Currently celebrating five years in business, FSS was founded by Brian Holt and Richard Reed , and has con centrated on providing foundation re pair services to homes and businesses, along with crawl space encapsulation, waterproofing services, and concrete re pair.As Texas continues an explosive market, Groundworks conducted a mar ket analysis to assess the competition. In FSS, they found them to be a highly re garded provider, well-known for their ability to address climate, soil type, con struction trends, and other factors plaguing Texas homes. They have been delivering proper steel pier solutions in the foundation repair business for the consumers of San Antonio and Austin.
Rhino Roofers’ San Antonio and Austin team members R hino Roofers, one of San Antonio’s newest roofing companies, recent ly celebrated its first anniversary. The company was founded by a group of roofing industry veterans, Da vid Villarreal , Dante Cantu , and Misti White . Experienced in starting and run ning successful businesses, Cantu joined forces with Villarreal and White, who have over 20 years of roofing experience each, to establish Rhino Roofers in April 2021.“As our website says, our team is dedicated to giving our clients the 5-star, white-glove experience,” says Sales Manager Jacob LaRue . “We be lieve that separates us from all the other contractors. In addition to providing the highest quality products and workman ship, we also aim to provide outstanding customerWantingservice.”Rhino Roofers to stand apart from their competition, the trio did their homework before taking on their first project. “Part of the vision of Rhino was to build a roofing company that’s completely different from the rest of the industry,” LaRue states. “When the partnership agreement was signed the company started, there were months of planning before we even started building in San Antonio. We didn’t have our first full month, actual sales, and roof build until August of 2021. A lot of that was planning, building the right in frastructure, determining how we could give back to the community, and build ing the right team of people dedicated to helping our customers.” With all the right pieces of the puz zle coming together, one short year lat er, Rhino Roofers’ team is 50-plus em ployees strong. “The experience from David and Misti, who’ve been in the in dustry was a key component. Misti ran roofing companies here in San Antonio
Waterproofing The dynamite duo met through mu tual friends and discovered they had a lot of things in common, waterproofing being one of those things. But it would be four years before they decided to go into business for themselves. “It’s a unique partnership because we each brought something to the table that we can help grow this business,” adds Welch. “Jason’s initial background was in new construction. I had done wa terproofing almost my entire life, but never new construction. It was always restoration.”OmegaWaterproofing was started in May of 2020. With only two years in busi ness, Omega has already grown out of its original location, a 1,200-sf shop and
Part of a bigger picture F oundation Solution Systems (FSS), a family-owned foundation repair service company, has been ac quired by Groundworks.®
The acquisition of FSS becomes Groundworks’ 26th acquisition and its entrance into the Texas market. “We look forward to quickly expanding FSS across the state to deliver a new stan dard of excellence in Texas,” says Matt Malone, Groundworks Founder, and CEO.Finalized on Jul. 18, the acquisition will allow FSS to keep its name and its 55 employees who will become part of the Groundworks family. “We have achieved remarkable growth through our com mitment to customer service, including internally. We are proud to welcome the FSS team to the Groundworks’ mission.
Celebrating one year
PRSRT. STD. U.S. PERMITDALLAS,PAIDPOSTAGETX#1451 P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290 Change Service RequestedStyleTexas Covering the Industry’s News San Antonio H Austin continued on Page 18 continued on Page 18 continued on Page 18 The Industry’s Newspaper San Antonio CONSTRUCTION NEWS www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 24 H Number 9 H SEPTEMBER 2022
Foundation Solutions Systems team members
John Welch and Jason Sappenfield
New, but experienced G rowing up in the construction in dustry tends to be the basis for many young, up-and-coming in dividuals getting their start in construc tion. The same can be said for John Welch and Jason Sappenfield “My dad did waterproofing,” says Welch. “So, you could say I was born into it. After college, I got right back into it.” Sappenfield’s father was a general contractor for 40 years until he retired. Always an entrepreneurial spirit, Sap penfield started with a lawn mowing company. After graduating from Texas State University, he knew he wanted to open another business. On his dad’s rec ommendation, he started a waterproof ing company in Amarillo. After about 10 years, he moved to San Antonio, and to gether he and Welch started Omega
CB Christians and Leslie Rosales are proud to be carrying on their family’s leg acy. The generations of keen business sense with a willingness to provide topnotch customer service is truly reflected within this fourth generation. “Supplying is our specialty,” adds Ro sales. “We will ensure our customers get what they need; when they need it. We always have, and always will.”
Texas First Rentals®, a construction equipment rental company and a division of HOLT, has expanded its footprint in Texas.
The Fredericksburg branch will oper ate from Class A Equipment Rentals’ cur rent location until construction on Texas First Rentals’ new facility is complete in earlyClass2023.A Equipment Rentals will as sume the Texas First Rentals name imme diately. Class A Equipment Rentals’ team members will maintain their positions and continue serving Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country as employees of Texas First Rentals. Prior to the acquisition of Class A Equipment Rentals, Texas First Rentals serviced Fredericksburg and the Hill Country from its North San Antonio branch off Loop 1604. Already serving this area, Texas First Rentals knew the de mand was there as they are continually evaluating the needs of their customers.
“We felt to service the customers better, we should consider a facility with a shorter response time,” says Texas First Rentals Senior Vice President Don Myrick . “We can respond quicker and continue to provide legendary customer service more efficiently if we’re in the community versus being an hour and a half away. Our search for a new location in Fredericksburg ultimately led us to so lidify an agreement with Class A Equip mentAdditionally,Rentals.” the new branch in Fred ericksburg will continue to carry its full line of heavy equipment and customize its inventory to meet the needs of the Hill Country customer base. “The acquisition provided a good mix of inventory,” adds Myrick. “The fleet for that geographical area, as well as that of the Tradesmen branch, since they’ve been servicing that area for some time, have developed an inventory that works well with the cus tomer needs in that area.” The Class A Equipment Rentals team is well known to the Fredericksburg com munity and will be joined with additional personnel to help serve an even larger area. Texas First Rentals will add sales representatives, a transportation driver, and a manager to its Fredericksburg team.“As a previous customer of HOLT CAT, we recognized the value Class A Equipment Rentals, and its employees bring to the community. We are confi dent the business and team built by Claudyne and Tracy Clark align well with our values and we look forward to expanding upon the success of Class A Equipment Rentals.” The future home of Texas First Rent als is currently underway and will be lo cated at 448 FM 2093, Fredericksburg, Texas. Texas First Rentals® is part of the HOLT family of companies. -cmw Don Myrick, Vice President of Texas First Rentals
Since the early 1900s, the name Chris tians has been a reputable name in the construction industry. In 1910, Chris B. Christians II founded Chris B. Christians Inc. and gained national recog nition as a pioneer in the lath and plaster industry. The second generation, Buddy and Sonny Christians, joined the family business in the 1950s continuing its lega cy. Buddy and Sonny had a keen sense for business, and through the hard work they were known for, branched out, ex panding the company with the purchase of Lynwood Brick and Tile in 1974. As ma terial sales grew at an expeditious pace, the brothers decided to separate the ma terial sales from the contracting compa ny, giving birth to Lynwood Building Ma terials in From1980.itshumble beginnings, Chris B. Christians II’s grandson, CEO Chris B. Christians III has owned and operated Lynwood Building Materials. Quality product and customer service remains a familyKeepingtradition.the family tradition alive, the fourth generation of Christians’ have joined the business and are eager to lead the company into the future. CB Chris tians and Leslie Rosales both have years of experience working at Lynwood learn ing the ins and outs of the business and industry.“Maintaining the high standards and quality customer service that our dad in stilled in us, that his father instilled in him, is our number one priority,” says CB, vice president of Lynwood Building Materials.
Page 2 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
On Aug. 1, Texas First announced it acquired Class A Equipment Rentals in Fredericksburg to better serve the Texas Hill Country. Serving 118 Texas counties spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande™, Texas First Rentals offers a full line of aerial, dirt, and portable power rental equipment such as booms, scissor lifts, excavators, generators, pumps, and trench safety equipment.
A Hill Country footprint
Lynwood Building Materials Lynwood Building Materials is a full line drywall, in sulation and acoustical ceiling, lath and plaster supply house. -cmw L-R: Leslie Rosales and CB Christians
As these are unprecedented times, both CB and his sister, Leslie, admit that they are trying to survive the times of price increases and labor shortages like everybody else. “It’s funny, things we have trouble getting one month, we get easily the next. But then it changes to something else we can’t get,” CB adds. When asked how long they thought this cycle would continue, they both stat ed they weren’t sure. “People in the in dustry are saying that rate hikes are slow ing things down a bit, but San Antonio and Texas have always weathered the storm better than most,” CB continues.
Lynwood Building Materials contin ues to offer a full line drywall, insulation and acoustical ceiling, lath and plaster supplies. “We have products to support the trades,” adds Assistant Manager Les lie Rosales. “We also carry general con tractor supplies from paper cups to brooms, as well as most general interior finish-out supplies.”
Four generations strong
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 3
Page 4 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Anto nio Chapter’s community service efforts were a big win for San Antonio children. The chapter collected $5,000 worth of school supplies benefitting Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) and over 100 books benefitting the SAISD Book Buddies program just in time for the 2022-2023 school year. NAWIC-cmwmembers help SAISD Book Buddies program Community service NAWIC members drop off school supplies to benefit CASA Partner with us and extend your reach. To learn more about how your company will benefit, contact us today! San Antonio H Austin www.ConstructionNews.net 210-308-5800 Construction News and you . . . a solid foundation.
