Austin Construction News March 2019

Covering the Industry’s News

Texas Style

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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 19 H Number 3 H MARCH 2019

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Old world style

Chris Duncanson Custom Carpentry & Remodeling

Jay Gordon, owner of Blackout Custom Signs

hris Duncanson is a proud Scot who came to America in 2010 and loves it here. “After being here [in Texas] for six years, I actually love Texas.

It’s a very cool state.” He said driving is his passion and loves going on road trips with his Boston-born wife. He did spend over two years in New Jersey when he first came to the States, but came to Texas when he and his wife wanted a change of scenery and more opportunities.

“I haven’t shoveled one bit of snow since I moved to Austin,” he said, “and that’s fine.”

Duncanson is a carpenter. He started Chris Duncanson Custom Carpentry & Remodeling when he moved to Austin in 2013. Duncanson left school at age 15, but in Scotland, one must either go to

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ased in Houston, TX with offices in Austin, San Antonio and Washington, DC, Harvey | Harvey-Cleary was founded in 1957 by David Harvey, Sr. Since then, Harvey | Harvey-Cleary has built a national reputation as an industry innovator, having constructed thousands of oneof-a-kind projects. With more than 650 employees nationwide and buildings in 26 states, the company’s approach to contracting, which emphasizes full collaboration, leading-edge expertise and an abiding commitment to integrity, is unique among most general contracting firms.

Harvey | Harvey-Cleary began construction of The Village at The Triangle in Dec. 2016. The new 231,436sf 7-story independent living, assisted living, and memory care facility was completed 21 short months later in Sept. 2018. The new facility cost approximately $52,000,000 to construct.

The exterior design of the building is composed of four materials – smooth/

college or enroll in an apprenticeship program. He chose the latter, going into carpentry.

This is a four-year program that combines classroom education with on-thejob training with a participating company.

The Construction Industry Training Board oversees this program. The state pays participating companies who hire these young students. The companies then pay the student a small wage, so, in essence, the student is getting a trade education and doesn’t have to pay for it; rather, makes a small stipend while enrolled.

The student learns trade-specific knowledge in the classroom. Duncanson learned math, how to make and read technical drawings and science (such as continued on Page 16

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ay Gordon, owner of Blackout Custom Signs, is a throwback to an earlier era in America. He loves the old style look of signs from days gone by, even if they aren’t as slick as a computerized, machine-cut, sterile sign one could easily find today.

Minus lead-based paint, Gordon will use much of the same materials previous generations of sign makers used, which produces unique and visually striking signs for his clients.

“It’s purposely done that way,” Gordon said. He has an appreciation for the lasting quality of America’s earlier signs and the feel they have.

Gordon came from an Air Force family. His last base was Bergstrom, and he was there when it closed, which causes

him to wax nostalgic every time he goes to the airport now.

At a young age, Gordon was intrigued by cars and hot rods, with their pin-striping and fancy paint jobs. He discovered that the best painted cars were done by guys who were also sign painters. He taught himself the craft and eventually got good enough to work for a sign company, where he was drawn to all the various components of signs.

“It was cool how you could take it to the next level with neon, light bulbs, lighting and movement,” he said.

Gordon started Blackout in Jan. 2008. His very first customer was the Alamo Draft House Ritz. He likes doing work for them because they have lots of continued on Page 16

Living life well

The Village at The Triangle

rough cut limestone, stucco, aluminum panels and Ipe hardwood – all of which help the structure blend with the Triangle’s existing buildings. Most residences feature five panel shaker entry doors, LVT wood flooring, and designer kitchens with shaker style cabinets, granite counters and stainless-steel appliances.

The prime location in a high-end, mixed used development with close proximity to downtown Austin and other local landmarks make this project special. The club-like Sky Lounge, located on the 7th floor, provides views to the south of downtown and the UT campus. The building’s abundance of resort-style amenities includes an indoor heated saltwater pool, a fitness/aerobics center, a wellness activity spaces, a movie theater, an arts/crafts studio, a town hall, full service salons and a library, in addition to numerous lounges on multiple floors.

Several dining options are available such continued on Page 16

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Thoroughly modern

Chip off the old block

Brad Jones, owner of Modern Concrete Creations, who doesn’t like naked concrete

Roberto Marín, owner of Acre Block

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rad Jones was working for a railroad when he was offered a job working with a decorative concrete contractor. He did this for eight years, but the man closed his business and moved back to Florida.

Good thing Jones liked this type of work. The day after he was not working for this man, Jones started Modern Concrete Creations in 2006. Even though he didn’t have any clients lined up at the start, Jones says, “It’s been the best thing ever” to have his own decorative concrete company.

Jones has two full-time employees, but he is totally hands-on. “I’m on every single job,” he said. Special care is made to make or clean areas so the stain, coating or pattern goes on just perfectly.

Most of Jones’ commercial work is interior, such as showrooms and maintenance areas for car dealerships. His residential work is both interior and exterior.

One of the most common jobs he does is texture coating over scratches, divots and mars left in new concrete left by workers and their equipment.

Jones’ high-gloss, reflective coatings will never lose its luster. Many times people mistakenly think the floor is still wet and are hesitant to step on it, even though drying time is just 24 hours.

Jones likes doing metallic epoxies.

No two jobs come out the same, and the subtle patterns in the concrete result in a unique look. Acid stains produce different colored patterns. Sometimes two different trucks or batches of cement are used on a single project and that will affect the outcome of the stain job.

He also does a lot of concrete coatings on patios and steps to prevent the chalky residue on the concrete from being tracked into the house. With the customer right there, Jones can create a custom color just for him.

Jones likes to stay in the central Texas area, even though some customers who have property in another state will ask for him and all his thoroughly modern decorative concrete creations.

Modern Concrete Creations is a decorative concrete contractor in Round Rock. -dsz

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unny how things work out sometimes. Take Roberto Marín, for instance. As head of Bison Build, he wasn’t planning to start his own separate, masonry entity, but that’s sure how it worked out.

Marín started Bison Build in 2010, registering it in 2012. In the course of doing his projects, people were taking notice of the well-designed and constructed masonry items, like retaining and CMU walls. As things developed, Marín formed Acre Block in 2015. It is not connected to Bison Build, although Marín heads both. In fact, Marín now spends about 60 percent of his time in the masonry side of his life.

“It just became its own business,” Marín said, of Acre Block.

Marín was an architectural major at the University of Texas, Austin, but hails from Mexico originally. The process of building in Mexico is different than in the States. There, the same company that designs a structure will also build it, start to finish.

When Marín came to America, he was surprised to see “how fragmented all

the trades were. In Mexico, the same crew does the whole process,” he said.

Be that as it may, however, Marín admits there are advantages and disadvantages to both systems.

With the Mexican style of building in his background, it was a natural move to go from the two-dimensional work of the architectural world to the three-dimensional world of building. “When I started working as an architect,” Marín said, “I knew that eventually I would be building my own designs. I’ve always been interested in the whole process.”

Part of that process was doing more and more masonry work, which was noticed. So much so, that Marín’s brother heads up the San Antonio branch of Acre Block. Typically, he has two to three projects going on at any given time. And, Marín wants to grow the San Antonio division even more, as his brother also has a building background.

That makes both guys chips off the old block.

Acre Block does masonry work in the Austin area. -dsz

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

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Page 3

Hard to pin Brown

ost people think The Brown Paint Company is just a cute name for a painting company – that is, until they see Owner Kelly Brown’s full name on his business card.

“I get called a lot of things, such as Kelly Moore, which is a paint brand, or Kelly Green,” Brown says, laughing good-naturedly. “You’d be surprised what people put on the check.”

After 20 years, Brown is more than used to it and doesn’t let mistaken identity cases slow him down. With his wife Colleen, who serves as office manager, Brown has grown the company into a painting powerhouse specializing in custom home painting and, most recently, remodeling. The company Colleen and Kelly Brown, owners of The Brown Paint Company staffs 28 employees, including the Browns’ daughter and don’t always know the name of whom son-in-law, Whitney and John Meyers, they’ve hired, Brown says the work has who are both Army veterans. Together, stayed steady and he hopes to continue the team also colors the walls of growing the business.

Container Stores, Jenny Craig locations Along with the name, there is another and Chipotles. It’s a family affair, and mind-bending matter: The company’s motto.

Brown couldn’t be more pleased.

“Our motto is, ‘What can Brown paint “I’m in the field, Colleen works at home, John is in the field with the for you?’” Brown says. “It’s like the UPS carpenters and Whitney is in the field. commercial that asks, ‘What can Brown Sometimes Whitney goes with me do for you?’” because we have a laptop in the truck and Even if customers are colored conwe can collaborate as we’re on the fly. fused sometimes, Brown is happy for Because we’re mostly all separated during them to call the company whatever they want, as long as they keep on calling. the day, it works out great!” Brown jokes.

Subcontractor The Brown Painting Also working out great is the com- pany’s project volume. Even if customers Company is in Austin. –mjm

The Powers to get it

Tommy Powers, Jr. (left) and co-worker Robert (right), of Powers Electrical Contracting

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ommy Powers, Owner of Powers Electrical Contracting, has some words of wisdom for all of the rising whippersnappers in the industry: if you want it, you’ve got to go get it.

It’s what Powers did, from the time he was in middle and high school working evenings and summers for his best friend’s dad. After high school, he worked on motor controls and computer chips for a few other companies before moving back to his hometown of Lago Vista. It wasn’t long before he decided what he wanted, and got it, establishing Powers Electrical Contracting in 2000.

“I wanted to make that money,” Powers explains. “It was difficult and scary because I didn’t have that guaranteed paycheck every Friday. I had kids and I was the only one that worked.”

Going after what’s wanted – and getting it – comes with a price, which Powers learned transitioning from employee to employer.

“You’re not your own boss – everybody’s your boss!” he says ruefully. “You

don’t just have one guy to report to, you have many. There are some freedoms with it I enjoy, though.”

For example, Powers had the freedom to keep his shop small by design, and he says he and his three employees enjoy working on “anything electrical: new construction, remodels, commercial, residential, industrial. We enjoy making the customers happy and doing a good job at a fair rate.”

Today, there are two young whippersnappers Powers is keeping his eye on as they come up in the industry.

“My oldest son, Tommy Jr., works for me right now and has for a couple of years,” Powers says. “My youngest, Layne, is still in high school but works with me during the summers.”

Do Powers’ sons want the company, and will they go and get it?

“I would like for my sons to take it over if they want to!” Powers says with a chuckle. “It’s all up to them.”

Subcontractor Powers Electrical Contracting is in Lago Vista. –mjm

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Sandra Johnson President Edge Electric Austin, TX

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or Sandra Johnson, practical makes perfect. After deliberating the pros and cons of a college education, she decided the smart thing to do was to enter the construction industry. Ten years later, one could say she has earned an honorary degree in good decision-making from the University of Logical Thinking. With her husband, Russell, she is celebrating a decade of success for their company, Edge Electric.

