Austin Construction News July 2022

Covering the Industry’s News

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P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290

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CONSTRUCTION NEWS The Industry’s Newspaper

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www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 24 H Number 7 H JULY 2022

40 years and going strong

Solutions and beyond

American Constructors leadership L-R: CEO Marty Burger, Founder and Chairman of the Board for American Constructors Foundation Bill Heine, COO Joe Charlton and CFO Joe Moore

L-R: Massey Brand, The Reynolds Co.; Andrew Gonzales, Alterman Electric; Richard Russell, Kris Mann, Billy Danford, The Reynolds Co., at Alterman Charity Clay Shoot

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n 1982, Bill Heine formed American Constructors to perform work for Watson-Casey Companies, Austin’s premier developer of that time. Austin had a vision for a mid-rise, pedestrian-friendly downtown which eventually transformed to the high-rise downtown you see today. American Constructors built several buildings around the City Hall area.

Heine recruited a handful of employees from former places he had worked who were experienced in high-rise concrete construction. American Constructor CEO, Marty Burger, was one of that group.

“We came here from high-rise concrete construction marketplaces in Hawaii and California,” says Burger. “Concrete construction in those places back then was very expensive. When materials

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n April Fool’s Day, Ralph Reinhardt and his wife were having dinner with some friends when one of them asked him how his day was going? When he answered, they thought he was joking.

“I retired today, and they thought I was kidding,” says Reinhardt. “I said, I’m not kidding. I actually did retire today.”

After 40-plus years, Reinhardt sold his share of Voelker Construction and retired. While it’s a little bitter-sweet, Reinhardt leaves with a lot of fond memories as he and his partner, Stan Voelker go back a long way.

“I had known Stan for a number of years before we started the company,” he says. “His grandpa had a farm next door to my grandpa’s farm. My grandfather farmed his grandfather’s farm for several years until my grandpa retired. Stan’s grandpa would bring him out there in the summer and of course, I was there

and labor are expensive, innovation is at its peak. We brought a lot of innovative, creative ideas to the Austin market which was, at the time, inexpensive in Central Texas. Concrete, rebar, and labor was a lot less expensive in this part of the world.

Bringing those innovative technologies, American Constructors quickly became known as kind of a concrete expert, whether it was low rise or high rise.”

American Constructors’ innovative technologies include their slip form technology which allows for a continuous pour, sliding up the building very slowly.

This technology was born in tall concrete towers such as nuclear power plant cooling towers. They also brought post tension flat plate, concrete slabs. “At that time in Texas, this technology was not continued on Page 14

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he Reynolds Company was doing quite well prior to 2018, as attested to by Massey Brand, commercial sales manager for Central Texas.

“We had done very, very well up to that point,” he said. But in 2018, a “fantastic opportunity” came along. “Over the course of time,” Brand explained, “you get to know people, especially when you know when you’re performing at the level that we were performing and growing the way we had grown since the mid ‘90s. You draw a lot of attention in the business. And that’s just kind of how it happened. It all started with a relationship and grew over time and a conversation began. Eventually the powers that be got everything worked out.”

“Everything” turned out to be the merger of Reynolds with McNaught-

en-McKay Electric Company, whose primary focus is the automotive industry in states like Michigan, Ohio, the Carolinas and Georgia. Reynold’s focus has remained meeting the needs of companies with electrical supply in Texas and Louisiana. Brand’s area of responsibility is the I-35 corridor south of Temple down to Corpus Christi. He has two offices—Austin and San Antonio. He remembers the days back in the 1990s when there were actually gaps between Austin and Kyle and San Marcos and San Antonio.

Reynolds has retained its original name as run by brothers Walter and Donald. One very positive result of the merger has been to make its employees owners as well, called ESOP: Employee Shared Ownership Program. continued on Page 14

Your someday is here…

Voelker Construction leadership L-R: Ralph Reinhardt, Stan Voelker, Steven Voelker and Melinda Fiebig

working with my grandpa. Then, I hadn’t seen him again for several years until he went to work at the National Guard, which just happen to be where I was.”

After serving in the National Guard, the two decided to go into business together. According to Reinhardt, Voelker had a friend who was a welder and they both wanted to learn how to weld and that’s just what they did.

Reinhardt and Voelker, returning the favor, helped this friend put up a building that required some welding. It was built from oil field pipe and sheet metal. After that, people started asking them to build similar buildings and Voelker Construction was born in 1978.

“We quit a government job and went into the welding business,” says Reinhardt. “Both of our dads and grandfathers had taught us work ethic, and we had it. We were used to hard work and continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

How dry I am

The art of brick

Rene Moreno, owner of Central Texas Sealants & Waterproofing

Nick Page and friends relaxing and watching the deer go by

here is nothing worse than being caught in a big rainstorm and noticing water coming into your building, be it your home or business.

Good thing Rene Moreno, owner of Central Texas Sealants & Waterproofing (CTSW), doesn’t like it, either. “Waterproofing is our passion,” he said, “and we are good at it.”

Moreno got his start in this field via two of his uncles and some family friends who needed help with a job in San Antonio back in 1996, “and I haven’t left the business since then.”

CTSW specializes in commercial buildings four stories and under and any residential customer that asks for their services.

“This company was created with general contractors in mind,” Moreno said. “It was started with just myself alone, and now within a few months there are under a handful of us.”

Moreno’s aim is “taking on smaller projects, whether it may be scope gap items, tight budgets or just needing a

hand to complete jobsite punch items.”

Moreno is total hands-on. He does all the phone answering and back office logistics. “I do it all,” he said.

Moreno stays relatively close to Austin, having about a 40-mile radius around the city. But, depending on the job, he can go to San Antonio or Temple just as easily.

And, being in central Texas, weather can be a factor. “One thing we have to deal with is the heat,” Moreno said. “It’s either hot or cold; there’s really no middle. We’re either in a dry spell or we have rain. It’s always unpredictable.”

Moreno would like to continue to evolve CTSW as a company and help transform the city he loves by turning over quality projects and building great relationships. Offering his clients new services is definitely in the plans.

And keeping them plenty dry too.

Central Texas Sealants & Waterproofing services new or existing structures, based in Austin. -dsz

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ven though Nick’s Bricks Masonry officially started in 1993, Nick Page’s love affair with bricks and masonry goes back to his high school days.

“I discovered masonry just seeing some guys do it,” Page said. Their decorative work on a ranch house looked interesting to him, “and it just hit me that I wanted to learn how to do that.”

He learned the craft at Dallas’ Skyline High School, from a teacher who also taught the apprenticeship program for the union. This instructor instilled in Page not only the technical part of the craft, but the artistic part as well. Mismatching bricks and/or mortar on a repair job is a huge nono that “drives me insane,” Page said.

While Page and his assistant will do new projects, he does a lot of repair work on bricks not only just from age, but from misuse as well, “especially in commercial buildings because cars are hitting loading docks,” he said.

A big factor is Page’s repair work from buildings built in, say, the 1980s, is

the bricks used on it have long since been discontinued. However, a great workaround for him is brick staining, “which is a commercial grade stain that soaks into the brick and changes the color and blends in with the surrounding areas.”

Page approaches this like an artist would doing a watercolor piece. “I can create my own color blend,” he said.

Combining the technical with the artistic comes naturally to Page. “It’s all one and the same and have has never been separate,” he said. “I’ve never seen a distinction between the two.”

Why is this? Page said it’s because “I have to drive by that job every day for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to have to drive by something that I’m embarrassed that I worked on. I always knew that I wanted to drive by there and show my grandson that I worked on that.”

Since Page loves what he’s doing, he has no plans on stopping soon.

Nick’s Bricks Masonry does custom masonry services and repairs, based in Liberty Hill. -dsz

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

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Masonry excellence

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embers of the Central Texas Masonry Contractors Association (CTMCA) were filled with anticipation on Jun. 17 as the winners of the 2022 Golden Trowel Awards were revealed. The event, which incorporated a more relaxed, yet energetic, atmosphere was held at the Celebrino Event Center in Georgetown, TX. Nominated projects incorporate brick, CMU, custom CMU, and stone as their main components. The versatility of these products allows architects to design industrial, commercial, and residential buildings using their innovative designs, all of which, come to life through the outstanding craftsmanship of masonry contractors, leaving their footprints for ages to come. -cmw

Government & Institutional: McLennan County Venue Expo Center Masonry Contractor: Brazos Masonry Inc. Architect: Populous General Contractor: John W. ErwinMember Suppliers: ACME Brick; AHI Supply; Christophr Stuart Cast Stone; Hohmann & Barnard; San Antonio Masonry & Steel; Upchurch Kimbrough

Everyday Excellence: Doug Smith Performing Arts Center Masonry Contractor: CD Lonestar Inc. Architect: Wang Architecture General Contractor: Structura Inc. Member Suppliers: Continental Cut Stone; Best Block

Education – College/University: University of Texas at Austin Energy Engineering Building Masonry Contractor: Legacy Masonry Architect: Ennead Architects + Jacobs General Contractor: The Beck Group Member Suppliers: ACME Brick; Best Block; Christopher Stuart Cast Stone; Continental Cut Stone; Hohmann & Barnard; Oldcastle APG; Mustang Metal & Supply; San Antonio Masonry & Steel; Upchurch Kimbrough; White Cap

Education K-12: Killeen Elementary Masonry Contractor: C.W. Oates Masonry Inc. Architect: Huckabee General Contractor: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Member Suppliers: ACME Brick; Best Block; Christopher Stuart Cast Stone; Hohmann & Barnard; Prosoco; Suncoast Post-Tension; Tailored Foam Inc; Upchurch Kimbrough

Industrial/Commercial: The Foundry II Masonry Contractor: Legacy Masonry Architect: Studio 8 General Contractor: DPR ConstructionMember Suppliers: Christopher Stuart Cast Stone; Hohmann & Barnard; Mustang Metal & Supply Co.; Oldcastle APG; San Antonio Masonry & Steel; SPEC Rents; Upchurch Kimbrough

Multi-Family Residential: The Hamilton Masonry Contractor: C.W. Oates Masonry Inc. Architect: LRK Architects General Contractor: Streetlights Residential Member Suppliers: Advanced Architectural Stone; Best Block; Hohmann & Barnard; Oldcastle APG; Rock Solid Stone Quarry; TNT Equipment

Hardscape/Landscape: Waterloo Park Masonry Contractor: Clean Scapes Architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates + DWG Landscape Architects Member Suppliers: Continental Cut Stone; Lehigh Cement Company

Single Family Residential: “D” Residence Mason Contractor: CD Lonestar Inc. Architect: AL Jones Architect General Contractor: John Jones Member Supplier: Best Bock

People’s Choice: The Hamilton Masonry Contractor: C.W. Oates Masonry Inc. Architect: LRK Architects General Contractor: Streetlights Residential Member Suppliers: Advanced Architectural Stone; Best Block; Hohmann & Barnard; Oldcastle APG; Rock Solid Stone Quarry; TNT Equipment

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 Golden Trowel Awards!

