San Antonio Construction News August 2019

Covering the Industry’s News

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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 22 H Number 8 H AUGUST 2019

Backgrounds in check

Keeping on trucking

Tomlin Roofing Professionals’ Robert Yuras, wife Audrey (Tomlin) Yuras, and their family

L-R: Martha Perez, Ron Lindig, Sondra Silva, Leroy Zinsmeyer, Shane Menchaca, and Jacob Rodriguez of Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning & Heating

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obert Yuras, who has worked 19 years in the roofing industry, hails from a family that has roofed San Antonio since 1949. His wife, Audrey (Tomlin) Yuras, grew up watching her father build vast custom homes that required years of his craftsmanship. When Robert and Audrey met in 2015, it wasn’t long before the couple combined their knowledge and talents to create a business using the best of their backgrounds.

On Jan. 1, 2018, Robert and Audrey founded Tomlin Roofing Professionals in San Antonio, with a nod to Audrey’s maiden name (Robert’s father was already operating under the business name Yuras Roofing). Robert became the primary lead for commercial and metal roof installation, and Audrey tackled the

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ounded in 2013 by Clay Page, R.C. Page Construction is a San Antonio based general contractor serving the central and southern regions of Texas.

With a primary focus on private work, the company offers “concept to keys” service.

“We focus our full resources to become part of your team from project planning through construction and beyond,” says Page.

The company is guided by their core values of honesty, reliability, respect and integrity during all phases of a project.

Taking a personal interest in the construction of the new Airrosti Headquarters in Hill Country Village, Page oversaw the project as project manager with the assistance of Assistant Project Manager John Oliver and Superintendent Jack Cooke.

The Airrosti Headquarters is part of Hill Country Village Park, a three-building project with an estimated construction cost of $6.5 million. Airrosti Headquar-

company’s administrative and bookkeeping tasks. Together with their team of eight, Tomlin Roofing Professionals offers all types of roofing services, including seamless gutters. The company’s residential division, run by Kevin Becker, services the San Antonio Hill Country and Central Texas region. Tomlin Roofing Professionals‘ commercial side provides services throughout Texas and is contracted to do the roofs for Pilot Flying J Travel Service Centers.

With this company, Robert found that his family’s entrepreneurial spirit and love of roofing didn’t skip a generation. Audrey, who says she quickly wrapped her head around the roofing trade, found that construction is in her continued on Page 21

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elvin Zinsmeyer still drives (on occasion) his vintage, very-first Zinsmeyer Refrigeration Service, 1955 Chevy truck. His sons had it refurbished and given to him as a present.

Mr. Zinsmeyer started his HVAC company in 1960, and like his truck, his business is still trucking along, now called Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning & Heating, and owned and operated by his son Leroy and his wife Marsalie.

Leroy had been working for his father Melvin since a youth, doing service calls while still in high school. At night, he would take HVAC classes, planning on the day when he would be running the show.

“Leroy has said that his dream was to work for his dad and one day take over the business,” Marsalie said, “and that’s what he

did in 1998 when he bought out his dad.”

At that point, Melvin stepped back.

“He still visits the office daily and makes sure the boys are doing what they’re supposed to do,” Marsalie laughs.

Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning & Heating began as an LLC on January 1, 2019.

Doing both commercial and residential work (installations and repair, specializing in Trane systems), Marsalie has seen Zinsmeyer grow with Castroville and the surrounding areas. “Our range is quite wide,” she said. Zinsmeyer handles a lot of schools, churches and restaurants as well as many new homes. Marsalie said that Castroville has new subdivisions “that have really kept us busy.”

When Marsalie came on board with continued on Page 21

New headquarters ters, located in North Central San Antonio, occupies one of the three buildings and was a M.E.P. design-build class “A” office finish-out and new construction project designed by Studio8 Architects’ lead designer, Megan Moshier, IIDA, Director of Studio8 San Antonio. The Airrosti Headquarters building had an estimated construction cost of $3 million.

Spanning more than 40,000sf, the interior finish-out of the Airrosti Headquarters included upgraded light fixtures, premium tile and flooring, custom millwork, ceramic showers, upgraded restrooms, solid glass operable partitions, raised flooring, solid wood doors and premium accessories and polished floors.

The three buildings were constructed of concrete tilt walls, spandrel glass wraps, multi-finish floors, retaining wall systems, and TPO roofing. The project also included the construction of carport Airrosti Headquarters, Hill Country Village Park, North Central San Antonio

continued on Page 21

Page 2

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

A winning hand

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Nick Kisley, owner of Ace in the Hole Painting

amblers would tuck an extra ace up their sleeve in order to guarantee a winning poker hand. When it comes to being a painter, having that ace means the paint job will be a winning one, guaranteed.

Nick Kisley was painting with a friend one day, and when the woman whose house they were painting complimented the pair, Kisley’s friend said, “Every job we do is an ace in the hole,” meaning, every job is a winner. That’s all it took for Kisley to come up with the name of his soon-to-be own company: Ace in the Hole Painting.

Kisley has done most everything from foundation work, to roofing, to framing. The painting trade “kind of fell into my lap,” he said. Someone was looking for help and he was looking for work.

Within six months’ time, Kisley was given a company truck and a crew to manage. “I picked it up really quick,” he said.

Ace in the Hole started in 2008 and became a DBA in 2010.

Kisley has done some small commercial projects but shies away from the bigger companies because they many times have a 60- or 90-day payment schedule. If he does a commercial paint job now, it’s usually the small doctor’s office kind of deal.

Kisley does not do new construction, mainly residential repainting. If it is a new house, what Kisley finds is the homeowner wants to customize the look before he moves in and move away from the ultrabland neutral paint scheme that came with the house.

“All homeowners are different,” he said. Case in point is one woman who has around 25 different colors in her house: every room and every ceiling were all different.

Kisley is very precise when it comes to working with a client in picking out the color scheme. He makes absolutely sure the colors they have picked out are what they want. If not, he tells them it will be an additional cost for new paint as well as his time.

Kisley says two factors impact how a

paint looks on a wall: lighting and the paint’s finish. Natural light will make a color look one way, while an artificial light will make it look another (This doesn’t even take into account the kind of artificial light it is as light bulbs have a wide range of colors within themselves.).

Further, “The shinier the sheen of the paint,” he says, “the lighter it makes the color look.” Kisley prefers to use flat or satin on walls, flat white on the ceiling and semi-gloss on wood and the trim.

When it comes to working with or around other contractors, Kisley likes going last. “I usually try to wait until everybody’s out of the house as far as other contractors go,” he said.

Kisley schedules his jobs about two months out. If he hits a rainy spell, and he has an interior and exterior job on the books, he’ll try and get them to flip the projects.

“I only run one job at a time, start to finish,” he said. “If I show up at your house and I start your project, I will not start another project until your project is done.”

“I’m very, very particular about my finished product and how I expect it to look,” he said. As such, Ace in the Hole is only Kisley and two other helpers. “I am 100 percent hands-on,” he said. “I’m owner, operator, estimator, employee. Every job that I sell, I physically work on, hands-on, every time.”

Therefore, when it comes to growing larger to where he only goes around managing his crews, Kisley says that’s a negative. “I prefer to stay hands-on,” he said. “That’s the way I intend on keeping the company when I hand it down to one of my kids.” Kisley’s younger son has shown an interest in Dad’s work.

Until then, “I won’t retire until I can no longer work,” he said. “I’m a doer. I have to have something to do. The last time my wife told me to find something to do, I came home with a car.”

Even that sounds like he played his cards just right and had a winning hand.

Ace in the Hole Painting is a painting contractor in Schertz. -dsz

From Arch to Alamo

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John Pearson (center) general manager of Hayden Paving, San Antonio, flanked by project managers Jeremy Charles (left) and Garrett Hudler (right).

ohn Pearson and his family are fitting right in with their new home of San Antonio: they love the annual rodeo.

Another perk of being down here, as opposed to St. Louis where he was before, or even his native Chicago, is he has no trouble generating work all year round.

As the general manager for Hayden Paving’s San Antonio office, Pearson likes having the ability to lay down fresh asphalt even during our “winters.”

With the booming economy and building, Pearson does primarily new construction paving and many, many schools. Part of this work at schools deals with their athletic needs such as tracks, football fields and tennis courts. Believe it or not, a high school or college track has the exact same asphalt under it as is used in the parking lot. The big difference is the spongy surface put on top of it.

“It’s still asphalt,” Pearson said, “but not every paving contractor can do that type of work.”

A unique quality of the football field - and why so many schools are going with the new turf - is they are designed to drain rain through it to a drainage system below it. This way, rain doesn’t create puddles which can impact play, not to mention a muddy grass field can get chewed up and need a lot of maintenance between games.

Pearson graduated from Southern Illinois, Evansville, with a degree in engineering. Prior to working at Hayden, he was working for another paving company in St. Louis as the Director of Operations. Via the professional website LinkedIn, Pearson and Hayden Paving met one another, and he was hired to run the new San Antonio office of the Houston-based company. Pearson moved down here on Jan. 1, 2017 and was at work Jan. 2.

Pearson said Hayden does a lot of work in Comal County and towards Boerne. Within the paving world, asphalt can be customized for whatever the client needs. “A small parking lot at a dentist’s office might need one type of material,” he said, “and a big parking lot at a

manufacturing plant might want a different type of material.” A big reason for this is the type of traffic that will be run on any given surface.

The ideal goal of any new construction project for Pearson is not only get the initial contract but be asked to come back in subsequent years. “You try to make relationships with the customer [so that] five years later, they call you back to do the maintenance work,” he said. Pearson calls it “a cyclical program: you install it and you maintain it.”

A big project Pearson has been involved in was the taxiway expansion at the Corpus Christi airport.

For their parking lot work, Hayden Paving subcontracts the striping portion of it.

Technology has vastly improved the world of paving, not only in the machines laying it down, but the actual paving material itself. Pearson said the pavers “have come a long way,” even having sensors on them to tell the operator what the thickness of the asphalt is as he rolls over it.

Further, “The quality of the material going down has improved,” Pearson said.

Some of the asphalt will have fibrous material in it.

“Asphalt is the most recycled material in the world,” he added. “Every new ton of asphalt you buy will have a percentage of recycled material in it.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 tons of asphalt pavement is recycled every year. One such material used in asphalt is old house shingles.

Between the warmer weather and booming building projects, business for Hayden Paving in San Antonio is looking good. “It’s been enjoyable,” Pearson said, of his time here so far. He’s come from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to the Alamo in San Antonio.

Oh, and the next rodeo will be Feb. 6 - 23, 2020. Pearson and his family will be there.

Hayden Paving is a Houston-based paving contractor with an office in San Antonio. -dsz

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 3

A breath of fresh paint

The new owners of Pintura Paint Company. L-R: JD McDowell and Daniel Garcia.

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hen JD McDowell asked Daniel Garcia to do some work on his house, the two had no idea that would lead them into a new venture.

When McDowell wanted some work done on his house, he knew just who to call. Garcia, a general contractor and president of Rhino Design Build LLC, and McDowell were friends who met through their daughters. As the project moved forward, they would meet regularly to discuss the progress of the work. “During our meetings we discussed different things and particularly, we discussed the paint aspect of the project,” says McDowell.

Discovering they shared same philosophies in running a business, they began discussing and looking into starting a business together. Realizing the consistency of the paint aspect of McDowell’s home project, they began looking into purchasing a paint company.

“After interviewing a few different paint companies, we came across Pintura Paint Store. We felt like it had all the right opportunities. It is a very tenured company that just got a little tired and needed a breath of fresh air. We started negotiations with the owner and discovered it was everything we were looking

for. It was a perfect time for them and things just kind of meshed together well so we jumped on the opportunity,” added McDowell.

“The first thing on our agenda is to be customer-oriented and focused. Behind that, our goal is to get the products that painters need,” continues McDowell.

Pintura is a 30-year-old company and the new ownership is going through some renovations through and through.

“We are bringing products that Pintura didn’t normally carry before. We’ve been meeting with our paint contractors and bringing in items they normally use,” adds Garcia.

“For anyone who has had an experience with Pintura, we invite you back to see what is new, what’s different, shake hands with the staff and get to know the new Pintura is all about.

“For anybody who has not been to Pintura, we want the general public to know what all our capabilities are, what our products are and what we can do. We feel like we have something very unique and special and it’s a powerful game changer in the painting world,” says McDowell.

