Austin Construction News August 2022

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CONSTRUCTION NEWS

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A family affair

Thirty-five years strong

The Boyce Iron & Steel team

L-R: Brad Fowles, Krista Fowles, Julie Morris and Kerry Morris

o often high school students don’t have a clue as to how their skills or interests will manifest themselves in their future lives, or if they even have any.

Not so with Greg and Tina Boyce of Boyce Iron & Steel, Inc. Greg’s aptitude for this trade fit perfectly, going back to his ag-mechanical vocational classes in high school, then ending up in the family business.

Greg’s grandfather James “Bud” Boyce began Boyce Iron Works in Austin in 1948. Postwar America was a great time to start this business with his brother-in-law. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Boyce was one of the largest employers in Austin. “They did apartments and structural steel also,” Greg said.

Financial hard times hit in the late 1980s. The company morphed into Boyce

Industries with Greg’s uncle Jim at the helm. Greg joined the company as a superintendent.

But help was needed in the office, and this is where Tina comes in. Her and Greg were dating at the time and Jim asked her to interview for the position.

She had experience doing the books for both United Healthcare and Cigna Healthcare.

The office/books area of the business was struggling, according to Tina.

“They needed somebody who could do Microsoft Excel” and payroll software.

“And it’s not easy to find people who can do that,” she said.

This was the perfect job for Tina, as her favorite time in high school was working as an office aid. Technology has continued on Page 14

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ulie and Kerry Morris’ daughter, Krista Fowles, was 3-years-old when they decided to start their business.

Not wanting to compete with Julie’s parents’ business, they moved from Houston to Austin in 1987 and started Morris Glass Co. “Julie’s parents owned a glass company in Houston, and I owned a body shop,” says Kerry. “That’s how Julie and I met. She worked for her parents at the glass company, and I did business with them. We met, and I ended up going to work for her parents at the glass company.”

In the beginning, Kerry was the only employee working in the field installing auto glass while Julie and their 3-year-old daughter, Krista, worked in the office.

“Back then, Austin was a clownish town,” Kerry recalls. “I was making sales calls and

this one guy told me, ’We’ve been doing business with a company for a long time.

We don’t plan on changing either.’ And I told him, ‘Man, am I glad to hear you say that because that’s what you’re going to say about us one day.’”

Three-year-old Krista grew up in the glass business and after graduating from high school, she went on to Concordia.

After one semester, she approached her father and told him college was not for her and wanted to get into the business with her mom and him. “Inside, we were jumping for joy,” he says. “We just couldn’t believe she picked that on her own.”

Today, Krista and her husband, Brad Fowles, play a major role in the company.

Krista, like her mother before her, works in the office and knows the glass business continued on Page 14

An engineering legacy

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asmine Azima not only entered a traditionally male dominated field, but she has thrived in it. The Iran native came to the University of Texas, Austin, to major in the non-traditional field of mechanical engineering. “Basically,” Jasmine said, “I had a scholarship and could go anywhere. This scholarship allowed me to go to MIT or Stanford, [but] Texas had a good relationship with the Shah prior to the revolution].”

In those days (late 1970s), Jasmine found herself quite outnumbered. “I was the only female in the mechanical engineering program,” she said. Upon graduation, Jasmine did her apprenticeship with another company and then passed the rigorous National Engineering Certification test. “I don’t know if I was the first woman [to do so], but I can tell you I was one of the very few.” After working with a national company for a few years, Jas-

mine quickly climbed the ladder and became its CEO at age 23. Then in 1984, she founded Jasmine Engineering, located in San Antonio and opening the Austin branch a year later.

When it comes to her clients, Jasmine said the only thing that matters is the quality of the job. “They just want performance,” she said. “That’s all that matters to them.” “I’m a perfectionist about details,” she said. “I do my job as if I am the client and I treat my clients how I would like to be treated” Playing the gender card was not in the cards for Jasmine. “I like a challenge,” she said. “When I started my business, I intentionally didn’t apply for minority or woman-owned certifications to obtain work with local or federal government. I wanted to compete on an equal level playing field with my competitors.” The JasmineAzima, founder Jasmine Engineering

continued on Page 14

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Can you dig it?

he year 1984 just isn’t a famous year in literature, it’s the year Tommy and LeRee Spiller decided to branch out on their own and start Tommy Spiller Backhoe and Dozer Service.

They “started out with just one backhoe and an old dump truck,” then over the years added a bobcat, bulldozer, and other equipment.

Tommy passed away two years ago, but son Eli has stepped in and is managing the company from the field, while mother LeRee still mans the office.

“I did the book work,” LeRee said, of those early days. “In the beginning, it was strictly the book work, then I got the septic licenses and still kept doing the book work and then helped meet customers.”

The family owned and operated business does a wide variety of backhoe/

bulldozer work. “The most satisfaction comes out of doing those large agricultural jobs because we can make such a big difference from the beginning to the end,” LeRee said. “It’s just dramatic being able to go in and take a heavily wooded mesquite pasture and turn it into a beautifully plowed field, ready to plant.”

“We are a small company,” she said.

“We have Eli and two full time employees.”

Four daughters have worked for them in the past. LeRee’s brother, Craig Simon, does most of the septic systems, and one of Eli’s high school friends, Justus Salonen, is a bulldozer hand.

“The greatest satisfaction is when one of our customers tells us that their job turned out better than they could have ever expected, and that makes us really happy,” LeRee said.

Justus Salonen (operator) Craig Simon (operator) Eli Spiller (owner/ operator)

One former customer referred to the late Tommy as “being a great master of the land,” LeRee recalled. “And I’m just proud to say that Eli is following right in his dad’s footsteps.”

The Spiller family obviously digs being out in the field, making a big difference for those who need their services.

Tommy Spiller Backhoe Services all types of land clearing services, based in Lockhart. -dsz Holt Price, youngest grandson and future supervisor

There ain’t Nunn-better

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Gerald Nunn Electric leadership L-R: Gerald, Linda and Beau Nunn

he year 2003 was an interesting time for Americans. Our country’s dedicated soldiers were getting ready to go to Iraq. Here in Texas, where the military’s presence makes or breaks the local economy, the deployment of soldiers meant companies had to make cutbacks to stay afloat, and for Gerald Nunn that meant no longer having a job.

So, while America was getting ready to go to war, Nunn was getting ready to go into business for himself.

Gerald had been an electrician for over 45 years and helped build other companies before starting his own. Out of necessity, he started Gerald Nunn Electric out of his home.

“We were working out of a little office in our house. My wife, Linda, was doing my books part-time and I was doing service work. We didn’t do a whole lot of internet advertising back then. We took out ads in the Thrifty Nickel and Killeen Daily Herald.”

Gerald Nunn Electric was a one-man show for the first four months before hiring his first employee. Today, they have 25 employees including their son, Beau Nunn, who is vice president of operations and estimator. He joined the company after college. He graduated from the Central Texas Independent Electric Contractors’ (IEC CenTex) apprenticeship program and does all the estimating for the company and manages all the projects. “Beau has grown into his position and has really stepped up,” says Gerald.

“He, more or less, runs things for Gerald,” says Linda.

When the company first started, Ger-

ald Nunn Electric performed service work for both residential and commercial.

Through the local supply houses, they were able to pick up more clients. One of which was Hal John Enterprises which owned 19 McDonald’s in Killeen, Harper Heights, Copperas Cove, Temple, and Belton, and started doing the service work at those locations.

When word got out that Gerald had gone out on his own, some of the general contractors that he had worked with in the past and knew of his reputation started reaching out to him and giving him work. The company has been doing commercial work ever since.

Five years after starting the company, the economy fell into a recession and the company had to downsize to make it through. That was a big learning curve for the company. Thankfully, that experience made them the stable company they are today.

Gerald Nunn Electric performs commercial construction work building large projects like schools, fire stations, and shopping centers. They also do light industrial work. They are fully licensed, insured, and bonded by the State of Texas.

“We offer top-quality workmanship with competitive rates for all electrical work whether it is new commercial construction or residential,” Linda adds. “And, we provide commercial and residential services in the Centroplex area.”

Through it all, Gerald says, “We’re just thankful for all the people in this industry that support us.”

Gerald Nunn Electric is a full-service electrical company in Florence, TX. -cmw

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

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Texas Gas Service Uses Easy Reminder to Promote 811 Safe Digging Practices

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s a reminder for Texans to call 811 before they dig, Texas Gas Service is celebrating National 811 Day on August 11 (8/11). According to the Railroad Commission of Texas’ 2020 statistical data, 61% of underground facility damages were from people not calling 811. By making the quick call, Texans can protect themselves and their communities.

Calling 811 and having utility lines marked prior to digging project can ensure contractors, excavators and homeowners do not damage underground facilities, incur unnecessary costs and even cause outages.

Take the Safe Digging Pledge to Win Big Want to become a Safe Dig Hero and win money doing it? Texas Gas Service is hosting a drawing for all who sign the Safe Digging Pledge on BeADigHeroTexas.com.

