Austin Construction News March 2020

Covering the Industry’s News

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Oddsmaker

Light bulb moment

The Butler Contracting team

Daniel Cook lets his light shine bright in the lighting world through his company LED LYSI.

hat started off as odd jobs has become the new normal for Alan Butler. When Alan started Butler Brothers Odd Jobs with his younger brother Robert Butler six years ago, it was meant as a side business to pay off student loans while Alan worked in biology/construction-adjacent fields, such as oil and gas.

The odd jobs, which included everything from cleaning grill grates to repairing houses, soon turned into a full-time job, and Alan had to hire help. Now, six years later, he has six employees, a bigger vision and a new company name, Butler Contracting.

“I’ve kind of morphed into doing more than just odd jobs,” Alan explains.

“We’re a full-service general contractor.

Our focus is residential remodeling, fencing, and commercial repair work. We do roofing, install solar shingles and do synthetic shingle installation; we installed the first ones in Bastrop County. We specialize in epoxy flooring, roof coatings, epoxy coatings, and waterproofing, mostly for commercial work. We service a 60-mile radius around Bastrop area, but for the things that are more specialized, we’re willing to go a little further.”

Helping to meet the demand is what Alan calls a “really great, well-rounded group of folks.”

“Our employees have different backgrounds in mechanical and carpentry and construction, which is really helpful for the work we do,” Alan says. “I have a foreman with a background in the

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aniel Cook was answering phones and taking orders for an ecommerce provider to commercial properties before he transitioned into the operations side of lighting in 2012.

That’s when he says he saw the light as far as a career path.

“That was where I made inroads into the lighting industry with manufacturers and lighting distributors, learning the process, learning the business from that niche and how it affects clients,” Cook says. “In 2016, the LED market began to take off in terms of commercial properties and industrial properties. Homeowners were really beginning to start moving over their traditional or old lighting technology to LED. The pricing had come down, the availability had increased and

the technology was better.”

It was an exciting time for the industry. Unfortunately, Cook saw the dark side to its success as well.

“I found out with the technology being a bit better, a new version of a product would be coming out every six or seven months,” he says. “That meant that you have product that had been purchased intending to be sold and it would be sitting on a shelf; a lot of local distributors would sell that old product at a very high price, sometimes higher than the old product which, believe it or not, would be low-priced.

“It was one of those things where I got used to – and sick of – seeing distributors and manufacturers give the end users a raw deal,” Cook continues. continued on Page 14

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Smart and beautiful by design

aul Balmuth’s career may have started in the solar energy industry, but it spurred him to pursue a new passion: Constructing smart, aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient buildings.

It’s why Balmuth founded PB Construction in Austin 33 years ago, and he has made his indelible mark on the Austin-area landscape ever since.

Beginning as a residential builder, he quickly added commercial work in 1999 when he transformed an abandoned tire store on E. 5th St. into Eddie V’s Edgewater Grill. Additional impressive projects followed, including Roaring Fork Restaurant on Congress Ave. and Cover 3 Restaurant on West Anderson Ln. The company’s most recent completed project is the Alexander Marchant Design Showroom on West Koenig Ln. PB Construction is selective of the number and location of projects it

L-R: PB Construction’s John Barrow, Theresa Dringenberg, Carlo Dringenberg and Paul Balmuth

undertakes to ensure that attention to quality is never compromised.

“In the past, we have travelled as far as 50 miles one way; currently, we choose to travel less than 10 miles, and we try to keep projects bunched close together for maximum logistical efficiency,” Balmuth explains.

Currently, PB Construction has four in-house personnel who can act as project managers or highly skilled craftspeople to help meet demand.

“Our subcontractors cover all the trades – electrical, HVAC, plumbing, drywall, painting, concrete, masonry, steel – the total number of people involved in a typical small commercial project can run to about 75,” Balmuth says.

Balmuth says his favorite part of his work is exceeding his customers’ expectations and admiring the artistry continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Just to say “thank you”

You did what?

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hen Ed Lette’s friends and colleagues discovered that Lette had ventured into the insurance realm after a life-long banking career, their reaction was, “You did what?” It didn’t make sense. Or did it?

“What most people don’t understand is insurance and bonding are two different things. The insurance industry is in the bonding business; but it is not insurance in the sense of risks. When you insure something, you look at the odds of something happening and insure based on a potential loss. But on the bonding side, it is like credit. You look at the financials, the character of the borrower or the company and the people. It’s like lending money,” says Lette.

Ed Lette is well known in the banking industry. As he grew up as a banker, he spent the first part of his career as the CFO type doing all the accounting for the bank. As he was getting his degree as an accountant, he decided to see if he could get into the commercial lending side. He spent the better part of his banking career working on problem banks. And with problem banks he learned one of the problems of problem banks was the lending side.

During his 54-year career as a banker, he chartered four banks and turned multiple banks around to function back in the black.

Not ready to retire, Lette put his banking days behind him and spent the last year getting everything ready to enter into the insurance realm. He got his licenses and everything that was required. Now ready and equipped, Lette is the newest surety agent of Time Insurance Agency.

Ed Lette, CPA – Time Insurance Agency’s newest surety agent.

Time Insurance Agency with locations in Austin and San Antonio, has been serving Central Texas since the early 1960s with their insurance needs. “With only two locations, Time Insurance has the best of both worlds in the sense that it is a small enough agency to give that personal touch to its clients,” says Lette. “Time’s President John Shuler’s father founded Time Insurance Agency.

“It’s back to the basics. Locally owned. Family-owned. You’re not working with the biggest insurance agency in the United States. You are working with people you can pick up the phone and talk to. Time is much larger on the commercial side and the bonding side.”

Time Insurance Agency is a surety and bonding company in San Antonio and Austin. -cmw

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Guests gather around the pit and visit with the Ja-Mar cooks.

he folks at Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal hosted their annual subcontractor appreciation lunch on Jan. 24. The Ja-Mar team had their pit smoking in the early hours to have brisket, sausage, beans, cole slaw and potato salad ready for their 50-plus guests.

“We try to set one day aside to provide lunch for our subs. We want them to show and tell them how much we appreciate the hard work they do for Ja-Mar,” says Ja-Mar President David Phillips. “We just value their expertise and their skills and the hard work they bring to the table

for us.”

Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal is a fullservice roofing contractor based in Buda, TX. -cmw

David Philllips and daughter Kenedee Hall take a moment from greeting their guests.

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

A Long time coming

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Topping out at Lake Austin

n Jan. 30, The Beck Group held a “topping out” ceremony commemorating the completed installation of all structural steel on construction of the Holdsworth Center, a 44acre campus located on the shores of Lake Austin.

The Holdsworth Center is nonprofit organization founded by Charles Butt,

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Chairman of H-E-B. The campus is a commons surrounded by 16 new buildings connected by a pedestrian walkway and includes an administrative building, a 180-room residential village and a social hub with outdoor decks and a screenedin porch. Construction began in Nov. 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020. -cmw

Atlas Technical Consultants Inc. CEO L. Joe Boyer

tlas Technical Consultants Inc., a provider of professional testing, inspection, engineering, program management and consulting services, acquired Atlanta’s Long Engineering on Feb. 18. The acquisition – the company’s seventh under the Atlas brand – is indeed considered a strategic addition.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Long that goes back decades,” Atlas’ Chief Executive Officer L. Joe Boyer says. “They have an excellent reputation in the market and have done some really great work in metro Atlanta, specifically with the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Hartsfield Jackson Airport International Terminal, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to name a few. Their senior staff are industry leaders with resumes and expertise that we can leverage across our firm nationwide. This acquisition enhances our ability to crosssell additional services to existing clients, so that’s a real benefit here as well.”

Established in 1997 by Ellen P. Long, Long Engineering provides land surveying, construction engineering,

design and inspection services throughout the Southeast’s transportation, infrastructure and commercial end markets. The acquisition expands Atlas’ operations in Georgia and Alabama with bridge hydraulics, private civil site expertise and subsurface utility engineering.

“Atlas’ expansion is based on an acquisitive and organic growth strategy,” Boyer says. “Our growth is never by mere chance. It’s really a result of forces with common values working together and that’s what we see in this Long acquisition. It allows us to leverage our resources to win larger, more complex projects. It also aligns with our vision to grow our service capabilities, to broaden our customer base and, probably more importantly, to provide significant growth opportunities for our employees.

All of that is wrapped up in this acquisition. We’re excited about our future because this is such a wonderful opportunity for us.”

Atlas Technical Consultants Inc. is headquartered in Austin. –mjm

The Beck Group’s Mack Bayler signs a plaque that will be mounted inside one of The Holdsworth Center’s Campus on Lake Austin’s building parts.

Aerial view of The Holdsworth campus.

Trophy life

Topping out ceremony attendees enjoy lunch after topping out ceremony remarks.

The Standard at Austin’s team poses with their well-earned Landmark Construction safety award. The hard hat-topped trophy, which arrived in Landmark’s Austin office in February, will be proudly displayed until it is presented to the next safety-conscious team. –mjm

Building new lives

The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin (HBA) broke ground on the 2020 HBA Benefit Home. The construction of the home is built mostly, if not entirely, through sponsorships. Proceeds from the sale of the home are donated to HBA who in turn, donate a significant portion to HomeAid Austin. This year’s builder sponsor is Lennar. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

corporate bureaucracy world any longer.

Kai Langendoen

President Water Storage Tanks/Specified Water Systems Dripping Springs, TX

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ive years ago, Kai Langendoen was looking to buy a business, and even though water storage tanks were a far cry from the sales and marketing work he was used to, the farm boy in him couldn’t resist. Now, with the help of his wife Christy and stellar employes, his water tank runneth over with two businesses.

Share about your background and introduction to construction.

