Austin Construction News August 2021

Covering the Industry’s News

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Colonizing Austin

MLAW on the move

The team at Colony Hardware’s new Austin branch is ready to help customers with the company’s wide range of products and services.

MLAW Engineers’ Austin team has moved into the company’s new headquarters.

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new colony has been established in the area: Colony Hardware has opened a location in Austin and is ready to serve customers.

Tools, equipment, fasteners, supplies, and safety products are among Colony’s offerings, as well as rental and repair services to commercial construction and industrial accounts throughout the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States.

With its stock of over 25,000 different products from over 750 different manufacturers, Colony helps customers secure what they need to do the job and to do it safely.

Branch Manager Jonathan Patton leads the team in the new office, which is located at 3733 Drossett Drive. The Austin location joins three other Texas Colony

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branches – Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth – and 35 additional stores in the north, northeast and southeast. Before the Austin location was established, Colony had grown by over 10 locations in two years.

Colony Hardware is also proud to shine the spotlight on its employees. One unique way the company celebrates team members is encouraging associates to submit photos in Colony’s monthly photo contest, portraying them in action with a customer, in the community, or at the branch. The company culture also has its share of fun moments, such as its annual pre-Super Bowl Chili cookoff, and a philanthropic focus, including the company’s annual food and toy drive at continued on Page 14

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or nearly six decades, Texas structural engineering firm MLAW Engineers has experienced impressive external and internal growth. Recently, it was MLAW’s internal growth that prompted the company to relocate its Austin headquarters to 8303 N. Mopac Expressway, Suite C-280.

“We were at the same location for almost 30 years, and wanted a new, more comfortable office with better amenities for our employees,” MLAW President, CEO, and Chairman James “Jay” C. Conner says. “The timing of the move was perfect to bring our employees back together after working remotely. We now have a flexible space that fits the new work/life balance. Our office is still very accessible to clients, and we are excited

to welcome our clients to our new meeting spaces!”

President Jay Conner, Vice President of Production/Chief Operating Officer Brett Dvorak and Senior Consultant Dr. Robert L. Lytton PE, RPLS oversee six Texas offices. Fifty-eight team members work in MLAW’s Bryan College Station, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin (led by Dvorak) locations. MLAW’s wide range of services include rebar and posttensioned foundation design, framing and wind bracing design, additions and remodels, commercial designs, inspections, energy code compliance and audits, and HERS ratings and field testing.

“We have been in business for 58 years, providing soils, structural design continued on Page 14

ACES in the whole

hen ACES A/C SUPPLY INC. opened its North Austin branch in the summer of 2016, it became the latest of the company’s eight Texas locations. Five years later, ACES has two more branches, and while they are all run uniformly, there is something special about the North Austin location.

ACES Southwest Division Manager Brandon Collins says North Austin Branch Manager Jimmy Tilotta and his team of nine are so in sync, their branch can’t help but be a success.

“They are always working hard together with zero internal arguing or bickering,” Collins, who oversees five branches between Austin, Corpus, San Antonio and the Valley, says. “Everyone just does their job and seems to row in the same direction. The best part is the clear communication and direction by

the Branch Manager. Jimmy has found a balance between being kind while getting the most out of his team.”

All of the staff are superstars, and Collins says they each bring their unique gifts to the branch.

“For instance, we have a Field Service Rep (FSR), Eric Crader, who is our tech support, and he’s really young for that role; typically, FSR’s are in their 50s and he’s in his 30s,” Collins says. “Eric is just an old soul and connects with people of all ages. In my opinion, that’s one of the hardest roles you can have in HVAC because you catch people in their worst moments; the guys are in a 130-degree attic and contractors can get impatient as FSRs recommend solutions because they are already frustrated when they call. Eric is able to smooth it over and deescalate the situation. He offices out of the Austin North Austin Branch Manager Jimmy Tilotta’s kind and calm demeanor has set the tone for ACES A/C SUPPLY Inc.’s success.

continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Construction banking

Lone Star Capital Bank team members

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hen the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Lone Star Capital Bank (LSCB) and Business Bank of Texas had just begun talks on a possible merger. On May 1, the merger was completed, bringing a complete circle of lending to the construction industry, both residential and commercial.

Although Lone Star Capital Bank has origins that go back to 1999 in San Antonio, through the acquisitions of Clear Lake National Bank and Mission National Bank, Lone Star Capital Bank was formed in 2003. LSCB’s niche is in interim construction loans, primarily residential loans, which they secure through referrals from mortgage companies, primarily SWBC Mortgage Corporation. The mortgage companies send pre-qualified mortgage applicants to LSCB, who in return, provides construction lending for the construction of those homes. Based in Austin, TX, Business Bank of Texas found their niche in commercial real estate and non-real estate commercial lending. This makes for optimum lending potential for the construction industry.

“We are very excited about our merger with Business Bank of Texas,” says Lone Star Capital Bank President and CEO Danny Buck. “We think that not only is it a great fit for our bank in terms of the diversification of our portfolio, it also gives us huge opportunities to call on their customers that will hopefully develop some additional lending opportunities that were not there before.

“We are seeing a lot of construction loans extend out beyond on what has been typical in the past. We are having to educate our borrowers, especially on the residential side. It is not uncommon for the construction loan, especially the larger loans in the $1 million plus category, to take 15 to 18 months to get completed.”

Now a branch of Lone Star Capital Bank, Business Bank of Texas will take on the LSCB name and will continue offering the same quality of service and lending.

“With the merger of our banks,” Buck states, “we have the lending capacity to do sizeable loans for the investor or the owners/operator.” -cmw

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On the leading edge

OLT Truck Centers announced a new product line and partnership with Nikola Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial battery-electric vehicles (BEV), fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and energy infrastructure solutions. Through this alliance, HOLT Truck Centers has become a dealer for Nikola’s Class 8 commercial vehicles.

“When exploring partnerships, the first thing we consider is whether or not their core business values are in alignment with ours,” says Bert Fulgium, HOLT Truck Centers’ senior vice president.

“Nikola is committed to quality and safety, which is absolutely critical to being a strong business partner and doing the right thing for our customers.”

Robert Fulgium, Sr. VP Product Support HOLT Truck Centers

Robert Fulgium, Sr. VP Product Support HOLT Truck Centers

The partnership comes as part of HOLT’s diversification strategy in an ever-changing world. “The Nikola products will provide our customers with leading technologies in on-highway electrification and demonstrates OLT’s environmental responsibility,” adds Fulgium.

Nikola’s portfolio of trucks represents the entire spectrum of commercial freight vehicles designed for metro/regional to long-haul applications and include the

Nikola Tre BEV (battery-electric vehicle), Tre FCEV (fuel-cell electric vehicle), and the Nikola Two FCEV. Customers will have the option to purchase these trucks from HOLT Truck Centers. Additionally, locations will service Nikola trucks.

“Among the many benefits of these vehicles are zero emission, lower operational cost, improved safety, more power and less noise, all of which speak to our mission of providing high quality options for HOLT Truck Centers customers,” Fulgium stressed.

Customers who own and operate traditional fuel-operated Class 8 trucks, should not worry. HOLT Truck Centers will continue to sell, service and supply parts as usual. “These vehicles have been around a long time. We don’t see them going away and we will continue to take care of those customers,” assures Fulgium.

HOLT Truck Centers has seven locations throughout Texas and is just one of five independent dealerships to bring on the Nikola commercial vehicles. “We have been in the truck business for decades,” adds Fulgium. “I think this is a great fit for our customers and for HOLT.” -cmw

Interior views of the Nikola Tre FCEV

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

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Bobcat country machines, telehandlers, small articulated loaders and utility vehicles, both new and used; and various attachments.

“Parts are a huge commodity for us.

People no longer have to travel far to get parts,” says Moore. “I bet the first thing eight out 10 customer that have walked through our front door say, ‘I’m so glad y’all are here. I don’t have to drive such a long way to get parts.’”

Customers will be able to purchase or rent equipment as the store continues to grow and additional equipment becomes available. “It is a good thing,” adds Moore.

Bobcat Marble Falls currently has a staff of five. “Our goal is to grow the

branch with our customers and give the best customer service that we can,” Moore continues. “We want to cater to our customers and be there for them.

Time is money and we know that. If a customer has a machine break down or is in need of a new machine, we want to be there for our customers. As we grow, we’ll continue to add more technicians.”

With the opening of the Marble Falls location, Compact Construction Equipment now has 13 locations throughout Texas – Abilene, Alamo, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Kerrville, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Victoria and of course, Marble Falls. -cmw

Bobcat of Marble Falls

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f you are working up and around the Marble Falls area, you will no longer have to travel for Bobcat equipment, parts and service.

Owned by Compact Construction Equipment, one of the largest Bobcat dealers in Texas, Bobcat of Marble Falls was opened with room to grow and is conveniently located in Marble Falls, TX on US Hwy 281 just south of Burnet and north of Johnson City.

“The 281 corridor in this area is growing like crazy,” says Brandon Moore, Bobcat of Marble Falls Operations Manager. “This area was serviced by our Austin store before. That branch had people

coming 100-150 miles away to get service. The only other stores close by were in Abilene and Kerrville. We have a pretty big area to cover. We are going to be able to provide a great option to our customer base in this area, so they don’t have to drive as far for the equipment and support they need for their Bobcat.”

The Marble Falls location will service about a 100-mile-radius of the Llano, Lampasas, Mason and McCullough areas.

