August - Construction News

Transcription

Covering the Industry’s News
P.O. Box 791290
San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290
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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper
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(210) 308-5800  P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio TX 78279  11931 Warfield San Antonio TX 78216  AUG 2011  Vol. 14  No. 8
Construction meets art
Company has grand time
Ray Castillo displays his customized gate.
The Reynolds Company employees prepare for the grand opening of the new branch location.
“I
’ve been welding since 1985,” said
Ray Castillo, Artistic Iron Works.
“I started welding when I was in
the U.S. Navy. When I got out, I opened
my own business, and I’ve been welding
ever since.”
Castillo does commercial and industrial welding. He said they do fabricating
for customized awnings, fences and
handrails.
“Just about anything to do with steel,
we make it,” he noted.
Earlier this year, one of Castillo’s clients called and asked if he would do a
special project. The special project was a
custom gate for a residential property
that will serve as the entrance to a back-
yard garden.
“It’s a gate that my client has always
wanted. He called around San Antonio
and couldn’t find anyone to build it. One
day he called me into his office and gave
me some pictures. He asked, ‘Can you
make it?’ I said I will try.”
Castillo began working on the gate
Feb. 3 and the work is almost complete.
The bi-fold door gate is 12-ft. by 10-ft.
and each door gate weighs approximately 700 lbs. The total weight will be nearly
2,000 lbs. when completed.
“Everything is solid steel. There is no
tubular here,” commented Castillo. “Everything was hand bent and shaped.”
M
assey Brand, branch manager
for the Austin and Selma locations of The Reynolds Company,
said their Jun. 16 grand opening of the
Selma location “was great.”
Brand noted 225 people ignored the
summer heat and joined Reynolds’ employees, owners and executive management team in celebrating the opening of
the new facility.
Brand said they enjoyed a variety of
festivities and entertainment such as the
2010 Grammy Award winning Tejano
band, Los Texmanaics.
While the band played, attendees
tested their skill at riding a mechanical
bull, balancing on adult tricycles, and
continued on Page 25
partaking in a hot pepper eating contest.
Brand said over 35 vendors had trade
booths displayed during the event.
Brand commented one unique thing
about the occasion was having the entire
event powered by a solar powered generator.
“One of our vendors has a remote
generator that is completely solar powered,” he said. “He provided us with all
the power for the event off of the solar
generator.”
Brand noted he has the commercial
sales responsibility for Austin and San
Antonio. However, the Selma location is
New City Hall for Live Oak
T
he City of Live Oak has a new city
hall. The GFP Group was the general
contractor for the renovation of the
city’s old fire station, which included an
additional 1,500-sf of new construction.
Mark Garcia, president, The GFP
Group, stated the fire station space was
renovated into office space and reception area for the Live Oak City Hall. Additionally, the fire station had two overhead
doors and two bays, which were renovated to new City Council meeting chambers.
Nathan Wallace was the project
manager and Rene Huerta served as the
superintendent. Jerry Mendenhall, J.
Mendenhall Architects served as the architect for the project.
The project consisted of removing
existing VCT flooring and replacing with
new VCT flooring, ceramic tile and carpet.
Several demising walls inside the office
area were changed to rearrange office
space. Additionally, the walls were completely resurfaced and repainted. New
ceiling tile and grids were installed as
well as new doors, hardware, windows
and millwork.
The 3,000 sf of new construction created additional office space, bathrooms
and a foyer. It consisted of a new structure, new foundation, stairs, flatwork and
site work.
The exterior of the original building
was stucco. GPP cleaned up and repaired
existing stucco and added new. Additionally, the building included a standing
seam roof, storefront, ramp and stairwells.
Garcia stated they preserved all of
the Live Oak trees and added new Bermuda grass.
Garcia noted the only challenge they
faced on the project was staying within
the $600,000 budget.
New council chambers for City of Live Oak
Page 2
San Antonio Construction News • Aug 2011
Company expands to SA
L-R: Gary Perez, Mario Martinez, Jason Booth, Jason Lewis and Oscar Alamillo
A
ction Gypsum Supply opened a
new location in San Antonio Apr. 1.
The business has its headquarters
in Houston and two other office locations
in Pearland and College Station.
Gary Perez is the branch manager
for the San Antonio area. While he grew
up in the Houston area, he has been in
San Antonio since 1996 and states San
Antonio is home. He joined the company
in April.
Perez stated, “Action Gypsum supplies wall board, drywall, metal studs, insulation and tools. However, this is going
to be the first center that Action Gypsum
Supply is going to have stucco materials
for its customers. We just opened our
plaster division and we are selling a full
line of EIFS materials. We are selling the
interior of the houses and the exterior
now. We are very excited about our stucco line.”
“We will be serving Austin and the
Valley from the San Antonio office,” added Perez. “It is a growth plan for the company to expand throughout Texas.”
Perez said that Action Gypsum Supply is a ten-year-old company co-owned
by Lenin Juarez and Terri King.
Joining Perez in the San Antonio office is Jason Lewis, assistant manager
and outside sales drywall representative,
Jason Booth, plaster sales representative, Oscar Alamillo, warehouse manager, and Chuck Calder, purchasing manager.
Perez states that opening the new
location requires, “very early mornings
and late nights, but it’s all going to pay
off in the end. So far we are exceeding
our expectations since opening.”
Action Gypsum Supply provides residential and commercial building materials.
–dn
Submitted to Construction News
Liberty for all
Page 3
Rolling on the river
Gideon Contracting LLC employees enjoyed a change of scenery from the jobsite,
as the team and their guests were treated to a Riverwalk dinner cruise Jun. 24.
The summer party included a three-hour cruise to the Museum Reach and dinner
catered by Boudro’s. Gideon President Jade Chang said the cruise was a “thank
you” and a celebration of “a job well” done on recent construction projects. –dn
Abby BeMent, Austin editor for Construction News, recently traveled to the East
Coast and shot this photo of the Statue of Liberty at sunset.
Hard work pays off
PRO-LINE
PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE
ASPHALT PAVING
ASPHALT OVERLAY
ASPHALT REPAIR
SEAL COATING
LINE STRIPING
TRAFFIC SIGNAGE
www.prolinepaving.com
YOUR FULL SERVICE COMPANY!
“Over 20 Years Experience”
Back row: Nikos Rodriguez, Brian Funk, William Thornell
Middle row: Bridger Wilkes, Adam Cain, Jorge Villanueva, Justin Gaston, Robert Contreras, Jr.,
Benjamin Morrow, Andrew Vanacek
Front row: Jeffery Frothingham, Garret Pooley, Matthew Stokes, Daniel Flores, Luziano Reyna,
Andrew Martinez, Joe Frausto, Gerald Carrillo, Noe Gomez, Jr., Juan Altamirano
Not pictured: Darrell Barr, Jr., Stewart Bun, Rafael Castro, Ronald Dayrit, Rudy Ibarra, Manuel
Lopez III, Ramiro Lopez, Jr., Richard Lozano, Saul Lozano, Michael Medina, Robert Rendon,
Shelley Torres, Martin Urrabus, Jr., Walter Witosky
T
he Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) held its apprenticeship
graduation ceremony Jun. 30 at the
Leon Valley Conference Center. Julie
Howard, IEC executive director noted this
year’s class is one of the largest graduating classes with 35 students.
Howard stated, “Since we are a registered apprenticeship program with the
Department of Labor, they [students]
have to be working full-time for an IEC
contractor to get their OJT hours and
their classroom hours.
“It’s a huge commitment. They are
working full-time, coming to school an
average of one night a week for four
hours. So, they have gone to school, work
and taken care of their family.”
To graduate from the apprenticeship
program, Howard noted a student must
complete 576 classroom hours and 8,000
on the job training hours. Once they
have completed the program, they submit to the Texas Department of License
and Regulation to take the state test to
be recognized as a journeyman electrician.
Howard added, “After the students
graduate from the IEC apprenticeship
program, the program does transfer to
St. Phillip’s College, Texas A&M-San Antonio and University of Phoenix towards
their respective degree programs.” –dn
210.530.0062
•
1-800-ASPHALT
FAX 530.0064
MIKE & MARK CRAWFORD
P.O. BOX 791324 SAN ANTONIO, TX 78279-1324
EMAIL: [email protected]
Page 4
SA students take nationals
L-R: Greg Charlesworth and Hunter Bakel
O
n Jun. 23, two students in the
Electrical Systems Technology
Magnet Apprenticeship Program
at MacArthur High School, North East
I.S.D., finished in the top four in the National Skills USA competition in Kansas
City, MO. Only the best career and technology students in the nation compete in
their area of expertise.
“Hunter Bakel, junior, and Greg
Charlesworth, senior, did an outstanding job representing the electrical program, MacArthur High School and Northeast I.S.D.,” said Raul Vasquez the students’ teacher and chaperone on the trip.
Bakel (17) earned a bronze medal in
the residential wiring competition and
Charlesworth (18) earned a fourth place
position in the industrial motor control
competition. This was Bakel’s second trip
to nationals in two years and Charlesworth’s first.
Prior to competing at nationals, the
students competed at the state level.
They both won first place in their respective competitions, and Hunter received
overall best electrical project.
Steve Albert, director of the electrical program, commented everyone practiced long and hard for the competition,
and he is very proud of their accomplishments at the national contest.
Albert noted students at Skills USA
compete against high school students
and others who are out of high school in
San Antonio
apprenticeship programs. Competitors
take a written test and compete in a
hands-on competition.
“We are going to miss Greg next
year; he is heading up to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University where he will
be majoring in electrical engineering,”
said Albert. “Hunter will be with us another year, and I know he will try his best
to get to nationals again and come home
with the gold.”
After graduation this coming year,
Hunter plans on working in the electrical
field as an electricians apprentice and
continuing his education with the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) adult
apprenticeship school.
According to Scott DeSha, IEC training director, MacArthur H.S. is using the
IEC curriculum. When students test out
they will have completed the first year of
the IEC’s four-year apprenticeship program. Students will enter into the second
year after having successfully completed
the certified testing for the first year of
IEC.
DeSha also noted that students who
complete the four-year apprenticeship
program may continue their education at
college.
“Once they finish the program at IEC,
they can get credits through St. Philips
College, and we just partnered with the
University of Phoenix.” –dn
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Page 5
Eat, drink and be merry
Safety starts at the bottom
A
ggie Park was the place
to be Jun. 30 for the
Burgers and Beer event
hosted by the Associated
Builders and Contractors
(ABC) and San Antonio Bar
Association Construction Law
Section. Master burger chefs
from Big City Access kept the
200 attendees in mouth-watering burgers while the Bobby Jordan & Ridgecreek band
entertained the crowd. –dn
L-R: Bill Bell and Brian Purcell, Alamo Iron Works;
Desi Valdez, Red Hawk Contracting; and Rick Fulks,
Speedway Building Systems
L-R: Wade Turner, Chris Saenz, Paul Onofre and Martin Roman
L-R: Jeannie Martin, ABC; Jennifer Hecht,
You Name It Specialties; and Vanessa
Valdez, The Gardner Law Firm
L-R: Tom Hewitt, Barnard-Donegan
Insurance; Mark Gross and Michael Owens,
Concept Builders
L-R: Chuck Shipman and Emma Cano, Haynes and Boone LP; Kyle Newman, Monarch Site
Services; Dale Hall, AAA Landscape; and Wade Turner, Texas No Slip
T
exas No Slip recently moved their
company headquarters to new facilities located at 410 West Nakoma
in San Antonio. They began operations in
2006 by company owners Laura Wood,
Mark Wood and Jim Yostrum. Yostrum
serves as the chief financial officer, Laura
is vice president, and Mark serves as the
president and operations chief.
Wade Turner, business development
director, noted, “We have three products
that slip proof commercial and residential
flooring. Outside of those three products,
we provide a maintenance component.
We do floor stripping, scrubbing, waxing,
buffing and burnishing.”
Turner, who recently joined the company, is excited how his industry experience aligns with the products and services of the company.
“My background is safety in the mili-
tary, risk management in the insurance
industry and subcontracting support for
general contractors in the construction
industry,” he said. “When I saw the products, I realized I would be utilizing all of
my experience and expertise.”
Turner said the products’ “safety
component is unparalleled.”
Yostrum noted the company provides service throughout Texas and beyond. He mentioned they have strategic
partners in other parts of the country and
are looking to expand and take the product line nationally.
Turner noted their commercial work
includes office parks, private businesses,
assisted living facilities, school districts,
colleges, and city and park facilities.
