SA May 03 - Construction News

Transcription

CONSTRUCTION
™
The Industry’s Newspaper
www.constructionnews.net
P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio TX 78279  11931 Warfield San Antonio TX 78216  (210) 308-5800  May 2003  Volume 6, Number 5
Prayers are answered for
convent’s future residents
E
ducated in the parochial school system
through the eighth
grade, Joe Cusack and Mickey Corrigan, Concord Construction, were delighted
when they were awarded the
bid on a very special project.
Located on land within
the original 35-mile radius
platted as San Antonio de
Bexar, the general contractors are building an Assisted
Living Convent Residence
for the Mercedarian Sisters
of the Blessed Sacrament.
The consecrated women are
financing the $1,000,000
project from funds they have
been saving for over fifty
years, and from donations
from people who appreciate
their contribution to the religious community.
In their current situaFront L-R: Sister Guadalupe, Sister Helen and Sister Susana.
tion, the Mercedarian Sisters Back L-R: Joe Cusack, Jose Calzada, AIA, and Mickey Corrigan.
reside in and conduct school
in a series of residential homes, on land
room,
an
that was bequeathed to them in 1954. living/dining/multi-use
exercise/physical
therapy
room,
and
adToday, the houses are in various states of
disrepair, often costing more to maintain ministrative offices. The chapel features
three clerestory stained glass windows,
than they are worth.
The new convent is adjacent to the forming a triad around the sanctuary.
“The Mercedarian Sisters have a
Sister’s existing dwellings, located on
world-wide
mission, and when their
property they own. Nestled in one of the
members
retire
they will come here to
oldest downtown neighborhoods, the 1enjoy
their
remaining
years,” explained
story, 10-000-sq. ft. assisted-living resiJose
Calzada,
AIA,
Architectura
SA. “Evdence includes 13 bedrooms, an adoration chapel, a kitchen, a library/study, a
continued on Page 31
One-Stop-Shop
a welcomed city asset
O
n Thurs., April 10th, the 75,000 - by Metropolitan Contracting Co. and
sf Development and Business designed by RVK Architects. As exServices Center, 1901 S. Alamo pected, Director of Development SerSt., was formally dedicated. After nearly vices Florencio Pena III was at ground
one-quarter century of waiting, dream- zero, answering people’s questions in
ing and hoping for a one-stop-shop to two languages and directing customstreamline the permitting processes, a ers to the appropriate service destinahuge sigh of relief is being breathed by tions. He said there are still a few
glitches to work out.
the city’s construction industry.
Gone are the days of paying for
hard-to-find parking and shuffling from
one floor to another at the
Municipal Plaza. Open to the
public on Mon., April 14th,
more than a dozen city workers, representing City Public
Service, San Antonio Water
Systems, BexarMet Water District, the Fire Marshal, Texas
Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and the City Economic
Development Department,
manned the lobby area to
help businessmen and women with their permits and services.
In addition to construction services, the Development and Business Services
Center provides business
start-up information, business planning, assumed name
certificates,
small-business
loans, and certification of minority and/or women-owned
business enterprises.
San Antonio Construction
News visited the spacious
The City of San Antonio’s first design/build project.
Center, which was constructed
Lyda Builders constructs Watermark Hotel & Spa
T
aking pride in its reputation as a quality general
contracting firm, Lyda Builders continually demonstrates its ability to construct difficult projects
within prescribed deadlines and budgets. With that in
mind, Lyda embraced the challenge of transforming the
historic downtown building known as the “L. Frank
Saddlery/Karotkins Building”, circa 1900, into the fivestar, nine-story Watermark Hotel and Spa, owned by La
Mansion Development Company.
Begun in mid June of 2002, the Watermark Hotel &
Spa will feature a restaurant at its river level entrance.
The hotel lobby is accessed from Crockett St., the fullservice spa is located on the second floor, 99 guest
rooms complete the five upper floors and are crowned
with a cafe, pool and fitness center at the roof level. The
hotel features a concrete frame, with brick and EIFS exterior. Indoors, a vintage ambiance is influenced with
fine millwork, limestone accents, an ornamental staircase, wood flooring, and decorative mouldings.
Because the existing century-old building could
not accommodate the number of rooms, additional
floors, upscale facilities and amenities that would result
in a five-star hotel, the project scope involves restoration, considerable demolition, and new construction.
Located at 212 W. Crockett, right next door to the
old Aztec Theater, the project entails selected preservation of the original four-story north and south-facing
exterior brick façades, at the direction of the San Anto-
This Month in Focus
General Contracting
P.O. Box 791290
San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290
Change Service Requested
nio Historical Design and Review Commission. Because
of the techniques used in the original construction, it
was necessary to brace the walls before any demolition
activities began.
San Antonio Construction News spoke with project
manager Cliff Pawelek, who discussed the project, including a very public obstacle that his construction
team faced, met and overcame.
“In order to preserve the integrity of the existing
north and south walls, horizontal, vertical, and 45-degree angle bracing was engineered and installed,” Cliff
began. “The demolition did not proceed until after the
bracing was in place.”
The demolition contractor’s process included removing the roof and working their way down towards
the basement. With the demolition complete, the site
was excavated to sub-grade, the piers were drilled, the
beams placed, and the river level slab was poured and
installed. The street level elevated slab had been poured
and the construction team was forming up the Spa level
when the existing façade collapsed on the morning of
Wed., Dec. 4th.
Project superintendent Gary Mitchell was on the
jobsite that fateful morning. He said he, Steve Cameron
and two other employees were standing across the
street determining exterior color samples to be placed
PRSRT. STD.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN ANTONIO, TX
PERMIT #4043
Page 2 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio Construction News • May 2003
HOLT CAT modifications in
SA, Austin & D/FW
ICM buys FieldWorks location
A
I
n direct response to its customer’s
needs, Caterpillar® dealer HOLT CAT
is modifying its rental operations in
Texas.
The San Antonio-based heavy
equipment dealer is moving its standalone San Antonio equipment rental location (Loop 410 S at Sinclair Rd.) back to
the company’s headquarters and full service facility (W.W. White and Southcross).
“When we entered the rental business in 1996, we believed that we needed
separate organization and facilities for
the rentals services business. After over
five years in the business, we believe we
can serve our customers better by incorporating the rental services business as a
department under our machine division,”
explains HOLT CAT’s Joe Carreon. “In
some cases that strategy may lead to
moving rental services operations back
to the local full-service store. In others,
where traffic patterns and customers
needs dictate, we may add services to
what was a stand alone rental facility.”
HOLT CAT is physically establishing
the rental department within the main
San Antonio facility, complete with
equipment rentals, repair, parts service,
and counter staff. Customers will pick up
and return their rented equipment and
machinery there. The new plan should be
seamless to the customer.
“All of the phone and fax numbers
for the former stand alone equipment
rental location have been transferred to
the South W. W. White store,” Joe added.
“The only thing that’s changing is moving the store a mile away.”
In Austin, the HOLT CAT full-service
facility is on the south side of the city, and
HOLT CAT Rental is in Pflugerville, far
north of the city. Traffic congestion and
road construction throughout the Austin
area has led HOLT’s management to develop plans to further refine its Pflugerville operation.
What HOLT will do is stock more
equipment parts at the Pflugerville location to serve those customers, reducing
the need for them to fight the traffic.
In the spring of 2002, HOLT CAT expanded its operations into Dallas and Ft.
Worth when it acquired the Darr Equipment Co. operations. HOLT’s Dallas/Fort
Worth business includes two dealership
stores and two separate rental facilities.
“The same rationale that applied to
San Antonio is being implemented in Ft.
Worth,” Joe added. “The N. Freeway
rental store will be merged into the Ft.
Worth full-service store operations on N.
Jim Wright Fwy. However, following our
new model in Austin, the rental store on
Plano Rd. in north Dallas will maintain its
operations while offering more parts for
the general equipment line.”
HOLT CAT’s management identified
a need to better serve its customers, and
as president/COO Allyn L. Archer commented, “We will continue to have a
strong focus on the rental business. All of
our rental sales representatives will continue to call on their customers and we
expect this realignment to increase HOLT
CAT’s ability to respond to and serve our
customer’s needs.”
The equipment dealer plans to implement the changes effective May 1st.
Formerly known as Holt Rental Services,
the newly-organized rental department
will be called HOLT CAT Rental.
“Simplifying our name recognition
leads to less confusion,” Joe clarified.
LET
FREEDOM
RING
rkansas-based construction laser
and trench safety dealer Improved
Construction Methods, Inc.,
known as ICM, recently acquired three
retail locations in Texas. ICM was founded
in 1970 by president Bruce McFadden,
and now fields 30 sales representatives
throughout the mid-South. The new
Texas operations, called ICM Survey Systems, are the result of a buy-out.
ICM purchased the Dallas, San Antonio and Corpus Christi retail stores from
FieldWorks, which is returning the focus
of its attention to the Midwest.
Construction News spoke with Bruce
about his company’s expansion.
“When we started out over 30 years
ago, our focus was to field a sales force in
pickup trucks visiting job sites, calling on
the contractors and the municipalities.
Over the years, we evolved more and
more into surveying equipment. Today,
contractors are more often than not doing
their own construction staking. Acquiring
FieldWorks looked like a good fit.”
ICM Survey Systems will offer surveying products and instrumentation from a
variety of manufacturers. It will bring
more lines to the table, along with strong
customer support.
During his career, Bruce said he never waited for the customer to come to
him.
“We have developed a culture of customer contact, which will carry over to
our Texas operations. Our outside sales
force will be augmented by the retail operations.”
Branch manager Randy Hurt, and
operations manager Theresa Hurt, are
spearheading activities at the Dallas
store. Branch manager Rick Trevino, and
operations manager Dawnn Ingram, are
running the San Antonio operations.
San Antonio’s ICM staff.
Front row L-R: Branch manager Rick Trevino, Eric, Hal, George and Steve (ICM Austin).
Back row L-R: Marcus, Larry, Dawnn (op’s mgr.); Ronnie (ICM Dallas) and Brice.
Architects kick-off Fiesta
with spice
I
n what is one of the most unique office
spaces in San Antonio, Lopez Salas
Architects, Inc. saluted and kicked-off
the Fiesta season with a party of its own
on Thurs., April 17th. Celebrating the
four-year-old firm’s 3rd Annual Fiesta
Open House, from 5 to 8:30 pm, partners Robert A. “Rocky” Lopez, AIA
and Ignacio Salas-Humara, AIA, and
their six employees welcomed about 150
guests to their eclectic digs in the vintage, 650,000-sf Friederich Air Conditioning Building on Commerce St.
Rocky and Ignacio’s 2,000-sf portion
of the greater complex, which is destined
for office, residential and retail development, borders an open-sky industrial
courtyard. Arriving guests first served
themselves to icy beverages from inside
a shiny galvanized cattle trough. Inside
the remodeled Lopez-Salas offices,
guests enjoyed catered delicacies prepared and served by folks from the
Picante Grill.
“We actually moved to this location
last July,” reported staff interior designer
Kathy Willming, “and this is the first opportunity we’ve had to invite our vendors
and consultants over for an Open
House.”
As Rocky and Ignacio mingled with
their arriving guests, they took a moment
to tell San Antonio Construction News how
they came to be partners.
“Rocky and I have worked together
professionally for a long time, although
we have only been business partners for
one year,” Ignacio began. “We were introduced to each other at the offices of another architect, only to discover we are
both originally from Cuba.”
Rocky added that their respective
families had fled Cuba to escape communism at almost the same time.
“It’s a common bond that sealed our
friendship instantly,” Ignacio said, chuckling at the memory of Rocky shouting
across a room yelping, ‘Another Cuban!’
“We joke about being the minority within
the minority in this city.”
Construction Law
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Dane Patrick has been licensed since 1987 to practice law in all state courts in Texas. He is also
admitted to practice in the Western and Northern Federal District courts.
Not Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Happy Fiesta from Lopez Salas Architects!
San Antonio Construction News • May 2003–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 3
Painting contractor supports
new initiative
PUTZ AROUND TOWN
JC Putz . . . not here,
Well, it’s finally happened. The Boss, our publisher, has finally, totally lost
his mind. May 1st brings not one, but two new additions to the Construction News
family –– Dallas/Ft. Worth Construction News and Houston Construction News.
I couldn’t get any information ‘outta him, so I’m heading west to check it out
for myself! (editor’s note: west?)
The “Not Wanted” Deck of Cards
J
O
K
E
R
J
O
K
E
R
JC PUTZ
ON VACATION
AGAIN
Deck of Cards
Fishing Pole
Bait
Map
JC Putz
$ 2.00
$20.00
$ 5.00
$ 1.50
worthless
CONSTRUCTION
Publisher:
Art/Graphics Dir.
Editor/Writer:
Production/Graphics:
Sales Representative
Administration:
Roaming Reporter:
Buddy Doebbler
Reesa Doebbler
Jane Day Loter
Sue Johnson
Donna Easton
Kevin Hughes
JC Putz
San Antonio Construction News
P.O. Box 791290
San Antonio, Texas 78279
(210) 308-5800 Fax (210) 308-5960
© 2003 Construction News, Ltd.
If you are a construction-related company in
Bexar or one of the 7 surrounding counties
and are not receiving a free copy of the
San Antonio Construction News, please let us
know by contacting our office for a
Request Form, or visit our website.
The San Antonio Construction News is
published monthly by Construction News
LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News,
and distributed by mail to constructionrelated companies of record in Bexar and 7
surrounding counties. Additional distribution
is provided at 92 material supplier locations
serving the construction industry.
All submissions should be mailed to our
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edit any materials submitted. No fees for
materials, copy or photographs submitted
will be due unless agreed upon in advance in
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discretion on a space available basis.
Construction News, Ltd. will not be liable
for errors in copy or in advertisements
beyond the actual cost of space occupied by
the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject
any advertisement at any time.
Subscriptions for additional copies
are available for $20.00 per year.
(210) 308-5800
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A
new initiative in the painting industry called Painting Contractors Education Partnership is
gaining momentum across the country.
Its intention is to build an educational
program designed to infuse more professionalism into the painting industry on a
national basis.
San Antonio Construction News spoke
with local painting contractor Ed Travis,
III, L.E. Travis & Sons, Inc., who said the
organization’s goal is to enhance the level of professionalism among painting
contractors.
“Under development for about two
years, this is a long-range program that is
just beginning,” Ed explained. “We’re rolling out the first four modules of the educational program within the next two
months, and these will be test-marketed
in four pilots geographically dispersed
around the country.”
The Painting Contractors Education
Partnership is a training program for the
businessperson who happens to work in
the painting industry, and is available to
any painting contractor in North America. Divided into two aspects, “The Business of Business” and “The Business of
Painting,” the program incorporates
management issues with the technical
aspects one needs to know to be a
qualified painting contractor.
Chemical and paint manufacturers,
as well as painting industry associations,
are contributing monetary and in-kind
services to the Painting Contractors Education Partnership. Major national
players include: Sherwin Williams, ICI,
Kelly-Moore, Benjamin Moore, Coronado Paint, Paint Quality Institute of
Rohm and Haas, Eastman Co., Painting and Decorating Contractors of
Ed Travis, III, L.E. Travis & Sons, Inc
America, Finan Publishing Co., The
Flood Co., and others.
As a national past president of the
Painting and Decorating Contractors of
America, Ed said he’s very excited about
unveiling the program.
“This partnership remains in its infancy as we initiate the pilot program,
and won’t be available to painting contractors in the local marketplace just yet.
However, when it’s up and running, I’m
confident the partnership will meet our
expectations. We have hired former
painting contractor Rick Palmer, of Amarillo, as our full-time executive director.”
Although its Website is still under
development, those interested may contact Palmer at the Painting Contractors
Education Partnership office directly by
calling toll free, 1-866-803-7237 (PCEP).
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MIKE & MARK CRAWFORD
P.O BOX 791324 SAN ANTONIO, TX 78279-1324
Architects WOW Fiesta
parade watchers
Guido presented
“Best Public Space” award
A
Michael Bass (R) finalizes the construction of the
dome pieces with architect Jim Heck (L).
L
ocally owned Fisher Heck Architects
recently helped complete the renovation and restoration of San Antonio’s historic San Fernando Cathedral.
To commemorate its completion,
principals Lewis S. Fisher, AIA and
James C. Heck, AIA conceived an idea to
salute the multi-million dollar project by
commissioning Michael Bass, owner of
Ace Foam Designs, to create a foam replica of the Cathedral’s Spanish Colonial
dome.
The hollow foam dome is constructed in eight individual arched panels with
square chunks on the bottom (think octagon). Stabilized with a center post, the
completed product is 8-ft. tall and 10-ft.
Metal Studs
Drywall

in diameter. Michael practiced this design when he constructed a solid foam,
5,000-lb. dome replica for the movie set
where The Alamo is being filmed.
The Fiesta-style salute to the restored San Fernando Cathedral all came
together on Sat., April 26th at the King
William Fair. Seventeen of the Fisher Heck
architects and staff marched in the parade with individual pieces of the dome.
At the pre-rehearsed sound of a whistle
the Fisher Heck team quickly aligned the
eight pieces to create the dome, while
they each remained unseen inside the
dome. This clever execution was a favorite crowd pleaser and exacted Ooooh’s
and Ahhhh’s from the parade goers.
WALLS
ACROSS
GSABA/CPS present
Spring Tour of Homes
Acoustical
Insulation
TEX AS
“Since The 1900’s”
BOB LYNCH
long - anticip ate d
downtown
improvement project
has reached completion
and when the Downtown
Alliance
handed
out
awards in April, 75-yearold Guido Brothers Construction Company made
the list. The Downtown Alliance is a national organization committed to the
growth, development and
preservation of downtown
cities.
Accepting one of the
“Downtown’s Best” awards
for the Presa Street Linkage Project, named “Best
Public Space,” Tom Guido,
president of Guido Brothers Construction Co. said,
“Our city planners have
great vision and these
continued improvements
to the downtown area
only serve to make San
Antonio a better place for
Guido’s award-winning Presa Street Linkage Project.
its citizens and visitors to
enjoy. I know this has been
difficult for many of the downtown busi“In the early 1970’s, when I joined
ness owners, but the benefits of en- the company, I had a renewed appreciahanced accessibility and aesthetics will tion for the beautiful architecture that
be enjoyed by everyone.”
surrounds us,” Tom commented. “I also
Typical of remodeling and adaptive inherited a strong sense of preserving
reuse projects, the construction team the past from my father, Cosmo and
encountered its share of unforeseen sit- grandfather, Louis.”
uations. Tom credited city architects,
Another award presented by the
Tim Palomera and George Trevino, Downtown Alliance included: “Best Ecoand project architects, Mike Beaty and nomic Development Project,” to LakeTerry Palmer, Beaty and Associates, Flato Architects, for the Houston St.
for their hands-on involvement in re- Master Plan.
solving numerous issues.
9018 TESORO  SUITE 101
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78217
(210) 826-4123  FAX (210) 826-5801
C
ity Public Service, together
with the Greater San Antonio
Builders Association, present
the 2003 Spring Tour of Homes during three weekends in May (3- 4; 10 11; and17-18). The citywide, one of–a-kind event opens the doors to
a number of homes in every price
range throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Key Communities participating
in the 2003 Spring Tour of Homes
include: Bentley Manor; Briggs
Ranch; Canyons at Stone Oak; Fossil
Ridge; Fossil Springs Ranch; George
Ranch; Heights at Stone Oak; Mission Del Largo; Mystic Shores; River
Crossing; Rogers Ranch; Roseheart;
Spring View; Stage Run; and Valentine Ranch.
From these Key Communities,
guests will pick up their official
Spring Tour tabloid. The tabloid will
be divided into the various quadrants of the metropolis and neighboring regions. Guests will be able
to determine which subdivisions
they wish to visit, based on their
preference of location and price
range. The Spring Tour of Homes
will permit guests the ability to tour
various sites at no charge, at their
leisure. Homes will be manned from
the hours of 10 am to 7 pm. Guests
who visit a minimum of ten homes
will be eligible to win an Extended
Cab Silverado, compliments of the
San Antonio Express News.
Not all homes will be located in
Key Communities; builders have the
option to present their homes inde pendently to the public, even if that
subdivision is not participating in
the event. The homes participating
may not all be complete.
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Rosenberg Indoor Comfort
launched
M
ichael D. Rosenberg grew up
listening to his parents talk
about their family-owned HVAC
business 24-hours-a-day. He worked for
his parents, off-and-on throughout high
school and college, as a warehouseman
and general ‘go-fer’.
Within one week of graduating from
the University of Texas at Austin in 1994
with a degree in business management,
Mike joined his parents’ company. Several years later, the company was sold to a
consolidator and his dad, Lee Rosenberg, P.E., and mother, Betsy, retired.
Moving forward, Mike obtained his
Class A air conditioning and refrigeration
license and founded Rosenberg Indoor
Comfort, LLC in mid-March of this year.
The young president named his father
and mentor chairman of the board and
resident engineer. Mike currently has a
staff of 13 employees.
“We are a new business, but we have
over 200 years of combined experience
between the key people in the company,”
Mike offered. “Our company specializes
in taking care of the most difficult type of
HVAC problems.”
Working within the residential and
commercial sectors, Mike said his company targets new and retrofit installations, design/build and HVAC systems
engineering, full service, and preventive
maintenance.
“Our customers include general contractors, building owners, property managers and homeowners,” Mike added.
asked Mike where he would like to see
his company in five years. He said he’d
like to employ a staff of 30 personnel.
“I want to grow at a pace that enables us to be profitable, not necessarily
the biggest. There’s plenty of work out
there for all of the local HVAC contractors. Rosenberg Indoor Comfort wants to
be able to offer people good, quality service, with professionalism and integrity.”
Mike spoke of his working relationship with his father, Lee.
