Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News May 2018 by Construction News

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A generational trade

Managing risk

L-R: Rodney “Rod” and Mical Shotwell at a fishing trip last year in Alaska.

Weatherization Partners Ltd.’s vice president of risk management Corey Ball

andblasting and painting is in the Shotwell blood. Ask Mical Shotwell, COO of Shotwell & Son Inc. The company started in 1956 by his grandfather and great grandfather. Shotwell tells us the company started in his great grandfather’s backyard, which is astonishing to know that they’ve “grown to a facility that is over seven acres in size.” But, before today Shotwell remembers coming on board 15 years ago. He started working with his father, Rodney “Rod” at the age of 16-17. “I learned a lot and I was really self-taught,” said Shotwell. As time took over, it was also time for his father’s retirement. This meant Shot-

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ecently KWA Construction completed a $17 million, three-story mixed income apartment community in Fort Worth’s Renaissance Square. Renaissance Heights apartments introduces a residential element that seeks to bridge the poverty gap by putting education centers, health care facilities and parks close to low income residents. The apartment completion even received praise from the Trump administration. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson visited the apartments recently in his 2017 “Listening Tour.” Renaissance Square Phase I of Renaissance Heights consists of 140 one, two and three-bedroom mixed-income units, 85 percent of which are affordable housing. KWA Construction, a Dallas based general contractor, has been in the multifamily industry since 2004 and has developed a great amount of expertise in HUD developments as well as the specific documentation and application requirements associated with these proj-

well would be stepping up to the plate and taking things into his own hands. And, so he did. A tradition Shotwell keeps going within the company involves his grandfather’s smoker that was built in the ‘70s. For decades during their traditional company Christmas party they would use the same smoker to cook briskets and hams. To paint a picture in our heads of what the smoker looks like Shotwell said, “It’s big about the size of a pick up truck.” Oh, and all the cooking is done themselves. “Family ran business and homegrown food too,” said Shotwell. He believes that there are not many family owned businesses still around in continued on Page 17

oisture intrusion is a leading cause for construction litigation. Owners, developers and builders are always on the lookout for ways to reduce their risk. With the recent decrease of skilled labor, quality assurance on a project is in high demand. That’s why Weatherization Partners Ltd. implemented a risk management program last year. “As a distributor of DuPont™ Tyvek® building materials, we focus heavily on the building enclosure. Managing water and air intrusion in a building is incredibly important,” explains Corey Ball, the company’s vice president of risk management. “Our stance is we want to be involved with all of the different trades that interact with the building envelope. That’s why we spend time training and re-

A new renaissance

Renaissance Heights apartment community

training installation crews so that we help our partners manage their risk. Building codes demand more energy efficient structures, so we want all the products that go into the wall assembly to be integrated correctly to make it perform accordingly. The reality is getting these products put on correctly is crucial to how well the wall system performs, and with different trades that are in contact with the weather barrier, we are proactive in our job site support.” The company–wide program caters to national production, multi-family developers and homebuilders. For large projects, Weatherization Partners has a process in place that begins at the arch-itect level. It continued on Page 17

ects. They build higher density, suburban developments that give residents of all income levels access to comfortable and convenient living. The Owner of Renaissance Heights is Columbia Residential. The property is located west of 287 near Berry Street southeast in Columbia’s Renaissance Square. The square has a variety of quick serve restaurants and shops for clothing, housewares and other merchandise and services. Usually the residential structure goes in first and then the shops and other buildings around come after. This project, however, completed the apartments last. The apartment complex is a total of 193,000 sf. There are five buildings total. The community is surrounded by green spaces and tree-lined pathways connecting it to nearby schools in walking distance to shopping, health clinics, grocery stores, Cobb Park and a YMCA facility. Infrastructure for biking, pedestrian-friendly activities and a playground for children helps create a thriving neighborhood. continued on Page 17

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

It just comes natural

Bands of brothers

The Centrum at the time Ron Zander and his crew were working on the courtyard.

Hashim Rasul checking up on the Split Trail Road reconstruction project

ome buildings we walk into have such decorative landscapes outside. Natural Environments’ president Ron Zander was always involved with plants, since his father gardened. “I picked that up a little bit,” he said. In 1979, Zander established Natural Environments, doing landscape architecture, construction and maintenance. A memorable commercial project for him and his crew was at the Centrum, located in Oak Lawn in Dallas. It wasn’t a tremendously large project, but it was quite complex because of the materials being used on the ground plane in the courtyard. They had to plan ahead of time because once the ground plane was in they wouldn’t be able to drive tractors on it anymore. Zander’s crew used a 200-ton crane that placed trees over the building and into the courtyard. “We had the largest mobile crane at that time,” he said. The operator of the crane couldn’t see anything; he depended on the directions by someone on a walkie-talkie inside

the courtyard. Who could forget a project like that? Then in 2005, when the recession hit, Zander was setting up a separate division to his company, called Dallas Drainage Solutions. Drainage has been an integral part of his business since day one because as he said, “it has to be, the drainage end of it became a necessity.” We learned there are not two separate companies, just two separate websites. The same crew from Natural Environments handles the drainage division too. Last summer Zander and his family took a trip to the Baltic Sea. In Europe Zander knows about the various surfaces on the ground. “I’ll point things out related to drainage that have been in existence for hundreds of years over there,” he said. Zander also said his kids get a kick out of him always pointing out things that nobody pays attention to. What can he do? To him it just comes natural. Natural Environments is a landscape design contractor. –lv

n the 1980s, two brothers started IrriCon, a residential irrigation landscaping company. Today, another pair of brothers in the family continues to grow the firm, now known as general contractor HQS Construction LLC. When Shahid Rasul and his brother owned Irri-Con, Shahid’s sons Qasim and Hashim Rasul would tag along to job sites and observe the company’s evolution as it tackled larger general contractors’ projects, concrete work, park projects and engineering. By the late 2000s, the sons were ready to join their dad’s business. A year and a half apart in age, the brothers both earned civil engineering degrees from Texas Tech. Qasim gained experience doing highway design for two large engineering firms, while Hashim focused on structural engineering design before working for a Dallas general contractor. “My dad was getting really busy with work, and said he could use a hand. It would be a good time to join the family business,” Qasim says. “We decided it was a good time to make the transition.”

Shahid has since assumed the position of chairman, while Qasim and Hashim serve as project managers for HQS. The firm continues to focus on en-gineering projects, including construction of Plano’s Split Trail Road. Qasim, who went on to earn his MBA from Texas Tech in 2016, plans to take the PE exam so that the firm can offer designbuild services. “Long-term, we would love to expand to another market; Houston has a lot of opportunities, and of course, my brother and I have strong ties to West Texas having gone to school in Lubbock,” Qasim says. “It would be nice to have an office, help to improve the city and employ people over there.” As for keeping HQS in the family, Qasim isn’t sure if his 6-month old son might be the third-generation to run the business. “My wife jokes about that, but I’ll leave it up to my son,” Qasim laughs. “I’ll probably encourage him to go pro baseball, which would be ideal.” HQS Construction is a general contractor in Plano. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

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Celebrating 50 with 500

Longevity recognized

uring the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Fort Worth/Tarrant County Chapters annual meeting held on Mar. 8 at City Club Fort Worth, contractors with 20-‑plus years membership were recognized in addition to the recognition of two individuals, Mitchell Feris, Feris Electric Company and Robert Leonhard, Blue River Underwriters, for their long-time work in the electrical industry, IEC-Forth Worth/Tarrant County Chapter, IEC of Texas and IEC National. –cmw

Raba Kistner Inc.’s Dallas team. L-R: Rafael Menendez; Bob Johnson; Rodney Beecham; Reddy Vuske, PE; Ash Brown, PE; Brent Adams, Bruce Nipp, PE, Safety Manager; and Chis Tunner

arl and Bunny Raba had a vision and in 1968 they began laying the groundwork to become an industry leader among engineering consulting firms. Together with Ronald Tolson, Raba & Tolson Consulting Engineers was established as a geotechnical engineering practice in San Antonio. By 1974, Dick Kistner joined the firm leading it into the expansion and practice of construction materials engineering. Four short years later, the firm would change its name to Raba-Kistner Consultants Inc. to reflect the development into major non-engineering services including geosciences and environmental sciences. By 1980, the firm established an office in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico to help U.S. firms execute projects throughout Mexico. And Raba-Kistner didn’t stop there with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, Freeport, Houston, McAllen, New Braunfels, Nebraska and Utah. “We’re a small business, but we are spread across the U.S.,” says Gary Raba, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. From the humble beginnings of offering geotechnical engineering services to construction materials engineering, the firm incorporates a wide array of services to include project management, infrastructure, building envelope, forensics, archaeology, and more. “We would not be here right now if it weren’t for Bunny and Carl Raba and what they did in 1968. It really laid a pretty interesting and unique foundation for our company and the people that work here. That has allowed us to do a lot more things on top of what the original service lines were back then,” says William Raba, president and vice chairman of the board. Since Gary and William haven’t been with the firm for 50 years, they can’t really talk about 50 years. But they can talk about the last 30 years or so, and what

