Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News October 2018

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Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style

P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290

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Dallas/Fort Worth

CONSTRUCTION

The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 16 H Number 10 H OCTOBER 2018

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Loyal legacy

Heart of glass

L-R: James Colten, Daniel Garcia-Glasscock, Grant Duckworth, Samantha Pedigo, Rick Farrell and Lorie Welch

Reena Papanickolauou Morris with husband Jim Morris, owners of Century Glass & Mirror

t is because of a long-term team that was formed as far back as 1985 that allowed them to move forward and establish themselves as the premier commercial “wood only” flooring contractor in Texas. Steve Welch and his uncle started a small wood floor installation company in 1985. They named the company Woodwright Hardwood Floor Company and began by mostly installing wood for other floor-covering contractors. In 1995, Steve Welch bought the company and began to focus on more commercial installations. Around the year 2000, the company took a swift turn when the general contractors working in the Dallas market noticed Woodwright on job sites “over and over

again,” said Rick Farrell, vice president of business development. Most of the general contractors in the Dallas/Fort Worth market decided to simply hire Woodwright directly. Things took off from there. Steve Welch hired Rick Farrell in 2007 when he realized the key to becoming the selected flooring contractor on commercial jobs was to be specified in the plans. Tragically, Steve Welch passed away in Jan. 2016. His legacy and the Woodwright reputation remain through his wife Lorie Welch, CEO of the company. Welch transitioned from her role as a homeschool mom to their two children to running a multi million-dollar company. Welch’s background is in interior design. continued on Page 16

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n its second half century of operation, Century Glass is steeped in Dallas history. Jack Haley started Century Glass in 1945. He got his start back in the 1930s by working at United Glass on Swiss Avenue. At that time, this was the hangout area of noted Dallas “personalities” like Bonnie and Clyde and Benny Binion. Haley had a partner in a business called Standard Glass. They split up, and Haley formed Century Glass. He had a friend who had Century Lumber and liked the name “Century.” In the 1950s, Haley moved Century Glass to its present location on Washington Avenue. His stepson Jim Morris worked for him throughout high school and college.

Once Morris graduated from Rice University and made some money as a general contractor in Houston, he “decided that office work wasn’t for me,” so he bought twothirds of Century in 1978. He inherited the other third when Haley passed away. Morris remembers his stepfather fondly, saying, “I learned a lot more from him than I did in college.” The main concentration at that time was high-end residential homes. Morris said they did “some of the fanciest homes in Dallas.” Speaking of high-end residential, do the names Michael Dell in Austin and Jerry Jones in Dallas sound familiar? The glass above Jerry Jones’ shower is so fancontinued on Page 16

FOURTEEN 555

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n a half century, Hill & Wilkinson has steadily grown from a small business to a respected industry leader providing a full range of services in a variety of markets. From a simple maintenance project to the design-build of a fast-track facility, Hill & Wilkinson delivers projects with an attitude of service and accountability. The firm was founded in 1968 by Luther Hill, a longtime member of the Dallas construction community, and subsequently bought by Greg Wilkinson and Fritz McKinstry in 1985. Hill & Wilkinson is now in its third generation leadership under the direction of Paul Driscoll, CEO, and Mike Oswald, COO. FOURTEEN555 is the first of two-planned office buildings and combines highend finishes and efficient floor plates with unique amenities. The project involved new construction on a 240,000sf Class A office building and includes a four-level

pre-cast parking garage with top-level shade structures. A full-service restaurant, fitness center, rooftop terrace, courtyard area with fire pits and other amenities are housed in a separate three-story building called The Hub. The building is primarily built with concrete tilt walls, structural steel and steel stud framing and plaster. The stacked-panel structure and façade, which is not typical tilt-wall construction adds a unique feature to the project. In addition, The Hub amenities building is also very unique, giving individuals easy access to a workout facility while also providing multiple options for group activities in the courtyard or in the open-air third- floor entertainment space. Despite 65-plus inclement weather days during critical periods of construction, the project ran smoothly thanks to the project’s onsite team, strong owner and architect. FOURTEEN 555, 14555 Dallas Pkwy.

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