Insights Fall 1994

Insights

A publication of the Marek Family of Companies

^FALL 1994

1994 Retirement Party - A Gala Affair!!

Working Behind Bars

Marek Brothers Residential took the stage on October 27, at a gala evening held at the beautiful Las Alameda restau­ rant to honor four of the company’s long­ est standing employees. Gladys Reeve, Greg Hanel, Samuel “Bube” Hein and Joe Marek.

Most law abiding citizens never set foot inside a prison - and have no desire to, either. But, over the last few months, our men have been spending quite a bit of time “behind bars.” Not serving time, but installing recreational facilities in 29 Texas prisons from Amarillo to Fort Stockton. To keep the job on track, our men had to work at a hectic pace install­ ing new arts and crafts rooms, weight rooms, gymnasiums, medical examina­ tion rooms and pill rooms, with each prison using the same basic floor plan. The logistics of handling a project of this magnitude is enormous. All the men as­ signed to the work had to have prior security clearance. Two to four men were then assigned to each prison with about four prisons being worked on simultane­ ously. Each prison took about two weeks to complete. The work team then moved to the next location. Back in Houston, Duffy Benjamin (OFLS) and his men had the job of coordinating all the mate­ rials and making sure that dry wall, metal frames, doors, narcotics safes and other items were delivered to each site on time. Special recognition to everyone in the field, and behind the scenes, who helped keep us “on the straight and narrow” throughout the project. Particular thanks to foremen Richard Blanchard, Carey Brown, Ken Harley, Raymond Moore, Nick Nunez, Larry Ritchie, Anthony Stepanek, Leslie Utzman, Charles Wakefield, Joey Watson and Rey Za­ pata and assistants Randy Boggs, Noel Cerda, Leonard Cuevas, Aurillo Flo­ res, James Gamez, Charley Hender­ son, John Hering, Charles Hill, Robert Leyva, Jeff Reeves, Ken Reeves, Clayton Ritchie, Dan Rausco, Felipe Rodriquez, Evans Victor, Bob Weed and Jesse Wilson.

Ralph Marek, John L. Marek and Pete Peters presided over the evening. They

reminded all the guests that the hard work, long hours and contribution made by these four employees over their many years had contributed so much to making the company a better place to work. Our thanks to Gladys, Bube, Greg and Joe for their lifetime commitment to the Marek family of companies.

Samuel “Bube" Hein was honored for his ability to please customers through his talents and good disposition.

Joe Marek will be remembered for his leadership and commitment to making a profit.

Gladys Reeve was recognized for her commitment to detail and her dedication to giving a full day's work for a full day’s pay.

Greg Hanel's meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship - and his ability to solve problems - is an example to all of us.

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A Salute to All Our Night Owls By 10:00 p.m, many of us are comfort­ ably snoozing in front of the television or getting ready for bed. But, for many of our hard working men in the field, this is a luxury they have grown accustomed to giving up. Because, when a building is in use during the day, the only time our crews can get in to do the work is at night. We are very lucky to have men in the field with the dedication to work nights, often for months on end. These men and their families deserve our special thanks and recognition. In Austin, we recognize foremen Ernie Canales, Bob Fritz and Joe Knight; lead men Reese Crowther and Garron Hanley; and all their crews. Some of these men have been working nights for almost two years. First on the First City Centre, and now remodeling office space at the IRS Service building. In Dallas, foreman Joe Rodriguez and his crews are returning, under cover of night, to the Central and Southwest build­ ing which we built out in 1993. We are now carrying out demolition work and building back offices.