Dallas H Fort Worth

they’ve seen and all the different subs, people that have made their mark on the state, the different architects and contractors, people that had grown successfully, and people that are gone or have sold their businesses or merged. “It’s been pretty interesting, at least within our 30 years in our markets and seeing the success. We see a lot of opportunity based off what has been going on the last couple of years and the mindset of people that want to do something better and want to see the city better and change the perception that San Antonio, for example, cannot provide a workforce to Fortune 50 companies when they relocate here,” adds William. After a name change or two, Raba Kistner Inc. is celebrating its 50th anniversary in a very big way by giving back to the communities they serve. “We are looking to do, throughout our offices across the country, 500 community activities during our two-year celebratory period,” said Gary. How can they do that you wonder? Well, according to William, “When you think about it, we already do quite a bit of outreach but I just didn’t think about counting everything before now,” meaning all the charitable events the firm is involved in throughout the firm’s different locations. “At seven months in, we’re on track to hit the 500 events mark. And, we are very much involved in social issues as much as we are in the engineering and consulting world,” adds William. You can follow the success of Raba Kistner’s 500 goal online. “We are charting it on our website so you can see how we are doing,” says Nancy Parker, director of marketing and the mastermind behind the 500 community activities, 10 for each year in business. Raba Kistner Inc. is an engineering consulting and program management firm. -cmw

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Sodd Electric Company Inc. – 51 years

Ballots passed

Newly elected board members pose for a photo at the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) board elections. Back L-R: RHCA member and Ambassador, Pat Parrish; Chris Montez, The Law Firm of Christopher D. Montez, PLLC; Dave Rendon, DMR Global Corp; Scott Finley, Texas811; Front L-R: Board Member Hector Bass, ATCI Contracting; Jackie Lee, Taylor Construction Management; Shenita Cleveland, Diverse Global Strategies; Mónica R. Alonzo; RHCA President John H. Martinez-D; and incoming chairman of the board Ruben Landa, WSP USA Inc. –cmw

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Michael Shahan Owner Concrete Contact Justin, TX

ichael Shahan’s company, Concrete Contact, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, but Shahan may not have time for party planning. Busier than ever, with a roll-upthe -sleeves-and-just-star t-working attitude, Shahan is focused on finishing what is in front of him and his crew and planning for upcoming projects. Share a little about your background. I was born in Sherman and raised in a family of doctors and lawyers, but I don’t think that it was ever expected that I follow in their footsteps. I had many other relatives, including uncles, who worked with their hands. How did you become interested in the construction field? He’s retired now, but the first contractor I worked for, a captain of the Plano fire department, mentored me. He also had a construction business, so he worked at the fire department every third day; I came in those days and helped him run jobs during high school and college. That’s how I entered the construction business; I learned everything from him. He was a friend of mine, so I could bounce ideas off of him, and ask him what he thought about different trades. That is what led me to the concrete side of the industry. What path did your career take after college? After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of North Texas in 2005, I immediately started a concrete pump company with a partner. It was an idea we both came up with as we studied the marketplace. It was a unique niche that we felt was undersupplied at the time. We did a lot of research, talked to a lot of companies and followed through with it. I was younger, and I didn’t have as many responsibilities in my personal life. I

knew that it would be the only opportunity; if I didn’t do it then and stick with it, it would be harder the older I got. I decided to jump in right away; I had the opportunity and I took it. What was the first year of business ownership like for you? The first year of the business was figuring the ins and outs. It was a little more complicated than I initially imagined. The massive amount of little things that financially add up, I didn’t initially account for: Something as small as pencils and pens, tire wear, every little bit of unexpected overhead – when you add it all together, the cost is significant. Also, I had to find out how to please every different customer, as well as collect money and put it back through the business so that it’s sustainable. When did you move on from the concrete pump company to establishing Concrete Contact? An offer to sell came in about four years later, and once I sold the business, I decided I wanted to stay in concrete. I liked the pumping side, but there were some things about it I knew wouldn’t work since I wanted to start a family soon. Many of the hours in the pump business were at night and I needed more flexibility, so I ventured into the other side of concrete. I bought more equipment and started Concrete Contact in 2008. How has Concrete Contact evolved? Concrete Contact involves concrete pouring, so I was working on bigger jobs and bringing a lot of different traits together. I still hire concrete pump companies to pump my concrete all of the time. I have more managerial positions with this job as opposed to being a single category subcontractor. I had quite a bit of experience on both sides of it, working my contractors by running jobs and crews, and that was something that the new company required. The lessons from the pump company on the financial side and customer side carried over pretty well. Concrete sawing and removal evolved into large commercial demos and removals, which necessitated the need for a division to pour all of the concrete back. It soon became a turnkey operation that now includes decorative stamps, seals, stains and walls. At one point, my company got really big and I had about 20 guys on payroll. We were doing massive jobs, but one rain delay means having 20 guys on payroll really digs [into the company’s profits]. I backed off to a very comfortable level – about eight employees – and I’m really happy where we are. This way, I can give much better customer service. I can have the time to be with each customer. What lessons have you learned in the

Concrete Contact’s Michael Shahan (left) with his wife Kristyn and their three children.

10 years since you started Concrete Contact? One of the best lessons I learned was that you can’t take every job. Sometimes you have to say no. I understand that I can’t sell every single job, and if I were to try to, it just wouldn’t work. I’ve learned to maintain the inflow and make the right decisions before the job starts with the customer and the contract instead of just trying to jump into things and work it out as I go. What advice would you give the next generation of possible construction business owners? I would definitely suggest keeping your ears open and taking in as much as you can. When you learn a lesson under someone else, it’s a lot better than learning it on your own, because lessons are expensive when you are the only one to fall for them.

I would encourage them to do whatever they like. I would never put pressure on anyone to do anything they don’t want to. I’m going to leave it an open book for them and let them fill in the blanks. How do you plan to celebrate your company’s 10-year anniversary? I haven’t even thought about it! I’m just looking to make it to Saturday of this week. I’m an owner/operator, so if there is a gap, I’m the one who fills it. I also have the motto of ‘I will never ask anyone to do something that I’m not willing or can’t do.’ It keeps everybody happier.

What do you do when you have free time? My wife Kristyn and I enjoy doing a lot of outdoor activities with our 8-yearold Sonny, 5-year old Willie and 3-yearold Sloan. I spend every second that I can with them. I live on two acres, and I have a deerhunting lease and a lake house close by. My DIY projects are a little bit bigger than most people’s; I have a collection of old tractors in my backyard.

What do you hope the future holds for you personally and professionally? Personally, I’m pretty happy. I have bought the house that I will probably stay in, or at least raise my kids in until they are long gone. Businesswise, I am very happy. I’ve been bigger and I’ve been smaller and sometimes going bigger is not all it’s cracked up to be. When it’s time for someone in the company to step it up and take it over more, I’ll steadily grow with that.

Do they ever come to your office to learn about what Dad does? I take them out every once in a while, especially when I know there is going to be big equipment because I know they’ll get excited. They really like it!

Do you think you will retire as owner of Concrete Contact, or do you think you will ever start another business? I’ve dabbled in other businesses; I’m an entrepreneur and I’m always open for everything, but I think I will always hang on to Concrete Contact just because I believe that I can’t just give that name away to someone unless I knew for sure that they would do it right. Justin-based subcontractor Concrete Contact offers concrete services. –mjm

You said you never felt pressure to join your family’s line of work. Will you encourage your kids to join your business, or will you encourage them to follow their own path?

What do you and your employees do to unwind? We do cookouts, usually four times a year; I have big barbecue smokers, and we’ll do a big cookout and take a break every once in a while.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

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What did you do for Easter? Spent the day with family, being cold and hunting Easter eggs. It got cold out in Ponder, TX – very cold and windy. Randy West, Texas Specialties & Installation, Inc.

Rode a city bike around the French Quarter while in New Orleans with my son checking out Tulane University. Melanie Kuhr, Signature Millworks

I went to church and did an Easter egg hunt with my kids. Crystal LeFlore, CSI Renovations & Roofing

My wife and I kept our grandchildren, Charlie and Emma, overnight and got them up and dressed for Sunday Services. As empty nesters, it had been some time since we rounded up a 4-year-old and an infant, fed them, dressed them and got them to church. It was wonderful reliving that and we did great! After church, we stopped at KFC, went home, ate chicken and had an Easter egg hunt. A perfectly wonderful Easter! David M. Goodson, RLG Consulting Engineers

I went to the Astros versus Rangers game here in Arlington. It was a great time watching the Astros beat the Rangers. Anthony Lambuth, Texas First Rentals I went to Southeast Texas to see my family which consisted of about 50 people. We went to church (took up about five pews) and celebrated the resurrection of Christ. We also had a crawfish boil and Easter egg hunt for all the grandchildren. Tina Coleman, Walton Signage I enjoyed the lovely weather Saturday building new planter boxes and planting bedding plants. Kimberly Gibbons, McCarthy Building Companies Inc. After attending church, we had a family day at the house along with a barbecue. Billy King, Sunbelt Rentals Traveled to my parents house in Wind Gap, PA and worked cleaning up winter storm damage with my brothers at their farm. Bill Sandbrook, US Concrete

Easter weekend was focused around our family and faith. On Saturday, my husband, Craig, and I took our two girls, Reagan age 7 and Rylee age 4, to an Easter egg hunt where we discovered that our 4-year-old is still not completely over her fear of the Easter Bunny! On Sunday, the excitement of the Easter Bunny had the kids up bright and early hunting for their hidden Easter baskets. We then celebrated the religious importance of the day by attending church, followed by a homemade brunch at grandma and grandpa’s house. Lastly, we spent the afternoon riding bikes and enjoying the spring weather while snacking on too much Easter candy! Kelly Smith, All Tech LLC I was at the office work, haha! Ashley Altum, Ashley Concrete

Industry FOLKS Bob Van Horn Project Manager Mechanical Partners Inc. Dallas, TX

ot one, not two, but three rescue dogs live in the Van Horn household. Van Horn and his wife Julie are loving parents to their two daughters and their three dogs. He said the favoritism falls on Skittles, the little female Maltese. “She’s got all kinds of health issues, but she just keeps managing to keep on and I like that in her.” The Van Horn’s rescued Skittles and her mother; they have a rescued miniature poodle too. Van Horn is from Sherman, TX which is about 60 miles north of Dallas. His first opportunity in the industry was with a plumbing company in Sherman, spending six or seven years with them. During that time Van Horn managed to receive his plumbing license. Before the plunge to Dallas, he met his future wife (Julie) and then they moved to Dallas. Van Horn began working for TDIndustries, and was with the company for nearly 30 years. In 2015, he started working for MPI and is a project manager for them. He enjoys MPI and states, “they are a good people company.”

