San Antonio Construction News February 2022

Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style

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CONSTRUCTION NEWS The Industry’s Newspaper

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30 years later...

Cooling it for 40 years

Mike Leonard, Leonard Contracting Inc.

Mr. Erwin Inc. celebrates 40 years in business.

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fter graduating from Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) in 1986 with a degree in building construction management, a young Mike Leonard hit the pavement in search of a job. It was a hard time for the new graduate, especially in the construction industry. It was the heart of the Savings & Loans crisis and the construction industry was in a slump.

He finally found work as a carpenter helper for a local San Antonio contractor.

Working in the field for about a year, Leonard moved into the office where he began estimating before being promoted to project manager.

In 1992, Leonard’s situation had shifted and he found himself at a crossroad, but

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perating out of the living room of their family home in McAllen, TX, Darrell Wilson started D. Wilson Construction in 1957 with his wife Sally and brother Gerald by his side. He started out doing a mix of residential and commercial work. Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, Wilson applied his knowledge of the area and the people of the region to build a successful business in South Texas.

In 1992 when Wilson passed away, his sons Bill and Mike purchased the company from there and renamed the company D. Wilson Construction Company. By the year 2000, the company was owned by the D. Wilson Construction Company Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) with the brothers financing the note for 20 years in which they sold 100 percent of the shares to 25 employees. Seven short years later, the note was paid in full.

starting his own company was not in the cards. “I had no desire to go out and start my own business,” says Leonard. “It was not in the game plan. I needed to find another opportunity and I just wasn’t finding the right one for me. Three different people told me I needed to go out on my own. I was a young guy. I was 27 years old, actually 26 when these discussions started.”

After warming up to the idea, Leonard decided to give it run. After all, being so young he didn’t have a whole lot of financial responsibility despite the fact he had a wife and a young son to provide for. But he felt, if it didn’t work, he could easily find a job to pay the bills.

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s a young man, Erwin Lehmann, Jr. was in the Air Force and worked with liquid oxygen. He learned refrigeration in the LOX plants and when he got out of the service, he went to work with a plumbing company Peru, IN where he worked in their air conditioning division. Fifty years ago he moved his family back to Texas and went to work at Wickes Lumber Co. in New Braunfels doing heating and air conditioning work with them.

He later went to work for Gibson Plumbing where he opened and ran the heating and air conditioning part of the company.

In 1982, Lehmann decided to go out on his own to start Mr. Erwin Inc. After giving Gibson notice that he was leaving, Gibson decided they didn’t want to do heating and air conditioning anymore. He

continued on Page 18

brought with him his heating and air conditioning crews.

As the mid-‘80s came about, things got pretty tight, construction went down and Lehmann was forced to cut way back.

At one point, Mr. Erwin Inc. was down to Lehmann, one of his sons, Butch Lehmann and two other employees. Although Lehmann hated cutting back, it was necessary, and Mr. Erwin Inc was able to rebound. Another son, Chris Lehmann, joined the company after graduating from college.

“I worked with my dad in the summers, all through high school and college to help put myself through college,” says Erwin “Sonny” Lehmann III, Vice President/Production Manager and Lehmann’s oldest son. “I knew the business, but I told continued on Page 18

An array of experience

D. Wilson Construction’s San Antonio leadership L-R: Superintendent Jordon Phillips, Project Manager Ben Matous, Leland Stennett, John Kovar and Estimator Frank Hernandez

The company expanded its footprint to San Antonio in 2010, opening an office to meet the demands of a growing market. The San Antonio office has successfully partnered on many projects for San Antonio ISD, Northside ISD, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, IDEA Public Schools, Somerset ISD, and the cities of San Antonio, Schertz, and Boerne, the US Corps of Engineers and many more.

The San Antonio office for D. Wilson has undergone some recent leadership changes to facilitate a new chapter for growing the office. In 2021, the company welcomed Operations Manager Leland Stennett to assume the role of business unit leader from retiring manager Richard Weldon. In 2022, they augmented the team with Director of Preconstruction John Kovar to lead all preconstruction and estimating activities for the region.

Together, Stennett and Kovar are continued on Page 18

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Demolition, a family tradition

Modern-day Fred Flintstone

Robles1 LLC leadership L-R: Andy Brumgard, Saul Robles, Isela Robles and Adam Robles

John Schuler at the Heartland Aggregates plant in Jarrell, TX.

t all began in El Paso, TX where Saul Robles’ father, Jesus Robles, started a demolition company. As Saul got older, he began working with his dad alongside his brothers.

At the age of 14, Saul began working full-time after dropping out of school. As the business grew, Saul went to San Antonio with his brother to start up a branch in the Alamo city. That was 1996. By 2006, Saul was burnt out and decided to take a break from demolition. He sold back his interest in the company to his family.

But demolition was in his blood. He began to miss it. Two short years after leaving the family business, Saul partnered with his brother Danny Robles to start a demolition company of their own in the San Antonio area. To distinguish their company from their dad’s company the brothers christened their company, Robles1 LLC. Robles1 operates with the same level of integrity Saul and his brother grew up with in his dad’s business. “If we say we’re going to do something, that’s what we’re going to do,” says Saul.

Despite starting a company during the downturn of the economy, the company flourished. Today, Robles1 has offices in Cibolo, Austin and in his hometown of El Paso. “I felt like we started with nothing. We had nowhere to go but up,” he recalls.

Like his father’s company, Robles1 is a family-owned and operated business.

Isela Robles, Saul’s wife who also worked for Saul’s father’s company, is now president and majority owner of Robles1. Two of Saul and Isela’s four sons, Adam and Matthew, work for the family business.

The ability to provide quality service to meet the demolition needs of their clients is what Robles1 takes great pride in.

Their projects are tailored to provide a safe, fast, and cost-effective approach to getting the job done right.

With a strong family dynamic, family encompasses not just blood relatives within the company, it encompasses all those who work for Robles1 and is extended to their valued clients. With that, they established a set of core values to

ensure safety, provide quality and maintain professionalism.

Safety - They believe in creating a safe work environment, working collectively to increase the changes of a safe, productive work environment. Having a proactive approach addresses potential dangers before they become an issue.

Quality - The key difference between one company and another is quality customer service. Great quality customer service maintains long lasting client relationships. To understand the needs of clients it is imperative to listen and take action accordingly.

Professionalism - An effective business image is nothing without a high level of professionalism – respect, honesty and staying true to commitments made.

Robles1 offers a wide range of self-performing capabilities, priding themselves on quality service to meet their clients’ demolition needs which include interior and exterior demolition, selective interior demolition, demo on or near historical structures, selective structural demolition in which the company removes structural supports and shores up load-bearing walls in preparation for development. They provide demolition services for general contractors serving commercial and industrial clients, hospitals, schools and municipalities.

Additionally, Robles1 works diligently to minimize their environmental footprint within their projects paying attention to wind direction so debris doesn’t carry, manipulate movement so buildings fall in a specific way and keeping a clean site. They separate and recycle everything they can including brick, aggregate, concrete, ferrous and nonferrous metals like copper, aluminum, steel and tin. The money made from selling those materials to recyclers is used to offset the cost of new tools, safety gear and equipment maintenance.

Roble1 LLC is a subcontractor located in Cibolo, TX. -cmw

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ohn Schuler has always had an interest in construction. As a young man, he studied landscape architecture in college. When his father passed away, he stepped in and took over his father’s company, Time Insurance Agency. But being in the insurance business didn’t derail Schuler’s interest in construction as working with contractors makes up a good part of their business.

Seeing a need in the Austin area for more aggregate, Schuler decided to open an aggregate yard of his own. In 2005, Schuler saw an opportunity in Jarrell, TX and opened Heartland Aggregates.

“We leased a piece of property that we knew had rock on it, hired a guy experienced in crushing rock, bought our first rock crusher and started crushing rock,” says Schuler. “There were three of us out there crushing rock. Today we have about 30 workers and three locations, all in Jarrell.”

The three locations produce crushed limestone from road base to pipe bedding to concrete rock, and they service a number of the ready-mix operations in Austin as well as most of the contractors working in subdivisions. Heartland also does work with most of the highway contractors performing TxDOT work. “We’re approved by TxDOT for all of our products,” adds Schuler.

As the Austin and its surrounding areas continue to grow, Heartland continues to strive to meet Austin’s aggregate needs. “We have a lease on a quarry in Granite Shoals and will be providing decomposed granite,” Schuler says. “We’ve been selling decomposed granite but now we are going to be producing it ourselves versus reselling it. And we’re also currently working on another lease for a sand and gravel deposit.”

Serving a 100-mile radius of Austin, Heartland has six rock crushers and ap-

proximately 30 pieces of support equipment – loaders and haul trucks – and can deliver some of the products themselves.

“This is his passion project that really turned into a very successful business for him that he loves,” says Schuler’s daughter Jennifer Schuler. “We call him a modern-day Fred Flintstone.”

Heartland Aggregates is a supplier of aggregate limestone in Jarrell, TX. -cmw

Schuler presents Heartland’s 3/8-in. crushed limestone

Schuler stands among his crushers and conveyors.

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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A world of tapin’ & floatin’

Turn-key solar

In Austin, Holt Renewables built a 231.6 kWdc ballasted solar array which will generate 334,174 kWh/year of energy. The expected energy generated on site via the solar panels will offset 100% of the energy consumed onsite. L-R: Kevin Chavez and Director of Warehouse Operations at UPLIFT Philip Benavides on the roof of the UPLIFT Desk warehouse.

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bout two and half years ago, HOLT acquired PCI Solar to become HOLT Renewables as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability efforts.

“We have been doing this for about a decade,” says HOLT Renewables Sales Operations Manager Kevin Chavez.

“Originally we were PCI Solar under a different parent company. HOLT acquired us through various strategic partnership discussions.”

“We worked very closely with HOLT on various projects. We have solar panels on HOLT’s headquarters building and 13 different sites throughout Texas with plans to expand that over time. To diversify their business further, HOLT ultimately brought PCI Solar under their umbrella.

We have been working as Holt Renewables ever since.”

Not focused on any one sector of the construction, HOLT Renewables niche market is in commercial, industrial and institutional industries. Their customer base includes manufacturers, distributors, real estate developers, multi-family developments, schools and wastewater treatment plants to name a few.

“We look at projects of all sorts that span the different applications of solar – roof mounts and ground mounts,” adds Chavez. “There are different applications and as technology advances, we’re starting to see more and more battery projects in which there is storage tied to the solar as well.”

Unlike the residential market, HOLT Renewables install solar panels on a large-scale basis ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 modules. “We work to align ourselves in a partnership with our customers to ensure we are satisfying a strong business base alongside their sustainability efforts. We are nationwide and very familiar with the various utility markets throughout the US,” Chavez adds. “If you

are using a large sum of power, installing solar panels makes sense. Roofs are often used for solar panels because they aren’t typically used for anything else. It is a smart choice monetarily because many companies have roof space available and are using very little square footage, short of AC units and sky lights, so it makes a lot of sense. It’s for companies that are seeking ways to impact their bottom line via energy efficiency or self-generation of power.”

HOLT Renewables solar panel installation capabilities are not limited to new construction, solar panels can be installed on existing facilities. Most often, HOLT Renewables solar designs are retrofit when an existing facility needs a new roof, which is an ideal time to install solar panels. “A solar array will last anywhere from 30-35 years. It’s not to say it turns off in 30 years, but the design life of a system is generally around 30 years.

“New construction is a great avenue to evaluate solar because you can find a lot of efficiencies based on how you run the conduit, certain gear selected and sizing of the electrical infrastructure,” adds Chavez. “All those details come into play. If you align yourself with solar early on in the design phase of a new building, there are a lot of efficiencies that come along in terms of costs and overall construction duration.”

With over a decade of experience in solar energy, HOLT Renewables has direct experience with energy storage, a newer cutting-edge technology that not many have had the opportunity to install as of yet.

HOLT Renewables is turn-key provider of solar solutions focused on commercial, industrial and institutional sector and is headquartered in Austin, TX. -cmw

Video News

WATCH VIDEO

Brackenridge Hospital Demolition - Austin, Texas, July 2021 Forced collapse of the last portion of the 10-story hospital building. No explosives were used.

JR RAMON Demolition

Antonio Garcia holds the future of Antonio’s Drywall Repair & Texture, his grandson Noah Garcia.

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s a young man, Antonio Garcia did remodeling work in California. He started doing drywall work after going to work for D.R. Horton and refined his skills before moving to San Antonio. In 2007, Garcia moved to San Antonio and started his own company, Antonio Drywall Repair & Texture.

