*SA Jun 02 - Construction News

Transcription

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CONSTRUCTION
™
The Industry’s Newspaper
October 1998 - 2002
www.constructionnews.net
P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Tx 78279 11931 Warfield San Antonio, Tx 78216 (210) 308-5800 Oct 2002 Volume 5, Number 10
A Day of Remembrance
By Jane Day Loter
Construct A Kid’s Xmas
Roll-Out
A
L-R: Capt. Nim Kidd, Gina and Mike.
I
n a departure from its regular 2nd
Wednesday Safety Shorts meeting,
members of Associated Builders and
Contractors (ABC) gathered together for
“A Day of Remembrance” at The Old San
Francisco Steak House, to memorialize the
one-year anniversary of Sept. 11th.
On display at the sign-in table, as members arrived, were black and white photographs depicting scenes of the aftermath of
the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. As members dined, a pianist played a
medley of patriotic selections for the somber audience.
ABC’s Safety and Health Committee
Chairman, Mark Resendez, Alpha Insulation, Inc., introduced Kris Laskowski,
who delivered an emotional and comforting invocation. Afterwards, Mark included
the following in his opening remarks.
“It was one year ago today, on Sept. 11,
2001, that the United States witnessed the
most deadly terrorist attack on American
soil. We will revisit that day, which started
out like any other day, but ended like no
other. The attacks were strategically
planned to spread fear, by targeting one of
the largest financial centers and the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. military. It
served to remind us that America is vulnerable. While we now understand our collective vulnerability, we also witnessed that,
as Americans, we do not back down. This
was evident on United’s flight 93, where
citizen-passengers overwhelmed the terrorists, forcing the plane down in an empty
field near Shanksville, PA. They heroically
laid down their lives for all Americans.
Within two brief hours, the United States
was changed forever.”
continued on Page 9
very special day is approaching.
One that brings the construction
industry together . . . one that benefits the abused and neglected children in
our area at Christmas time.
The big day is scheduled for Friday,
Dec. 6th, from 10am to 2pm, at the offices
of San Antonio Construction News, 11931
Warfield at Nakoma.
With Christmas fast approaching, the
construction industry and the Friends of the
Bexar County Child Welfare Board is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Construct A
Kid’s Christmas event.
This day is very special. It is hard to
describe the feeling as the trucks, vans, cars
and trailers pull into our parking lot bringing loads of gifts for the kids. The excitement builds as more people arrive and the
bobtail truck gets fuller and fuller. At the
end, as the final tallies are made and the gift
truck heads south to sort and distribute the
gifts, you feel good and very satisfied to be
a part of this. The construction industry has
once again come together as a team to provide help that was badly needed.
Sadly, the number of these children is
on the increase, and the industry can again
play a major part in bringing a happy holiday season to these kids.
Last year, a very strongly committed
group of companies, associations, trade
unions and individuals donated $62,385 in
cash and gift certificates and 1535 gifts. The
difference this made was seen in the eyes of
these children as they received their gifts at
Christmas.
Most of us have never experienced what
these children have; A Christmas away from
home, without family and wondering if we
would be remembered at all. As we saw
last year from their “wish lists,” most requests were small and simple items. We
were able to give them more because of the
tremendous support of the construction
community and are asking you to do it again.
Already groups like Associated Builders and Contractors, American Subcontractors Association and National Association of Women in Construction are planning a joint holiday gala where proceeds
from the evening will benefit Construct A
Kid’s Christmas. Last year almost all of
the trade associations helped and we are
looking forward to their return.
Some companies are challenging their
employees to bring in gifts that will be
matched in money by the company. Others
are planning parties where the entry fee is a
gift for the kid’s. Hopefully, as you read
this article, you too will think of ways you
and your company can become involved.
On Friday, December 6th, gifts, gift
certificates and money being contributed
can be dropped off.
Please join us this year to make year
three even bigger and better than before.
Buddy Doebbler, Publisher
Faulkner Construction augments Schreiner University
D
eep in the heart of the Hill Country, in the historic city of Kerrville,
is Schreiner University, an independent and co-educational university whose
history is rich with Texas heritage and traditions, which began in 1917.
Thanks to the year long endeavors of
Faulkner Construction, the campus is now
home to the new 18,400 sf Kathleen C.
Cailloux Hall. A $2.4 million project, the
three story building was designed by the
San Antonio architectural firm of Lopez
Seidel Architects, Inc. to enhance the various disciplines within the Professional
Studies curriculum, facilitating the Business Department, Graphic Design, Photography and Art programs.
In keeping with the campus’ “Texas
Tudor” architecture, the building exhibits
great presence with rich details. The brick
and cast stone exterior, along with its fenestration, and its steeply pitched standing
seam metal roof, complement the school’s
existing architectural vocabulary. Other
basic elements include structural steel framing with composite floor deck, and poured
concrete floors.
The building’s arched main entrance
evokes the look of vintage campus build-
ings, welcoming students inside. The front
loggia provides shelter from sun and elements, as well as a place for meeting and
socializing. The first two floors are dedicated to classrooms and offices, and the
third floor dormered attic space is reserved
for future growth.
Another major project started simultaneously at the University was the complete campus-wide replacement of the
chilled water system, affecting every building on the campus. According to Faulkner’s
project manager, Bill Roberts, the University anticipates a great economic benefit
from an upgraded ability to control the campus’ temperatures and atmospheres.
“As part of our challenge,” Bill explained, “we had to help them with some
of the decisions on how to properly route
lines. In order to make our schedule, we
had to have chilled water, so ours was the
first building brought on line.”
As with many local construction
projects, the memorable July weather event
hit the Kerrville area with a reported 40+
inches of rain.
“The campus drainage system overflows into a creek on the north edge of the
campus,” Bill said. “That creek flooded so
This month in Focus
Glass & Glazing
Industry
P.O. Box 791290
San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290
Change Service Requested
badly, there was debris 15 ft high in the
trees. The adjacent cemetery even had some
graves that were disturbed. It was a very
damaging weather event in the Kerrville
area.”
The Faulkner team and many subcontractors had no access in or out of the campus for two weeks. Caught in the midst of
an accelerated mode, the exterior brickwork
was 75 percent complete, and 90 percent of
the roof was in place when the deluge struck.
“Fortunately, the University decisionmakers had earlier accepted a recommendation by Faulkner’s staff to change the
originally-specified sheathing method from
standard exterior gyp to DensGlass, which
doesn’t support mold growth. That decision
certainly paid off,” Bill added. “Under normal circumstances, had we had that much
rain on gyp sheathing, we would have had
continued on Page 31
PRSRT. STD.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN ANTONIO, TX
PERMIT #4043
Page 2 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2002
Construction News
marks 4th year
W
ith another year behind us, the
San Antonio Construction
News celebrates its 4th Anniversary this October.
During the last four years, we have reported on hundreds of construction companies, industry people and events, with a
little hunting and fishing thrown in for good
measure. We have seen old friends leave
us and gained new ones as the industry continues to evolve. And through it all, our
intent has remained true to our original planto create a publication that reports the news,
accomplishments and activities of our great
construction industry and its people.
We couldn’t have done this alone. It is
with heartfelt gratitude that we thank our
advertisers, many of which have supported
our endeavor since day one. They represent
the lifeblood that sustains our work.
We also extend a thanks to our industry columnists who have stepped up to the
plate with informative articles that keep our
readers aware of legal, accounting, insurance, accessibility and marketing issues.
Their contributions keep all of us abreast
of current and applicable topics.
Also, an integral part of our news gathering and reporting efforts, the executive
directors and members of over 20 industry
associations are in touch with the people
who have their fingers on the pulse of our
diverse industry.
But most important, we must extend a
special thanks to our readers. Yes, sometimes we might poke fun at or print silly
photographs of you. But humor has its own
rewards and we can’t function without an
occasional ticklish moment. We want all of
your friends to call and razz you a little.
Keep us informed, please, when an opportunity for humor is ripe, we’ll do our best
to oblige.
Along with our sister publication, the
Austin Construction News, which began
its second year in June, the San Antonio
Construction News is “The Industry’s
Newspaper.” It is about you and for you.
Thank you all for your continued support, and we look forward to beginning our
5th year.
Buddy Doebbler
Publisher
OSHA/ABC Partnering
Agreement signed
T
he Associated Builders and Contractors South Texas
Chapter became the latest
chapter to sign a partnering
agreement with OSHA.
OSHA regional director Paul Brantley, chapter
chairman Tony Pieprzyca,
Hart Company, and chapter
president Steven Schultz
signed the agreement at the
September Safety & Health
Committee meeting.
L-R: Mike Grendall, Gina Chapa, Tony Pieprzyca,
The “Platinum PartPaul Brantley and Lyndol Miller
nering Charter” is designed
to improve job site safety,
reduce accidents and foster a closer work- S.T.E.P. (Safety Training Evaluation Proing relationship between OSHA, ABC and cess), which was developed and written by
platinum level contractors.
contractors, for contractors. It provides an
“This is a positive step for the work- organized approach to analyze and further
ers in the San Antonio area,” Paul said. “It develop a company’s safety and loss preshows the commitment of ABC and its vention program, and provides a valid, obmembers to safety. We’ve seen good re- jective method to measure safety program
sults from past partnerships and, no doubt, improvements. The three-year agreement
this will keep the momentum moving for- is company wide, covering all projects a
ward.”
company undertakes during that time.
The program is based on ABC’s
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Advertising pays. Contact Construction News at
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San Antonio, Tx 78265
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he 2002 Casino Night Gala, slated
for Sat., Oct. 19th, from 7 pm to
midnight, is an annual fundraising
gala for The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The non-profit, volunteer organization is
dedicated to the purpose of granting
wishes of children with life-threatening
illnesses to enrich the human experience
with hope, strength and joy. The largest
wish-granting organization in the world,
over 1,200 wishes have been granted by
the Central and South Texas Chapter since
1985.
The Casino Night Gala, presented by
United Auto Workers/General Motors, is
a black-tie optional event. All proceeds go
to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation
of Central and South Texas. The event,
hosted at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio,
123 Losoya, offers a live and silent auction, casino gaming, food, cash bar, live
music and dancing, for $50 per individual
ticket. Sponsorship packages are still
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CONSTRUCTION
Publisher:
Buddy Doebbler
Production/Art Dir:
Reesa Doebbler
SA Area Manager
Byron Spencer
Editor/Writer:
Jane Day Loter
Production/Graphics: Claire Watkinson
Sales Representative
Donna Easton
Administration:
Kevin Hughes
Roaming Reporter:
JC Putz
San Antonio Construction News
P.O. Box 791290
San Antonio, Texas 78279
(210) 308-5800 Fax (210) 308-5960
© 2002 San Antonio Construction News
The San Antonio Construction News is published monthly by Construction News LTD. and
distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties. Additional distribution is provided at 91 material supplier locations serving the construction
industry.
All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any mate-
rials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon
in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis.
San Antonio Construction News will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
If you are a construction-related company
in Bexar or one of the 7 surrounding
counties and are not receiving a free copy
of the San Antonio Construction News,
please let us know by contacting our
office for a Request Form, or
visit our website at
P.O. Box 791290
Subscriptions for additional copies
are available for $20.00 per year.
CONTACT US AT 210-308-5800
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2002 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 3
Faulkner marks 40
years & counting
By Rachel Jordan
T
he story of Faulkner Construction, Inc. spans 40
years and hundreds of prominent projects all across Texas.
It is a story that begins in
humble surroundings, in a small
office on South Lamar Boulevard
in Austin. It continues today in a
four-story building a little further
south on South Lamar, as well as
in two division offices in Dallas
and San Antonio.
In marking its 40th anniversary this year, the company is on
track to continue building on its
solid reputation while exploring
new markets and forming relationships with new clients in a variety
of industries.
Royce W. Faulkner received
his Bachelor of Science degree in
Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1952.
After working for two local Austin
The executive management group of
construction companies, he
Faulkner Construction, Inc.
founded Faulkner Construction
Company in 1962. He and his
small staff began forming relationships with ing to continued growth in the company and
private, public and institutional clients and continued success in bringing in new cliworking on moderate size projects in the ents. Faulkner’s newly-appointed President
Austin area.
and CEO, Bill Wilson, says the company
Since the establishment of the San is ready and fully equipped to continue this
Antonio office—now called the San Anto- expansion, “for the next 40 years.”
nio/South Texas Division—that office has
“Our reputation is solid because we
expanded and chalked up many successful understand that there are two elements to
projects, including the San Antonio Jewish every successful project,” said Wilson.
Community Center, an elementary school “Bringing in a high quality job on time,
for the North East ISD, two buildings at safely, and within budget; and forming a
Schreiner University in Kerrville and, more lasting relationship with the customer in the
recently, the Harlingen Medical Center. process.”
Currently in progress are the San Antonio
One of Faulkner’s first such relationHeart Hospital and the Silverado multi- ships was with Kenneth Brown, founder of
screen movie theater.
the Brown Schools of San Marcos and
Faulkner has increased its work vol- South Austin. These schools provide a place
ume in all of these areas, including a strong
presence in the high tech community, lead-
2nd Annual CaKC
Gala planned
P
lans for the 2nd Annual Construct a Kid’s Christmas Gala are
being readied and organizers have
unveiled a date for the fundraising event.
Mark your calendars for Thurs., Dec.
5th, from 6 pm until it’s over, and be at
the Alzafar Shrine Temple for one of the
best parties in town, and a chance to win
$10,000!
Last year, Associated Builders and
Contractors, American Subcontractors
Association and National Association
of Women in Construction joined forces
to collaborate on the very successful first
Construct a Kid’s Christmas Gala, netting $40,000 for the foster children of
our community. Those funds were added
to the host of monetary donations and
gifts contributed by other generous
members of the construction industry.
“It’s possible other construction associations will join us this year, and we
encourage their involvement,” said ABC
president Steven Schultz. “We have
about two months to work out all the details, and we welcome volunteers to join
the planning committee and bring their
ideas to the forefront.”
The success of the event balances
on the Live Auction and the quality of
the items open to bid. “If anybody has a
good golf, hunting or fishing trip package, we’d like to add it to our list,” said
Mark Fox, committee chair. “And don’t
forget the women. We need spa packages, jewelry items, or a condo-on-thebeach-get-away-package-with-spending-money-just-for-the-girls! The bigger
the better. It’s all about the kid’s and
we’re doing it for them!”
Only 450 tickets will be sold, and
each ticket holder will have an opportunity to take home $10,000 if he/she is
the last one holding a valid ticket after
the reverse-raffle countdown.
“After raising $40,000 last year, we
know we will be facing a greater challenge to surpass that total,” Mark added.
“But, we’re the construction industry,
and we love challenges!”
Tickets may be purchased for $100
per couple from Carol Wiatrek at ABC,
Heidi Davis at ASA and from Celeste
Rowe at NAWIC.
The catered event promises to be
one of the best holiday events in December. Dance the night away, visit with
your pals, enjoy the music and bring lots
of spending money for the Live Auction.
As the former Chair of the Bexar County
Child Welfare Board, Debra Nicholas
said, “Words cannot adequately express
how much your generous contributions
mean to foster children in our community. The children provided for will not
be spending Christmas at home with
their families this year. Unfortunately,
they are victims of severe abuse and neglect, and have been placed in a safer
home environment. Consequently, one
major concern the children have is
whether or not they will be remembered
at Christmas time. The Construct a Kid’s
Christmas fundraiser helps to ease that
worry.”
Let’s overwhelm the kids with our
generosity this year by participating in
the 2nd Annual Construct a Kid’s Christmas Gala again. And keep in mind, the
Construct a Kid’s Christmas event will
take place the following day, Fri., Dec.
5th. See you there!
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You’ve got to
do the job
right.
Constructors marks 25 years in TX and beyond
By Jane Day Loter
T
he remarkable evolution of general contracting firm,
Constructors, is best told by retracing the early activities of its founder, native Irishman Senan “Fitz”
Fitzmartin.
Just shy of his 21st birthday, Fitz immigrated to New
York City in 1958 with little money in his pocket, stars in
his eyes and a world to conquer. He promptly secured
employment with a local construction contractor, beginning as a laborer. Over a 20-year period, the hardworking,
goal-driven young man worked his way up the chain-ofcommand to the position of project manager. His scope of
work included skyscrapers and high-rise projects, as one
might guess.
In 1976, the company for whom Fitz worked transferred him to Dallas. One year later, he recognized an industry niche that was underserved and, together, with a
partner, established an interior finish-out company, which
they called Constructors & Associates.
“We borrowed $50,000, spent half of it establishing
an office, developing a clientele, bidding for work, and
did $4.5 million in our first year,” Fitz explained in his
charming Irish brogue. “We successfully hired and trained
subcontractors to do the work, and the company grew from
that point. We subsequently opened offices in Houston,
Austin, San Antonio and Denver.”
Along the way, Fitz surrounded himself with talented
and capable people who joined him in recognizing the fundamental fact that the customers are always right and they
pay the bills.
“When we hire an employee in this company,” he continued, “we look for the strength of his or her character
and personality. The rest will fall into place. Family has
always been very important to me, and an employee who
is good with his or her family is going to be good for our
company. At Constructors, we are a big family, and I include our subcontractors in that characterization.”
In San Antonio, Constructors has numerous projects,
L-R: In the shadow of the SA Airport FAA tower are
Constructors Managing Director Mark Wohlfarth;
President Bob Albanese; Founder and Chairman
Senan Fitzmartin; and COO Curtis Sund.
but the two largest are the San Antonio Airport Terminal 1
renovation and the JP Morgan/Chase Westover Hills Call
Center Phase 2.
According to San Antonio managing director Mark
Wohlfarth, the local office, which employs 25 personnel,
focuses on corporate, banking, retail, airport, hospitality,
and public projects.
“In this slow economic time,” Mark reported, “the financial stability of Constructors is strong, and the focus of
our attention is on maintaining client satisfaction. We pursue every project with a long-term client relationship as
our mission. That philosophy has maintained Constructors through 25 years of the ups and downs of the Texas
economy. Another beauty of Constructors is our diversification in all of our markets. We literally combine our resources as a company to maintain our employee group.”
When the Texas Historical Museum project in Austin
was in development stages, Fitz attended subcontractor
meetings every Tuesday for two years. “We won the bid,”
he said, “and I was so excited at the idea that, as an immigrant, I had the opportunity to sit down and sign a contract
with the Governor of the State of Texas, George W. Bush.
He came back two years later to cut the ribbon, as the President of the United States. I stood there with him, the job
done, on schedule, within budget, and everybody happy.
You have no idea how proud I was at that moment; the hair
was standing up on my neck! I’ve adopted the great American way, and I love it! I love the great State of Texas and
would do anything for it.”
In Austin, Constructors also restored the outside of
the Texas Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion, and then Governor Bush’ state office, completed the Bob Bullock Texas
State History Museum and is currently working on a 33Story high-rise at Congress and Fourth.
“We have a fabulous team of people in Austin and in
San Antonio, and I love them all,” Fitz confessed. “They
are the greatest bunch of young people I’ve ever been
around in my life, and as I’m getting older, I realize it even
more. I don’t think I’ll ever retire because I love being in
the middle of the most challenging jobs. I have no problem doing anything as long as it’s right and honest. Our
books are always open!”
SBC Center Last Chance...
To Advertise In Our 4-color, Glossy, Feature Publication!
Big Projects like SBC Center don’t come along every day. Let everyone know you played a big part in this world-class facility.
Inside will be articles on the construction aspects, interviews and progress photos from start to finish. The centerspread will be a
panoramic group photo of construction company employees who participated in building the SBC Center
Construction News will insert a Full-color, Glossy Publication in the November 2002 issue AND
Direct-Mail the publication to selected businesses and professionals outside the industry.
Advertising Space is Very Limited. Call Construction News @ 210-308-5800
Coming November 2002 Issue
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“Chart Your Course” to SBC Center
C
Pride
onstruction continues at a fevered
pace, and with less than a month before the San Antonio Spurs kick off
their season in the new SBC Center, plans
are under way to make getting to and from
San Antonio’s newest addition to the skyline a little easier.
With more than 200 nights-a-year already booked with family shows, concerts
and other events, the SBC Center will become a Mecca for entertainment seekers all
over the city. With so many people headed
to and from the same location, traffic is at
the forefront of planner activities.
“Chart Your Course,” a traffic education campaign designed to facilitate traffic
flow for patrons was unveiled at a press
conference on Sept. 18th and designed to
get San Antonians to think beyond “IH-35
and exit Coliseum Rd.”
“It’s all about taking a new route, getting a map, and remembering that your exit
will be guided,” said Rick Pych, chief development officer for the SBC Center. “We
have worked hard, with all of our public
agency partners, over the past two years to
develop this plan. It will move people to
and from a brand new building safely and
efficiently, and with a minimum number of
traffic problems.”
Encouraging and educating drivers to
learn new routes to and from the center is
the key to the new traffic plan, as learning
alternate routes will be necessary for you
to get out of the center following an event.
“When drivers exit the SBC Center,
traffic will be guided,” stated Rudy
Gonzales of the San Antonio Police Department. “Bexar County Deputies will
guide the traffic in the parking lots, then
San Antonio Police Officers will guide the
cars as they pour into the streets. Expect to
leave a different way than you came.”
To help speed entrance and exit to the
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center, SBC Center Parkway (formerly
Coliseum Rd.) and Houston Street (between IH-10 and New Braunfels) will be
“Reversible Lanes” to facilitate traffic flow.
Maps for alternate routes are available
at the Alamodome box office, SBC Center
Box office, Ticketmaster locations, or by
calling 210-444-5TIX. Electronic maps
are available at www.spurs.com.
OPTION #1 From NW San Antonio
• From I-10 E, Exit Houston, turn left on Houston to the SBC Center.
• From I—10 E, Exit I-35 N, Exit Walters/SBC Center Pkwy., turn right on Walters
and turn left onto Houston St. to the SBC Center.
• From I—10 E, Exit I-35 N, Exit Walters/SBC Center, proceed through Walters
intersection and turn right on SBC Center Pkwy. to the SBC Center.
OPTION #2 From N Central San Antonio
• From 281 S, Exit I-10 E, Exit Houston, turn left on Houston to the SBC Center.
• From 281 S, Exit Commerce and turn left, turn left on Coca-Cola Place toward the
SBC Center.
• From S, Exit I-35 N, Exit Walters/SBC Center Pkwy., proceed through Walters
intersection, turn right on SBC Center Pkwy.
