San Antonio Construction News April 2018

Covering the Industry’s News

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FIESTA SAN ANTONIO APRIL 19-29 Fiesta San Antonio

The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 21 H Number 4 H APRIL 2018

O’er the Ram parts he watch A love affair with manufacturing

The Ram Tool Construction Supply team

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hen Ram Tool Construction Supply Co. asked Steven Potter to serve as in-house branch manager for its San Antonio location, he knew he would feel at home. After all, Steven grew up working for his dad, Terry Potter, who ran Western Fastener. Terry, in turn, helped his son set up the Ram Tool branch nearly seven years ago.

“I’ve been in construction since I graduated from A&M,” Steven says. “I love the casual atmosphere and the people who work in this industry. What I love about being a distributor and supplier is that I talk to up to 15 different people on job sites daily. I see many different problems and offer solutions. I enjoy the interaction, the change every day, the new scenarios as branch

The BG Metals family

manager.”

Steven especially enjoys showing newer salesmen the ropes. Of the branch’s 35 employees, he oversees 10 outside and five inside salesmen, an operations manager and assistant, dispatch and warehouse managers, drivers and warehouse personnel.

“In the San Antonio/Austin market, we do a lot of what the rest of the Ram Tool branches do, which is general contractors and concrete contractors; we service those industries very well,” Steven says. “We also do mechanical, electrical and plumbing, more so than the average Ram Tool branch.“

Ram Tool has grown to 37 locations, and Steven says the company’s 19th continued on Page 20

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hen you walk into BG Metals you immediately get a sense that the people working here aren’t just employees, but they’re more like one big family. That’s exactly what President, Laura Gates and Vice President Burnell Gates consider their staff of 35 employees.

“Our employees are family,” she said.

BG Metals is what Laura describes as her and Burnell’s love affair. In 1980, they went into business together and got married, 38 years later they are still married and BG Metals is still going strong.

They’ve managed to maintain a low employee turnover rate because their employees share the same love for their work at BG Metals, just as Laura and Bur-

nell do.

BG Metals is a member of ABC, ASA, and hold a woman-owned business status.

As a sheet metal HVAC fabricator, they fabricate special projects too.

You can see their fabrication and installation going on at USAA, University of Texas Health Science Center, three projects with the East Central School District and Bexar County.

In order to keep things modern and up to date, the owners recently invited key employees to submit ideas and feedback about the changes happening within the company.

“We’ve recently updated our logo, continued on Page 20

A new home for pediatric services

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ith the ever-growing population in San Antonio, especially in the north central area, it doesn’t take long for emergency rooms to fill up.

And who wants to wait for hours on end when you are faced with a medical emergency?

Leo Joeris, who laid the foundation for his company based on valuing each individual and caring for their well-being, founded Joeris General Contractors 50 years ago. The tradition of this understanding for every person on the project from employee to subcontractor was key to Joeris being awarded the contract to construct the new CHRISTUS Stone Oak Medical Plaza Emergency Room and Medical Office Building.

Located at 1434 E. Sonterra Blvd., the new construction and tenant finish out of the 3-story, 59,702sf facility was constructed in 12 months at a cost of $12.1

million. The first floor makes up a freestanding emergency room, while medical offices will consume the second and third floors.

The facility was constructed with concrete tilt wall and steel structure framing with interior drywall, glass/aluminum storefront doors, vinyl flooring, wood cabinetry and solid surface counters.

As with any project, challenges are faced. Some of the challenges faced included having the jobsite broken into, long lead times for several key items, and coordination with suppliers of owner provided equipment.

The phasing of the project was a unique challenge where Joeris was originally contracted to build the shell and the tenant finish out packages all came out separately, all with different completion dates and all with different levels of finChristus Stoneoak Medical Plaza Emergency Room and Medical Office building, 1434 E. Sonterra Blvd.

continued on Page 20

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

45 years in mud

Andrew Hernandez

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esearching one’s roots seems to be the latest craze. Everyone wants to know a little something about his or her heritage. For Andrew Hernandez, owner of Decorative Concrete Design and Repair of Texas, finding out a little of his family history brought a welcomed surprise to him especially since he is celebrating 45 years in the concrete business.

Hernandez knew his dad had a profitable career in concrete. He even knew his grandpa had a career in concrete, so he was thrilled to learn that his family has over 100 years in concrete. This revelation came to life when his cousin contacted him of her findings after going to ancestry.com.

Excitedly pulling out copies of documents and an old photo, Hernandez says, “I always suspected that my great grandpa might have been in concrete so when my cousin showed me these items my suspicions came true.” Hernandez proudly shows a photo of his grandpa which his cousin found and he also shows documents from when his great grandpa registered for the draft and shows his place of employment as Phoenix Cement Co.

“For over 100 years my family has been in the concrete business in some form or another. Not many people can say that.”

Hernandez himself has been working with concrete since he was 13 years old. Now 45 years later and with a new revelation of his family’s heritage he will be celebrating his career and family legacy on Mar. 24. “Concrete is in my blood. It is what I was meant to do. I plan to have a collage of my family’s concrete history all the way through to mine at the celebration, these documents and much more.

I’m so proud to be part of such a legacy.”

Decorated Concrete Design and Repair of Texas is a specialty contractor located in San Antonio. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 3

The birth of a new company

Deregulation coming to the electrical industry

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Elizabeth Chavez in front of the Santa Rosa Street Bridge

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ince 2012, Elizabeth Yetman Chavez has been making a name for herself in the construction industry. She did this by starting her first company, ARS Specialty Contractors, a firm specializing in concrete and industrial coatings. Two years later, she added a division to ARS specializing in the installation of gypsum underlayment and lightweight concrete – which has given rise to the birth of her newest company, Garren Construction.

Chavez founded Garren Construction in 2017. “We are hoping to grow Garren into a general contracting firm whereas our other divisions have been specialty contracting,” says Chavez.

“Having just obtained our 8a status in June 2017, we are hoping to use the 8a as a tool to help make that happen.”

Garren was awarded their first contract working on the San Pedro Creek improvements project for Sundt/Davila re-

habbing three bridges in downtown San Antonio. “This contract is our first foray into the general contracting world. We are rehabbing three bridges in downtown, the Santa Rosa St., Martin St., and Travis St. bridges. This is work we have never done before. We got into a road and bridge line of work that we were unfamiliar with before but definitely built some great relationships with some subcontractors and got to know a lot about the road and bridge business.

“The future is bright for Garren and there is no telling where we will go. We are hoping to build on what we have done with this contract. If you had told me three years ago I was going to be a bridge builder, I would have never believed you, but sometimes you never know where growth is going to take you.”

Garren Construction in a new general contracting firm specializing in road and bridge construction in San Antonio. -cmw

n keeping with the current trend of cutting burdensome governmental regulations and red tape, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently announced that the National Electrical Code (NEC) will be eliminated soon.

The NEC has been in existence since 1897 and is normally updated every three years, 2017 being the latest update.

But after a cost-review analysis, it was determined that 2017 will be the last revision to the textbook for all things electrical. The expected savings in not only eliminating the code book, as well as all regulations, is estimated to be $247 million dollars annually.

“We feel this move will not only save money in the long run,” E.Z. Hertz, spokesman for the NFPA said, “but it will free up the local electrician in the field and their companies to be more flexible in meeting customers’ needs.”

Some, however, view this new direction by the NFPA as detrimental to the public’s well-being and safety.

“This is nuts,” one local general electrical contractor, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “Without the NEC, every Tom, Dick and Harry electrician will be able to basically wing it when it comes to wiring someone’s house or business.

Who knows what type of electrical work they will do in order to cut corners and save a dime?”

Still, others see this as a lifesaver when it comes to being able to do a job more quickly and efficiently.

“I can’t wait,” said Moby Short, an independent electrician. “All those rules and regulations were making a simple job 10 times more complicated, not to mention costly. Now, I can lower my bids, which will make it easier to compete for jobs.”

A random phone survey of local electrical companies seems to echo this sentiment.

“Why should some bureaucrat in an office somewhere dictate to me how I should be doing my business?” contractor Jose Watt asked. “I know how to wire a home.”

The NFPA also announced that its last code change will be to eliminate the color of electrical wiring. Instead of having differing colors like red, green, white or black, all wires will now be blue. The purpose, the NFPA said, it to not discriminate against a person who wants to become an electrician who happens to be color blind.

Any new policy change, especially one of this magnitude, is sure to cause some people to blow a fuse. We will have to see how eliminating the electrical code standards plays out and say, “April Fools.” -dsz

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Terry Adams, P.E. President

Jay Rudd Vice President Rudd & Adams Masonry Inc. Boerne, TX

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t takes a team to run a company, but a friendship to start one. In 1993, Terry Adams and Jay Rudd established their company. Today as one of the premier commercial masonry contractors in the San Antonio and Austin areas they have built themselves on knowledge, respect and hard work.

The spotlight has been on some of their projects (Trinity University: Northrup Hall, U.S. Federal Courthouse: Austin), but this time it’s on them. Meet Terry and Jay. Where were you born?

Jay: I was born in Plainfield, NJ

Terry: I was born in Lubbock, TX

When did you make your way to Texas?