“I’ve learned a heck of a lot from my
Dad. He’s been doing this successfully
throughout his career and we have a
great relationship. We each have our independent areas of the business; he does
his thing, I do mine, and we get together
and help each other. What I like about this
industry is that every day is different!”
Stand Up and
Cheer . . .
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Is Finally Here!
TEXANA
M
A
C
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I
N
E
R
Y
SAN ANTONIO
AUSTIN
(512) 272-8922 (800) 615-3804 (210) 333-8000 (800) 483-9262
SALES • RENTALS • PARTS • SERVICE
www.texanamachinery.com
L-R: The Rosenberg Indoor Comfort team includes Vice President Dave Stewart,
President Mike Rosenberg and Vice President Tom Hull.
AMCON’s customers enjoy
lunch and prizes
M
any valued
customers
arrived
at
AMCON
Controls,
Inc. on Thurs., April
10th, from 11:30 am
to 1 pm, for a delicious catered lunch,
courtesy of Bill Miller’s, and a chance to
win door prizes.
Twice a year the
staff at AMCON hosts
a customer appreciation lunch, providing
an opportunity for
sponsoring vendors
Interstate Batteries helped sponsor Counter Day
at AMCON Controls, Inc.
to display and discuss
their products. At this
luncheon, representatives from
Interstate Batteries, Johnson
Controls and Hoffman Enclosures were on hand.
News spoke with AMCON Controls
president, Bob Barnebey, who
said his 17-year old company is a
temperature controls wholesaler.
“Our customers include controls contractors, engineers, mechanical contractors, building
owners, facility managers and
end-users. Today’s event is what
we call a Counter Day, and the
buffet line forms at the counter.
This is not a real busy time of year
for our customers, so we thought
we’d get a good turnout, and we
did!”
It’s the quick and the hungry!
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Ferguson Trade Show Day
draws multitudes
SAHA develops
affordable
NW-side
housing
W
ith the promise of free food,
games, prizes and a chance to
win a Polaris ATV or a set of Callaway Golf Clubs, hundreds visited the
Ferguson Trade Show Day on Wed., April
2nd, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Held at its Burwood Lane location,
the Ferguson Enterprises team welcomed about 800 plumbing contractors, mechanical contractors, architects, designers, homebuilders, sub -
the sky.
Back on the ground, over 40 wellknown vendors staged their tabletop
displays with products and information.
A huge tent sheltered numerous dining
tables, and as the attendees arrived they
enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch catered
by Catfish Haven, Fredericksburg, TX.
Danny Stuckart, president and general manager of Ferguson EnterprisesSan Antonio, and Diane Stuckart, operations manager for the
company, spoke with
San Antonio Construction News. Danny said
the trade show is an
event the company
hosts nationwide at all
of its facilities during
the spring months.
“We help sponsor the
Richard Petty racecar,
and they delivered it to
our show so our guests
could see it up close. To
support our marines,
sailors, soldiers and airmen in the Gulf, we invited the South Texas
L-R: The DeWalt Power Tool Team of Mark Schrader, James
Blood and Tissue Center
Nagy, Valerie Hinojosa, and Mark Newton.
bus to be here and we’re
encouraging our guests
contractors, engineers, decorators,
school district officials, representatives to donate blood.”
Thought of in general terms as a
from the City of San Antonio and friends,
plumbing
supply company, Ferguson Enas they discovered the newest products
terprises carries product lines for an exfrom their favorite vendors.
Alamo Crane Service supported pansive population of customers.
“Our company is very committed to
the event by providing a crane to fly Old
Glory high above the teaming crowd. A tool and safety equipment,” Danny said,
strong southerly breeze may have been a “and it’s become an important compohindrance for over forty vendors, but its nent of our business. We carry plumbing
force caused the symbol of our nation’s supplies, tools, appliances, fixtures, mefreedom to unfurl dramatically across chanical products and more.”
T
Matt Freund, P.E., Comfort Air Engineering,
discusses Weatherguard products.
He added that at some point in the
future the company intends to enter the
HV/AC business.
“One of the reasons why we wanted
to have the emphasis today on the nontraditional products is to acquaint our
customers with the lines they don’t normally associate with Ferguson,” Diane
mentioned. “People know we sell sinks,
faucets and whirlpools, and the Trade
Show Day gives them an opportunity to
see what else we sell.”
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he San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) and its development
partners celebrated the Grand
Opening of Legacy at Science Park, a
new, 120-unit affordable housing development for seniors 55 years of age
and older.
Located on the city’s Northwest
Side, the development was funded
through a tax credit allocation from
the Texas Department of Housing &
Community Affairs, with additional
funding support and services from its
development partner, CGB Southwest, Inc., and Carleton Residential
Properties, Nationwide Affordable
Housing Fund IV, Red Capital Group
and Fannie Mae.
Legacy at Science Park is a mixedincome development with 50 percent
of the units set aside for residents with
incomes less than 60 percent of the
area median income (AMI); 25 percent
set aside for residents earning 50 percent of AMI, and the remaining 25
percent of the units set aside for market-rate residents.
The development consists of 30
buildings, containing four units each
(fourplexes), with a total of 110 onebedroom units and 10 two-bedroom
units. These units contain 632 and 890
square feet of living space, respectively. Each unit features ceiling fans,
washer/dryer connections, and individual water heaters, and standard
kitchen appliances.
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CONCRETE CONTRACTORS LTD
Commercial • Residential • MultiFamily
Ronnie Urbanczyk, President • Steven Valerio, Vice President
Estimators Tom Fulks • Robert Cruz • Rick Fulks • Chris Boyd
Professional Engineer, Mike Zezula
“Building a strong foundation in San Antonio and South Texas”
Business Office
24114 Blanco Road
210 • 490 • 0090 Fax 210 • 490 • 1505 800 • 884 • 6675
Austin Field Office
3206 Highway 183 South Austin, Texas 78744
800 • 884 • 6675
See our ad at CONCRETE CONTRACTORS in
your SBC Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages and at
www.SMARTpages.com
Globetrotters get glimpse of
construction careers
I
n collaboration between Associated
Builders and Contractors South Texas Chapter, Tradesmen International, and TDIndustries, 15 Randolph Air
Force Base High School seniors were given a glimpse of the career opportunities
available to them in construction.
On April 10th, their day began at
Tradesmen International, an ABC associate member-company specializing in
business services, employment leasings
and construction personnel placement.
While there, TI’s Santos Gomez and Jeff
Trcka conducted interviews with each
student to determine their interest in
particular areas of the construction industry. Afterwards, each youngster was
issued a hardhat and instructed in its use
and importance, reminding them that
wearing personal protective equipment
is a basic jobsite requirement.
Moving right along, the group was
transported to an active jobsite at the intersection of Loop 410 and IH-10, where
Rich Smock, Eric Ricks and Jim Jones,
TD Industries, escorted them on a tour.
Among the highlights emphasized on
the tour were the specialized mechanical
components included in a medical facility, and their functions in the different areas of the hospital. As Jim explained,
“Strong math skills, an ability to handle
changing situations, and an interest in
working with a variety of people are
among the valuable characteristics the
construction industry is looking for in
young people.”
Obviously excited about being on
the jobsite, the youths impressed their
tour guides by asking great questions
and remaining attentive.
“We could have spent two days with
this group of kids,” Rich added, “but we
were limited to one hour. They were
wide-eyed, curious and responsive, and
we had a good time.”
ABC’s education director Pauline
Valentine understands that the military
lifestyle these students have experienced
with their families has prepared them for
a positive future.
“Most of these students have been
to Europe, the Far East, and some to
South America,” Pauline noted. “They
have a level of maturity that sets them
apart. The Associate of Applied Science
in Construction Management, from St.
Philips College, is appealing to several of
them, and I’m making sure they understand that upon completion of a fouryear craft apprenticeship with ABC-South
Texas, an individual is given experiential
credit (32 hours) and they are well on
their way to their Associates degree.”
Their teachers, Janice Alderman
and Debbie Casey, accompanied the
Randolph A.F.B. students on the construction tour.
Owners practice on
construction team, et al
L-R: Barrett Brannam, Rex Hamlin and Roger Shipp.
F
or three days prior to its formal
opening to the public, the owners
of a new casual eatery at The Forum practiced cooking for 8,000 other
people. The three-day complimentary
food fest not only gave the high-energy
Red Robin team an opportunity to hone
their serving skills, but it gave the cooking staff a chance to heat up the kitchen.
Fast-track restaurant specialist RH
Construction recently completed the
family-oriented Red Robin, America’s
Gourmet Burgers & Spirits. The general
contracting firm’s president, Rex Hamlin, and project manager, Doyle Dancer, told San Antonio Construction News
the greatest challenge involved rain
delays.
“We had a 98-day schedule, and 47
rain days,” Rex emphasized. “We had
our plaster subcontractor out here with
tents over the top of the scaffolding. It
was tough, but we managed to keep
the schedule all the way. We had a great
subcontracting team!”
Owners Barrett Brannam, Roger
Shipp and Augustine Zurita invited
members of the construction team, architects, engineers, vendors, business
neighbors, city dignitaries, officials, and
friends to the complimentary dining experience.
“Of the five contractors invited to
bid on the project,” Barrett said, “four of
which build for Red Robin nationally, we
selected RH Construction. Local architect, Charles Pope & Associates, is the
architect of record. We like to do business locally when we can. The painters
bent over backwards to make us happy,
and the electricians and plumbers were
a great group of guys. We had a very
positive experience with RH Construction. They outperformed the norm and
exceeded our expectations!”
The Red Robin subcontracting team
included: Arahed Plastering; Certified
Electric; O’Haver Plumbing; J.E. Travis
Painting; TD Moravits (concrete); OB
Services (parking lot); and Ventilation
Systems Inc. (HVAC).
R.A.F.B. students tour jobsite courtesy of ABC and TDIndustries.
New home for Pella Products
T
he
Johnny
Flume family
and all the employees of Pella
Products of South
Texas celebrated another step in company growth on Friday,
April 4. The occasion
was the groundbreaking of the company’s new corporate
headquarters
and
showroom.
Located on BlanOwners and staff break ground.
co Road, just south of
Loop 410, the facility
will give the company much needed tomers . . . tear out, install and paint. A
space and allow them to expand into total turnkey project.”
The 15,000 sf facility, which will be
the retail market. Pella Products has
been at its present location on Summit completed in September, was designed by Guy Burnet, Guy Burnett
for over 20 years.
“We have the exclusive franchise for Architects and is being constructed by
retail
Pella windows in South Texas with of- the Fetzer Companies. The
fices here, Austin and Corpus Christi,” portion of the building was designed
said Flume. “This building, with the re- like an old corner store with features
tail showroom, will allow us to capture a borrowed from earlier times.
Mr. Flume says that after this locaretail market. We will have an installation department and painting depart- tion is open in September they will be
ment and call it Windows Made Easy. looking to a new location for the Austin
We do the entire package for our cus- operation.
342-5518
203 E. Rhapsody San Antonio, Tx 78216
MACHINE TOOLS & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES
106 West Rhapsody
San Antonio, Tx 78216
• Abrasives & Scotchbrite
• Cutting Tools
• Gloves
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• Brushes
• Electric & Pneumatic Tools
• Masking Tape
• Safety Eyewear
• Particle Masks
• Grinding & Cutoff Wheels
HABLAMOS ESPANOL
(210) 342-9588 Fax (210) 340-5634
Toll Free (866) 342-9588
Call or Come by For Our Free Catalog
Serving Greater South Texas Since 1947
They ate, they played,
they ate again!
A
O
ver 100 members and
guests of the San Antonio Chapter of Associated General Contractors
gathered for a pre-tournament
lunch as they worked up
strength for the 2003 AGC PAC
Golf Tournament at the Silverhorn Golf Club of Texas, on
Mon., Mar. 31st. They were met
at the registration desk by a
bevy of beautiful volunteers.
With temperatures in the
mid-70’s and a sky full of sunshine, the players couldn’t
blame Mother Nature for any
errant shots.
News spoke with tournament
coordinator Rene Garcia, Zachry Construction. He said the
proceeds of the tournament
would help fund political activities of the AGC Texas Building
Branch.
“A lot of that money comes
back to the San Antonio area,”
Rene noted, “so, it’s all for a
good cause! We have a lot of local subcontractors joining us
today, as well as owners, architects and engineers.”
Rene acknowledged the
many chapter members who
donated nice prizes, sponsored
holes, and otherwise stepped
up to the plate. Dinner and an
awards ceremony followed the
afternoon golfing event.
L-R: Joe, with Silverhorn; Don Watson, Nathan
Alterman Electric; Jim Iliff, Inland Container; and
Mark Haynie, MCC Construction Construction.
L-R: David Munoz, Air Star Heating & AC; Rusty Rivet,
United Tool & Fasteners; and
Richard Frank, Engineering Safety Consultants.
Tournament results:
1st Place:
Shane Davis, Jeff Dallenbach,
John Franklin, Bill Simpson.
2nd Place:
John Wright, Buddy Theis,
Dana Colonge, Tim Reininger.
3rd Place:
Arun Verma, Ryan Wilson,
Manish Verma, Pat Kemmy.
Last Place:
Edgar Garcia, Louis Torres,
Miguel Ferrer, Jerry Cavazos.
Closest to the Pin:
Sam Galindo.
Longest Drive:
Rick Rhodes.
Contractor trains competition
to improve industry
L-R: Mark Baublit, Stephen Walter, Michelle Seward,
and Helen Keaton, Joeris General Contractors; Wesley
Johnson, Bexar Electric; and Gault Robinson, Joeris.
n experienced decorative concrete
contractor, Wes Vollmer took his
talent to another level when he
started Alternative Finishes in 1999. In
addition to his specialization in stained
concrete, stamped concrete, faux finishes
and decorative painting, Wes has a successful consulting business.
“As a consultant,” Wes explained, “I
teach concrete contractors across the
country the business of stained concrete.
We do a job together, the right way, from
start to finish. I also do some troubleshooting for builders and contractors
who are in need of my services.”
To stay on top of the information
highway, Wes attends the World of Concrete convention every year, to remain
abreast of new staining and stamping
techniques or innovative developments
in equipment.
“This year I found a bona fide dustless vacuum, which comes in handy
when you’re working in someone’s
home,” Wes added. “There were a lot of
new colors of stains this year, which
opens up more possibilities to the end
user who doesn’t want to use earth
tones. The expanded color palette offers
a new realm of decorative and artistic
possibilities.”
During the 1990’s, Wes worked with
many high-end builders and commercial
contractors on applications involving
Chateau Cool Stone, a man-made product that realistically simulates rock.
“Unfortunately, the California-based
manufacturer pulled out of the Texas
market,” he continued. “Since then,
Jean-Paul Larriberot, the originator of
the formula and technique, approached
me with an opportunity to study with
him. When my hands-on training is complete, I’ll offer the original formula with
the credibility of having been trained in
the correct application of the product.
Knowing my products, how they work,
sets me apart from the competition.”
In a niche industry that is more and
more in demand, the young entrepre-
neur is taking his vocation one step further. In May, Wes will teach his first concrete staining class. San Antonio Construction News asked Wes why he is willing to
teach his competitors his trade secrets?
“I’m not worried about the competition,” Wes emphasized. “They can all be
just as good as me, but not better, because my heart is in what I do. This is an
art, and I want to improve the basic standard of the industry overall. If the school
is successful, I can help develop a set of
professional standards for all decorative
concrete contractors.”
Looking forward, Wes plans to target
the local architectural community, acquaint them with the basics of what to
look for so they’ll easily recognize the difference between superior results and
less-than-quality results.
“My philosophy is simple,” Wes concluded. “If it’s not right, I’ll make it right. I
say that to every customer when I give
them an estimate or measure their job. In
this business, preparation and customer
service are the keys to success. I hold my
installers to a very high standard, and we
don’t take shortcuts. If you start with a
good concept and you’re honest and fair,
you can make money.”
Toyota rail bill finalized
and signed
L-R: David Dahse, SMI; Ryan Kessler, Browning
Construction; Andre Belland, SMI; and
T.J. Rogers, Browning Construction.
O
n Fri., April 11th, Gov. Rick Perry
signed legislation, authored by
Sen. Frank Madla, D-San Antonio, which will finance construction of a
second rail line to the site of the future
Toyota Motor Corp. manufacturing plant
in south San Antonio. Funded with $15
million from the Texas Department of
Economic Development’s Smart Jobs
Fund, SB-15 allows the second rail line to
be constructed, tying the site to the nearest Burlington Northern connection.
In addition to an existing Union
Pacific terminal, Toyota wants a second
rail line at the site to provide competition and help reduce freight costs.
Toyota announced in February that it
would build its next truck assembly plant
in San Antonio, adding $2.4 billion to the
Texas economy during the next decade.
During a ceremony in San Antonio
celebrating the bill’s signing, Gov. Perry
said, “We pledged to Toyota we would
make the cost of doing business affordable, and today we are delivering on
that promise.”
The Bexar County Rural Rail Transportation District has been created to
handle the project, which is expected to
take 18 months to complete. Of the $20
million rail project cost, about $5 million
will be financed through revenue bonds.
Scheduled to begin production of
Tundra pickup trucks in 2006, Toyota is
expected to employ 2,000 people, generate a $100 million annual payroll, and is
projected to create an additional 5,300
spin-off jobs. Construction of the $800
million plant is set to begin in 2004.
JJ C
CH
H
15080 Tradesmen Drive
210-492-5501
Fax 210-492-0031
800-850-9275
CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Specializing In
Backhoe • Rocksawing • Trenching
“We Can Dig It”
(210) 651-5612
305 IH35 North
Fax: (210) 651-5451
Selma, Texas
SpawGlass/OSHA/ABC
take a walk-about
S
pawGlass Contractors, Inc. is the
first member-contractor from the
Associated Builders and Contractors South Texas Chapter to participate
in CLAS (Construction Leaders Agreement for Safety) Partnership, an ABC/
OSHA Partnership Program. On Fri., April
11th, representatives from OSHA, ABC
and SpawGlass participated in a Verification Walk-thru at the Valero Corporate
Expansion jobsite.
The partnership is recognized by
OSHA as one of the best construction
partnerships in the country, and can
transform the relationship between
OSHA and an employer, or even an entire industry. Former adversaries recognize that working together to solve
workplace safety and health problems is
to everyone’s advantage and can be
much less costly than stiff penalties for
violations and rising workers’ compensation premiums.
A Partnership can benefit workers by
reducing risk of injury, illness, or death on
the job; by increasing practical safety
and health knowledge and skills; by providing an opportunity to work cooperatively with OSHA and stakeholders; and
by enhancing employee morale and
quality of work life.
A Partnership can benefit employers by involving stakeholders in the
process of identifying and solving problems relating to workplace safety and
health; by providing employers with an
opportunity to learn how to systematically manage safety and health at their
worksites; by reducing workers’ compensation insurance and other costs of
injuries and illnesses; by increasing productivity, enhancing employee morale,
reducing absenteeism; by improving
the company’s relationship with OSHA;
and through outreach activities, by providing opportunities to help other businesses, the employer’s industry, and the
community.
Beethoven welcomes
Chase and Constructors, Inc.
V
ice president of Constructors, Inc.,
Mark Wohlfarth has attended
events at the historic Beethoven
Haus und Garten since his boyhood.
Those joyful memories prompted him to
reserve the Pareida Street facility, owned
by The Beethoven Society, for a Customer Appreciation Party to honor the
upcoming completion of Westover II, a
Chase Bank Credit Card Division project.
Joining Mark for the Fri., April 4th
outdoor party was Constructors, Inc.
Chairman and company founder, Senan
Fitzmartin, President Bob Albanese
and COO Curt Sund. The guest of honor
was Houston-based Ed Bowerman,
Vice President of corporate real estate
for Chase. Additional guest of honors
representing Chase San Antonio were
Mark Ansman and Barry Preusch, both
Vice President’s of Logistics Planning
and Support.
The 152,000-sf, 3-story, tiltwall
panel Westover II project is a mirror image of Westover I, which was erected
during the first phase of construction.
L-R: Jack Mulligan, SpawGlass; Ted Dunham, Engineering Safety Consultants; John Coleman,
Zee Medical; Carol Wiatrek, ABC; Dana Goodman, ABC; Lyndol Miller, OSHA; and John
Devaney, SpawGlass.
The Westover I and II provide a campus
environment for Chase’s credit card operations, bringing 2,300 new jobs to San
Antonio.
“The term Team Chase was coined
early in the project,” Mark explained. “We
were given our Notice to Proceed in June
2002, then proceeded to have 30 straight
days of rain, which had a devastating impact on the critical path. But, we all overcame that dilemma through a team effort involving our subcontractors, Boka
Powell, CCRD, Chase, WorkPlace USA
and Constructors.”
Surrounded by the art and influences
of German heritage, guests enjoyed the
ambiance of an open-air garden party,
an open bar and succulent buffet temptations catered by Papacito’s Restaurant.
Founded in 1867, The Beethoven Society’s members comprise the Mannerchor, Damenchor, Kinderchor, Concert
Band, Dance Band and Folkdanzvereign.
“I used to come here all the time
when my dad was a board member,” Mark
recalled. “It’s a great place for a party!”
The Constructors, Inc. team
Morrison Supply promotes two to top spots
O
ver twenty years of experience in manage ment and sales have prepared Darin W.
Mueller for the position he now holds at Morrison Supply Company. Recently named San Antonio
Branch Manager, Darin joined the plumbing supplier
three years ago as an outside sales representative.
“The Branch Manager spot was vacated by
George Orsak , who has assumed the title of South
Texas Sales Manager. He will continue to handle
some of our main accounts,” Darin noted.
After working hard to establish and nurture
many accounts and relationships himself, Darin said
the aspect he’ll miss most about not being in the
field is the one - on- one contact with customers.
