San Antonio Construction News August 2018

Covering the Industry’s News

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www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 21 H Number 8 H AUGUST 2018

Putting out fires

It goes hand in hand

Mark Finch, manager of Boerne Air Conditioning & Heating (2nd from right), with mom Brenda and the team.

Lee Ramos, co-owner of Maximum Demolition, stops by Construction News for a photo.

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ark Finch is the sworn enemy of heat. He’s been putting out fires his whole life.

That’s not a figure of speech. Finch was a full-fledged firefighter for 23 years, first in Castle Hills, then in Boerne.

And, as the manager of Boerne Air Conditioning & Heating, he keeps things cool by putting his customers out of fire when their AC breaks.

Finch is second generation at Boerne AC. His parents Edward and Brenda started the company in 1980.

Edward used to work with his father in the plumbing business, but since he “didn’t like working on everybody else’s waste,” he crossed over to the AC world.

He worked for Honeywell, then began his own company.

Finch started tagging along with dad since he was 8 or 9, learning the trade.

But upon graduation from high school, he switched to firefighting. He would work a 24-on and 48-off schedule.

“Some days I would work six days a week and some days I worked seven days a week,” he said.

When Finch was a firefighter in Boerne, he also worked in the family business.

That was two full-time jobs. He finally quit firefighting altogether in 2017, saying he was “so excited to have just one job.”

Boerne AC has five full-time employees and four part-time ones. Juggling everyone’s schedules is one of the biggest challenges he faces day-to-day. “In our continued on Page 21

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love for demolition and recycling was the reason behind Maximum Demolition. “It goes hand-inhand,” says co-owner Lee Ramos.

Ramos had been in the recycling business for years. His brother, Arthur Ramos, was in the demolition business each doing their own thing until one day they decided to put their minds together and create a family business they could both enjoy. In 2017, they made it official.

“Arthur is the brain of the operation.

He has the knowledge. He makes the company go ‘round. He knows all the tricks of the trade from electrical to plumbing, you name it, and he knows it.

He’s the lead man on jobsites, he’s being doing this for roughly 40 years,” Ramos affectionately says of his brother and co-

owner. “I’m the paper and numbers guy and the people person of the operation.”

Before the Ramos brothers made their business official, they would receive phone calls here and there. Arthur would demolish whatever was asked of them and Lee would recycle it. When the two saw the growth in San Antonio, they decided it was time to do it right. They acquired all the necessary insurances and bonding required by the city and is moving full steam ahead.

The first year of operation has been very good for the company according to Ramos. “A lot of work has come from word of mouth and it has been snowballing and getting bigger and bigger. When continued on Page 21

Garden office park

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oberto Kenigstein, custom homebuilder, general contractor and developer, established Image Homes Ltd. in 1988. Image Homes Ltd., together with Elmco Real Estate Ltd, has created luxury, single-family homes since 1988, and custom office buildings since 2008.

Image Homes has built a diverse portfolio of commercial development projects for small to medium-sized businesses, professional practices and businesses, doctors, medical, oil and gas, advertising and marketing firms, CPA’s, architects and builders of all types.

Dominion Place is a 10-acre commercial development featuring prime retail and office suites, and custom stand-alone garden office spaces located on I-10, near the affluent neighborhoods of The Dominion, Stonewall Ranch and Fair Oaks.

The stand-alone garden office suites are customized both inside and out and

range in size from 1,500sf to 9,500sf with Hill Country and urban-infused features.

Each building is constructed with a contemporary style of wood framed buildings with limestone, metal and stucco exterior, TPO and metal roofs.

From the beginning Image Homes assembled an exceptional team consisting of themselves, architects, engineers, and landscapers. Having a great team was essential to the outcome and allowed an opportunity for them to work with and learn from great minds and individuals in the construction industry. All the planning and engineering that went into completing an existing developed piece of land presented them with several challenges and obstacles. The pre-engineering and design of the buildings were a challenge to accommodate existing land and infrastructure as well as optimal placement of the buildings relative Building 3 – Dominion Place, Phase 2

continued on Page 21

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

From passion to career

A door closing

Henry Vera shakes hands with Edward Kanning, former president of Dumas Hardware, retired.

COTOVI partners, Jose “Pepe” Del Bosque and Trichia Stoddard

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hat do Joseph, son of David, and Jose “Pepe” Del Bosque have in common? Besides the namesake, the answer is carpentry.

For more than 20 years, Jose “Pepe” Del Bosque has been creating works of art. With a passion to build and a strong talent in woodwork, Pepe has been building cabinets since he was a young man.

His keen sense for numbers, combined with his carpentry skill opened many doors over the years.

While working in the construction industry, Pepe found himself running shops, estimating, and over-seeing contracts for his employers. As you can imagine, over the years he established many great contacts and built great relationships. Among those relationships was a friendship that resulted in a partnership. That partnership helped in the establishment of COTOVI Architectural Interiors.

COTOVI is an acronym for cabinets, countertops and division VI. Jose’s partner also has 20-plus years in construction. Trichia Stoddard grew up in the construction industry and has been actively involved for the past 26 years.

“I have been doing this for so long and it got to the point where I asked myself, why not do this for me,” says Del Bosque. And with the Stoddard’s encouragement, he knew he had made the right choice. “He has all the contacts,” says Stoddard. “It wasn’t like we could just start marketing to those people because we had to get stabilized, we had to get the shop.”

“Getting started was difficult. It was a combination of things – getting the jobs, getting our name out there and building our reputation.” says Del Bosque, “Everyday is a challenge, but we are taking it one step at a time.”

Del Bosque and Stoddard started COTOVI together in 2016 and at the very beginning it was just the two of them.

Today, they have an office manager and a shop crew of four and on occasion, they do subcontract some of their installs.

COTOVI does a little bit of everything. They do woods, cabinets, laminates, countertops and metals, both residential work and commercial. Basically, they perform everything under division six of the CSI codes.

“The goal for the company is to grow and be successful. And I don’t mean to be a millionaire or billionaire. I mean just to have success and respect with our clients and employees and grow,” adds Del Bosque. “And to provide a good product and build relationships. That’s the way we work. We like to be fair and honest and provide a good product. As a general contractor you always know who to contact to get the answers and Jose is that person,” adds Stoddard.

Although the company is relatively new, it has years of experience behind it to provide quality service with a creditable reputation. “We’re open for business and ready to provide the quality of work everyone desires and deserves.”

COTOVI Architectural Interiors is a specialty contractor in San Antonio. - cmw

W

hen Henry Vera joined a friend assembling frames on the night shift at Dumas Hardware Company, he thought it would just be a quick way to earn extra pocket money.

He had no idea the side gig would turn into a 43-year career at the company.

Vera, now a senior vice president, is retiring. He has seen many changes since Dumas hired him full-time on July 7, 1975.

He has had four different bosses (his first passed away within a week of Vera starting at the company). He has seen coworkers come and go. Technology, he says, has changed the most. Even his role changed; for the past 20 years, he took on an “outside” role and personally called on customers.

“I’m going to miss the relationships that I’ve built with customers, end users and people that I’ve known; we’ve become friends,” he says. “I’ll also miss employees that have been here forever.”

There is one thing he won’t mind seeing in the rearview mirror, however.

“I won’t miss the commute – three hours of my time every day!” he says. “I used to get up at 5 am, but I told my boss

when I hit 65 that I couldn’t handle the traffic anymore. I’m now 70 years old, and I need to take some time off for myself and enjoy a little bit of life.”

To celebrate Vera’s retirement, the company hosted a barbecue Jul. 20 with family, friends and many whom Vera has met through work. Vera was grateful for the chance to say goodbye and to speak with everyone one-on-one.

As for his retirement years, Vera has it all planned.

“I have a little 10-acre spread at Pipe Creek and there is a lot of cleanup to do to make it presentable,” he says. “I also belong to a bass club and we fish different lakes every month. I’ll enjoy that more often now that I won’t be back at work tired.”

He also plans to keep his original phone number just in case there are any questions he can answer.

“If somebody calls, I’m willing to help any way I can!” he says. “My current boss, Greg Kanning, and his family that I work for are great people. This company has been good to me.”

Dumas Hardware Company is located in San Antonio. –mjm

Strength from within

Congratulations to the 2018 graduates of the MAREK Workforce Development program.

MAREK hosted a graduation ceremony for the ten graduates from within the company on Jul 11 at the MAREK offices. -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

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Artistic Amy

It’s addicting

Steve White, owner of AmeriCRANE Rental LP has a big heart for children in need.

Aaron Reyes and Amy Martin, owner of Amy Arts, in front of her curtain mural at Canyon Ridge Elementary School.

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ot too many people from El Paso can calmly say, “When I used to work in Hollywood,” but Amy Martin can.

After graduating from the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles in 1990, the painter got a job with Jet Sets, a company that sets designs for TV shows, the movies and commercials.

Martin’s done, for instance, Budweiser bull frog ads for the Super Bowl, Jack in the Box commercials, the Lion King float for Disney and other floats for the city of Pasadena.

“I loved working on floats,” she said.

She’s worked for the big movie names like Paramount and Warner Brothers studios. She’s even worked on a Michael Jackson video.

Martin did location work as well, where she would go on location to, for instance, make a fake brick wall look dirtier.

Martin describes her eight years in Hollywood as “the best experience.”

From Hollywood, Martin worked for SRO Associates in Boerne, TX, a theatrical artistic and design company. They sent her to places like Dollywood in Tennessee and Hersheypark in Pennsylvania.

Martin has worked on a project most Texans will recognize: Big Tex himself.

The old Big Tex burned up in 2012.

Undaunted, a new one had to be built. It was a complete top-secret project that took many months to complete. Martin had to work with the engineers who made all the moving parts of the big guy while she painted him.

“It’s an engineering wonder,” she said. “He’s such an icon.”

Working on a 55 ft. tall statue wasn’t a problem for Martin. “I love working big,” she declared.