“It got tough in the beginning sometimes,” says Garcia. “Starting a business isn’t easy. There are a lot of challenges.

Through the years you learn. I’m still learning because every day there is something new to learn about the business.”

Starting out as a one-man show, Garcia started out performing drywall repair, fixing cracks and popcorn removal. Since then the small, family-owned company has expanded its services. Today, Antonio’s Drywall Repair & Textures services include drywall installation, fiberglass installation, interior painting, mold and mildew removal, plaster repair, soundproofing, spray foam insulation, stucco

repair, drywall repair, trim and molding, and pressure washing.

Adding pressure washing to Antonio’s services gives an added touch to many of their projects in the residential, commercial and industrial markets. “We do commercial and industrial complexes, business storefronts, entryways and walkways, signage and awnings, gutters and downspouts, truck and trailer fleets, roadways and ramps, parking lot, outdoor restaurants and commercial patios and decks, valet and foyer areas, government buildings, delivery truck bays, industrial equipment, home exteriors and apartment complexes, pools, fences and hardscapes, concrete, brick and wood surfaces, deck washing and sealing.

“I enjoy tape and floating the best. A lot of people will hang sheet rock and do framing, but when it comes to tape and floating, they’ll call me.”

Antonio’s Drywall Repair & Texture is a drywall subcontractor in San Antonio. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

The competition’s on

A blessed topping out WATCH VIDEO

Texas A&M Students outside the Joeris General Contractors headquarters. L-R: Gabriela Gonzalez, Joyceline Jaramillo, Marcus Gaffney, Alejandro Gutierrez and Obed Guevara.

Not pictured Martha Reyes who participated remotely

Topping out the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church new Family Center Building

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s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church of Helotes celebrates its 125th anniversary, they were excited to break ground on their new family center building. The new 25,000-plus sf, three-story building is being constructed on the parish’s annex property at 11762 FM 1560N in Helotes.

The new family center building will provide much needed space for the ever-growing parish family and the surrounding community. The building will be complete with 13 rooms which allow the Our Lady of Guadalupe parish to host in-person religious education for all ages and provide meeting space for the many ministries and community outreach activities of their parish. The third floor will host a banquet hall with a balcony which will be available not only for parish functions but for rent for special occasions.

On Dec. 29, Metropolitan Contracting (METRO) hosted a topping out ceremony as the last beams were set in place.

In building construction, topping out is a builders’ rite and traditionally held when the last beam is placed atop a structure

during its construction. Prior to the placement of the final two beams, parishioners were given the opportunity to sign the beam. After the final signatures by Father Scott Janysek and Father Jesuraja “Raja” Alangaram, Fr. Janysek blessed the METRO team and building as it enters its next phase of construction.

With the blessing complete, the METRO team secured the final beams. To complete the topping out tradition, a Christmas tree was placed on the highest point of the three-story structure followed with the placement of the American flag.

METRO was established in 1986 by President Steve Schuetze and Chair Tim Swan. Since its inception, METRO has been building projects in the healthcare, historic renovation, retail, office, restaurant, industrial and hospitality sectors.

Metropolitan Contracting is a general contractor with offices in San Antonio and Austin. -cmw

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n Jan. 15, six students from the Construction Science Department under the School of Architecture at Texas A&M University College Station gathered in the training room of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) in preparation of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Competition which will be held on Feb. 21 in Dallas, TX. ASC is the professional association for the development and advancement of construction education, where the sharing of ideas and knowledge inspires, guides and promotes excellence in curricula, teaching, research and service.

The students come together as a team to put together a 20-min. mock presentation to present before a panel of judges at Joeris General Contractors. This mock-run is made possible through Joeris General Contractors and their Texas A&M professor, Gary Boldt, formerly of Wallace L. Boldt General Contractors.

The students will basically be portraying the role of a general contractor and will be responsible for taking a set of plans and specs, sub-bids and in essence, put together an entire proposal package – schedule, safety program, the whole gamut to compete against other construction universities in ASC’s Region 5 area which encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

This year the competition will be held on Feb. 21. Students will receive their program on Feb. 19, prepare on Feb. 20 and present on Feb. 21. They will know the night of Feb. 21 who the winners are. These students will be competing in the commercial division this year.

Other divisions include industrial and heavy highway. Good luck! -cmw

Jacob Lerma (yellow safety vest) discusses a project with the A&M students at UTSA

Fr. Janysek blesses the METRO team and the building to kick-off the topping out ceremony after opening remarks.

Texas A&M students gather at the ABC offices in preparation of their Feb. 21 ASC competition.

Five of the student are first generation Hispanic students at A&M.

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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Utility contractors unite

No cutting corners

NUCA San Antonio board of directors: L-R: Lee Raney, Texas First Rentals; NUCA San Antonio Executive Director Mary Jane Debenport; LA Bankler-Beck, RAM2 Utilities; Vice President Contractor Shane Hutson, Pesado Construction; Grettel Lutz, Gajeske; NUCA San Antonio President Stephen Park, E-Z Bel Construction; Travis Allen, National Works Inc.; Vice President Associate Adam Hackebeil, United Rentals and John Lande, National Works Inc.

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t long last, local utility contractors are now being represented with the charter of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) San Antonio Chapter.

NUCA San Antonio is the only trade association dedicated solely to the utility and excavation construction industry. Its membership will be represented by local utility and excavation contractors and suppliers who build and maintain San Antonio’s network of water, sewer, gas, telecommunications and electric infrastructure.

“We are focused on making the utility contractors and all those that support them better. The more voices, the more people we can represent, the stronger the chapter is going to be,” Chapter President Stephen Park, E-Z Bel Construction. “If you look at the OSHA data, almost every top 10 list has standards cited that relate in some way to utility or excavation. We need to keep our industry focused on safety, and we need to do everything we to can to educate ourselves.

That is how we grow. And of course, advocacy. There are a lot of things that we can be pushing for in our industry to make our world a little easier to do business in.”

“Contractors doing work in San Antonio can become a part of NUCA San

Antonio,” says Contractor Vice President LA Bankler-Beck, RAM2 Utilities. “You don’t have to have an office here to belong.”

“NUCA provides local support through its safety and training events throughout the year,” adds Associate Vice President Adam Hackebeil, United Rentals. “These events are held in-person and virtually. Additionally, there will be networking opportunities available and quarterly OSHA roundtables.”

NUCA San Antonio will be celebrated at the NUCA National Convention & Expo in San Antonio on Mar. 5.

“We are unique in that the efforts towards safety, networking and advocacy are done by and specifically for utility contractors,” says Park. “The benefits will be as strong as our member base. We’re off to a great start. Let’s continue to grow.”

For more information or to learn about membership opportunities, please visit: NUCATexas.com or contact Mary Jane Debenport, Ex. Director at 817.688.8347 or maryjane@nucatexas. com.

NUCA San Antonio is a trade association representing the utility and excavation industry and their vital associates. -cmw

Elite Roofing Solutions San Antonio Branch Manager, Scott Simmons

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lite Roofing Solutions was established in 2009 by Evan Ellison. Since then, Elite has branched out establishing a presence in San Antonio.

The San Antonio office of Elite Roofing Solutions was opened in 2016. They are licensed and GAF certified and guarantee the highest quality materials installed at the best prices expertly and efficiently. They offer GAF’s Golden Pledge Warranty, which is awarded to only two percent of roofing contractors in the United States. This certification allows them to offer their customers the complete line of GAF roofing products and systems. They are also a provider of Duro-Last products.

“We just want to make sure we maintain our five-star rating and our A+ rating with the BBB we’ve achieved,” says San Antonio Branch Manager Scott Simmons. “In construction, you know things are going to happen. You just want to make sure you take care of it in a professional manner and make people happy.

“We have our own in-house adjustors. Once the deductible is met, we work with the insurance company personally

on behalf of the customer to make sure everything is done properly and completely for the insurance work. We make sure all the records are there. We have pictures of the process and if any unforeseen damage is discovered, we work with our customers. We make sure it gets fixed before it gets covered up. It is our mission to take care of everything instead of cutting corners.”

Elite Roofing Solutions residential services include new roof installation, re-roofing, roofing repairs, maintenance, inspections, storm damage assessment, installation and new construction. Commercially, they are skilled in maintaining and repairing many types of commercial roofing systems including asphalt shingles, metal roofing, tile roofs, and flat and low slope roofing. Although Elite’s San Antonio branch performs residential work just south of the Austin area, they mainly service San Antonio and areas south of San Antonio.

Elite Roofing Solutions is roofing contractor in San Antonio, headquartered in Houston. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

INSURANCE

ACCOUNTING

Negligent Entrustment of Company Vehicles – Who is Responsible?

New Rules of Construction Accounting

Reginald Mahadeo Agency Owner Reginald Mahadeo Insurance Agency, Inc. Austin, TX

Steven Bankler, Owner Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd. San Antonio, TX

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ow often has that fatal accident we’ve heard about on the evening news involved someone driving a company vehicle with a poor driving record?

Was the business owner aware of the poor driving record? Is the Owner responsible? The short answer is – Yes, the Business Owner is responsible. And of course, there are numerous commercials on TV advertising legal services for anyone involved in accident by a business vehicle. So, Business Owners need to be aware of this risk.

As an employer with drivers, you should be aware that your business is responsible for verifying and monitoring the qualifications of employee. Failure to do so, could be a case of Negligent Entrustment which arises when a business allows an “unqualified” individual to operate a company vehicle. The use of that vehicle by such a person creates a potential risk of harm to the general public, resulting in damages to third party claimant(s).

These damages can open up your business to significant financial damages as well as negative publicity. Accidents involving catastrophic damages may involve punitive damages which in some jurisdictions are not insurable, thus owed directly by the defendant business.

Those legal commercials on the news show large jury awards which can be devastating for small businesses.

Therefore, there is a duty imposed onto the business by tort law to conduct reasonable Due Diligence.In determining whether Negligent Entrustment exists, the main questions are as follows: • Was the driver property qualified at the time of hire? That is, did he have a history of accidents /violations or lack appropriate skills for the size and type of vehicle in operation?

• Did the employer know or should have known of these driver con- cerns?

• Did the driver’s negligence cause the accident?

Employer knowledge is the key, since ignorance is not a valid defense The employer is responsible for initial screening and ongoing supervision of individuals entrusted with a vehicle. Standard operating practices should be in place to check a driver’s employment background, review Motor Vehicle Records annually, and to enforce compliance to established procedures. Recordkeeping of the prehire screening and ongoing supervision of the authorized drivers is needed.

Formalizing and documenting this process doesn’t have to be complicated.

A basic commercial safety program should consist of: • Written driver recruiting and selection criteria • New hire evaluation and review • Ongoing driver review and training • Post-accident reviews • Disciplinary standards One additional exposure to consider is an employee driving a vehicle, not owned by the company, but in the course of employment. In these situations, the business may also be financially responsible above and beyond primary insurance on that vehicle if an accident occurs.

Therefore, when assessing your complete operations, consider all vehicle uses including, employee personal owned vehicles, rental cars or borrowed vehicles.

In summary, if an employee or other party acting as an agent of the company is required to drive in the course and scope of company business, it is crucial that proper management practices be established and enforced. Set your standards and document your procedures.

Remember it is your organization’s assets that are on the line, so it’s up to you to reduce your potential exposures. Contact our agency, if you need any assistance or have questions. We are here to help!

Office of Reginald Mahadeo Farmers Insurance 13740 N. Highway 183, Bldg. S, Unit 3&4 Austin, TX 78750 512-879-4701 Office www.farmersagent.com/rmahadeo

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f you’re a reputable construction contractor, there’s no doubt you’re precise with measurements, equipment, project timelines and other aspects of the business. But bookkeeping? Accounting? Tax strategies? Those areas aren’t likely in your wheelhouse. So let this be a reminder that you need to evaluate your method of accounting every year based on the projects you have in the works.

Here’s why: The accounting methods allowed for small businesses in the construction industry changed in recent years. The definition of a small business changed, too. Eligible small contractors can make up to $26 million in annual gross receipts in a three-year period (as of 2021). That threshold was $5 million not long ago and, once it was changed as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), a whole new world of tax savings opened for additional contractors.

If you engage in long-term home construction contracts or other contracts that span across two tax years (but not longer), it’s a big deal. Small contractors who qualify under the $26 million threshold can now use a cash method of accounting for tax purposes. The cash method is considered the most straightforward or “real-time” option because revenue is recorded when received, and expenses are recorded when vendors are paid. In short, you’re not taxed on income before you’ve received it, as you may be with the traditional accrual method.

