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On top of the Hill
Restoring hope
Chris Campbell’s early years prepared him for his future at Hill Country Flooring.
Interstate Restoration
hris Campbell, President of Hill Country Flooring, has his parents to thank for his foray into construction. “Growing up, my parents flipped apartment complexes when most people flip homes,” Campbell explains. “They used me to do everything in every unit. They used me to follow contractors to install all types of flooring and vertical products.” Campbell jokes that his parents underpaid him for his services for years but is serious when he says he was repaid in life lessons that made him the businessman he is today. “My father was a master plumber, master electrician, and in HVAC. He taught at the local college and passed
the lessons along to me,” Campbell says. “I learned the meaning of timeliness, the meaning of quality, and the meaning of superior service. We owed it to tenants to be there for them for every issue that comes up. We owed it to our future tenants to provide quality products and a long-term commitment to service.” While Campbell had a strong start in construction, it wasn’t his only career path. He was an accomplished chef and found success as a healthcare executive before returning to the construction industry more than two years ago. Based on three pillars – exceptional installation, uncompromising service and competitive pricing – Campbell established Hill Country Flooring.
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or more than 20 years, Interstate Restoration has seen firsthand how communities can be both devastated and rebuilt. Fortunately, the privatelyowned Texas-based emergency response and general contractor can be part of the rebuilding process. Founded by Stacy and Clay Mazur in 1998, Interstate offers complete turnkey services including rapid disaster response and rebuild construction for commercial properties throughout the country. Interstate operates through more than 50 U.S. and Canadian locations, including four in Texas: Spicewood, Houston, Farmers Branch and Fort Worth. It has also built along the way a strong mission within the company. “In 2019 alone, we further defined our values: sense of urgency, gather and
continued on Page 14
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lpha Building Corporation is celebrating 50 years of construction throughout Texas and several contiguous states. Their founder, Gordon Kovich, was part of what some believe to be the greatest generation of our time and as such, he believed he could do whatever he set his mind to. After serving his country, he chose construction to pay for school and feed his family. His plan was simple: Focus on the client, deal with honesty and integrity, provide quality work and keep a safe jobsite. He led them through 17 years of service contracting at NASA – Johnson Space Center performing thousands of work orders to support the Apollo and Shuttle programs. After NASA, the company picked up JOC and SABER contracts at Ft. Sam Houston, Brooks AFB, Lackland AFB and Randolph AFB. From 1990 until almost 2000, Alpha served our country’s military
grow talent, do the right thing, accountability and have fun,” Amanda Thompson, Austin Regional Account Manager, says. “We completed the largest project in our company’s history – the $34 million Marco Polo project. Interstate has taken its 21st trip around the sun as of July 28. And like every year in the restoration/construction industry, it’s been quite a ride. “Since last year, we’ve strengthened our position in the industry, continued to grow at a steady pace and continued to refine our groundbreaking approach,” she adds. “As part of our commitment to providing world-class service in every corner of North America and nearby regions, Interstate is always looking for opportunities to improve our offerings. continued on Page 14
From NASA and beyond
Alpha Building Corporation CEO Kathleen Acock thanks longtime subcontractors for their continued support.
in Texas, Georgia and Mississippi. During this period, the company relocated its home office to San Antonio. Soon after, second generation family member, Kathleen Acock stepped in as president. She now serves as CEO and third generation, Jonathan Rogero, is managing the company. Alpha was able to leverage the military work to the programs being led by the nation’s colleges, universities, community schools and school districts, starting in 1993 with Texas A&M University. Following the same strong sense of purpose, mission, procedures and values developed at NASA, Alpha has performed academic work for over 30 years. Beginning in February, the month of Alpha’s formal incorporation in 1969, Alpha Building Corporation began celebrating its 50th birthday in a big way. “We designed a new logo in honor of our 50th anniversary,” says Rob Crow, Alcontinued on Page 14
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Avenue for used
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dward Craner, SVP of Strategy & Marketing for HOLT says, “Like many areas of business, the pace of buying and selling used equipment is moving faster each day. To meet this increased pace, we needed a way for customers to easily search our available used equipment inventory while also giving our sales team better tools to find and share information about machines with our customers. “HOLT CAT is known for its quality used equipment, a lot of which comes from our rental fleet,” continued Craner. “The iconic Caterpillar brand combined with the incredible reputation of HOLT’s technicians who maintain the fleet creates value for customers who need reliable and competitively priced used equipment.” The result? The recently launched used equipment online marketplace, HoltUsed.com. The site launched a few months ago under-the-radar so HOLT could test the custom website. But re-
HOLT Used Mobile app
cently, HOLT has begun to market the site more heavily as they add used equipment listings. “When we launched, we started with just a few dozen machines,” said J.K. Baxter, SVP of Machine Sales for HOLT. “But since then we’ve added hundreds of ma-
HOLT Used logged in
chines and expect to have our full used equipment inventory online shortly.” To help customers find what they are looking for on the site, HOLT allows customers to filter listings with search queries and also allows users to set highs and lows for the price, meter, year, and distance. Once potential customers find machines of interest, they can download machine listing PDFs, ask to be contacted about the machine, and even compare machines side-by-side. “But the real magic is what happens behind the scenes for our salespeople,” said Baxter. HOLT salespeople have special logins that allow them to create sell sheets with special offers for customers, create listing catalogs for particular groupings of machines, share info on machines that are about to hit the market, and even assist customers who need equipment that
isn’t in stock. “We don’t want to replace the human-to-human connection between our customers and salespeople,” said Baxter. “We want it to be easier, faster and smoother for everyone so people can spend less time finding the used equipment that fits their needs.” Automation has been key for HOLT. They have used a combination of their internal IT team and an outside agency to build the custom website that automatically pushes machine info from their internal systems out to the website — making sure all pricing and meter information is current. The automation also pulls photos from HOLT’s inspection applications so customers can see photos more quickly. “There wasn’t anything off-the-shelf that met our needs for both our customers and our salespeople,” said Craner. “So we enlisted the help of our partners to collaborate on a solution.” After one of their agencies, Estate Four, showed HOLT a special e-commerce website the agency did for a partnership between The Home Depot and Exide Batteries, HOLT enlisted Estate Four to help map out a unique desktop and mobile web application to solve their needs. “Luckily we have scale with hundreds of used machines,” Craner continued, “so we were able to invest for the long term and create a custom online marketplace that takes a lot of the frustration out of buying and selling used equipment.” You can check out the new site for yourself at HoltUsed.com. HOLT is a supplier of heavy equipment. -cmw
Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
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Cheers to the holidays
he team at Interstate Restoration, a general restoration contractor, were in good cheer during the holidays! The group celebrated the season together with a festive dinner Dec. 12 at Eddie V’s in downtown Austin. –mjm
Brandon Hobbs and his wife Arielle
Susan Burkett and her husband Scott
Zoey White and Kyle Tluczek
Lane and Amanda Thompson
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Christmas at the High Ball
ssociated Builders & Contractors (ABC) celebrated the holiday season with a holiday party at The High Ball. The event was held on Dec. 4. Members, guests, family and friends of the construction association enjoyed festive food, door prize drawings and plenty of holiday cheer. -cmw
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Dave Johnston CEO/Principal
PollyAnna Little Principal STG Design Austin, TX
