Austin Construction News April 2024

It’s not often that a fourth-generation business decides to have a retirement auction. But in early January 2024, Tom Schifsky III contacted John Hengel, territory manager for Purple Wave Auction in southeastern Minnesota, and told him it was time. Tom, who goes by Tom. Sr., is co-owner of TA Schifsky & Sons, a large family-owned construction business in North St. Paul. Their decision to retire and liquidate their construction, paving and crushing operations brings more than 500 pieces of equipment to market, much of it late-model and all of it extremely well-maintained.

Too young at the time to go to war, Thomas Adam Schifsky bought his first tractor in 1943 and started landscaping and plowing victory gardens. After a

Fleet to Market

few years cutting sod, he transitioned to paving and performing driveway projects in the early ‘50s and brought his sons into the business. Growth was slow but steady, and building bigger driveways proved so successful that in 1958 they built an asphalt plant in North St. Paul. Over the years they developed a gravel pit, started paving streets and established a crushing operation, always maintaining and upgrading their equipment.

Today, TA Schifsky & Sons, and sister company Crushers, Inc., employ roughly 100 people and maintain a sizable fleet of equipment including late-model pavers, a milling machine, crushers, conveyors, heavy trucks, wheel loaders, dozers, rollers and much more — equipment

Kardie Equipment/TGM Wind Services Rebrands as HOLT Aerial

K“We

HOLT Aerial stands out as an industry leader, boasting the largest fleet of Bronto Skylift mobile elevating work platforms in North America. The acquisition of Kardie Equipment/TGM Wind Services in 2022 by HOLT Group allowed the organization to more than double its fleet of Bronto Skylifts.

“As HOLT Aerial, our customers can expect the same exceptional service and reliable equipment they’ve come to trust, while benefiting from the expanded fleet, extensive support and resources of HOLT Group,” said J.K. Baxter, senior vice president, at HOLT Group.

HOLT Aerial offers operated rentals, bare rentals, leasing options, services and training, as well as sales of aerial work platforms.

HOLT Aerial offers the safest and most efficient way to perform work at heights of up to 341 feet. Established in 2010, the company was acquired by HOLT Group in 2022 and rebranded as HOLT Aerial in 2024. HOLT Aerial is the first to bring Bronto Skylift aerial work platforms to North America more than a decade ago. Today, they stand as a leader in aerial equipment and are the largest distributor of Bronto Skylifts in North America.

that’s now open for bidding in an auction that will close April 17.

The equipment has been meticulously maintained. Tom Sr. says they put new tires and brakes on every truck every year. “We can’t afford to have trucks go down in the middle of summer. We’d have guys coming in as we were throwing away half-used sets saying, ‘What are you doing?’ But the trucks ran all summer.” They took as much pride in maintaining uptime for their customers as they did continually servicing and upgrading their equipment, but it’s finally time to part with it.

“We’ve grown every year, but it just gets to the point where there’s an end. And we all came together and said it’s time to retire,” says Tom Sr. “I collect cars, and I

have a few that didn’t get driven hardly at all last year, maybe 10 miles. I’d like to do at least 10 miles a day.”

Tom Schifsky IV, who goes by Tom Jr., has been doing most of the buying and selling of equipment for the last several years and researched a lot of auction companies. Ultimately, Purple Wave’s success with retirement auctions for Schifsky’s competitors played a large role in the decision to sell on purplewave. com. “We actually did their carryover work. And everyone concluded that [Purple Wave] did a good job getting all that equipment out there,” says Tom Jr. “Purple Wave has the outreach worldwide. That brought a lot of attention, and the price seemed to be fair,” added Tom Sr.

Efficiency meets Sustainability

At N2H Construction Materials, the focus is on providing sustainable materials that provide more energy efficiency for new builds and cut construction costs for their building partners. Their specialty products include architectural glass, insulated metal stud panels, CFS (Cold Formed Steel), rebar, steel fabrication, and carbon steel pipes for oil and gas.

In 2008, N2H began its journey by offering insulated steel panels in McAllen, Texas. Today they have grown to be premier providers of construction materials and steel built up wall installation. Their unwavering dedication to sustainability is at the heart of everything they do. As responsible members of the construction community, they prioritize the environment without compromising on quality or competitive pricing. N2H now manufactures and installs Cold-Formed Steel (CFS) pre-assembled structures at their San Antonio location, 12018 Warfield Road. Harnessing the benefits of CFS construction, their expertise delivers lightweight, cost-effective, and ecofriendly solutions. From precise manufacturing to seamless installation, they take pride in the advantages of CFS, such as: durability, versatility, and efficiency.

N2H offers their services and materials for both commercial and residential projects. Some notable projects in their portfolio include helping to rebuild the structures of the Wurstfest grounds in New Braunfels after a devastating fire in 2019, Sunset Office Building in San Antonio, as well as new-build condo projects, gas stations and medical offices. They remain steadfastly committed to their relentless pursuit of forging lasting partnerships, are leaders in industry knowledge and innovation, and look forward to continuing to serve the local construction community. To learn more about N2H, or to get a project quote, please visit: www.ntwoh.com -ndw

Wurstfest Rebuild, New Braunfels

Peabody General Contractors

Appoints New General Manager

Peabody General Contractors, a heavy civil construction company specializing in underground utility services and a subsidiary of the HEI Civil Enterprise, is pleased to announce the appointment of Clint Eskridge as its new General Manager. Eskridge brings extensive experience and a proven track record in the construction industry and is poised to lead the company’s continued growth and success.

Since 1973, HEI Civil has provided heavy civil construction services in Denver and along Colorado’s Front Range. In 2018, the HEI Civil Enterprise expanded its footprint by acquiring Peabody General Contractors in Austin, Texas, followed by the acquisition of Horsepower Site Services in Charlotte, N.C., in 2019. Now, as an integral part of the HEI enterprise, Peabody General Contractors has continued its commitment to delivering excellence in heavy civil construction projects throughout central Texas.

With over 25 years of experience in heavy civil construction, Eskridge has a deep understanding of project planning, production and team leadership. Throughout his career, Eskridge has demonstrated a commitment to delivering high-quality projects, on time and within budget while fostering a culture of safety and collaboration.

In his previous role overseeing operations for the HEI Civil Enterprise, Eskridge spent extensive time in Austin, where he was able to leverage his operations experience working alongside the Peabody General Contractor team to increase production and deliver successful, timely projects for clients.

As General Manager, Eskridge will oversee all aspects of Peabody General Contractor’s heavy civil construction

operations, including project management, operations, client relations and having full P&L responsibility. He will work closely with the executive team to drive strategic initiatives, cultivate new business opportunities and uphold the company’s reputation for excellence in the industry.

“We are thrilled to appoint Clint Eskridge as our new General Manager,” said Leo Denslow, Chief Executive Officer of the HEI Civil Enterprise. “Having been an integral part of our team since 2010, he brings a deep understanding of our company culture, critical success factors and operations. With his wealth of experience and leadership capabilities, we are confident he will play a pivotal role in guiding our company through its next phase of growth and development.”

Eskridge expressed his enthusiasm about joining Peabody General Contractors and his commitment to building upon the company’s success. “I am honored to take on the role of General Manager and continue my journey with this outstanding team,” Eskridge said. “Together, we will continue to uphold Peabody General Contractor’s legacy of excellence and innovation in the heavy civil construction industry.”

OLooking Ahead

Clint Eskridge, General Manager, Peabody General Contractors

s he prepares for his

(METRO) Chris Carruth took the time to sit and talk with Construction News about his journey through the industry. Passionate and driven, he is excited for this new chapter in his life and ready to share his wealth of knowledge in the fields of Strategic Planning and Business Development.

