August - Construction News

Transcription

Covering the Industry’s News
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CONSTRUCTION
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(210) 308-5800  P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio TX 78279  11931 Warfield San Antonio TX 78216  AUG 2011  Vol. 9  No. 8
Preparing for growth
It’s great to be 35
L-R: David Woods and Robert McCarthy
L-R: Bob O’Brien, Jason Lilillard and Dennis Mason
B
ack in 1987 David Woods founded
a little concrete subcontracting
company in Fort Worth and called
it Cheyenne Construction Company.
Starting with small residential projects
the company expanded and grew
through the years.
On June 14, 2011 a new entity was
formed, BDD Enterprises, LLC dba Cheyenne Construction Company, bringing
in another principal, Robert M. McCarthy Sr., and the two set a path to grow
the company.
“I have known Bob for a long time
and watched him build a number a successful businesses over the years,” said
Woods, who is president of the company.
“His track record interested me, and I
knew that I wanted his help in building
Cheyenne into an even greater company.
Together, with our combined experiences, I knew we had the ability to really
build the company.”
“David and I had talked over the
years, probably since 2000, about doing
something together,” stated McCarthy
who is company CEO.
“Actually I was David’s first customer.
I started Tarrant Interiors in Fort Worth,
which was a store fixture manufacturer
and needed some concrete word done.
“I built that company from my front
I
n 1976, David Teague incorporated
Ridgemont Commercial Construction
and was joined several years later by
Raymond Ames. The pair spent the next
22 years building the company.
“In 1998, my partner at the time John
Haines owned a smaller tenant finish
general contracting business in the metroplex,“ said Bob O’Brien who is a principal and CEO of the company.
“We were a five million a year operation and it was difficult to attract talent to
such a small organization. We had a couple of good years and had made a conscious decision to grow our business.”
Haines had gotten to know Ames
through Associated Builders & Contrac-
continued on Page 14
tors (ABC) and they had a connection in
hobbies, sailing in particular. At that
point in time, Ridgemont was looking for
some people to take the keys.
“Succession became important to
them and they were trying to find a couple of guys to take the company to the
next level. It was about a $22 million a
year company at the time O’Brien and
Haines purchased it.”
The two companies had some similar
synergies. Both used the same accounting and bonding firms, not to mention
their philosophies on how each went
about general contracting.
Nature’s finest
I
f you travel 16 miles south of downtown Dallas to Cedar Hill, TX you will
find a wonderland that only nature can
provide.
You have arrived at Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center owned by the National Audubon Society. Nowhere in
North Texas can one find a greater variety
of rare species than in Dogwood Canyon. Tegrus Construction Co., Inc. was
awarded the contract for the project
which includes a 6,000 sf nature education center located in the 270-acre conservation area.
The two million Center was built under the LEED guidelines and called for a
completion schedule of 12 months. The
major challenge was converting an old
satellite station into a nature center while
saving, protecting and preserving the existing tree canopy.
The foundation is an elevated floor
system consisting of concrete drilled
piers supporting structural steel beams,
The center is built around existing concrete crater
bar joist, metal deck and concrete reinforced floor slab. The superstructure is
wood frame clad with accoya wood siding and the roof is a standing seam metal
supported by pin connected wood trusses and a plywood deck. Many design elements make this development unique. The nature watching
area penetrates into the trees and overlooks the existing creek. Sloping glass on
three sides for better viewing surrounds
this area.
The building also cantilevers over an
existing concrete lined crater that once
housed a satellite tracking station and a
second nature watching area consisting
of a wood deck platform is built at the
bottom of the crater.
The site development consists of
many recycled materials such as crushed
concrete base for the drive areas; recycled concrete for the wheel stops and
Page 2
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Aug 2011
The big move
Construction News ON LOCATION
Heavy duty
Jon Wilkerson and Dave Crocker of BAKERCORP in Arlington were shipping
out three new 5400gpm sewer bypass pumps the day we stopped by. –bd
Masters of metal
The biggest of 40 to be transplanted
A
mammoth red oak tree was relocated from its present site on the
SMU campus to the George W.
Bush Presidential Center site on Friday,
Jun. 10.
The 45-foot-high tree is the largest of
the 40 trees transplanted on the project
site.
“They don’t make a tree spade large
enough for a tree with a 25-foot root ball
like this one, so our tree-moving team
used a gantry lift system,” said Manhattan Construction project executive Mark
Penny. “This gantry equipment has
moved the largest trees ever relocated in
the world, and it is being used here in
Dallas for the first time.”
The 50-year-old tree weighed in at
245,000 lbs., and had to travel 2,500 feet
to its final location on the north side of
the George W. Bush Presidential Center
project site.
The subcontractor in charge of preparing and moving the tree was Environmental Design. –bd
Building has begun
Construction News stopped to see Gene Johnston and some of the boys
at Johnston Products in Cedar Hill.
L-R back row: Gene Johnston, Bill Rush, Bobby Armitage, Phillip Ward;
L-R front row: John Herrera, Chris Ashmore , Mike Bramhall –bd
The Traxxas and CF Jordan team
T
raxxas, a leading maker of remote
controlled toy hobby cars, and CF
Jordan Construction, hosted a
groundbreaking ceremony on Jun. 13 for
the new 16-acre corporate campus for
Traxxas.
The company chose the Craig Ranch
Development in McKinney at the corner
of Stacy Rd. and Henneman Way for the
complex. Housed in three buildings the
facility includes a 70,429-sf museum with
a 250-seat auditorium, a three-story office building with retail center and a
87,000-sf distribution warehouse.
Adding to the beauty and uniqueness of the complex will be two 1.5 acre
ponds and two outdoor RC (radio con-
trol) race tracks.
The Dallas office of CF Jordan is handling the project.
“The Traxxas Campus project not
only represents a significant project for
the North Texas region but for the state
of Texas as a whole,” said Corbett Nichter, Executive VP of CF Jordan Construction.
“CF Jordan Construction is honored
to be selected as the construction manager for such a significant project that
will create more than 400 jobs during
construction.”
The project is estimated to begin August 1st and will take approximately 17
months to complete. –bd
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Page 3
Submitted to Construction News
Fishing or golf?
Industry FOLKS
Justin McAfee
Director, Client Relations
Rogers-O’Brien Construction
J
Bob Moulder (center), surrounded by members of the Dallas/Fort Worth CFMA
chapter, recently retired from MEDCO Construction LLC after 25 years of service.
Bob also served as chapter president, was a recipient of CFMA’s National Joe
Quigley Memorial Award and has a local award named after him, the Bob
Moulder Award, given to the chapter’s Financial Professional of the Year. –bd
Submitted to Construction News
Fun for the day
ustin McAfee was born in Dallas and
grew up around Rogers-O’Brien and
the construction industry. His grandfather is Pat O’Brien, co-founder, and
his father is Preston McAfee, current
president and CEO of the company.
He currently lives in Dallas and is
married with a one-year-old daugher,
Caroline. Interests include spending
time with family and friends, skiing
and taking care of projects around the
house.
As Director of Client Relations,
McAfee focuses on private sector business development and the company’s
overall marketing strategies. Primary
responsibilities include building long
lasting professional relationships
while helping developers and endusers during the planning and preconstruction phases of their projects.
He has a BS in Civil Engineering
from Texas A & M and an MBA from
Southern Methodist University. In
addition to having a background in
construction project management,
he is also experienced with real estate
finance and development. McAffee
is an active member of ULI, TREC and
a current board member of the The
Greater Dallas Planning Council.
“I am currently very interested in
leveraging new technologies to improve construction quality and processes,” said McAffee.
“The construction industry has
long been one of the most resistant
industries to change,” he continues. It
has lagged far behind the revolutions
in manufacturing and, surprisingly,
has yet to fully embrace technology. I
see this as a critical focus for RogersO’Brien to improve construction quality, schedule along with company performance.”
McAfee said, although building
activity is still far less than five to six
years ago, the Texas market is holding up quite well with major public
spending and corporate relocations
from less business-friendly states.
He believes the healthcare market has made up a large portion of our
revenue during the downturn, and
that sector continues to grow. He sees
this trend continuing, along with interests in both major urban development and ground-up projects over all
sectors in the coming years.
