Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News Sept. 2016

Covering the Industry’s News

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Volume 13

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Number 9

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Perfect timing

Golden regal

Braun Intertec has more than 30 offices in the central U.S., including local offices in Arlington and Richardson.

L-R: Regal Plastic’s Patsy and Wayne Gono

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stablished geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, materials testing and building sciences firm Braun Intertec had found success in the Midwest with substantial Minnesota and North Dakota operations and recent growth in Kansas. The clients, however, couldn’t stop asking the firm’s team if they had Texas offices.

“The clients were really asking Braun Intertec to go to Texas,” the company’s South Region Director Ryan Venable says.

“The leadership team understood how important it is to bring on an experienced team of engineers, geoscientists and technicians to support their growth in the southern region of the U.S.” Meanwhile, Apex Geoscience, with 12 locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Lou-

isiana, had built a 20-year business and shared Braun Intertec’s values of collaboration, integrity, innovation and complimentary technical skills and knowledge.

Call it perfect timing: Both companies were planning for the future and both were seeking growth that complimented their existing businesses.

“When the leaders of both first came together,” Venable says, “you could tell it was a good fit culturally and strategically.”

Last September, Braun Intertec acquired Apex Geoscience and can now tell clients that it has Texas offices in Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Conroe, Longview, Lubbock, Paris, Richardson, San Antonio, Texarkana, Texas City, Tyler and Wichita continued on Page 20

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or Regal Plastics Texas, a game of golf started it all. Bob Stash, original owner of Regal Plastics Shreveport, LA and Joe Slavik, owner of Regal Plastics Kansas City hit the links with Don Walker and approached him about opening Regal Plastics in Dallas/Fort Worth. With a $3,000 investment from each, Walker rented a downtown Dallas warehouse space in 1970 and set up a two-person shop, with Walker’s secretary taking customer orders and Walker personally filling and delivering orders.

The decision to establish a D/FW presence was a hole in one; within a year, Walker moved the business to a 5,000-sf warehouse. In 1971, he opened a San Antonio branch, established a Houston office in 1981, and followed by an Austin

branch in 1988. The steady success enabled him to buy Stash’s and Slavik’s ownership in the Texas division.

Regal Plastics also evolved into a family business. Walker’s daughter Patsy married high school sweetheart Wayne Gono in 1977 and convinced her dad to hire her for the collections department.

Wayne soon followed, joining the inside sales team. Together, they tackled multiple roles within the business, taking full control of the company upon Walker’s retirement in 1996.

Today, the woman-owned company boasts 110 employees in six offices in Texas and Louisiana, with branch manager Robert Carroll overseeing 34 employees in its Irving corporate headquarters. continued on Page 20

A study in green space

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ampus growth was pushing one student body, faculty and staff out of its natural habitat. When Tarleton State University became a member of the Texas A&M system in 1917, it started to experience the steady growth that led to its 11,000 student-strong population. But as buildings were erected to keep up with the growth, recreational spaces for them to congregate were dwindling.

University president Dr. Dominic Dottavio recognized the issue, and enlisted general contractor Alpha Building Corporation to help resolve it. Project manager Dwight Kinn and superintendent Randy Whitman worked closely with Turner LandArchitecture LLC to create a green space students, faculty and staff would use for relaxing, eating, studying and sharing ideas for years to come.

The dedicated area for what is now

the “Pedestrian Mall and Island Plaza,” situated in front of the president’s house on the east side of campus, used to be a battered parking lot. The team excavated the lot and transformed it into what is now the Founders Common area. Doc Blanchard Boulevard and Military Drive were demolished and replaced with reinforced concrete pavement and four concrete sidewalks with embedded pavers throughout. Improving these old and deteriorating streets was a must, and storm drainage was non-existent. A herringbone-patterned path of paver bricks was installed to complete Military Drive and Military Circle. Limestone-slabbed spiral walls and brick-finished spiral seat walls adorn Founders Common. The architectdesigned fountain was sculpted piece by piece on site to ensure correct water flow, and the first statue of John Tarleton was A 10ft tall statue of John Tarleton, donated by general contractor Alpha Building Corporation, keeps watch over the new Pedestrian Mall and Island Plaza, a campus communal green space.

continued on Page 20

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Road to success

Backpack to the future

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Local students received backpack and supply donations.

ids across the Metroplex are preparing to return to school, and KPost Company is making sure employees’ children and local kids are off to a good start.

For the third year in a row, KPost Charities donated backpacks filled with school supplies, with more than 800 backpacks donated this year. In addition to donating backpacks to the children of KPost employees, KPost Charities donat-

ed to students at Young Women’s Leadership Academy at Grand Prairie’s Bill Arnold Middle School, Rocky Point Ministries through Flower Mound United Methodist Church and Dallas’ Family Place, which empowers victims of family violence.

KPost Company is a Dallas-based commercial roofing and waterproofing contractor. –mjm

KPost employees received companydonated backpacks for their children.

KPost Company donated more than 800 backpacks with supplies.

Thomas Carroll (center, in hat) says his employees and the pride shown in the work keep customers returning.

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t age 12, Thomas “Tommy” Carroll was already a chip – or rather a chip sealer – off the old block.

Carroll spent his teens working after school for his grandfather, who established a paving business in the 1950s in McAllen. Although the Valley heat and materials shortages could be discouraging, Carroll enjoyed working for his grandfather and especially enjoyed the work, which he made a full-time job after high school graduation.

“I always wanted to do this,” Carroll says. “I was very skilled at all of it; it came very easy for me growing up and it was just kind of familiar for me.”

When his grandfather retired, Carroll bought the business, changed the name to Tommy’s Paving and moved it, along with a few of his employees, to Arlington in 2004.

“It was a little tough making a name for myself here in the Dallas area; it’s a lot easier in South Texas, there is more competition here,” he admits. “But we do quality work and it has spread through

word of mouth.”

Carroll credits his 13 employees, including foreman Joe Soto, equipment operator Reginald Love and roller operator Mike Willis, as the reason customers keep returning.

“My grandfather’s main concern was keeping the customers happy,” Carroll says. “We take a lot of pride in our work and don’t cut corners. If you do jobs that last, you’ll look good for years to come; people don’t think twice about calling you again.”

He says repeat customers make up a bulk of his business and that he hopes to earn repeat customers in other cities.

“I’d like to expand to San Antonio and other bigger cities in Texas,” he says. “I’d like to be the largest paving company in Texas – I have a little bit of growing to do though!”

Tommy’s Paving offers asphalt paving, chip seal, hot tar asphalt, seal coating and repair, concrete overlays and driveway, parking lot, farm lane and private roadway work. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

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Good works at work

Feeding the force

JB & Associates helped welcome first responders, such as Highland Village’s police department, at the event.

LGT staff reached into their pockets for the privilege of wearing jeans all week.

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ell-rounded and focused on others: certified public accounting firm Lane Gorman Trubitt LLC (LGT) strives to develop both qualities in its employees. Encouraging its staff to give back to the community that helped them build its business is one way LGT does this. The week of July 11-15, LGT’s Young Professionals (“YP”) group organized and participated in Young Professionals Leading Edge Alliance’s Global Volunteer Week. The initiative benefitted non-profit Christian charitable organization Buckner International.

The week got off to a sweet start with employees donating tasty treats for a bake sale for Buckner, which raised more than $250. The next day, several YP members spent their afternoon at Buck-

ner Shoes for Orphan Soles organizing more than 900 pairs of shoes and some immediate aid kits to send around the world. Throughout the week, YP also collected more than 40 pairs of children’s shoes to donate to Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls.

Another in-jean-ious idea was to encourage LGT staff to donate $5 a day or $15 for four days for the privilege of wearing jeans to the office. The idea worked: LGT employees donated nearly $400 to Buckner.

Lane Gorman Trubitt is one of the largest certified public accounting firms in the Southwest, offering traditional accounting, audit and tax services and specialized professional services to a range of clients. –mjm

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urgers for Badges” was a “meat and greet” for those on the beat! Fixd, JB & Associates, TexasAir Systems and American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) North Texas chapter hosted a cookout and invited the Highland Village community to grab a burger and support their police and fire departments. All proceeds from the event, held Aug. 12 in front of the Highland Village police station, benefitted Guns & Hoses Foundation of North Texas, an organization dedicated to assisting families of fallen first responders. –mjm

Helping to host the event was Texas AirSystems partner and former ASA president Rusty Vaughn.

Submitted to Construction News

Thanks 4.3 million!

Members of the Highland Village Fire Department line up for lunch.

They topped out 2.3 million square feet of conditioned space – with another 2 million square feet of parking garage space – in just under a year?

Austin Commercial thanked its employee owners, subcontractors and workers who made possible Toyota’s North American Headquarters’ topping out with a celebratory worker appreciation lunch on Jul. 16. –mjm

Dallas  Fort Worth

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

log house I had planned for 15 years, and I was the general contractor. It had a basement, and basements aren’t done around here. I was so proud of it; it took a year to build it right on the cliffs.

A year later, I started having cracks in the foundation, and the floors and the walls started cracking and doors wouldn’t open. It’s a beautiful place, but I would literally pull up to it and be nauseated thinking about what had been done wrong.

Jim Fontaine CEO/President Tella Firma Foundations

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uilding businesses has been a lifelong passion for Jim Fontaine, but the idea to build a business in the construction industry surprised even him. When a bad thing happened to his dream lake home, he turned it into a “sometimes bad things happen for a reason,” and then turned that lesson that into a new business path.

How were you introduced to construction?

Growing up in a family of 11 in Wisconsin, my father built most of our house and did lots of construction. So helping him out as a child, I learned everything from pouring concrete, to framing buildings, to putting in plumbing and electrical work. It wasn’t as much of a career for him as much as it was a necessity for him to be able to afford to put his family under a roof.

What did you do?

I was at a Cub Scouts camp with my son sitting around a campfire with the dads and I was talking about the situation. Tony Childress, one of the dads, said he was a structural engineer and that he would take a look at my house; that’s how I got to know him.

He came out and took a look at it, and said it was too bad he didn’t know me earlier because he had just invented a new product in 2004 that could have saved me from this problem.

So that was my introduction to the product, which is now our company. It basically is a bolt and sleeve system that goes into the slab at the time of construction that sits on top of piers. The concrete slab is poured normally but once the slab is cured, small covers over the bolts are opened and the 1¼-inch diameter bolts are turned with big wrenches and the slab slowly raises off of the ground, which leaves a protective void between the slab and the ground.

The slab is elevated and has a turndown beam so you can’t see underneath the slab, and you’ve basically built a very low-cost pier and beam system. Soils can move up and down without affecting the foundation.

Did that soon steer you on a path to a construction career?

I graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and moved to Texas in January of 1981, taking a job at Texas Instruments. So my background is really in electrical engineering. From Texas Instruments, in 1983 I moved to another company called United Technologies-Mostek. It was there that we came up with our idea for our first company. We started that company in 1985 with a bunch of engineers from Mostek and Texas Instruments.

