Austin Construction News May 2019

Covering the Industry’s News

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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 19 H Number 5 H MAY 2019

Painting America

Specialty contractor recognized

Christopher Barnett, owner of Murals by Christopher, in front of his Waco P.F. Chang’s mural.

L-R: ABC President & CEO Mike Bellman, Mike Holland and ABC 2019 National Chair Tony Rader

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ven though Christopher Barnett comes from a small town in England (“12 houses and a pub,” he joked), he’s doing a lot to make America beautiful with his art skills, which is fascinating in and of itself, seeing how he has no art training.

“I’ve never taken art classes,” he said.

“Just 25 years of experience.”

Barnett used to design for Burberry.

Only one problem: he didn’t like it.

“I wanted to be a designer but it didn’t take long that I figured it wasn’t for me,” he said.

Ironically, he worked for the Texas Embassy Cantina in Trafalgar Square. His wife-to-be, who went to Texas State, San Marcos, and who was in London on an exchange work program, came in to order food. The rest, as they say, is history.

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This brought Barnett to the Lone Star State. Even though he had never planned on ever coming to America, he was smitten by it.

“I absolutely love it,” he said. “I couldn’t believe some of the things I thought were myths were real.” Barnett could not believe his eyes when he saw his first yellow school bus. “I thought, ‘You actually have those?’ I thought those were things you only saw in movies!”

Because he was not allowed to work until he got his green card, Barnett passed the time painting spaces such as children’s bedrooms and kitchens for friends and contacts. Once he did get his green card, Barnett founded Murals by Christopher in 2007. By this time, word of continued on Page 16

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onstruction companies all over this great nation of ours strive to be the best at what they do by creating quality projects, a safe work environment and a team of outstanding craft professionals. From its early days as a small residential drywaller founded by three brothers to its current stature as one of the largest specialty contractors in the South, MAREK has always relied on the power of its people. The company now has more than 1500 employees in seven regional offices.

Recently, at the Association Builders & Contractors (ABC) National Convention, MAREK was awarded the 2018 Contractor of the Year for embodying the core values and philosophy of ABC through MAREK’s corporate integrity,

commitment to their employees, dedication to outstanding craftsmanship and their esteem in the industry at large.

As the ABC convention approached, Mike Holland, MAREK COO, was notified they were going to be awarded this distinction. “We were ecstatic from the moment we heard. This is a huge honor and knowing it ahead of time didn’t diminish from the moment,” says Holland. “We did not nominate ourselves. I’m sure there were criteria on ABC’s end, but we did not fill out a narrative or send pictures or programs.”

Across four generations, MAREK leaders have built a business that prides itself on repeat clients. The 81-year-old family business has an impressive project portfolio, a stellar safety record, a revercontinued on Page 16

Endeavor office development

CA Construction was created to provide construction services to fulfill the vision as unique as their underlying philosophy, offering a comprehensive set of general construction and construction management services throughout Texas. DCA’s completed projects include both core and shell structures as well as tenant finish out in the following market segments of commercial office shell and interiors, industrial, retail, west campus housing and multifamily and hospitality. Over 80 percent of the company’s revenue is derived from repeat clients, which the company credits their commitment to service, safety and quality on all projects.

Founded in February 2005, Owners Randy Don Carlos and George Allen, view safety as one of DCA’s core values with expectations of zero accidents on any job. DCA employs a three-tiered approach to manage the known and

901 E. 6th Street

predict hazards of construction work resulting in topnotch performance. In 2016, the firm promoted Kevin Foltermann to partner. Dustina Gunn Warner was promoted to partner in 2019.

Endeavor Real Estate Group contracted DCA to construct the new 134,000sf five-story creative office development in the heart of east Austin. 901 E. 6th Street boasts downtown views and offers exceptional walkability. The project was constructed within a 25-month period.

The project required 4-1/2 levels of below grade parking and five stories of commercial office space. This hybrid structure consisted of structural steel and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) construction with a metal wall panel system made from weathering steel and storefronts. The four levels of below grade parking was constructed with cast in place concrete.

Due to Austin’s building congestion on the City’s east side, the project site continued on Page 16

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Arnold is pleased

Memorial Day, May 27 A day to remember the fallen who died in active military duty

The Plumbinator crew (L-R): Mickey (owner), Daisy, Tim, Victor, Jennifer, SteveO, Shad, Sandra.

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or many, Memorial Day means a day off of work, barbecue cookouts, family picnics, and community pools opening for the summer. But as we all know, the true meaning of Memorial Day is much more than an “opening day” for summer fun.

It’s a calling to honor those courageous men and women who have served and given their lives for the causes of freedom, liberty, and peace.

Memorial Day is a Federal declaration and is observed on the last Monday in May. At dawn on this day, flags are lowered to half mast on state and government buildings, and American flags are placed on gravesites at national cemeteries. At 3pm, traditional ceremonies include the sound of TAPS and the 21-Gun Salute. In Washington, DC each year, a Memorial Day Parade is held, as well as other parades throughout the country.

Veterans Day, usually observed on Nov. 11, is many times confused with Memorial Day. This day is designated to thank the retired Veterans who have served in the armed services - the difference being they came home. Veterans were also willing to dedicate their lives in service to prepare and defend our nation when necessary.

We remember those who didn’t come home on this Memorial Day and thank those Veterans on Veterans Day who were also willing to dedicate their lives in the protection of our nation and protection of our freedom and way of life. –rd

ickey Womack has two philosophies on the subject of work: (1) “If you love what you’re doing, it’s really not work.” (2) “If you quit working, you’re useless.” This one came from his German uncle.

This hearty, German worldview is evident in Womack. “I’m German,” he said, “and we work until we die.”

Womack started The Plumbinator in April 2009, after working at Custom Plumbing for years. His attention to detail and dedication to his craft was noticed, and he was encouraged to work for himself.

Finding leaks is Womack’s specialty.

He has a lot of experience in digging up pipes. During his high school days in Lubbock, Womack worked for his plumber uncle digging up sewer and water lines, although he didn’t use a backhoe. “My uncle was cheap,” he laughs. “I was the backhoe.”

Womack turned his attention to computers and worked for AOL, but grew tired of that grind, so it was back to plumbing. “I got into this just to help people,” Womack said. “I take pride in my work.”

Of the early days, Womack said, “We just did it by the seat of our britches.”

Now, The Plumbinator has eight employees, including Womack’s son Tim, wife Wendy and cousin Sandra.

Womack has seen his share of less than dedicated plumbers, but is quick to say, “I’ve seen some beautiful work out there.

There are great people everywhere.”

Womack isn’t shy when it comes to referring a potential customer to another plumber friend if he’s too busy. “We’re all working together,” he said, of the plumbing trade. “We’re here for the community.

We’re really a brotherhood.”

With homes getting older and having their plumbing infrastructure basically rotting away, causing leaks, Womack will never lack work. “I’m not trying to get rich,” he said, “I just want to work and help people. That’s being rich.”

If you need Womack to find a water leak but is busy, don’t worry - he’ll be back.

The Plumbinator is a plumbing contractor in Austin. -dsz

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

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Family (full) circle

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Jorge Abalos of JAA Paint & Stucco, with wife Yadira and kids

hen Jorge Abalos moved to the United States from Mexico in 2008, he got right to work, thanks to his work ethic and his wife Yadira. Yadira’s father and cousin both owned painting and drywall companies, and Jorge learned all he could about both trades so that he could make a life for himself in America.

After three years, he wanted to gain even more expertise, so started his own business, JAA Paint & Stucco. Yadira helped Jorge choose the company name, obtain a business license, open a business banking account, create a sign for his truck and order business cards. Today, Yadira handles the company’s paperwork while Jorge does painting and stucco work for residential and small commercial projects in Burnet County. Jorge offers interior painting services, including wallpaper removal, drywall repair, popcorn ceiling removal, texture and cabinet staining and painting. He also provides exterior painting services, such as surface preparation, caulking, pressure washing, staining, wood siding and trim.

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His extensive stucco services include crack repair, texture matching, elastomeric finish and coating.

Owning a business is rewarding for Jorge, who says, “each year gets better.

I’m learning new things and I’m always excited to gain new clients. It’s something I enjoy doing. I like to leave clients satisfied with the work I do.”

Client satisfaction is a top priority for Jorge, who gladly takes on new kinds of projects, both to offer more to customers and to expand his skills.

“I put a lot of effort into everything I do,” Jorge says. “It’s been a lot of hard work and I have gone through many experiences that have helped me to be better.”

Jorge would like to grow his company’s size and expand his service area. However, he knows he has plenty of time. Besides, his two children might want to work at JAA someday, and Jorge knows firsthand the benefits of learning by working with family.

Subcontractor JAA Paint & Stucco is in Marble Falls. –mjm

Craving creativity

he luxury of experiencing different locations comes with being an Air Force “brat.” Traveling the world for half of his life, Kip Kypuros has seen his fair share of structures throughout the years. He has always been interested in building and creating, too early to pinpoint that immediate spark.

It made sense for Kypuros to study architecture and structural engineering in college.

Kypuros is a project manager for Anthony Construction in San Marcos, TX servicing a wide range of Austin’s southern surrounding areas. Currently, there are about eight team members, which consist of trained architects, general contractors and remodeling contractors. The company started in 1997 and has been providing Anthony Construction project manager Kip Kypuros an endless amount of construction-related services ever since.

The company also provides services swers that would only be found through for construction strategies. The team at college. There was a point in Kypuros’ Anthony Construction takes pride in their career where he discovered a design isconstruction knowledge and experience, sue. This error was Engineering 101 and so they are happy to provide construction brought Kypuros straight back to his first management services. This includes as- year in engineering. Luckily, he was able sisting clients in budgeting, direction and to stop a catastrophe from happening.

The incident was both a fun and chalplanning for each individualized idea.

No project is too big for the Anthony lenging experience that Kypuros can Construction team because they hold ex- check off in his professional portfolio.

Along with designing, another pasperience in designing and building a vari- ety of structures. The company has de- sion of Kypuros is animals. So much so signed and built about half a billion in that Marlon Perkins, the zoologist and revenue of total construction projects. animal television director, was his inspiSome examples include strip centers, ration growing up. Kypuros and his wife currently have several dogs, chickens parking garages and athletic facilities.

Kypuros credits his schooling to and fish. A couple years ago they owned where he is now in his career. He says he horses.

Anthony Construction is a manageknew it was a “logical” decision to not just rely on experience but to also gain an ment, designing and building contractor in education in his field. He was seeking an- San Marcos, TX. –tnp

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Diana Skellenger

Founder/Owner/CEO Skelly Home Renovations Austin

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iana Skellenger has proved that inspiration to pursue a construction career can come from many kinds of backgrounds. She runs her residential and commercial renovation firm, Skelly Home Renovations, with the same kind of precise planning and eye for detail she was known for in her other lines of work.

doing team exercises, putting together media kits, pitches and writing speeches.

There is really no relation to what I do now, besides the fact that I feel college is a good experience to kind of grow up.

After college, I started working with a corporate event company that did consulting and fundraising; I worked on the event side of that business with a lot of non-profits in Austin. I quickly realized that although I was good at it and produced a lot of results, I didn’t love the industry and I was working 60-70 hours a week. I just burned out really quickly, which was terrible.

After that, I was recruited by a real estate title company. That was a really big change of pace because that was more of a marketing role where I was trying to bring in business for the title company. It was a fantastic learning experience.

I then worked for a construction company for about three years. From that company, I was given the opportunity to learn how a job site runs, what it is like to manage subcontractors, and learn about all of the different trades. I was on job sites all of the time.

Share about your background.

I was born in Seattle, and before I can remember, my family moved to Texas. I lived in Colleyville for most of my life.

I learned the lifestyle and work ethic of an entrepreneur from both of my parents--my dad is a physician who owned his practice, and my mom owns a wind energy company. I always had to push myself really hard to get a reward, which sounds kind of harsh, but that is where my work ethic comes from.

