San Antonio Construction News July 2018

Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style

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th of July

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The Industry’s Newspaper mysanantonio,com

www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 21 H Number 7 H JULY 2018

Not your father’s demo

In “charge” of talent

Timothy Ramon, president of JR Ramon Demolition

L-R: Damian Rodriguez, Sr.; Damian Rodriguez, Jr.; David Rodriguez and Guadalupe M. Garcia

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hen WW II hero Joe Ramon Sr. came back from the Pacific in 1945 (Iwo Jima, to be precise), he bought a dump truck and a backhoe and started grading and paving roads in San Antonio.

In 1968, Ramon Sr. was asked to clear out some old streets and houses to make way for the HemisFair ‘68 project. Shortly thereafter, demolition became the main focus of Ramon’s company, which now included his sons, Joe Ramon Jr. and Robert Ramon. The company was registered with the State of Texas as J.R. Ramon & Sons, Inc. The company is now known amongst the construction world JR RAMON Demolition.

Grandson Timothy began working with Joe Jr., at an early age, every week-

end and summer. He remembers working on equipment as young as 8 years old.

“Dad wouldn’t babysit me; he’d send me off with a crew,” Tim recalls.

Joe Jr. took over for Joe Sr. in 1986.

Now it was time for Tim to take over the family business and let his father retire.

Tim became president of JR RAMON in 2015.

“Technologies, techniques and equipment [for the demolition industry] have grown leaps and bounds throughout the past 30-40 years,” Tim said.

Some “old school” principals and procedures of demolition, such as recycling as much materials as possible, have expanded with the use of modern equipcontinued on Page 21

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on’t blame the industry’s tradesmen shortage on Damian Rodriguez Sr. The owner of Assurance Electrical Contractors is doing more than his part to attract young talent to the electrical industry, starting with his two sons, Damian Rodriguez Jr. and David Rodriguez. Both young men were so inspired by their father’s hard work in the industry, they’ve followed his lead.

“They’re working with me now and I’m very proud of them,” Damian Sr. says.

“When they were younger, they liked to come along on jobs. They helped the guys by bringing materials and learned from them. I explained to them when they wanted to help me that it was hard work to do. But they were willing to do that instead of going to college or some

other path; they wanted to learn a trade.

At age 16, they helped me on night shifts, weekends, summers and earned their apprenticeship licenses. Both are successful now and will have earned their journeymen’s licenses by the age of 20.

Damian Jr. has his license and David will be earning his this month.”

It’s a scenario Damian Sr. is familiar with: Growing up, he was inspired by his own family who worked in the electrical contracting field. He began at an electrical business, transitioned to a union company, earned his masters license and then established Assurance Electrical Contractors in 2004.

The business’ beginnings were humble. The staff consisted of only continued on Page 21

A gem shines again

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riven by the desire to produce a quality product and develop long-term professional relationships with clients and design teams has allowed founders Micha and William Pugh of Pugh Constructors Inc. the ability to be selective in the types of projects and total revenue they undertake.

It is this aspiration that made Pugh Constructors the perfect fit for the restoration of the Arevalo N. Alamo Building.

The renovation of the 18,565sf Arevalo N. Alamo Building took one year to complete, having started May 30, 2017 and completed on May 31, 2018. The project cost over $3million to complete, start to finish and will be used for tenant, commercial and residential use.

For those of you who are not familiar with downtown and the Arevalo N. Alamo Building, this is the original YMCA building built in 1907 and located only three blocks from the Alamo and was deThe Arevalo Alamo Building located at 219 N. Alamo. Photo courtesy of Alfredo Mora.

signed and built with sustainability in mind. Over the years, ownership of the building has changed hands to include ownership by the Joske’s family.

The 110-year-old building required the complete renovation of the four-story structure located in downtown San Antonio. The aged beauty required renovation and repair of the brick façade, sidewalk repairs, roof repairs, structural steel work, architectural wood work, installation of aluminum clad windows and storefronts, new flooring, antique wood re-finishing, plaster, structural glazing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing overhaul for a complete interior finishout.

The primary materials used for this renovation was concrete, brick, structural steel, glazing, architectural woodwork, reclaimed lumber, finishes and MEP. Renovating a dilapidated 110-yearold building in a confined work environcontinued on Page 21

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San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Archibald’s legacy

Chase Anderson (left) and Jimmy Shafer (right), owners of Shafer Services Plus

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hafer Services Plus has been in San Antonio since 1884, when it was called Shafer Plumbing, founded by Archibald Shafer. It installed the first commercial air conditioning system in the U.S. at the Milam Building in downtown San Antonio.

After Archibald came Presley Shafer, Sr., then Presley, Jr. Presley, Jr.’s, son, Jimmy, spent time in west Texas hauling, digging and moving dirt, and was given the option to pursue any career path he wanted. After spending some time in Saudi Arabia, Jimmy came back to San Antonio to the family firm.

What Jimmy really enjoyed was the service business and interacting with people, improving their lives. He took this new division of Shafer, which wasn’t very well developed, and beefed it up. “I really enjoyed that portion of the business,” he said.

In 1988, Shafer Plumbing ceased to exist, and out of that came Shafer Services.

Fast forward to the 2000s. TCU grad Chase Anderson had also been trying to find his passion where he could “interact with as many people as I could and im-

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prove as many lives as I could through those interactions.”

This long and winding road led him to meet up with Jimmy Shafer. Through the course of dialoging together, Jimmy told Anderson about his future and the future of Shafer Services. One day Jimmy would step aside and let someone else take the family business to the next level and a new generation of customers.

Thus, Anderson became an owning partner with Jimmy on May 1, 2017. Anderson wants to “Take what we know is an incredible foundation and continue to build on that and create a service business that everyone in San Antonio recognizes as being the ultimate in quality and customer service.”

Archibald Shafer left Pennsylvania in the ‘90s to fulfill his passion of being a plumber and HVAC service provider.

Making people’s lives better was his goal, as well as spending his days doing what he loved. This dream has lived on through his great-grandson and now a new leader of the company Archibald founded.

Shafer is an HVAC/plumbing service in San Antonio-dsz

Warrior golf

s Memorial Day approached, Baker Triangle showed their support and respect for those who so unselfishly gave so much. The 11th Annual Baker Triangle Charity Golf Tournament benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project was held May 25. –cmw Winners: 1st Place: H & E Equipment – Ricky Campa, Pat Mucci, Jason Marcom and Joe

Ramirez 2nd Place: Action Gypsum – Gary Perez, Lenin Juarez II, Robert Gatica and Todd Crosby 3rd Place: HD Supply - Dustin Patrick, Alan Carouth, Jimmy Altgelt and Sonny Vinton Longest Drive: Jeff Young, Skanska Closest-to-the-Pin: Al Vasquez, SpawGlass Contractors

1st Place Team H & E Equipment

Baker Triangle President Mike Sireno (left) and Jon Randolph (right) present the check for donations raised at this year’s tournament.

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

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The power of color

Life craft

Sherwin-Williams employees pose for a photo after giving Boys Scout Troop/Pack 471 a touch-up.

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elieving in the power of color to transform, Sherwin-Williams celebrates National Painting Week. It’s a week dedicated to refreshing the places we live in and a time when they can all pick up their brushes and give our community spaces a little touch-up.

Every year, Sherwin-Williams em-

ployees at more than 4,200 neighborhood Sherwin-Williams stores across North America partner with local organizations to find projects that could use a fresh coat of paint. This year, SherwinWilliams San Antonio District gave Boys Scout Troop/Pack 471 in Rio Medina a long overdue touch up. -cmw

A family tradition

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L-R: Leslie Christians, Chris Christians IV, Kevin Brown

n the second Tuesday of each month, Lynwood Building Materials has their customer appreciation day; sometimes breakfast, sometimes lunch. With summer in full swing, Popsicles was the theme in June and will be in July for Lynwood customers. So, visit Lynwood in July and grab a Popsicle (or two) on your way out.

Lynwood opened for business on Oct. 1, 1980 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the nationally acclaimed lathing and plastering contracting company, Chris B. Christians, Inc., founded in 1910. Christians’ business experienced continued growth during the early ‘50s with the addition of his sons, C.A. (Sonny) and J.W. (Buddy), to the family company. The Christians brothers continued to expand and diversify with the purchase of Lynwood Brick and Tile in 1974.

After briefly leasing the property to another brick company, the Christians reacquired the yard at Lynwood and supplemented it with additional materials inventory. Shortly thereafter, they decid-

ed to separate the material sales from the contracting company, thus Lynwood Building Materials came into existence.

Chris Christians III, owner, CEO and grandson of Chris B. Christians, oversees Lynwood operations from his ranch in Yancy. The newest generation, his children, Chris Christians IV, Vice President, and Leslie Christians, Assistant Manager, run the in-house operations along with Kevin Brown, General Manager.

“You couldn’t work with a nicer, better group of people than the Christians,” says Brown, whose been with Lynwood for 28 years.

For sure, the Christians business is a long time family tradition, 108 years as of 2018.

The name “Lynwood” came from the previous Christians’ business located on Lynwood Street in San Antonio. Lynwood Street and surrounding streets were named after a suburb of Los Angeles. –rd

Lynwood Building Materials is a materials supplier in San Antonio serving Austin and South Texas.

Victor Salas, founder and owner of ARTchitectural Interiors

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ifty years ago, a then-15-year-old Victor Salas decided he was going to work in construction – and work for himself.

“I started in 1968, and I was lucky because I started with a lot of work,” Salas remembers. “I was doing restoration on an old house and working on a Hilton Hotel, the Plaza of San Antonio, the Crockett Hotel, The St. Anthony and the Guenther House while we were getting ready for the fair. That was fortunate for me, because I was able to get a jump start on things.”

His story, however, actually starts long before that – Salas is the fifth generation in his family to craft amazing creations from metal and wood.

“It goes all the way back to Spain,” Salas says. “In Austurias, my great grandfather did woodworking. My great grandfathers on my mother’s side, also from Spain, did metal working. As I was growing up, I got to work with my father and his father and my uncles on his side. I learned carving, woodworking, metalworking, painting, fine finishing, and faux finishing. It was unbelievable; the old craftsmen knew how to do so many things. I was in the ring doing all of these different things as a kid.”

Salas wanted to build on his skills and possibly become an architect like one of his uncles, but his passion for craftsmanship that he learned from his family won out. Even with his family connections, however, he realized he wouldn’t be going into a family business.

“My father had a little shop, but he never really wanted to grow,” Salas explains. “My grandfather had a small shop, but my uncles never really wanted to go through the problems and the bad economies.”

So, before he hit his sweet 16, Salas founded Salas & Co. in San Antonio.