Tell me about you Chris. Where were you born?

Chris (C): I was born in Central Texas, in McLennan County.

Where did you go to school?

C: I graduated in 1983 from the University of Houston with a degree in Construction Science.

What attracted you to the construction industry?

C: I suppose it was just being exposed to it at an early age, having family members and other people I knew, in the industry. I was already working as a carpenter, and it just made sense to pursue a degree that was relevant to that.

Tell me about the early years after graduation.

C: While I was working as a carpenter, I went to the University of Houston at night to study Construction Science in their Construction Management program. After I graduated, I held several operational roles, assistant superintendent, superintendent, estimator, and several project management roles. I learned a lot about all the different moving parts in the industry.

How did you make the transition to being in Business Development?

C: In 1997 I was working for the Haskell Company in Florida, and the state of Florida passed a law that would allow public entities to use a delivery system to select contractors called design build. And with the passage of that, quantitative features (read price!) as a company were still valued but there was now an emphasis placed on qualitative value as well. What were your staff qualifications? What was the corporate experience with that type of product? And a point system was established to recognize both the qualitative and quantitative values. The need to be able to tell owners and clients about your company advanced the need for business development and marketing. This was the advent of my involvement in business development and marketing. Additionally, I became involved in strategic planning to support the business development and marketing responsibilities. What I enjoyed most was the relationship aspect of business development as this effort involved working with your internal team as well as with the clients and design teams.

How did you expand your business development role?

C: While working at the Haskell company, I accepted an offer from the Hardin Company, moved to Atlanta, and joined them to sell stadiums, arenas, performing arts centers, and convention centers. At Haskell, my focus was mainly selling K-12. By this time, I had really become passionate about business development. And I thought, if I’m going to be really good at business development and marketing, I am interested in competing at the highest level. These public facilities were typically large and significant projects and the construction companies that build those facilities are usually the biggest companies in the US, including Whiting-Turner, Gilbane, and Mortensen, among many others. To me, that was kind of the big leagues of business development, and I wanted to see if I could succeed. So, I took the offer, moved to Atlanta and ended up selling over a billion dollars’ worth of projects during my tenure at Hardin.

Hardin possessed vertical market expertise for these structure types, but we typically didn’t have a local presence as we pursued these projects across the country. One of my responsibilities was to go to the local market and identify where one of those facilities was being planned and create relationships with local contractors, and ultimately form a joint venture with them to pursue the project. That provided Hardin, through the joint venture partner, relationships with local trade partners, with local public entities that typically were the owner of these facilities and allowed Hardin to understand the impact of the facility on the local community.

So, at the end of March, you will be retiring from METRO. Can you tell me about your experience there?

C: My experience at METRO has been amazing. During my seven years, we rebranded to METRO from Metropolitan Contracting, experienced revenue growth of almost 250%, grew from 43 employees to over 90, and opened an Austin office in 2021. We also expanded our presence in the healthcare industry and expanded into some public markets.

One of the things we did that I really enjoyed was forming a joint venture with a local minority contractor and pursuing work with the Army Corps of Engineers. And we were successful in being selected to participate in a multiple award task order contract (MATOC) valued at over $ 500 million with a five-year duration. This is a different vertical market for METRO, allowing for strategic growth in a new market. It was also an opportunity for our joint venture partner to team with a larger contractor to pursue bigger and more sophisticated projects. I think that’s probably one of my best skill sets; assessing how to identify opportunities that can benefit multiple parties, especially the client. There’s a science to it, clearly, but also an art.

I can tell you truly love your work. What’s next for you? What are you going to do with your days now?

C: I am looking forward to spending more time with my family. My wife, Nancy and I, have been married for over 42 years, and we love to travel together, go hiking, and I also like to play golf. We have three grown children, whom we are very proud of. Our oldest son is a Civil Engineer in San Antonio, our middle son is married and works for the Treasury Department in Washington DC, and our daughter is a Physician’s Assistant who works with pediatric oncology patients at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. They all went to Texas A&M. They are all very busy, but we see them as often as possible. I’m not quite ready to fully retire yet, however. I love what I do, so I’ve decided to start a consulting business.

That’s exciting! Tell me about your vision for that.

C: The vision is to be a consultant in the AEC space - architects, engineers, contractors. I want to utilize the skill sets I’ve learned. I think it’s a nice segue to offer to the marketplace; experience that can be very beneficial for companies that may not have had access to C suite level experience. They will now have access to those services and experiences at a

fraction of the cost of a full-time employee. I want to work with companies that have growth aspirations but aren’t certain where their current company assets can be best strategically applied to offer more opportunity for the company and their employees. Your employees are your most valuable asset, and you want to create growth that will retain them, maximize their potential, and assist in achieving their professional goals. Developing that corporate strategic vision to create those opportunities takes experience and wisdom. I can offer that through decades of my own experience.

Amazing. What will this new venture be called? What made you want to do this?

C: It will be called CM Consulting. I just think I am in a unique position. And I am grateful. And I want to spend my last years in the industry doing this. I started as a carpenter and had the good fortune to work my way up to being involved with some very successful companies at a C suite level. And I have developed this incredible passion for the beauty of that, and I want to share that; for others to be exposed so they can see how it may or may not be applicable for them. I am also passionate about being a champion for Business Development and Marketing staff to make it to the C suite, to be able to articulate the perspective and value they provide, and the benefit they can offer, and ultimately elevate our profession. I really want to demonstrate the value of maximizing your BD/Marketing people as much as possible and seeing them as leaders and visionaries; expanding the role to the point where they can help companies achieve much more than just winning the next project. This is something I love to do, and now I can focus on helping others. -ndw

Chris Carruth with his wife Nancy

Chris & son Andy enjoying a day on the course

Proud parents, Chris & Nancy with daughter, Caroline at her graduation

Chris with son, Tyler

Wow! That was some Spring Break!

We all know how Mother Nature seems to have something against Spring Break. How many times have we just really needed to get the family out and about for a few days, only to have it turn off cold and windy, or stormy and just downright nasty? Not this year! We were lucky to have mostly good weather, with only a couple of rough days.

When we had mostly good stable weather in place, the fishing action stayed pretty consistent. It seemed like even the fish were ready to get out and stir things up, so we saw lots of good stringers and happy anglers coming back to the dock.

The reports I’m getting from all around the state are pretty much the

IThe Great Outdoors

Ken Milam’s Fishing Line

Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country. You can hear Ken on the radio as follows:

The Great Outdoors:

5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and The Great Outdoors:

5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio

The Sunday Sportsman:

6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin

same. In addition to our stripers and hybrids here on Lake Buchanan, our white bass, crappie and catfish are already biting good too. It looks like the ShareLunker program for largemouth bass is in full swing. A bass must be at least 8 to 13 plus pounds to be in one of the ShareLunker categories, and at this writing they have been racking them up from lakes all over the state.

It is a fact that a some of our lakes and rivers are still awfully low due to the drought. I just always just see that as an advantage for the anglers. The fish have less water to hide in! You might have to learn some new fishing holes and techniques, but that’s good too. The biggest mistake I see anglers make is to

All on IHeart Radio

get set in their ways. Just because something worked for you one day and you caught a bunch of fish, doesn’t mean it will keep working from now on. Fish are always swimming, moving, and reacting to water conditions – always in motion. A good angler understands this and follows suit.