OPTION #3 From NE San Antonio
• From I-35 S, Exit Loop 410 S, Exit W.W. White Rd., turn right on Gembler Rd. and
left on SBC Center Pkwy. to the SBC Center.
• From I-35 S, Exit Loop 410 S, Exit I-10 W, Exit Houston and turn right to the SBC
Center.
• From I-35 S, Exit SBC Center Pkwy. and turn left on SBC Center Pkwy. toward the
SBC Center.
OPTION #4 From S San Antonio
• From I-35 N, Exit I-10 E, Exit New Braunfels, turn left and then turn right on
Houston St. to the SBC Center.
• From I-35 N, Exit I-10 E, Exit Houston and turn left on Houston St. to the SBC
Center.
• From I—35 N, Exit I-10 E/90,Exit I-37 N then Exit I-35 N, Exit Walters/SBC.
Center Pkwy. proceed through Walters intersection and turn right on SBC Center
Pkwy. to the SBC Center.
OPTION #5 From W San Antonio
• From 90/I-10 E, Exit New Braunfels, turn left on New Braunfels Ave. and turn right
on Houston St. to the SBC Center.
• From 90/I-10 E, Exit I-37 N, Exit Commerce and turn right on Commerce St., turn
left on Coca-Cola Place toward the SBC Center.
• From Hwy. 90/I-10 E, Exit Houston and turn left on Houston St. to the SBC Center.
When You Need A Lift . . .
T
he job isn’t over until the paperwork is done, and in this
case the job probably never
started without the paperwork either.
American Institute of Architects
(AIA) contract documents are a collection of 89 forms and contracts that
define contractual relationship used in
design and building concepts, and the
organization has announced a new
version available to users.
The latest upgrade now makes
AIA electronic contract documents
easier to purchase, install, and use and
includes 11 new or revised contract
administration forms. The upgrade
can be downloaded from the AIA web
site at www.aia.org.
“We have dramatically improved
the user experience for the AIA electronic contract documents software,”
said Jim Dinegar, chief operating officer of the AIA. “Key functions have
been improved, especially how the
software is initialized and the way the
contract documents are formatted for
printing.”
Improvements in reliability and
usability of 3.0 PLUS include:
• Faster printing and less intrusive
“DRAFT” watermark that permits
copying and faxing without obscuring text.
• User-friendly pop-up navigation
aids are added at key points.
• Eleven new or revised construction administration forms have been
added, broadening the system to 89
documents.
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Under the shade of the old oak trees
M
assive, ancient oaks shaded members and guests of Associated
General Contractors as they
gathered together for the festive and educational 2002 9th Annual Safety Fair and
Barbeque Cook-off on Sat., Sept. 14th,
from 11 am to 4 pm at Camargo Park.
Like a lighthouse shining in the dark,
Alamo Crane Service extended its signature, flag-flying crane to mark the location where about 1,000 thrill-seekers enjoyed an afternoon loaded with great food,
safety exhibits and demonstrations, and
fun for the whole family. Clowns, pony
rides, moon bounce, petting zoo, and a
playground occupied the attention of kids
of all ages, while adults roamed the
grounds sampling the delicious, mouthwatering gastronomic offerings from a
multitude of creative weekend chefs.
Musical entertainers busied themselves on stage, and talented hardhats
crooned karaoke tunes to the delight and
encouragement of all. Across the way, free
ice cream was dispensed to the heat-weary,
courtesy of Huber Contracting, Ltd.
The “Safety” theme was evident
throughout the park, as folks witnessed
City Public Service’ notable electric arc
demonstration, stopped by San Antonio
Water Systems’ booth, visited with San
Antonio Police Department professionals,
and otherwise benefited from the many
safety exhibits and displays.
Meanwhile, B-B-Q Cook-off judges
were sequestered in the kitchen, where
hardworking staff organized the blind taste
tests, the moment-of-truth for many cooks
who had been tending their smoking pits
since the day before.
The roster of judges included: Charlie
Conner, ACCD Trustee; Oscar Perez, Associate Superintendent of Operations for
Harlandale ISD; Chief Justice Mike
Schneider, Texas Supreme Court; Edmund
Tijerina, Columnist, San Antonio ExpressNews; State Senator Jeff Wentworth; Ben
Brewer, The Downtown Alliance; Jane
Day Loter, Editor, San Antonio Construction News; Jon Betcher, President/CEO,
Austin Chapter of AGC; Mike Chatron,
Director of Services, Texas Building
Branch; Anthony Pleasant, City of Austin; Mary Farrell, U.S. Dept. of Labor;
Joan Callahan, Editor, Texas Construction;
Judge Frank Montalvo; and Bill Taylor,
KENS 5.
The results of the B-B-Q Cook-off:
Beef Brisket Category:
1st Place: Manufactured Concrete, Ltd.
(MANCO)
2nd Place: Marek Brothers Systems, Inc.
3rd Place: Engineering Consulting Services, Ltd. (ECS)
Chicken Category:
1st Place: L&M Steel Company, Inc.
2nd Place: Lyda Builders
3rd Place: MANCO
Wild Game/Misc:
1st Place: MJ Boyle General Contractor,
Inc.
2nd Place: ECS
3rd Place: Alamo Crane Service, Inc.
L-R: John Valenzuela, Dennis Darr, Frank Casias, Liane
Jett, and Frank Gonzales were heating it up for Incore
Construction, Inc. General Contractors.
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AGC’s Executive Director, Doug McMurry,
said the success of the
Safety Fair was due, in no
small part, to the attentive
organizational skills of
Safety Committee ChairL-R: SAPD’s Officer Donnie Milewski; Jennifer Lee, Rabaman Gault Robinson, Kistner; Officer Terry Condon; and Officer Carlos Madero.
Bartlett Cocke General
Contracting, and his dedicated committee. Later, as the afternoon event wound
down and the many sponsors had been
thanked, the 2002 Safety Awards were formally presented.
Congratulations to the following:
Safe General Contractor of the Year,
Category I: Lyda Builders
Safe General Contractor of the Year,
Category II: Huber Contracting, Ltd.
Safe Specialty Contractor of the Year:
CFS Forming Structures Co., Inc.
Safe Superintendent of the Year: Jorge
Ramirez, Lyda Builders.
Showmanship Award for Best Safety
Booth Theme: Incore Construction, Inc.
Folding Walls’ Delisa and Lance Reynolds holding twin
son’s Trent and Grant; and Randy Bell.
$336/mo PAYMENTS
0%
Shish-ka-bob:
1st Place: Joeris General
Contractor, Ltd.
2nd Place: Dausin Electric
Company
3rd Place: Incore Construction, Inc.
L-R : Brian Frey, his dad John Frey,
and Cooley Jackson.
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Persistance nets four
Inspector positions
By Jane Day Loter
T
he San Antonio City Council Cham- responsibilities of each field inspector to
ber had standing room only as con- limits beyond his capability, creating a
cerned citizens amassed for the first backlog of commercial and residential
FY 2003 public budget hearing on Tues., plumbing inspections that continues to spiSept. 3rd.
ral out of control.”
Among those who signed up to speak
As he continued, Rob compared pubbefore Mayor Ed Garza and the City lic statistics from the City of El Paso with
Council persons were over 200 members San Antonio. El Paso has 10 plumbing field
of the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contrac- inspectors who each average 15 inspections
tors – San Antonio Chapter and the per day, cover 250 sq miles, and are paid
Greater San Antonio Builders Association, on average $31,000 annually. San Antonio’s
each wearing “Decreased Service = De- ten plumbing field inspectors each average
creased Growth” labels.
29 inspections per day, covering 420 sq
The controversy that
brought forth a strong showing of construction professionals is rooted in what
many in the industry say is
an understaffed and overworked Plumbing Inspections Department. Unlike so
many other groups that have
been impacted by this budget and by the deficit the
City is facing, the faction of
plumbers and builders did
not come to the table asking
something for nothing. They
offered a money-on-theRobert Jalnos, Steve’s Plumbing Co., makes his
table solution.
case before City Council.
First on the public
speaking agenda were five
speakers representing the homebuilding miles, and are paid on average $25,000 anindustry, including: GSABA president nually.
Jerry Smith, Jr.; Ed Baron, Connell
Rob emphatically exalted the qualifiBarron Custom Builders; Rhonda Fox, cations of each plumbing field inspector,
David Weekley Homes; Aaron Seaman, di- saying they are the best group of Inspecrector of government and public affairs, KB tors he has ever worked with during his 25Home; and Rick Montelongo, year career as a plumbing contractor. “Each
Montelongo Homes and Remodeling.
plumbing inspector carries and maintains
Aaron Seaman summarized their col- a state plumbing license,” he reported, “and
lective message by stating the builders and must have a complete understanding of the
plumbers have come to the table, not ask- evolving plumbing codes. They are charged
ing for a handout.
to protect our public water supply from
“We come with funds! We will not cross-connections and contamination, and
oppose an increase in fees; rather, we will enforce the plumbing license laws and
voluntarily pay higher fees provided the codes, serving literally as plumbing police.”
inspection services we require are afforded
In addition to their workload, the
us in a timely manner.”
scheduling of inspectors to take time off for
Aaron named three specific requests vacations, sick leave, recurrent education
of the City Council: the reinstatement of and testing, or personal reasons, also reovertime for Inspectors from every depart- duces the number of them in the field on
ment; hiring additional Inspectors; and the any given day.
creation of a development services fund,
The city council persons listened to the
used solely for development services, re- suggestions of the plumbing contractor atsources, personnel, and other related issues. tentively and took notes. On the following
He confirmed that the construction indus- day, in a meeting that included Chief Buildtry pays several million dollars annually ing Inspector Michael Clack, Director of
into the general fund, but only realizes a Development Services Florencio Pena,
small portion in return. He asked that a per- Assistant City Manager Chris Brady, and
centage of the fees paid, including volun- five members of the plumber/builder factary fee increases, be directed toward a de- tion, an agreement was reached.
velopment services fund.
“An agreement to increase plumbing/
“This will be a way to protect ourselves gas inspection fees by an additional $12,
in the future,” Aaron stated, “to ensure we to fund the addition of four new plumbing
have the resources and the correct number inspectors was reached,” said Aaron Seaof inspectors to do their job.”
man, adding the adjustment would also proLater in the public budget hearing, vide for three to five months of overtime
Jimmy Shafer, Shafer Services, and Rob- while the city fills the inspector positions.
ert Jalnos, Steve’s Plumbing, approached
“The city is giving itself a nine month
the podium together with an impressive en- timetable to hire the four new inspectors,”
tourage of plumbing contractor/owners, in- Aaron continued. “The fee increase would
cluding: Perry Beyer, Beyer Plumbing; go into effect Oct. 1, with the start of the
Greg Bolin, Bolin Plumbing; Dennis new fiscal year. Immediately, the fees
Ashley, Ashley Plumbing; Jimmy Otis, would go to cover overtime, and we asked
H.J. Otis Plumbing; Bill Gibson, Gibson the city manager to temporarily move one
Plumbing; Charles Sagray, Mr. Plumber or two of the combination inspectors to the
Plumbing Co.; Richard Chapa, Chapa plumbing department, to help make a dent
Plumbing; Earl Hamilton, Hamilton in the current backlog. Between that and
Plumbin; Terry Zinna, Mastercraft the overtime, they should be able to get
Plumbing; Tommy Moore, Precision caught up. There’s a difference between
Plumbing; Greg Smith, E.L. Smith Plumb- coming to the table with your hands open
ing; Rudy Specia, Specia Plumbing and and empty, rather than coming to the table
Electric; Steve Albert, County Wide holding your wallet, saying let’s work this
Plumbing; Shawn O’Haver, O’Haver out. We came to the city with a solution.”
Plumbing; and many, many others.
On Thurs., Sept. 19th, City Council
Robert Jalnos spoke on their behalf, adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 6
reminding the council that in the last 42 of the City Code to increase the gas/plumbyears, the city has had 10 plumbing field ing permit and inspection fees from $22 to
inspectors, who remain the lowest-paid out $34. Perry Beyer and Greg Bolin thanked
of all the major metropolitan areas in Texas. the council, and asked them to retain fu“In 42 years,” Rob stated, “the growth ture funds to use toward upgrading the salaof our City has quadrupled, magnifying the ries of the inspectors.
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Ancient art comes to life with gentle touch and modern chemistry
By Jane Day Loter
M
ary Canales “Cisi” Jary and elements that have been covered by many
her daughter, Pamela Rosser, layers of paint. We also specialize in gold
are experts in the artistic resto- leaf application, reproduction of historic
ration of historic buildings. Their company, stencil designs, custom stencil designs, faux
Restoration Associates, includes a team of finishes and documentation reports.”
talented artists and conservators who utiTheir work as conservators began with
lize classical studio techniques with a com- The Grand Opera House, in Galveston, in
mand of all styles and periods.
the early 1980’s. Subsequently, her comCisi’s educational journey toward her work as a conservator
began when she enrolled as a Fine
Arts major at Rollins College in
Florida, and continued to include
further study at the University of
Texas at Austin, Trinity University
and Incarnate Word University.
Exposed to restoration
projects through her architect husband, Lloyd W. Jary, FAIA, Cisi’s
interest peaked. “Since I was technically trained in traditional and
classical methods,” she said, “together with a history of art and hisPam Rosser restoring paint flakes at
tory of architecture background, it
Mission Concepcion.
was just a matter of putting it all
together. Every project presents different pany of artists has worked on hundreds of
challenges.”
projects, including many familiar San AnFounded in 1985, Restoration Associ- tonio historic sites: The Empire Theater (an
ates are members and Professional Associ- award-winning project); St. Joseph Cathoates of The American Institute of Conser- lic Church; The Albert Steves Homestead
vation (AIC), The Association for Preser- Museum; The Alamo Shrine of Liberty;
vation Technology (APT) and the Interna- City Council Chambers of San Antonio;
tional Council of Monuments and Sites Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum; St.
(ICOMOS).
Mary’s Catholic Church; Mission
With expert, microscopic paint analy- Concepcion; Mission San Jose and multisis, the artists are able to accurately repro- tudes of others.
duce historic works.
Currently at work on the restoration of
“Curatorial techniques and conserva- the San Fernando Cathedral, in the heart of
tion chemicals are integral parts of our pro- downtown San Antonio, Cisi said, “It’s a
cedure,” Cisi explained. “We excel at in- treat to be able to be a part of this project,
vestigation and documentation of historic because of its historic value. Every artist
decorative painting and architectural design that did the original work had his own
unique methodology. To be up on the scaf- of paint and plaster.
fold and see the work up close, where most
“Through the analytical use of specific
people can’t, is very rewarding. About ten curatorial-approved chemicals, applied at
years ago, we conducted a paint analysis timed intervals, we remove the layers one
on the Cathedral ceiling, and we found that at a time to find the art. It’s a delicate prothe actual ceiling stencil was done on 1/8 cess and it can’t be done with a heavy hand.
in. masonite. Through our research of con- Most of the work that’s left for us to do is
tract and photographic archives, we discov- on a ceiling, unless there has been a severe
ered the previous work, completed during leaking problem.
a renovation in the 1950’s, was a copy of
Cisi, Pam and their team of skilled artdecorative patterns from a tin roof that they ists are uncommonly patient, a prerequisite
were replacing. Again, in the 1970’s, there for the delicate and precise restorative work
was another extensive renovation to the Ca- they undertake. The constant discussion of
thedral. At that time, the ceiling panels were procedures, working within a 1 sq ft grid at
cleaned with tri-sodium phosphate, which a time, the testing of samples, and the deleft a residual on the surface. Our challenge termining of the best preservation and connow is to reproduce the vintage ceiling pan- servation treatments is all in a day’s work.
els.”
The award winning company of artists inThere is no insulation on the Cathedral’s cludes among its services: color matching
ceiling, so everyday a cycle of heating and in historical paints and synthetic paints;
cooling has caused the pigments to loose gold leaf and metal leaf application; metheir bond and become powdery. The state- tallic powder application; documentation
of-the-art in architectural conservation con- and research to find original color palette;
tinues to evolve with improved methodolo- plaster restoration and replication; handgies and chemical treatments.
painted wallpapers, stencils and borders;
Over the year’s, they worked with mas- custom murals; mural restoration and conter conservators from Italy, who taught servation; historic stencil conservation,
them how to re-attach paint flakes and how cleaning and restoration; curatorial cleanto clean the efflorescence, a
residue which is inherent in
limestone.
“An aged limestone
building wicks water up
through the stones,” she explained, “and when it
emerges on the surface it appears as a white, fluffy,
cloudy residue. If it’s left
there to harden, the efflorescence has to be delicately
scraped off. The painstaking
procedure requires the use of
$33,000 of 23K gold leaf & metallic powders contributed
a scalpel and a gentle touch
to restoration of the Empire Theater.
to avoid the inadvertent removal of the original decorative paint.”
ing and treatments; and faux finishing I was surprised to hear Cisi say that marble, fantasy marble wood, metals and
it’s typically very difficult to find historic stone.
artwork on walls. Over the years and deAs Cisi so aptly stated, “we have to be
cades, as part of a buildings’ ongoing main- part chemist and part artist. Working with
tenance, well-intentioned plasterers skim- historic fabric leaves little room for error,
coat the walls, creating layers and layers and we don’t want to lose that focus.” Ω
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continued from Page 1- A Day of Remembrance
At that point, asking the audience to
stand, Mark introduced the Central Catholic High School Color Guard, who presented our nation’s flag as he led the assembly in the pledge of allegiance and the
singing of the National Anthem.
Forthwith, Mike Grendell, Midco
Sling of San Antonio, introduced the guest
speaker, Captain Nim Kidd, nine-year
member of the San Antonio Fire Department, Hazardous Materials Response Team
Fire Station #35, six-year member of the
SAFD Technical Rescue Team, five-year
member of Texas Task Force 1, and Urban
Search and Rescue Safety Officer.
The uniformed firefighter, together with
other members of Texas Task Force 1, responded to the World Trade Center collapse,
spending seven days at Ground “Hero,” a
term coined by his professional brotherhood
of firefighters. He began his discussion by
explaining the complex support
structure of the TTF1.
Capt. Kidd then guided the
audience through a visual tour of
the disaster area, emphasizing
the extensive damage caused to
high-rise structures around the
perimeter of the blast area. Following are some poignant quotes
from his discourse.
tween one and two thousand gallons of water per minute, and at one point in time
there were three to four of them putting out
the fire.”
“They had more cranes and backhoes than
I’d ever seen before.”
“As construction people, you know what
happens when you cut steel that’s under
stress, right? Spring, pop, rebound? The
NYC ironworkers have a very, very strong
union, and no one touched a torch without
their blessing. On one particular occasion,
the union’s bosses refused to let them make
cuts on some stressed steel. Two other entities turned down the job. So, our engineers and rescue guys determined we could
cut the steel and do it safely. And we did.
The next morning, there was a Texas Flag
flying over the NYC ironworker’s camp.”
“I grew up around construction, L-R: Mike Grendell, Steven Shultz, and Gina Chapa
and I thought I’d worked around
some big equipment, but until I got there,
I’d never seen machines as large as the ones “It was neat working side by side with
they used to clean up.”
heavy equipment operators, seeing the professionalism they brought to the job.”
“Across the street from WTC 2, the extent
of damage to neighboring buildings reached “It was estimated that 50,000 law enforce16 stories.”
ment officers were on the lower part of the
island.”
“Huge pieces of the WTC were lodged in
adjacent office buildings and hotels and, in “NYC lost over 150 ambulances, ladder
one case, the collapse turned a nearby 22- trucks, engines, and police vehicles.”
story hotel into a pile of rubble.”
“We don’t know what we were breathing, but
“ Massive chunks of structural debris, five our Texas guys wore APR’s constantly. We
stories tall, lodged in upper floors of con- know there was asbestos, silica dust, lead, not
tiguous buildings.”
to mention the vaporized glass particles.”
“Our Texas team worked the night shift from
7 pm to 7 am. As you all know, nighttime
demolition has its own special hazards.”
“The dust was not dirt, it was vaporized
furniture, computers, insulation, building
parts and human remains.”
“WTC 4 and 5 were each seven stories above
grade and seven stories below grade. At one
time, the seven stories above ground were
completely involved with fire. Just one of
those buildings alone would have been more
than enough to overwhelm their resources.”
Captain Nim Kidd is married to
Sandie Kidd, account executive, Industrial Communications. His colleague,
Capt. Dennis Meyers, SAFD and TTF1,
joined him briefly at the podium.
After the question and answer period,
Capt. Kidd received an engraved plaque
from ABC as a gesture of appreciation from
all of the construction patriots. As well,
Chapter President Steven Schultz received
a notable memoir from his fold; a series of
brass clocks, mounted on an oak base,
which were frozen in time marking to the
minute when the multiple strikes against
America took place.
“The WTC fire burned for three months.”
“They used power hoses that emitted be-
Joint association meeting
hosts noted speaker
I
n a joint meeting of the National
Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Associated
Builders and Contractors (ABC), the
American Subcontractors Association
(ASA), and the Associated General
Contractors of America (AGC), a very
interesting and informed guest speaker
will share his experiences of his team’s
assessment of the structural damage
and the efforts to stabilize the
Pentagon’s structure to allow for the
recovery of victims and evidence following the Sept. 11th attacks.
Leo J. Titus, Jr., P.E.. principal
engineer and manager of Engineering
and Consulting Services, Ltd. of
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“One floor of the WTC is the
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“Another rubble pile was the 42-story WTC
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Laying a foundation
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NAWIC passes the gavel to
new officers and board
hen it comes to
helping out, the
construction industry is usually the first to
step up to the plate, as the
folks out at Boysville were
soon to realize when they
needed assistance in building a livestock washing station and other concrete work
at their campus in Converse.
On the morning of Sept.
18th, crews and equipment
from Beck Readymix,
Schultz Concrete Pumps and
Beck Readymix, Schultz Concrete Pumps and PHI
PHI Concrete Contractors Concrete Contractors joined forces to help out Boysville
with some much-needed concrete work.
began pouring the concrete
that laid the foundation for
expanding the agriculture program and as- resident at Boysville.
sisting the youth at Boysville to make a
“I was excited to find out that I was
brighter future for themselves.
coming to help out someone who helped
“Phil Hunter, the owner of PHI, had me out,” stated Andy Lawhead of Schultz
a best friend from Boysville that attended Concrete Pumps. “It’s exciting and a pleaJudson High School with him,” said Mike sure to be a part of this. They gave me the
tools that I need to have a
good job, get on my feet and
get going.”