A completed contract method is also a possibility for small contractors. The approach is best for projects that span two tax years because it allows the contractor to defer all project revenue expenses and profit for the completion of the project.

Additionally, small contractors now have flexibility in deducting certain capitalized costs, including inventory expenses and certain building materials or other items the IRS considers merchandise used in products sold to customers. Under the nonincidental materials and supplies method (NIMS), direct materials are deducted when they are sold. That means that you can deduct these inventory costs in the same year your project completes so that you can offset that income.

The more traditional accrual method of accounting that large contractors are still required to follow requires tax payment on projects while they progress (not necessarily as money exchanges hands). The most common type of accrual accounting is the percentage-of-completion method.

There are circumstances in which small contractors might still choose the accrual method. Manufacturing contracts and non-home-construction contracts that span more than two years must use the accrual method. Plus, if you have related businesses or your company is a flow-through business with losses allocated to passive investors, your ability to utilize small-business taxpayer account-

ing methods like the cash method could be questioned.

In short, you must pass the IRS gross receipts test to ensure your receipts within the past three years do not exceed the threshold. That’s not as easy as it sounds.

The IRS explains, “for purposes of the small business exemption, all taxpayers are subject to the section 448(c) gross receipts test. Taxpayers that would not otherwise apply the section 448(c) gross receipts test should apply it as if they were a corporation or a partnership, but should treat themselves as the type of entity that they actually are when applying sections 52(a), 52(b), 414(m), and 414(o) of the Code. For example, a taxpayer that is a partnership without a corporate partner should still apply the section 448(c) gross receipts test for purposes of section 163(j), but apply the partnership definition of controlling interest for purposes of the aggregation rules under §1.52-1(c) (2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iii) of the Income Tax Regulations.”

Clear as mud, right? Your personal alternative minimum tax rate (AMT) may also affect your ability to use a simplified accounting method. Plus, although it’s more complicated, the accrual method has its benefits when it comes to providing a more accurate financial snapshot of the business for potential financing, investors, buyers, or partners.

Before changing your method of accounting, talk to a tax advisor about the AMT factor and other concerns. The correct IRS forms must be completed, and some taxpayers must secure IRS consent before changing accounting methods for tax purposes.

It’s ironic that moving to a simplified accounting method can be this complicated, but that’s the IRS. A qualified tax advisor can help you decide what method of accounting is suitable for your projects and budgets. Do be sure, though, to reconsider the methodology annually.

While a cash method may offer advantages for tax purposes, for instance, accrual accounting might be better for other financial reasons. The pros and cons of each method should be weighed carefully. With expanded options come added considerations, and some of those considerations can be too complicated to master on your own.

Steven Bankler has more than 45 years of experience in the accounting industry.

Steven’s expertise liesin 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 consulting expert), business negotiations and estate planning. Visit www.bankler.com for additional tax strategy tips and to learn more about Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd.

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Page 7

OSHA

LEGAL Delegated Designs Surprise Unsuspecting Contractors Shelly Masters Principal Cokinos Young Austin TX

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ontractors and architects have long had a love/hate relationship especially when design collides with the means and methods. Texas law recently righted a long-standing wrong done contractors by making the owner – not the contractor – responsible for the risk of deficiencies in the architect’s design documents. While celebration is in order, general contractors and subcontractors must be more vigilant to avoid the risk of “delegate design” which is an increasingly popular trend.

Delegated design occurs when a contractor assumes responsibility for some aspect of a project’s design in the construction process. The transfer of design responsibility is a standard industry practice for certain subcontractors. However, unsuspecting subcontractors may run into the added costs of retaining of an architect or engineer to complete the delegated work or, if not blessed by a design expert, bear the risk of defective construction.

Design tasks are often passed on to contractors and subcontractors to reduce owner costs or pass on the responsibility to knowledgeable contractors who are considered the installation experts. However, some design professionals delegate design with the primary motivation of transferring risk to the contractor.

The first step to controlling this risk is to catch the transfer before contract execution. The following two steps will assist contractors in protecting against the unknowing acceptance of design scopes.

Review Plans/Specifications. Contractors must first carefully and thoroughly review the plans and specifications to identify design responsibilities.

Look for specifications or design notes which require shop drawings under a professional engineer’s seal. See examples below. Incomplete designs can also hide delegated designs.

Example in Specifications for Delegated Design Submittals. All shop drawings shall be signed and sealed by a registered engineer and identify each component and attachment to building construction. Shop drawings and calculations received without engineer seals and signature will be returned without review.

Example in Delegated Design Notes.

Design responsibility for the following engineered systems and components is delegated to a qualified specialty structural engineer selected by the contractor. Coordinate with the contract documents for professional licensure and sealing requirements, design criteria, details of the system, submittal and calculation requirements.

Review the Contract. The contractual vehicle for delegating design responsibility is rarely clearly labeled “Delegated Design”. Instead, the transfer can be subtle through a warranty, flow down or code compliance provision like the samples below.

AIA General Conditions to AIA A2012017, Section 3.12.10.1. If professional design services…are specifically required…, the Owner and the Architect will specify all performance and design criteria that such services must satisfy…. The Contractor shall cause such services or certifications to be provided by…licensed design professional, whose signature and seal shall appear on all drawings…prepared by such professional.

Design Professions provision from General Contract. Subcontractor hereby agrees that if portions of the work to be performed under the subcontract are to be designed by the subcontractor…subcontractor will have those portions of the work designed by a registered professional.

Through this process, contractors can evaluate the scope of the delegation, calculate the additional cost and time to

comply and revise the project scope and contract commensurate with what risk, if any, will be accepted in the contract documents. Contractors can include express language disclaiming responsibility for delegated design beyond what is being transferred. For example, an express exclusion could be included to: (a) exempt design responsibility for connected building systems installed by other trades; (b) limit the contractors requirement to provide professional services in violation of applicable laws and regulations; and, (c) limit the contractors responsibility for the adequacy of the design criteria specified by the owner or its consultants.

In many cases, a design scope may be discovered by contractors after contract execution. The best practice for performing in accordance with delegated design responsibilities requires contractors to take the following steps.

Licensed Professional Retention. The first thing a contractor should do is engage a licensed professional to perform the design work to ensure contractual obligations are met and provide required any necessary submittals to the architect of record for approval. While securing the approval of the architect of record on the delegated designs may not alleviate the contractor’s contractual responsibility, it can mitigate the risk of subsequent defect claims attributable to this design.

Carefully Prepare Submittals and Shop Drawings. Clear and precise submittals and shop drawings are meant to, and can, prevent misunderstanding or problems encountered during construction. Identifying and mitigating nonconformance early is usually less costly and time consuming than correcting errors after construction is completed. Because shop drawings are not typically a part of the contract documents, contractors should ensure owners and the design team are put on notice of any discrepancies which are discovered between the design and contract documents.

Keep in mind a contractor’s insurance may not cover design elements.

Contractors should consult their insurance brokers to determine if extra insurance coverage may be procured. Savvy subcontractors should include the added costs of design consultants and insurance coverage in their bids. Further, a professional review of the construction contract documents may further assist in identifying and limiting what your company is ultimately responsible for in the delegated design.

Note: Delegated design is not to be confused with “design assist” which may sound similar but applies to pre-design input from contractors for which the design team remains ultimately responsible for the design.

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

Serious Injury Reporting Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

T

here are several types of events that are required to be reported to OSHA. All employers are required to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye.

Work related fatalities must be reported within 8 hours of the workplace incident. Employers are not generally required to report over the road traffic fatalities, or commercial train, plane or bus fatalities to OSHA, though these incidents would be required to be entered on the OSHA 300 log, if the employer is required to maintain the OSHA 300. If the motor vehicle accident occurred in a construction work zone, you must report the fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. Employers are required to report fatal heart attack cases to OSHA. OSHA is required by law to conduct an inspection for all work-related fatalities.

Other serious injuries are also required to be reported to OSHA. An in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours.

An in-patient hospitalization is one where the worker is required to be formally admitted to the hospital due to his injuries. You do not have to report an in-patient hospitalization that involves only observation or diagnostic testing.

You must only report to OSHA each inpatient hospitalization that involves care or treatment.

OSHA defines an amputation as the traumatic loss of a limb or other external body part. Amputations include a part, such as a limb or appendage, that has

been severed, cut off, amputated (either completely or partially); fingertip amputations with or without bone loss; medical amputations resulting from irreparable damage; amputations of body parts that have since been reattached. Amputations do not include avulsions, enucleations, deglovings, scalpings, severed ears, or broken or chipped teeth.

To report these cases to OSHA, the employer can report the incident in person at the OSHA office, call the closest OSHA Area office during business hours, the 1-800-321-OSHA number, or file the report on-line at osha.gov.

You must only report a fatality to OSHA if the fatality occurs within thirty (30) days of the work-related incident. For an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye, you must only report the event to OSHA if it occurs within twenty-four (24) hours of the work-related incident. However, the fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye must be recorded on your OSHA injury and illness records, if you are required to keep such records.

More information on reporting serious injuries and fatalities is available on the OSHA website at: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.39 natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Mike Sireno

President, San Antonio Branch BakerTriangle San Antonio, TX

M

ike Sireno had every intention of going to college when fate presented a different path. A path that led to a successful career in the drywall and plastering industry.

Let’s talk about Mike Sireno. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Austin but moved to Galveston when I was one year old and lived there until after high school.

What was growing up in Galveston like?

It was great! I lived one block from the seawall and would hang out at the beach whenever I could. I had a paper route and delivered papers on my bike. I got to see many beautiful sunrises while delivering papers. When I wasn’t playing baseball or football, I would be fishing or just hanging out at the beach.

Where did you go to school?

I went to Galveston Ball High School and graduated in 1982.

Tell me about your parents.

My dad was an X-Ray technician at John Sealy Hospital for 35 years. I think he knew everyone that worked in the hospital. They had a barbershop in the hospital that we would get our hair cut. As we walked through the halls, everyone acknowledged him. I became familiar with the others in his department as I seemed to always be breaking bones. My dad also coached my little league baseball team and my youngest sister’s fast-pitch softball team. Dad continued to coach for many years after I was out of the league.

He is still known by many as “Coach.”

My mom worked at The Galveston Daily News while I was growing up. She was a secretary and bookkeeper for a while, but later became a reporter. She even had a regular article that she wrote.

Mom interviewed several celebrities including Johnny and June Cash. Her articles often talked about life growing up

on the farm or something that one of us kids had done or been involved in. She helped us on our paper routes during inclement weather when the bike was not the best way to get papers delivered.

My most memorable newspaper delivery was the morning Hurricane Alicia was quickly making its way to Galveston.

Since the paper never missed a day of distribution, the paper still had to be delivered. We battled winds that sent the paper flying back at me. Roads were partially flooded and there were plenty of downed power lines. Regardless, we delivered every newspaper on our route that evening. After we were done, we ended up spending the night at the newspaper building since it was a solid structure.

It was a good thing we did. Our house ended up with about three feet of water in it. Several days went by before we could wade down our street to get to it.

How did you come to work in the construction industry?

I was always the kid that tried to take things apart to see how they worked. Unfortunately, I didn’t always get them back together in working condition. But I liked working with my hands and using my mind to work through problems. I had a friend in high school that I played football with whose dad owned a drywall and plastering company. The summer after I graduated, I went to work for them as a laborer, cleaning jobsites, delivering and stocking materials and building scaffolds.

I had planned on going to college at the time but was offered a chance to enroll in the carpenters apprenticeship program and decided to give it a shot. It grew on me and I really liked what I was doing so I stayed with it.

Did you live in Galveston up until you moved to San Antonio?

No, I left Galveston in 1984 and moved to Austin. I stayed in construction after moving to Austin. I worked in the field for about 10 years and then I got a job as an estimator.

Is that when you came to work for BakerTriangle?

Baker came to Austin in 1996. I got to know Jerry Smith who runs the Austin office there. He hired me and I went to work for him in 1997. I lived in Austin for 20 years. In 2004 I moved to Louisiana and opened up an office for BakerTriangle in Baton Rouge. I took over BakerTriangle’s San Antonio branch in 2005. I had both offices open and commuted back and forth between the two until 2007.

What was Louisiana like?

It was a good experience. I met a lot of good people and ate a lot of good food while there. However, I also experienced Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. That part wasn’t so fun.

