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Volume 18
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Number 10
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OCTOBER 2016
FARR into the future
Rast celebrates 40 years
L-R: Adrian Garcia and his father, Felix Garcia, started a family legacy in the construction industry that is welcoming the third generation to the table.
L-R: Patick McShane, Glenn Boggs, Betty Boggs, Margaret Wagner and Stephanie McShane are excited about their new facility.
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ollowing in the footsteps of his father, Adrian Garcia established a family business, FARR Builders, for his generation and those to come, and the next generation is already bringing value to the company. Adrian’s credits his father, the late Felix M. Garcia, FMG Contracting, with being its patriarch founder. When his dad suffered a stroke about 18 years ago, Adrian and his brothers, Rene and Roland, kept the company going and branched out. FARR, which spells out their initials, began as a concrete contractor but evolved into doing residential construction. Adrian notes that Roland has always told the third generation that if they are
going to join FARR Builders, they needed to bring something to the table. Adrian says that no one walks in and gets a job just because they are family. They have to bring an education and help to improve the business. The third generation has come in and is having a positive impact. When Adrian’s son, Daniel, graduated from Texas State University with a degree in construction technology and project management, he joined FARR in 2008 and got the company 8(a) certified and doing military work. In 2012, Adrian’s son, Steven, joined FARR and got the company into doing land development. Steven continued on Page 24
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hen Glenn Boggs purchased Rast Iron Works, San Antonio, in 1976, he had a list of goals he wanted to accomplish before he retired. Forty years, four buildings, a recession and plenty of stories later, Boggs’ bucket list is about complete with just owning a bigger ranch left on the extensive list. Rast is currently finishing up building its new location at 6430 Railway in San Antonio, complete with a 55,000-sf steel fabricating shop. “We had a building on I-10 but we couldn’t expand any more,” Boggs said. “For us to grow, we had to expand and grow to this new facility. We had to be more efficient. The equipment that we
purchased – several million dollars worth – is going into this facility to make us more competitive.” Rast celebrated its 40-year anniversary in March, something Boggs attributes to the company’s hands-on approach and personal touch when it comes to dealing with any problems. “Typically, it’s team work,” Boggs said. “Besides team work with your employees, it’s teamwork with your GCs. It just takes everyone working together as a team. You always have problems on a job, but it’s the way you handle it. “I learned a long time ago, if there is a problem, go to where the problem is and talk to them in person because it gets recontinued on Page 24
Installing cleanup measures on the river
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he San Antonio River Authority (SARA) needed a trash boom to collect trash that accumulated at a certain focal point on Zarzamora Creek. Having worked with SARA and the City of San Antonio (COSA) on previous projects, RCO Construction self-performed all of the work and completed the project in a few short months, wrapping up in June. “It’s well documented that after major rain events we have here in San Antonio, the stormwater runoff collects at many pockets of the river,” explains R.J. Delagarza, project manager. “So everything from environmental debris like logs, branches and marine algae, and even floating trash and plastics can accumulate in these areas. “This can create an uninhabitable environment for the marine life, and it also causes an expensive cleanup for the city. To combat the issue, we installed a heavyduty containment boom that spans
about 150 feet across Zarzamora Creek, and that’s anchored down by two 20foot concrete piers on either side of the riverbank.” Anything traveling down the river this way will get caught in this boom, and depending on the water level, a galvanized skirt, attached to the boom to help when the water rises, will lift up any trash that has accumulated at this point. In addition to the boom, RCO installed an access driveway to a floatable concrete pad. This will make it a lot easier for vehicles to come up and down for workers to pick up the trash. Though the owner of the site is SARA, the City of San Antonio performs the cleanup. RCO coordinated with both entities, both during construction and close out to show them how to clean and maintain the boom. The RCO Construction team, working with Elastec, completed a trash boom project that will help alleviate some of the issues SARA and the City of San Antonio have had with cleanup on one part of the San Antonio River.
continued on Page 24
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Reflecting upon 30 years
In the last three decades, Metropolitan Contracting has completed more than 3,000 jobs across 22 states with annual sales that have reached $100 million.
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gainst the odds following the meltdown of Texas commercial real estate and construction, Tim Swan and Steve Schuetze started Metropolitan Contracting Company in 1986 with a small 1,500-sf interior finish out.
Now, the general contractor is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having recently done the Weston Centre renovation and the Bank of San Antonio headquarters. “I can’t think of anything I’d change in the last 30 years – well – maybe a couple,” muses Schuetze, president. “God has blessed us with opportunities and great people with the skills to be successful. I am grateful for the many relationships I’ve developed through my life at Metropolitan. I have truly lived the dream.” Jane Feigenbaum, COO, who began working at Metropolitan in 1994, recalls, “Most of our contracts were under $100,000, and a BIG job was in the $300500K range, so we were doing 100-200 projects per year. We had seven superintendents and an office staff of about nine, including Steve and Tim. We still work for many of those same clients, using many of the same subcontractors, and about half of that original staff is still with the company, all of which says volumes about how Metropolitan treats people.” As Feigenbaum, who became an employee owner in 2006, is grateful to be a member of that team, Swan feels most moved by the people: staff –including 13 more employee owners who bought interest in the company last year, subcontractors, suppliers and customers. “In each category are many individuals who have been associated with Metropolitan since our very inception and the list of those who have ‘only’ been with us 15 or 20 years is lengthy. These are the people that have made Metropolitan successful and for whom, I hope, their association with Metropolitan has been equally rewarding. It excites me to see a new generation of Metropolitan leadership that embraces those kind of relationships and values their importance to the next 30 years of growth.” Based in San Antonio, Metropolitan Contracting Company takes on private projects in many markets, including office buildings, hotels, industrial parks, retail and medical facilities. –mh
Clarification The story on the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Annual Meeting and Education Conference in the September issues of Construction News stated that Dede Hughes will be retiring from her position as NAWIC’s national executive vice president on Dec. 31. The statement should have specified that this will be happening on Dec. 31, 2017. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Survey software made easy
It’s a girl!
San Antonio Editor Mary Hazlett and husband David welcomed Loxley Amalia to the world on Sept. 15. We wish the new parents all the best!
Guests of Easy Drive’s training day learned the ins and outs of CAD and MicroSurvey.
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s a supplier for surveyors, engineers and contractors, Easy Drive hosted a Demo & Training Presentation Sep. 9 at its Nakoma Drive location to familiarize members of the local industry with the latest software, equipment, and their capabilities out in the field. The all-day event featured guest speaker, David Prangnell, MicroSurvey, demonstrating software such as AutoCAD and MicroSurvey Layout 2 on the tablet. The latter is new software that is being utilized in the field to do building layouts. In the morning, the presentations covered the process inside the office before the information is transferred into the field via Layout 2 software. After a break for lunch, attendees were able to
get hands-on training with the equipment to see how it works. These demonstrations in Easy Drive’s parking lot showed guests how the robotic layout equipment actually works. With approximately 60 people invited, Victor Cedeno, sales representative, notes that they had a great turnout for the event. With an encouraging number of attendees, he says that the plan now is to try to do demonstration events such as this one twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Today, in construction, not only is the precision of the latest technology important, the technology is becoming more important with the shortage in recent years of people in the industry. –mh
Victor Cedeno, sales representative at Easy Drive, demonstrates the products for attendees.
During Mary’s absence, Chris Schoonover will be writing for the paper. He can be contacted at 210-308-5800x156 or Chris@ constructionnews.net
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Going for the Win
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Finish is their game
After working together in plumbing supply for almost 12 years, L-R: Ben Evans and Weldon Jackson have been running their Winsupply plumbing supply company since 2011.
Putting the final touches on the newly installed floor at the Builder Exchange Education Council classroom are L-R: Eddie Vasquez and Ruben Compos of San Antonio Floor Finishers Inc. –sj
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ive years ago, Weldon Jackson and Ben Evans opened San Antonio’s Winsupply plumbing supply house, formerly Winnelson, with just the two of them and steadily grew it to the facility they operate on MacArthur View today. Having worked together for another plumbing supplier, Evans recalls that one big challenge was switching from their experience in sales to learning how to operate a business in a profitable way. That included learning to grow at a sustainable pace and to buy their own trucks and hire their own drivers. Evans notes that Win corporate offered training and tools to get their company, of which Jackson and Evans are stockholders, running efficiently and successfully. Like Jackson and Evans’ location, all Winsupplys are considered local companies, as opposed to branches, because they all have local ownership, Evans explains. As the local leaders, he and Jackson work as a team, sharing the workload 50/50, while complementing
each other’s strengths. One key factor in their success, Evans adds, is their employees. With about 16 employees currently, their team includes Jackson’s daughter, Kaylee A. JacksonEdwards, who does accounts receivable and accounts payable among other office duties. Their warehouse manager, Tony Pearsol, and warehouse worker, TJ DeLao, have been with them from the time they first started hiring. Their inside staff includes Clark Lipscomb, Jason Patty, Sonny Trevino and Kevin Kehlinger. They also have a few new hires, Corbin Galbraith, Bill Pierce and Rhonda Padilla. Projects they have supplied include the AT&T Center renovations, the NISD sports complex, and a few hospitals and hotels around town. Founded in 1956, Winsupply has its corporate headquarters in Dayton, OH with more than 500 local companies nationwide that comprise the Win family of companies. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Getting more and giving even more
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his year’s Construct A Kid’s Christmas is going to offer more prizes in the Grand Gala Raffle – Texas-Style than an army of Snowmen could carry. That also means more donations to give foster kids in Bexar County a merrier Christmas. The Grand Gala Raffle will be drawn during the evening at the 16th annual Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala, Dec. 1 from 5:30-11pm at the Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall in Exhibit Hall C. The raffle’s Texas-style prizes include an axis buck hunt for two, two complete sets of Montana Silversmiths jewelry for ladies, two tickets and parking pass to the Dec. 18 Texans game, a 20-inch tailgate receiver barbecue pit, 45-quart Pelican Cooler, and more to come. For a complete listing of prizes, see the ad on page 32 of this issue of Construction News. “The thing I LOVE about the ‘Grand Gala Raffle – Texas Style’ prize is the mind-blowing package of items, which will basically cover ALL of your Christmas shopping…for EVERYONE on your list!” says Sandee Morgan, CAKC co-chair, adding that volunteers have also done a wonderful job collecting live and silent auction items. With a cool Snowmen theme, Morgan says the gala will be like “walking into a winter wonderland.” She notes that this year, the casino area has been expanded and there will be extra entertainment features for attendees. Unwrapped gifts, toys and gift cards collected at the gala and the annual Construct A Kid’s Christmas Toy Drive, held the next day, Dec. 2, from 10am-2pm at the Construction News office, 4047 Naco-Perrin Blvd., benefit the Friends of Bexar County Child Welfare Board, which distributes the unwrapped toys to Bexar
San Antonio
County foster children who might not otherwise have a gift under the tree this Christmas. “Through the generosity of the San Antonio Construction Industry, the success of the Construct A Kid’s Christmas Gala and Toy Drive has grown steadily over the last few years,” explains Morgan. “We are now able to support both the annual Christmas present project and provide an additional financial donation to CASA (Child Advocates of San Antonio).” For 39 years, CASA has provided court-appointed volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children and youth while advocating for services and placement in safe and permanent homes. Pricing for early registration/payment for sponsorship before Oct. 31 is: Corporate $1,650; Gold $550; Program $275; Table for 10 $700; Individual Tickets $65. After that date, pricing changes to: Corporate $1,850; Gold $650; Program $325; Table for 10 $775; Individual Tickets $75. Associations participating in the 2016 gala include the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Associated General Contractors (AGC), American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Builders Exchange of Texas (BXTX) Education Council, Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), Construction News Ltd., Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA), Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA), National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC), Surety Association of South Texas (SAST) and Texas Air Conditioning Contractors of America (TACCA). –mh
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
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The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba San Antonio Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.