It will provide sales, rental, service and parts of Bobcat and Mantiou Equipment including excavators, compact track loaders, skid steer loaders, mini-track loaders, tractors, mowers, Toolcat work

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Bobcat of Marble Falls team members L-R: Brandon Moore, Corey Norrod, Danny Lopez, Ryan Lambert and Michael Robinson

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Alvin Price

Owner/Operator farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks LLC Pflugerville, TX

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espite working as a child alongside his handy dad and being handy himself, Alvin Price had zero interest in construction. The same could be said for banking, even though he spent 22 years in the financial sector. What Price really wanted was a challenge, and he found it as owner of farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks LLC. Share about your background.

I was born in Dallas, TX, and moved to Austin in 1989, the summer before I started seventh grade.

I was exposed to construction, but I had no interest in it! My father was a guy who could kind of do it all. He was in the Air Force, but he worked in a construction capacity. He would do plumbing, electrical, and was a DIY kind of guy as well. As a way of being able to spend time with him and also earn a little extra money, I would go with him on weekends to different jobs, cleaning up behind him and handing him tools. I actually remember one of his customers saying to me that I should learn what my dad was doing, and I thought, “No!” I was going to be a professional athlete and I knew I was going to college as well, so I showed no interest. I look back on that with regret, because even with the path I chose, having that knowledge is extremely important, especially with being a homeowner.

Did you go to college and become an athlete?

I earned my undergrad in Business Management at Southwest Texas State University [now Texas State]. I went there and wanted to play football, but I was injured and decided to retire. I later earned a master’s in communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. When I was in my last semester in school for my undergrad, I worked part-

time as a teller at Bank One and then I went to a different branch and worked full-time. But I had no desire to stay in banking at all. I never thought I would be able to stay past the hours I was there each day, but then I made the move to the other branch to be a vault teller. I was soon promoted to assistant manager, then branch manager, then a year later to an outbound role I served in 17 years; I had a very flexible schedule, and it was extremely comfortable for me. I had never had any desire to stay in banking, but I ended up staying in banking for a really long time.

What motivated your career change?

I am the type of person that needs to be challenged, and the challenge wasn’t there for me, so that’s why in 2008, I went back for my master’s to do something different. But then, the level of comfort was so great in that role that I kept doing banking for another nine years.

Even back when I was a teller, I was always enamored with business owners.

I always wanted to know their stories. I always had a feeling I would be a business owner; I just couldn’t come up with the good or service that I would provide. One of my cousins said, “Why are you looking for a new job? You are paid well, you have six weeks of vacation every year, you have a very flexible schedule, and you have the respect of senior management. It sounds crazy to the outside person that you aren’t satisfied. Maybe you should look for something in your personal life to satisfy the challenge that you are looking for.”

How did you decide woodworking was that “something”?

I’ve always been a DIY kind of person. If something needed to be done to my house, I would do the research and learn how I could do it myself. I worked a schedule where I was up before 6am. My wife is a light sleeper, and we had doors that go into our primary bathroom with the little ball and catch that makes a popping noise when you open them. It bothered her every morning, so around 2016, I decided to change the doors out for rolling barn doors and posted the finished result on Facebook. My older sister asked me to do a double set for her, and she posted that on Facebook.

My wife’s childhood friend then asked me for a set, then our photographer that we use for all of our children’s pictures asked me.

Finally, one of my childhood friends, a custom home builder who does remodels, asked me to do a door for a house he was remodeling. I was about to go on vacation to Hawaii, so I worked through the night, and when I brought him the door, he told me I should do this as a side business.

Did you take his advice then?

Alvin Price had a long career in banking before establishing farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks LLC.

That’s how my business started. I left postings on our neighborhood page. I didn’t place a value on it because I thought all I did was research building things and acted on what I read. I figured anyone could do this. I wasn’t charging anyone much for anything because it was mad money.

But I thought there might be a chance to do a business like this and with my business background, I knew products had a life cycle. I decided I wouldn’t only do barn doors, and when people asked if I could do a bench or a dining table, I said I had not done it yet, but I could figure it out! I wouldn’t turn down any project, and I kept learning along the way. I went full-time in 2019.

What surprised you most about owning this business?

What surprised me was how fast everything started to move. it took off! I was booking a lot of things and then COVID happened, and it got so much busier! I’m booking projects now for March 2022.

Things were progressing so fast that I was working out of my garage at home.

I knew I needed to make a move into a shop, but I was a bit risk-adverse from being in banking so long. I didn’t want to have a ton of overhead or grow too fast to satisfy my own pride.

So, I pushed pause when COVID hit.

My daughters have asthma and are at high risk, so I continued to build projects, but I would not install them. People continued to reach out about new projects, and they sent me pictures of their spaces and inspiration pictures.

This completely changed my consultations. I used to be booked out for eight weeks and I was blocking out

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two days a week just to visit clients. Now, I do it virtually and it saves me a lot of time. I’ve also added commercial clients; I do accent walls, built-ins, whatever their needs fall into that is within my scope.

I’m also moving into my new shop at 4701 Priem Lane, which is maybe two miles from my house. It helps; I knew I would be working long hours and didn’t want to travel a great distance to get home.

Do you enjoy business ownership?

Yes. I enjoy that no two days are the same. It satisfies my need to be challenged because I don’t want the monotony of doing the same thing over and over again. Closely ahead of that is the customer satisfaction, their reaction when they love what I’ve done for them.

I’ve always enjoyed helping people, and this is just another way to do that.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

Family time and one-on-one time with my wife, Paula, are the things I enjoy the most. I have three daughters: 9-year-old Kendall, 7-year-old Reagan and 5-year-old Dylan. I work doubledigit days every single day of the week, so I try to build in places in my shop where my kids can come here and have fun and I can spend time with them. We love to take road trips, go to the waterpark and go to the movies.

What are your plans for the future?

Initially, I thought I was going to build this thing and it’s going to be huge, and I’ll have lots of employees. But as I got into it, I realized there are going to be headaches with that kind of growth, and I would like to have a better control on the quality of things that are put out. I’d like to see it grow to where I have maybe five or ten employees that do the production, and I do the customer-facing part and still get to satisfy that creative side.

I’m an old man. My body is a lot older than my 44 years. I played semipro football, so my body aches a lot, and my wife jokes that I picked the wrong time to go into a business where it is solely physical labor. I will need to have some help so that I can reduce or slow the toll on my body.

Do you think you’ll run farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks until you retire?

Yes, I do. I’m not the kind of person who will ever be able to wake up and sit around and do nothing. I think this is something that I will continue to do for the rest of my days.

Farmhouse77 custom Woodworks LLC is in Pflugerville. –mjm

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Now they’re cookin‘!

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rillin’ and chillin’ makes for a perfect Friday! On Jul. 9, Cash Construction Company hosted a hot-dog-and-burger cookout – with all of the fixings – for its dedicated (and hungry!) Austin team. –mjm

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Lady’s top

Hoar Construction recently celebrated the topping out of The Loren at Lady Bird Lake, an eight-story hotel and condo tower near downtown Austin.

Construction is slated for completion in spring 2022. –mjm

Five-story fete

On Jul. 22, the MW Builders team attended the grand opening of its project and Pflugerville’s newest hotel, Tru/Home2 Suites by Hilton. Located at the Stone Hill Town Center, the hotel’s five stories make it the tallest building in town. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Stay safe

Texas Mutual Insurance Company’s Stacy Rose, CSP, Regional Manager, Safety Services for the Austin Region

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afety is always on the mind of Stacy Rose, CSP, and for good reason. One of Texas Mutual Insurance Company’s four Regional Managers overseeing safety services, Austin-based Rose leads a team of seven Field Safety Consultants throughout Central Texas, South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend.

With construction being a high-risk industry, employers and employees ask Rose about workplace safety and how to lower premium costs. Fortunately, Texas Mutual Insurance Company has offerings that clients can access online, in person or via phone.

“We have a great website,” Rose says.

“We get feedback quite often from our policyholders and agent community on our website and how great it is to see the wealth of safety resources available to our customers. At texasmutual.com, our policy-holders can create a log in and password to navigate to our safety resource center where they’ll find a catalogue full of thousands of training and educational resources. Some examples would be online training videos, written safety programs – things that are already designed for a specific kind of industry, so our customer could just download that information rather than have to start from scratch. We have safety checklists and toolbox talks which are used quite heavily in the construction industry. We have webinars that we offer, and different types of training and

education events that we hold throughout the year, many of them online.

“For safety training courses, we have two avenues,” Rose continues. “We have an e-learning system that includes over 400 self-paced, interactive safety courses.

An employer can assign the training to a person or a group of people. They pick out the topic and they can track the training over time; it’s all electronic, which is a nice feature. At the end of training courses, there are quizzes; as an employer, you can gage if employees are learning what you want them to be learning.

“Also, Texas Mutual has partnered with colleges around Texas to offer free or discounted work safety courses to local businesses and their employees,” Rose adds. “In 2019, Texas Mutual gave $1.1 million in grants to 11 colleges across the state to provide these courses. Classes cover topics such as OSHA standards, general workplace safety topics, and specific topics geared toward the primary industries in each college’s local community.”

For clients who prefer more face-toface interaction, Texas Mutual has offerings for them as well.

“In person, we have our field safety consultants meeting with our policyholders to help them uncover their top safety hazards and suggest best practices to address them,” Rose says. “If it’s a construction-related policyholder, we make it a point to do job site visits. That’s really where the hazards are, and where we we can see safety controls that may or may not be in place.”

Texas Mutual also has a Safety Services Support Center team in Austin that clients can call.

“They’re safety reps that are standing by to help our policy holders with any safety-related questions they may have,” Rose says. “We’ve created a unique telephone number, 844-WORKSAFE, that rings right to these safety reps. They will take questions such as ‘How do I log in to your website?’ or ‘I’m looking for a resource on ladder safety; can you help me?’ Some of those reps make proactive outreach calls to our small business policyholders; the intent is to educate them on all of the resources we have

available to them.”