Pintura Paint Company is a paint supply company in San Antonio. -cmw

Before and after photos of renovation

A demolition cottage

Cedar Eaters owners, Pam and Stan Hegener, with son Spence Hegener(left) having some fresh air on the porch of their beautiful cottage like office. -tnp

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Throne golfing

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It’s all good

1st Place: Joeris General Contractors - Tom Smith, Names Nitschke, Joey White and Rhody Baker

he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Association held the 2019 PHCC Golf Tournament at the beautiful Hyatt Hill Country Resort. The May 1st event hosted 130 golfers for a day full of fun, competitive golf and lasting memories. -cmw 2019 PHCC Golf winners: 2nd Place: Tipton Co./Mr. Rooter of San

Antonio - Brad Hadden, Rick Mitchell, Jerry Mulder and Aaron Mulder 3rd Place: Shafer Services/Federated Insurance - Jimmy Shafer, Joey Disbato, Caleb Reger and Carlos DeLeon Golden Throne: Tom Smith Closest-to-the-Pin: Havoen McCraw Putting Contest: Jeff Jendrsky Chipping Contest: George Phillips

Construction News ON LOCATION

A welcomed surprise!

Construction News surprised Angel Robles, Lindsey Sutherland and Liberty Martinez at G.D. Interior Construction with a visit. -cmw

L-R: George Camacho Jr., and George Camacho III, owner of Steel Cowboy Buildings of Texas

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here’s an old song called, “I Got It Good and That Ain’t Bad.” George Camacho didn’t write or sing it, but he could have. For him, each new day is an opportunity to not only ply his trade and build something, but to bless people and do some good along the way.

Camacho started Steel Cowboy Buildings of Texas (SCBT) in 2015. Actually, this same company can trace its roots back to 1999. It was first called Armadillo Carports of Texas, then Longhorn Metal Structures. What has originally started out as a carport-building business has morphed into so much more.

The San Antonio native wanted to be a welder in the Navy. Unfortunately, a knee injury cut short his military career, but welding was a natural fit. “I learned how to weld when I was 12 years old,” Camacho said. “I love welding.”

He worked for a carport builder in Columbia, SC. “I came back home [to Texas] late 1998 and started Armadillo Carports and it took off like a rocket,” Camacho said.

SCBT has a robust lineup of products: gates, garages, barndominiums, fences, decks and porches, home additions and “miscellaneous,” meaning, if you can think it up, Camacho will get ‘er done for you.

It’s all good. “You have to love what you do,” Camacho said, “if you’re going to be in business, that’s for sure.”

“My first barndominium I did in 1994,” he said, while he was working for someone else.

All these types of jobs weren’t originally planned; they just happened. “It’s progressive,” he said. A customer can ask for one thing, then a neighbor would see it and ask for something else and Camacho would figure out how to do it.

“I give credit for my success to the people around me,” he said. “It isn’t me personally.” For instance, Camacho says his concrete sub-contractor is a concrete master.

“I got the best crew out there, hands down,” he said. “I got the best soldiers in the market.”

San Antonio

Even though the type of work fluctuates, Camacho figures that at the present time, SCBT does about 60-40 commercial work to residential. What happens a lot is Camacho’s guys will be in an area of Texas to do a job, then end up there for longer than they had originally planned because word-of-mouth will land them more and more jobs.

SCBT goes all over Texas, such as horse arenas in Lubbock or Tyler. “If it’s in Texas and it’s the right kind of deal, we come,” Camacho said. His team of 12 are all trained to do anything. Their mobile welding is just as robust as the shop when it comes to capabilities.

“Right with them, getting his hands dirty with work, is Camacho.” “I get right up in there,” he said. “I love it. If I don’t [do the hands-on work], I think I’ll rot away.”

Camacho said oftentimes the customer thinks he’s just one of the hired hands and is surprised when he gets identified as the company owner.

“I get personal with my customers,” he said. “All my customers are my friends when I get done [with a job].”

When it comes to the future, one of Camacho’s sons owns Steel Cowboy Buildings of North Texas (in the Fort Worth area) and might possibly take over SCBT one day. Or, as Camacho joked, “If someone comes along with the right money, I might sell it!”

For the moment, however, life is good and that ain’t bad. Camacho enjoys waking up every day and doing something good for someone, whether it’s building them a sturdy metal building, or simply blessing someone who can’t pay him back.

“I’m going on 20-something years [in this business] and I’m still rocking,” he said. “I’m happy. I’m blessed.”

Ain’t nothing wrong with having it good and being happy doing it. Sure beats having one’s life not becoming the material for the next big country hit.

Steel Cowboy Buildings of Texas is a metal structure contractor in Atascosa. -dsz

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 5

Leaving a legacy

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L-R: Bob Lowe (seen with brother Jack Lowe, Jr.) is leaving a legacy with his retirement from TDIndustries.

wo months ago, Bob Lowe’s retirement party strained to hold the swell of people celebrating the TDIndustries Vice President, but it also struggled to contain everyone’s emotions as they reflected on Lowe’s 43-year career.

“I think one of the best things about retirement parties is all of the stories that people tell,” Harold MacDowell, TDIndustries’ CEO, says. “At TD, we’ve always tried to use storytelling and remembering as a way to keep culture alive, and there were a lot of great stories about Bob that day.”

The story of Bob’s career at TDIndustries actually started before he ever worked for the company. TDIndustries, which was founded as Texas Distributors in 1946 by Bob’s father Jack Lowe, Sr. (and financed

by Bob’s great aunt Julia Greer), first focused on residential work. From age 14, Bob worked summers for his dad in the mailroom, on service trucks and in attics.

Bob left and waited tables at his brother Ed’s Celebration restaurant for six years but returned to TD in 1976, when marriage and the desire to start a family called.

Bob, Jack Sr. and Jack Lowe Jr. wanted to expand TD to include commercial work, and Bob jumped in to learn all he could.

He began as a sheet metal helper and, within a year, became a foreman. He then moved on to plumbing and pipe fitting and earned his plumber’s license. He learned how to manage projects as a job clerk and then became a superintendent and construction manager. He worked

You always look good in Construction News

hard and moved up the ladder, but was always aware he would have to earn it.

“Dad told me that if I was one of two people who were equally qualified for a position, the other person was going to get it just to make sure I was never shown favoritism,” Bob says. “But he said the advantage I would always have is that, because of my name, I didn’t have to worry about being forgotten.”

Bob participated in iconic projects, including City Place and Arlington’s original Rangers ballpark. In 2005, he was named Executive Vice President, but his leukemia diagnosis that year, followed by the death of his daughter Catherine one year later, “changed the direction of my life significantly,” he says. “I decided that I no longer had the desire to climb the corporate ladder. I wanted to enjoy life and travel more.”

Bob and his wife, Connie, bought a lake house and focused on his three-year leukemia treatment and recovery. Within five years, he moved out of the main office to oversee work on the DFW Airport, a project he championed. Seven years and a final Fort Worth project later, he decided the time to retire had arrived.

Bob looks forward to renovating his lake house, selling his Dallas home, and taking Connie on a fall foliage tour through some northern states. He is also excited to spend more time with daughter Amy, her husband Paul Jenke (a TDIndustries senior project manager) and his two grandchildren.

As happy as Bob is, there is a twinge of sadness from those who have worked with him and who carry on the Lowes’ legacy.

This includes MacDowell, who has doubled the company revenue to $630 million, grown the employee count to almost 2,700 and expanded offerings to mechanical construction, truck-based service and integrated facilities management.

“Bob is the last of the two sons who were extremely active in this business and, for TD, it’s kind of a sad day that we

no longer have any direct descendants of the founder involved in the business,” MacDowell says. “However, we’re also extremely excited about the legacy Bob leaves inside of the organization, in terms of the people that he grew, the careers that were promoted, and the legacy of leadership that will help carry the company forward.”

Mechanical contractor TDIndustries is in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Richardson, Austin, San Antonio and Phoenix, AZ. –mjm

Page 6

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Double checking the contracts and invoices for cash flow slowdown contributors

What is OSHA’s General Duty Clause (5.(a)(1)) and how is it used

Judson Southwell, Senior I, Assurance Services Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC Dallas TX

Jim Greaves, , Associate Partner & Risk Management Experience Director Catto & Catto LLP San Antonio, TX

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ssues with cash flows can come in any shape or form and are derived from multiple causes. One main culprit to these slowdowns is the same documents used to start and complete projects – specifically your contracts and invoices.

Make sure to always read the small print When you think about cash flow issues, your brain might rush to the end of the construction project when you’re trying collect what you are owed. But the seeds of monetary discontent are often sown before a shovel hits the dirt. Case in point: the contract’s payment terms.

In most common terms, contractors usually have two options. One option is to receive payments upon completion of specific phases of the job, or receive payments by the owner in equal installments over the course of the project or by what was agreed upon in the contract.

If you have been accepting one of these options without question, consider how it can negatively impact your cash flow. Receiving payments on completion is risky since random events may occur which pushes out the completion date.

For the installment option, this might leave you underfunded at important times where you need the extra cash flow. If either of these apply, you may need to renegotiate the payment terms.

Make sure to know your customer It is obvious that issues with cash flow start with the owners. Owners may tend to draw out making payments as long as possible in order to benefit their own cash flows. In the meantime, your outstanding invoices can pile up and slow your cash flows down.

One general rule in the construction world is that contractors must be able to get by with getting paid within 60-90 days. But, in order to increase cash flow, set a company standard to reduce that down to less than 50 days. This will vary, depending on the type of construction work you do and the structure of your contracts. But there are certain proven procedures that can be helpful. One example would be to use an electronic billing system to invoice the owners. This will expedite the time they receive your invoice. Make sure that your invoices

clearly state the terms, total amount owed, and penalties for making late payments.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with every owner you are working with and modify your invoicing process that will suit the situation. With some owners, a clear and precise invoice will do the trick on its own. For other owners, they may need some assistance for a more handson walk through approach. This is usually true when dealing with an owner that has given you payment issues in the past.

In these cases, go the extra mile to invoice the owner on time and send a follow up shortly after.

Sign here We all know that everyone dislikes doing paperwork, but your contracts and invoices can determine the success or failure of a construction projects. In closing, make sure to pay close attention to the details and know exactly what you are signing off on.

Judson has quickly established himself as a leader, demonstrating his passion in the assurance services department. As a Senior I auditor, Judson oversees the work performed by professional staff and serves as the primary link between the professional staff, manager, partner, and the client.

He has a comprehensive knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial statements as well as a thorough understanding of audit practices in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). As a Senior I within the firm, he works with audit teams through planning, management, and the success of engagements. Judson specializes his knowledge and efforts within our construction services, investment companies, and employee benefit plans. He also consults with clients on internal controls emphasizing efficiency and productivity.

Agreement in place

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) renewed a partnership agreement that outlines how the organizations will collaborate on advancing workplace safety and health over the next five years. L-R: ASSP President Rixio Medina, CSP, CPP and NIOSH Director John Howard, MD, signed the memorandum of understanding May 22.-cmw

he General Duty Clause, found in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, has become increasingly important to employers. OSHA can and will utilize the clause for penalty and enforcement actions. The discussion below describes the General Duty Clause and how it is being used by OSHA to ensure a safe work environment.

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that all workers must be provided with a safe and healthful workplace. The section, more commonly known as the General Duty Clause, specifically states:

“Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”

In simple terms, this statement means that you, as an employer, are obligated to protect your employees from recognized hazards in the workplace even if there is not an OSHA standard which applies to the situation or if hazards still exist after compliance with a standard. In effect, the General Duty Clause obligates employers to take additional steps toward safety if the well-being of employees is in jeopardy.

How Does OSHA Use the General Duty Clause?

The General Duty Clause extends OSHA’s authority beyond the specific requirements of the OSHA standards when a recognized workplace hazard exists or potentially exists. It is often used by OSHA when there is no specific standard which applies to a recognized hazard in the workplace. OSHA can and may also use the General Duty Clause when a standard exists, but it is clear that the hazards involved warrant additional precautions beyond what the current safety standards require.

OSHA has issued General Duty Clause citations on other issues where no apparent safety standard exists. Citations have been issued for lack of training, failure to have additional safety or alarm equipment to detect or warn of chemical leaks, and failure to provide safe locations or safe access to valves or other instruments necessary to an employee’s job.

What about situations where a safety standard currently exists on a particular subject? Are you doing enough if you are in compliance with OSHA’s safety standard? The answer, unfortunately, is maybe not. OSHA has also used the General Duty Clause to cite employers who knew that an OSHA standard was inadequate to protect their employees from harm.

