Austin Construction News May 2020

Covering the Industry’s News

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Handled with Panache

Wasting no time

Panache Development & Construction is helping during COVID-19, even working with officials to convert buildings for their needs.

Gary and Rachel LaBreck’s waste and recycling technology platform, WastePlace, has taken off in the construction industry.

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hen Panache Development & Construction CEO Adam Zarafshani learned about COVID-19, he immediately identified ways to keep his own team safe, and then focused on how his company could help the community.

Panache is working with officials to convert buildings to assist in the crisis, and even offered up a building in one of Panache’s developments for the price of a dollar. Panache mobilized electricians, carpenters, and plumbers to be ready to assist as well. Also, in a joint initiative with Dell Medical School – UT Austin, Panache began formulating and bottling hand sanitizers to donate to first responders.

“Our company is a little bit different, because we actually have a physician on staff as our CMO for our medical projects,

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so we see and hear things early. We’ve been involved since the very beginning of the crisis,” Zarafshani says. “The sanitation program we are doing in coordination with Dell Medical School is actually doing really well. We had a relationship with the Assistant Dean of Health Product Innovation at Dell Med, Ruben Rathnasingham, and as soon as they reached out to us, we engaged Shahram Shafie, Director of Sustainability and carbon neutrality development at Panache, to come up with the hand sanitizer formula. In our organization, there are 38 volunteers and people who are fully focusing on this. Other companies have chimed in and helped; Ponder Foods from Dallas donated 5500 continued on Page 11

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ary and Rachel LaBreck were flying the friendly skies when they decided to get their waste and recycling technology platform, WastePlace, off the ground. A return flight home from a relative’s birthday party gave the couple 10 hours to map out what the industry needed and how to best provide it.

Gary had plenty to talk about on that flight. For years, he had had a front-row seat to the waste and recycling industry’s shortcomings.

“I’m from the waste and recycling industry,” he says. “I’ve worked for companies like Waste Management in Boston, Progressive Waste Solutions in DC and was the District Sales Manager for Progressive Waste Solutions in Austin, which is where I met Rachel. Over the last 10 years

of being in the waste industry, I saw inefficiencies nationwide. I remember coming home from work every day and explaining those inefficiencies to my wife. Over time, we threw ideas back and forth to how we could innovate an otherwise fragmented industry.”

Over many cups of airline coffee, the couple hatched their plan. Once the plane touched down, they started calling contacts who had built a similar business.

In 2016, the LaBrecks launched WastePlace, a software company that connects businesses with waste and service providers.

WastePlace’s initial target customers were small- and medium-sized businesses, but it soon captured the attention of larger clients, including JE Dunn Construction. continued on Page 11

Winning for 35 years

ite developer and excavation service company Champion Site Prep (CSP) opened in 1985 with a backhoe, a truck, and 10 employees ready to serve Georgetown customers with a smile.

Thirty-five years later, the company boasts an extensive fleet of the latest construction equipment, including Caterpillar, John Deere, and Komatsu. The company’s inventory also has more than 220 pieces of equipment and trucks, with over 30 Peterbilt and Mack tractor-trailers/end dumps/haul trucks. And with more than 1900 projects in Texas to its credit, the company’s employees are still smiling.

They’re also ready to permanently put down roots in their hometown, Georgetown. The company temporarily relocated to Jarrell when its building lease ended in 2018. In January, CSP announced plans to invest more than $17 million and

construct a new 18-acre headquarters facility near I-35 and CR-143. The move will bring more than 200 jobs back to Georgetown, with the hope of adding 75 positions in the next five years.

“We have always been privileged to be a Georgetown company, so we are very excited about building a new facility here that will serve us for the next 35 years - and beyond,” says CSP President Trey Taparauskas.

Champion Site Prep has been a part of many education, retail, office, medical residential and commercial projects in the Austin area. Notable projects include Wolf Crossing in Georgetown, HEB Distribution Center, and ABIA Maintenance Facility.

As an employee-owned company, bonding is important to the Champion Site Prep team, whether it’s at barbecues or the company’s annual field Christmas The Champion Site Prep team is putting permanent roots down in Georgetown with a new headquarters facility.

continued on Page 11

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Industry FOLKS Buck Burnette

Premium Windows Specialist

Building Materials and Construction Solutions Austin, TX

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uck Burnette is new in his Premium Windows Specialist role at Building Materials and Construction Solutions (BMC). He’s not new to the industry, however. Burnette spent his childhood on jobsites helping his dad, a high-end custom home builder. Burnette’s grandfather, a large-scale commercial developer, was also an important influence.

Still, Burnette’s when-I-grow-up ambitions fell along the lines of cowboy, policeman or Davy Crockett as a kid, not construction. Then, as a high school senior, his dreams of playing collegiate football came true when his team won state and he went on to play for the University of Texas.

“That was a really neat experience and I learned a lot that is applicable to business through team competitiveness and camaraderie,” Burnette says. “Football is not just for jocks; there’s a lot that can be applied at the professional level.”

He considered a law career and even took the LSAT before discovering joy and purpose in marriage and fatherhood.

Working in construction proved to be a good way to support a growing family, and it gave him the chance to learn the business from his dad.

“I started as a waterproofer and carpenter, then a Project Manager, Quality Control & Construction Manager,” Burnette says. “For the majority of our projects, we worked with architects hand in hand. I gained a lot of valuable experience learning the business from

that standpoint. We were always problem solving: how do we install this, how do we waterproof this, do we implement these details? Many of the situations are window and door issues. I gained a lot of experience specific to windows and doors in my construction experience and ultimately that’s what led me to this role.”

Burnette accepted his new position at BMC just weeks ago. The company’s focus on providing premium products, specifically windows and doors, is a perfect fit for his experience working with high-end builders, architects and owners.

“I love working with people and there are lots of people involved in this process,” he says. “I enjoy being involved in the planning of high-end projects and helping to implement these details that wind up making these projects special.

There is a lot of coordination and legwork that goes into the final product and that’s a neat, fulfilling feeling to be a part of.”

Outside of BMC’s family-like atmosphere, Burnette enjoys being a family man. He spends most of his time with his wife and kids, visits his parents and inlaws who live nearby, and cheers on his younger brother who plays football for Texas Christian University. He also plays guitar and other instruments and, because building is in his blood, welds and makes furniture for his wife. –mjm

The Covert name has been synonymous with auto and truck dealerships throughout Central Texas since 1909.

The fifth generation leads the continued expansion of this family-owned business.

Look for the history of this dynamic dealership group in our June issue.

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Suggestion thru progression

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t all started 40 years ago at a wedding Mike Schweiss was attending. It is there that a friend suggested to Schweiss, who was known for building various things, to develop a door that folds up. The wheels in Schweiss’ head started turning and lo and behold, he did it. Schweiss Doors was then established.

What a concept that turned out to be? His first door was a 12ft by 12ft door for the Renville County Highway Dept. and is in operation still today. At the time it was all cable doors for bifold doors and since that time he has patented the liftstrap system.