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

that just wasn’t challenging enough for me. Plus, the pay scale in a small town is not very high.

How did you did you learn the welding trade? Did you learn it in school?

No, my previous wife’s brothers were in construction and they would talk to me about getting into the trade. I went and tried it, but back then, there weren’t any trade schools. You learned your trade on the job. You had to just dive into with a buddy and learn from them.

Jerry Walker,

Owner, Walker Welding, Dripping Springs, TX

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rowing up in a small industrial town, Jerry Walker went through the motions of smalltown living.

He worked in the local sawmills as did everybody else but desired something a little more challenging.

Jerry, did you grow up in Texas?

I grew up in a little town in Southeast Georgia called Hoboken. It’s about 30 miles from the Florida state line. It’s off the coastline, populated with the paper mills, other manufacturing plants and power plants. Being on the coastline helped those industries. You have to have water to help run the plants whether it was paper, energy, lumber, etc.

Construction isn’t for everybody. But, if you wanted to get into construction, it was a great area to be in. That area is well known to boiler makers and pipefitters. It is where a lot people came to make a living and provide for your family. That’s how I got into welding.

What did your parents do?

My mother passed away when I was young. My father drove trucks for quite a few years. He didn’t drive tractor trailers or semis, but more of a midsize truck. I wasn’t very old when he stopped driving trucks and got into the trade and went to work in the sawmill. He started out in Hoboken and then went to work in a sawmill in the next town. It was a bigger town. He worked there until he retired.

He since has passed away.

Were you an only child?

No, I have two brothers and two sisters. They’re all older than me.

Are they still in Georgia?

One sister and both of my brothers still live in Georgia. My other sister moved to Florida with her husband not long after they got married.

Did you and your brothers work in any of the mills?

My brothers both worked in the sawmill. I tried it for a brief period. It just wasn’t my thing. It’s not what I wanted to do. It was a nine to five job, every day and

What do you like best about welding?

Welding to me was a challenge. Especially when I first started out welding. I wanted to weld everything I could get my hands on. If somebody mentioned welding, I was there.

Welding is a science in its own way.

It’s breaking down the molecules of the metal to form a weld-bead or seam, however you want to define it, is just a challenge to make a strong, good looking weld that is durable. It was a challenge and it’s still a challenge. Of course, there are still circumstance when the weld breaks. You don’t want it to break, so to be able weld something that will withstand the test of time is a great feeling.

When something is done and I step back, looking at the work that I’ve done, seeing that it looks good…I’m proud to accomplish something that looks great and others appreciate. It’s a great feeling all the way around. It’s like almost building a sculpture.

What types of material do you weld?

We do stainless, cast iron, carbon steel, and aluminum. A lot of people don’t like to weld cast iron because they think it is too hard, but it’s really not as hard as people think it is once you understand it. To be able to weld cast iron so that it is durable is pretty unique.

When did you when did you start Walker welding? Did you start in Texas?

We started Walker welding about almost six years ago. When I moved here, almost 14 years ago, I met my current wife. I was still in construction, but I was traveling all the time working in the power plants. When we got married, she said I needed to figure something out and get off the road. The rest is history.

So you were a welder for hire?

Yes, we would work for different contractors that hired me in to do work at the different power plants. The problem was, you never knew where you were going to be. I did that for many years, never knowing where I was going to lay my head at night.

Tell me about your wife. How did y’all meet?

We actually met through a friend of hers. I met up with some friends of mine.

One of my friends had gotten acquainted with one of her work colleagues. She introduced us and everything clicked. We

had a lot of the same interests. Her father was in construction. He was an air condition contractor. As she was growing up, he did a lot of houses flipping so she was well acquainted with construction work.

Welding is little different, but she is learning it and has taken it up as well. It’s worked out great. I’ve had a lot of people that I have trained through the years. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, but they learned to weld. They enjoyed it and they’re still enjoying it. Welding isn’t for everybody.

You must have it in your heart and have a desire. It’s a form of art when you can create something from a piece of metal.

What is your wife’s name? How long have y’all been married?

My wife’s name is Yolanda. We’ve been married almost 14 years Do you have any children?

We have two children, a boy and a girl. Our daughter, Rachael, is 12 years old.

James, our son, is 11. We call him by his middle name, Brody. I also have a daughter, Carrie, who is 28. She lives in Georgia.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I try to sneak away and go fishing. I love fishing. I grew up in Georgia by a small river. I was able to go there and fish a lot. I like freshwater fishing. I don’t try to trophy fish; I fish so I can bring it home to cook.

Do you have a favorite fishing hole?

Probably the best one we’ve been to here is the Guadalupe River. It’s one of the better ones around here. The river I grew up around in Georgia was Satilla River. I have to say it’s my favorite river. It was a great river to grow up around. It didn’t matter whether you’re fishing or hunting, it was a great place to be.

Austin Austin

Jerry Walker, owner of Walker Welding

Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

I used to do some woodworking. I don’t do much that much anymore because if you’re not careful, it can go from hobby to work.

Having two brothers and two sisters, did you play any sports growing up?

No, we had a very strict upbringing with our father. We went through so much growing up, he was so scared something would happen to us. He didn’t want us playing any sports. I wanted to play football and even had a coach that tried to get me to play, but dad wouldn’t allow it.

We would play them at school. I did a lot of weightlifting and stuff like that. I even worked out with the football players and got to practice with them on field.

None of my brothers played either.

What would you like our readers to know about you as a person and as the owner of Walker welding?

I want to produce a product, whether I’m building a fence, gate, handrails, a barbeque smoker or making a trailer, to be a product my customer is happy with.

I want everybody to be happy and satisfied. I want them to know that I’ve done a good job and I stand behind my work, 100 percent. If it fails, I will repair it in a timely manner.

I want everybody to know, if welding is a career you choose, make sure you are willing to devote yourself to it 100 percent. Welding is not for the faint of heart. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

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Page 5

At your service

Keep cool with C2

L-R: Founder Hazel Marshall, CEO Dustin Marshall and President Debbie Marshall

Mike Creamer and his horse at the ranch in Brownwood

n 1977, after her husband left her penniless for a younger woman, Hazel Marshall borrowed enough money to buy a used one-ton Silverado pick-up truck and started thumbing through the phonebook looking for customers. She started calling businesses asking if she could make deliveries for them. When she would get a call, Hazel jumped in her truck and off she went, making the deliveries herself, giving rise to Hazel’s Expedited Freight.

“She was not the typical entrepreneur for that time,” says Dustin Marshall, Hazel’s grandson, and current CEO. “In the ‘70s, in Texas, as a single woman in the freight business, starting up a company from scratch – that is probably not a story you’re going to hear very often.”

During the ‘70s and early ‘80s, the trucking industry was regulated. Hauling was prohibited on certain highways unless you had legal authority to do so. Hazel did not have said authority, but she had built a relationship with the executives at a company called Dallas Power and Light, which was the precursor to

Texas Utilities (eventually became Oncor Electric and Luminant, the big electricity transmission and generation businesses in North Texas). They helped her in the late 70s, early 80s to get Operating Authority to drive up and down I-35, and Hazel was off to the races! Of course, several years later the trucking industry was deregulated, giving everybody the ability to haul throughout the state, but by that time, she already a had a head start ahead of the competition and Hazel’s Expedited Freight started growing.

Overtime, the company grew to offer several different products, and services from 5 locations. The have a wide array of equipment ranging from small pickup trucks all the way up to RGNs, capable of hauling several 100,000 pounds. They offer flatbed service with 53-ft flatbeds, 53ft Dry Vans, and several smaller equipment types for loads that don’t weigh as much.

In the 1990s, Hazel started introducing other equipment types and started doing air freight. They are considered a continued on Page 8

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el Rio native Mike Creamer used to see a high school buddy working in his father’s HVAC business and noticed he drove a nicer car and wore nicer clothes than he did. “I wasn’t interested in air conditioning [at the time],” he said. “I was just sitting there thinking there’s a whole lot more money in [it]” as opposed to what he was doing.

With his aptitude for all things mechanical, Creamer began his lengthy education and experience in the HVAC world.

In Nov. 2011, after many years of training, classroom and hands-on, Creamer took the leap and started C2 Mechanical Services.

Creamer credits his wife with naming the company, as “C2” stands for the two of them. “Why is it named C2?” he asks.

“Because that’s what my wife told me,” he answers.

C2 does strictly commercial work, either new/remodels or service work.

Creamer had built up a robust list of clients prior to C2 who appreciate the quality of his work and still has customers that he’s had since the 1990s.

Each year C2 does about 75 new construction projects. Creamer divides his team into installation and service. During the slower winter months, the service crew will go with the new installation guys and see how things are installed.

Thus, when they service a company, they know what they should be looking at.

Sometimes it’s not good and they will recommend what needs to be fixed. This will cause Creamer to say, “Good Lord— why did they do this?”

C2 started with a little 1,300sf building with Creamer being “scared to death” about being viable. Now, with 24 employees and a fleet of all-unique, eye-catching vehicles, C2 can now turn down work if it doesn’t fit. Creamer can oversee his company from the office in Hutto or his ranch in Brownwood. With this summer being especially hot in Texas, C2 Mechanical doesn’t have to worry about finding steady work.

