Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News October 2019

Covering the Industry’s News

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www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 17 H Number 10 H OCTOBER 2019

Saying goodbye for now

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t is with deep regret that we announce the October 2019 issue of Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News will be the last, at least for now.

We started publishing in this market in 2003 and have met and worked with so many wonderful people during the last 16 years.

Our coverage, which has always included companies, people, and associations, has been wide. We especially enjoyed writing articles about new or small companies that, in all likelihood, would have been ignored by other publications.

This is a great industry that offers many opportunities to those who want to expend the effort and take risks to succeed. In some small fashion, I believe Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News has helped those folks on their journeys with our articles and profiles.

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Everyone at Construction News expresses many thanks to the numerous people who contributed to the paper, especially our Focus and monthly column contributors and our advertisers who were supportive of our efforts in the Metroplex.

To all of our readers, we wish you good luck and great achievements for your future. This industry can be tough at times, but it gives so many opportunities for success.

We invite everyone to keep up with Construction News in Austin and San Antonio by subscribing to our free digital subscriptions for those papers Until we meet again, Buddy Doebbler Publisher

Smiles for Giles

The team at Giles Engineering Associates Inc. celebrates their move to a larger Dallas office.

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iles Engineering Associates Inc.’s Dallas staff was all smiles during their open house celebration Sept.

19. Celebrating their new, larger office space at 2626 Lombardy Ln., Suite 105 in Dallas, the group couldn’t help but show their excitement about their sleek 6,000 sf branch. It was just a few steps away from their former one, but the amenities – a much larger kitchen/break room and soils/concrete testing lab, additional storage as well as modern furniture and fixtures – set the two a world apart.

Giles’ Dallas office had been experiencing years of steady growth. Space was needed to accommodate its swelling staff; a larger geotechnical and materials testing laboratory facility to better serve clients was also on the wish list. The new

space, which offers both, is the most recent development for Giles, P.E., G.E. D.GE which was founded in 1976 by Terry Giles in Milwaukee, WI. It started as a small operation providing geotechnical engi-neering and analysis for national clients. As local clients were developed, Giles expanded to provide environmental consulting and then construction materials testing and inspection services.

Today, the national consulting engineering firm specializes in geotechnical (soils), environmental, subsurface exploration (drilling), and construction monitoring and materials testing services. Giles has been providing these services throughout North America to private, commercial, industrial, financial institution and governcontinued on Page 14

New corporate headquarters

cott + Reid General Contractors Inc. was founded in 1992 by CEO Chris Scott and President Brad Reid. Together, they have been active principals of Scott + Reid from the company’s founding. Over the more than 25 years in business, Scott + Reid has experienced incredible growth and now stands as a premier general contractor in Texas.

Through their tremendous growth, a second office was opened in Houston in 2011.

Specializing in commercial construction in all industry verticals, including interiors, capital improvements and new construction, Scott + Reid primarily serves the private sector of the construction industry.

Scott + Reid Project Managers Brad Reid and Derico Lewis and Superintendents Paul Aplin and Steve Schattle oversaw the construction of the Scott + Reid Corporate Headquarters. The project designed by Fred Meyer with studio-

Meyer took eight months to complete.

The project scope included renovation of an existing site and new construction for a two-story addition. The site is the old single-story Sambuca restaurant building (also Button’s, most recently T. Blanco’s, both restaurants). The building was roughly 8,000sf. The building site was acquired from T. Blanco’s and the journey for Scott + Reid’s new headquarters began. Scott + Reid’s desire was to have all local staff in one space as they were previously split over multiple suites and have a showcase for their employees and clients.

Primary construction of the project included masonry/curtainwall façade with tongue and groove vertical grain cedar siding accents over a structural steel structure on the new 12,000sf two-story addition and a masonry/curtainwall façade over the existing wood-framed The new Scott + Reid corporate headquarters.

continued on Page 14

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

A new chapter begins

An electric 25 years

Joeris General Contractor President, Kenny Fuller

Kevco Electrical Construction Inc. celebrates its 25th year in business.

e has been in construction his entire life. Starting out as a subcontractor working for his dad, eventually moving over to the general construction side of the construction industry, Kenny Fuller has been named the new president of Joeris General Contractors.

Fuller has been part of the Joeris team for more than 20 years. Most recently, Fuller served as the company’s Executive Vice President. He succeeds John Casstevens, who announced his departure from Joeris after 24 years on Sept. 4.

With a career focused on client services and project management, Fuller’s client-focused philosophy will steer the company through this transition and continued growth in the market as the company deepens its values-based leadership. “To get the message out of who we are, especially the new values-based leadership piece portion. I don’t go very far without talking faith inside of what I do. Today’s values-based leadership becomes very easy to talk about inside of that arena. We have some amazing peo-

ple that we work with here and we’re just going to put the pieces together that allows them to voice their opinions and be what they can be.”

“The values are very much faith-based values. It’s been a part of who we have been since Leo Joeris started this,” says Fuller. “Our values are something we have reinforced within our mission statement.”

Fuller is very excited to be leading the charge with the company’s new values-based leadership. It allows him to work with people across all different parts of the company. Prior to Fuller’s new post, he had been primarily concerned with the private side of what Joeris does. Now he can embark into new arenas.

“We are excited about this next chapter at Joeris and look forward to continuing our Joeris Journey, providing the highest level of service to our customers, trade partners and Joeris team members,” says CEO Gary Joeris.

Joeris General Contractors is a full-service general contractor. -cmw

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evco Electrical Construction Inc., whose motto is “We Come To Work!” has been doing just that for 25 years!

When Kevco’s President, Kevin Richardson, started the business on Aug. 19, 1994, he already had two decades of experience, a few hundred dollars in his bank account, an office space on loan from an acquaintance and his wife’s Lexus to serve as his “work truck.” Now a 40+ year veteran of the electrical industry, Richardson leads his family-owned and -operated company with the help of his dedicated employees. Two employees have been with Kevco for 20 years and several more have been employed with the company for more than 10 years. Kevco’s management team has over 120 years of experience in all phases of the electrical industry.

Kevco focuses on heavy to light commercial projects within a 100-mile radius, such as hospitals, manufacturing plants, computer rooms, large retail sites, medical office buildings, medical clinics, ER

centers and retrofit of mechanical/electrical systems. Kevco also now offers parking lot lighting maintenance.

The company celebrated its quartercentury milestone with a blowout party at La Cantina in The Colony on Sep. 21.

Employees and their guests enjoyed the evening filled with food, fun and the vocal stylings of musical performer Le Freak.

For Richardson and his team, it was the perfect way to honor the past and look forward to the next 25 years. Kevco is proud to have served the D/FW metroplex and looks forward to many more years.

“The key to 25 years longevity and Kevco’s success is having a great team,” says Richardson. “We have dedicated and hardworking employees in the field and office. Teamwork goes a long way! Kevco is always looking ahead and planning for the future.”

Grand Prairie-based Kevco Electrical Construction Inc. is an electrical company focusing on light commercial projects. – mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

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Education in the trenches

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Chad Pendley, of U.S. Shoring, discusses trench safety while using a horizontal earth boring machine.

he North Texas Chapter of the National Utility Contractor Association (NUCA) held their annual Live Trench Training on Sept. 20 with an expected 300 in attendance. The event was held at Bob Jones Park in Southlake.

Attendees separated into seven groups, which then rotated through seven different trench training stations. The stations included underground utility locates, sloping and benching, trench shields, shoring systems, trenchless technology, confined space entry and rescue simulation.

Industry and OSHA professionals provided the trainings and answered questions. Attendees had the option to choose from English or Spanish instruction. Personal protection equipment (PPE) was required, including hard hats, safety glasses, vests and closed toe shoes. After the training, attendees were treated to lunch. -cmw

Firefighters from Southlake and Grapevine Fire Departments explain the process, timeline and tools they use when responding to an emergency call.

Attendees learn about the proper use of the personal protective equipment in a confined space, rescue plan and communication.

If you could retire anywhere, where would it be?

Anywhere I could afford! But I wouldn’t mind Key West.

Sean Doyle, Ritz Safety A ranch in Montana for eight to nine months of the year and a small place in the Texas Hill Country for three to four months of the year.

Karla Neely, Sunfinity I would like to “retire” to Gatlinburg, TN. I would love to open a shop there. I would love to live in the mountains of Tennessee and be a full-time business owner up there.

Rhonda Usher, Primitive Stone LLC When I retire, I would like to stay in Texas.

However, I would also like to have a cabin on a lake somewhere very far north, either northern Minnesota or Wisconsin. I want somewhere to go in the summer to

escape the Texas heat and to do a little fishing. I’ve been to Minnesota several times in September but also in January. I haven’t been to Wisconsin in a while; I went up there to visit some friends that lived not too far from Green Bay, but it was in the summertime. I am due for a visit, since It’s been more than 10 years; Jodi Bird, Giles Engineering Associates Inc. The Amalfi Coast in Italy, southwest of Rome. I absolutely love Italy. I think the whole country is dynamite.