Texas No Slip offers slip resistant floor
finishes for all hard surface floors for commercial and residential use. –dn
Page 6
Harvey Penshorn
Alamo Concrete Pavers
Alamo Concrete Tile, Inc.
P
art of the attractiveness of downtown San Antonio is the unique
concrete pavers forming the
streets, sidewalks, and plazas. From 1989
to 1991, as part of the Tri-Party improvements, repaving the areas helped recapture historical San Antonio.
What you may not know is that Alamo Concrete Pavers manufactured the
pavers for that project right here near
downtown San Antonio.
Have you always been in the paver
business?
After graduating from the University
of Texas at Austin as a structural engineer, I worked for five years with a local
engineering firm and obtained registration as a professional engineer. After that
I switched to working with a firm providing specialized construction systems.
That change evolved into working
for a company called Prestressing Industries; I worked there for 12 years. I was fortunate to eventually become president of
the company.
At Prestressing Industries, we were
involved with many interesting projects,
the larger projects being the huge prestressed concrete containment structures that surround the reactors at nuclear power plants. At one point, we received a contract for two containment
structures in Russellville, AR.
Our competitor was a company
called Prescon, which already had several
similar contracts. Our project at Russellville was in the hometown of the president of Prescon. So Prescon ended up
buying Prestressing Industries to get our
contracts in his hometown.
I continued with Prescon as a division manager and eventually became
president of Prescon. At that time, we
moved the company headquarters from
Houston to San Antonio. We had a plant
each in California, Colorado, South Carolina, and two plants in Texas supplying
post-tensioning materials nationwide. I
continued with Prescon another four
years. In 1976, I left Prescon and eventually found a business of my own.
How did you come to own Alamo Concrete Pavers?
I always had the urge to own my own
business. My wife Peggy and I were looking for a business to purchase.
In 1979, we found this 35-year-old
business as it was going through bank-
ruptcy. We bought it from the bankruptcy court at an affordable price. We were
really looking to go into the concrete roof
tile business, but we were not able to
convert it at that time. We had to run with
what we had.
We changed the name to Alamo
Concrete Tile with Alamo Concrete Pavers, coming later, as our dba. We were fortunate to keep the employees from the
former business. Currently we have 12
key employees. I acknowledge their value and commitment to our company.
Each is here every day and they perform
their duties very professionally with little
or no supervision.
What products did you manufacture
when you first took over the company?
The place was pretty run down, but
we couldn’t afford anything much better.
However, within one year we had it
cleaned up and running well.
We initially started with patio and
stepping stones and scalloped curbing,
which we supplied to the big box stores,
Wal-Mart, and nurseries. However it became impractical to ship concrete to markets far away from San Antonio. Concrete
products really need to be manufactured
locally for shipping reasons. The percentage of total cost for freight becomes an
inhibitor.
We started looking for something
else to add to our product line, so we became a distributor of concrete paving
stones. That proved to be very encouraging, so we bought some equipment from
Germany and set up our own production
in 1983.
As our opportunities increased, we
gradually transformed ourselves into a
paver manufacturer. We still make a small
retaining wall block system, but our primary work is manufacturing pavers.
From 1983, when you started doing
the patio pavers, how long was it before you started adding other lines?
One of the reasons we really focused
on pavers was that we knew the large TriParty project was coming to the marketplace, which would include many downtown San Antonio streets and sidewalks.
We got that contract in 1987. It was the
largest paver job in the United States at
that time. It was over a million square
feet.
That project really put us on the map
in the paver business. We manufactured
all the pavers with the equipment we set
up in 1983.
We also supplied the pavers for
Hemisphere and the plaza around the Alamodome. In addition, we’ve supplied a
lot of highway projects, commercial,
school and residential jobs. We have
been fortunate to get some very nice
paver projects in the San Antonio area.
In 2000, we built a more modern
manufacturing facility with more capacity and automation. This facility is on a
25-acre site on Southeast Loop 410. We
phased out more of our concrete patio
products in 2001.
What do you see for the paver business in the future?
The biggest single future item we
see is the use of “Eco-Locking” concrete
pavers to construct permeable pavements. Permeable pavers allow rainwater
to permeate through the pavement sur-
Harvey and Peggy Penshorn
face into a prepared base below and
eventually filtrate into the sub-grade or
be drained away. Permeable pavements
capture pollutants and eliminate or
greatly reduce rainwater runoff.
The value of permeable pavements
has been verified by research and numerous successful projects. We should be using permeable pavements now in San
Antonio to reduce pollutants reaching
our San Antonio River. The city of Chicago, as part of a Green Alley Program, is
reconstructing 1,900 miles of alleys with
permeable pavements. Chicago has a
combined stormwater and sanitary sewer system. Heavy rains overload the combined system. Permeable pavements are
used to reduce the amount of this overload, reduce flooding, recharge ground
water, and improve the environment.
Will permeable pavement impact your
business?
We think our “Eco-Locking” concrete
pavers could be 50 percent of our business within a few years as the benefits of
permeable pavements are realized locally.
“Eco-Locking” concrete pavers provide a surface suitable for auto and pedestrians. The narrow joints between
pavers make the surface ADA compliant.
The EPA recently gave grant money
to ten different cities to further permeable pavements projects. The nearest
one is Austin.
Many eastern cities are now doing
large projects with permeable pavers. In
2009, 5.4 acres of permeable interlocking
concrete pavers were installed around
Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain.
Tell me about your family.
The most important thing in my personal life is my wife Peggy. We met a long
time ago, and we’ve been married 56
years. We are true partners in every respect—in business, home and family.
We have four kids and nine grandkids. All our children are happily married.
Each of them has children.
We have one daughter, Rita, who is a
teacher at Edison High School. Her husband, Dr. Tom King, is a professor at the
University of Texas Health Science Center.
They have two sons, Matt and David.
We have three boys. Our son Rick
works with us as well as running his own
consulting engineering business, Consulting Structural Engineering Services,
Inc.
He is a specialist in pre-cast concrete
parking structures. One of his current
projects is being built right now at the
Pearl Brewery site.
Rick and his wife Beatriz have two
children, Richard and Kathryn.
Our son Joe lives in Azle, TX. He is
now an entrepreneur. He previously ran a
large company but retired to get immediately involved in new ventures. Joe and
his wife Barbara have two children, John
Conner and Jackson.
Our son Robert lives in Houston with
his wife, Debbie. He is a partner with Deloitte Touche. They have three children,
Andrew, Ashley and Austin.
At different times, in their younger
days, each of our children worked at the
company with us. We have been very fortunate in having great children and
grandchildren.
What do you do when you are not
working?
We usually do something with the
kids. Between the four families, someone
is having a birthday or anniversary. We
spend a lot of time with our family because we really enjoy their company.
However, we do have a farm near LaVernia, which has been in my family over
100 years. We have a few cattle on the
farm.
Peggy mentioned that your family
came from Germany.
I’m a fifth generation Texan. Heinrick
and Maria Penshorn came to New
Braunfels from Germany in November
1845. They brought five kids with them
and later had five more children. They
raised 10 children and had 50 grandchildren. I guess you could say they jumpstarted the Penshorn family in Texas.
Some Penshorns moved to New Berlin, TX, in Guadalupe County. That’s
where my great-grandparents lived. I was
born in the New Berlin area. I went to a
little two-room community school, which
had ten grades. There were two or three
students per grade. I had to learn English
there because we only spoke German at
home. I went to school there five years.
That school was a great start and gave
me an edge in later grades. –dn
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Page 7
New facility opened
New SITECH Tejas facility in San Antonio
S
ITECH Tejas recently celebrated its
first anniversary in business. Now
the company has another reason to
celebrate. In May they moved into their
new 5,000-sf facility at 3206 South W.W.
White Rd.
The state-of-the-art facility has a
dedicated room for equipment calibration, testing and repair, as well as a dedicated room for training customers on
Trimble equipment, noted Steven
Huedepohl, marketing manager.
General Manager Glenn Swisher,
states the company has an additional location in Grand Prairie. Both locations offer the same services and in-house training for their customers.
Commenting on the new San Antonio facility Swisher states, “The dealership has done a wonderful job of providing us a facility with warehouse and office space. It’s a beautiful facility.”
Swisher noted they have two certified Trimble trainers on staff that provide
a combination of classroom and outside
field training on the equipment.
“Training is very important in my
view,” said Swisher. “I was a construction
contractor before, so I came from the
other side of the business. I think that al-
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lows us to bring a different perspective
and do a better job servicing the customers by having been the customer.”
Commenting on SITECH’s product
offering, Swisher stated, “It is technology-based equipment. We are trying to set
it up where we can get our customers in
here, educate them, and make them successful.”
SITECH Tejas has eight employees in
San Antonio and six in Grand Prairie. The
two locations cover 118 counties in south,
central, north and northeast Texas.
Working with Swisher is Sven Hallerman and David Henry, sales representatives; Shea Huckaby, certified Trimble
training instructor/modeling specialist,
and Tams Mullins, certified Trimble
training instructor/sales representative.
SITECH Tejas provides construction
technology systems for the heavy and highway industry. –dn
Page 8
San Antonio Hollywood-style
H
General Contractor of the Year
Project Over $10 Million
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
ispanic Contractors Association
(HCA) de San Antonio delivered
an Oscar-level performance during their 2nd Annual Excellence Through
Diversity Awards Gala. The evening event
attended by 400 guests was held at the
Scottish Rite Banquet Center June 20.
The keynote speaker for the evening
was Sonya Medina Williams, vice president of community and external affairs at
Silver Eagle Distributors. Kristina De Leon,
WOAI news reporter, served as the
awards emcee for the evening.
Tomas Larralde, executive director of
HCA noted, “The Gala is an example
where we recognize those companies
that have done well when it comes to diversity. We recognize general contractors
and owners, but more importantly we’re
recognizing the subcontractors that are
doing a good job.” –dn
Owner of the Year
Project Over $10 Million
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Project $5-$10 Million
SpawGlass Contractors Inc.
Partner Award
Dio Electrical
Impact Award
Davila Construction Inc.
Owner of the Year
Project $5-$10 Million (tie)
U.S. Air Force
Owner of the Year
Project $5-$10 Million (tie)
San Antonio Airport System (no photo)
ZachryVaughnLayton – ZVL
MVP Award
Harvey Zapata, Alterman Inc.
Rookie of the Year
ECO Plumbing Company LLC
Owner of the Year
University Health System
Project Less than $2 Million
Turner Construction Company
Estrella Award (tie)
City of San Antonio: Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
Estrella Award (tie)
The Home Depot
Owner of the Year
Project Less than $2 Million
Alamo Colleges
Ahead of the Curve
Garcia Construction Group of Texas
General Contractor Safety Award
Hensel Phelps Construction
Subcontractor Safety Award
Saber Award
Dio Electrical
Corporate Champion Award
Skanska USA Building Inc.
Esperanza Award
Small Business Development Center/
Contracting Resource Center
Page 9
Round ‘em up
L-R: Apprentice competitors Jonathan Bartlett, Primo Plumbing;
Christopher Sproles, Central Texas Plumbing Solutions; Geoffrey Kennedy, TDIndustries;
and Ramon Mendez, Lochridge-Priest
T
he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) held its
2011 PHCC Texas Roundup in Buda,
TX, Jun. 16 and 17. Over 125 participants
attended the event partaking in a variety
of activities such as an evening reception,
workshops, sponsor exhibits, awards ceremony and the 4th annual apprentice
contest. –dn
Annual awards
Contractor of the Year: Barry Bankler,
Gibson Plumbing, San Antonio
Associate of the Year:
Federated Insurance
PHCC Service Award:
John Lane, JP Company, El Paso
Chapter of the Year Most Net Members:
1st place: Amarillo PHCC
2nd place: Waco PHCC
Apprentice Contest Winners
1st place: Geoffrey Kennedy, TDIndustries, Houston
2nd place: Christopher Sproles, Central
Texas Plumbing Solutions, Waco
2011-2012 Board of Directors
President: W.B. Maples, Cove Plumbing,
Copperas Cove
President-Elect: Ray Jones, Raven Mechanical, Houston
Secretary: Larry Staas, Staas Plumbing,
Waco
Treasurer: Pat Freund, Primo Plumbing,
San Antonio
Immediate Past President: Barry Bankle,
Gibson Plumbing, San Antonio
Zone A Director: Dickie McCurdy, MMM
Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Amarillo
Zone B Director: Rick Shelton, Shelton
Plumbing Inc., Waco
Zone C Director: Milton Frank, Milton
Frank Plumbing Co., Spring
Zone D Director: Carter Ramzel, Benchmark Plumbing, San Antonio
Zone E Director: Juan Sandoval, A & J
Plumbing & Mechanical, El Paso
Amarillo Chapter: Jerry Billington, West
Texas Utilities
Austin Chapter: Stephen Cox, Cox
Plumbing Co.