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 5 Making time Construction News ON LOCATION
After 28 years, the Associated Gen eral Contractors San Antonio Chapter welcomes a new chapter as Chapter President Doug McMurry re tires and Lauren Mandel takes the reins as AGC’s new chapter president. Like her predecessor, Mandel comes to AGC with a political background. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, Mandel started her career in the non-profit sector doing fundraising, vol unteer management, and event plan ning. She then moved into the corporate arena going to work for a credit union as a corporate communications officer han dling communications and community relations – how to interact with the phil anthropic community, and in govern ment has always been in the political world. She left the credit union to become the Director of External Relations for former Bexar County Com missioner Kevin Wolff. During her first year as director of external relations, she was promoted to Commissioner Wolff’s Chief of Staff, a position she held for al most four years until the commissioner decided not to seek re-election. She then joined former Secretary of State Rolando Pablos’ economic development firm. With a six-month contract as his Vice President of Public Affairs, she then went on to run a state representative’s house campaign earlier this year as campaign manager.“I’mso excited to have this opportu nity to advocate for one of the oldest in dustries in America,” said Mandel. “Our economy, our communities, don’t exist without the construction industry. I’m ex cited to learn more about the industry, visit the job sites, and hear all the differ ent perspectives from people who work in the industry. I’ll be spending my first couple of months going on a listening tour, talking to people, visiting sites, visit ing offices, and finding out what are the things that matter most to this industry.” With 2023 being a legislative year, Mandel wants to also spend the next six to seven months learning about the is sues that impact the construction indus try the most - Where does the industry need to go on the offense with the legis lature? Where does it need to go on the defense?Mandel will also focus on retaining and growing the association’s member ship. “I’d like to put out some sort of sur vey to the members, for my edification. I want to hear from the membership what they’re getting, and what they’re not get ting. What do we need to do for them, so we understand the role AGC plays in the construction community.”
Mandel’srelations.passion
Taking the reins
Mandel, who was born and raised in Houston, moved to San Antonio more than 10 years ago. She and her husband Jeremy, a San Antonio native, have been married for 10 years and have a beautiful daughter, Maggie who is just started the firstItgrade.comes as no surprise that Mandel is a huge Astro fan and says Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are her favorite Astros. Since coming to San Antonio, she has be come a big Spurs fan and says her broth ers still haven’t forgiven her for giving up on her Rockets fandom. “Doug has done such a good job of representing this community over the past 28 years. My goal is to pick up the baton and keep moving AGC and the construction industry forward. I hope that we can continue to facilitate an envi ronment in the city and state, that is busi ness and construction friendly, so we can create even more business for our indus try.” -cmw Lauren Mandel
Executive Director Sande Morgan Mechanical Contractors Association – Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning National Association (MCA-SMACNA), makes time to visit with Construction News while preparing for MCA-SMACNA’s 44th Hunter’s Symposium. -cmw
The median age of construction workers increased to 42.9 from 2010 to 2020, an increase of 1.3 years. For the economy as a whole, the increase was 0.5 years over the same time frame. And many owners of construction firms are at an age where they need to consider succession planning. According to the latest survey on ownership transfer and management succession by research firm Future Market Insights, a majority of those surveyed plan to exit their business in the next five years or so. But at the same time, more than 50% reported that they do not have an ownership transfer plan.The exit strategies usually fall into five categories: • Liquidate the business • Sell to an external third party (competitor, private equity, etc.)
Telematics Telematics systems are often used in the construction industry to help provide data on machines including GPS loca tion, fuel consumption, idle times and more. By looking at this data, employers are able to see which machines are active on a job site and adjust fleet size accord ingly.While monitoring telematics, em ployers are able to identify problems ear ly in the process to correct driver behav ior. Owners or fleet managers can also run reports to identify individuals who are overworking or misusing equipment. This allows the construction company to not only identify reduced labor costs, but also avoid excessive wear and tear on equipment.Someinsurance providers will pro vide discounts or reduced deductibles if company equipment has GPS tracking capabilities. Construction companies with a large fleet size may use telematics to streamline organizational communi cation between office staff and drivers.
The Nitsche Group Lampasas County, TX INSURANCE
The last disadvantage is that ESOPs require significant management time and resources. These resources will need to be used to meet rules related to ac counting, the Internal Revenue Code and the Department of Labor. Meeting these rules can be burdensome and will require continued annual fees, such as formal val uation and audit requirements that come with implementation of an ESOP. The takeaway It is important to note that if a con tractor is interested in pursuing an ESOP, that contractor should meet with busi ness advisors including attorneys, lend ers, certified public accountants, fiducia ries and other administrative profession als to discuss implementation and per form a feasibility analysis. This analysis will help to test the assumptions that go into an ESOP and what the expected benefits would be for employees and help to determine whether an ESOP is a viable exit strategy.
Importance of driver safety to a busi ness Without proper driver safety mea sures, businesses may be putting the welfare of employees at risk. Implement ing a fleet management safety program will help protect against liability from ve hicle accidents. Checking MVRs will help ensure that potential hires have a good driving history and are responsible em ployees.When creating a culture of distracted driving awareness, it’s important to keep an ongoing and open line of communica tion with your employees regarding a safety-first mentality. We all know how important it is to your destination— whether you’re traveling for personal reasons or for your job. Training your em ployees to stay focused on the road and avoid distractions will help them not only reach their destination quickly, but do so safely too.
• Sell or gift to a family member Sell to employees Sell or gift to both family and Amidemployeesthisrange of choices, the em ployee stock ownership plan has increas ingly stood out in recent years. Employees as owners An ESOP is a qualified employee re tirement plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ESOPs function to reward employees with an ownership stake in the business that they work for, allowing them to share in the successes of the company while also providing for a tax-advantaged tran sition plan for owners and the sponsoring ESOPOncecompanies.thecompany adopts the ESOP trust, that trust can purchase shares of stock from the owner using borrowed funds from the company, a bank or the selling shareholder.
How fleet management safety programs create a healthy company culture
Page 6 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
Nick Grandy, Real Estate Industry Senior Analyst RSM US Austin/San Antonio, TX But what’s the right succession plan? It’s no small consideration for an owner who has spent a career building a business and wants to see that legacy continue.For many in the construction industry, that answer is increasingly found in an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, which allows for continuity in the sale process, and can provide tax savings as well An aging industry Indeed, the construction industry is ripe for a transition to the next generation.
Advantages An ESOP can provide certain advantages to a selling shareholder, including the continuity of the existing company and tax savings. Using an ESOP can provide an owner with a structured exit over a longer timeframe, should the owner want to stay involved. This is typically achieved because the owner is not required to sell 100% of the business in the transaction, although an owner can defer tax on the gains made from the sale of an ESOP if the ESOP holds 30% or more of the stock, along with meeting other requirements. By not having to divest fully, an owner can continue to be involved with the business while determining the proper succession plan. The second advantage is taxes, and it’s not just for the owner. If the sale of the company is at least 30% of the stock from the seller—and the company is a tax-paying C corporation at the time the ESOP acquires the stock— the seller may defer paying capital gains taxes by electing Section 1042 of the Internal Revenue Code. This can lead to tax savings for the seller. Another major tax advantage results from the sponsoring company. Businesses can borrow money to fund ESOPs and repay these loans with pretax dollars because both the principal and interest are deductible when repaying an ESOP loan (as opposed to just the interest in a conventional loan). This can be a significant savings on cash flows for the company.Consider this example: A company, taxed at a 35% tax rate, wants to borrow $1 million. The firm arranges conventional financing at 10% annual interest and makes equal annual principal payments over five years. The following represents the summary of after-tax cash incurred by the company with conventional lending versus ESOP financing. There is a $350,000 difference be tween conventional debt lending versus ESOP financing. This makes the ESOP fi nancing less risky to lenders and allows for greater cash flows for the company. Disadvantages There are some disadvantages to ESOPs as well. One is a result of balance sheet leverage. If a company borrows money and then lends it to the ESOP to enable the ESOP to make a leveraged purchase of company stock, this will hurt the company’s equity position (as liabili ties will increase and equity decreases). This reduction could have an impact on the company’s financial leverage and af fect both bonding capacity and poten tial financing with third-party lenders. Another disadvantage is that the trustee of the ESOP needs to monitor the repurchase obligations of an ESOP. The timing of redemptions will need to be monitored to ensure that there is signifi cant cash or liquid assets available to meet the repurchase requirements needed for the ESOP. The price of which will be determined annually through a formal valuation process. Moreover, if the value of the company does not regu larly increase, employees may feel that the ESOP is less attractive for them than other profit-sharing plans.
ACCOUNTING How an ESOP can preserve a business and a legacy
With construction booming in Central Texas, the need for qualified drivers and fleet driving safety programs are more important now than ever. The Nit sche Group has served communities across Texas since 1949, and we know how important safe driving is when it comes to a business’ bottom line. Dis tracted driving leads to accidents that im pact our personal and public safety, but it can also lead to insurance increases from claims that can take a heavy toll on a busi ness.Finding reliable and experienced drivers is a challenge to many businesses, yet having a fleet safety program can help ensure employee retention while showing concern for employees’ well-be ing. Construction companies should run background checks, drug tests and check Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) before hir ing a new driver. Candidates with a poor driving history may pose a risk for busi nesses with cost inefficiencies.
Overall, telematics software can help im prove driver behavior and distracted driving awareness.
The Importance of Distracted Driving Awareness
Culture around driver awareness Creating a good fleet-driving culture starts with good leadership. Once em ployees are made aware of safety policies and procedures, fleet managers are bet ter able to lay the foundation for new em ployees and coach them adequately. Managers who instill confidence in their drivers will see a difference in team col laboration and higher rates of employee retention.When implementing these rules and regulations, managers should also ask employees questions to check in on driv er history. Asking simple questions such as “Who had an accident this week?” or “Is there something happening in your life outside of work that could be affect ing your driving?” allows company lead ership to dig in and find out what’s hap pening in an employee’s personal life. Asking these questions does not serve as a punishment, but rather as a benefit to talk about what’s going on and allow for drivers to improve.
While ESOPs are not for all contrac tors, they can be a great succession strat egy for the right organization to help transition the business to the next set of leaders. Retirement can be a challenge, but it would make it a lot easier knowing that the owner’s legacy will continue in the company.
