Houston Construction News September 2019

Covering the Industry’s News

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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 17 H Number 9 H SEPTEMBER 2019

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The glass that binds

Fred’s pal Joey

L-R: Robert and Roy Ramirez, owners of Distinctive Glass, Co.

L-R: Joey and Fred Guerrero of Masonry Custom Design

obert Ramirez laughs when some people react to his being in business with his brother Roy for 41 years now. “People always ask us how we hold things together because we do get into arguments every now and then.”

The Ramirez brothers started Distinctive Glass in 1978. Being in the glass business runs deep for the Ramirez sons. Their oldest brother owns Lone Star Glass. Roy and some other brothers worked at the now-defunct National Glass Company even before Robert joined them there.

Robert joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school with the desire to go to Vietnam like another brother did while in the Army. During boot camp, however, Robert was told the Marines were ending their mission in ‘Nam and he

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wasn’t going to go.

Fortunately, Robert had swung a sweet two-year enlistment hitch and soon was discharged out of Okinawa. His intent was to go to college on the G.I. Bill, but when he needed some part-time work, he joined Roy and the others at National, where he learned about the trade and about the business aspect of it.

This part-time gig lasted five years. By this time Roy had 10 years under his belt.

Robert didn’t see a future at National, so he and Roy left there to form Distinctive.

In those early days, Distinctive was strictly doing automotive glass. With a high emphasis on the personal touch with their clients, Robert said of Distinctive, “It took off from there.” continued on Page 14

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ot only are Fred and Joey Guerrero father and son, they are business partners and friends as well. Joey says of his father, “He is my best friend and the master mason in the family.”

Fred’s wife and Joey’s mother Marta runs the front office of Masonry Custom Design (MCD) and handles all the logistics one must handle for a business.

Fred is the sole owner of MCD and Joey is the field manager.

Fred got his start in the masonry trade via working for his father’s masonry business when he was 15 years old. When his dad retired over 40 years ago, Fred’s older brother took over dad’s business, while Fred started MCD. (Before Fred started MCD, he worked with his brother briefly, but, as he said, “it wasn’t a good fit.”)

Going from strictly a mason to a masonry company owner had its challenges for Fred. “It was rough, in the beginning,” he said. “When you work as a mason, you don’t have to worry about paperwork, invoices or proposals.”

When Fred first began, he had three guys working for him. At its peak, Fred had about 50 employees. When Fred was sidelined for a year and a half with throat cancer, that number dwindled down to its present 8 men.

“My wife and my son took up the slack,” Fred said of his down time.

Joey began his masonry journey as a kid as well. “All my life, when I was working age,” he recalled, “my dad would have me be with him whenever he could, continued on Page 14

Restoring beauty

randt Constructors & Facility Services has been serving the greater Houston area for 20 years. Continually building on their reputation to exceed the expectations of their clients, they continue to represent their company with efficiency, respect and high-quality workmanship according to Brandt Constructors founder, Jason Sparks.

Certain projects come along that are not just “another project.” For Brandt Constructors and the Sparks family, the interior restoration of Assumption Catholic Church was one of those projects.

“My great grandparents Dominic and Lena Rizzo who were immigrant farmers from Sicily landed in Houston to work and raise a family. Since that time, five generations of my family have attended this parish making Assumption Catholic Church a special place,” says Sparks.

The main objective to this project was to restore a 71-year-old parish back to its original beauty. Project Manager Randy Dunn began the process of restoring the church back to its original beauty in June. Two short months later, the parish had the luster and beauty it had at its birth.

Sparks credits Father Albert Zanatta, Deacon Mario Ortega, Annabelle Silva, Susan Braden, Roger Demny, Felipe Lopez and many others for working timelessly to make sure not only that this project was a success but to leave current and future parishioners a historical place to worship.

Restoring the interior of the church weathered by seven decades and generations of parishioners worshiping and endlessly utilizing the facility required hundreds of man hours cleaning, painting and detailing the entire interior of the Restored interior of Assumption Catholic Church

continued on Page 14

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Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Hanging with Chris

Round-the-year safety

Chris Johnson, owner of Chris Johnson Wallpaper Hanging

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hris Johnson is the type of guy you would like to hang around with, especially if it involves him hanging your wallpaper. That’s what he does exclusively. Johnson runs Chris Johnson Wallpaper Hanging.

It wasn’t always like this, however. “I started out painting,” he said, “and I worked for other contractors. Occasionally I would see wallpaper jobs and I would try it. I really didn’t like it because I didn’t know what I was doing.” Ironically, Johnson thought to himself, “That would be a terrible job to have all the time.”

While working with a painting contractor who also did wallpaper, Johnson was asked if he’d like to learn this skill. He said yes - he might as well learn it since he had been asked in the past to do it and would probably be asked again.

“He showed me when the jobs came up,” Johnson recalls. One big job that did come up was an apartment complex.

However, the contractor figured this job wouldn’t pay well and he asked Johnson if he’d like to take it over. Johnson agreed, and used the contractor’s tools until he could get his own.

With this job lasting several months, Johnson continued with painting. “I would take on wallpaper jobs as they came,” he said. Fast-forward a few years later, and Johnson made the break from painting totally and has been doing strictly wallpaper for over 20 years now.

“Most everything I’ve learned is from doing it,” he said. “I was never really trained.”

At the moment, Johnson figures he does 70 percent residential to 30 percent commercial. On the commercial side, he does a good number of restaurants, but also has done work for Texas A & M, McAllister’s Deli, Papa John’s and Subway.

“Most of my residential [work] is remodel,” he said. “I do a fair amount of new construction.”

In years past, Johnson would wallpaper a good portion of a house. Now, he does more powder rooms and a lot of ac-

cent walls, in any room of the house (bedrooms, living rooms, etc.)

One interesting accent wall item he does is the space on the wall left visible after the bookshelves are built in, all those little cubby holes.

Johnson belongs to the Wallcovering Installers Association, the national organization of like tradesmen. This year’s annual meeting is in Cincinnati, OH. “It’s been a great resource for me,” he said. At these gatherings, Johnson learns the latest and greatest in materials, techniques and tools.

“I do network with a lot of other installers in the Houston area and actually in the country,” Johnson said. “Everybody always says, ‘Boy, you make that look easy.’” That’s because he knows what he’s doing.

“Most of the time, I work by myself. I just like it better that way,” he said. On large jobs, he will hire extra hands.

“A big portion of my work is removal,” he said, such as being hired by those who buy and flip houses.

A big no-no for Johnson is painting over wallpaper. “I never recommend painting over wallpaper,” he said. “It’s always there and at some point, it could bubble or curl. All my work, I put primer underneath every wallpaper that I install.”

This makes it easier to take off in the future with little to no damage to the drywall.

“One thing about this trade is you’re learning every day,” Johnson explained.

“You would think that after a certain point you would have installed everything that is out, but every day you see something new: a different material, a different pattern, a different texture, and they all have their own quirks as to what it takes to get them installed properly.”

Johnson might slow down in a few years, but “I’ll always keep my tools and do something if I’m able physically.”

Looks like Johnson will be hanging around for a while.

Chris Johnson Wallpaper Hanging is a wallpaper installation specialist based in Conroe. -dsz

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L-R: UFG’s Joe Johnson, Sierra Dwight and George Robben introduce a new ladder extension product to 365WS members.

nsuring workplace safety has never been more critical. The construction industry’s fast pace, however, makes it hard for business owners to keep up with the latest in safety regulations and products.

365 Workplace Safety is changing that. The non-profit, internet-based organization is dedicated to improving workplace safety for its members. 365WS members have round-the-clock access to online resources, such as professional human resource consultants and safety and risk management information.

Members also receive discounts on safety products through approved vendors, thanks to 365WS’ purchasing power.

365WS works to assist members in lowering their accidents and helping to control their insurance costs as well. UFG (United Fire Group Insurance Company) sponsors a popular benefit in which qualifying members can participate in a dividend on their insurance premiums if the program generates profitable results.

“Most of our members are small businesses where one person may wear several hats,” 365WS Executive Director Sierra Dwight says. “The resources we bring to them make their jobs so much easier. Once a person goes through one of my short webinars on the services available, they are amazed how much easier we can make their workloads.”

365WS was established in late 2016, and currently has more than 200 members statewide.

“The reaction to 365 has been very well-received, once we get people to understand what we have to offer,” Dwight says. “Our major push is to try to get people to go through a little webinar

with us and learn how to access all of the various things that we have available to them. Once they see that, most people are really excited about how it’s going to save them time and make things better for their company.”

Recently, Dwight traveled to Houston to demo a new ladder extension product that allows users to enter and exit roofs by going through – rather than around – the ladder. Viewing the demonstration are Joe Johnson, Vice President of UFG’s Gulf Coast Region and George Robben, Gulf Coast Region Risk Control Manager.

“Ladders are one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the construction business,” Dwight explains.

“Even a fall from the first rung of a ladder can cause serious injuries. But, getting on and off the ladder at the roof line is the most serious exposure because it is a long way to the ground. When we came across this product, we wanted to field test it before recommending it to our members, and what better way to field test it than to have members test it for us.

Then, our goal is to see if we can get them a discount using the purchasing power of our membership.”

Future ladder demonstrations will be conducted in San Antonio and Austin utilizing local 365WS members. 365WS also plans to introduce a traffic safety program to address safety for drivers of company vehicles.

“We are proud to partner with 365WS and we are excited to see the quality of the services they bring to their members,” Johnson says.

365 Workplace Safety in Dallas is an internet-based, non-profit organization promoting employee safety. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Ready and willing

Johnathan Adame and Robert Murray are ready and willing at MBS Tool & Fastener. -cmw

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 3

A will, a way and a wife

Casino fun

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veryone loves a little fun and for the construction industry, there’s nothing like a good game of cards. The Greater Houston Chapter of Association Builders & Contractors hosted their Casino Night at the beautiful Bell Tower on Aug. 1. -cmw

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Will Helton, owner of Will’s Handyman Services

ill Helton comes from a construction family. They all pooled their talents and built their own house together.