The project offered participants an opportunity to
help others as well as a chance
to learn something new.
“This is a little different
than we are used to in that
there were no plans to work
from,” stated Mercy Vallejo,
Jr., commercial construction
manager for PHI. “We
worked with the instructors to
meet their needs. None of us
had built anything quite like
L-R: Eugene Heise, Syl Burkemper, Mercy Vallejo, Jr.,
Andy Lawhead and Mike Schultz at the Boysville jobsite. this before, but luckily Phil
has a background in raising
Schultz, Schultz Concrete Pumps. “He was livestock. In the end, I think we ended up
the one who put us all together on this with a concept that will solve their problems.”
project and got the labor and equipment
When the concrete dries, the Boysville
donated to make this happen. We all try to farm program will enjoy a new cleaning/
give back to the community, and this type washing station as well as a sidewalk that
of thing is what makes generations grow will handle excrement from the animal
up to be a decent bunch of kids.”
stalls. All participants agreed that this was
Exemplifying this statement with a first time their companies had worked on
proof, one of Schultz Concrete Pump’s op- a “Poop-Shoot,” but took pride in the fact
erators showed up on the project, a former that they were working for a good cause.
n a classic candlelight
ceremony, the San Antonio Chapter of the
National Association of
Women in Construction
welcomed its 2002-2003
slate of officers and directors.
Prior to the Thurs.,
Sept. 12th installation service, hosted at The Petroleum Club, approximately
forty members and several
of their guests enjoyed a social hour and dinner, folL-R: (back row) Scotty, Judy, Rhonda, Martha,
Delene, (front) Cathy, Diana, Deborah, Esther,
lowed by an intriguing preAmy, Karen, Geri-Lee, and Annamarie.
sentation by local glass and
glazing legend, George
Muyres, GJM Consulting, Inc., who ad- President-elect: Karen Santino, Pacatte &
dressed the importance of proper documen- Santino Painting.
tation.
Vice President: Scotty Stanley, SpawGlass
Afterwards, outgoing president Esther Contractors, Inc.
Wong conducted her final business meet- Treasurer: Martha Simpson, C2M, Inc.
ing before formally passing the gavel to her Recording Secretary: Cathryn McLeod,
successor.
Catto & Catto.
The solemn installation ritual, punctu- Corresponding Secretary: Deborah
ated by bursts of laughter, was narrated by Drumm, Fisher-Heck Architects, Inc.
past president Rebecca Wynne, Berridge
Manufacturing. One by one, each new of- Directors: Judy DeWeese, Mauze Conficer and director went forth to light a candle struction Company; Rhonda Steves-Jung,
in an expression of acceptance of the duties Martin Marietta Materials; Delene Diab,
and responsibilities of their office.
ECS, Ltd.; Diana Rusnak, Catto & Catto;
The 2002-2003 officers and board members Geri-Lee Smith, Integrity Insurance
are:
Agency; and Annamarie Carillo, Martin
President: Amy O’Neal, Allen and Allen Marietta Materials.
Company.
Past President: Esther Wong.
W
CONSTRUCTORS
Celebrating 25 Years
General Contractors • Design Build • Interior Finish Out • Core & Shell
Banking / Financial • Retail • Office • Healthcare
210.541.0651 www.constructorsworld.com
101000 Reunion Place, Suite 120 San Antonio, TX 78216
A member of the Structure Tone Organization
Austin • Dallas • Denver • Houston • San Antonio
San Antonio Chapter
... working together to improve the economic well-being of
construction subcontractors and suppliers through:
communication, education, and government / industry advocacy.
ASA holds monthly member’s meetings at the Barn Door.
For more information on how to join our efforts or to be placed on
the mailing list for upcoming events- write, call or email:
P.O. Box 29741, San Antonio 78229
(210)349-2105
Fax: (210)349-2847
[email protected]
I
Subs honor Bartlett Cocke
on “GC Night”
A
s a way of providing the subcon- projects, and instructed the audience of subs
tracting community an opportunity to be on the lookout for those jobs as they
to meet management team mem- come up for bid.
Kirk said there are opportunities, and
bers from general contracting firms, American Subcontractors Association hosted its threats to those opportunities, in all three
markets. For San Antonio, he pointed to
4th Annual GC Night.
On Tues., Sept. 17th, about 75 ASA potential business involving NEISD, Kelly/
members gathered at the
Barn Door Restaurant for a
social hour, a great steak dinner, and an opportunity to
mingle with members of
Bartlett Cocke, LP.
Named ASA’s 2001
General Contractor of the
Year, Bartlett Cocke’s president/CEO Duane Pozza,
vice president of estimating
Harry Moeller, vice president of operations Randy
Pawelek, and manager of
L-R: Duane Pozza, Bill Gelhausen, Arlon Bruemmer,
pre-construction services
Randy Pavelek, John Lavino (BC-Houston office), ASA’s
Kirk Kistner, presented a
Heidi Davis, Kirk Kistner, Jamey Arnold, ASA’s George
power point presentation
Major, Jr., and Harry “Clint Eastwood” Moeller.
which included upcoming
projects and the trends they see in the con- USA – Brooks City Base; continuing northstruction industry in San Antonio, Hous- ward growth; and UTSA projects. Conditions that might threaten growth locally inton and Austin.
“With significant public sector expe- clude: the Mexican economy, the perceprience,” Duane reported, “in the last three tion of our business climate, and industryyears Bartlett Cocke has done about $550 related scandals.
million worth of work in the Austin and San
The team from Bartlett Cocke conAntonio corridor. The company’s Houston cluded the evening by thanking the subconoffice, opened a year and half ago, antici- tractors for having faith in their company,
pates $25 million of volume this year.”
and entertained questions from the audiRandy discussed high-profile projects ence.
completed in 2001, and ongoing 2002
Guests at the evening’s event included:
projects. “We currently have 14 projects Corbo Electric Company, CF Auctions,
underway,” he said, “and this year it looks Commercial Surfaces, Alamo Steel Co.,
like we’re going to put in place approxi- Opening Specialties, RP Plumbing,
mately $180 million.”
Schultz Concrete Pumping, and UniverHarry listed some major upcoming sal Sprinkler Corp.
Glass & Glazing Industry
Economic challenges evoke business adjustments
Editor’s note: San Antonio Construction
News spoke with local glass and glazing
professionals to find out how the current
economy is impacting their businesses, the
challenges they face, and the changes they
would like to see as the future of their industry evolves.
W
holly-owned by AFG Industries,
AFGD Glass, Inc. is the nationwide distribution and fabrication
arm for the parent company. One of four
Texas locations, the San Antonio branch of AFGD Glass, Inc.
was established in 1986.
“As a wholesale glass supplier,” reported sales consultant
David Shaw, “we remain diversified within the commercial and
residential sectors. We distribute
stock sheets of glass; we fabricate insulated units; we sell
brand name shower doors, mirrors and distribute tempered
glass.”
AFGD’s customers include glass
shops, door manufacturers and window
manufacturers. With many of his competitors offering similar types of products,
David said the single-most important factor affecting the way his company does
business is service.
“Without a doubt,” he began, “excelling in our ability to deliver the correct
product, intact, and on time to our customers is paramount. It is our goal to partner
with our customers, which may involve
networking with them to give them the best
product available for a specific job, or to
be engaged during the quote stage. We want
to make it as easy as possible for customers to buy from us. In order to keep up with
the competition and get our share of the
market, service is a vital part of the equation.”
Asked how business has changed over
the last year, David said the events of Sept.
11, 2001, caused tremors throughout the
industry. “In general,” he confirmed, “the
residential market remained steady, until
recently. Although the commercial backlog
took a big hit, we’re seeing it rebound and
getting stronger these days.”
Forecasting into 2003,
David said the big change
would involve overcoming the
complexities of SB5. “As a
glass supplier, the window
glass we’re supplying to
resellers will have to be in
compliance with the mandates
of the bill. On new construction, or remodels, where a
building permit is issued, they
have to meet code with an insulated unit
and probably Low E glass. With customers
buying higher priced product from us, our
bottom line should increase accordingly.
It’s a win-win situation for the supplier, the
reseller and the consumer. After a higher
initial expense, the difference will be seen
in lower utility bills.”
Manpower and a qualified workforce
remain an ongoing challenge for the glass
supplier. “This is an industry whose labor
force must be willing to work and learn a
trade,” David explained. “We operate on a
thin margin in order to increase wages and
benefits, attract a dependable workforce, and
keep good employees once we have them.”
To improve the professionalism of the
glass industry, David suggests initiating a
certification program. “As it stands today,
anyone can open a glass shop under a dba
through the county clerk. They aren’t required to prove that they know safety regulations, installation techniques, performance of glass, or proof of financial stability. It’s a safety issue and a consumer
issue. Even a barber has to have a license
to cut your hair. A glass company in business for about 10 years could be
grandfathered. But, younger companies
should be tested on their knowledge and
financial stability before they could become
a certified glass shop. . If glass companies
were certified, I think it would improve
safety, knowledge of law, knowledge of
products, and fortify the respectability of
the glass industry. Certification will help
protect the glass companies and the consumer.”
D
eeply rooted in the glass and glazing business established by his father in 1948, Bill Morris, Jr. is the president of San
Antonio-based Arrowall Company, which engineers, manufactures and installs aluminum
and glass wall systems.
Since its inception,
Arrowall Company has performed work in San Antonio,
Houston, Austin, the Valley, and
has recently entered the Dallas
market. Presently, the company employs
around 130 production, office and field personnel.
Arrowall’s portfolio includes a mix of
significant commercial and institutional
projects, engaging in major applications of
curtainwall systems on glass buildings.
Through trial, error, and constant improvement of previous methodologies, Bill
helped lead the company in the design and
manufacturing its own unitized wall systems. Once assembled and glazed, they are
transported to each project destination, and
installed.
San Antonio Construction News asked
Bill to discuss his greatest concern regarding the state of the today’s economy.
“In my opinion,” Bill reflected, “the
single-most important factor affecting the
economics of our industry, and almost any
business for that matter, is the increasing
threat of frivolous lawsuits. Having to look
at everything one does, from a 360 degree
perspective, to detect even the slightest vulnerability, has reached beyond the limits of
reason. Through discussions with my peers,
whether a situation originates with leaky wall
systems, mold issues, or workman’s comp
claims, the possibility of potential lawsuits
haunts most businessmen. As
insurance costs are skyrocketing, carriers are reducing or excluding certain coverage. We
live in a litigious society today,
and in many cases, the handful
of people who get rich off of
these awards are doing so at the
expense of the rest of the population.”
Asked to comment on
the comparison of business today with one
SB5 and “mold” issues affect industry in different ways
Editors note: Depending on who you talk
to in the glass industry, the mandates of
Senate Bill 5 may or may not affect them.
As the following glass shop owners reveal
their thoughts about “mold” issues, other
concerns also surfaced.
A
n enterprising woman, who was “a
friend of the family,” bought the
family business from her best
friend’s parents. Jennifer Johnson is now
the president/owner of Quality Glass &
Glazing, which was founded in 1977. Still
operating from one San Antonio location,
the company has a staff of five and performs
the bulk of its work throughout Bexar
County.
Equally focused on the commercial and
residential sectors, including multi-family
dwellings, the glass shop is involved in new
construction and remodeling projects.
Construction News asked
Jennifer how she expects her
business will be affected, if at
all, by SB5.
“From what I understand
about SB5, to follow those
guidelines you need to have a
permit pulled, so I anticipate
some changes within the commercial scope of our work,”
she stated. “For one, the glazing will be a little more expensive in order
to meet the requirements. However, the predicted savings on energy costs will help
compensate for those higher initial costs.
On the residential side, it won’t affect us
because we do re-glazing, glass replacement in existing windows, and in those
cases, we don’t have to pull a permit.”
Despite the growing concerns about
mold infestations, Jennifer said Quality
Glass hasn’t run across any mold incidences
on the commercial side.
“On a commercial storefront, the glass
is framed with heavy metal, and carefully
sealed against potential leaks. It’s a credit to
my installation team that their work has
never resulted in a residual mold problem.
The only time we’ve seen mold problems is
when we’re re-glazing a residential shower
that was in a bathroom infected with mold.”
During the past year, Jennifer said business has remained steady, with a routine
flow of activity. “We’ve had the same loyal
customers year after year, and have grown
about 30 percent over the last seven years.
Glass and mirrors are a commodity that
people need, and our customers know they
can rely on us.”
Without hesitation, Jennifer said
workman’s compensation insurance is the
greatest obstacle facing her company. “A
couple of years ago, one of my
glaziers was injured, not badly,
but the claim came to about
$20,000. My insurance company dropped me and I had to
go into the worker’s comp pool,
where my annual rate quadrupled. That eats into the bottom line, but I can’t close down
and walk away. Still, it’s the
small business owner’s nightmare.”
Would Jennifer change any aspect of
the glass industry if she could? With absolute certainty, she would like to see a formal training process for glaziers. “There
aren’t any schools, accreditation or certification processes at this time and I think the
glass and glazing industry would be better
served if those were put in place. As it
stands,” Jennifer concluded, “new glaziers
learn from whoever is on hand to teach
them, and they may not be learning the best
or safest techniques.”
H
is last name is almost legendary in
the local glass and glazing industry. Danny Baertich, Jr. is the
president/owner of Dan’s Glass Company,
Inc., a family-owned business. The 21-year
old company operates from one location,
employs 22 personnel, and conducts business throughout South Texas.
Comprised of two divisions, Danny
handles the commercial side of the business, while brother Darren controls the residential side. The commercial work focuses
on new construction, involving primarily
office buildings and schools.
Construction News asked
Danny to discuss his take on the
ramifications of SB5, and he
began his discourse by saying
it’s going to depend on how the
City of San Antonio interprets
and enforces the bill.
“In my opinion, SB5 will
benefit all the glass companies.
The market will require more
expensive insulated glass units on new construction projects, which will result in a
more level playing field within our industry. It will be interesting to see how the enforcement unfolds, however. Some people
are already trying to find ways to get around
it. Due to the lack of specificity with the
text of SB5 itself, architect-driven glazing
specifications may remain open to interpretation.”
Since Danny does a significant amount
of work in towns outside of the metropolitan attainment area, his concern is heightened. “On out-of-town jobs,” he explained,
“when the specifications don’t necessarily
meet the mandates of the SB5, I submit two
bids. The one they want, and the one that
meets code, just to protect myself.”
Serious wet weather conditions in our
region have contributed to the pariah that
is commonly referred to as the “mold issue.” Whereas we used to get seasonal
showers, now we’re being inundated with
15-20+ inches during the course of one
weather event. Danny explained that the
average commercial glazing systems aren’t
tested to meet these severe conditions.
“In this region,” he added, “the flush
glaze system is dominant, and has been for
years. It’s basically the least expensive
storefront you can install in a building. The
installation involves a wedge
of vinyl that’s pushed in between the glass and the metal.
For the most part, it withstands
moderate rain conditions,
which we typically have had.
However, it will not withstand
the severe weather we’ve experienced this decade. They
are going to leak, period. It’s
a problem now, and it’s going
to continue to be a problem
down the road. In my opinion, the flush
glaze systems need to be scrapped and replaced with curtainwall systems, the best
glazing system out there as far as withstanding severe weather. If architects will specify
glazing systems to meet a new standard,
we’ll see flush glaze systems go away.”
He also attributed fast-track construction schedules as part of the mold phenomenon, saying potential problems can be prevented if workers, supervisors and inspectors have the time to pay attention to details. “Everybody needs to slow down, and
Glass & Glazing
F O C U S
Page 12
continued from Page 11 - Economic challenges evoke business adjustments
year ago, keeping in mind the economic
slump resulting from the events of Sept. 11,
2001, Bill clarified the situational circumstances as they apply to his business niche.
“On large projects our involvement
typically begins six months prior to breaking ground, during the engineering phase.
Utilizing that time frame, it’s usually another six months before our people are
mobilizing on the job site. The large work
that is underway right now was started before 9-11. The question is; do we anticipate a fall-off next year? Absolutely.”
Arrowall has been deeply involved in
high-rise office building projects, which
compete with the recently completed expansion project for Enron in Houston. As
it neared completion, the Enron Corporation unraveled, leaving in its wake almost
two million sf of available downtown office space in Houston.
“Until that space is occupied,” Bill added,
“new construction projects are on-hold. There
will always be a few smaller projects, and we
hope to get our fair share of them.”
As Senate Bill 5 is implemented, it is
Bill’s opinion that monolithic glass will be
removed from the equation, thus improving the industry overall.
“Obviously, insulated Low glass units
will elevate our costs, and in turn, will be
sold at higher prices. Glass companies will
be making more money for the same amount
of work they were doing one year ago, because the glass will be more expensive. I
view the legislation as a positive step,” Bill
resolved, “not only from a glazing perspective, but also as an individual who is concerned about energy conservation.”
N
o stranger to the glass industry,
Karen Horton is one of the owners of The Window Works Company, located in northeast San Antonio. The
16-year old company employs five personnel and focuses on the residential sector,
including the retail public, real estate
agents, and remodeling contractors.
The scope of her company’s work in-
Commercial Storefronts
Biela
Glass &
Aluminum Prod., Inc.
Commercial Windows
Glass Replacements
Door Repair
Replacement Windows
Give us a call today!
210-333-8040 Fax 210-337-2723
5585 Hwy 87 E.
Storm Windows
Shower Doors
Mirrors
San Antonio,Texas 7822 2
cludes the remodel and repair of existing
windows, installation of new replacement
windows, insulated glass, screens, shower
enclosures and mirrors. “We also specialize in locating parts that are considered difficult to find,” Karen noted. “We are diversified in order to stay busy all the time. It’s
a challenge to keep up with all the different aspects of our business, but the myriad
of products and services we offer generates
activity year-around.”
As the owner of a small business,
Karen said worker’s comp insurance is a huge burden. “The
cost is skyrocketing; even verging on the outrageous. For
companies which have never
had any claims at all, it still presents an enormous bite out of a
company’s bottom line.”
To help keep costs down,
Karen is very safety-oriented,
providing her employees with
the standard glass industry
safety gear, including protective eyewear,
masks, glass gloves, and other gear to keep
workers from injuring themselves. “That’s
why we’ve been really lucky,” she explained, “in that we’ve avoided any major
claims. We preach to our employees about
the necessity of observing safe handling of
all glass products, for their own sake.”
Among the greatest challenges facing
her glass/window company is the acquisition and retention of skilled workers. “Finding people who want to work, who will
work diligently, who will take pride in their
work and care about what they do is an inherent problem within our industry. I’m not
alone in this; I hear similar comments from
the competition as well. I don’t know what
the remedy might be.”
With overall sales down slightly from
this time last year, Karen remains optimistic about the future. “Considering the hit
other industries have taken, I personally
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2002
don’t see a big difference. Although this
fiscal year started off sluggishly, August
was an excellent month. People appear to
be doing more in the latter part of the year
than they did in the first six months of this
year. I think 2003 will be a good year as
well, as long as the country remains stable.
I believe low interest rates are stimulating
homeowners to upgrade and remodel their
own homes.”
Asked what aspect of the glass industry she would change if she had the opportunity, Karen spoke about the
need for consumer awareness.
“Unfortunately, there are
many fly-by-night glass and
window companies that enter
and leave this market. It’s ultimately the responsibility of
the consumer to evaluate the
reputation of the company
they’re hiring to do work in
their home. They might save a
few dollars in the beginning,
but in the long run, it ends up costing them
more if they need warranty work and the
company they hired has left town. Companies who have been established a long time
offer the best service. On the other hand,
how would good-intentioned small companies get a start? We were all in that position at one time too. I guess the marketplace weeds out the weak ones in the end.”
Karen said she’s hopeful that the San
Antonio Glass Association will help educate consumers about good hiring practices,
how to select a reliable contractor, and how
to avoid the pitfalls.
“We need to find a forum,” Karen concluded, “write highly visible articles, speak
to or send newsletters to homeowner association groups, and encourage glass companies to become involved in the dispersion of reliable information.”
continued from Page 11 - SB5 and “mold” issues affect industry in different ways
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exercise the craftsmanship they’re capable
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In conclusion, Danny called on the
glass and glazing industry to raise pricing
standards in order to attract good production and field employees who can enjoy a
better standard of living. “Only people can
build buildings,” he reminded us, “and
throughout the construction industry, the
labor pool is becoming smaller and smaller.
The level of competition, which we have
created, prevents us from having the ability to pay higher than average wages. How
can we expect to have long-term, loyal,
skilled employees if we can’t afford to give
them a decent income?”
1920 Shipman
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National Fenestration
Rating Council
veteran of the glass industry for
almost 30 years, Robert “Chico”
Perales is the vice president of
Complete Line Glass Wholesalers.
Founded on Jan. 1st, 1987, the company
has three Texas locations in Houston, Arlington and San Antonio. The San Antonio
branch operates from one northeast location and employs 20
personnel.
Targeting the residential
sector, the glass wholesaler supplies mirrors, shower doors,
glass tabletops and insulated
glass to glazing subcontractors.
“If a glass contractor were
replacing an insulated glass unit
in a broken window, he would
buy the glass product from us,”
Chico explained.
In anticipation of changes to his business operations as a result of SB5, Chico said
he’s stocking more of the Low E glass units.
“However, we’re not running into any issues
relating to mold contamination, because we
don’t install windows, or go to job sites.
The greatest challenge facing his company continues to be the rising cost of liability insurance. “My controller keeps me
advised of the rates, which are continuously
climbing, through no fault of our own. I
guess it’s the nature of the industry right
now, and I would imagine 9-11 had a huge
impact on that.”
Although business has remained steady
for Complete Line over the last year, Chico
said finding skilled workers remains a tough
issue. “Prior to Sept. 11th, it was very hard
to find labor, period. It’s starting to get better, unemployment numbers are up, and that
helps open up the labor market.”
In an industry that doesn’t provide formal training to its labor force, it’s very hard
to find skilled tradesmen. “We basically have
to hire young people, who have graduated
from high school but don’t intend to go to
college. We train them ourselves, which is
costly, but, we don’t have any other resource.”
Chico said he would like to see a training program that would teach potential glaziers about high-tech glass products, system assembly methods and safe handling.
“It would be nice if one or two high schools
would provide, as a vocational elective,
some type of glass apprenticeship. I don’t
know what it would take to convince educators to help our industry in that
regard, but it would enable us to
tap a source of semi-skilled
workers.”