Participants will automatically be put into the running for a $100 gift card after taking the pledge. The contest will run through August 1 –811 Day (August 11).

Here are a few tips to remember before digging: • Even if you’re digging shallow, you or your contractor need to call 811 to have your lines marked.

• Make the free call to 811 or visit Texas811.org at least 48 hours, excluding the date of notification, weekends and holidays, before digging begins.

• Know the Tolerance Zone, which is the area 18 inches on each side of the gas line. Hand digging is recommended in this area to avoid any contact or damage to the line.

To learn more about calling 811 and digging safely, visit BeADigHeroTexas.com.

Built to last a lifetime

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Corey Nelson, Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets

orey Nelson grew up in the construction industry. His grandpa, Don Nelson, was a home builder in Austin during the ‘70s. As a young boy, Corey would hold boards as his grandpa ripped them.

“When I was 11 years old, I would go to work with my dad, Craig Nelson, who was working for my grandpa,” recalls Corey. “My grandpa would rip wood and I’d catch it for him and then flip it. I learned how to sand that year as well as some other things about working with wood.

The next summer I went back to work when I was 12.

“I didn’t play all year long, and I didn’t watch a lot of cartoons. My dad was my hero, so I went with my dad.”

Tired of building and remodeling homes, Corey’s dad decided he wanted to concentrate on just building cabinets and started Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets in 1984.

Corey continued helping his dad parttime, learning the ins and outs of cabinet making, and going to work after school and during the summers. After graduat-

ing from high school in 2004, Corey came to work for his dad full-time.

Just before COVID, Corey’s dad lost his leg to diabetes and Corey took over the company. “Dad is still kicking. He’s still smart as a whip,” adds Corey.

Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets is a small shop, currently a team of four. They specialize in wood, not laminate, cabinets – kitchen, bath, built-in vanities, mill wood, and more.

“I do natural wood,” says Corey. “And all wood plywood. I like a paint-grade maple instead of poplar which is a cheaper, softer wood. We build them ready for the painter to paint or varnish them. We build good, strong cabinets that will last you a lifetime.”

Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets services Austin and its surrounding communities, but has constructed cabinets as far north as Colorado, in Fredericksburg, and Rockport, and as Corey states, “We always put quality first when building our custom cabinets.”

Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets is located in Buda, TX. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

offering as a student so I could maybe touch more things. The counselor was like, let’s take another 12 hours. So then for the last two years of school, I went to school year-round to add in those 12 hours during the summer. And so then I was still able to graduate in four years with a double major.

Jonathan Graves Owner/President Coburn & Company Austin, TX

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hat initially started out as a summer job for Jonathan Graves during high school turned into full-time work after college as an estimator. Now, he is the owner of Coburn & Company. He has literally worked his way from the lowest level to the top.

Tell us about your origin.

I grew up in Texas, right down the street, actually, in Georgetown. Went to Texas A & M. How did you meet your wife, Lisa?

I became aware of her when I was 12.

I pursued her up until my senior year when I finally had enough courage to ask her out. We started dating around Christmas of my senior year. It helped that we started out as friends. And so, I knew what I was getting and I knew what I wanted at that point. I had spent enough time with her over the years to know this is the girl.

Since Lisa also went to A & M, who went there first?

She did. She is two years older than me. I followed and chased her over there and got married to her.

What was it like going from Austin to College Station?

It was nice. It was like a very large school and a small town. It was very similar to growing up in Georgetown, which was a suburb of Austin. So, small town feel but still add all that big college feel to it as well.

What did you major in at A & M and how did it work out?

I double majored in marketing and management. I think I’m a creative person and so, actually, I went with the marketing. And then I started interviewing and realized that the A & M marketing tract was not geared towards; that it was geared to sales. At the time, I didn’t think I wanted to be a salesperson. So, I quickly decided I needed to kind of expand my

How did Lisa and your career paths lead you two from College Station back to Austin, then to Coburn?

Lisa was working for the university until I finished up my schooling. I was trying to figure out what to do for the rest of my life. My dad worked at IBM all his life, and that’s just kind of what I was thinking was the place that I pick will be the place for the rest of my life. I worked for Coburn & Company during the summers during high school and college. I knew Dave Coburn personally. So, when I graduated, [Lisa] told me to give Dave Coburn a call and see if he’s got an opening.

Were you a painter during those high school years?

I was below that. I was a helper. I cleaned the buckets and scraped the floors. And that was part of the reasoning about going to college because I did not want to that for the rest of my life. I think it was intentional that Dave Coburn put me on some of the crappiest jobs and doing the hardest labor that no one else wanted to make sure I ended up going to school.

When you came back to Coburn after college, what did you do?

I did not go back into the field. I came into the office where I started estimating and managing projects. I do think that working during the summers actually helped me as an estimator. I had seen how things are built and how things go together, and I knew all the terms and I knew a lot of the guys.

How did your time as an estimator go?

I picked it up relatively fast. I had a knack for it. There was another estimator that was a terrible project manager, and so I was instantly recruited to manage all his projects. I did a good job managing his stuff. That quickly educated me on how to manage my own projects.

How did you end up becoming the owner of the company?

[Dave] was actually my Sunday School teacher at church when I was in high school, and I went to school with his daughter. He and my dad were close, so that helped too. He watched me grow up, so he knew my work ethic. After the dot. com bust, it affected some of the tech stuff going on in Austin at the time. And he said, “Well, I don’t know how things are going to work out, but I know you’re a hard worker. Let’s give it six months and then we’ll reevaluate after that.” Six

Jonathan Graves, with wife Lisa, daughter Mackenzie, and son Mason

months came by and went and then 18 years later, I ended up buying the business.

Now as the owner, how has your work changed?

I went from managing projects to having to manage people and everybody is different; everybody has different personalities, so it’s just a different skill set that I’m having to adjust to. So, you have to manage a lot of feelings, and that’s the real thing that’s a little bit different.

And then also just buying a business, kind of in the middle of COVID and all that things that have gone on with supply chain issues, staffing issues, shortages…I mean, you just name it, we’ve dealt with it in the last year and a half.

Speaking of COVID, how did it impact you and how are things now?

We’re starting to return, so I would say we had a 30 percent debt and revenue from 2019 into 2020 to 2021. But this year is a lot better than last year. So, we’re starting to come out of it but don’t know what the inflation in this possible recession is going to do to that recovery. To be honest with you, I think that we’ve sold enough work that we will finish the year strong; we got enough backlog.

How far of an area does Coburn cover?

We will occasionally go to San Antonio, but San Marcos to Killeen is kind of our up and down.

As a native of the Austin area, what kind of changes have you seen?

Georgetown was a dry town when I graduated from high school. I think Georgetown and Leander were named as the fasted growing towns in the United States for several years in a row. Because so many people move to Austin, but they don’t want to live in Austin, they moved to Georgetown or Leander. Just seeing a real diversity coming into these

Austin Austin

cities as well. I would say that whereas the cities were primarily just one color once.

It’s a good thing that we’re a very diverse population now. My kids get to grow up in schools where they get to experience a lot of different races and ethnicities.

That’s a big plus.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have two kids. I don’t have hobbies anymore. I did like working on cars. Now my hobby is just fixing up my current house, just doing small projects around the house that make it more desirable.

What kind of cars are you into?

When I was in high school, I was fixing up a ’67 Mustang but I ran out of money. I was heading off to college, so I ended up having to sell it before I got it running, which I always kind of regret that. My wife and I would agree that I like the form of the old Ford Broncos. That’s my son’s dream car and he has hopes of getting that when he turns 16. I told him you had better start working for it now to save up for it.

[But my passion now] is just making sure my kids turn into decent people.

What about any long-term career goals?

Ideally, I would like to see if we can expand career opportunities outside of this marketplace. I think that gives people here the opportunity to continue to grow as well as being a small business. People are limited in their mobility. And so, if we can continue to grow then that gives my employees continued upward mobility as well. That’s the kind of my goal--to always have a place for my employees to continue to grow. So, what we need is to grow for their benefit as well as my benefit.

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 5

To the third power

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L-R: Matt Dworoczyk (Triad PHC Secretary), Brent Gattis (Triad PHC Vice President), Heath Gattis (Triad PHC President), Jon Kirby (General Superintendent), Marvin Gattis (Triad PHC CFO) Everett Hicks (Triad PHC CEO)

rouble may come in pairs, but good things come in threes.

Marvin Gattis, Everett Hicks and Lee Lively started Triad Mechanical Services back in 1990, despite a not-so-great economy in Austin. The trio were working for another company together at the time, but they all came to the same conclusion: it was time to branch out.

“We were at that age where we were young still and plenty qualified to try it on our own,” Gattis said. “So, we ventured out.”

The three parts of Triad are its three skill sets: plumbing, heating and cooling.

When it came to dividing up the duties and skills in the early days, Gattis said, “Everett was strong on the air conditioning and so was Lee. I’m a master plumber and I was pretty much the plumber in the deal. Everett had more of the business sense of it. Lee was really good with numbers and project managing.” Gattis was the operations guru who ran life out in the field.