So my history has not really been in construction, my history has been in starting product companies that were geared to revolutionizing different parts of the consumer electronics industry. I built four of those over a period of 30 years.

The idea for the first one was to revolutionize the photography market by building the world’s first color electronic darkroom; back in 1985, you couldn’t do what you do today with pictures on computers. That was our vision and we did that. I did three other companies after that, and the last was a company called Microtune, which was formed in the late ‘90s and went public in 2001. I was CEO of that company beginning in 2003 until it was acquired in 2010. We grew that company from zero to $110 million in revenue and we also revolutionized the television tuner industry; we were the first ones to put a television tuner on a chip.

Everything that we did in those four companies we did with the goal of revolutionizing a market. Attempting to dramatically change the way things were done is a very difficult challenge.

How did you help grow Tony’s idea into Tella Firma?

Tony Childress is the principal at Childress Engineering, a large structural engineering company in Richardson. He really invented this product for his commercial and residential clients. So this started by word of mouth being designing this into their structures.

Over the years, Tony got to be quite a good friend, and in 2010 when I sold my company, he tried to convince me to take this product and build it into a company. I refused at first but in late 2014 we came back together and put together a business plan. What had happened over those years is that they had done quite a few homes and had a quite a bit of history of it in the ground, the product had evolved.

So we took that, formed Tella Firma and acquired the intellectual property; Tony is still on our advisory board, and we really built a team to go do the same thing that we had done four times before, and that was to go out and revolutionize the building industry.

In all of our past companies, we have attempted to revolutionize the industry.

And that’s what we’re trying to do now, is revolutionize the mass market, first focusing on DFW. We are expanding into Austin and San Antonio, where they have very active soils on the east side of town, but we also have apartment complexes going up right now, bidding on commercial warehouses, and building commercial buildings and schools.

We’re approaching 1,000 foundations that have been put into the ground, and we’re just trying to improve what we do to make this more affordable and bring it to the commercial and residential markets.

How did you turn your attention from electronics to the construction industry?

I indirectly got acquainted with the construction industry. After my company went public, I built my dream lake house on Lake Texoma. It was a large stone and

Having created other businesses, was it an easy decision to create Tella Firma?

No; it’s extremely difficult to build a business up. I always tell other entrepreneurs, “All start ups start up with zero rev-

Tella Firma CEO and President Jim Fontaine

enue.” Of the businesses I’ve started up, I’ve had a single, a double, a home run and a strike out. The last company was a home run; we sold the company and went public, but I was frankly a little hesitant just knowing how difficult it was going to be to revolutionize another industry, much less the construction industry which is going to be much more hesitant to adopt new technology compared to the electronics industry.

But the technology was such a simple idea it was like, why hadn’t someone thought of this before?

From a business perspective, this had some real legs and also the market side of it is big. It’s just that we knew that it was going to be a long process and we’d have to put together a team. I approached it very cautiously and put together a business plan.

their way as well. I became the chairman of that group, and we funded about 10 different startups, mostly in healthcare.

On a personal side, most of my hobbies have revolved around my kids. I just sent the last one off to college, he was actively involved in crew in high school and I was actively involved in that as one of the parents. Then I have other activities at the lake house, like boating and things of that sort.

What do you enjoy about your work?

I enjoy bringing a better solution to the marketplace. Not only are foundation problems expensive, in my case, they’re very expensive; mine was $175,000 in foundation repairs to fix my house, and it broke my heart. There are true heartbreak stories of people who have foundation problems and it affects a lot of people. It’s not curing cancer, but it is curing problems.

Also, I just love the construction industry. I love watching things being built, I love going to framed houses because it smells of wood – everything about the construction industry, I love. I love to see things done in a high-quality way.

Do you enjoy challenging yourself?

I do. Starting companies and building companies is a bit of a drug. You get the energy and the buzz from when things go well; 80% of the time, you struggle, but the 20% of the time when things go well that’s your drug and when you feel great.

But that’s kind of the way it is with a lot of things; it’s a climb and a struggle.

The symbol of our company is a [Sisyphean] guy pushing a boulder up a cliff, which is what it’s about, you’re pushing a boulder up a hill; you can’t take the pressure off, otherwise it will roll right back down the hill.

How would you describe your company’s culture?

It’s a small company. We try to promote a culture that everybody in the company is an owner, everybody has stock options or ownership of the company. It’s very important to us that if the company succeeds, everybody ultimately has success as well, and everybody who has joined the company has taken some level of financial sacrifice to be part of it.

I think the culture here is one of really wanting to deliver a high-quality solution really geared to satisfying the customer.

We also try to have some sort of work/life balance; we do things monthly as a team that are a little on the fun side, but we realize people have family commitments as well.

How do you spend your time away from work?

Part of it is work-related; I joined an angel investor group called North Texas Angel Network. It’s like a real-life version of “Shark Tank.” There’s a group of 50 of us that have been successful at business and are trying to help fund new start ups but also help advise and help them along

Tell me more about your children. Are they interested in the industry?

Interestingly enough, my daughter graduated from the University of Texas (UT) with an architecture degree and my son is a starting freshman at UT in civil engineering. Although [construction] wasn’t my degree, I’ve got two kids now in this industry.

What do you hope the future holds for you?

Well, this is going to be my last rodeo as far as being a CEO of a company. My plan is to get this up and running. I try to mentor the younger people in the company so that every single person in this company – should they choose to run or start their own company someday ­ – we’re going to train them how to do that.

Part of it is training people here to be leaders as well.

The mission of the business is to try and revolutionize the industry and be financially successful for the employees, investors and everyone that has surrounded the company. For me, I see that as a five-year mission, and by then, I feel I will be taking on more of a board role and you’ll see me working in start-ups of other companies. I doubt I’ll ever retire in the true definition of retirement.

Offering an environmentally friendly solution for multi-use projects, Tella Firma Foundation provides a patented process of elevating a slab-on-grade foundation above the ground to create a protective void. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

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Turn up the heat!

Four cheers for engineers!

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n Aug. 8, 1907, a Wyoming man named Charles Bellamy was issued the first professional engineering license. Nearly 109 years later, engineers have made their mark protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public. For the National Society of Professional Engineers’ (NSPE) inaugural “Professional Engineers Day” on Aug. 3, engineering, architecture, environmental science, construction and planning service firm Freese and Nichols Inc. celebrated its licensed P.E.s. in a special way. Engi-

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neers were invited to submit a photo or video for the firm’s Twitter page sharing why they became engineers or why they love it! –mjm

Teresa Castillón, electrical engineer, Fort Worth

he Texas Statewide Construction Credit Group members have not been spending their summer idly. In April, they had a hula party in Galveston, above, and in July, they celebrated the heat with a fiesta, below, in San Antonio! –cw Becky Diviney, water resources engineer, Denton

Edra Brashear, stormwater engineer, Dallas

Wayne Hartt, transportation engineer, Frisco

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Resilience see

Giving it his wall

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ecent headline-making natural disasters, including flooding and droughts, have increased the need for effective systems to address them.

Resilience was the focus of the 9th annual North Texas Sustainable Showcase, held July 28 at Grapevine’s The Laurel.

American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Dallas Committee on the Environment (COTE), U.S. Green Building Council Texas (USGBC) and Construction Specification Institute’s (CSI) Dallas chapter presented the event.

Attendees included architects, contractors, developers, engineers, facilities managers, interior designers and owners who spent the day learning the latest about the sustainable building industry.

The Sustainable Showcase featured vendors introducing the latest green building products and technologies for commercial and residential use.

Nationally-known speakers included Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA LEED AP of MALeco LLC, Jim Newman of Linnean Solutions and Theresa O’Donnell, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Dallas.

Dr. Z Smith, Ph. D AIA LEED Fellow of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in New Orleans provided the lunch keynote presentation of EDR’s work as case studies of designing for resilience. –mjm

Vendors showcased the latest green building products.

Armstrong Ceilings & Walls

Photo credits, Jonathan Kraatz and David Rodriquez

Big Ass Solutions

Event sponsor Sloan

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Ramon Martinez has the walls of the Metroplex covered

hen Ramon Martinez was a boy in New York, he grew up learning about his father’s painting and wallpapering business. But that’s not the only important thing he learned from his dad that guided his life.

“I remember when my father told me to be happy working and doing what you really like,” Martinez remembers. “This is what I like – painting and wallpaper. I’ve tried carpentry, tile work and other things because my father was doing that too, but I didn’t like it. So I just focused on painting and wallpaper and decided that this is what I wanted to do. I enjoy it.”

He established Ramm Painting and Wallpaper, first painting and papering some of New York’s nicer real estate, and then moving the business to Garland 12 years ago after meeting his wife.

Martinez says clients, including Walmart, Hollister Co. and Abercrombie & Fitch, not only appreciate the quality of his work, but also his enthusiasm.

“They notice I’m happy all of the time

because this is what I like,” he says. “I try to please my customer, make sure they like what I’m doing and that everything goes the way they want.”

Martinez has a crew to help him perform the jobs, but he still insists on being very hands-on – especially with the wallpaper projects – to make sure his projects turn out to his satisfaction.

“I care about the work,” he says. “The wallpaper and the vinyl are very expensive and they don’t give you extra; so I don’t want a mistake.”

Martinez’s future plans include resuming out-of-state projects and building his crew back up to its pre-recession size.

“We don’t have the time now, but I used to travel to New York and California doing this work,” he says. “That’s where I expect my company will be again.”

Ramm Painting and Wallpaper’s services include interior and exterior painting, wallpapering, drywall installation and cabinet refinishing. –mjm

Industry FOLKS Roxul Inc.

Emily Clark Administrative Assistant H&E Equipment Services

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Speaker Theresa O’Donnell, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Dallas.

Attendees had opportunities to discuss sustainable building issues.

t only took nearly four decades for Emily Clark, who has lived throughout the U.S. of A., to settle down.

“I’m a mover and a shaker,” asserts Clark, “And now I’ve finally found a real home!”

Home is now Grand Prairie, but Clark took a circuitous route to get there. Born in Salt Lake City, she moved to San Diego at age 11, returned to Salt Lake City nine years later, found her way to North Texas and then moved to North Virginia after meeting her husband. But when her husband’s former company allowed him to work from home, they jumped at the chance to move, and of all of the places she’s lived, the Lone Star State was the clear winner.

“My husband loves Texas, and I wanted to be closer to my mom,” she says of their desire to return. “And I think Texas definitely has the nicest people!”

Even more specifically, she thinks the company she works for, H&E Equipment Services, has the nicest people. Four months into her job as an administrative assistant, she says she still can’t wait to wake up and go to work.

“The atmosphere here is outstanding,” she says. “When I walk in the door, I’m just happy, and I’ve never had that before where I enjoy getting

up and going to work. I noticed the camaraderie of everyone here when I was interviewing. Rental coordinators Cassie Farrar and Zac Fleming are our dynamic duo and our other superstars Daniella Rhea and Patricia Morado in Service are amazing. They’re helpful, kind people, and everybody just works so well together. We all love to laugh.

