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CONSTRUCTION
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Volume 14
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Number 1
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JANUARY 2017
A deep history
Pushing others up
L-R: Moss Utilities’ Case Whitfield and Garrett Moss
Dan Lombardo (second from left), 22KILL representatives and veterans at a check presentation.
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ven though Moss Utilities was established five months ago, the company has more than 90 years of family experience behind it. President Garrett Moss and general superintendent Case Whitfield both hail from families who made careers in the construction business. “I’m actually the fifth generation of the Moss family to be in underground utilities,” Moss says. “My family worked for Cullum Construction, which has been doing utilities since the early 1900s. My great-great-grandfather, my great-grandfather, my grandfather and my dad all worked there.” Moss’ father R.H. “Hal” Moss started Moss Construction Co. Inc. in 1989 and was soon joined by Moss’s grandpa Ted and uncles Mark and Brad. In nearly 20
years, the company was pulling in $45 million in revenue a year with more than 200 employees, but a recession forced its closure in 2008. “I grew up around the office while my dad was working; I was playing and riding 4-wheelers in the construction yard,” Moss says. “We have pictures of me on machines when I was 2 or 3 years old. It’s been in my blood for a long time and Case is the same way.” “My dad started Whitfield Plumbing in 1984,” Whitfield, who is also a master plumber, adds. “We were primarily builders for large custom homes. We were in business until about 2010. We were doing residential construction too, so the 2008 downturn really put us in a hard spot afcontinued on Page 20
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hen Walker Engineering vice president Dan Lombardo is in a room, it’s not unusual for him to ask construction industry members to drop and give him 22. Sometimes, hundreds of people will fall to the floor at once. Lombardo encourages the exercise; he is a national board member of 22KILL. Named to honor the 22 U.S. military veterans who take their own lives each day, the organization helps veterans transition to civilian life through counseling and transitioning programs. For nearly three years, construction and developer companies including KDC, Beck, Adolfson & Peterson, Turner, Balfour Beatty, Hill & Wilkinson and Austin Commercial have joined Lombardo at his “Leaders In
Construction” honor ring events. Attendees do 22 push-ups to earn an honor ring, and in turn challenge other construction firms to earn rings and raise funds and awareness for 22KILL. “I call them ‘Leaders In Construction’ events because the people who help this mission, to me, are leaders,” he explains. “The ring is not just for veterans, but for anyone who is a true patriot and believes what the flag stands for. The push-ups are for men and women currently serving or who have served and in the memory of the people who took their lives because they believed there was no way out but suicide from PTSD, and stresses from transitioning back into the civilian world.” continued on Page 20
Just what the doctor ordered
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ith more than 150 employees, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)’s membership and staff was growing at a rapid rate. Their office space, however, wasn’t, and ACEP couldn’t find an existing building in the area that met its needs. To solve the problem, ACEP purchased six acres of land near the Dallas/ Fort Worth Airport and enlisted the talents of general contractor Structure Tone Southwest Inc. and architect BOKA Powell. ACEP asked the team, which included Structure Tone Southwest vice president Denis Gee, Blake Evans and Jamie Pierce, to create and build an energy-efficient space that would accommodate its accelerating growth. The new ACEP headquarters, located at 4950 West Royal Lane in Irving, consists of a 54,030-sf core and shell tilt-wall office building. The three-story structure boasts a unique shape featuring tilt-up
The American College of Emergency Physicians’ new headquarters, built by Structure Tone Southwest, received a Tilt-Up Concrete Association award.
concrete panels, natural stone veneer and a full-height curtain wall, with punched openings and multicolored panel reveals. The building’s modern, sleek exterior is softened with lush landscaping that exceeded code minimums. The team landscaped more than 30 percent of extra area than code dictated and planted twice as many trees in the space’s islands than code required. A walking trail circles the site, and employees and members are greeted with an impressive masonry and glass entrance spanning the three stories. High-end interior accents include a 3-D custom wood wall, plaster ceiling, international floor tile and a custom backpainted glass that includes LED lighting. A grand staircase featuring glass and steel railings connects two levels, and the building utilizes LED lighting systems and an integrated lighting control system. Members and staff can take advantage of continued on Page 20
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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A very Coty Christmas
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oliday feast-ivities! Coty Owens Electric Company employees and guests gathered to celebrate at a holiday dinner hosted Dec. 6 at Fort Worth’s Reata Restaurant. After owner Coty Owens’ heartfelt welcome and praise of his employees’ hard work over the past year, the group dug into the fare boasting western flair, including rib-eye and pecan pie. –mjm Below: Employees and guests were full of holiday cheer and western cuisine.
Construction News ON LOCATION
Digging his gig
Beth and Coty Owens
He has digger matters to attend to! Matt Meza, who has worked for Cowtown Excavation & Concrete in Fort Worth for a year, gets ready to dig deep into his day. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Careering in engineering
He loves his work! Technician Daniel Balderas has been employed at Reed Engineering Group Ltd. in Dallas for 16 years. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
Tight-knit group
Dallas Fort Worth
CONSTRUCTION NEWS Melissa Jones-Meyer/Dallas Fort Worth Editor DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net 817-731-4823 Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.constructionnews.net
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The Dallas Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/ Fort Worth metropolitan area. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space-available basis. Construction News, Ltd., dba Dallas Fort Worth Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time. © 2017 Construction News, Ltd.
Right: It was a wooly wonderful holiday for Burgess Construction Consultants Inc. The Dallas team reached into the very back of their closets for just the right thing to wear for the company’s “Ugly Sweater Contest,” held Dec. 3 at Top Golf in Allen. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
the detail was very important to the customer. And I have found that with my employees in the field that everyone has their expertise. With your background and experience in the industry, was starting your own business an easy decision? It seemed pretty natural. I wasn’t too nervous. I knew the industry, and knew what customers were going to expect. Our clients really appreciate a company like ours.
Gerald Franks President SL Commercial Services Fort Worth
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erald Franks could have followed his family into the oilfield business, but a few construction jobs in his youth gave him a taste of what a career in the industry might be like. After lengthy stints for other companies, he eventually followed that lead, started his own construction services business, and five years later, feels that paying attention to those younger instincts led him in the right direction. Tell me a bit about your background. I was born in Wichita Falls. My family wasn’t in construction; they were in oilfield services. Even though I was too young to go on site, I grew up thinking I might get into construction. Even in high school, I worked for a roofing contractor on houses and then after that, I was a trim carpenter. After high school, I went to work for Lockheed; they have contract field construction teams in the Pacific and I worked for eight years or so overseas rebuilding antennae systems for the Air Force. What was your career path after your work at Lockheed Martin? I returned to Fort Worth and was in the real estate business buying properties. I’m still doing that; I have another company called SL Back Forty where I own and manage rental properties in Fort Worth. After that, I worked as a salesperson for a national glass and door provider for over 16 years. That company was sold, and that’s when I started SL Commercial Services in 2011. We are a facilities service provider primarily in the state of Texas. We work for facilities departments of major retailers and restaurants who have prime locations in Texas. It’s a 50/50 split; we have our own employees and contract workers as well. We do new construction, interior finish outs and refresh properties for retail and restaurant clients. Having worked in construction in high school really gave me an appreciation for paying attention to detail; in both of those jobs, I was in situations where
What surprised you about owning your own business? A lot surprised me. Probably the communications skills with employees required for a work environment. The hiring of people. You work 24 hours a day. It doesn’t leave much time for vacations? Exactly! You get to travel for great vacations but they’re all tied in with work. What do you enjoy about what you do? I enjoy providing jobs in the workforce and having very pleased customers. Since we represent retailers and restaurants, we’re their eyes and ears and we’re very proud of that. Being self-employed is wonderful, being able to control your own destiny. The benefits of self-employment are numerous. You opened your business in 2011, just as the recession had worn down the construction industry. What was your experience opening a business at that time? I think I’m lucky that I had some connections and colleagues from my prior job that opened the door for me to do business with some high-end retailers. The customers and contacts that we had always needed something. Our segment never really had a problem with anything economically. What lessons have you learned in running your business? I’ve learned patience. I’ve learned to
Franks takes his BMW 1200 on road trips with his buddies, most recently to Big Bend.