Jason Pfaltzgraff is a risk management consultant at The Nitsche Group in Lampa sas County, Texas. He is licensed in risk management and insurance from The Uni versity of North Texas. Pfaltzgraff is from Killeen and has 15 years of experience in insurance with five years of experience as a contractor. In his spare time, he enjoys golf ing and hunting.Jasonp@thenitschegroup.com
Focusing on MVRs When hiring new drivers, businesses should run employee screenings and re view driver histories. MVRs allow employ ers to have a more in-depth look at an applicant to see if they have a history of following safety regulations. MVRs typi cally include driver’s license information, license statuses, violations, accidents and automatic renewal notices. MVRs must be requested annually in the annual review process to determine if the driver meets companyParticularlyrequirements.forconstruction compa nies, having a consistent system for col lecting and reviewing MVRs may help employers hire qualified drivers more ef ficiently. The Texas Department of Insur ance and Division of Workers’ Compensa tion has established the occupational driving safety program and recommends a safety checklist for employers to make sure company standards align with the law.
Fleet safety programs Just like we train teenagers to drive, a business should ensure that its company drivers are adequately educated. Driver training programs help prevent accidents and allow for the standardization of pro cesses that establish effective driving habits and general rules of the road spe cific to a fleet’s vehicle types. A fleet safe ty program will not only establish compa ny-wide policies and procedures that are crucial to ensure a safe work environment for employees, but it can also help pro tect your business against liability from vehicleFleetaccidents.safetyprograms should clearly state company safety policies and guide lines, standard operating procedures and define accident response protocols. In the event of a trucking accident, drivers should retain evidence and documents to help the business mitigate losses. In addition, company management should adequately communicate with all drivers on how to avoid accidents and how to submit accident reviews.
Jason Pfaltzgraff Risk Management Consultant
After two years of whipsaw change brought on by the pandemic, many business owners have decided to retire. A recent survey of business owners conducted by the Wilmington Trust found that the pandemic is behind this rush to retire, adding another unexpected wrinkle to a devastating year.
Rebecca L. Quade is an attorney at Allensworth in Austin, Texas. She works with architects, engineers, contractors, and owners on complex, multiparty cases involving design and construction defects and contract disputes. You can reach Rebecca by email at rquade@allensworthlaw.com
A “covenant” is a contractual prom ise to do something or a written expres sion of an intent to act, or not act, in a particular way. On the other hand, a “condition precedent” is something that must occur, or must be performed, be fore a party may enforce a contractual obligation subject to that condition. If the express condition is not satisfied, then the party whose performance is conditional is excused from its obliga tion.For example, construction contracts often require punch walks (among other things) for a contractor to receive final payment. These can take the form of a covenant: “Contractor will perform a punch walk before receiving final pay ment.” But they can also take the form of a condition precedent: “Contractor’s en titlement to final payment is conditioned on a punch walk.” While the differences may seem to split hairs, legally speaking, the covenant is better for the contractor because the owner may owe final pay ment even if there’s no punch walk (but the owner could have damages for the contractor’s failure to perform the punch walk). The condition precedent is better for the owner because the owner does not have to pay until the general con tractor performs the punch walk.
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 7
Condition Precedent or Covenant: How the Texas Supreme Court interprets contractual promises Rebecca L. Quade Attorney Allensworth Austin, TX LEGAL
OSHA Austin, TX Temporary workers are workers supplied to a host employer and paid by a staffing agency, whether or not the job is actually temporary. Whether temporary or permanent, all workers always have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. The staffing agency and the staffing agency’s client (the host employer) are joint employers of temporary workers and, therefore, both are responsible for providing and maintaining a safe work environ ment for those workers. The staffing agency and the host employer must work to gether to ensure that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requirements are fully Whilemet.the extent of responsibility un der the law of staffing agencies and host employers is dependent on the specific facts of each case, staffing agencies and host employers are jointly responsible for maintaining a safe work environment for temporary workers - including, for exam ple, ensuring that OSHA’s training, hazard communication, and recordkeeping re quirements are fulfilled. OSHA could hold both the host and temporary employers responsible for the violative condition(s) - and that can in clude lack of adequate training regarding workplace hazards. Temporary staffing agencies and host employers share con trol over the worker, and are therefore jointly responsible for temporary work ers’ safety and health. Both host employers and staffing agencies have roles in complying with workplace health and safety require ments and they share responsibility for ensuring worker safety and health.
Because the owner in James Con struction failed to send the general con tractor the contractually required writ ten notices before terminating for de fault, the owner could not recover the excess costs it incurred in replacing the contractor on the project. This opinion, and the Court’s reasoning behind it, helps show how Texas courts interpret important construction contract provi sions, specifically including conditions precedent, covenants, and waivers of consequential damages.
In James Construction Group, LLC v. Westlake Chemical Corp., the Texas Supreme Court held that in construction contracts, parties may substantially (rather than strictly) comply with contractual notice requirements. When a contract expressly requires written notice, however, the Court explained that absent some waiver of contractual requirements, oral notice alone cannot satisfy a contract’s written notice requirement; only written notice can substantially comply with a written notice requirement.
OSHA Temporary Workers
The Court also interpreted the con tract’s consequential damages waiver to determine whether it amounted to an affirmative covenant that would be breached by a suit for consequential damages. This provision was unique in that it contained a clause commanding that “no claim shall be made” for conse quential damages. The contractor con tended that this provision was a cove nant not to sue for consequential damag es. Yet the Court sided with the owner, holding that the parties merely waived a claim to any consequential damages that might be available in a lawsuit—not that the parties relinquished the right to sue in the first place. This holding may change how you draft or negotiate certain contractual provisions. In effect, the Court provided guidance for contracting parties who want to deter future claims for conse quential damages. Parties must be very explicit if they want to ensure that prom ises not to sue are interpreted this way by Texas courts. If you want to prevent the other side from ever suing you for a cer tain type of damage, you need to say that expressly in your contract; for example, “The parties covenant that neither will sue each other for [insert the type of damage for which you want to prevent suit].”Here are two key points from the Court’s interpretation of the contractual provisions in James Construction:
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist
A key concept is that each employer should consider the hazards it is in a posi tion to prevent and correct, and in a posi tion to comply with OSHA standards. For example: staffing agencies might provide general safety and health training, and host employers provide specific training tailored to the particular workplace equipment/hazards.•Thekeyis communication between the agency and the host to ensure that the necessary protections are provided. Staffing agencies have a duty to in quire into the conditions of their workers’ assigned workplaces. They must ensure that they are sending workers to a safe workplace.•Ignorance of hazards is not an ex cuse.
In James Construction, the Court held that the written notice requirements for termination were conditions precedent, not covenants. The contract gave the owner the right to terminate the contract for any reason and to assign work to an other contractor (sometimes called a ter mination for convenience). But the own er could also terminate for cause, and, if it did so correctly (that is, in accordance with the contract), the contractor had to pay the owner the cost to complete, mi nus the rest of the contract balance. So, the general contractor’s obligation to pay the owner for these excess comple tion costs was conditioned on the owner satisfying the written requirements to terminate for cause. The Court ultimately found that the owner failed to adhere to these condi tions precedent by neglecting to issue the required written notices before ter minating the contractor. As a result, the owner was not entitled to receive the ex cess completion costs from the contrac tor at all, at least under that contract. Noncompliance with a condition prece dent precludes the noncomplying party from enforcing its conditional right—in this case, the owner’s recovery of the
• Staffing agencies need not become experts on specific workplace hazards, but they should determine what condi tions exist at their client (host) agencies, what hazards may be encountered, and how best to ensure protection for the temporary workers.
(1) Texas courts may enforce condi tions precedent if they are sufficiently clear in the contract—even when the consequences of doing so appear to be harsh—particularly where they include time limits and notice requirements to which the parties have agreed.
costs to hire a replacement contractor to complete the work. Courts sometimes call this “forfeiture,” because the failure to satisfy the condition forfeits the party’s conditional right.
(2) Texas courts will not automatically treat a contractual provision waiving consequential damages as a covenant not to sue for consequential damages. If parties intend to include a true cove nant not to sue for a certain type of damage in their contract, the provi sion must explicitly state that it is a “Covenant Not to Sue” or use words to that effect
• The staffing agency has the duty to inquire and verify that the host has ful filled its responsibilities for a safe work place.•And, just as important: Host employ ers must treat temporary workers like any other workers in terms of training and safety and healthnatarajan.joann@dol.govprotections.512-374-0271x232
Yes, he is my first grandchild. His name is Scott. He is named after my son. He and my chil dren are everything to me. Did you go to col lege? Did you get a degree? I got a two-year management degree from San Antonio College. I started in IT but realized that I was too much of a peo ple person and switched over to seeking a degree in management. Did you have plans to get a four-year degree? I wanted to. I even transferred to In carnate Word, but I didn’t finish. My super visor at the company I was working for saw a lot of potential in me. I quickly moved up to be his assistant, but because I was a woman, I could never move into management.Iworked on collections and credit processes during the day of the Telex ma chine. We were learning all about the Tel ex and entering data into a computer. It was fun to move into that kind of a role and be trusted to do so, but I couldn’t move up any further than being an assis tant manager. I could never move up any higher, so I moved on. What did you do next? I got into real estate appraising. I worked as a real estate appraiser until the market fell in the late ‘80s. It was very in teresting, and I enjoyed it. After the mar ket fell, I found a job working for a doctor doing his books. I worked out of his house. While I was there a storm passed through and his house got hit by lightning. I picked up the phone to call the fire department when it got struck again, passed through the phone, hitting me in the face. The next morning, the doctor trusted me to meet the general contractor and get bids on the needed repairs. That general contractor asked me to come work for him. I did, un der contract, and then started doing the books for all his subcontractors and others while still keeping the books for the doctor. What would you like our readers to know about Melanie Evans, CEO, and President of PMI?
Movers Inc. (PMI),
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You said your son, Bear, is a new father. Is this your first grandchild?