That’s so hard to find; I’m blessed and very thankful.”

When she isn’t bonding with her new co-workers, she bonds with her adopted retriever/terrier mix, Ladybug, travels with her husband to ocean destinations, swims at her gym and dreams about playing tennis, a favorite childhood sport, again soon.

Clark confesses to not being much of a collector (clutter interferes with moving and shaking!), but the one thing she does collect is rather fitting: A collection of Thomas Kinkade houses, which are on display in a place of pride in her real home. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

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Claying in the puddles

Anton Cabinetry

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wo hundred and thirty shooters took to the targets Aug. 19, even as thunder rolled toward Alpine Shooting Range. Showers eventually sprinkled during American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) 2016 Clay Shoot, but that didn’t keep the attendees from giving the event their best shot. After the shooters came in for lunch, raffle winners were announced and individual, team and Lewis Class winners received their awards. Prime Controls and Anton Cabinetry tied for first place team, but even amidst the rivalry, camaraderie won the day. –mjm Top Individuals: Gary Anglin, Prime Controls (90) Larry Anderson, Trane (87) Marvin Durham, Anton Cabinetry (87)

Top Teams: Prime Controls (333) Anton Cabinetry (333) Trane (322) Lewis Class I: Jason Garrett, Buyers Barricades Derek Free, Wright Construction Co. John Stapp, United Mechanical Lewis Class II: Jody Stallcup, TDIndustries Ryan Reams Taylor Klein, Kent Companies Lewis Class III: John Wicker, Greater Metroplex Interiors Inc. Greg Peck, Drywall Interiors John Ivey, City Wide Mechanical

Prime Controls

Getting’ that green

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eventy-five tee players fought for their turf at The Colony’s TopGolf on Aug. 17. The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) hosted a top-of-the-line experience with food, fun and fores! Proceeds benefitted NUCA’s scholarship fund. Three teams won first place in “TopGolf Game,” “Top Score” and “Best Bay.” –mjm

L-R: Winners Jimmy Day of Conatser, Team Safety’s Jacob Ponce and North Texas Contracting’s Chris Beauchamp

L-R: Winners Justin Fraley of Rinker Material and National Trench Safety’s Jose Serrano

L-R: Winners Rich Ducharme of Frost and Witch Equipment’s Ryan Thomas

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Lease accounting changes Jill Sterling, Assurance Associate Fisher, Herbst & Kimble PC San Antonio, TX

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oes your company lease office space, construction equipment, vehicles or other physical assets with terms longer than 12 months? Then this new leasing standard, ASU 2016-02 (Topic 842), released by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2016 could have some major financial reporting impacts for you. A list of practical tips to help implement the new standard are listed below.

Background – The old standard was highly criticized for not providing a faithful representation of leasing transactions.

Therefore, the purpose of the new leasing standard is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lease assets and lease liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet.

The new standard also provides for increased disclosure of key information regarding leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard is effective in 2019 (for public entities) or 2020 (for private entities) using a modified retrospective approach. However, early adoption of the new standard is permitted and encouraged. Additionally, the new standard is limited to physical assets only. As such, leases of intangible assets, inventory, assets under construction leases, leases of mineral rights and the exploration for or use of minerals, oils, and natural gas, and leases of biological assets will continue to be accounted for under their original FASB topics.

For Lessee – The new leasing standard will primarily affect the accounting of leases for lessees. According to the new standard, lessees will now be required to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. At inception, lessees must classify all leases as either finance or operating. Balance sheet recognition of finance and operating leases is similar, but the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement will differ depending on the lease classification.

Finance Leases – Lessee effectively obtains control of the underlying asset at the end of the lease term or through a bargain purchase, lessee use is for most of asset’s economic life, or lease payments made cover majority of the asset’s fair value. Basically, the following will be required: • Balance Sheet: Recognize right-ofuse (ROU) asset and lease liability

• Income Statement: Recognize interest on the lease liability separately from amortization of the ROU asset

• Cash Flows: Classify repayments of the principal within financing activities

and payments of interest within operating activities Operating Leases – Lessee does not effectively obtain control of the underlying asset. Basically, the following will be required: • Balance Sheet: Recognize right-ofuse asset and lease liability

• Income Statement: Recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis • Cash Flows: Classify all cash payments within operating activities For Lessor – Lessor accounting for leases will mostly remain unchanged and you should continue to follow existing accounting principles if you are a lessor.

However, some changes were made to align lessor accounting guidance and lessee accounting guidance especially related to glossary terms and Topic 606 Revenue Recognition.

Tips for Implementing the New Leasing Standard 1. Start preparing now! The best advice is to not wait until you are required to comply with the new standard to begin assessing the impacts to your business. Begin having discussions with your teams now for how you are going to comply and implement the new standard.

2. Begin to analyze your current leasing contracts and determine the financial accounting effects of the new standard on your existing contracts especially in relation to your lending covenants currently in place.

3. Draft new policies or update existing policies for your business such as your lease classification policy.

4. Consider the tax implications and assess your internal controls over lease accounting.

5. Contact a professional for help if you need assistance in determining the impacts to your business or for a plan to comply with the new standard.

If you have any questions or would like to talk about the effect of the new leasing standard on your business, please contact us. We can assist you with implementing the new standard or providing you with the appropriate resources to start preparing for the upcoming changes.

Jill Sterling is an assurance associate for FHK. Contact her at 210-477-2718 or at jsterling@fhkcpa.com

Facts about distracted driving Wes Pitts, Senior Vice President USI Southwest - Austin Austin, TX

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ccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), 3,179 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2014 as a result of distracted driving. An estimated additional 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving, such as texting; using a cell phone or smartphone; eating and drinking; talking to passengers; grooming or changing clothes; reading, including maps; using a navigation system; watching a video; and adjusting a radio, or other audio device.

There are several facts about distracted driving that all drivers should know:

• Ten percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes, and 16 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2014 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.

• The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech/NHTSA).

• Drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

• Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes.

• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent (Carnegie Mellon).

• Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent (University of Utah).

• Drowsy driving causes an estimated 1,550 deaths a year and 40,000 injuries (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] Report).

• Forty-one percent of drivers admitted they have “fallen asleep or nodded off” while driving at least once; 11 percent said they had done so within the past year, and four percent said they had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the previous month (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Survey).

• Brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver listens to conversation or music (Center for Cogni-

tive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University Study).

• More than 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior: changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails and shaving (Nationwide Mutual Insurance Survey).

Employers should develop a policy that ensures employee safety while using motor vehicles. The policy should be practical, legal, and reflective of the organization’s risk tolerance for activities that might distract employees while they are driving. The policy should state that the primary function of the driver is to drive the vehicle, and that if additional tasks that may inhibit the safe operation of the vehicle are necessary, they should be handled by a passenger/co-worker or when the vehicle is stopped in a safe place. The policy may state that employees who are charged with traffic violations resulting from distracted behavior while driving will be responsible for all penalties that result from such actions, and outline the company disciplinary action that also may result.

Once a policy has been developed, employers should ensure that drivers understand the reason for the policy, including the increased odds of an accident, the potential liability for the company, and the possibility of personal injuries or fatalities. Outline the ways in which distractions increase these risks so drivers will understand how to reduce their odds of an accident. It is important to reinforce the policy by providing all new hires with a copy and reviewing it in detail during their orientation; covering safe motor vehicle operations in all driver-training programs; and providing periodic reminders, such as in an employee newsletter.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a sample policy on its website at http://www.distraction.gov/take-action/ employers.html

Wes Pitts is a Sr. Vice President and Southwest Regional Construction Practice Leader for USI Southwest - Austin, TX, USA. Wes can be contacted at 512-651-4107, or Wesley.pitts@usi.com.

Submitted to Construction News

Talking shot

The Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Association of Dallas/Ft. Worth (DACA) hosted its 7th Annual Roy Neu Clay Shoot at Dallas Gun Club on Aug. 5. When the smoke cleared, Marek (pictured) was number one with a bullet, Baker Drywall scored second place and L & W Supply took home third. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

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When is a deal really a deal?

Bethany F. Thompson, Shareholder Gardner Law San Antonio, TX

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onstruction contracts are notoriously complicated documents, often made even more complicated as a result of numerous exchanges between the parties as to the scope of work, pricing, timeline, and other important factors. The process typically begins with the submission of a proposal or bid, but from there, a variety of things can happen.

At times, a contractor will sign and return the proposal; other times, they’ll simply instruct the subcontractor to get started.

Finally, and perhaps most frequently, the contractor will submit a lengthy subcontract document to the subcontractor for them to review and sign. It is not uncommon, however, for performance on the job to be underway prior to execution of a final, signed document. If a dispute arises during this purgatory period where performance has begun but terms are still being negotiated, what are the governing terms?

This legal issue is typically referred to as the “Battle of the Forms.” A few important considerations for those in the construction industry are below: If you marked up the contract and returned it, that’s a counteroffer

Under the applicable common law, if your response or “acceptance” of a contract contains terms that differ from the original document, it is a counteroffer.

The legal effect of a counteroffer is that it constitutes a rejection of your customer’s terms and a new offer with your modified terms. If this takes place and the other party accepts your modified terms, you are now bound by those modified terms and there is no further negotiation.

You can have acceptance by performance `If you are going back and forth with your customer about contract terms, but at some point that stops and performance of the work begins, some courts will find that you have accepted the terms of the most recent version “by performance.”

This is especially common in the construction industry because despite the fact that contracts can be lengthy and take time to negotiate, the project schedule typically must move forward as planned. If you need to begin performing a contract for scheduling reasons but you do not want to accept the contract terms

as they currently stand, it is recommended you clearly communicate, in writing, to your customer that you do not accept the terms, are performing solely to meet the schedule, and expect them to further negotiate with you in good faith.

If it is a bad contract and you haven’t signed it yet, do not sign it after a dispute arises

If you have rejected contract terms, either through an outright rejection or a counteroffer, or if the contract terms are still in negotiations with no clear acceptance, do not sign a contract after a dispute has arisen. This is especially true for downstream parties such as subcontractors and suppliers.

Frequently, upstream parties will tell downstream parties that they do not have a right to payment if they have not signed the contract. This is not true.

With or without a contract, the applicable Prompt Payment Act will govern payment procedures. Generally, contracts provide certainty by restricting the parties to certain rules, and if you are in a dispute, most parties will benefit from additional options, not less.

Bethany F. Thompson is a Shareholder with Gardner Law in San Antonio and her practice focuses on construction litigation.

In a time when many cases settle before trial, she has first chair state court jury trial experience, arbitration experience, and bench trial experience in federal court. Ms. Thompson represents general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on a variety of issues including contract drafting and negotiation, lien and bond payment claims, delay and defect claims, and contract default and terminations. She has presented seminars for a variety of organizations throughout the state, guest lectured on construction contracts at Texas A&M, and is active in both her local chapter of the American Subcontractors Association and the Attorney Council for the national level of ASA. Contact: bthompson@gardnertx.com.

