February - Construction News

Transcription

Covering the Industry’s News
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FEB 2010  Vol. 8  No. 2
Following dreams
Cool works
L-R: Brett Legendre, Justin Morales, Vincent Morales and Sean Donnell
The Rutty & Morris Air Conditioning team
V
incent Morales Jr. vice president
and general manager of GreenScape Associates began in the
landscape construction industry in 1978.
“My background is in marketing and
I was actually an executive with Foley’s
department store at one time,” Morales
said. “A friend of mine asked me to come
into the landscape business with him.
“I thought about making a career
change, got into the industry and found I
really enjoyed it. I liked the fact that you
can see the results of your efforts.”
At first, Morales says he began to
work with suppliers, took several continuing education courses and learned the
business mostly by field experience.
With a new vision in mind, Morales
started GreenScape Associates in 2004.
His wife, Regina, is the company president.
Key employees are Morales’ son Justin, operations manager and project coordinator; Brett Legendre, project manager and landscape architect and Sean
Donnell, estimator.
“Justin, Brett and Sean are all very
talented young men,” Morales said.
“They are taking the business to the next
level with their information technology
(IT) knowledge.”
According to Morales, the GreenScape Associates facility on Bryan Road
was completed in May 2009.
“We started working on plans three
continued on Page 21
M
eeting in kindergarten, business
partners Chad Rutty and Joey
Morris started Rutty & Morris
Air Conditioning & Plumbing LLC in
Nederland, TX six years ago.
“Chad and I are longtime friends,”
Morris said. “Growing up, we went to the
same schools and threw our graduation
hats up in the air together during our
high school graduation ceremony.”
Morris says they expanded to their
Channelview location at 16803 East Freeway a year ago.
“In the beginning, it was just me and
Chad,” he said. “Today, we have more
than 20 people who work with us.
“We wanted to branch out to the
Channelview/Baytown area and tap into
the Houston market. The Houston area
represents the largest market for air conditioning and refrigeration in the United
States and we wanted to be apart of it.”
Toya Richard, office manager, works
mainly at the Nederland branch but she
travels to the Channelview location often.
Trevor Romero is the installer and
Jeff Melancon is the branch manager.
Rachael Crueder handles outside sales
and the marketing.
“Every year, I’ll cook for all the employees at our shop,” Morris said. “We
used to do our Christmas dinner at a restaurant and then I decided to make gumbo for everyone.”
Medical research underway
L
inbeck Group LLC construction
crews recently completed the core
and shell of the construction of Rice
University's BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC).
According to Bob Wight, vice president and executive project manager at
Linbeck, the building is where scientists
and educators from the university and
Texas Medical Center institutions will
work together to perform leading research that benefits human medicine
and health.
“Located at Main Street and University Boulevard, the 477,000-sf BRC will
foster multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research both within the building
itself and, by acting as a catalyst, more
broadly through the 47 members of the
world's largest medical center.
“The 10-story BRC is equipped for
cutting-edge laboratory, theoretical and
computational investigations and fea-
tures eight floors of research labs, classrooms and auditoriums and is designed
to eventually accommodate a visualization lab and a floor dedicated to biomedical informatics.”
Wight says the BRC is the largest
building Rice has ever undertaken. He
says the BRC houses a 280-seat auditorium, a 100-seat seminar room, classrooms
and 10,000-sf of retail space for a restaurant and shops, as well as three levels and
337,000-sf of underground parking.
“The 2.9-acre site includes the potential for a second research tower that could
add another 150,000 gross sf,” he said.
“The building meets the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
standards developed by the U.S. Green
Building Council and the team is applying for LEED Gold certification.
Page 2 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Feb 2010
Construction News ON LOCATION
Going east
Yard man Luis Garcia and manager Danny Mendez stack roofing supplies
at East Houston Building Supply. –ab
Celebrating six decades
Fretz Construction Co. has two employees who have reached
their 60-year anniversary working at the company.
Bob Fretz Sr., chairman of the board (right) and Virgil Benner (left)
have been with the general contracting firm since 1949. –ab
A walk in the park
L-R: Linsey Boraud, Robin Falke, Isaias Alonso, Fred Raley, Amer Al-Nahhas, Rick
Diffley, Al Ramirez, Carlos Cruz and Robert Blalock, SpawGlass Civil Construction,
and Parks & Recreation Director Joe Turner recently took a stroll at the Memorial Park
Pedestrian Bridge. SpawGlass constructed the bridge. –ab
Moore friends
L-R: Tim Austin, Chuck Mitchell and Roger Pace are inside salesman
at the Moore Supply Co. League City store. The company is a
distributor of plumbing products. –ab
Houston Construction News • Feb 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 3
Going up
A good match
Essie Mianabi is lovin’ the elevator.
A
s a child, A&F Elevator Company
president Essie Mianabi didn’t
know that his mother’s dinnertime
discards would link him to his future destiny. With every empty bean can that Mianabi acquired after the contents had
been dumped in the pot, he was getting
practice. Filling the can with concrete and
then getting it at just the right angle with
the help of rope and some rock, Mianabi
would fashion a crane to play with.
This desire to understand how things
work, coupled with his strong focus in
high school math, pointed to a possible
career in engineering, but Mianabi didn’t
give this much thought during his childhood in Iran. But when a few courses
piqued his interest in how things such as
elevators function, he earned an electrical engineering degree from Louisiana
State University and came to Dallas in
1982. He soon settled at Baxter & Sons
Elevator Co., first as an intern level electrical engineer and then a field engineer.
In 1984, he joined Otis Elevator Company as a logic design and then senior design engineer, and in 1991 joined the
company as a sales rep with a focus on
international marketing. Four years later,
he joined A&F Elevator Company, and
when he came to buy the company in
1998, he used his marketing experience
to grow the company from four employees to 14.
Houston
“It was always my dream to have my
own company, and the thing I like about
it the most is it’s a challenging job. When
I get up in the morning, I don’t know
what’s ahead of me, but I have to be ready
for it.”
His wife Tera Nikfarjam helps run the
company, and their next goal is to have
an office in every corner of the state of
Texas with a major presence in Oklahoma. He might have to work around the
clock to achieve his goal, but Mianabi
doesn’t mind. In addition to his gift for
math, the 57-year-old says he has two
other traits that he is known for – a photographic memory (most useful when he
needs a business phone number he
hasn’t dialed in years), and the ability to
stay awake through his job’s sometimes
grueling hours.
“I’ve never been in a bed more than
four or five hours in my entire life, and if I
don’t sleep for 24 hours, my body doesn’t
seem to need sleep for three or four days
– and that happens every other month.”
Mianabi says his healthy diet of fresh
foods might be responsible for that, although it might be the promise of more
empty cans that gets him energized for
his day.
A&F Elevator Company, with locations
in Garland and Houston, provides elevator
installation, maintenance, service and
modernization. – mjm
A
L-R: Kenneth Taylor, Paul Taylor, Joe Watkins and Chris Taylor
ir Depot Air Conditioning has
roots going back to 1977. Owner
Kenneth Taylor purchased the
company more than six years ago.
“Before I bought Air Depot, I ran another company, retired and came out of
retirement to start over again,” Taylor
said.
“Since taking over, revenue has increased 100 percent. We have grown every year. The most recent changing event
was merging with another company
called Air Remedies. We folded their organization and their people into our
company.”
According to Taylor, the best part of
his job is seeing the growth of the city
and being able to meet and talk to the
people who help make it happen.
Air Depot has an annual Christmas
party where employees and their spouses get together for dinner.
“It is a challenge every year to pick an
interesting place to go eat,” Taylor said.
“This year we went to a lodge near Kuykendahl and FM 1960.”
Taylor says Joe Watkins was the
owner of Air Remedies and is now driving
sales for Air Depot.
“My brother Paul is the service and
production manager and Daniel Weber
is the controller.
In his free time, Taylor says he used
to do a lot of coaching for his son’s baseball and basketball teams.
“My older son Chris is working full
time with me as a parts procurement
manager,” he said. “My youngest son,
John, chose another profession in a different industry.”
Air Depot provides air conditioning
service, repair and replacement for commercial and residential jobs. The company
also provides commercial air conditioning
installations. -ab
Lock ‘n’ load
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
Houston Editor — Abby BeMent — [email protected] — 713-599-1774
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A warehouse employee at JH Quality Construction Services Inc. carries materials
to the truck. Jack Higginbotham is the owner of the residential and commercial
remodeling company. –ab
Page 4 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Feb 2010
What is your least
favorite household
chore?
I can’t stand washing dishes. It is not my
idea of fun at all.
Jerod Templeton,
National Concrete Services Ltd.
Mowing the lawn is my least favorite
chore. Someone has to do it though!
Brandon Jones, Centurion Electric Co.
I always try to get out of doing laundry. It
is so boring and I would rather be doing
something else.
John Cauley, Texas Siding & Overhang
None.
John Oden, Siding by John Oden
I don’t like cleaning my room but it is necessary. Actually, there are several more
chores I don’t like to do.
Jared Moore,
Renegade Fire Systems LLC
Oh that is easy! Taking out the trash is
the one chore I don’t like doing around
the house. I don’t mind all the other
chores, really.
Angel Rangel, Angel’s Painting
Washing dishes is no fun at all! I especially don’t like washing dishes after a big
meal.
Charles Venzor,
Southern Fastening Systems
My least favorite household chores are
mowing the lawn and cleaning windows!
Trini Ortez, Clear Glass
I don’t like vacuuming.
Jose Hernandez
Integrity Construction
Wolfe quest
Washing clothes is not my idea of fun
when I get home from the office! I would
rather do something else.
Shelley Woods, Rutty & Morris
Air Conditioning & Heating
I can’t stand doing loads and loads of
laundry. Yuck! It is especially is not fun
when you need to do it for more than
one person.
Mireyda Montano
Anchor Roofing Inc.
During the day, I am always working out
in the equipment yard. When I get home,
I don’t want to do any chores really! I’ll
leave that job for my kids. I’ll pay them
allowance. I need to relax when I get
home!
Steven Henry
Allied Crane & Machinery
My wife just said across the room, “All of
the above!” She is just kidding. I do help
around the house. My least favorite
chores are taking out the trash and mowing the lawn.
David Oberholtzer
Oberholtzer Energy Solutions
Cleaning windows.
Edgar Espino, Duke Glass
The one chore I don’t like to do at my
house is cooking up a big meal after
work. My wife is better at it than me. She
can make Mexican, Italian and American
dishes for our family on a daily basis. It is
her passion and I am so glad!
Jorge Jimenez, S & J Fasteners
Washing dishes is one of the worst household chores I can think of at the moment.
Pete Casares, Hose-Tech
Elizabeth Wolfe and her family love boating on Lake Conroe.
W
olfe’s Carpet Tile & Remodeling Services has been at its
Mintz Lane location for 12
years.
“About a year ago, we purchased a
building in front of our store that used to
be a tune up shop,” said manager Elizabeth Wolfe. “Now we are using the extra
space to store our carpet and flooring
materials.”
Wolfe says her husband Rex, owner,
grew up in the construction industry and
installed carpet for his very first job. His
father opened the company in 1984. Rex
decided to continue running the business after his father passed away 10 years
ago, she said.
“For the past four years, we mostly
concentrated on carpet and tile,” Wolfe
said. “We have since expanded to provide more general contracting services.”
Wolfe came to work full-time in the
showroom more than a year ago. Rex’s
brother, Jan, helps out in the flooring department.
“The economy is not so great right
now, but the fact that we do complete
turn-key services has helped keep us
busy,” she said.
Wolfe has two children from a previous marriage and so does her husband.
The couple has one son together.
“Rex and I attend many school activities throughout the year,” Wolfe said. “In
addition, we love going fishing and boating on Lake Conroe as often as possible.
“We went on a cross country trip in
our RV for our summer vacation this year.
We took all five kids to see sites in Colorado, California, Arizona and New Mexico.
We were exhausted by the time we returned to Houston. It was a blast
though!”
Wolfe’s Carpet Tile & Remodeling Services handles commercial and residential
flooring and remodeling. –ab
Industry FOLKS
John Alvarez
Diamond Electric Inc.
A
pprentice John Alvarez, Diamond
Electric Inc., handles electrical work
for Houston area commercial projects.
“I have worked at the company for
a year,” Alvarez said. “Diamond Electric
is family owned and operated business.
The owner Rene Alegria is my cousin.
“I am learning new things in the
trade everyday. I really like it so far!
The best part about my job is I have the
opportunity to move up.”
According to Alvarez, his cousin recently let him out on his own to work in
the field.
“Rene has been a great mentor to
me,” he said. “The number one lesson
he has taught me is to pay attention
because the work is dangerous and to
respect the electricity.”