“I look forward to planning and implementing
strategy, and making sure our employees are happy
and have a good working environment. When customers see smiling faces on our family of 42 employees, they know it will be fun to do business with us.”
The Bourbon St. and jazz-themed showroom at
Morrison Supply continues to play a key role for the
company. By maintaining an image of quality and
luxury, Darin said the showroom has helped the Morrison team attract a robust clientele.
“The residential construction and remodeling
markets are strong now, and I personally anticipate
the trend to continue,” Darin said. “Commercial work
is also coming back, and it’s nice when both of the
markets are clicking, so to speak. Generally, one or
the other will pull you through if you maintain your
business, pay attention to the market, and that’s
something I do consistently.”
An evolving company, Morrison Supply is positioned to tap new markets.
“We won’t sit back and sell plumbing supplies in
the traditional way,” Darin concluded. “We will continue to develop relationships with our customers,
and we want to be known as the company in town
that’s easy to do business with.”
Darin Mueller named branch manager at Morrison Supply.
Page 10 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio Construction News • May 2003
Duderstadt Stake Co. hosts BBQ
L-R: Henry Kuehlem, 1st VP Texas Society
of Professional Surveyors; Bill and Peggy
Duderstadt; and Paul Ross, president of the
Alamo Chapter of TSPS.
Rusty (far left), with SECO, demonstrates
the merits of a calibrated monopod.
COMPANY
first met Sherry Christofilis, Hotchkiss Insurance Agency, Inc., in the
winter of 1995, while attending and reporting on the Legislative Rally Day at the
Texas State Capitol in Austin. The one-day
event provides an annual forum for Texas’
homebuilders to discuss issues of concern
with their respective legislators.
Sherry, I learned, had just moved
from Houston to San Antonio with her
homebuilder husband and infant daughter to open up a satellite office for her
firm. The young division manager was a
graduate of the University of Houston
with a BA in Business, and a headstrong
desire to succeed.
“My focus was directed to the memberships of local homebuilders associations in San Antonio, New Braunfels,
Boerne, and Seguin,” Sherry explained,
“because our firm specializes in the construction industry. We have a homebuilder program that no other agents had at
the time. Over the years I have developed
accounts with about 200 homebuilders.”
As well, Sherry writes a substantial
amount of insurance for subcontractors
and vendors, which originated as referrals from her builder clientele. With her
business growing steadily, Sherry
reached a turning point.
“I have a staff of 40 personnel in Houston who help me service accounts, process
paperwork and conduct marketing. However, my business has grown to a point
where I need a formal office, staffed locally.”
In May, the city girl will officially open
her country office in beautiful downtown
Boerne. Her staff of four employees will
assist her in developing marketing strategies and servicing client accounts.
“My goals include adding producers,
or licensed selling agents, to my staff,”
Sherry added. “Our program for builders
includes builder’s risk, general liability,
workers comp and auto. However, in addition to those commercial coverages,
my business offers personal coverage to
include homeowners, auto and health.
I’ve grown too much to be a one-woman
act any longer.”
Now a partner and shareholder in
the firm, Sherry said her interest in the
insurance industry developed during
her youth.
“My mother has a successful insurance agency in Houston, so I literally
grew up in the business. After working
for some larger agencies, she opened
her own office in 1980. I started working
for Mom before I even graduated from
high school, and continued working
there part-time during college.”
Specializing in different aspects of
the residential construction industry,
Sherry and her husband Damon,
Burdick and Christofilis, Ltd., share the
language of construction and a love for
the hill country area. Looking forward,
Sherry wants her agency to be known as
a one-stop shop.
“Our advantage is in providing all of
the insurance services a client may need,
and our high-tech capabilities will propel
us toward greater productivity. I’m excited
and eager to see what the future brings!”
SAST receives award
for excellence
L-R: Steve Gonzales, CDS/Muery Services;
Pete Hernandez, SIA Engineers;
Bryce Schisler, Maverick Land Survey;
Richard Alcoser and Robert Evers,
SIA Engineering.
where he would conduct a personal
survey of each tee box, fairway and
green at St. Andrews.
210-734-5394
SUPPLY
By Jane Day Loter
I
I
n spite of the traffic congestion
on Loop 410, about 250 construction surveyors and engineers
gathered at Aggie Park on Wed.,
April 9th, from 3:30 to 8:30 pm, for
the Duderstadt Stake Co.’s Annual
BBQ and Product Show.
As the kitchen staff prepared a
delicious bar-b - que buffet with
side dishes, the Aggie hall filled
with hungry hardhats and thirsty
party crews. Snogas BBQ, a favorite
among Duderstadt’s vendors, catered the meal.
spoke with owner/president Bill
Duderstadt, who said the event is
an opportunity to let his customers
know their business is appreciated.
“We also have various manufacturers reps, including Topcon and
Nikon, who have set up display tables to demonstrate their survey instruments, accessories and supplies
for the benefit of our guests.”
Bill worked for the U.S. Army
ordnance department during WWII,
where he gained considerable experience in the study of optics.
“I was in the fire control division, the eyes, the ears and the
sights for the big guns. I trained in
the optical schools at Bausch &
Lomb, Eastman Kodak in New York,
and Aberdeen Proving Grounds in
Maryland. When I left the Army, I
had good skills, which I never
thought I’d be able to use outside of
the military. I soon realized, knowing how to repair surveying and
engineering instruments fit in well
with the post-war growth of San
Antonio and the country.”
Bill said he’s confident the stake
production business will remain
solvent in spite of the high-tech
advances in the survey industry.
“Regardless of how the measurements are made, they still have
to lay the jobs out, and they’ve got
to have something to lay them out
with. Road and highway jobs use
lots of wooden stakes, and until
they go to plastic stakes, we’ll stay
in business.”
overheard surveyor Henry Kue hlem, 1st Vice President of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors, tell a colleague that he was
taking his wife to Scotland soon,
Build a business, they will come
1606 N. Colorado
San Antonio, Texas
WALK BEHIND POWER TROWELS
& 46" diameters
• 36"
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T
he Surety Information Office (SIO)
has named the Surety Association of South Texas recipient of
the 2002 Silver Award for Excellence in
Surety Bond Promotion for its yearlong
dedication to education and outreach.
“The outstanding outreach efforts
of the Surety Association of South Texas
in 2002 make it especially deserving of
recognition for its dedication to promoting the surety industry through
presentations to public owners and
contractors,” said Marla McIntyre, executive director of the Surety Information Office.
Surety Association of South Texas
members gave numerous educational
presentations to the Texas Department
of Transportation. Members also presented the benefits of surety bonds to
the Department of Defense and attendees of the Bexar County Small/
Minority and Women-Owned Businesses Conference.
Individual members of the association were recognized for their efforts.
They include: Tom Hewitt, Guaranty
Insurance Services, Inc.; Bill Dawley,
HCDT Insurance Agency; Paul Poettgen, HCDT Insurance Agency; Edgar
Garcia, Langley & Banack Inc.; Rick
Miller, CNA Surety; Bob Cave, SureTec;
Tony Ridout, Ridout, Barrett & Co.,
P.C.; and Steven Buffkin, Time Insurance Co.
The Silver Award for Excellence in
Surety Bond Promotion, sponsored by
the Surety Information Office, was presented April 16, 2003 at the National
Association of Surety Bond Producers
Annual Meeting in Palm Springs, CA
and also will be presented at The
Surety Association of America Annual
Meeting in Chicago, IL on May 15,
2003.
Surety bonding is a careful, rigorous, and professional process in which
surety companies and surety bond
producers pre-qualify contractors to
assure project owners that these contractors are capable of performing the
contract and paying certain laborers,
subcontractors, and suppliers.
Brick, Block
& Masonry Supplies
Residential & Commercial
210-493-2612
Converse Block Plant: 210-658-4631
Sales Office:
16121 College Oak Dr.
San Antonio Construction News • May 2003––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 11
Eastco Enterprises joins
international network
Therapy Garden opened with
ribbon cutting ceremony
an
Antonio-based
Eastco Enterprises,
Inc., a general contracting firm founded in
1976, recently joined Disaster Kleenup International,
Inc., an international network of insurance restoration companies. For over
one-quarter of a century
Eastco Enterprises has
served the insurance industry in San Antonio and surrounding counties by providing remediation and restoration service on both
residential and commercial
Craig Eastman, president of Eastco Enterprises, Inc.
property losses.
“We are delighted to welcome Eastco firms like ours will allow us to expand our
Enterprises into the rapidly growing DKI scope of service, introduce us to new
network,” said Dale Sailer, president of markets and ensure our success long into
DKI. “Their commitment to quick re- the future.”
sponse, superior workmanship and outThe staff of Eastco Enterprises also
standing customer service reaffirms DKI’s provides the insurance and construction
position in the marketplace, and we look industries with state-certified educationforward to a long and rewarding associa- al seminars in the areas of loss prevention,
tion with Eastco.”
water extraction, mold identification and
As a new DKI member, Eastco can remediation, and fire and water damage
utilize DKI’s 24-hour call center and its remediation, to name a few.
GCASTM claims tracking technology to
Designated a preferred contractor
enhance service to insurance and corpo- on numerous insurance company dirate customers. Eastco’s staff is also eli- rect repair programs in the San Anto gible to participate in training seminars nio and South Texas region, with acand workshops, ensuring they remain ceptance of Eastco into the DKI netabreast of changes and trends in the work, the San Antonio general conrapidly evolving restoration industry.
tracting firm can now provide service
“DKI has always stood for excellence to its clients outside the area, extendin our industry and we are pleased to ing across the U.S.
have met their standards for membership,” said Craig Eastman, president of
Eastco Enterprises. “The opportunity to
work in partnership with other quality
or months, volunteer
members of the Associated General Contractors
(AGC) have donated their time
and labor to a very worthy
cause. The fruits of their labors
were realized on Friday, April
18th, at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Alamo Children’s
Advocacy Center’s new Therapy Garden. The Center’s mission is to restore dignity, trust
and hope to children traumatized by sexual abuse.
The selfless efforts of the
Rene Garcia, Zachry Construction Corp., received a
volunteers have resulted in a
plaque from Mark Carmona and Bill Huber, Huber
peaceful and beautiful enviContracting, the general contractor on the project.
ronment for the children and
their families.
In the outdoor setting, children now Construction; Sunstate Equipment;
have the opportunity to safely express Texana Machinery; Texas Waste Systheir range of emotions in an unrestrict- tems; Urban Concrete Contractors;
ed environment.
and Waste Management, Inc.
The Garden, generously landscaped
with benches, trees, shrubs and flowers
generates a calm, comfortable atmosphere, and a haven for the Center’s clients. Surrounded by a cedar picket
fence, the garden features a small-scale
country house, a gazebo, trellis, a 12-ft.
fountain and meandering paths.
AGC member companies participating in the construction of the Alamo
Children’s Advocacy Center Therapy
Garden included: Alamo Crane Service;
Bartlett Cocke, L.P.; CFS Forming
Structures Co.; Dausin Electric Co.;
Edward P. Potter Company; Ella S.A.
Contracting, L.P.; Huber Contracting,
Mark Carmona, Executive Director of the
Ltd.; Joeris General Contractors, Ltd.;
ACAC, officially opens the Therapy Garden
L&M Steel; Maldonado Nursery &
by cutting the ribbon.
Landscaping, Inc.; Martin Marietta
Materials; O’Haver Plumbing; Olmos
S
F
Scores welcomed to
Hilti Laser Day
ARCHITECTURAL ACCESSIBILITY IN TEXAS
FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY LAWS & STANDARDS
O
n Tues., April 8th, Hilti Center of
San Antonio flung its doors
wide open and welcomed over
135 customers to Hilti Laser Day. From
11 am to 2 pm, visitors enjoyed a light
lunch and soft drinks, catered by Hooter’s and served by two of its lovely employees.
spoke with Hilti Center Sales Representative Marvin Mitchell, who said the
purpose of Hilti Laser Day was to promote and demonstrate the various uses
of a single product.
“Hilti is a global leader in products
and systems for fastening, demolition,
positioning, firestop and construction
chemicals, with a commitment to total
customer satisfaction,” Marvin explained. “Today, we’re offering our customers special pricing on drilling packages and laser equipment. Within the
construction industry, our focus is in
new commercial and residential construction and remodeling markets.”
Marvin said his customer base includes specialty subcontractors, surveyors, architects, drywall contractors,
and industrial manufacturers, among
others.
An international, family-owned
company, Hilti has Texas locations in
Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, San
Antonio and El Paso. According to regional manager Gerald Gaenslen, Hilti
manufactures about 80 percent of what
it sells.
Because of his company’s faith in
the San Antonio area, Marvin indicated
a plan to expand Hilti’s operations to a
larger location this summer.
The Fair Housing Act
Title VIII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1968
(amended 1988)
The design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act apply to all new multifamily housing first occupied after March 13, 1991. Covered multifamily dwellings are: (1) all
dwelling units in buildings containing four or more units if such buildings have one
or more elevators, and (2) all ground floor dwelling units in other buildings containing four or more units.
REQUIREMENT 7, Part B:
Usable Bathrooms:
Preston Barragan, Marek Brothers Systems,
requested Hooter’s 3-Mile Island hot wings.
“…covered multifamily dwellings with a
building entrance on an accessible route
shall be designed and constructed in such
a manner that all premises within covered
multifamily dwelling units contain usable
… bathrooms such that an individual in a
wheelchair can maneuver about the
space.” Fair Housing Act Regulations,
24 CFR 100.205
Recommendations for
Increased Accessibility
Hilti employee demonstrates laser
instrument to rapt listeners.
While the builder or developer of multifamily housing is not required to address
all the design concerns faced by people
with disabilities who may live in a development, there are certain aspects of bathroom design which should be considered
when selecting fixtures.
Toilet Seat Height
Hilti’s Marvin Mitchell (R) engages
customer in tool talk.
There is no single seat height which
would suit all users. Low toilet seats are
difficult for people who have trouble
getting up on their feet and for people
who use wheelchairs who may be able
to transfer onto the seat but not get
back into their chair without assistance.
High seats may be difficult for some
wheelchair users to get onto and for
shorter people because their feet do
not touch the floor, making it difficult
to maintain balance.
ANSI 4.32.4.2 specifies that toilet seats
“shall be at least 15 inches and no more
than 19 inches measured to the top of the
toilet seat.” Standard toilets with 15-inch
high seats are widely available in the
marketplace and offer the best flexibility
for adaptation for a wider range of people. For a user who may require that the
seat be higher, it is relatively simple to
install a seat spacer or thick seat. By contrast, to lower a toilet usually requires replacing the entire toilet fixture usually
requires replacing the entire toilet fixture. It is recommended that standard
low 15-inch toilets be installed in all
dwelling units covered by the Fair Housing Guidelines.
Robert Buck, AIA, has provided architectural accessibility plan reviews/inspections
for over 3310 projects in 17 states. He is a
Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation Registered Accessibility Specialist
(RAS); consultant to the U. S. Department
of Justice-Housing and Civil Enforcement
Section; and Fair Housing consultant for
the City of Austin. 13438 Bandera Road,
#104, Helotes, TX 78023 (210-695-5326)
standard seat
seat spacer
The Construction Labor Contractor
Your OnlySource for Skilled Tradesmen
We are the leader in the industry and we
have our clients to tell you why.
Elevated Seats at Conventional Toilets
P.S. . .
Hilti has a
winner
Hilti Center Sales Representative,
Marvin Mitchell, called San Antonio Construction News to announce the
winner of a new Hilti PD-20 Laser Tool.
Ray Rhinehart of Perma Jack drew the
lucky ticket, which belonged to
John Budnik, Budnik Boring, Boerne.
Congratulations, John!
Call either location and let’s start
to build a quality partnership.
Swanstone Kitchen Sinks
* Authentic solid surface.
Color and texture run
all the way through and
cannot wear away.
* Virtually indestructible.
Boiling water, hot pots
and dropped kitchen
objects will not harm.
* Large bowls and offset
drains increase
workspace in sink and
storage under it.
Austin
512-452-0404
888-485-0404
San Antonio
210-509-3522
877-509-3522
Qualify For:
“Ultimate Hunting Challenge 2002”
* Wide variety of styles
and solid & granite
colors.
* Same sink can be
installed as drop-in
or undermount.
Steve Mechler & Associates, Inc.
10737 Gulfdale
SWANSTONE ™
210-545-0084
Strength Balance Beauty
GSABA gets salty
at Port Aransas
Austin News
To read these and other stories in full, go to our Website at
www.constructionnews.net.
R.W. Burdett wins award
J
ust off the banks of the Colorado River in Marble Falls sits the Riverbend
Fine Art & Offices Suites. Marble Falls contractor, R.W. Burdett Construction
Company, built the facility, which houses an art gallery bordered by two retail
offices.
This January at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, Nev., the
National Commercial Builders Council awarded R.W. Burdett the 2003 Award
of Excellence. Out of Division Two, R.W. Burdett was awarded the Chairman’s
Award for the 5,000-10,000-sf category, for the project.
NATCO starts up
R
ecognizing the need for a company that specializes in installation of doors
and ceiling grids, Nathan Garrett, owner of NATCO, took charge of his professional destiny and started his company last Oct.
Austin Winnelson arrives
W
holesale plumbing supply corporation, Winnelson, has grown in allowing
employees a piece of the pie. A newly-established branch, Austin Winnelson, opened its doors on Feb. 1, 2003. The company held a grand opening
this past April.
Two Austin contractors receive national safety awards
T
he Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) recognized the outstanding safety programs of contractors across the country during the fourth
annual AGC/Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards Breakfast at the 84th
Annual AGC Convention on Mar. 19-22, 2003 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Two Austin
area contractors, Tremur Consulting Contractors, Inc. and Capital Excavation
Company, were recognized with national safety awards in their respective categories.
Meals on Wheels awards Rathgeber
T
he fish were lining up to jump in the
boats at the Greater San Antonio
Builders Association (GSABA) 2003
Salt Water Fishing Tournament in Port
Aransas on Fri. and Sat., April 11th and
12th. Members were grateful to the volunteers from San Antonio Federal Credit
Union who sponsored and cooked a
wonderful steak dinner on Fri. night. Kudos were also extended to the folks at
Bricks & Tiles Unlimited, who sponsored
and cooked an incredible seafood boil on
Sat. night.
The GSABA staffers say thanks to all
of the sponsors and participants for making the fishing tournament a huge success!
Largest Redfish:
Art Saldana, Bank of America.
Largest Other Fish:
Design Tech Homes.
Spot Pot Winner:
Steve Heflin, Steve Heflin Architect/
Builder.
Fishing Rod Winner:
Raymond Jacque, Gordon Hartman
Homes.
The winners were:
Guided Division:
Heavy Stringer:
Urban Concrete Contractors.
Largest Trout:
Rick Fulks, Urban Concrete Contractors.
Largest Redfish:
Robb Evans, L-P TechShield.
Largest Other Fish:
Mark Furse, Trus Joist.
Unguided Division:
Heavy Stringer:
Richter Drywall.
Largest Trout:
Rodney Lamar, Richter Drywall.
Steve Heflin, Steve Heflin Architect/Builder
won $240 in the Spot Pot.
A
ustin contractor and philanthropist, Dick Rathgeber, president of Southwest Constructors, was recognized on the evening of Mar. 30, 2003 with the
Meals on Wheels and More 2003 Austin Community Keepsake Award.
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15305 N IH 35
Selma, Texas 78154
L-R: Art Saldana, Russell Flores, Kent Hammel and Adam Trevino, Bank of America,
made top spot – see tournament results.
Quality, Convenient
Occupational medical care for
your employees
Open 365 Days
Including All Holidays
SCAFFOLD MANUFACTURER
No Appointment Necessary
Loop 410 / Broadway
821-5598
(between Nacogdoches & Broadway)
IH-10W / Wurzbach
696-5599
(Colonnade Shopping Center)
Blanco / Parliament
341-5588
Loop 410 / Ingram Rd
520-5588
(between Bank of America & Toys-R-Us)
IH-35N / Eisenhauer
655-5529
(northbound IH-35 Access Rd between
Eisenhauer & Walzem)
SE Military Dr / Roosevelt 927-5580
(northeast corner)
(just south of Churchill High School)
SCAFFOLDING
8 am - 11 pm
Locally-owned and operated
Visit our website at: www.texasmedclinic.com
DIVISION OF TAR USA STEEL, INC.
“AFFORDABLE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES”
Frame Scaffold –Shoring Scaffold
Crossbraces – Screwjacks
Caster Wheels – Planks
TAR SCAFFOLDING
12746 O’CONNOR ROAD
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78233
TEL:
FAX:
210 650 0181
210 650 0782
www.tarscaffolding.com
SCAFFOLD
INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION
OSHA
INSURANCE
Erecting a Safe Scaffold
Insurance Requirements
Joann Nataranjan
A
n estimated 2.3 million construction
workers, or 65 percent of the
construction industry, work on scaffolds
frequently. Protecting these workers from
scaffold-related accidents would prevent
4,500 injuries and 50 deaths every year, at
a savings for American employers of $90
million in workdays not lost.
forklift is not moved horizontally while
the platform is occupied.
• Fabricated frame scaffolds are the
most common type of scaffold because
they are versatile, economical, and easy
to use. They are frequently used in one
or two tiers by residential contractors,
painters, etc., but their modular frames
can also be stacked several stories high
for use on large-scale construction jobs.
It is impossible for a stable structure to
be built upon a foundation that does
not start out square and level. OSHA
has standards that apply specifically to
the steps that must be taken to assure a
stable scaffold base. In order to assure
stability, supported scaffolds must be
set on: base plates, mud sills, or other
adequate firm foundation.
• Scaffolds and scaffold components
must be capable of supporting, without
failure, their own weight and at least 4
times their maximum intended load.
