Austin Construction News June 2022

Covering the Industry’s News

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Great past, exciting future

Perseverance pays off

L-R: Karen Rogers and Nathali Parker, founders of KLP Construction Supply

L-R: Esteban Perez, Fabian Perez and Avner Perez, Fabian’s 7-year-old son

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LP Construction Supply is celebrating its 10th anniversary this June, and while this is an impressive feat, co-founder/owner Nathali Parker has never forgotten its humble beginnings.

“It was very primitive,” Parker said, when reflecting on the company’s early days. With just a trailer with no running water, Parker and her sister Karen Lea Parker Rogers (“KLP” are Karen’s initials before she got married) have put their hands to the plow in a big way to be able to enjoy this milestone.

“We worked so hard,” Parker said.

“We bootsrapped our business,” taking a conservative approach to their business model.

Around 2010, Round Rock native Na-

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thali was living in California, heavily involved in infrastructure projects all over the country. Karen was back home in Texas working in real estate. The two sisters talked and it was decided for Parker to return to her roots and they would go into business for themselves.

“So, I just moved back and we went full on with establishing our own company,” Parker said, finally making KLP official in 2012.

And how do the two sisters get along as co-owners of their own business? Who does what?

“The great thing is that Karen and I are very different,” Parker said. “We have a lot of similarities, obviously, because we’re sisters, but we have real fundacontinued on Page 14

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f all the crazy time for brothers to band together and start their own company. But now, at the 15-year mark of Perez Construction (formerly Perez Masonry), Fabian Perez looks back in almost-wonder at it all.

“That’s when the recession hit,” he recalled, speaking of the 2007-08 time period. “Things got very, very tough.”

Life was good just a few years earlier.

“I was making money. I had work. Everything was great,” Perez said.

But when the bottom fell out, “I didn’t know what I was going to do. My equipment went for sale [and] it was tough.”

Fabian is the oldest between he and brothers Adrian and Steve. The other two were working for other construction

firms at the time when they all got together to discuss where things were going next.

“When you’re working for someone, it’s good. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Perez said. “But the progress is a lot slower.” Basically, one’s future is determined by the person for whom you are working. But, when you work for yourself, “you are going to decide how much project you want to make because you know you’re going to work harder. You’re going to apply yourself and that’s the name of the game. It gives us a lot more control for decision making.”

With that in mind, the three formed up in 2007 and have persevered to the point where Perez Construction now has continued on Page 14

40 years of strength and endurance

o you remember a disturbance called the Vietnam war? Back in the day when Phil Howry graduated from high school, young men faced the draft and Howry was no exception.

Howry, a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, grew up in Amarillo and had received a scholarship to play baseball for Southwestern University in Georgetown. Unfortunately, Howry’s draft number was 33 and was headed for the draft. Wanting to have time for baseball, he faithfully served his country for seven years in the U.S. the Marine Corps Reserves. He matriculated to Southwestern University where he was able to play baseball, graduating in 1975.

After graduation, he married a sweet young lady, Julie Puett, whom he met at Southwestern and moved to Austin where he went to work for a construction equipment business, sparking his interest in construction. His interest became

so strong that he started Phil Howry Company in 1982, a Native-American owned minority and sole proprietorship business providing a broad range of construction services.

The company started developing subdivision for Howry’s father-in-law, Nelson Puett, around Austin moving into apartment complexes and then commercial work. He then decided he wanted to get into federal work, with his Native American designation, and applied for his minority-owned business SBA 8(a) certification.

After receiving his 8(a) designation, Howry began doing work for the Corps of Engineers. His first job was at Fort Hood building a firing range and a visiting officers’ quarters. He went on to do more work at Fort Hood converting bunkers at the airport for different use and a helicopter landing pad. Unfortunately, his L-R: Sterling and Phil Howry

continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Breaking ground

Trophy hunt

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t was a typical day of hunting until this stud made his presence known On Dec. 21. Chris Ordner with Fineline General Contractor harvested this trophy 10-point buck at the Los Abuelos Ranch. -cmw

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HB Construction and Nitro Swim leadership break ground at the fourth Nitro Swim facility, located in Kyle, TX

n May 10, HB Construction hosted a groundbreaking celebration in partnership with Kyle Economic Development for the new 40,000-sf Nitro Swimming facility located on the east side of FM 1626 north of Kohlers Crossing in Kyle, TX. The new state-of-the-art swim center was a design-build for HB Construction. It will feature two swimming pools, an instructional pool and Olympic size competition pool, as well as an abundance of indoor deck space, a climate-controlled viewing area, and will have the capability to host various swim meets with approximately 400-500 athletes and room for spectators.

The instructional pool will have five 25-yard lanes with overflow gutters; the Defender by Neptune-Benson, the number one filtration system available, and an Ultraviolet (UV) filtration system by ETS for added filtration. The competition pool

will boast 24 “short course” 25-yard lanes and 10 “long course” 50-meter lanes with custom starting/racing platforms, electronic timing system, and scoreboard with full read out of the racing lanes.

Nitro was formed in August 2006 by Mike and Tracy Koleber. Over the last several years, Nitro Swimming has become the leading swim lessons provider in the Austin area, offering programs for everyone from 6-months-old to adults, as well as a top competitive swim team that rank as the 15-time Texas Age Group Swimming Champions.

Nitro Swimming is a proud supporter and partner of the Special Olympics of Central Texas, and the facilities are often utilized for water rescue training for law enforcement and emergency first responders as well as by local scout troops for certification needs.

HB Construction is a commercial contractor in Spicewood, TX. -cmw

Integrated construction

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L-R: Michael Hough and Jason Wier

riends since childhood, Michael Hough and Jason Wier grew up together in Houston. After high school, Jason went to work with his dad doing commercial work, while Michael went on to school for a spell and started doing residential work in his 20s. Fifteen years would pass before the two childhood friends would reconnect.

In 2018, Jason started his own company JB Wier Construction doing work in and around the Houston area.

Working in Austin, Michael, who was doing strictly residential work at the time, was approached by a developer to take care of a couple commercial projects. His first though was to reach out to his buddy Jason who was experienced in doing commercial work to see if he would be interested in taking on some work in Austin. One thing led to another, and the two reconnected becoming partners with Michael taking care of JB Wier Construction in Austin in 2021.

Under JB Wier Construction, Jason started his company performing residential work and gradually taking on commercial projects. The company has grown

into a full-service construction company servicing both the residential and commercial markets in both Austin and Houston.

“We’re a self-made company,” says JB Wier President Jason. “We both grew up in the industry and have built relationships along the way with repeat clients who refer us to new clients.”

JB Wier Construction is open to all sectors of construction. Running a lean ship, JB Wier provides project management and supervisor services. “We have projects currently going on in Elgin and Menard doing city development work in mixed used areas,” adds Jason.

With the work going on strong in Austin, JB Wier Construction Austin is making its mark. “We’re building condos, doing some interior build-outs for some retail centers,” says JB Wier Vice President Michael, who oversees the Austin market.

“And we’re about to start some retail centers in Austin as well.”

JB Wier Construction is a residential and commercial contractor with offices in Houston and Austin. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

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Earthwork at its best

Functional spaces

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John Schiedeck, Schiedeck Construction

lthough Schiedeck Construction has been around since the ‘70s, it is only in its second year of operation here in Texas.

John Schiedeck’s grandpa started Schiedeck Construction in California. In 1986, Schiedeck’s father bought the company and began training John on heavy equipment.

“I’ve been on machinery pretty much my whole life,” says John. “My dad owned the company before he handed it down to me. I can remember running his backhoe with him in the front bucket with me driving and leaning against the seat because I couldn’t sit on the seat to reach the pedals. I also remember running his dozer as a kid. I guess I was maybe 10-

years-old. Legally, I’ve been operating equipment in the industry for 17 years.

When the recession in 2008 hit, John’s dad shut down the company for a short spell. Since John remained working in the industry, John’s father passed the company onto him. John purchased the company as the third generation to run and operate Schiedeck Construction.

Highly skilled in operating heavy equipment, John’s friends encouraged him to participate in The Global Operator Challenge held at the Holt Corporate Headquarters on Apr. 23. “I had quite a few friends on Instagram, reach out to me and tell me I needed to participate,” says continued on Page 8

L-R: Brian Dieringer and Stephen Shang

usinesses know all too well that keeping supplies and materials safe from theft is crucial in keeping down costs.

In 2003, Falcon Structures, formerly called Falcon Storage, started out as a local supplier of Conex shipping containers, ideal for storing tools, supplies and materials on construction sites. Little did co-founders Stephen Shang and Brian Dieringer know that their company would evolve from a supplier of storage containers to a manufacturer of modular structures.

It all started with the typical sales routine of visiting job sites and inquiring about storage needs when customers began to ask about hunting cabins, offices and other structures using Falcon’s storage containers.

“To be really good at customer service, you need to listen to the customer,” says Shang. “You need to find out what they need, what their pain is and really work on solving that. So, when our customers started asking about transforming our shipping containers into different

types of structures, we listened.”

Shang and Dieringer enlisted the help of Dieringer’s father, a contractor experienced in remodeling, to turn one of the containers into a jobsite office. The rest is history.

They’ve grown from renting out storage containers with up to 1,200 available containers to manufacturing structures, not just for job sites, but for retailers, industrial industry, technology companies, and more, giving birth to the Falcon Structures known today.

The structures are built to order. Falcon’s staff is equipped with the technology and resources to manufacture the highest quality modular container-based structures available, which can include customizable features. Welding, carpentry, electrical, finishing, and painting are all completed within Falcon’s 250,000 sf, soon to be 500,000 sf, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

Located in Manor, TX, Falcon Structures manufactures customized shipping containers for workspace, living space, storage and more. -cmw

Resource Guide Truck & Equip Dealers

Service Providers

Subcontractors

For info: Buddy Doebbler - Buddy@ConstructionNews.net 210-308-5800

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

and became a chef. For eight years, I was an executive chef.

What was your specialty?

Italian. Northern Italian cuisine was what we really focused on. It was great. It was different.

Chris Campbell, President, Hill Country Flooring, Austin, TX

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s a young man, Chris Campbell enjoyed learning and discovering ways to better himself. After leaving a family construction business to become an executive chef, Campbell would make a full circle back into construction.

Tell me about your childhood. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?

My parents divorced while I was young. My mom was in Albuquerque, and my dad was in Dallas. I grew up in Plano, just outside of Dallas. I would visit my mom in Albuquerque once or twice a month.

