June - Construction News

Transcription

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JUN 2010  Vol. 8  No. 6
Harnessing the power
Wedding bells
The Brandt Electrical Services staff in Katy
L-R: Keith Blahuta, Ammie Blahuta and Connie Phillips
K
aty-based Brandt Electrical Services Inc. got its start in 1987 and
incorporated in 1999. Owner and
CEO Paul Brandt leads the company.
Before he opened the company,
Brandt says he tried other trades such as
welding and plumbing. Going out into
the field with his brother-in-law sparked
his interest to get into the electrical industry. He decided to earn his State of
Texas master electrician license and contractor license.
“In the beginning, Brandt Electrical
Services did commercial retail work,”
Brandt said. “From there, we did small
tenant build outs. The company has
grown anywhere from 20 to 30 percent
every year. We began with one truck and
today we have 35.
“Over the years, we took on more
public work such as schools, hospitals,
fire and police stations. This year, we
branched out to do multi-family and new
construction work.”
According to Brandt, the company
currently has projects in Houston and
San Antonio.
“We are planning to open our office
in San Antonio by the end of the summer,” he said. “We have a crew and a
temporary office there right now. In addition, we are talking about expanding
into the Dallas area, if everything goes
right.”
continued on Page 21
A
mmie Hudson, now Ammie Blahuta, business development at
Hudson Building Systems Ltd.,
married Keith Blahuta, project manager
and estimator May 1.
“Keith and I met three and a half
years ago,” Blahuta said. “His brother-inlaw was a coach in the athletic department at my previous job. Keith has actually worked at Hudson Building Systems
for more than two years and I have been
here full-time for a year.
“We are planning on making Houston our home. Eventually, once my dad,
Wes, owner and president, retires we will
run the office together.” Blahuta says the wedding went very
well and the weather was nice for the
event.
“We thought it was going to be a
rainy Saturday,” she said. “It was wonderful though!”
After the wedding, the Blahutas returned to work the following Monday
and then left for their honeymoon to
Costa Rica at the end of the week.
“We went ziplining and rented ATVs
in Costa Rica,” she said. “We stayed at an
all inclusive hotel. It was so nice to get
away and relax.”
Blahuta’s father started the company
in Houston 26 years ago. Her older brother Serge is currently the vice president at
Making an impact
S
& S Construction did construction
work on a building that caught fire
after Hurricane Ike in Sept 2008.
The project is located at the corner of
45th Street and Avenue S in Galveston.
“The owner, Ray Cabellero, wanted
to rebuild the building in the same place,”
said Roy Sims, owner of S & S Construction. “My job was to put it basically in the
same footprint it was in before the fire.
“We changed up the front façade. It
used to be a two-story building. Ray opted to keep it a single story and turn it
more into a commercial building. Ray
thinks the building will be used for storage at first. He owns the restaurant Boudreaux’s On The Bayou on Avenue P 1/2.
I have known Ray for about 15 years.”
The materials the construction team
used on the 3382-sf project included Hardie Plank siding, laminate shingles, 2x6
framing and stucco, he said.
“The building has hurricane strapping materials and it has impact glass in
the windows,” Sims said. “The only thing
I didn’t do was the concrete slab because
it was existing.
“We had the building up in three
weeks. When the project was completed, I had people come by and say they
couldn’t believe they came by one week
and the next week there was a building
here.”
One of the challenging aspects during the process, was submitting plans for
the project, he said.
“The only way we were allowed to
start working was if we put in the landscaping,” Sims said. “The last two things
we worked on were the wheelchair ramp
and the planters box that will hold two
six foot trees.”
The Cabellero project
Page 2 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Jun 2010
Submitted to Construction News
Right place, right time
Pocket full of shells
A topping out event recently took place at the Hyatt Place Sugar Land in Lake
Pointe Town Center. Clark Contractors is the GC for the project. On hand for the
festivities were L-R: King Scovell, Russell Jones, Jacquie Chaumette, Don Olson
and Richard Morgan. The 214-room hotel is expected to open in early 2011. –ab
An “Annie Oakley” individual shooting competition took place
at the 5th Annual Shotgun Invitational held at the Greater Houston Gun Club.
David Haynes won first place, second place went to Trey Weiderhold,
and third place award went to Rolf Scheffler. The Mechanical Contractors
Association of Houston (MCA) held the event. –ab
Coastal point
L-R: Chad, Joyce and Jim Stephenson
J
im and Joyce Stephenson founded
Webster-based Coastal Distribution
in the early ‘80s.
Their son Chad Stephenson is the
operations manager at the company today.
According to Stephenson, his father
started out as a manufacturer’s representative. He says at first his parents operated the company at home and eventually
relocated to the current location.
“I have worked at Coastal Distribution for seven years now,” Stephenson
said. “I grew up in the business. I remember my very first job was putting together manuals and product catalogs.
“We opened our second branch in
Hutto, TX five years ago. Both the Houston and Austin markets are still going
strong. We travel all over the state of Texas to meet contractors and customers. In
addition, I go to the Hutto location often.”
A few times a year, Stephenson says
the company holds in-house trainings for
roofing contractors.
“Our manufacturers will come in and
educate contractors on new products as
well as do equipment demonstrations,”
he said.
Living close to the bay, Stephenson
says he and his parents enjoy going fishing when they get a chance.
“My parents have various interests
on the side,” he said. “They do a lot of
gardening at home.”
Coastal Distribution supplies tools and
equipment to the roofing industry. The
company distributes Leister hot-air equipment, Gen-Flex roofing membranes and
Dow construction foam products and adhesives. –ab
Houston Construction News • Jun 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 3
S
L-R: Milton Sinay, Chester and Joseph Muse
J
oseph Muse learned all he knows
about millwork from his father, Phillip, owner of Phillip Muse Cabinet
Makers.
“My dad started the company from
the ground up 30 years ago,” Muse said.
“Hopefully one day, he will let me take it
over.
“I have worked here since I was 16. I
began sweeping the floors and now I cut
all the cabinets, run the shop and go to
jobsites.”
Muse says his father taught him the
importance of will power and if he worked
hard, he could do what ever he wanted in
life.
Employed at the company for four
years, Milton Sinay does all the laminate
work in the shop.
Muse says the company dog is a
friendly German Shepherd named Ches-
Did
you
know?
Houston
ter.
“Chester will scare people at first, but
he wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he said. “The UPS
driver will throw packages over the fence
because he is so afraid of him. Chester is
our little mascot.”
In his free time, Muse says he and his
father like to go bay fishing, white-tail
deer hunting and they participate in drag
racing events.
“My dad has a car that will go 200
miles-an-hour in six seconds. Our most
recent race was at Houston Raceway Park.
Sometimes it is hard to go to the out of
town events, but we do what we can.”
A few projects the company has
worked on include a 24 Hour Fitness, Fitness Connection and schools in Houston.
Phillip Muse Cabinet Makers specializes in commercial millwork. –ab
L-R: Grady Ashley, Patrick Taylor, Amy Coffel and Chad Kuepker
outhern Shingles LP opened in
Sugar Land in Oct. 2008 and now
has plans to expand to the Highway
290 area.
“Things have progressed tremendously since 2008,” said territory manager Grady Ashley. “In the beginning, we
had five employees and today we are up
to 20. We are getting ready to open our
second location. We don’t have an exact
time frame right now, but it is looking like
early summer.
“I live on the north side of Houston in
Spring, so it will be convenient to drive to
and from work. In addition, many of our
contractor customers live and work on
that side of town too.”
Ashley says last June, the company
had a “Summer Sizzler” event for employees and customers.
“It was really hot last summer, so we
wanted to keep things cool,” Ashley said.
“We are in the process of planning another event for 2010.”
Justin Tankersly is also a territory
manager and Chad Kuepker is the assistant branch manager. Patrick Taylor
handles inside sales and Amy Coffel
takes care of accounting and insides sales.
The company owner is Ron Ross.
“Patrick is an avid fisherman,” Ashley
said. “He goes hybrid bass fishing at Lake
Conroe. The last one he caught was 9.7
lbs.
“Amy loves baseball, college football
and spending time with her teenage
daughter.”
Ashley says he is a football fan and
has season tickets to the Houston Texans
games in the fall.
“For fun, I play on a co-ed soccer
team with my wife,” Ashley said. “We like
to participate with several of our
friends.”
Southern Shingles provides building
materials and roofing supplies to roofing
contractors and builders. –ab
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L-R: Norbert (Norb) Ogrodowicz and Wayne Cobb
N
orbert (Norb) Ogrodowicz and
Wayne Cobb are partners at
Houston-based C & B Wholesale
Plumbing Supplies. They were neighbors at one time.
“We have owned the company for
three years,” Ogrodowicz said. “Our customers include contractors, plumbing
contractors and school districts.
“Thank goodness for the school districts, Aldine in particular. We have managed to do okay in this economy.”
Cobb handles outside sales and
Ogrodowicz stays at the office to take
care of customers.
“I love what I do today because I constantly learn something new in the
plumbing supply business,” Ogrodowicz
said.
“Right now we have seven employees. Twice a year, we throw a “Counter
Day” and have lunch with our customers.
Steak and potatoes are typically on the
menu at the event.”
On the side, Ogrodowicz and Cobb
enjoy going hunting together during the
fall season.
“I think it is getting more and more
difficult for a small company to find a
lease to take customers hunting these
days,” he said. “The last place we went to
was a lease in Madisonville, TX.
“In addition, both of us are sports
fans. Wayne plays a lot of Fantasy Football in his spare time.”
Looking ahead, Ogrodowicz says the
company is looking to move into a busier
location.
“Only time will tell when that will happen, but we hope it is going to be soon!”
C&B Wholesale Plumbing Supplies is a
plumbing supplies company and is also a
supplier of water and sewer utilities products. –ab
Page 4 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Jun 2010
Bill Price loves to duck hunt and has been going to the same lease for 30 years.
B
ill Price is the Houston area representative at Quality Mat Co. He
has been with the company for a
year.
“My job here in Houston is building
and maintaining relationships with Quality Mat’s current clients as well as procuring prospective customers,” Price said. “I
talk to anyone who is using cranes and
heavy equipment. If I see a crane sticking
up in the air, I don’t hesitate to go to the
jobsite.
“I live in Pearland and have a little
ranch down south of town about 75
miles, so I drive to many parts of the
Houston area during the week.”
To be good in sales, Price says it takes
a lot of patience, due diligence and you
just have to stay after it.
In his free time, Price is an avid duck
hunter and has been going to the same
lease in Garwood, TX since 1979.
“I love to deer hunt,” he said. “About
once a year, I will take a trip somewhere
to go hunting. In addition, I like to go
fishing. I have a creek at my house
stocked with bass and crappie.”
Price says Owner Joe Penland began to put timbers together to form mats
in the early “70s.
“While working as an iron worker,
Joe saw the need for a solution to the
problem of on-site work stoppages after
heavy rains,” Price said. “Today, the mats
help contractors from having to shut the
job down.
“Houston is a larger market, but not
only that, there is a lot of people in the
area that use our products but don’t have
a point of contact. That is the void I am
trying to fill.”
Established in 1974, Beaumont-based
Quality Mat is a manufacturer of hardwood
timber and crane mats. –ab
A
Smith and Company Architects
rchitecture design awards were recently presented at a special dinner at the
Rice Hotel in the Crystal Ballroom. Thirteen projects received awards in seven
categories. The American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter (AIA) hosted
the ceremony. –ab
Residential Architecture:
Congrats to the winners:
Collaborative Designworks
House 2X
Architecture under 50,000sf:
MC2 Architects
Dillon Kyle Architecture
Courtyard House
Meredith Long Gallery Carport and Park- Nonya Grenader, FAIA, Architect
ing Plaza
Blossom Street Houses
Architecture over 50,000sf:
StudioMET Architects
Leo A. Daly/LAN + PageSoutherland- Milford Live/Work
Page (A Joint Venture)
Renovation/Restoration:
General Services Administration Region- Smith and Company Architects
al Field Office
The African American Library
Interior Architecture:
at the Gregory School
Rottet Studio
Stern and Bucek Architects
Gulf South Sengelmann Hall, Schulenberg, TX
Rottet Studio
On the Boards:
Artis, San Francisco, CA
MC2 Architects
Stern and Bucek Architects
Lake Houston Park
Caddell/Chapman Apartment
Conceptual Projects:
Morris Architects
Urban Re-Vision Dallas
Construction News ON LOCATION
Top of the morning
Obed Trejo manages the Transtar A/C Supply Inc. Airline Drive store.