Gattis said working in Austin was tougher back in those early days. “We had to beat the streets. We scratched our money together to get a head start. And we were very fortunate to have a bonding company that stepped in to give us a chance. [But] we were at that age where we were kind of bulletproof and you just figure out why am I working for someone else when I could be doing this for myself.”

The Austin native said he got into the plumbing trade via his brother. “I liked working with my brother,” he said. “He was tough on me and he taught me a lot.”

Triad Mechanical is riding into the sunset at the moment and will be officially dissolved this December, but another trio has taken over Triad Mechanical; in fact, Triad PHC has been running the show for a good ten years now. Lively retired some years ago, while Hicks and Gattis have been holding down the fort as Gattis’ two sons Heath (president) and Brent (vice president), along with Matt Dworaczyk (secretary) are doing the

field work as Triad PHC. Even though Triad has gone all the way down to San Antonio, Gattis prefers staying closer to home, and with the boom in housing, there is plenty of work on the home front.

Triad doesn’t do residential, however. Having said that, residential does play a big part in what they do mostly of, which is new schools. With all the new subdivisions going up, new schools are going up as well. Triad has done many government buildings and places of worship in the past, “but our strong point is school construction,” Gattis said.

Triad does about 80 percent new construction and 20 percent remodels.

“We tried doing service work in the beginning but that’s a whole different breed right there,” Gattis Said.

The third member of the original Triad, Hicks, is going to call it a day this December as well, leaving Gattis as the only founder left. He’ll continue on, providing oversight, for a while until he, too, hangs up his spurs.

During his time at Triad, Gattis has seen a lot of changes, such as going from pagers to smart phones, and there being gaps between Austin, Round Rock and/ or Kyle and Cedar Park. Gattis looks back on his time and admits “it was a large learning curve.”

When Gattis calls it a day, he’ll start working on some bucket list items, one of which being going to Florida and skimming across the Everglades in an air boat.

In looking at his future, Gattis said, “I just want to take it easy and enjoy what life I’ve got left.” That will be easy knowing that Triad PHC has a new generation of three young men who will maintain Triad Mechanical’s legacy of its three services into the future, beyond even smart phones.

As a wise man once said, “We’re on to the next one, Ol’ Son.” Triad PHC is a full services mechanical contracting firm in the greater Austin area.

-dsz

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 7

INSURANCE

ACCOUNTING Transform your construction operations through RPA

The Importance of a Heat Illness Prevention Program

Chris Wetmore RSM US Austin/San Antonio, TX

Sarah Houser, Insurance Producer The Nitsche Group Bastrop, TX

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A strong safety culture can positively impact your business and wellbeing of employees

mid thin margins and a shortage of skilled labor, construction companies are continuing to turn toward robotics and automation as solutions to help their businesses. Beyond bricklaying robots and 3D-mapping drones, the use of robotic process automation (RPA) has become very common place in many tech-savvy construction company back-offices.

The robots used in RPA aren’t walking, talking humanoids, but rather virtual bots housed on a server or on the cloud.

Each bot is a software program that mimics the actions of humans in order to complete structured, logic-based tasks, such as drafting and sending invoices, consolidating documents for an expense report or handling various administrative human resources tasks.

Bots are designed to augment a human workforce, making workers more productive by eliminating the need for humans to spend time on repetitive, low-value activities. For the construction industry, the ability to free up staff to work on other tasks by using this emerging technology could make a significant difference to a company’s bottom line and add agility to the organization.

Why now?

RPA has existed for more than a decade, but only over the past couple years has it hit a maturity point as the costs of implementation have become more accessible on a wider scale and the technology becoming more business-user friendly. The underlying technology driving RPA has also improved over the past few years, allowing it to take on increasingly complicated tasks and complete them more quickly driving quicker time to value.

Automation is not just about reducing head count, but improving accuracy and efficiency.

The case for RPA in construction Because it’s about the process rather than the task itself, RPA can be used in virtually any department within a business. The more often the process is performed and more routine the task is, the bigger the cost and time savings.

Following are some of the ways that the construction industry could make use of RPA: • Client or owner invoice creation: RPA can pull together the necessary information, consolidate it into a single package, and send the invoice out within minutes.

• Updating client, vendor, supplier or subcontractor lists: RPA can automatically update client lists and repopulate any forms with corrected contact information.

• Document management: Rather than an outdated filing system that can lead to errors or lost documents, RPA can automatically file scanned documents into a centralized, easily managed system.

• Recruiting: RPA can automatically scan LinkedIn for candidates with a specific education, certifications or experience.

• Cost monitoring: RPA can take over the production of cost-to-estimate reports, pulling in data from contractors and suppliers, importing it into the project budget and generating real-time analytics into regular weekly, daily or on-demand reports.

• Email blasts: RPA can create and send mass emails based on lists or other rules that have been created.

• Estimate generation: Once basic information from a customer has been collected, RPA can use that data to generate a preliminary quote for potential work.

• Tax preparation: RPA can pull tax-related data and documents from various systems, making it easier for on-staff accountants or an outsourced team to easily access the information needed to file taxes.

• Onboarding employees, subcontractors, suppliers: The mundane, repetitive

nature of collecting documents and information, filing contracts and setting up payments makes them perfect for automation.

• Email response: RPA can handle responses to some basic emails or web queries, or direct the email to the appropriate contact at a company.

• Processing invoices: As vendor invoices come in, RPA can extract the necessary data from them and automatically enter it into an accounting system. RPA can also send a confirmation email to vendors letting them know that the invoices are in processing and highlighting any missing information.

Request for proposal production: RPA can assist with several parts of the RFP process, including creating an estimate, gathering supporting documentation and populating at least part of the proposal.

The benefits The cost to license and build a bot is relatively low compared to the potential savings it can yield. The Institute for RPA estimates that RPA solutions can deliver an immediate savings of 25% to 40% in labor costs alone. In addition, a McKinsey study found that more than 81% of predictable physical work, 69% of data processing, and 64% of data-collection activities could feasibly be automated.

On top of that the McKinsey study noted that by automating manual and repetitive tasks, successful operation centers are reducing costs by 30-60% while increasing delivery quality. The boost in productivity also makes employees who can delegate tasks to RPA more valuable to the company. Sales professionals might spend less time drafting RFPs, for example, and more time meeting face-to-face with clients; recruiters might spend less time seeking out candidates and more time interviewing them; a project manager can focus on managing subcontractors rather than worrying about whether they’ve properly filled out their paperwork.

In addition to productivity, organizations can expect to see a reduction in mistakes. Bots are never tempted to cut corners in ways that might lead to quality or compliance issues. Companies that build bots according to regulatory rules can rest easy knowing the bots will not only adhere to those rules, but will also leave a trail proving their compliance to potential auditors.

Robots don’t take breaks or sleep, so once a bot is running, it could, essentially, work on its given task 24 hours a day.

Bots also offer elasticity. Managers can scale up and scale down without making drastic (and expensive) changes to the human workforce. This agility is a huge advantage to adjust between high and low demand cycles.

What’s next?

Widespread adoption has really just begun, but it’s scaling quickly. The total market spend on RPA is expected to increase from 1.2 billion in 2020 to 13 billion in 2030 according to digital transformation research firm, Transforma Insights. Those that don’t adopt changing technologies may find themselves unable to compete against rivals with an augmented workforce that can complete tasks more accurately, more quickly and at a lower cost.

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ot weather safety and heat illness prevention are more important than ever. As the Central Texas region continues to experience exponential growth, the need for new construction shows no signs of slowing down. Retail and commercial development projects are booming, but along with that boom of activity comes increased risk— especially in the extreme Texas heat.

While Central Texas and surrounding regions are no strangers to working through sweltering summer heat, the average number of heat advisory days is on the rise, as are the numbers of reported heat-related employee injuries.

According to the National Weather Service, heat now ranks as the deadliest weather threat with the most linked fatalities each year. In addition, workers are at a 6 percent to 9 percent higher risk of injury and accident occurrence during days with temperatures above 90° F. The risk of injury jumps to 10 percent to 15 percent on days above 100° F. Beyond the medical impact and safety risk to employees that heat poses, it is also costly. An analysis by OSHA found that heat-related workplace incidents resulted in approximately $35,000 per injury in worker’s comp claims alone.

That estimate doesn’t include the indirect costs from a heat-related illness incidents, which could include lost productivity, training for replacement employees, implementing corrective measures, lower employee morale, reduced employee retention, and the impact on reputation.

People like doing business with companies that invest in the well-being of their employees. Today’s customers/ clients increasingly demand that their contractors invest in effective health and safety practices supported by a strong safety culture.

While you may not be able to avoid the heat in Texas, you can create a strong workplace safety culture to mitigate heat-related risks. This approach (or thinking or strategy) protects your company’s reputation and bottom line.

And you preserve your workforce’s safety, bolster morale, and increase employee retention.