Jay: I moved to the Austin area in 1977.

Terry: I moved to San Antonio about a week after I was born. My parents graduated from Texas Tech and moved down to San Antonio.

Do you have any siblings?

Jay: I have a sister in Houston and a deceased brother.

Terry: I have one brother up in Austin.

What was your childhood like?

Jay: I spent most of my childhood outside. I like the outdoors and fishing. I remember spending every minute I could on the water.

Terry: I grew up in Grey Forest most of my childhood. We lived near a creek and my brother and I spent a lot of time fishing. My mom had signed me up for piano lessons one time and instead I would just hop down to the creek and told her I was not going to the piano lesson.

Can you tell us a little about your educational background?

Jay: I completed high school.

Terry: I graduated from the University of Texas with a civil engineering degree.

I also did some postgraduate studies within the construction management department at UT.

Did your parents come from the construction industry?

Jay: No, my parents were not involved in construction.

Terry: My dad did work for a construction company for a while as a project manager. That’s when I was introduced to it. I just remember it was a lot of hard work.

What was your first job?

Jay: I was working for a moving company while attending high school. They allowed me to carry things and drive because I did have a driver’s license. Did you ever drop a box? I never dropped anyone’s items because you were always working for that tip.

Terry: I was a painter’s helper working for Glenn Rogers, a painting contractor. I started at the age of 15. I would help him in the summers and did it for a couple of summers. After that, I was working in construction with my dad’s company.

Are you married?

Jay: Yes, my wife’s name is Loretta.

Terry: Yes, my wife’s name is Sylvia.

Do you have any children?

Jay: We have one daughter, Jacklyn.

Terry: We have four boys between 24 to 30 years of age. Three of them live in the San Antonio area and one lives in Chicago.

What’s he doing in Chicago?

Terry: He’s a doctor doing his radiology residency.

Do you have any pets?

Jay: We have three dogs. Their names are Tonka, Lola and Paloma. Paloma is our newest puppy.

Terry: We don’t have any right now.

What are some family activities you do?

Jay: We mostly work around the house. We also enjoy traveling when we can. We recently just got back from a nice trip to Mexico City.

Terry: We recently bought Enchanted Springs Ranch Event Venue in Boerne.

We spend most of our time working there, that’s our getaway.

What’s your favorite past time?

Jay: What I would like to do if I had time (laughs) is go fishing. Do you look for a particular fish? I’m looking for anything that will bite (laughs).

Terry: In the spring and summer we go to the lake and take the boat out. Nor-

Terry Adams and Jay Rudd

mally, we have our grandkids with us and do all sorts of water activities. Oh, and fishing. Same as Jay, I’m looking for anything that will bite (laughs).

Terry: I agree with Jay, that’s the biggest change. They had just come out with the fax machine when we started. Now nobody uses those anymore.

How did you two meet?

Jay: Terry and I were longtime friends and teammates. We played for the Austin Huns Rugby Club. We hit it off since we were both involved in construction at the time.

Terry: Right, so we were friends for a long time before we started the business.

We had those rugby days and similar interests.

Have you noticed a change in the workforce?

Terry: The workforce seems to have diminished, but the workload has increased. There is definitely a shortage of qualified workers out there.

What work were you doing at that time?

Jay: At that time I was working as a masonry supervisor. Then when the time seemed right, we decided to go into the masonry business together.

Terry: I had worked with general contractors and then I was working on the Alamodome project as a project manager for VIA. When that project was coming to an end is when Jay and I talked about doing something together. He agreed and our first job was a fireplace.

What challenges did you face while starting Rudd & Adams Masonry?

Terry: It’s like any new business money is the biggest problem. It was difficult to have enough to do what we needed to do. I’d say the hardest part of it was having the cash flow to make it work.

What changes have you seen in the construction industry throughout your years of experience?

Jay: The biggest change was transitioning to electronic information. We notice less and less paper and more emails and digital documents.

The company turns 25 this year, what’s next for the company?

Terry: We want to continue to keep the company strong for our children. I have two of our sons working with us.

Also, another son is finishing college and he’ll come work for us. It’s important for us to continue the business and train the younger generation how to do things. My oldest son Greg is a senior project manager. Another son Kevin is also a project manager.

Jay: I want us to continue to be a strong company and provide a safe workplace for our employees. I’d like to see us go for 25 more years.

Jay, your daughter has also taken part in the company, what is her role?

Jay: Jacklyn is our operations manager and safety director. She spends a lot of her time in the field with our supervisors.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the company?

Terry: We would like to thank our employees. We have hard working and dedicated guys who work for us. A big part of our success is because of how hard those guys work. In addition, we work with a lot of great contractors and we are fortunate to have so many good team members.

Jay: We are proud of our company and the work we’ve produced. We hope that there are plenty of masonry projects in Central Texas for years to come.

The company will host events in the fall to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Rudd & Adams Masonry Inc. is a masonry contractor in Boerne. –lv

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 5

Fabricating a future

Industry FOLKS Brandon Nicolas Mazac Electrician Gray Electric & Service LLC Marion, TX

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Edgar Gutierrez, owner of GTZ Machine & Welding, and daughter/office manager Jennifer.

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TZ Machine & Welding actually began as Gutierrez Machine Shop in Laredo, TX in 1989 by father Moises Gutierrez. For son Edgar, moving into welding came naturally.

Now, as owner of GTZ Machine & Welding, Gutierrez runs his shop with the precision that he learned from his dad.

Laredo is still the main hub of the business, with 10 employees down there, while four work in San Antonio.

Eventually, all operations will come to San Antonio.

This is because Gutierrez has an eye for the future. While welding in and of itself has stayed the same over the years, Gutierrez “wants to change with the times.”

This will involve investing in robotic machinery, which are more precise. He has his eye on a couple of pieces of equipment that will do what he sees as the

next wave of welding.

Further, someday GTZ will be handed over to daughter Jennifer. The St. Mary’s University student will take her business management degree and use it to be the third generation of Gutierrez running a business. Her vision includes being in charge of the whole fabrication process and not just installing what someone else has fabricated.

As of now, Gutierrez is hands-on with every job. “I like to make sure it’s done right,” he said. But, eventually, he’d like to swing it to where he’s not needed on every site every day to provide oversight.

GTZ is involved with several projects around town, including doing work at the AT&T Center.

The future looks bright at GTZ, and is as secure as its welds.

GTZ Machine & Welding is a welding and fabrication shop in San Antonio. –dsz

Construction News ON LOCATION

The magnificent seven

The guys at Atlas Copco stand by their air compressors as well as their van.

L-R: Saul Cobos, Douglas Jones, José Perez, Tom Buck, Ron Smith, Edison Smith, and Richard Hanz. –dsz

San Antonio

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randon Nicholas Mazac was born and raised in San Antonio and has lived on the south east side of town his entire life. He graduated from Highlands High School and did one semester at St. Philips for an aviation course while he was in high school.

He’s been married to his wife Kimberlee for a little over 3 years and has a beautiful 2-year-old daughter named Mackenzie and is expecting another child in June.

Mazac and Kimberlee went to high school together but never really talked to each other. Years later he worked with her dad at another electrical shop, whom he became very good friends with. “One weekend I told her dad I was going to go fishing and he asked if I wanted to go fishing with him on his boat. Later that night I got a text message from Kim asking if it would be all right if she went with us. I told her yes, of course, and that was the day we started building our relationship.”

After that weekend he would go to her house almost everyday after work.

They have been together for a little over 6 years. “She is one of the best people I have ever met. She and I enjoy the same things in life and we love doing as much as we can together, as a family.”

Mazac does a lot of tinkering. “I am always building things or fixing something that is broken. My daughter is always right by my side. She wants to help with anything we are doing. She is very smart and picks up on things right away.”

When he is not tinkering with things, he spends a lot of time with his family. He enjoys going fishing every chance he can, and during deer season, he is gone every weekend to the family ranch in South Texas.

Mazac refers to his grandpa as his biggest role model. “I spent so much time with him and he taught me so much. Things like woodworking, fixing almost anything, working on vehicles, whatever he was doing you could bet I was right there with him.”

In the electrical industry he says his late father-in-law was his mentor. “There have been so many people who taught me different things, but he taught me most of what I know. I worked closely with him everyday for many months and I saw him everyday for the past six years.“

Mazac started working at Gray Electric in Sep. 2012. A year later he began the South Texas Electrical JATC apprenticeship program and from the very beginning of the program Mazac wanted to win the Apprentice of the Year award and he did just that. Mazac was just awarded the 2017-2018 Apprentice of the Year and will go on to compete at the regional apprentice contest in Albuquerque, NM. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Bringing it all together

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hat’s what happened on March 21 at the Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall when HOLT CAT invited customers from San Antonio and Austin to the unveiling of the Next Generation of CAT Excavators.

The Next-Gen is the 320GC, 320 and 323, which happen to be Cat’s largest new product introduction in the company’s history.

“We wanted to create an atmosphere for reps to be able to connect with the customers,” said Sr. Marketing Manager Mike Colglazier.

“We have 57 companies that confirmed with over 125 people associated with the companies."

