Subcontractors USA Journal 15

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TEXAS JOURNAL

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Architecture | Construction | Education | Energy | Engineering | IT | Manufacturing | Oil and Gas | Petrochemical | Transportation

June 2017 | Advocating for Certified Women, Veteran & Minority-Owned Subcontractors | 15th Edition

The City of Houston PWE Is Committed to the Success of the S/MWDBE Program

21-27

INSIDE

08

Houston, We Have a Problem! Do You or Do You Not Need a Building Permit?

32

Turner Construction

17-20 Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council

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Publisher’s Message

MR. D-MARS

Throughout the State of Texas there are many opportunities for subcontractors.

From construction information, to tips on building permits, the Subcontractors USA Texas Journal provides news that is relevant to this industry. This journal is proud to highlight information from Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and other Texas cities and agencies.

This month’s cover highlights the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department. Under the leadership of Director Karun Sreerama, the Department provides many of the basic services that affect the daily lives of everyone who lives and works in Houston. Primarily, the Department is responsible for all

Behind the Journal

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dawn Paul ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla Vice President, Marketing Anita Bates SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES C.T. Foster Tiffany Black PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angel Rosa

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Helen Callier Lea Bogle Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Subcontractors USA News Provider

our services ADVERTISING | MARKETING MEDIA | COMMUNICATION

04 Architecture 04 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture News 06

06 Austin News 06 Austin City Council 06 City of Austin Named Ninth Best Employer by Forbes

08 Construction 08 Houston, We Have a Problem!

10 Construction Jobs: The Associated General Contractors of America News 11 Education 11 TEEX OSHA Training Institute Education Center 11 Dallas News 11 Public Investment Around DART Rail Moving North Texas 11 86,000 Tons of Recyclables Thrown Away in Dallas Every Year

11

12 Energy 12 A Message From Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian 14 Engineering 14 United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Engineering Careers 29 Geotech Engineering & Testing News 15 Houston News 15 Air Traffic Control Tower Project Starts at Ellington 15 EPA Recognizes the City of Houston 22 ASV Consulting, Group, Inc.

Project Coordinator Taelor Smith DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden

—Alphonso Jackson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2004–2008)

contents

Publisher & CEO Keith J. Davis, Sr. Chief Operating Officer Kimberly Floyd

“And what most people don't understand is the bulk of business in this country is small business.”

the things we take for granted on a daily basis: the administration, planning, maintenance, construction management, and technical engineering of the City's infrastructure. The Department is staffed with a trained work force of approximately 3,900 employees and operates with an annual budget of approximately $1.8 billion.

The Department successfully manages the City's infrastructure and will continue to exceed the MWBE goals set by the City of Houston.

As always, thank you for your continued support of the Subcontractors USA Texas Journal.

When you support us, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

• Business Journal • Health & Wellness Journal • Community Journal • Black Pages Online Business Directory • Top 50 Black Health, Medical & Wellness Professionals • Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs • Top 30 Influential Women of Houston • Top 25 Prime & Subcontractors for Diversity • Business Connection • Business Development • Business Consulting • Graphic Design • Photography • Printing • Web Design • Online & Email Marketing • Public Relations • Social Media • Advertising • Writing • Promotional Marketing

17-20 DFW Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. 17-20 The Access 2017 Business Expo 17-20

21-27 Cover Story 21-27 The City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department

30 IT 30 ELDs – the End of Paper Logs 30 5 Precise Points to Look for

40 Petrochemical 40 A Growing Business That Needs You Now

32 Community Spotlight 32 Turner Construction & Rebuilding Together Houston

42 San Antonio News 42 City of San Antonio Launches Air Quality Awareness Campaign

34 Manufacturing 34 SCHUNK Opens Technology and Service Center in Houston, TX

43 In the Subcontractors USA Community 43 Industrial Welding Academy

36 Oil and Gas 36 Industry Insiders Say Minorities Should Pursue Oil Jobs 38 Texas Drilling Permits and Completions Statistics for April 2017

44 Transportation 44 Texas Central News 44 METRO News

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Architecture

Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture News

By University of Texas at San Antonio

A

rmando Araiza, Lecturer, led his undergraduate students in the design, fabrication, and mounting of a public art installation mounted on the façade of the Houston Street Parking Garage in downtown San Antonio, TX. The installation was composed of 128 individual aluminum modules clustered to create 16 unique tiles. The tiles were designed to evoke handmade Mexican "talavera" tiles, and composed to recall a map of San Antonio.

Ed Burian, Professor, had his essay on Mexico City’s geography, environmental challenges, and recent proposals for regenerative landscapes published as a chapter in René Davids, ed., Shaping Terrain: City Building in Latin America, University Press of Florida, (2016). He also recently lectured on, “The Reinterpretation of Mayan Architecture in Mexico and the US,” at a symposium for a traveling national exhibition, Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed, that featured Mayan artifacts and interpretative exhibits at the Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX. Ian Caine, Assistant Professor, recently published an article in Log, and has work in progress for MONU, Scenario, and Lunch. He is also guest editing a special issue of Sustainability with Dr. Rebecca Walter that examines the prospects to achieve sustainable growth in suburbia. He continues his work as a researcher at the Spatial History Project at Stanford University, where he is leading an effort to create an interactive chronology that examines the suburban expansion of San Antonio, Texas.

Caine also received the 2016-2017 ACSA/AIAS New Faculty Teaching Award, given to three architectural faculty nationwide for excellence in early career teaching. Additionally, Architecture 2030 included a studio curriculum that he developed with Dr. Rahman Azari in the 2016 Pilot Curriculum Project, acknowledging it as one of seven nationwide that “transform the culture of sustainable design education.” Students from this same studio have won national awards in the AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition in each of the last two years.

Antonio Petrov, Assistant Professor, had his exhibit, 1000 Parks and a Line in the Sky: Broadway, Avenue of the Future, featured at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. The exhibit features a 50-foot-long model of Broadway, a street that has the potential to become San Antonio’s great urban avenue. He also recently

organized a symposium, Puro- On the Edge of Future on how the term "puro" reflects layers of San Antonio's history, culture, economy, philosophies and how it also influences the physical environment, especially with the city's growth.

Shelley Roff, Associate Professor, is completing a forthcoming book, Treasure of the City: Public Construction in Late Medieval Barcelona, that illustrates the transformative role the construction of public works, monuments and urban spaces played in the crystallization of municipal power in late medieval Barcelona. The text is an urban and architectural history that grounds its theses in the city’s social, political and economic history. Her investigation of the historical development of Barcelona also includes a virtual reconstruction of the medieval city.

Candid Rogers, Lecturer, received awards for the design of “House 117’ as a Special Mention in the Architzer 2017 A+Awards program in the “Architecture + Stone” category, a 2016 AIA Honor Detail Award, and an AIA Citation Design Award 2016 for the Barrera House. He also had one of his students win the 2016 ACSA Farnsworth House Competition.

Stephen Temple, Associate Professor, is editing and writing a book under contract with Routledge for publication in 2018 entitled, Promoting Creative Thinking in Beginning Design Studios, which will reveal myriad under-regarded issues in introducing creative thinking in beginning design studio courses, how learning and creative thinking happens, and how it transforms student design thinking. He also published two papers, "Developing Abstraction through Experience in Architectural Pedagogies: Making is Connecting" in The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, and "Learning to Draw Through Digital Modeling" in Design and Technology Education: An International Journal.

Jae Yong Suk, Assistant Professor, had his research paper co-authored with Professor Marc Schiler and Karen Kensek of the USC School of Architecture, “Is Exterior Glare Problematic?: Investigation on Visual Discomfort Caused by Reflected Sunlight on Specular Building Facades,” win the Best Paper Award at the 32nd International Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) Conference recently held in Los Angeles, CA. For more information, please visit www.acsa-arch.org.

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Austin News

Austin News

City of Austin Council Action Puts $39M of 2016 Bond Funding to Mobility, Safety Improvements Named Ninth Best Employer t

by Forbes

he Austin City Council at a recent meeting approved $39 million of funding for the next phase of the 2016 Mobility Bond.

This money will go to developing, designing and constructing improvements that enhance mobility and safety for Austin residents.

The funding continues the delivery of the bond program per the 2016 Mobility Bond Overview and Implementation Plan, which breaks down how the City will deliver the $720 million in bond-funded improvements.

When voters approve a bond proposition, they authorize the City to issue bonds up to a certain amount to fund the public purpose of proposition. For the funding to be available for the improvement projects and programs, City Council must appropriate the money.

The $39 million made available recently builds upon the $28 million of 2016 Mobility Bond funding appropriated by the Council last December.

The December appropriation allowed projects to start construction.

“We’re putting the mobility bond to quick use to make our streets and sidewalks safer, to build trails and bike paths, manage congestion, and to put a team in place to do the work on our busiest roads in eight years, all while working to preserve affordable housing and local businesses on our growth corridors,” Austin City Council Mobility Committee Chairwoman Ann Kitchen said.

The$39 $39million millionisisdivided as The divided as follows: follows: • Regional Mobility: • $9 million for preliminary engineering on Spicewood Springs Road east of Loop 360, and funding for a partnership project with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) at RM 620 and RM 2222 • Corridor Mobility: • $12 million for development of the Corridor Construction Program and the development of new Corridor Mobility Reports

• Local Mobility: • $3 million for Bikeways • $2.5 million for Safety/Vision Zero • $4 million for Substandard Streets • $2 million for Sidewalks • $1.5 million Safe Routes to School • $5 million for Urban Trails

Each program within the 2016 Mobility Bond is receiving a funding infusion through the recent appropriation, but some highlights include the Safety/ Vision Zero category.

With the additional funding, the City will begin construction this fall on safety improvements at three intersections listed on the June 2016 “Top Crash Location Intersection Priorities”: • Pleasant Valley Road and Elmont Drive, • Slaughter Lane and S. First Street, and • South Congress Avenue and Oltorf Street.

These intersections are the first ones on the “Top Crash Location Intersection Priorities” list from June 2016 to be addressed through the 2016 Mobility Bond Program.

Approved funding also enables the City to create a Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Plan. The 2016 Mobility Bond is the first time the City of Austin Safe Routes to School Program will have a dedicated funding source for infrastructure improvements.