“We started making Schweiss doors in 1980. The first door was built wrong in every which way. As we soon learned, we passed on our improved and better-quality product to the customer, and that has been what has built our dynamic and loyal customer base. We’ve attracted new industries transitioning from a start in farm doors to the additions of airplane hangars, commercial and industrial doors to residential, restaurant and designer doors; all kinds of doors,” says Schweiss.

Schweiss builds three different types of doors — the Bifold liftstrap and Bifold cable doors; Hydraulic one-piece doors and Designer Doors that can be made as hydraulic or bifold doors. All doors are custom-made, right down to the eighth of an inch; whatever size is needed.

“I learned years ago never to say ‘no’ to a customer’s new idea when they are sharing with us ways to improve our product. Every time you say no, you are shutting a door instead of turning a ‘no’ into a positive. We’ve gained a reputation as a company that takes on tasks that other companies won’t even consider.

When we see a better way to do something; we get it done and offer it to all of our future customers. This results in repeat business and Schweiss Door recom-

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Sacramento Kings Golden1 Center Stadium

mendations to others all over the world,” adds Schweiss.

When Schweiss started 40 years ago, he had three employees manufacturing various farm equipment. Today the company operates between 50 to 65 employees including Schweiss’ wife, Julie, who

oversees estimating; Schweiss’ daughter Brook Schweiss Mead is in shipping; and his brother, Dave, who has been with the company since its beginning, represents the company at tradeshows across the country and oversees trouble-shooting if needed.

The family-owned business has become known worldwide. “We’ve got doors in almost every country - France, Germany, Norway, Costa Rica, Austria, China, all over the place,” says Pat Schmidt, Business Development and Marketing.

“As we’ve matured in business and our doors have evolved, we’ve learned new techniques that we’ve applied to keep us ahead of the competition. That’s what has stimulated the monumental growth in our company over the years.

We still have many more ideas that we want to present to our customers and more markets to expand into to continue our ever-rising growth in the door industry,” continues Schweiss.

Schweiss Doors, based in Hector, MN, has the capability to manufacture any size door in mass quantity, if needed.

To-date, the widest bifold door the company has manufactured is 140 ft. wide.

The largest single project was at a newly privately owned airfield a few years ago where they ordered 145 doors, 12ft X 40ft T-hangar doors at Bolt Field near Chicago. Their largest door, square footage, went into a rocket hangar in Cape Canaveral, 90 ft. wide by 61 ft. tall. They have expanded into stadium doors and most recently delivered five beautiful 29ft by 41ft glass bifold doors for the entrance to Sacramento Kings Stadium in California.

While they do install doors for the local and surrounding area customers. A lot of their doors are installed either by building contractors or the individuals who buy them. In the which case, the doors are shipped with installation instructions for easy installation. -cmw L-R: Sales Manager Jeremy Rieke, Argentia based NURPanel President Gonzalo Urruspuru and Mike Schweiss, visit after Urruspuru took a 12-hr flight to visit the Schweiss Doors factory.

Engineered to last

Ready to equip Austin

L-R: Thonhoff Consulting Engineers Inc.’s Barbara Johnson, Bob Thonhoff, Ian Williams, and Matthew Chu

Troy Peterson (pictured) helps Ayric Wright roll out equipment rental company Miva Rentals in Austin this month.

hen Bob Thonhoff PE founded Thonhoff Consulting Engineers Inc. (TCE), the economy was in a state of upheaval. Still, that didn’t stop him from creating something long-lasting.

“We were in a great recession in the late 1980s,” Thonhoff remembers. “We started in 1989 when our predecessor firm, Curington Associates, was going out of business. They had financial problems, so with two other employees of the firm, I formed a new firm, Dollins, Powers and Thonhoff Inc. We bought Curington Associates Inc’s assets; we bought some large projects that we were able to start and perform, and we bought some projects that we were not able to perform, and they didn’t materialize. One was the City of Harker Heights Wastewater Treatment Plant; another was the Lakeline Mall project which was stopped when we found an endangered cave beetle under the mall.

The three partners decided to dissolve the firm and I picked up under Thonhoff Consulting Engineers by myself in 1990.”

The firm specializes in civil, municipal, environmental, water and wastewater engineering and occasional site develop-

ment. The staff of eight in TCE’s Austin and Harker Heights offices tackle notable projects such as the Moontower Saloon and the Burnet Wastewater Treatment Plant. They have also been part of many local “firsts.”

“We have done historically significant projects such as Texas’ first ultraviolet disinfection system for the City of Harker Heights,” he says. “We designed the first ozone odor-controlled system for the City of Austin. We did the first cave endangered species mitigation in Austin when we found the endangered beetle under Lakeline Mall. We also did the first rain garden using the natural soil option in Austin for Woodlawn Baptist Church.

“We’re a small engineering firm that has very high qualifications, and we can compete with the national engineering firms to do big jobs,” Thonhoff adds. “We want to maintain our course and be active in Central and South Texas and grow with the region.”

Thonhoff Consulting Engineers Inc. offers civil, municipal, environmental, water and wastewater design and consulting.–mjm

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ew commercial and industrial construction equipment rental company Miva Rentals is rolling out in Austin this month. Owner Ayric Wright is opening two local branches under the management of Troy Peterson, both of whom hail from oil and gas equipment backgrounds. Their fatigue with that industry’s ups and downs are precisely why Wright started Miva Rentals, and why Peterson jumped to help him.

“When oil and gas is good, it’s good, but when it’s bad, it’s really bad,” Peterson says. “I’m glad we were able to make the move before the coronavirus and oil price drops happened.

“We’re focusing on commercial and industrial construction,” he adds. “In this area, there aren’t many rental companies catering to that. We’re focusing on man lifts, forklifts, backhoes, the different things that these companies rent. In five years, we’d like to cater to landowners and homeowners who rent backhoes, skid steers, brush hogs, and stump grinders and have a storefront for the community as well.”

In addition to two Austin branches,

there are plans for up to nine Texas and Louisiana locations and more in Tennessee, with 10 to 15 employees in each. Wright also bought Edmond, OK hydrovac manufacturing company Magnus Vac with plans for Miva Rentals to be the distributor.

“There’s opportunity to bring in services besides just equipment rentals,” Peterson says. “We can hire service crews to do the hydrovac services, locate lines, and clean; utility companies use that often. Ayric bought trucks and belly dumps to haul dirt and soil, also.”

One thing Peterson wants to transfer from the oil and gas industry to Wright’s new venture is a focus on relationships.

“I want to bring that personability with the customer to Miva Rentals,” Peterson says. “I want to build those relationships and take care of them. If you can provide that level of service and build that trust with the customer, you really set yourself apart from major larger companies.”

Austin-based Miva Rentals is a commercial and industrial construction rental company. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Austin Area Associations Address Covid-19

NECA HOSTS SAFETY STAND DOWN FOR COVID-19 Electrical Contractors Focus on Safety During Pandemic

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ethesda, Md. — The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) today announced plans to host a nationwide Safety Stand Down for COVID-19 on April 29. Electrical contractors across the country will invite employees, subcontractors, owners, architects and engineers to join the event to review company protocols and jobsite conditions, and ask questions, bringing focus to health and safety guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

“I’m proud to say that our contractors put safety first every day,” said NECA CEO David Long. “A safety stand down is

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an inventive way of bringing the jobsite together to renew that focus, particularly in trying times like these.”