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Construction News ON LOCATION
Connecting with customers
L-R: Lisa Elekana, customer service, and Sylvia Galvan, CSR, are two of the women in the office at Hollywood Crawford, who spend their time keeping up with some of the daily tasks, including answering phones and sending lots of emails. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Neilesh Verma President Galaxy Builders
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t 34 years old, Neilesh Verma is leading Galaxy Builders, the company his father, Arun Verma, started and taught him to lead by his own example. Since his father passed away at 73 in December, Neilesh, his family, and his team at Galaxy have pulled together, continuing to thrive in business and honor his father’s legacy. Under Neilesh’s leadership, Galaxy has kept its working environment positive and aimed to maintain a friendly office culture, which has been especially important following the loss of its patriarch. Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in San Antonio. I’ve been here my whole life. I went to St. Mary’s Hall for high school and went to college at UT Austin, graduating in 2004. I majored in economics and minored in business. After I graduated, I worked in Houston for a company called Hewitt Associates as a financial analyst. It was a big company, and I realized, after working there for a year, that I wanted to work in a small business. I always had entrepreneurial spirit. Fortunately, this is a family business of ours, and it all happened at a time when my brother, Manish, who had worked previously for Galaxy, decided that he had more of a passion for real estate. So, he left Galaxy temporarily, got his master’s at Columbia in real estate finance, and when he came back, he became one of our best clients. When he started in development, he was working for one of our partners at the time, Greg Thorse, and Greg unfortunately passed away a few years shortly thereafter. When that happened, Manish started his own company. Manish’s company is called VERSA Development – VER for Verma and SA for San Antonio. He specializes in multifamily housing. When did Manish leave for Columbia, and what were you doing at the time? He went there in 2001. He was there for about two years. I was in college at that time, still trying to find myself, I guess. After I decided to come back to Galaxy in the summer of 2005, my dad
thought it was in the best interests for me to go work in the field. I really had no exposure to construction. So, he wanted me to understand how these properties actually get built and work under some superintendents to learn from them. He was insistent on me asking a lot of questions. I did that for a full year, and I got to see two different projects be built. One of the superintendents that I worked under was Mick Sidbury, who is now one of our senior project managers. Both superintendents really had different leadership styles, which was important for me to understand – that there’s not just one way to get it done or complete a project. There are different ways to lead. That helped me in my own personal development and in recognizing that I don’t have to be a certain type of leader. I just need to be me and find a leader in my natural skill set. After working in the field, I worked here in the office as an assistant project manager. I did that from 2006 to about 2008, and then got to project manage a project in Dallas in 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, I went back [to school] and got my executive MBA from UTSA, a program that was really designed for leadership development. What made you want to pursue your executive MBA? If I was going to have a path and try to become a leader in this company, I wanted to hone my skills and understand who I am as a person. I was still very young. At 25, I was the youngest person in the program. It was good for me to be with thought leaders within the community that were vice presidents and presidents of their companies. I really gained a perspective there that all businesses are the same. They all have the same problems, same roadblocks. It gave me a great source for networking that if I ever had problems, I could pick up the phone and call one of them, and say, “Have you gone through this before?” And more times than not, they have, and so, they could give me some advice, and vice versa. They had questions to ask me as well. The classroom, the courses – that was all one component of it, but really the entire program was geared toward leadership. Did you have any mentors? My father was absolutely my greatest mentor. Right after I finished business school in 2009, my dad wanted me to go into business development to understand the business. I also went to work for my brother for about six months, just to understand the perspective of a developer. What do they go through? How do they put deals together? Really try to put the puzzle together, because we’re just one component of this grand process as a general contractor. You’re always just trying to get as much knowledge as you can in such a
Neilesh Verma (front row, second left) has been leading the Galaxy Builders team since 2012, taking on the role of president after being mentored to the position by his father.
short window. So when I came into business development shortly thereafter, that’s when I really started to understand the business, because to be able to sell the business, you have to know the business. Before I transitioned to president in August of 2012, I shadowed my dad. I was with him 24/7. Any meeting that he was in, I was there. I just listened. As you go through it, you start to realize – these are the questions that are going to be asked, this is how he’s created his checks and balances, and I didn’t really recognize it, but now that he’s gone, I see myself acting like he did. I would say the same exact things that he would say. So, as a mentor, that’s the best thing that he could have ever done for me – to make me aware of everything he was going through. How he would handle any situation, and while it would be his responsibility and take it to the finish line, he would still have me do a lot of the work just to be exposed to it. Not many people are given that opportunity. I was very blessed that I did have that time with him. Can you tell me more about your parents and their backgrounds? They’re both from India. My dad moved here in 1970. All he had at that time was enough money for a one-way plane ticket. He went to New York. He was just trying to make it, survival if you will. He had a background in civil engineering, and he was able to get a job in construction. While he was working in New York, he got his master’s at the Cooper Union School of Engineering. Getting accepted there, the endowments are so large that he was able to get a full scholarship. That allowed him to go to school nights and weekends and still work during the day. My mother, Karuna, came to the U.S. in ’73. They were both in New York together. She was a radiologist in the Air Force. They were transferred from New York to Tampa to Pennsylvania and eventually to San Antonio. She was working at Randolph Air Force Base in 1977, and at that time, my dad got a job with Walter Embrey, who was one of the leading builder developers in San Antonio. His son, Trey Embrey has now taken over the business at Embrey Construction. My dad helped start the construction division with Walter in ’77. They worked together for 14 years. If everything had worked out and he was still alive, my dad would have still been there. However, during the savings and loan crisis in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, there was just no construction happening. So Walter asked my dad to get into property management, and my dad didn’t want to because he just loved to build. At heart, he was a contractor. That’s what he wanted to be. To him, it was tangible, being able to build a product and walk away from it at the end of the day knowing that’s something that we touched and lives were affected by it. It was a big thing to him. That’s why in the early ‘90s, he decided to start Galaxy. It was a decision between him and my mom, and she supported him. He started the company and started small. He didn’t have the reputa-
tion with the lenders that he’d had [working] with Walter. So he had to start all over again. We didn’t have any bonding capacity. We couldn’t take on large projects. He did small jobs. He did a lot of work with the government and the Corps [of Engineers], and anything he could get his hands on. He built it over time, and it’s really developed into the multi-family company that he wanted it to be. It’s a testament to him, since he passed in December, that we’re doing really well right now, and everyone’s doing their job. It’s because of the plan that he laid out. It’s his vision. We’re just executing his plan. That’s the neat part, for me to watch that. Tell me more about your family. I’m married. I’ve been married to Ashima for three years now. We also have our first child on the way. We’re having a boy, and he is due in mid-October. I can’t wait. It’s just a miracle. We’re excited, and we’re ready for our lives to change, and it’ll only be for the better. Can you talk about your involvement with charitable work since your father’s passing? One thing that we did as father-son was play golf. That was our thing together. We played every Saturday without fail. When he passed, the thought was, “Let’s create a golf tournament that will be in his name so he’s never forgotten, but also to raise awareness for the American Heart Association, because [heart disease] is what he fought his entire life.” He had his first heart attack at 42. So, whatever we can do to try to create that awareness within the community. Thanks to the help of Tabatha Erdely and Cara DeAnda – they really helped to put that event on in less than 60 days. They did a remarkable job. In the end, we were able to donate about $45,000 to the American Heart Association, and now we’ve become an active partner with them in the community. We’ll be participating in the American Heart Association “Heart and Stroke Walk/5K” in November, and our next tournament is already in planning now. We’ll have our second annual golf tournament in the early part of February 2017. Our personal goal is really to be able to raise $1 million over the next 10 years. Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work? My hobby is golf. I love it. That’s my passion. It’s very therapeutic to me to be able to go out and play. I play with one of our clients, Ray Lucas. We’re building a project for him in Corpus called Lexington Manor and about to start another called CalAllen Apartments. He has become more of a friend than anything else. He was a really close friend of my dad, and he was the one this year who actually forced it upon me to keep playing. He keeps calling me and saying, “Hey, let’s get out there and go play.” He didn’t need to do that, but it’s been a really neat thing to go out there on Saturdays and hit the ball around. I still think about my dad every day, but he is still there in the presence of the same people we always played with. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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What do you want to do when you retire? I want to move to the coast and fish for the rest of my life. Probably Port Aransas or Port O’Connor. That’s our family spot, and that’s where I actually proposed to my wife, and we have a little spot that we always go to there. We’ve always had really good luck down there fishing, and some of my favorite memories of growing up and of my family are down there. I love the coast, and whenever I can get back over there, that’s where I’m going to be. Geoffrey Letcher, REC Industries I want to move out to my ranch in Junction, be away from everything and be out in the middle of nowhere. I hunt there and just enjoy being outside. Shawn Baumler Sublime Custom Stone I want to go buy a ranch somewhere. I want to go somewhere where I have tens of thousands of acres, and go retire and
just work the ranch. My wife, Catherine, and I have always said when we retire we want to be able to buy a bunch of land somewhere and go relax. Ben Evans, Winsupply I’m a born again Christian, and when I retire, I want to do things more involved in ministry and helping people, spreading the gospel, and just being a witness to Christ, which I’ve tried to do of course, through Reeso Tiles also, but I guess when I retire that’s going to be a job that will never end. Michael Olguin Sr., Reeso Tiles I’m so busy now that I hardly ever get to take a vacation, and I know my wife, Zeyda, has been long-suffering in this. So, when I retire, we would love to travel throughout the world. I would like to go to Europe, Spain in particular, and then South America, and maybe from there,
Building homes and futures
Jeff Czar, president of Armadillo Homes (fifth right) and Steve Louis, president of GSABA (fourth right) were among those that attended the groundbreaking for this year’s charity home.
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he Greater San Antonio Education Foundation (GSAEF), the charitable arm of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA), and Armadillo Homes recently started work on this year’s GSAEF Charity Home, located in Weston Oaks near Potranco Road. Every year, the sale of the Charity Home project makes it possible for the GSAEF, which has its own trustees while being funded and run through GSABA, to award scholarships to local students pursuing careers in the construction industry. The sale of last year’s Charity Home made it possible for more than $35,000 in scholarships to be awarded for the 20162017 academic year. “This is something that we’ve been doing for a number of years now, but we honestly couldn’t be doing it without the support of Armadillo Homes,” says Steve Louis, president of GSABA, which gets donations from its members in material and/or labor to build the house and make this avenue of fundraising possible. “Armadillo Homes has been the charity homebuilder for the last six years.” Jeff Czar, president of Armadillo Homes comments, “The benefits of homeownership are undisputable. Armadillo Homes and I personally feel that that by helping students attend college and graduate with an emphasis in the construction industry will in turn continue the trend or the ‘pay it forward’ mindset of providing a home for families. We hope that once [the students] graduate, they join the trade base here in SA, or better, run their own building companies. It is about giving back to the community.” The scholarships are awarded to student at UTSA and St. Philip’s College. At
St. Philip’s, GSABA established a student chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2015, and Louis notes that the chapter is doing well, actively involved in GSABA’s events. He adds that student chapter members will be going on walkthroughs of the charity home with GSABA. –mh
my wife has always had a fascination with the Far East, so perhaps Japan. Tony Recine, SPACECO Honestly, I don’t think retirement is ever going to be in my future. I think I’ll be working all the way up until the end, just like my dad. I’ve never thought about retiring. I think it’s the way I was brought up. In my family, my grandfather and grandmother worked until they passed. I don’t recall anybody in my family ever retiring. My mom still works and she’s 66. Adan Ochoa AO Design & Construction I want to keep doing this. I really like tinkering and building things, and I think that would be the hobby I’d continue to do until I’m unable to do it anymore. That’s really the goal – to get to a place where I can invent things and explore different ideas. Andrew Holmgreen Holmgreen Iron Works
To be honest, what I do now is what I’d like to continue doing forever. What I want to do when I retire is I want to go back in the field and get on my tractors. I love being on the tractors and getting work done. Nowadays, all I do is here at the office – estimating and overseeing projects – but when I get a chance, I do get out in the field and jump on the tractors, because that’s what I enjoy. Adrian Garcia, FARR Builders I don’t know if I can envision retiring. It’s all too exciting. I love what I do. I don’t really know if retirement is going to bring much of a change or if I’ll still participate in archaeology. It’s really a passion. Nesta Anderson Pape-Dawson Engineers I don’t think I’m going to retire. I think that I will always work every single day of my life. If I’m not working when the time comes that you do retire, I’ll still be working to keep my baby girl happy. Jesse Lang Limitless Construction Services
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Submitted to Construction News
Selling a construction business
Showing passion for their field
Part 2 of a 2-Part Series
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To celebrate National Professional Engineers Day, licensed professional engineers at Freese and Nichols submitted photos and videos to say something about being an engineer. David Bennett, a water/wastewater utilities engineer at the firm’s San Antonio office, made his statement with a big smile. –mh
ome businesses are easy to sell. Others are much harder. Franchises, light manufacturing, retail, service and distribution companies are relatively simple to understand. Revenue is usually predictable. A good manager can learn the specifics of the business in a month or so, and run it afterwards. Construction is different. When your revenue is dependent on estimating and bidding skills, one bad decision could sink the company. Personal relationships often decide which opportunities you’ll be invited to participate in. For skilled trades, the ability to do business rests on a licensed owner or key employee. If you manage to make profits, a substantial portion may be pledged to a bonding company. As a former business broker, I can testify that most non-construction buyers are terrified by construction companies. In other industries, there may be a market for related buyers who want to enter a certain geographic area, or are seeking a special skill. This is a factor when selling a construction service business with large, long-term customer contracts. For companies that bid work, however, entering most markets merely requires an office and an estimator. There is little need to buy an existing operation. These are all valid reasons why so many construction businesses choose an internal sale. Some owners put their plan in place 20 or 30 years ago when they had children who will eventually assume the reins. For many others, their employees are the most likely candidates.