Tell me about your parents.

My father was a car salesman and had been pretty much his whole life. He was an excellent car salesman. He sold Land Rovers or Range Rovers much of the entirety of his life and switched to Buick at the end. I learned a lot about how to approach clients from him. He wasn’t a sleazy, cheesy type of salesman. He was professional and very disciplined from the first time he made contact to his follow-up contacts, to the type of value to be presented – is the client overpaying for something you feel is too much for them.

My dad was never afraid to say, “I think this car is too much for what you need.”

My parents in Albuquerque owned a construction company. My stepdad was a master of everything. He was a master plumber, a master electrician and taught HVAC at the college. They were very entrepreneurial. They had several different companies. Unlike people who flip homes, they bought rundown apartments and flipped them for about 10 years. That was kind of their specialty. My stepdad did all the plumbing, electrical and HVAC work. That’s when I started doing sheet rock, vinyl, linoleum, paint - a little bit of everything in that regard. I got a lot of good experience. When I was 18, I wanted to be part of the company, so my parents bought a 10,000sf house and converted it into a bed and breakfast.

Did you help your parents with the bed and breakfast?

On the weekends, I helped my mom cook for our guests. I really enjoyed that

What was it like working with your mom and stepdad?

It was work. You got up early and got started. One of the things my stepdad and my dad had in common is that they were very disciplined about how they approached work. It was not about feelings.

It was about disciplined habits that would make him successful because they were both successful in their own way. But with my stepdad and the business they went into, they formed a different type of success. It was getting up at six, working out and being Christians, it was reading the Bible every morning before going to work, making sure we had the right breakfasts, and then it was going to work and following through with our expected goals. If we didn’t hit our goals, we would talk about why we didn’t hit them. Then it was reflection time at the end of the day followed by setting up the next day from there. We had a weekly schedule, but then we had daily follow ups for the next day to make sure that we would stay on task. It was good.

Did you go to college?

I did. I went to Collin County Community College in Plano, and then I went to North Texas.

Did you get your degree?

I have a culinary degree. I didn’t finish my business degree and that’s one thing that I need to do. But, it’s one of those things of, when? We have three companies and we’re about to bring on a fourth company. With so much going on, it’ll probably be something I’d go back and finish up once I sell things off.

When did you get back into construction?

After being a chef, I then went into healthcare. I was an executive director for a healthcare company for four or five years. Some of the guys from church called me up and said, “Hey, we bought this enormous flooring company in Austin. We have no idea what we’re doing.

Can you help us out?” It took a little bit of time, but in 2017, I agreed to leave the healthcare company to help them with their flooring company. That’s what brought me back in.

Do you have any regrets getting out of the culinary field?

Here’s what I’ll tell you...when you go to a nice restaurant, you’ve got food in front of you but your water glass, tea or wine glass is empty, your experience turns to what lingers on for the amount of moments it takes before that glass is filled so you can be prepared to handle your meals successfully. Although it’s not necessarily in front of my mind, but you’re

Happy Father’s Day Sunday, June 19th

Chris Campbell, President, Hill Country Flooring, Austin, TX thinking, you’re consciously or unconsciously thinking about that moment. I’m still trained to think in seconds. Every second that goes by that isn’t filled, we’re thinking about it and it’s determining our future - no referral conversation with friends and family when they leave that restaurant. When I got into healthcare, things took minutes and hours. But, I still think in seconds. The anticipation, the ability to read and stay ahead of the curve was different. Now we’re in construction.

Sometimes things take days or weeks. If you still think in seconds, you’re going to have a better sense of urgency to stay ahead of situations than you would if you were just only in construction and only thought in days and weeks. From that perspective, the restaurant game really changed our paradigm of how we view things.

Do you think you’ll ever go back into culinary?

No. I mean the door could be open, but not at this point.

Are you married? Do you have children?

My wife Rose and I have been married for seven years. We have a an 11-yearold daughter, Destiny, who we recently adopted back on November 5. We’ve had Destiny since June 23rd of this past year.

She’s great. She’s literally just like us. We couldn’t have asked for any daughter to be any closer with us and what she is.

She’s unbelievable. Our plan is to adopt two more. We want to adopt siblings next year.

What does your wife do?

She’s a wonderful stay-at-home mom. She is getting her certification to be a yoga instructor and is currently preparing for that. Her class starts in August and will be a 32-week class.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I’m big into golf. I try to get out as often as possible. Now obviously, anything I can do with our daughter takes priority.

She is in dance. She’s also in cheerlead-

Austin Austin

ing, so we’re part of that group and being a part of what helps her get better. We’ve started getting into crypto trading and understanding stocks, bonds and crypto We’ve started working on creating bots to help trade for us while we work full time. I’ve got a couple of different partners that we’re working with on that. I’m getting more into the financial sector and finding out a little more about how our economy runs in terms of what helps create buyers and sellers.

What were your interests growing up?

Growing up it was really all business.

I worked from 14-years-old and on. I was always excited to get up and learn about getting better every day. There’s no peak.

It’s just identifying what your floor is and continually try to raise it. I’m a big golfer and a big basketball player. Over the years, I’ve been big into collecting basketball cards. Now I’m an avid bourbon collector. I’ve got an impressive collection.

What is your most prized bottle of bourbon?

I’ve got a 2006 20-year Pappy Van Winkle. It’s probably worth seven or eight thousand right now. I like rare bourbons so I don’t collect bottles of bourbon you can get at the liquor store. I have all the collector bottles – the rare bottles and rare releases.

How did you get into collecting?

When I was in health care, every time we had an employee that would get promoted, I would have him come over. My wife would make an unbelievable meal with wine. Then we would sit on the patio and I would bring out some whiskey. This was back when the big ice molds were a really cool thing. We drank whiskey on the patio and talk about expectations and goals for them and what their goals, were - just being personable and friendly, but still being a leader for them while sitting there. The whiskey was good and then my wife would try find a better bottle. It just became this thing we did after big remodels and we’d give away a rare bottle of bourbon. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

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Women in Construction? That’s every week at Cokinos | Young

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s an active member of the construction industry, not only does Cokinos | Young annually celebrate the contributions of women during Women in Construction Week – it has literally embraced women in construction at every level of the firm in record numbers. As the largest, longest standing full-service Texas construction law firm, the firm’s commitment to advancing women is evident – three female equity partners (authors herein), 6 total female partners, and 16 female associates, 13 specializing in construction, and its diverse workplace comprises more than gender.

But leading construction law firms in diversity isn’t the firm’s only mission, these lawyers regularly give back to the industry through trade association leadership and education: Each has worked with and in the industry to shape, counsel, and navigate the evolving industry of construction and has some thoughts to share: Stephanie Cook is the AGC Austin Diversity and Inclusion Chair and working with TEXO to implement a diversity and inclusion program. She is on the AGC-TBB Legal Affairs Committee as one of the first females.

“The construction industry and law have long been male-dominated, but I don’t have to stop being a lady or wearing my pearls, to be successful in this industry. In fact, research shows increased profits when diverse people are at the table and making decisions—and I like to be at those tables—for my firm and for my clients. The last two years were remote “tables,” Zoom/Teams, late-night calls and I was there to guide, counsel, and lead difficult decisions, including keeping Texas construction workers on the job sites. I have testified in the Texas

And, you bet I am! I am excited to serve on local and national programs to further diversify the industry.”

L-R: Stephanie Cook, Stephanie O’Rourke, and Shelly Masters

House and Senate for contractor cure rights, and now I am building the tables to lead the conversations on diversity and its narrative—in and outside my office walls and I’m just getting started.

But the greatest reward is that the construction industry has become a meritocracy—regardless of race, religion, gender, or education. I’m excited to be part of the next future leaders in our firm and in the industry. I’m privileged to work with smart, professional, and passionate clients and colleagues that are [quite literally] building a better Texas for my family and yours for generations to come.”

Shelly Masters is a past Chair (1 of only 5 women in this role in almost 50 years) and active Board Member of the ABC Central Texas Chapter, ABC LOGIC (Women’s Leadership), Chapter Attorney for the CTSA and Vice Chair of the national FDCC Construction Law Section and

Diversity Committee.

“I remember hearing years ago that Austin was going to double in size. I knew with growth meant construction. Even though less than 10% of the national construction industry was made of women at the time, I jumped all in on my construction practice. I loved the challenge then and I love being a construction lawyer now. When times are challenging, we fiercely protect our clients’ interests in and out of court. When times are good, we help our clients proactively manage risk through contracts. I take on clients’ unsolvable problems so they can focus on what they do best – build things! That leaves me to do what I do best –litigate and resolve disputes! To the person who once asked me if I was “tough enough” to be a construction lawyer, women absolutely have the specialized skill and experience to handle any “tough” issue in their chosen field in the construction industry.

Stephanie O’ Rourke is Board Certified in Construction Law, Chair of the Texas Bar Construction Law Section, Chair of the Construction Law Foundation, recipient of the Outstanding Lawyer by the San Antonio Business Journal , Litigator of the Year 2020 by American Institute of Trial Lawyers, Ranked by Chambers USA, Executive Board of Directors of ABC South Texas Chapter, Nominating Committee for the State Bar of Texas, Board of Directors for CFMA, AGC Consulting Contractors Council of America Educational Committee for AGC, and active leader in the ABC/AGC San Antonio Chapters.

“I was introduced into the construction field in 1988 and have devoted my career to the representation of contractors in every aspect of construction law from the negotiation of contracts to the resolution of claims. I was fortunate to have female mentors who are leaders in the construction industry and have shown me that women have a voice, are accepted in this industry, and can make a difference. I look forward to continuing my involvement in this industry and making a difference for my clients and the industry.”

Cokinos | Young has been representing the construction industry for over 32 years. Shelly Masters and Stephanie Cook are Principals in the Austin office. They can be reached at the following addresses: Shelly Masters: smasters@cokinoslaw.com (512) 615-1139 and Stephanie Cook: scook@cokinoslaw.com (512) 476-1198. Stephanie O’Rourke is a Principal in the San Antonio office and can be reached at sorourke@cokinoslaw.com and (210) 293-8714. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

New construction-oriented trucking services

he Nitsche Group, a family-owned and operated independent insurance agency headquartered in Giddings, TX, is launching a new, construction-oriented insurance program to better serve companies that utilize trucking and operate within the trucking industry in Texas. A focus on our highways, construction, and trucking industries will be crucial to the continued success of Texas as a business hub, and The Nitsche Group’s new services will play an important role in meeting those needs.