Construction of the first set of projects for Safe Routes to School, identified through coordination with local school districts and funded by the December appropriation of 2016 Mobility Bond funding, is anticipated to begin this fall.

“We are working to deliver on our commitment to Austin voters and taxpayers to move forward efficiently on much-needed improvements to our transportation network,” Interim City Manager Elaine Hart said. “This program is making it safer for kids to get to school, improving connectivity by filling in sidewalk gaps, and as it continues to be rolled out, will provide people with more choices for getting from

point A to point B.” The 2016 Mobility Bond puts $37.5 million to sidewalks throughout Austin, with an emphasis on sidewalks rated as "very high" or “high” priorities in the Sidewalk Master Plan. Construction on the first batch of sidewalk projects have already started. A list of the sidewalk gaps the City will be filling-in this year is available here.

For improvements to State-owned roadways, the City Council last week also authorized staff to create agreements with TxDOT for use of allocated 2016 Mobility Bond funds on Stateowned roadways.

The agreements with TxDOT will provide funding to enhance mobility, safety and access for improvements at four intersections along Loop 360, the intersection of RM 620 at RM 2222, and Parmer Lane/FM 734.

Funding from the 2016 Mobility Bond and Austin taxpayers will be leveraged with TxDOT’s financial contribution to construct more improvements at these locations and will lead to even greater outcomes for the community.

“We must address the evolving mobility needs of the region, swiftly and thoughtfully, and with our community partners,” said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Terry McCoy. “Our partnership with the city of Austin on projects such as this brings much needed relief more quickly.”

The City of Austin and TxDOT’s partnership has already reaped dividends for Austin residents. In March, the Texas Transportation Commission voted to put $204 million in State funding for improvements to Loop 360, leveraging the City’s $46 million contribution so that nine intersections on Loop 360 could be addressed.

“By bringing the mobility bond money to the table, we’re getting about $228 million in TxDOT money for Loop 360, 620 and 2222, and Parmer Lane,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said.

“That’s better than a 3-to-1 match on our bond dollars.”

For more information, visit AustinTexas.gov/2016bond.

Source: www.austintexas.gov

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t

he City of Austin has earned national recognition as the ninth best employer in the United States by Forbes Magazine in its list of “America’s Best Employers.” This is an improvement to last year’s 22nd rank in the same poll.

The list ranks the top 500 employers in both the public and private sectors.

The City of Austin was the highest ranking employer in the government services sector.

“This distinction reflects the tireless dedication of the more than 13,000 employees who make the City of Austin an incredible place to work,” Austin Interim City Manager Elaine Hart said. “Forbes has recognized our exceptional employees who are truly committed to serving the people of Austin. I continue to be impressed by our staff and am proud to work alongside them every day.”

Companies in the top ten include Costco, Google, REI, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Wegmans Food Markets. This is the third year Forbes has ranked the top 500 employers.

“This recognition speaks volumes to what our workforce is doing for the community daily,” Assistant City Manager Mark Washington said. “I want to thank all employees for their impact and contributions.”

Forbes created the list by working with online statistics provider Statista to survey more than 30,000 workers from companies with more than 5,000 employees.

Employees were contacted anonymously online without the involvement of their employer. Those surveyed represented the U.S. workforce by gender, age, region, education and ethnicity.

“The City strives to be an industry leader, and to incorporate new and innovative ways to accomplish our business where every employee and our residents are taken into consideration,” Human Resource Director Joya Hayes said.

Source: www.austintexas.gov

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Construction

Houston, We Have a Problem! Do You or Do You Not Need a Building Permit?

By Helen Callier Contributing Writer

w

hile presenting at a workshop in Houston recently, a commercial project owner asked, “Do I need a city permit for minor interior work that involves shelving?” Typically, if performing cosmetic work, no city building permit is required. If construction work appears to be more than minor interior refresh and includes additions, moving fixtures, and any millwork, then you will have to obtain a city permit.

Most construction projects often seem straightforward, yet challenges of all sorts can occur that can change the project scope of work and have an impact on the overall building permit. This, along with city permitting processes, building codes and zoning ordinances are enough to twist any project owner around.

ToToassist assistcommercial commercialproject project owners, below owners, beloware areten tentypes types ofofconstruction projects construction projectsthat that require requireaacity citybuilding buildingpermit. permit.

• New construction of commercial buildings or structures • Alterations, repairs or additions to existing buildings or structures • Changes in the use or occupancy of an existing building or structure • Interior tenant lease build-outs, remodeling and repairs • Exterior remodels, alterations or repairs • Moving/relocating existing buildings • Demolition (interior and complete buildings) • Fences over 8' high or fences constructed of concrete or masonry • Driveways and sidewalks • Parking lot paving and repairs

The above list is not a complete list.

We always suggest that project owners check the appropriate jurisdiction web site and call the permitting center as a backup measure to make sure when a building permit is needed.

In addition, you can contact building permitting experts. Permit expediters stay on top of the building permit processes, have established relationships with plan reviewers, inspectors and other key staff. They are solid resources to consult during the scoping and design phases of your commercial project.

Also, using a permitting expediter can save you time and money by completing required building permit applications and making sure all prerequisite documents are in place for submitting with plans.

If you are a commercial project owner and have questions whether or not a city building permit is required or you are making revisions to your designs, con-

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sider engaging a building permitting and code expert before you sweat away time and money at a city permitting department. This is a proven option for saving time, money and removing your frustrations on permits.

The Permit Us Now team is here to answer your questions on building permits, the impact of variances, if a building permit is required and code compliance. Happy building!

Helen Callier is CEO of Permit Us Now. The company is the one-stop building permit expediting firm that helps architects, engineers, contractors, and project owners save half the time and money in obtaining building permits in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and North Texas.

Connect with @PermitUsNow on Twitter and Facebook, visit on the web at www.permitusnow.com or call 1-844-PERMIT-4.

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Construction

Thirty-Nine States Add Construction Jobs Between April 2016 & 2017 but 27 States Lost Jobs Between March and April Amid Worker Shortages

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

t

hirty-nine states added construction jobs between April 2016 and April 2017 amid growing demand for construction services, yet more than half the states lost construction jobs between March and April amid tight labor market conditions, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials said firms in many parts of the country are having a hard time finding qualified workers, which is likely holding back broader employment gains in some states.

“Demand for construction remains robust, so it is likely that a number of the monthly employment declines are being caused by a lack of workers instead of a lack of work,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. “If the labor market remains tight, firms may have to adjust their business practices as they shift limited personnel from one project to the next.”

California added the most construction jobs (38,000 jobs, 4.9 percent) during the past year. Other states adding a high number of new con-

struction jobs for the past 12 months include Florida (34,400 jobs, 7.4 percent); Washington (11,200 jobs, 6.1 percent); Nevada (9,700 jobs, 13.0 percent) and Michigan (8,200 jobs, 5.3 percent). Nevada also added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by New Hampshire (10.2 percent, 2,600 jobs); Rhode Island (10.0 percent, 1,800 jobs) and Oregon (9.0 percent, 8,000 jobs). Nebraska was the only state to set a new high for construction employment.

Nine states and the District of Columbia shed construction jobs between April 2016 and April 2017 while construction employment was unchanged in North Carolina and West Virginia. Illinois lost the highest number of construction jobs (-6,600 jobs, -3.0 percent), followed by Mississippi (-3,600 jobs, -8.1 percent) and Maryland (-1,400 jobs, -0.9 percent).

Mississippi lost the highest percentage for the year followed by the District of Columbia (-7.5 percent, -1,200 jobs) and Alaska (-6.6 percent, -1,100 jobs).

Among the 27 states that shed construction jobs between March and April, Texas lost more than any other state (-10,300 jobs, -1.4 percent),

followed by Ohio (-7,400 jobs, -3.4 percent) and Illinois (-4,500 jobs, -2.1 percent). Montana (-3.8 percent, -1,100 jobs) lost the highest percentage of construction jobs for the month, followed by Ohio; West Virginia (-2.8 percent, -900 jobs) and Kansas (-2.5 percent, -1,600 jobs).

Twenty-one states added construction jobs between March and April while construction employment was unchanged in two states and the District of Columbia. California (7,200 jobs, 0.9 percent) added the most construction jobs for the month.

Other states adding a high number of construction jobs include Minne-

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sota (3,600 jobs, 3.0 percent); Nevada (2,700 jobs, 3.3 percent) and Arizona (2,500 jobs, 1.8 percent). Connecticut (4.7 percent, 2,800 jobs) added the highest percentage of construction jobs during the past month, followed

by New Hampshire (3.7 percent, 1,000 jobs); Nevada and Minnesota.

Association officials urged federal, state and local officials to take additional steps to make it easier for school systems to set up career and technical education programs focusing on construction. In particular, they urged Congress to work quickly to pass new Perkins Act legislation that will increase funding for career and technical education programs and give local school officials more flexibility to offer courses based on local workforce demands.

“Investing in career and technical education programs not only provide vital professional skills, they also signal to students that high-paying construction careers should be an option for the future,” Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer for the association, said.

Source: The Associated General Contractors of America

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Education

TEEX OSHA

Training Institute Education Center t

exas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is a recognized leader in championing worker safety and health as one of the Region VI OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers. TEEX is an agency of the Texas A&M University System, one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a statewide network of nine universities, seven state agencies, and a comprehensive health science center.

The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service has a long tradition of developing a skilled and trained workforce that enhances the public safety, security and economic growth of Texas and the nation through training, technical assistance, and technology transfer. For additional information on TEEX or the OTI Education Center, including a complete schedule of classes, visit www.teex.org.

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service is an internationally recognized leader in the delivery of emergency response and workforce training, exercises, technical assistance, and technology transfer. The center's cadre of instructors includes some of the top experts in the field of safety, with real-world experience covering virtually every safety-related occupation. TEEX is headquartered in College Station, Texas, and conducts classes at TEEX facilities throughout the state of Texas, and at various locations throughout the five-state OSHA Region VI, which covers Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. TEEX also provides contract training to customers at locations worldwide.