Jeff Hawken, Texas Painting Company The beach would be a great place to retire!

Sunshine, warm weather, waves and toes in the sand! An umbrella, beach chair and a book would be great to go along with it!

Melisa Byron, Kevco Electrical Construction Inc.

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Five IRS audit mistakes to avoid

Non-Owned Vehicle Risk Management

Steven Bankler, Owner Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd. San Antonio, TX

Mark Gaskamp, Sr. Vice President Marsh Wortham Austin, TX

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he IRS audits about one million taxpayers each year.

While the agency is understaffed, that doesn’t mean you’ll slip through the cracks. IRS software automates the selection process now by flagging returns that show abnormalities: Perhaps the return deviates from what’s normally filed, or it’s been linked to a family member, investor, or business partner who is being audited. Also, the more money you make, the more likely you are to be audited.

An audit may consist of a simple letter from the IRS or, when the stakes are higher, you may need to meet with an auditor in person. In either case, common mistakes can almost guarantee you don’t come out on top. They include: 1. Ignoring IRS requests and deadlines Failure to respond to IRS requests for information won’t stop the agency from taking action. The IRS has the power to request your tax information directly from financial institutions (banks, brokerage houses, credit card companies, etc.). If it’s an audit of a personal return, they could contact your employer. If it’s an audit of a business, they could contact both customers and vendors. All of these powers arise when the taxpayer (or authorized representative) fails to communicate or respond to the IRS’s Information Document Request (IDR). If the audit proceeds without your cooperation, the IRS can and will issue a Revenue Agent’s Report (RAR) and finally a Statutory Notice of Deficiency. Generally, you will have 90 days to file a court petition to The US tax Court. Again, failure to respond to this notice can cause the taxpayer to forfeit appeal rights. The IRS then begins collection procedures, which can include filing federal tax liens, wage garnishments, and levies. In Texas, we have a “homestead” protection - ordinary creditors cannot seize and sell your homestead. However, the IRS is no ordinary creditor. They HAVE the POWER to seize and sell your residence to pay your tax debts. Missing an IRS audit appointment could start you down this path.

2. Not filing past-due returns

One of the first steps in addressing an audit is to make sure you have filed all tax returns that are overdue. Don’t let the fact that you may not be able to pay the taxes affect the filing. Late filing penalties accrue at the rate of 5% per month, while late payment of the taxes incurs penalties of 0.5% per month plus interest. If you failed to file at any time in the past, the IRS can prepare and file those returns for you as a Substitute for Return (SFR). Those returns, however, will not include the deductions and credits you may be entitled to receive. The IRS will begin collecting the tax due shown on these returns (which may be inflated due to deductions and credits having been omitted). If these returns indicate you may be owed a refund, there is a limited amount of time that refunds will be returned to the taxpayer on late filed returns. You could also risk losing Social Security benefits as well as your ability to obtain home, business, or education loans.

3. Lying

verybody’s got one, some larger than others, some are not even owned, but they still create a risk for the organization. Construction operations have so many worker safety (OSHA) and liability issues (construction defect, mold, silica, etc… ) they often neglect addressing one of the greatest risks to the organization, vehicles and safe driving. In fact, motor vehicle accidents are the largest source of workplace fatalities in the work place.

This includes not only the owned trucks and other vehicles owned by the company, but also the use of personal vehicles on company business.

The most common tax-related lies are underreporting income (usually income received in cash or received outside the U.S. as foreign income) and claiming false deductions, both of which can trigger heavy IRS penalties, fees, and interest. And then there’s tax evasion and tax fraud, which can be criminal offenses that could land you in prison. When an auditor uncovers a cardinal sin like substantially underreporting your income or failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts, you may be heading down a long, dark path that could cost you dearly.

A serious auto accident involving an employee driving on company business is one of the few exposures that can result in a first party, property damage claim, second party workers compensation claim, and a third party liability claim.

Each can result in significant financial loss depending on the nature of the accident.

It is such a critical workplace safety issue OSHA, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, has dedicated resources to develop a guide & resources to help show the importance of fleet safety. https://www.osha.gov/ Publications/motor_vehicle_guide.html

4. Not contesting when there’s a good reason.

The most important component of any fleet safety program is defining who is allowed to drive on company business.

Not just who is assigned a company truck, but who is allowed to drive their personal vehicles on company business.

This “non-owned” exposure can create a significant risk for any organization. The liability exposure for anyone operating a vehicle on company business ultimately falls upon the company, and can create as much liability as owned vehicles. Each year, our office sees multiple claims over $1MM involving “non-owned” drivers, so it is critical to make this a part of any fleet safety/ risk management program.

Don’t be intimidated. The IRS promises a right to professional and courteous treatment as well as the right to appeal disagreements. Utilize those rights when it makes sense. For face-to-face audits, you can speak to the auditor’s manager if you don’t like the way the audit is being handled. After an audit concludes, you can still contest it with the IRS Office of Appeals and have the decision reviewed.

If the appeals officer agrees with the auditor, you can go through the court system.

5. Not seeking expert help A qualified CPA can represent you before the IRS in a tax audit. This help is critical because you need someone on your side who knows not only tax laws but also IRS procedures. They’ll know how to present your case to both IRS Appeals and/or Tax Court. In addition, they could determine whether your penalties should be contested. When all else is said and done, a qualified CPA can help you negotiate payment of the tax bill, including applying for an installment agreement, and/or an offer in compromise, which allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount.

Take IRS audits seriously because the IRS certainly does. If you don’t take control of an audit from the beginning, you lose your power to file, contest, or appeal on your own terms.

Steven Bankler has more than 42 years of experience in the accounting industry.

Steven’s expertise lies in consulting, planning, tax, and asset protection as well as exit strategy services for closely held businesses. He also provides litigation support (both as a testifying expert witness and a consulting expert), business negotiations and estate planning. Visit www.bankler. com for additional tax strategy tips and to learn more about Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd.

The other aspect of controlling who is driving on behalf of the company is to ensure there are clear rules for the use of vehicles by non-employees and for nonbusiness use. Insurance coverage follows the vehicle, so if a 16-year-old kid hops in the superintendent’s company truck over the weekend and has a serious auto accident injuring a third party, the company will be responsible and the commercial auto policy will respond. Clearly defined rules for utilization of company vehicles can help reduce this exposure.

Once the list of individuals allowed to operate a vehicle on company business is identified, the next step is to determine the qualifications each driver must maintain in order to drive on company business. Failure to properly screen drivers will create potential “negligent entrustment” exposures for the organization and negative financial consequences should an individual with a poor driving history be involved in an accident.

Most insurance companies use the guideline of no more than three moving violations or at fault accidents in the past three years and no more than two violations or accidents in the past year as their guideline for an “acceptable” drivers. In addition, there are single events which should result in the driver being excluded from any driving privileges such as a DUI, driving without a license, or vehicular homicide. We encourage our clients to not rely on the insurance company to manage their drivers. It is best for new hires to provide their own driving record during the interview process and check motor vehicle record checks annually for your own staff rather than have an insurance company tell you who can and can-

not drive for your organization.

It is also a good risk management practice to require individuals to maintain personal insurance if they are driving on behalf of the company. These really need to be more that the state minimum limits of $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 property damage, as they are not adequate to protect the individual or the company from a significant collision. Requiring a $300,000 combined single limit will help insulate the company’s auto policy and reduce the risk of the individual being personally responsible for damages beyond these state minimums (depending on the type of vehicle this might cost from $50-$100 per year for 10 times the coverage). The mileage reimbursement rates account for this level of insurance. Per the IRS mileage calculations, over 10% of the current .58 cent reimbursement rate is to pay for adequate insurance.

Managing drivers and fleet safety should be an important part of any risk management program. It can take some time to develop policies and procedures specific to your operations and maintain the records for company car drivers, but this is time well spent in order to reduce potential liability exposures for the organization.

Mr. Gaskamp is responsible for developing partnerships with clients to implement risk control strategies to reduce the organization’s overall cost of risk. He has over 25 years of insurance and risk management experience and is very active in the safety and risk management community. He is a national faculty member of the National Alliance Certified Risk Manager’s program and serves on the safety committees for the Association of Building Contractors, Association of General Contractors, Texas Aggregate, Concrete Association (TACA) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Construction Specialty Practice. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Finance degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Mark can be reached at mark. gaskamp@marsh.com

Marsh Wortham, a division of Marsh USA Inc., was formed in 2018 upon the combination of Marsh and Wortham Insurance, and consists of Wortham offices in Texas and Marsh offices in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Our parent company is Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy, and people. With 75,000 colleagues worldwide and annualized revenue approaching $17 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies also include global leaders Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 5

Rethinking the recovery of attorney’s fees as a means to save costs

Maintenance versus construction Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

R. Carson Fisk, Shareholder Andrews Myers, P.C. Austin, TX

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n a construction dispute, settlement often makes a lot of sense based on fundamental matters such as certainty of outcome and conservation of time and cost. In fact, as a matter of public policy, the State of Texas encourages “the peaceable resolution of disputes” as well as “the early settlement of pending litigation.” But in many construction disputes—particularly those involving a couple hundred thousand dollars or less—the recovery of attorneys’ fees can be a major factor as to whether settlement is realistically achievable.