Submitted to Construction News

What a play!

EMJ Corporation took 50 Dallas employees out to the ballgame to see the Rangers play in August. Rooting for the home team worked – the Rangers won! –mjm

OSHA raises penalties August 1, 2016 Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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n November 2015, Congress enacted legislation requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. The Department of Labor is adjusting penalties for its agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA’s maximum penalties, which were last adjusted in 1990, will increase by 78%. Going forward, the agency will continue to adjust its penalties for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index. Under the 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act, OMB will issue guidance on or before December 15 of each year directing agencies to adjust their penalties for inflation before January 15 of the subsequent year, in line with the statutory formula.

The new penalties will take effect after August 1, 2016. Any citations issued by OSHA on or after that date will be subject to the new penalties if the related violations occurred after November 2, 2015.

The maximum OSHA penalty for an other-than-serious, serious or posting violation will increase to $12,471 per violation, the penalty for a willful violation or repeated violation will increase to $124,709 per violation, and a failure to abate will increase to $12,471 per day beyond the abatement date.

To provide guidance to field staff on the implementation of the new penalties, OSHA will issue revisions to its Field Operations Manual by August 1. To address the impact of these penalty increases on smaller businesses, OSHA will continue to provide penalty reductions based on the size of the employer and other factors.

The new OSHA Field Operations Manual can be accessed at https://www.osha. gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_02-00160.pdf Penalty adjustments will vary depending upon the employer’s “size” (maximum number of employees), “good faith,” and “history of previous violations.” A 10 percent reduction may be given to employers that have not been previously inspected. A maximum of 25 percent reduction is permitted for good faith which is based on the extent of the employer’s written safety programs. A maximum of 70 percent reduction is permitted for employer size, with employers with ten or fewer employees receiving the maximum reduction. Since these reduction factors are based on the general character of an employer’s safety and health performance, they shall be calculated once for each employer. A complete list of the penalty reductions allowed is located in Chapter 6 of the OSHA Field Operations Manual (link above.)

For additional information on the change to OSHA penalties, visit https:// www.osha.gov/penalties natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Plate patrol

L-R: Apex’s Bill Hillhouse and Lonnie Hill at the giveaway table

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he sun was out and so were the police in force when Apex Supply Company sponsored a “Back the Blue BBQ” cookout for Dallas police officers and their families.

The plumbing supply house hosted the cookout Aug. 6 at the Southeast Patrol division to honor the officers for the service they provide to the Dallas communities.

Apex’s East Dallas location employees prepared all of the food, including 18 racks of barbecue ribs, sausage, brisket, turkey, ham, potato salad, beans, green beans and cake.

The company also provided giveaways to the officers and their families.

Although Dallas Police Chief David Brown was unable to attend, he sent three of his officers to attend on his behalf. –mjm

Officers line up for the cookout held in their honor.

Apex’s Julia Hill serves the officers.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 11

better insight into his business. Facebook allows a guide to post up-to-the-minute or daily reports. This kind of consistency gives you an idea of how often a guide is on the water. The more he’s booked, the more likely it is he’s popular and reputable. Scroll back through a guide’s feed and make some mental notes. If there were big gaps between posts during prime time, take warning. Also beware of pictures that have been posted in the past then reposted at later dates.

While many guides rely solely on social media to book trips, smart guides and outfitters still maintain websites.

If you click on one and it looks like it was built in 1995 with pictures of buddies and family members in multiple boats, take caution. Look for clean, modern web designs that are easy to navigate with information that doesn’t appear to have been written by a third grader.

Bios of the guide’s background and personnel accomplishments will give you a good idea of what you’re getting.

Choosing the right fishing guide

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Majek Boats, Evinrude Outboards, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ForEverlast ­­­ Hunting and Fishing Products, MirrOlure, and Columbia Sportswear.

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BB Lopez of Austin TX. caught the Texas Trio last week while fishing with Capt. Steve Schultz along the Kennedy Ranch Shoreline.

he best reference for a fishing guide is a referral from someone who has fished with them or a referral from another well-known fishing guide. If you don’t have that, you can get a good idea of the kind of guide you’d be dealing with by spending a few hours online. Pick your species, pick your location, and then digitally pick apart the area’s outfitters. Here are some good tips on how to choose a good guide without getting bunted.

want to fish the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay complex, you should look into a guide who spends most of his time in those waters. If someone calls me and asks to fish in Rockport or Copano Bay, I tell them they should try and find a guide who fishes those waters. I will even make some calls to help assist them to a repeatable guide for that area.

One of the first things you should be aware of is a guide claiming they fish anywhere you want to fish. If you

These days, a guide’s social media pages are more critical marketing tools than his website, as they often give

The best thing you can do with an unfamiliar guide is asking tons of questions. E-mail is a good way to communicate, but the phone is better. You’re potentially putting up a lot of money, which gives you the right to talk through every step of the program. No matter how small or detailed a query, it should be answered thoroughly and courteously. If it seems like you’re bothering the guy when you ask how old his boat is, what kind of tackle he uses, or what you should bring along on your outing, then maybe he doesn’t want—or deserve—your business.

Fall fishing dates are still available. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your dates. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call or text at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

Their friendship’s on the line

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ishing’s always more fun with friends! C-CAP’s Ben Gromatzky, ABC Supply’s Ryan Brawley and Supreme Roofing’s Lance Harris and Cody Maresh fished for snook Jun. 9-12 at Everglades National Park in Chokoloskee, FL. –mjm

Ryan Brawley

L-R: Ben Gromatzky, Lance Harris and Cody Maresh

Ben Gromatzky

Cody Maresh

A perfect end to a perfect fishing trip.

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Ken Milam’s Fishing Line Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country, You can hear Ken on the radio as follows: The Great Outdoors: 5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and The Great Outdoors: 5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin All on iHeart Radio

Seasonal Confusion!

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ugust 9, 2016 at 4 pm, it was 102 degrees for the I-lost-count-howmany-days, so dry your spit evaporates before it hits the ground. August 16, 2016 at 4pm was it 78 degrees and I was worried about getting stuck in the mud! What a strange and wondrous miracle Texas weather can be!

It had been so hot and dry that our fishermen who usually try to get in one more fishing trip before school starts finally just decided to find cooler places for a last hurrah. That was ok because I think given a chance, the fish would have left the old hot lake and joined them! I know I didn’t want to set foot out of the house at mid-afternoon. Did you ever see that old 50’s sci-fi movie where if you went outside you just turned into a black smudge on the ground? Like that!

Who would have imagined that we would get this nice cool reprieve from the end of summer scorch? I know we still have some hot days to go before fall but I sure don’t miss this cool stretch instead of what are usually the hottest days of the year.

I went to the pasture yesterday to check on feeders and what a change!

Last time I was scared my truck would spark a brush fire and, except for tracks under the feeders, you would not know there were any deer left in the country.

This time I was crossing wet weather creeks that had risen and there were plenty of deer to be seen.

If you haven’t been out to your deer lease to square your feeders and blinds away for deer season, you’d better get cracking. The sooner you get those feeders spinning out the groceries and telling the deer where to find food the better.

As for positioning blinds and putting

deer camp together you need to get it done ASAP so there will be several weeks for things to be quiet in the pasture again before opening day. I don’t think shooting a few doves messes with the deer as much as moving around feeders and blinds do. When you hunt and go home things are ok in the woods again. If you are cutting shooting lanes and roads and moving stuff around, that can make the deer uneasy for a while.

The best reason to get the lease work over with is FISHING! This little cool, wet spell should get the fish into a good fall pattern sooner than usual and that will give us a longer fall fishing season. All the lakes that have recovered from low drought water levels have had several months to spawn lots of bait fish for the sportfish to thrive on and we are looking forward to an unbelievable fall fishing season! We were already starting to see the stripers and hybrids come out of the summer slump and this nicer weather should turn them back on hard.

Get your work done, let the deer lease chill and come get in on the best fall fishing we have seen in years! See you out there!

Neihi Glass, Inc., Pflugerville, 7-27-16 “Carolyn’s Crew” won the company fishing competition!

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Priess family trip, August 16

Submitted to Construction News

Puppy love

Meet the newest family member of PCL Contract Agency’s Eric and Melissa Lesch: “Cooper,” a two-month old mini Goldendoodle. Although he can be full of high puppy energy, he still enjoys naptimes with fluffy friends. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 13

Hunters beware!

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hen Tony Tye, owner of Texas South Concrete Pumping, and his son-in-law, Charles Schreiber, recently set out on a hunt in Africa, he returned with a cautionary tale, and he wants every hunter to take heed.

Arriving in Windhoek, Namibia after an 11-hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany, Tye and Schreiber rented a vehicle and drove six hours to Tambuti Wilderness, their hunting destination, where they met with owner, Larry Bussby.

They settled in at the nice lodge with seven separate cabins, feeling very safe and secure, about 40 miles from Otavi, a very small town, and about five miles inside a remote private property. They made a short run through the farm to get oriented, arriving back at camp around 5:30pm.

Since it’s winter in Africa, it was getting dark, and the two men gathered around a campfire on the patio, with the five other people in camp, including a writer for a bow hunting magazine, a cooking lady, her helper, Larry and a couple of guys who worked on the farm.

“We were enjoying our first beer and waiting for dinner to be served,” Tye recalls. “It was Father’s Day and now dark with a beautiful, full African moon. We had just opened our second beer when the camp was attacked by five armed gunmen.”

This caught everyone by such surprise that the owner thought some of his workers were playing a joke. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and as typical, “no guns at camp,” they were defenseless and at the mercy of the men with all the guns.

“Everyone was grabbed and searched, [the gunmen] taking money, phones, jewelry, knives and anything else they could find,” he recounts. “The owner was grabbed from behind. Bolt cutters

Tony Tye sits outside the main house on a hunting farm in Namibia, Africa.

This is where he and his son-in-law were sitting, along with five others, when armed robbers invaded the camp on Father’s Day.

Tye harvested this Oryx, a Gemsbok, at Tambuti Wilderness while on a hunting trip in Africa that went very differently than expected.

were put around his neck and [he was] choked until he said he would give them money.

“We were all taken inside the lodge,

Submitted to Construction News

What a trip!

Andrew Chung Alex Chung Johnston Products’ Lori Chung caught this proud moment with her sons on a Destin, FL vacation on Aug. 9. Alex reeled in an Amber Jack and Andrew landed a Red Snapper.

–mjm

forced to lay stomach down on the floor with our hands tied around our backs and locked in a room. The owner was taken to his cabin where he was beaten

and forced to open his safe. He was then tied up and left on the floor.

“I really thought that they would come back and execute all of us. After about 30 minutes, we couldn’t hear any noises and were able to find my knife and cut ourselves loose. We found some guns and ammo, armed ourselves and broke the door down. Now, we were ready for a gunfight. However, the thugs had left, stealing the camp vehicle. The owner had also gotten free.