Alvarez says he was born and
raised in Northwest Houston and lives
close to Spring Branch.
“I attended Northbrook High
School,” he said. “I never took any construction-related classes in high
school.
“My very first job was sweeping up
hair at a local barber shop. I remember
always having a job after school and
during the summer breaks. At one
time, I had a job laying tile for residential projects.”
One of Alvarez’s favorite hobbies
these days is working on his green TTop 1995 Pontiac Trans Am.
“I listen to a variety of music in my
free time too,” he said. “I am Houston
Texans fan and enjoy watching football
on television. I love hanging out with
my family and friends on the weekends.
“My brothers and sisters and I had
a nice holiday season. I was very happy
to be able to see my entire family on
Christmas Day. We had some good tamales for dinner.”
Alvarez says the last time he traveled, he went to Oklahoma to visit family.
“I wish I could travel more,” he said.
“I want to go to a big city such as New
York and Chicago one day. I also want
to take a trip to a beach in the Caribbean. The only beach I have been to is
Galveston.”
In the future, Alvarez says he wants
to continue his career in the electrical
industry.
“Eventually, when I get enough experience, I want to become a Master
Electrician.” –ab
Houston Construction News • Feb 2010 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 5
Up, up and away
David Garcia’s favorite wooden piece is a “cross within a cross” that took two weeks to make.
M
anager David Garcia, Empire
Scaffold, has enjoyed carpentry
as a hobby for more than 30
years.
“I made a wooden clock that I keep on
my office desk,” Garcia said. “In addition, I
have made desks, tables, chairs and cabinets. Most of the time I will sell the pieces.
I have learned over the years that it takes a
lot of patience to be a carpenter.”
Garcia has been employed at Empire
Scaffold for three years. He was promoted to manager after spending time as a
helper and building scaffolds.
“Today, I dispatch trucks and I oversee the material in the yard,” Garcia said.
“The scaffolding industry is very interesting to me.“
Garcia says before his current position, he spent 25 years riding in ambulances and working as a paramedic.
“I retired and started working at a
machine shop,” he said. “My two sons
and stepson told me about the opportunity to work part time in the scaffolding
business. One thing led to another and
here I am!”
The Houston branch owners are Ernest Sanders and Clarence Cheatman.
David Starkey is the CEO and president
and Jennifer Meunier is the office manager.
“Every three months on a Friday, I’ll
barbecue for the guys at our East Freeway location,” he said. “They always like
when I cook hamburgers, brisket and hot
dogs.
“For our recent Christmas party, we
brought in pizza for all the employees for
lunch.”
Empire Scaffold designs, rents, erects
and sells scaffolding. The company also
has offices in Beaumont and Louisiana.
–ab
Through the lens
Restoring pipes
V
Vic Caso
ic Caso, marketing and sales director, says owner Gary Gould, TDT
Plumbing, loves building hot rod
cars in his spare time.
“Gary doesn’t race the cars competitively,” he said. “He will go out to the
races to see how well his car performs.
His hot rod cars can get up to speeds of
160 miles-per-hour.”
Caso, on the other hand, is an avid
golfer and loves playing at Riverbend
Country Club and River Ridge Golf Club,
he said.
TDT Plumbing employs 30 people.
Justin Schwaush is the insurance claims
coordinator. Sally Shelton takes care of
the invoices and coordinates reports and
scheduling. Dotie Wilson is the bookkeeper and Eric Schwaush is a master
plumber.
“We also have a guard dog named
Jack,” Caso said. “Jack has the greatest
personality and is a terrific judge of character. He is a Pointer and Lab mix.”
Every once in a while, the folks at TDT
Plumbing will have a get together at the
office.
“We might have lunch or dinner after
work,” Caso said. “Most of the guys are
out in the field and there are only a few of
us that work at the office.”
Caso says TDT Plumbing is currently
handling pipe restoration work at a highrise condominium complex in Houston.
“In the future, we are looking to expand into the Austin market,” he said.
“We have already completed projects in
Bryan and College Station, TX.
“Our goal is to expand in the first
quarter of 2010. Our plan is to develop
the business enough to the point where
we can find an office in Austin to house
people and equipment without having
to travel back and forth.”
TDT Plumbing is a commercial, residential and industrial pipe restoration company. –ab
Rollin’ on the rios
Owner Pete Rios, Rios Roofing & Construction, has handled commercial and
residential roofing projects in the Baytown area for more than 20 years. –ab
L-R; Al Savoy, Billy McDonald, Bryan McDonald,
Victor Figoroa, Martin Rangel and Josh Schobel
O
wner Billy McDonald rents and
services equipment by day and is
an avid photographer on the
side.
“I love landscape and wildlife photography,” McDonald said. “I quit hunting quite a few years ago. Now, I just take
photos, sell the pictures and then go buy
a nice steak. I don’t eat as much deer
meat, but that is okay.
“I have taken photos on my travels to
Alaska, the Rocky Mountains and Canada.”
McDonald founded Southwest
Equipment Rentals Inc. in 1994 and Atlas Equipment Rental Inc. in 1992.
“I grew up in the construction business,” McDonald said. “I went to work for
my uncle when I was 8 and had my first
foreman job at 19. I have always wanted
to be self-employed.”
Today, Al Savoy is the head of the
outside service work. McDonald’s wife
Beverly takes care of the financial side of
the business and their son, Bryan, is in
charge of the inside service and parts department.
“Last year after the hurricane, sales
went down so we were really reliant on
our rentals,” he said. “In October, that
started to wane quite a bit and so we began to concentrate more on service.”
McDonald says he recently put in a
new office and storage building at the
14519 I-10 East location.
“We have been at this location a
while, we just kept growing and needed
more space for our sales and bookkeeping departments.”
Southwest Equipment Rentals handles
equipment service and sales and Atlas
Equipment Rentals does all the rentals.
–ab
Philip Lapaglia
Lapaglia Electric Inc.
P
hillip Lapaglia says the actor Anthony Lapaglia on the CBS television
show Missing Without a Trace is the
only famous person he has ever seen
with his last name.
Lapaglia started his electrical contracting business in March 1988. He has
worked in the construction industry since
1967. He is semi-retired and still frequently comes to the office.
Have you lived in Houston area quite a
while?
I was born in Bryan, TX. My parents
moved to Houston when I was 10 in 1945.
Houston was a completely different city
back then.
What was it like growing up in the
city?
I never had time for any sports or extra curricular activities as a kid. I come
from a large family. My mother had 13
children. I took care of my mother and
father until they passed away. I sent my
younger siblings to school until they
graduated.
What types of subjects did you excel
at in school?
I never took algebra but I did enjoy
the math classes. I loved learning about
history too.
Why does history fascinate you?
I like everything about history. I have
read a lot about the culture in Africa and
India. I think Africa is one of the most interesting countries in the world.
Have you ever been to Africa?
No, but I have read enough literature
about Africa. I just think it is a beautiful
country.
What was your very first job?
I worked at a liquidating company on
Jensen Drive for about three years. The
company bought out surplus groceries
and can goods. I would put the can
goods up on the shelves after school.
What sparked your interest to get into
the electrical contracting business?
All phases of the electrical business is
interesting to me. I started out working
in the manufacturing side of the business.
What did you do before you opened
your company?
I worked in the manufacturing department for General Electric for almost
19 years. I made switch gears and switch
boards. I also did field service engineering work for the company. I went out on
jobs when they had problems.
What were the early days like at Lapaglia Electric?
I began the company at a building
on Bellaire Blvd. in the West University
area. I later bought some property near
Yale St. and moved the business there in
1983. We are now located at 5722 Star
Lane near Highway 59.
Tell us about the company.
We are a commercial electrical contractor. I have some of the same Journeyman I had when I first got started.
My wife Margaret owns the company. We have worked together for years.
Kenny Whitsey, warehouse manager
has been with me for 18 years. Today, he
signs payroll checks. He is like my own
son.
James Sanders is the project manager and Cindy Justice is also the bookkeeper.
I am currently training Benjamin
Omercic. He came to the U.S. from Bosnia. I hired him when he couldn’t speak
much English. He is a very intelligent person and picked up skills quickly. He now
has a Master Electrician license in the
state of Texas.
Do you think more young people are
getting into the trades?
Well, young people are going to
school now, but they are not getting
hands-on basic training. Master Electricians used to certify and qualify guys to
be a Journeyman. Now the schools are
doing it.
When did you and Margaret get married?
We got married about forty years
ago. Margaret had four sons from a previous marriage. I have one daughter and
a son from previous marriages.
I met Margaret at another electrical
company and we worked together for
about five or six years. We just hit it off
and get along great.
Do you have any grandchildren?
Yes, my daughter has one daughter
and my son has three girls and one boy.
My son, who is in the air conditioning
business, lives in Galveston. I get to see
my grandkids often.
Do you have any other family members in the construction industry?
I have nephews that are electricians.
I also have a great nephew that is in the
electrical contracting business.
What keeps you busy these days?
Margaret and I live at the west end of
Galveston Island. You can see the piers
and the bay from our house.
I love going fishing when I can. My
wife doesn’t like to eat fish, but I sure do
catch a lot.
I have a lot of friends, family and employees who go fishing with me. I catch
about 400-500 trout, red snapper and
redfish a year.
I don’t get around as much as I used
to nowadays. Instead of walking, Margaret and I ride our golf cart to the beach.
I also work in my yard quite a bit. I
have a rose garden and a vegetable garden.
How long have you had a rose garden?
I have had my rose garden for about
12 years. My advice to keep a good rose
garden is to keep it fertilized. Clip the
flowers below the first five leaves.
L-R: James Sanders, Phillip Lapaglia and Kenny Whitsey
My rose garden is beautiful right
now, but it is going to freeze this winter.
What have been some of your favorite
hobbies you have enjoyed in your
life?
I used to be an avid deer, duck and
goose hunter. I have had a lease every
year up to the last seven years. I’ve hunted in Del Rio, Round Mountain and Zapata.
I also enjoyed going to car races at
one time. I did enough racing when I was
a teenager though!
Do you have any pets?
Not at the moment, but I did have
Dalmatians. I had to put the last one we
had to sleep several years ago. I won’t
get another one. It is just too hard when
you lose them.
Margaret and I had our first Dalmatian for about 12 years and the second
one for about nine. They are very good
dogs.
Have you traveled lately?
It has been a while since we have
traveled.
My wife is from Kentucky, so we
would make a couple trips up there during the holidays. We also went to Atlanta
to see her sister. I would love to go to Italy.
Do you ever get back to Bryan, TX?
The hurricanes always run us out of
Houston. If a hurricane comes to the Gulf
Coast, we stay with one of my two brothers in Bryan and Hearne, TX.
What does it take to stay in business
for 22 years?
I think having good employees is the
most important thing. You can hire and
fire as fast as you want to, but you have to
hang on to a good employee. You have
to pay your employees well, reward them
and give them benefits. I have wonderful
employees, and I am very happy with all
15 of them.
The electrical contracting business is
very time consuming. In order to be successful, you have to put the time and effort into the business. I am very fortunate. The electrical industry has been
good to me.
publishing the industry’s news
Do you know any other languages besides English?
I know enough Spanish to get by. I
took Spanish in the second grade. I am
Italian and my mom, dad and older brothers could speak fluent Italian.
I can’t speak Italian very well right
now. I’ll have to take a refresher course
one day. I could do the same thing with
Spanish, I just haven’t had time.
Do you like Italian food?
I can cook some of the best spaghetti you have ever tasted. I make my own
sauce from scratch and we freeze it.
Over the years, after a long day at
work, I would thaw out my sauce, cook
the noodles and in 45 minutes the meal
was on the table. Just add a salad and
bread and you are good to go.
What are your future plans for the
company?
I will probably leave the business to
my employees.
What is some advice you’d give to a
young person in your industry?
Be cautious. Crawl before you walk.
Walk before you run. Young electrical
contractors think they need to go out
and buy all new equipment.
Unless you have a lot of money to
start a business, you have to start small.
Most electrical contractors work in
the field before they start a business. I
think hands on experience is the best
way to learn.
We work long hours. I haven’t
worked full-time in seven years. I’ll be
75-years-old in April and I worked most
of my life. It is hard work.
The biggest thing you need is to
have a wife that will work with you and
help you. She is your number one partner and helpmate.
I basically owe everything to my wife,
Margaret. She has been by my side and
helped me along the way. It is nice to
have someone you can talk to before you
make a big decision.
When we married, I told Margaret I
would make all major decisions and she
would make all the minor decisions. We
have been married 40 years and I haven’t
made a major decision yet! –ab
Texas
Style




San Antonio
Austin
Dallas/Fort Worth
Houston
Houston Construction News • Feb 2010 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 7
Lift off
L-R: Stephen Hitchcock, Alberto Mebrano, Chris Langford
O
perations manager Stephen
Hitchcock has been with Dickinson-based Alltec Lifting Systems
LLC since the company opened in June
2006.