After working at SRO (which stands for “Standing Room Only”) for a few years, Martin started her own company, Amy Arts, two years ago. “The majority of my work is in San Antonio,” she said.

Some of her work includes the back of the screen for the Missions Drive-In

Theater. She also did a high-tech training facility at Ft. Sam Houston. Martin made the area look like a village in Iraq or Afghanistan in order to train medics in their combat skills.

Martin teamed up with fellow SRO alum Aaron Reyes to enter into the world of fabrication and home remodeling.

Reyes will make the cabinets while Martin jazzes them up with patinas and textures, called a “faux finish.”

Having custom-painted homes and businesses keeps her busy, like getting a call to paint a man’s basement bar in Corpus Christi with aquatic scenes.

“I can go nuts if people want me to go nuts,” she said.

People can have custom and unique homes with Martin’s artwork. She calls it, “Artistic contracting [where you have] artists with all the skills of your regular builder.” If someone wants to make their bathroom look like an aquarium, Martin can do it.

While much of today’s artwork is computer-generated, Martin learned and does the “old school” style of hand painting and will incorporate different styles within a piece.

“Painting is my passion,” she said.

Martin has done murals and scenes for schools, restaurants, and businesses.

Painting on cinder block was hard at first, but she got the hang of it.

Martin is looking ahead to getting into more television work as the art director. “I want bigger projects that last longer,” she said. “I’m very interested in public art projects.”

She’ll even pack her painting supplies in several duffle bags and go where she’s needed. “I love traveling.”

There’s a saying in the military that goes: “If it moves, salute it. If it doesn’t, paint it.”

Even if it moves like Big Tex, Amy Martin of Amy Arts is ready to paint it.

Amy Arts is a custom artistic paint and fabricating studio in San Antonio. -dsz

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hildren are very impressionable, especially at a young age. They learn from watching others. They learn how to love, hate, respect, communicate, work, play and survive. They learn from the environment around them.

As a small child, Steve White’s, mother instilled in him the love of charity.

“She had a philosophy that when you went to work, part of your paycheck should go to either a church or a charity. I never forgot that.”

“I have always helped out with kids. I told my wife, Hilda, that if we were ever successful in business we were going to help children – my main goal in life.”

I became a Mason. Masons (Freemasons) are members of the largest and oldest men’s fraternal organization in the world. Masons have a great desire to help others. As a Mason, we started helping the kids by giving scholarships and raising money. I’m also a Scottish Rite Mason.”

After joining the Scottish Rite Masons, White, owner of AmeriCRANE Rentals LP, had the honor of sitting on the board of directors for the Scottish Rite Learning Center. It was there he learned how difficult it is for a child with dyslexia to learn and communicate. He knew something had to done to restore these children’s lives. Through his involvement with the construction industry, he devised a plan to start raising money for the dyslexia center, which doesn’t charge for children with dyslexia. He was told it would never work, but their black tie affair raised $30,000 to $36,000 net every year the event was held with all proceeds going towards the center.

“To attend graduation and see these kids with dyslexia who can now read, and stand up to speak publicly, you realize you have just changed their whole life.

You’ve made a difference that they will carry on for the rest of their life.

“Fundraising is more than just raising money, it’s making a difference in a child’s life. There are very few people that can wake up in the morning knowing they made a difference in a child’s life, as well as their family.

White is also a Shriner. As a Shriner,

he is very involved in raising money for the Shriners hospitals, particularly the Shriners Burns Hospital in Galveston. For the past five years, he has sat on the board of governors. “It’s not about the money, it’s about where it goes and who it helps. It’s about knowing that everything we do gets a child to the hospital and taken care of – Not only the child but also the family. When a child is in the hospital, the last thing a family needs is problems. If a family can’t afford the help financially, that’s okay. We’ll (Shriners hospitals) take insurance if you have it, but we won’t ever turn anybody down, 18 years of age and under, with a burn.

“Shriners doesn’t just take care of Texas, we take care of the world. It’s addicting.

“We help them mentally as well as physically so that when they return to school, even though they have physical changes to their bodies, it doesn’t change who they are.”

As a member, White has been raising money through the Alzafar Shrine for transportation. “If somebody calls, we need to move. That takes money. We raise money just to move children that are severely injured. This money also helps to move their parents, to keep them in housing, to keep them fed so they don’t have anything to worry about while their child is being treated. The transportation fund is through the Alzafar Shrine. What happens with these funds is when we get a call that a child has to be airlifted from somewhere in the world, it can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $50,000 or more. We make it happen. It can’t happen unless there is a valiant effort to want to help kids. If we don’t have the transportation funds, we treat them – get them to the doctors.

“Everyday I wake up and ask myself what can I do to make a child’s life a little easier. Make that mom feel ‘my child is at the Shrine Hospital getting the best he can get and I don’t have to worry about lodging and food and transportation, I just have to concentrate on my child.’

And that’s what does it for me.”

AmeriCRANE Rentals LP is a full-service crane rental company in Selma, TX. -cmw

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Apprentice to journeyman

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ight Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors (PHCC) apprentices graduated from the association’s four-year Dept. of Labor-approved program Jun. 14. Robert Dominic Chauvey, Beyer Plumbing Co., was presented the Ed Harrell Memorial Excellence Award. Photos courtesy of Colton Bolin, Bolin Plumbing. -cmw

Dominic Chauvey, Beyer Plumbing Co.

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Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Pape-Dawson Engineers Inc. is pleased to announce the following promotions: Rebecca Carroll, PE, Taylor Dawson, PE LEED AP BD+C has has been promoted been promoted to vice to vice president and president. Carroll will provides leadership in continue to lead civil site design for shopprojects, master planping center developning, platting, design ments, multi- and sinof detention and water gle-family residential treatment facilities, hydevelopments and roadway design. Dawson received a drologic and hydraulic analysis for drainBachelor of Science in Civil Engineering age studies, development of grading, from Texas A&M University and a Master drainage and utility plans and construcof Business Administration degree from tion phase studies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering the University of Texas at Austin. –cmw degree from The Univ. of Texas in Austin a Master of Science in Civil Engineering Caleb Chance, PE has degree from the Univ.of Texas at San Anbeen promoted to vice tonio. –cmw president and will conTodd Blackmon, PE, tinue to lead commerLEED AP BD+C, has cial and residential land been promoted to vice development projects president and will conincluding subdivision tinue to lead site delayout and design, regsign for shopping cenulatory submittal and developments, approval, and hydrologic and hydraulic for ter FEMA submittals. He received his Bachelor master planned mixof Science in Civil Engineering degree from ed-use developments, Texas A&M University, a Master of Engineer- single- and multi-family residential deing degree in Civil Engineering from The velopments and roadway design. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil EngiUniversity of Texas at San Antonio. -cmw neering from Texas A&M University and is leadership in engineering and environmenJim Welch, PE has tal design, building design and construcbeen promoted to tion certified. -cmw vice president. Welch will continue to lead planning, design, construction and permitSubmissions ting for industrial, comBrief company announcements of new mercial and residenor recently promoted personnel, tial land development free of charge, as space allows. projects. Welch earned a Bachelor of SciSubmit Info & Photo: ence in Agricultural Engineering from SAeditor@ConstructionNews.net Texas A&M University and is a registered (210) 308-5800 engineer in the state of Texas. -cmw

Round-Up

2018 PHCC graduating class

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

ASC 606 – The new revenue recognition accounting standard Kyle Pacheco, CPA, Manager Assurance Services Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC Dallas, TX

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ecently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued the new revenue recognition standard that establishes a cohesive line of principles to report useful and relevant information in construction company’s financial statements. This consists of a five-step process involved in the recognition of revenue: STEPS 1) Identify the contract with the customer 2) Identify the performance obligation(s) 3) Determine the transaction price 4) Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligation(s) in the contract 5) Recognize revenue when/as the performance obligations are satisfied Step 1: To meet the requirements of a contract, it must meet the following criteria: can be written, oral or implied, identifies the rights of the parties, identifies the payment terms, has commercial substance, and collection of payment must be probable. The construction contract and any subsequently entered into change orders should typically meet the criteria above. One item to note is depending on the scope of the change order. A change order could result in the creation of a new contract.

Step 2: Performance obligations are defined as a promised good or service. This includes the construction, manufacture, or development of an asset for a customer and/or the performance of a contractually agreed upon task for a customer.

Contracts should be evaluated to whether the contract contains one performance obligation, or multiple performance obligations. When assessing the performance obligation(s) in the contract, it is important to look at the overall objective of the contract and what the customer will receive benefit from.

Step 3: The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which the company expects to receive in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to the customer. When determining the transaction price, the company should evaluate the contract for the following items: variable consideration (project bonuses or shared savings), financing components, noncash consideration, or consideration paid or payable to the customer (coupons or vouchers).

Variable consideration should be estimated utilizing either the expected value method or the most likely amount method. The expected value method is a probability-weighted estimation, and the most likely amount method is based on the most likely amount to be received in the range of possible amounts. Each contract should be evaluated individually to determine which method best pre-

dicts the amount of consideration the company will be entitled to. To include variable consideration in the transaction price, the company has to be able to determine the probability that there will not be a significant revenue reversal in a subsequent period.

Step 4: The importance of identifying the performance obligation(s) in each contract is because the transaction price has to be allocated between each of the performance obligations. If a contract has multiple performance obligations, the transaction price should be allocated in proportion to the standalone sales price for each of the performance obligations in the contract.

Step 5: Recognize revenue when/as the performance obligations are satisfied Under the new standard, revenue is recognized based on the transfer of control to the customer. Transfer of control is passed to the customer in one of two ways: 1) at a point in time or 2) over a period of time. Control is considered to pass to the customer over a period of time if either of the following are true: the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by the company’s performance, the company’s performance creates or enhances an asset that the customer has control, or the asset created does not have an alternate use to the company, and the company has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date from the customer.