C2 Mechanical Services is a full-service commercial HVAC company in the Austin area. -dsz

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Port Aransas fishing

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he Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) 19th Annual Fishing Tournament was a huge success. The event was held Apr. 28-29 in Port Aransas with 45 participating teams/boats each day of the tournament, totaling 360 anglers reeling in some nice stringers and $22,000 in winnings.

The 360 anglers enjoyed good weather which made the fishing more exciting. RCAT hosted their event at Fisherman’s Warf this year which is a new tournament location for the association. ABC Supply cooked crawfish and jambalaya after the tournament on Thursday. On Friday, the guys from Trout Trucking cooked fajitas and sausage wraps. -cmw Heaviest Total Stringer winners Apr. 28: 1st Place $3000: Boat 34 ABC Supply Co. #344 – Guide James Alexander, Team Captain Michael Desiderio, Wylie Moss, Sean McCaan and Troy McKinney, Moss Roofing – 38.5lbs.

2nd Place $2,000: Boat 28 ABC Supply Co. #173 - Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Larry Hernandez, Josh Way and Ryan Terry, Southern Way Roofing and Terry Duque w/Duque Roofing – 34.6lbs.

3rd Place $1,000: Boat 4 Certainteed – Guide David Miller; Team Captain Jeff Golliher, Conner Lewis, Dan Hawk w/Beacon Roofing Supply and Drew Benefield w/Roof King – 33.4lbs.

Heaviest Trout winners – Apr. 28: 1st Place $750: Boat 27 ABC Supply Co. #203 – Guide James Adams, Team Captain Cody Galloway, Trent Feenker, Evan Sigler w/GAF and Zac Boger w/Werner Roofing & Restoration – 3.9lbs.

2nd Place $500: Boat 24 Beacon Roofing Supply - Team Captain Francisco Ruiz, Angel Narando and Ty Smith w/Smith and Ramirez Roofing – 3.6lbs.

3rd Place $250: Boat 1 ABC Supply Co. #225 - Guide Danny Dorman, Team Captain Brenson Bristow, Nick Forsell w/Atlas Restoration, Travis Hengst and Ryan Blevins w/Mint Exteriors – 3lbs.

Heaviest Redfish winners – Apr. 28: 1st Place $750: Boat 5, Restoration Builders of Texas – Guide James Hinton, Team Captain Josh Knox, Jacob Alden, Cody Kline and Ty Jaloway - 8.1lbs.

2nd Place $500: Boat 28 ABC Supply Co. #173 – Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Larry Hernandez, Josh Way and Ryan Terry w/Southern Way Roofing - 7.6lbs.

3rd Place $250: Boat 34 ABC Supply Co. #344 – Guide James Alexander, Team Captain Michael Desiderio, Wylie Moss, Sean McCann and Troy McKinney w/Moss Roofing - 7.5lbs.

Spot Pot - Redfish Caught with the Most Spots $500: Boat 28 ABC Supply Co. #173 – Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Larry Hernandez, Josh Way and Ryan Terry w/Southern Way Roofing and Terry Duque w/Duque Roofing - 10 spots

Heaviest Total Stringer winners Apr. 29: 1st Place $3,000: Boat 23 Atlas Restoration - Guide Tim Cleghorn, Team Captain Nick Forsell, Dustin Raley and Josh Rosheinsen w/Corrected Claims - 44lbs.

2nd Place $2,000: Boat 28 ABC Supply Co. 065 – Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Adolfo Gutierrez, Jason Garcia, Daniel Silva and Carlos Coronado w/Sechrist-Hall Co. - 39.9lbs.

3rd Place $1,000: Boat 15 Andrus Brothers Roofing – Guide Kenny Krammer, Team Captain Jeremy Andrus and Cody McCravey - 36.8lbs.

Heaviest Trout winners – Apr. 29: 1st Place $750: Boat 23 Atlas Restoration – Guide Tim Cleghorn, Team Captain Nick Forsell, Dustin Raley and Josh Rosheinsen w/Corrected Claims - 4.3lbs.

2nd Place $500: Boat 10 Ramon Roofing Inc. – Guide Larry Kelly, Team Captain Paul Ramon, Camden Ibarra, Daniel Munoz and Morgan Holm - 3.6lbs.

3rd Place $250: Boat 28: Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Adolfo Gutierrez, Daniel Silva, Jason Garcia w/Texas Platinum Roofing and Carlos Coronado w/ Sechrist-Hall Co. - 3.5lbs.

Heaviest Redfish winners – Apr. 29: 1st Place $750: Boat 35 Springtime Restoration – Guide Marvin Engel, Team Captain AJ Huckaby, Al Babkoff, Jase Adams and Nate Turner - 8.2lbs.

2nd Place/3rd Place TIE $375: Boat 28 ABC Supply Co. #065 – Guide Trey Clark, Team Captain Adolfo Gutierrez, Daniel Silva, Jason Garcia w/Texas Platinum Roofing and Carlos Coronado w/SechristHall Co. - 8.1lbs. 28” 2nd Place/3rd Place TIE $375: Boat 15 Andrus Brothers Roofing – Guide Kenny Krammer, Team Captain Jeremy Andrus and Cody McCravey – 8.1lbs. 28” Spot Pot - Redfish Caught with the Most Spots $250 TIE: Boat 33 Blackstone Claim Service - Guide Adam Graham, Team Captain Joe Dorsey, Moi Magana, Rob Loree and Gary Pennington – 8 spots Spot Pot - Redfish Caught with the Most Spots $250 TIE: Boat 38 ABC Supply Co. - Guide Steven Dolejsi, Team Captain Robert Lopez, Adam Whitish, JP Brazael and Kevin Jarrolik

1st Place Heaviest Trout, Apr. 28

Heaviest Total Stringer and Heaviest Trout, Apr. 29

Heaviest Redfish, Apr. 28

Heaviest Total Stringer, Apr. 28

Heaviest Redfish, Apr. 29

Nick Forsell, Atlas Restoration shows off the trout that won his team “heaviest trout” on the second day of the tournament.

Resource Guide Truck & Equip Dealers

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

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 7

ACCOUNTING

INSURANCE

How Contractors Can Win New Talent Amid the Labor Crisis

The Increasing Insurance Requirement Burden on Subcontractors

Cyndi Mergele, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Senior Director of Human Resources Consulting RSM US San Antonio, TX

Cole Sorota, CISR, TIIA The Nitsche Group Waco, TX

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or years, the labor shortage has challenged every U.S. contractor’s ability to be shovel-ready.

According to the 2021 Construction Outlook Survey by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America, 54% of construction firms have a difficult time filling salaried and hourly positions, while 49% of construction firms expect it will either get harder, or remain as hard, to find qualified workers in 2021. “And that’s not new,” according to Cyndi Mergele, a senior director in RSM’s national construction practice. “You’ve got an aging workforce.

You’ve got jobs that are never filled. And the labor demand is driving wages higher.”

According to the AGC, the average wage of a skilled construction worker is $32.93 an hour. Mergele says this leads to a crucial question: Will wages alone drive more people to the trade? Her hypothesis: There likely needs to be more to appeal to employees.

We spoke with Mergele about how contractors can get creative and appeal to new talent.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge of attracting new talent for contractors?

CM: Part of the challenge is around benefits and the work experience. If we are going to compel students to forgo college in exchange for the construction trades, then the perceived value beyond wages has to be more comparable to what a college education and professional career look like.

For example, vacation benefits. A number of contractors still don’t provide paid time off. If I’m talking to my buddy who just graduated from college, got a job, and now they’re going to get two or three weeks of vacation a year, and I’m thinking about the trades, it’s tough. Yes, I can make money—but if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. That wears thin over time.

Q: How can the industry improve this?

CM: That’s where union shops have an advantage, because whether it›s vacation, sick leave, pension or retirement, it’s generally been bargained. Regardless of how you may feel about an open shop or a union environment, it is being negotiated for employees.

I think that’s one challenge. The other is that there isn’t always a clear path toward career progression for skilled-trades professionals in construction companies.

Q: Meaning promotion?

CM: Advancement and growth.

Promotion is one way, but people can also grow in their roles. There should be opportunity to have progression in your career earlier and more effectively.

It’s a vicious cycle when companies, including HR teams, have to spend exhaustive hours and resources to fill positions. Maybe we need to refocus the strategic effort on what can we do to enhance the long-term employee experience— perhaps through compensation, benefits or career development—so we can negate the turnover and enhance the quality of hire.

Q: What can contractors learn from each other?

CM: Many specialty trade contractors have Department of Labor (DOL) apprenticeship programs. Those provide clear line of sight to wage progression and training progression. You can say, “I started as an apprentice and within X number of months, I will be 25% of the way through the training program and I’ll get 25% of the journey level pay.” People clearly see their path.

Companies should take advantage of those apprenticeship programs. In trades

where there’s licensing, contractors are more likely to have those programs.

But I think the question is, if a trade doesn’t require journey level positions, why couldn’t they mirror something similar? Structure a program in terms of training and pay to mirror a DOL apprenticeship program. That shows employees where they can go.

Q: Have any niches of the industry handled the labor crisis well?

CM: Communities that have earlier outreach to high school students—such as construction trade high schools or partnerships with technical colleges that have construction trade programs—are showing some results.

It’s harder in communities that don’t have these programs. For years, it’s been communicated to kids that the pathway to success is a college degree. And they have college fairs, college day and night programs. We, as an industry, should be participating in similar events to include high school vocational jobs. It’s crucial to get in front of these kids as early as possible. When they’re contemplating what’s next after high school and as a senior in high school, it’s probably too late.

Imagine all the kids that are working in jobs that may not be their lifelong dream—working in fast food, for example. Why wouldn’t we get in front of them to say, “Instead of thinking about a shortterm job, why not think about a long-term career?”

Q: Have any types of companies shown themselves to be adept at winning over new talent?

CM: Larger companies have some resources, but I›ve seen smaller companies that have been creative and successful.