After Richard Osterloh switched from night work on the Computer Science pro­ ject to become an estimator, self-starter Terry Evans stepped into his shoes to manage the two-story remodelling work which includes installing some fancy light coves, furrdowns, clerestory, alumi­ num doors and sidelight frames. At MBS Houston, if you wonder how we accommodate a really fast-paced job which can only be accessed at night, just ask foremen Pete Camarillo and Russell Garcia who are running two shifts a night at the Baylor Sport Medicine facility. The work involves a complete demolition and build back and needs to be completed in just two months. If that isn’t challenging enough, there are two different architec­ tural companies and three different groups of owners involved! Fortunately, our excellent working relationship with G.C. Bill and Dale Trevino is helping to keep the project running smoothly. The work includes tearing up the old running track and courts, building out new office space and installing 50,000 sq. ft. of acoustical ceilings, an interfinish metal ceiling system and other unusual design features. start on the Pharr Border Station where we will be installing drywall and acous­ tical ceilings, exterior framing, canopies and soffits for G.C. Lyda Inc.

MBC Landscaping

MBS Austin

Our crews will be installing landscaping and irrigation at two new projects; Westheimer Crossing Shopping Center and St. Clare of Assisi.

In the New Year, work will begin on a new Foley’s store where our crews will be installing heavy gauge exterior walls, drywall partitions and furrdowns, GRG moldings, reveals and acoustical ceilings. Joe Pete Gonzales will be the lead man and Henry Jones the labor foreman.

MBS San Antonio Production Manager Bruce Bostick is gearing up for two new projects. At the AFCEE Air force Base we will be build­ ing out a two-story office building with open work areas in the center beneath a 45-foot tall sloped acoustical ceiling for Spaw Glass. Then, later in December, work will begin on the Brighton Gardens Nursing Home, a new 127-room facility for Faulkner Construction where we will be installing interior framing and sheetrock ceilings, insulation and gypsum sheathing. In February, work will

Foreman Clark O’Briant, lead man Matt Richardson and mechanic Jeff Anderson are starting work on the Ad­ vanced Micro Devices administration building installing exterior frame, inte­ rior fire walls, grid high walls, drywall reveals and furrdowns, and acoustical ceilings in a four-story atrium.

MIS Atlanta Project manager Brendon Doyle and drywall foreman John Cullum are startPage 2

It is always wise to tread softly around the law and this is what our crews are doing at the Bob Casey Federal Buildin g where a major renovation is under way which includes drywall, acoustical ceil­ ings and paint. The 12-story renovation will be done in phases, with all the work done at night and around court schedules so as not to disturb the judges. The job will be keeping foremen Kent McShan and Doug Eckerman working nights and sleeping days well into 1995. Traditionally, mall renovation work is done at night, so our crews have been turning up for work at 10:00 p.m. and working until 6:30 a.m. at Baybrook Mall. Drywall foreman Daryl Hunter and his crews are to be congratulated for the excellent work they have done and their special care in keeping the mall clean and tidy while installing new GRG, light covers, column covers and domes. This was a big nine-month project in­ volving a lot of men, a lot of nights and a lot of patience. With the drywall work completed, acoustical foreman Ron Taylor has been carrying out patch and repair work for some of the tenants. ing work on the Emory Biochemistry re­ search facility. Work is beginning on the Turner Broad­ casting System five-story building where MIS will build the core and tenant space, administrative offices and a studio com­ plex. Bud Hudson is the project manager and Chuck Hamilton the foreman. Jeff Burns is the project manager and Kyle McGrady the drywall foreman on the 20,000 sq. ft. Carmax Auto Super­ store retail office space which will start shortly.

MBS Houston MBS is currently installing acoustical ceilings in schools in Tomball and Hum­ ble and will shortly be starting work on high schools in Channelview and the Woodlands The Eight-Plex cinema in Meyerland Plaza is starting up with MBS installing drywall and ceilings.