If you are just getting your boat and motor ready to head out, you need to pay close attention to your fuel system. If you ended up with some fuel still in your system when you put it up for the winter, and hadn’t been using a fuel stabilizer, you will likely be having trouble. The ethanol in today’s fuel has a nasty habit of turning to a jelly like sludge that will gum up fuel line components. Just do

Spring is Sprung

t’s almost that time on Choke Canyon y’all! The Crappie are starting to stage up and the egg sacks are starting to get vainy. As the water temps near the low 60’s, Crappie will begin building nest on hard bottom substrate. Ideal water temps between 61 - 68 degrees are when the spawn is in full eff

Fishing has been great! The crappie spawn this year has been fantastic. It’s definitely starting to calm down, but it’s not over yet. Waves of crappie continue to push up or push out. Brush piles have been okay, but not great. Rocky ledges in 5 to 13 feet of water have been producing fantastically. And standing timber has been decent when they are there. The water temp has been about 64 to 66 degrees when we have a nice warming trend. But when a cold front blows in it has dropped as low as 58 on some days. The wind sure has been making it tough, but we make do. Minnows and jigs are always the ticket on my boat. Bonehead tackle slim sticks and ATX wicked shads have been the go to on the lure side.

Whether you like to vertically drop, cast and swing, or soak an ole bobber, Choke Canyon has something to offer everyone right now on the crappie side. From the bank to the boat, people

are catchin!

The catfish bite has been really good as well. Rod and reel fishing on ledges in the river channel has been producing limits of eaters. We have been catching the bigger cats on rocky flats using bluegill and gizzard shad purchased from the Choke Canyon Store. Water depths vary from spot to spot. Some of the channels are 30 plus foot deep. Jugs have been great as well, baited with cut carp and bull liver in garlic.

The bass bite has started to pick up, but they haven’t started spawning yet. Drains, rocky points, and flats have been my main focus. Crankbaits, soft plastics on a Texas rig, and a Carolina rig have been producing nicely. The bass have been chasing shad.

The white bass have been all over the place gorging themselves on shad. They move so much it’s hard to pinpoint a location, but the first place to start is throwing crankbaits at rock points. From there, move back into the small coves. They have been pushing the shad and pinning them in the backs of these pockets to feed.

I hope this helps y’all be a little more successful on the water. Go early, stay late, and tight lines y’all.

yourself a favor and take it on into your marine mechanic and get it cleaned out and start using a good fuel stabilizer at each fill up. That way you don’t lose any fishing days to messing with a motor that just won’t go!

Of course, if you just don’t want the hassle, you can always book a trip with a guide on the lake of your choice. It is just like charter fishing at the coast, except that it will cost you a lot less and only takes a few hours. You get on the water to fish, without the headache of messing with the boat.

If you haven’t already hit the water this year, you better get to it! Dust off your rod and reel, wind you on some new line and come on. You don’t want to miss this!

Captain Clendon Taylor Casting & Catching Guide Service

Sponsored by:

Ken Milam

Captain Evan Coleman Big Bassin’ Fishing Tours

Sponsored by: Daiwa USA

The Great Outdoors

Prime Time

Late winter and early spring fishing is normally fantastic and this year it hasn’t disappointed. We have caught plenty of 4-6 pounders and had some opportunities at monsters as well! Now why is fishing this time of year so good? It’s when the water starts warming up and fishing are moving shallow to make more little fish! So, with that happening it makes the fish rather predictable.

What I mean when I say fish are predictable is that they are going to stage in certain areas before they go even shallower to spawn. So, of course fish are going to be on the bank and really catchable up shallow whether it be on a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait. Or if you just like slowly dragging a wacky rig senko around you will catch fish on the bank. However, I like to target staging areas!

The way I target staging areas is pretty simple. As there are really two that I prefer to focus on. The two different types of staging areas that I like are rocky points and ledges, or points and ledges that are covered in grass.

Rocky ledges and points may be my favorite type of spot to fish! The way I fish these typically is by dragging a Carolina rig, dragging a Texas rig, or throwing a crankbait. Now the trick of course is always trying to go as slow as possible with any of these baits. With a Carolina rig or Texas rig I try to drag the bait as slow as I possibly can for a couple feet making sure I can feel every rock and even really try to feel the shape of every rock, and then I will reel in my slack and just hold it for 10-20 seconds just letting it soak. That’s incredibly important as a lot of times a fish will follow it for a while

before committing and those pauses really gives the fish the opportunity to decide to eat it. Now if I’m throwing a crankbait on these areas again I like to fish it as slow as possible but it’s a little different. So you always have to use a crankbait that matches the depth you’re fishing, what I mean by that is let’s say your fishing in 13 ft of water, I like to use a bait that dives at least 15 ft and often times a little more so I can make sure that bait is hitting the bottom the whole cast. And the way I fish the bait is by reeling as slow as I can and still making sure that the bait is hitting the bottom.

Now staging areas that are covered in grass and pretty simple. I like to use a swimbait, dropshot, chicken rig, or rattle trap. The dropshot and the chicken rig you use the same dragging method that I mentioned before, but the swim baits and rattle traps are a little different. Swimbaits you are going to want to reel as slow as you possibly can without digging it right into the grass. So you really want to make sure you’re within a couple inches of the grass your whole cast. It does require quite a bit of focus, but you can catch some monsters doing this! With rattle traps, I really like to actually bump the tops of the grass with it. And then rip it out. That’s really important as ripping it out of the grass is what provokes most of the bites on this bait.

Now that I may have introduced a couple new techniques or maybe I just gave you a different perspective on how to throw certain baits, go out and give it a shot! These are some of my absolute favorite ways to catch giants in central and south Texas.

O.H. Ivie Reservoir Annual Fishing Trip Recap

Thisis the fourth year to make the trip to what I call THE premier lake for double digit largemouth bass in the world.

Growing up in Houston and close to the coast I have spent most of it fishing saltwater but when we moved 10 years ago to the Texas hill country my oldest son, Tanner got into bass fishing. He started on Lady Bird Lake and then started fishing Lake Austin. I hired a guide to teach us Lake Austin. His name is Brian Parker, he not only guides but he is also now one of our outdoor writers. His knowledge for bass is off the charts. He has put clients on over 90 bass weighing 10 lbs or greater. I currently have two. First was on Choke Canyon, 11.6lbs and the second was caught last year at Ivie, a 12.2. Brian has been at Ivie now for the past four years.

Ivie is not a lake for numbers. It is a lake you go to grind and hopefully catch your personal best. Ivie has accounted for 46 Legacy Class

ShareLunkers over the past four collection seasons. To qualify for Legend, it needs to be over 13lbs. Fork may be known for the state record bass but Ivie in my opinion gives you the best chance for a Sharelunker bass.

The lake is down 20 something feet from where it was four years ago and any more drop in the lake it’s going to lose its best structure. The lake is gnarly and filled with what is called a salt cedar. You can’t show up at this lake without heavy braid or 1620lb fluorocarbon. You also have to tighten your drag down so the bass can’t get down into salt cedars, if it does you lost a fish. This is why this lake has been so dominant for big fish. If the lake loses that structure you are gonna see a downslide in big fish.