When asked which MPI project

stood out he replied, “The most challenging project was the Tex Rail Maintenance Facility in Fort Worth.” Overall he adds, “It’s a very nice project.” Van Horn is very much a people person and has made friends within the company. While one of his hobbies is fishing, the MPI crew has gone on a couple of fishing adventures together. “It’s been fun meeting everybody.” Another hobby is keeping the garage spotless. Van Horn calls himself, “a garage connoisseur.” He keeps all kinds of wood working tools because he also loves to do woodwork. An interest of Van Horn’s is travel. In fact, he and his wife (who have been married for 33 years) plan to do more of it. While they’ve already hit about 15 states in the U.S. they plan to hit them all. One particular state he would like to visit is Connecticut and the New England area. He would like to see the different trees, the coast and all the beauty the area has to offer. –lv

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Behold

Good shots

On Apr 20, Tarrant Roofing at the annual C.A.S.A clay shoot at the Alpine Shooting Range. Back left: David Lanier L-R: Eric Williams, D’Sha Jones, Cole Lanier, Derrick Chandler, Roger Walden, John Staley and Ryan Henderson. –lv The Buzz Custom Fence team

or Denise Schrader, president and owner of Buzz Custom Fence and husband Eric Schrader, vice president and owner, it’s been about promising a lot and delivering more. Eric Schrader came up with “Buzz” in 1997. When they were deciding on a name for their Dallas-Fort Worth fence company they knew they wanted a name that would describe their customer service philosophy and express their slogan, “We Promise a Lot and Deliver More.” When thinking about a method of work they found they identified best with the industrious bee. Hence, having the bee logo. Behold, Buzz Custom Fence was born. Officially born in March of 1998, with only two employees and one crew. In 2001, the company moved to their current location on Vickery Blvd. Right now they are a company with 39 employees. Gil Laserna is the general manager and Traci Miller is the branch manager.

There is also Mary Sharpe the marketing manager. Buzz Custom Fence acknowledges the importance of each team member. As they say, “A lone one bee can do nothing, but together they can accomplish amazing things.” What’s the buzz today? The company is celebrating 20 years in business. Since 2006, the company has received local and state recognition. As a women-owned business the company earned their WBE certification in July of 2009. Today the bees are proud of the phenomenal growth and awards they’ve received. The Schraders have a hard working hive and the honey will continue to pour into commercial, industrial and specialize in all kinds of gates and fences. They are the “buzz” in the industry. Buzz Custom Fence offers commercial, industrial and residential fences. –lv

Commercial painters’ new home

PPG Paints Fort Worth Commercial hosted its grand opening on Apr. 5 at 2601 Northern Cross Blvd., Fort Worth, TX. L-R: Yolanda Tafoya, RHCA vice president; Richard Garza, PPG; Michael Hernandez, PPG Paints, and Ronnie De Manna, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. -cmw

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

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Five ways benchmarking can boost your business

Controlling ergonomic risks in construction

Leslie Garcia, Partner RSM US LLP San Antonio, TX onstruction companies face new and complex challenges every day. Knowing how to successfully navigate through them is what can get a company ahead of the competition and better positioned for the future. One incredibly helpful management tool is benchmarking.

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

Benchmarking is the systematic process of using financial data to compare an organization’s performance against similar best-in-class organizations. Those companies considered best-in-class are typically businesses that outperform their peers in a variety of key metrics (such as return on assets and return on equity), carry less debt, show more gross profit per employee, and have a higher gross profit margin and net income before taxes. Once the best-in-class companies are identified, benchmarking is relatively simple: Identify the metrics of those companies you want to benchmark and track them over time to measure your company’s performance against them. Doing so can help a construction company—regardless of its specific industry niche— keep pace with the rest of the industry, remain competitive and, hopefully, boast a better bottom line. Here are the top five ways benchmarking can help your business. 1. Benchmarking can improve your performance. It can be hard to improve a company’s financial performance, especially if there are no specific goals or standards established. Benchmarking can help solve that problem by providing specific metrics from similar best-in-class companies that can clearly show what your company must improve or where you’re already on the right track. 2. Benchmarking is about more than industry averages. It’s easy to just compare your company to the industry average, but simply aligning with the industry average is not the answer to improving your bottom line and remaining competitive. It takes specific information from similarly focused companies to truly see where you measure up and where you don’t. 3. Benchmarking removes the doubt. If your company isn’t achieving a goal, it’s easy to say that goal is simply unattainable and can’t be reached. Not with benchmarking. A company that makes benchmarking a part of its routine process knows what goals are manageable and can even glean information regarding how to reach those from the metrics of other best-in-class companies. 4. Benchmarking can help manage risk. Whether it be financial issues or safety hazards, construction companies face a number of risks every day. Some companies manage those risks successfully while

others do not. To best manage risk, a company must understand the various types of risks and identify the risks inherent in their business. Benchmarking is essential to good risk management as it can provide the management team with the knowledge necessary to avoid or eliminate specific risks before they become serious problems. 5. Benchmarking can help your company focus. Every company has room for improvement. But when all seems to be going well for a company, it can be hard to focus on—or even find—any areas that could be improved. Consistently benchmarking your company against the performance of other similar-type companies can help keep you focused on improvement efforts that are critical to your company’s success. There’s no reason not to implement benchmarking. While on the surface it may sound like a complicated task, establishing a benchmarking process is really rather easy. First, the management team should institute a formal plan that firmly establishes what the company needs to improve, which can be done by performing a comprehensive financial analysis. Next, company leaders should select the appropriate metrics to benchmark. That could be the cost structure, profit margin, annual revenue, equipment costs or any other type of available data. It’s important to remember that all available metrics aren’t going to be applicable to your company, and thus there is no reason to waste time looking at data that is irrelevant to your business or the specific target of your focus. Then, implement an improvement plan based on those metrics. When implementing the plan, be sure to track the progress made. When you make a point to notice the positive effects benchmarking makes on your company, it makes it much easier to keep benchmarking as an important part of the company culture. Benchmarking is essential to running a profitable company. Being complacent in establishing and implementing a benchmarking process is a missed opportunity to cut costs, increase margins and make informed business decisions.

Leslie Garcia, CPA, CCIFP, is a partner at RSM US LLP’s San Antonio office. She can be reached at 210-828-6281 or Leslie.Garcia@rsmus.com.

hat is the leading cause of lost time accidents in construction? The answer: LIFTING & MATERIAL HANDLING.

In fact, over one third of all lost time injuries in construction are associated with strains and overexertion. Yet there is nothing within the OSHA 1926 Standard that addresses strain or ergonomic injuries. Just because there is no OSHA specific requirement, many organizations fail to address this critical worker safety/injury risk. Construction is hard work and requires physical effort to get the job done, so should we just throw up our hands and say that is just part of the business? NO, there are specific things that can be done to reduce the risk of strains and material handling injuries. A good start is to follow the guidelines outlined in the ANSI A10.40 - Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction. This consensus standard offers a process for addressing “musculoskeletal problems” from identification to injury management. For more information on the ANSI standard you may obtain a copy at the ANSI web store (ansi.org). There are also industry best practices that have helped many organizations reduce the risk for ergonomic injuries and associated costs. Identify High Risk Tasks: Utilizing your current JHA (Job Hazard Analysis) or JSA (Job Safety Analysis) process to identify and address ergonomic issues is a great tool. It does not take a professional ergonomist to conduct a job analysis. Many times there are simple solutions to a very high risk job like getting a material handling aid or require a two-person lift. Identify Safe & Unsafe Work Practices: Does your job site inspection checklist only include OSHA standards? If so, you are missing over half your accidents. Adding “unsafe behaviors” to your job site inspection checklists can be very helpful. Examples include: proper lifting techniques used, proper body positioning for job task (no overreaching or twisting), or team lifting or material handling aid used when necessary. Individual ACCOUNTABILITY: Just like any other safety initiative (PPE, ladder safety, equipment use) workers must be held accountable for poor behaviors. If they fail to use proper lifting techniques or specific material handling requirements it is imperative that supervisors