Regardless of size, they›re able to communicate the value proposition to working—maybe just not in the industry, but for their company. Maybe it’s around their culture, their approach to developing their employees, or maybe they just pay better.

At one company in San Antonio, the president started as an entry-level technician and tells the story of their journey.

Imagine you’re 18 years old, you start in a blue-collar, entry-level position, and 30 years later, you’re president of the company. That’s inspiring.

Q: What’s the biggest lesson contractors must take from the labor shortage, regardless of what kind of shop they are?

CM: Something has to change. Somebody needs to dare to be creative. We can’t be afraid of the higher-wage earners in construction being those team members in the field. Everybody’s position is valuable, but the folks in the field are the lifeblood of a construction company.

And on creativity, contractors should offer a compelling alternative for employees, especially when they’re having to work in the elements. You are going to have days where it’s hot, you’re going to have days where it’s cold, you’re going to have days where it’s wet, where it’s icy.

What compels people to say, “This is a really good job”?

If I can help people understand the lifestyle they could have in entering a construction career, it would definitely change the landscape.

Cyndi Mergele, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is Senior Director of Human Resources Consulting at RSM US in San Antonio. She can be reached at 210-828-6281 or cyndi.mergele@ rsmus.com.

I

n a constantly evolving environment of both construction costs and the threat of litigation, there is an increasing trend of general contractors broadening the contractual insurance requirements of their subcontractors to include coverages that fall outside their normal scope of operations.

Gone are the days of the handshake and verbal agreement in the business world.

Today’s economic, legal, and competitive landscape are forcing tougher contractual and insurance requirements.

Examples of this include professional liability insurance, pollution insurance, or higher umbrella limits than they otherwise feel they need to carry. While general contractors are trying to protect themselves from both the unexpected and the litigious, this can create additional costs for business owners.

For years, increases in insurance costs have outpaced similar inflationary trends in other sectors of the economy propelled by external influences in replacement, material, and labor costs.

Advancements in vehicle technology have contributed to higher repair costs in auto claims. What was once a $500 bumper repair from a “fender bender” can now cost upwards of $3,000 to $5,000 to replace, due to newer vehicle models having sensors and back up cameras that make repairs more complex.

Similarly, dramatic increase in the cost of labor and materials now requires contractors to have higher insurance limits in order to remain properly protected. Attorney involvement in injury claims is more prevalent than ever, driving up judgments as sympathetic juries place extraordinary monetary encumbrance on insurance companies. As a result, insurance renewals can regularly be 20% to 30% more costly than the prior year as carriers struggle to keep pace with the financial burdens of the current environment.

In the past, a subcontractor performing a portion of a larger job might have been able to convince a general contractor to accept their current insurance limits if they were less than the coverages required in the contract. They were likely willing to accept the additional risk provided by the discrepancy in limits, or perhaps were inclined to stick to the subcontractor’s low price point.

However, general contractors are now starting to dig in their heels to the insurance requirements of the contract, demanding that subcontractors provide proof of all coverages before authorizing both job site access and payment.

Mishandling these requirements can not only cause you to lose job bids, but result in not getting paid after the work has been completed.

For those subcontractors that don’t carry the additional insurance coverage, this

can result in a problematic situation. If they back out of the contract, they may default on bonds or open themselves up to other legal ramifications, but if they purchase the extra coverage, they may reduce or even eliminate the profitability of the job because it was not factored into their initial bid. A general contractor may be willing to cover the additional costs in a change order, but there is no guarantee.

As insurance requirements become stricter and higher, small operations may be pushed out of the marketplace entirely as they simply are not able to afford the overhead of the insurance costs needed to work in their community.

Communication is key in combating these unexpected costs. Subcontractors should thoroughly review any contractual agreement before signing it, and work with their insurance agent to identify possible gaps in their coverage compared to the requirements of the contract. It may still be possible to get a waiver or have a contractor accept the insurance you currently carry, but the answer is always “no” if you don’t ask. Pinpointing these exposures upfront can allow them to be addressed before undertaking the legal weight of signing on the dotted line.

Your insurance agent is the invisible employee in your business that can make a visible difference—utilize their knowledge to address your concerns about why you may or may not need a particular policy and, if you do, the best way to secure quality coverage that will be acceptable to all parties.

The sticker shock of insurance can be detrimental to your business if you are unprepared for today’s environment. The old adage that “it takes a village” is more relevant than ever. A resilient team supplemented by your insurance agent can help prepare you for the world ahead.

Your success is our success, and a strong partnership with the right insurance agent can make all the difference to your company’s bottom line.

Cole Sorota is a commercial relationship manager at The Nitsche Group in Waco, Texas— one of the leading independent insurance agencies in the state. He has worked directly in both commercial and personal lines insurance since 2015, and currently holds CISR and TIIA designations.

He is a Baylor University graduate, a self-proclaimed movie aficionado, an eagle scout and was born and raised in Dallas.

Cole can be reached by email at: ColeS@TNGins.com or phone directly at (979) 540-2249.

Have a Great 4th of July Weekend!

Page 8

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

OSHA

LEGAL Notice is as Notice Does: Do your written notices comply with the Texas standard?

Grant J. Nicar Allensworth Austin, TX

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t’s no secret that construction projects do not always go as planned. When things go sideways, the controlling contract typically requires the non-breaching party to notify the defaulting party of default. For example, the owner is often required to provide the general contractor with advance written notice if the owner plans to correct the contractor’s defective work, supplement the contractor to keep schedule, or terminate the prime contract. Likewise, a general contractor usually must provide similar notice downstream to its subcontractors.

Construction contracts may specify the form and substance of any written notice (e.g., certified mail, email, timing, to whom it should be addressed). If a lawsuit materializes down the road, the judge or jury will have to determine whether the non-breaching party complied with the contract’s notice requirements. The Supreme Court of Texas recently issued an important opinion in James Construction Group, LLC v. Westlake Chemical Corp. that clarified the standard for compliance with contractual notice requirements.

James then discontinued its work and demobilized.

In James Construction, the Court held that in construction contracts, parties may substantially (rather than strictly) comply with contractual notice requirements.

But when a contract requires written notice, the Court reasoned that notice must be in writing to satisfy the substantial compliance standard. The Court also explained that absent some waiver of contractual requirements, oral notice alone cannot satisfy a contract’s written notice requirement. The Court concluded that the parties’ negotiated desire for written notice should be honored, as it helps eliminate after-the-fact swearing contests or speculation about whether notice was provided and what details were discussed.

Put simply, if the contract requires written notice, but you do not provide written notice, you may be jeopardizing your ability to enforce contractual remedies.

With those stakes in mind, you may find yourself wondering whether any slight deviation from the contract’s notice requirements will result in your notice being defunct—for example, if you only send written notice via email instead of certified mail like the contract requires, or if the written notice was sent to the correct address but not the correct recipient.

The owner in James Construction had to send three separate notices before it could terminate James as the general contractor: (1) notice that the owner determined serious safety violations occurred, (2) notice that the owner was not satisfied with James’s efforts to remediate the safety violations within seventy-two hours of the first notice, and (3) notice that the owner elected to terminate the contract or part of the work.

Each notice needed to be in writing.

For the first “notice,” the owner copied James’s site manager on an email chain discussing a recent on-site injury. The owner emphasized the injury’s preventability, warned of a safety review, and stressed that James needed to adopt a proper safety-oriented mindset. But the email did not reference the contract’s termination clause. It did not contend a serious safety violation occurred. Nor did it inform James that the seventy-two-hour cure period would begin to run, and that James would default if its efforts to cure were insufficient.

For the second “notice,” the owner sent another email discussing James’s remediation efforts. But again, the email did not reference the contract’s termination clause, an alleged default, or termination.

Nor did it state that the owner was dissatisfied with James’s remediation efforts (which is what the contract required).

Finally, the owner sent no written statement to satisfy the third notice requirement. Instead, the owner met with James in-person to discuss safety concerns and informed James that its remaining work was reassigned to another contractor.

The Court held that the owner had failed to comply with at least two of the written notice requirements, and therefore James was not obligated to reimburse the owner for the cost to complete James’s scope. Although there was little factual dispute that James had engaged in repeated safety violations, the Court held the owner had no remedy due to its own failure to comply with the termination notice provisions.

Fortunately, application of the substantial compliance standard likely means that minor deviations from notice requirements will not invalidate the notice. In other words, minor deviations might be okay if they do not seriously impair the purpose of the notice provision or put the recipients of the written notice at some disadvantage.

Here are a few key takeaways from the James Construction case that construction professionals should consider: If the controlling contract requires written notice, notice must be in writing to substantially comply with the contract.

Conversations on the telephone or during project meetings alone probably fall short of substantial compliance with written notice requirements.

When sending a notice of termination, supplementation, or default, the notice should reference the specific contract provision, reasons for the notice event, and any time constraints.

For example, if you send a written notice to supplement a subcontractor’s work and the subcontractor has three days to increase manpower and cure its default, the notice should reference the threeday period to cure.

The best practice is to send written notice any time you are supplementing work, terminating a contract, or notifying a party about defaulting on their contractual obligations. These events usually lead to increased costs, and you’ll want to make sure you are preserving all remedies and your ability to recover costs of supplementation or termination.

Grant J. Nicar is an attorney at Allensworth in Austin, Texas. He works with architects, engineers, contractors, and owners on complex, multi-party cases involving design and construction defects and contract disputes. You can reach Grant by email at gnicar@allensworthlaw.com.

Lightning Safety When Working Outdoors Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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ntroduction: Lightning is a dangerous natural force.

Annually in the United States, cloud-to-ground lightning occurs 20 to 25 million times and over 300 people are struck by lightning. Workers whose jobs involve working outdoors in open spaces, on or near tall objects, or near explosives or conductive materials (e.g., metal) have significant exposure to lightning risks. Worker activities at higher risk for lightning hazards include: • Logging • Explosives handling or storage • Heavy equipment operation • Roofing • Construction (e.g., scaffolding) • Building maintenance • Power utility field repair • Steel erection/telecommunications • Farming and field labor • Plumbing and pipe fitting • Lawn services/landscaping Reducing Lightning Hazards When Working Outdoors Lightning is unpredictable and can strike outside the heaviest rainfall areas or even up to 10 miles from any rainfall.