Participants of the stand down are invited to talk about their own experiences and ask questions about such things as proper use of personal protective equipment and how to effectively follow social distancing recommendations. Companies will review safety programs and policies to ensure all workers are protected.

“Electrical contractors continue to work each day on essential construction and infrastructure projects,” said Long.

“Without our skilled and dedicated work force, our industry could not survive, let alone thrive.”

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION NECA is the voice of the $171 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA’s national office in Bethesda, Md., and 118 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development. Go to www.necanet. org for more information.

How can you help your community during the Age of Covid-19?

ARI members are not just the leaders in the professional remodeling industry, we are also leaders in your local communities. Given the current economic climate and specifically the shelter-in-place orders in Texas in response to Covid-19, we have created the list below to outline things we can all do to help our communities and continue to support our neighbors and serve as leaders.

• Stay home if and when possible. The Shelter-In-Place orders are designed to protect you and everyone in our community.

• If working away from home or leaving the house for essentials, practice social distancing and follow all government guidelines. Again, this ensures protection for you, your family and others.

• Check on elderly relatives and neighbors (virtually) - do they need anything?

Support? Can you help them in getting any essentials?

• Plan properly - should you, and immediate family member, or a team member contract Covid-19, do you have a plan

in place? This should include knowing your insurance coverage.

• If you have extra personal protective equipment (PPE), please consider donating this equipment to local hospitals. Examples include N95 masks, safety glasses, and nitrile gloves.

• If you see something irregular at a neighbor’s house, contact your neighbor right away. If you see something irregular at a jobsite, please notify your fellow builder or remodeler.

• As part of an emergency preparedness plan, you can help identify buildings in your community that might serve as temporary hospitals in the event hospitals and clinics in your immediate area are at a peak capacity.

• Support local businesses in your area whenever possible - they are our neighbors, friends and the fabric of our community.

If you have questions, concerns or additional ideas for support, please contact us. We are here to help and continue to serve our Austin NARI community. www.austinnari.org

• Worked with other local construction trade associations to lobby Mayor Adler and Judge Eckhardt to align their shelter in place orders with other cities and counties that declared commercial and residential construction as essential infrastructure. We communicated daily with our members to keep them up to date during this time. Here is an example.

• We are holding regular virtual Safety Forums with our OSHA Partnership safety managers and members to share best practices surrounding our current safety requirements on area jobsites.

• Created a separate COVID019 webpage that houses all of the shared best practices, videos, jobsite posters, regulations, etc. so our members only have to access one page to find the information they’re looking for.

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Working against COVID-19

onstruction professionals around Austin were “standing down” on Apr. 9, taking time to educate all on the jobsites about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This stand down effort was part of a nationwide safety campaign organized by the Associated General Contractors (AGC).

During the stand downs, crews stopped work, broke into small, socially-distanced groups, and reinforce the new safety procedures and practices that all construction workers must follow to protect themselves and the public from the spread of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 Tip #1: Prescreen employees each day for health wellness before the start of work and send home anyone who shows signs of being sick such as fever or persistent cough.

COVID-19 Tip #2: Do not provide community water coolers. Drink from individual water bottles.

COVID-19 Tip #3: Ensure that the site has at least one handwashing station with soap or hand sanitizer for each 15 workers at the site.

COVID -19 Tip #4: Ensure that workers maintain 6-foot distancing unless it would create an imminent safety hazard. -cmw

The Beck Group starts the morning off screening employees, then participates in the AGC safety stand down.

Braun & Butler Construction Inc. posts COVID-19 information and guidelines in both English and Spanish for jobsite employees and provides handwashing stations.

Joeris General Contractors Ltd. employees at their Idea Pflugerville school project are “standing down” to keep learning about ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in construction while maintaining a 6-ft distance.

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

City of Austin Development Services Department

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ll construction sites with more than 10 active workers are required to display the “Construction Jobsite Guidelines” poster at jobsites:

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Texas State Parks Reopen for Day-Use April 20, 2020

AUSTIN—Texas State Parks will begin reopening for day-use only April 20 as part of a broader effort to begin reopening the state of Texas. Per Governor Abbott’s direction, new restrictions in effect include requiring visitors to wear face coverings and maintain a six-foot distance from individuals outside of their party, and prohibiting the gathering of groups larger than five.

“As we navigate through these challenging times, it is essential that outdoor experiences and opportunities are available for Texas families. We have been diligently working with our partners in local communities across the state to help safeguard our state park visitors, volunteers and staff when they return to Texas State Parks,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). “During the temporary closure, our State Parks team has been cleaning and sanitizing park facilities, addressing routine maintenance projects, and ensuring requisite safety protocols are in place to ensure visitors have the best possible experience.”

Due to limited staffing, weather conditions and continuing construction projects, some state parks will not be open at the current time. Park visitors should check the Texas State Parks Alert Map regularly for the latest information about the status of individual parks. The resumption of overnight camping will be announced to the public once a date has been determined.

TPWD recommends visitors continue to adhere to local, state and federal travel restrictions and other guidance for safety and social distancing before traveling.

Additionally, visitors are required to prepurchase and print day-use permits through the Texas State Parks Reservation System before traveling to a park.

Day-use reservations can be made online at www.texasstateparks.org or by calling 512-389-8900.

Visitors planning on coming to a state park are encouraged to bring all necessary provisions, such as hand sanitizer and face masks, with them in order to help local businesses have enough goods to properly serve their communities during this time. This will also help park staff have necessary supplies available for all guests during their stay.

Anyone traveling to a Texas State Park should continue to follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) public health recommendations and adhere to strict social distancing and cleanliness standards while in public spaces. Those traveling to parks in rural areas should remember possible limits on available resources and local health care capacities.

Operational changes still in effect at parks include the suspension of all transactions at parks, equipment rentals and in-person interpretive programs. All group-use facilities, visitor and nature centers, headquarters and other enclosed spaces where people congregate will also remain closed.

State Park Passes Extended For more information, about DSD modified operations, please visit this website: austintexas.gov/page/dsdcovid-19

Park pass holders: We are extending the time on your state parks pass by two months, due to the recent park restrictions and current closures. We may add additional time if closures continue. You don’t need to take any action to get this extension. We’ll be adding the extra time to your pass over the next few weeks.

Printed with permission from TP&WD

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Ron Page

Founder/Franchisor/CEO

Michelle Ribera

Business Development Manager

MainStream Painting & Construction Austin, TX

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hen Ron Page founded MainStream Painting & Construction, the “& Construction” part of the company name wasn’t yet part of his vision. That changed as his client base saw the quality of his company’s work and encouraged him to expand. Now, with seven locations in three states, Page depends on his faith and his team, including Business Development Manager Michelle Ribera, for support as he steers the company through today’s challenges.

Share how MainStream Painting and Construction was founded.