I was raised on a farm and farm boys tend to think they can do just about anything and they like to get their hands dirty. I worked my way through college doing boiler repair work. That was a very interesting trade. I learned a lot about piping and boilers, but I said I was never going to do that as my career. I wanted to do something completely different. I went a different path – sales and marketing – and was fortunate to work in the medical device field for some Fortune 500 companies. I was very successful at it but sitting behind a desk all day was killing me from a health standpoint; I wasn’t getting out there and being physical. Plus, I didn’t want to be in the

What did you do to change that?

I told my wife Christy that I wanted to buy a business, so we started seeing what was for sale. The gentleman who founded Water Storage Tanks and SpecAll Products, which was Specified Water Systems’ predecessor, was retiring and selling his businesses. He and I had a phone conversation, and everything about his business philosophy and what he had done really resonated with me.

We just clicked from the very beginning.

A lot of things were favorable. In central Texas, we’re always thinking about water; we’re in a water crisis on a regular basis. At the time, state representative Jason Isaac, was helping combat big municipal wells pumping out all of the ground water and reselling it.

Christy and I had gone to some of those meetings; we were already wondering why everyone was trying to deplete our groundwater, impact their neighbors and make everybody else re-drill their wells to go deeper when there are other solutions such as rainwater harvesting.

To have this business come up for sale that focused on that struck a chord with us. Plus, the business is located on 290; we passed it going to and from Austin a million times, so we knew exactly what business it was.

The founder was an engineer by training, so engineering principals are at the heart of everything that we now do.

But he had taken it as far as he thought it could go and wanted someone with more business, sales and marketing experience to take it to the next level, so that is has been our focus. These water companies have been around and growing since the mid ’90s. Our two main brand names, CorGal® and TimberTank® have built up a favorable reputation for quality and innovation in our local Austin area and nationwide. For the construction side, we bought the assets and started a new company, Specified Water Systems,

Members of the Water Storage Tanks/Specified Water Systems teams, including Vice-President Christy Langendoen (center) and President Kai Langendoen (far right)

in 2015. We were fortunate to have something to pivot off of.

What is the difference between the companies?

Water Storage Tanks is our manufacturing entity. It designs the water tanks and then distributes them through a network of dealers throughout the United States, Canada and down into South America. We distribute through about 35 distribution channels.

Specified Waters Systems is our central Texas dealer, and it is the only one of the distribution channels that my wife and I actually own. It’s also our largest dealer. So of course, we get some of the more notable projects. That gives us a really unique view into the business because not only are we manufacturing and designing, but we’re also doing the actual construction. As we learn new things, or as the guys in the fields come up with new ideas, we can work that up the food chain very easily and come up with some innovative new solutions for the water tank industry. The official territory of Specified Water Systems is Austin and San Antonio, but our specifiers – our architects and engineers – they are all over Texas and so that results in us getting jobs in Dallas, Houston and Midland/Odessa. I’d say the lion’s share of our business is in the Austin/San Antonio area. My guys are actually in Atlanta, GA right now building a few tanks.

How have the companies changed?

Each company has had significant growth year over year since we took over.

We’ve been blessed to say that. Specified Water Systems has had to change its offering to a more full-service company in order to meet the growth objectives that we have set for ourselves. Originally, we just built tanks; it’s all we did. Now we do pumps, filtration, and rainwater harvesting systems that can bring potable water inside for our customers. If we’re on a large commercial project, we can put in a large irrigation pump and coordinate with the irrigation contractor very closely. We are also experts in NFPA 22 fire protection tanks and meeting Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements for public water supplies. Our scope is growing more and more all the time.

What teams are in place to help you?

From a leadership standpoint, I initially took it on by myself and it ended up being more than I could handle. I asked Christy if she would come into the company and she did. Christy leads our sales team on the Specified Water Systems side, and she has been the instrumental reason that we have had the success that we’ve had. She is building relationships with engineers, architects, and fire marshals. She knows code and our product extremely well. People consult with her to design systems and it’s really paid off. She has become a really reputable resource for people throughout the Austin/San Antonio area. It has helped us to get specified and to ultimately win jobs.

Water Storage Tanks has seven employees. On the Specified Water Systems side, we’ve been averaging nine to ten. Recently, we’ve had to sub out a

lot of the construction work just to keep up. We are a small company, and we have very ambitious growth objectives. We need everybody to be an “A” player. I have a stellar team working for me and people who I know can run the show if I need to leave.

My senior staff has a number of years under their belts, are very mature and I don’t worry about them. I have instilled in them that what differentiates us from the competition is our customer service and doing the right things right. They live up to that every single day. Our customers appreciate how responsive we are and the level of expertise that we bring when they call us up and have questions. My two lead guys for Specified Water Systems on the construction side, brothers Ruben Ponce and Omar Ponce, have each been with the company for 20-plus years.

They predate me and when we bought the companies, they are the ones that stuck it out with me. They do an excellent job and we’re very fortunate to have them.

What is your most well-known work?

Dripping Springs Vodka is one of our most recent, notable milestones. The customer that I work with the most personally is Tito’s Vodka. We have numerous tanks now at Tito’s Vodka and as they continue to expand, they continue to add more tanks.

At a national level, we’ve done several Harley Davidsons; one of their trademarks is the tank up on the tower at the main facility and so a lot of the dealerships put tanks on towers. Last year, we did one in Chicago and two in Florida. Most of the people around here would recognize the tank and tower we did at the Horny Toad Harley Davidson in Temple. We have quite a few at different Starbucks locations around town. We have quite a few at Whole Foods nationwide. The TimberTank® that people probably recognize would be the tank at the YETI flagship store on Congress.

What do you enjoy about your work?

For me, it’s solving different challenges that come up. People come to us because we can customize. Can we make that tank functional and have a sign on it? Yes, we can do that. B.D. Riley’s [on Aldrich St.] wanted to have a unique funnel that comes into theirs and then they wanted to have the tank resemble a large beer keg, so they painted the keg and hung a large tap on the outside of the tank. We engineered a fastening device so that their dream could become a reality. YETI wanted a hidden door in their tank, and so we did that. No two tanks, it seems, are alike and it’s a lot of fun to work on these projects. That’s what we do, and we love to take on the challenges.

What do you enjoy in your free time?

The reality is that we don’t have as much free time as we once did, but when the opportunity arises, we like to enjoy the hill country on horseback or motorcycle. Christy and I both ride and find a lot of enjoyment in that. We also love to check out many of the new breweries that are popping up; fortunately, many of them are also customers, and we support those who support us. -mjm

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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List your Company for Reference For Info, Contact: Dana Calonge Dana@ConstructionNews.net Buddy Doebbler Buddy@ConstructionNews.net

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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Ever Wonder Why You Need An Employee Handbook?

Rhonda Chadwick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Firm Administrator Ridout Barrett & Co., PC San Antonio, TX

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o your employees know your expectations? Are they in writing? Have your employees acknowledged your expectations? If not, you could have a big problem on your hands.

The lack of an employee handbook or having one that hasn’t been updated recently can cause any business owner headaches. An easy description of a handbook is a document which lays out your expectations for your employees as their employer in black and white. It also lays out, in black and white, what your employees can expect from you as their employer. Unfortunately, leaving any gray areas or things subject to interpretation can sometimes cause legal issues for you.

Your employee handbook is an important, necessary business document and is the backbone of the people side of your business. It provides a standardized explanation of human resources policies and can prevent misunderstandings, complaints and legal action by your employees.

What types of things should be included in your handbook? You will want to include all types of relevant business and personnel information such as: • Employment information regarding conflicts of interest, employment eligibility, employment records, Equal Employment Opportunity, job descriptions, performance reviews, etc.

• Employee conduct expectations regarding alcohol and illegal substances, attendance and punctuality, cell phone usage, code of conduct, confidential and proprietary information, discipline and termination, dress code, anti-harassment and workplace security.

• Compensation information regarding benefits, incentive pay/bonuses, deductions from wages, garnishments, expense reimbursements, holidays and paid time off, overtime, pay periods/pay days and regular work hours.

• Types of leave including bereavement, disability, civic duty, military and personal leaves of absence. If you are a larger employer with 50 plus employees, you will also need to cover FMLA leave requirements (Family Medical Leave Act).

• Information regarding separation of employment to include COBRA, final pay, references, resignations and retirement.

• Technology use policies that address use of computers, company email, software, wireless communications and social media.

As you can see, there are many topics to address in an employee handbook. In the world of HR, we often see business owners become overwhelmed with trying to create their own employee handbook. Sometimes, a quick solution seems to be “let’s go online and find a template”.

Although there is nothing wrong with not starting from scratch, you do need to be sure to personalize any template to your business. It needs to make sense legally and for your employees who have to live by it.

We also often hear the question, “Why do I need one anyway?” It can feel like an extra unnecessary step for a business owner who already has a full plate of responsibilities. However, it will make your life a lot less complicated in the long run.

Here’s why: • An employee handbook brings uniformity across your business. Expectations for everyone are described and the consequences for not adhering to those

expectations are outlined.

• It minimizes time spent by management or administration explaining policies to your employees. Instead, they are clearly documented for everyone to see and acknowledge.

• It is a guideline for your HR and management teams-an instructional manual for how to handle most situations that crop up in the workplace during daily operations.

• It clearly answers most of your employees’ questions regarding pay, benefits, performance expectations and workplace responsibilities.

• It helps ensure that your business is in compliance with local, state and federal laws.

• It can help you defend your business and your position in an employment based lawsuit.

Other things to remember in regards to an employee handbook is to make it as clear, simple and easy to understand as possible. Legal or technical jargon can be confusing to your employees. Be sure that your handbook is a reflection of your company and your unique culture. This is why it is so important to personalize any template you may use to help you with the handbook creation process.

Be sure to update your handbook regularly. It is NOT a document to sit on your shelf or in an electronic format being rarely accessed. It needs to be a living document constantly being revised and utilized in the daily operations of your business. If your handbook has a document date from the 1990s, please update and revise your handbook ASAP! It is a good idea to get employees to acknowledge your handbook at hire, annually and when major revisions have happened.