“As our agency has continued to serve the construction industry, we’ve noticed a great need to grow services catering to the trucking companies that work alongside them,” Robert Nitsche, CEO of The Nitsche Group said.

The Nitsche Group has offered coverage options and fleet services to clients for decades. Through working with and learning from clients, the agency has noticed a unique gap in offerings for truck carriers serving the construction industry.

“We’ve been offering these types of services for a long time, and now is the exact right moment to create and launch a specialty group to truly cater to and fill those needs.”

After navigating the disruption and uncertainty of the pandemic, experts are predicting the construction sector to boom over the next four quarters. Moreover, the trucking carriers serving the construction industry are also expected to experience a similar explosion in growth that will help the industry thrive for years to come.

“With the immense growth of the industry and based on feedback from multiple trucking company owners, we felt that there was a gap of accountability and quality service that The Nitsche Group could provide to continue growth

The Nitsche Group now offers construction-oriented trucking insurance services.

opportunities and stability for companies,” said Paul Biehle, director of sales for The Nitsche Group.

The Nitsche Group will focus on service offerings designed to increase marketability for clients to insurance carriers, recommendations for safety and loss prevention, and compliance guidance to keep clients on the road.

“Our agency’s culture is known for offering solutions while providing unique customer service,” said Chyrl Sherrill, commercial insurance manager for The Nitsche Group. “Our team recognized the growing need in the transportation and logistics industry and wanted to expand our offerings and expertise to help bridge the gap.”

In the current climate, conditions in the constructions and trucking industry are favorable and offer the opportunity for growth and success, but only with a well-thought-out plan in place that can be executed.

“Our hope is that launching this division will provide an avenue to those experiencing difficulty in growing their business, and by offering a new and re-

freshing experience,” said Biehle.

Having the right guidance and coverage in place can be just as impactful to a business as the equipment on the road and training for employees. Finding the right insurance for your truck or fleet has never been more important.

Laws, regulations, and compliance requirements are constantly evolving. As of January 1st, construction laws in Texas have changed for new contracts, and will impact lien filing, the Statute of Limitations, and some notice requirements.

Ensuring a company stays compliant

can be tricky, and violations can be costly.

In some cases, violations can cause the closure of a business indefinitely. Having the right guidance and coverage program in place can help companies avoid mistakes that could damage their business.

To better serve customers, The Nitsche Group team stays up to date on new and pending regulations through education and involvement in industry organizations including The Texas Trucking Association. Navigating restrictions and policies while achieving full compliance can drain resources for a business. The Nitsche Group diligently trains team members on safety practices, Department of Transportation policies, and specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and requirements.

With the addition and launch of its new services, The Nitsche Group is equipped to advise trucking and logistics clients on regulatory changes that will save customers money, frustration, and manpower.

“For more than 70 years, The Nitsche Group has served the needs of companies across our state,” Biehle said. “Right now, we see an opportunity to offer businesses that operate trucking and logistics companies a unique level of service designed with each company’s individual needs in mind that the market has been crying out for.”

For more information on this and other services, call 1-800-258-8302 or go to www.thenitschegroup.com.

The Nitsche Group is is a family-owned and operated independent insurance agency with offices in throughout Central Texas. -cmw

Proven works

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Proven Plumbing, residential plumbing service

hile living in Washington, DC, Lewis Natali began working in the plumbing industry. Ten years ago, Natali left DC, moved to Texas and began working for a local plumbing company. Six years later in 2017, Natali started his own company and never looked back.

“Proven Plumbing is a residential service company,” says Natali. “We do light remodeling and residential service only in the North Austin area. One of the things that makes us unique is that we concentrate on a small radius for our services. We try to be as responsive as possible, focusing within a 10-mile radius around Cedar Park.”

Celebrating five years in business, Natali recalls starting his business as a one-man show. “Day one, Proven started off with just me. For about a year it was just me in the truck, slowly building up a little bit of a following. I hired my friends for the most part.”

Today, Proven is 22 employees strong

and has nine service trucks on the road.

“There’s four of us in the office. We have some apprentices and service techs. It’s gone very well. We’ve been very blessed,” Natali says.

Located in Cedar Park, Proven Plumbing provides residential services that include drain cleaning, fixture change outs, light remodeling, water heater repair and replacement - anything a homeowner might experience as a plumbing problem.

“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our customers,” adds Natali. “That’s why we take pride in ensuring that our customers get the best possible service at the best possible price for all the work that we do.”

“As the Cedar Park area continues to grow, Proven Plumbing hopes to continue growing as well. Talented plumbers are always welcomed to become a part of the Proven family.”

Proven Plumbing is a residential plumbing service company located in Cedar Park, TX. -cwm

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

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INSURANCE

ACCOUNTING

How Important is Your Experience Modifier?

Changes to the Stretch IRA Melanie C. Geist Managing Partner Ridout Barrett & Co, PC San Antonio, TX

Stan Gregory Safety & Risk Consultant insurica San Antonio, TX

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n February of 2022, the IRS and Treasury released proposed regulations that provide updated guidance for the SECURE Act of 2019, including significant changes for beneficiaries of inherited IRAs and 401(k) plans. This article provides an overview of the changes and the associated tax implications.

The backstory of the “Stretch IRA” strategy A traditional IRA enables an individual to make contributions to the retirement account pre-tax and grow tax-deferred funds. Income taxes are owed on the funds when distributed during retirement. In order to accelerate tax revenue, the IRS requires individuals to begin taking required minimum distributions annually once they reach age 72 (70 ½ if reached before January 1, 2020).

The owner of a traditional IRA can designate a beneficiary to inherit the IRA upon the owner’s passing. In the original law, the beneficiary of an inherited IRA was required to take required minimum distributions, but the annual distribution amount was based on distributing the funds over the greater of the beneficiary’s expected remaining life or the original owner’s expected remaining life. This was known as a “stretch IRA” because it enabled the beneficiary to reap the benefits of tax-deferred growth from the IRA for an extended period of time.

The SECURE Act 10-year rule The SECURE Act, which was signed into law on December 20, 2019, enacted a 10-year rule for distributions from an inherited IRA. Put simply, the rule says that individuals who inherit IRAs must take the full distribution of the account within ten years of the owner’s death. If a grandmother passed away on January 1, 2022, and left her IRA to her granddaughter, that granddaughter would have to distribute all funds by December 31, 2032, the final day of the 10th year after her passing.

The SECURE Act was vague, especially in the language around the 10-year rule, and experts agreed that the 10-year rule did not impose required minimum distributions. In fact, in May 2021, the IRS clarified that minimum required distributions were not required under the 10year rule. This enabled a beneficiary to determine how much to distribute each year, as long as all funds are distributed within 10 years.

The SECURE Act provided an exemption to the 10-year rule for “eligible designated beneficiaries.” The exemption includes surviving spouses, disabled or chronically ill people, minor children of the owner under the age of 21, and finally, a beneficiary that was no more than a decade junior to the account holder. Eligible designated beneficiaries can continue to base distributions on the stretch IRA formula.

The proposed SECURE Act regulations In February of 2022, the IRS issued proposed SECURE Act regulations that provided some clarity but reversed the IRS’s position on the 10-year rule and required minimum distributions.

If the IRA account owner dies before having to take required minimum distributions, then the qualified designated beneficiary must adhere to the 10-year rule but is not required to take required minimum distributions each year.

If the IRA account owner dies after having to take required minimum distributions, then the qualified designated

beneficiary must adhere to the 10-year rule and is required to take required minimum distributions for years one through nine.

There are several other related rules.

For instance, if the beneficiary qualifies as an “eligible designated beneficiary”, then the stretch IRA rules apply. If the beneficiary is a spouse, then RMDs will be required, but don’t begin until the deceased would have had reached the required age for taking distributions.

The tax implications Under the proposed guidance, if you inherited an IRA in 2020 and the owner was of age to take RMDs, you should have taken a minimum distribution in 2021 and will need to take distributions moving forward. Earlier guidance from the IRS in May 2021 stated that a minimum distribution was not required.

The impact on taxes makes the rule change unwelcome for the average American. Unlike a ROTH IRA, which is after-tax dollars, distributions from a traditional IRA are treated as taxable income by the IRS. The additional income from receiving the required minimum distribution may push a taxpayer into a higher tax bracket in any given year.

The new rules accelerate the government’s ability to collect tax revenue. Instead of enabling the beneficiary to determine when to take funds, the new guidance forces them to take a distribution each year and pay the related income tax.

Does the same rule apply to inherited 401ks?

Yes, the guidelines are nearly identical. For owners who pass away after 2021, beneficiaries must follow the same minimum distribution rules and empty the inherited account by the end of year 10.

The same exceptions also apply to surviving spouses, minor children of the owner, disabled or chronically ill people, and people who are no more than 10 years younger than the owner.

The timing The proposed regulations would apply to the 2022 tax year and beyond.

However, the new guidance leaves many taxpayers wondering if they should have taken required minimum distributions in 2021 for an IRA or 401(k) they inherited in 2020.

We can help This article provides an overview of the changes to inherited IRAs and 401(k) plans. We can assist in developing a plan on the timing of the distribution of funds, if you are the beneficiary of an IRA or 401(k).

Melanie C. Geist, CPA, CGMA mgeist@rbc.cpa Melanie graduated from the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse School of Accountancy in 1998. She later received her Master of Taxation from University of Texas in San Antonio in 2003 and obtained her CPA certificate in 2004. Melanie became a shareholder of the firm in November 2014.

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he Construction industry is as fluid and dynamic as ever, things are constantly changing. We are all searching for the new normal as we emerge from a thirty-month pandemic & what that means for today and tomorrow. However, one thing that remains constant is the struggle many Contractors and Subcontractors have in the bidding process when it comes to their Experience Modifier (EMR).

Oftentimes the General or Project’s owner will require an EMR that is less than or equal to a 1.00. This prerequisite will eliminate a lot of the potential bidders. At this point, it becomes clear to the policy holders that they need a little help understanding the process and the factors that can cause this rating to rise above the 1.00 (Neutral) rating.

With ELR rates and total Workers Compensation Premiums going down year after year, how is it my EMR went up?

Great Question. If your payroll and claims remain consistent year after year your EMR will increase because of the lower ELR. With these lower ELR’s if your payrolls increase and your total cost of claims go down, you can expect a better or lower EMR.