Major safety safety and Major and health healthtraining training proprograms offered by TEEX include: grams offered by TEEX include: • OSHA Construction Industry Standards • OSHA General Industry Standards • OSHA Trainer Course in Construction • OSHA Trainer Course in General Industry • Hydrogen Sulfide Instructor Development • Numerous OSHA Courses • Other Environmental, Health and Safety Training • Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Safety Training • Certified Safety and Health Official® Program

TEEX OSHA OSHA Training Training Institute TEEX InstituteEducation Education Center – Mesquite Campus Center – Mesquite Campus Mesquite, Texas Campus TEEX's main facility for environmental, health, and safety training is located in Mesquite, TX. The 32,000-square-foot training facility is served by the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and by Dallas Love Field. The spacious facility features modern classrooms with the latest technology and a large auditorium area. The 33-acre campus is used regularly to accommodate classes and training exercises that require truck-side equipment accessibility or outdoor settings and includes ample free parking.

San Antonio, Texas Campus Located in southeast San Antonio, this 50,000 square foot facility offers generous classroom space for environmental, health, and safety classes and provides ample free parking.

College Station, Texas Area Campus

The state headquarters of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is located in College Station, TEEX and has extensive classroom and field training facilities in the area. These facilities include the Brayton Fire Field, Disaster City, and the TAMU Riverside Campus.

CertifiedSafety Safetyand and Certified HealthOfficial® Official®(CSHO) (CSHO) Health More than 2,200 safety professionals hold the industryrecognized TEEX Certified Safety and Health Official® (CSHO) credential, offered exclusively through TEEX. Many students attend training courses that will earn them a TEEX CSHO. TEEX has two CSHO Tracks, Construction Industry and General Industry. Those wanting to specialize can earn CSHO Endorsements in Aviation, Electric Power, Environmental, Industrial Emergency Response, Oil & Gas, Transportation, and Wind Energy once they have earned their CSHO. Both TEEX CSHOs are VA-Approved Programs at TEEX Training Facilities in Mesquite, TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, and Lafayette, LA. The TEEX CSHO qualifies recipients for 18 college hours towards a fully-accredited Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Safety (AAS) through San Juan College, School of Energy in Farmington, NM. Students can continue earning a fully accredited Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences (BAAS) Degree and a Master's Degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

The San Juan College, School of Energy and Texas A&M University-Commerce degrees may be conveniently earned totally online. The Council on Certification of Health, Environmental, and Safety Technologists (CCHEST) also recognizes the TEEX-CSHO Program for one year of experience towards their OHST Certification Program.

These two college degree plans are listed on the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Web site as acceptable college degrees towards BCSP certification at www.bcsp.org.

In addition, Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX will award up to 36 hours of college credit toward a Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Sciences (BA AS) in Manufacturing and Industrial Management for those who earn the CSHO. Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, Louisiana, will award up to 18 college hours toward three Bachelor of Science in Unified Public Service Administration degree programs. Those degree programs are Law Enforcement Administration, Fire and Emergency Services Administration, and Emergency Management Administration.

Dallas News

Public Investment Around DART Rail Moving North Texas

A

new study looking at the economic impact of publicly funded projects near Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations shows major economic impacts to North Texas.

Researchers at the University of North Texas looked at 11 public projects between 1999 and 2015 and found those types of projects are valued at $1.8 billion.

Combined with privately funded transit expansion, $10.8 billion has been invested near or along DART’s 93-mile light rail system since 1999.

Researchers concluded the projects show DFW’s commitment to transportation options, billions of dollars pouring into the economy and tens of thousands of jobs.

DART’s 93-mile light rail system, the nation’s longest, was built at a cost of $5.5 billion.

More information about DART and transit oriented development is available at DART.org/EconomicDevelopment.

86,000Tons Tonsof ofRecyclables RecyclablesThrown Away in 86,000 Thrown Away in Dallas Every Year Dallas Every Year Every year Dallas residents throw away more than 86,000 tons of recyclables. Recycling those items could have saved nearly 50 million gallons of oil and more than a million cubic yards of landfill space. Most the 86,000 tons of recyclables thrown away was paper.

More than 37,000 tons of that 86,000 tons of recyclables thrown out was paper. That means more than 1 million trees could have been saved. More than 27,000 tons is plastic; more than 8,500 tons is metal; and 14,000 tons of glass is thrown away every year. Recycling those glass products could have saved 100,000 pounds of air pollutants from being released.

These projections are based off the City of Dallas 2013 Waste Characterization Study. Recycling protects our environment by saving resources, preventing pollution and supporting public health. Learn more about recycling by visiting our Dallas Zero Waste page (www.dallascityhall.com/departments/sanitation).

Source: www.dallascitynews.net

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Energy

A Message From Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian States Will Lead the Next Energy Revolution

t

exas is on the verge of a new energy revolution. The potential for job creation, economic prosperity and investment in our energy sector is almost limitless.

Key to ensuring it stays that way is reducing or removing regulatory roadblocks to energy exploration and production, without compromising public or environmental safety. I will carry this message with me when I attend my first Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) as Governor Greg Abbott’s appointee for Texas.

The IOGCC is one of the oldest, largest, and most important interstate compacts in the nation. It was formed more

than 80 years ago when six states joined together to resolve common issues and share best practices for industry regulation, minimizing federal intervention.

I’m especially proud to represent our state on this important Commission given my East Texas roots and my dedication to private property rights and fighting federal overreach.

IOGCC’s formation can in part be traced back to my home region of East Texas, where in 1930 Columbus “Dad” Joiner struck oil outside Kilgore in what became known as the East Texas Field. That discovery launched an oil rush, the likes of which our nation had never seen, bringing to light a number of issues that would change the course of the oil and gas industry for decades to come.

What was happening in the East

Texas Field was also happening in other states. The absence of virtually any regulation led to overproduction and waste of natural resources. The situation was so bad in the East Texas Field, Governor Ross Sterling ordered the Texas National Guard and Texas Rangers out to the region to maintain order.

That combination of the oil field chaos and lack of regulatory certainty from states, led to serious discussions by Congress about whether the federal government, not the states, should regulate the production of oil and gas. Fortunately, a compromise was reached and interstate compact (IOGCC) would be formed by oil producing states to cooperatively craft uniform conservation laws.

The production of domestic energy is vital to all Americans, but what works in Texas might not work in North Dakota,

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Ohio, or even Oklahoma. With such massive differences in geology, population, and political climate, it makes more sense for states to collaborate on best practices, then implement what makes sense for their respective regions.

IOGCC is an incubator for ideas and shaping a shared vision for our nation’s energy future in ways that protect state sovereignty and prevent the federal government from imposing one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington D.C. As the nation’s largest energy producer Texas has much to share with other oil and gas producing states. In Texas, commonsense regulation is the rule, not the exception. Our state must be a leader in any discussion on energy production policy; not only our state’s economic future, but our nation’s economic future depends on this important work.

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14 | June 2017

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Engineering

United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

Engineering Careers

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

Petroleum Engineers Quick Facts: Petroleum Engineers

Environmental Engineers

$128,230 per year

2016 Median Pay Typical Entry-Level Education Work Experience in a Related Occupation On-the-job Training Number of Jobs, 2014 Job Outlook, 2014-24 Employment Change, 2014-24

$61.65 per hour Bachelor’s degree None None 35,100 10% (Faster than average) 3,400

Quick Facts: Environmental Engineers 2016 Median Pay Typical Entry-Level Education Work Experience in a Related Occupation On-the-job Training Number of Jobs, 2014 Job Outlook, 2014-24 Employment Change, 2014-24

Civil Engineering Technicians Quick Facts: Civil Engineering Technicians 2016 Median Pay Typical Entry-Level Education Work Experience in a Related Occupation On-the-job Training Number of Jobs, 2014 Job Outlook, 2014-24 Employment Change, 2014-24

$84,890 per year $40.81 per hour Bachelor’s degree None None 55,100 12% (Faster than average) 6,800

Environmental Engineering Technicians

$49,980 per year $24.03 per hour Associate’s degree None None 74,000 5% (As fast as average) 3,500

Quick Facts: Environmental Engineering Technicians $49,170 per year 2016 Median Pay $23.64 per hour Typical Entry-Level Education Associate’s degree Work Experience in a Related Occupation None On-the-job Training None Number of Jobs, 2014 18,600 Job Outlook, 2014-24 10% (Faster than average) Employment Change, 2014-24 1,900 Source: www.bls.gov

Diversity. Powering much more than the grid.

We are all a part of the circuit that powers life, community, industry and each other.

Entergy believes in the circuit. Diversity is an integral part of the circuit and diverse organizations create dimension and perform better. A committed Supplier Diversity Program helps our company reflect the diversity of our employees, communities and the industries we serve. We’re all in the circuit together. And together we power life. Please visit us at entergy.com/supplierdiversity.

A message from Entergy Corporation © 2017 Entergy Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Houston News

Air Traffic Control Tower Project Starts at Ellington that we’re doing, but they’re not grant funded,” he says.

The tower will reach 143 ft, which is almost twice as tall as the existing tower, and will utilize new features such as an automated weather observation system, which can determine cloud heights, temperature, rainfall amounts, the presence of lightning in the area and other conditions.

"Since this new tower will be constructed while the old tower is still in use, extra attention was necessary to ensure a smooth transition from the existing tower to the new tower. It was not necessarily a straight forward design," adds Aaron Boyce, construction admin manager at AECOM. "Since the new tower has a small footprint, an extended plenum was provided at two locations for telecom cabling."

Teams also designed the control tower to provide expansion space for future Spaceport operations, such as sizing the cab of the control tower to allow for a future control position dedicated to spaceport operations.

“If spaceport operations require additional building space, a second entrance into the control tower will accommodate access via a link from a separate spaceport administration building,” Wengler says. “This method of planning allows for a tower to be sized for current requirements while allowing for expansion to accommodate future growth.”

Spaceport development at Ellington is progressing, in the meantime, with phase one—a 90 acre development—in design right now, Tiner says.

“We’re going to generate a set of 60% bridging documents, utilities and roadway infrastructure, and hopefully we’ll have that out on the street here for advertisement for a design-build contractor to come in and finish the plans and deliver the infrastructure for phase one space port delivery by third quarter of 2018,” he says. “We’re actually working with some interesting developers, so we’re just on the verge of being able to make an announcement, but it just hasn’t happened.”