This year I hired Brian for nine days. I would spend the first three with Joe Mack. Joe Mack and I have fished together for over 30 years and this would be his first trip to Ivie. He put on a clinic. He caught a bass on his first cast and he proceeded to school us over three days he was here. He had never caught a bass over 10lbs before and that was his goal. Boy did he smash that on day two. He hooked into a giant that morning. We weighed it and it said 12.1, but Brian wanted to make sure so we made the trip back to the marina to double check on the certified scale for the Elite ShareLunker program. Brian’s scale was on the money. Joe Mack smashed his previous personal best of 9.86 and was now in the double-digit club! He wasn’t finished. On the last day of his three day trip with us he caught another monster. This one weighed 11.89. Two double digits in two days!! Crazy cool to watch him reel those giants in! The 11.89 was only 23.5” long. To be entered into the books for ShareLunker it needs to be at least 24”. Who cares he now has two DD’s to his name. I still have him beat by one ounce, lol!

He started talking about getting the 12.1 mounted and I said, “you have to get both mounted together. You can’t tell the story without both on the wall”. We will never forget that. He agreed. I can’t wait to see them in his office in between his two trophy deer.

The next two days we had another one of my longtime friends show up and fish with us. Jeremy Miller and I have known each other for 30 years as well. This was his second year to come to Ivie. He usually catches the biggest and the most. Out of all my friends he has the most knowledge for bass as a nonguide. The weather had the fish not wanting to eat but still managed a 9.67 and an 8.8. We ate and drank like kings and talked about past fishing trips and planned more for the future.

The last four days I was lucky enough to fish with my son, Tanner. He and I are both addicted to the outdoors especially bass fishing. This was his fourth year he got to fish Ivie with me. He was on the boat last year when I caught my 12.1. He has yet to catch a double digit but he consistently catches bass over 8 and 9lbs. The second year we went to Ivie our best five fish one day was 42lbs. He caught four of those five. This year was a grind. We caught fish but most were small males. The biggest was 6.5lbs. Still a nice fish but not what we came for. Tanner and I will be there again next year and hopefully he can get his double digit.

If you are into big bass and not numbers you need to get yourself to Ivie before it’s too late. If we don’t get rain soon Ivie will lose its clout. Pray for rain so it won’t!

The best time to go is between Jan and April. If you do, I highly recommend you hire Brian Parker and let him show you the ins and outs of this premier lake. You won’t be disappointed.

Haley Mathews, Construction News Owner & fishing aficionado, 8.55 lbs.

Tanner Mathews

Joe Mack Newnham, 12.1 lbs

Joe Mack Newnham, 11.89 lbs.

Brian Parker, 9.76 lbs.

Round-Up

Pfluger Architects announced the following:

Promoted to Principal

Lindsey Milligan, RA, RID, IIDA (San Antonio)

In Lindsey’s almost 20 years at Pfluger, she has expanded her skills and credentials from a registered interior designer to also becoming a registered architect.  Along the way, she has acquired a distinct perspective that drives her to craft meaningful spaces that resonate well. Her commitment to the firm and embodiment of our core values is evident in all her work.

TConnie Rivera, AIA (Corpus Christi)

Connie recently joined us as the comanaging principal of our Corpus Christi office. As an accomplished project manager, Connie has led successful projects in the municipal and educational sector and that experience will help drive growth and innovation in the Coastal Bend region.

Promoted to Associate

Rafael Bedolla, Assoc. AIA, CCCA, CSI (San Antonio)

From his deep understanding of the design process to his skill in construction administration, Rafael’s journey reflects a blend of creative insight and technical expertise. His advice for those starting their career is to have passion for what they do. Rafael lives that daily.

Jazmin Mendez, AIA (Houston) Jazmin’s approach to architecture is informed by her love for art and storytelling.

For the past decade, she has designed spaces that do more than meet basic needs— they spark creativity, inspire, and engage. She believes in the transformative power of design which fuels her approach to creating vibrant, innovative schools.

Chad Martin, AIA (Dallas)

Chad has a talent for turning complex designs into clear, actionable construction documents that ensure every project meets client needs and enhances the campus experience. Beyond his project work, Chad mentors high school students, sharing his knowledge and passion for architecture with future generations.

Daniel Khalighinejad, PhD, MBA, AIA, PE, LEED AP (Austin)

Daniel brings a decade of experience across various sectors, from healthcare and education to commercial and residential. In addition to being a registered architect, Daniel has earned his license as a professional engineer—a feat that embodies our value of continuous learning.

Robert “Bobby” Kincaid (Austin)

As job captain, Bobby has been instrumental in developing learning environments that stand out for their functionality and sense of community across Central Texas. Motivated by the belief that good design is crucial for good learning, he is committed to delivering spaces that encourage collaboration among students and educators.

Promoted to Senior Associate

Casey Mirau, RA (Dallas)

Casey is a designer for all Pfluger offices. He contributes to design solutions at every level, from the overarching concept to the intricate details of the site and building. His technical knowledge and experience with BIM give him the ability to effectively communicate design solutions.

Submissions

This is a section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge as space allows. Email with “Round-Up” in the subject line (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue. Andi@constructionnews.net

Game On

he Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter annual BBQ and Chili Tailgate was held on Feb. 24 at the Camp Twin Lakes YMCA in Cedar Park. This event put on by ABC’S Safety Committee gave the members the chance to show off their cooking skills, network, and include their families in the day’s events. Congratulations to all the days winners!

Cocktail Competition

1st Place: Harvey | Harvey-Cleary Builders

2nd Place: TDIndustries, Inc.

3rd Place: SI Mechanical

Margarita Competition

1st Place: Bergelectric

2nd Place: Rogers-O’Brien Construction

3rd Place: Hilti North America

Dessert

1st Place: Harvey | Harvey-Cleary Builders

2nd Place: Bergelectric

3rd Place: Capital Industries, LLC.

Beans

1st Place: MK Marlow

2nd Place: TDIndustries, Inc.

3rd Place: Captain Hook Dumpster Rentals

Chili

1st Place: MMR Group

2nd Place: Capital Industries

3rd Place: Bergelectric

Ribs

1st Place: Bergelectric

2nd Place: Structure Tone Southwest

3rd Place: Turner Construction Company

Chicken

1st Place: Biggs Plumbing Co., Inc.

2nd Place: Structure Tone Southwest

3rd Place: Rogers-O’Brien Construction

Brisket

1st Place: Ryan Companies

2nd Place: Rogers-O’Brien Construction

3rd Place: Hilti North America

1st place chicken, Biggs Plumbing Co., Inc.

WINNERS!

2nd place chili, Capital Industries

1st place ribs, Bergelectric

JR Ramon Demolition’s skilled crew used the Volvo 355 Excavator to carefully dismantle steel beams and wooden planks from the bridge that crossed over San Marcos River. Crane support removed sections of the bridge allowing for notable elements to be salvaged for historic preservation. The oldest section of the bridge dated back to 1898.

Thank You, Chris

This month we wanted to express our gratitude to one of the biggest supporters of Construction News, Chris Christians. His name is recognizable to many as the owner of Lynwood Building Materials, a cornerstone in the local construction community. Chris has been a subscriber of Construction News since its inception. A dear friend of Buddy and Reesa Doebbler, the founders of Construction News, he says he has always enjoyed receiving his monthly paper to stay abreast of all the happenings in the local industry.

Lynwood Building Materials was founded 1980, as a subsidiary of Chris B. Christians, Inc., a local lath and plaster contracting company out of San Antonio that was founded in 1910. Chris B. Christians II and his company gained national recognition for being a pioneer to the lath and plaster industry. In the 1950’s, second generation sons Sonny and Buddy Christians joined the family business, and it continued to grow and thrive. The Christians brothers continued to expand and diversify the scope of Chris B. Christians, Inc. with the purchase of Lynwood Brick and Tile in 1974. Recognizing the ever-growing material sales that resulted as an offshoot, they then decided to separate

Rising Stars

the material sales from the contracting company, and from this, Lynwood Building Materials was born.