You can be the president or CEO of any company, but it isn’t all about you. It takes, for insistence, the 79 people who work here to make PMI what it is. My job is to help our staff work towards the compa ny mission and the vision we have in place and to always look for ways to improve our company culture. Yes, I look at the financials every day. I look at the bank account. I look at our sales. I want to know whom we are buying from. I want to see what’s happening. I sign the checks. And I see everything ev ery day, but I trust them to take care of the day-to-day activities. There would not be a PMI Pipe, Steel & Supplies without them. How are you involved in the commu nity? In my personal time, I am involved with Impact San Antonio, a women’s non-profit organization which raises mon ey for Greater San Antonio organizations in need. I love being involved in the grant review process. I am also involved in the National Association of Women Business Owners which is committed to engaging women of all ages. I’m involved with re viewing business plans written by high school young ladies who are hoping to receive a scholarship. PMI Pipe, Steel & Supplies is involved with the local youth stock shows all around south and central Texas. Addition ally, we work to support a different non-profit or need in our community ev ery month. We want to be true to our mis sion statement and be active in our com munity. Do you ever have moments when you are down? Never! How could I? I’ve faced the worst. The peace that passes all under standing is God’s grace to all. I could not have made it through if I didn’t have a strong relationship with God. If that rela tionship wasn’t there, none of this could be. I could not be who I am. I wouldn’t be centered, and I am centered. I can see that. My kids know that I am, and I know the staff here knows that I am. Was I sad and lonely afterward? Absolutely. I was sad but I can honestly say that I’ve never been de pressed in my life, ever. With everything I’ve been through, and for every situation that I’ve been in, there are a million other people that have been through some thing similar. We all have the ability to find joy and peace in everything we do.-cmw
News
From IT to a two-year degree in man agement, Melanie Evans discovered her true talent as a full-charge book keeper. Her bookkeeping niche would open doors that would eventually lead her to run a multi-million dollar pipe, steel & supply company.
Page 8 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
Tell me about Melanie Evans. Where were you born and raised? I was born and raised here in San An tonio. I lived downtown on S. St Mary’s as a young child and then moved to the northside. I graduated from MacArthur High School. What were your parents like? My parents divorced when I was 11 years old. She remarried and her new hus band adopted me and my three siblings. I grew up as Melanie Miller. My mother decided to get her real es tate license after I graduated. She became a million-dollar seller. She’s still in real es tate and is doing very well. My adoptive father was an electrical engineer. He had his own business, Mis sion Electric. He sold his company and be fore long decided he didn’t want to be in the electrical business anymore, so he started a civil engineering firm. Both of my brothers got involved in the business and learned the business very well. About 20 years ago, my adoptive father was diag nosed with Alzheimer’s. He has since passed. Do you have children? I had a son, Scott, from my first mar riage. I have three children from my sec ond Scottmarriage.had epilepsy, and he drowned in our pool 18 years ago. It was tragic. It was a very tragic time. It happened on Aug. 4, 2004, the day we moved into our current office.
My other three children are adults now. Two of them work here. How did you get over the loss of your son? It was difficult. He would be 36, but my relationship with my son was amazing. We had the best relationship. I feel that way with all my children. But I believe that relationship is what saved me because there was nothing left unsaid. With an 18-year-old, sometimes you’re kind of questioning, did I remember to say this, or did I remember that? No, we had nothing left unsaid.Wehad a strong faith in our Lord and Savior. I knew exactly where he was and there was never a question about that at all. I had an incredible support system. I went to the children’s bereavement cen ter. I took my three kids there, and we stayed involved for two years. I helped them with their bookkeeping system. Plus, I went to the most incredible church. I don’t know how I would have done it without my church family, honestly. I allowed myself to mourn. I allowed myself to cry. I allowed my kids to cry. We found things that we could do together that would help us heal. We had a field trip day every week. I pull him out of school for half a day and we went on a field trip like literally every week for a year. Tell me about your other three chil dren. How are they involved in the company? My second oldest is Bear. He does work here. He has worked in the ware house. He’s worked in the yard. He’s done inside sales and now he is doing all of our marketing. He got our website revamped. He helped with our new logo. He’s doing a lot of marketing material for us and trying to find out what this team needs. He’s now working on Facebook to get all of our community service activities out there. And he’s a new father. My oldest daughter, Billicarole, after graduating from Baylor University with an engineering degree, went to work for Sie mens in their leadership development program. She was so unhappy in Califor nia. She missed her family and I told her I needed her here and asked if she was in terested. She now works here and is my COO. I tell you what, I don’t know what I would do without her here. The young people, the technology that they know, oh my goodness. She has figured out every thing about our inventory. She can build a rack. She knows what size we need it, what weight can go on it, and how it needs to be tied down and positioned. She knows how to purchase a forklift, what the needs are, and what the loads are. My youngest daughter, Selah, helps me out on the weekends and during the week but she leaves on Tuesday for medi cal school and will not be going into the family business.
SIGN
L-R: Rick Benitez, Billicarole Evans, Matthew Valero, Juan Rojas, Thomas Tyk, Melanie Evans, James Honeycutt, and Bear Evans Melanie Evans with her first grandchild, Scott Adam Evans
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After a short vacation, Doug McMurry will spend more time with his elderly fa ther and continue the work of writing a book on the AGC’s 100 years in San Anto nio and the legacy of its many member companies. The book will be released in time for AGC’s 100th anniversary in 2023. -cmw Doug McMurry
Afixed-wing pilot, Dean Meyer loves flying. He enjoys soaring high above, getting a bird’s eye view of the busy world below. And even when his feet are planted on the ground, he can’t get enough of that bird’s eye view and started flying drones recre ationally, and then while on the job. While working in the construction industry as a superintendent, Dean Mey er, started using a drone to map the progress of the projects he was working on. “When I came to realize some of the technology that can be used on a job site,” says Meyer. “It just took me for a ride. There’s so much you can do with a drone to help on a job site. A drone can supply you with so much data. It can give so much data whether it’s elevations, vol umes, or inspections for job site progress reports.”InMay of 2021, Meyer hung up his tool belt and went into business for him self, and started FLYIT Drone Services While Meyer saw the benefits of us ing drones on the job site, not everyone has and still do things old school like go ing out with builder’s levels and sticks. So, convincing them that there’s a new way that’s better and faster, and more ef ficient, has not been an easy task but, cel ebrating its first year in business, FLYIT has taken “There’soff.a huge safety benefit to us ing drones,” Meyer states. “For example, I can fly down into a trench and do pipe line inspections and document all that stuff. And if it’s a live pipeline with gas, I can see that as well.” Because Meyer’s background is in construction, he’s familiar with the needs of construction reporting, progress re porting, safety inspections, and more. “We’re extremely flexible. We’re young and we’re ambitious. If there’s something out there that maybe we haven’t done yet, we are all ears to getting into it, whether that’s buying new equipment or new software,” he adds. “We have the re sources and the connections to solve pretty much any problem there that can be solved with a drone. I think a lot of people would be surprised to know how many problems you can solve with a drone. Every job site offers a unique chal lenge. That’s why I love construction and why I got into it originally. Every day is a new day and that relays into the drone world as Basedwell.”inSan Antonio, FLYIT services San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, and has performed work in Dallas. Being a fixed-wing pilot, FLYIT’s travel range is veryFLYITbroad.specializes in analytics and documentation. Using third-party soft ware, FLYIT can survey properties, job sites, and document existing conditions for pre-construction, during construc tion, and after in a fraction of the time. Their services include photography and analytics, aerial videography, and editing services in all industries. High-resolution still photos for marketing, progress up dates and inspections are among their most popular services.
Education: We did so much work and con tinue to do work in terms of professional development, not craft training. I’m talking about the professional development that we offer for superintendents, project man agers, and company owners has been sig nificant over the last 20 years. I think of all the instructors and the programs we’ve organized; it’s been remarkable. Govern ment Relations: Representing the industry at the city council, County Commissioners Court, the state legislature, and even to some extent in Washington will always stand out to me. It’s fun when you’re in the city council chambers and you’re recog nized as somebody who’s representing the industry. It’s an honor and there’s a certain amount of pressure and you know you must be smart, and you must always maintain a certain level of respect, be cause, if the industry isn’t respected there, regardless of who the spokesperson is, they won’t be effective. But we’ve always been respected. We’ve always told the truth and we’ve always offered up infor mation that entities could not get any where else. And that always stands out.
A man of the air
No regrets
When Doug McMurry started with the Associated General Contrac tors (AGC) in 1994, he had no idea his career would span 28 years. There was always a project or some thing on the horizon that McMurry want ed to accomplish. At one point, he knew he wanted to be a part of AGC for its first woman chapter president, and so he stayed through Helen Keaton. Then he re alized the chapter needed more diverse leadership and stayed to make sure Rene Garcia, Marty Garcia, and RC Contreras be come part of the chapter’s leadership and were successful. “Every single person brought something unique to the posi tion. And every time I thought I might leave or was presented with an opportuni ty, I was just so bonded to the chapter president that I wanted to stay and be part of theirComingsuccess.”from a political background, McMurry had what AGC was looking for –someone to speak on behalf of the con struction industry. And that is what he set out to do. “I’m thankful that when an issue arose, it was not uncommon for a mayor, county judge, or state representative to call me, any time of day or night, at home or the office, to ask what the industry’s po sitionDuringwas.”
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 9
McMurry’s 28 years of service to AGC and its members, the chapter was instrumental in establishing the Mentor Protégé program, which was first devel oped by working closely with Bexar Coun ty, and then also later established the Mentor Protégé program with the City of San Antonio. The program has continued to mentor small mom-and-pop compa nies to stand alone and be successful. In 2018, through those efforts, the San Antonio AGC chapter was awarded the National Diversity and Inclusion Award. The Diversity and Inclusion award was just one item on McMurry’s bucket list of achievements he set for himself, the chap ter, and its members. Having already re ceived the membership award and com munity service award, his bucket list was complete with the awarding of the 2019 Chapter of the Year Award. With his bucket list complete, thoughts of retirement crossed his mind but to no avail. McMurry realized he wasn’t ready, until now. “When I think of the total of my expe rience, I think of it in categories,” McMurry reflects. “Networking: I think of our net working events and especially the ones we’ve pioneered. Seeing how people come together to network and do busi ness with one another was very gratifying.