If an employer knows a particular safety standard is inadequate to protect his workers against a specific hazard(s) it is intended to address, or that the conditions in their place of employment are such that the safety standards will not adequately deal with the hazards to which their employees are exposed, the employer has a duty under Section 5(a)(1) to take whatever measures may be required by the Act, over and above those mandated by the safety standard, to safeguard his workers.

Summary of requirements Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 places additional responsibilities on the employer and the safety manager to ensure that a safe work environment is provided to all employees. The General Duty Clause is being increasingly applied to a wide vari-

ety of situations, many of which have not been addressed by a specific OSHA standard. What may be even more disconcerting, however, is that general duty citations can also be issued if OSHA feels that additional safety equipment or procedures are necessary beyond what is required in an OSHA standard. Thus, the General Duty Clause is making it increasingly difficult for companies to fully comply with OSHA’s requirements.

One way to deal with the threat of general duty violations is to make good faith efforts to correct existing workplace hazards and to identify and address new hazards as they appear. Some steps you can take to accomplish this goal include: • Investigate every accident or injury in the workplace to determine the root cause and identify actions that need to be taken to prevent if from recurring; • Conduct job hazard analyses to identify the specific hazards associated with every job and to identify new job hazards; • Document your training efforts and conduct periodic retraining as necessary; • Consider establishing an employee safety committee in the workplace; and • When you have met the letter of the law,” step back, and critically assess whether the process might still be unsafe • Hold your foremen, supervisors and management accountable for safety on the jobsites.

Prior to joining the team at Catto & Catto, Jim worked with the Baptist Health System as Safety Manager. He has gained vast experience in the safety field working in the construction, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and healthcare industries. As a working Director, Jim currently handles risk management and safety programs for non-profit, social service, educational and healthcare related businesses throughout the state of Texas. He is closely involved with the Risk Management team members to ensure that clients receive exceptional risk management, safety and claims consultation services.

Jim received his Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa. He is certified as a Field Safety Representative (FSR) and as an approved Professional Safety Source (PSS) by the State of Texas. Jim is a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), Applied Ergonomics from HumanTech, and a Master Instructor for the Crisis Prevention Institute. Jim is also a Certified Active Shooter Instructor through the ALICE Training Institute.

Catto & Catto LLP was founded in 1933, and we are the largest independently owned firm in Central Texas providing thoughtfully developed and professionally delivered solutions to our clients. Our firm is driven by a passion to create risk intelligent cultures. Therefore, we take a global view on complex risk issues inherent to each client through our diagnostic audit process, the Catto & Catto Experience. The result?

Engaged executives, informed staff, increased efficiency and decreased total cost of risk.

210.222.2161 x239 jgreaves@catto.com

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 7

Top cybersecurity concerns for the construction industry

The facts about OSHA 10 & 30 hour cards

Denis G. Ducran, Senior Counsel Peckar & Abramson Houston, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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M

odern technology has made many things more convenient, from email in your pocket to looking at who is ringing your doorbell by glancing at your phone.

But constant connectivity has also opened us up to attacks and as such, it is more important than ever to be vigilant and prepared. Because the construction industry is not always at the forefront of adopting new forms of technology, particular emphasis must be placed on cybersecurity and data privacy. Below are some of the top concerns for the construction industry related to cybersecurity and data privacy and why ongoing training is essential.

The Internet of Things

In today’s world, we are hard-pressed to find devices which are not “smart” or connected to the internet. Every time you ask Siri a question or start the car from an app on your phone, you are using the internet. Baby monitors, HVAC systems, home security, smart lightbulbs, the list that makes up the internet of things goes on and on. All of this connectivity is wonderfully convenient, but any time a piece of equipment accesses the internet, it is exposed to hackers. Many people may ask, “what does it matter if hackers gain access to the air conditioner?” Besides the obvious temperature control issues, this can be a point of entry for hackers to gain access to more sensitive computer systems where personal and business information is stored. Many believe that is exactly what happened during Target’s well-publicized data breach. Hackers gained access to Target’s POS system through an HVAC vendor without proper security. As a result, training is essential for contractors and subcontractors who are given access to networks or other portals.

willingly provide thinking that the attacker is a trusted colleague. Spear phishers go after who they believe are likely to have access to and will provide them the information they need.

Jobsite Security

Hackers will always seek the path of least resistance. If the front door is locked why not see if the back door will open?

With cyber attacks making headlines many companies have invested money in securing their data and implementing best practices regarding cyber security in the home office. But what about on the jobsite? Construction sites are buzzing with activity and oftentimes have computers or devices that connect to networks at the home office. If devices are left unlocked or someone enters a restricted area undetected they now have access to those systems and the money and time invested in securing the home office was for naught. For this reason, dual-factor security is gaining popularity and highly recommended by IT professionals. This type of security requires a secondary device such as a smart phone to log into a computer.

Liability Liability in the event of a cyber attack is a major concern in the construction industry. Who is to blame and who should bear any losses? Whether it is the owner/developer, the contractor or the subcontractor the fingers will be pointing. Going even one step further, what will insurance cover in the event of a cyber attack or data breach? It will be very important moving into the future that cyber security and data privacy concerns are worked into contracts so that everything is clear from the outset. With proper training, hopefully liability will not be the ultimate problem, but it is important to consult with an attorney fluent in these issues when drafting and negotiating contracts. Fortunately, many insurance markets have started to offer cyberinsurance products to protect against some of these risks.

Phishing/Spear phishing While not specific to the construction industry, phishing and spear phishing are major threats that must be protected against. Numerous contractors have been victimized by these scams to the tune of millions of dollars. With potentially hundreds of employees, hackers want Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or access to company information that can, in some way, get them money.

With phishing, attackers are looking for information or login info from the target.

This will be a more generic email casting a wide net looking for low-hanging fruit.

Spear phishing is more targeted. Attackers engage in social engineering, such as looking at LinkedIn or other websites to find out who your colleagues are, potentially spoof their email addresses and mention colleagues in an email, ultimately hoping that you will provide the information they need to access your system or steal personal information that you

Payments One major cyber security problem many companies face is spoofing – where an email looks like it is coming from a reputable, known source. The email appears to be from a friend, colleague, vendor, etc. when it is actually from a malicious actor. The construction industry deals with many payments from developer to contractor and contractor to subcontractor. Often these are very large sums of money. If an outside actor finds out about a regularly scheduled wire transfer they can send an email shortly before or at the time a payment is due asking the company to change the routing information. At that point, if undetected, the money is being handed to the attacker instead of its intended recipient.

This can create substantial financial loss, and in the worst case, causes companies to go out of business.

Government Requirements Anyone working on public projects or government contracts will need to not only be aware of cybersecurity issues to protect public infrastructure, but also will need to understand government requirements related to cybersecurity. Depending on the project, contractors will need to adhere to different standards about cybersecurity and data protection.

The construction industry faces daily challenges due to the complexities of cyber security, information integrity and data privacy. Increased awareness and ongoing training will assist the construction industry avoid incidents before they occur.

Denis G. Ducran is Senior Counsel in Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office.

A board-certified construction lawyer and registered architect, he focuses primarily on construction industry transactions, litigation, arbitration and risk management. He may be reached at: dducran@pecklaw.com.

any general contractors ask their subcontractors to obtain OSHA cards for their workers. This often refers to OSHA’s 10-hour and 30-hour safety courses. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in fraudulent activity related to these courses over the past several years. Knowing the facts can help workers avoid fraudulent trainers and courses.

FACT: Only OSHA-authorized trainers may teach 10- and 30-hour safety courses and issue OSHA student course completion cards. These trainers are authorized by an OSHA Education Center to teach OSHA 10 and 30 hour courses.

The 10-hour safety course covers general safety and health hazards for entry-level workers. The 30-hour safety course provides a greater variety of safety subjects and in-depth, industry-specific training and is intended for supervisors and workers with safety and health responsibility. While fraudulent actors may advertise OSHA 10-hour training, only OSHA-authorized trainers can issue course completion cards at the end of the training.

FACT: OSHA publishes a public list of authorized trainers at: https://www.osha. gov/dte/outreach/outreach_trainers. html to help workers find legitimate training and avoid fraud.

The list provides trainer names and contact information, and denotes which course each trainer is authorized to teach (i.e., construction, general industry, maritime, disaster site worker). Courses are also available in Spanish and online from the appropriate authorized trainer.

FACT:

Taking the course does NOT guarantee employment.

While OSHA believes this training is an important first step towards workplace safety, beware of advertisements “guaranteeing” jobs after taking the course.

FACT: OSHA does not require completion of these courses, but may require other training for workers that encounter certain workplace hazards. Although some states, cities, and job creators have mandated Outreach Training Program courses as a prerequisite to employment, OSHA does not require the training. In other cases, jobs may include workplace hazards that require training to meet OSHA standards, such as training on common chemical hazards encountered in the workplace, or operator training for specific powered industrial trucks on the jobsite. Be sure to check your local requirements and consult the relevant OSHA regulations.

FACT:

The OSHA 10 hour card belongs to the worker that attended the course.

The employer is not allowed to keep worker’s cards, even though the employer may have paid for the worker to attend an OSHA 10 or 30 hour class.

Keep these facts in mind when searching for courses and trainers to ensure proper safety training and avoid fraudulent courses. If you come across any fraudulent actors, please contact the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General at https://www.oig.dol.gov/ contact.htm For more information, visit the Outreach Training Program website at: https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/ natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Port Arthur we moved back to San Antonio.

What did your family do after Goodfellow AFB? After three years we came home to San Antonio, where my father opened a restaurant. He and mom moved to London, TX, and he managed a restaurant near there.

Ray Hegwer

President and Co-owner River City Bolt and Screw San Antonio, TX

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ne can’t fish and golf all the time.

That’s what Ray Hegwer discovered when he retired. He just had to keep busy. Fortunately, Hegwer turned all his putzing and tinkering around into his new business. Now, he’s enjoying staying busy, even if he’s not at the lake as much as he could be.

Tell us about your background and earlier years.

I was born here in San Antonio into an Air Force family. We moved seemed like every three or four years. We were in Germany for four years. It was good because I learned to meet people fast. I enjoyed the traveling. My dad was in San Angelo when he retired. We moved to Port Arthur for a while. He ran a Top Value stamp store, if you remember what those things were. We ended back in San Antonio. I was a senior in high school then. I graduated in 1964 from Harlandale High School.

Where were some of the places you lived when your father was in the Air Force?

My dad was stationed in San Antonio at Lackland Air Force Base, and then stationed at Darmstadt and then in Zweibrucken, Germany. After four years we came back to the United States and he was stationed at Goodfellow Air Force base in San Angelo, where he was a commissary officer.

What was your favorite place to be stationed at?

I liked Germany. I learned some German and we were there four years. San Angelo was good too. We went to Port Arthur. We just got In the habit of moving every four so after three or four years in

What happened after high school?

I went on to do some time at San Antonio College and St. Phillips and did some welding courses. I kind of came full circle: later on, I did safety seminars at both those college for college kids on the safe use of power tools and ladder safety.

San Antonio College is down on San Pedro and part of the Alamo Colleges. I didn’t get a four-year degree. I had a couple of kids by that time and was working full-time anyway.

What was your working journey like?

As a youngster I worked in a grocery store and an ice cream fountain for a while. Then, I went to work for a rental equipment company here in San Antonio and ended up managing it almost 10 years. An opportunity came about to go to work for Milwaukee Electric Tool. I took that job and stayed with Milwaukee Tool as a factory sales rep for 27 years.

Did you have to travel much in that job?

Pretty much South Texas. I’d be in Austin every week and Corpus a couple of times a month; everything from Austin to Brownsville.

What was the job with Milwaukee Electric Tool like?

Milwaukee Tool is a national, really well-known power tool brand. We competed with Rockwell, Skill and Black & Decker. I would call on construction and industrial supply houses primarily, also major contractors if they had a particular problem on the job that needed a solution. It would be my job to go out there and try to help find the solution. I ended up doing a lot of safety training the safe and effective use of power tools and extension cords and the effective use of these things. That became what my strength was.

What else did you do?

I was a representative for Werner Ladder and Weatherguard. They all had product training as well as safety training. In the beginning it was the contractor teaching me how to learn on the job site and the right way to use tools. I became teaching the younger contractors how to do it. It’s been fun. I really enjoyed it.

Ray Hegwer, president and co-owner of River City Bolt and Screw, with one of his handy-dandy kits of various fasteners.

What happened after you retired from this job?

