Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News March 2017

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Volume 14

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MARCH 2017

Making his mark

Loving the location

Aspenmark CEO Chris Zazo and his team leave their mark on the community.

Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. hosted a celebration for its new North Texas office.

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hat does a North Texas roofing company, a Napa Valley winery and a non-profit organization have in common? The answer: Chris Zazo.

“I have a bunch of different companies, and they’re all kind of intertwined,” Zazo explains. “I own a company called Aspenmark Roofing and Solar in Dallas. Under Aspenmark, we started a non-profit called Roof Angels. I also own a winery in Napa called Hailstone Vineyards. ‘Hailstone’ was borne out of all of the hail that we get in Dallas/Fort Worth on our roofs.”

His successful trifecta began with Aspenmark 13 years ago.

“Aspenmark spawned out of a need for better service, better representation

of the roofing industry,” he says. “I wanted to put some good light on what we were doing. Eighty percent of it is just treating people the way you want to be treated, and that is the way we continue today.

“As we grew through the brand,” Zazo continues, “we did a lot of charitable work through Habitat for Humanity, supported Milestone Electric’s ‘Men With Honor’ program and other big names in the industry. I began to think, “What’s our cause? What would make a difference for us as a company?”

Zazo realized he could impact families in a more personal way by putting new roofs on existing homes that needed one, rather than roofing new construction. Through Habitat for

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alentine’s Day may have been a day earlier, but it wasn’t too late for Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. to celebrate its new office opening in the heart of Texas.

The company hosted a customer luncheon, ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new office on 631 South Royal Ln. The office will house both its Cooling & Heating and Elevator & Escalator Divisions. The new location for the Cooling & Heating Division will actually be a training center, making it the company’s eighth and one of more than 40 distributor and representative training centers. The Elevator & Escalator Division will be the company’s ninth branch office nationwide.

continued on Page 20

The company’s Cooling & Heating Division headquarters are located in Georgia, while the Elevator and Escalator Division is headquartered in California.

Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. selected the Metroplex as its newest office location based on North Texas’ commercial real estate boom and record construction numbers last year.

“Mitsubishi Electric has seen the immense growth potential for the Dallas/ Fort Worth area’s commercial, multifamily and residential markets and is proud to bring our cooling and heating and elevator and escalator capabilities to the region,” says Mark Kunitz, senior vice president and deputy general manager, Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. Cooling & continued on Page 20

Modular assignment

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ith Texas’ population boom, the demand for educational facilities has increased, and Arlington Classics Academy (ACA) was no exception.

With more than 1,300 students enrolled in the charter school’s two campuses, ACA needed more space for an additional 192 students in grades 3-5.

Because ACA had successfully partnered on a past project with commercial modular builder Ramtech Building Systems, they teamed up again for Arlington Classics Academy Elementary School’s 11acre Dalworthington Gardens campus at 2800 W. Arkansas Ln. The 37,507-sf. prefabricated school building includes 27 elementary grade level classes, art, music and special services spaces, a cafeteria with warming kitchen, an indoor exercise area, a library annex, a learning lab, administration, conference and reception offices as well as counseling, special education and speech intervention rooms.

The project’s scope included full site

Ramtech Building Systems used Permanent Accelerated Building System (ABS) modular building construction for the Arlington Classics Academy Elementary School campus.

development, foundations, utilities, a new access and holding drives to alleviate traffic concerns, full architectural, engineering and site designs as well as city planning and zoning approvals. Though large in size and scope, design and construction of the project only took one year to complete, thanks to Ramtech’s utilization of their Accelerated Building System (ABS) form of permanent modular building construction. ABS’ off-site prefabrication and on-site construc-tion techniques enable Ramtech to deliver the look and feel of a site-built structure faster and at a lower cost.

“Forty-five innovative floorless, premanufactured modular building sections were designed, constructed and inspected in Ramtech Building’s Mansfield plant,” Gary Davenport, Ramtech’s registered architect, explains. “They were then clad in a 100% masonry exterior using brick and split-faced block, with continued on Page 20

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Chamberlin celebrates 120

Construction News ON LOCATION

All in the family

Chamberlin’s Dallas staff

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he year was 1897, and John Chamberlin had a patent for one of the country’s first metal weather stripping products and a dream. When he incorporated Chamberlin Metal Weather Strip Company in Detroit (later renamed Chamberlin Company of America), could he have imagined it would grow to 100 branches nationwide in 120 years?

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing was an extension of that dream. After the company established a Missouri office in 1967, current president John Kafka opened Chamberlin’s first Texas office in Houston in 1978. With great momentum, Chamberlin then opened Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and two Oklahoma offices.

Chamberlin has no plans to stop growing; last year, nearly 100 new team members were added.

Executive vice presidents David Neal and executive vice president Doug Combes oversee the Dallas office, which has 38 office and 155 field employees.

The staff enthusiastically gives back to its community; the team regularly participates in food drives and the Sack Summer Hunger program for Metrocrest Services, KIDstruction and hosts an annual customer appreciation event to raise money for 7 Loaves. They’re also always up for a little fun: The team

participated in the TEXO Softball Tournament last year and rocked out at the Dallas office’s customer appreciation concert featuring celebrity acts including Foreigner, ZZ Top and Collective Soul.

The Dallas office takes enormous pride in its work. Major projects include Dallas Cowboys Headquarters, the Ford Center at The Star, State Farm, TCU Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and Parkland Hospital. The team’s most recent awards include TEXO’s Distinguished Building Award, National Roofing Contractors Association’s (NRCA) National Safety Award and Gold Circle Award and ENR Regional Best Project Award for its Dallas Love Field Modernization Program.

This milestone is not lost on those who have been a part of the company’s journey.

“We are very excited to be celebrating our 120th anniversary,“ executive vice president David Neal says. “Chamberlin has a rich history. I believe our values and the team we have developed have been the keys to our success. I look forward to seeing Chamberlin continue to evolve and grow in the years to come.”

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing offers roofing and sheet metal, waterproofing and caulking, building and garage restoration and roof maintenance and leak repair. –mjm

Dustin Gossett, Eric Gossett and Chad Gossett make renovation business Designed Renovations in Fort Worth a family affair. Can you guess who the brothers are, and which one the nephew is? –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Providing solid ground

Dallas 24 Hour Club’s new facility at 4636 Ross Ave. was celebrated at a Feb. 10 groundbreaking. The building will be a transitional living space for homeless men and women. Austin Commercial, Balfour Beatty and The Beck Group serve as general contractors, organized by KDC. – mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

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Helping heroes

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Site for your eyes

Bob Moore Construction has begun sitework on a 350,000-sf Interpoint Distribution Center in Wilmer, TX. The speculative, tilt-up cross-dock distribution facility will feature a 32 ft. clear height with decorative finishing and aluminum composite panel canopies at the exterior. Completion is slated for 2017. –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Music appreciation

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ast July, a sniper used a semiautomatic rifle to ambush and fire upon a group of Dallas police officers and Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers. Five officers were killed and nine others, including two civilians, were injured.

During the incident, the Dallas Police Department immediately called upon neighboring police forces – including the police in the small town of Double Oak, TX – to be ready to assist if needed.

Double Oak’s force bravely stood ready to answer the call, but because the resources of the 2,900-resident town were limited, the officers did so without the kind of body armor needed for sniper situations or potential riots.

When Supreme Roofing CEO Tim Rainey learned of the Double Oak Police Department’s need, he quickly made a generous donation to purchase three sets of high quality body armor, which consists of a bullet-proof vest, a helmet and a ballistic shield. He also lobbied others in the roofing industry to donate a set of body armor for the Double Oak officers. The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) purchased a set, as did C-CAP’s John Gipson, Empire Roofing’s Ronnie McGlothlin, Frazier Roofing & Guttering’s Rich Frazier, Sun Commercial Roofs’ Hector Castro and Texas Roof Management’s Kelly Lea. “We are grateful for the sacrifices that police officers and their families make on a daily basis to protect our communities,” Rainey says. “It’s an honor to join with other leaders in the roofing industry to give back in a meaningful way to a local police force.”–mjm

Skanska hosted a job site tour of its Irving Music Factory project on Feb. 2. Guests took a peek at the exterior and interior including The Pavilion, a convertible indoor concert hall/ outdoor amphitheater. The 250,000-sf entertainment, retail and dining space and 8,000sf venue is scheduled for completion in late summer. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Let’s chat a tile

Michael Peña, owner of Mikey’s Tile Company in Fort Worth, loves a pretty tile, and loves chatting customers up about the many combinations he enjoys installing. –mjm

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The Double Oak Police Department now has the body armor they need, thanks to Supreme Roofing’s Tim Rainey and generous roofing industry members.

In memoriam

tis R. Thompson, 81, owner of Able Electric Service Inc., passed away Jan. 30, 2017 in Dallas. Thompson began wiring houses at age 12 and was a 1954 graduate of N.R. Crozier Technical High School, where he earned his electrician journeyman and master licenses in 1961.

He began his career with Abright Electric then served in the U.S. Army in 1961 at Fort Lewis Washington. In 1963, he established his own company in Dallas.

Thompson made several important contributions to the construction industry throughout his career, including teaching at an electrical apprenticeship school. He was a longtime member and also as board member of Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Dallas.

Services for Thompson were Feb. 2, with his burial at Restland Cemetery. –mjm

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Tamara Munson-Higgins President UNITY Commercial Solutions

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amara Munson-Higgins didn’t have family in the construction industry, but she did have entrepreneurial parents – the need to “always be doing something more” was clearly a genetic trait. After learning the industry ropes, she became a business owner and quickly learned that the role meant she would always be doing something more.

How were you introduced to construction?

I was born and raised in Chicago.

After I graduated from high school in 1990 at 17, I got a job at a company that took old blueprints, scanned them and redrew them on CAD. I started as a data entry clerk, but I had it ingrained in me to want to do other things in a company.

I came from an entrepreneurial family; my dad and mom started a silk screen-printing company in their basement that actually went corporate, screening for the Chicago Cubs and for Pepsi. So I learned how the company I worked for did purchasing and other things, and within the first year, I was learning AutoCAD, redrawing prints for the Chicago Art Institute and the Quad Cities nuclear power plants.

Around the early ’90s, architects and engineers were getting on the AutoCAD bandwagon and doing it themselves, so that company expired when I was 19.

For the next 10 years, I went into manufacturing, spending seven of those years as an assistant to engineers, from working with fuel pumps in one of the worst sides of Chicago to the gaming industry, surrounded by both electrical and mechanical engineers. I eventually received the title of Configuration Management Specialist – very creative – but I still wasn’t settled.

How did you further translate that into a construction career?

I decided I had spent enough time [as an assistant] and that I wanted to be an engineer. I put myself through school at Triton College and got an Associates of Science in Mechanical Design and Technology.

In my early 20s, I was hired as a junior engineer to design equipment for manufacturing plants. Shortly after, I realized that this wasn’t me. I had too much energy to sit at a desk all day, so I

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

decided to go back to the world I knew best, but this time, as a project manager.