Construction is a really demanding and challenging field. Opening any kind of business requires a lot of hard work and many hours, so those are things that I saw from my parents when I was growing up.

Is that when you thought construction might be your path?

It was very odd, but I just had an epiphany that I thought I should just be doing construction. I kind of always say that I merged the [last two jobs] with construction. Although most people don’t associate events with construction, events have a formula, a timeline and a series of events that you put together to create an event. In construction, it’s the same thing.

There is a series of events that you put together to create a kitchen or a bathroom, and the end result is a lot of planning, execution, formula and scheduling. You use the same process but you are getting a different product. That just kind of naturally segued into starting my own business, Skelly Home Renovations.

How did your path lead you to the construction industry?

I attended the University of Texas, where I studied public relations. It primarily involved writing press releases,

How has the business evolved?

Now, we only do construction and project management. However, when I started Skelly Home, I offered design services as part of an all-inclusive package.

Skelly Home Renovations CEO, Diana Skellenger.

Skelly Home Renovations CEO, Diana Skellenger working in the office.

I did this to start building a network and referral base that was broader than the four years I had spent in construction prior to opening my business.

The business was just me for about 11 months. Then I hired an assistant, and now there are seven of us. My sister, Alex, is office manager, and my husband, Sean, is now involved. Everybody is on my team. The way we created this business, it’s like a ‘we’ thing, it’s not an ‘I’ thing.

Yes, I own the business, but it is the team that builds everything.

Our commercial projects are primarily retail, business-focused spaces. I would love to get more into commercial because it’s a lot less emotional. And, of course, we renovated our own office space.

What do you enjoy about your work?

The thing that I enjoy most about construction is the fact that there are new challenges every day, whether it is how a client is responding, a design challenge we haven’t built or fabricated before or with getting a permit from the city. Every day is a new learning experience, so there is constant solutioncreation in construction. Everybody is always challenged, so sometimes it can be slightly overwhelming.

You never go home at the end of the day feeling aloof. You always go home feeling accomplished because you’ve created something and have done something tangible that day, which not every industry can say. It’s rewarding.

How do you enjoy your free time?

It’s kind of hard to have free time in the first couple of years of a business! I like being outside; I like running, cooking, and reading. My husband and I play tennis sometimes, and we enjoy exploring Austin every weekend. We’re also really big travelers; we’re going to Portugal, Poland, Prague and Turkey this year.

Personal projects are always very rewarding; my husband and I do one to

Austin

two of these a year because, with that comes freedom of the selections, timeline and subs we want to use –that’s all our decision. When you’re working with clients, it’s obviously different because we are typically working with a designer. My dream buy is somewhere on the beach in Portugal or Spain. I admire European construction and would like to build more of it.

Tell me about a unique personal project you have completed.

“Birdie” is our RV. Birdie was created because I love to travel, and I thought that would encourage Sean and I to travel more through Texas together, but it hasn’t! It has turned into an investment and is rented out through Airbnb. We got her and gutted her a little over a year ago and then we spent the year renovating her. We did some of the work ourselves, but we primarily used the subcontractors that we use for all of our clients. She’s super badass if you look at the inside!

Everywhere you look, there is something interesting and cool. You can rent her for the night at tinkins.com.

What do you hope the future holds for you?

Obviously, I want to be learning and improving constantly with my business. I also need to find more of a balance, so that has been the biggest challenge lately outside of the business. When everything is aligned, I perform better. I just do. When my relationships and my business are going well, and I’m working out and my animals are doing well, I perform better, and that is across every single aspect of my life. I think working on all of those things constantly is what builds and grows the business so well because that is the brand. The brand is all of that.

Skelly Home is a full-service residential and commercial renovation firm in Austin.

–mjm

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

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OSHA, chili & barbeque

Bringing ‘em home

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t was a beautiful day for members of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) for the ABC-OSHA Partnership 2019 Chili-Barbeque Cook-off. Over 250 attendees with 22 participating teams took part in the event. “It was impressive to see how serious our members were about the competition,” Jodi Bunyard, ABC Director of Membership and Marketing. “There was lots of networking and everyone had a great time.” –cmw

People’s Choice Award – Chili: Rogers O’Brien Construction Company Ltd. L-R: Justin Stewart, Joseph Francis

1st Place Beans: OSHA, Sean Tynes

1st Place Dessert: HD Supply L-R: Jerry Krabe, Jesse Sandoval

1st Place Ribs: HD Supply L-R: Jerry Krabe, Jesse Sandoval

1st Place Chicken: HD Supply L-R: Jerry Krabe, Jesse Sandoval

1st Place Chili: Bell & McCoy of South Texas L-R: Jack Stapf, Chris Timmerman, Mark Fisher

Lumbermen convention

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Reed Swenson (director of operations, left) and Luis Cuevas (safety consultant, right) of SFI Compliance

any of us have seen the poster of construction workers casually taking a break while working on the Empire State Building. There are about a dozen of them, sitting on a girder many, many stories up as nonchalant as can be –without any safety gear on. Yikes.

We’ve come a long way, baby. And it’s good thing Luis Cuevas of SFI Compliance didn’t catch those guys. His philosophy is simple: “When you care about people going home safely, that’s more important than anything else.”

Cuevas’ background was in the refinery field, and crossing over to construction was easy. Cuevas had plenty of experience and safety training in the refinery industry. A big plus is Cuevas is bilingual, which is a huge factor in Texas. Cuevas is SFI’s consultant Austin and San Antonio.

“He was a great find for us and is an outstanding safety consultant,” said Reed Swenson, director of operations out of SFI’s Dallas office.

SFI started in 1990 in Denver and originally was called Safety First Incorporated. It has had a presence in Texas since 1995. Good thing too, because Texas in number one in the nation for construction industry mishaps, and falls on the job are a big part of that.

“It’s our job to know what the standards and [regulations] are,” Swenson said. Cuevas not only does off-the job training, but also enjoys doing worksite visits.

“You see all kinds of different hazards,” he said. “I try to get to a single person at a time.”

“The majority of our clientele are coming to us,” Swenson said, “because they are seeking services from a consultant level to help them manage their safety.” Many companies use consultants such as SFI because it is more efficient

than having an in-house subject matter expert. SFI provides comprehensive safety programs, inspections, audits, training and OSHA accident investigations in 13 states and has consultants in Denver, Dallas, Houston, Austin/San Antonio, Phoenix and Orlando.

The key is to not only reach the worker bee in the field, but also have total buy-in from management in order to create a safety-first culture. Cuevas says a big problem he sees are “people taking shortcuts when they shouldn’t have.”

With the overall labor shortage, it’s possible to get a lot of untrained personnel in order to meet the job’s demands.

With many non-English speakers, that can create a problem.

“One person at a time is how I like to do things,” Cuevas said.

Swenson recounts the difficulty that comes from having many layers of subcontractors through which the safety culture must permeate. What he likes is a host-employer with the attitude that having any preventable injury is unacceptable.

If that weren’t enough, you have the extreme heat of Texas being a factor in safety. Cuevas reminds folks to not only hydrate with water, but to lay off the coffee and energy drinks, which are heavilycaffeinated.

“I do training and inspections,” Cuevas said. “I can tell when someone’s trying to put on a show and get a good report.”

“Safety has come a long way,” Swenson said, recalling the guys on the girder poster, but “there’s still a way to go.”

Hopefully those guys all made it home safely.

SFI Compliance provides comprehensive job site safety programs and training, with offices in Austin and Dallas. -dsz

Saltillo topping out

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he Lumbermen’s Association of Texas (LAT) hosted a “welcome dinner” kicking off the 133rd LAT Convention & Expo Apr. 17 at the JW Marriott in San Antonio, TX. During the event, awards were presented to the 2018 Dealer of the Year and Associate of the Year. –cmw

2018 Associate of the Year: Herman Sanchez, Business Development Representative, Pennsylvania Lumbermen’s Mutual Insurance Company (PLM).

2018 Dealer of the Year: Clay Epstein, Dr. Ike’s Economy Center vice president.

Rogers-O’Brien Construction held a topping out at the future home of Saltillo, a five-block, 870,000sf mixed-use development on Feb. 7. About 300 people attended the event with BBQ cooked by RO employees. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

A chance for rain

umor has it that Texas will occasionally get bad weather. Not 100 percent sure of that, but that’s what seems to be maybe true, sometimes.

Of all the construction trades, roofers by their definition are storm chasers. The knock against them is there are unscrupulous guys who rip people off as they go around from town to town, never to be seen again.

According to Jay Toleert, owner of All Weather Restoration and Roofing, “95 percent of our business comes from storms, so we’re all storm chasers in effect.” And, the out-of-towners are needed after a catastrophic storm because there aren’t enough local roofing contractors to handle the load.

“You need guys from out of town to come in and do the work,” he said.

It’s only the small percentage of folks in the roofing business that give the rest the bad reputation, Toleert said. “One or two bad guys will give 100 roofers in an area a bad name.”

Toleert added that with the rise of social media and how fast information can get around, it behooves the out-oftowner roofer to do a good job or else risk the word spreading they didn’t. “If you do a poor job for somebody, word is going to get our there pretty quickly,” he explained.

The Galveston native moved to Kyle in 2004. His background is in the commercial concrete industry, but lean times forced him to close his shop and work for a roofing company, working his way up to be the general manager. However, the boss man was less than ethical and Toleert left.

“I learned all I needed to know from a paperwork side from working there,” he said. Picking up the nuts and bolts of roofing was not hard, and he started All Weather in 2014.

“We literally went door-to-door” in those early days. Toleert had his five employees at the start, ready to do basically one roof. Now, he’s running 18 crews of four-eight folks per crew.

“I have five crews who are direct employees,” Toleert said. “Everybody else is a sub-contract employee.”

All Weather’s first year in business was timed well, as Georgetown had a major hailstorm rumble through. “That really helped us get started,” Toleert said.

“Then, the work finds you.”

All Weather does not do new roofs, but re-roofs. All things being equal, with no catastrophic event, Toleert figures that his roofs will last 25 years in the average Texas weather year. All Weather does

Corporate to construction

Jay Toleert, owner of All Weather Restoration and Roofing

not use the lowest grade shingle.

“Most of our work is insurance related,” he said.

When asked to do a metal roof, Toleert will refer to a metal roofing specialist since the job requires special equipment.

Toleert figures he does 20 percent of his work in the commercial world, 80 percent on the residential side.

All Weather has offices in Georgetown and Kyle. Toleert hangs his hat in the Kyle office, while his partner runs the Georgetown one.

Toleert rarely hangs his hat anywhere, however, as his day is spent on the road, checking up on all the jobs and meeting with customers. “I very rarely sit in the office,” he said.

Meeting and educating consumers is very important to Toleert. “At the end of the day, if you’re not comfortable with me as your contractor, I don’t want to be your contractor,” he said. If he hears about a problem somewhere, Toleert is quick to respond, not only personally but also with foremen on each job who has the authority to make the call if one needs to be made on how to resolve an issue. “What separates a good contractor from a bad contractor is not whether or not they have issues,” he said. “It’s how they address those issues. What do we do to make it right?”

At the end of the day, there’s always a chance someone, somewhere in Texas may possibly perhaps maybe experience bad weather. “We put on a good roof,” Toleert said. “I’m proud of that. That’s why we have a good reputation.”

An isolated thunderstorm may be heading your way sometime. Just wait.

All Weather Restoration and Roofing is a roofing contractor in Kyle. -dsz

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Son, Ben and Green Oaks Building and Remodeling owner, Jeff Cunningham hiking in Big Bend

fter working in the corporate world for 12 years in insurance as a business analyst, Jeff Cunningham was ready to get out of the stuffy office and put on the hard hat, “I have always been someone who enjoyed construction work and working with my hands.” It was a blessing in disguise when the corporation Cunningham was working for had hundreds of layoffs. It was just the sign that he was waiting for even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

Green Oaks Building and Remodeling became alive in Austin, TX shortly after Cunningham left corporate. He started off as a framer and expanded in services as he became more experienced.