In our free society, anyone can throw a glass rack on
their truck and announce they’re
in the glass business. “Our industry is not licensed,” Chico
confirmed, “and, as a wholesaler, I can’t hold customers accountable for their activities. I’m
very careful about what I sell to unfamiliar
customers, and we try to ask questions, but
once the glass leaves our control we can’t
track its destination or purpose. Most of our
customers we’ve known for many years,
and of those, some are small, with only a
rack on the back of their truck. But, that’s
how they make their living, and we know
they’re here to stay.”
Having started out as a glass contractor, Chico enjoys the wholesale end much
better. “We sell and deliver our product, get
paid, and move on to the next order.”
F O C U S
RV
S SUUR
VEEY Y
This month we are highlighting the Glass & Glazing Industry.
The response was 09%.
60% considered their firm “small” with less than $2 million in sales.
20% considered their firm “medium” with $2 - $5 million in sales.
20% considered their firm “large” with $5+ million in sales.
Page 13
SENATE BILL 5 ISSUES:
SB 5 guidelines have changed the way we do business: .......... 00
We only sell NFRC-rated glazing products: ............................... 00
Low-E coatings and gas-fill products are in demand: ................ 00
Selling high-performance glazing products improves our bottom
line: .............................................................................. 00
25 50 00 25
00 50 25 25
75 25 00 00
25 50 00 25
MATERIALS / SUPPLIERS
0 firms were involved in a lawsuit in the last 12 months.
0 firms were audited by the IRS in the last 12 months.
2 firms are woman or minority owned.
1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Neutral 4 = Disagree
Glass & Glazing Industry
5 = Strongly Disagree
Reps are showing more high-tech glass products: .................... 25
Cost of materials and supplies is increasing: ............................. 20
Material delays have adversely affected our operations: ........... 20
Quality of delivered materials is better than ever: ...................... 00
We find the Internet to be a valuable source of competitor’s
information: ................................................................... 20
25
60
20
00
50
20
40
20
00
00
20
60
00
00
00
20
00 60 00 20
Results are measured in percentages
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
PERSONNEL
Computer security is a top priority these days: .......................... 00 20 60 00 20
A menacing virus infected our system this year: ........................ 20 20 00 00 60
For convenience, product orders can be generated online: ....... 00 20 20 20 40
1
Our company employs a full-time human resources position: ... 25
We pay for our employees’ health coverage: ............................. 60
Current workload requires overtime for our employees: ............ 40
Scarcity of skilled workers requires intense in-house training: .. 20
2
3
4
5
00
20
20
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00
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The bulk of our sales involve new construction projects: ........... 60
The bulk of our sales involve retrofit/replacement projects: ....... 40
The economic slowdown hasn’t affected our overall sales: ....... 20
Higher insurance costs are result of increased exposure to
liabilities: ....................................................................... 20
Making a reasonable profit is tougher than one year ago: ......... 40
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PERSONAL
MOLD ISSUES
Faulty glazing installations prompt possibility of mold
contamination: .............................................................. 00
Residential glazing applications more likely to produce mold
problems: ...................................................................... 00
Commercial glazing applications more likely to produce mold
problems: ...................................................................... 00
Fear of mold-related recriminations have altered our normal
operations: .................................................................... 00
Cost of business insurance has risen substantially due to mold
issues: ......................................................................... 50
Next
Month in
Nov. 2002 Issue
Exterior Finish
Construction
Masonry Contractors
Masonry & Brick
Material Suppliers
ECONOMIC ISSUES
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Business demands have reduced time with my family: ............. 20
Affiliation with professional associations improves our
credibility: ..................................................................... 20
I still have time to play. ............................................................... 00
I generally work on Saturdays: ................................................... 00
I would rather win the lottery than work for a living: ................... 40
GLASS
SERVICE
INCORPORATED
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6737 POSS ROAD
210–520–7803
Fax 210–520–1230
Introducing our Glass Block Division
Manufacturers of
Vinyl Framed “Glass Block Units”
Prefabricated Glass Block
Windows that install like
conventional windows
Sign people
Granite & Marble Contractors
Granite & Marble Suppliers
Any company that supplies
materials for exterior
finishes
Represent your
industry
Call for space
reservations
(512) 447-2900
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Mortar and Accessories
Available through our Showroom,
Now Featuring A Glass Block
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Specializing in Commercial and Residential
Glass Block Installations
Look for our ad on Page 839 in your
Glass & Glazing
F O C U S
Page 14
What you need to know about
Texas Senate Bill 5
SAGA: San Antonio
Glass Association
O
ne year ago, when San Antonio
Construction News first featured
the glass and glazing industry in the
October 2001 Focus Section, we learned that
a new association was forming.
The San Antonio Glass Association is
in full swing now, and its mission is to serve
the needs of the owners and operators of
independent glass companies. The neophyte association’s members include glass/
glazing suppliers, contractors, manufacturers and retailers.
According to president Alan Sharp,
Sharp Glass, the association’s goals include
expanding the level of knowledge, within
architectural, general contracting and subcontracting elements, on the complexities of
technical installations and product offerings.
“We also feel it’s important to break
down the barriers that exist in the glazing
market by building relationships between
glass companies,” Alan noted. “As well,
group representation is needed to improve
the knowledge of codes and contracts.”
During the first year, members have invited knowledgeable persons to discuss the
controversial issues surrounding Senate Bill 5
and contract protection, among others.
BIG EVENT?
Let us know. Story ideas and news releases can be faxed
to the Construction News at (210) 308-5960
Commercial Division Covering South Texas
• Store Fronts
• Glass Doors
• Curtain Walls
• Commercial Windows
Off: 210.648.7293
Fax: 210.648.1103
T
he passage of Senate Bill 5 (SB5)
by the 77th Texas Legislature introduced a sweeping change in the
state’s approach to clean air and energy efficiency. The bill was enacted in 2001 to
assist the state in complying with the federal Clean Air Act and contains new energy-efficiency measures for buildings that
are designed to decrease energy consumption while improving air quality.
As per Sec.388.003, all Texas counties must adopt:
1. Energy efficiency chapter of International Residential Code for single-family
residential construction.
2. International Energy Conservation
Code (IECC) 2000 for all other residential, commercial, and industrial construction.
As per Sec. 388.005, political subdivisions in 38 affected counties shall:
1. Establish a goal to reduce electric consumption by 5%/year for five years beginning Jan. 1, 2002.
2. Implement all cost effective energy
efficiency measures in existing facilities to
reduce consumption.
3. Report to the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) annually regarding efforts and progress, and, if goal not met, provide justification that all available measures
have been implemented.
Who must comply?
All counties in Texas must implement
the new energy codes. The Texas Energy
Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M Uni-
Mobile: 210.912.4935
Dan’s Glass Inc. 8865 Kirkner Road • San Antonio, Texas
It rained birdies and eagles at Pecan Valley
E
ven with weather more appropriate
for a duck hunt than a golf tournament, member-players donned their
rain jackets and umbrellas for the Associated Builders and Contractors Fall Golf
Tournament at Pecan Valley Golf Course
on a drizzly Sept. 16th afternoon.
Overcast clouds and rain did not
dampen the spirits of participants who were
greeted with goody bags that included folding lawn chairs, courtesy of ABC.
Once the shotgun start was signaled,
players quickly shook off the wetness and
got down to business. The sold out event
produced a number of birdies, a few eagles,
but no holes in one. Thanks to the generous support of the South Texas Chapter
membership, everyone had a great time at
the Pecan Valley Golf course. Les Maxey,
L&M Steel, won the “split the pot” raffle.
This year’s winning teams included:
1st Place: Bryan Moore and Michael
Wiebracht, Insurance & Bonds; Steve
Schuetze and Keith Holm, Metropolitan
Contracting Company; and Dave Sanchez,
HEB.
2nd Place: Dennis Terrell, Alamo Air Conditioning; David Breda, Clark Fasher, and
Eddie Daly, Affirmed General Contractors.
3rd Place: Dewitt Carns, Kennedy Wire,
Rope & Sling; Tom Ebarb, Ken McCarty
and Ben Davis, Beck Ready Mix and Landfill.
Other winners included:
Closest to the Pin #3:
Keith Holm, Metropolitan Contracting
Company.
Closest to the Pin # 7:
Ben Davis, Beck
Ready Mix & Landfill, used a driver on
the 199-yard par 3.
Closest to the Pin
#12: Ken Hodges,
Tradesman International.
Closest to the Pin #
16: Robert Huffnagl,
Bexar Electric Company.
Longest Drive: David Dahse, SMI–Texas.
Straightest Drive: Richard Ortiz, Vincent
T. Garza Contracting Services, Inc.
ABC thanks its 46 sponsors, through
whose generosity and participation the
tournament was a tremendous success.
versity System is assisting with code implementation. Their toll-free number is 1-877AnM-Code (266-2633).
All political subdivisions in 38 counties must comply with the energy reduction
requirement. The latter applies to those
counties with the highest levels of air pollution and affects more than 70 percent of
Texas’ population. A political subdivision
is defined as an affected county or political
subdivision other than a school district in a
non-attainment area or affected county.
How do you define “energy-efficiency
measures”?
Energy-efficiency measures are defined as, any facility modifications or
changes in operations that reduce energy
consumption. They include, but are not limited to:
1. Installation of insulation and high-efficiency windows and doors.
2. Modification or replacement of HVAC
systems, lighting fixtures and electrical systems.
3. Installation of automatic energy control
systems.
4. Installation of energy recovery systems
or renewable energy generation equipment.
5. Replacement of street and traffic lighting.
6. Building commissioning.
7. Development of energy efficient procurement specifications.
8. Employee awareness campaigns.
Source: Metropolitan Partnership for Energy.
HGTV to
feature local
architect’s work
P
ut your feet up and tune in to
the Home & Garden Television (HGTV) station during
the month of October to see the
work of five prestigious members of
American Institute of Architects
San Antonio Chapter (AIA).
The five consecutive Saturday “air”
dates are as follows:
Sat. Oct. 5: The home of Diane &
Bill Hays, by architect Diane Hays,
AIA.
Sat. Oct. 12: The Daniels home,
by architect Michael G. Imber,
AIA.
Sat. Oct. 19: The Simonites home,
by architect Stephen Colley, AIA.
L-R: Kenneth Moore, KCM Cabinets; Ed Allan, H&E HiLift; and DeWitt Bebout, Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling.
Sat. Oct. 26: The Kathy Kich home,
Jeff Langham, project manager,
Sprinkle Robey Architects.
Sat. Nov. 2: The Ann Wells home,
by architect Kenneth Martin
Graves, AIA.
Trick
or
Treat!!
L-R: Steve Kellingsworth, Baker Drywall; Andy Carol
Armstrong and Everett Read, Hill Country Materials;
and Emelio Postel, Baker Drywall.
L-R: Dennis Gottschalk, Wetmore Electric; Brian
Baumann, SouthTrust Bank; Greg Kanning, Dumas
Hardware; and Chris Human, SouthTrust Bank.
Old Timer’s Corner
By Jane Day Loter
B
orn on Oct. 8, 1922, Cosmo Frank
Guido, Chairman of the Board of
Guido Brothers Construction
Company, celebrates his 80th birthday this
month. I spoke with the well-respected general contractor, who continues to help reshape the San Antonio skyline, about days
gone by. Cosmo’s reverie began with a
glimpse at the life and times of his grandfather, for whom he was named, and his
father, Louis Lorelli Guido.
“Grandfather Guido was a coal miner,
and he used to come to America periodically to work in the mines. He’d make a
little money, go back to Italy and spend it
all. In 1913, my grandfather brought my
father to America, who at age 15, was a fullfledged carpenter.
“In the old days, at least in Italy, a
man’s sons would apprentice with a tradesman to learn a skill. My dad trained under
a carpenter, and he became a very proficient finish carpenter. In fact,” Cosmo mentioned with a note of pride, “we have a
bunch of his hand-made tools on display at
our office.”
The twosome traveled to Pennsylvania,
only to find the coal mine had closed. They
hopped a train and headed west.
“Grandfather got a job at a coal mine in
Morenci, Arizona,” Cosmo explained. “He
asked in the shop if they needed a good carpenter, and they hired my dad, too. After a
year, Grandfather was ready to go back to
Italy, but my dad decided to stay in America.”
When WWI broke out, Cosmo’s 19year-old immigrant father joined the U.S.
Army. He landed in France on Armistice
Day, Nov. 11, 1917, and fortunately was
spared the trials of battle.
“Dad returned to Morenci and married
my mother, Florence Sirianni, in 1920,”
Cosmo continued. “My sister, Dora, was
born in Morenci. When the mine closed in
1921, Dad needed a job. My mother wrote
to her aunt in San Antonio, asking if she
knew anyone who would hire an experienced carpenter. She contacted an Italian
fellow by the name of Zotarelli, who used
to build houses on the west side, and he
hired my dad, who carried his toolbox on a
bicycle. Later, Dad sent for my mother and
sister, and I was born in 1922, in our home
on Travis Street. I also have a younger
brother and sister, Louis, Jr. and Virginia.”
Under the name of Louis L. Guido
Contractor, Cosmo’s father started a small
general contracting company, which he
operated from their family home, then located on Martin Street. Cosmo said he
started working with his father from the
time he was knee high to nothing.
“One of the summer jobs I remember
very vividly, when I was 12 or 13 years old,
was the Sacred Heart Church in Floresville.
Because it was so far away, dad rented a
small house one block from the job. About
seven of us would leave San Antonio early
Monday mornings, in dad’s Model A Ford
pickup. We worked on the church renovation 9 hours a day for 4 days, 5 hours on
Friday, and at noon, we’d return to the city.
During the week we lived there, we cooked
and ate there, and we did our own dishes.”
When the same Floresville church later
decided to build a school, Cosmo’s father
was awarded the bid. The school was built
of wood, and in those days, there weren’t
any nail guns, skill saws or power tools. “It
took brute strength to hammer a building
S
UMMIT Electric
Supply ran an exciting 3-month “Leader of
the Pack” Promotion,
which culminated in the
Grand ATV Giveaway
Event. Kyle Ross, Ross
Electric, and Roland
Ornelaz, Lanehart Electric, are each the proud
owner of a brand new
2003 Kawasaki Bayou
250 ATV, plus a trailer to
haul it on.
together, so Dad hired Reg Nunnelly to
help him. He was a great big man who could
sling a hammer like no one else, and he was
known as one of the best.”
In his youth, Cosmo attended Bowie
Elementary, Washington Irving Jr. High,
and Thomas Jefferson High School. He said
he really learned his multiplication tables
by working on construction estimates.
“I liked math, and I would help figure
cubic yards of concrete or square feet of
form. Three of us always calculated, compared and confirmed the numbers, as a
check and balance system. The nearest
thing I had to a calculator was a slide rule.”
After high school, Cosmo headed to
Texas A&M, as a Civil Engineering major.
In addition to estimating and other basic
courses that apply to contracting, he walked
away as a pretty good surveyor. In 1943, as
a senior with only 9 hours remaining to
complete his degree, the U.S. Army interrupted Cosmo’s educational track with a
request that he report for duty.
One year earlier, in 1942, his father and
uncle, Frank Guido, formally established
Guido Brothers Construction Company,
reserving a partner position for Cosmo
when he was ready. In November of 1945,
he was honorably discharged.
In April 1946, Cosmo married
Antoinette “Toni” Varisco, of Bryan,
Texas. He then returned to A&M to complete his studies. In Jan. 1947, he rolled up
his sleeves and went to work for the family
business in earnest.
That spring, the partners opened up a
lumberyard, and Cosmo was charged with
running its daily operations. “I ran it from
1947 until 1955. In the meantime, my
uncle’s son, Gino Guido, came over from
Italy as a fifteen-year-old. He finished
school and came to work for the company
in the lumberyard. He picked up the business pretty fast, and, I later turned the lumber company over to him when I went back
to the construction side. Louis, Jr. graduated from Texas A&M in 1955, and he also
joined the company. “It was my dad, my
uncle, my brother, my cousin and I!”
St. Leo’s Catholic Church, on S.
Flores, was a memorable project for
Cosmo. “Our brick mason was working on
a wall about 60 or 70 ft long. Somehow, he
lost the course from one corner to another,
and the architect, Harvey P. Smith, was
the first to spot the error. He was real upset, and gave me the devil for not watching
it more closely. Of course, we had to tear
down the brick and repair the wall. I never
let a mistake like that slip by again!”
Different today from decades past, is
the structure of general contracting firms.
“We used to do all of our own concrete
forming,” Cosmo reported, “steel tying,
concrete pours, rough carpentry, framing
and finish carpentry work. We used to have
150 people on our payroll with three or four
jobs going at once.”
In the mid 1960’s, as Hemisfair ’68
was under development, Cosmo steered
clear from bidding on jobs related to the
grand event. He had read about the Seattle
World’s Fair, and about all of the contractors who had gone bust. He wanted nothing to do with it.
“In Jan. 1968, Frank Manupelli, the
head guy of Hemisfair, called and said he
was coming over to talk to me. It was a
dreary day, and for three hour’s he tried to
convince me to join in the final thrust toward completion, which had to be met by
April 8th. I didn’t need the work, I didn’t
want the work, I didn’t have the people, but
before he left, I acquiesced and said OK.
He assured me that I wouldn’t lose any
money on the job, and promised me a cost
and expenses plus 10 percent pay-off. There
were 14 or 15 projects that needed to be
done in three months, including paving and
ground-up construction.”
The Guido brothers went to work on
six or seven of the projects, and referred
Frank to some of the older, established contractors for the remaining projects.
“In March, he came back to me and
asked me to be the project manager, to ensure that this Fair opened on April 8th. He
said, ‘Cosmo, we can’t pay you any more,
because you’re one of the onsite contractors,
and it would be a conflict of interest.’ For
the great sum of $1, I became the project
coordinator, of my work and everyone else’s.
On April 8th, my brother and I finished
sweeping the last street at 8 o’clock in the
morning, after working all night. I went
home, took a shower, picked up my wife and
went back for the 10 am dedication.”
Cosmo had worked feverishly, and
when he tallied the bottom line, they owed
him $1.2 million. “I kept trying to get my
money from the Hemisfair ’68 organization, and in August, I got a call to attend a
meeting with all the creditors. My attorney
and I went to the meeting, and learned they
were going to pay us half in cash, and half
in tickets. As the largest creditor, I told them
I couldn’t accept those terms, that it would
just wreck me. I had to pay my subs, and
he said sorry, that’s the best we can do. I
was absolutely beside myself. To make a
long story short, Guido Brothers survived,
but we would probably be even bigger today if it hadn’t been for the event that
changed our city’s skyline forever.”
Uncle Frank died in 1968, and Louis
died in 1973. “That left my brother Louis,
Jr., cousin Gino and myself to run the company. Today, my two boys, Brazos and
Tommy, are in here, so I guess they’re the
third generation of brothers.”
Cosmo and Toni, who is one of the
youngest graduates in the history of Vassar
College, have four children, Brazos, Tom,
Florence and Antoinette, and 12 grandchildren.
SAMCA sizzles at Clays/BBQ competition
T
he masonry brotherhood gathered together on one of the hottest days of
summer as shotgun reports crackled across the not-so-calm countryside at
Cedar Ridge Range and outdoor chefs
busied themselves at their smoking pits.
Competing for top honors at the San
Antonio
Masonry
Contractors
Association’s 7th Annual Sporting Clays
Tournament and 2nd Annual Bar-B-Q
Cook-off, hundreds of members and
guests endured the burning Texas sun and
century mark temperatures on Tues., Aug.
28th.
documented the festivities and enjoyed
the sights, including that of two “special”
Dennis Sutherland, Sam
Zamora, and Arturo
Perez, G.D. Interiors.
Brisket Category:
1st Place: Frank Wisdom,
Mark Mueller, Dudley
Buttler, and Gault Robinson; Joeris General
Contractors.
2nd Place: The Beef tenders; Bobby Wolfshohl,
Robert Wolfshohl, Terry
Wiley and Glenn Reus.
Best Showmanship: Beeftenders.
Nathan, Michael, Curtis, and Buster made up the Curtis
Hunt Restorations shooting team.
judges from Hooters, who
assisted their male counterparts in the difficult task at
hand.
Competitors from Bartlett-Cocke General Contractors
take a break from the heat and shooting during rounds
at the SAMCA Skeet Shoot.
visit our
web site at
2nd Annual Bar-B-Q cookoff winners:
Wild Game Category:
1st place: Smokin’ Barrels
feral hog; Charlie Gallagher, Frank Gallagher,
Jack Marrow, and Alfonso
Pena, Century Maintenance Supply.
Chicken Category:
1st Place: Smokin’ Barrels.
2nd Place: The G.D.I.
team; Gary Sutherland,
7th Annual Sporting Clay
Tournament winners:
Category A:
1st place: Billy Canavan, Wm. Canavan
Companies.
2nd place: David Mangan, Concrete
Pumps of Texas.
3rd place: Foy Osburn, F.O. Foundations.
Category B:
1st place: James Gohlke, Lehigh Portland Cement.
2nd place: Roger Vasquez, R. Vasquez
Masonry.
3rd place: Frank Gallagher, Century
Maintenance Supply.
Category C:
1st place: Jack Marrow, Century Maintenance Supply.
2nd place: Sean Moran, Guido Broth-
Beeftenders cooking team of Robert
Wolfshohl, Bobby Wolfshohl, and Terry
Wiley of Elite Masonry.
ers Construction Co.
3rd place: Ray Weldon, Joeris General
Contractors.
Category D:
1st place: Curtis Hunt IV, Curtis Hunt
Restorations.
2nd place: Tom Guido, Guido Brothers
Construction Co.
3rd place: Tony Helms, Custom Masonry.
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Mail to: San Antonio Construction News • P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279
Quail enthusiasts raise funds
for scholarships
F
or the second year, Alzafar Shrine
Temple hosted the 2nd Annual
Alamo Area Quail Unlimited Banquet on Thurs., Aug. 29th. Approximately
500 jovial members and their guests, who
enjoyed a plethora of mouth-watering divinations created and catered by Black Tie
Affair, attended the evening event. A punctual group, by 6 pm the place was packed
and more were arriving! Many construction companies could be counted among
the fun-loving and conservation-minded
throngs.
Last year marked the first
time the Alamo Area chapter
was ranked 4th by the national
organization in dollars raised
through the banquet venue. At
press time, the amount raised in
this year’s event was not available.