When updating your handbook, it is important to pay attention to local, state and federal laws being revised. A good example of this is the Sick and Safe Leave ordinance passed last year in San Antonio. Of course, the enforcement of this act is on hold due to legal action, but it is a perfect example of how business owners could quickly find themselves in legal trouble if their policies were not updated to meet the standard of the law. Remember ignorance of a law is not an acceptable defense if challenged by an employee legally.

If you are concerned about staying in the know for compliance, be sure to check out local and national organizations who focus on human resources best practices and legal compliance. A couple of good ones are the San Antonio Human Resources Management Association and the Society for Human Resources Management. You can also check out Business & Legal Reports’ (BLR) website for Human Resources at www.hr-blr.com .

The more you know, the more you can keep those handbooks up to date and protect yourself from legal action.

Rhonda Chadwick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is certified in Human Resources and is the Firm Administrator at Ridout Barrett & Co., P.C. She has over twenty years of experience in the HR field and joined Ridout Barrett in 2017. Visit www.ridoutbarrett.com or email rchadwick@ridoutbarrett.com .

The Case for Cyber Insurance Kevin McCarthy, Vice President Property & Casualty Insurance IBTX San Antonio/Dallas, TX

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f you turn on the news any given night, open the newspaper any given morning (I suppose scroll through your Facebook or Twitter feed is more appropriate these days), there is a good chance that you will see a story about a cyber incident. The cyber incidents that make the news are typically those incidents involving large, well-known, national corporations, where large amounts personal data have been compromised (Target, Experian, Sony, Home Depot, etc.). What you do not hear about as often is the frequency with which small to mid-size businesses are the targets of cyber attacks and the catastrophic effect it has on them.

Let’s examine some of the data associated with cyber incidents. Every 14 seconds, there is a cyber attack on a business. 43% of all cyber attacks target small to mid-size businesses. Of those small to mid-size businesses that experience a cyber breach, 60% close their doors permanently within 6 months. The average cost of a cyber incident is $500,000 and rising.

These are some terrifying statistics. Unfortunately, it is no longer a matter of if your business will be the victim of a cyber attack, but when. Your cyber security/IT firm is critical, but will not always prevent a breach. If Target and Equifax can be infiltrated, so can you. If your IT firm has a cyber policy for you, it will likely not provide complete protection and you will likely need to purchase your own.

Cyber insurance policies provide varying degrees of coverage at various price points. It is critical to understand what is covered by your policy and what is not. Let me start by stating that if you have some amount of cyber insurance included in your general liability policy, it is not adequate coverage to protect your business. I have yet to find built in cyber coverage on a general liability policy that provides a business with all the cyber protection they need. You need a stand alone cyber insurance policy to adequately protect your business. However, there is a great deal of variation in coverage amongst stand alone cyber policies.

On the surface, many policies appear to provide the same coverage and limits.

However, if you read the provisions of the policy closely, many times there is a what I call a “trap door” that will preclude coverage. These trap door provisions are typically called “failure to maintain” provisions. If the policyholder does not have XYZ in place at all times, there will be no coverage. This is problematic, especially for a small business that may not have the most advanced technology controls in place or relies on a third party to maintain these controls. As a policyholder, you are buying insurance to protect you when the systems in place fail or processes are not adequate. This is when you need the coverage most! The good news; policies exist that provide broad coverage and will provide the protection you want. You just need to know what to look for and work with an agent that understands the coverage.

Cyber incident response coverage

This is coverage to assess what happened and deal with the cyber breach.

Cyber incident response will provide coverage for legal fees, forensics, notification costs, credit monitoring, and public relations. The team will determine how the breach occurred and coordinate next steps to deal with the breach.

First party coverage

This coverage is to protect your business assets from a breach and includes coverage for; Cyber extortion, a bad actor has taken control of your entire computer system (which can be on a cloud server, offsite) and you cannot access any digital information. To access your information you must pay a ransom (typically in Bitcoin). This coverage will manage and mitigate the incident, and if neces-

sary, payment of the ransom demand.

When your data and systems are released back to you, they will almost certainly not be the same condition as before the breach. Data restoration coverage will provide coverage for the cost to recover and restore the insured’s electronic data and computer programs. Business interruption - In today’s digital economy, it is impossible for a business, regardless of industry, to operate at 100% capacity without access their computer systems.

This is typically what causes a business to shut down operations in the wake of a cyber incident (Google Colorado Timberline). They cannot generate revenue while their systems are down and they lose critical customers permanently when they cannot meet the needs of their customers as a result. Coverage is provided for loss of net income, ongoing expenses (including payroll,) and extra expenses incurred to reduce downtime/ loss of income.

Cyber crime coverage will protect you from the theft of your assets which are stolen digitally. Computer fraud coverage provides protection for theft of money or securities due to unauthorized access of insured’s system. Example; A criminal organization hacks the insured’s accounts payable computer system and changes the bank routing information on outgoing payments resulting in a $1.5M transfer to the criminal’s account. Funds transfer fraud provides coverage for funds that are transferred by an employee under false pretenses to a 3rd party who believes that there is legitimate request to pay funds. The employee was tricked. Crime coverage is typically sub limited to an amount less than the full policy limits and has a higher deductible.

This coverage can also be provided via a commercial crime policy.

Third party liability coverage, which includes; Cyber, privacy & network security liability coverage for failure to protect private or confidential information of others, and failure to prevent a cyber incident from affecting others’ systems. Example; A failure in Network Security on the insured’s computer system allows a hacker to use the insured’s computer system to send malicious code to other computer systems.

The owners of the newly infected computers sue the insured organization for failure to prevent the transmission of a virus. In this scenario, the policy holder will have coverage for defense costs and damages for covered lawsuits. Regulatory coverage, which provides coverage for defense for regulatory actions and any associated fines and penalties.

As a Risk Advisor, Kevin works with companies to assess and reduce their overall total cost of risk by providing holistic risk management solutions. He has an extensive background in a variety of areas within the insurance industry including finance, reinsurance, and underwriting experience in professional liability, surety, and property & casualty. This allows him to bring a perspective on risk management and insurance to his clients that is unique from many others in the industry.

Kevin McCarthy (469) 858-1841 mobil Kmccarthy@ib-tx.com

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

March is Ladder Safety Month

Harmonizing Dispute Resolution Provisions in Construction Contracts

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

Karly Houchin, Attorney Allensworth & Porter, LLP Austin, TX

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nconsistent dispute resolution provisions can cost general contractors thousands of dollars.

In large-scale, multi-party construction projects, it’s important to focus on the potential risk as much as the anticipated reward. No one ever wants a project to go awry, but there’s always a chance that a dispute will arise during a complex project. The litigation process is inherently frustrating, and that frustration is only compounded by inconsistencies within construction contracts about the required method and forum for resolving disputes, which can result in litigating the same dispute in two separate settings.

Arbitration or State Court Litigation?

Typical dispute resolution provisions in prime contracts require disputes to be resolved in one of two forums: either in private, binding arbitration or litigation in state court. Usually these provisions require a trial or hearing to take place either (1) where the project is located, or (2) where the owner’s principal place of business is located. Arbitration is a private form of dispute resolution where a construction industry professional (or panel of them) presides over the hearing and makes final decisions about liability and damages. Arbitration is generally binding, less formal, and rarely appealed.

State court litigation takes the form of a lawsuit and is presided over by a judge.

There may or may not be a jury present, depending on what the contract requires—and parties are entitled to waive their right to a jury. If a contract is silent as to the forum for resolving disputes, parties are typically left with state court litigation as the default option.

In negotiation, the prime contract frequently receives the most attention.

But that same attention should be paid to negotiating subcontracts. Unfortunately, it is often the case that either (1) some subcontracts include one type of dispute forum while other subcontracts include the opposite, or (2) the subcontracts all include the same type of dispute resolution clause but differ from what the prime contract requires. This discrepancy forces the general contractor to fight the same battle on two fronts, which is a costly endeavor at a minimum, or at worst, can increase potential liability due to inconsistent trial or arbitration results.

Dueling Disputes

Being involved in a dispute—whether in state court or arbitration—is expensive. If an owner sues a general contractor (GC) for alleged construction defects and delays caused by one of the GC’s subcontractors, the subcontractors and suppliers whose labor or materials are implicated will likely be added to the lawsuit to defend themselves, and face potential responsibility for a damage resulting from their work. If that subcontractor’s contract has a dispute resolution provision that differs from the prime contract, the general contractor may be prevented from adding the subcontractor to the existing action. Instead, the GC, already fighting one lawsuit with the owner, could have to mount a separate campaign against its own sub. The GC would immediately begin incurring costs for a separate arbitration proceeding for virtually the same dispute it is fighting upstream with the owner.

The best-case scenario is if the general contractor can easily add the subcontractor to the lawsuit initiated by the owner. That way, the GC can pass down responsibility, and the judge, jury, or arbitrator can allocate damages directly to the subcontractor, if necessary. For example, if the subcontractor caused $100,000 worth of damage to the project,

and is in the same lawsuit with the owner and the GC, the subcontractor can be found directly liable for those damages, so the GC doesn’t have to pay those damages.

But, if a state court lawsuit between the owner and GC determined that the same subcontractor caused $100,000 worth of damages, and the subcontractor was not a party to that lawsuit, then the jury or judge will allocate that $100,000 to the GC, who hired the responsible subcontractor and is directly responsible to the owner. Then, the GC would have to file its own action to chase the subcontractor to recover the money judgment, essentially relitigating the case and possibly throwing good money after bad. The incurred fees can double, making an unhappy situation dramatically worse.

Another common but dangerous proposition for GCs appears when a replacement subcontractor must be hired.