counsel them just like any other safety violation. Education: Training is #6 on the ANSI list, so look for solutions above before opting to “train” to fix a problem. If supervisors understand how the back works and workers know the risk and understand proper lifting techniques, they will be more inclined to use good habits and can be held accountable for not following proper material handling procedures. Employee Involvement & Capabilities: Making sure employees are fit for work can help avoid muscle strain. Many organizations have found success in implementing simple stretches prior to the work shift (at the tool box meeting is a great idea). Some of you may be visualizing your job site foreman instructing calisthenics on the job site at 6am, (although that might not be a bad idea). That is not what I am talking about - providing simple stretches for upper extremities, back, and hamstrings can provide good blood circulation and prepare the muscles for their shift. Accident Review & Injury Management: Many times the worst accident investigations are those for material handling injuries. Why? Because it’s hard, and it takes time to determine what exactly caused the injury. Investigating the exact cause and evaluating what steps that can be taken to prevent reoccurrence is a vital part of the process to help avoid a reoccurrence of the same injury. It is also imperative that opportunities to return to work are identified to reduce lost time claims and indemnity payments for injured workers. The recent experience modifier calculation changes make this even more important from a financial standpoint. Preventing material handling injuries on the job site is not an easy job. Understanding the cost of ergonomic claims and their impact on the organizations experience modifier can help generate interest in looking for solutions to address this critical area of your safety program. Spending a bit of time in this area can save big dollars and avoid the pain and agony of a back ailment. For more information visit www. worthaminsurance.com or contact Mark at (512) 532-1536 or mark.gaskamp@ worthaminsurance.com

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

A case for careful review of construction contract dispute resolution clauses

OSHA and the trucking industry Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

Ian Faria, Partner Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Houston, TX

afety is just as important once a truck reaches a destination as when it is on the open road. Companies should communicate operating procedures to keep workers safe, whether at the warehouse, dock, or construction site.

ispute resolution clauses are common in contracts between owners, general contractors and subcontractors. For quite some time, the general rule of the construction industry has been that an arbitration proceeding is the preferred method of resolving disputes as opposed to jury trials. There is also the general belief maintained by many in our industry that arbitration is less expensive, less time consuming, and quicker to achieve a resolution. For many, these “well known” beliefs have been put to the test, and have resulted in a reevaluation of not only those beliefs but of the dispute resolution procedures in the contract. A careful review of alternatives to the standard dispute resolution clause selecting arbitration is a good practice. Typically, the dispute resolution clauses in construction contracts require arbitration (and the waiver of a jury trial) that the parties agree to a location of the arbitration and the use of one of the many “alphabet” arbitration services. These services offer office space to hold the arbitration (for a fee), the selection of qualified arbitrators from a panel list (for a fee), regular conferences and administrative functions (for a fee), and filing fees and response fees for bringing and defending claims. An alternative to consider to replace the typical arbitration system is for the parties to agree to a private arbitration. Quite often, the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators will agree to govern the dispute themselves without the need for a thirdparty administrator. If the arbitration rules are previously agreed to in the dispute resolution clause, a private arbitration without the cost of a third party administrator is a good way to limit the cost and expense. Additionally, with a private arbitration, there traditionally are no filing fees or office space fees. Such a scenario leaves the parties with only having to pay their share of the arbitrator’s fees. One of the drawbacks of many arbitration clauses is that there is no significant avenue of appeal available to either party if the arbitrator or the arbitration panel issues an award that does not comply with Texas law or blatantly ignores uncontested facts. Since arbitration clauses are creatures of contract, there is no prohibition on creating an appeals process. Therefore, an alternative to consider is to include an appeals process. Such a process is often limited to errors of law, errors of fact and errors of legal reasoning. Further, the appeal may be limited to a court of competent jurisdiction with a waiver of a jury. Such an addition gives the parties some peace of mind that the dispute, on appeal, will be decided by a judge.

Many arbitration clauses are also silent with respect to the discovery permitted in arbitration. Often the decision of the type and degree of discovery (such as depositions and written discovery) is simply left to the arbitrator, the arbitrator panel, or the arbitration rules agreed to by the parties (which often times simply defer to the arbitrator). It is usually in the parties’ best interest to limit discovery. However, fearful of being challenged, it is common for arbitrators to be generous with discovery. As a result, it is a good idea to outline in the arbitration provision what discovery will be permitted and what will be limited so as to create certainty. Lastly, the issue of the rules of procedure and evidence can be significant. One way to address this is to clearly spell out the agreement of the parties. For instance, some arbitration clauses specifically require compliance with the Federal Rules of Evidence. Additionally, some clauses allow the contractor to select either an arbitration under certain rules, or a bench trial before the court with the rules of evidence and procedure from that jurisdiction. Again, the parties can contract and agree on the process they think best suits their relationship. Dispute resolution clauses in a construction contract are often drafted without much input, or are the standard clauses found in many “form” contracts. There are several considerations outlined herein that can be used to both parties’ benefit. The goal being to have certainty, limit costs, and bring disputes to a swift resolution. 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.

Parking • Park on level ground and close to the receiving door or site • Set and test brakes • Place wheel chocks between the tandem wheels of the trailer • Do not attempt to stop a rolling vehicle Backing Up • Get Out And Look (GOAL) • Use flashers, horn, and backup alarms and check both mirrors • Roll down windows to hear • Know the vehicle’s blind spots • Use a spotter • Back up slowly • Stand clear when opening doors for unloading Coupling and Uncoupling • Only trained workers should perform this procedure • Ensure stable footing when releasing the fifth wheel or adjusting tandems • Wear bright visible clothing • Set parking brakes and perform tug test • Keep clear of tires and frames • Check for vehicular traffic near you OSHA is preempted by Section 4(b)1 of the OSH Act from enforcing its regulations if a working condition is regulated by another Federal agency. For example: • While traveling on public highways, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has jurisdiction. However, while loading

and unloading trucks, OSHA regulations govern the safety and health of the workers and the responsibilities of employers to ensure their safety at the warehouse, at the dock, at the rig, at the construction site, at the airport terminal and in all places truckers go to deliver and pick up loads. • While operating at an airport, if there is an operational plan negotiated between the carrier and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that covers a working condition, then the FAA has jurisdiction. Due to the Department of Transportation (DOT) brake regulation, OSHA does not cite for failure to chock trailer wheels if the vehicle is otherwise adequately secured. DOT’s regulation preempts enforcement and DOT has jurisdiction. However, if the vehicle is an intrastate truck, OSHA has jurisdiction. Only another Federal agency may preempt OSHA’s jurisdiction. The OSHA Whistleblower group does have jurisdiction under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA). This Act provides protections for private sector drivers and other employees relating to the safety or security of commercial motor vehicles. Coverage includes all buses (for hire), hazardous material vehicle placarded and freight trucks with a gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds. More information on anti-discrimination protection can be found at https://www.whistleblowers.gov natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Crawfish a plenty

ver 100 customers and friends attended the Big Sky Construction annual crawfish boil on Mar. 30 at their offices located at 407 Exposition Ave. -cmw

L-R: Alfedo & Leo Barbosa, Barbosa Construction and Julia Neel, Big Sky Construction.

L-R: Yolanda Tafoya, Regional Hispanc Contractors Association (RHCA) vice president; Yesenia Garcia, NTD Mechanical Contractor; Brenda Spinelli, Aguirre Roden Inc.; and Carmen Smith, NTD Mechanical Contractor.

L-R: Robert Feille, Arcadi Roofing; Yesenia Garcia, NTD Mechanical Contractors and Big Sky Construction President, Bob Long.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Page 9

Spring fishing is in the air 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

y the time this column reaches you saltwater outdoors enthusiastic anglers, our weather patterns will certainly have stabilized (I’m keeping my fingers crossed) to more summer-like conditions. We have been plagued by a colder, windier than normal spring and that has made fishing challenging to say the least. Several warm days followed by several colder days have been the norm for what seems like eternity. Needless to

Great times with awesome friends/costumers on a 2-day outing on Baffin Bay. George Major (above) with his 27 in. trout and Ronnie Dewinne (Page 12) with a solid 28 in. redfish made for great stories at dinner that evening.

say, this writer/angler/captain is ready for some warm days and hotter fishing. Any good guide that really wants to produce a solid box of fish is always searching the skies for signs of birds when trout fishing. Those birds are your eyes in the sky, and they seemingly come out of nowhere when trout chase bait to the surface. Although it’s possible to catch trout under terns and pelicans at times, it’s the big gulls that generally deliver the goods on a regular basis. If you have a trolling motor, ease up to the outer edge of the birds, just within casting range, and watch for the shrimp jumping across the surface for their lives. The trout feeding below hit most anything when in a feeding frenzy, and even a topwater bait can draw exciting surface strikes. Of course, you may also encounter other species in with the speckled trout, including redfish, black drum, sand trout and skipjack under these birds. If you see concentrations of gulls sitting on the water, the birds are often right on top of the fish, or waiting on fish nearby to chase bait to the surface again. Besides scanning the skies be sure to be looking on the surface too, and keep your nose on alert for scents coming down wind. Speckled trout often regurgitate their food when on these feeding binges, and an oily sheen pops up to the surface. Often your nose picks up the continued Page 12

Page 10

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 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

Springtime rollercoaster!

hat are we doing today? Yesterday the temperature nicked the nineties and got too hot to work in the garden. Today it looks like we will be lucky to get to the seventies and I wonder if we have time to have one more hot chocolate before winter is gone.