Last month, we talked about having a plan in place well in advance of needing it. Selling to employees is a perfect example. If you wait until you are completely ready (or forced by health) to move on, there is little alternative beyond handing over the business, taking a note for the purchase price, and hoping for the best. When we are talking about the biggest financial transaction of your life, “hoping for the best” is probably a bad plan. Construction companies that have successfully sold to employees (and there are a number of high profile businesses in Texas that have) took years to do it. They groomed successors, and held them accountable for growing the business. They transferred stock in small increments as the ownership candidates proved their abilities. Given enough time, you can sell your controlling interest to minority shareholders who qualify for third-party financing. You then walk away with your proceeds in pocket, and can maintain control of the business until your very last day. That’s a lot better than hoping for the best. John Dini is the president of MPN Inc. He has been working with business owners on exit strategy planning for 20 years.
Workforce growth
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n Sep. 17, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Apprenticeship Program graduated 19 craft professionals at Dave & Busters. Following a catered brunch, the graduates walked across the stage and received their diploma and certificates of completion in front of a crowd of family, friends and guests. Each apprentice received 2,000 hours a year in on-the-job training and approximately 144 hours of classroom instruction each year. The graduating class of seven carpenters, six electricians, one
plumber, and five sheet metal workers representing 14 different construction companies continuing the 23 year success of the ABC Apprenticeship Program. This year’s graduates are: Alfred Aguirre; Jose A. Barboza; Felipe Castillo; Roger Elizondo; David Garcia Jr.; Michael E. Guerrero; Ernest Hernandez; Efrain Leal Sr.; Nathan A. Kossaeth; Christopher J. Manhoff; Jacob D. Massey; Charles M. McMeans; Christopher D. McNamara; Juan C. Mejia; Juan J. Mendoza; Billy Morgan; Robert G. Ortiz; Juan U. Palafox; William W. Thompson
Carpentry Apprentice Graduates
Electrical Apprentice Graduates
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Raising the roofing
Preservation presentations at Pearl
Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing’s San Antonio team has been staying very busy lately with big public, healthcare, and higher education projects, among others.
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Brent Hull, Hull Historical, demonstrates and discusses historic home restoration at the City of San Antonio’s Historic Homeowner Fair.
he eighth annual Historic Homeowner Fair drew more than 800 attendees and more than 35 exhibitors to Pearl Stable on Aug. 27. The City of San Antonio hosted the event, one of its largest every year since its 2009 inception, with Brent Hull, owner and president of Hull Historical, as its keynote speaker. The free, family-friendly event in-
cluded educational sessions and handson demonstrations meant to connect homeowners with preservation experts, city departments and knowledgeable tradespeople on the subjects of restoring and maintaining historic homes. Presentation topics included landscaping in historic districts and energy retrofits that preserve the character of historic homes. –mh
Victor Salas, ARTchitectural Interiors, hosts a window repair demonstration.
Primed for action
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First-place Team
he Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio hosted its second annual Paloma Primer Fun Shoot Aug. 26 at the San Antonio Gun Club. The shoot, which raises funds for educational programs developed and presented for HCA members as well as non-members, drew a record number of attendees with a 40 percent increase over last year. –mh Winners: Team 1st: IBTX 2nd: SpawGlass Individual 1st: Doug Mercer, IBTX 2nd: Tom Quintero, IBTX
First-place Individual
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stablished in San Antonio in 2002, the local office of Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing has always had a steady market here, and in the last four years, the company’s business in San Antonio has consistently grown with 2015 proving to be an especially good year. “When the San Antonio office opened, we were primarily doing new construction waterproofing jobs and then expanded to new and remedial waterproofing,” explains Adam Matthys, who has managed the San Antonio office since 2014. “We then added roofing (new and remedial) onto our scope and, finally, developed our maintenance department that delivers roofing and waterproofingrelated maintenance services, including emergency leak repairs.” At first, only one or two people were in the office with a small field crew. Today, there are eight office personnel and 40 field employees. With the company since October 2000, Matthys started as a foreman, working his way up to his current position as
vice president of estimating. He also serves on the board of directors for the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, floating along the river, fishing and other outdoor activities with his wife, Jeri, and their children, Gracie, 10, and Wyatt, 8. He also competes in a golf league called the Golf Fellowship, and he plays on the First Baptist Church’s softball team at the Boerne Rec Leagues. In San Antonio, Chamberlin does commercial projects in markets such as healthcare, higher education, K-12, retail centers, banks, hotels and parking garages. Recent projects include the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Expansion and Audie Murphy Phase 2 Parking. Currently, Chamberlin is also working on the Alamodome renovations. Established in 1897 in Michigan, Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing opened its first office in Texas in Houston in 1978, followed by offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Buying, leasing and renting … oh my! Strategic thinking for construction equipment acquisitions Michael Kuchar, CPA, CCIFP, Construction Group Shareholder Doeren Mayhew Houston, TX
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ome construction companies buy and maintain large fleets of equipment. Others choose to lease these assets and, in some cases, purchase select pieces at the end of the arrangement. Still others opt to rent what they need, for only as long as they need it. Making the right call among all of these approaches can seem overwhelming. Every contractor would love to have a diverse fleet of equipment ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. But few, if any, want to deal with the potential financial repercussions. Buying: For daily use It usually makes sense to buy equipment that you expect to use daily or almost daily. If you’re using an asset at or near its full capacity, generally buying and maintaining it will pay off. For starters, you’ll have the piece ready to go at a moment’s notice and, assuming proper maintenance, be able to extract maximum life-cycle value from it. Ownership also allows you to, where permissible, claim tax deductions for related depreciation, insurance, interest and repair expenses. On the other hand, coming up with large down payments can be a financial strain. In addition, investing heavily in equipment ties up capital you might better use in other ways. Consider, too: • The space you need to store purchased equipment • How you will transport the asset to and from jobsites • Which resources you need to use in repairing and maintaining the piece As alluded to above, life cycle is everything. Many of today’s construction assets are evolving just as rapidly as the technology used to track and run it. So look carefully into whether you’ll be able to fully use a piece of equipment before it’s outmoded. Renting: The flexible option Renting offers the most flexibility, allowing you to pay for only the equipment you need for a limited period. This option often benefits smaller companies — especially subcontractors — lacking the resources to maintain a fleet of equipment. Of course, that doesn’t mean renting can’t benefit larger construction businesses under the right circumstances. Choosing to rent a piece of equipment means no big down payment, and less money spent on the overall arrangement than with a lease. Plus, rental payments are generally considered
a tax-deductible operating expense, which simplifies accounting. Renting also frees you from responsibility for maintenance and repairs. And because most rental companies regularly update their inventories, you’ll generally have access to new (or newer) assets. Naturally, there are downsides. You’ll be at the mercy of rental inventories and, in some cases, renting could increase your overall expenses (compared with leasing and owning), because rental companies often build higher costs into their payment terms. Leasing: hedging your bets Leasing equipment offers some of the benefits of ownership while mitigating certain downsides. An equipment lease is essentially a loan arrangement in which the lender owns the equipment and leases it to a contractor at a flat monthly rate for a specified term. At the end of that term, the lessee can opt to buy the equipment, return it or lease new assets. Just as some drivers prefer to lease vehicles to stay up-to-date and reduce their maintenance costs, many contractors see the same advantages in leasing equipment. With leased assets, you can avoid making large down payments and reserve capital for other purposes. You’ll typically pay a higher interest rate, though. Leases are usually set up so payments are made with operating funds rather than capital accounts and, therefore, are deductible as an operating expense. But if a lease includes certain options (such as a bargain lease option) it may be defined as a capital lease and, therefore, need to be put on the books. The right mix of construction equipment acquisitions As mentioned, large construction companies may be able to own their own fleets. But, for small- to mid-sized businesses, some combination of owned, leased and rented equipment will likely make the most sense. Keep in mind, recent changes in accounting rules will affect the way leases are handled and defined in your financial statements. A top 100 U.S. firm, Doeren Mayhew’s CPAs and business advisors serve more than 500 suppliers and general and specialty contractors doing business domestically and abroad. For more information, visit www.doeren.com.
The Healthcare billing experience Kristen Harder, Account Executive Catto & Catto LLP San Antonio, TX
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magine you are at HEB shopping for your weekly meals. You begin shopping and all of a sudden other people start placing items in your basket that you did not know you needed, nor did you budget for. Then you get up to the cashier and they gather some money from you and then tell you, “We will bill you for the remaining balance. ” Three months later you get a bill in the mail. You’re not only caught off guard by the charge that is very surprising, but you’ve forgotten what all you bought at HEB on that trip, and you have no idea what else was placed in your basket by others. Wouldn’t that be irritating? Of course it would be. It is not the way we as consumers shop for anything else, as it just is not rational. Next, imagine that you’re going to buy something very important to you, perhaps a flat screen TV. What if you found that the prices were not posted. Or, the best and the worst TV, according to quality statistics, were priced about the same or better yet, the worst TVs were the most expensive. Again, doesn’t sound right or make sense. Well, isn’t it interesting that when we utilize the healthcare system, the shopping and billing experience is much like the above scenarios? Not rational. It should be no surprise that managing our personal health or the health of a close person consistently ranks in the top five for most adults. The longer I am in the insurance business and help my clients manage their health and navigate the healthcare system, the more I realize just how confusing it is. Think about it: if you need to have a knee surgery, how do you find and research top quality orthopedic surgeons? Do you Google ‘top orthopedic surgeons in my area‘? Do you ask a few friends who may have had knee surgery prior? Then you remember that you better check to see if they participate in network with your health insurance company. What about the price? There are so many different reasons we choose a provider and trust them with our personal health, but unfortunately, consumers are not privy to choosing a provider proven to have the highest quality of care with the best of outcomes because transparency is lacking in healthcare today. As consumers, we should be equipped to choose the practitioner who is best in class at what they do. And by “best in class,” I mean a measurable quality metric that makes that practitioner truly among the elite. For example, if I
need back surgery, I want to go to the BEST back surgeon in my area and know what my out of pocket costs will be so that I can determine the best provider to use. Should be easy, right? It is not. In fact, there is usually a long wait to get in to those “best doctors” because they are the best and often times we do not like to wait six weeks or longer for something we need done today. Good news. You’re not the only one who is frustrated. Thankfully we are starting to see solutions emerge. We partner with a company who is now doing quality reviews for proven top physician practices and their outcomes, and so in this network they negotiate the pricing down with the top providers, ensure that their members are seen within three business days. This is real savings for employers, key information for employees who are seeking treatment, and a real breakthrough in the system. Self-insured companies should be aware of this option because it is a great way to see real dollar savings, and to know that their employees are going to top providers by utilizing this service. Kristen specializes in employee health benefits for mid to large employers in Texas. Through her experience, valued client partnerships and heavy involvement in the community, Kristen understands and strives to combat the challenges that employers and executives face in regard to providing an attractive benefits portfolio while protecting the company’s assets and liabilities, as well as balancing these expenses with their budget. Let me know how I can help. Call me at 210-222-2161 x254.
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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How does “Ban the Box” affect you?