Colglazier also said, “Come to our event and also enjoy a basketball game on us. We will buy you dinner, buy you a

drink and go see a basketball game in a premium seat.”

Earlier in the day, product and sales training for Holt staff was held. This included the other divisions of the company IRONPRO, HOLT Truck Centers, E-Solutions and SITECH Tejas who were also on hand to answer questions for customers.

“Since we are getting to be a pretty good sized company with over 2,500 employees it’s hard for everybody to know all the things we do so this was a good opportunity,” stated Colglazier.

Since this new generation of Caterpillar excavators introduced so many new features and systems, this event was the perfect laid-back venue for customers to relax and learn about the new products and see the Spurs beat the Washington Wizards 98 to 90. -bd

Showtime for the NextGen excavators

Holt staff ready to help

A closer look at the new products

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 7

Seeing the future

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he San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo has many events but one of the highlights is the Ag Mechanics Marketplace Auction.

Held on Feb. 24-25 for the second year, this event showcased the amazing talents of Texas kids from all over the State. The large participation from female students also shows a growing number of them realize having these talents is a huge plus for them also.

The swine barn was packed full of projects built by these students in the categories of livestock and farm equipment, wildlife, home recreation and conveniences, and trailers.

The top winners in each category went to the live auction where bidders quickly ran up the bids for their items. This year’s live auction brought in $93,550. In addition, a new silent auction was introduced this year which brought in $15,700.00 for the grand total of $109,250.00.

“This is unbelievable how much money comes in to this auction for these students, said Co-Chair Ruben Martinez. “The projects they bring are beautiful and these are

young students who could be the future of the construction industry.

“We also had many volunteers from Joeris, SpawGlass, Bartlett Cocke and other sponsors and contributors from the construction industry that helped put this event together.

“I think what the contractors are realizing is this is the future of the industry, especially with the lack of skilled workers. We need more trades people in the industry and I think this is a place where we can pull some individuals that could help the industry in the future.”

The Career Fair also grew in size this year and gave the students an opportunity to learn about the construction industry and understand what a great career path this can be for many of them.

The increased involvement from the industry this year is a good indication they may have found another good source of talented young men and women to fill the present and future needs for qualified people. -bd

Grand Champion team from Clark High School drew its winning bid from Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk, Urban Concrete Contractors.

Jam Marketplace Title Sponsor Urban Concrete Contractors, Ltd. L-R : Event Co-Chairs Travis Cody and Ruben Martinez with Joeris General Contractors, Terry and Ronnie Urbanczyk of Urban Concrete.

Reserve Grand Champion from Bandera FFA received their winning bid from Kenneth Moore, KCM Cabinets.

Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.

Vermeer Texas-Louisiana, Bobcat of San Antonio

Holt Cat

Joeris General Contractors

International Training Institute

Zachry

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Independent Electrical Contractors

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors San Antonio

Participants from the construction industry Urban Concrete, KCM Cabinets, Rudd & Adams Masonry, G&G Contracting, Wunderlich Builders, Wilborn Steel , Comfort Air Engineering, Joeris General Contractors, Bartlett Cocke GC, Zachry , ABC, IEC , Bracken Plumbing, Complete Maintenance Solutions, Glenn Graham Plumbing Inc., Schmidt Mechanical Group, Quality Dozer Service LLC., Rain King , Rivets Welding Service, Young Brothers Fire Protection.

Page 8

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

New year, new ideas for recruiting and retaining employees in the construction industry Cyndi Mergele, Senior Director RSM US LLP San Antonio, TX

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or the U.S. economy, the positive signs continue: unemployment rates are at historic lows, consumer spending is increasing, the stock market–while volatile at times–continues to set new records and optimism is at an all-time high.

The construction industry is expected to flourish right along with the rest of the economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry added 210,000 jobs in 2017, which is a 35 percent increase over the previous year. In addition, construction spending is on the rise. The Commerce Department reported that construction spending was up approximately 2.4 percent in 2017, including a record $1.257 trillion in November.

The robust economy and the surge in spending are anticipated to boost construction hiring even more in 2018. Not only is the industry expected to create new jobs, it will need to replace an aging workforce, which will begin retiring in record numbers over the next decade.

Studies have estimated the industry is only producing one replacement worker for every four workers who leave. If this trend continues, it’s expected the industry will face a shortage of nearly two million workers in just the next few years.

Uncertainty regarding immigration policies and the estimated 1.3 million undocumented immigrants working in construction could cause those numbers to rise.

So what should contractors do to fill the gap and attract more workers? One of the biggest challenges is capturing the interest of younger people and, overall, society still heavily stresses the value of higher education.

But there are changes which contractors should consider to shift this traditional mindset:

Be competitive: If construction companies want to attract a different and new demographic, they have to re-imagine the needs of that population. That means providing skilled trade workers with competitive compensation and benefit opportunities. Candidates new to construction need to be confident they will get similar leave and group benefits as their college-educated counterparts.

Rethink recruiting: Construction companies should be purposeful in their recruiting efforts. Part of that effort will be identifying the best company representatives to share positive messages about the industry with potential workers, especially those just coming out of high school.

While human resources and corporate recruiters should take part, who is better at sharing positive experiences than a recent, high-performing high school alumnus? Quantifying the benefits of a career in construction is key— work hours, income potential and the opportunity for advancement should not just be discussed, but detailed in collateral material that is provided to candidates. Using these peers to represent the company is one of the best ways to illustrate the value of this type of career and to demonstrate that expensive degrees are not necessarily required for success.

Engage employees: The most costeffective method to alleviate a worker shortage is to retain the ones you already have. While that’s not always possible— there will always be employees who find reasons to quit—it’s important not to overlook the importance of engaging employees. Yet, on average, only 39 percent of construction firms measure employee engagement. Companies that have shown positive steps in retaining employees find ways to frequently (and informally) get employee feedback, host in-house classroom training and even coach employees. While these might not produce instant engagement, it can show employees the company is invested in them and cares about their future with the organization.

Regardless of position, employees want feedback on performance and opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge. Studies have shown that companies with the highest employee retention rates have committed to rich professional development cultures and have effective performance management processes. Yet 55 percent of contractors do not have any formal processes in place for identifying and developing high-potential employees.

It’s a critical time: Approximately 89 percent of construction firms report facing talent shortages. As economic trends indicate, the construction industry can expect strong performance for years to come and with that, rewarding careers with competitive pay. It’s time to get that message out to the next generation preparing to enter the workforce.

Cyndi Mergele is a Senior Director with RSM US LLP’s Human Resources group.

Managing your fleet exposuresdriver qualifications Mark Gaskamp CSP, CRM, CIC, CPCU, ARM, ALCM Managing Director Wortham, L.L.C. Austin, TX

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hat is the biggest risk for your operations? A worker injury, a big liability claim, a large property loss?

Every construction operation must deal with an exposure that creates this potential risk multiple times every single day… vehicles and drivers. There are very few exposures that can have the financial impact of a serious vehicle accident. Many insurance carriers have increased auto rates recently due to poor performance in this area due to increased claim frequency (largely due to distracted driving), higher litigation costs, and injury settlements. In order to reduce liability exposures and insurance costs it is imperative that policies and procedures be developed to address your vehicle and driving exposure.

Every time a driver gets behind the wheel of a company owned vehicle or drives a personal vehicle on company business they are putting the organizations assets at risk. It starts with determining who gets to drive on company business. Failure to properly vet these individuals can lead to “negligent entrustment” should the individual involved in an accident happen to have a poor driving record. Negligent entrustment means you “knew or should have known” that the individual you put behind the wheel of a company car or allowed to drive their personal vehicle on company business had a poor driving record and should not have been allowed to drive. In other words, you should have run a motor vehicle check and you should have disqualified the driver after reviewing their driving history. If negligent entrustment can be proven by the plaintiff the liability exposure and potential legal costs can increase exponentially.

Many organizations historically have relied on their insurance company to help manage the driver qualification process. Changes in privacy laws and defini-

tions of credit reporting agencies have resulted in a shift in mindset in this area.

Most insurance carriers are now only willing to provide an approved drivers list or a list of those drivers that are excluded, without any explanation. It is your obligation to figure out why there is a problem with their driving record. Just to confirm, when the insurance carrier excludes a driver this means there is absolutely no insurance coverage should this individual be involved in an accident either in a company vehicle or their personal vehicle.

From a liability standpoint, this really is a process that each organization should “own.” After all, do you really want your insurance company to completely control your fleet safety policy? Developing a written criteria for new hires and existing drivers is the key component to any fleet safety program. This policy should align closely with what insurance carriers are looking for, but can include additional criteria such as training and probation for certain violations.

Taking the time to develop and update your fleet safety policy on a regular basis is an excellent way to reduce the liability exposure for any organization. As an added benefit it looks really good when presenting each risk to the insurance marketplace.

If you would like sample fleet safety policies, procedures or have other questions regarding fleet safety or other risk management issues, do not hesitate to call or drop me a note.