Worker’s Compensation Experience Modifiers are calculated by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) for most States including Texas. The EMR has a direct effect on your Workers Compensation premium, if the rating is above 1.00 there is a debit to the total and exactly the opposite if the number is calculated below a 1.0, a credit is applied. Your experience modifier is calculated when a comparison is made between your actual losses & payrolls are compared to industry estimates for a particular class.

Stan joined INSURICA in 2015 as a member of the Risk Management Services team. He takes pride in providing risk management solutions for customers in all industries, with a special emphasis on behavioral safety solutions. Stan’s primary focus is working with large employers to improve their risk profiles and safety cultures by implementing custom-tailored safety and risk management plans.

EXPERIENCE As a true life-long risk management professional, Stan has more than three decades of experience working with safety and loss prevention. He has built a wealth of experience working with national and regional insurance carriers, as well as large insurance brokers. Additionally, he has worked as a regional manager with several safety consulting groups. His work has always been client-focused, providing risk management services, including risk assessments, consulting services, and safety training.

EDUCATION AND DESIGNATIONS Stan is a graduate from Oklahoma State University with a BS in Engineering Technology, focusing on Fire Protection and Safety.

He obtained his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation, which is widely regarded as the premiere designation within the industry. He is a30-year member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), and he has served in many roles including, Chapter President and Delegate and as Area Director, Deputy RVP and ARVP for Professional Development in Region III.

Projecting or predicting your EMR for the next policy year can be difficult without assistance from your insurance agent or insurance agency. The rating factors that affect the EMR rating the most are Payroll, Claims, and Expected Loss Rates (ELR; this is a rate that uses your dominant class code and compares your expected losses with other companies experience with similar payrolls.)

A very nice trend that has been consistent for at least the last four years is that Expected Loss Rates have been going down, even in the heavy construction industry.

This is primarily attributed to contractors improving their job safety and implementing a Return to Work program for their injured employees. These two characteristics have reduced claims cost significantly.

In closing, having a good Return To Work (RTW) program that limits the indemnity payments and also helps to get an injured employee back into the Workforce along with a good safety program that eliminates or reduces the frequency of on the job injuries can definitely improve your Experience Modifier.

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

OSHA

LEGAL Implied Obligations in Construction Contracts

OSHA’s Heat Emphasis Program

R. Carson Fisk, Shareholder Andrews Myers, P.C. Austin, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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ontracts are valuable things. Based on promises, they set expectations for parties, and provide a legally enforceable framework within which a person can seek to enforce—or avoid—his or her contractual obligations. If someone does not do what he or she promises will be done, courts (or arbitrators) can provide relief. But a contract does not need to be set forth in a voluminous, multi-page document containing an immeasurable number of words to be valid and enforceable. In fact, at its core, a contract need only cover a few basic items in order to be enforceable, and may not even need to be in writing. The law can fill in gaps and overlay a thorough contract with additional obligations that must be adhered to by the parties. Thus, those involved in construction are well-served to understand the nature and requirements of such obligations.

In Texas, a valid contract requires an offer, acceptance in strict compliance with the terms of the offer, a meeting of the minds, a communication that each party consented to the terms of the contract, execution and delivery of the contract with an intent it become mutual and binding on both parties, and consideration. With respect to material terms, to be enforceable a construction contract generally only requires: (1) a price; (2) time for performance; and (3) scope of work. Implied covenants can assist in outlining the respective parties’ contractual responsibilities. For example, when a contract does not contain a specific time for performance, the law will imply a reasonable time. Thus, absent express requirements related to timing, a party has an implied obligation to perform its work within a reasonable time, whatever that may be under the circumstances.

If the basic elements of a contract have been satisfied and the material terms have been agreed upon, an enforceable contract is the result. With respect to performance of the contract, accompanying every contract is a duty to perform the contractual obligations with care, skill, reasonable expedience, and faithfulness. In other words, anyone who agrees to perform work under a contract must proceed in a manner reflective of quality work, timely performed. The failure to do so gives rise to a claim that the contract has been breached. Again, these are subjective standards, which may vary from case to case.

Even in the absence of a general implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, a party to a contract has an implied obligation and duty to refrain from hindering, delaying, impeding, or obstructing the other party’s performance of the contract. This implied obligation to cooperate in the performance of a contract is similar to—but narrower than—the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing.

In essence, a party is not permitted to take advantage of an obstacle to performance which it has created or which it could remove. Once again, the failure to abide by these requirements gives rise to a claim that the contract has been breached. And these are subjective standards.

But not every implied obligation is unalterable. Some serve merely as gap fillers, applying only when a contract is silent on a subject. These implied obligations may be and often are altered by the express terms of a contract.

An implied warranty exists to repair or modify existing tangible goods or property in a good and workmanlike manner. “Good and workmanlike” is that

quality of work performed by someone who has the knowledge, training, or experience necessary for the successful practice of the trade or occupation and performed in a manner generally considered proficient by those capable of judging such work. While such a warranty cannot be disclaimed, parties can agree to another standard for manner, performance, or quality. Thus, absent express contractual provisions addressing a differing standard, anyone who agrees to perform work under a contract must proceed in a manner reflective of quality work.

All contractors impliedly agree to comply with relevant municipal and county codes when entering into building contracts, in the absence of a contrary agreement. Thus, unless expressly addressed in the contract (e.g., requiring strict compliance with construction documents), the failure to comply with building codes may give rise to a claim that the contract has been breached. If a contractor negotiates a term that it is not responsible for compliance with applicable codes, that term should generally be enforceable.

A court cannot make a contract for parties. Thus, terms will not be implied simply to make a contract fair, wise, or just. Therefore, contractual covenants will be implied only when there is a satisfactory basis in the express contract making it necessary to imply certain duties and obligations in order to effectuate the purpose of the contract. While a high bar, there are a number of implied obligations that govern a contract. Some apply to contracts in general, without regard to express contractual language. Some will apply only in the absence of express contractual language. Regardless, ignorance as to what implied obligations might require may be problematic, exposing a contractor to unnecessary risk and liability. Contracts should be negotiated and entered into—and agreements performed—with these obligations in minds.

R. Carson Fisk is a construction attorney, mediator, and arbitrator and shareholder at Andrews Myers P.C. in Austin, Texas, and is board certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He may be reached at cfisk@andrewsmyers. com Andrews Myers P.C. is located at: 919 Congress Ave. Unit 1050 Austin, Tx 78701 Main# 512-900-3012

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SHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, launched in 2011, educates employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat. Through training sessions, outreach events, informational sessions, publications, social media messaging and media appearances, millions of workers and employers have learned how to protect workers from heat.

Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in extreme heat or humid conditions.

There are a range of heat illnesses and they can affect anyone, regardless of age or physical condition.

Under OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards. This includes protecting workers from extreme heat.

An employer with workers exposed to high temperatures should establish a complete heat illness prevention program.

• Provide workers with water, rest and shade.

• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.

• Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.

• Monitor workers for signs of illness.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to protect millions of workers from heat illness and injuries.

Through the program, OSHA will conduct heat-related workplace inspections before workers suffer completely preventable injuries, illnesses or, even worse, fatalities.

As part of the program, OSHA will proactively initiate inspections in over 70 high-risk industries in indoor and out-

door work settings when the National Weather Service has issued a heat warning or advisory for a local area. On days when the heat index is 80 F or higher, OSHA inspectors and compliance assistance specialists will engage in proactive outreach and technical assistance to help stakeholders keep workers safe on the job. Inspectors will look for and address heat hazards during inspections, regardless of whether the industry is targeted in the NEP. Compliance officers who are investigating for other purposes, shall open or refer a heat-related inspection for any hazardous heat conditions observed, recorded in the OSHA 300 logs or 301 Incident Reports, or where an employee brings a heat-related hazard to the attention of the compliance officer (such as, employees or temporary workers being exposed to high temperature conditions without adequate training, acclimatization or access to water, rest, and shade).

Compliance officer should inquire during inspections regarding the existence of any heat-related hazard prevention programs on heat priority days. A heat priority day occurs when the heat index for the day is expected to be 80°F or more.

Employers can learn more about this emphasis program at: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/ files/enforcement/directives/CPL_03-00024.pdf natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

continued from Page 3

Schiedeck runs the course for The Global Operator Challenge held at the Holt headquarters in San Antonio Apr. 23.

John. “I was kind of putting it off and everyone kept messaging me on Instagram.

I finally said, ‘All right, I’ll try.’ I’ve got around 12,000 followers on Instagram, so you can imagine how many people were messaging me?”

The competition entailed a small course with a loader, 323 excavator and a mini excavator with each equipment course was different. “With the excavator, you had to load an articulated dump truck to a targeted tonnage and have the fastest time. With the mini excavator, you had to go around a little course that had soft balls on cones. You had to pick the soft balls up and put them in buckets, and/or move the softball from one cone to another, again with the fastest time.

For the wheel loader challenge, you had to get a targeted tonnage of dirt in your bucket and run a course without spilling

any dirt or hitting any cones and get the fastest time.”

John Schiedeck won with the fastest time of 12 minutes and 44 seconds in all three events. He went on to compete against the winner of the Dallas competition. Winning against his competitor in the Dallas run-off, in which the two winners had to grade down four inches to the closest mark, Schiedeck goes on to compete in the east coast competition in Clayton, NC in October. If he wins there, he will compete in the Con Expo in Las Vegas in March 2023 against operators from all over the world.

Schiedeck Construction is a third-generation, family-owned company that concentrates on earthmoving, excavation and grading and slope work located in Bastrop, TX. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 9

Mid-Season Fishing Report

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.

B

y now, hopefully most of you readers of the Construction News have made it down to the coast for a bay fishing outing. If you have, you know it’s been pretty darn windy, and water conditions have not been the best for fishing. As of the middle of May, conditions have improved and so has the fishing. Wind speeds have decreased opening so much more of our bay system and allowing us to get to areas that were not accessible.

Most of you, who have been keeping up with my columns know about the fish killed that we had in Feb. 2021. Every few months, I try and report how things are going on the water and try to keep the public informed on what is happening with our fish populations. As most of you are aware, the state made a major change in March this year reducing the bag limit from five trout to three trout per angler per day. A minimum size of 17 in. with a maximum size limit of 23 in. was put in place and no fish over the maximum length can be retained during this time.