Ellington’s existing tower will remain operational until the new tower is completed by the end of 2018.

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

rews broke ground recently on Ellington Airport’s new $12.4 million air traffic control tower, which will replace the airport’s existing tower, originally built in 1955 and damaged in 2008 during Hurricane Ike. The new tower will both enhance current services and provide mission control support for future Houston Spaceport operations.

“The main driver for the project is to provide flexibility in the infrastructure development so as to be compatible for future users whether it be the city, National Guard, FAA, NASA or private spaceport entities,” explains Frank Wengler with AECOM. “Incorporation of FAA standards and best practices in a non-FAA air traffic control tower were the main challenges in the design, while balancing against goals to minimize project costs. Designing for multiple agencies provided a challenge for designers to provide separate, secured, areas for electronics equipment.”

Clark Construction Group is general contractor on the project and AECOM is architect of record.

“It’s a traditional design-bid-build method for delivering the tower, and that’s because it’s a federally reimbursable contract,” explains Devon Tiner, assistant director for design with the Houston Airport System.

“We have a $3.1 million FAA AIP [Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance] grant that’s being used to help fund the project.” The remaining $9.3 million is coming from the Houston Airport System Airport Improvement Fund. Among the federal requirements is a DBE goal of 22%.

The project is also eligible for $2 million in grant funding through the FAA Airport Improvement Program, approval of which is pending.

Tiner notes that the only difference with this project compared to others at Ellington is the grant funding.

“We actually are engaging in a lot of alternative delivery methods with our new Continental Terminal Redevelopment Program and some of the other projects

C

Source: Engineering News-Record

Houston News

EPA Recognizes the City of Houston Among Nation’s Leading Green Power Users

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

R

ecently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the City of Houston is number one on the EPA’s Top 30 Local Government list of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership for 2017.

“We are proud to be again recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for our green power use,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “By making the choice to use clean, renewable energy, Houston is leading by example and sending a message to cities and businesses across the United States that using green power is a sound business decision and an important tool in reducing one’s carbon footprint in the fight against climate change.”

This announcement comes days after the launch of a 50 megawatt (MW) solar facility in Alpine, TX dedicated to providing up to 10.5% of the City’s electricity needs at a set, competitive price for the next 20 years. Houston also purchases Green-E certified wind energy credits through Reliant Energy, an NRG Energy company. All together, Houston is using nearly 1.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, 89 percent of its total power needs and the equivalent to the electricity use of more than 100,000 average American homes.

Houston’s choice to use green power is helping to advance the green power market and support clean renewable energy alternatives. Green power is zero-emissions electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps build demand for the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps users reduce their carbon footprints.

In addition to Houston’s spot on the Top 30 Local Government list, it also appears seventh on the National Top 100 list. The city also appears on EPA’s Long-term Green Power Contracts list, recognizing the city’s 20-year contract to purchase green power.

Aboutthe theCity Cityof ofHouston’s Houston’s About SustainabiliyDivision Division Sustainabiliy The goal of the Sustainability Division is to help the City of Houston identify strategies to reduce greenhouse gas Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

emissions; collaborate with departments on developing programs, projects, and policies that improve the quality of life for Houstonians; and engage the community and citizens on environmental, economic, and social equity issues.

For additional information, please visit www.greenhoustontx.gov.

AboutEPA’s EPA’sGreen GreenPower Power About Partnership Partnership The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,400 Partner organizations voluntarily using more than 40 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Source: www.houstontx.gov

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SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ON THE MOVE Take your company to new heights!

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SMALL BUSINESS UNIVERSITY (SBU)

OUTREACH

METRO’s OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS OFFERS: • Outreach • Certification

• Face-to-Face Match Up • Small Business University (SBU)

For more information, contact METRO’s Office of Small Business at smallbusiness@RideMETRO.org or call 713.739.4844

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USA

TEXAS JOURNAL

W W W . S U B C U S A . C O M

Architecture | Construction | Education | Energy | Engineering | IT | Manufacturing | Oil and Gas | Petrochemical | Transportation

June 2017 | Advocating for Certified Women, Veteran & Minority-Owned Subcontractors | 15th Edition

DFW Minority Supplier

From Left to Right: MR. D-MARS, CEO of Subcontractors USA Texas Journal, Margo J. Posey, President and CEO of Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Development Council, Inc. INSIDE

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Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council Meaningful Connections…Impactful Growth

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

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he Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council (D/FW MSDC) facilitates connections between their buying entity partners and certified ethnic minority-owned businesses. The D/ FW MSDC continues to make a positive impact in the North Texas area. The D/FW MSDC is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The NMSDC is the global leader in advancing business opportunities for its certified Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American business enterprises and connecting them to member corporations.

D/FW MSDC’s Strategic Imperatives – The D/FW MSDC is focused on its mission and dedicated to providing their stakeholders the services they need to excel. Outlined below are their 5 Strategic Imperatives.

INCREASE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES – Increase business opportunities and utilization of certified minority-owned businesses.

BUILD CAPACITY – Provide tiered programming and tools to develop and grow minority business enterprise capacity.

ADVANCE DIVERSITY PROGRAMS – Improve Supplier Diversity programs focused on minority business utilization.

IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE – Improve overall organizational infrastructure to meet the expectations and needs of our stakeholders.

ENRICH CHAMPIONS – Enrich and build influential business champions advocating on behalf of minority business inclusion.

The mission of MBDA is to foster the growth and global competitiveness of

U.S. businesses that are minority-owned.

MBDA serves as the only Federal agency dedicated to the establishment, growth and competitiveness of U.S. businesses that are minority-owned.

The MBDA Business Center Dallas/ Fort Worth (The Center) is an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and provides management and technical assistance to minority-owned businesses (MBEs).

The Center delivers a variety of services to assist MBEs in growing their business and increasing their capacity. Clients typically meet a revenue minimum requirement of $1 million+ in operating revenue.

The Center provides consulting services to MBE firms that include, but are not limited to access to markets/ contracts, access to capital, and strategic business consulting. The Center proExperience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

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gram is a fee-for-service program. This includes support in developing strategic alliances, teaming agreements, and accessing procurement opportunities. The Center also provides outreach opportunities in the form of lunch and learn sessions and international trade consulting.

The Center serves a wide range of clientele, and every client relationship is valued greatly. Each engagement benefits from the depth and breadth of their expertise. Their team is leading the way in national and global business growth.

With ever changing business environments, The Center has proven itself as a vital source. For more information about The Center, please visit www.mbdadfw.com.

One of D/FW MSDC’s recent events was the ACCESS 2017 Business Expo.

This year’s event brought over 1,200 plus bid opportunities and representation of over 80 state agencies/universities.

Through this event, the D/FW MSDC has aimed to exceed the $2.6M awarded through the last year’s event and to assist them in reaching their goal.

This year’s ACCESS 2017 Business Expo committee included: • D/FW Minority Supplier Development Council • Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts • University of Texas at Austin • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality • Texas Department of Information Resources • Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife • Texas Health and Human Services Commission • Texas Facilities Commission • Texas Lottery Commission • Texas Department of Public Safety The D/FW MSDC has facilitated connections between more than 750 minority-owned businesses in North Texas with corporate and public sector agencies nationwide and has generated more than $14 billion in economic impact in North Texas in 2016.

For more information on the Dallas/ Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council (D/FW MSDC), please visit them on the web at www.dfwmsdc.com and email admin@dfwmsdc.com.

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From Left to Right: Carlos Balderas, Michael Bryant, Helen Callier, Carlton Cooper, Denise Prather and MR. D-MARS.

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Exceeding the MWBE Goals Set by the City of Houston

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

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he City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department provides many of the basic services that affect the daily lives of everyone who lives and works in Houston.

Primarily, the Department is responsible for all the things we take for granted on a daily basis: the administration, planning, maintenance, construction management and technical engineering of the City's infrastructure. This includes the production and distribution of over 146 billion gallons of water per year and the treatment of over 90 billion gallons per year of wastewater. It also includes the maintenance of the City's over 16,000 lane miles of streets, over 60,000 stormwater manholes, over 100,000 stormwater inlets, over 1,100,000 street name and traffic control signs, over 17,000 freeway and under bridge light fixtures, over 50,000 fire hydrants and traffic signals at over 2,450 intersections.

Karun Sreerama, Sreerama, MBA, MBA, PhD, PhD, PE, PE, Karun Director Director In this role, Sreerama oversees the Department’s services to Houston citizens through the planning, operation, maintenance, construction management and technical engineering of the City's public infrastructure. The Department’s

responsibilities include operation and maintenance of the City’s streets and drainage, production and distribution of water, collection and treatment of wastewater, and permitting and regulation of public and private construction.

Under the Department is Building and Development Services, which leads a multi-agency collaboration that facilitates safe and efficient development in Houston. It is committed to providing exceptional customer service while coordinating pre-development, plan review, and inspection activities and enforcing the City's building and development codes.

Capital Projects is also under the Department, and is responsible for the

rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction or expansion of our city’s infrastructure. To accomplish this, the division is comprised of six branches: Construction, Engineering, Infrastructure Planning, Real Estate, Geo-Environmental and Programming & Support Services.

Customer Account Services provides customer information, billings, credit, collections, and all meter-associated services to water and wastewater utility customers within the City of Houston.

These services are provided to approximately 2.1 million residents in Houston, generating over $600 million in gross revenue. Their goal is to consistently meet the expectations of every customer

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by offering outstanding customer service, increased flexibility, greater value, and improved operational efficiency.

Each year, their Customer Contact Center handles an average of 600,000 calls and the Field Operations team travels in excess of 2,000,000 miles to cover an 800 square-mile area.

Houston Water consists of approximately 1,500 drinking water and wastewater professionals including engineers, scientists, and facility operations and maintenance personnel. The City of Houston Water and Wastewater Utility is a regulated public health agency governed by federal and state laws. Their staff maintains professional licenses issued by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other public health agencies. Their business is managed in accordance with a threefold mission of protecting public health, protecting the environment and providing superior customer service. These core missions are captured within their organizational mission statement. Notable projects include: Raw Surface Water System Expansion, Surface Water Purification Plant Expansion, Wastewater Collection System rehabilitation, Neighborhood Pipeline Replacements, Security System Enhancements, Watershed Management and Source Water Production.

