SUBCONTRACTORS USA JOURNAL 56

SUBCONTRACTORS

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TEXAS JOURNAL

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

November 2020 | Advertising for Certified Women, Veteran & Minority-Owned Subcontractors | 56th Edition

Sowells Consulting Engineers

Celebrates 10 Years...And Many More

LEFT TO RIGHT: Shantele Sowells, Director of Construction Operations at Sowells Consulting Engineers - Jerry Sowells, CEO of Sowells Consulting Engineers

16-17

INSIDE

06

Ti Cold Development Announces New State-of-the-Art 303,920-Square-Foot Cold Storage Facility Located in Houston, Texas.

East Hardy Commerce Park Just Got Cooler

28

Kerrick Henny Joins Port Houston Leadership Team

28

DART Brings GoLink On-Demand Service to Irving and Garland

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PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

Keith "MR. D-MARS" Davis, Sr. CERTIFIED:

HMSDC

The Subcontractors US Texas Journal highlights opportunities and news relevant to the construction, energy, architecture, manufacturing, education, engineering, oil and gas, transportation, and IT industries we serve.

We hope you find this issue not only informative, but inspiring and educational as well.

This month's issue highlights Sowells Consulting Engineers, LLC (SCE). This award-winning, minority-owned company is celebrating 10 years of leadership, completion of major projects, client and revenue growth, and its progress opening doors for the underrepresented to have opportunities and advancement in construction and engineering. Developing a core team of professional design engineers, construction managers,

Port of Houston

Metro

BEHIND THE JOURNAL PUBLISHER & CEO Keith J. Davis, Sr. COO & MANAGING EDITOR Kimberly Floyd ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla ART DIRECTOR Angel Rosa PHOTOGRAPHY Grady Carter L.C. Poullard DISTRIBUTION Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Helen Callier Subcontractors USA News Provider

“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits.

They will be embarrassingly large.”

—Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company

City of Houston

and inspectors providing high-quality services, SCE’s experience includes large diameter waterlines, underground utilities, highways, bridges, streets and sidewalks, water and wastewater treatment plants, and public and private facilities. The exceptional quality of service delivered on these projects enables them to develop and maintain deep-rooted client relationships. We congratulate SCE on 10 years, and wish them great success in the years to come!

As always, thank you for your continued support of the Subcontractors US 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.

HISD

06 CONSTRUCTION

06 Ti Cold Development Announces New State-of-theArt 303,920-Square-Foot Cold Storage Facility Located in Houston, Texas. East Hardy Commerce Park Just Got Cooler 08 Could Long-Term Blackouts and Outages Become the New Normal?

12 IT & TECHNOLOGY

12 Combatting Cybersecurity Threats of the COVID-19 Era 14 LEGAL

14 National Recycling Strategy and Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System 14 MANUFACTURING

16-17 Sowells Consulting Engineers: Established in 2010 & Standing Strong for Many Years to Come 20 OIL AND GAS

20 Darren Woods Discusses Future of Industry and Company With Employees 24 PERMITS

24 15 Tips to Follow When Your Project Has been Red Tagged and Shut Down 26 SAFETY

26 OSHA’s COVID-19 Guidance for the Workforce 28 TRANSPORTATION

28 DART Brings GoLink On-Demand Service to Irving and Garland 28 VIA’s Transit Community Council Active and Seeking New Members 28 Kerrick Henny Joins Port Houston Leadership Team

DBE

ADVERTISING | MARKETING MEDIA | COMMUNICATION

16-17 COVER STORY

February Peak In Construction Employment Despite Gains In 32 States Last Month; More Losses Loom Without Loan Renewal

VBE

OUR SERVICES

CONTENTS 04 ARCHITECTURE 04 Only Eight States Top

HUB

GRAPHIC DESIGN • Logos • Flyers • Ads • Folders • Brochures • Door Hangers PRINTING • Business Cards • Flyers • Folders • Pull-up Banners • Step and Repeat Banners • Brochures • Door Hangers • Letterhead • Envelopes PHOTOGRAPHY • Headshots • Event Photography Online & Email Marketing Social Media Advertising

14 Navistar Virtually Breaks Ground on San Antonio Manufacturing Facility, Slated to Begin Vehicle Production Early 2022

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CONSTRUCTION

Only Eight States Top February Peak In Construction Employment Despite Gains In 32 States Last Month; More Losses Loom Without Loan Renewal California and Vermont Post Worst Losses since February as Virginia and South Dakota Add the Most;Illinois and Iowa Have Worst OneMonth Job Losses, While New York and Vermont Post Biggest Gains

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

O

nly eight states and the District of Columbia have recouped the severe pandemic-induced losses of construction jobs that occurred last spring, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials warned that job losses will become even more widespread unless lawmakers promptly renew and expand the loan program that enabled firms to temporarily retain and rehire many workers.

“New spikes in coronavirus cases, along with ongoing pandemic-related costs and revenue losses, are causing ever more private owners, developers, and public agencies to delay and cancel projects,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Although single-family homebuilding is gathering steam, multifamily and nonresidential construction activity has stalled, leaving large numbers of workers at risk of losing their jobs as current projects finish up with nothing on the horizon.”