If you think you are confused by having to change clothes four times a day to stay comfortable, just try being a fish. One day the water is lazy calm and the sun is warming up the shallows and it seems like it might be time to move in and start to spawn or even just chase a few shad along the shoreline. The next day the lake is windy and churning and cold again – no place to start a family and lunch is cancelled because the shad have been scattered by the waves. Some days there’s just nothing for a fish to do but go deep, sit there and pout. That’s why some days they just won’t bite. Nothing shuts them off like the pressure change a cold front can bring. On those days the fish we have been chasing and catching all week can still be found, but they couldn’t care less about feeding even if you can see them on the fish finder and drop your best bait in their face. Nope. I like the other extreme better. Some of our best fishing can be on those kinder weather days that we so welcome in the spring. The days between cold fronts when the wind swings from the north back around to the south, or southeast are the ones we like. That almost acts like a signal to the fish that all is well; it’s time to get back down to the business of feeding and making babies. The fish find

their appetites and school up to feed and move in to spawn, each species according to their habits. Early spring weather presents all kinds of challenges to us fishermen. The cold fronts are still coming at us a couple times a week, but at least they start to be less severe and shorter lived. That’s good, except that it means the wind can be hard to work around. If a cold front is a day or two out, the south wind will blow like crazy to meet it and you get high south winds. If a cold front has arrived you will have a day or two of high north wind. If you are at the place where the winds intersect, then you have to watch out for rogue thunderstorms trying to shower you with hail and lightning. The thing is, in the middle of it all spring fishing can be crazy good and just downright scary. We have some of our best trips this time of the year and some of the best weather to go fishing on those nice days. The tough thing to take though is that they are not all nice days this time of the year. All you can do is pick a day to go fishing and cross your fingers the weather turns out nice for you. If every day was just like the one before it and the fish were biting every day, fishing would just be like a routine trip to the grocery store. The weather rollercoaster keeps it interesting!

Lone Star Paving, Austin

D & W Painting, Leander

Hey gills! It was a great day at Lake Lavon on Mar. 28. Donnie Holloway, shop fabrication manager at Haley-Greer Inc. caught a 40-pound gill friend. –lv

From head to fin

Donnie Holloway

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Page 11

Filling the meat locker

oe Veach, Globus Management shared these photos from his and Jason Turner’s 2018 end of season deer hunt in Sonora, TX. –cmw

Fishing for the big one

idgemont Commercial Construction hosted its 1st annual invitational team bass tournament benefiting The Wounded Warrior Project on Mar. 22 at Eagle Mountain Lake at Twin Points. –cmw

Big stringer winners were Josh & Justin Keithly with FSI. They had five fish totaling 31.21lbs.

Veach gets his three-deer limit on his hunt at AC Ranch, filling his freezer for the year.

Group photo of various company representatives sponsoring the event.

Big bass winner was Darrel Maxey (one of the wounded warriors) and Adam Reath with Skeeter Fishing Pro. The bass caught weighed 9.61lbs.

Turner shot this very impressive whitetail buck from a Sonora hunt late January 2018. -cmw

Submitted to Construction News

Best goose hunt ever!

Joe Veach and Jason Turner from Globus Management and a group of Texas hunters in Altus Oklahoma on a great Canadian Goose hunt that took only 50 minutes to limit out. -cmw

Page 12

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

From 42 to 1,500

Continued from Page 9 Capt. Steve Schultz - The Great Outdoors scent before you spot the slick, particularly if you’re down wind. It’s an odor that often resembles watermelon or fresh cut grass and to others maybe a menhaden oil scent. The smaller the slick is, the closer the fish are to it since the wind and tide haven’t had time to spread it out. Just like using the birds, anglers can often locate and track schools of feeding trout by spotting these slicks as they appear on the surface. May typically starts the beginning of our croaker season although we really start fishing with them in late April. By this time, the trout spawn is also in full

swing along the entire coast and this makes for a great time to fish. Don’t waste any more time contemplating booking your next fishing outing. My 2018 calendar is now open for bookings throughout the year. Don’t hesitate in booking your fishing trips because my dates usually go pretty quick, especially during the more popular months. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting adventure give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good Luck and Good Fishing.

L-R: RHCA Legal Counsel Chris Montez, The Law Firm of Christopher D. Montez PLLC; RHCA President John H. Martinez, Chairman Ruben Landa, WSP USA Inc.; RHCA VP Yolanda Tafoya; and RHCA Bussiness Strategist Julio Florez.

Ronnie Dewinne with a solid 28 in. redfish made for great stories at dinner that evening.

hirteen years ago, John Martinez, president of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) had no idea what an impact his leadership would have on the minority community. “When I came on board we had 42 cents in petty cash and 42 members.” Today RHCA is 1,500 members strong and growing. “I knew the association was really small when I came on board but it was a unique time. We had the work of two groups of people. We had the really seasoned contractors and we had a group of young, eager contractors, which meant we had the knowledge and the elbow grease to really grow the association. It was a magical time.” The RHCA originally started out as a committee of the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. When it got started, Martinez helped facilitate it but construction was not his “cup of tea.” As the RHCA started getting on it’s way Martinez left the Chamber. Years later, Martinez returned to the Hispanic Chamber and found that the contractors were in a rut and weren’t really growing. In fact, their membership had even diminished a bit. It was about that time that Martinez saw the housing market begin to boom. “I had purchased a house for $270,000 and over night the houses next to me were selling for one million dollars. I began talking more with the contractors just to see what was going on and they offered me a job.” Martinez told his wife he would only be with the RHCA for a couple of years and was excited because this was going to be something new for him to learn. That was 13 years ago, and he still finds working with the contractors just as exciting today as it was when he first began. “Whether the market has been down or up, the association has done well because we stay true to the core of what contractors need. We are not a fancy organization.” Martinez realized early on that his membership was made up of tradesmen. They were good drywallers, painters and plumbers that had decided to venture out on their own. They were good at their crafts, but they did not know a lot about running a business and what they were lacking was accounting and estimating knowledge. Most Chambers weren’t offering basic accounting or QuickBooks classes. “I went to one of the ethnic chambers that were offering seminars on exit strategies for companies with $50 million in annual revenue. In the minority community, a $50 million dollar company is a rarity. It’s less than one percent in the Dallas market.” With that, the RHCA began offering basic business management classes such as simple accounting, estimating, and blueprint reading classes. “They could literally take these classes 10 times and learn something new every time as their companies grew or they encountered is-

sues that weren’t there before.” He also realized that Texas was leading the nation in worker’s fatalities and injuries. And although, we as Texans want our state to be number one, that is not a number one Martinez and the RHCA wanted for our great state. The association began to act as the safety department for many of their small companies, realizing that the bigger companies have people to oversee and concentrate on safety on their companies’ behalf. What surprised Martinez most in his role as president of RHCA is the level of relationships that they have with their members especially when they are doing very well or when they are having issues. Sometimes he thinks he should have a psychology degree. When things are going very well for the contractors they want to keep it that way and they don’t want to make mistakes. But when things are going very poorly for them, they want to know how can they get out of that problem. “I never thought that I would be the sounding board for them. I’m on the phone talking to people on behalf of our members all day long sometimes in general advocacy, but a lot of times, I may have one member needing help with another company, where both sides are our members. Working with our members one on one with 1500 members is a challenge and one of the most rewarding but also one of the most difficult aspects as my role as president.” Going forward, Martinez would like recognition throughout the community of the role that contractors play. “The work that they do is very difficult and dangerous while working in all types of weather. I would like people to recognize the contributions that contractors play day in and day out in building our communities. “There are no handouts for minority or woman-owned businesses. I’ve never known any one to get certified as minority owned or woman-owned and somebody just give them a project. You still have to go through all the hoops, you still have to bid, and you still have to build relationships.” When asked how he would like people to remember him and his tenure with RHCA and the legacy he has created, he says, “My biggest motivation, and I share this with the staff all the time, don’t look at the people that we are helping, look at the exponential help we are giving. Look at the son or the daughter we are helping. Because through that growth, they’ve grown with that the company and now that child is going to college and that child’s grandchild will say, ‘you know what, I’ve never known struggle in our family, our family has always done well.’ That’s four or five generations down the road and we’ll be long gone, but we helped lay the path.” Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) is trade association representing the minority sector of the construction industry. –cmw