This is generally because in litigation or arbitration, the legal costs can quickly add up and, in some instances, become a disproportionately large number when compared to the actual principal amount in dispute. It is not uncommon for parties to spend $20,000 or more on attorneys for a $50,000-$100,000 dispute simply to reach a point where settlement negotiations might be productive based on the merits of the parties’ positions. This has the tendency to entrench parties in their positions given the need to recover attorneys’ fees’ in order to “be made whole.”

So while settlement often makes sense— so much so that it is reflected in statepolicy as codified by statute—does the ability to recover attorneys’ fees promote settlement or hinder it?

In the American judicial system, the recovery of attorneys’ fees in litigation is generally governed by what is known as the “American Rule.” Under this rule, each party bears its own attorneys’ fees, meaning that a party cannot recover such fees from the other party even if it prevails.

The rule applies unless there is a statute authorizing the recovery of attorneys’ fees or such recovery is permitted by the terms of a contract. Thus, in a straightforward negligence case (e.g., a case involving a slip-and-fall, car accident, etc.), a party does not have the right to recover attorneys’ fees from the other party.

However, in the construction context, a party often does have the right to recover attorneys’ fees. This is because multiple statutes apply—sometimes uniquely—to construction-related claims that permit the recovery of attorneys’ fees.

For example, statutes addressing mechanic’s and materialman’s liens, prompt payment, breach of contract, and the declaration of contractual rights all authorize a party to recover attorneys’ fees under certain circumstances. Additionally, many construction-related contracts provide the winning party the right to recover attorneys’ fees from the losing party.

With the recovery of attorneys’ fees routinely being an issue in construction disputes, the issue turns back to whether such a right of recovery is a help or hindrance to settlement.

Under one theory, the ability to recover attorneys’ fees promotes settlement. The focus of risk assessment is on the potential for an expanded negative result—the fact that the losing party might not only have to pay an adverse judgment or arbitration award, but also the attorneys’ fees incurred by the winning party. This increased risk motivates parties to take a more reasonable position in settlement negotiations. This often emboldens a party with the stronger position (or perceived stronger position).

But there is risk even for the winning party. Often the fact finder is not necessarily obligated to award the full amount of attorneys’ fees incurred, but rather what might be subjectively considered fair, just, reasonable, necessary, or a combination of these. So, while a winning party may have incurred $100,000 in attorneys’ fees, it may ultimately be awarded much

less. This, of course, makes a “win” less of one. And, as is often the case, each side may view itself as the party with the stronger position, presenting additional challenges.

Under another theory, the ability to recover attorneys’ fees hinders settlement. The focus of risk assessment is on the merits of the dispute, without attention to added-on costs such as legal expenses. If this approach is preferred, often parties generally must contractually agree that neither side has the right to recover attorneys’ fees or, in arbitration, that the arbitrator does not have the power to award attorneys’ fees. This approach can be particularly effective for early stage resolution of “smaller” disputes, such as those involving a couple hundred thousand dollars or less. It is at the early stage of a dispute where the parties have the best chance at a costsaving resolution, avoiding the steep and ongoing legal costs and associated commitments of time (generally resulting in additional, less tangible losses to the parties). But it is also the point in time where the parties know the least about their respective strengths and weaknesses in a case. Such information can be obtained, but only after spending money on attorneys’ fees—such fees not being recoverable. Thus, there is an increased incentive to settle earlier than later to avoid sunk costs. Conversely, parties may be inclined to adopt harsher or unreasonable approaches knowing that their exposure to attorneys’ fees is lessened or non-existent.

Neither approach is perfect under all scenarios, and unfortunately a decision on which approach to adopt generally has to be made well before any dispute is at hand. But owners, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers who leave the recovery of attorneys’ fees to chance are doing themselves a disservice. Thought should be given to the philosophy underlying any given approach, whether it be aggressive recovery or pragmatic resolution. Certainly state policy supports early amicable settlement, but the reality is that parties often feel strongly that the party who wins should recover all costs, including attorneys’ fees, from the party who loses. These theories and approaches should be considered, while keeping a party’s principles in mind, when drafting agreements.

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SHA has both construction and general industry regulations. Construction activities fall under 29 CFR 1926, and maintenance activities fall under OSHA’s general industry regulations codified at 29 CFR 1910.

Though the OSHA regulations for construction and general industry frequently agree, there are some differences. OSHA’s regulations define construction work as “construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating.” Section 1910.12(a) further provides that OSHA’s construction industry standards apply “to every employment and place of employment of every employee engaged in construction work.”

Unlike construction work, there is no regulatory definition for “maintenance,” nor a specified distinction between terms such as “maintenance,” “repair,” or “refurbishment.” “Maintenance activities” have commonly been defined in dictionaries as making or keeping a structure, fixture or foundation (substrates) in proper condition in a routine, scheduled, or anticipated fashion. OSHA has stated that maintenance involves keeping equipment working in its existing state, i.e., preventing its failure or decline.

Construction work is not limited to new construction, but can include the repair of existing facilities or the replacement of structures and their components. For example, the replacement of one utility pole with a new, identical pole would be maintenance; however, if it were replaced with an improved pole or equipment, it would be considered construction.

Additionally, the scale and complexity of the project are relevant. This takes into consideration concepts such as the amount of time and material required to

complete the job. For example, if a steel beam in a building had deteriorated and was to be replaced by a new, but identical beam, the project would be considered a construction repair rather than maintenance because of the replacement project’s scale and complexity. If a bridge was to be stripped and re-painted, that would be considered construction work even if the repainting were done on a scheduled basis. Replacement of a section of limestone cladding on a building, though not necessarily a large project in terms of scale, would typically be considered construction because it is a complex task in view of the steps involved and tools and equipment needed to do the work.

Work that is anticipated, routine, and done on a regularly scheduled/periodic basis to help maintain the original condition of the component will be suggestive of “maintenance,” although this must be considered in light of the scale of the project. If the work consists of repair as opposed to replacement, a key factor is whether those repairs are extensive. If the work consists of removal and replacement of equipment, an important factor is whether the new equipment is of an improved type. For both cases of repair and replacement, a key factor is the scale of the project, including the extent to which other equipment or structures must be moved or altered. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Inaugural shoot

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ept. 5 was a big day for the Subcontractors Association of the Metoplex (SAM) who hosted their first annual clay shoot. The event was held at the Dallas Gun Club with 48 participating shooters. This inaugural event featured a four-member team shooting competition as well as an individual shooting competition, a sponsored happy hour and two gun raffles. -cmw Best Shooter: ➤

Marvin Durham, score 93

R. Carson Fisk is a construction attorney, mediator, and arbitrator and shareholder at Andrews Myers P.C. in Austin, Texas. He may be reached at cfisk@andrewsmyers. com.

1st Place Team: Compass Steel

Page 6

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Rhonda Usher

Managing Director Primitive Stone LLC Arlington, TX

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hen Rhonda Usher hears the rumble of an excavator or steps out onto the soft sand of the pit, she feels like she’s home. In many ways, she is – it’s where she spent much of her childhood. It’s also a way to feel close with her dad, who raised her in the business and helped to set her path in stone.

Primitive Stone LLC’s Rhonda Usher

How were you introduced to construction?

My father, Buddy Seay, was a single dad and he had no choice but to take me to work. He would always be in these huge holes, in the sandpit, digging. Of course, as a little girl, I wanted to ride on the loader with my father.

Those are some of my best memories.

You know, your father is the person that you look up to and admire, and he was such a hard worker. He was a self-taught person. He worked hard and read books and did everything that he could to better his life. He was an entrepreneur at heart. He managed to start out with being a truck driver and ended up with his own sandpits and excavation business in the ‘60s, running about 100 trucks and delivering all over.

We started off being in the sandpit and excavating for other companies, and we did our own excavation. We were there until my father had a heart attack in the mid-‘80s, and then we moved to the office and started doing the office work. I worked in the office up until I married in 1994 and started having children.

What path did your career take then?

I was a stay-at-home mom, but I had many entrepreneurial ventures. My dad had a baby furniture shop; because my father had so many daughters, he started a baby furniture shop called Baby-O. He had to buy so many cribs and baby items for his girls that he decided he would start selling those things. My venture started from there as a buyer and a seller.

I also opened my own clothing apparel store. We moved to Cleburne, and I got into visual merchandising, which really helped me establish myself as a business owner.

As an extension of his sand and gravel business, my father wanted to specialize in building stone and had started selling it, but he fell ill, so I decided to go back to work with him full-time in

Rhonda Usher as a baby with her late father, Buddy Seay

2013. That’s when I started working on his websites and the more creative aspect of the businesses.

Was your father happy to have you back in the family business fold?