While the underlying methods to recognizing revenue will be unchanged, revenue will still be recognized at either a point in time (completed contract) or a period of time (percentage of completion), there are some additional procedure steps that need to be analyzed to comply with the new revenue recognition standard for construction companies. For nonpublic companies, the new revenue recognition is effective for all fiscal year-end reporting dates starting after December 15, 2018. For most nonpublic companies, this will be effective for the year beginning Jan 1, 2019 and ending December 31, 2019.

Kyle is a manager in our assurance services and is responsible for managing a team of more than 30 individuals.

A four-letter insurance word and its various definitions Austin Goolsby, Vice President TexCap Insurance Dallas, TX

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he first time a four-letter word crossed my lips as a child it was quickly followed by a bar of Dial soap.

This was an unpleasant introduction into the diverse English vocabulary and having an older brother only improved the odds of that bar of soap landing on my tongue again. In reference to general liability, the same can be said when outlining the type of work performed to an underwriter when the word residential is used, but instead of a Dial dental exam it’s a raised eyebrow promptly followed by laundry list of questions.

The adjective residential is defined as “a place to live” or “of relating to the places where people live.” Those are both simple definitions but in the wide world of insurance the word residential is about as clear as mud. I’ve seen a large national carrier define residential as “any structure where 30% or more of the square foot area is used or is intended to be used for human residency.” When did figuring out your company’s insurance coverage boil down to a math problem? I would say the most common definition comes in some form of “any single or multifamily housing, apartments, duplexes, townhomes, condominiums or cooperatives, timeshares, or any other place of domicile.”

Other types of property that have been defined as residential by some insurance companies are hotels and motels, college/university housing or dormitories, long term care facilities, nursing homes, prisons and hospitals. These examples of what a residential definition could be are just the tip of the iceberg when discussing the variances from carrier to carrier.

When you combine the application of coverage with these definitions it can get confusing in a hurry. For instance, there could be coverage if you are only performing service work on a condominium but undertaking a new construction install on the same type of structure could be excluded. More often than not, this headache can be avoided because the carrier is willing to endorse the policy to include coverage for some of the property types listed above, with apartments and mixed-use buildings being the most common.

definition of a simple word, which is the result of decades of claims history and industry trends.

We can put together how the word became such an uneasy topic with underwriters if we look at how the types of property previously mentioned are typically owned. Undoubtably, single-family dwellings, duplexes, townhomes, condominiums or cooperatives, and time shares are owned by individuals or a large collection of individuals, and all other forms of property not stated are generally owned and operated in a commercial capacity. This disparity drives the muddled

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.

The prospect of an insured performing work on a premise that is owned by a large collection of individuals, like a condo, opens the door to the possibility of multiple claimants or multiple lawsuits and that is the elephant in the room. The same can be said for timeshares, duplexes and town homes. On the contrary, if a property is owned and operated by a single entity, the number of potential claimants or lawsuits is dwindled down to one in majority of scenarios. The consequent effect is the amount that can be paid out on your behalf by the insurance company. If a claim is settled with one claimant on a property with multiple owners, you can then multiply that amount by the number of owners, which can add up in a hurry. Insurance company’s try best their odds from the beginning by reducing the number of possible claimants or lawsuits a policy’s inception.

At the end of the day, there is insurance for any and all types of work you or your company are or want to get involved in. The real question is the increased cost of the desired coverage worth the reward? That is a question answered on an individual basis. No two companies are exactly alike nor are their scope of work. In the same breath, you client base and industries served are not set in stone. They are constantly changing and evolving, make sure your insurance is able to keep up.

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

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Avoid raising a red flag: guidance for employers regarding electronic reporting of injury and illness data after July 1 Pamela Williams Partner

Travis Vance Partner

Fisher Phillips Houston, TX

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he Occupational Safety and Health Administration just warned employers that it will take note of worksites that electronically report their 2017 OSHA 300A information after the July 1, 2018, deadline. The agency offered this caveat for unwary employers: Employers can continue to electronically report their Calendar Year (CY) 2017 Form 300A data to OSHA, but submissions after July 1, 2018, will be flagged as “late.”

The 2017 OSHA 300A data is required to be submitted by July 1, 2018. This requirement stems from a new rule (effective January 1, 2017) that requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information —including that found on the OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses—directly to OSHA over the next several years. Under the rule, employers were required to submit their OSHA 300A forms for 2016 to OSHA

by December 15, 2017, although OSHA accepted submissions until December 31, 2017. OSHA is not currently enforcing the rule’s provisions relating to OSHA 300 log and 301 form information.

Who is Required to Report the 300A Information?

OSHA’s website provides a helpful list of categories of employers that are not required to electronically provide the requested data. Specifically, the following worksites are not subject to the reporting requirement: Only a small fraction of establishments are required to electronically submit their Form 300A data to OSHA. Establishments that meet any of the following criteria DO NOT have to send their information to OSHA. Remember, these criteria apply at the establishment level, not to the firm as a whole.

• The establishment’s peak employ ment during the previous calendar year was 19 or fewer, regardless of the establishment’s industry.

• The establishment’s industry is on the list, regardless of the size of the establishment.

• The establishment had a peak eployment between 20 and 249 emloyees during the previous calen- dar year AND the establishment’s

industry is not on the list What Does OSHA Mean by “Flagged?”

OSHA’s use of “flagged” to describe how it will mark late reports is unusual and its intent in that using that phrase is unclear. As a preliminary matter, it would virtually impossible for the agency to know and identify every establishment in the country where reporting is required.

How would OSHA know specifically how many employees worked at the site, on average, during the last calendar year (e.g., it doesn’t have access to OSHA 300 log information)? What if your establishment wasn’t required to report?

Further, OSHA likely would not have the time or resources to conduct inspections at every location that reported late.

The recent (2015) adoption of the amputation and in-patient hospitalization rule (among others) has shown that OSHA is overwhelmed by employer referral inspections.

Rather, if the agency becomes aware of an establishment’s non-compliance, OSHA may send a letter asking the employer to comply timely with the rule in the future. If it fails to do so, OSHA may conduct an inspection and possibly issue citations. OSHA, of course, will likely also continue to ask for verification of electronic reporting when conducting an inspection unrelated to that particular violation.

OSHA’s use of “flagging” appears to be a rare, publicly distributed warning signal to employers that file the required information late. However, the warning appears to have little teeth, as OSHA’s resources are stretched and the agency likely won’t initiate inspections based on the failure to timely report alone.

Pamela Williams and Travis Vance are partners in the Houston and Charlotte offices, respectively, of labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips. Pam can be reached at 713.292.5622 or pwilliams@fisherphillips. com.

Sun Exposure Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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unlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. The amount of damage from UV exposure depends on the strength of the light, the length of exposure, and whether the skin is protected.

There are no safe UV rays or safe suntans.

SkinCancer Sun exposure at any age can cause skin cancer. Be especially careful in the sun if you burn easily, spend a lot of time outdoors, or have any of the following physical features:

Numerous, irregular, or large moles.

Freckles.

Fair skin.

Blond, red, or light brown hair.

Self-Examination

It is important to examine your body monthly because skin cancers detected early can almost always be cured. The most important warning sign is a spot on the skin that is changing in size, shape, or color during a period of 1 month to 1 or 2 years.

Skin cancers often take the following forms:

Pale, wax-like, pearly nodules.

Red, scaly, sharply outlined patches.

Sores that don’t heal.

Small, mole-like growths - melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.

If you find such unusual skin changes, see a health care professional immediately.

Block Out UV Rays

Cover up. Wear tightly-woven clothing that blocks out light. Try this test: Place your hand between a single layer of

the clothing and a light source. If you can see your hand through the fabric, the garment offers little protection.

Use sunscreen. A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 blocks 93 percent of UV rays. You want to block both UVA and UVB rays to guard against skin cancer. Be sure to follow application directions on the bottle and look for broad spectrum coverage.

Wear a hat. A wide brim hat (not a baseball cap) is ideal because it protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp.

Wear UV-absorbent shades. Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.

Limit exposure. UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re unsure about the sun’s intensity, take the shadow test: If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are the day’s strongest.

Preventing Skin Cancer

For more information about preventing, detecting, and treating skin cancer, check out these sources: American Cancer Society www.cancer.org 1-800-ACS-2345 natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Page 8

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Did you feel confident starting your own business?

I felt ready because I had learned everything from Rick. I also didn’t really have any major responsibilities at the time, such as a family or kids. For me, the risk of failure was minimal; I didn’t own anything and I didn’t have anything to lose. When I started, I didn’t even really know what I was getting into! I think if I did, I would have thought about it twice before I did it, because I was so naïve. I just jumped in it and did it

Felipe Carstens President Modern Day Concrete Inc. San Antonio, TX

F

elipe Carstens has always been determined to be an entrepreneur, even if that meant not following in his family’s footsteps. Within five short years of working in construction, his dream came true and the president of polished and stained concrete company, Modern Day Concrete Inc., can’t wait to wake up in the morning and keep living his dream.

How were you introduced to construction?

I do not have anyone in my family in construction. My father has an MBA, my mother has a degree in education, and my cousins, aunts and uncles are lawyers and psychiatrists. I am kind of the “black sheep” in that I’m the only one without a degree.

I kind of veered off at a very young age. I was here in San Antonio and saw where the construction industry was heading, how busy it was, how things were popping up all over the place. In all honesty, I just started working. My dream was not necessarily to be a floor guy but to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to have a business and to make something out of myself.

I started working for Rick Stone at Rick Stone Masonry when I was 19. I worked with him for about five years and I consider him one of my mentors. He taught me everything that I know about the trade. When I ran it by him that I wanted to do my own thing, he supported me; in fact, he gave me my first real client when I started Modern Day Concrete in 2010. The first couple of years that I was in business, I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for him; that’s how much work he gave me at that point. He was very important in the beginnings of this company.

What surprised you about business ownership?