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Page 13

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

A robust industry Bill Sandbrook, Vice Chairman, President & CEO Title US Concrete Inc. Euless, TX

andbrook is a 1979 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in management, he spent 13 years in the U.S. Army which included a four-year tour in Germany in cavalry and engineering units, three years as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Military Academy and two years as the Army Program representative to Raytheon. While teaching at West Point, Sandbrook also served as a social aide to President Ronald Reagan and earned his Professional Engineer’s License (PE) in Industrial Engineering. In addition to his qualifications as an Army Ranger, he earned four Master’s Degrees while in the service - an MBA from Wharton, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master in Public Policy from the Naval War College and Master of Arts in International Relations from Salve Regina University. What are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? Currently it is lack of skilled truck drivers that are qualified with commercial driver’s licenses. It is a problem facing all the trades and it manifests itself in actual ready-mix truck drivers in that they are very difficult to source in all of our markets. In addition, the weather that we have been experiencing in recent months and in some parts of the country for multiple years is disrupting construction sched-

ules and has been ongoing especially through a very rainy, cold and wintery first quarter of 2018. How do you overcome the weather issue? We have to watch our costs. Nonproductive labor is a drain on our resources. If our concrete contractor customers are unable to perform their construction services because of the weather, we have no other outlet for that concrete so it all comes down to cost containment. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Has there been an increase or a slowdown? I would say the construction industry is very robust and there is a lot of pent up demand for jobs that are in progress and have been delayed because of the weath-

Concrete and construction Bryan Angelo, Treasurer Central Texas Chapter American Concrete Institute Project Manager

Rock Engineering & Testing Laboratory Inc. Round Rock, TX

fter moving to Texas in 1983, Angelo went to work for Trinity Engineering Testing Laboratories in the firm’s geotechnical department and then shortly transferred to the construction materials testing department and has been working with testing labs ever since. In 1986 he became involved with the newly established Central Texas Chapter American Concrete Institute and is currently serving in his 15th year as their treasurer. Together with Arnie Hammock, principal of Rock Engineering & Testing Laboratory (RETL), he has been responsible for administering all the American Concrete Institute Central Texas Chapter certification programs for the past 20 plus years. He joined the RETL team in 2017. What are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? The “hot button” issues currently in the concrete industry are fly ash shortages, straight cement mixes, sporadic air content of mixes and high-rise highstrength concrete. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Local construction is on a rise with high-rise retail, residential and multifamily. We are also seeing a rise in the construction of “chain” stores. Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? What factors

are driving this increase/slowdown? Because the economy is finally bouncing back from the recent recession we had seen in the past, we have definitely been experiencing an increase in business. It’s a welcomed boost. How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? Busier times mean the need for more employees, vehicles, equipment and more workspace. What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years? Some of the major changes we are seeing include self-consolidating concrete, which is a highly flowable, non-segregating concrete that freely spreads into place, fills formwork and encapsulates even the most congested reinforcement, all without any mechanical vibration. Also included would be flowable fill materials and the uses of fiberglass-reinforced polymer rebar applications. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages? Other? Finding qualified personnel for all as-

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

er. But outside of the weather, I’m very certain we are in a very robust construction environment especially in the markets we serve. We have a regional footprint that is very focused on the bay area of California, the Dallas/Fort Worth market, West Texas, the Mid-Atlantic States from Washington, DC through Philadelphia, northern New Jersey into New York City. My comments are very specific to these markets, which are extremely vibrant. Why do you feel they are so vibrant in those markets? I think that we are still in a very good part of the economic cycle. I think the unemployment rate has had an impact on both residential and commercial construction, and with the GDP approaching three percent on an annualized rate, which is significantly higher than it has been in the last eight years, I think there is a lot of optimism for further growth now that people are spending more money. New homes are being purchased and constructed. New office buildings are being built. A move from brick and mortar retail has led to the real growth of big box warehouses in various parts of the country that take a lot of concrete. So all of the above are leading to the robustness we are seeing. What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years? Technology is moving forward quickly in both the mixes we use and in the conscious awareness of sustainability and environmentally friendly products, especially low-carbon products. We are

pects of the market has been and continues to be the most significant challenge. How are you dealing with these challenges? Finding the right people is crucial. We are constantly participating in group events and social networking events and then, of course, there are the traditional means of advertising and marketing. You can never do too much to find the right people. What are the cost increases (if any) relating to your industry? As with any business, you have to be willing to pay to attract and keep good quality, hard working people. Having the right equipment to perform your duties and enough equipment is essential. Of course, the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment is a constant. And then there is the cost of certifications and renewals of certifications, and the on-going effort of keeping your employees trained. And let’s not forget maintaining and having enough office space. What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) Believe it or not, the concrete industry is ever changing, so staying focused on current standards and staying updated with the most current technology is a must. We will continue to provide outstanding service to our clients and maintain our relationships with established clients. What are the rewards of the industry? Having continued relationships with local companies, along with the recognition you get with national organizations and the satisfaction in knowing that projects are completed on time (or before) are the biggest rewards

seeing much more interest in that now than we did in 2010. There is much emphasis on decreasing the cement content of concrete mixes and replacing that with fly ash, which actually lowers the carbon footprint of the material supply chain. And then there is a push for consolidation, not only in the concrete industry, but in the materials industry as well. The small family-owned businesses are finding it ever more difficult to compete in the world that we live in with increased regulation. Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry relating to transportation or the environment? There has been more regulatory attention on wages and environmental laws with increased scrutiny of enforcement that it’s catching up to smaller businesses. Large companies are used to that scrutiny and usually have a staff of people that can deal with that. What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) I think there will be continued consolidation. I think we’re still in a good part of the economic cycle and that technology will continue to make strides. I’m not sure where driverless concrete trucks are going to fall, but I think there are going to be a significant number of improvements to driver safety, through technology. U.S. Concrete is a producer of ready-mixed concrete and aggregates. -cmw

of working in this industry. What are keys to being successful? If you want to be successful in this industry or any aspect of it, you have to build long-lasting relationships, be competitive, be responsive to the requests of your clients and always be available to meet the needs of your clients. American Concrete Institute is a nonprofit technical society and standards developing organization. Rock Engineering & Testing Laboratory Inc. is geotechnical engineering, geotechnical and environmental drilling, and construction materials engineering and testing firm in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Round Rock, TX. -cmw

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

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Construction safety tightens Neal Secor, President Longhorn Concrete San Antonio, TX

hat are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? We continue to experience a shortage of qualified labor and volatility in the commodities markets causing spikes in pricing for concrete ready-mix, steel and lumber products used in our industry. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? The current state of the construction industry is very good. We experienced an increase year-to-date and from 2016 over 2017. What factors are driving this increase? There is a pro-business climate in Texas specifically in our Central/South Texas region with a lower business tax rate and tax incentives for redevelopment of urban areas (examples: Brooks City Base, Port SA, Pearl District). This is very appealing for corporate headquarter establishment/relocation from other states. In addition, we are experiencing continued low interest rates; continuation of our areas’ relatively low cost of living; no state income tax; lower home prices relative to many other regions of the U.S.; quality of living; and continued expansion of mid to upper level management employment specifically in our SA area. How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct business? This has afforded us the opportunity to add several full-time management staff to better analyze and control our projects. We’ve learned how to diplomatically say “No” more than “Yes” to allow us to commit our resources to the types of projects that fit what we do well.

crete industry in recent years? The concrete industry has not changed dramatically in recent years. We are seeing some traction with the use of some “Alternative/Green/Lead” systems which use reinforced concrete such as ICFs (insulated concrete forms) and tilt wall systems. It seems there is some push back from our industry to try something new when the alternative system pricing is substantially higher than conventional concrete systems being used today. This is a hard sell to the private sector. Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry relating to transportation or the environment? Our industry continues to see the tightening of construction safety regulations by OSHA. Recently, OSHA implemented much stricter safety guidelines for airborne silica dust which has a direct impact on the concrete industry, driving up cost to be in compliance.

create a great working environment that promotes growth from within our organization, personal growth outside our organization, income growth to meet/exceed our industry and incentives (performance and discretionary bonus, PTO and other benefits). We as an industry need to do a better job of promoting our trades to our youth. As a society it seems as if we assume everyone is owed and should get a college education. This thought promotion is hurting our industry and in my opinion is detrimental to our youths’ futures. I believe we need to place an equal amount of emphasis on such programs as ag mechanics, FFA and trade schools. What are the cost increases (if any) relating to your industry? Substantial health and welfare cost increase renewals continue to be at the top priority for all small business. Our small business cannot absorb the continued cost so we have been forced to not offer health benefits to our team. Steel reinforcement materials increased pricing due to import trade restrictions. Tariffs hav been another cost increase. We have experienced a 10 to 12 percent increase in the 1st quarter of 2018 and, since August of 2017, prices have increased nearly 20 percent. There has also been a lumber materials price increase due to Hurricane Harvey along with import trade restrictions tariffs. And, of course, there are shortages going into summer months for fly ash additive for ready-mix which can add as much as five percent to our cost.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Qualified labor force for our current needs today and developing key positions such as lead foremen and superintendents for the future growth and viability of our industry to replace our aging work force in these key positions.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) Looking out onto the horizon I expect our industry to continue to grow at a similar pace as we have seen the past 12 months or so.