SL Commercial Construction Services’ Gerald Franks
get a second opinion on almost everything. We also have to be good listeners. We recently had a Christmas party, and in my speech to my employees I said that what has happened to this company is that, we knew what the customer was expecting, we knew how to provide that product, and what we learned is team building. How has SL Commercial Services progressed in its first five years of business? The first two or three years were hard to figure out, long hours, being understaffed, being overstaffed and now, at five years, the business is a lot larger and steadier. It’s more about the team building and creativity than growing the business. I think something else that is very valuable about the business now is that there is so much data that is invaluable that we didn’t have the first two or three years. We’re aggressively growing. We continue to double our revenue each year. This year will be a challenge because [doubling last year’s revenue] is going to be a tall number. But I’m about to have a full-time salesperson on staff, so that will help a lot. We’ve had a holiday party every year since we started, and about once a quarter we got the whole team together for lunch. We have 16 employees, and the larger we get, the tougher it is to have get-togethers! If a person wanting to break into the industry or wanting to start their own business asked you for advice, what would you say? Do it as fast as you can and as young as you can. It’s a lot of work and you’ll have more stamina and more opportunities to succeed or fail. I highly recommend it for a young person. When you aren’t working, what do you do in your spare time? One thing I do is ride my bike. I’m more into dirt [biking]. I grew up racing motorcycles and made friendships that I
have to this day, and I’m 54. I won awards when I was younger, but I don’t do anything competitive now. Since I’ve been older, I’ve been more into the BMW 1200s, and they’re kind of on-and off-road. Now, we’ve kind of gone to the street in those BMW 1200s and we’re all riding together again. We just came back from the Big Bend National Park in Texas. We’ll probably go back down there again for another challenge. I also play golf; I’ve played golf since high school. When I was a salesperson, I got to play all of the time, but when I started the business, I didn’t play at all because I was too busy but then I started playing on Sundays once a week. I still average one day a week. My wife Lori manages the investment properties. For fun, we travel, and if I had the time and money, I would be on a really expensive yacht for a couple of months. And we have pets; we’re very proud of our two Westies, Stuart and Bailey, who are 8 years old. They go to work with us, so they are in the office quite a bit. I was playing golf one day and a person was remodeling a house; he had a Westie with him and I fell in love with that breed from that day on. Also, a friend of ours has a foster care/adoption agency business and we organize Christmas gifts for the children. Lori gets her friends together and encourages them to donate. Do you think you will retire from this business or always be involved in its operation? I’m kind of a “build the barn” type person who works really hard on a project and then takes a few days off. I did that in my sales career. For example, if we go to a conference, I always try to schedule a vacation immediately afterwards. I think I will maintain the business. I’m not excited about not working anytime soon, I can say that. I’ll probably just stay in the business, even if that means scaling back a little in the future. I still want to be involved. –mjm
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Submitted to Construction News
They know the drill
Toy team-up
Maxon Drilling helper Josh Windham and driller John Mabee have a ‘hole’ lot of fun getting a Fort Worth site ready for a future Take 5 Oil Change store. The facility should finalized in spring 2017. Cactus Construction serves as the general contractor. –mjm
For the fifth year, the Dallas, Austin and Lubbock offices of Lee Lewis Construction teamed up with Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to provide new toys and a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters. The donation was the company’s biggest to date! –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Win-ter wonderland
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t’s the most wonderful time of the year! Companies and individuals who displayed exceptional qualities during the building process in 2016 were celebrated at TEXO Holiday & Awards Gala. Hosted by TEXO, The Construction Association at Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan, the Dec. 2 event treated members and guests to an evening of dinner, networking opportunities and entertainment. In addition to Distinguished Building and Merit Award winners, Safety Excellence Award recipients were also recognized. –mjm
Austin Commercial LP DBU Jim and Sally Nation Hall
Walker Engineering Inc. White’s Chapel United Methodist Church New Fellowship Hall Addition and Texas Center for Proton Therapy
MEDCO Construction LLC Complex 53 Bed ICU Renovation Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
BakerTriangle Crossroads Children’s Building
Skiles Group Inc. Dynaten Annex
The Brandt Companies LLC State Farm Regional Campus
Southern Botanical Inc. Preston Hollow Estate
James R. Thompson Inc. Frost Tower Frost Uptown Levels 1, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15
Joeris General Contractors Ltd. University of North Texas Marquis Hall
TDIndustries Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Polk Mechanical HALL Arts Center
LEMCO Construction Services UT Southwestern Medical Center E3 Team Based Learning
Spring Valley Construction Company Veritex Bank Oak Lawn Branch
The Beck Group Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Byrne Construction Services & Ridgemont Commercial Construction, Joint Venture Bob Bolan Public Safety Complex
Linbeck Group LLC Cook Children’s Medical Center South Utility Plant
The Beck Group TCU Frog Alley Parking Garage
Hunt Construction Group, An AECOM Company AT&T Center Renovations
Not pictured: Young Constructor of the Year Stewart Shurtleff, Griffith Davison & Shurtleff SIR Award Chris Peck, JE Dunn Construction
SEDALCO Inc. Hommel Elementary School Addition and Renovations
Andres Construction Services Greenhill School Dining Hall
Rogers O’Brien Construction Company 3700M
Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing
Lifetime Achievement Award Steve and Jackie Humphrey, Humphrey & Associates
George-McKenna Electrical Contractors Inc. Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple
The Beck Group Old Parkland Campus
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
continued from Page 5 — Win-ter wonderland
Specialty Contractor 2016 Superintendent of the Year: Juan Chaires
Specialty Contractor 2016 Safety Professional of the Year: Scott Sears
2016 Vision Award Austin Commercial LP
General contractor 2016 Superintendent of the Year: Greg Banno
Volunteer Leader of the Year Josh Carson, JE Dunn Construction
General Contractor 2016 Safety Professional of the Year: Eli Martinez
TEXO Challenge Cup: Humphrey & Associates
Lighting up the holiday Young Constructor of the Year Tyler Berns, Austin Commercial
Magnolia Award: Outstanding Woman in Construction Elizabeth Bigler, McCarthy Building Companies Maureen Underwood, TDIndustries
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erry and bright! That’s what members of the Independent Electrical Contractors Association’s (IEC) Fort Worth/Tarrant County chapter were as they gathered to celebrate the holidays. The IEC’s annual Christmas Party and Casino Night, held Dec. 1 at Fort Worth Stockyards Station’s Stockman’s Club, hosted a dinner and casino games for the nearly 100 guests. The IEC board was also inducted, with outgoing IEC chapter president Coty Owens of Coty Owens Electric Company welcoming incoming president Terry Browning of Cable Electric to his new role. –mjm
L-R: Tutor Electrical Service Inc.’s Bobby Tutor, PCL Contract Bonding Agency’s Eric Lesch and Humphrey & Associates’ Steve Humphrey Jr.
L-R: Outgoing IEC president Coty Owens and incoming IEC president Terry Browning.
L-R: IEC Fort Worth/Tarrant County Chapter’s Sandra Strevel, Marcie Funchess and Jo Britt.
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Commercial break
SL Commercial Services’ project managers Ed Baker and Chris Brenner take a moment outside Fort Worth’s Hulen Mall, where the company is working on a Journeys Too store. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Sweaters for the draft
Season’s eatings
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art Inc. and Demolition Specialties “tastefully” celebrated the holiday season by serving delicious barbecue at their annual Christmas supper. Hosted Dec. 2 at Irving’s Senter East Recreational Center, the event gave employees a chance to gather, celebrate and enjoy meat cooked by Mart Inc.’s Ron Smith. –mjm L-R: Mart Inc.’s Mart Inc.’s superintendent Ivan Sparkman and president Vernon Proctor
In a sheer act of wool, guests donned their snazziest sweaters for the contest.
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here’s a cheer in their beer … wait, that’s not how the song goes! But there were plenty of both at North Texas Roofing Contractors Association’s (NTRCA) “Beer & Sweaters Holiday Party.” Held Dec. 14 at Arlington’s Legal Draft Beer Company, NTRCA members raised their mugs for the year behind them and the year ahead of them. They also competed for the top prize for the most eyecatching holiday sweaters. –mjm
Mart Inc.’s project engineer Angela Lauderdale and IT engineer Jason Denton
Mart Inc.’s project manager Tom Neeley and superintendent Steve Hines
Right: Frazier Roofing & Guttering in their festive finest.
McGee Electrical Services’ Bill McGee, LDA Architects’ Phillip D. Dye and Mart Inc.’s John Stone
Submitted to Construction News
Harmonious break Brettco Roofing’s Holly Green, First Texas Insurance Services’ Traci Garner Davis, ASCO’s Darryl Woods and Frazier Roofing & Guttering’s Rich Frazier won the sweater contest.
Warm reception
Rowlett’s Chamber of Commerce joined general contractor Jordan Foster, Huffines Communities and city officials for a combined grand opening of luxury apartment community Harmony and the ground breaking of the 318-unit phase II. JHP Architecture/Urban Design and Moore Design Group developed the community’s exterior and interior design, respectively. –mjm
RBCA chairman John Proctor recognized companies contributing to the community project.
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uests gathered to enjoy the warmth at the Regional Black Contractors Association (RBCA) holiday reception and toy drive. Hosted Dec. 9 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, the event benefitted Vogel Alcove, a school for homeless children. Guests generously donated $5000 worth of toys to the cause. Highlights of the evening included music provided by Dallas’ Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy Band and speaker Simeon Terry of Austin Industries. RBCA chairman John Proctor also recognized Manhattan Construction, Webber LLC and Con-Real for their participation in RBCA’s community project, which provided home repairs for a Dallas resident over the Christmas holidays. –mjm
Asheya Warren, president of SMPS and Denita Lacking-Quinn, Achieve PR
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
New construction or remodeling: sales tax consequences
Election raises questions of future policies
Jon Wellington, Director of State and Local Taxes Lane Gorman Trubitt PLLC Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
James Christ, Rodney Christ and Terrell Taylor Christ Taylor Insurance Houston, TX
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ike many other states, Texas has unique rules for imposing sales tax on the construction industry. In addition to imposing sales tax on the sale of materials, Texas also imposes sales tax on certain services. A variety of factors impact the taxability of the sale of various materials and services, including the type of contract (separated versus lump-sum), whether the work is performed on residential versus commercial property, and whether the property is tangible or real property. Another factor to consider is also whether or not the project involves “new construction.” Determining whether a project involves new construction is important because Texas imposes sales tax on the repair, restoration, remodeling, or modification of nonresidential real property. Such services are not taxable, however, if performed as part of new construction (or if performed on residential property) and if the charges are separately stated to your customer. Making the distinction between new construction and real property repair or remodeling can often be more difficult than it first appears. Consider a scenario where a contractor is hired to finish out the shell of a building that has been gutted. The natural instinct may be to view such work as new construction, and therefore the labor charges would be exempt from sales tax. Unfortunately, the Texas Tax Code views such work as taxable real property repair or remodeling. Before engaging in a construction project, it is vitally important for a contractor to determine whether the work performed is new construction for sales tax purposes so that it can be properly bid for the project and fulfill the sales tax compliance responsibilities. Under the Texas Tax Code, new construction means “all new improvements to real property, including initial finish-out work to the interior or exterior of the improvement.” New improvements to real property that include finish-out work to the building’s interior or exterior before the initial occupancy are considered nontaxable new construction. New construction also includes addition of new usable square footage. For example, adding a new dining area to an existing restaurant or building a ramp for handicap access would be new construction. Adding a new roof, however, would likely not be considered new construction because even if it adds square footage it is not “usable.”
On the other hand, as mentioned above, the finish out of a previouslyexisting structure that has been gutted would not be considered initial finish-out work, and would not be new construction. If there is an existing improvement to real property, only its complete demolition would allow for new construction to occur where the improvement once existed. Lastly, it is important to note that the new construction exemption only applies if labor charges are separately stated from charges for materials. Using a “separated services” contract instead of a “lump-sum” contract is the only way for the labor charges to be exempt from sales tax. Simply having a breakdown between labor and materials on change orders or your invoices will not be sufficient to support a finding that the new construction labor should be exempt. Further, a contract that involves both remodeling and new construction will be fully taxable unless the charge for new construction labor is separately stated from charges for remodeling labor. Jon Wellington has more than 19 years working as a licensed attorney, having worked for big four accounting firms, including PWC and E&Y, along with law firms, including Baker Botts. He is responsible for state and local tax matters including audit defense, income and franchise tax planning, sales and use tax consulting, and nexus reviews. Jon has extensive experience helping clients in the construction industry. A full biography is available at www.lgt-cpa.com. LGT is one of the largest professional accounting and advisory firms in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Finding assurance and tax solutions for construction contractors and adjacent industries has been a cornerstone throughout LGT’s 65year history.