“With the exception of 2009, we have
grown incrementally every year,” Hitchcock said. “Of course, last year with all
the delays or cancellations of projects
within our industry, we felt some of that.
“I think the last three months of 2009
were strong and we are expecting to carry it through to 2010.”
The company hired hand Alberto
Mebrano at the first part of January.
Chris Langford is a hand, Tony Blanks is
the shop manager and Rick Blair is the
owner.
“We are a small business, so everyone does a little bit of everything,” he
said. “We recently have had jobs working
with crane companies and contractors
that work within the refineries. Our latest
commercial job was a hospital on I-10.”
Hitchcock says the company built a
new office from the ground up on FM
1266 in May 2009.
“Now we have 2,200-sf of office
space and 10,000-sf of warehouse space,”
he said.
For the last few years, the folks at the
company have had a get together around
the Christmas holidays.
“We scaled our party back a little in
December,” Hitchcock said. “We try to
cater in lunch a few times a year. Many of
the employees here like to hunt and fish,
but most of the time we are concerned
about working!”
Alltec Lifting Systems designs lifting
systems and also provides engineering services. –ab
Smith series
N
orman Smith Jr. is the office manager and makes sales calls at the
family business Norman Smith
Equipment Co.
“I remember working for my father
Norman, the company owner, when I
was 12,” Smith said. “I started off working
on machines in the evenings and on the
weekends. When I was 16, I began hauling equipment.”
Smith says his mom, Mary, is the vice
president and helps run the business. His
sister, Lisa Harrison, and brother Robbie are also employed at the company.
“Some of the mechanics have been
with us for 20 years,” he said. “We are all
one big family.
“I think the best part of the construction industry is the people. I go to jobsites all the time. It is great to be able to
bond with new folks in the industry.”
According to Smith, his father comes
Vocal performance
O
Bertha Gomez loves to sing.
ffice manager Bertha Gomez,
Mulch & More sings in her church
choir on Sundays.
“My dad Eutimio and brothers Juan
Jose, Juan Carlos and Edgar play the
guitar and sing with me,” Gomez said. “I
really look forward to singing all week
long.”
Gomez says her father has owned
the family business for 14 years. He started out doing landscaping projects and
later expanded to sell concrete materials,
sand and dirt. The company has operated at its East Freeway location for five
years, she said
“I am responsible for sales and managing the yard,” Gomez said. “My brothers, Juan Jose and Juan Carlos work in the
landscaping department. My brother Edgar works with my father on the concrete
side of the business.
“My brothers are avid sports fans. They
are always listening to the radio station to
find out team scores. They mostly like football, baseball, basketball and soccer.”
Gomez’s mother, also named Bertha, takes care of the paperwork and
mostly works inside the office during the
week.
“My family and I took a short vacation to Tennessee over the holidays,”
Gomez said. “We went on a road trip to
visit some of our relatives. It was a nice
break, but we are ready to get back to
work.”
Looking to the future, Gomez says
her family’s goal is to build their own
home one day.
“We want to build a home that is similar to an apartment, so all of us can live
there. This will be a long term project!”
Mulch & More handles dirt, sand and
concrete jobs for both commercial and residential projects. –ab
Norman Smith Jr. likes getting out to jobsites.
into the office everyday and is still working hard at 74. He wouldn’t have it any
other way, he said.
“My father instilled in me the importance of a good handshake,” Smith said.
“He taught me that your word is your
bond. We hope that never changes. We
are a small company and we still go by a
handshake and a smile.”
The company has four or five dinners
a year for the guys. In addition, Smith says
they will celebrate employees’ birthdays.
“Many of the guys here are fisherman
and hunters,” he said. “Some employees
enjoy playing blackjack and Texas
Hold’em in Louisiana.
“We are all Houston Astros and Texans fans. Our kids keep us busy year
round too.”
Founded in 1976, Norman Smith Equipment is a construction equipment rental
company. –ab
Family matters
Rene Maldonado is an avid fisherman.
O
wners Rene Maldonado and his
father Ruben purchased Mr.
Christopher’s A/C & Heating six
years ago. The previous owner founded
the company 32 years ago.
“We have been in the air conditioning and heating industry for 20 years,”
Maldonado said. “I helped my dad out as
a kid and I eventually earned my license.
“Since we purchased the company,
we built and retained the customer list
that the previous owner had. We have a
positive outlook for 2010.”
Maldonado says he handles all the
office duties while his father works out in
the field.
“Every once in a while, my brothers
Ruben Jr. and Danny will do some installation work,” he said. “In addition, my
wife Mireya comes in to assist me with
the bookkeeping.”
Maldonado and his wife have been
married for 16 years and they have three
children.
“I love going fishing with my family,”
he said. “Mireya and I enjoy watching our
kids play softball, baseball and soccer.
We also like to go tailgating at the Houston Texans games. This year, I have been
to nine games so far.
“My father’s hobby is cooking chicken fajitas and carnitas at family gatherings or birthday parties. In his spare time,
he builds flat grills to put over propane
burners. He started making the grills for
fun about eight years ago. He uses them
to cook and also gives them out to friends
and family.”
In the future, Maldonado says he and
his father want purchase their own office
building and continue to grow their business.
Mr. Christopher’s A/C & Heating is a
commercial and residential air conditioning and heating company. –ab
ACCOUNTING
INSURANCE
Managing a construction firm
in a down economy
Contract bond constants in
a world of change
Jim Anderson, CPA, Partner
B2B CFO
The Woodlands, TX
Steve Dobson, President
Statewide Bonding Agency
Austin, TX
I
t is change, continuing change, inevitable change,
that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking
into account not only the world as it is, but the world as
it will be.” Isaac Asimov
t is important to look objectively at the current turmoil
in the U.S. construction market. Whatever your informal view is of our economic situation, remember that
business markets expand and contract but rarely stay
the same. In the future, as in the past, economic recoveries do occur.
Contractors cannot be speculative in
their business. There is too much uncertainty. The market can move in 360 degrees of direction and you can only move
in one. Currently, most contractors' client
lists are being pared down to a few, valuable customers. That is, those who want
good construction services, pay well and
are serious about using the contractor’s
end product.
Ultimately, the current environment
could be healthy for the construction industry. The companies that focus on core
strengths will survive and thrive. These
companies will be stronger, more flexible
and able to provide superior services.
Here are several key business practices for the construction contractor to consider in order to be one of the survivors:
Make sure you know where you
are financially. The stress of a cash flow
problem is not the singular reason to lay
off core employees. Another important
measure is gross profit per man-hour.
Since we are in a variable-cost business
this makes economic sense.
Keep core employees together both field and office. This is your means
of production. If you see a bleak outlook
and a decision has to be made, many
owners will cut back on their own personal financial needs, including paying
themselves last. This ensures that when
the economy improves, they will be quick
to catch the wave of growth again and
thus profit. Contrast this to others who,
once they have contracts in hand, will
have to rehire or, even worse, find new
employees. (All of whom will need training and will make a higher number of
mistakes.)
Collect your accounts receivable.
Mature business people know that money is a company's lifeblood. Legal and
ethical attempts to collect are good business and forgivable. A client firm that has
an issue with paying what they owe exposes a lack of professionalism. As has
been stated before, there are 10 rules of
business. The first is to not run out of cash
– and the rest don’t matter.
Use your financial ability to pay as
a strategic weapon. Some firms have
the ability to pay in a timely fashion regardless of the economy. This is stellar financial management in action. Not all of
your project partners act the same toward to you. So treat them differently.
Don’t pay them the same, especially the
ones who are a drag on your business.
Negotiating on the basis of your strength
to pay is not a new idea.
Build a high wall around current
clients. Raise the bar of what they should
expect from any new entrant. Some of
this is just communicating all that you do
for your clients. Some of this is adding a
new benefit. Of course, the former is less
expensive.
Don't participate in the economic
slowdown mentality. In any business,
you have to believe your best days are
ahead of you. Construction is no different. Conversely, not believing this can
make it true. Discuss issues openly. Share
plans and goals with employees. This
transparency will help create a positive,
creative atmosphere.
Keep yourself at the client's table.
A high number of qualified leads is the
reason you will land a good project. Keep
conversations going with people who are
decision makers and have budgets,
needs, wants, and treat you with respect.
Talking does not cost you a dime.
In a slow period, some contractors
will earn their first stripes while others
will revisit familiar territory. Whatever the
experience, construction firms know that
their services are a basic necessity to human life and our vibrant business will be
back in the near future. There is no other
economic alternative. Successfully managing through a slow period will only
make a construction firm stronger and
more profitable when good times return.
Jim Anderson is a Partner with B2B CFO®,
with over 30 years industry experience in
construction. As a partner with B2B CFO®, a
national firm of 150 partners, he provides
outsourced Chief Financial Officer services
to small and mid-sized companies, and can
be reached at [email protected].
“I
This quote is better known in its paraphrased form, “The only thing constant is
change.” The economy has made a big
change and has affected us all, and more
than likely affected bond underwriting
decisions. Bond underwriting, like everything, does change, but during my twenty-plus years in the bond industry, bonding has some fundamental constants that
never change.
Good Credit Report – Business AND
Personal
The construction company’s credit report is important; but now more than ever,
your personal credit score is just as important. During the last couple of years when
the economy was good, a couple of bond
companies came out with a small contract
bond program. Approval was based solely on your personal credit score, not the
business. One of those companies is raising their credit score minimum to qualify
due to the economy and increased claims.
Also, for more standard bond programs
the owner’s personal credit report is reviewed annually by the bond underwriter
and sometimes more frequent. They are
looking for signs of possible credit deterioration. It is the underwriter’s perception
that the first indication of cash flow problems in the business will show up in the
personal credit report rather than in the
business. Even if you have good cash flow,
not paying attention to your personal
credit report could pose you problems
with bond underwriters. Make sure you
keep up and maintain a good personal
credit report in addition to your business
credit report so no issues come up with
your bond underwriter.
Financial Statements – Business AND
Personal
For most construction companies,
their fiscal year-end coincides with the calendar year-end and thus it is time to update your bond company with financial
information. For the large majority of contractors who need bonds, providing financial information is a constant. At a minimum business and personal financial
statements will be required shortly after
the fiscal year end. The more frequent and
larger the bonding needs, the more frequent you will be asked for financial state-
ments either semi–annually, and possibly
quarterly. Additionally, a more in depth
scope of financial statement from your
CPA may be required, reviewed or audited
for the largest accounts.
I anticipate underwriting being tighter this year, so expect a harder push for
reviewed financial statements as well as
percentage of completion (POC) basis
method of accounting. A general rule of
thumb is if you have over $1MM in revenues and will need multiple bonds, then
you probably need to provide a CPA reviewed POC year-end financial statement.
Providing financials is a constant, so be
proactive and get your accounting books
to your CPA as soon as possible before tax
season arrives and they are too busy.
Jobs in Progress Schedule
With the POC basis financial statement, the CPA should include a jobs in
Progress Schedule as well as a Completed
Job Schedule. The information in these
schedules is a good tool not only for the
bond underwriter but for you as well. How
did the completed jobs compare to the
original estimate? If they came in below
the original cost, then there possibly is an
identifiable area where you can lower your
cost estimate in future bids to increase
your chances of getting the job. If it came
in over, then you need to determine why,
correct the issue or include that additional
cost in your future bids.
If you are not doing so already, I would
suggest you prepare one or print one out
from your job costing software and review
them monthly. Underwriters will be tracking these more closely to project future
profits and cash flow due to recent increased bid spreads. These reports will be
required semi-annually or quarterly. This
is a constant you should do for your own
benefit as well as your bond underwriter.
“It takes more than capital to swing
business. You've got to have the A. I. D. degree to get by - Advertising, Initiative, and
Dynamics.”
— Isaac Asimov
Steve Dobson has 22 years of construction
bonding experience and his agency is in its
10th year of servicing contractors in Texas.
He can be contacted at 512-416-8700 or
[email protected]. –dn
Concrete achievements
Gearing up for football
L-R: Project manager Jerod Templeton and Jesse Gomez, general superintendent, National Concrete Services Ltd., are ready to work after the holidays. –ab
A true Dallas Cowboys fan, Rick Beard, M & E Electric Inc., says he looks forward
to attending the game when the team plays the Houston Texans.
