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CONSTRUCTION
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The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 22 H Number 4 H APRIL 2019
Luke, I am your father
Speedway hits 50
Luke’s Asphalt Paving owner, Dallas Luke
L-R: Louis J. Garcia, estimator/project manager; Clyde S. Culver, general manager; Bruce C. Culver, president; Debbie Culver; Jacob Somerville, estimator/project manager; and Annette Zamora, administration
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he Luke family ‘paved’ the way for Dallas Luke to know and love paving. As a passed-down family business, Luke is a fourth-generation owner of Luke’s Asphalt Paving. This asphalt family business all started with great grandfather Luke in 1962 in Burnet, TX. Being born into the business, it is fate for Luke to keep the company up and running for years to come. It is an obligated role Luke plans to take on as a lifetime career. Luke was born in Chickasha, OK. He moved to Texas as a toddler because his parents were eager to be closer to family. Growing up, Luke was involved in sports and played in many competitions. After graduation, he ultimately directed his focus into his family business. His father,
Billy Luke, taught him everything he needed to know. Currently, Luke and his father are managing the company together as co-owners. Luke’s Asphalt Paving is based out of Spring Branch, TX and services surrounding counties. The team consists of nine employees, including co-owners. Luke plans on expanding his crew size in the near future, especially to aid in prep work. Among those who help run the business are Luke’s wife Holly and his step-mom Andrea. Like many businesses, there is much going on behind the scenes with paperwork. As office manager, Holly takes care of everything between documenting and setting up contracts. continued on Page 21
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ince he was 14 years old, Bruce Culver has worked for Speedway Erection, during the summers. When he graduated in 1972, he began working there full-time. His father, Clyde Calvin “Cowboy” Culver, owned Speedway Erection. It was only natural – or so he thought – to continue working for his dad, doing what he had been doing throughout high school. It’s been 50 years since Cowboy started Speedway in 1969 after securing three investors who each fronted him $5,000. After being in business for one month, Cowboy was able to pay back his investors. Ownership changed hands in 1983, when Bruce bought the company from his dad. With 20 employees, the compa-
ny continued to make strides. In two short years, Speedway employed 125 quality workers. The year 1985, however, was a bad time for the construction industry, especially in Texas. “I was estimating, manager and owner all by myself for two years when ‘85 came,” Bruce remembers. “I was flying 300,000400,000 miles a year across the country looking for work. There was nothing here. I had to lay off 100 laborers in one day. I took 25 laborers and told them we’re going to California because there was no work here. We worked in California for two years and all over the country – Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, but mostly we worked in California. We would not have continued on Page 21
Park, ride, relax
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ounded in 1890 by Mauritz Martinsen Sundt in Las Vegas, NM, Sundt Construction Inc. specializes in transportation, industrial, building and concrete work. Today, the 129-year old company has been become known for their commitment to quality and innovative construction services. Sundt has 11 offices throughout Texas, Arizona, California and Utah and is 100 percent employee-owned by its approximately 2,000 employees. Sundt currently is ranked the 65th largest construction company in the United States by ENR, the industry’s principal trade magazine. The company is consistently ranked among the Best Places to Work by business publications in multiple cities, and it was named the nation’s safest construction company by the Associated General Contractors of America twice in a decade. Sundt constructed the Via Stone Oak Park & Ride in just 15 short months,
beginning work in March 2016. The new four-story, 203,032-sf facility cost $19.7 million to construct. It provides 406 parking spaces and has direct access lanes to connect directly from the upper level of the garage to the US 281 managed lanes developed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The facility provides riders sheltered, air-conditioned waiting areas with elevators to multi-story parking. The structure was constructed with cast-in-place concrete and precast concrete. The project required extensive coordination with TxDOT due to the project’s tie into the future US 281 expansion. Structural components and utility had to be located in exact locations for future integration with the US 281 expansion, which was still two years out. Unlike most parking garages, this Via Stone Oak Park & Ride, US 281 and Stone Oak Parkway.
continued on Page 21