Helton made his living as a handyman, able to do most anything and everything. But it wasn’t until he got with future wife Johnette that Helton became officialized as a DBA.

Will’s Handyman Services started in 2008 as a registered business. Johnette has a banking background, and, with her impetus, got things started.

“At the time I worked in the banking industry and I left that to help him grow his business,” she said.

Not only did Helton get a business, he got a wife too, as the pair married in 2014.

“In the beginning, we worked together,” Johnette said. “It was just me and him.”

Now, Helton has three other guys with him and able to divide into two crews.

But in those early days, Johnette not only helped field the calls and do logistics, she helped her husband paint and sand

drywall. “It was both,” she said. She would go out to the truck to answer the phone, return calls and take care of business.

Of all the things Helton does, Johnette said he’s “really good at drywall.” What he wasn’t good at initially, he’s gotten better at. “Trial and error, to be sure,” Johnette said.

“With this industry, there’s a lot of fraud,” she added. “We want people to know that we’re honest and we are going to make it right. We want them to trust we’ll take care of them and do the job.”

“If our customers aren’t happy,” she added, “we fix it. We go back and fix it until they’re happy.”

The Heltons like to stay north of Houston, but, “we’ve gone all over,” she said.

With no kids between them, the plan is to retire some day and travel around the country in an RV. Until then, the Heltons will make things right and do the job. All it takes is a good handyman and a capable wife to find a way.

Will’s Handyman Services is in Humble.

-dsz

ABC members hit the blackjack table.

ABC members support the Astros who are on a road trip.

Houston IEC apprentices graduate

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he kick-off of summer brings with it the end of school years and graduations. The IEC Texas Gulf Chapter hosted their 2019 Apprentice Graduation on Jul. 20 at the University of Houston. Over 1,000 friends and family attended to support the 144 graduates. -cmw Special Achievement Awards: Apprentice of the Year Winner: Adam L. Lopez, E-3 Electric Ltd. 1st Runner Up Apprentice of the Year: Dennis L. Pelayo, Colwell Electric Co. Inc. 2nd Runner Up Apprentice of the Year: Joshua L. Tyler, T & L Industries 3rd Runner Up Apprentice of the Year: Nicole A. Coleman, Assurance Electric LLC Presidents Honor Roll, Madelin Borthick Award: Argelio M. Guerra, Capp Electric Co. Inc. Presidents Honor Roll: Gabriel A. Cadengo, Walker Engineering Inc. Houston IEC class of 2019

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Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Creating cyber warriors from employees

Managing Certificates of Insurance

Lee Ann Collins, Managing Partner Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC Dallas, TX

Jillian Duzan, Certificates Tracking Services Mgr. Catto & Catto LLP San Antonio, TX

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recently sat down with our IT professionals to have a discussion about what types of cyberattacks are out there and how we can protect the company we love.

This lead to me staying up late that night reliving the numerous ways that a malicious attack could impact a business. I am the leader of a company that supports many families, not only our employees and their families, but also our clients and their employees. Being well-informed is the first step to a stronger cyber defense.

Unfortunately, cyberattacks are not so obvious. They can often happen quietly in the background, and you won’t know it’s a problem until your information is breached and available to the public. Also, many companies don’t understand how important it is to be vigilant until it’s too late. Below are statistics, compiled by Varonis, about cyberattacks and its impact on businesses, individuals, and our nation.

• In 2017, 147.9 million consumers were affected by the Equifax Breach. The total population of the United States is currently 329.09 million adult consumers.

• In 2017, cybercrime costs accelerated with organizations spending nearly 23 percent more than 2016—on average about $11.7 million.

• The financial services industry will spend, on average, $18.3 million to resolve a cybercrime.

The loss of data represents 43% of to - tal costs.

• Ransomware attacks are growing more than 350% every year Ransomware damage costs will rise to $11.5 billion in 2019, and a business will fall victim to a ransomware attack every 14 seconds.

• The United States and the Middle East spend the most on post-data breach response. Costs in the U.S. were $1.56 million and $1.43 million in the Middle East.

• 21% of all files are NOT protected in any way. (https://www.varonis.com/blog/cybersecurity-statistics/) All of these are terrifying, and they don’t just affect large corporations. According to Smallbiztrends.com: • 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses • 60% of companies will go out of business following a cyber-attack • Most cyber-attacks are the result of a negligent employee or contractor (https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/cybersecurity-statistics-small-business.html) How can your business be attacked?

The goal of every cyberattack is to gain access to your system. It can be malicious like we saw with the 2016 Mirai Botnet, which attacked the service provider Dyn and ultimately shut down a large section of the internet including Netflix, Twitter, and CNN. In May, the City of Baltimore was one of several municipalities that were attacked by ransomware this year. Hackers demanded that the city pay almost $80,000 in bitcoin to release the city’s servers that control everything from email to billing.

This attack prevented city employees from accessing the system for more than a month and the city was unable to distribute the June utility bills. Just to recover from this attack the city had to set aside $10 million in emergency funding.

Remotely accessing internet-connected devices is not the only way your network is at risk. Physical in-person attacks can be just as harmful. In fact, an unattended workstation with a USB port is a prime opportunity for malware and keystroke logging to be introduced to the network.

Once they are connected to your network, malicious individuals can bombard your servers with information causing them to shut down, called a denial-ofservice attack. Your network can also be held captive by ransomware that sections off access to data until an undetermined amount of money is paid to the “bad guy”. Unfortunately, there is no assurance that once the ransom is settled that the information will be restored.

How do you prevent it?

Turn your employees into cyber-warriors for the company. Train them on how to identify threats within emails and websites. Explain proper password procedures, and institute a multi-factor authentication process when vital information is being accessed.

Protect your physical assets by creating a visual database that is regularly maintained so that employees are easily identified. A visual database can be anything from photo ID badges to a seating chart with headshots on your local intranet.

The best defenders for your company are the people that work for it, but former employees who left on bad terms can become also malicious agents. When an employee is terminated or leaves the company for another opportunity, protect your information by immediately removing access to any system and changing their passwords.

I know that your company is as important to you as Lane Gorman Trubitt is to me. Empowering your employees with training and tools to defend the company they work for is the best line of protection.

To better safeguard your business, it is always good practice to contact your local security firm. If you require any additional cyber security information or resources, you can always check out the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) website.

About Lee Ann: A long-time authority in the construction industry with more than three decades of experience in public accounting, Lee Ann Collins is the managing partner at Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC. During her tenure with the firm, she has collaborated with clients of all sizes consulting on business planning and taxation strategies, financial analysis, and the preparation of compiled, reviewed, and audited financial statements. Lee Ann often serves on boards of industry organizations working toward effective solutions for members, and she is a frequent speaker on financial reporting and taxation matters within the accounting community.

nderstanding risks is a crucial part of operating a successful business. Certificates of Insurance (COIs) from subcontractors, vendors and suppliers help reduce risk by ensuring that insurance coverage is in place and that it meets the requirements outlined in subcontract agreements. Collecting and checking COIs to ensure compliance standards have been met—reviewing for key endorsements and dangerous exclusions—is a tedious but necessary task.

There are four common endorse- and coverage is excluded by their insurments that are considered essential: Ad- ance carrier, the reality is that as the hirditional Insured, 30-Day Notice of Cancel- ing contractor you would ultimately be lation, Waiver of Subrogation, and Prima- held liable. ry & Non-Contributory. Additional Insured status provides coverage to other The task of monitoring certificates individuals/groups that were not initially can be overwhelming. Employees are exnamed on the policy. If you are endorsed hausted by the tedious process of screenas an Additional Insured on a vendor’s ing COI’s and endorsements for complipolicy, coverage will be extended to you ance and the time consuming communion their policy so that you will be covered cations needed to resolve compliance isif a claim arises. A 30-Day notice of can- sues. They may not have extensive cellation endorsement is crucial, because knowledge of insurance language, and it’s important that you are notified when there is little margin for error. Even the a policy lapses. Even if you have marked simplest oversight can lead to financial a subcontractor compliant, that doesn’t repercussions. guarantee that coverage will remain in effect until the expiration date. There are Catto & Catto’s concierge certificate many scenarios in which policies are can- tracking service is designed to protect clicelled midterm. A Waiver of Subrogation ents while simplifying certificate manis a provision in which the insured waives agement. Our professionals handle comthe right of their insurance carrier to seek pliance reviews and communicate directcompensation for losses from a negligent ly with subcontractors’ insurance agents third party. A Primary and Non-Contribu- to address non-compliant certificates. tory endorsement is used to determine Clients can check compliance statuses the order in which policies will respond if and reports online integrate this data there are multiple policies involved in the into their accounting software. same loss. If this endorsement is applied, Renewals are also important to monthe vendor’s policy must pay before any other applicable policy without seeking itor. In the construction industry, many contribution from other policies. The insurance policies are written through Waiver of Subrogation may sound similar Excess and Surplus lines, in which case to the Primary & Non-Contributory en- policies do not renew automatically. dorsement, but there is a major differ- Once a policy expires, coverage is not ence between the two. Waiver of Subro- bound for renewal unless payment has gation prevents the insurance company been made. Our cloud-based automated from seeking reimbursement from the communication tool allows us to start reAdditional Insured’s policy after a claim is questing renewals through the system handled, while the Primary and Non- 30 days prior to policy expiration, giving Contributory endorsement prevents the the agents plenty of time to submit upAdditional Insured’s policy from contrib- dated certificates. uting towards the payout during the