Cunningham completes every job on his own. For large projects, he has the help of a few trusted subcontractors.

As the company name states, building and remodeling are the services provided, which means Cunningham can do a little bit of everything–interior and exterior. He enjoys doing it all and has no preference over the other, “Each project

has its own rhythm and its own satisfaction.” Handyman services are also available, from installing a dishwasher to replacing a door. Lately because of the time of year, Cunningham has been busy with requests for patio covers.

A niche market that is not too common yet for contractors to utilize is using insulated concrete forms, which is a favorite of Cunningham. He favors working with it because of its energy efficiency and safety. The quad lock building system will overall save owners and businesses money because of its energy efficiency.

As a lover of traveling and the outdoors, Cunningham’s career allows him to do it all - the joy of experiencing different sites, people and projects. Cunningham grew up in Latin America, Columbia and Mexico. The outdoors is his comfort zone and enjoys activities such as hiking, kayaking or biking. He adores outdoor ventures with his kids.

Green Oaks Building and Remodeling is located in Austin, TX. –tnp

Sold on a dream

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nline sales sold Amy Teykl on pursuing a new career. When the former educational supply manufacturer’s rep realized rising online product sales were closing the stores she sold to, she began exploring other fields.

After visiting a friend in Miami who had a construction cleaning company, Tekyl had an epiphany.

“I thought there really was a need for this in Austin,” Teykl says. “I’ve been in Austin since 1990 and have seen it grow by leaps and bounds. I thought, ‘I could do this!’”

With a business partner, she started a construction cleaning business, but it struggled under name changes and rotating business partners. Teykl decided to go solo, started ATX Construction Clean three-anda-half years ago and found her stride.

Teykl started with 12 employees and now employs 50. She says two of her best decisions involved hiring Eric Martin and her sister Tina Parish as field operations managers.

“Now that I have Tina and Eric in the field and amazing crew leaders, I can actually go on vacation without my phone ringing off the hook!” Teykl says.

“At this point, I barely have to leave the

office because most of them are out there running the show.”

Teykl says 90% of her business is in Austin, but the crew also services San Antonio and Houston. The company has expanded its services as well.

“We do high-rise windows, powerwashing, parking lot striping and signage.

We do any kind of floor care – stripping, waxing, and polishing concrete. Carpet cleaning is something we might add. Any aspect of the final clean, we’ll do. Even if I don’t do it, I will find somebody that does. I don’t like to say no!” she says.

Sometimes Teykl says “no” to growing her business too rapidly, as it expanded quicker than she anticipated.

“We’re growing really fast,” Teykl says. “We’re one of the top cleaning companies in town, and I would like to become the number one construction cleaning company in Austin. I want to keep growing and keep providing good work for my employees.”

It seems shopping for a new career paid off for Teykl.

“I enjoy the freedom of being a business owner!” she says.

Subcontractor ATX Construction Clean is in Austin. –mjm

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Page 7

Benchmarks provide contractors valuable path to improvement

What every construction company needs to know about fleet safety

Ryan Rummel, CPA, Manager RSM US LLP San Antonio, TX

Stan Gregory, Safety & Risk Consultant INSURICA San Antonio, TX

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n today’s highly competitive construction market, it’s not enough for any contracting business to be just good enough. To stay ahead of competitors, a contractor has to work continuously to get better. One of the most effective ways to do this is by means of benchmarks that track how well the contractor is doing compared to others in the industry.

While benchmarking has been used to some degree in the construction industry for many years, interest has surged in recent years because of the availability of national performance data. This information allows companies to more easily measure their performance and set targets.

Today, construction companies can find a great deal of useful benchmarking information from organizations such as the Construction Financial Management Association (cfma.org), Associated General Contractors of America (agc.org) and Construction Industry Institute (construction-institute.org). These organizations conduct annual financial surveys, and most break the information down by region, specialty, company size, etc.

One of the easiest ways to find benchmarking information is to go to www.financialbenchmarker.com. The site is a treasure trove of industry benchmarks.

For contractors who are not actively using benchmarks, a great way to learn the process is by talking to colleagues experienced in the process. Assistance is also available from financial partners and sureties, who are particularly interested in benchmarking data because they are providing loans and bonding.

The basics of successful analysis are fairly simple: Contractors choose important functions and practices that can be tracked over time, then use the data to measure their progress against that of competitors, including best-in-class companies.

Setting up benchmarking documentation, including charts and graphics, is much easier than in past years. On the market today are several software packages that allow contractors to easily establish, update and analyze benchmarking data. Most can be found by means of a simple internet search.

When beginning the benchmarking process, contractors should first prepare a financial analysis of the company. For best results, and to make certain accounting and tax issues are taken into account, contractors should seek assistance from their certified public accountant.

When developed properly, benchmarks can give contractors a revealing new perspective on long-time practices.

In doing this, they offer a valuable guide to weaknesses and opportunities. If, for example, a contracting company learns its debt-to-equity ratio is rising, this tool can alert the company early on so it can bring debt back in line.

So that benchmarking works to optimal benefit, the best construction companies review their data at least monthly.

Trends that show up in the data are addressed quickly, either to improve newly discovered weaknesses or to accelerate strategies that are showing the most success.

When it comes to choosing ratios, there are scores contractors can use.

However, there are a few that are most popular, including: • Working Capital Turnover: This ratio is a product of total revenues divided by working capital (the net of current assets minus liabilities) and indicates the

amount of revenue being generated by the available working capital. A ratio exceeding 30 may indicate a need for additional working capital to support future revenues.

• Current Ratio: This measurement indicates the extent to which current assets are available to satisfy current liabilities.

They usually are stated in terms of absolute values (i.e., 2 to 1 or simply 2.1). Generally a minimum current ratio is 1, which indicates that current assets at least equal current liabilities.

• Debt to Equity: This ratio equals total liabilities divided by total equity. The higher the ratio is, the greater the risk the creditors are assuming. Generally a ratio of 3 or lower is considered acceptable.

• Profitability Ratio: This measurement demonstrates the profit generated by the total assets employed. A higher ratio reflects a more effective employment of company assets. This ratio is generally stated in terms of percentages, such as 10 percent of return on assets.

• Days in Receivables: This indicates the number of days to collect accounts receivable. A lower ratio indicates a faster collection of accounts receivables, therefore more liquidity. In general, a ratio of 60 days or less is desirable.

• Days in Payables: This ratio indicates the number of days it takes to liquidate trade payables. Usually a ratio of 45 days or less is considered adequate.

• Months in Backlog: This measurement tells managers the number of months it will take to complete all side or committed work. A ratio of less than 12 indicates a need to secure new contracts in the next year to maintain a constant level of annual revenue.

• Under-billings to Equity: This indicates a level of contract volume being financed by the stockholders. Usually stated as a percentage, a ratio of 30 percent or less is considered acceptable.

• Backlog to Equity: This ratio indicates the relationship of signed or committee work to total stockholders’ equity. In general, a ratio of 20 or less is considered acceptable.

Whether a contractor uses general or highly technical benchmarks, information derived from the process provides a valuable map for improvement. And it makes decision-making dramatically easier in an industry ruled by tough decisions.

But for any of it to work, the contractor must be willing to change and adapt based on the findings derived from the process.

Ryan Rummel, CPA, is a manager at RSM US LLP in San Antonio. He can be reached at 210-828-6281 or Ryan.Rummel@rsmus. com.

onstruction companies, because of the nature of the work they do, and the variety of vehicles they use in their work, have unique concerns, exposure and liability when it comes to their fleets. Too often, however, fleet safety does not get the attention it deserves until there is an accident. When that happens, matters of fleet safety can suddenly reach crisis mode. A good fleet safety program does the obvious – improving safety – while also minimizing the exposure of company vehicles and the employees who drive them. In my experience, over 90 percent of companies have significant fleet exposure because they do not have an effective fleet safety program in place.

To understand the importance of a fleet safety program, consider its goal: to prevent the loss of life, injury, and property damage for employees as well as the public. A benefit of having a good program is minimizing the legal exposure that results from accidents. Any safety and risk consultant can share examples of the consequences that companies have faced for failing to have adequate fleet safety programs in place.

What a Good Fleet Safety Program Consists of A comprehensive fleet safety program should include policies and procedures, make provisions for regular employee training, and have accountability mechanisms built in.

• Policies A comprehensive fleet safety policy will detail what rules to follow, what training is required, what hiring practices to follow, what vehicle inspections are mandated, what records must be kept, what road tests must occur, what audits will take place, as well as other things. For example, a policy might dictate minimum acceptable driver qualifications.

• Procedures

A comprehensive set of fleet safety procedures should describe how policies will govern operations by outlining a process and timetable or frequency for each policy. Every policy will therefore have one or more documented procedures.

For example, a procedure might describe

a testing process to ensure drivers meet minimum qualifications.

• Training Training can encompass a broad range of topics including accident reporting, defensive driving, DOT audits, drug testing, hazardous materials, driving hours rules, and legislation surrounding commercial driver’s licenses. For example, training should encompass helping drivers maintain qualifications.

• Accountability Without some accountability mechanisms, a fleet safety program is little more than window-dressing. For most construction companies, creating accountability means setting the expectation that it will rigorously enforce standards, and conduct its own spot checks and audits to ensure compliance.

About Stan Gregory Stan brings more than three decades of experience to his current role as Safety and Risk Consultant on the Risk Management Services team at INSURICA. He provides risk management solutions for customers in all industries, with a special emphasis on behavioral safety solutions.

Stan’s primary focus is working with large employers to improve their risk profiles and implement custom-tailored safety and risk management plans. He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and has been a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) for 25 years.

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

May is electrical safety month

Lien law fundamentals every contractor should know

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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

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rguably one of the most significant remedies in construction law is the Mechanic’s and Materialman’s Lien. Governed by Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code and the Texas Constitution, mechanic’s and materialman’s liens, if timely and properly perfected, secure a contractor’s right to payment against the project. This article discusses some general fundamental concepts of Texas mechanic’s and materialman’s liens.

Mechanic’s and Materialman’s Lien Basics While the specifics of proper statutory lien perfection are complicated and beyond the scope of this article (in fact, Texas has often been said to have some of the most complicated lien laws in the entire country), perfection of a statutory lien claim generally requires timely and proper written notice of the unpaid debt, timely recording of a proper lien affidavit in the real property records in the county in which the project is located, and timely giving notice of the filed lien to the owner and general contractor. While the mechanic’s lien statutes are to be liberally construed for the purpose of protecting laborers and materialmen, the deadlines and requirements for proper lien perfection should be closely followed to ensure that this powerful remedy is not lost. It is also critical to know that a lawsuit must actually be filed to enforce/ foreclose the lien claim within the limitations period mandated by Chapter 53 (typically one or two years, depending on the type of project) or the lien will be extinguished. Significantly, Section 53.156 of the Texas Property Code mandates an award of costs and attorney’s fees “as are equitable and just” in any proceeding to foreclose a lien or to declare that any lien is invalid, in whole or in part.

Contractors having an agreement directly with the project’s owner may, depending on the type of work involved, further possess constitutional lien rights which exist independently of any notice or recording requirements. Rights may alternatively exist under a payment bond if work is performed on a public or bonded private project. Strict time and notice requirements also exist for the proper perfection of a bond claim and will differ depending on whether the project is state or federal.

A Sham May Save You if You Missed the Notice Deadlines There are some nuances in the law which may apply to salvage mechanic’s lien rights in certain situations where a subcontractor or supplier has missed the required pre-lien notice deadlines. One such situation involves Sham Contracts where the purported owner and general contractor are essentially one in the same. As set forth in Section 53.026 of the Texas Property Code, when a person contracts with another, and that other person controls or otherwise is controlled by the owner “through ownership of voting stock, interlocking directorships, or otherwise”, the person performing the labor or furnishing materials is deemed to be in a direct contractual relationship with the owner and has a lien as an original contractor. The same result occurs when the contract was made by the owner “without the good faith intention of the parties that the other person was to perform the contract.”