In project management, you are multifaceted, so I sold myself to a window manufacturer for its Residential Sound Insulation program. I was 26, and really stepping into the construction world, learning about window replacements and new construction.

I was recruited by Brian Filipiak, owner of Alliance Glazing Technologies, who knew that I had AutoCAD, project management and new construction experience, and he said I didn’t have a big learning curve to learn storefront and curtain wall. I was game to learn it; with the help of Alliance, I went to night school at a Purdue University program for construction management. Alliance and Brian were a huge support; I recall that he even suggested for me to get my engineering stamp too! He is really the one who [initiated] me into the commercial construction industry.

I was with the company for a while, but I’m kind of my own worst enemy: I put my all into every place I’m at, working until 2am, and now I had a baby and husband and wanted to go back to manufacturing. I went to work for Pittco Architectural Metals, owned by Al Shapiro, who ironically also owned a glass and glazing company, Active Glass.

He treated me like family, and I would still be there if I had not moved to Texas in 2008 for family reasons.

How did you go about finding similar construction work in Texas?

I researched glazing subcontractors in Texas and found TEPCO Contract Glazing. Two weeks after I made the decision to move, I interviewed for a position and was hired on the spot.

The downturn in 2009 meant the staff had to start wearing different hats; I opened a service department for TEPCO, started doing sales and marketing, along with project management, and even became involved in the motor operated window side of the business in which they adopted the name “Suite View” that I created.

In a down economy, they actually doubled in size and I’d like to think I was a big part of that. That was also when I became entrenched in our construction community. I got involved with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), got a spot on TEXO’s events committee, became accredited in LEED and earned my certification for reading specifications.

When did you establish UNITY Commercial Solutions?

In 2011, there was a lot of government work coming to the table, and I discussed with TEPCO owner Bill Keen the possibility of me opening a minority-owned branch under TEPCO. He said it would take significant more time than I thought, so I got the ball rolling. I found that some of the consulting I was doing for “free” with architects and general contractors, I could be doing under that new LLC (UNITY Commercial Solutions), and actually get paid; however, this really didn’t evolve until after I left TEPCO. TEPCO was a great company with great people, and I enjoyed working with them, but in 2013, I received an offer to be a partner in a small glass and glazing company, AB Glass & Mirror, who had just partnered with a large underground utilities company. Immediately, they allowed me to change the company name to AB Glass & Glazing, since they were growing and wanted larger scopes of work. The good news was I was also given the freedom to really allow my consulting firm to take off running, as long as it wasn’t jeopardizing the success of AB Glass. The bad news was I realized I really couldn’t do both.

In April 2014, I decided I needed to grow UNITY and officially resigned from AB Glass. I realized that I had built a good reputation for not only being a “go-to” gal, but managing projects as well. This led me from simple consulting to fullblown subcontracting – on my own!

UNITY Commercial Solutions’ Tamara Munson-Higgins

Around this time, my soon-to-be husband Michael decided to open SECTOR Consulting Group, a corporate education consulting company. He also had an invention that he wanted to bring to the table, so I started helping him with some of that while he was working.

Before I knew it, we were running two companies side by side! SECTOR complimented the H.R., training, sitespecific safety plans and compliance for UNITY, to name a few, and UNITY handled SECTOR’s cash flow, accounting and construction consulting. It developed into a great partnership, personally and in business.

What lessons have you learned as a business owner?

When I started as a partner in the other company, they were a $500,000 a year company. They wanted to be a $3 million a year company in a year, and asked me if I could do it, and I did. But there’s a lot more involved in that than people think and I have made similar mistakes with UNITY.

UNITY was structured very differently and we don’t have a lot of competition, so we grew very fast and were able to manage that cash flow with specialty products that required 100% deposits.

Based on that, it seemed safe, until general contractors started playing games with our money.

One difficult lesson I’ve learned is some general contractors look for a reason to default; they make so much more money when they can just go direct or keep our retainage. For example, if a vendor doesn’t communicate well, cannot meet deadlines or raises pricing due to their own negligence, they alone can cause the general contractor to hold funds from UNITY for everything else that we are out of pocket on; however, that vendor has already been paid.

Sometimes vendors have caused us to not be successful on a project. When they get paid and we do not, it puts us in a very difficult position. When someone withholds a half million dollars from our fairly young company, it really has an impact and a trickle down affect. I’ve had to do different things, like learn how to negotiate, and I’ve learned a ton.

An important lesson I have learned is to be realistic about what I really need to run a business. Before recently moving the business to downtown McKinney in a modest shared space, Michael and I had a near 13,000-sf place in Plano with a full office and a large staff. We decided that with the way the industry is, most employees are on the road and working electronically, so with better processes, we didn’t actually need all that space.

Along with a warehouse in Mesquite for light fabrication and storage, this situation feels wonderful and we love the energy of the historical district of downtown McKinney.

How would you characterize yourself, being a female business owner in a mostly-male industry?

I have very thick skin but I can be sensitive when someone calls me

“sweetie” or talks down to me. Sometimes I just let it go when it’s said by a passerby, but not when it is someone I’m supposed to have a business relationship with. I’ve developed a harder form of communication, so I’m not really sweet! I’ve actually become unapproachable in some cases, but my head’s in the grind and I’m here to do business.

One challenge I nip in the bud pretty quickly is knowledge. If I know I have a value to the client, which typically I do, that nips the attitude in the bud pretty quickly.

Share a bit about the personal side of your life.

Michael and I have been together for four years, and the industry knows us as married, but we decided to have the ceremony that never took place. [Editor’s note: the wedding was held in February].

We originally were going to be married by a justice of the peace with some family in attendance and go out to dinner, but it just kind of took off from there. We both love wine, so we’re going to get married at Messina Hof Grapevine Winery and do a little vino wedding!

My 11-year-old son Trenton likes playing the trumpet, so he is going to play “Ode to Joy” as I walk down the aisle.

With your entrepreneurial spirit, do you think UNITY is your final business stop, or do you have other plans?

Michael says I should let someone else run UNITY so that I can be more of a part of SECTOR, which I am already 51% owner now. Construction is what I know and we have a vision to involve me more with consulting and training for small businesses, particularly in construction, on behalf of SECTOR. I recently participated in training minority contractors that are looking to do road construction for the Lane Abrams program. We’re always going to be evolving as a society for training the workforce, along with employers, so that is always something that I can be involved in and never bored with. As a matter of fact, SECTOR is working with Habitat for Humanity and the community colleges on a two-year program, teaching underprivileged people the skills to work in the construction world, along with life skills. Dallas is the first branch that is kicking this off.

With society’s never-ending challenges, there will always be a place for me. I’m an innovative thinker. UNITY has innovative vendor partnerships and SECTOR has custom defined training and culture change programs. That will keep me plenty busy.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not trying to do it all this time. I’m actually considering Michael’s suggestion of letting someone else run UNITY, in the form of a partnership or similar, so we can regroup from some of the past issues, and manage the growth properly. I’m excited about the direction we are all going here.

UNITY Commercial Solutions offers stone wall panel systems, with a focus on exterior surface applications, and mechanically fastened systems including sunshades and louvers. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 5

Woman behind the scenes

Johnson received the creative materials necessary to help keep her busy in her retirement.

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apers don’t just put themselves together. Someone labors tirelessly to take the stories all the editors write and submit to the production department and make them look good.

At Construction News, Sue Johnson helped put the papers together every month as production manager, but as of Jan. 31, she has officially retired.

“It is just amazing how quickly the time goes by,” says Buddy Doebbler, publisher. “It only seems like yesterday when Sue came to work for us. But it has been 13 years. She started as our receptionist but wanted to learn more about the graphics/layout side of the business. She worked her way up to production manager and was the force behind getting the papers out each month. She will be missed by our entire staff.”

Johnson started part-time in 2002 and became full-time in 2003. Through her work at Construction News, she met many members of the construction community. During the early years in her tenure here, she often attended events in San Antonio as well as expos in Houston and Dallas.

“Since 2004, Sue’s been my partner in production,” says Reesa Doebbler, publisher. “I very much enjoyed working with her but, more importantly, is the friendship we developed along the way.

We’ve been through a lot of good times together over the years. The good news is she’s still around here and there, and all of us here at Construction News know where to find her!”

In retirement, Johnson says she will be organizing to stay busy, and she and

her husband look forward to traveling often.

“I loved not only doing the layout and design for the papers each month, but I also liked reading about the people in construction all over Texas and meeting them,” says Johnson, who adds that she appreciates Buddy and Reesa taking a chance on her 13 years ago. She loved putting in the content and doing the layouts as well as working with everyone.

“Everybody was a great team.” –mh

As part of her farewell party, Sue Johnson received a shirt signed by all of her co-workers at Construction News.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Show’s about to start!

L-R: Steve Orosco Painting’s Steve Orosco and Angel Velasquez prepare to paint the soffit of Grand Prairie’s Verizon Theatre. –mjm

Page 6

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Architects awarded

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he American Institute of Architects (AIA) Fort Worth held its annual awards ceremony at the Kimbell Art Museum’s Piano Pavilion on Feb. 18. The association presented its yearly honor awards as well as recognizing the past year’s design award winners. –mjm Quality in Construction Award: Brent Hull, Hull Historical Merit Award: Le Cep Restaurant Bennett Benner Partners

Certificate of Appreciation: Ana-Sofia Gonzalez AIAS

Honor Award: Bart Shaw AIAPax & Parker

Merit Award: Conduit Elementary School VLK Architects

Honor Award: Bart Shaw AIA Memory: Fairmont Park Studio Award: STEAM Academy/Fort Worth VLK Architects

Merit Award: Cultural District Office Remodel Bennett Benner Partners

Studio Award: Grandview City Hall Bart Shaw, AIA

Young Professional Award: Gannon Gries AIA Bennett Benner Partners + Architects

Tandy Hills Pavilion Design Competition Pavilion on the Prairie, Dennehy Architects

Community Award: Michael Bennett AIA Bennett Benner Partners Architects +

President’s Award: John Earley AIA

Honorary Membership: Jennifer Conn Arts Council of Fort Worth

Heritage Park Plaza Restoration, a joint venture with Bennett Benner Partners and Studio Outside

Feeling chipper

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lano’s Los Rios Country Club set the scene Feb. 11 for an evening of casino games and Texas Hold’ Em. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) Dallas chapter hosted its annual Casino Night, which also included a silent auction. If members weren’t winning at the tables, they still had a shot at taking home one of two mammoth TVs, craft beer, gift baskets, gift cards and more. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 7

Pillars of the industry

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ompanies and individuals were honored for their contributions to the construction industry Feb. 17 at Omni Fort Worth Hotel. The 10th annual Pillar Awards Luncheon, hosted by the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA), celebrated winners in eight categories at the association’s awards luncheon. –mjm

Volunteer of the Year Lester Hunter, Olan Group LLC

Member of the Year (Private Sector): Juan Carlos “J.C.” González, Wells Fargo Public Entity of the Year: University of North Texas System HUB Program

Corporation of the Year: Equify Financial

Subcontractor of the Year: KPOST Roofing and Waterproofing

General Contractor of the Year Archer Western, Carcon Industries and Alpha-Omega Joint Venture

Project of the Year: Dart Union Station Streetcar Oak Cliff Southern Extension ACO, an Archer Western. Not pictured: To mmi Lyle, Member of the Year (Public Sector)

Construction News ON LOCATION

Master planning

L-R: Roofers Jose Cruz Martinez and Misael Lopez, and foremen Max de la Cruz and Scott Lockwood of RoofMaster Maintenance & Roofing Inc. in Dallas take advantage of clear skies to tackle jobs before the spring showers hit. –mjm

John Kelly Safety Award: Oscar Renda Contracting, Southland Holdings

Page 8

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Soggy numbers: 6 common accounting mistakes to avoid

Five important issues to monitor in 2017

Landon McAfee, CPA, Assurance Services Partner Lane Gorman Trubitt LLC Dallas, TX

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

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ou’re probably familiar with the term “crunch the numbers.” Well, in a tumultuous industry like construction, it’s all too easy to let crisp, timely financials go soggy with outdated data and flat-out mistakes. Here are six common accounting errors to avoid.

