Houston Construction News January 2017

Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style San Antonio H Austin Dallas/Fort Worth H Houston

P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290

PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT #1451

Change Service Requested

Houston

CONSTRUCTION

™

The Industry’s Newspaper HAPPY NEW YEAR!

www.constructionnews.net

H

(210) 308-5800

Striving for excellence

A

Volume 14

H

Number 1

H

JANUARY 2017

The legacy continues

L-R: Paul D. Hoggatt, Mel Oller and Andrew Hoggatt

Abraham Joseph (front) and the OnePoint Inc. staff

braham Joseph began Houstonbased OnePoint Inc. in Dec. 2001.

The one-man healthcare facilities engineering consulting firm has grown to 10-12 employees. Now the firm specializes in healthcare construction.

“The healthcare industry is booming in Houston,” Joseph said. “Hospitals are getting more creative in how the space is designed. We help them use and build the space, the most cost effective way, yet meeting all regulatory compliance requirements.”

According to Joseph, in the early days the company did work at two to three hospitals and medical clinics and today the company has done numerous projects at 20 to 25 hospitals and medi-

H

cal clinics in and around the greater Houston area, Beaumont, Baytown and College Station areas.

OnePoint Inc. moved to its 5000-sf location on Roark Road in Houston seven years ago. Joseph owns the building.

“The building used to be an old furniture repair shop,” Joseph said. “We demolished the entire interior of the building, leaving intact only the four exterior tilt-wall panels and roof. We then rebuilt the entire interior from scratch inside the office.

“We also built a gym and fitness center and a shower facility for employees to work out. A professional trainer comes to the office three times a week.” continued on Page 18

H

oggatt LP started as a commercial masonry contractor in 1951 and became incorporated in 1972.

The company celebrated its 65th anniversary in December.

Phinehas Hoggatt, also known as The Preacher, started the company as a way to provide for his growing family and to utilize his mason skills.

Today, Hoggatt’s son Paul is president and his grandson Andrew is the owner.

Paul Hoggatt says his father taught him that with hard work and a belief in God, all things are possible.

“Now, here we are 65 years and several million bricks later,” Hoggatt said.

“Although the scope of our projects have

changed over time, our beliefs and our work ethic remain the same.”

To stay in business for 65 years, Hoggatt says it takes combination of dedication, tenacity, honesty, good work ethic, great employees, along with succession planning and enough working capital to get you through the good and bad times.

“I was only six years old when the company was formed,” he said. “Mortar was made on the jobsite in mortar boxes.

Bricks were moved by hand instead of forklifts. Office record keeping was done by hand. Letters were typed on typewriters.”

There were no calculators, computers, fax machines, pagers, cell phones, or hand held digital devices, he said. continued on Page 18

Rest easy

J

E Dunn Construction has completed The Westin Waterway Hotel, a luxurious hotel with high-end finishes located at Waterway Square in The Woodlands. The owner is The Woodlands Development Co.

Charlie Holliday, senior project manager, JE Dunn Construction says the $64 million project took 22 months to complete.

“With its close proximity to Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and Hughes Landing, The Westin Waterway Hotel appeals to both business and leisure travelers,” Holliday said.

The 302-room hotel overlooks the Woodlands Waterway and features more than 24,000sf of meeting space and a second floor stainless steel infinity-edge pool and lounge with direct access to the fountains at Waterway Square.

In addition, the four star hotel also features a 150-seat restaurant, spa ser-

The Westin Waterway Hotel

vices and a fitness center.

Holliday says the building structure consists of 13 stories of structural steel, precast and curtain wall.

According to Holliday, the project site posed a unique challenge due to its urban location, but JE Dunn Construction worked closely with the owner for logistics management and was able to deliver the project with little to no impact to the surrounding businesses.

JE Dunn Construction was brought on-board early and worked closely with the owner and design team to provide value engineering, constructability reviews and accurate GMP pricing.

“We had a weekly design/drawing review meeting with the owner and architect,” he said. “We also had weekly budget updates using our cost tracking scorecard system. An early release of critical bid packages allowed us to sign-up continued on Page 18

Page 2

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 3

Marking a milestone

Industry FOLKS Peggy Krahn Accountant Dee’s Plumbing Inc.

P

eggy Krahn, Dee’s Plumbing Inc., began doing the accounting work and assisting walk-in customers in 1992.

Krahn’s husband Randy, president, started working at Dee’s Plumbing in 1972. The plumbing company has operated since 1958.

“I love what I do today,” Krahn said.

“I like working with numbers so this job is the perfect fit for me. I also enjoy talking to people on a daily basis.

“I spend most of my time at the office, but occasionally I will go to jobs in the area to deliver materials.”

Krahn says her best advice for a young person interested in working in the plumbing business is to start as a helper.

“It is so important to learn from a more experienced plumber,” she said.

“You have to start at the bottom and earn your hours as you learn on the job. You can learn some things in the classroom, but a lot of it is hands-on experience.”

Growing up outside of New Orleans, LA in Metairie, Krahn moved to the Stafford area in 1972. She attended Dulles High School in Fort Bend County. She and her husband met in high school.

“Later in life, I earned my MBA degree at the University of Houston,” she said. “I still use the same skills I learned at UH when I do bids and handle the

accounting work.”

Krahn and her husband have a son named Brandon and two granddaughters ages 6 and 8. They have a cat named Gizmo.

Gizmo likes to sit on Krahn’s desk during the day while she does paperwork at the office.

“She is my pal,” Krahn said. “She goes by different names other than Gizmo too. I always call her Baby Cat.” When they are not at work, the Krahn’s enjoy riding their motorcycles in the Gulf Coast area, the Hill Country and have also been to Tennesse, Arkansas and South Dakota. They also try to go to a few NASCAR races during the year.

“One day, I would like to take a motorcycle trip with my husband to Sonoma and visit the wine country in California,” she said. “It is so beautiful.

I have been there several times. I think it would be great to go on a motorcycle.” –ab

W

CBS Rental & Supply headquarters in Houston.

hen Jimmy Lanphier co-founded CBS Rental & Supply (formerly Contractors Building Supply & Equipment Company) in Corpus Christi in 1965, he probably didn’t anticipate a 50-year success story. Even though he had already had success with his venture Lanphier Construction Company, one of South Texas’ largest general contractors at the time, that kind of longevity in construction can be difficult to fathom.

Buddy Herin saw the company’s long-term potential and purchased CBS in 1979, adding the equipment rental side as well as a San Antonio, Tyler and Longview and Houston offices. Last year, Jason Herin, who is Lanphier’s grandson and Buddy’s son, became the proud owner of CBS, and has added six locations since the purchase.

CBS honored its rich history and expansion with a milestone occasion.

“We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary with the groundbreaking of our largest facility in the location where we started, Corpus Christi,” Herin says. “We’re re-

ally happy and excited about tit in terms of what we do for our customers and having our employees to share this with.”

The new facility is the perfect tribute to the company’s half-century of success in the industry. Located at 7219 IH-37, the six-acre landmark location is designed with the customer in mind.”

“We want to give our customers a fantastic experience,” Herin says. “We really put a lot of thought into how our customers pick out material and how we deliver, the flow through the showroom, what kind of experience they’re going to receive and how the warehouse ought to be optimized. We want it to be a technologically-advanced facility in terms of our check-out process and how we speed up the process between the time the customer walks in the door and the time they’re back at their trucks.”

The store will be the latest in CBS’ lineup, which include Arlington, Austin, Conroe, Houston, Longview, San Antonio and Tyler, as well as three Florida stores.

–mjm

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Handle with care

Rolling dice

L-R: Hunter Harris, Mary Robinson, Eddie Harris

The Gilbane Building Co. crew installs a tank at the Moody Gardens Aquarium project in Galveston. –ab

Houston

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

Houston Editor — Abby BeMent — HoustonEditor@ConstructionNews.net — 832-595-0091 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyndi Wright Admin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Production Manager . . . . . . . . . Sue Johnson Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net If you are a construction-related company in Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend or Montgomery counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Houston Construction News, please call for a Requester Form, or visit our website.

The Houston Construction News (ISSN 15477630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Houston Construction News, and distributed by mail to constructionrelated companies in Houston and 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 Houston 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.

©2017 Construction News, Ltd.

F

eeling festive, Lansdowne-Moody Co. employees and their spouses were all smiles at the company Christmas party at the Crown Plaza Hotel in early December.

Lansdowne-Moody Co. is a tractor and heavy equipment dealer serving the Houston area since 1936. –ab Leann and Bryan Sorrell

Justin Cherry has fun playing blackjack.

Page 4

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

I met a guy and we started a company called Isotherm.

After building our business for a year, we went out on our own in 1969 and then I changed the company to Stafford Services.

I have been doing heating and air conditioning work ever since. I got a city air conditioning license in 1975 and I got my state license in 1985.

Rusty Stafford Owner Stafford Services

R

usty Stafford started Stafford Services in Bellaire, Tx., as a one-man operation in 1969. As the business grew, he hired a crew to help him with new installations, service and repair work.

In 1979, Rusty met his wife Mary and she eventually became his office manager. Their sons Colby, 26 and Dusty, 30, help out at the family business.