I retired but I guess I needed something to do. I started building in a home shop some kits- - an array of assorted fasteners all in one container. If a customer didn’t know what size he needed, he could grab this assortment and have the right fastener when he arrived at the job site. I started assembling these and selling them to the same distributors I had known before and they started doing pretty well. It led to being River City Bolt and Screw. We needed a brick and mortar place. I needed to warehouse the product to make the kits and also it allowed me to buy the fasteners at a better price.

I could build the kits more competitively.

It spawned River City Bolt and Screw. I was really fortunate to have a partner come along. His name is Donny Perez.

He’s been in business for a very long time; he’s worked in fasteners his whole life. He came on as a full partner.

Who else works with you at River City Bolt and Screw?

Lucien DeBow is our office and store manager. He came out of the fastener business as well. We’re fortunate to have his over 30 years of experience.

What is the time frame for all this?

When did it happen?

I started making kits in 2014 and River City Bolt and Screw started in 2018.

Our open house will be August 15th to show of our new location and try to make some customers more aware of us.

You’ve been involved with tools and machinery for a long time now. What kind of changes have taken place or what’s been a notable difference be-

tween then and now?

I started in 1979 in power tool sales.

It was an all-electric industry. Cordless tools were virtually unheard of. A lot of the parts were all metal including the handles instead of plastic. Tools are a lot safer now than they were and lighter in weight also. The cordless drills came in in the mid ‘80s. Now you see cordless anything. Tools that run on batteries are really convenient. A cordless tool won’t electrocute you. You can use a cordless tool ankle-deep in water and it won’t hurt you. Technology has advanced so fast in batteries that it’s incredible.

We’ve already established that you like to stay busy with work. But - hypothetically speaking - if you had some down time, what do you like to do for relaxation?

I like to golf but don’t do hardly any of it anymore. I’m still into fishing. I fish salt water, fresh water - anywhere. Last weekend my wife and I were fishing in Corpus Christi. At Calaveras Lake you can fish big reds and cat fish. I did ride motorcycles as a kid, but I haven’t been on one in a long time.

So, now you have a new business, a second career, if you will. What does the future look like?

The kits have been good to us. The sales of the kits have grown every month.

The company itself has turned into a fullfledge supply house for fasteners. We’re impressed with the growth that we’ve had and certainly hope it continues. We see nothing but good things. We believe the future is bright and we want to be part of it.

What does your wife think about your new venture in life?

My wife, Jo Beth, and I have been married 40 years and she and I are really excited about this new business, as it overcomes obstacles and continues to grow.

River City Bolt and Screw is a supplier of fasteners, bolts, nuts, screws and industrial supplies. They are located in San Antonio. -dsz

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 9

Hook, line & subcontracting

PHCC graduates

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he San Antonio Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) hosted their annual fishing tournament Jun. 21-22 in Rockport, TX. Once again, the event proved to be a fan favorite of its members and industry guests. -cmw Guided Division: 1st Place: Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing 2nd Place: Alterman Inc. 3rd Place: Big City Access

Heavy Trout: Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Heavy Redfish: Alterman, Inc. Heavy Flounder: MEI Rigging Non-Guided Division: 1st Place: M&M Metals 2nd Place: Rockin with Dokken 3rd Place: Safety Supply Heavy Trout: M&M Metals (4855) Heavy Redfish: Rockin with Dokken Heavy Flounder: Rockin with Dokken General Contractor Division: Skanska

It’s graduation time again. The Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Association is no exception. Congratulations to the 2019 PHCC graduating class.

Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2019 classes. -cmw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Mocking it up

1st Place Guided and Heavy Trout

Construction News caught Pugh Constructors’ L-R: Felipe Lopez and Martin Pacheco working on a lighting mock up for Mission Concepción at the offices of Pugh Constructors. -cmw s

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Chad Yount has been promoted to Area Manager for the Sundt Construction Inc.’s Transportation Group focusing on San Antonio and South Texas.

Yount has been in the construction industry since 2006, beginning his career with Sundt in 2008 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in engineering management with a focus in civil engineering.

-cmw

Randy Powell has become the newest member of Embrey Partners LTD. Powell, a 25-year construction and management veteran is the firm’s new Executive Vice President of Construction and leader of its field operations, preconstruction and estimating functions. -cmw

1st Place Non-Guided and Heavy Trout

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Burgers and friends

couple of hours before the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) were to open the gates for their 2nd Annual Burger Bash, the sky opened up letting down a downpour of rain that had to have the women wondering if their fun-filled event was going to be a washout. Just like the members of NAWIC, Mother Nature stood by the women of the construction industry and the rains stopped just

in time for the gates at MacArthur Park to open.

The weather did not stop the construction industry from attending and partaking in the delicious burgers prepared by the seven participating teams.

“It was a great evening, full of fun and good friends,” says Dana Calonge, NAWIC Burger Bash emcee. -cmw Photos courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography.

W hat’s Trending in Fire Protection

Innovations that capture the hearts of survivors, technicians and customers

A

nxiety and a bit of panic sets in at the sound of an unexpected fire alarm or sight of smoke in a room, yet in an instant, relief can suppress fear as the installed protective measures work as they were intended. The fire protection/life safety industry gets little thought by the masses. However, all appreciate it as its systems give peace in the day-today. As all things evolve, fire protection continues to advance through life-saving, timedecreasing and experience-enhancing innovations.

Welcome to the bash!

The Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) System

Best Tasting Burger: Western States Fire Protection

People’s Choice: Rogers-O’Brien Construction

Koetter Training Center

Experience-enhancing Innovations In the evolution of this digital age, fire protection is no exception. Digital devices and web-based platforms drive this industry too. These ever-changing advancements give our team the ability to collaborate and use real-time information to better serve our customers.

Online after-service reporting software allows Koetter Fire Protection to confirm the work performed and centralize reporting resources like photos, voice memos, comments and inspection reports documenting the service on-site.

By utilizing these access points, customers receive complete transparency into services performed, issues found by technicians and what was done to resolve them.

Through web-based platforms, customers receive online quoting including photos and detailed descriptions of the continued next page

s

L-R: Buddy Doebbler, Construction News with Karen and Tony Ridout, Ridout Barrett.

Life-saving Innovations In the moments of an emergency, reliable communication is critical. Staying informed with clear radio transmissions between first responders inside a building and emergency personnel outside the building can help prevent injuries and save lives.

While reacting to an emergency, responders lose communications when inbuilding radio signals are weakened by structures such as concrete, windows and metal. To solve these communication challenges, Koetter Fire Protection looks to Notifier’s Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) System.

This system is a signal boosting solution designed to enhance in-building radio frequency (RF) signal coverage for public safety radio. They are high gain, high power band-selective signal boosters/bi-directional amplifiers that can integrate directly to a Notifier fire alarm control panel. Designed and customized to meet all public safety frequency band ranges, it is intended to provide reliable two-way radio and FirstNet signal coverage inside buildings, tunnels and other structures. The band’s selective design delivers reliable performance in even the most challenging RF environments.

When combined with Notifier’s fire system, Notifier provides the reliability and quality expected from a life safety solution.

Time-decreasing Innovations Fire sprinkler companies deal with many obstacles daily. Two challenges that need managing are material cost and manpower. With the increasing material cost, sprinkler contractors must strategically navigate man-hours.

As sprinkler manufacturers seek to meet the demand for products that decrease man-hours without sacrificing quality, they have developed time-saving parts like slip-on couplings and 1” grooving systems.

Slip-on Couplings The concept of slip-on couplings is not new, yet the idea of having a coupling that you do not have to take apart to install has become a game-changer.

Slip-on couplings alone have increased productivity in the field, and now, manu-

facturers are developing single bolt slipon couplings. These products maximize labor cost by decreasing time spent on installation.

1-Inch Grooving Systems

One inch grooving systems help fire protection technicians significantly decrease installation time. Typically oneinch pipe is threaded and can take up to two to three minutes per fitting. When using this new system, technicians can have the pipe cut and grooved in less than 30 seconds and ready to install with a slip-on single bolt coupling in the same time it would have taken to thread a pipe.

This system is proven to increase sprinkler head installation by 200 percent. Additionally, the one-inch grooving system offers equivalent foot length demand and will not cause an issue with the hydraulic demands on the fire sprinkler system design.

These are a few innovations in the fire sprinkler industry that are available to help fire protection companies save time on sprinkler head installation without sacrificing the quality of the products or the work performed.

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 11

I try to get to the surf anytime I can starting mid-summer. Live croakers work the best, but it’s fairly easy to catch these fish on lures too. If fishing from the beach, topwater plugs such as the Super Spook Jr. cast well into light on-shore winds, and if nearshore sargassum is abundant, topwaters can be rigged with single live-bait hooks instead of trebles.

Slow-sinking baits such as the Mirrodine and Softdine also cast well and remain in the strike zone, allowing trout extra time to see the lure.

If you are interested in trying a surf fishing excursion, give me a call. Here are some open dates available in August 15,20,21,22 and September 3,4,5,10,19,25.

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

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Surfs up for speckled trout

by Capt. Steve Schultz 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.

T

he population of speckled trout in the surf along the Gulf of Mexico is, quite frankly, enormous. This somewhat seasonal fishery is sometimes under fished (mostly due to wind conditions in the spring, fall and winter) and not only harbors sizable quantities of fish but many times offers quality trout weighing up to eight lbs or more. Those who learn to fish the surf for speckled trout will find considerably less fishing pressure compared to the bays. Let’s take a look at what anglers should consider about fishing the surf for speckled trout.

The surf is not an easy environment to pattern speckled trout until one knows and understands the structures, currents and the habits of surf-running speckled trout. When inshore fishing for trout, most anglers have learned to target structures such as oyster reefs, drop-offs, sea grass edges and sand-pockets. In the surf, the only structure that exists is the sandbar and the troughs (referred to as guts) between the bars. These sandbars and guts are extremely similar for miles

s

continued - Trending - Koetter

service to be performed or the deficiency to be repaired. This process yields a more efficient quoting process, especially in the field, and our automated job booking gets the ball rolling. The customer is in control while they interactively approve services or request changes, while companies track the progress.

This innovative platform delivers swift reaction to inbound service calls as we answer questions, schedule services and update our entire team with a few clicks.

Instantly customer records are found while technicians are tracked and redirected for the fastest response time possible.

With our unmatched, growing database of safety devices and code requirements, we deliver inspection solutions for NFPA that make building safety inspections easier and more accurate – which leads to greater compliance and lower cost.

Jason Ferguson, Managing Partner Koetter Fire Protection 16069 Central Commerce Dr. 512.251.7888 Koetterfire.com

Latest surf outing with Turner South Texas Marketing Dept. included Cali, Kayla, Alexa and Mike. Limits of trout by 10am and a neat photo opt at the famous Port A lighthouse.

and miles.

The currents, caused by wind direction and tide, flow differently through the bars and guts as water heights change throughout the day. As the nearshore current runs along the beach, it will occasionally be pinched by a sandbar intersecting the beach. All the water flowing down the gut between the beach and the sandbar has to go somewhere, so it will be pushed over the sandbar and back out. As it flows, it carries with it all the baitfish and forage into the waiting

mouths of the predators. Now, these locations shift daily, but in general they can be found every quarter to half mile along the beach. It will take training your eyes to find them. As you fish the beach more and more, you’ll begin to recognize them.

At first you’ll only notice the very distinct ones. Later you’ll begin to notice the ones that are barely visible. Finding these areas where the current carries baitfish into the second gut and onto the second bar is one of the keys to understanding surf-running trout and catching them.

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 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

Expectations

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big part of having a good time on a fishing trip is based on what your expectations are. Expectations are how we navigate through familiar experiences. What did we forget to bring with us last time? Did we have a hard time getting to our destination? How can we make sure we have as good a time as last time, or better? Expectations can help us be ready for what comes next, or they can hinder us from enjoying something.

Remember when you were a kid and everything was new to you? Maybe you remember your first time fishing. You didn’t have any preconceived idea as to how things would be. It was more exciting and maybe even a little scary, but it was fun! I think that is why some of our best memories are from childhood, when everything was new and we didn’t have any expectations to go on.

As a guide I have seen many people have a good successful fishing trip where they had an absolute blast. Then the folks book another trip so they can come do it again. Only rarely will they get to have a trip equally as satisfying or better than the first one. Fishing involves working with variables in weather, lake conditions and the behavior of the fish. These

are things we can do our best to compensate for, but can never really control.

Even when you bake a cake or barbeque a brisket, you can have the exact same recipe and never get just the same result each and every time. Once again…variables wreck the expectation, and can leave you disappointed.

So here is what you can do. Use the power of expectations to help you get ready to do. Anticipate what you need to bring and to find the best way to get to your destination. Then just leave the expectations at home so you can embrace your next experience anew, just like a kid.