Mark Gaskamp can be reached at Wortham Insurance: 512-532-1536 mark.gaskamp@worthaminsurance.com www.worthaminsurance.com

Mixer appreciation Black Contractors Association (BCA), serving as a collective voice for the African American T heconstruction community, gathered together for a member appreciation mixer on Mar. 8.

Front: Jarvis Moore, JMI Trucking. Back L-R: Neiamiah O’Neal, O’Neal’s Furniture Assembly; Devin Bromley, Joeris General Contractors; Vernon Bryant, BRC Remodeling Group; and Henry Boone, Turner Construction. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 9

Effective emergency planning critical to managing OSHA investigations and rising incident penalties Ian Faria, Partner Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Houston, TX

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he stated purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to “assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.” OSHA has promulgated various standards to create rules employers must use to protect their employees from hazards.

Paramount to OSHA’s standards is OSHA’s General Duty Clause, which provides that each employer: • SHALL furnish employees place of employment free from recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious harm; and • SHALL comply with OSHA standards.

The General Duty Clause also provides that each employee: • SHALL comply with OSHA standards and rules applicable to his own actions and conduct.

Typically, OSHA utilizes the General Duty Clause as its “catch-all” standard when no other standard applies. This clause and others are used to assess citations and penalties against employers for violations. The penalties themselves have significantly increased in the last three years.

In November 2015, Congress enacted legislation requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. That new law directed agencies to adjust their civil monetary penalties for inflation every year, limited to any penalty for a specific amount or maximum amount set by federal law that is assessed or enforced by a federal agency. As a result, the Department of Labor adjusted penalties for its agencies, including OSHA.

OSHA’s maximum penalties, which were last adjusted in 1990, increased by 78 percent. Going forward, the agency will continue to adjust its penalties for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index.

The increased penalties mandated

by OSHA took effect after Aug. 1, 2016.

Any citations issued by OSHA on or after that date were subject to the new penalties if the related violations occurred after Nov. 2, 2015. For serious violations and for failure to abate (per day beyond the abatement date), the maximum penalty per violation increased from $7,000 to $12,934 (the latter amount is adjusted for inflation as of Jan. 2, 2018).

For willful or repeated violations, the maximum penalty per violation increased from $70,000 to $129,336 (also adjusted for inflation).

With the citation penalty amounts ever increasing, along with even more activity by OSHA in Texas, employers have to be proactive in their culture of safety, documentation and training. In the event that there is an event that requires notification of OSHA, there are

several opportunities to improve the inevitable investigation and penalties that flow from the event.

Your company’s emergency action plan should be regularly reviewed and utilized when an incident occurs. It is important that a company craft a useful emergency action plan and not use a “canned” plan that it may find from a third party or on the Internet. Emergency action plans need to be company specific taking into account the company’s resources and needs. If a company does have an emergency action plan, then it should be followed by all individuals who are part of the investigation team.

An emergency action plan should, at a minimum, include the following: • Selecting an internal investigation point person; • Securing the scene; • Determining OSHA reporting requirements and reporting the incident as required; • Determining if other entities must be notified (Police, Fire, EPA, NTSB, etc.); • Talking to witnesses; • Potentially taking witness statements; • Taking photographs of the scene; • Preservation of the scene and evidence; • Implementing protocols for unauthorized photography/social media interactions; • Identifying all personnel/contractors onsite; and • Identifying all personnel/contractors involved with incident.

Combined with proper safety training, an effective emergency action plan can be of great importance in how OSHA investigates and determines citations and penalties. Of course, continuing review and improvement of all safety programs and policies to avoid incidents should be of paramount importance.

However, when accidents occur, companies and employers should be diligent in their investigations with OSHA to prevent reoccurrence.

Ian P. Faria is a member of the Construction and Government Contracts Practice Group and Managing Partner of the Houston office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. He represents developers, general contractors, subcontractors, homebuilders, business owners and individuals in a variety of disputes, as well as in OSHA compliance and investigation matters. He can be reached at ifaria@bradley.com.

April is “Safe Digging Month” Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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efore starting work, the OSHA Excavation standards require employers to do the following:

• Determine the approximate location(s) of utility installations — including sewer, telephone, fuel, electric, and water lines. One common industry practice is to call 811, the “Call Before You Dig” number, to establish the location of any underground utility installations in the work area.

• Contact and notify the utility companies or owners involved to inform them of the proposed work within established or customary local response times.

• Ask the utility companies or owners to establish the location of underground installations prior to the start of excavation work. If they cannot respond within 48 hours as required by state law, or cannot establish the exact location of the utility installations, employers may proceed with caution, which includes using detection equipment or other acceptable means to locate utility installations.

• Determine the exact location of underground installations by safe and acceptable means when excavation operations approach the approximate location of the installations.

• Ensure that while the excavation is open, underground installations are protected, supported or removed as necessary to safeguard workers.

OSHA generally requires that employers protect workers from cave-ins by: • Sloping and benching the sides of the excavation;

• Supporting the sides of the excavation; or • Placing a shield between the side of the excavation and the work area.

The “Damage Prevention Councils of Texas” are dedicated to underground utility damage prevention, along with the promotion of the “811 – Call Before You Dig” message and the Common Ground Alliance Best Practices. Currently, there are 23 Regional Councils encompassing the State. These councils hold free to attend Annual Safety Days that include live equipment demos, industry networking, and live Mock Line Strikes across the State of Texas. Each Damage Prevention Council holds a monthly meeting which is open to all who are concerned with damage prevention. To locate your local council meeting or to attend a free safety day event: http://dpcoftexas.org/ Additionally, the National Utility Contractors Association has set June 18 – 23 as Trench Safety Stand Down week.

NUCA is asking all contractors that do trenching conduct a training session on excavation hazards. Free training materials are available on their website at http://www.nuca.com/tssd NUCA has made available free tool box talks, a PowerPoint presentation, sign-in sheets, and worker handout materials. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

15 years of indoor comfort

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Front: Betsy Rosenberg Back L-R: Tom Hull, Michael and Lee Rosenberg

n 1986, Michael Rosenberg’s parents, Lee and Betsy, started a company called Metrotex Service Company that provided service, maintenance and replacement of both heating and air conditioning equipment for commercial and residential clients. In 1998 after building up the business, they decided to sell the business to a consolidator.

Even though, Michael, his parents and their service manager Tom Hull stayed with the new company for several years, the dream of having their own business did not die. “In 2003, we decided we wanted to start over again have our own business,” says Rosenberg.

“In 2003, we put a business plan together, bought seven trucks, got a loan and started over again and Rosenberg Indoor Comfort was born. Now we are up to 21 trucks and pretty much do the

same thing we did in the old days – all service, maintenance and replacement.”

The company started out with 10 employees and today there are 36 of the most amazing employees, according to Rosenberg, the company’s president.

On Mar. 1, the company celebrated 15 years in business with a catered lunch from La Fagotta’s for all of their employees.

Michael’s parents, Lee and Betsy, and Tom Hull are still involved in the company and look forward to continued steady and healthy growth. “We want to continue to grow, but not too fast. We want to continue to get our name out, grow, and keep a good reputation. Reputation is so important and keeping our customers happy is what we aim for.”

Rosenberg Indoor Comfort is a heating and air conditioning contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

Golden rule construction

Dennis Yanowski, division president, Marek Brothers Systems Inc., San Antonio.

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ennis Yanowski, division president of Marek Brothers Systems in San Antonio, is clear from where the company gets it founding philosophy.

The original founders, John L., Bill and Ralph, knew from the beginning to value hard work, good morals, to take care of those who take care of you, and to treat the customer well.

It’s the Golden Rule of construction.

“Construction is not rocket science,” Yanowski said. “Relationships are so important.”

The Houston native actually went to school with the second generation Mareks, Paul, Bruce and Stan. The Mareks were big supporters of many of the catholic churches’ and schools’ events, and Yanowski always saw their trucks there.

That led him to land a job with the company in 1977 as a timekeeper, who helps monitor costs and budgets the work.

Marek opened a San Antonio office in the early ‘80s and Yanowski came to the Alamo City in 1987.

“This is a great community to work at. I mean that,” he said. “A handshake is as good as a contract.”

“In our 80th year, we have never failed a job or not finished a contract,” Yanowski proudly states.

Taking care of its employees has been a hallmark of Marek since its inception. “Our strength is the guys in the field.

We provide careers instead of jobs.”

The 200 San Antonio employees’ biggest job to date was the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The Atlanta office recently did the new Mercedes-Benz stadium roof, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

Ever-changing technology is an industry-wide challenge, creating “new opportunities as well as challenges to stay current, and offer the best services to our clients,” he said.

What hasn’t—and won’t—change is how Marek treats their people and customers. And, they “get a lot of pleasure from working with others with similar mindsets,” Yanowski said.

That Golden Rule thing works.

Marek Brothers Systems Inc., is a drywall, acoustical ceiling/sound control and metal stud framing business in Houston, Austin, Dallas San Antonio, Harlingen (TX) and Atlanta (GA).-dsz

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 11

low them to stay in these areas to feed, they will.

Think outside the box

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.