Creating a Culture of Safety Building a strong safety culture means going beyond the minimum requirements.

Most companies understand the importance of providing the “big three” heat prevention measures: rest, shade, and hydration. Unfortunately, those simple measures can fall short in especially hot, humid, or heavy work conditions. It is crucial for your workers, your safety program, and your company’s bottom line to go beyond the basics by implementing a comprehensive heat illness prevention program.

Creating a heat illness prevention program that promotes education and encouragement will benefit your workers, overall safety, and your company’s bottom line.

Start with a Review Begin by reviewing your current safety measures and how effective they

are. Next, look for low-hanging fruit that will be easy to implement but will make a big impact. These opportunities can include changes like a modified work schedule to help avoid exposing employees to the hottest parts of the day.

Companies should also review their current training to see if their workforce is receiving the right kind and level of information. Without proper training from company leadership, workers may be unaware of the symptoms of heat stress beyond recognizing that they’re feeling hot and sweaty.

Additional early symptoms of heat stress and exhaustion that employees may be unaware of include disorientation, stumbling, lethargy, fumbling with tools, confusion, or slurred speech.

Imagine what happens when an employee who is untrained and unaware of the symptoms of heat stress becomes disoriented on the jobsite or while operating heavy machinery. The outcome could be devastating.

These risk controls might seem obvious, but too often they aren’t enforced. Give a clear indication to employees that you care about their safety, not simply keeping a jobsite opened and finishing a project on time.

Employee Training & Education With especially high temperatures scorching Central Texas, now is a great time for refresher and additional training on heat safety.

Companies should provide employees and supervisors training on how to work safely in hot and humid conditions, as well as how to identify the signs of heat exhaustion in themselves and their coworkers. Training topics should include: identifying the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, how heat can affect the body, and what to do if a co-worker is experiencing symptoms of a heat-related illness.

Construction workers in the U.S. are 13 times more likely to die from a heat-related illness compared to workers in other industries. By offering proper training, outdoor workers can greatly reduce the risk of heat-related dangers.

Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility Ultimately, it’s crucial for your entire team to be trained and aware of what to do when it comes to heat safety and prevention. Companies that don’t create a safety program from the top down inevitably fail their employees and, in turn, lose business. By integrating safety into every step of your organization, you ensure a successful future for your employees and your business.

Sarah Houser is a commercial producer at The Nitsche Group in Bastrop, Texas. She is dually licensed in property casualty insurance and employee benefits insurance.

Houser is from San Angelo, and currently resides in Smithville. In her spare time, she enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle, gardening, and spending time with her fiancé Matt and son Jack.

Page 8

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

OSHA

LEGAL

Heat Illness Planning and Supervision

Getting Up To Speed: The Legislature Modernizes Texas’s Building and Residential Codes

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

Matt D. Roland Allensworth Austin, TX

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he Texas Legislature recently updated the statewide municipal building codes for commercial and residential construction projects. Prior to this change, Texas’s statutory building codes were among the oldest in the United States. While the new law is generally being applauded, industry participants should be sure that their upcoming projects meet the new minimum requirements of the applicable code.

House Bill 738 (HB 738), passed in the most recent legislative session, amended Texas’s Local Government Code by establishing the 2012 editions of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) as the new, statewide municipal building codes.

Texas had previously followed the 2000 version of the IRC and the 2003 version of the IBC since the early 2000s, when the Texas Legislature first adopted the IRC and IBC statewide. HB 738 updated the applicable versions of these codes, but also authorized municipalities to modify their local building codes as needed, under certain circumstances.

Under HB 738, municipalities may by ordinance adopt local amendments to the IRC and IBC that add, modify, or remove code requirements, but only after a public hearing is held on the proposed amendment. Likewise, municipalities may review and consider amendments made to either code by the International Code Council after May 1, 2012, excluding electrical provisions. And specifically with respect to commercial construction, municipalities may continue to adopt more stringent commercial building codes than the IBC, as well as future editions of that code.

HB 738 also adds a section to the Local Government Code that prevents a municipality, county, or emergency services district from requiring the installation of fire sprinkler systems in new or existing one- or two-family dwellings.

They may, however, allow a specialist or contractor to install a fire sprinkler system in such dwellings for a fee. If a municipality already had such a requirement in effect on or before January 1, 2009, this restriction does not apply.

This new law is currently in effect for residential and commercial construction (1) beginning under a contract made on or after January 1, 2022, or (2) in the absence of a contract, beginning on or after

January 1, 2022. If construction commences under a contract made before January 1, 2022, the project is governed by the law in effect at the time of the contract. Likewise, in the absence of contract, construction that began before January 1, 2022, is governed by the law in effect at the time construction began. However, the updated codes are not limited to new construction projects—they also apply to alteration, remodeling, enlargement, or repair of commercial and residential structures, excluding the installation and maintenance of electric wiring.

These changes are intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare. In the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey, and according to the relevant House and Senate Bill Analyses, organizations and agencies such as FEMA and the Texas General Land Office have found that structures built in compliance with more modern standards withstand such disasters better than older buildings. Texas lawmakers have endeavored to mitigate the cost of these future disasters—both in terms of public safety and property damage—by updating the municipal building codes.

Residential and commercial contractors should ensure that their projects, at a minimum, meet the requirements of the 2012 versions of the IRC and IBC, as applicable. However, many municipalities throughout Texas have already adopted versions of the IRC and IBC that are more stringent than those required by HB 738. The practical effect of the new law will generally be to streamline those minimum requirements across all Texas municipalities, but industry members should still carefully research and study each jurisdiction’s applicable codes. Keep in mind that parties should also seek to negotiate contract terms requiring reasonable compliance with standards applicable to any given project, rather than strict or absolute compliance, which may lead to insurance coverage problems and open the door to more difficult and dangerous claims.

Matt D. Roland 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 Matt by email at mroland@allensworthlaw.com

Let us know if you’d like your company or project featured in Austin Construction News 210-308-5800 or mEditor@ConstructionNews.net

H

eat-related illness can affect workers in many industries, at indoor or outdoor worksites. Some job-related risk factors include:

• Outdoor work in warm weather, • Heat sources such as ovens, fires, or hot tar, • Strenuous physical activity, and • Heavy or non-breathable work clothes.

When these (or other) heat hazards are present, employers should plan ahead to protect workers.

Employers should create a written plan to prevent heat-related illness. Important elements to consider when creating the heat plan are: • Who will provide oversight on a daily basis?

• How will new workers gradually develop heat tolerance?

• Temporary workers may be more susceptible to heat and require closer supervision.

• Workers returning from extended leave (typically defined as more than two weeks) may also be at increased risk.

• How will the employer ensure that first aid is adequate and the protocol for summoning medical assistance in situations beyond first-aid is effective?

• What engineering controls and work practices will be used to reduce heat stress?

• How will heat stress be measured?

• How to respond when the National Weather Service issues a heat advi sory or heat warning?

• How will we determine if the total heat stress is hazardous?

• What training will be provided to workers and supervisors?

Day-to-Day Supervision Heat conditions can change rapidly

and management commitment to adjusting heat stress controls is critical to prevent heat illness. An individual at the worksite should be responsible for monitoring conditions and implementing the employer’s heat plan throughout the workday. This individual can be a foreman, jobsite supervisor, plant manager, safety director, or anyone else with the proper training. Proper training includes knowing how to: • identify and control heat hazards; • recognize early symptoms of heat stress; • administer first aid for heat-related illnesses; and • activate emergency medical services quickly when needed.

Ideally, the individual who is responsible for the heat plan should be on-site, where the workers are. On-site monitoring allows accurate determination of heat stress. In some industries with a widely distributed workforce, such as mail and package delivery, on-site monitoring might not be feasible. In those cases, the responsible individual at the site should be fully trained on the means and methods to contact and report to the employer any adverse heat related conditions that may develop on the site as well as any signs and symptoms of heat related illness experienced by any of the workers.

The responsible individual in a central location should estimate heat stress using the best available methods for remote estimation using the guide at https:// www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/wbgt-calculator OSHA also has a heat illness app at https://www.osha.gov/heat/heat-app natarajan.joann@dol.gov -512-374-0271 x232

Industry FOLKS Mary Cam Anderson, Audit Associate,

Ridout Barrett & Co., PC Austin, TX

M

ary Cam Anderson had a childhood of fun in the sun on the beaches of beautiful Hawaii. She was born and raised in Honolulu, HI, where her weekends were spent on the beaches. “There was always a debate about which beach.

Would it be a beach with big waves, or a beach with small waves? My older brothers wanted big waves, and my sister and I liked little waves.”

When Mary Cam was 7 years old, her family moved to Mesa, AZ. Talk about culture shock!

She graduated from Mesa High School and as soon as she could, she left Mesa, AZ for the Alamo City to attend college at the University of the Incarnate Word. “When I graduated, it was still Incarnate Word College. College life was all about independence. I lived on campus for my first two years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. I wanted to understand and help people.”