Frames and panels must be connected by
cross, horizontal, or diagonal braces,
alone or in combination, which secure
vertical members together laterally.
Scaffold components manufactured
by different manufacturers must not
be intermixed, unless they fit together
without being forced and the scaffold’s
structural integrity is maintained. Scaffold
components manufactured by different
manufacturers are not allowed to be
modified to make them fit together,
unless a competent person determines
that the resulting scaffold is structurally
sound.
• Footings must be capable of
supporting the loaded scaffold without
settling or displacement.
• Unstable objects may not be used
to support scaffolds or platform units.
Front-end loaders and similar pieces of
equipment shall not be used to support
scaffold platforms unless they have
been specifically designed by the
manufacturer for such use.
• Forklifts shall not be used to support
scaffold platforms unless: the entire
platform is attached to the fork, and the
N
• Workers are most vulnerable to
fall hazards when climbing on or off
a scaffold. Therefore, employers are
required to provide safe scaffold access.
Erectors and dismantlers face additional
access problems due to the incomplete
condition of the scaffolding. Employees
must be able to safely access any level
of a scaffold that is 2 feet above or
below an access point. OSHA standards
specifically forbid climbing cross-braces
as a means of access.
with George on the day after “moving
day.” He was dealing with carpet delivery
headaches and communication hookups, which he referred to as necessary
inconveniences. On the bright side, his
2,000-sf office space is complemented
with a separate 4,000-sf warehouse and
a small yard.
“Now we’re in a position where we
can hire more employees,” George added. “Business is rebounding and we have
several jobs on the books, including a
project with Vaughn Construction for
the 3rd floor children’s ward at Methodist
Hospital.”
Centrally located, Texas Interior Construction’s immediate goal is to wrap up
their office renovations, hang up their
sign, and grow their business.
Time Insurance
Agency
Serving the Industry since 1961
Insurance
•
• Automobile
• Workers Comp
• Surety Bond
• General Liability
• Property
10803 Gulfdale, Suite 220
ll contractors, general or subcontractor, must comply
with the insurance requirements shown in the project
specifications or in the subcontract agreement.
How many of you have bid a job without consulting the insurance requirements only to find out that there
were additional coverages and costs required that you did
not include?
Have you ever had a general contractor hold up payment because your insurance certificate does not provide all the
information necessary to comply with
the general contractor’s requirements?
General Contractors:
As a general contractor, you have
two areas of concern: insurance required
by the owner and insurance you require
of your subcontractors. The owners’ requirements normally appear in the supplementary general conditions of the
project specifications. They outline the
limits of liability for General Liability, Automobile Liability, Umbrella Liability,
Employers Liability, Owners Protective
Liability and other coverages and endorsements such as additional insureds
and waivers of subrogation.
On many projects, the Owner may
also include subcontractor requirements.
You must make sure that the insurance
you require of your subcontractors complies with those set forth by the Owner.
Your subcontractor insurance requirements should be very clear and precise.
It’s a good idea to publicize and communicate your insurance specifications prior
to a project bid. All subcontractors
should be aware of your insurance requirements and can build that cost into
their bids.
Subcontractors:
As a subcontractor, you should also
review the project specifications since
they may address the subcontractor requirements as well as the general contractor’s. This will allow you to determine
additional costs in advance and include
them with your bid. Concerning the general contractor’s requirements, some are
requiring coverages for which there may
be extra charges such as additional insureds, waivers of subrogation, contractors protective policies or umbrella liability policies. The limits of liability may be
higher than you currently carry.
Your insurance agent is your resource for any additional insurance costs.
She/he knows your current insurance
program and can provide you with the
estimated premium charges for any additional insurance you may need. Your
agent may also point out areas that may
be problematic. So make sure you provide her/him with the insurance specifi cations in advance of the bid date for review. Timely communication with your
agent is vital so that she/he can assist you
with your insurance needs.
Many of you probably request pricing for some standard coverages and endorsements when your policies renew
and plug them into the computer and
use them when needed. Pricing in the
insurance industry is still volatile so you
need to periodically check to make sure
the pricing you have is accurate. We have
seen increases particularly in the umbrella area increasing as much as 200 to
300 percent.
With the cost of insurance for contractors continuing to increase, it is in
your best interest to include your insurance costs when you bid the job. After
all, it’s all about money and it’s YOUR
money!
Maryanna S. Christensen CPCU, AU is
Vice-President of Harding-Conley
Drawert-Tinch Insurance Agency, Inc.
She can be reached at 210-647-0134 or
contacted by e-mail: [email protected] .
ABC supports Apprenticeship
Enhancement Act of 2003
A
ssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC) strongly supports bipartisan legislation introduced by
Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the Apprenticeship Enhancement Act of 2003 (H.R.
1660), that would bring more accountability and efficiency to the approval of
apprenticeship programs.
Under the present system, apprenticeship programs seeking approval from
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of
Apprenticeship Training, Employer and
Labor Services (ATELS) and state apprenticeship councils (SAC) often face unjustifiable roadblocks in obtaining federal
approval. Several ABC apprenticeship
programs that meet federal standards
have had to wait several years for approval. Wicker’s bill would streamline the
approval process by requiring the local
ATELS offices or SACs to act on applications within a specified time limit after an
application is submitted. It would require
the ATELS office or SAC to provide written justification for its decision and allow
applicants the opportunity for a hearing
if there is a factual dispute. If an application were denied by the SAC or the state
ATELS office, the applicant would be able
to appeal to the secretary of labor.
The bill is being sponsored by Reps.
Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ruben Hinojosa
(D-Texas) and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.).
Bonding
• Builders Risk
Give us a call today
A
• Supported scaffold poles, frames,
uprights, etc. must be plumb and braced
to prevent swaying and displacement.
In general, a level is the easiest way to
achieve the desired right angles.
Texas Interior Construction
moves to prime location
estled between two major construction material suppliers, Texas
Interior Construction Company
has moved to a new home for its 10-person staff and subcontracting operations.
The growth of the two-year-old company was inhibited by space issues, leading
its owners, George Lieck and Larry
Acosta to search for larger facilities.
“An interior finish-out contractor
couldn’t have better neighbors than
Lynwood Building Supply and Allen &
Allen,” said George of his new location at
1102 W. Laurel. “Our former location was
fine when we started out two years ago,
and then it seemed to shrink. We reached
a turning point and determined the
need for more space was critical to our
growth.”
San Antonio Construction News spoke
By Maryanna Christensen, CPU, AU
210-344-8898
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL
545-6767
Fax 490-9353
www.saqualityfence.com
13115 Wetmore Road
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LEGAL
ACCOUNTING
I WANT AN EXTENSION!
King’s X
By Malcolm E. Stratemann, Jr., CPA
By Mark M. Ferguson
T
his time of year, CPAs often have clients who will come in the
last few days of tax season to request an “Extension” for their
personal tax return. For individual tax returns, the first extension extends the time to file your personal tax return until August fifteenth. If you still haven’t filed your personal return by
August fifteenth, a second extension can be prepared which
extends the deadline until October fifteenth, at which time you must file your tax return or it will be considered past due.
You may ask, why not file an extension and put off preparing your tax re turn when it is more convenient to
yourself? While the IRS is more than
happy to give you additional time to
file your tax return, with an extension
you should understand that it only
buys you more time to file the paperwork. It does not give you more time to
pay any taxes owed without some sort
of penalty or interest. This means, in
the event you should owe some money
with your tax return and you file it after
April fifteenth, the IRS will charge you
interest, and in some cases, penalize
for you not having paid your tax that
was due by April fifteenth.
It is easy to prepare an extension,
except for one thing. It asks how much
income tax liability you will have for
the year. That number is not easily ascertainable for some people, due to
the complexity of their returns and
also due to the tax code. If you owe any
tax, you must pay it in with the first
extension. Otherwise you will be sub ject to a penalty and interest.
As a CPA, I think some clients don’t
understand the overall concept, even
though they have been told about it. It
always amazes me that every tax season, you will have a few clients who
will come in the last few days of tax
season and ask if we can get their taxes
done by the fifteenth of April. While
we would love to be able to say yes,
often that isn’t the case due to the
amount of time it takes to prepare a
return and the preexisting backlog of
tax returns we already have.
Also remember, if you are an individual who needs to make estimated
tax payments, the first estimated tax
payment is due April fifteenth, the second is June fifteenth, and the third is
due September fifteenth. As you can
see, all of the dates precede October
fifteenth, the last date to file your personal tax returns. Often the estimated
tax payments are based upon your
prior year’s tax liability. If you haven’t
yet done your prior year’s tax return,
you’re going to have a tough time
knowing what your prior year tax liability is.
My point is, don’t wait until the last
minute to do your taxes. If you use a
paid preparer to do your taxes, please
take your tax data in to them as soon as
you can. They will appreciate it and
your return is much more likely to be
done in time for you to file by April fifteenth. If you do need an extension of
time to file, by all means get one and
file it. Just realize that if you owe money, you will be charged interest and
sometimes a penalty on the balance
that you owe to the government.
There are also extensions that can
be filed for corporate, S corporation,
partnerships and trust tax returns.
Once again, those extensions buy you
more time to file the return, but they
do not buy you more time to pay the
tax without interest and penalty.
Last but not least, I have had many
people ask me if filing an extension
makes them more likely to be audited.
In my opinion, it does not make you
more likely to be audited by the IRS.
Finally, thank God I’ve made it through
another tax season and hope that you
have too!
Malcolm Stratemann, Jr. is a
Principal at Fisher, Herbst & Kemble, P.C.,
Ph: 210 - 614-2284
Fax: 210 - 614-2285.
Office Email: [email protected]
K
ing’s X. It’s an old term dating back to a time when
the world was flat and all the men were handsome.
More simply, it means you may not sue the government
because The King can do no wrong. Of course, The King,
with the help of his appointed judges, made the rule.
As addressed in the Legal Column
appearing in the Feb. 2003 issue of San
Antonio Construction News, Austin attorney George Baldwin (not to be confused with King George) pointed out
that Texas is a minority in continuing to
accept this rule. In fact, Texas is all by
itself in not allowing persons that contract with Texas to sue it for its breach
of contract. The Federal Government,
as well, continues to hold true to the
King’s Rule.
While the time to change this rule
is before you, we will concentrate on
what you can do now to collect monies
duly owed you by the State of Texas. It
is not a great scheme, but many people
have worked hard to erode the rule
and following is a Reader’s Digest version of the procedure.
The Texas Government Code [
Gov’t Code / 2260.01 et. seq. ] was
amended in 1999. This amendment
requires Texas agencies to administer a
Dispute Resolution Procedure.
The
agencies are allowed to adopt the pro cedure negotiated with the business
community, state agencies and the
Texas Attorney General’s office, or
adopt its own. Of course, many agencies choose to adopt their own rules.
Consequently, be aware that you need
to gain a copy of the agency’s Dispute
Resolution Procedure rules on award of
the contract to you. It may or may not
be specified in the contract documents. To save you time, talent and
attorney fees, it is strongly suggested
that you obtain the rules prior to signing the contract. Face it; the state does
not play fair when it comes to a dispute.
What is universal with every agency, you must give written notice within
180 days of the contract breach. Consequently, you may have numerous
claims pending during the contract. In
other words, you may not wait for con-
tract completion to bring forward
claims.
Once the claim is made, the agency
must attempt to resolve the claim
through negotiation or mediation.
This mediation procedure is meant to
help both you and the agency save
time, talent and attorney fees. Each
agency does have an incentive to follow this procedure because it must pay
to its own counsel, its outside counsel,
or the Attorney General, from its budget, the cost of its counsel. Perhaps
this fact is an equalizer. Who knows?
In any event, this course of action must
be followed prior to any litigation / arbitration taking place and tends to be
fruitful.
Should you not be successful at
the mediation stage, you may bring an
administrative claim before an Administrative Judge. Should the Judge
grant your claim, and it is less than
$250,000, the Agency must pay the
claim from the appropriated funds.
Should the claim exceed $250,000, the
Administrative Judge must issue a
written report to the Texas Legislature
recommending the claim be paid or
not. In any event, the Administrative
Judge’s recommendation is not binding on the state.
If you are the least bit confused,
then you are paying attention. The
procedure is time consuming and cumbersome. Moreover, even if you win at
the Administrative stage, no guarantee
exists you will be paid. Be wary.
A legal practitioner for 16 years,
Mark M. Ferguson concentrates in
construction law and is one of the
Legal Advisors for Associated Builders
and Contractors. Mark is a certified
mediator and arbitrator for the
American Arbitration Association.
He can be contacted at 210 -344- 0838.
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Flight to the fairways
at Fair Oaks
Marek Bros. hosts
home-style BBQ
T
M
esquite smoke thickened the
humid air at Marek Brothers
Systems, Inc., on Thurs., April
17th. The drywall and metal stud specialists, together with Richardson Tile and
Plaster, hosted a Customer Open House
from 11 am to 7 pm.
“We have invited our customers to
stop by and enjoy smoked pit barbeque
and refreshments throughout the day,”
said San Antonio division manager Dewitt Churchwell, “and we’ll be here until
the last customer leaves! Everyone we do
business with, including general contractors, architects, construction managers
and others are welcome to get a bite to
eat. Corky Richardson is a good friend of
mine and his barbequing skills are legendary in this town. I thought it would be
a perfect fit!”
San Antonio Construction News ventured into Marek’s immaculate warehouse, which had been transformed to
serve as a temporary dining hall. Outside,
guests lined up to secure a plate of traditional Texas cuisine.
L-R: Foursome from Metropolitan
Contracting Co., Desi Valdez, Steve Schuetze,
Sonny Schirmer and Tom Lindell
“We have a lot of fun and get a lot of
practice,” said commander-in-chief of
the BBQ pit Corky Richardson, Richardson Tile and Plaster, as he and his pit crew
served brisket, sausage, potato salad,
beans and all the trimmings. “We have a
strong relationship with Marek Brothers
and have worked on a lot of jobs together. We got here early and there should be
enough food for 250 folks.”
he conditions were overcast and
balmy on Mon., April 7th, as members of Associated Builders and
Contractors South Texas Chapter
amassed at Fair Oaks Ranch Country Club
for the ABC 2003 Spring Golf Classic.
A record turnout, 240 players registered, enjoyed boxed lunches and drinks
(courtesy of HEB), practiced their putts,
warmed up on the driving range, and occasionally discussed the effects of the
War in Iraq on business today.
ABC’s program committee chair,
Michelle Seward, Joeris General Contracting, helped organize the successful
tournament.
“We’re hoping the rain stays away
until at least 7:30 tonight,” she commented in reference to weather forecasts. “After the players are through, we’ll
gather for dinner and an awards ceremony. We have lots of nice door prizes that
were donated by members, and the winning raffle ticket holder will win a wheelbarrow full of liquor, which we thought
would be appreciated by members of the
construction industry.”
Filling and challenging both courses,
players took flight in their caravan of golf
carts for their respective positions in
preparation for the 1 p.m. shotgun start.
The proceeds of the tournament will be
used to support the operating expenses
of the chapter.
L-R: Chuck York, Sol Irvine, Joe Garcia, and
Jeff Robinson, Johnson Supply, exercise
good posture.
L-R: The ‘good looking guys’ are Josh Cox,
Blacktopper Technology; Scott Tak, Alpha
Consulting Engineers; Rob Reyes, Fugro
South; and Steve Langner, Vulcan Materials
Tournament winners were:
Black Jack Course:
1st Place:
Rodney Ray Chandler & Buddy Herin,
Contractors Building Supply;
John Devaney, SpawGlass Contractors,
Ed Boyle, Ed Boyle & Associates.
Legendary “pit” crew from Richardson Tile and Plaster.
2nd Place:
Gregg Allen, Lyda Builders; Fred Iacono,
Alamo Tile Co.; Liam Stagg, RVK Architects; Mark Wolfarth, Constructors, Inc.
R
“The Professionals’
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3rd Place:
Robert Hufnagl & Wesley Johnson,
Bexar Electric Co., Ltd ; Tim Earton,
Spectrum Lighting ; Allen Creamier,
CEO.
Longest Drive:
Tom Ebarb, Beck Ready Mix & Landfill.
Closest to the Pin:
Wesley Johnson, Bexar Electric Co.
Live Oak Course:
1st Place:
Rob Reyes, Fugro South; Scott Tak, Alpha
Consulting; Marty Schneider, Ramming;
Josh Cox, Blacktopper Technologies.
2nd Place:
L-R: Craig Dillingham, Richardson Tile &
Plaster; Jeff Thompson and Chris Christians,
Lynwood Building Materials; Mike Richardson
(2nd generation), Richardson Tile & Plaster.
Steve Guenther & Bret Bryant, Vulcan
Materials; Gerald Gold, Ray Faris,Inc;
Derek Meader, MCCI Ready Mix.
3rd Place:
Leland Rocchio, Lyda Builders, Inc.;
Emilio Postel, Baker Drywall; GaryPerez,
BuildersGypsum; Gary Hymel, Dietrich
Longest Drive:
Gary Hymel, Dietrich Co.
Closest to the Pin:
Josh Cox, Blacktopper Technologies.
Longest Drive:
Anna Presely, Sun Automatic Fire Sprinkler.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
(P.S. The winner of the wheelbarrow full
of liquor was none other than ABC’s own
Chris Laskowski.)
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Many Member Benefits
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call 210-523-1540
Monday - Friday 9-12
The Great Outdoors welcomes your photos and stories.
We will print on a first-come, first-available basis, so call us at (210) 308-5800 to make arrangements.
Ken Chandley, Chandley Fence, Inc., at Land Cut, TX (his second home)
with 38-in. bull red (released), caught on She-Dog topwater lure,
in 9-Mile Hole.
Kevin Baker and Billy Jo, Bronco Contractors, with a “mess” of speckled trout and
two reds, thanks to a guided trip courtesy of Capital Industries.
Billy Jo, Bronco Contractors, Inc.,
with two spring gobblers taken from
Bronco’s hunting lease in Bee County.
A feisty black drum leapt into the arms of
SpawGlass’ Pat Williams while he was standing
on a Land Cut, TX pier!
L-R: Plumbing supply rep Monte Melcher, Hugh M. Cunningham, Inc., and
Randall Rohne, The Rohne Company, with respectable stringer of Reds.
Proposed hunting, fishing, and boat fee changes
T
he Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has
scheduled seven public meetings across the state
to seek public input on a proposal to increase most
hunting and fishing license and boat fees. The proposal
would increase the cost of a Super Combo license from
$49 to $59. Resident hunting and resident fishing licenses would go from $19 to $23, and boat registration
for most vessels would increase by $10. Licenses for
youth and seniors would not increase.
The last increase in the cost of Texas hunting and
fishing licenses was in 1996. Since that time, inflation has
increased by about the same percentage as the proposed fee increase.
Department leaders say they have postponed a fee
increase for several years by spending fund balances
and cutting spending. In the 1990’s, the agency would
end most years with money left in Fund 9, which pays
for fisheries and wildlife management and enforcement.
Those “savings” are now depleted and can no longer be
used to avoid a fee increase.
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In recent years, the department has cut back signifi cantly on operating costs. To save money this year,
TPWD is keeping more than 200 employee positions
vacant, cutting spending on vehicles and equipment,
and other operating cuts. Agency officials say they first
“tightened our own belt” before asking customers to
pay more.
The fee increases would raise about $13.8 million.
This money would not fund new projects but would allow the agency to keep providing basic services. By law,
TPWD can only spend hunting and fishing license revenue on fisheries, wildlife management and law enforcement. License funds cannot be diverted to state park
operations or other state government needs.
“We believe our hunters, anglers and boaters get a
good deal from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,” said Katharine Armstrong, TPWD commission
chairman.
“Each year we stock about 50 million fish statewide
and provide more than 1 million acres of public hunting
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land. Our scientists work to protect and restore fish and
wildlife habitat, water quality and the ecological health
of rivers, lakes and bays. Our biologists and game wardens work in every Texas county. We provide boat
ramps and enforce boating safety laws. We do a lot for
our customers and we need their support for this fee
increase.”
The TPW Commission will consider public input before possibly making a final decision at its May 29th
meeting in Austin. If approved, license changes would
take effect when new season licenses go on sale this fall.
Boat fees could change sooner, depending on commission action. Anyone can see fee proposals and make
comments on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Web site. On the bottom left side of the page, look for
the link to “Public Comments.” Or send comments in
writing to: Executive Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX, 78744,
or phone toll-free (800) 792-1112.
Serving Central & South Texas
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Fax 210-402-0385
by John Jefferson
Need a place to hunt?
All photos by John Jefferson
N
ow’s the time to find out where you’ll be hunting next season. Some started
working on that before last season ended. If you didn’t, at least start before the
wildflowers fade.
It’s supply and demand. If you wait
until the first frost, there just simply won’t
be as many available as there are right
now. Don’t wait.
So how do you do it? Well, there’s no
one sure way, but in a word, it’s all about
networking. Start by letting people
know you are looking. The more who
know you are in the market for a lease,
the more likely someone will say something to someone that will get you on
good ground.
I was at a barbecue one night and
mentioned to a man I had just met that I
sure liked the country around the ranch,
and wondered if there were any available
leases. He said he didn’t know of any, but
that his wife worked in a feed/
convenience store, and that people occasionally put up notices about things
like that. I gave him my card. The next
morning, his wife called to say that a man
had just put up a note about a lease that
sounded interesting.
It helps if you mention it to landowners and other people close to the land.
Game biologists, game managers, game
wardens, county agents and N.R.C.S. employees, are good resources. Other hunters are, too. Some realtors who specialize
in farm and ranch land may also be of
help. I called a game biologist one day to
ask if he knew anything about a place I
was looking at. He said he didn’t, but that
a lady had just called him about leasing a
nice place that had never been leased.
That worked out well for all of us.
