San Antonio Construction News September 2020

Covering the Industry’s News

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www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 23 H Number 9 H SEPTEMBER 2020

Approaching 30

One going on 16

L-R: William Hunter and Shane Hutson outside the Pesado Construction office in front an oak tree Hunter planted almost 30 years ago.

The Pintura team L-R: Danny Garcia, General Manager Darryl Zunker, Juan Rivera, Warehouse Supervisor Alex Ramirez, Rachel Ward, Mix & Match Specialist J. Carlos and JD McDowell

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aving worked for a marine civil contracting company based out of Houston, and knowing he wanted to work for himself, Principal and CEO Bill Hunter started Pesado Construction Company in 1991 at the young age of 28.

When Hunter first started Pesado Construction, he started out by rebuilding manholes and laying conduit for Southwestern Bell Telephone, that’s a name you don’t hear anymore, as a subcontractor. It was during that time Hunter came up with the name for his new company. Hearing the guys working for him repeatedly saying “Mui pesado, mui pesado” while working on a small water line project, Hunter learned the meaning of pesado – heavy. It just made sense.

From doing communication and duct

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ith so much uncertainty going on in the world due to COVID and new safety precautions, many events and celebrations are being postponed or canceled. The festivity simply isn’t worth the risk. However, when the Construct A Kid’s Christmas Board & Committee was faced with the possibility of canceling their event this year, the reaction was a resounding “NO!” Cancelation was NOT an option and they immediately sprang into action to form a “plan B.” They knew that too many innocent children were counting on the San Antonio construction industry to give them hope and joy in an otherwise tragic year.

The children in need aren’t just trying to find a “new normal” amidst COVID, they are struggling with finding a way of survival.

When schools were closed, many children saw their only source of healthy meals disappear. Where they once had to find a way to get food over a two-day weekend,

banks almost 30 years ago, the company evolved into wet utilities and public utilities and has since started building more technical wastewater treatment plants and booster pump stations.

“We have a very diversified skill set.

We do private commercial work and we can do public water pump stations, wastewater treatment plants, big public water mains to big public sewer mains. We have a lot of different areas that we can work in and offer a lot of services,” says Pesado Construction President Shane Hutson.

Hutson, who joined the Pesado family in 2001, oversees the company operations and does estimating for the company as well. In October 2019, Huston became the president of Pesado Construction. continued on Page 18

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anny Garcia and JD McDowell are ecstatic as they celebrate one-year as the new owners of Pintura Paint.

“It is a great feeling of accomplishment as we celebrate our one-year anniversary since we purchased Pintura on Jun. 1, 2019. Pintura Paint, itself, has been around since 1984. We are excited at what we have accomplished in a short amount of time. In a lot ways, it feels like yesterday, and in a lot of ways it feels like 10 years have gone by. We have celebrated a lot of milestones and we’re pretty happy about that,” says co-owner McDowell.

A year ago when Garcia and McDowell made the decision to purchase Pintura Paint, they knew right away they wanted

to breathe new life into this tenured company. They refurnished the entire showroom floor and the 10,000sf warehouse which they say needed a lot of attention.

Giving the warehouse and showroom a complete top to bottom overhaul, they scrubbed down and cleaned up the entire facility and did an inventory swap on about 80% of their inventory. “We turned it over and got fresh new products. We bought into the Benjamin Moore line as part of our revamp and remodel. It was a lot of work and we are extremely proud of our team and how much they were able to get done while also maintaining the daily operations of the store,” add McDowell.

“It was quite an accomplishment and continued on Page 18

Making virtual reality they were now struggling to find a way to get food every single day. Many children have younger siblings that they are now forced to take care of day after day, with no breaks, no help, no playmates, no chance for them to have time to be a kid themselves.

Additionally, with COVID adding stress on adults along with the turmoil and confusion of our country, many children have found themselves the “punching bag” for angry parents and caretakers. These children, now more than ever, need the support and assistance of programs like Bexar County Child Protective Services (CPS) and Child Advocates of San Antonio (CASA), which are the primary benefactors of the Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala.

We are fortunate that the construction industry has remained essential, with the 20th Anniversary of the Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala we hope to remind these children that they are essential, too.

“While we realize this is a tough time continued on Page 18

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

20 years of orbiting SA

Bridging over

Front Row L-R: Nanette and Anthony Heye. Back Row L-R: Chris Campbell, Anthony “Antz” Mackechney and Russell Dietz.

L-R: Second generation Mark and David Gonzalez take the reins of Power Source Electric.

s a young teenager, Anthony Heye Jr. was into the whole hot rod mania thing. He spent a lot time in the garage with his late father, tinkering on cars where his passion continued to fester.

When Heye graduated from high school, he went to work in a hot rod store until he got into doing lifts on trucks.

In 1999, by the seat of their pants, he and his wife, Nanette Heye, with the aid of two employees, started Anthony’s Planet Pickup. They had a modest shop on San Pedro Ave. with enough foot traffic to keep them busy. Five years later, they purchased and moved into a larger facility on Loop 410 near Vance Jackson and the company has been growing since.

By 2004, the construction industry had become their biggest customer. “Everybody in construction drives a truck,” Heye once said. By their 15th year in business, they were doing a lot of fleet work for different groups in the oil field industry as well as contractors.

In 2015, Planet Pickup lost a valued asset to the Planet Pickup family, Steve Jones, who had joined the team in 2001.

But the loss of Jones would not be their only loss. In 2017, the Planet Pickup family lost another, Randy Wyatt, who had been a friend of Heye’s since high school. They ran together for years, street racing and doing all the things young teenage boys do. Their friendship continued through the years. As a matter of fact, Wyatt was instrumental in getting Planet Pickup orbiting in San Antonio. Wyatt started bringing his truck known to all as “Big Red” when Planet Pickup was on San Pedro wanting to make it the biggest, baddest truck ever built by Heye.

In 2018, Anthony and Nanette honored their long-time friend, by placing Wyatt’s notorious “Big Red” on the rooftop of Planet Pickup as a permanent fixture for all to see.

Planet Pickup celebrated 20 years in business in 2019. “We love doing truck accessories. We continue to do what we do thanks to our all customers and the construction industry, and look forward to continue serving them,” says General Manager Chris Campbell.

Anthony’s Planet Pickup sells and installs a variety of truck accessories. -cmw

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ith a hundred bucks in his pocket, Alfredo “Fred” Gonzalez moved to San Antonio with his wife and his first born son. He went to work for a small electrical contractor until he decided it was time to take a leap of faith and start his company.

In 1997, Fred started Power Source Electric. The company started out small with just himself and a couple of guys.

Through determination and a lot of hard work, his small company began to grow as he acquired not just more jobs, but large-scale jobs.

”I’ve met some great general contractors and property owners who recognized my determination to get the work done.

We went from having two employees to having 30. We are blessed to have numerous employees that have been with the company 15-plus years,” says Fred.

Today, Fred’s blessings continue with his wife of 31 years, Estella Gonzalez, by his side as the company’s accounts payable administrator and as their two sons, Mark and David Gonzalez, bridge over to carry on their father’s legacy as they transition into leadership roles.

David, the oldest of his two boys, received his Master Electrical License at the young age of 24. Carrying himself like a pro, this young man oversees the daily operations and is determined to get the work done efficiently and with the professionalism Power Source’s customers have come to rely on. Mark is a licensed Journeyman Electrician and a graduate from Texas State University. Incredibly sharp, this young man oversees the company’s marketing

department, estimating and all office administration including human resources.

“I know my boys will continue to always do what is best for our customers, the general contractors we serve and our employees who are out there doing a great job for us,” Fred continues.

With the reigns of the second generation under way, the company recently took on a fresh new look with a new company logo. Additionally, the company’s project base has been growing beyond San Antonio to include all of Texas and now, New Mexico. “Our goal is to carry on our dad’s legacy and build on his foundation of doing the job right the first time. There is no room for anything else,” says David.

“We both started in the industry at an early age sweeping floors and climbing the ranks as we learned the trade,” adds Mark.

“Our dad showed us the value of hard work and standing behind your work. You are as good as your word. He grew this company through hard work, integrity and always doing right by our customers and our employees,” continues Mark.

The level of energy that Mark and David possess is sure to carry Power Source Electric to the next level utilizing new technology and software to become even more efficient in the field as well in the preconstruction process. “Everything begins and ends with the work done and what is accomplished out in the field. We have an excellent team that ensures everything is done to a high standard. We want to make sure this is a great place to work,” Mark concludes.

Power Source Electric is a full-service electrical contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Growing a legacy

Construction News ON LOCATION

The Alpine Contracting team

L-R: Liberty Martinez, GD Interior Construction Owner & President Lindsey Sutherland and Angel Robles take time for a quick photo op. -cmw

ver 60 years ago, Colby Lewis’ grandfather started a construction company of his own, Alpine Contracting in Houston.

After graduating college, Lewis moved to San Antonio. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, he went to work for a local general contractor and later a contractor specializing in site work. His grandfather’s influence never left him.

Determined to give new life to his grandfather’s company name, Lewis started Alpine Contracting in San Antonio in 2012.

“We are still steadily growing. Referrals are what drive us and keep us going.

We rely on repeat customers and referrals in the private sector of construction.

With a strong economy, it’s a good place to be. San Antonio is a pretty strong spot for growth despite the corona virus. We fortunately hit a number of decent sized projects right before corona. We’ve been staying pretty consistent with our interior finish-outs, remodels and commercial office spaces.

“We just finished our largest project,

a 45,000 sf church, pre-engineered building on a 12-acre site, which we were nominated for a state-wide award through the Associated General Contractors (AGC).

What is equally exciting is we were nominated, for the entire of San Antonio, for the best interior finish-out by NBB Law Firm. Nominated with two projects is really exciting for us,” adds Lewis.

Determined to remain competitive, Lewis set up two divisions within his company, an interior finish-out division and a ground-up division, treating both as individual teams.

About three years ago, Lewis introduced a third division, a roofing division.

“Primarily what we are looking at is roof repairs. It’s our niche. It’s just a dba. Our roofing division called Roofing Rx. We’re your roof doctor,” adds Lewis. “We are steadily growing. I have a good team that I am proud of. We always strive to be the best in the business.”

Alpine Contracting is a full-service general contractor. -cmw

Photo op

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Going with the flow

Industry FOLKS Sheri Krueger Senior Associate

Ridout Barrett San Antonio, TX

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an Antonio is all Sheri has ever known.

Living and growing up in San Antonio has always felt like a “little, big town” to her. She spent her elementary school days at Holy Spirit Catholic School and finished her high school years at Ursuline Academy.

“I didn’t experience the traditional college life. I attended Hallmark University for my associate degree about a year after graduating high school. Twenty years later, I had the brilliant idea to go back for my bachelor’s degree. I attended and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Wayland Baptist University with a Bachelor of Applied Science with an accounting concentration. I have always loved numbers. I’ve known since high school that this was what I wanted to do.

It also helped that I had a grandmother and mother that were in the bookkeeping/accounting field.”

As a single mom, Sheri obtained her degree strictly online allowing her the flexibility to raise her daughter Emily who is now 18. Emily enjoys working with special needs individuals, but due to the current situation in our world right now, she is finding it very difficult to pursue employment in that field.

After graduating with her associate’s degree, Sheri was able to get her foot in the door when she went to work with her mom at the subcontracting firm she worked for. She has worked for general contractors, subcontractors and in manufacturing. In all, she has worked in the construction industry for 19 years.

At Ridout Barrett, the core part of

my job is assisting clients with their bookkeeping needs by making sure everything is being properly reported and that their in-house financials are as accurate as possible, assisting them with their accounting software needs/issues, sales tax reporting, and payroll tax reporting.