When the Sham Contract provision applies, the unpaid subcontractor or supplier should be considered to be in a direct contractual relationship with the owner and gains original contractor status. Along with original contractor status, the unpaid subcontractor or supplier also has lien rights as if it were an original

contractor. Accordingly, the mandatory notice requirements generally applicable to subcontractors and suppliers for perfecting statutory mechanic’s liens should not apply, and the unpaid subcontractors or suppliers may be able to perfect their lien rights as original contractors despite a failure to comply with the Property Code notice requirements. According to recent case law, another benefit which can be derived from the Sham Contract statute is the potential availability of a constitutional lien to a person performing work or supplying materials to a sham contractor if such work or materials are covered by Article XVI, Section 37, of the Texas Constitution (i.e. buildings and articles).

Lien Preferences and Removeables

While Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code grants a preference to mechanic’s liens, the preference granted is limited to “removeables”. A mechanic’s lien on removeable improvements has priority over a deed of trust lien. “Removeables” are improvements that can be removed from the property without material injury to the land and pre-existing improvements, or to the improvements removed. Some examples of removeables include carpets, appliances, air conditioning and heating components, and light fixtures.

Leasehold Liens

If your company provides labor or materials to tenants, it is essential to understand that your lien rights are generally limited to the leasehold estate. A mechanic’s and materialman’s lien attaches to the interest of the person contracting for construction. As such, if a lessee contracts for construction, a mechanic’s and materialman’s lien arising from that construction attaches only to the leasehold interest and not to the fee interest of the lessor.

Fraudulent Lien Statute Caution should be taken when asserting mechanic’s and materialman’s liens as a law exists which provides a cause of action against someone who records a fraudulent lien with the intent to defraud. Codified in Chapter 12 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the “Fraudulent Lien Statute” provides for liability for asserting a fraudulent lien with the intent to defraud for the greater of (A) $10,000; or (B) the actual damages caused by the violation, plus court costs, reasonable attorney’s fees, and exemplary damages in an amount determined by the Court.

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

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any workers are unaware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the danger of electrocution. The following hazards are the most frequent causes of electrical injuries Contact with Power Lines, Lack of Ground-fault Protection, Path to Ground Missing or Discontinuous, Equipment Not Used in Manner Prescribed, and Improper Use of Extension and Flexible Cords.

Overhead and buried power lines at (GFCIs) on all 120-volt, single-phase, 15your site are especially hazardous be- and 20-ampere receptacles, or have an cause they carry extremely high voltage. assured equipment grounding conducFatal electrocution is the main risk, but tor program (AEGCP). burns and falls from elevations are also • Follow manufacturers’ recommended hazards. Using tools and equipment that testing procedure to insure GFCI is workcan contact power lines increases the ing correctly. risk.

• Use double-insulated tools and equip How Do I Avoid Hazards? ment, distinctively marked.

• Look for overhead power lines and • Use tools and equipment according to buried power line indicators. Post warn- the instructions included in their listing, ing signs. labeling or certification.

• Contact utilities for buried power line • Visually inspect all electrical equiplocations. ment before use. Remove from service • Stay at least 10 feet away from over- any equipment with frayed cords, misshead power lines. ing ground prongs, cracked tool casings, • Unless you know otherwise, assume etc. Apply a warning tag to any defective that overhead lines are energized. tool and do not use it until the problem • De-energize and ground lines when has been corrected. working near them. Other protective If the power supply to the electrical measures include guarding or insulating equipment at your site is not grounded the lines. or the path has been broken, fault cur• Use non-conductive wood or fiber- rent may travel through a worker’s body, glass ladders when working near power causing electrical burns or death. Even lines. when the power system is properly Due to the dynamic, rugged nature grounded, electrical equipment can inof construction work, normal use of elec- stantly change from safe to hazardous trical equipment at your site causes wear because of extreme conditions and and tear that results in insulation breaks, rough treatment. Removing the ground short-circuits, and exposed wires. If there pin from a plug to fit an ungrounded outis no ground-fault protection, these can let not only means your work area is uncause a ground-fault that sends current safe, but makes the cord unfit for future through the worker’s body, resulting in work where there is grounding. electrical burns, explosions, fire, or death.

How Do I Avoid Hazards? natarajan.joann@dol.gov • Use ground-fault circuit interrupters 512-374-0271 x232

American craft

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ark Smith is described as someone who worked his way to the top. Born in Panama, he had his fair share of traveling due to his father being in the Army.

Smith grew up in Corpus Christi, TX, and he joined the Air Force in 1983.

Afterwards, he spent four years as an air traffic controller in San Antonio, TX. His brother, who was already in the craftsman industry, recruited Smith as a window sales person.

Smith also worked for small and major remodeling companies.

He held the title as a general manager for a statewide remodeling company. Even though he made a great salary and was comfortable in the position, he knew he was destined for much more. There came a point where he established enough knowledge and experience to run Americraft SW INC. founder and owner, Mark Smith the same type of business on his own. In November of 2006, the formation Window replacements are currently in of Americraft Siding and Windows INC. high demand for the company. Outdoor attachment services include decks, patiwas underway.

“Next Monday, I put my jacket on os, pergolas and sunrooms.

Americraft SW INC. has “low turnover and got my clipboard,” Smith says. “I went knocking door-to-door to generate and high employee loyalty” because of appointments for myself.” That same extended gratitude and communication.

At the beginning of every year, there is an week, Smith secured a client base.

The company caters to a wide range annual luncheon to recognize top perof Texas cities: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth formers from the previous year. It is also a and Corpus Christi. Expansion has spread way to communicate goals for the upto into Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which coming year in order for everyone to be on the same page. Smith says the comopened this month.

Services include siding installation, pany continues to “stay busy and keep windows and energy-efficient solutions customers happy.”

Americraft Siding and Windows INC. is like solar-powered attic fans. Installing vi- nyl siding is a service that Smith has al- an outdoor remodeling contractor in Ausways particularly enjoyed doing himself. tin, TX. –tnp

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Page 9

ways on my mind while on the water. Being in the sun 8-10 hours a day can take it’s toll on your body. My Aftco line of clothing has SPF ratings that keep harmful sun rays off my skin while keeping me cool on the water. They also make great gloves to protect your hands. Costa sunglasses are the only sunglasses you will see on my head. The 580 lenses enhance colors and allow me to see objects in the water when most other glasses fall short.

Don’t settle for anything else. See what’s out there!!

My summer months are almost full, so don’t hesitate in booking your fishing trips. Here are some open dates available in July (4,8,12,22,25,28,29).

Top notch equipment is a must

by Capt. Steve Schultz

To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Shoalwater Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Shimano Reels, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Simms Fishing, ForEverlast Fishing Products, PowerPro, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, JL Marines Power-Pole, AFW and AFTCO Clothing.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

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here are some things you can be frugal on, but when it comes to fishing, the harsh conditions of the coastal bend, you better have some quality equipment that will hold up. I’ve learned over the past 21 years of guiding in saltwater water that you get what you pay for from the boats that you run to the sunglasses around you neck. I’ll review several of the brands of tools and equipment I use and the reasons why I use them.

Let’s start off with the platform I fish from day to day. Shoalwater boats and Evinrude outboards have been my choice of boats/motors for the past several years. They may not be the most expensive rigs on the water, but it’s what Waypoint Marine sells and they are my preferred dealer and the best in the area, period!! Keeping my boat positioned at my favorite honey hole or anchored while I’m out wading are dual 10 ft. power pole blades.

Fishing rods and reels may be the most important tool on the boat. Let’s

David Wyatt of Portland landed this 27-inch redfish last month fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. David’s red came on a live shrimp and popping cork combo.

face it, we are out on the water to fish and what good is it if you can’t depend on your rod and reel to get your fish to the boat.? This captain’s choice on rods is the Fishing Tackle Unlimited Green Rod and Grey rod series. Both rods are built on the same blank using high modulus graphite and titanium or stainless guide with top grade cork handles. Shimano reels, both bait casting and spinning, have recently joined my arsenal of tools and everyone knows they have the smoothest and most dependable reels built for saltwater. Each and every reel on my boat is spooled with Power Pro Super Slick V2 braided fishing line. It out casts any other

braded fishing line on the water.

When it comes to wading, there is only one brand of wader that 95 percent of the anglers use SIMMS. Their waders cost more than any other brand because they last. In fact, everything they make is top quality from their jackets to flip flops.

Another choice for Steve Schultz Outdoors is the ForEverlast product. The Baffin stalker wading boot is my favorite product with all day comfort. They also have a huge selection of wading belts, pliers and landing nets for all your needs.

Protecting myself from the sun is al-

Get your Free DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION GO TO www.ConstructionNews.net Click SUBSCRIBE. Complete FORM. SEND.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

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 provide the right compensation for them to get that fish’s attention is what patterning is all about and it’s more important than anything in the tackle box. On the other hand, a catching trip is the stuff dreams are made of. You are there, the fish are there and they want your bait.

They hit you like a slimy tornado, empty out your bait or tackle box and leave you breathless with broken lines and a big smile on your face. Just be sure to double count your limit so you don’t have to explain too much of a good thing to a game warden! Most trips are a little bit of both fishing and catching where you get to work for a nice reward.

Fish or catch?

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ishing is not an exact science, but then maybe that’s what makes it fun.

No two fishing trips are the same, even if you really want them to be. We are so used to doing a set of actions and getting a consistent result now days because everything is programmed and measured and prescribed, that we sometimes forget that the natural world doesn’t care what we expect. Nature has the ultimate and infinite programming that we will never fully understand and can only barely begin to affect. There are so many variables in water and weather and fish and people and things we are not even aware of that you never get the same result twice.

Worst of all are the NO trips. Sometimes even if you have the time to go fishing and get to go with the right companions and have made the trip to the lake, weather will just not cooperate with you.

This is where you have to listen to good sound reasoning and overcome your desire to make the trip happen. If you are booked with a guide and he tells you the wind is too high to go out, etc. please listen! He wants to take you fishing and earn his pay, and if he cancels you, it is money out of his pocket that he can’t get back, but he knows all too well the cost of going out when he should have stayed home. He doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt in rough water and he doesn’t want to spend time and money getting his boat repaired from rough water damage. The same thing holds true if you are fishing on your own. If you get to the ramp and nobody else is parked there, or launching, you better check radar and forecast on your phone and reconsider.

The very best outcome of all fishing trips is getting safely back home!

You can’t look at going fishing as just going to get some fish. I sometimes tell people that if they want a sure thing when it comes to fish, they need to go to the supermarket. Even that can be uncertain though from day to day. What day were they caught? Are they supposed to look like that?

You see, there is a difference between fishing trips and catching trips. A fishing trip is a learning trip. You or your guide may have to really work at figuring out how find the fish and get them to take your bait. This is where all the time spent on the water pays off. This is where remembering past trips with all their successes and failures become valuable.

Knowing how to read the conditions and

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

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Page 11

Austin’s master patcher

Construction News ON LOCATION

Patchmasters’ owners Carlos and Estella with kids

L-R: Juan Rosales, Manual Galvez, Arturo Villalobos, Nolberto Villalobos, DS Surfaces LLC Owner David Solis, Diego Escobar and Francisco Villalobos c ome out for a quick visit with Construction News. - cmw

arlos Vasquez affirms, “There are many people who have experience with construction, including myself. What is different about me is my education and my ability to spot problematic areas to prevent further damage. For example, when it comes to materials and electrical wires, I know what is compatible and what is not.”

Vasquez credits his wife Estella for continuously recommending him to complete a variety of education and training courses to stay one step ahead of the competition and enhance the business overall for Patchmasters. As newlyweds, Vasquez and his wife started Patchmasters together in 2006. Estella takes care of all the numbers and payments; Vasquez is grateful to be able to work alongside his wife who manages so much in the office.

As a licensed contractor, Vasquez is also certified in water and fire restorations. These types of projects are extreme and time-consuming, but he enjoys seeing the customer so happy after a dreadful occurrence.