Mike Sireno with his grandchildren Beckham (front), Gavin (left), Karsyn (right) and 5-month-old Lorenzo

Mike Sireno, President BakerTriangle San Antonio

You’re known for your cooking skills, is that where you learned how to cook so well?

I already knew how to cook just a bit, but I definitely homed in on some of my Cajun cooking skills.

Rumor has it, you are celebrating 25 years with BakerTriangle.

Yes. Jan. 3 was my 25th anniversary.

Did you ever think you would be a part of BakerTriangle for 25 years?

No. I didn’t hire on thinking I’m going to be here for the next 25 years of my life, but it has been great! I’ve done lots of different projects in different states and have met a lot of people. It’s fun to drive around and point out all the projects I’ve worked on or been a part of.

What is it about the drywall and interior finish that you like so much?

It’s constructing buildings that people are going to be able to utilize. We’ve built buildings that people use in their daily lives. Buildings that help educate our youth, heal our sick and help others make a living to provide for their families.

Are you married? How did you meet?

How long have you been married?

I am married. My wife Kari and I have been married for 32 yeas. We met at a mutual friend’s Halloween costume party in Austin. She was a French maid and I was the grim reaper.

Do you have any children?

We have two children. Our daughter, Abbey, is 33 and lives in Louisiana. She has three children of her own - Karsyn, Gavin and Beckham. Abbey works for our brewery taking care of the books.

Mike and Kari Sireno

Jacob, our son, is 28 and just had his first child. His son, Lorenzo, was born in September. Jacob is an estimator for BakerTriangle and is also the brewer at our brewery, Dos Sirenos Brewing.

How did you get into brewing?

I started home brewing when I lived in Austin about 22 years ago. I had cousins that had been home brewing and brought some to a family reunion. I thought that was pretty cool and thought I would try it myself. I really got into it but put it off to the side when I went to Louisiana because I really didn’t have any time to brew.

About eight years ago, my son, Jacob, bought some ingredients for Father’s Day so I knocked the dust off the equipment and got started brewing a batch of beer. Five gallons of beer didn’t last very long, so we brewed another batch. Then we decided to brew 10-gallon batches. We were brewing some pretty good beer. We started going to festivals and other places tasting other beer. We knew our beer was as good as some of the beers we were trying, and we asked ourselves, “why aren’t we selling it?” We started talking and the next thing you know we bought a bigger system and started doing one-barrel batches. One thing led to another and now I have a brewery. When I’m not doing drywall, most of my time is spent at the brewery making beer. What started out as a hobby, turned into another business.

Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

I hunt and fish, play a little golf and of course, try to get in all the time I can with the grandkids.

What would you like our readers to know about Mike Sireno?

That’s a good question. Through my entire career in construction, I have tried to talk to schools about how construction can be a great career. You can go to college to get degrees in construction, but you don’t have to go to college. It is definitely something you can do like I did and work your way up from the field into the office. Who knows, you could become a manager or an owner of your own company. It’s a career that I enjoy, and I love doing it. This career also allows me to give back to the community and I try to anyway I can.

I’ve been on the advisory council for UTSA and sat on the board of directors for various industry associations. I’ve been a part of the Bexar County Mentor Protégé Program. Trying to encourage and help others who want to get into the business, is the story of my life.

Is there anything else?

Since I don’t work out in the field anymore, I focus on trying to identify the potential in people, mentoring and developing their skills to become future leaders of our industry. Having been in a role as a manager and president, I have come to realize that we are not just building buildings anymore, we are actually building and developing people. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Page 9

Growing in Texas

L-R: Garland Galm and KCI’s Chief Executive Officer Nathan J. Beil, PE, D.WRE seal KCI’s acquisition of CEC with a handshake.

I

n late November, KCI Technologies Inc. (KCI) proudly announced the acquisition Civil Engineering Consultants (CEC), stating that CEC’s wide-ranging civil engineering, construction management and surveying expertise will complement KCI’s continued expansion throughout the state of Texas.

Founded in 1983, CEC began with a staff of three – two project engineers and a draftsman in San Antonio. Since then it has expanded geographically to include Bryan/College State and Laredo with a comprehensive staff of more than 100 professionals specializing in transportation and traffic engineering, construction management, urban planning and design, residential and commercial site development, land surveying, and aerial and mobile LiDAR. KCI Vice President Mehmet A. Boz, PhD, PE proudly states, “We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome CEC to our team. They are an admired and well-respected firm in the Texas market and adding them to KCI aligns well with our strategic growth. Through this acquisi-

tion, we can build upon our strong capabilities to better meet the needs of our clients and advance our future solutions and initiatives.”

CEC’s Garland Galm, PE, led CEC as president since 2015 when he succeeded the founder and owner of CEC. Galm joined the CEC family in 1997 as a senior project manager and quickly took the lead as transportation division manager and later, was promoted to chief operating officer. He brings more than 37 years of experience in transportation engineering. Galm earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and is a Texas registered professional engineer.

“Bringing together CEC with KCI is an incredible opportunity for our clients, employees, and the industry, and combined, we can rely on each other’s strengths to deliver enhanced solutions to move the industry forward,” says Galm.

The acquisition of CEC will further extend KCI’s geographical footprint in Texas to 10 locations supporting a diverse team of more than 200 employees. -cmw

W

The whole gamut

hen it comes to starting up a project, you are sure to see two common fixtures on every job site – portable offices and storage containers.

In July of 2020, Mobile Mini Inc. became part of the WillScot Corporation and is now known as WillScot Mobile Mini.

Mobile Mini, who has been in business since 1982, has provided portable storage solutions for customers across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. They started out as a manufacturer of the mobile storage containers with a patented locking system called the Tri-cam in which all the security is on the inside of the container.

“We have the most secure locking system in the industry,” says Outside Sales Manager Tiffany Nunis. “And, we are the only one in the industry to carry a 10-ft wide container.”

The merger with WillScot, a specialty rental service provider of innovative modular space and portable storage solutions, now allows Mobile Mini to provide the whole mobilization package mobile offices and storage containers.

Completing the mobilization package, Mobile Mini has a managed service department that can supply job site fencing, port-a-potties, hand-washing stations, dumpsters, generators and small equipment like backhoes and excavators.

“We’re here to provide amazing customer service to our customers,” adds Nunis. “We know how hectic it is at the beginning of a project. We’re really trying to make their lives easier by being a onestop-shop for their step-up needs. They can check off multiple items that are needed before they can even break

Willscot Mobile Mini’s San Antonio team L-R: Thomas Steele, Cynthia Grimes and Gerrick Smith. Not pictured Rocky Ybarra

ground. And the same can be said at the end of the project. There’s one call to call everything off.”

Now one company, Willscot Mobile Mini and WillScot continue to on different platforms when it comes to billing.

Willscot will continue to offer modular offices from as small as an 8’x20’ up to 4-plexes and 6-plexes complete conference rooms, bathrooms and private offices. Mobile Mini will provide all the ground level office and storage options and will be soon offering office/furniture packages to go along with the ground level offices.

WillScot Mobile Mini is a mobile storage unit provide in Austin and San Antonio. -cmw

Industry FOLKS Kai Busbee-Smith Alarm Operations Manager

Allied Fire Protection San Antonio, TX

K

ai Busbee-Smith was born in San Antonio. As an adult, he even works in San Antonio. But his heart and soul belongs to the Texas Hill country.

Kai grew up in Comfort, TX in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. This afforded Kai a sense of appreciation for the little things in life. “I grew up on a piece of property in a valley surrounded by hills. I live there still today. It allows me to slow down and take a moment to unwind.”

Kai attended schools in the Comfort Independent School District and briefly attended UTSA after graduating from Comfort High School. He worked full-time and did not have the experience in the typical college scene.

He married his beautiful wife Stefanie Busbee-Smith seven years ago.

They have been together for 10 years and were introduced to each other through mutual friends. Together, they have two wonderful children: Kai, Jr. who just turned 5 years old; and 2-yearold Sadie. “Kai, Jr. goes by KJ. He is so funny and smart. He is obsessed with the Avengers and hunting. Sadie is my little mini me and my little princess.

The expression ‘my kids are my world,’ definitely applies to me and my wife.

Our kids are our world.”

Kai’s mother and father both worked in the fire alarm industry, introducing Kai to it early on. He started working in the alarm industry as his father’s helper at a young age. Now he

runs the alarm operations department for Allied Fire Protection’s San Antonio office. This includes the administration, design, service and installation of fire alarm systems. Additionally, he is in charge of the operations of Allied’s alarm construction for their Austin and Laredo locations.

“My job is pretty amazing. Allied Fire Protection is a wonderful place to work with unprecedented support. I have an phenomenal team and I truly like working with them. We are one big family.”

As far as mentors are concerned, Kai’s father is his mentor. “He brought me into this industry and continues to provide encouragement and advise whenever he can.”

Kai has not strayed from his roots.

He is a country boy at heart and your typical outdoorsman. He enjoys hunting, fishing and just being outdoors as one might expect. “Hunting and fishing would probably be among my favorite things to do even though it can be hard to find time with two small children. I like to be outside working on our property with my son, doing chores and working on small projects. But, most of all, just being a dad to my two kids is my greatest enjoyment.” -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Resource Guide Associations & Education H General Contractors H Subcontractors H Service Providers H Subcontractors H Supplies H Truck & Equip Dealers

Associations and Construction Education

Service Providers

General Contractor

Suppliers

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Page 11

speckled trout limits. After the devastating freeze in February 2021, TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division enacted some emergency regulations cutting the limit of trout from five fish to three and changing the size limit from 15-25 inches to 1723 inches. These regulations expired on September 27, 2021 and the limit went back to five fish and 15 inch min. Over the summer and fall periods, TPWD recognized the trout stocks would need additional assistance to recover to pre-freeze levels along harder hit areas along the bay system. They have made the proposal to go back the same emergency regulations for a period of two years. After the green light from the commissioners to take the proposal public, Coastal Fisheries staff conducted meetings along the coast to gauge the opinion of the public. If approved, we should see a change in the regulation sometime in the spring and expire in August of 2023.

Changes Proposed Again for Speckled Trout

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by:

Waypoint Marine/Waypoint Customs, Shoalwater Boats, Mercury Marine, Shimano Reels, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Simms Fishing, Columbia ForEverlast Fishing Products, PowerPro, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, JL Marines Power-Pole, and AFTCO Clothing.

What we can do to help this situation is to be more conscious of water we keep and what we can release. Practicing catch and release is proven to promote the survival and continue spawning of these highly sought-after fish. Bottom line is that they will all die in the bottom of an ice chest, so by turning some lose, we all can be a part of conserving this fishery for the future.

F

ebruary has finally arrived and so has some colder weather to the Coastal Bend. Deer camp is closed and all the blinds are locked up for another summer.

It was great hunting season with lots of deer harvested and memories made at the Chaparrosa Ranch.

My new 2022 Shoalwater rig should be ready by the time this column reaches your hands and I’m excited to get behind the helm of this machine powered by the powerful Mercury 300 Pro XS. I will also be field testing some new gear throughout the year and contemplating changing boats for the 2023 season. Stay tuned!!

It’s an awesome break for me being at the ranch, off the water, to be able to reset my season during this break. Lots of time to reflect back on the year with many great clients and friends on the boat. As we start the new fishing season, I kick off my 24th year of guiding customers on the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay complex. Never in my dreams did I ever think this would turn into such a profession that will hopefully take me to my retirement years. I can honestly say that I really enjoy what I do and look forward to every day on the water.

I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2022 season. Don’t wait until all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing or hunting trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or e-mail him at: SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com Good luck and Good Fishing.

As we start the new fishing season, we are waiting on possible changes from the Texas Parks and Wildlife folks on the

Rick Ullmann of San Antonio battled this 28-inch redfish for what seemed like 15 minutes before getting to the net. Photo taken by Steve Schultz Outdoors.

First calf of 2022

I

f you are a true Texan, and even if you aren’t, you can appreciate this. On Jan. 9, co-owners Jason and Rebecca Christa, Gibson Plumbing and Elmer and Susan Rosenberger of Spicewood, TX celebrated the new year for the second time.

The Christa’s and Rosenberger’s prized longhorn, 10-year-old RVR Sabrina Rose, gave birth to a big healthy calf. While they are still uncertain of the gender of the calf at this time, the genetic makeup is top notch in the longhorn world. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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

Valentine’s Day is a Fishing Cue?

Y

ou bet! A savvy fisherman knows that when you see all that pink heart candy start showing up in the stores, you better start paying attention to your fishing information network.