Seasonally adjusted construction employment in September was lower than in February—the last month before the pandemic forced many contractors to suspend work—in 42 states, Simonson added. California lost the most construction jobs over that span (-54,900 jobs, -6.1 percent), followed by Texas (51,800 jobs, -6.5 percent). Vermont had the largest percentage loss (-24.5 percent, -3,600 jobs), followed by Iowa (-14.6 percent, -11,400 jobs).

Of the eight states added construction jobs from February to September, Virginia added the most (4,300 jobs, 2.1 percent), followed by Utah (3,800 jobs, 3.3 percent).

South Dakota posted the largest percentage gain (9.4 percent, 2,300 jobs), followed by Utah.

Construction employment decreased from August to September in 17 states, increased in 32 states, and was unchanged in Arkansas and D.C. Illinois shed the most construction jobs from August to September (-3,000 jobs or -1.4 percent), followed by Oregon (-2,600 jobs, -2.4 percent) and Iowa (-2,500 jobs, -3.6 percent). Iowa had the largest percentage decrease, followed

by Oregon and New Mexico (-2.0 percent, -1,000 jobs).

New York added the most construction jobs over the month (5,300 jobs, 1.5 percent), followed by Louisiana (5,000 jobs, 4.1 percent) and Washington (4,200 jobs, 2.0 percent). Vermont had the largest percentage gain for the month (500 jobs, 4.7 percent), followed by Louisiana and New Hampshire (800 jobs, 3.0 percent).

Association officials warned that project cancellations are on the rise as new outbreaks of coronavirus across many states force many private owners and public officials to postpone or cancel planned starts. Association officials noted that the rapid adoption of Paycheck Protection Program loans last spring had enabled construction to bounce back quickly from the first round of project shutdowns and delays, and they urged lawmakers in

Source: The Associated General Contractors of America

Washington to act swiftly to extend and expand the program.

“The loans that were issued last spring saved tens of thousands of construction workers from unemployment but those funds are rapidly running out,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “Renewal of the loan program should be a top priority for any policy maker who cares about keeping the economy from backsliding.”

For more on state employment February-September data and rankings; August-September rankings; highs and lows, please visit www.agc.org.

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CONSTRUCTION

Ti Cold Development Announces

New State-of-the-Art 303,920-Square-Foot Cold Storage Facility Located in Houston, Texas. East Hardy Commerce Park Just Got Cooler

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

T

i Cold Development, a nationally recognized leader in the cold chain industry, brings this unique cold storage opportunity to the Houston market.

Upon completion, this facility will boast nearly 304,000 sq. ft. of storage space, over 42,000 pallet positions, a 55-foot-deep refrigerated dock and -10F to 60F, fully convertible refrigerated / frozen space. This facility is immediately available to take advantage of both leasing and build-to-suit opportunities. "We are developing this Houston location to serve the needs of a population that has grown exponentially over the past 10 years and will continue to grow over the next 10 years. To make the statement that the market demand has outpaced the current supply of state-of-the-art cold

storage infrastructure would be an understatement to say the least. Our goal with this project is to help support the need by delivering a sustainable, scalable and customizable cold storage solution," said Rob Adams, Principal at Ti. Strategically situated within the master-planned East Hardy Commerce Park, this infrastructure-invested location affords frontage to the Hardy Toll Road with conveniently situated to I45, Beltway 8 as well as George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Through Ti's experience with advanced engineering, planning, better design, smarter products and new technologies, this facility will not only be innovative, but more efficient and effective in meeting the demands of cold chain users.

About Ti Cold Development: Ti Cold Development is a division of Tippmann Innovation ('Ti'). Known as an award-winning, specialty industrial cold storage builder with decades of experience in designing and building

state-of-the-art facilities across the United States, Ti utilizes time-honed expertise and advanced technology solutions to create efficient buildings that scale with a business and that are designed to maximize profitability through fully integrating operations and supply chain. Ti provides a full suite of cold storage construction services, including master site planning and operations guidance.

Ti's consulting services help companies navigate the unique challenges associated with a rapidly changing cold chain. The Ti consulting team provides unique solutions in providing a sustainable competitive advantage to our clients in keeping them profitable and highly relevant in today's modern cold chain. Ti has offices in Florida and Indiana.

To learn more about this project, please visit www.ticold.com/houston.

Source: Ti Cold Development

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CONSTRUCTION

Could Long-Term Blackouts and Outages Become the New Normal?

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

W

hile you may take electricity for granted in today’s world, you might not in the future -- that is, if current trends continue. As a new report highlights, the U.S. electrical workforce is aging out and not being sufficiently replaced -- a trend which could have potentially devastating and far-reaching impacts nationwide. The report’s authors say that the time to fill the pipeline of new electrical workers and invest in training and retention is now.

The “Dark by 2050” report, available at kleintools.com/darkby2050, was released

by Klein Tools, a family-owned and operated hand tools manufacturer, and The Accelerate Group, a Midwest-based strategic consulting and innovation firm focused on accelerating large civic change initiatives. The report indicates that if current trends and projections continue, by 2050, the U.S. will need an additional 462,183 electricians to meet demands.