“I remember the early days were slow so we did a lot of non-air conditioning and heating related jobs just to pay the bills,” Stafford said. “2016 will be the best year we have ever had.

“Our sons are taking more and more responsibility for the company and are determined to keep growing our customer base.”

Stafford Services is a full-service heating and air conditioning company.

Where were you born, Rusty?

I was born in Indianapolis, IN. My dad made a living as an insurance agent and he was transferred to Houston when I was 3.

What was it like growing up in Houston?

It was wonderful because Houston was a little city back then. I think the population at the time was 600,000.

I lived off Telephone Road near Hobby Airport. Things have changed so much in the area since I was a kid.

Next, I moved with my dad to the Sharpstown area and attended Bellaire High School. I graduated high school in 1963.

Where did you go to college?

I went to Houston Baptist University for a year. I studied political science since I was really interested in politics. My dad wanted me to get in the insurance business.

What did you do after you went to school?

I became a Marine engineer after attending school in Baltimore, MD. I trained for two years. I spent a year in class and a year on a ship as a cadet.

I learned about refrigeration during that time. I went all over the Far East on the ship.

When I came back to Houston in 1969, I had to figure out what I wanted to do and I knew I liked refrigeration.

Where did you meet Mary?

Mary and I met at a club in Houston called the BS Club in 1979. It was a little club near Gulfton. She worked part time at the club as a bartender.

We eventually got married and had Colby and Dusty.

When did Mary join the company?

Mary came on board in 2000. She worked at a CPA office before she began working with me as an office manager. I used to do all the paperwork.

It was nice when Mary joined the company because she took all the paperwork away from me so I could concentrate more on the installs and the service work.

What do your sons do at the company these days?

The boys both work for us today.

They used to ride with me to jobs when they were little.

Colby does sales, marketing and service work. He knows how to get more customers via the Internet since we have always just relied on word of mouth for new customers.

Dusty also does service work and he helps Mary with paperwork in the office.

He is really good at finding parts. I can give him a part number and he will find the exact part. This helps out so much especially when we are out in the field and need an answer quickly.

How long did you do the install work?

I did all the install work myself until about 10 years ago. It has taken its toll on my knees and my back.

My son Dusty worked in the air conditioning supply business and told me that other owners in the industry had crews that did the install work.

Finally I said I would try it out. I got a crew. That was the best thing I ever did. I realized that the crew worked just as good as I did, if not better.

They do a job that took me 18 hours to complete in six hours. They help lift equipment and load and unload the truck. I have an excellent crew nowadays.

I had two customers call me recently and tell me how wonderful and professional the crew was and how hard they worked at the job.

What are the keys to success in the heating and air conditioning business?

You have to be honest, prompt and flexible. You have to be willing to work 24/7 year round.

If you were to give advice to a young person interested in the trade, what would you say?

The money is excellent. You can work when you want and pace yourself to how much money you want to make but it can also be a very exhausting,

L-R: Rusty, Dusty, Mary and Colby Stafford

stressful business, especially in the summer month.

You have to be willing to give up your summers if you want to be successful.

It is a neat job because you meet all kinds of people, with several even becoming good friends over the years.

When you get started you have to work hard to build your customer base. It does take some time. You just have to stick with it.

The reason I survived was because I did everything. I didn’t just do air conditioning and heating jobs. I did appliance repair and I installed ceiling fans and any other kind of handyman work that needed to be done, but those same customers ended up using me for air conditioning and heating after that, too.

It was a good way to get my foot in the door when I decided to concentrate full time with the air conditioning and heating business.

I do recommend getting a crew if you do go out on your own. Don’t try to work by yourself because it takes a toll on your body.

When is the busiest time of year for you?

We generally are busy from March through December. January and February are the months we use to get ready for the next summer.

How do you like to spend your free time?

My family and I love spending time at our 11-acre ranch in Navasota during the slow season.

We spend as much time there as we can. We spent five days at the ranch during Thanksgiving. It was like a mini vacation.

We have a 5-acre pond on the property with lots good fish such as bass, crappe and catfish.

There is a 1,500-acre Boy Scout ranch that joins our property. Nobody hunts there so we have lots animals at our ranch.

I like to go fishing, hunting and I generally just like spending time outdoors doing anything or nothing at all.

Did you go hunting in November?

Yes, I went on the Century AC Supply hunting trip. They take us out to a 20,000acre ranch in Sonora. It is about six hours from Houston.

It is one of the many benefits of being a Ruud contractor because Century AC Supply takes care of their contractors and has a lot of fun events throughout the year.

I didn’t see anything because there was a super moon the weekend we went hunting.

My son Dusty did shoot a deer and we had it made into sausage and steaks.

What kinds of animals have you seen on your property over the years?

We have seen all kinds of animals including beavers, raccoons, deer, wild hogs, foxes and bobcats.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, we have three small lap dogs.

We take them to the ranch on the weekend.

They love going to the country and run in wide open spaces. If you say the word “country” they go crazy and start running.

What kind of work have you done at the ranch on the weekend?

I have a tractor so I clear land and keep the road flat. We cut trees with a log splitter so we can have our own firewood.

We stack the wood and age it for a year so we can keep the place warm.

We were very fortunate to buy the property back in 2005 before land prices in that area went crazy. It only takes us an hour to get there from Houston.

We built a 900-sf barn and hired a contractor to build it out for us and built a new garage with a large carport last year.

We were flooded within 11 months right after finishing the buildout with all new cabinets, appliances and furniture.

Our pond filled up and the creek filled up all the way to the Brazos River.

Our barn had 3 ft. of water for about six hours this past May. We were able to salvage everything but the new furniture.

Are you and your family sports fans?

Yes we are! My wife is from Wisconsin so she is a Green Bay Packers fan. We always like to watch the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers games.

We also like watching baseball and basketball too! I don’t play much golf anymore but our boys do.

Have you and Mary traveled anywhere in the past five years?

Yes, we have taken trips to San Diego through a Century AC Supply sponsored event and Las Vegas for our son Colby’s 21st birthday. We don’t travel much since we prefer to spend most of our free time at our ranch.

What are your plans for the future?

Our future goals are to keep striving to maintain Ruud Top Contractor status and to see the continuation of the next generation of our customers as we have in the past.

I am hoping the boys will take the company over one day. I am still teaching them the business. I learn something new everyday myself. I think it takes at least ten years to really learn this business.

What is the best part about what you do?

I enjoy working in the air conditioning and heating industry. I love working for myself.

I like solving problems (especially the head scratching ones) and customer relationships are extremely rewarding. –ab

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 5

Laughter all the way

L-R: Camille Jackson, Nadia Mohammed, Jason Lantier and Kelsey Chappuis

L

ucky Strike Bowling was the place to be for the Method Architecture LLC holiday party Dec. 8. Employees and their significant others had a great time bowling during the evening.

Method Architecture is a full-service architecture firm specializing in tenant finish and ground-up projects. –ab

Construction News ON LOCATION

Party of four

L-R: Kyle Ebbeler, John Castillo, Randy Dyer and Richard Martinez Jr., West End Roofing Siding & Windows, look forward to the holidays. –ab

Submitted to Construction News

Celebrating the season

Cherie Bartels and Keith Holley

Left: Melissa and Wacey Stavinoha

Submitted to Construction News

Joy ride

The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Houston Chapter Young Professionals participated in the CYCLE Bike Build program at the NRG Center Dec. 7. They helped build bicycles to benefit at-risk children in the Houston area. -ab

Did you know?

Past editions can be downloaded at www.

ConstructionNews.net

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Houston Chapter held a holiday party held at Sambuca’s Dec. 5. L-R: Sally Field, Horizon Group International, Mrs. and Mr. Terry Nesch and architect Katherine Carpenter –ab

Page 6

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Election raises questions of future policies

New construction or remodeling: sales tax consequences

James Christ, Rodney Christ and Terrell Taylor Christ Taylor Insurance Houston, TX

Jon Wellington, Director of State and Local Taxes Lane Gorman Trubitt PLLC Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

L

ike many other states, Texas has unique rules for imposing sales tax on the construction industry. In addition to imposing sales tax on the sale of materials, Texas also imposes sales tax on certain services. A variety of factors impact the taxability of the sale of various materials and services, including the type of contract (separated versus lump-sum), whether the work is performed on residential versus commercial property, and whether the property is tangible or real property.

Another factor to consider is also whether or not the project involves “new construction.”

Determining whether a project involves new construction is important because Texas imposes sales tax on the repair, restoration, remodeling, or modification of nonresidential real property. Such services are not taxable, however, if performed as part of new construction (or if performed on residential property) and if the charges are separately stated to your customer.

Making the distinction between new construction and real property repair or remodeling can often be more difficult than it first appears. Consider a scenario where a contractor is hired to finish out the shell of a building that has been gutted. The natural instinct may be to view such work as new construction, and therefore the labor charges would be exempt from sales tax. Unfortunately, the Texas Tax Code views such work as taxable real property repair or remodeling. Before engaging in a construction project, it is vitally important for a contractor to determine whether the work performed is new construction for sales tax purposes so that it can be properly bid for the project and fulfill the sales tax compliance responsibilities.