Typically, the prime contract with the owner will force the GC to hire a replacement subcontractor within a short window of time. In that case, there is little time for contract negotiation—possibly involving only a purchase order or manuscript—or worse, dueling forms that are exchanged but never fully signed. Of course, proposals are often silent as to dispute resolution or they may be thoroughly inconsistent with the prime contract. Again, if a lawsuit later arises over the replacement contractor’s work, and all of the other subcontracts and the prime contract specify a forum like arbitration, the GC may have to initiate a separate lawsuit against the replacement contractor.

Quick Takeaways (1) Contracts with all subcontractors should include the same dispute resolution provision as your prime contract with the owner.

(2) Beware of replacement subcontractor “purchase orders” that are silent about dispute resolution.

(3) Know what the dispute resolution provision is for the prime design contract, and consider whether you want to be in the same forum with the design team.

(4) Require subcontractors to include dispute resolution flow-down provisions in their contracts.

Karly Houchin is an attorney at Allensworth & Porter, a Texas construction law firm. She works with engineers, architects, contractors, and owners on complex, multi-party disputes involving design and construction defects. You can reach Karly by e-mail at kah@aaplaw.com or by visiting www.aaplaw.com.

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orkers who use ladders in construction risk permanent injury or death from falls and electrocutions.

These hazards can be eliminated or substantially reduced by following good safety practices. This fact sheet examines some of the hazards workers may encounter while working on stepladders and explains what employers and workers can do to reduce injuries.

A stepladder is a portable, self-supporting, A-frame ladder. It has two front side rails and two rear side rails. Generally, there are steps mounted between the front side rails and bracing between the rear side rails.

A competent person must visually inspect stepladders for visible defects on a periodic basis and after any occurrence that could affect their safe use. Defects include, but are not limited to: • Structural damage, split/bent side rails, broken or missing rungs/steps/cleats and missing or damaged safety devices.

• Grease, dirt or other contaminants that could cause slips or falls.

• Paint or stickers (except warning or safety labels) that could hide possible defects.

Use a ladder that can sustain at least four times the maximum intended load, except that each extra-heavy duty type 1A metal or plastic ladder shall sustain at least 3.3 times the maximum intended load. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and labels on the ladder. To determine the correct ladder, consider your weight plus the weight of your load. Do not exceed the load rating and always include the weight of all tools, materials and equipment.

Read and follow all the manufacturer’s instructions and labels on the ladder.

• Look for overhead power lines before handling or climbing a ladder.

• Maintain a 3-point contact (two hands

and a foot, or two feet and a hand) when climbing/ descending a ladder.

• Stay near the middle of the ladder and face the ladder while climbing up/down.

• Use a barricade to keep traffic away from the ladder.

• Keep ladders free of any slippery materials.

• Only put ladders on a stable and level surface that is not slippery.

Safe Stepladder Use—DO NOT: • Use ladders for a purpose other than that for which they were designed. For example, do not use a folded stepladder as a single ladder.

• Use a stepladder with spreaders unlocked.

• Use the top step or cap as a step.

• Place a ladder on boxes, barrels or other unstable bases.

• Move or shift a ladder with a person or equipment on the ladder.

• Use cross bracing on the rear of stepladders for climbing.

• Paint a ladder with opaque coatings.

• Use a damaged ladder.

• Leave tools/materials/equipment on stepladder.

• Use a stepladder horizontally like a platform.

• Use a metal stepladder near power lines or electrical equipment.

Free ladder safety training is available at https://www.laddersafetytraining.org/ natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Round-Up

s

Freese and Nichols Inc. is pleased to announce Vimal Nair, PE LEED Wade Zemlock, PE AP BD+C has been has been promoted to promoted to Assistant Electrical Group ManDivision Manager for ager. A senior electrical Facilities. His focus will engineer, he provides be on helping cities, electrical engineering higher education sysservices for a range of tems and military cliprojects for municipal ents develop sustainand higher education able and resilient solufacilities, pump stations for new and rehabilitated facilities. tions and treatment plants. He is TxDOT Nair has experience in comprehensive util- pre-certified in illumination and experiity audits and system assessments helping enced in electrical system design, includdrive energy savings and reductions in op- ing SCADA systems and medium-voltage erations and maintenance costs. -cmw distribution systems. -cmw

Austin

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Page 9

Spring fishing on the coast

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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ow!!! Seems like yesterday was New Years Day and I had just turned the page into the 2020 year. Life is short people, and time will pass you by in the blink of an eye. The older I get, this seems to be on my mind more and more often. Being on the water gives you lots of time to think, pray and just wonder where you’ve been and where you’re going to be in the future.

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Several species of fish are common occurrences on spring fishing trips as displayed on the trip with George Cantu and friends. Book your trips now with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

While writing this column, weather conditions are far from being spring like.

However, by the time it’s in your hands maybe you will get to imagine the picture I’m trying to portray. This is one of my most favorite times of the year to fish; cool mornings with the wind in your face as we make a run to the rock structures in Baffin Bay or perhaps a longer stretch into the Land Cut and 9-Mile Hole. These areas are rich with baitfish and attract some of the largest concentrations of speckled trout and redfish. These fish are

cold-blooded animals like reptiles. They get their warmth by changing water temperatures as a reptile does from the rays of the sun. As the morning progresses, we may change the depth of water we are fishing to adjust for the rising water temps. Keeping an open mind and being aware of changing conditions will make for a more successful day.

During this time of the year, shrimp are migrating through the bay, so there is no question on what bait works the best.

Live shrimp rigged under a popping cork

In his natural habitat

aul Balmuth of PB Construction was both the photographer and the photographed on a recent kayaking outing. Balmuth took a photo of a bird in flight and when a familiar face showed up, he found himself on the other side of the lens.

“I like to spend a few hours on Ladybird Lake on the weekends. It’s right in the center of Austin and there are great views of the city and great bird life,” Balmuth says. “That photo of me was snapped by a customer of mine who happened to be walking her dog by the lake.” –mjm

is a deadly combination. If live bait is not your preference, you can achieve the same presentation by using a soft plastic on a jig head under the same cork. One of my go-to baits in this case would be a gulp 3-inch shrimp or a DOA shrimp of the same size. In actuality, it’s the sound that the cork makes that attracts the fish.

As for corks, I found that the floats made

by Four Horsemen Tackle are the most durable and have the right sounds to attract both reds and trout.

Some of the areas I like to target this time of the year are in the Baffin Bay complex. Drifting over deep rocks and sand pockets where baits are active is a sure sign that predator fish are in the area. If a drift produces a decent number of bites, don’t hesitate making the same drift several times. If small fish are present, move over either direction to see if bigger fish may be present.

Another favorite area is the west edge or bank of the Land Cut. There are literally miles of shoreline that hold several species of fish traveling from Mansfield to Baffin this time of the year. This is no big secret in the fishing community and for that reason it is most popular this time of the year.

My 2020 fishing calendar is open and I am steadily booking trips for the new season, so don’t hesitate in calling. 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 of Facebook and Instagram.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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

Spring Break is just around the corner!

Stuart Sheet Metal of Austin

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n a way, I think all of nature has a Spring Break. Most natural things seem to pause during the stress of winter.

Once winter starts to wear thin, everything makes a break for it. Plants break through the cold soil reaching for the sun’s warmth, animals prepare for new babies, fish spawn, migrating birds return, and I think we have a strong urge to break out of the cold, dark winter pattern too. We too are ready to break out and take hold of the new year. We are ready to get out and about!

As I write this, just a few days before you will see it, it’s a WINTER day in Texas.

I know, technically they are all “winter” days about now, but two days ago we

had a day of spring followed by two days of summer… and that’s how it goes in Texas.

All things considered though, the calendar says the time for our winter weather hissy fits is running out. The bluebonnets are starting to bloom and we are seeing a little rain refreshing the lakes and rivers and the fish are feeling it too!

Here on Lake Buchanan we are seeing good, healthy catches of white bass coming in. This is when the white bass make their run upstream to spawn. Our water levels are good and there are lots of shad to chase, so white bass are at their peak right now. This always happens

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to be the most productive, but rod and reel fishing is working well too. Can you imagine catching one of those big cats on a rod and reel?!? However you like to fish, a good catfish day can net you a nice fish fry.

Here at Ken Milam Guide Service, we are ready to break into the 2020 fishing season. The lake is calling and we have a few new tricks up our sleeve to show the fish! If you would like to come spend part of your Spring Break with us chasing fish, just give us a call! We still have lakeside cabins and fishing trips available! Our number is 325-379-2051 Tight Lines!

TPWD Seeking Public Input on Saltwater Fishing Regulation Proposals for 2020-2021

he Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is now accepting public comment on proposed changes to saltwater fishing regulations for 2020-2021. These changes are focused on the recreational and commercial flounder fishery and paddle craft licenses.

TPWD will be taking public comment on the following proposed changes to the 2020-2021 Statewide Recreational Fishing Proclamation, with input to be considered before any action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 26 public hearing: • Increasing the minimum size limit

for flounder to 15” • Closing all flounder fishing from

Nov.1 to Dec 15.

• Changing the course require ments to include a paddle craft leading course from the Ameri- can Canoe Association or another TPWD approved course.

about Spring Break time which works out great if you want to take kids fishing.

Nothing provides a lot of action and fun like a school of white bass, and kids love to catch them. They are quick to bite, fun to fight, but not scary big. White bass are a gateway fish to get kids into fishing.

So far, stripers and hybrids are still a little harder to come by consistently. We are picking up a few along with just about any other kind of fish with an appetite, but their best time is still a few weeks out.

The blue catfish have been picking up steadily the last several weeks. This last weekend one of our local fishermen caught a 63-pounder and a 41-pounder up the lake. Trot-lines and jug lines seem

The public is encouraged to provide

comment on the proposed regulation changes. Opportunities to provide comments for or against these proposals include:

Facebook Live Webinar: TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff will present proposed fishing regulation changes and answer questions in a Facebook Live webinar at noon on Friday, Feb. 28 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Facebook page.