How are you dealing with these challenges? Creating a TEAM culture where we

What are the rewards of the industry? The people. Our industry is full of great people and we have been blessed

What are the major changes in the con-

Truck drivers and concrete James Eric Holeman Quality Control Manager

Allied Concrete Houston, TX

oleman has been in the concrete industry since 1998. He has served as president of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Houston Chapter since 2016 and is a member of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA). What are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry? I think the hottest button is first and foremost for all ready mix companies is having a lack of qualified drivers. How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? The market is strong now and home buying sales are up.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown? The driving force I think now is there is not enough housing in the Houston area and homebuilders can’t keep up with demand. New subdivisions are popping up to accommodate the influx of residents moving into the Houston area. How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? This has resulted in growing pains including drivers, sales dispatch and mate-

rials. Getting them all has an impact on the industry and on businesses. What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years? There have not been many major changes in the industry. Recently we have seen changes in materials and trucking. There has been a push to decrease the cement content to help reduce the carbon footprint. In addition, TxDOT is continuously making changes to trucking regulations and the industry has to adapt. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages? Other? Again, I would have to say it is the lack of qualified drivers. This is affecting all companies across the nation, not just ready mix companies and the Houston market is no different. Finding skilled truck drivers with commercial licenses who are willing to work long hours is difficult. Truck drivers in our field don’t just drive trucks; there is a lot of labor in-

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to have a Longhorn team filled with awesome people. Our clients. We work with great clients and build relationships to last a lifetime. The challenge. Continued success in the concrete industry is a daily challenge that keeps us on our toes. We never have to worry about becoming complacent and comfortable and I like this feeling. One thing I am certain of is that no matter how many years experience I have in the industry I will never know it all. What are keys to being successful? Team retention. Build a team for the long haul and work to mitigate turnover at all times. We have employees who have been a part of our team for 30-plus years and they are so important to our current and future success. Business integrity. Explain clearly what you are going to do and then do what you say and, if possible ,do more and always under promise and over deliver. You should always be willing to place a higher value on what is right than how much something will cost. We are humans and we are not perfect so we are going to make mistakes. When mistakes happen we encourage not stopping but rather find a quick resolution and get it back on track no matter what the cost. Being efficient with our resources is also key. Say “No” often. I probably say “No” 10 times before I say “Yes” when determining what potential projects fit what we do best. You need to have moderate growth when times are good. We are deliberate in how we grow our business. With all growth come growing pains to deal with. If we grow too fast we may not react fast enough before it costs our company in a variety of ways. In order for our TEAM to create value in our company we must be disciplined to retain earnings. In good years it is always tough to write a check to “Uncle Sam” but it is a necessary evil if we want to create value. This will benefit us when times are not so good. Longhorn Concrete is a concrete specialty contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

volved in running a ready mix truck. In addition to driving the ready mix truck, drivers release and direct concrete down the truck chute and, in some cases, may have to assemble the cement chutes and clean the trucks and chutes to prevent the concrete from hardening in the mixer, chutes and on the trucks. How are you dealing with these challenges? Changing the way hiring and training is done along with providing attractive benefits will help in the long run and is something that is on-going. What are the cost increases (if any) relating to your industry? The costs of equipment, trucking and materials have the most impact on rising costs in the concrete industry and the construction industry as a whole. Allied Concrete is an integrated aggregates and ready mix concrete company based in Houston. -cmw

Texas Style

★ San Antonio ★ Austin ★ South Texas ★ Houston

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News â&#x20AC;¢ MAY 2018

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

Looking back 10 years — May 2008 Submitted to Construction News

No hard hats?

They are missing their hard hats and not dressed for a job site, but the Lane Gorman Trubitt (LGT) construction team say the are truly a part of the industry.

Green celebration

A paintball fight

Work can be a fun place, but it can also be frustrating at times. The folks at Jaster-Quintanilla know how to solve any aggression employees may have. The company takes its employees in Dallas and Fort Worth to shoot it out! The engineering firm recently traveled to Forney, TX for their annual paintball skirmish. Everyone made it out of the paintball fight okay, but some employees were a little red, blue, yellow, green and purple.

Submitted to Construction News

Real Mavericks fans

Holiday Builders team. The company celebrates 25 years in the construction industry. They marked their quarter century anniversary by dong their part to green up the community.

When Paul Smith and Jeremy Smith , Coda Construction, are not busy on the jobsite, they hang out with members of the Dallas Mavericks to exchange construction tips for basketball tips! L-R: Jeff Sinelli, Which Wich; Donnie Nelson, Dallas Mavericks; Paul Smith, Coda Construction; Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks; Jeremy Smith, Coda Construction

A beacon of light

Ready for change

Becoming a Hollywood movie star is a dream for many people. The people at Demilec USA LLC didn’t stand in long audition lines to be an extra on the Extreme Makeover TV show. The work the employees will be featured on the two-hour season finale to help those that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.

So what’s all this talk abut change at Design Electric? They are no longer operating under the Design Electric name, but rather under the name of their parent company, Facility Solutions Group (FSG). Same company, different name.

A Texas style party

Loads of crawfish

Hilda Ng and Jennifer Caves, Firetrol, welcome guests.

IMA of Texas Inc. celebrating their business partnerships with their construction clients, business affiliates and insurance carrers/surety companies.

Harlon Sager prepares the BBQ at the event

Firetrol Protection Systems held its all day brisket, taters, corn, sausage, ice cold drinks 2nd Annual Crawfish Boil on Mar. 28 at its and t-shirts. Approximately three-fourths of Dallas office. Although this was a crawfish a ton of mudbugs were served. boil, Firetrol also treated guests to Barbeque

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • MAY 2018

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continued from Page 1 — A generational trade the Fort Worth area. He shared his thoughts on being a father and son business. “We’ve got a really good valuable reputation and that means a lot to us.” Even though they’ve been in the construction industry since ’56, Shotwell & Son is a multifaceted contractor. They focus on both the industrial and commercial construction markets. The company just completed the renovation of a 40,000sf hangar from the floor to the ceiling. It was a “pretty good challenge,” but the team managed to get it done on time “of course.” They painted the ceiling, walls and floor. “There was sheetrock involved with it also from floor to ceiling,” Shotwell adds. A key point Shotwell highlights is the success they have experienced. “It comes with a lot of hard work, a lot of blood, sweat and tears along the way.” For Shotwell the foremost reason that they are successful is they have been blessed. “God has been great to us and we have to give him all the glory. He’s shown us his blessing,” said Shotwell.

The Shotwells are still expanding not only their business, but also their employee base. Right now they have an estimated 20 employees. Shotwell says they want to add more paint crews as work increases. He’s never seen this much work. “That last three [years] have been the busiest I’ve ever seen.” Shotwell’s father Rodney taught him how to work hard. He expressed, “Those are some things that I always take with me and teach my son the same things my dad taught me.” So, is there a fifth generation Shotwell? Yes, but we learn he is only 2 years old. Even though he has ways to go Shotwell adds, “He does, but it’s in our blood.” When that day comes Shotwell looks forward to working with his son. Each generation of Shotwells have left their mark, not because they are sandblasters and painters, moreover because they are dedicated to their legacy. Shotwell & Sons Inc. is a commercial and industrial sandblasting and painting company in Fort Worth. –lv

continued from Page 1 — Managing risk continues to installation training, to preconstruction of mock walls to discuss transitions and tricky details, to observation reports to support warranty registra-tion. “There is an increase of varied options in the weather-resistant barrier market,” Ball says. “There are many different products and theories on how it’s done. Many decision makers become overwhelmed with that, and we help guide them and their installation crews with training and job site observations to assist that it’s installed right.” The three main causes for moisturerelated issues stem from weatherization design, product failure and installation issues. “A building will only perform as well as all the components that are installed,” continues Ball. “So, when we are on a job site, we look over details and installation so that if water were to get behind the cladding, the wall is designed so that moisture can also

find a way to get out and drain away. We are there to help reduce risk. “You can have a great install, a good quality control support from the contractor – but there also needs to be products with proven performance with proper detailing to minimize the potential of moisture damage,” Ball adds. “That’s where our company’s risk manage-ment strategy comes into play. When we are proactive on the job site with training crews, performing observations, talking with the contractors, registering paper-work for warranties, and just being a second pair of eyes, we are an asset in helping builders produce a durable wall that will help restrict the flow of water and air so that the building performs as efficiently as the architect and owner intend it to over a long period. That’s our goal.” Weatherization Partners Ltd. is a building material marketer/distributor. –mjm

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA

American Institute of Architects Dallas

May 3: Tour of Big Texas Urban Farm, 3921 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, TX. For more info, go to www.aiadallas.org May 17: Unbuilt Design Awards Gallery & Announcement Celebration, Common Desk Deep Ellum, 2919 Commerce St., Dallas, TX. 7-10pm. For more info, go to www. aiadallas.org AIA

American Institute of Architects Fort Worth

May 9: AIA/CSI Acme Brick Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd. For more info, call 817-334-0155 ASA

American Subcontractors Assn.