“People get to see their room better than it was in the first place,” he said. “I am lucky to be able to do that for others and experience that special emotion.”

As someone who fixes water and fire damage, Vasquez took the time to be trained as an adjuster. Usually insurance companies cover this type of property damage, so Vasquez sees this as an opportunity to go the extra-mile for his customers. If needed, Vasquez will speak directly to insurance companies to negotiate cost and services.

“I speak to them on their level, and I know the lingo. I get better deals for my customers,” he said.

When the company started, Vasquez focused on walls and ceilings. The business has now grown in employees and services. What started off as a business of two is now a team of four along with a few subcontractors. Services have grown into a variety of general contracting projects due to extensive training and experience from Vasquez. Many services include bathroom renovations, floor installations and painting.

“The restoration business requires us to be able to do everything,” he said.

The company serves all of Austin, TX and surrounding cities. Recently, Patchmasters completed a several week-renovation in a Kyle, TX pizza restaurant. The team performed drywall installation and painting services.

To Vasquez, there is no job too small or too big. The company does not have a minimum or maximum set project amount. What other companies turn down, Vasquez is happy to step in as the hero. Every customer is equally important to Vasquez, no matter the dollar amount.

“Yesterday I provided a quote. The owner told me the last company turned him down because the job was too small.

This won’t happen with me,” he said. “I don’t turn down a job because of size. A $250 job is treated with the same importance and respect as a $50,000 job.”

What is so important to Vasquez is being able to create meaningful relation-

ships with his customers. The over-thetop customer service that he provides has produced long-lasting repeat customers. Vasquez completed wall and floor services for every member of a particular family. Most business is received through word of mouth because of his reputation of great customer service and work performance, “I enjoy seeing customers happy, and we do every single job like it is the first one,” he said.

Vasquez is a workaholic and a family man. With his wife and two kids, Vasquez likes to travel around Texas. Vasquez moved to Austin in 1997 and has became a Texas-lover ever since. The family likes to take day trips and explore in different nearby cities. Doing so allows them to be able to recharge and refresh. Vasquez has a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. As a parent, his goal is to see his kids grow up to be happy and successful either fulfilling their own passion and careers or working alongside their father.

Patchmasters is a reconstruction and remodeling contractor in Austin, TX. –tnp

Layers of smiles

Construction News ON LOCATION

See your way clear

L-R: Capital Glass Distributors Vice President Aubery Daugherty, President Summer Daugherty and Customer Service Representative Alicia Williams visit with Construction News at their office in Buda, TX. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

512 this is for you

Owner of Flooring 512, Ryan Cahill (second to the right) at a family graduation party.

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he flooring business has not always been a fantasy for Ryan Cahill. The interest sparked when he observed the great need for it. Cahill was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. To get away from digging 18 in. of snow and ice, he moved to Round Rock, TX. He wanted to experience the warm winters and a new endeavor. In Austin, Cahill noticed the construction boom all around the city.

Cahill knew he wanted in and was called towards flooring, “Every single building needs a floor; I can provide that.”

Cahill is the owner and founder of Flooring 512 since 2017, servicing the Austin metropolis. He is content as a small local business owner operating with an accountant. The hustle and bustle of his busy business in the busy city is what keeps him thriving everyday. Cahill indicates, “I am out there with my tablet and samples. Since I always come prepared, I am able to give a quote at that same visit, no waiting around.”

Affiliated with a major flooring cor-

poration Empire, Cahill is able to advertise and sell a lot of their products. He is a fan of their business and appreciates offering people “great quality flooring and prices.“ What is important to Cahill is being able to provide customers a peace of mind for their flooring with life long warranties. They do not have to worry about their floors because they are protected, “worry free guaranteed.”

Besides the warranties, Cahill guarantees a great service from start to finish, from consultation to clean up after floor installation. Types of floors offered consist of carpet, tile and vinyl. The most requested are hardwood and laminate flooring. Outdoor flooring is also available, which includes outdoor carpet, ceramic and porcelain tile.

As a simple guy who enjoys the simplicity in life, Cahill spends his free time bowling with cousins and friends. Appreciating the Texas weather, he BBQs whenever possible. Cahill works hard and “chillaxes” later.

Flooring 512 is a flooring contractor in Round Rock, TX- tnp

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Lien-ing in and bonding

hat if contractors and subcontractors could start lien or bond processes through a website rather than hire a lawyer?

Ironically, this was a question Anthony “Tony” Ciccone and John T. McLaughlin – both lawyers – began asking themselves in 2008. Ciccone, whose love for construction law began as a young law student/clerk, started gathering information to answer it.

Eleven years later, Texas Easy Lien LLC has become that answer. Visitors log in to the site www.texaseasylien. com and answer roughly one question per page. After the visitor has plugged in the information, the site determines – at no cost – whether or not a lien or bond can be filed. If it can, and the visitor would like to proceed with a lien or bond, the appropriate countyspecific paper-work is made available for a $250 fee. Rather than the thousands of dollars and hours of time a lawyer would require, contractors and subcontractors can independently assemble a lien or bond in 15 minutes at a fraction of the cost.

“The common question I get is, ‘Does it work?’ and the answer is, ‘It absolutely works,’” Ciccone says. “It’s very effective in helping contractors get the money they are owed. It’s a simple, fast, straightforward matter.”

Several lawyers helped develop the site with Ciccone, who is board certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Specialization, rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, and is a Texas Super Lawyer. Ciccone says he is pleased to offer the construction industry this much-needed service.

“We’ve had a good number of visitors

Anthony “Tony” Ciccone

to the site,” Ciccone says. “We’ve had a lot of people reaching out and saying, ‘This is great.’ We’re glad companies are finally doing this and there appears to be a lot of interest and excitement in the company.”

The website was only recently launched last January, but plans are already in place to enhance it.

“The current version of TEL is very effective in helping contractors get the money that they are owed, but we have big plans for the future to make it easier and able to handle more types of claims,” Ciccone says. “The project is actually already underway. The existing version is a game-changer already, but the new version is going to be even more exciting.”

Based in Austin, Texas Easy Lien is a document preparation service designed to calculate lien and bond rights. –mjm

Easy breezy cover guy

Austin’s asbestos abater

Breezy Garage Screens owner Tony Canizales in front of his installed garage screen

Asbestos Consulting and Environmental owner Chris Mayer on the go

A

garage is a boxed area that can be utilized for a variety of purposes, depending on the person asked.

Many use it for storing vehicles or junk, but with a screen it can be transformed into one’s bliss. Types of conversions include gyms, workshops and relaxation areas, which are ideal for a screened garage.

“I have always had a man-cave in my garage,” Tony Canizales said. He installed his own garage screen and realized that it made such a positive impact on the overall setting. He was inspired to give others their own man- or woman-cave too. Soon, he contacted the same manufacturer and became their screen dealer. Breezy Garage Screens started in 2015 servicing the Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio region.

“In Texas, many people use their garage as another room and do not necessarily want to always be shut in,” Tony explained. For example, car enthusiasts want to work in their garage with an outside view. The garage screen gives them that view, breeze and keeps the

bugs out all at the same time.

As the business owner, Canizales has two uncles that also work for the company and assist with installations.

Types of screen installations are for garages, windows and patios. He uses Lifestyle Solar Screens to protect from harmful UV rays. Motorized patio screens are available for easy access. All screens are able to detach and be reinstalled elsewhere if they need to be moved to another location. Canizales will install a screen pretty much on “anything to keep the bugs out.”

Attending high school and college in Shreveport, LA, Canizales has also lived in Oklahoma City, OK and California where he was born. In Texas, he lived shortly in El Paso and is currently in Austin. His favorite spot to be is in his ultimate sports garage cave. It is his sanctuary to wind down, watch the Raiders and enjoy the garage breeze with his Miniature Schnauzer, Cheeto.

Breezy Garage Screens is a garage, window and patio screen contractor in Austin. –tnp

W

ith over 15 years of experience, Chris Mayer is the proud owner of Asbestos Consulting and Environmental. Born and raised in the city he loves, Austin, Mayer primarily serves within the city and surrounding areas. Wanting to also branch out, recently Mayer opened up a sister property in Dallas, TX.

“Austin will always be my home. The city’s population is expanding, and I look forward to that,” Mayer said.

His first out-of-college job in the late 80s was with an environmental consulting business in Austin. This was around the time asbestos awareness grew. The discoveries lead to findings of health and environmental hazards. Because much needs to be done to fix this problem, the findings also lead to many environmental businesses.

Mayer worked for several large firms around town. Working for a specific engineering firm was a great opportunity for Mayer; he traveled around Texas and encountered many projects that would definitely help him in the long run. He knew he had enough experience and ambition to become an environmental business owner.

In 2005, Mayer took full control, making his

own money and making his own schedule.

Asbestos Consulting and Environmental conducts Phase One environmental site assessments, air testing, inspections and abatements. Mayer is experienced in lead, mold and asbestos. Usually services in asbestos alone keep Mayer busy all year round. Mayer enjoys conducting surveys because it is an opportunity for him to be an investigator and plot diagrams.

Mayer says his company is founded on the principle to provide “friendly, top quality services at reasonable fees.” Clients deal directly with the owner himself for all calls, consultations and labor. Asbestos Consulting and Environmental serves both commercial and residential clients.

Aside from providing personalized environmental services, Mayer can be seen golfing and spending time with his girlfriend and friends. He played for The Lizards, one of the longest-running baseball teams in Austin history. The team members grew up in the same neighborhood and are still close today.

Asbestos Consulting and Environmental is an environmental contractor in Austin, TX. –tnp

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Page 13

THIS MONTH 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

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

Sustainable coatings for concrete

We have opened up an office in Dallas and will be opening up offices in Houston and Austin by the end of the year.

Felipe Carstens, President Modern Day Concrete Inc.

What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years?

Major changes in the industry for us are that our customers have been educated on our products and can make better decisions. We lead them every step of the way to choose the correct flooring system for their needs.

San Antonio, TX

C

arstens has been working in the concrete coatings industry for over 16 years. He was born in St. Louis, MO and lived his childhood in Santiago, Chile. His family moved back to the states in ’94. He has been in business for over 10 years and is very excited about what’s to come.

What are the “hot button” issues in the concrete industry?

The hot button issues right now in our industry are the lack of general standards for companies to get into our trade.

I would also say it is the general contractor and the terms they set for the subcontractor on draws and payments. At the end of the day, the subcontractor takes the financial burden of the project and has to wait anywhere from 30 to 90 days to get paid. This causes a burden on the subcontractor. The products we are using as installers need to be more userfriendly with zero voc, and sustainable, for the long-term installer and our overall health.

How would you describe the state of

the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown?

The state of construction in San Antonio is booming. We have been experiencing great amounts of growth on a yearly basis.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

The factors driving growth are the economy and the population spike in Texas. This is all good for business.

How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business?

We are capitalizing on our growth and branching out as much as possible.

Sharing the knowledge Michael L. Tholen, Managing Director of Engineering & Professional Development, American Concrete Institute (ACI), Farmington Hills, MI

T

he American Concrete Institute (ACI) is a global concrete knowledge center. Its members gather to discuss and produce the most up-to-date resources for the concrete industry, including contractors, engineers, educators and students. ACI has recently produced two invaluable resources that address repair and quality concrete construction.

The first article in an ACI technical journal on the repair of concrete structures appeared in the 1920s. Since that time, ACI’s expert members have been developing technical guidance on concrete repair and rehabilitation.

Continuing to build on the nearly 100 years of ACI’s concrete repair knowledge, ACI has launched a new Concrete Repair Subscription. The online subscription includes digital access to the American Concrete Institute’s technical and education content on concrete assessment, repair, rehabilitation, and more.

Subscribers receive 12 months of access to ACI’s existing concrete repair-specific code requirements/commentary, specifications, guides, reports, symposium volumes and on-demand courses, plus new materials as they are available.

