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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper from the Construction News Team
www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 14 H Number 12 H DECEMBER 2017
Charmed, he’s sure
He’ll never go out of tile
L-R: Casanova Concrete employee Pablo Ibarra, owner Fernando Meza and employee Jose Benavente
Gurmets Tile owner Ben Gurment
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he name of Fernando Meza’s company, Casanova Concrete, started off as a joke, but it’s one that Meza finds himself forever explaining. “I’m called ‘Casanova’ but I don’t know why, because I’m not charming at all!” Meza says with a laugh. If Meza isn’t getting by on his charm, then he is definitely getting by on his skill in concrete. He’s spent 17 years perfecting his technique, and began working in his family’s construction company since he was 19 years old. In 1999, Meza came to the United States from Zacatecas, Mexico. After living in Arkansas for six months, he moved to Fort Worth, and eventually secured a job with used turf installer
ProTurf Recyclers. Last year, he started Casanova Concrete while continuing to work at ProTurf, and says the company has been incredibly supportive of the new “love” in his life. In fact, he says the companies compliment each other. He loves doing the turf, grading and dirt work for ProTurf and the “learning, learning, learning” that owning his own company provides. At the moment, Meza’s company has three employees, and while he looks forward to future growth, he doesn’t want to lose that “small business charm.” “I want a big company, but not as big as 100 employees,” he says. “I’d like to have about 15 employees and keep working.” continued on Page 17
A
fter Benjamin “Ben” Gurment’s service in the Army ended, he didn’t have to march far to find his next career. Ben ran into a buddy who owned a construction company and went to work for him, bringing along his tile-setter dad, Benny Gurment for the ride. After realizing he could make more money owning a tile setting business, Ben decided to strike out on his own. His only problem? Ben didn’t know enough about tile setting to do it alone. Fortunately, Benny had 20 years of tile installation experience and was happy to not only show his son the tricks of the trade, but to also come and work for him. Since Ben established Gurments Tile
in 2015, other family members have shown the same faith in him and have joined the family business. “I have my dad, my uncle, my little brother and my older brother working for me; I have my tile setters and my helper!” Ben says with pride. From his dad, Ben says he has learned “consistency. As far as tile work, it’s time consuming, but you also have to be in a time frame. He’s taught me a lot as far as laying tile. When I started, I didn’t really know anything; I just had the money for the business. He pretty much taught me everything that I know.” Even with the help of his father and the rest of his family, Ben admits there is continued on Page 17
Making a splash
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uilt in 1985, North Lake College’s natatorium is a community asset in heavy rotation. Shared between the college, Irving ISD and the City of Irving, the natatorium is Irving’s only Olympic-size pool. The USA Swim Club and other schools utilize it for swim practices and competitions and the community enjoys swim lessons, water aerobics and other events there. Conveniently, the Pirouettes of Texas synchronized swim team calls Irving home. By 2013, however, the facility’s age and constant use was starting to show, and North Lake College could no longer sustain the natatorium’s declining state. That year, the Dallas Morning News ran an article stating that the college was closing the facility in 2020, leaving Irving with only one indoor pool. This news prompted the City of Irving and Irving ISD to meet with the
college and convince them to not only keep the natatorium open but to renovate it. General contractor Cadence McShane was enlisted to remove the pool facility’s fabric pressure-inflated roof structure, replace it with a permanent roof structure, install HVAC systems and update the pool area equipment. Project manager Jennifer Norris and superintendent Justin Milam worked with Stantec to restore the natatorium while being mindful of the community’s financial resources. Problem solving began in the preconstruction phase by producing value-engineering options that reduced the project’s final cost by nearly 8%. “The existing building actually had its original fabric roof. It was inflatable and had this air system inside that kept it inflated; you couldn’t leave doors propped open too long because if you Cadence McShane’s North Lake College Natatorium renovation is keeping Irving swimming.
continued on Page 17