L-R: James Christ, Rodney Christ, Terrell Taylor
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fter hard-fought campaigns by both candidates, Republican candidate Donald Trump has been elected the 45th president of the United States. Trump’s victory in the election, along with Republican majorities retained in both the Senate and House of Representatives, will likely have a significant impact on a number of compliance issues over the next four years. During his campaign, Trump called scale changes related to their employerfor a repeal of President Barack Obama’s provided health care. hallmark health care reform legislation, Regardless of any future changes the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In that may be made, employers that addition, Trump’s victory raises provide group health coverage for their uncertainty over the future of other employees must prepare for upcoming policies enacted under President Obama, ACA deadlines. These may include: including the new overtime requirements Employer Shared Responsibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act Rules: The ACA requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer affordable, (FLSA). minimum value health coverage to their Action steps President-elect Donald Trump will full-time employees (and dependent not take office until he is inaugurated on children). Penalties can apply for each Jan. 20, 2017. This means that, despite the month in which an ALE does not offer this coming change in power, there will likely required coverage. be no significant legislative or regulatory Employer Reporting of Coverage: changes prior to 2017. As a result, Employers must also report information employers should continue to prepare under Sections 6055 and 6056 to the IRS for upcoming requirements and and to certain individuals about the coverage they offer or provide during the deadlines to ensure full compliance. year. Returns and statements for each The future of the Affordable Care Act Throughout his presidential calendar year are due at the beginning of campaign, Trump ran on a platform of the following year. repealing and replacing the ACA. In Changes to ACA Limits for 2017: addition, since its enactment, Several dollar limits are adjusted each Republicans in both the Senate and the year, and employer-sponsored plans House of Representatives have virtually should be updated to reflect those all opposed the ACA, calling for its repeal. adjusted limits. For example, the out-of Due to the sweeping Republican pocket maximum increased to $7,150 for victories seen in this election, it is likely self-only coverage and $14,300 for family that some changes will be made to the coverage for the 2017 plan year. of Benefits and ACA over the next four years. While it is Summary Coverage (SBC): Health plans and largely unclear, at this time, what those changes will look like, Republicans in the issuers must provide an SBC to participants and beneficiaries that past have suggested the following: Full repeal of the ACA, with or includes information about health plan without a potential replacement health benefits and coverage in plain language. care reform legislation; partial repeal of The Departments issued a new SBC key provisions (such as the individual template and related materials to be and employer mandates), while retaining used for health plans with open some less controversial provisions; enrollment periods or plan years changes to the Medicare and Medicaid beginning on or after April 1, 2017. Christ Taylor Insurance is an employee programs; and implementing new policies intended to expand coverage benefits and insurance brokerage firm doing business for over 50 years in southeast and lower health care costs. There will likely be no significant Texas, and long-time ABC member. The firm legislative or regulatory changes to the provides solutions to small and medium size ACA before early January. Due to the companies in the areas of healthcare and additional uncertainty for employers, other benefit programs, as well as life with compliance obligations hinging on insurance and retirement plans. Contact the political process, employers may the Christ Taylor team at 713-850-7747 or want to hold off on making any large- www.christtaylor.com Submitted to Construction News
A toast!
Members of the National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) Dallas chapter raised a glass to 2016 and the new year ahead! The group celebrated at Grapevine’s Farina’s Winery & Café Dec. 13 with a gift exchange and a book donation for Mi Escuelita Preschool Give Wings Program. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Compliance with the DavisBacon Act: Not just prime contractor’s responsibility
OSHA updates fall protection in general industry Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
Elizabeth H. Connally Connally Law PLLC San Antonio, TX
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ou may think paperwork about payrolls is the general or prime contractor’s problem and that subcontractors just need to perform the work. If the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) applies to the project, the work, regardless of who is performing it, is not done until the paperwork is complete. The DBA, 40 U.S.C. § 3142, was enacted in 1931 to provide local laborers and contractors a fair opportunity to participate in federally-funded construction projects and to protect local wage standards by preventing contractors from basing their bids on wages lower than those prevailing in the particular geographic area of the project. Simply put, the DBA, sometimes called the prevailing wage law, requires that contractors engaged in work on federal, state or other governmental projects in excess of $2,000 pay all mechanics and laborers not less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits. Contractors subject to the DBA must prepare certified payroll reports. In addition, Texas has similar requirements that apply to public projects. Section 2258 Subchapter B of the Texas Government Code also requires a contractor (general or prime) or subcontractor that is awarded a contract to perform work on a public project to pay the workers not less than the prevailing wage rate for the work performed in the same locality. The prevailing wage is determined by using a survey of wages paid to classes of workers employed on projects of similar character to the contract work where the project is located (Section 2258.022 Texas Government Code). Penalty for Non-Compliance Section 2258.023 of the Texas Government Code also imposes a hefty penalty for non-compliance. The government entity that issued the prime contract may penalize the contractor or subcontractor $60 for each worker employed for each calendar day or part of the day that the worker is paid less than the required prevailing wage rate. In addition, the Department of Labor (DOL) may also conduct its own investigation to ensure compliance with the DBA, which includes inspections of employment records and confidential employee interviews. If the DOL determines there is a violation of the DBA, it may take action against the contractor, including assessment of penalties and payment of backwages. In addition, the contracting agency may suspend payments to the contractor until the violations are corrected or withhold funds to compensate employees for unpaid wages as well as assess liquidated
damages. The contractor may also face criminal liability if it is determined the DBA violations were willful (29 C.F.R. 5.10). In addition, where the DOL finds a contractor violated its obligation to employees or willfully violated the DBA, a contractor may face contract termination or debarment from future contracts covered by the DBA for up to three years (29 C.F.R. 5.12). It is important to recognize that prime contractors may suffer these punishments based on the sins of their subcontractors. Therefore, ensuring a subcontractor’s compliance with the DBA is just as important as ensuring compliance of your subcontractor’s electrical or plumbing work with the building codes. Record Keeping Requirement All contractors, regardless of tier, must comply with specific DBA record keeping requirements. During the course of the contract, contractors must maintain records on each worker which includes the following: name, address, social security number, worker classification, hourly rates of wages paid and fringe benefits paid, daily and weekly number of hours worked, deductions made, actual wages paid, information regarding other various fringe benefit programs and if applicable, detailed information about apprenticeship programs. Texas also requires contractors and subcontractors to maintain such records (Section 2258.024 of the Texas Government Code). In addition, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires an employer to keep exact records of all time worked, all wages paid and all wage deductions. Bottom line Prime contractors and subcontractors on public projects are both obligated to pay their workers the required prevailing wages and fringe benefits for the proper class of work performed and maintain proper payroll records for each worker. Failure to comply subjects both prime and subcontractors to significant consequences. Elizabeth Connally is the managing shareholder of Connally Law PLLC, San Antonio. Connally is licensed to practice law in OH, DC, HI and TX and is a former warranted contracting officer for the U.S. Dept. of State (DOS), where she handled contracts for the DOS’ largest procurement office in Frankfurt, Germany. Her email is ehconnally@eclegal.biz.
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alls from heights and on a working surface are among the leading causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. OSHA’s final rule on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems better protects workers in general industry from these hazards by updating and clarifying standards and adding training and inspection requirements. The final rule replaces the outdated general industry scaffold standards with a requirement that employers comply with OSHA’s construction scaffold standards. The rule phases out a 1993 exception for the outdoor advertising industry that allows “qualified climbers” to forego fall protection. The rule requires employers to protect workers from fall hazards along unprotected sides or edges that are at least 4 feet above a lower level. It also sets requirements for fall protection in specific situations, such as hoist areas, runways, areas above dangerous equipment, wall openings, repair pits, stairways, scaffolds, and slaughtering platforms. And it establishes requirements for the performance, inspection, use, and maintenance of personal fall protection systems. OSHA defines fall protection as “any equipment, device, or system that prevents a worker from falling from an elevation or mitigates the effect of such a fall.” Under the final rule, employers may choose from the following fall protection options: • Guardrail System – A barrier erected along an unprotected or exposed side, edge, or other area of a walking-working surface to prevent workers from falling to a lower level. • Safety Net System – A horizontal or semi-horizontal, cantilever-style barrier that uses a netting system to stop falling workers before they make contact with a lower level or obstruction. • Personal Fall Arrest System – A system that arrests/stops a fall before the worker contacts a lower level. Consists of a body
harness, anchorage, and connector, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or a suitable combination. Like OSHA’s construction standards, the final rule prohibits the use of body belts as part of a personal fall arrest system. • Positioning System – A system of equipment and connectors that, when used with a body harness or body belt, allows a worker to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or window sill, and work with both hands free. • Travel Restraint System – A combination of an anchorage, anchorage connector, lanyard (or other means of connection), and body support to eliminate the possibility of a worker going over the unprotected edge or side of a walkingworking surface. • Ladder Safety System – A system attached to a fixed ladder designed to eliminate or reduce the possibility of a worker falling off the ladder. A ladder safety system usually consists of a carrier, safety sleeve, lanyard, connectors, and body harness. Cages and wells are not considered ladder safety systems. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
Reindeer games
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ll bets were on! Members of the Independent Electrical Contractors’ (IEC) Dallas chapter played the night away at the association’s Christmas Party and Casino Night. Hosted Dec. 8 at Dallas’ Eddie Deen’s Ranch, the event included a cocktail reception, a barbecue dinner, music, games, prizes and a caricature artist. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
Hat’s off to him!
The holiday party is an annual event for IEC Dallas members.
AIA Dallas 2016 president Zaida Basora, FAIA, hands off the hat (and title) to 2017 president Nunzio DeSantis, FAIA, of HKS Inc. The transition of power and chapter awards were celebrated at the AIA Dallas holiday party at The PADS at The Aloft Hotel. –mjm PHOTO CREDIT: WJN Photography
Guests were treated to a casino night.
Spinning the night away.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Staying in touch with winter patterns by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Majek Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ForEverlast Fishing Products, MirrOlure, and Columbia Sportswear.