Under the Texas Tax Code, new construction means “all new improvements to real property, including initial finish-out work to the interior or exterior of the improvement.” New improvements to real property that include finish-out work to the building’s interior or exterior before the initial occupancy are considered nontaxable new construction. New construction also includes addition of new usable square footage. For example, adding a new dining area to an existing restaurant or building a ramp for handicap access would be new construction. Adding a new roof, however, would likely not be considered new construction because even if it adds square footage it is not “usable.”

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the finish out of a previouslyexisting structure that has been gutted would not be considered initial finish-out work, and would not be new construction.

If there is an existing improvement to real property, only its complete demolition would allow for new construction to occur where the improvement once existed.

Lastly, it is important to note that the new construction exemption only applies if labor charges are separately stated from charges for materials. Using a “separated services” contract instead of a “lump-sum” contract is the only way for the labor charges to be exempt from sales tax. Simply having a breakdown between labor and materials on change orders or your invoices will not be sufficient to support a finding that the new construction labor should be exempt. Further, a contract that involves both remodeling and new construction will be fully taxable unless the charge for new construction labor is separately stated from charges for remodeling labor.

Jon Wellington has more than 19 years working as a licensed attorney, having worked for big four accounting firms, including PWC and E&Y, along with law firms, including Baker Botts. He is responsible for state and local tax matters including audit defense, income and franchise tax planning, sales and use tax consulting, and nexus reviews. Jon has extensive experience helping clients in the construction industry. A full biography is available at www.lgt-cpa.com.

LGT is one of the largest professional accounting and advisory firms in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Finding assurance and tax solutions for construction contractors and adjacent industries has been a cornerstone throughout LGT’s 65year history.

A

fter hard-fought campaigns by both candidates, Republican candidate Donald Trump has been elected the 45th president of the L-R: James Christ, Rodney Christ, Terrell Taylor United States. Trump’s victory in the election, along with Republican majorities retained in both the Senate and House of Representatives, will likely have a significant impact on a number of compliance issues over the next four years.

During his campaign, Trump called for a repeal of President Barack Obama’s hallmark health care reform legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In addition, Trump’s victory raises uncertainty over the future of other policies enacted under President Obama, including the new overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Action steps President-elect Donald Trump will not take office until he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017. This means that, despite the coming change in power, there will likely be no significant legislative or regulatory changes prior to 2017. As a result, employers should continue to prepare for upcoming requirements and deadlines to ensure full compliance.

The future of the Affordable Care Act Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump ran on a platform of repealing and replacing the ACA. In addition, since its enactment, Republicans in both the Senate and the House of Representatives have virtually all opposed the ACA, calling for its repeal.

Due to the sweeping Republican victories seen in this election, it is likely that some changes will be made to the ACA over the next four years. While it is largely unclear, at this time, what those changes will look like, Republicans in the past have suggested the following: Full repeal of the ACA, with or without a potential replacement health care reform legislation; partial repeal of key provisions (such as the individual and employer mandates), while retaining some less controversial provisions; changes to the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and implementing new policies intended to expand coverage and lower health care costs.

There will likely be no significant legislative or regulatory changes to the ACA before early January. Due to the additional uncertainty for employers, with compliance obligations hinging on the political process, employers may want to hold off on making any large-

scale changes related to their employerprovided health care.

Regardless of any future changes that may be made, employers that provide group health coverage for their employees must prepare for upcoming ACA deadlines. These may include: Employer Shared Responsibility Rules: The ACA requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer affordable, minimum value health coverage to their full-time employees (and dependent children). Penalties can apply for each month in which an ALE does not offer this required coverage.

Employer Reporting of Coverage: Employers must also report information under Sections 6055 and 6056 to the IRS and to certain individuals about the coverage they offer or provide during the year. Returns and statements for each calendar year are due at the beginning of the following year.

Changes to ACA Limits for 2017: Several dollar limits are adjusted each year, and employer-sponsored plans should be updated to reflect those adjusted limits. For example, the out-ofpocket maximum increased to $7,150 for self-only coverage and $14,300 for family coverage for the 2017 plan year.

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC): Health plans and issuers must provide an SBC to participants and beneficiaries that includes information about health plan benefits and coverage in plain language.

The Departments issued a new SBC template and related materials to be used for health plans with open enrollment periods or plan years beginning on or after April 1, 2017.

Christ Taylor Insurance is an employee benefits and insurance brokerage firm doing business for over 50 years in southeast Texas, and long-time ABC member. The firm provides solutions to small and medium size companies in the areas of healthcare and other benefit programs, as well as life insurance and retirement plans. Contact the Christ Taylor team at 713-850-7747 or www.christtaylor. com

Construction News ON LOCATION

Submitted to Construction News

Glass act

Mix and mingle

Owner Fermin Mejia, Cypress Glass, is happy to install glass doors at commercial jobs around Houston. –ab

Electrical suppliers and contractors gathered at the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Texas Gulf Coast Chapter Christmas open house at the IEC office in early December. –ab

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 7

Compliance with the DavisBacon Act: Not just prime contractor’s responsibility

OSHA updates fall protection in general industry Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

Elizabeth H. Connally Connally Law PLLC San Antonio, TX

Y

ou may think paperwork about payrolls is the general or prime contractor’s problem and that subcontractors just need to perform the work. If the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) applies to the project, the work, regardless of who is performing it, is not done until the paperwork is complete.

The DBA, 40 U.S.C. § 3142, was enacted in 1931 to provide local laborers and contractors a fair opportunity to participate in federally-funded construction projects and to protect local wage standards by preventing contractors from basing their bids on wages lower than those prevailing in the particular geographic area of the project.

Simply put, the DBA, sometimes called the prevailing wage law, requires that contractors engaged in work on federal, state or other governmental projects in excess of $2,000 pay all mechanics and laborers not less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits.

Contractors subject to the DBA must prepare certified payroll reports. In addition, Texas has similar requirements that apply to public projects.

Section 2258 Subchapter B of the Texas Government Code also requires a contractor (general or prime) or subcontractor that is awarded a contract to perform work on a public project to pay the workers not less than the prevailing wage rate for the work performed in the same locality. The prevailing wage is determined by using a survey of wages paid to classes of workers employed on projects of similar character to the contract work where the project is located (Section 2258.022 Texas Government Code).

Penalty for Non-Compliance Section 2258.023 of the Texas Government Code also imposes a hefty penalty for non-compliance. The government entity that issued the prime contract may penalize the contractor or subcontractor $60 for each worker employed for each calendar day or part of the day that the worker is paid less than the required prevailing wage rate.

In addition, the Department of Labor (DOL) may also conduct its own investigation to ensure compliance with the DBA, which includes inspections of employment records and confidential employee interviews. If the DOL determines there is a violation of the DBA, it may take action against the contractor, including assessment of penalties and payment of backwages. In addition, the contracting agency may suspend payments to the contractor until the violations are corrected or withhold funds to compensate employees for unpaid wages as well as assess liquidated

damages. The contractor may also face criminal liability if it is determined the DBA violations were willful (29 C.F.R. 5.10).

In addition, where the DOL finds a contractor violated its obligation to employees or willfully violated the DBA, a contractor may face contract termination or debarment from future contracts covered by the DBA for up to three years (29 C.F.R. 5.12).

It is important to recognize that prime contractors may suffer these punishments based on the sins of their subcontractors. Therefore, ensuring a subcontractor’s compliance with the DBA is just as important as ensuring compliance of your subcontractor’s electrical or plumbing work with the building codes.

Record Keeping Requirement All contractors, regardless of tier, must comply with specific DBA record keeping requirements. During the course of the contract, contractors must maintain records on each worker which includes the following: name, address, social security number, worker classification, hourly rates of wages paid and fringe benefits paid, daily and weekly number of hours worked, deductions made, actual wages paid, information regarding other various fringe benefit programs and if applicable, detailed information about apprenticeship programs. Texas also requires contractors and subcontractors to maintain such records (Section 2258.024 of the Texas Government Code). In addition, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires an employer to keep exact records of all time worked, all wages paid and all wage deductions.

Bottom line Prime contractors and subcontractors on public projects are both obligated to pay their workers the required prevailing wages and fringe benefits for the proper class of work performed and maintain proper payroll records for each worker. Failure to comply subjects both prime and subcontractors to significant consequences.

Elizabeth Connally is the managing shareholder of Connally Law PLLC, San Antonio. Connally is licensed to practice law in OH, DC, HI and TX and is a former warranted contracting officer for the U.S. Dept. of State (DOS), where she handled contracts for the DOS’ largest procurement office in Frankfurt, Germany. Her email is ehconnally@eclegal.biz.

Submitted to Construction News

Grand opening

Brandon Roberts, Tim Wyatt, Jeannette Wyatt, Harold Nash and Ty Travelbee, Wyatt Management, attended a housewarming party at the completed Shake Shack in the Galleria area in December. –ab

F

alls from heights and on a working surface are among the leading causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. OSHA’s final rule on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems better protects workers in general industry from these hazards by updating and clarifying standards and adding training and inspection requirements. The final rule replaces the outdated general industry scaffold standards with a requirement that employers comply with OSHA’s construction scaffold standards. The rule phases out a 1993 exception for the outdoor advertising industry that allows “qualified climbers” to forego fall protection.

