Commercial Drywall, Inc.
era Craftsman
Vol.3 No. 2
December 1981
Building one for ourselves :
CDI settling into new office building CDI has settled into its new offices located at 3539 Oak Forest Drive. The two-story office/warehouse facility serves as CDI's corporate headquarters and is located only a block from the previous location. The new building dramatically increases the amount of both office and warehouse space which had previously been housed in three different locations along Judiway. One of the factors necessitating the move was the reduced efficiency from having offices dispersed in three buildings. The new facility is of tilt wall construction with a brick front. It incorporates liberal use of glass along the front and sides, and provides the company with some 40,800 square feet of usable space. Of this total, approximately 17,280 is utilized for offices, while the remaining 23,520 square feet serve as warehouse space.
The interior of the new building allows the company to display some of its wall systems, door frames, and other specialty items.
CDI sports a new look in its new office facility on Oak Forest Drive. The twostory building brings CDI operations together under one roof and includes ample warehouse space. '
According to CDI president Dick Phillips, the move has already generated benefits. “We’ve noticed that inter-company communications have improved since moving under one roof,’’ says Dick. “And, the spirit of teamwork which has always been one of our greatest strengths seems even stronger as people and departments are better able to work together.” From the warehousing standpoint, warehouse manager Ben Catalon is excited about his new facilities. “For the first time in quite a while, I have enough room to put everything the way I want to. It helps me keep better track of inventory and shipping and receiving when its all here together," says Ben. CDI’s new offices also allow the company to "show off" its varied line of wall systems and construction capabilities. Offices on the second level feature Vangham wall systems
complete with hang-on cabinet units in some offices. Elsewhere upstairs, open plan landscape partitions are used through our AMSECO distributorship. These also include hang on cabinets, file drawers, desks and chairs. On the first floor, CDI’s own wall system using two foot vinyl panels and a screw on clip system is used throughout. And, the Texas Frame, CDI’s own door frame and aluminum components are also utilized. The office portion of the building includes two conferences rooms, lunch room, and computer room in addition to the offices. CDI extends an invitation to employees, customers, clients and friends to stop by and view the new facility. The company is extremely proud to boast a building as good as the ones we help build for our customers.
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From the top
It’s a good time to set goals
By Dick Phillips !
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Each year at this time I attempt to do a review of the preceding year to call attention to some of the significant accomplishments that we have made as a company over the year. Since we are treating that in some depth in another section of the newsletter, I’ll move on to something a little different. We are such a tradition-bound people — with country, state, company and family — that at Christmas and New Years, it is pretty hard not to get all involved in the seasons. Because there is always so many activities at these times, the work pace tends to slow down for a lot of us. Architects and owners are reluctant to put new jobs out for bid during the season for this very reason. And, there are a lot of people on vacation. I guess you could say that it is a kind of non-productive period for two or three weeks. That would be alright, except that we have learned that the name of the game is production — getting more units delivered for less dollars. We have worked hard at all levels and all divisions of the company to make those improvements. So, with that in mind, how can we
use the year-end and beginning more productively? One way that I encourage is to think hard about what you are going to do in 1982. What have you and we learned in 1981 that we can put to better use in 1982? What are your goals? We have a tradition here in the office that in early January we turn in to our various bosses a list of goals for business improvement and self improvement for the coming year. And, although some people do not take it as seriously as others, it is a good way to use this time to reflect, to think, to reorganize, and maybe even draw a whole new vision of what you as a person hope to accomplish. I certainly am going to spend a goodly amount of time seriously pondering my goals. A few of them I know already and I’ll share them with you. One, I’m going to become a better listener. As president of this company, I find that most of my time is spent in meetings and hearing problems or potential problems that require decisions. It has become exceptionally important that I listen to what is being said and understand it. To accomplish this, I intend to attend one or two courses on how to improve my listening skills. I can’t
help solve a problem if I can't hear the problem properly. Two, I’m going to spend a good piece of time early in the year in improving my time management. The only thing I have to offer this company is the expert use of my time, making sure that every minute and hour of the day is used to further the company goal. It is so easy to allow time to slip through the crack. So, I’m going to take some definite steps to improve on that. Three, if I do a better job at one and two, then my main job of being our company representative in a general way to out customers and our suppliers will automatically improve. Therefore, I am looking forward to being much more efficient and productive in the sales and marketing end of our business, as well as the administrative and production end. Four, I’m going to learn how to plan — not for just a day — but to plan the major activities of our company for one year, three years and five years. That is not to say that I have a crystal ball and can map out a route that we are to follow, but I darn sure can give it a lot of thought and work to develop some sound, general business management directions. As a part of that too and as an additional step toward becoming more efficient, we are going to develop budgets, not just for our jobs, but the overall administrative portion of our business. (See Time, page 6)
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Craftsman Editor: Larry Williams
Marking 10 years (■■■.■!■./ Whitehead receives a watch from CDI president Dick Phillips r/,r n emorotinq her 10 years with the company. Patsy, who now works in tool ■'•zontory, joined CDI in 1971 when there was but a handful of CDI office prropie In fact, she is the first employee to compile 10 years in the office.