Follow the cake recipe the best you can.

Set the oven temp just right and set the timer. You have done all you can, so just walk away and see how it turns out. Never the same way twice, but pretty good eating just the same!

The other thing you can do is understand what your expectations for a fishing trip are. Are you taking a kid for a first fishing trip? You are going to need to find a lot of fast biting fish to keep their interest. Do you just want to spend the day wetting a hook and sipping a cold one with buddies? It might be a good day for just scouting out new places to fish. Are you trying to impress a client with a big stringer of fish? You need to be on top of your game, so be sure the weather is good and bring your best bait and bag of tricks. Most important, if you are using the services of a fishing guide, share your expectations with him so he has the best chance of giving you what you want. Any good guide knows the whereabouts of several schools of fish on different feeding patterns that he can get you on to.

Then just try to stop expecting and start enjoying what comes! The fun of fishing is the unexpected!

First trout Striper Bass

Construction News’ Managing Editor Carol Wiatrek shows off two speckled trout she caught over the 4th of July holiday in Galveston. Wiatrek had never caught trout before and was even more excited as she was the first to pull one in. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 13

Industry FOLKS

Opiela pride

Eric Honsberger Project Manager Central Builders Inc. San Antonio, TX

B

orn in Beaumont, TX, Honsberger grew up in Sugar Land, TX, a city just southwest of Houston named after a large sugar plantation situated in the fertile floodplain of the Brazos River.

Growing up in the small suburban community was always an adventure according to Honsberger.

“I would explore the town as much as possible on bicycles with friends.”

And as is typical of young boys, Honsberger was constantly outdoors, building forts and getting into mischief.

He attended Clements High School and Elkins High School. After graduation, Honsberger enlisted in the US Navy. “I was active duty in the Navy Stationed at Sub Base Bangor, WA. After active duty, I was in the reserves while attending school. The training involved a lot of maritime and force protection preparedness courses.”

He attended Texas State University, “Go Bobcats,” and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement with a minor in Forensic Psychology.

Shortly after graduation, Honsberger decided to pursue other career options.

“My parents were supportive of my decision to pursue a different career path mostly because I put myself through school. Also, by the third year of school, I had a change of heart and wanted to do something other than law enforcement. It was too late to change majors, so I continued on and got my degree.”

One of those career options was working offshore. This led him to travel to several countries that included the Netherlands, Scotland, Norway, Spain, Benin, Gabon and Turkey. Each country has its

own memories, both good and bad.

“I would have to say Scotland was my favorite. I was taking multiple helicopter firefighting training courses and I had a few days between classes to explore the country a bit. I rode a train from Aberdeen to St. Andrews and walked the oldest golf course in the world. Then continued south to Edinburgh where I visited castles and enjoyed the local music and whiskey.”

In his spare time, he enjoys playing a good game of golf, fishing and 3-D printing. Being a bachelor with no children, he has plenty of time to enjoy his hobbies.

Honsberger joined Central Builders Inc. (CBI) in 2017 and is loving every minute. He enjoys the flexibility to leave the office and visit job sites, work with many of the company’s subcontractors and keeping the CBI clients happy. “Providing an excellent service brings me a great sense of pride.”

He became interested in the commercial construction industry after multiple conversations with his mentor, Mark Ehrlich. The two got to know each other through mutual friends, which eventually led Honsberger to express an interest in joining the CBI team.

“Mark is a Project Executive and part owner of Central Builders. He has a vast understanding and knowledge of the grocery store business and leads by example. Through his guidance, he has helped me understand what it takes to continue to succeed in business, and in life.” -cmw

Third generation plumber, Corey Opiela, Opiela Mechanical received top honors at his recent graduation from the PHCC apprenticeship program, receiving the Ed Harrell Memorial Four-Year Excellence Award. He was last year’s PHCC-Texas plumbing apprentice contest winner and went on to compete at the National PHCC competition in Milwaukee, WI. Congratulations Corey! -cmw

Page 14

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Construction News ON LOCATION

Loving what you do

Industry FOLKS Kevin Gunther Branch Manager

Morrison Supply Company San Antonio, TX

I

Counter sales reps L-R: Andy Garza, Cesar Rivera and Rodrigo Media enjoy their job at CMC Construction Services. -cmw

n 1930, the Hondo Lions Club erected a sign that is somewhat famous. The sign reads, “This is God’s Country.

Don’t Drive Thru It Like Hell.” This is where Kevin Gunther grew up. This is where he made all his childhood memories, and this is where he went to school.

Gunther graduated from Hondo High School in 1990. After graduation, he continued his education attending two years in the Alamo College system before transferring to Southwest Texas State University.

After graduating from Southwest Texas State University with a business/ marketing degree, Gunther went to work for Coca Cola. He worked for the popular cola company for nine months before a friend introduced him to the plumbing supply business.

Gunther began working for Ferguson Plumbing Supply in 1996 where he stayed for seven years. “I knew I didn’t want an outside sales position. I worked inside sales. I worked for them for seven years. I was working inside sales, but I wanted something more along operations and was looking for something else. My old boss, Darren Mueller, knew I was looking for something else and contacted me. I came to work here in 2003.”

Again, Gunther worked inside sales, but after two years, he was able to move into the operational side of the business. “I knew at some point in time, the owner of Morrison Supply’s

son would be joining his dad in the corporate office. After a couple of years in inside sales, I got my chance when the owner’s son told me I was moving into operations and he was going to train me.”

Today, Gunther is San Antonio’s Branch Manager where he enjoys overseeing 30 employees with 30 different personalities. He says it’s a challenge, but he enjoys every moment of it.

Gunther has two children from his first marriage, a 19-year-old son who just finished his first year at Texas A&M and a daughter who is a senior at Medina Valley High School. He and his second wife are the proud parents of a five-month old baby boy.

Growing up in Hondo, it is easy to say that Gunther is an avid hunter and fisherman. “I do love to hunt and fish.

We have a ranch that has been in our family for a long time between Hondo and Bandera. We have whitetail and some audad.

“Every year we go with a group of friends to a place out in New Mexico. It’s about 100,000 acres where we hunt mule deer. I usually walk on average eight to 12 miles a day while there looking for them. I like going out and trying to find them. It’s more challenging spotting them, stalking them and trying to get up on them. Don’t get me wrong, I like sitting in a blind, too.” -cmw

Tres amigos

L-R: Jakob Carrillo, Coby Young, Dustin Durham, Miguel Martinez from Young Bros. and Steven Garza, Skanska, Fishing Committee Chair - 1st Place Heavy Stringer & Amigo Slam.

T

he weekend of May 31 and Jun. 1, the Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio (HCAdeSA) hosted their 3rd Annual Tres Amigos fishing tournament at Rockport Beach.

On Friday night, SpawGlass provided an outstanding shrimp boil before the captain’s meeting and auction. Early on Saturday morning, 24 teams went their separate ways in search of the elusive Amigo Slam; one red, one trout and one flounder. In the previous two years, no Amigo Slam was recorded. This year, six of the 24 teams came in with the Amigo Slam in the most competitive field to date. –cmw

Tres Amigos winners: Amigo Slam (13.38lbs.) and 1st Place Heavy Stringer (35.40lbs:) – Team “No Pescado”: Jakob Carrillo, Coby Young, Dustin Durham, Miguel Martinez from Young Bros. and Steven Garza, Skanska, Fishing Committee Chair.

2nd Place Heavy Stringer (35.03#) Team “Reel Wicked” Apparel: James Sebolt, Scott Wiatrek, Preston Wiatrek and Jim Wiatrek 3rd Place Heavy Stringer (32.14#) – Team Robles 1: Saul Robles, Isela Robles, Adam Robles and Matthew Robles

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 15

New look, new owner, new product

T

Cool golf

exas Air Conditioning Contractors Association (TACCA) hosted their 30th Annual Golf Tournament Jun. 3 at The Club at Sonterra. Members enjoyed a great day of golf with friends, co-workers and business associates. Tom Smith, Scott Marshall, Tom Miner and Jon Surls were the tournament’s lucky winners. -cmw

Americrane Rentals General Manager Rick Arias and CEO/President Jim Robertson

A

meriCRANE Rentals LP has a new look, new cranes and new ownership. Under the new ownership, the company is simply Americrane Rentals.

But there is nothing simple about this change. New owner Jim Robertson has already expanded the San Antonio-based company into a second market in Houston.

“I’ve always wanted to get into the commercial market here. The timing could not have been better. With Steve White’s partner, Tom Hargrove, ready to retire, the company needed a succession plan. The solution was a new buyer,” says Robertson

Growing up, Robertson always knew he would join a branch of the military.

When an injury altered his military dreams and career, he transferred his energy into construction. It did not take Robertson long to figure out which area of construction he preferred.

The company logo has been rebranded to give it that strong American look. At first glance, it brings back to mind the proud symbolism seen on

American fighter planes from WWII. A 300-ton crane, two 265-ton cranes, two 250-ton and two 200-ton cranes have already been added to the San Antonio fleet. Their signature cranes are given names of inspirational, signature women, as was often seen during WWII.

In addition, and new to the San Antonio market, Robertson is bringing in tower cranes. “We’re changing this market.

This location will provide tower cranes all over Texas. We think there is room for a player like us. We will give the same full service, one-stop shop for all the hoisting needs of commercial contractors.”

Robertson has an extensive background in tower cranes. He has been instrumental in the growth of 12 crane companies over his short 30-plus-year career and plans to see Americrane continue its organic growth. “The pieces and measures are in place for Americrane to perform at the highest level this industry has ever seen.”

Americrane Rentals is a full-service mobile and tower crane company. -cmw

1st Place winners

Longest Drive: Tom Smith

Yes, please fence me in

Closest-to-the-Pin: Barry Stevens

Darrell Moeller (right), owner of Fences of Texas, with son Blake Moeller (left).

D

arrell Moeller’s family traces its roots back to the great German migration to Texas that began in 1831. These folks were drawn to America because of the freedoms and opportunities found here.

Many were farmers. Many were ranchers. “My whole family has been Hill Country ranchers all their lives,” Moeller said, “for all the generations. I’m the first one to do something different besides ranching.”

Indeed. He started Fences of Texas in 1984. “We utilized the resources we had and skills we were familiar with and started building fences,” Moeller said.

While Fences of Texas started with fences (“We do everything: metal, pipe, cedar - you name it.”), Moeller’s repertoire now included furniture and outdoor structures.

The business morphed. “It spread to other things like doing residential fences and industrial/commercial- type jobs. We build any kind of fence project you can imagine,” Moeller said.

Good thing too: not too many folks

build fences for giraffes and other exotic animals as found at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. It goes without saying that “A giraffe requires a special type of fence because they are so big.”

Moeller is proud of his old-world commitment to craftsmanship. “The standard of our quality of what we produce, whether it be a fence or outdoor structure or piece of furniture - it’s going to last a lifetime. The very first fences we built in 1984 are still standing straight.

That’s what we’re proud of. We do it right the first time.”

“There are a lot of good welders out there,” Moeller continued, “but there’s not many good fence-builders. There’s a lot of skill involved in that. We work to build the best product that we can build.”

Someday, another Moeller generation will continue the genealogical journey. “My oldest son is working with me,” Moeller said. “Eventually, in the future, when I decide to retire, he can take it over and keep everything going.”

Fences of Texas builds fences, structures and furniture, located in New Braunfels. -dsz

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Joint training/joint graduation

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he Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) in conjunction with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 60 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) held the commencement ceremony and banquet for the 2019 JATC graduating class of electrical apprentices.

The graduation banquet and ceremony was held at the San Antonio Marriott NW where family, friends, employers, instructors and fellow apprentices gathered to cheer on 31 inside wireman graduates and six telecommunication graduates on the completion of their five-year journey to becoming certified journeymen electricians. -cmw

L-R: Forrest Wilson presents the TeleData Apprentice of the Year Award to Carlos Barron, Jr.

2019 Inside Wireman Electricians graduating class with instructors and Training Director, John Martin.

2019 TeleData graduating class with instructors and Training Director, John Martin.

L-R: Forrest Wilson presents the Inside Wireman Apprentice of the Year Award to Shawn Worel.

L-R: Bobby Corbo presents the Perseverance Award to Armando Hernandez.

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

W

Page 17

20 years of cabling

here does the time fly? For Robin and Duke Portenier, that is a good question.

The co-owners of Tero Technologies cannot believe it has been 20 years since Duke decided to venture out on his own installing low-voltage cabling.