The rule requires employers to protect workers from fall hazards along unprotected sides or edges that are at least 4 feet above a lower level. It also sets requirements for fall protection in specific situations, such as hoist areas, runways, areas above dangerous equipment, wall openings, repair pits, stairways, scaffolds, and slaughtering platforms. And it establishes requirements for the performance, inspection, use, and maintenance of personal fall protection systems.

OSHA defines fall protection as “any equipment, device, or system that prevents a worker from falling from an elevation or mitigates the effect of such a fall.”

Under the final rule, employers may choose from the following fall protection options: • Guardrail System – A barrier erected along an unprotected or exposed side, edge, or other area of a walking-working surface to prevent workers from falling to a lower level.

• Safety Net System – A horizontal or semi-horizontal, cantilever-style barrier that uses a netting system to stop falling workers before they make contact with a lower level or obstruction.

• Personal Fall Arrest System – A system that arrests/stops a fall before the worker contacts a lower level. Consists of a body

harness, anchorage, and connector, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or a suitable combination.

Like OSHA’s construction standards, the final rule prohibits the use of body belts as part of a personal fall arrest system.

• Positioning System – A system of equipment and connectors that, when used with a body harness or body belt, allows a worker to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or window sill, and work with both hands free.

• Travel Restraint System – A combination of an anchorage, anchorage connector, lanyard (or other means of connection), and body support to eliminate the possibility of a worker going over the unprotected edge or side of a walkingworking surface.

• Ladder Safety System – A system attached to a fixed ladder designed to eliminate or reduce the possibility of a worker falling off the ladder. A ladder safety system usually consists of a carrier, safety sleeve, lanyard, connectors, and body harness. Cages and wells are not considered ladder safety systems. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Industry FOLKS Kim Cavanaugh Showroom Consultant The Bath & Kitchen Showplace, a division of Moore Supply Co.

A

fter gaining experience in architecture and interior design, Kim Cavanaugh entered the plumbing industry 10 years ago.

These days Cavanaugh runs appointments in the showroom and deals with builders, designer and other clients.

She helps clients with their selection of plumbing, hardware, appliances or custom cabinetry for remodels or new construction projects. Every once and a while, she will assist walkin customers at the showroom.

Born in Korea, Cavanaugh came to the United States as a child. She attended Memorial High School in Houston and studied architecture at the University of Houston.

“I worked for a designer throughout high school,” she said. “My friend’s mom was a designer and she needed us to help her pick out fabrics for furniture or window coverings. It was a fun summer job.”

Cavanaugh did interior design for a while, too, but decided it was not what she wanted to do for a living.

“I eventually got an offer to run

The Bath & Kitchen Showplace and began to revamp the displays,” she said. “I have really enjoyed working here!

“The best part of my job is dealing with people on a daily basis. I like talking to clients and getting to know them. It is rewarding when they come back five years later.”

When Cavanaugh is not at work, she loves traveling to new places, riding her bike, listening to music and watching sports.

“I had a nice time spending Thanksgiving in Playa del Carmen, Mexico,” she said. “It was great to get in some beach time in the fall season.

“If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d love to travel to Fiji and explore the different islands. I would have to take a lot of time off to go, though, since it is so far away. Maybe one day!” –ab

Page 8

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Oh what fun

F

ast Track Specialties LP ended the year right at its Christmas party at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center Dec. 2.

Founded by owner and president John Glaze in 2000, the firm provides Division 8, 10, 11 and 12 products such as mechoshades, toilet compartments, fire doors, rolling doors, marker walls, accessories and more. –ab

Industrial innovation wanted

Peter John Holt and Corinna Holt Richter

Charlie Strickland

W

September Pinon-Teria, Kathy Pinon, and Alexis Skelton

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Warm for winter

ith a heritage of innovation, the Holt family has announced the formation of HOLT Ventures, an investment arm within HOLT CAT®, which will invest in people and companies focused on new technologies and solving challenges in the industrial and manufacturing industries.

“We are looking for people to bring an innovative mindset to heavy industry,” says Adam Bridgman, director of HOLT Ventures.

Companies from around the world entered the pitch competition. Fifteen finalists were selected and each will have the opportunity to present their idea on Mar. 14 at SXSW in Austin this spring.

“We are leveraging SXSW since its such a big event and has a global reach,” Bridgman says.

Partners in the new organization include Caterpillar Ventures, Cottonwood Technology Fund and Brick & Mortar Ventures – all with a global reach and all interested in finding and investing in new technologies.

HOLT Ventures aims to provide funding, along with real world mentorship and guidance. The organization is committed to helping companies fast-track growth and commercialize big ideas through access to the internal workings of the largest Caterpillar® dealership in the nation and a deep-seated advisory committee that includes mentors from across the company.

“The Holt family’s great success in the commercial dealership arena over the past 40 years is partially due to the company’s values-based leadership platform,” said Charlie Strickland, HOLT Ventures managing director. “As a capital partner and advisor, HOLT Ventures is furthering

Adam Bridgman

the Holt family’s legacy of fostering innovation by helping emerging companies and entrepreneurs in our industry.”

The competition is divided into three separate one-hour sessions, in which the winners will be awarded a cash prize and/or potential strategic partnership opportunity. There is a total cash payout of $50,000 across all three categories.

“As we enter a new phase in industrialization, HOLT Ventures will focus on solutions that drive efficiencies across our business and the services we provide,” said Peter John Holt, HOLT CAT executive vice president and general manager.

“Companies that have a strong vision in developing efficient, innovative solutions, from process improvement to smart technologies, are what we are looking for.”

Find out more at holtventures.com/ sxsw –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Memorable feast The Insulation Guru crew is busy at a restaurant project in Houston. –ab

Mobil Steel International Inc. held its Thanksgiving lunch in late November.

L-R: Henry Olson Jr; president/CEO Leonard A. Bedell, Mobil Steel International; Mayor Tom Reid of Pearland; general manager Mark Scott, Mobil Steel International; and Steve Cote, Bradey, Chapman Holland Associates –ab

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 9

Staying in touch with winter patterns

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

T

here are certain things to remember when transitioning to winter fishing. One may start out using some of the techniques that were successful in the spring and fall with not much success this time of the year. Then you’re going to start wondering if all the fish were caught during the summer, or they have all migrated to the gulf for the winter. Relax, Don’t Panic!!! Think about what your doing and how your going about doing it.

Let’s start out by saying that winter fishing is cold. If you’re cold, then so are the fish. There is no need to set the alarm for 5 am and start your day off at day break just to freeze you’re butt off on the

Chris Huey and Mark Walter had plenty of action after a front pushed thru last month.

No big fish caught, but at least they didn’t go home empty handed.

Fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

ride to your favorite fishing spot. Stop and have some coffee and breakfast and plan on leaving the dock about 8 am. By the time you get the boat unloaded and on your way, the water temperatures are just starting to warm up. Plan on fishing late into the day as water temps will con-

Submitted to Construction News

Reel nice time

When Jose Fonseca, Fonseca Plumbing, isn’t going to plumbing jobs in the Houston area, he loves going fishing in East Matagorda. –ab

tinue to rise till about 3 pm.

During the winter fish slow down everything they do because their metabolism slows down. They move less, eat less and feed less frequently. On a more positive side, when they do decide to eat they focus on larger meals instead of several

smaller meals. They want to maximum yield with minimal effort. Also in the winter bait fish are less present, so trout and reds are less picky about what they eat. If you are willing to adjust to their feeding habits, you will produce better success.

When fishing in the winter, you must also have the right tackle. A light action rod with a fast tip is what I recommend.

My set-up is a FTU Green Rod (model APL-1) in a 6-ft. 9-in. length with a Concept 10 baitcaster. My line of choice is Maxcuatro in 30# moss green. During the winter I’m usually throwing slow sinking baits such as the mirrolure corky or one of my favorites, the Soft Dine XL. The baits allow for a slow presentation which is key when fishing winter months.

Winter fishing also requires the angler to prepare for extreme weather conditions. Be sure to layer up with good quality clothing and waders. My Simms gear is the best money can buy and keeps me warm and dry throughout the day. Wading boots are just as critical.

Soft booties this time of year can cause your feet to cramp when wading soft mud. I recommend ForEverlast Baffin Flats Stalker boots for all day comfort. Always pack a change of cloths just in case you trip or take water over your waders.

That 50 mph boat ride home will be a lot more confortable.

I have already started to fill the calendar for the upcoming 2017 season.

Don’t wait till all the good dates are gone! To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Good luck and Good Fishing.

Page 10

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

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

W

ell here we are in another new year. We are done with celebrating holidays and most of the deer hunting. Hopefully maybe we are a little better than half way done with cold winter days, because I’m already ready for spring.

It is always a sign of the passing of winter when you see the ads for all the local boat shows. What better way to shift your focus back to fishing and water sports than to mozy through a boat show checking out the latest in boats and motors and fishing gizmos? This is your cue to start getting ready.