The company is a wholesale distributor of air conditioning, heating
and refrigeration equipment, parts and supplies. –ab
Crawfish bash
SpawGlass held its Annual Crawfish Boil in April to celebrate its owners and subcontractors, as well as network with HUB subcontractors. Ashley Ordener, marketing coordinator says more than 600 people attended the event. –ab
Houston Construction News • Jun 2010 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 5
Johnny Saenz says he has met a lot of good people playing disc golf.
J
ohnny Saenz, owner of Bay Area
Paint & Tile, has recently conquered
his fear of public speaking.
Saenz is involved in a business networking group in League City, TX and has
already given three presentations.
“I used to be afraid of getting up and
speaking in front of a lot of people,” he
said. “I finally had the courage and
strength to just get up there and do it.”
Saenz has owned his Seabrookbased company for seven years.
“I began doing painting and tile work
20 years ago,” he said. “One of my very
first jobs in high school was painting
houses. I found out I could paint with
both my right and left hands. I decided
to embrace it.
“Bay Area Paint & Tile really took off
after my father passed away. On his death
bed, I told my father I would do my best at
running the company and if it didn’t work,
I would fall back on my degree.”
Saenz says he lined up work months
in advance during his first year in business.
“In the beginning, it was just me, a
paint crew and a tile crew,” he said.
“Things just started falling into place.
God has really blessed me.”
In his extra time, Saenz plays disc
golf at courses in Seabrook and Santa Fe,
TX.
“I have enjoyed disc golf for more
than three years,” he said. “I went to the
state tournament at Tom Bass Regional
Park about a month ago. It was a lot of fun
and an awesome experience! Disc golf is
very therapeutic and relaxing to me.”
Recent commercial projects the
company has completed are Cricket
Wireless stores in Dickinson, TX and
Houston.
Bay Area Paint & Tile specializes in interior and exterior painting and flooring. –ab
I
The Big City Access sales team
f you followed the music to the location of the classic rock band, you’d find
a party at the Big City Access 8th Annual Open House Crawfish Boil Apr. 22.
“We invited our commercial general
contractors and subcontractor customers to the event held at our Barney Road
location,” said James Evanicky, sales
representative.
“Our customers are very important
to us and this event is held in their honor.
We had about 1200 folks who showed up
this year. We try to do it right!”
Evanicky says there was a live band,
an open bar, 5,000 lbs. of crawfish and
lots of door prizes.
Big City Access rents, sells and services
swing stages, scaffolding, overhead protection, material hoists and trash chutes. –ab
L-R: Gary Wince, Darin Harrison and Nathan
Henrick, Universal Sprinkler
L-R: Boots Hazen and Alan Bablock,
Peterson Beckner Industries
What was your
first car?
I wish I still had my very first car! I had a
mint green 1965 Ford Mustang. My dad
gave me it. I actually blew the motor in it.
It didn’t take long at all. My nickname in
school was the “Green Streak” because I
used to get a lot of speeding tickets. I
liked to go fast!
Cindy Legare, Sunstate Equipment
My very first car was reliable and got me
from point A to point B. I had a blue 1986
Ford Taurus
Julie Avila, Yale Stone & Masonry Supply
I had a white Chevrolet Monza. I can’t remember what year it was though! I know
the car was produced from 1974 until
about 1980.
Eric Larson, SSI Construction Materials
I drove a grey and white four-door 1956
Chevy when I met my wife. That was a
great first car!
Jim Wood, J. L. Wood Electric Co. Inc
I had a red 1983 Chevy C10 and I am still
restoring it today.
Ricky Aremas,
Emco Air Conditioning and Heating Inc.
Wow. Let’s see, my very first truck was a
red 1992 Chevy Silverado. I loved that
truck.
Robert Bloom,
Bey Commercial Construction
My first car was a six cylinder, green 1996
Ford Mustang. That was a fun one! I
drove it for a few years.
Carlos Suarez, U-Plumb-It
I drove a blue 1969 Dodge Plymouth in
high school.
Enrique Zanelli,
Choice Excavation and Construction
I loved my first car and drove it to school
and on the weekends. I had a gold 1996
Buick Century.
Mauricio Martinez, Transtar A/C Supply
My very first car was a red 1956 Ford pick
up. I have been interested in cars ever
since!
Ralph Wollgast, Building Specialties
T
he Associated General Contractors
of America (AGC) Construction
Safety Excellence Awards ceremony
recently took place in Orlando, FL.
Houston companies recognized for
their construction safety programs were
Jordan Construction and Brookstone
Construction.
Judges looked for evidence of company management commitments, active
employee participation, safety training,
safety program innovation and work-site
hazard identification and control. –ab
I don’t have my very first car anymore, but
I enjoyed it while I had it! I drove a primer
gray 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback. I eventually painted it cherry red and sold it.
James Cooper, Bobcat of Houston
My first car was a white Ford Escort wagon (hatch back). I almost forgot about
that car!
Rachel Ransom, LCS Constructors Inc.
I drove a red 1991 Chevy truck when I was
17 or 18.
Justin Knowles,
Tool & Fastener Supply (TFS)
My first car was very memorable and I
loved taking it for a drive. I had a light
metallic blue 1971 Cutlass Supreme. It
had a white top and a white interior.
Johnnie Garza, Solar Supply
Brookstone Construction
I clearly remember my first car. I drove a
red and white 1974 Opel Manta, a rear
wheel drive sports coupe.
Buddy Jennings,
Central Building Materials
I had a safe first vehicle. It was a baby
blue 1980 Volvo. Fun times!
David Campo, Remedy Roofing
Jordan Construction
cision whether I wanted to go to college
or stick with a trade I knew. I decided to
forgo college because I wanted to make
money. I went to work with my dad fulltime.
Eric M. Pace
Texas Industrial Air Services
(T.I.A.S.)
E
ric Pace opened Texas Industrial Air
Services in 2001 and has operated
at the Murphy Road location in Stafford, TX, for more than two years.
“My whole family is in the air conditioning and heating business,” he said.
“My father, Bill, owns Fresno-based BJ’s
Environmental Control Specialists Inc.
“My father taught me the trade.
What he didn’t teach me, he kind of
pushed me out of the nest and let me
learn on my own. I earned my license
about 13 years ago.”
Where were you born, Eric?
I was born in Houston. My family
and I lived in Pasadena for a short time
and then when I was 11, we moved to Dewalt, TX, an area within Missouri City.
Do you have any siblings?
I have a brother, Bill, who owns two
companies, Pace Mechanical and One
Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. I also
have a younger brother, Ashton, who
works with my father at BJ’s Environmental Control Specialists.
What were some activities you enjoyed while growing up?
We lived on some acreage, so my
family, friends and I enjoyed going deer
and dove hunting. In the spring and
summer, we’d go fishing at our pond. I
worked quite a bit during the summertime. I can remember going to an installation job when I was 15.
Where did you work in the summers?
I worked as a tool runner at my dad’s
company. One of the very first commercial installation jobs I worked on was an
Al’s Formal Wear.
What high school did you attend?
I went to Clements High School in
Sugar Land, TX. I was the middle and
right linebacker for the varsity football
team. I also played basketball and was on
the track and field team. I stayed very
busy during the school year. I worked to
pay for my first truck.
What did you do next?
After high school, I had to make a de-
Did you do any traveling on the job?
Yes, I did nothing but travel and
worked in different cities for about five to
six years. I worked in Austin, San Antonio,
Dallas, Corpus Christi, College Station, TX
and parts of Louisiana. It was a great experience.
What advice would you give a high
school student who is interested in
your trade?
If a student really wants to get into
the air conditioning and heating business, my advice would be to get an internship with a local company. It is also
good to go to college or junior college
and go through the courses. Hands on
experience after school is very important.
He needs to be willing to start at the
low end of the totem pole and work his
way up. If you are smart and mechanically inclined, you can move up the ladder quick.
You also have to stay up-to-date with
the changing technology and equipment.
How has the industry changed since
you opened your company in 2001?
There is a lot more electronics involved and more components that you
have to be able to trouble shoot. I think
the mechanical portions are the same.
How many employees do you have today?
I have eight employees. Cathy Johnson is the office manager. She answers
the phones, handles invoices and takes
care of the filing. Todd Lee is the operations manager.
What is your perspective on the construction industry in 2010?
It was a rough start at the beginning
of the year with the economy. It is slowly
starting to come around, but it is not going to be where it was for a while. I have
seen a lot more restoration projects and
government jobs.
The private sector will probably
speed up a little bit. It has been slow. I
think things will pick up and turn around
in the next 12 months.
Why do you like what you do?
I enjoy the challenge and solving
problems.
Are you married?
Yes, I got married when I was 19. My
wife’s name is Amy. We met during our
freshman year of high school and dated
all the way through school.
We had a medium-sized wedding on
the front porch at my parent’s house. It
was really nice. All of our friends were
there.
Eric Pace grew up in the Missouri City area.
Amy worked as a registered nurse for
many years. She came to help me out at
the company at the beginning of this
year. Now she comes into the office once
or twice a week for a few hours. Then,
she is off to being “mom”.
How many children do you have?
We have three sons ages 13, 9 and 7.
My middle son plays flag football and my
oldest and youngest sons like to swim.
All my sons are involved in Boy Scouts.
Do you volunteer with the Boy Scout
program?
My wife is committee chair and I am
the den leader. In the past, I was the assistant Cub master.
Do you and your sons go camping?
We have gone camping at several
state parks close to Houston. My oldest
son has been camping in Mexico and Arkansas. We recently went to at Sam
Houston National State Park in Huntsville.
What has having three sons taught
you?
Patience! Seeing some of the things
they are doing, I realize I did the same
thing when I was their age. It rings true
when your parents say, “Just wait until
you have kids.” There is no book on how
to raise kids. You have to do it from what
you know. I think every generation tries
to do a little bit better in some areas than
the generations before. Amy and I are
trying to do that.
With our business it is very hard because when the kids are off in the summer, that is our peak season. We have to
take time for the kids.
The boys are going to participate on
a swim team for about seven weeks this
summer. My oldest son wants to come to
work a couple days a week with me. He
can ride with me to jobs.
Does your family have any pets?
We have two Dachshunds named
Penny and Sissy. We have four or five fish
that don’t have names yet. We also have
a frog, four mice and a parakeet.
Are there any musicians in the family?
My middle son is starting to play
drums. I bought him a drum set for
Christmas. My youngest has played the
guitar for several months. I would love to
play the drums. We received free lessons
with the drum set. My middle son is going to take the lessons and then he is going to teach me!
Do you like to cook?
My wife is better at cooking than me.
I do all the grilling on the weekends.
What was your last memorable trip?
I went to Tegucigalpa, the capital city
of Honduras, to visit a cigar factory. I
learned about all the processes of making cigars. I was there five days. During
the tour, we were able to make our own
blend. It was quite an experience.
I didn’t realize this until I got on the
plane, but the airport I landed at is one of
the most deadly airports in the world. The
plane landed in a bowl. I found out about
this as I saw telephone poles pass by the
wings. The pilot put the breaks on quick.
The end of the run way just drops off.
My wife and I have also been to Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is a great place
to go on vacation because there is beautiful water, snorkeling and scuba diving.
It was a lot of fun.
Is there a place you want to go scuba
diving one day?
I would love to go back to Belize and
actually go diving. Last time I went, I only
went snorkeling and it was very beautiful. I’d like to go further down into the
ocean about 25 feet. It would also be
great to go scuba diving in Australia.
Any other interests you enjoy?
I am a baseball and football fan. We
try to go to as many games as we can during the year. We also went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year.
What are your future plans for the
company?
My goal is to continue to grow the
company. Our target areas are Missouri
City, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond,
Rosenberg and Alvin. I’d like to go after
bigger customers, too. –ab
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Houston Construction News • Jun 2010 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––––– Page 7
Joe Galaviz, Capp Electric Co.
Ed Albrecht, Mitchell Chuoke
Plumbing Co. Inc.
nited Tool & Fastener hosted the
IRWIN Tools Ultimate Tradesmen
Challenge at 6320 North Shepherd May 12.
“The competition is apart of a national event we are doing to elevate the
tradesmen,” said Brett Lipman, marketing associate at IRWIN Tools. “We are
looking for 24 top times in North Ameri-
ca. The Houston competition is one of
the qualifying events.”