Public hearings: TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff will be hosting several public hearings on the coast to receive input from stakeholders and constituents concerning the proposed regulation changes.

• Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30pm at the USDA Bauer Building, 186 Henry Barber Way, Port Lavaca, TX 77979 • Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30pm at Bow- ers Civic Center, 3401 Cultural Center, Dr, Port Arthur, TX 77642 • Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30pm at TAMU CC NRC Room 1003, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412

• Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30pm at College of the Mainland, Teacher’s Auditorium, Learning Resources Bldg (Bldg L131), 1200 Amburn Road, Texas City, Texas 77591 • Thursday, March 5 at 6:30pm at Aransas County Navigation District 911 Navigation Cir, Rockport, TX 78382 Online: Once the proposed regulations are published in the Texas Register, comments on each component of the changes can be provided on the TPWD public comment page until March 25.

Phone or Email:

The Coastal Fisheries Division at 512389-2011 or cfish@tpwd.texas.gov In person:

The TPW Commission will take public comment on the proposed changes at their meeting on Thursday, March 26 in Austin. Public testimony is normally limited to three minutes per person.

With permission from TP&W February 21, 2020

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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Page 11

Fifty-five and growing

Bright futures

Terracon Consultants Inc.’s Austin team.

Rosendin and JE Dunn volunteers presented the “Ready to Light Up the World – DIY Lamp Creation” activity at Girl Day 2020

nown for its construction materials testing, Special Inspection services, geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting and facilities services, Terracon Consultants Inc. was started in Iowa in 1965 by Gerald Olson. Celebrating 55 years in business, the firm has continually evolved, partly through organic growth, opening new offices in new markets; and partially through acquisitions of other firms. The San Antonio office was one such acquisition in 2004.

The company, originally named Soil Testing Services of Iowa Inc., changed its name to Terracon Consultants Inc. in 1980, at which time the company became a 100 percent employee-owned firm. “Being employee-owned, no one person can own more than five percent of the company stock. Currently, nobody owns more than 2 percent,” says Terracon Vice President Chuck Gregory.

Although the company continues to thrive with its more than 5,000 employee-owners, Terracon continues to maintain that local feel. “We are a great combination of a large company with corporate support, but a lot of local control,” Gregory continues.

“Terracon has 22 offices in Texas. We are actually our own Division. That’s how we are organized. There are more Terracon offices and employees in Texas than any other state. We have 120 people in our San Antonio office, which makes us the fifth largest in the company.”

From 2012 through 2019, the company made 30 acquisitions. Only one acquisition has been made to-date in 2020, but the year has just begun. “We do work in all 50 states. We also do some work in Canada and Mexico, but we don’t have any offices there yet,” adds Gregory.

In 2011, Terracon changed their philosophy on how they think about safety by adopting a mindset of being Incident and Injury Free™. “It is a culture shift on how we think about what we do every day and how we are dedicated to people going home safely every day,” Gregory says.

In addition to celebrating 55 years in business, Terracon also celebrates their

new CEO. For the first time in the history of Terracon, they have a female leader at the top, namely Gayle Packer. Packer came to work for Terracon as an attorney in the company’s contracts department.

She has been with the company for 12 plus years and took the role of CEO at the beginning of 2019.

As the company prepares for the next 55 years, they talk about getting the next generation ready to take over as the older generation retires. “I’ll probably die at my desk. I don’t know that I will ever retire. I like who I work with. I like the company, I like where I come to work every day and the work I do.

“There is a lot of mentoring going on.

There’s a lot of talk about leaving it better than we found it. We don’t want to lose the personal touch. We talk about using social media to communicate, but we don’t want to forget about calling people first and the importance of face-to-face interaction.

“Technology and innovation are a big deal in Terracon. In 2019, we implemented a new strategic plan and do so every five years. The values that have come from our strategic planning are: caring, courage, curiosity, excellence, integrity and prosperity. Everyone has a favorite. Our purpose is exploring beyond the surface while our visions, which are aspirational, include working together to be best at people, lead innovation and be dominant in our markets. Talk the talk, walk the walk,” Gregory adds.

As a nationwide company, each office will celebrate the 55th milestone in their own way. “Each individual office has their own celebration. We’re all part of the same company, but each office is unique. That diversity and uniqueness are true strengths of Terracon. We’re allowed to do our own thing as long as we stay within the rules of Terracon, which is great!” adds Sr Marketing Specialist Brittany Chambers.

Terracon Consultants Inc. is a full-service environmental, facilities, geotechnical and materials testing engineering firm.

-cmw

Awarding of scholarship

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) presented Texas State University student Daniel Hesse with a $1,000 scholarship check on Feb. 7 at the Associated General Contractors (AGC) 2019 Outstanding Construction Awards event. -cmw

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osendin shined a light on girls’ futures in construction by participating in the 19th annual Girl Day 2020.

Hosted by the University of Texas at Austin’s Women in Engineering Program at the college’s Cockrell School of Engineering, the Feb. 22 event sparked creativity and inspired future careers in STEM fields.

The international annual event is held during Engineers Week to inspire students’ educational development and expose girls to possible careers in traditionally male-dominated industries. Using an app, students navigated learning activities offered by more than 170 companies, research centers, community organizations, and student groups on the campus. Students spoke with Rosendin employees about women in construction and possible careers, including installing conduit, computer modeling and virtual reality.

More than 8,000 elementary and middle school students participated in the free, all-day event, enjoying science, technology, engineering and math-focused activities. Rosendin and JE Dunn volunteers presented the “Ready to Light

Up the World – DIY Lamp Creation” activity to help students learn basic electrical skills while safely wiring a lamp. Using plumbing supplies and strip wire, a custom, metal table lamp was made using kits donated by Lonestar Electric Supply, MTech, and Elliot Electric.

“By the time students get to middle school, many have chosen their career path, yet too many girls never consider a job in construction because they rarely see women in this field,” says Rosendin Corporate Lean Manager Stephanie Roldan. “The electrical industry offers a huge opportunity for girls and boys, whether they choose to attend college or join the workforce after high school.”

“Rosendin is proud to sponsor activities like Girls Day because we want to shatter expectations that this industry is only for men,” Rosendin Business Development Manager Jolsna Thomas adds.

“Reaching girls early helps us plant the seed that anyone who likes to work with their hands can have a rich and rewarding career in STEM fields.”

Electrical contracting firm Rosendin has offices across Texas. –mjm

Celebrating a new home

F

FL Crane & Sons ribbon cutting attendees.

L Crane & Sons has had a presence them. We’ve got a lot of new pre-fabricain the Central Texas area since 1985, tion methods that we are using to conservicing the area from Waco down struct metal studs and drywall and we’re to San Antonio. looking forward to utilizing our new

The commercial construction contrac- warehouse space and bringing on some tor specializing in metal studs, drywall, more local employment,” adds Molleur. acoustic ceilings, exterior finishes such as FL Crane & Sons is a division nine substucco and EIFFs, basically all of your divi- contractor located in Hutto, TX. -cmw sion nine finishes, moved to a new facility Nov. 2019. The new facility provides FL Crane plenty of space for their pre-construction methods for metal studs and drywall fabrication.

The FL Crane family celebrated their new facility located at 116 TK Industrial Blvd. with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Hutto Chamber of Commerce and an open house on Feb. 19.

The Hutto team of FL Crane & Sons.

“The new facility’s total footprint is about 40,000sf. We have about 35,000 sf of warehouse space. A twostory office with 5,000 sf per floor. We will also house our corporate technology group here. They do all of our BIM work and modeling. That’s another great feature we have here,” says Operations Manager Matt Molleur.

“We’re very excited to be a part FL Crane & Sons leadership L-R: Robert Abney, of the city of Hutto. We’re looking Chip Crane, Matthew Molleur, Kevin Payne and forward to forming a partner with Jim McCullough.

Page 12

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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The winner is…

ssociated General Contractors (AGC) hosted the 2019 Outstanding Construction Awards on Feb. 7. The event was held at the AT&T Executive Educa-

tion and Conference Center.

Prior to the announcement of the winners in 18 different categories, the 2020 executive officers Alan Codina with

Rogers-O’Brien Company, Chris Szeliga with JE Dunn Construction Company, Ryan Shipley with Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors and Ryan Therrell

with The Beck Group, were installed in front of the 300 plus guests attending the evening’s festivities. Photos courtesy of JJ Photography. -cmw continued on Page 15

Building 1 - $0 to $20 Million: Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors – St. Edward’s University Main Building

Building 2 - $2 Million to $5 Million: Braun & Butler Construction Inc. – UMHB Soccer Tennis Field House

Building 4 – $10 Million to $30 Million: Austin Commercial LP – ARRIVE East Austin

Historic Renovations: Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors – St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church

Building 3 - $5 Million to $10 Million: Emerson Construction Company Inc. – Arkansas Bend Park Construction

Interiors: ISEC Incorporated – Delta Austin Sky Club

Residential Multi-Family: Rogers—O’Brien Construction Company – Muze Student Living

Interior Finish-Out 2 - $500K to $2 Million: Veliz Construction – Jessie H. Jones Hall Lobby Ceiling Renovation

Interior Finish-Out 3 - $2 Million to $5 Million: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company – WeWork-SXSW Center

Interior Finish-Out 2 - $500K to $2 Million: Veliz Construction – Jessie H. Jones Hall Lobby Ceiling Renovation

Building 6 – Over $75 Million: Hensel Phelps – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Terminal/Apron Expansion and Improvements

Design Build 2 - $10 Million to $30 Million: The Beck Group – 2010 East 6th Street

Specialty Construction: JE Dunn Construction – Hilton Austin Convention Center Skybridge

Education 2 - $10 Million to $30 Million: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors – Rodriguez Elementary School

Interior Finish-Out 2 - $500K to $2 Million: Veliz Construction – Jessie H. Jones Hall Lobby Ceiling Renovation

Education 1 - $0 to $10 Million: Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors – St. Edward’s University RCC Expansion

Design Build 3 – Over $30 Million: The Beck Group – Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa Additions and Renovations

Education 3 – Over $30 Million: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors – Moe & Gene Johnson High School

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Page 13

When you first meet someone, what is the first thing you notice?