About a week or two on either side of Valentine’s Day is when the white bass runs on the rivers and lakes really get strong.

It can be early if the winter has been mild, or late if winter has come off really cold.

The best bet is to keep an eye on your online fishing reports and forums or your local tackle shop for the latest info.

White bass are good eating and fast catching especially during their spawning run. This makes them one of the best fish to go after with your kids. You can use any lure that looks like a shad and troll for them or cast for them. The upside here is that they get plenty of practice with their rod and reel and lots of catching satisfaction too. That should help keep a kid’s attention.

Crappie are really starting to haunt the shallow water on these warm sunny days. They love to hang about in structure. You can tempt them out with live minnows or use jigs to tease them out of hiding. Most anglers agree that crappie are the best eating fish. I know lots of people that save their used-up Christmas trees and those of their friends, just to sink them in a secret spot to create a nice crappie hole to fish.

getting some nice bluecats by bank fishing and using jug lines.

Stripers and hybrids are schooling up nice. This time of year, they are also found more upstream than during the later months of the year when they head back downstream to stay in cool deeper water.

Birds working the water’s surface can be a good way to find them feeding. Just don’t expect them to bite too soon after a cold front comes in. High barometric pressure seen on cold, windy, cloudless days will shut down the bite. Give them a day or two and they will go back to normal.

As long as we don’t have another major winter storm like the one that walloped us last February, we should be all set for some fine spring fishing. A strong late season cold spell like that can throw a monkey wrench into everything! There is nothing more frustrating than watching the fish get all wound up to go crazy spawning only to get shut down by suddenly frigid water temperatures. Last year was doubly bad because is caused fish to die out in some places, especially along the coast. It can take some time to recover from that kind of damage.

I’m hoping for a nice normal second half of winter this year. The kind where you fish 2 or 3 days and take a day or two off to let a cold front blow through, then get back to fishing. It has a nice balance to it!

Catch Striper Fever with Ken Milam Guide Service on Lake Buchanan in the Central Texas Hill Country. Bait, tackle, and equipment are provided and we will clean your catch for you on our chartered fishing trips for striped and hybrid bass.

Catfish are going strong right now too! Our local fishermen are doing well on trotlines, bringing in some solid yellow catfish, and our cabin customers are

VALENTINE’S DAY FEBRUARY 14

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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Page 13

Holiday hunt

owell Crane & Rigging Inc. invited a few customers to the Howell Ranch for a holiday hunt courtesy of Audie Howell. On New Year’s Eve, two of their guests harvested these two great trophies. Photos courtesy of Howell Crane & Rigging. -cmw

A

Mule deer of 2021

s the 2021 deer hunting season comes to a close, a few of the guys at Alterman shared photos of trophies harvested during the 2021 season. -cmw

Brent Pruski, Urban Concrete Contractors, shot this 237-in, 35 point white tail deer.

Leonard DeBraska shot this 11-point mule deer in Sanderson, TX at 47 yards on Dec. 7.

James Rayborn, JR Industrial Inc., harvested this 217-in trophy white tail deer.

Catch & release Justin Smoot harvested this 9-point mule deer during a Colorado hunt on Nov. 28.

It was a 314-yard shot.

Karen Ridout, Ridout Barrett, caught this 31-inch redfish while fishing at South Bay. After the photo was taken, Karen released the red to swim another day. -cmw

At 200 yards, Eloy Salinas harvested this 9-point mule deer in New Mexico on Nov. 9.

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Ridgewood Park Medical Office Building & Ambulatory Surgery Center

oeris General Contractors completed the Ridgewood Park Medical Office Building & Ambulatory Surgery Center, totaling 100,000sf, in the Stone Oak area in October 2020. The project scope included a medical clinic, a physical therapy suite, an ambulatory surgery center, conference rooms, administrative offices, retail, and support spaces.

E4H Architects designed the project with Joeris General Contractors as the construction manager. The TSAOG Orthopaedics Center is the largest project occupant, providing state-of-the-art orthopedic joint replacement and treatment procedures for citizens of Bexar County.

In 2021, Joeris received the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) 2021 Excellence in Construction Awards in the category of Healthcare $25M to $100M for the project.

The building design intentionally minimizes the flat, front face of a typical tilt-wall building, using multiple building elements on the exterior of the building.

A limestone veneer was used on the lower portion of the building, a nod to the city’s local neighborhood, Stone Oak. Along with tilt-wall, the design incorporates conventional framing with aluminum cladding. Curtain walls and storefront glass systems bring in natural light, which is critical for the wellness of patients.

Ridgeway Park Medical Office Building & Ambulatory Surgery Center exterior view

Joeris General Contractors San Antonio, TX

1st floor lobby

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ike Schweiss invented his first bi-fold door over 40 years ago giving birth to Schweiss Doors.

His innovative team of designers have been manufacturing doors of all shapes and sizes ever since.

Before moving to Fredericksburg from Horseshoe Bay, Bill Lucy built a hangar and a 1,600-ft-long grass runway for his PT-17 Stearman. The new hangar, a metal building, is complete with a Schwiess 40 ft. x 14 ft. bifold liftstrap door.

Lucy made his decision to purchase a Schweiss Bifold liftstrap door after reading a “Must See Photo” story on the Schweiss Doors website about old-timer pilot Gene Fuchs of Morgan, MN who owns three Schweiss doors. “The ‘Must See Photo’ Schweiss website profile on Mr. Fuchs sold me,” says Lucy. “I printed the article, put it in my hangar file and called Schweiss. The experience has been great since day one. Jeremy and others at Schweiss Doors were available and very helpful. Schweiss was always available to answer questions and provide needed details, even on weekends.

Time was a big factor in Lucy getting his boots on the ground in Fredericksburg. His love of flying began 43 years ago at Horseshoe Bay and has led him to a career flying a mid-size cabin eight-passenger Citation Sovereign for NetJets.

Once the door arrived, Lucy and his team found the “yellow book” (installation manual). Installation went exceptionally well. In fact, it became a frequent phrase whenever they had a question –“It’s in the book!” And it always was.

“The details; the pictures; the how-tos; the not this way, but this way; the book, chapter-by-chapter, was amazing,” adds Lucy.

The bifold door on the Lucy hangar measures in at 40 ft. x 14 ft. clear, more

The exterior spaces include a courtyard with two water features, mature oak trees, and sunshade structures. Colored concrete pavers and natural landscaping provide patients and the staff with a quiet space for healing and meditation. The natural environment promotes stress reduction, improves cognitive function, supports pain management, and improves the overall health of the patients and staff.

Site logistics was the main challenge on this 8-acre site located in the northern part of the city. Joeris shared the site with another general contractor constructing a four-story office building and parking garage. Compounding this challenge was the start of a major highway construction project linking the only highway to the project with another via an overpass. Additional travel time for crews and material deliveries had to be accounted for as this major highway had frequent closures and heavy traffic delays.

In early 2020, when the COVID-19 virus impacted the US, trade crew availability became an issue as exposure concerns to the virus increased. Joeris implemented health screenings to reduce exposure and sequenced work to limit the number of trades working on-site simultaneously. -cmw

Lucy Hangar

The Lucy hangar with a 40 ft. x 14 ft. Schweiss bifold liftstrap door.

Four bifold liftstraps and a Schweiss autolatch system open and lock the door weather tight.

Bill and his wife, Cheron, are both licensed pilots and fly this restored Stearman biplane.

than adequate to hangar his plane. The bifold door opens and closes quickly and quietly with the four strong liftstraps and locks weather tight with the patented auto latch strap system that Schweiss bifold doors are known for.

His new steel 85 ft. x 40 ft. red and white hangar stands out like the colorful wildflowers that emblazon the hills around Fredericksburg. His plan all along was to build it for a Stearman, but he did research the dimensions of Huskey’s and Cessna 180s. Their adjacent ranch home was designed and built by his architect son, Travis, with Bercy Chen architects of Austin, TX. It is contemporary and compliments the ranch setting. “The design for the hangar started with our desire for it to include a bunkhouse for the grandkids, an office and a workshop. My wife, Cheron, picked the color - the red barn look for our ranch,” explained Lucy.

The hangar is a weld-up, design with materials by Metal Mart in Burnet, TX and constructed by Rios Construction of Marble Falls, TX. Lucy flies a Stearman. The Boeing/ Stearman Model 75 was the primary trainer and is probably the best-known biplane in aviation history. The biplane introduced more of World War II’s “greatest generation” to flight than any other airplane. Commonly referred to as the Stearman PT-17, it was manufactured by the Stearman Aircraft Co. in Wichita, KS from 1934 through 1945. Knowledgeable enthusiasts estimate about 1,000 Stearmans around the world are still flying.

The actual total of Model 75s that were completed from the prototype X-75 to the final E75 built in 1945 was 8,428. -cmw Schweiss Doors Hector, MN

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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Page 15

UTSA’s Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE) – Life Saving Technology

hen the University of Texas at San Antonio began planning their new state-of-the-art athletics facility, they knew the building needed the latest in safety technology as well. They turned to Fire Alarm Control Systems Inc. (FACS) of San Antonio to equip the building with innovative, life-saving features.

UTSA’s Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE), which opened in Aug. 2021, is a $40.4 million training facility located on the university’s main campus. The 95,000sf building includes a

sports medicine center, a 14,000sf strength and conditioning center, practice fields, a locker room and players’ lounge for the football program, and spaces for meetings and academics.

UTSA and Fire Alarm Control Systems Inc. (FACS) have a long and successful relationship keeping students and faculty safe. FACS had previously installed UTSA’s campus-wide emergency communication systems, so the company integrated the new RACE building into the existing system while adding two innovative emergency communication devices for

UTSA RACE Interior

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additional security: Interior Notification and Help Stations.

Interior Notification gives the UTSA police department and Emergency Management Team the ability to send pre-recorded, text-to-speech and live audio messages to communicate clear, concise emergency instructions and notifications throughout the building. It also allows university safety officials to override the fire alarm system to provide customized instructions to people inside the building, such as orders to shelter in place or evacuate the building.

UTSA RACE Help Station

FACS also installed hands-free Help Stations at every stairwell entrance on both the first and second floors. These are similar to the emergency phones found in parking lots on most university campuses. At the touch of a button, users can quickly access emergency help and communicate with a dispatcher using two-way audio communication. Each station also features an IP camera that allows dispatchers to view and record the surrounding area.

“RACE is the third building on UTSA’s main campus to feature the Help Stations. UTSA is one of the first universities in the state to add Help Stations inside campus buildings,” said Jonathan Fernandez of FACS. “UTSA is very forward-thinking when it comes to technology that protects its students, faculty and staff.”

The Help Stations can be updated as new technology emerges. Sysnova, the manufacturer of the university’s emergency communication system, is currently developing the ability for its Help Stations to automatically detect the sound of gunshots and immediately alert authorities, while providing information on a shooter’s whereabouts based on the sound. -cmw

Fire Alarm Control Systems Inc. (FACS) San Antonio, TX

The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas

he Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving children affected by the loss of a loved one.

The organization moved to its current location at 205 W. Olmos in 2010.

By 2014 planning began to improve services for an important part of the community, teens and young adults. In March of 2020, Keller-Martin Construction Inc. received the notice to proceed to construct a two-story addition consisting of 5,700 sf of eight additional counseling spaces and to renovate of a portion of the existing 9,387 sf occupied facility. The expansion provided a stateof-the-art facility allowing staff to leverage technology.

The project consisted of demolition, utilities, fencing, landscaping, site concrete, slab on grade foundation, hybrid wood framing in conjunction with structural steel, wood trusses, batt insulation, waterproofing, lath and plaster, aluminum windows, sheet metal roof system, wood doors, drywall, acoustical ceilings, ceramic tile, wood flooring, carpet, painting, elevator, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and fire alarm system.

The new two-story addition tied into the occupied existing facility with access and egress at both the first and second floors. During construction of this project, the Bereavement Center remained in operation. Existing parking was eliminated for the addition making limited spaces more valuable. Perimeter sidewalks and approaches were also replaced to meet current access codes. Additional safety measures and Covid-19 safety pre-

Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas

vention practices had to be implemented to protect staff and their clients. Dayto-day coordination with the facilities director was a vital necessity.

“A challenging aspect,” said Reb Brem, Keller-Martin Inc. Project Manager, “was during the original scope of the renovations. It was decided that this was the best opportunity to remove and replace the eleven outdated HVAC systems in the building.” This change would make the entire HVAC system electric, eliminating the need for the existing gas service. This change over was strategically planned during the Bereavement Center’s Christmas break.