It appears that McAfee will have a
long, successful career and bring innovative ideas into the company, and the
industry as a whole. He embraces new
technologies and focuses on efficiency
and quality. –rd
Hey Sean
Painting & Decorating Contactors of Dallas (PDCA) first place winners at Indian
Creek Golf Course. L-R: Ed Huerta, Hector Andrade, Pat Fong, Marvin Ward
Longest Drive: Chris Parks
Closest to the Pin: Chris Parks
Dallas  Fort Worth
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The Mansfield location of RENTAL ONE has two people with the same first
name. Wonder if they both answer at the same time? L-R: Sean Winters,
Austin Clark, Sean Arnold –bd
Page 4
Scott Pittman, President
Pittman Plumbing Supply Inc.
P & G Plumbing
Supply South Inc.
TBK Showroom
morning and get them off to school or
practices with the help of a nanny.
I’m very lucky that I have a lot of
good people here that come to work early, because I’m a late-night guy. Last
night, I came to work at 9 and worked until 12. You just find the time for what’s important to you. I love to hear people who
don’t have any kids talk about how busy
they are. I just kind of chuckle because
they have no clue!
I think I can multitask. I don’t sit still
very often. Everyone always says, “Scott,
you’ve simultaneously got one person on
the computer, there’s someone else in
front of you, there’s someone you’re talking to on the phone and you’re directing
somebody else.” I get 100 emails a day
minimum, and I go through 6,000 to
7,000 minutes a month on my phone.
And then there’s the paperwork – ugh! I
don’t know if it’s my favorite part of my
job, but it plays to my strength.
How did you become involved in this
industry?
Growing up, I always thought I would
ncircling Scott Pittman’s right wrist is Is it a wristband (or maybe the occasional hot bath) that helps
a sleek rubber wristband similar to be a salesman. I enjoyed selling the chocScott Pittman find his balance in life?
olate
bars
and
M&Ms
to
people
so
that
what many baseball players are said
my
team
could
play
Pee
Wee
football,
beto be wearing these days. In the center
glints a small silver disc purported to bring cause I could sell!
After I graduated from A&M with an
a sense of balance to the wearer. Maybe the thing actually works, or maybe it’s the Industrial Distribution degree, which is involved in this business in some ca- deer. I’m not ready to see all of that yet.”
equivalent of Dumbo’s feather, but either really tailored to what I’m doing now, I pacity someday?
I said “Fair enough!” I carried the
way, Pittman wears it every day, and for went immediately into this industry. I That’s going to have to be their deer back in and sure enough he cleaned
choice. I’m defi- that house from top to bottom. When
good reason. Balance is what Pittman, a could have gotnitely not setting he’s ready to deal with the deer, he will.
single dad and business owner, strives to ten into pharmait up for them, I’m And that house sure was clean!
ceuticals,
electriachieve daily amidst his sons’ back-to“Coming to work for my dad was
setting it up to be
back sports practices and the piles of in- cal or air condithe best thing I could have done.” better off finan- That sounds like a fair trade! Without
voices scattered across his office. An add- tioning, but I realcially so they don’t the boys, what do you like to do?
ed bonus? The sparkle of the wristband’s ly wanted to stay
have to worry I love fishing. I caught an 11-foot,
silver just might help him attract a few in the same industry my dad, John Pittman, was in. He about some things, and to put them 400-pound Blue Marlin in Cabo San Lumore Marlin to his fishing pole too.
started a company in Garland, P&G through school. They’re very intelligent cas, Mexico where I’ve been to five or six
Plumbing Supply, and opened Pittman and should go where they need to go. times for fishing.
Looking at your new showroom, I just Plumbing Supply 10 years later. I was an But that’s so far down the road. A lot of I went to the Bahamas and caught a
have to wonder if the plumbing in outside rep for another company for stuff can happen between now and then. very big Wahoo, although not as big as
your own kitchen and baths is as three years, and would go throughout
the Marlin.
Texas and Oklahoma and call on people Do they enjoy coming to your office to equally fabulous?
And I love sports. In college at A&M I
It’s not bad! Actually, I live a very like me now – wholesalers – to try to push see Dad work?
did a lot of umpiring both on campus and
They enjoy the Cokes and the snacks! in the community to make money.
products.
modest lifestyle.
I’ve had them do a few odds and ends What are most important to me are
I’ve been to most of the major events
my three boys. I’m a single dad and I fo- How did you move from rep to a com- here, but I haven’t really put them to – the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the NBA
work.
cus so much of my time on them. I’m al- pany president?
Finals, and the hockey finals, but not the
My dad called me one day and said,
ways in the middle of what my sons are World Series. The company has tickets to
doing. They’re very active. Not only do “At some point we need to talk about What other activities do you partici- the Cowboys, Stars and Mavericks and
they do well at school, but they also do succession. I’m getting older. It might be pate in with your sons?
RoughRiders games because my customten years down the road, but you need to We like the outdoors, fishing and ers are important to me and I enjoy enwell at sports.
There’s Truett, 12, and he plays select make up our mind about coming to work hunting. My dad started that. He liked to tertaining them.
soccer for the Comets organization and for me.” And I didn’t know how it was go- hunt and he would take me, so I have carplays select baseball for the Sun Devils, a ing to work out. But coming to work for ried on that tradition with the boys.
Being so busy with work and fatherlocal Carrollton/Farmers Branch team. He my dad was the best thing I could have When I was 12, my dad gave me a hood, is there anything that you
shotgun that he took the time to engrave. would like to do just for you someday?
got two big honors this year; he was done.
It says “John Scott Pittman, September 6, I’d like to go to all of the different
awarded the “Most Scientific” award at
his middle school and was also on an all- Why do you say that? How did your 1981.” So this year when Truett turned 12, baseball stadiums. I think a lot of guys
I took that same 30-year-old gun, en- would like to do that, and I’ve been to a
academic team competing with teams partnership evolve?
We were partners, and I was up here graved his name and the date on it and few of the big ones, like Fenway, Wrigley
from other middle schools, taking first place for Social Studies. My middle child running the daily operations of this store. gave it to him. I told him that I took care of and Pac Bell.
Dad had a stroke in this gun and now wanted him to take care
is Braden, who is 11,
2003 and then I of it and pass it on. I don’t know what I’m Looking back at how much you’ve had
and I’m very proud
had to take over going to do for Number 2 son and Num- to adjust to in the past few years, how
of him for making
“Growing up, I always thought I
the two stores. I ber 3 son! But that gun meant a lot to me would you sum it up?
the Carrollton Allwould be a salesman.”
went from being because of who gave it to me. Truett un- Someone said the other day that it
Stars playing third
on the outskirts to derstood, and he’s
base this year,
would seem like I
having to know ev- really proud of it.
which is a pretty
would always be
big honor. My youngest son is named erything about the business. It was a dif- Braden, my
down for the
“We like the outdoors, fishing and
Kale, and he’s quite the ham and a unique ferent role to take on, from being the middle child, just
count but that
hunting. My dad started that.”
personality. He’s 6 years old and quite the day-to-day guy to being the overall, shot his first deer
I’ve always surat age 10 – all on
thinking-about-the-big-picture person.
jokester.
vived. But the
his own! - and I
The boys keep me busy. And last
news of my deyear, I was nominated by my peers as one Did your relationship with your dad told him that we utilize as much as we mise is greatly exaggerated.
can of what we shoot. That’s a big lesson of the coaches for the Carrollton All-Stars. change in the process?
Definitely we’ve all had our ups and
I had a good teacher [in my dad] al- I try to teach them, that we don’t kill to downs. It definitely hasn’t been an easy
I coach a select baseball team; last spring I was coaching three different baseball though we’re not a lot alike. He’s very kill. Also, if you shoot it, you have to do ride. But I’d take that ride again.
cool, collected and methodical, and I’m everything that comes with it afterward. teams.
Pittman Plumbing Supply in Carrollton
busy and always going. He’s like the tur- That’s part of the deal
is a wholesale distributor of pipes, valves
How do you juggle those three busy tle, and I’m the hare. We have two differ- So after he shot it he said, “Dad, let and fittings with a second location, P&G
ent management styles, but they both me explain it to you like this. You see our Plumbing Supply South Inc., in Garland.
little lives as well as your own?
house there? I will make the beds, I will TB&K Showroom is the company’s latest
It’s very intense! I have to keep a work.
vacuum and I will load up the car. But I’m venture located inside Pittman Plumbing
schedule for all of their practices and I try
to fit it all in. I get them going in the Do you hope your own kids might be not coming out there and gutting that Supply. –mjm
E
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Page 5
Fraud prevention re-visited
Lynne M. Grix, CPA CFE
Lynne M. Grix, CPA CFE P.C.