Specific contents include 65- plus codes, specifications, guides, and reports, including “ACI 562-16: Code Requirements

for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures and Commentary,” “ACI 563-18: Specifications for Repair of Concrete in Buildings,” “ACI 364.1R-07: Guide for Evaluation of Concrete Structures Before Rehabilitation,” and more. It also features 16-plus educational publications and documents, including “Guide to the Code for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures” and the Repair Application Procedures series; 33plus on-demand courses through ACI University, including all courses required to earn the “ACI Repair Application Procedures” certificate. It also includes recorded webinars and self-paced courses featuring ACI 562 design examples, guidance for incorporating ACI 563 into concrete repair projects, materials selection for concrete repair, and more; and 25plus symposium volumes containing 500 total papers on a diverse range of con-

www.facebook.com/ConstructionNewsltd

Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete industry relating to transportation or the environment?

No major changes, but we are talking about legislation for better terms for subcontractors.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Labor shortages?

Other?

The most significant challenges are skilled labor, payment terms from general contractors and educating customers on the different concrete flooring systems.

How are you dealing with these challenges?

Dealing with one issue at a time such as proper training for employees, certifi-

crete repair topics.

Additionally, new concrete repair content developed by the Institute will be made available to subscribers through the life of the subscription.

ACI also recently released the first edition of a new concrete repair specification: “ACI 563-18: Specifications for Repair of Concrete in Buildings.” ACI 563-18 joins ACI’s growing family of concrete repair industry documents aimed at demystifying concrete repair and facilitating the delivery of high quality, well-executed, cost-effective concrete repair solutions. Together with ACI 562-16 Code Requirements for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures and Commentary, and many other concrete repair resources, the Concrete Repair Subscription has the essential documents that the concrete repair professional needs.

Recently, ACI has also published jointly with the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) a new edition of The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction. The new guide provides up-to-date knowledge of quality concrete construction practices. It also contains extensive coverage of construction topics making this an invaluable document for concrete contractors, ready mix producers, testing technicians, specifies, engineers, and other concrete industry professionals.

The guide includes full-color photos and illustrations, a new, easier-to-read layout, and substantial content updates.

Also included in the fourth edition are 43

cations, and the management of accounts to better serve our customers.

What are the cost increases (if any) relating to your industry?

Everything is going up from materials to skilled labor to operating costs.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) I think the industry is evolving into more sustainable and zero voc products.

Long term we need products that will not harm installers.

What are the rewards of the industry?

The rewards are we get to make a difference in our communities. We’re creating jobs and creating long-term relationships. There’s no better reward than that.

What are keys to being successful?

Good management of your resources, keeping a high quality standard and creating lasting business relationships make a successful business.

Modern Day Concrete is a concrete coatings subcontractor in San Antonio, TX. –cmw

Position Statements from ASCC, details on ACI Certification programs, and an appendix introducing several legal issues of interest to concrete contractors. A summary, review questions, and additional recommended reading list accompany each of the 12 chapters.

Written by and for contractors, and referenced by many licensing authorities, this guide details proven practices to produce quality concrete construction. Contents include planning for quality, concrete mixtures, specifications, foundations, formwork, reinforcement and embodiments in structures, joints and reinforcement for slabs-on-ground, preparing for concreting, concrete placing and finishing, common field problems, safety, and legal issues.

The American Concrete Institute, founded in 1904 with a world headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI, USA, and a regional office in Dubai, UAE, is a leading authority and worldwide resource worldwide. It concentrates on the development, dissemination, and adoption of its consensus-based standards, technical resources, educational & training programs, certification programs, and proven expertise for individuals and organizations involved in concrete design, construction, and materials. It serves those who share a commitment to pursuing the best use of concrete.

Learn more about the Concrete Repair Subscription, The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, and more concrete resources at concrete.org, or call 248-848-3800. -cmw

Page 14

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

NEXT MONTH

HVAC & PLUMBING

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

Concrete repair industry programs Stephen Grelle, P.E., Senior Associate, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. President North Texas Chapter of the International Concrete Repair Institute, Irving, TX

R

ecent advancements in the concrete repair industry have changed the way repair and maintenance of concrete structures is approached. New technologies developed, refined, and widely implemented over the past few decades include cathodic protection systems for reinforcement corrosion mitigation, fiber reinforced polymers for strengthening and repair of structural concrete, and high-performance concrete mixes, such as self-consolidating concrete repair materials. These all expand the limits of what is possible for a durable and constructible repair.

As tends to happen with the introduction of any new technology into an established market, usage of the latest and greatest products and techniques comes with its fair share of challenges, which can be difficult to anticipate. Many building owners and property managers have little, if any, exposure to best practices for concrete repair. How can they be sure that a qualified contractor is performing the work, especially when the repair technologies are relatively new?

From a public safety perspective, how can specifying engineers and building officials be confident that structural repairs, which often require project-specific re-

L

ast October, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) in Fort Worth named Crissy Ingram as its new executive administrator. Not only can Ingram feel pride wearing the glittery hard hat she accepted along with the role, but also the honor of guiding her fellow women in construction.

Born and raised in Alvarado TX, Ingram moved to Fort Worth in 2009 and previously worked at Bank One, where she oversaw conversions and consolidations. The birth of her daughter in January 2011 inspired Ingram to reevaluate her career path.

“I took the whole year off to just be a mom to this new little amazing thing in my life,” Ingram says. “I just happened upon NAWIC by accident when I started looking for a job when I was ready to go back to work. I fell in love with their mission and what they do. I love meeting the ladies that I meet; they are so inspiring.”

Ingram began working at NAWIC in January 2012 as an administrative assistant. She then moved into a bookkeeper role in 2015, managing human resource matters.

“Then, I was fortunate enough to get to move into this spot as an executive administrator last October,” Ingram explains. “What a great ride!”

Through her years of experience at NAWIC, Ingram has identified areas that she hopes to create a lasting impact.

“A huge thing that I am working on is awareness,” Ingram explains. “One of our

pair techniques and careful attention to detail and workmanship, are being performed in a safe, effective manner?

When it comes to new construction, structural inspection requirements have been codified for decades. For example, welding inspection requirements for structural steel connections are very clearly described in the International Building Code and its adapted reference documents. Additionally, a Certified Welding Inspector program is in place to ensure that the persons performing those inspections are qualified and knowledgeable. Historically, the same hasn’t necessarily been true for the con-

crete repair industry. However, recent developments of concrete repair certifications developed by the International Concrete Repair Institute are becoming more widely accepted as the industry standard.

The first of these certification programs was the Concrete Slab Moisture Testing (CSMT) certification, which was developed in response to a rising number of moisture-related flooring and coating problems. The program has gained widespread acceptance in the industry as a means for evaluating the moisture in concrete slabs prior to flooring or coating installation. In fact, many project and manufacturer specifications now require that an ICRI-certified moisture-testing technician perform testing.

The other certification program introduced by ICRI within the past few years is the Concrete Surface Repair Technician (CSRT) program. This exciting new program provides valuable training for those interested in gaining knowledge on best practices for concrete repair, as well as a means of certifying qualified individuals to perform those inspections. An example of this is the development of ACI 562: Code Requirements for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures. It indicates that those certified by the CSRT program can be considered “qualified inspectors.” The program is well on its way to becoming an industry standard by which concrete repair inspectors

Ingram new NAWIC exec admin

Crissy Ingram poses next to photo of one of NAWIC’s founding lady members, Ida May Bagby.

major points in our strategic plan is creating awareness of NAWIC. We are here and we don’t want to be a best-kept secret anymore. We also want to be working with younger groups in middle school and high school to help girls understand that construction is not one thing or another.

There is a wide range of opportunities in the field that are great-paying, lifetime opportunities. Raising that awareness,

growing us and growing the industry are my main outlooks right now.”

Ingram also hopes to implement more women-centric career day events such as Project Accelerate, an annual, nocost, hands-on training in different construction areas. She also plans to update and translate NAWIC’s marketing materials, which are printed in English, into Spanish. Another major area of focus

are qualified and selected.

In addition to the certification aspect of the CSRT program, it provides a great training resource for the industry’s contractors and specifiers. The program involves two tiers of certification. Tier 1 requires certification applicants to view an interactive online course reviewing types of concrete deterioration and the requirements for quality repairs, and to pass a course overview test. Tier 2 requires a performance examination, where the applicant must perform various field tests relevant to concrete repair, such as slump flow of self-consolidating repair materials and tensile bond strength testing of repair materials.

The CSMT and CRST programs are helping to provide an established protocol for concrete repair-related inspections as well as a pool of qualified inspectors. More information on these programs, including certification applications, can be found under the “Certification” tab at www.icri.org.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) is an interdisciplinary engineering, architecture, and materials science firm specializing in delivering practical, innovative, and technically sound solutions across all areas of new and existing construction.

The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) is a non-profit organization with a mission to improve the quality of concrete restoration, repair, and protection. -cmw

is securing partnerships.

Ingram says she has had the good fortune to observe others in the executive administrator role and learn from their excellent example.

“I’ve learned [from them] to never let them see you sweat!” Ingram says with a laugh. “I just learned to be [present] and be honest. If someone asks you a question and it’s something that they don’t want to hear, you just have to tell it like it is. They respect that. You are helping them rather than pushing rainbows and butterflies. You’re helping them with real answers.”

Ingram is excited to serve NAWIC in this new role.

“I love NAWIC’s sisterhood, the closeness, the caring, taking care of each other and literally living what we say we are going to do by building each other up and being there for each other. I love that culture. It’s really something to see,” Ingram says. “My quest is just getting that word out and getting that awareness out there. I want to let people know that we are not just a club, we’re not just a group of girls, we are a group of professional women who want to raise up more professional women.”

Headquartered in Fort Worth, NAWIC is an international non-profit association that promotes and supports the advancement and employment of women in the construction industry. NAWIC boasts 81 members in Fort Worth and a total membership of 4,400. –­ mjm

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

Page 15

Lone Star Sunrise

W hat’s Trending in Tile and Stone

B

J

The Hart family of Sunrise Construction and Remodeling (L-R): Logan, James, Ann Marie and Connor.

ames Hart used to live both overseas and in Arizona, but an annual family trip to the Lone Star State convinced him that Texas was the state for him. That’s why, in 1983, James moved to Austin to become a permanent Texan and continue working in construction, something he had done since he was young.

James was introduced to the construction industry through a classmate’s father, who poured concrete in the winter and framed in the spring. James assisted him on his school breaks, and then went on to work for other builders. By his 20s, James had his own framing crew that he was subbing out and, in 1991, decided to establish his own business, Sunrise Construction and Remodeling.

Since then, James says he has “learned something new every day” as the company has tackled commercial and residential construction, remodeling, construction management, bathroom and kitchen remodels, interior and exterior painting, additions and new construction. Com-

mercial projects, such as his work on the Austin Regional Clinic, seem to be surpassing residential projects these days, but James is striving to keep the residential side of his business active.

“We’re trying to get into new homes,” James says. “We’re having to push through; there are a lot of people out there!”

Fortunately, Hart has a team he can depend on to help, including wife/office manager Ann Marie Hart, son/accountant Logan Hart and son/carpenter Connor Hart. Connor, who helped James build projects at home even as a kid, is next in line to take over the family business, and James hopes he can persuade him to do so.

In the meantime, James is simply enjoying doing what he loves, and doing it where he loves.

“I love being outdoors,” James says, “And I love being in Texas. I always knew this is where I wanted to be.”

Sunrise Construction and Remodeling is located in Bastrop, TX. –mjm

Soul proprietor

G

Michael Mortensen, RECON Stone

igger is better in 2019. While 12” x 24” tiles are still popular, there is a desire for larger sizes. Sizes in stone are available as large as 18” x 36” and even 24” x 48” but not all stones are able to come that large. The material will dictate what sizes are available from a manufacturing standpoint.

Grey has been one of the most popular color trends and continues to be popular, not just flooring, but homes in general. Cabinets, doors, trim – every shade of grey is hot. The neutrality of grey makes it a complement and easy to accessorize with.