He was, but although we didn’t know it, he had cancer. We closed the family business that we had for over 50 years so that he and I could take care of his health.

The loss of the business was huge because our family was built around the business. We taught our children to respect it. My dad was all about the business, and it really was our life.

He never quit, though; he never gave up. Even though he was sick in bed, he would still be planning the next stage of his business and how to get back up on his feet. We had a salesman who was still selling stone for us, and I was still working on the website. Thinking about what we would call the new stone business when

my dad got better, I came up with the name Primitive Stone. I showed my father the name and said, “Dad, this needs to be the name of the new stone company.”

Unfortunately, he passed away four years ago. It was very hard.

When did you decide to establish Primitive Stone LLC? Once my father passed away, it was only a few months before I decided that starting the business is what I needed to do, and it was because I had found a notebook that my father had been writing on. He loved to write everything down; he always had a yellow notepad and pen next to him. He had left a bunch of notes on his yellow pads, and I found one of them after he passed. It said that he was going to be with me all the way and to work with the best.

That was my confirmation that my dad was there for me, that he was going to help me and guide me through whatever my next step was to be, which turned out to be starting my own business. It’s now been running four years. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see me start it, but I hope he’s looking at me from above.

What was the first year of business ownership like for you?

The first year was really exhilarating because once I made the decision to do it, I ran with it. It was no holds barred; what I didn’t know, I didn’t care about. I just went out there. There has definitely been a learning curve, though.

What lessons have you learned?

I’ve learned I’m not my father. I could never fill his shoes, but I’ve learned that what I have to bring to the table is different than what he had to share with the world. He trusted me to be more creative and trusted my abilities. That’s what he admired me for. Those are the things I have to try to work on and not try to be him. I need to follow my own path and not someone else’s.

What do you enjoy about your work?

I love the freedom to be an entrepreneur. To be an entrepreneur is the hardest role in my love for small business, but that keeps me going to keep learning. It’s important to be able to share what I know with my children and keep the spirit of the business and my father alive.

What do you hope the future holds?

I actually have big dreams of starting my own property to dig. I want to provide some of the materials that we are lacking in the industry. I want to continue to deliver superior products in a timely manner and also connect and grow my network of workers, trucks, quarries, suppliers. Hopefully, people will connect with me on social media and join me on this journey.

Supplier Primitive Stone LLC is a wholesale rock supply company in Arlington. – mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 7

Fall fishing possibilites

If you are interested in fishing this fall, feel free to give me a call or shoot me a text. There are some open dates available in October 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 at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

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.

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hen people think of saltwater fishing, most think of shorts and performance t-shirts in 90 degree weather. While we do love getting out on the boat in those summer months, there is also some incredible opportunities to cash in on saltwater fishing in the fall months as well. Fall fishing in our neck of the woods can actually be the best time of year for speckled trout, redfish, and other inshore species. The falling water temperature creates a feeding frenzy for these fish as they are gorging themselves on shrimp and baitfish that are stacked in the guts and sloughs in preparation for the coming winter.

An added bonus to fishing the fall in our area is the incredible opportunity for sight-fishing redfish. This time of year, the fish begin to school up. These groups that can sometimes be over 200 fish and our water becomes very clear. The thrill of pulling up on a flat and seeing a group of redfish pushing along is enough to get any angler’s blood pumping and an accurate presentation of an artificial bait or natural bait is usually all it takes to get a bite. At times, these schools are moving along the shallow water demolishing ev-

Angler Sam Boatright was successful landing the 21-in. flounder and two 27-in. trout on his recent fishing outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Both trout were released after photo.

erything in their path and will actually race to get your bait before one of the other fish can beat them to it.

Another alterative to fishing for reds in the fall is fish for black drum. There is an abundant population of black drum in the Texas Coastal Bend. The black drum is often overlooked as a primary game fish by sport fishermen, but is highly valued as table fare by many locals. The commercial fishing industry in Texas harvests over 1.5 million lbs. of black drum annually which illustrates the demand for its flaky white meat.

Even though they get huge, the ideal black drum for dinner is typically under 5 lbs. A drum this size compares very favorably to its cousins – the red drum (redfish), the speckled trout and other highly sought game fish of the Coastal Bend in terms of flavor. Breeding stock drum over 30 in. have been nicknamed the Big Ug-

Submitted to Construction News

Topping out the Equinix

Nestled in the heart of the city, DPR Construction celebrated the topping out of Equinix’s largest data center to date near downtown Dallas last week. With significant production by self-perform concrete and MEP teams, this project is a reflection of DPR’s continued desire to perform as a high-quality, technical builder in the Metroplex. -cmw

lies for their relative unattractive features compared to all of their drum relatives like the red drum, speckled trout, croaker and whiting. Their high arching back and propensity to develop deformities as they grow large leave them without the streamlined torpedo shape of their cousins. Typically, their meat begins to get wormy and more coarse.

Thanks to its abundance and wide distribution around our bays and beaches, fishing for black drum along the Texas Coastal Bend is a year ‘round activity that is available to virtually anyone that wants to fish.

Most importantly, enjoy your time on the water. The fall and winter months can be some of the most beautiful times of year in the Coastal Bend and the lack of boaters on the water typically enhance the experience overall.

Page 8

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 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

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hope by the time you read this we will finally be done with all of the one hundred plus degree days that we’ve had this year! It’s time to get into fall and start to enjoy it! Football is back! Hunting seasons are opening and fall fishing is just getting started. But there is one more thing we get to do this fall. We get to vote!

I know, everyone has their attention focused on the big picture, the main event election that comes in 2020. We have a whole year to get all wound up about that one, but if you hunt, fish, or go to the state parks to camp and play and

Vote “YES” for Prop. 5 on Nov 5

September morning departure

Submitted to Construction News

A dog for each year

explore, you need to be aware that this upcoming election on November 5th is what matters today!

Texas did something good for our outdoors in 1993. The 73rd Legislative Session replaced cigarette tax funding for state parks with a portion of revenues derived from the sales tax on sporting goods via House Bill 706. Between 1993 and 2017, the state has collected nearly $2.5 billion in revenues from sporting good sales tax, but only 40 percent of those funds have made it to the state parks of Texas. The trouble is that the money must be appropriated by the Legislature every two years.

This makes it almost impossible for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to plan ahead for long-term capital improvements and open new parks such as Palo Pinto State Park.

Our state parks have over 10 million visitors every year and attendance continues to increase. Most of the parks are over 30 years old and are in need of repair. Hurricane Harvey alone did $50 million in damage to the parks. Most of the playgrounds are in urgent need of replacement and restrooms badly need renovation.

This is how you can help. Vote “YES” for Prop. 5 on November 5, 2019!

Prop. 5 is a constitutional dedication of revenue from the existing sales tax (called the Sporting Goods Sales Tax), so those dollars can only be used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission on public parks and historic sites, and not for any other purposes. Best of all, this requires no new taxes or fees. A YES vote on Prop. 5 on Nov. 5 will be sure that our parks get the money they are due to protect Texas’ natural areas and historic sites, so we don’t lose the very things that make Texas a special place in which to live.

You can learn more about Prop. 5 at www.SupportTexasParks.org Help us get the word out so this important matter gets noticed amid the noise and confusion of the daily news. We can’t help a lot of the things we see happening our world, but your vote can help us protect those places we love to escape to when the world just seems too loud.

I’ll hop off my stump now and wish you a HAPPY ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 5th.

Submitted to Construction News

You had one job, Bella No matter how tough life gets, Primitive Stone LLC’s Rhonda Usher doesn’t let life lick her. Instead, she lets Bella, her Great Pyrenees, do it. Usher acquired Bella from a Kennedale feedstore for the express purpose of guarding her two ducks, Harold and Henrietta. However, Bella decided to be an indoor dog, and the ducks, without a proper bodyguard, were no match for cruel nature.

It appears Bella, however, suffers little guilt, and gives Usher enough love for three pets. RIP, ducks. –mjm

Five-year anniversaries are no longer marked with gifts of wood – instead, say congratulations with canines! Erin Chappell, Office Manager at The Holbrook Company Inc in Grand Prairie, was happily greeted at the door by several four-legged co-workers the day of her 5-year work anniversary. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 9

Hunger-fighting heroes

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ast month, teams of architects, engineers and designers answered the call to fight hunger in their community. “Heroes Against Hunger” was the theme of CANstruction Dallas 2019, in which the construction industry united to build 10 x 10 hero-themed canned food structures. From Sept. 7-22, visitors to NorthPark Center submitted $1 votes on their favorite structures, and the 150,093 cans and raised funds were donated to North Texas Food Bank. Canstruction was created by the Society for Design Administration working with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). –mjm PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Davis Smith

Most Cans: idGroup “Com- BAT Hunger” (11,433 cans)

Best Use of Labels: Halff Community Initiative/Halff Associates Inc. “Everyday Super Heroes”

Best Meal: Environments for Health Architecture “Wall-E”

Structural Ingenuity: BGE, Inc. “Produce Posse!”