And then there’s the press. The classified sections of most newspapers carry
a listing for “Hunting.” The big city papers have the most listings, but don’t
overlook smaller papers. You might also
consider running an ad yourself, stating
what you are looking for and where. This
has worked for me. Any sportsman association newsletter could pay off, too. In
its newsletter, the Austin Woods & Waters
Club carries a section called “Member to
Member” that hooks up its members
with hunting opportunities. They also
carry ads.
The magazines have well-read classified sections, too. It might pay to run an
ad in Texas Wildlife, the magazine of Texas
Wildlife Assn., or The Cattleman, published by Texas and Southwestern Cattle
Raisers Assn. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine and Texas Monthly might also reach
some landowners that might want to talk
turkey with you. One entire magazine is
devoted to hunting leases. Texas Hunting
Directory is published in Fredericksburg
by Kim Hicks, and is available on most
newsstands.
Finding a place to hunt is not that hard to do, provided you start early enough.
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The only drawback to choosing a lease in the spring or summer is that
antlers will not look they will in the fall (above) since they will still be
in velvet and developing.
But one of the best sources is the
Chamber of Commerce in the area in
which you are interested. Hunting is
such a vital part of the economy of many
small communities that chambers often
maintain lists of hunting leases. Most
chambers are closed on weekends, so
you need to contact them during the
week or by mail. Your chances may be a
little better if you can establish some sort
of a relationship with them. Like, maybe
ask them to recommend a nice Bed &
Breakfast that you and your wife can stay
while you are there looking for a lease.
Ask about antique shops, restaurants or
other places where she might spend
some money. Their business is bringing
commerce to their community. They can
help. If an opening for a lease comes in
and you have done something to help
them remember you, you may just get a
call.
Remember, it’s all about networking.
JJ
Legislature considering raiding
sportsmen’s funds.
W
hen hunters and
fishermen
buy
licenses, that money
goes into what is called
a dedicated fund. That
means it is supposed to
be used for a dedicated
purpose - in this case,
game and fish conservation, restoration and law
enforcement. State park
user fees go into similar
funds. Now, with legislators looking for money
behind every lobbyist
and loblolly pine, they
are reaching out for any
funds they can seize. If
they are successful, Texas
Parks & Wildlife will not
only lose the funds they
take, but will also lose
federal matching money
that comes from excise
taxes paid for firearms
and ammunition. This
could amount to as much
as $30 million. And it
could result in curtailment of TPW services,
public hunting, youth
hunting, and could close
As the sun sets on the current legislative session,
there is still time for eager money grabbers to
some state parks.
It
raid dedicated Parks & Wildlife funds.
could also affect state
park construction contracts. The raids are embodied in riders your state representative and senator.
to House Bill 1, which will be voted on in You can find their addresses and phone
May. If you disagree with this, contact numbers at www.capitol.state.tx.us/.
JJ
STEVE SCHULTZ GUIDE SERVICE
BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT
SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER
FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS
1-888-724-FISH (toll-free)
www.baffinbaycharters.com
U.S. Coast Guard &
Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
Great Fishing in Store This Summer
By Capt. Steve Schultz- Baffin Bay Charters
M
other Nature has been kind to
the Coastal Bend Bay System for
yet another year. Timely rains
and lack of extremely cold weather are
two of the key reasons our spring fishing
has been better than the last several
years. Water temperatures reaching the
magical 70-degree mark and the arrival
of shrimp into our bays, are key factors in
catching fish.
During the week of April 14th, we were
able to find plenty of trout action along
the drop-off of the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW). On several different occasions at opposite ends of Baffin Bay we
encountered shrimp moving through the
deep water of the ICW. From Corpus
Christi Bay to the JFK Causeway trout action was as good as it gets, and down
south in the Landcut, both trout and redfish have made fishing seem like catching. With the month of May just around
the corner, the availability of croakers for
bait should make this fishing season one
to remember.
Fishing with croakers can get a feeding
frenzy started. Most trout caught using
croakers are in the 16-to-23-inch range,
but it is not uncommon to catch a trophy
trout or two in the 25-to-30-inch range.
A croaker feeds on trout eggs, and is the
only enemy that a trout has. If you are in
an area where there are trout, no matter
what the size, the fish will hit a croaker.
Juvenile croakers about 3-to-5-inches
long hooked just above the anal fin and
What began as jerry-rigged welding parts
or medical components has been refined.
Landy Smith and Floyd had no problem catching limits of trout with Capt. Steve Schultz
during an April outing. Fish were caught on live shrimp and soft plastics.
free-lined on an 18-in. leader with a 5/0
or 6/0 Kahle hook is the most common
method. Cast the croaker as far from
your boat as possible, and when a thump
on the line tells you a trout or red has
picked up the bait, let the fish run for a
count of 8-10 before setting the hook.
At 50 cents each, the frugal angler has
trouble justifying the expense of live bait.
But, if he suspends reason - and what respectable angler doesn’t when it comes
to spending money on fishing supplieseven the thriftiest fisherman will pur-
chase a couple of dozen perch or croaker
if he believes doing so could improve his
odds. At these prices though, lethargic
bait is not an option. Thankfully, there
are potions and gadgets to ward off belly-up bait. But regrettably, only a handful
of these products are affordable or effective in the South Texas heat. And frankly,
even fewer are both. But with the price of
one-dozen baitfish reaching the $6 mark,
the more expensive of these gizmos is
starting to look more cost effective. I’m
speaking, of course, of the more sophisticated oxygen systems on the market.
TPWD adopts changes
I
n an action aimed at enhancing fishing
in Texas without restricting angling
opportunity, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a rule change
on April 3rd establishing a daily bag
“boat limit” on guided trips.
The new regulation affects “for hire”
guided fishing trips only and establishes
the daily bag limit for all species based
on the number of customers onboard. A
guide can still catch fish and retain his
catch, but the overall bag limit for his vessel cannot exceed the combined bag
limits of his customers.
The boat limit is one of several regulation changes approved by the Commission as part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 2003-04 Statewide
Hunting and Fishing Proclamation. The
regulation changes take effect Sept. 1st.
A companion change to the boat
limit restriction designed to bolster spotted seatrout fishing will cap the maximum length limit at 25 inches, with anglers allowed to retain only one trout
longer than 25 inches per day. In passing
the rule change, commissioners recognized the differences in habitat conditions among various bay ecosystems and
directed agency staff to explore opportunities for regionalized management of
coastal fisheries.
“Seatrout are the most sought-after
species on the coast with more than one
million harvested annually,” explained
Hal Osburn, TPWD coastal fisheries division director. “We recognize that our
management decisions do have impacts
socially, economically and biologically
and we will take into consideration all
those factors.”
The last alteration to spotted seatrout regulations occurred in 1990 when
the minimum size limit was increased
from 14 to 15 inches. Since then, the angling population along the Texas coast
has increased by 19 percent and the
number of fishing guides has grown by
300 percent since the early 1980s.
Oxygen systems, such as the Salty Air O2
System that I use, range in price from
about $300 for a do-it-yourself kit to
$450 for a deluxe complete system with
live well, regulator, tubes, brackets and
the finest bubbles money can buy. You
can even get one to mount on your jetty/
pier cart, strap to your bait bucket or to
carry in a fanny pack. Consider these
systems insurance against gasping bait,
mistakes and neglect. If you buy so-so
bait, oxygen will help revive it. If you forget to change your water, oxygen will
buy you some time. And if the temperature outside nears 100 degrees, oxygen
will cool your live-well water to a livable
range. Some anglers use oxygen in conjunction with sealed ice and chemicals,
such as Pogey-Croaker Saver, which removes ammonia from the water, reduces
the effects of stress and replaces slime.
Or there’s potassium chloride, which simply reduces the effects of stress on fish.
Whether you fish with a guide or fish on
your own, croaker fishing can be a sure
way of replenishing fillets in your freezer.
After all, fish can be a lot more fun when
you’re catching. Capt. Steve Schultz can
be reached at 1-888-724-3474 for a fishing trip. Several good dates are still available in May, June, July, and August.
Good Luck and Good Fishing.
COA seeks outdoor experts
T
he Christian Outdoor Alliance is seeking top experts in a range of hunting
and fishing-related disciplines to help
teach campers at this summer’s Hunting
and Fishing Adventure Camps.
Already on tap to teach at the 10-day
camp sessions are top outdoor TV personalities Dave Watson, Keith Warren
and Jimmy Sites; plus author Jim Darnell; Jim Carpenter, president of Rattlemasters of Texas; taxidermists David and
Nancy Boerner; Mike Schwiebert of
Weatherby Firearms; Campfire Chef
Ralph Winningham; and U.S. Special
Forces surgeon Dr. Sonny Arkangel.
Campers will get hands-on, in-thefield instruction from the experts on
subjects from fly fishing, game calling,
marksmanship, to game processing and
cooking.
“We’re always looking for more outdoor pros to help teach the kids,” said
camp director Mike Marbach. “The purpose of the camp is to get kids hooked on
an outdoors lifestyle and take them to a
skill level where they can leave camp
equipped to succeed in all types of hunting and fishing pursuits.”
Guest expert teaching availabilities
are open throughout the summer and,
depending on the subject matter, experts may stay for one or several days,
meals and lodging provided. Volunteers
are selected based on their level of expertise in their given specialty, and must
undergo a formal background check.
Open to boys and girls ages 11 – 16, the
camp will offer four sessions for boys,
and one for girls. All sessions are on luxury exotic game ranches in the Texas Hill
Country. Camp tuition is $1,395 per
camper. The non-profit organization offers need-based scholarships as well as
fundraising opportunities for campers.
To see more information about the
camps, log in to www.coacamps.org. To
volunteer as a guest expert or register for
camp, contact Mike Marbach at
[email protected] or call 210-8279802.
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PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST
SEA Casino Night grows
Crawfish boil #6
A
young organization with
big plans held
their 2nd Annual Casino Night at Alzafar
Shrine Temple on
April 3rd. The San
Antonio Chapter of
two-year-old Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association opened the
doors to over 400
people for a night of
food, fun, gaming
and some great auction items.
Doors opened
at 5:30 pm at this
family affair and by
six the room was
crowded and the
Lots of action at the tables.
gaming tables very
busy. With tables
full of silent auction items, raffles and the nization decides where they want to
big live auction, attendees were com- spend the money. We will be using income from tonight for shrimp license
pletely occupied during the evening.
One of the live auction items was very buyback and the reconstruction of the
unique. Labeled “Original Painting” in the boat launch at Copano Bay.”
The San Antonio chapter works very
event book, artist Wade Butler will accompany the winning bidder and 2 of his bud- closely with the Corpus Christi Chapter
dies on a fishing trip and paint an original since both groups fish the same waters.
work of art of the trip. The winner receives SEA president, Jim Atkins, from Corpus,
the original and the buddies get print believes the organization has come a long
way in just two years and expansion plans
number 1 & 2. How’s that for different.
Bryan Potts, president of the San are under way.
“We are looking at expansion but very
Antonio chapter, was very pleased with
gently. We have had inquires from Victoria,
the number of people attending.
“We moved up to the big room this year Katy and Galveston but probably the most
and expanded seating capacity and auc- likely right now is Victoria. Our organization
tion items,” Bryan reported. “We are dif- has over 4,200 members now and that is
ferent from other groups as far as where very good for only two years. The money
proceeds go for an event. Our local orga- we have given in that period has made an
impact.
“We
have
given
$100,000 to the hatcheries
in Corpus to install aeration
equipment
and
$100,000 to the Texas State
Aquarium to build a fingerling grow-out pond
among other things.”
All concerned deemed
the evening a great success with $40,000 of net
income that will be used to
help accomplish the goals
of the group. For people
interested in more information on SEA, call Bryan
Potts at 477-3037.
Guests kept eating all evening.
A
bout 300 guests arrived hungry
and managed to have their appetite’s satiated at the 6th Annual
Cajun Crawfish Boil, held at Anhalt German Hall on Sat., April 19th.
For the last six years, Barry Moltz
Construction, Inc., 4-B Paving, Inc. and
J. D. Kunz Concrete have invited family
members, friends and business associates to the historic Hill Country community center for some old-fashioned fun
and good home cookin’.
As guests made their way to the
front of the food line they grabbed a
cardboard box and helped themselves to
heaps of finger food du jour, namely
boiled crawfish, grilled sausage, buttery
corn-on-the-cob and small red potatoes.
According to chief cook Dudley Baker,
1,000 lbs. of those little mudbugs hit the
boiling pot before night’s end.
“The historic Anhalt Hall is the perfect place for this annual party,” said
hostess Brandy Baker, who reserved the
Hall weeks in advance. “We have lots of
room to spread out, live entertainment
by Two Way Street, and a dance floor
that’s just waiting for us!”
A family affair, special interest has
always been placed on the many children
who accompany their parents to this favorite country bash. As Brandy organized
a bevy of eager children around two colorful fiesta-themed piñatas, other children enjoyed the inflated moon bounce.
Since the timing was right, a big Easter
egg hunt kept the youngsters hopping
like bunnies.
We hear the party kept going strong
into the early morning hours and everyone had a great time, as usual.
Retired painter and plumber,
Tony McComas and David Evans at play.
Brandy helps a little one get the swing of things.
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Designer birdhouse sales
aid SAMMinistries
P
romoted as the perfect Mother’s
Day gift, designer birdhouses were
donated by local homebuilders to
SAMMinistries in an effort to help the
faith-based organization raise money for
the homeless of San Antonio.
Recently, SurveySA’s owner and
president, Keith Jimenez, challenged all
area homebuilders to build and/or design birdhouses for participation in a
SAMMinistries fundraiser. To support the
effort, he solicited an additional $50 donation from any homebuilder who participated. As motivation, Keith donated
unfinished birdhouses for decorating to
those who chose not to build their own.
Builders who participated included:
Boscamp Custom Homes, Gordon Hartman Homes and Wilshire Homes. SurveySA donated its own birdhouse, deco-
rated by one of the company’s executives. From detailed gothic church designs for the spiritual sparrows to handpainted garden décor feeders, the entries
were varied and impressive.
SAMMinistries will sell or auction the
birdhouses at an event on May 10th to
raise funds for their various charitable efforts.
“We were pleased with the response
of the building community,” Keith said.
“Many said they would assign the task to
the architecture department. It didn’t
surprise me that they would respond so
positively.”
SurveySA employees picked up all
finished bird “shelters” and personally
delivered them to SAMMinistries to make
sure they met the deadline.
Faster than a speeding bolt of lightning, more powerful than a smashing atom, the City
Public Service (CPS) PowerPals have burst onto the scene in San Antonio, bringing powerful
safety and conservation knowledge to kids across the greater metropolitan area. From their
new headquarters at www.cpskids.com, Wattson (electricity), Gaston (natural gas), and their
teammates Sunshine (solar power), Blades (wind power) and Nukleo (nuclear power) are
using the new CPS Kids Web site to teach local children about the amazing world of energy.
Green workshop
targets homebuilders
W
hat is green building? Find answers at an informational workshop targeted to homebuilders
and architects on Fri., May 16th, from 8:30
am to 12 pm, at the Alamo Area Council of
Governments (AACOG) Board Room, 4700
Tesoro Drive.
Hosted by Metropolitan Partnership
for Energy (MPE), City Public Service
(CPS), Fannie Mae and the Greater San
SurveySA’s Keith Jimenez with sampling of designer birdhouses
Surveyors conquer
River Crossing
Antonio Builders Association (GSABA),
the workshop features presentations about
green building, green design, green financing and energy efficiency. Featured speakers include Becky Oliver, GSABA Executive
Director; John Freisenhahn, GSABA President; Julia Jones, CPS; Linda Stone, Executive Director MPE; Stephen Colley, Architect and Daniel Lopez, Fannie Mae.
QUINNEY
ELECTRIC,
INC.
“THERE
IN A
FLASH”
P.O. BOX 241075
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78224-1075
––––––––––––––––––––––
210-624-2881
FAX: 210-624-2298
OFFICE:
First place team!
T
outed as one of the best tournaments yet, the Texas Society of
Professional Surveyors (TSPS) Alamo Chapter 11 held its 8th Annual TSPS
Golf Tournament on March 20th.
The brand new River Crossing Golf
Club, in Spring Branch, played host to
over forty enthusiastic golfers. At the
conclusion of play, a delicious barbeque
dinner sated the hungry players as they
awaited the distribution of awards.
Tournament results:
1st Place:
Brian Keuhlem, Shawn McGuire,
Dave Ellis and Jim Russell.
2nd Place:
Henry Kuehlem, Pat Smith,
B. Gaines and R. Medina.
3rd Place:
Noel Nichols, Wayne Brassington,
Roy Rosin and Joel Johnson.
Longest Drive #3 and #9:
Joel Johnson.
Closest to the Pin #2:
Wayne Brassington.
Closest to the Pin #12:
T. Zulewski.
Second place finishers!
Caution: hardhats required for school
D
uring the course of three days,
over 2,300 high school students,
teachers and counselors from a
six-county area attended the AGC-Highway Heavy and Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Career Day in San
Antonio. Located on the ‘back forty’ of
the expansive H.B. Zachry Training
Foundation on S. Presa, it was evident a
lot of planning and forethought went
into the execution of the outdoor event.
An enormous tent was raised to accommodate the student traffic and exhibitors representing numerous equipment dealers, engineering firms, highway
contractors, surveying companies and
others promoting careers within their
own segment of the industry.
Exhibitor Frank Closner, Closner
Equipment Co., Inc., specializing in asphalt, concrete, and crushing equipment,
said he brought a ROSCO Spray Patcher
to Career Day for students to operate.
“The students are just learning about
the highway construction industry and
how it operates. Many of them could be
good candidates for this industry, or technical schools, or apprenticeship programs.
There are a lot of opportunities for them,
and an event like this encourages them to
consider this as a career option.”
Meanwhile, most of the action took
place out on the grounds, where heavy
highway equipment awaited the enthusiastic student body. To ensure safety on
the ‘practice’ jobsite, students were required to wear bright yellow hardhats.
Ruthie Pe’Vey, Education Service
Region 20, told San Antonio Construction
News she and her staff provide the connection between all of the business partners and the schools.
L-R: Career Day organizers Ruthie Pe’Vey,
Region 20 and Aline Rice, HOLT CAT.
Up, up and away (with fall protection).
“We disperse all of
the information to the
schools so they can purposefully recruit students to attend this
event,” Ruthie began.
“We want them to know
what to expect and
what they will experience. We’re focusing on
juniors and seniors, giving them an understanding of the different jobs that are available in this industry,
from entry level, to
skilled and professional
jobs. Approximately 25
to 30 schools, representing six counties, are
participating in Career
Day.”
Hands-on time with
heavy equipment isn’t
just a joy ride. Under the
direct supervision of
skilled operators, students stood in line and
waited patiently to practice their dexterity skills.
In one example, students were tasked to
operate a crane, pick up
a very heavy load, take it
slowly through an obstacle course, and place
it on a specific site. The
challenge gave them a
better idea of the precise skill that is required
by equipment operators.
��
R: Chris Nelms, representing the Texas Society of Professional
Surveyors, discusses the biz with students.
Young lady hardhat digs her first ditch!
Across the landscape, front-end loaders, booms,
scissor lifts, cranes, skid loaders, bobcats, bulldozers and
almost everything you would see in a highway construction setting were being operated by students. The looks
on their faces said it all – this is the real world!
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This th
Mon
General Contracting
This risky business has its rewards!
This month in FOCUS, San Antonio Construction News spoke with several general contractors to discuss their scope of work and selected projects,
the effect the War in Iraq is having on business, future goals and the personal rewards they reap as contractors.
S
pecializing primarily in school construction, Houston-based Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.
established its Southwest Regional office
in San Antonio four years ago. Vice President John Kovar said his branch targets
markets in San Antonio and the Rio
Grande Valley.
“Sevent y - f ive
percent of our customers are school
districts, colleges or
universities in the
State of Texas,” John
reported. “The remainder is commercial, industrial, and
public works. Laredo
Community College
is the largest project
being managed from
the San Antonio office. Our volume has
definitely increased
in the last year. We try
to maintain an average of 20 percent annual growth, and
we’ve been successful in doing that.”
Recognizing the need for future infrastructure in communities throughout
Central/South Texas, S&P has tapped
into the water and wastewater treatment
market.
“We have hired personnel and estimators with experience in that field,”
John added. “It opens up another avenue
within the public works arena that we
can pursue.”
An award recipient for the historical
renovation of Wheatley Middle School,
John said the S&P project was not without challenges.
“In essence, the scope of work involved demolition of the core and preservation of the existing exterior façade,
resulting in new construction from the
inside out. Wheatley has all of the amenities of a new school, with an older, historic curbside appeal.”
On the subject of schools and public
projects, John speculated the immediate
impact of the War in Iraq on his business
P
would be the increase in competition.
“As the private sector remains on
hold, there’s less private work underway.
Those contractors come into our public
market to try and stay busy. There will be
more competition in the public sector
over the next few years, until world
events stabilize.”
Looking toward
the future, John
predicts a turning
point when contractors will utilize
more “green building” materials and
techniques.
“Our company has
sent several of our
personnel to training and green building seminars, trying
to implement as
many basic aspects
as we can. I believe
the trend toward resource and energy
conservation will increase either voluntarily or by mandate.”
S&P had zero lost-time accidents
companywide last year, with over one
million man-hours worked. John credits
the company’s emphasis on safety with
the commendable results. He said his
goals include maintaining that record
and growing San Antonio into a $100 million a year contracting branch.
When San Antonio Construction News
asked John to discuss the most rewarding aspect of general contracting, he
said there’s nothing better than seeing
the final product.
“Public projects and schools are built
with a special function,” John concluded.