You need to start paying attention to the weather. On these bright sunny warm days between cold fronts, you can be sure that the crappie are beginning to move up into shallow water to warm in the sun and start looking for places to nest. Warm water makes them hungry, so you need to be looking for them along the shore line around structure so you can tempt them with live minnows or the artificial lure of your choice. I can’t think of a better winter supper than a platter of fried crappie!

Be thinking white bass too. It won’t

the time of year the ShareLunker program starts putting out all those pictures of monster bass being caught. You might want to go chase some of them too!

Now for my favorites, stripers and hybrid stripers; stripers are cold water fish, so they and their hybrids are in their element this time of the year. Right now their instincts are telling them to eat everything they can catch, so they will be ready for spring spawning. Like white bass, they will move upstream a little for spawning time, but they are still open water feeders that need lots of room to roam and feed. They won’t usually get serious about spawning until April or Mayish, but they will be tearing their way through every school of shad they can, so they will be fat and sassy and full of eggs.

Is your boat running good? If not, get it into the shop right away before everyone else finds out their boat’s broke too. If she’s running good, don’t forget to use a good fuel additive to keep her going. There is nothing worse than standing on the bank on a nice day when you discover your rig won’t run!

I hope you made two good resolutions for this New Year: 1. Make more time for fishing!

2. Take a kid fishing!

be long before they will be starting to run upstream to spawn. It depends on how cold the weather has been, but they seem to get going in late January to mid-February. On most lakes they will run as far up-

stream as they can get, and that’s where you want to be fishing.

Good luck in everything you do in 2017!

We’ll see you on the water!

Largemouth fishing should be getting interesting too. Don’t forget, this is Submitted to Construction News

Lights fantastic Submitted to Construction News

Work, live, play

Several local construction-related companies helped out at the Moody Gardens Festival of Lights in Galveston including Mitchell Chuoke Plumbing, Garmon Flooring Inc., Gilbane Building Co., Baker Concrete Construction, Marek, KenMor Electric Co. LP, Morris Architects, Forman Equipment, Letsos Co., Kelso Concrete Co., Betco Scaffolds, Broome Welding & Machine Co. and American Marble Mosaic Co. –ab

Submitted to Construction News McCarthy Building Companies employees and their families participated in the American Heart Association 2016 Heart Walk held at the Texas Medical Center Nov. 5. –ab

Fairway friends

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You

Ken Milam Guide Service (325) 379-2051 www.striperfever.com

Furnish your TPWD Fishing License & Refreshments, and WE DO THE REST!

Manhattan Construction Co. invited the local subcontracting community to the recent 16th annual Golf Tournament at BlackHorse Golf Club to raise money for the Houston Police Foundation, The Astros Foundation and other local charities. –ab

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 11

Grill skills

Gather’ round the trees

The Kirksey Architecture employees and their families

K

irksey Architecture employees and their families planted 330 trees at Memorial Park Dec. 10.

The firm celebrated its 30th anniver-

sary of planting trees to honor clients.

Kirksey Architecture employees have planted 10,000 trees since they began the tradition 30 years ago. –ab

The T-Rex Services booth

T

-Rex Services Houston employees recently traveled to San Antonio to attend the 3rd annual CPS Energy GrillsGiving Barbecue event held at Mission County Park. Employees set up a booth, grilled barbecue and enjoyed the sunny day. –ab

The barbecue sampler plate is ready for tasting.

The crew plant trees at Memorial Park.

The kids have fun too!

New trees at the park.

Happy to help

Have an outdoor photo you’d like to share?

Send to:

HoustonEditor@Constructionnews.net

F

Marek superintendents, foreman and field employees

orty employees, including superintendents, foreman and field employees from the Marek Houston office, recently repaired two homes in Houston.

They volunteered to participate in Rebuilding Together Houston, a non-profit organization that provides free repair and renovation programs for elderly low-income, disabled and serviceveteran homeowners in need. –ab

Volunteers do exterior painting and clean bricks.

Page 12

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Submitted to Construction News

Year end tranquility

Construction News ON LOCATION

Just roof it

Ismeal Ortega, Empire Roofing, loves working as a roofer because he spends most of his time outside. –ab

Submitted to Construction News

Time to shine

All was calm at the beach in Galveston in mid-December.

Happy New Year to you and your family! –ab The Halff Associates Houston office employees and their guests were a lively crowd at the company holiday party held at the Crisp Wine Bar & Eatery in The Woodlands. –ab

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 13

A well heeled soiree

C

elebrating the holiday season, contractors and guests gathered at the annual Hard Hats and Heels event at Hilton Garden Inn Dec. 1.

Attendees brought bedding, hygiene products, food and school supplies to donate to The Women’s Home. The Women Contractors Association (WCA) hosted the event. –ab Photos by: Quy Tran Photography

L-R: Harris Country District Attorney Elect Kim Ogg and Lenora Sorola-Pohlman

L-R: Dorothy Janish, Kim Ogg and Donna Murillo

L-R: Anna and Tony Rivera

WCA members are all smiles.

L-R: Heather Kelly and Jacquie Baly WCA members mingle at the event.

T

The 2017 WCA board of directors

Kim Ogg inducts the 2017 WCA board of directors.

Party time

Forward thinking

L-R: Carl Cooper, Connie Cooper, Maren Cooper and Jason Cooper, Arch-Con Corp.

he Arch-Con Corp. Houston office held its holiday party at the Cohen House at Rice University Dec. 16.

The company celebrated mentorship at the event. Keith Bjerke, Bjerke Management Solutions Inc., was a mentor to president and CEO Michael Scheurich, Arch-Con Corp., more than 20 years ago when they built the Ballpark at Arlington together.

Founded by Scheurich in 2000, ArchCon Corp. is a design-build general construction company. –ab

L-R: Keith Bjerke, Bjerke Management Solutions Inc. and Michael Scheurich, ArchCon Corp.

L-R: Asif Dakri, Wallis State Bank; Julie Dakri, Kaitlyn Scheurich and Michael Scheurich, Arch-Con Corp.

T

ACE Mentor Houston students, mentors and industry professionals gather at the Build It Forward event.

he 5th annual ACE Mentor Houston Build It Forward event took place at the Marek Brothers Systems Inc. office Dec. 3.

According to Angela Cotie, ACE Mentor Houston chairman, the event brought together more than 100 students, mentors and industry professionals. Attendees built storage benches that will be donated to local Houston charities.

Students also had the Attendees built a storage bench. chance to attend a college and career fair to find out about op- and local community together to expose high school students to the world of archiportunities after high school.

ACE Mentor Houston brings the con- tecture, construction, engineering and the struction industry, educational institutions building trades. –ab

Page 14

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Holly jolly

Brady Painting Contractors employees and guests have chips and salsa before tamales.

B

rady Painting Contractors held its annual Christmas party at the Houston office in December.

Ted Brady thanked employees for all their hard work during 2016 at the party. Employees had a gift exchange and enjoyed homemade tamales for lunch.

Established in 1975, Brady Painting Contractors provides interior and exterior painting services. –ab

Partygoers celebrate a great 2016.

Spreading holiday cheer

S

afety professionals representing every aspect of the commercial construction industry headed to Cottonwood for the 2nd annual Safety Professionals Appreciation event Dec. 7.

The festivities were livened by “DJ” safety director Eddie Escamilla, Karsten Interior Services LP, who brightened the evening with lots of music.

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Houston Chapter held the event to celebrate a successful 2016 in safety.

Besides networking, attendees heard from Tony Mansoorian, W. S. Bellows Construction Corp., Tommy Lee, W. S. Bellows Construction Corp., and from AGC Houston's Jerry Nevlud and Kim Mason about safety achievements in 2016. –ab

Employees serve homemade tamales.

Submitted to Construction News

Sparking joy

Making memories

T-Rex Services donated 175 toys to the Blue Santa Toy Drive in December to help out children and families during Christmas. Troy Construction also donated toys. –ab

Submitted to Construction News

Hitting the road

Houston employee Thai Pham (right) and his guest traveled to the Ranch at Lonesome Dove in Grapevine to attend the recent Prism Electric company picnic. –ab

NECA members and guests have dinner at the party.

H

ouston area electrical contractors attended a Christmas party at the San Luis Resort in Galveston Dec. 3.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Southeast Texas Chapter hosted the event. –ab

L-R: Steve Whitehead, Jason Rausch, Mac Postel

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 15

Construction Forecast Construction outlook: more positive but with many possible problems Ken Simonson, Chief Economist Associated General Contractors of America Arlington, VA

T

exas construction, like its weather, is experiencing extremes. The outlook for 2017 is for sunnier but unsettled conditions.

The state’s once-robust construction market has stalled. Year-over-year construction employment growth, which handily topped 20,000 throughout 2013, 2014 and 2015, slowed to a five-year low of just 500 employees (0.1%) from November 2015 to November 2016.

The slowdown has appeared in four of the state’s five largest construction markets, but in varying degrees. The only exception is the Fort Worth-Arlington division of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Irving metro area, where construction employment rebounded to a 4% growth rate from November 2015 to November 2016 after posting year-over-year decreases every month from mid-2015 through May 2016.