Today, the business, with its 100,000sf facility and showroom and 15 employees, has evolved into ARTchitectural Interiors. The company serves commercial and residential clients in the United States, Mexico, South America and the Middle East.

“We stick to subcontracting,” Salas explains. “We do a lot of wood staircases, metal staircases, unique bridges, and out-of-the-ordinary projects with metal and wood. I’ve been fortunate to be involved in the design of a lot of things.

It’s very gratifying to be able to do things, to fix things, to make things work.

“We’ve been fortunate to be a part of award-winning projects all over the place,” Salas continues. “I’ve worked on the Pearl, the Alamo and all of the missions as far as woodworking and metalworking. I’ve worked on many restorations around Texas.”

Salas has enjoyed passing on his knowledge to others. He has partnered with the Office of Historic Preservation, teaching at University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio College and trade students about restoration. He has also happily helped some of his employees start their own businesses.

However, Salas is most proud to teach his family’s sixth generation the craft as he was taught.

“My son Victor Hugo has a similar business – he has his own system of how he wants to do it – and he’s doing great.

My daughter Ashley Salas Perez is running the show at ARTchitectural now, and my oldest son George is running the installations. My ex-wife, Sylvia, works here also, and she owns a percentage of it! I help them run everything and we’re all together doing a heck of a job.”

Subcontractor ARTchitectural Interiors is in San Antonio. –mjm

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San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Golfing at Sonterra

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he Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association Greater San Antonio Chapter (TACCA) hosted their 29th annual golf tournament Jun. 4. With temperatures in the high 90s, the cooling contractors knew how to keep cool and had a great time. –cmw Tournament winners: 1st Place: The Pollex Group- Larry Moody, Robert Gunder, Dawn Todd Montgomery, Brent Warner

5th Place: David Barton, Gardner Law, Ernest Franco & Joseph Long, Kedem Financial, Dee Walker Risk Protection Managers 12th Place: Johnstone Supply, Pete Martinez, Jr., Andy Valenzuela, Dawn, Mike Wallace, Richard Salinas Longest Drive: Jeff Jendrzey, ComfortAir Engineering Closest to the Pin: Jim Rosenthal, TexAir Filters

Clays of electricity

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he Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) hosed their 10th annual sporting clay fun shoot Jun. 1 at the San Antonio Gun Club. “What a great shooting day we had! We had our biggest turnout ever with 127 shooters,” says Executive Director Julie Howard. -cmw Traveling Team Trophy: 1st Place: Team Ancira 2 – John Johnson, Clyde Culver, Larry Duke and Dewey McTee (score 187) 2nd Place: Team Ancira 1 – Larry Jones, Jay Gable, Bruce Culver and Bryan Catalani (score 183) 3rd Place: Team Broadway Bank – John Cruz, Tom Quintero, Joe Kryszak and Neil Boecking (score 163)

Men Flight 1Winners: 2nd Place: Jay Gable, score 50 3rd Place: Jody Johnson, score 49 Men Flight 2 Winners: 1st Place: Kyle Gaylord, score 37 2nd Place: Wyatt Ortiz, score 37 3rd Place: Brad Jones, score 37 Men Flight 3 Winners: 1st Place: Johnnie Knox, score 23 2nd Place: Brandon Beck, score 23 3rd Place: Wally Esquivel, score 23 Women’s Flight Winners: 1st Place: Kate Moser, score 24 2nd Place: Annalise Heuse, score 20 3rd Place: Loretta Kerner, score 14

1st Place – The Pollex Group

First Place Traveling Team Trophy: Team Ancira 2

1st Place Men Flight 1 – Tom Quintero, score 50

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 5

Call your cousin

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Patricio Cuellar (blue shirt) and crew workers.

hey would call his dad “primo,” meaning cousin in Spanish. “That’s his nickname,” said Primo Painting Project Manager Luis Cuellar.

Patricio Cuellar, also known as “primo,” is the founder/owner of the company that has been around since 1989.

Luis recalls working with his father in the summers. He explains that his father never really wanted him to paint, but wanted him to prep. “The reason he said this is that anybody can paint, but you have to know how to prep. Over the summers he would take me with him and I’ve been around it all my life,” said Luis.

Once he was prepped, Luis began to paint around 2004-05. He remembers when he first started working at Primo Painting there was a “huge project” they had to undertake. “We’ve done a lot of projects at [Six Flags] Fiesta Texas.” He adds they have also done work with the Alamo Colleges, but the most challenging yet was the project he referred to as the “huge project,” which turned out to be painting a building 360.

The Primo Painting painters average between seven to eight crewmembers.

As project manager, Luis says that the crewmembers know exactly what they need to do to get the job done. “A lot of the guys have a lot of experience.” Even when a challenge arises such as correlating schedules, trying to get everybody at the right place, at the right time; they know how to overcome it.

Did you know the painting industry gets a makeover too? Due to the painting advancements with products, Luis believes there are a lot of products that are coming and making their job a little bit easier.

So, aside from their internal performances, the company is also expanding externally with their warehouse. Luis said they are, “trying to expand things and maintain the workflow.”

Nonetheless, Patricio’s vision for his company has painted themselves a welldeserved portrait to hang.

Primo Painting is a commercial and residential painting contractor in San Antonio.

–lv

Industry FOLKS Joshua Olin Jones Project Coordinator Intertech Commercial Flooring San Antonio, TX

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f you are in the commercial construction industry in San Antonio, you probably know Josh Olin Jones. If you are an avid outdoorsmen, you probably know Josh.If you are into barbequing, you most definitely know Josh and his father, Mark.

Jones was born in Houston, TX in the oldest hospital, the first hospital, in Houston - St. Joseph Hospital. At the age of six he moved to Oak Hill, an area between Austin and Dripping Springs, where he grew up. “I couldn’t have imagined growing up anywhere else, plenty of hill country to roam and no humidity! I got to experience Austin how it was intended and not how it is now.”

He graduated from James Bowie High School in Austin. After graduating high school, he went to work as a ranch hand for several years. This is probably where his real passion for the outdoors began.

What you probably didn’t know about Jones is that he was once an MMA fighter. For those of you that don’t know, like myself, what an MMA fighter is, it is a mixed martial arts fighter. From 2002-2007, Jones held a pro card as an MMA fighter. Due to rib injuries, Jones retired and moved to San Antonio and began working in the construction industry with Intertech Commercial Flooring as a coordinator. “Most of my family is in the industry in some sort of fashion.”

Jones has been married to his beautiful wife, Heather, for nine years.

They do not have children per say, they have dogs - a yellow lab named Tejas, a chocolate lab named Whiskey, and a basset hound named Bella. In his free time, he enjoys training his dogs.

As you may have surmised, Jones is your typical outdoorsman. His hobbies include, and I quote, “hunting, firearms/archery, competitive barbecuing, training his dogs for bird season, and taking care of the horses.” He enjoys spending his free time outdoors, working his land, shooting bows, playing with guns and messing with his horses.

“The fact that I get to work for my father is the thing I like most about my job. My mentors are all of the male figures in my family. Every one of them are the hardest working men I know.

My grandfather, Scrapps Jones, instilled the value of a hard day’s work into the entire Jones family. Regardless of what you are doing, do it to the best of your ability. My father, Mark Jones, has carried that out through the years teaching me. And I thank God for having the opportunity that I do through Intertech Flooring and Bill Imhoff. Bill has been a role model over the years and it’s an honor to be able to work for someone like that, and as well, him being a great friend!” -cmw

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Hop in

The heat didn’t stop Stacy Reynolds, marketing director for Alamo Iron Works, from hopping into the DeWalt racecar during their AIW promotional event. –lv

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San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Lookback interest Trey Hardy, CPA Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC Dallas, TX

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ith respect to certain contracts, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) requires contractors to compute and pay interest using the Percentage of Completion Method (“PCM”). This article explores why and how the IRS computes this interest.

The IRS obviously wants taxpayers to pay their taxes, but it also wants taxpayers to pay their taxes when the income is considered taxable. If the contractor doesn’t pay when the income is considered taxable, the IRS will impose interest.

This “lookback interest” prevents contractors from trying to benefit from delaying the recognition of revenue — and therefore deferring their tax liability — until the end of the contract period.

Understanding how contractors recognize revenue under PCM contracts helps to understand the calculation of lookback interest. Under the PCM, contractors’ recognized revenue equals the contract price times a fraction where the numerator is actual costs and the denominator is estimated total costs. Put differently, contractors under the PCM are recognizing revenue based on the costs they incur. For example, if the contractor had no expenses related to a certain contract for a period, the contractor would recognize no revenue related to that contract for that period, and therefore would have no tax to pay related to that contract. This is true regardless of whether the contractor has billed the customer.

Lookback interest is computed after the project is complete by looking back at the contract’s life and determining the revenue that should have been recognized (and the tax that should have been paid) throughout the life of the contract.

Since this analysis is performed after the project is complete, the IRS bases lookback interest on actual costs per year over actual total costs for the contract.

Because lookback interest is computed using actual costs instead of estimated costs, a difference can arise between the amount of revenue recognized by the contractor in a given year and the amount of revenue recognized under the IRS’s lookback interest calculation for that given year. For example, if the contractor recognized less revenue in the first year of a four-year contract using estimated costs than the IRS determines should have been recognized using actual costs, the contractor will owe lookback interest on the underpayment of tax for that first year. Conversely, if the contractor recognized too much revenue for a given year,

the IRS will pay the contractor interest on the overpayment of tax. The same interest rate applies to both situations.

In conclusion, the IRS imposes lookback interest to ensure that contractors are using fair estimates for recognizing their revenue (and paying their tax). If the cost estimates for the contracts are close to actual costs, lookback interest should be minimal. If the estimated costs vary from what the actual costs total, there will be lookback interest — either in the form of lookback interest due the Government or an overpayment refundable to the contractor by the Government. As always, please consult your tax advisor in order to confirm that the contractor is subject to the lookback interest calculation and to accurately determine to what contracts the lookback interest calculation applies.

After joining our firm, Trey has aligned himself to be an asset to not only our firm, but our tax department as well. Trey specializes his knowledge and efforts within our Construction Group, along with working with manufacturing, distribution, and real estate industries. Some of his current responsibilities include organizing and coordinating clients’ tax data for the accurate, timely completion of individual tax returns and simple-to moderately-complex corporate, partnership, S-corp, and trust tax returns. He also prepares and reviews individual, corporate, and partnership income tax returns, as well as state income and franchise tax returns. Trey’s additional duties include being a member of the tax training committee and the further training and supervision of our lower tax staff.

Under-kicked your insurance coverage Austin Goolsby, Vice President TexCap Insurance Dallas, TX

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e’ve all heard the phrase that he or she has “outkicked their coverage” when referring to a significant other. It’s a common expression used to suggest that you, a friend or relative is in a relationship with someone they believe is out of your or their league. The contrary can be said all too often when it comes to your company’s general liability insurance.