The system that we use is also helpclaims process. ful to keep track of subcontractor’s insur In many cases, there can be exclu- ance information to prevent a failed ausionary language within policies that can dit. If an audit occurs either on your Genprevent the policy from paying out in the eral Liability policy or Workers Compenevent of a claim. Policy exclusions are not sation policy, you will be asked to provide listed on a Certificate of Insurance, but verification that any subcontractors you they can be detrimental to your organiza- used were adequately insured. If you tion. A few major examples of exclusions cannot show proof, the insurance comare: Subsidence and Earth Movement Ex- pany will have a right to charge additionclusion, Silica or Silica-Related Dust Ex- al premium to cover their work under clusion, and Residential New Construc- your policy. Our system allows you to tion Exclusion. If you subcontract con- refer back to documents and communicrete work, the Subsidence and Earth cations with subcontractors and their Movement Exclusion can be very harm- agents for up to 10 years. ful. If there is shifting and settling of the foundation after construction is complet- Improper management of certified, this could wreak havoc on your com- cates could ultimately result in costly litipany’s finances. A Silica or Silica-Related gation, out of pocket expense, and an inDust Exclusion can be harmful anytime crease in your own insurance premiums. you are working with construction mate- Being proactive in the management of rials like sand, stone, concrete, brick, and certificates of insurance can help prevent mortar. If workers cut, grind, drill, or crush these costly situations. Having your cermaterials containing silica, dust particles tificates reviewed by licensed and experiare created. It has been proven that re- enced professionals provides an added spiratory exposure to Silica can lead to peace of mind so you can rest assured lung disease or lung cancer. If a bodily that compliance reviews are completed injury claim is filed against your subcon- accurately and efficiently. tractor due to silica exposure, a silica or silica-related dust exclusion could be a Jillian specializes in commercial lines nightmare. Residential New Construc- and surety, and also has a vast knowledge tion Exclusions can vary with regards to of personal lines. Jillian is currently pursuwhat is excluded. In some cases single ing the Commercial Lines Coverage Spefamily homes are excluded, or perhaps cialist (CLCS) designation. Her role as part multifamily projects such as apartments of the Risk Management team is to assist or condominiums can be excluded. If the Commercial Lines clients by providing exunfortunate event occurs in which you pert management of certificates. have a claim for a subcontractor’s work

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 5

Risk management strategies for cost plus contracts in Texas

Personal protective equipment

Name, Brandon L. Rutledge Peckar & Abramson Houston, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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he release of the AIA A102™–2007 Cost of the Work Plus a Fee with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (“AIA A102™–2007”) marked a turning point for cost-plus construction contracts by formally standardizing a guaranteed maximum price (“GMP”). The change followed an inauspicious trend of owners reallocating risks for cost overruns back to contractors.

Consequently, today’s most common cost-plus contract forms all but guarantee that owners pay the lesser of the final GMP or the actual costs of a project plus a negotiated percentage-fee.

However, several cases in recent years beg the question: How much risk did the AIA A102™–2007 shift to contractors?

Across the country, courts in other jurisdictions, including states such as Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi, have ruled that certain cost-plus contracts vested contractors with an obligation to protect an owner’s financial interests and to keep costs to a minimum. Courts in these states largely based rulings on language found in Article 3 of the AIA A102™– 2007 and the AIA A102™–2017, which purports to establish a “relationship of trust and confidence.” In other states, several courts have construed the language in Article 3 to impose even stricter “fiduciary” duties on contractors. This development should serve as a cautionary tale to Texas contractors who frequently operate under cost-plus contracts. A fiduciary duty involves far more than just an obligation to avoid committing fraud. Namely, the imposition of a fiduciary duty carries with it a legal obligation to always act in the best interest of another party— even when an action entails negative consequences for the fiduciary. As a result, the imposition of fiduciary duties on Texas contractors could effectively preclude contractors from obtaining any benefits at the expense of the owner.

Would Texas courts actually impose this type of harsh and far-reaching obligation on contractors?

The AIA A102™–2017 Standard Form of Agreement between Owner and Contractor, the contract most commonly used in the construction industry, does recognize an obligation on the part of contractors to not act solely in their own self-interest. Specifically, the section describing the relationship of the parties, Article 3, states, in relevant part: The Contractor accepts the relationship of trust and confidence established by this Agreement and covenants with the Owner to cooperate with the Architect and exercise the Contractor’s skill and judgment in furthering the interests of the Owner; to furnish efficient business administration and supervision; to furnish at all times and adequate supply of workers and materials; and to perform the Work in an expeditious and economical manner consistent with the Owner’s interest.

Article 3 not only expressly establishes a “relationship of trust and confidence”, but also references the “owner’s interest” twice—first stating that a contractor must exercise judgment to further the interests of the owner, and secondly directs the contractor to perform work in a manner consistent with an owner’s interest. In fact, in instances

where courts in other jurisdictions found that an express fiduciary relationship existed between a contractor and an owner, they often focused on these exact words. Yet, courts across all jurisdictions seem to believe that this language does modify the typical contractor-owner relationship, though the degree of such a change varies significantly depending on the jurisdiction and the facts of each case. For instance, while some states treat this language as imposing as a duty on contactors to reasonably control or minimize costs, other states interpret this language to merely obligate contractors to keep owners aware of cost overruns.

The Texas Supreme Court has never addressed whether this language creates a fiduciary relationship under Texas law.

However, on one occasion, in a case involving a residential construction dispute, the Austin Court of Appeals treated contractual language creating “a relationship of trust and confidence” as forming a fiduciary relationship. In that case, the owner claimed that the contractor owed a fiduciary duty and breached that duty by overstating the amount of a draw request. The issue on appeal was not whether the contractor owed a fiduciary duty under Texas law but whether sufficient evidence existed to support the jury’s finding that the contractor did not breach that duty. Therefore, the case is not instructive of how Texas court will decide future cost-plus fiduciary duty claims.

Given the prevalence of Construction Management at-risk and other costplus type contracts, particularly in connection with public projects, this issue is likely to come to the forefront in construction law. As a result, contractors should keep in mind the following suggestions for managing some of this risk in cost-plus contracts: 1. Contractors should consider striking the above-referenced contract language during contract negotiations, which could help remove any doubt should a fiduciary duty be alleged by the owner.

2. Accounting records, including job cost details and backup documents may be subject to production in discovery. For this reason, contractors should be mindful and maintain consistent and accurate job cost records. This means keeping clear, accurate, and itemized records that account for the supplies and labor expended on every cost-plus project.

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ersonal protective equipment, or PPE, is designed to protect workers from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Besides face shields, safety glasses, hard hats, and safety shoes, protective equipment includes a variety of devices and garments such as goggles, coveralls, gloves, vests, earplugs, and respirators.

As an employer, you must assess your workplace to determine if hazards are present that require the use of personal protective equipment. If such hazards are present, you must select protective equipment and require workers to use it, communicate your protective equipment selection decisions to your workers, and select personal protective equipment that properly fits your workers.

You must also train workers who are required to wear personal protective equipment on how to do the following: • Use protective equipment properly • Be aware of when personal protective equipment is necessary • Know what kind of protective equipment is necessary • Understand the limitations of personal protective equipment in protecting workers from injury • Put on, adjust, wear, and take off personal protective equipment and • Maintain protective equipment properly.

Hard hats can protect your workers from head impact, penetration injuries, and electrical injuries such as those caused by falling or flying objects, fixed objects, or contact with electrical conductors. Also, OSHA regulations require employers to ensure that workers cover and protect long hair to prevent it from getting caught in machine parts such as belts and chains.

In addition to foot guards and safety

shoes, leggings (e.g., leather, aluminized rayon, or other appropriate material) can help prevent injuries by protecting workers from hazards such as falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, wet and slippery surfaces, molten metals, hot surfaces, and electrical hazards.

Besides spectacles and goggles, personal protective equipment such as special helmets or shields, spectacles with side shields, and faceshields can protect workers from the hazards of flying fragments, large chips, hot sparks, optical radiation, splashes from molten metals, as well as objects, particles, sand, dirt, mists, dusts, and glare.

Wearing earplugs or earmuffs can help prevent damage to hearing. Exposure to high noise levels can cause irreversible hearing loss or impairment as well as physical and psychological stress.

Earplugs made from foam, waxed cotton, or fiberglass wool are self-forming and usually fit well. A professional should fit your workers individually for molded or preformed earplugs. Clean earplugs regularly, and replace those you cannot clean.

Workers exposed to harmful substances through skin absorption, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes will benefit from hand protection. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

60th anniversary

T

he 2019 Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) Texas Conference and Product Show marked the 60th anniversary of MCA of Texas. The event was held Jul. 24-27 in San Antonio, TX at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort. This event is the annual meeting of the association. The educational offerings at the event featured motivational speaker Jim “The Rookie” Morris, leadership speakers Dr. Andy Neillie and Jim Whitt, and economist Dr. Alan Beaulieu. -cmw

Brandon L. Rutledge is an Associate in Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office, where he focuses his practice on litigation matters, complex commercial transactions, and construction law. He may be reached at: brutledge@pecklaw.com

Hello September

The MCA Texas Board of Directors L-R: Houston Director - Jimmy Graves, Graco Mechanical; San Antonio Treasurer - Matt Summerville, The Brandt Companies LLC; Dallas Immediate Past - President Randy Bradshaw, MIINC LP; Austin, President - Jeff Henkener, Dynamic Systems Inc.; Dallas, Director - Kevin Oeding, Dynamic Systems Inc., and Glenn Rex, MCA Texas, Houston EVP.

Page 6

Sherie Hensley, PE & J. Allan Hensley Jr.,

AIA, Principals H4 Architects & Engineers LLC Spring, TX

T

hey work on two different sides of the industry, but husband-and-wife team Sherie Hensley PE and J. Allan Hensley Jr. are always on each other’s side in life and in their business, H4 Architects & Engineers LLC. How did you become interested in your respective fields?

Sherie: I was interested in math and science growing up, but I wasn’t quite sure what direction to go. I talked to several engineers throughout high school to try to get on the right path. I chose mechanical engineering because it was the broadest engineering field. I went through school, just getting the exposure in anything and everything that I could. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 from the University of Houston. When I finished my degree, Allan was already working in the construction industry, so he gave me some recommendations on companies to contact. That’s where I got

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

my foot in the door into the construction industry, working for a firm designing MEP systems.

Allan: I had always done woodworking and stuff with my hands as far back as I can remember. My junior year of high school, I signed up for the Marine Corps. I was guaranteed the engineering field, and after boot camp I was assigned the job of heavy equipment operator in the Marine Corps for six years. After the Marine Corps, I worked in commercial construction. I went to the University of Houston and received my Bachelor of Architecture in 2003 and my Master of Architecture in 2004.

How did you meet each other?

Sherie: I met Allan when I was straight out of high school and he was in the Marine Corps.

