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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper Steves & Sons Inc., Page 22
www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 21 H Number 6 H JUNE 2018
Next in line
Timeless values, new look
Top L-R: Brian Wilson, Todd Hartmann, Phillip Marrin and James May. Bottom L-R: Stephanie Mills, George Marrin, Joe Wood and Jacob Morales.
Metropolitan Contracting’s Chris Carruth and Jane Feigenbaum, with the old logo (left) and new one (right)
I
n the construction industry, we see reigns being past down or knowledge being shared with newcomers. Joe Wood, service project manager for Mueller & Wilson Inc., was with the company for 12 years. In April, his coworkers, management and executives celebrated his retirement with a surprise party. It took a few weeks to tweak it all together and Woods sure made it challenging. “I had a feeling something was going on, but I didn’t think it would be of this magnitude and I appreciate that,” said Wood. We should also mention the interview with Construction News was part of the surprise. It worked. Wood’s story with Mueller & Wilson
may be short, but his sheet metal story dates back to his grandfather and father, who were both sheet metal workers. “Work is work – it can be bad work or good work – this has always been good work,” said Wood. Yes, 44 years of “good work” to be exact. His humility when we met was obvious, but what we learned was he was a good influence to many at the company and others in the industry. Stephanie Mills, billing administrator, said, “He’s been very influential in my career.” Then, as some of you may or may not know, Wood would teach at the apprentice school. “There’s not a face out there that I continued on Page 21
M
etropolitan Contracting is a born and bred San Antonio company, founded in 1986 by Tim Swan and Steve Schuetze. It specializes in private-sector commercial work, and to date has completed over 4,000 projects across 26 states. The leadership of Metropolitan and of its customer base is changing. Metropolitan had to take a good look at itself and the new world in which they worked. Chief operating officer Jane Feigenbaum said, “About a year ago, we decided to do a self-assessment. Are we really who we think we are? Are we really who we say we are? Are we doing what we profess that we do?” Fortunately, the assessment results validated their beliefs. The rub comes when
one factors in the new generation of leaders who will be asking for their services. “The client base is changing,” said Chris Carruth, strategic development officer. This new client base now does business on a smart phone, perhaps far away. The sons and daughters of the fathers who knew Metropolitan Contracting may not anymore. Thus, a result of the self-assessment came the need to re-brand. Metropolitan Contracting has changed its logo, while at the same time retaining its values and business model. It will be much more engaged in the various social media platforms. “We recognize the need to expand our presence,” Carruth said. “We want the new brand to continued on Page 21
Growth in the gardens
T
he San Antonio Botanical Garden has come a long way since its idea was first conceived in the 1940s. Forty years later, the San Antonio Botanical Garden officially opened to the public in May 1980. Since then, it has been an attraction for tourists and a place of tranquility to San Antonio residents. In 2016, the San Antonio Botanical Garden underwent a 10-acre expansion in two phases to bring new opportunities for exploring and connecting with nature and, at the same time, discover the value of plants, water, freshly grown foods and, of course, the beautiful outdoors. Kopplow Construction completed Phase 1 of the Botanical Gardens expansion in February of this year. The project took 18 months to complete at a cost of approximately $15 million. The first phase of the expansion project consisted of a 10-acre site that includes
a new welcome center, gift shop, ticket kiosk, outdoor kitchen and culinary garden, family adventure garden and related site and parking improvements. The Family Adventure Garden is a 2.5-acre nature play and learning place for families to explore the regions of South Texas, from an urban backyard to the Texas Hill Country and the South Texas Plains with ephemeral creeks, thundering ridges, beckoning hills, and tranquil pools. Classrooms are available to the community and for school programs along with an outdoor pavilion for events with a kitchen surrounded by a culinary garden. The air conditioning system used was designed to capture air-conditioning condensation for use as a water supply. The project required a large portion of site work, which included concrete work, dirt work and landscaping planted with many drought-tolerant plants. HowSkyview of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens after the expansion.
continued on Page 21