She also prepares financial statements, business tax returns and personal tax returns. “I am the “go to” on three accounting programs and I oversee/maintain the electronic filing program that we use for our payroll tax reporting.

“I enjoy working with the clients; it allows me to still “work” in the industry but not in a full time manner. I also like teaching. I am always more than happy and willing to impart my knowledge and experiences with clients and fellow employees. Working in this field for 25-plus years has shown and taught me a lot.”

Lynda Land, Sheri’s department manager, is her work mentor. “Over the past seven years she has always taken the time to help me, teach me and encourage me to push myself outside my working limits. There isn’t anything I can’t go to her about. She is my sounding board for when I just need to talk things through in order to make sure my train of thought is on the right track and she is there for me on a personal level as well.” - cmw

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Kenny Sauer, owner of KPS Services LLC

enny Sauer and KPKC Services LLC, d/b/a KPS Services LLC celebrated 15 years in business in 2019. Now in its 16th year of business, Sauer formed the company in 2004 after getting out of the paint business.

When KPS first opened, they started out doing little odd jobs and then moved into remodeling houses and building buildings. From there, the company took off. Sauer recalls doing 33 churches in one summer. “We did the entire Stone Oak golf course in ’09 and all the fence around it. I had about 100 guys on that job. If you recall in ’09, there were like 50plus days of 105 degrees. We were all dying out there on that job.”

Now with the COVID pandemic on the forefront, the company has shifted back to residential as more and more people are spending more time at home.

Rooms are being added on to make office space within the home, along with bathrooms and kitchens being remodeled and updated.

All in all, KPS performs about 25-30 percent commercial work. In addition to

home remodels, they are seeing a lot of office layout changes with requests to tear out walls or add walls to make offices either larger or smaller.

KPS, like many other small businesses, has seen its ups and downs. This year with the interruptions of COVID is no different. “We had a lot projects lined up for February and March, many had to be put on the back burner,” says Sauer.

KPS Services LLS does consulting, construction and completion work performing everything from sitework to ground up construction, total interior finish-out, remodels, homes to office buildings, home kitchens to restaurants and the list goes on serving San Antonio and the small communities surrounding the Alamo City such as Schertz, Cibolo, Selma, Converse, New Braunfels, La Vernia and Boerne. “Give us a call and we’ll help get done whatever you need done on your house or commercial building,” concludes Sauer.

KPS Services LLC is a small general contracting firm specializing in additions and remodels. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Three steps to reduce the risk of coronavirus phishing scams

The Differences between Bonding and Insurance

Daimon Geopfer Principal RSM US LLP San Antonio, TX

Eric Schmalz, Principal Schmalz & Associates Surety Bonding Liberty Hill, TX

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ith the coronavirus pandemic consuming attention and companies focusing on implementing safety, readiness and response measures, a surge in potentially harmful phishing scams has emerged. As organizations manage a host of coronavirus-related challenges, they may drop their guard or unknowingly implement policies that increase the risk of suffering an attack.

Unfortunately, criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster scenarios to exploit lapses in protections and controls. These criminals use social engineering tactics to prey on a variety of emotions to manipulate people, attempting to exploit fear in this scenario.

Currently, we are seeing two grades of attacks. The first is fairly low-grade, with hackers sending deceptive emails with no target in mind, pretending to be the CDC, Red Cross or other entities tied to coronavirus information to trick users into clicking on links and attachments that infect systems and steal information.

However, a new level of attacks targets individual companies, presenting fake coronavirus alerts or guidance that looks like they are authored by specific members of organizational leadership, often from the C-suite. By using a familiar name or face, these attacks have a much higher success rate.

Further complicating the issue, many companies have understandably sent employees home to work remotely, but the same level of security controls and protections often doesn’t extend to home networks.

To mitigate these risks, companies can take three important steps to safeguard against these emerging phishing scams:

1. Get in front of the issue by communicating the risks

Organizations must be front-running when faced with these scams, creating proactive communications about how they will distribute critical alerts and information. Leadership should detail how they will communicate, cover what would and would not be requested from employees, and stress the importance of going to official company communication channels regularly for updates and to validate any suspicious information.

2. Make it personal

The risks to company data and information also extend to personal networks. Emphasizing how predators are lurking with threats to companies as well as family communications will likely garner more attention. Employees will get the point in terms of company data, while also appreciating the encouragement to act regarding personal data.

3. Communicate and evaluate remote work security policies Companies must ensure they have communicated the rules and risks of working outside the corporate environment. In many cases, security protections and firewalls that are in place inside the office simply don’t protect devices that access the network remotely. In many cases, companies will need to consider network or security changes to equalize security protections inside and outside of the office.

As coronavirus fear and uncertainty increases, hackers will continue to try to exploit companies with phishing attacks.

By spreading awareness of the potential threats, communicating how they may extend into personal affairs and making necessary adjustments to security policies to account for increased remote work, companies can go a long way toward better protecting themselves against emerging and persistent phishing risks.

For more ideas and insights about how to manage business challenges related to the coronavirus, visit RSM’s Coronavirus Resource Center.

Daimon Geopfert is RSM’s national leader of security, privacy and risk services and can be reached at Daimon.Geopfert@rsmus.com.

s a surety bond agent, I find that many people confuse surety bonds with insurance. I thought it would be good to discuss the important distinctions between the two products.

• As a risk product business that responds to “claims”, the surety bond industry needs a pool of capital to operate and pay losses. This model lent itself to sureties becoming divisions of insurance companies. In many ways, that is where the similarities of bonding and insurance end. Surety is better described as a “credit” financial product with underwriting more akin to banking.

• The insurance industry compiles actuarial data on the frequency and severity of losses that occur in an insurance product. Armed with this data they set the premium rates on a product to cover those anticipated losses. With surety bonding there is an underwriting goal of zero losses. The premium charged is best described as an underwriting fee. Using the example of a construction project, the surety is pre-qualifying the contractor to ensure the project will be delivered as specified by the contract with no performance issues and all labor and material suppliers getting paid. The surety company is not underwriting or pricing the bond expecting a loss.

• An insurance contract is a twoparty agreement between the insured and the insurer, often with the insured as the beneficiary of the policy. Whereas a surety bond is a three-party agreement including the Surety, Principal (contractor), and Obligee (owner). The Obligee is the primary beneficiary of the bond rather than the contractor.

• Sticking with the construction industry as our example, a contractor buys insurance primarily to protect themselves against financial loss – the goal is to transfer risk from themselves to an insurance company. With a bond, it is the owner or entity the for which the contractor is performing work who requires and benefits from the bond protecting their project.

• As insurers expect losses on their policies and recoup much of that loss through the proper premium pricing, they also ‘subrogate’ or turn to the person or entity found at fault for the loss for financial responsibility. With a

bond, based on the premise of underwriting to a zero loss, the surety and principal sign an “indemnity agreement” or promise from the principal to the surety to make them “whole” financially if they sustain a loss.

• Insurance policies, such as general liability, are typically renewed annually and offer coverage across a contractor’s scope of operations. A Performance & Payment bond is also referred to as a “contract bond” as it directly guarantees the obligations of a specific underlying contract. The bond is put in place when the contract is signed and is closed when the obligations under that contract have been met. So, a bond follows the life of the contract and construction project and does not renew annually like an insurance policy.

• With insurance, even if you are deemed a high-risk account or in a highrisk class of business, there are usually options in the marketplace to obtain a policy. But you may have to pay more premium for the policy. This is where the phrase “there are no bad risks, just bad pricing” comes from. With surety bonding, we have options in the market to establish bonding for a contractor with higher risk attributes. Such as lack of financial resources, credit problems, or recent track record of losing money.

That said, there is a limit to what is available and there is time when you just might not be bondable. In these instances, I would recommend working with your surety bond agent. A professional surety bond agent can help establish a plan and goals around what a surety underwriter wants to see and take those steps to becoming an acceptable risk and bonded.

Schmalz & Associates is an agency exclusively supporting contractor’s bonding needs. Eric Schmalz was an underwriter and manager for over 15 years working for Top 10 surety companies and now helps his contractor clients establish and maximize their bonding. Please call 512-6406444, email eric@schmalzsurety.com or visit the website at www.schmalzsurety. com

WE DON’T MAKE THE NEWS, WE MAKE IT BETTER

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Saving Money in a Construction Dispute R. Carson Fisk Shareholder Andrews Myers P.C. Austin, TX

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onstruction is an industry that is prone to disputes.

The process inherently involves multiple parties, with many of them relying on contractually downstream specialists or trades to perform components of a larger scope of work (e.g., contractors and subcontractors, architects and sub-consultants, etc.). And, as the saying goes, you are only as strong as your weakest link. In many instances, conditions arise that were not foreseen or are different than expected, whether those are physical (e.g., abnormal adverse weather, differing site conditions, etc.), financial (e.g., bankruptcy, lending challenges, etc.), or something else (e.g., pandemics, labor market changes, supply chain disruptions, etc.). This combination of factors can lead to delays and increased costs, which are often the subject of a disputes. Disputes, if not addressed, can escalate and potentially lead to even more expensive and time-consuming litigation or arbitration. Thus, most anyone engaged in the construction process—whether a project owner, architect, engineer, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or otherwise—should understand how to mitigate the financial impact of such matters. Following a few simple tips with help in this effort.

Stay (or Get) Organized

When a dispute arises, or even looms, access to information that is available in an easily understandable format can help lead to an early resolution. Such information will almost certainly assist in developing important claims or defenses. Internal personnel changes and schedules can make organizing information well after an issue has arisen a difficult task.

Rummaging aimlessly through poorly organized computer files or hard-copy project folders searching for relevant information will certainly take an inordinate amount of time. While someone outside the company, such as an attorney or outside document processing vendor, may be willing to take the lead in organizing information, it will come at a significant cost. The best practice is to ensure that project documents are organized in a way that others can easily locate important information, even if the project team is no longer available to assist.

Set a Goal While circumstances may dictate a different approach, consider seeking an amicable resolution. While there may be a desire to maximize recovery—using aggressive means if necessary—that may not be the most cost-effective approach in the near-term. Early negotiation or mediation are two available means to seek a resolution on friendly, or less adversarial, terms. Even if a lawsuit or arbitration has been filed, that does not necessarily mean the party pursuing the claim intends to do so hyper-aggressively. But if settlement is simply not an option there may be no need to spend the time, energy, and money to go through the motions with the blind hope that something simply works out. Be strategic about the steps taken, bearing in mind the goal being sought.

Participate

Lack of involvement is one of the surest ways for a dispute to cost more. If a dispute is not of a nature that it can simply be ignored, ignoring it will merely allow the future challenges to compound.

This may also require that someone with less knowledge serve as a point person, interfacing with others in an effort to either stave off the development of the dispute or to press it forward. This person must be educated on the matters he or she is discussing, which often comes at a cost. Particularly once litigation or arbitration is involved, there is a significant time commitment no matter whether a party is pursuing a claim or defending against one. Any attorney will need guidance and input on often detailed factual matters, including understanding the

underlying facts and verifying whether positions are accurate. In the event of litigation or arbitration, take the time to understand the nature of the claims and/or defenses being alleged and the positions of the parties by reviewing court filings, discovery responses, correspondence, and other materials provided to you by your attorney.