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here are certain things to remember when transitioning to winter fishing. One may start out using some of the techniques that were successful in the spring and fall with not much success this time of the year. Then you’re going to start wondering if all the fish were caught during the summer, or they have all migrated to the gulf for the
Chris Huey and Mark Walter had plenty of action after a front pushed thru last month. No big fish caught, but at least they didn’t go home empty handed. Fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
winter. Relax, Don’t Panic!!! Think about what your doing and how your going about doing it. Let’s start out by saying that winter fishing is cold. If you’re cold, then so are the fish. There is no need to set the alarm for 5 am and start your day off at day break just to freeze you’re butt off on the ride to your favorite fishing spot. Stop and have some coffee and breakfast and plan on leaving the dock about 8 am. By the time you get the boat unloaded and
on your way, the water temperatures are just starting to warm up. Plan on fishing late into the day as water temps will continue to rise till about 3 pm. During the winter fish slow down everything they do because their metabolism slows down. They move less, eat less and feed less frequently. On a more positive side, when they do decide to eat they focus on larger meals instead of several smaller meals. They want to maximum yield with minimal effort. Also in the win-
ter bait fish are less present, so trout and reds are less picky about what they eat. If you are willing to adjust to their feeding habits, you will produce better success. When fishing in the winter, you must also have the right tackle. A light action rod with a fast tip is what I recommend. My set-up is a FTU Green Rod (model APL-1) in a 6-ft. 9-in. length with a Concept 10 baitcaster. My line of choice is Maxcuatro in 30# moss green. During the winter I’m usually throwing slow sinking baits such as the mirrolure corky or one of my favorites, the Soft Dine XL. The baits allow for a slow presentation which is key when fishing winter months. Winter fishing also requires the angler to prepare for extreme weather conditions. Be sure to layer up with good quality clothing and waders. My Simms gear is the best money can buy and keeps me warm and dry throughout the day. Wading boots are just as critical. Soft booties this time of year can cause your feet to cramp when wading soft mud. I recommend ForEverlast Baffin Flats Stalker boots for all day comfort. Always pack a change of cloths just in case you trip or take water over your waders. That 50 mph boat ride home will be a lot more confortable. I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2017 season. Don’t wait till all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
Girls gone fishing Submitted to Construction News
Buck-aneer
Brianna Brett, Kelsey Howell, Rose Brett and Lisa Moore
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or the past few years, Kelsey Howell of Howell Crane & Rigging Inc., Brianna and Rose Brett, (wife and daughter of Moore Erection’s Kenny Brett, respectively) and Lisa Moore have lined up with other women to reel in cash and trophies and contribute to a worthy cause. The Texas Women Anglers of Texas Fishing Tournament is a women-only, family-run event held annually in Port Aransas, TX. The first competition, held in 1989, consisted of 18 boats with more than 50 women anglers competing. Today, the tournament, which is a qualifier for the Offshore World Championship, averages more than 70 boats and more than 400 women anglers. Tournament proceeds benefit the Women’s Shelter of South Texas, which provides free comprehensive support services for men,
women and children in 12 South Texas counties. To make it even more fun, many teams wear matching bathing suits or elaborate costumes and decorate their boats. It’s not uncommon for construction companies to enter the competition, and the boat names reflect that: Howell, the Bretts and Moore compete on a boat named “Boomin’ It Up” to reflect their trade. The 2016 tournament was a success for the foursome. Howell won second place in the tuna category with her catch, which weighed in at 8.85 lbs. They’ve had wins in previous years as well; Rose placed second in the same category in 2015 with a 14.4 lb. tuna, and Lisa Moore scored second in the Wahoo category in 2014. –mjm
AJ Rodriguez didn’t pass this buck on by! The Castro Roofing of Texas vice president braved the cold to score the deer on a recent hunting trip. AJ harvested the buck that scored 150 in. in Knox County, TX. on Nov. 21.–mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country, You can hear Ken on the radio as follows: The Great Outdoors: 5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and The Great Outdoors: 5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin All on iHeart Radio
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ell here we are in another new year. We are done with celebrating holidays and most of the deer hunting. Hopefully maybe we are a little better than half way done with cold winter days, because I’m already ready for spring. It is always a sign of the passing of winter when you see the ads for all the local boat shows. What better way to shift your focus back to fishing and water sports than to mozy through a boat show checking out the latest in boats and motors and fishing gizmos? This is your cue to start getting ready. You need to start paying attention to the weather. On these bright sunny warm days between cold fronts, you can be sure that the crappie are beginning to move up into shallow water to warm in the sun and start looking for places to nest. Warm water makes them hungry, so you need to be looking for them along the shore line around structure so you can tempt them with live minnows or the artificial lure of your choice. I can’t think of a better winter supper than a platter of fried crappie! Be thinking white bass too. It won’t be long before they will be starting to run
the time of year the ShareLunker program starts putting out all those pictures of monster bass being caught. You might want to go chase some of them too! Now for my favorites, stripers and hybrid stripers; stripers are cold water fish, so they and their hybrids are in their element this time of the year. Right now their instincts are telling them to eat everything they can catch, so they will be ready for spring spawning. Like white bass, they will move upstream a little for spawning time, but they are still open water feeders that need lots of room to roam and feed. They won’t usually get serious about spawning until April or Mayish, but they will be tearing their way through every school of shad they can, so they will be fat and sassy and full of eggs. Is your boat running good? If not, get it into the shop right away before everyone else finds out their boat’s broke too. If she’s running good, don’t forget to use a good fuel additive to keep her going. There is nothing worse than standing on the bank on a nice day when you discover your rig won’t run! I hope you made two good resolutions for this New Year: 1. Make more time for fishing! 2. Take a kid fishing!
upstream to spawn. It depends on how cold the weather has been, but they seem to get going in late January to midFebruary. On most lakes they will run as
far upstream as they can get, and that’s where you want to be fishing. Largemouth fishing should be getting interesting too. Don’t forget, this is
We’ll see you on the water!
Dapper dogs
Submitted to Construction News
The buck stops here
Good luck in everything you do in 2017!
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dog shouldn’t have to sacrifice warmth for style! Freeman, spoiled-rotten (and very well-dressed) dog of Air Balancing Co. Inc.’s Don Phillips, is modeling his Burberry-esque sweater, because nothing is too fancy to wear to fight off the chill while backyard-guarding. Rocket, who belongs to Penny Wilson at Air Balancing Co. Inc., doesn’t mind earmuffs but is not a fan of hats. Like Freeman, she enjoys a cozy sweater on cold days too. –mjm
Freeman
Castro Roofing of Texas’ Brandon Rodriguez has been doing a bit of hunting now that the weather has turned cooler. Brandon took this 10-pt. buck in Melvin, TX Nov. 19. –mjm
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Rocket
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Motorcycle makeover
f you remember the article we ran in our Mar. 2014 issue about Matt O’Neill’s 2013 Harley-Davidson Street Glide, you’ll want to see the $25,000 motorcycle makeover he gave the Glide. O’Neill, who works for JBS Electrical Inc., heavily invested in his ride’s modifications since we last spoke to him, bringing the bike’s current value to $50,000. O’Neill tricked it out with new stretch bags, a stretch tank and stretch fender, hydro-dipped it with a skull pattern and put on 12-in. stretch bars. –mjm
Hound for the holidays
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rogress Lighting’s Pamela Tresp had cause for paws Dec. 17 when she hosted a Christmas open house in her home for a favorite charity. In lieu of hostess gifts, guests brought donations of cash or goods such as dog food, beds, toys and blankets to help Cody’s Friends, a local dog rescue. ‘Twas the season for giving: Tresp and her guests raised $375 cash and many items to donate. “I help volunteer at Cody’s Friends,” Tresp explains. “Three of our five rescues are adopted from them. They really do try to help every dog they possibly can.” Tresp’s fur babies – Howie, Arabella, Audrey, Duncan and Wolfgang – were even inspiration for part of her home’s holiday décor: Each pup had a stocking hung by the chimney with care. –mjm
Matt O’Neill enjoys his skulled-out ‘cycle.
O’Neill’s bike before the upgrades.
Tresp’s dogs didn’t have to beg for donations from generous guests.
The stockings on the mantel are dedicated to Tresp’s furry friends.
Matt O’Neill’s investment in motorcycle modifications paid off. Guests donated cash and goods to benefit Cody’s Friends.
Submitted to Construction News
Thrill of the hunt
Ben Carruthers, son of CertainTeed Ceilings’ Eddy Carruthers and grandson of Accurate Masonry’s Charles Carruthers Jr., is hog wild for hunting! The 10-year-old scored his first wild hog – weighing more than 200 lbs. – on the family’s Young County hunting lease on Nov. 26. The young Carruthers made the shot from more than 200 yds. away using his grandfather’s .243 Remington rifle. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Submitted to Construction News
Industry FOLKS
Taking s-elfies
Bob Aniol Project Executive Sundt Construction
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hen Caitlynn, daughter of Sundt project executive Bob Aniol, began walking at 15 months, she fell often, as toddlers do. But when Caitlynn continued falling with no improvement, Aniol and his wife found themselves shuttled between specialists, trying to find the cause. The Aniols finally found a doctor at Scottish Rite Hospital who could offer a diagnosis: Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, a neuromuscular condition characterized by leg weakness and spasticity or stiffness. The condition is lifelong, with no specific treatments to prevent, slow or reverse it. Physical therapy is important, however, and Caitlynn immediately entered into a program to keep her muscles strong and maintain her muscle range. Aniol’s experience motivated him to become involved with the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for HSP and Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS). He has served as the foundation’s Texas ambassador and works tirelessly to raise awareness and research funds for HSP. His company joined the cause as well. “Over the past five years, Sundt, through its Sundt Foundation, has raised money for research for HSP,”
Aniol says. Those donations, combined with funds donated by other companies, family and friends has totaled more than $30,000. These days, 15-year old Caitlynn is thriving and planning to attend Texas A&M, her dad’s alma mater. Aniol had attended the university with his sights set on engineering but instead gravitated toward the school of construction, and entered the field in 1994. It was the right choice for Aniol, who enjoys the challenges and variety construction offers. He’s also appreciative of the projects he’s had the opportunities to work on such as the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. When he isn’t working or shining a light on HSP, he enjoys fishing, teaching his 13-year-old daughter Carlie how to hunt and attending Comic-Con events and Texas A&M football games with Caitlynn, who is an avid fan of both. –mjm
Employees of McCarthy Building Company’s Dallas office dressed as Santa, Mrs. Claus, and elves, and visited Mi Escuelita Preschool there they took photos with children who may not be able to meet Santa. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
Bartlett celebrates holidays
Employees from different offices of Barlett-Cocke got together for a holiday party on Dec. 6 at Sunset Station in San Antonio. People from the San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and Bayton branches all made the trip to celebrate another year. –cs
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Head of the pack
Stocking up
Bill Conley, employees and friends of the Conley Group Foundation assembled 500 stockings for soldiers.
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ive hundred U.S. solders in Afghanistan will be feeling the love when they receive stockings from Conley Group Foundation this Christmas. Conley Group employees gathered at their Irving office on Dec. 9 to stuff stockings full of treats to send to those who protect and serve our nation. –mjm Right: Conley Group’s Susan Brown and Velvet Delaune, wife of Conley Group’s Gerald Delaune, fill a stocking with goodies.