1. Inaccurate allocation of overhead For contractors that use the

To develop a realistic picture of your percentage-of-completion (POC) methjob costs — and, therefore, the profit- od to account for jobs, estimated job ability of your projects — you need reli- costs is a key factor driving revenue able methods for allocating overhead recognition. Errors may be caused by: among jobs. Overhead generally refers to • Poor estimating or forecasting, indirect costs that benefit more than one • Inaccurate recording of actual costs, or job. Examples of costs which may qualify • Mishandling of change order accounting. as overhead to be allocated to projects Among the best ways to avoid the efinclude rent, depreciation, salaries for fects of estimating errors is to reconcile actexecutives and clerical staff, insurance, ual to estimated costs on a monthly basis. payroll taxes, and fringe benefits.

5. Failure to recognize loss contracts

Construction companies often allocate Construction companies that use the overhead among jobs based on direct labor POC method sometimes fail to consider costs or direct labor hours. But, in some whether a job is likely to generate a loss. cases, this approach causes over- or under- Under such circumstances, Generally allocation of overhead, which creates a Accepted Accounting Principles require distorted picture of job profitability. them to fully recognize the loss at the

For example, if your projects tend to time it’s determined. be equipment or material intensive, rather If you’ve encountered this issue in than labor intensive, it may make sense to the past, be sure to stay informed. allocate overhead based on one of those Regularly review each project’s job cost costs or perhaps some blend of direct job schedule. In the event estimated costs costs. The key is to develop a method for exceed the contract amount, be prepared allocating overhead costs to the jobs to accrue a loss. based on the activities that drive them.

6. Improper treatment of joint 2. Improper cutoff of job costs ventures Many construction businesses use Joint ventures, like change orders, the accrual basis of accounting, which are potentially valuable opportunities means they record revenues when that come with their own accounting earned and expenses when incurred. rules. Without going into detail, the Cutoff errors occur when expenses which manner in which costs and profits are are incurred but unpaid are omitted from shared among the participants depends a period covered by a financial statement on the way in which the joint venture is — typically, because invoices aren’t structured and on the terms of their received until after the period is closed. agreement.

Are you susceptible to this problem? To avoid errors, leave nothing to If so, consider implementing a voucher chance. Be sure you and the other party system or some other mechanism to agree on the proper accounting ensure costs are recorded as liabilities or treatment before starting work. From accrued costs in the period in which there, implement procedures to ensure they’re incurred. that the venture’s activities are properly 3. Erroneous change orders documented.

Change orders represent both great Numbers matter opportunities and potential pitfalls for Construction is characterized by thin contractors. What’s more, the accounting profit margins and a high degree of rules for dealing with them are complex uncertainty. So accurate financial and can lead to errors. reporting is important not only to For instance, if you’re overly operating successfully, but also to optimistic that a change order will lead to looking good in the eyes of sureties, additional revenue, you may overestimate lenders and other stakeholders. And to profits — resulting in profit fade as the make the challenge even greater, job progresses. This may happen if you contractors should begin to prepare for begin out-of-scope work before the new revenue recognition rules that take change order is approved, or if you and effect in 2018. the owner agree on scope but leave Landon McAfee joined LGT in 1993. He discussions of price for another day. has extensive expertise in the construction 4. Inaccurate job cost estimates industry.

L-R: James Christ, Rodney Christ, Terrell Taylor

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ew administrations bring new challenges to the professional realm, and the Trump administration is no exception. Many of the former administration’s health care initiatives are being rolled back or halted.

This leaves employers in an uncertain place in regard to compliance regulations and reform laws.

The following are five important issues that should be closely monitored in 2017: 1. Unraveling of the ACA and ensuring employees are educated health care consumers: A new administration is now in office and President Donald Trump is vowing to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The first wave of this dismantling came in an executive order that directs federal agencies to waive, delay or grant exemptions from ACA requirements that may impose a financial burden. Health care consumerism will likely only increase under this administration, so focusing on employee education is a must.

2. Employee retention and engagement: Employee retention and engagement is more difficult now than ever. With millennials projected to make up the dominant demographic of the workforce by 2020, employers need to rethink their company culture. To underscore the importance of fresh retention ideas, 44 percent of millennials say they would quit their jobs within two years if given the chance. Sixty percent say they wish to leave their current jobs by 2020. Now is the time to consider new retention and engagement initiatives.

3. Paid family and medical leave: Paid family and medical leave is an important and enticing package for employees. In the United States, over 88 percent of private sector employees do not have paid leave options, according to the Department of Labor (DOL). And of the few that do have access, over 33 percent

believe taking leave would put their jobs at risk. States like California, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have paid leave laws in place, with other states working on their own legislation. This staggering gap in benefit offerings makes paid leave packages especially appealing for younger workers.

4. EEO-1 form update: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has formally adopted modifications to the Employer Information Report (EEO-1), effective March 31, 2018. Beginning at this time, employers will need to report their total number of workers, their gender and race, their pay grade and job classification.

The EEOC says this will help it more effectively investigate discrimination claims and pay disparities.

5. I-9 and E-verify updates: The latest version of the I-9 form is now effective, as of Jan. 22, 2017. This means that employers must use the latest version for all new employees or face steep penalties.

The form is not required for existing employees. The main changes include marking “N/A” in fields that would previously be left blank, verifying employment for individuals in person (not remotely via a webcam, for instance) and using a large blank field to leave notes instead of putting them in the margins.

As history shows, when there’s an administration change, employee benefits change as well. There will certainly be new legislation in the coming months, as promised by President Trump.

Business management needs to lead the way in communication and make adjustments to adhere to any new requirements.

Christ Taylor LLP is an independent, Houston-based employee benefits and brokerage firm doing business in Southeast Texas. Find them at http://christtaylor.com.

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Worth’s new wash

Construction News ON LOCATION

Fire alarm brigade

Arturo Trevo, employee of Arlington masonry and stonework contractor Ama Masonry, prepares the concrete for construction on Fort Worth’s newest Q Speed Wash. Nanu Construction serves as general contractor on the project, which is slated for completion in April. –mjm

L-R: Fire alarm installers Michael Wilson and Jeremy Hatch of Tyco Integrated Security in Arlington are wired up to make buildings safer. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 9

Sports’ world provides guidance for the construction project file

Stairways Used During Construction

Elizabeth H. Connally Connally Law PLLC San Antonio, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

S

adly, football season is over. As we lament what our team’s season could have been and dream about what next year’s season will bring, we can apply two quotes from the sports’ world to the construction industry – specifically to the construction project file to support claims for changes: 1. “It starts with complete command of • Emails, texts & other correspondence the fundamentals.” – Jesse Owens with owner, architect, subcontractors 2.“The best defense is a good offense.” – & suppliers Vince Lombardi • Shop Drawings • Photographs and videos “It starts with complete command of • Schedules the fundamentals.”

• Time records With every construction project, • Material delivery and receiving changes can occur. But regardless of reports whether it is a change to the design or • Progress reports specification or just a change due to the • Payment records effects of weather, for a contractor to • Change Orders request time and/or money for that • Job cost account records change, the project file will need to • Bids from subcontractors support the request. For the successful • Chronology of events recovery of a claim, it is critical the • Inspection reports contract file supports the fundamentals • Minutes of meetings of the contractor’s claim. These fundamentals can be boiled down to two “The best defense is a good offense.” words – notification and documentation.

Up-to-date, well-maintained Carrying out the proper notification documents in the project file are, by far, procedures of a claim and preserving all the best defense for a contractor. Not necessary documentation can bring only can a well-organized and faster resolution of the claim and may documented project file enable a even prevent the issue from escalating to contractor to quickly respond to a minor arbitration or litigation. dispute in the field and, hopefully, The contract between a contractor prevent the issue from escalating, it can and an owner will likely have a provision also provide the best supporting relating to notice requirements. The evidence in the event of a claim. The purpose of notice requirements is to enable documents should also include copies of the owner to assess the scope of the any timely notices to the owner of problem and determine the course of changed conditions when the contractor action the owner wants the contractor to believes it is entitled to additional take. Further, it establishes a record of the compensation and/or time to perform dates and facts of the claim situation while the work. It is much easier to prepare the issue is still fresh in everyone’s mind. As requests for additional time and money you gather the facts to prepare the when the project file can clearly execute notification, also take the time to ensure the “plays” for the contractor’s claims. the project file contains sufficient However, if the contractor attempts to documentation of the events that took prepare a claim at the end of the project place on the project that support the claim. but has few documents to support the The contractor should prepare the claim, it is likely the contractor will be left project file in a manner that the with an expensive penalty – the inability documents will speak for themselves. to recover the time or additional This means that even if the people on the compensation. project change, the project’s history is Ms. Connally is the managing easily discerned from the documentation shareholder of Connally Law PLLC. in the file. Fundamental project file Ms. Connally is licensed to practice law in documentation should include: OH, DC, HI and TX and is a former • Contract documents warranted contracting officer for the U.S. • Geotechnical reports Dept. of State, where she handled • Daily reports contracts for the DOS’ largest • Requests for information procurement office in Frankfurt, • Phone logs (note: follow-up phone Germany. Ms. Connally’s email address is calls with emails to document ehconnally@eclegal.biz. discussions)

Construction News JOB SIGHT

Fresh fixings

Antonio Garza uses a luxe-looking stone to update the front of Callie’s Lunch & Custom Catering in Mansfield. –mjm

T

he following requirements apply to all stairways used during construction:

Stairways that will not be a permanent part of the building under construction must have landings at least 30 inches deep and 22 inches wide at every 12 feet or less of vertical rise.

Stairways must be installed at least 30 degrees- and no more than 50 degrees- from the horizontal.

