa, 8A Electric Inc.; Fermando Figueroa, Curv Compliance; Center: Luis Berumen, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; Second Row L-R: Albert Gutierrez, Guido Construction; State Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins; Front Center: Blaine Beckman, F.A. Nunnelly Company –cmw

hen you first meet Travis, he comes across as a bashful young man. But watch out. Once he gets to know you, he’s a barrel of fun and adventure.

Born in New Braunfels, TX, Travis grew up in the small community of Adkins, TX east of San Antonio. It is there he had the childhood only boys would dream of, fishing and playing baseball to your heart’s content.

“We lived next to Calaveras Lake.

We didn’t have neighbors behind us so we could go as far as the fence would allow. It is there where I learned how to fish. I did a lot fishing and played a lot of baseball.”

He attended East Central High School until the end of his sophomore year and transferred to La Vernia High School where he graduated. After high school Travis attended San Antonio College majoring in fire science for three semesters until he realized he had enough school and college wasn’t for him after all.

Travis hasn’t changed much from his boyish ways. He still fishes and he still plays ball every chance he gets. “I participate in fishing tournaments and baseball tournaments all over the state.” Travis plays third base and says he’s pretty good at it.

He’s doing pretty well in the fishing arena and says he is trying to take his fishing to a whole new level. When asked what that was, he said “YouTube.” He would like to be YouTube famous.

He recently picked up a new hobby. He makes his own fishing lures. “I carve them out of wood. Most of them I make are for fresh water fishing, but I have made some salt water lures. I have not sold any yet, but I did give one away to a man that gave me some wood to make them.”

So how does a country boy go from fishing and playing baseball to drilling? You have to be in the right place at the right time.

“I played volleyball with Kody and Skylar Stevens for a couple years. Kody and his brother Kaden took over the family business when their father retired and asked me if I wanted a job.”

As a driller, Travis gathers up the crew in the morning, heads out to jobsite and starts drilling. “Every day is an adventure.

No two drills are the same.” -cmw

Travis showing off a Wide Mouth Bass

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Construction News ON LOCATION

Precasted smiles

L-R: Brad Phillips and Jack Bertram with Si Precast show Construction News some of their precast products. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — Boom town!

The biggest “oops moment” was a cut fiber optics line years ago that no one knew existed.

Hansco’s heavy equipment drivers come up through the ranks, being trained by experienced operators and then signedoff in-house so they know who is trained on any particular piece of equipment.

With a variety of fronts and buckets, their big 50,000lb excavator can be used in a myriad of ways.

Even though demolition is a serious job, requiring skill and precision, they do enjoy the process of ripping into a building and bringing it down.

Sometimes, however, they have to go old-school and just use a sledgehammer to get the job done. Manpower replaces machine power.

Hansco also works hand-in-hand with the various engineering specialties for a job, from civil engineering, to structural and mechanical.

Of interesting note is how local archaeologists are involved in this business, especially in the downtown area. They will come in to a site to inspect it and poke around for any artifact that might need preserving.

One job near the historic Mexican governor’s palace in the Plaza De Armas revealed many old Mexican coins that were gathered up for safekeeping.

We don’t usually think of a demolition company as being a vital part in preserving our history, but they are. Someone has to expose, then dig up the ground!

Dana Delao loves his work and knows that before yet another new building goes up in San Antonio, the old one must come down first, then the land prepared for the new one.

Growing up in San Antonio, he has seen plenty of that.

Hansco is a demolition and excavation company in San Antonio. –dsz

continued from Page 1 — On to the next generation “I worked with the company almost every school vacation growing up. My family worked so hard to create the opportunity for me to go to college.

Throughout college I worked behind the scenes, focusing on the underlining managerial side of the business with the guidance of my finance professor, Dr. Robert Forrester. He invested extra hours in me and assisted me in my goals for the company. The guidance he provided continues to shape my mind and gives me the tools to run my business successfully. “

A Cum Laude graduate from Midwestern State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Murray is currently a first-year plumbing apprentice in the PHCC apprenticeship program. His

father continues to work for the company as head of operations. “Our business relationship is based on trust and understanding of each other’s strengths. I am confident in having my father as a mentor who has ingrained the values and skills, passed down from generation to generation will continue to lead me in the right direction.”

Murray Plumbing has grown substantially since its early days. Now 20 employees strong, Murray wants to continue the culture of family and purpose his grandfather worked so hard to build and will show appreciation to all his employees for all of their hard work with the return of warmer temperatures and company barbecues.

Murray Plumbing Co. is a plumbing subcontractor in San Antonio. –cmw

continued from Page 1 — 54th Street – a true dining experience

54th Street features 54 beers on tap

“There are always challenges when undertaking a new project for a new client. Focusing upon a realistic schedule of goals, expectations, and objectives and bringing on board key subcontractors, with their project interest and buyin to delivering quality on time and on budget are paramount. Finally, having knowledgeable and experienced resources as part of the project team leadership was key,” adds Project Manager, Ryan Klekar.

The key unique feature of this project was the systematic execution of meeting agreed upon project goals and objectives. This was the overriding and on-going focus of the entire Professional Services, Construction and Ownership Team. “Commitments were made and commitments were met throughout the entire construction cycle. There was a unique synergy and timely communications amongst all the key players that lead this project from start to finish,” says Klekar.

“The Owner and the Professional Services Members of the Project Team had significant previous similar project construction experience. As a result the construction documents and project re-

quirements were very well defined and communicated and the process was both familiar and well understood.” This strength of background by the Professional Services and Ownership Team Members allowed The Struthoff Project Team Members to really focus upon executing the construction process.

Klekar and Superintendent, Michael Hengst worked closely with owners, Jason, Michael and Jerit Norsworthy to ensure their continued vision throughout the construction of the project.