Before you have your business, you think it’s going to be a certain way. Once you start running it, you realize that there are so many moving parts and different factors that go into making a successful business. I really started learning how to run a business; it became a lot more than just a trade that we do. I learned I have to focus on how to grow the company.

How has the company evolved?

We started off specializing in polished concrete. It was a one-man show – me – and we’ve really evolved as a company in adding different trades. Now we specialize in epoxy coatings, urethane mortars, MMAs and a broad spectrum of the flooring systems. I can say we hold more certifications than any other company in town with everything that we do. We spent a lot of time educating ourselves and making sure that what we’re doing is to the highest standard.

That’s not to say we haven’t made mistakes. I’ll be the first one to admit that there’s definitely a learning curve to what we do. It’s extremely important that the industry itself gets more training and gets better at what we do, because there is not really a standard. Anybody with a pickup truck and a roller is a stain guy. We really pride ourselves on the fact that we have accumulated all of these certifications and accreditations over the years.

It’s really rewarding to us.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

I’ve learned quite a few lessons, to be honest with you. If you do the right thing, do things the right way and do good business, everything will work out right at the end. We can have issues on a daily basis, everybody does, but at the end of the day, if you have your company’s core values, no matter what happens, you’re going to be okay. That’s something that I’ve learned with time. The world’s not going to end tomorrow. If there is an issue, we will get it resolved and move on. We’ll be fine.

In addition to Rick Stone, who else has mentored you?

Top left–right: William Gutierrez, Mark Pardo and John Petry. Bottom left-right: Anthony Tijerina, Felipe Carstens, Enrique Carstens and Albert Goss.

There has definitely been more than one in making me who I am today. There were also two other gentleman who took the time to give me advice. Manuel Sandre is a business owner here in town, and Jimmy Roof taught me all about sales. My father, Enrique Carstens, has played a huge part in what we do. There have been so many people along the way who have helped me become the person who I am today; I can’t even name them all.

What are your plans for the company?

Right now we are at a very exciting time, not just for me but also for San Antonio, which is going to double in population in the next 15 years. This town is booming. The opportunity is there, not just for us, but also for everybody who is trying to do something out there. It’s very exciting to be at the right place at the right time and know that the potential is there for so much more. I see other businesses and I’m really rooting for everybody here in town. San Antonio is a good place to be right now; I think everybody who does well has a bright future.

We have big plans. The company is still fairly young and we have big dreams.

My team and I are out there everyday pounding the streets like everybody else trying to make this happen. We have a lot of things on the horizon. We’re growing and figuring things out as we go. We’re really diversifying in different fields and areas. It feels good to wake up in the morning and say that, to know that you’re doing something positive, to know that you’re taking care of 22 employees. There are a lot of different levels of satisfaction that this brings, in my opinion.

How would you like to impact your industry?

I think as an industry in San Antonio, we need to get together, make sure we have standards and keep the quality of the work that we do at a high level all the way around. I believe in better education, certification and training. I talk to different business owners – technically, my competition – and I’ve proposed that there needs to be a standard of how we do this. Hopefully in the near future, as leaders of the industry, we can come up with standards that are required for every employee that gets hired by one of our companies. After all, if you have to have a license to be a plumber or an electrician, there should be something like that for our trades to maintain quality. We should have a good standard all of the way around, not just with Modern Day Concrete.

Now that you have broken your family’s profession “mold” and entered the construction industry, have family members joined your company?

I have family members and friends of the family working with us. My dad works with me as a sales executive and has been one of my role models. My younger brother, Chris Carstens, also works here.

We’re definitely a family-oriented company, too, which is very important to us. I was able to put my dream team together, which includes operations manager Albert Goss, project manager/ operations manager Mark Pardo and my sales manager William Guttierez. My office manager and operations, front office, and sales staff and have really been the key to our success. We have the right people, and it’s a huge thing to have the right people behind you.

How do you spend your time outside of the office?

I spend most of my time with my wife Jennifer and our two-and-a-half year old daughter. Things have changed a little in the last couple of years but I definitely spend all of my time with them.

Whenever we can, we like to travel. The baby is young so we haven’t been doing much of that lately. We play tennis and do a lot of things together.

I really don’t do things much on my own. My wife is my best friend. I get to go home and let her know how my day was.

She already knows what I’m going to complain about but she’s very supportive of me. It makes life much easier when you have somebody like that by your side.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

At the end of the day, everything that my team and I do is not just for ourselves; we’re trying to create a better future for our families. We’re trying to build something that we can fall back on, where we can say, “I wasn’t just another number for a corporation. We really did make a difference here.”

Subcontractor Modern Day Concrete Inc. is in San Antonio. –mjm

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 9

Trowels with the golden touch

M

embers and guests of the San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association (SAMCA) filled Sunset Station Jun. 28 to see who would receive the coveted Golden Trowel Award.

In addition to the evening’s award presentation, SAMCA made a $10,000 donation to the UTSA Scholarship of Architecture Endowment Fund. -cmw

Block: HEB Bulverde Rd.; Mason Contractor: Ericstad Inc.;Foreman: Giancario Manzaba Architect: PB2 Architecture; General Contractor: Joeris General Contractors Ltd.; Suppliers: Boral Concrete Products, I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source, Pyramid Cast Stone Co. Inc.

Educational College/University: Our Lady of the Lake Student Dorms; Mason Contractor: DJM Masonry Enterprises Inc.; Foreman: Estevan Hernandez; Architect: Alamo Architects Inc. General Contractor: Jordan Foster Construction; Suppliers: Acme Brick/Featherlite, SPEC Mix/Quikcrete, San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply

Industrial/Commercial: Pearl Bottling Department; Mason Contractor: Curtis Hunt Restorations Inc.; Foreman: Salvador Vasquez; Architect: Clayton & Little Architects; General Contractor: Joeris General Contractors Ltd.; Suppliers: I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source

Government/Institutional: Susan Naylor Center & Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum; Mason Contractor: Curtis Hunt Restorations Inc.; Foreman: Steve Guerra; Architect: Lake Flato Architects; General Contractor: Linbeck General Contractor; Suppliers: Acme Brick/Featherlite, I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source, Pyramid Cast Stone Co. Inc.

Patron of Masonry – General Contractor of the Year Award: Kopplow Construction Co.

Patron of Masonry – Architect of the Year Award: Alamo Architects Inc

Sustainability Award: City of Universal City

Residential Single Family: Country Residence; Mason Contractor: Curtis Hunt Restorations Inc.; Foreman: Jose Torres; Architect: Ford Powell & Carson Inc.; General Contractor: Guido Construction; Suppliers: Boral Concrete Products, I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source, Prosoco

San Antonio

Patron of Masonry – SAMCA Member of the Year Award: San Antonio Masonry Tool & Supplies

Restoration: Karnes County Courthouse; Mason Contractor: Curtis Hunt Restorations Inc. Foreman: Salvador Vasquez; Architect: Fisher Heck Architects; General Contractor: M J Boyle Contractors; Suppliers: Boral Concrete Products, I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

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: 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 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

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.

Educational K-12: Cuero ISD – Cuero High School Additions & Renovations; Mason Contractor: Groesbeck Masonry Inc.; Foreman: Martin Mauricio; Architect: Claycomb & Associates; General Contractor: Weaver & Jacobs Constructor Inc.; Suppliers: Acme Brick/Featherlite, Alamo Cement Co., Boral Concrete Products, Christopher Stuart Cast Stone Ltd., Hilti Inc., Kennison Forest Products Inc., Prosoco Inc., San Antonio Masonry & Tool Supply

UTSA Scholarship of Architecture Endowment Fund check presentation.

Hardscape/Landscape: San Antonio Botanical Gardens Improvement Project; Foreman: Albert Herrera; Mason Contractor: Curtis Hunt Restorations Inc.; Architect: RVK Architects; General Contractor: Kopplow Construction Co.; Suppliers: I-10 Building Materials/Stone Source

Page 10

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Shooting for new scholarships

New logo

T

wenty-eight years ago someone was in need of help. The Niznik family and friends quickly put together a shooting event to raise money. That first event turned into an annual affair that has raised over $2 million dollars and funded great causes.

Known around our industry as the “Charity Fun Shoot,” the direction and goals are changing this year but most aspects of the shoot remain the same.

“The event will now be called Shootin’ for Scholarships,” said Doug Niznik, Niznik Concrete Contractors. It will be held at the National Shooting Complex on the 2nd Saturday in August. The shoot, white board auction and live auction will be just like it has always been.

“The money we raise will be placed in a trust fund for scholarships. At this year’s shoot, we will be giving a $5K scholarship to the high overall 4-H shooter. In the future, scholarships will be given to SA Youth in their construction division, 4-H and others to attend tech and trade schools in an to help restock the construction industry a little bit,” continued Niznik.

The huge need for trained people coming into the construction industry is has been growing for years. The emphasis of the shoot will focus on this.

“Where is the next generation of contractors going to come from? With this shoot and giving these scholarships, maybe we can help answer that question.

“You just don’t hear too much, I know I haven’t, there’s a lot of opportunities for kids to go into a tech school or trade school – St. Phillips’ College, for example. A kid can enroll and take his or her freshman and sophomore year while going through the trade program of their choice such as plumbing, electrical, etc.

When they come out they have two years of college but also a Level 1 trade certificate,” continued Niznik.

For the last 25 years, the recipient of the funds raised by the shoot has been SA Youth. With this new direction, SA Youth will still be a recipient of scholarships as well as the other groups.

“I believe the shoot our event hosts and all the participants made a huge difference to SA Youth for many years. We are all very proud of that fact,” says Niznik.

“And speaking about our hosts, these companies are the heart of the shoot. They have believed in what we have been doing all these years and will continue with Shootin’ for Scholarships.

“All of them are from the construction industry and the shoot has been supported by contractors for 28 years.

The format of the event will stay the same with three 10-station courses, the familiar white-board auction, raffles and the huge live auction. For all those attending, food and water will be available all day. As Niznik would say, “Don’t break something that don’t need fixin’.”