Care and Mercy Foundation’s Blair Thomas and Conley Group’s Sally Graff and Bill Conley
L-R: Denise Jackson-Ealy, Melissa McDonald, Kim Sheldon, Felesicia Gonzales, Erin Burkhalter and Melissa Lazarin
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ags full of blessings! That’s what Cadence McShane Construction’s Denise Jackson-Ealy, Kim Sheldon, Meli McDonald, Melissa Lazarin, Dawn Messer, Erin Burkhalter and Fee Gonzales packed Dec. 8 at Dallas’ Veteran’s Administration Hospital. As part of a “Holiday Packing of the Bags” event, the ladies joined other volunteers to assemble care packages of toiletries and small entertainment items for hospital patients. –mjm Santa scoots around and checks on his elves.
Cadence McShane employees volunteered to fill and deliver bags for Dallas VA hospital patients.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
(Dry) home for the holidays
Industrial innovation wanted
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eanette Tillery is full of gratitude for Alden Roofing. After her retirement, the Arlington resident had become the victim of a “financial advisor” that took all of her savings and investments for retirement, and she only learned of the scam after the scammer passed away. Her roof then began leaking in almost every room of her home, causing interior damage to her ceiling. With no money to pay for repairs, Tillery was desperate for help. With a giving spirit, Alden Roofing’s senior project manager Daniel Alden and his team arrived at her house the week after Thanksgiving. They not only replaced Tillery’s roof free of charge, but they did so with a shingle that was of better quality than the one she Alden Roofing’s Daniel Alden and Arlington resident had. They also repaired Jeanette Tillery the water damage on her ceiling. Tillery is now celebrating the holi- Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Del Rio days in a home that is safe and dry. and El Paso. –mjm Alden Roofing has offices in Dallas/
Peter John Holt and Corinna Holt Richter
Charlie Strickland
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ith a heritage of innovation, the Holt family has announced the formation of HOLT Ventures, an investment arm within HOLT CAT®, which will invest in people and companies focused on new technologies and solving challenges in the industrial and manufacturing industries. “We are looking for people to bring an innovative mindset to heavy industry,” says Adam Bridgman, director of HOLT Ventures. Companies from around the world entered the pitch competition. Fifteen finalists were selected and each will have the opportunity to present their idea on Mar. 14 at SXSW in Austin this spring. “We are leveraging SXSW since its such a big event and has a global reach,” Bridgman says. Partners in the new organization include Caterpillar Ventures, Cottonwood Technology Fund and Brick & Mortar Ventures – all with a global reach and all interested in finding and investing in new technologies. HOLT Ventures aims to provide funding, along with real world mentorship and guidance. The organization is committed to helping companies fast-track growth and commercialize big ideas through access to the internal workings of the largest Caterpillar® dealership in the nation and a deep-seated advisory committee that includes mentors from across the company. “The Holt family’s great success in the commercial dealership arena over the past 40 years is partially due to the company’s values-based leadership platform,” said Charlie Strickland, HOLT Ventures managing director. “As a capital partner and advisor, HOLT Ventures is furthering
Adam Bridgman
the Holt family’s legacy of fostering innovation by helping emerging companies and entrepreneurs in our industry.” The competition is divided into three separate one-hour sessions, in which the winners will be awarded a cash prize and/or potential strategic partnership opportunity. There is a total cash payout of $50,000 across all three categories. “As we enter a new phase in industrialization, HOLT Ventures will focus on solutions that drive efficiencies across our business and the services we provide,” said Peter John Holt, HOLT CAT executive vice president and general manager. “Companies that have a strong vision in developing efficient, innovative solutions, from process improvement to smart technologies, are what we are looking for.” Find out more at holtventures.com/ sxsw –cw
Submitted to Construction News
Meet and fête
L-R: Brettco Roofing’s Holly Green, Whitlock’s Francine Hawkins-Alegeh, Steele & Freeman’s Dena Rowland, FAA’s Kathryn Oestricher, and VFC’s Jillian Giles mixed business and pleasure Dec. 15. The ladies enjoyed the last National Association of Women (NAWIC) Fort Worth chapter meeting of 2016 as well as a holiday party at Fort Worth’s Diamond Oaks Country Club. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Construction Forecast An exciting 2017 Brian Webster, President KWA Construction Addison, TX
What markets do you expect KWA and the industry to see an increase in over the course of 2017? Why? KWA Construction specializes in multifamily construction, but we do expect to see another year of continued increases over all markets simply because of the strong population growth and immigration to Texas. Dallas/Fort Worth specifically has gone above and beyond to attract corporations from all over the country and we definitely see the impact in our fast-paced industry. In your perspective, what is your projection for the Dallas/Fort Worth construction industry for 2017? A major trend that we’ve noticed in the last few years has been the resurgence of Dallas and Fort Worth, so we predict an increase in HUD financing in order to help provide affordable housing options for the underprivileged in North Texas. This is, of course, driven more by tight financing requirements in place by lenders, and fortunately HUD makes deals possible that otherwise may never happen because of not being able to
meet traditional financing requirements. As of today, we have four HUD housing complexes in our portfolio, two under construction and several in the works – and we’re as proud as ever to do our part in the revitalization efforts of the area. We also believe there will be a continued tight subcontractor labor market. While Dallas may be fortunate at the moment with a surplus of construction projects underway, the multifamily development industry has been facing a challenge of a shortage of subcontractors. But, with everything else going on and the successes we’ve come across, we’re staying optimistic. Overall, we believe the industry will stay strong and near capacity. With production currently projected to increase as it did in 2016, it’s going to be a year of endless opportunity. What do you think the keys to success will be for your company in 2017? I envision a major driver for success in 2017 will be doing more with less. There will be more of a focus on productivity of subcontractors and less on how
Construction outlook: more positive but with many possible problems Ken Simonson, Chief Economist Associated General Contractors of America Arlington, VA
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exas construction, like its weather, is experiencing extremes. The outlook for 2017 is for sunnier but unsettled conditions. The state’s once-robust construction market has stalled. Year-over-year construction employment growth, which handily topped 20,000 throughout 2013, 2014 and 2015, slowed to a five-year low of just 500 employees (0.1%) from November 2015 to November 2016. The slowdown has appeared in four of the state’s five largest construction markets, but in varying degrees. The only exception is the Fort Worth-Arlington division of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Irving metro area, where construction employment rebounded to a 4% growth rate from November 2015 to November 2016 after posting year-over-year decreases every month from mid-2015 through May 2016. Construction employment growth in the Austin-Round Rock metro area slowed to a still-healthy 7% year-overyear in November after running at a double-digit rate for most of the prior two and a half years. Growth in the DallasPlano-Irving division of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth-Irving area slipped to just 0.5% from November to November, down from 5.5% one year earlier and nearly 7% the year before that. (The Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics combines mining and logging with construction in the Austin and DFW areas to avoid disclosing information about industries with few employers. The slump in oil and gas drilling may have contributed to the weakness in “construction” employment.) Similarly, contractors in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area consistently added fewer workers in the 12-month periods ending in 2016 than in the previous year. Job growth from November 2015 to November 2016 was 2.9%, down from 5 to 8% in the three previous November periods. Predictably, construction employment was hit hardest in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, going from a 7% growth rate in November 2015 to yearover-year decreases in the second half of 2016. By November, the rate of decline had accelerated to almost -6%, the worst since mid-2010 The primary reason for the slowdown is, of course, closely related to the sharp decline in oil prices and drilling since mid-2014. Conversely, the rebound in prices for both oil and natural gas from the lows of a year ago portend a pickup in construction in some parts of the state in the next few months. Fortunately for Texas residents and
many people are on the job, in order to maintain schedules and increase the overall quality of work for everyone. Another major key to our success in 2017 and beyond will be the recent restructure of our leadership team. Richie Keene has graciously accepted the role of executive vice president while Keller Webster, founder and president of KWA Construction, has transitioned to chairman. Keller will still oversee the company as an advisor and continue to guide us into a successful new year, which is extremely important now that competition is becoming more apparent since DFW is such a hot market. But, Keller has decades of experience in this industry and I have big shoes to fill as the new president. As we do now, we will maintain a focus on customer service, continue to improve virtual construction systems and enhance communication platforms. What do you think will be different for your company and the industry in 2017 compared to the previous year? Are there any trends generating buzz? We believe the market is driving owners to negotiate contracts with general contractors in place of competitive bidding, due to their overflowing workloads and the uncertainty of the process. Instead of putting projects up to bid, developers are talking with contractors they know and contractors with whom they’ve previously worked with in order to negotiate a contract. Competitive bidding doesn’t seem to be a driver of overall project savings so developers are more willing to pay-up for quality, and in turn, alleviate some of the risks including
contractors, the state’s economy is far more diversified, and population growth is steadier, than in past oil-price swings. The U.S. Census Bureau reported on Dec. 20 that the Lone Star State’s population increased by 433,000, or 1.6%, from July 2015 to July 2016 and accounted for nearly one-fifth of the entire country’s population growth. Each year this decade, the state’s population has swelled by more than 400,000, maintaining consistent demand for additional single- and multifamily housing, schools, stores and other types of structures. Census estimates for 2016 population change by metro area will not be available until March, but in March 2016 the agency reported, “The Houston-The WoodlandsSugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro areas added about 159,000 and 145,000 residents, respectively — the largest gains of any metro areas in the nation. Two additional Texas metro areas adjacent to each other ─ Austin-Round Rock and San Antonio-New Braunfels ─ were each also among the 16 nationwide to gain 50,000 or more people over the period.” Even if population growth has slowed since then, the demand for homes, businesses, public buildings and infrastructure generated by past inflows will help keep many contractors busy in 2017. The constant population influx has also contributed to a growing supply of construction workers, although the supply has not always matched demand in quantity or required skills. The 2016 elections have injected new uncertainty into the outlook for construction, nationally and in Texas. The state has an exceptionally large number of immigrants and foreign-born residents. Cross-border trade is extremely important, not just along the southern edge but in the Gulf ports and for oil-service and petrochemical industries. The
unforeseen costs, understaffed teams and slower turnaround times of a project. The process is transparent this way, and I think more and more companies will get on board. How would you sum up the last five years of business at KWA and what do you predict for the next five years? The most appropriate word that comes to mind is growth – growth in the market and growth in the workplace. In August, KWA was ranked one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies by national business publication Inc. Magazine. Since 2012, we’ve nearly doubled our revenue and increased our workforce by more than 20 percent. We feel lucky to have been able to add talented and hardworking individuals to our payroll and construct much-needed multifamily housing units throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We’ve been extremely lucky to be selected as general contractors by companies including Seneca Investments and GroundFloor Development for multiple projects in recent years, which I believe speaks to our high quality of work and team members. Continuously collaborating with these companies means KWA is seeing bigger projects and more responsibility – which we are more prepared for than ever for the coming years. We’ve also recently made the switch from BIM 360 to Procore Technologies, the cloud-based project management solution. As most people in this industry know, having the tools on-hand to help continued on Page 18
large hospital sector in all of the big metros, especially in Houston, may hit the brakes on expansion and modernization until there is clarity about whether the Affordable Care Act will be repealed and, if so, what will replace it. On the positive side, school bond issues that passed in November will add to plans already underway in many independent school districts for new construction and renovation. And the possibility of massive additional infrastructure spending may mean good news for highway and other transportation contractors. In short, 2017 poses the chance for contractors to recover from the slowdown that has hit many parts of the state. But there are also significant risks ahead. Ken Simonson has been the chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading trade association for the construction industry, since 2001. His weekly summary of economic news relevant to construction, The Data DIGest, goes to 47,000 subscribers. He was the 2012-2013 president of the National Association for Business Economics, the professional organization for individuals who use economics in their work. Currently, he serves as an appointed member of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Data Users Advisory Committee. Ken has 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He earned a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and an MA in economics from Northwestern University. Ken Simonson has been the chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America since 2001. His weekly summary of economic news relevant to construction, The Data DIGest, goes to 47,000 subscribers.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Construction Forecast Construction market looks good for 2017 Rick Vavro, president and founder Austin Underground Inc. Austin, TX
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hat markets do you expect Austin Underground and the industry will see an increase in over the course of 2017? All of our markets continue to expand. It appears that TxDOT will continue to release work coming out, so that means government markets are good. Commercial is still going strong. There are upticks in permits happening, which indicates that the subdivision and commercial market is still strong. It doesn’t seem like any of them are slowing down. What do you foresee as the biggest challenges your company and others like it in the industry will face in 2017? I see several challenging areas for the upcoming year. One area is increased labor competition. In October, the City of Austin instituted a minimum cash wage for its construction contracts, and we do quite a bit of city work. The minimum cash wage on those projects – and projects the city is giving tax credits to – is $13.50. There is some difficulty in knowing if it’s a job that requires this new minimum wage.