Allan: Before I got out of the Marines Corps, I met Sherie via my brother who was working at the same movie theatre as she was. She had one year at A&M. Then we got married and she continued going to college wherever we were stationed at.

When did you decide to start your business, and what was your motivation?

Allan: I decided I would start my own company in 2007. The economy was kind of bad then; I got tired of paying daycare expenses and Sherie had a good-paying job. I could work out of the house, and that way we wouldn’t have to pay daycare for our two kids.

It started as a sole proprietor, just myself underneath my name. I did five or six projects a year, but most of the time I was focusing on being Mr. Mom, taking the kids back and forth to school and doctor appointments. Slowly, after the downturn in the economy of 2009, I started to get a few more projects, and I started branching out and trying to sub out some of the projects to some consultants. Finally, it got to the point

H4 Architects & Engineers LLC’s Allan and Sherie Hensley

where I had to hire a staff in 2011.

Sherie: I still had my day job, but I would help in the evenings and on the weekends as needed, whether it was engineering or accounting.

In 2013, I was a partner at an MEP firm. It was the third job I had ever had over the course of my 15 years of experience. A few years later, I branched off and started H4 Engineers. A couple of years later, we combined H4 Architects and H4 Engineers so that we didn’t have to track accounting for two separate companies and all of the other paperwork that goes along with it.

What is it like to work with your spouse?

Allan: We have our days, but most of the time it’s good! It is a testament to both of us that we do work 24-7 with one another.

Working with your significant other, spouse or loved one has its benefits, but the bad side is that, since both of us are in this company, it’s feast or famine.

What strengths do each of you bring to the table?

Sherie: The architectural side of things is his background, his cup of tea. Also, he’s much more laid back than I am, so he’s able to make sure he can diffuse situations that may arise with clients.

Allan: Sherie is the rock, she’s the big dog, the big boss. She’s very level-headed and organized to a point where all of the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted. She can juggle about 30 balls up in the air and still be on time and on task with all of the deadlines that she has, not just on the engineering side but she also does all of the bookkeeping and record keeping and payroll.

What is your current scope of services?

Sherie: We offer architectural services as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineering. We do permit running, fire code review, and master planning. As part of our services now, we’re able to offer virtual reality tours for some of our projects that we’re using 3-D software for.

Allan: On the architectural side, we do residential and commercial work. On the residential side, it’s new single-family housing, additions, and remodels. On the commercial side, it’s anything from a car dealership to a restaurant, multi-family, tilt wall construction, and warehouses.

What do you enjoy about your work?

Allan: Each day is different. You don’t have to sit behind your desk doing the exact same thing over and over again. On the architectural side, I can be working on a house one day, a commercial project the next day and then go back to the

house the same day. There is always something different that you’re learning; the profession is always changing with new materials coming out, new techniques, how you can build certain buildings or put something together. There is a benefit to being in this profession to where you enjoy it and have a smile on your face 90% of the time. As you’re driving to work, you know you’re going to see something different besides just the same thing on your screen.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Allan: We don’t have much free time! We have two kids.

Sherie: Our daughter, Allana, is a senior at the University of Houston with a kinesiology degree; she’s our little 4ft. 10in. sports buff. Our son, Lance, is currently going to the University of Houston College of Architecture. He’s been interning with us since his sophomore year of high school.

Allan: One stays with us right now and one stays closer to U of H. Usually, Sherie and I just go home, make a quick meal, sit down and relax and watch a little TV before 9 o’clock rolls around … then, we get extremely tired and fall asleep on the couch!

On the weekends, we try to do stuff to help us wind down. We do woodworking and we like to tinker with cars.

Sherie likes to go for walks and kayaking.

Sherie: I enjoy being outside. We do enjoy woodworking; we used to do that before we had kids. We built furniture and wall decorations. With the kids growing up and all of the involvement we had with them, we didn’t have much time to do that, but now that they are in college, we’ve resurrected all of those hobbies.

What do you hope the future holds?

Allan: Hopefully, the future holds that we are still in good health and we’re able to enjoy our senior years after going through – like everybody – 9-to-5 jobs for as long as you have to nowadays. We plan on traveling and enjoying quality time together.

Sherie: We figure that our profession gives us the opportunity to sort of semiretire at some point in the near future and still be able to travel, consult and work on projects. We don’t have to be sitting at a desk to be able to work and possibly generate some income.

Allan: Also, with our son studying architecture, we hope in eight to ten years that he’ll be in a position to take over and we’ll just keep going strong.

H4 Architects & Engineers in Spring, TX provides full service architectural and MEP engineering. –mjm

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 7

time and practice to get used to the new line. Braided lines boast a completely different feel than monofilament lines, thanks largely to their lack of give and stretch. While this difference can make the transition difficult, it’s well worth it.

If you are interested in discussing this topic in detail, feel free to book a fishing trip with me. Here are some open dates available: September 3,5,10,19,25 and October 7,9,14,15,21,24,25,28,29,30.

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 SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail. com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

The fishing line dilemma

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.

O

ne of the biggest debates in the fishing world often plays out between monofilament and braided fishing lines, between the old veterans who have been using mono all their lives to the up-and-coming anglers who claim that braided fishing line breeds better catches. Certainly, both types of lines have their pros and cons and you will have to decide which is best for you based on your own fishing preferences and on what characteristics are most important to you in a line.

On one side of the spectrum, there is a monofilament fishing line, which has been around for considerably longer and is what many of us grew up with. For many, mono lines are also still the more user-friendly option and the best type of line to learn on. For one thing, monofila-

Y

es, that is a strange title, but Larry Elstad’s life has been in concrete.

He’s been in the trade for 73 years now, starting when he was 7 years old.

Further, he’s the third generation of concrete contractor. His grandfather was one of three cement superintendents for the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State. Work commenced on it in 1933. Elstad’s father started working on the Dam project when he was 18, around 1935.

The family had to move to California for his grandfather’s health, and the Elstads would take the lad with them to the various jobsites, “when I wasn’t in school, of course,” he said.

“I just loved working with my dad and grandfather,” he said. In tagging along, Elstad picked up the trade and learned all about it. He worked with them all through his growing up years.

After coming home from a hitch in the Air Force, Elstad again worked with

My dear friend and client, Dr. Leggett of Houston, had his hands full with this 42-inch redfish.

The fight lasted approximately 15-20 minutes and it’s still up in the air which one was most exhausted. Fish wad released successfully after photo.

ment lines are significantly easier to knot.

Teaching a kid to fish with a braided line can become a frustrating process because, in order to be a successful braid fisherman, you need to possess a much wider arsenal of fishing knots than you need if you are utilizing a more traditional monofilament line. Knowing how to tie a wider variety of knots is never a bad thing, and may come in handy in any number of situations over the years. But if you don’t want your child to spend most of his or her fishing time mastering every knot in the book, then monofilament lines may be the better place to start.

With all that said, braided fishing lines have a lot of benefits that outshine those of monofilament lines for many anglers. For one, braided lines have smaller diameters than monofilament ones, making it easier to fit more line on your reel and giving you a greater casting range when you are out on the fishing boat.

Many anglers consider that boost in range an invaluable advantage for catching more fish, and they certainly have a

point. In many situations, scoring a trophy catch with a braided line is simply a less strenuous affair.

Of course, you pay for what you get, and braided line is considerably more expensive than monofilament line. If you are an angler looking to keep all of your purchases in the most economical range possible, you will likely be seduced by the more budget-conscious costs of monofilament line. However, you should also keep records of how frequently you are buying new line. Traditionally, braided lines have been known to be considerably more durable than monofilament, and if you find yourself replacing your mono line every few weeks, you may consider making the switch to braided line just as an experiment to see which line is indeed more economical.

Finally, if you are an angler who has grown accustomed to fishing with monofilament line but want to see what all the fuss is about in the braided world, be aware that you are going to need some

A life in concrete

Larry Elstad, owner of Elstad’s Concrete Construction, in front of his yacht.

(Not really - that’s someone else’s. But it is cool.)

his father and grandfather, while at the same time went to school at night in order to get his license and union card.

Elstad finally started Elstad’s Concrete Construction in 1961, working in the northern California and Reno, NV, areas.

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

In 1979, however, a big recession hit that area. “The only place that I knew was booming was Houston, Texas. So, I came out here and been here ever since,” he said.

Elstad worked steadily for the Public Works department, taking pride in doing high quality work, quickly.

“We do nothing but good quality, custom work,” he said. “I am quality control. I’m on the job every day.”

Elstad has seen plenty of “contractors” who just seem to work for a paycheck and not the satisfaction of a job well done. He does a lot of repair work.

And, some seem to not care about minor details like being legal. “I’d rather do everything legal and do it right. No muss, no fuss,” he said.

Elstad figures he’ll continue four to five more years. Then son Christopher will be the fourth Elstad in concrete.

That’s quite a life.

Elstad’s Concrete Construction is in League City. -dsz

Texas Style

★ ★ ★ ★

Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston San Antonio

Page 8

Houston Construction News • SEPT 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

beast’s frozen head under her arm. And that is pretty much how I remember meeting my future mother-in-law. She was this sweet, outgoing little lady with a dead fish head under her arm. (I should have taken that as an omen!)

Trophies!

O

ne of the most notorious characteristics of a fisherman is that he almost certainly lies. At least that’s what the common wisdom says.

You gotta have proof. You need to at least have a picture, but even better, you need to have your trophy fish on the wall!

There is no better proof than that! Just look at that baby!

Deciding to mount a fish as a trophy is like gambling. A good taxidermist’s fish mount can be a little pricey, so it is an investment. A fisherman looks at the fish like this. How special is it? Should he wait and see if he catches a bigger one? It is an agonizing decision, and one that we as guides often see being fretted over at the cleaning table while we have a knife poised over the fish awaiting an answer.

Some people just see “big fish = big fish fry,” while other people can just see that fish on the wall. That trophy decision is all yours folks, but I can tell you this. I have more than once seen a guide almost cry as he starts to cut into the biggest fish that ever was landed on his boat!

One of the funniest trophies I can remember belonged to my mother-in-law.