Ron: The company was founded in December of 2014. We started off as just a paint contractor in Central Texas. We then started franchising the brand in 2015, with the first franchise market in Dallas/Fort Worth; that is owned now by Raymond Vil, who still operates in that Arlington market and oversees all of North Texas. Soon afterwards, he also became one of our corporate Senior Project Managers for the business and in doing so, we were able to franchise more markets around the state of Texas along with Colorado and New Mexico.

Michelle, Becky Velasquez and I are the three that run [the Austin branch].

Becky is also responsible for the San Antonio market and the Rio Grande Valley Market over there by the border of South Texas.

What is the status of the company today?

Ron: We’re in seven markets in three states and that’s just from December of 2014 until this time frame. We’re growing pretty rapidly.

Michelle: We have one of our corporate offices is in San Antonio. We have a franchise in Austin, Dallas. We have Denver, CO, we have Albuquerque New Mexico, and El Paso.

Ron: In the interim, we’ve also expanded our portfolio. We started off as a paint contractor, but we are now a full construction general contracting business. We offer over 36 services now because we listen to our clients. One of the things that separates us from our competition is that they had asked us back in 2016 if we could be a one-stop shop. They were tired of being a general contractor for all of the projects; they didn’t want to call subs all of the time and have to manage all of them on one project. They asked us to do it all and so we saw what we could come up with. We had to start pulling in more workers with different trade skills, more project managers to be able to manage those people and so now we’re at that point where we are a full general contracting construction business. We offer a lot of different services; we specialize in commercial property management, HOA property management, industrial and retail.

What drove you to diversify?

Ron: We definitely were looking at the avenues where we could “chase the golden carrot,” as I like to say. Those are the particular arenas that are consistent with their capital expenditures, so those arenas are ongoing; there’s not really a lull period. People are constantly renovating, constantly remodeling. And then, of course, there is new construction, which we don’t do a whole lot of because the margins are not there profit wise; they’re there if it’s for a small mom-andpop company but not for a general contracting business. I’m not the type to go out and hire subs, beat them up on price and expect them to do Michelangeloquality paint work. It’s not going to happen that way, so we prefer to just continue to do renovation and remodel projects; that’s what we specialize in, and that’s how we’ve been able to move forward and grow so quickly.

With so many employees in multiple offices, how do you connect with them?

Ron: Every month, we’ll do an appreciation dinner for all of them and just let them know their work is valued, that they are valued as human beings and as the people part of the business. At the end of the year, we also do an annual award ceremony for them. We offer them bonuses as well as a vacation package for the end of the year to whomever wins the specific grand total award. More importantly, they’re paid a little above what the standard wage would be for either a painter or a welder or whatever their

MainStream Painting & Construction Founder/Franchisor and CEO Ron Page (front, center) celebrates his employees and new hires with monthly dinners.

trade skill is in this market. We’re able to do these things for our staff members and it makes them happy.

What is your company culture like?

Ron: We’re a Christian, faith-based organization. All of our staff members are believers. One of the best things that we like to promote is that we all have strong and hard work ethics because of our faith and our spiritual side of living. What that allows us to do is to hold ourselves accountable for things that are going well and, when mistakes get made, we hold each other accountable for that as well. A lot of different businesses that have different mindsets like to point the finger at everybody else; I see this happening quite a bit in corporate America. What ends up taking place is that nobody wants to end up being held accountable and so they have a lot of internal rifts going on. That’s why there happens to be a lot of turnover in a lot of different companies in today’s world.

One of the things that we like to pride ourselves on is that we treat this business as a family. We like to treat our staff members as such. We really do take care of them financially, spiritually, and in their everyday life if they have issues they want to talk about outside of work. We also hire people and give them second chances. We really take it a step above our competition.

We mimic Chick-Fil-A’s business model, quite frankly. It’s really a good situation for us, because in the past we were hiring different mindsets, and we were just not universally on the same page. That’s another reason we’ve been able to grow so rapidly is because we’ve been finding like-minded human beings with the same goals and same aspirations and the overall ultimate goal of believing in

general. That’s a huge deal for us, and that’s going to be one of the things that will probably be an eyebrow-raiser when people see our commercials. You don’t have a lot of companies talking about that anymore.

How is MainStream Painting & Construction faring in the current pandemic?

Ron: Quite frankly, during this COVID-19 pandemic, what I’ve been noticing on social media is people that who were not necessarily into something greater than themselves are leaning more towards their faith during this time. Having said that, this is a huge reflection how we operate on a daily basis, so we’re not necessarily freaking out if the worst-case scenario happens. Having a staff of believers, they’re not going to panic during this timeframe. That’s one of the things that I’m really happy about; when I talk to our staff nationwide and ask how they’re doing, they all say, “We’re going to be fine.”

What is an Austin project MainStream is working on that readers can look forward to seeing?

Michelle: Right now, we are working on remodeling the Independent, which is a very large building, maybe 365 condos, in downtown Austin that looks like a Jenga board.

What plans are being made for the future of the company?

Michelle: We have several places around the state and surrounding states.

We’re trying to go out a little bit further, possibly Arizona. Basically, it all just depends on where God wants us.

Headquartered in Austin, Painting and Construction offers commercial and residential paining and full construction services through seven locations in Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. –mjm

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Ground was broken Mar. 10 for The Artisan at James Avery Plaza, which will serve as the jewelry retailer’s new regional corporate offices. Located at 6300 Toll Road in Cedar Park and opening next year, the offices will staff nearly 100. DCA Construction, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, BCI Inc., DBR Engineers and Kimley-Horn will serve on the project. –mjm

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

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Resource Guide

Associations and Construction Education General Contractors

Service Providers

Service Providers

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Page 8

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

depression. The stock market has been tanking and people’s lives are being disrupted in fundamental and scary ways.

As I’ve said since the beginning of this pandemic, coronavirus will bankrupt more businesses and break more individuals than it will kill.

Hard Times No Doubt!!

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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he COVID-19 pandemic has been grabbing the headlines for more than a month now. I feel saddened for what this Virus, and what the media has done, to scare the crap out of the people in this country, putting us in a global recession, if not a near-certainty

Here on the coast we have been struggling to keep our heads above water. Unlike some of the surrounding cities, Corpus Christi and Padre Island have not closed boat ramps giving people the right to fish and enjoy boating. Governor Abbott passed an Executive Order on March 31 that does not prohibit people from hunting and fishing in the State of Texas.

We will continue to fish and go about our daily activities following the guidelines from the President and CDC by practicing good hygiene, environmental cleanliness and by implementing social distancing.

Rest assured that my boat is washed daily after every trip and then wiped down with bleach after every use.

Now on to fishing and what’s been happening on the water. March and April were stellar months for speckled trout and reds with many days seeing a few flounder and drum thrown into the box. continued on next Page 9 Flounder have been making a comeback as proved by William Womack of Victoria.

William landed this 4lb. flattie along with 4 others on a recent outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Page 9

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

Thank You!

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seems like we are all struggling with how to feel about this.

irst off I want to thank all you people on the front lines of the Covid 19 fight! This calamity has shown us all who the real heroes of our world are.