Under a separate contract, Children’s Bereavement Center commissioned a creative company, SRO, to paint a mural and Cox Tile to install a unique mosaic glass tile flooring inspired by the San Pedro Springs. Art is a source of heal-

ing throughout the Children’s Bereavement Center’s therapies.

The excellent working relationship Keller-Martin had with the Bereavement Center’s staff, architect and subcontractors attributed to a very successful project. -cmw

Wall mural painted by SRO and mosaic glass tile flooring installed

by Cox Tile Rec room

Keller-Martin Construction Inc. San Antonio, TX

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Holiday givings

Industry FOLKS Derek Luciano Medina, Senior Superintendent

Structura Inc., San Antonio, TX

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During its current giving round, the Sundt Foundation awarded over $15,000 in grants to six Bexar County nonprofits. Morgan’s Wonderland and SJRC Texas both received $3,500 and Blessings in a Backpack, San Antonio Botanical Garden Society, San Antonio Sports, and Soldiers Angels each received $2,500. -cmw

orn and raised in San Antonio, Derek Medina grew up in a traditional family with parents who have been married over 50 years and two siblings, a brother and sister. Their neighborhood was populated with blue collar workers from both Kelly and Lackland Air Force Bases. His parents still live in the same house that he grew up in.

He graduated from Kennedy High School and attended several colleges and universities. “All my education was in San Antonio with one caveat and that is Indiana State University online.

My college life was not that of a typical average student. I decided to pursue my higher education later in my adult life. This decision did come with its challenges to my home/work and school life. My already hectic schedule now included going to campus, study groups and lots of homework.”

Derek has an Associate of Applied Science degree from St. Philip’s College and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University in Construction Management.

He’s known two jobs his whole life.

The first was joining the Army at 17 with construction being other. “I started from literally wearing a pouch and swinging a hammer. After nearly 25 years in construction, I felt the need to expand my knowledge of the construction process to include the management aspect of the business.”

Derek and his wife Anna have been married for 10 years. “She is a wonderful woman. She is a surgical technician specializing in heart, neurology and robotic surgeries. We met at Lowe’s while we were both shopping.

“We have two boys. The oldest, Brandyn, is 24 and currently serves in the United States Navy. He is student at the Naval Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek, SC; a prestigious school where only a few qualify to attend due to the rigorous academic curriculum.

Our youngest son, is a very energetic and fun loving 8-year-old in the 2nd grade.”

Derek’s interest in construction was piqued while working during the summer months with his father, who is now a retired electrician. As a Senior Superintendent for Structura Inc. General Contractors he manages ground up and interior finish out projects. ”I enjoy being out in the field in the thick of the building process. I’m proud of my contribution as a superintendent for projects that have won awards for AIA’s 2014 Project of the Year, ASA’s 2015 Project of the Year Award for projects between $1-5 million, and ASA’s 2019 Project of the Year Award for projects between $2.5-5 million.”

Derek’s mentors are his parents.

“They were the biggest drivers behind the successes of their children. Their moral compass, work ethic and sense of family have been the biggest and best influence on my life.”

In his spare time, Derek enjoys going to his ranch in Rocksprings to hunt with his two boys. -cmw

A bird’s eye view

Aerial photo taken by Erick Richter of the new Tesla Plant in Austin, TX

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igital cameras had just become popular when Erick Richter started Custom Aerial Images in 2006. Since then, technology has improved allowing for higher resolution images.

“We still use digital cameras but now, drones have become popular,” says Richter.

Traditional aerial photography from airplanes is still Custom Aerial Images’ main focus but they use drones, especially for low level video work. Prior to drones, most of their video work was captured using helicopters. “I regularly provide video from airplanes using a handheld stabilized video camera that uses the same stabilization technology used in drones,” continues Richter.

Drones have not replaced traditional aerial photographers but have provided them another tool for their toolbox.

There are situations where drones are advantageous; others where photography from planes is more advantageous. Construction companies with in-house drones and pilots may still use traditional aerial photography services for certain things such as sites close to airports, very large sites, marketing purposes, different views/angles, to capture larger or sur-

rounding areas, and situations where drones are restricted or might be a hazard or nuisance.

Richter is a licensed pilot and loves flying small planes. As a one-man operation, Richter hires pilots to work with him on photo missions. “There is usually busy air traffic over cities so it’s really a two-person job; one person to focus on flying the plane, watching for traffic while the other focuses on the photography.”

Custom Aerial Images provides aerial photography from planes, helicopters and drones; video from planes, helicopters and drones; ground photography including architectural interiors/exteriors; printing, image processing, video editing, large area mapping - ranches and development areas, and spot (small area) verticals.

Richter has regular flights in the San Antonio, Austin and Dallas areas is open to other Texas areas if he can make it work for everyone involved. -cmw Erick Richter, owner of Custom Aerial Images

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Page 17

A Radiant presence

Holidays in the field

Radiant founders and owners, Sarah and Brad Casebier

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ince he was a young boy just entering his teenage years, Brad Casebier has been active in the plumbing industry.

Working as a plumber’s helper, Brad worked alongside his father. Now a master plumber himself, Brad and his wife, Sarah Cabebier, started Radiant in 1999.

In July of 2021, Radiant expanded into San Antonio with the purchase of Schmidt Mechanical and primarily serve the residential community. After the acquisition was complete, a rebranding was completed with Schmidt Mechanical taking on the Radiant name. All of the Schmidt Mechanical employees stayed on board to become part of the Radiant team.

Radiant’s services include plumbing, drains, heating and air conditioning services from maintenance to installation.

They have an in-house excavation team.

Depending upon the job, they can perform necessary excavation for jobs that require it.

According to Odalis Suarez, Radiant’s marketing director, San Antonio may not know Radiant, but they probably

have heard of them. “We are fairly new to San Antonio. I wouldn’t say we are new to people because we have been heard of.

When people travel between San Antonio and Austin, they can hear us on the radio. It is inevitable you will hear a Radiant ad. We feel people know of us, we just haven’t been in San Antonio until last year.”

Radiant is not your average plumbing and heating company. As promoted on their website, they believe in giving their best to their customers every day and having fun along the way. “From shenanigans like our toilet stunts videos to giving back to our employees and community, Radiant’s reputation as both goofy and experts is well earned.”

The Radiant founders, Brad and Sarah, made a commitment to regularly give back to the people and community.

Through charitable donations and initiatives, Radiant provides assistance to dozens of local charities and families.

Radiant is a plumbing and HVAC company. -cmw

Alterman field personnel enjoy themselves at the Alterman Field Party held on Dec. 8.

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n Dec. 8, Alterman got back to tradition and hosted their annual field party for the cherished field employees.

To say they had a great turnout would be an understatement. More than 870 employees showed up for an evening of food, gifts, raffle prizes and some really amazing grand prizes.

“This event gives us the opportunity to celebrate the season with our remarkable employees,” says Alterman Presi-

dent Greg Padalecki. “Thank you to all our office employees that volunteered to help make this happen, our purchasing department for getting all the great prizes, and of course our Austin Capital Cooker for cooking up some delicious BBQ. Most importantly, thank you to our field employees for working hard every day, keeping Alterman a place of integrity and a safe place to work.” -cmw

Page 18

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

What is your favorite tool?

My favorite tool would have to be my stilts. I can reach the ceilings without using a ladder. They allow me the flexibility and mobility to reach those hard-toreach spaces without interrupting the application process.

Antonio Garcia, Antonio Drywall Repair & Texture I would have to say ZOOM. Being able to interact with everyone in this crazy world right now and still have that face time ability makes all the difference. People need to connect with humans on the other side and have that face-to-face experience.

Kevin Chavez, Holt Renewables My most favorite tool right now is a battery-powered impact driver. I use it as a screw gun, a drill, just about anything. It is a multi-purpose tool. I have one at the brewery and one in my garage. I use them all over.

Mike Sireno, BakerTriangle My favorite tool? My iPad is a very helpful tool. It’s so portable and easy to carry around. It’s a tablet that’s connected to everything possible you need and it really helps get the job down at a different level.

Odalis Suarez, Radiant A transit. I have a niche in my office and my dad’s transit that he used to use laying out home foundations and such is there. It’s not an antique but I’m sure it goes back to the middle of the last century. That was the transition for me going from the blue-collar world to the white-collar world.

Gary Bowman, Bowman Any tool that I don’t know how to use. If I don’t know how to use it, then that means that somebody else has to do the work.

Brian Yezierski, United Tool and Fastener My cordless drill. I just moved last month, and it has been my everything. I have used it for taking down furniture and pictures, hanging up pictures, and putting furniture back together.

Shelley Rappmund, JC Stoddard Construction My Fluke multi meter. In the Alarm industry it is the most important tool.

Kai Busbee-Smith, Allied Fire Protection My favorite tool is a chainsaw. It’s a very versatile tool and it accomplishes the job very quickly. I just like running a chainsaw.

J.K. Baxter, HOLT CAT

I love to garden. Give me a spade and I’m a happy camper. A spade allows me to increase my garden. That is where I spend all my free time.

Vickie Henkel, Terra My cell phone. I can get so much done with it.

Stephen Park, E-Z Bel Construction From a true tool perspective, my go to tool is an impact drill. It’s just so versatile.

I use it for everything. No matter what type of fastener, you can use it. It can fasten just about anything you want to fasten. You can use it on carpentry projects or mechanic projects.

Mike Leonard, Leonard Contracting Inc. I’d rather not answer that and give away the tricks of the trade.

Erick Richter, Custom Aerial Images Probably for me, it would be my table saw. I like to do a little bit of woodworking and I did enough of it when I was younger with a handsaw, that I can be more precise with the table saw and get cleaner cuts to make my projects look a little bit better.

Erwin “Sonny” Lehmann III, Mr. Erwin Inc. The crushers that I use at the quarry. It’s amazing. You dump a truckload of rock in there and out comes all these different sizes. It can be everything from road base to a nicely washed rock that is going to go into a concrete plant.

John Schuler, Heartland Aggregates My phone. It’s the best tool you’ve got.

You can do anything from it. I can address all my emails and office stuff from without having to bust out the ol’ laptop. I can pull my grades on my roofs. I can get pictures on my slopes and everything.

There’s some much you can handle with your contractors when you’re not on site – video calls or zoom meetings.

Scott Simmons, Elite Roofing My computer. It allows me to produce a massive amount of work in a short amount of time.

John Kovar, D. Wilson Construction In my position, it has to be my noodle on top of my head. It’s the tool I use the most besides my computer. It gives me the knowledge and experience to make quality decisions.

Leland Stennet, D. Wilson Construction It would have to be the hammer. When I started my construction career I started as a carpenter and used a hammer because there were no pneumatic nailers.

Derek Medina, Structura Inc.

continued from Page 1 — Leonard Contracting Inc. (LCI) That was 1992 and Leonard Contracting Inc. (LCI) was born.

Celebrating 30 years this August, Leonard says, “We’ve had a good run. The only time that wasn’t so was the downturn of 2009/2010. 2010 was not a great year for us, but outside of that we’ve had a really good run.

“We have great people that work here.

I’m blessed to have some really good people who have been here for a long time.

Some of our crew who still work here today, I worked with at the previous company I was with over 30 years ago. I still have some of the subcontractor relationships I had back then. I’ve been blessed to be around some really good people. We’ve been blessed by all the good people that surround Leonard Contracting, whether they’re internal or external subcontractors and suppliers.

LCI started with a pretty small staff of about six - his wife Elsa, himself and several people who joined him from his previous employment. “It was really just me and Elsa working in the office. The other guys were out working in the field, working with their tools or running jobs. It has just grown from there,” Leonard adds.

Today the company employs a great team of 22 and is actively hiring. “We maintain a small group, but a group of highly talented carpenters, superintendents and project managers,” he continues.

Leonard admits that he had lessons to learn along the way, many of which he learned from working for someone else and applied those lessons to his own business. “I learned what I thought worked well and what I thought didn’t work. They were more philosophical ideas about how you run things and how to treat people like pay-

ing them on time. We pay our bills, and our subs and suppliers appreciate that. Outside of that, there has been a lot of learning along the way. When I first started, I had no idea what I needed to do to get things off the ground. We went through a couple of CPAs, insurance folks and attorneys before we landed people who have been by our side for many, many, many years.”

In the early 2000s, around 2003/2004, LCI reached that turning point that every company hopes for. The opportunity to take them to the next level. For LCI, it catapulted them from projects of $1,000,000 and under to projects $5,000,000 and over.