Beard has been an electrician for 22 years. –ab
LEGAL
An introduction to builder’s
risk insurance and AIA
requirements
Leo John Jordan
Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP
Dallas, TX
Introduction
A forklift runs into a newly-plastered corner of a building, a front-end loader crushes expensive imported materials soon to be installed in a building’s lobby, a plumber sweating joints causes a
fire, a windstorm causes added havoc to a building not yet enclosed, a flood envelops
building equipment waiting to be installed – all of these and numerous other risks
happen daily to buildings under construction. And simply because a building is under
construction – construction activity is, by the way, an especially hazardous activity –
the risks inherent in a casualty happening are much greater than they are to a building
already completed. The risks are more complex, too. Whose interests are to be insured,
for what period of time, against which risks, and for what amount are typical underwriting questions.
Builder’s risk insurance policies are
an early but important part of risk transfer in the construction process. They constitute specialized coverage for construction projects. These policies insure, on a
first-party basis, property damage and
occasionally loss of use suffered by a
building in the course of construction.
Such construction can either be new construction or renovations and additions to
an existing building. These policies oftentimes insure the interests of multiple
parties, including owners, contractors,
and subcontractors in the structure being built. Builder’s risk policies may be
written on a promulgated and regulated
commercial property form, or may be
written on an unregulated inland marine
coverage basis.
AIA Insurance Requirements
The beginning point to a commercial
building risk assessment will always be
the construction documents, under the
simple but significant question, Who is to
do what?
Article 111 of the American Institute
of Architects’ (AIA) general conditions
sets forth the project’s insurance requirements. Following its specifications for liability insurance, certificates of insurance,
and additional insured status, the AIA
form then contains 15 subsections dedicated to first-party property insurance
for the construction of the project.
Section 11.3.1 concerns the owner’s
general obligations to purchase property
insurance. It states (with separate obligations numbered) as follows:
Unless otherwise provided, [1] the
Owner shall purchase and maintain, [2] in
a company or companies lawfully authorized to do business in the jurisdiction in
which the Project is located, property insurance [3] written on a builder’s risk “allrisk” or equivalent policy form [4] in the
amount of the initial Contract Sum, [5]
plus value of subsequent Contract Modifications and [6] costs of materials supplied or installed by others, comprising
[7] total value for the entire Project at the
site [8] on a replacement cost basis [9]
without optional deductibles. Such property insurance shall be maintained, unless otherwise provided in the Contract
Documents or otherwise agreed in writing by all persons and entities who are
beneficiaries of such insurance, [10] until
final payment has been made as provided in Section 9.10 or until no person or
entity other than the Owner has an insurable interest in the Property required in
Section 11.3 to be covered, whichever is
later. This insurance shall include [11] the
interests of the Owner, the Contractor,
Subcontractors and Sub-subcontractors
in this Project.
Note that all the essential first-party
insurance requirements are stated there.
The owner, or by agreement, the general
contractor, must buy all-risk builder’s risk
coverage, for the benefit of the owner, as
well as for the benefit of the general contractor, and all subcontractors, and their
subs. This insurance must be in the limits
of the initial contract amount, and cover
for the cost of contract modifications, all
on a replacement cost basis. This insurance is to remain in place through final
payment on the project.
Section 11.3.1.1 reiterates the need
for the builder’s risk insurance to be issued on an “all risk” basis. “All risk,” of
course, is an insurance term of art meaning that such policies create a special
type of coverage that extends to risks not
usually covered under other insurance;
recovery under an all risk policy will be allowed for all fortuitous losses not resulting from misconduct or fraud, unless the
policy contains a specific provision expressly excluding the loss from coverage.
Under an all risk policy, the insured
need only establish the fact of loss or
damage to the insured property and not
the exact cause of the loss, with the burden of proof then shifting to the insurer
to establish that the loss resulted from an
excluded peril. In other words, coverage
is presumed to exist for fortuitous losses,
and the insurer must establish why coverage does not apply. All-risk is frequently
contrasted with “named perils” or “specified perils” coverage, which only insures
against specifically designated or enumerated perils. In a specified perils policy,
the insured must establish that the cause
of loss was indeed one of the perils insured against.
In insurance terminology, the types
of builder’s risk coverage available are
“basic,” “broad” or “special,” with the special form being the broadest coverage. It
insures against “risks of direct physical
loss” unless excluded or limited specifically in the policy.
AIA Document A-201, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction,
2007 Ed., c. 2007 by the
American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C.
1
Leo John Jordan is a partner in the law firm
Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP and
specializes in the areas of property insurance and construction defects. –dn
OSHA
The global harmonized
system
Joann Natarajan, Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA
Austin, TX
O
SHA is proposing to modify its existing Hazard
Communication Standard (HCS) to conform with
the United Nations' (UN) Globally Harmonized System
of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
A number of countries, including
the United States, and international
organizations participated in developing
the GHS to address inconsistencies in
hazard classification and communications.
The system provides a single, harmonized
system to classify chemicals, labels and
safety data sheets with the primary
benefit of increasing the quality and
consistency of information provided to
workers, employers and chemical users.
The proposed modifications to the
standard include revised criteria for
classification of chemical hazards;
revised labeling provisions that include
requirements for use of standardized
signal words, pictograms, hazard
statements, and precautionary statements; a specified format for safety
data sheets; and related revisions to
definitions of terms used in the standard,
requirements for employee training on
labels and safety data sheets. OSHA is
also proposing to modify provisions of
a number of other standards, including
standards for flammable and combustible
liquids, process safety management, and
most substance-specific health standards,
to ensure consistency with the modified
HCS requirements.
OSHA is also proposing to adopt the
terminology in the GHS modifications
to HCS so that all liquids covered by Sec.
1910.106 will be redefined as flammable
liquids in Categories 1-4, as appropriate,
and the term "Combustible Liquids" in
Sec. Sec. 1910.106, 1910.107, 1910.123,
1910.125, 1926.152, and 1926.155 will
be deleted. Instead of using the term
Combustible Class IIIB, flammable liquids
with a flashpoint of >= 93 °C will be called
"Flammable Liquids with a Flashpoint
of > 93 °C." The GHS does not classify
flammable liquids with flashpoints >
93 °C and, in fact, does not use the term
combustible liquid for classification. However, other OSHA standards, such
as Sec. 1910.107, Spray Finishing Using
Flammable and Combustible Materials,
relying on the current Sec. 1910.106
definitions of flammable and combustible
liquids, which cover liquids with a
flashpoint over 93 °C as "combustible
liquids." OSHA believes it needs to
maintain this non-GHS category in order
to preserve the coverage of combustibles
in standards such as Spray Finishing.
However, these chemicals will be known
by the new term "Flammable Liquids with
a Flashpoint of Greater Than 93°C," which
means that protection provided by the
current standards remains in force.
OSHA is scheduling informal public
hearings on its proposal to revise the
Hazard Communication Standard.
DATES: Informal public hearing. The
hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m., local time,
on the following dates:
March 2, 2010, in Washington, DC;
March 31, 2010, in Pittsburgh, PA; and
April 13, 2010, in Los Angeles, CA.
[email protected]
512-374-0271 x232
Jump start
Seamless transition
B
David Oberholtzer met his wife Brenda, office manager, in 1995.
O
berholtzer Energy Solutions
(OES) opened for business in
Dickinson six months ago.
Owner David Oberholtzer has
worked in the construction industry for
more than 15 years
“We moved into our 1750 Dickinson
Ave. Suite E location on Nov. 1,” he said.
“Now we have offices and an equipment
warehouse. It is a very convenient area
for us since most of our work is in the
Galveston County area.
“Our most recent commercial projects were for Tate’s Crane Shop, Clariday
Aesthetics and Nutrition Depot and a few
other strip center projects on I-45.”
Oberholtzer’s wife Brenda is office
manager. She handles all the bookkeeping, dispatching and answers the phones.
Joe Watkins works part-time as an outside salesman.
“I’ve always enjoyed doing HVAC
work,” he said. “I just decided it was time
to start my own business.”
Hobbies Oberholtzer enjoys are fishing in Galveston and crabbing in Kemah or
Seabrook with his 6-year-old grandson.
“Almost two years ago, I bought a
55-gallon salt water fish aquarium,” he
said. “Brenda and I just love it. We have
tropical fish, clown shrimp, snails and a
couple of damsels.
“I also recently built a go-cart with
my grandson and we ride it for fun on the
weekends.”
Eventually, Oberholtzer says he
would like to hire three more people at
the company.
OES provides residential and commercial insulation, air conditioning and heating. –ab
urwell Architects has recently merged
into the corporate interior studio of
Ziegler Cooper Architects.
According to Sara De Ita, marketing
manager at Ziegler Cooper Architects, the
merger means the addition of three key
staff members which include William M.
Burwell, AIA, principal of Burwell Architects; Georgina Guzman and Rachel
Hoover.
“Burwell will have a similar role of design leadership and marketing,” noted De
Ita. “Guzman will provide project management and technical coordination role and
Hoover will continue in her role as interior
designer.”
William M. Burwell, AIA
Burwell says Burwell Architects corporate client profile fits into the work
place studio at Ziegler Cooper Architects. design professionals.
“Our systems and philosophies are “In addition, we believe this expandso parallel that our transition will be ed team will benefit existing Burwell Arseamless and transparent with our team chitects clients through comprehensive
working with our clients - just in a new services in corporate interiors as well as
location,” he said.
expanded services in commercial archi
Mark S. Nolen, AIA, LEED AP, princi- tecture and tenant services. It’s a win-win
pal-in-charge of the Ziegler Cooper Ar- for everyone and we have already hit the
chitects corporate interiors studio, ground running.”
agrees, “It couldn’t have been a better fit. Established in 1977, Ziegler Cooper ArThe Burwell Architects team adds a sig- chitects is an architecture and interiors arnificant level of experience to our team of chitecture firm. –ab
Don’t forget . . .
Valentines Day is
Sunday February 14
Emerging leaders
I is for Ince
L-R: Employees Kevin Vogler and Dianne Sebesta get organized for the New Year
at Richmond-based Ince Engineering LLC. Jerry G. Ince is the president. –ab
C
2010 ABC Board of Directors
onstruction industry professionals
celebrated the New Year and networked at an annual Inaugural Dinner held at Northgate Country Club Jan.
14.
The Associated Builders & Contractors Greater Houston Chapter (ABC)) honored the chapter’s achievements in 2009
and named its new leadership for 2010.
–ab
Officers:
Chair: Wayne Navarro, S&B Engineers &
Constructors
Chair Elect: Neil Adams, Gilbane Building
Co.
Vice Chair: Dwayne Boudreaux, The Shaw
Group
Secretary: Lohn Zylicz, D.E. Harvey
Treasurer: Tasos Banos, TDIndustries
Past Chairman: Mike Gremillion, ISC Constructors LLC
Board of Directors
(Terms ending in 2010)
Brian Anderson, G.R. Birdwell Construction; John Golashesky, Turner Industries
Group; Bruce Marek, Marek Brothers Systems; John Marshall, Satterfield & Pon-
tikes; Jim Owrey, EE Reed Construction;
Rodney Page, Ref-Chem LP; Christina
Stone, Gaughan, Stone & Thiagarajan and
Allan Williams, Manhattan Construction
(Terms Ending in 2011)
Roger Berry, SpawGlass Construction
Corp.; Jeff Burnett, Insurance Alliance;
Art Canales, Chamberlin Roofing; Darlene
East, Holes Inc; Bob Nussmeier, Baker Industrial Concrete and Ronnie Wills, Aggregate Technologies Inc.
L-R: Mike Gremillion, ISC Constructors LLC,
presents an award to Wayne Navarro, S&B
Engineers and Constructors.
February . . .
a month for lures
by Capt. Steve Schultz
Sponsored by:
Trans Sport Boats, Yamaha Outboards,
Ronnie’s Marine, Minn Kota Trolling
Motors, Power Pole Shallow Water
Anchor, Pure Fishing, Pflueger Reels,
All-Star Rods, Mirr-O-Lure, Bass Assassin,
and Columbia Sportswear.
As a long time aficionado of artificial
lures, I always enjoy a day on the water
fishing with some of my favorite lures.
There is nothing like being the first one
on the water in your favorite honey hole
with a few of your buddies. Watching the
sun break the horizon and the day come
to life on the water is an observation
that can’t be explained without being
there. Depending on the time of year,
my passion is chunking topwater plugs
over scattered bait nervously dancing on
the surface of the water in front of you.
Walking that plug back and forth through
that bait, waiting for that explosion you
know is going to scare the heebie-jeebies
out of you, is very exhilarating.