One day she was taking old friends on a sight-seeing boat ride to the scenic upper end of Lake Buchanan. Just for kicks on the way back home she wanted to show them what a trot-line was and how it worked. She stopped by one of our best old trot-lines and pulled up the pickup jug and she could feel the trot-line start moving the whole boat around.

There was a real good fish on the line. Finally after an extended bout of tug of war she decided to just go for broke and she got the old fish up close enough to just throw both arms around him and fall back into the boat with him. That’s when he gave one last hard flop on top of my mother-in-law and spit the hook out of his mouth. She was tired, beat up and stinky, but the lady had just landed a seventy-four pound yellow catfish!

It doesn’t really matter what your trophy is. It could be a three-inch perch dangling from a kid’s Snoopy fishing pole, a crumpled old photo or a straightened out hook from the one that got away. The important thing is that those trophies remind us of good times had.

Have you got your trophy yet?

In those days there was no such thing as replica fish mounts. All taxidermists did skin mounts of fish. Catfish were difficult to make trophies out of because of all the oil in them. My mother-inlaw simply plopped the massive head of her trophy into a large plastic bag and dropped it in the freezer. Every time she told her fish story it meant a trip to the freezer and out she came with that

1945

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

O

Page 9

Happen stance

2X Clark

L-R: Clayton Collins and Sam Collins

A Clark Electrical Services truck is ready to hit the road and take care of business.

ne of Sam Collins’ favorite things to say is “Make it happen.” It’s also one of his favorite things to do, and Sam has made welding happen for 46 years.

Sam found a welding career as a young man when he started to work in construction.

“When I completed high school in 1971, I just went and found a job and it just happened to be in the industry,” Sam remembers. “After a period of time, there were some things in the welding business that I liked so I picked up on the welding business.

I went to college for a couple of years, worked on it a little more and I’ve been in the welding fabrication business since 1973.”

By the mid ‘90s, Sam had the itch to start working for himself.

“I worked for a lot of companies and I saw how it worked,” Sam says. “By watching them and learning through the years, I thought, ‘Instead of making them money, why don’t I just make it for myself?’”

Sam established industrial piping contracting company PBCO Welding Inc, in 1996. His years of experience helped him navigate it, but running his own business wasn’t always easy.

“It was tough,” Sam admits. “You’ve got to get your name out there. You start small and you’ve got to grow with the industry, but the industry was already grown. I just didn’t have the money to start off big, so I started off small, and we just built from there.”

Along the way, Sam says he learned about leadership, people skills, working with other companies and money management. In 2014, he applied his knowledge to a start prefab and steel fabrication company Domination Fabrication, which is run by his son Clayton Collins.

Clayton started in the industry even earlier than Sam did; he says helping his dad in the shop was ‘pretty much mandatory’ as a child.”

“It basically covered my room and board,” Clayton says, chuckling. “It’s just something I grew up with. Dad was always welding in the backyard and always had a welding truck. It was something I became

accustomed to.”

Clayton considered a different path and even took college courses. When his dad needed a hand starting PBCO Welding Inc. though, Clayton quit college and joined Sam in the business. After the success of PBCO, Clayton was given the opportunity to start and run Domination Fabrication.

“It was kind of natural just because I grew up with it,” Clayton says. “There was a lot I already kind of knew working with dad in the yard.”

Today, Sam focuses on piping and field installation, while Clayton handles the prefab and steel fabrication. Business has been good for both companies.

“On my side of it, we’ve gone into the liquid bulk storage terminals – or what some people call ‘tank farms’ – the big tanks on the side of the road next to plants.

We do the piping on that,” Sam says.

“We’ve built about two complete tank farms and hanging all the highflying steel with the big cranes, hanging the pipe,” Clayton adds. “The bigger the better, I guess you can say.”

While both joke that the biggest perk about the work is the paycheck, the two genuinely enjoy the opportunity to work in welding together.

“I enjoy working side by side with my dad and our employees,” Clayton says.

“We’ve got a good stacked crew of talented guys. We all have the same interests and work together every day.”

Sam is currently looking for a new location in the La Porte/Pasadena area with a larger shop, office and yard for his 20 employees. Sam also hopes Clayton will someday take over what he made happen.

“I hope to hand the businesses over one day and still draw a check,” Sam quips. “Social security isn’t what it’s cut out to be!”

“I ain’t going anywhere,” Clayton assures him.

Welding subcontractors PBCO Welding Inc. and Domination Fabrication are in La Porte. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

In God we trust

It’s embedded in our currency and L-R: Charlie and Joe Cunningham with CoTemp Inc. Mechanical Contractors make the words “In God We Trust” part of their everyday life and business. -cmw

C

redit Richard Clark’s high school guidance counselor with getting him started on his pathway to all things electrical, even if he didn’t intend to.

He called Clark in one day to tell him he needed to up his grades. Clark chose a vocational school to accomplish this. He wanted to go into auto mechanics, but that was closed. The only two openings were cosmetology and electrical. This was what you would call a no-brainer decision on Clark’s part. Thus, when it came to studying the electrical trade, Clark said, “I got started by default.”

As it turned out, this was the right choice after all. “I came out top of my class,” Clark said. “I had a 98 average,” solving the low GPA problem.

After high school, Clark enlisted in the Navy and went into the avionics field, which was “real good training as far as the electrical field went,” he said.

When Clark left the Navy in 1976 and moved back to Texas, he worked for other electrical contractors. When he got his master’s license in 1989, he started Clark Electrical Services.

“I had just gotten married and had one truck,” he said.

Those early days had their challenges. “I worked some crazy hours by myself the first couple of years,” he said.

One thing that helped Clark was getting a contract from a cable company to do work for them.

With one helper for a couple of years, Clark ran into some difficulty when his marriage ended in 1995 and he put his business on hold around 2000 while he worked for another electrical company. Clark Electrical was still an entity, just not a practicing one This lasted until 2008, and, despite the down economy then, Hurricane Ike proved fortuitous in that it generated “a lot of work for us.”

Another factor in starting back up was Clark’s son, Richard Jr., who wanted to make some money. Clark said he’d train him and that’s what helped activate Clark Electrical again.

Now, Richard Jr., is “one of my best ser-

vice techs I have here,” Clark said. “He’s real sharp and really good at what he does.”

So much so, that Richard Jr., is now the vice president and co-owner to Clark’s president. And even though Dad has no plans on stepping down soon, some day Richard Jr. will take over.

“I explained to him that this would be a good business for him to take over some day,” Clark said.

Clark had 14 employees before his break, but has kept it at five now, by intention. He wants to keep things more manageable. “We can’t do super big jobs,” he said, but there is no shortage of work. “I get 70 calls a day,” he said. They are “booked out two weeks in advance.”

Clark is very hands-on. He jokes (but not really) when he said, “I’m knee-deep in electrical work and elbow-deep in running the company.” He answers the phone, does the estimating and bidding, all the scheduling and the bookkeeping.

“I’ve been doing this for 43 years,” he said, “so I pretty much got it down.”

Clark also trains all his guys. “I take somebody with no experience and train him myself,” he said, “then send him to school. Then they get their license to work. So, everyone here has been trained by me first. Then they work with my son” for more grooming.

Continual training is mandatory. Every year they have to learn and test on the newest codes that come their way, with the new electrical code book coming out every three years. “You’ve got to keep up with it,” Clark said.

If Hurricane Ike brought business Clark’s way, so did Hurricane Harvey. One wonders if all the various contractors will be done with Harvey repair before the next hurricane will hit the Houston area.

Be that as it may, Richards I and II stand ready to service Space City’s folks for all their electrical needs. “I have four good journeymen and one good helper who work with me,” Clark said.

Houston, we have no problem.

Clark Electrical Services is an electrical contractor in Dickinson. -dsz

Construction News ON LOCATION

Hello CN Houston

The MESA Mechanical team says “hello” to the readership of Construction News Houston.

L-R: Front Row: Robert Zeblis, Melita Ruiz, Rosa Mayorga, Efrain Flores, Hillary Scott, Ronald Bradford and Ruben Zambrano, vice president. Back Row L-R: Jaime Zepeda, Lindale Nichols, Hector Coronado, Mitchell Brittain, Nathan Grudier, Herbert Smith and John Nguyen. -cmw

Page 10

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 11

What are you thankful for?

Family. It’s what makes your world go ‘round. It’s what you work for.

Sam Collins, PBCO Welding Inc. and Domination Fabrication

Finally, I’m grateful for our readers, who are the reason for our newspaper!

Melissa Jones-Meyer, Construction News

Always having a steady stream of work.

I’ve just been so lucky through my whole career to stay busy. I have had very few slow times. I’ve been so blessed to have had a steady stream of work so I don’t have to go out and get a real job.

Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson Wallpaper Hanging

I’m grateful for all the grace that God has given me. As human beings, we make mistakes and bad choices; I’ve made enough of them. I’m thankful for the opportunities that God has given me. I’ve had a lot of obstacles in my life, a lot of things have happened from bad choices, and I’m thank He’s seen me through it and opened doors for me.

Richard Clark, Clark Electrical Services

Mostly for God giving me this life that I’m living. I’m not rich but I’m far from poor. I just feel blessed.

Robert Ramirez, Distinctive Glass, Co. I’m really thankful for Will. I’m thankful for our customers who have entrusted us to do the work that we love to do.

Johnette Helton, Will’s Handyman Services I’m thankful for my wonderful family and their good health. I’m thankful for the great people that I work with at Construction News who teach me something every day. I’m thankful for the people in the industry that I interview, and for the trust that they put in us to share their stories. s

I am most thankful for my wife and my four children who have allowed me to do pretty much anything I want to do. They have given me an amazing life.

Jason T. Merritt, Admiral Glass Company I’m thankful for getting through the tough years of business and getting to a point where I can breathe. There were some years I didn’t think we were going to make it.

Derek Gerdes, DG Metal Roofing I am thankful for my Rogers-O’Brien friends and family.