Lipman says the finalists will advance
to the North American Finals on Aug. 20
at Bristol Motor Speedway and the
World’s Ultimate Tradesman will have a
chance to win $1 million.
United Tool & Fastener is a supplier of
tools, fasteners and jobsite supplies. –ab
U
Y
Winco Masonry and Adams Insurance group
ou could hear laughter and the casino chips clinking at the 9th Annual Hard Hats ‘N Heels Casino
Night and Wine Tasting May 6.
Women contractors, along with
friends in the industry, took part in the
meet and greet at the Chateau de Crystale.
Siboney Trevino-Toth and Joseph Toth,
Aflac
L-R: Billy Mhoon, Dave Selby and Chad Neal, United Tool & Fastener
Attendees had a chance to bid on silent auction items including a trip for six
to Napa Valley for a private tour and wine
tasting at the Toolbox Winery. The Women Contractors Association (WCA) hosted
the event. –ab
L-R: Heather Kelly and Leah Middleton,
Dominion Air & Heat
Diligent at Dmac
The IRWIN Tools team
Senior vice president Lance McIntyre, Dmac Construction, finishes paper work
in the office before driving out to a jobsite in Houston. The company is engaged
in the business of general construction. –ab
Skates sighting
L-R: Ricky Skates helps his brother, Charles, run the siding company.
Charles Skates, came to Texas (from Georgia) in 1982 and opened
Houston Siding Co. in 2000. The company participated in the ABC Extreme
Home Makeover Home Edition this year. –ab
James Trevino, paint technician, mixes paint and also handles counter sales at
Heritage Paint in Houston. Bruce Hendricks owns the paint supply company. –ab
Paint pal
LEGAL
ACCOUNTING
Contractors beware!
CGL policy endorsements
may delete significant coverage
Depreciation: A useful
management tool?
Barbara Brown, President
Micro-Accounting and Training Solutions
Houston, TX
Cindy Holub, Partner
Porter & Hedges, L.L.P.
Houston, TX
I
once heard someone describe an insurance policy as a
maze with the policy proceeds as the cheese and the
policyholders as the mice. The policyholders are trying to navigate their way through
the maze-like insurance policy and find the insurance proceeds. Each time the mice
find the cheese, the insurance companies attempt to plug the hole in the maze with
another policy form or endorsement that makes it more difficult for the mice to find
the cheese. A simple glance at a standard commercial general liability (CGL) policy
reveals the accuracy of this analogy. Generally, a CGL policy provides coverage for
covered damages that the policyholder must pay to a third party because of property
damage, bodily, personal or advertising injury. The policy provisions explaining which
losses are covered take up less than one page. The remainder of the voluminous policy consists of exclusions, limitations, definitions, conditions, and often times, exclusionary endorsements that delete significant coverage.
Frequently, insurance carriers are attaching exclusionary endorsements to
CGL policies which dramatically reduce
the available coverage under an unmodified policy form. One such onerous endorsement precludes coverage for “subsidence.” In this endorsement, subsidence does not mean ordinary settlement
as the construction industry thinks of it.
Instead, “subsidence” is so broadly defined in the endorsement that any claim
that has anything whatsoever to do with
any movement or shifting of dirt is not
covered. Such an exclusion could prove
disastrous for any contractor involved
with grading, excavating, or underground utility work because claims
against these contractors could likely be
related, in some way, to earth movement.
These contractors, and general contractors whose scope includes items where
dirt movement is involved, should not accept this type of endorsement.
Another exclusion which is being
added to CGL policies is one that takes
away valuable coverage a contractor has
if it uses subcontractors to perform its
scope of work. The standard CGL policy
excludes coverage for damages that arise
out of “your work.” “Your work” is broadly defined to mean work or operations
performed by, or on behalf of, the policyholder, and materials, parts or equipment
furnished in connection with such work
or operations. Although the standard
CGL policy excludes coverage for property damage to “your work”, this exclu-
sion does not apply if the work out of
which the damage arose was performed
on the policyholder’s behalf by a subcontractor. In order to avoid paying for construction defect claims, insurers are attaching endorsements that delete this
exception for work done by subcontractors. If you are a contractor of any tier,
you do not want this type of endorsement on your CGL policy.
A third example of an exclusionary
endorsement to be wary of is an endorsement which modifies the contractual liability coverage provided by the typical
CGL policy. If you have agreed to an enforceable indemnity agreement with another party and that party seeks indemnity from you for a third party claim
against it for bodily injury or property
damage, your CGL policy’s contractual liability coverage is what will respond to
the claim, provided that the third party
claim is a claim that would otherwise be
covered under your policy. An insurer
can delete this coverage, which is extremely important in the construction
industry, simply by attaching a contractual liability limitation endorsement to
the policy which eliminates coverage for
the type of indemnity agreements that
are commonly included in construction
contracts. The significance of this endorsement often goes unnoticed because contractual liability coverage is not
set forth in a specific coverage grant of
the policy. Instead, one must look at the
definition of “insured contract” as used in
an exception to an exclusion for contractual liability to determine what indemnity agreements are covered. A contractual liability limitation endorsement may
simply alter the definition of “insured
contract” and thereby delete the contractor’s coverage for its indemnity obligations.
Construction is risky business. Contractors manage their risks by allocating
them in the contracts and obtaining insurance to cover the insurable risks.
Many of us never read our insurance policies until a loss occurs. At this point, it is
too late. In order to avoid the surprise of
not having coverage when you need it
most, contractors should verify that neither their policies, nor those of their subcontractors, contain exclusionary endorsements that delete significant coverage for construction site risks.
Cindy Holub is a partner in the litigation section of Porter & Hedges. Her practice
focuses on construction and insurance coverage disputes and has represented both
plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety
of litigation. She can be reached at 713-2266607 or [email protected] –dn
D
epreciation is an accounting process for allocating
the cost of a tangible asset over the life of the asset.
For a construction contractor depreciation would apply
to just about everything used in the business, including office furniture and equipment. Calculating and using depreciation is an alternative to having a huge expense
deduction in the year of purchase, and then getting no tax or cash flow benefits in
subsequent years. Depreciation calculations are especially important for those items
used on the jobsite, including earth-moving equipment of all types, pumps, compressors, jackhammers and even hand tools.
The three broad categories of depreciation are book depreciation, tax depreciation, and market depreciation. Book
depreciation is one of several methods
used by accountants in preparing financial statements on an annual basis. Within the category of book depreciation
there are two types of depreciation, simple depreciation and accelerated depreciation. Simple depreciation is a straightforward method of dividing the cost of
an item evenly among the useful years of
an asset’s life. Accelerated depreciation
is a method for charging more depreciation in the early years of an asset’s life,
and less depreciation is charged as the
equipment ages. Usually a contractor
has more “up-time” with a piece of equipment during the early years before wear
and tear require greater maintenance
and parts replacement. This is certainly
true of most pieces of construction
equipment. As might be expected creative accountants have developed several forms of accelerated depreciation. For
example, depreciation will be calculated
for a mud pump, purchased new for
$1000 with a useful life of five years. For
purposes of this article, the sum-of-theyears digits method will be used as the
accelerated method. The depreciation
calculations are as follows:
Year 1:
Year 2:
Year 3:
Year 4:
Year 5:
simple $200, accelerated
$333
$267
$200
$133
$67
At the end of the 5th year the value
of the equipment is zero. Note that the
total depreciation at the end of the 3rd
year is $600 for simple depreciation and
$800 for accelerated depreciation. Using
an accelerated method is probably a better gauge of equipment usage in the “real
world”.
Tax depreciation is mandated by the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) utilizing
the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery
System (MACRS). MACRS is divided into
two depreciation systems, General Depreciation System (GDS) and Alternative
Depreciation System. Just about all construction contractors are subject to the
GDS. Under GDS regulations the vast ma-
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jority of construction equipment is given
a useful life of six years and a recovery period of five years. The IRS allows one of
two methods for calculating depreciation, the declining balance method (accelerated) or the straight-line method
(simple). The reader is referred to IRS
publication 946 for further information.
The last type of depreciation is really
not an accounting function at all, but perhaps more accurately reflects the value
of a piece of equipment. Market depreciation is the amount by which the market value of equipment decreases over
time. In the case of our mud pump given
earlier, if the pump could be sold for $600
at the end of year three, then the market
depreciation is $400. In figuring market
depreciation, it is best to use an actual offer for sale rather than an appraised price
(the market price is usually lower than an
appraised price).
It is permissible to use one depreciation method for financial reporting purposes, and a different method (MACRS)
for tax purposes. The problem with the
MACRS system if used for financial reporting is that the useful life of the asset
may be distorted because many items
have a useful life of more than five years.
Depreciation, as stated on the company balance sheet, can be a tool for effectively managing the business. Many
business owners favor faster depreciation in order to save cash for reinvesting
in new or replacement equipment. Other
managers prefer the simplicity of
straight-line depreciation for figuring job
costs from year-to-year. Within the same
company, some assets may be depreciated with an accelerated method and some
with a simple method. Mixing depreciation techniques can lead to great confusion and is not recommended. Depreciation, as with most accounting concepts,
must be analyzed and adapted to individual circumstances.
With over 20 years of business and tax
experience, Barbara Brown is president and
founder of The Tax Lady and Micro Accounting & Training Solutions full service
accounting, tax, and management consulting firms. She can be reached at Barbara.
[email protected] or 713-271-8717. –dn
Dallas/Fort. Worth
Austin
San Antonio
Houston
Home Office
(210) 308-5800
INSURANCE
Protect yourself against fraud
Tim Riley, Vice President for Special Investigations
Texas Mutual Insurance Company
Austin, TX
T
he majority of workers’ compensation claims filed in
Texas and other states stem from real instances of
on-the-job injuries. Unfortunately, people who cheat
the system drive up costs for employers, consumers and
insurers.
Fraud is lying for financial gain—
with claimant fraud being the most common type. Claimant fraud happens when
workers:
1) Fake or exaggerate injuries.
2) Collect benefits for injuries that were
not work-related.
3) Continue to collect benefits after returning to work.
4) Engage in activities that are inconsistent with their injuries.
As a corporate executive once noted,
if workers’ comp fraud were a legitimate
business in the United States, it would
rank among the Fortune 500 companies.
The Texas Department of Insurance notes
that insurance fraud is the second most
profitable crime after drug trafficking.
The latest statistics from the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud estimates
that workers’ compensation premiums,
taxes and other expenses reached $557
million in 2008. Protecting against fraud
has many rewards. Previously, the California Insurance Department reported that
every $1 invested in workers’ compensation anti-fraud efforts has returned $6.17,
which totaled $260.3 million in 2006-07
alone.
Companies need to pay close attention to red flags that help detect possible
workers’ comp fraud. If you encounter
two or more of these situations, it is best
to contact your insurer:
• A tip from a credible source, such as an
employee of your company.
• A new or disgruntled worker.
• There is no witness to an alleged injury.
• Inconsistent or illogical descriptions of
how an injury occurred.
• Difficulty in contacting an injured worker.
• An injured worker who’s upset when he
or she is contacted.
• A suspicious injury occurring on a Monday or Friday.
Some insurance carriers write off
workers’ comp fraud as merely a cost of
doing business. Other companies—such
as Texas Mutual—take a zero tolerance
approach to combating employee fraud.
Texas Mutual employs three teams of experienced, full-time investigators who
take fraud claims with the utmost seriousness. Workers’ comp fraud can be curtailed if employers, insurers and others
are vigilant about this type of crime.
Tim Riley is Vice President for Special
Investigations for Texas Mutual Insurance
Company. Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the leading provider of
workers’ compensation insurance in Texas.
For more information about workers’ comp
fraud, visit www.texasmutual.com/fraud/
fightfraud.shtm. –dn
What does this symbol mean?
Symbol: 1. Something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material
object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.
– Random House College Dictionary.
J
une 14 is Flag Day. It is a day
that we recognize and pay
tribute to the symbol of the
United States of America.
www.USA.gov
provides
these flag facts:
•June 14, 1777: Continental
Congress passed the Flag Act
establishing the first flag, symbolizing the United States of
America.
•1916: “President Woodrow
Wilson issued a proclamation
calling for a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14.”
•1949: Congress passed a resolution to
establish June 14 as Flag Day. President
Harry Truman signed it into law.
Francis Scott Key, the author of our
national anthem, chose the flag as the
subject of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Key’s words describe the American
flag, “Whose broad stripes and bright
stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly
streaming?”
As you know, Key was describing the
outcome of the battle at Baltimore in
1814. He saw the American flag, rather
than the British flag, flying at “dawn’s early light.”