Honorable Mention: Corgan/Austin Commercial “Power Forward Past Hunger “

Best Original Design: Stantec/The Router Room “Spiderman to the Rescue”

Relationship driven safety

People’s Choice: Archer Western/Spencer and Company/Alpha Testing /Southern Glass “Captain Underpants and The Epic Endeavor to End Hunger”

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Sean Doyle, district manager of Ritz Safety’s Dallas office.

itz Safety has 13 locations nationwide and three in Texas: Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. They all work for and report to Ritz headquarters in Dayton, OH. This begs the question: Is there any competition amongst these three locations?

“Absolutely,” Sean Doyle, district manager for Ritz Safety’s Dallas office, said. While the number one goal is to make Ritz successful when it comes to sales charts and profit margins, “You want to beat the guy ahead of you and you always know the guy below you is coming after you,” Doyle said.

Having said that, Texas has a very mobile workforce in the construction and gas/oil industries. Thus, it’s not territory that determines Ritz Safety’s clients, but with whom the client does business.

“All the clientele is pretty much driven off of relationships,” Doyle said, “especially in the oil and gas [area]. If you have the relationship, you have the client.”

Thus, when a client from the Houston office works in the Metroplex, he will still do his business with Ritz’s Houston

office because that’s his home and he knows the folks there.

“Everybody can sell you a pair of glasses,” Doyle said. “We want to be more of: Why are you buying that pair of glasses? We’re also about solutions. If you have a constant injury that’s coming up, we partner with our customers to look at training, or work on an alternate product.”

In a very dynamic industry, gas detection and hearing protection are heavily emphasized more now than in previous times. The trick is to train the young, healthy worker in the field that hearing protection now will pay off later.

“Companies are now investing in people rather than just a job,” Doyle said.

“The whole M.O. is to get them back home safe every day, with their appendages.”

Even though Doyle, who hails from Florida, roots for the Buccaneers and not America’s team, his goal is to build a relationship with his client and bring him or her home safely.

Ritz Safety is family owned and has its corporate headquarters in Dayton, OH, with an office in Dallas. -dsz

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Defender clay shooting

embers and guests of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Fort Worth/ Tarrant County Chapter gathered together for an afternoon of fun in the hot summer sun shooting clays at Defender Outdoors. The IEC Clay Shoot was held on Aug. 9 proved to be hot, but relaxing way to beat the heat. -cmw 2nd Place: United Rentals - Dave Hoyle, Zach West, Cody Butler, David Blankenship and Guy McGough 3rd Place: FSG Electric - Randy West, Charles Darnal, l Craig Towson, Robbie

Dennett and Danny French 4th Place: HEC Electrical Contractors Brian Jordan, Milton McNeely, Thomas Jordan, Kobey Millsap and David Costa

1st Place: Hicks Lightning Protection - Dustin Johnson, Bob Comeau, Cliff McLeod, Tad Riney and Richard Heard (not pictured)

W hat’s Trending in Epoxy Floors

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poxy floor coatings are becoming the new trend. The two most popular systems would be metallic epoxy floor and epoxy flake floors. The benefits range from hiding flaws in the concrete to creating beautiful and unique one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Epoxy Flake

This coating is applied over concrete and can hide small cracks, flaws, stains and many other types of damage that have occurred over time or through construction. Epoxy flake floors can be resistant to so many everyday occurrences such as chemical leaks, stains, cracks scratches and even has a tire rating. Epoxy has much higher adhesion capabilities when it comes to coatings, unlike big box stores material. Flake epoxy floors can also have the added benefit of slip resistance. Slip resistance can be beneficial for kitchens, garages, indoor commercial buildings, bathrooms and so many more places. When it comes to epoxy and flake, you can choose from a full broadcast or partial broadcast. The full broadcast floor consists of your selected chip colors broadcast to cover all the epoxy, and then encapsulated with a urethane topcoat.

Partial flake floors differ only in the amount of flake that has been put down.

With a partial broadcast, you will see the pigmented epoxy coating with flocks of your chip distributed evenly over the surface. When selecting your desired

look, you will have the opportunity to choose your size of flake – from 1/16 inch to ¼ inch. Next, you move on to selecting colors of flakes. A typical floor will consist of two to four different colored flakes blended to create your desired color scheme. These flakes are then broadcast into your selected color of epoxy and expertly encased into a coating of polyurethane. A wonderful advantage to multicolored systems is the ability to camouflage dirt and debris, all while keeping a streamlined terrazzo-like floor. When these floors are installed, they become an almost seamless monolithic surface, which can eliminate grout lines in tile flooring and gaps that occur in panel flooring. These cracks and crevices can be a haven for debris and germs to form and build. Once there is a buildup, it can become almost impossible to properly clean and sanitize to the fullest extent.

You can achieve an urban feel or go for more bright pops of fun colors. With an endless selection, you can achieve a highly customized look that still fits your budget.

Construction News ON LOCATION

Photo op

EPOXY FLAKE Metallic Epoxy

L-R: Ahern Rentals team members Kenny Adkins and Aaron Moore welcome Construction News and pose for a quick photo. -cmw

Metallic epoxy floors are truly the most unique and one-of-a-kind artistic coating you could choose for a floor. People will usually see photos of a beautiful sleek, distinctive floor, or maybe they saw one in a high-end restaurant. Some may be trying to figure out what material could possibly be used to create this work of art, and if it’s right for their specific needs. Like the flake floor, metallic epoxy has the ability to withstand a great deal while still managing to be elegant.

A metallic consists of three coats – prime coat, body coat, and topcoat. Each of these coatings pay a key role in creating your floor. The prime coat is put down to allow your metallic pigments to stay true to color once applied in the body coat. It also allows the pores to become filled allowing the body coat to flow over as slick as glass. The body coat consists of an almost glitter-like pigment being mixed with epoxy and resin, then poured onto the floor and expertly maneuvered creating jaw dropping move-

ment. Once the epoxy has hardened, the metallic pigment becomes locked into the epoxy coating. The installation technique used determines the look of the floor when it is completed. This floor is then sealed with a urethane in order to create the chemical resistant durable slip resistant long lasting floor, while still looking like a work of perfected artistry.

Metallic epoxy floors can look like marble, or can be an eye-catching pop to draw attention and be your showpiece.

Metallic epoxy is not limited to the floor, it can also be a wonderful kitchen countertop coating. With its three- dimensional appearance you can create something that looks like quartz, granite or marble without the cost. With so many different styles, colors and installation exports to choose from, the possibilities are endless.

So, whether you’re building a new home, refurbishing an old one, or have a business, these types of floors can be made to fit every need for everyday life across all industries.

METALLIC EPOXY Wes Vollmer, Decorative Concrete Specialist (210) 771-7451 WesVollmer@gmail.com

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 11

DFW brings home six

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he Associated General Contractors (AGC) Texas Building Branch (TBB) hosted an elegant evening for the presentation of the AGC TBB Outstanding Construction Awards.

This year’s event was held at the Georgetown Sheraton Resort and Conference Center on Aug. 22. Thirty-four awards were presented to AGC members for their outstanding construction projects across the state. Not present at the awards banquet was Ridgemont Commercial Construction who received the Outstanding Construction Award for Chase Bank Legacy West in the General Contractor Building 2 category. -cmw

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA

American Institute of Architects Dallas Chapter

Oct. 3: Rockitecture, Old Dallas High School, 2218 Bryan St. #200, 6:30-9:30pm Oct. 10: 2018 Built Design Awards Announcement Celebration, AD EX, 325 N. St. Paul St. #150, 6:30-9:30pm.

Oct. 24-26: 80th Annual TxA Conference & Design Expo. For more info, call 214880-1508 or email sche@aiadallas.org General Contractor – Building 5: Manhattan Construction Company, Toyota Stadium Renovation and National Soccer Hall of Fame

AIA

American Institute of Architects Fort Worth Chapter

Oct. 8: CANstruction Award Dinner, Northeast Mall, 1101 Melbourne Rd., Hurst, TX. Oct. 10: 14th Annual ACME Brick Sporting Clay Classic & BBQ Showdown, ACME Brick Gun Range, Brock, TX,12-6pm.

Oct. 18: Design Award Entries Due Oct. 24-16: 80th Annual TxA Conference & Design Expo, Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa & Convention Center, 7 Hope Blvd., Galveston, TX. For more info, email Alesha Niedzela at aiafw@aiafortworth.org ASA

American Subcontractors Assn.

Oct. 28: 38th Annual Golf Tournament, Cowboys Golf Club, 1600 Fairway Dr., Grapevine, TX. For more info, call Beverly Reynal, 817-640-8275.

ASCE

General Contractor – Educational Facilities 3: The Beck Group, The University of Texas at Dallas Engineering Building

American Society of Civil Engineers Dallas Chapter

Oct. 18: 4th Annual Youngr Members Camping Trip, Pace Bend Park, Spicewood, TX. For info, go to www.dallasasce.org CFMA

Construction Financial Management Assn.