However, without this major infusion of qualified electricians into the marketplace, maintenance, repair and construction of critical electrical equipment will severely suffer and cause damaging effects on nearly every facet of everyday life. Between 2030 and 2040, multiday power outages -- and their rippling impacts -- could indeed become the new normal for the majority of U.S. residents, leaving everyone from teachers and students to hospitals and fire departments in the dark for prolonged periods.

“There was a time we all thought the future would be filled with space-age technological advancements,” says Mark Klein, co-president of Klein Tools. “As it stands, instead of having flying cars, the U.S. could one day soon face challenges associated with shortening the duration of power outages and their very serious trickle-down effects.”

Various factors have been linked to the decline of the workforce, including a stigma surrounding blue collar professions, a lack of trade advocacy in high schools and a societal push toward four-year colleges steering young people away from skilled electrical work.

Efforts are being made however to address this growing skills gap. For example, Klein Tools has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as well as vocational-technical organizations across the country in order to help students prepare for a career in electrical and other skilled trades. It is also a founding partner of SkillsUSA’s National Signing Day, an event aimed at recognizing and rewarding students who pledge to pursue skilled trades careers.

In addition, the manufacturer provides discounts for trade schools, and its representatives regularly make guest teaching appearances.

To learn more about these initiatives, visit www.kleintools.com.

“Electrical professionals play a critical role in delivering safe, reliable power to homes, businesses, infrastructure, public services and institutions. What’s more, they are essential to a cleaner future of expanded renewable energy, greener buildings and more electric vehicles,” says Klein. “But unless we see a significant investment in recruiting and training in the field, we won’t have a workforce able to keep up with our nation’s growing electrical needs -- or sustain life as we know it.”

Source: StatePoint

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MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR

As one of the nation’s largest commercial 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 sure the contributions that strengthen the local economy reflect the demographics of the community at large.

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

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Combatting Cybersecurity Threats of the COVID-19 Era

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

N

ew data reveals that in uncertain times, consumers and businesses need even greater vigilance when it comes to their cybersecurity.

The mid-year update to the 2020 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report highlights an opportunistic use of the COVID-19 pandemic by cybercriminals.

“Cybercriminals can be resourceful, often setting traps to take advantage of people’s kindness and panic in uncertain times, as well as their trust in everyday systems,” says Bill Conner, SonicWall president and CEO. “With everyone more remote and mobile than ever before, the cybercriminal industry is very aware that businesses are highly exposed.”

ShiftingThreats Threats Shifting During the first half of 2020, global malware attacks fell from 4.8 billion to 3.2 billion over 2019’s mid-year total, a continuation of a downward trend. However, less malware doesn’t necessarily mean a safer world; ransomware has seen a corresponding jump over the same time period and continues to be the preferred tool for cybercriminals. Increasing a

IT & TECHNOLOGY

staggering 20% globally in the first half of 2020, SonicWall logged 79.9 million ransomware attacks (+109%) in the U.S., a trend that continues to ebb and flow based on the behaviors of agile cybercriminal networks.

COVID-19Email EmailScams Scams COVID-19 The global pandemic plus social-engineered cyberattacks has proven to be an effective mix for cybercriminals utilizing phishing and other email scams. Dating as far back as Feb. 4, SonicWall researchers detected a flurry of increased attacks, scams and exploits specifically based around COVID-19.

This contrasts with phishing as a whole, which was down slightly by the time pandemic phishing attempts began picking up steam.

OfficeLures Luresa aStaple Staple Office Microsoft Office is a necessity for millions working remotely. Cybercriminals were quick to leverage this shift.

Leveraging SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection with patent-pending Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection technology, SonicWall discovered that 22% of Microsoft Office files and 11% of PDF files made up about one-third of

all newly identified malware in 2020. The technology identified a record 120,910 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants during that time -- a 63% increase over the first six months of 2019.

“Cybercriminals are too sophisticated to use known malware variants, so they’re re-imagining malware to defeat security controls, and it’s working,” said Conner.

Non-StandardPorts Ports Non-Standard By sending malware across non-standard ports, assailants can bypass traditional firewall technologies, ensuring increased success for payloads. A ‘non-standard’ port is leveraged by services running on a port other than its default assignment. An average of 23% of attacks took place over non-standard ports -- the highest mark since SonicWall began tracking the vector in 2018.

IoTServes ServesThreats Threats IoT Remote workforces can introduce many new risks, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices like refrigerators, baby cameras and doorbells. A 50% increase in IoT malware attacks mirrors the number of additional devices connected online, as individuals and enterprise alike function from home. Unchecked IoT devices can provide cybercriminals an open door into what may otherwise be a well-secured organization.

As organizations mobilize for their new business normal, they can adapt to new threats in real-time by leveraging the services of security experts such as SonicWall. For more information, visit sonicwall.com.

“This new business normal is no longer new,” says Conner. “As everything goes more remote, mobile and unsecure, organizations must move away from makeshift or traditional security strategies.”