Texas Mutual offers these tools in the hope that workplace accidents of every size will be avoided.

“In terms of general injuries and people getting hurt at work, sprains, strains and slip-and-falls tend to be the trend setters across the board,” Rose says.

“That’s typically what we see, along with people hurting their shoulders or their backs from trying to lift, move or carry something that is heavy or too awkward for them to do alone. The slip-and-falls, we tend to see a lot, whether it’s a person accidentally stepping off of a curb or in a hole at a job site, or tripping over hoses, cords, or things like that. At a job site, we may see people jumping off of a flatbed truck or a ladder and they tend to get hurt that way.

“I also tend to look at the more catastrophic losses,” Rose adds. “For some of the most serious ones, and even the fatalities, motor vehicle collisions lead by far. People are out on the road, not just in company vehicles, but people using their personal vehicles for company business; that’s an exposure. In terms of workers’ compensation for fatalities, motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of loss, followed by falls from heights. In construction, we see falls from sky lights often and scaffolding occasionally. It’s amazing the falls we see from ladders that cause life-changing injuries, if not fatalities.”

Rose emphasizes that many workrelated accidents can be avoided by implementing proper safety precautions, adequate training, and avoiding shortcuts when it comes to safety practices. Also, creating a safety culture within a company is vital, and it starts at the top of the organization.

“When employees see and hear how important safety is from top management, it permeates through the organization,” Rose says. “The attitude that every employee’s safety matters is contagious.

We see that when employers get their employees actively involved, this truly creates buy-in. The safe working behaviors start to become second nature to people. You can really tell those companies that have a strong safety culture because the philosophy and the

culture shift is: ‘Working safely is just the way we do things here.’”

Creating a safety culture not only results in safer employees, but possibly a lower premium for employers.

“When a policy holder has a great safety record, and has few incidents, this will be reflected in their experience rating modification (EMOD),” Rose explains. “In insurance, EMOD is an important number in that it provides an adjustment to an employer’s premium. Injury losses are a part of that experience modification; the better the safety record, the more likely a business will see a cost savings in their premium.”

Rose also says the pandemic and the extreme winter weather earlier this year should prompt everyone to focus on disaster preparedness and response.

“Having a business continuity plan [is important],” Rose says. “We recently had a safety summit that discussed this very topic. Sometimes people get so busy doing the work they need to do that they forget to plan in case something goes awry.”

The past year’s events, however, have created a positive reaction in the construction industry.

“During the pandemic, construction kept going, but one of the things that we noticed are improvements in the overall health and sanitation practices at jobsites and we continue to see that today,” Rose says. “One thing that we noticed is safety seems to have moved to the forefront of top management’s view and it has brought to light the importance of their employees’ safety and health. That’s a great thing to see.”

Texas Mutual Insurance Company focuses on workers’ compensation. –mjm

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Page 7

INSURANCE

ACCOUNTING

Health Care Options for the Construction Industry Explained

Tax Breaks for Pivoting Your Business Steven Bankler, Owner Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd. San Antonio, TX

Lauren Schuler, Vice President of Sales Time Insurance Austin, TX

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he construction industry has been through a rollercoaster of highs and lows the past couple of years.

The pandemic has caused volatility in project timelines, staffing, regulations, and the supply chain in ways that may have forced you to reinvent how you do business. Each of these activities, however, can hold tax advantages if you know where to look.

Finding and Training New Workers Even before the pandemic, there was a shortage of workers and a growing skills gap in the construction industry.

The current job market is helping to fill that gap with a shift of workers from more distressed sectors and a new surge of young adults opting out of expensive four-year professional degrees. But even with the promise of potential new workers comes the expense of attracting and training them.

Tax deductions associated with advertising job openings (including through a job agency), the cost of training workers on the job and in areas like health and safety, and more can help reduce that price tag, though. You may even be able to offset the cost of learning new construction processes, software, and technology—which will not only streamline the business, but can help you attract digitally savvy, innovative workers.

Keeping Workers Safe

As work sites ramp back up, the added costs to protect workers from COVID-19 is ever-present. Extra personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning products, sanitizing equipment, signage, COVID-19 testing, OSHA training, and more are expenses that can add up.

Check with your CPA for the best ways to offset the cost of these essential supplies and protocols. Many can be deducted under traditional tax breaks but also through special COVID-19 relief credits or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.

Offsetting Hidden Losses

High lumber, steel, and other supply costs along with fluctuating energy prices and global supply chain hiccups have led to unpredictable construction costs.

These changes can dramatically affect the accuracy of your bids. It’s more important than ever to pay attention to these market fluctuations and to ensure that your bids are as accurate as possible in every other aspect. Getting your sales and use taxes estimated correctly when bidding can help.

The Texas storms may have damaged sites and equipment in ways you never imagined could happen, too. It can seem trivial to add up these little losses here and there, especially in years your business income has grown, but it’s important to do so. You may be surprised at how much taxes you can save by getting “credit” to offset your gains.

Innovating How You Do Things

A highlight of the past year has been watching savvy business owners reinvent their businesses. In the construction industry, that innovation has taken several forms—most of them surprisingly tax deductible. Perhaps you’ve: • Experimented with the materials or the processes you use to overcome project challenges, which may qualify for research and development (R&D) tax credits.

• Purchased or rented new or used equipment outside your normal scope, which can usually be tax deductible using a depreciation method or as an ordi-

nary expense (depending on the circumstance).

• Tried out new revenue channels with varying tax obligations by working with non-profits, qualifying for government contracts, getting serious about green building techniques, or crossing state lines for work.

Don’t forget to mention each of these changes to your tax advisor. You may be surprised how they affect your tax bill.

Weathering Stops and Delays Many new construction jobs were delayed or cancelled in 2020 and some remain on hold while the original plans for areas like office space are re-evaluated. If this has happened to your business—and projects you thought would be complete by now aren’t—you may have some tax-saving options.

First, if you’re a small business contractor with annual gross receipts averaging $25 million or less, you may be able to use the completed contract method of accounting to defer taxes on incomplete long-term contracts that you expect to finish within the next two years. Second, if you’re self-employed, consider reasons to either defer or accelerate end-of-year income. With fluctuating project loads and factors like PPP possibly at play, you may decide to push some income to 2022 or, conversely, invoice as much as you can before the end of the year.

Following New Rules Remember the payroll tax holiday in 2020? You still owed those taxes and should have paid up by now. Penalties for skipping payroll taxes are some of the most severe – simply failing to file can carry a 15% penalty, and the addition of a trust fund recovery penalty can make the business owner 100% personally responsible for repayment. So if you’re still celebrating that time “off,” you need to catch back up.

If you received a PPP loan, take the forgiveness process seriously. You may have heard that loans under a certain threshold will be automatically forgiven, but that doesn’t mean you can bend the rules on the money spent or miss critical deadlines. Borrowers receiving more than $2 million in PPP funds will automatically be audited for compliance when they ask for loan forgiveness. Employee retention credit and other opportunities are also still out there for the taking in 2021, but they represent new territory for taxpayers.

Steven Bankler has more than 44 years of experience in the accounting industry.

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

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ith so many healthcare options available in today’s market it is overwhelming to navigate and find a quote “one size fits all plan” for your company. The healthcare industry has its own language using vocabulary works like coinsurance, copay, PPO, and HMO. Breaking down which plan is best can be a challenge for HR or your CEO. Group major medical insurance while the most comprehensive coverage can also be the most expensive. In the construction industry there is such a range in salary depending on the position it is hard to find a plan that all employees can afford even if the employers are contributing the standard 50%. The reason healthcare plans are often referred to as benefits is because they are a benefit to the employees and an excellent retention tool but if the benefits are too costly it is as a quick way to deter potentially great recruits for your company. Benefits cost to employers is usually in the top 5 expensive after payroll, office expenses, supplies, and equipment. So what is the solution to offering healthcare that is enticing for your employees and potential recruits but also doesn’t cause you to break the bank?

While no perfect solution I have broken down the key points of group major medical, cafeteria plans, and MEC plans.

Group major medical is going to be your most complete coverage. Major medical insurance is a long-term, comprehensive health insurance plan designed to cover a majority percentage of the medical costs an average American will pay each year. The plan is designed to minimize out of pocket cost throughout the year. Typically plans cover hospitalization, outpatient procedures, preventive care like check ups and immunizations, prescription medication, emergency service, and maternity and newborn care. Especially if a employee or family member has a chronic disease major medical because of complete coverage is such a draw. The more employees that choose to join the group and increase the size of the pool the less costly monthly premium becomes. Carriers like participation to be around 70% of the total company which can be challenging in the construction industry to get that enrollment level.

A second medical plan option is called a cafeteria plan. A cafeteria plan, also known as a section 125 plan, is a written plan that offers employees a choice between receiving their compensation in cash or as part of an employee benefit. If taken as a benefit, the employee generally receives two tax advantages: 1. Employee contributions toward cafeteria-plan benefits are made pre-tax. 2.

Employer contributions toward an employee’s cafeteria-plan benefits are not taxed. It is referred to as a cafeteria plan because just as individuals make food selections in a cafeteria, employees can choose the benefits of their choice before payroll taxes are calculated from a pool of options offered by their employers. These options can include medical, dental, vision, term life, and disability.

Employees can choose the ones that are important to them and decline the ones that aren’t. This also can help suit multiple salaries since employees are able to

choose how much they would like to participate. An advantage of the plan is that it give the employees more options to choose from and can select benefits that are important to them to have. A major disadvantage of the plan is that it increases complexity for administration usually because the benefits differ from employee to employee. The medical plans are usually more limited as well compared to the major medical previously mentioned.