Zika Virus protection for outdoor workers
Shelly Masters, Principal Attorney Cokinos, Bosien & Young Austin, TX
Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX
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hat is “Ban the Box”? “Ban the box” is a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance that prevents employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal history until a conditional offer of em-
ployment has been made. History of Ban the Box The movement began in early 2000s by the “All of Us or None” grassroots civil rights organization led by formerly incarcerated and convicted people. Currently, 24 states and over 100 cities and counties have adopted some form of ban the box. Only nine states and several cities apply ban the box to private employers. Texas does not have a ban the box state law. Travis County and Dallas County are the only counties that have ban the box. Austin is the first and only city in Texas to implement ban the box. In 2008, Austin City Council passed an ordinance that prevented only public employers from asking about criminal history during the initial application process. On March 24, 2016, the Council passed a ban the box ordinance that applies to private employers as well. The new ordinance took effect on April 4, 2016. Why ban the box? Supporters of ban the box argue that criminal history on a job application unfairly and arbitrarily limits the pool of qualified job applicants. Local Ban the Box rules In Austin, City Ordinance No.20160324-019, or “ban the box,” includes findings by the city council that denying an employment opportunity based on criminal history is “unjust; is detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City; prevents the reintegration of the persons into the community; creates a burden on public resources and law enforcement; contributes to crime and recidivism; and contributes to unemployment and harms the local economy.” The ordinance applies to public and private employers. It applies to all private employers with 15 or more employees working in Austin’s city limits. This includes full time, part time, contract work, and temporary workers. It does not apply to jobs that have a legally mandated insurance or bond requirement that dictate disqualifying an individual based on criminal history. The ordinance allows an exception for a staffing agency. A staffing agency may make inquiries into criminal history when it has identified a job to which the applicant will be employed or placed in a staffing pool.
An employer still has authority to withdraw a conditional employment offer for any lawful reason, including the determination that an individual is unsuitable for the job based on an individualized assessment of the individual’s criminal history. What should an employer NOT do? An employer that falls under this law may NOT: • publish any information about a job that automatically disqualifies based on criminal history • inquire about an applicant’s criminal history in an application • solicit criminal history information or consider criminal history, unless the employer has first made a conditional offer of employment • refuse to consider employing an individual because the individual did not provide criminal history before a conditional offer • take adverse action against the individual unless the employer has determined that the individual is unsuitable based on an individualized assessment. What should an employer do? First, review all current application forms and make sure there are no questions regarding criminal background. Second, modify the hiring process. An employer should not inquire regarding criminal history or consider criminal history in any way until a conditional offer is made. If an employer chooses to take an adverse action against an applicant because of criminal history, the employer must inform the applicant in writing about the decision being based on criminal history. Penalties Austin Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office will enforce the ordinance. There is a one-year grace period. If the violation occurs before April 4, 2017, only a warning will be issued. After April 4, 2017, the first violation will likely result in a warning, followed by a civil penalty of up to $500. Shelly Masters is a Principal in the Austin office of Cokinos Bosien & Young. She represents clients in the areas of construction, labor and employment, and commercial law. CB&Y has been representing the construction industry for over 25 years. She can be reached at smasters@cbylaw.com or (512) 615-1139.
utdoor workers may be at the greatest risk of exposure to Zika virus, which is primarily spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Your employer should inform you about the risk of exposure through mosquito bites and how to protect yourself. Current science-based evidence suggests that approximately one out of five infected people develops symptoms of Zika virus, usually beginning 2-7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms are usually mild and can last 2–7 days. The most common symptoms of Zika virus infection are fever, rash, joint pain and red or pink eyes. Other symptoms include myalgia (muscle pain) and headache. These symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever or chikungunya. During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be detected in the blood and is capable of being spread from an infected person to a mosquito that feeds on that person. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites. OSHA recommends that your employer: Train you on how to protect yourself and about the importance of eliminating areas where mosquitoes breed at your worksite and provide insect repellents and protective clothing for your exposed skin, and encourage their use. How to Protect Yourself: Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or another EPA-registered active ingredient on skin that is not covered by clothing. Always follow label precautions. • If using permethrin, spray it on clothing and gear only—not directly on skin. • Choose a repellent that provides protection for the amount of time that you will be outdoors.
• After returning indoors and before eating, use soap and water to wash skin that has been treated with insect repellent. Reapply repellent when returning outdoors or after eating. • Wear clothing that covers all of your skin, including socks that cover the ankles and lower legs and hats with mosquito netting to protect the face and neck. • In warm weather, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. This type of clothing protects you from the sun and provides a barrier to mosquitoes. • Get rid of sources of standing water (e.g., tires, buckets, cans, bottles, barrels) whenever possible to reduce or eliminate mosquito breeding areas. • OSHA and NIOSH recommend that you talk to your supervisor(s) about any outdoor work assignment(s) or travel to Zikaaffected areas if you are or may become pregnant, or, for males, if your sexual partner is or may become pregnant. • Consult CDC information on Zika virus and pregnancy: www.cdc.gov/zika. • If you routinely work with insecticides to control mosquitoes, you may require additional personal protective equipment. • If symptoms develop, seek medical attention promptly. Discuss any possible exposure to mosquitoes or infections spread by mosquitoes with a healthcare provider. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Building new blocks
The warehouse at the San Antonio headquarters of Koni Material L-R: Manuel Valdez, Joaquin Echavez, Blas Cantu, Minda Tovar
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s Koni Materials celebrates its fifth year in business, owner Joaquin Echavez recalls that it was a very tough road the first year, and each year since the company has evolved and grown. Deriving from origins in Mexico’s heritage, the word Koni, Echavez explains, means to rise up from being down and come back again. When Echavez moved to San Antonio in 2009 with his wife and three children, he set out to build a new life here in the United States, and by the end of 2010, he had founded Koni Materials. When just opening its doors, Koni had to build up its name and customer base, which was very difficult. In its second year, Echavez was able to get Koni’s manmade stone products to dealers in San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen, Victoria, Corpus Christi, College Station, Round Rock and several other locations across the state. In 2012, Koni had the opportunity to
supply approximately 120,000sf of stone for masonry contractors from Dallas on a large multi-family job in San Antonio, which led to another multi-family project, and opened that market for Koni. From 2013 to 2014, the company developed Koni Brick, a replica of Old Chicago brick, or repurposed vintage brick, which opened up nationwide work, supplying jobs in California, Florida and Nevada, as well as hotels in New York and Pennsylvania. With Koni’s growth and development in its first five years, Echavez notes that he works a lot. Every weekday, he is involved with the business from the time he opens his eyes in the morning to when he closes them at night. But because he loves his family, he reserves every weekend for quality time with them. Koni Materials manufactures and sells stone and brick products in the residential and commercial markets. Based in San Antonio, Koni has sales offices in Dallas and Houston. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Submitted to Construction News
A little celebration
With 50 of their 59 employees in attendance, Tejas Premier Building Contractor celebrated its 10th anniversary Aug. 12 with a dinner and prize drawings at the Little Red Barn. –mh
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A Boone for the local office
aving relocated from Houston to San Antonio, Jeremy Boone, the new branch manager of the Geoscience Engineering & Testing San Antonio office, says that 2016 is a target year for the company to increase its presence and capabilities in the Alamo City, and his arrival in June was the start of setting that goal in motion. “While we’ve maintained an office here since ‘94, it was just last year that the corporate management decided this is the right time to commit additional human resources and financial assets in a move to increase our position in the civilian and the engineering communities in and around Bexar County,” explains Boone. Starting as a field technician with Geoscience in 2006 in the Houston office, Boone worked his way up to construction materials manager in 2009. He transferred to the New Orleans office for a year-and-a-half to work on rebuilding the floodwalls for the levee system. He returned to Houston as materials testing manager in 2011 where he remained until June when he moved to take over the office here. He notes that there are three divisions to Geoscience. Environmental does Phase I and Phase II investigations. Geotechnical does soil borings and foundation recommendations of existing subsurface materials. Construction Materials Testing does the third-party inspection during the construction process. The San Antonio branch has mostly done commercial construction projects, but the company is branching out its local projects to include residential as well as county and city projects. Recent examples include road reconstruction work for Bexar County such as Kirkner Road and Grosenbacher Road low-water crossings. On those projects, Geoscience did construction materials
Jeremy Boone relocated from Houston to take over the San Antonio branch of Geoscience Engineering & Testing. Photo by Rachael Boone
testing, asphalt compaction testing, soil compaction testing, concrete testing and compressive strength. Boone relocated to San Antonio with his wife, Rachael, and their two daughters, Marley, 7, and Ophelia, 3. While he works in San Antonio, Boone and his family live in New Braunfels and have enjoyed family time at Schlitterbahn during their first summer in town. At 36, Boone’s hobbies include antique and vintage cars, whether it’s racing them or building them. Previously, he had a ’72 Chevy pickup truck and a ’78 Bronco among his collection. He also played on a billiards team, and he’s hoping to find a good place to play pool again. Based in Houston, Geoscience Engineering & Testing has branches in Dallas and San Antonio, and the company is SBE certified. –mh
A tradition made of tile
Torine and Michael Olguin Sr. carry on a family legacy at Reeso Tiles, doing custom work, repair and restoration, and selling tiles imported from Mexico.
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n 1967, Rene Olguin Hobart and his wife came to San Antonio to start Reeso Tiles. Today, his son, Michael Olguin Sr., runs the business with his wife, Torine, and the shop remains in the same location on Vance Jackson as when it first opened. On Michael’s mother’s side, his greatgrandfather was the first generation to produce hand-painted Talavera tiles in Mexico. His grandfather continued the tradition and when Michael’s father married his mother, the couple moved to the U.S. to open their own business. Michael spends most of his time in the service part of the business, doing new installs, stripping and refinishing, and repair work. Torine predominantly handles the showroom. Their children, Michael Olguin Jr. and Allie Olguin, also work in the family business. Michael, 19, works full-time, handling the warehouse, including shipping and receiving. Allie, a senior in high school, works part-time, helping out
wherever needed, and once every other week, calls on designers, architects and flooring stores to promote their products. Michael estimates that 20 percent of their revenue is service work, including the restoration of Saltillo floors in older homes. One example of a custom project is the tiles that Reeso had duplicated by hand in Mexico for two 1920s murals the City of San Antonio wanted to restore in the park across from the University of the Incarnate Word. When the Olguins are not at work, Michael says that they enjoy playing ping pong, which includes the extended family. Whenever a family event occurs, he says it happens around a ping pong table. Reeso Tiles imports, sells, installs, repairs and restores decorative tiles from Mexico, including Talavera and Saltillo tiles as well as Mission tile and Cantera stone, and also does custom work for residential and commercial projects. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Fall fishing forecast 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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abor Day typically ends the summer for vacationers and outof-town anglers and kicks off the start of hunting season. This relieves a lot of the fishing and boat pressure in our Coastal Bend waters. Busy guides start seeing a definite decrease in weekday charters as most anglers concentrate on weekend bay fishing. But don’t let all of those signs keep you off the water and away from some of the best fishing of the season. I’m talking REDS! BULL REDS! September and October are some of the best fishing months of the year here on the Laguna Madre. The first fronts of fall start blowing in triggering a migration that is about to begin. Scattered redfish will school-up and most will begin a journey to the gulf. They will be feeding vigorously along the flats and shorelines, fatting up and preparing for a winter. We will be ready for some of the best line-stripping, rod bending action of the year. Catching redfish can sometimes be very challenging due to their very picky eating habits. I’ve seen reds follow a gold spoon for yards only to turn and swim away at the last minute. There are several different strategies when fishing for reds. Wading the shallow flats around shell reefs and grass beds is one of the most
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enjoying techniques and also my favorite. These areas can also be worked with a shallow draft boat rigged with a good trolling motor or a push pole. When wading for reds I like using a 1/8 oz. Johnson Gold Weedless Spoon attached with a 20# shock leader and a swivel. This spoon is small enough to work slow in shallow water and won’t spook the fish like some of the bigger baits will. If the wind is up and stalking quietly isn’t a factor try using a topwater plug like a Top Dog Jr. or a Super Spook. These baits will more than likely trigger some larger redfish as they imitate a mullet in distress. When working topwater lures for reds, remember to work them slow and don’t jerk to soon when you get a blow-up. Redfish mouths are on the bottom of their heads and they must turn sideways or attack from the top to inhale the surface bait. Live bait is another effective technique for producing big boxes of redfish. Local marinas have gone to great lengths to catch and keep bait alive for guides and sport fishermen. Croakers and Piggy Perch are the main live baits during this time of the year. Shrimp will be making their way back into the bay system as the waters get cooler. When fishing from a boat with live bait, key on grass lines and drop-offs early in the morning. Use your trolling motor or push pole to position your boat around these areas so you don’t spook any fish in the general area. Cast live croakers or grunting piggy perch to the grass line and wait patiently. Keep an eye out in the distance for sudden wakes and frenzy bait in the water. Occasionally a school of redfish will appear and you better be ready to give chase. When ever possible use your trolling motor to pursue these schools of reds, for they can be very skittish and evasive. Just last week, as we were anchored on the King Ranch shoreline, a herd of redfish appeared swimming towards the boat. As I was preparing my clients for the excitement, my 7-foot FTU Green Rod doubled over in the rod holder. I instructed them to cast to the school as I reached for my rod and reel that by now had a screaming drag. POW! It was gone. In all of the excitement we had three hook-ups and landed two redfish. As the gold flash disappeared into the deeper water, all we could do was watch. The school of reds must have been several hundred large and all seemed to be oversize. We retied and the chase was on again. Fall fishing dates are still available. Don’t wait till the
Fall fishing brings more variety to the ice chest. This flounder came in at 4-1/2 lbs. and 22 in, long caught with Steve Schultz Outdoors.