Continues to page 24

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ASV Consulting Group, Inc. Is Your Prime Consultant

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

A

SV Consulting Group, Inc. (ASV) continues to stay one of the most competitive consulting companies in this area in the construction industry.

What started out as a company with 2 employees 3 years ago, is now an impressive 10-person business showing continuous growth in the quality consulting services it provides. Under the leadership of ASV President Chenchu Vellore, ASV is more than a company providing civil engineering and land surveying services, it has recently expanded, adding subsurface utility, location, and construction management services, making it a prime consultant.

Rehabilitation of existing water wells - Spring Branch Well No. 4A, City of Houston project

ASV serves countless clients beyond the average services of other construction consulting firms. This company offers land surveying, including boundary survey, topographic survey, and platting services. And if you are crossing critical utilities, ASV provides subsurface utility location services, civil engineering design, drainage design, detention design, floodplain mitigation design, conveyance analysis, and utility design. In addition, ASV also provides construction phase inspection services.

ASV has experience working in several areas, serving the following counties: • Harris • Fort Bend • Montgomery • Brazoria • Waller • Galveston • Liberty • Chambers ASV stays current with the trends in the industry, using the latest technology and low-impact drainage design techniques in every project. “In the beginning like with any business, there was a struggle breaking into the industry. Our surveying services gave us a foot in the door. After providing those services, clients gave us civil engineering projects and things started pro-

Subsurface utility location along a pipeline corridor, Harris County Texas

gressing from there. We are proud of our growth and continue to build a solid client roster,” says Srini “Vas” Vellore, ASV Engineering Manager.

An active contributor to the business community, ASV is a proud member of ASCE and is a corporate sponsor of ASIE. Partnering with other businesses and agencies allows the company to have a formidable team to pursue bigger projects.

With invaluable experience and having increased their in-house capabilities in the past few years, this company confidently and competently serves clients, delivering stellar projects as a prime consult for their client base. Just as the company has talent, it also has integrity. ASV prides itself on being a highly skilled and character-driven group of professionals with the highest ethical values.

Client Testimonials “I have always been impressed with Vas Vellore’s conscientiousness and his professionalism. We can

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always count on Vas to give us the most competent work that is of the highest quality. His surveys are always accurate and his civil engineering work is always dependable and an asset to our projects. We can strongly endorse Vas and the ASV team.”

—Gregg R. Stephens, STOA Architects, Inc.

“ASV has worked as part of our team on City of Houston Projects. I have found them to be dependable and responsible. They work with the best interest of the client in mind and deliver projects on time!”

—Tej Kour, Neel-Schaffer, Inc.

ASV is also a recognized company for their reputation. The company was recently selected as a 2017 “Protégé Company” by the City of Houston.

Continuously evolving, ASV always moves forward. Future goals for this company are to expand services to Dallas and Austin.

ASV Consulting Group, Inc. is located at 9950 Westpark Drive, Suite #608, Houston, Texas 77063.

For more information, please call 713-480-9096 or email vas. vellore@asvconsultinggroup.com.

Visit them on the web at www. asvconsultinggroup.com.

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Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Continues from page 21

Transportation and Drainage Operations is responsible for overseeing the transportation infrastructure that spans Houston's 640 square miles and 6,000 center lane miles of streets. Through their 4 branches and 200 employees, their services include (but are not limited to) the installation, operation, & maintenance of 1,100,000 traffic signs, 2,450 signalized intersections, 1,600 school zone flashers, as well as 180,000 streetlights & 1,800 freeway lights. This department continues to stay dedicated to ensuring the safe and efficient mobility of Houston drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

TheBranches BranchesofofTraffic Traffic The OperationsInclude: Include: Operations • Traffic Management Branch • Traffic Maintenance Branch • Transtar Executive Branch • Work Order Management Branch • The Administrative Branch • The Storm Water Maintenance Branch • The Street and Bridge Maintenance Branch

Public Works and Engineering Mentor – Public Works and Engineering Protégé– Protégé ProgramProgram Mentor Under the leadership of Manager Tony Henshaw, The Small Business Development Group administers the Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) for the Department of Public Works & Engineering. The MPP was established, in conjunction with other local government agencies, for the purpose of assisting certified, minority and/or women-owned (S/M/ WBE) engineering firms (Protégés) to grow etc., under the guidance of prime firms (Mentors).

Mentors review Protégés’ materials (business plan, action plan, etc.) and key indicators (cash flow, insurance, projects, etc.), recommend areas of improvement, follow up on mutual agreements for action, and submit Program Evaluation Assessments at designated intervals.

Protégés present complete and upto-date information (business and

action plans, cash flow, insurance, workin-progress, etc.) in a timely manner, implement mutually agreed upon changes, request assistance as necessary, and submit Program Evaluation Assessments at designated intervals.

Tony Henshaw, Manager of the Small Business Development Group

Protégé firms are considered successful and ready to ‘graduate’ from the MPP upon meeting three (3) of the following five (5) criteria: • Three (3) years in MPP • Two (2) years of consecutive selection as prime consulting firms • Three (3) years of demonstrated teaming with non-Mentor firms

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• Increased revenue year-to-year • New hires added to firm In addition to the Department’s outreach efforts to minority and/or womenowned businesses, it created the “Contracts in Five” initiative in 2008. This platform helps to increase opportunities for minority and women-owned consulting firms to obtain engineering services contracts from the Department. Over the last nine years, this program has evolved and experienced a progressive increase in participation.

This year’s featured speakers and presenters were: Mayor’s Office Press Secretary Darian Ward, Commissioner for

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Precinct One of Harris County Rodney Ellis, Deputy Director of the Engineering and Construction Division of Public Works and Engineering Carol Haddock, Small Business Development Group Department of Public Works and Engineering Tony Henshaw, Deputy Assistant Director of the Houston Airport System Jason McLemore, Construction Manager of Houston Waterworks Pete Bailey, ACEC Houston President Pam Puckett, Houston Area Manager Vice President Michael E. Lucchesi, Harris County Engineer John Blount, Office of Business Opportunity Director Carlecia D. Wright, Harris County Flood Control Group Executive Director Russell Poppe, TxDOT Houston District Engineer

Quincy D. Allen, City of Houston Chief Resilience Officer Stephen Costello, Assistant Director of the Houston Airport System Devon Tiner and Harris County Flood Control Director of the Engineering Division Alan R. Black.

ACEC Houston partnered with the Department to make Contracts in Five a success. Houston First and Aramark were proud to be this year’s sponsors. Contracts in Five has resulted in the Department exceeding the MWBE goals set by the City of Houston. A venture that began with invitations to a handful of engineering firms has now developed into a highlyattended engineer networking occasion with over 500 engineers in attendance.

Contracts in Five is designed to provide

networking opportunities between major engineering consulting firms and minority, women-owned and small consulting firms in engineering, design and construction management. For more information about Contracts in Five, please visit www. contractsinfive.com.

The Department is staffed with a trained work force of approximately 3,900 employees and operates with an annual budget of approximately $1.8 billion. The Department successfully manages the City's infrastructure and will continue to exceed the MWBE goals set by the City of Houston. For more information about the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department, please visit www.publicworks.houstontx.gov.

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Congratulations to Mr. David Eastwood, P.E., C.A.P.M., President of Geotech Engineering and Testing GEOTECH ENGINEERING and TESTING Geotechnical, Environmental, Construction Materials, and Forensic Engineering Mr. David Eastwood, P.E., C.A.P.M., President of Geotech Engineering and Testing, has been inducted as the 2017 Distinguished Engineering Alumni at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering. Mr. Eastwood is the graduate of the Classes of 1977 and 1978.

Throughout the years, Mr. Eastwood has gone to great lengths to maintain a great working relationship with the University of Houston. Furthermore, Mr. Eastwood has increased awareness of geotechnical guidelines for design of public infrastructure, residential, commercial and petrochemical projects.

Mr. Eastwood is the past president of

Houston Chapter of Texas Council for Engineering Laboratories. Furthermore, he is the founder and past president of Foundation Performance Association, an organization specializing in foundation failure evaluation. In addition, Mr. Eastwood is on the Post-Tensioning Institute’s Slab-at-Grade Geotechnical Committee.

Mr. Eastwood conducts training in geotechnical, environmental, materials, and forensic engineering for the City of Houston (COH), Harris County Engineering Department (HCEC), City of Sugar Land,

American Institute of Architects (AIA), Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), American Public Works Association (APWA) and Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA).

In addition, Mr. Eastwood has been certified as a Corrective Action Project Manager with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Mr. Eastwood’s only career passion and dedication to the engineering community is well represented with the honor of becoming a Distinguished Engineering Alumni at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering. Mr. Eastwood received his Alumni Award on June 8, 2017, during The Distinguished Engineering Alumni Gala & Induction Ceremony.

Employees of Geotech Engineering and Testing would like to congratulate Mr. Eastwood on his accomplishments and being inducted as an Alumni. Please click on the link below to see his interview with the University of Houston.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWDfqQSiQqo&feature=youtu.be 17407 US Highway 59 N • Houston, Texas 77396 • Tel.: 713-699-4000 • Fax: 713-699-9200 Texas • Louisiana • New Mexico • Oklahoma Website: www.geotecheng.com

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IT

ELDs – the End of Paper Logs

As move forward and you your options, Asyou you move forward andreview you review your there are a few key points to keep in mind: options, there are a few key points to keep in mind:

By Lea Bogle Contributing Writer

t

he FMCSA’s electronic logging device (ELD) final rule goes into effect on December 18, 2017, just a short 6 months away. It applies to most carriers and drivers who are required to maintain records of duty status (RODS) per Part 305, 49 CFR 395.8(a). The rule applies to both commercial buses as well as trucks.

The limited exceptions to the mandate are: • Short-haul exceptions who use timecards and are not required to keep RODS today • Drivers who use paper RODS for 8 days or less out of every 30 day period • Drivers who conduct drive-away-tow-away operations where the vehicle being driven is the commodity • Drivers whose vehicles were manufactured before 2000

The current rule requires ELDs to be certified on the FMCSA website and to automatically record all location information, engine hou rs, m i l e s driven, current date and time, the driver identification information as well as the carrier and vehicle i d e nt i f i c a t i on information.