Artificial lure fishing requires continuous
casting, so make sure you choose the
right light tackle equipment. If you prefer
using a casting reel like I enjoy throwing,
make sure it’s a light rig. I like a 6½ to 7
foot medium action rod for soft plastics
and a medium heavy action rod for
bigger plugs and crank baits. Your reel
should be small enough to fit in the palm
of your hand for comfort and to reduce
fatigue. I like spooling my reels with 4050 lb. braided line with a small amount
of mono backing to keep your line from
embedding into the spool. Now you’re
ready to tie on Seaguar Fluorocarbon
leader 12 to 18 inches long to the braid
using a double Uni-knot. If you feel more
comfortable using a spinning rig, it’s
basically the same set-up except use 2030 lb. braid or 10-12 lb. mono on a light
tackle spinning reel. I would also use a 7
to 7½ foot rod for this application.
Now that you have the right rig in your
hand, what will you tie on the end of your
line? Typically, I start out using a topwater
early in the morning and, depending
on how the day is going, I may keep it
on throughout the morning. There is a
misconception that you can only catch
fish using topwater lures early in the
morning, but there have been many days
you can find me still grinding out trout
on surface plugs in the middle of the day.
Fact is, if you still see bait activity on the
surface, odds are you can still trick trout
into chomping on your lure.
As the day progresses, I will change
to a sub-surface lure like a corky or a
crankbait of some sort. These lures are
great in water depths from one to four
ft., and have the capability of staying just
under the surface. Working deeper water
into the afternoon hours is typically the
pattern in the summer months, but winter
fishing finds me moving to shallower
water where fish seek warmth from the
sun rays on skinny shelves on shorelines.
So are there any rules for what color
pattern to fish? None, but most anglers
select transparent or subtle colors in
clear water or on sunny days. On cloudy
days or stained water, a more solid color
pattern is preferred.
Fishing artificial is both exciting and
exhilarating. The idea of consistently
coaching a fish into striking a non-natural
lure is the true measure of an artificial lure
angler. Once proficiency and personal
confidence are gained, you’ll find
Submitted to Construction News
Buck stops here
Jerod Templeton, project manager at National Concrete Services Ltd., shot this buck
on his last hunting trip to Rancho Nuevo in Laredo, TX. –ab
yourself relaxing with a nice artificial lure,
anxiously anticipating the thunderous
strike of that next trophy that bit on your
presentation.
For information in booking your 2010
fishing trip, give Capt. Steve Schultz a
call at 361-949-7359 or 361-813-3716 or
e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@
gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
Ron Shepherd of Rockport caught
this 5 lb. stud trout slow working
a floating corky last month.
Fish was released after photo.
Trout have a tendency to fight to the tip of the rod. It is wise to leave at least 6 ft.
or so of line to play the fish out until it tires. This fish weighed 6.5 lbs and fell for a
six inch saltwarer assassin.
STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC
BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT
SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER
FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS
(361) 949-7359
www.baffinbaycharters.com
[email protected]
U.S. Coast Guard &
Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line
Sponsored by Tropical Marine and Honda Marine
My name is Ken Milam and, for the past 26 years, I have been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on
Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity of getting to know
a good many folks in the construction trade.
Done hunting! (for now)
I
couldn’t wait for it to get here and
now I’m finally ready for it to be gone.
Hunting season . . . been there, done
that. Now that my freezer is refilled with
enough venison to keep the family in red
meat until next season, I’m starting to set
my sights on springtime.
Fishing time again! Thankfully, the
drought has broken for most folks around
the state and lake and river levels are
closer to normal this spring. I say most
folks because those of us on the Colorado
River watershed (Lake Buchanan and
above) still haven’t had the kind of rain
that we need to raise our water levels
much.
Oh well, I guess we’ll just fish the water
we have left. I have wondered if it might
be possible to troll my white-bass lures
from the back of a 4-wheeler along side
the shallow river that is running near my
house instead of being under 20 feet of
water. I guess the white bass run on the
upper end of the lake will go on pretty
much like any other year - the little guys
will just have to work their way past some
tricky mud flats to get up the river. Too
bad they can’t take a bus. They will find
a way to get upstream to spawn; we just
won’t get to chase them this year.
Other lakes and rivers will get to enjoy
the white bass run. Around here it
usually seems to get really good around
Valentine’s Day, give or take a week or
two. Keep an ear out and check with your
favorite tackle shop for good info on how
it’s going.
As the weather warms and we start
having nice days we get to start catching
crappie too. They are usually pretty easy
to find around the shorelines in structure.
Crappie fishing is fishing in its purest
form. A cane pole and a dozen minnows
and a little stretch of shoreline with
some driftwood or other structure can
easily yield you a pan full of the tastiest
freshwater fish in Texas!
Of course, the good old catfish will
warm up and get to biting again too.
Pay attention to the weather and watch
for spring rains to freshen up the creeks
and rivers. Catfish love to feed in a fresh
current and we fishermen love to feed on
them.
Upper Lake Buchanan this spring might give new meaning to the phrase “white bass run.”
The stripers and hybrids will also be
getting the urge to try to run upstream
and spawn. You can count on them to
feed good enough to fuel this biological
rush and that means good fishing for
them too in the spring. For these and
white bass too, keep an eye out for gulls
and cormorants and such feeding. They
can point you to where you can find fish
too.
I gotta go put up my hunting stuff and
get ready to shift gears into fishing mode.
I hope to see you out there on the water
getting in on the action. Good fishing to
you!
Remember spring break last year? Now is the time to start planning!
Reeling in redfish
Extra
Papers?
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips
All Bait, Tackle & Equipment
Furnished
Your catch Filleted and
Bagged for You
Furnish your TPWD Fishing
License & Refreshments,
and WE DO THE REST!
Owner Fred Twyman, Friendswood Roofing & Restoration,
recently caught an 11.47 lb. redfish on Galveston’s North Jetty. –ab
Ken Milam Guide Service
(325) 379-2051
www.striperfever.com
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Houston Construction News • Feb 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––---------------––––––––––––––––– Page 13
Once in a blue moon
Cloud nine
The Gerstner’s construction project – a
snowman named Bob.
Kent Gerstner, Construction News marketing
representative, was disappointed that his son,
Matthew, was not able to experience a white
Christmas in San Antonio. Like any good
father, he packed some warm clothes and
father and son headed to the mountains of
Cloudcroft, NM to play in the snow. –kf
The blue moon over Brady, TX
According to Kent, this photo of Matthew
was completely unintended. “We were
walking out to make the snowman when
suddenly the ground dropped
and the snow got deeper.”
O
n New Years Eve, longtime friends
Don Underwood and Durke
Turner owners of Deerwood Air
Conditioning and Heating went hunting
at their deer lease in Brady, TX.
The men each shot eight-point deer
during the afternoon. When they returned to their camp later in the evening
they were in awe of the blue moon.
According to Wikipedia, a blue moon
is the “extra” full moon in years that have
13 full moons.
The blue moon inspired Underwood
to get out his camera and take these
photos. –ab
Matthew takes a quick breather from hours of sliding down the snow hill.
Aim and shoot
Don Underwood and Durke Turner’s ranch house
Co-owner Paul Lee, Intercontinental Fire Control, shot this 10-point buck
Jan. 7 at his lease in Votaw, TX. Lee says he dropped the deer at a distance
of 175 yards with his black powder rifle just before dark. –ab
 Location

Location
 Location
 Location
Publishing the Industry’s News . . .
TEXAS Style
Dallas/Fort. Worth
Austin
San Antonio
Houston
Home Office
(210) 308-5800
Wonders of wildlife
Billy McDonald,
owner of Southwest
Equipment Rentals Inc.
and Atlas Equipment
Rentals Inc., is an avid
photographer in his free
time. McDonald says he
always brings his camera
when he spends time in
nature. These are a few
of his favorite photos he
took on a trip to Alaska.
–ab
A bald eagle in the snow near Portage Glacier
Above:
A grizzly bear at the Portage
Wildlife Center
Left:
McDonald’s wife, Beverly,
volunteered at the Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog Race as a dog handler.
Right:
Huskies in motion
at the Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog Race
Tool haven
Morning sunshine
L-R: Ronnie Helton, Adam Martinez, David Bookout, Mark Evans,
Todd Zimmerman and Tom Parker, Surman Electric Inc., get ready
to head out to a commercial job. –ab
Paint express
L-R: Jonathan Lawson, Marco Nunez, Terry Pimm, Blake McGee,
Raymond Steven and Cody Farley
T
he guys at La Porte-based SCS Tools
Inc. repair power tools for contractors in the construction industry.
Steve Farley is the owner and his
son Cody handles sales and administrative duties while Steve Jr. is the operations manager. Mechanic Marco Nunez
has worked at the company for nine
years.
“We have been in business for 15
years and incorporated the company
eight years ago,” Cody Farley said. “I
came on board a year and half ago.”
According to Farley, his father is an
avid hunter during deer season. He goes
hunting in East Texas and to a lease ten
miles from Mexico.
“My father also likes cars, especially
Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Corvettes.
He goes to several car shows a year. I, on
the other hand, prefer to go mountain
biking for fun. I usually take my bike out
to Memorial Park.”
Nunez says when he is not working
at the shop his hobby is cooking at his
home. His specialty is brisket.
“I used to play soccer in my free time,”
Nunez said. “I haven’t played in a while
though.”
Raymond Steven, mechanic, says
he can’t play a musical instrument, but he
likes playing Guitar Hero and Playstation.
Jonathan Lawson played football
years ago and is a Houston Texans fan today.
Farley says SCS Tools had to relocate
to 1007 S. Country Club Suite A after Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
“We had six feet of water inside our
other shop, but we were back to work
only two days after the hurricane.”
SCS Tools repairs power tools, electrical tools and hydraulic tools and parts.
–ab
Isreal Zeballos, Roe Painting, climbs into the bed of his pickup truck to find the
right paintbrush. The company provides commercial painting services. -ab
publishing the industry’s news
Smooth
as glass
T
he Houston Area Glass Association (HAGA) has recently named
its 2010 board of directors. –ab
Board of Directors:
Dave Bridges, Arch Aluminum
Samantha Cammack, US Aluminum
David Corbello, Cardinal Glass
Vic Huvelle, Associated Insurance
Advisors
Denise Lewis, Spring Glass & Mirror Mario Lopez, MI Glass Richard McCormack, JC Glass
Stanley Ramirez, Lone Star Glass
Company
Board Members:
James Emmert, Dauphin Sales
David Ozment, Binswanger
Curtis Murphy, Dynamic Glass
Texas
Style




San Antonio
Austin
Dallas/Fort Worth
Houston
Going way back
Bravo, bravo
L-R: Fred “Kiko” and Jorge Vazquez make bolts and fasteners.
John Terken says J & M Plumbing works in the League City, Clear Lake and Alvin areas.
M
eeting in high school, owners
John Terken and Mike Luna, J
& M Plumbing, have been best
friends for almost 30 years.
“My family lived really close to Mike’s
family in Friendswood when we were
kids,” Terken said “We always wanted to
go into business together and ultimately
chose to get into plumbing. Mike and I
opened J & M Plumbing 11 years ago.
The letters J and M in our company name
are the letters of our first names.
“We mainly work in League City and
the surrounding areas. I think business is
as good as it has ever been. The recession has not affected us at all. We are a
small company so a little bit of work goes
a long way with us.
“I love what I do today. I enjoy being
self-employed and the fact that I can get
out to the jobsites. I wouldn’t want to
work inside a small cubicle all day.”
Andy Lufsey is a Journeyman and
Florencio Flores and Jesse Rodriguez
are helpers.
“We all love fishing and hunting in
our free time,” Terken said. “This year, I
went fishing in Galveston and hunting at
the Sam Houston National Forest. Lufsey
is more of a fresh water fisherman and
goes to a lake in Crockett, TX.
“Mike and I enjoy shooting guns at
local shooting ranges too. We also like to
attend the Houston Gun Show to see all
the new and improved guns.”
Terken says his future plans for the
company are to hire a few more people
and purchase another company van.
J & M Plumbing is a commercial and
residential plumbing contractor. –ab
F
red “Kiko” Vazquez and his sons
Jorge and Fred Jr., owners of Bravo
U-Bolts & Fasteners Inc. like listening to Tejano music at their Market Street
shop.
They have operated their business
for five years. Before Vazquez entered
the bolt and fastener business, he owned
a Tex-Mex restaurant.
“I cooked enchiladas, fajitas and other Tex-Mex dishes at the restaurant 15
years ago,” he said. “I got into the restaurant business after working at a fastener
company. I have always liked this line of
work, so I decided to start my own company.”
Vazquez and his sons say they are
lucky to be able to work with each other
every day.
“We like the fact we are able to make
our products right here at our shop,”
Jorge Vazquez said. “My brother is re-
sponsible for sales and my dad and I make
the bolts and fasteners.”
Vazquez says he came up with the
first word of the company name because
his favorite baseball team is the Atlanta
Braves.
“The word “braves” in Spanish means
bravo,” he said. “We also thought the letter B was good because it is at the beginning of the phone book.”