Terri Fleming, Rogers-O’Brien Construction

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Richard Gann has joined Slack & Co. Contracting Inc. as Director of Project Management. Gann brings 27 years of civil and commercial construction management experience. Prior to joining Slack & Co, he was general manager of Ellingson Companies CIPP/ Rehab, working with industrial and commercial clients nationwide. -cmw

TDIndustries is pleased to announce the promotion of Nikki Morgan to Executive Vice President of its Houston office. Morgan will oversee all Houston operations including new construction, special projects, service and facility management services. She has over 22 years of experience and has held many roles at TDIndustries. -cmw

Joseph Piccione as been named Chief Executive Officer of Pure Safety Group (PSG). Piccione will lead PSG’s workforce of more than 350 employees and be based out of the company’s Houston headquarters. He holds a bachelor’s degree in technical careers from Southern Illinois University. -cmw

Kamecia Mason has joined the McCarthy Building Companies family as Diversity Director, Southern Division. Mason will develop policy, create programming and part ner with leadership to set the strategic direction of the region’s diversity outreach efforts. Mason holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. -cmw

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

Sept. 23: Fall Clay Shoot, Greater Houston Gun Club, 6700 McHard Rd., 9am5pm.

Sept. 26: Workforce Development Awards, Marriott Houston South Hobby Airport, 9100 Gulf Freeway, 6-9pm. For more info, contact Lauren Harrell at 713523-6222 AGC

Associated General Contractors

Sept. 5: AGC Member Mixer, Crisp, 2220 Bevis St., 3:30-5:30pm. $40 Member until Sept. 5; $50 Walk-in; $100 Non-member Sept. 22: APEX Awards Gala, The Houstonian, 111 N. Post Oak Ln., 7-11pm. For more info, contact Catherine Bezman at 713-843-3750 ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

Sept. 12: YM Social Buffalo Bayou Cistern Tour, Buffalo Bayou Cistern, 105 Sabine St., 5:30-6pm.

Sept. 18-20: Texas CECON, Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel Conference Center & Spa, 1001 E. McCarty Ln., San Marcos, TX. For more info, call 713-261-5156 FPA

Foundation Performance Assn.

Sept. 11: Meeting, Mr. Ben Westcott, Hess Club, 5430 Westheimer, 4pm.

Sept. 11: Meeting, Mr. Will Squyres, Hess Club, 5430 Westheimer, 5pm. For more info, call Vicky Bonds at 713-699-4000 HAGA

Houston Area Glass Assn.

Sept. 25: Annual Clay Shoot, American Shooting Center, 16500 Westheimer Pkwy, 9am. For more info, call 281-8498293 or email Dorothy Gurka at dgurka@ houstonglass.org HCA

Houston Contractors Assn.

Sept. 7: Past Presidents Dinner, Brennan’s of Houston, 3300 Smith St., 5-7pm.

For more info, contact Jeffrey Nielsen at 713-349-9434 or jnielsen@houstoncontractors.org Sept. 18: 2019 Management Trip, The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL. For more info, contact Kim Sturgis at 713349-9434 or kim@houstoncontractors. org Sept. 26: September 2019 Luncheon, Junior League Ballroom, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, 11am-1pm. For more info, contact Antonette Skrabanek at 713-349-9434 or askrabanek@houstoncontractors.org IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

Construction News ON LOCATION

It’s in the stone

Sept. 18: General Membership Meeting, IEC Auditorium, 601 N. Shepherd Dr., #350. For info, contact Tori Barrett at 713869-1976 or email mbrdir@iectxgc.org MCA

Mechanical Contractors Assn.

Sept. 11: Membership Lunch Meeting;

L-R: Giancarlo Arrambide, Arturo Arrambide, Armando Balos, and Toño Ramos with A&A Marble and Granite have a passion for stone. -cmw

HESS Club, 5430 Westheimer, 11:45am.

Sept. 25: Joint Meeting with Associate Members, HESS Club, 5430 Westheimer, 11:45am. For more info, call 281-4404380 NAWIC National Assn. of Women in Construction

Sept. 10: NAWIC Membership Meeting & BOD Installation, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 2019 Post Oak Blvd., 5:30-8pm.For more info, contact Kathy Cernosek at kathy@ rsitx.com NECA National Electrical Contractors Assn.

Sept. 5: Coastal Sabine Division Meeting, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 4040 I-10 S, Beaumont, TX Sept. 14-17: NECA Convention & Trade Show, Las Vegas, NV. Sept. 24: Houston Division Meeting, Goode Co. Seafood, 10211 Katy Frwy. For more info, call SETX NECA at 713-9772522 PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Gulf Coast Chapter

Sept. 12: Gulf Coast PHCC Lunch Meeting, Churrascos Memorial City, 947 Gessner Rd. B-290, 11:30am-1pm. For more info, contact Dorothy Gurka at 281-7022955 or register online gulfcoastphcc. org/events.html RCAT

Roofing Contractors Assn. of Texas

Sept. 18-20: 2019 RCAT 44th Event, Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center For more info, visit www.rooftex.com/ events SEAot

Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas

Sept. 5-6: 2019 State Conference, Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel, 111 E. Pecan St., San Antonio, TX. For more info, call 713-7833363 SFPE

Society of Fire Protection Engineers

Sept. 1: Meeting, Saltgrass Steakhouse, 11am. For more info, go to www.sfpehouston.org WCA

Women Contractors Assn.

Sept. 6: WCA Port of Houston, Sam Houston Dinner Tour, 7300 Clinton Drive, Gate B, 6-7:30pm. For more info, call Becky Janak at 713-594-5926 or womencontractorsmembership@gmail.com

Page 12

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

THIS TH MON Jan: Construction Forecast Mar: Construction Education May: Concrete Industry July: Electrical Industry Feb: Construction Safety Apr: Women in Construction Jun: HVAC & Plumbing Aug: Service Providers

Environmentally responsible building Matt McCaffrey, P.E., LEED AP Project Executive Skanska USA San Antonio, TX

M

att McCaffrey, P.E., LEED AP, joined Skanska USA in 2003. A key team member on healthcare, high-rise office, and entertainment projects across Michigan and Texas, he is currently the project executive overseeing the construction of a renovation project in downtown San Antonio.

What is “green building?”

In general, I think “Green Building” represents the design and construction of buildings that are environmentally responsible by limiting the impact the building will have on the surrounding environment in the short and long term.

Skanska USA is on the leading edge of green building practices, supporting the evolution of existing standards. From office buildings and schools, to transit lines and highways, our team is well-versed in the green standards that are helping build resilient communities.

What is the history of green building in the U.S.?

At some level, green building has always been a part of the design and construction fields, as energy and water use are large drivers of the cost of building operations and cost savings are always in demand by building owners and developers. However, the “green building” movement didn’t formally begin until the early 1990’s with the founding of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and sev-

eral local and federal government initiatives (including the Energy Star program).

With the establishment of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), there is a formal rating system for buildings which owners, architects and contractors can use as a guide. Over the past 25 years, the LEED program has evolved, as has our understanding of how building affects the environment. While LEED is still the overwhelming standard, there are now other ratings systems and certifications (WELL, Living Building, etc.) which approach the concept from different perspectives.

How has the “going green” trend affected the construction industry?

I think “going green” has affected the construction industry positively. There is now a focus not only on what we are building, but how we are building it. Every aspect of the construction process is now looked at through the lens of sustainability and it has also slowly impacted the supply chain. It is no longer sufficient to just make a product which meets

Economic benefits of green Allan Throneberry, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, DMI Technologies Fort Worth, TX

T

hroneberry leads the sales and marketing efforts for DMI Technologies. He began his career in the early ’90s with a regional telecommunications company and has spent the last 20 years in various leadership roles for Telecom and Software companies.

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

We can’t speak for the state of the national industry, but I can tell you that construction is big business in Texas right now. The industry has never been stronger, and we are seeing more projects every month. DMI and many other companies in our market are experiencing a major growth cycle this year that should trend into late 2021.

What are the economic benefits of green or sustainable building and development?

The economic benefits of sustainable buildings are truly hard to capture. There are many studies that show the benefits of cost savings on utilities for buildings that are developed to be green. What DMI is interested in however, is harder to capture. Our focus is on the actual use of the building and its inhabitants. How can you capture the happiness of an employee who benefits from daylight harvesting technology? Is it

Designing responsibly with green in mind Robyn Popa, AIA, LEED AP, Partner Pfluger Architects San Antonio, TX

obyn Popa, AIA, LEED AP,is a Partner at Pfluger ArchiR tects’ San Antonio office. Her experience includes master planning, facility assessment, programming, design, production and construction administration. She is currently President of the Association for Learning Environments’ South Texas chapter.

What is the history of green building in the US? Green building has been around since humankind first built and inhabited shelters. The early shelters used local materials, were sited/positioned to maximize the natural environment (shading,

prevailing winds, etc.) and reused resources wherever possible. In that sense, “green building” is nothing new.

What is new is addressing the negative impact that construction has had on the environment. The invention of building systems, such as indoor heating, cool-

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

codes and performs well. The product now needs to be efficient or renewable.

With the number of projects either achieving green building certifications or designing to the standards, a product that is not compliant will be overlooked immediately. From Skanska USA’s perspective, it has forced us to look at ways to reduce waste. This includes more adoption of prefabrication and modular construction to reduce things like “packaging” and transportation costs. The focus on green building is having an effect on not just sustainability, but also productivity and safety by pushing us toward more efficient ways of construction.

What are the benefits of green building?

Constructing a building that is efficient will result in lower cost of operation over the life of the building, which is often an easy sell to owners. However, “green building” is also related to the user experience and buildings that have embraced this are typically more favored by occupants.

How is green building related to smart growth and sustainable development?

All of these go hand in hand. There has to be a commitment from all parties in order to truly produce a sustainable building. As more data becomes available, we are beginning to see more quantitative information about the benefits of sustainable buildings, and this will further inform decisions being made at the master planning and development stages of projects.

Is there federal or state legislation related to green building? Please explain.

While building and energy codes are including more stringent standards for possible to trace how many extra kilowatt hours of energy can be used in urban shelters due to a drop in usage of the commercial building next door? These are the hard questions, and I think that as the industry can learn to grasp these measurable items and present them, we can then start to see real growth in sustainable development.