El Paso Chapter: Alex Aguirre, Funk &
Company
Gulf Coast Chapter: Phillip Johnson,
Air-Care Southeast
North Texas Chapter: Lee McFarland,
Herndon/McFarland Plumbing
Red River Valley Chapter: Brian Walser,
Brian's Plumbing
San Antonio Chapter: Robi Jalnos,
Steve's Plumbing
Waco Chapter: James Urbanek, Lochridge-Priest
At Large: Craig Lewis, R.E.C. Industries,
Bryan
Associate Director: Marty Kamerbeek,
Moore Supply, Houston
Zone 4 National PHCC Director: Ken
Boen, Boen Plumbing, Inc., Waco
2011-2012 PHCC Board of Directors
Did
you
know?
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downloaded at
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Page 10
Fraud prevention re-visited
Lynne M. Grix, CPA CFE
Lynne M. Grix, CPA CFE P.C.
San Antonio, TX
Chuck Ashton, Vice President, Sales
Independent Insurance Group, Inc.
Dallas, TX
S
everal years ago, I wrote a column for this newspaper
entitled “Simple Steps to Help Prevent Employee
Fraud”. This column presents a great opportunity to revisit that topic and expand upon the area of fraud prevention.
A long standing believe is that all a
business needs to prevent employee
fraud is a strong system of internal controls. But in reality, internal controls are
only part of the answer to fraud deterrence. Owners and managers should
take a proactive stance in preventing
fraud. New employee training should include some basic antifraud training. After all, fraud hurts everyone. It can impact salary increases, benefits and general morale. Employees should be aware
of the controls that are in place because
the “perception-of-detection” can help
remove the temptation.
Do you require your key employees
to take at least a full week of vacation at a
time? This applies to field staff as well as
office personnel. Many frauds require
continuous monitoring and/or manual
intervention by the perpetrator. By establishing mandatory vacations together
with job rotation the concealment element is interrupted. It is important that
during the employee’s vacation, another
individual performs the normal workload
of that employee. Additionally, job assignment rotation can prove invaluable
in the case of illness or extended family
emergencies that would require an employee to be away from the workplace for
an extended period of time.
What about control of company
credit cards? Personal use of company
credit cards has become a favorite way
for employees to increase their take
home pay. The number of authorized
credit card users should be strictly limited. There is no need for more than one
individual at each job site to have the
ability to charge materials and supplies.
A policy should be in place that requires
receipts be turned into someone in your
accounting department on at least a
weekly basis. Receipts should be compared with each credit card statement
monthly and this reconciliation should
be performed by an employee who does
not have access to the credit card. It is
also a good idea to have second employee review and sign off on the reconciliation.
You have more exposure to
pollution claims than you think
How about analysis of charges on
fuel credit cards? Periodically calculate
the total gallons of fuel purchased by
each authorized user of the company’s
fuel card. Then convert the gallons to an
estimate of miles driven and compare the
mileage with the employee’s job site assignments. Any unusual fuel usage
should be investigated and explained by
the employee. If the same employees
continually have excessive fuel usage, it’s
time to ask questions.
How often does your accounting department perform a closed job cost analysis? Most construction companies monitor costs on jobs in progress against
budget on a weekly basis. Usually this is
part of the project management team’s
responsibility. Cost overruns are identified and corrected if at all possible. On a
periodic basis, depending upon the size
and complexity of your business, have
someone in accounting look at a closed/
completed job. Analyze the total labor
hours charged to the job versus the original estimated hours, adjust for any
change orders, then look at the variances
by classification. The information can
prove valuable for the next time you bid
a similar project and can uncover hours
paid that were not worked on the job or
even worse a “ghost” or non-existent employee. Double check all material and
supply charges against vendor invoices
and the original estimates. You could
possibly uncover misused of materials or
vendor kickbacks. Purchasing and project management personnel should be
made aware that there will be from time
to time an “audit” of job performance.
Remember the “perception-of-detection” can be a powerful deterrent.
Lynne Grix is the owner of Lynne M. Grix,
CPA CFE P.C. and has over 15 year’s public
accounting experience working extensively
with construction contractors. Lynne is also
a Certified Fraud Examiner and can be
reached at [email protected] or (210)
259-8243.
Specializing in Industrial Scrap Metal
& Container Service
S
ubcontractor X is working in an older building on the
remodel of a room. The sub cuts back a water pipe
so that new fixtures can be installed. The sub is working
on a Saturday and when he goes to cap the pipe he discovers he is out of metal caps so he threads on a plastic cap. Over the weekend the
plastic cap leaks and floods the room and a room next door.
The claim goes to the builders risk ruptures and spills its contents onto the
policy and they explain the scope of work
as defined in the contract did not apply
to the room next door. The builder’s risk
policy handles damages to the room
where the work was done but they deny
the losses in the other room. The owner
asks the GC who is going to pay. The sub
has a general liability policy and the sub’s
insurer agrees the sub was negligent and
starts handling the claim.
The clean up requires the floor tiles
be replaced and that is when they discover the tiles contain asbestosis. The
men in space suits are called, and the tiles
are removed. The sub’s insurance company says the total cost of clean-up was
$30,000 but $16,000 was for asbestosis.
That is considered a pollution claim. The
insurer pays $14,000 and denies the rest
of the claim because of the pollution exclusion on the policy. Now the GC and
sub have to find a way to pay the owner
out of pocket.
Do you store heavy metals, perhaps
not as raw material but in a product? For
example, after a fire it was discovered the
tenant stored molds made of lead. Lead
is a heavy metal and requires special handling. The men is space suits came, removed the lead, and the insurance carrier
denied that portion of the loss because it
was considered a pollution claim.
In another claim, a fire department
evacuates a building as the occupants
begin to get sick and some become seriously ill. They discover a contractor was
working on a project next door running a
diesel generator. Fumes from the generator entered through the building’s ventilation system. The contractor was sued
by the sick employees and the businesses
that lost time due to the evacuation. The
general liability carrier denied the defense and payment of the claim citing the
pollution exclusion.
A contractor has a 100 gallon tank of
water mixed with chlorine in the back of
his pickup which is used to treat swimming pools. The pickup loses control on
a major highway and flips over. The tank
ground. The tank is not properly marked
but the owner shows up to explain the
contents. The fire department refuses to
take any chances because there is no
hazmat book in the truck. Traffic is shut
down in both directions as the men in
space suits are called to clean up the spill.
Ironically, the chemical spilled dissipates
within 30 minutes and it is an hour before
they start to clean the spill but, in today’s
terrorism environment, no one can afford
to take chances. Pollution materials in
transit, except those that leak out of the
mechanical parts relating to the operation of the vehicle, are not covered as pollutants under the standard automobile
liability policy.
A roofing contractor is working on a
hot tar roof. Fumes generated from tar
kettles and treated roofing surfaces
cause irritation to employees within the
building. Since coal tar pitch is a potential
carcinogen, exposed individuals in the
building are worried about their health
and file a lawsuit. The roofing contractor
is liable for releasing potential carcinogens into the building via the HVAC system.
An electrical contractor disposed of
project material at a municipal landfill approximately ten years earlier. The contractor was notified by the EPA that he
was considered a de minimus potentially
responsible party (PRP) and his settlement portion was $180,000. Coverage
was denied under his general liability
coverage.
You may read each of these examples and say, “That does not apply to me.”
That is not my point. My point is this,
none of these contractors ever expected
claims like these would happen to them,
and yet they did! If it happens to you; are
you prepared?
Chuck Ashton is Vice President of Sales at
Independent Insurance Group, an agency
specializing in Commercial Insurance for
Contractors. Chuck can be contacted at
[email protected]
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Page 11
Some useful electronic tools
from OSHA
Recovering an unfortunate
cost of doing business:
Attorney’s fees
Joann Natarajan
Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA
Austin, TX
Bill Venegoni, Senior Associate
Law Offices of James Stanton, LP
Dallas, TX
I
t is an unfortunate reality that legal expenses are an
unwelcome, but necessary, cost of doing business. In
a much appreciated effort to help small and large businesses alike, the Texas Legislature passed two bills designed to help individuals and companies who need to pursue valid construction-related claims and those who may be caught up in defending frivolous lawsuits recover
their legal costs.
Both bills were passed in May and this omission gives courts wide discreeach becomes effective Sept. 1, 2011.
tion in determining the equitableness
and fairness of an award.
First, by changing one word to Section 53.156 of the Texas Property Code, The second bill passed by the Legisthe Legislature imposed a dramatic lature has been dubbed, “The Loser Pays
change relating to actions for enforce- Law.” While the legislation that was
ment of lien and bond claims. Section passed is not as strong in forcing the “los53.156 permits a party in a proceeding to er” to pay as what was originally introforeclose on a lien, enforce a bond claim, duced, it does begin the process of limitor to declare any lien or claim as invalid or ing frivolous lawsuits. Part of this legislaenforceable to recover an award of the tion requires the Texas Supreme Court to
party’s costs and reasonable attorney’s adopt new rules to dispose of frivolous
fees. As currently written, the section cases upon the motion of one party and
states that a court “may” make such an to award the prevailing party its reasonaward as is equitable and just. To the dis- able attorney’s fees. Although the curmay of many parties seeking to enforce rent Rules of Procedure already permit
their lien and bond claims, as well as parties to file similar motions to dispose
those who are seeking to have bogus of a case, the motion to dismiss contemclaims declared invalid, courts in the past plated by the new legislation permits a
would typically rule that each party to court to hear the motion and rule withthe case should bear their own legal out the presentation of evidence.
costs. Court’s have been resistant to
award attorneys fees in these cases be- By permitting a hearing without evicause they find that most cases do not dence, the new legislation allows a party
involve egregious and malicious actions to assert the motion early in the litigation
by the parties, and therefore, as legiti- saving attorney’s fees that would be conmate disputes, each party should pay sumed in the discovery process. Also, by
their own legal fees as a cost of doing requiring the “loser” to pay the attorney’s
business.
fees of the prevailing party, the Legislature is sending a clear signal that filing a
To remedy the court’s reluctance to frivolous lawsuit has real consequences.
award attorney’s fees, the Legislature
changed the word “may” to “shall.” Here, Even though these legislative changone small typographical step leads to a es will not keep parties from getting
giant leap in the recovery of attorney’s wrapped up in the unfortunate and too
fees. Now courts must award attorney’s common world of litigation, they should
fees. Keep in mind though the courts still help lessen the burden of attorney’s fees
have ample discretion when it comes to incurred in the prosecution of valid
awarding attorney’s fees. The statutory claims and in the defense of frivolous
language requiring the award to be equi- lawsuits. With these legislative changes,
table and just still remains part of the sec- the State of Texas continues to show,
tion. Language in the revision also ex- “Texas is Open for Business.”
pressly states that a court is not required
to assess attorney’s fees for lien claims Bill Venegoni is Senior Associate at the
arising out of residential construction.
Law Offices of James Stanton, LP. He practices in the areas of construction and lien
Curiously, the legislative revisions do law, collections, and general civil litigation.
not state that the award of attorney’s fees Mr. Venegoni represents owners, general
must be paid to the prevailing party. This contractors, and subcontractors. He may
omission creates the unexpected possi- be reached by telephone at (214) 559-3232
bility of a court awarding attorney’s fees or e-mail at [email protected].
to the non-prevailing party. Presumably,
Did
you
know?
Construction News
reaches
your target market
O
SHA has a number of useful electronic tools that
can walk employers through the requirements of
OSHA laws.
OSHA recently released an online recordkeeping decision making tool that can
assist when making the determination
on restorability of workplace injury cases
on the OSHA 300 log:
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/OHARecordkeeping.htm
OSHA has a silica etool that helps companies determine if they have silica in their
workplace, how to take an air sample for
silica, how to interpret the results, and
how to reduce worker exposure to silica:
http://www.osha.gov/dsg/etools/silica/
index.html
OSHA has an electronic tool that focuses
on controlling the top four hazards that
are the cause of most workplace fatalities. This tool is available in both English
and Spanish:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/index.html
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction_sp/index.html
OSHA’s steel erection etool covers the
main requirements such as site preparation and fall protection:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/steelerection/index.html
OSHA has developed an ergonomic etool
for electrical contracting that covers hazards associated with material handling,
installation and repair, and prefabrication:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electricalcontractors/index.html
OSHA’s etool for scaffolds covers both
supported and suspended scaffolds with
inspection checklists for specific types of
scaffolds:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/scaffolding/index.html
OSHA also has several downloadable expert advisors for asbestos and lead in
construction:
http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/ohasoft/
asbestos/index.html http://www.osha.
gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/leadx_wb.html
These Advisors provide an introduction
to the scope and logic of the regulations,
and summary guidance to facilitate compliance.