Many lightning victims are caught outside during a storm because they did not act promptly to get to a safe place, or they go back outside too soon after a storm has passed.

Prior to beginning any outdoor work, employers and supervisors should check NOAA weather reports (weather.gov) and radio forecasts for all weather hazards.

OSHA recommends that employers consider rescheduling jobs to avoid workers being caught outside in hazardous weather conditions. When working outdoors, supervisors and workers should continuously monitor weather conditions. Watch for darkening clouds and increasing wind speeds, which can indicate developing thunderstorms.

Vehicles as Shelter: If safe building structures are not accessible, employers

should guide workers to hard-topped metal vehicles with rolled up windows.

Remain in the vehicle for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last sound of thunder. Phone Safety: After hearing thunder, do not use corded phones, except in an emergency. Cell phones and cordless phones may be used safely.

Employers should have a written Emergency Action Plan (EAP), as outlined in 29 CFR 1910.38 or 29 CFR 1926.35. The EAP should include a written lightning safety protocol for outdoor workers. This lightning safety protocol should: • Inform supervisors and workers to take action after hearing thunder, seeing lightning, or perceiving any other warning signs of approaching thunderstorms.

• Indicate how workers are notified about lightning safety warnings. • Identify locations and requirements for safe shelters.

• Indicate response times necessary for all workers to reach safe shelters.

• Specify approaches for determining when to suspend outdoor work activities, and when to resume outdoor work activities.

• Account for the time required to evacuate customers and members of the public, and the time needed for workers to reach safety. Employers should also post information about lightning safety at outdoor worksites. All employees should be trained on how to follow the EAP, including the lightning safety procedures. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

continued from Page 5 — Hazel’s Expedited Freight

Landoll/Hydratail Stepdeck Trailer

TSA approved indirect air carrier, which means that Hazel’s can legally and safely tender cargo on to commercial airlines.

This comes into play when there’s a customer who’s really in a hurry and ground transportation is not fast enough.

Hazel’s daughter, Debbie, joined the business in 1992 as Vice President and Dustin joined the family business in 2011 as CEO. “Since I’ve been involved, we’ve done seven acquisitions around the state to expand our geographic presence and to add on equipment and drivers,” Dustin states. “At this point, we’re one of - if not the largest - hotshot company in Texas.

The term hotshot refers to expedited delivery. We specialize in anything that’s time critical, where you care more about the speed of the delivery and the customer service that you do about pinching pennies. We service that niche where people are in a hurry and they need it

done right, and they need it done right now.”

Today, Hazel’s Expedited Freight has offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi. “We have several hundred trucks all around the state that are working in a variety of industries including construction, equipment rental moves and other industrial businesses.

Hazel’s hauls heavy equipment from job sites and from manufacturing facilities all over the U.S.” Dustin adds.

At Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, they have what they call, “The Archives of the Women of the Southwest,” and Hazel Marshall is featured in the archives as the first woman in the trucking business in Texas. Hazel’s Expedited Freight with a rich history, and a culture of hard work and customer service, and the future is bright for this Texas family-owned business! -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 9

Snapper Season is Upon Us

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

O

ne of the most highly prized saltwater species, the red snapper, is found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and all the way up the Atlantic, but is absent from the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Although some law makers consider the species overfished, red snapper numbers have increased significantly in recent years. Fish weighing 5 to 25 pounds are caught frequently in the waters near our Coastal Bend. The private recreational angler red snapper season in federal waters opened June 1, 2022. Bag and size limits will remain unchanged.

The regulations are two fish per person daily with a 16-inch minimum size limit in federal waters. Texas does allow yearround snapper fishing out to nine miles, but that can be a sketchy call. For consistent state-water keeper snapper action, you would need a fairly secret (GPS) number, which is a dicey proposition within sight of land. The best time for state water action is the off-season, like November through March, when boat traffic is greatly diminished compared to summer.

There are small, natural rock formations off Padre Island only a mile or two off-

Connor Schultz was lucky enough to be on the boat on my last excursion offshore.

He caught the first couple of snapper, both weighing 10+ lbs. Photo by Capt. Steve Schultz

shore, their best kept secret, or they could be cleaned out. State snapper limits are four fish per person daily with a 15-inch minimum. Red snapper caught in federal waters count as part of the state bag limit of four fish. No more than two red snapper in federal waters and four red snapper in state waters may be in your possession while fishing.

As the name implies, the body and fins are reddish, with the underside showing white. At smaller sizes, red snapper feature a dark spot on the upper sides below the anterior soft dorsal fin. Other characteristics include a long and triangular snout, a sharply pointed anal fin and distinctive red eyes.

Juveniles are found offshore over sandy and muddy bottom in the same habitats as the shrimp and crabs they favor as prey. As they grow older, they move to hard structure such as ledges, wrecks and oil rigs. Adults are typically found in large schools of similar-size specimens at depths of 30 to 200 ft. Larger, older fish opt for deeper areas with generally cooler water temperatures.

Once settled in an area, adult red snapper exhibit limited movement other than that necessary for spawning and finding suitable water temperatures.

Snapper trips are not uncommon with me but the winds need to be light and seas calm. It’s really not something we can plan. It’s just an option that I usually suggest to my clients if the conditions are right. I really enjoy the change when heading out to the big water from the regular everyday grind in the bay. I look forward to taking my long time and some of the newer clients out snapper fishing because it’s not something we can do every often.

I’m starting to work on my fall dates for fishing. Still have fishing dates in August, September and October. I’m also booking South Texas whitetail hunts for the coming season. Don’t wait until all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing or hunting trip, give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

The folks from Turner Construction in Houston made catching look easy on this recent Team building trip to the Coastal Bend. Steve Schultz Outdoors can arrange any size trips to fir your corporate needs.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • JUL 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

It was nice while it lasted!

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e had almost seven years of nice stable lake levels and messed around and got used to it. Now the lake level on Lake Buchanan is plummeting by a foot a week and the rain we need to help us out has been a long time coming. We have some relief forecast in a little cooler temperatures and a chance for a little rain coming up. Now we wait and pray the weatherman is right.

Not since 2011 have we seen the high winds and 100 degree temperatures crank up so early. The year 2011 is one we don’t like to think much about around here. We don’t need another one like that.

It has been said that the weather in Texas is one long drought punctuated by occasional flash floods. That about sums it up, so back into drought mode we go.

The effect of drought on a lake is to make it smaller. A fisherman hears this and understands the fish have no place else to go, so fishing is about to get easier.

There is some truth to that. One year we had unbelievable topwater stripers in the late summer and fall due to extreme low water levels. The only problem is that in shallow places the water heats up to where even catfish can’t tolerate it very long. If you fish jug lines or trotlines in the hottest part of summer, be sure you run those lines more often. Plenty of catfish die from the heat and you’ll miss out on some good eating.

Fishing right now takes a lot more effort. Just finding a place to launch and park can be a challenge with so many ramps drying up. When you launch your boat be sure to take it easy and feel your way down the ramp in case of unknown potholes that may have eroded. Be sure you have your phone with you in case you run into trouble and be sure to keep a watchful eye while you are on the water.

There are islands and rockpiles coming up along with who knows what logs and stumps.

If you are a hunter you need to get started checking out the places you want to hunt when fall comes around. Most places are terribly dry, and you may draw a lot of game right now to a good water source. If you deer hunt, remember those does are trying to nurse fawns and they need plenty of water. A good water hole keeps your does and fawns in place, so they don’t have to go elsewhere to survive.

Now is the time to start getting your blinds bug sprayed and de-crittered and get your feeders up and running. Don’t be stingy with the feed either, there isn’t much out there for game to live on right now. Helping them out now will pay off for you later down the road. Don’t be that guy who misses opening weekend because he fell out of a deer stand swatting at wasps and getting hurt, or only gets a shot at a scrawny dusty little yearling passing through.

Sometimes hunting and fishing takes more effort, but most people still think it beats just another day at work!

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 11

Vacation hunt in Hunt sold to the Boy Scouts. Unable to afford and maintain the infrastructure of the ranch, it was sold back to Friedrich and his wife in 1959.

With no heirs, The Patio Ranch was once again sold to the Stumberg family who kept their promise of stewardship

and conservation. The property has since been passed to their children and grandchildren, who to this day maintain an active role in managing and improving the ecosystems and wildlife of the ranch. -cmw

Trophy buck

S

hari Maxa, Malco Electric shared these photos of the buck her brother and owner of Malco Electric, Randy Mallory, harvested. -cmw

J

Julie Nitsche harvested this Jacob 4-horn sheep at 150 yards.

ulie Nitsche, The Nitsche Group, enjoyed a wonderful hunting vacation at The Patio Ranch, which is rich in history. There she harvested this beautiful Jacob 4-horn sheep on May 23. While her trophy 4-horn sheep is worth sharing, Nitsche was just as excited to share the history of The Patio Ranch.

Once known as Bear Creek Ranch, Richard Friedrich purchased the property in 1929. With visions of turning the ranch into a dude ranch, The Patio Ranch as it is known today, would become the first commercial exotic game ranch in Texas.

Shortly after Friedrich purchased the ranch, the Great Depression hit, forcing Friedrich to lay off many of his employees

from his refrigeration business. Offering nine employees and their families work and refuge on the ranch, they would build most of the infrastructure still seen on the ranch today including the two-story lodge which now serves as its headquarters.

The main house features many of the original furnishings but the most notable is the bar, which features antique saddles converted to barstools, where John Wayne and Tex Hill were known to have sat to enjoy a scotch after a long day.

The first instance of commercial exotic hunting occurred after the property was sold to Eddie Rickenbacker in the early 1950s. By 1957, the property was

Randy proudly poses with his trophy buck.

A good view showing the number of points this trophy buck had to offer.