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The CDI Craftsman is published monthly by Commercial Drywall, Inc. for its employees and their families. Employees should send their news contributions to Larry Williams, Commercial Drywall, Inc., P. 0. Box 10686, Houston. Texas 77018.
It’s party time CD/'s field Christmas party in Houston was once again a festive event as shown in the photos on this page. (Clockwise) the Derrick Dolls provided some of the entertainment while CDI'er Eugene Box and his band supplied the rest Some craftsmen obviously enjoyed themselves as did Santa (Tom Stephens), and Toom Eye left her finisher clothes behind in lieu of a dress.
EMPLOYEE NEWS
Belt buckles awarded to deserving crafts‘men’ CDI awarded three belt buckles at its November supervisors’ breakfast. For the first time since the award began, the honor went to a female, to two in fact. Margaret Hopper, a journeyman finisher on Three Allen Center leasework was presented a belt buckle for her outstanding contributions on the project. Margaret has been with CDI for the past 3 years and has proven herself as a conscientious employee. Her supervisor, Buster Baimbridge, says that she is one of the company’s top ranking finishers. The second belt buckle recipient was Pat Click, who heads up CDI's Data Processing Department. Probably one of the most challenging positions within the company, with the individual working most closely with CDI’s new computer. And, in this instance, it’s Pat. Getting the new computer working right has been her biggest chore in 1981. It has required some lengthy hours, a lot of weekend work and a great deal of headache. And through it all she has brought the computer very close to 100 percent efficiency. The third award went to Anthony Milam, a paint apprentice who is has worked with the Shell Woodcreek project. Anthony joined CDI over a year ago and has spent all of his time at Shell Woodcreek. There, he has been a tremendous help to supervisor Dub Williams, heading up the apprentice crew. He handles spray, brush and roller jobs extremely well. According to paint superintendent, Jerry Featherston, Anthony will no doubt be one of the best painters in Houston some day, and one of CDI's top foremen in the future.
The six-storv Police Station project is shown near completion. The floor to ceiling atrium area created challenging furrdown and rail work. The job was headed by Terry LaRoche.
Terry LaRoche awarded buckle in Austin CDI in Austin reports that activity slowed as 1981 drew to a close. Vice president and general manager Larry Hanvey says that construction is down throughout the city. “We've had to reduce our work force, but everyone else has had to do the same thing too,” says Larry. “It’s slow now, but we expect it to pick back up the first part of 1982.” Currently, work centers on the Police Station where the last portion of that project is being wrapped up.
Foreman Terry LaRoche, left, is shown visiting with CDI-Austin office manager Mark Lehman Terry was recently presented a belt buckle for his work at Tracor and the police station projects.