“Camp was in total chaos. A phone was found and neighbors were called for help. All hunting lodges within 100km were notified and roadblocks were set up to capture the gunmen.”

Tye says that the gunmen were located about 50km away. Three of them ran and were not found. The local community that set up the roadblocks caught the driver and used force to make him provide names of the gunmen. One, Tye notes, was wanted for murder.

The next day, the authorities interviewed Tye and the other survivors of this ordeal, who told the story over and over all day. From that point on, they were armed at all times, and though they stayed the rest of the week, the trip was never as expected.

“I am not blaming the outfitter or anyone else other than the thugs,” states Tye. “We were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank the good Lord no one got killed or hurt too badly. The money and items stolen totaled about $15,000 U.S. dollars. To this day, Charles and I have not recovered anything.

“We got back and Texas sure looked good. The moral of the story is don’t think it can’t happen to you. The stories you hear are true. Protect your gun rights. Be aware of where you are and who you are with and be careful in your travels. Don’t be scared; be safe.” –mh

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 15

30 years of sculpting sand

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rchitects, designers, engineers and contractors headed to East Beach in Galveston for the 30th annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sandcastle Competition Aug. 20.

More than 60 teams had their eyes and shovels set on winning the Golden Bucket Award.

The judging of the sandcastles was rated on originality of concept, artistic execution of the concept, technical difficulty, carving technique and utilization of the site. –ab

1st Place Gold Bucket and Best Team T-shirt Award and Kidtastic! - Disney Edition Award: Finding Gory - Kirksey and Metzger Construction

2nd Place Silver Shovel & Best Cinematic Award and Tallest Standing Structure Award: Curse You Sand Baron!

DowChemical

3rd Place Bronze Shovel and Best Traditional Castle Award: The Junk Yard -Gensler and Harvey

4th Place Honorable Mention and Best Costume Award: Game of Bones - Ziegler Cooper Architects

6th Place Honorable Mention: The Jungle Book Brown & Gay Engineers and Hoar Construction

Best Architectural Icon Award: FKP Architects and AEI

5th Place Honorable Mention: Slay the Dragon Page and Bartlett Cocke

The Sydney LeNoir Public Favorite Award: Little Shop of Horrors - HDR & HPCC

Submitted to Construction News

A gold star for them!

Architecture, interior design, master planning and space planning firm Alliance Architects Inc. recently hosted a school supply drive.

The firm donated the much-needed school supplies to Richardson Independent School District. –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Skills set

Balfour Beatty Construction’s Ryan Clarkson, Alex Scheiwe and Dakota Anderson taught Fort Worth ISD students about the company’s business as part of the district’s Vital Link program. For 25 years, the program has helped kids connect school-learned skills with workplace skills. On the last day, students even toured Balfour Beatty Construction’s Perot Family Headquarters project on Dallas’ Turtle Creek. –mjm

Best Meme Award: Guess Who Else is Turning 30 HKS and JE Dunn Construction

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Not small at all

Welcome back!

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he construction industry can have a long memory – and that can be a good thing.

Wayne Lawrence, a co-founder of modular building contracting company Warrior Group, decided to take a post-divorce sabbatical since his contract had a non-compete clause.

He had hoped to revisit modular building again but knew it might be best to let it remain in the past.

But even after a humbling three-year sit on the sidelines, former business associates still had Lawrence on their minds. An ABC Supply salesperson reached out to ask if he had considered working in the minority-sparse roofing inWayne Lawrence dustry. After discussing it with roofing company owners and zeroing in on the commercial side, he created Skystone Roofing Group with Aspenmark Roofing & Solar’s Chris Zazo. Two months later, the team had their first client, Hensel Phelps, who remembered Lawrence’s modular building work. Within the first year, they scored $1 million in contracts, including DFW Airport and Walmart.

People continued to offer a hand. While meeting with Manhattan Construction about an Intercontinental roofing job, he was introduced to Bert Nunez, who had commercial roofing operations experience.

Chris Zazo “We all decided to meet, Skystone went away, and we created a new roofing contracting company, Diversity Resources Group, to take it national. We were certified September of last year and had a contract with CBRE to handle the Wells Fargo footprint by October. We’re at Love Field, Fort Bragg, and got that Manhattan job at Intercontinental. We’re bidding almost $10 million worth of work all over the country now.”

And the helps just keep coming. Most recently, a former employee encouraged Lawrence to collaborate with contractor Joe Funk, which was looking to create a joint venture with a minority contractor. Since starting the partBert Nunez nership, the team has been awarded a $2 million project at DISD. Within the past two months, DRG has been introduced to two proprietary new-to-market technologies that it will push out to multi-nationals.

“We’ve been pretty busy since we started a year ago,” he laughs. “I guess everybody’s been waiting for me to come back.”

No one is happier to have Lawrence back than himself. With his work full of purpose again, he has more to look forward to: His fall wedding and raising his two children – his second was born this summer. –mjm

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o bigger or go home! That was the thinking of North Texas Roofing Contractors Association when it hosted its Not So Mini Trade Show 2016.

The event, held at Arlington’s 1010 Collins Street on Aug. 10, gave attendees an opportunity to check out vendors’ latest products and services. –mjm ER Systems

Beacon Roofing Supply Company Screens of Mass Construction LLC

Regal Plastics C-CAP

ABC Supply Co.

HILTI

Range rovers MCT

Western Colloid

BOLT

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E-MC Electrical Services won first place.

Classic Superoof

ne hundred thirty-two shooters showed off their range at the Independent Electrical Contractors Association’s (IEC) 10th annual Clay Shoot on Aug. 12. Four teams at the event, hosted at Fort Worth’s Alpine Gun Range, were ultimately awarded cash prizes, and all players were eligible to win raffle prizes, including thermoses and LED lights.

E-MC Electrical Services not only out-shot everyone for first place but company president Doug Green won a rifle, the event’s top raffle prize. Following close behind was CED Dallas, who placed second, third place winner Prime Controls and Parrish-Hare, which scored fourth place in the event. –mjm E-MC Electrical Services president Doug Green won a rifle in the raffle.

Owens Corning

Attic Breeze

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 17

Green Building IECC, version 4, WELL, wind and water Chris Mundell, AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED, AP BD+C, Associate/Project Manager Design Performance Leader, U.S. Green Building Council, North Texas Region Chair Gensler Dallas, TX

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ow would you describe the current state of green building in Texas?

There are definitely mixed feelings about “sustainability” and “green.” I think some people still think sustainability is a critical issue dealing with environmental and economic concerns. There are also some people in the industry that are feeling a little burnout with the words “green” and “sustainability.” There is a lot of greenwashing; everything’s green now.

When we talk about green in the building industry, we are now talking about two key items. The first is about green code/regulation requirements, while the other is about voluntary green programs. A green building code is something you have to follow in order to permit/occupy your building or space, whereas a green rating system might be a voluntary program. An example of a voluntary rating system that many are familiar with is USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Building construction codes have become more sustainable now; most of the stuff we have seen with LEED over the past years is now being incorporated into these codes.

In 2012, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) was released where it had specific requirements for sustainability that project teams have to do. The City of Dallas made a new building code that has sustainable requirements in new construction and first time finish-outs. So you’re meeting green requirements for code reasons versus following a LEED certification. As codes become more sustainable, rating systems programs like LEED will continue to raise the bar.

Do you think green building is becoming more affordable?

Yes, more sustainable products and materials that are being used for construction of our buildings are not at higher costs than a non-green product. Nowadays, most manufacturers have some type of green aspect in their product because they’re trying to keep up with the demand. Here in Texas, there are local manufacturers that are really helping to support the sustainable aspect of our projects. I think products are becoming more eco-friendly than they have in the past.

Legacy West is an example of how Gensler is bringing green building to the Metroplex.

What are the hot button issues in the green building industry?

We’re seeing an increase in the awareness of human health. There’s a new green building program called the WELL Building Standard and it is more focusing on the occupants within the building or space. It is looking at the indoor environmental quality of the building such as air and daylight as well as human factors like fitness and nourishment.

We are realizing that although it’s important for our buildings to be sustainable, it’s just as important for our occupants inside these buildings to be able to address health concerns. Obesity, asthma and other allergies are all affecting everyone who lives, works or plays in these buildings.

Are there any changes in the industry?

Going back to codes, there’s also a

huge significant impact coming soon.

This fall, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2015, will be adopted in Texas. We’re not sure exactly how it will be amended at the municipality levels, but it’s really going to push teams to focus on the energy side of projects. We’re going to have to look at smarter designs, better building envelopes, as well as more efficient mechanical and lighting systems. It seems that we’ll also have to look more closely at energy services such as commissioning and energy modeling.

In the past, they were only part of the project if we were seeking a LEED certification, and now it can be part of every future project.

Is the green market becoming more competitive?

I think there is definitely more awareness of sustainability, so there is a better opportunity to be competitive. Certain companies are trying to push that they are “better than everyone else” and they’re going above and beyond in their sustainable service, technology or product.

One of the big changes in LEED is the new version 4, officially going to be starting Nov. 1, 2016, which has new requirements for materials. Instead of looking at single attributes like recycled content and regional materials like in the past, we now will have to look at multiple attributes and full life-cycle assessment of the

product. The concern is if not all of the manufacturers want to step up to these new requirements, then you’re going to lose the competitive bidding because not everybody’s products will be equal.

What is on the horizon for the green industry?

Obviously, renewable energy is still a huge future green opportunity. Although Texas is a big oil and gas state, it has at the same time become one of the largest producers of wind power. So I think there is going to be a push for more wind and solar generation farms. There’s still potential technology about battery storage, which would help with renewables as well.

The biggest concern here in Texas is water. We’re a state that has serious flooding followed by serious drought. With all of the people moving to Texas, will we have to have enough potable water for residential and commercial usage? We need to look at options for treating water on site and reusing it.

Consumer demand and new technologies will continue to push the building industry to be more sustainable.

Hopefully, we can all still work together on helping reduce our impact on our environment.

With more than 5000 professionals in 46 offices, Gensler is an integrated architecture, design, planning and consulting firm.

–mjm

Page 18

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Green Building Putting a LID on design Tony Recine, Senior Engineer SPACECO Inc. San Antonio, TX

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s low-impact development (LID) gains momentum, civil engineering firms have gained the opportunity to incorporate LID components and educate clients as to the benefits of implementing LID in their projects.

“These incentives for low-impact development are relatively new,” says Tony Recine, a senior engineer with SPACECO Inc., who notes that the San Antonio City Council’s vote in February has incentivized the use of LID features, and this has led him to educate himself more about LID options and their benefits. “I am familiarizing myself to become more competent in the design and recommendation in these types of strategies to my clients, developers, and how that can impact how they utilize the site.”

Though he notes that the environmental benefits are clear, Recine believes it will be more challenging to make the benefits of incorporating LID features clear due to the possible additional costs of trying to comply with the LID initiatives.

He points out that a lot of these features are natural best management practices, such as bioswales, landscape elements designed to remove pollutants from surface water runoff, and pervious pavers, which allow rainwater runoff infiltration through the pavement surface.