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ave Johnston and PollyAnna Little took different paths to STG Design but are now on the same path to building relationships and growing the company through the work they love to do. Share a bit about your backgrounds. Dave: My mother was born in San Antonio and my dad was in the Air Force; he did his officer’s training in San Antonio. We lived all around the world, from Germany to Guam to Texas and all points in between. It gave me a worldwide perspective on things. I think a lot of what brought me to the industry was an overall travel perspective. I love drawing and painting. I realized I wasn’t going to make much of a living selling paintings and drawings, but I loved doing house plans and that really got me thinking about the industry. When I went into college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to second-guess it going through college. I got my degree from the University of Nebraska because that’s where my dad was stationed at the time. I came to Austin in 1990 to get another degree in architecture but I ended up taking a job with a local architecture firm. I had been out for six years and worked in several places from Nebraska to Arkansas and
STG Design Principal PollyAnna Little
then ultimately to Texas. PollyAnna: I actually wanted to be a forensic pathologist, and I could not get anyone to encourage me or mentor me into it! My fallback was architecture. I started at Baylor for two years and transferred to the University of Texas to study architecture. At one point, I took an interiors course, and I really found more of a passion because of the people side of it. I ended up getting my degree in interior design and am currently working on my Master’s in leadership. How did you come to work at STG? PollyAnna: I did an internship for STG design when they were called RTG Partners and I actually worked under Dave as an intern. After I completed that, I worked for another firm for 10 years, but I kept in touch with a couple of people at STG and knew that I wanted to find my way back to STG because of the people and culture. It’s such a different sort of vibe and different projects. At the other firm, I had been doing event technology work and then I started doing senior living work in Japan. Eventually, I found my way back to STG. Dave: Through some mutual friends, I had lunch with Jim Susman and DeWitt Gayle, which are the “S” and the “G” of STG. We actually ended up sharing a dessert from the same plate and I figured, “Well, I’ll either become ill or this will be a good relationship – I’ll take the latter!“ And it has been, so far, in our 29-year relationship. I’ve been there since 1991, at that time I think I was employee 28 and now we’re roughly 115. We’ve seen some good growth over three decades. How has your career evolved at STG? PollyAnna: I’ve been here for 16 years and am the director of the interiors studio here, but I’ve been a designer, project manager, and production person. I’ve touched every bit of a project through all of the phases. Dave: I started out drafting by hand and designing buildings and then moved into a project architect role and project management. We opened an office in Nashville in 2000, which I ran for the company. Now, I’m holding the interim CEO role. From draftsman to boss, it’s been an interesting ride, although It was never my goal. How has your CEO role changed you? Dave: I promised myself every week I would draw something and it’s getting harder and harder to do that. PollyAnna and I have discussed how to run a company when it’s not necessarily our background. To some degree, it takes us away from what we love to do. I find in this role a lot of energy in creating relationships instead of creating drawings, but relationships last longer than projects.
STG Design CEO/Principal Dave Johnston (center) and founders Jim Susman (left) and Jack Tisdale
What lessons have you learned? Dave: One of the first lessons I remember is the time I spent on the job site. What I learned very quickly was making relationships with the field hands and the electricians and the people actually doing the work. When we would have job-wide luncheons for a topping out or events like that, I would always find the people that I had worked with at a table and sit with them versus the table where all of the dignitaries were. I found that really helped build relationships with the people actually doing the work. PollyAnna: I’ve learned from all those around me including contractors and consultants by communicating with them and asking them questions. I still have my go-to people today that I will call. Even doing this as long as I have, I’m still learning new things, so I call these people and I talk it through; I appreciate having them as mentors throughout my career. What advice do you have for someone seeking a career in your field? PollyAnna: Take advantage of every opportunity in front of you, especially when you’re young. Try different types of design, because you can get pigeonholed within certain companies or market sectors. I was fortunate to do several different things to find what I really have a passion for. I think we do a good job of making sure that our people take advantage of different project types to see what their strengths are going to be. For those going to college for it, spend time in a firm and find a mentor to shadow you for a while. It’s not like it’s portrayed in the movies – unfortunately, it’s not that glamorous –but if you love it, it will never leave you. Dave: To add to that, love what you do, never quit innovating, and build relationships, not projects. What are some notable Austin projects your firm has worked on?
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PollyAnna: One we did on the interiors side is Retail Me Not; they were in 5,000sf and now they’re in over 100,000. It’s not the size but the fact that that a company’s culture is often reflected in the design. This project allowed the design to influence their culture. Dave: I would add to that a number of projects from the 43 years we’ve been working in that area, such as St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and many, many large projects including several for Dell Computer. It’s interesting to follow the relationships we’ve formed over the years. PollyAnna: Even new relationships, like the one we formed with Oracle which was a design build on the first phase, we’re continuing the relationship directly with that client during the second phase. What do you do in your free time? PollyAnna: I have a ranch northwest of Fort Worth and have two goats, two donkeys, several cats and dogs out in the country, so that’s my relief from the dayto-day work week. Dave: I don’t have any goats, but I do live both in Austin and Nashville. My wife and I have had dogs for the last 32 years of our marriage, and it’s always a Border Collie or an Aussie Shephard, some dog that loves to run and chase either us or other animals around the yard. I have two sons, one who works in Austin in economic development and research and one at the University of North Carolina studying media and journalism. Besides work, which seems to be an avocation these days, I do love cycling and believe in the n+1 rule: Whatever you have, you need at least one more, which has become a bit of an issue, since I have eight bicycles – but I need one more! Other than that, the church family that my wife and I belong to, the people and community, is so important. Architecture, planning and design firm STG has offices in Austin, Houston and Nashville. –mjm
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
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Association Calendar
What is your New Year’s Resolution? My New Year’s resolution is to take our company to the next level. Kane Toler, AQC Austin LLC Renew my focus on fitness, nutrition and family. Ryan Terrell, The Beck Group My New Year’s resolution is spending more time on doing what really matters! God, family, friends, health, wealth and lots of good wine … and maybe lots of fun in 2020! Oh, and maybe, if there’s time, finish up 2019’s list. Amanda Thompson, Interstate Restoration I just got a list of books that I’m starting to read. I didn’t wait until January 1 to start reading because if you want to meet your New Year’s resolution, start it before then so that you get used to the changes before the first day of January. I started with “Why We Sleep” which was written by a professor I had. Another book I have lined up is “Eyes Wide Open.” My New
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC
Year’s resolution is to finish a book and then start a book consistently. I had problems starting a book, and one of my friends said, “You know, you don’t have to read a chapter at a time; just open the book, read a page and drop it. It really worked! I feel like I will be able to finish a lot of books in the upcoming year. Ahmad “Paiman” Asmir Veliz Construction
Jan. 9: Membership Mingle, Brewtorium, 4:30-6:30pm. Jan. 29: Lunch & Learn, ABC Office, 2600 Longhorn Blvd., 11:30am-1pm. For more info, call Jodi Bunyard at 512-719-5263 or email jbunyard@abccentraltexas.org
Dave: One of my New Year’s resolutions is to spend more time in Texas; I travel between Nashville and Texas for work. PollyAnna: My goal for 2020 is to catch up on 2019 first! Dave Johnston and PollyAnna Little, STG Design
Jan. 9: January Membership Meeting, Norris Conference Center (NEW LOCATION), 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365. 11:30am. Register online at https:// aceatx/events/events-calendar. For more info, call Avery Ambrose at 512-893-7067.
