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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 22 H Number 9 H SEPTEMBER 2019
A new legacy chapter
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TRTF board members and Allen & Allen Co. leadership
llen & Allen Co., an 88-year-old San Antonio legacy company founded in 1931 by Howard Allen and his son, Lynn, is starting a new chapter of its legacy with TRTF Community House. Allen & Allen Co. will remain focused on providing the construction industry in San Antonio, south central Texas and Mexico with superior service and products. Allen & Allen Co. outgoing President & CEO, Buzz Miller and Vice President Coddy Pena said this is a celebratory time for their families as they have found a clear path for the future with a group whose values are deeply aligned with their own. “We both share the goal of wanting Allen & Allen Co. to remain for many years to come,” says Miller.
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Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF), a non-profit, was formed to enhance the San Antonio community by acquiring regional companies to help create a legacy plan for family businesses experiencing a generational transition. TRTF Community House is committed to retaining the Allen & Allen Co. business name, management team, employees and most importantly, Allen & Allen Co. will stay in this community for the continued benefit of San Antonio. As the idea of retirement approached, Miller and Pena strategized about the future of the company. With a desire to keep the Allen & Allen Co. name, its legacy and most importantly, its employees, TRTF Community House’s acquicontinued on Page 21
Concrete whisperer
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Rick Watson with the Surmac crew
ick Watson, owner of Surmac Inc., spends most of his days traveling around the country – by request. The word got out that he could solve just about any problem with concrete, performing miracles. He became known as the “concrete whisperer.” Since 2003, Surmac has become an industry leader in nationwide building rehabilitation and restoration services. They routinely perform exterior restoration work on historic, high profile and noteworthy buildings. One of Watson’s interesting projects was the Saturn 5 Rocket and The Apollo capsule requested by NASA. In 2004, Surmac restored the largest piece of the Titanic brought to the surface (30 ft long by 12 ft high). This large piece of the Titanic
is displayed at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. Then, he met Hugh Hefner when he went to Los Angeles to restore various areas of the Playboy Mansion. Another project includes the old U.S. Mint in New Orleans. In San Antonio, past projects include the Rose Window at San Jose Mission, the Majestic Theater, Menger Hotel, Bexar County Courthouse, the Steve’s Homestead, the Spanish Governor’s house, and Joske’s. They also restored the roof of the Waco hangar where Raytheon builds spy planes for the U.S. This is the airfield where Air Force One was stored when George W. Bush was president and going to his ranch in Crawford. In addition to Surmac, Foxfire USA is continued on Page 21
With growth brings renovation
t’s been 22 years since SpawGlass moved into their office in Selma, TX. Over the years, renovations have been made to the 13,000sf facility, but the latest renovations to the Selma office were all encompassing. The new space, designed by RVK Architects, features glass walls, bright colors and new lighting. Meeting spaces include two conference rooms that can be combined into one training space complete with dry-erase walls and large monitors plus a new main conference room that seats 12. The meeting spaces are equipped with BlueJeans video conferencing technology for seamless communication among the company’s jobsites and 10 Texas offices. Work spaces throughout the building include both private offices and shared workspaces. An expanded and renovated kitchen/break room provides more room for team members to unwind.
Twenty-one parking spaces were added to the facility’s parking lot. A new monument sign was erected, and renewed landscaping was incorporated. A 4,800sf welding and fabrication shop was erected in the laydown yard behind the office building for the company’s San Antonio Building Services group. This space provides a safe, efficient environment for team members to provide self-perform prefabrication and fabrication services for clients and project teams. The renovated office space was spurred by an increase of team members. The relocation of the company’s C-suite to New Braunfels also freed up space in the Selma office to accommodate the company’s marketing and team member resources (human resources) teams. Renovation of the office building and new construction of the welding and SpawGlass, Selma, TX new monument
continued on Page 21