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.
Submitted to Construction News
Submitted to Construction News
Little big fisherman
His trophy of the season
When John Calhoun, branch manager of United Tool & Fastener took his three sons, Patrick, Andrew, and Ian, on a fishing trip to Port Aransas, he and 11-year-old Patrick teamed up to challenge Patrick’s teenage brothers to a fishing contest. As it turned out, Patrick caught the first, biggest and most fish! “Afterwards, we had a good lunch while his two brothers ate crow,” says Calhoun. –mh
This summer, Carter Ramzel, president of Benchmark Plumbing, harvested this axis buck, measuring 34x34, at his ranch in Junction. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 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
Eyes in the Sky
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ave you spent any time playing with the amazing satellite images you have at your fingertips these days? I don’t just mean checking out how many swimming pools are behind the privacy fences in your neighborhood either. This technology is a sportsman’s dream. The best part is that you can zoom in to get quite a bit of detail. In one of the images of my place I can even make out how many of our black barn cats were lounging in the parking lot! Got a new deer lease this season? Load up the satellite images for those pastures. Zoom in close and you can see the features of the land and the locations of water that your game will be coming to. Look closer and you can see the way the contours of the land form natural funnels that the game travel through and even the very trails they use. Now you know where you want your feeders and your deer stands to be located. Couple this with some good game cameras and you get a head start on really making the most of your lease. It used to take years of hunting to get this kind of familiarity with a place, and now you can do it with an evening at your computer. Satellite imagery is even more of an advantage for fishermen. You know how I was encouraging everybody to get out and visit the lakes that were being dried up by the drought? While that was an excellent opportunity to get a look at some of our favorite fishing spots, satellite images can take you a step further. Plink around on the images of your favorite lake, or the one you plan to visit next, until you find the link that lets you also see the historic images for that area. I know that on Lake Buchanan they have several sets of images that go back for years. Some of the images show the lake full,
others half empty and one even shows that lake during a flood. Older images might not have quite as good resolution as newer ones, but studying them can give you great information on how the river channel travels through a body of water, what places keep water and where islands will come up. This and just the general picture of how a body of water is laid out should give you some good places to start fishing, even if you are visiting a lake for the first time. There are two other very important sources of free information that every sportsman should have preferably on his phone, (no, don’t leave it at home…mute it, but have it in case you need it). Now days there is no reason for you to ever go out on the water without a last minute check of weather forecast and a look at current radar. You just don’t have any excuse for putting yourself in harm’s way anymore, yet we see people do it all the time because they just don’t bother to check the weather first. The last important tool to have and learn to use are the maps and gps on your phone. Even if you are lost your phone probably can show you exactly where you are and how to get back to the boat ramp or deer camp. Check it out and get on out there now and make the most of our great Texas outdoors this fall!
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Missed the boat!
Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com Construction News JOB SIGHT
Keeping it clean
Andres Gonzales with Clean Scapes Landscaping keeps Hill Country Plaza looking tidy. – cs
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Busting out the big fish
Submitted to Construction News
All about that trout
Buster Williams shows off his winning redfish, noting that he had to catch a lot of wrong ones to get the one that was just right.
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uster Williams, outside sales for PMI Sales & Marketing Services, took first place in the Redfish Division, Bay Surf Division of the 81st annual Deep Sea Roundup Jul. 8-9 in Port Aransas. “It was the 31st slot red I caught Saturday morning,” recalls Williams. “I released the other 30 fish because I knew I had to beat 7.9 lbs. This one weighed 8.3 lbs. and was exactly 28 inches. I also caught and released 27 legal black and 32 legal trout that day. I kept a 4.8 lbs. trout and a 7.1 lbs. black drum.” Ever since winning the Bay Surf Championship in 2008, noting that he is one of only three people from San Antonio to win in the history of the tournament, Williams has been chasing after a second win. This year, he came within ounces of nabbing it. “I lost the overall championship by .8 lb. because I could not catch a gafftop or a flounder to complete the stringer.” –mh
Five team members from Amstar Inc. recently went on the company fishing trip to Corpus Christi. Launching out of Billings Bait Stand, the group caught 25 trout and five redfish, limiting out on trout in less than two hours. L-R: Atanacio Carrisal, Ozzie Garcia, Fernando Flores, Robert Trujillo, Jason Leek –mh
After winning the Redfish Division at this year’s Deep Sea Roundup at 70 years old, Williams is still hopeful that he can take the championship a second time, having done so eight years ago.
Submitted to Construction News
On the mount
Dave Sanchez, with Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio (HCA de SA) and his wife, Amy Sanchez, spent some time visiting Mt. Rushmore this summer. –cw
Have an Outdoor Story or Photo? Send to: SAEditor@ ConstructionNews.net or call Chris at 210-308-5800
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Stepping up to the plate
Winners of the first-ever CLF Softball Tournament
Turner teammates hang out in the dugout.
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he Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter’s Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) held its inaugural Construction Cup Softball Tournament Sep. 10 at the University of the Incarnate Word. The eight teams competing in the all-day, 10-game tournament were Arias Geoprofessionals, Turner Construction Company, Guido Construction, Joeris General Contractors, Southwest Electrical Contracting, Zachry Construction Corporation, Straight Line Management and TD Industries. –mh Winners: 1st: Straight Line Management 2nd: Joeris General Contractors
Zachry Construction Corporation’s “Sons of Pitches”
Submitted to Construction News
They’ve got spirit …
Southwest Electrical Contracting Services
Submitted to Construction News
River rat Construction News managing editor Cyndi Wright and her husband Jay Hutchison enjoyed their annual trip to the Frio River near Leakey during the week after Labor Day. –cw
Yes, they do! At the beginning of September, Brandt celebrated college football with College Colors Day. Employees are encouraged to wear their favorite team’s colors to work. At Brandt’s San Antonio office, colleges from across the country were represented. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Setting the foundation
Subcontractor Ranger Concrete finishes the foundation for Artisan at Judson, a 126-unit apartment complex. The GC on the project is Franklin Construction Ltd. – cs
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Texas, all the way!
f you’re proud to be a Texan, you’re in good company in the construction industry. Even if you weren’t born here, you got here as fast as you could. In either case, many of you have some great ways of showing your state pride, whether it’s an affinity for things in the shape of the State of Texas or a fierce devotion to your local Texas teams. Here are just a few ways members of the industry show their love of the Lone Star State. –mh
Cole and Webb Lewis, sons of Colby Lewis, president of Alpine Contracting, admire their new remote-controlled excavator while a Texas Tech cup sits nearby in the foreground. “Teaching them young,” he says.
Michael McGinnis, inventory management at Allen & Allen Co., took this photo with his family upon their return from Yellowstone National Park to the Lone Star State. “As great as the trip was, all of us could not wait to get back to Texas,” he recalls. Showing some Alamo City pride, Beldon Roofing has “Go Spurs Go” rocks in the parking lot.
Bryan and Lauren Guido Tew, business development director at Guido Construction, show that their loyalties lie with Texas A&M University. “I was born an Aggie and married an Aggie!” proclaims Guido Tew. “Gig ‘em!”
“We love our Texas Sports teams!” declared the team members at Quality Fence & Welding as they showed off their team loyalties. L-R: Gary Walker, Jenniffer Holt, Meaghan Frank, Albert Castillo, Amy Avila, Sean Bates, Craig Noto, Dora Rodriguez, Charlie Baer, John Hoot and Jordon Brown.
At Holes of San Antonio, Lone Star State pride is apparent everywhere they go, since their truck has the Texas flag on it.
Tony Tye, Texas South Concrete Plumbing, says: “I was driving across West Texas one day, thinking about building a house for my wife. As I enjoyed the vast open spaces of West Texas, I thought, why can’t I build a house in the shape of Texas? I know you can never have the biggest house, catch the biggest fish or shoot the biggest deer, but why can’t I build a house that no-one else has? We already had a perfect place, a ranch in the Texas Hill Country named Teepee Texas Ranch – Teepee stands for Tony and Patricia, so we found an architect with an imagination, drew up the plans and built “Texas.” The “Texas house” sits exactly like Texas sits in the U.S. We set it with a compass.”
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Brewing up some fun
Exceptional architecture
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he Texas Society of Architects (TSA) recently announced the recipients of the 2016 Honor Awards. This program recognizes exceptional members, firms, individuals, and organizations for outstanding achievements in support of the profession of architecture, the built environment, and quality of life in Texas. Honorees will be recognized at the 77th Annual Convention and Design Expo, Nov. 3–5 in San Antonio. –cw Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media in Honor of John G. Flowers Hon. AIA The Building Arts Group, San Antonio
L-R: Celeste Estep, Keller-Martin Construction; Lori De La Hoyos, Catto & Catto; Ted Dunnam, ESC Consultants
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MCA-SMACNA) hosted a Red, White & Brew PAC Fundraiser Aug. 30 at Pearl Studio. Though the theme was political, the atmosphere was all about fun. Attendees mixed and mingled while enjoying four classic beer games with a twist – the STFU (Slide, Toss, Fling & Unhinge), a blind beer taste-off, jumbo beer pong and spin the bottle (on the wheel). The event raised more than $7,000 for the Texas Construction Association (TCA) PAC. –mh
The “cornhole” gets political with the “STFU.”
Emily Denman Thuss, Building Arts Group project manager
Through the book “The Building Arts of South Texas” and its companion website, www.buildingartsgroup.com, The Building Arts Group is doing an important work by preserving the stories of the artisans and families who are themselves working to preserve major architectural landmarks. This resource, intended for the general public as well as academia and the profession, fosters an appreciation for historic buildings and the role of craft in architecture.
Submitted to Construction News
Gathering for a stable outlook Debbie and Duane Hannasch, Fire Alarm Control Systems
L-R: Bert Mazac, Big B Construction, and Mike McGinnis, Allen & Allen
The Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter hosted a joint luncheon with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Aug. 22 at Pearl Stable with more than 200 attendees. L-R: Samuel Franco, guest speaker, director of the Center for Alternative Finance and Procurement; Christine Vina, AIA chapter president, VIA Metropolitan Transit; Mike Kaiman, AGC chapter president, Turner Construction –mh
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Get it ready
L-R: William Wilson, Tonya Hall-Serna and John Tezel, Tezel & Cotter
Brian Ohlenbusch, Alamo Crane, goes for the beanbag toss.
Giving it their best shot
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he National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) San Antonio Chapter hosted its annual Skeet Shoot Aug. 24 at the National Shooting Complex. With more than 70 participants, competition was tight. In fact, there was only a 1-point difference between the second and third place teams. –mh Winners: 1st: Bin There Dump That (349) – Keven London, Neenah Marie, Ben Brown, Matthew Henderson, Grant Norman 2nd: Buffalo Contracting (311) – Chris Walker, Daniel Sexton, David Hildebrand, George Deleon 3rd: KM Builders/Masterbrand Cabinets (310) – Keith Moehle, Mark Bromagen, Kevin Boriskie, Brian Beard
Aaron "Sharkey" Blas, HJD Capital Electric Inc. gets busy on a 200 excavator. –cw
1st Place Team
1st Place Individual Keven London (93)
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Aiding in college education
Scratching the surface
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he Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA) de San Antonio recently presented three member scholarships to their recipients. From top to bottom: Christian C. Trevino, Sarah Pape and Marissa C. Gonzales (pictured with Josh Hill, board chair, and Dave Sanchez, executive director) won this year’s scholarship funds, which are awarded to members and family members and are generated by the association’s annual golf tournament each October. –mh
Sublime Custom Stone is constantly updating its showroom to reflect the latest styles. L-R: Meghan Bump, Brandon Lee, Gregory Johnson, Katie Reynolds, Shawn Baumler, Natalie Wu
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he storefront of Sublime Custom Stone is getting a new custom look for its Gordon Road home base of operations. Owner Shawn Baumler does constant updating of the showroom and this fall, the exterior will have a fresh look, too. Baumler started out in the granite business while in high school, working for a friend’s father, John Gormley, who owned Stone Care at the time. After working in the industry since 1992, Baumler was hired to design a shop for a countertop company for its granite side, and he realized that if he could do it for another company, he could do it for himself. In 2002, after that project finished, he founded Sublime. Starting out, he didn’t even have a truck. He began the business with a Jeep and a toolbox with about $150 worth of tools in it. Over the next decade, the business grew by word of mouth, doing high-end custom jobs that were more complex in nature.