It was a design/build. A project in which LCI went up against the big boys in town and with the help of Steve Souter at Marmon Mok, who is now retired, LCI made their mark in the San Antonio construction industry.

Yes, the company has much to be excited about it. With 30 successful years in business it’s hard not to. Leonard’s son, Jason Leonard, who is a structural engineer, joined the company two years ago. The company rebranded themselves, changing their company logo and is currently remodeling their offices which they have been in for the past 20 years making room for growth.

“I’m grateful to the construction community for supporting us for so long. It’s just been a blessing to have all the relationships that we have had over the last 30 years. I am very grateful for all my employees for being here and working when so many others stand on the sidelines. We couldn’t do any of this without them.”

Leonard Contracting Inc. is a general contractor in San Antonio, TX. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — Mr. Erwin Inc. him I was never going to work in an attic again, so I went to college. In 2000 he called, said he needed help and asked if I could come back. We were working with a lot of volume builders at the time. We had four main builders and were doing about 250-300 houses a year, and he said he needed help and asked if could come back and help. At that time, I was doing engineering work and putting in a lot of long hours. I have a mechanical engineering degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M. In 2000, I came back into the family business.“ Mr. Erwin Inc. shifted their focus from doing volume building where everything is on tight shoestring budgets, to doing custom building now. “Most of our houses are 4-5 systems or bigger. From 5,00015,000sf. It’s challenging for me. I like that part because each one is different,” Sonny adds.

About 11 years ago, Lehmann Jr. decided to retire. Butch, Chris and Sonny purchased Mr. Erwin Inc. from their dad. “He’s retired and we have been running it since,” says Sonny. “I handle the new construction side of the business. My brother Butch is the president and handles the service side of the business. My other brother Chris does the accounting.

“We’re family oriented. One of the things we are the proudest of is we have a number of employees that have been here 30 years, a couple that have been here the full 40 years, and several that I hired when I started in 2000.”

Additionally, the Lehmann brothers take great pride in the fact that when they do work, they don’t subcontract the work out. “It is all of our people,” continues Sonny. “We’re not the least expensive in town, we’re not the most expensive. We are proud of what we do, and we treat everybody like we want to be treated.

“We are also extremely proud that dad made the decision when he started the business, and service contracts were a really big item, not to do service contracts because did not want to take money for work he had not done. We send out letters twice a year to our customers to remind them it’s time to have their pre-season work done.”

Mr. Erwin Inc. is proud to have been serving San Antonio homeowners for the past 40 years and looks forward to continuing their father’s legacy and building new relationships.

Mr. Erwin Inc. is a family-owned heating and air conditioning company. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — D. Wilson Construction Company tasked with re-establishing D. Wilson’s presence in San Antonio. “John and I are new to D. Wilson, but we aren’t new to San Antonio” says Stennet. “We know the people here. We know ownerships, the architects, subcontractors, the organizations and the community.”

As Director of Preconstruction and Estimating, Kovar looks to growing D. Wilson. “We both have quite a bit of school background as well other commercial work,” adds Kovar. “We’re focused on growing the company’s San Antonio presence and contributing more volume to corporate from this office

through our contacts and the people we know. San Antonio is a growing, thriving community and we are looking to take care of and being a part of that growth, providing the services owners expect.”

D. Wilson Construction celebrates 65 years as a company with 61 employees company-wide, 21 of which make up the San Antonio office. It has a vast resume of experience in commercial, institutional, industrial and is looking to expand their resume in the healthcare market.

D. Wilson Construction Company is a general contractor. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Page 19

Association Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Inc. Feb. 1: Board Installation Luncheon, Old San Francisco Steakhouse, 10223 Sahara Dr., 11:00am-2pm.

Feb. 3: Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, Greater San Antonio Builders Association – Ray Ellison Ballroom, 3625 Paesanos Pkwy #100, 4:30pm Check-in, 5:30pm Cards in the Air Feb. 9: New Membership Mixer, ABC Offices, 814 Arion Pkwy. #111, 4:30-6:30pm. For more contact Jennifer Galarza at 210-342-1994 or email jgalarza@abcsouthtexas.org AGC Associated General Contractors Feb. 7-11: OSHA 30-Hour (TDI), AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 8am-4:30pm.

Feb. 15: AGBI – Specialized Tax Incentives for Construction Industry, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 11am-12pm.

Feb. 23-24: OSHA 10-Hour (TDI), AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 8am-4pm. For more info, call Kelly Wilson at 210-349-4921 ASA American Subcontractors Association Feb. 23: Lunch & Learn: Lien & Bonds, The Petroleum Club, 8620 New Braunfels 7th Flr. For more info, contact Jennifer Swinney at 210349-2105 or email jennifer@asasanantonio.org ASSP American Society of Safety Professionals Feb. 21: Chapter Virtual Monthly Meeting, Microsoft Teams Meeting, 11:30am-1:30pm.

For more info, go to www.southtexasasse.org CFMA Construction Financial Management Association Feb. 2: Indirect Costs Ins & Outs: Defining, Capturing & Calculating - Virtual, 3pm, Members – Free, Non-Members $69 Feb. 22: Diversity & Inclusion, The Quarry Golf Club, 444 E. Basse Rd., Networking 11:30am, Lunch & Program 12-1pm, $40 Feb. 23: Expand Your Construction Contract Knowledge – Virtual, 3pm, $40 Member, $199 Non-Member. For more info, go to www. sanantonio.cfma.org GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Association Feb. 1: 2022 Million Dollar Circle Awards Presentation Applications Due, $40 Feb. 22: 2022 Million Dollar Circle Awards Presentation, Greater San Antonio Builders Association, Ray Ellison Ballroom, 3625 Paesanos Pkwy #100, 8:30-10:30am, $25. For more info, call 210-696-3800 HCAdeSA Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio Feb. 16: February Meeting & Mixer, Location TBD, 5:30pm-7:30pm. For more info, call Victoria Rodriguez at 210-444-1100 or email vrodriguez@hcadesa.org

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IEC Independent Electrical Contractors Feb. 25-26: 22nd Annual Barbecue Cook-off & Apprentice Competition, Helotes Festival Grounds, 12132 Leslie Rd., Helotes, TX. For more info, contact Julie Tucker at 210-4319861 or email jtucker@iecsanantonio.com I-LinCP Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects Feb. 8: Back to the Future of Business, Estancia del Norte, 37 NE Loop 410, 11:30am1:30pm, Member $45, Non-Member $60. For more info, contact Carla Bingaman at 512263-5521 or email Carla.bingaman@i-lincp. org MCA-SMACNA INC Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Association Feb. 9: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 New Braunfels 7th Flr., 11:30am.

Feb. 23: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 206 E. Nakoma, 11:30am.

For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-8223763 NAWIC National Association of Women in Construction Feb. 2: General Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels.

Feb. 5: Build & Brunch, Bryne Construction SA Warehouse, 5851 Sebastian Place, 11am-1pm Feb. 10: Galentine’s Day Happy Hour, The Stray Grape Urban Winery, 16630 San Pedro Ave., 5-7pm. For more info, contact Shenel Rimando at shenelrimando@gmail.com or register at nawicsatx.org NUCA National Utility Contractors Association Feb. 17: Quarterly Coffee with OSHA, E-Z Bel Construction, 214 Jackson Keller, 9:30-11am. For more info, contact Mary Jane Debenport at 817688-8347 or email maryjane@nucatexas.com PHCC Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Feb. 10: Membership Meeting – Topic: Backflow Prevention, Location TBD, 11am Feb. 16: VESTA Water Heater Training, PHCC Classroom, 10103 Broadway Feb. 23: Bradford White Water Heater Training, PHCC Classroom, 10103 Broadway. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-824-7422 or go to www.phcc-sanantonio.org SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association Feb. 23: Membership Meeting, Old San Francisco Steakhouse, 10223 Sahara Dr., 11:30am.

For more info, contact Debi at 210-347-2423 or email thesamca@gmail.com TACCA Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn Feb. 10: 2022 HVAC Expo, Alzafar Shrine Temple, 901 N. Loop 1604 W, 9:30am-4pm, Complimentary admission for licensed HVAC contractor companies. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

AG|CM is pleased to announced Marty Schmitt, CCM has been named President and Chief Operations Officer of AG|CM. Schmitt will be responsible for the direction and operation of AG|CM. In this role he will oversee the company’s overall growth and expansion efforts into emerging markets and sectors. Schmitt has been with the company for 15 years, previously serving as Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of the East TX region. -cmw D. Wilson Construction is pleased to announce the addition of John Kovar as the Director of Preconstruction and Estimating in its San Antonio office. Kovar brings over 45 years of construction experience providing preconstruction, estimating and business development services. He has been involved in the local market with design build/CMAR/and CSP delivery of K-12, higher ed, commercial, federal and light Industrial projects. -cmw Westwood Professional Services Inc. is pleased to announce Jim Clements, PE has joined the Westwood family as a Senior Project Engineer. A professional engineer, Clements is a certified flood plain manager with over 33 years of experience in the industry and will support Westwood’s San Antonio engineering team providing technical expertise within his many areas of competency as well as managing both public and private sector projects. -cmw

Industry FOLKS Shelley Rappmund

Office Manager/HR Director/ Safety Coordinator

JC Stoddard Construction San Antonio, TX

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helley Rappmund was born in San Antonio and raised in the small Polish farming community of St. Hedwig, TX. She is related to just about everyone, and everyone there has known Shelley since she was little girl. “Growing up, I was always known as Adolph Doege’s granddaughter or Rosemary and Raymond’s oldest daughter.”

She graduated third in her class at Samuel Clemens High School in 1988.

After graduation she commuted back and forth from Seguin where she attended Texas Lutheran College. Although she did not complete her degree, she has 110 semester hours in Accounting/Business Administration. She originally planned on going to law school, but ultimately decided it was not for her.

Happily single, Shelley has four wonderful godchildren - Jessica, Anne, Dusty and Jack, and six awesome nieces and nephews - Jack, Madison, Dillon, Lilly, Mikel and Xena. “They all came to our family through adoption or the foster care system. For this reason, the Children’s Shelter holds a special place in my heart.”

In 1996, Shelley started working at Bricks and Tiles Unlimited where she worked for 20 years. After a short medical leave, she started working at JC Stoddard Construction in 2017 and is celebrating her fifth year with the company as their office manager, HR Director and coordinator of JC Stoddard’s safety programs and safety audits. She prepares bid packages for submittal, all the company’s payroll and HR processes, handles the supply functions

around the office and is the AIA subcontractor contract administrator.

“I love the people that I work with, and the job that I do. I have always been fascinated by history, so being able to see our projects restored and being able to play a small part in their historic restoration is one of the best parts of my job. Working for a small family-owned company with Curtis, Curt and Trichia, has been both a challenge and a blessing. I enjoy working with our project managers, the superintendents and even our carpenters and laborers. My ‘guys’ know that they can call or text me at any time, and I will always be their advocate, advisor, and biggest critic when needed. “JCS has allowed me to grow and learn as I am always trying to challenge myself to be a better manager and to learn new things. With the pandemic and the disruptions in the supply chain, construction has become a challenging field in which to work which makes me love it all the more.”

Shelley’s mom passed away 15 years ago and remains her biggest mentor. “My mom, Rosemary Rappmund, was such a phenomenal woman. She was the main influence in my life. Not a day goes by that I do not think about her or the life she created for our family. Her advice and spirituality, and her ability to let me learn from my mistakes, are what has shaped me into the woman I am today.” -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

JOB SIGHT

Industry FOLKS Brian Yezierski Outside Sales

United Tool and Fastener San Antonio, TX

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DEA Specialties installs a Kalwall translucent daylighting system for the ESD #4 Emergency Services Department near Camp Bullis. -cmw

A/C Technical Services LLC team members install the HVAC system for Joeris General Contractors at the new Embarcadero warehouse and offices project. The 127,015-sf facility is expected to be complete the first quarter of 2022. L-R: Field Superintendent Jose Barbosa, Christian Yuzon, Allan Sarmiento and Project Foreman Domingo Espiritu. -cmw

Jeff Pierce with Comfort-Air Engineering Inc. is ready for work and waits for the rest of team to arrive. He and his team mates will be replacing the rooftop air conditioning unit on the Virtual Builders Exchange Building. -cmw

Fuller Concrete constructs an addition, the Dive Coaster, to an existing roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Structura Inc. is the general contractor on the project. -cmw

rian Yezierski comes from a very family-oriented upbringing. He grew up in the suburb areas of Live Oak and Converse where most everybody was blue collar or military as was his father. “Our family was very active in sports and spent much of our time outdoors. Back then technology wasn’t the rage so we actually spent time with family and friends interacting with each other.”