My New Year’s resolution is to have more work/life balance. To build the business and to get it where it’s been, I’d say [I work] 100 hours a week, and that’s been for three years. With the resources I have now with RigUp, I think that starts to change. Ron Nickelson, HCS Renewable Energy
Associated General Contractors
Associated Builders & Contractors
ACEA
Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.
AGC
Jan. 14: HBA Austin Housing Forecast, AT&T Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., 7:30-11:30am. Jan. 15-17: AGC of American Safety & Health Conference, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol, 701 E. 11th St. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887
Jan. 21: ASCE General Meeting, Phillips Event Center, 8140 Exchange Dr., 11:30am1pm. For more info, go to texasce.org CTSA
Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.
Jan. 14: Lunch & Learn, Maggiano’s in the Domain, 10910 Domain Dr. #100, 11:30am1pm. For more info, contact Wendy Lambert at 512-255-6373 NARI
National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Jan. 8: General Membership Meeting, Dave & Buster’s Meeting Room, 9333 Re-
s
Before the Thanksgiving holiday, some of the Stantec Mueller Austin team joined forces with Hoar Construction to prepare lunches for families at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas (RMHC CTX). –mjm
A Christmas thank you
Texas Contractors Association (TCA) sends a special Thank You to Chris and Wendy Lambert and the Central Texas Subcontractors Association (CTSA) hosted the CTSA Holiday Dinner & Silent Auction benefiting the TCA PAC. It was a holiday treat to hear a presentation by Tommy Johnson from the Animal Planet’s “Lone Star Law.” -cmw
NAWIC
National Assn. of Women in Construction
Jan. 8: Chapter Dinner Meeting, JE Dunn Main Office, 1601 S. MoPac Expwy. Barton Skyway Two #450, 5:30pm. Members $35, Non-members $45. For more info, email austinnawic@gmail.com RCAT
Roofing Contractors Assn. of Texas
Jan. 24: RCAT Government Relations Program & PAC Fundraiser, La Cima Club, 5215 N. O’Connor Rd., Irving, TX 7-10pm. For info, contact Sarah Burns at 512-251-7690 or email rcat.admin@rooftex.com SEAot
Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas
Jan. 23: Chapter Meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 10910 Domain Dr., #100, 11:45am. For more info, call 512-301-2744 TSPE
ASCE
American Society of Civil Engineers Texas Section
Teaming up to give back
search Blvd. #600, $89 – 3 or more 10 percent discount. 11am-2:45pm. Jan. 29: Builders, Architects & Designers Round Table, TBD. For more info, Kayvon Leath at 512-997-6274 or email kayvon@ austinnari.org
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Jan. 8: Monthly Meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 10910 Doman Dr. #100. Early Bird Member $30, Non-member $40, Government Official or Full-time student $20; Walk-up Registration Member/Nonmember $40, Government Official $25. For more info, call Claire Black at 512-4729286 or email Claire@tspe.org TXAPA
Texas Asphalt Pavement Assn.
Jan. 28-30: 2019 Membership Meeting/ Winter Classic Golf Tournament, La Cantera Resort & Spa, 16641 La Cantera Pkwy. For more info, contact Kelli Mofie or email kmofie@texasasphalt.org
Submitted to Construction News
Round-Up
Mark Harrington has joined the Structure Tone Southwest family as Project Executive. Harrington will provide leadership, oversight and support to Structure Tone’s project teams. He has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. -cmw Austin Robertson has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer for Rogers-O’Brien Construction (RO). Robertson will work closely with Justin McAfee, the company’s CEO and president to further RO’s vision to be Texas’ premier builder. He is Texas Tech University graduate. -cmw
Pape-Dawson Engineers Inc. is pleased to announce Ruben Gaztambide, RPLS, PS, CP has joined the Pape-Dawson team as Senior Project Manager-Geospatial. Gaztambide has more than 20 years of experience in the land surveying and geospatial industry and will lead geospatial and surveying efforts for TxDOT projects. -cmw
Round-Up Submissions
Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. Submit Info & Photo: Austineditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Resource Guide
Associations and Construction Education General Contractors Service Providers
Subcontractors
Service Providers
Subcontractors
Suppliers Truck & Equip Dealers
Suppliers
Truck & Equip Dealers
For Info Contact:
List your Company for Reference Dana Calonge Dana@ConstructionNews.net Buddy Doebbler Buddy@ConstructionNews.net
Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
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A Clean Christmas
he 12 days of Christmas might not be enough time for the staff at Clean Scapes to cram in all of their Christmas spirit, but they sure try! From their Christmas cooking to their ugly Christmas sweater contest, the commercial hardscape, irrigation and softscape company always puts the happy in “Happy Holidays!” –mjm
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Ho, Ho, Ho
t was a beautiful, merry evening for the members of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) as they gathered together for their annual Holiday Party. Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting graciously opened their showroom Dec. 4 under their display of beautiful lights for the fun-filled party. -cmw
Human Resources staff gather ➤ for their Christmas lunch
The Ugly Sweater Contest gets pretty funny!
Christmas potluck lunch
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A NARI Christmas
he National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) have been spreading holiday cheer NARI style. First, the Women in NARI (WIN) held their annual holiday party on Dec. 5 at Durango Doors. Then the association gathered at BMC Design on Dec. 12 where Santa and his helpers paid a visit for the BMC & Austin NARI Holiday Party. -cmw
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Happy holidays
t was party time at the Zach Theatre for members and guests of the Associated General Contractors Association (AGC). The spirited event was held on Dec. 17 with plenty of drink, food and well-wishes for the upcoming new year. -cmw
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
specific spot, you can expect that there are more fish to be caught nearby. So you’re in the right spot and using the right bait – you still won’t catch too many fish without proper presentation. While you might be used to burning a surface plug across the water or spoon to get a reaction bite, cold water fish will pay no mind to this technique. Instead, take the method you use for soft plastic fishing – dragging the bait along the bottom and popping it up periodically – and slow it way down. Let a few seconds pass between each movement. It will allow slow moving fish the opportunity to catch up with the bait. Another popular bait this time of year is the Corky lure and the Soft Dine lure from the Paul Brown collection made by MirrOlure. These lures require some serious patience, but once you figure out how to fish them, they will produce some big trout throughout the year.
Cold Weather Fishing Strategies 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.
Now it’s time to get your gear out and ready for the new season. Get those reels serviced and have new fishing line on them before your first trip. Breakout the wading gear and check for leaks in your waders. Replace them if necessary with quality products by Simms. They are simply the best out there. Replace hooks on your lures and check rods for damage guides and tips.