San Antonio, TX
S
everal years ago, I wrote a column for this newspaper
entitled “Simple Steps to Help Prevent Employee
Fraud”. This column presents a great opportunity to revisit that topic and expand upon the area of fraud prevention.
A long standing believe is that all a
business needs to prevent employee
fraud is a strong system of internal controls. But in reality, internal controls are
only part of the answer to fraud deterrence. Owners and managers should
take a proactive stance in preventing
fraud. New employee training should include some basic antifraud training. After all, fraud hurts everyone. It can impact salary increases, benefits and general morale. Employees should be aware
of the controls that are in place because
the “perception-of-detection” can help
remove the temptation.
Do you require your key employees
to take at least a full week of vacation at a
time? This applies to field staff as well as
office personnel. Many frauds require
continuous monitoring and/or manual
intervention by the perpetrator. By establishing mandatory vacations together
with job rotation the concealment element is interrupted. It is important that
during the employee’s vacation, another
individual performs the normal workload
of that employee. Additionally, job assignment rotation can prove invaluable
in the case of illness or extended family
emergencies that would require an employee to be away from the workplace for
an extended period of time.
What about control of company
credit cards? Personal use of company
credit cards has become a favorite way
for employees to increase their take
home pay. The number of authorized
credit card users should be strictly limited. There is no need for more than one
individual at each job site to have the
ability to charge materials and supplies.
A policy should be in place that requires
receipts be turned into someone in your
accounting department on at least a
weekly basis. Receipts should be compared with each credit card statement
monthly and this reconciliation should
be performed by an employee who does
not have access to the credit card. It is
also a good idea to have second employee review and sign off on the reconciliation.
How about analysis of charges on
fuel credit cards? Periodically calculate
the total gallons of fuel purchased by
each authorized user of the company’s
fuel card. Then convert the gallons to an
estimate of miles driven and compare the
mileage with the employee’s job site assignments. Any unusual fuel usage
should be investigated and explained by
the employee. If the same employees
continually have excessive fuel usage, it’s
time to ask questions.
How often does your accounting department perform a closed job cost analysis? Most construction companies monitor costs on jobs in progress against
budget on a weekly basis. Usually this is
part of the project management team’s
responsibility. Cost overruns are identified and corrected if at all possible. On a
periodic basis, depending upon the size
and complexity of your business, have
someone in accounting look at a closed/
completed job. Analyze the total labor
hours charged to the job versus the original estimated hours, adjust for any
change orders, then look at the variances
by classification. The information can
prove valuable for the next time you bid
a similar project and can uncover hours
paid that were not worked on the job or
even worse a “ghost” or non-existent employee. Double check all material and
supply charges against vendor invoices
and the original estimates. You could
possibly uncover misused of materials or
vendor kickbacks. Purchasing and project management personnel should be
made aware that there will be from time
to time an “audit” of job performance.
Remember the “perception-of-detection” can be a powerful deterrent.
Lynne Grix is the owner of Lynne M. Grix,
CPA CFE P.C. and has over 15 year’s public
accounting experience working extensively
with construction contractors. Lynne is also
a Certified Fraud Examiner and can be
reached at [email protected] or (210)
259-8243.
Recovering an unfortunate
cost of doing business:
Attorney’s fees
Bill Venegoni, Senior Associate
Law Offices of James Stanton, LP
Dallas, TX
I
t is an unfortunate reality that legal expenses are an
unwelcome, but necessary, cost of doing business. In
a much appreciated effort to help small and large businesses alike, the Texas Legislature passed two bills designed to help individuals and companies who need to pursue valid construction-related claims and those who may be caught up in defending frivolous lawsuits recover
their legal costs.
Both bills were passed in May and
each becomes effective Sept. 1, 2011.
First, by changing one word to Section 53.156 of the Texas Property Code,
the Legislature imposed a dramatic
change relating to actions for enforcement of lien and bond claims. Section
53.156 permits a party in a proceeding to
foreclose on a lien, enforce a bond claim,
or to declare any lien or claim as invalid or
enforceable to recover an award of the
party’s costs and reasonable attorney’s
fees. As currently written, the section
states that a court “may” make such an
award as is equitable and just. To the dismay of many parties seeking to enforce
their lien and bond claims, as well as
those who are seeking to have bogus
claims declared invalid, courts in the past
would typically rule that each party to
the case should bear their own legal
costs. Court’s have been resistant to
award attorneys fees in these cases because they find that most cases do not
involve egregious and malicious actions
by the parties, and therefore, as legitimate disputes, each party should pay
their own legal fees as a cost of doing
business.
To remedy the court’s reluctance to
award attorney’s fees, the Legislature
changed the word “may” to “shall.” Here,
one small typographical step leads to a
giant leap in the recovery of attorney’s
fees. Now courts must award attorney’s
fees. Keep in mind though the courts still
have ample discretion when it comes to
awarding attorney’s fees. The statutory
language requiring the award to be equitable and just still remains part of the section. Language in the revision also expressly states that a court is not required
to assess attorney’s fees for lien claims
arising out of residential construction.
Curiously, the legislative revisions do
not state that the award of attorney’s fees
must be paid to the prevailing party. This
omission creates the unexpected possibility of a court awarding attorney’s fees
to the non-prevailing party. Presumably,
this omission gives courts wide discretion in determining the equitableness
and fairness of an award.
The second bill passed by the Legislature has been dubbed, “The Loser Pays
Law.” While the legislation that was
passed is not as strong in forcing the “loser” to pay as what was originally introduced, it does begin the process of limiting frivolous lawsuits. Part of this legislation requires the Texas Supreme Court to
adopt new rules to dispose of frivolous
cases upon the motion of one party and
to award the prevailing party its reasonable attorney’s fees. Although the current Rules of Procedure already permit
parties to file similar motions to dispose
of a case, the motion to dismiss contemplated by the new legislation permits a
court to hear the motion and rule without the presentation of evidence.
By permitting a hearing without evidence, the new legislation allows a party
to assert the motion early in the litigation
saving attorney’s fees that would be consumed in the discovery process. Also, by
requiring the “loser” to pay the attorney’s
fees of the prevailing party, the Legislature is sending a clear signal that filing a
frivolous lawsuit has real consequences.
Even though these legislative changes will not keep parties from getting
wrapped up in the unfortunate and too
common world of litigation, they should
help lessen the burden of attorney’s fees
incurred in the prosecution of valid
claims and in the defense of frivolous
lawsuits. With these legislative changes,
the State of Texas continues to show,
“Texas is Open for Business.”
Bill Venegoni is Senior Associate at the
Law Offices of James Stanton, LP. He practices in the areas of construction and lien
law, collections, and general civil litigation.
Mr. Venegoni represents owners, general
contractors, and subcontractors. He may
be reached by telephone at (214) 559-3232
or e-mail at [email protected].
Keeping it cool
Shaw expands
distribution capacity
T
he distribution operations of
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. for
the Dallas/Fort Worth area have
been moved to a larger facility, located in Coppell, TX. The 263,625-sf facility will house the company’s distribution operations.
The new distribution facility at
Point West VI will allow the company
to consolidate operations for residential and commercial carpet and hard
surfaces into one location.
The new location also gives the
ability to open two showrooms, one
for residential carpet and hard surface
products and one dedicated to the
builder market segment.
The facility features 38 dock
doors and a full service will call ramp
to accommodate multiple customers
at one time.
Operations at the Point West VI
facility began in late July.
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is
the world’s largest carpet manufacturer
and a leading floor covering provider.
–bd
They were hard at work but we got four of the folks at
Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating in Cedar Hill to pose for the camera.
L-R: Jerry Bolding, Aaron Ellis, John Drendall, Mark Perry –bd
Page 6
Wire and chili do mix
You have more exposure to
pollution claims than you think
Chuck Ashton, Vice President, Sales
Independent Insurance Group, Inc.
Dallas, TX
S
ubcontractor X is working in an older building on the
remodel of a room. The sub cuts back a water pipe
so that new fixtures can be installed. The sub is working
on a Saturday and when he goes to cap the pipe he discovers he is out of metal caps
so he threads on a plastic cap. Over the weekend the plastic cap leaks and floods the
room and a room next door.