Tell me about your childhood. Where were you born?

I was born right here in Austin, at what used to be Breckinridge Hospital downtown. My brothers and I were raised in various little towns skirting Austin.

Eventually we all settled down in Hays County.

Where did you attend high school and/or college?

I went to high school in Elgin, famous for its hot sausage and annual Hog Eye Festival. Elgin is a small town where

everyone knows you and too many people know your business! Regardless, I enjoyed my time there.

Then there was college…I had so many questions! “Hmmm, should I go to college?” “What is it going cost?” “How am I going to pay for it?” “How long will it take to get a degree?” “What income can I earn after graduation?”

After much internal deliberation, I decided I could skip the four years of school and be successful without a degree. After all, I watched my mom and stepdad start a business from the ground up when I was 10. They started without an investor or a loan. They simply worked hard each and every day.

Tell me about your parents. Did your parents play a role in your decision to go into construction?

I learned a lot about construction and the industry as a whole. My mom taught me that, to be a woman in our industry, you have to be stern and thickskinned. She always said, “You teach people how to treat you.” That is very true and I repeat those words to my management team regularly. But the best lesson my parents taught me is that success is a result of hard work and perseverance regardless of your trade or skillset.

Are you married? What is your husband’s name? How long have your been married?

I was 22 when Russell and I started dating. I had worked at a couple of jobs here and there, didn’t really know what my calling was. Russell was 26, driven and fully prepared to take ahold of his future.

By then he had already been an electrician for six years and had obtained his Master Electrician’s License.

Did you start Edge Electric right away or did you take time to start a family?

Our relationship took the fast lane.

In September 2008, we got married. We

L-R: The Johnsons – Russell, Sandra and Mason

incorporated Edge Electric on Jun. 23, 2009 and our son, Mason, was born on Jul. 23, 2009.

How did you juggle a new business and a baby?

The next few years were TOUGH! Our home was our office. We woke early to tend to a new baby and then worked all day. We had a couple hours of family time in the evening, but once Mason was in bed, we were back in the office, often working 12 to 14 hour days. I handled everything in the office from ordering supplies to signing contracts. Russell put his tool bag on during the day and bid projects at night. We made a great team! We were tired and stressed but were prepared for the long haul. Something I told myself often, and still do today, is “sacrifice today for tomorrow.”

As you look back at that time, do you have any regrets?

The days of crazy hours and cash flow concerns are gone. As we sneak upon our 10-year business anniversary on Jun. 23, 2019, I am so thankful that Russell and I never gave up. In the last 10 years, we’ve managed to assemble a team of 70 amazing employees. That is what I love most about my job, the people I get to work with every day. They are the ones we have to thank for the success of Edge!

What are your hobbies? What do you do when you are not working?

My absolute favorite activity is being on the ocean… on a catamaran to be exact.

Blue water, big boat, snorkeling and seafood – there’s nothing better. It’s heaven on earth. I could do it every day and maybe one day I will. Retirement goal! -cmw

L-R: Edge Electric’s Russell and Sandra Johnson, Amy Braswell, who has been with Edge Electric since 2012, and husband, Dusty.

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Page 5

50 years and new leadership

WHAT WAS THE FIRST CAR YOU BOUGHT? A 1984 Volvo that a friend of mine sold to me for $400. It ran good for two or three years. Then it stopped working and it cost more to repair.

Roberto Marín, Acre Block Studio It was a ’54 Chevy Bel Aire, orange with a white top and a straight 6. That car broke down on me every day. This is where I learned to tinker on cars. I bought it when I was 16 in the early ‘90s. I gave $900 bucks for it.

Jay Gordon, Blackout Signs

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L-R: Pat O’Brien, Justin McAfee and Preston McAfee

n 1969, two men from Gainesville, TX, Steve Rogers and Pat O’Brien, inseparable friends since junior high, decided to start their own commercial construction company, Rogers-O’Brien Construction (RO). From the day they went into business, they dealt with each other the way real friends do - with respect, integrity and mutual commitment. As the business grew, they dealt with every person and every company with these very same values. Today, the company and its people still strive to always do the right thing. Remaining faithful to the founders’ principles and standards has enabled Rogers-O’Brien Construction to consistently attract the very best clients, employees and building partners; to successfully complete projects of all sizes; to comfortably transition to three generations of leadership and to become nationally recognized in the list of top contractors by Engineering News Record (ENR). The RO team is extremely proud of this legacy and looks forward to honoring this history to build the future.

Effective Jan. 25, Preston McAfee stepped down as CEO of Rogers-O’Brien Construction (RO) and assumed the role of Chairman. Justin McAfee stepped into the role of President and CEO of the company.

“I am proud of what RO has accomplished over the past 50 years,” states Preston McAfee. “I know that with Justin’s leadership and vision, the company will continue to grow and prosper, while providing our clients, trade partners and employees with the same level of respect and integrity we aspire for.”

Unknown to most, Justin McAfee worked for another large general contractor prior to joining RO to work alongside his father and grandfather. It was important to Justin to gain the respect from the industry and learn from some of the best. After coming aboard in 2009, McAfee worked in every department for an extended amount of time. In the past

year, he unofficially assumed the role of CEO. During this time, he led RO to a record-breaking year of $700,000,000 in annual revenue, and a new office in San Antonio. It is his leadership, passion and care that has allowed RO to achieve these milestones, all while ensuring each employee is enjoying what they do and are doing it well.

Since joining RO in 2009, McAfee has served many roles ranging from a Quality Manager in the field, to supporting RO’s Preconstruction and Client Relations Department in the office. He went on to assume the role as President of the Dallas/ Fort Worth office region, and to now fill the role as CEO as his father, Preston McAfee, retires in 2019.

Throughout McAfee’s time wearing many hats in the company, his desire to be at the forefront of the commercial construction industry resulted in over $2.5 billion in construction volume over the past five years. A large part of RO’s success can be attributed to the innovative culture that began when the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) department was forged in 2009. McAfee handpicked the team of technology professionals that were tasked with leading this corporate initiative, and worked in collaboration with the VDC team on the first projects that utilized VDC, including 1400 Hi Line, SMU Moody Coliseum and the Shops at Legacy.

McAffee continued the push for technology and was the impetus in the transition from the use of paper to tablets in the field. This push for change enables their employees to be more effective with their time, saving over 50,000 hours per year, and over $1.5 million is cost savings by going to a paperless workflow. This is an exciting time for the RO team as they celebrate 50 years in business and a new CEO. Rogers-O’Brien Construction is a fullservice general contractor in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Austin. -cmw

Pulled out a green Ford Ranger out of a dump and needed to spend time and money to get it to run.

Jonathan Sievert, The Austin Carpenter A 1.1 liter Ford Fiesta, 1992; four cylinder, four speed. That was in the U.K. in 1997.

That was a very popular car there.

Chris Duncanson, Chris Duncanson Custom Cabinetry A 1981 Chevy pickup. I bought it in 1996 when I turned 16 years old. It wasn’t the nicest thing. I had to buy it on my own so

it was all I could afford at the time. But it got me back and forth to school and work, and that’s what I needed.

Brad Jones, Modern Concrete Creations 1967 used Buick Riviera.

Robert Russo, Austin Concrete Construction, LLC An ’84 used, cream-colored Model LT, four-door.

Jay Jones, Specialty Millworks It was a red Sabb 900 S Turbo convertible with no air conditioning.

Josh Gothia, Pinpoint Strategies I bought a 1953 5-window pickup for $350 off a small car lot in deep south side San Antonio off loop 13. It needed a lot of work but to a school guy, I loved that truck and all the work I did on it in my dad’s garage with all my buddies. I bought it because that’s all I could afford as a high school boy, and I LOVE trucks.

Actually, I wished I still had it today.

Grady Atnip, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

St, Patrick’s Day Leprechauns

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hey’re short, they’re wrinkled, and they didn’t even wear green originally.

They’re Leprechauns, the mischievous fairy-folk who have become one of the best known Irish symbols.

The original color of St. Patrick’s Day was blue, and the original color of Leprechauns was red. Green prevailed for both through the years. Ireland is often referred to as the Emerald Isle and its flag displays a green stripe.

Folklore

If we don’t wear green, it’s considered shameful and we get pinched.

Green is supposed to make you invisible to the Leprechauns, so you won’t get pinched by a Leprechaun.

Even though he isn’t the best looking guy around, he is a lucky one. He always finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

• Leprechauns are fairies and are prone to mischief. This mythical group lived in Ireland long before humans inhabited the land.

• There aren’t any female Leprechauns.

• There are miniature colonies all over the country. Gardens are sometimes decorated with miniature items for the Leprechauns, to include tiny swimming pools with diving boards!

• They are the bankers and cobblers in the fairy world. They are known for their money - there’s apprently a lot of it in the cobbling business!

• They are sneaky.

• They can be generous if you’re nice to them. Humans are always looking for their gold, so they’re distrustful and secretive. If one helps out a Leprechaun (like being stuck somewhere, one might return home and find a pot of gold.

Folklore Story A local businessman claimed he found the evidence of a real Leprechaun on Carlingford Mountain in Ireland. He heard a scream near a wishing well, then found bones, a tiny suit and gold coins near scorched earth. This evidence is now displayed in a glass case for visitors to see.

Page 6

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

A legacy in glass

Industry FOLKS Natalya S. Sheddan Attorney Cokinos | Young Austin, TX

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ulture shock describes it best for Sheddan when she moved to Texas as a teenager. And who could blame her? Sheddan was born and raised in the Ukraine until she moved to the United States.

A graduate of La Grange High School, Sheddan briefly attended the University of Texas where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English. “UT was a blur. I graduated in two years at the age of 20. I was not too thrilled about showing up to class. Instead of slowly suffering through four years of classes, I decided to intensely suffer through two years of a lot of classes. I took as many classes as I could every semester, including doubling up on summer class loads and testing for credits.

Still not sure how I pulled it off, it was the age of miracles at UT - the Vince Young era.”

After graduating UT and still unsure of what she wanted to do with her life, fate intervened. Sheddan had been selected as a juror on a very gruesome criminal case and the idea of law school was born. “The best part about a law degree is that you don’t have to choose a specialty. Surprisingly, law school was fun and challenging. I lived and worked full time in Austin and commuted to San Antonio for evening classes. Despite my busy schedule, I never missed a campus keg party thrown by Sister Grace. I went to more keg parties at St. Mary’s law school than I did at UT.“

Sheddan has been married to her husband Will for five years. They had the typical romantic story of how every

Austinite meets their soul mate - at a bar downtown. Together they have two children, 2-1/2-year-old Ellie and 8-month-old Liam. Ellie’s interests include interior wall painting, building mock-up walls from wooden blocks, sitting on our Doberman, who she believes is a pony and utilizing her plastic power tools to torture her little brother.