Page 12

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Filling the gap

Walking for a bright future

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc. hosted a TAMU student job walk in Manor, TX, giving an inside look at the construction industry. It looks like they have a bright future ahead of them. -cmw

A

L-R: Dinu Mathai, Joyce Pingel and David Kash discuss the ways they will support clients in the future.

t the beginning of 2022, HOLT invested in the formation of Epiphany Industrial Technologies which is now part of the HOLT family of companies. Epiphany Industrial Technologies is a systems integrator developed to tackle the built world’s challenges by creating digital solutions for industries including heavy equipment, construction, manufacturing, energy, and sustainability.

Joyce Pingel, who serves as HOLT CAT’s CIO and head of digital innovation, will lead Epiphany as president. She and her trusted team identified a gap between HOLT’s needs and the supply of current providers who were able to effectively integrate IT systems for industrial companies.

“Epiphany Industrial Technologies was created to be a trusted advisor and partner to companies in the industrial sector, which includes construction, energy, oil and gas, manufacturing and more,” says Pingel. “We’re considered a systems integrator, not a provider of software. We step in and assist companies with their technology transformations.”

Pingel and her team work to configure and implement software applications. They provide consulting services for customers, by working with their vendor partners to deliver software that meets their innovative business needs, while also integrating the solutions with their existing systems. Epiphany will help their clients determine what kind of change management, staffing, and operational processes are needed. “We want to arm our customers with the tools they need to run with technology after the project is done so they are not depen-

dent on the consultant,” adds Pingel.

“Construction and manufacturing businesses of all sizes need a trusted technology partner to help them adapt and transform, boost productivity, improve efficiency and provide exemplary customer service. We’re a new company with entrepreneurial energy but have the stability of an industry leader.”

“At HOLT, we recognize and reward employees who demonstrate our values and are committed to our mission, vision and values,” said Corinna Holt Richter, HOLT president and chief administrative officer. “Joyce’s commitment to the continuing education of our employees and to ensuring our customers can thrive was the catalyst of our investment in Epiphany.”

David Kash, vice president of Solution Delivery and Dinu Mathai, vice president of Solution Engineering join Pingel.

Both come from HOLT having served as part of HOLT’s digital innovation and technology team.

“HOLT has a legacy of entrepreneurial innovation,” said Peter J. Holt, CEO of HOLT CAT. “Epiphany will implement solutions for HOLT as our premier systems integrator and create long-term added value and success for the customers we serve and the industry overall.”

Epiphany is currently recruiting for several positions including solution architects, data engineers, project managers, developers, and more. For more information or to apply, visit epiphanyit.com.

Epiphany Industrial Technologies, is a new company, specializing in systems integration. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 13

When you are stressed and need to decompress, where do you go?

I head out to my backyard, fire up the grill, wood, or lump coal of course, put on some music for all my neighbors to hear, pop the top of a few cold ones and get a little yardwork done.

Rene Moreno, Central Texas Sealants & Waterproofing LLC I run marathons and Spartan Races.

Whenever I get to the point where I need to decompress, there’s a nature area in San Marcos called Purgatory. They have some nature trails out there and I go jogging in Purgatory. It’s a place where I can go and just shut everything off and just kind of recenter and balance everything out.

Massey Brand, The Reynolds Company I sit on my back porch and watch the deer go by.

Nick Page Nick’s Bricks Masonry & Stone Inc. I usually go out and spend some time with my dog.

Jerry Walker, Walker Welding That’s a great question. I try not to get too stressed. I think my body handles stress better than most. But, when I do get stressed and I need to decompress, I typically go out on the balcony of my house to take in the view and the quietness.

Marty Burger, American Constructors When I’m stressed and need to compress, I go running. I run at least two and half miles a day.

Justine Carroll, Holt CAT Yoga and prayer are my stress releasers.

Joyce Pingel, Epiphany Industrial Technologies

s

I wish I had a spot where I literally could turn everything off, but my brain doesn’t work that way. Some people run and workout. I do that to stay healthy, but it doesn’t help me in that perspective. I would say I go to the golf course. I like to play golf. It’s a place where I can still challenge myself.

Cory Brymer, BryComm LLC I get a cold glass of iced tea and sit in the shade, and hopefully see something pretty in front of me – you know, watch the birds.

Taylor Miller, Taylormade Waterscapes I go to either my lake house or my ranch in Brownwood. I spend every weekend here at the ranch and then, at some point, wind up over at the lake every other weekend.

Mike Creamer, C2 Mechanical I’m a golfer, so I like to like to head out to the golf course and either hit some balls on the driving range or play a round of golf.

Dustin Marshall, Hazel’s Expedited Freight I get on a tractor, or I’ll get in my pickup and drive around in the pasture, park my truck under a big oak tree and just look at the landscape, watch the cows grazing and enjoy the quiet.

Ralph Reinhardt, Voelker Construction When I’m stressed, I go to the farm and chase cows.

Vince Real, Big State Electric I go out in the woods to get away from everybody and everything. Sometimes I hunt. Sometimes I just take in the surroundings.

Mark Jones, Intertech Flooring

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Sundt Construction is pleased to announce two new additions to the Sundt family.

Sandra Rangel joins Sundt’s acquisition team as Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist leading the recruitment efforts for Sundt’s projects across Texas. She brings over seven years of experience and has hired hundreds of administrative construction professionals in the Texas Capitol region. -cmw

Vincent Guevara brings five years of recruiting experience. He will recruit skilled tradespeople for Sundt’s transportation group. This includes recruiting tradespeople for the company’s several dozen transportation projects across the country, including seven active projects in Texas alone. -cmw

Freese and Nichols is pleased to announce the addition of Tom Benz, PE as Senior Project Manager.

Benz has 35 years of experience leading projects for multiple government agencies. He has drafted best practices and trained staff from TxDOT and local governments on effectively managing and completing multifaceted infrastructure projects, including processes for securing federal transportation financing. -cmw

White Construction Company (WCC) is pleased to announce David Carter has joined the WCC team as Vice President of Relationship Development. Carter has a long successful history in the construction and real estate development industry. Coming from a family background of building, Carter has owned and operated a construction and land development company. -cmw

Corgan is pleased to welcome Stephen Lohr to the Corgan family as they introduce a multifamily practice as an expansion of their mixeduse service offerings.

Lohr has a diverse background in advertising and architecture and understands the value of contextualizing communities and respecting the culture of a city will lead the firm’s practice. -cmw

McCoy’s Building Supply is pleased to announce that Meagan McCoy Jones has been named President and CEO of McCoy’s Building Supply. Jones is a fourth-generation family leader for McCoy’s and succeeds her father, Brian McCoy who retired after a 50-year career with the company. She assumed her new position Jun. 1. -cmw

On The Spot­– continued Working in my garden has always been my avenue for decompressing. There’s something about pulling weeds. It’s as if pulling the weeds is pulling the stress from within.

Carol Wiatrek, Construction News

When I’m stressed and need to decompress, I go to my horse barn and hang out with my horse.

Terry Shelton, A.J. Brauer Stone

Association Calendar Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Jul. 19: Member Mixer – Home Run Dugout, Home Run Dugout Baseball Simulator at the Round Rock Express, 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock, TX, 4:306:30pm. Exclusively for Members, $20 Batter Ticket, $10 Spectator Ticket.

Jul. 27: Coffee and Contractors, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd., 7:30-9:30am. Exclusively for Members.

For more info, contact Brian Bisgard at 512-719-5263 or email bbisgard@abccentraltexas.org ACEA Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Association Jul. 14: Monthly Membership Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm. $40 Member, $45 On-site Member, $55 Non-member.

For more info, call Silvia Pendleton at 512893-7067 AGC - TBB Associated General Contractor Texas Building Branch Jul. 18-21: AGC Texas Building Branch Convention, Beauport Hotel, Gloucester, MA. For more info, email Pauline Preston at pauline@agctbb.org CENTEX IEC Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors Jul. 16: Apprentice Graduation, River-

bend Centre (inside Riverbend Church), 4214 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy., 10am12pm. For more info, contact David Johnson at 512-832-1333 or email djohnson@ centexiec.com NAWIC National Association of Women in Construction Jul. 13: Chapter Meeting/Safety Awareness, Texas Materials, 1320 Arrow Point Dr. #600, Cedar Park, TX, 5:30-8pm. For more info, contact Misti Shafer-Webb at 512-930-7733 or email mshafer@complianceresourcesinc.com SEAot Structural Engineers Association of Texas Jul. 28: Virtual Chapter Meeting. For more info, call 512-301-2744 TXAPA Texas Asphalt Pavement Association Jul 11-27: Engineer Asphalt Essentials, 9am-12pm. Mondays & Wednesdays, 9am-12pm Jul. 12-28: Inspector Asphalt Education, Tuesdays & Thursday, 8-10:30am.

Jul. 20: Quarterly Membership Meeting, TXAPA Campus, 10am-4:30pm.

Jul. 21: TXAPA Live! Building for Smoothness, Expectations & Opportunities. For more info, Beck Schaeffer at 512-312-2099 or email bschaeffer@texasasphalt.org.

Industry FOLKS Stephen Rodriguez, Estimator / Project Manager,

3G Drywall LLC, Liberty Hill, TX

S

tephen Rodriguez was born in McAlester, OK which now the largest city in the Choctaw Nation. He grew up in Little Elm, TX. “When I first moved to Little Elm, it was a very small town on Lake Lewisville, but like most towns in the Dallas area, it changed and has grown dramatically over the years.”

He graduated from Little Elm High School before going to college at the University of Tulsa. There he received an associate degree of applied science with a focus on air traffic control. “I had planned on moving into that field of work after graduating, but I ended up going down a different career path once I left school.”

Stephen has been married for nine years, although he and his wife, Rachel, have been together for 18 years. They both grew up in Little Elm so it’s not surprising that they met through mutual friends.

“Rachel graduated from Texas Women’s University and will be starting a new position as a PE teacher in Burnet.

She’s a very active person and loves spending time with her family.”

Together, they have two boys, Levi and Van. Levi is 7 years old and loves playing sports, video games or spending time with friends. He plays baseball, golf, football, and basketball. The latter being his favorite. Van is the newest addition to their family. He’s 3-monthsold.