“July 1 was our 20th year in business. We were surprised by the office when we walked in on Jul. 1 to find a display of balloons and food.

Throughout the day, we received the best messages from our technicians, estimators and all the people in our company congratulating us,” says Robin.

Tero Technologies specializes in installing network and fiber optic cabling, inside and outside buildings in addition to audio visual systems. The company began in 1999 right before the .com phenomenon.

“1999 was a very good year.

Then the tragedy of 911 in 2001 hit, everything fell through. The blessing in that was we learned to never think you’ve made it. Always work hard and don’t spend more than what you have.” Keeping with the motto, Tero has grown from five employees to 60 employees.

The biggest change, internally, over the course of 20 years has been finding and developing the best people. “One of the things we are really proud of is a lot of our technicians have been with us 10 years. From all across the board, we just feel like we have great team.

As they celebrate 20 years in business, the Porteniers and the entire Tero Technologies family would like to thank their customers.

★★★

Industry FOLKS Wade Turner Sales Representative

Texas Disposal Systems San Antonio, TX

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Duke & Robin Portenier pose for a photo during their surprised 20th anniversary celebration hosted by their staff.

“We are just so thankful for all of our customers. We have a lot of the same customers from 20 years ago. We have pulled out cable from buildings that we did in 1999 through 2001 and installed new cable for those very same places. It’s great to have those relationships. We appreciate people’s trust in us and hope to keep earning it.”

What’s in store for the next 20 years?

Well, according to Robin, “We never look too far into the future. We build on just one step at a time and we want to continue doing that.” -cmw

Tero Technologies is an installer of lowvoltage cabling in San Antonio. -cmw

★★★

ade Turner has a philosophy.

“Do the right thing for everybody, every time, even if it doesn’t seem like the right thing for you right now,” Turner shares. “That has served me very well in my life. If I do the right thing for everyone every time – even if it might not seem like the right thing for me right now – it always works out.”

Turner recently proved that philosophy when a major goal he had worked toward didn’t work out. After Turner sold his insurance agency and moved back to San Antonio, the retired military veteran bought rental houses to stay busy. As he hired residential remodelers, he noticed a gap in the site services industry.

“I thought, ‘Why don’t I get experience doing that and open a site services company where a general contractor could come to me and I could provide them with all of the site services that they needed?’ I did some research and found what the market would bear. I decided to work for three or four different site service companies to get some experience in these site services, create relationships and funnel business to those site service companies. I would own no equipment; I would essentially be a site services broker.”

He spent many months working for site service companies, volunteering for construction associations, networking and learning. As his plan progressed, however, he learned two other business owners already executed his idea. Turner dusted himself right off and immersed himself in building sales teams.

A decade later, a portable toilet business owner who had twice hired

Turner called his former employee. He had sold his business to Texas Disposal Systems, was working as a TDS operations manager, and wanted to recruit Turner.

“He said, ‘We need someone to increase our footprint in San Antonio.

You’re the only guy I can think of who has experience across the site services spectrum and will go out there and hustle this business,” Turner says. “I was happily developing a sales team for someone in the automotive aftermarket industry. But, after six months, I did an interview with TDS and fell in love with the company.

“I became the salesperson for the San Marcos and San Antonio region for construction site services,” he adds. “I provide portable toilets, holding tanks, perimeter fencing and roll off waste containers. I visit general contractors’ home offices and construction sites to see what site services they have and to see if I can do a better job.”

Outside of work, his philosophy is clearly working, too.

“I’m married with five kids, with two still at home. We live in Windcrest, TX, in the house that my wife grew up in. When the last two kids leave the house, I have a 10-year plan to get the kids through college and sell the house. After that, I’m formulating my 52-month plan of touring the United States for bridges and books – I’m a big library and bridge guy. We’re going to find libraries and bridges in every state and write a book!”-mjm

Cars, bikes & barbeque

A

SCO hosted their 8th Annual Benefit Car & Bike Show and Barbeque Cook-off on Jun. 22 at the new ASCO facility. Benefits from the day’s events will go towards our military and first responders. A record 68 entries of bikes and cars participated in the car and bike show, while 12 cooking teams participated in the barbeque cook-off. -cmw

68 cars, trucks, suvs, RVs and bikes ➤ registered for ASCO’s 8th Car & Bike Show

1st Place Bloody Mary – Carlos Staniger

1st Place Pinto Beans – Abel Alecantar

1st Place Pork Ribs – Sean Hay

1st Place Chicken – Jacob Rendon

1st Place Brisket – Carlos Staniger

Reserve Grand Champion – Jacob Rendon

Grand Champion – Sean Hay

1st Place Cook’s Choice – Fred Wilson

Page 18

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

THIS TH MON

SERVICE PROVIDERS

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

Training and qualifying for the future Jason Martin, Regional Service Manager HOLT CAT San Antonio, TX

M

artin has been a part of the HOLT CAT team for two and half years and is responsible for the Southern Region Machine Division. Prior to this, he worked for Caterpillar’s Large Engine Center located in Lafayette, IN for 17 years. Moving his family to Texas, Martin reveals “My wife, Ashley, and children, Aubrey and Parker, have adapted well to the climate and pace of South Texas.”

What is the state of the equipment service industry?

The industry is definitely strong and healthy. The Texas economy is growing and with that growth comes the construction of new homes, roads and infrastructure. We are fortunate to be a part of a unique situation where many new businesses are moving into the state, creating more opportunities for growth.

Have new diagnostic or other technologies changed your industry?

Caterpillar is releasing the largest

new product introduction in the company’s history between 2019 and 2020.

These new products include Next Generation operating technologies to increase customer benefits in safety, productivity, fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.

HOLT is currently piloting an app called CAT Technician. This tool provides a means to diagnose problems and identify the necessary parts needed before arriving at the job site. The application also has the ability to troubleshoot onsite using 3D and augmented reality. Pri-

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

or to this, technicians spent excessive amount of time troubleshooting and navigating various systems to identify diagnostic codes. CAT Technician provides a single app for all service needs.

At HOLT, we also use a remote monitoring system called Product Link which provides machine location, service hours and basic diagnostic codes. This helps field service technicians to understand the current health of the machine and order relevant parts before arriving on site.

These features benefit both the customers and HOLT. Well trained and qualified mechanics and technicians are the backbone of any service organization. What is HOLT doing to excel in this area?

At HOLT, our people are our biggest asset, there are several different avenues we are taking to both hire and retain technicians. For the last seven years, HOLT has worked with local high schools providing opportunities for students within career technical education programs. Of those students participating in the program, approximately 75 percent have been hired as full-time employees.

Additionally, HOLT has a training di-

Labor staffing needs

hindering the construction schedule for many.

Allie Fowler, Sales Manager Staff Zone

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

Being in the construction staffing industry, the major change that I have noticed is there are way more competitors readily available and popping up these days.

Austin, TX

F

owler began working as a sales manager for Staff Zone in the Dallas market in 2016. Through her success in Dallas, she was given the opportunity to relocate to Austin at the end of 2017 and continues labor sales for the Austin branch.

Fowler and her fiancé purchased a home in Round Rock, feeling that the Austin market would be stable on a longterm basis. The move was somewhat bittersweet as Fowler had built some great customer relationships within Dallas/Fort Worth market.

She has working in Austin for almost two years now, and absolutely loves it! “I have met some great people and helped solidify this market for Staff Zone. To say the least, I stay pretty busy with work.”

How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown?

I have definitely experienced an increase in business in the Austin market.

This market has been consumed with a heavy amount of construction and in general terms I would say it is one of the top lucrative markets right now.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

The main factors for this increase are

that people and businesses want to extend themselves out here, and Texas itself is one of the top markets for businesses right now, with Austin being on the radar for fastest growth.

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

This increase has affected our company in many ways. Considering the fact that construction has sky rocketed, the number of workers we send out per day has increased exponentially. Therefore, this helps our customers stay at good pace with their projects. It has affected how we conduct business because we have had to hire more staff in all of our departments to keep up with the growth.

We have also gone from 25 branches to 34 total nationwide, with a new corporate office under construction.

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

The hot button issues are unexpected weather and permit delays ultimately

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

Cost increases?

The most significant challenge that we have faced is recruitment. However, we have had to think outside of the box to find more resources to gain adequate manpower.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry? How are you dealing with these challenges?

Due to the labor shortages, we have had to increase our starting labor wages which allows us to recruit and keep our current staff.

We deal with these challenges by brainstorming as a team, increasing our employee morale by holding quarterly safety parties, as well as attending recruitment events and meetings.

vision called ProTech (HoltProTech.com).

There are 131 available courses and approximately 80 are taught each year, which provides the ability to train both internal and external technicians. We also provide specific training paths for technicians related to their dedicated roles within HOLT whether it be engine, machine or power generation.

How has HOLT streamlined the process of service to make maintenance and repairs faster for the client?

Over the last couple of years, we’ve piloted a dedicated rebuild facility in our Northern territory, which has allowed us to expand shop capacity and throughput.

With this pilot proving successful, we are now in the process of opening another facility in Waco that will allow us to expand this concept even further through the acquisition of a retired Caterpillar manufacturing plant. This new facility will help us to better service our customers.

HOLT CAT sells, services and rents heavy equipment, trucks and trailers, engines and generators for construction, earthmoving, mining, industrial, petroleum ang agriculture. -cwm

What is on the horizon for your industry? Changes in technology; changes in codes, ordinances or laws; other

With the lucrative industry and high demand for labor, we expect our business to continue to increase. This in hand follows enhancements with technology and how orders and tickets will be processed.

What are the rewards of the staffing industry?

The most rewarding parts of this industry is gaining the satisfaction of helping others, seeing the city grow and building long-lasting relationships with my clients.

What are keys to being successful in the staffing industry?

The keys to being successful in the construction staffing industry is straight up communication not only with my fellow co-workers, but with all of my customers. With communication comes working effectively, planning routes, and getting face-to-face with people in the field on a daily basis.

Staff Zone specializes in the labor needs of the construction, light industrial and special events industries. -cmw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Protection from the sun

Lone Star Awning team members L-R: Jane Fuhrmann, John Martinez and Todd Traube, owner, take a moment for Construction News. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 19

NEXT TH MON

GREEN BUILDING

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

Signs of slowing Denise Bendele, Partner, Audit Services, RSM US LLP San Antonio, TX

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SM US provide services to a wide array of construction segments, including architectural and engineering firms, commercial contractors, highway and street construction companies, residential contractors and specialty contractors.

With nearly 11,000 professionals in 85 offices nationwide, our industry-focused service delivery model provides a high level of partner involvement with our 3,500-plus construction clients and a hands-on, local client service approach, with ready access to the resources and capabilities of a national firm. -cmw How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown?

After roaring back to life after the Great Recession, the overall economy has continued to show relative strength in recent years, bringing the construction industry on a profitable ride. But there are signs that the pace of growth in the con-

struction sector is slowing.

Total construction spending declined in late 2018 and early 2019 for the first time in seven years. Any rise in interest rates could, and the tight labor market will, put inflationary pressure on the sector, and the long-running expansion is overdue for a correction. While the pundits aren’t predicting another Great Recession, the International Monetary Fund‘s most-recent World Economic Outlook predicts a global slowdown in growth through 2019 for 70 percent of the world economy, followed by a potential recovery by 2020.

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

A tight labor market, evolving ac-

counting standards and shifting tax concerns make this a challenging time for construction companies. Construction projects and capital improvement programs are complex financial expenditures for project owners, presenting significant risks to a company’s strategic goals and potential for growth.

Emerging technologies and robotics are being adapted into the industry.

Digital solutions like cloud and mobile technologies, robotics, advanced analytics, project and performance management technologies are critical for contractor’s successful operations and will help with increased project sizes, rapid growth and constantly changing business landscapes in construction.

However, the increased use of digital technologies exposes information and data through multiple channels, making security and privacy a major concern for middle market businesses.

What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do?

Regulatory changes with revenue recognition, lease accounting and tax reform. Digital transformation of the finance function, including increased technology and automation, which is increasing efficiencies and accuracies.

Bendele, a certified public accountant, has more than 30 years of experience in public accounting and is a leader in the construction industry practice.

Her experience includes construction financial statements, closely held corporations, corporate taxation, succession planning, surety bonding, system selection and implementation, strategic and profitability planning, benchmarking, litigation support, business valuations and mergers and acquisitions.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) and San Antonio Chapter of TSCPA, Construction Industry CPAs/Consultants Association (CICPAC), American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter, Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), University of Texas at San Antonio College of Business Advisory Council and Girl Scouts of America, Audit Committee chair.