The electronic tools can be accessed on
the OSHA website at:
http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/ohasoft/
index.html
[email protected]
512-374-0271 x232
A year in review
T
omas Larralde is observing his first
year anniversary as director of the
Hispanic Contractors Association de
San Antonio (HCA). Larralde initially
joined the organization in Mar. 2010 as a
consultant and in Aug. 2010 accepted the
full-time executive director’s position.
Reflecting on the year’s opportunities and challenges, Larralde noted the
most challenging aspect was moving
into their new office space at the Alamo
University Center in Sep. 2010.
“It was exciting. We had more space
and nicer space, but it was also setting
the tone and putting things in place that
would be most accessible to our members. We needed to find the right balance
between being accessible and elevating
our presence in the community.”
Larralde stated the most successful
part of the first year was in organizing the
association’s gala.
“The gala was probably one of the
more successful events. It was the first
time, I believe, in this community where
people had actually been recognized for
their efforts to support diversity.”
Additionally, Larralde is pleased with
the meetings that are being offered by
the association. He stated, “HCA meetings provide more sophisticated information that will help our members take their
companies to the next level.
“What we are trying to do is help our
members become long-term focused.
When owners are running a daily operation, they are very focused on daily business. We are trying to do things that allow them to get some information they
may not readily have, and help them get
better prepared for the future.”
Tomas Larralde
Larralde noted future meetings will
include topics such as healthcare issues
and how the national and statewide debate will affect business, implementation
of the small business ordinance with the
City of San Antonio, micro-lending with
Accion Texas and partnership opportunities with the UTSA Minority Business Center.
“It’s more about relationship building and knowing what the market looks
like so they can prepare and organize
their business more effectively. We’ve
done some teaming and joint venture
discussions as well as discussions on how
the state’s and city’s policy impact business.”
Prior to joining HCA, Larralde served
as chief of staff for Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and State Senator Carlos Uresti.
–dn
Page 12
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HUB, SBE & MBE Certified
12685 Somerset Rd
L-R: San Antonio employees Kenn Moyer, Marie Oliver, Ellie Chapa, Clint Tate, Stacee Cox,
Barbara Gomez and Michael Holzer, Ace Bolt and Screw previous owners
A
ce Bolt and Screw, a family-owned
business started in 1927 by the E.
F. Heydenreich family, has been
purchased by Dallas-based Winzer Corporation. Winzer, a privately owned
company established in 1978, is headquartered in Dallas.
General Manager Clint Tate stated,
“Ace has been sold to a company that is
very much interested in investing in Ace
Bolt and Screw’s future and trying to take
it to the next level. We are operating in
the same locations with the same people.
We’re looking to grow and gain market
share.
“This is a new strategy for us to have
store fronts and local stores with local
people and local inventory. That is what
Ace Bolt and Screw is all about. Our goal
is to take nine Ace Bolt and Screw locations and turn it into many more on a regional level that we can distribute product out of our main Dallas facility.”
Commenting on what changes the
customer may encounter Tate said, “The
biggest advantage is customers will have
the same people serving them out of the
same locations with the same experience, but Ace will have more products to
offer than ever before.
“Ace Bolt and Screw over the years
has primarily been a fastener distributor.
Winzer is a full line industrial supply distributor.”
Tate, a five-year employee with Winzer, moved from the Dallas area to San
Antonio in May. His wife and four-monthold son joined him in June.
Tate serves as the general manager
over Ace’s nine locations and 65 employees. Fifteen employees are based in San
Antonio. Ellie Chapa, San Antonio
branch manager, has been with Ace for
30 years.
Tate noted that Winzer wants to become part of the community within each
of Ace Bolt and Screw’s locations.
“The local presence is very important.”
Winzer Corporation is a supplier for automotive and industrial maintenance repair supplies. –dn
Phoenix from the ashes
L-R: Leadership team Charlie Crews and Bill Bell, outside sales managers; Duffy Shea,
president; Stacy Reynolds, marketing director; Nick Lopez, inside sales/supply center
manager; and Wallace Schmuck, general manager steel service center
S
imilar to a phoenix rising renewed
from its ashes, so has Alamo Iron
Works risen past its bankruptcy
challenges with the company’s purchase
by Industrial Distribution Group (IDG)
last year.
F.M. “Duffy” Shea, president, Alamo Iron Works, noted, “Nobody can
downplay the challenge of coming out of
bankruptcy. However, if you want to
come out with somebody, IDG is an ideal
partner because of their national presence and financial performance.”
Shea, who has over 25 years experience, stated, “Our goal for 2011 was to
focus on gaining share back, which we
have been successful at, but we still have
a ways to go.
“We’ve had other positive change
from the way we service our steel customers to the way we service our supply
customers,” Shea added. “We are really
leveraging the one stop shop for steel
products and industrial mill supply products. That’s a traditional strength of Alamo, and we have reemphasized the tradi-
tional strength of the company.
“It’s IDG’s short- to mid-term view
that Alamo will be a significant brand of
IDG in Texas.”
As for the daily operations of the
business Shea acknowledged, “There
were a lot of opportunities for synergy
with our parent company.”
He noted some operations were
combined with IDG’s corporate functions. However sales, marketing, steel
management and service center functions stayed with the Alamo location.
Duffy is not a newcomer to Alamo
Iron Works. He worked as a key supplier
to the company for four and a half years.
“My history started with Alamo in
1982. I was transferred to San Antonio,
ironically, to get our product line going
through Alamo Iron Works.”
Duffy summarized, “We are a
136-year-old company and are stronger
than ever. Alamo is a brand and is here to
stay.”
Alamo Iron Works provides industrial
supplies and steel center services. –dn
August
fishing forecast
by Capt. Steve Schultz
Sponsored by:
Trans Sport Boats, Yamaha Outboards,
Ronnie’s Marine, Minn Kota Trolling Motors, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor,
Interstate Batteries, Pure Fishing,
Pflueger Reels, All-Star Rods,
Mirr-O-Lure, FINS Braided Line
and Columbia Sportswear.
P
redictable pretty much sums up
weather conditions for the next
month. I guess we really have nothing to complain about, since all we’ve
been whining about is how windy this
spring has been. Late June and early July
brought us some unexpected rain showers. I’ve never seen people so happy as
they passed over the coastal bend. It
would really make this writer happy if we
could get a little more of those showers
this month to lower salinity levels in the
bay complex and cool things down.
Fishing has been pretty consistent
for the last few months, except for a few
off days during full moon phases. Most
of every guide’s clients are going home
with fresh trout for dinner and a few fillets for the freezer. Our trout bit continues to be best at first light and during
gray light just before the sun gets high
enough to penetrate the water. If you
think the fish has quit biting, try moving
to a little deeper area as the sun rises.
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Page 13
Even the slightest depth change can
make a huge difference. Some of the areas producing good numbers of trout are
the spoils islands between Bird Island Basin and Baffin Bay and the Yarbrough
Pass spoils. There are also good numbers
of trout coming from the rocks in Baffin
and the rocky slough shoreline. One of
the hottest bays as this article goes to
press is Nueces Bay, also referred to as the
Back Bay. Quick limits on solid trout with
mixed reds coming off the reefs past second power lines. Low winds and clear
water conditions in August will make this
bay hard to pass up.
For those of you who have been
waiting for the redfish to show, the wait is
over. Many schools have gathered lately
along the shorelines of the King Ranch
from Pita Island to the south end of Emmords Hole. However, they are receiving
lots of pressure from tournament teams
pre-fishing for upcoming tournaments.
Best bet for catching these bruisers is to
get out early and locate these schools of
fish before they are run over later in the
day. Use ½ oz. weedless spoons or large
paddle tail plastics with a ¼ oz. jighead to
make long casts to these fleeing schools
of reds. If there are boats already on a
school of fish, try to figure out which way
they are being pushed and position your
boat so that the school will be headed towards you. You should refrain from blowing into a school of fish if someone is already on them.
Another option in the upcoming
months will be the surf. Typically, winds
are low enough in the mornings to sneak
out the jetties and soak croakers in the
guts along the beach. These healthy silver side trout hit hard and fight longer
than ones you catch in-shore. Limits can
come quick, as can a rough wave over
your boat if you’re not paying attention.
To schedule your next bay fishing
trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361949-7359 or 361-813-3716, or e-mail him
at
[email protected].
Good luck and Good Fishing.
Bill Morris of San Antonio caught this 29-1/2 inch trout on a piggy perch near the
JFK Causeway. Fish was released after photo by Capt. Steve Schultz.
STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC
BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT
SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER
FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS
(361) 949-7359
www.baffinbaycharters.com
[email protected]
U.S. Coast Guard &
Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
Page 14
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line
Sponsored by Tropical Marine and Honda Marine
My name is Ken Milam and, for the past 26 years, I have been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on
Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity of getting to know
a good many folks in the construction trade.
The good
old days
W
water skis. Now this was when everybody had seen the technicolor news reels
of the Everglades water ski shows. I guess
it may have been about the first time anybody every saw an “extreme” sport because it was really catching on with the
younger crowd.
That’s how it goes here tonight. My part
of Lake Buchanan is mostly dry these
days. It’s a good thing that the other half
of the lake still has plenty of water and
fish to keep us busy.
Now anybody that has ever water skied
knows that a good teacher makes all the
difference in learning the art. Just imagine trying to just go out and do it to impress the ladies all on your own. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. After a couple
of disastrous attempts, the young man
who was long on cash and short on patience ran the boat up on the bank and
stormed up to the car and yelled at his
friends and abruptly headed for less embarrassing pursuits.
ell if that don’t just beat all! I
just got through watching an attempted cattle round up in the
middle of the lake . . . the place that was
the lake until a few weeks ago. Cattle
from across the Colorado River have succeeded in gingerly stepping across the
sloppy remains of the river into uncharted territory. With no more lake or river to
keep them in their place, they have headed out for the Wild West!
I have heard folks tell tales about the
drought of the 1950s and make comparisons with our current situation. It just got
me to thinking nostalgic about the lake.
He left the boat there…at the shore…ski
rope strung out behind it…skis slowly
floating off in different directions. Now
imagine four young river rats, raised on
the water, witnessing the whole debacle.
These boys would do anything they
could imagine on the water. By sundown,
all of them had mastered getting up on
the water skis, with not a single casualty.
Cow grazing beside Colorado River
In the 1950s, the economy of Lake Buchanan was booming. It was the first
man-made lake in the Highland Lakes
chain. If you came from the oil fields of
West Texas or the cotton fields of North
Texas, Buchanan was the first lake you
could get to. Add soldiers from Ft. Hood
a little to the north in the mix and the fact
that Llano County was the first “wet”
county you hit when you got to Central
Texas, you had a whole lot of hot, thirsty
people looking to have a good time.
Before summer’s end, they were giving
water ski shows for the local resort
guests. And giving their Momma fits, especially the time she caught them going
over a homemade ski jump (angled plywood with motor oil on it) with their sixyear-old brother standing on their shoulders!
Entire families would load up and come
to stay for days or weeks. Soldiers and oil
field workers would come here to spend
their precious little time off. It was a very
busy place.
I remember my wife’s family story about
the first set of water skis her daddy and
his brothers ever laid eyes on.
It seems that a certain young man, who
was an acquaintance of the family,
brought his brand new boat and some
friends to the lake to try out his new set of
They all survived and grew into men. The
drought of the ‘50s passed, so I figure this
one will too.
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
SAVE THE DATE
For The Best Conservation
Banquet in San Antonio
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Leon Springs Dance Hall
24135 IH-10 West
Tickets - $150 each
Patron table for 10 - $1,500
Double A table for 10 - $1,800
SAN ANTONIO
QUAIL COALITION
Until then, let’s go “save” some of those
poor old fishes from our shrinking lakes
and pray for rain!
Water ski show, 1954
To reserve your table or
tickets, call Helen at
(210) 884-3712
(325) 379-2051
www.striperfever.com
Page 15
Cross this off the list
S
Off the hook
The Georges with his Gemsbok
hawn George, Elite Lighting Designs, has crossed an item off his bucket list.
In early May, he and his wife Shannel, headed to South Africa for a 10-day hunt.