Variations in riser height or stair the stairs are fitted with secured temptreads and landings. tread depth must not exceed 1/4 inch in rary any stairway system, including any foun- Note: Temporary treads must be dation structure used as one or more made of wood or other solid material and installed the full width and depth of the treads of the stairs.

Doors and gates opening directly onto a stair.

The following general requirements stairway must have a platform that ex- tends at least 20 inches beyond the swing apply to all stair rails:

Stairways with four or more risers or of the door or gate.

Metal pan landings and metal pan treads rising more than 30 inches in heightwhichever is less- must be installed along must be secured in place before filling.

Stairway parts must be free of dangerous each unprotected side or edge. When the top edge of a stair rail system also projections such as protruding nails.

Slippery conditions on stairways must be serves as a handrail, the height of the top edge must be no more than 37 inches corrected.

Workers must not use spiral stair- nor less than 36 inches from the upper ways that will not be a permanent part of surface of the stair rail to the surface of the tread. the structure.

Top edges of stair rail systems used Temporary Stairs as handrails must not be more than 37

Except during construction of the inches high nor less than 36 inches from stairway,

Do not use stairways with metal pan the upper surface of the stair rail system landings and treads if the treads and/or to the surface of the tread.

Stair rail systems and handrails must landings have not been filled in with con- crete or other materials unless the pans be surfaced to prevent injuries such as of the stairs and/or landings are tempo- punctures or lacerations and to keep rarily filled in with wood or other materi- clothing from snagging. als. All treads and landings must be re- Ends of stair rail systems and handplaced when worn below the top edge of rails must be built to prevent dangerous projections, such as rails protruding bethe pan.

Do not use skeleton metal frame yond the end posts of the system. natarajan.joann@dol.gov structures and steps (where treads and/ 512-374-0271 x232 or landings will be installed later) unless

Page 10

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Trout fishing in early spring

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Diawa Reels, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haulers, ­­­ForEverlast Fishing Products, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, and AFTCO Clothing.

S

ince mid-January, I have noticed an unusual amount of boats on the water. It may be because we have had a Chamber of Commerce winter and water temperatures have not fallen low enough to drive our fish into deeper areas, or maybe because fuel prices are back to an affordable rate so folks can enjoy a day of recreation without having to apply for a small loan. Whatever the reason, it sure is nice to see that the economy is starting to turn around and people are starting to enjoy the outdoors.

I’m sure some of you folks are waiting for warmer weather before getting on the water, but if you’re serious about catch-

H

Page 11

ing trophy size specks, now is the time to be looking for that fish for the wall.

Forecast for the months of February and March looks promising for those who don’t mind grinding out days in subpar conditions for bruiser specks. I’ll be wading every chance I get for the next few months throwing every type of lure known for tricking these elusive giants.

Slow retrieving, walking the dog, jigging worms off the bottom or live shrimp under a cork are some of the techniques one must be familiar with. Fishing this time of the year can be very challenging.

Hours without a bite can drive a man to insanity and wonder why he’s wasting his time on fish that won’t eat or that are not even in the vicinity. All I can say is be confident with your efforts and your determination will payoff with great rewards.

If you’ve been browsing the isles of your favorite tackle shop or flipping the pages of some of the popular fishing magazines like I have, you will notice all of the latest lures and color combinations out there. One of the hottest on the water this time of year is the slow sinking soft plastic mullet imitation such as the Brown Lure, Devil Eye or Flappin Devil.

Whether fishing these lures weedless or with a jighead they can be deadly on a slow retrieve over Baffin structure. Another proven favorite of mine is the MirrOlure Corky and the Corky Fat Boy. These lures can be custom altered by shaping them to dive or stay shallow simply by binding the internal wire up or down. It takes a bit of patience fishing this baits so if you’re not willing to stay put and work the area, best leave these lures in the box and stick to soft plastics.

With this warm winter water temperatures don’t over look a slow twitching topwater plug. Sunny days after a strong northern can warm shallow waters where trout can recover quickly. A Super Spook Jr. is a perfect size plug to cast up shallow,

San Antonio angler Josh Aljoe put a smack down on a limit of trout and reds last week fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Fish were caught using Kwigglers bone diamond and Brown Flappin Devil soft plastics.

work shorelines and shallow structure. A presentation of slow twitches and frequent pauses usually triggers lethargic trout to attack the wounded bait imitation. When you start your day always pick a lure you have done well with and have great confidence in, then venture to other baits you have been dying to try. Remember the key to catching during win-

ter months is confidence and patience.

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

Don’t wait until 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.

Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Dallas chapter

HDR

Stantec

Argos Concrete

They had a good run

undreds of runners from the architecture, engineering and construction industry raced to the finish at the Form Follows Fitness 5K in Dallas. The Blackson Brick-sponsored event, hosted Feb. 18 at Klyde Warren Park, takes runners on a course past the city’s most impressive award-winning architectural icons in the Arts District and Uptown.

Construction-related companies not only have runners in the race, but also hand out healthy treats and water to the racers.

The event benefits the Dallas Center for Architecture. –mjm Continued on page 14 Skanska’s Eric Bunner, daughter Avery and pooch Gipper

The runner’s course treated participants to some of the best of Dallas’ architecture.

Whiting-Turner

Jordan & Skala Engineers

Ridgemont Commercial Construction.

Page 12

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 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

Do you have a crappie problem?

I

f you are a fisherman, or know people who like to catch a fish or two, then you probably know someone who has a crappie problem.

Crappies are tasty little freshwater morsels that are loved for their flesh and their fast bite. No matter what kind of fisherman you are, if you have ever had a crappie cross your dinner plate, your ears perk up at the first mention that the crappie are biting!

I know a fellow who doesn’t see Christmas trees in people’s front windows. He sees which neighbors he needs to offer to help dispose of said Christmas trees in order to get his hands on some good quality cover to sink in the lake for crappie to hide in. He has a crappie problem. He can hardly stand it when they cut the cedar out of the highway right of way if they chip it up with the grinder be-

fore he can get his hands on it.

He can’t pass the lake without wetting a hook to see if the crappie are biting. Even on days when they shouldn’t bite, they will surprise you and bite anyway. If they bite, all plans for the day are put on hold until they quit. He’s a good solid worker and friend as long as the crappie don’t bite.

The crappie freak will try live minnows, lures, jig and grubs. He will use them on cane pole, Zebco rigs and or fly rods, often on the same day. If he finds some funky little critter that the crappie can’t resist, then he’s off to the tackle shop to buy every single one like it they have in stock. The better to become the Crappie King.

He counts as one of his most prized possessions, years and years of wall calendars given to him by his Grandfather.

These calendars hold the crappie fishing history of dates, weather and catch. This is priceless information because it seems crappie addiction is highly hereditary.

The little notations on some days like,

Casting call

T

ravis Walker, the new director of business development at Corbet Design + Build, makes it his business to get a little fishing in when he’s not working. Walker has cast in some of the country’s prettiest parts, and shares a few of his favorites. –mjm

“Too damn cold”, and “Henry caught 4 more crappie than I did!” make it just like being in the boat together again.

And then there is the weird Lake Record phenomena. If you look up Texas Parks and Wildlife records for crappie on most bodies of water you might be surprised at how small the record fish are.

It’s not that they don’t get big. I know of a 19 inch crappie someone caught. Is it in a record book somewhere? No, it got eaten. The crappie fiend in our family has eaten three lake records already this

week before he finally got one weighed and certified for the record books.

In case you hadn’t already figured it out, Lake Buchanan is coming on strong after the drought. All the amazing lakebed brush has created the perfect crappie habitat now that the lake is back.

I bet there are lakes like that all over the state too.

If you like crappie fishing and especially if you have a crappie problem too, this is the time to get out there and scratch that itch. Go get ‘em while they’re hot!

Submitted to Construction News

What’s next, Dex?

The Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming, what Walker calls “the most beautiful mountain chain in the U.S.” make for a majestic backdrop for fishing, which he is actually doing in Idaho in this shot.

“Dex” is the name, lounging’s the game. The 3-year-old mutt/Red Heeler mix is described as “smart and a little bit naughty” by owner Carrie Edomm of Astro Sheet Metal Co. Inc., not to mention “funny. He’s one of us for sure,” she says. –mjm

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

The Lower Mountain Fork in Oklahoma turns out the rainbow trout, as Walker can testify.

Walker and his brothers take a trip every year, and recently caught some rainbow trout in the trophy waters of the San Juan River.

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

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

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 13

In hog pursuit “Sometimes there are coyotes,” Olsen continues. “In fact, there is one field where we corralled four coyotes. We were up in the trees and then the coyotes broke out into the open fields. We let the other helicopter go first; one coyote was almost outrunning the helicopter and he was nearly 30 yards running trying to make his getaway. As we watched the dust fly on both side of the coyote from the bullets missing him, he finally did a head-over-heels somersault three times. They got him.”

Johnson makes sure that if there is a chance to get a hog or a coyote, they pur-

Olsen, on the far right, had his brother and two friends along for the excursion.

R

obert Olsen, a salesman at Southern Carlson in Farmers Branch, says that two months after his first “heli hog hunt,” he is still smiling and giggling like a little kid.

The trip was meant to be a graduation present for his son, but when Olsen’s son was unable to attend, Olsen treated his brother and was accompanied by two friends to the hunt, coordinated by Cedar Ridge Aviation in Knox, TX. And while aerial hog hunting is promoted as a true outdoor getaway, the excursion is actually a beneficial service. Feral hog overpopulation is a serious problem for Texas’ farmers and ranchers, costing them tens of millions of dollars in damages each year. With hogs breeding three times a year and producing an average of 12 piglets in each litter, the damage to land and crops by an overrun of hogs can be devastating. Dustin Johnson, owner of Cedar Ridge Aviation and pilot of one of the ranch’s two helicopters, worked with Ted Nugent to pass a law about the issue and offers the getaway to help control the local hog and coyote population.

The excursion actually starts the day before the hunt, when guests arrive at the lodge, settle in, show proof of hunting licenses, receive instructions, eat and rest. Bright and early the following morning, guests go outside to wait for their ride, which arrives in spectacular fashion.

“Dustin’s lodge is out in West Texas on a hill and you can pretty much see forever,” he says. “Then, in the distance you see these two dots coming at you and you hear this thunkthunkthunk noise, and [the pilot] does the “Top Gun” fly by right in front of you not 40 yards away.

Then he disappears to the right behind the cedar trees and all of a sudden comes right back over behind the lodge, goes past you, swings the helicopter around and sets it down all in one motion.”

Upon entering the two helicopters, guests find AR-15 semi-automatic guns and six clips with 30 rounds each for use during the two-hour flight. Guests also wear headphones to communicate with the pilots and each other. The helicopters’ doors are removed, but hunters are strapped in for safety; Johnson is a very skilled crop duster also, and often performs acrobatic helicopter maneuvers in pursuit of the hogs.