During the spirited “Live
Auction,” a highlight of the festivities, 44 auction items were
placed for bid, from guided
hunts for 10, to a pearl necklace
Hooker Contracting Company guys, anxious to
for the “honey,”
support the cause.
who is often left
behind. On the raffle scene, techniques, educate the public about the
Jimmy Hasslocher, Fron- benefits of wildlife habitat management
tier Enterprises, traded a and conservation, and provide educational
$20 bill for a fully custom- opportunities for young people.
ized Jeep and a 6-dog
The funds raised on Aug. 29th will go
trailer. Oh, baby!
towards scholarships for students to beDedicated to raising come involved in the Bobwhite Brigade
funds to support programs, and Covey Kids, to support continuing
which increase and enhance quail research at the Caesar Kleberg Inthe habitat of quail, the stitute in South Texas, and to promote the
Alamo Area Chapter of wise use of natural resources to enhance
Quail Unlimited strives to quail habitat.
United Tool & Fastener, Inc. men sporting bags
educate landowners about
full of freebies.
successful management
CCA Family
Festival set for
food, fun
H
elotes Festival Grounds will
be the site for the Coastal
Conservation Association’s
Family Festival, San Antonio Style,
on Sat., Oct. 5th from noon to 8 pm.
The event features displays by
CCA, Texas Parks & Wildlife and numerous other items of interest to the
industry. Visitors are invited to
browse through displays while enjoying live music by Fiddlin’ Frenchy
Burke with George Chambers and the
Country Gentlemen. Plenty of games
and activities are also scheduled to
entertain the entire family.
Cost is $10 for adults, ages 8-17
is $5 and children 7 and under are
free.
Construction, Inc.
development instead of bone
growth. Taking a buck before that
age usually means you have shot a
young deer with antlers that
haven’t had a chance to fully develop. Antlers, as a rule, continue
to improve each year through about
age 7-1/2 or 8-1/2, if a deer is allowed to live that long. Most
by John Jefferson
aren’t.
If the best deer you are seeing
has eight points and an inside
John Jefferson brings broad-based outdoor experience and travel to
Construction News’ outdoor page as its regular columnist. www.johnjefferson.com
spread of less than 14 inches,
though, you and the hunters around
All Photos taken by John Jefferson
you may be shooting too many
The thick neck merging into the well-defined
young bucks. Is the place you hunt
brisket, the sagging stomach and the old
producing any bucks that qualify
looking face say this is a mature buck.
for the Texas Big Game Awards?
If not, you may need to think about which one of these fine guides is a good practice.
By John Jefferson
Basically, look for a thick, muscled
deer you are shooting.
So, how do you tell a deer’s age by neck merging into a pronounced brisket.
he first buck most people shoot is they are now. If it had horns, somebody looking at it across the pasture? There are The legs often look a little short since it has
the first one that walks out in front shot at it. That was what was wrong with books and videos on the subject and Wild- lost the trim waistline of a young buck and
of their rifle. That’s the way it was Texas deer hunting then, and too much of life Enterprises (830-257-4538) markets a now has a full stomach. Its head and face
for me. Admittedly, I was a beginner and that persists today.
are also fuller than the slim head of a young
The buck-doe ratio has gotten
didn’t know much about deer hunting. In
deer. Macy Ledbetter, manager of the
fact, most deer hunters weren’t as savvy as a little better through the years, and
Daughtrey Wildlife Management Area in
hunters realize that a deer has to
South Texas, uses this standard: eight points
grow up if it is ever going to have
or better, antlers outside the ear tips, and
decent antlers. Instead of a little
dark antlers (as opposed to the light colored,
buck, most would now shoot a doe.
shiny antlers of a young buck). Mickey
They eat a lot better, and you’ll be
Hellickson, a game biologist on King
helping the habitat by reducing
Ranch, says to look for a belly sagging lower
deer numbers.
than the brisket.
Antler development is influAdmittedly, it’s hard to pass up a nice,
enced by three factors: genetics,
young eight-pointer if you think someone
nutrition and age. Genetics is comelse will shoot it if you don’t. Unless you
plicated science – takes a lot of The antlers are outside the ears, making this buck hard
are behind a high fence, the only solution is
to pass up, but the slim face & young, trim body
time and understanding. Nutrition
formation of a wildlife co-op. Co-ops have
indicate this is still a young deer, & perhaps one that
– what a deer gets to eat -- is conbeen successful in improving age structure
would make a better trophy with a little more age.
trolled by the weather and how
of area deer by pooling acreage and knowmany mouths there are to feed, although Field Guide for Buck Deer that contains five ing the guy on the other side of the fence
supplemental feeding can help through hard "flash cards" that can be carried in a hunt- has the same goals.
times. Age is the only factor, though, over ing coat pocket. They also sell an aging
Co-ops have grown from one or two in
which hunters have control. Hunters are the poster that we have at deer camp to stare at 1990 to over 100 today. For information on
ones who either pull the trigger, or let the in the, uh, reading room. Mark Matthews forming one, contact Mike Berger at (512)
deer pass unharmed to grow another year.
([email protected]) publishes Field 389-4395. JJ
A
deer
is
considered
mature
at
age
four.
Guide to Aging Whitetails. Studying deer
With antlers well outside its ears & a
thick neck, this is a mature buck,
That’s when protein intake goes to antler in state parks or at your lease this fall with
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUCK
T
INTERIOR
DEMOLITION
STEVE SCHULTZ GUIDE SERVICE
ASBESTOS &
LEAD PAINT
REMOVAL
MALLS
HOSPITALS
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INSULATION
12019 Starcrest
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SPECLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER
FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS
MOLD
REMEDIATION
(361) 949-7359
OFFICE (210) 599-6528
FAX (210) 599-2824
1992 - 2002
10 Y E A R S
www.baffinbaycharters.com
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Don’t count out winter fishing
Capt. Steve Schultz - Baffin Bay Charters
S
o many people put away their rods fort of the deeper water. Deep enough to
and reels in the winter. If you like to keep them from being stranded on the shalfish, you are really missing out. Yes, low flat and deep enough to insulate them
sometimes it’s cold and the fish can be hard from the harsh temperatures above. Deep
to find. But the cold never stopped you is a relative term. It could mean as little as
from sitting in a deer stand for hours or a couple of feet or up to 12 feet. The seversloshing through a marsh to put out decoys ity of a front should be taken into considerfor an early morning duck hunt.
Dress appropriately for the
weather, learn the differences between warm and cold weather fishing and go give it a try.
Last year we had a very mild
winter and the fishing never really
even slowed down. At times, it
was even great. In October and
November, we had several days
with limits. We found fish in areas that usually don’t turn on until
March or April. Who knows what
this winter has in store for us, but
one thing is for sure, unless it gets
extremely cold, the fish will stay
Collier Gwin of San Francisco, and his brother
around and they still have to eat.
Kelly of New York, had a great time fishing
with Capt. Steve Schultz.
As the old saying goes, to
catch fish you have to be at the right
place at the right time. Knowing the right ation. A moderate front might just move
time and place is the key. Weather condi- them into deeper hole in the bay, while a
tions and temperature have to be prime con- severe front may make them drop into deep
siderations. You definitely don’t want to be channels and guts, which contain soft mud.
out in the bay during a screaming north wind,
When fishing in cold conditions, you
but if you time your trips between fronts, must really slow down your retrieve. Bethe fishing can be great. When the north ing the cold-blooded creatures that they are,
wind blows and the temperature and tide lev- a cold stunned fish is not going to chase a
els are both falling, usually the fish will lure. Work your lure slow and close to the
move. Understanding these movements will bottom. Don’t expect to have the kind of
help you locate the fish.
strike like you would have during the
Both game fish and baitfish will retreat warmer months. The bite will feel like a
to deeper water when a ‘norther’ blows snag or maybe just like added weight or
through. They seek the security and com- pressure on the line. In these conditions, I
tell my customers two things; when in
doubt, set the hook, and if you are not hanging up or feeling the bottom, you’re fishing too fast.
My favorite bait for these conditions
is soft plastics like Gambler Flapp-n-Shad,
Bass Assassins or any other of the many
types of bait that resemble shad or shrimp.
Some of the colors I like to use during
colder months are plum/chartreuse tail; red
shad and red/white tail in murky water; and
pearl or day glow with chartreuse tail in
clearer water. Use a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. jig head
depending on the water depth you are fishing to get your lure to the bottom.
When wading this time of the year, I
will use a lot of mirr-O-lures and Corky’s,
and if it warms up enough I will try top
waters like the Top Dog and Super Spook.
Depending on how good of a warm up it is,
and how hungry the fish are, they can be
quite aggressive. Under these conditions,
you don’t have to work the lures as slowly.
Between fronts and during extended
warming spells, the fish will move back to
the flats and on occasion right up into the
shallow water. Shallow water warms faster
during sunny days and it is not uncommon
to find large trout sunning themselves in
very shallow water.
Cold water doesn’t seem to affect redfish like it does trout. If you can find them,
reds may hit any time of the day. Trout, on
the other hand, may wait for the water to
hit a certain temperature to turn on. This
means that on some occasions the best bite
many be late in the day.
If you would like to plan a fishing trip,
feel free to call me at 361-949-7359. Good
luck and Good Fishing.
Capt. Steve Schultz poses with a
nice Redfish caught on a recent
charter last month.
YOUTH HUNTING WEEKEND IS OCTOBER 26-27
T
ake a kid hunting and you won’t have
to hunt that kid. Trite, but probably
true. More and more data is showing that
kids with a sporting appreciation of firearms and an involvement in recreational
hunting just don’t get into the trouble that
others do. Here’s a chance to make an
investment in your kid’s future, and your
own good night’s sleep.
Kids 16 and younger (15 and younger
for waterfowl) can get a "head start" on the
deer, turkey and squirrel season a week before start of the regular firearms season.
Many leases encourage this to remove
does and spike bucks that regular hunters
pass up. This is really helpful in one-buck
counties where hunters are reluctant to
waste their tag on a spike. Kids will still
need the $6 "Special Hunting License" to
hunt deer and those ages 12-16 cannot hunt
without an accompanying adult unless they
have completed hunter education.
Check the TPW regulations for more
information. JJ
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Valerie Hull, Hull Doors of San Antonio,
played hookie on a Wednesday
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PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST
Trek to NW Territories
nets Caribou
Bart
Koontz
Conquers
Kalahari
Desert
W
ith visions of grizzlies, wolves
and wolverines in his daydreams, Steve Read, Horizon
Interior Systems, Inc., and his son Mark
Read, who works for an outfitter and hunting guide in Gunnison, CO, joined nine
others for an exciting week of hunting and
fishing.
Steve departed San Antonio on Wed.,
Aug. 28th, towards his final wilderness
destination, Courageous Lake, approximately 150 miles north of Yellowknife,
capital of Northwest Territory. Camped
between the 64th and 65th parallels, very
close to the Artic Circle, the adventurous
group enjoyed exceptionally clear weather,
with temperatures ranging from low lake
wind chills in the 20’s to highs in mid 50’s.
As a departure from his usual role as a
hunting guide, Mark simply enjoyed the
opportunity to be “just another hunter,”
relishing the amenities that go along with
that title. A college buddy of Steve’s put
the trip together.
Bart C. Koontz, of Koontz
McCombs Construction, with
leopard, 7 ft in length, taken with
7mm Remington Magnum.
Killed in the Central Kalahari
Desert in Botswana, Africa.
Bart C. Koontz poses
with his Kalahari
Spring Buck, also
taken in the Central
Kalahari Desert in
Botswana, Africa.
Serving San Antonio & South Texas since 1984
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23306 BLANCO ROAD
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78258
210-497-8121
FAX 210-497-7509
Mark Read hoists Courageous Lake giant!
On the afternoon of day two, the hunting began. Starting their 500-mile southern
migration toward the timberline, the
outdoorsmen pursued a massive herd of
Artic Caribou.
“We started out on boats every
morning, to scout game, then went
ashore for the hunt. I hunted with a
Ruger 270, and took my full-antlered
Caribou, weighing 350 lbs on-the-hoof,
on the second day, from a distance estimated at 275-yds. Mark was bow hunting, and took an animal of similar dimensions on the fourth day. We’re getting both of them mounted through my
son’s taxidermy contacts in Colorado.”
Steve also sighted grizzly bears and
wolves from a distance, and one of his
camp buddies sighted a pair of elusive
wolverines, known for their ferocity.
L-R: Mark and Steve Read pose on the
Steve learned that the pecking order of
tundra with Arctic Caribou.
predators around dead kill is wolverine,
“We fished for artic grayling and lake grizzly, and then wolf.
“It was a wonderful trip and truly extrout during the first day and a half,” Steve
reported. “We caught lake trout in the 20 ceeded our expectations,” Steve reflected.
to 30 lb range, although many are said to “My son and I had a wonderful time togrow to 70 lbs and are estimated to have a gether! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m glad we did it!”
lifespan of 150 years.”
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Southwest Exteriors honored
by ABC Supply
Greasing the
Sales Funnel
Can you train your prospects to buy from you
before they ever decide to sign on the dotted line?
You bet you can.
I
want to give you an analogy for selling
that may be helpful. Picture in your
mind an upside-down oil funnel. The
small end of the funnel is up toward
the sky. The big end faces the ground.
When your prospect places a call to your
office to inquire about your service, they
are hovering around the top of the
funnel, the little end. They are wondering
if they should dive into the funnel or just
“look” at it. When they place this initial call,
they are just sort of peeking
into the vast cavern known as the “sales
funnel”.
Your job is to get them to step into the
funnel and wander down the road to the big
end of the funnel where you will sell them
your goods and services. It is your job to
“grease the sales funnel” so it makes it
easier for your prospect to decide to buy
from you.
Here are my top five ways to grease
your sales funnel.
1. Offer something for free. It is the law
of reciprocity. People love to get something
for free. Most people will reciprocate your
kindness by at least having a conversation
with you about your product or service.
Offer a complimentary half hour of consulting, free estimates, free design service,
or a free subscription to your company
newsletter. Your offer doesn’t have to be
expensive, just something of reasonable
perceived value to the person hovering
around the small end of your sales funnel.
2. Ask visualization questions. Ask questions that create a picture in the mind of
your prospect. Since most people are visually-oriented, creating a picture in their
mind helps get them attached to you.
I
Paul Montelongo
3. Ask viewpoint questions. A viewpoint
question is one that asks your prospect for
their opinion. You want to gather information about what they may already know
about your product or service. The point is
to ask questions that get the prospect to
think about much more than the price of
your product. Get them to think in terms of
what the benefits are to them when they
invest in your product or service.
4. Get early commitments. Train your
prospect to make decisions very early in
the sales process. In the world of remodeling or contracting, getting your customers
to make decorating decisions is an effective way to grease the funnel. Also, having
your prospects educate themselves about all
of the financing options in the marketplace
will reduce the sticker shock
5. Prepare them to buy. Provide them
with a handout that clearly identifies “how
to choose a professional contractor”. List
as many ways as you can that match your
way of doing business and the ways that
segregate you from your competition. A
very good example of “how to choose a
professional contractor” is located on this
website from the Minnesota Department of
Commerce:
http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/pages/
Contractors/pdf/bldgcont.pdf
This is a free document.
Paul Montelongo is the author of “101
Power Strategies; Tools to Promote Yourself
as the Contractor of Choice”. Paul is a
nationally recognized speaker and consultant to the construction industry. Visit Paul
at www.ContractorOfChoice.com.
CPS plant ranks in top 5 in
national survey
n a gesture of sincere
acknowledgement, ABC Supply Company, Inc. presented
a Customer Appreciation Award to
long-time customer, Southwest
Exteriors, on Tues., Sept. 10th.
Scott Barr, president of
Southwest Exteriors, gratefully
accepted the award from ABC
Supply’s branch manager, Mike
Pauerstein, and Ivan McNab,
sales manager.
“We presented this Customer
Appreciation Award to Southwest L-R: Ivan McNab, Scott Barr and Mike Pauerstein.
Exteriors as an expression of gratitude to one of our top customers,” said Ivan ing the first James Hardie Preferred
McNab. “Scott is an outstanding person and Remodeler in San Antonio.”
Southwest Exteriors helped ABC build
a great role model in this industry. We value
his company’s unswerving loyalty, which up its siding business by being a leading
producer. “In turn,” Scott added, “the level
has endured over the past 12 years.”
The respected siding and window con- of service that we receive from ABC is
tractor started doing business with ABC above and beyond what you would expect.
Supply in 1990. “We purchase all of our They’ll bend over backwards to take care
James Hardie siding products from ABC,” of us.”
Scott said, “and we enjoy the honor of be-
When you Don’t use our Paint
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Sauer’s Paint & Supplies
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210-545-3880
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C
ity Public Service’s (CPS) Arthur
Von Rosenberg plant has been selected as one of the top five power
plants in the nation by Power magazine.
The survey looks at U.S. coal and oil/
gas-fired steam stations and simple-and
combined-cycle gas turbine plants, as well
as nuclear units worldwide. The survey
identifies those plants doing the best job of
managing operating costs, improving thermal efficiency and controlling emissions.
According to the survey, the Rosenberg
facility in San Antonio was among the top
five combined-cycle plants achieving the
highest efficiency in 2001.
CPS opened the Arthur Von Rosenberg
plant in 2000. The plant produces more
electricity with significantly less fuel than
previous plants, while maintaining emissions levels up to eight times lower than
the national average.
email: [email protected]
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Scotland?
own, without having to
VTH: It’s a very ancient country, but I lived build. We bought our curin East Kilbride, which was a newer sub- rent place, with 24,000 sf
urb outside of Glasgow. There was a slight of warehouse space, and
language adjustment, because the native did some interior finishpeople speak with a heavy brogue. The out to suit our needs and
people were wonderful, and they treated us continuing growth. It
so well.
used to be the Keebler
SACN: Did you travel throughout Europe? Cookie warehouse.
VTH: Yes, to Norway, England, Italy, and SACN: How many emSpain.
ployees do you have toHull Doors of
SACN: Do you and John have children?
day?
San Antonio, Inc.
VTH: Yes, our son Chris is 22, and he was VTH: Fourteen, and that
born in Houston, a couple years after John includes estimating, proand I returned from Scotland. Our daugh- duction, sales, and adEditor’s note: Located in the southern ter, Sarah, is nine and a half. It’s like being ministrative staff.
shadow of the Alamodome, Hull Doors of a mom twice, and I can assure you, little SACN: Does you son
San Antonio, Inc. is a woman-owned busi- girls are very different than little boys.
work here?
ness. Valerie T. Hull shares the ownership SACN: For the most part, were you a work- VTH: No, he’s a stuof the commercial supply company with her ing mom?
dent at Sul Ross Univerhusband, John Hull, without whom, she VTH: I stayed home with Chris for about sity in Alpine, Texas. He
affirmed, she would not be where she is two years, and then I went to work for a always wanted to be a
today!
gasket company. I love my children, but I firefighter; in fact, durdon’t like to stay home. I miss the people, ing his last semester of
SACN: Valerie, are you originally from the and I don’t like to be isolated.
high school he attended
San Antonio area?
SACN: Tell me a little bit about the Hull the Fire Academy at
VTH: My father, Harold Dunn, and my family.
Texas A&M. He’s done
mother, Mary Donald Dunn, were married VTH: John’s father was employed in the a lot of environmental
in Oklahoma in 1948. I was born in Tulsa, oil fields, but he wanted to buy a small busi- conservation work, has
Oklahoma, where my dad was a purchas- ness. There was a door supply company for worked as a firefighter
ing agent for Tennessee Gas. We moved to sale in Austin; in fact, John’s younger at Big Bend National
Houston when I was
brother Rick worked Park, and he is a certiabout five. Houston “In 1998, we were lying in bed at there. Dad bought the fied peace officer. He’d
was an oilman’s 10:30 am, and by noon our house company, and then he really like to be a game warden.
2000. But we are persistent, and we’ve been
dream in those days. was down the river, a result of the retired after about SACN: I suppose your 9 year old keeps very fortunate to work with good customSACN: Do you have
four years, leaving you hopping, right?
ers.
huge wall of rushing water.”
any brothers and sisHull Supply in Rick’s VTH: Yes, she’s a busy one, playing every SACN: To what do you owe the success of
ters?
capable hands.
sport there is. This is her time! She attends your marriage and working relationship?
VTH: I have one brother and two sisters. SACN: And when did you start this com- a private school in New Braunfels, where VTH: To John’s tremendous patience! We
I’m the oldest, followed by a sister and pany?
we live.
have separate responsibilities at work, with
brother. My youngest sister was the strag- VTH: We started Hull Door Systems in SACN: Why did you have your heart set some overlap. But, we are not always togler, born 10 years after my brother.
1992, here in San Antonio, on Rhapsody on living in New
gether, we don’t
SACN: Where did you go to school?
Dr.
Braunfels?
“John actually worked 90 miles commute together,
VTH: I went to Westbury High School, and SACN: Had you formally relocated here VTH: When we moved
and we keep differaway from me, but he tore up
later to University of Texas at Austin.
from Houston?
there the second time,
ent hours.
SACN: What activities did you participate VTH: Yes, we sold our Houston home, and there was very limited the roads every day getting home. SACN: Did you
The local people knew his little
in during your youth?
we lived temporarily in a 32 ft motor home housing. We bought an
ever have doubts
car, and knew they had to get
VTH: I liked most sports, and sang in the on the Comal River while we searched for older, contemporary
about starting a
the sheep off the roads.”
choir.
a home to buy in New Braunfels. We had a house near the Comal
company together?
SACN: What was your major at UT?
baby, a 12-year old, and a 100 lb. German River. We also bought
VTH: No, we’ve
VTH: English, philosophy, and history. I Shepard.
another place, a fixer-upper, which was on always worked well together. When we
graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts.
SACN: What next?
the river. In 1998, we were lying in bed at were in college, and we couldn’t eat, we
SACN: Did you meet your husband, John, VTH: John was offered a very good job in 10:30 am, and by noon, our house was painted houses together. My mother and faduring college?
Tucson, AZ, so we closed the business and down the river, a result of the huge wall of ther-in-law have a relationship like that, too.
VTH: Yes, in fact, we were married during moved again.
rushing water. So we moved into our sec- They were good role models for John and
our second year of college. We were both SACN: How long were you in Tucson?
ond home, which was intact, but also dam- myself.
sophomores, and our birthdays are within VTH: For two years, until John decided it aged seriously.