Understand the Financial Risks

Disputes, particularly those that end up in litigation or arbitration, are unpredictable. There is no guarantee that the party with the most favorable facts, or the “better” lawyer, will win. Frustratingly, there is no guarantee of actual recovery even if one wins by obtaining a judgment. Judgment debtors can and often do go bankrupt. Similarly, there is no guarantee of recovery even if one wins by defending against a claim. And courts or arbitrators may refuse to fully reimburse attorneys’ fees or recovered damages may be a fraction of what was sought. On the direct expense side, given the number of different, often changing factors in a lawsuit (e.g., the number and nature of the claims, reasonableness and strategies of the parties and counsel, judicial and arbitral temperament, legal developments, court rulings, etc.), developing a litigation/arbitration estimate can be challenging. But such information can give one a general sense of what to expect related to cost of pursuing or defending against a claim.

Be Reasonable Thoughtful reflection and consideration should be the guide, not emotion or knee-jerk reaction. A broader view than a single incident may be warranted.

One need not destroy an otherwise valuable business relationship due to a business dispute. Being open to amicable resolution is possibly the greatest path to saving money when faced with a construction dispute. While a good compromise may leave both sides unhappy in the short-term, relationships may be preserved and the likelihood that all parties to the dispute will save a substantial amount of money is a very real possibility.

Even despite one’s best efforts, it may not be able to avoid the escalation of a dispute, including the prospect of litigation or arbitration. These suggestions, however, will help save on costs when faced with such a scenario.

R. Carson Fisk is board certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and may be reached at cfisk@ andrewsmyers.com.

National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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ach year, OSHA promotes a national stand down to prevent falls in construction. This year’s stand down week is September 14 – 18, 2020.

Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/ event for employers to talk directly to suggestions.html. OSHA also has a trainemployees about safety. Any workplace ing guide in English and Spanish on how can hold a stand-down by taking a break to conduct a tool box talk for fall prevento focus on “Fall Hazards” and reinforcing tion. These resources are located here the importance of “Fall Prevention”. Emhttps://www.osha.gov/Publications/ ployers of companies not exposed to fall OSHA3666.pdf and here: https://www. hazards, can also use this opportunity to osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3727.pdf. have a conversation with employees OSHA also has eight free videos on about the other job hazards they face, fall protection located at https://www. protective methods, and the company’s osha.gov/video/index.html. safety policies and goals. It can also be an OSHA hosts an Events page with opportunity for employees to talk to events that are free and open to the pubmanagement about fall and other job lic to help employers and employees find hazards they see. events in your area. If you plan to host a Anyone who wants to prevent haz- free event that is open to the public, see ards in the workplace can participate in the OSHA’s Events page at https://www. the Stand-Down. In past years, partici- osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/calendar. pants included commercial construction html to submit the event details. companies of all sizes, residential con- Employers will be able to provide struction contractors, sub- and indepen- feedback about their Stand-Down and dent contractors, highway construction download a Certificate of Participation companies, general industry employers, following the Stand-Down. The certifithe U.S. Military, other government par- cate pages will be active on September ticipants, unions, employer’s trade asso- 14, 2020, for employers to enter their inciations, institutes, employee interest or- formation and print their certificate. To ganizations, and safety equipment man- download a participation certificate, visit ufacturers. https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStand Companies can conduct a Safety Down/index.html#cert.

Stand-Down by taking a break to have a If you want to share information with toolbox talk or another safety activity OSHA on your Safety Stand-Down, Fall such as conducting safety equipment in- Prevention Programs or suggestions on spections, developing rescue plans, or how we can improve future initiatives like discussing job specific hazards. Manag- this, please send your email to oshasers are encouraged to plan a stand-down tanddown@dol.gov. Also share your that works best for their workplace any- Stand-Down story on social media, with time. OSHA has a number of free ideas to the hashtag: #StandDown4Safety. natarajan.joann@dol.gov use for a stand down event at https:// 512-374-0271 x232

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Jim Robertson CEO/President Americrane Schertz, TX

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obertson didn’t know what had just happened. He had no lights, no power and no money. All he knew, he was 19 years old and had two kids that needed him, and the rest is history.

Tell me about Jim Robertson.

I grew up in Kansas City, MO, which makes me a massive Chiefs fan, way before the Superbowl win. I later moved to Chicago.

How old were you when you moved from Missouri to Chicago?

I moved the summer before my 9th grade of high school after my parents split up. I have two older sisters that stayed in Missouri. I moved with my dad to Evanston, IL which is north of Chicago. As you can imagine, it was a total culture shock to go from a small school in Missouri to the third largest high school in the United States with over 5,500 kids. I was lost.

That was a hell of a learning time. My dad was not around much so I literally grew up right there and really quick. In 1982, I packed up and moved to Florida with $50 in my pocket and a girl that became my wife.

What did you do in Florida?

First things first, I needed a job. By 1983, we had two kids. We had a son and 10 months later our second son was born prematurely and underdeveloped, weighing only 3 lbs.

The Robertsons. Front Row L-R: Liberty and Justice. Back Row L-R: Jim and Summer.

I can vividly remember one long and hot Florida day in July. I had a child in a bassinet on a heart monitor and another asleep in a dresser drawer pulled out. I had no money. I’m watching the ceiling fan and it slowly comes to a stop. All of a sudden, we had no lights and no power. I couldn’t afford the electric bill, so they cut it off. With a newborn on a heart monitor and a family to support, survival mode kicked in. These kids were mine and they needed me. I had to figure things out and quick. No health insurance and $66,000 in medical bills piling up for my younger son didn’t help the stress. Over time, I ended up paying every medical bill back on my own without accepting any special assistance.

The first job I got was with a builder. I was working on a three-story pitched roof of an apartment complex, and I’m not a big fan of heights. It was July and it was hot. Coming from the Midwest, I was not used to this type of heat.

On that job was a crane. A pretty blue and white crane I had never seen before.

The crane was state-of-the-art at the time.

I watched the operator in the crane, sitting in the air conditioning cab and thought to myself that has to be a better job. I went to work for that company the next day as a concrete pumper helper. They had both cranes and pumps. I started with pumps and worked my way into cranes.

That experience taught me a personal life lesson that I never wanted to be in that position ever again. It also taught me work ethic knowing that I had to work my ass off to get anywhere.

What is your wife’s name?

I remarried in March 2007. My wife’s name is Summer. She has her own law firm in Fort Lauderdale specializing in immigration law. Summer is an amazing woman.

She developed an exchange type visa program with Canadians and Germans which is how we met.

Do you and Summer have children together?

Yes. I honestly never thought I would have any more kids or get married again because I already had two adult sons, both now 36. My oldest son, Winston, has worked in the crane industry himself for nearly 20 years. He currently works for a large crane company in New Jersey. He has a beautiful daughter that is almost 10 years old. My younger son, Brandon, is in the Navy Special Forces and has been abroad, all over the world, for 14 years. He is currently stationed in Rota, Spain. He was in the middle east for several years where he met his wife. She was a flight attendant for Qatar Airway. They now have a two-yearold daughter.

Summer and I have two kids together, Liberty and Justice. When we decided to have a child together, I told Summer it had to be a girl! Liberty, my daughter, is 12 years old. Almost three years later we had another son, Justice.

People joke all the time and ask when we are going to have “For All.” So we rescued a beautiful white Labrador from the Humane Society that we call For All.

Back Row L-R: Master Chief Brandon Robertson, his wife Wanvisa, their daughter Alice, Winston Robertson, Summer, Jim and Jim’s mother JoAnne. Front Row L-R: Jim’s oldest granddaughter Avarose, Liberty and Justice. -cmw

You said your wife has a law firm in Fort Lauderdale, do your wife and kids live in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes, they currently live in Fort Lauderdale. I commute on a regular basis to be with them. I am able to watch their lacrosse and football games on the weekends. My son is in a full-time Spanish Immersion program and once he finishes that program, they will move to Texas.

They were supposed to spend a majority of the summer with me in Texas but COVID halted this plan. We are, instead, taking a road trip to the Grand Canyon area to spend some quality family together.

My wife’s campaign for Liberty and Justice is to visit every state before they finish high school. We spend time in each state doing or seeing what they are each known for (some more than others). We are about half way there of that goal.

You and your wife seem to be very patriotic?

We are a very patriotic family. We have three grandparents buried in Arlington National Cemetery and have a large military family in general. We support active military and veterans in a variety of ways. That’s part of who I am.

As a young boy, I always wanted and expected to go into the military myself. My dream was to be a general. Growing up I was GI Joe! All I ever wanted to do was be a Green Beret, but I got hurt 180 days into training. Even though I rehabbed and passed all the medicals, at that time you could not have any foreign objects in your body so the metal rod in my knee crushed those dreams. Today the Green Beret Commander has only one leg and it’s not an issue anymore. That was my calling, so I put it to work in business. I can run this business kind of militaristically. All my research has led me to align myself in that kind of thinking – coming together as a team.

You mentioned that you worked your way into cranes, how did that happen?

As I mentioned, I went to work for the crane company I saw on that apartment complex job. I started there and went through all the different job levels and became pretty successful. I had 15 job offers early July 1986. I selected the one that offered me real security because I had a family to support. I ferociously worked my ass off and learned the hard and soft skills as a business owner that you learn through real life experiences. It pushed me to not only do that but to be a part of the community.

I selected a 10-year employment contract with a company in 1986 called General Crane Inc. It was a small successful company, one that we built without using the banks. By 1989, we had quadrupled. We had 90 cranes and were on our way.

In 2002 I bought my first company for $31 million, a company that I helped build, and then we took off. GE Capital gave me $15 million upfront, the seller financed the balance and paid it off in three years and then expanded. In 2007, we opened in Houston because I was tired of doing what I was doing just in Florida. I wanted more industrial work because the really big companies had been successful in the industrial corridor like in the Petro Chem & refineries.

While the rest of the nation was experiencing the effects of the recession in 2008, I brought in a private equity partner out of Dallas and created Allegiance Crane with

the assets of General Crane USA. I brought them in, sold off the rest of the General Crane entities and built Allegiance over all of Texas. Allegiance Crane was my baby. I basically birthed it, named it, grew, developed and branded it with huge success.

Sixteen months ago, I thought Texas might be the place to be for my next iteration and bought Americrane in March 2019.

Since then, we have grown two-fold. We opened in Houston right away and now we are opening in Dallas to serve new customer demands.

What do you do to relax?

I try to stay very active. I work out every day with a team on new mentees. I enjoy mountain biking, fresh water fishing, boating and being outdoors. I am a big turkey hunter.

What are some of your other interests?

I’m a mentor, a mentee and a motivator. I’m always mentoring somebody while always looking for opportunities to be mentored myself. Knowledge is power. I have many mentors in my life that have helped me spiritually and professionally.

I love to mountain bike too. One of my mentees is a new general contractor and purchased a new mountain bike so we can ride together. He is a young guy bound for success based on his drive and attitude. Another mentee recently bought a landscaping business which has just flourished.

They constantly drill me with questions which I am happy to answer based on my own experience. When I get done and go home, it’s “Jim time.” I cook a healthy meal, read, facetime my family, sometimes catch up on a Netflix series and always try to get to bed early for an early start the next day.

Are you involved in your community?

Yes, very much so. I do a tremendous amount of community work in Florida and now here in Texas. I was chairman of Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County, which is massive with 12,500 kids. That was a great experience because I could dive into it. I was used to working 90 hours a week.

Additionally, I’m on that front line along with helping youth and veterans in a variety of other local organizations. My family and I have made that a priority. Fourteen years ago I started a workforce development program for the Boys and Girls Club with a group of leaders and it has been very successful. I brought that same model to San Antonio a year ago and its taking off. With the exception of this year due to COVID, each year we have a handson career day for the Boys and Girls Clubs members. We bring in all of the different trades that set up stations. The kids get to rotate and experience hands on each trade with a possible future internship opportunity. We have a board integrated in teaching the youth all the different trades. The public school systems still think everybody is going to be a doctor or a lawyer, when the majority and statically, are not going to higher education. Where are they going?