“[These features] would seem initially like they’re less costly to install, and that may be true,” he explains. “However, it also calls for a reduction in the buildable space of the property, and of course, developers are looking to get as many residential dwelling units, or if it’s commercial, [as much] square-footage as they can lease out. So, you’re asking them to reduce the possible density of the property.

“There could be zoning changes that can be made to give them higher density, and where they could make that up is in going vertical, but again, a vertical structure, as opposed to spread out, is more costly. There has to be a change in the way they think of developing the site.

And by having these low-impact best management practices, these are also ongoing maintenance issues, in order for them to function effectively at improving air and water quality. So, there are at least tradeoffs and initial costs involved, and that’s why the city offers incentives.”

On his first experience with LID on a

Green building on its way to mainstream Lovleen Gill Aulakh, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Pre-Construction & Sustainability G2 Builders Corporation Austin, TX

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ow would you describe the current state of the green building industry?

I would say the green building industry is gradually becoming mainstream. There is rising public awareness and demand for green buildings. This has led to progressive transformation in construction industry where now green techniques and materials are becoming more readily available at more competitive prices. This momentum is supported by various government incentives, rebates, grants and tax credits as well as more stringent energy codes and adoption of green codes by various cities all over US. Interestingly, the City of Austin is credited with adopting the very first green building program in the U.S. way back in 1990. And, since then, it has inspired many such programs including LEED, acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Have you seen an increase in your green building construction?

Austin is seeing unprecedented growth right now and the construction industry is booming. On one hand, green buildings are becoming kind of a norm in public and institutional building sectors: for example, all City of Austin’s municipal buildings and all new buildings at UTAustin are required to be certified as LEED silver; on the other hand, green buildings are taking the commercial sector by storm – the number of green-rated commercial and multi-family buildings in downtown Austin and other large-scale developments is steadily increasing.

With the advancement of City of Austin’s green codes, standards and incentives, green buildings are becoming more and more desirable and profitable.

We are also seeing a gradual increase in

green projects that come our way.

What are the ‘hot button” issues?

I would have to say “Green Washing” has been a “hot button” issue in the green building industry for a long time.

One aspect of “Green Washing” has been the trend of just scoring well on green scorecards to win tax breaks and grants by any means necessary. For example, targeting the cheapest and easiest green points like adding bike racks or electric charging stations which might never get used.

What are the major changes in recent years?

In recent years we have seen a lot of new green building materials and construction technologies coming to the market and gaining a lot of acceptance.

For example, Low-E glass, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances and water sense labeled fixtures, Low VOC paint, recycled content carpet, bamboo flooring etc. have now become standard practices and are easily available at local stores.

We are also seeing better construction waste management practices and op-

project, which he notes was simply the widening of a road with more than 5,000sf of impervious cover, the client specifically requested a design that would reduce stormwater runoff. After incorporating a bioswale feature using engineered soils and native plants to catch runoff from the roadway surface infiltrating to a special stormdrain design, the client had him redesign it to eliminate the LID feature because it turned out to be too costly and put the project over budget.

Recine believes it will come down to the developer’s vision of the project. He feels that some developers will see the inherent value in spending more to incorporate these features, recouping that investment by drawing the kind of tenants they want to the site. LID components can add a natural and very nice aesthetic to the environment, and mixed-use development can reduce impact as well, since the property encourages walking or cycling. He cites the Pearl Brewery area as an example that incorporates many LID features.

Some developers may also be interested in taking advantage of the incentives the city offers, perhaps giving them a break on compliance with other parts of their development’s codes, such as parking or other issues. Some features can be incorporated with a much smaller impact on initial costs and none to the developable space.

For example, in a parking area that normally might have islands for trees and green space to reduce the heat sink of large amounts of pavement, those islands can be turned into bioretention cells that can treat stormwater runoff. This doesn’t

require any additional space and might not cost much more to build, but the plant life and infiltration has to be maintained so it functions as it needs to throughout its service life.

As Recine notes that the city is incentivizing LID to help reestablish the hydraulic cycle closer to pre-development conditions to recharge ground waters and improve water quality among other impacts, he adds that the burden is on him to learn as much as he can about different LID techniques and land-use strategies.

One of the educational tools he is using, available through the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), is the San Antonio River Basin Low-Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual. He describes it as comprehensive, covering best management techniques of rain gardens, planter box filters, permeable pavements and other ways to minimize pollutant loads.

“It’s a change of culture that I think is going to take some getting used to – at least from my end,” he says of the LID practices becoming more common and incentivized. “I’ve been doing land development consulting for almost 20 years, and [LID] is something that I have to start thinking of and better understanding.”

SPACECO provides civil engineering and surveying services in the residential, commercial and industrial markets. After being stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio as a military engineer from 1994 to 1998, Tony Recine has been working in land development consulting and civil engineering since 1999. –mh

tions. All our waste haulers have good systems in place to process co-mingled or mixed waste and send the least minimum to landfill. In addition, the City of Austin has also been providing some great incentives for commercial recycling programs.

In fact, at G2 Builders we try to accomplish five green goals with all our design build and fast-track projects: water conservation, energy conservation, indoor air quality, waste management and green material selection.

One of the acknowledged disadvantages of green building has been the additional cost. Is this statement still true? How are the additional costs balanced against energy, water, or material cost?

I feel with the new LEED V4 guidelines and emphasis given on passive solar design, deeper green strategies and holistic sustainable design this statement will soon become obsolete.

We did a cost analysis for one of our recent design build projects – a 5,000-sf office building – it showed that an initial investment of 1-4% for incorporating green strategies like cutting edge HVAC system, solar PVs, efficient light and water fixtures, insulated building envelop etc. can pay for itself in just 5-7 years.

In general, we don’t shy away from paying extra for better commodities and services. In the green building industry, even a 1% extra initial investment can provide a much superior product, which is good for environment, good for all the occupants and good for saving money in the long run in energy bills, operating costs and health benefits.

In fact, if we consider the life-cycle cost of green buildings instead of upfront cost, we’ll find that green buildings are a total win-win.

On an average LEED certified project, green buildings use 25% less electricity, have 19% lower operating costs, lease for

20% above average and have 12% more resale value than a conventional building.

Is the green market becoming more competitive? Please explain.

Unlike a decade ago, when the green building industry was a niche market; it is now driven by consumers. Public acceptance, desirability and profitability of green buildings has resulted in the green market becoming more competitive. Newer and better sustainable products and services are launched every day by both industry giants and entrepreneurs. But that’s a good thing, because as they get more mainstream, prices drop and they become reachable to more and more people.

For example, we now install solar powered cameras on our job sites and guess what! They are at least 40% more economical than the regular site cameras we used before.

What makes G2 Builders green?

We operate our company sustainably - just working with us means you are making a difference.

We try to accomplish the five green goals I mentioned before.

G2 also promotes LEED to all new design-build project owners by providing complimentary LEED scorecard analysis and, on request, we provide LEED cost analysis.

We use PROCORE, a cloud-based software for our construction documentation that gives our employees flexibility to work from anywhere. It also saves paper as everything is archived digitally.

All of our construction sites implement basic green strategies. We use solar powered construction cameras on our jobsites and promote teleconferencing to reduces the number of trips to the job sites.

Earlier this year G2 Builders Corporation was recognized as an Austin Green business leader for our green initiatives.

–cw

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 19

LEED: Meeting the triple bottom line for Texas Gail Vittori, LEED Fellow, co-director Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems Board member Green Business Certification Inc. Washington, D.C.

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exas is a pioneer in the sustainability movement, stepping forward to find new and exciting ways to advance resource efficient buildings and create a healthier environment where we live, learn, work and play. Through the pursuit of LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the world’s premier green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Texans are taking advantage of the benefits of the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit.

Buildings account for an enormous amount of global energy use and nearly 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. LEED certification positions new and existing buildings across all building types to achieve electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. In fact, be-

tween 2015-2018, LEED-certified buildings in the United States are estimated to result in $1.2 billion in energy savings – the equivalent of 23.5 billion kilowatt hours – $149.5 million in water savings, $715.2 million in maintenance savings and $54.2 million in waste savings.

This trend is not just sweeping the nation. Worldwide, there are more than 79,600 LEED commercial projects, comprising 15.3 billion square feet of space, more than 161 countries and territories.

And in Texas, there are currently more than 1,700 LEED-certified projects totaling more than 333 million gross square feet – the equivalent to 305 Empire State Buildings – across each space type and sector. Texas also ranked eighth in the 2015 Top 10 States for LEED, an annual ranking of states in terms of square feet of LEED space per state resident, which showcases a commitment throughout

the state to a sustainable built environment.

In Austin, the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, the first LEED Platinum certified hospital in the world, exemplifies the many benefits of LEED certification. The 32-acre campus used native, drought-resistant landscaping that saves an estimated 1.4 million gallons of water a year with an additional 1.7 million gallons in annual savings thanks to low-flow bathroom fixtures. The energy savings from high efficiency lighting and air conditioning is enough to power, heat and cool 300 averaged sized homes a day. Acknowledged as an industry leader in high performance healing environments, Dell Children’s Medical Center’s investment in healing gardens, healthy and high performance materials, natural light and energy efficient mechanical systems result in measurable environmental and health benefits to patients, staff and the broader community.

Programs likes the Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) initiative are also making building energy and water efficiency more attractive and affordable for property owners throughout the state. First implemented in Texas in 2013, PACE finances 100 percent of the upfront costs for energy efficiency upgrades for industrial, commercial, and some residential properties, eliminating barriers like elevated initial costs and access to capital. PACE upgrades, like energy management and wastewater recov-

ery and reuse systems, are designed to reduce energy and water consumption, lower utility costs and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also contributing to the local economy through technology investment job creation for our local workforce.

Emerging as a major economic driver in the United States, green building construction is rapidly outpacing overall construction nationwide, according to the 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study from USGBC. Between 2015 and 2018, green construction will account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs – more than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector – generate $190.3 billion in labor earnings and contribute $303.5 billion to the gross domestic product. In Texas alone, green construction will contribute 1,259,000 jobs, $71.79 billion in labor earnings and $107.13 billion to the state’s GDP. Of those metrics, LEED-certified projects will account for 244,00 jobs, $14,41 billion in labor income and $21.39 billion to the state GDP.

To learn more about LEED, USGBC and the green building community as a whole, join us for the 2016 Greenbuild in Los Angeles, Oct. 5-7. Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building and features three groundbreaking days of inspiring speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of Los Angeles’ green buildings.

NEXT MONTH October 2016

Support Your Industry’s Feature Issue

Specialty Contractors 2016 Schedule

Jan: Construction Forecast Feb: Construction Safety Mar: Construction Education

Call for Ad Space Reservations

Apr: Women in Construction May: Concrete Industry Jun: HVAC & Plumbing

• San Antonio • Austin • Houston • Dallas/Fort Worth

July: Electrical Industry Aug: Service Providers Sep: Green Building

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Kirk Teske, who earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in 1983, is chief operating officer at HKS Inc. He is credited with leading the earliest projects of the sustainable design movement and some of the world’s largest sustainably designed buildings, including Southlake’s Sabre Corporate Campus, Texas’ first “green” building. Teske serves as Dallas chapter president of the American Institute of Architects, founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council’s North Texas chapter and board member of Earth Day Texas.