The commercial general liability (CGL) policy is provided to cover the two basic perils of property damage and bodily injury, and it’s made up of five basic parts. The declarations of the policy outline the basics that tailor’s the policy to meet the needs of your specific company or companies. Those include but are not limited to; the names of all entities insured, the limits of coverage and applicable deductibles, a description of operations divided up into classifications or class codes and list of their applicable locations, policy numbers and everyone’s favorite…premium. The insuring agreement contains the insurance company’s promise to pay on your behalf and defend your company should a claim arise during the policy term. This agreement is a binding contract between your company and the insurance company. Next up are the conditions, which cover the duties and rights of both parties, you and your insurance carrier. This section addresses your obligations to the carrier-i.e., notification of a claim or loss, non-renewals, cancellations, and the territory of coverage to name a few. In the midst of the conditions is where you can find the endorsements. These are the forms that can add or modify coverage that pertain to your individual risk. They also include the necessary forms to comply with today’s contracts like additional insured status, subrogation rights and if a waiver is included, primary-noncontributory status, a thirty-day notice of cancellation and a “per project” aggregate limit. Bringing up the rear are the exclusions, or what is NOT covered. This is the part of the policy that has all the abstract verbiage letting you know what they will not be paying for in the event of a claim. These can be a detriment to your company if they are not thoroughly explained prior to binding coverage and they can ultimately cause a company to close their doors. Some of the basic exclusions pertain to war, suits brought between named insureds (not to be confused with additional insureds), OCIPs or CCIPs, tract home work and violations of disclosing confidential or personal information. Insurance companies include these as a means to protect their liabilities from instances and scenarios

considered financially uninsurable, which are backed by years of case law, some of which is still on-going. Every carrier has their own individual guidelines on how they address specific exclusion forms but some may be able to endorse the policy and allow coverage to accommodate these limitations. Simply put, depending on the carrier, specific perils like professional liability which is commonly referred to as errors and omissions (E&O) or even pollution liability can be endorsed to provide coverage under the general liability. Other common coverages allotted for under the CGL are employee benefits liability (EBL) and employment practices liability (EPL), which are intended to protect the insured entity or entities from potential internal grievances by employees rather than a third party.

This basic definition of a CGL policy is a means to educate those that spend billions of dollars a year with their respective insurance companies and insurance agencies. The time of a loss or claim is not the time to read the fine print of the exclusions in your policy. The best practice is to be proactive and look over the CGL forms before your company’s insurance coverage is bound. As previously mentioned and more often than not, a carrier is willing to remove an exclusion or even endorse the policy to include the desired coverage. If not, there are more than enough insurance companies out there that will provide the necessary coverage to operate your business.

At the end of the day, we all get what we pay for, and either your carrier is insuring your risk or you are. The difference is knowing. Talk with your current agent and make sure you don’t have any unpleasant surprises at the end of your policy.

Austin Goolsby is a Vice President of TexCap Insurance, an independent insurance agency headquartered in Dallas, Texas. He is one of the leading members of the construction division at TexCap Insurance and has over 8 years of total experience in the field, on the building material supply side and insurance aspects of the industry.

For more information please visit www.TexCapINS.com or you can contact Austin directly at 972-720-5384 or agoolsby@TexCapINS.com.

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 7

What is Safe + Sound Week?

Don’t be scared - Be prepared!

Violence issues in the workplace

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

Art Lambert, Partner Fisher Phillips Dallas, TX Scenario: An employee enters the job site wearing camouflaged clothing, carrying a large paper sack. The employee, who speaks to no one, has been acting strangely recently, making threats to his supervisor and fellow employees and making comments about getting even.

What would you do and why is this important? Homicide is the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States, so it is an important issue to deal with.

Defining workplace violence: Employers must understand the full gamut of behavior. Generally, workplace violence is any act that creates a hostile environment and/or negatively affects an employee physically or psychologically, including: • Physical or verbal assault • Threats • Coercion • Harassment

Workplace violence can be caused by disgruntled employees, jilted lovers, spousal situations, stalkers, the mentally ill, people with substance abuse issues, bullies/racists and instances of robbery or murder at the worksite.

Factors that can increase workplace violence: Unsurprisingly, many of the factors that increase workplace violence are stress-related. Additional factors include frustrations from poorly defined job responsibilities, labor disputes, poor management styles (e.g., arbitrary or unexplained orders; over-monitoring; reprimands in front of employees, inconsistent discipline), inadequate security or a poorly trained, poorly motivated security force, a lack of employee counseling, downsizing or reorganization, understaffing that leads to job overload or compulsory overtime. If any of these factors sound like your workplace – definitely read on. Actually, read on anyway.

Employer liability for workplace violence: A company can be liable for violence at or related to the workplace if, among other things: • It failed to properly screen employees, resulting in hiring a person with a history or evidence of criminal acts.

• It kept an employee after the employer became aware of the employee’s unsuitability.

• It failed to provide necessary monitoring to ensure employees are performing duties.

• It had inadequate measures to safeguard employees and customers from potential threats.

The potential liability can be significant.

How to prevent workplace violence: A number of considerations go into keeping a workplace safe. These include: • Screening (if you ask for references, check references.)

• Drug testing

• Policies (have and follow the right policies) • Training (employees need to know how to act and managers need to know what to do) • Security (good security – not window dressing) • Searches (reserve the right to search and make sure everyone knows it) • Threat investigation (if you hear of a threat, act on it. If you dismiss a threat and are wrong, consequences can be severe.)

• Employee assistance program (consider giving your employees an outlet to express any concerns. Sometimes just being able to complain makes people feel better.)

• Discharge (plan a fair and humane termination) • Problem solving (stop and think about what your employees are saying)

Common employer errors: Employers often ignore threatening behavior or even escalate risk through confrontational approaches or premature or inappropriate police involvement. Nothing heightens the tension like having a person in uniform around. Employers need to weigh the need. Peace bonds or restraining orders against irrational or desperate people can be of limited effect and may make people angrier.

Employers cannot expect employee assistance programs or the like to change an employee’s personality or make all the problems go away. Failing to document misconduct can allow an employee to think he/she is “getting away with it.” Plus, it creates a situation where employees are surprised when disciplined for misbehavior, which should not happen.

Develop a workplace violence prevention program: OSHA requires, in many cases, a written emergency action plan, kept in the workplace and available for employee review; however, employers with 10 or fewer employees can communicate the plan orally. Training is key so employees understand their roles and responsibilities in an emergency. An emergency action plan should address issues specific to your workplace. The annual fire drills companies have are shown to be effective when a fire occurs. Why not have a safety drill? It cannot hurt, and look how much it could help.

Art Lambert is a partner in the Dallas office of labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips. He can be reached at (214) 2208324 or alambert@fisherphillips.com.

Fish for cinco de mayo

Safe + Sound Week is August 13-19, 2018 A nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces. Participating in Safe + Sound Week is easy.

To get started, select the activities you would like to do at your workplace.

You can host an event just for your workers or host a public event to engage your community. Below are examples of potential activities and tools to help you plan and promote your events available.

After you’ve completed your events, you can download a certificate and web badge to recognize your organization and your workers at https://www.osha. gov/safeandsoundweek/

Management leadership is a demonstrated commitment at the highest levels of an organization to safety and health. It means that business owners, executives, managers, and supervisors make safety and health a core organizational value, establish goals, provide resources, and set a good example.

Here are a few ways you can show management leadership during Safe + Sound Week.

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Here are a few ways you can find and fix hazards during Safe + Sound Week.

• Spotlight hazards and controls • Create challenges, contests, and competitions • Evaluate safety and health processes

and systems • Conduct analyses to identify hazards natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

GOOD NEWS!

Deliver a safety and health message Establish a visible presence to pro- mote safety and health Formalize and publicize your com mitment to safety and health) Take your commitment to safety and health beyond your organization)

Worker participation is meaningfully engaging workers at all levels in establishing, implementing, evaluating, and improving safety and health in the workplace. This means workers understand they are a valuable partner in making their workplace safer and are encouraged and able to communicate with management about hazards on the job.

Here are a few ways you can engage your workers during Safe + Sound Week.

• Show you are listening and ask for feedback • Empower workers with safety and

health information • Recognize workers or teams for con

tributions to workplace safety • Partner for safety and health plan- ning

Someone say “Party on the 4th?”

The 2nd Annual Cinco de Mayo fishing tournament held on May 5 was a huge success for the Hispanic Contractors Association de San Antonio. The event was held at Marker 37 in Corpus Christi. Sixteen teams competed for the Amigo Slam of one red fish, one trout and one flouder with no winner. The championship was awarded to the Salty Skanska Dawgs, pictured L-R: Blake Berian, Steve Garza and Marty Masey for 1st place heavy stringer. –cmw

A systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards is a proactive, ongoing process to identify and control sources of potential injuries or illnesses. This means establishing procedures to collect and review information about known or potential hazards in the workplace, investigating the root cause of those hazards, and prioritizing hazard controls. Identifying and correcting these hazards before someone gets hurt ensures that workers go home to their families safe and sound after every shift.

You always look good in Construction News, Guaranteed!

Call us for a Company Profile (210) 308-5800

Page 8

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Mark Lopez CEO

Efrain Perez CFO San Antonio Concepts Construction LLC

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ext year, Mark Lopez and Efrain Perez will celebrate 10 years of pouring curbs, sidewalks, driveways, ramps and more. Their friendship however, was cemented before San Antonio Concepts Construction LLC was ever started.

How did your backgrounds intersect?

Efrain: I was born here in the U.S. and my family moved us to Mexico when I was 7 years old. I lived there for more than 30 years and was an architect for large companies there. I came back to the U.S. in 2005 and I started at here at an architecture firm. I then moved to Image Homes as a carpenter and from there I was designing a house in San Antonio.

A project manager who was working at The Rim was inquiring for someone to give data to the surveyors. He needed someone who knew AutoCAD pretty well and since I was familiar with the system, I took over the position. They started giving me more responsibilities; I become a project control representative.

I dealt with quantities and ordering project materials.

Mark: I got started in construction very young. My father works with H.B. Zachry, a large corporation out of San Antonio, where I started as a surveyor. I was working and going to college at University of Texas at San Antonio. I received a job offer as project manager out at The Rim, the shopping center here in San Antonio. I managed that for four years and it’s where Efrain and I started working together.

Efrain: We opened the first store, Best Buy, at The Rim. How did you go from colleagues to business partners?

Mark: From there, we had all of the right contacts here in San Antonio. We were introduced to several city entities –

CPS, SAWS, VIA, CoSA, ETC. – with San Antonio. People got familiar with us and we built a good rapport. We started San Antonio Concepts Construction in 2009 from scratch with about 15 employees.