“During the hunt, I managed to kill seven trophy animals,” said George. “And
I would go back in a heart beat. South African terrain is a lot like South Texas and the
Garden Route along the Cape coast is beautiful, lush and green!” –sj
L-R: The fishing team “Team Hoy-Up!” recently attended a 12th annual fishing
tournament called Spots-N-Dots in Rockport, TX. L-R: Robert Chapman, Chapman
Bros. Construction; Brad Maze, Advanced Door Control; Curtis Tiller, CTB
Construction – Austin; Greg Kanning, Dumas Hardware and Clint Tiller, City of San
Antonio. Photo taken by Brian Mathis, Beck Concrete. –ab
22 Annual
Funshoot
nd
Kudu
Saturday, August 13, 2011
National Shooting Complex
to benefit the
San Antonio Youth Center
For Information,
contact Cindy Niznik
(210) 497-8121
Impala
Wildebeest
Hosted by
Page 16
Man versus the unknown
Angling for a catch
T
J
John Hutson and his prized Jack Crevalle
ohn Hutson, project superintendent,
Pesado Construction Company,
thought building the Colonia Sewer
Wastewater Treatment Plant in Penitas,
TX, was his biggest challenge. However,
the often time fisherman and boat captain realized something else could try his
endurance and patience more than a
construction project.
During a fishing trip to Shoalwater
Bay Jun. 4, Hutson began an hour long
battle with a fish that pulled the boat
around the bay. Hutson had no idea what
was on his line, although he hoped it was
a magnificent Redfish.
Finally after battling 50 minutes, the
fish came to view; Hutson and his crew
still had no idea what kind of fish was on
the line. As he drew the fish nearer the
surface, Hutson realized it wasn’t a Redfish or even an Amberjack or Tuna. The
monster he was fighting was a Jack Crevalle.
While some may think the Jack Crevalle fish is not the delicacy of all fish, one
will never convince John Hutson it’s not a
fighter. The long battle to land this monster was a battle that Hutson will not
soon forget. –dn
Roll-Offs: Commercial, Residential, Industrial and C&D Waste Removal
CODY BYROM
[email protected]
Mobile 210.825.0938
Office 210.649.3937
Fax
210.649.1814
he 13th Annual Road Hands Fishing
Tournament took place in Port
Aransas on Jun. 5
Maeghen Strahm-Loper, sales representative, R.B. Everett & Co. who helps
organize the event stated, “It was a huge
success yet again. Everyone had a fun
Saturday filling their boats with fish, and
then headed to the weigh-in at the Port
Aransas Pavilion to mingle with others in
the road construction industry.
“Every fisher received a goody tote
bag with a fishing shirt, cap, lip balm, license holder, and koozies. The Road
Hands Tournament is held the first weekend in June every year and is open to
anyone in the Road Construction Industry. A special thank you to our 2011 sponsors who made the door prizes and cash
pots possible.” –dn
Pro Division
Trout
1st: Wes Pady, Colby Martinka, Nathan
Marinka, Scott Hickman
2nd: RDO Equipment Team: Rick Derling,
Doc Holliday, Brian Mahoney
Redfish
1st: Keith Weidner, Tommy Kotzer, David
Alphin
2nd: McKinney Drilling Team: Neal Howard, David Peck, Suzanne Jacobs, Charlie
Jacobs
Stringer
1st: Waukesha Pearce Team: Robert
Brown, Mark Talley, Brian Childress David
Rowsey
2nd: Double S Paving Team: Marty
Schneider, Lawrence Mikolajczyk, Emmit
Mikolajczyk
Amateur division
Trout
1st: Matthew Dunn, Kenneth Von Heurel,
Darrell Hangendorf, Bret Hernandez
2nd: Gunn Chevrolet Team: Bill Zbieszkowski, Mark Sellards, Rodney McLomas,
Tony McLomas
Redfish
1st: Martin Marietta Team: Tony Gallegos,
John Virrealle, Jim Cruz, Gary L.
2nd: Leland Witherspoon, Peter Franckowiak, Blair Lule, Treno Lopez
Stringer
1st: Keith Balcar, Howard Snoga, Chevy
Herrera, JR Wilson
2nd: Performance Equipment Team: Kelly
Durham, Dustin Durham, Coby Young,
Edward Apolinar
Double S Paving Team
Pierce Sitework
Tex-Con Oil Team
Page 17
Construction News ON LOCATION
Two friendly fellows
L-R: Rico Medina and Chris Urdiales, Barnett Pro Contractor Supplies, made
time for a little Q and A during a recent visit to their location on Nakoma –dn
Fasteners, art and more
T
S
Building the foundation
an Antonio was the
site of the 57th Annual Meeting of the
Texas Aggregates and
Concrete
Association
(TACA). Nearly 300 people
attended the statewide
event held at the Hyatt Hill
Country Resort Jun. 27-29.
Richard Szecsy, TACA
president stated, “That
300 person group represents about $5 billon
worth of industry in the
state of Texas. We represent the number two
product consumed in the
world. Water is the number one consumed product in the world.
TACA Production Employee of the Year
Willie Barber, Jr., master mechanic,
“Right now our conTexas Industries, Inc.,
struction economy is off,
Spangler Road Shop, Dallas, TX.
but everybody talks about
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Garza
things being bigger in
Texas. Even with Texas being half off, it is High Strength Concrete Competition
still more than the three or four surround- Winner with a 20,410 psi
ARGOS USA / Southern Star Concrete,
ing states combined,” add Szecsy.
During the conference, companies Houston
and individuals were recognized for their Public Appearance: (Plant appearance
performance and achievements during and protecting the environment)
Best Plant Ready Mix B Category
the last year. –dn
Argos USA Southeast Central Zone
Richardson Plant #1008
Production Employee of the Year
Best Plant Aggregate A Category
Willie Barber, Jr., Texas Industries, Inc.
Martin Marietta Materials Southwest Inc.
Driver of the Year
Andres Garcia, ARGOS USA/ Southern Beckmann Quarry
Best Plant Aggregate C Category
Star Concrete
Hanson Aggregates, Inc.
Bob R. Beard Good Neighbor
Eagle Lake Plant
Tom Green, CEMEX, Inc.
L-R: Tony Cortez, Randy Duerr and Raymond Duerr
he original company began as an
auto parts and fastener business in
1967. The fastener business grew
much faster than the auto parts side, so it
turned into Alamo Bolt and Screw, noted
Raymond Duerr, inside sales representative.
“We’ve been a private business since
1967 catering to the needs of commercial
and residential construction. Our emphasis is heavy industry construction and
manufacturing support,” said Duerr.
Duerr noted Alamo’s owner is W. L
Whitis. Whitis was originally from Lampasas, TX, and was born in 1919. Duerr,
states, “Whitis calls on clients and stays
very busy.”
Working with Whitis and Duerr are
Randy Duerr, store manager; Tony Cortez, inside sales; Sabrina Allen, bookkeeper; Virginia Duerr, assistant bookkeeper; Clyde Garrison, outside sales;
Mark Stiles, account sales representative; and Tony Schultz, warehouse and
delivery driver as well as the company’s
“PR ambassador.”
Duerr commented, “People always
ask us if we sell to the public? The answer
is yes. We are a retailer where contractors
and walk-ins are welcome.”
One unique feature at the business
location is a metal sculpture of the Statute of Liberty called ‘Our American Heroes’ created by Phil Ward.
“Ward walks into a pile of scrape and
can see what he can do with the pieces
available. He doesn’t sketch it or anything. It comes together in his head. He
takes it and puts it together,” commented Duerr.
Alamo Bolt and Screw located at 10101
Jones Maltsberger provides fasteners, industrial and personal tools, adhesives and
industry related products for commercial,
corporate and retail customers. –dn
HUB, MBE, SBE, DBE and
AISC Certified Fabricator
Celebrating
25 Years
in Business
210-532-6852
Fax 532-8181
[email protected]
www.wilbornsteel.com
“Our American Heroes”
Page 18
Convention time
South Texas style
T
he South Central Wall, Ceiling &
Plaster Association (SCWCPA) held
its 59th annual convention and
trade show in San Antonio June 22-24.
The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort was the location where members
had a chance to visit the trade show, enter the golf tournament, try their luck at
shooting clay and attend the design
awards competition. Educational sessions were also available as was a ladies
program.
Friday evening brought a close to the
annual event with dinner and the awards
banquet followed by a casino night.
The association will celebrate its
60th anniversary next year at the same
location. –bd
2011–2012 SCWCPA Officers
L-R: Eddie McCormick, exec. director; Rick Williams, immediate past president; Michael
Vickery, president; Brent Cannedy, vp; Charlie Meador, sec./treasurer
First place golf winners:
Pat Holland,
Scott Young,
Mark Koski,
Robbin Bostick
Winners of the shooting clay event
Trey & Melissa Harris, The Quikrete Companies
Design Awards Pinnacle Award Winner
Kevin Whitfield, Drury South,
San Antonio for The Drury Plaza Hotel
in the Commercial Exterior EIFS
and Interior Plaster
A trio of
happy
trade show
exhibitors.
2012 Nissan NV Commercial Van
Available exclusively at Gunn Nissan of San Antonio
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advertising space
7:15 AM
EXTRA HAND
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12:01 PM
HEADQUARTERS
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choice of either custom
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at no additional charge
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with 120V power
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POWER PLANT
powerful 5.6L V8 and
4.0L engine options
Call Mark Mercer @ Gunn Nissan to schedule
an appointment to experience the Nissan NV.
210-496-0806
Page 19
Mechanical Reps Inc. is pleased to announce the following new hires:
Mike Voyten joins
the San Antonio
branch engineering
sales team. He has
10 years of experience in the MEP
consulting
engineering field. He
holds an Associate
Degree in mechanical engineering and
design from Triangle Tech in Pittsburgh. Wes Weissgarber
joins the engineering sales team with
two years of experience as a mechanical design engineer. He graduated from
Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. The Texas district of Sundt Construction
Inc. announces the following:
Bill Steele, a nineyear employee of
Sundt, joins the Texas district to serve
as manager of preconstruction services. Steele earned a
bachelor in business of arts in political science from the University of Arizona
and has professional LEED AP and DBIA
accreditations.
Steve Byrne joins
as a project director
and will serve the
higher education
market for universities and community
colleges. Prior to
Sundt, Byrne was
the head of the System Office of Facilities Planning & Construction and senior lecturer for the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University System. Byrne received a bachelor of environmental design and a master of science in building
construction from Texas A&M University.
Dustin
Murphy
joins the Texas team
as project engineer
and has been with
the company since
2007. He is responsible for project
procurement, forecasting, contracts,
scheduling and estimating. Murphy obtained a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the University of Arizona.
Raba-Kistner Consultants Inc. is pleased
to announce the following:
Richard “Blake”
Wright, EIT, has
been promoted to
graduate engineer
in the engineering
services
group.
Wright holds a B.S.
in Civil Engineering
from The University
of Texas at San Antonio and a B.A. in Psychology from Texas
A&M University.
Michael E. Linscomb has joined
the firm as engineering
practice
area leader, facilities
services. With over
39 years of experience in the engineering and architectural field, Linscomb has managed the engineering of
projects, both internationally and
throughout the United States. He was also
instrumental in building a highly recognized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering business in Houston.
Marques Mitchell has joined KAI Texas
as Business Development Representative
for San Antonio.
Wade Turner has
joined Texas No
Slip LLC as the director of business
d e v e l o p m e n t .
Turner brings his
years of military experience in safety,
his expertise in risk
management and
his tenure in the San Antonio construction industry. Over the course of his career, he has served many local general
contractors in various subcontracting
arenas and also serves on the board of
directors of Rebuilding Together, where
he helps coordinate efforts to rebuild
and render safe homes for the elderly
in the San Antonio community.
Aaron David Crawford has joined
Comfort Design as
an energy consultant. He has 13 years
of HVAC experience
holding previous
positions as residential and light
commercial operations manager, sales
manager and energy consultant.
Trico Lift has recently appointed
Chris Carmolingo
to the newly created position of chief
operating officer.
Carmolingo is an
18-year veteran of
the company, Having served previously as executive vice
president, Carmolingo created and developed the company’s sales and marketing program.
In addition, John M.
Paz, the former
owner of Godwin
Pumps, has become
executive chairman
of Trico Lift’s board
of directors and will
provide operational
leadership
and
counsel to the company working with
President and CEO Ken Pustizzi, Carmolingo and the entire management team.
Submissions
Round-Up
Round-Up
This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or
recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month,
for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).
Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line:
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
San Antonio:
[email protected]
Austin:
[email protected]
Dallas/Ft. Worth: [email protected]
Houston: [email protected]
Page 20
Metal Studs
Drywall
WALLS
Acoustical
Insulation
A C R O S S
TEXAS
“DOING A STAND-UP JOB FOR 15 YEARS”
9018 Tesoro
Suite 101
San Antonio, Texas 78217
(210) 826-4123
Fax (210) 826-5801
Amazing anglers
T
he San Antonio Chapter of the American
Subcontractors Association (ASA) held their
10th annual fishing tournament in Port Aransas Jun.
24 –25.
Before the tournament
began, Friday evening the
association held a fajita
dinner for the fishing teams
and their fisher-friends. The
dinner was hosted by Alpha Insulation and WaterTeam Padgett, Stratemann & Co.: L-R Travis Land, Josh Staley
proofing.
(holding Peyton Staley), Pat Bendele, Elaine Garcia, ASA
On Saturday, 140 anexecutive director, and Wade Land
glers comprising 36 teams
set out to capture the best
award in either the pro or
amateur category. They
rounded out the day with a
weigh in, raffle, fish fry and
awards ceremony. –dn
Pro division
Heavy Stringer
1st: Padgett, Stratemann &
Co.
2nd: Capital Pumping / Urban Concrete
Team Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc.: L-R: Carl
3rd: Harrell Plumbing Koenning, Chris Wiatrek, Elaine Garcia, Greg Wiatrek and
Heavy Red
Scott Wiatrek
1st: Padgett, Stratemann &
Amateur
division
Co.
Heavy Stringer
2nd: Capital Pumping / Urban Concrete
1st: Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
3rd: BASF – The Chemical Company
2nd: CMC Rebar San Antonio
Heavy Trout
3rd: Tidewater Contracting
1st: SA Quality Fence & Welding
Heavy Red
2nd: Padgett, Stratemann & Co.
1st: Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
3rd: BASF – The Chemical Company
2nd: Martin Marietta Materials #1
Heavy Flounder
3rd: Performance Equipment Services
1st: M & M Metals
Heavy Trout
2nd: Traugott Inc.
1st: Alterman Inc.
3rd: Padgett, Stratemann & Co. 2nd: Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
3rd: Tidewater Contracting
Heavy Flounder
1st: Alterman Inc.
2nd: Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing
3rd: Team O’Brien: Bobby O’Brien, Chet
Couvillon, Troy Ellison – guests of Four B
Paving
What’s your
favorite restaurant?
Oh, there are so many good ones! The
best food ever is the Hula Hut in Austin,
on the lake.
Bethany Thompson, Gardner Law Firm
I have too many but I guess it would have
to be Morton’s.
Jill Foegelle, Ridout, Barrett & Co.
Los Barrios Mexican Restaurant. I like the
chile relleno. It is very good.
Ewin Casanova,
Quality Fence and Welding
Um, Jacala’s, because I know Kent will
take me there for lunch! LOL!
Elena Negrete, Anthony Machine
My favorite restaurant is Paesanos. My favorite item there is Shrimp Paesano, of
course. It’s heavenly and sinful all at the
same time.
Sherry Reynolds, Alamo Iron Works
Carino’s Italian Restaurant at Bandera
and 1604. I like their big bowl of pasta.
James Hammond, Express Metal Work
My favorite is the Olive Garden. I like everything they have.
Ray Cullum,
Hispanic Contractors Association
Page 21
Service Providers
Construction site protection
on a budget
Keith Jentoft, President
Videofied
White Bear Lake, MN
G
uard services defending construction sites from
vandalism and copper theft have almost disappeared because of tight margins and a down economy; they are simply too expensive.
Thankfully, new technology and wireless communications have created affordable
alternatives to address residential construction as well as large commercial projects.
The article provides a “buyer’s guide” for contractors who want to explore new solutions to the problem of site security.
Background
Alarm systems have evolved in the
past five years. Video cameras, wireless
networks, and monitoring services have
all evolved and create new options for
construction security. Most importantly,
things have gotten cheaper and the services have become more reliable. Construction sites present unique challenges. Systems must operate in a harsh outdoor environment with no power, no
phone lines, and no broadband. Ideally,
the systems should be portable and be
able to be changed as the job site evolves.
Most importantly, the systems need to
do what they promise – protect the site
from theft and being vandalized.
Video Intrusion Alarms
New alarm technology has been
making a difference and delivering results. Video intrusion alarms are something new. The concept is to detect intruders and immediately send the video
of the intrusion to a monitoring station
for instant review and, most importantly,
action. The concept goes beyond the
typical CCTV camera and a DVR recording the site for later review in the event of
a problem. The goal of a video intrusion
alarm is priority law enforcement response to a confirmed crime-in-progress.
Immediate police response means that
vandals are arrested and prevented from
damaging the job site. Traditional CCTV
simply provides a recording of the event
that is reviewed the following day in the
hope of identifying the perpetrators –
the damage is already done. The new
systems have proven themselves with
cops making over 40 arrests in four
months in one problem site in Chandler,
Arizona.
What to look for in a video intrusion
alarm?
Many security companies provide
these new systems from several manu-
facturers with various options, depending on requirements and budgets. Prices
range from over $10,000 for the highresolution systems to under $1,000 for
the MotionViewer systems. Key points to
consider when looking at video intrusion
alarms include:
1. What communications are available at
the site?
Wired broadband networks deliver
the least expensive communications
from the system to the monitoring station but the network cables must be installed and they can be damaged and/or
cut during construction. The alternative
is communications over the cell network
which provides the most flexibility and
instant installations.
2. Does the site have power?
There are video alarm systems that
require power to the panel/communicator and there are systems that will operate up to four years on batteries, they require no power. The advantage of the
cordless systems is that they can be installed anywhere, regardless of power
availability.
3. How large is the construction site being protected? Can you designate mantraps?
Analytics systems using cameras
with pixel based detection (called analytics) can provide protection in a large area
such as a parking lot or field. These will
each require wired network connections
and will be more costly. Less expensive
solutions using MotionViewers (passive
infrared, PIR, motion sensor integrated
with a camera) protect 40-foot areas or
“man traps” at entry points and traffic areas that intruders will follow. MotionViewers are wireless and need no power
or communications cabling.
4. Do you want a “live view” camera?
Once the intrusion is detected and
the monitoring personnel have reviewed
the video confirming the event as a
crime-in-progress, the owner/contractor/job supervisor can be alerted and remotely “log in” to a camera on site to coordinate response. This option will require a broadband connection and power to at least one Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera
located on the site.
5. Does the monitoring company have
experience in the construction market?
Many alarm companies specialize in
either residential or commercial installations. There are some companies that
specialize in construction security and,
although they may charge a little more,
their monitoring station operators have
experience monitoring construction
sites.
In conclusion, video intrusion alarms
have made construction security affordable. Police are responding to alarms
confirmed with video as crimes-in-progress and making arrests.
Keith Jentoft, President of Videofied, is
a member of the Electronic Security Association and chairs the Video Technology Interest group. Jentoft introduced the Videofied product line which won the International Security Conference West "Best of
Show" as well as the “Best Intrusion Detector” and “Best Wireless Alarm System” at
the 2009 Electronic Security Expo. –dn
Waste issues
and profitability
Kevin Jones, General Manager
River City Waste Inc.
to decompose, it produces the gas.
their operating cost.
San Antonio, TX
Are there similar issues with other
waste products?
There is not an issue with wood, metal, cardboard or plastic. San Antonio is
fairly well set up to recycle those commodities.
How is River City Waste doing in this
economy?
Our commercial division has doubled in size this year. We started the commercial front load division about two
years ago, and now we have four front
load trucks and almost a thousand cans
on the street. Also, we hired a sales manager and sales team, and that is working
wonderful.
We’ve been very fortunate and very
successful this year, and we plan to keep
pushing and working hard.
We run a commercial and residential
excavation division, too. We have a topsoil pit, and we do some demolition. We
haul inert material base, concrete spoils,
dirt spoils and rock. We also provide a
clean up service for projects.
What do you enjoy about the waste
management industry?
I learn something everyday about
the waste business. It is always evolving.
There are always new and fresh ideas for
recycling.
W
hat issues face the waste management industry today?
One of the greatest struggles right
now in the waste industry is finding recycling facilities to recycle sheetrock. That
is the hardest challenge for LEED projects.
What makes the disposal of sheetrock
so difficult?
Sheetrock comes from gypsum
which is very plentiful, and it is so cheap
to manufacturer. It actually costs more to
recycle sheetrock than it’s worth.
Why focus on recycling sheetrock?
The quantity and weight of sheetrock that is generated on a job can be
huge. It’s very important for a LEED project to have 75 or 95 percent recycling in
order to get those two or three LEED
points. Sheetrock waste can be recycled,
but because of the volume of sheetrock
in a job, it is difficult to find a recycling
facility that can handle the volume.
What recycling is available for nonLEED projects?
We provide recycling for any type of
project. Depending on space and logis-
tics, we determine what is the highest
commodity that can be captured and
pulled off the job site. When we separate
the waste, it saves the customer money
because we only charge to pick up a
dumpster, not for placement. The less we
pick up, the lower the cost. Customers
get money back depending on which
commodity is on the jobsite. It lowers the
general contractor’s operating costs.
Where is sheetrock recycled?
We had two places that recycled for
us. One was in San Antonio and the other
was in Austin. Both locations stopped recycling sheetrock for us due to volume.
It’s not unusual that I can inundate
someone with 150 to 250 yards of sheetrock per week. The facilities can’t grind or
mix it fast enough, so they call time out
and say they cannot take anymore.
Sheetrock can go into any kind of inert material. There is one drawback to
sheet rock. If a large load of sheetrock is
buried and gets wet, it literally can produce a poisonous gas. When sheetrock is
ground, it has no structure and that problem goes away. The landfills have to be
very careful, because if they fill a hole
with sheetrock, and it gets wet and starts
Are there new waste management
laws that are going to impact business?
The City of San Antonio is mandating
that apartments have a recycling program in place for their facilities. Additionally by the end of 2012, the city will require commercial businesses to have a
recycling program.
An important part of our business is
helping companies with their recycling
and waste-planning program. We analyze an office’s waste stream and identify
commodities for recycling. For example,
if a business throws away a lot of cardboard, we would provide a container for
cardboard and a smaller container for
trash. We would segregate the waste,
and give the business money back on the
commodity. Basically, we lower the annual trash cost, and the business just became a green company because waste is
getting recycled, as opposed to everything going to a landfill.
We save our customers money when
they begin recycling because it lowers
River City Waste Inc. is owned by Cody
and Cecily Byrom. The company provides a
variety of waste services for residential,
commercial, industrial and construction
customers. –dn
Page 22
Service Providers
Compliance and SUTA – The
silent killers in construction
Mark Mettille
M2 PEO Solutions
Flower Mound, TX
W
hat has changed over the last year? Our national
unemployment rate is still extremely high; there
are more federal and state regulations and labor laws
for employers; gas prices have skyrocketed; there are more OSHA inspectors looking
to hand out fines; most companies state unemployment tax (SUTA) rates have increased dramatically; and the majority of construction companies labor costs have
increased. Let’s face it; it’s not getting any easier to run your construction business.
The good news is Texas has created more jobs than any other state over the past year.
With all that being said, I like to focus on positive solutions to problems that bluecollar business owners face. I will address a couple key issues, and look at the professional employer organization (PEO) solution that may provide a better and more
streamlined way to run your business.
Compliance: How many contractors
are currently in 100% compliance with
the most recent labor laws and OSHA
regulations, have their employee handbooks updated yearly, and carry EPLI insurance to further insulate them from
employee lawsuits? The reality is less
than 10%.
The complicated world of federal
and state employment laws continues to
bog down business owners who would
rather be focusing on their core line of
business. The issues involved with properly interpreting and administering such
laws as Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA),
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA),
and Davis-Bacon Act are not only time
consuming and expensive, but can also
be extremely frustrating.
And what about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
also referred to as “Obamacare”? How is
your company prepared to deal with it
when the final mandates are decided?
There are nearly 200 federal labor laws
currently enforced by the Department of
Labor (DOL), which continue to be modified yearly. How can small to medium
sized contractors reasonably keep up
with it all? It would take a full time pro-
fessional HR department to manage this
mountain of paperwork. Wouldn’t it be
nice to lean on a team of professionals to
help navigate the ever-changing landscape of being an employer and the compliance that goes with having W-2 employees? That’s exactly what a PEO allows owners to do. Construction companies who partner with PEOs spend less
time pushing paper and more time making money.