The claim goes to the builders risk policy
and they explain the scope of work as defined in the contract did not apply to the
room next door. The builder’s risk policy
handles damages to the room where the
work was done but they deny the losses
in the other room. The owner asks the
GC who is going to pay. The sub has a
general liability policy and the sub’s insurer agrees the sub was negligent and
starts handling the claim.
The clean up requires the floor tiles be replaced and that is when they discover the
tiles contain asbestosis. The men in space
suits are called, and the tiles are removed.
The sub’s insurance company says the total cost of clean-up was $30,000 but
$16,000 was for asbestosis. That is considered a pollution claim. The insurer
pays $14,000 and denies the rest of the
claim because of the pollution exclusion
on the policy. Now the GC and sub have
to find a way to pay the owner out of
pocket.
Do you store heavy metals, perhaps not
as raw material but in a product? For example, after a fire it was discovered the
tenant stored molds made of lead. Lead
is a heavy metal and requires special handling. The men is space suits came, removed the lead, and the insurance carrier
denied that portion of the loss because it
was considered a pollution claim.
In another claim, a fire department evacuates a building as the occupants begin
to get sick and some become seriously ill.
They discover a contractor was working
on a project next door running a diesel
generator. Fumes from the generator entered through the building’s ventilation
system. The contractor was sued by the
sick employees and the businesses that
lost time due to the evacuation. The
general liability carrier denied the defense and payment of the claim citing the
pollution exclusion.
A contractor has a 100 gallon tank of water mixed with chlorine in the back of his
pickup which is used to treat swimming
pools. The pickup loses control on a major highway and flips over. The tank rup-
tures and spills its contents onto the
ground. The tank is not properly marked
but the owner shows up to explain the
contents. The fire department refuses to
take any chances because there is no
hazmat book in the truck. Traffic is shut
down in both directions as the men in
space suits are called to clean up the spill.
Ironically, the chemical spilled dissipates
within 30 minutes and it is an hour before
they start to clean the spill but, in today’s
terrorism environment, no one can afford
to take chances. Pollution materials in
transit, except those that leak out of the
mechanical parts relating to the operation of the vehicle, are not covered as pollutants under the standard automobile
liability policy.
A roofing contractor is working on a hot
tar roof. Fumes generated from tar kettles and treated roofing surfaces cause
irritation to employees within the building. Since coal tar pitch is a potential carcinogen, exposed individuals in the
building are worried about their health
and file a lawsuit. The roofing contractor
is liable for releasing potential carcinogens into the building via the HVAC system.
An electrical contractor disposed of project material at a municipal landfill approximately ten years earlier. The contractor was notified by the EPA that he
was considered a de minimus potentially
responsible party (PRP) and his settlement portion was $180,000. Coverage
was denied under his general liability
coverage.
You may read each of these examples
and say, “That does not apply to me.”
That is not my point. My point is this,
none of these contractors ever expected
claims like these would happen to them,
and yet they did! If it happens to you; are
you prepared?
Chuck Ashton is Vice President of Sales at
Independent Insurance Group, an agency
specializing in Commercial Insurance for
Contractors. Chuck can be contacted at
[email protected]
First place winner Zeb Upton
I
ndependent Electrical Contractors
(IEC) Fort Worth/Tarrant County Chapter held its apprentice wire-off competition Jun. 18 at the chapter office in Fort
Worth.
The four individuals who competed
in the wire-off were recent graduates of
the chapter’s four-year electrical apprenticeship program and have worked six
year or less in the electrical industry.
Prior to the actual wire-off competition, each contestant submitted a letter
expressing future career goals along with
a resume outlining their electrical experience. They also took a written exam and
completed a conduit bending assignment.
And finally, each candidate partici-
pated in an interview with the IEC Apprenticeship & Training Committee members.
Competition winners were:
1st place: Zeb Upton, Fox Electric Ltd
2nd place: Terry L. Wilson, Sodd Electric
Company Inc.
3 rd place: Steven Smith, JMEG LP
4th place: Job Kisaka, Cummings Electrical Inc.
The winner will go on to compete in
the IEC National Apprentice of The Year
Competition to be held Oct. 11-14, in Louisville, KY.
The winner of the chili cook-off this
year was Steve Humphrey Jr. of Humphrey & Associates, Inc. –bd
You always remember the name
W
hen Francis Krebs was deciding on a name for her commercial wood framing company, she
and husband Steve really wanted a
catchy name you wouldn’t forget.
“Steve used to ride Harley’s and his
nickname was Seamonster. He said he
hated the name when he was younger,
but why don’t they go with Seamonsters
for the company name.
“I said I love it. Let’s do Seamonsters
Creations because we create beautiful
things.”
And the company was born in Oct.
2003 with a very unique name, and a
logo drawn by Steve that actually got
them a job.
“A GC saw our card on a desk of another contractor, Krebs said. He called us
and said he wanted to see what a
seamonster could to do in construction.
We ended up doing a dental office for
him and he became a regular client.”
Outside of work the family is very active. Steve is 6’3”, bench presses 415 lbs.,
is a health fanatic and loves to work out.
Their living room is now the gym. He is
also a member of a mixed martial arts
(MMA)team and loves to fight.
Francis spends a lot of time with her
two boys (8 and 10 years old) doing a lot
of different things. They also hunt,
camp and fish as a family. Like dad, the
Francis and Steve with their sons
boys are involved in MMA but Francis
likes to watch but not participate.
“Something about getting hit in the
face doesn’t appeal to me,” she said.
The company is also partnering with
a church to build houses for families who
can’t afford them. They start the first one
in October and want to ramp up to five
per year.
Seamonsters is a commercial wood
framing company located in Dallas, TX. –
bd
August
fishing forecast
by Capt. Steve Schultz
Sponsored by:
Trans Sport Boats, Yamaha Outboards,
Ronnie’s Marine, Minn Kota Trolling Motors, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor,
Interstate Batteries, Pure Fishing,
Pflueger Reels, All-Star Rods,
Mirr-O-Lure, FINS Braided Line
and Columbia Sportswear.
P
redictable pretty much sums up
weather conditions for the next
month. I guess we really have nothing to complain about, since all we’ve
been whining about is how windy this
spring has been. Late June and early July
brought us some unexpected rain showers. I’ve never seen people so happy as
they passed over the coastal bend. It
would really make this writer happy if we
could get a little more of those showers
this month to lower salinity levels in the
bay complex and cool things down.
Fishing has been pretty consistent
for the last few months, except for a few
off days during full moon phases. Most
of every guide’s clients are going home
with fresh trout for dinner and a few fillets for the freezer. Our trout bit continues to be best at first light and during
gray light just before the sun gets high
enough to penetrate the water. If you
think the fish has quit biting, try moving
to a little deeper area as the sun rises.
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Page 7
Even the slightest depth change can
make a huge difference. Some of the areas producing good numbers of trout are
the spoils islands between Bird Island Basin and Baffin Bay and the Yarbrough
Pass spoils. There are also good numbers
of trout coming from the rocks in Baffin
and the rocky slough shoreline. One of
the hottest bays as this article goes to
press is Nueces Bay, also referred to as the
Back Bay. Quick limits on solid trout with
mixed reds coming off the reefs past second power lines. Low winds and clear
water conditions in August will make this
bay hard to pass up.
For those of you who have been
waiting for the redfish to show, the wait is
over. Many schools have gathered lately
along the shorelines of the King Ranch
from Pita Island to the south end of Emmords Hole. However, they are receiving
lots of pressure from tournament teams
pre-fishing for upcoming tournaments.
Best bet for catching these bruisers is to
get out early and locate these schools of
fish before they are run over later in the
day. Use ½ oz. weedless spoons or large
paddle tail plastics with a ¼ oz. jighead to
make long casts to these fleeing schools
of reds. If there are boats already on a
school of fish, try to figure out which way
they are being pushed and position your
boat so that the school will be headed towards you. You should refrain from blowing into a school of fish if someone is already on them.
Another option in the upcoming
months will be the surf. Typically, winds
are low enough in the mornings to sneak
out the jetties and soak croakers in the
guts along the beach. These healthy silver side trout hit hard and fight longer
than ones you catch in-shore. Limits can
come quick, as can a rough wave over
your boat if you’re not paying attention.
To schedule your next bay fishing
trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361949-7359 or 361-813-3716, or e-mail him
at
[email protected].
Good luck and Good Fishing.
Bill Morris of San Antonio caught this 29-1/2 inch trout on a piggy perch near the
JFK Causeway. Fish was released after photo by Capt. Steve Schultz.