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Source: StatePoint

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LEGAL

National Recycling Strategy and Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System

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T

he draft National Recycling Strategy identifies strategic objectives and actions needed to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system. Recycling has been a critical component of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decades-long efforts to implement the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and its more recent efforts to pursue a Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) approach, which aims to reduce the environmental impacts of materials across their lifecycle. Building on the National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System and EPA’s long history of providing data, tools, information and other resources to support recycling in the United States, the draft strategy identifies strategic objectives and actions needed to create a stronger, more resilient, and costeffective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system.

The U.S. recycling system currently faces a number of challenges, including: confusion about what materials can be recycled, recycling infrastructure that has not kept pace with today’s diverse and changing waste stream, reduced markets for recycled materials, and varying methodologies to measure recycling system performance. The draft strategy identifies actions to address these challenges that build on the collaborative efforts by stakeholders from across the recycling system that began under the National Framework, which are organized under three strategic objectives:

• Reduce contamination in the recycling stream • Increase processing efficiency • Improve markets The National Recycling Strategy, when finalized, will be aligned with and support implementation of the national recycling goals, which EPA intends to announce in November 2020.

Key questions to consider when reviewing and commenting on the draft strategy include: • Of the proposed actions, which are the most important and would have the greatest positive impact at the local, regional and national level?

• What are the key

implementation steps and milestones necessary to successfully implement these actions?

• Is your organization willing to lead an action?

Or collaborate with others to implement the actions? What factors would your organization take into account when considering whether to lead an action?

• What are the most important roles and/or actions for federal agencies to lead?

• Are there other actions that should be included in the strategy?

• Do you have additional information or recommendations to inform the development of the strategy?

For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/americarecycles/ draft-national-recycling-strategyand-executive-summary.

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

MANUFACTURING

Navistar Virtually Breaks Ground

on San Antonio Manufacturing Facility, Slated to Begin Vehicle Production Early 2022

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

N

avistar International Corporation, a leading maker of International® brand commercial trucks, proprietary diesel engines and IC Bus® brand school and commercial buses, recently joined the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF) in a virtual groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate construction of Navistar's new industry-leading manufacturing facility in San Antonio.

Ceremony speakers included Navistar executives Troy A. Clarke, chairman, president and chief executive officer; Persio Lisboa, executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Mark Hernandez, senior vice president, global manufacturing. Texas leaders Governor Greg Abbott; City of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg; Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff; City of San Antonio Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran; San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh; and SAEDF

CEO Jenna Saucedo-Herrera also joined in the celebration.

"This groundbreaking ceremony marks a milestone for us in the development of our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility," said Clarke. "We are excited to become part of the San Antonio community and we're confident this facilit y w i l l reinforce Navistar's gains in the marketplace."

Located near Interstate 35, off U.S. Highway 281 and the frontage road connecting to Mitchell Lake Trailhead, the new 900,000-square-foot plant will have the capacity to produce Class 6-8 vehicles. Vehicle production at the facility is scheduled to begin early

2022, bringing more than 600 jobs to the San Antonio area.

"It's an honor to welcome Navistar into the Lone Star State's thriving community of innovation, technology and economic momentum," said Greg Abbott, governor of Texas.

"The state's p a r t n e rship with a leader in c o m m e rcial vehicle innovation will fuel Texas' C O V ID-19 recovery by providing great job opp or t unities to our diverse and highly skilled manufacturing workforce."

The more than $250 million investment in Texas is a key component to the company's "Navistar 4.0" growth strategy. The location of the San Antonio plant allows

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for significant logistics improvements and a consolidation of the company's supply base. The new facility will also incorporate the latest manufacturing principles – digital factory, connected machinery, robust lean manufacturing processes and cloud analytics – to enable predictive quality and maintenance, and allow data-driven decisions to be made on the shop floor in real time.

"We are excited to launch Manufacturing 4.0 concepts at our new facility, as these advancements will reduce manufacturing complexity and increase quality," said Persio Lisboa, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Navistar.

"Sharing these new industrial advances and Manufacturing 4.0 concepts with our existing plants is an additional benefit we anticipate from our experience with this new facility."

The industry-leading facility will include a general assembly line, body shop, paint shop and logistics center, as well as a truck specialty center, to make aftermarket modifications on-site.

Source: Navistar International Corporation

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Sowells Consulting Engineers

ESTABLISHED IN

& Standing Strong Many Years to Com

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

S

SCE goes beyond serving Houston and the surrounding areas, also being an essential part of the community. When we manage a project, we ensure the quality of the work and that the community is not negatively impacted by the construction.

This community-driven approach to project management is a contributing factor to our 10 years in business.

— Shantele Sowells, Director of Construction Operations at Sowells Consulting Engineers

tatistics show that 20% of small businesses fail within their first year. And when it comes to the construction industry, about 75% of businesses survive their first year, 65% make it through their second year, and about 35% make it through their fifth year. Where some businesses are forced to shut its doors or struggle to survive, there are the businesses that thrive. Sowells Consulting Engineers, LLC (SCE), formerly known as Sowells Construction Management and Inspection, was founded in 2010 and proudly celebrates 10 years. For a decade, this firm has proven itself as a force and strong engineering competitor.