They’re not going to the trades because we have had such a bad image for years and years that all we do is dig ditches and work in 110 degree temperatures. Well, you and I both know that’s not the case. There is a lot of very well, high paying jobs with benefits and everything they need to build a career and help raise a family and I am trying to change that stigma. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Growing Cambridge

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A desire to be big

Rusty Hastings, owner and president of Cambridge Contracting LLC.

aving been a project manager for seven years, Rusty Hastings was ready to venture out on his own. In 2011, he started Cambridge Contracting LLC. “I always had that entrepreneur mindset. I like to create things basically from scratch and build them into something bigger and better,” says Hastings.

In the beginning, it was just Hastings.

He did the project management, the estimating, the supervision and the accounting. It started out slow, but it was manageable. Within the six months he had four to five projects underway. Within the first year, he completed roughly 20-30 small finish-out projects.

Half way through his second year, roughly 18 months into establishing Cambridge, he knew he needed to hire somebody. He hired his first project assistant/ office admin person and the company doubled in size the next two years.

By the company’s third year in business, Hastings was ready to pursue ground up construction and hired his first full-time superintendent. During the next couple of years, Hastings and Cambridge Construc-

tion were well on their way developing good relations and growing their client base.

Today the company performs about 60 to 70 percent finish-out construction and 30 percent ground up construction.

“I’ve been very fortunate and blessed. I have a bunch of really good clients that I do a lot of repeat business,” says Hastings.

About 50 to 60 percent of Cambridge Construction’s work comes from repeat business. The rest is new clients from word of mouth who have heard about his company and or have another developer friend that has asked and passed over his name.

In 2019, Cambridge was at its largest with 13 employees, Hastings included.

They range from project administration to project managers to superintendents to account payable and accounts receivable, and Hastings himself.

While Hastings makes sure their clients are well taken care of, he maintains a work environment that allows his employees to put their families first.

Cambridge Contracting LLC is a general contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

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The Elite Master Plumbing team.

t the young age of 19, Rene Garza moved from Mission, TX to San Antonio. He started working for a local plumbing company and found his calling.

“Since becoming a journeyman, I wanted to start my own business. My goal was to start my own company by the age of 27. I got my master license when I was 27 but decided to wait a few years. Once I turned 30, I knew it was time to take a leap of faith. I started Elite Master Plumbing LLC May 22, 2017,” recalls Garza Garza sold his first house and used the money to start his company. It quickly became one of those things for him, either you make it, or you don’t. There was no turning back.

“The first year was just me by myself.

We quickly ran out of money. It was tough running a company and bidding the work versus just showing up to work and knowing what to do. It was a good learning curve. There were a lot of obstacles to overcome and a lot of learning. It was very stressful but at the same time it was an adventure,” he adds.

The company has been going strong now for three years, adding a new truck

and new apprentices every year. Today, the company has two plumbers, besides Garza, two service trucks and a handful of apprentices. “It’s going good.”

Garza’s passion for the trade he has come to love and has also ignited the passion to be as successful as he can possibly be. “We are a young company and we are just getting started, but we are going to be around for a long time. I want to keep growing, but I want to grow slowly to ensure I don’t grow too fast, but I want to be big. I want to be like one of those big box companies with commercials and everything. I want to be as big as I can.

“I’m very family oriented with the guys and the phone is always ringing.

When things calm down a bit or between a very business month, I like to have gettogethers with my guys to boost morale by hosting barbeques for them. I want them to understand that it is not just about work, it’s about camaraderie,” says Garza.

Servicing all of San Antonio, Elite Master Plumbing LLC performs commercial and residential work, and is Med Gas certified.

-cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Golf anyone?

A shining a light

embers of the American Subcontractor Association (ASA) were more than happy to get out and hit the course for a fun round of golf on Jul. 28. ASA’s annual golf tournament was held on TPC’s Canyon course. While practicing the guidelines mandated for social distancing under these unusual times of COVID, ASA members enjoyed the camaraderie of one another and Mother Nature’s beautiful day. -cmw ASA Golf Tournament winners: 2nd Place Gross: Skanska 3rd Place Gross: Sundt 2nd Place Net: Allegiance Floors 3rd Place Net: Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing

Closest-to-the-Pin: Chris Fry, EquipmentShare Ladies Longest Drive: Sarah White, BizDoc Inc. Men’s Longest Drive: Fernando Herrera, EquipmentShare

Clint Swindall

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1st Place Gross: BizDoc Inc.

1st Place Net: Anchor Insulation of Texas

e are surrounded by negativity.

From 24-hour cable news to everyday encounters at work and home, we get a steady flow of it. Mix in some social media with friends, and you’ll see we experience all kinds of negativity on a daily basis.

For the past two decades, Clint Swindall has been working to help overcome the onslaught of negativity by getting people to focus on the good stuff.

“Negativity isn’t going away,” Swindall stated. “Even without a global pandemic, we’ll always have those who constantly complain about their situation. We’ll always have those who are excessively pessimistic about their future. We’ll always have those who simply cannot see past the challenges in their life.”

The personal development industry is where Swindall has spent most of his adult life. As the president & CEO of Verbalocity, a personal development company with a focus on leadership enhancement, he has worked to spread his message of positivity to audiences around the world. He has delivered his programs throughout the United States, Canada, South America, the United Kingdom, Central America, Mexico, Bermuda, and The Bahamas.

“Being positive is a choice,” Swindall added. “While we can’t eliminate negativity in our life, we can learn to overcome it. Since much of our negativity comes from old habits of dealing with the bad stuff in our lives, we need to establish new habits of dealing with the crud.

When we do, we’ll create a more positive life for ourselves and those around us.”

Although he travels often as a professional speaker, trainer, and consultant, his roots run deep in San Antonio. “My passion to help develop better leaders started right here in San Antonio,” Swindall said with a smile. “I grew up here and built my business here. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to work with local businesses, including many in the construction industry.”

The Verbalocity client list includes Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, Zachry, RVK Architects, Pape-Dawson, Al-

San Antonio

pha Insulation & Waterproofing, and the ASA San Antonio Chapter. “We’ve been honored to have Clint Swindall present to the ASA San Antonio membership in-person the past four years,” said Jennifer Swinney, Executive Director of the ASA San Antonio Chapter. “His energy, positivity, and relatability are what keeps our members coming back for more.”

While he enjoys enhancing leadership in others, Swindall has dedicated a great deal of time and talent to serving in the community. He has been a volunteer at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo for 22 years, and has served on the Board of Directors of GVTC, a premier telecommunications company based in the Texas Hill Country, for the past 12 years. Perhaps most importantly, he and his wife Heather founded the First Chance Foundation, a 501(c)3 dedicated to assisting abandoned, abused, and neglected children.

After a brief time in corporate America, Swindall pursued a career helping leaders build a culture to overcome employee disengagement. “Studies show that two-thirds of employees are at some level of disengagement,” he said. “When you consider most people spend more waking hours at work than they do at home, it just makes sense for leaders to focus on building a culture where people want to be instead of where they feel they have to be.”

The foundation of his message has been two books he has written on employee engagement. He just finished his third book, set to launch in September.

With his focus on helping others overcome negativity, the book is appropriately titled, Tell Me Somethin’ Good!

“The global pandemic has had such a negative impact on a lot of people,” Swindall observed, “and I was determined to have something positive to look back on during this period. As we prepare to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Verbalocity this month, we wanted the release of the book to coincide with the celebration, as well as the launch of a Tell Me Somethin’ Good! podcast.

And God willing, we’ll have an even bigger celebration 20 years from now.” -cmw

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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great news because usually by the end of July we start to see a decline in the catching due to pressure on our bays and estuaries. In late March and April, we saw a decline in fishing pressure caused by the coronavirus. This allowed a lot of fish to make it to the summer months and continue into fall. As we roll into September and the start of the fall season, I feel confident that these conditions will hold out through the end of the year.

Late Season Fishing Action

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by:

Waypoint Marine, Shoalwater Boats, 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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utdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, biking, jogging, walking, hiking, wildlife viewing, and the like are essential activities for Texas citizens. There is only so much I can do indoors before I say, “That’s It,” I’m going outside to get some fresh air. That’s the same things I’m hearing from my customers during this COVID-19 pandemic we are living through these days. They are tired of sitting around not being able to go anywhere, do anything without having to wear a mask or even plan a family vacation. People are ready

Ruger Cote of Devine had never caught a redfish before his last fishing trip. Not only did he catch one, he caught five total with the biggest being 37 inches.

Photo taken by Steve Schultz Outdoors

to get out into the outdoors and there is no better and safer way to enjoy the outdoors than getting out on the water.

Fishing has exploded this year and the bays have been busy with guides and recreational fisherman more so than ever.

With the lack of people being able to travel on long vacations, more and more Texans are taking shorter trips and doing it more often. I’ve noticed more and more folks flocking to the coast every weekend

and making the best out of this crappy year we have been going through. Hotels are busy, restaurants and souvenir shops are starting to see they’re business pick up and the economy looks like it’s ready to explode. This is a great thing for my business and I hope it continues.

As for the fishing, it’s the best summer I’ve seen in quite some time. Quality and quantities of speckled trout are staying strong through August. This is

Like I mentioned above, we are having a stellar year for speckled trout fishing.

Now we are entering what we consider our best red fishing months. Late August, September and October are prime months for reel stripping redfish action.

Reds are all business when it comes to getting them to the boat. Pound for pound, they are one of the strongest fish in our bay complex. They will put your tackle, line and knots to the test, whether they are 6 lbs. or a 48-inch bull that tips the scales at 30-plus lbs. Generally, a couple of times around the boat and a few near misses around the motor and power poles will keep your heart pumping until it makes it into the net. This is what fall fishing is all about. Come get ya some!

My open dates are dwindling down to only a few. September 2,3,21,23 and October 19 and 28 are the last for my season. Hunting begins after that and I have dates available for whitetail deer.

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 at Steve Schultz Outdoors.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 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

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don’t think anyone can deny the craziness of this year to date, and it’s an election year so we know there will be a lot more to come! Most folks I talk to admit to having that “shot at and missed” mentality where we just wonder what’s next. It is best to just go fishing!

Have you noticed though that there are some unusually good things happening in with the tide of challenges we have been caught up in. Have you noticed that the sky is a little bluer and the stars are brighter with the clearing of the air because we are not traveling as much? I think most of us have have had to take a different approach to our daily life. Our family life and work life may never look the same because of the changes we are learning to make. I have to admit I don’t see things the way I used to. Everything and everybody is so much more appreciated now.

Here we are at the old hot time of year when the stripers and hybrids just don’t want to bite. We have been struggling for the last several weeks to get the fish to bite for us. We all know its getting too hot to fish...NOT!

All of a sudden and for no reason we can figure out the STRIPER BITE IS BACK ON BIG TIME!!! We are catching consistent limits of stripers and hybrids, and they are nice solid fish that are good sized!

This kind unusual feeding pattern happens every few years and although we all have our theories about it, nobody has ever figured it out. All we know for sure is we need to get ‘em while they are hot!

We usually see a nice increase in our catches once the heat of summer starts

It’s too hot to fish . . . NOT! to let up, because the fish have been going without feeding, waiting out the heat. October is usually the beginning of a strong fall and winter season for stripers and hybrids because they like cooler water. It is not unusual to have good topwater fishing then too.