Construction employment growth in the Austin-Round Rock metro area slowed to a still-healthy 7% year-overyear in November after running at a double-digit rate for most of the prior two and a half years. Growth in the DallasPlano-Irving division of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth-Irving area slipped to just 0.5% from November to November, down from 5.5% one year earlier and nearly 7% the year before that. (The Bu-

reau of Labor Statistics combines mining and logging with construction in the Austin and DFW areas to avoid disclosing information about industries with few employers. The slump in oil and gas drilling may have contributed to the weakness in “construction” employment.)

Similarly, contractors in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area consistently added fewer workers in the 12-month periods ending in 2016 than in the previous year. Job growth from November 2015 to November 2016 was 2.9%, down from 5 to 8% in the three previous November periods.

Predictably, construction employment was hit hardest in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, going from a 7% growth rate in November 2015 to yearover-year decreases in the second half of 2016. By November, the rate of decline had accelerated to almost -6%, the worst since mid-2010 The primary reason for the slowdown is, of course, closely related to the sharp decline in oil prices and drilling since mid-2014. Conversely, the rebound in prices for both oil and natural gas from the lows of a year ago portend a pickup in construction in some parts of the state in the next few months.

Fortunately for Texas residents and

Construction market looks good for 2017 Rick Vavro, President and founder Austin Underground Inc. Austin, TX

W

hat markets do you expect Austin Underground and the industry will see an increase in over the course of 2017?

All of our markets continue to expand. It appears that TxDOT will continue to release work coming out, so that means government markets are good.

Commercial is still going strong. There are upticks in permits happening, which indicates that the subdivision and commercial market is still strong. It doesn’t seem like any of them are slowing down.

What do you foresee as the biggest challenges your company and others like it in the industry will face in 2017?

I see several challenging areas for the upcoming year. One area is increased labor competition. In October, the City of Austin instituted a minimum cash wage for its construction contracts, and we do quite a bit of city work. The minimum cash wage on those projects – and projects the city is giving tax credits to – is $13.50. There is some difficulty in knowing if it’s a job that requires this new minimum wage.

Another area is new competition moving in, and new companies starting up, due to the strong market. It creates some instability and downward pressure in the market. There are a lot of guys waiting for their chance to break into this market, and most of them are pretty competent in what they do. However, it takes time for someone starting out to figure out what their costs are going to be, and historically, these guys can bid way high or way low.

Finally, the election has left a lot of questions as to what is going to change with the new president coming in. This has led to more uncertainty with health care, which a big chunk of our cost, and there is a potential for oil prices to go up.

These changes will increase our overall costs, so we are following these markets pretty closely.

How does Austin Underground plan to address and overcome these issues?

We are making sure we realize what the requirements are for the new minimum wage. It is a bigger issue for us if everybody has to get a raise, and we are

contractors, the state’s economy is far more diversified, and population growth is steadier, than in past oil-price swings.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported on Dec. 20 that the Lone Star State’s population increased by 433,000, or 1.6%, from July 2015 to July 2016 and accounted for nearly one-fifth of the entire country’s population growth. Each year this decade, the state’s population has swelled by more than 400,000, maintaining consistent demand for additional single- and multifamily housing, schools, stores and other types of structures.

Census estimates for 2016 population change by metro area will not be available until March, but in March 2016 the agency reported, “The Houston-The WoodlandsSugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro areas added about 159,000 and 145,000 residents, respectively — the largest gains of any metro areas in the nation.

Two additional Texas metro areas adjacent to each other ─ Austin-Round Rock and San Antonio-New Braunfels ─ were each also among the 16 nationwide to gain 50,000 or more people over the period.”

Even if population growth has slowed since then, the demand for homes, businesses, public buildings and infrastructure generated by past inflows will help keep many contractors busy in 2017. The constant population influx has also contributed to a growing supply of construction workers, although the supply has not always matched demand in quantity or required skills.

The 2016 elections have injected new uncertainty into the outlook for construction, nationally and in Texas. The state has an exceptionally large number of immigrants and foreign-born residents. Cross-border trade is extremely important, not just along the southern edge but in the Gulf ports and for oil-service and petrochemical industries. The

large hospital sector in all of the big metros, especially in Houston, may hit the brakes on expansion and modernization until there is clarity about whether the Affordable Care Act will be repealed and, if so, what will replace it.

On the positive side, school bond issues that passed in November will add to plans already underway in many independent school districts for new construction and renovation. And the possibility of massive additional infrastructure spending may mean good news for highway and other transportation contractors.

In short, 2017 poses the chance for contractors to recover from the slowdown that has hit many parts of the state.

But there are also significant risks ahead.

Ken Simonson has been the chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading trade association for the construction industry, since 2001. His weekly summary of economic news relevant to construction, The Data DIGest, goes to 47,000 subscribers.

He was the 2012-2013 president of the National Association for Business Economics, the professional organization for individuals who use economics in their work. Currently, he serves as an appointed member of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Data Users Advisory Committee. Ken has 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He earned a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.

Ken Simonson has been the chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America since 2001. His weekly summary of economic news relevant to construction, The Data DIGest, goes to 47,000 subscribers.

training our people and talking about it.

A continued focus on retention is also key. We offer a lot of good benefits to our employees, and we try to do things that other guys don’t, in order to attract talent. The way we train and treat our employees is what makes for good retention in our company. For example, on a rain day, which happened a lot in 2016, we will do training so we don’t have a lot of down time for our guys and they have a steady paycheck.

we’ve added commercial/institutional.

We are also starting to do a lot of TxDOT work.

What are Austin Underground’s plans for 2017?

I think we continue to grow. We’ve been seeing a 30 percent growth rate for the last few years.

We are working to continue to become a more specialized contractor in our different markets.

We will continue to shore up our people with advanced training to make us a more solid contractor. We also expect to increase our total employee count by 10 percent.

How would you sum up the last five years for business at Austin Underground?

After the downturn, a lot of commercial guys looked around to see who was still standing. We pushed in 2010 to get into commercial/institutional while the market was down. That’s really taken off in 2016 and has accounted for 20 percent of our revenue.

We’ve been on a steady increase.

We’ve grown probably 300 percent in volume and size, and we’ve been able to penetrate different markets. We started purely as a municipal contractor, and

How did Austin Underground survive the recession?

For us, we were pretty conservative internally. Financially, when the downturn hit, we didn’t have any debt, and we had been investing the money back in the company. We didn’t have to do pay cuts or lay anybody off. We were bidding jobs cheap to keep our guys employed.

That has paid off, because we have had retention in our workforce.

Is that still the standard operating procedure?

We’ve had industry people who look at our books and say we are in the 95th percentile as far as lack of debt goes.

We have taken on some debt, and I don’t mind taking on a debt. However, it’s hard to project more than a couple years out, so you have to be careful as to what debt you take on.

What is the most important takeaway you’ve learned in the last year?

The past year for me has been more about developing good relationships.

Across the board we have to figure out which contractors we want to work with, those we don’t, and develop good relationships wherever we can.

Established in 2006 in Austin, Austin Underground Inc. builds water, waste-water, storm sewer and duct bank utilities in existing roadways with an emphasis on projects that have some degree of difficulty.

–cw

Page 16

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Construction Forecast Maintaining a great staff is key for 2017 Kevin Smith, President and CEO Equipment Management Services LLC Houston, TX

What is your projection for 2017?

I think 2017 will be another good year for the business. We feel good about our market position at the moment.

We expect the industry at large to grow and a lot of that is driven by the maritime industry and the Port of Houston’s impact on the container trade.

This allows us to have greater inventory of containers. We expect to see an uptick in the service business. It allows us more availability of containers for resale and rental. We are focused heavily on that part of the business. We expect that business component to grow in 2017 as well.

Have you seen any material or cost increases in your industry?

We have not seen a dramatic increase in material or supplies costs that we would consume in a normal course of our business.

There have been some relatively small increases here and there. We expect to see some increases in steel prices in 2017.

That is going to equate to the value of containers at the end of the day. We also expect to see increases in the sellout prices in 2017.

What do you think the keys to success will be for 2017?

I think it is important to focus our energy on different components of the market. We have seen an uptick in the construction business as well from a rental perspective.

What will be the challenges in the next year?

We have some very good competitors. They are out there trying to do the same kind of things we are doing under whatever their management programs are to try and compete in a market that is very active but also very competitive.

We look at them as our biggest challenge, and possibly right up there with our competition is our people. We have to maintain a great staff, which we have done a good job of and we are very proud of them.

We certainly have to maintain the right people in the right jobs.

Have you seen an uptick in commercial construction in Houston?

Yes, we have seen an uptick in commercial construction. The commercial side has been good to us from a rental

perspective, especially modified type containers where we might modify one into a mobile office or a mobile job shack in addition to the standard storage needs of contractors.

We have also seen a little bit of activity in the residential side which is new to us as far as residential contractors renting containers for different developments and keeping those for a longer period of time.

Is there anything you would like to see happen on the local, state, or national levels to benefit the industry?