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♦ Color Me Safe

posted in the MBS Houston offices. This year we had en­ tries and winners fro m every location. Winners in the 6 years and un­ der category were Danielle Rose Pryor, First Place (David Pryor, MBS Houston); Nathan Churchwell, Second Place (Dewitt Churchwell, MBS San Antonio); Chris Knight, Third Place (Jodi Knight, MBS Dallas). Winners 7 9 vears were Mar

Sheena Swift (It.), 2nd place winner with 3rd place winner Chris Knight. What a task our judging panel faced as the second annual COLOR ME SAFE contest generated over 45 entries from kids, showing how our MBS employees work safe! We challenged children to read the Ten Commandments of Safety for Em­ ployees and to send us a picture illustrat­ ing them. We had scaffolds, tools, training slogans, computers, cords, weld­ ers and hazard communications all repre­ sented in beautiful color. After we received so many qualified entries, we created an Honorable Mention category to add to the picture assortment that was

Guards and More Oak Forest Lumber is proud of their trio of guards who together have almost 60 years of tenure. Their loyalty to our com­ pany has placed them in positions of trust and responsibility. Their watchful eyes at our gate and good record keeping help to keep our inventory balanced. They check outbound loads for quantity, qualare ity, type,j brand and safety and they tremendous help to our drivers, also a reminding them to turn on headlights at all hours. Leroy Forrester, our senior member, Joe Ramirez and Ramon Torres do so much more than just provide gate security. They open the gates at 4:30 in the morning and load trucks until 10:00 at

Lt to rt: Nathan Churchwel1 (2ndplace winner), Samantha

(Henry Jones, MBS Austin); Casey Atnip, Second Place (Eddie Atnip, MBS San Antonio); Craig Wade, Third Place (Jeff Wade, MBS Houston); with Honorable Mention to Samantha Ortega (Crescendo Ortega, MBS San Antonio). The category with the most entries was the 10 -12 years group, where Kimberly Smallen took First Place (Terry Smallen, MIS Atlanta); Sheena Swift, Second (Jodi Knight, MBS Dallas); Anthony James, Third (Paul Bobbit, MBS Hous­ ton); and Dana Matatall, Honorable Mention (Gary Matatall, MBS Houston). For the 13 years and up category, win­ ners were Ryan Dube, First Place (Ro­ land Dube, MBS Houston); Eva Galvan,

Second Place (Pablo Galvan, MBS Hous­ ton); Rene R. Gonzales, Third Place (Epitacio Gonzales, MBS Houston); and Honorable Mention to Bruce Weed (Robert Weed, MBS Houston). The Marek Companies thanks all the families who participated. It shows just how high a value we place on safety as a company. Unfortunately, there is not enough room here to show all the entrants or all the creative entries we received. But, one or more lucky winners could show up on an MBS shirt or as a safety poster at a job site next year. So, get those pencils and paper out and get your chil­ dren practicing for next year!

night. Working " Monday through Saturday, they receive the orders, including expensive loads " of wall covering, t keep our racks stocked and spe- i cialty items la- J beled, issue tools ! to ur stockers, and repair and From Lt. to rt.: Joe Ramirez, Ramon Torres and Leroy Forrester represent maintain our fa­ Oak Forest Lumber as guards during the 100-hour week that the company cility. This highly active group also takes trash trucks to the landfill, makes runs for our mechanic shop and will call orders and dispense fuel at our pump. Providing all

of this, as well as excellent security, en­ ables Oak Forest Lumber to operate effi­ ciently and benefits jobs throughout Houston.

MBC Landscaping Galveston would not be the same without the historic Galvez hotel, and MBC Landscaping is proud to be part of the team working on its renovation with G.C. Miner-Dederick. With just three months to complete the work, our crews are busy transplanting large palms and installing new palm trees - some weighing as much as 10,000 lbs. We will also be planting formal flower gardens and blending in a variety of different sub-tropical plants, trees and flowers.

MBS Austin Austin has several major contracts. At the Lockheed building, our men are working a 12-hour day installing dry wall parti­ tions, acoustical ceilings, thermal insula­ tion, doors and hardware. With some of the walls as much as 30-feet high, fore­ men Ed Cheney and Carlos Vega, and mechanic Jeff Scott, are keeping pretty busy. On the North side of town, foremen Steve Raynor, Darral Quebedeaux and Ben Oyler, assisted by lead men Matt Richardson and Billy Green, are install­ ing deck-high and grid-high walls, furrdowns, GRG column covers, acousti­ cal ceilings, and doors at the MCI build­ ing. Foreman Jim Furr, mechanic Kevin Ragsdale and helper Lonnie Garner are finishing off work on the fourth HEB store installing interior walls and furrdowns. Our crews are completing work at the

Hal Pollard and Larry Ford, foreman and lead man respectively, on the Williams Sonoma project, can feel proud of their work having installed full-height and undergrid walls, radius furrdowns, acoustical clients and radius comer beading.