Given the words of the poem that he
wrote, Key obviously found comfort in
seeing the American flag flying. Maybe
that is why today an American flag is
raised after terrible tragedies or battles. It
brings comfort and purpose to those
who have suffered.
We are approaching another Flag
Day, and I wonder how this day will be
observed.
From television news reports, I see
the U.S. flag being used as a symbol of
OSHA
OSHA’s revision to the
penalty structure
Joann Natarajan, Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA
Austin, TX
T
he time frame for considering an employer’s history
of violations will expand from 3 years to five years.
An employer who has been inspected by OSHA within
the previous five years and has no serious, willful, repeat, or failure to abate violations
will receive a 10 percent reduction for history. An employer who has been cited by
OSHA for any high gravity serious, willful, repeat, or failure to abate violation within
the previous five years will receive a 10 percent increase in their penalty, up to the
statutory maximum. Employers who have not been inspected and employers who
have received citations for serious violations that were not high gravity will receive
neither a reduction nor an increase for history.
The time period for repeated violations
will also be increased from three to five
years. Area Directors will retain the authority to determine if a size or history
reduction should be granted. Area Directors will be authorized to offer up to a 30
percent penalty reduction to employers
at an informal conference, any reduction
over 30 percent will require Regional Administrator approval. Area Directors will
be authorized to offer an employer with
250 or fewer employees and additional
20 percent reduction if that employer
agrees to retain an outside safety and
health consultant. OSHA will no longer
allow penalty adjustments to an employer at an informal conference where the
employer has an outstanding penalty
balance owed to OSHA from a prior inspection. This provision would not apply
to employers on a penalty payment plan
who is making timely payments.
Area Offices that utilize the expedited informal settlement agreement will be limited to offering a 30 percent reduction. If
the employer commits to hiring an outside consultant, the Area Director may
grant an additional 20 percent reduction.
OSHA will be adopting a gravity based
penalty determination that provides for a
gravity based penalty between $3000
and $7000. The minimum base penalty
will increase from $1500 to $3000 before
size, history, and good faith adjustments
are made, with a resulting minimum proposed penalty of $500. The proposed
minimum penalty for a posting violation
will increase to $250 if the company was
previously provided a poster by OSHA.
The final penalties will be applied serially,
unlike the present practice of in which all
the penalty reductions are added and
then the total percentage is multiplied by
the gravity based penalty to arrive at the
proposed penalty.
The OSHA memo that explains the
changes to the penalty structure can be
accessed at eh following link:
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_
RELEASES&p_id=17544
[email protected]
512-374-0271 x232
A is for Alamo
disdain, being torn, burned, stomped. I
see the U.S. flag being hung upside
down, a symbol, by the way, of distress. I
see students taking down the U.S. flag
and flying it below another country’s
flag. I see people refusing to stand when
the flag passes by or refusing to say the
pledge allegiance.
I also see people raise the U.S. flag at
scenes of tragedy, as in New York on Sept.
11, 2001, or after hurricanes Katrina and
Ike ravaged our coastlines. I see flags flying outside many businesses, homes,
schools, and on antennas of cars and
trucks. I see flags flying at sporting
events, and even flags high atop cranes
at construction sites.
The United States flag is a symbol.
That is an undisputed fact. What appears
to be disputed today is what this symbol
means.
June 14th is your opportunity to
show what the American flag symbolizes
to you. Fly it outside your business or
home – or not. You have the freedom to
choose. Many people in our country’s history have bravely fought and died to give
you that freedom. –dn
Salesman Larry Pavlik takes a call from a customer at Alamo Stone Co.
in Stafford, TX. The company supplies stone products. –ab
Three’s a crowd
Industry FOLKS
Juan Perez
Statewide Services
J
uan Perez is a driver for Statewide
Services, an underground utility
contracting company. He hauls
equipment from jobsite to jobsite in
the Houston area.
“I have worked in the construction
industry for about 15 years,” Perez said.
“I have always liked large equipment
and trucks. I joined Statewide Services
two months ago.
“The best part about my day is
driving and getting outside in the sunshine. I see new parts of Houston and
the surrounding areas all the time. It is
interesting to me to see the buildings
under construction.”
As a driver, Perez says he ties down
the machines on a trailer and makes
sure everything is safe so no one gets
hurt.
“In the mornings, I go to the yard
at the company and the manager lets
me know what I need to move that
day,” he said.
Born in Brownsville, TX, Perez was
raised in Houston. He attended Austin
High School and played the wing position on the basketball team.
“In high school, I started racing
motorcycles and sport bikes,” he said.
“I still love riding and racing motorcycles today. I have a Honda CVR 900 and
Honda GS-6R 1000. I ride in Houston
and I race at a track in Baytown, TX.
“The fastest speed I have been on
the track is about 140 to 150 miles per
hour.”
When he isn’t at work, Perez says
he listens to all kinds of music including hip-hop and Spanish songs.
Perez says his other interest these
days is watching boxing matches on
television. His favorite boxer is Manny
Pacquiao.
“I also like to go fishing and crabbing in Texas City and Kemah, TX,” he
said. “I spend most of my free time
with my wife Silvia and three daughters who are now in middle school.
Sometimes, they like to go crabbing
with me.
“My wife and I met when we were
in high school. Silvia takes care of the
kids and likes to cook for our family.
My favorite meal she cooks is shrimp
soup. It is so good!”
Perez says the last trip he took
outside of Texas was to Miami, FL for
few days.
“I didn’t have a chance to go to the
beach since I was delivering a truck,”
he said. “I had never been to Florida
before, so it was a great trip.” –ab
L-R: Jonathon Forest is a mechanic and Cassidy Richards and Ollie Stiles
are salesmen at Hertz Equipment Rental in Texas City.
The company rents construction equipment. –ab
Granite efforts
Manager Sundar Balakrishnan takes care of scheduling at Granite Depot Inc.
The company sells, fabricates and installs granite and marble
for commercial and residential projects. –ab
Easy as ABC
Field supervisor Jeremy Obrecht has a productive afternoon at American Building Contractors Restoration Services Inc. The company specializes in commercial and residential restoration work on roofing, siding, gutters and windows. –ab
Cyndi Williams is the general manager.
R
obert and Cyndi Williams are the
owners of Incredible Floors Inc. in
Houston.
“Before opening the company, Robert installed carpet and worked for some
of the major carpet companies in the
area,” Cyndi Williams said. “He and a
partner opened a flooring business on
Pinemont Drive. They went from there to
our current location on Blalock Road 22
years ago.”
Williams says her husband stayed
with the flooring company while his partner moved on to operate a spot remover
business.
“I came on board in 1995,” Williams
said. “Today, I do a little bit of everything.
I handle the sales, do the ordering and
take on the role as general manager.
“My husband and I work great as a
team because most of all, we are friends.
We are with each other 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
“Our installers have been with the
company for more than 20 years. Lead
installer Hoze Landin works in the carpet and wood department.”
Twice a year, Incredible Floors has an
employee get together and they all go
out for barbecue or Mexican food, she
said.
Williams says recent commercial
projects have been convention centers,
retail stores and hotels in the Clear Lake
and Kemah areas.
“On the side, Robert and I enjoy deer
hunting in Trinity, TX,” she said. “We also
like to go deep sea fishing in Galveston.
“In addition, Robert has a green
thumb. We have a vegetable garden
with tomatoes. I have a purple Margarita
plant that is blooming pink flowers right
now.”
Incredible Floors specializes in commercial and residential carpet, wood and
tile flooring. –ab
Satisfying your
fishing addiction
Angler Berto Torres landed this 31.5” trout while fishing near Baffin
Bay with Capt. Steve Schultz. Fish will be sent to the taxidermist.
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, FINS
Braided Line and Columbia Sportswear.
T
he winds have finally calmed down
and the bite has drastically improved in the bay. May fishing has
brought new hope to the slow start we
experienced the beginning of the season. Summer fish patterns are now making fishing seem more like catching and
that’s a good thing. If you haven’t
planned your summer fishing outing yet,
better get on the ball and get it done.
Well it’s a beautiful day out, and
you’re at the coast for a family outing on
the beach. Your buddies have been on
the water since daylight with their favorite guide and you’re stuck spending the
day with the wife and kids. Don’t fret, it’s
not the end of the world, but don’t go to
the beach without your fishing rod. Many
people believe that since there are people everywhere on the beaches that
there are no fish to be caught. This is a
very large misconception. I mean, ideally,
if you plan on fishing you should probably try and find a secluded part of the
beach or a beach that doesn’t get a ton of
traffic. I know what you are thinking –
what beach in the Coastal Bend doesn’t
get a lot of traffic? Well there are places
that you can go and surf fish and have a
great time, but also catch many fish. You
definitely don’t want to go putting out
shark bait at your local beach where
there are people all around. Be sure to
use good judgment. I don’t think you
would want that on your conscience.
There are many different types of
tackle, rigs, etc, that you can use while
surf fishing. Normally the tackle is larger
than regular boat fishing or pier fishing
tackle. You need a longer rod to be able
to cast past the break of the waves, and
you need larger reels to heave the heavy
tackle as far as you can get it. This is the
case most of the time but not always, de-
Randy Wyatt caught and released this 28.5” speck on a recent
Aggerate Haulers Team outing at the coast with
Steve Schultz Outdoors.
pending on location and conditions you
can use your regular spinning gear and it
will be just as effective. The term “surf
tackle,” however, is applied to rather
stout, long-distance casting equipment.
The reason for the long cast is to try and
reach holes or pockets where game fish
may be. Surf rods are usually ranging
from 8 ft. to 14 ft. or more. The stoutest
of all surf outfits are those used for tossing out bottom rigs with heavy pyramid
sinkers – mainly in quest for red or black
drum. It takes a strong rod to handle five
or six ounces of sinker, and the tips of
these gigantic rods are as thick as your
thumb. Surf specialist agrees that 10 ft.
to 11 ft. is best all around for surf fishing.
Good surf tackle won’t guarantee you a
fish but will help your odds of landing the
fish when they show.
If you’re not equipped with some of
the heavier tackle I’ve mentioned above,
your light bay tackle will satisfy your addiction while the kids body surf the
waves. Mirr-O-Lures and soft plastics
with a 1/4 oz. jig head are most common
wading knee to waist deep in the second
gut. Trout and redfish patrol these guts
trying to ambush mullet which become
disoriented with wave action close to
shore. If you have a portable live well and
oxygen system, stop by the marina and
pick up a few dozen live croakers. You
will probably be surprised on how many
fish you can catch while everyone enjoys
the day at the beach.
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.
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
Martell Adams of Security State Bank & Trust in San Antonio
landed this 28-inch trout fishing the rocks in Baffin Bay.
Fish was released after photo by Capt. Steve Schultz.
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.
Back at the
dock!
T
onight we got to run our first trip off
our main dock in almost two years. I
can’t tell you how hard it has been
with all the drought months we’ve been
through and seeing that nice, new Spillar
boat dock sitting there aground. We finally got a dock custom made for what
we do and then the lake went dry.
I guess that Lake Buchanan may be
the only lake in Texas to still be lacking
water. We have been helped by the rains,
coming up to within the last 10 ft. of full,
but it is that last 10 ft. that gets the boat
ramps and gas docks and resorts back to
100 percent.
The water has come up over all that
brushy vegetation in the dry lake bottom
and the fishing is getting better with
each passing day. Things are still a little
mixed up, kinda like an elementary
school play where nobody seems to
know where they should be. You go out
bass fishing and slay the crappie. Go out
for stripers and come in with stripers, hybrids, white bass, crappie, largemouth
and catfish. The fish are pretty scattered,
but the one thing they have in common
is THEY’RE HUNGRY!
Another great thing is that this is
spring. The fish are spawning and this
year there is plenty of vegetation to nourish and hide their offspring. That means
we will see the benefit from our drought
recovery for years to come in the way of
good strong sport fish populations living
in a healthy lake.
Another good sign that things are
turning around is that we are beginning
to see some familiar faces coming back to
the lake. You know who you are! It is
good to see you have weathered the
storms of the last several months. Welcome back!
I guess that is the best thing about
hunting and fishing. It doesn’t matter to
the fish what your bank balance is, and
don’t expect a deer to care who sits in the
White House. In this day and time that is
a refreshing attitude to come across. It is
almost like they think we are silly if we do
care. That is why being outside is so
good for us. We need to be reminded
from time to time that our concerns really
don’t amount to a hill of beans in the
grand scheme of things. Even if we can
only briefly catch that outdoor attitude, it
lets us catch our breath and get a little
stronger.