Now we are trying to determine if it is safe to reopen our businesses yet and trying to understand how to safely go about it. It reminds that an old river rat like me of trying to cross a new mud flat on foot. You put down one foot at a time and see how it feels. If your footing starts to give way beneath you, then high tail it back to the bank before you sink to your belly button and wait a few days to try again. There is no shame in retreat and it sure beats having to flop over on your belly in the mud to crawl out. We may have to head back to the bank a time or two before the time is right, but we will finally get there.

Thank you for caring for our sick folks and those in distress. Thank you for showing up for work as essential workers each day keeping our food and supply chains moving. Thank you for keeping our world purring along in spite of all the absences and disruptions. May God bless you and protect you!

I think by now we are all quite aware of what uncharted territory we find ourselves in these days. Day-by-day we are learning more and more about Covid 19, and knowledge is good, even if it sometimes only serves to remind us just how little we really do know at this point.

Meanwhile, back in the lake, the fish are just fine. They don’t miss us at all.

They are just feeding and spawning and growing bigger with us out of their way.

That’s just fine. We will be back, and they will just be that much more fun to fight and catch! Some of our local cat fishermen have been coming in with really nice yellow cats this spring!

We kept running fishing trips for a while, being as careful as we could to follow the emerging distancing guidelines.

After a few days though, new restrictions were handed down that made it clear we would have to suspend our charter fishing operation for a while. Some people were disappointed when we had to cancel their fishing trips and others were relieved, and that pretty much mirrored our feelings in the matter too. We were disappointed because we were seeing the beginning of such a good spring fishing season, with larger fish coming in than last year. We were relieved though, because we do have some folks that we love and need to protect from the threat of Covid, in spite of the need to work. It

We are thinking about starting to offer 2-person trips, with mask and temperature check before boarding, at least for now. That could change for better or worse depending on each day’s news. All I know is the fish are ready and we are ready as soon as the time is right!

Be careful out there so we can go fishing soon!

continued from Page 8 Capt. Steve To be honest, the lack of people traveling has really been a blessing to our fishing and our bay system. On top of the lack of recreational fishermen on the water is the absence of fishing tournaments every single weekend. Usually starting in March and running until late September, you can pretty much bet there will be several tournaments on Saturdays somewhere in the coastal bend. Most people don’t realize the impact this does on the bigger fish that we need to re-populate our bay and estuaries every year. I really think all of this is God’s way of controlling things his way and we are just here for the ride.

For the month of May we can expect some of the best trout action of the year.

With the arrival of croakers which many of my customers have been waiting for, trout fishing will explode. Long boat rides are not as frequent and sometimes quick limits are common, giving us the opportunity to fish for other species.

This is some of the easiest fishing tech-

niques for kids to get involved and not get bored of long periods without a bite.

I know many of you are probably going thru tough times also, However, I am confident that we all all get through this before long. What I am hoping is that the companies that are still thriving during this pandemic are able to still fish and entertain their customers and help keep our outdoor economy go strong. Texas cannot do without hunting and fishing.

Due to some cancelations and rescheduling I have some days in May and June that I need to book. Here are some dates open in the next few months. May 1,2,3,8,9,10,12,13,23,24,25,29 and June 7,8,21,22,26,28. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip give Capt.

Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or email him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com. Follow me of Facebook and Instagram.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

If you could spend a year doing anything, what would you do?

Industry FOLKS Esther Rollins, LEED AP BD+C Architectural Specifier

Interceramic Austin, TX

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or her work as an Architectural Specifier for Interceramic, Esther Rollins derives creative inspiration from everything, even her morning coffee’s brown and cream tones. With the pandemic forcing her to work from home, she now sources her inspiration closer to home as well.

“Some evenings, I walk around and look at my [color] boards or my pieces of art and try to go from there,” Rollins says. “I’m always seeing things that inspire me. That’s how my brain works.”

She inherited her creative brain from women in her family, from her craft-loving grandmother to her mother and aunt, both bakers.

“I think that’s really where it started with the creativity,” Rollins explains. “I grew up with this philosophy that we can make anything pretty. I always have to find that creative outlet to stay grounded. Even in junior high and high school, my parents let me paint my room – which I tended to do – even if it was something out there!”

It made sense, then, that Rollins and her husband would move to artsy Austin after she graduated from Texas A&M with an Economics and Marketing degree in 2001. For five years, she worked in sales and accounts payable for an electronics distributor but yearned for a creative outlet. She found one as a Floors Inc. coordinator working with homeowners and builders to design homes for Toll Brothers Inc. It was there that Interceramic’s Austin Branch Manager approached her to run the tile manufacturer’s new showroom.

She did, transitioning into sales before working with architects and designers to ensure Interceramic’s materials are specified on commercial jobs.

“It gives me a lot of creativity,” she says. “I’m constantly doing displays.

People send me inspiration photos and ask what I have that can give them that look. I get to use that creative side which I enjoy, and then being around other creative people, working with the other architects and designers and seeing what they do, fuels me and inspires me.”

During her 12 years at Interceramic, she has found both a creative outlet and support. When Interceramic wanted to become more sustainable, they helped Rollins achieve a LEED AP designation; she now serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Central Texas Regional Council.

“Interceramic is such a great company,” she says. “They’ve let me step out of roles and into other roles.

They’ve really allowed me to grow.”

Rollins, who used to flip houses, has also designed work for friends. She enjoys snowboarding, scuba diving, and hiking with her husband, as well as cuddling their Chiweenie Chance and Blue Heeler/Dachshund mix Sully. To add to what inspires her, she collects local art and Christmas decorations and snaps as many photos as her phone’s storage limit allows. –mjm

I think I would move out to the country and raise a bunch of animals, like horses and goats, and maybe do some farming.

I’d like to be somewhere green with trees.

I love the Hill Country; if we ever left Austin, we would probably go somewhere around the Denver area, which is very similar to here. Our friend has a ranch out in Gainesville and it’s beautiful; we spend a lot of time there on weekends.

Esther Rollins, Interceramic I would go somewhere where I could take my family, play music professionally and take them fishing on a regular basis.

That would be a good year!

Buck Burnette, Building Materials and Construction Solutions (BMC) Rachel: I think I would go work in an animal shelter. I think if money wasn’t an option, and I could do whatever I wanted …

Gary: … But she would take all of the animals home! We’re very animalfriendly here at WastePlace. I think a lot of our team would want to do that, too!

Rachel and Gary LaBreck, WastePlace I would spend a year in Costa Rica, catching big blues, relaxing, and learning to surf.

Trey Taparauskas, Champion Site Prep My family and I participate in barbecue cookoffs. We love to cook good food, and have people enjoy our creations. That being said, we would love to travel the U.S.

with our smoker and feed people. It would be nice to just post up at a park, put out some signs, and hand out free Texas BBQ plates. We’ve done this a couple of times. Feels great to see people’s faces when you hand them a free plate of food – especially when it’s great BBQ! Cuauhtemoc Trevino, Trueform Metal Service That’s just not me. To be honest, I wouldn’t take a year off to do anything other than work. I would go crazy. I like what I’m doing.