Recently, the Sublime team did a job at a wildlife preserve in South Africa for one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, Baumler says, whom they do work for in Louisiana, where he lives. They’ve also done homes for people of note such as the St. Louis home of Jeff Fisher, coach for the St. Louis Rams. They are currently working on the AT&T Center remodel. With about 26 people working for him today, Sublime is family-owned with his wife, Jennifer Baumler; his son, Greg Johnson, and his wife, Kate Johnson, all working in the business. Baumler notes that the majority of the key employees have been with sublime for more than 10 years. His head installer has been with them since the beginning, and he has known his CAD tech since high school. Sublime Custom Stone does high-end custom residential and commercial work. The company does stone, glass, mesquite and limestone countertops as well as tile, backsplash and showers. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Putting their best to the test
Come on get happy
The Plumbing Apprentice Contest brought students to San Antonio to compete for the opportunity to represent PHCC Texas on a national level.
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he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Texas Apprentice Contest Aug. 12 brought students from chapters across the state to St. Philip’s College. They competed for the chance to represent PHCC Texas at the PHCC National Apprenticeship Contest Oct. 20 at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio. Valentin Bedolla, R.E.C. Industries, San Antonio, won first place, while Abram Hoffman, Raven Mechanical, Houston, took second. Their competition included Jacob Alborn, Bolin Plumbing; John Crawson, Central Texas Plumbing Solutions; Alejandro Soto, Beyer Plumbing; and Frankie Valdez, Coppera. Apprentices third year and higher had to prove themselves in several competencies, specifically plumbing code, tools and equipment, and systems rough-in for drainage systems and water
L-R: Hank Bransom, Hart Acoustical & Drywall; Rick Smith, Keller-Martin Construction; Tony Piepryzca, Hart Acoustical & Drywall; Tina Smith
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he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter recently launched two new monthly event initiatives for its members, Break-
Valentin Bedolla, R.E.C. Industries
systems. Students took a written test and enjoyed dinner the day before, as well as lunch and an awards presentation on the day of the contest. –mh
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Calling all the meats
RC Hope Group LLC., Dallas, is currently building an Arby’s and AT&T store on Nacogdoches Road. – cs
fast Club and Happy Hour. The inaugural Happy Hour was Aug. 31 at Little Woodrow’s. –mh
L-R: Stan Curry and Stephanie O’Rourke, Cokinos Bosien & Young; Rob Crow, Alpha Building Corporation; Chuck Calvin, SpawGlass
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Subs shoot it out
First-place Team
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he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter held its 2016 Sporting Clay Shoot Aug. 25 at the National Shooting Complex, drawing more than 170 shooters. – mh Winners: 1st Team: Speedway Erection Company – Bruce Culver, Clyde Culver, Larry Duke, Jody Johnson AA Division 1st: Robert Yarborough, Comfort Air 2nd: Jody Johnson, Speedway Erection Company 3rd: Larry Duke, Speedway Erection Company A Division 1st: Jimmy LaGrange, Alamo Crane 2nd: Ryan Rummel, RSM 3rd: Uriel Carreon, Mechanical Reps B Division 1st: Chester Drattlo, Robles1 2nd: Clayton Wooldridge, Alamo Crane 3rd: Jason Johnson, Western States Fire Protection C Division 1st: Darren Schultz, Trane 2nd: John Cayton, Tejas Premier 3rd: Carl Glover, Tejas Premier Leading Lady: Carolyn Pike, F.A. Nunnelly Gonna Keep Trying Award (Lowest Score): Lyndon Smoot, Tejas Premier Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
continued from Page 1 — FARR into the future is currently completing his degree at Texas A&M San Antonio while working fulltime. With Adrian, 53, as president, Roland serves as vice president of operations and Rene is the general project manager, overseeing the other project manager. Daniel is vice president of business development, and Steven is vice president of land development. Recently, Daniel and Steven completed their first development, Nopal Street Villas, a 10-unit apartment complex. With approximately 30 employees, FARR has grown and evolved as a family business. The company also does a lot of charity work for VFW Post 76, such as extending their dance floor, and Haven for
Hope, which they do work for as well as volunteering to help out or donate. They are also involved with Parent-Child Incorporated, donating for its Halloween and Christmas parties every year. Outside of work, the Garcias are outdoorsmen, and for Adrian, the best times are with his two grandchildren. He says, “I could be having the worst day possible, and I’ll get a text and a picture of my grandkids. That just changes the whole day and it’s all good.” Established in 1982, FARR Builders began in concrete contracting, evolving into residential construction. Today, 75 percent of the company’s work is government with the remaining 25 percent being private commercial work, including multi-family. –mh
continued from Page 1 — Rast celebrates 40 years
1st Place – AA Division
solved a lot easier when you go out there and resolve it, versus trying to resolved it through emails or something like that.” Boggs is nearing retirement and is excited about his new facility, but knows it is more of a gift for after he hangs it up. “I built it for my employees,” Boggs said of the new shop. “I’m 60 years old. I want to start retiring and it’s something for y’all to enjoy. I’m going to have a short time to enjoy it. It’s probably the nicest facility in San Antonio and probably Austin.” Rast started with three employees when the building was located next to Lone Star Brewery in 1976, but now em-
ploys 35 workers, including some family members. Boggs’ daughter, Stephanie McShane is the VP of production and operations, while his son-in-law, Patrick McShane is the VP of operations and marketing. Margaret Wagner is the CFO and Arnold Martinez is the shop foreman. “Most of my employees started with me in ’78 and a lot of them retired when the economy started going in 2008,” Boggs said. “I have very little turnover. As a matter of fact, a lot of them, their dads worked here and now their sons work here.” –cs
continued from Page 1 — Installing cleanup measures on the river
1st Place – A Division
1st Place – B Division The trash boom stretches 150 feet across Zarzamora Creek and has a concrete driveway to make the site more accessible for cleanup.
1st Place – C Division
Leading Lady
Delagarza comments that RCO has developed a relationship and great communication with SARA and COSA, which he notes were always quick to respond. This helped in situations such as when they needed to coordinate with them to close some of the roads to pour concrete. While handling all aspects of the project, including the concrete for the driveway and pad, site grading and landscaping as well as installing the trash boom, RCO only had a few challenges along the way, both involving the drilling of the piers. When the RCO team began work, the river was dry, since SARA and COSA can control the water levels. Following a few rain events, the water had to be redistributed to correct water levels elsewhere on the river, which meant rising water levels in the area where they were working. Though they drilled the two piers, one on each side of the riverbank, without being able to know if they would hit water at 5 or more feet, the team was fortunate, not encountering any water all the way to 20 feet. The most challenging aspect was the area where they had to drill the piers, because on either side, it was on an angle. Delagarza recalls, “We had to use a specialized drill rig to hit our angles and get it down the 20 feet at the location it called for in the plans.” Richard Martinez, RCO’s operations manager, was the superintendent on the
job, and Delagarza credits him and the field staff with keeping ahead of schedule, adding that the project finished early, and the coordination with SARA was made easy. Representing SARA, Jeff Tyler, an engineer, and Reuben Bazan, the onsite inspector, worked with RCO’s team to answer any of their questions and help make decisions in the field. The architect was Arcadis, which Delagarza notes also did a tremendous job communicating with the project team. RCO also used engineering firm Bain Medina Bain for some of the design. Another main player on the jobsite was vendor Elastec, which Delagarza cites as the largest manufacturer of oil spill and environmental control equipment in North America. Elastec worked with RCO in all aspects from the design phase, to testing, to creating the trash boom shop drawings. Based in Illinois, Elastec sent Brian Orr and Brian Cook down to San Antonio to oversee the installation of the boom and to answer any questions from SARA and the City of San Antonio on RCO’s behalf. Established in May 2010 by Roland Davila, RCO Construction does a mix of commercial work, federal work, with projects on all military bases across Texas, and municipal work, such as projects for CPS, SARA and SAWS. –mh
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Specialty Contractors Low voltage, high demands Thomas Schluter, President Beckwith Electronic Engineering Co. San Antonio, TX
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hen it comes to commercial life safety, security and communication systems, Thomas Schluter, president of Beckwith Electronic Engineering for the last 25 years, has to keep apprised of the changes sweeping through his industry as well as the latest shifts in the local market affecting his business.
What are the latest trends in your industry? 1) Increase in the construction of standalone emergency centers, clinics and office buildings. Beckwith has been able to provide customers with a packaged low-voltage solution, which includes: nurse call, fire alarm, access control, CCTV, security and public address systems. 2) Increase in the amount of business we do with out-of-town contractors coming into San Antonio and Austin due to their markets/areas being slow or be-
cause the companies they do business with are opening or moving to our area. Beckwith has been able to grow its customer base by doing business with these new clients. 3) Local healthcare facilities are being acquired by national healthcare organizations and the decision-making is being transferred to their headquarters not located in San Antonio or Austin. 4) Employee healthcare costs are increasing at a higher rate than before. Beckwith pays for 90 percent of its employees’ healthcare premiums; this has increased our cost of doing business. What are some of the recent increases or decreases in business and the driving factors behind them? [As previously noted] Increase in the construction of standalone emergency centers, clinics and office buildings. New corporations are moving to our city due
ASA focuses priorities on issues that directly impact construction subcontractors Marc Ramsey, Director of Communications American Subcontractors Association Alexandria, Va.