It’s getting late now and I need to
save some room for pictures. Until next
time, “Tight Lines!”
Hilti Corporation
Assorted catches
Quality Custom Decks brought the Streetman guys out fishing.
Sunrise on the main dock the day we got to start using it again.™
Send
Construction
News your outdoor
photos and we will
include them in the
Great Outdoor section of the paper. It’s
a great way to show
off your athletic abilities, hunting and
fishing prowess, or a
good time golfing
with your best buds
and employees.
Houston Construction News • Jun 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––---------------––––––––––––––––– Page 13
Keeping it reel
J
Fine time to fish
The Houston Plumbers Fishing Tournament group
ackson Hill Marina on Lake Sam
Rayburn was the place to be
May 1-2 for the annual Houston
Plumbers Fishing Tournament.
“The invitation only fishing
tournament has been held every
spring for the past 45 years,” said
Ty Tipton, president of Tipton Co.
“More than 75 plumbers from the
Houston area competed in the
event. The judges committee comprised of manufacturers, representatives and wholesalers from the
Texas market.”
According to Tipton, in excess
of 600 lbs. of crappie was caught
during the tournament, with the
largest weighing 2.4 lbs.
“Cy-Tech Services, the winning team, took home a 7 ft. tall trophy
and bragging rights ‘til the next tournament,” he said.
“The sportsmanship award was given in the name of Joe Crawford, former
owner of Houston-based plumbing company McFadden and Associates, whom
passed away suddenly late last year. In
2011, the tournament will return to the
Ty Tipton with a 2.4 lb. crappie
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
L-R: Kevin Cosper, Benjamin Moore & Co.; Frank Orsak, owner of Southwestern Paint Co.
and Patrick Equi, Benjamin Moore & Co.
G
Cy-Tech Services, the winning team
Jackson Hill Marina on Lake Sam Rayburn
on May 1.” –ab
earing up for spring, Southwestern Paint Co. hosted its 6th Annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament in late April.
“There were approximately 30 teams
of three anglers at the customer appreciation event,” said Dean Stevens, general
manager. “We held the tournament for
our contractors and their family and
friends and invited all our customers to
come eat, drink and enjoy.
“This year, the winning teams were
TCW Contractors, Cactus Builders, Ideal
Finishes, TEKO Contractors, Alford
Painting and Longoria Painting.”
Established in 1940, Southwestern
Paint Co. supplies paint and supplies to
contractors and homeowners. –ab
Dean Stevens, Southwestern Paint Co.
Rockin’ like a hurricane
Up ‘n’ at ‘em
Leroy Skains and Manuel Teal, Hurricane Glass Inc., load up the truck and
then head out to a storefront installation job in South Houston. –ab
When President Jim Wood, J. L. Wood Electric Co. Inc., isn’t at the office, he tries
to go fishing in Galveston a few times a month. The company primarily handles
commercial electrical work. –ab
Golden shovels
Java jive
David Boehm is one of the owners at Houston-based NBG Constructors Inc. The
company focuses on bridge, street and highway construction. –ab
Terrica Thorn-Cephus is the office manager at Turnkey Painting Plus, a
Houston-based painting contracting company. During the evenings, she helps
her husband, Major, with his gourmet coffee company, B.A. Coffee Café. –ab
publishing the industry’s news
Texas
Style




San Antonio
Austin
Dallas/Fort Worth
Houston
Sun so bright
Technician talk
L-R: Rene Ibarra, Cindy Legare, Grant Dasbach and Barry Smalls step out
into the yard at the Sunstate Equipment Co. Katy Freeway store in Houston.
The company rents equipment. –ab
For fun, Mike Scasko, Service Refrigeration Co., says he tinkers with cars and also
likes to go to the American Shooting Range in Houston. The company provides
HVAC and refrigeration installation and service for commercial projects. –ab
Submitted by
Richard A. Gump, Jr.
The Law Offices of Richard A. Gump, Jr.
Dallas, TX
T
M
L-R: Al Maceiras and Mark Howard
anager Mark Howard is the
head of operations at Houstonbased A & R Engineering and
Testing Inc.
“I oversee the office and the field,”
said Howard. “I came on board in 1992
and have worked in the industry for close
to 30 years.”
The owners Al Maceiras and Russ
Hassouna founded the company in
1999. Chuck Banta is the lab and field
supervisor and Jessica Hernandez is the
office manager.
“Things have progressed well over
the past 10 years,” Howard said. “The
company has grown quite a bit along the
way. We have gotten the accreditations
we need to do the municipality work in
Houston and surrounding areas. That
has definitely helped in the economy we
are in today.”
During the year, employees will par-
ticipate in a few golf tournaments in the
spring or summer, he said.
“I love golf, I just don’t get to play
that often,” Howard said. “Several of the
folks here are football fans too. We have
season tickets to the Houston Texans
games in the fall.
“We also have an annual Christmas
party for employees and customers here
at our office. We catered in barbecue last
year.”
Howard says in the future, the company plans to diversify into asbestos testing and the environmental side of the
business.
“We got through 2009,” he said. “In
the last few months, 2010 has looked
brighter. Our goal is to get more municipality work.”
A & R Engineering and Testing is a geotechnical and material engineering firm. –ab
he need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) has never been
greater than it is right now. During
his campaign, President Obama promised to push Congress to tackle the issue
of CIR. Congress has failed to make progress towards CIR and states have begun
to take immigration matters into their
own hands.
On April 23, 2010, the Governor of
Arizona signed a bill titled “Support Our
Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act” (SB1070). Simply stated, the
law makes it a misdemeanor for anyone
who is unable to prove lawful residence
in the U.S. upon request, and requires police to make a reasonable attempt, when
practical, to determine immigration status if there is cause to suspect (“reasonable suspicion”) an individual is an illegal
immigrant. It includes a provision specifying that in addition to any violation of
federal law, a person is guilty of trespassing if the person is present on any public
or private land in the state and is not carrying his or her alien registration card or
has willfully failed to register.
What does this mean to Texas employers? Lawmakers in Texas and nine
other states are already considering similar bills.
On April 29, 2010, President Obama
stated:
“The continued failure of the federal
government to fix the broken immigration system will leave the door open to a
patchwork of actions at the state and local level that are inconsistent and as we
have seen recently, often misguided…I
have repeatedly said that there are some
essential components that must be in immigration legislation. It must call for
stronger border security measures,
tougher penalties for employers who
hire illegal immigrants and clearer rules
for controlling future immigration. And it
must require those who are here illegally
to get right with the law, pay penalties
and taxes, learn English, pass criminal
background checks and admit responsibility before they are allowed to get in
line and eventually earn citizenship.”
The risk of losing votes on either side
of the issue has left federal lawmakers reluctant to debate immigration reform
during an election year. The passage of
SB1070 has forced the hand of pro-immigration senators, who fear that other
states may draft and present their own
state immigration laws. Colorado Representative Jared Polis states, “While we
still may not agree on each individual
provision, we have now seen the consequences of inaction.” The proposal, introduced on April 28, 2010 by six U.S. Senators, includes:
• Prevention of future illegal immigration through enhanced border enforcement: This includes the increase of CBP
officers and ICE agents.
• Removal of unlawfully present persons in the U.S. through interior enforcement: Implements a system to monitor
overstays and provides for closer evaluation and monitoring of the Visa Waiver
Program.
• Requiring employers to verify employment authorization through the use
of biometrics: Implements a fraud and
tamper resistant Social Security Card that
includes a photograph and biometrics information. Fines for knowing violations
of the employment verification system,
such as employment of an unauthorized
worker, may increase as much as 300 percent. Employers will also be prohibited
from deducting wages of unauthorized
workers.
• Reform of the current employment
and family visa system: Provides for immediate green cards to foreign students
who obtain an advanced degree from a
U.S. institution of higher education in
specific and who have an offer of employment from any employer in that
field. The H-1B and L-1 visa programs
would be revised; the proposed H-2B AgJOBs bill would be incorporated; and a
new H-2C visa would be added for nonseasonal, non-agricultural workers.
• Registration of the unauthorized
population and providing an opportunity to earn legal status.
Republicans have long supported efforts to increase and strengthen border
security. The proposal’s Democratic authors, knowing the stance of most Republicans, have attempted to sweeten
the proposal by including border and interior enforcement, increasing CBP and
ICE agents, implementing a tighter entry/
exit system to monitor overstays and
monitoring the visa waiver program.
The road to CIR will be a tough battle. As the issue of CIR becomes increasingly contested, significant political and
legislative compromise will be required
for CIR to become a reality.
� The Law Offices
of Richard A. Gump,
Jr. concentrates on
immigration
law,
with a special emphasis on employment immigration.
Gump provides immigration solutions
for companies and
individuals, e.g. temporary and permanent visas, strategic planning from recruitment to retention, worksite enforcement
compliance (audits, training, etc.), and
mergers and acquisitions structuring for
foreign national transfers. �–dn
Every month
people across Texas read
Construction News...
Dallas/Ft. Worth
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San Antonio
Houston
It pays to
advertise!
HVAC & Plumbing
Demand for air conditioning
continues
George Aivazian, Owner
PartsCo
Houston, TX
W
hat is your perspective on the air
conditioning and heating industry today?
Well, the air conditioning and heating supply business is going to be around
a long time because people have to have
air conditioning in this part of the country. However, the economy has had some
impact on people’s savings. I have noticed customers needing repairs and replacements over the past year.
In addition, there have been changes
in refrigerant codes. As far as improvements in the industry, I think the equipment has become more energy efficient.
Is there a certain time of year when
you are busier than other months?
The hotter it gets, the busier we get.
June, July and August are our busiest
months of the year.
What are the challenges in your industry?
I think a challenge is adjusting to the
different environmental laws, which I
think are good. In addition, we have to
keep up with the new equipment that is
phasing out the older equipment. Of,
course there are price increases on materials too.
What are the cost increases you have
seen?
The price increases are on raw materials, which reflect eventually on the finished product coming to us. Of course,
everything gets passed on to the end
user. I have seen price increases for steel
and copper.
What is your opinion about copper
theft?
I think copper theft has been phased
out because the copper prices leveled toward the end of last year.
Now, for some reason, even though
new construction demand is down, the
copper prices are going back up. Usually
when there is a demand the prices go up.
Copper theft will probably come back,
especially with the economy the way it is
today.
Have you seen any new technologies
in your industry?
Air conditioning is generally an old
technology. It takes Freon to cool the air
and it takes electricity to pump the Freon. That part of it is really the same. I
have seen some changes in environmental and temperature controls.
What are the rewards of your industry?
I have always been service-oriented.
I used to be an air conditioning contractor and have really enjoyed being selfemployed. I always like helping people.
I get the most satisfaction out of that.
This has been a great business for me!
In your experience, what are the keys
to success?
In our business, having access to inventory is number one. It is also important to stay knowledgeable about what
you are doing. Be customer-service oriented.
How do you stay up-to-date in your industry?
I still hold my contractors license and
I need to do continuing education courses in order to keep it. When I attend the
continuing education courses every year,
I get updated on codes and changes in
the industry.
What is on the horizon?
I am hoping we will see things become more affordable for people. Right
now, the economy looks bleak. The only
reason we stay in business and have
stayed in business is because of the demand for air conditioning. I think that
will continue.
Established in 1990, PartsCo is an air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and appliance supply business. The company has
two locations in Houston. –ab
Fear no evil
Joel Stolarski, Owner
SATEX Plumbing Company Inc.
San Antonio, TX
H
ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms?
Right now it is starting to boil. Things are starting to
move a little. I’ve got careful hope.
What do you attribute that to?
People finally got over that fear of
this administration and I think people are
saying, “The heck with you politicians.
We are going to do this anyway.” Especially in Texas. I think people are just saying, “I don’t care what you guys are playing with in Washington, we are going to
keep building here.”
Since construction has declined in
other parts of the country, do you see
an increase in the number of outside
contractors coming into the area?
Yes, and I have made some new clients because of it. With the Internet everybody is accessible. We just get stuff
emailed to us from we don’t know who.
There is some fear in that. I don’t know
who I am working for. I have always been
relationship oriented. I have my customers and I like to know people. But this is a
whole new world for me to have to trust
somebody that I can’t go look in the face
when they don’t pay me.
What are the “hot button” issues in
your industry?