Liam’s interests include sleeping, eating and worshiping his big sister Ellie.

Sheddan stumbled into the construction industry by accident by taking a construction course her husband suggested. And once again, as fate would have it, she fell in love with construction law and started working at the biggest construction law firm in Texas a few months later and is still there.

It is here Sheddan met her mentor, the name partner at her firm, Marc Young. “Marc Young has mentored me since I was a law student. In his 30plus years of experience in construction law, he has probably seen every construction “oopsie” out there. It has been tremendously helpful to combine his “old school” approach to problem resolution with my younger generation creativity and innovation.”

On weekends, you can generally find Sheddan at one of her husband’s construction sites doing pro-bono work. She also enjoys going on hikes around Austin with her husband and watching their toddler and dog chase each other at Zilker Park. -cmw

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Trace and Trent Sidle, co-owners of Legacy Glass & Mirror

rowing up in a family glass business in Midland, TX, Trace Sidle decided he wanted to travel a different path. He enrolled in the University of Oklahoma and earned a political science degree. After graduating from OU, Sidle had every intention of pursuing a career in government or politics, but wanted to come back to Texas to be closer to his family rather than going the DC route. He moved to Austin to pursue a career at the state capitol.

Sidle’s brother, Trent on the other hand, had every intention of taking over the family business, but he decided he really didn’t want to live in the Midland area. He too would find himself in Austin and began working as a glass glazier helper while taking night classes.

With the two brothers back together in Austin, Trace and Trent would get together to discuss their days. Trace began encouraging Trent to go into business for himself. Trent agreed but only if his brother would go into business with him.

Together, they formed Legacy Glass &

Mirror in 2017.

They made the decision to go into business on a Monday. By Wednesday of that very week, their father called to let them know the Midland/Odessa area had been hit with a massive hailstorm, knocking out hundreds upon hundreds of windows and he was being bombarded with calls. Asking his sons if they were really serious about starting their business, he asked them to cover the Odessa area.

With a $2,000 loan from their mother to get their business up and running, the Sidle brothers found themselves moving back to Midland for the summer of 2017 and replaced windows every day while they were there knocking on doors and handing out business cards. “We used the initial money from our mom to buy some tools. After that we built up our own capital from that storm,” says Trace.

Located in south Austin, Legacy Glass & Mirror specialized in residential mirror and glass installation including customer shower doors and enclosures. -cmw

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Page 7

The 2017 AIA Insurance Exhibit and prohibited exclusions

YOU are not your business Steven Bankler, Owner Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd. San Antonio TX

Charles E. Comiskey Sr. Vice President Brady Chapman Holland & Associates, Inc. Houston, TX

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hen it’s time to sell your business, you might discover you tied too much of yourself into it. Your money, assets—even your reputation—can be so entwined in the business that they’re difficult to separate.

Unwinding those ties can be costly and confusing. Save yourself the trouble and consider the following areas to address while creating your exit plan.

Personal Goodwill

Did you know that your reputation, expertise, skills, knowledge and business relationships each carry monetary value?

These self-created assets are called personal goodwill, and they can be added to (or subtracted from) your bottom line when you sell your business, or even be sold separately from the business.

The IRS considers very critically whether any intangible goodwill is personal or whether it’s more connected to the business. When it’s time for you to leave your business, your personal goodwill in the form of your expertise, the relationships you’ve built over the years, and other intangible assets can be deducted from the sale price because they’ll leave with you. Doing so can reduce taxes for both you and your buyer.

Personal Versus Business Property

It’s easy to mix business and personal property when you’re the business owner, but it’s a critical hurdle that may need to be overcome before you put your exit plan in motion.

Property that includes land, buildings and anything else affixed to it that is used solely for business purposes should be treated as real property. Personal property for a business should also be designated. This is everything else used solely for business from your trucks and equipment to your office water cooler. Even intellectual property like your trademarked business logo can be included. Real property and personal property for business are taxed very differently.

Then comes listed property, which are assets used for both business and personal. An example would be a company vehicle driven all the time. If you have a home-based business or allow employees to use property like company cars and laptops for personal use, it’s important to consider those assets and how they’ll be treated in a sale. Real, personal and listed property all have their own depreciation rules associated with them, which affect how they’ll be valued.

Personally Funding Your Business

If your business is a pass-through entity like a sole proprietorship, LLC or partnership, or S corporation, your money is already tied to the business. When your business has a bad year and suffers a loss, that loss can usually be deducted from your personal taxable income, too. But a corporation is different. To infuse your own money into a corporation, you need to decide how to characterize it: personal equity or a business loan. These two are very different when it comes to selling, liquidating, or closing the business, especially if things don’t work out.

Take an honest look at how closely connected your other finances are to those of your business, too. How much of your ability to personally guaranty liabilities could be benefiting your company? If you sell it, will the company be able to maintain its own credit power? Will your personal finances truly be disconnected?

There’s a cautionary tale we often tell of parents who pass down their business to their children and who, after a while, start getting calls from creditors. They end up losing their savings because they handed over the keys to the business—with their good credit attached—and didn’t notice when it was mismanaged.

Look at these areas and take steps now to separate yourself from your business. Doing so now could save yourself and your company’s next generation significant headaches and tax burdens.

-------------------------------------------------Steven Bankler has more than 40 years of experience in the accounting industry. Steven’s expertise lies in consulting, planning, tax, and asset protection as well as exit strategy services for closely held businesses.

He also provides litigation support (both as a testifying expert witness and a consulting expert), business negotiations and estate planning. Visit www.bankler.com for additional tax strategy tips and to learn more about Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd.

Telling the tale

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he 2017 AIA Insurance Exhibit includes significant enhancements in both the coverage required and in the manner in which coverage is required.

One of those enhancements is that this Exhibit not only details certain coverages that must be provided but goes on to prohibit a variety of exclusions that cannot included in a downstream party’s insurance program.

While legal, these practices by the insurance industry effectively border on widespread deception. Insurance policies frequently don’t change in front of your eyes. They are changed behind your back. The manner in which coverage is reduced is often quite subtle, making the limitations and coverage gaps difficult to identify. The revised policy or endorsement may have the identical heading as a standard coverage form, the exact same font, and contain almost the identical language. Sometimes the change is just one word, or the word is simply positioned differently. No warnings are given, no explanations are provided, and the changes can be difficult for even the most seasoned insurance professional to grasp.

There are only two times when an upstream party (the company requiring the insurance) can accurately determine what coverage is being provided by a downstream party (the contractor or subcontractor providing the insurance): in negotiation or in litigation. Upstream parties placing insurance requirements on downstream contractors must have their guard up during negotiation to avoid being misled. If you’re not somewhat paranoid, you’re simply not paying attention.

For example, what is the worst general liability insurance endorsement in current use? The author suggests that it is the Continuous or Progressive Injury and Damage Exclusion. While different insurance companies use different wording, the most damaging states: “This insurance does not apply to: (1) Any damages arising out of or related to ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ whether such ‘bodily injury’ or ‘property damage’ is known or unknown; (2) Which first occurred in whole or in part prior to the inception date of this policy); or (3) Which are, or are alleged to be, in the process of occurring as of the inception date of the policy; or (4) Which were caused, or are alleged to have been caused, by the same condition(s) or defective construction which first existed prior to the inception of this policy.”

What makes it so bad? A variety of questions and issues arise. Known to whom? This is not limited to known by the insured. Alleged by whom? The insurance company adjuster, perhaps? By a condition that existed prior to policy inception? An unknown condition that had not previously caused any injury or damage?

There may be, depending on state law, an argument that damage to property may be covered under other policies, but what about bodily injury? As-

Twenty years of connecting the construction industry with stories on companies, people and projects within the industry, Construction News owners Buddy and Reesa Doebbler are still telling the tale. -cmw

sume that the policy incepted two months ago and a serious injury arose today from an unknown condition that had existed for the past few years (e.g., a missing screw on a railing). No coverage would be provided under the current policy incorporating this endorsement, and because most general liability policies cover only claims that arise during that policy period, no coverage is available under any prior policy. And of course, when this policy is renewed with the same wording, the issue compounds.

This effectively becomes a claims-made coverage with no prior acts coverage and no extended reporting period.

Another egregious exclusion is the Prior Work Exclusion, which is effectively another quasi claims-made coverage in occurrence clothing. This endorsement excludes allegations arising from work that has been completed prior to the inception of current coverage. The result is that coverage is provided only with regard to work in progress at the time of policy inception or begun during that policy period. Coverage is completely lost for liabilities arising out of work that was completed prior to the inception of the current policy.

These are just two quick examples in a long list of harsh but invisible exclusions in common use. If you are the upstream party requiring insurance, how do you protect yourself? Three steps: • Your insurance requirements should be drafted in a detail manner, referring to industry-standard ISO forms to the greatest extent possible.

• Your insurance requirements should prohibit those exclusions and limitations that would effect the protection provided to you by your downstream contractors/subcontractors. Those listed in the AIA Insurance Exhibit are a good start but may not be sufficiently clear or broad for your purposes.

• Require a copy of the Schedule of Forms and Endorsements page from the downstream contractor’s general liability policy and review it carefully. This will list every endorsement added to the policy. Are some included that you do not recognize? If so, demand copies and read them. Are some included that are unacceptable? If so, negotiate or perhaps move on to another contractor that can provide the insurance coverage required.

If you are the contractor buying the insurance, make sure that your agent or broker understands the insurance needs of your firm, including what it is being required by others to provide, and has fully met those needs.

Charles E. Comiskey, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, CRM, PWCA, CRIS, CCM, CMIP Sr. Vice President Brady Chapman Holland & Assoc., 10055 West Gulf Bank • Houston, TX 77040 713-688-1500 Charles.Comiskey@bch-insurance.com

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Responding to OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy

Crane operator certification frequently asked questions

Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Austin, TX

Joann Natarajan Compliance Assistance Specialist OSHA Austin, TX

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n late 2018, the federal courts of appeals for Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi overturned thirty seven years’ of precedent in deciding that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration can issue citations for a workplace hazard to entities other than Ken Bullock the actual employer of the worker exposed to the hazard.

The Case:

The facts of that particular case are useful in understanding the implications of the court’s decision. A Texas city, acting as owner, entered into a contract with a general contractor (GC) to build a public library. The GC maintained control over the worksite through on-site management personnel. As would be expected, the GC contracted with a subcontractor (Sub1) to perform a part of the work, and Sub1 also contracted with another subcontractor (Sub2) to perform part of its work. During construction, Sub2’s employees were working at the base of an unsupported dirt wall. The Occupational Safety & Health AdminBob Hancock istration (OSHA) received an anonymous tip concerning the hazardous condition and conducted an inspection of the worksite. Following the inspection, OSHA issued citations to both Sub2 (employer) and to GC (non-employer) for the lack of proper support protecting workers in an excavation.

OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy: In issuing citations to both the GC and Sub2, OSHA relied upon what it now refers to as its “Multi-Employer Citation Policy.” Under this policy, OSHA takes the position it can issue citations to a number of different entities at a particular workplace for the same workplace hazard – regardless of whether the cited entities actually employed a worker exposed to the hazard. Instead, at a workplace where several different entities are working alongside each other, OSHA classifies those entities in one (or more) of the following categories: “Creating”– entity that creates or causes a hazardous workplace condition.

“Exposing” – entity that exposes its employees to a hazardous workplace condition.

“Correcting”– entity responsible for correcting a hazardous workplace condition.

“Controlling” – entity that has supervisory authority or control over the workplace.

What Does It Mean for the Construction Industry?

Although the court limited its decision to upholding a citation under the “controlling” category of the Multi-Employer Citation Policy, the decision will likely have a broader impact potentially allowing OSHA to issue citations under the other categories of the Multi-Employer Citation Policy as well. As a result, general contractors and subcontractors may both now be subject to OSHA citations for creating a workplace hazard or failing to correct a workplace hazard even though none of their own employees are exposed to the hazard.

Because OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy will necessitate that general contractors and perhaps owners take an active role in down-stream contractor/ subcontractor (lower-tier contractor) safety, this Policy may lead to important liability consequences for up-stream owners and contractors under state law, such as increased potential exposure to lawsuits involving worker injuries, especially in instances where OSHA holds more than one entity liable for job site accidents. For very large construction projects that are of a scale that support owner or contractor controlled insurance programs (a fairly small percentage of the construction projects), it may make economic sense to use project-specific controlled insurance programs such as Owner Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIPs) or Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (CCIPs) where owners and general contractors may be able to take advantage of the worker’s comp bar against a plaintiffs’ recovery of damages over and above their direct employer’s worker’s compensation benefits (a/k/a “action over claims”), especially in instances where gross negligence does not apply.

However, since controlled programs are expensive and deductibles under such controlled insurance programs tend to be very large, for the majority of projects, use of OCIPs or CCIPs is not possible. For more typical projects, selection of quality lower-tier contractors at every level, with strong, proactive, safety programs and safety records will be essential. It will be important for owners and general contractors, not only to hire the safest lowertier contractors, but it may be prudent to also (1) thoroughly vet all lower tier contractor entities for safety, (2) incorporate strong contractual indemnity language into subcontracts to protect against action over claims, (3) require lower-tier contractors to insure upstream parties as primary, non-contributory additional insureds under lower-tier contractor insurance policies, and (4) use flow down clauses to require the same protections from all down-stream, lower-tier contractors (with owners and general contractors as the third-party beneficiaries). We also recommend that up-stream parties review lower-tier insurance policies for coverage, when possible.

In summary, the Multi-Employer Citation Policy will require significant new levels of over-OSHA partnership, oversight, contractual protection and on occasions where it is an economic fit for a project, perhaps use of controlled insurance programs. Similarly, it will increasingly be important for contractors of all levels to educate their respective work forces in such a way that they can perform more safely on projects and better comply with OSHA requirements.

Ken Bullock is a Shareholder in the Energy & Maritime section in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Ken has experience representing clients across a broad cross-section of industries, including representation of energy, marine and construction clients in connection with OSHA investigations and before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. For more information, Ken can be reached by telephone at 713-222-4061, or by email at kbullock@munsch.com

Bob Hancock is a Shareholder in the Construction Law section in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Bob’s practice focuses on representing clients, including owners, general contractors, subcontractors, sureties and suppliers matters, including but not limited to, commercial litigation, construction contract negotiations and disputes, construction defect lawsuits, insurance coverage matters and personal injury and toxic tort matters.

He is also experienced in serving as outside general counsel in out-of-state litigation.

For more information, Bob can be reached by telephone at 713-222-1825, or by email at rhancock@munsch.com

Why is OSHA issuing this final rule?

In this final rule, OSHA revises crane operator certification requirements from Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks. First, this final rule removes the requirement that crane operator certifications include the crane’s rated lifting capacity. The two testing organizations that have certified the majority of operators have issued certifications by “type” but not “capacity.” These certifications, therefore, would not have been valid without a change to the rule. The agency has concluded that the capacity requirement for certification is not necessary to protect workers and the agency is concerned that a shortage of certified operators will disrupt the construction industry severely. Second, OSHA is making permanent the employer duty to ensure that operators are competent to operate the equipment safely. While certification ensures an objective baseline of general knowledge of crane operation, it does not ensure that operators know how to operate a particular crane for a specific task. For this reason, OSHA is revising the crane standard to preserve a requirement that employers assess the ability of their operators to run the cranes they will be using for the tasks to which they are assigned.

What is an employer required to do to fulfill the employer’s duty under the final rule?

In addition to ensuring that an operator is properly certified, an employer must also evaluate the operator to ensure that the operator has the skills, knowledge, and ability to recognize and avert risk to operate the equipment safely. This evaluation must be done by a person who has the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to assess operators. Once an operator has passed an evaluation on one piece of equipment, the employer may allow that operator to operate different equipment without further evaluation if the employer can demonstrate that operating that equipment would not require substantially different skills, knowledge or ability to recognize and avert risk. For example, an employer may evaluate an operator and determine that he or she has demonstrated the ability to safely operate a large crane in a relatively complex configuration. If the employer determines that the operator has the skills, knowledge, and ability to identify

and avert risk necessary to safely operate a smaller crane of the same type and operating system, in a simpler configuration with a shorter boom, then the operator would not need to be re-evaluated (assuming that the tasks are similar). The evaluation must be documented and provide the operator’s name, the evaluator’s name and signature, the date of the evaluation, and the make, model, and configuration of equipment used in the evaluation. The employer must be able to make the documentation of the evaluation available on the worksite for as long as the operator is employed by the employer (electronic availability at the worksite is one way to satisfy the requirement).

Finally, when the employer needs to provide retraining, such as when an employer becomes aware that an operator is not competent in a necessary aspect of safe crane operation, the employer must also re-evaluate the operator with respect to the subject of the retraining. natarajan.joann@dol.gov 512-374-0271 x232

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Page 9

Peacock bass adventure

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

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he phone call came early one August morning while on the water, fishing with some clients. Jim Poole of Waypoint Marine and Fish Tales Excursions were on the line and began by saying, “I’ve got the trip of a life time we’ve been talking about.” He had my full attention when I asked, when and where?

Ken McCarty was one of the anglers that caught a 20+ lb. peacock bass on our recent trip to Brazil. Pictured with Ken is his son Kross who also caught several fish over the 10-lb. mark.

This coming February in Brazil for peacock bass! It didn’t take long to respond, mostly because I had been talking to him for several years about a trip like this and I really had to get back to my clients that had paid for a day’s fishing. I’m in, I responded, and I’ll call you later, BYE!

ple. Needless to say that we managed to get 16 of the 20 that knew each other or were friends that were recommended.

This is what made the trip so appealing to me. What a way to scratch an item off your bucket list and to have a dozen of your buddies do the same.

A trip to the Amazon has been on my bucket list for quite some time, and in fact I really thought it would never come together because of the logistics of putting together the right group of 20 peo-

After getting to Manus, we hopped a charter plane to Santa Isabel which is a small community on the Rio Negro river.

There we boarded a 105ft, 5-star mobile floating hotel called the “Zaltan.”

The Zaltan, the mother ship where we stayed, ate, slept and shared our fishing adventure days.

This fish is a species of Peacock Bass called a Paca. We caught several different species, but mainly the Azul, Paca and the Butterfly Peacock bass.

This was our base camp for the next six days. We towed eleven 18ft aluminum boats and paired up with a guide every morning for our day’s fishing. The fishing was ferocious. There wasn’t anything that grabbed onto the baits that didn’t fight like hell. Mid-size bass from 6 to 10 lbs. had no trouble doubling my rod over and pulling off long lengths of line with every surge. The smaller bass came more readily to the boat, but even they had enough fight that you’d never consider lipping them for a trophy shot if you value the flesh on your thumb. Larger fish were a little more difficult to catch due to the high water in the river from recent rains, although several anglers out of our group did manage fish over 15 lbs. and one over 20 lbs. I was not one of those anglers, but I can tell you that you better be holding on to your rod when one decides he wants to hit your lure. All in all it was a great experience and one trip that I will repeat. The crew and service of the Zaltan were first class and would recommend this trip to everyone that has a desire to catch world class peacock bass.

If you are not ready for the Amazon Xtreme Fishing adventure, I am back on the Laguna Madre this month fishing our bays for speckled trout, redfish and drum.

My 2019 fishing calendar is starting to fill up now, so don’t hesitate in booking your fishing trips. To schedule your next bay fishing trip or hunting trip give Capt.

Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or email him at SteveSchultzOutdoors@ gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Ken Milam’s Fishing Line

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Be the fish!

he difference between a good fisherman and a great fisherman is pretty simple. Patience is a fishing virtue, the right equipment is helpful, but the very most important thing a fisherman needs is an imagination! If you can learn to think like a fish, you can predict its response to whatever kind of baits you put before it.

Fish are complex creatures. They will respond to stuff that looks good to eat, things that frighten them and most peculiarly of all, things that make them mad.

You can begin to see just how complicated what goes on between those beady little fish eyes is.

Fish can go into vicious feeding frenzies that remind you of the piranhas in old jungle movies. They can pout and not feed for days. If something changes in their surroundings, they can sulk or get shy. If an invader moves in they can violently defend their territory. When spawning time arrives, a whole new set

or sunken logs? Maybe your chosen species likes both depending on conditions.

3. How does light affect your fish? Does Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake bright light cause them to seek out shadBuchanan in the Texas Hill Country, You can hear Ken on the radio as follows: ows to hide in, or do they like to hunt and The Great Outdoors: 5-8 am Saturday on 1300, The Zone, Austin and bask in the sunlight.

The Great Outdoors: 5-7 am Saturday on 1200 WOAI San Antonio 4. What kind of water conditions does The Sunday Sportsman: 6-8 am Sunday on 1300, The Zone, Austin your fish prefer and how do different All on iHeart Radio conditions affect them? Most important, what kind of water are you fishing in today and what can you do about it? This is where the color and scent of bait can be important.

5. How do they act when they spawn?

Do they nest and choose a mate or do they just have a running affair with a whole bunch of their own kind.