In my opinion, I think these regulations have already started to make a change in our bay system. Trout fishing is twice as good or better than it was last year at this time. We are seeing plenty of slot fish in the 17 to 23 in. range that make up a good box so clients can take home some fillets. Even though the trout limit is only three per

Johnny B. and Greg W. of Houston made catching look pretty easy on they’re last outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Both caught well over 20 trout releasing them back to the bay.

Ziploc bags full of fillets home and throwing them in the freezer should be a thing of the past. Believe me, I was guilty of doing this myself. Let’s all be conservationist and get our fishery back to where it needs to be.

Great friends Pat and Denise Bendele always enjoy fishing with their Jack Russel Abe. As a reminder, Steve Schultz Outdoors is a pet friendly guide service.

person, we are still catching plenty of fish throughout the day making it more adventurous while being very selective on what we put in the box. This also opens up the possibilities of targeting other species in our bay system such as drum redfish and flounder. While on the boat and during my charters, I remind my clients to be consciousness of our situation and to be mindful that we need to be good stewards on the water. Take enough fish home to feed your family and leave some for the next time you come fishing. The days of taking gallon

By the time you read this column, we will be starting with our summer fishing patterns. Hotter than normal days are ahead of us with no end in sight to these drought conditions. Some rain would really go along way right about now. Croakers have arrived, so from now through September, we will be starting out the mornings with natural bait and possibly switching to artificial lures to round out the day. Hope to see y’all on the water soon.

I’m starting to work on my fall dates for fishing. We still have fishing dates in Aug., Sept. and Oct. I’m also booking South Texas whitetail hunts for the coming season. Don’t wait untill all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing or hunting trip give Capt.

Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • JUN 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

Traditions

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raditions are important. Have you ever noticed that when you find yourself in a conversation with a new acquaintance your topics usually lead to where you are from and who you are? Pretty soon you get to “we used to have a hunting lease near there” or “when I was a kid, my Dad and all my uncles used to go camping and fishing close to there”.

Traditions are touch stones in our lives.

We may not all have the same traditions, but they are similar enough to help tie us to each other.

As a fishing guide I have seen so many traditions carried on by the people that fish with me. It starts out with a group of young guys sharing a fishing trip before they go their separate ways for work, college or military service. Then they become young lovers bringing their sweethearts. Before long they come back again with a 3-year-old to introduce to fishing. Then Little League makes hectic schedules, but they still manage to get in a fishing trip. It doesn’t take too long for the little one to get his own fishing trip as a graduation present. And so it goes!

My wife’s family has owned a local fishing camp since 1942. To this day, they still see the great grandchildren of treasured old customers, coming back to stay and fish and enjoy the lake. We live, grow old and die, but our traditions live on through our kids. That we took the time out from trying to make a living to just go somewhere and be with our families for a little while seems to be what makes the impression. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is hunting, fishing, camping, going to the

races, or standing in line to see the latest movie, just that we had a good time together and want to do it again. That is how traditions get started.

The food for thought is this. Think about someone special from your past.

When you talk about them to someone else, you usually don’t speak about their favorite color or how they voted, probably not even so much what they looked like. You don’t discuss how much money they did or didn’t make. You tell of the places you went and the things you did together and the stories they told. That is how we are remembered and traditions are the index cards to those memories.

Young people in particular need traditions and memories to hold on to when the world starts to move them around like an anchored boat in the wind. It helps them to know how special and valuable they are in the big picture of life. That way it’s not so easy to get lost.

When it’s your turn to carry on a tradition can you? Sure you can! Even old time traditions can translate to modern times. Start a new tradition if you have to, but pass something on down. 0Wet a hook, take a walk, fly a kite, tell campfire tales or share old family folklore. Just don’t forget to do it!

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 11

Have an Outdoor Story or Photo?

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ach year, Reesa Doebbler, Construction News, and four very special friends take a week’s trip to a different state. We call ourselves “the Golden Girls” as we are all Gold Star Moms (not to mention our ages). In May, we went to the western part of South Dakota, both north and south of Rapid City. So many things to see — numerous very small cities out in the middle of nowhere, all looked like the old west. Here are a few of the hundreds of photos we took.

Crazy Horse L-R: Marcy, Candy, Marte, Ruth, Reesa at Mount Rushmore

Buffalo trippin’ in Custer Park

The Badlands

Chubby Chipmunk Chocolate Shop

Along Needles Hwy

Sturgis

Wild Bill HickcockSaloon in one of the many western towns

We’re already beginning to plan for next year’s trip - we started on the plane back to SA. It takes us that long to get ready — you know, five carry-on luggages and on the same planes, what to wear there, which airbnb, no bears and, of couse, “where’s the wine?” -rd

Share them with us!

Send to: mEditor@ConstructionNews.net or call 210-308-5800 today!

San Antonio H Austin www.ConstructionNews.net

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Peace of mind

Industry FOLKS Tory Warrick,

Vice President, Treasury & Business Development Officer,

Lone Star Capital Bank, Austin, TX

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F

L-R: Trey Bauman and Zac Whitley

rustrated with the customer service norms provided by many of their competitors, Trey Baumann and Zac Whitley founded W.B. Arthur Restoration in 2017 as a property damage restoration company.

“It just seemed like the attitude with a lot of restoration companies is, “We’ll get to you when we get to you,’” says Baumann. “So, you end up getting what you get, which is delayed responses, poor communication, and poor workmanship.

We approach things a little differently. We show up when we say we’re going to show up. We set good expectations and constantly keep our clients in loop on all progress. We make good on the things that we tell them we’re going to do. It works for us. And frankly, therefore our customer satisfaction ratings are through the roof. We don’t have unhappy customers because we take any steps necessary to make sure their experience with our company is an exceptional one.”

“We don’t squabble over the little things. That’s unnecessary. You can make the choice to fight over stuff like that and leave a bad taste in their mouth or you can do the right thing and have some-

body out there singing your praises for life.”

In late 2021, W.B. Arthur became affiliated with CORE Group Restoration, largely to help them get a hand on commercial and national accounts. “As a regional restoration company here in Central Texas, we’re just not going to get phone calls for flood and fire losses at properties owned by national brands,” says Baumann. “That’s all negotiated on the corporate level with organizations that can provide help nationwide. Our affiliation with CORE allows us to go after these kinds of clients.”

Through their affiliation with CORE Group Restoration, their name has changed to CORE by W.B. Arthur. They’re the same company as before, just doing business under a little bit different name, but still offering quality, turn-key restoration, along the I-35 corridor of Central Texas. From the onset of a catastrophe until after the work is complete, CORE by W.B. Arthur is always the right choice.

CORE by W.B. Arthur are the full-service property damage experts located in Buda and New Braunfels, TX. -cmw

ory Warrick had a great childhood growing up in the small Nebraska town of Gering/Scottsbluff. “It had the typical small-town atmosphere with a strong sense of community, church, family, safety, and history. It was the ‘70s and I was a latch key kid.”

Married with a small child, Tory went to college in Omaha, NE where, as you can imagine, college life was as hectic as it could get. Fascinated with the science of leadership, she earned her business of science degree in business with an emphasis on strengthsbased management.

Tory and her husband, Phil, have been married for 34 years. According to Tory, Phil is amazing! “I call him Mr. Phil or Captain America. Phil earned his doctorate at the University of Nebraska. Go Huskers! He’s funny, genuine, kind, generous and super handsome.

You won’t meet a more passionate human regarding education and future leaders. He’s, my favorite!”

Together they have two grown daughters, Lauren, and Madie. Lauren, 33, is a registered nurse and has two boys. She is married to, according to Tory, the “best guy ever.” She’s very passionate about her patients and is one heck of a volleyball player who loves going to the gym. Madie, 27, loves traveling, fashion and is a speech pathologist living in Dallas. She’s extremely passionate about her speech clients who are students in the Dallas Independent School District.

As a treasury professional, Tory works with businesses to help them manage cashflow safely and securely using services and solutions. She assists businesses when they need to move money electronically (ACH payables and/or receivables), remotely deposit checks, wire funds, accept card payments and most importantly, prevent fraud.

She enjoys meeting business owners, learning their stories at each phase – origination, growth, and success. “I Consider being a trusted financial partner a great honor.”

Tory’s mentor demonstrated the importance of doing what you love for a living so that work didn’t feel like, work. She shared a great piece of professional advice - “Follow your talent. Do what your innate talents guide you to do, and you will find joy in that. Then, find someone to pay you for what you love to do.”

As an empty-nester, which Tory says is “the best,” she is learning to golf, travel every chance she gets, eats all the food, and entertains her new empty-nester home, she and her husband just built.

She loves pool days, relaxing in the sun and says, “I tend to have fun in whatever I do but exploring the world with my family is the best. I’m a big fan of mommy/daughter girls’ trips. And I adore spending time with my two little grandsons and spoiling them rotten.” -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 13

Association Calendar

What is your favorite dessert and why?

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Jun. 1: Membership Mixer, The Good Lot, Cedar Park, 4-6pm.

Jun. 16: New Member Breakfast, ABC Offices Jun. 23: Golf Tournament, Falconhead Golf Club, 15201 Falcon Head Blvd. For more info, contact Brian Bisgard at 512-719-5263 or email bbisgard@abccentraltexas.org ACEA Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.

Jun. 9: Monthly Membership Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm. $35 Member, $40 On-site Member, $55 Non-member. For more info, call Silvia Pendleton at 512-893-7067 ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers Jun. 7: ASCE Virtual General Meeting, ZOOM Webconference, 11:30am-1pm. For more info, go to www.texasce.org or contact Jenni Peters at 512-910-2272 or jpeters@texasce.org CENTEX IEC Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors Jun. 2: Membership Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm.

Jun. 2: Power Show & Wire-Off Competition, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 9am-5pm. For more info, contact David Johnson at 512-832-1333 or email djohnson@centexiec.com DACA Drywall Acoustical Contractors Assn.

Jun. 8-10: TLPCA (Texas Lathing & Plastering

Contractors Association) 70th Anniversary Convention & Trade Show, Grand Hyatt, San Antonio. For more info, contact Eddie McCormick at NARI National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry Jun. 10: NARI Golf Tournament, Teravista Golf Course, 4333 Teravista Club Dr., Round Rock, TX, 1pm Shotgun Start, $200 Single Golfer, $600 Foursome. For more info, Kayvon Leath at 512-997-6274 or email kayvon@austinnari. org NAWIC National Assn. of Women in Construction Jun. 1: Chapter Meeting/Board Elections, Casa Chapala Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar, 9041 Research Blvd. #100, 5:30-8pm. For more info, contact Misti Shafer-Webb at 512-9307733 or email mshafer@complianceresourcesinc.com SEAot Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas Jun. 23: Virtual Chapter Meeting. For more info, call 512-301-2744 TSPE Texas Society of Professional Engineers Jun. 1: Monthly Luncheon – TxDOT Austin District Christina Astarita PE, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 10910 Domain Dr., 11:30am-1pm Jun. 15-17: TSPE Conference and 86th Annual Meeting, Hilton Post Oak Hotel, 2001 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, TX. For more info, contact Claire Black at 512-472-9286 or email claire@ tspe.org

Blueprint of success

Key lime pie is my favorite. You have all the different flavor profiles with a graham cracker crust making it a rich citrus pie.