Adam Zarafshani, Panache Development & Construction I would like to go back to college somewhere in Austin and get my Bachelor’s degree in Business; I have an Associate degree. I started a family young and worked while my wife earned her degree.

I am always talking to my kids about going to college and it is something I would like to do.

Troy Peterson, Miva Rentals I recently went to Europe in December, and I would love to do that again, though not with the coronavirus going on. If that wasn’t happening, I would love to travel and see some more countries in Europe.

Ian Williams, Thonhoff Consulting Engineers I would retire from work and go to the lake or golf course every morning or afternoon. In my idle time, tend to my lawn and garden.

Helen Greenwood Construction News

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Page 11

continued from Page 1 — Panache Development & Construction bottles. Garrison Brothers Distillery has donated 45 gallons of hand sanitizer with our formula. Still Austin Whiskey Co. is in the process of donating gallons of hand sanitizer a week. Mr. Rathnasingham has arranged for medical students to come in and help with bottling. We’re now up to 350 bottles a day.”

Zarafshani’s spring-into-action mindset is nothing new. He founded Panache in 1993 in the same decisive way.

“I was in truss manufacturing and was rehabbing an apartment complex in the early 1990s, when apartments were not such a great investment. We decided to start our own construction company because we didn’t want to deal with construction companies anymore!”

Zarafshani explains. “We started out in multifamily and very quickly added a very high-end residential division and our commercial projects started soon after. About 75% of what we do is commercial mixed-use buildings and we now have operations in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, and abroad.”

Panache is currently developing Austin’s former Motorola campus, and plans to focus on mixed-use buildings,

which Zarafshani says are the future.

In light of the crisis, Zarafshani is making plans for his own offices and his teams’ work methods.

“We are going to move away from open-concept offices in our own buildings and prepare a plan for the next time something like this happens,” he says. “We are going to organize our projects differently so that they can be handled from remote locations. One of our engineers is even working on a system that would completely disinfect buildings, using the O-Zone system, which will give an opportunity for building management to disinfect buildings via air circulation when buildings are not occupied.

“I think we’re going to get through this,” Zarafshani continues. “There are many lessons we’re going to learn, and some really useful things are going to come out of this. Look at the way people are behaving toward each other.

Everybody is helping everybody right now; it’s amazing.”

Austin-based Panache Development & Construction specializes in design, development, construction and project management. – mjm

continued from Page 1 — WastePlace Last month, the general contractor partnered with WastePlace to streamline waste and recycling services at their Austin job sites and across the country.

“We do that through three core pieces of our software,” Gary explains.

“Number one is our marketplace, or shopping, solution. A company like JE Dunn Construction, or any portfoliobased company, can come to one site and request any type of services they may need. When they list jobs with WastePlace, they’re listing jobs for open top containers for concrete, for mixed C&D, for single stream recycling. All of those needs can now be sourced from one online marketplace.

“Communication is the second piece.

After they shop and then book, they’ll be able to see multiple bids, transparent rates, and compare service reviews from one hauler to another. After they book, they’ll have a 24-month build out and lots of communication. Dump and returns, missed pick-ups, and relocations of the dumpsters onsite is all done manually. WastePlace provides an online chat where they can request services in

an automated fashion.

“Lastly is billing. WastePlace brings haulers and business customers together to communicate more efficiently. Companies can use any hauler nationwide, but they have one vendor and billing set up. We do the vetting of the haulers on their behalf, making sure that they comply with insurance requirements, and have them onboard to our platform.

They have the convenience of seeing one bill from WastePlace from our setup of hundreds of providers nationwide.”

The LaBrecks anticipate that the sky is the limit for WastePlace.

“We’re growing substantially,” Gary says. “Our year-over-year revenue trajectory is extremely strong. We’re wellpositioned to get through the environment we’re in today. We continue to grow with our many enterprise accounts, but we foresee a national rollout fairly quickly where every state and haulers and businesses within those markets can take advantage of this automation.”

Austin-based WastePlace is a waste and recycling technology platform. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Champion Site Prep party. The employees are equally committed to philanthropy. The team gives back through annual toy and coat drives, has donated their time and services to help provide a debt-and mortgage-free home to an Army veteran and has employees who assist with hurricane/disaster relief efforts.

With a vast equipment inventory, an impressive project portfolio and a dedicated team, the company is looking forward to the next 35 years.

“We are proud of Champion’s track record for earning repeat-business, thanks to our exceptionally skilled and professional employees. We could not reach the level we have without some of the best people in the business and their commitment to working at a company that cares about the customers, the community, and each other,” says Taparauskas.

Champion Site Prep in Georgetown performs earthwork, site development and excavation services in Central Texas. –mjm

JOB SIGHT

Project Foreman for 3G Drywall LLC, Francisco Sanchez, is hard at work at the Hays County Jail project. -cmw

Page 12

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

May 26: Emerging Leaders Group Happy Hour, Mean Eyed Cat, 1621 W. 5th St., 4:30-6:30pm. For more info, call Tracey Littlefield at 512-719-5263 or email tlittlefield@abccentraltexas.org AGC

Associated General Contractors

May 4: Spring Golf Tournament – POSTPONED due to COVID-19. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 AIA

American Institute of Architects

May 13-16: AIA National Conference on Architecture, Los Angeles, CA, 8am-6pm.

May 21: Design Awards Submission Deadline. For info, go to www.aiaaustin.org ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

May 1: Austin ASCE YMF Golf Tournament – CANCELLED. May 11-18: Infrastructure Week Nationwide – www.texasce.org/our-programs/ infrastructure-week/ CenTex IEC

Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors

May. 11: Electrical Estimating & Beyond, CenTex IEC offices, 8868 Research Blvd., 8am-4pm.

May 12: Professional Development Forum, CenTex IEC offices, 8868 Research Blvd.,

11am-2pm. For more info, contact David Johnson at 512-832-1333 or email djohnson@centexiec.com CTSA

Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

May 12: Lunch & Learn – CANCELLDED. May 15: Golf Tournament – POSTPONED to August. For more info, email Wendy Lambert at wendy@ctsaonline.org or go to www.ctsaonline.org DACA

Drywall Acoustical Contractors Assn.

May 2: 4th Annual DACA Austin Golf Classic – POSTPONED to October. For more info, email Eddie McCormick at eddie@dacadfw.org TGA

Texas Glass Assn.

May 1-2: Glass Texpo – CANCELLED. For more info, visit www.texasglass.org TSPE

Texas Society of Professional Engineers

May 6: TSPE Online Meeting, Zoom Webinar, Speaker: Jacob Calhoun, Capital Metro, 11:50am-1pm. For more info, email TSPE.travis@gmail.com TXFPA

Texas Fire Protection Assn.

May 27: Chapter Meeting & Program, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra, San Antonio, TX, 11am-2:45pm.

For more info, visit www.txfpa.org

John Schuler, President Time Insurance Agency Austin/San Antonio, TX

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ave you been stuck at home? Has your car not left the driveway in weeks? With millions under Coronavirus stay-at-home orders and commuters working remotely, American roadways are seeing a lot less congestions and accidents. That means less risk of insurance claims and auto insurers are taking note. Just over 82% of auto insurance companies have announced that they will refund or credit drivers more than $6.5 billion over the next two months.