6. What kinds of baits have the fish become accustomed to? Fish are fish, but they are not stupid. They learn pretty quickly that certain munchies can lead to an “alien abduction” type experience and a sore mouth. You need to do something unexpected sometimes to get their curiosity going.

Once you have this down then you just daydream about being that fish… Is it warm enough for you to be hungry?

Does the sunlight hurt your eyes? If you are hiding in the shadows, would it take a bright colored bait to get your attention?

Take it and run with it. Kids can be really of rules apply. Are they nesting, cruising bass? Does it prefer to just pick up an good at this part, because they can really for a mate, sparring with rivals? You need easy meal when it can like catfish or carp? let their imaginations run and they don’t to do your research. Check magazines, in- This can help you begin to solve the old have any preconceived notions about ternet and old fish stories to learn what “live bait or artificial bait” question. “what works”. makes each species tick.

2. Where does the fish like to live? Does This may be why fishing can be so re1. What do the fish like to eat? Is it an it prefer the freedom of open water or laxing and restorative for us. Some days aggressive feeder like perch, crappie or the security of structures like rocks, caves it’s just more fun to be the fish!

Submitted to Construction News

Monster hog

Amy Guerrero, ACT Construction shared this photo of avid hunter and all around outdoors women Assistant Project Manager Kayla Miller with this monster hog she shot.

The hog weighed around 275lbs. and was shot on a ranch in Onley, TX on Dec. 15. -cmw

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

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Thanks for a great time!

big shout out to Dustin Durham and Justin Garcia of Performance Equipment for a great time with great friends! Durham and Garcia invited Mike Maule, Outdoors; Steve Neal, Aardvark Pest Control and Kevin Murry, Mesa Equipment to the Long Fellow Ranch in West Texas to fill their last three management tags. Murry shot this 8-point, 6-1/2-year-old mule deer with a rack measuring 128”. –cmw

L-R: Dustin Durham, Steve Neal, Mike Maule, Justin Garcia and Kevin Murry.

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Hunting with a purpose

ichele Seward Davis (Joeris General Contractors) put together a collage of various hunts wearing a Chris Kyle shirt to honor him and all of our heroes we have lost. Davis is a big supporter of our military, those active and former, wounded and those we have lost. “I am humbled to be a sponsor of Chris Kyle and his foundation started by his wife, Taya Kyle.” -rd

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Submitted to Construction News

Is she excited or what?

W hat’s Trending in Commercial Flooring

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he world of commercial flooring has evolved into numerous manufacturers making products with patterns far different than the wool and shag carpets of the 1900s. Commercial flooring manufacturers have enlisted fantastic designers and artists to help them create their beautiful finishes. From timeless woven carpets, to carpets with wild patterns, to brightly colors vinyl resilient tiles, commercial flooring has established itself as an incredibly design-driven industry.

Regina Findlay, owner of Spot On Construction Cleaning is full of excitement and rightfully so after catching this 6lb. bass in Ardmore, OK. -cmw

Textures Carpet tile is being manufactured with a lot more texture and depth than in previous years. Commercial flooring Manufacturers are now producing finishes that are allowing designers to showcase their creativity on the floor.

The photos are some of Marmon Mok’s flooring selections for Frost Bank.

Colors The industry seems to be moving away from the cool greys, and towards warmer earth tones. In the resilient flooring, as well as carpeting, vibrant primary colors are being introduced to existing product lines.

Planks and Tiles For years roll carpeting was used in commercial spaces, but carpet tiles and planks are taking over. With different size tiles and planks, allow a design element to be added to flooring finished that weren’t possible with roll carpets.

Vinyl Plank Numerous manufacturers have lines of vinyl planks (LVT). This resilient flooring option is taking over the VCT market.

With less maintenance cost over time, and more design capabilities, vinyl planks are becoming a favorite in flooring solutions. There are wood looks, stone looks, concrete look, and a newer visual to hit the market is a woven vinyl plank. Another new design feature being added to vinyl planks, is the thickness of the product. This allows the vinyl plank to butt up to a carpet tile without the use of a rubber transitions.

Example - Frost Tower, San Antonio

The San Antonio sky line has seen an addition for the first time in over a decade with the recently built Frost Tower.

With interior construction still underway, Intertech Flooring has begun the installation of the flooring finishes. Of the towering 22 floors that make up the Frost Tower, Frost Bank occupies 14 of them. SpawGlass is the General Contractor for the Frost Bank portion, and Marmon Mok is the Architectural and Design firm.

Submitted by: Mark Jones, VP Operations Tess Shelton, Product Consultant Intertech Commercial Flooring 11827 Tech Com Rd, Suite 100 San Antonio, TX 78233 210-650-9670

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Page 13

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

Skilled trades training Rebecca Young, Director Lone Star Construction Trades Training Austin, TX

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hey say history repeats itself and most likely it does.

I recall when a person only needed a high school education to be able to succeed in life and make a decent living. Then it became the rule that everyone needed a college degree and a sustaining career to make it through life in a somewhat comfortable fashion.

It has become a common theme nowadays that everyone doesn’t need to go to college and that an alternative career can be sustaining and rewarding.

Skilled trade training has become an undeniable focus of many governmental and industry leaders now that many of the older generation of craftsmen are retiring and leaving a big hole that needs to be filled with competent and capable people.

The best way to learn a skilled trade is through an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are defined as job training that involves working with and learning from a master of the trade on the job. Electricians, carpenters, masons, ironworkers,

and many other skilled trade professionals often learn their trade through apprenticeships. As apprentices learn on the job they are also earning a sustainable paycheck, also known as on the job training. Apprenticeships have different programs with incentives like medical and retirement benefits that the contractor pays for, so it doesn’t come out of the apprentice’s paycheck. It’s a good idea to do your homework before you make the decision which program to enter. When the apprentice completes the hours, schooling and passes the state test you will become a licensed Journeyman.

Have you noticed there is construction everywhere you look? It’s time to

Farewell to beer can cold Chris Walters, Director/Instructor The Training Center of Air Conditioning & Heating Houston, TX

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he HVAC industry has been forced to accept new methods of competence and part ways with the old methods like BEER CAN COLD charging techniques. The sad part of this old technique is that it was never proper even 40 years ago. Manufactures have given us charging tables for many years that used superheat and subcooling charging methods, but most technicians were resistant to see the importance and ignored them. Grabbing the suction line and charging until it was cold as a beer can and then checking to see if the evaporator split was around 20 degrees was the extent of charging. The same resistance often was used against proper vacuum procedures and nitrogen flushing during brazing.

Cold air was obtained by the “seat of the pants” methods and that was somewhat passable with older low seer units.

Today’s units use smaller tubing in the condensers and sometimes have microchannel evaporators and condensers. These units must be critically charged exactly as specified by the manufacturer. Two ounces above or below the correct charge will really affect the operation, lose efficiency and shorten the life of the compressor.

All of this boils down to one thing and that is the need to get proper training for our technicians and installers. As a whole most of our industry has been trained on the job by other technicians.

Field experience moves these technicians up the ladder and they sometimes

become owners and hire their own techs.

What gets lost along the way is the proper training of the fundamentals that all future experience gets layered on top of.

Without a proper foundation of fundamentals, we can still make a career out of this HVAC trade but will fall short time and time again.

This knowledge shortfall really shows when we hit a problem that requires a deep understanding. This lack of understanding usually leads to not doing things the correct way and that is why BEER CAN COLD has existed forever and never been correct. Seeing a phrase like sub cool and superheat in a book or installation manual doesn’t mean much unless you fundamentally understand it.

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

start thinking about a career in the construction trades. It can be a little overwhelming when you start thinking about joining an apprenticeship but, with a little guidance, you can be on your way to a great career that pays well. Journeyman is a title you earn after finishing your apprenticeship like getting your bachelors in college after completing the required classes. It’s not a gender. There are many women in the skilled construction trades.

This is a realistic career path for women.

And earning your journeyman title is just the start for many people. There are many paths to choose from after that.

You can start running work and become a foreman, a general foreman or a superintendent. You can go into estimating or become a project manager. You can start your own construction business. You could become an inspector or, like me, you could become an instructor. The career paths you can take are endless and rewarding. If you enjoy learning and working with your hands and making the good money, this will be a great choice.

My name is Rebecca Young. I’m a journeyman electrician and have worked 27 years in the trade. When I first started my apprenticeship, the trades weren’t very welcoming to women but, through

the years, the attitudes are changing.

Men are realizing women pay attention to detail, they listen, are easier on the equipment and tools and can do the work! This is an amazing time in history with the trades becoming so open to women joining the ranks to help fill the shortage of construction workers needed right now! Remind the people around you, including the women, that a career in construction can be rewarding, provide financial stability and provide medical and retirement benefits.

There are programs out there to help people decide if this could be a realistic career path and try out the trade. Darci Brennan, who is also a journeyman electrician, and I have started Lone Star Construction Trades Training. We offer free hands-on electrical classes to help people find that path to apprenticeship and, as we grow, we will be adding welding, carpentry, HVAC, heavy equipment, etc.

Anyone interested in becoming an electrician or is interested in taking a free Lone Star Construction Trades Training class can call 254-833-7487 or visit lonestarctt.org. We can help you find the pathway to apprenticeship. -cmw

Even if you manage to perform the task and obtain a superheat or sub cool number, it will not mean as much without the understanding. Eventually you will want to quit doing a task that doesn’t make sense and that keeps bad habits like beer can cold hanging on forever.

Fortunately, most contractors are seeing a payoff for having proper training and they are seeking out courses and even sending seasoned technicians back to take the basics.

I have talked to many technicians that have been in the trade for years and winged it with on-the-job training. Once they decided to take a step back and fill in the missing fundamental training they became amazing technicians almost overnight.

As contractors, we are forced to take continuing education courses every year to keep our license current. This is the absolute minimum and certainly can be supplemented with many other online, offsite or self-directed enhanced learning objectives. Walters can tell you from experience that every time you look at a part of the HVAC system you see it with different eyes that are filtered with a different experienced brain. Pick up a textbook and look up any component and you will gather some new perspective of or nugget of information that eluded you before. We should strive to learn new things every day and do more than the minimum of learning. Technicians that are not forced to take CE courses by the state should consider it or other training

regardless and get used to continuous training and learning.

It has been stated that we have approximately 125 million homes in the USA and, of the homes with central air, approximately 90 percent have oversized units with undersized air distribution. If we want to correct this, we have to quit doing things the old way and start paying attention to static pressure, duct design based with flex compression considerations, load calculation based on the house as it is today and not as it was when built, and duct and envelope testing.

Once we master these things, we will start whittling away at the 90 percent and start making a difference in comfort as well as energy conservation. Let’s leave beer can cold for after work where it belongs.