Their smile or lack of.

David Phillips, Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal

Being in sales, I’m always reading people.

I would say that I notice their greeting first, the way they shake my hand. When I meet them, try to talk to them and establish that trust early on, I think their handshake and their body language – if they’re welcoming or kind of trying to feel me out – is what I notice.

Alan Butler, Butler Contracting I would say I notice how they are put together. Appearance is automatically something that humans are attracted to the most. It’s something that I try to focus on as a salesman, and it’s something that I saw in my dad as I was being raised up. I like it when someone actually puts in the effort to make themselves look good. That is something that you immediately gravitate to. In business school, they say the first five seconds is the impression that that person is going to have on you, and it can take up to 10 meetings after that to change that perspective. It’s just an immediate bias, it’s subconscious. How somebody is put together, how they shake your hand, their teeth, whether they smile or not – you can tell so much about someone when you first meet them.

Cutter Dewbre, Central Texas Stone and Aggregate I would say whether they make eye con-

tact or not, or whether they are engaging. I’m not saying I’m the best at it personally, but I do notice when other people aren’t good at it.

Kai Langendoen, Water Storage Tanks/Specified Water Systems I notice their eyes. You can tell a lot about a person from their eyes.

Joe Prim, Travis Millwork I notice their hair. Hair, along with washing your face and other things, is one thing you want to make sure looks right to most people before you go out the door each morning. You can just tell a lot about a person by the way they keep their hair. I’ve seen people that I’ve known for years that, as soon as they have done something with their hair, I just notice it. It’s a subconscious thing. And, it can make or break a person in terms of their overall profile, I think. That being said, my own hair is pretty boring.

I’ve had the same look for about 15 years. I can look at the hairstyles of older people and know that it is something from the ‘80s or ‘90s, but you know it’s something that works for them so they’re not going to change it. I’m that guy!

Daniel Cook, LED LYSI Lighting Services The handshake. A handshake says a lot about a person.

Matt Molleur, FL Crane & Sons

Industry FOLKS Cutter Dewbre Sales Manger

Central Texas Stone and Aggregate Florence, TX

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utter Dewbre can thank his dad – and The Duke – for his unique name.

“My dad was a big fan of John Wayne, and I was raised on Westerns,” Dewbre explains. “John Wayne played Captain Jake Cutter in a movie “The Comancheros” and that’s where he got my first name. My middle name is Wayne, but that’s because my greatgrandfather’s name was Wayne!”

Dewbre can also thank his dad for his early introduction to construction.

“I was raised in it as a kid. My dad used to be one of the General Managers for JC Evans Construction for about 11 years. I remember being 4 years old in my pjs going to projects with him. I was raised with a lot of people that own companies in the construction industry or run them. I always knew I wanted to get into construction.”

Dewbre kept that in mind as he applied to college. The third-generation Burnett native wanted to stay true to his small-town roots as well. After visiting Texas A&M, he knew he had found the perfect fit.

“I loved it. I finished my bachelor’s degree in Business Management in Dec. 2017 and I had the option to do an internship in the spring of 2018 and got my minor in Construction Science.”

After graduation, Cutter worked in his cousin’s remodeling business. He utilized those home building talents as a project manager for Braun Homes (later Clayton Homes). He then took on a sales role at Centex Materials LLC where he applied his experience and

people skills, and caught the eye of Cole Bland, who recruited him to join Central Texas Stone and Aggregate.

“They have an amazing amount of potential at Central Stone and Aggregate,” Dewbre says. “Cole and I will work as a team to increase our market share in northern central Texas.

As a Sales Manager, I will take over some of their accounts and bring in new customers. There are big plans but, for the immediate future, it’s being sustainable, being able to grow to a point where we can start investing different things with that quarry.

Ultimately, the goal will be to be a leader in northern central Texas when it comes to aggregate.”

The new job, which he starts in March, is just one of many milestones 2020 holds for Dewbre. He is marrying his fiancée Kori Mickelson in Dripping Springs in July and hunting for a house big enough for him, his bride and his black Lab, Ruger.

Eventually, Dewbre, who hails from a long line of ranchers, would like to have his own ranch. But that’s for retirement; he hopes to own a business before then.

“Down the road I would definitely like to be a business owner,” he says. “I would like to be in the construction industry. I think the entrepreneurial spirit is definitely inside of me, and I want to own my own business in some way, shape or form.” –mjm

Industry FOLKS Joe Prim

Field Superintendent/Assistant Project Manager

Travis Millwork Austin, TX

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oe Prim is a third-generation commercial carpenter; his family’s tradition in carpentry stretches back even further. Prim, however, almost wasn’t part of the family tradition. “[Carpentry] was something I was very much discouraged from as a kid,” Prim explains. “My dad did not want me getting into the trades. I remember my grandfather asked my dad why I wasn’t helping with a side job once. My dad said, ‘I’m hoping that if I keep him completely away from the trades that he will have no desire to get into it.’”

Despite his dad’s best efforts, a carpentry career found Prim anyway.

After moving to Florida after two years in Central America (his parents ran an orphanage there), a then-20-year old Prim needed direction. His grandfather urged him to choose the Navy or the trades as he had done, so Prim chose the trades and moved back to the Midwest for an apprenticeship. Construction proved to be hard work, but Prim stuck with it and moved from residential framing to drywall installation.

“From there, I knew I wanted to get into millwork,” Prim says. “I wanted to work for one of the bigger install companies. I worked for many smaller millwork installation companies doing hospitals and schools until I could make a jump to one of the very highend companies in the Midwest. I kept going in to prove to myself that I belonged and could work with those guys. After five or six years, I worked as a foreman for that company and was

running large, detailed install jobs. I worked for big millwork companies in town and eventually, I got the itch to come down to Texas.”

Six months ago, Prim, his wife, their two children and their big Anatolian Shepherd Brutus moved to Austin, where he secured a job as Field Superintendent/Assistant Project Manager for Travis Millwork. Prim says he is excited to work for the company.

“The main scope of my responsibilities is field installation of the millwork built by the Travis Millwork shop in Manor. I’ll make sure the job is ready, talk through installation with project superintendents on site, and put installation teams in place to do a good job,” Prim says. “It’s a great opportunity, especially being new to this market. It puts me in a position to work with many general contractors and installation companies.”

Besides bringing him work he enjoys, Texas brought Prim and his family ideal weather to enjoy their favorite outdoor activities — and relief from Midwest winters. It’s also a perfect place to practice one of his hobbies.

“I love to barbecue!” Prim says. “I have a whole new avenue to learn now that I’m in Texas. Where we come from, it’s almost all pork barbecue. Now that’s I’m in Texas, I’ve got to really learn to barbecue up some beef!” –mjm

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ACEA

Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.

Mar. 12: Membership Networking Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm.

Mar. 27: Construction Expo, 901 Dalton Ln., 10am-2pm. For more info, contact Silvia Pendleton at 512-893-7067 or email silvia.pendleton@aceatx.com AGC

Associated General Contractors

Mar. 8-12: AGC of America Convention, The Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

Mar. 10: ASCE General Meeting, Phillips Event Center, 8140 Exchange Dr., 11:30am1pm.

Mar. 12: Science Thursday, Bob Bullock Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., 9:30am2pm. For more info, contact Bailey Pattison at 512-910-2272 or email asceaustin@ gmail.com CENTEX IEC

Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors

Apr. 2: Power Drive 18 Golf Outing, Crystal Falls Golf Club, 3400 Crystal Falls Pkwy., Leander, TX. 11am Registration, Lunch 12pm, Shotgun Scramble 1pm, $600 Foursome, $150 Individual. For more info, contact Dan Kiser at 512-8321333 or email dkiser@centexiec.com.

CTSA

Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

Mar. 10: Lunch & Learn, Lupe Tortilla, 240 Bass Pro Dr., Round Rock, TX, 11:30am1pm. For more info, email Wendy Lambert at wendy@ctsaonline.org or go to www.ctsaonline.org

I-LinCP

Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects

Apr. 1-3: 2020 LinCP Forum, Embassy Suites Landmark, 5615 Landmark Pkwy, San Antonio, TX. For more info, contact Carla Bingaman at 512-263-5521 or email Carla.bingaman@i-lincp.org NARI

National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Mar. 4: General Membership Meeting, Zilker Park Lodge, 2225 Andrew Zilker Rd., 11am-1pm. For more info, call Kayvon Leath at 512-997-6270 or email kayvon@austinnari.org NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar. 1-7: WIC Week Mar. 2: WIC Week Happy Hour, Abel’s on the Lake, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. #3510, 5:30-7:30pm.

Mar. 3: Trivia Night, Barrel O’Fun, 1911 Aldrich St., 8-10pm.

Mar. 4: Membership Drive & Casino Cruise, Capital Cruises Boat Dock, 208 Barton Springs Rd., 6-8pm.

Mar. 5: Food Bank Volunteer Night, Central Texas Food Bank, 6500 Metropolis Dr., 5-8:30pm.

Mar. 6: Jobsite Tour w/Hensel Phelps & Crockett High School Students, Kalahari Resorts & Convention Proj. 9am-1pm. To register, email ddlugosh@henselphelps. com. For info, email Killian Ivy at killianivy@ gmail.com or go to www.austinnawic.org.

SEAoT

Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas

Mar. 26: Monthly Meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 10910 Domain Dr. #100, 11:45am. For info, call 512-553-9364 or email info@seaotAustin.org TSPE

Texas Society of Professional Engineers

Mar. 4: March Luncheon, Maggiano’s, 10910 Domain Dr., 11:30am-1pm. For more info, email tspe.travis@gmail.com

New look for LAN

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AN Engineering’s Austin office celebrated its grand opening Feb. 5, inviting guests to admire the recent renovations the office has undergone. The space received a total makeover, including all new appliances, desks and storage areas.