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pril is the month that ushers in spring. Spring’s warmer weather and water welcome new life to Texas’ inshore bays. Shrimp, crab and finfish have, or soon will, released this year’s crop of younglings. When this happens, the bay’s resident predators will shift their focus from large, hard to catch adults to the young, naïve hatchlings populating the flats.

This transition doesn’t happen all at once. Rather, the spawn of various species is staggered throughout the spring and early summer. But, April marks the start of a three-month run of hatchlings in our bays. To up their odds for success

Jim Crosby of San Antonio tricked this 26-in, 6lb trout into smashing his lure last month while wading the Lower Laguna Madre with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Water temperatures should be right during the next high tide to start seeing some of the fatter trout.

during this time period, anglers should `match the hatch’ by downsizing lures, baits. Anglers should also shift their focus to areas where predator fish are most likely to be able to ambush or attack the small bait fish.

WHERE TO LOOK

As is typically the case, predator fish will be found where the food is. During spring and early summer, the majority of

The big lunker

David Jones, CEO of R.L. Jones LP was blessed to snag this 11.3lb wide mouth black bass while fishing a drop off on a February weekend fishing trip. –cmw

the food is located near where it was hatched. For shrimp, crabs and a myriad of baitfish, this typically means shallow grass flats and back lakes. When spring tides push extra water into these nursery areas, redfish and speckled trout will ride the tide right into a dinner buffet. Anglers should do the same, following the water and currents into these areas holding all of the bait. When tides recede, fish will usually fall back into channels that lead into these backwaters and shallow flats. But, if there is enough water to al-

WHAT TO THROW

Late March and April not only usher in the start of spawning season for many marine species, it also sees warmer tides lapping against the shores of the Texas coast. The influx of bait and warmer water tends to invigorate predator species such as speckled trout, redfish, flounder and even snook. As a result, many bay systems experience a good topwater bite during these months. Of course, spring can be windy and the resulting rough water often dictates using a topwater plug big enough and noisy enough to gain attention over the roiled water.

However, on calmer days - or when fish are dialed in to smaller baitfish - try tossing a smaller topwater.

Among the best ‘junior’ surface plugs is the MirrOlure She Dog and Top Dog Jr. These plugs have enough weight and make a loud enough sound to irritate the stubbornness trout or redfish. I have found that down sizing lures often produces a better bite than using full size lures of the same color patters.

Again, although standard baits will still produce this time of year, there will be those days when the fish are feeding strictly on certain sized items. At times like these, it can pay off to have a few ‘kid-size’ baits to save the day.

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 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail me at SteveSchultzOutdoors @ gmail.com.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 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

Wow! That was some Spring Break!

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e all know how Mother Nature seems to have something against Spring Break. How many times have we just really needed to get the family out and about for a few days, only to have it turn off cold and windy, or stormy and just downright nasty? Not this year!

We seemed to have the full spectrum of Texas weather this year. It reached the 90s and then fell to the 30s.

We had high windy days and dead calm days. We even had a couple rip roaring thunderstorms that we were lucky to miss. It made for unpredictable fishing, but at least most of the weather changes were pretty brief.

For the most part we had good stringers sometimes consisting of several species, but happy fishermen were coming back to the dock. All the fish are healthy and well fed because of good baitfish populations, so it looks like we will be in for a good fishing year.

Early spring fishing can be challenging because of the weather, but it can also make you a better fisherman. This time of year the water temperature is

what drives fish behavior. They need to eat a lot and spawn, but if the water is cold and the bait fish are scattered, the fishing will be tougher. The more warm

and steady days we get the better the fishing will get. The biggest mistake I see fishermen make is to get set in their ways.

Just because something worked for you one day and you caught a bunch of fish, doesn’t mean it will keep working from now on. Fish are always swimming, moving and reacting to weather and water conditions – always in motion. A good fisherman understands this and learns to follow suit.

If you are just getting your boat and motor ready to head out, you need to pay close attention to your fuel system. If you ended up with some fuel still in your system when you put it up for the winter, and hadn’t been using a fuel stabilizer, you will likely be having trouble. The ethanol in today’s fuel has a nasty habit of turning to a jelly like sludge that will gum up carburetors and fuel lines. Just do yourself a favor and take it on in to your marine mechanic and get it cleaned out and start using a good fuel stabilizer at each fill up. That way you don’t lose any fishing days to messing with a motor that just won’t go!

Of course, if you just don’t want the hassle, you can always book a trip with a local guide. It is just like charter fishing at the coast, except that it will cost you a lot less and only takes a few hours. You get on the water to fish, without the headache of messing with the boat.

If you haven’t already hit the water this year, you better get to it! Dust off your rod and reel, wind you on some new line and come on. You don’t want to miss this!

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You

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

Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

Hitting the slopes

Construction News’ Dana Calonge shared this photo of her and husband Dick in Breckenridge, CO where the two escaped to celebrate Dana’s birthday. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 13

Get on up here

T

he Construction News editors Lexie and Dan had the pleasure of meeting “Tex,” the longhorn at the ABC chili cook-off. Tex is great around people and loves him mom Charlotte Browning. –lv

Lexie was eager to get on.

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

Dan was eager to get off.

Texas Style

★ ★ ★ ★

San Antonio Austin South Texas Houston

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 15

In memoriam

Benjamin Dean Holt, Jr. (BD Peter)

B

enjamin Dean Holt, Jr. (BD Peter) passed away Sat., Mar. 10. He was born in Oakland, CA to Benjamin Dean Holt, Sr. and Loretta Wahl Holt on April 21, 1925. He graduated from Stockton High School in 1943, enlisted in the US Marine Corps and was promoted to Lieutenant after graduating from Officers Training School. After WWII, he entered the University of California at Berkeley.

He married his first love, Corinna Knapp in 1947 and graduated from CAL-Berkley in 1948 with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

After Corinna passed away in 1990, he fell in love again and married Kaye Durham in 1992. BD (Peter) would say, “How lucky I’ve been to have two women who loved me!”

In 1948, BD (Peter) went to work for Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, IL and after completing his training there; he became the Caterpillar District Representative in Mississippi.

He was then recalled to the Marine Corps during the Korean War. After the Korean War, he returned to work for Caterpillar. In 1954, BD (Peter) moved his family to San Antonio to work for his uncle, William K. Holt at his Caterpillar dealership in South Texas. In 1961, his uncle sold him the southern portion of the Wm. K. Holt Machinery Co. BD (Peter) established his headquarters for B.D. Holt Co. in Corpus Christi.

In 1969, he established Energy Industries to manufacture gas compressors. That business expanded into several states and Canada. In 1978, he was able to fulfill a lifelong goal when he purchased a ranch in the Texas Hill Country near Blanco, running a cow/ calf operation and growing oats and hay crops. In 1987, BD Holt Co. and Holt Machinery Co. in San Antonio merged, moving the headquarters to San Antonio and what is now Holt CAT. He never lost his Caterpillar connection, driving to

the office almost every day when he was not at his beloved ranch.

He supported many community causes in both Corpus Christi and San Antonio including the Texas Aquarium, San Antonio Children’s Museum, the United Way and the San Fernando Cathedral.

BD (Peter) was the father of Peter M. Holt (Julianna), Anne Holt (Christian Schultz) and Ben Holt (Lisa). Not many fathers have two son’s names after them, Peter and Ben! He also had three children by marriage, Edie Durham Sapp (Henry), Mary Durham Clark (Jimmy) and Eleanor Kaye Durham. He was most happy to be the grandfather to his eleven grandchildren, Corinna Holt Richter (J.B.), Peter John Holt (Lauren Kate), Benjamin and Harrison Holt, Clay Sapp, Mimi Sapp Brown (Zachry), Travis Clark (Katharine), Edwin Clark (Megan) and John, Virginia and Mary Park Durham. He was fortunate enough to have four great grandchildren, Holt and Charlotte Richter, and Hazel and Penny Holt.

BD (Peter) is survived by his sister Catherine Holt; brothers-in-law Harry Phillips and George Knapp; and sisterin-law Penny Holt.

He is predeceased by his parents, his first wife Corinna Knapp Holt; second wife Kaye D. Holt; and his brothers Donald and Nicholas Holt.

BD (Peter) and his family are grateful to all of his dedicated caregivers: Dr. Mark Thorton, Alejandra Rivas, Karel Hoffman, RN; Maria Martindale, Flor De Maria Smith, Caitlyn Gomez (chef), Linda Mallard, Toi Montelango, Tina Pena and Regina Lucio. Also, most grateful to his office staff: Charles Strickland, Juliet Williams, Gayle Cuellar and Elisa Ellington and to his ranch staff: Harold Lord, Scott Grote, Tony Floerke, Anita Ramirez, Juan Lopez, Eladio Cortez, Joe Torres and David Gonzalez.

–cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 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

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Sep: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment

A woman’s legacy

ing, but to see the progress that has been made makes it all worth it.

Lindsey Sutherland, Owner G.D. Interior Construction

What specific challenges have you faced in your career?

From the start of this transition, after my dad died back in 2014, it was very overwhelming. There was no succession plan in place. All I had was some basic knowledge of the business working here in the office during the summer for many years - but I can say that being around it my whole life has given me a sense to the nature of the industry and how to navigate through the pitfalls and recognize the safeguards.