Foreman Terry LaRoche has done a tremendous job leading the activity which has consisted of a great deal of furrdown and handrail work. For his efforts there, as well as his success at the Tracor project earlier this year, Terry was awarded a CDI belt buckle. Field superintendent Danny Kaiser is extremely pleased with the production and quality that Terry’s crews have been able to produce. “Terry simply has the capability to get the job done right,” says Danny. “He's good in his work, and I know I can relax a little with him on the job. I always know the work will go as smoothly as possible with him there," says Danny. Elsewhere, the Foley's job is also nearing its final stages. Under foreman Louis Brooks, the CDI crew is completing escalator areas and dropping in ceiling tile. Trammel Crow has CDI work going in three of its tenant spaces. Foreman Johnny Kovar is heading two of the leases while Jerry Wilhelm has the other. All three include drywall, acoustical ceilings and paint. * One of the rarest things that man ever does is to do the best he can. Josh Billings
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For handling tough jobs
Gary Hail named top supervisor
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CDI's outstanding supervisor award for November has gone to Gary Hall who is presently completing the core work on Post Oak Central III. The award recognized not only Gary’s effort at the Post Oak project, but his performance at two previous jobs — Eastman Whipstock and Anderson Hall. On each of these, Jerry's leadership helped overcome tremendous obstacles on tough projects. Eastman Whipstock was a relatively small job with big demands. Some of the problems his crew faced included more than a dozen skylights, concave walls, high radius walls, unusual modular ceilings and curved walls and stairwells. At Anderson Hall, Gary faced a constantly changing design that included symmetrically designed ceilings with bell towers and arched English cathedral windows. Post Oak Central III from a technical standpoint was to be Gary’s "breather,” but problems with concrete and out-of-sequence work turned everything for the worse. Once again, he found himself embroiled in a project with extreme difficulties. When cooperation among the prime subcontractors failed, Gary stood his ground in several areas,
protecting CDI's interest. By doing is, he was able to prevent a lot of into real pr°blems from developing Gary’s ability to handle such tough situations comes from his more than 13 years experience in the drywall trade. He joined CD! as a journeyman in 1978 and was running work in only a short time. Some of his previous projects include E 0 Smith Junior High and The American Productivity Center at The Houstonian. He also credits his superintendent, Jim LaCaze, with helping him learn the drywall trade. Gary has worked with Jim for several years at both CDI and another drywall contractor. As his present project winds down, he is already preparing for his next assignment — the Huntington — a 34-story condominium for W.S. Bellows Construction. Gary is a native of Montana, but did much of his “growing up" in Mississippi. He came to Houston in 1967. When not on the job, he enjoys a variety of activities, including participating in chili cookoffs and scuba diving. He also plans a raft trip in Colorado and a snowmobile excursion in Yellowstone Park this winter. He does a little sky diving,
Gary Hall was named CDI's outstanding supervisor recently. Gary has headed work at the Post Oak Central III project since the early part of 1981.
although not as frequently since an accident several years ago, in which his chute failed to open. Gary fell 7,000 feet before striking a mesquite tree which broke his fall and in all likelihood, saved his life, although he did suffer critical injuries. The Craftsman extends its congratulations to Gary and wishes him continued success as a CDI supervisor.
Safety notes
Warwiek gats g©od marks
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Congratulations go to the Warwick Post Oak job run by Roger Warman for its outstanding safety effort since the job’s inception. Our insurance company, Liberty Mutual, conducted a construction safety class in September. The Warwick was one or the jobs chosen for observation and all class members were to make notes of any hazardous conditions or practices that might be present. CDI workers and management should be proud to know that even with 20 people scrutinizing the job, not one potential source of loss concerning our drywall operations was mentioned in the class
discussions following the visit. Taking pride in making safety part of your work day is beneficial not only to our craftsman, but to our company and your families as well. Way to go quys! Speaking of our families, somo facts regarding their safety should be taken(J jnto consideration regarding the tremendous amount of highway construction in the Houston area. The problem is this: in the past 18 months, 12 persons have been killed consfud!onemish”psdKe Houston area alone. Of course the number of drivers’ 5
deaths and injuries is much higher and according to the Department of Highway and Public Transportation the problem is statewide with the number of fatalities on the rise. Accidents occur in these areas primarily because drivers fail to reduce speed and heed warnings in construction and maintenance zones. So we ask you to please keep in mind the safety of the road workers and especially your families when driving on Houston streets. After all wouldn’t you rather take a little longer to get to home than not get there at all? On behalf of the CDI Craftsman, have a safe day!