Oct. 14: 18th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser CFMA Golf Tournament, Timarron Country Club, 1400 Byron Nelson Pkwy., Southlake, TX. Oct. 17: Membership Meeting, Hackberry Country Club, 1901 W. Royal Ln., Irving, TX,11:30am. Ethics Training, 8am. For info, contact Kelly Dando at 615-440-7486 or email cfmadfw@gmail.com DBIA

Design-Build Institute of America

Specialty Contractor – Exteriors: BrightView Landscape Development Inc., Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children North Campus

Oct. 3: DBIA-DFW Chapter 2019 Golf Tournament, Bear Creek Golf Club,3500 Bear Creek Ct., Dallas, TX, 8am-2pm. For more info, call 972-456-3200 or email info@dbia-sw.org IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors Fort Worth/Tarrant County

Oct. 10: Fall Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Course, 8951 Creek Run. For more info, call Jo Britt at 817-496-8422 NARI

National Association of the Remodeling Industry Greater Dallas

Oct. 15: NARI Night, Capital Distributing,

2910 N. Stemmons Frwy., 6-7:30pm. For more info, call Kim Savelsbergh at 214943-6274 NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction Forth Worth Chapter

Oct. 17: Monthly Business Meeting, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N, 5:30pm. For more info, email Lori Donnell at lorid.nawic@gmail.com NTX ICRI

North Texas International Concrete Restoration Institute

Oct. 4: 18th Annual Golf Classic, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd. For info, contact Steve Grelle at sgrelle@wje.com NTRCA

North Texas Roofing Contractors Assn.

Oct. 3: NTRCA Elevate Training with Kevin Aguilar Oct. 29: NTRCA Elevate Training The Wasted Work Day. For more info, call 817734-8373 NUCA

Nat’l Utility & Excavation Contractors

Assn. North Texas Chapter Oct. 25: 2019 Clay Shoot, Defender Outdoors, 8270 Aledo Rd., Fort Worth, TX, 8am. For info, email lisa@nucatexas.com PDCA

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America

Oct. 24-25: Dinner Cookout and Striper Fishing Tournament, Tanglewood Resort & Conference Center, 290 Tanglewood Circ. Pottsboro, TX (Lake Texoma). For more info, email dallaspdca@gmail.com PHCC Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Assn.

Oct. 24: Inaugural Clay Shoot, Elm Fork, 10751 Luna Rd., Dallas, TX. For more info, call Alicia Baron at 817-554-2314 RHCA

Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

Oct. 31: Luna Awards, Omni Dallas Hotel, 555 S Lamar St., 8am-1:30pm. For more info, call Yolanda at 972-786-0909 SAM

Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex

Oct. 3: Dinner Meeting, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy., 5-8pm.

For more info, contact Carrie Edomm at 972-438-1110 TEXO

The Construction Assn.

Oct. 18-19: 2019 TEXO Tailgate, Silver Lake Marina, Grapevine, TX Oct. 31: Construction Safety Professionals Conference, Omni Dallas Hotel Park West, 1590 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy, Dallas, 7:30am-4-pm. For more info, email Lois Hamilton at lois@texoassociation.org

Colleagues + cocktails Specialty Contractor – Mechanical 2: TDIndustries, Frost Tower

Specialty Contractor – Mechanical #3: TDIndustries, Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center

TEXO members gathered together for an opportunity to get out of the summer heat and visit with one another at the TEXO Colleagues + Cocktails mixer. The event was held at the Wild Salsa on Jul. 25 with a great turnout. -cmw

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 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

Keith Myers, General Manager IWR North America, Southwest Division

➤

Garland, TX

Michael Smalley ➤

Director of Business Development

IWR North America

St. Louis, MO

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ince 1940, IWR North America has been providing turnkey building enclosure and custom specialty metal design services coast-to-coast. Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., IWR North America is one of the longest-standing specialty contractors in the nation.

How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms?

Keith: It’s great. It’s labor intensive, obviously, but there’s so much going on.

Texas is definitely ‘open for business.’

There’s a large amount of opportunity and growth going on. Dallas is growing quite extensively. The business climate is good, and Dallas offers an advantage by being so centrally located. Its business climate is conducive to getting a good foothold in the market.

Michael: On the national level, there are a few cities across the country that are growing quite a bit; Nashville is one of those. However, there might be some

drawbacks from the industry on the commercial side of things. The sectors of business vary, but commercial, healthcare and automotive are all rising, due to geographic areas, municipalities and corporate advantages. North Carolina, Nashville, etc. are seeing growth in most commercial sectors. Some cities and regions are developing incentives to get steady and continued growth.

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

Keith: For the Southwest, while we haven’t been open very long, we have had clients that are ready to find new partnerships and relationships with the offerings we provide. Our dedication to accuracy and strict project management has been well received. We know what our clients need, and where we fit in within the larger construction puzzle.

One of our first clients in the area inquired if the job was a ‘one-off’ or if it was the beginning of a new relationship, to

The 2020 National Electrical Code Ryan Jackson, President Ryan Jackson Electrical Training Salt Lake City, UT

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his September, the 55th edition of the National Electrical Code® (NEC®) was published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). As always, we find new Code rules to address new technologies and newly discovered hazards, revised requirements, clarifications, and even deleted sections and articles. The 2020 NEC adds four new articles (Article 242 Overvoltage Protection, 311 Medium Voltage Conductors and Cables, 337 Type P Cable, and 805 Communications Circuits), but it also deletes four as well (280 and 285 were combined into the new Article 242, 328 was moved into the new Article 311, and 553 was moved into 555). The 2020 edition experienced a similar number of changes as the 2017 edition, although most agree that the changes in 2020 are much more farreaching and impactful, regardless of which facet of the industry you are involved in.

Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) were first put into the Code in 1971, and every edition since then has seen new GFCI requirements. The success of GFCIs in preventing shocks from becoming fatal is without argument, and Consumer Product Safety Commission has the data to prove it. The 2020 NEC requirements for GFCI protection in dwellings were expanded as never seen before, with GFCI protection now required

for all receptacles (not just 125V, 15A and 20A) in the areas requiring the protection, such as laundry rooms, bathrooms, and basements—and not just “unfinished” basements, but all basements, regardless of whether they are “finished” or not. Additionally, all outdoor equipment in residential settings, other than lighting, must now be GFCI-protected as well.

This would include air-conditioners and water heaters, as well as RV receptacles.

Adapting for success Ray Gurley, Jr., Owner/Partner 3G Drywall Liberty, TX

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hirty-seven-year-old, father of two, Ray Gurley, Jr. is a busy man. He and his wife (Jennifer) are expecting their third child and he still remains very active with his family as well as his business, 3G Drywall, a 3 plus-year-old company that performs commercial metal stud framing, drywall, acoustical ceilings, and doors and hardware.

What is the most significant challenge faced by the drywall industry?

We feel like there are three significant

challenges in the industry right now.

One: Labor/manpower. Currently there is more work than workers. This has been a

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

which we showed how we forge partnerships that create lasting relationships.

The hot button would be creating the sense of longevity that many other contractors neglect in going from client to client, project to project.

Michael: We have a hot-button issue regarding availability of qualified workers in the field. It’s all about finding quality workers that can do the job right the first time. That is an issue across the construction industry everyone is seeing right now. IWR is focusing on actively growing a pool of leadership and developing the talent of these skilled workers.

Unions are wonderful at helping to get talented team members with a great number of resources.

ed that help to streamline processes of design and fabrication. It’s a large amount of front-end preparation that helps to change the industry for the better.

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

Keith: There has been a change in philosophy in the industry and a change in the relationships of the contractor base. There’s a growth in scope of what IWR can do. We are being relied upon by companies and partners to get a job done by finding creative solutions to problems that arise with a ‘can-do’ attitude.

Michael: We have grown our scope.

We are doing things today that we didn’t do five years ago--the use of technology both in administration and in the actual building side of things. We have been able to utilize new methods to make things happen more efficiently than ever before. Different tactics have been creat-

What are the rewards of the industry?

Keith: It’s great to work with interesting, great and compelling people and businesses. It’s a moment of pride to build relationships that will last a lifetime, and to see exceptional projects come to fruition that I can be proud to say, ‘I helped to create that.’ We like to have a high retention rate with our clients and are proud to say that we have so many clients that come back for projects time after time.

We are proud to be a first-class company built for longevity. We are selective about who we bring in because we strive to hire the best, so that we can be the best and offer the best. We are excited to continue growing in the Dallas market.