“It’s always great to see kids walking
through the doors on the first day of
school, knowing they have a state-ofthe-art place where they can learn and
prepare for the future. We’re a small part
of that, a sometimes disruptive but necessary nuisance. We strive to be the best
school builder in Texas and are proud of
our track record to date.”
erforming the bulk of its work in San Antonio,
Bexar County, and throughout Central/South
Texas, Capstone Corporation is a general contracting firm operating from one location in San Antonio.
Marking its eighth year in business, the company’s
managing partner and vice president, Tom Pittman, said Capstone
is focused on the private commercial sector.
“Within the private sector,” he
began, “our scope includes select
bid, design/build, and negotiated
work. Over the years we have established a track record, resulting in
many repeat clients in the pharmaceutical, auto parts, religious and
other niche markets.”
On a fiscal basis, Tom and his
staff may spend six months in the
design and development phase of a
project, and not see it come to fruition until the next
year. In spite of that, he said his overall volume increased in 2002.
“We spend a lot of time pursuing different projects
and clients,” Tom offered. “Our approach is non-traditional in that when we enter into an agreement with a
client we are involved in research to determine the
overall function of the building. We act as a construction manager on the project by pre-qualifying and
C
arving a successful niche within
the private sector, general contractor Patrick G. Fetzer is the sole
proprietor of Fetzer Companies. Operating from a single location, the eightyear-old company performs the bulk of
its work in San Antonio and Bexar County.
Patrick, who has a degree in engineering technology and civil construction, with a minor in building construction, graduated from Texas A&M University in 1984. After working for three major
general contractors over the next decade, he set out to conquer the world in
1995. He said 90 percent of his work is
negotiated in the private sector.
“Many of my customers are end-users, such as the dentist who is building
his own clinic and office, or a businessman who is building his own retail store,”
Patrick explained. “I prefer getting into a
project early, working on the project
development, exercising construction
management
methods and serving as general contractor. Over the
past year our volume has increased,
and I credit that to
word-of-mouth referrals, good customers talking to
potential customers.”
In a departure
from the norm, Patrick has taken on some
challenges that other contractors dismissed.
“In the last two years, we have done
a lot of building repairs. For example, I
fixed a 40,000-sf warehouse in which
the fire line eroded away when an 8-in
water main broke. It literally hydroblasted the whole front section of the
building, leaving the front tiltwall panels askew. To correct the tilted tiltwalls,
we under-excavated, placed piers and
re-jacked the building. An engineer
qualifying subcontractors and suppliers, acting as the
owner’s representative and team leader, and by recognizing what the project management needs with regard to integration, scope, quality procurement, human resources, etc. I’m convinced that providing construction management with a guaranteed maximum
price (GMP) offers owners the
best value.”
Looking forward, Tom said
he is staging his company for
successful participation in the
biotech sector, which he predicts will grow by leaps and
bounds.
“Depending upon what happens with Brooks City Base and
others, we anticipate unlimited
potential in that industry.”
Capstone Corporation has
recently joined forces with Dallas-based Andres Construction,
Inc. to work on the Village del Rio project, on Broadway,
which is just getting underway.
“I’m excited to be working with my former employer,” Tom admitted. “It promises to be a difficult,
18-month project. The multi-use facility features retail
and office space, a 5-story parking garage, and an upscale apartment complex.”
Last year, Capstone transformed an aging downtown property into a complex office, research and Q.C.
with whom I have a good rapport recommended our company for the task,
and we stepped up to the plate.”
Regarding the state of the economy
and the impact of the War in Iraq on business, Patrick said it has certainly influenced the subcontracting community.
He said he’s getting faster turn-around,
better prices, and improved attitudes.
“I strive very hard to pay my subcontractors every two weeks,” he emphasized, “on all of my major projects. I think
a lot of subs are finding that out and
they’re started to beat on my door. Because of that I’m able to get projects
done in a timely manner.”
Although Patrick doesn’t think San
Antonio will embrace “green” building
methods voluntarily, he has worked on a
“green” project recently for the Birkenstock Store at the Strand.
“It was a “green” design, including
millwork
made
from
recycled
wheat board, reclaimed long leaf
fir, and a recycled
cork floor. San Antonio is still focused
on the bottom line,
and green products are not that
cheap. The City of
San Antonio is
leading by example, and “greener”
mandates
may
change the complexion of construction as we know it.”
One of the reasons Patrick started his
own company was to be more involved
in every aspect of development and construction. In his role as vice president of
operations for another company, he had
a lot of responsibility over other people’s
work, but it wasn’t enough.
“Now, I can see a project from conception through completion. I like being
involved in the whole process and find it
very rewarding.”
science building. The renovations, involving a section
of existing warehouse space, resulted in a pharmaceutical aerosol plant.
San Antonio Construction News asked Tom to discuss his personal impressions regarding the impact the
Iraq War is having on business. He said he thinks owners are exercising greater caution.
“Inevitably, I feel it will be a boost to us. Once the
battle is over, once we’ve won, I think it will be more
comforting than people may realize. Eventually, the
U.S. victory will lead to a boom situation.”
Rather than lose sight of the fundamentals that
have helped his company earn a measure of success,
Tom said one of his goals this year is to re-examine his
original business plan.
“Ours is a service-based organization, and reviewing the fundamentals that made our construction
company successful will help us to continue to apply
and execute the principles of sound construction management.”
Asked to describe the most rewarding aspect of
his work, Tom didn’t hesitate.
“Without a doubt it’s the successful completion of
a job! There’s so much planning and preparation, time
and emotion involved in every single project. Knowing
there will always be roadblocks, the risk we take as
general contractors is worth it when you view the final
product. When the people are happy and the building
functions as planned, that’s rewarding.”
F O C U S
Page24
Shaping the
State of Texas
Local Roots
National Resources
Building in Te
T xas Since 1960
More Than 300 Proj
o ects Across the State
oj
The Backing of a $2 Billion Company
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General Contracting
San Antonio Construction News • May 2003
continued from Page 23 - This risky business has its rewards!
M
arking its 40th year in business,
Hooker Contracting Co., Inc. is
a general contracting firm specializing in commercial and industrial
construction. Operating from one San
Antonio location, the company works
primarily throughout central and south
Texas.
President Scott Shaheen said
Hooker’s focus is in the private sector
and selected public projects.
“Our customers range from large industrial developers to small churches,”
Scott explained. “I would estimate we’ve
completed in excess of 100 church projects, and we recently completed a 33acre development for Budco, the local
Budweiser distributor. It features a
290,000-sf corporate office, refrigerated
warehouse,
vehicle
maintenance center and
distribution complex. That’s a good
representation of
our diversity.”
One of the first
contractors in this
area to work with
architects and engineers on design/
build and design/assist projects, Hooker’s marginal decrease in business last
year is a reflection of the economy, in
Scott’s opinion, but he hasn’t had to lay
anyone off.
“We are starting to see it come back
around,” he affirmed. “Owners are more
conservative right now, and we have a
number of projects that have either
been delayed or put on hold, including
retail, industrial distribution, warehouse
and office projects. If they all turn around
at the same time, we’ll be awfully busy.
That would be a good problem.”
For reasons Scott was pressed to ex-
plain, there are an abundance of golf
courses and clubs being developed
throughout Texas. Experienced in course
development and construction (i.e. The
Quarry, Pecan Valley, Sonterra, etc.),
Hooker recently completed Phase I of
the Cimarron Hills Country Club in
Georgetown, and continues to pursue
the golf course market.
Although Scott doesn’t classify his
company as being green-oriented, he
expects to see more ‘green’ construction
in the next couple of decades.
“While some compliance directives
will be forced on developers, I am hearing developers talk seriously about
green designs. They know it’s coming.”
A welcome reprieve from the space
it now occupies, in
the
next
year
Hooker Contracting will be building
its own new facility.
“That is one of our
immediate goals,”
Scott emphasized.
“We’ll also concentrate our efforts on
building more golf
facilities,
which
tend to be profitable for us. We like that type of high-end
finish work. Most of our work is negotiated, and we have a lot of repeat clients.”
For the last fifteen years, Hooker
Contracting has enjoyed a steady influx
of negotiated and select hard-bid work.
Asked what the most rewarding aspect
of general contracting work is in his
opinion, Scott said it is the relationships
developed with their clients, subcontractors and vendors.
“We have a unique situation in that
we develop friendships with the people
we work with and for.”
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W
ords of
isdom
This month in FOCUS,
sought out four notable general
contractors who helped
shape our city’s skyline during the
course of their careers.
These respected gentlemen have
met and conquered more serious
challenges than many of us will ever
encounter. Two of the general
contractors are retired from
the construction business;
two remain active in the firms
they helped build.
Each contractor was asked to answer
one thought-provoking question:
“In your recollection, what was
the most important lesson(s) you
learned in the early days of your
career that helped you survive and
succeed as a general contractor?”
Revealed in their own words, these
voices of experience share their personal
philosophy, attitudes, and valuable
lessons learned during their journey
to conquor the hardships and
unexpected surprises that are inherent
in the construction industry.
Bartlett Cocke, Jr.
Bartlett Cocke
General Contractors
“From the outset, I had no illusions about quick success. I knew that
I was no smarter than anyone else or
that I had advantages that they didn’t
possess. Therefore, my resolution was
determination, tenacity and honesty.
“It took seven years to get my
head above water and another ten
years, or so, to be an established contractor. Patience, determination, focus, tenacity and integrity are the
things that finally brought me to a
position of respect in the building
community. Additionally, I decided to
not do what many contractors did
with owners and architects; namely,
argue, claim and, perhaps, sue.
“Instead, my position was that
nearly all problems are resolvable
with discussion, negotiation and compromise. Profit is generated in construction by building and finishing a
contract and moving on to the next
one. Arguments, claims and lawsuits
focus on what happened in the past.
This requires a lot of attention and
takes away from building and planning for today and the future.
“What pleases me most, now that
I have retired and the second generation of management has taken over, is
that the present managers embrace
these same values.”
Bartlett Cocke, Jr.
F O C U S
General Contracting
Gerald Lyda, Sr.
Lyda, Inc.
Cosmo Guido
Guido Brothers Construction Co.
“My father started the
company in 1927 and I followed in his footsteps. His
philosophy, which he passed
on to me and which I adhered to, was to always give
more to the job than you receive. Dad was a very kind
person, and it was part of his
nature to conduct
business in that
way.
“In other
words, by
making the
client very
h a p p y
when you
leave
the
project, he’s
more likely to
ask you back
when he has another
job to do. If you do that every time, you’re going to be
better off than if you try to
skimp on the job, or not give
them everything they’re
supposed to have.
“That’s a philosophy I
used, and still use, all the
time. By putting myself in
the shoes of the client, I can
better envision what it is he
Page 25
“I learned many lessons
about the construction business before I even started my
company in 1960. By working
for numerous construction
companies for over 15 years,
using my hands and
my mind, I was
able to acquire
the necessary skills,
experience
and selfconfidence
required to
start a construction
business.
Hands-on experiences, along with personal integrity, are important elements in the start-up
of a construction business, especially when you don’t have a
lot of money and have limited
formal education.
“It is important to surround yourself with wellqualified people. Each supervisor should know if the people working under him are
making
or
losing
money. Keeping accurate labor, material and equipment
costs and comparing them
closely to the construction es-
wants from me. It proved to
be very successful, and I applied it to every job whether
it was a $1,000 job or a $5
million job. As long as you
try to take care of your customer, you’ll be repaid many
times over. We did get a lot
of repeat jobs because we
took care of the project. We still get
them today.
“As an example, our
company
has always
offered a
one - year
guarantee
on our projects. If somebody called me
15 months later
with a problem, I went back
and fixed it, and probably
didn’t charge a dime. That’s a
gesture of goodwill that can
only benefit our company.
“I’ve taught my son Tom,
who has taken overthe business, to do the same thing.
He’s doing a great job.”
Cosmo Guido
timate is the key. If a person is
unable to make money for
your company, you probably
need to let him go work for
one of your competitors. After
a job is finished, it’s important
to know why you made
or lost money. If
you lost money,
make sure you
that
you
don’t make
the
same
mistake
again.
“Never tell
somebody
that you will do
something and
not live up to that
promise. Always be fair and
honest with your subcontractors and suppliers. Equally important, be sure to understand
the importance of cash flow
management as it relates to
your banking and bonding
needs, keeping in mind that
only a small portion of the
money you are managing belongs to you. Finally, always
strive to leave a satisfied owner
behind, regardless of whether
you expect to do business with
him again.”
Gerald Lyda, Sr
Melvin Mitchell, G.W. Mitchell & Sons, Inc.
“My dad started G.W. Mitchell General Contractor in 1921. He
had very little capital and basically took on whatever projects he
could find. By the mid-to-late twenties, G.W. had built a solid
reputation and was asked to construct a large mansion near Alamo Heights. It is now known as the McNay Art Museum. He managed to survive the depression and continued to build his company through World War II.
“I officially joined the G.W. Mitchell organization in
1957. The first significant job I recall estimating and
managing was the City Public Service Assembly
Building, now known as Villita Assembly Building. It was a very unique job in that it had a cable-supported roof structure, which, in 1957,
was before the days of any of the dome stadiums. The construction process involved loading
down the roof structure with brick, then pouring
concrete around the cables, which held the roof
up. I was so pleased that everything had gone according to plan and that the cost incurred matched
my estimate. It was when we had to remove the brick
from the freshly cured concrete roof structure that I realized I
had neglected to put this last step into the estimate. That was a
hard lesson I learned early in my career regarding the importance
of including all phases of the construction in your estimate.
“In 1962, we broke ground on the M&S Tower, a multi-story
construction project built in downtown San Antonio. However, it
was the first construction site in our city to make use of a tower
crane. Since no one in San Antonio had knowledge of tower
cranes, I traveled to Houston to get advice and training from a
contractor in that area. The experience proved to be very valuable for our firm and drastically enhanced construction techniques in San Antonio in the years to come.
“I have tried to pass on to my three sons what I
learned from my father and what knowledge I
gained over the past 46 years in construction.
Some of these include hiring the best people,
and making a special effort to communicate
and cooperate with the owners and design
teams, particularly when there are problems.
“Always try to be innovative in construction
methods. Don’t assume there is only one method, and don’t hesitate to try something new.
“Spend time in your estimate considering out of
the ordinary procedures which can save time and
money.
“Most importantly, always do your job with integrity and a
Christian ethic.”
Melvin Mitchell
CAPSTONE
CORPORATION




Ofc 210.731.9744
Fax 210.731.9760
GENERAL CONTRACTING
RENOVATION
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
DESIGN BUILD
Tom Pittman
Capstone Corporation
1210 West Laurel
F O C U S
Page 26
General Contracting
SURVEY
S U R V EY
Associated Builders
and Contractors
and
6 companies were involved in a lawsuit in the last 12 months.
No companies were audited by the IRS in the last 12 months.
6 companies were inspected by OSHA in the last 12 months.
2 companies are woman and/or minority owned.
1=Strongly Agree
Associated General
Contractors
THE KELLER-MARTIN ORGANIZATION, INC.
25 YEARS
General
Contracting
Fax 210-408-0304
ORION
CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES, INC.
 Proven to be one of the




Clients include:
USAA, Diamond Shamrock
Xerox, Symantec, IBM
and Ilex Oncology
“We have found Orionʼs integrity,
creativity and professionalism
to be unquestionable.”
Charles Cheever
Chairman, Broadway National Bank
(210) 525-9079
www.orionpartnersinc.com
3=Neutral
4=Disagree
5=Strongly Disagree
1
PERSONNEL
Have more estimators on staff than one year ago:..................... 00
Employees are requesting more pay and benefits than
those provided:.............................................................. 00
Our staff includes a full-time human resources position:............ 06
We are reducing our staff levels: ................................................ 00
CT
COLOR TECH
PAINTING
•
•
•
•
•
Painting
Pressure Cleaning
Commercial
Residential
Graffiti Removal
7101 Eckhert Rd.
(210)
684-1554
2
3
4
5
12 30 29 29
29 47 24 00
18 06 06 64
35 18 29 18
INTERNAL OPERATIONS
We intend to open additional offices in 2003:............................. 06
Company growth requires relocation to larger facility:................ 06
Our company works outside of the San Antonio area: ............... 24
Cost of insurance rose substantially in 2002: ............................. 76
00
06
47
24
12
24
12
00
12
00
17
00
70
64
00
00
TECHNOLOGY
Staff includes full-time computer specialist to maintain
equipment: .................................................................... 06
Computer viruses adversely affected our operations in 2002:.... 06
We will upgrade our technology in 2003:.................................... 23
We use a Website for project control: ......................................... 12
06
00
18
18
35
24
24
12
18
41
23
29
35
29
12
29
JOB SITE ISSUES
We use job site security cameras and alarms: ........................... 06
Architects acknowledge us on the excellence of our work:......... 29
Our mantra is safety, safety, safety: ............................................ 41
Job site theft remains a problem, in spite of our efforts:............. 24
06
35
29
41
18
24
30
23
35
12
00
00
35
00
00
12
SUBCONTRACTORS
Safety compliance by subcontractors meets our expectations:.. 00
Out-of-town subcontractors are driving bids down: .................... 06
Most subcontractors are dependable and deliver results: .......... 06
The majority of our subcontractors work on every job:............... 00
24
29
53
23
29
24
17
59
24
41
18
06
23
00
06
12
FINANCIAL ISSUES
Our profit line is better this year than one year ago:................... 00
Bonding is difficult to obtain:....................................................... 00
Operating costs have risen substantially over the past year:...... 24
We are projecting stability in business in 2003:.......................... 23
41
18
18
47
35
12
58
06
18
23
00
18
06
47
00
06
PERSONAL
I spend more than 10 hours a day at work: ................................ 41
Business demands have reduced time with my family: .............. 17
Affiliation with professional associations improves our
credibility: ...................................................................... 24
I still have time to play:................................................................ 17
Your Commercial
Tenant Finish
Professionals
highest quality performers
in the marketplace
Over two million square
feet of interior space
completed in excess of
$65 million dollars
Managing new generation
and renovation projects
from 10,000 to 128,000
square feet
Expert in high tech, high
density design
Innovators in adaptive
rehabilitation of unique
properties
2=Agree
Results are measured in percentages.
Support the
General Contracting Community
4930 Enterprise Drive
210-408-0378
This month we are highlighting the General Contracting Industry.
The response was 17%.
76% considered their company “small” with less than $15 million in sales.
18% considered their company “medium” with $16 - $50 million in sales.
06% considered their company “large” with $51+ million in sales.
35 12 12 00
41 12 18 12
17 47 12 00
53 18 06 06
United Tool offers chance
to win $1,000,000
L
ast year, a man
won $1,000,000
for driving five
screws into a wooden
plank in less than six
seconds. On Wed.,
April 9th, United Tool
& Fasteners, Inc.
hosted the DeWalt
Million Dollar Challenge at their new
place of business on
Jones Maltsberger.
A
construction
supply house, United
Tool’s owner and vice
president, Jimmy BarL-R: DeWalt’s Robert Roy Smith coaches Marco Rincon, Fetzer
tee, said he invited
Companies, and Valerie Hinojosa hits the timing device.
customers
from
years ago, United Tool & Fastener’s
throughout the construction industry.
“This is an opportunity for them to take growth and success compelled its ownthe $1,000,000 Challenge, eat some ers to seek larger accommodations. Jimhome-cooked BBQ, and talk to the DeWalt my said the new place is an improvement
reps about power tools and equipment. over its former facility, “but it’s already
On any job site around, United Tool’s got pretty full, so in the next five years we
may have to move again.”
something to sell them.”
Asked how business is going, Jimmy
As guests visited and ate, the adventurous stepped up to take the Challenge, said with three months remaining in the
to see how fast their fingers and hands fiscal year, he has already surpassed last
could manipulate five standard screws year’s earnings. “We’d like to see a 20 perand a power drill. A high-tech digital cent growth next year, and ideally, every
timer eliminated the possibility of human year after that!”
United Tool & Fasteners is headquarerror as the time passed.
Established in San Antonio seven tered in Houston.
Jimmy Bartee (center) mingles with guests.
Do you know what the consequence
is for not remembering Mother’s Day?
You don’t even want to know!
Sunday, May 11th
"Where SA's
Construction
people meet
to eat"
First Time in San Antonio . . . A Mexican Restaurant
that thinks of your health and the Construction Business.
Company
Hat Special
Bring in your
Company's Hat
and receive a
FREE Regular
Hamburger.
Limit one per company.
Side orders not included.
While you're here, check out our Bulletin Board
for News of SA Construction!
In Memory of Mr. Hipps, we are the new
home of the GIANT HAMBURGER!
1822 Fredericksburg Road
corner of N. Zarzamora & Fredericksburg
734-5434
Renewable
resource
checklist
for builders
Sunbelt
Builders Show
wants your
ideas
O
rganizers announced they are
seeking “Call for Presentations”
from all members of the National
Association of Home Builders and any
building industry experts who would like
to present topics impacting the building
industry at the upcoming 2003 Sunbelt
Builders Show.
The third annual Sunbelt Builders Show,
sponsored by the Texas Association of
Builders, will be held October 16-18, 2003
at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas,
Texas. This regional exposition and conference is dedicated exclusively to builders, custom builders, remodelers and
contractors of the Southwest region of the
United States.
A program of information-rich seminars, panels and special certification programs will provide corporate decisionmakers and industry professionals with
the opportunity to learn about the latest
issues, strategies and solutions in the
Southwest building market.
“The content of the sessions should
focus on specific trends and dynamics
that will impact professionals in the building industry,” said executive committee
chairperson Beverly Koehn.
The conference will cover hot topics
in the areas of sales and marketing, management, production, technology and
other new topics in the building
industry. The format will be several concurrent sessions over two days with most
sessions
being
90
minutes
in
length. Please submit your suggestions to
Todd Davis at (972) 402-0094 x201 or todd
@davispeterson.com. The deadline for
your topic to be considered is May 16th.