Where can I find more information about the components of green building, like energy efficiency or reduced waste?

There are many local chapters dedicated to green building technology. Agencies such as LEED or USGBC provide readily available information on how green buildings are scored. Alternatively, many consumers are reaching out to their construction tradespeople and product manufacturers for this knowledge.

How do buildings affect natural resources?

In every way imaginable. Every brick, stick, cable, and piece of glass used in construction is derived from some natural resource. Most people realize this, but

ing and plumbing, has allowed us to build wherever and however we wanted. As a result, now we have to refocus on responsible design and construction to build smarter, conserve resources and consider lifecycle impacts on the environment.

How has the “going green” trend affected the construction industry?

“Going green” has prompted the entire construction industry to be more conscious of their trade and the resultant impact the built environment has on resources. There is more scrutiny on material and product selection to source renewable, regional resources that won’t negatively impact the building occupants. There is more oversight and quality control — for example, more control over where waste goes, or what products are used in construction, etc. More monitoring is required in material production to control the environmental effects of

energy and water use, most local, state and federal projects now require some level of LEED (or other) certification.

What are the economic benefits of green or sustainable building and development?

Costs associated with energy and water savings over the course of the project are obvious benefits. However, that can be eroded somewhat by the cost for additional equipment or more expensive products to achieve certification. Less obvious and quantifiable benefits are the impacts on the supply chain. The requirements for material certification are forcing companies to reduce shipping and transportation (and cost associated with both) and utilize more renewable materials to be competitive.

How are buildings certified as green in the U.S.?

There are many rating systems, most of which use a point-based system which dictates a level of certification. Examples include LEED, Envision, Living Building Challenge and WELL Certifications. The selection of one or more of these certification systems is often driven by the experience of the owner or architect. Achievement is completed by documenting compliance with credits and submitting that documentation for review and approval. Upon completion, a number of credits or points are achieved indicating the level of certifcation. Skanska USA has constructed hundreds of LEED certified projects and is a platinum member of the USGBC.

Skanska USA is a full-service general contractor specializing in building construction, civil infrastructure and developing self-financed commercial projects. - cmw many overlook the use of natural resources by just choosing a location for the development. Any time that the environment is changed, even in a small way, there is a change to the local ecosystem. Clearing dirt for a mid-rise building, for instance, changes the natural flow of rainwater run off for an area surrounding that development. This is a major reason that development planners must be aware of and care about sustainability in their project.

What standards exist for green building?

Standards for green building can be found in multiple places depending on the part of the world you are developing.

In the U.S. there are standards published by the USGBC that outline specific building requirements for gaining accreditation and LEED Point.

DMI Technologies is a woman-ownedsmall-business and is a provider of network infrastructure, security and smart building technology located in Ft Worth, TX. Their mission is always to deliver the highest quality of connectivity through the use of innovative solutions. -cmw

the manufacturing process.

How has “green building” affected the type of work you do?

Primarily, we are more thoughtful of and selective through all aspects of design. As architects, we feel a sense of obligation to design responsibly, even for clients or jurisdictions that don’t require any level of “green building.” We also look more critically at the act of construction—how we can minimize waste, reuse building elements, and how the systems can be efficiently and environmentally maintained, etc.

Is there federal or state legislation related to green building? Explain

Legislation varies from state to state; however, most jurisdictions require architects and engineers to adhere to specific continued on Page 13

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 13

NEXT TH MON

Specialty Contractors

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

Green building in the United States of America is a victim of its own success Omar David Land, MEP Systems Manager Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, San Antonio, TX

F

lash back to 1894: refrigeration systems dedicated primarily to producing large blocks of ice, have begun to revolutionize the way that industrial processes function and have opened incredible new ways to preserve and transport food. Engineers decide that a committee should be formed to standardize and regulate these systems and the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) was founded.

In 1902, a commercially viable air conditioning system for commercial buildings was invented, and by 1959 these systems and their derivatives were so widely adopted that ASHAE joined with American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) to form the now internationally influential American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

As one might expect with a new technology, the focus of these groups was primarily on safety, comfort, reliability, and maintainability for building occupants, owners, and service providers. Energy efficiency was readily sacrificed in favor of these more immediate considerations.

In the early 1990’s in response to growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Environcontinued from Page 12 building or energy codes. These codes have evolved to emphasize green building for energy savings, efficient systems and enhanced performance. Most entities require that architects and engineers demonstrate that the design meets the applicable building code’s requirements by using the US Department of Energy’s COMcheck program. Building codes, COMcheck and other codified requirements don’t address all aspects of green building though. They are tools and re-

mental Protection Agency’s “Energy Star Program” were formed. While Energy Star focused on consumer goods and residential construction, the USGBC formed with a broader ambition of “promoting sustainably focused practices” in the construction industry. By 1998, the USGBC strategically launched a program to achieve this objective by providing awards to developers and institutional owners who could design and construct buildings that operate 10%, 20%, 30% efficiently than the code standards promulgated by ASHRAE and/or the International Code Council.

The USGBC program was known by the acronym LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED certifications for buildings and for construction and design professionals alike became a badge of honor synonymous with all things positive in the design, development, and construcsources that only focus on building system performance. It is the designer’s responsibility to address the project’s green building goals.

How are buildings certified as green in the US? Buildings can be certified “green” based upon location, how “green” they are and how vital certification is to the owner or architect.

The most familiar certification program is the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental

tion world. Buildings proudly displayed LEED certification badges in lobbies, “LEED Accredited Professional” was exuberantly added to the signature block of professionals throughout the design and construction industry.

From 2003-2009 the LEED program was enjoying broad growth and acceptance; but the LEED program’s inclination toward a broad holistic approach to “green” design and construction pushed it beyond a mandate for energy efficiency, and into the realm of urban planning, material sourcing, and waste management.

The result was occasionally buildings that were impractical or unwieldy from a maintenance perspective, or that lacked optimal functionality from the user perspective. The proverbial pendulum swung from sacrificing efficiency for comfort, to something quite the opposite in some of these LEED certified buildings.

Concurrently, in the year 2000 the International Energy Conservation Code became a part of the prescriptive package of codes adopted not only by the major municipalities in the United States, and several other countries around the world. Recognizing the surge in green building and responding to demand for standards requiring that buildings operate more efficiently, ASHRAE and the International Code Council started to significantly increase the requirements for energy efficiency in the baseline building codes and by 2009 the standards were so stringent, that many municipalities deferred adoption of a code update until Design program, or LEED. This program requires thorough documentation from all parties involved in the project, including the architect, engineers, contractor, subcontractors and the owner. This program also requires documentation to be collected during the entire course of design and construction, and even after the owner has occupied the building.

Other location-based certifications are available through local jurisdictions such as the Austin Energy Green Building program for projects for the areas in and around Austin, Texas.

2012. A review of construction costs during this time will reveal construction costs rising at a rate that is significantly faster than the rate of inflation and much of this can be attributed to these code changes.

Frustrations with the earlier versions of the LEED program, in conjunction with the increased requirements of the baseline code, have cause many owners to strike what might be the best balance between the two options, incorporating what they perceive as the best of LEED standards and requirements to build sustainably and produce an energy efficient project, without pursuing the actual LEED certification and thereby mitigating the expense associated with the administrative costs of obtaining a formal certification.

Aided by changes in federal, state and municipal law, building codes, and technology the USGBC has been so successful in their mission to make buildings more environmentally friendly, that exceedingly few buildings pursue the actual LEED certification anymore. This isn’t bad news however for the USGBC or for the construction industry; the USGBC’s World Green Building Council is pursuing similar success in countries around the world, and the IECC and ASHRAE continue to refine the building codes in the United States to strike the right balance between green building and meeting the needs of business decision makers.

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is a full-service general contractor headquartered in San Antonio, TX. -cmw Ultimately, any project designed to current building codes of IBC 2015 or higher has achieved some level of “green” through its building systems and envelope requirements, although there is no explicit certification for that.

Pfluger Architects has long incorporated principles of environmentally responsible design into their projects using the latest standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program to achieve the highest possible levels of health and wellness for their clients. -cmw

Forward glass

I

n 1984, Les Craft opened a commercial and residential glass and glazing company in League City. He knew, after working in the glass and glazing industry for years, that he could create a new and better kind of company.

Thirty-five years later, Admiral Glass Company has grown to nearly 300 employees and multiple Texas locations.

The company eventually headquartered in Houston but kept the original League City location for small commercial, residential and auto work.

“Nowadays, we prefer large commercial work; major projects, utilizing unitized curtain wall, over storefronts,” Senior Vice President Jason T. Merritt explains. “We opened a satellite branch in Austin about five years ago, which made it easier to manage our work in the Austin area. Since then, the Austin location has grown; it now has fabrication capabilities as well and houses about 14 office and shop employees. Plus, any work we do in the San Antonio area is done through the Austin office. As we continued to expand, we opened a Dallas facility 14 months ago; it is just an office space with no fabrication. We opened that office to house project managers and estimators working on projects in the Dallas area. Nick Lindsay is the General Manager of the Austin branch location, and he oversees Dallas as well.”

The company also boasts two other divisions based out of its Houston office.

Jason T. Merritt, recently promoted to Sr. Vice President at Admiral Glass Company, is excited about the next 35 years.

“We have an interiors division that specializes in decorative glass, heavy glass, marker boards and glass handrails,” Merritt says. “We also have a City Services division that takes care of small projects and building maintenance. We just added City Services last year; we’re continuing to find new ways to increase our market share.”

Les continues to serve as Admiral’s CEO, while his son, Lane Craft, operates

as the company’s president. Roger Putz is Admiral’s Senior Executive Vice President, and Merritt, after coming on as a Senior Estimator just over four years ago, was recently promoted to Sr. Vice President. Together with the Admiral team, they are ready to help the company evolve for the next 35 years.

“The plan is to continue to expand and grow our market share and develop new

markets as needed,” Merritt says. “One of the things we’re doing right now is following clients into markets in which we would not normally work. We’re currently completing Bank OZK’s new corporate headquarters in Little Rock, AR. That is not a market in which we would typically pursue work but, due to a relationship with the contractor on the project and due to the size of the project, it made sense to go to Little Rock. We plan to continue to grow and expand as needed.”