Efrain: We wanted to form a company in which we could display our experience and talent to its fullest. Our services include concrete, curbs, sidewalks, handicap ramps, concrete paving, driveways, hardscapes and retaining walls. With our combined years of experience in not only the residential side of construction, but also the commercial group, we as a team have worked on multimillion-dollar projects with much success.

What was starting a business at the beginning of the recession like?

Mark: It was slow. People thought we were crazy going into business at that time to be honest! They would say, “Well, you picked a damn good time to get started!” But the only way was up.

To go hand in hand with that, we hooked up with the right person who had substantial work with the city of San Antonio and that was through a dear friend from Clark Construction of Texas Inc. We networked and [promoted ourselves] through word of mouth; our reputation preceded us from our days working at The Rim, so people gave us n opportunity. I think our first year we started with a million dollars in sales and now have grown to over $5 million.

What has been your favorite project?

Efrain: The Rim. When we started our company and was hired by Thomas Enterprises as a subcontractor, it was a great feeling to know we had come full circle and to actually finish what we started.

What strengths do each of you bring to the business?

Mark: I bring experience and probably a lot of shoot-from-the-hip, go-getter type of attitude. Efrain handles the office aspect of it all; he’s the administration brainiac.

What do you enjoy about your work?

Mark: I enjoy being my own boss. That’s basically what drives me is having the weight on my shoulders to provide for about 40 employees right now and make sure their families are fed. That gets me up every morning. A lot relies on what I do. My actions, ambition and selfmotivation is what keeps me going.

Did you learn from working for other companies what you would do differently in your own company?

Mark: Yes, absolutely; I would say 100% to that. With age you get wiser and you learn from things. We try to avoid the mistakes made in the past and push that on to the younger generation that we mentor. Of course everybody learns as they go and there are some learning

L-R: Mark Lopez and Efrain Perez

curves. I would say it’s about taking a different approach, a more calm, openminded attitude now that I’m 40, as far as my employees and getting feedback from them. They’re the soldiers on the ground and a lot of what they say we take into consideration. We make sure that we’re listening to them. We have a very small turnover ratio. A lot of the 40-something employees right now, we consider them family; they’ve been here as long as we’ve been in business. I think that says a lot about our character and how we take care of them.

What ways have you found to bond with your employees?

Mark: Backyard barbecues and some cold ones.

How does San Antonio Concepts Construction give back to the community?

Mark: We’ve been so busy here lately, but in the past we did some charity work for the San Antonio Lighthouse school for the blind. We also did some Americans with Disabilities Act work such as handicap accessible ramps. Some of our employees donate their time here in San Antonio for an organization called “Any Baby Can of San Antonio.” They do an annual walk every year to raise awareness for Autism. The donations from the walk help assist low-income families who have a child and/or adult with disabilities that may need additional assessments, tests or therapeutic services.

Next year, San Antonio Concepts Construction will celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Do you have plans to celebrate this milestone?

Mark: Maybe we’ll have a large banquet hall and invite the families to recognize

all employees; especially the foreman and site superintendent. A nice dinner and milestone gifts to show our appreciation.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Mark: When I’m not really thinking about work, I like to spend time with my 8-yearold son and try to make up for the lost time. I speak on behalf of all of us that we cherish our family’s presence and I know it sounds cliché, but I think that family time is what we look forward too.

What do you hope the future holds for your business?

Mark: I think that when Efrain and I started, we said that we wanted to make this a family business. I’m hoping – and I’m sure he’s hoping, his sons and daughter – that when it’s all said and done, we have our kids in the future with a title and position here in this company.

We want to say that we left our legacy and now it’s time for someone else to grab the reins and take over. I think between our children, we’re covered.

Efrain’s 16 year old does some clerical work at our office and is currently taking classes to major in business.

Would you say that you have achieved what you set out to do?

Mark: For me, going into business is one thing that I really wanted to do years ago.

We’re trying to stay on the right path to achieve our dreams. For me, it was simply to be my own boss. We can’t wish for it.

We have to work for it.

San Antonio Concepts Construction LLC is a subcontractor based in San Antonio.

–mjm

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 9

Coolest golfing ever

If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?

Hawaii, because of the way of living there.

Robert Del Toro, DEA Specialties On a beach in the Caribbean because of the weather.

Leslie Christians Lynwood Building Materials Amalfi coast because of the sea, culture and the food.

Tricia Stoddard JC Stoddard Construction The nature lover in me would gravitate to a south pacific island... beautiful beaches and a view from the mountains....minus the active volcano!

Timothy N. Ramon JR Ramon Demolition On or near the water. I love watersports and the calmness water brings.

Bret Bartley Gibson Plumbing Company I would live exactly where I’m living now, in New Braunfels. I was born and raised here, all of my family, daughter, son-in law, grand kids, sisters, cousins, etc. live here.

Rocky Hill Rocky Hill Equipment Rental If had the opportunity to live anywhere, I would have to choose two different places. I would choose San Antonio for the winter months all my family is here in Texas and you can’t beat the winter weather in South Texas for fishing, hunting and golf. In the summer months I would choose the mountains of Colorado. The weather is great and I love being outdoors in the mountains.

David Wingrove Builders Gypsum Supply My answer is two-part. Pre-retirement I would have to say San Antonio. I have lived many places here in the states and

San Antonio

abroad during my military service. As a business owner, the steady growth of San Antonio and its surrounding areas have been great for the construction industry.

Now, once I retire, I will stay in Texas but will be moving to my lake house in Horseshoe Bay. As they say “ A bad day on the water is better than a good day at work!”

I know my answer is not exotic, and I do love to travel, but it always feels good to come home back to Texas.

Aaron Krueger KGC Construction Services

California. weather is great and my family lives there Elaine Buchhorn, PeopleReady What’s wrong with Texas? You can travel south and hit the beaches. Head east and you have the forests. Head west and hit the mountains or head north and hike the canyons all in the great state of Texas.

I’ve had the opportunity to move out of state. Great places to visit, but Texas is the best.

Ben Cantu, Big City Access Phoenix, Arizona. Because it’s sunny every day, close to the mountains and it has awesome golf courses.

Ed Mullins, Project Control I would like to live on 100,000 acres of land somewhere in Texas. I like the seclusion and Texas has all the best qualities of the country.

Jason Christensen Jason Contracting Inc. It’s hard to explain, but it would be Santa Fe, NM. The people and the scenery give my wife and I that warm spiritual feeling!!

Very peaceful!

Jon Randolph, Baker Triangle

If you are a construction-related company in the San Antonio area and would like an article about your company, your personnel or your event, call us for an interview.

There is absolutely no charge for interviews, articles and photos.

Call 210-308-5800 or email information to:

Carol Wiatrek Lexie Velasquez

Editors

Daniel Zulli Reesa Doebbler

Contributing Editors

Melissa Jones-Meyer Ann Keil Jesse Abercrombie San Antonio Area Counties Atascosa, Bexar, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson counties Construction News Ltd. Home Office P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279 210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960 www.ConstructionNews.net

he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) held their annual golf tournament May 17. –cmw

Right here where I live now. Business, family and friends are all here!

Rusty Young Young Bros. Fire Protection

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net HoustonEditor@ConstructionNews.net Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler Editorial/Production . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Wiatrek Production Manager . . . . Helen Greenwood Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terri Adams Account Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Calonge

T

DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net Visit our Website to sign up for a free monthly Digital Subscription www.ConstructionNews.net The San Antonio Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba San Antonio Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Bexar and 7 surrounding counties.

All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing.

Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis.

Construction News, Ltd. , dba San Antonio Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time. ©2018 Construction News, Ltd.

First Place - PMI Sales & Marketing. Photo courtesy of Stephen Schneider, Albert Sterling & Associates.

Winners: First Place: PMI Sales & Marketing – George Phillips, Mike Mannis, David Walter and John Stevens Second Place: Navien/Mr. Rooter of SA – Brad Hadden, Navien; Jerry Mulder, Mr. Rooter of SA; Aaron Mulder, Mr. Rooter of SA and Jason Patty, Navien Third Place: Frost Insurance – Stanley Pi-

sano, Frost Insurance; Steve Surratt, Texas Scenic; Greg Prescott, Corporate Travel Planners and Kim Carmack, Frost Insurance Closest-to-the-Pin: Ernie Lieja, Bolin Plumbing Longest Drive: Thomas DeLeo, PEPCO Sales

Page 10

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 11

chop conditions. Let me assure you that my 23 Shoalwater Cat is dryer that most of the V-bottom hulls I have run in the past. This is another complement I get when we have to cross Baffin Bay from the north shoreline to the south in the middle of the day.

As for the power behind my Shoalwater, it was a no brainer after running the Evinrude G2 on my last two fishing rigs. From the best fuel economy of all the outboards I have run over my 20-year career to the smoothest steering system and the cleanest rigging. Why would you want any other outboard? And that’s not all. In addition to the extreme durability, the engine comes with the industry’s best warranty and maintenance schedule to give you the ultimate peace-ofmind.

Ultimate fishing machine

by Capt. Steve Schultz Sponsored by: Waypoint Marine, Shoalwater Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, E-Z Bel Construction, Costa Sunglasses, Diawa Reels, Simms Fishing, ForEverlast Fishing Products, Interstate Batteries, MirrOlure, and AFTCO Clothing.

So I know your probably thinking that I’m full of bull shrimp and I’m only saying this because I get a deal on a boat.

Don’t take my word for it. Call me and I’ll take you on a demo ride. Then you will see why the 23 Shoalwater Cat is the hottest boat on the Texas Coast.

T

here are literally thousands of fishermen that fish the coastal waters of Texas. Each of these anglers may possess their own individual idea of what constitutes the “ultimate fishing machine.” It’s no different than choosing a car or truck to drive. Everyone of them will get you down the road, but some there will take you to places that others can’t get to.

This season, I was given the opportunity to run a boat that is not totally new to the waters of the Laguna Madre, but certainly new to this captain’s style of fishing for over 20 years. Since day one in September of 1998, I have chose a V-style bottom fishing platform for my charters.

This decision came pretty easy because of the ride and comforts a V-bottom boat produced, and I was conscious about keeping my customers comfortable.

Needless to say, I was surprised when I launched my new Shoalwater Cat hull early this fishing season. Everyday I push away from the dock, I can’t help but smile as I ease the throttle forward on this awesome fishing platform. This boat opened up the entire bay complex for myself and

David Biesenbach and Joey Farmer put together a nice box of fish last month fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

clients to explore, without giving up any comfort or speed. No, my Shoalwater is not the fastest boat on the water, and there may be a few boats that have a few more bells and whistles than a Shoalwater, but I can assure you that you cannot find a more all-around fishing platform for the in-shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve been fishing for four months now from my Shoalwater Cat and everyone that has been on the boat has been so impressed with the ride, speed and com-

Tranquility of the High Sierra

Tom Hewitt, BDI Insurance sought the tranquility of the High Sierra, but couldn’t put down his issue of Construction News while visiting Yosemite National Park.