•
Encourage designs that shade
the structure to avoid after-thefact fixes like solar screens.
•
Encourage design “buffers” on
west walls (like garages and closets) to reduce the impact of afternoon summer sun. Sometimes
this is as easy as flipping the elevation so the garage is on the
west side.
•
Minimize carpet area and make
use of the thermal mass characteristics of tile and finished concrete floors.
•
Install windows rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council and optimize the window to
wall area ratio.
•
Ensure that window placement
allows flow-through ventilation,
both from prevailing breezes,
and by low and high windows
that draw air through the house.
•
•
Optimize insulation levels.
•
•
Minimize electrical needs.
Install or encourage high effi ciency appliances.
Reduce hot water needs with
water conservation.
and ink drawings of vintage aircraft,
framed and hanging on the wall), but,
not as much as I would like to. (Looking
further, I noticed a collection of model
airplanes displayed on his bookcase).
SACN: Are you a pilot?
DPR: No, but I have always had a love of
aviation. I’m kind of an amateur military
history buff at heart.
SACN: Did you meet your wife in college?
DPR: Actually, I met Kimberly in high
school. We were in the same Spanish
class, and I asked her to the senior prom.
Color Tech Painting, Inc.
From that point on, we had an on-againoff-again relationship. She attended
Editor’s note: Doug Roy is the president Louisiana State University, which resulted
and owner of Color Tech Painting, Inc. in a long distance relationship. That may
Not yet thirty-three years old, I was sur- have been of benefit to me, academically.
prised to find such a young man at the SACN: When did you marry?
helm of a major subcontracting firm he DPR: In 1993. We’ll celebrate our tenth
didn’t inherit. He later explained how a anniversary this November. Kimberly is a
simple phone call changed his life.
teacher and we have a daughter, Elizabeth (6), and son, David (almost 4).
SACN: Doug, are you from San Antonio?
SACN: Where did you go to work after
here, that the potential existed for me to other work in its vicinity. I wouldn’t pass
DPR: Yes, I was born at Wilford Hall Hospi- college?
tal, in July 1970. My parents, Jerry and Ma- DPR: I was told at one point in college, if I buy him out eventually. He trained, up an opportunity to work with Toyota.
rie Roy, adopted me about one month couldn’t get a job with an architecture shaped and groomed me from day one SACN: Doug, what do you and your family do when you have free time?
later. With the exception of a three-year firm in the summers, that I should work in with that in mind.
DPR: Due to the fact that I don’t have
stint in Kansas City, I was raised right here. construction. My mother happened to SACN: How was the buyout executed?
SACN: Was your father in the military?
work for Alpha Contracting, a general con- DPR: In 1999, Tony was approaching his another estimator right now, the majority
DPR: No, he worked for Travelers Insur- tractor working on military bases in the 65th birthday and was ready to retire. I of my time is spent working, including
ance Co., as a commercial lines manager in area. I got a summer job with Bill Cox, who worked with my banker at SouthTrust evenings. We are blessed to have both
San Antonio.
was subcontracting for Alpha, doing de- Bank on developing a business loan, sets of grandparents in town, and on the
SACN: Do you have brothers and sisters?
molition and general construction at Ran- which would enable me to do a straight weekends we spend time with them.
Kimberly and I are very family-oriented,
DPR: Yes, I have one sister, Julie, who is dolph A.F.B. It was hot, sweaty, dirty work, buyout with Tony.
about three years younger.
and thanks to the work ethic my parents SACN: How many employees do you and our kids are at an age where they’ll
soon be involved in organized sports. For
SACN: What local schools did you attend? had instilled in me, I knew the harder I have?
DPR: I bounced
worked, the better DPR: We’re seasonal, like everyone else, the most part, we hang around the house
but we typically have between 25 and 30 on weekends or go out and play.
“From a very early age it seems
around
Northeast
off I would be.
SACN: Doug, you have a full career unISD, attending ThouSACN: Did you work painters on a regular basis.
I was always drawing.”
sand Oaks Elementafor that company SACN: What’s an average day like for you, folding before you. In what direction do
Doug?
you plan to take the
ry, Bradley Middle
every summer?
company?
School, and MacArthur High School, grad- DPR: I also worked for Craig Lauderdale, DPR: I try to get here
uating in 1988.
Lauderdale Painting. He was a fellow Ag- by 7:30 am. Usually “That phone call had more impact on DPR: Within one
changing my life than any other.”
year I will probably
SACN: Were you an outdoorsman or did gie with an environmental design de- my foreman, Lupe
hire an estimator to
you participate in athletics?
gree. He put me in the field as a laborer, Carrasco, has the
DPR: I played soccer and baseball, like ev- sanding walls, prep work, taping and crews lined out and good to go. By 8 am, assist me in that arena. My time will be
erybody else did, primarily on a CYO team. floating, and painting. At the end of that my staff and I are in a meeting to discuss better spent checking the jobs. In five
In high school, I developed an interest in summer, Craig asked me to talk to him current progress of jobs. From there, it’s years the loan will be paid off at the bank,
racquetball and volleyball.
when I graduated…he’d have a job wait- anybody’s guess…from estimating, pric- and I’ll be looking for a new facility away
ing change orders, jobsite meetings, from Bandera Rd., simply because the
SACN: Did you continue your education?
ing for me.
checking the jobs, and all of the other traffic has become excessive.
DPR: I sure did. I was accepted to Texas A & SACN: And did he?
SACN: Would you prefer an estimator
M University where I studied environmen- DPR: Yes, and I worked there for a year things that go with running a company.
tal design (architecture, Aggie-style) and a half, as a project manager. I at- SACN: Is all of your business gained who is young and naïve, as you were
once, or an experienced man or woman?
graduating in 1992.
tended job site meetings, kept up with through the hard bid process?
SACN: Why did you select A&M?
change orders and work orders, dabbled DPR: We have some negotiated jobs, but DPR: Preferably, somebody with a little
less experience. It’s easier to develop
DPR: There were three schools in Texas with estimating, followed the paper the majority is hard bid.
that had excellent architecture programs. chase, and made sure the painters were SACN: Is competition fierce in these eco- someone who is not set in his own ways.
I would even consider hiring an intern, so
nomic times?
I chose A&M over UT-Austin and Texas scheduled in the proper sequence.
Tech because it was far enough away, SACN: Where did you go when you left DPR: Yes, things are tight. It’s not uncom- I could mold and shape him, and he
mon for one company to beat out an- could see if this is what he really wants to
without being too far away. And, every Lauderdale’s?
other company by do for a living.
Aggie that my family had ever met was DPR: I had put out
less than one per- SACN: Doug, are you affiliated with any
friendly, so it seemed like a good fit. I can the word through
“I’m kind of an amateur military
cent.
Thankfully, local construction associations?
honestly say, I never regretted going to contacts at The Buildhistory buff at heart.”
we’ve had a lot of DPR: Yes, since 1999 I have been a board
A&M. It was everything I expected it to er’s Exchange that I
bond
packages member for the American Subcontracbe, and more.
was entertaining a
SACN: Were you in the Corps?
change. In two weeks, I got a call from passed for education, and I think that’s tors Association.
DPR: No, I was not. I had been advised Tony McComas, Color Tech Painting. That what is keeping everyone going right SACN: What do you like about being a
that architecture majors had too many phone call had more impact on changing now. There’s not nearly as much private painting contractor and what is the
work as there was two years ago.
greatest reward?
academic demands to be successful in my life than any other.
SACN: You probably don’t have a lot of DPR: No two days are the same. A great
the Corps.
SACN: Had he founded Color Tech?
reward is when I get a call from a general
SACN: At what point during your youth DPR: Yes, he came from the old school; experience with hard times, do you?
did you identify your love for architec- starting as a painter and building up a DPR: It has been a learning curve for me, contractor saying, ‘Doug, I want you to
ture, which combines art and science?
business. Tony established Color Tech in because the last 10 years have been put a number together for us because we
pretty busy. Last year was the toughest like what you did for us last time around.’
DPR: From a very early age it seems I was 1967. He hired me as an estimator.
year I’ve experienced, but I see it improv- Not only is it a reflection on me, but also
always drawing. As a freshman in high SACN: Was he your mentor?
school I was introduced to drafting, DPR: He took me under his wing, taught ing. Private work is slowly creeping back on the manpower I have working for me.
which I really liked. The balance of my me the basics of estimating, and he al- in the form of churches, medical and of- We have received three awards from two
major general contractors since I have
electives for the next four years was ways double-checked my take-offs. In fice buildings.
geared toward architectural and me- the course of time, we built up a good SACN: With the promise of the Toyota been on my own. They mean a lot to me
plant and other burgeoning industries, personally, in that I’m developing my
chanical drafting, and I developed a rapport.
own history of successes. The awards
pretty clear idea of what I wanted to do.
SACN: How did you come to own the does the future look brighter?
DPR: It’s a huge plus. Even if I don’t get were a direct result of the hard work my
SACN: Have you pursued art as a hobby? company?
DPR: I still draw (he pointed to two pen DPR: Tony told me when I first started Toyota directly, there will be plenty of guys put forward on a daily basis.
Spotlight
Douglas Patrick Roy
Backyard Makeover
winner receives prizes
How to handle the
difficult customer
S
H
ave you ever felt like this famous movie line, “Houston, we
have problem,” applied to you and one of your customers? If you have been in business any length of time, I am sure
you have had to handle situations with the occasional difficult
customer. Here are seven ways to manage these rare and infrequent circumstances.
Paul Montelongo
Know that it is real: Understand
that the situation is real to your customer.
It may seem elementary to you, the professional who has experienced it all. To
the customer, this situation is new and
the uncertainty of the outcome is the
most bothersome thing to your customer. Certainty is one of those innate human needs that we all must have. Uncertainty may have created anxiety that
manifests itself with anger, accusations
or the charge that you are unprofessional. In this case, people may say things
that later they will regret. In any event,
allow them to vent their feelings. This
may give you insight to what else they
may be experiencing in their life while
you are working on their project. It allows you to get a broader perspective of
the challenge and more information to
create a solution.
Put It into Perspective: Is this a
“code blue” situation? In other words, are
lives in danger? Is there a serious threat
to your reputation? Will there be severe
financial damages? Consider the answers
to these questions from your perspective
and from that of your client. An honest
appraisal of the event will help you to
more freely create solutions. Putting the
situation in perspective means that you
will analyze the impact on your business
and should influence whether to set the
situation aside and for how long. Once
the importance of the challenge is candidly appraised, open communication
with the client is easier and hopefully,
your client will see it in the overall
scheme of the project. By all means, do
not take it personally. See it as a situation
or an event, not as a definition of you or
your customer.
Express appropriate sympathy:
Acknowledging the challenge and expressing appropriate sympathy for the
situation is imperative. When you acknowledge verbally that a challenge exists, your client knows that you have
heard them. They feel as though you
have an understanding of their plight.
This validation settles their mind to a
place where they can begin to work with
you on solutions. Even if there is a question about who the responsible party
may be, expressing sympathy places you
on common grounds with your client.
Get the facts: Double-check the
facts of the situation. Do not hesitate to
ask lots of questions and take notes in
front of your customer. When a story is repeated and verified over and over, the
truth tends to surface. Verifying all of the
facts creates responsibility. Get clear on as
much as possible. You want to know what
has created the difficulty. The inquiry itself may set up a multitude of solutions.
Actively solve the situation: Work
to actively solve the situation. Be proactive in your approach to the solution. A
challenge that is unsettled only allows
matters to get worse. However, an energetic approach indicates good intent on
your part. When the other parties in the
situation get involved and actively work
toward a solution, a synergy is created.
When many people work together on a
challenge, good things can happen. Your
customer sees your proactive approach
as a sign of sincerity. Every solution to the
challenge may not be known at the outset. Your active and interested involvement may generate more solutions along
the way.
Enlist Expert Help: It may be necessary to get qualified help to solve the issues. This may be in the form of outsourced experts to endorse your position
or to verify that a challenge even exists.
An objective opinion in many cases will
diffuse the emotion of the moment when
dealing with clients. An outside expert
may offer solutions that neither party had
considered. The expert may also help put
the priorities of the issue in logical order.
Experts may come in the form of engineers, product experts or specialized
consultants. The idea here is to get a
qualified individual to offer an unbiased
opinion with the outcome of creating a
solution of the issue at hand.
Agree and deliver: In all cases, if a
challenge with a client is to be resolved,
there must be agreement and delivery. My
attorney friends may not like to hear this,
but our objective as contractors is to keep
our clients happy, our companies profitable and everyone out of court. When all
of the facts and options for solutions are
known, there must be mutual agreement
between contractor and client for the way
the matter is going to be resolved. This
mutual agreement is a huge step, but delivery of the solution is the determining
factor of success. It is like my father told us
while growing up…”There are only two
things that matter, the E’s and the R’s, Excuses and Results.” Deliver the results and
likely you will regain the confidence of
your client. I am not naive enough to believe that every client challenge can stay
out of court. I do believe that if we ask
enough questions, actively search for
plenty of solutions and deliver the results,
we can convert the majority of client challenges into client solutions.
elected as winners of the Backyard
Makeover Contest, sponsored by
City Public Service, San Antonio
Water System, National Association of
the Remodeling Industry, San Antonio
Chapter (NARI) and HEB, John and Venessa Wageman and their children have
every reason to be happy.
John and Vanessa learned of the
Backyard Makeover Contest rules while
viewing the CPS Home & Lifestyle Show
on TV. Judges selected four finalists, then
went to each home to make the final decision on the winner.
Along with the primary sponsors, SA
Building & Remodeling, Decknigue and
Sherwin Williams Paint provided materials and labor to build a 10-ft x 10-ft
deck that was one part of the makeover.
Parrish & Company also provided items
for the project.
Deck work get started under the eyes of the cameras.
0% Financing Available
SAN ANTONIO
(210) 337-6136
AUSTIN
(512) 251-3415
Paul Montelongo is the author of 101 Power
Strategies; Tools to Promote Yourself as the
Contractor of Choice. Paul is a nationallyrecognized speaker and consultant to the
construction industry.
Visit Paul at www.ContractorOfChoice.com
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Compliance hikes paper chase,
protects water quality
Early start at Pecan Valley
for MCA players
T
S
torm Water Permits are now required for all construction and development activities throughout
the United States that disturb (i.e. clear,
excavate, grade, etc.) greater than one
acre of soil. In Texas, prior to March 5,
2003, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) implemented storm water
regulations. Now, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
has taken over the enforcement of the
regulations as they apply to earth moving activities that may affect the quality
of water.
Speaking before members of the
American Subcontractors Association
on Tues., March 25th, Susan Tyler,
CHMM, Compliance Resources, Inc., addressed the issue of small project storm
water regulation requirements. A former
City of Austin environmental inspector,
Susan told the subcontractors the TCEQ is
getting ready to “hammer” the construction industry, especially those trades involved in earth-moving activities.
“A project’s status is determined by the
size of the site, including all offsite spoils or
staging areas. If your site is between one
and five acres, you will need a Storm Water
Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3),” Susan
explained. “If your site is five acres or greater, you are also required to submit a Notice
of Intent (NOI) to TCEQ at least two days
prior to beginning construction.”
SWP3’s include site description, site
map, best management practices, spill
prevention and response plan, nonstorm water discharges, and inspection
forms. SWP3’s are subject to modification
based on site changes and inspection results as required by the EPA/TCEQ.
“It is mandatory to post a copy of the
NOI, the authorization number and the
required storm water signage near the
primary entrance to the site,” Susan continued. “Changes to the site must be
documented routinely throughout the
construction process, erosion control inspections must be made and documented every 14 days and after storm events
that produce 1/2-in. or more of rain. Erosion controls must be properly maintained and problems corrected within
seven days.”
At the conclusion of the construction
project, a Notice of Termination (NOT) to
terminate permit coverage must be submitted within 30 days. This point was reinforced by one subcontractor who said
his company had been assessed a $15,000
fine for having failed to submit three
NOT’s from three individual jobsites.
“Last, but not least,” the compliance
specialist added, “you must maintain
copies of all records associated with the
storm water permits, SWP3’s and inspections for at least three years after your
NOT is filed.”
Susan reminded her audience of subcontractors to read their subcontracts
carefully, and if they are in businesses
where earth moving activities prevail, she
recommends they jump through the
hoops, develop a plan, be environmentally responsible, and save money in the
long haul from not having to deal with
the fines.
“You’re in violation of the permit if
you let pollution leave the site,” Susan
concluded, “and fines can be assessed in
the amounts of $27,500 per violation per
day, up to $125,000 per violation per day.”
he bad news, they had to maneuver through rush hour traffic. The
good news, their destination was
Pecan Valley Golf Club. On Thurs., April
3rd, 76 members and guests of the Mechanical Contractors AssociationSMACNA arrived early for an 8 am
shotgun start. They were starting the
day out right!
At the registration table, San Antonio Construction News spoke with tournament committee co-chair Bill
Monier, A.J. Monier & Co., Inc. He said
co-chair Ken McFarland, TRANE Co.
worked with him on planning the annual MCA-SMACNA Golf Tournament.
“Our turn-out today is the largest
contingent of golfers we’ve had since
we started having tournaments,” Bill
explained. “In addition to our membership, we also invited numerous architects, engineers and general contractors to be our guests. All of the proceeds
from the tournament will go to Habitat
for Humanity, in keeping with a standing tradition. “
A deli sandwich and salad lunch
buffet awaited the golfers as they
wrapped up play. Once refueled, prizes
were presented to, in Bill’s own words,
“the guys that lied the most on their
handicaps, and ended up winning this
tournament.”
L-R: Beryl Vetters, P.J. Industries;
Jim Pollard, Rick Johnson, Joe Cielencki and
Ray Cielencki, M&M Metals.
L-R: Bill McCullough, Keller-Martin Org.;
Martin Polka, Todd-Ford, Inc.; Mike Cervera
and Brian Merrell, Johnson Controls.
Tournament results:
1st Place: Kurt Mosel, L.C. Mosel Co.;
Jorge Garcia, Motorola; Ken McFarland, The Trane Co.; Scott Leonardo,
Hughes Supply Co.
2nd Place: Chris Brandt, Austin Commercial; Liz Preston, York International; and George Orsak, Morrison
Supply Co.
3rd Place: Brad Bright, The Trane Co.;
Ralph
Martin,
HMG
&
Associates; Richard Stakes, Hughes
Supply Co.; Al Garza, Alamo Controls,
Inc.
4th Place: Doug Thorne, A.J. Monier &
Co.; Tim Spoden, Austin Commercial;
Joe Brooks, H.D. Grant Co.; John Harris, Frost National Bank.
L-R: Mike O’Shea, MS2 Engineers;
Scott Johnson, Kasey Smith, A.J. Monier &Co
and Klint Kingsbury, York Int’l.
Closest to the Hole:
#3 – Al Garza, Alamo Controls
#7– Scott Johnson, A.J. Monier & Co.
#12–Patrick Mooney, York International
#16 – George Orsak, Morrison Supply
Longest Drive #6: Scott Johnson.
Put Solar
Fest on your
calendar
S
an Antonio will play host to the
second annual, free-to-thepublic Solar Fest, at Maverick
Park on Sat., May 17th, from 9 am to 4
pm.
Presented by Solar San Antonio,
an alternative energy advocacy and
resource center, Solar Fest promises a
wonderful opportunity for adults and
children of all ages to learn about solar energy, hybrid vehicles, wind power, sustainable building materials, and
sustainable building practices.
Maverick Park will be transformed
by over 40 booths featuring displays
from City Public Service, the San Antonio Water System, the Alamo Area
Council of Governments, the San Antonio Forest, and the Texas Renewable
Energy Industries Association, just to
name a few.
Food and drinks will be available
and as an added attraction, plan to
watch the solar-powered Junior Solar
Sprint model car races. Join Solar San
Antonio for a day of learning as it
leads the way in increasing the awareness and application of renewable
and alternative energy choices
throughout the region.
continued from Page 1 - Prayers are
answered for convent’s future residents
ery aspect of the facility is ADA-compliant
and handicap accessible. In working with
the Mercedarian Sisters, I was impressed
with their organizational skills and their
ability to explain exactly what they wanted.
They’ve had over 50 years to think about
every detail, down to calculating the number of beds they would need in the future
as the population of Mercedarian Sisters approaches retirement age.”
On Fri., April 4th, San Antonio Construction News visited the jobsite and had
an opportunity to meet Sister Guadalupe, Sister Helen and Sister Susana, three
of the convent’s future residents,
“Our Order was founded in 1910, in
Mexico City,” Sister Guadalupe explained.
“We have Sisters in Spain, Chile, El Salvador, Italy, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatamala, and throughout the United States.
This wonderful facility will enable our
older and infirm Sisters to be under one
roof, where we can facilitate the work
that the care providers perform for them,
and otherwise keep an eye on them. We
are all teachers, and we have dedicated
our lives to the work of the Church.
Watching the daily progress of our new
home is the answer to many prayers.”
On a personal note, Joe and Mickey
admitted the project holds nostalgic
meaning for them.
“This is an opportunity for us to give
back to the religious community that
helped shape our lives and form our values,” Mickey said. “The Mercedarian Sisters have been wonderful to work with,
and we are putty in their hands. We intend to exceed their expectations!”
continued from Page 1 - Lyda Builders constructs Watermark Hotel & Spa
for the architect’s review later in the day.
“I was literally pointing at the brick
façade from a 60-ft. distance as it began
to wave,” Gary recalled. “I dialed 911 before the wall finished crumbling. As I secured the front of the building, Steve
went into the building to make sure everyone was out and accounted for. He
also performed first aid on an individual
that was injured and directed rescue personnel to his location.”