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
Page 8
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.
The good
old days
W
ell if that don’t just beat all! I
just got through watching an attempted cattle round up in the
middle of the lake . . . the place that was
the lake until a few weeks ago. Cattle
from across the Colorado River have succeeded in gingerly stepping across the
sloppy remains of the river into uncharted territory. With no more lake or river to
keep them in their place, they have headed out for the Wild West!
That’s how it goes here tonight. My part
of Lake Buchanan is mostly dry these
days. It’s a good thing that the other half
of the lake still has plenty of water and
fish to keep us busy.
I have heard folks tell tales about the
drought of the 1950s and make comparisons with our current situation. It just got
me to thinking nostalgic about the lake.
In the 1950s, the economy of Lake Buchanan was booming. It was the first
man-made lake in the Highland Lakes
chain. If you came from the oil fields of
West Texas or the cotton fields of North
Texas, Buchanan was the first lake you
could get to. Add soldiers from Ft. Hood
a little to the north in the mix and the fact
that Llano County was the first “wet”
county you hit when you got to Central
Texas, you had a whole lot of hot, thirsty
people looking to have a good time.
Entire families would load up and come
to stay for days or weeks. Soldiers and oil
field workers would come here to spend
their precious little time off. It was a very
busy place.
I remember my wife’s family story about
the first set of water skis her daddy and
his brothers ever laid eyes on.
It seems that a certain young man, who
was an acquaintance of the family,
brought his brand new boat and some
friends to the lake to try out his new set of
water skis. Now this was when everybody had seen the technicolor news reels
of the Everglades water ski shows. I guess
it may have been about the first time anybody every saw an “extreme” sport be-
Cow grazing beside Colorado River
Water ski show, 1954
cause it was really catching on with the
younger crowd.
Now anybody that has ever water skied
knows that a good teacher makes all the
difference in learning the art. Just imagine trying to just go out and do it to impress the ladies all on your own. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. After a couple
of disastrous attempts, the young man
who was long on cash and short on patience ran the boat up on the bank and
stormed up to the car and yelled at his
friends and abruptly headed for less embarrassing pursuits.
He left the boat there…at the shore…ski
rope strung out behind it…skis slowly
floating off in different directions. Now
imagine four young river rats, raised on
the water, witnessing the whole debacle.
These boys would do anything they
could imagine on the water. By sundown,
all of them had mastered getting up on
the water skis, with not a single casualty.
Before summer’s end, they were giving
water ski shows for the local resort
guests. And giving their Momma fits, especially the time she caught them going
over a homemade ski jump (angled plywood with motor oil on it) with their sixyear-old brother standing on their shoulders!
They all survived and grew into men. The
drought of the ‘50s passed, so I figure this
one will too.
Until then, let’s go “save” some of those
poor old fishes from our shrinking lakes
and pray for rain!
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!
Ken Milam Guide Service
(325) 379-2051
www.striperfever.com
Page 9
Hunting season prep work
by TJ Greaney
W
ell here we are in heat of the
summer. On most days thinking
about hunting or just being outdoors is, well, not very enticing. That being said it is exactly what you need to be
thinking about. If you have a place, getting it ready, if you don’t you need to find
one and if you are going out of state you
better get moving.
This time of year is a great time for
those with a deer lease to fix the feeders
and blinds. There are still opportunities
to get in on some before season pricing
on blinds and feeders. Spinner plates,
batteries and solar panels are always malfunctioning and having an extra on hand
is good. When I was in the business I always tried to get folks to standardize as
much as they could. Having the same
feeders and blinds allows for easy parts
swapping and stocking up with the pieces you know will work. Buying bulk feed
right now does not make much sense but
getting the feeders filled and running
does. Get the deer use to coming in.
If you are looking for a lease you better plan some road trips now. This tends
to be the time of year when most guys
start looking and landowner’s prices are
high. There are some great places out
there and over the last two years there
are some that have not been leased or
hunted. Be ready to put your money
down when you meet the landowner if
you are serious about a lease. They get a
lot of folks calling and money talks.
I have had friends buy into leases
they have not thought through in the last
couple years and they basically threw
their money out the window. The lease
was hours and hours from home, the
game on the place was scarce or the
place was not conducive to bringing their
kids out. Think about what it is you are
looking for and don’t just settle for any
place. A deer lease is a place of memories,
comaraderie and where lots of us go to
get away from the craziness of our weekly grind. Make it an enjoyable place to go
and not one you dread because of the
other folks on the lease or the hassle getting there.
Travelling to Colorado or another
out-of-state location to hunt deer or elk?
By now you had to already have your
draw in for tags so no sense in chatting
about that. There are lots of over the
counter opportunities to hunt and you
can get in on those pretty easy, Colorado
is one of them. You have a lot of planning
to do if you are travelling out of state on a
self-guided hunt. Breaking in boots and
Hunters Safety course, backpack and firearm selection are just a few that make a
huge difference on your experience and
success.
If you just want to hire a guide to
hunt a weekend or two this year then you
need to book that outing as well. Picking
your dates are important to do early so
you can get the ones you want. There are
so many options today with guided
hunts. High fence, low fence, day hunts,
trophy hunt and meat hunts. Most of it
boils down to how much money you
have to spend and how far you want to
drive. I highly recommend you check ref-
erences on ALL guides and outfitters. I
would not book a hunt without doing
this, period.
Clean your guns, site them in, buy
some ammunition to get ready. Did you
want to get a new scope? Did you need a
new gun? How about your sling or gun
case? We tend to put them away and forget the little things that would be great
upgrades or that bug the crud out of us.
How about that bow string or a new
batch of arrows? This is a short list of
things we can get done now while it is so
dang hot.
The internet is a great source for information on all of the things you need to
do to plan your hunting for this fall. On
the next couple days, when the heat is
breaking the triple digit range, go online.
Plan and plot, make a list, think about last
year and what you want to do for this
year. Enjoy the thought that soon the
weather will break and deer season will
be here and everything gets a little bit
better.
TJ Greaney is an award winning outdoor
writer and hosts the number one outdoor
radio show on 104.9 ESPN in Austin, Texas
Saturday mornings from 6-8am. Contact
him at [email protected] or find out
more about the Kids Outdoor Zone Youth
Outdoor Adventure Ministry at kidsoutdoorzone.com.
Page 10
T
Another step in Texas
Statewide meeting
held in Kerrville
he Earthmoving Contractors Association of Texas (ECAT) held their
2011 annual meeting in Kerrville at
the Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel and Conference Center June 24 and 25. The statewide affair drew 70 members to the event.
John Mueller, state conservation engineer, USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Richard Dee Purkeypile, Purkeypile Consulting Engineer
Services, discussed conservation programs and new regulations governing
dam-type structures used for impounding water supplies. Bob Turner, rural issues consultant, provided a legislative
and special session briefing affecting the
earthmoving construction business.
Members enjoyed a skeet shooting
contest at the Hill Country Shooting
Sports Center. J.D. Godby, Godby Construction, Clifton, took grand champion
while Michael Sweeney, The Sweeney
Co., Ft Worth, received reserve champion.
New officers and directors were elected for the 2011-2012 year. Officers are President Dennis Foerster, Foerster Custom
Service, Giddings; Vice President Chad
Ottmers, Chad and Ronnie Ottmers Construction, Fredericksburg; and Secretary
John Frerich, Frerich Materials, Rowena.
Directors by District are: Walter Rothwell, Childress (1); Edmund Jenschke, Kerrville (2); Eddie Leatherwood, Dublin (3);
Bobby Watts, Decatur (4); Ed Smith, Fairfield (5); J.D. Godby, Clifton (6); Galen Weber, Uvalde (7); Tommy Watson, Cuero (8);
Lawrence Krause, New Braunfels (9); Edwin Eckhardt, Fredericksburg (10); Richard Irving, New Braunfels (11); and Clint
Krause, New Braunfels (12). Associate Director is Dave Sund, San Antonio. –dn
L-R: Lance Charriere and Eric Bunner
S
kanska USA's building business
unit has opened a new office in the
Dallas area. Located in Irving at 105
Decker Court, Suite 775, this is the fourth
office the company has opened in Texas.
“We planted our first permanent Texas flag in Houston eight years ago with
the completion of our largest Texas project to date, Reliant Stadium,” said Eric
Bunner, project executive in the Dallas
office.