Relief programs offered by auto insurers include refunds, credits, or one-time payments. Most of these forms of relief require no actions from the consumer and will be applied automatically through the policyholder’s recent payment method on file. Drivers can expect to receive relief anywhere between April and June, depending on the insurer. So, what is your car insurance company offering? Most of the big insurance companies (Allstate, Travelers, SafeCo, Geico, Kemper, Liberty Mutual, Hanover, The Hartford) are offering either a 15% credit or refund on April and May premiums but some carriers are offering more.

AAA: 20% refund for policyholders with insurance in effect from March 16 to May 15 Chubb: 35% discount on April and May premiums Farmers Insurance: 25% credit on premiums in April Nationwide: $50 one-time-refund per policy as of March 31 Progressive: 20% credit for April Premiums for each car insured State Farm: 25% credit USAA: 20% credit on two month’s premiums

Industry FOLKS Emory Sweeney Superintendent

DPR Construction

Austin, TX

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kinawa is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of Japan’s five main islands and Sweeney’s birth place. Sweeney’s parents were both in the military. His mom was in the Air Force and his father was in the Navy.

He grew up 7,681 miles away in the 22nd most populated city in Texas at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX. “Growing up in McAllen was great. It felt like growing up in a small town with the size of a medium sized town. I loved the proximity to the coast. We spent a lot of time at South Padre growing up.”

After graduating high school, Sweeney made his way up to Central Texas where he attended college at the University of Texas at Austin. It is there he earned a degree in civil engineering.

“Growing up, I always loved building things. I love the idea of leaving a lasting imprint on the world and being able to physically see the fruits of your labor daily.

“While in college, I thought that I wanted to pursue construction as a career. No one in my family, nor close to me growing up, had worked in the construction industry, so I really had no idea if I would actually enjoy construction. I chose civil engineering as a degree rather than a construction science degree in the event that I actually did not like construction. I wanted a

Help Is On Its Way

degree that offered options outside of the construction industry in the event I ended up not enjoying construction.”

Sweeney is a superintendent in DPR’s Austin Business Unit. DPR Construction is a commercial general contractor and construction management firm based in Redwood City, CA. As a superintendent, he coordinates people and trades to accomplish great things. “I truly enjoy the building up of people and teams. It gives me a feeling of complete satisfaction.”

Rosco Stermer and Steve Parades are Sweeney’s mentors since he has been in the industry. “I have learned a ton from both of these men.

They are different and similar at the same time. Most importantly, they have pushed me throughout my career and been supportive throughout.”

Sweeney met his wife, Emily at a country concert and have been married for four years. “Emily is super intelligent and driven. We push each other to be better.” Together they have two dogs, lab/blue heeler mixes and are quite the pair. “They are our kids and they are spoiled rotten.”

In Sweeney’s spare time, he enjoys building things and doing projects around the house. Primarily, he enjoys building furniture and landscape projects. -cmw

Relief programs are not the only ways that drivers can cut their auto insurance costs during these unprecedented times. If you are looking for more ways to save you can shop around for other insurers offering better rates, review your coverage levels, inquire about eligible discounts, and change your driving status.

An important thing to remember is do not just let your car insurance lapse with the intention of buying a new policy when the stay-at-home order is lifted.

This usually leaves you facing a higher cost when you re-purchase your policy.

As a policyholder who is up to date on premium payments you may be able to save hundreds of dollars by shopping around for companies offering better

rates. Although, if you are waiting on a refund you may want to hold off on switching until you receive it. “If you are somebody who’s had a particularly significant drop in mileage, you may want to call your insurance company and ask to be re-rated as a lower mileage driver, says Doug Heller, an insurance expert with CFA.” This would make sense for someone who used to drive 50-miles on their daily commute to work but are now only driving to the grocery store once a week. Typically, the fewer miles you drive annually, the lower your rate.

In addition to the car insurance refund programs, most insurance companies are working with businesses on a case-by-case basis to adjust their premiums due to their exposure changes, suspend vehicle coverage, and add temporary coverages to fill insurance gaps. Also, they are offering financial hardship programs that could provide those struggling to pay their bills with a grace period to pay their insurance premiums without incurring late fees or losing coverage. Liberty Mutual was the first to announce a 15% refund on two months of premium for all Businessowners policies (BOP) at the end of April.

If you do not see your insurance company listed or have not been notified by your insurance company about relief, you should still reach out to your agent to ask what assistance they can provide.

There is certainly something out there for all those that need help.

John Schuler is the president of Time Insurance Agency. Time Insurance is a locally owned second generation Insurance Agency serving Central Texas since 1961.

John has over 35 years’ experience in both insurance and surety bonds. Finding the right insurance policy does not have to be complicated. Visit our website www.timeinsurance.com for more information or purchase a surety bond online in seconds at www.onlinebond.com

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

Page 13

Mitigating Contractual COVID-19 Risk for Contractors Shelly Masters, Principal Cokinos | Young Austin, TX

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onstruction activity in Texas continues at different paces against the backdrop of the COVID-19 spread.

Many projects are now suddenly stopped, not starting, or subject to delays. Contractors must not only comply with the usual contract provisions and OSHA requirements but must now understand the new implications posed

by COVID-19, shutdown orders and new safety measures required for all jobsites. Now is the time to review your contracts to evaluate how the contract’s delay, time extension, or force majeure clauses allocate this unusual risk between the parties and develop a proactive response plan that prioritizes risk mitigation efforts for your entire project inventory.

The coronavirus inherently increases the risk of breach of contract claims. A thorough review of your contracts by project will help you assess the nature and scope of added costs and damages; prioritize your relative risk; identify needed notices and deadlines; outline and implement documentation procedures as needed to support and secure added time and compensation; and, in the absence of key provisions, devise and implement a plan to prove delays were excusable events.

Contractors should pay special attention to the following clauses: 1. Force Majeure clauses. A force majeure clause excuses nonperformance when performance is prevented by events out of the parties’ control. Although each clause is different, they typically excuse performance due to extreme weather conditions, acts of terrorism, governmental actions, and “acts of God”.

It is important to carefully review its language to identify whether (1) the coronavirus may qualify as a triggering event; (2) how long nonperformance will be excused; and (3) whether there are notification requirements the must be satisfied.

If there is no force majeure clause, other provisions may excuse nonperformance.

For example, certain AIA provisions allow for extensions to contract time if a contractor is delayed by “unusual delays in deliveries, unavoidable casualties, or other clauses beyond the Contractor’s control” or additional time and compensation when there is “an emergency affecting safety of persons or property.” Note certain notice provisions apply.

2 No damages for delay clauses, consequential damage waivers, and liquidated damage provisions. It is important to know what damages cannot be recovered. These provisions bar certain damage claims based on specific contract language and are generally enforceable. However, there are exceptions to their enforcement and/or may not preclude certain categories of damages. If

there is a liquidated damage clause, contractors need to negotiate an agreed time extension or prioritize and purse aggressive risk mitigation strategies.