“I hope to stay in touch with a lot of our members and the readers of Construc tion News. They’re good, salt of the earth people. Some of the people I’ve met would give you the shirt off their back. There is a brotherhood, a sisterhood, a unique sort of feeling among people in the construction industry that I’ve never experienced anywhere else.”
I’ve treasured every year and working with every president of the association. Every president has brought their own style of leadership, and their own priorities to the chapter, and it’s really been enjoyable.
FLYIT Drone Services does aerial pho tography for construction, real estate, in dustrial and more. -cmw Dean Meyer, FLYIT Drone Services
Page 10 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Associations & Education H General Contractors H Subcontractors H Service Providers H Subcontractors H Supplies H Truck & Equip Dealers Resource Guide Suppliers Service Providers General ContractorAssociations and Construction Education For Information on Resource Guide Ads, contact Buddy Doebbler, 210-308-5800 or email at Buddy@ConstructionNews.net
Fishing remains strong through the summer months with limits of trout just about everyday. Red fish, flounder and drum also have been showing up at the cleaning table which puts smiles on clients faces. The key to my success is starting out the day early. This means running in the dark and being where you want to fish by gray light. Take advantage of the cooler water temps and try to make every bite count. Water tem peratures have been in the mid to upper 80s. However, with this last rain fall, our bays have cooled down slightly. Usually, my first two stops are the most pro ductive, most of the time catching trout. By mid-morn ing, after the bite has tapered off, I switch to looking for other species to complete the box. I like to feel out my customers and give them a chance to choose what spe Cindy Fuller showing her grandsons up on a recent fishing outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. This 21” speck was one from her limit she caught.
Kim Gates of New Mexico looked like a pro angler catching trout like this healthy upper Laguna Madre beauty. Be sure to give Steve Schultz Outdoors a call before booking your next fishing outing cies we target next. Certainly, if I have knowledge of some positive action, I will try to encourage them in that Ourdirection.winds have finally started to settle down a bit and this really makes me grin. Most of my clients know by late summer I am always thinking of the Gulf of Mex ico, specifically fishing the surf. Usually by late July, I will have fished the beach front half a dozen times. However, the last season’s winds have deterred me from poking out the jetties. Most of you that have been out in the surf with me know how much fun it can be. For one, you never know what you may see or catch while fishing the surf. Many of the species I have hooked up on include the obvious, like trout, reds, and drum. Some of the larger species may include tarpon, sharks, kingfish, and spanish mackerel just to name a few. Fish ing the surf is not for everyone and if you have a light stomach or get sea sick when going off-shore, maybe you should suggest to stay in-shore. However, if the conditions are right and my clients are up to it, that’s where I will be for the next few months. My fishing will come to a halt for this season at the end of October and I will turn to hunting. If you need a referral for a guide, don’t hesitate to call me. Also, if you have a date in mind for the 2023 fishing season, shoot me a text. 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 email me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.comGoodluckandGoodFishing.
by Capt. Steve Schultz
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 11
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 Power-Pole, and AFTCO Clothing: W ell, it finally happened!! Much needed rain came a couple of weeks ago ending what seemed to be a yearlong drought. A total of 8.6 inches fell on my yard and into our bay system, low ering water temperatures and salinity level. We had al ready started water restrictions in our city and lawns were starting to burn up with the summer heat. We were blessed to receive so much rain, I kinda wish the whole state could have gotten half as much as we did.
School Starts, Fishing Continues
DSI in Austin Sunrise at the lake
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:
Page 12 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin All on iHeart Radio Was That?!? RAIN!
It is nice to see rain as we turn the cor ner from summer into fall. No matter what the weather brings, at least the coming of shorter days will bring the cooler temperatures and amazing sunris es and sunsets of autumn. We can begin to enjoy getting outside to hunt and fish and play without getting scorched by the sun. Ball games, less crowded waterways, more time in the pastures, and feeling those first gentle northers chase the hu midity away are what I enjoy about Fall. After this summer, bring it on!
It hasn’t forgotten how to rain after all! Some of us got a little rain and some got too much rain, but that is mostly how it goes in Texas. When it rains here you are thankful for every drop at the same time you are hoping that you’ll come safely through it. Whatever kind of rain you got, at least you have something to work with! So many rivers that were just about dried up will at least get a little flush of fresh water for a few days. Any lakes or ponds that benefit from that shot of fresh water will see the catfish and bass and bluegill liven up. Think of all the bugs and worms and stuff that current is serving up to hungry fish. It is a good time to be fish ing! Our striper and hybrid fishing is im proved by fresh water this time of year too. Falling lake levels and hot weather make the water oppressive to fish that prefer cooler temperatures. Anything that stirs up cooler currents and brings nutrient rich fresh water into a lake will boost the well-being of the food chain will pay off in better fishing in the near term and bigger and better fish in the long term. The exception would be the lakes that got a heavy inflow from flood ing. If the water gets really muddied up, it can take a few days to clear up enough for good feeding patterns to resume.
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
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line
It looks like we are in for some good fishing here on Lake Buchanan this fall and winter. We are already seeing some signs of a strong topwater pattern like what we sometimes see in the fall of low water years. At any rate, a lot of the not quite keepers we have been seeing throughout the year will surely be keep ers now and we know we have a lot of them!Iknow here we have been watching the deer and doves and all kinds of wild things come down from the hills to the lake to water because their usual water sources have disappeared. The rainfall around here was pretty hit or miss so there is no telling which tanks and creeks caught some water and which are still dry. Any rain on the places you hunt will help your game, but you need to be sure and check to see if you still need to be provid ing extra water sources or not. When you are busy getting your blinds and feeders established and ready for the upcoming hunting season, be sure to see what the water situation is.
Zambian safari hunt
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 13
Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest Reedbuck Bushpig SableOribiantelope Kafue Lechwe, only exists in one specific area of Zambia Roan antelope
How big can a rabbit hole get?
Colton Parnes, Parnes Construction, could tell you “BIG!” Then again, it might just be easier to say that everything he shot during his recent African hunting trip will make it into the SCI record book. The sable and oribi are potential top ten entries for their species. Parnes was hunting in the Kafue region of Zambia with PH Werner Van Noordwyk . His 14-day hunt was from Jul. 1-14. Parnes used a .30-06 for everything except for the sable and roan. For those, he used a .416 Rigby. His shooting range was from 60 yards on the leopard to 250 yards for the others. The meat was harvested and eaten. Parnes says, “The bushpig was good, and you wouldn’t know it wasn’t pork from H-E-B. The sable was the best eating.” Parnes, him self did not eat the leopard but the camp staff did. -cmw Leopard
Page 14 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
Cruising around the bay, Front L-R: Craig Noto and Tim Pruski. Back L-R: Teresa Noto and Regina Pruski
God’s handy work Mike McGinnis, Bexar Excavating & Hauling, was at home in Spring Branch taking in a beautiful sunset on Jul. 28, at the same time his wife and kids were doing the same at Inks Lake State Park. -cmw Sunset, Spring Branch, TX The sun setting overlooking the water at Inks Lake State Park.
Fun at the coast There’s nothing like spending the weekend at the coast, relaxing in the sun, cruising the bay, and fishing for reds. Such was the case for Craig Noto, Quality Fence & Welding. On Jul. 29, he and his wife, Teresa, and good friends Tim Pruski, Bella Vista Homes, and his wife, Regina, enjoyed all that coast life had to offer. -cmw
A weekend of good fishing L-R: Tim Pruski, Regina Pruski, Teresa Noto, and Craig Noto at Muy Dulce L-R: Craig Noto, Quality Fence & Welding, and Tim Pruski, Bella Vista Homes show the beautiful reds they caught while at North Padre Island on Jul. 29.
A watchful eye
The South Texas Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) recently got into the gambling spirit. On Jul. 21, ABC hosted it Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament at the Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) Ray Ellison Ballroom. Consisting of 82 participants, all tournament participants did a “buy-in” for a fixed amount and began with an equal value of chips. The tournament carried on until one lucky player accumulated all the chips in play. Only a small percentage of the players received any money. Texas Hold ‘Em winners: 2nd Place: Jerry Nelson, Terracon 3rd Place: Stuart Stein, Dausin Electric 4th Place: Devin Leissner, Action Gypsum 5th Place: Harley Buchard, TD Industries 6th Place: John Quisenberry, Lasco ADI 7th Place: Clark Broom, Central Builders 8th Place: Mike Medina, Central Electric 1st Place: Jacob Duron, TD Industries Players study their cards
A blast from the past
On Aug. 3, the San Antonio Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held its annual Past Presidents meeting celebrating the charter of the San Antonio Chapter on Aug. 9, 1958. The event was Elvis/’50s themed and benefited Lone Star Construction Trades Training (LSCTT) and raised over $1,000 to help LSCTT. -cmw
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 15 Hold ‘em
Collecting school supplies for local schools whose students might come up a little shy in their supply needs, was the August goal for Construc tion Leadership Council (CLC) members on Aug. 4. CLC members met at Little Woodrow’s for happy hour and an op portunity to donate needed school sup plies for a worthy cause. -cmw Back to school
Making sure he’s always in compliance, RAM2 Utilities’ Boogie, wears his safety vest for high visibility to avoid any unnecessary work-related accidents as he supervises the field crew from the work truck. -cmw
Jefferson Bank
Page 16 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
1900-cmwBroadway’s 500 kW Cummins Generator with an 850 Gallon gas tank Snow falls as construction of 1900 Broadway is underway. 1900 Broadway construction continues A view from the 13th floor while 1900 Broadway is under construction
City Hall sidewalk access
Guido
City Hall
Located in the 1900 block of Broad way Street between East Josephine and East Grayson, the new Jefferson Bank, a class A podium-style office build ing and parking garage reside. The new 13-story mixed-use office building and five-story parking garage took two years to construct.Theproject consists of a 243,000sf office building space on top of a 266,637sf cast-in-place parking garage. The mixed-use office building will con sist of the Jefferson Bank, retail, restau rants, and bars for the local community, and was specially selected for what the Broadway corridor offers. Two 150-ft tower cranes and one buck hoist elevator were essential in the construction of the new Jefferson Bank project. IES Commercial was contracted to perform the project’s electrical needs. The project required 5000 Amp 277/480 Volt service. The building has a 3000 Amp bus duct that runs vertically to feed floors six through 13. A 500 kW Cummins Gen erator with an 850 Gallon fuel tank with a remote fuel station was also put in place as an emergency backup in case of pow er outages. Additionally, IES Commercial 1900 Broadway rendering installed 33.6 miles of conduit; pulled in 90 miles of wire; and installed 2,400 fix tures throughout the project. Joeris General Contractors, Jefferson Bank’s general contractor, was able to re purpose an abandoned paint warehouse across the street from the job site for of fices and material storage. The new Jefferson Bank is part of San Antonio’s elected officials’ design to re vamp the area around the historical Pearl Brewery, which began operation in 1883, as a tourist attraction. IES Commercial is a full-service electri cal contractor.