Mary Cam and her husband, Tracy Anderson, will be married for 20 years this November. They met at the Continental Club on S. Congress during a Toni Price show, but they tell their children they met at church. They have two teenage children. Their oldest is 17 and a senior in high school. Their youngest is 14 and a freshman in high school. They at-

tend a small charter school in Austin which they have attended since kindergarten.

After a career as a stay-at-home mom, public accounting in the construction industry became her second career.

As an audit associate, she reviews and audits financial statements for construction companies.

“The people at Ridout Barrett Co., where I work, are the best!. Ridout Barrett is an amazing firm of talented people. My manager, Kitty Ripley, whom I worked with at a previous job, recommended me for my current position. She has so much confidence in my abilities that I’m encouraged to do my best. There are other strong role models at RBC, like our Managing Shareholder, Melanie Geist, and our Audit Director, Patty Wetz.”

Family time is her fun time. She and her family often spend our time together playing games, going on bike rides, swimming and camping. “Our favorite vacation spot is Galveston Island. Our favorite state park is Blanco State Park along the Blanco River in Blanco, TX. “When I do find downtime, I relax by reading on my porch. I’m a huge Jane Austin fan. I love watching film adaptions and rereading her books.” -cmw

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 9

O No Sweat Over Summer Fishing

by Capt. Steve Schultz

ne of the first things that’s on my mind in August is the heat. Although records show that July is the hottest month of the year, I’d have to disagree. Winds typically die in August making sweat beads just roll off your body. I’ve found myself leaving a good trout bite just so that we can make a boat run to cool off. At times, I have even circled back around to the same spot I left and started catching fish again. Staying hydrated is key to being able to endure the 6-8 hours on the boat with no shade.

Heat exhaustion is not something you want to mess with. I have had clients dang near pass out on the boat and even had to pick-up a fellow guide who had

Lee Scheel of Capital Aggregates landed this 25-inch speckled trout while fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Fish was released after photo.

SEND US YOUR VACATION STORIES CALL CAROL AT 210-308-5800 or Email

mEditor@ ConstructionNews.net

suffered from the heat during one of his charters. Please stay hydrated and try to lay off the alcohol till you get back to the dock.

One thing that has saved us from the blistering heat and what I call a “Nationwide Drought” are the winds that really have not laid since Spring. I can’t really remember it being this windy this late in the year. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a welcome site this late in the summer and I’m sure we will be griping the minute it lays.

By this time last year, I had already fished the surf and the Bob Hall pier at least half a dozen times. Being able to fish the open water on the beach front gives the fish in

the bays time to recover from the constant beat down and pressure from all the guides, tournaments and pressure from weekend anglers. These fish need time to recover and repopulate the areas that are hammered the most. Therefore, I try to change things up during the middle of the summer such as fishing the surf either north or south. I also will take a few charters offshore to catch snapper, kingfish and even sharks if you’re into that type of catching. Most of my clients like the change of pace, exploring different waters and not knowing what will be at the end of the line when it comes in. continued on Page 11

Sam Knowlton was lucky enough to catch this 26-inch trout last month with Steve Schultz Outdoors. These fish are starting to make a comeback from the 2021 freeze.

Page 10

Austin Construction News • AUG 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

Heat Wave Fishing!

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he temperature keeps going up and the lake level keeps going down! By now it is easy to say we are done with summer and just stay in the house until it’s over.

Whatever you do, don’t give up, because the catfish are tearing it up here on Lake Buchanan!

On a lake like Buchanan and any other lake that is not held at a constant level, things are always constantly changing.

Fish are governed by water conditions and weather. When no two years are the same, it can be really hard to pattern their behavior. It’ll keep you guessing and you have to do a lot of trial and error. The amazing thing is that the right conditions can come together to make the perfect storm of fishing, and right now that’s what we are seeing for catfish on Lake Buchanan.

It seems that all the old dead willow trees left behind by the last big drought are once again coming into shallow water. The threadfin shad love to spawn and lay eggs in warm shallow water that has structure. The shad come in and everything that loves to eat them and their eggs are not far behind. What comes next is amazing fishing!

You can just ask Larry Peterson a retired safety consultant, Frank Kocurek, from Frank’s Repair Service and Ronnie Rinn, retired from M & D Distributors!

They came to the lake for a couple of weekends of fishing and their pictures speak for themselves!

Ronnie Rin catfish Peterson catfish stringer

The catfish here are on a real good bite, but the white bass are getting in on it too. Those fish can tolerate the almost hot water and still be active. The stripers need to be hanging out in deeper cooler water because they are not native fish, and they can’t take all the heat. What we are beginning to see are some early morning outbreaks of topwater whites and stripers here and there. They aren’t really getting a good pattern going yet,

but it pays to keep looking for them. The last time we had a bad drought like this one, they did get on an iron clad pattern of topwater you could set your watch by!

When you can see stripers busting the surface in the first morning light from a mile away, it is a sight to behold! We have our fingers crossed that we’ll see something like that this year.

With the water level in the lake dropping more and more each day you do

have to keep in mind that this is not easy fishing. It is becoming more of a challenge to find a good place to launch your boat and you need to really pay close attention to the water and what is sticking up while you are underway. As things change with the falling water, your fishing spots will likely go away. Just look for other places with similar water depth, continued next page

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 11

continued from Page 10— Ken Milam temperature, and structure to help you find your next spot. Give your dried-up spots a good look so you can understand what made them work so well.

Get ready! It’s about time for the grasshoppers to start landing in the water and the catfish are waiting with open mouths!

Frank Kocurek catfish

continued from Page 9 — Capt Steve Schultz Speaking of Bob Hall Pier, the demo process has begun and contractors are about 50 percent completed removing the structure that was damaged several years ago by Hurricane Hanna. The pier which is owned by Nueces County will be rebuilt bigger and better than the old one which was built in 1950. The plan is to make the structure wider and possibly have a bigger T-head at the end. Restrooms and shade for the anglers are also in the plans for the new constructed pier. The removed concrete from the old pier is being staged on a barge and floated offshore where a reef will be constructed. I personally can’t wait to be able to fish there.

My dates are becoming very limited thru the remainder of my fishing season. August dates that are still open are,

4,22,23,25,26,29. Several dates in September and October are available also.

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 361813-3716 or e-mail me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

Sponsored by:

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

Page 12

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Remember When —10 Years Ago — August 2012 Taking care of business

Making friends

Ken Volkert says honesty and doing what you say you are going to do are the keys to success.

Manager Brandon Rainer, Rent Equip, is the go-to guy when contractors visit the store to rent tools and construction equipment. –ab

Good to go

They can fix it

Ryan Moore, Moore Electric, says he loves wakeboarding and boating at local lakes after a long day in the field. –ab

Spotlight Feature

L-R: Camille Jacobs, administrative assistant; Tim Weber, project manager; Cheryl Green, project assistant; Barry Wurzel, president; Karen Seitz, office manager/accounting; Charlie McGinty, estimator

Finding the way

Mark Vanek, owner, Cornerstone Concrete Stain, has lived in Austin since 1970.

Clyde Clardy, 4MC Enterprises Ltd., is a fifth generation born in Bastrop Country.

Hull world rocks

Smaller, but still strong

L-R: John Meskey, John Munoz, Rick Hull, Emily Merritt and Jaime Barrientes - Hull Supply

Datum Engineers is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 13

Association Calendar

What was your favorite high school subject and why.

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Aug. 10: Membership Breakfast, DPR Construction, 310 Comal St., 7:30-9:00am, Members Only $30 Aug. 16: August Safety Forum, DPR OES Office, 7900 E. Riverside Dr., 7:30-9am Aug. 25. Membership Mixer, Buck’s Backyard, 1750 FM 1626, Buda, TX, 4:306:30pm. For more info, contact Brian Bisgard at 512-719-5263 or email bbisgard@abccentraltexas.org ACEA Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Association Aug. 11: Monthly Membership Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm. $40 Member, $45 On-site Member, $55 Nonmember. For more info, call Silvia Pendleton at 512-893-7067 AGC Associated General Contractor Texas Aug. 10: Top Golf Networking Event, 5-7pm $50 Member, $60 Non-Member.

For more info, email Toni Osberry at 512994-4401 or email tonio@agcaustin.org CENTEX IEC Central Texas Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors Aug. 24: IEC Luncheon – Generator Installations, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 11617 Research Blvd., 11:30am1pm. For more info, contact David Johnson at 512-832-1333 or email djohnson@centexiec.com CLC Construction Leadership Council Aug. 19: CLC Charity Kickball Tournament, Krieg Field, 515 Pleasant Valley Rd., 9am4pm, Team of 10 - $500; Half Team of 5 -

$250, Individual Player $50. For more info, email Toni Osberry at 512-994-4401 or email tonio@agcaustin.org HBA Home Builders Association Jul. 28: 2022 Top Golf Tournament, Top Golf, 2700 Esperanza Crossing, 3-7pm, Team $425, Individual Player $65. For more info, contact Erin Scott at 512-9829187 or email erin@hbaaustin.com NAWIC National Association of Women in Construction Aug. 3: Chapter Meeting- President’s Choice, TopGolf, 2700 Esperanza Crossing, 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 Aug. 25: Virtual Chapter Meeting. For more info, call 512-301-2744 TSPE Texas Society of Professional Engineers Aug. 3: Professional Engineers Day Social, The Brewtorium, 6015 Dillard Cir. A, 6-8pm. For more info, email tspe.travis@ gmail.com TXAPA Texas Asphalt Pavement Association Aug. 9-25: Inspector Asphalt Education, Tuesdays & Thursday, 8-10:30am.