The Struthoff Company is a full-service turn-key commercial general contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

Cozy, nostalgic atmosphere

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

s

Page 21

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Sundt Construction Inc. is pleased to announce the addition to their San Antonio office.

Fabian Leal also joins the Sundt family as a project manager and will serve as the MEP project manager for the CPS Headquarters renovation project. He brings 13 years experience to the company and has a degree in mechanical engineering from UTSA. -cmw

Cadence McShane Construction is pleased to welcome Angel Palomino to the San Antonio team.

Palomino will provide leadership and oversight of the dayto-day operations for all activities involving construction, project management and administration, and will work closely with the company’s vice president of operations and divisional manager. -cmw

Fred Galvan has joined the Sundt family as senior project manager to lead the construction of the Hilton Canopy Hotel in San Antonio. A native of Harlingen, TX, Galvan, he has 29 years experience in the construction industry and has a bachelor’s degree in building construction from Texas A&M and an MBA from UTSA. -cmw Structura welcomes Armando Aguilar Jr, LEEP, AP as San Antonio Regional Leader.

Aguilar has 20 years experience working with clients in all aspects of construction including preconstruction, estimating, scheduling and project management. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. –cmw.

Gambling fun

I

t was casino night for the members of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter Feb. 15 at the Greater San Antonio Builders Association offices. –cmw

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

Mar. 8: Chili Cook-off & Great Gun Raffle, Parkinglot adjacent to ABC Offices at 814 Arion Pkwy. For more info contact, Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@abcsouthtexas. org or 210-342-1994 Mar. 29: Membership Mixer, location TBD. For more info contact, Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994 AGC

Feb. 7: Regular & Associate Meeting, The Petroleum Club (NEW LOCATION), 8620 N. New Braunfels. For more info, call 210822-3763 Mar. 21: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA Offices, 12500 Network Blvd. #410, 11:30am. For more info, call 210-822-3763 NAWIC

Associated General Contractors

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar. 6: BCA Membership Meeting, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210-349-4921 Mar. 8: Brown Bag Lunch, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210349-4921 Mar. 26: Annual Golf Tournament, The Club at Sonterra, 901 E. Sonterra Blvd. For more info, call 210-349-4921 Mar. 29: Brown Bag Lunch, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210349-4921

Mar. 3: Trinity Habitat for Humanity Build Event. For more info, call 210-639-2489 or email Rebecca.rodriguez@zachrycorp. com Mar. 4-10: WIC Week Mar. 7: General Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels. For more info, call 210-6392489 or email Rebecca.rodriguez@zachrycorp.com

ASA

Mar. 6-9: NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibit, Wyndham Riverwalk, 111 E. Pecan St. For more info, contact Deana Butorac at 682-402-4293 or email info@nucanorthtexas.com

American Subcontractors Assn.

Mar. 8: Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet, Pearl Stable, 307 Pearl Pkwy., 6pm. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 Mar. 21: Membership Mixer, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro Ave, 4:30pm. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-3492105 Mar. 27: Lunch & Learn, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 11:30-1pm.

For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 HCAdeSA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Mar. 1: Casino Night, Aggie Park, 6205 West Ave. For more info, go to www. hcadesa.org Mar. 21: Monthly Meeting/Mixer, The Quarry Golf Club, 444 E. Basse Rd., 6-8pm.

For more info, call Dave Sanchez at 210444-1100 or go to www.hcadesa.org IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors

Mar. 23-24: 18th Annual IEC San Antonio BBQ Cook-off, Helotes Festival Grounds, 12210 Leslie Rd. For more info, contact Julie Howard at 210-431-9861 L-R: Jordan Foster Construction’s Yvonne Contreras, Elizabeth Reyes and Keystone Concrete Placement’s Rosemarie Molina, Grace Gonzalez testing their luck at the roulette table.

MCA-SMACNA INC

Mechanical Contractors Assn.

Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.

NUCA

National Utility Contractors Assn.

PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Mar. 8: Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels.

11:00am-1:00pm. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-824-7422 SAMCA

San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Mar. 22: SAMCA Annual Golf Classic, The Republic Golf Club, 4226 SE Military Dr. For more info, contact Debbie at 830606-5556 TACCA

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Greater San Antonio

Mar. 22: 2018 Sporting Clay Shoot, National Shooting Complex, 5931 Roft Rd. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

Construction News ON LOCATION

A renting visit

Texas State Rentals visits with Construction News. L-R: Nic Wallis, Taylor Tubb, Amber Busby, Shaun Dorrell and George Weikle, Jr. -cmw

JOB SIGHTS

L-R: Ellis Wright, Jason Beard, and Alfee Davis with Mesa Equipment oversee the excavating and dirt work at the new ASCO Equipment Facility project. Hooker Contracting is the GC. Steve Jimmerson is the project superintendent. -cmw

James Gonzalez, Marek Brothers Systems Inc., measures for drywall installation at the new City of San Antonio Southeast Service Center located at 1318 SE Loop 410. The GC for the project is SpawGlass Contractors. Rob Dzierzanowski is the project superintendent. -cmw

Jose Tovar, Danco Steel Erectors welds steel trusses at the new Traditions Elementary School in St. Hedwig, TX. Guido Construction is the GC. Bill Farrell, project superintendent; Ryan Bennett, assistant superintendent; Eric Cothran, project manager; and Travis Miller, assistant project manager oversee the construction of the project. -cmw

L-R: Cribley Enterprises Inc.’s Susano Morales and David Enriquez smile for the camera between periods of shoveling graveling for the new parking garage approach and retaining wall at the Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union ASCIII project.

Joeris General Contractors is the GC for the project. Tom Smith is the project manager.

Dennis Verbeek is the project’s senior superintendent. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018

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San Antonio Construction News • MAR 2018