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appy New Year everyone! I can’t help but be excited for this upcoming year. Fishing forecast looks very promising as of now with the mild winter we are having. As I finish up my hunting season, I’m already preparing for some early January fishing. I’ve been getting some good reports from fellow guides that have already been scouting the bays for trophy trout season. As always, things can change at the spur of the moment, so let’s hope weather patterns stay the same and water temperatures don’t get too cold to move our fish from this area. In the Spring, Summer, and Fall, most fishermen prefer to fish relatively shallow structures. Fish tend to hold there in warmer parts of the year because the structure provides shelter and easy access to potential food sources. As it gets colder, though,
This winter, don’t give cabin fever the opportunity to set in. With the right location, bait, and presentation, there’s nothing stopping you from experiencing some good fishing all year round. Recent scouting trips are producing some solid trout on artificial lures. This trout went 27 in. and was just shy of 7 lbs when I released her. Book your trips now with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
fish tend to migrate in schools to deeper water. As the depth increases, temperature stabilizes and it’s easier for them to do their version of light hibernation. Deep drop-offs with underwater structures are the most popular spots for winter fishermen to hit. As an added bonus, fish of most species typically hold in tighter groups when the waters are cold. So if you get a bite in a
My 2020 fishing calendar is open and I have already started booking for the new season, so don’t hesitate. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip, give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail. com. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Good luck and Good Fishing.
Budget deer blind
Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
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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
Happy New Year!
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hope you and yours had a fine Holiday Season! It always feels nice to settle back into the old usual routine after the holiday hustle and bustle is past. It seems to be real nice …for about two weeks, and then thoughts of spring fishing start to creep in! Time to get back on the water! So far, winter has been pretty good to us. It has been cool enough for the lake to start to cycle into winter. Colder water makes the stripers and hybrids and white bass start to school up and feed hard on bait fish to get ready for spring spawning. It also spurs them into their upstream migration which makes it easier to find them and get in on some good fishing action. This year we have had plenty of time for our Highland Lakes to settle down into their normal patterns. Last year was not an easy fishing year because the heavy flooding from the previous fall seriously disturbed the equilibrium of the lakes and rivers. Normally lakes develop their own fish population ratios that become uniquely their own and are somewhat self-correcting. By fishing we learn to expect to find fish in certain areas and to have a good idea for what type of bait they will be wanting. A flood literally washes all that out the flood gates and leaves things all mixed up and confused for a few months. It takes a while for the fish to sort themselves out, get to places they want to be and for the bait population to start to stabilize again. This year all the little fishy players are back on the stage, on their marks, just waiting on the curtain to go up! I think it’s going to be a good spring! You can use these cold, windy days to round up your fishing gear and take inventory. Reels need cleaning and oiling and respooling with new line so equipment failure won’t cost you a good fish. It’s a good time to replace what’s broken
Jeff Denton Construction, Alpha Paving and D.K.C. Construction
Local area fisherman
Great Way to bond
Way Engineering and Way Mechanical recently showed appreciation to their customers and teams with its annual dove hunt. The hunters, which included Aaron Mims, Jeff McCaskill, Sean Robertson, Emmett Gott and Olly Summers, enjoyed their time at 15,000-acre, Crystal city-based Thompson Hunting Lodge, which has a shooting range and is stocked with over 20 different species of game. –mjm
Happy New Year 2020
or found its way to the bottom of the lake and get your tackle box restocked. This time of year you want to be able to grab your fishing things and get out the door while the weather is nice. You don’t want to spend a pretty day looking for your sunscreen or trying to remember if that was your favorite lure a fish made off with or did you misplace it. Don’t forget to check your boat and motor over too. Winter can be hard on equipment and you don’t want to be sitting on the boat ramp out of commission when you could be fishing. It’s a lot easier to get your rig into your favorite shop this time of year for a check-up than in the spring for a repair! Of course, if you are awful busy and don’t have time to get ready, you can always just give us a call and let us get you on the water and on the fish! You don’t even have to drag a boat to the lake! Either way, hope to see you soon on the water!
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
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W hat’s Trending in Global Navigation Annette Mollere Phoenix Geosystems Survey Supply
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s a new decade emerges, so have trends in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) equipment. We find most trends focus on leveraging smarter technology solutions and better practices to facilitate a more efficient job site workflow. Innovations in GNSS hardware and software align and integrate new 4IR technologies of data sharing and communication methods producing an accurate and simplified job site process. Say goodbye to an obsolete propriety WinCE platform and hello to open source software developed on Windows
10 or Android. Tablets, phones or a variety of hand held devices collect data and function as a remote onsite laptop with access to email, dropbox, one drive, or Google drive, which allows for quick file management and interoffice communications with the site. The access to and sharing of digital information between the office and the jobsite promotes long term gains in efficiency and productivity. Beyond the benefits of a lower price, open source platform embraces software customization for job site accessibility and connectivity.
Interconnection of the digital jobsite also stretches globally. With the successful launch of the Chinese BeiDou satellites. The global GNSS constellation systems currently include: GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (Europe) and BeiDou (China). Expect faster positioning and increased accuracy since most GPS receivers are now equipped with five satellite systems instead of two. We also see jobsite accuracy and productivity increases when a GPS receiver is combined with a Robotic Total Station. The hybrid system integrates the best of both; total station and GNSS technology providing accurate measurement on crowed jobsites, behind buildings, or under tree canopy with advance prism search. By switching back and forth while collecting data or staking out, two sources of data integrate in one software program. Impressive progress has been made with GNSS hardware technologies. Internal base and rover radios are now capable of receiving or transmitting data for a ten mile radius. The durability of hardware has evolved with increased IP ratings, and working conditions are extended. WiFi and Bluetooth connections
make expensive cables a thing of the past. Increased GNSS technology innovations have resulted in increases in accuracy, reliability and productivity. GNSS technologies continue to evolve and stay an affordable and accessible technology that facilitates and make possible an improved workflow on the jobsite.
Phoenix Geosystems Survey Supply 12746 Cimarron Path #117 San Antonio, Tx 78249 (210) 451-5749 www.phoenixgeosystems.com.