Helper Lonnie Garner working on the HEB building in Austin. Dell Computer Corporation where fore­ man Lloyd Meridith and lead man Doug Prew have been installing deck-high par­ titions, undergrid partitions, aluminum reveals, acoustical ceilings, doors and hardware.

MBS Dallas MBS has won a major contract with Austin Commercial to buildout the 300,000 sq. ft. Motorola Paging Infra­ structure headquarters in Fort Worth. The work includes gypsum board par­ titions, furrdowns, reveals, insulation and acoustical ceilings. This is an unusual job with some 400-foot long by 28-foot high walls which require four layers of gypsum board on each side. Foreman Robert Brazel and his crews will also be

Marek Companies Say i®©e3bye t© Circle Lake Circle Lake, the employee recreational facility just north of Houston, will no longer be a part of the Marek Compa­ nies effective March 31, 1995. The Catholic Diocese of Galveston/ Houston has acquired the facility to use as a recreational and spiritual center for various religious and lay church groups. Circle Lake was originally a 40-acre tract of wooded raw land acquired in payment of a bad debt more than 40

years ago. Over the years, it has seen extensive development with the construc­ tion of a main lake, several ponds, plus cabins and recreational amenities. Circle Lake was available to employees for day and overnight use. The company reached an agreement with the Diocese after the need was recognized to eliminate the high cost and effort re­ quired to operate and maintain the Circle Lake facility.

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building an 800-foot long, two-story cor­ ridor with furrdowns and reveals. Supervisor Dennis Henderson and fore­ man Doug Leslie will be busy well into 1995 working on two new buildings on the Preston Ridge Campus. The job in­ cludes some tricky exterior framing work behind brick veneer, while inside we will be installing 25-foot partition walls, sky­ lights at 30 feet and reveals along the corridors J.C. Penney is expanding its child care facility at its corporate headquarters in Plano, and MBS will be installing drywall, insulation and acoustical ceilings. The work is expected to be completed in April. Work is drawing to a close on the Target store at Lufkin where Ed Bailey and his crews have been installing a heavy gauge store front, furrdowns and 14-foot rock which demands three men to a sheet. At Williams Square Mike Gonzales, Ed Kuta and about 30 men are working on a four-floor remodel for Sterling Software. This is a fast-paced job as the store wants to be opened before the Christmas rush. Mary Kay Cosmetics have always main­ tained a rather high profile so, when com­ missioning new office space, attention to detail is important. Who better to do the work than MBS, headed up by Mike Gonzales? As part of the build out work, our crews will be installing drywall par­ titions, GRG light covers and acoustical ceilings. Tommy Weeks is directing work at the World Trade Center where we are reno­ vating the 13th floor for future tenants.

§

Terry Evans has recently completed

§ work on GTE’s new office space where we have been installing drywall parti­ tions and ceilings on four floors.

MIS Atlanta Our men will be busy for several more months working on the multiphase Cobb Hospital complex where foremen Billy Cummings and Kirk Roberts are doing just about everything ranging from in­ stalling roof framing to miscellaneous interior remodeling. Project Manager Mike Feather is finish­ ing up two jobs. The Arnall/Golden 50,000 sq. ft. legal suite in the prestigious One Peachtree Center is where drywall foremen Chuck Hamilton and Tommy Birchfield, layout man Dean Kilgore and lead man Daryl Harper are complet­ ing the work. Meanwhile, foremen David Williams, Tommy Birchfield and Danny Williams are finishing work at the IBM renovation installing drywall and ceilings on two floors of two build­ ings. Congratulations to foreman Bill Pallino and his crew of Chris Lyons, Nick Pallino, William Suttle and Rich Taylor for bringing the Grady Memorial Hospi­ tal renovation and expansion project back on schedule. MIS took the job over a year ago when the low bidder was unable to keep the work running to plan. Within six weeks our crews had the job back on schedule and were subsequently awarded the balance of the work! In all, our crews will install 800,000 sq. ft. of 2x4 lay-in ceiling tiles on 18 floors.