Thank you Tom, we enjoyed partaking in the tranquility too! -cmw

fort. One of the things that has always been a concern with low profile cat style boats is the ability to stay dry on cross

My 2018 calendar is now open for bookings for the fall fishing season. The months of September and October are truly two of the best months of the year to fish. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting adventure, give Capt.

Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good Luck and Good Fishing.

Page 12

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

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

Lake life pioneers

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t’s kind of funny to think about because it just seems so natural now, but do you realize that once upon a time here in Texas we really didn’t know what to do with a lake?

According to www.brazos.org, there was only one natural lake in Texas, Caddo Lake, and it was formed by an accidental log jam. In Texas the usual way of water is for it to get dumped from the sky and you better catch it quick before it runs off.

Here in the Hill Country of Texas in the 1930s, a grand experiment was underway, just like the one in the Tennessee Valley. People always had a love – hate relationship with their rivers. The water brought life, possibility and an avenue for travel and trade. The flip side though was the nasty fact that rivers also brought deadly floods that had a bad habit of washing away towns and anything else that tried to get too close. Finally someone had the idea that it was time to tame the rivers with dams to control the flooding, hold the extra water for dry times and make the water that did pass through churn out a new commodity that the nation was suddenly so hungry for – electricity.

Before long a lot of farmers and their families were standing on the shorelines of new lakes instead of in the fields that had supported them for so long. Some of them moved to the cities to find work and built new lives and some stayed put and adapted to lake life becoming a new kind of pioneer. The old boys who didn’t leave knew from living near the river how to build simple wooden boats and how to river fish. The lakes were wider and rougher, but they were learning and

In the beginning

newfangled outboard motors were getting more common.

It wasn’t long before World War II ended and our country welcomed home our returning heroes. We no longer needed to manufacture a stream of war planes, but we had companies with aluminum and the workforce who knew how to meld it into the sleek aerodynamic lines for flight. To stay in business and help people keep their jobs, they turned to making boats – wonderful boats that were just the welcome diversion so many servicemen dreamed of enjoying if they ever got to come home to fish again.

That is the beginning of the spectrum of boats you see today.

Think about what it was like for our lake pioneers. Before them there were no water skis, wakeboards or fancy specialized boats. They were just a bunch of river rat farm boys looking for fun and having to figure out things as they went along. That’s what makes talking to any of these old timers so interesting. Nobody did this stuff before, no one could teach them, it just all started with, “What if we…”

Next time you are at the lake with the jet skis whizzing past and the wake boats thumping by and the center-consoles cruising along, think about the humble farm boys who had lost their way of life and found a way to channel their loss and confusion into the boating lifestyles we still love to this day.

In Memory of Max Alexander, 1932 2018

Half or Full Day Fishing Trips All Bait, Tackle & Equipment Furnished Your catch Filleted and Bagged for You S&D Plumbing on fishing trip in Taylor, Tx

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

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

Construction News in the Big Apple

Construction News’ editor, Melissa Jones-Meyer and son Avery, take in the sights in New York’s famous Times Square.

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 13

Ride for freedom

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pproximatly 800,000 motorcycles rolled into D.C. from around the country for the 31st annual Memorial ride on Sunday, May 27. The ride begins at the Pentagon, through DC, then onto Potomac Park by the Lincoln Monument. Thousands of spectators lined the streets along the route to observe this spectacular event, waving flags and remembering what Memorial Day is all about. It’s a great place to be to celebrate our military veterans and the fallen.

Construction News’ Dana Calonge and Reesa Doebbler rode along as guests with our designated escorts.

To view a video of Rolling Thunder, go to www. rollingthunderrun.com and scroll down to video. -rd

Doebbler (left) with escort from Michigan and Calonge with escort from New Jersey

That famous Marine who stands in salute during the entire procession. Veterans salute him as they pass by.

Staging at the Pentagon in two parking lots.

Share YOUR photos and stories . . . fishing, hunting, skiing, biking, racing, or any outdoor activity and sport.

Send to: SAeditor@ ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Don’t forget GREAT Vacations you’d like to send us!

Page 14

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

CN: Just between you and me, Jake, who is the better shot your Mom or Dad?

Jake Creed Davis The Interview

Jake: You are trying to get me in trouble, Mr. Buddy. I would say they both have their own great days. Hope that answer works. Mom is the main treat giver in the family.

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have followed Jake Creed Davis on Facebook ever since he began posting in 2017 as a young pup. I thought it was about time Construction News did an interview with an animal since so many in this industry have them. His Mom, Michelle Seward Davis, Joeris General Contractors, and Dad, Ben Davis, Beck Companies, are longtime friends, so I asked if they minded. No problem they said, so I sat down with Jake one afternoon at his home.

– Buddy Doebbler, Publisher

CN: Since your trips are all over the country and you fly to get there, I just have to know – coach or first-class?

Jake: Lucky enough to fly private so I don’t have to worry about being put in an overhead bin on a commercial flight. I currently hold the record on one of the planes for the most dog farts (hope that isn’t a bad word). Mom learned that feeding me is no longer a preflight activity. Ozone spray works wonders.

CN: Jake, first let me say I have enjoyed watching you grow up on your Facebook (FB) page. Why did you decide to setup your page?

Jake: As a pup, I was influenced by the mischievous Barney Bush with his own website despite Putin’s thoughts that world leaders should only own large, robust dogs. Unlike Barney, I am not into biting reporters, so you don’t need to worry Mr. Buddy. So, back to your question, I would like the world to understand the adventurous and loving life of a Boykin, so I started with FB and later want to write childhood books based on my two nicknames, Hollywood and Jake from State Farm.

CN: It appears some of your earliest interests at home have been toilet paper and skunks. What was the fascination with both?

Jake: Don’t forget squirrels, birds, deer, cats, lizards, bugs, ice cubes, door bells and bags. All of them have a distinct smell, taste, and/or sound depending on the level of engagement. I rank the skunk and toilet paper a 10. It’s apparent my parents don’t appreciate my ability to decorate along with adding new scents to the house. They may come around one day.

CN: I also noticed you have a knack for finding birds and other animals around the house your Mom and Dad just can’t see. What makes you so keen on this?

Jake: As you know, I am a hunting dog, so I think this comes naturally. I come from a great breeding line of hunters and hope to live up to the high ranks of my birth Mom, Avery. I need to convince them I am not having a crazy moment when I get locked on barking, scratching, digging and growling. I promise you there is something currently living under the deck.

CN: I have to laugh at your comments when you get in trouble? Parents just don’t understand. Have you outgrown that phase?

CN: It appears fishing adventures are something you also enjoy. Do you prefer saltwater or fresh?

Jake: I’m trying to work on this by allowing them to see the fun from my point of view and remind them of their own childhood. I’m pretty sure my Dad toilet papered a house in his youth. Mom is quick to forgive, all I do is look sad, but don’t tell her my trick.

CN : It appears you have been in some sort of training most of your life. What is your favorite sport?

Jake: I haven’t been fresh water fishing yet but it is good to drink. My tail really goes to wagging when a fish comes in the boat and flops around. I just want to play but sometimes they go back into the water and other times they go into a big white thing and thrash around. I don’t know why the fish get upset with being around all those yummy ice cubes.

Hoping to fish with Captain Steve soon since he took me on my first trip.

CN: Career decisions are always important. Have you decided if you want to be in the construction industry like your parents or just be a hunter?

Jake: I love visiting their offices. Everyone seems very happy to see me and giving me lots of love. I guess humans get tired of being around each other all the time and need a fury and spastic diversion.

Even though I have my own PPE, I don’t think the construction industry is ready for dogs. Plus, I am still young in being a hunter and have lots to learn.

CN: Since I have known your Mom and Dad for years, I suspect you are a very patriotic pup. How and when do you show this the most?

Jake: For a pup, patriotism can mean wearing red, white and blue, attending parades and giving extra kisses to all those that have served this great country.

Mom has taught me to sit up straight during the National Anthem and always remember to be respectful of others. I’m really hoping to catch a 4th of July parade this year.

CN: I have enjoyed this interview. Jake. Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?

Jake: Thank you for the interview. Just remember your fury pets during these very hot summer months. Cracked windows in the car are not enough.

Jake: Right now, I am perfecting the art of leaping off the deck onto the squirrels that pester me. I don’t understand their constant chatter, so I may need to add vermin talk to my training. I did jump out of the truck once after a quail and was given a 6.5 for dismount which led to me wearing a seat belt. Mom talks about safety often. I think it has to do with the construction industry.

CN: I have seen photos of you on bird hunting trips all over the country with your fancy vest and bell. What’s the best part of being a bird dog?

Jake: I’ve been hunting in Kansas (where I got my nickname Hollywood), West Texas and South Texas. I love finding the birds for Mom and especially Dad as he gets trigger happy in the field. Lots to look for. I’m still working on my retrieving skills and looking forward to opening day on Sept. 1st. My last trip was with Mom and her YaYas in search of quail and then we all hunted rocks. I love adventures!

Jake with Mom and Dad

CN: I also saw a photo of you and your Dad with an Aoudad sheep he shot in West Texas. Did you help him get that one?

CN: You have such a busy schedule. I have seen lots of posts at Pawderosa Ranch. Is that how you relax?

Jake: I was very stealthy on the Aoudad hunt with Dad and Uncle Forrest unlike my previous adventure when Mom shot a cow Elk. I’m sometimes a big-time talker and just trying to communicate very important news. I’m trying to master my stalking, but I just get overly excited at times.

Jake: Pawderosa is the best place with the friendliest people, including all my pup friends. They help me with my basic manners, new tricks and love the agility course. Mom is afraid if I stayed at home by myself, we wouldn’t have a house anymore. I don’t think the two skunk episodes helped.

Shade is a must when outside. Dogs and cats also get sunburns – early morning walks to avoid burned foot pads. We need lots of cold water including those yummy ice cubes and if you have any extra venison, please call me.

A muddy good time

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n Jun. 9, Construction News editor Lexie Velasquez said yes to the No Mud No Glory 5k Spartan Race in Laredo, TX. Although she was familiar with a 5k race, the obstacle portion was unfamiliar territory, not to mention the mud. “It felt empowering to push oneself and have fun at the same time,” she said. Her and her team managed to complete each obstacle. –lv

Lexie landing after climbing the military wall.

Shimming across a rope over a pool of mud.