Chris Walters has been in the HVAC industry for 40 years. During which time, he owned his own commercial A/C business for 22 years and just recently closed it to focus 100 percent on training. Walters started The Training Center of Air Conditioning & Heating after years of being frustrated by the lack of qualified technicians. Once the training school was approved, he realized he could better serve the industry by choosing it full time. He spent several years as a subject matter expert for the State of Texas working on the exam committee for the certified tech, class A and B exams. In addition, he has developed several types of HVAC courses including video and printed materials. -cmw

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Page 14

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

NEXT TH MON

Women in Construction

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

Construction education Josh Carson, Project Executive Moss & Associates Board Chair, TEXO Foundation Dallas, TX

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he construction industry is a wide-reaching and exceptionally dynamic field. It is a central part of our US economy with some estimates of domestic annual construction over $1.2 trillion. Since the last economic downturn, not only have projects grown in complexity and size, but they now need to be delivered quicker. Thankfully, these are problems we can – and are – solving as an industry. The greatest challenge for us isn’t in processes or materials, it’s people. From designers to general contractors and trade partners, there is simply more work to do than the workers we have to do it.

For years, our industry has faced a challenge of replacing experienced supervisors and key trades people and training the next generation of professionals. However, couple that with the explosive growth of Texas and it drastically complicates the problem. The Texas Legislature is preparing for the population in our state to double by 2050 and this only happens if the construction industry can support this growth. In colleges, class sizes shrank in the late 2000’s and are just now recovering to pre-recession levels. In high schools, trades and technical training have largely been eliminated due to focuses on science and technology and the push for everyone to attend college. A booming domestic industrial sector including oil and gas has pulled many of

the upcoming construction teams into the oil fields and refineries.

With increased pressure to feed our people pipeline, a renewed effort in marketing and training for our industry is at an all-time high. Groups like the TEXO Foundation in Dallas, TX are broadening their focus to primary and secondary education, growing their collegiate reach across the United States and across the globe, and doubling down by engaging community groups such as veterans, second chance initiatives, and many non-construction-related industry groups. Many specialty trade companies have grown or created their own internal training and recruiting elements to help develop their workforce while partnering with education entities to offer the training.

College isn’t for everyone Nehemias Moreno Public Relations/Marketing Manager Setien & Associates Schertz, TX

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district’s schools.

oreno is a former Career & Technology Education (CTE) instructor, during which time he worked to build the gap between construction companies and schools. He is currently visiting the CTE program at the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, trying to make connections between construction companies and the

“They have a wonderful architecture and construction program at the SCUC ISD schools. The students are learning and using three-dimensional computeraided software and are learning how to weld and read plans, giving them a hands-on application of learning.”

What areas of education need to be improved to better serve the construction industry?

During my last couple of years in education, I began to study Texas high school graduates and higher learning.

Through my research, I found that only 20 percent of Texas high school graduates obtain a college degree. This might have changed in the last four years, but I don’t expect it has changed that much.

Even though only 20 percent of high school graduates obtain a college degree, many, if not most, high schools focus more time preparing students for college rather than preparing them for the workforce.

The education industry needs to improve in this area. They need to do a better job of identifying the youth that does not want to attend college and help them acquire skills that will make them valuable to companies, such as those in the construction industry. Reaching out to companies in the construction industry, identifying what skills, education, training and certifications would benefit students interested in construction jobs, would help to ensure a higher success rate for both students and companies.

Why aren’t young people looking to construction as a career?

There are several reasons why young people are not looking to the construction industry for jobs. One reason is that 30 to 40 years ago there was a certain stigma attributed to manual labor jobs such as those in the construction industry.

Many people would say, “Get an education; you don’t want to dig ditches for the rest of your life”. This got people to believe that vocational jobs were not worthwhile

At Collin College in McKinney, Texas, funding and support for a new technology building was successful and the project is being built today. This new program will have an entire wing dedicated to construction education including many trades like welding, mechanical, and electrical along with safety and management. This is another example of how strong the demand for talent is right now and how entities are having to step up to the challenge to sustain this economic growth.

More so than ever before, we are being forced to analyze the way we engage and educate the industry. We are being challenged to look at the opportunity to enter the construction industry through many different lenses and focus on international talent and technological engagement. International demand to enter our industry is there, but how do we connect those people to the jobs in our industry? Ten years ago, Ken Robson, then Director of Construction Science at the University of Oklahoma, started an international student competition pairing students from the United States with students from Ireland to compete in domestic competitions. This program has grown and now engages students in Australia and other parts of Europe. This encourages us that global education of the U.S. construction industry is working and should remain a priority.

The construction industry has shifted to emerging technology over the last

couple decades as well with BIM and prefabrication. These are tools that create another avenue to capture a workforce that wants more of a technical focus and allows our projects to more quickly develop. With new programs starting for continuing education and training, it reinforces there is a need and market being served and it is exciting to see where this takes off in the future.

The outlook for our industry is encouraging and the energy around construction education is a positive indicator the renewed efforts to feed the growth and create new jobs and opportunities is working. For many people outside the industry, they are now aware construction can be a home for almost any professional and the potential for their kids to build a rewarding career that will serve them through their life is a real possibility. More resources are needed and there is a lot of work left in front of us, but the next chapter in the construction industry is bright and the new workforce being educated today has the opportunity to build the future…and change the world!

Moss & Associates is a national construction management company with offices in California, Florida and McKinney, TX. TEXO is the largest commercial contractors association in Texas empowered by the affiliation with the national Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). -cmw

occupations. Now, you might want to reconsider the digging ditches job because you will probably be doing it with heavy equipment with a possible starting pay between $20 and $25 per hour.

The second reason is that students are not being encouraged to consider construction careers. This has to do with educational institutions not being in touch with the students’ interests, abilities, skills and aptitudes. During my last four years as an instructor, I conducted annual student interest surveys. I always found that a good percentage of my students were interested in construction jobs.

and talk on their cell phones” or we can get involved and do something about it.

What does the construction industry need to do to attract the next generation of youth into the industry?

Everyone in the construction industry is very busy performing his or her jobs. It is hard to take the time to get involved with the schools to help educate and train the next generation of skilled workers. Having said that, that is exactly what it is going to take. Construction companies must take the time to get involved with the schools of their communities. They can do this by providing internships, mentorships, job shadows, etc.

I currently attend the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD Career & Technology Advisory Committee meetings. This is a great way to get involved because it gives the companies the opportunity to influence the education system in their area. It is easy for everyone in the construction industry to throw their hands up and say, “Oh, these kids don’t want to learn, they just want to play video games

www.constructionnews.net publishing the industry’s news

★ San Antonio

★ Austin

★ Dallas/Fort Worth

How can contractors get involved in the school systems to educate the youth on construction careers?

As I mentioned before, everyone in the construction industry is very busy and it is difficult to carve out time to get involved. Having said this, if construction companies don’t find the time to get involved with the school systems, eventually the companies will age-out.

Reach out to the school district or high school in your area. One phone call won’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes. If possible, hire someone or find an existing employee that might be interested in collaborating with the schools. The persons that you might want to contact are the CTE teachers, CTE coordinators, college and career advisors, etc. You can also contact the Career and Technology Education Coordinator (CTE) at the school district.

Once you have made the initial contact, ask if it is acceptable to visit the school and meet with the program staff.

If possible, get involved with the CTE Advisory Committee. They usually only meet three times a year with meetings lasting no more than an hour and a half.

Lastly, make contributions to the CTE programs. These contributions will help to make a positive impact on the students.

Though monetary contributions are always helpful, there are other ways to contribute such as providing internships, jobs, job shadows, mentorships, etc.

Setien & Associates is a structural design and steel fabricator in Schertz, TX. -cmw

Texas Style ★ Houston

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Page 15

Night of outstanding construction

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embers of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) gathered together for the presentation of the 2019 Outstanding Construction Awards. It was a record-breaking event for AGC as over 300 members and guests were in attendance. The event was held at the AT&T Conference Center in downtown Austin on Feb. 8. –cmw

Interiors: Lasco Acoustics & Drywall Inc. – Georgetown ISD Central Administration & Williams Center for Professional Development

Interior Finish - Out 2 $500,000-$2 Million: Sabre Commercial Inc. – Vida Capital and Ovation Partners

Building 1 $0-$2 Million: Rizzo Construction Inc. – Shell Retail Building, Georgetown, TX

Building 4 $10-$30 Million: Chasco Constructors – Round Rock Public Safety Training Center

Building 2 $2-$5 Million: Austin Canyon Corporation – Oakland Avenue Offices

Building 3 $5-$10 Million: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company – Peterson Health, Hospice & Home Care Offices

Building 5 $30-$75 Million: The Beck Group – Willow Hall, Texas State University, Round Rock, TX

Education 1 $0-$10 Million: Sabre Commercial Inc. – UT SOA 5th and 6th Floor Renovation

Education 2 $10 -$30 Million: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors – Stony Point High School Auditorium

Education 3 Over $30 Million: Hensel Phelps Construction Co. – The University of Texas at Austin Engineering Education and Research Center

Health Care $0-$10 Million: Austin Canyon Corporation – Bella Colinas Medical

Industrial/Warehouse 1 Up to $5 Million: Sabre Commercial Inc. – Power Home Remodeling Group

Industrial/Warehouse 2 Over $5 Million: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company – Flex Renovations & Dock Expansion

Residential Multi-Family: JE Dunn Construction – Skyloft

Specialty Construction: Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. – Trail Bridge at Congress Avenue

Electrical 1 $0-$5 Million: Allied Electric Services Inc. – Round Rock Public Safety Training Center

Interior Finish-Out 3 $2-$5 Million: McCarthy Building Companies Inc. – Texas Children’s Hospital Austin MoPac Specialty Care Clinic

Interior Finish-Out 4 Over $5 Million: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors – Georgetown ISD Administration & Hammerlun Center for Leadership & Learning

Historic Renovations: Rizzo Construction Inc. – St. Austin’s Catholic Church Exterior Renovation and Lobby Addition

Page 16

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Feels like a fresh start

The design team of Allied Fire Protection, L-R: Troy Davenport, Jesus Munoz, Raymond Delling, David Navarez and Paul Mahan.

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wo young men: one who spent his younger life being raised by strangers in an orphanage outside of Fort Worth; and the other who lost his father to brain cancer at a young age. They found their way to being best friends at the age of 13. They dreamed of owning a business together and never gave up on that dream. After high school, Shannon Payne experienced the corporate world after obtaining a business degree, while best friend John Hubbard began climbing the ladder in the fire sprinkler industry, starting as a fitter, then advancing to foreman and eventually to a project manager.

In 1998, while in their mid-20s, the two followed through with their life-long dream and established Allied Fire Protection. Payne with the business knowhow and Hubbard with the trade experience, began working out of Payne’s garage in Pearland, a suburb of Houston.