All ELDs will show a driver’s on-duty status, vehicle mileage and time spent moving. The driver will change their status when the vehicle is being used for “personal conveyance” outside of work hours and the ELD will record and capture that information as well.

While many will argue that the ELD is going to put the smaller carriers and owner operators out of business, others will argue that finally, the owner operator will be better compensated for long wait times because the shipper will be held accountable based upon time because no one will be able to afford to sit and wait.

According to an Overdrive survey from about a year ago, more than 80% of owner operators (OO) were still using paper logs. As a result, the OOs typically have higher violations and receive more penalties than the company drivers. ELDs will streamline paperwork and make it easier to be compliant and reduce the number of paperwork errors that cause an OO to incur these costly fines.

• The solution must be registered on the FMCSA site as compliant.

• The tablet or the phone MUST be mounted at all times inside the truck when moving.

• All “good” solutions will also provide the information for your IFTA reports.

• All “good” solutions will include your Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports.

• More expensive does not mean better – you should only pay for the features you need.

Somekey keydifferentiators differentiatorsto toconsider considerare: are: Some • Proprietary terminal from the ELD provider such as PeopleNet vs purchasing your own tablet or other device. Some benefits of using a non-proprietary device include the ability to use the device for other applications including barcode scanning, pictures, etc.

IT

5 Precise Points to Look for

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

w

hat drives you in the search for the perfect PC? Is it premium design and the high-end components? Or are you a performance person where nothing but the best specs will do? And what about price?

Do you worry that you'll have to sacrifice some of the things you want simply because they are too expensive?

There are many things to consider when looking for the perfect PC but price and performance are not mutually exclusive. With today's modern devices, you can have both.

So start your search by focusing on the parameters below and you'll find the perfect PC that fits your needs, and your budget, in no time.

Moderndesign design Modern This is where your tech really shines, thanks to the latest advancements that separate the newest devices from their predecessors. Crafted from 100 percent aluminum, the Acer Swift 3 packs the power of a 7th Generation Intel Core processor into an ultra-slim .7” frame with full highdefinition capabilities and 12 hours of battery life.

Meanwhile, the versatile Dell Inspiron 13 5000 Series 2-in-1 can transition from a laptop to a tent to a tablet with ease, and has a full high-definition wide-viewing angle display to play media powered by its Intel Core processor.

Finally, the HP Pavilion x360 allows you to work, write and play naturally on the touchscreen. It's a convertible 2-in-1 with an optional active pen, the enhanced experience of FHD IPS display and audio tuned by the experts at Bang & Olufsen. It also allows you to store millions of documents with up to 1 terabyte of HDD storage.

Powerfuland andportable portable Powerful

• GPS – Some solutions incorporate real time GPS and a breadcrumb trail as to where the truck has been, how fast it’s been travelling and other solutions to simply tell you where a driver is now.

• Vehicle Maintenance – Many ELD solutions that incorporate GPS into their systems can assist you in better managing your vehicles and provide you with vehicle diagnostic information, saving you thousands of dollars a year in truck repairs, tow bills and unscrupulous mechanic fees.

If you’re still trying to decipher all of these changes, consider reaching out to the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) at (800) 2648580 or please feel free to contact me directly.

Lea Bogle is a wireless industry expert and president of Premier Wireless™, a company that proudly serves Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and other areas. For more information about how Premier Wireless™ can help you, please visit them on the web at www. premierwirelesstx.com.

The size of your new device plays a huge role in how you use it. If you plan to travel with your device, then you’ll want a more compact model like the slim, lightweight, ultraportable 2-in-1 ASUS Transformer Mini. This powerful tablet features a comfortable, angled keyboard and a handy kickstand delivering 140-degree views no matter where you take it. Plus, channel your inner creator with Windows 10 Creators Update and Active Pen, which creates the feeling of writing with a pen on paper.

When you plan to carry your PC into that next business meeting, appearance matters, and nothing tops sleek and stylish. The Samsung Galaxy Book 10 is a 2-in-1 with a gorgeous display and a brushed metal finish that’s sure to get noticed. And with the included Samsung S Pen, 10 hours of battery life and the ability to sync up with your Samsung phone, its functionality can't be topped.

Safeand andsecure secure Safe The more time you invest in your PC, the more important it is to protect it. The Lenovo Yoga 510 (Flex 4) keeps your content uniquely yours with a simple, secure log-in fingerprint reader and Windows Hello. It’s the perfect gatekeeper for a device with plenty of storage for all your most cherished keepsakes.

Personalizedfor foryou you Personalized Each of the devices mentioned above is available at an affordable price allowing you to find the perfect PC to meet your needs and your budget. Once you narrow in on the features and functionalities that are a must have for you to help you tackle your personal and professional to-do's, you'll find that there is a PC out there to fit your needs.

So don't delay. Start your search for your next device today, and put the power of state-of-the-art technology on your table, your lap or in the palm of your hand. Stop by your nearest Microsoft Store, microsoftstore.com, or your local retailer to find the one that's right for you. – BPT

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We know ELD & HOS. Get your ELD equipment, including the tablet, for FREE!* Call Today: 844-699-2777 Hurry! this offer ends 6/30/2017.

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(1) iPhone 7 Offer: Eligible Trade-ins: iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus; Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, Note 5 & Note 4; LG G6, G5, V20; or Droid 2. $0/mo. after $27.09/mo. svc. credit on 18-Mo. lease for well-qualified customer with new line activ.

Credit applied within 2 invoices after trade in received. Early termination of lease results in full price due. Offer is for a limited time only. Credit approval req. Activ. Fee: Up to $30/line. Lease: Credit approval req. Terms for all other customers will vary including amount due at signing & taxes/fees. Req. qualifying device & service plan. No equipment security deposit required. Upon completion of 18-mo. term for iPhone 7, customer can continue to pay monthly lease amount, purchase or return the device. Customer is responsible for insurance and repairs. Early termination of lease/service: Remaining lease payments will be due immediately, and requires device return or payment of purchase option device price in lease. iPhone Forever: Does not guarantee monthly payment amount, phone selection, or service plan rates. Upgrade after 12 payment as long as lease and early upgrades offered. Req. active line thru time of upgrade with min. 12 consecutive monthly service plan payments, new phone Lease, acct. in good standing, & give back of current eligible device in good & functional condition. After upgrade, remaining unbilled lease payments are waived. Upgrade does not include same generation model iPhone, must be next generation iPhone. $0/mo. iPhone 7: Reqs 18-month lease on iPhone 7 and trade in of eligible device. Phone trade in must be unlocked, deactivated & all personal data deleted before trade-in and in good working order; device powers on and there are no broken, missing or cracked pieces. Device will not be returned. Higher memory configurations will receive the same amount of trade-in credit and will not be free. Current customers most own trade in device. Other Terms: Offers & coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. May not be combined with other offers. No rainchecks. No add'l discounts apply. Sprint reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. © 2017 Sprint. All rights reserved. iPhone is the trademark of Apple Inc. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

(2) Galaxy J3 Offer: $0/mo after $7/mo/line service credit. Credit applied w/in 2 invoices. Reqs. 24-mo. installment billing agreements for well-qualified customer purchasing at least two devices with at least one new-line activation, additional lines can be mix of new lines and upgrade eligible. Tax due at sale. Early termination results in remaining balance of full price due. Offer available 2/3/17 thru 4/13/17. While supplies last. Activ. Fee: Up to $30/line. Credit approval req. Device Offer: Samsung J3 Emerge MSRP $168.00. 24-Mo. Installments: Req. 24-mo. installment agmt., 0% APR, & qualifying device & svc. plan. Device pricing for well-qualified customers. Models with higher memory config. may require down pymt. Monthly pymt. terms & down pymt. for all others will vary. Down pymt., unfinanced portion & sales tax (on full purch. price) due at purch. Early termination of 24-Mo. Installments/Svc.: If you cancel wireless svc., remaining balance on device becomes due. Samsung J3 Emerge Offer: Req. 24-mo. installment agmt. Svc. credit applied mo. based on the lower cost device. Credit ends at end of term, early payo or upgr., whichever occurs first. All devices must be acquired in same transaction. Mo. pymt. will be reflected on inv. & o set with svc. credit. Other Terms: Offer/coverage not avail. everywhere or for all phones/networks. May not be combined with other offers. No add’l. discounts apply.

Sprint reserves right to change or cancel this offer at any time. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. © 2017 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint & logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are property of their respective owners.

(3) Unlimited $30 Offer: **Monthly charges exclude taxes & Sprint Surcharges [incl. USF charge of up to 17.4% (varies quarterly), up to $2.50 Admin. & 40¢ Reg. /line/mo. & fees by area (approx. 5–25%)]. Surcharges are not taxes. See sprint.com/taxesandfees. Offer ends 7/13/17. Activ.

Fee: Up to $30/line. Credit approval req. Sprint Unlimited Plan: Reqs. eBill & new account activation. Savings compared to currently advertised unlimited rates for 4 lines as of 3/1/17. Carrier features and international options may di er. Includes unlimited domestic Long Distance calling, texting & data with 10GB of high-speed Mobile Hotspot VPN & P2P data. Discounted phones subject to add'l $25/mo/line. Discounted tablets add'l $10/mo/line. Third-party content/downloads are add’l charge. Select Int’l svcs are included see sprint.com/globalroaming. AutoPay: Must be enrolled in AutoPay to receive $5/mo/line discount. Sprint Ultra High Def: allows streaming at the highest quality available based upon the network, connection, device and content at the time of streaming. Quality of Service (QoS): Customers who use more than 23GB of data during a billing cycle will be deprioritized during times & places where the Sprint network is constrained. See sprint.com/networkmanagement for details. Usage Limitations: To improve data experience for the majority of users, throughput may be limited, varied or reduced on the network. Sprint may terminate service if o -network roaming usage in a month exceeds: (1) 800 min. or a majority of min.; or (2) 100MB or a majority of KB. Prohibited use rules apply — see sprint.com/termsandconditions. Other Terms: Offer/coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. No discounts apply to plan. May not be combined with other offers. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. © 2017 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint & the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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Subcontractors USA Texas Journal Community Spotlight

"Over 35 years, Rebuilding Together Houston has been repairing homes and restoring hope to elderly homeowners who are struggling with their deteriorating homes.