May 19: 15th Annual Poker Run, Johnston Products, 605 Jealous Way, Cedar Hill, TX. 9am-7pm. For more info, call 817-6408275 May 24: Membership Meeting, Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N. O’Connor Rd., Irving, TX, 11am-1pm. For more info, call 817-640-8275

May 23: IEC Night at the Ballpark, Globe Life Park in Arlington, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX. 6-9pm. For more info, call 817-496-8422 NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction Fort Worth Chapter

May 4-5: South Central Region Forum, Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills, 1902 East 71st St., Tulsa, OK. For more info, email Shelie Gaffron at sgaffron@auipartners.com May 18: Blue Book Expo, Ranger Stadium, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX. For more info, email Shelie Gaffron at sgaffron@auipartners.com NUCA

National Utility & Excavation Contractors

May 9: TopGolf, TopGolf the Colony, 3760 Blair Oak Dr., The Colony, TX. For more info, call Lisa Ferrand at 817-718-5443 or email lisa@nucanorththexas.com May 22-24: Washington Summit, Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St. SW, Washington, DC. For more info, call 817-718-5443

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers Fort Worth Chapter

May 1: ASCE OTC Hall of Fame Awrds Gala, Houston, TX. For more info, call 972973-1873 CSI

Construction Specifications Institute Dallas Chapter

May 10: Chapter Meeting, Addison Conference Center, For more info, go to www. dallascsi.org CSI

Construction Specifications Institute Forth Worth Chapter

May 9: AIA/CSI Acme Brick Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd. For more info, call 817-731-2547

May 5: Day of the Construction Worker, Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Ave., 9am-2pm. For more info, call Yolanda at 972-786-0909 May 25: 14th Annual Golf Classic, Indian Creek Golf Club, 1650 W. Frankford Rd., Carrolton, TX. For more info, call 972-7860909 TEXO

May 7: TEXO Open Golf Tournament, Trophy Club Country Club, 500 Trophy Club, Trophy Club, TX. Dr. For more info, call 972647-0697 UMCA

United Masonry Contractors Assn.

Independent Electrical Contractors Dallas Chapter

May 29: Apprentice Graduation, Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Colinas Blvd., Irving, TX 6:30pm. For more info, call 972550-1133

RHCA

Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

The Construction Assn.

IEC

continued from Page 1 — An entire community

IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors Fort Worth/Tarrant County Chapter

May 9: UMCA Bricklaying Contest, North Lake College, 5001 North MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX, 5-7pm. For more info, call 972272-4073

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

A non-residential building on the west side of the development includes a leasing center, plus amenities such as a computer room, community room, fitness center and laundry room. A decorative steel entrance with a storefront system welcomes residents to the community. Building materials included innovative brick and metal accent panels that enhance the communities modern feel. In addition the project incorporates creative uses of siding and brick installations. All units feature GE ENERGY STAR appliances, open floor plans and luxury, hardwood-style flooring. Bedrooms are carpeted with walk-in closets and ceiling fans. In addition, select units have garden tubs, double vanities, patios or balconies, a breakfast bar or island with storage and coat closets. Renaissance Heights is the first apartment project in this area of Fort Worth that the city is trying to revitalize. As mentioned earlier the mixed used development seeks to bridge the poverty gap by putting education centers, healthcare facilities and green spaces in close proximity to low income residents. The apartments include sustainable features, such as individual HVAC con-

trols and upgraded lighting, which results in an increased energy savings and creates a more economically-friendly living environment. The GE ENERGY STAR appliances also offer cost savings without sacrificing quality. KWA excelled in dealing with all of the challenges in the current market environment that came along with building a project in the business. DFW has been growing so much that labor has been an issue for most construction companies in general. KWA’s way to overcome the challenge used efficient scheduling techniques and creative methods without impacting the quality and design of the project. KWA chose JHP Architects for the development. The project manager was Stan Fulks, assistant project manager Paul Bennett; project superintendent Greg Siewinki; superintendent Chad Wellman and assistant superintendent Ken Halsey. KWA and the project team are pleased to have introduced an affordable and sustainable living option to residents of southeast Fort Worth. They share in Columbia Residential’s commitment to quality construction, sustainable materials and energy efficiency. -ja

Pape-Dawson Engineers Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of the firm’s newest Commercial Vice President, Chris Rogers, PE. Rogers has over 20 years commercial civil engineering experience. He holds a B.S in Civil Engineering from the Univ. of California at Davis and is a registered professional engineer in Texas, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, Arizona, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington, Michigan and Louisiana. -cmw

Round-Up Submissions

Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. Submit Info & Photo: DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

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Owning the name

A par of apples

The Ganske family L-R: Kaigen, Scott, Danna, Samuel and Benjamin

L-R: Kirk and Corey Bounds on a job site

s a third generation plumber, Scott Ganske, owner of Ganske & Sons Plumbing, has hands-on experience all phases of residential and commercial plumbing jobs. He worked with his father until he decided to start his own company in 2003, which is family owned and operated. That same year Ganske received his master’s license. While making arrangements to take his master plumbing test he asked if he could have his grandfather’s original master number. However, once he arrived on testing day they told him the rules had changed, so his request was denied. Then the chief plumbing inspector for the State of Texas stepped out of his office and called out Ganske. He thought, “Oh, my gosh, I’m going to the principals office.” Turns out once in the office he was handed his grandfather’s file. The inspector said to Ganske, “I overheard your conversation earlier,” handing Ganske the file. During that time they were taking all the old files and putting them on microfilm and into computers. His grandfather was a plumber in Stephenville. Ganske & Sons was the original name for his grandfather’s company. “Whenever I started to do my company I figured my name is Ganske, I’ve got three sons.” So, he brought the name back. From oldest to youngest the Ganske sons are Kaigen, 22, Samuel, 17, and Benjamin, 15, (named after his grandfather). Today, it’s Ganske, Kaigen and wife Danna who run the company show. Recently Ganske and Kaigen were talking about the company’s future. Kaigen’s commitment to the company is appealing because he is young. As he continues to learn and work with his dad, he will become a fourth generation plumber. Kaigen wants to grow the company

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by adding another van and another body to their crew. “He wants to take over this [the company] one of these days and let me retire.” Ganske jokes with Kaigen and says, “Send me a check and I’ll go fishing.” Jokes aside, one of these days Kaigen will take over and Samuel, who is a senior in high school will help run it too. As for dad, well, he’ll “go fishing or me and your mother will travel around.” He jokingly adds, “Just make sure you all [the Ganske sons] check our bank accounts, so we have money to spend while we are out running around.” Ganske & Sons do mainly all types of service work. Their services range from slab leaks all the way to new construction. They service in the Dallas/Fort worth area and surrounding counties. Ganske assures he will go anywhere for anyone who calls. “I do pretty much everything and anything,” he said. So when we got into the discussion of all things toilet, Ganske let’s us know about some of the odd things he’s had to recover from small jobs. If you could think of one thing NOT to flush, what would it be? How about a cookie package? Ganske said it was an Oreo package, “The big jumbo size that has four or five rows of Oreos.” He pulled that out of a toilet. Apparently the homeowner was standing with Ganske and with his eyes bugged out and said, “Is that what I think it is?” It sure was. The homeowner added, “So that’s where it went.” Kids do the strangest things, including hiding evidence. What happen to the old fashioned who took the cookies from the cookie jar motto? It would seem that it may be a plumber’s world and we just flush in it. Ganske & Sons Plumbing is a plumbing contractor in Watauga, TX. –lv

n apple is easy to remember. It’s usually on every flash card when learning the alphabet. When choosing a company name the apple didn’t fall far from Kirk Bounds, founder of Apple Pavements. What started 30 years ago is now a family owned and operated company. Kirk started out by fixing potholes with cold patch asphalt and a shovel for $175. As the company transitioned from crawling to walking, his sons Sean and Corey did too. Growing up they would work summers part time and earned cash. Little did Bounds know, but he was destined to be a part of the family business. Bounds played golf in college with dreams to one day play on the PGA Tour. His golf ball was far from a hole-in- one. Also during college his father had suffered from a hip injury which set things back for Apple Pavements. Bounds postponed his dreams and instead learned how to run the business. He wanted to help take care of his family. “I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. With the mentorship from his father and loyal customer base the company found itself back on its feet. In 2008, the company faced another transition by changing the name to Apple Pavement Services. While we know an apple is easy to remember Bounds said, “Now it’s pretty easy to remember because it’s a popular cell phone.” Since day one the company started out doing commercial projects. Their majority of customers are commercial. Their work pertains to 50 percent parking lot maintenance for commercial and multi-family projects. The other 50 percent is in new construction through commercial foundations and parking lots. Three foremen who run three of the crews for Bounds have been working for his dad for 20-plus years. Bounds mentioned Lucas, Santiago and Robert:

“Those three have been with the company since day one.” Looking at the company as a whole, Bounds adds, “We’ve always had really good guys working for us.” He shares that they admire “the heck out of our guys and are blessed to be able to keep them busy.” Working in the pavement industry can mean hot working days, so when out in the field the guys get treated to cold Gatorades and lunch. “I love bringing my guys a YETI full of Gatorades and lunch,” said Bounds. “They are truly the backbone behind this business.” Apple Pavement Services also tends to their office employees. As of lately the lunchroom smells of delicious i Fratelli’s pizza. Bounds phrases the thought as “dominating some i Fratelli’s pizza” as they enjoy it once a week. Occasionally, they like going to the restaurant Houston’s for a nice meal. Outside of work the company is looking to start a new tradition. No one said Bounds put his clubs away for good. You guessed it - company golf. Well, we should say company golf at Top Golf. Natalie, the office manager, bonds well with the group, even when she misses the ball. But, Bounds encouragingly adds she does “hit balls too.” Side note: Kirk Bounds loves to golf too. This is a company that has literally gone through bumps in the road, but that’s what makes them a real success. There are no future plans except for continuing to grow and having fun. “It is crazy how God works if you put all your faith in Him and I thank Him for that everyday,” said Bounds. He ends by stating he still believes he is good enough to play on the PGA Tour. However the outcome may be he is the core to the apple. Apple Pavement Services is a full-service asphalt and concrete maintenance and construction company in Carrollton, TX. –lv

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