The third option is called the MEC which stands for Minimum Essential Coverage plans. MEC plans are ACA complaint and a low-cost solution that are substantially cheaper than traditional major medical insurance. A significant advantage for employers with 50 plus employees is offering an MEC avoids having to pay the $2,000 fine per employee mandated for the AHA for not offering benefits. For employees with lower salaries and less funds to contribute to a plan this is a great option. The devil is in the details though as MEC plans are MUCH more affordable they also cover a lot less.

A traditional MEC covers preventive care, annual physicals, and wellness-related tests and treatments. It will not cover emergency treatments, ambulance expenses, or many outpatient surgeries. It can also choose to exclude members if they have a pre-existing condition. I often see my clients choose to offer both a major medical plan and a MEC plan to the employees to give them two options depending on their needs and budgets.

As options and plans continue to expand navigating the group health terrain can be a tricky journey. Consulting with your agent and finding the right fit for your company is more important than ever.

Time Insurance Agency with locations in Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas has proudly been serving the Texas construction industry for 60 years. With deep roots in the construction industry, we are able to serve your commercial, health, and surety needs. I am the proud third generation of Time Insurance, my grandfather started the Austin location in 1961. As Vice President of Sales, I continue to bring in the next generation of customers to Time and evolve the agency into a more tech forward space.

I am the proud third generation of Time Insurance, my grandfather started the Austin location in 1961. As Vice President of Sales, I continue to bring in the next generation of customers to Time and evolve the agency into a more tech forward space.

Lauren Schuler Vice President of Sales Time Insurance Agency 1405 E. Riverside Drive Austin, TX 78741 800-365-6065 Fax 512-440-0989

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

LEGAL

OSHA

Design Defects: a New Law and an Old Rule

Heat Illness

Karen Landinger, Attorney Kyle Zunker, Attorney Cokinos | Young San Antonio, Austin DFW, Houston

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ontractors will receive an overdue measure of protection on September 1, 2021, when SB 219 will become Chapter 59 of the Texas Business & Commerce Code. The new law states contractors in design-bid-build projects are not responsible for design defects. While SB 219 is a defensive victory for contractors, the question remains: what offensive rights do contractors have when they suffer damages caused by design defects? The answer is not clear, as shown by cases interpreting LAN/STV v. Martin K. Eby Constr.

Co. over the past seven years.

In 2014, the Texas Supreme Court decided LAN/STV, in which Eby, the contractor, suffered increased costs due to errors in the plans prepared by LAN/STV, the designer. Eby sued LAN/STV for the majority of its damages. The Court held the economic loss rule (the “ELR”) barred Eby’s claims. This appeared to preclude a contractor’s ability to sue a designer for bad plans. Yet, two months later, the Court allowed a project owner to sue a subcontractor for negligence and cautioned the ELR “does not bar all tort claims arising out of a contractual setting.” Chapman Custom Homes, Inc. v. Dallas Plumbing Co., 445 S.W.3d 716, 718 (Tex. 2014).

The seeming conflict in the Court’s holdings illustrates the ELR is a constellation of limited rules and guiding principles rather than a single, bright-line rule.

A determination of the ELR’s applicability requires a fact-intensive inquiry into (1) whether the duty breached arose from contract or by law and (2) whether the nature of the injury was merely the economic loss of a contract expectancy.

The duty inquiry presents its own layer of uncertainty as courts have differed in their approach to determining whether a plaintiff’s claim is barred by the ELR. Some courts have interpreted LAN/STV as barring tort-based claims by contractual strangers as a method to avoid “rippling liability.” See, e.g., Dunn v.

Marine, CV H-12-03643, 2015 WL 12778390, at *14 (S.D. Tex. Oct. 13, 2015); A & H Properties P’ship v. GPM Eng’g, 03-1300850-CV, 2015 WL 9435974, at *2 (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 23, 2015, no pet.). This interpretation would generally preclude claims by contractors against designers, as well as claims by owners against subcontractors. But Chapman Custom Homes tells us owners can have tort-based claims against subcontractors, even though they are contractual strangers.

See Chapman Custom Homes, 445 S.W.3d at 718. Furthermore, other courts have stated a party owes a general duty of care to others, including contractual strangers, when conducting its business.

See, e.g., Correct RX Pharmacy Services, Inc. v. Cornerstone Automation Sys., L.L.C., 945 F.3d 423, 430 (5th Cir. 2019). In Correct RX th Pharmacy, the 5 Circuit noted, “a party has a legal duty to use reasonable care when supplying information in the course of its business for the guidance of others in their business, and this duty exists independent of any contractual obligation.” Id. Designers on construction

projects supply information in the course of their business for the guidance of contractors. Therefore, Correct RX Pharmacy provides an argument for contractors to avoid the application of the ELR.

Perhaps it is the lack of a bright-line rule to distinguish between contract-based and tort-based duties that leads many courts to focus on the second inquiry (the nature of the injury) rather than the first inquiry (the nature of the duty). In fact, some courts have noted “the nature of the injury most often determines which duty or duties are breached.” See, e.g., Curtis v. Cerner Corp., 621 B.R. 141, 171 (S.D. Tex. 2020). In other words, while courts recognize the twostep inquiry, the categorization of the injury often dictates whether the ELR applies.

When the injury is the contractor’s increased cost to perform work (delays, lost productivity, decreased efficiency, etc.), the ELR likely bars a claim against the designer because the injury is to the contractor’s contract expectancy. However, if the injury is damage to property, the ELR may not apply. Consider the following scenario for context. A contractor builds a retaining wall on a design-bidbuild project in accordance with the designer’s plans. The retaining wall collapses due to insufficient design, damaging the contractor’s equipment onsite. The owner demands the contractor rebuild the wall and threatens to sue the contractor for damages. Assume for this hypothetical it is undisputed the collapse of the retaining wall was due to insufficient design. What happens?

SB 219 will likely protect the contractor from being held responsible for the collapse of the wall. If the contractor elects to continue the project, the ELR will likely bar a claim by the contractor against the designer for increased costs in performing its scope of work. However, the contractor may be able to sue the designer for injury to the contractor’s equipment, as this is property damage rather than the economic loss of a contract expectancy.

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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SHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, launched in 2011, educates employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat. Our safety message comes down to three key words: Water. Rest. Shade. more frequent breaks as they acclimaDangers of Working in the Heat Every year, dozens of workers die tize, or build a tolerance for working in and thousands more become ill while the heat. working in extreme heat or humid condi- • Plan for emergencies and train worktions. There are a range of heat illnesses ers on prevention. and they can affect anyone, regardless of • Monitor workers for signs of illness. age or physical condition.

Occupational heat exposure is a combination of many factors. Body heat reEmployer Responsibility to sults from the equilibrium of heat gain, Protect Workers Under OSHA law, employers are re- from internal work and outside addition, sponsible for providing workplaces free and heat loss, primarily from evaporative of known safety hazards. This includes cooling, i.e., sweat evaporation. Contribprotecting workers from extreme heat. utors include: An employer with workers exposed to • Physical activity high temperatures should establish a • Air temperature complete heat illness prevention pro- • Humidity gram. Most outdoor fatalities, 50% to • Sunlight 70%, occur in the first few days of work- • Heat sources (e.g., ovens or furnaces, ing in warm or hot environments be- heat-absorbing roofs, and road surfaces) cause the body needs to build a toler- • Air movement ance to the heat gradually over time. The • Clothing that hampers the body’s process of building tolerance is called ability to lose excess heat, such as protecheat acclimatization. Lack of acclimatiza- tive gear tion represents a major risk factor for fa- • Individual/personal risk factors, (e.g., pre-existing health conditions and lifetal outcomes.

Occupational risk factors for heat ill- style) ness include heavy physical activity, warm or hot environmental conditions, Management should commit to conlack of acclimatization, and wearing sidering all factors that contribute to clothing that holds in body heat. Hazard- body temperature increase when deterous heat exposure can occur indoors or mining if a heat hazard is present in a outdoors, and can occur during any sea- workplace. son if the conditions are right, not only Download the NIOSH/OSHA Heat App at https://www.osha.gov/heat to access a during heat waves. simple heat calculator on your device.

To control the hazard of heat illness, The Heat App provides the heat index and workload guidance. employers need to: • Provide workers with water, rest and natarajan.joann@dol.gov shade.

512-374-0271 x232 • Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take

Cheers to 98 years!

When design defects cause issues on construction projects, contractors usually sustain multiple injuries far more complicated than the example above. When that happens, it is critical for contractors to understand different injuries may allow for different remedies and proper documentation is necessary to maximize recovery. Navigating the ELR is complex and often difficult. We are here to help contractors develop the best approach to a full recovery.

Karen Landinger (klandinger@cokinoslaw. com) and Kyle Zunker (kzunker@cokinoslaw.com) are attorneys of Cokinos | Young, a full-service construction law firm with offices in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, as well as California and New Jersey.

For more information about our services, please visit www.cokinoslaw.com.

Bill Dunn, Sr. (center, front row) Chairman Emeritus of JE Dunn Construction, celebrated his 98th birthday on Jul. 20. At the celebration, Bill reminisced about the founding of the company in the 1920s by his father, J.E. “Ernie” Dunn.