The goal is to build the trust fund with each event so year after year the scholarships will keep new blood coming into the construction industry. This group is up to the challenge and many kids will look back on this day and fondly remember how they got their start.

2017 Fun Shoot

1st Annual Shootin’ for Scholarships at the National Shooting Complex, Saturday Aug. 11.

Registration: 7 am; Rotation 8:30 am; Live Auction 1:30 to 4 pm Hosts: Niznik Concrete Contractors. E-Z Bel Construction, LLC, Lynwood Building Materials, Johnston Industries and T&D Moravits Concrete Contractors.

For information contract Cindy Niznik at 210-385-9195 or Pattie Gamez at 210-885-8593. A Registration Form for the event has been inserted into this paper.

Publishers note: Construction News has covered this event for the last 20 years. What has been

very apparent for all those years has been the true commitment to make a BIG difference for the community by the Niznik’s, the hosts and the other folks helping to put on this event each year.

There are no bigger hearts for a good cause than the construction industry.

The other thing I have noticed is Doug ALWAYS manages to throw me under the bus in one way or another each year. Will that change? Nope.

See you there.

Buddy Doebbler Publisher

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 11

Fishing has been so sporadic since the beginning of the year and I really don’t have an explanation for this occurrence.

I’ve spoken with many anglers and guides and they all have experienced the same results with inconsistency from day-today catches. One morning is great with lots of action and plenty of fish to be caught and the next day you may not catch a fish or even get a bite in the same area. Perhaps the aftereffects from hurricane Harvey have changed our ecosystem enough to alter bait and fish migrations in our bay systems.

Milestones on the Water

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, AFW and AFTCO Clothing

W

OW! This summer marks the 20year milestone in my guiding career. How time flies when your having fun! I can truly say that is been a great ride so far and I can only hope to continue this ride for many more years to come. Never in my life did I ever think I would guide clients on some of the most exciting trips of their lives making memories that they will never forget.

Over the past 20 years I have guided thousands of clients on the waters of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay complexes and thru the harsh brush country of South Texas. These are some of the most personable, genuine people on the face of this earth and I am proud to say that most of them have become friends, and some have become family. I am truly blessed having the opportunity to get to know these folks and thank my lucky stars everyday, because they are the reason for my Success.

Getting on to fishing, I can honestly say that this has been one of the most challenging years in my 20-year career.

William Womack and Jess Gates both landed nice redfish last month while fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors. Redfish action should only get better as the summer progresses!

For the remainder of the summer and entering into early fall, we will continue to work the deeper rocks and reefs in and around the Baffin Bay complex.

Free lining croakers and piggy perch is what works best this time of the years as our water temperatures will be peaking out in the high 80s this coming month. If you are that artificial aficionado and still want to pursue your catch using plastics and top water plugs, I suggest you get an early start to your day and try to capitalize on the first bit of the morning. I will also be scanning the water on our way out everyday for schools of redfish and drum. With light winds, these fish are sometimes easy to spot as they scurry away from a running boat leaving wakes that are easy identifiable.

As we fish through the summer months, please remember to stay hydrated and apply your sunscreen several times throughout the day. People get caught up in the moment catching fish and don’t realize they are dehydrated and sun burned until it’s too late.

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 email me at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.

Good Luck and Good Fishing.

Page 12

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 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

Wait! What? Where’d Summer Go?!?

I

t was just here and I had so much summer stuff to do and now it’s already on the count down to the start of school.

It’s still so hot; maybe it just dried up and blew away…

The older I get the more the passing of time feels like this! You remember how it felt to be a grade school kid drifting in the idleness of summer until you catch sight of a calendar and it just stuns you!

Robert Griffith, the wild game processor and taxidermist well known to most of our clients

In spite of our shad population on Buchanan getting scarce on the ones that would be our bait right now, fishing has held up well. The trend to more and larger stripers mixed in with the hybrids that started late last year is holding true this year too. We have seen better sizes coming in on our schoolies and very often they are accompanied by one or two really nice larger fish in the stringer. We have had lots of 10 to 13 pounders and so far our best this year was 18 lbs.

Not to worry about the shad population either. The lake is healthy and producing scads of baby shad that are growing up fast. I have heard several theories on why our summer bait has been hard Forrest Moore and family, Hollywood Custom Homes, Liberty Hill, Tx.

to come by. Some say the extra cold snaps of last winter could have set them back as babies. Others wonder about the correlation of scarce bait and larger fish.

Maybe it’s something we haven’t even got a clue about. Lake Buchanan is not a constant level lake. The stripers and hybrids can’t reproduce here and so must be stocked each year, and we all know about the crazy Texas weather. There is no such thing as predictable on our lake.

That’s okay. Predictable is a trip to the supermarket. Fishing is, I think, the Almighty’s game of chance. It’s a gamble and He deals the cards, or maybe it’s just a fair fight. Either way I love it and just can’t stop.

This year we are swinging back full circle and relying on the use of downriggers once again to make up for the lull in our bait supply. Back in the early ‘80s the only way we had learned to catch stripers was by down rigging for them. It is a very different discipline from live bait fishing and it takes a very specific skill set to succeed. If you want to learn the ins and outs of the underside of a lake, down rigging will teach it to you. We fished with them for almost a decade before learning how to live bait for stripers and I still credit those years of trolling around with my nose in a paper graph dodging tree tops with giving me intimate knowledge of what lies beneath the waves and how the fish react to it. It made me a better fisherman.

We do still have some time left, and the fishing is still pretty good in spite of the heat. If you can round up the tribe, give us a call and we’ll go show those fish what summer is for!

Nice Fish!

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 13

What kind of outdoor are you?

E

ver since we began our first Construction News paper in October 1998 for the San Antonio area, the center of the paper has always been devoted to outdoor. Each paper after that in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston has followed the same path.

The folks in our industry work hard and play hard and The Great Outdoors

section is a place to show your peers just how much fun YOU are having and making them a little jealous is okay too.

Hunting, fishing and other types of outdoor adventures are always welcome.

Don’t be shy, and there is never a cost. So contact your Construction News editor and be a part of the Great Outdoors. -bd

Send us your photos and stories.

Outdoor activities and sports Fishing • Hunting • Biking • Racing Hobbies • Crafts • Entertainment

Page 14

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Industry FOLKS

Dylan Howell Outside Sales

Alpha Testing San Antonio, TX

D

ylan Howell, like many others in the construction industry, began his construction career after college doing inside sales for a local construction aggregate company. It wasn’t long after that he graduated to outside sales and business development for Alpha Testing.

Born and raised in Houston, TX, Howell did what every young teenager does. He attended school and hung out with his buddies, that is, until his family moved. Just about the time Howell was to start high school, his family moved overseas. He would experience high school in a new country away from his friends, in Singapore, where his father’s job in oil and gas would take them. The transitioning was difficult at first, but Howell would find that he was going to school with other Americans who were in the same boat, which made it easier to adjust.

After graduating high school, Howell moved to San Antonio to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2014.

Single with no children, Howell has two rather unique dogs. Larue is a five- year-old Great Pyrenees and Marley, a Miniature Goldendoodle puppy.

Howell is, however, engaged. He and his fiancé, Amy, enjoy listening to live music, which is a favorite pastime for this young man. “I like to go to Floores Country Store for live Texas Country. For the past two years, I have attended the Steamboat Music Fest in Steamboat Springs, Co.” In addition to enjoying music, Howell’s a big-time Spurs fan. “I’m a huge Spurs fan. I’m constantly attending their games. Go Spurs Go!” And when he is not hanging out and listening to music and attending Spurs games, he is golfing, fishing and you guessed it, grilling. “In my free time I like to go to the gym or play a round of golf with some buddies. I also like to grill and relax in my backyard.“

Being able to work with all types of people on all levels in the industry as well as being able to do something exciting and new every day is what Howell likes most about his job - seeing a project he has personally been a part of and being able to see it through the entire process from start to finish.

When asked if there was a certain someone who has mentored him along the way, someone who has kept him grounded, he had this to say: “I have had various mentors throughout my life who have all helped me in one way or another to get me to the point in my life that I am at today. I would not choose just one mentor, but multiple throughout, and they know who they are family members, my parents, my brother, my fraternity brothers, professors, coaches, bosses, and colleagues. They have all shown and guided me. Thank you!” -cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 15

100 years and a new leader

T

Jerry Smith, Baker Triangle’s Austin president addresses AWCI as the new 2018-2019 AWCI president.

he Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI) has a new leader for 2018-2019.

Jerry Smith has been elected to lead the association as AWCI celebrates 100 years. The association represents 2,200 companies and organizations in the acoustic, ceiling, drywall systems, exterior insulation and finishing systems, fireproofing, flooring systems, insulation, stucco contractors, suppliers and manufacturers and those in allied trades.

Wall and ceiling construction is a basic service and is part of every construction project. Even ancient structures like the Parthenon and the ancient pyramids of Egypt had wall and ceiling contractors.

Plastering contractors had local unions in the early 1900s, but there was no international plastering contractors association. AWCI filled that need in 1918.

The Contracting Plasterers International Association became AWCI, a forum for unity and direction transforming the trade.

Smith is the president of Baker Tri-

I

angle’s Austin, TX division and has been part of the Baker team for 40 years. He started out as a helper in 1977 installing acoustical ceilings. Eighteen months later Smith was promoted to foreman. In 1983, he became an estimator trainee and a few years later, he was a project manager.

When an opportunity arose within the company to open a branch office in Virginia, Smith was chosen to lead that office. His proven track record didn’t stop there. In 1995, the Texas economy created a demand for a new office in Austin and Smith found himself in Texas.

“I’m confident he will serve us well,” says outgoing president Ed Sellers. Smith says that becoming AWCI president, “is something I always wanted to do, but 20 years ago I never thought I would reach this point. It’s a privilege and honor to be a part of this organization in this capacity.”

Congratulations Jerry!