“Four years later, we opened our second and third offices in San Antonio and
Harlingen respectively. Because of our
past work with Dallas clients including
the Medical Center of Plano, Medical
Center of Arlington and the Medical Center of McKinney we were able to develop
ongoing relationships with many of the
top subcontractors and design and engi-
ECAT skeet shooting participants
neering firms in the area. So when we
were ready to expand our footprint in the
state this year, Dallas was the natural
choice. Dallas is a global city with a lot of
opportunity and a strong economy – we
are excited about the opportunity to become a part of this exciting city.”
Skanska has overseen more than
$150 million in commercial construction
in the Metroplex over the past five years
with projects in Dallas, Plano, McKinney,
Ennis and Las Colinas.
“By establishing a presence in Dallas,
we expand our overall reach to include
another critical population center in Texas that complements our existing offices
in Houston, San Antonio and the Rio
Grande Valley” said Brian Freeman, executive vice president of Skanska’s Texas
operations. –bd
Round ‘em up
L-R: Galen Weber, Weber Construction,
receives associate membership outstanding
recruiter award from Marty Caston.
L-R: Tommy Watson, Watson Dozer
Service, receives outstanding membership
recruitment award from Marty Caston.
L-R: Dennis Foerster,
Foerster Custom Service,
presents Marty Caston,
The Caston Company with
a plaque for his service as
ECAT president.
L-R: Apprentice competitors Jonathan Bartlett, Primo Plumbing;
Christopher Sproles, Central Texas Plumbing Solutions; Geoffrey Kennedy, TDIndustries;
and Ramon Mendez, Lochridge-Priest
T
L-R: ECAT incoming First
Lady, Joyce Foerster,
presents out going First
Lady Cyndy Caston with
gifts for her years of
service to ECAT wives
as they take care of
meeting details.
he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) held its
2011 PHCC Texas Roundup in Buda,
TX, Jun. 16 and 17. Over 125 participants
attended the event partaking in a variety
of activities such as an evening reception,
workshops, sponsor exhibits, awards ceremony and the 4th annual apprentice
contest. –dn
Annual awards
Contractor of the Year: Barry Bankler,
Gibson Plumbing, San Antonio
Associate of the Year:
Federated Insurance
PHCC Service Award:
John Lane, JP Company, El Paso
Chapter of the Year Most Net Members:
1st place: Amarillo PHCC
2nd place: Waco PHCC
Apprentice Contest Winners
1st place: Geoffrey Kennedy, TDIndustries, Houston
2nd place: Christopher Sproles, Central
Texas Plumbing Solutions, Waco
Associate member,
Steve Caldwell,
Bituminous Insurance
Co., San Antonio, won
a fitting door prize.
Caldwell consistently
reminds contractors
to use assisted
devises to prevent
back injury.
2011-2012 PHCC Board of Directors
Page 11
Service Providers
Construction site protection
on a budget
Keith Jentoft, President
Videofied
White Bear Lake, MN
G
uard services defending construction sites from
vandalism and copper theft have almost disappeared because of tight margins and a down economy;
they are simply too expensive. Thankfully, new technology and wireless communications have created affordable alternatives to address residential construction as well
as large commercial projects. The article provides a “buyer’s guide” for contractors
who want to explore new solutions to the problem of site security.
Background
Alarm systems have evolved in the
past five years. Video cameras, wireless
networks, and monitoring services have
all evolved and create new options for
construction security. Most importantly,
things have gotten cheaper and the services have become more reliable. Construction sites present unique challenges. Systems must operate in a harsh outdoor environment with no power, no
phone lines, and no broadband. Ideally,
the systems should be portable and be
able to be changed as the job site evolves.
Most importantly, the systems need to
do what they promise – protect the site
from theft and being vandalized.
Video Intrusion Alarms
New alarm technology has been
making a difference and delivering results. Video intrusion alarms are something new. The concept is to detect intruders and immediately send the video
of the intrusion to a monitoring station
for instant review and, most importantly,
action. The concept goes beyond the
typical CCTV camera and a DVR recording
the site for later review in the event of a
problem. The goal of a video intrusion
alarm is priority law enforcement response to a confirmed crime-in-progress.
Immediate police response means that
vandals are arrested and prevented from
damaging the job site. Traditional CCTV
Compliance and SUTA – The
silent killers in construction
Mark Mettille
M2 PEO Solutions
Flower Mound, TX
W
hat has changed over the last year? Our national
unemployment rate is still extremely high; there
are more federal and state regulations and labor laws
for employers; gas prices have skyrocketed; there are more OSHA inspectors looking
to hand out fines; most companies state unemployment tax (SUTA) rates have increased dramatically; and the majority of construction companies labor costs have
increased. Let’s face it; it’s not getting any easier to run your construction business.
The good news is Texas has created more jobs than any other state over the past year.
NEXT MONTH
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simply provides a recording of the event
that is reviewed the following day in the
hope of identifying the perpetrators – the
damage is already done. The new systems have proven themselves with cops
making over 40 arrests in four months in
one problem site in Chandler, Arizona.
What to look for in a video intrusion
alarm?
Many security companies provide
these new systems from several manufacturers with various options, depending on requirements and budgets. Prices
range from over $10,000 for the highresolution systems to under $1,000 for
the MotionViewer systems. Key points to
consider when looking at video intrusion
alarms include:
1. What communications are available at
the site?
Wired broadband networks deliver
the least expensive communications
from the system to the monitoring station but the network cables must be installed and they can be damaged and/or
cut during construction. The alternative
is communications over the cell network
which provides the most flexibility and
instant installations.
2. Does the site have power?
There are video alarm systems that
require power to the panel/communica-
With all that being said, I like to focus
on positive solutions to problems that
blue-collar business owners face. I will
address a couple key issues, and look at
the professional employer organization
(PEO) solution that may provide a better
and more streamlined way to run your
business.
Compliance: How many contractors
are currently in 100% compliance with
the most recent labor laws and OSHA
regulations, have their employee handbooks updated yearly, and carry EPLI insurance to further insulate them from
employee lawsuits? The reality is less
than 10%.
tor and there are systems that will operate up to four years on batteries, they require no power. The advantage of the
cordless systems is that they can be installed anywhere, regardless of power
availability.
3. How large is the construction site being protected? Can you designate mantraps?
Analytics systems using cameras
with pixel based detection (called analytics) can provide protection in a large area
such as a parking lot or field. These will
each require wired network connections
and will be more costly. Less expensive
solutions using MotionViewers (passive
infrared, PIR, motion sensor integrated
with a camera) protect 40-foot areas or
“man traps” at entry points and traffic areas that intruders will follow. MotionViewers are wireless and need no power
or communications cabling.
4. Do you want a “live view” camera?
Once the intrusion is detected and
the monitoring personnel have reviewed
the video confirming the event as a
crime-in-progress, the owner/contractor/job supervisor can be alerted and remotely “log in” to a camera on site to coordinate response. This option will require a broadband connection and powcontinued on Page 12
The complicated world of federal
and state employment laws continues to
bog down business owners who would
rather be focusing on their core line of
business. The issues involved with properly interpreting and administering such
laws as Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA),
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA),
and Davis-Bacon Act are not only time
consuming and expensive, but can also
be extremely frustrating.
Page 12
Service Providers
continued from Page 11 — Compliance and SUTA
And what about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also referred to as “Obamacare”?
How is your company prepared to deal with it when the
final mandates are decided? There are nearly 200 federal labor laws currently enforced by the Department of
Labor (DOL), which continue to be modified yearly. How
can small to medium sized contractors reasonably keep
up with it all? It would take a full time professional HR
department to manage this mountain of paperwork.
Wouldn’t it be nice to lean on a team of professionals to
help navigate the ever-changing landscape of being an
employer and the compliance that goes with having
W-2 employees? That’s exactly what a PEO allows owners to do. Construction companies who partner with
PEOs spend less time pushing paper and more time
making money.
SUTA: The majority of construction company owners
I’ve met with in the past year have shared with me their
ongoing frustrations of rising SUTA costs , which have ultimately increased the cost to run their business. SUTA
ironically is the only tax that businesses actually have any
control over, yet sometimes it’s the most neglected. The
down turn in the economy has forced thousands of layoffs over the past two years. Because SUTA is calculated
on a three year running average, the consequences of
downsizing your labor force one year will negatively impact your SUTA rate for the two following years.