MBS Houston

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Keeping our crews busy is the Texas A&M Sports Center. Just about every­ thing about this job is unusual with spe­ cialty finishes and colored tiles throughout. The ceilings have six differ­ ent types of tiles, which is keeping fore­ man Chuck Baker and his crews on their toes, while the specifications call for spe­ cialty metal ceilings in the natatorium area. Work is starting on the Ceridian lease where MBS was awarded the drywall, ceilings and paint contracts. Once the drywall work is completed, acoustica foreman Pat Allen will be installing an Armstrong Second Look ceiling system. Our paint department will then install

2,000 feet of vinyl wall covering under superin­ tendent Kevin Turnbull’s direction. Acoustical ceilings and drywall have just cornpleted six “Dress for Less” retail stores, all in different locations across town, which has kept superintendent James Harvel very Foremen Bob Winder and Gary Schultz and their crews are working busy. Since the design at a hectic pace on the Retama Park Racetrack for a Spring specifications called for scheduled opening. The facility is similar to a four-story building, some unusual polysty­ with a press level and two levels of grandstand-type seating. It is rene ceilings which designed for true horse racing enthusiast with the majority of the were not readily avail­ floor space dedicated to viewing, betting and dining. Our crews are able, our crews had to installing exterior metal studs and sheathing, interior partitioning, improvise, removing re­ Batt insulation, drywall & over 145,000 sq. ft of ceilings. usable ceiling panels from one store and MBS San Antonio using them to patch and repair another! Foremen Gary Schultz and Roland Al­ A very fast-paced drywall, ceilings and brecht are starting phase II of an ongoing paint job is drawing to a close at Compaq project at the Kelly Air Force Base where Computer’s new retail outlet. The work Mike Mainz, Braulio Martinez, Billy presents a lot of specialty features includ­ Theiss and Refugio Villegas are building ing a special 2x2 grid pattern ceiling, and temporary walls in occupied areas, lift 18-foot open grid ceilings with colored work and installing ceilings. trim. MBS is also handling the paint con­ After foreman David Smith completed tract and foreman Ricky Benge will be demolishing walls and ceilings in the ex­ working with a variety of different color isting two-story U.P.S. Building, drywall schemes. foremen Mike Cervantes and Rodney Chris Conner has been working on a Rowan, with assistance from Jaime five-floor lease space retrofit for Geo­ Alcorta, Fred Enderle and Geronimo quest, where we are installing drywall Garcia, have been building back to a fast and acoustical ceilings. schedule in order to allow UPS back into Several of our branches have recently the building. completed major department stores. High ceilings with moldings, elegant Now, MBS Houston has completed doctors’ offices and hospital areas are all Foley’s stores in Texas City and the part of the S.A. Gastroenterology project Woodlands and has started work on a under construction for H.B. Zachry. Fore­ man Ron Atnip is being assisted by Paul store in Temple, while MBS Austin is also Hudson, Jose Martinez, Arthur Pesina, starting work on an Austin Foley s. and Ned Ridgway. Foreman Gary Working to a December 31 deadline , our Gonzales, who is just back from a sevenpaint crews are involved in a complete month stint of construction at the remodel of the existing two-story facility Beeville Prison, will be installing acous­ for the Houston Association of Realtors. tical ceilings. The work includes ten different wall cov­ erings, three polemics coatings and exte­ Drywall foreman John Ochoa, Sr., and rior paint. Unusual finishes don’t present a challenge to paint foreman Barney Oden and his crews who recently applied a new duct, Duroplex, at the Moody Tower pro nroiect for U of H. Duroplex is a special tWo-color stain which is sprayed over the base coat. In all, five different colors were applied resulting in a very unusual finish.