vealed and then restored. Decorative plas ter moldings in the first and second-floor lobbies, executive meeting rooms, and the mayor’s reception room were all pains takingly restored. Original floors were re stored or replicated, and an exciting find was a painted Spanish medallion on the mayor’s ceiling which was restored. Because of the determination and dedication of Guido, the Design-Builder, the City of San Antonio, architect Ford, Powell & Carson, and many subcontrac tors and artisans, the project finished on time and with amazing results. Together, blended historical restoration and renova tion; modern tile and terrazzo in a 1930’s palette of colors; restored original wood, tile, and artwork combined with old growth wood renovation; and combined with LEED silver standards for a better en vironment for staff and visitors. Guido Construction is a full-service gen eral contractor. -cmwCity Hall Mayor’s officeIES
Built in 1892, City Hall’s original design included corner turrets and a promi nent dome topped with an octago nal clock tower. The building underwent a comprehensive transformation in 1927 with the addition of a fourth floor, ex panding the building to its current size of 42,000sf.The edict for the project was “City Hall for All.” While the original interior of this beautiful facility needed to be re stored to retain historic value, the need for modernization, security upgrades, and better community access was urgent. Guido Construction gutted the en tire building, stripping back all elements to the original 1892 walls and exposing original painted and plastered finishes in some areas while matching the 1927 fin ishes in other locations. The floor plan was returned to the original layout, opening the lobbies on all floors, and returning natural light to what had become a dark cave. In fact, most of the original interior walls became glass as part of the LEED process.San Antonio is a historic city, but City Hall was unique in both the assignment and timing of the effort. The Guido team was able to completely restore the exteri or of the building and add modern ameni ties to all aspects of the interior while working with craftsmen and artisans with specific skills handed down through gen erations of families. In some cases, lime stone scroll work, columns, and fruit swags – garlands, cornucopias, and floral ele ments – were able to be restored but fre quently stone carvers did replacements by hand.Onthe interior, wood restorers re claimed wood windows and doors using old-growth pine to match the original wood. The original stenciling on the vault ed ceilings in the first-floor lobby was re
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G.W. Mitchell
Ultimate Olympic Training Facility for Koi Fish TaylormadeSanWaterscapesAntonio,TX
Taylormade Waterscapes has been building custom koi ponds and water features in central Texas for 20 years! “We even have award-winning water features according to Koi USA magazine,” says Taylor Miller, owner of Taylormade Wa terscapes. “We keep up as a company with continuing education and new products. Our goal is to provide low-maintenance water features for our clients to enjoy for years to come. “Why stress when you can relax by your very own waterfall in the privacy of your backyard? We build it right the first time, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your peaceful outdoor paradise. Call Tay lormade to learn more about creating the back (or front) yard of your dreams!”
Sevenfacility4-inch pipe intakes water lines
SanConstructionAntonio,TX
G.W. Mitchell Construction, estab lished in 1921, is one of San Antonio’s old est general contracting firms. -cmw Lobby
G.W. Mitchell Construction began construction on the project in the latter part of 2021 and was completed in the third quarter of 2022 and under budget. The project was designed by RVK Archi tects. Foresite Commercial Real Estate and Capital Development handled the development, sales, and leasing of the buildings. Other project partners includ ed CDS Muery and Cleary Zimmerman Engineers.Asmany others in construction can substantiate, one of the biggest chal lenges on the job was early procure ment and timely delivery of materials to not disrupt the project’s critical path. To work through the challenges, proper communication and planning were needed to ensure that the job stayed on schedule. Thankfully this project was made up of a great team and the project was completed successfully.
This formal koi pond is in San Anto nio, in the Cresta Bella neighbor hood near I-10 and 1604. It harbors 50 large Japanese koi fish. It even hosts a grand champion koi that is nationally recognized in the United States of Amer ica. This project is essentially a wastewa ter treatment facility for fish. It comes equipped with seven 4-inch pipe intakes and 10 return lines. It even has a tread mill for koi! This “treadmill” is used to promote fish size to achieve optimal health, well-being, and fitness to win awards for years to come. The water is filtered through two fully automated ro tary fish hatchery drum filters. These fil ters require very minimal maintenance and provide exceptional water quality that allows you to see the fish perfectly through pristine water.
Taylormade specializes in the con struction and design of ponds, waterfalls, fountains, and plumbing. -cmw Koi fish training
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 17
The Offices at Rogers Creek
The Offices at Rogers Creek L ocated at 5230 and 5250 Rogers Road in far northwest San Antonio, The Offices at Rogers Creek provide Class A medical office space. The overall space is approximately 70,000sf and is made up of six separate buildings. The largest is a 30,000-sf two-story medical office building and the other five gar den-style medical office buildings range in size from approximately 3,000 –8,000sf.
EngineersPape-Dawson is pleased to announce the promotion of Trey Dawson, P.E. to Executive Vice President. During his time with the firm, Dawson has made a significant impact on the San Antonio landscape. In his new role, he will be more active in the comprehensive planning, management, and strategic growth of Pape-Dawson. -cmw
My favorite movie is Without a Paddle. It’s been my favorite movie since I was 13 years old. There’s comedy and it has a mystery-based storyline about D. B. Coo per’s lost treasure, and I’m really interested in those kinds of mysteries. I’ve watched that movie about 100 times at least. John Welch, Omega Waterproofing
Jacob LaRue, Rhino Roofers
There are so many movies genres I enjoy but, Intersteller would be in my top 5 for sure. I find physics and science just fasinat ing and Intersteller really flexes my brain muscle in that regard! Next is Uncle Buck! Judi Telenko, Construction News
Lonesome Dove. I think it is the greatest story of friendship. I can see myself and my best friend in this movie. The two char acters are us in another time – all the ad ventures, standing up for what’s right, the respect and loyalty, we’re Captains Augus tus “Gus” McCrae and Woodrow F. Call. Stan Rothman, EquipmentShare
continued from Page 1 — Foundation Solution Systems (FSS)
Page 18 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 What is your favorite “all-time” movie and why?
That is a hard question for me to answer. I have a ton of favorites. My all-time favorite is A Christmas Story. I love the story about a boy’s quest to get a bb gun for Christmas. I also like that it is based on a simpler time in America, back when I feel kids could just be kids and have simple adventures. I love to quote lines from this movie. Les Hines, Terracon Consultants Inc.
“By joining forces with Ground works, we will continue to deliver on our record of success as well as be able to pursue many new and exciting growth initiatives in the future,” said co-founder Brian Holt. Co-founder Richard Reed added, “We look forward to joining our talented new colleagues at Ground works who have achieved remarkable growth by putting people first. That’s exactly what we are going to continue to do for our employees and customers.”
The Patriot. I’m a big history buff. Forrest Gump comes in as a close second. Jason Sappenfield, Omega Waterproofing
As we do with all our employees, we will continue to build on their reputation by investing in marketing, training, and in frastructure, while still providing its cus tomers the local experience and height ened levels of service and support they’ve come to expect.”
The South Texas Elec trical Joint Appren ticeship & Training (JATC) welcomes Ross Alan McGill an instructor at the South Texas Electrical JATC. McGill is cur rently a Special Project Manager at Alter man Inc. in New Braunfels, overseeing commercial and industrial new construc tion projects along with estimating and managing electrical installations. -cmw
I have a lot of favorites but if there was one movie that I could watch time and time again it would be Ben-Hur. Made in the late ‘50s with Charlton Heston, it’s a story about people. It has good and bad, fear and hope, struggles and victories, hate and compassion. It has it all.
Ray Fehner, KCM Cabinets Inc I’ve got to go with Napoleon Dynamite. It’s just the right amount of stupid with the right amount of funny. A lot of people think it’s the stupidest movie they’ve ever seen. Then there are the people that think it’s the funniest movie they’ve ever seen. And I just think it’s so funny.
Groundworks expands its mission to continue to provide foundation re pair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, plumb ing, gutters installation, and concrete lifting services across the country. “We look forward to quickly expanding FSS across the state to deliver a new stan dard of excellence in Texas,” Malone says.“Since inception, our combined brands have helped nearly 1.5 million homeowners protect and repair their most valuable asset, their home. Our mission continues with over fifty offices being honored for a remarkable six years in a row to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, Qualified Remodeler Top 500, BBB integrity award, and Best Places to Work.”