Baker Triangle is a drywall and plastering specialty contractor with offices in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. -cmw

Burgers of fun

t was a bash. It was a burger bash, a burger bash. It was a back yard smash…The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) hosted their first ever and now annual Burger Bash on Jun. 28 at MacArthur Park. The event pulled over 100 attendees with seven cooking teams. -cmw

NAWIC Burger Bash 1/4 page

1st Place Best Tasting Burger - Turner Construction

People’s Choice – GUNN ChemDry

Page 16

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Association Calendar

Welcome new leaders

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

Aug. 2: Excellence in Construction Banquet, Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. For more info, contact Jennifer Rocha at Jennifer@ abcsouthtexas.org or 210-342-1994

Aug. 31: 4th Annual Paloma Primer, San Antonio Gun Club, 928 E. Contour Dr., 1-8pm. For more info, call Dave Sanchez at 210-444-1100 or go to www.hcadesa. org IEC Independent Electrical Contractors

AGC

Associated General Contractors

Aug. 22: Brown Bag Lunch, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 12pm. For more info, call Kelly Wilson at 210-349-4921 Aug. 27: AIA Joint Membership Luncheon, The Pearl Stable, 11:30am-1:30pm.

For more info, contact Kelly Willson at 210-349-4921 Aug. 29: LCI Coffee, AGC Offices, 10806 Gulfdale, 7:15-9am. For more info, contact Kelly Wilson at 20-349-4921 AIA

American Institute of Architects

Aug. 27: AGC Joint Membership Luncheon, The Pearl Stable, 11:30am-1:30pm.

For more info, contact Kelly Willson at 210-349-4921 ASA

American Subcontractors Assn.

Aug. 9: BPI Breakfast, Gardner Law Firm, 745 E. Mulberry Ave., #500, 8:30am. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210349-2105 Aug. 15: Networking Mixer, Alamo Café, 14250 San Pedro Ave., 4:30pm. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-3492105 Aug. 23: Annual Sporting Clay Shoot, National Gun Club, 5931 Roft Rd,12pm.

For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 Aug. 28: Member Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave., #700, 11:30am. For more info, call Jennifer Swinney at 210-349-2105 ASSE

American Society of Safety Engineers

Aug. 20: Professional Development Conference (PDC), Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, 1 N. Broadway Ave., Oklahoma City, OK. For more info, go to www.southtexas.asse.org HCAdeSA

Hispanic Contractors Assn. de San Antonio

Aug. 15: Monthly Meeting, The Club at Sonterra, 901 E. Sonterra Blvd., 6-8pm.

For more info, call Dave Sanchez at 210444-1100 or go to www.hcadesa.org

Aug. 8: Quarterly Luncheon, IEC Training Center, 5511 Ingram Rd., 11:30am-1pm.

For more info, contact Julie Howard at 210-431-9861 or email jhoward@iecsanantonio.com MCA-SMACNA INC

Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Assn.

The American Subcontractors Association (ASA) is pleased to present the association’s 2018-2019 board of directors. –cmw

Aug. 8: Regular & Associates Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 Aug. 22: Joint Industry Fund Meeting, MCA-SMACNA office, 12500 Network Blvd., #410, 11:30am. For more info, call Sandee Morgan at 210-822-3763 NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Aug. 1: 60th Anniversary Party, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels. For more info, call 210-639-2489 or email Rebecca.rodriguez@zachrycorp.com

Onward bound

NECA

National Electrical Contractors Assn.

Aug. 13-17: Safe & Sound Week. For more info, go to www.necanet.org PHCC

Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Aug. 9: PHCC Monthly Membership Meeting, The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels, 7th Flr., 11am. For more info, call Heidi Trimble at 210-824-7422 or go to www.phcc-sanantonio.org TACCA

Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Greater San Antonio

Aug: Summer Break. For more info, call Dawn Thompson at 210-901-4222

The IEC 2018 graduating class – congratulations to all!

O

n Jun. 15, The International Electrical Contractors (IEC) held its graduation ceremony for 33 apprentices who successfully completed the IEC apprenticeship program. The event was held at the Norris Conference Center as family members, employers and friends cheer-ed them on. –cwm

Apprentice of the Year – Nathan Devine

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 17

EEA in SA

L-R: Chief Operating Officer Morgan Stinson, PE; Principal Sam Swinbank, PE; Project Manager Nathan Gallegos and Principal Toby Troberman, PE

E

EA Consulting Engineers is proving that middle age is no reason to stop trying new things. The 41-year-old, employee-owned mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm recently opened a branch in San Antonio at 227 N. Loop 1604 E. “We’re headquartered in Austin and we have a branch office in Albuquerque.

Over the years we have continued to serve a diverse set of clients,” Sam Swinbank, principal of business development, says.

“We have several decades of experience in San Antonio, with clients as varied as Joint Base San Antonio and San Antonio Water System. We hope this new office will let us serve those customers even better.”

Swinbank, COO Morgan Stinson, principal of Military Engineering, Commissioning and Sustainable Design Toby Troberman, and senior project manager Nathan Gallegos spearheaded EEA’s new location. Swinbank says clients can find expect the service to be similar to what the other branches offer.

“The way the business is structured is modeled after the other locations,” Swinbank says. “We have a business model that works and we’re not complicating things by trying to add services.”

The company’s atmosphere will also carry over to the new location.

“Our 90-person company places a lot of emphasis on culture and being fun to work with and work for,” Swinbank says.

“We just did a bowling event and dinner and recently held a crawfish boil at our office. We’re also involved with charities such as the Central Texas Food Bank.”

Swinbank says clients have embraced the new branch.

“The client response has been very favorable. We’ve been hearing that there’s some opportunity for wellpositioned engineering firms. There is a bit of a lack of well-qualified peer competition. San Antonio has a lot of positive things going for it and a lot of good momentum.”

Subcontractor EEA Consulting Engineers is in Austin and San Antonio. –mjm

It’s been a blast!

R

Ron Garcia, owner of Ace Sandblasting and Restoration, and his son, Ron, Jr.

on Garcia is the third generation in his family’s business, Ace Sandblasting and Restoration – but he almost wasn’t.

“I was always hanging around it, but as I grew up I wanted to do other things. It just kept bringing me back in! I had other plans, but it seems every time I would get a job, I would get laid off,” Garcia says. “I went through that so many times that my dad just told me to come work for him, which I had done since I was 14 years old.”

The timing was actually perfect.

Garcia’s father, Navell Garcia, Sr., was getting older, and the business, which Garcia’s grandfather started in Austin in 1972, was ready to be ushered into the 1980s. Garcia soon made a successful go of it; in its 35 years of operation, the company has added a San Antonio location and has completed projects for a Who’s Who list of clients.

“We do so much work for so many different companies and industries,” Garcia says. “Even though sandblasting is the same, the projects are all different.

We’ve worked for Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, IBM, the Capitol, the

University of Texas and Amazon.”

Garcia is proud of how the company has evolved.

“We offer a mobile service with four mobile crews,” Garcia says. “We provide abrasive cleaning, and have now gone ‘green’ on that. We specialize in all types of surface preparation and coating. We do a lot of painting for different types of metals, including heavy equipment, and restoration of heavy equipment, including Caterpillar. We’re always on job sites and travel within a 150-mile radius. We go from Bandera to Round Rock and Waco.

We try to get to everybody that we can.”

The company continues to evolve, and is bringing in the next Garcia.

“My 20-year-old son Ronnie, field crew manager, is coming up as well; he’s going to go to college. We send him out to talk to our customers to create a oneon-one relationship with our younger customers. We expect great things to come from him. He’s the newest generation.”

Subcontractor Ace Sandblasting and Restoration is in San Antonio and Austin. – mjm

Page 18

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 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

Consistency, follow-up & experience Shannon Cadena, Account Manager People Ready San Antonio, TX

P

eople Ready works with businesses to provide the workforce solutions they need to succeed. Cadena has been in the industry for five years and is well versed in the needs of the construction industry’s skilled labor demands.

“With a focus on commercial and industrial construction, People Ready has the expertise and the people of all skill levels for businesses large and small,” says Cadena.

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

Booming! Every day I see more new job sites all over San Antonio and surrounding areas.

Have you experienced an increase/ slowdown in business?

Our industry has always been steady.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

With more and more larger projects

popping up, there is an increased demand for more skilled workers.

How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business?

Our main focus is recruiting, worker retention and customer relations. We have increased our benefit plans and offerings to help reach and maintain these objectives.

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

Lack of committed workers and lack of licensed and experienced workers has been and continues to be a hot topic in the construction industry, which goes hand-in-hand with our industry as a skilled staffing provider.

Safety, safety, safety Marvin Ohlenbusch, President AND Owner, Alamo Crane Services President Texas Crane Owners Association Selma, TX

H

aving been in the crane service industry since 1979, Ohlenbusch is very versed in the comings and goings of the crane service industry. He is the co-owner of Alamo Crane Services Inc. based in Selma, just outside San Antonio. He is the 2018 president of the Texas Crane Owners Association (TCOA), on the board for the Texas Construction Association (TCA) and American Subcontractors Association (ASA).

By being president of TCOA automatically puts him on the TOA board.

As a crane operator in the construction industry, what is your take on the state of the construction industry in general?

Business is pretty steady. Competition is driving everything just like it does for contractors. Texas is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and consequently people from slower regions are coming here to pick up work. Our workforce is not large enough and the influx of competition is driving prices down.

Have you experienced an increase/ slowdown in business? What factors are diving this increase/slow down and how has it affected your company and how you conduct your business?

Yes, we have seen an increase in business do to the growth of Texas. Since the

end of last year, we’ve upgraded our fleet from a 500-ton to a 600-ton crane. Everything is getting bigger, heavier and further away. For example, jobs we used to do with a 40-ton years ago, we now do with a 60ton and jobs that used to be done with a 70-ton are done with an 80-ton. We’ve also added two heavy-haul trailers, an 80-ton and 120-ton, which are rear-steer trailers. It is something that we had to do to stay competitive. We have also added an 80-ton crane. The biggest problem is finding qualified crane operators that want to work in the rental industry.