“Coming up on these hogs sometimes you’re 15 feet away,” Olsen says. “[The pilot] tries to herd them together into one group. He comes around and gets to the back of them and slowly herds them. They want to get them out of the trees so they run out over the agricultural land. Sometimes we have

to hover up there for 15 to 20 minutes to get them herded but we’ll get them all out into the field. As the herded hogs make their break to the open field, Johnson notifies the other pilot that he will drop down and split them. Sometimes they split up, so we circle around and get the ones that run off out of the pack. We would get ours, and then hover and watch the other helicopter go after theirs.

The helicopter sometimes drops four stories just to pursue a hog or coyote.

There she goes again!

Olsen says heli-hog hunting is an adventure he’ll never forget.

sue it, all the while being safety conscious of where they are shooting and where the other helicopter is.

“When we were flying out in between the fields that we had hunted, one of the guys said, ‘There’s a coyote going the other way! We’ll let him go.’ And Dustin said, ‘No, we won’t!’ He whipped that helicopter around and got him. He said, ‘I have many head of cattle and I have lost too many calves to the coyotes while they’re calving.’ It really helps the farmers and ranchers by keeping the hog and coyote population down.”

In all, the group shot 54 hogs and six coyotes, and an elated Olsen can’t wait to return.

“Since my son was not able to go, I’ve got to take him back next year; we’ve already booked another trip,” Olsen says. “One of the guys who went with me said it was one of the top three things he has ever done in his life, and he’s been offshore on oil rigs and has been all sorts of helicopter rides. It’s a bucket list type thing and it’s something that I will never forget and something I recommend you must do.” –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

It’s the climb!

L-R: Alliance Architects’ Julian Rogers, Jordan Raymond, and Kelsey Kupish joined Trammell Crow Company’s Crow Climbers to climb 70 stories of stairs in downtown Dallas’ tallest building Jan. 28. The team raised nearly $5,000 at the 9th annual Big Climb, which benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. –mjm

Every company has one like this.

Please help us keep Dana out of trouble by contacting her for print and digital ads in Construction News.

dana@constructionnews.net or 210-308-5800, ext. 146

Page 14

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

continued from Page 11 — They had a good run

Hundreds gathered at Klyde Warren Park to participate in the Form Follows Fitness 5K.

Pacheco Koch

Alpha Testing

Crossville Studios

Walter P Moore

Rachel Hardaway of Perkins + Will

Architexas

Corgan

Hossley Lighting Engineers

EMJ Corporation

BOKA Powell

Daltile

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

O

Hearts united

ne in three women dies from heart disease and stroke each year, and the construction industry wants to take that number down to zero. On Feb. 3, construction folks put their hearts into the cause by wearing red to work for “National Wear Red Day.” The event is part of the American Heart Association (AHA) campaign, “Go Red for Women,” now in its 15th year. –mjm

Arch-Con Construction participated in a number of activities and, with their partnering companies, donated more than $137,000 to the AHA.

Page 15

Construction News ON LOCATION

Happy anniversaries!

Davis Motor Crane Service in Irving is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year! Driver Randy Mancillas is also celebrating an anniversary – five years – as a heavy hauler with the company. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Plenty of ply

Employees of Marek Brothers Systems Inc. in Coppell and sponsor JE Dunn Construction in Dallas also donned red outfits to support the cause.

McCarthy Building Companies Inc. showed support for the cause.

Superintendent Stephen Starnes of Prosper-based general contractor CRH Construction has plywood at the ready for his next project. –mjm

Page 16

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

What was your favorite childhood food?

P

ig lips – yes, the actual lips from a pig! I grew up in New Orleans, LA and they season them, they soak them in vinegar sell them in large jars.

And if [I wasn’t eating] pig lips, then I was eating pickles. I just had this thing for pickles morning, noon and night; I couldn’t get enough pickles. Those were my childhood favorites! But now I have an aversion to them. When I go visit my family, they offer them to me and I say, “No, I’m okay.” Once in a blue moon, I will eat pickles on a sandwich.

Shedona Weary, Woodbridge Mom makes a goulash, and Mom and Dad called it “Mitchell’s Meat” because that was my favorite. It is a combination of hamburger meat, potatoes, cheese, with cream of mushroom and cream of chicken [soups]. My mom made it a good bit because it was something I would eat.

Mitch Jones, Mueller Inc. My favorite food as a child was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It was always white bread, creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly. My mom made the best ones; she left crusts on.

Carrie Edomm, Astro Sheet Metal When I was a kid, we used to go to this Mexican Restaurant on Maple Avenue called Ojeda’s back when it was a dive.

Just cheap cheese and onion enchiladas and super-hot hot sauce. I loved it.

Paul Holden, Facility Construction Services My favorite food growing up was when Mom would make me, my three brothers and Dad pork sausage links and mac and cheese. She said it was the cheapest way to feed and fill five boys. And I would always eat my mac and cheese covered in ketchup … I still do this today actually!

Ryan Koons, HOLT CAT Pizza. Carryout of course! You have to

order pizza on Friday nights. I think Mom enjoyed the pizza more than the kids because she didn’t have to cook it.

Gerald Reining, AECOM Hunt

House of cards

I

t was a card day’s night Feb. 3 as 160 members of the utility and excavation industry enjoyed a Casino Night at the Westin D/FW. Hosted by the National Utility Contractor Association’s (NUCA) North Texas chapter, the event featured roulette, craps, black jack, poker and slots, sips and snacks and live music by the Jack Pyeatt Band. –mjm

My aunt made the BEST spaghetti and meatballs. It was a recipe from an old Italian lady in Chicago. We only got to eat it maybe once a year, but I can still remember the taste! My aunt never let anyone know the recipe.

Sue Johnson, Construction News My favorite childhood food was Jello. The lime flavor just tasted like the color green.

I had it quite a bit.

Gregg Wong, Milestone Electric My favorite food as a child (and one I still enjoy as an adult) was cereal. I would have eaten cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and never gotten sick of it!

Lindsay Paulson, RDO Equipment

Letting the chips fall where the may

My favorite childhood food was our home-grown strawberries.

Keith Lyles, Classic Superoof My favorite childhood food was gumbo.

My mom made it at least twice a month, and in the wintertime she’d make it a little bit more. She is the one who taught me how to make it, and now I make it for my kids and my 11 grandkids, who all love it as much as I did.

Lorin Blevins, SiteOne Landscape Supply My favorite childhood food was grandma’s fried chicken or meatloaf. She made them a lot.

Les Ingram, Supreme Roofing My favorite childhood food was macaroni and cheese. My mom made it, sometimes from a box and sometimes from scratch.

Homemade’s always better.

Toby Decker, Bobcat of Fort Worth

NUCA’s 160 guests tried not to bet their bottom dollar in high stakes games.

Submitted to Construction News

Call to border

Lone stars

B

ased on feedback from more than 100,000 employees, Fortune Magazine recently released its annual “50 Best Workplaces in Texas” list. Several construction-related companies ranked on the 2017 list, and were distinguished by their ability to create a “Great Place to Work for All” regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, job role or other personal characteristics. –mjm 7: David Weekly Homes (Houston headquarters, offices in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio) 12: TDIndustries (Dallas headquarters, offices in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston and San Antonio) 13: Transwestern (Houston headquarters, office in Dallas) 16: Kimley-Horn (office in Dallas) 26: Granite Properties (Plano headquarters, offices in Houston and Dallas) 33: Power Design (office in Houston) 50: Power Home Remodeling Group (offices in Houston and Dallas)

L-R: Nippon Television’s New York Bureau flew a production team from its Japan offices to D/FW to interview Superior Concrete Products’ CEO Todd Sternfeld and vice president of operations Kyle Wilson. The bureau is covering a story on ways construction companies are preparing themselves should they be called upon to build Donald Trump’s Texas/Mexico border wall. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 17

Construction Education Bright future in electrical training Kim L. Allen, Training Director

North Texas Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust Fund Grand Prairie, TX

D

escribe the apprenticeship and training program.

The North Texas Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust Fund trains people, who have no experience or a little experience, how to do electrical work. We take them from the very beginning and get them qualified to take the State of Texas electrical exam.

It’s an official registered apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor. It’s a standard program where we start school every six months, in July and in January, and rotate the classes. A student goes through all five years and then becomes a journeyman at the end.

Every other week, apprentices take a day off of work and come to school. Although they don’t get paid for that day, the rest of the time they are out making money, working for the contractors sponsoring our program.

The instructors are all electricians, are all at least journeyman or master electricians, have at least an Associates degree in electrical instruction and also

have teaching certificates.

We’re very strict on time; we get paid by the hour; every minute is money.

We’re also very strict on grades; 75 is our minimum score and we hold our people to a very high standard.

How is technology helping educate your students in this program?

We are offering more homework online. It gives instructors more time during the day to do more hands-on training than we’ve had the chance to do in the past.

Have you seen an increase in training costs over the last few years?

Definitely yes; it just goes with the cost of everything [increasing]. The books cost a little bit more money and tuition costs a little bit more money.

We’re a nonprofit organization; our contractors give us donations basically for all of the work our organization does.

That’s what keeps the lights on and pays the salaries. We charge exactly what the

Meeting industry demands through rapid workforce training Kevin Brackmeyer, Executive Director Skillpoint Alliance Austin, TX

K

evin Brackmeyer, executive director at Skillpoint Alliance, is a former educator of 30 years who believes that closing the poverty gap by providing valuable, rapid, industry recognized certifications to some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens is their most important mission.

“We know for certain that the construction industry is experiencing rapid growth and there is no question that Central Texas, as well as the rest of the country, is struggling to find ways to meet the current demands for qualified workers to fill middle skills jobs,” Brackmeyer says.

The current workforce shortage is expected to get worse, right? What is your organization doing to help?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for skilled labor in construction will increase an estimated 25 percent by the year 2022. To meet this upcoming surge in employment, Skillpoint Alliance has ramped up their programing and expanded their

services by opening a second training facility in Waco.

Is construction education out of reach for many people in terms of money and/or time?

The programs Skillpoint offers are all termed “Gateway”, which provides rapid job training and education that prepares participants for entry-level employment in as little as four to 12 weeks.

Gateway courses involve a combination of hands-on and lecture-style instruction. This instruction directly translates to the tasks and skills graduates will be asked to perform on a daily basis when they are hired into their field. Under Skillpoint’s most popular training model, every student will spend 40 hours per week in class, with the same punctu-

books cost us. We’re associated with the Dallas County Community College district so our students can get an associates degree in construction if they would like to, although that is not a requirement.

With that, they do have to pay tuition, which is set by the state legislature. The cost has gone up, but not nearly as much.

Over the course of five years, our program costs roughly $5,600 – about $550 a semester for 10 semesters. The apprentices do have a little bit of a cost because, if you get something for free, you don’t appreciate it as much as if you worked for it.

What areas of education need to be improved to better serve the industry?

Our program is really math oriented, so a good math background is very important. We have a “math refresher class” because we have people straight out of high school and we have people in their 50s entering our program for a career change who maybe haven’t done math in a long time. We do the math refresher class to refresh everybody’s memory on basic math skills. We also get into a little bit of geometry and trigonometry because in bending conduit and doing calculations, they’ll be using that.