Talking with my peers, the hot button issue is that when the housing market slowed down, the residential plumbers came in to do commercial jobs and
messed up everything. Because, again,
like when I started, they didn’t know
what they were doing. All their bids were
real low and it threw off the whole system. They were just trying to survive.
I don’t think it was done out of any
kind of malice. It was just done out of lack
of knowledge.
What is the most significant challenge
your industry faces?
The challenge is changing the thinking of the next generation. This generation has heard about entitlement and
what I’m owed. We went through the 10
years of the employee having the upper
hand. We were at their mercy, because a
good guy could get two more bucks
across the road.
Even though you hate this recession,
it is exactly what we needed, even
though we were not making the money
that we did before, it was out of control.
It is teaching this generation that nothing
is owed to you and you’ve gotta go find
these kids that are willing to work and
want to work with their hands, and there
are not many out there anymore. They
want to press buttons.
There is such a joy and such fulfillment in doing something and stepping
back and looking at it, and saying, “Wow.”
I even miss that now because I am a pencil pusher and I swore I would never be.
That is why I went to trade school. I
passed one of those tests in high school
that said, “You will never work in an office.”
My guys get that fulfillment and I
envy them sometimes because I don’t
get to put that pipe in and stand back
and say, “Man, that looks good.”
If I catch hold of a kid that’s got it
(and I can usually tell in the first couple of
months), he’s got a future. That is my joy
now, being able to say, “I impacted this
kid’s life.”
Would you consider that to be one of
the rewards of the industry?
That is the reward of a spiritual man.
I could have become a pastor, or I could
have gone to seminary. But I felt like
God’s calling for me was, “Just do what I
give you to do. You don’t have to change
the world. Just be obedient and do what
I need you to do with one person at a
time.”
Joel Stolarski founded SATEX Plumbing
Company Inc. in 1983, focusing initially on
new home construction and repairs. The
focus later shifted to new commercial new
construction and repairs. –kf
NEXT MONTH
JULY 2010
Electrical Industry
2010
Schedule
Jan: Construction Forecast
Feb: Construction Safety
Mar: Construction Education
Support Your Industry’s Feature Issue
Call for Ad Space
Reservations
Apr:Women in Construction
May:Concrete Industry
Jun: HVAC & Plumbing
•
•
•
•
San Antonio
Austin
Dallas/Ft. Worth
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July:Electrical Industry
Aug:Service Providers
Sep: Green Building Trends
(210) 308-5800
Oct: Specialty Contractors
Nov:Engineers & Architects
Dec: Construction Equipment
Page 18 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––---------------–––––– Houston Construction News • Jun 2010
HVAC & Plumbing
Prosperous plumbing
Manny Nabarette, Owner
BMC Plumbing
Round Rock, TX
M
anny Nabarrette, BMC Plumbing,
says the plumbing industry has
seemed to be immune to the economic
downturn in his opinion. With hard work
and perseverance, he says the Austin area
is the perfect location to work in the
plumbing field.
How would you describe the state of
the construction industry in general?
In Austin, it seems like residential is
up when commercial is down and commercial is up when residential is down.
You have a lot of people saying they can’t
find work. I don’t understand why that is.
The construction here in the Austin area
seems to be booming for the most part
on the commercial side.
Have you heard of an increase lately?
When the housing market crashed a
few years ago, that’s when the commercial part of construction began to take
off. It seems like the commercial side has
not peaked yet. It’s growing from what I
see in the jobs we’re obtaining.
You haven’t seen a slowdown at all in
your business?
Not at all. Plumbing companies are
growing. I don’t see anyone collapsing or
going bankrupt.
Do you think more contractors will
come in from other areas?
I have seen many general contractors and contractors getting jobs here
and I don’t think that’s good for our business. I am not saying all out of state contractors are bad, but I have heard horrible
stories about it causing problems. One
thing it does is it brings the quality of
work down in some cases. What it does
for the financial end of it is it drives the
prices down. As far as plumbers and
those types of jobs, they tend to hire local. It is better for our economy to hire locally.
What do you think are some of the major issues right now in the industry?
The major issue is licensing. We have
unlicensed people doing work everywhere. I have heard about stings that
they are doing right now. They have done
some on electric contractors recently.
What do you see in the horizon for the
industry as far as upcoming technology or trends?
I see everybody going green and if
you can get on the green wagon and
start studying that, I think you’re going to
prosper. I believe if you don’t jump on it,
you’re going to be left out. I’ve seen different trends throughout the years, but
the green is here to stay. Here in the Austin area, it has really taken off. It’s our future.
Do the new water restricting fixtures
impact plumbing installation?
No. It doesn’t impact it. It’s better for
water conservation and it doesn’t affect
installation. It provides savings for the
consumer. I think it’s one of the best
things they have come up with.
What is the biggest challenge your industry faces right now?
Out of state contractors.
Is plumbing education available to
those who wish to enter the industry?
You can go to school, but mainly you
have to put in a lot of hours. You have to
start out as an apprentice, tradesman
and journeyman. It’s like anything else.
You can read books on it, but until you
start doing it, you’re not going to learn it.
What are the cost increases?
Mainly copper.
Has copper theft affected the pricing?
There is always an issue with copper.
If there’s an open job site, there’s always a
chance the copper will be missing. Normally you’ll budget the cost, but sometimes you’ll find it will be stolen.
Have you found a solution?
No. Just try to keep your job site secure.
What do you think are the biggest rewards in the industry?
Just meeting the people you get to
meet and the friendships you develop.
What do you think are the keys to being successful?
I think integrity is the most important thing and providing quality service.
BMC Plumbing is based in Round Rock and
has been in existence for five years. –km
Have you noticed any labor shortages?
No. There’s not a shortage right now
for anybody.
No splash indoor pool
HVAC designs
Donald B. Prather, Technical Services Specialist
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
(ACCA)
Arlington, VA
W
hen you unroll a plan and see an indoor pool and hot tub do you see HVAC related trouble ahead? Do you feel confident enough in your understanding of all
of the variables involved to know if the architect designed a structural envelope that
is appropriate for indoor pool applications? Are you afraid of getting a future call back
because of wet sagging ceiling panels, rusty steel beams, wet insulation, dripping
glass panels; or worse yet, mold and or algae growing on the walls? Unfortunately,
once there is a problem it can be in the HVAC equipment design, the usage, or in the
structural design.
In order to avoid an ugly endless
round of finger pointing, you need to
start the project with a professional HVAC
contractor who understands indoor pool
design. Better yet is to get that HVAC contractor involved during the design phase
if possible. To do the job thoroughly, a
HVAC contractor needs to evaluate designed indoor humidity consequences
for the all of the selected building materials especially the following items:
• building surfaces
• minimum R values
• vapor barrier locations
• door and window type
If it is not possible to involve the
HVAC contractor in the design process…
look out, there may be an unforeseen
problem due to the unique and specialized challenges in indoor pool design.
For example, if there are other living
spaces incorporated in the enclosed pool
area there should be warning lights and
sirens going off in your mind. Before bidding, or at least before starting construction, make sure an HVAC contractor has
studied the plan. Be sure to ask if your
HVAC contractor will follow the design
guidance detailed in the newly released
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) recognized ACCA Manual SPS
(HVAC Design for Swimming Pools and
Spas. Proper application of the design
guidance in Manual SPS by a professional
HVAC contractor will result in indoor pool
HVAC system that can be counted on to
perform properly.
Hank Rutkowski P.E., the author of
Manual SPS, is an internationally recognized authority in residential and com-
mercial design applications. As the principal author of numerous ANSI Design
Standards, he was uniquely qualified to
lead the team that developed Manual
SPS. All of the team members were experts on pool design. Original equipment manufacturers, mechanical contractors, and pool design consultants
were all represented on the team. Their
cumulative knowledge was focused into
the HVAC industry’s first indoor pool and
spa design standard. Now contractors
everywhere have access to the information needed to select the specialized
equipment needed to control the unique
dynamics of indoor pool applications.
Mechanical systems for indoor pool
applications must be designed to continuously control the dew point temperatures of space air as well as space temperature. From the 30,000-ft view, Manual SPS addresses the following specialized HVAC design considerations for
pools and spas:
• Dehumidification system must control
airflow dew point all of the time regardless of outdoor conditions, and provide
indoor air quality.
• HVAC Systems must be compatible with
moist air and pool chemicals.
• Ductwork needs to be properly sealed
and insulated.
• Due to higher operating and installation
costs: Higher efficiency options and the
expense of ongoing maintenance should
be considered in the design process.
• The envelope must be compatible with
the pools operating design parameters.
Those planning to build indoor pools
or spas should become familiar with the
new Manual SPS. Manual SPS is available
online at the ACCA bookstore.
Donald Prather has been with ACCA
since 2007. He is a graduate of Thomas Edison State College with a B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering Technology and has over 30
years of HVAC experience. Prather is currently a licensed HVAC contractor in Florida
and holds a 1st Class Stationary Engineer
Certification in Maryland. He was the principal author of the Technician’s Guide for
Quality Installations; a compendium to the
ANSI/ACCA HVAC Quality Installation Specification, and Manual B Balancing and Testing Air and Hydronic Systems. –dn
HVAC & Plumbing
Consumer driven plumbing
Ken Reinhardt
Braswell & Associates
Gail Lux
Inspector, City of Cedar Hill
A
mong the hot-button issues currently affecting plumbers are customerdriven demand for new, green technologies (commercial and residential), a new
statewide water-saving mandate, and a
move by some cities to tighten rules on
the location of water heaters in new construction.
Ken Reinhardt, representative for
Braswell & Associates in Farmers Branch,
TX, has been hearing “buzz” about new
hybrid water heaters, but hasn’t seen any
installed yet.
He wonders about the relatively high
cost, actual performance efficiency, and
operational impact on existing plumbing.
New tankless water heaters and electric-hybrids are aimed at providing “ondemand” hot water to reduce heating
Lee McFarland
Herndon McFarland
Plumbing
costs and water usage (by not needing to
let water run before hot water is delivered).
Some manufacturers claim energy
cost savings of around 25 percent, an industry stride in light of The U.S. Dept. of
Energy’s first Energy Star standard for
water heaters in 2008.
Some manufacturers offer training
on tankless technology applications, installation, proper sizing, and service; they
add that the technology may require
some changes in plumbers’ business approach.
Tankless and hybrid water heater
manufacturers say the technology will
appeal to customers who want to reduce
their “carbon footprint,” a leading concern of global warming advocates.
Lee McFarland of Herndon McFar-
land Plumbing of Addison, TX, points
out that tankless and hybrid water heaters are expensive and that many customers may not see payback of their investment anytime soon (or ever).
Still, he acknowledges that customer-driven interest in green energy technology is shifting the business climate for
plumbers beyond just payback considerations.
“There are advantages to tankless
water heaters in that you don’t have to
continuously heat water, he says, and this
may be enough to spur demand in a political climate that is promoting green energy awareness and compliance.
From a plumbing perspective, of
course, going green isn’t just about conserving energy. In fact, it may be even
more importantly about conserving water. In the 1990s, the federal government
mandated ultra-low-flush toilets (1.6 gallons per flush, or gpf), first for residential
toilets and later for commercial toilets.
Now, Texas has taken a more aggressive step to mandate a 1.28-gpf toilet
standard on and after Jan. 1, 2014 for new
construction.
“Over the next three or four years,
cities will be phasing in this requirement,
so builders may want to do it today and
get ahead of the curve,” says McFarland.
Paul Peterman, inspector for the
City of McKinney, has been impressed
with the low-flow toilets he has installed
in his older home. He thinks design has
improved significantly over the years.
A change occurring in several Texas
cities that is drawing sighs of relief, even
applause, from plumbers is the passage
of ordinances regarding placement of
water heaters in attics.
On Jan. 13, 2009, the City of Cedar
Hill approved an ordinance that banned
water heaters in attics in new construction.
“Fort Worth took water heaters out
of attics two years ago. The City of Grapevine took a different approach by restricting water heaters to “conditioned spaces,” so that they cannot be located in unfinished attics,” says Gail Lux, inspector
for the City of Cedar Hill.
“In attics, water heaters cost twice as
much to replace, cause three times as
much damage and frequently are not
right for the load-bearing capacity,” he
says.
Plus, water heaters in attics are “a
servicing nightmare,” adds McFarland.
Some homeowners find out too late
the special problems posed by water
heaters in the attic. The Internet is filled
with discussion boards of homeowners
sharing their stories of the additional
costs and inconvenience they faced
when water heater problems arose.