Chris says that he receives a stack of magazines and periodicals each month, but that they often go unread. But he always looks forward to Construction News and it’s the first thing he reaches for. He reads it faithfully and enjoys being in the loop on the current projects, reading about the “industry folks”, what the trade associations are up to, and stories about hunting adventures.

These days, Chris spends most of his time on his 750 acre ranch, which boasts nearly a mile and a half of Hondo Creek, ponds, and plenty of room for his hunting enthusiast friends to roam. He grows hay, and most of what he does for the Lynwood can be done remotely. His General Manager, Kevin Brown, who has been with Lynwood for 35 years, and his two sons and daughter run the show now. He says one of his bucket list items is to go to Gruene Hall. Honestly, it’s shocking that he’s never been!

Thank you, Mr. Christians, for your support of Construction News over the years. Your loyal readership means the world to us.

Cokinos | Young is pleased to announce that ten of its attorneys have been recognized on the 2024 Texas Rising Stars list of exceptional young attorneys. Rising Stars is a ranking service based on a statewide survey, peer nominations, and independent research of Thomson Reuters. Less than 2.5 percent of Texas attorneys are chosen for this prestigious distinction. To be eligible, lawyers must be 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. Congratulations!

Local fueling is a Bear

For companies on the road and working with heavy machinery, premium diesel fuel is essential to maximizing efficiency and to prolong the life of your vehicles and equipment. Bear Oil Company is proud to present Diesel Max, a high premium highway diesel, now exclusively available at Bear Oil locations, pumps and on-site fueling service delivery direct to equipment on job sites. Bear oil fueling stations are located at: 12015 N. North Loop Rd. in San Antonio and 7015 FM 3009, in Schertz.

The detergent cleaner with lubricity helps get the most of today’s cleaner burning fuels. No need to mess with additives yourself, Diesel Max is already pretreated - the perfect blend to maximize your diesel engine performance. Ultra low sulfur diesels are more prone to water and bacteria contamination causing fuel injectors to wear out faster, lower fuel economy, poor engine performance, and increased wear on fuel filters.

Diesel Max Delivers:

- Cleaner injectors by removing internal and external deposits

- Lower cost to maintain fuel filters, fuel pumps, and injectors

- Increased Fuel Economy

- Restored engine power and performance

- Protection for fuel pumps and injectors

Bear Oil Company was founded in the mid 1930s by George W. Johnson, Bear Oil Company, began serving local gasoline stations with both fuel and lubricants. Today, they offer an array of fueling support services and decades of experience to keep their partners in the construction industry running. Their locations are accessible 24/7, 7 days a week with the purchase of a fleet fuel card. To learn more about Bear Oil’s services, such as on-site fueling, tank monitoring and fleet cards, visit: www.Bearoil.com

Katrina Colwell Arp

Christian C. Trevino

Jared R. Norton

Mitchell R. Powell

Kathleen E. Barrett Madere

James S. Richards

Alfredo E. Montelongo

Joseph D. Walker

R. Anderson Sessions

Kyle A. Zunker

Chris Christians

Chris & family

Chris & kids

Lynwood Building Materials Founder, Chris B. Christians II - 1910

TNT Crane Gives Directional Drilling a Lift

Amassive water line that runs under Lake Dunlap and the Guadalupe River was recently installed for Alliance Regional Water Authority. TNT Crane & Rigging provided 8 cranes to hoist the 36” steel pipe into place. The waterline stretches over 1750 feet and will connect the communities of New Braunfels and Seguin.

TNT Crane & Rigging is one of the largest crane companies in North America. Started in 1985 with a

single 18-ton crane, today they are a force in the construction industry, with a network of over 40 branches and an impressive fleet comprising 700 cranes. The project was executed in an incredible 12 hours. Garney Construction and J7 Services were the on-site contractors, and the directional drilling for the water line was done by Hard Rock Infrastructure Services.

Crane Superintendent Manuel Rivera was the leader of the project, and the 8 crane operators who came together to lift the enormous steel pipe were: Brandon Green, Ryan Koenning, Daniel Frias, Chris Bailey, Phillip Featherling, Gregory Hernandez, Mike Rivera and Andy Lawhead.

This project is a key link in the segment II portion of Alliance Regional Water Authority’s strategic goal of providing clean, safe water to its customers. -ndw

A Nod to the Best

Associated General Contractors (ACG) Austin Chapter held its Annual Outstanding Construction Awards program and banquet Feb. 16 at the AT&T Conference Center, Austin. Projects were judged on difficulty in construction resulting from design, location, materials, etc.; unusual construction techniques involved; final appearance and quality of the finished product; and timeliness of completion. Congrats to the winners!

Apr. 2:

Apr.

Apr.

Apr. 16: Bidding 101 with Adolfson and Peterson

Apr. 18-19: OSHA 10

Apr. 19: The Lean Builder Workshop

Apr. 22: Merit Shop Scramble - Golf Tournament

Apr. 24: The Power of Connection: Building a Suicide Prevention Community

Apr. 25: New Member Lunch in Waco

Apr. 26: Intelligent Leadership for Senior Executives

Apr. 30: Bidding 101 with Flintco Construction

Apr. 5: Coffee Chats, Pape-Dawson Office, 10801

Mopac Expressway, Building 3-Ste. 200,

Apr. 11: April Luncheon/Speaker: Gary Hudder, Round Rock Director of Transportation, 11:30am1pm, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Lane, Austin

Apr. 11: ACEA Membership Committee Happy Hour, 4:30-6:30pm, Independence Brewing Co., 3913 Todd Ln., #607, Austin

Apr. 22: ACEA Spring Swing, 12am, River Place Country Club, 4207 River Place Blvd., Austin AGC

Associated General Contractors Austin

Apr. 1: Safety Forum, 11:30am-1pm, RSVP at shiloh@agcaustin.org

Apr. 5: CLC 3rd Annual Charity Kickball Tournament, 12pm, Drieg Field, 515 S. Pleasant Valley Rd., Austin

Apr. 11: Crawfish Boil, 12am-3pm, Zilker Clubhouse, 200 Arnulfo Alonso Way, Austin. Register now, space is limited

AIA

American Institute of Architects Austin

Apr. 9: Allied Member Roundtable: Allied Membership 101 Workshop, 11:30am-1pm, AIA Austin, 801 W. 12th St., Austin

Apr. 12: Housing Advocacy Committee Meeting, 12-1pm, AIA Austin, 801 W. 12th St., Austin

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

Apr. 7-10: EWRI OMSW, 8am-5pm, AT&T Hotel & Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., Austin

Apr. 13: CTX Food Bank Volunteer Event, 9-11:30am, Central Texas Food Bank

Apr. 16: Hybrid General Meeting/Speakers: Kevin Longley & Michael Bloom, 11:30am-1pm, Balcones Country Club, 8600 Balcones Club Dr., Austin

Apr. 19: YMF Annual Golf Tournament, 12-7pm, Forest Creek Golf Club, 99 Twin Ridge Parkway, Round Rock

CTRCA

Central Texas Roofing Contractors Association

Apr. 16: Lunch & Learn, 11am-1pm, ABC Supply, Co., 6251 Rittiman Rd., San Antonio

HBA

Home Builders Association Greater Austin

Apr. 11: Risinger Home Tour, 11:30am-1pm, Location provided with RSVP

Apr. 18: Crawfish Boil, 4-7pm, Builders First Source, 2106 Denton Dr., Austin

NARI

National Association of the Remodeling Industry Apr. 11: VIP Spring Soiree, 4-7pm, Hosted by Cabinet IQ, 2419 S. Bell Blvd., Cedar Park

Apr. 25: Sip-n-Swing, 4:45, Balcones Country Club, 8600 Balcones Club Dr.