Bendele is a board member of the Texas State Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. -cmw

It’s pouring out

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ain isn’t the only thing that pours.

Fabian Acevedo will be more than happy to pour you some nice, fresh concrete.

Acevedo runs Acevedo Concrete, which was started by his father Alejandro back in 2010. Acevedo was actually working at HEB at the time (he had worked for his father part-time in the past). When the younger Acevedo started to tap into the Internet to advertise for his dad (especially Craigslist), that did wonders. “It just took off from there,” Acevedo said.

Alejandro got started in the concrete business as a youngster, over 40 years ago, when he came to America from Mexico. Needing work, he connected with a relative who did concrete.

He has worked for several concrete companies, one of which was doing quite well, running his own crews. The recession of 2008 forced this company to lay off Alejandro.

Alejandro had a brother who was also laid off from his job, and the brother had to sell off some of his equipment. He put up his Bobcat at a good price, Alejandro bought it and started getting jobs with it.

With business getting better, Acevedo saw that dad needed some help. He’s been with the company since it started.

Alejandro retired this past April but still comes in half-days to go out with the crews and interface with the customer during the process of their project.

The guys at Acevedo Concrete hard at work pouring some fresh mix.

“He’ll be there with the guys,” Acevedo said.

Acevedo Concrete does primarily driveways, driveway extensions, sidewalks and patios. Acevedo has done other things like handicap ramps and even basketball courts on the property of those who need to play all the time, any time, night or day.

When it comes to patios, Acevedo does not do the fancy stamped or stained concrete. He said that a stained concrete patio - if the stain is applied on top of it can chip away, exposing the regular concrete color.

He does do stained concrete by mix-

ing in the coloring powder right into the mix. Thus, the entire concrete is colored, not just the surface.

“Any color you want,” he said.

Many times, the homeowner will know what design to make the patio.

Other times, Acevedo might show pictures of previous patios he’s done to guide the customer.

Acevedo has had to tear up perfectly good driveways and walkways because the house has settled or has had foundation issues/repairs, and the concrete is no longer flush to the house.

He said that older driveways were

Construction news is what we do.

made with thin-wired mesh for the support instead of rebar. Acevedo pours a 4-in. driveway and puts the rebar support not on the ground but in the middle.

As with most contractors, Acevedo has done his share of work that was due to someone else’s lack of attention to detail or conscientiousness.

Acevedo does a lot of driveway extensions, usually because the vehicle in the driveway is large and/or when the person gets out of it, it’s in the grass or mud. A standard driveway is 16 ft. wide; he’ll extend it two ft. on either side.

When he does a foundation addition to a house, this requires an engineer to design and oversee it.

Once a year Acevedo has a company from Houston come out and chip out the inside of his equipment. Buildup happens quicker in the summer and it clogs up the drums.

“I own my own mixer,” he said. What he would like to see happen in the future is to own his own concrete plant so that he can “have control of everything.” That, and employ more people. As of now, Acevedo Concrete is just him, his dad parttime and three other guys.

It doesn’t just pour when it rains. It pours plenty when it’s sunny out. That’s the best time to get that nice driveway extension you always wanted.

Acevedo Concrete is a concrete contractor in San Antonio. -dsz

Page 20

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

“I was framed!”

isclaimer: No one was framed in the writing of this story. But if someone would like to be, Lee Jimmie of Metal Framing & Drywall would be more than happy to.

Metal Framing & Drywall is a new company; it officially started as a DBA this past January, but it wasn’t until the spring that Jimmie left his former construction company and took the plunge to go out on his own.

“It’s always been in my mind since I started working to work for myself, not somebody else,” he said. Jimmie has been Lee Jimmie, owner of Metal Framing & Drywall in the industry the past 10 years, the last eight as a foreman. For the residential work, Jimmie

“I’ve learned the ropes; now, I’m learn- credits having a good finisher with making the business side of it,” he said. “There’s ing things look perfect, such as door and a lot of turbulence in the beginning be- window arches. “Once you get the finishcause you’re learning something new.” er in there, the finisher works his magic,” Jimmie started in drywall pretty he said. “That’s when the pretty comes much by accident. At 19, he was planning out. They make everyone’s mistakes look on driving to Florida to look for work. nice.”

When he mentioned this to the car me- Jimmie has another person and a finchanic friend who was looking over his isher working with him now. His wife car before the trip, he proposed to Jim- Deborah will assist if he asks her to, but mie that he accompany him to Lawton, with a full-time job, she can’t do this a lot.

OK, to help him drywall. Jimmie did and In terms of work coverage, Jimmie learned the craft from him during the goes about an hour and a half out in any three months he was there on Fort Sill. direction, usually for people that he As of now, Jimmie does predomi- knows. nantly residential work. He does a lot of Jimmie prefers to stay local. While garage conversions and indoor remodel- Metal Framing & Drywall is a new busiing and repair work. ness, Jimmie is more focused on good What he wants to do is get into the customer service on a manageable level commercial side of the trade. The big stick- and not get too large. ing point is becoming proficient in the soft- “I get pretty good reviews,” he said. ware that is used in submitting bids.

For the customer, he said that “if they’re

Jimmie has experience in submitting not happy with something, I’ll re-do it bids on one level. When he worked at his and do it again, even if I have to take a previous place, Jimmie was sent to Port loss. My personal experience is: If the cusArthur to help with Hurricane Harvey re- tomer isn’t happy, you’re not going to lief. He had to do bidding on the private continue being happy for yourself.” homes being worked on.

Jimmie wants to provide for his fam While this was good, the commercial ily and pay his workers well, as well as side is different enough that it requires give that good customer service that will some finesse. “It’s just a learning process, take care of his new company’s growth. all the way around,” Jimmie said.

Everything will fall into proper place if

Metal framing is used more in the com- this is done. mercial world, and Jimmie is getting known Being framed by Jimmie can be a more and more in it. He has registered his good thing. profile with a company that is the means by Metal Framing & Drywall is a drywall which he gets invites on a daily basis. contactor in San Antonio. -dsz

Big news!

For many months, Craig Noto, owner and CEO of Quality Fence & Welding, has been studying for six exams with over 300 questions to receive his Certified Fence Contractor (CFC) certification. He is one of 20 contractors in the U.S. to hold this certification which entails safety management and OSHA compliance, sales and marketing, estimating and bidding, insurance and legal issues, accounting and business structure and UL325 and ASTM 2200. -cmw

A unique brand of marketing

C

ari Holbrook started her marketing and advertising career with Electronic Data Systems in Plano, TX writing success stories for the company’s clients. It is there she discovered a passion for marketing while talking with business owners about how they grow their business and what they want to achieve.

Her drive to help business owners define and realize their vision of success led her to start her own company. In 2004, Holbrook launched A la Mode Marketing. A conversation starter, Holbrook wanted the name to tap into the imaginative, fun, and creative side of marketing with an understanding that helping clients grow their companies is a serious business.

Over the next few years, Holbrook managed various marketing projects for small, independent companies as well as large corporations.

“My clients come to me because they know they need marketing to grow their business, but they don’t have dedicated staff to manage a successful marketing program on a consistent basis.” Holbrook draws from her broad scope of experience to create and execute custom marketing programs that deliver results.

As her company approaches its 15th year in business, Holbrook says she learns as much from her clients as they learn from her. “My 20-year span of marketing

Cari Holbrook, Al a Mode Marketing

expertise, coupled with my clients knowledge of their business, makes for a successful partnership.”

A la Mode Marketing has continued to expand its offerings across a variety of industries. Construction clients make up a large percentage of her business.

“Over the years I have honed my skills to best utilize my clients’ budget in a way that maximizes marketing impact to achieve measurable goals.”

In the case of one client, JR RAMON Demolition, Timothy Ramon, President, shares “Cari developed a comprehensive marketing plan that extended well beyond our traditional idea of marketing.

Business marketing seemed expensive and complex. She was able to dissect our business environment and identify starting points, short and long-term goals and construct an actionable road map to accomplish goals without major disruptions to operations. Her candid guidance on how and where to apply our marketing budget resulted in a plan that maximizes our investment and continues to deliver results.”

According to Holbrook, “Marketing is about consistency. It’s not about doing one thing for a short period of time and then abandoning the effort if you don’t see results right away. At the same time, my clients are making a financial investment, and it’s my job to build a program that delivers an ROI as quickly as possible.”

“Working with Construction News over the years has been a true partnership. The combination of advertising paired with event marketing and promotions really offers marketers like me a place to showcase my clients and keep their business in front of prospective customers on a consistent basis in a way that gets them noticed. It’s a win-win!”

A la Mode Marketing is a service provider in San Antonio. –cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 21

continued from Page 1 — Tomlin Roofing Professionals DNA as well. Like her father, she is a stickler for detail, quality work and clean job sites.

She shares qualities with her husband, too.

“Something that Robert and I feel really passionate about – and that my dad instilled in me – is that cheaper is not always better,” Audrey says. “We always want to do residential because we always want to be connected to the community. We always want to do really good work, and we always want to use the highest-quality products.

We don’t skimp and we don’t cut corners.

We may not always be the cheapest, but that is because we always use quality products and we have quality guys that are installing. We always hope to walk away from a job proud of what we have done.”

“We would really like to continue to differentiate ourselves through exceptional service,” Robert agrees. “Our mission statement listed on our website is really the ultimate guarantee that we have for our customers, no matter how large or small. We feel like in this society in which everybody is looking for the cheapest and the fastest, we would like to break free of that stigma and really be a premium service contractor that is worth the ‘extra.’

There are a lot of people who strive for

that, but it is a hard thing to achieve.”

Although Tomlin Roofing Professionals is a new company, Robert and Audrey are already establishing the kind of company culture and traditions that will be special for years to come. Audrey says that many of the best moments involving their team involve one thing.

“Robert is also a ‘caterer and chef’ on the side so, if we do anything, it’s going to be getting everyone together to do something that centers around food,” Audrey explains. “We have a ranch and Robert does exotic hunting and exotic dinners, so we usually cook up some good wild game dinners for our team.”

“We also do fishing once a year and have a really good party at the end of the year,” Robert adds.

With their backgrounds perfectly aligned, Robert and Audrey are excited to start off on this new adventure, the way their families did years ago.

“Working for yourself is as rewarding as it comes,” Robert says. “It’s the American Dream, being your own boss.”

Subcontractor Tomlin Roofing Professionals in San Antonio offers residential and commercial roofing services. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning & Heating the company last year, she saw that Leroy needed her assistance.

“I thought I’d help out in the office,” she said. Such help included shoring up the office structure, such as moving from paper to digital, updating policies and procedures, redesigning their web page and, most importantly, improving customer service. “We want to take care of our customers,” Marsalie said.

Marsalie is proud of their webpage.

“Our webpage is designed to be compatible for desktop, iPad and iPhone,” she said, “so when you look at it on your iPhone, it will reconfigure to restructure the layout, and everything is visible.”

Marsalie added that technology has really impacted the technician in the field, who has access to everything he needs right at his fingertips. No more paper receipts and sales tickets. Customers can get an emailed receipt with complete details of the job and pay at the time of the visit.

The technician can register units on his phone and process any warranty issue.

Phones aren’t the only things that have gone whiz-bang. New-fangled thermostats in a home/structure can do just about anything short of making ice cubes. A person can remotely turn his

unit on, off, or adjust the temperature. He can open his garage door and turn on the lights in the house.

The one thing that hasn’t changed for Zinsmeyer is the customer. “I feel service is the key,” Marsalie said. “I want to make sure we’re taking care of our customers.

We want to be the definitive choice in service. We want to be the dealership that makes a difference with our service.”

Marsalie describes her journey with Zinsmeyer: “It’s been quite a ride. It’s been fun. It’s been exciting. It’s been a learning experience. But it’s easy if customers are our vision.”

That’s the way you truck along.

Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning & Heating is in Castroville. -dsz

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors Inc.

Aug. 8: Excellence in Construction Banquet, Security Service Event Center, 15000 I-10, 5:30-9pm. For more info, contact Alissa Miller at Alissa@abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994 AGC

Associated General Contractors

Aug. 22:TBB Outstanding Construction Awards, Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, Georgetown, TX. Aug. 26: AGC/AIA/ACEC Joint Membership Luncheon, The Pearl Stable, 11:30am1:30pm. For more info, contact Kelly Wilson at 210-349-4921 AIA

American Institute of Architects

Aug. 2: Clay & Q’s, National Shooting Complex, 5931 Roft Rd. Aug. 26: AGC/AIA/ACEC Joint Membership Luncheon, The Pearl Stable, 11:30am1:30pm. For more info, contact Kelly Wilson at 210-349-4921 ASA American Subcontractors Assn.