What are reasons for the declining interest in the construction industry?

It’s hard work. We are held to a different standard than a lot of other people; if you’re in construction and you’re not going to work, you’re not getting paid. Also, we work in all kinds of ality and etiquette expectations of a regular job.

What are some of the courses Skillpoint offers?

Skillpoint implements a rigorous curriculum from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

The NCCER is well known worldwide as the standard for construction training.

Within the construction industry, Skillpoint offers electrical, HVAC, plumbing, welding, and machine operator certifications and will soon expand to provide carpentry later this year.

Each of the trainings provides opportunities for entry into a career that will lead to upward mobility and increased wages. Training schedules and programming may differ each year in response to fluctuations in the regional job market and the needs of the community.

Skillpoint responds to community needs by working to bring industry leaders together for a better understanding of the needs of employers.

You mentioned not only providing workers for the construction industry, but giving a hand up to some of the area’s more vulnerable citizens. How does this work?

With leadership from industry partners, every course includes training that is directly connected to what Central

weather conditions. We work inside and outside.

Do you visit high schools or colleges to educate young people about this program?

We visit a lot of high schools, but don’t normally go to a college unless someone specifically asks us to come and teach.

Vocational classes are the best ones we like to talk to people at; those people have a little bit of background. You usually get people that want to work.

What are ways to attract young people to the industry?

Educating them, helping them to know that there are other avenues besides going to college. Of course, we would love it if everyone could go to college, but not everyone is cut out for college and not everyone can afford to go. We have so many kids who go to college, get a degree in something that is not what they want to do, have $60,000 to $100,000 in student loans that they have to pay back and are looking for a job that pays them $15 an hour.

If you look at statistics – and I don’t know the exact number – a large percentage of college freshman never make it past the first semester. Out of that percentage, a larger percentage never even attempt to go back and finish college. Those people need to make a living at a decent job and construction gives them that. Even an electrician working out in the field may someday become an electrical contractor and own their own company or corporation. –mjm Texas employers are seeking in their employees. Skillpoint is currently exploring other delivery models, including providing trainings in the evenings and on weekends in order to provide more opportunities for individuals to be able to attend classes.

Our staff is looking forward to increasing Skillpoint’s programming and helping our most vulnerable citizens access the workforce in viable sustainable careers that will propel them out of the poverty cycle while at the same time increasing economic growth and filling the needs of the area’s workforce.

We have an incredibly supportive and engaged board of directors who truly want to make a social impact in our community.

Do your students typically finish successfully?

Skillpoint Alliance touts a graduation rate of over 89%. -cw

Skillpoint Alliance is a 501(c)3 social enterprise that builds partnerships with area industries, educational institutions and the community in order to meet this challenge.

The organization was started in 1994 when Austin Mayor Bruce Todd called upon the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the City of Austin to collaborate together in forming a task force that eventually led to the recommendation and development of the Capital Area Training Foundation (CATF), known today as Skillpoint Alliance.

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Page 18

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Construction Education Controls in the classroom Greg Schulmeier Automation Project Manager/Instructor Texas Chiller Systems/UAPP Local 142 San Antonio, TX

S

tudents coming up through apprenticeship programs in various trades will have to deal with building automation systems (BAS) at some point in the field, especially as they become more common, explains Greg Schulmeier.

As an instructor for UAPP Local 142, he has enjoyed passing on what he has learned in the industry over the past two decades, as well as seeing several apprentices become journeymen who were so interested in his BAS class that they decided to go into that field.

With more people wanting to control various aspects of their building or home digitally, HVAC especially and lighting and door access as well as other trades are affected.

How do you teach students about building automation? And what are the most difficult aspects of teaching it and for the students to learn?

Since the BAS industry is so diverse and you have different vendors, I try to teach more of an open, overall [view of] how everything kind of ties together. I don’t teach the specific vendor, like a Honeywell or Johnson – we strictly do Honeywell [in his work], but I try to show everything there.

I try to show them the programming

of what’s behind the scenes, what’s on the computer as far as the programming and the graphics. And I think the hardest thing for them to understand is the actual programming of it and how that’s done and how that links with the graphics that the user ends up manipulating on a dayto-day basis.

Is that something that they need to know for their jobs or does that help them to understand it better?

I think nowadays, with as much diversity as there is coming as more and more companies are going with the BAS, I think it’s something that they need to understand.

A problem we have in the industry is that a service technician who is not familiar with BAS goes out on a service call and as soon as they see a BAS, “Oh, it has to be controls.” So, they’re passing that on to somebody else, and I’m trying to teach them that instead of seeing that and getting worried about it, understand what’s going on.

Maybe you can look at that, and you may not be able to understand everything about the system, but maybe you can go in there and troubleshoot and realize, “It isn’t the program. It is a mechanical problem.” Because we have a lot of times

where a service tech will be out there and say, “It’s controls.” And we go out, look and say, “No, the controls are just fine. It’s a mechanical issue that needs to be fixed,” and now the mechanics side has to go back out there again. That’s the biggest issue we’ve seen in the industry when it comes to [BAS] – people who don’t understand how it works.

Is the training for building automation especially important or widespread today? Will your service techs be dealing with this so often that they will need this training?

I think they’re definitely going to need it. I’ve been doing this for a while, and when I first started doing this, BAS, as far as computer-based was more of a luxury, an option. And nowadays because of energy conservation and stuff like that, more and more buildings are moving away from the older pneumatic styles and are going to the computer digital control field.

I think the more that an apprentice is going to be in this field, he’s going to see this more and more. And it’s becoming more and more prevalent than it was 5, 6 years ago. So instead of them being able to work on pneumatic controls – which if you know pneumatics, you don’t need to have any special training – whereas nowadays, because everyone is going to [BAS] and it’s becoming more of a necessity, they’re going to see that a lot more in their industry.

What have you seen evolve in building automation in your 20 years working in this particular field?

The biggest change I’ve seen is how open everything is becoming, whoever the vendor is, and how everything is

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

starting to become more and more communication-friendly between different vendors. When I first started doing this, it was very proprietary. Now, I’m seeing it become more and more open because vendors are actually building stuff that communicates with each other.

Why is hands-on training important in automation?

Most of the manuals that we get are very vague. I build a small project there in the classroom, all computer-based, and I give them each a laptop that the school supplies, and I let them go into that system that I built and develop their own program so they can see how to control or how this is controlled, so they can see how the program coincides with what they’re actually controlling.

What areas of education in BAS do you feel need improvement to better serve the industry and customer?

I think one of the biggest things is computer skills. The biggest problem I have when I’m teaching this to people is they don’t understand how a computer works. They get kind of swamped being on the computer, but I think, for our industry, we need [to teach] basic computer skills, because there are mechanics that work with their hands – they’re using tools, pipe wrenches – but when it comes to a computer, the biggest obstacle I have is getting them to feel comfortable behind the computer and [teaching them] how to work with a computer.

Greg Schulmeier has been automation project manager with Texas Chiller Systems for two-and-a-half years. He has been an instructor at UAPP Local 142 since 2005. –mh

Texas Style

   

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

A bear-y happy Valentine’s

Reesa Doebbler, publisher of Construction News, received a big cuddly surprise for Valentine’s Day, from her husband and co-publisher, Buddy Doebbler. The 4-foot-tall teddy bear kept her company in the office as production on the March issue kicked into high gear. –mh

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 19

Page 20

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Submitted to Construction News

A good mix

Over handcrafted cocktails, the Association of Professional Women in Construction (APWC) hosted its membership drive Jan. 31 at Dallas’ The Standard Pour. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Making his mark Humanity, he learned about the “A Brush With Kindness” program, which identifies existing homes that need roofs in neighborhoods Habitat is revitalizing.

Rather than the focus being entirely on the new homes, the initiative improves the entire community.

“To raise money for the labor for these projects, Zazo founded “Roof Angels,” a non profit organization. In the beginning, it was self-funded, but is now funded thanks to supporters like shingle manufacturer GAF and FRF Distribution, and galas which saw $100,000 in donations last year.

“In the meantime, my wine – which has been a labor of love, passion and a need to throw hard-earned money at wine to lose money on the wine industry! – has built a brand for our roofing company. People know me as ‘The Wine Guy’,” he says.

His vineyard scored him an invitation to “Vino Palooza,” a two-day charity event combining libations and live music.

Through this he met Ryan Cabrera, a musician from D/FW who wanted to recreate the event with other musicians in the Metroplex. Zazo, not one to shy away from big ideas, agreed to host it to benefit Roof Angels and Habitat for Humanity of Tarrant County.

“I tell myself I’m crazy for the stuff I come up with, but if I didn’t come up with it, we wouldn’t be doing it!” Zazo says, laughing, “We’re making a difference, just because somebody stood up and said, “We’re going to start today, and this is what we’re going to do. Who’s with me?”

Aspenmark offers roof installa-tion and maintenance services, solar, waterproofing and seamless gutters for commercial and residential. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — Loving the location

Submitted to Construction News

Top team

Heating Division. “Having a training center in the Dallas/Fort Worth region will allow the Cooling & Heating Division to give HVAC engineers and contractors, as well as commercial and residential architects, valuable firsthand experience with our ductless and variable refrigerant flow cooling and heating systems.”

Mitsubishi Electric markets Zoned Comfort Solutions and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) air conditioning and heating technology. The Elevator and Escalator Division offers sales, installation, modernization and servicing of elevators and escalators. The company believes it is perfectly positioned to help North Texas

builders during this construction boom.

“There has been a huge demand from Dallas/Fort Worth building owners for high-quality equipment that will help strengthen the value of their buildings, which makes the area a natural fit for our industry-leading elevators and escalators,” says Michael Corbo, executive vice president and general manager for Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. Elevator and Escalator Division. “As construction continues to grow and thrive in the area’s sophisticated commercial architect market, we look forward to partnering on new projects in Dallas/Fort Worth that will continue to put quality first.” ­–mjm

continued from Page 1 —Modular assignment

C1S Group beat out 250 golfers at a TopGolf Tournament Feb. 9. The event, hosted by the American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) North Texas chapter and TEXO, The Construction Association, was held at TopGolf in the Colony. – mjm

stucco applied to the accented areas.

These sections were shipped to the site and crane-lifted onto a Ramtech constructed foundation slab with exten-ded concrete caissons. A cutting-edge premanufactured roof system was shipped to the site and installed atop adjacent modular sections to provide a taller finished ceiling for the nearly 3,000-sf indoor exercise space.”

Although constructed quickly, the project wasn’t without challenges. The town’s approval process, which included the complete involvement of ACA’s board of trustees, school superintendent Craig Simms, civil engineer Di Sciullo-Terry, Stanton & Associates and a traffic engineer, was extensive. Traffic studies, site approvals, parcel merging and associated town approvals were needed.

Preservation of an existing pecan orchard had to also be taken into consideration, as nearly two acres of additional pavement through the orchard was needed to lessen traffic congestion.