Inspectors for 10 North Texas cities
discussed hot-button plumbing issues
with contractors at a session hosted by
the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association of North Texas in May.
– mh
End of Focus
Marlin’s way
Owner Mark Marlin says his Galveston-based company Marlin’s Woodcrafting,
designs and builds decks, stairs and furniture. –ab
Michael Whalen loves to go sailing in his off time.
G
eneral manager Michael Whalen,
4D Signworx LLC, says he just
goes by “Whalen”. He has been
with the company for four years.
“The owner, Sandy Gates, has actually worked in the sign business since the
‘60s,” Whalen said. “He used to own
Gates Signs and now he operates 4D
Signworx.
“The most interesting part about the
sign business is there is always something different and we are never really
doing the same thing all the time. It is
satisfying to drive by and look at a completed project.”
Whalen says sometimes during the
year, the company will have a barbecue
event with employees.
“We try to do something special, especially during the holidays,” he said.
“This past year, with the economy the
way it was, we weren’t able to have the
barbecue. Maybe next year!”
The installers are Adrian Segura,
Rudy Rocho and Randy Carlton. Several employees enjoy saltwater fishing on
the side, he said.
“I like to go sailing on the weekends,”
Whalen said. “I have sailed in Belize, Cancun and all over the Gulf.
“To be good at sailing, you have to
have patience and some nerves. About
12 years ago, my boat started sinking 100
miles off the coast of Cuba and I had to
have the Coast Guard save me. There was
a bad storm.
“That didn’t keep me from sailing
again though. It just made it just a little
bit more fun!”
Recently completed commercial
projects include the Phil’s Texas Barbecue project on Washington Avenue and
The Center on Highway 59.
4D Signworx designs, fabricates and
installs monument and commercial custom
signs in Houston.–ab
It’s not us!
R
eaders of Construction News have
brought to our attention two issues that we want to address.
First, is the solicitation for reprints/
plaques of articles in our papers, which
range from $200-$400.
It appears that when Construction
News publishes an article in one of our
publications, someone later calls back
to sell reprints in expensive frames or
plaques.
It’s not us! We do not call back or
solicit anyone in our newspapers for
reprints. We provide digital reprints for
$42 (unframed), and we offer those
only in an ad in our papers – we do not
call anyone.
When a reader contacts us via
email about a reprint, we will return by
email an information sheet on how to
obtain additional papers, rack locations, and reprints offered by request
only.
Second, we do not charge for articles printed in Construction News.
Each editor in Austin, Dallas / Fort
Worth, Houston and San Antonio contacts companies to set up interviews
and write “good news” stories about
the business. While many of our readers believe that our stories are worth a
million bucks, we don’t charge one red
cent, nor do we ask for your subcontractor list.
There are independent companies throughout the country that solicits stories for a fee and sells reprints of
other publication articles. We are not
connected with or make any referrals
to these companies. –rd/dn
D
itch Witch of Houston hosted the Big Texas Roadshow at the Sam Houston
Race Park May 14.
Owners and brothers Mike and Darren Craig were on hand to talk with
Houston-area contractors and municipalities. Attendees enjoyed fajitas for lunch.
“Our factory representatives are going to every dealership in Texas in the months
of May and June,” Mike Craig said. “During the all-day event, we did a pipe bursting
demonstration and showcased a variety of Ditch Witch directional drills, trenchers,
vacuum excavators.
“It was also a great opportunity to see what type of jobs customers have and how
we can support them in the field.”
Ditch Witch of Houston is an underground construction equipment company serving
general contractors, plumbers, electricians and municipalities and more. –ab
Eric Bruce says JE Construction & Remodeling is a family-oriented company.
E
ric Bruce and James Rys are partners at Sugar Land-based JE Construction & Remodeling. They are
brother-in-laws as well.
“James and I had two independent
companies before Hurricane Ike,” Bruce
said. “After the storm, we combined the
companies to create one full functional
company.
“We had fathers who worked in the
construction industry. They created a
bug in woodworking for both of us.
“We actually grew up knowing each
other through high school. It kind of all
worked out since we were friends beforehand. We are married to the same sisters.
I married the older sister and he married
the younger sister.”
In the past few months, Bruce says
the company has been lucky in the down
economy because they have been constantly busy.
B
eing a PR person by nature, I’m always looking for ways to make
something out of nothing. However, I really get excited when I can make
something great out of something that is
already good.
The Construction News newspaper is
like that. If you chunk the paper after
your read it, you may be missing some
great opportunities.
Let’s take a quick look at how you
can turn Construction News into a positive
tool in your business toolbox.
First, the obvious uses include getting new sales leads and business contacts. That’s great and very important,
but there is something equally as important – relationship building.
How long has it been since you have
received a personal note from someone?
With all the email, texting and telephones, personal notes are becoming
extinct.
Set yourself a part from the crowd
and take advantage of a more personal
form of communication.
Clip an article out of the paper and
send it to the business owner and tell him
(or her) you are glad to see him in the
news. Compliment him on the success of
his business or project. I guarantee he will
be impressed that you took time out from
your busy schedule to remember him.
There are many reasons to reach out
to a business associate or competitor.
Some ideas include:
• A personal form of introduction
• Congrats on a job promotion
• Thank you note
• Haven’t seen you lately. Let’s get together.
• Glad to see your business is doing well.
• Nice shot or good catch regarding an
outdoor photo.
Pete Reed is one of the general carpenters and helps build custom doors.
“On the side, James and I enjoy drag
racing,” Bruce said. “I was a sniper in the
U.S. Marine Corps for a number of years,
so therefore I like hunting too.
“Primarily, our families are our hobbies these days. James and I have young
children and that consumes most of our
time. We have barbecue cookouts when
our family members have birthdays.”
Looking ahead, Bruce says the company is currently planning to add a CNC
machine to the shop.
“We will be able to do more custom
carvings and things like that,” he said.
“We should have the CNC machine in the
next month or two.”
JE Construction & Remodeling provides custom cabinets, remodeling and
trim work for commercial and residential
projects in Houston. –ab
• Great article. I didn’t know you did
(whatever). You are very talented.
• I saw one of your employees in the paper. Good catch on that one.
If you want to get a little more fancy,
laminate or frame the article for a special
occasion. We have many feature articles
in which readers request a reprint. A reprint is in color and designed to look like
a front page article. Very impressive.
Don’t forget to take advantage of
your internal employee communications
too. Consider clipping the article and
placing it where your employees can see
it. Employees like to see their employer in
the news.
Remember to clip the Great Outdoor
photos too. We normally get pretty cool
photos, and people do like seeing cool
photos.
On a final note, if the article is about
you or your company, I suggest the following:
• Send the article to your mom so she can
brag to her friends. Moms like to do that.
• Keep a copy of the article in your wallet
to pull out and impress your date.
• Show the paper to your kids and try to
impress them about your job. (It probably won’t work, but you can try.) –dn
Shop foreman Rogelio Huerta, Ditch Witch of Houston, sets up a demonstration.
Sales manager Jason Collins does a pipe bursting demonstration
Mike Craig, Darren Craig and Jason Collins, Ditch Witch of Houston
Debra Nicholas, Managing Editor
An equipment operator digs a hole with a heavy-duty trencher
Houston Construction News • Jun 2010 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------------––––––––––––––– Page 21
T
he Blue Book of Building and Construction held a free networking for
subcontractors, suppliers and general contractors May 6.
“More than 1,000 subcontractors
from the area attended the GC Showcase
from 3pm to 7pm at the Houston Hobby
Airport Marriott,” said Mike Luttinger,
area director.
“In addition, we had about 45 general contractors that set up booths. It
was a great turnout this year! I saw contractors winning jobs, which is always
good in this economy.”
The Blue Book of Building and Construction has brought together buyers and
sellers in the construction industry since
1913. –ab
A
t Construction News, we pride ourselves in not being caught up in
mainstream media hype. Our
niche is providing interesting articles
about construction related companies.
Once in awhile though, a story comes
along that must be covered.
In late April, CBS News published an
investigative report regarding personal
information being stored on photocopiers. According to information on CBS’
web site, digital photocopiers made after
2002 may store information from copied,
scanned or emailed documents in an internal hard drive. If the hard drive is not
removed or cleaned prior to being discarded, sold or leased, the copied infor-
mation is available to the next owner or
recipient of the photocopier.
Does that make the hair stand up on
the back of your neck? It did us once we
began discussing all the copies that have
been made at the various entities where
we do business, not to mention hospitals,
banks, car dealerships, etc., etc. etc. (The
etceteras really concern me.)
If you haven’t already seen the investigative report, you can view it at www.
cbsnews.com. Search for “Photocopier
Investigation.” Read or play the CBS video
“Digital Photocopiers Loaded With Secrets.”
Sometimes I wish we still used mimeograph machines or carbon paper. –dn
continued from Page 1 — Harnessing the power
Diversified General Contractors Inc.
DT Construction
The Blue Book of Building and Construction
Brandt says to stay in business for
more than 20 years, it takes hard work,
dedication, show up every day, have a
passion for the industry and reinvent
yourself as much as you can.
For fun, the folks at the company will
sometimes go on a chartered fishing trip,
he said.
“Many employees like to go hunting
and fishing in their spare time,” he said.
“My hobby on the side is racing cars. I like
to go fast!
“We also do volunteer work for the
Special Olympics Foundation during the
year. We participate in the golf tournaments and field days. In fact, we are getting ready for the National Special Olympics event where teams from all of the
areas come together.”
Brandt says his oldest son Travis, 21,
is showing interest in the company and
he is training him to be the next generation.
Brandt Electrical Services is a commercial and residential electrical contractor.
–ab
continued from Page 1 — Wedding bells
LCS Constructors Inc.
the Dallas office. Rusty Carse is the estimator and Connie Phillips is the project
coordinator.
“For our annual company event, we
have had a tent at the Associated General
Contractors (AGC) Barbecue Cookoff,
which is usually held in March,” she said.
“My dad plays golf in his free time
and my husband loves to go goose hunt-
ing at Eagle Lake and fishing at Matagorda Bay.”
The company recently completed
the Shell Woodcreek Complex project in
Houston, she said.
Hudson Building Systems specializes in
the supply and installation of raised access
flooring, operable walls and according partitions, overhead doors and more. –ab
continued from Page 1 — Making an impact
Centerline Construction Services Inc.
Rowland Constructors
Horizon Group International
PFG Construction LLC
According to Sims, he worked with
engineer Eric Russek, who is employed
at the Army Corps of Engineers.
Sims has been in the construction industry for more than 30 years. His most
recent commercial project was the Gulf
Side Overhead Doors Inc. building.
Galveston-based S & S Construction is
a residential and commercial general contractor and focuses on new construction,
remodeling, decks, garages and fences.
–ab
Key Subcontractor: A-1 Stucco
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
ABC
HAGA
Associated Builders & Contractors
Houston Area Glass Association
Jun. 8: Social Networking for Business,
1pm, ABC office, Members $25/NonMembers $35
Jun. 9: Captain’s Party, 6pm, Brady’s
Landing
Jun. 11: Fishing Tournament, 6am, Outriggers Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, 101
Bath Ave., Seabrook, TX
Jun. 15: Davis Bacon Act: Compliance for
Contractors, 8am, ABC office, Members
$25/Non-Members 35
For more information call 713-523-6222
ACCA
Jun. 23: Party on the Patio
IEC
Independent Electrical Contractors
Jun. 3-Jun. 24: Motor Controls Class –
Level 1, Contractor Members $368/NonMembers $420
Jun. 21: IEC Continuing Education Class,
6pm, Houston Facility
Jun. 24: IEC Continuing Education Class,
8am, Houston Facility
Air Conditioning Contractors of Amer.
MCA
Jun. 18: Bay Bash, Fools Point Marina,
815 Ave O, San Leon, TX
Mechanical Contractors Association
AGC
Associated General Contractors
Jun. 1-3: OSHA-OTI 2250 – Principles of
Ergonomics, 8am
Jun. 4: OSHA – OTI 7115 – Lockout/Tagout – Controlling Hazardous Energy,
8am
Jun. 9-12: AGC Building Contractors
Conference
Jun. 9: First Aid – CPR – AED, 2:30pm
Jun. 13-16: AGC/TBB 2010 Convention,
South Padre Island
Jun 17: AGC Houston 2010 Mid-Year
Safety Meeting, 7am, Junior League of
Houston
AIA
Jun. 9: Regular Membership Meeting,
11:45am, HESS Club
Jun. 16: Golf Invitational, 10am, Swanson Golf Center, 6224 Theall Rd.