Another area is new competition moving in, and new companies starting up, due to the strong market. It creates some instability and downward pressure in the market. There are a lot of guys waiting for their chance to break into this market, and most of them are pretty competent in what they do. However, it takes time for someone starting out to figure out what their costs are going to be, and historically, these guys can bid way high or way low. Finally, the election has left a lot of questions as to what is going to change with the new president coming in. This has led to more uncertainty with health care, which a big chunk of our cost, and there is a potential for oil prices to go up. These changes will increase our overall costs, so we are following these markets pretty closely. How does Austin Underground plan to address and overcome these issues? We are making sure we realize what the requirements are for the new minimum wage. It is a bigger issue for us if everybody has to get a raise, and we are
Maintaining a great staff is key for 2017 Kevin Smith, President and CEO Equipment Management Services LLC Houston, TX
What is your projection for 2017? I think 2017 will be another good year for the business. We feel good about our market position at the moment. We expect the industry at large to grow and a lot of that is driven by the maritime industry and the Port of Houston’s impact on the container trade. This allows us to have greater inventory of containers. We expect to see an uptick in the service business. It allows us more availability of containers for resale and rental. We are focused heavily on that part of the business. We expect that business component to grow in 2017 as well.
Have you seen any material or cost increases in your industry? We have not seen a dramatic increase in material or supplies costs that we would consume in a normal course of our business. There have been some relatively small increases here and there. We expect to see some increases in steel prices in 2017. That is going to equate to the value of containers at the end of the day. We also expect to see increases in the sellout prices in 2017.
training our people and talking about it. A continued focus on retention is also key. We offer a lot of good benefits to our employees, and we try to do things that other guys don’t, in order to attract talent. The way we train and treat our employees is what makes for good retention in our company. For example, on a rain day, which happened a lot in 2016, we will do training so we don’t have a lot of down time for our guys and they have a steady paycheck. What are Austin Underground’s plans for 2017? I think we continue to grow. We’ve been seeing a 30 percent growth rate for the last few years. We are working to continue to become a more specialized contractor in our different markets. We will continue to shore up our people with advanced training to make us a more solid contractor. We also expect to increase our total employee count by 10 percent. How would you sum up the last five years for business at Austin Underground? After the downturn, a lot of commercial guys looked around to see who was still standing. We pushed in 2010 to get into commercial/institutional while the market was down. That’s really taken off in 2016 and has accounted for 20 percent of our revenue. We’ve been on a steady increase. We’ve grown probably 300 percent in volume and size, and we’ve been able to penetrate different markets. We started purely as a municipal contractor, and
What do you think the keys to success will be for 2017? I think it is important to focus our energy on different components of the market. We have seen an uptick in the construction business as well from a rental perspective. What will be the challenges in the next year? We have some very good competitors. They are out there trying to do the same kind of things we are doing under whatever their management programs are to try and compete in a market that is very active but also very competitive. We look at them as our biggest challenge, and possibly right up there with our competition is our people. We have to maintain a great staff, which we have done a good job of and we are very proud of them. We certainly have to maintain the right people in the right jobs. Have you seen an uptick in commercial construction in Houston? Yes, we have seen an uptick in commercial construction. The commercial side has been good to us from a rental
continued from Page 17 — An exciting 2017 your team work as efficiently as possible is huge. So other than going almost entirely paperless since the switch, we’ve been able to work more efficiently, eliminate any margin of error and increase productivity of all individuals working on a given project from the office to the job site. Having a digital job site, along with Procore, is imperative at this stage in our company. Tools such as 60” touch-screen
smart monitors and personal tablets help our team members work more collaboratively and instantly share documents, and in turn, has benefitted our clients. They’ve significantly cut down on time spent waiting on the status of a critical RFI or a pending submittal; now, they can access it in the palm of their hand on the jobsite itself. This is certainly a change for our company, and we already feel it’s a step in the right direction.
We look forward to continued growth and refinement of our processes and staff, and learning of bigger and better ways as we welcome more Millennials into the business. With the incorporation of these factors, KWA Construction is in for an exciting 2017. Founded in 2004, general contractor KWA Construction specializes in multifamily developments. – mjm
we’ve added commercial/institutional. We are also starting to do a lot of TxDOT work. How did Austin Underground survive the recession? For us, we were pretty conservative internally. Financially, when the downturn hit, we didn’t have any debt, and we had been investing the money back in the company. We didn’t have to do pay cuts or lay anybody off. We were bidding jobs cheap to keep our guys employed. That has paid off, because we have had retention in our workforce. Is that still the standard operating procedure? We’ve had industry people who look at our books and say we are in the 95th percentile as far as lack of debt goes. We have taken on some debt, and I don’t mind taking on a debt. However, it’s hard to project more than a couple years out, so you have to be careful as to what debt you take on. What is the most important takeaway you’ve learned in the last year? The past year for me has been more about developing good relationships. Across the board we have to figure out which contractors we want to work with, those we don’t, and develop good relationships wherever we can. Established in 2006 in Austin, Austin Underground Inc. builds water, waste-water, storm sewer and duct bank utilities in existing roadways with an emphasis on projects that have some degree of difficulty. –cw
perspective, especially modified type containers where we might modify one into a mobile office or a mobile job shack in addition to the standard storage needs of contractors. We have also seen a little bit of activity in the residential side which is new to us as far as residential contractors renting containers for different developments and keeping those for a longer period of time. Is there anything you would like to see happen on the local, state, or national levels to benefit the industry? I think in Texas, we have some more advantages than some other states. Texas is small business friendly, contractor friendly and generally a business friendly state. That is a major benefit to the construction industry and us. We have had the opportunity to work in many states over the years and consistently, Texas is a very user-friendly state The only thing we could say to our local, city and state government is to keep that attitude. Equipment Management Services LLC rents and sells containers to the construction and maritime industries. –ab
NEXT MONTH February 2017
Construction Safety
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Page 19
They’re tops!
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ore than 300 architecture, engineering and construction and development representatives celebrated top colleagues at the 13th annual Topping Out Awards and Networking Event. Hosted Nov. 9 at the Dallas Arboretum, the event celebrated outstanding built environments, recognized the collaboration to create them and raised funds for educational opportunities in the Metroplex to develop future leaders. In addition to honoring the 2016 Top Award and Top Ten Projects, the event celebrated the M/WBE Community Impact Award Winner, A/E/C Favorite Award Winner as well as the Visionary Award, which was given to Jack Matthews, CEO of Matthews Southwest. –mjm White Rock YMCA: BRW Architects
M/WBE Community Impact Award Winner Azteca-Russel Joint Venture & Moody-Nolan/VAI LLC
Gables McKinney Ave. WDG Architecture Lena Pope New Campus: Bennett Benner Partners Parkland Sky Bridges Azteca-Russel Joint Venture & Moody Nolan/VAI LLC (also 2016 M/WBE Community Impact Award Winner)
Left: Camp Summit Phase I Development Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors
Hope Cottage: Gensler
2016 Top Award, Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex Ridgemont Commercial Construction and Byrne Construction Services
A/E/C Favorite Award, 1920 McKinney Office Building BOKA Powell LLC and McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and The Ford Center at The Star Gensler and Manhattan Construction
Crescent McKinney & Olive: The Beck Group
University of Texas at Dallas – Bioengineering and Sciences Building: The Beck Group
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA - Dallas
NUCA – N. Tx.
American Institute of Architects
Nat’l Utility Contractors Assn.
Jan. 14: AIA/TEXO Economic Outlook, Noah’s Event Venue, 6101 East Campus Circle Dr., Irving, 5pm
AIA - Fort Worth American Institute of Architects
Jan. 24: AT&T Stadium Art Tour, 1 AT&T Way, Arlington
Jan. 25: Austin Advocacy
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Jan. 17: Lunch meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Dallas, 11:30am
PMI – Dallas
ASCE
Project Management Institute
American Society of Civil Engineers
Jan. 12: Dinner meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 33333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 6:30pm Jan. 19: Social hour, Blue Mesa Addison, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 5:30pm
Jan. 9: Dallas branch meeting, 11am
ASA North Texas American Subcontractors Association
Jan. 13: After Holiday Casino, Omni Dallas Park West, 6pm Jan. 26: Membership meeting, Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N O’Connor Rd., Irving, 11:15 Feb.1: 2017 TCA PAC Roundup & Walk on the Capitol, Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel 303, West 15th St., Austin, 5:30
ASSE – Southwest American Society of Safety Engineers
Jan 16: Chapter meeting, Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., Irving, 11:30am
Jan. 20: Award nominations due, 2210 W. Illinois Ave., Dallas, 1am-11:55pm
SAM Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex
Jan. 5: Dinner meeting Jan. 31-Feb.1: TCA Walk on the Capitol
TACA Tx. Aggregates and Concrete Assn.