RCAT

Roofing Contractors Association of Texas

Apr. 25: Annual Fishing Tournament, 12am, Roberts Point Park, 301 JC Barr Blvd., Port Aransas

TXAPA

Texas Asphalt Association

Apr. 12: Asphalt Road-eo, 4pm, TXAPA office, 219 Commercial Dr. Buda

4/5 – Bill Wurzbach / Comfort-Air Engineering

4/6 – Debbie Hannasch / Fire Alarm Control Systems, ASA San Antonio Immediate Past President

4/9 – Celeste Estep / Keller-Martin Construction

4/12 – Jon Marek / Marek Brothers

4/12 – Chris Christians / Lynwood Building Materials

4/13 – Buddy Doebbler / Construction News Founder / Retired

4/14 – Tom Freund / Comfort-Air Engineering, ASA San Antonio Board Member & National Board Member

4/17 – Ernest Wilborn, Wilborn Steel

4/18 – Lisa Casarez, United Water Restoration & HCA de SA President

4/24 – Sherill Stanush / S&S Plumbing

4/29 – Jake McNamara / Dunnam Safety Management

4/29 – Kayla Wallace / Construction News

4/30 – Drew Addison / Acrisure

Know someone celebrating a May birthday? Let us know! Email Andi Mathews, andi@constructionnews.net

Photos courtesy of Yazmin Moreno, Photos by Yaz

ACCOUNTING

Commercial Real Estate Faces New Financing Landscape

The U.S. economy proved resilient following a sluggish close to 2023. At its final meeting last year, the Federal Reserve signaled rate cuts of at least 75 basis points in 2024, which will likely provide conditions for the U.S. Treasury yield curve to normalize.

But will rate cuts be enough to bring stability to commercial real estate (CRE) valuations and increase transaction volume?

Only time will tell; however, a wave of refinancings set to come due over the next few years, a sustained higher cost of capital, and the need for increased equity investment will present challenges and potential opportunities for the industry.

Impact on cap rates if the 10-Year Treasury normalizes

Now, with inflation receding and the economy operating at nearly full employment, the Fed has signaled its intention to lower its policy rate, which RSM projects will target 4.6% this year, 3.6% next year and 2.5% over the longer term. As the central bank shifts to a less restrictive monetary policy, RSM expects the yield curve to normalize in 2024, moving to a range of 4% to 4.25%. That would mark an approximate 100 basis point increase from 3.13% at the end of the second quarter of 2022, when the CRE market came to a sudden halt.

Transaction volume in 2023 was 31% lower than in 2022, according to CoStar data, as the CRE market continued to navigate fluctuating valuations. However, the 10-year Treasury yield signals where investors’ risk premium will price commercial real estate. According to CBRE, historical data suggests that a 100 basis point increase in the 10-year Treasury results in a 60 basis point rise in capitalization rates. The average U.S. national index cap rates for retail real estate ended 2023 up 52 basis points compared to the second quarter of 2022, while office was up 71 basis points over the same time period. These increases may be a hopeful sign that we are close to closing the gap between buyer and seller pricing in these core sectors. Quality is proving to hold strong, as Class A office properties saw only a 40 basis point increase in cap rates for the same period.

However, multifamily and industrial— both red-hot sectors in the post-pandemic period—may now experience further compression. According to CoStar data, multifamily cap rates rose 121 basis points since the second quarter of 2022. The sector ended 2023 with an average cap rate of 6.8%, in line with 6.6% at the close of 2019, directly ahead of the pandemic; this indicates multifamily is now resetting from temporarily low cap rates. The industrial sector, by comparison, has seen a rise of only 27 basis points during the same period, attributable to strong fundamentals from inflated cash flows and demand for last-mile logistics centers. We are likely to see further cap rate increases in certain industrial markets and subsectors as inflation eases and tenant leases turn over.

While increasing stability in both monetary policy and yields will help ease the cost of borrowing, costs will remain high, keeping cap rates elevated despite further drops expected in the 10-year Treasury yield through 2026. A larger spread between long-term yields and CRE cap rates will draw investors back into all commercial sectors as their risk appetite returns and likely boost transaction volume beginning in the second half of 2024 following interest rate cuts. However, compression of valuations poses a greater concern for owners looking to refinance and avoid distressed asset sales.

Commercial debt maturities

Falling 10-year yields over the four decades preceding the pandemic created conditions for CRE to borrow and refinance at lower rates upon debt maturity, reducing costs at every refinance period. The rapid rate increases since 2022 have changed the sector’s dynamics, creating much more challenging conditions for properties with debt coming due.

Commercial properties have approximately $5.82 trillion in outstanding debt, of which $2.8 trillion is scheduled to mature in the next five years, according to Trepp data. These maturing loans will generally face higher interest rates than at origination, as debt yields have doubled since early 2022, compressing returns. Lower-performing assets, which include much of the outdated office space across the country and in metro areas with lower return-to-office rates, may not be able to refinance or bear the higher cost of capital.

Private debt market

Private debt is well positioned to continue expansion during the structural shift in lending: Investors seek diversification in capital positions within CRE to protect the equity downside risk as cap rates rise. The yields on gap funding, such as mezzanine loans and preferred equity, come at a price as institutional investors seek returns of 10% on private debt, according to Preqin’s June 2023 survey. Still, borrowers have been more receptive to securing additional financing to execute riskier plays in this market. Doing so also brings flexibility in structuring, increases the certainty of funding and builds a longterm relationship for future deals.

Mezzanine fundraising was a standout in 2023, with $40.6 billion raised as of the third quarter of 2023 compared to 26.2 billion in the full year of 2022, Preqin data shows. Mezzanine positions come with higher returns than direct lending, but also carry additional risk due to their subordinate position in the capital stack. While $536.90 billion of debt matured in 2023, delinquencies for most asset classes, excluding office, remained relatively low and stable over the trailing 12-month period ending December 2023.

Not surprisingly, the commercial office sector had the highest year-over-year increase in delinquencies, jumping to 5.82% in December 2023 from 1.58% in December 2022. In the near term, we expect to see more delinquencies as office debt continues to come due; however, we are optimistic this trend will level off amid increased clarity around property valuations and longer-term corporate plans for office expansion. Some 46% of middle market executives plan to increase their organization’s number of physical workspaces over the next two years, according to data from the Q4 2023 RSM US Middle Market Business Index survey.

The takeaway

As the market continues to adjust to higher borrowing costs and compressed valuations in the face of significant maturing debt, we are certain to see the basics of real estate return. Location and asset class will play a major role for institutional investors seeking quality assets that will hold their value. Hotel, retail, industrial and storage properties have been standouts for banks due to their solid fundamentals and less volatile underwriting. But as returns decline in core sectors, niche assets such as data centers, senior housing, storage and suburban single-family rentals will be attractive areas for private debt and opportunistic equity investment.

Contractual Written Notice Requirements, Substantial Performance, and Practical Advice in the Wake of a Recent Texas Supreme Court Decision

Laura K. Napoli-Janitens Principal Cokinos | Young

Texas justly prides itself on being a freedom-of-contract state. Yet despite respected and long-standing jurisprudence on that point, James Construction Group, LLC had to spend nearly 8 years defending what should have been, a remarkably simple concept—that written notice requirements in a construction contract do, in fact, require that notices be sent in writing. As the James Construction Group, LLC v. Westlake Chemicals Corporation, 650 S.W. 3d 392, 396 (Tex. 2022), reh’g denied (Sept. 2, 2022) case has recently come to a final conclusion, a brief note on its background and practical application of its holdings seems timely.