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Captive Insurance
Opportunity Zone: Could it be Too Good to be True? Sarita Akin, Tax Director Ridout Barrett San Antonio, TX
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t’s almost been two years since this piece of tax reform legislation was announced and I finally feel that I have a handle on it and all the moving parts are morphing as one that make sense to me. I am convinced that the Opportunity Zone incentive is probably one of the best changes that came out of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2018. To convince you as well, we need to start from the beginning ….. As part of the TCJA, Congress enacted provisions designed to encourage investment and economic growth in certain lowincome communities. In April 2019, a second set of proposed regulations were released to provide clarity to the first set of regulations and to answer additional questions on issues not previously addressed. Below is the nuts and bolts of how the Opportunity Zone Incentive works: • Taxpayer realizes gain taxed as capital gain and the taxpayer must reinvest the gain within 180-days into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) to defer the gain for the year of sale. Taxpayer will not report gain on the tax return and the basis in the QOF will be zero. • After holding the interest in the QOF for five years, the taxpayer permanently excludes 10% of the original deferred gain and the basis of the investment is increased by 10%. After an additional two years, another 5% of the original deferred gain is excluded and basis is increased by an additional 5% for a total of 15%. The seven year basis increase has created a sense of urgency for investing in opportunity zones. For investments made in 2020, it will be impossible to achieve the seven-year holding period prior to the deferred gain being automatically triggered on December 31, 2026, the magic date the seven year holding period sunsets. Thus to maximize the tax benefits available, taxpayers who will have been able to benefit from the seven year holding period will need to have reinvested deferred gain into a QOF before December 31, 2019. • The remaining 85% (five and seven year) or 90% (5 year only) deferred gain is recognized on December 31, 2026 in the tax return. • After holding the interest in the QOF for a total of ten years, the taxpayer may sell the investment in the QOF any time before 2048 and the taxpayer may exclude the gain resulting from the sale. In other words, the taxpayer will receive a step-up in basis equal to the FMV of the investment. Any taxpayer that realizes eligible gain for federal tax purposes may elect to defer that gain. These taxpayers include individuals, C corporations, partnerships, S corporations, and trusts and estates. If a partnership or an S corporation realizes eligible gain, it has a choice: It may elect to defer that gain at the entity level, or it may pass the gain through to its owners, who are then free to make their own decision on deferral. Timing is key! A taxpayer that wishes to defer eligible gain must reinvest the gain into a QOF within 180-days from the date of the sale or exchange that gives rise to the gain. In the case of a partnership or S corporation that realizes eligible gain but does not elect to defer that gain, choosing instead to allocate the gain to its owners, the 180-day period with respect to the owners’ eligible gains generally does not begin on the date of sale. Instead, it begins on the last day of the individual’s tax year. A taxpayer is not required to reinvest the entire proceeds from the sale or exchange giving rise to the eligible gain, just the gain portion. While the initial regulations were certainly helpful, they created additional
questions which the second proposed regulations answered. • Section 1231 gains must be netted against future gains or losses, therefore, it is not possible to invest your 1231 gains immediately. The 180-days reinvestment period begins on the last day of the year. • When land and building are purchased together, the land cannot possibly satisfy the original use test, therefore, the land does not need to be substantially improved. • It was unclear whether leased property would satisfy the original use test or if it was possible to substantially improve a lease. New regulations make it possible for a QOF to invest in a leased property as long as the lease is entered after December 31, 2017 and the terms of the lease are conducted in arms-length. Leases do not need to be substantially improved. • Deferred gain must be recognized any time a taxpayer either reduces their direct equity investment in the QOF or “cashes out” a portion of their investment in the QOF by receiving a distribution of property with a FMV in excess of the taxpayer’s basis in the QOF. • Property must satisfy the original use test or be substantially improved with the taxpayer spending almost as much to improve it as the purchase price. New regulations provide that the “original use” of tangible property begins when any person first places the property in service for purposes of depreciation, or if they could have depreciated the property had they been the owner for tax purposes. Thus a QOF could purchase a partially finished business, complete the construction and place it in service for depreciation, and the building will satisfy the original use test because it has never before been depreciated with the QOZ. There is so much more to know about this particular incentive and I know I have probably peaked additional questions from you. The above should provide a good foundation for you to build on and hopefully has convinced you that this is a pretty good deal for you to consider. As always, please call Ridout Barrett so we can assist you with this complex opportunity. Final regulations were issued after submission of this column. Please consult Ridout Barrett for the updates. Sarita Akin, Tax Director, Ridout Barrett 922 Isom Road, #100 San Antonio, Tx 78216 (210) 829-1793 www.ridoutbarrett.com Email: sakin@ridoutbarrett.com
Kevin McCarthy, Vice Pres. Property & Casualty IBTX San Antonio/Dallas, TX
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ou’ve probably heard about captive insurance but may not know what it is or if it’s right for you. There are different types of captive insurance, but today we will be discussing group captive insurance for the property and casualty insurance industry in particular. Consider this article a primer on group captives, meant to give you a working knowledge of the subject rather than the comprehensive explanation you would need should you decide to the explore a captive option.
Group captive insurance is a group of companies or “members” that come together to self-insure themselves and other members of the group captive. You become the insurance company. The captive can provide coverage for automobile liability, general liability, and worker’s compensation. Captives can either be homogenous (e.g. all members are utility contractors) or heterogeneous (i.e. an array of industries represented by members and not only construction). There is a captive manager that oversees the day-to-day operations of the captive, which includes; accounting, billing, regulatory filings, purchasing reinsurance, TPA (Third Party Administrator) for claims handling, etc. The captive partners with a fronting company. The fronting company is a large, financially stable, insurance company that issues a policy on behalf of the captive. The captive reinsures the fronting company for all liabilities. The captive then determines how much risk they want to retain (decided by the members) and purchases reinsurance for the remaining portion Let’s talk about premium. In the simplest terms, when you purchase a standard “guaranteed cost” insurance policy, actuaries determine base rates from the risk characteristics of your business. An underwriter then modifies those rates based on the individual characteristics of your business, i.e. controls to manage risk and historical loss experience. Captive insurance is no different at the start. You will be charged an estimated “premium” up front based on the same characteristics. What makes a captive different is this is merely a starting point for the cost of captive insurance, not the end. Captives are a “loss sensitive” insurance program, which means that your actual out of pocket expense for insurance coverage is based on your loss experience. Based on your loss experience, you will either receive dividends (if actual losses are less than expected losses) or be assessed additional premium payments (if actual losses are great than expected losses). We now have to factor in the other members of the captive. With a group captive, you not only take on your own risk, but the other captive members risk. Why? Tax purposes. For insurance premiums to be tax deductible there needs to be an element of risk sharing. Standard insurance companies take care of this for you by insuring thousands of other policyholders. However, you are the insurance company. Due to risk sharing you will inevitably pay some amount for other captive members. Likewise, at some point, other captive members will contribute to pay some of your claims. Next, we have to understand the risk vs. reward. Based on your estimated premium there will be minimum and maximum premium paid in any one-policy year. Depending on the captive, the minimum premium (which covers the cost of administration, fees, filings, taxes, reinsurance) is typically around 35% of standard premium and the worst-case scenario maximum premium paid is typically around 165% of standard premium. What makes a good candidate for captive insurance? Companies with a strong culture of internal risk management with excellent controls in place, favorable historical loss experience, strong