Many small to mid-sized owners had no idea how
losing just one or two unemployment claims would
negatively impact their bottom line and ultimately in-
crease their SUTA rate. The SUTA maximum rate in Texas
for 2011 is 8.25 percent with the average new company
starting out at 2.7 percent. Many owners have seen their
SUTA rates nearly double since the economy went into
decline. This typically results from mismanagement of
unemployment claims or the lack of proper and timely
follow up on the initial claim. This is understandable as
most owners are usually focused on the things that
make their company money, not HR issues.
This is where a PEO adds value by handling the unemployment claim, and following up on required paperwork and deadlines during the claim process. Owners who go from a “stand alone” situation to using a PEO
usually see a substantial drop in their SUTA rate, which
greatly helps lower the cost of running their business.
Construction companies who partner with PEOs for
help with payroll, workers’ compensation, human resources, and safety/risk management increase profitability by focusing on their core business which grows
the bottom line. They reduce time pushing paper,
streamline their cash flow, and share the risks and liability that goes with having employees. Ultimately, they
have peace of mind knowing that a PEO is helping them
manage the ever changing, complex, and expensive
world of being an employer.
Mark Mettille is the owner of M2 PEO Solutions. M2 assists construction and blue-collar companies with solving
employment problems in the areas of Payroll, Human Resources, Workers’ Compensation, and Safety/Risk Management. –dn
continued from Page 11 —
Construction site protection
er to at least one Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera located on the
site.
5. Does the monitoring company have experience in the
construction market?
Many alarm companies specialize in either residential or commercial installations. There are some companies that specialize in construction security and, although
they may charge a little more, their monitoring station
operators have experience monitoring construction
sites.
In conclusion, video intrusion alarms have made
construction security affordable. Police are responding
to alarms confirmed with video as crimes-in-progress
and making arrests.
Keith Jentoft, President of Videofied, is a member of the
Electronic Security Association and chairs the Video Technology Interest group. Jentoft introduced the Videofied
product line which won the International Security Conference West "Best of Show" as well as the “Best Intrusion Detector” and “Best Wireless Alarm System” at the 2009 Electronic Security Expo. –dn
Page 13
Round-Up
Darren
Sumrall
has joined Dallasbased Mayse & Associates Inc. as a
project architect.
Sumrall is a registered architect with
a Bachelor of Architecture from Texas
Tech University. He
brings 19 years of
varied project experience to the firm.
Travis Parker joins
LEMCO Construction Services as Senior Project Manager. He brings over
23 years experience
in construction and
real estate and will
manage new and
existing projects for
the company. Parker earned a Bachelor
of Science degree from Southwest Texas
State University and completed management programs through SMU COX School
of Business. He also holds affiliations with
NAICOP, TREC and USGBC.
KAI Texas announces the following staff
changes:
Randy
Barnett
joins the Dallas office as a Senior Project Manager/K-12
Thought Leader.
Paul Verheyden is
now the Project
Manager at Dallas/
Fort Worth International Airport.
Gracie Colmenero
is a Project Assistant
in the Fort Worth
office.
Turner Construction Company announces the appointment of Steve
Whitcraft as its director of commercial and healthcare
segments in North
Texas. He will be responsible for leading growth, managing project execution
and developing staff in this market. Whitcraft is based in Dallas and has 27 years of
construction industry experience.
Submissions
This is a section for brief company
announcements of new or recently
promoted personnel, free of charge
as space allows.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Email with “Round-Up” in the subject
line (w/digital photo, if available)
by the 15th of any month, for the
next month’s issue to:
[email protected]
Corgan has named three employees as
associates of the firm:
Mark
Cardwell
completed
two
summer internships
with Corgan as a
college student before officially joining the firm in 2006.
He has excelled on
many projects, focusing on corporate
office and mission critical work. He is an
active member of the American Institute
of Architects (AIA). Cardwell received a
bachelor’s degree in environmental design and a Master of Architecture from
Texas A&M University in College Station.
Jason Hanna has
excelled in specialized data center
projects for U.S. and
overseas
clients
since joining the
firm in 2004 as a
student intern. He is
an active member
of AIA. Over the last
five years, he has volunteered his spare
time and now serves as co-captain for
Hearts and Hammers, a non-profit organization that helps low-income homeowners repair their homes. Hanna also
enjoys furniture design and construction.
He received his Bachelor and Master of
Architecture degrees from Texas Tech
University in Lubbock.
Jill Vessels joined
the firm in 2004.
She is a registered
interior designer in
Texas and a LEED
Accredited Professional. She is an active member of The
Real Estate Council
(TREC) of Dallas and
served on the Associate Leadership
Council (ALC). She was also accepted to
the Foundation for Women’s Resources
Texas Leadership Class, a select group of
women demonstrating leadership ability.
Vessels received a bachelor’s degree in
interior design from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
AIA - Dallas
NARI-Greater Dallas
American Institute of Architects
Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Aug. 15: Firm Talk Lecture Series featuring The Smith Group, 6pm reception,
6:30pm lecture, Dallas Center for Architecture, free for members and the public.
Members can earn 12 CES by attending
the entire series.
For more info: www.aiadallas.org
Aug. 9: General meeting, 6:30pm, at Elegant Additions, 150 Turtle Creek Blvd.,
Dallas, 75207. Please RSVP by Aug. 5
ASA North Texas
American Subcontractors Association
Aug. 11: Happy Hour, Flip’s Patio Grill,
415 W Hwy.114, Grapevine, 76051, 4:307pm, Appetizers sponsored by Lane Gorman Trubitt, Cash bar, GCs and nonmembers welcome
Aug. 17: Events Committee meeting,
10:30-11:30am, McGraw-Hill office, 9155
Sterling Dr, #160, Irving, 75063
Aug. 25: Luncheon program, Las Colinas
Country Club, Irving, 11am Registration,
11:30am BPI & Legal Minute, noon Lunch
& Program, $40 members, $55 non-members
For more info call ASA 817-640-8275 or
[email protected]
ICRI - North Texas
NAWIC - Dallas
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Aug. 26: Texas Hold-em Poker Tournament, 6pm, TEXO office at 11101 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas
NAWIC - Fort Worth
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Aug. 18: Monthly dinner meeting, Colonial Country Club, 3735 Country Club Circle, Fort Worth, 5:30pm networking, 6pm
dinner meeting, $32, RSVP to Traci Robinson: [email protected]
NTRCA
Nat’l Roofing Contractors Assn.
Aug. 10: Lunch & Learn, International
Bowling Campus, 11:30am-1pm, “Mini
Trade Show & Member Appreciation,”
$20 members, $25 non-members. Register online: www.ntrca.com
Int’l Concrete Repair Institute
PDCA- Dallas
Aug. 11: General meeting and Technical
Presentation: “Successful Coating Applications” by John P. McDonald, BASF.
11am Networking, 11:45am Lunch, Noon
program begins, Dave & Busters, 8021
Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, $25 members,
$30 non-members. RSVP to Mark LeMay:
[email protected] by Aug 8. This is an
AIA-approved presentaion and certificates of attendance will be provided
upon request.
Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.
IEC - Fort Worth
Independent Electrical Contractors
Aug. 19: 5th Annual Clay Shoot, for details: 817-496-8422
Aug. 11: Sporting Clay Shoot, Dallas Gun
Club
Aug. 16: Quarterly luncheon meeting,
11:30am-1pm, MCM Elegante Hotel, 2330
W. Northwest Hwy, Dallas, ,No charge to
contractors, non-sponsor associates $30/
person.
For more info contact Liz Dykes, 214-4212584
TMC
Texas Masonry Council
Aug. 10-12: Convention and Golden
Trowel Awards Banquet, Fort Worth Hilton Hotel.
Visit www.texasmasonrycouncil.org for
registration or call Valerie Burkhart, 512799-3870
Have you appeared in Construction News?
Call or Email us!
There is no charge for stories or photos.
[email protected]
(210) 308-5800
Page 14
Convention time
South Texas style
T
he South Central Wall, Ceiling &
Plaster Association (SCWCPA) held
its 59th annual convention and
trade show in San Antonio June 22-24.
The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort was the location where members
had a chance to visit the trade show, enter the golf tournament, try their luck at
shooting clay and attend the design
awards competition. Educational sessions were also available as was a ladies
program.
Friday evening brought a close to the
annual event with dinner and the awards
banquet followed by a casino night.