In James the Texas Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s key holdings and resolved an important and unanswered question regarding written notice: how Texas’s substantial compliance doctrine intersects freedom of contract principles generally, and written notice requirements specifically. After 8 years of litigation regarding the written notice provision in the Westlake-James contract, the Texas Supreme Court finally held that “When a contract mandates written notice, a writing is a necessary part of complying with that condition, substantially or otherwise. A contrary holding would allow parties to elude the bargain they freely made and would open the door to a host of factual disputes about whether proper contractual notice was given – the very kinds of disputes that the writing requirement is intended to foreclose.”

For a bit a background on how we finally arrived at this definitive stance from the Texas Supreme Court, you must understand that in simplest terms, James v. Westlake is a breach of contract case. It arose out of a construction Contract between an owner, Westlake Chemical Corporation (“Westlake Chemical”), and one of the owner’s general contractors, James Construction Group, LLC (“James”).

In simplified terms, Westlake Chemical claimed that James breached certain contract provisions requiring James to safely perform its work, that James was terminated for cause, and therefore Westlake Chemical was entitled to damages for costs associated with a replacement contractor to complete James’s scope of work. Westlake Chemical’s position avoided the Contract’s notice provisions, which required 3 written notices in order to terminate a contractor for cause, and thus made written notice an express condition precedent to Westlake Chemical’s recovery of the damages it sought. Notably, Westlake Chemical did not provide the required written notice(s) and thus, at least according to James, failed to comply, substantially or otherwise, with the contract’s written notice provisions. In fact, prior to being sued, James believed that it had been terminated for convenience, not cause. After a jury verdict, which both parties appealed, and intermediate appellate court largely agreed with Westlake’s position that oral notice at a meeting could substantially comply with the written notice requirements of the contract.

Upon its review of the case, the Texas Supreme Court announced a substantial compliance standard, but with an extremely important and outcome-determinative qualification: “Substantial compliance is the appropriate standard when evaluating whether a party complied with a contractual notice condition. However, we also hold that substantial compliance with a condition precedent requiring written notice may not

be achieved without a writing in some form. Here, Westlake provided no writing at all with respect to at least two of Section 21.3’s required written notices and thus failed to substantially comply with the provision’s conditions as a matter of law.”

In arriving at its ultimate holding, the James Court acknowledged that the prior jurisprudence may cause confusion to contracting parties attempting to provide contractually compliant notice. Thus the Court placed an unequivocal caveat upon the application of the substantial compliance doctrine to written notice provisions: a party’s provision of oral notice does not comply, substantially or otherwise, with a requirement of written notice.

Of particular note, the Texas Supreme Court largely adopted the view that providing a contractor actual notice is insufficient in the face of a contractual requirement that notice be provided in writing.

The two primary takeaways from James v. Westlake are (1) the doctrine of substantial compliance still applies to conditions precedent such that minor deviations from a contractual notice provision that do not severely impair the underlying purpose and cause no prejudice will not deprive a party of the benefit of its bargain; but (2) mere oral or actual notice cannot satisfy a contractual provision requiring written notice.

In practical terms, this goes deeper than the simple notion that we started with—that a contractual written notice requirement means a writing is required. The Texas Supreme Court’s exploration of facts is instructive. Its analysis included a deep dive into the specific facts surrounding Westlake’s purported notices and focused on the specific language used in the alleged written notices and what that language could have or should have conveyed to James.

Thus the Court made clear that effective written notices should be very specific, contain detail of incidents or events preceding the written notices, and rely heavily on contractual language. In conclusion, I offer some quick practice points for both owners and contractors in light of the James decision: Check your contracts for written notice requirements, and understand them, these include: Notice to Proceed; Notice of Force Majeure; Notice of Increases to Project Time or Project Cost; Notice of Claims; Notice of Disputes; Notice of Termination

When drafting any notices, use triggering words from specific contract provisions

• Be specific in your notices: Specify the contract provision to which notice relates; Specify cure periods and timelines where applicable; Detail event(s) giving rise to notice where applicable; Document failure to adequately respond to first notice (i.e., failure to cure or dissatisfaction with party’s remediation effort); Document termination in writing, specifying the justification or reason for termination (convenience, cause, etc.)

• Even if written notice is not required under the contract, best practice (especially regarding termination) is to provide notice in writing

• If notice is given in a meeting, in the field, or on a job site, document it afterwards (at the very least in an email your counterparty)

• Be aware that where the contract is silent, the courts will not read in a written notice requirement.

Lauren Gerdes Real Estate Senior Analyst RSM US LLP

Crystal Sunbury Real Estate Senior Analyst RSM US LLP

HOSHA BREAKING BARRIERS

Heat Planning and Supervision

Michael Middleton Compliance Safety Officer U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Austin, TX

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

O utdoor work in warm weather

H eat sources such as ovens, fires, or hot tar

• Strenuous physical activity

• H eavy or non-breathable work clothes

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

Creation of a Heat Illness Prevention Plan: Employers should create a written plan to prevent heat-related illness. Use the tools on this web site to help. Important elements to consider when creating the heat plan are:

- Who will provide oversight on a daily basis?

- How will new workers gradually develop heat tolerance?

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

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

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

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

- How will heat stress be measured?

National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or heat warning?

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

- What training will be provided to workers and supervisors?

Day-to-Day Supervision:

Heat conditions can change rapidly and management commitment to adjusting heat stress controls is critical to prevent heat illness. An individual at the worksite should be responsible for monitoring conditions and implementing the employer’s heat plan throughout the workday. This individual can be a foreman, jobsite supervisor, plant manager, safety director, or anyone else with the proper training Proper training includes knowing how to:

- identify and control heat hazards;

- recognize early symptoms of heat stress;

- administer first aid for heatrelated illnesses; and

- activate emergency medical services quickly when needed.

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

Strategies to Empower Women in Construction

Chelsea Moore Assistant Project Manager Skanska San Antonio, TX

Women represent a mere 10% of the construction workforce (National Association of Women in Construction) and the Associated Builders and Contractors reports the industry needs an additional 546,000 workers on top of the normal hiring pace to meet labor demands. With so few women in the industry, it is crucial for construction leaders to understand how to support and recruit women, a largely untapped resource, into the industry. Construction has been dominated by men, but as traditional gender roles are broken down, women can be found in every area of the industry. With a more diverse workforce, including increased representation of women, construction companies witness a transformation as female perspectives offer fresh perspectives, skills, and innovations into every facet of the construction process, as acknowledged by leadership. There are a few strategies to attract more women to the industry and inspire them to see construction as a viable career path.

Education and Awareness

As with any profession, exposing young women to the industry can help pique their interest. Educational programs like Skanska’s Day of Discovery, which takes high school students through a building project, start to finish, including a job site walk through, allows young people to see the different avenues they can take within the industry. When these students talk to women engineers, project managers, and technology specialists, they can envision the career for themselves. It’s important to address the misconception that construction only offers field jobs. By showcasing the diverse range of roles available, like marketing, communications, accounting, and human resources, we can inspire more women to explore the variety of careers available in this industry. Since women in construction has not been widely modeled in our society, it may not seem like a natural career option for them until they see it during these events.