We partner with folks like Turner Construction, who contribute their time and know-how, along with the materials we provide, to make a lasting difference to a homeowner.

Over two days, Turner will leave this home with a complete update of the home exterior, leading to a safer and more secure home, offering much-improved resistance to severe weather."

James E. (Jim) Soller, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Houston www.rebuildinghouston.org

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SUBCONTRACTORS USA

w w w. t u r n e rc o n s t r u c t i o n . c o m

Building the Future As one of the nation’s largest builders, Turner is dedicated to providing avenues of opportunity for Minority and Woman-Owned Businesses in Houston to achieve entrepreneurial success.

Our commitment to social responsibility and fair play is not just on paper; it is ingrained in our corporate culture. We are devoted to making contributions that not only strengthen the local economy, but also reflect the demographics of the community at large.

Turner is proud to celebrate our 20th year of The Turner School of Construction Management in partnership with The City of Houston, Office of Business Opportunity. We remain steadfast in our commitment to grow capacity in Small, Minority and Women owned enterprises in the

communities where we work.

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SUBCONTRACTORS USA

Manufacturing

SCHUNK Opens Technology and Service Center in Houston, TX

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

s

CHUNK recently held its official grand opening event to launch its new Service and Technology center in Houston, TX. "Manufacturers in Houston will benefit from having this new Tec-Center local to them," said a company spokesperson. The new Tec-Center offers: • Factory trained service technicians on-site with over 30 years of experience in installing and servicing all brands of chucks; • Trouble-shooting, repair and maintenance of workholding, toolholding systems and automation accessories; • Extensive local stock and parts inventory available for same-day dispatch • Expert advice and assistance in identifying manufacturing challenges and implementing solutions; and • A fully equipped showroom with demonstration machinery to showcase the latest innovative products.

"The local manufacturing community will benefit greatly from this resource on their doorstep," said Stefan Kiedels, Senior Sales Manager. "Customers now have a fully equipped facility where they can view a demonstration, receive advice and support for their specific ap-

plication, or get an expert technician for repair or service. The feedback from our customers is extremely positive, they are excited to have this wonderful resource close-by for their service, repair and stock needs," said Kiedels.

"The full-service that the Tec-Center offers is a huge benefit to customers looking to make the most of their manufacturing investments. Whether the challenge is to decrease set-up time, reduce costs or to successfully machine a complicated piece - SCHUNK is locally available to work through solutions. The future of industry in Texas is looking brighter and SCHUNK is perfectly placed to assist our customers with the forecast upturn," said Ron Wright, Director of Sales.

The SCHUNK Houston Tec-Center has a milling machine, lathe and air chuck display and robotic machineloading display, giving people the ability to see a variety of processes using real parts and machines.

Source: www.mfgnewsweb.com

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Serving local small businesses who are seeking to do business with Houston Community College Assisting small businesses and Contractors by providing opportunities, information, and support

For information about the Small Business Development Program, visit hccs.edu/sbdp For current bid opportunities, visit hccs.edu/procurement

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Oil and Gas

Industry Insiders Say Minorities Should Pursue Oil Jobs Blacks, Latinos Missing out on Lucrative Jobs in the Oil Industry

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA

t

here are great opportunities for African Americans and Latinos in the oil, natural gas, and petrochemical industries, according to industry insiders, who are calling on minorities to “get in the game.”

“IHS Markit projects that there will be nearly 1.9 million job opportunities over the next 20 years in our industry, and [minorities] are expected to fill more than 575,000 of those positions,” said Deryck Spooner, ‎the senior director of external mobilization at American Petroleum Institute. “These employment projections are based on current and expected trends in factors such as labor force participation rates, population growth rates, and educational attainment rates.”

IHS Markit is known as the leading source of information and insight into critical areas that shape today’s business landscape.

Spooner noted that opportunities would be available in a wide variety of occupations across the country.

Of the 1.9 million new job opportunities, 57 percent are projected to be in blue-collar occupations and 32 percent are projected to be in management and professional fields, according to IHS Markit.

Martha Montoya, the chair of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, said that it’s important for Black and Latino families to have conversations about opportunities in the oil in-

dustry that are available for people who aspire to join the middle class.

A recent report by IHS Markit noted that Hispanic and African-American workers are projected to account for close to 25 percent of new hires in management, business and financial jobs through 2035.

Also, of the women projected to be hired in the oil industry, more than half are expected to fill management and professional occupations.

The salaries in the oil and gas industry make the jobs very attractive.

Currently, the average salary for a financial analyst in the industry is $55,620, while a petroleum engineer makes $82,000 annually. Oil and gas pipeline construction workers average about $76,000 per year and those who drill oil and gas wells typically rake in at least $98,000 per year, according to several databases.

“Experienced engineers are being offered sky-high salaries and are taking regular calls from headhunters as the booming shale gas industry fights for scarce talent, snapping up engineers from other sectors,” reported Alanna Petroff of CNN Money. “There aren’t enough experienced engineers to go around, and global demand for engineers is growing, especially as the U.S. shale gas industry balloons.”

In order to take advantage of the oil and gas boom, Spooner said that minorities must get in the game.

“Our polling of African-Americans and Latinos showed that the vast majority of individuals had never applied for

a job in the industry, with 60 percent of those being driven by a basic lack of familiarity with the industry’s opportunities,” Spooner said.

As noted in the 2017 State of American Energy report, the American Petroleum Institute (API) continues to work with Hispanics in Energy and the American Association of Blacks in Energy to spread the word about that 707,000 positions are projected to be held by African-American and Hispanic workers, said API spokesman Reid T. Porter.

Porter added: “And, we’ve started a Veterans Energy Pipeline program to connect veterans with career opportunities that are compatible with their unique skill sets.”

With above-average salaries and an abundance of career opportunities projected over the next two decades, the oil and natural gas industry offers solutions to wage stagnation and income inequality, which remain major concerns in our still-struggling economy, said Porter.

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“Capitalizing on energy job opportunities doesn’t require a government program or taxpayer funding,” said Porter.

“All it takes are smart energy policies and increased awareness of job opportunities to ensure the ‘Great Crew Change’ is the game changer it can be for America’s workers.”

The industry is partnering with schools, labor organizations and the government to increase awareness of energy job opportunities and to promote greater participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

Still, many are surprised to learn that the industry has a great deal of job opportunities in blue collar occupations (57 percent), which require a high school diploma and some post-secondary training, Spooner said.

“These are jobs like welders, pipefitters, truck drivers, and construction workers,” said Spooner. “There are also hundreds of thousands of job opportunities projected in management and professional fields as scientists, engineers, architects, communication professionals, business managers, and so much more.”

The oil and natural gas industry pays wages significantly higher than the national average and can provide tremendous career opportunities for women and minorities, said Jack Gerard, API president and CEO. Gerard continued: “These careers can help shrink the income inequality gap without spending a dime of taxpayer money.”

June 2017 | 37

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38 | June 2017

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Oil and Gas

Texas Drilling Permits and Completions Statistics for April 2017 t

he Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) issued a total of 909 original drilling permits in April 2017 compared to 683 in April 2016.

The April total included 821 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, nine to re-enter plugged well bores and 79 for re-completions of existing well bores. The breakdown of well types for those permits issued April 2017 included 223 oil, 55 gas, 576 oil or gas, 36 injection, one service and 18 other permits.

In April 2017, Commission staff processed 439 oil, 44 gas, 45 injection and two other completions compared to 873 oil, 120 gas, 49 injection and five other completions in April 2016. Total well completions processed for 2017 year to date are 2,455; down from 4,499 recorded during the same period in 2016.

According to Baker Hughes Inc., the Texas rig count as of May 5 was 443, representing about 50 percent of all active rigs in the United States.

For additional drilling permit and completion statistics, visit the Commission’s website at http://www.rrc.texas.gov/oil-gas/research-andstatistics/well-information/monthly-drilling-completion-and-pluggingsummaries/.

TABLE 1 – APRIL 2017 TEXAS OIL AND GAS DRILLING PERMITS AND COMPLETIONS

BY RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS DISTRICT* DISTRICT

PERMITS TO DRILL OIL/GAS HOLES

OIL COMPLETIONS

GAS COMPLETIONS NS

(1) SAN ANTONIO AREA

183

54

13

(2) REFUGIO AREA

60

46

3

(3) SOUTHEAST TEXAS

43

12

2

(4) DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

24

9

8

(5) EAST CENTRAL TX

8

6

0

(6) EAST TEXAS

28

6

0

(7B) WEST CENTRAL TX

23

15

3

(7C) SAN ANGELO AREA

51

51

0

(8) MIDLAND

401

185

11

(8A) LUBBOCK AREA

34

23

0

(9) NORTH TEXAS

29

19

3

(10) PANHANDLE

25

13

1

909

439

44

TOTAL

*A district map is available on the Railroad Commission of Texas website at http://www.rrc.texas.gov/media/21430/districts_color_8x11.pdf.

Aboutthe theRailroad RailroadCommission Commission About Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state. The Commission has a long and proud history of service to both Texas and to the nation, including almost 100 years regulating the oil and gas industry. Additionally, the Commission has jurisdiction over alternative fuel s safety, natural gas utility, surface mining and intrastate pipeline industries.

Their mission is to serve Texas by their stewardship of natural resources and the environment, their concern for personal and community safety, and their support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans.

To learn more, visit www.rrc.texas.gov.

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FLUOR SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM

Connecting for Opportunities Fluor is committed to excellence in supplier diversity.

As a global company, Fluor operates across highly diverse markets that are best served by correspondingly diverse resources, including suppliers and subcontractors.

Visit us at www.fluorprocurement.com for a list of the products and services that Fluor buys and create your company profile.

© 2016 Fluor Corporation.