After calling the Lyda Builders main
office to advise them of the situation,
Gary notified his foreman to gather all of
the subcontractors and workers in a central location for a head count.
“My foreman notified me that all of
our subs were accounted for,” Gary added. “Fortunately on that day, all of our
work was focused on the other end of the
building, resulting in far fewer injuries
than what might otherwise have come to
pass. There were pedestrians in the barricaded walkway we had constructed,
and the wall appeared to have crumbled
behind the walkway, pushing it across
three lanes of traffic. Before the rescue
team arrived, citizens were lending aid to
an injured pedestrian, and I cautioned
them to not move him in case he had
sustained any back injuries. We started to
clear the area above him of any debris
that could potentially fall on him.”
As the incident unfolded, Gary anticipated the need for a crane and other
heavy equipment. When he observed
the rescue team using a spark-producing
cut-off saw, he reminded them that the
construction site had oxygen and acetylene
tanks that could be leaking from damage,
and a gas line that might have been compromised. They desisted until given the all
clear by City Public Service officials.
The next day, Lyda began the cleanup process as forensic and structural engineers from various camps conducted
their investigations.
“We worked around the clock over
the next five days,” Gary continued. “It
rained like crazy, but we had the street
open and clear on the following Monday
morning, including a new pedestrian
walkway. Steve helped coordinate the
site clean up and demolition.”
Gary reported assistant project manager, Leland Rocchio, helped coordinate
the information flow with the forensic
teams, monitored what they were looking at, and he continues to accumulate
facts and photos.
While speaking with San Antonio
Construction News, Lyda’s Texas Regional
Manager, Jack Dysart said, “When the
wall fell, our team worked 24-hours-aday, for four to five days, making that wall
safe, taking down the other wall, and getting the area cleaned up. Within 10 working days they were pouring concrete
again. I credit Cliff, Gary, Steve and Leland
for what they did to get the job back on
line. They are very, very good people.”
Professional Team:
Project Architect, HKS, Inc.; Structural Engineer, Cutler Gallaway Services, Inc.; Interior Design, Hirsch Bedner Associates;
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer, MS2, Inc.;
Project Management, Project Control of
Texas; Geotechnical/Testing Engineer,
Raba-Kistner Consultants.
Construction Team:
Alamo Concrete Products, Ltd.; Alpha
Insulation & Waterproofing; Aluma
Systems USA (scaffolding); American
Roofing & Metal Co.; Arahed Lathing
Corp.; Baker Drywall Co.; Caston Architectural Millwork; Cato Drilling Co.;
CECO Concrete Construction; D&M
Welding; DEA Specialties Co.; Ella S.A.
Contracting, LP (site utilities); Empire
Structural Steel; Hammonds Wood
Floors; Hardrock Concrete Place & Finish; Hull Doors of San Antonio; J&A
Mechanical, Inc. (HV/AC-plumbing); Joe
Bush and Associates (stairs); Kirby Restaurant Equipment; L.E. Travis Painting; Lundberg Masonry; Northstar Fire
Protection of Texas; Richard’s Rebar
Placing; Robles & Sons, Inc. (demolition); Scott Equipment (laundry); Sharp
Glass, Inc. (windows/doors); Structural
Metals, Inc.; Suncoast Post-Tension;
The Store Décor (exterior fiberglass simulated terra cotta); ThyssenKrupp Elevator
Corp.; Unique Pools; Valiant Products
(laundry chutes); and Walker Electrical.
Established in 1960, Lyda Builders is a
general contractor specializing in commercial office buildings, hotels, retail
centers, corporate facilities, institutional,
and hospital construction, throughout
Texas, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Laredo and the Valley. The company
has completed over four hundred (400)
construction projects in and around Texas. In June of 2002, Lyda Builders became
a member of the Swinerton, Inc. family
of construction companies.
What’s going on?
San Antonio Construction News wants to write about you and your company!
So, call us when you have a significant anniversary, host a special event, receive an
industry award, expand your premises, relocate, open a branch office, hire new
personnel, promote from within, shoot a trophy, and hook the bottom of the ocean.
The Associated General Contractors
team prior to the recent Race
for the Cure. Captain Michelle
Seward, Joeris General Contractors,
You are the news, but as hard as we try, we can’t read your minds.
organized the event.
Phone 210-308-5800 with your story ideas! And . . . thanks!
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15327 San Pedro
(Hwy 281 between Thousand Oaks & Brook Hollow next to Wendy’s)
210 – 499 – 4600
See our ad on Pages 566 & 1372 in your
SBC Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages
& at www.SMARTpages.com
Way to go!
M
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S U P P LY
COMPANY
Sinks & Faucets
Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
Designer Whirlpools & Baths
Visit our unique designer
showroom for your
kitchen and bath needs.
210 344-4436
10130 Jones Maltsberger at Isom Rd.
We also offer an 8,000 sf Self Service Plumbing
and Pipe, Valves and Fittings Counter
to serve our customers better.
ROUND-UP
R
. Jeff Gish, P.E, Project Engineer for
Raba-Kistner’s Facilities Engineering Team, has received his Professional Engineering License
from the Texas State
Board of Registration.
Jeff earned his B.S. in
Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M
University and is a
member of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, the National Society of
Professional Engineers, and the Plant Operations Specialist, Texas Hot Mix Asphalt
Pavement Association. He specializes in
facility investigations, property condition
assessments, and has extensive experience in geotechnical engineering and
construction materials testing services.
I
n mid-April, attorney Mark M. Ferguson opened the Law Offices of Mark
Ferguson, 10715 Gulfdale, Ste. 270, San
Antonio. A legal practitioner for 16 years, Mark
concentrates in construction law and is one of
the Legal Advisors for Associated Builders and
Contractors. Mark is a certified mediator and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He can be contacted at 210-344-0838.
J
S
R
P
atterfield and Pontikes Construction, Inc. is pleased to announce the
appointment of John Kovar to the position of Vice President.
John has been in the
construction industry
since receiving his BS
degree in Architectural Engineering from
the University of Texas
in 1978. John has over
8 years of service with
S&P and was instrumental in developing
the San Antonio office. He is responsible
for project acquisitions for the San Antonio operations, and is an active participant in the local chapters of both the ABC
and AGC.
F
Albert Gonzales,
Jr. has recently
joined
Rehler
Vaughn & Koone,
Inc. to support their
growing architecture department. Albert, who has a
Bachelor of Architecture in Design
Specialization from
Texas Tech University (’92), comes to San
Antonio from Ft. Worth, where he was
team leader in the design and production of several educational facilities.
. Rolando Perez has joined Rehler
Vaugh & Koone, Inc. to aid in their expanding architecture department. The
UTSA graduate earned a BS in Architecture and his work experience includes all
phases of architectural design and planning of educational,
medical, retail and
sports facilities. He is
presently completing
the National Council
of Architectural Registration Board’s requirements for admission to the State
registration exam and is an Associate
Member of the American Institute of Architects.
atricia Ramirez, P.E., has been promoted to unit manager for the Carter
& Burgess, Inc., San Antonio Transportation Programs Unit. With 20 years in her
field, Patricia earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at
San Antonio. She holds memberships in
the American Society of Civil Engineers,
the Council of Engineering Companies,
the San Antonio Mobility Coalition, Inc.,
and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Patricia has experience in the
design and management of numerous
interstate and urban expressway projects, as well as rehabilitation and public
works projects.
rancisco M. Lopez is a Project Manager at Lopez Salas Architects, Inc.
with experience in architectural design,
construction
and
management. Francisco’s
experience
ranges from commercial, corporate space
planning to low-income housing and
high-end residential
work.
Educational
and sports facilities involvement have
also contributed to his well-rounded
scope of work.
ick Lester has been promoted to the
position of Senior Project Manager in
the San Antonio office of Satterfield and
Pontikes Construction, Inc. Rick brings
over 33 years of experience in the construction industry to
the position. A past
president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services
(SMPS), Rick currently sits on its board of
directors. He is also on the executive
board of the San Antonio Chapter of the
Hispanic Contractors Association. Rick will
oversee the project management functions of S&P’s San Antonio operations.
Austin Construction News
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
speaker is Doug Hoffman, Vulcraft. The
cost is $15/person.
ABC
HCA
PHCC-SA
May 14: The Associated Builders and
Contractors hosts its 2nd Wednesday
Safety Shorts Luncheon, 11:30 am, at the
Old San Francisco Steak House, 10223
Sahara. Speaker is Captain Nimm Kidd,
SAFD. Cost is $18 per person.
May 14: ABC’s CPR Certification at ABC
office, from 5:30 pm until completed.
Cost is $20 for members, and $30 for
non-members. Seating is limited.
May 15: First Aid Certification at ABC office, starting at 5:30 pm. Cost is $20 for
members, or $30 for non-members.
May 22: Free Parking Lot Mixer at The
Builders’ Exchange of Texas, 4047 NacoPerrin, Ste. 100, from 5 to 8 pm. Mixer is
hosted by ABC, AGC, ASA, BX, NAWIC,
PHCC-SA, and ACCA-SA. All you can eat
fajitas, rice & beans. Expect lots of door
prizes, beverages, and fun.
R.S.V.P. ALL EVENTS: 210-342-1994
May 21: The Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio general membership meeting will be held at the Builder’s
Exchange of Texas, 4047 Naco-Perrin, at
6 pm. Special guests will include city
council run-off candidates.
Sept. 25,26,27: The HCA San Antonio
Chapter will host the 2003 HCA State
Conference. Events include a golf tournament, business meetings, Construction
Expo, concluding with a Gala and Awards
Ceremony. For more information, call the
HCA office at 210-444-1100.
May 8: The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling
Contractors of San Antonio hosts its
monthly meeting at Dave & Buster’s,
from 11 am to 1 pm. Guest speaker: Mike
Hajduk, Callaghan-Roach, addressing
“Performance Based Pay.” Meet PHCCTexas President Tony Cox and visit the
PHCC-Texas Med-Gas Trailer. Cost is $15
members; $20 non-members. R.S.V.P. to
210-523-1540.
June 19-21: PHCC-Texas and PHCCOklahoma’s State Convention at Lakeway, TX. Call 1-800- 992-7422 for info.
June 28: Saltwater Fishing Tournament
at Port Aransas, TX.
ACCA-SA
IEC
May 16 – 17: The Independent Electrical
Contractors will host its 3rd Annual IEC
Bar-B-Que Cook-off. The event is open
to the public on Sat., May 17th, from 10
am to 6 pm. The event will be held at the
Helotes Festival Association Fair Grounds,
located at 12210 Leslie Rd., Helotes.
May 12: The Air Conditioning Contractors Association of San Antonio’s Board
of Directors meeting is at 4:30 pm, at Insco Distributing, 2403 Freedom Drive.
May 15: ACCA-SA membership meeting
is at11:15 am, at Dave & Busters. Trooper
Travis Hall, Texas Department of Public
Safety (DPS) will discuss driver safety.
July 16-20: Mechanical Contractors Association of Texas will hold its annual
conference in San Antonio at the Hyatt
Hill Country Resort. Details of the conference schedules are available at www.
mcatexas.org/index.html.
AGC
NARI - SA
May 22: Associated General Contractors,
together with ABC, ASA and The Builder’s
Exchange of Texas will co-host a mixer at
the Builder’s Exchange, from 5 to 7 pm.
There will be door prizes, give-aways,
food and drinks.
June 26: AGC will host its 2nd Annual
Summer Celebration Mixer at Aggie Park,
from 5 to 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be
provided at no cost. To advertise your
business through an exhibitor display or
for more information, call 210-349-4921.
Sept. 13: AGC’s 10th Annual Safety Fair &
Barbecue Cook-off, held at Camargo Park
from 11 am to 4 pm. Safety exhibits, face
painting, a petting zoo, and clowns are a
few of the fun attractions for the family.
Of course, Safety Awards and Cook-off
results will be announced.
For more info, call 210-349-4921.
May 7: National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s monthly member
breakfast meeting, Barn Door Restaurant,
at 8 am, featuring the 1st Annual Seminar
Series by David Ratcliff CGR, CMR, CR and
4-year host of KTSA AM Radio’s “The
Home Improvement Hot Line.” For more
information, call 210-732-9663
Sept. 29: NARI’s 1st Annual Golf Tournament at Olympia Hills Golf & Convention
Center. For information, call R.W. “Dusty”
Dust at 210-731-9600.
AIA/ASLA
May 19: The American Institute of Architects-SA Chapter, the American Society
of Landscape Architects, together with
Acme Brick, will host the 2003 Scholarship Golf Classic at Silverhorn Golf Club.
Shotgun start at 1 pm; awards dinner following tournament. For information call
210-226-4979 or email [email protected].
CSI
The Construction Specifications Institute
member meetings will always be held on
the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the
Barn Door Restaurant, 8400 N. New
Braunfels. (Exceptions: no meeting in
July, August or December).
MCA-SMACNA
SSA
A string of events will compose Solar San
Antonio’s Alternative Energy Week:
May 10: CPS Windfarm Tours, $35 per
person; call 210-353-2833 for reservations.
May 12: Alternative energy vehicle display in front of City Hall.
May 16: Energy Workshop for builders
and architects at AACOG.
May 17: Solar Fest 2003 at Maverick Park.
For more info,, call 210-354-0236.
STSA
SAGA
May 13: San Antonio Glass Association will
hold its next meeting of board members
only at 3 pm, at Thad Ziegler Glass Inc.
June 10: SAGA will hold its next general
membership meeting starting at 6:30
pm, at the Barn Door Restaurant. Cost is
$25 per person.
SAMCA
May 28: The San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association will hold its monthly
general membership meeting at 12 pm,
at the Water Street Oyster Bar restaurant,
7500 Broadway. The guest speaker, Bob
Harris of Lake Flato Architects, will discuss the U.S. Green Building Program.
The cost of lunch is $20 per person.
R.S.V.P. to Debbie at 830-606-5556.
SEAoT
May 20: The Structural Engineers Association of Texas meeting will be at the
Barn Door Restaurant, at 12 pm. Featured
May 15: The South Texas Surety Association will have a joint meeting with the
Construction Law Section at Pappadeaux’s, at 11:30 am. Guest speaker will
be Steve Byrne, Texas A&M University.
TSPE
May 5: Texas Society of Professional Engineers monthly dinner meeting at the
Old San Francisco Steak House. Social at 6
pm, dinner at 6:45 pm. Cost is $22 per
person, $25 if you don’t RSVP.
May 13: TSPE Board of Directors meeting, Pape Dawson offices, 7 am.
TSPS
May 8: The Texas Society of Professional
Surveyors – Alamo Chapter 11 will host its
chapter board meeting from 9 am to 2:30
pm, at CDS/Muery Services, 3411 Magic
Drive.
May 15: TSPS chapter business meeting
at the Hungry Horse Restaurant from 11:
30 am to 1 pm.
NAWIC
May 16: National Association of Women
in Construction and Surety Association
of South Texas host their annual golf
tournament at Republic Golf Club. Box
lunch served prior to 1:30 pm shotgun
start. Cost is $150 per player. Buffet and
awards ceremony follow tournament. For
information, call Becky Wynne at 210650-3050.
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Heavy Highway research
presented at symposium
On Location
By Rachel Jordan, Austin Construction News
T
hose with an interest in heavy highway and infrastructure met on Apr.
9th, at the University of Texas at
Austin J.J. Pickle Research Campus for the
Center for Transportation Research (CTR)
annual symposium, ”Transportation Corridors: Innovation and Future Needs.”
The event also marked CTR’s 40th
anniversary.
During the symposium, researchers
and engineers gave seminars covering a
range of topics pertaining to the Texas
heavy highway industry.
Two seminars in particular, The Trans
Texas Corridor: Research Findings, presented by Khali R. Persad, P.E., research
associate at CTR, and The Evaluation of
the Use of PuriNOx Emulsified Diesel Fuel by
TxDOT, presented by Matthew Hall, P.E.,
associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, gave insight into changes the heavy
highway industry in Texas may expect to
see in the future.
Since the creation and approval of
the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Persad said traffic through
Texas has increased, specifically trucking.
Gov. Rick Perry’s proposed Trans Texas
Corridor is slated to build traffic channels
for each type of traffic mode (ie: cars,
trains, light rail, trucks) throughout Texas
to help alleviate congestion and improve
overall transportation quality.
Persad noted that toll roads and investors are proposed to make up a large
portion of funding for the corridor project. The goal, at present, is to design each
mode of transportation to cater to industry needs and investors. As well, Persad
and other researchers are investigating
ever-changing industry supply chains
across the state to gauge interaction between traffic modes. This information is
believed to yield a better understanding
of where to build which transportation
mode, and which to build first.
Last summer, Gov. Perry also requested that the Texas Department of
Transportation use cleaner burning fuel
beginning in 2003. One of the developments so far is the new fuel, PuriNOx.
The request is in keeping with the
Texas Legislature and the Environmental
Protection Agency, which request Texas
lower its noxious emissions. As well, the
Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP),
established by the Texas Legislature in
2001, is a related, comprehensive set of
incentive programs aimed at improving
air quality in Texas.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) administers TERP
grants and other financial TERP incentives to assist vehicle owners in purchasing newer engines and vehicles, or updating vehicle engines to newer models,
which run more efficiently. More information on those programs can be found
by visiting the following Web site:
w w w. t n r cc . s t a te . t x . u s / o p r d / s i p s /
grants.html, or call the TCEQ directly at
512-239-2934.
Matthew Hall, P.E. presented findings
after test runs using PuriNOx fuel in TxDOT vehicles, predominately in southeast Texas.
To date, Hall says there are two versions of PuriNOX, a summer grade and a
winter grade. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has only approved the
summer grade for use. Hall says PuriNOx is
made up of 20 percent water, 77 percent
diesel and 3 percent additive. He said TxDOT administered a double blind study to
test the fuel against regular diesel, and
that TxDOT found that the water in the
PuriNOx results in torque loss and slower
full throttle acceleration and max cruising
speeds. However, Hall said the drivers of
the vehicles, who didn’t know which fuel
was in the vehicle they were driving at the
time of the study, said they felt all the
equipment operated sufficiently.
Hall reported that PuriNOx does reduce fuel emissions, but there is a greater
benefit when using the fuel in mechanical versus computerized engines. Hall
also said the cost effectiveness of using
and making the fuel is still being studied.
Ferguson Trade Show brought out tool and appliance vendors.
Painting contractor Ed Travis, III, L.E. Travis & Sons, Inc. brought Cindy and Lori
to Marek Bros.’ customer appreciation party.
L-R: Constructor’s Mark Wohlfarth; Chase’s Ed Bowerman; Constructor’s Senan Fitzmartin,
Bob Albanese and Curt Sund.
King of the Crawfish Cookers, Dudley Baker, boils up another pot at Anhalt German Hall.
L-R: Ben Streetman, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin;
Dr. Randy B. Machemehl, director of CTR; Dr. B. Frank McCullough, past CTR director and Dr.
Clyde Lee, founder of the Center for Highway Research, predecessor to the CTR.
(Photo credit to Clair Lavaye, CTR).
DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS SERVICES CENTER
For complete information
about sevices offered visit:
www.sanantonio.gov/onestop
Master demonstrates the art of concrete testing to area students at AGC-HH/TEEX Career Day.
continued from Page 1 - One-Stop-Shop a welcomed city asset
“In the opening days of any high-tech facility there
is usually a learning curve for everyone involved,” Flo
admitted. “As customers become more familiar with
the layout of the Development and Business Services
Center, there will be less confusion. I’m very impressed
with our facility and our plan to improve services for
the working people of our city. Our staff is crosstrained, which enables more efficient operations.”
The new system separates commercial from residential processes, and professional contractors will pay
far fewer visits to the new center compared to year’s
past. In due course, the introduction of a new software
system will enable contractors to easily obtain and pay
for permits, arrange inspection appointments online,
and check the status of zoning, platting and construction reviews. The center will offer training on the new
online system for contractors who want to save time
and money.
In a recent press release, Rebecca Waldman, Director of Asset Management said, “The new facility is
the City’s first design-build project and features environmentally-friendly components including an air
conditioner condensate reuse system for irrigation,
The commercial counter is the contractor’s target.
solar power, lighting controls and carpet made from
recycled materials.”
For complete information about the broad spectrum of services offered at the Development and Business Services Center: www.sanantonio.gov/onestop.
Artistic mural enhances 2-story lobby area.
I
f a produce boy in a large supermarket
slips on a banana peel that he dropped,
the supermarket’s Workers Compensation coverage pays for his injury and loss
of income. In the supermarket, that is his
“sole remedy.”
If the same young man is working for
a carpet company on a construction site
and injures his back while lifting a roll of
carpet, he not only can collect Workers
Compensation benefits from the carpet
What would you like to see on our web site?
Let us know . . . [email protected]
What is wrong with this picture?
company that employed him, but he can
sue the general contractor and the owner, claiming they were negligent.
The construction site should enjoy
the same protection that the supermarket or the manufacturing plant enjoys.
That is what Statutory Liability reform
does, and that is why Texas’ general contractors are keeping their eyes on House
Bill 2982 as it winds its way through the
78th Legislature.
House Bill 2982 will make Workers
Compensation the “sole remedy” against
the employer and the hiring contractor;
will extend the benefit of the Workers
Compensation insurance to the owners
and hiring contractors who already pay
for it; will lower the cost of insurance by
ending one of the most costly sources of
liability for owners, generals, and subcontractors; will NOT take away any
rights employees are entitled to under
Texas Workers Compensation laws and
will create incentives for those employers
without comp coverage to go out and
get it; will end the “double-dip” recovery
that some employees and their “plaintiff
lawyers” receive on top of their guaranteed Workers Compensation benefits
simply because their accident occurred
on a construction site; and HB 2982 will
not force anyone to purchase Workers
Compensation.

SA May 03 - Construction News

Transcription

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