Greg McClure earned a Bachelor of Building Cons truc tion degree in 1990.

He is vice president of sports development at Manhattan Construction.

He helped lead award-winning co ns t r u c t i o n projects totaling more than $3.5 billion, including Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport renovations and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. He serves the Department of Construction Science as a CIAC member and guest lecturer and leads projects with the Dallas Area Chapter of Hearts and Hammers.

Karl von Bieberstein earned a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture in 1970. He is a principal at RVi, a regional firm whose creative contributions to land use analysis, community planning and outdoor space design have earned wide acclaim. During his 45-year career, his designs have enhanced institutions including Texas Christian University, the Federal Express campus and Dallas’ city hall and public library. He served as head of the Texas chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in the late 1970s and ‘80s and enhanced the profession’s public stature through lobbying initiatives, student award programs and communications efforts.

Oct: Specialty Contractors Nov: Architecture & Engineering Dec: Construction Equipment

What is a favorite childhood memory?

A&M alumni honored hree local former Texas A&M College of Architecture students will be honored as 2016’s Outstanding Alumni at Bryan’s Traditions Club Oct. 14. The alumni have excelled in their respective fields while making significant public service contributions. Less than one percent of the 15,000-plus alumni have been recognized for the college’s highest honor. –mjm

(210) 308-5800

My favorite childhood memory is the first day my dad and I went in the backyard and tossed the baseball.

Gregg Walther, Independent Insurance Group

in rural Mississippi so it was a lake we grew up on. We were swimming and fishing all summer.

Scott Schaeffer, Wholesale Roofing Supply

It was the Christmas my sisters and I got the red sled. That Christmas was unforgettable for sure.

Emily Clark, H&E

I have too many wonderful childhood memories! One is just being hugged by my mother and spending time with her.

She is 87 years old and every chance I get, I fly home just to spend time with her.

Naphis Mitchell-Reyes, ESC Consultants

When I got a Shetland pony, named “Brownie,” for Christmas and it was snowing in Fort Worth and the pony pulled us around in a sled in the snow. We didn’t get to do it every year, but the times we were able to do it, it sure was fun.

Eddie Watson, Regal Plastics My childhood memory was looking forward to going to White Castle Burgers time with my twin brother, now dearly departed, after a long day working for our dad.

Wayne T. Lawrence, Diversity Resources Group My fondest memories are growing up in the beautiful countryside in Wisconsin, probably spending with my middle school buddies playing in the woods, camping or swimming in the river which ran through our town.

Jim Fontaine, Tella Firma My favorite childhood memories involve my summer vacations to Six Flags and Disneyland.

Luis Heredia, ABC Supply Co. Eating watermelon at the lake. I grew up

My favorite childhood memory is shooting skeet with my brother before I went to college. He was a better shot than I was, but it was still fun.

Jay Powell, TAMKO Building Products My favorite childhood memories involve my brother and I getting into trouble. We got caught a bunch a times. I once shot a flare gun at my brother right between his legs and accidentally blew a hole in the porch. Everybody lived though!

Thomas “Tommy” Carroll, Tommy’s Paving I used to live three blocks away from the beach when I grew up in Long Island.

There was a big boardwalk and I would walk up and down it. I liked going in the afternoon and buying an ice cream, but it’s very cosmopolitan, you can find almost any type of food there –Columbian food, German, Indian, pizza, crepes. And there were so many types of people! I still go there once a year during the summer but it’s a little more expensive now!

Ramon Martinez, Ramm Painting and Wallpapering

Page 20

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Women of the world

NAWIC’s South Central Region represented seven chapters in Texas, four in Louisiana, and ones in Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee at this year’s AMEC.

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pproximately 400 women from across 127 international chapters of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) attended the organization’s 61st annual Meeting and Education Conference (AMEC) Aug. 17-20 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio. More than 100 attendees were attending the four-day conference for the first time.

On Wednesday evening, the Fiestathemed welcome party in the ballroom served up Tex-Mex. Thursday morning’s general session kicked off with the Joint Base San Antonio Honor Guard presenting colors and 323D Army Band “Ft. Sam’s Own” vocalist SSG Nakita Fox singing the national anthem.

The NAWIC Founders and Scholarship Foundation (NFSF) awarded more than $65,000 in 51 scholarships to students attending trades and colleges.

Also, the executive vice president, Dede Hughes, announced her retirement as of Dec. 31 after 20 years serving in her appointment.

In addition to motivational speaker Jennifer Lee helping members “Make

NAWIC South Central Region Director Dena Rowland was one of the many NAWIC members attending the event.

Great Things Happen,” several workshops were held from Thursday through Saturday on topics ranging from impacting your work environment to understanding Blue Beam better. The conference also included the NAWIC Officers Workshop, open to chapter members, as well as the gala and passing of the gavel.

–mh Photos by Jacqueline Associates

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2016-2016 Board of Directors President: Rick Gopffarth, Dynamic Systems, Dallas Vice President/President-Elect: John Gargotta, Service Mechanical Group, San Antonio Treasurer: Randy Bradshaw, MIINC, Dallas Past President: Brent Watts, Dynamic Systems, Houston Directors John Anthony, Anthony Mechanical, Lubbock; Ron Dauzat, CFI Mechanical, Houston; Roger Ford, Dynamic Systems, San Antonio; Bobby Grimes, A & G Piping, Fort Worth; Jeff Henkener, Dynamic Systems, Austin; Chad James, Harold James, Fort Worth; Jim Letsos, The Letsos Company, Houston; Aaron Richards, The Porter Company, Austin

al new services, gained access to more equipment and increased other areas of expertise.

“As part of a 100% employee-owned firm with over 1,000 employees spread throughout nearly 30 offices in the central United States, we have a significant amount of knowledge and experience that we can bring to any job site,” he says.

“Thanks to our rich history, including 20 years in the South and 60 years in the Midwest, we understand the challenges facing construction companies working on complex projects such as transportation, water infrastructure, retail, institutional, industrial, agriculture and utility and renewable sites, to name a few.”

“With the combined resources of Apex GeoScience and Braun Intertec, we are ready to serve our southern clients on their job sites, safely – no matter the challenge,” he says. –mjm

Patsy serves as CFO and president, Wayne is the vice president and general manager, and their two children have joined as well. Daughter Amy Gono Collins came aboard in 2012 and is learning Patsy’s controller/chief financial officer job. Son Chad Gono joined in 2013 as chief operating officer and is credited with contributing to Regal’s shift in culture.

In its Texas branchL-R: Amy Gono Collins, Don Walker’s widow Jean, Chad, Patsy, es, Regal Plastics boasts and Wayne Gono at the Irving location’s grand opening. close to 1,000 years of employee experience, and they enjoy cel- As Regal Plastic continues to grow, ebrating the company’s evolution togeth- its future is as ambitious as its past. er, whether with branch parties for “wins” “[We plan] to separate ourselves or the annual barbecue/pool party. from the competition, to be the leader in “Our employees are everything! If it our industry, to expand and to have fun!” wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be Regal Gono Collins says.

Plastics,” Gono Collins says. “We have had Regal Plastics is a wholesale plastic disa major shift in company culture in the tribution and custom fabrication company last few years. It may be because more catering to retail business, and small and “youth” has gotten involved, but either large companies. –mjm way, it is a fun place to work!” continued from Page 1 — A study in green space

Johnson Controls

ROMAR Supply & Steel Fabrication

HTS

Milwaukee Tool

Falls, with additional offices in Louisiana.

Nearly a year later, it has settled in as a support system for clients, with experts in more than 50 technical disciplines.

“Our firm is full-service – a one-stop shop for our clients – offering environmental consulting, construction materials testing, building sciences, nondestructive examination, forensics and more,” he says. “We have specialty services, such as roofing and fenestration consulting and testing, petrographic analysis, remote monitoring of vibrations and concrete temperatures, and our own equipment, such as CPT drill rigs and aerial drones, which allows us to be more responsive to clients’ needs and provide for cutting-edge technologies. In addition, we own and implement a state-ofthe-art field and laboratory electronic data collection software called MetaField to help us give clients a better view into their projects.”

Braun Intertec also has added severcontinued from Page 1 — Golden regal

Putting on a big show he Mechanical Contractors Association of Texas (MCAT) held its annual Conference and Products Show Jul. 20-24 at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa in Montgomery, TX. Attendees represented 22 contractors and 34 vendors and sponsors from across Texas. The four-day program included the opening reception, casino night, golf tournament, annual meeting, educational seminars, board meeting, and project manager and service manager training. –mh

continued from Page 1 — Perfect timing

Ferguson

placed on the fountain’s structure. New irrigation and landscaping were installed, as well as light poles and LED lighting embedded in the concrete and in the fountain.

Although the $2.8 million, 158,000-sf project wouldn’t seem a lengthy one to complete, two months of rain and working safely on a pedestrian-heavy campus presented challenges that tested the project’s deadline.

“A major issue was the weather; we were shut down for eight weeks. When it stopped raining, it would dry up enough to where we could only work a day and a half before it would rain again. For six weeks of that, I think we got 22 or 23 inches of rain,” Kinn says. “The biggest thing was that it is a busy campus with more than 11,000 students. One of the main challenges, other than weather, was safety and still providing people access without much interruption. One might look at the drawings and think that the project shouldn’t have taken this long, but we were often figuring out how to get the students, faculty and staff from

point A to point B safely, and keeping American Disabilities Act (ADA) access in mind as well. It took a lot of planning and improvisation.”

Fortunately, Alpha Building Corporation was a seasoned pro at working on this particular campus.

“We’ve done several projects that the architect has designed, and Alpha has been a job order contractor on the Tarleton campus for 13 years,” Kinn says. “We have a good relationship with the owner all the way to the president’s office. They say that they consider us part of the family and an extension of their team.”

Now that the plaza is in place, the team is planning how it will connect with the rest of the campus.

“Everybody seems to love it,” says Kinn. “It’s a central location for people to gather, and what Phase II will do is extend it out into the rest of the campus and start to connect everything.”

General contractor Alpha Building Corporation has 12 offices, including one in Dallas. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 21

Association Calendar

Round-Up

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News AIA - Dallas

NAWIC - Dallas

American Institute of Architects

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Sep. 13: AIA Dallas Women in Architecture and ULI North Texas Women’s Leadership Initiative Networking Mixer, HKS, 350 North St. Paul St., Suite 100, Dallas, 6pm Sep. 23: 2016 Built Design Awards call for entries deadline Sep. 28: Enlaces Reception, Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak St., Dallas, 6pm

Sep. 19: Dinner meeting and Installation Night, MCM Elegante, 2330 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, 5:30pm

AIA - Fort Worth

N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.