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AV20160111-003 ADAV133416b.indd 1

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40 | June 2017

SUBCONTRACTORS USA

Petrochemical

A Growing Business That Needs You Now Examples ExamplesInclude: Include:

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

L

ike many people, you may not know petrochemical—and all the ways it makes life better. The Petrochemical industry, Petrochem for short, is the source of everyday products like shoes and perfumes, paint and eyeglasses, bandages and game controllers. They all contain materials that come from the natural gas and crude oil processed by the Petrochemical industry.

You also may not know how much Petrochemical needs people like you right now. It’s expected to grow 30% in the next decade, so companies need to build their workforces. At the same time, many workers are retiring, leaving thousands of jobs open. And with natural gas growing and new plants popping up, there are amazing career opportunities. All you need is a couple years of college to qualify for high-paying jobs in Petrochemical.

Manyjobs jobsininPetrochem Petrochempay paymore morethan Many than $50,000 year andrequire only require $50,000 a yearaand only a 2 year a 2 year degree. degree.

When you work in this industry, you may be in charge of keeping a manufacturing plant running smoothly—and the health, safety and environmental impacts low. Or, you might design new ways to use Petrochemicals. You may solve problems in teams with others who like math and science—or enjoy the flexibility of shift work. If you want to improve lives while earning a great living, Petrochemical needs you.

Petrochemical companies care about employees but

it doesn’t stop there. In addition to hiring local workers like you, these companies drive social good by helping their communities.

Examples ExamplesInclude: Include: • ExxonMobil founded the Community College Petrochemical Initiative with a $1.5 million grant. This partnership of 9 Houston-area community colleges promotes the best in hands-on training and degrees to train students for well-paying jobs in Petrochem.

• TPC’s Mark of Excellence Scholarship Program has awarded $640,000 to students every year for the past 10 years.

• Shell partnered with the City of Houston to host the fifth annual Back to School Fest in 2015. They helped provide over 25,000 families with school supplies, immunizations and information about energy careers.

We all want the best possible future for the next generation. Petrochemical companies have that same goal and work every day to care for our environment.

• Dow’s elastomeric coatings create energy-saving white roofs that reflect the sun’s heat and help prevent it from being absorbed into the roof and house, reducing the cost of cooling a home by as much as 20%.

• Shell envisions a world with ZERO carbon emissions and is leading the way in research and development in technologies that will help us achieve this dream. Read all about The Day the Earth’s CO2 Stands Still.

• Lubrizol works hard to do what’s right for our planet - from using recyclable shipping containers to advocating for environmentally responsible legislation and other initiatives. For example, one Lubrizol plant reduced fresh water consumption by more than 71 million gallons from 2012 to 2013, more than a 50% reduction in gallons of water used per pound of product made.

Great pay is only one of the perks of working in Petrochem. An important part of having a great job is continuing education benefits. Petrochemical employers often provide top-notch tuition reimbursement to help you get the degree or certification you need to land that promotion. With billions of dollars in new projects, hiring needs in Petrochem are greater than ever!

Does the standard 9-5 job sound boring to you? Petrochem has many jobs that offer a more flexible schedule. There are so many things that make this industry a great place to work!

Source: petrochemworks.com

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MEP Engineering

Commissioning

Program Management

When you need experience, we have it covered.

Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary professional engineering firm that focuses on MEP Engineering, Commissioning, and Program Management. We act as an extension to our clients, providing total engineering services from project inception to completion. With our deep bench of high skilled and experienced staff and innovative technology Rice & Gardner can plan, lead, and complete projects on time and within budget.

6161 Savoy Drive, Suite 1212 Houston, TX 77036 | 713-482-2300 | www.ricegardner.com Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

42 | June 2017

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San Antonio News

City of San Antonio Launches Air Quality Awareness Campaign

‘Breathe Today.

SA Tomorrow.’ to Encourage Businesses and

Residents to Help Reduce Air Pollution

t

he City of San Antonio recently kicked off its “Breathe Today. SA Tomorrow.” air quality public education campaign to encourage businesses and residents to help reduce air pollution. The campaign includes blogger meet-ups, media outreach, neighborhood events, industry roundtables, social media postings and print and digital advertising.

“Everyone has a role to play regarding our air quality,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Douglas Melnick, “and this is a

message we want people to understand and take action on to help us maintain clean air.”

The air quality awareness campaign, will run through September 2017, in preparation for October’s “non-attainment” or a “smog city” designation given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, that designation would be listed as a marginal rating, the lowest level of federal regulation for ozone (smog) emissions, compared to a moderate or severe nonattainment rating.

“Air quality is a priority for San Antonio because of its impact on our community’s health and economy,” said Melnick. “Regardless of whether we will be designated as non-attainment or not, we want to continue to make improvements with our air quality, so that our residents have clean air to breathe and live in a resilient community.”

In October 2015, the EPA released a more stringent, healthbased air pollution standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) of ground level, ozone emissions. Bexar County’s air quality is currently

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at 73 parts per billion. Ground level ozone is created from emissions from various sources such as industrial facilities, motor vehicle exhaust and gasoline fumes in the presence of sunlight.

“Our goal is to educate the many stakeholders in our 13-county region so that we are prepared to address a higher level of regulatory compliance that would be mandated with such a designation,” said Roger Arriaga, AACOG’s Director of Natural Resources.

Source: www.sanantonio.gov

June 2017 | 43

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In the Subcontractors USA Community...

To View More Photos, Visit Our Website www.subcusa.com and Click on ‘Photo Gallery.’

Industrial Welding Academy

Help Us Shine.

CenterPoint Energy values its diverse suppliers.

Our suppliers include minority-owned and women-owned businesses, as well as small businesses.

We choose diverse suppliers for their capability, safety, innovation, agility and competitive pricing.

In turn, our suppliers create positive economic impact throughout the communities we serve.

Mutually beneficial relationships and forward-thinking approaches offered by quality, diverse suppliers are integral to CenterPoint Energy’s vision to lead the nation in delivering energy, service and value. This is why we welcome and are committed to including diverse suppliers in competitive bid opportunities. Our beacon shines brightly as we guide diverse suppliers to the shores of business opportunity. Learn more at CenterPointEnergy.com/SupplierDiversity.

Over a Century of Trusted Service ©2017 CenterPoint Energy 174168

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Transportation

Transportation

Students and Legislators Show Their Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris Support for the Texas Bullet Train

By Texas Central News

A

group of Texas A&M University and Blinn College students traveled to the House Transportation Committee hearing in Austin recently to express support of the construction of a high-speed rail.

Since early 2015, the Texas Central Railway has been working toward developing the United States’ first high-speed rail which would connect North Texas, the Brazos Valley and Houston. The rail would have the ability to travel up to 200 miles per hour and go from Houston to Dallas in under 90 minutes.

Texas Central has received continued opposition from state representatives, the Texas Southwestern Cattle Association and community members — some of which formed the group Texas Against High-Speed Rail. However, the train also has been supported by some state representatives, community and business groups, who cite benefits of the train, including providing an alternative to the state’s transportation demands and providing billions of dollars in extra tax revenue to counties located along the route.

Those who oppose the rail often cite concerns for property rights, economic, wildlife and county infrastructure, but the group who visited Austin — including four students who gave testimonies in favor of the rail along with Blinn government professor Gil Schorlemmer — said the new form of transportation has many benefits. While the committee held a hearing, it did not vote on any of the bills concerning the high-speed rail.

According to physics student at Blinn College Christian Frias, the rail will not harm the agricultural community.

“High speed rail doesn’t have to mean less for the agricultural sector,” Frias said. “This is evidenced by the testimony of landowners who were met by representatives from Texas Central and were able to come to a mutually beneficial compromise. In fact high speed rail means more for Texas as a whole with a projected $36 billion impact at no cost to tax paying citizens due to the privately funded nature of this project. I repeat no additional cost to taxpayers.”

Urban planning sophomore at A&M Olivia Alvarado said by going through with Texas Central’s plans the area will experience a reduction in traffic which could have long term benefits.

“By giving people the choice of the Texas Central high speed bullet train, it takes away the amount of cars in rural and urban areas,” Alvarado said. “Not only will congestion on roads be reduced but money for road expansions between the two cities can be used to provide better connectivity in other parts of the state. This is makes the taxpayers money go further. Connecting two of the nation’s five fastest growing cities by high speed rail will benefit people at the destinations and along the route.”

According to Texas Central, progress on the train continues, including infrastructure engineering design, development of safety standards, interior design and minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, as part of its land option program — a collaboration with property owners and stakeholders along the potential route of the train — option agreements have been developed in all 10 counties along the train’s route between North Texas and Houston.

Source: Megan Rodriguez The Battalion (www.TheBatt.com)

County News

METRO Gets an "A" for Financial Transparency

A

national consumer advocacy organization and its state affiliate have given the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) an "A" for showing taxpayers how their money is spent. U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) and TexPIRG compared METRO’s financial disclosures against dozens of other districts across the country.

Each year, the group releases a report titled “Following the Money” which tracks states’ progress providing public access to online information regarding spending. This year, the report focused on spending transparency and special districts. Out of the 79 special districts studied across the country METRO received one of the highest scores for its financial transparency.

“I’d like to commend the Port of Houston and the MTA of Harris County for getting high honors in this year’s PIRG report, and leading the way for special purpose districts when it comes to financial transparency,” said Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

"METRO operations and financial reports have been open and accessible to the public for several years now," said Tom Lambert, METRO's president & CEO. "We are extremely proud to be recognized nationally."

Examples of METRO's transparency efforts include streaming board meetings and public hearings on www.ridemetro.org. In addition, METRO offers a single web page that offers a glance at the agency's check register, budgets, financial reports, bond disclosure documents and instructions on filing an open records request.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is the region’s largest public transit provider, offering safe, reliable and affordable transportation services about 370,000 times per day.

Besides operating more than 1,200 buses on a New Bus Network, METRORail's expanded system includes the Red Line (Main Street and Northline), Green Line (East End) and Purple Line (Southeast).

METRO’s services also include: STAR Vanpool, METROLift, HOV/HOT lanes, Bike & Ride program, Park & Ride, and road improvement projects.

Learn more about METRO services at ridemetro. org where you will also find information about their T.R.I.P. app, and METRO's Next Bus Arrival texting as well as their free Mobile TIcketing app.

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