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undreds of associations represent companies and individuals in the construction industry. The American Subcontractors Association carefully focuses its priorities in order not to waste its members’ resources and to avoid redundancies. Thus, ASA’s highest priorities are issues that have a direct impact on construction subcontractors and that are unlikely to be addressed by other major construction associations to the benefit of subcontractors—including, for example, payment timing, retainage, contingent payment, mechanic’s lien and payment bond rights, risk allocation, and safety and health regulations with a direct impact on specialty trade contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. ASA’s secondary issues are those that impact the construction industry gener-
ally, that is, issues on which other construction industries are working but on which ASA’s involvement may make a difference. These secondary issues may include broader safety and health issues, employment issues, and tax issues. ASA’s tertiary issues are those that impact businesses, such as ASA members, generally. These issues may include, for example, broader tax and employment issues that may have a unique impact on construction subcontractors. “I firmly believe that there would have been little, if any, action on subcontractor issues, particularly payment issues, during the last 50 years if not for ASA’s leadership through education and advocacy,” said ASA Chief Advocacy Officer E. Colette Nelson. “Indeed, even on those few occasions when ASA has not
to a booming economy, lower cost of living expenses and available workforce. What are the current “hot button” issues affecting the industry relating to your specialty? 1) Job safety is becoming a hot button in our industry. Beckwith’s project managers and lead technicians are all OSHA certified. 2) Cross training across multiple disciplines. Beckwith cross-trains their technicians to install and program different systems, allowing us to be more cost effective. 3) Design built projects. Beckwith has professional engineers, designers and industry experts on staff who can perform the design, sales, installation, commissioning and certification of lowvoltage and life safety systems saving the end user and general contractor money. What are some of the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to your specialty? Local healthcare facilities being acquired by national healthcare organizations and the decision making being transferred to their headquarters not located in San Antonio or Austin. What are the most significant challenges in recent years in the type of work you do, and how you are handling them? 1) New manufacturers have entered
been directly involved in a state’s legislative or regulatory action on subcontractor payment, the individuals who led those advocacy efforts leaned heavily on ASA’s model legislation and supporting materials.” During the last few years, and for the immediate future, ASA’s principal subcontractor-focused issues include: • Assuring that subcontractors have payment assurances on projects financed through public-private partnerships at both the federal and state levels. In most cases, without separate statutory authority, construction subcontractors on projects financed through P3s do not have the payment protections provided by mechanic’s liens or payment bonds on P3s. ASA supports extending the tenets of the federal Miller Act and state Little Miller Acts (i.e., requiring the prime construction contractor to provide a payment bond) to P3s. During the last six years, most states that have enacted legislation authorizing the use of P3s have included such a bonding requirement. • Requiring federal and state government contracting entities to process and pay change orders in a timely manner. ASA members report that con-
our industry increasing competition. We have been able to weather the storm by providing great customer service with dedicated customer service representatives that follow up with our end users on a regular basis. 2) Having the right information at the right time allows us to make decisions in a timely manner. This required us to change out our old accounting, estimating and time management system. What are the keys to being successful in your specialty? 1) Our people are the most important and valued part of our company. They are the main reason why Beckwith has been and will continue to be successful. 2) Our manufacturers are also a big part of our success. Their products keep up with our customers’ needs and requirements. Established by Jack Beckwith and George Ridder in 1962, Beckwith Electronic Engineering is a distributor, contractor and consultant that designs, sells, installs and services commercial communication systems. Thomas Schluter bought the company from its founders in 1991, having earned his professional engineer license while working under Beckwith. –mh
struction owners, in both the public and private sectors, increasingly delay processing change orders until the end of a project. This not only requires both prime contractors and subcontractors to finance this part of the project, but effectively shifts all negotiating leverage to the owner—since the prime contractor and subcontractors already have completed the work for which they have not been paid. • Encourage federal and state governments to improve the transparency of their payment practices. This includes making the prime contractor’s payment bond more readily available to subcontractors and suppliers (e.g., by posting it on a Web site), making available information on payment to prime contractors (e.g. the City of San Antonio posts a list of payments to its prime contractors on its Web site), and by providing a report on the status of each change order on a project. ASA continues to work on its traditional issues, including payment (e.g., payment timing, retainage, mechanic’s lien and payment bond rights, contingent payment, etc.) and risk allocation (e.g., indemnity, additional insured, etc.). –cw
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Specialty Contractors Building relationships is key Jonathan Strellow, Project Estimator for Roofing and Sheet Metal Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Houston, TX
In your opinion, what is the current state of the local construction industry? I think the market in Houston is really good due to the severe change in weather. The weather has driven business in an upward manner since we have extreme temperatures and humidity as well as wind and severe storms. There are has been weird weather this year. I think this will probably happen for seasons to come because the state of the core of the earth and the atmosphere. I think our weather systems and storms are going to keep getting more severe. We have seen this over the last couple of years. There is more frequency in tropical storms too.
What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? The challenge right now is trying work around the rain and wind. This has put a lot of jobs off schedule. There is a higher demand for the subcontracting roofer out there right now. It is getting harder to pinch the penny these days. What is your advice for a high school graduate who wants to do what you do today? I would say it helps if you have a knack for logic and numbers and have some type of general construction background. It would be a good idea to spend a year in the field and then come in and do the work on the desk using software programs.
That way you have knowledge about what to look for when you go out and assess a roof. How has your industry advanced over the years? There is a high demand for TPO roofing systems. People are using this system for reflective purposes and energy savings. What are the keys to success in your industry? I think the first thing is to realize your job is in the field and at the desk but it really starts and ends with the customer. You have to build a line of communication to let the customer know you are here to help him or her. They need to know you can get the answer to them or have someone else help them out. Building relationships and friendships is so important in the construction industry. Why is your job rewarding? I really enjoy helping people solve problems. At the end of the day, that makes me feel good about what I am doing. I do this every day, whether it is helping someone with his or her roof or help-
ing him or her figure out how they are going to put a long lasting, safe roof on a building. What is on the horizon for your industry? I think Houston is still growing, which is unreal because it is the fourth largest city in the United States. It is amazing how many apartments, gas stations and grocery stores are in Houston. I have never seen so many restaurants in a city in my life. There are still areas in the city limits that are being pushed out more and more every year. When you look at what Houston encompasses as far as square miles, it is amazing to find there is still room to grow. I think in the next five years Houston is going to continue to grow. More businesses are going to move here. Even though there have been severe climate changes lately, overall Houston is great place to build a warehouse or corporate office. Houston has so much to offer. Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing provides commercial roofing, waterproofing, commercial building restoration, parking garage renovation and roof leak repair services. –ab
Outlook “conservative but positive” Lisa B. Brown, Co-Owner/CFO Michael E. Brown & Associates LLC (MEB&A) Dallas, Tx.
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ow would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Overall, everyone we speak with, from glazing contractors, consultants and architects, etc., the feeling is a conservative, but positive, outlook going forward. More monies are being released for government projects, as well as hospitals and schools, which is always a good sign of continued growth. We’ve also seen a significant increase in multiuse buildings, not only in the local DFW area but throughout the country. These buildings are also being built with LEED in mind, which is good for everyone. Have you experienced an increase in business? MEB&A has seen a steady increase in all of our divisions over the past 12 months. We offer shop drawings, take off, consulting, design, application engineering and technical services for the glazed wall industry. We’ve also incorpo-
rated “project assistance” as a tool to help our customers with phone calls to architects and general contractors, to reviewing specifications and product recommendations. What factors are driving this increase? We like to think that our growth is due to our quality of work, good customer service, communication and overall experience with more than 35 years. We also recognize that there has been an uptick in the construction industry over the past two or more years in all areas. How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct business? The increase in business has affected lead times slightly for shop drawings, application engineering, etc. We also have found it a bit challenging to find/hire experienced personnel, but in the last few months we’ve been able to fill our needs with qualified drafters and additional
staff. This makes an immediate impact with scheduling and lead times. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and the continued growth as this fiscal year comes to an end. What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? As with most industries, it’s finding good personnel to fill positions. The construction industry seems to have been hit hard in this area over the past few years. The need for more vocational and technical schools, as well as internships, needs to be addressed. We need to get people involved in what can be a very satisfying career, with many different areas of interests. The construction industry offers working in the field (concrete, framing, installation of product/glass) to creating shop drawings, estimating, take off and engineering careers. It really does have a lot to offer, we just need to do a better job of getting the word out. We also believe that apprenticeships should be considered in all areas of business. Offering a high school student the opportunity to see what interests him or her might help everyone out in the long run. What are the cost increases relating to your industry? Cost increases for services MEB&A
www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news
provides would be more in software updates, upgrades, etc. We try to stay current with newer versions of AutoCAD, Revit, Wind Load analysis, GoTo Meeting, Blue Beam, etc. We also look at our hardware (computers, printers, etc.) about every six to 12 months that may need to be upgraded as well. We have found that keeping up with the newer products has made us a more productive and competitive company. We want to be prepared and offer seamless communication and transfer of documents for both incoming and outgoing information. How are you dealing with these challenges? Well, we try to anticipate costs on an annual basis. We plan ahead with a budget allowance for renewals and upgrades for any software. The hardware really can depend on when we hear or see something that would help improve our daily workflow, communication with our personnel and, of course, with our customers. Michael E. Brown & Associates LLC provides consulting, shop drawings, design, fab drawings and application engineering. The company has experience in designing glazed wall systems and curtain wall consulting. –mjm
Texas Style
San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Page 27
Playing the fair way
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ssociated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter kicked off its fall golf tournament with beautiful blue skies and cooler than normal temps on Sep. 12 at Fair Oaks Country Club. After the tournament, everyone enjoyed a fabulous dinner. Congrats to the winners! –cw Winners: Blackjack Course 1st Place Low Gross: L&M Steel and Broadway Bank 1st Place Low Net: Vulcan Materials 2nd Place Low Net: Red Hawk Contracting Men’s Closest to the Pin: Rusty Medlin, Joeris General Contractors Women’s Closest to the Pin: Denise Ben-
dele, RSM US LLP Men’s Longest Drive: John Berger, Vulcan Materials Women’s Longest Drive: Denise Bendele, RSM US LLP Live Oak Course 1st Place Low Gross: Catto & Catto 1st Place Low Net: Smithers Merchant Builders 2nd Place Low Net: Terracon Consultants Men’s Closest to the Pin: Woody Woodward, Moore Erection Women’s Closest to the Pin: Melissa Salas, Joeris General Contractors Men’s Longest Drive: Casey Sierer, Terracon Consultants Women’s Longest Drive: Michelle Seward Davis, Joeris General Contractors
1st place low gross Blackjack Course
1st place low gross Live Oak Course
1st place low net Blackjack Course
1st place low net Live Oak Course
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Ground work for health
F.A. Nunnelly Company is the GC for this current project on Loop 1604 and NW Military Drive, which is slated to be a Baptist Emergency Medical Center. – cs
Industry FOLKS Gene Oden Project Manager Alpha Building Corporation
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t 56, Gene Oden has been working in the industry ever since he got his first job as a project manager doing Job Order Contracting (JOC) work at the Corpus Christi Army Depot 26 years ago. Having started out in construction at age 16 on framing crews, he started at Alpha Building Corporation in February as a project manager for its JOC contract at UTSA. Oden credits his parents with his ability to have a career in the construction industry. His father was an English major and a teacher and his mother was a teacher. He observes that his ability to spell, read, write and communicate – as well as build relationships – gave him a good chance at a construction career. “That’s the experience that makes it possible for me to write proposals that win jobs,” he says. Having grown up in Littleton, CO, a suburb of Denver, Oden traveled mostly doing federal government contracts, including emergency repair work in Louisiana and South Texas after the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005. In 1997, after traveling all over the country as a national sales manager for Delivery Order Contracting, he and his family decided to stay in Enterprise, AL, where they settled for the next 18 years until he and his wife relocated to join the team at Alpha. “I’ve been married for 35 years to my high school sweetheart, Leslie, and she actually works at Alpha,” says
Oden. “She is the receptionist at the corporate office on Blanco Road.” The couple has four children. Their oldest, Max, 30, is a photojournalist who lives in Guatemala and is married. Their son, Sam, 24, is a welder at ALFAB who still lives in Alabama. Their daughter, Caitlin, 23, lives in Italy with her husband who is in the airborne division of the Army. Their youngest, John, 21, is a musician and lives in Alabama. Having settled and raised their four children in Enterprise, AL, relocating to San Antonio to work for Alpha Building Corporation has been a new experience for Oden and his wife. He notes that this is the first time they’ve been empty nesters. Now that it’s just the two of them, the couple has been going for drives and enjoying having this time together. Oden enjoys barbecuing, which comes from his dad’s side of the family. His great-grandfather started a meat market and a barbecue place in Ozona in West Texas in 1923. Four generations of the family ran it until it closed in the ‘90s. Back in Alabama, Oden and his wife owned Bowlegs BBQ, and though they don’t have their own place anymore, Oden keeps his eye out at antique shops for barbecue tools. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Round-Up HOLT CAT announced the following: Robert “Bert” Fulgium has been promoted to senior vice president of Product Support. Previously serving as vice president of Machine Product Support, he has been with the company since 2002. In his new position, he will continue to lead the Machine Product Support division in addition to support for the Power Systems Division. He earned his bachelor’s degree from LeTourneau University and his master’s in business administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Sean Lothery has been promoted to vice president of Product Support Sales. With the company since 2004, he has 12 years of experience and knowledge with the Machine and Product Support sales divisions. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration for Marketing and Management from Texas Christian University.
Terracon announced the following: Jonathan Guilbeau has joined the firm as a senior staff scientist. With more than eight years of environmental experience, he will be responsible for asbestos project management, inspections and air monitoring. His experience includes Phase II environmental site assessments (ESAs) including soil sample collections. Originally from Maurice, LA, he earned his bachelor’s degree with a concentration in environmental and sustainable resources from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He enjoys exercise and spending time with family and friends. Jennifer Peters has joined the firm as a senior project scientist. With more than 15 years of environmental experience, she spent ten of those years working on projects required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Born and raised in Texas, she earned her bachelor’s degree in geography with a concentration in environmental science from Texas A&M University. She enjoys hunting waterfowl and wade fishing on the Texas coast with her husband and two dogs, Denali and Kate
Pete Keener has joined the firm as a senior facilities project manager. With more than 27 years of building envelope experience, he will be working within the Building Envelope Division. He comes to the San Antonio office from Charleston, SC, where he was a project manager for REI Engineers. He also completed the U.S. Army Security Engineering Course. He is a private chef in his spare time, and he enjoys golf, fishing and hunting, and is an avid gun enthusiast.
Art Laikram, PhD, PE, has joined the firm as a senior geotechnical engineer. With more than eight years of geotechnical experience, his primary focus will be in commercial, transportation, water resource and governmental sector projects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok, Thailand in 2000. In 2001, he came to the U.S. and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington. He enjoys playing video games, cooking and running.