SUTA: The majority of construction
company owners I’ve met with in the
past year have shared with me their ongoing frustrations of rising SUTA costs ,
which have ultimately increased the cost
to run their business. SUTA ironically is
the only tax that businesses actually have
any control over, yet sometimes it’s the
most neglected. The down turn in the
economy has forced thousands of layoffs over the past two years. Because
SUTA is calculated on a three year running average, the consequences of
downsizing your labor force one year will
negatively impact your SUTA rate for the
two following years.
Many small to mid-sized owners had
no idea how losing just one or two unemployment claims would negatively impact their bottom line and ultimately increase their SUTA rate. The SUTA maximum rate in Texas for 2011 is 8.25 percent
with the average new company starting
out at 2.7 percent. Many owners have
seen their SUTA rates nearly double since
the economy went into decline. This typically results from mismanagement of
unemployment claims or the lack of
proper and timely follow up on the initial
claim. This is understandable as most
owners are usually focused on the things
that make their company money, not HR
issues.
This is where a PEO adds value by
handling the unemployment claim, and
following up on required paperwork and
deadlines during the claim process.
Owners who go from a “stand alone” situation to using a PEO usually see a substantial drop in their SUTA rate, which
greatly helps lower the cost of running
their business.
Construction companies who partner with PEOs for help with payroll, workers’ compensation, human resources,
and safety/risk management increase
profitability by focusing on their core
business which grows the bottom line.
They reduce time pushing paper, streamline their cash flow, and share the risks
and liability that goes with having employees. Ultimately, they have peace of
mind knowing that a PEO is helping them
manage the ever changing, complex, and
expensive world of being an employer.
Mark Mettille is the owner of M2 PEO
Solutions. M2 assists construction and
blue-collar companies with solving employment problems in the areas of Payroll,
Human Resources, Workers’ Compensation, and Safety/Risk Management. –dn
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Gasoline – On Road Diesel – Off Road Diesel
On Site Fueling – Wet Hosing – Fleet Fueling Cards
Temporary, Permanent Tanks Loaned
30 Day Terms on Fuel
210-666-6002
210-587-7634
www.GPSofTexas.com
NEXT MONTH
September 2011
Support Your Industry’s Feature Issue
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Page 23
Service Providers
Surveyors provide
vital service
Gary A. Gibbons, RPLS, President
Gibbons Surveying & Mapping Inc.
San Antonio, TX
W
hat are the hot issues in your
field?
Recruiting young people into the
profession of surveying is an important issue to remain a current viable industry.
We have bumper stickers on our work
trucks that are a depiction of Mt. Rushmore. The caption reads, “Three of these
men were Land Surveyors.” As our nation
developed, the county surveyor was a
prominent citizen of the community. He
kept the records as land was transferred
from public to private ownership. As our
Texas cities grew and society was modernized, the county surveyor duties diminished until most Texas counties dissolved the county surveyor office entirely.
Surveying as a career opportunity in
the current era rocks, with intellectual
and financial rewards sitting in an untapped treasure trove, sadly locked away
from the general public as a huge secret.
I say the profession needs to develop the
foundation for an exciting education
path that will attract the geography,
mathematics and physics students who
also love computers.
New technologies are creating industries that are made for licensed surveyors. Many governments are utilizing
GIS to manage infrastructure, utilities,
census data, flood risk and transportation. This is an area that surveyors could
become expert at and aid their communities.
What major challenges face the industry?
One challenge is the public image of
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Houston
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(210) 308-5800
the surveyor. Currently, it is not equal to
the public service and responsibilities we
carry. This past legislative session bills
were introduced that could have dissolved the Board of Land Surveying or
combined it with architects, engineers or
others. The bill was defended as a cost
saving measure, but the problem is that
many people, including legislators, think
the surveyor is the man seen along the
side of the road looking through the telescope. While that position requires skill
and experience to perform, the licensed
surveyor is not only collecting the data,
he is researching at the courthouse, analyzing the information and determining
the boundaries.
Another challenge is advanced
equipment now allows contractors to use
their own workers for survey work on a
construction project. The unique knowledge and skills of the licensed surveyor
are diluted because of electronic total
stations, and GPS units available at a reasonable cost to contractors. I believe the
field of surveying is expanding but there
no longer exists the environment of all
surveying services being performed by
licensed surveyors. The registered professional land surveyor (RPLS) is used to
set certain controls and absorb the liabilities thereof. Non-traditional surveyors
then come off of these controls and produce all of the rest of the construction
survey tasks on their own with advanced
equipment. The RPLS then returns for
professionally signed as-builts.
Another major challenge is orbiting
satellites transmit information over cer-
tain bandwidths and are collected by
GPS units across the country. Hikers using
hand-held units, automobiles, construction equipment and precise surveying
equipment are all dependent on reliable
signals. Recently a company attempted a
business model to use frequencies alongside the traditional ones used by GPS.
The FCC ordered tests to determine
crossover interference. The test results
showed significant interference and
some GPS was completely shut down. If
the FCC does not get involved, this could
have tremendous negative impact on the
fragile GPS system.
What does it take to become a professional surveyor?
To become licensed as a professional
surveyor in Texas a four-year college degree is required. Then a two-year term as
an apprentice must be completed before
taking the final exam. Surveyors work for
multi-discipline firms such as engineering
or construction and are self-employed in
their own companies. Success comes
when the individual develops the technical skills to do his job well, the experience
to make sound judgments in managing
money and resources and personnel.
Good character, honesty and people skills
are needed to run a business.
Patricia and Gary Gibbons formed Gibbons Surveying & Mapping, Inc. in Feb.
1991. Gary is a licensed surveyor. They perform land-surveying services, which includes work for other professionals, such as
engineers and architects; collect data and
information for others; and provide surveying that requires drawing for lenders and
others to use in transactions. –dn
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Automatic
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210-545-6767
Providing the security you need, at a price you can afford!
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Page 24
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
ABC
Associated Builders & Contractors
Structural Steel Products
Pipe & Tubing
Metal Building Materials
Ornamental Iron & Accessories
Cast Iron Spears
Fittings
Decorative Castings & Designs
Toll Free
Welders
Cutting Supplies
Fax
Welding Supplies & Accessories
Power Tools
Abrasives
2042 W. Thompson @ Port San Antonio
Shop & Safety Supplies
San Antonio, TX 78226
Paint & Machinery
Trailer Products
“GATE OPERATORS FOR
Access Control Products
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL
Gate & Door Hardware
FARM and RANCH”
Gate Operators
210.431.0088
800.725.4776
210.431.0701
www.sss-steel.com
Aug. 1, 15: Orientation for members’
new hires, 8-11am, $45/person, ABC office. Make reservations with Bob Jett for
any first and third Monday of any month.
Aug. 4: 25th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot
and 11th Annual BBQ Cook-off, San Antonio Gun Club. Register with Carol Wiatrek: $150/cooking Teams; $85/shooter.
Aug. 16: CPR & First Aid Certification,
5:30pm, ABC office, $40 ABC/BX member, $60 non-member
Aug. 16, 17: OSHA 10-Hour, ABC office,
1-6:30pm, $200 members, $250 nonmembers
Aug. 23: Safety Excellence Awards,
11:30am, Pompeii Italian Grill, 16109 Nacogdoches Rd., $20 person
Aug. 31: Scaffold User Awareness Training, 8:30-11:30am, Engineering Safety
Consultants Inc., 12758 Cimarron Path,
Ste. 127, $25 member, $50 non-member
Aug. 31, Sep. 7 & 14: NCCER 15-hour
class: Going Green: Your Role in the
Green Environment, 1-6pm, ABC office,
$300 members, $500 non-members. This
is a primer course for future LEED certification classes.
For more info or to register for any of the
above call ABC at 210-349-1994
AGC
Associated General Contractors
Aug. 3-4: OSHA 10 hour and OSHA 30
hour, Education Center, 8am-2:30pm
Aug. 12: Education Committee meeting,
AGC office, 8:30am
Aug. 18: Safety & Health Committee
meeting, AGC office, 11:30am
Aug. 19: First Aid/CPR certification, AGC
office, 9:30am-3:30pm
Aug. 22: AGC/AIA Joint Membership luncheon, Bright Shawl, noon-1:30pm, Guest
speakers: Vergel L. Gay, Jr, Texas A&M;
Alex Araujo, Project Controls. Reservations required by Aug. 17, $35 members,
$45 non-members. Call 210-349-4921
Aug. 23: CLF Steering Council meeting,
AGC office, noon
Aug. 25-26: PMDP Module 4: Risk Management, Education Center, 7:30am4:30pm
Aug. 26: Board of Director’s meeting,
The Petroleum Club, 8am
Sep. 1: Mandatory Cook’s meeting,
Helotes Fairgrounds, 1pm
For more info: 210-349-4921
AIA
American Institute of Architects
Kubota’s 69/FRPSDFWWUDFNORDGHU – now available with a
pressurized comfort cab. Get a load of the excellent visibility, spacious
legroom, sliding front window and high-back suspension seat. Weather,
dust and debris? No Problem. You’ll have the power, dependability and
comfort of the compact track loader only Kubota could build. See for
yourself. Schedule a demo today.
29171 I-10 West
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800-268-0507
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Aug. 12: 2nd Annual Shoot Classic and
Mixer, San Antonio Gun Club, 928 Contour Dr., 3-7pm, BBQ, Beer and Bucket
raffles, call 210-226-4979 or email paula@
aiasa.org for more info and sponsorship
opportunities.
Aug. 22: Annual joint meeting with AIA/
AGC, noon-1pm, The Bright Shawl, 819
Augusta St. Topic: “Building Information
Modeling Case Study-Texas A & M, presented by Geoff Edwards, Kell Munoz;
Luis Berumen, Bartlett Cocke; and a rep
from A & M, $35 members, $45 nonmembers. RSVP to 210-349-4921
Aug. 18: FREE OSHA Record Keeping
Training in Spanish, 1-5pm, HCA office,
RSVP: Lily 210-444-1100 or email: info@
hcadesa.org
Aug. 19: CPR/First Aid Class, FREE/members, $15/non-members, Co-sponsored
by Turner Construction, 1-4:30pm, HCA
office, call Ray 210-444-1100 or email [email protected]
Aug. 23, 24: Customized Small Business
Safety Training Sessions, Free and open
to everyone, HCA office, 9am-noon, RSVP
to Lily; Service Disabled Veteran’s Business Symposium, sponsored by the GI
Forum and the City of San Antonio: Procurement
Technical
Assistance
Center(PTAC), GI Forum office, 611 N.
Flores, SA, 78205, 8am-4pm/day 1; 8amnoon/day 2, contact 207-4680
Aug. 30, 31, Sep. 7, 8, 13: FREE, UT Model Contractor Program, Space is limited,
Sponsored by Bartlett Cocke General
Contractors and Vaughn Construction,
4-7pm, HCA office, call Ray to RSVP
IEC
Independent Electrical Contractors
Aug. 4: IEC of Texas Regional meeting,
IEC San Antonio
Aug. 16: A&T Committee meeting, IEC
office, 11am
Aug. 17: Board of Director’s meeting, IEC
office, 11am
Aug. 20: Electrical Maintenance Technician class, IEC office, 8am-5pm
Aug. 22: Continuing Education class, IEC
office, 5-9pm
For more info: www.iecsanantonio.com
MCA–SMACNA
Mechanical Contractors Association
Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
Aug. 3: Regular and Associate Member
Firms meeting, Oak Hills Country Club,
11:30am
Aug. 17: Joint Industry Fund Forum and
Business meeting, Oak Hills Country Club,
11:30am
PHCC
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Aug. 11: Monthly membership meeting
with a PHCC lobbyist summary of bills affecting contractors, Earl Abels Restaurant, 11am-1pm
Aug. 24: 2nd Lien Law Seminar, 1:304:30pm
Sep. 1: Due date for Early Registration
Reduced Entry Fee for the Fishing Tournament in Rockport.
For more info: call 210-523-1540 or visit
www.phcc-sanantonio.org
SAMCA
San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
Aug. 18: 16th Annual Sporting Clay Tournament and BBQ Cook-Off, Cedar Ridge
Range, 3pm, Registration deadline: Aug.
15, $60 shooters; $15 non-shooters; $50
BBQ teams. Contact Debbie, 830-6065556 or get registration forms online:
www.samca.net
Aug. 31: Membership meeting, Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410,
noon, $25 person
ASA
TMC
American Subcontractors Association
Texas Masonry Council
Aug. 10-12: Convention and Golden
Trowel Awards Banquet, Fort Worth Hilton Hotel.