Mediterranean Pearl

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are getting longer and wider with a push for realistic wood and concrete looking surfaces. Darks, lights and high variations top this year’s color trends according to some experts.

There is also a push for new patterns to mix things up and give a new twist to common materials. Geometric, Chevron, and modular patterns are being used in leiu of the standard square, especially on floor choices. The herringbone is classic alternative to the chevron and many use it because it is much more accessible and available in more options and colors. The chevron requires “A” and “B” pieces to make the pattern. Experts feel the chevron trend will likely fizzle out in the next few years, with kitchen installations being the longest hold-out.

Thin tile panels and slabs are becoming popular. Porcelain options can come as large as 5’ x 10’ and as thin as 1/8” to 3/4”. The new technology gives a very realistic look of marble, travertine, limestone and concrete. Some larger formats are more difficult to install and will require qualified/certified installers.

Rectangular subway tile is still very popular, though the trend is also larger formats. 4” x 8” has replaced the popular 3” x 6” and there is a strong desire for longer, more modern sizes, such as 4” x 12”.

The wood look is in and here to stay for a while. Modern techniques have given porcelain manufacturers the ability to produce realistic wire brushed, hand scraped and distressed looks. The advantage to the porcelain alternative to wood is the maintenance. There is virtually no maintenance involved with porcelain, other than normal cleaning. The material also won’t scratch like natural wood. According to experts, the wood looking trend will likely be around for years, maybe even decades to come.

While some manufacturers have done a really good job with their porcelains to look like marble, marble itself, is a timeless material. Specifically, Carrara and Calacatta Gold. There can be sticker shock when pricing the natural stones in comparison to the porcelain alternatives, but there is an elegance to natural marble. Some experts suggest the investment is worth every penny when considering it for your home.

Concrete has been associated with contemporary/industrial design for many years, and the trend is getting a lot of traction; however, some experts feel this trend will not last more than a few more years as the trend shifts to warmer color pallets.

The encaustic concrete tile with bold colors and patterns are becoming more popular and experts suggest that this will continue. It is being used on floors to add a fun dimension to bathrooms, utility rooms, mud rooms, as well as accents for fireplace surrounds, backsplashes, and outdoor living spaces. You will also see it used in many of the new hip bars and restaurants.

Mediterranean Shellstone

Glen McEuen of Central Texas Efficient Windows and Siding

len McEuen was surprised to learn that the window into his soul was … the window and siding industry.

The former software and marketing sales guru had this epiphany as he was seeking a career change. A buddy working for a window company franchise in Austin suggested McEuen come on board. McEuen did, and after vacillating between working for window companies and then marketing sales again (hey, he was offered a very lucrative position!), he finally struck out on his own.

“I figured I could do it as well if not better than I had seen it done,” McEuen says. “I called my wife, Ana, on the way home and said I thought we should open our own shop. She said, ‘It’s about time!’ and so we opened Central Texas Efficient Windows and Siding in 2017.”

In almost two years, McEuen has quickly determined the kind of company he wants to have.

“We’ve changed what we provide,” McEuen says. “We now have the ability to

do window repair, whereas before we did not. We represent brands of my choosing, not of somebody else’s choosing. I like that flexibility to represent the brands that add value for the homeowners. I don’t represent the most expensive brands, and I don’t represent the cheapest brands; I am kind of middle-of-the-road. I have a great window installation crew, a great supplier of windows, a fantastic supplier for all of my exterior finishes and the best painter in the area.”

McEuen says his favorite part of his work is “getting things off of people’s plates.” Knowing that his customers’ time is valuable and their budget is set, McEuen arrives with a no-nonsense attitude and gets to work determining what the customer wants and delivering at their price point.

The company is new but staying busy, and someday McEuen even might hire an office manager or a salesperson.

But at the moment, his soul is content, doing what he loves to do.

Subcontractor Central Texas Efficient Windows is located in Hutto. –mjm

Tundra-Grey Pavers Recon Stone is a natural stone supplier.

16027 University Oak • San Antonio 78249 • 210-580-1501

Page 16

JOB SIGHTS

Before beginning work to seal and stripe the parking lot at the next Rental One facility in San Marcos, the crew from Reliable Paving Inc. take time to pose for a picture.

L-R: Daniel Santos, Manuel Herrera, Jahiro Graciano, Leo Perez, Elpidio Gallegos, Elson Perez and Gregorio Eloiza. -cmw

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

continued from Page 1 — MAREK end workforce development program and a dedication to the communities in which they work.

Commenting on the presentation of this award, Phil Restivo, Vice President, Turner Construction had this to say about MAREK, “We have become accustomed to having motivated, trained and highly skilled MAREK professionals, executing safe, high quality work on our projects. As a partner, MAREK helps reduce our risks and enhances our value proposition for the client. Each morning at jobsites, MAREK employees lead their fellow workers in an important safety practice – stretch and flex. This is just one of several innovative safety, productivity and development measures implemented by MAREK.” MAREK lays the foundation for the future of the industry by supporting topnotch industry educational programs such as NCERR, The Construction Education Foundation (CEF) in Georgia, the Construction Education and Maintenance (CEM) in Houston and school districts across MAREK’s markets. MAREK is also an ABC Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) and has achieved ABC’s S.T.E.P. Diamond status.

Holland speculates it’s their engagement of ABC and active involvement in all

ABC chapters where MAREK operates.

“There’s a lot of alignment between ABC’s principals, around free enterprise and the merit shop, workforce development and safety. If I had to guess, we’re big on all those things and that is what ABC stands for.

“I don’t want to portray us as we’re better than everybody else, it’s our people. We focus on our people because that is what we are proud of and if we’re safe, it’s because of our people. If we do good work, it’s because of our people. I suppose, it acknowledges that people also value that whether it be our customers or ABC chapters.

“Its obvious that the folks at MAREK care a lot about what they do. We want to acknowledge and thank our MAREK team, our employees everywhere and also our partners, our ABC chapters, all of our workforce partners, everybody that supplies material to us and certainly our customers. If they didn’t give us the platform, the work and value what we do, there wouldn’t be a story. Again, we are just filled with gratitude for the people that helped us get there. No company, no person does it themselves. Again, it’s our people, our partners and our clients.

That’s our story,” adds Holland. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — Murals by Christopher

Harvey-Cleary Builders’ Safety Coordinator Tara Hyzak at the South By Southwest project. -cmw

No stopping crawfish

A

ssociated General Contractors (AGC) Construction Leaders Council (CLC) hosted another highly successful event. On Apr. 17, CLC held their crawfish boil for AGC members at the Zilker Clubhouse. The threat of impending bad weather did not deter attendance. –cmw

mouth had gotten him established.

“Sometimes I’m so busy, I don’t know what to do with myself,” he said.

While he gladly still does the kitchen or bedroom, Barnett has found a niche in the commercial world.

“The big commercial stuff is really amazing,” he said, referencing projects like the huge outdoor Folgers Coffee mural in New Orleans that took six weeks to do, during which he fought all sorts of weather along the way.

Someone from the P.F. Chang’s chain saw this and hired Barnett to jazz up their restaurants with murals all over the country, with 29 to date and more on the books.

“There’s something about a brush stroke that you can’t reproduce,” Barnett said, in discussing the beauty of original art versus a print of art.

As Barnett has worked in California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and other states, the transplanted Brit has seen much of America.

“This is an awesome country,” he said. “Americans are genuine, honest, welcoming people, on the whole.”

Oddly, Barnett never had to switch from English driving to America driving.

He learned to drive in the U.S. when he

was 37 years old. The challenge was when he went back to England and had to drive their way. Let’s put it this way: his kids won’t soon forget it.

Barnett also does private, commissioned artwork, which is good because he can’t see himself doing huge commercial pieces forever.

“I know, 10-15 years from now, I’m not going to be up for doing murals, physically,” he said. He did the Folgers mural on a window washer-type scaffold and was not allowed to be by himself for safety reasons.

He never uses spray paint, always paint and a brush.

“I’ve learned to be able to use the textures I’m working with,” he said, be it brick, cinder block, corrugated metal, or drywall.

The frustrated designer from the small English town of Upshire has found a home and true calling in America. While he is okay with American football, Barnett considers it “a sport that was designed to put commercials into.” Be that as it may, he says firmly about America, “If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t still be here.”

Glad he is - this place is much prettier because of his murals.

Murals by Christopher runs its operations out of San Marcos. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — DCA Construction

CLC members preparing to serve crawfish.

had no room for staging. All deliveries were scheduled to arrive and go straight from the truck into their place on the structure. The CLT posed the largest challenge as it was shipped from British Columbia.

The Cross Laminated Timber construction created a truly unique aspect to 901 E. Sixth Street.

It is the first such construction to be used in Austin.

Project Manager/Partner Kevin Foltermann, Superintendents Lester Surgers, Rudy Galvan and Project Engineer Samantha York maintained open lines of communications with the owner and architectural firm, Thought Barn and Delineate Studios, throughout the construction process.

“DCA was glad to be part of the project team with Endeavor and all of the Design Consultant teams,” agrees DCA Owners Randy Don Carlos and George Allen.

DCA Construction is a fullservice general contractor in Austin, TX. -cmw

Cross Laminated Timber at the staircase in 901 E. 6th Street.

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

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Association Calendar

From new cars to New Rüf

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

May. 15: 2019 Annual Golf Tournament, 15201 Falconhead Blvd., Registration 10am, Shotgun Start 12pm. For more info, call Tracey Littlefield at 512-719-5263 or email tlittlefield@abccentraltexas.org ACEA

Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.

May 9: Monthly Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm.

May 20: Summer Golf Tournament, Twin Creeks Golf Club, 3201 Twin Creeks Club Dr., Cedar Park, TX For more info, call Rachel Menchaca at 512-893-7067 or email rachelm@aceatx.com AGC

Associated General Contractors

May 20: Spring Golf Tournament, The Hills of Lakeway, 26 Club Estates Pkwy.

For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 AIA

American Institute of Architects

IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors

May. 30: IEC Electrical Contractors Tradeshow & Wire-off Competition, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. For more info, contact David Johnson at 512-832-1333 or email djohnson@centexiec.com NARI National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

May 6: Austin NARI 2019 Golf Tournament, Balcones Country Club, 8600 Balcones Country Club. For more info, call Kayvon Leath at 512-997-6270 or email kayvon@austinnari.org NAWIC National Assn. of Women in Construction

May 1: Chapter Meeting, Flintco’s Main Office, 317 Grace Lane #150, 5:30pm.

May 16: Lunch & Learn, Texas Materials Training Room, 1320 Arrow Point Dr. #600, Cedar Park, TX, 11:30am-1pm. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887.

RCAT Roofing Contractors Assn. of Texas

May 9: 2019 Awards Celebration, Fair Market, 1100 E. 5th St., 6pm. For more info, go to www.aiaaustin.org/event/aiaaustin-2019-awards-celebration

May 2-4: 16th Annual Fishing Tournament, Woody’s Sports Center, Port Aransas, TX. For more info, call 800-997-6631 or4 512251-7690 or visit www.rooftex.com

ASCE

TGA Texas Glass Assn.

American Society of Civil Engineers

May 5: Southeast Texas Branch Crawfish Boil, 445 Belvedere Dr., Beaumont, TX, 3-7pm. For more info, call 512-472-8905 or visit www.texasasce.org CTSA

Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

May 23: Lunch & Learn, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 11617 Research Blvd. For more info, go to www.ctsaonline.org DACA

Drywall Acoustical Contractors Assn.

May 2: 3rd Annual DACA Austin Golf Classic, Falconhead Golf Club, 15201 Falcon Head Blvd., Austin, TX. For more info, email Eddie McCormick at eddie@dacadfw.org

May 17: TGA Glass Conference II, The Baylor Club, McLane Stadium, Waco, TX. For more info, visit www.texasglass.org TSPS Texas Society of Professional Surveyors

May 17: Chapter 3 Social, Ronald Carroll Surveyors Inc., 5302 S. 31st St., Temple, TX, 11am-2pm. For more info, contact Ronald Carroll at 254-773-1447 or email ron@rcsurveyors.com TXFPA Texas Fire Protection Assn.