Mentorship

The power of a mentor is underestimated in many industries, but a mentorship program can truly shape a woman in construction’s career. Pairing a

new member of the team with an experienced person, male or female, provides invaluable guidance and insights in navigating the industry. It is also helpful for organizations to provide women the opportunity to network with each other so they can share resources and experiences.

Inclusivity

Women are increasingly drawn to organizations that promote cultures of respect and equality. With women becoming more common on building project sites and office positions in the industry, it is important to intentionally foster this inclusive culture. This commitment to fostering an inclusive culture starts with top-level leadership, and it is enforced through the ranks. Additionally, diversity training programs for everyone can help address unconscious biases and set the stage for a more inclusive work environment where women feel valued in their roles.

Training and Development

Comprehensive training and development opportunities should be implemented company-wide. These programs have the potential to empower women to refine their skills and, potentially, find their professional niche. Specialized training in construction technology, such as drone piloting or thermography, as well as project management and leadership, can equip women with the tools and resources to succeed and advance in their careers. Many times, effective communication is the key to determining where each team members’ interests lie, therefore aligning them with relevant training opportunities that benefit both the individual’s career and the business.

The construction industry faces a major hurdle when it comes to finding skilled labor, and women represent an underutilized resource of talent. Advocating for women within the construction industry and showcasing how a gender-inclusive culture can enhance an organization’s success takes continuous effort. By implementing these strategies and looking through a lens of diversity and inclusion, the construction industry can attract and retain a novel pool of talent while stimulating the area’s growth.

Way to Represent

Leticia Ortiz and Miranda Menchaca, machine operators at CPS Energy, placed in the top 10 of the first-ever all-female Caterpillar Celebrating Women in Construction operator competition, earning 7th and 8th place respectively. The two operators represented  HOLT CAT  in the competition and competed against 16 other women representing other CAT dealerships across North and South America in a skills test.

“I would like to thank CPS Energy and HOLT CAT for giving us this amazing opportunity to compete alongside so many talented women operators,” said Ortiz. “I took the skills I have learned throughout my 31 years at CPS Energy and the training HOLT CAT provided to perform to the best of my ability. This was a great event, and I am honored to have competed and placed in the top 10 in the first-ever event. I look forward to the next opportunity to highlight women in construction.”

The two-day event tested the participants’ skills in precision, speed and accuracy across a variety of machines. This included expertise on a small wheel loader, compact track loader and small hydraulic excavator. Additionally, the event provided a platform for women in the construction industry to network and gain insights from trailblazers who have broken barriers in the industry.

“This event challenged me in ways I never have before and I thank CPS Energy and HOLT CAT for providing the necessary tools to be successful at this event,” said Menchaca. “I am honored to have been a part of this event and will take many

lessons back to be a better operator.”

Ortiz and Menchaca’s showing comes at a crucial time for the construction industry, which continues to grapple with surging demand amid a pressing need for women within the workforce. Despite women comprising only 14% of construction workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women such as Ortiz and Menchaca are playing an increasingly pivotal role in driving the industry forward.

Peter J. Holt, CEO of HOLT CAT, expressed his pride in Ortiz and Menchaca’s achievements at the competition. “Their success is more than individual accomplishments; it is a win for all of us and serves as an inspiration to future female machine operators. Their journey underscores the importance of fostering a supportive environment where women can thrive and excel in traditionally male-dominated industries.”

“I am extremely proud of Letty and Miranda’s top 10 finish at the competition. Their triumph symbolizes the limitless potential of women shaping the future of the construction industry,” said Richard Medina, Chief Energy Delivery Officer at CPS Energy, “We are extremely proud to have them on our team.”

Ortiz and Menchaca are two of five female machine operators employed at CPS Energy. Both natives of San Antonio, Ortiz has been in the construction industry for more than 40 years and has been an operator for 31 years while Menchaca is completing her first year as an operator.

Thanks to EquipmentShare and Dunnam Safety Management for training our White Rock Construction Services team and keeping our job sites safe.

ALadies take Aim B&A Architects Announce

ustin Associated General Contractors (AGC) celebrated Women in Construction Week with a ladies 101 Clay Shoot Clinic Mar. 8 at Capital City Clays. The concept behind the training was to teach ladies how to shoot so they can participate in AGC’s upcoming CLC Clay Shoot. Led by a certified NSCA female instructor, 30 participants learned safe shotgun handling skills, shooting fundamentals, shotgun mechanics, and target reading. It is rewarding to see ladies conquer their fear of handling a shotgun to busting targets and their excitement to participate in future clay shoots. A big shout out to our event sponsors, Hensel Phelps Construction and The Beck Group Architecture.

“This is a special project for Purple Wave, and we’re honored that the Schifskys decided to partner with us to sell their equipment,” says John Hengel. “They believe in us. There’s no guarantee or reserve on anything in the auction, but nothing makes me nervous. It’s been a pleasure working together as a team — they’ve been well-prepared and receptive to our ideas and guidance for equipment layout and preparation. “

Jaython Johnson, Purple Wave’s district director for north-central US, says the equipment package continued to grow. “They initially weren’t going to list the equipment from Crushers, but after the first 80 assets listed from Schifsky spent a weekend receiving bids they called us Monday and said they’d seen enough and to list the second company’s assets in the auction, too.”

Even though this retirement auction is one of the

RNew Principals

ick Brendler, president of B&A Architects, proudly announces the elevation of Miguel Saldana, Steven Jackson, and Steve Mahlmann to the position of Principal within B&A Architects. Rick Brendler, founder of B&A Architects, will remain president of the 40-year-old, San Antonio-based firm.

“Each of these individuals have been integral to our success and collectively have more than four decades of experience as managers within B&A Architects, serving clients across Texas and the nation,” stated Brendler. “These talented individuals possess highly complementary skills and backgrounds, exemplifying collaboration, intellectual rigor, and a commitment to delivering the high standard of service for clients that is the anchor of our organization.”

Brendler will continue to provide strategic oversight, guide the firm’s direction, and long-range plans, strategy, and policy. “I am excited to continue guiding our firm into the future, which is full of promise as we respond to our boundless potential,” stated Brendler. “The elevation of these individuals to key leadership positions recognizes their dedication and commitment to B&A Architects’ continued growth and success over the years and further strengthens our firm.” The promotion of Saldana, Jackson, and Mahlmann to key leadership positions reinforces B&A Architects’ commitment to promoting talent and ensuring continued growth within the organization.

largest single-seller events Purple Wave has ever conducted, Johnson says he’s proud of the way Purple Wave was able to deploy dedicated resources for this project while continuing to service the rest of the customer base. “We’ve had three auction specialists working full time taking pictures and cataloging equipment. We’ve had dedicated staff at headquarters creating all the listings, handling all the paperwork and processing more than 150 titles. All this is going on behind the scenes to make sure all the seller has to do is pull out the equipment, wash it and find the titles. We handle everything else.”

Bidding for the TA Schifsky & Sons retirement auction is open now and will close April 17. View the complete inventory and register for free to bid at www. purplewave.com.

Leaving their Mark

This is a momentous occasion for Benold Middle School and the Georgetown community! What an incredible opportunity for current students to be a part of the school’s history by leaving their mark on the gym floor. The messages of advice and encouragement will serve as a reminder to future students of the strong and supportive community at Benold. It’s truly inspiring to see the next generation embracing the new school with such enthusiasm. As the Bartlett Cocke General Contractors team wraps up this summer, they will look back on this day with pride knowing that they helped create a space where students can grow and thrive for years to come.

Purple Wave, con’t