One of my all-time favorite movies is Top Gun. I believe the excitement, the action, and the struggles all resonated to a winning environment. Don Myrick, Texas First Rentals
One of my favorite movies is the Breakfast Club. I think it does a really good job of kind of speaking to what it’s like to be a teenager, to grapple with school, home, and parents. Lauren Mandel , Associated General Contractors
s Submitted to Construction News Round-Up
Foundation Solutions Systems (FSS) is a full-service foundation repair company in SanGroundworks®Antonio. is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA . -cmw continued from Page 1 — Rhino Roofers and has 20 years of experience. David, too, as a supporting representative for Owens Corning and all of South Texas, knew the shingle side and the manufac turer side very well. That gave us the knowledge and ability to know all in spectors and the best crews to do the installation in San Antonio. We were able to build a team of people very quickly.”With over 130-plus combined years of experience, the team at Rhino Roofers knows the ins and outs of roofing from small repairs to large roof replacements. Determined to be a game changer in the roofing industry, Rhino Roofers wants to take the stress and confusion out of res idential roof replacements. “We don’t want to fail when it comes to communi cation, follow-through, customer educa tion, cleanliness, and of course, quality of work,” adds LaRue. Rhino Roofers specializes in every thing roofing – residential, commercial, asphalt shingle roofing, metal roofing, clay tile roofing, and the unexpected, storm damage. Residentially, they per form roof installation, replacement, and inspections. Commercially, Rhino is ex perienced in the application of spray foam roofing, commercial roof repair, commercial roof replacement, commer cial roof maintenance, modified bitu men roofing, TPO roofing, PVC roofing, coatings, multi-family roofs, HOA-ap proved roofs, assisted living center roofs, and church roofs. They are Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Certified and Malarkey Emerald Pro Certified con tractors.Tocelebrate its first year in business, Rhino Roofers held a ribbon-cutting cer emony with the Chamber of Commerce and celebration. Family, friends, suppli ers, and Rhino clients were in atten dance. A few short months later, Rhino opened a second location in Round Rock,RhinoTX. serves San Antonio and has a 60-mile service radius of the Alamo City. Its new location serves a 50-mile radius of Round Rock. Rhino Roofers is a full-service roofing company headquartered in San Antonio. -cmw continued from Page 1 — Omega Waterproofing warehouse to its current location and is currently busting out of the seams. The company started as a two-man show. By late 2020, they hired their first employee. Today, they are 22 employees strong and offer over 100 years of water proofing“Ourexperience.projectmanager, Pat Edding ton,” adds Sappenfield, “probably has 40 years of experience by himself.” “He comes from my side of the coin, restoration,” Welch interjects. “He’s been involved with the Washington Monument, The Hemisphere here in San Antonio, and many more. He’s a wealth of knowledge.”Dedicated to excellence, combined with the industry’s top product lines, Omega Waterproofing offers its custom ers trust, reliability, and quality in both new construction and restoration. “We are the new guys on the block, but that doesn’t take away from the experience and expertise that we provide,” says Welch. “We have a proven track record. I think you can ask a lot of the customers that we have made over two years, some of them use us exclusively.”
Secondhand Lions. It’s a nice portrayal of bringing together a nephew and two un cles who end up raising the nephew. It’s just a warm story. It has a little bit of fanta sy to it, but it’s real. They end of teaching him a lot of life lessons. Barry Wurzel, Wurzel Builders
“There are a lot of waterproofers out there that have been in business for a very long time,” adds Sappenfield. “We bring fresh new ideas to the table even with technology. Products are constant ly changing. We stay abreast and keep us with all the different manufacturers, bringing the latest and greatest to our customers. Each job has its unique situa tion. We need to know what works best for eachAddingapplication.”tothat,Welch says, “Water proofing is the second most politically litigated construction defect. It makes it challenging. Performing the work is huge. We assume a bunch of liability ev ery day keeping water and moisture out of buildings, and no two jobs are the same. Even though they may all be drawn the same way as far as construc tion goes, sometimes it doesn’t come together exactly the way it’s drawn. We’re constantly having to adapt to dif ferent job site conditions to ensure a wa tertightOmegabuilding.”Waterproofing serves all of Texas. They provide waterproofing and caulking: seal expansion joints, slab con trol joints, EIFS to brick, metal to brick, hollow metal frames, and hairline cracks; fire-stopping, deck coating, epoxy injec tion, concrete repair, and wall coatings. Omega Waterproofing is a full-service waterproofing company located in New Braunfels. -cmw
continued — On The Spot
Freedom Solar Pow er is pleased to an nounce the promo tion of Sherren Har ter. In her new role, Harter will oversee Freedom’s brand and performance market ing, lead generation for the company’s residential and commercial sales teams, accountability for lead costs and the mar keting conversion funnel in close part nership with the sales team, creating a better customer experience that results in more referrals, reviews and building long-term brand value. -cmwGuido Construction is pleased to welcome Ashley Nelson to their team. Nelson brings over 15 years of experience and will be responsible for overseeing strategic business develop-ment efforts, including client development and retention, revenue growth, and geographical market expansion. She will also establish and maintain relationships with design professionals and trade partners. -cmw
I’ve got several but I would say easily, Hen ry the Fifth, Kenneth Branagh’s version. The Graduate I thought Dustin Hoffman just did a spectacular job. It really summed up the ‘60s. All the President’s Men with Robert Redford and again, Dustin Hoffman, one of my favorite actors of all time. The rea son I got interested in politics from the very beginning was related to Watergate. So that movie always spoke to me. But, if I have to pick one, I will go with Henry the Fifth Doug McMurray, Associated General Contractors Kingpin with Bill Murray, and Dumb and Dumber. I love some of the hidden jokes and the hidden comedy in there. It cracks me up. I could watch those a million times. Dean Meyer, FLYIT Drone Services
Mechanical Contractors Association Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Association Sept. 14: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 New Braunfels 7th Flr., 11:30am Sept. 21: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA Office, 206 E. Nakoma, 11:30am Sept. 28: 44th Hunter’s Symposium, Bexar Community Range, 15391 Bexar Bowling, Marion, TX, 1pm. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-8223763
org CLC Construction Leadership Council Sept. 10: CLC Construction Cup Softball Torunament, Rusty Lyons Softball Field, 5200 McCullough Ave., 8am
Sept. 19: Chapter Monthly Meeting, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Cul ebra, 11:30am-1:30pm. For more info, go to www.southtexasasse.org
RCAT Roofing Contractors Association of Texas
Sept. 7-8: Trenching & Excavation Train ing, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 8am3pm Sept. 15: Safety Summit, Alzafar Shrine Temple, 901 N. Loop 1604 W, 8:30am Sept. 26: Practical Construction Sched uling Workshop, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 1-5pm. For more info, call Kelly Wilson at 210-349-4921
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 19
NAWIC National Association of Women in Construction Sept. 7: General Meeting, The Petro leum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels 7th Flr., Dinner & Program $45 Member, $50 Non-Member, $10 Program Only. For more info, contact Shenel Rimando at shenelrimando@gmail.com or register at nawicsatx.org
NUCA National Utility Contractors Association Sept. 22: 2nd Annual Skeet Shoot, Na tional Shooting Complex, 5931 Roft Rd. For more info, contact Mary Jane De benport at 817-688-8347 or email mary jane@nucatexas.com
TACCA Texas Air ConditioningAssociationContractors
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
Sept. 9-10: 29th Annual Fishing Tourna ment, Corpus Christi, TX. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222
Association Calendar
MCA-SMACNA INC
AGC Associated General Contractors
PHCC Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Sept. 24: 2022 PHCCD Perry Beyer Jr. Memorial Fishing Tournament, Fulton Convention Center, 402 N. Fulton Beach Rd, Fulton, TX. $125 Member & Guests Early Bird, $150 Member & Guests After Aug. 19, $150 Non-PHCC Member & Guests Early Bird, $175 Non-PHCC Mem ber & Guests After Aug. 19, $25 Extra Meal, Junior Division (12 & Under) No Fee, Pre-Sale Raffle Tickets $10. For more info, call Heather Foster at 210-824-7422 or email heather@phcc-sanantonio.org
ABC Associated Builders & Contractors Inc.
Sept. 22: SAMCA Annual Mixer & Auc tion, Helotes Country Club, 14687 Old Bandera Rd., Helotes, TX, 6-m. For more info, contact Debi at 210-347-2423 or email thesamca@gmail.com
ASSP American Society of Safety Professionals
ASA American Subcontractors Association Sept. 15: Safety Summit, Alzafar Shrine Temple, 901 N. Loop 1604 W, 8:30am Sept. 22: General Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 New Braunfels 7th Flr., 11:30am. Sept. 29: Pour Off & Texas Hold ‘Em Mix er, Alzafar Shrine Temple, 901 N. Loop 1604 W, 5pm. For more info, contact Jen nifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 or email jennifer@asasanantonio.org
Sept. 21: Man Therapy: You Can’t Fix Your Mental Health with Duct Tape Virtu al, 3pm ET, 1.5 CPE Credit Personal Devel opment, Free Members & Non-Member. Sept. 28-29: Advanced Risk Manage ment Principles & Practices Virtual, 3pm ET, 4.0 CPE Credit Management Services, Member $150, Non-Member $209, For more info, go to www.sanantonio.cfma.