Bill took over the company in the early 1970s. –mjm

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Page 9

Fishing Summer’s Dog Days

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by:

Waypoint Marine/Waypoint Customs, Shoalwater Boats, Mercury Marine, 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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s we enter the dog days of summer, we can definitely expect warmer days and fewer bites later in the day. As I write the column for the Construction Newspaper, I can tell you the weather in July has been pleasantly milder than unusual. Rains blessed us the week after July 4th weekend as we received over 14 inches at my house. This made my fishing a little tough for a few days after but has been good for the bays and estuaries overall. However, as I mentioned above, the summer heat is coming and we need to prepare.

August may be my least favorite month to fish, just because of the heat factor. Starting early in the morning is key to getting acclimated to the heat and humidity this time of the year. Many times during the hotter summer months fish will bite early morning before the sun starts penetrating the water. If you lose your bite, turn to your lunar tables for the major and minor feed times on the day you’re fishing. These times are pretty accurate and are a good indication when the fish should be feeding.

As I’ve said before, you really want to be fishing during these times instead of making a long run looking for another spot to fish. Surprisingly, speckled trout fishing has

Longtime customers Pat and Denise Bendele of San Antonio have been fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors for over 20 years.

Here they both display nice redfish caught last month in the Laguna Madre.

improved since my last column. By no means is it back to what it was before the freeze. However, we have seen an increase of keeper sized fish lately. I have been pretty selective on keeping limits of trout especially if we are keeping fish of other species. One aspect that really concerns me is that I am not seeing many juvenile specks as we should.

Usually while catching keeper fish, we also catch about the same amount of non-keepers. This is not happening, and I hope the biologist from TPWD are looking at this also. August 31st marks the start of the new 2021-2022 regulations and I bet we see some permanent changes to the temporary limits that are in place now.

Outlook for catching fish the remainder of July and into August will improve if the weather allows us to fish the outside beaches of the barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico. Surf trout and redfish are thriving in the surf and are a blast to catch when the weather allows. These are some of the hardest fighting fish for their size and can be a blast if you have never tried it. Come fish with us and experience the trills of fishing for specks and reds in the surf.

As I’m looking over my calendar for the upcoming months, here are some dates I’d like to fill: August 12,19,23,24,25,30,31.

To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip, give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or e-mail me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: @ Steve_Schultz_Outdoors. Good Luck and Good Fishing.

Steven Tipps of Corpus Christi holding one of those super specks caught in the surf on a calm day with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

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

So Far So Good!

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ere comes August and the stripers and hybrids continue to bite!

When we have those really hot summers, the water temperature can get too warm for the stripers and hybrids to bite. They will head for deeper, cooler water and wait until October or so to become active again. Some years it can even get hot enough that those durable old catfish can’t get enough oxygen to stay alive.

This year, we have been lucky so far!

Except for a little weather hiccup here and there, the temperature has been much kinder to man and fish. Stripers and hybrids are still biting well, and the catfish are still tearing it up too. We have also seen some nice white bass on top, and they are a blast to catch.

I always love to see a mild end of summer. This is about the time of year when people are trying to get the family together for one more fishing trip before summer ends and the kids must go back to school. We always want kids to enjoy the best trip possible and some of the real hot summers make that harder to do.

If it stays on the milder side of the thermometer, we can wring the last out of summer after all!

Of all the trips we do, the fishing trips we share with kids are the most reward-

ing. I know I nag about getting our kids outdoors, but that is because it is so important! It is really something to see a child begin to understand for the first time, just what a big and amazing world we have to explore. It is important to show a kid a deep dark night sky in all it’s velvet splendor, so they can understand that there is something bigger than the internet. How great is it to see them begin to transfer their passion for the long extinct dinosaurs over to the discovery of the world full of animals that are still here to be studied and protected from present day extinction? Being outside just helps a person see how all the pieces come together to make the world work and that we all have an important part in it. Sometimes I am shocked to see how sadly lacking our younger people are in matters that seem like common sense. I know they can understand and do things I can’t even grasp, and I respect that, but I worry that they are getting cheated out of the rest of the story. Let’s be honest, most common-sense stuff isn’t glitzy or exciting like say social media, but it can sure save your life and help you learn to deal with unexpected situations! Remember that freeze?

I have learned that there are two things in life that are never wasted. The first is time spent with your kids. (Even if they don’t show it!) The second thing is time spent outside.

I hope the weather stays nice so we can all enjoy the rest of summer to its fullest! Hope to see you out there!

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Page 11

Time together is deer Hunting is a family affair for Grind Time Rock Milling’s Luke Schilhab, his son Nash, and Luke’s fiancée Allie Nail. The trio has enjoyed all of the hunting 2021 has to offer them in Tarpley, Canyon Lake and Gonzales, TX. ln addition, they get to enjoy quality time with one another, and some bragging rights.

“Two were white tail; the buck scored 187 3/8 in.,” Schilhab says. “The last one was a 35.5 in. axis.”–mjm

January in Tarpley, TX

February in Canyon Lake

May at Gonzales, TX

Kickin’ it together

To promote team bonding, Legacy Multi-Family Construction Services (MCS) treated their employees to a team outing at the Austin FC game in July. –mjm

Cat-ch it if you can

Why should dogs have all the fun? The cat at RidgeLine Overhead Garage Door is ready for a work truck joyride.

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Four stars

L-R: Flintco LLC project manager Alex Janota, Intern Martha Reyes, Office Engineer Angie Gomez and HSE Manager Tristan Landers take pride in their work on Austin’s George H.W. Bush State Office Building. –mjm

K

Appreciation plus one

nown for consistently showing their employees just how much they are valued, every year Alterman hosts a fun-filled summer employee event. As the event theme alternates every year, this year’s event is held for every employee and their plus one, giving focus on fun for the adults.

On Jun. 26, after a year and five months of no employee events due to COVID, Alterman hosted “Alterman’s Casino Night” for their Austin employees. This year’s casino night was held at Circuit of the Americas in Austin and was a huge success.

Around 300 employees and their plus one attended for a catered meal, drinks, gambling, and tons of prizes.

“Most of the raffle prizes were donated by our partners,” says Alterman President Greg Padalecki. “We sincerely thank each of them for their support and our hard-working employees.”

In addition to all the fun, there were door prizes and plenty of top-notch grand prizes. Speaking of top-notch prizes, some of these prizes included 40 hours of PTO, a Las Vegas trip for two, a 70-inch Smart TV, Traeger Pro, and even a Kalahari family package.

“There is a great amount of pride and excitement that comes from these parties,” adds Padalecki. “As a company, we feel very proud to have some of the best employees in the industry, so we are super excited to host an event that shows how much we appreciate them and all the hard work they put forth every day.

Without them, Alterman wouldn’t be the company we are today. Hosting these fun events is just our way of giving back to our valued employees, helping to build comradery and fellowship within the organization.” Next year’s summer event will be even greater, as it will be for Alterman employees and their families! -cmw

L-R: Jenn Deschaine, Paul Mendoza, Michelle Mendoza, Brian Biehle, and Gus Campos

A ruff over their heads

STG Design created a bow-wow build as part of the Dogs + Designers event.

The architecture, interior design and planning firm’s custom doghouse won the People’s Choice Vote and supported Austin Pets Alive, a local pet charity. – mjm

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Page 13

Association Calendar

What is your favorite vacation destination?

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ACEA

Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Association

Aug. 3-4: Virtual Symposium - 18th Annual Central Texas Infrastructure Design & Construction Symposium, ACEA Member $200, Public Agency Employee $200, Non-Member $425, College Student $50.

To register go to https://registration.socio.events/e/acaceasymposi21 Aug. 12: Monthly Membership Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln., 11:30am-1pm, $35 Member, $40 On-Site Member, $50 Non-Member. For more info, call Silvia Pendleton at 512-893-7067 AGC

Associated General Contractors

Aug. 4: TopGolf Networking Event, TopGolf, 2700 Esperanza Crossing, Registration 4pm, Game Play 5-7pm, $50 Member; $60 Non-Member. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 TexASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers-Texas

Aug. 10: What Makes an Engineer? Webinar, www.texasce.org/webinar-aug10 Aug. 19: TxUESI Virtual Annual Conference, Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute Texas Chapter Conference. For more info, contact Jenni Peters at 512910-2272 or email jpeters@texasce.org

DACA

Drywall & Acoustical Contactors Assn.

Aug. 12: Annual Clay Shoot, Capital City Clays, 8707 Lindell Ln. For more info, contact Eddie McCormick at 214-557-0356 or email eddie@dacaaustin.org I-LinCP Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects

Aug. 5-6: 2021 Texas Public Owners Conference, Embassy Suites Landmark, 5615 Landmark Pkwy, San Antonio, TX. For more info, go to www.i-lincp.wildapricot. org NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Aug. 4: NAWIC Membership Appreciation Casino Night, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln., 5:30-10pm. For more info, contact Danielle Dlugosh at ddlugosh@henselphelps.com SEAot

Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas

Aug. 19: Chapter Meeting via Gotowebinar. For more info, call 512-553-9635 or email info@seaotAustin.org TXAPA

Texas Asphalt Pavement Assn.

Aug. 4-5 TxDOT Letting, 8am-5pm. For info, contact Lauren Selvik at 512-5210655 or email lselvik@texasasphalt.org

CENTEX IEC

Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors

I love Venice, Italy. I’ve only been there once, but we are planning to go back. My wife and I have a friend that owns a restaurant there and she gave us a great tour of the area. We just really loved that. Second to that, my favorite frequent vacation spot is Leadville, CO. We have a little cabin there. I love going to the mountains and enjoying the peace and serenity as much as I can.

Danny Buck, Lone Star Capital Bank I just love the beach. Give me more hot weather and some water where I can cool off, and I’m good with any beach!