Stephen started in the construction industry working for Kroger as the

Dallas Field Manager where he oversaw the construction of remodels and new builds in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. After doing that for several years, he started his own company in Dallas to complete those same types of projects.

In 2020, 3G reached out to Stephen about joining the company and continuing his growth in the industry. He is now an estimator and project manager for 3G. “I love that every day in this industry can teach you something new. No two projects are exactly alike, and I work for a company that invests in their employees, making sure we’re prepared for anything. I truly look forward to going to work each day and most importantly, I enjoy the people I work with.“ Stephen’s father has been his biggest influence. “He taught me the importance of hard work and responsibility while also being a great friend. We worked together for almost 10 years before I moved to the Austin area. My parents always believed in me and made sure I was provided with whatever I needed to succeed. I hope that I can do as good of a job as they did!”

Stephen grew up playing sports and is a big basketball and football fan, but at this point in his life, he only plays golf. To relax, he enjoys being at home with his wife and kids. “I love watching Levi play and seeing how fast Van is growing up. It won’t be long before he is chasing his big brother around.” -cmw

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

continued from Page 1 — American Constructors being used much. Now, in downtown Austin, most buildings are flat plate post tension concrete,” adds Burger.

American Constructors also brought to Central Texas the use of energy efficient insulated concrete sandwich panels in architectural tilt wall applications. Used more heavily along the east coast and Canada for hurricane resistance and harsh weather conditions, you now can find this product used today throughout our region.

By the mid- ‘80s, the oil and banking crisis hit and the economy went south.

Texans decided they needed to change their economy to be less dependent on oil and started being a business-friendly environment for manufacturing and technology. Texas started seeing an upswing in chip fabrication for Motorola and Advanced Micro Devices and building as fast as they could. American Constructors fit right into the fast-paced tech world that quickly spread through Central Texas.

The technology boom provided a lot of work for the company. As they continued doing public work, the change in legislation allowing public entities to select their builders based on qualifications more than just a bid. American Constructors began performing more schoolwork.

This was a good thing for American Constructors when the technology work began to wane.

The company began operations with Heine and his wife, Yolanda, and has grown steadily over its 40 years in business. “We have not just professional employees and administrative employees, we have craft worker employees - carpenters, laborers, concrete finishers, etc.,” Burger states. “We see ourselves as a true builder and not just somebody who manages people who build, but a true builder.

We do a lot of self-perform work, especially concrete work, and other trades. We have about 130 to 150 employees depending on the year and the time.

Bill Heine didn’t name the company after himself. He named it American Constructors. He wanted the company to live beyond his involvement in the company.

We are an exceptionally competent builder and we are extremely collaborative not just with ourselves, but with the owners and designers that we work with. Our people are the best you’ll find. We spend a lot of time and energy creating and cultivating a culture that allows them to be their best.”

In the coming years, American Constructors plans to continue growing its work in the commercial, healthcare and manufacturing industries while maintaining a strong focus on Central Texas.

Located in Cedar Park, American Constructors is a full-service general contractor serving the Central Texas area. -cmw

continued from Page 1 — The Reynolds Company “Each of us [at Reynolds] own part of the company,” Brand said, “based on years of service and several other varying factors. It’s a very good deal for the employee owners.”

If the big merger in 2018 weren’t enough, Reynolds recently purchased Midcoast Electric in San Antonio, “which has allowed us to expand into some new markets in Victoria [and] Corpus Christi.

We’re very, very excited to have them join our team. That acquisition was completed late last year,” Brand said.

The merger with McNaughten-McKay has produced some very tangible results. “There is a heightened sense of awareness of things you didn’t necessarily prioritize,” Brand said. “Now that we’re all owners and we all understand that, if I make a decision, it doesn’t just impact my paycheck. It impacts everybody else’s around me, and that we all contribute [and are] all rowing in that same direction.”

This has resulted in a “very positive productive increase in overall performance regardless of position or functionality,” Brand said. “All of our employee owner associate have really taken to heart

the message that you’re an owner and what you do and say matters and counts towards the overall profitability of the organization.”

Brand’s journey with Reynolds started after he graduated from Texas A & M in 1994 with a degree in industrial distribution. His first job was with the General Electric Company up in Detroit. “As a Texas boy, that was a little cold for me,” he said, stating the obvious. He got steered toward the electrical discipline via working as an electrician for Dow Chemical during his college days. Reynolds is based in Fort Worth, so the Texas boy was glad to come home and warm up.

“I love what I do,” Brand said. “There’s constant change. There’s always something new. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m curious to see what’s going to be the next thing that moves our industry. I’m trying to develop the next group of leaders for the Reynolds company. I really enjoy the relationships that I’ve built over the years and hoping I can continue to develop some new ones.”

The Reynolds Company is an electrical supply distributor, headquartered in Fort Worth. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Voelker Construction jumped right in there and did it.”

Eventually, they began doing commercial construction and building houses. Today, their focus in on light commercial work and custom homes.

With Reinhardt’s retirement, the second generation of Voelker Construction begins. Steven Voelker, Stan Voelker’s son, bought Reinhardt’s share of the business. Fortunately, the younger Voelker has had years of mentoring from both his dad and Reinhardt.

“Dad taught me the value of hard work and having a good work ethic,” says Steven “He would say, ‘Son you could be digging ditches, but you dig them as best as you can. Work your butt off and things will come your way with that hard work.’

“Ralph did a lot of the estimating, and he did it with a pad, pencil, and a calculator. He was old school. He didn’t even have a computer on his desk. He taught me a lot about construction and how buildings go up, how sometimes you got to do the hard things, even if you need to do it twice. ‘You always make your customer happy. You’re not building if for yourself, you’re building it for a customer.’

I respect Ralph very much.”

As for the older Voelker, Stan plans to keeping carrying on where he and Rein-

hardt left off. “It’s a sad deal because now I’ve got to go to work after all these years,” Stan jokes. “He did all the work now, guess what? I have kick it up.”

“Seriously, he deserves it. This year would make 44 years in July. It’s been a great partnership. Some marriages don’t last that long. I’m very fortunate to have had a good partner like him. He’s 73 years old. It’s time for him to ease on off into the shady part of life and I appreciate him a bunch.”

Stan is excited about the next chapter of Voelker Construction. “We’ve been very fortunate. Now, I’ve got my youngest son as a partner. That’s a little scary,” he jokingly says. “But Beaver, that’s his nickname, has been wanting to do this all his life so now he has his chance to do it.”

As for the company, nothing has changed. “Voelker Construction is the same as it’s always been,” continues Stan.

“We have the same quality. We have the same leadership. Steven’s been here for over 10 years. He knows exactly what we require out of a project. We’ll work side by side so, here we go.”

Voelker Construction is a commercial construction and welding company located in Manor, TX. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 15

The Zen of organic

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Your own Barton Springs pool in your backyard – 93,000-gallon organic pool

aylor Miller likes to create beautiful water features and ponds where the requester can get his/her inner Zen on and find some measure of harmony in a busy and chaotic world.

To do so, however, requires a good deal of modern technology, which is good because as technology gets better, Miller can produce better organic projects.

As founder and owner of Taylormade Waterscapes, Miller knew early in life that the office wasn’t for him. “I woke up one day and just decided I wanted to work outside and get out of the cubicle thing,” he said.

Organic swimming pool, no chemicals or pool boys, Briggs hill country home

After going to trade school to learn irrigation and get his license, Miller honed his craft for water spaces with another company, whose owner decided to not continue in it, which gave Miller the opportunity to start Taylormade Waterscapes in 2002.

“Every pond is different,” Miller said, of his projects.

“I don’t necessarily have a menu.” He listens to his clients, finds out where they are at, what they like and what they want, then goes from there.

“I have a gentleman who’s really into trains. I built a pond for him. We put some track [down] and made the train go through the waterfall and all around the pond.

That was pretty cool.”

Miller has learned from other craftsmen along the way, making his designs that much more pleasing to the customer. When it comes to rocks and stones, for instance, Miller knows how to use as little mortar as possible so that “it looks more natural; it doesn’t look like a brick wall.”

One trick Miller has learned in his journey is how to put natural rocks together. “You never put a vertical rock [in your project because] you don’t find vertical rocks in nature,” he said.

A huge part of Miller’s approach to his waterscapes is the water itself. It has to be not only right, but of good quality as well.

“I’m really fascinated with water movement and water quality,” he said.

Taylor Miller at one of his many ponds

A traditional swimming pool converted to a pond continued on Page 19

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Sky Lounge

E

dge Electric was built upon six core values: Leadership, Safety, Integrity, Timeliness, Exuberance, and Creative Solutions. They strive to align their selves with team members who value their same vision of success. They practice quality over quantity and have taken their time to cultivate a structured environment and invest in extraordinary people. This strategy has afforded them the capability to complete high-profile projects within required budgets and timelines.

An excellent example of their work can be seen at Sky Lounge. From private workspaces to a café, terrace and bar, the 14th floor of 405 Colorado was thoughtfully designed for any occasion. This modern space featured zoned lighting controls and custom fixtures from countries across globe; Madagascar, Brazil, Mexico to name a few.

Trusted Foreman, Austin Sinclair, his Lead, Raymond Griffin, and a crew of four, completed this detailed finish-out in just five months. Edge Electric is located in Buda, TX. -cmw

The Sky Lounge

Edge Electric Buda, TX

Austin ISD Norman-Sims Elementary Modernization

Norman-Sims Elementary gymnasium

Atrium staircase at Norman-Sims Elementary

oeris General Contractors completed the Norman-Sims Elementary modernization project totaling 74,000sf in East Austin in December 2020. The Austin ISD 2017 Bond project called for constructing a single modernized elementary school at the Norman campus, infused with 21-century learning spaces for the community’s young scholars. The canvas for this modernization? Three separate buildings with build dates that stretched across four decades. Austin ISD built the original structure in 1969.

The project was designed by Kirksey Architecture with Joeris General Contractors as the construction manager. The LEED Silver-certified campus sits on a 10-acre site and brings together the two school communities (Noman Elementary and Sims Elementary) into one. Both schools were under-enrolled, and both communities were deserving of a new school space that met the new Austin ISD modernization effort, outlined in its Facility Master Plan.