I wonder too about how the upcoming hunting seasons will be affected by our changes in habits. I know the way hunters congregate at the hunting camp will need modification. Somehow sleeping in a little travel trailer with other folks gives even more worries now than who snores the loudest. I bet the sales of tents will go up this hunting season, so we can have some safer distancing.

Hunters are pretty clever people so they should be able to adapt because nothing gets in the way of hunting! I can hear it now, “Not you can’t use my blind or hunt with me! Social distancing!”. What better way to protect that big buck you are waiting for?

I hope that we can see through all the things that have made 2020 such a tough year. I hope all the good things that are quietly happening around us won’t go unnoticed. It’s funny how we just have to notice the good things because they don’t usually come with news coverage or fanfare. I guess we just have to develop a new kind of 2020 vision.

Look for the good stuff!

Top Photo: JD Construction Bottom Photo: Maxwell Electric

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Jeepin’ in Colorado

raig Noto and his wife Teresa of Quality Fence and Welding, vacationed in Colorado. While there, accompanied by friends, went jeep climbing on Engineer Pass and Mikipsi Pass near Ouray, CO. -cmw

Do you think he is excited?

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A birthday fish-tacular

t was a great birthday gift for Regan Wiatrek, daughter of Greg Wiatrek, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc. and Carol Wiatrek, Construction News. Instead of getting candles on a birthday cake, Regan got speckled trout instead.

To celebrate his oldest daughter’s 28th birthday, Greg took Regan and younger brother Jacob Wiatrek on a guided fishing trip. Greg, Regan and Jacob set out for an allday fishing trip on Jul. 23, the day before Regan’s birthday in Rockport. With the guiding expertise of Jack Nelson, the trio each caught their limit in speckled trout plus three Reds. -cmw L-R: Jacob and Regan Wiatrek ➤ take a photo together with some of the fish caught on Regan’s birthday fishing trip.

A great day of fishing, 15 speckled trout and three reds.

Craig and Teresa Noto in Colorado.

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CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion after restoration.

he CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion is a medical office building encompassing 146,402sf of office space with about 75 percent of the building encased in tall glass windows. The lower seven floors of the structure house over 600 parking spots. The building façade and parking garage have a stucco substrate. While the stucco was in fair condition, the existing coating had weathered over time and was delaminating, cracking, and pulling away from the stucco. Built-in 1986, the high rise was now experiencing water intrusion and was in need of rejuvenation. Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing was selected as the prime contractor to restore the skin of the building by cleaning, wet glazing and sealing the envelope plus repairing pre-

Before restoration: weathered existing coating on stucco façade.

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CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion before restoration.

cast panel joints in the parking garage.

The entire building envelope scope was completed from swing stages with multiple drops. A mansard roof about eight feet high lining the perimeter of the building’s roof posed a rigging challenge for the swing stages.

Chamberlin worked with Big City Access to design a rigging system that could extend over the mansard roof. Extended outriggers were the solution, and over two dozen drops were completed safely. In fact, the project concluded with zero safety incidents.

Time was of the essence to the new owners who acquired the pavilion just before construction kicked off.

One of their goals for the revitalization was to make the building more appealing for new tenants to fill the unoccupied suites, and they wanted them leased as quickly as possible. Chamberlin utilized two swing stages that started in the northwest corner of the building and worked in opposite directions of each other until they met together again in the end. The restoration of the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion was completed in just six months.

The owner appreciated the experience and the aesthetic outcome of the renovation. The elastomeric coating turned the mansard roof from red to gray and the facade from beige to a bright white. The coating refreshed the envelope’s appearance and the color scheme modernized the building’s look.

The main concern, however, was the persistent leaks. The owner wanted to alleviate the inconvenience to their tenants as soon as possible and with a long-term solution.

Chamberlin’s work on the window perimeter seals, gasket systems and building façade left it watertight.

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing provides full commercial roofing and waterproofing services. -cmw CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing San Antonio, TX

CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pavilion deteriorated window gasket system before restoration.

A little piece of history

rom 1908 to 1954, A.J. Monier Service Co. was known as A.J. Monier & Company. In 1954, the business was incorporated, and the name changed to A.J. Monier & Co. Inc. Funny enough, in those incorporation documents, A.J. and his son, Kurt, thought the business only needed to be incorporated for 50 years.

In 2004, the company discovered their business was no longer incorporated and had to re-incorporate. In 2014, the company was reorganized as a wholly-owned subsidiary named A.J. Monier Service Co., which is how it operates.

In April 1926, the San Antonio Light published an ad featuring a plumbing San Antonio Light building

San Antonio Light plumbing install

San Antonio Light photo

project done for the Municipal Audito-rium by A.J. Monier & Company.

This special newspaper clipping was saved by A.J. himself as a remembrance of a job well done. Little did he know that 94 years later, his company would again be featured by the San Antonio Light, yet this time it would be to bring the 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival building that housed the publication for over six decades, back to life.

Today, A.J. Monier is currently performing the installation of domestic hot and cold water, waste and vent, natural gas and storm drain plumbing systems for the historic San Antonio Light Building, Print Building and the new Connector building. A.J. Monier’s plumbing crew ranges from five to eight journeymen and apprentice plumbers who are working to complete this project. Located at 420 Broadway St., the building is now owned by Gray Street Partners and will be used as a combination of 140,000sf of Class A office and retail spaces.

From a little piece of history clipped from the San Antonio Light, to the exciting changes taking place in the historical building itself, this 112-year- old mechanical and plumbing contractor is proud to be a part of the past as well as the future of San Antonio.

A.J. Monier Service Co. is a full-service mechanical contracting company in San Antonio. -cmw A little piece of history A.J. Monier Service Co. San Antonio, TX

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Turning Stone Animal Hospital

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he Koehler Company, established in 1954, specializes in custom architectural millwork, residential homes and commercial buildings. Their architectural millwork notability was perfect for the Turning Stone Animal Hospital.

Turning Stone Animal Hospital houses a staff providing superior medical and surgical pet care in a modern veterinary facility.

The facility is well equipped to provide routine annual pet exams, surgical procedures, and for treating serious illnesses and difficult problems. This state-of-the-art facility utilizes the latest in technology, such as aquatic tread mill, digital radiology, digital x-ray, dental and boarding services.

Site challenges overcome during construction were substantial rain impact and highly expansive soils on site work, foundation, and steel erection. Dewatering, regrading, and lost time mitigation were used to offset weather- induced construction delays. Additional site challenges were resolution of a property line encroachment, resolving conflicting TXDOT and project civil drawings, facilitating natural gas utilities installation, and facilitating water, sewer, and electrical easements.

The building structure is comprised of a select structural fill supported slab

Lobby and waiting area.

I

•

Turning Stone Animal Hospital

on grade foundation, structural steel frame, steel joists, structural steel deck and concrete second floor, and light gauge steel trusses. The building exterior is comprised of stone veneer with brick accents, stucco veneer, decorative steel columns, bronze anodized glazing systems, clerestory windows, and TPO & standing seam metal roofs. Additionally, the exterior scope consisted of pre-finished ornamental fencing, exterior ac-

cess hardware, exterior dog runs, dumpster enclosure, stone hardscape elements, utility easements coordination and implementation, and utility routing.

The building interior consists of metal stud and drywall partitions, acoustical ceilings, anodized aluminum door and window frames, painted drywall partitions with fourteen accent colors, stain grade oak and plastic laminate custom architectural millwork, resinous epoxy,

Canine surgical suite

medical grade vinyl, LVT, ceramic tile and carpet tile flooring.

The interior is also comprised of structural steel components, increased resinous epoxy and medical grade vinyl flooring areas, exam Rooms millwork, Reception millwork, wall tile, increased wall blocking, owner provided equipment installation and related plumbing connections, room layout modifications, increased accent wall colors, door hardware modifications, access hardware, and increased vacuum system scope.

The building houses a two-story entry lobby with clerestory windows, separate canine and feline waiting areas, separate canine and feline exam rooms, separate canine and feline boarding facilities, exterior exercise and play yard, interior canine play room, canine and feline surgical suites, treatment room, rehab room, break room, doctors’ offices, public and private restrooms, dental, ICU, ultra-sound, and radiology rooms.

The Koehler Company is a full-service general contractor and architectural millwork contractor in Seguin, TX. -cmw Turning Stone Animal Hospital The Koehler Company San Antonio, TX

Feline surgical suite

Hauling transformers, replacing antennas to setting AC units

n the crane rental business, Alamo Crane Service Inc. does a multitude of projects from setting A/C units to concrete tilt walls to setting structural steel for building to hauling and setting transformers for electric substations to setting bridge beams, building water towers, setting transmission towers and anything that needs to be moved. They work with many contractors, both large and small, locally owned and globally owned and have done many shut downs for plants.

120-ton lowboy hauling a transformer.

Alamo’s fleet of cranes range from 15-ton boom trucks to 600-ton all-terrain, both hydraulic and lattice boom machines. Their truck and trailer fleet range from tandem axle day cabs to OTR units with sleepers. The larger tractors are 4-axle units with horsepower ratings up to 600 HP. Transmissions range from automatic to 18-speed units with 2-speed auxiliary transmissions. Trailers range from 16-ft bumper pull trailers, 40-ft gooseneck, 40-ft tandem axle, 3-axle lowboy, 4-axle lowboy, 80-ton rear steer trailer and the big 120-ton 48tire lowboy.

Alamo Crane Service has 75 employees. All crane operators are NCCCO certified, certified riggers, CDL drivers, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 employees. “We have been in business for 41-plus years and have an excellent safety record. Our workers comp EMR ratting is .66 which is the lowest in Texas. We are very proud of our record and all of our employees that practice safety every day,” says Marvin Ohlenbusch, owner of Alamo Crane Service.

Alamo Crane Service Inc. offers a full service crane and rigging solutions throughout Texas and is located in Selma, TX. -cmw

Hauling transformers, replacing antennas to setting AC units Alamo Crane Service Inc. San Antonio, TX 26-ton boom truck flying condensers for a new condominium.

600-ton crane sets a large AC unit on the roof of the Chase Tower, downtown Austin.

300-ton crane replacing antennas for a cell tower.

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Construction News ON LOCATION

JOB SIGHTS

Commercial Surfaces Inc. team members L-R: Tony Valadez, RJ Cubillo, Kurt Fielden, Rommy Cubillo, Raul Valadez and Milo Cubillo take a break to say “hello.” -cmw

L-R: Master HVAC Technician Kenny Julian and Nigel Grimley, new construction, in front of Quarter Moon Plumbing, AC & Heating fleet van. -cmw

Hello San Antonio

Alex Castellano, Fry Salinas and Issac Patlan with GJ Sanchez Painting in Sequin, TX. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Page 17

Electrical star rating

No rattling here

C

L-R: Benjamin Stanush, Joseph Stanush and Chris Hill

hris Hill and Joseph Stanush have been friends since high school. Although they had never worked together, they always talked about working together.

After graduation, Hill, who graduated a year before Stanush, went to work for a local contractor and got his associates in air conditioning through St. Phillips College. Stanush got his refrigeration certification after graduation as well and the two were now on different paths, but in 2016 that path changed course.

In 2016, Hill and Stanush turned their talks into reality and started Diamondback Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration.

The company started out with just Hill and Stanush. Hill oversaw the books and estimating while Stanush handled the service side of the business. “It was very rough for a long time trying to keep everything going. Now we are at 21 employees and growing,” says Hill.

As the company approaches its fourth year anniversary, it does so with a

new division to the company. “We started our electrical division in May. Now we have air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and electrical. That has shifted us into a more commercial market but are still providing residential services. We do new construction, change outs, service and everything else.