Closer to home, Admiral is currently working on the façade replacement at UTMB John Sealy Hospital in Galveston.

The renovation comes on the heels of their completion of the new UTMB Jennie Sealy Hospital in 2017.

It is work in which everyone at Admiral Glass Company takes pride.

“I love the building industry,” Merritt says. “I love looking at a set of plans, an architectural rendering, somebody’s vision and knowing that I was a part of bringing that to fruition. The building of things has always fascinated me.

“There are so many things that glass can do, but we do more than glass,” Merritt adds. “We’ve really grown into an envelope and façade contractor as much as we are a glass company. If we can find a way to incorporate it into our scope, then we want it to be part of our contract.”

Subcontractor Admiral Glass Company has locations in Austin, Dallas, Houston and League City. –mjm

Page 14

JOB SIGHTS

Juan Mendosa with Jackson Lawn performs excavation work for the new Parkway Ridge Office Condominiums located at 633 E. Fernhurst Dr. in Katy, TX. -cmw

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

continued from Page 1 — Distinctive Glass When they started, Robert did the clerical work while Roy focused on sales and installations. They specialized in high-end auto glass because of the level of difficulty with those cars.

“That kept us busy,” Robert said. “We loved it. We had a really good reputation.”

With the advent of the less expensive auto glass chain companies, the Ramirezes were negatively impacted. As it turned out, another auto glass company they knew was getting too much residential glass work. They asked Robert and Roy if they could take on some of these clients as it was too much for them to handle.

“That was heaven sent,” Robert recalled. So, they moved into the residential market. Then they moved into the commercial side of glass.

“We do just about everything,” Robert said. Everything from showers to bullet resistant glass (used in banks, government buildings, etc.).

Now, the latest venture for Distinctive is the very specialized glass used in optical machines, like scanners.

Robert still handles the bookwork, invoicing, etc., but when he’s had his fill of the office, he’ll still go out on the job and replace glass. Distinctive has the contract with a local school district, and Robert will go out to the yard and replace a

bus’s window.

“The customers love to see the boss working,” he chuckles.

Roy, meanwhile, handles all the sales, ordering and purchasing.

One thing that keeps Distinctive busy is replacing the glass on retail store fronts when someone plows into it. “It does happen quite a bit here,” Robert said. The first thing they’ll do is board the place up and then take care of the glass.

Distinctive Glass currently has six employees and works in about a 50-mile radius. They do get good business from hurricane-related events, even though building codes for installation and glass are stricter closer to shore. “We service our customers first, of course,” Robert said.

Roy’s son Jason is the next up-andcoming Ramirez to get into the glass business; he’ll become a partner someday. In the meantime, Robert and Roy don’t intend on slowing down. “We’ll work until we drop,” Robert said. “We enjoy it. I love coming to work,” and staying late “doesn’t bother me.”

For the Ramirez brothers, it looks like glass is the tie that binds.

Distinctive Glass is a glass contractor for commercial, residential and auto, in Houston. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Masonry Custom Design

Freddie Martinez, M.A.F. Paving & Striping, operates asphalt paver for a new parking lot for a strip center on Pinemont Rd. in Houston. -cmw

Bowling glass

M

embers of the Houston Area Glass Association (HAGA) took to the lanes for the association’s 2019 Summer Bowling Mixer. The fun-filled competition was held at Willow Lanes on Jul. 11 as members gave it their all knocking down pins hoping to go “all the way” (finishing a game with nothing but strikes). -cmw

out in the field.” Joey said that it kept him busy and not just sitting around the house “watching cartoons.”

When Joey got through school and had his own family, that’s when “I started getting serious” about a career in masonry, he said.

“Everything I know, he taught me,” Joey said of Fred. In fact, Joey said that there are “quite a few masons in the Houston area who have worked for my dad and gone on and now are our competition.”

Masonry Custom Design beat out the competition when it came to a couple of high-profile projects on which they bid, even if they didn’t know who the projects were for.

But the Guerreros got the contracts that did work for (name-dropping time): President George H. W. Bush, Houston Rockets stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Tracy McGrady, and professional drag racer Rodger Brogdon. “It was an honor to do them,” Joey said.

Even though Fred is the company’s elder statesman and oversees the big picture, you won’t find him hiding out in the office. “I like to be out in the field with the guys,” he said. “I get my hands dirty. I don’t like to be sitting around not doing anything. It keeps me in shape. I like to work.”

MCD stays primarily in the Houston area, but that encompasses The Woodlands to the north and Galveston to the south. “On a given day, we put a couple of hundred miles on a vehicle,” Joey said, going between jobs. If the price is right, however, Joey said, “We’ll go just about anywhere.”

Fred has seen a lot of changes in the masonry industry since he started as a youth. “There were no outdoor kitchens back in the day,” he said. No one had brick pizza ovens in their back yards, either. The size of the home he routinely works on is much larger than his father’s 4,000sf home, which was huge for him.

Now, Fred will work on a house anywhere from 5-20,000sf.

The plan for the future is for Joey to take over MCD when Fred finally steps down. “As long as we keep our guys happy and the customers happy,” he said, “we’re going to keep on trucking.”

Joey has a son who might follow him. As of now, he’s leaning to working with animals in some capacity. However, if he ever gets undecided, Joey said he’ll bring him into the masonry fold as well, making him the fourth generation.

Sounds like something a real pal would do for another pal.

Masonry Custom Design is a masonry contractor in Houston. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Brandt Constructors & Facility Services

1st Place Team: Texas Glazing Solutions

1st Place Female: Anne Pfeffer

1st Place Male: Dillon Blackwell

facility. Meticulous detail was taken to ensure that every inch of the interior was preserved to its original splendor.

The mural depicting the assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was refreshed and restored to its original grandeur, giving rise to the parish’s name sake.

Cleaning and polishing the original Italian marble floor followed the 30-plus days of painting and detail work. The installation of custom pews and millwork completed the restoration process and returned Assumption Catholic Church back to its glory for generations to come.

Brandt Constructors & Facility Services is a general contractor in Houston, TX. -cmw

Original Italian marble floor after cleaning and polishing.

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019

Page 15

Doggett acquisition

H

All in for 20 years

Doggett Truck Group’s location in San Antonio, TX

ouston-based Leslie Doggett Industries, through its newly acquired Truck Enterprises Group, has expanded into the trailer business with the acquisition of a privately-held Great Dane Trailer distributor/dealer.

Doggett has locations throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas including Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. This acquisition comes on the heels of Doggett’s acquisition of Truck Enterprises Inc. two weeks ago and Doggett’s acquisition of the Freightliner dealerships throughout the State of Arkansas in 2018.

The addition of Great Dane complements Doggett’s existing Freightliner and Western Star dealerships as they will now sell and service flatbeds, dry freight and refrigerated vans with their over-the-road truck offerings.

SVP of the Doggett Truck Group, Paul Burk, said, “The addition of Great Dane products to Doggett’s world-class lineup allows Doggett to further partner with trucking companies and truck dealers on a measurable and meaningful basis. We are very proud to be partners with Great Dane and expect to have extraordinary growth with their products just as we have had extraordinary growth in our

truck (Freightliner), tractor (John Deere), forklift (Toyota), crane (LinkBelt) and auto businesses (Ford).”

Doggett is a Houston-based diversified heavy equipment dealer for seven first-tier manufacturers (www.DOGGETT. com) that are either number 1 or 2 in their respective industries: John Deere construction and forestry equipment (17 dealerships), Toyota Industrial Equipment - forklifts & material handling (7 dealerships), Freightliner and Western Star onhighway and vocational trucks (9 dealerships), Link Belt Cranes (3 dealerships) , a Ford auto and truck dealership and now Great Dane Trailers (3 dealerships).

About Leslie Doggett Industries and its Doggett Equipment Services Group: Doggett, founded by Leslie Doggett and Brady Carruth in 1993 with 17 employees, was ranked by the Houston Chronicle in 2019 as Houston’s 12th largest private company with annual sales exceeding US $1 billion and 1400+ full-time employees including 500+ factory trained and certified, highly professional technicians.

Doggett is a family-owned heavy equipment, highway truck and automotive dealership group without outside investment of any kind. -rd

E

All Commercial Floors Inc.’s Kevin Jones and Wade Pasch

ver since Kevin Jones could crawl on floors, he’s been in the flooring industry. That’s because Jones’ father was one of the original founders of Evans and Black Carpet Mills (now a large division of Shaw). Although Jones didn’t plan on a flooring career, he left the family business in 1994 to work in flooring sales. Jones rolled that knowledge and experience into starting his own business, but after building it into a multi-million success in under three years, he says things hit rock bottom: His partners shut him out rather than pay him the equity he earned.

Determined, Jones established All Commercial Floors in his Las Colinas garage on his birthday – March 2, 1999 – and borrowed from family and friends and the bank to finance it. ACF expanded to Nashville in 2002 and to Houston in 2003. After four years of payroll day panic attacks, Jones could finally exhale – ACF was a success.

ACF’s focus was on healthcare flooring until 2011, when it diversified to commercial projects. Branches in San Antonio, Irvine and Riverside, CA, Denver,

Tulsa, and Oklahoma City were also opened. This month, ACF will add a Birmingham, AL location.

“We’ll have over 150 employees in 10 locations from Los Angeles to Birmingham,” he says. “The plan is to have at least two more locations – south Florida and Atlanta, GA. At that point, we will have nationwide coverage from coast to coast.”

Going into its 20th year, Jones is focused on brand building and attracting top talent. To do this, he recently hired Wade Pasch as Executive Vice President of Operations and Denise Perry as Vice President of Marketing.

“Before, we didn’t seek out the spotlight. We would do a $2 million flooring job and we were gone before you knew who we were,” Jones says.

“That has changed. We want people to know who we are. When they hear ‘ACF,’ we want them to know what is being talked about and we hope it puts a smile on somebody’s face when they say it.”

Subcontractor All Commercial Floors installs commercial and healthcare flooring.

–mjm

Page 16

Houston Construction News • SEPT 2019