Visit www.texasmasonrycouncil.org for
registration or call Valerie Burkhart, 512799-3870
Aug. 25: Sporting Clay Shoot, National
Shooting Complex
HCA de San Antonio
Hispanic Contractors Association
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Help Desk Thursdays,
Help with certification and other business issues, FREE for members, 9amnoon, HCA office
Aug. 17: Membership meeting, HCA office, 6-8pm, Free/members, $10/nonmembers, RSVP at www.blacktie-sanantonio.com/rsvp Event Code: hcamtg8
Page 25
continued from Page 1 — New City Hall for Live Oak
Live Oak City Hall addition and renovation
He said, “In today’s market, we did it
as lean as we could. However, there are
always unforeseen conditions. We look
for the best value when choosing subs
and many times that’s not the lowest bid.
So we had little to no wiggle room to
complete the project within budget.”
Garcia noted All Service Air Conditioning & Heating, Ranger Glass, Alco
Electric and Copeland Contracting/
Plumbing provided subcontracting services for the project.
Regarding the owner and architect,
Garcia commented, “They were more
than fair and a great owner to work for.
They took their time to meet with us and
go over every detail. The city manager
would come to our meetings and walk
through the construction documents and
the architect would respond to our ques-
tions in a timely manner. They would give
us an audience and listen to some of our
suggestions. They were a good customer.
“The citizens seamed to be very excited. The city manager wanted to make
sure they knew they were getting a good
value for their dollar. That was the tone
they set from the beginning, and we followed that direction. We wanted to make
sure they did.”
The GFP Group started in 2006 by Mark
Garcia and the help of leadership from the
construction and bioscience industries
formed a general contracting firm that
would better serve the healthcare industry
in South Texas. They specialize in professional construction services with a portfolio
of private and public sector clients. The GFP
Group is located at 639 Lanark in San Antonio. –dn
continued from Page 1 — Construction meets art
The gate has a variety of
figures, including snakes, lily
buds, frogs, lizards, ants, caterpillars, wheat bars, vines,
leaves and butterflies. Steel
bird houses anchor each end
and a spider and spider web
is a center focal point.
With so many unique
items making up the gate,
Castillo thought he might
find some of the items already fabricated. However,
that was not to be the case.
“I couldn’t find anyone
that had any of this already
made, so everything was individually made. It was a long
process.”
Castillo credits his fatherin-law, Tony Espino, for designing the lily buds.
“He is about 80 years old.
I was trying to figure out a
way to make these lily buds faster and
easier. He came out with an idea, so I
used his idea to make these lily buds.”
Castillo also has two certified welders, Robert Lopez and Sergio Flores,
who work with him in his business.
City Hall reception area
Custom lily buds adorn the gate
Castillo says all he needs is a picture,
and he will take it from there for special
projects.
Artistic Iron Works provides commercial and industrial welding services. –dn
continued from Page 1 — Company has grand time
the “first true storefront in the San Antonio market.”
He said the company will “primarily
focus on commercial construction and
water and wastewater projects in the San
Antonio area. However, throughout the
company, we are very much involved in
the industrial piece with the natural gas
and oil that going on south of San Antonio.”
Headquartered in Fort Worth, The
Reynolds Company is a family owned
business, which is run by brothers, Walt
and Donald Reynolds Jr.
“We are a very large company,” noted Brand. “We’re upwards of $400 million
in top line sales, but we are still run like a
family owned business. That’s why I love
working here because we appreciate our
co-workers, our ownership and our customers. It is kind of that old school philosophy, but in a big world.
“We truly value our customer base,
and we are very excited and looking forward to servicing the San Antonio construction market. We are very pleased to
be here.”
The Reynolds Company is an electrical
wholesale distributor of electrical supplies
and services with locations throughout Texas and southern Louisiana. –dn
Excellent night vision
Quality Products • Superior Service
Specializing in residential and commercial products such as drywall, steel studs,
insulation, acoustical and all other related building materials. Our materials are
delivered by boom truck, drop shipped, or picked up at our warehouse location.
8402 Vidor Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: 210-348-8300 Fax: 210-348-8399
Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) held their Night
Golf Finale Jul. 8 at Oak Valley Golf Club. Winners of the ladies division were
L-R: 1st place: Farhen Graham and 2nd place: Heidi Trimble. –dn
9635 West Little York
Houston, TX 77040
Phone: 713-896-4002
Fax: 713-896-4003
4818 South Main
420 Industrial Blvd.
Pearland, TX 77581
Bryan, TX 77803
Ph: 979-775-0890 Phone: 281-992-0002
Fax: 281-993-2002
Fax:979-775-0871
www.actiongypsum.com
Page 26
T
Statewide meeting
held in Kerrville
he Earthmoving Contractors Association of Texas (ECAT) held their
2011 annual meeting in Kerrville at
the Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel and Conference Center June 24 and 25. The statewide affair drew 70 members to the event.
John Mueller, state conservation engineer, USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Richard Dee Purkeypile, Purkeypile Consulting Engineer
Services, discussed conservation programs and new regulations governing
dam-type structures used for impounding water supplies. Bob Turner, rural issues consultant, provided a legislative
and special session briefing affecting the
earthmoving construction business.
Members enjoyed a skeet shooting
contest at the Hill Country Shooting
Sports Center. J.D. Godby, Godby Construction, Clifton, took grand champion
while Michael Sweeney, The Sweeney
Co., Ft Worth, received reserve champion.
New officers and directors were elected for the 2011-2012 year. Officers are President Dennis Foerster, Foerster Custom
Service, Giddings; Vice President Chad
Ottmers, Chad and Ronnie Ottmers Construction, Fredericksburg; and Secretary
John Frerich, Frerich Materials, Rowena.
Directors by District are: Walter Rothwell, Childress (1); Edmund Jenschke, Kerrville (2); Eddie Leatherwood, Dublin (3);
Bobby Watts, Decatur (4); Ed Smith, Fairfield (5); J.D. Godby, Clifton (6); Galen Weber, Uvalde (7); Tommy Watson, Cuero (8);
Lawrence Krause, New Braunfels (9); Edwin Eckhardt, Fredericksburg (10); Richard Irving, New Braunfels (11); and Clint
Krause, New Braunfels (12). Associate Director is Dave Sund, San Antonio. –dn
ECAT skeet shooting participants
L-R: Galen Weber, Weber Construction,
receives associate membership outstanding
recruiter award from Marty Caston.
L-R: Tommy Watson, Watson Dozer
Service, receives outstanding membership
recruitment award from Marty Caston.
L-R: Dennis Foerster,
Foerster Custom Service,
presents Marty Caston,
The Caston Company with
a plaque for his service as
ECAT president.
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L-R: ECAT incoming First
Lady, Joyce Foerster,
presents out going First
Lady Cyndy Caston with
gifts for her years of
service to ECAT wives
as they take care of
meeting details.
Associate member,
Steve Caldwell,
Bituminous Insurance
Co., San Antonio, won
a fitting door prize.
Caldwell consistently
reminds contractors
to use assisted
devises to prevent
back injury.
Job Sights
Page 27
T
Good to be green
he City of San Antonio held it’s 3rd Annual Green Building Awards event Jun. 1 at
the International Center. The event recognizes projects that incorporate emerging technologies in the field of green building. The awards featured categories
for new construction and retrofit projects, in both residential and commercial construction. –dn
Residential project winners included:
Residential
Construction – New:
SA Youth
for 223 Jemison
Zachry Construction
Corporation;
speegle & KIM-davis:
Architecture;
Beicker Martinez
Engineering;
KFW Engineering
and Surveying;
C2 Landscape Group
Renn Truss, owner, Great Northwest Concrete, oversees the pouring of foundations for new
houses being constructed on West Bitters Road by Brohn Homes. –dn
Residential
Construction –
Retrofit
Merced Housing
for 415 Nevada
T&J Builders;
San Antonio
Housing Trust
Construction News ON LOCATION
Timing is everything
Malitz Construction Inc. is building a branch location for Randolph Brooks Federal
Credit Union on IH-35 at Galahad. Dudley Buttler, superintendent, stated the following
subcontractors were working on the site: Ben Reyna Contracting Inc., Carl Electric Co.,
Arahed Lathing Corp., Lundberg Masonry, Samuel Dean Sheet Metal Inc.,
Budget Signs and The Grass is Greener Landscape Inc. –dn
Rick Gearin, service technician at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in San Antonio,
puts the finishing touches on his truck before heading out to more service calls. –dn
San Antonio’s downtown skyline is changing due to new construction of the Public Safety
Headquarters by Hensel Phelps Construction Company.
Torre Crane is providing the heavy lifting for the project. –dn
Keller-Martin Construction is building a new gymnasium and cafeteria for St. Pius X
Catholic Parish on Harry Wurzbach Rd. Doug Neubauer, superintendent, stated some of
the subcontractors working on the project included Rudd & Adams Masonry, GD Interior
Construction, Mission Plumbing, Moore Erection, and Bloch Electrical Service. –dn
Page 28
A company by design
Industry FOLKS
Judy DeWeese
Mauze Construction Corp.
J
A
Comfort Design employees and Damiani family
t the age of 18, Tom Damiani set a
goal to own his own company by
the age of 36. Fast forward a couple of decades and guess what Damiani is
doing today? He is the owner of Comfort
Design.
Damiani recalled purchasing the
business from previous owners, Wayne
and Kathy Kite, in Jan. 2004.
“When I purchased the company,
there were five people. Now we have ten
employees, and we have tripled the size
of the business,” he said.
First located on Austin Highway, the
company moved in Jan. 2011 to new facilities located at 626 Isom Road.
Damiani has long enjoyed the air
conditioning business. As a college student at Southwest Texas State University,
he worked for an air conditioning company during the summers installing units
in the field. He fell in love with the work.
“It is one of the last trades still out
there where you actually do something
with your hands and create something.
You provide something for somebody,”
he said.
In addition to designing and installing systems for customers, Damiani enjoys bringing his employees together to
plan for the following year and partake in
some teambuilding.
“Every year we go to Marble Falls and
put our business plan together for the
next year. We go out on the boat and we
play together, but we set our goals. We
ask what did we did right this year and
what could be different? They are part of
the plan. It’s not just me telling them
what to do. It’s their plan because we put
it together as a team.
“The thing I love the most is being
able to create this business. At the end of
the day, we work for business owners and
homeowners. When we leave their house
or business, I want them to say, ‘Wow,
that’s a different company.’”
Comfort Design provides full-service
air conditioning and heating for commercial and residential customers. –dn
udy DeWeese is a busy woman who
knows the fine art of balancing work,
family and professional affiliations. DeWeese has been with Mauze Construction for 25 years performing administrative, bookkeeping and financial duties.
She has been married to Ben McGowan for 41 years, and they have six
children and 11 grandchildren.
Busy woman, right? But wait there
is more.
This month she will be installed as
the president of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)
during the 56th Annual NAWIC Convention in St. Louis.
DeWeese began her NAWIC journey in 1978. A woman by the name of
Nelda Weatherly was a master electrician and owned a company called Jesse
& Chandler Electric. Weatherly also held
the national NAWIC president position
in 1965.
DeWeese recalled, “She took me
under her wing and really gave me a lot
of guidance.
“In the early 1980s, she asked me if I
would be chapter recording secretary. I
said yes. That started the winding road
that got me started. She was a woman
that I looked up to and that I knew could
teach me something. I just stayed and
soaked up everything I could.”
Now DeWeese wants to carry on
what Weatherly began.
“One of my favorite things is to
mentor young women that are coming
up and see them develop and grow,”
she acknowledged. “We need to reach
back and pull those behind us along
with us, and reach forward and be
pulled and lifted by those that have
gone before us.
“In NAWIC the women that established this and were really the lifeblood
of this association, had more gumption
than most people do today. I’m in awe
of what they accomplished, and I want
this generation to continue and help
each other, to mentor each other, and
lift each other up.”
Stating what her goals will be as
president, DeWeese said, “My goals
truly are to take us back to what we are
supposed to be doing – that is enhancing the success of women. I think at every meeting we need to learn something. We need to establish that network that we can call on all the way
down the road for us. “
DeWeese will be the 57th national
president of NAWIC during her 20112012 term. She has been the local chapter president four different terms. At the
national level, she served as the national
secretary, vice president and presidentelect, as well as serving twice as the Region 7 director for Texas and Oklahoma.
When she goes off the national board as
the immediate past president in 2013,
she will have served as a voting member
on 11 national boards.
“That’s going to be a record,” she
noted. –dn

August - Construction News

Transcription

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