Brian and his wife Katrina have been married for nine years. They met through mutual friends on Padre Island and began dating about a year later.

“She is the luckiest gal in the world! I say that every time I introduce her. I can literally feel her eye muscles getting stronger as she rolls them when I say it.

Seriously, I don’t know what I would do without her. With the pandemic, she has been homeschooling our children on top of her usual duties as head of household I.T., household medical nurse and scheduler, and household purchasing agent which has kept her plate very full.”

Brian and Katrina have two children, 8-year-old Kiedis and 5-year-old Hailey. Kiedis loves his video games, karate, basketball and baseball. Hailey loves dancing, singing, Barbies and anything her brother does.

Brian was working nights at UPS and bartending at a restaurant when he met his now boss John Calhoun. “He was a regular patron of the restaurant when he would come to San Antonio from Houston. During his may visits, we got to talking. He started handing me his business card every time he was there and would tell me to give him a call. Even though I had zero experience in the construction industry, I finally

decided to take a leap of faith and called him.”

Once Brian started for United Tool and Fastener it was baptism by fire.

“Making cold calls on construction sites with zero experience in construction can definitely make you lay awake at night wondering if you made the right decision.”

Luckily for Brian, things were different in construction 20 years ago. People didn’t look at your cost to the penny. They ordered based solely on the fact that you were the cheapest on a quote sent out for the world to bid. “If you looked a person in the eye and said that they could count on you then you need to take your work personal which I always did and still do. I take my word and my job serious and probably too personal at times. But if you’re not taking it personal, are you really invested in it?”

Brian has had many mentors in business but credits his parents for his strong work ethic. He enjoys watching his kids having fun and playing outside, going to casinos with his wife, and of course, he’s always interested in fishing or golfing, although spare time is in short supply these days. “Usually within three seconds of walking in the door, my children have my spare time all planned out for me. My parents were very good at spending time with me and my sister.

I know how important and fun it was to me when I was a kid so I rarely say ‘no’ to my kids wanting to hang out with me. I love being a dad!” -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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Happy New Year!

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ow did you bring in 2022? Did you stay at home? Did you celebrate as in years past? Did you sleep through it? Regardless of how you brought in 2022, most people would probably agree with saying good-bye to another unusual year was a good thing. Some folks stayed at home, maybe watched a little bit of television, while others waited for the magic hour to light up the sky with their own version of a fireworks display. With the promise of a fresh start to a new year, everyone is hoping for a brighter 2022. -cmw

Donna and Vince Real, Big State Electric, brought in the New Year with family.

Mary Haskin, Mary C. Haskin Photography, obviously enjoyed a great party.

Craig Noto and his wife Teresa, Quality Fence & Welding, rung in the New Year on top of the Thompson Hotel at the rooftop bar.

Yvette Robinson, Robinson General Contractors, enjoyed hanging out at her uncle’s hose playing Mexican bingo, eating tamales and riding horses.

RSM US LLP’s Denise Bendele enjoyed a relaxing time at the coast with her husband Pat, cruising the bay.

L-R: Efrain Perez, Jr. and Mark Lopez reviewed plans for expanding and will be introducing a new business in the Spring of 2023.

CB Christians, Lynwood Building Mateirals and his wife Ashley rang in the New Year on the beach with their two kids Quint and Lucy Jean.

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

Installation niche

Show and tell

L-R: Sunbelt Rentals Branch Manager Brandon Box and Equipment Rental Specialist Justin Fisher showoff a Bobcat Mini-excavator while visiting with Construction News at the Sunbelt Rentals branch in New Braunfels, TX. -cmw

Acquisition grows footprint

The Hanson Group team members at their headquarters in Schertz, TX

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n 1984, Larry Hanson, started The Hanson Group out of his house performing casework and millwork installations. A few short years later, Larry’s son, Wayne Hanson who is now The Hanson Group’s CEO, joined the company. Together, the father and son team have evolved the company into providing installation services of casework, counter tops and laboratory equipment throughout the state of Texas.

“We have always been a second-tier subcontractor,” says Tara James, president of The Hanson Group. “We are just installers working for general contractors and sometimes first-tier subs. When we first started, we worked for a first-tier sub but as we grew, we have begun working directly with more and more general contractors.

Science labs in the K-12 market is where The Hanson Group has truly found its niche. “Our main focus is laboratories and laboratory equipment.

There are not a lot of people out there who are doing laboratories specifically.

Laboratory equipment and the ability to install it is what separates us from a regular finish carpenter, and we are finish carpenters,” James adds.

The Hanson Group is now 48 employees strong from its humble beginnings. Additionally, they have seven contractors that work all over the state for The Hanson Group giving them statewide coverage. “We maintain crews geographically around the state,” James

continues. “Our goal is to keep our guys working year-round. We have never not had anybody. All our subs, everybody works. That is all Wayne, our CEO, really cares about - keeping everybody working.”

The Hanson Group considers themselves different from bigger companies.

They consider themselves family. “We all consider ourselves as one big happy family, an installation family. It’s the people that make us great whether it is our subs or our direct employees – everybody is family. Our Real-Time reporting system also sets us apart. We may be a small company, but Real-Time technology sets us apart from other smaller companies. Our communication is topnotch,” adds James.

New to The Hanson Group is its fabrication division. Although the company has always done some fabrication here and there, they couldn’t compete with the larger shops that manufacture cabinets and can ship across the state. But on occasion, The Hanson Group would find themselves in need of a single surface top or other items that the big factories didn’t want to disrupt their production lines so they fabricated those items themselves. They realized they were pretty good at it and have added fabrication to their line of services.

The Hanson Group is a finish carpentry installation subcontractor in Schertz, TX. -cmw

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Terra Associates Inc. San Antonio team members L-R: Jamie Hora, William Schock and Jason Mooneyham

n 1979 from the garage of the house Vickie Henkel grew up in, her father, Lonnie Parr started Terra Associates Inc., a civil engineering firm in Houston, TX. Terra delivers civil design and engineering solutions to clients focused on traffic and transportation planning, water-wastewater solutions, landscape and irrigation systems, office and industrial facilities, and multi-family development.

Serving both public and private sectors, Terra’s staff of 30-plus professionals work from offices in San Antonio and Houston, under the continued leadership of Vickie Henkel. In correlation with their water-wastewater practice, Terra serves in the role of District Engineer for several Texas-based Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs).

On May 11, 2021, Bowman, an engineering services firm headquartered in Reston, VA, completed its $51.7 million initial public offering and began trading

on the Nasdaq under the symbol BWMN. Bowman specializes in the delivery of innovative infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop, and maintain the built environment. With more than 35 offices throughout the United States, Bowman provides a variety of planning, engineering, construction management, commissioning, environmental consulting, geomatics, survey, land procurement and other technical services to customers operating in a diverse set of regulated end markets.

Texas is the place to be in this industry with a lot of businesses outside the state trying to have offices in Texas. On Dec. 30, Bowman increased its 950-employee base with the acquisition of Terra Associates Inc., helping them enlarge their Texas footprint.

Bowman already had a presence in Texas, but they didn’t have a presence in Houston or San Antonio. With the acquisition of Terra, Bowman will now have that presence. “We helped them expand their Texas footprint while they helped us expand,” says Henkel. “Really it’s twofold. One, Bowman offers avenues that we were outsourcing; and two, as, being a smaller company, really didn’t leave our employees options to grow. In a 30-employee company, you can only go so far.

Now they can.”

Gary Bowman, CEO of Bowman proudly states, “Terra’s experience in commercial site work, transportation design and utility district services are highly complementary to our portfolio of services and align with our growth plans and evolving market demand. I am pleased to welcome everyone at Terra to Bowman and I am excited about the potential for our future together.”

Bowman has been in Austin for about eight years. About 18 months ago, they opened up an office in Dallas and right before Bowman closed on Terra, they purchased a firm called 1519 located in Waco and Fort Worth.

For the next three to six months, Terra will be transitioning as they will be incorporating the use of their new transition logo which reflects – Terra, A Bowman Company. After six months or so, when everyone is ready, they will officially take on the Bowman name.

Terra Associates Inc. is a consulting, engineering and landscape architectural firm in Houston and San Antonio.

Bowman is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm headquarted in Reston, VA. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022

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Leadership installed

Providing stability

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Foundation Support Specialist leadership L-R: Brian Holt and Richard Reed

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rian Holt knows all about foundation repair. He literally grew up in the industry. His father owned a foundation repair company. As a matter of fact, his uncles also have foundation repair companies of their own, one in Austin and one in Houston.

“I grew up in it. I started from the ground up in the field digging holes,” shares Holt. “That’s how I learned. I sold my first foundation repair job when I was 16 years old. I drove around with my father, right next to him. I was kind of a go-getter. I’d be the guy out in the yard driving all the machinery.”

By the time Holt was about 18, he had enough of foundation repair work.

He was burnt out and started a plumbing company, hiring a 60-year-old master plumber who was retired to license the company.

“At 18 years old, I started my own company. Since then I’ve owned companies. I’ve sold companies. Then new technology came out in the foundation repair industry that actually works. It made me want to do it again,” Holt reflects.

In 2017, Holt started Foundation Support Specialists (FSS) with his partner and CFO, Richard Reed.

Foundation Support Specialists is a family-owned company serving the San Antonio, Austin and the surrounding Texas areas. FSS specializes in providing foundation repair services to homes and businesses and offer concrete repair, crawl space encapsulation and waterproofing services.

“There is such a difference and a wide array of the materials one foundation repair contractor uses to the next,” adds Holt. “What we do works. Our methods typically employ hot-dipped galvanized piers that are inserted deep into

the ground to help stabilize the foundation. Typically, they are helical piers which are made of steel resembling a long screw. These help spread the weight of the building across several points underneath a foundation. The other is push piers. Push Piers are a series of hollow, steel pipes that are driven deep in the ground until they reach bedrock or a load-bearing layer of earth, creating a resistance mass that keeps the piers, and ultimately the building, supported.”

According to Holt, starting FSS is one of the best decisions he has ever made and believes they are truly helping people. “This industry is jam-packed with ‘Chuck-in-the-truck’ guys or putting in these products that don’t work – they don’t hold up. And then we’re having to go out and fix it. The foundation repair reputation in Texas is horrible. It’s full of crooks. It just is. Homeowners are getting burned every single day. I want to be the guy that changes that. So when I see somebody in need and got burned because of something that our industry caused, if I’m able to , I want to help them out.”

That’s exactly what Holt did when he heard of lady who got scammed out of $26,000 on an episode of KSAT 12 Defenders. Holt stepped up and made the plumbing repairs at no additional cost to the homeowner. “If I’m able to do it, I want to help. This city has been so good to us. They support us and you have to give back.”

Serving South and Central Texas, FSS is licensed in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, and have recently finished some jobs in Phoenix, AZ. Foundation Support Specialists (FSS) is a commercial and residential foundation repair company in San Antonio and Austin. -cmw

2022 leadership

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embers and guests of the Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio (HCA de SA) kicked off 2022 with a swearing in ceremony and dinner of the association’s 2022 board members. The event was held at The Petroleum Club with a wonderful show of support by its membership. L-R: Victoria Rodriguez, Lucy Adame-Clark, Chris Valot, Treasurer Jose Trevino, Daniel Salinas, Vice President Lisa Casarez, Ramiro Casiano, Abraham Vazquez, President Fernando Keller, Estela Garcia-Perez, Mark Price, Patricia Ramirez, Steven Garza, Ana Tomes, Rafael Llera and Jonathan Piedra. Not pictured is Secretary Larry Mathis. -cmw

he Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter installed their 2022 Board of Directors on Jan. 10 at the Red Berry Mansion. L-R: Director Tom Wright, RSM US LLP; Director Ryan Aalsma, Skanska USA Building; Secretary/ Treasurer Andi Galloway, Joeris General Contractors Ltd.; Vice President Patrick Byrnes, Turner Construction Company; Director Mark Price, Alamo College Dis-

trict; Past President Luis Berumen, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors and Director Denise Dart, Marmon Mok LLP Architecture. Not pictured: President Chris Thiel, Alterman; Director John Campbell, Guido Construction; Director Jay Farwell, Cokinos | Young and Director Renee Fruiht, Crownhill Builders Inc. Photo courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • FEB 2022