Developing a core team of professional design engineers, construction managers, and inspectors providing high-quality services, SCE’s experience includes large diameter waterlines, underground utilities, highways, bridges, streets and sidewalks, water and wastewater treatment plants, and public and private facilities.

The exceptional quality of service delivered on these projects enables them to develop and maintain deeprooted client relationships.

SCE serves an impressive roster of transportation, water/wastewater, surface water, and private development clients on a variety of

innovative engineering jobs.

SCE’s main purpose is to carry out client plans across various sectors with excellence and practical engineering services. SCE is best-inclass, delivering each time with integrity, an effective strategy, and results-driven approach, exceeding client and partner expectations for a long-lasting and sustainable project.

Consistency has been a key factor in SCE’s longevity, applying their unparalleled application of engineering principles and processes to manage the construction of capital improvement projects. SCE surpasses project planned expectations within budget and aggressive time constraints, minimizing the adverse impacts of construction experienced by the community.

This award-winning, minority-owned company is celebrating 10 years of lead-

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ership, completion of major projects, client and revenue growth, and its progress opening doors for the underrepresented to have opportunities and advancement in this profession.

Established in 2018, Sowells Engineers & Constructors, LLC (a CM@Risk and civil construction

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for me company) was created to take advantage of the incredible amount of opportunities in transportation projects in the region. It also provides cross training for engineering and inspection staff for both companies. SEC is currently participating on completing the reconstruction of SH 288 Project For more about Sowells Consulting Engineers, please visit www.sowells-engr. com

Subcontractors USA Q &A w ith So we lls Co n

2010

s: r e e n i g n E In addition to hard work and being strategic, g what else would you say contributes to your formula for 10 years of success? tl in So yes, while we continue to work hard and carry out strategies effective for completing client projects, we su could not do what we do without our employees. They are our

greatest asset, so we invest in them with trainings and other opportunities for professional development. We help them reach their maximum potential. They appreciate our investment in them to be superior and leaders in construction and engineering to serve our clients. As this industry is ever-changing, we work to stay ahead of the curve through education. And we live our motto, ‘We believe that listening, learning, and leading with love is the heart of engineering.” This mindset we follow when it comes to business has contributed to our success. While we are proud of the growth of our client roster and profits, we are purposeful and have a heart for our work. Our clients appreciate that, and it shows.

What are some valuable lessons learned over the last 10 years?

You can’t be in business for 10 years without some lessons learned along the way.

Overcoming challenges and obstacles, some of the most valuable lessons have been to always put your best foot forward by using your best people, placing them where you know they are passionate, productive, and make a positive impact. Also, promote your success. Promoting achievements is one of the best marketing tools.

Some don’t want to seem like they are bragging, so they don’t talk about their achievements. But we have experienced that when we highlight our wins, For 10 years, that continues to build trust in our brand and business. It’s not being cocky, SCE’s construction but a display of the confidence you have in your work.

What are some awards that SCE has earned for your work in construction and in the community?

We are very grateful and humbled by the recognition. A few recent honors are from the Houston Black Chamber – Pinnacle Award, Subcontractors USA, and the City of Houston.

Talk about how SCE has contributed to opening more doors for diversity in this industry.

The company is not only minority-owned, it is represented on all levels by underrepresented people in the engineering and construction industry. 1/3 of our engineers are also women of color. SCE has provided opportunities for several minority firms based on our prime contracts with the City of Houston, where we have paid out more than $400,000.

We also have mentored several minority-owned start-up companies.

managers have excelled at motivating the project team to collectively ensure that any issue or document requiring approval or response is handled timely and professionally.

We commit ourselves to performing our best at each level and work hard to sustain our reputation of excellence.

We drive in this city on a daily basis, not realizing who is behind the projects we see. Talk about a major project(s) that you have been a part of that we may not realize.

We were excited to participate in the reconstruction of Post Oak Blvd. in the Galleria area, 4th Ward Street reconstruction, and the reconstruction of Hwy 288 between 610 and Beltway 8.

—Jerry Sowells, CEO of Sowells Consulting Engineers

What are the goals you have for SCE moving forward?

The goals for SOWELLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS: • Expand client base throughout the region and state • Expand engineering department and hire more registered engineers • Develop regional presence by opening offices in several cities

Sources: sba.gov pitandquarry.com fundera.com

The goals for SOWELLS ENGINEERS & CONSTRUCTORS: • Grow bonding capacity and equipment • Win over 10 million in transportation work • Win over 5 million in private development work What are some upcoming projects that SCE will be working on?

We will be working on: • CM for several City of Houston large diameter surface water projects • Metro CM on-call projects • Technical advisor for City of Houston surface water projects • CM for several City of Houston paving/drainage projects • CM for 4th Ward Street reconstruction projects

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OIL AND GAS

DARREN WOODS Discusses Future of Industry and Company With Employees contracted when economies shut down.

By Subcontractors USA

• Oil demand dropped about 20 percent – to 78 million barrels per day in April vs 101 million barrels a day in December.