financials, an appetite to take on financial risk, and pay premium in excess of $150K annually for auto, general liability, and worker’s compensation combined. So knowing all this, you think a group captive might be a good fit. What’s next? You go through a rigorous underwriting process, which is a good thing. You are sharing and assuming risk with other members. You want to be selective with who you allow in your captive, as the group will collectively be paying a portion of large claims for an individual member. Assuming underwriting goes well and you want to join the captive, you must buy into the captive with the purchase of a preferred share. The preferred share cost varies by captive but is typically around $40K. You will also need to put up collateral (cash or LOC), which is typically 2 years of your estimated premium. The collateral can typically be put up over a 3-year period. Premium and claims paid to the captive will go into an investment fund to be managed. If your actual loss experience is less than your estimate, these funds begin to come back to you with investment income typically starting around year 3. There is a lot of nuance here and it will vary by captive. One common question; will anyone know you are in a captive? No. Your agent will issue certificates of insurance just as they always have. The fronting company will be listed as the insurance company on your certificate. Tips to make the right decision • Work with an agent that understands captive insurance. Joining a captive is a multi-year commitment. It is imperative you work with an expert that can clearly outline the pros and cons. • Take your time. This is a completely different way of buying insurance and taking time to understand all aspects of the program is critical. Additionally, captives have a common expiration date for all members and you can join mid-term. Therefore, you do not have to join a captive on your renewal date. You can go through this process “off cycle” from your renewal and evaluate the option without the pressure of a deadline. • Perform a historical cost analysis. Look back over the past 5 years and determine what you actual cost would have been in a group captive. • Make sure you are working with a reputable captive manager and captive. Meet with them in person multiple times and get to know them. Review the financial stability of the captive. They will have an annual report similar to a publicly traded insurance company. Captive insurance provides a great opportunity to turn insurance expense into a source of revenue, meet like-minded business owners in an exclusive peer group, and network to grow your business. However, it’s not a fit for everyone. The work put in up front with your agent will ensure that whatever decision you make is the right one for your business. As a Rick Advisor, Kevin works with companies to assess and reduce their overall total cost of risk by providing holistic risk management solutions. He can be contacted at (469) 858-1841 kmcarthy@ib-tx.com Member ASA (SA and North Texas) and ABC - Gov’t Affairs Committee
Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Page 13
Legislative Update: New Law Changes the Game on Public Claims
Construction Ergonomics
Callie D. Crispin, Attorney Allensworth & Porter Austin, TX
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he Texas Legislature recently enacted a number of major changes affecting the construction industry, many of which represent victories for contractors and design professionals. Perhaps the most noteworthy is H.B. No. 1999. This law imposes major new requirements on governmental entities asserting construction defect claims over public projects. Importantly, the new law requires notice of a purported defect to be sent to contractors and design professionals and requires the right to cure before a lawsuit or arbitration is initiated. Under H.B. 1999 (now part of the Texas Government Code), governmental entities must, prior to being able to bring a claim, provide each contracting party a written report that clearly identifies the specific claimed defect, describes the project’s present physical condition, and describes the modification, maintenance, or repairs needed. In addition to this notice of an alleged defect, contractors and design professionals have the right to return to the project to inspect the condition and correct it prior to the governmental entity bringing a formal claim. If the entity fails to send a report or fails to allow a reasonable opportunity to inspect and cure before filing suit, the claim must be dismissed. The obligations under this law are not solely placed on governmental entities. Rather, it also imposes proactive steps that the contractor must take after receiving such a notice from an entity. After receiving a notice, the contractor has five days to provide a copy of the report to each subcontractor and supplier whose work or materials are involved. It would be wise for a contractor who receives a notice to be overinclusive and send the notice to every subcontractor and supplier whose work or materials could conceivably be implicated, as this is too short a period for a thorough evaluation. Contractors should strongly consider copying the governmental entity on all notices to subcontractors and suppliers to alert the entity to potential parties, as section 2272.004 requires the claimant to allow known subcontractors and suppliers to inspect the project, regardless of the entity’s lack of contractual privity. Additionally, within 30 days from the governmental entity sending the report, the contractor must inspect the alleged defect. Further, within 120 days after the inspection, the contractor must either correct the defect or enter into a separate agreement with the governmental entity to correct the defect. This law is a victory for contractors and design professionals because it provides an opportunity to cure defects before an arbitration proceeding or lawsuit, likely saving time and expense. Further, governmental entities will now be largely precluded from filing suit near the end of limitations or repose periods without first giving the appropriate parties notice and an opportunity to cure. While this law clearly benefits construction industry members who work on public projects, there are a few caveats worth mentioning: • First, the law does not apply to all public projects, as it excludes those relating to roads and civil works. • Second, the law has several exceptions that relieve governmental entities of the right to cure obligation. Specifically, a public entity is not required to give a
contractor the right to cure if the contractor is unable to provide a bond to cover the work. The owner is also not obliged to allow the right to cure if the party cannot provide liability insurance or workers’ compensation insurance or if the party has been convicted of a felony. Additionally, the statutory process does not apply if the governmental entity has previously terminated that party for cause or if the party previously made the issue worse in a prior repair attempt. Questions of whether a party was properly terminated for cause or whether a party previously made the issue worse will likely produce litigation, as these issues will often be complicated and deeply project-specific. Since termination for cause is usually governed by the parties’ contract, builders and designers should pay close attention to contractual termination for cause provisions, as they may exert serious influence over a party’s rights under this new law. For example, if a contract provides that a party may be terminated for cause for a non-material breach, the governmental entity may terminate the contract accordingly, thereby eliminating the application of this law altogether. • Third, while this law requires a governmental entity to provide a report and outlines several elements that must be included in it, the law does not explicitly require the report to be authored by a third-party nor by an individual with any design or construction expertise. In contrast, the bill, as introduced in the Legislature, did require the governmental owner to obtain an inspection and report from an independent third-party licensed professional engineer. As enacted, however, it appears that the public entity itself may simply provide a write-up on the required elements, regardless of the entity’s construction knowledge. H.B. 1999 is a positive step for contractors and design professionals. The notice and opportunity to cure construction defects in the public realm should help industry members avoid expensive lawsuits and arbitrations. At the same time, however, builders and designers must pay careful attention to their own requirements under this new law, as obligations flow both directions.
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX onstruction work is hard work, and construction workers feel the results. In one survey, seven out ten construction workers from 13 trades reported back pain, and nearly a third went to the doctor for it. Back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, rotator cuff syndrome, sprains, and strains are types of musculoskeletal disorders. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are caused by construction tasks. WMSDs can become long-term, disabling health problems that keep you from working and enjoying life. Not only do these injuries hurt your body, but they can reduce your earnings. You have an increased risk of these injuries if you often:
Carry heavy loads Work on your knees Twist your hands or wrists Stretch to work overhead Use certain types of tools
On top of that, tight deadlines mean a fast pace. Pushing the pace increases your risk even more. Ergonomics tries to come up with solutions to make sure workers stay safe, comfortable, and productive. Excavation work exposes equipment operators to whole body vibration from earthmoving equipment and ergonomic problems from poor seat and cab design. Workers must often work in awkward postures, e.g. in trenches. Soil tampers produce high levels of hand arm vibration when compacting soil. Masonry work requires a lot of heavy lifting and carrying of masonry blocks and grout and constant stooping to pick up materials.
that are poorly balanced, digging of ditches and footers, driving stakes with sledge hammers, use of saw horses that are too tall or short, and carrying, setting and stripping of forms. Power tools may also present a risk of injury from vibration Structural steel work requires many awkward postures (e.g., welding), repetitive motions (e.g., welding), and use of pneumatic tools (for bolting). Crane operators are also exposed to whole body vibration. Concrete floor work requires a lot of bending to work at floor level which is harmful to the back. Workers must bend to tie steel rebar together. Back injuries may occur while pumping concrete with an elephant trunk hose, raking it into place and smoothing it with a straight edge (which requires work in a bent over posture). Trowelling the edges has to be done bent over. Vibrating the concrete into walls and edges exposes workers to hand arm vibration. Mechanical finishing of the floor may pose a vibration hazard and can require great force at times. A number of free resources exist that demonstrate tools and engineering controls for construction tasks that reduce stress on the body. These free resources are available at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007122/pdfs/2007-122.pdf https://www.cpwr.com/a-z-index/E http://elcosh.org/video/1308/a000033/ ergonomics-in-construction.html
Concrete formwork presents a risk of back injury from the use of heavy saws
natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
This ROC is rolling
Callie Crispin is a construction attorney at Allensworth & Porter where she helps clients across the commercial construction industry resolve disputes including contract and payment disputes and construction and design defect claims. To reach Callie, please contact cdc@aaplaw.com or visit aaplaw.com.