Within the next five to ten years from San Antonio to Waco, growth will be 1025% greater. We (Texas) are in the right spot at the right time.

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

Safety, safety, safety!

SERVICE PROVIDERS Sept: Green Building Nov: Architecture & Engineering Oct: Specialty Contractors Dec: Construction Equipment

What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do?

We have been receiving more requests for lead and supervisor level positions.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? (i.e. labor shortage, other) The most significant challenge is a shortage of skilled trade workers and a lack of commitment from the labor force.

How are you dealing with these challenges?

We have been in San Antonio for many years and our recruiter has been with us for 11 years with her experience and the referrals she has received from our existing employees, it has helped us on many occasions.

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

Yes, I continue to see new companies coming from all over the United States.

Texas is the place to be right now.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Due to the shortage of experienced workers, the existing work force is re-

What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do?

In the past, we would send a crane out with just an operator and we would rely on the customer to rig the load and signal the crane. Those days are gone.

We’re finding more and more, that individuals assigned to that task don’t know what their doing. We need to keep it safe.

We are doing that by using our own signalmen and riggers so we can be more in control of the lift. There needs to be more people that are trained to do our work. We are trying to educate our customers more by holding training sessions and toolbox talks. We’re trying to do a better job of letting people know about our industry.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Since Jan. 2018 all of our fuel and finished petroleum products have increased 15 percent and we are expecting it to go up another five percent. We have had to implement surcharges again, which we were able to done away with when fuel prices dropped.

In addition, insurance costs are up.

Equipment costs are up due to the tariff imposed on steel. A few larger costs that we have are repair, labor and rigging costs.

All of which have increased.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other)

New technology. The days of running

questing and demanding higher pay.

This is simply due to supply and demand.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other)

We have an App-Based solution that has changed how we communicate with our work force. Our customers can place or extend job orders based on their business needs.

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

No, there have not been any changes for our industry.

What are the rewards of the industry?

The rewards are simple. Providing people with work for both short and long term. And, filling a need for our customers to complete their jobs and increase their productivity.

What are keys to being successful?

Consistency, follow-up and an experienced team! All three together, make you great!

People Ready is a construction and industrial trade-staffing agency with locations across the United States. -cmw

a crane by the seat of your pants are over.

Cranes are being built with new technology that will prevent operators from making a mistake that might otherwise drastically affect a company financially or cost someone their life.

Has there been any significant code changes in the past year? Or regulations?

Curfews have been lifted in the state of Texas allowing crane operators to move on highways during specified hours.

There are still some restrictions on big machines that require an escort, but the everyday taxicab crane can now move 24 hours a day, except in construction zones.

What are keys to being successful?

Keeping good employees by rewarding them for a job well done and letting them know they’ve done a great job. You also have to treat your customers the way you want to be treated. Treat them good and at a fair price.

Texas Crane Owners Association (TCOA) is a non-profit trade association representing Texas crane owners.

Alamo Crane Services is a family-owned and operator, third generation crane service company based in Selma, TX. –cmw

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 19

THIS TH MON

SERVICE PROVIDERS

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

NEXT MONTH (September 2018) GREEN BUILDING

Work zone safety Kevin Omachel, Branch Manager Buyers Barricades Spring, TX

A

graduate of TCU, Omachel joined the Buyers team in October 2012. He began his career as a salesman in the Buyers Barricades Dallas/Fort Worth office and became branch manager of the Houston office just two short years later.

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

Just from what I can see from a smaller subcontractor perspective, the construction industry is not slowing down whatsoever. With the growing economy and more people moving into metropolitan areas, we have to keep up with the infrastructure to support this, which in turn helps the industry as a whole.

Have you experienced an increase/ slowdown in business and what is driving this?

We at Buyers Barricades are blessed to say that in the five years we have been in Houston, we have shown substantial growth.

The factors that have increased our business vary. However, I believe it starts with a good core team to support your business and we have just that here at Buyers. We pride ourselves on top quality work and it shows in our customer retention.

That said, there are many hurdles to

overcome within the Houston market. The biggest one we see is the lack of regulation.

Often, we experience contractors that should be using traffic control to make their work zone safe, but they fail to do so – likely, because there will be no consequences from city and county officials. This has been tough coming from the DFW market, where regulation is of top priority.

We have made it a point at Buyers to try to increase traffic control regulation in Houston and surrounding areas to facilitate an overall safer work zone for our customers and the traveling public.

How has this increase/slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business?

We are constantly changing the way we conduct business to ensure we stay at the top. We do this by maintaining a high brand standard and always making sure our name and reputation are seen and heard, with the help of our strong marketing team.

Getting you started David C. Cancialosi, President & Founder Permit Partners LLC Austin, TX

C

urrently overseeing aspects of all cases, Cancialosi works on highly complex entitlement cases and continues to build new client relationships. He has previously worked for variety of Central Texas municipalities in urban planning, inspections, and development review capacities. He received a Bachelor of Science in urban planning from Texas State University and served in the United States Marine Corps prior to returning to Texas.

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

I would have to say and I think most will agree, the construction industry is booming in central Texas!

Have you experienced an increase/ slowdown in business?

As a service provider we’ve experienced a 20 percent year-over-year growth for 10 years straight.

What factors are driving this increase/ slowdown?

It’s simple. The booming economy, favorable living conditions and large companies relocating to the Central Texas area…it’s a positive cycle!

How has this increase/slowdown

affected your company and how you conduct business?

We’ve been involved in some of the most complicated entitlement cases. We’ve morphed the permit firm into a project management firm. Clients really appreciate our attention to detail and overall approach to managing their projects.

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

Over regulation by the governing municipality is the “hot button” issue in our line of work.

What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do?

Keeping up with amendments to the City of Austin land development code and

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

As mentioned before, a “hot button” issue in our industry is regulation. Here in Houston, we often have contractors tell us they do not need traffic control because they know they can get away without it.

This is a far cry from where we started in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In North Texas you will not see job sites without the material required to manage a safe work zone. If a contractor decides not to utilize traffic control, they are fined and their work zone is shut down until the required traffic control is set up.

It is our job to help educate contractors on the importance of job site safety as well as the traveling public’s safety.

What are the major changes in the industry in recent years relating to the type of work you do?

I would say the major changes would be more on the heavy highway side of our industry. TXDOT has become more and more strict on how traffic control is handled on our highways. They are always looking for better ways to improve the safety of work zones, such as implementing Smart Work Zone systems. These are systems that inform drivers about upcoming traffic conditions within a work zone.

They do this by using sensors to detect traffic flow conditions, which in turn allow digital message boards to alert drivers of congestion or slower speeds within the upcoming work zone.

Do you see an increase in the number of outside contractors coming to their entitlement procedures.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? (i.e. labor shortage, other)

The biggest challenge we face is the lack of skilled staff since we’re a niche service provider (building permits, zoning, land use entitlements specific to City of Austin and surrounding municipalities).

How are you dealing with these challenges?

We deal with the challenge of a skilled staff through constant training of existing staff.

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

Absolutely we do. We get many calls from clients needing to hire us because they simply want someone who knows the process and can decrease their wait time on a permit or large scale entitlement like zoning or subdivision.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

The biggest cost increases we see are City fees and more processes in order to gain approvals.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other)

the area?

Every week I have a meeting with my outside sales team to get the “scoop” on how things are looking on the road. New jobs and contractors are constantly emerging. In my opinion, there are definitely more new contractors in Houston now, than this time last year.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry?

Like many other industries, we are dealing with cost increase on steel products and freight costs to get the products we need in a timely manner.

What is on the horizon for your industry? (Changes in technology; equipment; other)

I think the rise in technology will play a large role moving forward with how our industry sets its standards.

What are the rewards of the industry?

Knowing we are keeping not only the contractors safe, but also the traveling public safe, is the biggest reward.

What are keys to being successful?

I believe this varies greatly when it comes to personal goals and business goals. That said, I have learned over the years customer satisfaction is of utmost importance for a business’s success. Customer retention and referrals is key to determining profitability and growth.

Founded in 1984, Buyers Barricades provides temporary traffic control and safety services and products in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. -cmw

There’s not much on the horizon in the line of work we do. Our niche market is consulting, code and process knowledge, and customer service. We have some internal project management software we utilize, but at the end of the day, technology cannot replace knowledge and customer service.

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

There are constant changes to code and processes, but the City of Austin has been debating how to finalize Code Next.

Code Next rewrites the land development code from the 1980s. That’s going to be a big deal once it passes.

What are the rewards of the industry?

Satisfaction of getting the job done well for a client is the best reward of our industry.

What are keys to being successful?

To be successful, no matter what line of work you are in, you have to do what you say you’re going to do. Everyone respects and understands that. That’s why careful execution of the task at hand is essential to being successful.

Permit Partners is a building permit and land development consulting firm servicing residential, commercial building permits, zoning cases, subdivision projects, due diligence studies and real estate entitlement projects in Austin. -cmw

Page 20

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 21

continued from Page 1 — Putting out fires business, kind of like the fire business,” Finch explained, “you never know when things are going to be hopping [as] it’s constantly changing for every call. It’s constantly changing and you have to adapt to each day because it could change within a couple of minutes.”

The plus side of this dynamic environment is that it “keeps you on your toes. You don’t get bored,” he said.

Boerne AC handles the HVAC needs of Kendall County, as well as small retail.

Finch said there are a lot of businesses in Boerne that are run out of what used to be just people’s homes. Thus, taking take of their AC units is different from getting up on a business’ roof to do so.

Technology is a very real player in today’s AC world, for good or for bad, he said. In former times, the technician would replace parts. Now, “when [the AC unit] gets older, you don’t really want to replace parts, you want to replace the system.” In other words, instead of replacing big parts, one might as well get a whole new unit.