Page 5

his partner Heriberto Ortiz, are working closely with ceilings foreman Larry Hemphill remodeling an existing H.E.B. store. Since the store is open during the day, our crews have to start at 4:00 a.m. to accommodate the schedule. Working in occupied areas and chasing kids off the scaffolding are just some of the chal­ lenges facing our crews.

MM HMM 1 IQB

This year, he was promoted to patch su­ pervisor where his duties include training new employees and helping with each day’s work schedule. Roberto’s ability to solve even the toughest problems has earned him respect from customers and his fellow workers.

Outstanding employee, Dave Williams (It.) with Mike O'Brien. IBM, and America’s Favorite Chicken Corporation Headquarters. Our apologies to Jeff Burns, Project Manager, who was erroneously referred to as a foreman in the last Insights.

Outstanding work at the Shell Woodcreek Facility, coupled with an ability to keep the project looking good and the customer happy, earns crew leader Gerber Lopez special recognition.

Manuel Saldalgo - a real pacesetter.

MBC Landscaping

MBS Austin

MBS Landscaping recently held a party to celebrate the completion of the Wood­ lands Mall and to thank our crews who worked so hard this summer. The event was a great success.

Congratulations to two real pacesetters, Manuel Saldalgo and Jesus Contreras, who have consistently beaten the budget on several jobs this year. Manuel and Jesus have worked on several “out of town” jobs this year. They have excellent attendance records and are always ready to go where they are needed most.

MBS San Antonio Welcome to Saundra Strack, our new Accounts Payable Clerk.

MBC Dallas

Welcome to Joe Pete Gonzales who joins us after working at MBS in Houston for the last eight years.

MBS Dallas Congratulations to Richard Osterloh who moved from the Production team to Project Management on October 10. Af­ ter spending seven years as an MBS su­ pervisor, his strengths in construction knowledge, blueprints interpretation and people management will be put to good use in the estimating and sales arena.

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Congratulations to Roberto Corral, our oustanding employee Roberto came to MBC in 1992 as a patch man with several years of experience. He soon impressed everyone around him. Roberto is an expert technician with a great attitude and is a true team player.

We are sorry to say good-bye to ceiling foreman Robert Knight, who has trans­ ferred to San Antonio. Robert joined MIS in 1992 as an experienced ceiling man and was soon running jobs. He leaves behind a legacy ofjobs which were safety conscious, under budget and on time. Some of the jobs he has worked on in­ clude IBM at Riveredge, Wachovia at 191 Peachtree, Long and Aldrich at One Peachtree Center, America’s Favorite Chicken, Texas Instruments and the UPS headquarters. He will make a very posi­ tive addition to the San Antonio team and we all wish him luck. Bill Pallino and his crews were recently awarded safety jackets by Beers Con­ struction for 50,000 man-hours without an accident while working at the Grady Hospital acoustical ceilings project. Congratulations to Gary Reynolds, Mark Riehle and Mike Trowbridge for

MIS Atlanta Outstanding employee recognition goes to drywall foreman Dave Williams who has been continuously under budget and ahead of schedule on several major pro­ jects, including Dunn and Bradstreet, Robert Knight - transferring to MBS San Antonio. Page 6

receiving the HAZ-COM Training Safety “ Award at the “Coca-Cola Atlanta Syrup Branch.” Congratulations to Steve Shockley who has been elected Vice President of Geor­ gia Wall and Ceilings Industries Associa­ tion. Heidelberg, U.S.A. recently held a lunch for Marek employees who worked on its project to “recognize the outstanding ef­ fort, team work, craftsmanship, and pro­ fessionalism demonstrated by all the contractors on the project.” Congratulations to Tommy Birchfleld and Tim Rozar for winning the “Bassin Fools” Fishing Tournament. Tom Harris and Terry McCormick placed second.