San Antonio, TX

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emories of working along side her mother and father in the family business is something near and dear to Lindsey. Although she did not set out for a career in construction, this is where the path has led her.

S

utherland once told Construction News, “I never would have expected that I would be enjoying it so much;” it being the construction industry.

Which is more important for a construction career - education or experience?

Ideally, both are important. Experience just comes with time and education should be ongoing, but I believe one’s ability and attitude play a major role from the get go.

What advice can you offer women who want to pursue a construction career?

Go for it! Do good work and be a decent human being. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Keep learning and get involved.

Try not to go around thinking you have something to prove.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I enjoy the work and the big picture of it all. There is something to say about people working together, collectively. It’s way more effective than a bunch of great people working on their own. We have a solid team and I look forward to working with them every day. It’s super challeng-

Signature of a woman Melanie Kuhr, Partner Signature Millwork

How did you overcome those challenges?

I threw myself into it learning as much as possible through different programs and resources that are available.

There’s been a lot of hard work from everyone here at GDI.

Things needed to be revamped and modernized in a big way. The good thing is that there was something great to build on which made everything possible to

fessional Women in Construction (APWC), American Subcontractors Association (ASA), and Dream Team Women’s Network to be extremely helpful for women working in this industry.

Dallas, TX

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n 1984, Melanie moved to Dallas, leaving behind all she had known to join the ranks of the corporate world.

Little did she know then that Dallas had an unforeseen destiny for her away from corporate America.

What is your background in the construction industry?

I grew up in a construction family in Cincinnati, OH, so I was familiar with the cyclical nature of the business and also developed an appreciation for doing it right the first time.

What advice would you have for women who want to start their own businesses?

Have a solid business plan and review it with a diverse group of people – banker/industry expert/family member/ business coach.

What resources are available to women who would like to start their own businesses?

Southwest Women’s Business Council, Chamber of Commerce, business banks that focus on small businesses, and City of Dallas Economic Development Women’s Foundation are all great resources for women who want to start their own businesses.

Have you found associations to be helpful for women?

I have found the Association of Pro-

How would you encourage women to broaden their knowledge of owning a business or working in the industry?

Get as many opportunities to understand the many stakeholders in the business and understand what their greatest need is and how you can meet and/or exceed that need.

What lessons have you learned along the way?

I learned to remain relevant, be flexible, know your people, keep in touch with all the stakeholders in your industry, strive for continuous improvement and have a passion for quality. Finally, you only have one chance to build your reputation, safeguard it!

What do you hope the future holds for your business?

get the company back in shape and working order. It hasn’t been easy, but nothing worth having comes easy.

What are your goals for the future in the construction industry?

My goal is to keep this business moving in the right direction, maintain steady growth and efficiency while continuing to plan for the future.

In your experience, are more opportunities opening up for women in construction?

I definitely see more opportunities and they are open to all of us. There’s a quote that says… “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work so people don’t recognize them.” Before my parents passed away they were always trying to get me interested in the business, but I chose a different career path. I never saw the opportunity back then. Funny how life works!

G.D. Interior Construction is a specialty contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

I’m fortunate to be in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area with as much growth as we’ve had and continued to forecast. We continue to meet and build relationships with new GCs and industry partners. I hope to see more national and international companies looking for alliances with local providers.

From your perspective, has the construction industry changed over the years?

Change is the one constant, and yet the appreciation for craftsmanship and quality has not changed. During the downturn there was price compression and an onslaught of the “low bidder” mentality. That tide turned once there was a cycle of seeing how the product endured the test of time. The cost of the “re-do” is more than doing it right the first time.

Signature Millwork is a certified WBE, HUB and FSC architectural millwork provider based in Dallas. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 17

THIS TH MON

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

To represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

NEXT MONTH (MAY ISSUE) CONCRETE INDUSTRY

Making construction a woman’s career Taryn Ritchie, Chapter President

National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Estimator

Ryan Companies Austin, TX

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mother of two beautiful daughters, Taryn Ritchie is proudly a fifth-generation Texan who learned through experience that creating strong, productive relationships with subcontractors and other team members is the key to success in the office and on the job site.

How did you get started in construction?

I guess you could say it is a family thing, both of my parents work in construction and I grew up going to the yard that they worked at a lot. Through their connections and guidance I got my foot in the door and have been in the industry for about 17 years.

When did you decide this was the career for you?

I don’t think I was convinced when I first applied for a receptionist position, but I was given several great opportuni-

ties very early on and saw the potential for a lifelong career.

How would you describe your experience working in the industry as a young woman?

Overall, I would describe it as an engaging and satisfying experience. Have there been hurdles along the way? Yes, but I persevered, and learned as much as I could from my peers, mentors and subcontractors/suppliers and kept climbing the ladder.

Do you have a mentor?

I have had many amazing mentors.

They have guided me, challenged me and given me opportunities that I might not have been considered for if not for their recommendations. I highly recommend seeking a mentor, even if it is an informal arrangement. There is something to be said from learning from other

Living the dream Iris Luna, Owner Proficient Constructors LLC San Antonio, TX

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everal years after attending college, Iris Luna went to work for a masonry contractor as a superintendent, until one day her grandpa asked her why not try to start your own company?

To answer that, Luna recalls that as a youngster she would accompany her grandpa to jobsites, learning the ins and outs of masonry. Her grandpa knew she had the talent and drive to run her own company and encouraged her to do so.

So she went for it. Luna says that she learned a lot from her grandpa, but as a woman in the construction industry there was a lot more for her to learn and learn quickly she did.

What is your background in the construction industry?

My family has always been part of the construction industry. My experience came from the field, first by gaining knowledge about the scope of work and then learning how to put that knowledge into practical use. In 2007, I founded Proficient Constructors LLC focusing on providing and installing all types of masonry applications.

Why did you choose a career in the construction-related industry?

My grandfather owned a masonry company and since I was his little sidekick I developed a passion for wanting to create and build. I was fascinated with what my grandfather and his teams built and I wanted to be part of that somehow.

Do you have or have you had a mentor?

Yes, and thankfully we have had a handful of people that have guided us along the way. Currently we have a mentorship with EVENT Professional Services LLC. This is through the City of San Antonio’s Transportation & Capital Improvements Department. It is called the Management & Technical Assistance Program and we are in Phase II. My mentors are Eugene Walker from EJ Smith Construction Company LLC and Elsa Brown of the Copeland Contracting Company Inc. What are the benefits of women pursuing a construction career?

In my opinion the main benefit may be for a woman to open a construction company. In the past there has been a disparity in our public sector and now there are local agencies and programs advocating women owned businesses.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I enjoy the building process and how all of the scopes of work come together as a finished product.

What specific challenges have you faced in your career?

Some of the challenges we have faced have been increased competition and a limited skilled work force per our trades.

people’s knowledge and experience.

What opportunities has the industry given you to broaden your horizons or take on new challenges?

I have been very lucky. As I mentioned I had a great mentor early on that saw potential in me and pushed me in the right direction. He was instrumental in my decision to continue my career path in estimating. From there I went from an estimating assistant to estimator.

What are the benefits for women pursuing a career in construction?

It is a booming industry and there are so many different career paths in construction from development, design, engineering, project management, trades construction to building maintenance, just to name a few. There are jobs with opportunities to travel locally or internationally. If you like a challenge it offers that on a daily basis.

What challenges have you seen?

I think early on a lot of the positions for women in construction were clerical or administrative in nature, but there has been a large shift in the last 10-15 years where women are stepping outside of those roles and changing the perception of what we as women are “capable” of doing. And although we aren’t quite there yet, we are making steps in bridging the gender salary gaps and in providing training and opportunities for wom-

In your experience, are there more opportunities opening up for women?

I have seen a slow increasing amount of women in the construction offices, but not really in the field performing trade work.

Is this due to the overall shortage of construction professionals and workers?

No, I believe that women are more aware that they can have a nontraditional profession. My mother and I have participated in a program called WINTO – Women In Non- Traditional Occupations and I believe and hope this is helping women by giving them insight and information on the opportunities in the construction industry.

What areas do you see the most increase in jobs for women?

I have seen an increase in women project managers, estimators and engi-

en to step into managerial and upper management positions.

Have you found associations to be helpful for women?

Yes, as the President of the Austin Chapter of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) I would say they have been extremely beneficial. My suggestion is to find an organization that best aligns with your goals and needs; and then go to a few of their events, seminars or meetings before joining. I would also suggest joining their committees that focus on areas that might be interesting or meaningful to you.

How has being a part of the construction community changed or influenced your life as well as your perception of the industry?

There is definitely a sense of pride when you see a building completed that you have spent years working on, and that it will most likely be there after I am gone. Also, that I can’t stress enough that there are many opportunities for women in this industry. It’s an industry where women can grow, learn and have a long lasting career.

National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is an association network for women in the field of construction.

Ryan Companies is a national builder, developer, designer and real estate manager with offices across the nation. -cmw

neers. I am not aware of the percentages of women completing trade educations, but I do feel that there are not many women in the field. For example, in my opinion, my mother is an anomaly that works as a tradesman’s HVAC technician who has been in the industry for 20 years, currently working for Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning.