It’s fantastic.

Chris Campbell, Hill Country Flooring Blue Bell Neapolitan ice cream. It’s the perfect combination of flavors.

Kaley Lilley, Lone Star Capital Bank Are you familiar with Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery? They make a little thing called a vegan cake truffle which is basically chocolate covered in chocolate and then more chocolate. It’s bite-size and it’s amazing.

Michelle Rossomando, McKinney York Architects My favorite dessert is peach cobbler. Every third Sunday growing up at our church, we had dinner on the grounds. It was always a battle between the grandmothers to bring the best peach cobbler.

Paul Biehle, The Nitsche Group I love dessert. Anything dessert is good, but I think my favorite is apple strudel. My whole family is German, and my grandma used to make it. She was from Germany and made authentic German food all the time. She used to make it all the time. I love it.

John Schiedeck, Schiedeck Construction It’s impossible to choose an absolute favorite. I love all food including all desserts. If given a choice, I may opt for a gooey chocolate dessert with Crème anglaise or maybe, a bread pudding with a whiskey sauce. I try to always eat dessert first!

Tory Warrick, Lone Star Capital Bank

I have so many but I love bread pudding.

Back in my early 20s, I worked in a coal mine in South Africa. Every day for dessert they would bring us bread pudding. I guess I developed a taste for it back then.

Stephen Shang, Falcon Structures My favorite dessert is cheesecake. Plain cheesecake. I don’t like all the fruit and the drizzles. I’m not huge fan of sweets and cheesecake seems to have a good balance between savoriness and sweetness. It’s not overly sweet and it’s a little salty. I’m a savory guy so I’m a salt eater so it’s a good match for what my tastes are.

Trey Bauman, CORE by W.B. Arthur I don’t eat dessert. The closest thing that I would eat for dessert is fruit.

Jason Wier, JB Wier Construction I’m every kind of dessert, except fruity desserts. Cherry pie, apple pie, I don’t touch it.

Michael Hough, JB Wier Construction That’s a hard one. My favorite dessert is technically, not a dessert. It’s fresh baked bread with a crispy crust and lots of butter so I can dig out the soft inner core.

Nathali Parker, KLP Construction Supply Dessert? There are so many, but my favorite is German chocolate cake. I always liked it growing up and have never lost my taste for it. I really like how all the flavors in German chocolate cake come together.

Phil Howry, Phil Howry Company That would be Italian cream cake. It was it my wedding cake. I was sold the first time I tried it at a catered studio cafe on Sixth Street. It was the best!

Fabian Perez, Perez Masonry

Caring makes sharing

McKinney York Architects leadership Front L-R: Al York, Michelle Rossomando and Heather McKinney. Back L-R: Brian Carlson and Will Wood

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cKinney York Architects built its foundation based on building long lasting relations. It is the blueprint of the firm’s 39 years of success.

The firm’s first commission came through some San Antonio school friends of Heather McKinney, FAIA, founder of McKinney York Architects.

“Michelle Rossomando, AIA, RID; Al York, FAIA, RID; Brian Carlson, AIA, LEED and Will Wood, AIA, RID, all have clients who really are friends at this point,” says McKinney. “We built our firm on our relationships and because we want to create places that inspire, engage the people that use them and create a sense of belonging for the people for whom we make them.”

With a personal connection to San Antonio, the firm’s footprint expanded to San Antonio off and on for years. In 2019, McKinney York officially opened its second office in the Alamo City.

In 2020, Michelle Rossomando was named the firm’s second president in its 30-plus years in business. As part of a sixyear transition plan to ensure sustained leadership and promote innovation and

growth, Rossomando has assumed leadership responsibilities as president of the Austin-orignated firm, while McKinney continues to serve clients in her role as a firm founder.

“Heather is the guiding force behind the firm’s design voice and has been since day one,” adds Rossomando. “She founded this firm on what we call ‘concept-driven design,’ which allows projects, regardless of which partner leading, to have a strong vision that ties all our work together through our collaborative process with each of our clients.”

With a wide range of architectural services in new construction, renovation as well as interior design, McKinney York Architects recently received four design awards in commercial design/building architecture, commercial design/community project, commercial design/landscape design, and commercial design/ lobby through Austin Home & Design Magazine.

McKinney York Architects is an architecture and interiors firm with offices in Austin and San Antonio. -cmw

White Construction Company (WCC) hosted their “We Care Classic” on May 9.

The event was a culmination of efforts spearheaded by WCC with 25 partners and friends. Since 2006, the biannual event has raised almost $1,000,000 for children’s causes. One hundred percent of the sponsors’ total $73,000 donations will go directly to this year’s benefactor, Helping Hand Home for Children in Austin. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Positive disruption

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ICON co-founders L-R: Alex Le Roux, Jason Ballard and Evan Loomis

lso known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing has been around for a few decades now. At its baseline, it is the interpretation of a dimensional digital file into a physical object through a method of delivery, one step at time, constructing a physical object. Historically, 3D printing has been done on a smaller scale with polymers or plastics materials.

ICON, the first company in America to secure a building permit for and build a 3D printed home, and the industry, is growing to construction scale 3D printing using 3D printers that are approximately 50ft wide and 15ft tall. “It’s the same process using a dimensional digital file,” says ICON Director of Business Development Michael Harper. “The material is provided by a material delivery system that sits adjacent to the actual 3D printer and provides a consistent input of the printed medium. In our case, it’s our proprietary concrete mix.”

ICON 3D prints with concrete and mortars because they are well known and well-studied. Their performance have been used in construction for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

“3D printing to deliver homes is a new construction method but the great thing is the construction industry knows a lot about concrete and is very comfortable with concrete. Regulatory agencies know concrete really well. While our method is different, we’re using a material that people are very familiar with,” Harper adds.

Across the board, the construction industry is experiencing some significant issues from supply chain of materials to inflation of prices, not to mention a huge labor shortage. 3D printing is simplifying the supply chain for materials and labor, causing a positive disruption in construction. “Traditionally, there are several different materials that go into constructing walls. 3D printing consolidates the labor processes and the materials,” adds Harper. “It is significantly faster, significantly easier to manage, and it’s really cost efficient because we’re reducing the amount of different materials and processes into one or two.

ICON develops advanced construction technologies that advance humanity by using 3D printing robotics, software and advanced materials. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — KLP Construction Supply mental differences. Karen’s very good at the operation side. She’s watching the money and making sure we get paid and that we pay our vendors on time and things are running and rocking on that side.

“And then I was the one driving the business meeting with the manufacturers, negotiating the contracts and going in meetings [with] the contractors and getting on jobs.

“We just have different skill sets,” Parker said.

When it comes to disagreements or differences of opinions, Parker noted that the sisters’ priority “is [for] the business to be healthy. And in order for the business to be healthy, we have to take our own egos out of the way so that we make decisions that are best for the business, not our individual selves.”

Even at the 10-year mark with multiple locations throughout Texas, Parker said that she still feels like they are a very new company. “We’re just finally getting started,” she said.

When KLP started to grow and had some income to show for it, Parker and Rogers invested in staff members who could be value added to the company.

“We do have a phenomenal team,”

Parker said.

Seeing their baby grow has been very rewarding, but, Parker said, “it’s a lot of responsibility and stress, because your decisions affect people and their lives and their livelihoods and their kids and their wives and husbands. I take that very seriously, both Karen and I do, and so we try and make very good decisions for the whole company.”

With 10 years under their belts, the two sisters are enjoying the journey as well as optimistic for the future.

“I love innovative things and innovative materials,” Parker said. “It’s going to be fun to see what innovative products we bring to the market in the next 10 years. And we like to do things that really make a difference and in the respective categories we play in. I can see where I’m meeting more people and filling the team and filling the gaps of where I see we need from a personnel part.”

“There’s still so much more to go,” Parker said. “I just want us to always get better.”

KLP Construction Supply is a distributor of construction and industrial material and equipment, headquartered in Pflugerville. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Perez Construction seven regular employees (hiring out when they need more help), working almost all over Texas, like Forth Worth to the north and San Antonio to the south.

Fabian is the owner of the company and mason on the team. He spends roughly 60 percent of his time doing admin and running the show and 40 percent in the field. A very important part of his job is going out to the various jobsites. “I remember that was one of the things that my dad and uncle would always tell me—you have to have a presence on [the] sites,” Perez said.

Steve is the welder but also has an uncanny knack for merely watching a YouTube video on how to fix anything and then be able to do it. “He’s got a real talent for figuring stuff out,” big brother said.

Adrian now works with his wife at her company that is a staffing agency for the labor force.

Work is good and steady, but Perez takes advantage of any down time between jobs to clean things up from the last job and to prepare for the next. There is always equipment maintenance and supply ordering, so when the next job is a go, they are ready.

By having different skill sets on the

team, they would be better set for work in case a particular area of the construction world went flat for a while. “If one area is slow, we can go to another one,” Perez said.

The Austin area is still Perez Construction’s main focus. “I love working with the city,” Perez said. He loves seeing his work all over the town and showing it off to his kids. “It just feels like I’m leaving my mark in our community and I grew up in Austin.” Leaving a positive footprint that other people enjoy is “what I really like,” he said.

And so, 15 years later, what’s next?

Basically, the sky’s the limit. Whatever the job is and wherever the job is, Perez is ready, willing and able. “I’ll never put a limit on anything,” he said. “As far as we can go, I’m going to go.”

Despite starting in a construction recession and experiencing the ups and downs during the last 15 years, Perez Construction has persevered and left its mark for others to enjoy.

“And that’s the name of the game,” Perez said.