Round-Up Submissions Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month). Email info to: SAeditor@constructionnews.net, with “Round-Up” in the subject line
Submitted to Construction News
The women in charge
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC Associated Builders & Contractors
Oct. 5: Breakfast Club, Alamo Café on 281, 7:30am, Contact Dawn Coleman, dawn@abcsouthtexas.org Oct. 14-15: 4th annual Fishing Tournament, Lighthouse Inn at Rockport, TX, Contact Ruby Trejo, ruby@abcsouthtexas.org
AGC Associated General Contractors
Events are held at AGC office unless otherwise stated. Oct. 3: STP Unit 3 Planning and Scheduling, Class 4; 1-5:30pm Oct. 8: Safety Fair and Barbecue CookOff XXIII; Helotes Fairgrounds, 12210 Leslie Rd.; 10am-4pm; face painting, petting zoo, magician, caricature artist, clowns, and fun events for the family; tickets $9 each or a picnic pack of 25 tickets for $200, tickets at the gate $10 each, kids 12 and under admitted free; for more info or to get tickets, call 210-349-4921 Oct. 10: STP Unit 3 Planning and Scheduling, Class 5; 1-5:30pm Oct. 12: Advanced Scheduling Workshop with Computer Applications, 8am5pm Oct. 13: Lean Unit 6: Design and PreConstruction, 8am-noon Oct. 17: BIM Unit 1, 8am Oct. 24-25: PMDP Module 3 – Project Administration, 8am-5pm Oct. 26: Brown Bag Lunch: Avoiding being ICE’d: I-9 Compliance for Employers, noon Oct. 27: CLF General Membership meeting, 5pm
AIA American Institute of Architects
Oct. 15: 19th Annual San Antonio Home Tour; noon to 6pm; tickets available at all H-E-B locations; $30 in advance, $35 day of tour
ASA
IEC Independent Electrical Contractors
Events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated. Oct. 8: Skills USA Practice Competition, 8am-3pm Oct. 10: Continuing Education Class, 5-9pm Oct. 11: Construct A Kid’s Christmas Committee meeting, Ridout Barrett offices, 11:30am-1:30pm Oct. 15: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm Oct. 26-29: IEC Con, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, visit www.ieci.org for more info For more info on these events, call 210431-9861 or visit www.iecsanantonio. com
NAWIC Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Oct. 5: General meeting; Petroleum Club; networking 5:30pm, dinner & program 6pm
PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Oct. 1: 23rd Annual PHCC Fishing Tournament; includes dinner, awards, raffles; Rockport Oct. 1, 29: Plumbers CE classes Oct. 6-9: Journeyman Prep Classes (OSHA10, CE, Code classes) Oct. 11: Copper Brazing Class, Ferguson Enterprises, 6pm Oct. 13: Monthly meeting, ERISA updates Oct. 19-21: CONNECT: National Convention & Apprentice Contest, Marriott Rivercenter; for more information, visit www.phccweb.org/connect, email connect2016@naphcc.org, or call 800-5337694
RCAT
American Subcontractors Association
Roofing Contractors of Tx.
Oct. 18: Special General Membership meeting; The Petroleum Club of SA; 6pm; Clint Swindall, “Connecting Generations” Oct. 19: Safety Update, ESC Consultants office, 11:30am Oct. 20: Safety Lunch & Learn, ESC Consultants office, 11:30am, Know Your Rights with OSHA Oct. 25: Tailgate Mixer, ASA Parking Lot, 5pm Oct. 27: Killer Contracts Seminar, Gardner Law Firm, 1:30pm Nov. 1: Speed Networking Mixer, San Francisco Steakhouse, 5:30pm
Oct. 12-14: 41st Annual Conference & Trade Show; Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center, Grapevine; includes 92 exhibitors, door prizes, educational seminars, golf tournament, welcome reception, NWIR luncheon, and annual awards luncheon; for more information or to register, visit http://roofingcontractors-texas.com/tradeshow/
ASHRAE - Heating, Refrigerating, Air Conditioning Engineers
Oct. 20: Sporting Clays Shoot; San Antonio Gun Club; 11:30am-7pm; for more info, contact Aaron Caldwell at acaldwell@trane.com or 210-516-1784
GSABA Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.
Events are held at the GSABA Ballroom unless otherwise stated. Oct. 3: BUILD-PAC Golf Tournament; Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club; 11:30am; individual players $135, team of four $500 Oct. 5: NAHB Project Management Course, 8am-5pm, $200 per person Oct. 11: Closing 2.0 Workshop with real estate expert Jeff Shore, 8am-noon, $55 per person Oct. 20: Membership Mixer, 5:307:30pm, free to members and potential members
HCA de San Antonio Hispanic Contractors Association The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Antonio Chapter held its 2016-2017 Board of Directors Installation Sep. 7 at the Petroleum Club. L-R: Eloina Benavides, director; Melissa Flathers, secretary; Rebecca Pratt, treasurer; Patty Wylie, president; Dawn Holmes, parliamentarian; Jennifer McElroy, director; Elizabeth Connally, vice president; Jan Meuth, director; Becky Rodriguez, director; Megan Gray, director; Dana Calonge, director; Michelle Urbanczyk, immediate past president –mh
The Republic Golf Course, Sponsorships now available. Visit www.hcadesa.org or call (210) 444-1100 for details.
Oct. 11-12: Free OSHA 10-hour course in Spanish. To register: safetytraining@tdi. texas.gov or call (512) 804-4610. Oct. 14: 17th annual golf tournament at
SAABE SA Association of Building Engineers
Oct. 13: General membership luncheon at University United Methodist Church, 5084 Dezavala Road (new location). The new venue cannot accommodate walkins so please RSVP.
SAMCA San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
Oct. 26: Membership meeting, Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410; noon; $30 per person; for more info, call Debbie at 830-606-5556
TACA Tx. Aggregates & Concrete Association
Oct. 10-12: Environmental & Sustainability Seminar; Hotel Contessa, San Antonio; members $300, non-members $400; for more info or to register, visit https:// w w w.regonline.com /builder/ site/?eventid=1866698
TSPS Texas Society of Professional Surveyors
Oct. 12-15: 65th Annual State Convention and Tech Expo; Embassy Suites, San Marcos; for more info, contact DJ Kyle at 512-327-7871
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
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Design CAN make a difference
he American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio Chapter marked the 11th anniversary of San Antonio Canstruction with its Can Opener Reception Sep. 12 at North Star Mall. Nine teams of local architecture and engineering firms and construction companies built structures made of canned food. The entries were on display at the mall through Sep. 24, after which all food was donated to the San Antonio Food Bank. –mh
Best Meal, “Pokemon Go – Gotta Feed ‘em All” Michael Imbimbo Architects, Barker Structural Engineers 2,635 cans
Best Use of Labels, “PokeCAN Go – End-Hunger” HEB Design + Construction, 6,872 cans
Best Use of Orange, “Hank & Dory Escape Hunger” Mdn Architects, 4,200 cans
“Raise the World Against Hunger” San Antonio College AIAS, 2,016 cans
“A Day on the Riverwalk” Villa Park Architecture/Planning/Interiors, Beicker Consultants, 5,100 cans
Structural Ingenuity, “Paving Our Way Out of Hunger” RVK Architects, Spectrum Lighting, Lundy & Franke Engineering, 8,210 cans
Juror’s Favorite, “PesCANtarian – The Empty Side of Hunger” Alamo Architects, Turner Construction, 1,700 cans
Honorable Mention, “Muhammad Ali – Knocking Hunger UnCANscious” Kimley-Horn, PBK Architects, 2,271 cans
“Octopus – Hunger StINKS” Open Studio Architecture, DBR Engineering, 5,134 cans
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Reimaging a national historic landmark
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ith the goal of designing a new master plan for the Alamo Complex, an effort called Reimagine the Alamo, the City of San Antonio recently teamed up with UTSA’s Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) and archaeologists from two local engineering firms, Raba Kistner Inc. and Pape-Dawson Engineers, to do a systematic archaeological study of the Alamo Complex grounds. This study is the first of its kind to be done on the site, excavating portions of the area to determine details such as the location of the compound’s walls and various other features that were identified decades ago. The team will help confirm the accuracy of these prior findings and whether or not the landscape has shifted over time. Steven Tomka, PhD, an archaeologist with Raba Kistner and former director of CAR who is serving on the archaeological team, notes that though archaeology is key to the investigations the team is doing, engineering is playing a part in their study, saying, “We need to be able recognize the difference, for instance, between the outer perimeter wall of the compound compared to a cross wall that’s between adjacent rooms.” Working at the site over a timeframe of several weeks, Tomka adds that part of the goal is to identify the structural features and part of it is, ideally, to find some artifacts that will allow them to draw at-
In searching for the west wall of the compound, remnants of which had been found in the ‘70s and ‘80s, they not only confirmed the deposits; they found them surprisingly in tact. They found the remains of an adobe brick wall structure and some collapsed adobe wall. On other excavations of the site, they also found some architectural remains and the tip of a Mexican non-commissioned officer’s sword, which she describes as very exciting. “To work at the Alamo is kind of the pinnacle for any archaeologist in Texas, and I suspect in a lot of places, because it’s the iconic Texas landmark,” says Anderson. “So, we’re all just thrilled to be supporting the master plan team.” –mh
L-R: Karissa Basse, Pape-Dawson; Kristi Miller-Nichols, Raba Kistner; Ashley Jones, Raba Kistner; Sarah Wigley, CAR-UTSA; and Nesta Anderson, Pape-Dawson, present findings during a daily briefing on the Reimagine the Alamo archaeological survey. Photo by Reimagine the Alamo
tention and build excitement about the site. In the long-term, the goal is for UTSA’s CAR, Raba Kistner and Pape-Dawson to gather information over the next several years to contribute to the master plan so that if the Alamo Complex is recreated or depicted, it will be accurately based on their archaeological findings
and information. Nesta Anderson, PhD, an archaeologist with Pape-Dawson who is leading the archaeological team, recalls that one of the sites they excavated was the paseo on the west side of Alamo Street between Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the Visitor’s Center.
Emily Andujar, Raba Kistner, examines excavated material.
Halloween fun
Keep Construction News in mind this year when your office undergoes a spooky transformation like BakerTriangle did last year! Send your photos from Halloween to SAeditor@constructionnews.net
Construction News ON LOCATION
Granite planet
InStyle Granite and Cabinet manager Daniel Li takes a second out his day for a photo. InStyle, on Nacogdoches Road, welcomes commercial and residential jobs. – cs
San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016
Page 31
Digital revolution retrospective
Construction News JOB SIGHT
Lifting up research and discovery
Check Construction News out on Facebook, as well as several other new social media sites.
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his month, Construction News is celebrating its 19th anniversary in San Antonio. Looking back over nearly two decades, there have been many big changes in the industry with technology paving the way for the construction industry to be reimagined. Looking back over the last year, Construction News has rolled out the red carpet for its readers on the information superhighway. The digital experience of all four of our papers and the content has opened up new avenues of availability to our subscribers. “We have continued to work diligently throughout the year to increase our circulation,” says Dana Calonge, account manager. “We have launched free digital subscriptions for all to experience Construction News. Subscribers now receive their monthly digital editions via email. Notifications are sent to each subscriber’s inbox saying the digital editions are ready for viewing. “This expansion into digital delivery enables tremendous growth of our readership and allows everyone access to all of our publications. We are utilizing updated technology in the delivery of in-
dustry specific news to stakeholders, companies, associations and others to provide engaging articles and valuable content for our readers to enjoy and share.” To start a digital subscription, which is free and open to anyone, visit ConstructionNews.net, click “Subscribe,” and complete the online subscription form. The digital experience has also been expanded and refined across many social media platforms. “Social media has also come to the forefront at Construction News with strong emphasis on the expansion of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter,” explains Calonge. “We will continue our tradition of being a driving force for information sharing among all segments of the construction industry with the benefit of providing free access to our content through digital subscriptions and enhanced social media.” Like us on Facebook, https://www. facebook.com/ConstructionNewsLtd; follow us on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ cnewsltd; and connect with us on LinkedIn. –mh
Getting a lift from Sunstate Equipment Co., general contractor J.C. Stoddard Construction Co. was able to do some work assisting on the Alamo Master Plan project survey. –mh
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San Antonio Construction News • Oct 2016