I think in Texas, we have some more advantages than some other states. Texas is small business friendly, contractor friendly and generally a business friendly state. That is a major benefit to the construction industry and us. We have had the opportunity to work in many states over the years and consistently, Texas is a very user-friendly state The only thing we could say to our local, city and state government is to keep that attitude.

Equipment Management Services LLC rents and sells containers to the construction and maritime industries. –ab

An exciting 2017 Brian Webster, President KWA Construction Addison, TX

What markets do you expect KWA and the industry to see an increase in over the course of 2017? Why?

KWA Construction specializes in multifamily construction, but we do expect to see another year of continued increases over all markets simply because of the strong population growth and immigration to Texas. Dallas/Fort Worth specifically has gone above and beyond to attract corporations from all over the country and we definitely see the impact in our fast-paced industry.

In your perspective, what is your projection for the Dallas/Fort Worth construction industry for 2017?

A major trend that we’ve noticed in the last few years has been the resurgence of Dallas and Fort Worth, so we predict an increase in HUD financing in order to help provide affordable housing options for the underprivileged in North Texas. This is, of course, driven more by tight financing requirements in place by lenders, and fortunately HUD makes deals possible that otherwise may never happen because of not being able to meet traditional financing requirements.

As of today, we have four HUD housing complexes in our portfolio, two under construction and several in the works – and we’re as proud as ever to do our part in the revitalization efforts of the area.

We also believe there will be a continued tight subcontractor labor market.

While Dallas may be fortunate at the moment with a surplus of construction projects underway, the multifamily development industry has been facing a challenge of a shortage of subcontractors.

But, with everything else going on and the successes we’ve come across, we’re

staying optimistic.

Overall, we believe the industry will stay strong and near capacity. With production currently projected to increase as it did in 2016, it’s going to be a year of endless opportunity.

What do you think the keys to success will be for your company in 2017?

I envision a major driver for success in 2017 will be doing more with less.

There will be more of a focus on productivity of subcontractors and less on how many people are on the job, in order to maintain schedules and increase the overall quality of work for everyone.

Another major key to our success in 2017 and beyond will be the recent restructure of our leadership team. Richie Keene has graciously accepted the role of executive vice president while Keller Webster, founder and president of KWA Construction, has transitioned to chairman. Keller will still oversee the company as an advisor and continue to guide us into a successful new year, which is extremely important now that competition is becoming more apparent since DFW is such a hot market. But, Keller has decades of experience in this industry and I have big shoes to fill as the new president.

As we do now, we will maintain a focus on customer service, continue to improve virtual construction systems and enhance communication platforms.

What do you think will be different for your company and the industry in 2017 compared to the previous year?

Are there any trends generating buzz?

We believe the market is driving owners to negotiate contracts with general contractors in place of competitive

bidding, due to their overflowing workloads and the uncertainty of the process.

Instead of putting projects up to bid, developers are talking with contractors they know and contractors with whom they’ve previously worked with in order to negotiate a contract. Competitive bidding doesn’t seem to be a driver of overall project savings so developers are more willing to pay-up for quality, and in turn, alleviate some of the risks including unforeseen costs, understaffed teams and slower turnaround times of a project.

The process is transparent this way, and I think more and more companies will get on board.

How would you sum up the last five years of business at KWA and what do you predict for the next five years?

The most appropriate word that comes to mind is growth – growth in the market and growth in the workplace. In August, KWA was ranked one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies by national business publication Inc. Magazine. Since 2012, we’ve nearly doubled our revenue and increased our workforce by more than 20 percent. We feel lucky to have been able to add talented and hardworking individuals to our payroll and construct much-needed multifamily housing units throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

We’ve been extremely lucky to be selected as general contractors by companies including Seneca Investments and GroundFloor Development for multiple projects in recent years, which I believe speaks to our high quality of work and team members. Continuously collaborating with these companies means KWA is seeing bigger projects and more

responsibility – which we are more prepared for than ever for the coming years.

We’ve also recently made the switch from BIM 360 to Procore Technologies, the cloud-based project management solution. As most people in this industry know, having the tools on-hand to help your team work as efficiently as possible is huge. So other than going almost entirely paperless since the switch, we’ve been able to work more efficiently, eliminate any margin of error and increase productivity of all individuals working on a given project from the office to the job site.

Having a digital job site, along with Procore, is imperative at this stage in our company. Tools such as 60” touch-screen smart monitors and personal tablets help our team members work more collaboratively and instantly share documents, and in turn, has benefitted our clients.

They’ve significantly cut down on time spent waiting on the status of a critical RFI or a pending submittal; now, they can access it in the palm of their hand on the jobsite itself. This is certainly a change for our company, and we already feel it’s a step in the right direction.

We look forward to continued growth and refinement of our processes and staff, and learning of bigger and better ways as we welcome more Millennials into the business. With the incorporation of these factors, KWA Construction is in for an exciting 2017.

Founded in 2004, general contractor KWA Construction specializes in multifamily developments. –­ mjm

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 17

Association Calendar

Concrete traditions

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

FPA

Associated Builders & Contractors

Foundation Performance Assoc.

Jan. 12: 2017 Inaugural Celebration, 6pm, The Grove, 1611 Lamar St. Jan. 27: Membership Breakfast, 6:30am, Crowne Plaza For more information call 713-523-6222

Jan. 11: Monthly meeting, 5pm, The HESS Club For more information: www.foundationperformance.org

AGC

Houston Area Glass Association

AIA American Institute of Architects

Jan. 7: Rice University Walking Tour Jan. 14: Houston Heights Bicycle Tour Jan. 21: University of Houston Art & Architecture Tour For more info: www.aiahouston.org

Jan. 12: Quarterly meeting, 11:30am For more information call 281-849-8293

IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

Jan. 18: Monthly meeting Jan. 19-20: IEC of Greater Texas Regional meeting, Austin Jan. 24-26: National Business Summit, Charleston, SC For more information call 713-869-1976

MCA

ASA

Mechanical Contractors Association

American Subcontractors Association

Jan. 11: Membership meeting, 11:45am, HESS Club For more information: 281-440-4380

Jan. 17: Associate Member Happy Hour, 4pm, Cedar Creek Cafe Bar & Grill Jan. 19: General Lunch meeting, 11am, Construction Industry & Economic Outlook Jan. 31: Walk on the Capitol, Austin For more information call 281-679-1877

ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

Jan. 14: ASCE Young Members Volunteer at the Houston Food Bank, 535 Portwall St. Jan. 26: Tour at Rinker Materials Plant, 11:30am For more information visit www.ascehouston.org

NECA National Electrical Contractor Assn.

Jan. 12: CoSab Division meeting Jan. 26: TXGC Division meeting Jan. 26: TXGCLMP meeting For more information call 713-977-2522

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Feb.1: PHCC Texas Walk on the Capitol, Austin For more information visit www.gulfcoastphcc.org

TACA

CFMA

TX Aggregates and Concrete Association

Construction Financial Mgmt. Association

Jan. 10-Jan. 11: TACAMP Beginners 2017, Embassy Suites, San Marcos. Call 512-4515100

Jan. 4: Young Professionals Job Walk, 9am, New Amegy Bank Headquarters, 1717 West Loop South For more information visit www.houston. cfma.org

Submitted to Construction News

Toy drive

The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Houston Chapter partnered with Blue Santa Houston in December to provide toys to underprivileged children. –ab

Submitted to Construction News

Lucky strike

CDA Architects employees and guests had a great time bowling at the Christmas party held at Bowlero in The Woodlands Dec. 15. –ab

L-R: Aaron and Michael Cribbs and Ishmael Perez

P

asadena-based Culver’s Rentals Inc. has operated since 1962. Kathie Cribbs owns the company which was founded by her parents Warren and Dolores Culver.

Mike, Kathie’s husband and their son Aaron also work at the company.

They help out where ever they are needed on a daily basis.

Cribbs and her brother Victor Culver, co-owner, attended Pasadena High School and have always lived in the area.

They have worked in the business from the time they were kids.

“Our parents opened the company in a small, one-room building down the street,” she said. “Two years later, they expanded inventory and moved to our current location on S. Richey Street.

“We have to give credit to our parents for establishing and growing Culver Rentals. They were the ones who came

up with the idea to get into the rental and concrete business. Our parents taught us well, and we were able to continue the tradition.”

According to Cribbs the best part about working in the rental and concrete industry is having the opportunity to meet so many people across the counter.

“Our customers make it fun for us to come to the office,” she said. “They are great!”

When they have free time, Cribbs and her husband enjoy going camping in the Texas Hill Country. In the past they liked riding their motorcycles to different places in the Hill Country.

“We recently had a good time going camping at a state park in Georgetown,” Cribbs said. “It was a nice getaway.”

Culver Rentals rents equipment, supplies and trenchers to contractors and also sells U-Cart Concrete. –ab

Round-Up Megan Sheffy recently joined the mARCHITECTS team as a project manager. In her role, she will manage all phases of projects, including the day-to-day management, design and production of projects. Sheffy is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, with a Masters in Architecture from Rice University.

Warren Johnson, AIA, LEED AP, has joined STG Design in Houston as a principal. He has more than 35 years of experience planning and designing architectural and interiors projects. As principal, he will be actively involved in both business development and project management within the Houston office.