Justine Carroll, HOLT CAT My home with my kids. I love going visiting places, but I love being with my three kids at home; I have a 14-year-old daughter, and 8–year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

You can live in Central Texas, drive an hour, and have a great two-day vacation if you want to.

Micheal Stewart, Texana Builders My top destination spot is Portugal. The Douro is the most mountainous wine region in the world. I got married there right before COVID hit and it’s just absolutely gorgeous. It’s known for its ports, but the scenery and the people are terrific.

Stacy Rose, Texas Mutual Insurance Company

Aug. 25: Meet & Greet/25th Anniversary Party, TopGolf, 2700 Esperanza Crossing, 5:30-8pm. For more info, contact Erica Waiser at 512-832-1333 or email ewaiser@ centexiec.com

s

My favorite vacation destination is in the mountains. I’m not a beach person so somewhere in the mountains is where I want to be. Pick one. I absolutely love being in the mountains especially this time of the year.

Robert Fulgium, HOLT Truck Centers

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

We have a few places that we repeat visit, but I would have to say Disneyland in California. My daughters love it. We’ve been taking them since my oldest daughter was 2 or 3 years old. We knew that they wouldn’t remember those early trips, but we remember their faces and reactions to seeing things. We love making that a road trip because then, it doesn’t just become about the time we had a Disneyland, it’s about the journey that we had there. We’re spontaneous when deciding on the stops for each day. It ends up making it an adventure going there and coming back.

Alvin Price, 77farmhouse Custom Woodworks My favorite vacation destination is Crested Butte, CO. There is not a major airport there, so it’s hard to get to; it’s nice because it’s not packed with people. I like to snowboard, and I don’t have to wait in line, like in Steamboat or some other places. Culturally, it’s just a really cool town. It kind of reminds me of Austin; the people are super nice. You could be sitting next to a millionaire wearing flip flops and not know it; there’s no pretentiousness like you get in certain spots in Colorado. There are also some really cool restaurants that are just outside the norm. It’s just a really cool vacation spot.

Brandon Collins, ACES AC Supply I would say my favorite vacation destination is in the mountains of Colorado. I took a vacation to Snowmass, which is west of Aspen, in July; I have four boys, and we did the rafting, the biking and the fly fishing – you name it. They all were thoroughly entertained for a week’s time in the mountains.

Gregg Frasure, MEND Services

Check this out!

White Construction Company (WCC) announces the following: Neal Moon has been promoted to Vice President. Moon previously served as a Senior Project Manager and Project Executive at WCC. In his new role, he will lead the firm’s public market sector, which includes two large Texas State Capitol Complex projects. Moon graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and earned a Master of Science in Construction Management at Arizona State University. –mjm

Dominic Padilla LEED AP, MBA has moved into an expanded leadership role. As Vice President of Relationship Management, Padilla will facilitate client relationships and marketing functions for WCC’s Austin, Houston, Ridgeland MS and Panama Beach, FL offices. Padilla joined the company in 2016 as a Relationship Development Manager. Padilla earned a Bachelor of Construction Science from Texas &M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso. –mjm

Darren Rainwater has joined Flynn Construction LLC as Vice President. Rainwater has nearly 40 years of construction industry experience, having developed public, private, non-profit, industrial, university complexes, hotels, medical facilities, multifamily and residential projects. Rainwater was educated at California State University – Chico. –mjm

MW Builders recently promoted Kip Maxwell to Design Manager.

Maxwell joined the company in 2018 as a Project Engineer, and prior to his current role served as an Estimator for MW. Maxwell earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering for Texas A&M University in Kingsville. –mjm

ECM International Inc. announces Terry Whitman as the Operations Director for its Austin office. He joined ECM in 2014, where he served as Senior Program Manager for a notable landmark building program at Sam Houston University and for the Hays County Public Safety and Law Enforcement Center. He also served as project adviser for a range of Central Texas projects. –mjm

Metropolitan Contracting Company has named Tyler Guest as Project Executive and Austin Market lead. Guest brings experience leading Austin construction teams, delivering projects for clients including Ernst & Young, Deloitte and Gensler. Guest also held positions in California’s construction industry. Guest earned a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from California State University-Chico. –mjm

Jimmy Evans Company awarded its first Jimmy Dale Evans Memorial Scholarship check to Melina Guerra (center) from Dripping Springs High School. Guerra, who heads to Sam Houston State in the fall, hopes to eventually run her parent’s family-owned business, Concrete Staining by Design in Austin. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Tecta’s roofline goes on

continued from Page 1 — Colony Hardware Colony’s headquarters.

Colony also cares about its employees’ safety, and is an active participant in Construction Safety Week, hosting training and demonstrations around the country.

The company has also offered safety training classes and dedicated safety specialists to educate the con-struction industry.

Colony also cares about industries outside of construction: When COVID gripped the country last year, Colony ensured much-

needed PPE reached healthcare workers on the front lines.

Now, Patton and his Austin team are ready to ensure that much needed construction supplies and rental and repair service offering reach their customers in the area.

“We are proud to be serving Central Texas for all of your construction supplies,” Patton says.

Supplier Colony Hardware is in Austin.

–mjm

continued from Page 1 — MLAW Engineering

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Tecta America Corp. (Austin employees pictured) recently acquired Empire Roofing Inc., which also has an Austin location.

he leadership of Tecta America Corp. had always admired Empire Roofing Inc. and the company’s rise in the industry. That’s why roofing juggernaut Tecta recently acquired it.

Tecta America Corp. had good reason to admire the full-service roofing company. Empire Roofing Inc. was established in Fort Worth in 1982 by Ronnie and Sandra McGlothlin. Empire has since expanded to employ 700 team members throughout its Texas operations in Austin, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio, as well as offices in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Colorado and Mexico. Its offerings include roofing services, waterproofing, and roofing systems and its notable local projects include Live Oak Elementary School.

Empire Roofing is equally impressed with Tecta America. In 21 years, Tecta has grown from an original group of 10

roofing contractors with 17 locations to become the nation’s largest provider of commercial roofing services. With the acquisition, Tecta now has 85-plus locations in 32 states – including one in Austin – and employs 4,100 employees. Tecta leadership includes President/Chief Executive Officer Dave Reginelli, Chief Operating Officer Todd Stugelmayer and Chief Financial Officer Marc Benson.

With their team, Service Manager Curt Vogel and Operations Manager Juan Vidal serve clients for Tecta America Austin Commercial Roofing in Pflugerville.

Notable local projects include Texas School for the Blind and the Davis Water Treatment Plant.

Going forward, the acquired business will operate as Empire Roofing, a Tecta America Company. –mjm

Tecta America Corp. and Empire Roofing Inc. both have Austin offices. –mjm

and expert witness for the design and construction industry,” Conner says. “Our extensive experience in these realms provides us with the skills to better serve architects, home builders, and GCs that want to differentiate themselves from the pack.”

With nearly 500,000 foundation and framing designs in Texas, MLAW’s notable Austin-area projects include Kreuz Meat Market in Lockhart, more than 100 foundations in Mueller Development, Flat Creek Winery, Avery Ranch Golf Course Clubhouse, and the Georgetown Airport Traffic Tower. Additionally, MLAW has affiliate companies MLAW Geotechnical and MLAW Forensics, the combined manpower of which is more than 160 employees.

“We are excited to continue growing in our major cities of Texas and continue all along the Gulf Coast including Louisiana, Alabama and into Florida,” Conner says. “We are striving to bring our innovative ‘Smart Lab’ technology to home builders and foundation repair

companies in the very near future. This will be a bona fide game changer!”

MLAW is also excited about its new Austin headquarters. The additional room allows the company culture – described as an autonomous and flexible workspace with plenty of opportunity for fun – to thrive. The 41-strong Austin staff looks forward to returning to the office with meals, treats, and activities such as happy hours and monthly trivia. Employees stay connected through the company’s monthly internal newsletter and engage in seasonal philanthropic drives for Caritas, Operation Finally Home, and Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, and Cancer Foundation.

With a new headquarters, successful Texas offices and a strong team, MLAW Engineers continues to serve Texas clients as they have for nearly six decades.

“We’re a proud one-stop-shop for all of your engineering needs,” Conner says.

MLAW Engineering has six Texas locations, including a corporate headquarters in Austin. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — ACES A/C SUPPLY INC.

Future women in construction

There is a special harmony among the members of the North Austin ACES A/C SUPPLY team.

Twenty-five Austin-area girls began building their futures at CAMP NAWIC, held July 19-23. Hosted by the National Association of Women in Construction and sponsored by local construction companies such as Rosendin, campers began the week with safety PPE and built three projects (two of which they took home, along with a Camp NAWIC tool bag filled with Milwaukee Tools). –mjm

location, but he does tech support all over Texas.”

The team genuinely enjoys each other’s company and likes to gather for company barbecues and crawfish boils.

While there are no plans for the North Austin branch to celebrate its five-year anniversary with barbecue or crawfish, the team is celebrating other victories. Collins says the Mitsubishi Ductless and Ducted Distributor is one of the highest volume Mitsubishi distributors in Central and South Texas in just three years. In June, the

company recently enjoyed a companywide record month and, to celebrate, ACES leadership sent each employee to dinner with their spouse as a reward.

“We have enjoyed double-digit growth this year,” Collins says. “We don’t have big plans to change anything, but we look forward to offering e-commerce to our dealers soon and continue to lead HVAC distribution in dealer satisfaction.”

ACES A/C SUPPLY INC. is in North Austin and nine additional Texas branches. –mjm

Did you know?