“For the first year, we worked out of my garage. We did everything back then. We designed, we installed, whatever it took.

We wore multiple hats to get the company off the ground,” says Payne.

It did not take the company long to build up a customer base, but by their third year, they experienced their first emotional upset, 9/11. Everybody was holding onto his or her money, as no one knew what to expect from our Nation’s tragedy.

The young company persevered and by late 2002, the economy began to pick up steam. In 2003, Allied expanded into San Antonio and McAllen. By 2005, the market was exploding, so Payne and Hubbard welcomed a new partner, Troy Davenport. The next few years welcomed even more growth, which led to Allied continuing the expansion into Dallas in 2008 and Austin in 2010. In late 2009/early 2010, there was a slide in the economy which led the partners to believe it was time to diversify the company, so they also opened the Fire Alarm division of the business. Their latest expansion was just last year, in 2018, when they put boots on the ground in Laredo.

In 2017, as Allied approached its 20-year anniversary, the company began rebranding after being sought out by another company. “We hired an outside consultant because we wanted to rebrand and modernize our logo. We wanted to upgrade our website and show everybody our strengths. We began peeling away the layers of the onion, so-to-speak.

When we were trying to figure out who we were in this branding process, we realized that we weren’t the same company in our other offices.” said Payne.

“Today, when we look around the company, everybody knows what our vision is, what our mission is, and how we are going to get there. Everyone knows what our core values are, our strategy, how we’re implementing our plan and who our fellow team members are. Twenty years in the business, this being our 21st, and in a lot ways it feels like a fresh start,” states Payne.

With the rebranding complete, Davenport has relocated back to San Antonio after a 13-year presence in the Houston/Pearland market. He plans to build relationships along the I-35 corridor and build on the meaning behind the company’s new logo; a badge. The logo symbolizes service, protection, security and public trust; all of the things a badge stands for and what Allied has built its company and core values around.

Through the years, Allied Fire Protection has evolved building its name designing, installing and maintaining fire sprinkler systems. They have built a foundation that provides a full scope of fire alarm systems, staffing their own Alarm Planning Superintendent (APS) who is licensed to draw, design and submit plans for permitting. They offer a strong service support system in all areas of fire and life safety and property protection to include fire alarm monitoring, kitchen hood systems, fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers and special hazards.

They also have a private security license.

Allied believes strongly in the importance of supporting organizations in the communities they serve. “We want our communities better. We want our families stronger for the next generation. I feel like it is our duty and responsibility to help our neighbors and our communities and we are proud that we are involved in our communities,” adds Payne. Allied works year-round with groups that center around causes that make a difference including Youth Education and Arts, Military Support, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Community Development and Conservation.

Allied Fire Protection is a full-service fire and life safety contractor and service provider in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Rio Grande Valley and Laredo, TX. -cmw

continued from Page 1 —Chris Duncanson Custom Carpentry & Remodeling the different properties of various woods).

At the end of the four years, the apprentice has to take a hands-on and paper exam. Once passed, he then gets a certificate, which allows an employer to know the person he’s hiring has the foundational skill and knowledge.

Duncanson is adamant that America needs this type of training. “We desperately need it in America,” he said. “It’s amazing they don’t have it here. For a country that loves to sell education to people, it blows my mind that nobody’s thought about selling trade education.”

When an employer hires someone off the street, Duncanson says, he really doesn’t know what that person knows, but has to watch him perform on the job to find out. He said that anyone can strap on a belt and call himself or herself a carpenter.

“It’s a great program,” he said, of Scotland’s formal apprenticeship education.

Duncanson is a one-man shop. “I basically do everything myself,” he said. He meets with the customer, does the bidding and estimate, draws his designs by hand, then cuts, paints, builds and installs all his custom work. When it comes time to integrate items like plumbing or tile or granite countertops, Duncanson calls upon his stable of contractor contacts.

He also does the invoicing and billing.

“I’m a busy man,” he said.

A complete remodel of a kitchen, for instance, can take about five-six weeks.

Since everything he does is custom, Duncanson can make empty or dead space functional with shelving or anything else.

“I maximize the space,” he said. “There are no limitations.”

Duncanson said there are three basic styles of cabinets, and it all depends on how the door fits on the cabinet which determines the style. The number one style he does is the white Shaker cabinet.

Duncanson is also seeing a return to brass fixtures already, i.e., faucets, handle, hinges, etc. He is anticipating the day when people go wild with wanting avocado-green or pink bathroom suites or even black toilets. “I’m waiting for this,” he said.

Despite not liking American football (“I don’t get how a 60-minute game can take four hours. It’s painfully slow.), the Scot has found a home in the Lone Star State and loves to drive to all the other states. Santa Fe, NM, is a particular favorite. Duncanson is sharing his U.K. carpentry education with U.S. folks.

Chris Duncanson Custom Carpentry & Remodeling has its headquarters in Austin.

-dsz

continued from Page 1 — Blackout Custom Signs wild and crazy ideas. His first project, for instance, was a replica of Slim Pickens, astride a nuclear weapon. Movie buffs will remember this as the closing scene of Dr. Strangelove when Pickens dropped from a B-52, riding an atomic bomb.

Blackout Signs has done work across America and into Canada as well. In 2011, it won a national award amongst sign-makers for the Best Commercial Building Sign.

They were contracted to fabricate the design for the Luling Watermelon Shop.

When he does assist with a sign’s design, Gordon is totally old school. “I still design stuff with a pencil and paper,” he said.

Gordon has three other guys in his shop.

While “everybody has their own skill set,” they all can chip in and fill in for someone else when needed. Sort of. “I can do everything in the shop except the computer stuff,” Gordon said. “I just don’t understand it.”

When it comes to the discussion of LED lights replacing neon lights, Gordon is unambiguous: “There is no soul to using LEDs.” While there obviously is a time and place for LED lights on signs, Gordon thinks neon just looks better. “It has more presence,” he said.

Being in the Austin area bodes well for Gordon. “Austin’s been real good to

us,” he said. He enjoys it when a business notices a sign he did for another business and asks who did it for them.

Gordon laughs at his business savvy, or lack thereof. “I’m not sure I know how to run a business,” he said. “I’ve been able to keep this one alive through sheer hard-headedness and determination. We count on our work to get us more work.

We don’t have sales people or advertise.

We use social media very little.”

When it comes to the future, Gordon states that “I have no aspirations to get any bigger.” He used to have as many as 10 people work for him, but he didn’t like being the supervisor-dad. His four-person shop is just right, he said. “These guys are like family.”

“I enjoy designing and building things.” Not the cookie-cutter, chain restaurant kind of sign, but the unique, visually striking sign that oozes feeling and charm.

“Every job we do, we try to make it better than the last one we did,” Gordon said.

From painting hot rods to winning national awards, Gordon is a sign-making artist who does modern work with an old-world flair.

Blackout Custom Signs has its shop in San Marcos. -dsz

continued from Page 1 — Harvey | Harvey-Cleary

The Village at The Triangle overlooking Triangle Pond

as the Waterside Grille, The Parc, Trios Café, the Sky Lounge, and Waterside Terrace. Additionally, a chef-curated herb garden is located on the dining terrace.

As a senior living facility, there were numerous, extensive inspections through the Texas Department of Aging Disability Services (TDADS). The inspection process consisted of five- to eight-hour days with multiple TDADS inspectors checking life safety requirements per their standards, water temperatures, emergency power usage, and fire ratings. This process typically takes multiple inspections to pass, but the Harvey team passed on the first inspection.

They utilized their previous experience and lessons learned from prior projects to ensure they met all the requirements prior to the initial inspection.

The collaboration between Senior Project Manager Gerald McCarty, Project Manager Matt Brinkman, Project Manager Dan Shackleton, Senior Super-

intendent Sam Buchanan, Superintendent Quin Galloway, architectural firm House + Partners, interior design firm dg+a Interiors and owners W2 Real Estate Partners and Bridgewood Property Company created a successful and profitable facility. The Harvey | HarveyCleary team held many coordination meetings to ensure all parties were on the same page and the same end goal.

Jim Hepburn, Vice President of Construction, Bridgewood Property Company, applauded the Harvey team.

“I wish to express the highest level of gratitude and appreciation from Bridgewood and Retirement Center Management,” Hepburn said. “You guys are awesome and I am personally ecstatic about your team’s accomplishments at The Triangle.”

Harvey | Harvey-Cleary is a full-service general contractor. -cmw

The Village at The Triangle’s Garden Terrace

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

Page 17

Association Calendar

Wouldn’t trade it

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News ABC

Associated Builders & Contractors

CTSA

Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

Mar. 13: Coffee & Contractors, ABC Offices, 2600 Longhorn Blvd. #105, 7:30-9am.

For more info, call Tracey Littlefield at 512-719-5263 or email tlittlefield@abccentraltexas.org

Mar. 12: GC Meet & Greet, Embassy Suites Central, 5:30pm. For more info, go to www.ctsaonline.org

ACEA

Mar. 23: Austin NARI 2nd Annual Crawfish Boil & Cornhole Tournament, Craftsman, 2000 E. Cesar Chavez St. For more info, call Kayvon Leath at 512-997-6270 or email kayvon@austinnari.org

Greater Austin Contractors & Engineers Assn.

Mar. 2: Construction Expo, Marcelo’s Sand & Loam, 8811 Hergotz Ln. Mar. 14: Monthly Luncheon, Norris Conference Center, 2525 W. Anderson Ln. #365, 11:30am-1pm. For more info, call Avery Ambrose at 512-893-7067 or go to https://aceatx.com/events/luncheons AGC

Associated General Contractors

Mar. 29-30: Fishing Tournament, Seadrift, TX. For more info, contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

Mar. 4-8: 40th Annual Short Course Grouting Fundamentals & Current Practice, Engineering Education & Research Center, James J. and Miriam B. Mulva Auditorium – EER 0.904, 2501 Speedway, 8am-5pm.

Mar. 11-12: TxUESI Annual Conference, Nedderman Hall UT Arlington Campus.

For more info, contact Bailey Pattison at 512-910-2272

NARI

National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

ASSE

American Society of Safety Engineers

Mar. 29-31: 2019 Region III Student Leadership Conference, Sheraton McKinney Hotel, 1900 Gateway Blvd., McKinney, TX. For more info, go to www.centraltexas. asse.org NAWIC

National Assn. of Women in Construction

Mar. 3-9: WIC Week Mar. 6: 3rd Annual Membership Drive and Casino Cruise, Walsh Boat Landing on Lake Austin, Boat departs 5:45pm.

SEAoT

Structural Engineers Assn. of Texas

Mar. 28: Monthly Meeting, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 10910 Domain Dr. #100, 11:45am. For more info, call 512-553-9364 or email info@seaotAustin.org

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s

bring about the desired result.