To complement the ceilings, which are shaped like a guitar pick, a guitarist was hired to play at the event. –mjm Photo credit: Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc.

continued from Page 1 — Butler Contracting foundation industry and heavy equipment and road construction. I have a production manager whose background is more on the production side of things and he has a mechanical background as well. I have a construction technician who has worked with me for five years; he started out as a home school intern and it has morphed into him working for me full time. I have a recent Bastrop High graduate who is also working with us as a construction technician. We have another guy who has done a lot of HVAC work for the Travis County jail system and has done a lot of HVAC work with a lot of HVAC companies. My director of operations is also my mother, Chris Butler; about six years ago, we got extremely busy and I needed a good person to help me out with office work. She has about 12 years of experience in the insurance world, so that’s very helpful. She’s on top of her game and keeps me in line!”

With his team, Alan enjoys helping people’s dreams come true.

“The most enjoyable thing is being

able to help people,” he says “We get phone calls from people who don’t know where to begin. They have no idea about the true cost or options that are out there.

We do consultations, and it really helps steer them in the direction they want. I enjoy helping our community and being a reliable, dependable contractor that is going to give them value and what they want rather than just sell them a job because they want something done.”

Alan says attention to customer service and using state-of-the-art industryleading products and services is the company’s key to success. Clients include Humanetics Sheet Metal Company, Bucee’s, Walmart, Petco, and Dollar General.

“We’re focusing on expanding our remodeling efforts,” Alan says. “We’re trying to expand the epoxy roof and floor coatings. We’re also getting more into property management. I plan for growth and development in the future.”

General contractor Butler Contracting is in Bastrop, TX. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — LED LYSI Lighting Services “It’s not their job to have to worry about whether or not they are getting a good deal or even have to know about the lighting industry and what’s new and what will work. I thought I could come up with a solution for those individuals and provide them with the new product at a lower price because I don’t have the overhead. I wanted to help people and educate them on the market and what’s out there.”

With that in mind, Cook founded LED LYSI Lighting Services in 2017. It was a bold move considering he had no sales experience. In the end, that actually benefitted his company, which started off selling lighting products and then added installation services.

“I was all operations; I just knew the back-end things,” he says. “I honestly think that has helped me because when I

meet with people, I’m trying to learn about what their systems are and what they’re looking to do instead of convincing them to buy a product. I think it’s actually helped me in the long run in growing the business.”

Cook hopes Round Rock-based LED LYSI Lighting Services will expand to Cedar Park, south Austin, the Waco area and the New Braunfels/San Marcos area.

He also hopes to gain more repeat customers.

“The best thing is when a client comes back after their first transaction,” Cook says. “If they come back over and over again, we’re doing a good job. They feel like they’re getting a good deal and like they can trust us. It goes back to the reason why we started it.”

LED LYSI Lighting Services is a lighting supplier in Round Rock. –­ mjm

continued from Page 1 — PB Construction and artisanship of longtime subcontractors and employees.

“I believe the skill and imagination brought to bear by our in-house people and subcontractors, their problemsolving capabilities and their uncompromising commitment to quality makes PB Construction stand out in a pretty crowded field,” he says.

After more than three decades in the industry, Balmuth continues to look forward to good things to come.

“I think we’ll just keep on keepin’ on,” he says. “There are a number of exciting projects taking shape in the near future, and I’d like to think that just like good whiskey, we’ll improve as we age.”

PB Construction is an Austin-based commercial and residential general contractor. –mjm

Balmuth’s Truths: ➤ Never assume you are right if a conflict arises over project execution; just hope you are. ➤ Never argue with your architects, engineers or customers – if they are wrong it will become evident. ➤ Never let your emotions hold sway over your reason.

Touring the Tree LAN’s grand opening offered guests a peek at the engineering firm’s renovated space.

A hired guitarist was a nod to the guitar pick-shaped ceiling.

New appliances update the kitchen, where guests grabbed a bite.

General contractor Bailey Elliott Construction Inc. team members toured the company’s Kissing Tree project in San Marcos Feb. 20. The 15,587sf space will boast indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center and a comfort station. –mjm

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

continued from Page 12 — The winner is…

Page 15

Movin’ on down …

Health Care 2 - $10 Million to $30 Million: The Beck Group – Ascension Seton Neighborhood Hospital, Bastrop

See the man on the right side of this group, fourth from the front? That’s Nick Drouet, and he is having one last farewell with his Cherry Painting Company Dallas colleagues before he transfers to Cherry’s Austin office. If you’re nearby, come by, say hi, and give Nick a warm, weird Austin welcome! –mjm

Skilled-trades opens Design Build 3 – Over $30 Million: The Beck Group – Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa Additions and Renovations

Electrical 1 $0 to $5 Million: Allied Electric Services Inc. – Leander Middle School Phase 2

TDIndustries is offering a new apprenticeship training program that is certified by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCEER) for the pipefitting, plumbing, and sheet metal trades. It’s the only merit-shop program of its kind in Central Texas. -cmw

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Compass, Rollingwood Center 3 son Young. Together, the team created a stunning space while they worked to minimize the construction’s impact on other tenants in the building. Sabre completed the first-generation finish out on time, and in the end, all parties involved were thrilled with the result.

Sabre Commercial in Austin offers general contracting, design build, pre-construction, construction manager at risk and safety services. –mjm PHOTO CREDIT: George Schemagin

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Private workspaces were installed by Sabre as part of the finish out.

hen Compass Real Estate needed an office that reflected its distinctive brand in Rollingwood, Sabre Commercial delivered. The general contractor transformed the 20,915-sf space from an empty box to a sleek, thoughtful workspace that caters to every type of working style.

The tone is set the second visitors walk through the glass doors at 2500 Bees Cave Rd., Building 3, Suite 200.

Concrete floors and freshly-painted black walls ground the space, while exposed pipes and industrial-style lighting zigzagging the ceiling draw the eye up.

Through the hallways flanking either side of the modern white reception desk, private offices line the path to an open layout workspace, where employees can utilize desks or spread out their ideas on

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hen Lauren Concrete needed to build a new concrete batch plant, office/batch house, water storage tank and water collection pond in Dripping Springs, the company wanted the facility to complement the area’s natural beauty, not detract from it. To achieve this, Lauren Concrete teamed up with general contractor Capitol Concrete Contractors in Liberty Hill, with the design and layout performed internally with the lead of Jimmy Grubbs, west Region Operations Manager, and Kurt Holman, VP, Safety and Environmental Affairs.

Before the team even began constructing the plant in January 2019, every impact the facility might have on the surrounding community was con-sidered and addressed in the design.

“The plant in Dripping Springs was intentionally designed and built to demonstrate our commitment to be a good neighbor,” Holman explains. “We came up with creative solutions to address concerns regarding water, dust control, lighting, noise and the industrial feel of the facility itself. The Dripping Springs plant is the latest in our progressive efforts to be good neighbors in the communities that we serve. Driving patterns, rock and sand deliveries, parking, truck lights, plant noises and numerous other variables were folded into the overall design efforts.

“The concrete batch plant was a ‘green field’ design,” Holman adds. “In other words, we literally started with an empty hay field and designed the plant in such a way to address every environmental condition we could. For example, we took into account the seasonal prevailing wind directions to situate the plant to minimize dust during operations.

The use of a grain silo for the water tank, placing barn steel around the elevated aggregate hoppers and the use of limestone on the exterior batch house and water well shed contribute to the less

Individual offices surround an open office layout.

Granite countertops, tile and wood shelves make the kitchen stylish and functional.

tall tables. When staff members need quiet to think, they can pop into one of the several wood-and-glass clad workstations Sabre installed and slide the door to shut out distractions.

Steps away is a kitchen and break area that makes eating in feel like eating out, thanks to granite counter tops, wood shelving, trendy tile and full-size appliances. The dining table flanked by chairs offers yet another meeting place if neither of the two glass-walled conference room are available. Three bathrooms and multiple storage areas complete the space.

Working with Sabre to help Compass realize its vision were architect Vocon Partners and Construction Manager Avi-

Lauren Concrete Batch Plant

Lauren Concrete built a new concrete batch plant, office/batch house, water storage tank and water collection pond in Dripping Springs.

The limestone chosen helps the plant structures blend in with its natural surroundings.

Every detail, even the amount of light emitted from fixtures at night, was considered with the community’s comfort in mind.

Concrete floors and glass walls greet visitors in the reception area.

This conference room, one of two, features a glass system utilized throughout the space.

Compass, Rollingwood Center 3 Sabre Commercial Austin, TX

industrial appearance of the facility.”

Besides its pleasing appearance being an asset to the community, the new facility, located at 4901 W. Hwy 290, has been a valuable addition for Lauren Concrete.

“This new plant was built for a number of reasons,” Holman says. “The demand for ready mix concrete in this area is increasing, so we needed to service this demand most efficiently. Secondly, prior to building this plant at this location, in order to service our customers in this area, we had to deliver concrete from our batch plant locations in Austin or from Spicewood. The traffic coming out of and back into Austin caused service issues so we needed a concrete batch plant closer to our customers. Also, safety was a major concern. Instead of numerous trips back and forth from Austin to service our customers in this area, our deliveries are now much closer with the Dripping Springs plant in place. This reduces the time our trucks spend on the road to reach our customers’ jobsites.”

The plant, which was completed last August, is a testament of how the right design and construction together can make a structure both beautiful and functional.

“Lauren Concrete is very pleased with the construction of the Dripping Springs plant,” Holman says. “We have taken our efforts to address environmental concerns to a new level and at the same time are able to better serve our customers’ needs for quality concrete for their projects. Our neighbors and the community around us have begun to see our commitment to be a good neighbor through these efforts and we look forward to our future together.”