Construction Specifications Institute
Jan. 12: Chapter meeting, Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Rd., Addison, 5:30
The Construction Association
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
Jan. 19-20: IEC of Greater Texas Regional Meeting, Austin Jan. 24-26: National Business Summit, Charleston, SC
NARI - Dallas Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Jan. 10: NARI Night at Arizona Tile, 2701 Regent Blvd., Irving, 6pm Jan. 26: Blue Mesa Grill, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 11:30am
NAWIC - Dallas Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Jan. 16: Dinner meeting
NAWIC - Fort Worth Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Jan. 19: Chapter meeting, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N, Fort Worth, 5:30pm
ter 30-plus years of being in business. My dad got to retirement and decided he was ready to fold it up, and that’s when I stepped into the utility world. I’ve been in the business close to five years.” Moss and Whitfield met and realized they shared a similar business approach while working for Tri Dal Ltd. as project manager and superintendent, respectively. “We said, ‘Why couldn’t we do this ourselves? What’s stopping us? We have the knowledge, the experience and the drive. Our parents were entrepreneurs and we’ve seen the opportunity it gives you’,” Moss explains. “We decided that we had what it took to do it ourselves.” They carefully planned the business, and both say they have been humbled with the industry’s overwhelming support of their venture. With a strong start
in place, Moss and Whitfield plan on building a company that will carry on the family’s pride in utilities work. “We hope to have a business that is a size that is sustainable, no matter what kind of economic process we’re in,” Moss says. “We want to be a size where we can weather recession, enjoy growth and be around the rest of a lifetime and pass it on to our kids. We want a family business that we can do well by, but by no means do we need to get rich off of it. We enjoy what we do, we enjoy all aspects of owning a business and the challenges, and it drives us every day.” Moss Utilities in Carrollton specializes in underground utility installation including water, sewer, storm drainage, duct bank and fire lines for commercial, single- and multi-family residential and public works infrastructure projects. –mjm
RHCA Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.
Jan. 10-11: TACAMP Beginners 2017, Embassy Suites, San Marcos. Call (512) 4515100 or register at https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1898584
CSI – Dallas
continued from Page 1 — A deep history
TEXO Jan. 14: AIA/TEXO Economic Outlook, Noah’s Event Venue, 6101 East Campus Circle Dr., Irving, 5pm
TSPE - Fort Worth Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Jan. 12: Meeting Jan. 19: Young Engineer’s Leadership Forum, Chimy’s 1053 Foch St., Fort Worth Jan. 30: PE Day at the Capitol, Texas State Capitol – Auditorium, 1100 Congress Ave., Austin, 9am Jan. 28: Future Cities, UT Arlington, 701 S. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, 7:30am
TSPS Texas Society of Professional Surveyors
Jan. 10: Dallas Chapter (5) meeting
TSCCG Tx. Statewide Construction Credit Group
Jan. 19-20: Meeting/visit to Capitol Hill
continued from Page 1 — Pushing others up Lombardo, an Air Force veteran who served during Desert Storm, became involved while traveling to establish Walker’s Austin office. He spoke with veterans’ organizations that struggled to financially support their vets. To help, he joined the 22KILL board. Walker Engineering has been a strong supporter of Lombardo’s involvement; recently, the firm donated over $100,000, with a $50,000 donation to help build a facility that trains service dogs for veterans. “It’s been an amazing mission that Walker Engineering has let me take on,” he says. “They have really let me have time to grow this. It’s amazing that the construction industry just poured out their support. Construction companies are really starting to get behind me on this. Even general contractors I don’t do business with call and ask how they can be a part of this.” Struggle to power through a pushup? No problem, Lombardo says. “It doesn’t have to be a military pushup or the prettiest push-up,” he says. “It’s
just to get you out of your comfort zone just a bit. The physical activity relates to a military aspect so that you earn your ring. In the military, everything is earned.” Ring ambassadors can even come out to offices. “We recommend that the company does its own challenge by gathering donations and seeing how many people will do the challenge. We bring a box of rings of different sizes, record the firm doing their push-ups and post it on 22KILL’s website. They challenge other construction companies to do it too.” Making employers aware of veteran employees is important to Lombardo. “There may be people in your office that you did not know served. It creates a connection and raises awareness that they may need help. If any veteran in our industry needs help, we will help them.” Leaders in Construction luncheons have raised $250,000 in two years. The movement is growing; 167 guests at a recent event earned their rings. 22KILL is also expanding to include services for law enforcement and first responders. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Just what the doctor ordered 64 executive office spaces and 12 boardrooms, open office systems, classrooms and demountable partition systems. Communication and a good working relationship helped the team address challenges that occurred during the building process. For example, severe weather resulting in a 50-day loss would have halted the progress of many projects, but not this one. Planning the concrete panels, curtain wall, masonry and steel composite deck as tilt-up core-andshell construction made up for the loss. With the project’s core and shell portion completed on time, the team spent rainy days working on the building’s interiors, allowing the owner to occupy the space as scheduled in June 2016. The structure’s unique shape, which has no square corners, also posed special challenges in the layout and coordination of the steel structure and tilt panels. The entryway’s shape was an obstacle as well: the U-shaped panel was 62 ft. 3 in. tall and 43 ft. 4 in. wide with a 30 ft. clear span, supported on integral legs that were just over 6 ft. wide. To prevent cracking or the snapping of a leg during the panel’s erection, the team used careful engineering and reinforcement. To further complicate matters, the site’s close proximity to the end of one airport runway meant that a Federal Aviation Administration permit was required any time a crane was to be raised on site. Even more challenging were the site constraints due to the west bound service road behind the building, which left no room for cranes and deadmen (an anchor for a guy line or cable). The team overcame this hurdle by casting the deadmen integral with the casting beds, with the crane walking on the casting beds and straddling the deadmen during erection. Despite these challenges, the project was successfully completed on time and
on budget. It also caught the attention of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA), the international nonprofit trade association for the global tilt-up concrete construction industry. TCA recently awarded the Structure Tone Southwest ACEP project with its “Tilt-Up” Achievement Award. The company was also awarded TCA’s “Best Tilt-Up Safety Award” for its excellent safety record. Structure Tone Southwest safely worked 21,974 manhours on the ACEP project and credits its working relationship with its subcontractor partners for this success. One of the company’s best practices is to include fall protection around tilt wall panel window openings. Before the metal decking began, the team and concrete subcontractor worked together to hoist tilt wall panels with the guardrails on the window openings, making protection on the floors more manageable as work continued. The team also coordinated work daily and emphasized safety in its subcontractor prequalification process, project kick-off meetings, safety orientations, daily Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), safety stand-downs and all-hands meetings. Structure Tone Southwest Inc. was happy to help meet the client’s goals and pleased with the finished project. “The Structure Tone Southwest project team was fortunate to be able to partner with the ACEP staff as well as the BOKA Powell Design Group to create such a unique and energy efficient headquarters that will serve ACEP well for many years to come,” says Gee. Founded in 1971, Structure Tone offers construction management and general contracting services with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Structure Tone Southwest’s Dallas office employs more than 135 construction professionals. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Round-Up Brandi Bush, PE recently joined LJA Engineering as a project manager in the Dallas office’s transportation division. In her new role, Bush will manage roadway and related design for schematic and PS&E transportation projects. Bush formerly served as a TxDOT employee from the Dallas District Traffic Operations division with prior consultant experience in the Midwest. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
McCarthy Building Companies Inc.’s Texas Division announces the following new hires and promotions:
General contractor KWA Construction announces the following promotions and transitions:
Bob Rogers has been promoted to vice president of marine operations. Rogers joined McCarthy in 2000 as a project engineer. Throughout his 16year career, he has been involved in the reconstruction of IH 410 in San Antonio, the Port of Houston Bayport Terminal Wharf 1 and MARAD Beaumont Layberth Facility. Rogers will now lead the company’s efforts to expand client relationships and successfully execute marine projects across the gulf coast.
Brian Webster has been promoted to president of the company. Webster, who joined KWA in 2006, previously served as executive vice president. In his new role, he will be responsible for the oversight of the organization as a whole and lead KWA’s business development efforts and lead strategic planning. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology and industrial distribution from Texas A&M University. Richie Keene has been promoted to executive vice president Keene, who joined the company in 2013, has more than 20 years industry experience and previously served as vice president of operations. Keene will oversee daily operations and assist Webster in the firm’s initiatives. He earned a bachelors degree in construction management from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Submissions
Round-Up
Keller Webster, founder and president of KWA Construction, will be transitioning to chairman. He will remain an owner and engaged with the firm’s business in a strategic advisory role. Prior to founding KWA Construction, Webster held key positions at companies including Spring Valley Construction Company and First Worthing Company. A former U.S. Army First Lieutenant, Webster earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree from Georgia State University.
Todd Henson has returned to the company as vice president of transportation operations. In his new role, Henson will lead efforts to secure and successfully execute heavy civil/transportation related projects throughout Texas. Henson was previously with McCarthy from 1995-2004, serving in various roles including project engineer, assistant superintendent, project manager and estimator.
Fitz O’Donnell has been promoted to marine project director. He will focus on McCarthy’s port and marine efforts, providing leadership and technical support to three ongoing Port of Houston projects. O’Donnell started with McCarthy in 2008 an assistant project manager working on the Port of Houston Authority Bayport Wharf 1 project. John Frazier has been promoted to solar project director, where he will focus on McCarthy’s efforts to expand solar market share and deliver renewable energy solutions throughout Texas. He joined McCarthy in 2006 as a project manager working n the IH 410 reconstruction project in San Antonio and has spent his 16-year career contributing to projects including the Fort Worth Westside Water Treatment Plant. E4H Environments for Health announced the appointment of Larry LeMaster, CPA, as the firm’s new chief financial officer. LeMaster, who will be based in the firm’s Dallas/Fort Worth E4H office, previously served as executive vice president, CFO at Wilson Associates and rose through the ranks at HKS to become the a principal and CFO of the company.
This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month). Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net
Merriment at the Mansion
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L-R: RHCA’s John Martinez, J.C. Gonzalez, State Representative Roberto Alonzo, Santa and Ruben Landa
veryone wanted to tell Santa how good they had been in 2016! Guests at the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association’s (RHCA) “Holiday Celebration With Santa” on Dec. 15 spoke with St. Nick and made donations to RHCA’s toy drive and senior citizen food drive. They were also treated to some good old-fashioned caroling and the beauty of the Belo Mansion decorated for the holidays. –mjm Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce President/COO Wilton Munnings and Santa
L-R: D/FW Minority Supplier Development Council’s Andrew Nash gives toys to Santa and RHCA’s Julio Florez for the event’s toy drive.