Aug. 15: Networking Mixer, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro Ave., 4:30pm.

Aug. 22: Annual Sporting Clay Shoot, National Gun Club, 5931 Roft Rd,12pm.

Aug. 27: Member Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave., #700, 11:30am. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 GSABA

Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.

Aug. 15: Membership Mixer: Past/Present/Future President’s Panel & Membership Mixer, The Tile Shop, 5219 De Zavala Rd., 4-7:30pm. For more info, email Haley King at hking@sabuilders.com Aug. 29: 2019 Sporting Clay Tournament, National Shooting Complex, 5931 Roft Rd., 8am-1pm. For more info, email Feliz Morin at fmorin@sabuilders.com HCA de SA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Aug. 21: Monthly Meeting/Mixer, Quarry Golf Club, 444 E Basse Rd., 6-8pm.

Aug. 30: 4th Annual Paloma Primer, San Antonio Gun Club, 928 E. Contour Dr.,1– 8pm. For more info, call Dave Sanchez at 210-444-1100 or go to www.hcadesa.org Melvin Zinsmeyer’s original ’55 Chevy truck

continued from Page 1 — R.C. Page

IBEW Local #60

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #60

Aug. 14: Meeting, IBEW Offices, 3518 N.

Loop 1604 E., 5:30pm. For more info, call 210-337-1741 IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

Aug. 22: 2nd Annual Happy Hour Meet & Greet, IEC Training Center, 5511 Ingram Rd., 11:30am-1pm. For more info, contact Julie Tucker at 210-431-9861 or email jtucker@iecsanantonio.com MCA-SMACNA INC

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

Aug. 14: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 Aug. 28: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 12500 Network Blvd., #410, 11:30am. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 NARI National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Aug. 15: General Membership Meeting, Blanco BBQ, 13259 Blanco Rd., 11:30am1pm., $25. For more info, contact Angela Parks at 210-251-2602 or email angelas@ southwestexteriors.com NAWIC National Assn. of Women in Construction

Aug. 7: August Birthday Meeting, The NAWIC Zoo, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr., 5:30pm.

Aug. 21-24: Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA. For info, call 210-639-2489 or email Rebecca.rodriguez@zachrycorp.com NECA National Electrical Contractors Assn.

Aug. 22-24: NECA 2019 Dist. 6 Summer Council & Conference, Sun Valley, ID. For more info, go to www.necanet.org PHCC Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Aug. 8: Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 11am.

Aug. 12-14: 2019 PHCC-TX Annual Round Up, Horseshoe Bay Resort, 200 Hi Circle North, Horseshoe Bay, TX. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-824-7422 or go to www.phcc-sanantonio.org RHCA

Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

Aug. 22: Luna Awards Reception, The Tobin Center of Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, 3:30-6pm. For more info, call Yolanda at 972-786-0909 or email yolanda@regionalhca.org

What is one of your bad habits?

Putting it off until tomorrow.

Marsalie Zinsmeyer, Zinsmeyer Air Conditioning and Heating

Airrosti treatment room

structures, a detention pond, complete wood and iron fencing, an interior park courtyard with Class A landscaping and asphalt paving.

Major subcontractors on the project were Thad Ziegler Glass, Mesa Equipment, Rosch, Superior Roofing, Urban Concrete Contractors, Ohldem Fencing, Triple R Electric, FA McComas Paint, Hill Country Steel, South Texas Erectors and Cleanscapes.

The biggest obstacle for the R.C. Page team was the computer reprogramming of the Bobrick Factory. Thankfully, DEA Specialties had a temporary solution that allowed the client to occupy the facility as scheduled.

The uniqueness in Airrosti is the splitlevel floors within the single-story facility.

The project was a huge success for R.C. Page Construction and all the parties involved. “Megan Moshier was a critical team member that worked closely with the Airrosti team to lay out office needs, Treatment area, common areas and review selections. Megan would go the extra step to show Airrosti different elevations of each decision versus the alternate solution or selection. It was visual aid that was extremely valuable to our client and indirectly, our team as well. The working relationship between Ed Mullins, Project Control; Studio8 Architects; Scott Boynton, CBRE and our team was very fluid. We were a team from the start. ” remarks Page.

R.C. Page is full-service general contractor in San Antonio, TX. -cmw

My worst habit is I’m a cigarette smoker and I’m super meticulous on how I want things done.

Nick Kisley, Ace in the Hole Painting I work too much, too many hours.

John Pearson, Hayden Paving The worst habit I have is trying to do everything myself. I’m a perfectionist and if I don’t have time to explain it to somebody, I just do it myself.

Darrell Moeller, Fences of Texas That is a loaded question. I would have to say that my bad habit is drinking too much sweet tea.

Melissa Valdez, Beyer Mechanical My bad habit is smoking.

Ben Gonzales, Floresville Air Conditioning

Oh gosh! How much time do you have?

Just kidding. My bad habit is drinking beer.

Kenner Coon, Texas Air Products Biting my nails.

Jacey Bordelon, Johnson Controls Inc.

That’s a good question. My bad habit is that I’m a procrastinator.

Anthony Gilbert, Carrier Enterprise When I get nervous, I chew my fingernails.

Fabian Acevedo, Acevedo Concrete I drive too fast. That’s a bad habit.

George Camacho, Steel Cowboy Buildings of Texas I work. I don’t have as much of a hobby as I think I have. I kind of enjoy work. Retirement didn’t sit well with me at all. I could spend more time fishing or golfing, but I actually just enjoy work.

Ray Hegwer, River City Bolt and Screw

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Mechanical golfing at SilverHorn

T

he Mechanical & Sheet Metal Contractors Association of San Antonio (MCA-SMACNA) held their 26th Annual Golf Tournament at SilverHorn Golf Club. The tournament was held in addition to fostering relationships with their regular and associate member firms and promoting their association within the industry. Proceeds from the tournament allowed for a $5,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity. Photos courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography. -cmw

Tournament winners: 2nd Place Net: Jim Wheeler, Mike McCarthy, Ben Heersink and Robert Knobles 3rd Place Net: Bill Monier, Ken McFarland, John Potter and John Devaney Longest Drive Hole 1: Robert Knobles Longest Drive Hole 18: Tanner Tausch Closest-to-the-Pin Hole 5: Will Galindo Closest-to-the-Pin Hole 7: John Devaney Putting Contest: Andy Waggoner

1st Place Gross: Patrick Thompson, Justis McNeil, Drew Freiley and Alfred DeLeon

1st Place Net: Aaron Caldwell, Ethan Kale, Chris Vrana and Jeff Puckett

D

Advancing forward

errick Thompson is using his time in the Army to advance forward in his new-found civilian direction.

Thompson was a 19 Delta Calvary Scout. This MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) goes back to the wild west days and the men who used to ride ahead and do recon work. (Full disclosure: Thompson really wanted to be a diesel mechanic, but he let his high school buddy, who joined up with him, pick the job. Bet that’s the last time he does that.)

Post-Army, Thompson is scouting ahead as the owner of start-up company, J.J. Madison’s Painting. “J.J. Madison” is a combination of two children’s names, an “assimilation of two families becoming one,” Thompson said. J.J. was his wife’s son’s name, and Madison was Thompson’s daughter who was miscarried.

Thompson had been doing painting since he was a teen. He got the idea for having his own company last year, while painting daughter Payton’s room. “I’ve always really liked painting,” he said.

After his three and a half years in the Army (to include a tour in Iraq), Thompson, who was originally from the Bay Derrick Thompson, owner of J.J. Madison’s Painting Area, moved to Syracuse, NY, with his battle buddy. But since his family had family in Texas, and and not somebody else, hopefully one his mother had moved back to Seguin, day they can either take over this busiThompson made his way to the Lone Star ness or they can start their own.”

State. He had spent many a summer here Thompson has worked for more than and was familiar with Texas. one Fortune 500 company, Amazon be One small glitch: “I miss having snow ing the latest one. But he is a firm believer in Seguin,” he said. Thompson is a fan of in not taking a paycheck from someone all four seasons else if that is at all possible.

Thompson filed the paperwork to “The only way to not be reliant on start J.J. Madison’s Painting last year but somebody else is to do your own thing,” has only gone public with it March of this he concluded. With the lessons in manyear. agement he has learned from the big

In the meantime, Thompson actually guns in business, Thompson hopes to still officially works for Amazon. He had honor two kids who never had a chance to take a leave of absence from Mr. Bezos’ in life by making the company named afcompany when his mother needed emer- ter them a success. gency surgery.

Thompson’s also using his recon

“I want to branch out and do my own skills he learned in the Army to scout thing,” Thompson said. His step-father ahead for bigger and better opportunihad owned his own company, and, “I fig- ties for himself and his family. Drive on, ured if he can do it, I can do it.” young man.

Thompson left his superiors at Ama- J.J. Madison’s Painting is a new paintzon with the awareness that his goal is to ing contractor in Seguin. -dsz run his own business and he didn’t plan on returning.

Thompson said of being the new guy: “It is challenging but you’re growing something that nobody knows.”

In the Seguin area, the main painting venue are re-paints. However, Thompson is agreeable to getting into new construction should that opportunity arise, despite the fast-paced scheduling for getting in and getting out.

“Honestly, I’ll go where the money’s at,” he said. “I’ll go if you need me to go and there’s a chance to be profitable.”

Even though Thompson said the “normal” range for him would be around one and a half to two hours away, he’ll gladly go further if it’s worth his while. His big priority is his family and their needs.

Thompson has (at this writing) several paint jobs lined up and bids out. One job is an exterior house makeover for a co-worker at Amazon.

What Thompson would love to be able to do is be well enough along with J.J. Madison that he could volunteer his time to help someone in need. He knows people on the coast who are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Thompson would like to assist folks like that.

His ultimate goal would be to build up J.J. Madison for his kids. “My whole future is to have continuous growth so that my kids can take it over,” he said. “If they can learn the value of working for oneself

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019

Page 23

Troweling success

T

Hardscape/Landscape: Episcopal Diocese Pavilion Patio Masonry Contractor: Ericstad Inc.; Foreman: Giancarlo Manzaba; General Contractor: Malitz Construction Inc. Supplier: I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source and San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply

Patron of Masonry Architect of the Year: RVK Architects

he masonry industry showcased a few of San Antonio and its surrounding areas’ distinctive and outstanding masonry projects at the San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association (SAMCA) Golden Trowel Awards at Sunset Station on June 20.

The projects incorporate brick, CMU, custom CMU and stone as their main components.

The versatility of these products allows architects to design industrial, commercial and residential buildings using their outstanding designs and come to life through the outstanding craftsmanship of masonry contractors. -cmw

Educational Facility College/University: Texas State University – Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall Masonry Contractor: Rudd & Adams Masonry Inc.; Foreman: Reynaldo Torres; Architect: TreanorHL and Alamo Architects; General Contractor: SpawGlass Contractors Suppliers: Acme Brick/Featherlite and I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source

Block: Alamodome Final Four Renovation/Expansion Mason Contractor: Rick Stone Masonry Inc.’ Superintendent: Rick Stone, Jr.; Architect: Marmon Mok Architecture; General Contractor: Turner Construction Company; Suppliers: I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source and San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply

Educational Facility K-12: Cornerstone Christian Schools Masonry Contractor: Rudd & Adams Masonry Inc.; Foreman: Marvin Escamilla & Reynaldo Torres; Architect: Wigodsky & Derrick Architects; General Contractor: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors; Suppliers: Acme Brick/Featherlite, Best Block and I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source

Restoration: D’Hanis Bank/Rothe & Koch Building Masonry Contractor: Ericstad Inc. Foreman: Marco Leija General Contractor: Rhino Case Construction Supplier: I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source

Government/Institution: Christus Spohn Shoreline Masonry Contractor: Shadrock & Williams Masonry; Foreman: Mark Beers; Architect: Perkins + Will Inc.; General Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies Inc.; Suppliers: Advanced Architectural Stone Inc., Capitol Aggregates Inc., Prosoco Inc. and Spec Rents

Patron of Masonry Outstanding Associate Member of the Year: San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply Industrial/Commercial: Alamo Heights Dental Masonry Contractor: Lundberg Masonry; Foreman: Victor A. Alonso Architect: Fazio Architects; General Contractor: R.C. Page Construction LLC Supplier: Acme Brick/Featherlite and I-10 Building Materials Ltd./Stone Source

Patron of Masonry General Contractor of the Year: Joeris General Contractors

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2019