Lexie (right) and her cousin Diandra all smiles after completing the entire race.

Lexie pushing herself to get through the tire obstacle (and not fall).

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Industry FOLKS

Nadia Noel-Anglade Business Development, Texas Markets

Beldon Roofing San Antonio, TX

T

here’s no better person to be the face of one’s company than Nadia Noel-Anglade. The perpetually upbeat Anglade loves life, loves learning, loves people and loves to roll up her sleeves because she loves her job.

Anglade hails originally from the island of Trinidad, the largest island in the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, off the coast of Venezuela.

There, she was a model, dancer, and ran track in high school.

(She’s not sure why we call our sport “football,” as there isn’t a lot of kicking in it.)

She was recruited by Monroe College in the Bronx. Anglade studied hospitality and tourism management. This was a natural fit for one having such a sunny disposition.

Going to the Big Apple can be a major shock for anyone, but for this island girl, the cold winters proved to be the biggest shock to her system, especially waiting for busses while people drove by in their nice, warm cars.

After college Anglade was a recruiter for Monroe College all throughout the Caribbean.

Life brought her back to New York City, where she met her future husband, who, as a reserve Army combat medic, had his Advanced Infantry Training here in San Antonio.

When Anglade came here for a visit, she fell in love with the Alamo City.

Even after visiting many places in America, Anglade says that “Out of all the states, Texas is one of the most beautiful.”

It’s also a lot warmer than the northeast. Just sayin’.

One thing Anglade does love about traveling all over the U.S. is experiencing all the different cultures and foods. Also, there is a wide variety of beauty to be found.

But it’s in San Antonio that became her home, as she loves “the people and culture” here.

As to her work, Beldon Roofing created the position of Business Development just for her, starting in October 2017. Even though she knew nothing about roofing, Anglade is “a naturally curious person” who is soaking up all the opportunities she can. She’ll even climb up on a roof to see what all goes into roofing, making a fashion statement in her purple overalls and purple hat.

Anglade has to travel a lot, meeting all kinds of people in all walks of life. But even this is good because “I get to party everyday in my car,” she laughs.

Anglade loves being challenged and learning and growing. Her position at Beldon facilitates that. Throw in some good partying as she travels about, and she’s very fulfilled in her job and life.

No more standing out in the cold for this island girl. -dsz

Page 15

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

May shooting fun

Journey completed

I

t was definitely fun at the Associated General Contractors’ (AGC) Fun Shoot on May 18 with 185 shooters participating. The event was held at the National Shooting Complex. Participants were treated to sausage wraps and fajitas prepared by Architectural Division 8. -cmw Photos courtesy of Mary C. Haskin Photography Red Course Winners: 2nd Place Lewis A2: Allbrite Construction Inc., score 94 3rd Place Lewis A3: Labor Finders, score 93 1st Place Lewis B1: Advanced Valve Technologies, score 72 2nd Place Lewis B2: Walker Engineering, score 71 3rd Place Lewis B3: Alamo Iron Works, score 71

Yellow Course Winners: 2nd Place Lewis A2: E-Z Bel Construction LLC, score 93 3rd Place Lewis A3: Speedway Erection Co., score 93 1st Place Lewis B1: Beldon Roofing company, score 71 2nd Place Lewis B2: Terracon Consultants Inc., score 71 3rd Place Lewis B3: Marek Brothers Systems Inc., score 70 The 2018 Plumbers & Pipefitters graduating class.

O

n May 18, 29 San Antonio area plumbers and pipefitters graduated from the Mechanical & Sheet Metal Contractors Association of San Antonio’s (MCA-SMACNA) apprenticeship program. Plumber Doke C. Deats and HVAC Cory D. Harper were awarded five-year perfect attendance awards.

-cmw Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography.

Top Pipe Fitter: Kyle A. Rankin Winner - Best Overall Score, Steve Thode, AmeriTex Pipe & Products LLC (center), score 97

1st Place Red Course Lewis A1: AmeriTex Pipe & Products LLC, score 97

1st Place Yellow Course Lewis A1: Speedway Erection Co., score 94

Top HVAC Service: David R. Elliott

Top Plumber: Mark P. Cruz

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 17

Three take the reins

Bolt of rightening

MAREK San Antonio’s new leadership team L-R: Mark Williams, David Cupit and John Bailey.

M

AREK in San Antonio has a new leadership team that will be assuming the role previously by Dennis Yanowski. MAREK recently announced that David Cupit will serve as the new division president, along with new division directors, Mark Williams and John Bailey.

Cupit, formerly San Antonio’s estimating-project executive, has been in the construction industry for 39 years, beginning at the age of 17 when he was hired as a laborer through a dual credit program in high school. By the age of 21, he was a foreman working his way up as a project manager. He joined the MAREK family in 2005 as a senior project manager/estimator. “Dennis and I have worked side by side for 13 years. We share a common work ethic and strive to create new opportunities for the employees at MAREK. I am honored to serve as the division president of San Antonio,” states Cupit. “Mark Williams, John Bailey and I make a good team; each of us bring a different skill set and strength to the table.”

Mark Williams, who will continue to head up the acoustical and specialties department, started in 1982 at the Clines Landing project. After earning an associate’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health, he rejoined MAREK in 1987 as personnel/safety director. In the mid-90s,

he transitioned into estimating/project management, and in 2008 became acoustical division manager. With his experience his new title as division director will oversee administrative operations financial reporting and customer relations.

John Bailey, who will also serve as division director, will help leverage field operations and customer relations with his years of experience in project management and production.

“Our goal is to capitalize in this exciting and expanding market here in San Antonio. We will continue to address ongoing challenges related to manpower shortages by focusing on our growing labor force by committing resources to craft training, safety and valuing every member of the San Antonio MAREK family.”

Dennis Yanowski is excited for the new leaders and for the company, as this leadership team collectively represents more than 90 years of experience in our trade. Passing the title over has given Yanowski the opportunity to take over a new role in which he will spearhead MAREK’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiative. The initiative will focus on sustaining and generating new relationships throughout the company.

MAREK is a specialty contractor in San Antonio, headquartered in Houston, TX.-cmw

Setting up in SA

San Antonio Buyers Barricades team L-R: Ashley Casillas, Adan Hernandez, Jerry Guzman, Matt Sauer, Gene Villarreal and Ross Harmon.

S

an Antonio has a new barricade setup. Last spring, branch manager Matt Sauer opened Buyers Barricades San Antonio LLC’s new office at 4941 Emil St.

“We saw growth in the San Antonio and Austin markets and the plans for the highways to come,” Sauer explains. “We wanted to be part of the growth.”

The location is modeled Buyers’ Richland Hills and Houston offices.

“We do it ‘The Buyers Barricades Way’ at all of our locations,” he says. “We like to think it doesn’t matter which of our locations you go to, you’re getting the same service. For existing customers, it offers another option. For new customers, it offers a different, more professional barricade company. We’re customer service driven and want to be the most professional barricade company on the market.”

The staff hit the ground running.

“We have work ongoing right now,”

Sauer says. “We’ve done projects on the San Antonio roadway, both on the highway side and the city as well. We also did a state-of-the-art installation for TXDOT and the City of San Antonio.”

Although new to the neighborhood, the company is looking to expand.

“We just finished up renovations on our building and created a brand new sign shop in our facility,” he says. “We hope to be at this location for five years and are in the process of building a facility for ourselves. We have eight employees and want to get ten.”

But first, they want to get to know their neighbors better.

“We haven’t had a grand opening yet but we are planning an event at our facility so that customers can check it out and meet the team.”

Service provider Buyers Barricades is located in San Antonio, Richland Hills and Houston. –mjm

R

Ronnie Bowles of Bolt Electric

onnie Bowles remembers being initiated into the electrical industry – with the emphasis on “initiated.”

“In 1985, when I got out of high school, I started as a helper wiring houses,” Bowles says. “One of the men who taught me was older. The first day, I asked him what I would be doing and he said, “I’m going to have you driving in nails all day,” and kind of giggled about it.

He dropped me off on the street and gave me a bundle of 8ft. ground rods and a sledgehammer. All day, I had to try to drive ground rods into the rocky ground.

I didn’t get very far but I’m sure he sat back and laughed at me!”

Bowles ended up having the last laugh. After learning the trade from every angle, working for electrical contractors and earning his journeyman and master licenses, Bowles started Bolt Electric in 2010. Today, his business bears the distinction of having “The Most Five Star Reviews in San Antonio.”

Bowles had initially considered being a plumber, but after two days was relieved when a childhood friend invited him to work for an electrical contractor.

“I wasn’t thinking about it being a career for me, but as I’ve gone through the years, I really do enjoy what I do,” he says. “I never went through any formal training; all of the training I had was on the job. Over the years I’ve had to learn the code book on my own without taking courses and study for the journeyman and master tests. There’s also theory which, when it comes to engineering and designing jobs, comes in handy, but it’s performing the work that helped me do the trade.”

Hindsight being 20/20, Bowles is confident he made the right choice.

“I like working with my hands,” he says. “I enjoy meeting people. I’m very much a pleaser and try to please. I really enjoy the trade because I’ve worked in

every aspect of it, not just in the field. In my over 30 years of experience, I’ve done a little bit of everything.”

In eight years, Bolt Electric has grown to a fleet of five trucks, two bucket trucks, and four electricians. Bowles, who worked 18-hour days in Bolt’s early years, was grateful when his wife Wendy Bowles left her job and joined him in the business. His 20-year-old daughter Hailey Bowles also does clerical work part-time for Bolt while attending college. He depends on receptionist Kristie Tuttle as well to keep the mountain of paperwork at bay.

Bowles values having both a trusted support system and time with his family.

“It really does mean a lot because I’m providing an income for our family,” he says. “We’re not near each other all day but we have each other’s backs. Wendy has become the backbone of the office; I can rely on and trust her to do the banking. With my daughter, we’re able to accommodate her schedule by allowing her to work here. My older daughter is already moved out, so it’s just a matter of time before it will be just my wife and me.

It is good to still be able to spend that time with her. One day we will look back on it and cherish these times. It’s a winwin both ways.”

Bowles hopes to keep winning with his customers by initiating them in the golden rule.

“It’s something I want to continue to play a part in but I want to continue the customer service that has gotten us this far,” he says. “When people think of Bolt Electric, I want them to think, ‘That’s a good company.’ I always want to be a man of my word, to do what I say and say what I do until we can’t run the business anymore. I don’t want it to change. Our motto since the beginning is ‘Treat people well.’ It’s gotten us this far.”