Phillip/May’s Chris Escobedo (left) and RHCA’s Yolanda Tafoya (right) tell Santa they’ve been good all year.
What is your most useful tool? I can’t live without my Mr. Coffee Coffeemaker. Two cups wakes me up! Veronica Barron, Trench Plate Rental My cell phone, since it is pretty much what I use all the time. I always have it with me, and it rings all day and all night. Adrian Contreras, Ultimate Tool and Safety It’s going to sound a little cliché, but my favorite tool is the Bible. It helps me to be guided in life, direction in everything I do in life, from being a good husband to being a good employer to being good neighbor and being a good friend. Camilo Carvajal, MEMCO My computer is my favorite tool because I have access to the world for shopping, news and resources. Samentha Tiller, DMI Technologies My favorite tool is the Company Cam when it comes to the construction industry. It’s a lifesaver. You download the app or you can access it through your laptop. It takes before, during and after pictures of a job site through the app. It also records the person who took the picture, what date they took it and what time they took it. Most owners don’t notice the condition of their property, and we can access images of what the property looked like before we touched it. The great thing about it is that our people in the field do not have to upload or email photos and it’s not saved on your device; it’s saved on the Internet. Melanie Knox, Alden Roofing My favorite tool is the computer because you can do anything [on it]. Emilie Shaulis, DENCO Construction
My favorite tool is my mind, because I remember from being taught to use the right tool for the right job. My second one: The telescoping magnet tool is greatness, because I dropped that lock washer and that was my last one. Dan Lombardo, Walker Engineering My favorite tool is probably a good screwdriver. It can also be a pry bar, a hammer and a digging/gardening tool. Penny Wilson, Air Balancing Co. Inc. My favorite tool is a caulk gun. With this tool and caulk, I can finish out a lot of mistakes and make them look great! Wm. Duane Harrell, Braun Intertec A large excavator, that’s the most useful tool we have. Case Whitfield, Moss Utilities My favorite tool is actually channel locks. I love channel locks and I like to use them for all sorts of things. I had a set that I used for 30 years, and last year I bought myself a new set, gave my old set to my daughter and told her she needed to learn to use them. They’re good for anything. If something is stuck on something and you need to get it off, they’re adjustable. Russ Pounds, AECOM The trowel, it’s the bread of masonry. You can’t do it without that. Daniel Arias, A-Star Masonry & Stucco For home, I’d say my Pink Power Cordless Drill (I’ve kind of turned into a DIY baddie since buying my new-to-me home last year!). For work and travel, my new portable Power Bank rechargeable battery – never have to worry about dead phone/ laptop/tablet again! Susan Charles, Yates Construction
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Country Christmas
Blue (jean) Christmas
L-R: President and CEO Ben Pogue and wives of Pogue employees (and soon-to-be mothers) wait to see who won the raffle for items including baby furniture, a stroller and a baby monitor.
P Trench Plate Rental Company’s Fort Worth branch came up with an in-jean-eous idea.
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s the holidays approached, Trench Plate Rental Company’s Fort Worth branch manger Cory Hachmeister wanted to help the community, but not in a one-size-fits-all kind of way. “We’ve always wanted to do something to show appreciation to the communities that we work in. Fort Worth and the surrounding areas have been very good to us, we’ve been very fortunate to start building relationships with our customers and we’ve also been blessed in hiring really good people,” he explains. “As we approached the holidays, we discussed if there was something we could do that was out of the box. I wanted to see if we could do something that immediately impacts a segment of people in our county, that would help them with this cold weather that we are already getting a sample of.” The answer was as close as a closet. “The thought process was that, as we all age, we have a tendency to go through our blue jeans; it’s one thing we outgrow,” he says. “So we thought we would check our own closets to see what we
could pull together and hold a blue jean drive. The parameters we set were that we would accept jeans for all ages and sizes, but asked that they be clean and free of holes or blemishes.” Hachmeister said the response was “resounding,” with more than 100 pairs of jeans under the office’s Christmas tree before the Dec. 16 deadline. “One employee, Ann Marie Olmos, CSR, brought in over 30 pairs,“ he says. “We’ve had donations from customers, vendors and even from a local church.” All donations benefitted the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition and were distributed to Tarrant County homeless shelters. Hachmeister initially wanted to collect enough jeans to fill up a truck’s flatbed, but hopes the idea will continue to reach – and touch – more people. “It’s so easy to get caught up in the presents, family commitments and the parties,” he says. “We wanted something that we could actually feel really good about with regards to the season, and we’re hoping this becomes an annual tradition for our location.” –mjm
ogue Construction employees and their spouses got a little bit country, thanks to their company’s Christmas party. Held at the rustic New Hope’s Stone Crest Venue, the country-themed event treated guests to dinner, company awards and prizes, including a nursery item raffle (several Pogue employees’ wives are expecting soon) and a family trip to Disney World. – mjm
Ben Pogue congratulates superintendent Mark Donoho, who won a family trip to Disney.
Roby Bledsoe and Ben Pogue
Dan Davis and vice president Zach Walker
Marking a milestone
www.constructionnews.net San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston
CBS Rental & Supply headquarters in Houston.
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hen Jimmy Lanphier co-founded CBS Rental & Supply (formerly Contractors Building Supply & Equipment Company) in Corpus Christi in 1965, he probably didn’t anticipate a 50-year success story. Even though he had already had success with his venture Lanphier Construction Company, one of South Texas’ largest general contractors at the time, that kind of longevity in construction can be difficult to fathom. Buddy Herin saw the company’s long-term potential and purchased CBS in 1979, adding the equipment rental side as well as a San Antonio, Tyler and Longview and Houston offices. Last year, Jason Herin, who is Lanphier’s grandson and Buddy’s son, became the proud owner of CBS, and has added six locations since the purchase. CBS honored its rich history and expansion with a milestone occasion. “We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary with the groundbreaking of our largest facility in the location where we started, Corpus Christi,” Herin says. “We’re re-
ally happy and excited about tit in terms of what we do for our customers and having our employees to share this with.” The new facility is the perfect tribute to the company’s half-century of success in the industry. Located at 7219 IH-37, the six-acre landmark location is designed with the customer in mind.” “We want to give our customers a fantastic experience,” Herin says. “We really put a lot of thought into how our customers pick out material and how we deliver, the flow through the showroom, what kind of experience they’re going to receive and how the warehouse ought to be optimized. We want it to be a technologically-advanced facility in terms of our check-out process and how we speed up the process between the time the customer walks in the door and the time they’re back at their trucks.” The store will be the latest in CBS’ lineup, which include Arlington, Austin, Conroe, Houston, Longview, San Antonio and Tyler, as well as three Florida stores. –mjm
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
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Doghouse proud
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ust paws for a minute and imagine the ultimate doghouse. Is it bigger than a dog biscuit box? Does it have a treat dispenser? Is there a “No Cats Allowed” sign posted above the door? The most creative minds in the local construction industry teamed up designed the ultimate in doggie dream homes for the Bark + Build Doghouse Design/Build Competition. The annual event, hosted by the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Dallas chapter and TEXO, The Construction Association, received 24 entries, which were exhibited at NorthPark Mall through Dec. 4. All proceeds from a doghouse raffle benefitted the SPCA of Texas. –mjm PHOTO CREDIT: TEXO
Best In Show: Humphreys & Partners Architects and Jordan Foster Residential “Pawhaus”
Teacup Pup Award Array Architects and Structure Tone “Barkelona Pavilion”
Most Fun: Quorum Architects and Modern Contractors “Playhouse”
Hot Dog Award: O’Brien Architects and Manhattan Construction “MVPup”
Enviro Dog Award: HDR Architecture and MECO Construction “N-Vent-A-Haus”
Most Creative: Omniplan and VCC Construction “KDOG TV”
Best Texas Icon: Beck Architecture and The Beck Group “Old Barkland”
Best Multi-Pup Housing: CM Architects and Cadence McShane Construction Company “K9 Condos”
Big Dog Award: PBK Architects and MYCON General Contractors “Doggie Domain”
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Good strategy
ates Construction not only makes strategic goals for business, it makes strategic goals for giving back. In fact, the company developed a “Top 10 Strategic Vision Goals” list to actively engage communities where Yates employees live and work. In the past 12 months, Yates fulfilled Yates participated in CEF’s Build Your Future Career Day that vision on an impressive scale. The company donated 315 for CANstruction to raise awareness pounds of food to the Community Food about hunger. To encourage young peoBank in Fort Worth and built a structure ple to enter into the construction trades, Yates participated in the Construction Education Foundation’s (CEF) Build your Future Career Day. Employees walked in St. Jude’s Cancer Walk in Dallas and also volunteered at Fort Worth’s Log Cabin Village as part of a revitalization effort to help beautify the overgrown, hail-beaten campus. “This past year, Yates has actively supported and sponsored a wide range of organizations such as health, children and veterans organizations, as well as charitable projects and community initiatives,” Randy Powell, senior vice president/Texas division manager says. “Yates is committed to creating lasting partnerships for mutual success and providing value for our clients and communities.” It seems that some of that good had boomeranged back their way: Yates recently ranked #31 on Building Design + Construction’s 2016 Top 115 Contractor Yates’ Habitat for Humanity project Firms list. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
True holiday spirit
Marsh & McLennan Agency Inc. (MMA) practiced the spirit of giving, collecting toys for charity in December. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
A site to see Head surveyor Philip Meadows of A&J Bobcat Services gets the lay of the land. The site, located in Westworth Village, Fort Worth, is being readied for both a new Starbucks and a Chipotle. Ready Construction serves as the general contractor. –mjm
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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Jan 2017
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Doing good
Animal instincts
DMI Technologies in Fort Worth has been wrapping up a busy year full of changes, but still made time for special moments, such as hosting a December Toys for Tots toy drive. –mjm
KWA Construction employees recently volunteered at Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center to help prepare for an adoption event. Collecting donations of towels, blankets, food, and treats were Doug Robinson, Chad Huffer, Dee Nelson, Margie Brodeur, Charlie Bank, Christi Brownlow, Yvonne Ayers, Jessica Medlin, Holly Webster and Tasha Keene. –mjm
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
That’s a wrap!
The gift of giving
JQ’s holiday wrapping party for the Second Wind Dallas Adopt-A-Family is now a six-year tradition! The team gathered Dec. 13 to wrap donations for the program, which serves more than 160 families in need with clothing, food and gifts for all. –mjm
Through its association with the Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Association, Baker Drywall hosted a toy drive at its annual Christmas party. So many gifts were donated that the company had to utilize a trailer for their delivery! –mjm