AIA American Institute of Architects Sept. 12-24: CANstruction Open to Pub lic, North Star mall, 7400 San Pedro Ave. For more info, go to www.aiasa.org
I-LinCP Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects
SAMCA San Antonio Masonry AssociationContractors
HCAdeSA Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio Sept. 21: Monthly Membership Meet ing, The Petroleum Club, 8620 New Braunfels 7th Flr, 5:30-7:30pm. Sept. 30: Fall Golf Tournament, Golf Club of Texas, 13600 Briggs Ranch, Breakfast 8am, Shotgun Start 9am, Team of Four $675, $175 Individual Golfer, Guest Meal $50. For more info, call 210444-1100 or email admin@hcadesa.org
TXAPA Texas Asphalt Pavement Association
Sept. 13: Industrial Development State of the Market, Estancia del Norte, San Anto nio, 11am-1pm, Member $60, Non-Mem ber $80. For more info, contact Carla Bin gaman at 512-263-5521 or email Carla.bin gaman@i-lincp.org
Sept. 26: Fall Golf Tournament, The Club at Sonterra, 901 E. Sonterra, 8am Check-in, $225 Per Golfer, $900 Per Team. For more contact Erin George at 210-342-1994 or email egeorge@abc southtexas.org
Sept. 27-29: 47th Annual Conference & Tradeshow, Fort Worth Convention Cen ter & Omni Hotel, 1201 Houston St. For more info, go to www.rcat.net or call 800-997-6631 or 512-251-7690
Sept. 15: TXAPA Live! Fundamentals of Asphalt Pavement Design Using the Pav eXpress System. Sept. 20-23: TXAPA 47th Annual Meet ing, La Cantera Resort & Spa, 16641 La Cantera Pkwy. For more info, Beck Schaeffer at 512-312-2099 or email bschaeffer@texasasphalt.org
Sept. 7: Construction Financial Profes sionals’ Best Practices - Virtual, 3pm, 1.5 CPE Credit Accounting, Members – Free, Non-Members $69 Sept. 14: Risk Management, 2.0 CPE Credits Management Services, 3-5pm ET, 12-2pm PT, $75 Members, $105 Non-Mem bers.
Sept. 12: IEC School Year Begins, IEC Of fices, 5511 Ingram Rd., 5:30-9:30pm. Sept. 23: 22nd Annual Golf Tournament, Canyon Springs Golf Club, 24405 Wilder ness Oak, 1:3pm Shotgun Start. For more info, contact Julie Tucker at 210-4319861 or email jtucker@iecsanantonio. com
GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Association Sept. 16-17: 2022 Saltwater Fishing Tournament, Port Aransas Civic Center, 710 W Avenue A, Port Aransas, TX, Din ner & Cocktails Sept. 16 at 6pm, Fishing Tournament Sept. 17 5am-7pm, Weighin Sept. 17 3-5pm, $500 Per Boat (4 Fish erman), $50 Per Person Captains Steak dinner & Cocktails (Non-Fisherman) Sept. 26: 2022 ProAM Golf Tournament, River Crossing Golf Club, 500 River Way, Spring Branch, TX, 8am-3pm, $750 Team (3 Players, 1 Pro). For more info, contact Haley King at 210-696-3800 or email jh king@sabuilders.com
CFMA Construction Financial AssociationManagement
Sept. 16-17: Fishing Tournament, Drift er’s Resort, 4401 TX-35 BUS, $150 Per An gler Sept. 21: LOGIC Meeting, ABC Offices, 814 Arion Pkwy. #111, 3:30pm. RSVP to Lucinda Sullivan at lsullivan@abcsouth texas.org
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
Page 20 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
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Top Tier Clay Shoot winners: 1st Place: Ricky Bastian, 43 2nd Place: James Hansen, 42 3rd Place: Keith Davis, 37
Middle Tier Clay Shoot winners: 1st Place: Chantz Butler 2nd Place: Allen Reed 3rd Place: Brent Coffee
Best Chicken: Travis Crowe Masonry Best Ribs: Baracho Barbeque, San Antonio Masonry Tools & Steel Best Brisket – Chef’s Choice – Best Overall: Just For Fun, Groesbeck Masonry
Ricky Bastian, TM Workzone Chantz Butler, Custom Masonry Justin Delgado, San Antonio Masonry and Steel Dead Last: Laura Vasquez (tie) Dead Last: Alex Martinez (tie)
The San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association (SAMCA) hosted their annual Sporting Clay Shoot and Barbeque Cook-off. The event was held at the San Antonio Gun Club on Aug. 18. Three cooking teams participated in the cook-off while 57 shooters tried their luck at busting clays. -cmw
Bottom Tier Clay Shoot winners: 1st Place: Justin Delgado 2nd Place: Eric Perez 3rd Place: Justin Mills
Grillin’ shootin’
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 21 Summer conference
The Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) held its 2022 MCA of Texas Summer Conference and Products Show Jul. 27–31 at the La Cantera Resort & Spa. More than 450 attendees participated in events that included the trade show, golf tournament, and casino night. Educational programs included Alan Beaulieu – ITR Economics, Ben Wescott – An drews, Myers, PC., David Cook – SA Spurs Men tal Coach, Steve Farber – Leadership Strategist, and education sessions for project managers and service managers. The Saturday evening annual meeting and reception installed the new MCA of Texas 2023 Board of Directors and Officers: Presi dent Kevin Oeding, Vice President John An thony, Treasurer Alan Milby, Immediate Past President Doug Gregory, Director Ryan Reh mann, Director John Gargotta, Director Curtis Harbour, Director Rusty Minchew, Jeff Hen kener, David Schnautz, Kevin Shae, Bobby Grimes and Chad James. -cmw 2022 MCA of Texas Summer Conference Golf Tournament 1st Place team: Ryan Miner, Bobby Grimes, and Scott Lamoreux L-R: Glenn Rex and Doug Gregory
Yellow Course B winners: 1st Place: Daniel Supulveda, Alterman Inc.
2nd Place: Cole Wilson, Buyers Barricades
The American Subcontractors Asso ciation (ASA) hosted their annual Sporting Clay Shoot on Aug. 18. The event was held at the National Shooting Range where ASA members and their
Yellow Course Top Team: Joeris General Contractors
Steve Thode, Joeris General Contractors DanielAltermanSupulveda,Inc.
Leading Lady: Babet Motes, MEI Rigging & Crating
Red Course B winners: 1st Place: Paul Montanez, BakerTriangle
2nd Place: Aaron Pauli, JW Dielmann Inc.
Subs bustin’ clays
3rd Place: Martell Adams, Alamo Crane Services Inc.
Poised and ready, Pablo Alcocer and Cande Aguilar are supervisors for Satex Plumbing. -cmw
Yellow Course A winners: 1st Place: Steve Thode, Joeris General Contractors 2nd Place: Bryan Boehme, Joeris General Contractors 3rd Place: Adam Huron, Alterman Inc.
Red Course A winners: 1st Place: Doug Mercer, Zurich 2nd Place: Levi Miller, Alamo Crane Services Inc.
Page 22 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Representing with confidence Construction News ON LOCATION
Overall Top Team: Zurich Red Course Top Team: IBTX
3rd Place: Caleb Robinson, Mission Ridge
Doug Mercer, Zurich Paul Montanez, BakerTriangle
3rd Place: Adam Schmidt, Comfort-Air Engineering guests sported their best clay-bustin’ ap parel, busting pigeons, and a great day of camaraderie. Photos courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography. -cmw
LOGIC members fill several beds of trucks with the box fans collected during their “Project Cool” box fan drive. Lucinda Sullivan’s office acts as a temporary staging for the collected fans.
Project cool
It seems San Antonio and most of Texas went from winter straight into summer. As the summer months continue to inflict considerably high temperatures across San Antonio and South Texas, San Antonio seniors living in homes without air conditioning or circulating air are at great risk. Associated Builders & Contractors’ (ABC)
In memoriam… K enneth Michael Sugarman, 83, passed away on Aug. 19 at the home he adored, and sin gle-handedly added on to and reroofed, surrounded by his loving family.Born in 1939 to Bernard and Miri am, Kenny was a native San Anto nian, and a proud graduate of Jeffer son High School. He was an enthusi astic attendee of high school class reunions throughout the years, no surprise given to how many lasting friends he made at school. From Jef ferson High, he then studied at the University of Texas at Austin where he pledged Sigma Alpha Mu and ma jored in waterskiing. Much as he did in high school, Kenny made lifelong friends as a Sammy at UT, many of whom he counted as his closest friendsPosttoday.college, Kenny started his career working in the family busi ness, Sugarman’s Uniforms. This would be the start of a successful run in the textile business, but given his gregarious personality, it would not be where he ended his career; he was invited by a fellow Jefferson grad to get into the commercial real estate business, where he also excelled. From San Antonio, Kenny opened the Nashville branch of the company he worked for, before parting ways and moving to Houston. After several years in Houston, he decided to capi talize on his natural ability with ma chines and tools, returning to San Antonio to embark on his last career change, starting Riteway Service Company. Like his other endeavors, Riteway was successful but never more so than when his wife came on board to run the company with him, thereby freeing him to do what he did best: Whilenetworking.Kennyloved making new friends and contacts, networking with organizations such as Rotary, The Chamber of Commerce and First Friday was only the most recent of his passions. As a child, he loved gad gets, a love he remained true to throughout his life, much to his wife’s chagrin. His love of gadgets evolved into cars and then the speedboats he used for water skiing. From there, he found the toy he’s most frequently associated with motorcycles. He loved riding and taking people on rides, which he would do at the drop of a hat. From a smaller Honda to a bigger Norton to the Harley-David son he rode proudly, sporting Har ley-branded shirts, headbands, and anything else with the Harley label on it, he loved riding. But even that passion evolved; Kenny took up fly ing private planes later in life, but with the enthusiasm of a much younger person. He used any excuse to fly, so it was no surprise that he found a way to use his love of flying to help others: Kenny was an Angel Flight pilot for years, ferrying sick people from remote areas to hospi tals and treatment centers where they could get the attention they could not get at home. Kenny had a wonderful baritone singing voice that he used frequent ly, singing funny songs to friends (or acquaintances) using their names. Old friends and new were always greeted with a booming laugh, and frequently a nickname. Outside of his fun-loving nature, this may be what we will miss most about him; Kenny never met a stranger, only a friend he hadn’t met yet. Kenny took pride in his skills, his business success, and his friends, but it was his family of whom he was the proudest. Both of his boys brought him happiness each in their way, but his daughter gave him grandchildren and they brought him so much joy. -cmw
San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022 Page 23
Ladies Operating for Growth in Construction (LOGIC) went into action collecting over 200 boxed fans. The box fans were delivered on Jul. 20 to local San Antonio Fire Station No. 6 where the fans will be later distributed. -cmw ABC LOGIC members meet at the ABC South Texas offices to take collected box fans to San Antonio Fire Station No. 6
Page 24 San Antonio Construction News • SEP 2022