SACN: What would you like our readers
four minutes of being on the same day.
was time to go back to San Antonio and try SACN: That’s very upsetting.
to know about you and John and your comSACN: How did you meet each other?
the door and hardware business once again. VTH: It was like a death in the family, and pany?
VTH: I dated his roommate, and John still SACN: What was your plan?
there were a lot of people in New Braunfels VTH: That we simply believe in our cushad a girlfriend from high school. John and VTH: We leased a building with a big ware- who had a very hard time dealing with their tomers, and we really try to provide them
I got married, and his roommate ended up house, and we still have three employees losses. We were fortunate to still have a roof with the best possible service, at the best
marrying John’s old girlfriend.
who started with us back then.
over our heads, although we didn’t have a possible price. It’s been a wonderful indusSACN: That’s an interesting twist. Did your SACN: What exactly does your company kitchen. We had bathtubs, but no com- try to us, and we’re grateful. We give it our
young husband also complete school?
do?
modes. It was very devastating.
best shot, win, lose or draw!
VTH: Yes, John was a fourth year archi- VTH: We generally do negotiated bid work. SACN: Did you rebuild?
SACN: What is your favorite pastime?
tecture major, and changed his major to We are a distributor of hollow metal doors VTH: Yes, on the top of the hill. The Comal VTH: I like to fix up and remodel old
economics in the 11th hour. About 10 years and frames, wood and laminate doors, Raco River is below us, and we have a lovely houses. We’ve bought several foreclosures
later, he got his MBA.
and Timely frames, architectural hardware view, but it won’t flood again!
over the years, and I just love to reinvent
SACN: Did you both work after college?
and Section 10 materials.
SACN: What aspect of the commercial them.
VTH: Yes, we both ended up working for SACN: What role
supply business do
an oil company, he in manufacturing and I do you play in the
“When we were in college, and
you like best?
Editor’s note: At this point, John walked
in sales. As a multi-faceted couple, we were company?
we couldn’t eat, we painted
VTH: The people. in and I asked him to share a few thoughts.
willing and able to go overseas.
VTH: A little bit of
They’re all dedicated SACN: Ever since your sophomore year in
houses together.”
SACN: When and where did you move?
everything, alto building, and some college, you and Valerie have been together,
VTH: To Scotland, for almost three years, though I’m not a bid person. My area of of the things they do are absolutely beauti- at times working side-by-side. What is the
beginning in 1975. It was wonderful! John responsibility includes keeping the books ful. I wonder sometimes, how do they do most rewarding aspect about having a famactually worked 90 miles away from me, straight, with the help of computer pro- that? It’s really an artful organization of ily business, with your beautiful bride on
but he tore up the roads every day getting grams. John does most of the purchasing.
tasks and accomplishments.
the premises day after day?
home. The local people knew his little car, SACN: Did your company outgrow that SACN: Have there been ups and downs in JH: The fact that I’m working with someand knew they had to get the sheep off the first location?
this business?
body who I can trust implicitly. I don’t have
roads.
VTH: We were leasing that facility, and we VTH: Well, it’s not recession-proof, and to worry about her side of the business. She is
SACN: What were your impressions of didn’t want to lease anymore. We wanted to we did suffer losses in a warehouse fire in a faithful partner, in whom I have utter trust.
Spotlight
Valerie T. Hull
210-651-0111
www.resunleasing.com
(866) Space 2U (866) 772-2328
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QUALITY • SERVICE • INTEGRITY
Warning: high voltage
power lines!
B
uilt on the premise that safety is
everyone’s concern, crane operators
and concrete pump operators gathered together on Tues., Sept. 10th to view
and participate in a City Public Service
safety demonstration.
Hosted by Louis Torres, Torres Concrete Pumping Services, Inc., and Steve
White, AmeriCRANE Rentals, at their colocation in Selma, they introduced the CPS
team with the caution that high-voltage
electrical contact is the greatest hazard to
which concrete pumps and cranes are typically exposed to.
“That’s why we decided to do this together,” Louis explained. “We may be a
group of fierce competitors, but when it
comes to safety, we are brothers. Our work
can be dangerous, yet it’s part of our daily
operations.”
About 35+ owners and employees of
Torres Concrete Pumping Services, Inc.,
AmeriCRANE Rentals, Concrete Pumps of
Texas, Schultz Concrete Pumping L.P. and
United Crane listened attentively as CPS’
safety spokesman, Willie Davis, reminded
them of the electrical dangers they routinely
encounter. During his discussion, three uniformed CPS linemen carefully engaged in
the “electrifying” demonstration.
Willie stressed the circumstances under which crane and pump truck operators
find themselves in trouble, warning them
with 5 tips:
1. Stay away from primary and temporary
power lines. Arcing can occur within close
proximity, without direct contact.
2. Be aware that insulated sleeves on a
power line are warning signs, not protective devices.
3. When in doubt, call 353-HELP. CPS will
trim tree branches for free at an
operators’ request.
4. Even if you’ve been doing this
for 20 years, it only takes one
moment of inattention to lose your
life.
5. If your crane contacts a high
voltage power line, the best thing
an operator can do is sit tight. If
you perceive an immediate fire
hazard, remove yourself by jumping clear of the crane, both feet together to
stay within the same voltage range, and hop
like a “bunny” until you’re free of the energized earth. When jumping, don’t let you
clothing or any part of your body touch the
crane and the earth at the same time.
As Tony Tye, Concrete Pumps of
Texas, so aptly stated, “There is no job that
you’re going to do, that’s worth taking a
chance with a power line. Don’t do anything if you don’t think it’s safe. Deadlines
and pressure to get the job done take a back
seat to your safety and the safety of those
around you.”Ω
San Antonio
210-695-4440
Ask Jeramie about the fusion equipment
summer clean-up special!
News from IEC good
for education/safety
I
ndependent Electrical Contractors,
Inc. (IEC) has met with several highranking Department of Labor (DOL)
representatives to discuss the importance
of apprenticeship trades.
During a recent meeting with Emily
Stover DeRocco, Assistant Secretary for
the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), she told IEC National President Gary Baumgartner that introducing
apprenticeship training programs, as a valid
form of post-secondary education, is an
essential ingredient for the employment and
training of young people.
The State Scholars Initiatives program
creates a new partnership among the business community and educators to encourage students to take rigorous courses to
better prepare them for post-secondary education or the workplace.
IEC members will continue to urge
members of the Department of Labor and
the Bush Administration to introduce students to apprenticeship training and career
opportunities in the trades at the elementary through high school levels, as an
equally valid opportunity for postsecondary
education.
Additionally, in an ongoing effort to
reduce the amount of workplace incidents,
officials from IEC and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
signed an alliance agreement. The agreement essentially states that both parties will
promote safe and healthy working conditions for electrical contractors and their
employees.
An important outcome of this alliance
is that IEC members can now take advantage of the knowledge, experience, and resources provided by OSHA.
The alliance agreement focuses on
three key elements; reducing and preventing exposure to falls, rear-end automobile
collisions, and material handling hazards.
The language in the agreement also
states that IEC and OSHA will work together to achieve certain outreach and communication goals, such as: seeking opportunities to jointly develop and disseminate
information at conferences, events, and
through print and electronic media, including links from the IEC and OSHA websites.
IEC members can also take advantage of
OSHA’s outreach programs, which provide
training seminars. The agreement remains
in effect for one year from the date of signing and is automatically renewed annually
thereafter.Ω
TX companies among Top 200
environmental firms
N
amed among the top 200 environmental firms in the nation
by Engineering News Record
(ENR), a construction industry weekly
magazine, are the following Texas companies:
#124 – Remedial Construction Services,
Inc., Houston.
#125 – Zachry Construction Corp.,
San Antonio.
#137 – Trinity Consultants, Inc., Dallas.
#143 – Eagle Contracting, LP, Keller.
#148 – SWCA Environmental Consultants, San Antonio, Austin, Houston.
CONCRETE CONTRACTORS LTD
Commercial & Industrial
Multi-Level Structures Tilt-Wall Construction Super-Flat Slabs
Residential & Multi-Family
Foundation Flatwork Curbing
Ronnie Urbanczyk
President
Steven Valerio
Vice-President
Estimators:
Tom Fulks
Rick Fulks
Robert Cruz
Mike Zezula
24114 Blanco Road • San Antonio, Texas
210-490-0090 Fax 210-490-1505 Toll Free 1-800-884-6675
“Building a strong foundation in San Antonio and South Texas”
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L E G a l
INSURANCE
Weathering the storm
of rising rates
The BAGMAN: Constructive Trusts
By Tom Hewitt
n the days of B&W television, the bad guys always had a Bagman
carrying that black satchel filled with money to “payoff” some
cohort for executing a “job” for their “boss”. If the Bagman lost or
spent the money, then the “boss” was liable for the payment.
Most contractors today have weathered the storm of rising insurance costs and reduction of coverage during 2002.
The rate increases have really run the
gamut depending on the loss experience and
the complexity of the contractor’s work.
However, the prediction for 2003 is a continuing “hard market” for contractor’s insurance.
Contractors who have done a good job
managing their past insurance losses will
be in an excellent position to survive their
next renewal with a reasonable premium increase.
Insurance companies will prefer to insure contractors with a better loss history.
Frequency of loss is generally penalized
more severely than severity of loss.
Be pro-active and follow these ratereducing suggestions for construction industry firms:
1. Maintain a good relationship with your
insurance company and make sure the company is well versed in construction-related
insurance policies
2. Have effective safety programs and
quality control to minimize accidents, mis-
takes and, eventually, claims since insurance companies examine claim history
when formulating rates.
3. Renew insurance policies early, possibly 120 days before the deadline, so as to
provide enough time to receive the best rate
possible.
4. Estimate potential insurance costs
years ahead of time when bidding on multiyear projects, since insurance rates could
be higher than what was originally included
in a bid.
In conclusion, purchasing the appropriate coverage’s at adequate limits and
maintaining comprehensive but reasonable
indemnification provisions in your contracts will help to provide reasonable insurance costs in 2003.
Tom Hewitt is the Vice President of
Guaranty Insurance. He can be reached
at 210-525-0500, or contacted by email:
[email protected]
If your company is having a special event or has done
something special that the rest of the construction industry
should know about, then Let Us Know!
Story ideas and news releases can be faxed to the
Construction News at (210) 308-5960.
By Don Barnhill
I
In today’s world, too often subcontractors and suppliers come up empty handed
at the end of a job. The Contractor walks
away with little if any money left to pay
the “jilted” subcontractor and suppliers. In
the old days, if the Contractor had no funds
left related to the job or declares bankruptcy, there was no further opportunity to
recovery from the Contractor. Today, bonds
are required in order to presumably insure
payment. However, subcontractors and suppliers know that the effect of the bond
doesn’t always hold true with respect to
payment. The general belief among subcontractors and suppliers is that the owners or
the Contractors have absconded with the
funds that should have gone to pay the subcontractors and suppliers.
In 1995, the State of Texas created the
“Construction Trust Fund Statute” for the
protection of subcontractors and suppliers.
Construction payments are “trust funds” if
the payments are made to a Contractor or
subcontractor or to an officer, director, or
agent of a Contractor or subcontractor, under a construction contract for the improvement of specific real property in Texas.
Texas Property Code Chapter 162: The person or persons that have control or direction of trust funds is a trustee of the trust
funds.
A party, who has actual control of these
trust funds and misapplies these funds, is
subject to personal civil and criminal liability, for the violation of the duty imposed
by Statute and the Property Code. These
are usually the owner, president or directors of the Company. The Statute and most
often used method of trapping funds is to
perfect a lien whereby the subcontractor
gives the owner timely notice that the subcontractor has not been paid. Texas Property Code 53.081-53.084: If the owner pays
any money to the original Contractor after
receiving notice from the subcontractor, the
owner can be liable and his property is subject to a lien.
The Construction Trust Fund Statute
provides civil liability and criminal penalties for the misapplication of the trust funds.
An officer or director who actually controlled the funds paid to the company is also
a trustee of the funds and, therefore may
be held personally liable. A trustee who
diverts trust funds, without first fully paying all current or past due obligations incurred by the trustee to the beneficiaries,
principally the subcontractors and suppliers, has misapplied the trust funds. However, if the trustee has a reasonable belief
that the claiming subcontractor are suppliers are not entitled to such funds or that the
funds have been retained as authorized or
required by Chapter 53 of the Property
Code, the trustee may not be liable for the
funds. Additionally, the trustee has a defense to prosecution if the trustee pays the
beneficiary of the trust funds within 30 days
of a written notice to the trustee by the
claimant/beneficiary.
Time Insurance
Agency
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5 4 0 6 J ACKWOOD • B ANDERA R OAD & L OOP 4 1 0
O S H A
ACCOUNTING
The Top Ten in Construction
Use of Cash Basis Method
of Accounting
Joann Nataranjan
What are the most frequently cited OSHA laws in the construction industry? Companies should be aware of hazards at their work sites and how to control them. The
following list of most frequently cited laws in construction illustrates several common
patterns.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1926.501(b)(1): No fall protection for workers at elevations above 6 ft.
1926.100(a):
No hard hats provided or used
1926.451(g)(1): No fall protection on scaffolds at elevations above 10 ft.
1926.652(a)(1): Trenching – no cave-in protection
1926.451(e)(1): Scaffolds - safe means of access was not provided
1926.21(b)(2): Worker training on job hazards
1926.503(a)(1): Training for fall protection
1926.501(b)(13): No fall protection above 6 ft in residential construction
1926.451(b)(1): Scaffold was not fully decked and planked
1926.20(b)(2): No regular jobsite inspections by competent persons
Three of the top ten deal directly with protecting workers from fall hazards off scaffolds or other structures. The laws for scaffolds require that workers be protected
from falls exceeding 10 feet, while workers exposed to falls from other structures (buildings, roofs) must be protected at 6 feet and above. A number of methods can be used to
prevent falls, including a body harness/lanyard, guardrails, safety monitors, warning
lines or nets. The fifth and ninth most cited hazards also are related to fall protection,
in that workers are more likely to fall if they do not have safe scaffold access or if the
working level of the scaffold is not fully planked or decked. The second most frequently cited standard addresses head protection. OSHA requires that when there is a
possibility that falling objects could strike the worker, that hard hats are required to be
worn. The fourth most commonly cited law relates to not utilizing shoring or sloping
to prevent trench cave-ins. OSHA laws require that trenches that are more than 5 feet
deep be protected from cave-in. The sixth and seventh most cited laws address worker
training. Workers are required to be trained on the recognition and avoidance of unsafe
conditions, and the OSHA laws that apply to work environment. Workers that are
exposed to fall hazards must be trained on the nature of fall hazards in the work area,
and the fall protection systems used. A written record of fall protection training must
be maintained by the company. The tenth most cited law deals with regular job site
inspections. A competent person designated by the company is required to inspect the
job site, equipment and materials to correct hazards to prevent accidents.
Information on OSHA’s laws can be obtained from the OSHA website at www.osha.gov.
Sinks & Faucets
Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
Designer Whirlpools & Baths
M
ORRISO
SUPPLY
COMPANY
By T. Van Alston
A
contractor’s ability to use the cash basis method of accounting
for their overall method of accounting has been attacked by
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for a number of years. The
IRS historically has asserted that many contractors who use and maintain inventories
must keep their books and records on the accrual basis method of accounting. However,
as a result of several court cases that were found in favor of the taxpayer, the IRS has
issued new procedures which open the door for many taxpayers to retain their use of the
cash basis method or possibly allow them to change their current accounting method and
elect to use the cash basis method of accounting.
The original position taken by the IRS,
disallowing a contractors use of the cash
method of accounting, was premised on the
fact that materials were a significant income
producing factor and as a result, the accrual
method of accounting was required in order to maintain a “clear reflection of income” standard. Therefore, any contractor who sold materials as a part of rendering their services were deemed to fall within
the criteria and were required to use the
accrual method of accounting. It did not
matter whether or not the contractor had
materials in their possession at the end of
the year. The only issue was that materials
were sold as a part of the contractor’s construction projects.
On April 14, 2002, the IRS released
Revenue Procedure 2002-28. This procedure allows many taxpayers who were not
eligible to use the cash method of accounting under prior law to elect such use, and it
allows the cash method of accounting to be
retained by many taxpayers who elected
such use in earlier years. Although not every taxpayer will qualify, taxpayers who
have average annual gross receipts of $10
million or less, who are not “C corporations” with average annual gross receipts
of $5 million, and who do not derive a majority of their gross receipts from manufacturing, wholesale, or retail sales, can potentially qualify for the use of the cash method
of accounting. Further, the IRS simplified
the procedures by which taxpayers, who are
not on the cash basis method of accounting
but who qualify under the new Revenue Procedure, can request permission to change
their method to the cash basis.
Under the new rules, any contractor
currently on the accrual basis method of accounting should strongly consider their alternatives, especially if they qualify under
the gross receipts test listed above. There
are pros and cons associated with using the
cash basis method of accounting that should
be reviewed and analyzed before a decision
is made to change to the cash method.
Make sure the tax savings associated with
a change in reporting outweigh the additional cost that may result if increased administration is required.
T. Van Alston, Sr. Tax Manager
Padgett, Stratemann and Co. LLP
100 NE Loop 410, Suite 1100
San Antonio, TX 78216, 210-828-6281
e-mail: [email protected]
Buy Now and Save up to $4,000!
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10130 Jones Maltsberger at Isom Rd.
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Waco
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Specia P&E honored by NFIB
F
ounded in 1908, by three brothers,
Ben, John and Adolph Specia,
Specia Plumbing and Electric is
now operated by a third generation of three
brothers, Rudy, Mike and Danny Specia.
Rudy is a Master Plumber, Mike is a Master Electrician and Danny is a Specialtyremodeling contractor.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) recognized the San
Antonio-based company for 25 years of
continuous membership, on Fri., Aug. 16th.
President Rudy Specia accepted a commemorative plaque from Susan Brown,
director of NFIB-San Antonio.
“We’ve always supported the NFIB,”
Rudy reported, “and it has, for the past 25
years, been an important source of information to our business when we are faced
with everyday challenges. It’s comforting
to know that there is an organization out
there that is specifically designed to aid the
independent businessman.”
A lobbying organization for indepen-
Rudy Specia, receiving a commemorative
plaque from NFIB’s Susan Brown.
dent businesses, NFIB fights for lower
taxes; easing the burden of excessive regulation and intrusive labor laws; affordable
health insurance; curbing frivolous lawsuits; and protecting small business from
the digital divide.Ω
Beldon Enterprises honored as
top “family” business
DUDERSTADT STAKE CO.
SALES REPAIRS AND RENTALS
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M
arking an important milestone in
the history of Beldon Enterprises, the family-owned and operated roofing company received recognition for its success in combining the best
of family and business life.
MassMutual Financial Group, a Blue
Chip company, named Beldon Enterprises
Honorable Mention winner of the
MassMutual 2001 National Family Business of the Year, Large Business Category
(more than 250 employees).
Winners were selected based upon
their business success, positive links between family and business, multiple generations of involvement, contributions to the
community and industry and innovative
business practices and strategies.
These Specials are Good For October
Energy symposium draws
“think tank” leaders
SUPPLIES • WOOD STAKES • TOTAL STATIONS • GPS
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San Antonio, Texas
Considered a model for the nation’s
more than 12 million family businesses,
Beldon Enterprises received a framed certificate from MassMutual during a ceremony organized by The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
“Beldon Enterprises was competing
with American companies throughout the
nation that have 250 or more employees,”
said third generation Brad Beldon, president of the 56-year-old company. “You can
only imagine how proud we are! I think our
dedication to performing our work right the
first time, to community service, and to our
work ethic is a measurement of our success. Our workers feel it’s a great place to
work, and we have some second generation employees, to our credit.”
T
he South Texas Renewable Energy Economic Symposium
held a day long event on
Aug. 30th, at the Radisson
Hotel, downtown. The symposium is a part of an 18month grant funded by the
Economic Development Administration and conducted
by Solar San Antonio, an
energy advocacy and resource center established in
1999.
Leaders, academics,
politicians and other invited
L-R: Judge Nelson Wolff, State Representative Jose
attendees, from throughout
Menendez, Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, and Solar
San Antonio Chairman William Sinkin.
the 47-county area of South
Texas, met to further refine
data collected thus far. Leading the research continents energy, and we need to get on
team was Ernest Gerlach, director for the that track. The CPS Northside Customer
Center for Economic Development, Univer- Service Center is a demonstration of many
sity of Texas at San Antonio, and Dr. examples of re-use, including carpet, paints,
Kristin Heinemeier, Brooks Energy and artwork, solar panels, photo voltaics, rainSustainability Lab, Texas A&M University water reclamation, high performance winon Brooks City Base.
dows and more. We will be able to use that
In his keynote address, Bexar County building to encourage architects and buildJudge Nelson Wolff spoke about conser- ers to incorporate reuseable energy sources.
vation and prudent use of energy resources. There is a higher initial cost, but in the long
“We’re in the throes of moving for- term, the building occupant comes out
ward,” Judge Wolff said, “developing ideas ahead. It’s going to take an intense effort
and plans about how we will progress in to convince builders to make the change,
terms of moving this community and our but in the near future, Bexar County is gosurrounding area toward more renewable ing to be building or renovating
resources. Our dependency on oil, natural $100,000,000 worth of space. We’ll be
gas, nuclear and coal generated power pushing the use of solar and other options,
sources remain at controversy with envi- as will the City of San Antonio as it strives
ronmental issues. Today, in Europe, renew- for 5 percent reduction in energy use each
able resources account for 15 percent of the year, for five years, as mandated by the 77th
legislature.”
Metropolitan breaks ground on
RBFCU facility
T
he City of Live Oak
and Randolph Brooks
Federal Credit Union
held a groundbreaking ceremony, on Thurs., Sept. 5th,
to commemorate the construction of the credit
union’s new Administrative
Service Center (ASC). Located near the corner of
Loop 1604 and IH-35, city
dignitaries joined RBFCU
management, employees
and members in a grand
show of numbers, estimated
at over 150, to officially
L-R: Steve Schuetze; Joe Painter; Tim Swan, CEO,
mark the beginning of conMetropolitan Contracting; Walter Creswell,
struction. RBFCU turned 50
Chairman RBFCU; Tex Liedtka; Randy Smith,
years old in September.
CEO/President RBFCU; and Mac Chesney.
Metropolitan Contracting Co., Ltd., the project’s general contrac- noted. “Our use of site-cast architectural
tor, will construct the 3-story, 115,000 sq ft concrete takes the tiltwall concept to a
structure and two-level parking facility. Ac- whole new level. It’s considered very revocording to the company’s president Steve lutionary and a great value for the owner.”