3. Escalation clauses. Contractors should review their contracts with subcontractors and suppliers to see if there are any escalation clauses that may prevent them from holding the bag if prices suddenly spike. If there is no escalation clause, contractors are encouraged to begin communicating with project participants about potential price increases and delays to see if participants can work together to minimize the effects.

4. Suspension and Termination Provisions. Considering owners may lose construction funding, contractors should review their contracts to determine under what circumstances an owner has the right to suspend or terminate the contract and what are the contractor’s right to recover costs incurred because of the suspension/termination. Default suspension and termination provisions under the AIA include several notice requirements that contractors must meet.

5. Impossibility and Waiver. These two common law principles may be used to defend contractors against potential breach of contract claims. Carefully crafted communications to owners and upstream project participants in accordance with these principles may be used to strengthen these defenses as excusable events. Note many contracts have a nonwaiver provision.

Contractors with the assistance of counsel should start taking steps now to put themselves in the best position possible.

Shelly Masters is a Principal in the Austin office of Cokinos Young. She represents clients in the areas of construction, labor and employment, commercial and products liability law. Cokinos Young has been representing the construction industry for over 30 years. She can be reached by e-mail at smasters@cokinoslaw.com or by phone at (512) 615-1139.

WE DON’T MAKE THE NEWS, WE MAKE IT BETTER Call Construction News for Advertising 210-308-5800

Electrical Extension Cords Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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f electrical equipment is used in ways for which it is not designed, you can no longer depend on safety features built in by the manufacturer. This may damage your equipment and cause employee injuries.

Common Examples of Misused Equipment • Using multi-receptacle boxes designed to be mounted by fitting them with a power cord and placing them on the floor.

• Fabricating extension cords with ROMEX® wire.

• Using equipment outdoors that is labeled for use only in dry, indoor locations.

• Attaching ungrounded, two-prong adapter plugs to three-prong cords and tools.

• Using circuit breakers or fuses with the wrong rating for over-current protection, e.g. using a 30-amp breaker in a system with 15- or 20-amp receptacles. Protection is lost because it will not trip when the system’s load has been exceeded.

• Using modified cords or tools, e.g., removing ground prongs, face plates, insulation, etc.

•Using cords or tools with worn insulation or exposed wires.

Due to the dynamic, rugged nature of construction work, normal use of electrical equipment at your site causes wear and tear that results in insulation breaks, short-circuits, and exposed wires. If there is no ground-fault protection, these can cause a ground-fault that sends current through the worker’s body, resulting in electrical burns, explosions, fire, or death. These hazards can be avoided by: • Using ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI)s on all 120-volt, single-phase, 15and 20-ampere receptacles, or have an assured equipment grounding conductor program (AEGCP).

• Follow manufacturers’ recommended

testing procedure to insure GFCI is working correctly.

• Using double-insulated tools and equipment, distinctively marked.

• Using tools and equipment according to the instructions included in their listing, labeling or certification.

• Visually inspect all electrical equipment before use. Remove from service any equipment with frayed cords, missing ground prongs, cracked tool casings, etc. Apply a warning tag to any defective tool and do not use it until the problem has been corrected.

Improper Use of Extension and Flexible Cords The normal wear and tear on extension and flexible cords at your site can loosen or expose wires, creating hazardous conditions. Cords that are not 3-wire type, not designed for hard-usage, or that have been modified, increase your risk of contacting electrical current. These hazards can be avoided by: • Using factory-assembled cord sets.

Using only extension cords that are 3-wire type.

• Using only extension cords that are marked with a designation code for hard or extra-hard usage.

• Using only cords, connection devices, and fittings that are equipped with strain relief.

• Remove cords from receptacles by pulling on the plugs, not the cords.

• Continually audit cords on-site. Any cords found not to be marked for hard or extra-hard use, or which have been modified, must be taken out of service immediately. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Page 14

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

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epeat clients are a pleasure for rand* construction; rand* previously provided construction services for offices in Austin in 2018 and was pleased to construct the third consecutive phase of an Austin office. Working again with Abel Design Group, which served as architect,

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Office project

the teams created and brought to life these new sophisticated office interiors.

Guests entering the reception area are greeted with black and gray graphic walls accented with wood slats, the pattern of which is repeated in the wood reception desk. Large windows above al-

The pattern of the wood-accented walls is repeated in the pattern featured on the reception desk.

Wood and metal define a seating area

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low light to fill the room, allowing the space to feel both airy and grounded.

The same type of wood treatment punctuates the staircase next to a seating

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area, providing contrast to the gathering nook’s metal-clad walls. Metal then transitions to the ceiling in the open workspace, zig zagging over employees’ desks as it softens and redirects the office light above it.

The space isn’t all wood and metal, however: The common area’s upbeat pops of color, eye-catching mosaic wall, cushioned benches and booths nestled in the walls provide an energizing respite for employees.

The third phase project, which totaled just over 21,000 sf, was a successful one for rand* construction, and the firm is currently overseeing construction of the project’s fourth phase. rand* construction has provided innovative commercial spaces across the nation since Linda Rabbitt founded the company in 1989. The Washington DC Metro regionheadquartered firm operates from offices in Austin, Atlanta and Denver. – mjm

A metal ceiling treatment zigzags over the employees’ desks.

Office project rand* construction Austin, TX

A bright, light-filled common area energizes employees with its color, pattern and plenty of seating.

2001 Louis Henna Blvd. • Round Rock, TX 78664

Austin Construction News • MAY 2020

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onstruction is winding down on America’s largest indoor water park located in Central Texas.

Kalahari Resorts struck a deal to build its fourth location in Round Rock, TX on U.S. 79, across the street from Dell Diamond Baseball Park. The Round Rock location will end up being a 200,000sf park that is encompassed on 200 acres of land.

The facility will have 975 hotel rooms and have the largest indoor waterpark in the country at 223,000sf. When completed in November, the $375 million facility will offer family-style lodging and convention space all with an African theme. Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc. is proud to have partnered with Hensel Phelps Construction to install all the fireproofing at the hotel and convention center along with the traffic coatings, exterior rigid and semi-rigid insulation, fluid applied air and vapor barrier, metal flashings along with building and site sealants at the above grade portion of the Hotel, Convention Center and Indoor Water Park.

Alpha also installed all the joint sealants at exterior prefab panel joints of the hotel for Standard Drywall along with slab edge firestopping and firestopping and acoustical caulk at all interior rated and non-rated CMU.

Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing’s Operation Manager, Spencer Schneider, stated that, “this project was a great project for Alpha. We always enjoy working with Hensel Phelps Construction and I look forward to taking my family to the water park when it opens.”

Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc. is a commercial insulation, waterproofing,

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Kalahari Resorts spray fireproofing, spray foam insulation, firestop and restoration company. -cmw Kalahari Resorts Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc. Austin, TX

Aerial view of the Kalahari Resort

Spray applied fireproofing on the structural steel.

Closer view of the fluid air barrier application.

Fluid air barrier application on the exterior walls

Workers installing finished caulking off boom lifts on the building exterior.

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Austin Construction News • MAY 2020