The new school facility houses STEAM-focused learning spaces for grades Pre-K through 5th and includes nine studio rooms, a music lab, a media library with learning staircase, fitness-flex space, dispersed dining, an outdoor basketball court/pavilion, administrative areas, and a new parking lot.

Two playscapes and an open back, covered patio are new community features.

There is also an immense amount of outdoor green space, including an extensive walking trail for community use.

In 2021, Joeris received an Award of Merit at the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Construction Award in the Institutional $10-25M category for the project. Norman-Sims Elementary was also named an ENR-TX&LA’s Best Regional Project with an Award of Merit in the K-12 Education category.

Along with a LEED Silver certification, the project received an Austin Energy Green Building certification for sustainability features incorporated into the construction and design of the project. A large amount of the existing building was demolished, and the materials were recycled in the City of Austin’s recycling program. The original buildings had a brick façade, and modernization required replacing all the windows and doors throughout the entire project. For every window and door replacement, the masons used the salvaged brick to reset and integrate.

Laser scanning and heat mapping were an integral part of overcoming challenges associated with connecting the original 1969 building, the 1988 and 2005 additions, and the new two-story connecting piece.

Joeris continues to transform the traditional construction model, building spaces safely and with integrity, leadership, and excellence to make our communities the best they can be.

Joeris General Contractors is an employee-owned construction firm. -cmw

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Joeris General Contractors Austin, TX

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

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Page 17

Aquarena Springs Retail Development

roaddus Construction is well underway on construction of an 11.8acre retail site development project. Aquarena Springs retail development is being built on a commercially zoned property with Interstate 35 frontage, near Texas State University for a great developer client, Austin based Long View Equity.

Located on one of the last few devel-

opable sites of IH-35 frontage roads in San Marcos, the project will bring much needed retail and commercial businesses East of 35 for the ever-expanding Texas State University population, especially with future multifamily developments being developed nearby. An exciting mix of tenants are being planned as the site’s location and zoning allows for a variety of users including restaurants, gas stations,

retail, office, or light industrial.

While starting with a near 12-acre greenfield site was an exciting opportunity, the site provided several challenges including heavy equipment accessing a site immediately off the busy I-35 frontage road, working with a creek bisecting the site and tying into existing on-site utilities requiring Broaddus’ construction team to work closely with the design

team and the City of San Marcos.

As final retail shell building designs are being finalized, Broaddus Construction is excited to see continued progress on this highly visible retail development.

Next time you are driving North on I-35 thru San Marcos, give the Broaddus team a big honk as you are passing by.

Broaddus Construction is a full-service general contractor. -cmw

Construction begins for the Aquarena Springs Retail Development

Broaddus Construction Austin, TX

S

Shiner (Spoetzl) Brewery

ince 1982, Empire Roofing Inc. has been providing roofing services across Texas.

With 700 team members throughout the Lone Star State, the folks at Shiner Brewery knew the roof replacement of their historic brewery was in good hands.

The project required a complete roof replacement consisting of removing previous gravel-surfaced asphalt built-up roof assembly down to structural concrete deck. Empire team members primed the concrete deck and installed a self-adhering vapor barrier directly to the deck. They then installed a full-tapered insulation system, including gypsum cover board, all layers fully adhered in low-rise foam adhesive. Empire finished it off with a 2-ply modified bitumen membrane, attached via torch at base sheet, with the

granulated cap sheet fully adhered in cold process modified bitumen adhesive.

This roof was extremely detail-oriented with a very high degree of difficulty regarding the quantity and type of penetrations, including the modification of approximately 60 steel supports that were welded and attached to the existing structure for increased strength and stability. This is above and beyond normal roofing practices and was accomplished using 100 percent Empire San Antonio personnel. Empire was able to accomplish all this and still provide a 20-year Full System Warranty from the manufacturer, Firestone.

Empire Roofing Inc. is a full-service roofing contractor. -cmw

2-ply modified bitumen membrane, attached via torch at base sheet, with the granulated cap sheet fully adhered in cold process modified bitumen adhesive.

Empire Roofing Austin, TX

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Strong family ties

Growing from the ashes

L-R: Aurellio Torres, Kearney Bartoli, Owner Randy Mallory, Jose Pena, Jacob Ramirez and Greg Mallory

BryComm LLC

andy Mallory grew up in a tightknit family with strong Christian values. His father was in the food business and was the food manager for St. Edwards University before opening Mallory’s Camping Center on South Lamar. At that time Mallory worked all day at the local Union 520.

“Working for my dad, I was always wiring pumps, air conditioners and generators,” says Mallory. “My brother-in-law was in the 520. I saw what he was doing, and I liked it, so I got in.”

In 1982, Mallory took his master test and started Malco Electric in 1983 as a union contractor. Within six months, Mallory went from one, himself, to having four employees. In 1986, he left the union to become an open-shop contractor.

Malco Electric is a family-owned and operated business. Shari Maxa, Mallory’s sister and his brother, Greg Mallory, are part of the Malco team. “Shari plays a big factor. She doesn’t just answer the phone, she takes in all the service work. She coordinates it and keeps my books,” says Malory. “She’s very, very important. Greg,

my brother, is equally important, as our all the people who work for me. Greg does the estimating and is a project manager.”

Malco provides a wide range of services to include residential, commercial, and industrial - electrical layout, design, wiring, installation, upgrades, energy audits, sales, installation, maintenance of home generators, service contracts for savings on routine maintenance, and 24hour service work. Their core service area is 50-mile radius of Austin – Georgetown to San Marcos, Liberty Hill to Leander.

And as needed, even further.

“We’re just a family-oriented company. Everybody who works for us is family.

We’ve got each other’s back and will help each other in any way we can,” Mallory says. “Everybody means something to me. They’re not just an employee to me.

They are a part of me. I support them and they support me.”

Malco Electric is a residential, commercial, and industrial electric company located in Austin. -cmw

I

t only makes sense that technology is second nature to Cory Brymer having been around it his entire life. Growing up, his family owned and operated their own IT company.

His entrepreneurial spirit kicked in at an early age. Wanting to make his own money, he worked in the family business while most kids enjoyed their summer breaks, swimming, riding bikes or just hanging out with their friends.

At the age of 26, Brymer watched his parents lose everything when the president and now estranged family member financially mismanaged the company, driving it into bankruptcy. With a strong desire to pull his parents up from the ashes, so to speak, Brymer went on to start an IT company of his own after going to work for the company who had bought his family’s business.

Through the years, Brymer built a lot of relationships in the industry. He knew what worked and didn’t work. In 2008, he started BryComm LLC. BryComm started out providing network cabling. It is still one of the biggest services they provide. They install the in-

frastructure allowing their client’s technology networks to operate. The network cabling cascaded into the other systems such as - video surveillance, access control and alarm systems. They also provide audio visual services for conference room setups, digital signage, digital displays, public address systems, and outside plant network infrastructure.

Setting BryComm apart from other companies, according to Brymer, is he made an intentional effort to make BryComm a people first focused company.

“We are not a product company. We are a people company. Customers are vitally important, but we took an employee first approach knowing that if we created a culture where people felt they could come to work with an opportunity to grow and develop with competitive compensation, the great customers would follow. That, combined with accountability, leads to having the best people in the industry.”

BryComm LLC specializes in the design, installation, service, and maintenance of network infrastructure. -cmw

Austin Construction News • JUL 2022

Page 19

continued from Page 15 — Taylormade Waterscapes

“You try to make sure the water quality is nice,” he added, “[and] it’s a healthy environment for the fish and aquatic plants.”

This is where modern technology comes into play, with filters and pumps and the polyurea liners all coming together to move and process the water to keep it as clean as possible, naturally.

“I use four-inch intakes,” he said, to help keep the water clean by pulling out dirt, debris and fish waste. By naturally filtering out all the undesired stuff, chemicals like bleach and chlorine are not needed.

“It’s all clean and your fish are happy and your water doesn’t smell,” Miller said, of his end result. “You’re not having to call a pool boy once or twice a week sometimes just to dump a bunch of chemicals that are expensive and are nasty for human beings.”

This organic approach is what Miller wants. “With organics and natural water,” he said, “it’s basically cleaner than the lakes you swim in and cleaner than the creeks and streams you play in.”

Miller does both commercial and residential projects. “I do a lot for the pond societies,” he said, with his reputation being built primarily on word-of-mouth references. “They know what I’m capable of doing. They know that they’re going to get a quality piece.”

The end result of all this blending of technology and art is an environment whereby the customer can find at least one place in his/her life that is serene and comforting.

“I try to put quality products in place where the stresses don’t arise. They are being made for the client to kind of relive stress in their lives,” Miller said.

“If you do it right, the pond will take care of itself, and the maintenance will be minimal,” Miller said. “And that’s where I basically stand.”

Technology plus the organic equals a Taylormade recipe for the Zen we all need from time to time.

Taylormade Waterscapes creates water features and ponds, based in Austin. -dsz

Blues Bash

Tomar and the FCs

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SM US LLP hosted nearly 215 guests at its’ annual Blues Bash event on May 19, the first time back at the event since before the pandemic.

For the past 10 years, RSM has brought clients, business partners and friends of the firm together at Blues Bash to enjoy dinner, drinks, live music, networking and fun. The event was held at the new Q2 Stadium, home of the Austin FC. “It was a fun way to say thank you to our clients and friends for what they give

us throughout the year,” said RSM Austin Office Leader Scott Haigler. “It is a way to bring friends together and celebrate another year of success, both for our clients and for our firm.”

Blues Bash guests enjoyed a dinner of street tacos, appetizers, desserts and a full selection of beverages from the bar.

In addition to the live music, guests also enjoyed games of cornhole and foosball, and learned more about RSM’s national and local diversity and inclusion initiatives. -rd

Rusty Morgan, Structura, and Joanna Just, RSM

Kris Dillon, RSM, Zelmar Tovar, Onnit, and Trey Ross, RSM

Guests enjoying a game of cornhole

Organic pool with hill country view

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Austin Construction News • JUL 2022