IWR is a subsidiary of MHS Legacy Group, a national holding corporation with roots back to 1895. -cmw

Changes in Article 230 for services include new requirements for an outdoor emergency disconnect for first responders, but only for one- and two-family dwellings. The allowance of two to six disconnects has been removed in many applications as well, and not just in residential. This was done to increase the safety of electricians working on the equipment. Whole-house surge protection is now required, and tamper-resistant receptacles are now required in more locations as well. While these changes will all increase safety, they will all increase cost as well. On the other side of the spectrum, the archaic and inflated load calculations of Article 220 were extensively revised, resulting in significantly lower load calculations for commercial and industrial facilities. These decreases could save a substantial amount of money.

Ten years ago, it is doubtful that anyone would have predicted that the NEC would ever have a new Part of Article 410 to deal with marijuana growing operations, yet here we are with Part XVI of that article doing just that. Ten years ago, few would have predicated energized ceiling grids and Power over Ethernet lighting either, but both of those technologies may be taking a bite out of the average electrician’s wallet if we refuse to keep current and evolve with an evolving in-

dustry. When solar PV systems started gaining in popularity, many in the industry rolled their eyes and waited for the trend to pass, the same way previous generations rolled their eyes about home computers.

Not only has Article 690 turned into one of the largest and most complex articles in the Code, but we now have energy storage systems, power management systems, standalone systems, and even dc microgrids to learn about. We can choose to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that these fads will all go away, but the fact is we are doing more things with less energy than ever before. The critical circuits of a building are no longer connected with branch circuits and feeders, they’re connected with twisted pair and optical fiber. Changes to the latter chapters of the Code reflect these quickly changing technologies.

As is always the case, dealing with change is a difficult part of our lives. In the electrical industry we change with the times or we get left behind.

Ryan Jackson has written and edited several books covering the National Electrical Code and has taught the subject in several states for trade associations, companies, government agencies, and contractors. He can be found online at www.ryanjacksonelectrical.com or on Facebook at Ryan Jackson Electrical Training. -cmw

trend for the past few years. We meet about this topic weekly among the team.

Two: General contractors are doing more in-house self-perform drywall. This has been a challenge that we cannot really control. General Contractors are opening up a separate self-performing drywall division.

It has different pros and cons for everyone.

Like everything in our industry we adjust to these things in order to be successful.

Three: Younger/older generation integration. Taking the younger generation and merging them with the older generation has been a challenge for all construction companies. The younger side wants to try all the new advances in construction with tools and software. The old genera-

tion wants printed blueprints. They are set in doing things the same way, and they write everything down with a pencil and paper. So the challenge is taking the best of these two generations and merging them into a middle ground. It takes an in between with some give and take for everyone to be successful. Be open minded, but also understand the system and process in place. Most importantly, work as a team and always remember what is in the best interest of the company.

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

Cost increases? Other?

Keith: Labor shortage is the short, quick answer. Construction does not have a good reputation historically when it comes to the ‘Top Jobs in the Country’ and while that is changing currently, it won’t happen overnight. It takes time to change this attitude, both in managing and in completing the work. Until that change takes hold, there will be a continued labor shortage.

How has insurance and workers’ compensation rates affected your industry or business? continued on Page 13

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 13

NEXT TH N O M

SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS Architecture & Engineering

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

Painting with guidance Johnny Perry, Owner HIS Professional Painting Houston, TX

J

ohnny Perry has always had a passion for painting. “I realized my calling after God sent me to help out a church whose pastor was out of town,” says Perry. While visiting the parish, he painted the church giving new life to parish facility.

Perry has been painting for over 20 years and started his own business in 2016. According to Perry, as an active pastor, not only does he paint, but he anoints his projects with God’s blessings.

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

Cost increases? Other?

There are many factors and challenges we face in this industry, but some of the most significant includes labor short-

age and cost increases.

Labor shortage is a major challenge because it does take a certain skill set to do this work. It’s hard to find loyal and skilled workers.

Cost increases are also a challenge.

We are affected by fuel costs, insurance premiums, materials and labor increase.

Unfortunately, customers are not aware of these factors, and we lose money in the end.

Exploring new avenues Mike Kotubey, President North Texas TDIndustries Dallas, TX

M

ike Kotubey leads TDIndustries’ North Texas operations including mechanical construction, facilities maintenance and service. Kotubey is a proponent of Lean construction, prefabrication and integrated project delivery. When not in the office, he enjoys reading, learning and spending time on the golf course.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces?

Like most other contractors, finding enough skilled labor is increasingly difficult. This has led us to further accelerate our fabrication efforts and explore new equipment and processes to better equip our partners (employees) to be more productive and safer.

Beyond labor, our industry must continue to embrace new techniques and processes to produce better outcomes for our customers. While technology can give efficiency a boost, early collaboration and project involvement can lead to even greater cost savings, shorter schedules and

improved safety onsite. The net is greater value to the building owner through the elimination of waste and duplicated effort.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Tariffs have had both a direct and indirect effect. Many materials (valves as an example) come from China so we have seen an 11-24 percent increase in these costs. Additionally, some companies are using tariffs as an excuse to raise prices even though they may have not been directly affected. The net result is their profits are increasing and the end users are bearing those costs while gaining no value on their projects.

How has your industry changed over the past five years?

The changes in our industry happened due to the advancement in paint products. For example, we have reflective paints that are used to reduce heat.

Another example are aerial painting drones which can be used to save time and money.

work to go around, bringing more companies and homes into the area.

What is your workload like now compared to years past?

Our workload compared to the last five years has definitely increased. We have extended our reach into the commercial and industrial side, so when the work comes in, it’s more of a larger scale with more demanding deadlines.

Has the “Going Green” push affected your industry? How? The “going green” push has influenced our industry but in a positive way.

The new lifestyle of going green is awesome, it simply means “reduce, reuse and recycle.” It helps bring awareness to our earth and I’m all for that.

Has your industry become more competitive with the recent Texas population explosion? How has it affected your business?

Yes, the industry has become more competitive because Houston is a largely populated area and there is plenty of

What is the most rewarding aspect of our business/trade?

The most rewarding aspect of my business/trade is knowing that I was chosen to bring forth my customers’ vision.

HIS Professional Painting is a full-service painting contractor. – cmw

What is on the horizon for your industry?

In North Texas, the next decade will see increased acceptance of design-build delivery methods. We will continue to practice other deliveries, but owners who embrace design-build will find additional value – nimble project delivery; earlier collaboration; designs that incorporate fabrication and modularization; staged design and installation to match the construction schedule; and designing to budget so that costly redesigns are eliminated. Another benefit that design-build offers is the ability to design, coordinate and fabricate using a Revit model.

A byproduct will be the elimination of the many hand-offs between architect, engineer, and contractor, and the duplicated, wasted resources that process requires.

in less than 2 minutes. As more cities look to improve fire safety in high rises and large warehouses, we anticipate these becoming commonly required.

Have there been any significant code changes in the past year? Or regulations?

Firefighter Air-Replenishment Systems (FARS) aren’t new, but we are starting to see more Texas cities adopt codes in accordance with the International Fire Code. These systems bring breathing air to firefighters who are actively battling blazes, allowing them to refill their tanks

What is on the horizon for your industry?

In my opinion, our industry will see more products directed to DIY projects, encouraging everyone to have the ability to paint like a Pro.

What advice would you give someone wanting to enter the mechanical industry?

As a career, there is unmatched opportunity. Very few industry segments offer a person the opportunity to be an integral part of building or rebuilding the infrastructure of America. We offer a level of support and training that can propel a young person’s career so they can grow and prosper in a very short period and become a significant contributor to a vibrant part of our community.

What are keys to being successful?

Communication skills, a desire to learn, always look for a better way, Lean thinking, a willingness to invest in themselves to learn and grow as a person and professional, humility, an appreciation of the contributions that a diverse workforce can bring and strong collaboration skills.

TDIndustries is a full-service mechanical contractor. -cmw

continued from page 12 — Adapting for success

There has been a small increase cost wise in the past few years, however nothing too significant. We work with certain clients that require specific insurance requirements. We continue to invest more into training to help prevent injuries and to ensure we can always meet the project or client requirements. At the end of the day this added cost is not as important as everyone going home to their families.

Is timely payment and final retainage by general contractors an issue? How does this affect your industry/business?

This has and probably will continue to be an issue in our industry. There are a

lot of variables that we do not control that prevent retainage payments. It forces some companies to struggle a lot more than they should. For us, it affected us more in year one than year three obviously. We tend to lean on our banking relationships, our CPA, and our overall relationship with our clients to ensure that this risk is as limited as possible in these situations. This issue essentially affects your cashflow and this sometimes leads companies to turning down work or not growing and expanding. Some clients have adapted and created an APP program for all payments, and it can really be helpful at different times in a project.

How has the cost of materials affected your industry and your business?

We feel like material costs have their ups and down throughout each year. Similar to us, they have to have field workers to either make the material or handle the material and it is not easy when the demand is so high. So they are constantly trying to communicate and find newer and faster ways of getting material in and onto the job sites. The overall costs have been increasing. This is due to growth and demand.

Are you expanding the services you provide? If so, what are they and why?