When Finch and his team have to do this, they replace the old unit with a Rheem air conditioner.

For the cooler, winter months, Finch uses that time to handle the contracted service calls for routine maintenance.

Finch would like to go further out for work, “but I try to stick around here because there’s a lot here” to keep them busy.

Finch has three sons. The oldest is in college and helps the family business out during the summers, but wants to get into either coaching or physical therapy.

The twins are still in high school, and dad isn’t sure if they’ll become the third generation. “They say it’s too hot up in the attic and they don’t want to mess with it.”

Fortunately, Finch will get up into the hot attic and keep the customer from bursting into flames because the AC is out. For if that should happen, then the person would set the house on fire, forcing Finch to put on his old firefighter’s gear and put that fire out. That would cause him to have two jobs again, and we don’t want that to happen.

It’s much better to have a nice, new Rheem AC unit keeping us cool in the first place.

Boerne Air Conditioning & Heating is a family-owned and run HVAC company in Boerne. -dsz.

continued from Page 1 — It goes hand in hand we first started, it was my brother, two employees and myself. Now we are up to 12 employees. We are very blessed to have a good core of employees that actually know the business. The guys that work for us all have a specialty trade – one knows plumbing, one knows drywall, painting, etc. so when it comes to a job, we know who to put in the lead for that job. And, we also have the privilege of having employees who come and go as we have the work. They jump on board to help us out, because some want to work part time. It’s a win-win situation.

“We are a unique company. We don’t just demolish buildings. We will soon be demolishing some airplanes. And we don’t just demolish, we dismantle. We will take apart any kind of odd thing people ask of us to undo of a machine to move it from one spot to another through a regular sized door. We could not alter the doorway in any form or fashion, so we had no choice but to dismantle the machine piece by piece and rebuild it in it’s new location.

Demolishing, recycling, dismantling, we will do anything under the sun. If somebody asks, “Do you do this?” we try not to say no. We will find a source to do whatever.

When asked what’s been their most exciting job to-date, Ramos reflects on an interior demo job they did at the Quarry.

“We had to gut out this old yogurt shop but we had to do it silently because of the neighboring businesses. One was a spa above the yogurt shop, which we were not aware of, so we had to do the work at night. It was a lot fun because you did not have the everyday distractions and interruptions.”

Although the company will go where they are needed, they primarily service a 150-mile radius of San Antonio. Their primary goal, like many new companies, is to grow. “We want to grow and expand. We want to get bigger to do more and operate more freely. We want to see the City of San Antonio grow and grow with us.”

Maximum Demolition is a full-service demolition company in San Antonio. –cmw

continued from Page 1 — Garden office park

What is your favorite hobby/craft/activity?

I enjoy metal work, fishing and automotive restoration.

Lee Lane, ABC Fire Systems LLC I am an outdoors guy so hunting, fishing, and playing competitive softball are a passion. I also enjoy carpentry work and working with my hands. I enjoy making objects out of trees.

Ryan McBride, Tradesmen International Although I like any type of fishing or hunting, my favorite activity is Texas Bay fishing. I love being on the water as the sun is coming up and breathing the freshest air on earth while watching God’s creation come to life!

Mark A. Jones, Structure Tone Southwest LLC I enjoy going to the gym before work so I feel like I’ve accomplished something for myself. I then enjoy spending my evenings with my one-year-old grand daughter.

Claudette Minor, Texas Air Products My favorite activity is taking my boys hunting.

Russell Jenkins, SpawGlass Contractors Inc. I enjoy watching sporting events and gardening.

Jim Parker, Parker & Sons Plumbing LLC In my free time, I play rugby for the San Antonio Rugby Football Club. We just finished the season winning the Texas Rugby Union (teams from all over the state and Oklahoma) and ended the season 5th in the nation.

Drew Addison, IBTX My favorite activity is being off-road in the jeep or on a dirt bike.

Timothy Ramon, JR RAMON Demolition My favorite activity is hunting. I killed my first deer from my father’s lap at 4- yearsold, and have been addicted to the out-

In my spare time, my favorite hobby is reading a good book, preferably something referred. I also enjoy driving the back roads of the Hill Country discovering new places to hangout with my family.

Cynde Parker, Steves Doors My number one passion is automotive restoration, followed by fishing and hunting. I just finished restoring a 1983 Mercedes 380SL and I am currently working on a 1988 IROC Camaro.

Ray Fehner, KCM Cabinets, Inc. I play base guitar. I enjoy studying it and learning to read music.

Ash Smith, Midco Sling of San Antonio My favorite activity is working out.

Kayla Goudy, You Name It Specialties Inc. I love playing softball.

Marina Graciano, Keytone Concrete Playing golf is my favorite activity.

Don Quisenberry, JP Hart Lumber I enjoy reading books, especially Aumish books.

Esther Montez, Allen & Allen Company My favorite hobby and activity is riding barrels. I’ve been riding barrels for over 50 years.

Rebecca Rowell, Advanced Door Control I most enjoy traveling with my children.

I just recently got a chance to travel and visit five states in a matter of two weeks.

Clara Cordova, Galaxy Builders Ltd.

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lumbing and heating contractors gathered for an evening of relaxation and variety at the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) membership mixer at Ranger Creek Distillery. Members sampled a variety of beers and lagers as well as whiskey while mingling and exchanging a few laughs. –cmw

L-R: Albert Ramirez, A-Ram Plumbing and Art Serrato, Ferguson Enterprises

the owners vision was created to the smallest of detail.

Image Homes Ltd. is a general contractor of luxury homes and custom office and commercial projects in San Antonio. -cmw

Building 8

My most favorite activity is watching my children play their various sports, spending time with my family and hanging out with my NAWIC ladies.

Heather Osborne, Memco Staffing

Proof is in the drink

Building 3 interior view – ready for tenant finish-out.

to the surrounding landscape.

Jacques Benatar, project manager and Pedro Diaz, superintendent worked closely with architect Mike Drewry, Drewry Martin Inc. Together they insured

doors ever since!

Josh Jones, Intertech Flooring

Drink up! Members have many options to from which to choose.

Lisa and Caleb Casarez, Emergency Service Restoration

Page 22

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

A helping hand in turn

T

he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) were focused on finding a way to stay in Rockport and financially help the community after the destruction of Harvey for this year’s annual fishing tournament held Jun. 22. The ASA membership didn’t disappoint with 41 teams turning out for one of the largest tournaments in ASA’s history.

Over $20,000 was paid out. Additionally, the association raised $700 to help rebuild the famous “Blue Crab” landmark with more donations still coming in. –cmw

1st Place Guided Heavy Stringer Los Vatos Locos, 18.79lbs

General Contractor Division StructureTone Team Very Pro

Heavy Redfish Guided StructureTone - Team Very Pro, 7.73 lbs.

2nd Place Guided Heavy Stringer Langely & Banack, 15.63lbs.

3rd Place Guided Heavy Stringer StructureTone Team Very Pro, 12.96 lbs.

2nd Place Non-Guided Heavy Stringer M&M Metals, 16.48 lbs.

3rd Place Non-Guided Heavy Stringer Rockin’ with Dokken, 14.89 lbs.

1st Place Non-Guided Heavy Stringer J.W. Builders, 19.12 lbs.

Heavy Trout Non-Guided CMC Rebar, 6.55 lbs.

Heavy Flounder Guided Langley & Banack, 2.59 lbs.

Heavy Redfish Non-Guided Rockin’ with Dokken, 7.02 lbs.

Heavy Flounder Non-Guided J.W. Builders, 4.76 lbs.

Heavy Trout Guided Los Vatos Locos, 6.08 lbs.

San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018

Page 23

Office party!

Industry FOLKS

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ouble birthdays at Construction News on July 18, which means double trouble at the office. One office was carpeted with pages of Construction News, the other office with confetti. Both offices were given new doors. Gag gifts, nice gifts, pizza, cake, special beverages and many more shenanigans resulted in no one wanting to work the rest of the afternoon.

Ryan McBride General Manager Tradesmen International San Antonio, TX

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rowing up in La Vernia, TX is sure to bring the best out of any man with its wholesome values and hard work ethics. The same can be said for Ryan McBride. He was born in San Antonio, but grew up and graduated from La Vernia High School. He is currently finishing college at Texas A&M Kingsville to receive his Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

If going to school and working full-time is not enough to keep you busy, I don’t know what is. Apparently, he does not know what down time is.

McBride’s father was an aircraft mechanic while he was growing up.

Together he and dad were always working on projects and he found himself migrating into construction to help pay his way through college. He found he enjoyed getting people out to work and building relationships with all the different types of contractors Tradesmen comes across and he just seemed to have a knack for it.

When he’s not working or attending classes, he still finds himself tinkering with something. “I’m not married, but I am in a relationship so I have no children, but I do have a dog, Sadie.

She’s a 3-year-old black lab. She likes going on road trips to the ranch.”

But there’s more, much more to McBride. He thoroughly enjoys family time and the great outdoors. Growing up in La Vernia, how could he not? He hunts and goes fishing, plays competitive softball and wakeboarding. In addition to all

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these fun-filled activities, work and school, he also enjoys woodwork.

“I enjoy carpentry work and working with my hands. I really enjoy making objects out of trees. “My tree art is just some project I started doing one day. I am at peace when I am working with my hands.”

While he does sell his works of art, he does not advertise it. For the most part, he just enjoys making them for friends and family.

As you can imagine, when it comes to McBride, the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. McBride’s father is the one person he looks up to and looks to for advice. “My dad is a hardworking man with great morals. He is my role model. On the weekends, we do projects together out at the ranch to keep it maintained.” -cmw

Lexie Velasquez and Reesa Doebbler at Reesa’s newly installed door

The crew and their party hats. Missing is Melissa (in Fort Worth) and Buddy Doebbler who is taking the photos. We have no idea where the other contributing editors are!

Tree cross art created by Ryan McBride

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San Antonio Construction News • AUG 2018