• Global automobile production dropped 60 percent in April versus the previous year, which impacts sales of chemical products and lubricants.

• Commercial airplane flights were down 70 percent during the same time period, dramatically reducing sales of aviation fuel.

News Provider

Darren Woods, ExxonMobil’s Chairman and CEO, conducted an Employee Forum recently and discussed the current state of the oil and gas industry, how the company is managing through this unprecedented Resilienceininresponse response period, and the company’s future.

Resilience As a follow-up to the Forum, the following All of this economic loss only intensified the worry, email summarizing his remarks was stress and pain many of you faced with the health of loved ones threatened by Covid. Despite this, the women delivered to all ExxonMobil employees.

A

message from Darren Woods – Employee Forum:

As you may know, today we held an employee forum at our campus in Houston.

Unfortunately, the pandemic limited the number of people who could attend and, given the time differences of our businesses around the world, I thought it might be useful to summarize the key points for you to read at your convenience.

A recording of the forum is available on EMformation and will be on Inside ExxonMobil shortly.

In the presentation, I discussed the current state of our industry, how we are managing through this difficult period, where we are heading as a company, and finally how I remain incredibly optimistic about our future, despite these challenging times.

Strategyreconnect reconnect Strategy We started by looking at the changes we made over the past few years to the functional businesses that were formed at the time of the Exxon and Mobil merger to get the best of both companies. That structure served us well, but to compete in the current marketplace we needed an end-to-end view of the business, greater customer understanding, and more rapid translation of competitive advantages to wins.

So, as you know, we initiated strategies for each of our businesses focused on improving competitiveness and growing total shareholder returns. These strategies defined how we would increase competitive focus, drive efficiencies and effectiveness, and improve earnings power and cash-flow generation. We reorganized the Downstream and Upstream along value chains, created the Global Projects organization, updated the leadership framework, revitalized our performance assessment process and developed an industry-leading investment portfolio.

We were making good progress on executing our strategy when the pandemic hit.

Demanddestruction destruction Demand It’s difficult to overstate the devastating impact of the pandemic on businesses big and small, in every community and country around the world. The impact has been especially severe on our industry as energy consumption

and men of ExxonMobil rose to the challenges of the pandemic by taking care of themselves and their families, helping their communities and delivering on business objectives.

We made contributions to those in need of our products – from sanitizers, to specialty medical materials, to fuel for first responders. But what sometimes gets less attention are the heroic efforts and sacrifices our people made to keep our businesses running and initiatives on track.

We kept operations going around the world 24/7.

That required working and living at refineries and chemical plants, on offshore platforms or in fabrication yards, with added Covid safeguards beyond our extensive safety protocols. It meant months at work, quarantined and isolated from families.

Office workers were impacted too. You worked long hours from home – many of you without space or privacy. You completed critical work to keep businesses running and financial books accurate, balancing the needs of work with evolving personal challenges.

The business response was equally resilient and aided by the reorganizations of the Upstream and Downstream, increased visibility across markets and coordination along value chains. That led to quicker and more informed decisions regarding production volumes, refining and chemical operations, and other key parts of our business that just wouldn’t have been possible previously.

operating results, which is a testament to your commitment and dedication.

We are delivering record safety and environmental performance across the organization and are on track to significantly beat targets to reduce methane emissions and flaring. Facility reliability has improved despite operating in very dynamic conditions and managing different operating circumstances.

And crucially important, we are exceeding the targeted reductions in spending that we committed to in March, deferring more than $10 billion in capital and cutting 15 percent of cash operating expenses.

You all should take pride in this. I am extremely proud of what you have accomplished. Thank you – for your hard work, your personal sacrifices, and for demonstrating the characteristics that make this company great.

For the entire message, please visit corporateexxonmobil.com.

Strong Strong performance performance Despite the unprecedented demand destruction -- and with all the distractions you faced -- this year you have delivered excellent

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Source: ExxonMobil

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15

PERMITS

Tips to Follow When Your Project Has been Red Tagged and Shut Down

By Helen Callier Contributing Writer

H

ave you ever been red tagged on a project? It happens and seeing a red tag posted on your construction project can be disheartening and it becomes worse when your project is shut down because of failure to pull a building permit.

Failing to pull a building permit for whatever reason is costly to you as the contractor and to your customer. It is also unprofessional, unethical and in direct violation of jurisdiction codes and ordinances.

Our team has received a lot of phone calls through our toll free line from contractors and project owners in dire straits requesting assistance after having their job sites red tagged and shut down by a city inspector for not having a permit. We hear all kinds of comments about being red tagged, such as the following: • Do we need a permit for this type of work and is there anything you can do to get around meeting these codes?

• Our plans are wrong and the architect did not make changes as requested.

• We are cash-strapped and cannot afford the

building permit fees now.

• The contractor we used did not pull a permit and our roof is messed up and the building is half-finished. What do we need to do to resolve this?

The bottom line is that most construction projects within a city’s jurisdiction will require a building permit of some magnitude and while you may be able to submit plans to the city as-is, if they are not designed to code, your plans will be rejected.