Perez Construction LLC is a family owned and operated company in Central Texas, headquartered in Georgetown. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Phil Howry Company wife passed away at the age of 43 in 1994, leaving Howry to focus on raising his 17-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

He started looking for work closer to town doing work at the miliary and air force bases in San Antonio. With his children in college, he then began building border patrol stations primarily for the Galveston District Corps of Engineers. He built stations in Rio Grande City, Falfurrias, Alpine, and Hebbronville.

Howry’s participation as an 8(a) designated contractor was coming to an end as the 8(a) program is a nine-year program and he would no longer be eligible for sole source work. He then began bidding on hard-dollar competitive bid projects. The last government project he did was at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, NM where they built the MC-130 and CV22 Flight Simulator buildings.

Howry’s son, Sterling, joined him as he finished up the last of his government work upon graduating from college.

“We weren’t a huge company and to do work for the Corps of Engineers requires a pretty good size of overhead,” says Howry. “It takes a lot of dealing with the government. In my case, I had to hire attorneys to get paid for the last project I did at Cannon Air Force Base for the Albuquerque District of Corps of Engineers. I had to file a case with the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals to get paid my

final contract amount, which I won and got paid. ”That’s when I realized I just didn’t have the time and the resources to sue the government to get paid for legitimate contracts. I just didn’t have the infrastructure to handle that with Corps of Engineer work.”

With his son working as part of the Phil Howry team, the company switched gears and concentrated on finding properties around in and around Austin, for building commercial projects. “We’ve been building commercial projects we keep and manage,” adds Howry.

Today, the father and son duo make up Phil Howry Company. Howry is proud to have built a business from shoestrings, with no financial backing. “We persevered one project at a time, building equity and securing the bonding needed to pursue work with the federal government,” Howry explains. “They will build a business if it’s something that you’re interested in doing and you want to do it.

You just need to believe in yourself, hard work and go get it. Through it all, it wasn’t just me. I’ve been tremendously blessed

by God. He’s really provided me with the strength, endurance, and the contentment to continue as a sole proprietorship.”

Phil Howry Company is a general contractor in Austin. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 15

Meeting recycling requirements

Industry FOLKS Kaley Lilley,

Senior Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer,

Lone Star Capital Bank, Austin, TX

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Reusable/recyclable construction debris

he City of Austin’s Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling Ordinance requires general contractors to reuse or recycle construction debris.

Which projects are affected?

1. Building permits with more than 5,000 square feet of new, added, or remodeled floor area, and 2. Commercial and multifamily demolition projects of all sizes.

Before work begins, talk to your subcontractors, licensed haulers and the processors and facilities receiving the construction debris. Confirm they will provide you with weight tickets for the debris you recycle and landfill. Enter all weight tickets regularly to ensure your project meets 50% diversion. We recommend entering into the weight ticket summary spreadsheet at least monthly so you can modify, if you’re below 50% diversion.

What are the requirements?

1. Recycle or reuse construction debris.

General contractors must do at least one of the following: • Divert at least 50% of the construction project debris from the landfill, or • Dispose of no more than 2.5 lbs. of material per square foot of permitted floor area in the landfill.

Common construction debris that can be reused or recycled include concrete and paving, corrugated cartons, wood, metal, paper, cardboard, plastics, and building components like windows and doors.

2. Log weight tickets to track diversion

3. Submit a Construction Recycling Report.

General contractors with an affected project must submit the required Construction Recycling Report online when a final building inspection is requested.

This report shows how many total tons of debris were recycled and landfilled during the project and calculates the diversion rate.

Learn more about the ordinance, find resources, or submit a Construction Recycling Report at austintexas.gov/cd.

Use the Austin Reuse Directory to find where to donate, resell, recycle, and repair items. -cmw

ith a background in commercial lending, Kaley Lilley has worn many hats at banks, but real estate has always been her primary focus. She focuses particularly on construction loans, both residential and commercial, including lines of credit for working capital, equipment, and more.

“Building relationships with customers is what I like best about my job,” Kaley says. “I get so much fulfillment from making my customers feel important because they are. I believe there is no ‘one size fits all’ for banking.

I like to take the time to learn the customer’s business, find a tailored solution for them, and then be accessible to them to provide continued support whenever they need it.”

Kaley is fortunate to have had many mentors, but one stands out, Chris Favre. She worked with Favre at Integrity Bank in Houston, where she started as a junior lender.

“Chris was the first person to really show me what it meant to be a community banker,” she says. “He would let me shadow him on client visits. I’d bring my pen and paper. I wanted to be a sponge and absorb as much information as possible. With the ever-changing economy and fluctuations in loan appetite, the one thing we can control is the experience a customer has with the bank.

I quickly learned that spending a little more time to find out the customer’s

needs and simply being available can help lay the foundation for a long-lasting banking relationship. I am very grateful to have had such a mentor.”

Growing up in League City, TX, Kaley Lilley has fond memories of day trips to Galveston to visit the beach.

She went to Clear Creek High School.

After graduation, Kaley attended Texas A&M in College Station where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in finance.

“College life was nothing short of amazing, which can be attributed to many different factors including the school’s traditions, the friendly atmosphere, and so forth,” she says. “There’s a saying at A&M: From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it and from the inside looking out you can’t explain it.”

Kaley and her husband, Austin, are high school sweethearts. They went to A&M together, married a few years after graduating, and now have two children together.

“They are everything we could ask for and at the same time, everything we didn’t know we needed,” she says. “Being a parent has been the most fulfilling, humbling, and fun thing we’ve ever done.” -cmw

Page 16

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

The University of Texas at Austin Moody Center

ore than 40 years ago, Walter P Moore was the structural engineer for University of Texas’ (UT) arena, the Frank C. Erwin Center. Aging and in prime real estate for the expansion of the Dell Medical School, the University decided it was time to bid farewell to this iconic structure. Central to fellow UT sports facilities in a parking lot just south of Mike A. Myers Stadium, the new Moody Center has been erected. While creating a new home for UT’s men’s and women’s basketball programs was the impetus for the project, UT project partner OVG also created a world-class entertainment venue that will make Austin a major destination for touring shows.

The Moody Center site presented a significant structural challenge due to site slopes up to 50 feet moving from west to east. A deep retention system with heights up to 70 feet was utilized, unprecedented for an arena structure.

With much of the arena underground, a concrete frame forms the primary structure of the arena, daylighting at the upper concourse at the east side and the main concourse at the west side. Around the perimeter of the building the longspan steel roof cantilevers up to 75 feet beyond the building edge, creating shaded entry spaces for the warm Austin climate. The cantilever roof floats above an extensive glass curtain wall. Inside the building, the advanced roof structure supports an extensive set of amenities designed to make the building exceptionally flexible for a variety of events: a central retractable video board, a 250,000-lb. show rigging grid including

The University of Texas Moody Center

an extensive tension wire rigging platform, and a one-of-its kind operable upper bowl closure screen designed to convert the venue from a full 15,000 seats to an intimate smaller 10,000 seat configuration. Walter P Moore also designed the arena bowl precast seating units to accommodate an efficient under-seat air distribution system that will help make the Moody Center one of the most sustainable arenas in the U.S. -cmw

Inside the The Moody Center

Walter P Moore Austin, TX

West entrance

Ja-Mar Green

Aerial view of Ja-Mar’s custom turquoise metal roof, Ja-Mar Green

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Horeshoe Bay residence debuting Ja-Mar Green

n 2019, Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal received a request from a couple in Spicewood, TX who were looking to replace the standing seam metal roof on their home before listing it for sale to retire in Horseshoe Bay. The home is a gorgeous custom limestone country estate on a cul-de-sac that backs up to a canyon overlooking the Pedernales River as it feeds into Lake Travis. The magnificent panoramic Hill Country vistas were enough to take your breath away, but what made this project truly unforgettable was their unique color selection. The property had a couple out buildings with a rare turquoise finish on the existing

metal roofs and their desire was to match the main house with the same blue green hue. After multiple attempts to find a close match with various manufacturers, Ja-Mar elected to move forward with creating a new custom Kynar finish for an exact color match with McElroy Metals – and thus, “Ja-Mar Green” was born.

Six weeks later, the custom coils arrived on site and the challenging project was underway. The roof was cut-up and complex - with over 20 faces, multiple connecting valleys and lots of difficult roof to wall detail. In addition, Ja-Mar had custom tapered flashings fabricated for their split panel detail on the penetra-

Exterior rear view tions to accommodate the extremely steep, 12/12 pitch throughout. In the end, Ja-Mar’s skilled installers were able to overcome all challenges to deliver a showcase worthy roof for the clients and yet another signature project for Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal. The custom turquoise roof – or Ja-Mar Green as it is now known - can be seen from Highway 71 headed west between Lakeway and Spicewood. Article courtesy of Drew Pfanmiller.

Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal is located in Buda, TX. -cmw

Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal Buda, TX

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 17

Custom storage solution

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lvin Price, Farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks recently completed this custom project in first quarter of this year. It is one-third of Price’s custom solution for his clients’ storage issue.

Price’s client purchased this spec home from the builder several years ago, sight unseen, unaware of the home’s lack of storage. When they approached Price about their storage dilemma, they largely knew what they were looking for. Price only needed to make a few suggestions to make their vision a reality.

The other two-thirds of Price’s custom solution (the projects not pictured) included a custom built-in 8-foot-long dresser, a 3-foot-long storage bench, and two floating shelves (for the master bedroom), and an entire custom storage system for the laundry room. “The dresser, which had 16 shaker style, soft-closing drawers, was so long and deep that we had to remove the master bathroom window just to get the piece into the bedroom,” Price states. “I transformed their laundry room by removing the builder-grade MDF shelf and adding upper custom shelves with a hanging rod above the washer and dryer, a large floating shelf with a chevron patterned top to serve as a folding station for clothes, and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry on the adjacent wall, everything included shaker style, soft-closing doors.”

The pictured project also took place in the master bedroom. The clients wanted to combine custom nightstands with open shelving, and they pondered deleting their headboard. With that information in mind, Price suggested an accent wall in a herringbone pattern to replace their headboard. Additionally, knowing the clients’ disdain for wires and cords, Price suggested incorporating invisible

wireless Apple iPhone chargers into the countertops of each nightstand and installed a circular outlet with USB inputs that held magnetic Apple iWatch chargers on the mattress side of each nightstand.

The herringbone accent wall was constructed using solid poplar 1x6 boards that the clients initially wanted to paint, but after seeing it raw, decided to keep it as is. “I am extremely proud of this project, which tested my problem-solving skills and enabled me to exercise my creativity,” says Price.