May 8: Chapter Meeting & Seminar, 9amSan Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins, San Marcos 3:30pm. For more info, visit www.txfpa.org

If you could own any animal as a pet, what would it be?

I actually own one - it’s a mini dachshund.

He’s my little buddy.

Mickey Womack The Plumbinator I already own several dogs, chickens and fish. A couple years ago we had horses. I miss having those big animals.

Kip Kypuros Anthony Construction As of now, I would own a horse. Our house is full with two dogs and four cats, not including the two outside cats my wife keeps feeding!

Jeff Cunningham, Green Oaks Building and Remodeling It would be a cow.

Greg Wiatrek, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing

miss him.

Jay Toleert, All Weather Restoration and Roofing

I would have to say a bear in case I get cold. It’s a rug. You can cuddle up with it and it has big paws.

Hugo Alvarado, Sundt Construction It would be some kind of monkey. I like them and think they are cool. I could train it to do things for me.

Tim Rosenberg Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Wow, I have to think about this…I would say a parrot because if I said it once, it probably has to be said again.

Blake Green, SpawGlass

I grew up having cats, but I don’t have any now. I would like to own one again.

Chris Mayer, Asbestos Consulting & Environmental

An alpaca. They make this crazy noise.

Ryan Therrell, The Beck Group

A baby tiger, but I wouldn’t want it to grow up.

Tony Canizales,

Breezy Garage Screens, LLC

Danny Roth Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

A fainting goat.

Danny Roth Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

A bobcat. I had one as a pet when I was younger that would show up at the house and he ended up becoming an outdoor cat. It was one of the coolest things that ever happened in my entire life. He got to where he’d come and let you pet him, but you wouldn’t pick him up, though. He was a pretty cool cat. He was my friend. I

M

Michael Winot, owner of New Rüf

ichael Winot spent more than two decades trying to clear lots of cars, when he would have preferred to be building on those lots. As general manager at a multi-million dollar car dealership, he was growing weary of overseeing hundreds of employees.

Craving self-employment, Winot started exploring his options.

“I looked at everything from pizza and craft beer to used clothing,” Winot remembers. “Then, I looked at the roofing and restoration business and I really was attracted to it. I love building projects, but I also recognized that this would be a way that I could really help people and work with homeowners to make sure they received everything that they deserved from their homeowners insurance company. The more I learned about it, the more I liked it.”

Winot established New Rüf in January 2018. The company offers roof repair, maintenance, emergency roofing and handles HITEK roof inspection – all tasks Winot feels highly qualified to undertake, given his upbringing.

“When I was a youngster, I was taught construction and roofing by my grandfather who was a master plumber and master electrician; he could build or fix anything.

He was a real perfectionist and taught me to be very detail-oriented – he cursed me with that! I worked with my grandfather on lots of projects. I built my first building out of repurposed materials at age 15. In high school, I worked in a cabinet shop. When I was 20, I moved to Houston from Vermont to build houses.”

When a working arrangement didn’t pan out, Winot got into car sales to support himself. Although his time in the auto biz was profitable, Winot is now happy to be back to his roots and using his hands again.

“It’s way better than I thought it would be,” he says. “We get to help people. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. We want to make sure that our customers get the required components

for the proper repair, not the bargain basement roof replacement their insurance company wants to pay for. It’s a constant effort advocating for homeowners with insurance companies.”

One way Winot advocates for clients is using technology to assess damage.

“We use the drone, which is a completely disinterested third party, to inspect storm damage on roofs,” he explains. “Its eyes are definitely better than anybody’s, certainly better than any adjuster’s eyes. We print a report showing storm damage on that roof. It’s one of the secret weapons that we use to get roofs approved, and we do that at no cost.”

Also helping Winot in his advocacy is his committed team of 10 project supervisors, a sales manager, a production manager, a controller and a designer. Winot says he and his team enjoy growing the business and are considering the company‘s future.

“I have thought about going to different cities and opening different offices, and that’s not out of the question,” Winot muses, “But I’ve also thought about just being a local hometown roofer, being the guy you can count on to be here. If you go to different cities, you have additional overhead. There is plenty of work, I believe, here in the Austin metro area. Our service area is all the way from San Marcos up to Waco, as far west as Lake Buchanan and as far east as Cameron and Rockdale. It’s a pretty good-sized area. Rather than having 100 project supervisors spread all over the state of Texas, why not have a larger force, just in one location? Our company is not a storm chaser. We want to stay in this local area.”

“We are a high-energy company. We hold ourselves to a pretty high standard,” he adds. “We always want to take the high road and do the right thing by our homeowners and by our customers and with each other as well.”

Roofing subcontractor New Rüf is in Hutto. –mjm

Success in hiring

A fainting goat.

It would probably be a hippopotamus because I’m from Hutto.

Will Catchings, JE Dunn Construction I would have an otter. I think they are great the way they just kickback all the time.

Mark Canamar, Big City Access I like giraffes. There is just something about the way they walk around.

Ray Rodriguez, Brandt

TDIndustries held a hiring event on Jan. 31 in Austin with an almost doubled anticipated turnout. As a result, TDIndustries filled 21 positions, increasing their Austin-area skilled-trades staff approximately 10 percent. –cmw

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

The sound of welding

Love can build a deck

Araselia Perez (right) and the family of The Perez Brothers Welding

The crew at Austin Outdoor Living Group (L-R): Michael Foster, Dan Schellenberg, Noelalee Ragle, Ralph Ragle, Anthony Morgan

emember the von Trapp family, all lined up in the captain’s living room, then Maria leading the kids in songs throughout the movie?

The welding version of The Sound of Music is The Perez Brothers Welding, lead by mother Araselia. The actual Perez Brothers are Araselia’s husband Roberto; sons Roberto, Jr., and Anthony Benavidez; and brothers-in-law Alex and Tony Perez.

Roberto has been welding for years, but after over 20 years working for others, “I guess one day he decided enough is enough,” Araselia said.

Araselia’s background is in banking, specifically, loan officer. When Roberto quit working for others, she retired from banking and the two started their own welding business in October 2016. Araselia has the office experience, so she is the owner while Roberto focuses on his first love of welding.

Going was hard, at first. But after handing out enough business cards and getting social media presence, they got enough business to add the sons to the

company, then the brothers-in-law.

“Little by little, we started growing,” Araselia said. They initially started the welding shop out of their home; now, they have an actual shop close by.

The Perez Brothers did mostly residential in the beginning, but do mostly commercial now: metal structures, railings, stairwells, work in hotels, etc.

The Perezes have a robust work area in Texas: from Amarillo to Dallas to Waco to San Antonio, and naturally, the Austin area.

“We don’t like to overbook our workers,” Araselia said, who handles all the jobs and scheduling. She schedules the work two-three weeks out.

Araselia is enjoying this new phase of her and the family’s lives. “It’s very exciting,” she said. “It all happened at once.

I’m enjoying it.”

The Perez family welding together all over Texas is definitely one of her favorite things.

The Perez Brothers Welding does commercial and residential welding, based in Kyle. -dsz

W

hen Ralph Ragle speaks about his boss, his voice radiates pride and admiration – and it’s not just because his employer, Noelalee Ragle, just so happens to be his wife.

The praise is justified. Noelalee has worked in the construction industry since age 15, first working in a lumberyard, then teaching construction clinics and handling builder’s accounts. She was introduced to deck design when a deck builder, insisted Noelalee oversee his account.

“That period lasted about seven years, and I fell in love with the design aspect of outdoor living,” Noelalee says.

“I started my own business, Austin Outdoor Living Group, in 2000, which was geared to residential homeowners versus general contractors.”

What started out as a deck and pergola company quickly evolved, and Austin Outdoor Living Group now offers patios, patio covers, outdoor fireplaces, and outdoor kitchens. Rather than use one tradesperson to do all of the work, the company employs individual trade

experts – plumbers, carpenters, masons and electricians – to help deliver the highest quality work for clients.

“What makes us stand out the most is our passion and our creativity for knowing how to accomplish even some of the more difficult designs,” Noelalee says. “I think we are really good at design and are really selective on the quality of people that we pair to build.”

Business grew so fast that Noelalee eventually asked Ralph, who had lumberyard experience, to help with takeoff and permitting while she focused on sales and design. It was perfect timing.

“When we had our youngest son, she was making so much more money than I was that I had stayed home a couple of years [to raise him] while she dominated the industry! Once he got in school, she gave me a job,” Ralph says.

Ralph likes working for his boss, and admires the way she keeps putting the great in “great outdoors.”

Subcontractor Austin Outdoor Living Group is located in Cedar Park. –mjm

Austin Construction News • MAY 2019

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Page 19

Three decades of devotion

ainting was only meant to be a side job for Cliff Tibbs, thanks to some painter friends who threw a few projects his way so that he could make extra money. Before he finished those jobs, though, he was already being lined up for more work, and painting soon took up more and more of his time.

Wanting to control the quality of work – as well as pocket more of the profits he helped earn – Tibbs established Cliff’s Residential and Commercial Painting (also known as Cliff’s Painting) over 30 years ago. As he established his reputation for attention to detail, he honed his attention on what his company offers as well.

“We’ve added more services,” Tibbs says. “We do remodels and repaints, but we don’t do new houses unless it’s a custom home for a small builder or someone building their own house. We added drywall repairs and carpentry repairs and we remove the popcorn finish on ceilings.”

The company focuses on the Austin area, especially Travis and Williamson County. It also employs the same crew of workers – never subcontractors – to ensure that the result on each project is consistent in quality and matches Tibbs’

high standards.

Meeting his own high standards is what has kept Tibbs from expanding over the years, although he says he has attempted it.

“Everybody wants to grow a bit more and a time or two I tried to do that,” he says. “I’m not a hard person to work for; I’m a very easy person to work for if you know what you’re doing! It’s hard to find good guys, but if I could find more guys to work like my guys, I might get a bit bigger. I would rather focus on quality, not quantity, though.”

After all, Tibbs wants his work to reflect the three decades he has devoted to it, especially when customers see it for the first time.

“I like to see the people’s faces when we’re finished,” he says.

Painting subcontractor Cliff’s Residential and Commercial Painting (Cliff’s Painting) is in Hutto. –mjm

Custom-made colleagues

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Daniel Peglar (L) and Tracy Corrigan (R) of Peglar’s Custom Cabinetry

aniel Peglar and Tracy Corrigan have owned and operated Peglars Custom Cabinetry together for nearly four years, but their friendship reaches back nearly two decades. They know each other well, and now they want the construction industry to know them well, too.

“We’re trying to build a business, getting our name out there and building our reputation,” Corrigan says. “Daniel had many years of doing work in general construction and remodeling and so he had a pretty decent clientele. That has really helped us keep things moving forward as we have transitioned from doing whatever work we could into specifically cabinetry and furniture. We’re getting pretty steady work; we’re booked eight weeks in advance.”

A part-time apprentice and an administrative assistant help Peglar and Corrigan with the work, and the business’ size is a definite advantage.

“We don’t necessarily want to get terribly big or anything,” Corrigan says.

“We like that this is a very small group. We

just want to be able to weather the hard times and make really beautiful products with a high level of quality.”

Together, the team offers custom cabinetry and specialty pieces that transcend functionality.

“Our direction is more focused around the more artistic representations of things for people, so we don’t have a standardized line,” Corrigan explains.

“Every project that we work on is a custom project. Some of our customers want us to handle everything, but we try to work towards finding people that want to have something that they are a part of.

It’s not that this is going to serve some kind of function or utility in their house.

It’s going to be a part of their life. It’s a piece that they help find and it’s going to enrich them. Every day that they come in and go to that space, it’s something they are going to enjoy and be in some way fulfilled by it. We just want to get more into that niche of making functional artwork for people.”

Subcontractor Peglars Custom Cabinetry is in Austin. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2019