“Benjamin Stanush oversees everything on the electrical side as well all the estimating on the electrical side. I handle estimating, invoicing, personnel and manpower and Joseph oversees service.

That’s why are partnership works. I know books and estimating, and Joseph knows service. He is a whiz on the technical side. He can walk a guy through something on the phone without even seeing a unit just by telling him how it is wired,” says Hill.

As Diamondback continues to grow, they are committed to their customers, the services they provide and stand behind their work. “Integrity is our main priority. We really try to stand behind that,” says Joseph. -cmw

A

All Star Electric

ll Star Electric has been in business for 25 years and started out like every other small mom and pop shop does, out of a garage doing nothing but residential work.

Rick Grohman was 17 years old when he got started in the electrical industry.

In 1995, he decided to go out on his own.

The company started out as a sole proprietorship, then transitioned to a limited partnership and then a corporation.

Rick Grohman Jr. started working for his father at the age of 15. “I quickly started with him about six months after he started as I was still in school and worked around my school schedule. I started out as a helper then worked my way to a journeyman four years later. A few years after that, I became a Master Electrician.

Rick Grohman Jr., who became owner and president in 2004, proudly recalls that the first 11 years in business the company never spent a dollar on advertising. “Everything was word of mouth. We

really stand behind our work. I’m also very proud that we had three generations of a family work for us. I think it speaks volumes towards us. All Star Electric reputation for being a good company to work for when father hires son and whose son in turn hires his son. We are a good family-owned company and we still have that family-owned mentality.”

All Star Electric got a few lucky breaks here and there and ended up partnering with a few general contractors that brought them over to the commercial sector and continue to work with them to this day.

“One in particular got us involved in the health care industry doing medical imagining installation. We have really been doing that ever since. That has become our niche. In more recent years, we have started a service department. We have a commercial side and a service side. We are still growing. We still do a little bit of residential and commercial service work and are always looking to expand,” adds Grohman. -cmw

The Resource Guide Associations and Construction Education

Subcontractors

Suppliers

Service Providers General Contractor

Truck & Equip Dealers

For Info on Resource Guide: Buddy@ConstructionNews.net

Page 18

s

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Steven Bankler CPA Ltd. is pleased to introduce their newest team member, Ingrid Valdes, CPA. Valdes earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting degree from Texas A&M University in 2010. She earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in accounting from Texas A&M International University in 2013 and obtained her CPA license in 2019. Her experience includes four years in public accounting and two years in the private industry sector. -cmw

Allen & Allen Co. is pleased to welcome Matt Mayberry, Director of Sales. As part of the executive leadership team Mayberry’s responsibilities will include leading and managing all outside, showroom and counter sales activity and personnel. Mayberry has more than two decades of sales experience and has been charged with developing and implementing a plan to drive dramatic growth. -cmw

O’Connell Robertson is pleased to announce Kristin Jones has been promoted to Associate.

Jones has more than 18 years of experience in the construction industry, 10 of which have been in the Construction Administration department at O’Connell Robertson. She serves as a Sr. Project Construction Coordinator. Her focus is streamlining the CA department’s processes and keeping the San Antonio office running smoothly. -cmw

Sundt Construction Inc. is proud to announce the addition of Jared Garrison as field engineers. Garrison served as an intern for the past seven months while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

-cmw

continued from Page 1 — Pesado Construction Company

In 2007, the company transitioned into ground up construction before the real estate bust in 2008 and has conservatively grown as it branched out into all types of civil and industrial construction - civil construction, facility construction, water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage construction, electrical and communication, duct banks, box culvert and drainage channel construction, wastewater lift stations and treatment plant construction, hard rock trenching, auger road boring, oil field pad site construction, pipeline construction and excavation/site work construction all with its own aggregate division.

Pesado proudly serves central and south Texas to include Bexar, Comal, Kendall and Kerr Counties to name a few.

The company just completed a $23 million project for Kerr County. The largest project in Kerr County’s history – a sewer line from CenterPoint to Comfort and encompassed the expansion of the Comfort Wastewater Treatment Plant which included five lift stations, 33,000 ft. of pipe.

Work has not slowed down for the Pesado team. Becoming diversified through the years has given the company a healthy work log. “We have some booster pumps

going and some private data center work that we’re doing. We have public water sewer mains that are going on. We’re building an expansion for Fifth Generation Distilleries in Austin.

“We love all of our customers. We work hard to instill in all of our guys a sense of integrity, honesty and the desire to do the job right the first time. We are focused on safety. We have three full-time safety personnel. We have safety meetings every day. Head management is always trying to improve our safety culture. We try to stay ahead of the competition in safety,” says Hutson.

As the company approaches its 30th birthday, Hutson recalls the Alamo Guenther Sewer Siphon project they performed for San Antonio Water Systems as one its most memorable projects. “We did a sewer siphon 50 ft. deep and did a 54-60 in. borer under the San Antonio River downtown at Alamo by the old Bluestar Bakery. It was an old brick sewer pipe 50 ft. deep going under the river. It was pretty challenging.”

Pesado Construction Company is an underground utilities and heavy civil engineering construction company in San Antonio. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — Pintura Paint it really came out well. We’re extremely proud of our staff, our product, the final showroom piece, our warehouse and how everything turned out,” agrees co-owner Garcia.

The company may have been in business for 16 years, but for the new owners it is just a-year-old company. In their first year of business, the company finished their first 12 months a little over five percent up in sales. Not bad considering the first two months were all about giving the old gal a new look. “Ten out of the 12 months were positive sales. As we currently sit, we’re still maintaining that track record. Even through COVID, we’ve maintained a very solid sales growth,” adds McDowell.

Garcia and McDowell anxiously progress forward and are very excited about the next six months. COVID has challenged them to think outside the box and to find new ways to stay relevant with their client base. They have been working diligently to get more up on the technology side. Within the next 30-45 days, the owners hope to introduce an online portal where their commercial or residential accounts can go online, view their invoices and make payments. “It’s pretty common practice these days, but we are pretty excited to bring Pintura current and continue to get that fresh new relevance going. The technology side is a big piece of that. The online customer portal is a piece of that,” McDowell adds.

Engaged with Benjamin Moore who has become their primary partner, Garcia

and McDowell are pleased that the Benjamin Moore product line has so many wonderful features they can offer their customers including a great product, terrific pricing, and lots of corporate support.

Additionally, Benjamin Moore has lots of features and applications like their online database where you can actually go in, choose a color and see what it will look like in your home or on your walls.

“We have a lot of exciting technology avenues that we are really trying to drive and push towards to just catch up with the times. But in the paint industry, I think within the next six months we are going to be ahead of our industry from a technology standpoint. This is all largely driven by COVID, and what we have seen over the last six months has kind of pushed us in that direction and to think outside the box to continue to grow,” McDowell continues.

“Through our Benjamin Moore partnership, we were able to negotiate some really favorable terms with pricing. We are extremely competitive. We will beat or match any of our competitors’ pricing here in town. We are extremely proud to have it and offer it to our clients. A lot of guys, like our paint and brush guys, are competing with other guys for business. By having our Benjamin Moore products we are actually able to save them a little of money on their jobs and make money,” concludes Garcia.

Pintura Paint is a paint supply company in San Antonio. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala for everyone, we felt like we had to do something to keep this going. The need is up twice as much. For one, CPS and CASA have not been able to do their regular fundraising because of COVID. Two, they are taking in more kids right now because there is more abuse as kids are at home now,” states Construct A Kid’s Co-Chair Sandee Morgan. “Due to the uncertainty of the times, the construction industry is coming together once again. Virtually! This year, we welcome one and all to participate in the 2020 Virtual Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala. Online registration begins Oct. 1.”

The virtual festivities will begin online Oct. 1 and run through Dec. 3 at https:// www.cakc-sa.org. The event will offer the same fun-filled activities as it has in the past, but with a bit of a twist. The grand gala raffle has been revamped to the Bling & Bang raffle. This is one raffle you don’t want to miss.

The ever-popular wheelbarrow raffle has been pumped up to include a $1,000 Specs Gift Card and is guaranteed not to disappoint. Live and silent auctions will once again be available this year, but online.

While we will not gather together in one place in the name of Construct A Kid’s Christmas, every effort is in place to make

this 20th anniversary event as successful as it has ever been. Toy donation boxes will be available for your offices and the annual toy drive will be held Friday, Dec. 4 at the Construction News office.

Please consider your part in making this event a huge success again this year. The compassion and generosity of the San Antonio construction community is what makes this event successful each year. The following sponsorship opportunities are available.

The $2000 Diamond Sponsor includes a lunch catered by Heavenly Gourmet for 15 to your office, a wine basket, appreciation plaque, photo recognition in Construction News, 15 20th Anniversary Commemorative Tumblers, 15 wheelbarrow raffle tickets and 5 Bling & Bang raffle tickets. This year’s $1,500 Corporate Sponsorship includes a catered lunch by Heavenly Gourmet for 15 to your office, a wine basket, appreciation plaque, photo recognition in Construction News, 15 20th Anniversary Commemorative Tumblers and 15 wheelbarrow raffle tickets.

Additional Supporting Sponsors in the amount of $500 includes a lunch catered by Heavenly Gourmet for 10 to your office and 10 wheelbarrow raffle tickets. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Page 19

How are you handling the Covid-19 situation?

On a personal level, I have done my best to stay safe and reasonable within my daily activities by being conscience of my surroundings and actions throughout the day, washing my hands and that sort of stuff.

But I have also been trying to be true to myself by not letting it stress me out or bother me and get in the way of my daily interaction with family, business partners and coworkers. I really try to let life continue to go on to the best of my ability while maintaining a conscience effort towards being safe.

From my profession stand point, we pay close attention to the local and state guidelines and always make sure we are abiding by those.

JD McDowell, Pintura Paint Store It’s be enlightening for all of us. We’ve been blessed. We had one case and got through it. It’s tough. When you build a family it is like your home…you have your kids and your spouse, and you’re not worried about covering your mouth. We are like that here, we’re family, but we have to remember to cover our faces. I sterilize the office professionally every day and we follow the compliance in place checking everybody’s temperature every day at all points of entry. Our business has been effected, we are down, and you never really know why, but what is concerning me now is we thought we were through this and now here we are again – how long can we sustain this.

Jim Robertson, Americrane We are trying to pre-cautious as we go into people’s homes, taking all the necessary precautions using hand sprays, gloves, masks and making sure our employees and our customers are safe.

Chris Hill, Diamondback Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration There are only two of us at the office on a day-to-day basis. As a company, we just follow whatever rules are led before us

from town to town. Some towns don’t have mask requirements, some do.

Kenny Sauer, KPS Services LLC COVID hit us. We had a couple of family members affected and it did put a dent on us for about a month and a half, almost two months. After it passed, we bounced back and we are really, really busy.

Rene Garza, Elite Master Plumbing LLC Personally, I have a daughter, my oldest child, has special needs. She is high-risk so I’ve gone over the top, making sure I don’t expose myself and if I do have to; I follow all the protocol with wearing a mask and keeping the 6-ft. distancing, minimizing on-site meetings with owners and subcontractors.

We use Zoom calls for most of our conferencing. My employees, all of the office staff, is still working out of their homes. I basically sent everybody home in March and set them up at their homes with the tools they need whether it be a laptop, computer or printer. We have gone to an online database hosting company where all of our documents can be shared. We have adjusted to have the office staff working from home. For our field personnel, the name of the game is keeping them safe – keep your distance; if you don’t need to have a meeting with a lot of subs around a table, don’t have it. Have more one on one meetings and make sure masks are worn. I’ve provided digital thermometers for our team to use on the jobsites to scan everyone before coming on the job and ask them to wear masks.