Also, not having the money to pay permit fees is your problem, as the jurisdiction is focused on safety and not your money woes. If work provided was poor quality and does not meet code then you will need to bring work up to code to obtain necessary approval during inspection, but before that can happen, you need to pull a permit.

To assist those that have been red tagged and shut down, we have listed 15 tips to assist contractors in getting a permit after being red tagged and shut down.

1. Do not toss or ignore red tag 2. Review violations and comments on red tag 3. Alert project owner 4. Contact inspector or code enforcement to acknowledge receipt

5. Ask questions for clarification, steps to follow and timeline 6. Contact your architect, if needed, to request assistance with plans 7. Contact a plan reviewer to cover any areas of the project where there are concerns 8. Prepare plans with pre-requisite documents 9. Submit to jurisdictions following their permitting checklist 10. Track status online and check for any rejections or RFI’s 11. Respond quickly to jurisdiction comments and resubmit 12. Pay for permit 13. Post on job site 14. Alert project owner of permit obtained and posted.

15. Resume work

InInConclusion Conclusion The city code enforcement or inspector will continue to drop by your site until your project has been submitted to city permitting. That is the ball game and so the sooner you submit your plans for permitting, the quicker you can be on the path to righting the ship of your project with a permit. If you have any tips to share from your experience of being shut down, I’d love to hear from you.

Connect with me on Linkedin or 1.844.PERMIT.4

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#BuildSafe

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SAFETY

OSHA’s COVID-19 Guidance for the Workforce

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

O

SHA is committed to protecting the health and safety of America’s workers and workplaces during these unprecedented times. The agency continues to issue a series of industry-specific alerts designed to keep workers safe.

COVID-19Guidance Guidancefor forFood FoodTruck TruckWorkers: Workers: COVID-19 The following steps can help reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus among food truck workers: gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants• Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick. coronavirus-covid-19) or that are labeled as • Encourage workers to wear face coverings over effective against the coronavirus. their nose and mouth to prevent spread of • Encourage workers to report any safety the virus. and health concerns.

• Maintain at least six feet between co-workers and customers, where possible.

COVID-19 COVID-19 Guidance Guidance for for the the Manufacturing Manufacturing • Use gloves to avoid direct hand contact Industry Workforce: Industry Workforce: with food items.

• Establish designated pick-up zones for If you are in the manufacturing industry, customers and encourage physical spacing the following tips can help reduce the risk of while waiting in line. exposure to the coronavirus: • Use “no-touch” delivery and payment options, • Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick. if possible.

• Establish flexible work hours • Emphasize effective hand hygiene including (e.g., staggered shifts), if feasible. washing hands with soap and water for at • Practice sensible social distancing and maintain least 20 seconds or use of an alcohol-based six feet between co-workers, where possible. hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• For work activities where social distancing • Regularly clean and disinfect all touchpads, is a challenge, consider limiting the duration of countertops, and seating areas with these activities and/or implementing innovative Environmental Protection Agency-approved approaches, such as temporarily moving or cleaning chemicals from List N (https://www.epa. repositioning workstations to create more

distance or installing barriers (e.g., plexiglass shields) between workstations.

• Monitor public health communications about COVID-19 recommendations for the workplace and ensure that workers have access to and understand that information.

• Train workers on how to properly put on, use/ wear, take-off, and maintain protective clothing and equipment.

• Allow workers to wear masks over their nose and mouth to prevent spread of the virus.

• Encourage respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes.

• Discourage workers from using other workers’ tools and equipment.

• Use Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals from List N (https://www. epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-ndisinfectants-coronavirus-covid-19) or that have label claims against the coronavirus.

• Promote personal hygiene. If workers do not have access to soap and water for handwashing, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol. Provide disinfectants and disposable towels workers can use to clean work surfaces.

• Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov/coronavirus or call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

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Source: OSHA

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TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

DART Brings GoLink

Kerrick Henny On-Demand Service to Irving and Garland Joins Port Houston Leadership Team

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

D

allas Area Rapid Transit (DART) brings GoLink, the personalized, curb-to-curb service that serves riders on-demand in zones across North Texas, beginning last month, to Southeast Garland and South Irving.

The on-demand service is already available in Farmers Branch, Far North Plano, Glenn Heights, Inland Port, Kleberg and Rylie, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, Legacy West, North Central Plano/Chase Oaks, North Dallas, Park Cities, Rowlett and Western Carrollton.

In the South Irving zone, the service operates out of Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station so that GoLink riders can connect to other DART services.

Meanwhile, in the Southeast Garland zone, the service operates out of Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center. GoLink

service will be offered Monday through Friday, except on holidays that include Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. All GoLink trips require a booking. No walk-ons are allowed. Riders can book and pay for trips either with the GoPass® app or by calling 214-515-7272. The free app is available from the App Store and Google Play. Phone reservations must be made in advance, but only same-day trips are accepted. Phone reservations can be made MondayFriday, starting at 4:30 a.m.

Riders should purchase their fare using a contactless payment method - credit, debit or GoPass® Tap card - either in the GoPass app or over the phone. Cash fares, paper passes and vouchers are not accepted.