“I love working with my hands and feel a sense of accomplishment when we turn someone’s house around and get it level after it’s been out of shape,” he says.

“I think I’ve seen pretty much everything out there, but at the same time, I’m never surprised when something new pops up.

I would probably like to see something that I’ve never had to deal with from a learning and challenge aspect.”

The only challenge John won’t accept is an unhappy customer. He says he and his employees make sure the foundation of their relationships with their customers is a solid one.

“We try to keep an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and keep a good reputation with our customers,” John says.

“I hope the company holds prosperity.

There’s a lot of competition in this area!

We strive to please everybody; we make everybody as happy as possible.”

Subcontractor Armadillo Foundation Repair is located in Del Valle. –mjm

Submitted to Construction News

Round-Up

Industry FOLKS Trey Swor Business Development Joeris General Contractors Austin, TX

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rowing up in Austin was a great place to be a kid. There were endless outdoor activities and things to do.

Born and raised in Austin, Swor grew up playing baseball. He attended Round Rock High School and then went on to play baseball for Temple College and Lamar University. “College life was amazing, I was extremely blessed to play baseball in college. Between playing ball and attending classes, my days were pretty busy.”

Playing a sport in college can be very challenging, but for Swor it must have been a piece of cake. He earned three degrees. He earned an Associates degree from Temple College before transferring to Lamar University to continue playing baseball. Not knowing exactly what he wanted to do, he earned A Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Lamar University. He later went back to Lamar University and earned his Masters in Education Administration while teaching.

Swor married his beautiful wife Amanda who he has known since high school. After college, according to Swor, he finally saw the light and they are now celebrating 10 years of marriage this month.

Together, they are very busy with their two children, 7-year-old Caleb and daughter Avery who will be turning six this month. Like their father, they are both outdoor kids. Caleb plays baseball, takes a ninja warrior class for kids and is learning to play the piano. Little Avery loves gymnastics and softball.

Even their 12-year-old lab, Dixie, is ever bit the outdoor dog. “Dixie loves

John Sallas, owner of Armadillo Foundation Repair

ohn Sallas says he is a jack-of-alltrades and master of one: foundation repair. He learned it at a young age working for his father, Jerry Sallas, who got his own start in foundation repair in 1977. John dabbled in other types of construction work as he grew older, but eventually came back to work for his dad’s business, Armadillo Foundation Repair.

With Jerry’s retirement, John now runs the business, which staffs five employees (including John’s wife, Natalie, who answers the phones). The company offers slab and pier-and-beam foundation repairs, demolition and concrete work.

John enjoys educating customers on his company’s complex processes.

“A lot of people don’t understand the issues that are there, how to correct them or what foundation repair is all about,” John explains. “They really don’t know what they are looking at. I try to explain everything and make them feel more at ease about their situation.”

As the company’s operations manager, John also enjoys using his skills to

nothing more than to swim and chase a tennis ball.”

You might wonder how a man with three degrees, one in education came to work in the construction industry. The answer is simple, family influence.

After college, Swor’s uncle who built residential and commercial products, encouraged Swor to become a superintendent. His first job in the construction industry was as a residential superintendent.

Today, Swor works for Joeris General Contractors in Joeris’ Austin office where he is responsible for client development for central Texas. “The thing I like best about my job is the people I get to work with every day and the impact we have on the community we live in.”

As you can imagine, growing up playing ball one is introduced to an array of influential people. For Swor, many of the coaches he had while playing baseball became inspirational mentors to him. “The many coaches I had, showed me endless encouragement and direction.”

While baseball is a big part of who Swor is, he leaves playing baseball to his son and softball to his daughter, whom he enjoys watching and encouraging. His sports activities these days include hunting, fishing and playing golf. And when time allows, he relishes spending as much time as he can at the lake and on the beach with his family. -cmw

Corrosion Specialist Ron Deal has joined the Freese and Nichols Inc. family as senior designer. He will leverage his expertise to develop cathodic protection programs for clients in water/ wastewater, transportation and energy industries. Deal brings more than 15 years experience managing and designing large-scale corrosion control projects and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from San Jose State University. –cmw

Round-Up Submissions

Submit Info & Photo:

Alan Najar has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Rogers-O’Brien Construction. Najar joined the Rogers-O’Brien family in July 2018 and brings 15 years of experience, mostly in commercial construction. He will be assuming the CFO role previously held by Mike Orr, who will continue his role as Executive Vice President. –cmw

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

AustinEditor@ConstructionNews.net

(210) 308-5800

40 years of service

Baker Triangle COO Debbie Brocker was recognized at the company’s corporate office for 40 years of service at Baker Triangle. Congratulations Debbie! L-R: Baker Triangle Chairman Steve Baker, Debbie Brocker and CEO Bryan Baker. -cmw

Page 18

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

JOB SIGHTS

Have surface, will cover

Christian Gonzalez with Harmon Glass Inc. performs cleanup after glass installation on the South By Southwest project. -cmw

L-R: August Stroh, Wayne Filer, son, Matthew Filer

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Erik Nava with CPT takes a moment from installing composite metal panels at the Silicone Labs building in downtown Austin. -cmw

A day of falling sleet did not stop these guys from pouring concrete in downtown Austin.

L-R: Luis Hernandez and Jose Gonzales, Capital Concrete Pumping

ayne Filer bought his co-worker’s father’s carpet cleaning/restoration business soon after 9-11. “That’s where it started,” he said. “I was going to get into water damage.”

“I bought it knowing I was going to be a one-man show,” he said. Filer had come to Texas from Georgia in 1999, and was in the contact lens manufacturing business. When he got laid off was when he saw this carpet cleaning opportunity.

His friend’s father was not well, so he bought his business. He started Surface Pros in February 2002.

Problem was, the insurance companies seemed to only want to deal with the big boys in that field, not a solo newbie.

Fortunately, Filer likes to do research and investigate. This led him to a marketing firm and a man who had a floor business. Thus, Filer transitioned from carpet cleaning and restoration to all things surface, like tile, marble, grout cleaning, etc.

Finally, Filer moved to decorative concrete and has done this almost exclusively the past dozen or so years.

“The bulk of what we do is polishing concrete,” he said. “That’s probably half the business now.”

Filer has gone all the way to San Antonio to do the floors of several large climate-controlled storage facilities. But Austin keeps him plenty busy.

“Most of what I do is residential,” he said. “It’s a trendy thing in Austin right now.”

Filer noted that builders who are doing serious remodeling on some of the older homes are revitalizing Austin’s east side.

Filer likes to get in when the home is being built, after the contractor pours the slab and before the rest goes up.

What is supposed to happen is the other subcontractors conscientiously cover

Filer’s highly polished and decorative floors so they don’t get messed up. What happens a lot is the opposite. Paint, plaster, plumber’s glue and liquid nail get dropped on his concrete, causing Filer to come in and fix things up.

One thing Filer is not is a salesman.

He likes to present himself to a customer is someone who knows what he’s talking about, who lets them decide what is best.

“I don’t sell,” he said, “I educate. I’m an options guy. I’ll give them two-tothree options” that allows the customer to have control of what he wants or can afford.

Filer takes about two days to do a garage. The owner can bring his car onto the surface after four days.

Filer found out early in the game that presenting himself as the real deal was better than any slick advertising campaign. “I was a guy who did things right,” he said. With his very first Yellow Pages ad, Surface Pros got calls from people who didn’t want the lowest bidder type of contractor.

Filer said that he has positioned himself as someone who gave high quality, with good warranties and who made things right. He gives a lifetime warranty on his epoxied garages. The result? “I’ve never had to warranty that.”

Surface Pros employs two full-time guys and three part-timers.

“I’m all over Austin, for starters,” Filer said. However, “I’ll go anywhere if the job is big enough. I don’t mind traveling at all.”

One new part of his company Filer is looking to expand is making rooftop balconies and decks, and using his decorative skills up there. He’s playing around with it now. A big determining factor will be if he can nail down the process. “We find out the most efficient way of doing things,” he said. But in exploring this new venture, Filer said, “I’ve found a niche that needs me.”

Bottom line: from the garage and driveway, to the first floor, to the rooftop, if there is a surface that needs decorating.

Filer will answer the call. Have surface, will cover.

Surface Pros does tile, grout, sealing and decorating work on all types of surfaces, located in Georgetown. -dsz

Austin Construction News • MAR 2019

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Meeting with lawmakers

For the love of concrete

s the 86th Texas legislative session takes off, business owners, associations and all interested prepare to meet with Texas legislators.

Central Texas Subcontractors Association (CTSA) members gather together to attend Texas Construction Association Walk on the Capitol Jan. 30.

Austin Concrete Construction team at work.

R

L-R: Rita Conner, 360 Electrical Contractors; Shelly Masters, Cokinos Young; Corey Taylor, American Constructors and Oliver Moore, Flintco.

L-R: Wendy Lambert, Legislative Director for Dist. 136 Democrate State Representative John H. Bucy III and Chris Lambert

L-R: Floyd’s Glass representatives Steve Zuehlke and Jody Hilton; Todd Hewitt, Texas Fifth Wall Roofing; CTSA Executive Director Wendy Lambert and Chris Lambert, L&O Electric.

obert Russo began his life-long career during college as an assistant pouring concrete. After many years learning the ins and outs of everything there is to know about concrete, he started his own concrete business in his early forties. Austin Concrete Construction LLC has been servicing the Austin community within a 30-mile radius of 78733 for the past thirty years. Russo has even had the privilege to pass on his knowledge and love of concrete to his two sons who currently work for him. There are a total of six employees, not including Russo. From patios, decks, driveways, sidewalks and foundation repairs; anything related to concrete, Austin Concrete Construction does it. This includes customized projects and indoor/outdoor repairs. Parking lot overhauls are the most common type of commercial projects that the company has completed.

Russo maintains that to build and continue strong working relationships, this family owned business takes pride in providing clear communication, personalized attention and hard work to ensure

they meet their clients’ needs.

Once a year, usually in the spring, the company will take a needed trip. Last year in 2018, Russo took his team fishing in Galveston, TX. Fishing is a favorite past time for everyone at Austin Concrete Construction and they will most likely go again this year as well.

In his spare-time, Russo enjoys playing pool and baseball. He is involved in an armature pool league and in an over sixty-year-old baseball league. When asked what he loves most about his job, Russo enjoys not having a boss and being his own boss. Even though he runs the company, Russo wears all hats of his business and he is working with his team out on the field. What Russo also loves about his job is the actual work, “I actually like doing the physical activity everyday. I am out there working.” Being out on the field performing physical labor with his team is his love and passion that Russo developed early on in life and he will continue to do so for as long as possible.

Austin Concrete Construction LLC is a concrete subcontractor. -tnp

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Austin Construction News • MAR 2019