What advice can you offer women who want to pursue a construction career?

If you have ever been fascinated with how buildings are constructed, why they are built, what holds a building together and what it takes to complete the process, then go for it! Try your best because there is a place for you in this industry!

Proficient Constructors LLC is a professional masonry and concrete contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Construction Industry Events

Expo HVAC style

All in flavor

T

exas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) Greater San Antonio started their year off with a bang by hosting the South Texas HVAC Expo on Jan. 31 at the Alzafar Shrine Temple. With over 400 in attendance, the event was a resounding success for the coolest guys in town. –cmw

T

he construction industry had their mouths full at this years Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) chili cook-off and gun raffle. The delicious flavors were in each chili and each booth showed off their creativity.

Congratulations to TDI Industries who took second place and Central Electric who placed third. –lv

Congratulations to Joeris General Contractors who took first place. L-R: Ethan Lee, Victoria Johnson and Adolph Fierros.

Far right: Brandon Davidson (Architectural Division 8), ABC chair of the chili cook-off.

Representing Lennox Industries L-R: Brady Vyvleska, Val Serna, Kevin Doran and Byron Butler.

L-R: Malissa Sandoval, Mr. Wilson Heating & A/C; Dawn Thompson, TACCA and Patty Wilson, Mr. Wilson Heating & A/C.

Amcon Controls representatives L-R: Mark Bickle, Brando Ryan and Bob Barnebey.

Century A/C Supply. L-R: Edward Hansen, Stephen Abila and Charlie Gallagher.

L-R: Patty Wilson, Mr. Wilson Heating & Air and Guy Kukla, Tiger Services.

Congratulations to Alamo Concrete Products who received the Showmanship award. L-R: Tony Estrada, Bradley Schmitz, Christine Breedlove, Stephanie Lozano and Joe Huerta.

Far right: Brandon Davidson (Architectural Division 8), ABC chair of the chili cook-off.

L-R: Taylor Diven, Victoria Gonzalez and Jennifer Rocha with ABC

L-R: Grant Norman, Lori Navarro and Glenn Scallion with Beck Companies

L-R: Rick Spaw and Morgan Hallmark with Masters Electrical Services, LTD

L-R: Dustin Patrick, Allan Carouth, Ben Pratt, Jerry Krabe and Glenn Matthews with HD Supply

Far left: Robbin Bostick president of San Antonio Masonry Tool Supply and some of the team members. Bottom right: Efrain Perez, owner of Concepts Construction

Carrier Enterprise LLC. L-R: Brian Hammons, Andrew Houle and Josh Gavos.

L-R: Daikin representatives James Newman and Chet Couvillon.

Casino deSA

O

n Mar. 1, the Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio (HCAdeSA) held its 5th annual casino night. Over 150 people attended the event at Aggie Park to enjoy gaming, dinner, music, refreshments and tons of door prizes. According to Dave Sanchez, Executive Director of the HCA de SA, “The event raises money for our education and training programs throughout the year. It is also a great time to network in a casual, friendly and fun environment.” –cmw

CBI team members dominated the Black Jack table.

Francisco Ruiz, Oscar & Brandy Ceniceros from Holt Cat participate in the photo booth fun.

L-R: Christian Cortes, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; high roller game and TV winner Victor Ruiz, Markel Surety; and Estela GarciaPerez, Fairway Landscape & Nursery.

HCA de SA Board Members L-R: Christian Cortes, Bartlett Cocke; Estela Garcia-Perez, Fairway Landscape & Nursery; Manuel Villa, VIA Technology; and Yvette Robinson, Robinson Construction.

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 19

Hosted by Construction Industry Associations

Subs present awards

F

or 35 years, subcontractors have banded together to form a strong appearance in the construction industry. On Mar. 8, in addition to celebrating 35 years, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) hosted its annual Excellence in Construction awards banquet at the the Pearl Stable. Photos courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography. –cmw

2017 Pioneer Award: Thomas J. Walthall, Jr., Gardner Law Firm

2017 Outstanding Project Manager of the Year: Rex Cody, SpawGlass Contractors

2017 Outstanding Project Superintendent of the Year: Roger Avants, Marksmen General Contractors

2017 Project of the Year $2.5 - $5 Million: Lone Star Recreational/Mays Family Club House Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio, Keller-Martin Construction Inc.

2017 Project of the Year $5 -$10 Million: New Braunfels Food Bank, F.A. Nunnelly

2017 President’s Award: Bethany Thompson, Gardner Law Firm

2017 Project of the Year Under $2.5 Million: Safeway Supply Warehouse, Middleman Construction Co. LLC

2017 Project of the Year $10-$20 Million : UT Health Hill Country, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

2017 Project of the Year Over $20 Million: Harlan High School.

Joeris General Contractors

From SA to Excel

2017 General Contractor of the Year: Keller-Martin Construction Inc.

San Antonio subcontractors flocked to Tempe, AZ for the 2018 Subexcel to discuss and brainstorm with members or executive directors from other chapters to get new ideas of what’s working and sharing info – everyone seems to be suffering from the same issue: LABOR SHORTAGE! -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

She’s the WOMAN!

continued from Page 1 — O’er the Ram parts he watch branch continues to evolve.

“We’re still in market share growth phase. We’re focusing on our core business at this point and continuing to grow,” Steven says. “We are bringing on new product lines all the time and are evaluating things that are unique or new to the market. We look for opportunities

we feel will help our customers, either with labor savings or solving job site problems. In general, it’s about helping customers and growing organically.”

Ram Tool Construction Supply Co. is a service company for buyers of construction supplies. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — A love affair with manufacturing

Jennifer Swinney, American Subcontractors Association (ASA) received the Executive Director of the Year award at the ASA SubExcel held Feb. 28 – Mar. 3 in Tempe, AZ. -cmw

H

ow appropriate is this? Construction News’ April Focus is on “Women in Construction” and what a way to trigger this off but with an announcement that Executive Director Jennifer Swinney, American Subcontractors Association (ASA), received the Executive Director of the Year award at the ASA SubExcel held Feb. 28–Mar. 3 in Tempe, AZ. This award honors ASA chapter executive directors for outstanding performance in overall association management.

Prior to ASA, Swinney worked for ESC Safety Consultants as the corporate office manager and financial supervisor.

While at ESC, Swinney became involved in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to increase her knowledge in the construction industry

and her fellow NAWIC members encouraged her to take on a leadership role.

She served in NAWIC both locally and nationally. Locally she served as chapter president and nationally as National Treasurer. Through her involvement with NAWIC she was able to build on her skills to become a great leader.

Swinney understands the importance of member involvement in an association. She told Construction News when she first became the executive director of ASA that her goal was to get the word out about how tremendous ASA is as an association and how much it can do for a business and the employees within.

Well Jennifer, you apparently have done just that. Congratulations on this prestigious award! -cmw

website, and we’ve restructured a lot of our departments. All of us here at BG Metals are really excited about the changes!”

The Gates’ went into business to build something for their family and now that their family extends beyond their two children, it extends to all 35 of their BG Metals staff.

Laura acknowledges that she and Burnell are at a point where most begin to think about retirement, but she said that won’t happen anytime soon because they love what they do and can’t imagine life any other way.

“Being an entrepreneur isn’t about making decisions only for yourself; it’s about making decisions that help everyone around you,” she said.

Of their 35 employees, some of them have brought their children on board to join the company too. The shop foreman, Tino Fonseca and his son Justino Fonseca, have worked for the company for over

10 years. With the camaraderie and dedication the employees show, it is no surprise the BG Metals family will continue to grow.

Furthering the family appeal, one incentive the company also provides is educating their employees. They educate their employees with the help of The Wheels of Training program offered through ABC. The Gates’ have also started up an organization they call Whetstone. It is an organization designed to form the man behind the businessman to his full potential. It is an organization that will help create a formalized and structured ministry focused on the spiritual development of businessmen and women. They’ve chosen a scripture for the organization – Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

BG Metals continues to be their love affair.

BG Metals is a sheet metal contractor. –lv

continued from Page 1 — A new home for pediatric services

Ready for it

Emergency room nurses’ station

Reesie and Audie Howell

A

udie Howell remembers the rush he felt when he first took the controls of a crane. He was 16 years old then, working for his dad’s crane company, and was, as he says, “ready for it, and took right to it.” The rush was enough to make him want to start Howell Crane & Rigging Inc. with his dad and another partner, Bill Cravens, in 1982.

Thirty-six years later, Howell, who now serves as company president, is still ready for anything the crane and rigging business has for him. He says he has patiently weathered the industry’s “ups and downs” while growing the company to 65 employees. The number of branches has grown as well; Howell Crane & Rigging Inc. maintains its original San Antonio (Converse) location, and in the last three years added Austin and Dallas branches. Howell said his next goal is to eventually open a small branch in Corpus Christi so that his company will have all major Texas markets covered.

No matter how much the company changes and grows, Howell’s dad’s influence is still very much a part of the business. Howell even finds that his approach to running the company is similar to his father’s.

“He’s the one who kind of trained me in this business and I saw how he ran a business,” Howell explains.