To learn more about GoLink, visit DART.org/GoLink or call 214-515-7272.

Source: Dallas Area Rapid Transit

TRANSPORTATION

VIA’s Transit Community Council Active and Seeking New Members

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

T

he VIA Transit Community Council (VTCC), a volunteer advisory group for the region’s mobility provider, has been deployed to transit centers across San Antonio with information and resources for VIA customers and the community.

The organized effort includes outings to various transit hubs and digital discussions via livestreamed events on various local platforms— all designed to engage VIA riders in conversations about the Keep SA Moving Plan to connect more people to jobs and economic opportunities.

The Council was created in 2017 to serve as transit ambassadors and liaisons who provide community feedback on a variety of topics, including planning, potential growth, and community outreach. Members act in an advisory capacity to the VIA Board and engage with the public-at-large, the business community, and local civic organizations and stakeholders.

“VIA Transit Community Council members are helping to strengthen our connection to the public we serve, by having conversations, sharing information, and gathering feedback that we use to improve the customer experience,” VIA President/ CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said.

The group’s 16 active members were selected through an application and nomination process. It’s Chair, Dax

Moreno, and Vice Chair, Adrianna Addicks, were appointed by the VIA Board of Trustees. Moreno is Chief Talent Officer at Tech Bloc, a local technology nonprofit. Addicks works for the Zayo Group, a multinational telecommunications corporation.

“When asked to serve as Chair for the VTCC, I recognized it as an opportunity to take part in a transformative moment for San Antonio and for VIA—to help affect meaningful, positive change for all the members of our communities,” Moreno said. “VTCC members are having daily conversations about the future of transit and VIA’s plan to provide smart, optimized transportation choices for all San Antonians.”

VTCC members represent diverse industries and interests, including civic organizations, business and economic development, technology and innovation, and the hospitality and tourism industry. Membership includes frequent riders, entrepreneurs, Armed Forces members, and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 694 that represents VIA drivers, mechanics, and maintenance workers.

Since March 2020, Community Council meetings have been held virtually to discuss issues affecting transit users, VIA initiatives, and council activity. Meeting agendas and links to join the public meetings are available on the VIA Meetings page at https://www.viainfo.net/ board-meetings/.

“The VTCC represents VIA’s com-

mitment to keep the community engaged and informed, to seeking out and including diverse voices, and being open to new ideas and perspectives,” said Akeem Brown, VIA Board Secretary and Board Liaison to the VTCC. “The work done by VTCC members is vital to VIA’s mission and the success of our transit system.”

New applications are being accepted for VTCC membership. The Committee’s areas of focus include: • Proactively communicate the purpose, role and community impact of VIA/ATD • Assess and build respect and credibility of VIA/ATD in the community as an essential and effective public utility • Serve as enthusiastic transit ambassadors to strengthen lines of communication with the community at-large and provide feedback to the President/CEO and VIA/ATD board on opportunities and issues of concern • Identify and advocate for opportunities to partner and leverage resources for shared vision projects

Named Chief Government and Public Relations Officer

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

P

ort Houston’s Executive Director, Roger Guenther, has officially announced the appointment of Kerrick Henny as the new Chief Government & Public Relations Officer. In this newly-created role, Henny reports directly to the Executive Director. Henny has responsibility for all government relations, media, and public communications strategies and activities.

In the announcement, Guenther emphasized Henny’s 30-year career and highlighted his strong record of collaboration and work with a broad range of stakeholders.

“It is exciting to have Kerrick join the leadership team,” said Guenther. “He brings a long career and understanding of the economic contributions the Port of Houston makes to the region, the state, and the country.”

Henny began his extensive policy and business experience working for Texas state legislators and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He continued his career at AT&T, Inc., rising to the rank of Sr. Vice President External Affairs in his 22-year career there, successfully handling complex matters and issues on behalf of the global telecommunications and technology giant.

Henny joins Port Houston, leaving Texas Star Alliance, one of the nation’s leading lobbying firms, where he served as Principal and part of the senior leadership team since 2018.

A lifelong Houstonian and a graduate of the University of Houston, Henny has close ties to the Port.

“I am honored to join Port Houston and work with the team to achieve its goals,” said Henny. “This opportunity is very personal to me, since my father spent over 35 years working as a Longshoreman along the Houston Ship Channel. I have fond memories of many people who worked very hard to support the various businesses that rely on the Port of Houston.”

Henny has served the community in leadership on multiple boards. Notably, he is the longest serving Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Government Relations Advisory Committee. The Texas Black Caucus named him Outstanding Texan of the Year, Houston Friends of Friends Network recognized Henny as Positive Male Role Model of the Year, and he is also a graduate of Leadership Houston and Center for Houston’s Future.

Henny and his wife, Adrienne, have been married for more than 23 years, and they have a son, Kristopher.

For more information, please visit www.porthouston.com

You can learn more about the VTCC and apply to become a member at VIAinfo.net/VTCC. Applications will be accepted through December 2, 2020.

Source: VIA Metropolitan Transit

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