Submissions

Jan. 26: 2017 Annual Business meeting and Membership Networking Breakfast, 7am, Marriott Marquis Houston For more information call 713-843-3700

Round-Up

Associated General Contractors

HAGA

David Ladewig has joined the Houston office of construction management firm Structure Tone Southwest as director of business development. He will be responsible for leading all new business opportunities for the firm in the Houston area. Ladewig comes to Structure Tone Southwest after previously serving as the business development manager for Balfour Beatty Construction in Houston. He graduated from the University of Houston and Texas Tech University.

Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN) has promoted Matthew Manges, PE, to the position of team leader.

Manges, who joined LAN in 2007, specializes in complex hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and drainage master planning.

Manges received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month, for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).

Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line: ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

San Antonio: saeditor@constructionnews.net Austin: austineditor@constructionnews.net

Dallas/Ft. Worth: dfweditor@constructionnews.net Houston: houstoneditor@constructionnews.net

Page 18

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Merrily, merrily

G

The Toys for Tots donation

lazing contractors networked and enjoyed a barbecue dinner at a holiday social held at the Westwind Club Dec. 1. The Houston Area Glass Association (HAGA) held the event.

Congrats to John Linhart, Tristar Glass, who was named Glass Professional of the Year. –ab

Joe Garcia (right) won the iPad Mini raffle.

continued from Page 1 — Striving for excellence Joseph says he is a strong believer in not just building healthcare facilities but making sure his employees are healthy as well, because if they are healthy they are happy and more productive.

The company also has barbecue grill at the back of the shop for the employees to have social gatherings and make the work environment light and easy going.

“Making your employees feel valued is the key to having a staff that loves what they do and want to help make this business strive,” Joseph said.

In this regard, the company offers 401K plans for its employees, along with bonuses and profit sharing plans.

“We match 100 percent to the employee’s contribution towards the 401K plans as I want our employees to be a part of the company,” he said.

When he has free time, Joseph enjoys building abstract and contemporary sculptures, most of which have a philosophical story behind them. He usually includes metal, wood and glass materials, most of which are leftover scrap from construction projects.

“In addition, helping out in the com-

munity is important to me,” Joseph said.

“We like to pick a church or dilapidated facility that needs help and our crew will go help make repairs that are needed and other services such as pressure washing, new flooring, painting and some minor repair. All labor, tools and material expenses are on us. The Greater Houston community has been very good to us and we are happy to give back.”

Joseph says he became fascinated by engineering and construction when he was a kid.

“I have a background in mechanical, piping and process engineering from the University of Houston” he said. “The thing I like about this industry is I am touching all facets of engineering and construction in my daily routine.

“There is never a dull moment. There is always something new, challenging and exciting. We like to take on projects that no one else wants to do.”

OnePoint Inc. provides a full range of pre-construction, design/build, and consulting services including construction management and general contracting throughout Texas. –ab

continued from Page 1 —The legacy continues

Chris Murphy won the TV raffle.

L-R: Cody Snyder and guest

Submitted to Construction News

‘Tis the season

“Job files were kept in manila envelopes,” Hoggatt said. “As the years progressed, things began to get mechanized and competitive.

“I remember buying our first computer around 1988, and what a difference it made in payroll and job costing. Now even our job files can be kept digitally and job costs tracked weekly.”

The company held a 65th anniversary celebration at its Pasadena headquarters Dec. 9. Employees, customers and vendors attended the event.

Employees took part in a prize lottery during the afternoon. Each employee was given a ticket as they entered and when it came time, they drew numbers out of a hat.

After they chose a number, employees got to choose from a variety of gifts such as a TV, tablet computers, new tool sets and barbecue accessories. Every employee got to choose an item.

“We would not have made it 65 years without good people around us,” Hog-

gatt said.

According to Andrew Hoggatt, in 2016 the company saw continued growth in its market.

“The biggest event for us in 2016 occurred when my dad decided to reduce his time spent at the office which allows him more time around family and friends,” he says. “He is now semi-retired, but still manages to keep a handle on events at the office.”

Paul Hoggatt enjoys watching his grandkids grow up, traveling, cooking with his church’s men’s group and participating in other church activities.

“My dad always taught me that you need to give back to the community, that is why we have always tried to belong to trade associations and participate in their activities,” Paul Hoggatt said.“We have also found it rewarding to give to charitable organizations. If everyone would do this, the construction industry would be a much better business to be in.” –ab

McCarthy Building Co. Houston office employees donated toys to Operation Stocking Stuffer, a toy drive for local underprivileged children sponsored by The Houston Fire Department and KPRC Local 2. This year, both the Houston commercial group and Houston civil group donated a total of 105 toys. –ab

Submitted to Construction News

Cheers to success The 65th anniversary celebration at the Pasadena headquarters.

continued from Page 1 — Rest easy

Associated General Contractors (AGC) Houston Chapter Construction Leadership Council (CLC) members headed to El Tiempo Cantina to celebrate their year's accomplishments and to network Dec. 8. In 2016, CLC raised $10,000 for the Patrick J. Kiley Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. –ab

www.constructionnews.net San Antonio  Austin  Dallas/Fort Worth  Houston

key subcontractors for their input.”

JE Dunn Construction collaborated with their subcontractors, designers, and in-house MEP experts, and performed thorough plan reviews, which help expedite design time and allowed the project to start on time.

Holliday says prior to buildout of any of the guestrooms, the construction team utilized Building Image Modeling to provide a three dimensional drawing of the room.

“This allowed us to detect any possible clashes before construction began,” he said. “Using what we learned from the model, and prior to construction of any of the rooms, a complete mock-up room was built.

“This ensured all of the constructability and coordination issues were identified and corrected prior to buildout of the guestrooms. As a result we were able to build the rooms more efficiently and eliminated any potential delays in the field.”

Founded by John Ernest Dunn, JE Dunn Construction is a 90-year-old construction firm specializing in design-build and construction management. The firm

The stainless steel infinity-edge pool

has 20 offices and has operated in Houston for more than 20 years. –ab Key Professional Team: Superintendent: Jason LeBlanc, JE Dunn Construction Architect: David Alderete, Gensler

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Page 19

Be sweet

M

ore than 3,000 spectators visited Hermann Square Dec. 10 to cheer on teams of local architecture firms, design professionals and students in the 8th annual Gingerbread Build-Off.

Teams created their masterpieces using 100 percent edible materials. Awards were handed out acknowledging the most unique and creative gingerbread structures completed.

Following the Build-Off, winners and select competitors were featured in a one-week exhibition Dec. 1216 at Architecture Center Houston.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston Chapter held the event. –ab Grand Prix de Show & Best Non-Traditionally Themed: Untitled - Brave / Architecture

1st Runner Up & Best Traditionally Themed: Whoville - PDG Architects

2nd Runner-Up & Tallest Standing Structure: Lighthouse - Jackson & Ryan Architects

Public Favorite: Space Shuttle – Page

Best Architectural Icon: Be Someone - IBI Group

Most Creative Interpretation of Materials: Modern Sustainable House - Synergeer Engineering

High School Challenge: The Astrodome - Klein Forest High School

Gingerbread houses decorated with gumdrops.

Submitted to Construction News

Submitted to Construction News

Fa la la la la

Creative decorating

The folks at National Fence Co. trimmed a Christmas tree at the office with tension bands and chainlinkfence fittings.

Don Young, estimator, says the star on top is an antique sixstrand barbedwire arm and the icicles are aluminum ties.

–ab

Construction News ON LOCATION

East Texas area office administrator Diana Page, Alpha Building Corp., and members of her family passed out gift bags to residents at Total Loving Care in New Caney in December. They also sang and enjoyed conversations with the residents. L-R: Top row: Wanda Smith, Caylee Page, Lacy Lisk, Brady Risner, Alex Troost, Shanna Troost, Dianna Page, Alpha Building Corporation. Bottom row: Maddison Cross, Olivia Cross and Grant Page –ab

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Supplying service

You know the drill

The guys at A & I Fastener & Supply Co. Inc. are ready for a great week ahead before the holidays. The company has done business in the Houston area since 1977. –ab

Hoang, Metro Signs, prepares to install a sign at the Vietnamese Noodle & Sandwiches project in Pasadena. –ab

Page 20

Houston Construction News • Jan 2017

Construction News ON LOCATION

Construction News ON LOCATION

Solar salutations

Deck the halls

L-R: Counter salesmen Edwin Carrillo and Justin Baker and manager Willie Baker say hello from Solar Supply Inc. The company provides wholesale parts and supplies for air conditioning, heating and refrigeration. –ab

L-R: Designer and salesman Carlos Gallo and receptionist Linda Abila greet customers at the Natural Stone Gallery Inc. showroom. –ab

Construction News ON LOCATION

Submitted to Construction News

Bring the heat

Season’s greetings

The Allied Building Products Gulf Freeway staff stays warm in the office during lunchtime. The company is a supplier and distributor of construction products. –ab

The Raba Kistner Consultants construction materials testing group held its Christmas party at the HESS Club Dec. 17. –ab