“The site development included extensive traffic containment within the orchard while maintaining as many legacy trees as possible,” Davenport says. “The driveway system was instrumental in removing as many cars as possible from

Arkansas Lane reducing traffic congestions at drop-off and pick-up times.”

Other challenges included architectural exterior compliance (which included material and color approvals), and commencing the construction during a very rainy spring that complicated placement of the foundation.

Ramtech met and overcame every challenge, and is pleased that they had the opportunity to achieve this client’s goals a second time.

“By combining a design-build approach with pre-fabricated off-site building sections, we were able to provide excellent quality of construction as well as rapid design and construction times that met the owner’s needs and requirements,” Davenport says. “I believe this project is a great example of a successful designbuild project led by a fully involved client with an excellent design and construction team in a short period of time.”

Design-build construction company Ramtech Building Systems in Mansfield provides innovative permanent modular buildings for educational institutions, government agencies, healthcare providers and Fortune 500 companies throughout the nation. –mjm

Construction News ON LOCATION

Eyes on the skies

Julio Solis, superintendent at HH Interiors in Pantego, takes advantage of a blue sky day before the coming rain makes his workdays much more wet. –mjm

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 21

Association Calendar

Round-Up

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News

American Institute of Architects

Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar. 23: CELELBRATE ARCHITECTURE 2017

American Society of Civil Engineers

Mar. 5-11: Women in Construction (WIC) Week. Please RSVP for events at nawicftw@att.net Mar. 5: NAWIC 101. The Social House, Fort Worth, 10:30am. Come learn all about NAWIC and how it can benefit you personally and professionally.

Mar. 6: Hilti Demonstration & Lunch, 3701 West Royal Lane, Ste. 100, Irving, 10:30am. Come and see the latest tools from Hilti.

Mar. 8: Special free presentation of “Hammering It Out,” a film by Vivian Price, Hulen Movie Tavern, 6pm networking, 7pm film presentation Mar. 10: Bowling Night Social, Cowtown Bowling Palace, 4333 River Oaks Blvd, Fort Worth, 6pm Mar. 11: Joint event with Dallas chapter, Home Depot Workshop, Store #563, South Irving, 10am. Lunch to follow at On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, 2400 N. Belt Line Rd., Irving.

American Society of Civil Engineers Mar. 20: Branch meeting, Ruth’s Chris, 813 Main St., Fort Worth, 11:45am

N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.

AIA - Fort Worth American Institute of Architects

American Institute of Architects Mar. 8-10: Grassroots DC Mar. 18: Urban Sketchers

ASA North Texas American Subcontractors Association

American Subcontractors Assn.

Mar. 15-18: 2017 SUBExcel ASA- We Build Excellence, Denver Marriott City Center, 1701 California St., CO Mar. 23: Happy hour, Grapevine Brewery, 906 Jean St., Grapevine, 4pm Mar. 30: Membership meeting, Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N O’Connor Rd., Irving, 11am

ASCE - Fort Worth

ASSE American Society of Safety Engineers.

Mar. 13: Chapter meeting/social dinner, Anamia’s Tex-Mex, 3408 Preston Rd., Plano, 6pm. After the March meeting, monthly chapter meetings will resume at the Boy Scouts of America Headquarters.

DACA – DFW Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Assn.

Mar. 22: Membership meeting, Courtyard Marriott TownePlace Suites, 2200 Bass Pro Court, Grapevine, 11:30am

IEC - Dallas Independent Electrical Contractors

Mar. 8: General membership lunch meeting

NTRCA Mar. 8: Lunch and learn, International Bowling Museum, 621 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, 11:30am

NUCA – N. Tx. Nat’l. Utility Contractors Assn.

Mar. 22: NUCA Texas and NUCA North Texas joint annual members’ meeting, Wild Acre Brewery, 1734 E El Paso St., #190, Fort Worth, 2pm

PMI – Dallas Project Management Institute

Mar. 9: Dinner meeting, Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Dr., Farmers Branch, 6:30pm Mar. 23: Social Hour, Blue Mesa – Addison, 14866 Montfort Dr., Dallas, 5:30pm

IEC - Fort Worth

RHCA-DFW

Independent Electrical Contractors

Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.

Mar. 23: Annual meeting, City Club Fort Worth, 301 Commerce St., Fort Worth, 6:30pm

Mar. 2: Goodwill Industries of Dallas, 3020 N. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, 11am. RSVP to yolanda@regionalhca.org or (972) 786-0909.

ICRI - NT Int’l Concrete Repair Institute

SAM

Mar. 15-17: 2017 ICRI Spring Convention, Le Westin Montreal, Canada

Subcontractors Assn. of the Metroplex

NARI – Dallas Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

Mar. 3-5: The NARI Pavilion at the Texas Home and Garden Show, Dallas Market Hall, 2200 Stemmons Fwy., Dallas Mar. 23: Women In NARI (WIN), Blue Mesa Grill, 11:30am Mar. 25-26: NARI Annual Chili Cookoff, Ivey Lumber Sales, 10230 Plano Rd., Dallas

NAWIC - Dallas Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar. 6-11: Women in Construction (WIC) Week. Please RSVP to Jill Melançon at jill@ponder.com Mar. 6: The “Latest & Greatest” Hilti Tools Demonstration (lunch provided), Hilti Irving Campus, 3701 West Royal Ln., Ste, 100, Irving, 10:30am Mar. 7: Hard Hat Construction Expo, Eddie Deen Ranch & Catering, 944 S. Lamar St., Dallas, 5:30pm. Cost is $35 (includes dinner).

Mar. 8: Toyota Corporate Headquarters Presentation/Jobsite Tour, 6781 Headquarters Dr., Gate 3 (Austin Administration Trailer), Plano, 3pm Mar. 10: PSA2-Plano Sports Authority “Sports Flooring” Demo/Lunch Provided, 601 Seabrook Dr., Plano, 11:30am Mar. 11: Joint event with Dallas chapter, Home Depot Workshop, Store #563, 3200 W. Irving Blvd., Irving, 10am. Lunch to follow at On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, 2400 N. Belt Line Rd., Irving.

Mar. 2: Meeting, MCM Elegante, 2330 West NW Hwy, Dallas. Topic: OSHA Updates. Barb Fox from the Texas Department of Insurance – Workers’ Compensation Division will discuss recent OSHA updates, record keeping requirements and how OSHCON can help your company comply with OSHA standards. Cost is $35 members, $45 nonmembers. For info visit www.sam-dfw.org.

TACA

Corbet Design + Build announced Travis Walker as the company’s new director of business development.

In his new position, Walker will oversee external marketing efforts, new projects and client acquisition.

Prior to joining Corbet, Walker assisted with business development at engineering firm PE-Services and was employed as a sales representative for Eclipse Aesthetics. Walker is a graduate of Texas Tech University.

Weir & Associates Inc. announces the following: Priya Acharya, P.E., has been elected as an associate by the company’s board of directors.

Acharya joined the firm in March 2006 as an intern and began working as a full-time engineer in May 2007.

Acharya graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and obtained her professional engineering license in 2011.

Randy Eardley, P.E., has been elected as a senior associate by the board of directors and is also now a shareholder. Eardley joined the firm in Feb. 2005 as an engineer in training. Eardley graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.

Submissions

NAWIC - Fort Worth

Round-Up

AIA - Dallas

Architectural and engineering firm MULTATECH expanded its leadership team with the addition of Samuel “Sam” Peña, AIA, as vice president of architectural services.

Bringing more than 30 years of A/E industry experience to the role, Peña will secure and execute architectural and engineering projects for real estate development including retail, restaurant and industrial markets.

National Roofing Partners (NRP) in Dallas announces the addition of Eric S. Brandenburg as vice president.

Brandenburg will be responsible for planning, directing or coordinating NRP’s business units. Prior to joining NRP, Brandenburg worked for United Building Products and Georgia Pacific, and most recently held an operational and business development leadership role with Native Energy Solutions.

Keith Durst has been promoted to SEDALCO’s director of preconstruction services. Durst has been in a senior estimator position since joining the firm in 2009. He is a 1980 graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management.

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

Correction

T

here was an error printed in our February issue. The American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Southwest chapter will host only its March meeting at Anamia’s in Plano, and it will be structured as a social event. The association will resume its regular meetings at the Boy Scouts of America in Irving in May after it returns from its annual professional development conference Apr. 28. Construction News regrets the error.

Tx. Aggregates and Concrete Assn.

Mar. 2-3: Short Course, Calvary Court Hotel, College Station. Visit https://www. regonline.combuilder/site /default. aspx?EventID=1926817

Submitted to Construction News

Never too far to train

TGA – NTD Texas Society of Professional Engineers

Mar. 15: Lunch & Learn; contact michelleo@qualitypowdercoating.com

TPWA – N. Tx. Texas Public Works Assn.

Mar. 3: Dallas Mavericks Game, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Avenue, Dallas

TSPE – Preston Trail Tx. Society of Professional Engineers

Mar. 25: Texas MATHCOUNTS Competition

UMCA United Masonry Council

Mar. 7: TopGolf

When a Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) member needed his workers trained before the end of the month for a project, Ponce Contractors’ Elizabeth Ponce and RHCA safety instructor Juan Mendoza heeded the call. Both traveled from North Texas to Austin to train and present certificates. –mjm

Page 22

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Thinking of the children

Mart’s milestone

McCarthy’s Joe Jouvenal opens the kickoff.

N Mart Inc. in Dallas celebrates 40 years in the industry.

W

hen Vernon Proctor and wife Linda started general contracting company Mart Inc. in 1977, “integrity” was the word that they wanted to define their business. It was a lesson others in the industry taught Vernon early in his career and, 40 years later, it continues to shape how they treat customers, employees – even competitors.

“I have project managed in Dallas for a little over 50 years and I learned from some people in the business how important it was that your word meant everything,” Vernon says. “If you tell somebody something, it’s your bond and you don’t backtrack on something that you said. They were very successful and they taught me how important it is to just do what you say you’re going to do. If you do that, you’ll be the beneficiary of many things.”

Vernon got his industry start after graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a civil engineering degree and building service stations.

After gaining sales training at a manufacturer’s rep, he spent 10 years with a Dallas mechanical contractor.

“In the middle of that, I started buying houses on the M streets and I remodeled on the side 25 houses which provided me a stake to go in business,” he says. “In 1977, I incorporated Mart. I had a friend help me get my first job. I started managing jobs at night, loading trash on the jobs and all of the things it took to get the company going.”

Mart Inc., which specializes in renovations, additions and new construction,

has worked for more than 60 school district clients, 40 municipalities and many private clients. To keep up, the company works smart as well as hard.

Painters, carpenters and construction laborers are on staff and an equipment/ materials yard and metal shop for structural steel projects are maintained in Irving. Mart Inc. is also a licensed mechanical contractor.