Rusty Hastings, Cambridge Contracting LLC We are trying to do our part. We are staying home as needed and we are providing all the necessary PPE to our guys to keep them and our customers safe. We have all the filters, the masks, the hand sanitizers, everything needed to do our part.

George Salinas, Absolute Power Electrical Contractors

Association Calendar

Content Contentsubmitted submittedby byAssociations Associationsto toConstruction ConstructionNews News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors Inc.

Sept. 11: Fall Golf Tournament, La Cantera Resort Course, 16641 La Cantera Pkwy., 7am Registration, 8am Shotgun start. For more info, contact Leah Villarreal at leah@abcsouthtexas.org or 210342-1994 AIA

American Institute of Architects

Sept. 14: Golf Classic, SilverHorn Golf Club, 1100 W. Bitters Rd. For more info, contact Belinda Sanchez at 210-226-4979 or email belinda@aiasa.org ASA

American Subcontractors Assn.

Sept. 18: Tailgate Taste-off, Mays Family Scout Ranch, 3445 Fest Rd., 3-7pm.

Sept. 22: Lunch & Learn, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr., 11:30am. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 GSABA

Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.

Sept. 28: ProAM Golf Tournament, River Crossing Golf Club, 500 River Way, Spring Branch, TX. $750 per team (3 players + Pro), 9am Registration. For more info, contact Feliz Moran at 210-696-3800 or email fmorin@sabuilders.com HCA de SA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Sept.16: Monthly Meeting & Mixer, The Quarry Golf Club, 444 E. Basse Rd., 6-8pm.

For more info, call Victoria Rodriguez at 210-444-1100 or email vrodriguez@ hcadesa.org.

ing Center, 5511 Ingram Rd., 5:30-9:30pm.

Sept. 16: Continuing Ed Class, IEC Training Center, 5511 Ingram Rd., 5-9pm.

Sept. 19: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, IEC Training Center, 5511 Ingram Rd., 8am-5pm.

Sept. 21-22: Foreman Training Class, 5511 Ingram Rd., 8am-5pm. For more info, contact Julie Tucker at 210-431-9861 or email jtucker@iecsanantonio.com MCA-SMACNA INC

Mechanical Contractors Assn.

Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.

Sept. 9: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr. - CANCELLED Sept. 23: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 12500 Network Blvd., #410, 11:30am. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 NARI

National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Sept. 15: Bowling Night, Bowlero, 13307 San Pedro Ave., 6-8pm. For more info, email Angela Parks at angelas@southwestexteriors.com PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Sept. 3: PHCC San Antonio Dove Hunt, Cibolo, TX, $125 Per Shooter, 3pm.

Sept. 10: Virtual Membership Meeting Zoom, 11am-1pm.

For info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-8247422 or go to www.phcc-sanantonio.org SAMCA

San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Sept. 23: General Membership Meeting,

IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors

Sept. 8: IEC School Year begins, IEC Train-

continued on Page 20

Page 20

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Workforce training assistance

T

he latest national survey found that 84 percent of Texas construction firms have difficulty filling the hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. These survey results are consistent with previous surveys and reports that indicate a decades-long deficiency.

For example, a 2014 workforce development report published by AGC of America stated, “A number of changing trends have combined to cripple what was once a robust education pipeline for new construction workers. Those factors include the dismantling of the public vocational and technical education programs, declining participation in union apprenticeship training, and an increasing focus on college preparatory programs at the high school level.”

Even during the current pandemic, with construction deemed essential and as the building of schools, hospitals, grocery stores and other important projects continue in Texas, the industry’s need for more craft training persists. The Q2 2020 Jobs Report COVID-19 Edition, published

by SA Works, states, “As the region continues to grow, there is an inevitable need for construction.”

But while the nation’s seventh largest city continues to grow, the pandemic exposes a nagging reality. San Antonio remains entrenched in poverty with a disproportionate number of low-wage, low-skill jobs.

According to the San Antonio ExpressNews, 44.4 percent of local households live in “liquid asset poverty,” which means they lack enough cash to cover three months of basic expenses in the event of a financial emergency. For many, the lingering pandemic has created the ultimate financial emergency.

The jobs report also states, “Trades apprenticeships, occupations, and construction roles are a catalyst for service industry employees to return to work while building skills for a new career and supporting economic growth in the region.”

Dawn Vernon, business development manager at Bandy Constructors and a member of the Workforce Solutions Alamo Board of Directors, adds, “As shortage of workers continues to grow, we recognize it is now more critical than ever to build a local pipeline of talent in construction of all trades.”

City leaders appear to be listening.

The city’s approved Community Recovery and Resiliency Plan allocates $75 million to train 10,000 people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by September 2021. Some of the money will be directed to construction workforce training.

Doug McMurry is the executive vice president of the San Antonio Chapter of AGC and a member of SA Works’ Employer Collaborative.

Also, the mayor and city council approved a plan last month to spend an additional $154 million in sales tax on workforce training. It’s aimed at helping 40,000 people get back to work. Some of those funds will be for “construction and trades.” Voters will weigh in on the initiative November 3.

If passed, the sale tax supported program will launch in September 2021 in collaboration with local workforce development organizations like Workforce Solutions Alamo and higher education institutions like Alamo Colleges District, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

More important, the initial focus will be on just the sort of apprenticeships and on-the-job-training programs the construction industry champions. And the city has pledged to work with trade associations and existing craft training providers.

The need to train certain workers for new, post-coronavirus careers is urgent.

Waiters, baggage handlers, and hotel housekeepers are desperate for work as unemployment benefits dry up. Many are looking for steady jobs that pay well and offer benefits like health insurance and paid time off.

The construction industry wants to hire displaced workers and train them in new, well-paying jobs, and the City of San Antonio — flush with federal stimulus money and a commitment to tackle poverty — is helping. And if voters approve the initiative in November, the industry could benefit from a sustained, four-year workforce training effort. -cmw

C

Continued leadership

oming from humble beginnings and after gaining experience in the construction industry, Kenneth Moore took a leap of faith and started his own cabinetry and millwork company, KCM Cabinets in 1998.

Before opening his own business, Moore worked for numerous cabinet and millwork companies in San Antonio. KCM Cabinets has grown to service Texas and several surround states since its modest beginning. His determination, focus and drive helped his company flourish and become one of the leading cabinetry companies in the San Antonio industry.

That same determination, focus and drive brought him into a leadership position within the San Antonio Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA). Moore joined the ASA San Antonio Chapter Board in 2014 with a goal to increase communication. Rising from a director to vice president, he then served two consecutive terms as president.

ASA National is proud to announce that Kenneth Moore will be joining the

J

Kenneth Moore

ASA National board of directors. The ASA National board will formalize his addition to the team at the September virtual board meeting and will then be officially be part of a ballot sent to the ASA membership prior to association’s SUBExcel and sworn in during the annual business meeting. -cmw

In memoriam…

effry “Jeff” Keith Haby of Moore Supply Co. passed away peacefully at his home in Castroville on Aug. 12 at the age of 62. He was born Mar. 14, 1958 in the Castroville hospital and was the oldest of three sons born to Raymond “Ray” Garland Haby and Rhonda Lee Keller Haby.

Jeff attended St. Louis Catholic School and Medina Valley High School.

While in high school, he worked at Sammy’s Restaurant and Haby Candy Sales. He graduated from Medina Valley High School in 1976. He became a plumbing supply sales representative for a plumbing supply company, a position he held for his entire working career through many companies that changed ownership. He was a board member of the MCA-SMACNA and president of the Medina Valley Youth Baseball Association for several years.

He was a lifelong member of St. Louis Catholic Church and served as chairman of St. Louis Day for two years.

On Sept. 9, 1978, Jeff married his high school sweetheart, Trudy Lynne Haby at St. Louis Catholic Church. In less than a month, they would have celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. Jeff and Trudy were blessed with two daughters, Ashli and Lynli.

Jeff is survived by his wife Trudy Haby; daughters and sons-in-laws

Jeffry “Jeff” Keith Haby

Ashli and Johnathan Bossom, Lynli and Eric Jones; father Ray Haby; brothers Blane Haby (Janet) and Daryl Haby (Yvette); sister-in-law Gayle Rohrbach; brother-in-law Gary Haby (Robbie); several nieces and nephews, and many friends.

He is preceded in death by his mother Rhonda Haby, who recently passed away on Apr. 18, his father-inlaw and mother-in-law Milton and Florence Haby and his brother-in-law John Paul Rohrbach.

Memorials may be made in Jeff’s memory to any of the funds at St. Louis Catholic Church, St. Louis Catholic School, or the charity of your choice.

-cmw continued from Page 21 — Calendar Old San Francisco Steakhouse, 10223 Sahara Dr.,12pm. For more info, contact Debbie at 830-606-5556 or email thesamca@gmail.com TACCA

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Greater San Antonio

Sept. 18-19: TACCA Greater San Antonio 27th Annual Fishing Tournament, Doc’s Seafood & Steaks, 13309 S. Padre Island Dr., Corpus Christi, TX. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Page 21

In the trenches

I

T

Texas First Rentals

exas First Rentals opened its first two locations, one in San Antonio and one in Pflugerville, on the same day in May 2015. By the end of 2015, Texas First Rentals had six locations along the I-35 corridor.

Since then, Texas First has been on a growth curve, resulting in 21 locations across HOLT’s territory. Today, Texas First has 325 employees and anticipates additional growth in the future.

The decision to start the rental business came when the executive team saw an opportunity in light rental and committed to putting the structure and resources into a new business model. This growth came in direct response to the changes in the rental market as customers have moved from exclusively owning equipment renting more of their fleet.

With HOLT’s culture, values, and Cat products, the executive team knew Texas First Rentals would be highly successful.

Behind that success is a strong support system from HOLT CAT and a core leadership team of professionals with some 90 years of experience between them.

Texas First Rentals is a service driven company with skilled technicians to service its fleet. The demand for rentals is high and Texas First Rentals is committed to meeting customer’s expectations.

They provide rentals for everything a contractor might need on a jobsite - from small tools, small pumps and small hammers to generators, large excavators, dozers, aerial platforms, boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain scissor lifts, dual fuel man lifts and everything in between.

What differentiates Texas First Rentals from other companies in the rental space is its training. Each employee is armed with product, technical and soft skills training. The detailed training covers the operation, safety, features and benefits of machinery Texas First offers.

Today, Texas First Rentals has added a new line of rental options to its inventory - trench safety products.

“After careful consideration of our customer’s needs, we made the decision to diversify our rental market through the addition of our trench safety division. In this business we’ll rent steel and aluminum trench boxes, aluminum build a box, vertical shores, road plates and testing equipment,” says Texas First Rentals Vice President of Sales, Matt Hopper. “It made sense for us to move into this space because of the close ties with our customers. Trench safety operations can reduce the risk of worksite hazards.”

Trench safety products are available for rental in the San Antonio and Austin areas.

While this growth and expansion into the trench and shoring rental options was a response to the market, it can only work with the right mix of ingredients.

“From a process standpoint, we’re doing what other rental companies do.

Taking the orders and filling them the same as everyone else. But what we bring are HOLT values, a focus on legendary customer service, and an inventory of quality products,” Hopper stated.

“At Texas First Rentals, we are about our community, our employees and our customers. We will always look for valueadded ways to serve our customers,” says Hopper.

“With our culture, training and product offerings, we can help our customers.