Subcontractor Bolt Electrical is located in San Antonio. –mjm

Page 18

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

THIS TH MON Jan: Construction Forecast Mar: Construction Education May: Concrete Industry July: Electrical Industry Feb: Construction Safety Apr: Women in Construction Jun: HVAC & Plumbing Aug: Service Providers

Sustainable electricity Don Watson, President/Owner Watson Nunnelly LLC San Antonio, TX

D

on Watson started in the electrical business in the field as an apprentice at Alterman Electric in 1994 and worked his way up to Project Manager. Three and half years ago Watson decided to start his own electrical business and it has been quite a ride!

“It is amazing how my network of friends and clients that I have built over the years have helped me build this company! It has and continues to be fun to do business with the people you want to do business with and not just bidding every job, but hoping to get something with someone you don’t know. I have been very blessed!”

How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms?

The construction industry is booming! It’s an exciting time to be in construction.

Have you experienced an increase or a slowdown in business?

Yes, I have definitely been experiencing an increase in business. The challenge for me is to not take on more projects than I can manage.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

We have some of the fastest growing areas in the country such as New Braunfels, Hays County, Boerne, as well as San Antonio. Texas is the place to be in construction right now.

What are the “hot button” issues in your industry?

Sustainable construction is affecting the construction industry as a whole. The electrical industry is no exception. There has been an ongoing push for energy efficiency and renewable energy and while most of these changes are on the design side of the business, we have to learn to implement them.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? (i.e. labor shortage, other) The biggest challenge we have is finding skilled labor. We, along with the

Safety is key!

David Hittinger, Director of Safety, Codes and Standards Independent Electrical Contractors Alexandria, VA

E

lectrical contractors work in a very competitive electrical construction industry. Electrical workers must be trained in safe work practices and National Electrical Code (NEC) compliant installations. Jobsite conditions can vary with tight scheduling demands affected by special equipment, such as lighting, generators, and distribution equipment.

This special equipment must be timely in tion (NFPA). The primary function of the delivery, which includes planning for NEC is to safeguard people and property weather-related delays that can affect the against electrical hazards. The NEC is one completion date when installing electrical of the most widely used and recognized systems. consensus standards in the world. It is a Regardless of any job challenges, true consensus standard because memjobsite safety is paramount and installa- bers from throughout the electrical intions must meet the NEC minimum re- dustry contribute to its development. quirements. States or municipalities may The NEC is updated every three years to adopt the current 2017 NEC and some reflect current trends in the electrical inamendments may occur. It is recom- dustry. mended to check with the local authority The 2020 NEC has moved beyond having jurisdiction before doing electri- the first draft stage with some significant ideas for change. The next step in the cal work.

The NEC is sponsored and controlled process is the public comment stage, by the National Fire Protection Associa- which is when the NFPA will be accepting

ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY Sept: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment

IEC, are constantly working with local high schools to educate our youth about the construction industry and the benefits of learning a skill.

Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area?

I do see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area.

With all the construction going on, many companies are coming in to take advantage of the growth. I don’t much worry about them taking our share of the work; they just tend to try to take our manpower offering more money, trucks and promises. At the end of the day, most of these contractors don’t stay and the electricians are back at our door asking to get their old job back.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Steel has doubled in price since the first of the year and copper has increased significantly in the last few months. Projects that I bid a few months ago are no longer in budget.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) The international Energy Conservation Code has been adopted by Texas.

This mainly affects lighting and lighting controls in the electrical world. You are seeing more LED lighting, occupancy sensing technology and daylight harvesting being designed into our projects.

We constantly have to train our team to

comments for the technical committees to act on when they reconvene in late October 2018.

Some important topics that were reviewed at the first draft meetings include new language that would address electrical hazards associated with installations supplying shore power to ships and watercrafts, including monitoring of leakage current.

The Scope of Article 100 recognizes that definitions are also found in the XXX.2 sections of other articles. There are some new defined terms, such as Bonding Jumper, Supply Side, Inverter Input Circuit and Inverter Output Circuit.

The Hazardous (Classified) Locations defined terms will be located in a new Part III in Article 100, including new definitions for Aircraft Painting Hanger, Encapsulation “M,” Intrinsic Safety “I,” Outdoor Spray Area Protection by Enclosure “T” and Unclassified Locations.

A correlating committee-appointed task group was assigned to improve the usability of Chapter 7 and 8, specifically the Articles that fall under the purview of Code Making Panels 3 and 16, to remove redundancy within these Articles. Several changes resulted, including a new gen-

make sure we are up to date with how these systems function. Electricians are used to light switches that run on 120– 277 volts and turn the fixtures “on” and “off.” Now a lot of the lighting systems are utilizing low voltage controls that are installed with Cat5 cabling. Lights come on as you walk into the room and go off when you leave. Then as the sun comes through the windows the lights dim to the correct lighting that the office needs, utilizing natural light mixed with LED. All cool stuff just new to the industry. I think that is one of things that I like about being an electrician; it never gets stagnant, we are always learning.

Have their been any significant code changes in the past year? Or regulations?

As I have already mentioned, the International Energy Conservation Code is a significant change.

With the emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry?

LED lighting has reduced the cost of energy significantly. City Public Service is offering rebates for owners to change out their existing lighting to LED to help reduce the power draw on their system.

What are keys to being successful?

I truly believe that the key to being successful it to do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.

Watson Nunnelly LLC is an electrical contractor in New Braunfels, TX -cmw

eral requirement for Cables and Conductors new section, 110.12(C). A new Article 800 was developed which would relocate numerous Chapter 8 redundant text in one location.

All of the proposed changes are subject to public review in the public comment stage that will be available on the NFPA website beginning July 6, 2018, and will close on August 30, 2018. Anyone can help improve the next edition of the NEC by submitting a public comment. V i s i t www.nfpa.org for a complete review of the next edition – 2020 NEC.

Want to learn from many more industry experts? Join thousands of electrical and construction professionals at IEC Convention & Expo 2018 in Indianapolis, IN, on September 19-22, 2018. Take your business to the next level with latest products, trends, and business strategies. www.iecconvention.org.

Established in 1957 and headquartered in Alexandria, VA, the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) is an electrical trade association representing more than 3,300 members. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 19

THIS TH MON

ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY

To represent your company in an upcoming FOCUS, contact SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

NEXT MONTH (AUGUST) SERVICE PROVIDERS

Current flow of electricity Les Moynahan, Executive Manager National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) San Antonio, TX

A

s July approaches, I will be coming up on my 22nd year serving as the Executive Manager for the South Texas Chapter. Much has changed over the years but change continues to accelerate at a faster and faster pace. Our chapter remains active in developing research projects through ELECTRI International (our research council).

We attended and participated in our recent legislative conference. At the conference, we had dinner with Congressman Henry Cuellar and Senator Ted Cruz who attended our opening reception.

The Chapter continues to be an intricate part of Cross Border meetings (this year in Roatan, Honduras). Our relationship with our partners in Labor is also strong and vibrant. 2018 is shaping up to be a great year and the foreseeable future also looks good.

How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms? Have you experienced an increase or a slowdown in business?

I would describe the overall construction industry, as a whole, healthy and areas like infrastructure upgrades might even be described as robust. The

past five years have been good and the work picture for the next three to four years continues to look good. New tax laws, infrastructure upgrades, a strong global economy and a business friendly state like Texas are bolstering our industry.

As we all know, Texas is a business friendly state and it continues to draw new business from other states that are not business friendly. Also, there has not been an unusual amount of contractors coming into our market from other markets. In talking with my counterparts around the country, the work picture seems to be good everywhere.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

There has been a strong interest in apprenticeship programs and with the

Programmable switching Kenneth W. Hengst, Branch Manager 4C2 Electrical Associates Houston, TX

A

native of Houston, Hengst began his electrical trade career in 1974. He became a Journeyman in 1977 and then progressed to be a Houston Master Electrician (HMEL 205) in 1990. His career has covered industrial, aviation and commercial installations throughout the greater Houston area, combining hands on and management roles. He is a principle member for the IEC on Code Making Panel 8 and a member of UL STP 5 and 6 along with a number of other committees working to enhance the electrical contracting and installation industry.

How would you describe the state of the construction industry in general terms?

I would say it is steady, but not spectacular. Health Care is active and new light industrial is slower than the recent past. In my older neighborhood, restaurant and small commercial ventures are very active.

Have you experienced an increase or a slowdown in business?

We have seen an increase in revenue and backlog, led by capital improvements to existing facilities by our customers.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

In my opinion, the increase is due to a better business environment. Higher sales are leading to the confidence to repair or replace aging equipment.

What are the “hot button” issues in your industry?

There are three “hot button” issues in the electrical industry. The first is maintaining and training a competent workforce. The second “hot button” issue is safety compliance. And third, payment terms which are trending longer.

cost of college being so expensive (and student loan debt being at an all-time high), this career pathway is drawing interest. High school counselors are finally starting to realize that a college education is not for everybody as are students and parents. Alternatives to college have been missing from the high schools for many years.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces?

There is an increased emphasis on increased recruiting efforts, leadership development in the field and office. One of our most significant challenges is finding and retaining skilled workers and particularly skilled supervisory employees.

There is a need to focus on training for all levels for the skilled trades.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) Technology is going to be the most important driver for the future of electrical contracting. The internet of things, artificial intelligence, smart buildings, human augmentation and even drones are impacting how we do business and this is only going to come at us at a faster pace going forward. There was a recent article on the MySA website that highlighted the fact that an Austin company is 3D printing small houses in order to provide

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? (i.e. labor shortage, other) Improving the productivity of our limited workforce is the biggest challenge in our industry.

Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to the area?

No, I have not. The local workforce is very competent and while other parts of the country that have been lagging, the Houston area is enjoying resurgences of their own.

What are the costs increases relating to your industry?

Steel conduit and all of the associated fittings have gone up as much as 40 percent this year and many of the commodities we purchase have been affected as well.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other) Increasing worker safety in existing facilities by advances in ARC-Flash technology.

Have their been any significant code changes in the past year? Or regulations?

housing for the homeless. They are able to print these small houses for around $4,000 per house. Single-story, 600– 800sf homes can be printed in less than 24 hours.

With the emphasis on green building, what is the most significantly friendly change relating to your industry?

The electrical contracting industry continues to become more and more environmentally friendly. There has been a continuous improvement of energy efficient lighting and controls like LED and development of power over the ethernet to power and control lighting. As systems continue to develop and utilize more “smart building” technology, this trend will continue to improve.

What are the keys to being successful?

There are several keys that are going to be needed by electrical contractors in order to continue to be successful. Succession planning, leadership development, strategic planning and adapting to and embracing the latest technology are just a few of those keys.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is an electrical trade association. -cmw

While we are in the first full year of compliance with the 2017 National Electrical Code, expanded use of arc-fault devices and the addition of several new articles in the 2020 edition of the Code will require all contractors to stay current with continuing education.

With the emphasis on green building, what is the most environmentally friendly change relating to your industry?