Architect Mac Chesney, principal of
Schuetze, the project will be completed by
the firm, praised Joe Painter, Live Oak’s
November 2003.
Tex Liedtka, Chesney Morales & As- City Manager. “Live Oak has a fantastic prosociates, Inc., is the lead architect on the business attitude. Joe and his team have
project. “The classic Federal-style design taken on a partnership role throughout the
is in keeping with the military culture in entire development process and we have a
which RBFCU is deeply rooted,” Tex great relationship.”
The 2002 Parade of Homes ends
By Jerry Smith, Jr.
O
nce again, San Antonians have
shown their support and appreciation for fine home building by turning out in full force for the 2002 Parade of
Homes at Rogers Ranch.
Building, architectural, and interior
design professionals from throughout Texas
judged the houses for specific design features or elements of the homes on display.
While each one of these homes is exceptional, and indeed, all judging of this sort
is subjective, the awards for outstanding
design features have been determined.
The award winners are:
Best Floor Plan – Mike Holloway Custom
Homes
Best Site Design – Stadler Custom Homes
Best Master Suite – Ron Kitchen Custom
Homes with Bridle Bit Corporation
Best Kitchen – Monticello Homes
Best Interior Design – Mike Holloway
Custom Homes
Best Exterior Entertainment Area – Mike
Holloway Custom Homes
Best Elevation – Stadler Custom Homes
Best Landscape – Stadler Custom Homes
Best Interior Entertainment Area – Ron
Kitchen Custom Homes with Bridle Bit
Corporation
Each home has unique and outstanding features, and each is decorated in very
different styles. One common feature
throughout, however, is extraordinary tile
work; everything from natural pebble tiling to abstract art tile work, and more tile,
in places you would never expect. Color is
another common feature; deep, bold, and
earthy colors dominate the main living areas, while bedrooms remain more traditional. Decorating themes range from avant
garde to western to sophisticated, but it’s
all exciting and inspirational. Many went
home to start painting or planning their new
tile work.
Jerry Smith, Jr., of Smith’s Better
Built Homes, is president of the Greater
San Antonio Builders Association.
The Greater San Antonio Builders Association is a local trade association that
offers opportunities to its members to display their products and services. It works
diligently to provide vehicles though which
consumers can see the latest in members’
products and services. We make no representation, express or implied, regarding
members’ qualifications or the quality of the
products and services, but invite you to examine them for yourself.
MMM acquires SA asphalt plant
M
artin Marietta Materials Inc. has
acquired an asphalt plant from
Zumwalt Construction in San
Antonio that will allow its Southwest division to serve the western sector of the San
Antonio area as part of its existing asphalt
production business.
The plant annually ships about 250,000
tons of asphalt. The purchase was a cash
transaction and the price was not disclosed.
The Southwest division, which operates Beckman Quarry locally, is part of
Raleigh, N.C.-based Martin Marietta Materials, the second largest producer of construction aggregates in the U.S.
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MIKE & MARK CRAWFORD
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Page 28 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2002
KB Home Super
Summer Giveaway
“Green” homes demonstrate benefits
by Stephen Colley, AIA
K
evin Perkins
(far
right)
walked away
from the KB Home,
San Antonio ExpressNews and Y100 Super
Summer Giveaway, being the owner of a new
$18,000 Chevy Silverado from Bob Bomer
Chevrolet. Perkins is
joined by other prize
winners
(L-R): Carmen Guerra, Debbie Justice, Maricela Garcia,
Michael Arzola, Richard Jimenez,
April Cox, Valerie Mason, Laura
Garza, Mary Ann Winter, Samantha
Ottele, along with KB Home’s Happy
R
Home and Y100 personalities, Kris Winston and Alyce Ian. Behind them is the
$100,000, three-bedroom / two-bath KB
home which Perkins had a chance to win
if he had selected the winning key.
GSABA Summit Award results
T
he Sales & Marketing Council of the
Greater San Antonio Builders Association held the 2002 Summit
Awards in September, at the Omni Hotel.
Award recipients include:
Product & Interior Design Awards:
Best Product Design (includes lot cost):
$100,000 to $130,000 – Ryland Homes
$130,001 to $160,000 – Medallion Homes
$160,001 to $190,000 – Wilshire Homes
$190,001 to $220,000 – David Weekley
Homes
$250,000 – Coventry Homes
Best Product Design Custom or One-of-akind (excludes lot cost):
$200,001 to $250,000 – Sitterle Homes
$400,001 to $500,000 – Whitestone
Custom Homes
$500,001 – Cumming Homes
Best Landscape Design: Toll Brothers
Best Remodeled Project:
$50,000 and under – Montelongo Homes
& Remodeling
$50,001 – Montelongo Homes &
Remodeling
Best Pool & Water Feature/Spa Design:
Residential Pool $50,000 and under –
Cumming Homes
Residential Pool $50,001+ - River Oak
Pools
Residential Water Feature or Spa – River
Oaks Pools
Best Interior Design/Merchandising:
$100,000 to $140,000 – Medallion Homes
$140,001 to $180,000 – Ryland Homes
$180,001 to $220,000 – Plantation Homes
$260,001 to $300,000 – Coventry Homes
$300,001 to $400,000 – Newmark Homes
$400,001 to $500,000 – Whitestone
Custom Homes
$700,000 – Toll Brothers
Among the Professional Achievement
Awards were:
Construction Superintendent (up to 50
homes per year) – Thomas Keegan,
Montelongo Homes & Remodeling.
Construction Superintendent (midsize
builder, 51 to 150 homes per year) –
Rolando Tercilla, Wilshire Homes.
Construction Superintendent (volume
builder, 151+ homes per year) – Robert
Metzer, Ryland Homes.
ecent trends in home design, combined with new energy efficiency
requirements in construction mandated by the State of Texas this year, are
leading to a demand for “green” homes.
The descriptions for “green” homes are as
varied as the homeowners who want them.
Some are looking for low utility costs, others want homes free from materials and
organisms that can trigger allergic or other
health reactions, while even others prefer
homes built with materials that are environmentally responsible. Ideally, “green”
homes should perform well in all three categories.
Recently, homeowners Dan Pomerening and Mary Dunford opened their
home to members of the San Antonio
Sustainable Building Coalition and the
organization San Antonio Clean Air and
Water for a tour of their new 2,700 sf
“green” home. Located on the western
edge of Bexar County, the two-story home
is built with an energy-efficient envelope
of aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC)
blocks. The roof is white metal standing
seam, which is a better radiant barrier than
“bare” silver-gray galvalume. The batt insulation, installed against the Choice-dec
radiant barrier roof deck, is a recycled
cotton batt treated to resist pests, mold, and
to increase the material’s fire rating.
Further energy conservation is accomplished through high efficiency casement
and fixed windows, passive cooling design, tankless water heaters, efficient appliances, extensive daylighting, and a dual
voltage lighting strategy. Health and environmental choices led to the installation
of cork flooring in the kitchen, stained
concrete flooring in the remaining ground
floor level, and bamboo flooring in the
majority of the second floor.
Dan and Mary depend on their rainwater catchment system for their household water use. Until their new xeriscape
landscaping and new trees are established,
they augment their landscape water needs
from Mary’s business, Nature Herb Farm,
next door. The water system is designed
to supply water needs even during a fourmonth drought.
Initial costs for this and most other
green homes are high. Now that they have
been living in their home for almost a year,
they are realizing the savings they expected to have in utility costs and insurance rates are doing well to offset the increased mortgage payments. Homeowners
who realize the costs of a
house include utilities, insurance, taxes and maintenance over the long term
know there is much more to
consider in building a house
than its initial cost. As for
Dan and Mary, they say they
would rather pay the higher
mortgage payments and
have something to show for
it than to pay higher electric bills. For the past nine
months, their electric bills
have averaged slightly below $100 in their new home, a big savings
from the electric bills in their previous
home. Apart from filtering, pressurizing,
and treating their rainwater with UV light,
there are no water costs. The stove and
instantaneous water heaters are propanefired.
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1019 Camden
210–271–3060
AIA 6th Annual Homes Tour
O
the words of former Mayor Barbara Christian, “the home in its original state was a
thorn in the side of Terrell Hills.”
n Sat., Sept. 14th, American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio hosted its 6th Annual Homes
Tour and Lecture. The self-guided tour offered a glimpse inside seven of San
Antonio’s most exclusive private residences.
311 Princeton Oak
Architect Joseph M. Smith, AIA, JMS
Architects, worked with his clients to create house that would accommodate the
challenges and curiosity of their young
family. The site is on a corner location with
the side street running parallel to a busy
feder street. To shelter the house and yard
from the busy street, the house is configured with a terraced limestone outlined
courtyard serving as a buffer.
Terrell Hills
321 Lilac Lane
King William Historic District
212 Madison
321 Lilac Lane
This property was built speculatively by its
owner, Gary H. Baker. A travel enthusiast,
Baker asked his architect Peter J. DeWitt,
AIA, to incorporate the style and details of
a historic French Normandy farmhouse.
This style was then adapted to the climate
of San Antonio and the needs of the modern family. The floor plan was designed
with a flagstone courtyard in the middle to
provide light, air, and interesting views
while maintaining a comfortable layout.
212 Madison
In a collaborative venture, Jim Poteet, AIA,
Jim Poteet Architect, and Patrick Ousey,
AIA, FAB Architecture Associated Architects, renovated a commercial building complex into a series of eight residential lofts.
Each is a modern, comfortable home inside
an industrial envelope, designed with
singles, couples and families in mind.
Terrell Hills
477 Burr Road
477 Burr Road
523 King William Street
523 King William Street
This Victorian-Queen Anne style home, constructed in 1884, was one of the earliest brick
homes in the city. Madeline Anz Slay, AIA,
Madeline Anz Slay Architecture was retained by the current owners to restore the
historic property to its former glory, including mechanical and electrical system upgrades, and floor plan adjustments.
Architect Phil Shoop, Sr., AIA, built the
Burr Road residence in 1935. Together, architect James Ed Carleton, AIA and
Eilene Sullivan, Historic Preservationist
renovated the 3,100 sf rock residence. The
project offered the design team the challenge of making a 68-year old home meet
the needs of present day homeowners while
retaining the charm and gracious style of
its original design. For more than a decade prior to the restoration, the home was
unoccupied and used for storage. A leaky
roof had damaged the interior and an overgrown landscape blocked all visibility. In
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SAN ANTONIO
(210) 337-6136
AUSTIN
(512) 251-3415
Alamo Heights
418 Evans
418 Evans
This residence presented architect Joe
Stubblefield, AIA, SA Partnership, with
the classic problem: a cottage-style three
bedroom/one bath home in Alamo Heights.
The kitchen was a postage stamp, the master bath non-existent, and the interior, dark.
The house had no curb appeal, but was on
a great lot with wonderful trees in a desirable neighborhood. The design program
called for a new kitchen with natural light,
a study/library, home office area, a solarium
and a complete master bedroom suite.
Shavano Creek
311 Princeton Oak
Sendero Ranch
57 Reynosa
57 Reynosa
The owners selected this site for their new
home because it offered wonderful views
of the hill country. Along with the views
came the challenge of building on a sloping site, approximately 26ft. Architect
Madeline Anz Slay, AIA, Madeline Anz
Slay Architecture, placed the garage at the
lowest portion of the site with the drive
on ridge. The home, which has five different levels on the interior, follows the
slope of the hill. The separate areas are
created using level changes and offsets as
opposed to walls and doors.
Gajeske, Inc. encapsulates
CC’s history
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15305 N IH 35
Selma, Texas 78154
A
s a result of its existing relationship with the City of Corpus
Christi, the folks at San Antonio’s
Gajeske, Inc. participated in the city’s sesquicentennial celebration.
To mark its 150th anniversary, the City
of Corpus Christi captured the life and
times, culture and vital events of today with
items that could fit into a water tight time
capsule. Once buried on the grounds of City
Hall, the time capsule will be opened in 50
years.
Polyethylene pipe specialists, Gajeske,
Inc., provided the 24 in. by 5 1/2 foot-long
polyethylene pipe, which encapsulated the
memories of the Gulf Coast city.
San Antonio Construction News spoke
with Gajeske’s general manager, Gary
Zepeda, who said poly pipe is the perfect
solution for this endeavor. “Poly pipe is
non-corrosive, and when it’s heat-fused
properly, it’s totally leak-free and will last
forever.”
The remote-controlled heat-fusing
equipment, TrakStar T-900, operated by
Mike Corcoran, Jr., sealed the time capsule at the highly publicized, citywide celebration on Mon., Sept. 9th.
SBC Center: final days
H
plus tax approx per month based on a 60
month lease first/last month down $1.00
buyout with approved financing
What line of work are you in?
So Are We.
unt Construction Group, Inc. and
SpawGlass Contractors, Inc.,
along with the following dedicated
subcontractors, continue progress to complete the SBC Center Arena for the first
preseason game scheduled for October.
There is a level of exhaustion in the voices
of some, as final installations
are perfected in the drive towards the completion deadline.
Document management
provider, Ridgway’s, Inc.,
has worked throughout the
two-year project with Hunt/
SpawGlass to maintain upto-date and accurate construction specifications and
drawings.
CFS Forming Structures, Inc., a woman-owned
company that has been
onsite practically since day
one, is completing site retaining walls and
exterior stairs. San Antonio’s Nathan
Alterman Electric continues installing
lighting fixtures and is finishing electrical
connections on all levels.
Todd Ford, Inc. is completing installation of bathroom fixtures and mechanical work on all levels, while Superior Air
Handling wraps up the ductwork installation.
Baker Drywall is completing sheetrock
and ceiling grid installation, and North Star
Fire Protection is testing systems. A.D.
Willis is finalizing its barrel roof installation and has begun metal panel installation
on the stair towers. Thyssen Krupp is finishing elevator installation. Irwin Seating
has completed seat installation in the bowl,
and Alamo Tile Co. is completing ceramic
tile on all levels.
ProSpec Painting continues painting,
while JAG Painting & Decorating is bedding and taping on all levels. Milberger
Landscaping continues landscaping and
hydro-mulching around the arena site. Service Station Constructors is completing the
Coliseum frontage, and topping slab at the
plaza has begun.
Capital Manufacturing and General
Neon are installing signage. Capital has
also begun erection of the large SBC Center sign. Lighthouse and TubeArt are constructing the scoreboard frame. Hoffend &
Sons is installing the scoreboard and sound
system hoist.
ACS Dataline is installing data cabling
throughout the arena and ISR continues facility-monitoring wiring. Pro Sound carries on with broadcast cabling activities.
Mustang Communications is installing
television brackets on all levels. SBC Communications is installing the telephone cabling, conduit and equipment.
Carpet Management is installing carpet, VCT and base at the suite levels, and
Creative Cabinets is installing millwork on
all levels. Sport Facility Acoustics has installed the lapendary panels at the bowl
ceiling. Richardson Bros. will be starting
decorative fencing at the West Plaza and
Chandley Fence is installing interior
fences.
Strategic Equipment dba Top of the
Table is installing foodservice equipment
in all concession stands and restaurants.
Rocky Duran & Associates has completed
metal locker installation at the Main Level,
and Klinger Specialties is finishing toilet
partitions on all levels. Berry Glass is completing interior glass at the on all levels.
Constructors, Inc. is installing fixtures
and completing the finish out of the team
store and novelty areas. There are approximately 650 workers on site.
San Antonio Construction News extends tremendous gratitude to the staff of
Project Control of Texas, especially Paula
Yancey, Scott Olsen, Jennifer Davis and
Gary Hall, for their dependable and ontime delivery of information and photographs as the massive construction project
unfolded and progressed.
Jennings Anderson Ford
Ph. 830.249.2536
800.299.5000
33125 IH-10 West • Boerne, Texas 78006
Happy
Halloween
continued from Page 3 -Faulkner marks 40 years & counting
for children with special mental, emotional
and behavioral needs. From those projects
came other projects with similar organizations, leading to the company’s present status as a major builder of health care facilities in Texas and other states.
The second milestone for the company
was its transition into the high tech market. Beginning in the early 1980’s, and
throughout the 1990’s, Faulkner completed
successful projects with Advanced Micro
Devices, Motorola, Cypress Semiconductor and Sony Microelectronics. A third
milestone was reached when the company
began forming design/build partnerships
with leading architectural and engineering
firms for the construction of facilities for
Applied Materials and other clients, both
public and private.
With an established presence in all of
the markets where it works, Faulkner Construction has much to celebrate in its 40th
year. “We’ve been listed in Engineering
News-Record’s Top 400 U.S. Contractors
listing every year since 1988,” says Bill
Wilson. “We’ve got a fantastic group of
people, and we’re ready to move on.”
Royce Faulkner, the man who started
it all, had his own take on the company’s
good fortune and future direction. “Our
customers become our friends. We’ll succeed as long as we remember to keep them
first.”Ω
continued from Page 1 - Faulkner Construction augments Schreiner University
to tear the brick off to replace the sheathing with dry materials. We also had just
come on line with the chilled water system,
and we used that system to dry out and dehumidify the space. Timing is everything!”
As it rained, a skeleton crew of
Faulkner’s men, including superintendent
Jimmy Cook, continuously cleaned water
accumulations with an industrial Wet-Vac,
limiting their material losses to a minimum
of 50 sheets of sheetrock.
San Antonio Construction News spoke
with Faulkner’s vice president, Dave Baer,
who said working with as many qualified
Kerrville subcontractors was good business.
“The project was not so large that it
was greater than the capacity of many of
the local subs. It was a way of garnering
local support for our project, and they were
helpful in communicating with local code
officials. Schreiner University has great ties
to its community, and there were a lot of
mutually beneficial reasons for hiring local subcontractors to participate in this
project.”
At the time of Cailloux Hall’s development, the University underwent some
changes in its administrative personnel.
“They could all see the work our firm had
previously done on the campus, with which
they are happy,” Dave continued. “The
president of the University was just taking
the reins when the design phase started, and
I think he would probably say that he appreciates Faulkner Construction for being
able to resolve problems.”
Professionals involved on the project
included: The architectural firm of: Lopez
Seidel Architects, Inc.; MEP Engineer:
MS2, Inc.; Structural Engineer: Lundy &
Franke Engineers; Civil Engineer: Calle
& Associates, Inc.; Landscape Engineer:
Rialto Studio, Inc.; and Interior Decorator: Judy Davis, Texas Elegance by Design.
Primary subcontractors on the project
included: Argosy Floor Covering, Inc.;
Austin Material Handling (metal lockers);
Brit-Tex Plastering Co.; Comfort Air Engineering, Inc.; Ed Flume Building Specialties, Inc.; Eldridge Electric Co., Inc.;
Glass Service, Inc.; Heinen Construction,
LLC (site work); Hull Supply Co., Inc.
(doors/hardware); J.E. Travis Painting,
Inc.; Joists, Inc. (structural steel); National
Rent-a Fence Co.; O.E.S. Construction
(drywall/acoustic ceiling); Otis Elevator
Co.; Rooster Aycock Construction (steel
erection); Samuel Dean Sheet Metal, Inc.
(roofing); Shadrock & Williams Masonry,
Ltd.; South Texas Powerwash & Striping;
Standard Automatic Fire Ent., Inc.; Texas
Elegance by Design (interior design); The
Carpenter Shop (millwork/trim); Urban
Concrete Contractors, Ltd.; and Whelan
Plumbing Co., Inc.
continued from Page 24 - Legal Column- The Bagman : Construction Trusts
A Contractor should maintain an account record for the construction account
that reflects the date of each deposit and
disbursement, as well as a source and
amount of the funds in the construction account, and the current balance of the account. However, a separate bank account
is not necessary for each project.
The criminal sanctions for failing to
establish or maintain a construction account
or account record for the construction account, maybe be subject to a Class A Misdemeanor. If a trustee is found to have failed
to establish or maintain the account or account record with intent to defraud the subcontractor or suppliers, the misapplication
of trust funds may result in criminal sanctions ranging from a Class A Misdemeanor
to a Felony of the Third Degree.
To obtain a conviction, the wrongful
actions of the trustee of the constructive
funds must have occurred with intent to
defraud the subcontractors and suppliers.
The Statute does not require segregation of
the funds by source and project, nor does it
prohibit the commingling of funds. Further,
the Statue does not bar use of funds provided from one project to pay bills incurred
on another project if this is done without
intent to defraud.
If the trustee fails to comply with the
legal requirements, the trustee may have to
reach deep into his or her own pocket to
payoff the jilted subcontractor or materialmen. He may also be subject to criminal
charges. Certainly, the trustee may have to
personally refill the “Bag”.
Don Barnhill is president of Barnhill and
Associates, P.C. He has over twenty years’
experience of representing contractors and
suppliers. He is a member of the State Bar
of Texas Construction Law Section. Don
can be contacted at 210-491-9090.
QUINNEY
ELECTRIC,
INC.
“THERE
IN A
FLASH”
P.O. BOX 241075
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78224-1075
––––––––––––––––––––––
210-624-2881
FAX: 210-624-2298
OFFICE:
Bond election could
produce job opportunities
I
f the North East Independent School
District Board of Trustees gets their
way, voters could approve more than
$675 million in bonds on Dec. 14th that
would translate into numerous construction
opportunities.
A facilities use committee, comprised
of more than 100 parents and taxpayers,
recommended projects to build eight new
schools, renovate older campuses and update computer technology.
Proposition 1, which totals $230 million, will include construction of five new
elementary and two new middle schools;
construction of classroom additions at four
elementary schools; land for one elementary school; clinic renovations (nine sites);
kitchen renovation (one site); elementary
schools playscapes; middle school locker
replacement and school district M&O reimbursement. Proposition 2 will include the
rebuilding of four older high schools
(Churchill, Lee, Madison and Roosevelt)
to the same facility standards at the two
newest high schools (Reagan and
MacArthur). This proposition totals $320
million. Proposition 3 includes $30 million for technology upgrades. Proposition
4 provides funds to construct a seventh high
school. The total for this proposition is $95
million.
Residents of the district will be presented with the four-proposition ballot, and
will vote on each proposition separately.
6127 San Pedro
San Antonio
Texas, 78216
Randy Wyatt’s Toys
Locally Owned & Operated
with 29 years Experience
ABA Committee to fill vacancies
T
he Texas Commission of Licensing
and Regulation has announced vacancies on the Architectural Barriers Advisory Committee.