Vazquez recently took a trip to Las
Vegas for the first time.
“I played lots of Texas Hold’em,” he
said. “I usually only go to Louisiana, so it
was a treat to go to Las Vegas.”
Looking ahead, Vazquez says he, his
brother and father plan to expand the
business by buying their own shop and
property.”
Bravo U-Bolts & Fasteners manufactures bolts and different types of fasteners
used in the construction industry. –ab
Rolling with it
Signing on
L-R: Matthew Borsman and Joe Killingsworth
L-R: Jaime Alvarado and Ruben Gutierrez are the hard-working
installers at Elegant Sign. –ab
I
f you are ever at Floors Today, look for
the photo of owner Joe Killingsworth
with Joe DiMaggio, the legendary
baseball player.
“I was a golf caddy back in the ‘70s,”
Killingsworth said. “I was caddy for Joe
DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in the B.C.
Open in 1972. The tournament was held
at En-Joie Golf Club in New York.
“At the time, I was a college student
and Vietnam veteran. I had the chance to
make $50 and meet some special people.”
Nowadays, Killingsworth plays golf
once a week at South Shore Harbour
Country Club. He also loves marketing
and runs a networking organization in
League City called Bay Area Network
Group.
“I think to be good at networking, it
takes humor, dedication and a positive
outlook,” he said.
Killingsworth and his business partner Matthew Borsman founded Floors
Today almost five years ago. Ruben Tobar is the carpet installer.
“I have been in the flooring business
since 1968 and Matthew has 25 years experience in the industry,” Killingsworth
said. “We met here in Houston when we
were in management at another floor
covering company.
“A few commercial jobs we have
completed lately are a condominium
high rise and a hotel in Galveston as well
as Hidden Treasures, a consignment
shop.
“Eventually, we’d like to expand into
the granite countertop business and be
competitive in that area.”
Floors Today installs floor coverings
such as tile, carpet, wood and vinyl for residential and commercial projects. –ab
Construction Safety
Safety made simple
Paul V. Fontenot, CSP. Chief Operations and
Safety Officer
Safety Advantage
Houston, TX
W
hat are the major risks in construction?
Just like in other areas of safety, risks have to
be identified for each workplace. The evaluation of risks
at a work location must be site-specific.
For example, the pipeline industry
routinely has problems with overhead
power lines on rights-of-way. That means
workers using or near heavy equipment
underneath power lines can get too close
and can be shocked or electrocuted if
equipment comes into contact with power lines, or electricity arcs from the line to
the equipment.
Construction has similar specific lifethreatening hazards that demand planning, worker and daily awareness at the
job site. Excavation safety issues are excellent examples. So is fall protection
where workers are higher than six feet off
the ground or lower level.
In most “mock OSHA” inspections
that we perform, the key problem is that
supervisors and workers simply aren’t
getting trained properly.
Other major risks include proper
training about, selection and use of personal protective equipment, safe use of
powered tools and hand tools, ladder
safety, fire prevention and response, and
safe work procedures for chemicals used
in a work process.
How important is a good safety record
in the construction industry?
For some construction projects,
when the financing bank and the insur-
ance companies are looking at general
and subcontractor safety records to make
underwriting decisions, and when workers’ comp carriers determine a contractor’s experience modification rating, a
good safety record can make all the difference.
Or maybe it’s more accurate to say
that a poor safety record, or not being
able to demonstrate a credible, effective
safety and OSHA compliance program,
will sink the project before it ever starts.
Let’s also remember that many subcontractors are small and don’t have the
same large volume of man-hours worked
each year. Even a single injury can torpedo a smaller contractor because its
injury rate will be out of whack when
compared to a larger sub with many more
man-hours to average in.
That’s why successful small contractors work hard to keep all this straight,
along with other project priorities. They
develop and implement policies and programs, as well as site-specific safety plans.
Then they follow through with training.
The field or project supervisor is always the key person here, because he or
she is the front line leader for his or her
workers. Company management will
send a safety representative or third party independent professionals like Safety
Advantage to job sites to conduct safety
management and “mock” OSHA challenges. This is how you confirm that the
right things are getting done.
Has construction safety improved in
the last decade, in your opinion?
Sure it has. There is more awareness
at most levels. Also, you’re seeing many
more owners and general contractors
making subcontractor safety programs,
training and experience a required criteria when selecting subs.
At a plant, the operator or owner sets
things up to make sure that contractors
follow OSHA compliance. Subs have to
go above and beyond.
Subs in general construction are
used to no one really pushing safety. Sign
a contract that says you’ll follow OSHA
rules, and turn in a generic weekly safety
meeting sign-in sheets. That’s about it.
In the past, there hasn’t been a third
party auditor rating them, and OSHA
doesn’t have time to catch everybody.
The jobsite usually is at a new address, so
when the building is up and completed
in six months to two years, the subs and
their workers have moved on.
Safety costs money. So does quality
and doing the job right. When this money is spent for the right things, it comes
back many times over in a variety of ways.
One major return for subcontractors is
being able to return to project after project with the same owner or general contractor.
That’s why, overall, I think construction safety has gotten better in the last
decade.
What is on the horizon for the safety
industry?
Experience always has been an additional layer of protection on pipeline and
construction job sites.
Even the “old-timers” who may not
have had much formal safety and compliance training had the hands-on experience to understand and accept safety
and compliance.
But this generation of experienced
construction professionals and crafts
workers is getting older. Many believe
that the next generation isn’t coming
along fast enough with the experience
and training necessary to take over.
Construction is losing many trades
people. On-the-job training is fine, but
generally there is no curriculum or written course map for young workers on the
way up. Young workers don’t get the
complete system. They just get pieces.
On-the-job training only teaches
what you need to know to get through
the day. What we need is a coordinated
path for crafts and skills training, continuing education, and professional development for construction workers as members of an industry. Give them the full
picture, with safety where it ought to be
– as part of the job, not some kind of addon just to keep OSHA off your back.
These will be issues of the near future
– not just for safety, but for success.
Safety Advantage is a Houston-based safety, training and compliance consultant.
The firm focuses on construction and pipeline safety. –ab
Safety - getting personal
Scott Freeborn, Owner
Koncept Safety
San Antonio, TX
H
ow has the economy affected the safety equipment industry in recent years?
I think it has hurt it, and the end-users are shopping
more for price instead of value. I think that is hurting
them from a safety standpoint because they are not getting a good, qualified supplier
on their side all the time. They are treating it like a commodity item and missing the
value of having someone they can call when something goes wrong.
What are the major risks in construction?
With different construction sites, the
risks vary. Some instances it may be fall
protection and others it may be confined
space. Others it may be job awareness. I
think you have to take each site and look
at the problems you are having, and try
to address them.
How can safety equipment reduce
those risks?
Of course proper equipment and following OSHA guidelines, is obviously going to prevent deaths or serious injuries.
The second part of that is morale. I
once read an article and it said, “If morale
was money, how would you spend it?”
That happens with employees, if you
shortchange your first-aid box and there
is not a band-aid when you need it, or
they have inferior glasses or gloves and
they don’t feel like they are very important. A good safety program improves
morale.
Are there ways to reach the construction workforce easier?
The good tried and true ways are still
there. An employer can schedule a mobile first-aid visit and make sure their firstaid supplies are kept up to stock and that
there are CPR devices there. They can also
schedule a shoemobile to their site with a
qualified representative to make sure the
worker has the right type of protective
footwear for the jobsite.
How important is training in the use of
safety equipment and equipment limitations?
I personally wouldn’t let someone
just buy respiratory equipment without
asking them, “Is your respiratory program
up to speed?”
The training is very important. You
can’t just throw a safety manual out there
and say, “I have a safety program.” And
you can’t just throw PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) on someone and say,
“OK, they are protected.”
OSHA says they need to do a PPE assessment and training.
Have their been any significant price
changes in equipment in recent
years?
The good news is the prices have
been pretty stable the last two years. We
saw a huge spike about two years ago in
leather prices, having to do with quotas
and leather shortages, changes in the
Chinese production. It was a very complicated thing. And we saw spikes of 2540 percent in those types of products.
For the most part, it kind of follows
the commodities, for example, if gas is
going up, then plastic is going up and
those products increase. And as we recently experienced, transportation costs
added huge expenses when gas prices
soared.
instance, the protective footwear business has changed so much in the last 10
or 15 years. So you see a lot of name
branding, and that becomes cool.
We see it go from one extreme to the
other. We see employers that want style
and the latest greatest, and then we see
people that want the most basic, low-cost
disposable equipment that they can get.
industry?
I think style has become the big
thing, and has been for sometime. For
Koncept Safety was founded in 1992 and
specializes in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other safety equipment and
supplies. –kf
Are there more PPE items available for
women in construction today?
A quality supplier should have gloves
in small, reduced-size safety glasses and
they should be able to provide good
quality work shoes in women’s sizes.
The equipment is out there, but
sometimes, again, the supplier that is
looking for the quick-turns and what sells
the most, may not have that broad of a
line and be able to provide women’s sizes
or stock what a particular customer
needs.
Do you sell a lot of pink hard hats for
women?
Actually, we sell more of them for the
construction trailer that is going to make
the guy wear it for the day when he forgets his hard hat!
Page 18 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––---------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Feb 2010
Construction Safety
Safety crucial to
development, growth
in the construction industry. Successful
companies know that a good safety record will not only reduce their insurance
premiums, but will also increase employIrving, TX
ee productivity and job capability.
Companies with a strong safety record and commitment to safe work pracow does construction safety impact your company?
Economically, morally and legally, safety has become a major issue for con- tices have less labor turnover and thus
struction companies. Addressing environmental, safety and health issues has meant reduce training and accidents cost. Addisurvival for our clients attempting to remain profitable in this ever-more-competitive tionally a good record shows a company’s
economy. With an ever-increasing rise in medical and indemnity cost, construction ability to analyze, plan and monitor cost
companies are paying a larger percentage of their payroll to provide coverage for their effectively, which can create new and
workers. The overall effect can lead to a high experience modification rate and a larger job opportunities. higher insurance premium in addition to related turnover and overhead cost. Does an increase in volume of con What are the major safety risks associ- gets and lofty expectations from devel- struction affect safety?
opers and owners often make it tempting ated with construction?
Certainly, and although we have the
Construction in itself is inherently for companies to bypass critical safety reverse effect occurring in today’s econodangerous. According to OSHA statistics training needs and proper analysis of job- my, during a construction boom, as we
the construction industry makes up ap- site hazards in order to meet these obli- had in the mid-2000’s, finding enough
proximately 21 percent of all work related gations.
man-power can become a larger obstacle
fatalities. Construction workers come then actually landing the bid on a big
upon various hazards including falls from
project. With that said, employers have
heights, struck by objects, caught in be- How important is a good safety record less time to train new and unskilled emtween objects and electrocutions. The in the construction industry?
ployees on critical safety procedures and
reality is that construction workers face A good safety record is not only cru- policies. In addition companies often
all of these and more every day they walk cial to a company’s bottom line but also have to dig deep into their graveyards for
onto a jobsite. These risks are multiplied in its development and growth. Compa- equipment and materials. Cranes, scafwith
today’s
construction
de- nies with poor safety records are viewed folds and other out-dated or poorly mainmands. Tight schedules, limited bud- as unstable and typically do not last long tained equipment are put back into ser-
Kraig Kyle, Construction Health
and Safety Technician
CORE Safety Group
H
vice in order to keep up with production
demands.
industry?
Look for legislation to step up safety
requirements and enforcement among
the construction industry. Recently several states including Nevada, Missouri
and New York have set various standards
requiring workers and supervisors to obtain the OSHA 10- and 30-hour certification prior to commencing work on construction projects. I see several additional
state programs following suit. Additionally Senator Ted Kennedy introduced a
bill (Senate bill 1580) that will amend the
Occupational Safety and Health Act and
would, among other things “expand coverage under the Act to 8.5 million in the
public sector who are not covered by an
OSHA state plan, increase protections for
whistleblowers, and increase penalties
for certain violators.
Kraig Kyle serves as safety director for the
southwest region for CORE Safety Group
and provides general contractors including
EMJ Corporation with health and safety
services.
Your safety program keeps
you in business
Kenneth C. Paninski, Regional Supervisor
Engineering Safety Consultants
Austin, TX
I
n 2009 three workers plunged to their deaths, falling
eleven stories from a defective scaffold, a few blocks
from the University of Texas, Austin. Besides the grief and anguish suffered by the
relatives and friends, a permanent record of the three fatalities was registered in the
files of the company that employed the workers. The existence of the company may
be in jeopardy due to lawsuits, insurance rates, and OSHA citations. A solid safety program may have prevented the tragedy that repeats itself over and over, to the point
that Texas leads the nation in construction deaths.