Aug. 18: TXAPA Live! Fundamentals of Asphalt Pavement Design Using the TxDOT FPS, 3-4pm Aug. 30: Inspector Asphalt Education.

For more info, Beck Schaeffer at 512-3122099 or email bschaeffer@texasasphalt. org.

It was actually auto shop. I like building things or fixing things.

Jon Graves, Coburn & Company Melissa: I loved my English teacher, Mrs. Newton. I just loved the way she taught.

So I guess Senior English was my favorite.

It was the first year they had gifted and talented and Mrs. Newton really believed in me and that’s why I liked it.

Jim: I had a drama coach, Candice Buckley; what an inspiring, effervescent, fabulous person. I didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time to have her as my drama coach.

Jim and Melissa Connelly Jim Connelly Masonry, Inc. My favorite class was Ag, probably because our ag instructor was Bill Nicholas and it was just like having a grandpa teaching class and we got to mess around with all the animals and tractors, and other farm stuff.

LeRee Spiller Tommy Spiller Backhoe Service I would say woodworking. It was just very enjoyable, and the teacher let us run around and pick up things for him. You know, you weren’t in class all the time.

Marvin Gattis Triad Mechanical Services It was algebra. It was the most appealing class.

Jasmine Azima Jasmine Engineering Excluding football, math was my favorite subject in high school. I had some great teachers along the way. Math is

Industry FOLKS David Deschaine Director of Special Projects, Austin Division Alterman Austin, TX

D

avid Deschaine grew up in a military family. He was born in Tucson, AZ, and lived in Tucson, AZ; Colorado Springs, CO; Homestead, FL; but grew up mostly grew up in San Antonio and Boerne, TX. “Boerne was and still is a small town where everyone knew each other. We enjoyed the hill country, Texas country music, and the Guadalupe River.”

A graduate of Boerne High School, David attended Texas State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He had been working as an electrician for about seven years before going back to school at UTSA and is 12 hours shy of completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science at UTSA. “After two years at Texas State, I was still unclear about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My dad recommended I learn a trade. He said, ‘If you figure it out while you are learning to be an electrician, at least you will have a trade to fall back on for the rest of your life.’ It didn’t sound like a bad idea, so I started working as an apprentice with Alterman and went to school at the JATC. Five years later I graduated from the apprenticeship program with my Journeyman’s license and ended up getting my master’s license shortly after that.”

David is the Director of Special Projects for Alterman’s Austin Division.

“We work on projects with a price point from $500k and up. I love the

Greg: Ag Mechanics. It was a country school, so vocational agriculture was the program that we were in, “agricultural mechanics.”

Tina: Office aide. I liked to help them and organize.

Greg and Tina Boyce Boyce Iron and Steel

complexity of the jobs we deal with and taking something from a concept on paper to a finished functioning building.”

He and his wife, Jenn, have been married for five years. They met at a dance hall in San Antonio. Jenn is currently a school teacher at Johnson High School in Buda, TX. David and Jenn have two children – 4-year-old Lucie and 2-year-old Clay, and one dog, Elby. Lucie loves rainbows, unicorns, the movie Encanto and going to the pool. Clay loves big trucks, eating snacks, and anything to do with sports that require a ball. Elby is a 10-year-old blue lacy and has a personality that would resemble Alicia Silverstone’s character in Clueless.

Many people have been influential in David’s life and he says, “I’ve been lucky to have many people which have shaped me into the man I am today.

The foreman and journeyman I worked under in the field helped structure my work ethic and drive. Some of the project managers and directors have taught me how to control costs on projects. My current mentor has shown me how to lead a group of people in a way that brings out their best.”

David’s hobbies include fishing, hunting, playing sports, going to any body of water with family and friends, and going to concerts. -cmw

something I use every day at home and work.

Joseph Norrell, Lott Brothers Construction Company Business and algebra were my favorite subjects. I guess it which makes since that I became a CPA. Mary Cam Anderson Ridout Barrett Texas History without a doubt. We’re proud Texans. My family goes way back.

My grandma was a diehard Texan who took me everywhere around Texas when I was little growing up. She took me to all the historical sites. I’m a ninth-generation Texan. My sons are 10th-generation Texans. God bless Texas.

Krista Fowles Morris Glass Co. Excluding football, math was my favorite subject in high school. I had some great teachers along the way. Math is something I use every day at home and work.

Joseph Norrell, Lott Brothers Construction Company My favorite subject was geometry. I just seemed to know a lot about, and the teacher I had was the best I ever had.

Corey Nelson, Craig Nelson Custom Cabinets Math. It seemed to come easy to me. The amount of math involved in construction and specifically the electrical trade is what made it a natural fit for me.

David Deschaine, Alterman Biology and science were my favorite and still are. I find it fascinating to see how living organisms function. I enjoyed science because there are so many branches of research and knowledge to gain.

Carol Wiatrek Construction News

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

continued from Page 1 — Boyce Iron and Steel

Industry FOLKS Joseph Norrell,

Financial/Projects Manager,

Lott Brothers Construction Company, Round Rock, TX

A

lthough Joseph Norrell was born in Fort Worth, he grew up in Katy, TX. “I enjoyed growing up in Katy. Katy was a large community, but it had a small-town feel about it.”

After graduating from Cinco Ranch High School, Joseph went to Texas State University, choosing finance as his field of study. There he earned a bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in business administration. “I enjoy numbers and have always felt that I could apply finance and business administration to any industry that may interest me.“ Going to college in San Marcos, away but not too far from his family, turned out to be a game changer for Joseph as it taught him lessons that would be of use as he got older. “College life was great for getting out on my own, learning time management, and other responsibilities. Nor did not I mind being close to the river.”

He met his wife Kristin online. Kristin is an ICU nurse at St. David’s Medical Center. They have been married just under a year and are looking forward to welcoming their first child, Wyatt Blake Norrell, on Aug. 12.

When Baby Wyatt arrives, he will be welcomed not just by his mom and dad, but by their four dogs. “We have a soft spot for dogs and have somehow rescued four through one avenue or another. They keep us busy. Teddy is a

M

Great Pyrenees/German Shepherd Mix, Lyla is a German Shepherd mix, Tippy is a Lab/Boxer mix and Jackson is a Pit Bull/Beagle mix.”

Joseph’s interest in construction was spiked while working at a bank during graduate school when he, his father, and grandfather built a deer blind.

It was then, according to Joseph, that he immediately felt how rewarding turning 2x4s, plywood, and plexiglass into a deer blind was. Shortly thereafter, he got in touch with Lott Brothers Construction through Texas State’s graduate outreach advisor and the rest is history.

Now he manages the financial aspect of projects from start to finish with Lott Brothers’ preconstruction managers and project managers. “Lott Brothers Construction Company is a big family. The organization truly has my back, inside and outside of work.”

When Joseph is not working, he likes to be on a golf course. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, playing softball, basketball, and other sports. His father is his greatest mentor.

“He taught me the value of treating people the right way, doing things the right way, and how to establish a good work ethic while keeping a work-life balance.” -cmw

Golfing at Falconhead

embers and guests of the Central Texas Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) hit the greens for a fun day of golf. On Jun. 23, ABC hosted its Annual Golf Tournament. The event was held at the beautiful Falconhead Golf Club. It was a beautiful, but hot day and yet, nobody seemed to mind. -cmw

come a long way since her early days with Boyce. Keeping up with how general contractors and those in the field do business is always changing and always challenging.

Tina keeps up with all the various jobs, and makes sure everyone gets paid and everything paid for. She also reads the contracts and just coordinates it all.

“Keep in mind Tina is the brains of the company,” Greg said, joking but not really. “I’m just the figurehead. I’m like the Queen of England. I just wave and look at people and shake hands.”

After working for Jim for a spell, Greg and Tina, now married, bought the assets to Boyce Industries and started Boyce Iron & Steel in 2010.

“It was slow at first,” Tina said. “We were building planter boxes. That was a new concept to us.”

“When we started,” Greg added, “we had 50 percent of all the work in Austin.

However, there were only two apartment jobs in Austin in 2010 and we had 50 percent.” If nothing else, Greg is a cup-ishalf-full kind of guy.

Now, however, Boyce goes all over Texas, dealing a lot with contractors with whom they have worked in the past. “It’s just that bond, that familiarity that we all have working together,” Greg said.