We are always looking to add new things.

www.constructionnews.net

publishing the industry’s news

We are doing more specialty stuff all the time such as EZO Panels, specialty wood ceilings, Filz-Felt, Turf, Baffles, etc. Anything that we feel can help the general contractor and the owner client, we are willing to try. This also helps us get some projects when we are always willing to try new things. The industry keeps changing and we have to change with it.

However you also have to know when to say no on specific items that you are not very knowledgeable about. We want to eventually have a separate specialty division in the future. -cmw

Texas Style

★ ★ ★ ★

Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston San Antonio

Page 14

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Renovations begin

The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) broke ground on the renovation of the RHCA Contractor Training Center and RHCA Headquarters.

The project is estimated in excess of $1 million. -cmw

Don’t jack with the Jackalope!

The Jackalope perched atop the building at 5925 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth is not endangered! Previously a pottery shop and used car lot, the space is being renovated by subcontractors including NX Electric LLC for a future FastSigns. Some worry the not-so-mythological creature’s days are numbered. Rest assured: the nearly 40-year-old papier-mâché and fiberglass bunny has seen plenty of spackle and conduit in its time and isn’t budging! –mjm

s

Submitted to Construction News

continued from Page 1 — Giles Engineering Associates Inc. ment clientele for 43 years.

Over the years, Giles has expanded both in number of employees and geographically to fulfill the needs of its national clients with offices in Atlanta, GA, Manassas, VA, Orange, CA and Dallas. In the mid-2000s, Giles added the Concrete Imaging Radar (CIR) service. This service, provided in the Milwaukee, Dallas and Los Angeles markets, allows Giles to assist clients in locating critical items (rebar, post-tension cables, electrical conduit) buried within the concrete.

Terry Giles continues to serve as the company’s president and CEO, with Pat Reuteman acting as Vice President and Drilling Division Manager and Anthony Giles in the Vice President role. Rodolfo Lomas, PE, oversees the southwest region, including the Dallas branch.

The firm celebrated the opening of the new Dallas space with many of its local clients and industry partners, including engineers, architects,

contractors and vendors. It will become a place of future celebrations as well. As a family-owned company that promotes a professional but enjoyable work environment, birthday fetes, holiday dinners and potlucks will be held there in the future.

“The new office is a definitive improvement in terms of space, and it allows us to be able to accommodate future expected growth,” Lomas says.

“The new facilities can accommodate more testing equipment and provides a more modern and spacious environment for the most important asset of our operation: our people.”

Subcontractor Giles Engineering Associates Inc. is a national consulting engineering firm specializing in geotechnical, environmental, subsurface exploration, construction monitoring and materials testing services. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Scott + Reid General Contractors Inc building on the newly renovated 8,000sf single-story structure. Finishes include custom live-edge Bolewood flooring, Tru PC concrete topping and demountable glass office fronts from three of the industry leaders.

This project was a true design build project, which led to many challenges.

Trying to keep design work at pace with the construction was difficult, as items would be built and considered and reconsidered. Adjustments would be made requiring re-build. Additionally, as this would be Scott + Reid’s new home, the stakes were high. Special attention was paid to capture some of the elements of the existing building that the Scott + Reid family had come to love, while incorporating a new modern design, but maintaining office functionality.

This project is unique because Scott + Reid was able to take an older nonstandard office property (i.e. restaurant)

and turn it into not only something workable, but a true gem. The “Scott + Reid” touch can be found throughout the office – color, unique art installations, etc.

The final product exceeds a “standard” office build out in every way.

The closeness of the project team from Owner/tenant Scott + Reid to the architect and subcontractors who teamed for the work really made this project possible. There was personal buy-in from all parties and incentive to make the final product something everyone was proud of. Having a solid working relationship allowed the Scott + Reid team to work through differences, difficulty with design, challenge ideas and ultimately collaborate for something greater than any individual could have completed.

Scott + Reid General Contractors Inc. is a full-service general contractor. -cmw

Round-Up

Scott A. Meyer has been named Principal and shareholder for Alliance Architects Inc. Meyer will be responsible for business development, project management and delivery, and client satisfaction. He will be involved with the strategic positioning of the firm on both short and long-term goals, contributing to the overall direction and growth of the company’s operations. -cmw RLG Consulting Engineers is pleased to announce the naming of Michael McLaren, PE, SE as Chief Operating Officer. McLaren brings more than 20 years of nationwide experience providing structural engineering services. He has been part of the RLG family since 2015. -cmw Kamecia Mason has joined the McCarthy Building Companies family as Diversity Director, Southern Division. Mason will develop policy, create programming and partner 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

Greg Francis has joined the Structure Tone Southwest family as Vice President of Healthcare. Francis holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a MBA from Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business. He has over 20 years of experience leading and maintaining relationships with corporate and physician-led healthcare operators across the full care continuum. -cmw Skanska USA is pleased to announce the promotion of Dennis Yung to Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Houston and Dallas offices. He will oversee both offices while focusing on developing new client relationships, managing construction projects and cultivating new opportunities throughout the Texas market. -cmw Joining Waltz Construction is Construction Superintendent Braden Heisler. He will be responsible for helping to expand Waltz’ full spectrum of planning and construction services for education, healthcare, public and private clients across Texas. -cmw

2019 is a triple treat

Jeremy Molinar’s 2019 is great for three reasons. His triplets, (L-R) Mase, MaCoy and Maddox turned 5, they’ve started T-ball and Molinar merged his Fort Worth general contracting business and his development firm to create Molinar Property Group. Serving all of Texas, it offers ground-up retail shells, new construction and tenant finish-outs. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019

Page 15

JOB SIGHTS

Talley and Riggins team up

Eduardo Ortiz, Primoris Service Corporation takes a call from his dispatcher while performing utility work at Farnsworth & S. Ledbetter Dr. -cmw

L-R: Doug Talley and John Riggins teamed up last year to form Talley Riggins Construction Group

L-R: Brad Arterbun and Gus Martin, H3 Construction perform sidewalk removal in Las Colinas. -cmw

L-R: Jose Ventura, Luis Cabrera and Raul Ramos with Custom Greenscaping install a new crushed granite walk at the Gateway Church office in Southlake. -cmw

Angel Castaneda, Matco Heating and Air, welds condensors to outside air conditioning units. -cmw

G

eneral contracting firm Talley Riggins Construction Group, established in May 2018, is a prime example of preparation meeting opportunity.

As half of the namesake company, Doug Talley has more than 30 years of construction industry experience with expertise in bringing together exceptional project teams and creating dynamic company cultures. Prior to forming Talley Riggins, he served as President of MYCON General Contractors and President of Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors.

As the firm’s other half, John Riggins graduated from Texas Tech University and began his 19-year career in the construction industry at Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors. It was here that Talley, a fellow Texas Tech alum, hired Riggins as a project manager and eventually moved into a business development manager role. Riggins eventually served as Vice President of office and industrial services at MYCON General Contractors.

In May 2018, Talley and Riggins decided to team up and form Talley Riggins Construction Group. Years of witnessing the industry’s pressures and high turnover rates motivated Talley and Riggins to create a corporate culture where employees and management worked together in meaningful ways.

They wanted to ensure team members enjoyed working together, which ultimately benefits the clients’ projects.

“With Dallas’ dynamic economic climate, the timing was right to make the jump and pursue this goal,” says Talley.

“We wanted to create our own culture of teamwork and fun while being in control of our future and careers.”

Starting with just two employees last year, Talley and Riggins have quickly expanded their team to 20 with more projected to be added by the end of 2019.

Based in Plano, the company provides services throughout the DFW Metroplex.

As CEO, Talley develops strategic growth plans, corporate values and client relationships. Riggins, who serves as President, applies his executive leadership skills to oversee corporate operations and support the company’s strategic growth plans. The firm focuses on commercial projects including office, industrial, retail, and automotive dealerships; healthcare projects such as medical office and ambulatory surgery centers; institutional projects including higher education, private schools and worship centers; and special projects such as corporate interiors, renovations/additions, manufacturing, food service and aviation.

Since its founding, the firm has increased significantly in the size and scope of projects. Initial work included extensive renovation projects such as the conversion of a 12,000sf 1950s building in the Dallas Design District from a jewelry studio into a co-working space and content studio called The Slate. Talley Riggins also retrofitted an existing 18,000sf building for a printing facility.

Now the firm is landing more ground-up

construction projects such as McMillan James Equipment Company’s new headquarters, which includes a 32,000sf office and warehouse. The building will have office space for 100 employees, a covered roof terrace and a 10,000sf warehouse.

“We are fortunate to have been able to tap into our longstanding relationships with subcontractors and vendors who have been a key source of our success in completing projects on time and within budget,” says Riggins.

With more employees and projects in the pipeline for 2020, the firm will be relocating to a larger office in Richardson in early 2020.

“Our goal is to build on the momentum of the past year by continuing to grow our team of construction experts in order to execute our pipeline of 2020 projects at the highest level,” says Talley.

General contractor Talley Riggins Construction Group is located in Plano. -mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • OCT 2019