The purpose of the Architectural Barriers Advisory Committee is to review rules
and technical memoranda relating to the
Architectural Barriers program and recommend changes in the rules and technical
memoranda to the Commission and the
executive director. The Committee is appointed by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation and is composed
of building professionals (i.e. architects,
engineers, interior designers and landscape
architects), and persons with disabilities
who are familiar with architectural barrier
problems and solutions. This announce-
ment is for the positions of two consumers
with a disability and one building professional.
Interested persons should request an
application from the Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulation by telephone at
512-463-7348 or 512-463-7357, fax 512475-2872 or email [email protected]. Applications may also
be downloaded from the department
website, www.license.state.tx.us. Applications must be returned to the Department
of Licensing and Regulation no later than
Oct. 14, 2002. Applicants may be asked to
appear for an interview, however any required travel for an interview would be at
the applicant’s expense.Ω
342-5518
203 E. Rhapsody San Antonio, Tx 78216
15080 Tradesmen Drive
San Antonio TX, 78249
210-292-5501
Fax 210-492-0031
800-850-9275
210.525-TRUX
(8789)
www.planetpickup.com
Comal County offices
repaired and restored
Round-Up
cCoy’s
Building
Supply Centers announces the appointment of Scott
Stucky as the new
Operations Manager of McCoy’s
56,000 sf millwork
facility in New Braunfels. The former
GM of the Austin Contractor Sales facility, Scott brings 23 years of experience in the millwork industry to the
position.
M
A
O
O
’Krent’s Abbey Flooring Center
has promoted Leo Cervantes to
the position of Warehouse Manager.
Leo’s responsibilities include supervising the warehouse staff, inventory control, and receiving and shipping activities.
ssociated
Builders and
Contractors welcomes
Dana
Goodman as Program Coordinator.
Dana and her family moved to San
Antonio from Denver, CO. While employed at her
husband’s general contracting firm,
Dana was an active volunteer and Board
member with the ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter.
has appointed Dennis Crawford
to the position of Chief Operating Officer. A 9-year veteran of the company,
Dennis’ responsibilities include marketing, advertising, purchasing, merchandising, showroom layout and the
homebuilder program.
O
has named Jerry Salge to the position of Director of Sales. A 23-year
veteran of the company, Jerry’s responsibilities include supervising a 10member sales staff and serving as Purchasing Agent for custom orders.
Do you have any new employees
joining your company?
email photo and info to:
[email protected]
We do more than
just publish newspapers!
T
he Comal County
Courthouse Annex is
open for business
again after a 1,000-gallon
leak caused close to
$300,000 in damages.
The courthouse annex,
an expansion built onto the
original structure in 1983,
suffered a leak in an air conditioning chilled water system that dumped some 1,000
gallons of water through the
building; thoroughly soaking walls, carpets and office
spaces on all three floors.
Aladdin’s Sam Cholico loads carpet next to Hepa Vac,
Luckily, an employee who
commonly used in mold remediation.
was working on Saturday
noticed the leak and called maintenance.
specific areas were treated with fungicides
That’s when the county maintenance as carpets and building superstructure were
crews called the New Braunfels offices of dried. Though mildly disrupted by a bit of
San Antonio-based Aladdin Cleaning and office shuffling, business continued as norRestoration. New Braunfels general man- mal at the Comal County Courthouse.
ager, Wayne Lehew, sent his crew to the
“That’s how we do things,” says Bob
courthouse within a matter of hours to be- Spalten, owner of Aladdin. “Everybody
gin water damage restoration. Lehew says works together, to do the best job we can,
the true achievement was what would en- as quickly as we can, with as few obstacles
sue over the next 24 hours — repairs that as possible.”
would allow the staff to return for a regular
Over the next 60 days, Aladdin ran a
workday.
cleaning regiment on the building; drying
Sections of gypsum drywall were re- and de-humidifying designated locations,
moved, de-humidifiers were brought in, and while rebuilding and re-installing in others.
Casino, Big Oak provide
backdrop for Extra Effort People
H
eavy rains dissipated and turned
into a great afternoon for WESCO International’s 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day on
Sept. 19th at their location
off Nakoma.
Attendees were greeted
BUILDING SPECIALTIES, INC.
with smiling faces and
$1000 just for showing up to
SINCE 1960
the event. Perhaps an exaggeration, the $1000 was in
WESCO bucks for their caMODERNFOLD - Authorized Modernfold Service Center
sino portion of the event.
First in Walls That Move! Accordian Doors/Folding Partitions
Overall, the plan for the
evening was to offer their WESCO’s Duane Scaief and Terrell Bull of Comfort-Aire
TOILET PARTITIONS / TOILET ACCESSORIES (In Stock)
enjoy black jack and camaraderie at WESCO’s open
300 closest friends an opporSMOKE GUARD - Smoke Containment Systems
house and casino night.
tunity to socialize under the
KALWALL - Translucent Skylights - Windows
“Some people called to see if we were
big oak tree, enjoy the fajitas and refreshProducts in Division 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, & 12
ments and spend some time at their casino going to cancel due to heavy rains earlier
in the day,” said WESCO’s Tim Reininger.
while enjoying the music.
708 W. Summit San Antonio, TX 78212 8222 N. Lamar #F58 Austin, TX 78753
“We have a big enough facility to put ev(210) 732-6139 Fax (210) 735-2647
(512) 339-7836 Fax (512) 339-7916
erything inside, so this event will always
go off rain or shine. We don’t let anything
hold us back.”
Touted as “The Extra Effort People,”
WESCO was true to form in meeting customer and guest needs. The WESCO Wran“Setting the Standard for Service”
glers were on hand to cook up the mouthwatering fajitas, beans and rice while helping to keep the conversation going. After
PROVIDING COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS
dinner, guests were treated to a casino night
• Construction Materials Testing
that allowed them to relax and have fun.
“This is something that we do for our
• Geotechnical & Soils Engineering
contractors and to get our local reps in• Value Engineering
volved. It gets our friends and family together,” Reininger added. “We really ap• Environmental Assessment & Remediation
preciate everyone coming out.”
We design, construct & deliver turn-key quality projects
(210) 308-5800
Parts & Service
Engineering Consulting Services, Ltd.
• Property Condition Assessments
• UST Management Services
• NEPA Assessments
• Indoor Air Quality & Mold
On Time Every Time
12865 Wetmore Road
San Antonio, TX 78247
210-494-7100
210-494-7101 (fax)
Mike Harwood, P.E.
Earl McIntosh, Dir. of Business Development
www.ecslimited.com
ASSOCIATION NEWS
ABC
Oct. 2: Associated Builders and Contractors host a General Membership Mixer,
from 5 pm to 8 pm, at Aggie Park.
Oct. 9: 2nd Wednesday Safety Shorts:
“Making Zero Accidents A Reality”, a report prepared by the Construction Industry
Institute of best practices that works to help
reduce accidents. Be at Old San Francisco
Steak House, starting at 11:30 am. Cost is
only $18 per person. Call Dana Goodman,
at 210-342-1994, to make reservations.
Oct. 27 to 29: ABC-National Leadership
Conference; Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Oct. 30: Excellence In Construction
Awards Banquet and Apprenticeship
Graduation Ceremony. Reception begins at
6 pm, followed by dinner at 7 pm, and
graduation and awards presentations at 7:45
pm. The cost is only $50 per person for the
annual event held at the Oak Hills Country
Club. Call ABC for further information and
to make reservations.
Nov. 7: ABC has a General Membership
Mixer “Great Gun Give Away and Sportsman Expo,” starting at 4 pm at the Alamo
Crane Services’ offices. Cost is only $15
per person. Raffle tickets are $2 each.
ACCA-SAN ANTONIO
Oct. 16: Air Conditioning Contractors Association-San Antonio monthly meeting
will feature Tom Mooney, speaking on
Blower Doors.
Oct. 17: ACCA-San Antonio hosts the 13th
Annual Golf Tournament, at Pecan Valley
Golf Club, beginning at 12:30 pm.
Oct. 25 – 26: ACCA - San Antonio is sponsoring the ACCA Quality College. See details in our September Newsletter.
Oct. 26: ACCA-San Antonio will have our
annual Heat-The-Town program, where we
partner with Habitat for Humanity to do
heating system checkouts for Habitat
homeowners.
For more information, call Jack Lappeus,
at 210-682-7744.
will follow the tournament. For information on sponsoring or playing, please call
Julie at 210-349-4921.
Oct. 26-29: Leadership in Construction
Workshop, Dallas, TX. Tuition includes
accommodations, meals, instruction materials and the classes.
Nov. 7: AGC’s Fall Fiesta will be held at
Pedrotti’s North Wind Ranch from 6-10 pm.
enjoy live music, auction, Tex-Mex cuisine
and an open bar. The Construction Industry Awards will be presented, and the attire
is casual country.
Dec. 12: AGC’s Holiday Open House, from
4 to 7 pm, at the Chapter offices, 10806
Gulfdale. Dress is casual; hors d’oeuvres
and drinks will be served.
PHCC
ASA
Oct. 7: American Subcontractors Association will hold it’s Annual Golf Tournament,
sponsored by LJM Services, at River Crossing Golf Club in Spring Branch. Deadline
to register is October 1st. Registration and
Lunch will be at 11:30 am, with a 1 pm Tee
Time. Afterwards, we will have a BBQ
Awards Reception. ASA invites everyone
to come out and enjoy the day!
Dec. 5: ASA is gearing up for our 3rd Annual Christmas Gala and $10,000 draw
down, at Alzafar Shrine. The turnout was
tremendous last year and we look forward
to an even bigger turnout this year. All proceeds go to the Construct a Kids Christmas
toy drive. So mark your calendars, open
up your hearts, and get ready for the largest Christmas party in town. Donations for
the kids are currently being accepted at the
ASA office at 6326 Sovereign Drive, Suite
102B.
For more information on any of the
above, call the local office at 210-349-2105.
HCA
Oct. 16: Hispanic Contractors Association
will meet at The Builders Exchange of
Texas, 4047 Naco Perrin, Suite 100, at 6:30
pm.
AGC
Oct. 14: The 2002 Associated General
Contractors Fall Golf Tournament will be
held at The Club at Sonterra. Registration
begins at 11 am, followed by a 12:30 shotgun start. An awards ceremony and banquet
Petroleum Club, at 5:30 pm. Featured
speaker is Leo J. Titus, Jr., P.E., ECS, Ltd.
He was on one of four teams dispatched to
the Pentagon after the Sept. 11th strike.
Cost is $20 for members of the associations,
$25 for non-members. Space is limited and
reservations are required. Contact Celeste
at 210-344-0090 to secure a ticket.
Oct. 26: 1st Annual Fall Festival at the
Harmony Hills Cabana Club, 339 Fantasia,
from 7 to midnight. Open to all, the cost is
$25, which includes dinner, been, wine, setups, margaritas, dancing, games, door
prizes and costume contest. Proceeds go,
in part, to the NAWIC scholarship fund.
NAWIC
Oct. 2: National Association of Women in
Construction will host an open meeting
with ABC, ASA, and AGC members, at the
Oct. 9: Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – San Antonio meet from 11am1pm at Dave & Buster’s Topic: Low NOx
water heaters, by Rheem. Sponsor: Champions Marketing.
Oct. 17: PHCC/ACCA Golf Tournament
at Pecan Valley Golf Club, shotgun is 1 pm.
Currently, PHCC is offering a special on
membership for PHC Contractors! 14
months for the price of 12 in 2003! Call
the PHCC-San Antonio office for information. 210-523-1540.
SAMCA
Oct. 30: The San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association will meet at 12 pm at
the Water Street Oyster Bar restaurant, 7500
Broadway. This month’s guest speaker will
be Thad Ziegler, Thad Ziegler Glass, Ltd.
He will discuss his participation in the Defense Department’s Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC 65), held in April
in Washington, D.C. In addition, SAMCA
will accept nominations for officers for the
year 2003. For further information, or reservations, call Debbie at 830-606-5556.
TSPE
Oct. 7: Texas Society of Professional Engineers monthly membership meeting and
lunch at the Barn Door Restaurant. Social
begins at 6 pm, dinner at 6:45 pm. Cost is
$13 with reservations, $15 without.
What you don’t
know can
hurt you!
I
nvited to speak before a group of builders, contractors and re-builders, James
“Jim” Jones, P.E., Advanced Engineering Solutions, addressed the well-attended assembly at a morning meeting on
Thurs., Sept. 12th.
The topic of his discussion involved
foundations and soil behavior. “Expansive
soils in this city cause a lot of distress to
homes and foundations, and it’s typically
avoidable. There are instances when a
builder will recommend keeping the foundation down low, to reduce the visible exposure in the front of a house. It may look
better from the standpoint of a consumer,
but it can aggravate proper drainage. Another
example would be a sidewalk coming off a
front porch, extending to the driveway. If it’s
built high, all the water that runs off the roof
gets trapped between the foundation and the
sidewalk, which acts as a dam.”
Jim addressed issues pertaining to the
new International Residential Code (IRC),
leading to the conclusion that builders
should have their foundations engineered
for site-specificity. Stressing that ours is not
a one-size-fits-all environment, he added
that expansive clay geologies require special engineering or repetition of successfully-engineered projects on like soils.
“Keep in mind,” Jim emphasized, “if it
works on one lot, it may not be suitable for
another lot.”
The professional engineer showed the
builders samples of soils, including Houston black clay and caliche, noting the darker
the soil is, the more likely there will be movement if a change in moisture content occurs.
“When you go out to your site and you
dig your first trench,” he warned the builders,
“you need to open your mind to what you’re
looking at. If you see dark, black soils in San
Antonio, you’re very likely on an active clay
and you need to be extremely attentive to
drainage, foundation elevations, dams that
might be created with sidewalks or landscaping, even the impact of trees and other geologic features. If those impact the moisture
content of the soil, the foundation will move.”
An expert in forensic engineering, Jim
showed photographs exemplifying methods
of good versus bad construction, which relate directly to foundation stress and movement. He also charged the builders to be
pro-active by helping educate homeowner’s
in proper maintenance of their foundations.
The meeting was sponsored by the
Greater San Antonio Builders Association’
Remodelors Council.
J C H
CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Specializing In
Backhoe • Rocksawing • Trenching
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(210) 651-5612
Fax: (210) 651-5451
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210-490-5955
1-866-402-PUMP (7867)
Fax 210-402-0385
661-6736
EMAIL
[email protected]
8007 N E LOOP 410
For Column Ads
or Announcements,
call 210-308-5800
SA Construction News
ENDURO-SEAL USA
Used world wide by the concrete industry
ENDUR-O-SEAL is NOT a PAINT.
It is a water-borne product.
CONCRETE SEALERS • MASONRY & BRICK SEALERS
WOOD SEALERS • CONCRETE CLEANERS • MOLD INHHIBITORS
Carl Barbour
(210) 380-9204 or 479-9006
Visit our website:
http://concretesealers.com
Sandy MacDonald
(210) 273-6484
TIRE PROBLEMS
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Roofing/Construction
Contractor has estimator/sales
position available
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
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STOP FLATS WITH FOAM FILLING
OTR NEW & USED
PLACE YOUR
Must have experience with
insurance claims using
Xactimate estimating program.
Please call Debby at 637-7663.
Peterson Tire, Inc.
210-738-1111
Representing Brenham Area
AD HERE!
3.95 Acre Commercial Property
#13
3.95 acre property on cul de sac of Alamo Parkway in Selma. Commercial district
or industrial use with protective covenants with North & South access to I-35.
Rectangular lot with all utilities available. $345,000.
Contact Grubb & Ellis Company at 210-828-5050 for information.
Business Corner
Lone Star Construction Services of San Antonio
Commercial / Residential
General Contractor
Design Build
Real Estate Dev.
Display / Packaging
Value Engineering
• Backhoe Service • Concrete • Power Washing
• Sweeper Service • Asphalt • Interior / Exterior Painting
For information on these & other services call:
Custom Computer Fabrication of Styrofoam Shapes
Toll Free: 877-500-FOAM
Fax: 830-693-4868
email:[email protected]
P.O Box 446 Marble Falls, Texas 78654
12931 Hwy 87 S.
Adkins, Tx
78101
210-649-4600
Tom Smith, President
Pager 210-220-7975
Chris Martinez
Industrial and Commercial
24 hr Emergency Service
Give Bruce Eckersley a call today:
210.508.0846
UTILITIES–EXCAVATION
Fred Martinez
You’re Not Just
Another Customer.
We’re Not Just
Another Bank.
Fax
210-649-4602
Chuck Sparrow,
Superintendent
210-734-7361
www.southtrust.com
Member FDIC. ©2000 SouthTrust
2320 S.W. 36th St. • San Antonio, Tx 78237
O: 210.433.9999 • C: 210.685.9002 • F: 210.435.7777
CONCRETE • READY-MIX
FREE DELIVERY*
1-2 YARDS
SUPERIOR MACHINERY
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High fliers vs. ECS guests: dove hunt goes off with lots of bangs
H
eavy rains the previous day had
many worried that opening day of
dove season would be a wash out.
But the skies cleared and provided ECS
Ltd. and about 70 guests with a great opportunity to head south of the city and
square off against the elusive gray speedsters on Sept. 20th for their Opening Day
Dove Hunt.
“We had planned to put everything out
for the hunt on Thursday afternoon, but the
Monsoon rains fouled things up for us,” said
Earl McIntosh, planner of the event. “We
had to go out about 4:30 in the morning
that day to get tents set up. But it turned
out to be a beautiful day and a great event.”
The opener featured a morning hunt as
well as an evening hunt to
accommodate busy schedules and ensure everyone
had a chance to join in the
fun.
“This was a great opportunity to get away from
the office and socialize,” said
ECS’ Earl McIntosh.
Early risers got the event
going about a half-hour before sunrise with breakfast
tacos accompanied by juice
and coffee. With their stomachs full, hunters set off to
various locations to start the
action for the day.
Happy hunters enjoy camaraderie and tales of the hunt
following ECS’ Opening Day Dove Hunt.
During the afternoon hunt, shooters
were challenged early in the day, as the birds
started coming in high and fast, but as the
sun started to head for the horizon, hunters
got their chance for a limit as the birds settled
in to lower flight paths. Following the shooting, guests dined on fajitas and various beverages and traded stories of the day’s conquests. Door prizes, including a shotgun,
were given out to round out the event.
McIntosh summed up the event by saying “We appreciate the fact that everyone
took the time from their busy schedules to
attend and enjoy the camaraderie. It was a
great opportunity for us to show our clients and potential clients that we appreciate them very much.”
Construction women make SABJ’s top 25 list
A
s reported in the Sept. 6th issue
of the San Antonio Business Jour
nal, five construction-related
companies are among the largest San Antonio women-owned businesses. In order
of ranking, they are:
#13 Jill Drash, President, Drash Con-
sulting Engineers Inc., established in 1992.
Primary services include geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, construction materials observation and testing.
#14 Brenda Vickery Johnson, President,
Vickery & Associates Inc., established in
1971. Primary services include civil engi-
neering, survey, land development, transportation, rail, airport, municipal, commercial,
industrial, residential, and multi-family.
#16 Marge Ohlenbusch, Alamo Crane
Service Inc. Primary activity is crane operations.
#19 Kayrene Shafer, President, J.A.
Plumbing Inc. Services include plumbing, heating, air conditioning, utilities,
medical gas, and process pipe.
#23 Lana McCord, President/Owner,
Retail Builders Group Inc. Company specializes in general construction.
On Location
ARCHITECTURAL ACCESSIBILITY IN TEXAS
FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY LAWS & STANDARDS
The Fair Housing Act
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (amended 1988)
The design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing
Act apply to all new multifamily housing first occupied after
March 13, 1991. Covered multifamily dwellings are: (1) all
dwelling units in buildings containing four or more units if such buildings have one or
more elevators, and (2) all ground floor dwelling units in other buildings containing
four or more units.
REQUIREMENT 7, Part A:
Usable Kitchens:
Putting the final touches to landscaping at the SBC Center, workers from
Milberger Commercial Landscape are hard at work.
“Covered multifamily dwellings with a
building entrance on an accessible route
shall be designed and constructed in such
a manner that all premises within covered multifamily dwelling units contain
usable kitchens, such that an individual
in a wheelchair can maneuver about the
space.” Fair Housing Act Regulations,
24 CFR 100.205
Use of swinging retractable cabinet door
hardware provides another excellent
method to conceal knee space because
the doors are self-storing and no part of
the cabinet has to be removed or stored
at another location. A special combination hinge allows the doors to swing
open in a traditional manner and, when
desired, allows the doors to be pushed
back into the cabinet.
Removable Base Cabinets
Cameras found Dane & Kelly Patrick of the Law Offices of Dane Patrick
ready to assist companies with their legal work.
Narrow U-shaped kitchens, where knee
space must be provided below sinks or
cooktops, can appear identical to those
kitchens which lack this additional feature since knee space can be concealed
by a removable base cabinet. When a potential resident or owner needs the knee
space it can be provided quickly and easily. Specifications for knee space are
based on the Fair Housing Guidelines’ requirements for bathrooms.
The Guidelines require that the floor,
L-R: Sharon Eichman, Dallas Cloud, Buzz Park, Woody Woodward and R.B. Morton
stand proudly next to Moore Erection’s entrance sign in Bracken.
walls, and cabinet faces of knee space be
finished during initial construction so no
other work is necessary when the base
cabinet is removed. When sinks or
cooktops are installed at the bottom of a
narrow U-shaped kitchen, regardless of
whether the knee space is exposed or concealed by a removable cabinet, hot pipes
or exposed sharp edges should be insulated or enclosed at the time of initial construction.
Robert Buck, AIA, has provided architectural accessibility plan reviews/inspections for over 2740 projects in 17 states.
He is a Texas Department of Licensing &
Regulation Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) and Fair Housing Consultant for the City of Austin. 13438 Bandera
Road, #104, Helotes, TX 78023 (210-6955326)
Working Bulverde?
L-R: Gary Gayda, Tony Pieprzyca, Dana Goodman, and Steve Schuetze
enjoy an afternoon of golf at ABC’s Tournament Tune-Up.
If you need it, you can rent it at
BULVERDE
RENTAL CENTER
(CAVCO)
830-438-2626
FAX 830-438-7271
29630 Hwy 281 N.
L-R: Ken Brieden, Calvin Lieck,and Ron Morrison of WESCO Wranglers
cooking up fun at their open house.
Bulverde, TX 78163
Sure, we’ve got that!

*SA Jun 02 - Construction News

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