“We’re not the cheapest and we’re not the smallest or the biggest,” Greg said, “but we’re able to be a lot more

Greg and Tina Boyce

hands on than a lot of big companies.”

Boyce Iron & Steel moved to its current location in 2020. “We have a total of 16 acres here, but our shop is on eight acres,” Tina said.

Even with some of the current challenges of fluctuating prices, supply channel issues, the Boyces are continuing their family legacy as well as planning for the future. “We are trying to expand in different ways which we’ve never done, and we know eventually as good as apartments are,” Greg said, “everything has to come to a correction or to an end.”

The next Boyce to advance the company is their 29-year-old son, who is currently a field superintendent.

But for now, Greg and Tina have their hands plenty full of work and projects, making a lot more than just planter boxes.

Boyce Iron & Steel, Inc., specializes in multifamily fabrication of stairs, railing and fencing, based in Niederwald. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Morris Glass inside and out. Brad, is the company’s general manager and has been with Morris Glass for 20 years. And, just like Krista, her boys, who are 8 and 11 years old, come to work and have their own desk.

“It’s so surreal,” adds Krista. “It’s almost like I’m watching them do my childhood all over again. It’s pretty neat - I hear Brad say the same thing, kind of like my dad said when we drove around back in the day about my mom.”

Morris Glass celebrates 35 years in business this year. They have grown from a two-and-a-half-person operation (including Krista) to a company of 20 talented and loyal team members. Nine of them have been with the company for 11 to 26 years. We have our estimator, Jared Burke, he actually graduated out of Sam Houston as an intern for us. He’s been here almost 15 years. And then our project manager, Jennifer crews. She’s been here almost 20 years.

“Our estimator, Jared Burke, graduated from Sam Houston University when he was an intern working for us. He’s been here almost 15 years. And, our project manager, Jennifer Crews. She’s been here almost 20 years.”

The company has evolved from installing auto glass to commercial installa-

tion. “We’re mainly commercial – new, out-of-the-ground commercial buildings is most of our business,” says Kerry. “The rest of the business is new custom homes, showers, mirrors, and glass handrails. We probably have 10 to 12 custom home builders that we’ve been doing business with for years and years.”

“Clay Williams is our residential superintendent,” adds Krista. “He’s been with us for 26 years. He runs are whole residential department. I’ve known him my whole life and the home builders just love Clay. He’s like an artist.”

As preparations are underway for a 35th-anniversary celebration, the Morris family is proud that Morris Glass Co. is a Texas family-owned and operated business. They are proud of their multi-generational Texas roots, and their love of Texas is evident in the company’s respect and hospitality of family, employees, friends, clients - everyone. “The family and the employees are what make this business what it is,” Kerry says. “My dad doesn’t know a stranger. He loves meeting and talking to people. That’s the coolest thing about this company. I hope we can keep it that way,” adds Krista.

Morris Glass Co. is located in Round Rock, TX. -cmw

DPR Construction, 1st Place

continued from Page 1 — Jasmine Engineering

Way Mechanical, 2nd Place

Rudick Construction Group, 3rd Place

hard work paid off. “I gained respect and recognition nationwide by competing and getting work in a male-dominated field,” Jasmine said.

Her love of Texas is evident by her many board affiliations and civic involvements, such as: The University of Texas at Austin Engineering Foundation Advisory Board; the Austin Community College Education Advisory Committee; Trinity University Department of Engineering; and the San Antonio Library Foundation.

Jasmine received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Construction in 1990.

Jasmine Engineering has completed over $25 billion in construction cost and more than 1,000 projects. Jasmine Engineering was the first Commissioning Authority in San Antonio and in Austin Texas, and was the first Commissioning Authority hired by: Texas A & M, Acelity (KCI), Southwest Keys in Austin, Texas Women’s University and many other institutions and clients.

Jasmine Engineering has assisted many

clients in obtaining LEED Silver and LEED Gold Certifications (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design).

“The work is demanding but, it is a joyful and rewarding business that has allowed me to work with many great clients. I love to connect with them.” Jasmine Engineering is proud of having been a part of every significant project in Austin and San Antonio. Projects such as the Alamodome; The University of Texas Moody Center; The Independent (the tallest highrise residential building in Austin and West Mississippi River); turning the old Bergstrom Air Force Base into the Bergstrom International Airport; San Antonio International Airport; the Austin Convention Center expansion as well as the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center expansion in San Antonio; and many corporate commercial projects nationwide.

Jasmine summed it up. Jasmine Engineering provides Owner Representation and Commissioning Services of all types.

It is headquartered in San Antonio but also has an Austin office. -dsz

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 15

Derby day

Changing, but fun times

W

elcome to the Kentucky Derby, NAWIC style!

On May 4, members of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held their NAWIC Derby Fundraiser for NEF. The NAWIC Education Foundation (NEF) provides educational courses and certifications, including CIT, CIS, CBT, CDT, and ESP. The fundraising event included horse racing, horse betting, big hats, mint juleps and loads of fun! -cmw

Race 1

Jim and Melissa Connelly

J

Race 2

Team 1

Team 2

im Connelly has been running Jim Connelly Masonry, Inc., for over 40 years now. That’s a good chunk of time to see a lot of changes in the business, some were received well, some not.

Wife Melissa is Jim’s partner and force multiplier when it comes to making sure the show runs smoothly.

“I unravel the mysteries of the computer and smartphone,” she said.

“AT&T bought Sprint, and they forced Jim to get a smartphone,” which forced him to give up his beloved flip phone.

Ouch.

What else has changed since the early days? “Everything is the short answer,” Melissa said.

She would have to personally go down to a graphics store in town to get copies of blueprints. “Some of these were huge plans, 40 or 50 sheets,” she said. “At some point we got a large-scale copier and I figured out how to make it work.”

Now that Jim has a smartphone, that makes contact with his foreman, Armando Avila, in the field that much more efficient. “If Avila has a question,” he said, “he can send me a picture and I can respond based on that picture instead of his description.”

Another nice change in Jim’s craft is how he gets the actual stone for their projects.

“Stone is pretty well processed,” he

said. “When we used to get it, it was just broken out of the hillside. It was in these large horizontal sheets and they’d put them on a truck and send them to us.

[Now], the horizontal sheets are broken up and put in a truck; the big blocks are sawn into pieces and ready to install.”

A big change in how Connelly does things is the number of jobs and the length of the project. “We’re doing mostly homeowner stuff,” he said.

Instead of fewer big projects, which took up a longer period of time, Connelly Masonry does more shorter jobs. “A lot of our jobs are two-day jobs or three-day jobs. We used to do two-month jobs,” he said.

“The challenge is making sure [the crews] have everything they need for tomorrow,” Connelly said. When they finish one job and move to the next, Connelly has to have everything ready to go. “We’re very mobile,” he said, “and that’s its own challenge.”

Connelly prefers the new rhythm of his work. “I enjoy it. It’s fun to finish a job and look at it and meet with the customer that is so happy. You get that reinforcement [immediately] instead of once every two months,” he said.

And with his new smartphone, Connelly can have a picture of his newly finished job right then and there.

Jim Connelly Masonry, Inc., offers a wide variety of masonry services, based in Austin. -dsz

Page 16

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

The Davis Residence

T

he bulk of Chris Toth, CD Lone Star Inc’s 46 years as a masonry contractor has been in commercial construction but the early part of his career was in residential construction for which he has always felt a certain synergy. “The idea that people and families are living out their lives in something I helped to build has always been meaningful to me,” says Toth. “And it’s easy to feel more connected to these types of projects when your opinions and ideas are welcomed and even made part of the final details.”

Such was the case with the Davis residence. From the onset, Mr. and Mrs. Davis were present and personally involved in this project; after all, this was their dream home that they had spent years planning and developing.

CD Lone Star Inc. first came on site in early March 2020 and had only been there a short time when the city of Austin issued its “stay-at-home” order in reaction to COVID. On the day of the order, Mr. Davis called Toth and asked how many workers he had in his crew. With the count given, Toth returned the next day to secure their materials and equipment for the anticipated furlough and Mr. Davis gave each member of his crew a $100 gift certificate to H-E-B to help them deal with the coming effects of lost wages.

“Unexpected generosity is incredibly heartwarming, and it’s certainly not something you typically experience in construction,” Toth recalled.

Thankfully, construction was deemed essential, and they were able to

return to complete the initial phase of the masonry on the project. “I was fortunate to come to know Mr. Davis better during those weeks and discovered we shared many of the same sensibilities,” he adds.

While waiting for the next phase of the work to be ready, Toth learned Mr. Davis had contracted COVID and although it was not a severe case, he struggled to fully recover. This led to the discovery of a terminal illness to which Mr. Davis succumbed in July 2021.

“He and Mrs. Davis poured their hearts into this project and there are numerous details in the brickwork that reflect their personal touch,” states Toth.

“Mrs. Davis ardently continued the project, which in my thoughtful opinion honors Mr. Davis. I know for myself, and many

of the tradesmen involved, work on the project became more meaningful.”