Origis Services broke ground on a 10,000sf solar and energy storage Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Austin. Slated for completion in early 2020, the ROC will house 70 personnel to support 500 field technicians. S. Watts Group Inc. serves as the general contractor. –mjm
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
A new Summit reached
ummit Electric Supply is entering the new decade with new leadership. Patrick Davis recently joined the electrical equipment, supplies and supply company as President and CEO. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Davis is ready for his new role. He most recently served as the Northeast Region President at Rexel, USA after serving as Vice President, Senior Vice President, and General Manager, handling sales, marketing and operations. During his long career, he was responsible for $1.1 billion P&L with 1,300 associates. Davis graduated from Ohio Northern University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He also holds a Supply Chain Management Certificate from Rutgers University, a Business Leadership Certificate from IMD and three years of industry specific management training. Davis also served three years on Vantage Electrical Group’s board of directors. In his new role, Davis will be responsible for all aspects of the company, including setting the business mission, objectives and strategy. He will also work to continue the 42 years of growth the company has enjoyed. Founded in Albuquerque, NM, Summit is the nation’s 17th largest electrical distributor with 25 service centers – including 15 in Texas. The company also has an international sales division, as well as an EP&C and marine divisions. Davis’ stepping into the role is another step in Summit’s multi-year plan to form an independent board of directors in early 2018 and solidify its future as an independent and privately held company. Victor Jury, Jr., who cofounded Summit with his late father
Summit Electric Supply’s new President and CEO Patrick Davis
Victor Jury, Sr. and business partner David Meredith, will now transition from President/CEO to the role of Executive Chairman. In this role, he plans to focus on the company’s principal, vision, mergers and acquisitions. Jury says he “could not be more excited” about passing the baton to his successor and is working closely with Davis to ensure a smooth transition. Davis, equally excited, says he looks forward to working with the entire Summit team to advance the “wellrespected company with a long and proud history within the industry.” Summit Electric Supply provides electrical equipment, supplies and supply solutions through its service centers in the United State and Dubai, UAE. –mjm
Industry FOLKS Ahmad “Paiman” Amiri Project Engineer
Veliz Construction Austin, TX
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hmad “Paiman” Amiri was studying chemical engineering in his native Afghanistan when his country’s construction industry began to decline in 2011. Witnessing construction companies close at an alarming rate inspired Amiri, the son of a project manager, to move to India that year to study construction alongside his chemical engineering coursework. He returned to Afghanistan armed with textbooks given to him by a professor. Sensing a need for this knowledge in his community, the fluent-in-five-languages Amiri patiently translated the texts for others to read and even taught a class. When he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Kabul Polytechnic University in 2014, he decided the construction, rather than chemical, industry was really his calling. Through a friend, he secured work as a scheduler and estimator at Morning Builders Construction in Kabul. Nearly two years later, he decided to earn a Master of Science degree and moved to Texas to study in a pre-master program at The University of Texas at Austin. After completing the program, he took a break before enrolling at the University of Texas at El Paso. While attending, he worked in quality control at a concrete company and interned as a project engineer with Jordan Foster Construction LLC. In May 2019, Amiri earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a focus on construction engineering and management. Before graduation, he was hired as a project engineer for Veliz Construction, which offers medical
continued from Page 1 — Hill Country Flooring “As I was recruited back to the industry, I realized the downfall so many local owners make. The lack of commitment for service and installation from most providers was astounding,” Campbell says. “We made the commitment to educate our clients, to help them pursue excellence and act as educators in their own industry to know what’s right from wrong in flooring and tiling.” Hill Country Flooring covers all areas of service from cabinets, countertops, flooring and tiling within a 75-mile radius of Austin. Two designers on staff offer advice to clients free of charge, and three project managers oversee every job to ensure quality and service. “Our goal is to pursue excellence in client satisfaction by any means necessary,” Campbell says. “Sometimes, it means taking the high road when nobody else will. Sometimes it means being the voice in the community when someone needs help. The values of working in healthcare taught me that life depends on minutes and seconds, and although restaurants are not life and death, service is highly scrutinized by the second. My brain still thinks in seconds, so when a client [has] a specific request, we will respond with a higher sense of urgency than most.