We will always do our best to provide our customers with the most cost-efficient solutions for them. That is the heart of who we are as a company. That’s what separates us in this marketplace. We are going to provide legendary customer service to our customers. We will listen, understand, collaborate and always find a way to make things happen. It’s about finding ways to say yes,” adds Hopper.

For a full list of Texas First Rentals products, visit www.texasfirstrentals.com

Texas First Rental is a construction equipment rental company. -cmw

In memoriam…

t is with a sad heart that we announce that Robert Joseph Guinee Sr., the founder and former president of ESC Safety Consultants, passed away on Jul. 24, 2020 at the age of 90. Known more frequently as “Bob” Guinee to his many friends and family, he was born in Queens, NY to Timothy and Teresa Guinee on Dec. 27, 1929. He graduated from Fordham University in 1952 and promptly joined the Air Force Aug. 15 that same year. Then transferred to Texas where he attended flight training, met his beautiful wife, and raised his family, making Texas his permanent home. He served 20 years in the military, during that time he trained to become a pilot, joined Strategic Air Command, and fought in the Vietnam War, flying over 100 missions, earning many military awards such as the Bronze Star Medal in 1967 and the Air Medal in 1966. He retired from the military on Jan. 31, 1973 after obtaining the rank of Major.

While still in the military he returned to school and earned his Master in Engineering from the University of Michigan. After military retirement, he went on to establish ESC Safety Consultants formerly known as Engineering Safety Consultants, Inc. in 1981, a business that continues today, run by his son Robert J. Guinee Jr, and supports many families across multiple states.

However, in 1995, he had another calling and became a minister and began the Potter’s Home Ministry. This would become his life’s calling for the next 25 years. There, his primary goal was to help the children in inner-city San Antonio by encouraging them to stay in school, out of gangs and away from drugs. Through the years, he

supported many families, even in his own home, and would never turn a soul away that sought his help. The ministry will continue with the help of 360 Inner City Church. A local church also dedicated to helping the underserved population of San Antonio.

Bob joined his parents, wife Olga V. Guinee, siblings Donald Guinee and Patsy Azzarello in death. Bob is survived by his children Susan Guinee McNamara (Paul), Robert Joseph Guinee Jr., Timothy Paul Guinee and John Thomas Guinee (Alicia). Grandchildren Teresa Scoggins (Brad), Rebecca Jackson (Aaron), Katy McNamara and Jacob McNamara. Great grandchildren Carter and James Scoggins, and Connor and Charlotte Jackson. As well as a very dear long term friend Maria Ibarra.

Visitation and memorial services pending. Burial will be at Mission Park North. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial gifts to 360 Inner City Church in honor of the organization that will be taking over his Potter’s Home Ministry to continue his service to God and the local community. 360 Inner City Church, P.O. Box 769431, San Antonio, TX 78245. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

Family performance

H&E opens new branch

L-R: Justin Garcia, Kendall Durham-Kersh, Kelly Durham, Lauren Durham and CJ Carroll

H&E Equipment Services Inc, 490 Industrial Blvd., McKinney, TX.

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hile selling equipment to TxDOT, Kelly Durham happened upon a path that would change his life as he knew it. He discovered the road of reclamation and soil stabilization.

Through his dealings with TxDOT, he learned that they were looking for someone to do reclaiming and soil stabilization for their maintenance crews in South Texas.

In 2004, Durham went from selling equipment to business owner and started Performance Equipment Service, reclaiming and stabilizing roads around San Antonio. Today the company has grown to performing work throughout the Lone Star State.

Learning the business was not an easy task but learn it he did. “There are a number of soil stabilization processes and back then, we were just working in support of TxDOT. All they did back then was cement stabilization. Today, we do lime, we mix liquid asphalt, among others. We just purchased a foam machine which is a new process that TxDOT is starting. The foam process takes hot asphalt injected with water which makes a

foam material that stabilizes the base material. This is just a growing business.

The more we go along, the more we learn,” says Durham.

Performance Equipment Service has grown as a family business. Durham’s first hired employee was his own father who had just retired and wanted something new to do. A few years later, Durham’s son Dustin joined his father, taking over operating equipment and running jobs when his grandfather was ready for his second retirement. Lauren, Durham’s youngest daughter joined the Performance team in 2011 overseeing operations and after years of doing her own thing, Kendall, Durham’s oldest daughter decided she too wanted to join the fun overseeing the company’s human resources department followed by longtime friend CJ Carroll, the company’s CFO and Safety Director Justin Garcia.

Now in its 16th year of business, Performance Equipment Services is 35 employees strong with 11 milling machines and five reclaimers, performing miles and miles of work on Texas highways, test tracks and runways. -cmw

H

&E Equipment Services Inc. (H&E) announced the opening of a new branch in McKinney, TX, serving the region northeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area on Aug. 17.

The new 16,650sf facility, located at 490 Industrial Blvd. in McKinney, TX sits on 4.45 acres with a fully fenced yard area, offices, parts warehouse and a repair shop with four service bays. It is capable of servicing a variety of construction and general industrial equipment and joins other nearby H&E facilities in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mesquite, TX, in serving the region.

The branch specializes in aerial lifts, telescopic forklifts, earthmoving machinery, compaction equipment, generators, compressors, and more and represents the following manufacturers: Atlas Copco, Bomag, Gehl, Genie, Grove, Hamm, JCB, JLG, John Deere, Kubota, LBX, LayMor, MEC, Manitex, Manitowoc, Miller, Multiquip, Okada, Polaris, Skyjack, SkyTrak, Sullair, Takeuchi, Yanmar, Wacker Neuson, and others.

“The facility is strategically located in the northeast corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, providing greater convenience to all customers within the northern

metroplex,” says McKinney Branch Manager Justin Roden. “The highly skilled personnel, large inventory, new shop, and our full investment in the DFW area allow us to meet the equipment needs of McKinney, Frisco, Plano, and other surrounding cities.

With this new location, we’ll be even more efficient and effective in providing the trustworthy assistance with rentals, sales, parts, and service that our Texas customers have come to depend on.”

In addition to a large equipment rental fleet, the facility provides expanded new and used equipment sales, parts availability within 24 hours for most items, in-shop and mobile service repairs, training, and other value-added services.

Founded in 1961, H&E Equipment Services is one of the largest integrated equipment companies in the nation, providing the higher standard in equipment rentals, sales, parts, and service.

Including the McKinney branch, there are 21 locations in Texas and additional locations nationwide throughout the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, Intermountain, Southwest, Gulf Coast, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020

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Page 23

Seventy years of service

15 years brings growth

L-R: O’Connell Robertson’s Kim Cochran, Amy Jones and Rick Burnight

George Salinas, founder and president of Absolute Power Electrical Contractors.

illiam O’Connell AIA was the Department of Health’s first architect before establishing his own architecture firm in 1950. Within 10 years, Austin ISD and famed cardiac surgeon/artificial heart pioneer Dr. Michael DeBakey noticed his work. Both commissioned his firm to create environments to support their unique needs.

O’Connell delivered, first with Lucy Read Elementary School and then with an operating room to accommodate open heart surgeries.

O’Connell Robertson’s second namesake, Noel Robertson, came on board in 1978, adding MEP engineering services and becoming the firm’s second president.

The work continued to attract notable clients including University of Texas at Austin, Metroplex Health System and Shannon Health System, and the firm answered the increasing workload with a second location in San Antonio in 2000.

Rick Burnight AIA became the firm’s third president in 2004 and has continued to lead the firm in designing education and medical environments. Highlights under his leadership include Texas Center for Infectious Disease Hospital and San Antonio College’s Eco Centro. Overall, the firm has completed more than 1,500 projects, ranging from small renovations to new multi-million dollar facilities.

Helping Burnight lead in the firm’s Austin headquarters is President/CEO Amy Jones; Chris Narendorf LEED AP serves as Director of the firm’s San Antonio office. Architecture, interior design, engineering, LEED/sustainable design, BIM technology, commissioning bond planning and communications services are offered by 70 full-time employees.

O’Connell Robertson’s offices are all similarly focused on healthcare, higher

ed, K12 and commercial project pursuits and provide comprehensive architecture, MEP Engineering and interior design services. Its current locations allow better service for current and potential clients in and around their regions, but the firm has worked on projects throughout Texas since its start.

The firm is also employee- and community-focused. Collaboration is valued, as evidenced by the firm’s team approach to design and open office layout. Monthly after-hours get togethers, annual all-staff events such as a bus trip/project tour, local kickball, softball, bowling leagues, holiday parties and annual family picnics, employee anniversaries and retirements bond the team. With the firm’s encouragement and time compensated for volunteer activities during working hours, more than half of employees participate in activities supporting schools, healthcare, and other nonprofits. Employees serve as volunteers, mentors, job shadow hosts, and committee and board members for organizations including Big Brothers/Big Sisters and American Heart Association.

With 70 years of rich history, O’Connell Robertson looks forward to what is ahead for the company.

“Our Vision 2025 includes pursuit of continued growth and focus on positive client experience delivered through tailored solutions,” says Jones. “We are working on exciting projects and have staff members who are smart, talented and experts in their field. We’re building on the strong foundation of our 70 years in continuous business in Texas and we’re excited about the future.”

O’Connell Robertson is a full-service architecture and engineering design firm in San Antonio and Austin. – mjm

In memoriam…

W

illiam “Kim” Kimsey Cochran, 63, of Dripping Springs TX passed away Jul.19.

At the time of his passing, Cochran served as O’Connell Robertson’s Chief Operating Officer/Co-CEO. Throughout his 26-year career at the firm, Cochran held several leadership positions at the firm, including construction administrator, Director of Construction Administration, and project executive.

The Marietta, OK-born Cochran was a two-time graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administra-

tion with a concentration in Sports Management. He was a Certified Construction Contract Administrator and an active member of Associated Builders and Contractors.

Cochran explored over 11 countries with his family, took up motorcycle riding at age 48 and raced at the Circuit of the Americas and the California Superbike School. He enjoyed camping, scuba diving, woodworking, astronomy and learned to build a Ford Model-T.

Cochran is survived by Harriet, his wife of 30 years, his daughters Aria and Gwen, and O’Connell Robertson staff. -mjm

G

eorge Salinas was first introduced to the electrical trade in high school. While trying to figure out his class schedule, his high school counselor at Holmes High School recommended taking electrical in the school’s trades program. “I tried it and really enjoyed it. I told all my friends and the next year they changed their schedules.

“I got a real feeling for the electrical trade that first summer after school when I went to work for Specia Electric. After graduation, I moved to Florida and went to work for an electrical contractor there until I moved back to San Antonio.”

After moving back to San Antonio, Salinas began working for Certified Electric. Eleven and a half years later, after getting his Master Electrician License, Salinas decided to venture out on his own and started Absolute Power Electrical Contractor in 2005.

“It was tough in the beginning. After getting my master license, I gave my boss six months-notice and started my company. My boss at Certified Electric, George Saldona, was nice enough to let me con-

tinue working for him while I got my business up and running. I was doing two jobs. I was doing Absolute Power, trying to get it going, get revenue going and I continued to be his service manager/operations manager,” recalls Salinas.

Salinas, the first in his family to be a business owner did not have a business background. He just had his high school education and years of experience in the trade. He figured things out little by little and was fortunate to call on his former boss from time to time. “We are still friends and we still talk,” says Salinas.

Celebrating 15 years in business, Absolute Power has expanded and is now offering service work as part of their portfolio with a new service department and a new service manager, Yolanda Acuna. Additionally, the company has added two vans to their service fleet along with an all new service software app, all geared to better service their customers.

Absolute Power Electrical Contractors is a full-service commercial electrical contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2020