University of Texas at Austin’s former Dean of Engineering Sharon Wood is its new Executive Vice President and Provost. Did you know Wood is also a fourth-generation civil engineer and the first woman in her family in the field? She grew up visiting job sites with her dad, who started an asphalt paving company in 1972 (now in his 80s, he’s still working as a building inspector!) –mjm

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Well, hook-y here …

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Sun’s out, fun’s in

ith COVID restrictions lifted, members of Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) are trying to pack in their missed year of fun and networking into this summer, and they’re a third of the way there: Roofing industry members from all over attended the 2021 Texas Roofing Conference.

Featuring 124 exhibitors and 19 speakers and seminars, the event was held Jun. 1618 at the San Antonio’s JW Marriott. The conference included the 2021 RCAT 45th Annual Golf Tournament Jun. 16 at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, which was attended by 288 happy club swingers. –mjm

McGray & McGray Land Surveyors Inc. were caught enjoying Texas Society of Professional Surveyors’ (TSPS) 15th Annual Hook, Line & Surveyor Tournament. Held Jun. 18-19 at Corpus Christi’s Marker 37 Marina, the tournament featured prizes per division for heaviest stringer closest to 21 in. (McGray & McGray placed third). –mjm

Firm community commitment First place winners of RCAT’s 45th Annual Tournament

Patrick Flynn and Flynn Construction Inc. team members recently donated 20 mattresses to Foster Angels of Central Texas. Flynn is on the board of the organization, which strives to improve the lives of children in foster care. –mjm

The great eight

Eight students in Skillpoint Alliance Electrical’s class received congratulations upon their graduation from District 2 City Council Woman Vanessa Fuentes. –mjm

Happy campers!

Landesign Services Inc. in Liberty Hill participated in the 2021 RangerACE Construction Camp in July. Campers were taught about surveying and were shown tools such as modern GPS, scanners, robots, drones, and even a 1950s-era K&E. –mjm

The roofing industry turned out in full force for the 2021 Texas Roofing Conference.

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eneral contractor Texana Builders in Austin has built several Starbucks stores throughout Texas, as well as a solid relationship with the coffee chain. That’s why, when commercial real estate firm NAI Partners signed a lease contract for Starbucks’ future Round Rock location, Starbucks recommended Texana to complete the project’s groundwork and shell. Texana got the job and then signed a contract with Starbucks to complete the interior.

Work on the site started in late November last year. The team put in place an eight-month construction plan: six months for the building’s shell and two months for the interior.

“It started with the City of Round Rock, and all they needed done before we could start the site layout, grading the site, building pad, utilities, detention pod, underground plumbing, and underground electric,” Texana Builders Project Manager Micheal Stewart explains.

“Once all of that was in, that’s when we started the grade beam for the building itself. Once the building concrete was done, we started the building layout and framing. At the same time, we were doing pavement and curbs, sidewalks, and detention stormwater, which was a big deal with the city. Then, it was time for the HVAC, and we did the interior finish out – plumbing, electrical, and cabinets.

Texana Builders brought in three containers for all of Starbucks supplies in which we four weeks to put that in.”

Two months of rain threatened to thwart Texana’s eight-month plan, but Stewart says his team refused to be sidetracked.

“We made people get muddy. That’s all you can do,” Stewart says with a chuckle. “Most GCs bring in subcontrac-

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Starbucks

Despite two months of rain, Texana Builders constructed Starbucks’ new Round Rock location on time and within budget.

Texana Builders constructed the building from the ground up and performed the finish out as well.

tors one or two at a time. What Texana and all of us pride ourselves on, is we will have multiple subcontractors working at the same time. Is it always fun? No. But you can get the job done faster that way, and we love that.”

The nearly 2,000sf building included a kitchen/prep area, a manager’s office, two bathrooms, a lobby and a back counter area. The outside is enhanced with a covered patio, seating at the building’s front and a drive-through. An

interesting feature is the site’s Advanced Drainage System (ADS), which catches contaminants in the parking lot and filters them.

Even though Texana has constructed numerous Starbucks locations, this one, located at 200 North Mays St., included a new element Stewart was excited to implement.

“We got to work with NAI on the shell and Starbucks on the interior at the same time, at the same location, to push this job to finish in time even with two months of no work because of the rain.”

The CO for this project was received on June 1st, on time and within budget, despite rising material costs. The client is thrilled with the result, as is Stewart.

“If it wasn’t for a great Superintendent, Jason Duncan, the project would never have turned out the way it did; he did an awesome job. He made sure the ending timeline never changed which was hard to do with the rain and COVID that hit during this time. I also must credit Joel Bock of Sutherland Group and Austin Ware with NAI Partners. Communication is key when it comes to a project, good communication between the engineers, the owner and the client. This turned into us having a great relationship and made this project happen extremely fast.”

Now that the new Round Rock Starbucks location is complete, Stewart’s car can be seen in the drive-thru on occasion.

“I have visited a couple of times,” Stewart says, “But I try not to do it too much; the coffee is great and addictive!

Houston-based general contractor Texana Builders is also located in Austin. –mjm Texana Builders Austin, TX

Plastic surgeon’s office

MEND services installed a custom fabricated architectural slat wall, millwork, cabinets, and finish work.

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he 3,200sf office of Plastic Surgeon Dr. Johnny Franco needed to be every bit as beautiful as his visiting clientele.

Franco was seeking an expert team to install a custom-fabricated architectural wood slat wall in the receptionist area, millwork throughout, cabinets and finish work. When fabricator Delta Millworks recommended commercial, residential and specialty construction services firm MEND Services to Franco, he knew he had found the right team.

Overseeing the project was Studio Eles’ Jeff Langham, AIA, MEND Services Division Manager Gregg Frasure and MEND Service Coordinators Anthony Long and Darrel Sullivan. Work of this nature usually promises to be straightforward, but the pandemic and a materials issue immediately challenged the MEND Services team. Thanks to their ingenuity and ability to adapt, they quickly overcame any issues.

Furniture and light fixtures stayed in place during construction, adding to the challenge.

The office of Plastic Surgeon Dr. Johnny Franco depended on MEND Services to make his office as beautiful as his clients.

“COVID delayed the project by one year,” Frasure explains. “The wood was ready, waiting for an installer for several months until safety concerns about COVID-19 were addressed and the client could find an installer.

“MEND had the materials delivered to our millwork shop to pre-assemble the materials two weeks in advance.” Frasure continues. “Upon delivery, it was discovered that a correction needed to be made to the finish of the materials. Delta Millworks picked the materials up, corrected the error, and delivered the materials to us again.”

Once material was returned, MEND was not able to pre-assemble due to schedule. MEND solved the issue by setting up a mobile woodshop in the parking lot,

working around the clock over a weekend to accommodate patient and surgery schedules and to complete the project on time. Rain, with its perfect timing, paid the job site a visit; MEND covered its mobile shop with a tarp.

“The pivot in plan caused us to redesign and re-engineer the assembly process,” Frasure says. “The unique finish of the wood allowed no room for error. We hid all fasteners.”

The team faced challenges inside the office, located at 10622 Burnet Rd. #100 in Austin, as well.

“All furniture and light fixtures were in place, adding complexity to the install based on the size of the wood slat wall and working around finishes,” Frasure says.

Delta Millworks used Solid Hemlock with a wire brush finish and custom stain on the millwork. MEND Services used hidden fasteners and its adaptability to create a controlled environment on site to manage the deadline.

“This was custom, start to finish,” Frasure says. “Complex, intricate details, no room for error, and tight reveals.”

Despite the initial delay in the project’s start and the challenges, MEND Services completed its portion of the project in a week, and the result is nothing short of stunning.

“The client was pleased, and we’ve done follow-up work for them since!”

Frasure says. “We’re very pleased; great clients, great architect!”

MEND Services is in Austin. –mjm MEND Services Austin, TX

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

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Georgetown pavilion

Archadeck of Austin’s Georgetown pavilion was based on another of the company’s project, which won a national design excellence award.

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hen a recent client saw Archadeck of Austin’s Davenport Ranch project, which won a national design excellence award, they asked if Archadeck could build a similar pavilion on the San Gabriel River in Georgetown. Company owner Jim Odom and his team were confident they could build something closely resembling it, while still giving the pavilion its own unique touches to make it stand out.

The covered patio has a “big as all outdoors” aesthetic given the sheer size of the space and its components. From the inside, the lofty tongue-and-groove ceiling and open rafters – all made of Western Red Cedar – set the tone. The generously-sized white limestone outdoor fireplace, flanked with compartments for wood storage, commands attention. From the outside, the white limestone hardscapes – the chimney, pedestals, and low walls – are just as commanding. The tall cedar posts and standing seam metal roof emphasize that this structure offers protection even while the protected space remains open and airy.

Inside, the Georgetown pavilion has a couple of additional features. The white limestone structure at the far end opposite the fireplace is an outdoor kitchen area serving as a bar for entertaining. A smooth Lueders stone

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ifty acres in Lago Vista off of FM 1431 had already been cleared of cedar and underbrush, with numerous oak trees left dotting the property. However, the land was far from useable and was actually quite dangerous. Besides a nearly milelong driveway that snaked to the top of the hill, the rest of the property was unable to be walked or maintained.

Chunks of rock up to 15 inches blanketed the acreage, save for two small spots flanking either side of the driveway’s entrance.

Grind Time Rock Milling Owner Luke Schilhab was brought in to tame the rugged terrain, and make it safe, accessible, useable and maintainable.

“We went in there and milled everything down to roughly a 2 in. minus spec.

We don’t necessarily change the elevation of anything, we’re just taking down the size of the rock and making it less jagged and as extreme. Once we were done, this entire property was able to be maintained with a tractor and Batwing Brush Hog. It really changed the landscape of the place.”