“People who come to us know our values and look forward to seeing firsthand how we can be better than the field,” he adds. “I love when a client comes to me and says, “Well, someone is cheaper than you.” It’s an open invitation to understand the perception of value. I know firsthand what most trades have gone through and I can come from a stance of honesty and transparency. Again, our goal is to educate our clients and help them pursue excellence. Sometimes, they can’t afford us and that’s okay, but now they’re armed with knowledge on what to be on the lookout for with less expensive contractors.” Campbell’s approach for his young company seems to be working. “We have a growth pattern that’s charting at 12 percent growth per quarter,” he says. “With a high investment in social media and educating our project managers, we expect to be the preferred destination for installation, pricing, and service in the industry. Our plan is to be the go-to when you are ready to start a project, for a builder to turn to someone when they need to be bailed out, and to all who need the right person for the job every time.” Hill Country Flooring in Austin offers flooring, tiling, cabinet and countertop installation. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Interstate Restoration Interstate now has more access to resources and operational expertise than ever, positioning us to continue our pursuit of transforming the industry with a more efficient, productive recovery model. As part of our efforts, we have also acquired resources in strategic locations over the last year.” To carry out its values, Interstate continues to grow, with four new Austin team members added just last December. General Manager Mike Erhardt makes it his priority to coach, teach and mentor his team, which includes Project Director Brandon Hobbs, Office Manager Susan Burkett, Regional Account Managers Thompson, Amy Reyes, Aaron Paul and Jennifer Fox, and Senior Project Managers Kyle Tluczek, Matt Schray, Jason Walker and Joe Quintero. This team and the entire Intestate family go beyond construction to make
communities whole again. Intimately familiar with the toll a disaster can take on a community, they also address environmental toll. As part of its partnership with non-profit focused restoration “One Tree Planted,” Interstate plants one tree for every restoration/construction project it completes, focusing on areas in North America devastated by wildfires. The Austin team is also active in national and local organizations including AAFAME, Austin and San Antonio BOMA, CREW Austin, CCIM, DANA, IFMA, RECA and IREM. “In Austin, we work hard, have fun and make friends along the way,” Thompson says. “We take pride in our accomplishments and celebrate our successes. We value our clients, life outside of work and in our community.” Interstate Restoration offers emergency response restoration and reconstruction. – mjm
continued from Page 1 — Alpha Building Corporation
construction, engineering inspections, design build and construction management. He truly enjoys the role and the company, crediting its positive culture and the leadership’s nurturing attitude as reasons why. “They focus on their employees and send us to professional development and training programs. Also, the type of projects that we get here are so unique. Where other companies are afraid to go, we go. We go from Presidio all the way to Albuquerque and from Fort Worth all the way to Austin, San Antonio and Lubbock. I get to travel a lot; I love traveling. I go to different cities, work with different mentalities and personalities. I’m enjoying my jobs and my position in this company.” Recently, Amiri moved to Austin to work in Veliz’s new division there. “I’m focusing on the management side of the projects,” Amiri says. “The division manager and I are also working on the possibility of expanding the business. It’s the plan for me to get to know the market so that if we go into other markets, we will have our network expanded. I’m really excited about it.” In his free time, the former cricket captain and rugby player enjoys working out at the gym and was recently approached to play with a local rugby group. He says he would love to someday accept but right now, he’s completely focused and happy with his new job in his new city. –mjm
pha’s vice president of business operations, “It’s a great time for Alpha.” Alpha is particularly grateful for the clients, the subcontractor and professional firms that have been with them, many for over 20 years. In the spring, Alpha projects made a point of saying thank you to their clients with a visit and small gift. This fall each project took time to thank long-term subcontractors and suppliers. On Oct. 24, Alpha Building Corporation hosted an appreciation lunch at Alamo Café in recognition of the gratitude they have for their subcontracting partners. “This is monumental,” says Acock. “Some of these folks have been with us since 1990. That is a long time for relationships to last. There is a lot of camaraderie in the community of contractors here and that is one of the things I love
about San Antonio corporate office. We work together at the various associations like ABC and AGC, we bid against each other and then we play together. “This was our chance to say thank you for being there during the tough times and the good times, when the jobs were great or when the jobs were not. They were there and we stuck together.” During Alpha’s final quarter of celebration, the company will be giving back to the community participating in various charity events. And to put the icing on the cake, so to speak, Alpha will host a company-wide party on Feb. 21, 2020 when all employees and their families will gather in San Antonio for fun, games, food and lots of stories, about their experiences working for this company. Congratulations. Alpha Building Corporation is a fullservice general contractor. –cmw
Austin Construction News • JAN 2020
Page 15
P•R•O•J•E•C•T S•H•O•W•C•A•S•E Unique color palette
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Outside looking in, Strictly Pediatrics Lobby
or more than 30 years, AQC Austin has dedicated itself to providing client-focused quality commercial construction to the Greater Austin area. The original founders, Barney Toler and Jerry Tredemeyer, established the company after more than 40 years combined in the high-rise commercial construction industry of early Austin in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, AQC has expanded to include the retail, high-tech, and health care sectors with a focus on cleanliness, schedule, and budget. From inception to completion, AQC Austin places an emphasis on the relationship between owner, architect, and general contractor for the successful and quick completion of each project. Taking great pride in the partnerships with each of their trade groups, AQC Austin has worked with many of their core subcontractor teams for more than 20 years. AQC Austin was the perfect fit for the Strictly Pediatrics Lobby Renovation. The $120,000 renovation project took four short weeks to complete. The project team renovated the lobby installing all new LVT flooring and tile. Repainting the lobby to accentuate the bright and cheerfulness of the lobby was the finishing touch.
The majority of the work was completed during nights and weekends to accommodate the building’s very busy lobby throughout normal working hours. The added challenge of preparing the site for the next day’s operatio, knowing the majority of the owner’s clients are children, was an added hurdle but the AQC team was able to successfully navigate. Superintendent James Hampton kept a close watch on scheduling of the adjacent children’s cancer center and ICRA (infection control risk assessment) concerns through the course of the project. “Having recently completed an expansion to St. David’s South Austin Hospital’s Cancer Clinic we were very aware of working alongside patient and doctor requirements of those with compromised immune systems where absolutely no dust or debris can breach the perimeter of our site,” says Hampton. Luckily, Jessie Ramsey, the property manager with Physicians Realty Trust (building owner), was incredibly easy to work with and helped coordinate the project’s core milestones with building occupants while working in close communication with the AQC team. “We loved working with the unique materials and color selections and are actively looking for more project partner opportunities in the Greater Austin area,” says Project Managers Kane Toler, Associate AIA and
Thomas English. “The architect, BSA Lifestructures, is a regular partner of ours on medical projects all around town and we’re able to work hand in hand with them to meet client expectations”. Photos courtesy of Michael Harman. AQC Austin is a construction management firm in Austin, TX. -cmw
Flooring pattern
Unique color palette AQC Austin Austin, TX
SAWS Phase II ESOC
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n 1998, Allied Fire Protection was established in Pearland, TX by Shannon Payne and John Hubbard. By 2010, Allied Fire Protection had expanded to six office locations across Texas, including San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas, Austin and Laredo. In 2005, Troy Davenport, Partner and Central Texas Area Director, joined the Allied team and now oversees
Sprinkler installation
operations along the IH 35 corridor. Throughout the last 20 years, Allied Fire Protection has built a foundation which provides a full scope of services including pre-construction, design, installation, underground, inspection, service, fire alarm, and monitoring. Currently, the Allied Fire Protection team out of San Antonio is nearing completion of the installation of the new fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems at the SAWS Phase II ESOC project, in collaboration with Teal Construction Company, out of Garden Ridge, TX. The project is located at 3930 East Houston and has three buildings including the Supply Building, the Administration Building and the Fleet Building. Allied Fire Protection designed and installed the fire sprinkler and alarm systems for a combined total of 62,500sf. The new construction project included the design, fabrication, and installation of the wet pipe fire sprinkler systems with control valves, sprinkler heads, pipe, fittings and a new fire line backflow preventor. Allied Fire Protection also installed a new dry system to protect the Supply Building, including the covered loading and receiving canopy. In addition to the fire sprinkler systems, AFP Alarm & Detection, a division of Allied Fire Protection, installed three new complete Notifier fire alarm systems and is providing the monitoring. Allied Fire Protection is also in collaboration with Teal Construction Company on another project, the SAWS Phase II NWOC in San Antonio.
ESOC Supply Building
“Allied Fire Protection has performed several projects with both fire sprinkler and alarm installation and renovation needs, making them a ‘one stop shop’ for general contractors,” says Odette Castillo, Allied Fire Protection Marketing/Business Development Manager. The San Antonio office has a team of multi-licensed inspectors, service technicians and installation crews ready to perform any new construction or interior finish out project. Allied Fire Protection is a full-service fire sprinkler contractor and service provider. -cmw L-R: Allied Fire Alarm Manager Wayne Burson, Teal Construction Superintendent Louie Baeza and Allied Construction Manager Richard Mireles.
SAWS Phase II ESOC Allied Fire Protection San Antonio, TX
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Austin Construction News • JAN 2020