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COMPANY NEWS
Time to set goals (From page 2)
These are samples of the kinds of things i am seriously working on now. I'll probably end up with about ten things that I feel a personal need to try to accomplish. Your list may be shorter or longer, but it should be your list and it should be reviewed frequently to see how you are doing. It’s an old system of self-management and it has been around for a long, long time because it works. It will allow you to get things accomplished that you maybe could not have otherwise. So, my hope and prayer is that 1981 has been successful for you and that you are finding yourself and your family enthused and excited about 1982. And, as always, if there is anything that I personally can do or the company can do to help you achieve your goals, then we need to know about it.
Hats off to Jay!
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Texas Commerce Tower supervisor Jay Richards is putting his on. The hat, along with a pair of eel skin boots, belt and buckle and western shirt, were presented to Jay by the craftsmen on the iob. The crew pulled together to show their appreciation of Jay's leadership on the 75-story project. Congratulations Jay, and thanks to all those who showed their generosity and appreciation
the addition of several major projects The downtown Houston skyline saw is shown in the center as the 71-story completed m 1981 by CDI. A new one Allied Bank Tower continues upward.
Year ’81 saw lots ©f Jobs completed The year 1981 was quite a busy one for CDI in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. A look back at a few of the happenings and the jobs finished give some idea of the success the company enjoyed in completing work. For the most part, the fast pace that began in early 1981 continued into the second quarter of the year. It then peaked and has remained fairly stable as we closed the year. In Houston, the CDI field workforce grew by nearly 50 percent. The office staff grew at a slightly less rate in efforts to coordinate and process the field activity. Much of the office growth resulted from the need for personnel to work with and operate the new computer system which became operational in 1981. In Austin, work remained steady during the first three quarters of the year before dropping dramatically in the closing months. Just the opposite occurred in San Antonio where construction started slow and finished at a feverish pace. Our Dallas operations enjoyed consistent growth in a strong market. The office which completed its first year in July has already put several high-rise office buildings under contract and underway. Perhaps the best graphic of CDI in 1981 in terms of workload comes from the list of projects completed in 1981. Here are a few: Houston Texas Commerce Tower (core) First City Tower (core) BBasanssa
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Houston (Continued) Greenway Condominiums I & II Three Allen Center Post Oak Central Three (Core) Oxford Condominium Host Hotel Northwind Plaza Shell Woodcreek Airport Terminal C Northbelt Atrium II University State Bank AUSTIN Montgomery Wards Brackenridge Hospital IBM Buildings 045, 060, 062, 063 Foley’s Brockton Business Center Police Station Motorola Tracor Safeway SAN ANTONIO Valero II North Frost Center San Antonio Savings Association Harris Farinon U.T. Health Science Center Human Resources JC Penny Credit Support facility American Hospital DALLAS Park Central Lincoln Centre (leases) Farmers Branch Bank Galleria (underway) Placid/Elm (underway) City Centre II (underway) Continental Plaza (underway; Arco (underway)
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CDI Systems concludes i triumph year CDI Systems concluded its first full year of operation, and according to vice president and general manager Mike Grogan, it was a busy and successful one. "We really blossomed in 1981,” says Mike. "Our estimators worked hard and got us a lot of work and our production people did a heck of a job putting it up ” Some of the major jobs undertaken by CDI this past year included the Galleria Mall, Galleria Office Building, Placid/Elm, Continental Plaza, City Center Two, Continental National Bank, Park Central, Lincoln Central, and Farmers Branch Bank. In addition, the prestigious 50-story Arco Building is under contract and expected to start later this year. "This work represents a major portion of the construction activity in the Dallas and Fort Worth area,” says Mike, "and we feel proud to have made our impact on the market so quickly and so successfully. All of our guys, field and office, worked hard in 1981 to get us where we are now.”