After the milling was complete, Schilhab had the property professionally seeded with native grass blends.

“I recommend that on the properties that we currently mill,” Schilhab explains.

“The grass does grow back. We’re just tilling it into the soil, but once we’re done with our milling process, it is a loamy

Tongue-and-groove ceiling and open rafters made of Western Red Cedar and a white limestone fireplace command attention.

was used to top all of the counters. To satisfy the guests’ every need, the bar is equipped with two integrated coolers, two refrigerators and a trash can. There is even a section of bar seating on the outer edge of the bar area.

Returning to the outdoor fireplace, notice the intimate seating area created with stone benches on either side of the hearth. All surfaces – the hearth, the benches, the backs of the benches, and the ledges along the backs – are made of

The outdoor kitchen area has smooth Lueders stone-topped counters, two integrated coolers in the bar and two refrigerators.

smooth Lueders stone. The backs of the benches are slanted slightly for comfort, emulating the slant of the back of a pew.

Creature comforts are abundant here, including ceiling fans and plenty of lighting. In addition to the light fixtures, you see overheard and on posts, low voltage lights were installed along countertops and integrated throughout on pedestals, etc. To get electricity down to the pavilion, 600 ft. of trench was run.

On the San Gabriel River, this covered patio is close enough to the riverbank for a deck to bridge the distance from patio to waterfront. For the deck surface, the clients chose AZEK decking in Weathered Teak with a border and parting board of English Walnut. AZEK decking was also used for the deck band, and the deck skirting was built with cedar. The custom walkway down to the river is flagstone.

The deck and hallway railings are iron, all custom-made and powder coated. Low voltage perimeter lights were incorporated around the deck.

Archadeck of Austin can fashion outdoor living projects after existing projects – as long as the client doesn’t mind it being unique. –mjm Archadeck of Austin Austin, TX

Lago Vista property milling

Grind Time Rock Milling transformed a rough, dangerous, unusable Lago Vista property into useable, maintainable, safe acreage.

cultivated soil because we’re just milling all of this rock into the topsoil on these projects. After we’re done, it makes a great seed bed. I tell customers that if they were good with the grass that was there, their grass is going to grow back within 30 or 40 days. If they want to implement some new grass depending on where they want to take the property, to make it look better cosmetically, we might go with a Bermuda grass, or we make pastureland more productive and maintainable if it’s for ranch work.”

Knowing the type of soil he’ll encounter prepares him for the work and the results he expects to produce.

“Everywhere in this area, especially when you’re working on any bit of elevation changes, there is a limited amount of dark topsoil, maybe six inches in a lot of areas, and maybe up to 2 inches in other places,” he adds. “On any of these projects that have any bit of elevation change to them, our topsoil changes every 20ft. to 50 ft., especially up and down the hills.”

When the project was undertaken last December, Grind Time Rock Milling was a new company (it celebrates one year of operation on August 12), and Schilhab completed the entire project with one machine. Now, Grind Time Rock Milling runs three machines and has added more employees. Schilhab says the project was completed in 136 hours, which equals a little more than 13 days.

“This project went really well, although we tend to not ever have a lot of issues,” he says.

Schilhab says that both he and the client are pleased with the final result.

“The owner really likes to meticulously maintain everything, and they had really struggled with that before. They had a couple of little areas around the entrance that they could maintain but, if they wanted to maintain the areas that we worked on, every bit of that would have had to be hit with a weed eater,” Schilhab says.

“We changed a rough landscape that is a very extreme, dangerous terrain to navigate, use and maintain. We took all of those hard things out of it besides the elevation changes. Someone could now walk it, drive it, and maintain it. It really changed that property for all around better use.”

Grind Time Rock Milling is in New Braunfels, TX. –mjm

Grind Time Rock Milling New Braunfels, TX

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

A new door opens

idgeLine Overhead Garage Door is opening a new door for itself with its location at 1501 Panther Loop, Ste. 4D in Pflugerville.

CEO Daryl Wigglesworth founded the family-owned and -operated, fullservice garage door company in 2017. He and his team provide sales, installation, 24/7 on-call repairs, and maintenance and offer a variety of brand name commercial and residential garage doors.

Whether it is an overhead truck door, commercial garage door, or repair or installation of a gate, Wigglesworth applies his nearly 30 years of knowledge and experience to help every customer.

“We believe that integrity is crucial to success in business and in life,” he says.

“At the end of each project having the customer smile and shake your hand with praise for a job well done is the most rewarding feeling.”

Wigglesworth may have founded the business, but the real boss is the company

Working wears out the company cat.

Ridgeline Owner and Founder Daryl Wigglesworth

cat. The feline has a run of the place, often finding it the perfect place for exploration and napping. The cat generously shares his owner with Wigglesworth’s wife and four children.

The company serves primarily the Greater Austin area, and he is committed to his community. As a business owner, Wigglesworth is mindful of his business’ impact and locally sources all of the company’s needs in Texas to support local businesses. His work seems to be generating buzz: The accredited door dealer’s work is gaining positive attention on Houzz.

RidgeLine Overhead Garage Door is in Pflugerville.

–mjm

Ten in Texas!

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Norris Design’s Austin and Dallas teams with firm leadership from Denver gathered for a Texas Summit to celebrate the firm’s 10 years in Texas.

orris Design (ND) is celebrating a decade in the Lone Star State!

In 2011, the national planning, landscape architecture and branding firm’s Texas presence was established in Austin by Principal Chris Bodine, who co-leads the office with Principal Joe Daly, PLA, LEED® AP. In 2016, Norris Design opened an office in Dallas.

Five years later, nearly 15 employees work in the state from the Austin and Dallas offices.

Norris Design currently has more than 160 employees in Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. The firm’s eight offices are populated with planners, landscape architectural professionals and branders experienced in projects such as master planned communities, multifamily residential developments, parks, commercial projects, municipal planning efforts and mixed-use developments throughout Texas and the United States. Notable projects in Texas include Larkspur in Leander, the Bobcat Trail at Traditions Field Master Plan in Celina, Zipp Family Sports Park Master Plan in New Braunfels, Frieden in Fredericksburg and Easton Park in Austin. In 2020, the Austin office moved to its new

location near the East Austin Mueller District.

“It’s humbling to think when we put a flag in Texas 10 years ago that we would be where we are today. Our priority was to do great work with great people. As with any business, it starts with relationships. These relationships have allowed us to grow into multiple locations, provide great value to our clients, expand our services and leave an imprint on any projects we are involved with,” says Bodine.

Recently, the Austin and Dallas teams gathered for a “Texas Summit” to commemorate the company’s 10th anniversary in Texas. The Texas staff focused on learning, growth opportunities, reflections on the company’s past, present and future – and of course, food and fun. In August, the Texas team will head to Denver to meet with their Colorado and Arizona colleagues.

Norris Design Texas has established a strong presence in landscape architecture, planning and branding and is prepared to grow and adapt to whatever the next decade brings. –mjm

Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021

Happy hour

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he Construction Leadership Council (CLC) tied in a jobsite tour with their happy hour on Jul. 22. CLC members toured the Travis County Courts Facility in downtown Austin. Afterward, the group enjoyed a few laughs at Scholz Garten. -cmw

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Industry FOLKS Glenn Hart

Director of Business Development Broaddus Construction Austin, TX

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lenn Hart’s name may sound familiar, but his voice might be even more recognizable: When Hart isn’t working for Broaddus Construction or spending time with his young family, he helps host the BoomATX podcast.

“BoomATX is a weekly podcast I am helping start up with industry friends Lee Snedaker and Zack Cornwell with Voltek Systems. It was their idea and name and it’s recorded in Lee’s amazing studio.

They do all of the heavy lifting. I keep telling them if all I have to do is come in and talk an hour every week, I’m in because it’s so much fun! Through construction industry guests and wideranging, entertaining discussions, we are trying to bring the listeners on the wild ride that is the current booming Austin explosion. We cover all things Austin, from commercial real estate and development to local entertainment, politics and hot-button issues of the day.”

Hart describes himself as “a rare native Austinite – sort of.”

“I was born in Austin and spent my first seven years here, but my family got in line to open a new McDonald’s franchise in Center, TX, and deep East Texas was the first offered,” he says.

“Growing up in a town of 5,000, there wasn’t much commercial real estate development outside of the McDonald’s being built, but I always had a strong artistic side which led my high school art teacher to suggest I go into architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. I have been here ever since.”

Armed with an Architecture degree,

Hart worked for Cornerstone Architects before pivoting to work for a residential developer and in catastrophe insurance adjusting. He then found his niche of business development in Austin’s commercial real estate world.

Today, Hart serves as Broaddus Construction’s Director of Business Development, which involves leading new project pursuits around Texas originating from its Austin, Dallas, Houston, and McAllen offices and driving marketing efforts to help create and maintain company culture.

Weekends and free time usually revolve around traveling with his wife LeAnna, sons Ace, 11 and Cash, 9.

“Our epic weekend expeditions often take us to nearby small towns to visit places seen on my DVR’s weekly programs: ‘Texas Country Reporter,’ ‘The Day Tripper,’ and ‘The Texas Bucket List.’”

Hart, however, will always return to Austin.

“As the self-proclaimed “Austin Aficionado,” I have this admittedly weird hobby/passion of staying fully entrenched into everything Austin. I just love the history and story of Austin.

Everyone has their favorite period they wish Austin would have never changed from, and mine is the ‘70s cosmic cowboy period, even though I wasn’t alive to live it first-hand. I am holding out to get that DeLorean one day and be able to live the glory days of Jerry Jeff and Willie at the Armadillo World Headquarters!” –mjm

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Austin Construction News • AUGUST 2021