Lauren Concrete supplies concrete for commercial, residential, heavy highway, city and state projects in Central, West and East Texas. –mjm Lauren Concrete Batch Plant Lauren Concrete Dripping Springs, TX

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The Edison Apartments is a 354-unit study in luxury.

he East Riverside Corridor near downtown Austin just gained 498,882 sf of multifamily style, thanks to the newly completed Edison Apartments.

No luxury was spared in the fourstory, 354-unit space located at 4711 East River-side Dr. The exterior is clad with brick, panel and stucco and features two pre-cast parking garages boasting 468 park-ing spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows, hard-wood floors, walk-in closets, custom shelving and 9 ft. vaulted ceilings elevate the interiors of the studios, one- and twobedroom units. Numerous balconies and spacious patios allow residents to congregate and take in the scenic view below.

The light-filled clubhouse boasts a two-story wood panel feature wall and large, abundant windows grounded by a smoky tile floor and natural stone pillars.

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an Pedro Creek is where the Spanish first settled in our community and where the Payaya people lived for thousands of years prior to the Spanish settlements. Over the course of the last 300 years, many groups lived, worked and worshipped along San Pedro Creek.

This historic creek became the location where the convergence of civilizations in our community took root and evolved.

The San Pedro Creek Culture Park invites the people of San Antonio to reconnect with a place of great historical and cultural significance.

J&R Tile Inc., a National Tile Contractor Association (NTCA) certified contractor, had the distinct honor to be a major part of restoration of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park. Ardex Americas Tile & Stone played an important part as the adhesive manufacturer of the exterior restoration of this historic area which included the preservation of 1,800 linear ft. of the historic wall with 11 interpretive signs and 16 benches.

As a NTCA certified contractor, as required by architect Munoz Co. Architects, we experienced many challenges during the process. One such challenge involved the contractor working in an exterior environment, in one of the busiest downtown areas in the country. For a custom exterior art installation project of over 8,000 sf of

Aqua located between Travis and Houston Sts. Alex Rubio, artist

After a playing a game of Foosball in the clubhouse, residents can cook a meal in

Downtown Austin can be seen from the complex’s swimming pool.

the picnic area on one of its available barbecue stations. A state-of-the-art

High-end materials were used throughout the complex’s studios and one-and-two- bedroom units.

San Pedro Creek Culture Park

mirrored fitness center, business center, and swimming pool overlooking views of downtown Austin round out the complex’s amenities.

The Class-A project was developed

by Presidium Group, designed by Page Southerland Page, and constructed by general contractor Cadence McShane Construction, which was named #4 U.S. Apartment Builder by Multi-Family Executive. While the finished result looks flawless, Srinath Pai Kasturi, Executive Vice President of Cadence McShane revealed that the two-year project provided challenges in terms of grades.

The team worked to overcome this obstacle to produce a stunning result.

–mjm Edison Apartments Cadence McShane Construction Austin, TX

project for 12 benches. This took a substantial amount of coordination and sketch up. The stakeholders loved it. Traditionally, cement tile trim only comes in 4 x 8-in. solid bullnose, so finding a solution that all parties deemed appropriate and matching to the “skate stoppers” also involved on benches was a treat.

Leadership of Advanced Certified and Certified Tile Installers Triniti Vigil and Adam Arellano led the team to the success of this project for J&R Tile.

J&R Tile Inc. is a certified tile installer in San Antonio. -cmw

De Todos Caminos Somos Todos Uno (From All Roads, We Are All One) mural, located between Santa Rosa Ave. and Martin St. Adriana M. Garcia, artist

tile, all custom- made by means of porcelain inkjet and hydraulic cement tile, this project truly showcased J&R Tiles’ crew of certified, skilled labor and expertise.

Foremen used a skid steer to move materials up and down four city blocks of downtown San Antonio for this project.

Many of the J&R Tile staff lost over two belt sizes from all of the cardio!

Technical challenges included weather, deadlines for the city’s 300th anniversary (the Grand Opening), and artists interpretations of mockups. The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) requirements for coverage of 95 percent, and flatness considerations on radius walls that bowed with moisture were critical as well. Major mud work with hawk and trowel method was used to plaster to the TCNA appropriate flatness tolerance with rapid setting AM100 pre-tile repair mortar for the entire project working off of scaffolds. Over a tractor trailer truckload of this product was used, up and down four city blocks for this world class linear park. This was specific to requirements on height elevations on artistic dimen-

sions of paintings turned into tile. The flatness tolerance of the substrate and coverage was extremely critical. Ardex X32, a rapid setting thin to medium bed mortar formulated with proprietary selfdrying formulation to prevent warping when temperatures dropped below 50 degrees, was used to meet technical standards and keep the project moving.

This was tested in house with a sample from the local Ardex Technical Representative, Frank Galvan, also a certified tile installer to ensure a quality installation.

Custom porcelain tile was constructed as part of this application. Movement joints used as to not interrupt the custom artwork were made months before in pre-construction prior to concrete being poured, consulting with the architects.

Saw cutting the custom made tile was simply not an option!

Cement tile on custom benches, with patterns to full decorative 8 x 8 in. on a finished edge, was created with Dural USA in a SS trim for the thickness of 5/8-in. tile plus 1/4 in. of adhesive. This one-of-a kind profile was custom made, just for this

Bellos Recuerdos del Teatro Alameda y Tiempos Pasados (Beautiful Memories of the Alameda Theater and Times Passed) located between Travis and Houston Sts. Joe Lopez, artist

Plaza de Fundación located in various locations throughout San Pedro Creek Culture Park. Michael Menchaca, artist

San Pedro Creek Culture Park J&R Tile Inc. San Antonio, TX

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

Sparking interest

one Star Construction Trades Training recently held a free 40-hour electrical preapprenticeship class, the Austin Electrical Training Alliance (AETA). Basic electrical wiring is taught including hands-on training and building a robot lamp on the last day before receiving certifications. Director Rebecca Young and Program Director Darci Brennan teach this 40-hr class. -cmw

Students of all walks of life take advantage of the free 40-hr electrical pre-apprenticeship class.

JOB SIGHTS

ASCO Equipment hammers away at the new Travis County Courthouse being built in downtown Austin. -mjm Photo credit: Brian Page

John Winslow, LiDAR Technician at McGray & McGray Land Surveyors Inc., enjoys a sunny Saturday morning laser scanning on the 290/130 Flyovers Project in Austin. –mjm

Austin Construction News • MAR 2020

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Building on strength

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L-R: Steve Jett, Cindy Moses, Melanie Geist and Tony Ridout.

nce part of a larger firm, Steve Jett and Cindy Moses formed Stegemueller, Jett & Co. in 1991.

Since that time, the Stegemuellers of the named firm retired leaving Jett and Moses as the heart of the company.

As a small firm, Jett and Moses found keeping up with the latest accounting standards, tax laws and particularly competing for staff was very difficult. “There is such a big demand for accountants. As a small firm, it was hard to compete.

That’s why we decided we needed to get into a situation that would provide better resources to help our clients,” says Jett.

That is when Jett and Moses reached out to Ridout Barrett about joining forces.

The two firms began talks in early 2019 and finalized negotiations at year end. “We decided to get through the tax season and ramped it back up in the summer. We then got all of our ducks in a row and executed our documents,” says Ridout Barrett Managing Partner Melanie Geist.

Effective Jan. 1, Ridout Barrett acquired Stegemueller Jett & Co. bringing Jett and Moses on board the Ridout Barrett team.

“We are building on our strength of being a local firm. We are not a big firm, but we’re not small either. We have the ability to tap into larger firm resources as a member of an international alliance,” continues Geist.

“Yes, we are both excited and looking forward to all the help we are getting here. And to touch on what Melanie said, one of the other things that appealed to us was the resources that the firm has and yet, it still has the personality of a small firm so we thought it would be a

better fit for us personally and for our clients,” Jett adds.

Steve Jett is a well-rounded certified public accountant who is well versed in construction accounting and has been providing accounting services for over 40 years. “Steve brings a wealth of knowledge to our team,” states Ridout’s Founding Shareholder Tony Ridout.

Moses also brings a wealth of knowledge with her 30 years of experience.

“Cindy brings her experience in nonprofit and 401K audits that we are able to add to our team. Having someone with her experience in the firm serves as a resource for some of our younger staff members. She is able to oversee these projects which is something that definitely appealed to us,” adds Geist.

“I’m so glad to be here. I think the use of the available resources is going to be fantastic for the clients and myself. Steve is a good sounding board, but the more people, the better. You get more ideas in and new ways to do things. It’s pretty exciting,” says Moses.

In addition to the acquisition of Stegemueller, Jett & Co, 2020 has been a busy year thus far for the Ridout Barrett team. They have also added three additional partners to their impressive leadership team. Cristina R. Baumgardner, CPA/ ABV,CFE,CIA, manages their forensics and litigation support division. Michael Moore, CPA, CCIFP, heads up the firm’s construction niche; and CPA Phil Wooten is heading up Ridout’s Austin/Central Texas office.

Ridout Barrett is a full-service certified public accounting firm with a specialty in Construction Accounting and Taxation.

-cwm

Sweet arts of the rodeo

L-R: Roxanne Jasek, Amy McGlothlin and Denise Jones from Reinforcing Steel Supply’s Austin branch enjoyed the Austin Rodeo Gala on Feb. 8 at Palmer Events Center. The trio represented RSS while supporting Austin’s Youth Art auction. –mjm

Welcome ladies!

The Austin Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction inducted eight new members during their February meeting held on Feb. 5. L-R: NAWIC Membership Chair Marci Kincheloe, Jana McCann, Jenn Chenvert, Caroline Prozer, Amy Vittonel, Shelli Thompson, Holly Brown, Pegah Rajaei, Sicily Aguero and 2020 NAWIC President Linda Cudmore. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2020