The company also works hard to give back to its local and international communities. Mart Inc. contributed to playground project KaBOOM, as well as the Mary’s Playhouse restoration. Vernon has served on Irving city boards since 1985, and also offers construction counseling to countries such as Haiti, Chile, Brazil and Japan, affected by devastating events. He teaches locals structural skills that can help them build schools, churches and orphanages.

The second generation is now tasked with infusing every company interaction with integrity: Son Tim serves as vice president and is a minority owner. Tim began helping in the business at 14, and after a stint at The Beck Group, retuned to help his father in 1995. Vernon says Tim’s calm and thoughtful perspective contributes greatly to Mart Inc.’s success.

Vernon is proud of all the company has achieved in 40 years, but admits his daily work always kept him too busy to anticipate milestones like this one.

“I really never thought about it,” he says. “All I knew was I had a personality and a tenacious spirit, and I was going to fight every battle it took to get down the road.” –mjm

orth Texas architectural, engineering and construction companies gathered Jan. 26 at The Ginger Man in Dallas to kick off “KIDstruction Week 2017,” benefitting Children’s Medical Center Foundation. Participating companies offer employees an opportunity to contribute funds via payroll deduction for every hour worked during

Children’s Health KIDstruction Week in March. Many companies participate and are on the committee, including Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing, HDR, HKS, Inceptive, Kent Companies Inc., McCarthy, Spring Valley Construction Co., Skanska, Stantec, TDIndustries, TEXO and Walter P Moore. –mjm

Cadence McShane’s Joe Van Breeman and Angel Palomino and TEXO’s Kelsey Fitzpatrick

L-R: Walter P Moore’s Karen Rubin and James Davis

North Texas construction companies serve on The KIDstruction Committee.

Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

Page 23

New roles at Baker

MULTA-faceted firm

L-R: Bryan Baker and Steve Baker

B

akerTriangle’s Steve Baker and Bryan Baker took on new challenges in the New Year. Beginning Jan. 1, Steve Baker became chairman of BakerTriangle and Bryan Baker was promoted from president of the Fort Worth division to CEO. The upward shift in leadership is the latest in the 43 years since BakerDrywall and Triangle Plastering were founded.

Steve has dedicated more than four decades to the wall and ceiling industry – all at BakerTriangle. He started out at Triangle Plastering in 1975 after earning a business administration degree at Texas Tech. He bought the business from his father in 1983, managing and expanding it for 23 years. In 2005, Baker Drywall merged with Triangle Plastering, which was owned

by Steve’s brother Brad, and Steve became CEO of BakerTriangle in 2006.

Bryan began his career at Baker Drywall as an estimator after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a business administration degree. He went on to oversee the Fort Worth office for nine years.

Under their direction and with the help of more than 1,300 employees,

BakerTriangle has contributed to a range of projects, including hospitality, healthcare, education, sports facilities, retail and worship and has built a reputation for being safety-focused.

“We at BakerTriangle are excited about the recent promotions and succession plans put in place over two years ago,” Steve says. “Our strategic plan (over 10 years ago) included an emphasis on developing our leadership to succeed our long-term senior managers. Part of this plan involves keeping the senior leaders, many with over 35 years in the business, engaged with the new leadership. BakerTriangle has experienced tremendous growth within the state of Texas, including the manufacturing of prefabricated finished panels for multiple hospital and hotel projects. I am excited about Bryan’s leadership and his focus on customers, employees and innovation.”

BakerTriangle, an award-winning wall and ceiling contractor specializing in drywall and plaster, has six Texas locations in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, College Station and San Antonio, and also has an office in Tulsa, OK. –mjm

Industry FOLKS

T

hirty-one years ago, MULTATECH Architects and Engineers opened as a small Fort Worth firm with a handful of employees, offering only mechanical, electrical and plumbing design services. Since then, the firm has grown into a three-office, full-service A/E firm.

The evolution began in 1999 when Alfred Saenz, who is now chairman and CEO, took control of the firm. The addition of Jack A. Otteson, PE, in 2001 marked the creation of the firm’s civil division; under Otteson’s direction, the firm began offering engineering and construction management services to Class I railway companies, state and federal agencies.

The architectural division was born five years later when Hong P. Chen, AIA, joined as vice president and principal.

Chen, who now serves as president and COO, developed relationships with energy service, government, industrial, commercial and retail sector clients. In 2011, Paul Padilla PE, vice president, joined MULTATECH and expanded the civil engineering practice into municipal

I

Carrie Edomm Controller Astro Sheet Metal Co. Inc

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arrie Edomm was never one for making lists, but now she has enough balls in the air to make it worth the effort. The 35-year-old wife and mom works as a controller at Astro Sheet Metal Co. Inc., serves as treasurer of the Subcontractors Association of the Metroplex (SAM) and last month began her new role as SAM’s executive director.

Edomm began working parttime at Astro, which was founded by her grandfather John Paxton, while she attended the University of Texas at Arlington. She worked briefly for another company to gain a different work experience, and returned to Astro in 2005. She now works alongside her brother, two uncles, four cousins and her cousin’s husband, and a host of employees that feel like family.

She says her business management degree and strong accounting background make the job an ideal fit.

“I like that every day is different,” she says. “I love the small business environment. There are a few hard deadlines; I have some flexibility. It’s not high stress, but the things I do are important. I love being here every day.

I feel that working here is the best way to honor my grandfather.”

Her father, Allan Paxton, was president at Astro for 25 years, and would tell her and her brother Steve about his membership in SAM and his role on the board of directors. The siblings joined SAM as well, and Edomm began taking on more responsibility within the association.

“About three years ago, I was asked to be on the board of SAM, so

MULTATECH Architects and Engineers’ Fort Worth staff

Carrie Edomm

I took that position,” she says. “Shortly after that, the treasurer wanted to step down and wanted to know if I was interested, since she knew that I had an accounting background. I took that on, and since parts of the money and membership side of SAM fell under that role, when Pete Snider decided to retire as executive director, he recommended that I take the position. It has been a natural progression, which has been nice, since it challenges me in a different way than my job at Astro.”

Challenges include keeping track of work, SAM and family – hence the lists.

“I have been married to my husband Brian for 12 years,” Edomm said.“We have two boys, 9-year-old Jacob and 7-yearold Andrew. There is very little time for much more than that! The kids are the center of our world. I have a large extended family, and try to hang out with my friends when I can. And I try to carve a few hours for myself once a week. It’s more important than ever now.” –mjm

and land development.

In three decades, MULTATECH not only grew in scope and size (it added Dallas and Overland Park, KS offices), but also cultivated its supportive employee culture. Gatherings during and after work are frequent, and the group recently enjoyed a family day at Six Flags. The firm also supports its employees’ and interns’ endeavors, reimbursing registration exam fees if they successfully become licensed as an architect or professional engineer. Now 70 employees strong, MULTATECH is looking ahead to the next step.

“We’re in the mood to grow. If we did not have that particular outlook, we would not be where we are at,” Chen says. “The partners know the economy experiences growing pains, but we all have a forward-thinking mindset.”

MULTATECH offers architecture, mechanical, electrical, civil engineering and construction management services.

The firm serves aviation, commercial, educational, healthcare, industrial, military, municipal, rail and retail clients. –mjm

Kiss her ring!

n honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Construction News set out to ask industry folks about the lucky charms they carry, and we admit that we had some preconceived notions of what we’d see (Rabbit’s feet.

Special coins. Bits and bobs that dangle from key chains.).

But that was before we asked the question of Phillips/May project administrator/supervisor Janice Webb a.k.a. “No. 1 Boss Lady.” Now we know that luck doesn’t come out of a gumball machine, oh no it doesn’t. Webb taught us that luck must be specially made just for us and flaunted on our fingers, Beyonce–style, to inspire the unlucky among us.

For Webb, luck comes in the form of a silver ring inscribed with the words “No. 1 Boss Lady.” Webb doesn’t just call herself this. Mere mortals bestowed this title on Webb. People call her this so often that a ring had to be created lest anyone should forget the tale of how it came to be. –mjm

Construction News JOB SIGHT

New coat for spring

L-R: CAM Construction and Remodeling’s German Maldonado, Nelso Madrano and Martin Olla paint the interior of a doctor’s office in Arlington on Collins St. CAM Construction and Remodeling serves as general contractor for the remodeling project, which was slated for completion at the end of February. –mjm

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Mar 2017

The en(gineering) crowd

Preston trail president Nick Ataie, event chairs Mark Pacheco and Alan Greer, honorary chair Khaled Naja of DFW Airport and Dallas chapter president Monica Kent of Huitt-Zollars Inc.

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he North Texas region’s top engineers were celebrated Feb. 16 at the Texas Society of Professional Engineers’ (TSPE) annual Engineers Week 2017 Luncheon. The event, hosted at Plano Centre, also gave guests an opportunity to network with the largest audience of professional engineers in Texas. WFAATV’s Colleen Coyle served as the event’s emcee and Bud Weinstein, Ph.D of Southern Methodist University, delivered the keynote speech. –mjm

L-R: Society of Petroleum Engineers International’s (Dallas section) Engineer of the Year Gary Schein, Pioneer Natural Resources, president-elect Rob Bruant and Young Engineer of the Year Robert D. Rogers III EIT, Fleur de Lis Energy LLC

L-R: American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (Dallas section) chair Jason Balangee and AIChE Engineer of the Year David S. Dickey Ph.D, MixTech Inc.

Not pictured: American Society of Civil Engineers’ (Dallas branch) Young Engineer of the Year, Jennifer Roath EIT

McCarthy makeover

L-R: Texas Society of Professional Engineers’ (Dallas chapter) Young Engineer of the Year James T. Morris PE MBA MSE, Jacobs Engineering, president Monica Kent and Engineer of the Year Terry Preuninger PE, Oncor

L-R: Texas Society of Professional Engineers’ (Preston Trail chapter)’s Engineer of the Year Kevin Johnson PE, Freese and Nichols Inc., president Nick Ataie PE and Young Engineer of the Year Adam Cross PE, Hayden Consultants

McCarthy CEO Mike Bolen greets guests.

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cCarthy Building Companies in Dallas hosted an open house to celebrate its newly renovated office and to mark the company’s 35th year in Texas. In addition to admiring the

updated layout, guests could experiment with the company’s Virtual Reality program. –mjm

McCarthy’s Taleen Savant hands out party favors.

Mike Herrera and a guest enjoy the renovated space.

(Natalia Florencio Photography)

Keynote speaker Dr. Bud Weinstein, professor at SMU for Maguire Energy Institute

L-R: American Society of Civil Engineers’ (Dallas branch) president Frank Puglsley and Engineer of the Year Douglas L. Smith PE, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.

L-R: Society of Military Engineers’ Member of the Year Vince Saroni PE, CP&Y Inc., Dallas chapter president Tylor Bortoff and Young Engineer of the Year Lesley R. Schwalje PE, HNTB Corporation

L-R: American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Engineer of the Year Phillip R. Lloyd PE, Raytheon Company, president Randy Heinrich and Young Engineer of the Year Joseph Radisek, Materials Processing Inc.

Guests could try out McCarthy’s Virtual Reality program.