The association will celebrate its
60th anniversary next year at the same
location. –bd
2011–2012 SCWCPA Officers
L-R: Eddie McCormick, exec. director; Rick Williams, immediate past president; Michael
Vickery, president; Brent Cannedy, vp; Charlie Meador, sec/treasurer
Winners of the shooting clay event
Trey & Melissa Harris, The Quikrete Companies
continued from Page 1 — Preparing for growth
porch to 260 employees in a 500,000-sf
facility and sold it to Leggett & Platt, a
Fortune 500 company.”
About a year ago Woods and McCarthy got down to really discussing combining their talents.
“I wanted to see Cheyenne become
not only a great company for our clients
but also one that met the needs of our
dedicated employees,” said Woods.
The two decided that McCarthy
would come in to run the business side of
the company and Woods would handle
all operations in the field.
The partnership now has “owners
eyes” in the field, which they feel is a rare
thing these days. McCarthy stated that
very few companies have the ability or
opportunity to reap the benefits of having owners intimately involved in every
aspect of a growing company.
“We have that winning formula. This
should result in great execution in the
field and allow us to see a great improvement in our bottom line,” continued McCarthy.
“What I have learned over the last 20
years is there is a huge need for great
subcontractors in the construction industry who produce great products, are fi-
nancially healthy and can do what they
say they can do. There is need for every
trade to do it well.
“When a client hires us we want to
take every thing off their desk that they
have to worry about for our trade.
“What we are trying to do is get all
the systems in place to grow responsibly
so we don’t lose our reputation for quality. We will build something really strong
and as the economy builds we will be positioned well.
“We are a five million a year operation now but I see us having $10 to $12
million in sales in 18 to 24 months.”
Woods sums up his and McCarthy’s
philosophy and goals about the business.
“Often Bob has described our goals
as one of building our company to be a
company not just for the owners, but
rather one that was built on total shared
employee ownership, pride, and success
from the top management and continuing down throughout all employee and
staff.”
Cheyenne Construction Company is
based in Keller, TX and specializes in commercial and retail concrete construction.
–bd
New executive director
T
Lake Water Supply. He is
he Subcontractors Asactive in Rotary Internasociation of the Metrotional and has served as
plex (SAM) is pleased
District Governor for the
to introduce Pete Snider
North Texas District. Snidwho has assumed the duties
er is also a founding memof the executive director of
ber and vice-chair of the
he association.
Spectacular Senior Follies
Snider recently sold
that produces a nostalgic
Alco Glass, Inc. in Mesquite
stage show yearly.
and served as its president
Snider lives in Heath,
for the past 21 years. He
Texas with his wife, Sherry.
has also served as presiHis son, Paul, is a senior
dent of the American Submanager with Ball Aerocontractors
Association,
Pete Snider
space in Boulder, Co. and
North Texas Chapter, (ASA)
and has been on the board of directors of lives there with his wife, Beth, and chilthe North Texas chapter of the Texas dren, Sam and Avery.
Snider was a co-founder of SAM
Glass Association (TGA).
Snider was also a member of the Tex- along with the late Norma Mann and
as Leadership Council for the National Roy Neu. He is looking forward to seeing
Federation of Independent Business, and SAM help the subcontracting industry
has been on the Mesquite Economic De- that provided him with a living for many
years. –bd
velopment Board.
He served as a director of the Forney
Design Awards Pinnacle Award Winner
Kevin Whitfield, Drury South,
San Antonio for The Drury Plaza Hotel
in the Commercial Exterior EIFS
and Interior Plaster
First place golf winners: Pat Holland,
Scott Young, Mark Koski,
Robbin Bostick
continued from Page 1 — Nature’s finest
A unique environment
trail edgings and recycled pipe for the light poles and bollards. The landscaping consists of native grasses and trees and the permanent project sign was constructed utilizing the existing steel pipe cattle guards. David Thomas, president of Tegrus Construction, stated this project was an enlightening and educational project for all involved.
The project team included Tegrus Project Manager Bill Smith and Superintendent Royce Weaver. Architect was Tom Dohearty of Cunningham Architects and
owner’s representative was Dan Finnell of Brent Brown Architects.
Tegrus Construction Co., based in Cedar Hill specializes in commercial and industrial
projects and has 12 employees. David R. Thomas founded the company in 1987. Tegrus is in
its 25th year of building quality projects throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. –bd
continued from Page 1 — It’s great to be 35
Negotiations and involvement with
attorneys and accountants went on for
the better part of a year.
“We were able to get a deal done and
it was a situation where the smaller fish
took over the bigger fish and we maintained the name Ridgemont Commercial
Construction.”
These days company principals
O’Brien, President Jason Lillard and VP
of field operations Dennis Mason lead
the company, which has grown substantially in the 13 years since it was purchased.
“We are a $65 million a year company these days,” says Obrien. “We did not
lose any of our employees when we
merged the two companies together.”
“The majority of our work today is
working with people who have the same
philosophy and mindset about building
and creating a partnership with them,”
said Seth Williams business development executive.
“It is pretty astounding to look at
some of our history where 70 percent of
our work is repeat business.”
“We are deliberate about some specific sectors we target but with us, it is really more about relationships,” continued
O’Brien.
In closing, O’Brien points to the two
biggest factors for Ridgemont’s continued success.
“We work hard at making Ridgemont
a good place to work. We think that at
the end of the day our success is contingent upon being a good place to work. If
it is not a good place to work those good
folks are going to go down the road and
work somewhere else.
“Also If we have done anything right
over here we have hired good people. As
a general contractor you have your computer and copy machines but at the end
of the day it’s all about the people.”
Ridgemont Commercial Construction
is based in Irving, Texas and employs a staff
of 50. The company is a member of TEXO
and USGBC and supports charities such as
St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Lena Pope
Home and Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas.
–bd
Page 15
Job Sights
Company renovates facility
SITECH Tejas facilities in Grand Prairie
The framing crew from Seamonster’s Creations are all smiles at the new Chase bank location
in Mansfield. General contractor for the project is Construction Solutions
with Cisi Vasquez running the show as superintendent. –bd
A crew from RER Construction, Inc. working on the framing for the new location of Arlington
Orthopedic Associates, P. A. location in Mansfield. Brian Colmer is the superintendent for
RER and Bernie Wall is superintendent for general contractor FJW Construction. –bd
S
ITECH Tejas recently celebrated its
first anniversary in business. Now
the company has another reason to
celebrate. They completed renovations to
their 10,000-sf facility located at 2615
North Forum Dr. in Grand Prairie.
The state-of-the-art facility has a
dedicated room for equipment calibration, testing and repair, as well as a dedicated room for training customers on
Trimble equipment, noted Steven
Huedepohl, marketing manager.
General Manager Glenn Swisher,
states the company has an additional location in San Antonio. Both locations offer the same services and in-house training for their customers.
Commenting on the new Grand Prairie facility Swisher states, “The dealership
has done a wonderful job of providing us
a facility with warehouse and office
space. It was an existing structure with
ten bays. It’s a very nice facility.”
Swisher noted they have two certified Trimble trainers on staff that provide
a combination of classroom and outside
field training on the equipment.
“Training is very important in my
view,” said Swisher. “I was a construction
contractor before, so I came from the
other side of the business. I think that allows us to bring a different perspective
and do a better job servicing the customers by having been the customer.”
Commenting on SITECH’s product
offering, Swisher states, “It is technologybased equipment. We are trying to set it
up where we can get our customers in
here, educate them, and make them successful.”
SITECH Tejas has six employees in
Grand Prairie and eight employees in San
Antonio. The two locations cover 118
counties in south, central, north and
northeast Texas.
Working with Swisher is Sven Hallerman and David Henry, sales representatives; Shea Huckaby, certified Trimble
training instructor/modeling specialist,
and Tams Mullins, certified Trimble
training instructor/sales representative.
SITECH Tejas provides construction
technology systems for the heavy and highway industry. –dn
Have you taken a
job site photo
you would like to share
in Construction News?
Call our Home Office @ 210-308-5800
or email the editor:
[email protected]
Kiwitex, Inc. crew members working at the new In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Las Colinas.
Rick Hall is the project superintendent for general contractor PANTERRA Construction. –bd
A crew from B & D Metal Erector’s Company works on the roof at the new 32,000sf+ Pepware
facility being constructed in Cedar Hill. The general contractor for the project is Nationwide
Construction. Steven Mahan is superintendent. –bd
Page 16

August - Construction News

Transcription

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