This is the main reason to have an effective safety program, to prevent injuries and fatalities; in addition an effective
safety program critically affects the ability of a company to win contracts and remain profitable. Many general contractors and owners will review a bidding
contractor’s safety program and records
to ferret out the following key information: number of “serious” citations issued
by OSHA, number of fatalities suffered
(ever), the Experience Modifier Rate
(EMR), and the quality of the safety program.
Some companies or owners will not
allow a company to even enter the bidding process if they have had a “serious”
OSHA citation, or a fatality in the past
three years, five years, or ever. The EMR
rating determines how much a company
pays for insurance. If your rating is high
(greater than one) you pay more for insurance coverage. Some companies or
owners will require a specific EMR rating
(or less) to allow you to bid for the project. In addition, a high EMR requires a
company to put in a higher bid to cover
insurance costs; this allows a competitor
with a lower EMR to offer a lower bid. The
key to navigate successfully through all of
these obstacles is a solid safety program.
The cornerstone of a company’s
safety program is implementation. You
may have a safety book as thick as a New
York City telephone book, but if the information contained therein is not utilized,
it is of no value.
The management of the company
also has to “buy in” to the safety program.
If the leadership does not embrace a
safety program of their own making, neither will the rank and file. With the management offering its full support, the
safety program must be implemented.
This means that training schedules, safety equipment purchases, and PPE requirements must be pushed to the forefront, YES, even ahead of production.
Disregarding the safety program will
end up being very costly when that forklift operator hurts or kills somebody while
lacking a certification or when workers
end up suffocating in a poorly ventilated
crawl space because they had not been
trained in the hazards of a confined space.
A company may spend the next couple of
years hampered by lawsuits, paying
OSHA fines, while at the same time not
winning projects because the insurance
rates force them to submit higher bids;
that is, if they are even allowed to bid
since they have fatalities and OSHA citations they must disclose.
While these examples may seem
outlandish, they are not, they happen
rather often. Your company’s safety program is a tool that will keep you in business, but it must be implemented and
management must support it. If you give
your safety program its due, your safety
program will keep you in business.
Engineering Safety Consultants(ESC) offers
safety services such as site audits and safety
training. Paninski, originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela, has worked for ESC for over
ten years. He is fluent in Spanish and has
completed the OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 hour
courses, and helps teach them, as well as a
myriad of safety courses from CPR/First Aid
to Confined Space. He also serves in the
Texas Air National Guard as a Master Sergeant specializing in the assembly of 500
lbs. and 2000 lbs. bombs for F-16 fighters.
–dn
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Construction Safety
MBWA - A way to identify
and reduce risk
David Bascom, Senior Regional Manager of
Health, Safety and Environment
NuStar Energy
San Antonio, TX
W
hen Sam Walton, the founder of
Wal-Mart Stores, was just beginning
in his business he established a best practice that served him well for the rest of his
professional life: Management By Walking About – MBWA.
In our present construction business
situation in Texas, with the need to maximize every project’s success by reducing
risk caused by injuries, MBWA can serve
us equally well. Both then, in Arkansas,
and now, in Texas, when the leader takes
the time to actually, physically, and systematically walk through their project on
a regular basis, they will see many of the
hazards and potential hazards, as well as
unsafe actions, that can impact their
most important asset – their people.
Rectifying those conditions and correcting the unwise acts on the spot will reduce the risk exposure thereby making a
superior job possible.
Just three ways that Sam’s best practice then can help us now:
Those individuals, who spend all day on a
construction project, be it a commercial
structure or a residential one, become accepting of the environment of the site.
They accept its characteristics; its “scen-
ery”. They settle into a routine that is
comfortable and begin to no longer see
what can hurt them or their workers.
That will lead to unsafe actions and conditions, which will most surely lead to injuries, or worse.
To take a specific, but apparently
spontaneous, time – perhaps an hour or
two of work time every other day – to
critically view their company’s efforts
fence-to-fence, top-to-bottom, with
“cold eyes” will clarify many of those hazards that are lying hidden and waiting to
strike at the core of their potential success.
It can also be beneficial to take an
employee or two (randomly selected)
with them with clear instructions to
“catch” their co-workers doing something
right, as well as pointing out what they
see as hazards and/or unsafe actions during the tour. When that does occur, take
the time to publicly recognize those individuals who are doing it safer. Others will
emulate those who do get a pat on the
back.
Their workers will see and know that the
owner / superintendent / boss is focused
upon their well-being and will respond in
a positive way. And, since those workers
are the most important asset of the company, interacting and communicating
with them during this MBWA can result in
finding (for immediate or future correcting) the dangerous conditions and unsafe acts that will not be able to negatively impact the work effort.
As the MBWA progresses, specifically
ask, “What’s the most serious hazard you
faced today?” and, “What can we do to
better protect ourselves?” Then, remain
open to listening to the answers. Once
they see that the person in charge is sincerely wanting answers, and that there is
no recrimination for an honest response,
plus those responses are acted upon in a
timely manner, the workforce will open
up and tell the boss what is truly going
on.
It will help the leader to avoid missing the
obvious. Sitting in an office or the seemingly endless round of meetings or –
worse still – not even being on-site for
large portions of the day, will not allow
that person in charge to maintain enough
contact with the actual process of building. Without even realizing it, the boss is
allowing the project to slip into a too
comfortable condition that allows hazards or unsafe acts to bring on an injury;
a loss of productivity; a negative impact
to several bottom lines.
Absence from the physical work effort will also give the workforce the impression that the person in charge does
not care about them, which is a potentially “deadly” mistake. MBWA will ensure that the site is paying attention. That
a “hands on” approach is integral to the
way business is done.
Although it may be an organized action, please do not allow MBWA to become formalized. By that I mean do not
allow it to become a militaristic parade of
inspection, occasionally punctuated by
pausing to speak to an underling. If it becomes so, the leader has lost the plot,
and the advantage that MBWA can
bring.
There must be a sense of informality
to MBWA; a sense of the boss seeking out
the hazards and unsafe acts by directly
participating in the project; a sense of
sincerely wanting to see and hear what
the pulse of the site is; a sense of respect
for the workers, their vision, and their
challenges to safely completing the job.
Rigid and aloof managers will never engender confidence that they care about
what is going on, but an engaged and focused MBWA will.
Do not resist the urge to get up and
out! See what is occurring “in the trenches”; listen to the people; see with cold
eyes what is actually happening on the
job. The results of MBWA will be gratifying and allow the leader to protect their
most valuable investment–a safer workforce.
David Bascom has been a leader in the
health and safety profession in Texas since
1994. Bascom was recognized as the Occupational Safety Manager of the Year by the
Texas Safety Association in 1999; in 2007 he
received the Safety Professional of the Year
for Management by the American Society
of Safety Engineers (ASSE); in 2009 he was
the recipient of the Charles V. Culbertson
award, also from ASSE. –dn
What is the most important thing
that can be improved in construction safety?
I would say the number one thing that
could be improved in construction safety
is the planning of a particular task in all
phases of construction. I think it is important that the guys in the field start off
their day by spending five to 10 minutes
planning out their work and their goals.
If they planned the safety process in conjunction with their work, I think there
would be fewer incidents on the job.
Dino Sideris, Safety Director
Bob Moore Construction
Arlington, TX
ity and quality as well.
Patricia Kagerer, CSP, ARM, CRIS
Vice President of Risk and Safety Management
Jordan Construction
Dallas, TX
I think the number one thing that could
be improved in construction safety is employee involvement. The more employees are involved in the company’s safety
program the better. As employees evolve
and mature, there will be a better safety
culture within the company.
Doug Watson, Director of Safety Services
Associated General Contractors (AGC)
Houston, TX
I believe that effective communication is
the best way to improve construction
safety. During the morning meetings
when a safety director and the guys are
discussing the project schedule, the guys
need to be constantly motivated to stay
safe on the job. The meeting might begin in the boardrooms and then be continued out on the jobsites. I think graphs
and charts are effective for visual learning. When they get out in the field, it is
important for safety directors to work in
safety in their conversations with the
guys. It is important to communicate on
all levels. If the budget allows, it might
help to provide the guys with breakfast
at the meeting such as a kolaches, coffee
and orange juice. The workers need to
understand that safety is to their advantage.
Roy Veatch, Retired Safety Director,
Gamma Construction Co.
Houston, TX
Safety and productivity should be
aligned. If the two are separate, a production driven reward system creates
production driven performers who put
themselves in harm’s way to meet production goals. It is as simple as that. Safety, quality and productivity should be in
balance; people should not be put in situations to make tradeoffs. This will improve the overall safety outcomes of organizations and make them more successful not just in safety but in productiv-
Training. Hands down. And then the next
thing behind that is to have a safety program that is written and followed and to
have repercussions for bad behavior.
Jason Puckett
Patriot Erectors
Austin, TX
I would have to say if we had to put one
thing it would be worker education–if
you had to boil it down to one. That’s not
going to solve everything, but that would
go a long ways.
Larry Connelly, Safety Director
Associated General Contractors (AGC)
Austin, TX
I can think of two ways to improve construction safety. Employee awareness of
safety hazards is number one. In addition, there has to be training, training and
more training.
Moss Kines, Safety Director
Constructors & Associates
Dallas, TX
Proper training of sub contractors on job
sites. I believe all sub contractors are responsible to get the proper training to
prevent accidents. I believe it is very imperative to ensure all employees are safe.
I am very zero tolerant on that.
Rick Segura, Harvey-Cleary Builders
Austin, TX
“Probably communication. Our tool box
talks are sometimes limited, so trying to
improve on the communication with the
subcontractor is what we’re doing.”
J. Kuper, Kuper Construction
Boerne, TX
Before beginning any excavation project,
contractors should call Texas 811 before
they start digging. There are gas lines,
pipelines, telephone lines and other utility lines that could be cut and that could
cause a hazardous accident.
Jaime Medina, Damage Prevention Manager
Texas Excavation Safety Systems
Houston, TX
The most important thing is to provide
your employees the training that is necessary for them to work safely. So many
people think safety is common sense, but
it’s not. It has to be taught. The corporation has to convey to their employees the
importance of safety and provide the
training because it’s more than just common sense.
Ron Fuller, Alpha Building Corp.
Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas and
Oklahoma
Training the guys. That’s the main thing.
Tommy Gardenhare, T.C. Heflin
New Braunfels, TX
The biggest problem that safety professionals in any capacity have is training.
Everything I could tell you that we could
do for safety requires that report. What
I’m seeing where people are getting hurt
is training. Without safety, you end up
costing the owners and yourselves a lot
more money when there is an accident.
Charlene Layne, SpawMaxwell
Austin, Dallas, Houston
Getting workers and everyone alike to
understand that doing things safely isn’t
a matter of it being required but to protect themselves and their families.
Chris Iungerich, Yates, W.G. & Sons
Construction Co., San Antonio, TX
Expansion phase
Granite guru
Salesman Llona Plaza, BMG Marble & Granite Inc., spends his day
in the yard helping folks select marble and granite. –ab
L-R: Jean Neustadt, Brian Erwin and Doug Baxley
G
oldstone Exterior Services relocated to 9121 West Little York in
November. The company opened
for business four years ago.
“We all enjoy the construction business,” said Jean Neustadt, president.
“Our company has grown from a single
truck operation and now we have seven
trucks and 25 employees.
“It was time for us move into our new
facility, which is twice the size of our old
building.”
Neustadt says the company moved
just around the corner from its previous
space.
“This location is convenient for us
because it is close to all of our jobs,” he
said. “We have had several striping jobs
at parking garages in the downtown area
lately. In addition, we are doing work for
commercial construction companies as
well as the City of Houston.”
Brian Erwin is the operations manager and Doug Baxley is the sales manager.
“For fun, we do things for the employees from time to time,” Neustadt
said. “We will typically have a cook out
and grill fajitas.
“Our five year goal is to expand into
the Greater Houston area, as well as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin markets.
“The best part of this business is
working with the people in the construction industry and making a difference in
the environment.”
Goldstone Exterior Services provides
exterior building cleaning, pressure washing, parking lot striping and maintenance,
as well as concrete and asphalt repairs.
–ab
Structural capabilities
Arthur Braren is ready for a productive day at DEFI, a company that provides
engineering solutions and installs structural fiberglass in Houston. –ab
Houston Construction News • Feb 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––– Page 21
Main anchor
Busy at building
Daryl Fulton is the driver at Anchor Roofing Inc., a commercial
and residential roofing company. –ab
Ready for what ever comes his way, project manager Dave Windsor,
Higbie Builders, heads out to a retail center jobsite. The company is
a building contractor. –ab
Calling 911
continued from Page 19 — Focus Construction Safety
Communication. Just short tool box
meetings. You get the people right in
front of you. You can find out what’s going on with your job site. Because it’s
quick and you want to go back to work,
they get the information they need.