Programmable switching and the expanded use of LED lighting system controls have to be at the forefront of environmental changes. In addition, advances in the solar power generation are a close second.

What are keys to being successful?

The keys to success for me are Integrity, a competent workforce and the willingness to practice servant leadership.

4C2 Electrical Associates is a Dallas based company who specializes in installation and maintenance services for industrial.

-cmw

Page 20

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

4th of July

One for all

Celebrating Independence Day

A day that represents the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed theirindependence from England, an eventwhich eventually led to the formationof the United States.

As of July 2018,the United States is 242 years old.

Good times!

The Alamo1 team at a Lackland AFB groundbreaking.

S

ummer is their busiest time of the year. Alamo1 is a San Antonio-based environmental contracting firm with about 350 employees, all dedicated to their specific lines of work. With numerous divisions, Alamo1 still maintains a focus on safety.

For instance, Director of EHS Services Scott Harris, PhD says they spend a “great deal of time and effort” on safety.

The remediation division handles work in refineries and other high hazard processes. Workers go through a lot of training in order to keep on top of their game. “We are in good standing in ISNetworld,” added Harris.

He then mentions the safety that follows through the transportation side is an “equal level of effort.”

The Alamo1 transportation division involves heavy haul trucking. They have a large amount of vehicles on the road that range from Harris’s pickup truck to a 17axel heavy haul trailer “that can move million-pound transformers.”

Yet, with all the technologic advancements across all industries, Alamo1 has a division head for each division to focus on the advancements for that par-

ticular field.

“Everything from the equipment being used – to paying rates – being competitive, at the end of the day we are all trying to provide a good client outcome.

We all want happy clients. We are constantly on the lookout for whatever it is going to take to make that happen,” said Harris.

Alamo1 is still privately held, owned and operated as a family business. President and CEO Alex Salas keeps an open door policy that remains today. Harris assures that anyone in the company can feel confident to walk up to and talk to Salas about anything. “The doors are always open, it’s very relaxed and very friendly to all the managers and staff,” Harris said.

Environmental, residential water pick-up, demolition, construction and heavy-haul contractors are in demand, but Alamo1 looks to expand any given division at a “conservative and intelligent” pace.

Alamo1 is an environmental contractor based in San Antonio and located in Houston, TX. –lv

Sharing with kids

As evident by the smiles on their faces, L-R: Paul Peliter and Gilbert Alvarez, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing and Dan Van, USI have a great time at the American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) membership mixer at Alamo Café, Jun. 14. –cmw

NAPCO Precast hosted a barbeque and snow cones, courtesy of KONA Ice, water battle with squirt guns and water balloons as well as donated time, money, food and toys for the kids at New Beginnings Children’s Home on Jun. 2. –cmw

Construction News ON LOCATION

Getting ready to eat

We live in your world . . . www.ConstructionNews.net

Advertise in ours 210-308-5800

Construction News caught up with Alfredo Avalos IV and his father, Alfredo Avalos III, at AC Plumbing Services, cooking fajitas, sausage and sweetbread for lunch. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

Page 21

Association Calendar

continued from Page 1 — Not your father’s demo ment and technologies. For instance, RAMON operates its own concrete recycling plant, which produces a crushed aggregate that other companies buy for road or building projects.

JR RAMON owns and operates stateof-the-art demolition equipment. Their involvement with the National Demolition Association keeps them on the cutting edge of demolition techniques and up to date with the latest safety standards.

From Joe Sr. to Joe Jr. and a handful of helpers, JR RAMON now has around 65 full-time employees and will expand during heavy, seasonal work.

Tim develops a new business plan every five years in order to stay on top of

technological and other changing dynamics. “Our company has been in operation for over seven decades by maintaining the balance between providing a specialized service yet remaining adaptable to conform to economic and industry trends,” Tim said.

“[Demolition is] not glamorous work but it’s rewarding work when it’s all said and done,” he added. It’s also not your father’s (or grandfather’s) work, as it has evolved into a very exacting skill that can take years to master.

JR RAMON is a full-service demolition company serving south and central Texas.

-dsz

continued from Page 1 — In “charge” of talent Damian Sr. and a helper and their service area was small.

“It was really a hard and scary decision to make but it was good in the long run,” Damian Sr. remembers. “The first few years were the hardest because nobody knew me as a contractor but after the first two years, through word of mouth, I started getting work. People recommended me and that is how my business continued. After the second year, I started hiring more people.”

Today, Assurance Electrical Contractors is seven employees strong including Damian Sr.’s two offspring, who have helped their dad’s business adjust with the times.

“Everything changes,” Damian Sr. says. “We’ve invested in the equipment, like excavators and bobcats, to make our job easier, and we have to keep up with the generations and technology. My sons have kept me up to date on that, especially with the phones – I can be an old-fashioned guy and they’re smart about that kind of thing!”

His sons have learned a few things

from dear old Dad in return.

“On a jobsite, they look at me as a boss first and not a dad,” he says. “I hope I’ve passed on a lot of experience in the way to talk to people with respect, to do work the way it always should be, with no shortcuts. If they do that, they’ll continue getting work all of the time.

“I would like to see the business grow and for my sons to take it over, one as president and one as CEO,” he continues. “Damian Jr. is really outgoing.

He’s a hustler, wanting to learn more and more; he can run a project. David is following in his footsteps too; he’s learning from his big brother now.”

Now that his sons are truly in the fold, Damian Sr. is enjoying the pride he feels in his family business.

“It’s a good feeling that they want to follow in my footsteps,” he says. “I tell them they can be better than I am. To me, it was very hard to get where I am right now, but for them at their young age, they can continue higher.”

Subcontractor Assurance Electrical Contractor is located in Von Ormy. –mjm

continued from Page 1 — A gem shines again

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Mechanical Contractors Assn.

Jul. 26: Happy Hour, location to be determined. For more info, contact Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994

Jul. 11-14: Annual Meeting & Products Show, Hyatt Regency Los Pines Resort & Spa, 575 Hyatt Loss Pines Rd., Lost Pines, TX. For more info, call 281-440-4380

AGC

Associated General Contractors

Jul. 3: BCA Membership Meeting, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210-349-4921 Jul. 12: CLC Mega Mixer, Well Beer Garden, 5539 UTSA Blvd., 4-7pm. For more info, call 210-349-4921 Jul 25: LCI Coffee, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale. For more info, call 210-349-4921 Jul. 28: CLC Night at the Missions, Wolff Stadium, 5757 US Hwy. 90 W. For more info, call 210-349-4921

Jul. 24: Lunch & Learn, Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 11:30am. For more info, contact Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105

Jul. 19: 9th Annual Diversity Awards Gala, Hilton Garden Inn, 8101 Pat Booker Rd., Live Oak, TX. For more info, call Dave Sanchez at 210-444-1100 or go to www. hcadesa.org

PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Jul. 12: Membership Mixer, Ranger Creek Distillery, 4834 Whirlwind Dr., 6pm. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-8247422 or go to www.phcc-sanantonio.org SAMCA

San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.

Jul. 14: Annual Fishing Tournament, Redfish Bay Boathouse, 322 Huff St., Aransas Pass; $300 per boat w/4 anglers. For more info, contact Debbie at 830-606-5556 TACCA

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Greater San Antonio

Jul. 19: Member Appreciation Mixer, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-9014222

IEC

Independent Electrical Contractors

Jul. 18-22: IEC of Texas State Conference, Bachelors Gulch, CO. For more info, contact Julie Howard at 210-431-9861 or email jhoward@iecsanantonio.com

s

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

Submit Info & Photo: SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net (210) 308-5800

Conference room in The Arevalo Alamo Building. Photo courtesy of Alfredo Mora.

Interior hallway. Photo courtesy of Alfredo Mora.

Jul. 25: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 12500 Network Blvd., #410, 11:30am. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763

HCAdeSA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Submissions

Architects Inc. and owner, Quality Services International LLC to be intimately involved with Pugh Constructors during all phases of construction. Tobin Flinn, project manager for Pugh Constructors and Raul Juarez, project superintendent maintained open lines of communications at all times.

Vollmer Electric Co., United Restoration & Preservation, Beyer Mechanical, Beyer Plumbing Co., Rodriguez & Sons, ARIS De-

MCA-SMACNA INC

Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Assn.

ASA

American Subcontractors Assn.

Round-Up

ment proved to be very challenging. Coordinating MEP trades under floor, through shafts and on exposed ceilings was also challenging. In addition, there was negotiating work with community stakeholders and balancing nostalgic and modern materials.

Although this was a design-bid-build project, the complexity and surprises encountered while under construction phase required the architect, Douglas

MCA

Associated Builders & Contractors

Photo courtesy of Alfredo Mora.

signs, AGL Painting, Corporate Floors, Wessely-Thompson Hardware, DEA Specialties, Firetrol Protection Systems, Tex State Constructors, Garden Ornamental Designs, B&B Masonry, Gavin Steel Fabricating, Superior Roofing & Construction, Cowboy Grading, Lehne Construction, Samuels Glass Company, 101 Mobility, Unistrut Service Company, Parkland Vertical Solutions, Hammonds Wood Floors, Hill Country Overhead Door, McLarkin Group along with structural engineer Lundy & Franke Engineering Inc.; civil engineer Pape-Dawson Engineering and MEP engineer RGM Engineering were involved in the restoration of this 110 year-old gem.

Pugh Constructors LLC is a full-service general contractor in San Antonio. -cmw

Lopez Salas Architects welcomes Fernando Aguilar, AIA as Prinicipal and Chief Operating Officer. Aguilar is a LEED accredited licensed architect with over 25 years of extensive leadership and management experience in new construction, renovations and site development. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018

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Page 23

Summer shindig 2018

JOB SIGHTS

embers of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association Greater San Antonio Chapter came together with AmeriCrane Rentals LP to host the 2018 Summer Shindig at Blue Bonnet Palace in Selma, TX. -cmw

L-R: Pickett Porterfield, H&E Equipment, Adam Barsalou and Stan Rothman, BlueLine Rental.

Installers for ICF Constructors perform insulated concrete form work at 11903 Jones Maltsberger Rd. A2Z Development Services is the general contractor for the project. cmw L-R: Shannon Cadena, PeopleReady and Jon Randolph, Baker Triangle

L-R: Josh Sewell, Beyer Boys and ABC President, Steve Schultz.

L-R: AmeriCrane Rental LP Owner Steve White and wife, Hide, John Dunn, Terry Littlepage and wife, Monelle.

Happy

4 JULY thof

Mike Lasiter, Lasiter Utility Backhoe oversees utility work at the Aguja Warehouse project on Naco-Perrin in San Antonio. Fetzer Companies Inc. is the general contractor for the project. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • JULY 2018