CD Lone Star Inc. recently received a Golden Trowel Award at the Central Texas Masonry Contractors Association’s (CTMCA) awards program for excellence in masonry. This automatically enters the project into the Texas Masonry Council’s (TMC) state-wide awards program in San Antonio in August.

Whether or not there is another award in the future for this project, it will stand as a testament to the Davis’ commitment to the work of this project, and each other.

CD Lone Star Inc. is a full-service masonry contractor in Pflugerville, TX. -cmw

Courtyard

Davis residence, south side

CD Lone Star Inc Pflugerville, TX

Back yard steps

Mesa Rim

N

orth Austin will soon be home to one of the nation’s largest indoor rock-climbing facilities. DKC Construction Group has been working with the California-based Mesa Rim Climbing Centers for over three years helping to make this dream come true. With multiple locations in California and Nevada, Mesa Rim’s Austin location will be their first facility in Texas and will be Austin’s largest climbing gym regarding area and climbing height.

The 52,000-plus SF building boasts nearly 60-foot-high climbing walls, bouldering climbing features, yoga classes, full-scale weight training, fitness areas, and relaxing sauna facilities. All ages, abil-

Mesa Rim

ities, and experience levels are welcome – Mesa Rim will offer a spectrum of facilities and training to welcome and teach novice climbers, but even challenge the most seasoned pros. By combining multiple disciplines and catering to the full range of abilities, Mesa Rim will seek to be a home away from home for the whole community to engage in healthful and fun activities by moving, growing, and having fun together.

The relationship between real estate broker Metis Capital & Mesa Rim started back in 2019 when the two met through a phone call. They quickly realized that Mesa Rim was a perfect fit for Austin Texas, and Austin Texas was a perfect fit for

Mesa Rim under construction

Mesa Rim. Austin TX has a vibrant and growing climbing community, along with some great gyms and outdoor climbing, but there were no full-scale or high-wall climbing facilities that offered all-year comprehensive climbing options.

Soon after that conversation, DKC Construction Group and Tenet Design, the project architect, were brought in to help with the design-build aspect of this unique concept. As you can imagine, navigating the design and construction during the past few years of pandemics and price increases was not an easy feat.

However, the “outside of the box” thinking brought on by the team was enough to bring the concept to life and fulfill the

dream of the Mesa Rim team.

“We couldn’t have picked a better team to help us plan and execute this amazing building,” said Marlowe Kulley, Mesa Rim’s CFO and Austin project manager, “We are beyond thrilled to bring this amazing climbing space to the Austin community.”

DKC Construction Group is set to deliver Mesa Rim, a Metis Capital development, to North Austin in October 2022, and will be located at 1205 Sheldon Cove Building 3, Austin TX. -cmw DKC Construction Group Austin, TX

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

R

Page 17

Firehouse Animal Center and Pet Resort

ock Solid USA is a family-owned business with 25-plus years in the decorative concrete industry.

Centrally located in the United States, Rock Solid USA has expanded its services nationwide over the years and has maintained a valued trade relationship with its clients in commercial and residential industries. Rock Solid USA prides itself in the quality and value of work it provides its customers. While Rock Sock Solid USA concentrates mostly on the larger commercial projects, they can handle the largest commercial projects to the smallest of residential homeowner projects.

Through Rock Solid USA’s many years of business, they have established longterm relationships with all their clients and continue to service them with the utmost quality and workmanship in the industry. “Experience has been key to our success and provides Rock Solid USA with the knowledge to be a leader in technology, equipment, and methodology in the decorative concrete industry,” says Rock Solid President and Owner, Robert Case.

Rock Solid USA has completed many large-scale projects that include: Stamping and Staining, Polishing and Burnishing, Cleaning and Sealing, Specialized Placement and Finishing, Structure Modifications and Remodels, Sandblasting, Terrazzo, Precast Elements, Epoxy coatings, Urethane Mortars, Epoxy Mortars, MMA’s, Cementitious Overlays and Underlayments and many other decorative concrete elements. Rock Solid USA provides a long list of products by a multitude of vendors and manufacturers and is a certified installer of all of them. If it has something to do with decorative concrete, “We Have Done It,” Case adds.

The Firehouse Animal Center and Pet

D

aniel Arredondo became familiar with Schweiss Doors as an aviator attending various air shows where he had seen advertisements for the doors in various magazines. So, when he was ready to build a hangar for his Lancair Evolution aircraft, he did his homework.

The 3,000sf, 50ft by 60ft hangar located at Boerne Stage Airfield was recently built with a Schweiss 56ft by 16ft hydraulic door. The hangar was built by Nueva Home Builders of San Antonio, TX. Arredondo, the hangar owner, uses the hangar for his Lancair Evolution, an American pressurized, low wing, fourplace, single-engine light aircraft, and for his Cessna Silver Eagle. “Our installer, Karl Webin, who is familiar with Schweiss Doors, and my brother, Daniel Arredondo, did some research on the internet and that’s how they came across the Schweiss product,” said Nueva Construction Owner Alex Arredondo.

A total of eight 4ft by 3ft windows on the hydraulic door give ultimate use of available natural light to brighten up the inside of the newly built hangar. The door also has electric photo eye sensors and a remote opening system. The hangar has an adjoining loft tied into the hangar that will be connected to a yet-to-be-built home.

“It’s fantastic! It’s an impressive one-piece movement. It’s really, really cool. It has great engineering. I saw that Schweiss Doors was the first to put windows in the door; I thought it gave an aesthetic look for a hangar home. I’m a happy camper,” said Arredondo who works as a commodities trader in Mexico City. -cmw

Firehouse Animal Center and Pet Resort

Resort project in Kyle, TX was another project performed by the Rock Solid team.

Rock Solid USA provided high sheen and joint treatment throughout the animal center, as well as, provided a decorative epoxy flake floor with an integrated epoxy cove base throughout the Pet Resort. These decorative concrete treatments are not only appealing to the eye, but they will also offer the owner many years of commercial use. With a facility that is based on cleanliness, our product will allow the end user to enjoy the aesthetic and cleanability of their flooring.

Denver, CO general contractor, CMC Group Inc., was the contractor for the project.

Located in Kyle, TX, Rock Solid USA specializes in decorative concrete systems and solutions. -cmw

Lobby

High sheen, joint-sealed concrete Laundry and staff work station

Decorative epoxy flake flooring

Rock Solid USA Kyle TX

Boerne Stage Airfield

Boerne Stage is an airfield located near San Antonio is home to many Schweiss hangar doors. It’s known as the aviation gateway to the Texas Hill Country.

Connected to the hangar is a loft that leads to Arredondo’s Stage Airfield hangar home built by Nueva Construction of San Antonio, TX. Even with eight windows spaced across the 56’ wide hydraulic door, when wide open it still provides a large canopy to provide shade within the hangar.

Schweiss Doors Boerne, TX

Page 18

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

JOB SIGHTS

Broaddus Construction Superintendent Roy Whatley oversees the progression of the new Aquarena Springs retail development project in San Marcos near Texas State University. – cmw

L-R: Matthew Tijerina, Jose Javier Lopez and Central Texas Sealants & Waterproofing LLC Owner Rene Moreno, install a cementitious coating (xypex system) to a below grade elevator pit at the Medical Towers at Onion Creek project in South Austin. -cmw

Austin Construction News • AUG 2022

Page 19

Giving back

A

David Weekley Homes Austin team members built 20 beds.

project to build one bed for a single family in the heart of the Christmas season with brutally cold temperatures and snowstorms, turned into something grand.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace got its start after the construction of that first bed when the builder wondered, “Who else could benefit from this bunk?” An unexpected response developed after a Facebook post. What was thought to be a slew of requests from needy families, turned into a litany of local people eager to help and volunteer. Their generosity was so surprising that it was no longer a search for one who needed a bed, but a question of how many beds could be provided. From there, Sleep in Heavenly Peace became reality.

Through the company’s CARE Build Month projects, David Weekley Homes partnered with 18 local nonprofit organizations. Team members across the country volunteered more than 3,800 hours to complete a variety of projects that benefitted more than 1,000

individuals.

Seventeen of the company’s 19 local divisions including David Weekley’s corporate office, completed projects to build a total of 963 beds. Among them was a partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Austin chapter. In all, a total of 950 team members assisted with these projects across the country with many also assisting with the delivery of the new beds to the children.

Weekley volunteer team members received help with the projects from trade and vendor partners, real estate partners and the community through donations of bedding and toiletries.

The project was an initiative of the company’s CARE program which is a charitable and volunteer program that partners team members, homeowners, homebuyers, and community partners with nonprofits to make a positive impact in the lives of everyone it touches and in all the communities it builds through its purpose, Building Dreams, Enhancing Lives. -cmw

Bag tossing

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) held their 2022 Cornhole Tournament on May 14. The event was held at Arizona Tile. Moderno Porcelain Works’ Eric Winter and Daniel Minor took second place while Austin Deck’s Donnie and Emily VanCourt took first place. -cmw

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Austin Construction News • AUG 2022