Sadie Pack, Braun & Butler
Austin, TX
Each task has very specific hazards. By focusing on those hazards and training em-
ployees, they can begin to make it safer
for themselves and those around them.
By directing their focus to the basic areas
of safety, they can reduce accidents and
injuries. A safer job site is a more profitable job site.
Mike Donohue, environmental health &
safety manager, C Young & Company
Austin, TX
–ab/km
continued from Page 1 — Following dreams
years ago,” he said. “We wanted something that we could not only call home
for our business but also be able to give
back to the community. We have had
several community functions already.”
Morales said playing golf is one of his
favorite hobbies, although he doesn’t get
to play as often as he would like.
“We will occasionally participate in
golf tournaments,” he said. “In addition,
we used to do a lot of hunting.”
In his extra time, Morales is on the
education foundation boards for Lamar
Consolidated and Spring ISD, the West
Fort Bend Management District board
and the Oak Bend Medical Center Advisory board.
GreenScape Associates LLC is a commercial design/build landscape management firm. –ab
L-R: Joel Palamo, Raul Gutierrez and Tom Koenig enjoy a sunny day at 911
Restoration, a water, fire, and mold damage restoration company. –ab
Need a lift?
continued from Page 1 — Cool works
Morris says the folks at the company
also get together to have a safety meeting every Tuesday.
On the side, Morris and Rutty are avid
hunters and fishermen and like going to a
camp in the Toledo Bend area.
“Chad and I recently got back from
the Hill Country,” he said. “We enjoyed
traveling out to the Edwards Plateau.
“Our future goal for the company is
to open up five more satellite branches
around the Greater Houston area. If we
stay on track with it, we hope to accomplish this by 2015.”
Rutty & Morris Air Conditioning &
Plumbing provides cooling, heating, plumbing and refrigeration installation and repair
services in the residential, commercial, industrial and marine markets. –ab
continued from Page 1 — Medical research underway
“The BRC is serving as a magnet for
medical researchers, bioengineers and
scientists. The design is interactive and,
by design, the building will encourage
communication and collaboration and
contribute to greater cooperation among
health care professionals.”
Wight says a relatively new building
process called "HyperTrack, was used to
control costs, accelerate schedules and
improve overall design quality.
“We shaved between nine and 12
months off the schedule using this approach,” Wight said. “The process essentially replaces sequential thinking with
simultaneous decision making. In this
case, the project was broken into sequential packages so that construction activities began before the full design was
complete.
“For example, the foundation was
designed and construction began on that
element while the design of the exterior
envelope
was
still
underway.
“The project experienced 139 delays
due to weather, including a six-week delay caused by Hurricane Ike in September
2008. Construction of the superstructure
was completed in shifts to compensate
for these unscheduled project interruptions.”
Founded in 1938, Linbeck provides
project management, program management and construction management services. The company has offices in Texas,
California, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. –ab
Professional Team:
Executive and Design Architect for the
core and shell:
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Architect for the interior design:
FKP Architects
Structural Engineering:
Haynes Whaley Associates
Key Subcontractor:
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Design: BR+A
Welder Robert Bowers spends his day repairing a machine
at Superior Fork Lift Inc. –ab
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Plumb action
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
ABC
Associated Builders & Contractors
Feb. 1: Construction Site Safety Technician Course begins, 5pm, 701 Texas Avenue, Members $1000/Non-Members
$1500
Feb. 3: Blueprint Reading, 6pm, ABC office, Members $300/Non-Members $300
Feb. 8: Crew Leader Course begins, 6pm,
ABC office, Members $165/Non-Members
$220
Feb. 12: CPR/First Aid, 8am, ABC office,
Members $50/Non-Members $75
Feb. 18: 7th Annual Texas Hold’em Tournament, 6pm, Marek Brothers Systems
Feb. 24: Prevention of Concrete Problems, 11am, ABC office, Members $25/
Non-Members $35
For more information call 713-523-6222
Owner Ron Strickland, Mr. Plumber, has provided commercial, industrial and
residential plumbing installation and services for three years. –ab
ACCA
Air Conditioning Contractors of Amer.
Round-Up
Architectural Building Components has
recently appointed Scott Dendler as
chief financial officer and Susan Simon
as director of sales and marketing. Dendler
will
oversee the company expenditures.
He brings nearly 20
years of professional accounting and
finance experience
to the company. He
has worked with a number of industrial
and educational entities as a corporate
accounting manager, vice president of finance and administration and controller.
Dendler received his bachelor’s degree in
Accounting from Oakland University in
1990, and earned his master’s degree in
Finance from Walsh College in 1999. As director of
sales and marketing, Simon will generate
additional
business opportunities through the
development
of
new marketing and
sales strategies. She
has more than 15
years of experience in business development. Simon received her B.A. degree in
sociology from the University of Texas in
1993.
Brookstone LP has
promoted Jeremy
Stovall to senior
project manager.
Stovall has more
than ten years of
project
management experience as
well as previous experience in estimating and project supervision. He has managed a variety of religious, community and commercial projects throughout the Houston area.
TBG Partners has promoted two employees to associates at its Houston office, including Yan Long, LEED-AP and Kinoto
Miyakoda, ASLA.
Long is responsible for the creation
of schematic design
studies, design development
concepts, construction
document drawings
and graphic renderings for multiple
projects types. Long holds a bachelor’s
degree in Architecture from South China
University of Technology and a master’s
degree in Landscape Architecture from
Texas A&M University.
As an associate,
Miyakoda has responsibilities
including the design
and management
of several civic, urban /mixed-use,
park and hospitality
projects. Miyakoda
graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Landscape
Architecture.
Feb. 11: Contractor Sign Up for 2010
Vendor Fair & Education Forum
Feb. 12: Shoot Out, 8am
Feb. 16: Code Changes for 2010, 8am
AGC
Associated General Contractors
Associated General Contractors
Feb. 2: Project Management for the Construction Industry Course, 7:30am, AGC
office, Members $2,295/Non-Members
$2695
Feb. 22: EPA Certified Renovator Initial
Course
AIA
American Institute of Architects
Feb. 9: Texas Accessibility Standards,
3pm; I/AN Meeting, 7pm
Feb. 10: The 2006 IBC Amendments by
the City of Houston, 3pm
Feb. 11:
Full-Day CE Opportunity,
8:30am
Feb. 24: Healthcare SES, 5pm, United
Way, 50 Waugh Drive
Feb. 26: Announcement of Design
Awards Winning Projects, 5pm
ASA
American Subcontractors Association
Feb. 3: Membership Committee Meeting, 11:30am, MEMCO;
Schmooze &
Mingle, 4pm
Feb. 9: Developing and Implementing a
Safety and Health Program Second Session, 8am; Putting Change to Work for
You, 11am
Feb. 10: Board of Directors Meeting,
9am, Marek Brothers Systems; Government Advocacy Committee, 10:30am,
Marek Brothers Systems
Feb 17: GC/Sub Speed Dialing, 5:30pm
Feb. 18: Lunch Meeting, 11:30am, “What
the Safe School Act Means for School
Work in Texas
Feb. 23: Safety Committee Meeting,
10am, T.A.S. Commercial Concrete Construction
Feb. 25: Limiting Termination for Convenience Podcast, noon; Filling the PAC
Tank, 6pm
FPA
Foundation Performance Association
Feb. 10: Monthly Meeting, 4:15pm, HESS
Club. Program presented by Gretchen
Davidson, P.E., Tensar International Corp.
HAGA
Houston Area Glass Association
Feb. 27: Spring Fix Up – Glazing for the
Needy
IEC
Independent Electrical Contractors
Feb. 2-23: State Masters Exam Prep,
6-9pm. Contractor Members $294/NonMembers $353
Feb. 3-24: State Journeyman Exam Prep,
6-9. Contractor Members $220/NonMembers $300
Feb 4-25: State Maintenance Exam Prep,
6-9pm. Contractor Members $220/NonMembers $300
NAWIC
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Feb. 6: Block Kids Building Program,
8:30am, Schultz Elementary – 7920 Willow Forest Drive.
PHCC- Gulf Coast
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Feb. 10: Monthly Membership Meeting,
“Attorney Perspective – Immigration and
1-9 Compliance”.
TSPE
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Feb 13: Mathcounts Competition, 8am,
Flour Corp, 1 Flour Daniel Drive
Feb. 14 – 20: Engineers Week
Feb. 25: Leadership Forum “Start a Revolution”, 5pm, Space Center Houston Saturn Meeting Room
WCA
Women Contractors Association
Feb. 4: Networking Luncheon, 11:30am
Feb 11:
Networking Happy Hour,
5:30pm
Mar. 4: Networking Luncheon, 11:30am
Right on time
Oxford
Builders
Inc. recently promoted Dale Dirkes
to vice president of
operations. His new
responsibilities are
managing the internal divisions including field service operations, estimating, finance and administration. Dirkes earned an M.S. degree in
Industrial Psychology and an M.B.A from
Almeda University. Dirkes has U.S. and
international management experience in
operations, project management, quality
management and corporate finance in
the construction, telecommunications
and education industries.
Buck Beighley, marketing manager at PBI Supply Inc., makes it back
to the Houston office after traveling from Dallas. The company is a custom
fabricator of pre-engineered metal building insulation. –ab
Job Sights
Party of four
Fernando Villa, Roberto Ortega and Jose Ramirez, All Pro Construction, build a wine rack
at the Salinas Steakhouse & Grill project on Hwy 290 and Barker Cypress. –ab
L-R: Superintendent Kevin Brink and designers David Draper, Eddie Perez
and Jared Moore bring in Subway sandwiches for lunch at Renegade Fire Systems LLC, a fire protection services company. –ab
Take an engineer to lunch
National Engineers Week
February 14 - 20
Awnings above
L-R: Electricians Don Johnson and Sam Denny, Coastline Electric LP,
install new parking lot signs at a H-E-B in Cypress. –ab
Francisco Castillo, Geo Environmental Consultants Inc., replaces a spill bucket
at the Texaco parking lot at the corner of Freeport Blvd. and I-10. –ab
Jose Hernandez, Integrity Construction, gives the Kentucky Fried Chicken
on Highway 146 a fresh coat of red paint. –ab
L-R: Mike Mehler, Greg Goodwin and Wayne King end the week
on a positive note at Marygrove Awnings, a commercial
and residential retractable awning company. –ab
Lights,
camera, action
M
elissa and Larry Beach and their four biological
children and nine adopted children were chosen to be apart of ABC’s Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition. The family’s home in Kemah was damaged in Hurricane Ike and they had their home rebuilt.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition representatives
contacted Kemah city officials and were recommended
to contact Blu Shields Construction, a division of Energy Solution Homes, the general contractor and Windstorm Plus Engineering Inc., the engineer for the project.
“The volunteers and trades people started on Jan. 7
and we had 106 hours to complete the project,” said
Patrick Henderson, CEO at Energy Solution Homes.
“There were 3,500 volunteers and, at one time, there
were 650 people on the site at one time.”
According to Blu Shields, Blu Shields Construction,
the home is 6,340-sf with eight bedrooms, four and a
half bathrooms and a physical therapy room for the
Beaches’ special-needs children.
“The project was a huge success,” Shields said. “The
trades people and volunteers did a great job.”
Hollis A. Baugh, P.E. says his firm, Windstorm Plus
Engineering, designed the house in conjunction with
the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designers.
“We were all drawn in by the needs of the family
and the worthiness of the project.”
The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition two-hour
special will air in March, he said. –ab
Blu Shields, Blu Shields Construction
Hollis A. Baugh, P.E., Windstorm Plus Engineering
More volunteers drive out to the jobsite
Volunteers help move a playhouse to the back yard
The granite divide
Dennis Crissman is the owner of Natural Stone Gallery Inc., a direct importer of
natural stone. The company has been in business for six years. –ab
Bustling construction activity at the Beaches’ home in Kemah
Key Subcontractors:
Galveston Service Company
Home Depot
Construction and Inspection Co. Energy Consultants
Salt Grass Demolition
and Construction Nehau Demolition
Kemah Hardware and Lumber
Base Construction
Holes R Us
Lucas Construction
Jerry Rosier Homes
Mark Putnam Homes
Dinicio Roofing
Air Repair A/C & Heating
Cruz Aguayo Sheetrock Co.
Homers Plumbing
Ochoa Construction
Buccaneer Plumbing
Rafeal Terraza Painting Co.
Lilly Electric
Sherwin Williams Paint Co.
Armour Flooring
Bay Area Aquatics & Landscaping
Pevehouse Tile and Flooring Silestone Houston
S&H Electric
EH Systems Insulation

February - Construction News

Transcription

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