Two of Howell’s own children – daughter Courtney Bennett and son Audie Howell Jr. – are the third generation training in the family business.

Howell, who is married to wife Reesie, says he sees a bit of himself in Audie Jr., who first operated a crane when he was 14 years old and has worked with the company since he was 16. Obviously, feeling the rush runs in the family.

“He does good!” Howell acknowledges with a chuckle.

Howell Crane & Rigging offers crane and rigging services and equipment rental.

–mjm

ishes. This was also a challenge with city inspections as each phase had separate permits. The building and tenants primarily serve children. Tenants include the Christus free standing emergency department, which operates 24/7 and has imaging capabilities of MRI, CT, and X-ray, the Christus primary care physician’s group for general practice, and a multispecialty clinic for children with ENT, Audio, Neurology, Ortho/Sports, and GI needs.

Joeris Project Manager Mike Moilanen, Superintendent Chester Carrauthers and Architect Mark Seibert

with MKS Associates worked closely together to ensure the tradition of the Joeris philosophy was carried out to the owner’s satisfaction. “The architect/engineer/owner team are some of the best to work with as they have vast knowledge and experience with the end users and in the medical field. They were extremely prompt in turning around paperwork to keep the project flowing and very adaptive to resolving issues that arose throughout construction,” says Mailanen.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Joeris General Contractors has locations in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston. -cmw

First floor emergency room waiting area

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

Page 21

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors Inc.

Apr. 4: Breakfast Club, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro Ave., 7:30-8:30am. For more info, contact Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@ abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994 Apr. 12: TopGolf Mixer, TopGolf, 5539 N. Loop 1604 W. For more info, contact Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@abcsouthtexas. org or 210-342-1994 Apr. 25: Wine Festival at The Boerne Wine Company, 302 S. Main St., Boerne, TX. For more info, contact Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994 AGC

Associated General Contractors

Apr. 12: CLC TopGolf Event, TopGolf, 5539 N. Loop 1604 W. For more info, call 210349-4921 Apr. 13: Brown Bag Lunch, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210349-4921 Apr. 19: Fiesta Mixer, Beethovan Hall, 422 Pereidan St., 4:30-6:30pm. For more info, call 210-349-4921 AIA

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors Apr. 9-11: IEC National Policy Conference, Washington, DC. For more info, contact Julie Howard at 210-431-9861 Apr. 11: TCCI Career Day, Freeman .

MCA-SMACNA INC

Mechanical Contractors Assn. Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Association

Apr. 5: 25th Annual MCA-SMACNA Golf Tournament, Silverhorn Golf Club,1100 W. Bitters Rd., 1:30pm. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 Apr. 11: 5th Annual Construction Career Fair, Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall, 3201 E. Houston St. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 Apr. 11: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 Apr. 25: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 12500 Network Blvd., #410, 11:30am. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 NAWIC

American Institute of Architects

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Apr. 4: 2018 Beaux Arts Ball, San Antonio Botanical Garden - Family Adventure Garden, 555 Funston Pl., 6-11pm. For more info, call 210-226-4979

Apr. 4: Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels. For more info, call 210-639-2489 or email Rebecca.rodriguez@zachrycorp.com

ASA

NECA

American Subcontractors Assn.

National Electrical Contractors Assn.

Apr. 6: Spring Golf Tournament, Canyons Golf Course, 23808 Resort Pkwy., 7:50am.

For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210349-2105 Apr. 11: 5th Annual Construction Career Day, Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall, 3201 E. Houston St. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 Apr. 19: Fiesta Mixer, Beethovan Hall, 422 Pereidan St., 4:30-6:30pm. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 Apr. 24: Member Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave., #700, 11:30am. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105

Apr. 8-11: 2018 NECA Midwestern Regional Meeting, The Villas of Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL. For more info, go to www.necanet.org Apr. 15-18: 2018 NECA Eastern Regional Conference. For more info, go to www. necanet.org

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

Apr. 9: General Branch Meeting, Anne Marie’s at Devonshire, 12475 Starcrest, 10:30am-1pm. For more info, go to www. saasce.org ASSE

American Society of Safety Engineers

Apr. 16: Regular Meeting, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd. 11am1pm. For more info, go to www.southtexas.asse.org HCAdeSA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Apr. 18: 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

PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Apr. 12: Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels.

11:00am-1:00pm. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-824-7422 Apr. 25: Deadline to register for PHCC Texas Round Up, May 3-5, Rockwall, TX. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210824-7422 SAMCA

San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Apr. 25: Membership Meeting, Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410, 12pm. For more info, contact Debbie at 830-606-5556 TACCA

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Greater San Antonio

Apr. 19: Member Meeting, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro Ave., 11:30am. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-9014222

s

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

RDO Equipment, Texas region, is please to announce the following two promotions: Daryl Shelton has been promoted to executive vice president and will oversee construction, technology and used equipment teams in the Texas Region. Shelton joined RDO in 2010 as general manager of the Fort Worth and Irving locations. -cmw

Cory Kosse has been promoted to vice president. He is responsible for the growth and success of all seven RDO stores in the state.

Kosse joined RDO in 2006 as store manager of the Waco location and soon after was promoted to general manager of the Austin and Waco stores. -cmw

RVK Architects is pleased to announce the promotion of the following: Christina L. Davis, RID, EDAC, LEED AP ID+C has been promoted to Principal and leads the interior design studio. She has been with RVK since 2002. She is a graduate of U.T. San Antonio with a BS in Interior Design and became a Registered Interior Designer in Texas in 2002. She holds a certification in Evidence Based Design and is a LEED Accredited Professional. -cmw

Christopher C. Moore, RA, LEED Green Associate, WELL AP, has been promoted to Associate. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Texas Tech University and a Master of Architecture from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He became a Texas Registered Architect in 2017 and is a LEED Green Associate and WELL Accredited Professional. -cmw

Jason E. Puchot, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED AP, has been promoted to Principal and leads the healthcare studio in medical-related projects. He is a graduate of Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Environmental Design. He is a board certified Healthcare Architect, 2018 President of the San Antonio Chapter of AIA, holds a certification in Evidence Based Design and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He is currently working on various acute care projects around the state of Texas. -cmw

Jennifer A. Shields, LEED AP, has been promoted to Associate. Shields earned a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from The University of Texas at San Antonio. She has been with RVK for 10 years and is a LEED Accredited Professional. -cmw

Ed Garcia, PE, has joined the firm as part of the company’s new engineering department. He last worked at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), where he managed the engineering review of multimillion-dollar projects.

Garcia’s previous work includes facilities engineering and facilities operations and maintenance in high-tech industries. -cmw

Michael Miller, PE, also joined the new engineering department. Following an engineering career in the U.S. Air Force, Miller was a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee, where he managed congressional oversight of the Defense Department’s $850 billion/562,000sf installation portfolio and its $8 billion annual construction, environment and energy budget. -cmw

Curt Van De Walle, PE, has joined as part of the architecture firm’s new engineering department. Before joining WestEast, Van De Walle was a capital programs manager with the city’s Dept. of Transportation and Capital Improvements. Van De Walle has extensive engineering experience with the U.S. Air Force. -cmw

Round-Up Submissions

Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

Submit Info & Photo: SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

JOB SIGHTS

L-R: EZ Mechanical Inc.’s Jason Garza and Lalo Ramon are roughing in domestic water lines for the new City of San Antonio Southeast Service Center. -cmw

L-R: Gabriel Corrales, Jeremy Lopez, Jesus Gallardo and Estevan Tovar with Pesado Construction prepare storm water drainage for the Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union ASC III project at Loop 1604 and I-H 35. -cmw

L-R: Nathan Kassaeth and Michael Duerr with IES review specs at the new East Central ISD elementary project, Traditions Elementary, in Saint Hedwig, TX. -cmw

Daniel Mendoza says hi to Construction News. The crew is completing the project for Good Life Pharmacy’s new location on Nacogdoches Road. Dustin Woods is the superintendent and Stalwart Contracting LLC is the general contractor. –lv

San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018

T

Page 23

Construction week for women he National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) celebrated WIC week across the nation Mar. 4-10. The San Antonio Chapter celebrated by hosting fun activities all week including their general meeting, a jobsite tour at Zachry project Landmark Embassy Suites and a leadership Lunch N Learn. -cmw

Mar. 4 – Day 1: Girl Scout Troop 300, Little Free Library Project

Mar. 5 – Day 2: Blinging Hard Hats for Safety

Mar. 6 – Day 3: Golf Tournament 1st Place Women’s Team winners L-R: Dawn Vernon, Alyssa Fitz, Eva Ramirez and Christy Rhone.

Photo courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography.

Mar. 6 – Day 3: Golf Tournament 1st place Men’s Team winners. Photo courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography.

Mar. 10 – Day 7: Winery on the Gruene

Matt Deatherage with Helping a Hero spoke at the NAWIC meeting during WIC Week. L-R: NAWIC President Becky Rodriguez, Zachry Construction; Matt Deatherage, Helping a Hero Home Recipient and Kelly Raley, Helping a Hero

www.constructionnews.net

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San Antonio Construction News • APRIL 2018