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Foreman Mike Greco (now at the Galleria office building) is shown receiving Cowboys tickets from Mike Grogan for his efforts in the construction of CDI's new office facilities.
Members of the CDI Systems office and field operations gathered December 23 for the 1981 Christmas Party. Beer, barbeque, and a band helped the celebration along.
As the year drew to an end, activity for CDI Systems remained centered around Placid/Elm where supervisor Lee Romine and lease supervisor Mike Rider head the work. Also doing a remarkable job is foreman Richard Schrieber and his ceiling crew. The Galleria Mall has gotten its start with Bobby Duran serving as its supervisor with help from foreman John English. The 26-story Galleria office building continues to progress under Jerry Slocum and Mike Greco. Elsewhere, supervisor Dudley Chisholm heads the 40-story Continental Plaza and David Thom leads the 40-story City Center Two, both in Fort Worth. Rex Van Natta has joined CDI Systems as an estimator trainee. Rex is a recent graduate of North Texas State University. Roger Smith has been placed in charge of CDI's purchasing and expediting in addition to his previous responsibilities as manager of Warehousing. Tim Tyler, who was erroneously described as warehouse manager in the previous Craftsman, works with Roger. And, the Craftsman extends a belated welcome to Barbara Davis who slipped in a few months back as the
Wl®w law requires insurance proof A new law requiring motorists to have proof of liability insurance in their possession while driving went into effect January 1. The new law, passed by the Texas legislature, states that anyone operating a motor vehicle must be able to show that the automobile is covered with at least liability insurance. The proof may range from a wallet card issued by the insurance company to the policy itself kept in the auto’s glove box. While many law enforcement offices have said that they will allow a short grace period, the Houston Police Department has stated that the new statue will be rigidly enforced immediately. So that you do not subject yourself to a fine, the Craftsman urges that everyone obtain proof of insurance and carry it with you or in your car at all times. Your insurance company will be willing to get you a card or letter proving your coverage if they have not done so already.
A qood supervisor, they say. is someone who can step on your toes without messing up your shine.
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San Antonio ends year in busy way CDI-San Antonio has closed out the year in busy fashion with the buildup of crews on several major projects. One of these is the two-story Prudential Building for Linbeck Construction where Pete Williams and his crew have begun heavy guage exterior framing. Work will also include the drywall and acoustical ceilings. Pete recently completed the Valero Computer facility and prior to that handled the tough exterior framing on the 12-story Valero II office building. For these fine efforts, Pete was awarded a CDI belt buckle by manager Roy Van Cleave and superintendent Grady Atnip. According to Grady, Pete is one of San Antonio’s finest foreman. “He knows his job and he knows how to get production out of his men,” says Grady. “We’re really proud to have him as one of our leaders.” Also in its early stages is the Greatview office building, a job for Sacon Construction Company. Bob Winder is directing the CDI activity which includes drywall, acoustical ceilings and CDI door frames and wall systems. On the upswing too, is the eightstory La Ouinta Plaza for general contractor Lyda, Inc. La Ouinta is led by CDI foreman Wayne Schultze. Its crew is in the early stages of work which will include core and tenant drywall.
CDI Craftsman Commercial Drywall, Inc. 3539 Oak Forest Drive RO. Box 10686 Houston, Texas 77018
(Top CDI San Antonio foreman Pete Williams, flanked by manager Roy Van Cleave, (left) and superintendent Grady Atnip. received a belt buckle for his fine efforts during 1981. (Right) one of CDI's top craftsmen Israel Ochoa is shown at work on the J.C. Penney credit facility.
CDI also announced that Dewitt Churchwell will join the San Antonio operations sometime in January. Dewitt presently serves CDI in Houston as estimator and project manager. He joined the company in 1979 as a time keeper in the field. He worked at the First International Plaza project prior to moving into the estimating department. For San Antonio, Dewitt will be involved in bidding and project management.
BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE
PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 2840