NECA
Nat’lElectrical Contractors Association
Jun. 1: EMT, 10am
Jun. 3: Coastal Sabine Division Meeting,
11:30am
Jun. 4–6: Academy Electrical Contracting, Ponte Vedra, FL
Jun. 8: Houston JATC Meeting, 9am
Jun. 22: Houston Division Meeting,
11:30am
Jun. 22: AFF Division Meeting, 11:30am
Jun. 25–28: Southern Region Convention, Hot Springs, VA
American Institute of Architects
PHCC
Jun. 2: T-Shirt Party, 4pm, 4321 Directors
Row
Jun. 4: Friday Night Beach Bash, 7pm.
Galveston Island Hilton Resort
Jun. 5: Sandcastle Competition, East
Beach Galveston
Jun. 25: 3 Day ARE Seminar, 7am, Kirksey, 6909 Portwest Dr.
Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors
Jun. 9: Monthly Membership Meeting,
11:30am
Jun. 24: 2nd Annual Golf Tournament,
Woodlands Panther Trail Course
Jun. 24-26: PHCC of Texas Convention,
Waterway Marriott, The Woodlands, TX
ASA
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
American Subcontractors Association
Jun. 8: 2010-11 Officer Installation, 6pm,
HESS Club
Jun. 10: Annual Barbecue Event, 10am,
Northeast Harris County Community
Center
Jun. 2: Membership Committee Meeting, 11:30am, MEMCO, 1500 N. Post Oak
Jun. 3: S.A.C.K. Lunch, 11:30am
Jun. 5: Fiesta on the Beach, 11am, East
Beach, Galveston Island
Jun. 9: Board of Directors Meeting, 9am,
Marek Brothers Systems
Jun. 9: Government Advocacy Committee Meeting, 10:30am, Marek Brothers
Systems
Jun. 22: Safety Committee Meeting,
10am, T.A.S. Commercial Concrete Construction, 19310 Oil Center Blvd.
Jun. 25: Checking Performance Bond
Requirements Podcast
CSI
Construction Specifications Institute
Jun. 28: Houston Chapter Meeting,
Topic: 2009/2010 Annual Awards Banquet, 5:30pm Cocktails (cash bar), 6pm
Dinner/Awards, HESS Club, Members,
Non-Members,
Students
$35,
Reservations: [email protected]
FPA
Industry FOLKS
Roberto Benitez
Oxford Builders Inc.
R
oberto Benitez, general foreman at
Oxford Builders, was born in El Salvador. After he completed high school,
he got married and is a father to his
two sons Robert Jr. and Anthony.
“I got my start in the construction
industry through friends back in 1982
in New York in the residential side,”
Benitez said. “In the very beginning, I
was an apprentice and a German gentleman was my role model at the time.
“The German man took me under
his wings for about four or five years
and taught me a great deal about the
business. That was a valuable experience in my early career.”
Benitez joined Oxford Builders in
2004 and has been the general foreman ever since. “I find it interesting to work at Oxford Builders because each day is a
new challenge,” he said. “Each project
has a challenge and there is not one
that is the same to the last.”
According to Benitez, one of the
recent construction projects he handled was the Downtown Christ Church
built by Tellepsen Builders.
“The church’s visible structure is
made of Ipe, a Brazilian hardwood that
is challenging to work with,” he said.
“The challenge was to keep the wood
pieces straight going against the nature of the product.”
Benitez says he also enjoys working at Oxford Builders because it is a
family-oriented company.
“In my free time, I really enjoy
spending time with my family and
friends,” he said. “One of my favorite
hobbies nowadays is fishing. I like living by the Gulf Coast because I am
able to go fishing when the weather is
nice!”
Benitez was recently honored
with the 2010 Standard of Excellence
Award from the Associated General
Contractors of America Houston
Chapter. This award is presented annually
to an employee in the construction
industry whose character exemplifies
the highest standards of excellence
including commitment to quality, customer service, cooperation, teamwork
and professionalism. “Over the years, my goal was to
distinguish myself through leadership
abilities and work ethics,” Benitez
said. “I am honored to be one of the
leaders of our team!” –ab
Right up front
TSPE
TSPS
Texas Society of Professiona; Surveyors
Jun. 5: TSPS Quarterly Board Meeting
Branch manager Bryson Blowey works the counter at Ferguson Enterprises
Inc., a wholesaler of plumbing supplies. –ab
USGBC
U.S. Green Building Council
Jun. 5: AIA Sandcastle Competition, East
Beach, Galveston Island
Jun. 7: EGB Committee Meeting
Jun. 9: LID Design Challenge Retrospective, 4pm
Jul. 15-17: Board Budget Workshop,
6pm
Jun. 16: “The ABCs of Schools: Green
Building to Create Supportive K-12 Learning Environments”, noon
Jun 23: Green Trends & Topics, 6pm
Jun. 25: Green Building Basics and LEED,
8:30am
Foundation Performance Association
WCA
Jun. 9: Monthly Meeting, 5pm, HESS
Club, Speaker: John Luna, Monolite Systems
Women Contractors Association
Jun. 3: Membership Luncheon, Topic:
“How to Access Opportunities and Doing
Business with the Houston Airport System”, 11:30am, HESS Club
Jun. 10: Brown Bag Seminar, Topic: “How
To Be Certified - What Do You Do Next”,
8am, 611 Walker St.
T
roy Jamail and Matt Strickland, formerly with Parking Planners, entered into a new venture with structural engineering firm Haynes Whaley Associates.
The new firm’s name is HWA Parking and they are incorporated by the state of Texas. ”Despite the economy, we think now is the perfect
time for this partnership with Haynes Whaley,” said Strickland. “The new firm will provide analysis, planning, design
and operational assessments for new and renovated garages and parking lots.
“Under the new alliance, Haynes Whaley Associates
and HWA Parking will offer their clients both structural engineering services and parking planning services under a
single contract.”
Jamail and Strickland have a combined 25 years of
planning and design experience and have completed more
than 200 parking projects.
Haynes Whaley Associates president and CEO, Larry
Whaley, sees the alliance with HWA Parking as an efficient
way to design parking facilities
“I have worked with Troy and Matt for five years and
am completely confident in their skills and abilities, Whaley
said. “Our respective areas of expertise complement each
other well. And, very importantly, their ethics and business
philosophy are very compatible with ours.”
HWA Parking has an office in Houston and Austin. The
company provides services to facility owners, developers, architects, and contractors on parking facilities for corporate,
retail, hospitality, academic and residential projects. –ab
Troy Jamail
Matt Strickland
Job Sights
Raul Gutierrez, LMI Painting, paints the exterior of the Best Buy
located off Houston’s Loop 610 South in the Meyerland Plaza. –ab
L-R: John Luna and Jose Santos, Monolite Wall Systems LLC, finishes up the brick work at
the Michael’s Arts & Crafts project on Westheimer Road and Eldridge Road.
DHM Construction is the GC. –ab
George Miller, Western States Fire Protection Co., says the company is installing
the fire protection system for the First United Methodist Church addition project
on Eldridge Road in Houston. Brookstone is the GC. –ab
Noe Leos, Spectra Construction, installs new tile at the entrance
of Sunrise Natural Foods on Fallstone Road in Sugar Land. –ab
Revitalization in the city
The Lopez Salas Architects offices in San Antonio
The Eye Impact project in Houston
C
onstruction News contacted local
general contractors and architects
to find out their perspective on the
revitalization efforts in downtown Houston and San Antonio. Here is what they
had to say…
Optometrist Gary Nguyen is the
general contractor for his own full-service optometric clinic called Eye Impact
at 5601 Washington Ave. in Houston.
“For the past three years, I have
worked on my new private office,” he
said. “I am actually going to live above
the office. It will be a contemporary
mixed-use building and has a warehouse
feel. The project should be completed by
the first week of June.
“It is a new construction project so
we have new drywall and we just put
down porcelain tile floors. New Living, a
new green building store in the Rice Village, is installing eco-friendly cabinets
made from bamboo in both in the living
and office space.
“Pablo Ramirez, Poilf Painting, organized all the drywall efforts. The electrician is D & B Electric and the plumber is
Birds-eye view of the school building in San Antonio
AB Plumbing Inc.”
Nguyen says the biggest challenge
during the construction process was the
strict codes and permits.
“When we bought the land, there
was just one new shopping center and
everything else on the street was used
car lots, warehouses and empty lots,” he
said. “It was still a little bit of a seedy
area.”
Construction News asked Nguyen his
perpective on the revitalization in the
area. He says Washington Avenue is now
one of the hottest areas for new clubs,
wine bars, lounges and restaurants.
“If you come to Washington Avenue
on a Friday or Saturday night, the street is
packed,” he said. “There are a lot of new
town houses and patio homes in the
area. Many young, dual-income households are in the area.
“In the last year, I have seen at least
seven or eight shopping centers go up
on Washington Avenue. There are a lot of
new businesses opening up.
“I think the future for this part of
town is going to be great. If you look at
Midtown now, that is where Washington
Avenue is going to be in another year. It
is exciting to see the way it has changed.”
Lopez Salas Architects, Inc. and Sabinal Group are savoring the historical
charm and modern features of the companies’ new offices on West Travis Street
in San Antonio. They are also hoping the
renovation of the 1907 schoolhouse will
spark future revitalization of a section of
downtown that has been neglected.
The architectural firm and general
contractor are in the process of renovating the two-story structure. The two
companies have completed the second
floor, which they occupy, and hope to
lease the entire first floor and basement.
“I think in renovation work, especially when you take an old building and
breathe new life into it, the rewards are
so much greater,” said Robert Lopez,
principal with Lopez Salas Architects, and
partner in the development of the building. “We could have just bought a piece
of property out on 1604 somewhere and
designed a building with no unknowns,
except for maybe some site issues. Everything else is very simple. But the rewards are much greater in a building like
this, plus we both love downtown.
“Everybody knows the vibrant part
of San Antonio is the Riverwalk. As you
move out towards the outskirts of downtown and away from the Riverwalk, that
is where revitalization needs to take
place. We think we are doing that.”
Both companies hope the renovation of the schoolhouse will be the first
step in changing the neighborhood.
Mark Wohlfarth, Sabinal Group partner,
says both he and his partner, Danny Bennavidez, have an affinity for the area.
“We are downtown people and
we’ve always officed downtown and a lot
of our projects are downtown,” Wohlfarth
said. “Both of our parents worked downtown for years.
“We are only a block away from Frost
Bank and two blocks away from the
courthouse. We walk to a lot of meetings
around here, getting the vibrant pace of
downtown.”
Like most renovation projects the
challenge is dealing with the unknown.
“We didn’t realize how much structural work we had to do,” Lopez said. “To
make the project work we had to move
columns and take walls out that were
pretty substantial.”
“The original floors up here are longleaf pine, but over the years they laid
down masonite on top and VCT (vinyl
composition tile) on top of that,”
Wohlfarth said. “The ceilings had beadboard, which was cool, but then they
came in and added HVAC and lighting
and put in a dropped acoustic ceiling.
We came in and demoed both of the ceilings out.
“All the walls had inch and a quarter
plaster on them. There was actually a
crack from water damage, and it exposed
some of the brick and we said, ‘This is
cool,’ and we kicked it and a bunch of the
plaster fell off.”
Originally the plan was to expose
just that one wall, but after exposing the
brick they decided to continue with all
the walls, Wohlfarth said. “It took about
three weeks and seven guys, just knocking it off with hammers, to expose the
brick and them seal them.”
Construction included installing
floating ceilings and adding lighting to
conceal some of the HVAC. Partition
walls are low so you have a view of the
beams and trusses. They plan to replace
the windows in the future. –ab/kf
Size does matter
L-R: Tony Inman, president of Maeda USA meets with John Carpenter, crane
sales and Peter Chan, service manager at Inman Texas Co. Maeda USA is the
master distributor for the western hemisphere (Canada, North and South America, Caribbean) and Inman Texas Co. is the distributor for Texas, renting and
selling Maeda mini cranes to contractors in the Lone Star State. –ab

June - Construction News

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Special Thanks to the participating RESTAURANTS

Woodway Collection

city of houston_case study

Greater Houston Port Bureau, Capt. Bill Diehl

MAKING THE SHIFT

GranQuartz

DiverseWorks presents L`esprit de l`escalier June 29 – August 17

iiah salutes - Independent Insurance Agents of Houston