The clients loved the end result, saying in a statement, “Absolutely stunning... turning the corner and seeing this is just stunning. I have no other words. Beyond my expectations. Thank you for your time and quality of work. And especially for the suggestion of the herringbone accent wall.”

Price truly enjoys his craft which is evident by his own words, “I take pride in my work, and I am constantly helping my clients ‘Love Where You Live!’”

Farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks specializes in custom cabinets and millwork, located in Pflugerville, TX. -cmw

AFTER Built-in custom nightstands with herringbone accent wall

BEFORE

Farmhouse77 Custom Woodworks Pflugerville, TX

La Frontera

Aerial view of La Frontera roof systems

S

La Frontera

wadley Roof Systems is a commercial roofing company in the Austin/ San Antonio area, specializing in a wide variety of types of roof systems.

They install and repair metal, composition, specialty roofs, cool roofs, commercial low-slope, and flat roof systems.

Swadley Roof Systems prioritizes integrity in all that they do, excellence in their performance and customer service, and emphasizes safe work practices in their culture. Swadley Roof Systems is a certified and credentialed installer of GAF, Versico, MB Technology, CertainTeed, Weatherbond, Carlisle, Metro Roofing, Firestone products and many others.

The roof systems for La Frontera, a multifamily project in Austin, TX, were completed by Swadley Roof Systems in

2021. The project scope included multiple roof systems as well as installation of gutters and downspouts. The systems consisted of 105,033sf of CertainTeed Architectural shingle roofing and 45,986sf of Carlisle PVC mechanically attached with one inch insulation which achieved a 20-year workmanship warranty from Carlisle. Substantial completion of the roof system took roughly six months as construction progressed. Material shortages and delays were a concern throughout the project, but Swadley Roof Systems was able to acquire all material in a timely manner to prevent any delays in completion of the roof.

Swadley Roof Systems is in in San Marcos, TX. -cmw

Close-up view of roof system

Swadley Roof Systems Austin/San Antonio, TX

Page 18

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

The journey continues

Participating contractors: 3G Drywall, Tex-Mix Concrete, CapStar Electric, Sport Court of Austin, Prostar Garage Doors, Centex Mechanical Heat & Air

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own Home Ranch Inc. was founded in 1989 as a 501(c)3 non-profit. It was inspired by the birth of a Down Syndrome child and the need to provide a safe and empowering environment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This working farm and ranch outside of Elgin, TX started with humble beginnings which has grown and expanded through the years to continue making the ranch programs available to more “ranchers.”

Craig Russell, president of the Ranch, had talks with The Fixers TV show after receiving an email saying they were interested in doing a project at the ranch. After discussing different projects, they asked him what he really needed, and his answer was a fitness center.

The one-week build began on Dec. 2, 2021, with the TV personalities, construction crews and the ranchers all working together to make this dream come true.

The Fixers Down Home Ranch TV show premiered on May 1, 2022, and is an interesting show to watch, especially with the involvement of the residents.

Construction News talked with both Russell and project coordinator Ray Gurley Jr of 3G Drywall to find out why this project was so meaningful to them and how things came about and progressed.

“The show said I would have to get a general contractor involved,” stated Russell. I reached out to a local general contractor, and they gave me a quote that was way beyond our means. I was talking to [Construction News Publisher] Buddy [Doebbler] and telling him the dilemma, and said, “Do you know somebody that could help us with this? Buddy said, “Let me see what I can do.”

“Buddy reached back out to me and said, “I got hold of 3G Drywall and Ray [Gurley Jr.] is going to reach out to you.

“Ray came out, we went down there and showed him the area and what we wanted to do. Ray has to be the nicest guy I’ve ever met. He said, “This is absolutely doable.” Then we got back with The Fixers and hooked them up with Ray and the things that they were doing. So then, we all started doing these emails and calls together.

“Ray worked as the GC for us and handled all the things that were beyond us from a construction perspective.

“He was there for us every step of the way. He would say, “This can be done. Don’t worry. Here are your options. Tell me what you want.” That was one of the things that even The Fixers said – that working with Ray was a pleasure. They said that sometimes they would bump heads with GCs but working with Ray was the best. TV shows like to do a lot of last-minute changes and it never seemed to rattle Ray. He was always providing solutions through the whole process.

“This wouldn’t have happened without 3G Drywall.

No way, no how. Ray coordinated everything.

“For me, my favorite part of the new facility is the indoor basketball because there is a group of guys that all like to go out and do pick-up basketball. Whenever it was cold or raging hot, they wouldn’t go because it was just too much. So for them, now being able to go to the facility and play is phenomenal.

“Also, the size is nice. We went from this little 20-ft. x 20-ft. room and it‘s now a 55-ft. x 70-ft. building and they’re inside and able to use it. It has air conditioning and heating. There is a yoga area, cardio area, and all of the weights and machines that were in the little gym moved over to here. Plus, The Fixers bought some exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills and brought it in there. And the whole basketball area is all lined out on the court. It’s not a full-sized court, but it’s a basketball court. It has a three-point line and everything. I didn’t realize some of the new residents were so into basketball until they opened that thing up.

“This project is really going to change the residents’ lives here. It already has. They want to go play basketball and, even in an ice storm, they can turn the heater on and play,” concluded Russell.

Gurley didn’t know what Down Home Ranch was all about until he met with Russell and toured the facility and proposed project. Afterward he understood the impact this facility has on these folks.

“When I got out there it really hit me on what that little community is about and what they do for everybody. This is kind of what I got in construction for – to do things like this. It’s sure we all want to make money. We all want to be successful. But when you can do things like this, it really hits home. Then you’re making an im-

pact for a community, for people.

“There were numerous challenges during this project. It was a really short build, and you have to allow everyone time and space to work, but yet it has to be done.

“With the ranchers helping, they were like a kid in a candy store. They’re lit up, they feel like they were actually helpful. They helped the skilled workers, and it really helped the flow of the job, you know, the whole group working together. It helped the workers see they really wanted to be a part of the project and not just sit back and enjoy what is done. They want to get in there and get their hands dirty. They want to get into it and create it.

“Working with the camera crews and principals of the show was great. Actually, a lot of them know more about construction than they get credit for. They’re just really cool people and they do this because of what it does for so many people.

“I brought my son, Gabe, to the build. He always wants to go out and work and do the construction thing.

He’s like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna help,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, go ahead and help.’ He wanted to be a part of it as well which is a good thing. That’s exactly what you want as a parent, for your kid to understand it’s not just about working to make good money. It’s about helping people and to give back, doing what you can for other people.

“My crew members loved being a part of it. It was different from what we usually do as a subcontractor.

We were running it more as a general and people would come to us and ask questions, and our team really embraced it. All of them knew this was important for these people, for this community.

“I was very impressed with my crew with how much they did in a short amount of time, how they embraced all the different challenges and showed their different skillsets you don’t normally see. My field super Roswell Vargas and Eliacer Jaimes Martinez were very involved in all aspects of the project.

“You know, it was really incredible what had happened in a short amount of time and how many people came together with the volunteers, the ranchers, the show workers, our crew, all the different trade partners.”-bd

Austin Construction News • JUN 2022

Page 19

Cook-off time

T

he Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Central Texas Chapter hosted their annual BBQ Cook-off & Family Fun Day May 6-7. The event was held at the YMCA Camp Twin Lakes in Cedar Park. On Friday night, cook-off teams held private company parties while competing in two food categories, Dutch Oven Dessert and Blind Category (chicken breast and sweet potato). On Saturday, the teams competed in three customary BBQ cook-off categories of Spareribs, Chicken and Brisket. Excitement built in the judging area as several tie scores forced a run-off in the ribs and brisket categories. Only a few points separated second from first place. It was a fun, entertaining and exhilarating event for everyone. -cmw 3rd Place: Bowne Electric #1 4th Place: Allied Electric 5th Place: Beckett Electrical 6th Place: Bergelectric Final Table: Bowne Electric #2 & CED Austin

Blind winners: 1st Place: Lonestar Electric Supply 2nd Place: CED Austin 3rd Place: Bell & McCoy 4th Place: Lighthouse Electrical 5th Place: Bowne Electric #2 6th Place: Walker Engineering Final Table: Dunman Electric & Power Labor

Chicken winners: 1st Place: Lonestar Electric Supply 2nd Place: Lighthouse Electrical 3rd Place: Bell & McCoy 4th Place: Global Electric 5th Place: Walker Engineering

Dutch Oven Dessert winners: 1st Place: Lonestar Electric Supply 2nd Place: Lighthouse Electrical

Lonestar Electric Supply

Team IEC

New roots

F

Ribbon cutting ceremony for Lott Brothers Construction’s new office building

ounded by David and Wayne Lott, Lott Brothers Construction has been a staple in Austin since 1988.

Growing up in the construction industry, the two brothers wanted to continue the tradition started by their great grandfather, grandfather, and father.

As the company grew, the space needed to house its growing family did too. Finding themselves limited with available space in the condo-style office, the company geared up to begin looking for a future home. The company jumped at the opportunity to develop and build their own building when a space became available in Round Rock.

Breaking ground in April last year, the new Lott Brothers Construction home was completed at the beginning of this year making way for the Lott Brothers team members to move in at the end of January.

Anxious to show off their new two-story facility, Lott Brothers Construction hosted a ribbon cutting and open house celebration on Apr. 7 co-hosted by the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce.

The new Lott Brothers Construction Company offices, 406 N. Lee St., Round Rock, TX

Four Round Rock city council members, the project team responsible for the construction of the new facility along with the architect, engineer and other members of the Round Rock community were in attendance.

Still very much part of the Austin community, Lott Brothers Construction is settling nicely into their new facility in Round Rock and look forward to continued growth.

Lott Brothers Construction is a multifaceted general contracting company in Round Rock, TX. -cmw

6th Place: Bowne Electric #2 Final Table: Dunman Electric & VA Electric Spareribs winners: 1st Place: Bergelectric 2nd Place: VA Electric 3rd Place: Bowne Electric #1 4th Place: Allied Electric 5th Place: Walker Engineering 6th Place: Beckett Electric Final Table: CED Austin & Bell & McCoy

Brisket winners: 1st Place: Lonestar Electric Supply 2nd Place: VA Electric 3rd Place: Bell & McCoy 4th Place: Bergelectric 5th Place: Beckett Electrical 6th Place: CED Austin Final Table: Prism Electric & Walker Engineering Grand Champion: Lonestar Electric Supply

Bergelectric

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Austin Construction News • JUN 2022