American Institute of Architects

Sep. 14: Lunch and Learn, International Bowling Museum Arlington, 621 Six Flags Dr., Arlington Sep. 23: Annual Clay Shoot, Dallas Gun Club, South Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, 8:30am

Sep. 21: Advocacy Day, Cowgirl Museum, 1720 Gendy St., Fort Worth, 6pm Sep. 22: Design Talk, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Bld., Fort Worth, 7pm

NAWIC - Fort Worth Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Sep. 15: Installation Dinner, Diamond Oaks Country Club, 5821 Diamond Oaks Dr. N, Fort Worth, 5:30 pm

NTRCA

ASCE - Dallas

PDCA

American Society of Civil Engineers

Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.

Sep. 12: Branch meeting Sep. 21-23: Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON 2016), Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel, Spa and Conference Center, San Marcos

Sep. 22-25: Destin Fishing Trip, Destin, FL

ASCE - Fort Worth American Society of Civil Engineers

Sep. 12: Branch meeting, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 813 Main St., Fort Worth, 11:45 Sep. 21-23: Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON 2016), Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel, Spa and Conference Center, San Marcos

ASA North Texas American Subcontractors Association

Sep. 22: Membership luncheon, Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N. O’Connor Rd., Irving, 11:15

CSI – Dallas Construction Specifications Institute

Sep. 7-9: CSI Construct 2016, Austin Sep. 22: Chapter meeting, Addison Conference Center, 15650 Addison Rd., Addison, 5:30pm Sep. 23: 2016 Dallas CSI Foundation, Charlie Joyner Golf Classic & Architects Challenge, Bear Creek Golf Club, 3500 Bear Creek Court, Dallas, 1:30pm

CSI – Fort Worth Construction Specifications Institute

Sep. 7-9: CSI Construct 2016, Austin

DACA - DFW Drywall and Acoustical Contractors Assn.

Sep. 21: Membership meeting, Courtyard Marriott TownePlace Suites, 2200 Bass Pro Court, Grapevine, 11:30am

ICRI - NT Int’l Concrete Repair Institute

Sep. 8: Membership meeting, Mattito’s, 3102 Oak Lawn, Dallas, 11:30am Sep. 23: ICRI North Texas Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Rd., Fort Worth, 10:30am

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Sep. 20: Lunch meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 11:30

PMI – Dallas Project Management Institute

Sep. 15: Dinner meeting/annual chapter business meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 6:30pm

PMI – Fort Worth Project Management Institute

Sep. 15: Speed mentoring, DFW Marriott South, 4151 Centreport Dr., Fort Worth, 6pm

RHCA Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

Sep. 15: LUNA Kickoff and Nominees’ Reception, Sheraton Hotel, 400 N. Olive St., Dallas, 6pm Sep. 23: Annual Golf Classic, Firewheel Golf Park, 600 W. Campbell Rd., Garland, 7am

SEAoT – Fort Worth Structural Engineers Association of Tx.

Sep. 27: Chapter meeting, Pappas Burgers, 2700 West Freeway, Fort Worth

TEXO The Construction Association

Sep. 13: TEXO 101/New member Breakfast, TEXO Dallas Conference Center, 11111 Stemmons Fwy., Dallas

TGA/NTD Texas Glass Assn. – N. Tx Division

Sep. 19: Annual Golf Tournament, North Richland Hills

TLPCA Tx. Lathe and Plaster Contractors Assn.

Sep. 16-17: Annual Larry Trusty Memorial Fishing Tournament, Lake Tawakoni

IEC - Dallas Independent Electrical Contractors

TXSWCCG

Sep. 15: Electrical Trade Show, Texas Ranger Stadium, Cholula Porch, 1000 Ball Park Way, Arlington, 2pm

Tx Statewide Construction Credit Group

IEC - Fort Worth Independent Electrical Contractors

Sep. 15: Electrical Trade Show, Texas Ranger Stadium, Cholula Porch, 1000 Ball Park Way, Arlington, 2pm

NARI Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Sep. 9: Meeting, Allied Stone, 2405 Crown Rd., Dallas, 6pm Sep. 25: Women in NARI (WIN), Blue Mesa Grill, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 11:30am

Sep. 18: Quarterly meeting to coincide with NACM’s 2016 All South Conference, Stockyards, Fort Worth. Contact lorid@ lonestarmaterials.com for more info or visit nacm-all-south.com

UMCA United Masonry Contractors Assn.

Sep. 13: Regular meeting, Embassy Suites, 6pm

USGBC U.S. Green Building Council

Sep. 17: Greenbuilding Tailgate, Overton Centre, 4100 International Pkwy., Fort Worth

MYCON General Contractors in McKinney announces the following:

Skanska USA, Dallas office, announces the following:

Lou Arrieta has been promoted to chief estimator. He joined MYCON in 2010 and has more than 30 years of industry experience.

Arrieta will lead the team member development, nurture client relationships and work with senior management on developing business growth strategies while incorporating new technologies and methodologies in the estimating process.

Daniel Mortimer has been hired as general superintendent for the $94 million Irving Music Factory project. He previously worked for Brasfield & Gorrie as senior superintendent. Mortimer received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Bucknell University.

Al Arjona was promoted to senior superintendent. Arjona began his career at MYCON in 2004 and focused on notable South Texas projects.

Kyle Gallagher was promoted to senior project engineer. He first worked as an intern at MYCON in 2011 while pursuing his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of North Texas, and joined the company in 2014.

Ryan Stoll, LEED AP BD+C, was promoted to project manager. In 2011, Stoll joined MYCON as an assistant project manager. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from West Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science degree in construction science form Texas A&M University.

Hayden Tuley was promoted to project manager. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in construction science from Texas A&M University in 2012, Tuley joined MYCON as a project engineer. He was promoted to assistant project manager in 2015. He will manage the direction, completion and financial outcome of multiple projects.

Todd Reeves has been hired as project executive. He previously worked at Skanska for 11 years, then returned after working at Balfour Beatty. Reeves received his Bachelor’s degree in construction science from Texas A&M University.

Amie Kromis O’Riley has been promoted to diversity and inclusion manager for the Texas region and is responsible for diversity and inclusion initiatives and relationship development with diverse business enterprises.

She received her bachelors degree in corporate communications and public affairs from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Bryan James, LEED AP BD+C, has been promoted to preconstruction manager. Since joining Skanska more than two years ago, James has provided preconstruction services for numerous projects. He graduated from Truman State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in construction managementfrom Texas A&M University.

HNTB Corporation announces the following additions to its Dallas office:

Michael (Mike) Williams was promoted to director of p re co ns tr u c ti o n .

With more than 12 years of construction and business experience to his credit, Williams joined MYCON in 2012 as preconstruction manager. He will work with clients, designers and other team members to assess and define owners’ goals in order to maximize value prior to the start of construction. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Kara Lentz, PE, joins as a senior program manager for the firm’s program management and construction management contract with D/FW Airport. Lentz has 16 years of professional experience in program, project and construction management, and extensive aviation infrastructure market sector experience. She previously served as aviation division senior project manager and regional business development leader for another consulting firm. She earned a Master of Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from The Cooper Union.

Professional engineering and construction firm C1S Group has hired Connie Clark as director for human resources. Clark is responsible for establishing an HR department for the Dallas-based company and for managing internal recruiting and talent acquisition. Clark was previously director of human resources for a digital signage and video communications company. She earned a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

David Nolle, PE, joins as senior project manager of rail and transit systems.

Nolle will work with clients nationwide on positive train control and intelligent transportation systems projects. Prior to joining HNTB, Nolle led the PTC and communications engineering group in the southwest for another engineering firm. He earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University.

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Family films

Submitted to Construction News

Geared up for the Games!

The day of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, The Beck Group in Dallas held a game of its own. One of the firm’s architecture teams had a competition to see who could come up with the most creative use of red, white and blue in an Olympic costume. Judging from the outfits, we think they are all winners! –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Now hold… and relax

W

The little ones watch a flick at “Bubba’s” at H&W

ith school about to be back in session, general contractor Hill & Wilkinson wanted to create more opportunities to involve employees’ families in social events. H&W’s Fun Committee created “Family Movie Day” and invited kids who were on summer break to bring extended families and friends to visit the office to see where their parents work and catch a movie.

Two films – one for younger audiences and one for older – were selected and the training room and Culture Center (named “Bubba’s after the company’s founder, Luther “Bubba” Hill”) were reserved and decorated. Before the movie’s start, the kids were given a takehome goodie bag overflowing with company-branded sunglasses and snack cups, inflatable beach balls, toys and candy. And because it isn’t a movie without concessions, a popcorn machine and juice boxes were also at the ready. –mjm

H&W employees greet moviegoers at the box office.

Below: The older moviegoers caught a movie in the company’s training room.

One crane operator at the Irving Music Factory was watching a workout! The Skanska team participated in a recent Stretch and Flex exercise before starting the day’s work. The movements help make workers’ bodies and brains more alert and reduce the likelihood of accidents or mistakes. –mjm

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

Texas Style

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San Antonio Austin South Texas Houston

Tops by design

S

everal Texas-based firms earned a ranking in Architectural Record’s “2016 Top 300 Architecture Firms” list. The annual list ranks companies according to revenue (in millions of dollars) for architectural services in 2015. –mjm

#7 HKS Inc., Dallas #22 Corgan, Dallas #43 PBK, Houston #45 Huckabee, Fort Worth #55 Humphreys & Partners Architect, Dallas #58 PGAL, Houston #69 The Beck Group, Dallas #71 Huitt-Zollars Inc., Dallas #72 Kirksey Architecture, Houston #84 GFF, Dallas #97 S&B Engineers and Constructors Ltd. & Affiliates, Houston #109 Kendall/Heaton Associates Inc., Houston #167 PhiloWilke Partnership, Houston #173 STG Design, Austin #184 OMNIPLAN Architects, Dallas #199 Nelsen Partners Inc., Austin #206 Marmon Mok Architecture, San Antonio #243 Meeks + Partners, Houston #248 GSR Andrade Architects Inc., Dallas

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016

Page 23

Construction News ON LOCATION

Submitted to Construction News

Bring on the day!

Flying high

A ribbon cutting was held Aug. 22 for the Dallas Executive Airport for Runway 31’s completion. City council members, airport and TxDOT personnel and Austin Industries gathered to celebrate the occasion. Austin Bridge & Road is now working on additional runway improvements at the airport. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Fleet of fancy The crew at DBE-, SBE-, MBE-certified Paniolo Construction Services, is ready to perform whatever the day holds – flatwork, CIP drainage structures, wall and wastewater treatment structures – under owner Derek Nakamura’s leadership. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Barrier brigade

L-R: Father and son team Xavier de la Rosa and Frank de la Rosa of FX Concrete proudly display the five new additions to their growing fleet at their Fort Worth office location. ­–mjm

The crew at Buyers Barricades in Richland Hills is ready to help with everything from renting and selling barricades to creating traffic control plans. –mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2016