MBC Houston

nual contractors’ barbecue. Each year, Village Builders selects just three from the dozens of people their customer serv­ ice department deals with each year and honors them for their work and contribu­ tion. Mike has been with MBC for 23 years and we have always been impressed with his performance. He is a highly skilled craftsman and handles himself in a very professional manner.

in the “hot” San Antonio housing market­ place, David was quick to respond, show­ ing Pulte Homes that he could provide the drywall quality work they needed in all seven of their subdivisions. His ability to motivate his crews, keep the work on schedule and the quality up to standard also won him the respect of another local builder, Scott Felder Homes, who imme­ diately hired MBC residential for its drywall needs in San Antonio.

A big thanks to field supervisor David Norman and his assistant Rita, who re­ cently completed a 20-month assignment in San Antonio. When Pulte Homes asked MBC to help support their dry wall needs

Welcome Drew Anton who has joined us as an Estimator trainee. Drew spent two months in the field before moving into the office. Our best wishes to Drew.

MBS Houston

Homes Don’t Come Much Finer Than This

Welcome to Linda Schaeffer who joined us in July. Linda has many years experi­ ence in the dry wall business. Her experi­ ence and knowledge of our industry will be a great asset. Linda will be greeting our customers and working with Mike Hamala as his credit assistant.

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Carlos Rodriguez-Morin, following his brothers' footsteps. Carlos Rodriguez-Morin has become a full-time crew leader in our multifamily group where he has earned the respect of his peers, the company and our custom­ ers. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers Jorge and Luis, Carlos has learned the business the Marek way. With a knack for working with the other sub­ contractors, he gets everyone on his te am pulling in the same direction. A Mike Castellano is a perfect example of 59 the type of employee that has contributed to our many years of success and our reputation for quality work. Mi e 'vas recently recognized by Village Bui ers for his Outstanding Service at their an-

wood studs with a 100-year slate roof with copper flash­ ing. Ceilings are 10to 12-foot high. In addition, there are several vaulted ceil­ ings, including an 18-foot ceiling over the kitchen and library and 24-foot ceilings over the recreation room in the pool house.

Special features in­ MBC team front row from left: Jesse Savala, Soledad Cortez, Jaimie clude a basement Umanzor. Back: Joe Rodriguez, Miguel Rodriguez, Louis Hernandez wine cellar and and Isaac Hernandez. cocktail area with MBC residential is working on an ex­ brick and marble floors, intricate handtremely prestigious new mansion in carved oak wall panels, oak and marble Houston’s wealthy River Oaks area. The trim at the archways, a pre-fabricated new residence is being built for our old­ sculptured plaster ceiling, crown mold­ est continuous customer, the Tyne ings and a ceiling made from imported Sparks Building company. mahogany. The main residence will The 38,000-square foot Southern Colo­ have mostly imported white marble nial style home is built on a five-acre lot. floors with some custom wood plank, It includes a three-story formal wing while the kitchen is laid with stone with a basement, single story master flooring. All the exterior and interior bedroom wing and a two-story garage doors are custom handmade walnut with and living quarters wing. The grounds walnut trim and chair rail. include porches, terraces, porte-co­ Another special feature of the home is cheres, a tool house, a pool with an the drywall work. The specifications adjacent 2,500 sq, ft. pool house and a call for a double layer of adhesive lami­ private water well which will be used to nation application which entails install­ maintain the extensive landscaping. The ing around 5,000 sheets of 3/8 drywall. entire structure is brick veneer over

Page 7

Fiyrmem It is time to close out 1994 and look ahead to 1995. Here at the end of the year, we realize that we have much to be thankful for. We’ve made it through another year in a tough construction climate. In spite of major losses in Atlanta, as a company we will make a small profit. In addition, we provided work and benefits for over 1000 employees for the entire year. It was one of the busiest years we’ve had since the mid-1980s. And we were able to put over $750,000 into the 40IK plan of which $190,000 was contributed by the company, matching each of your contri­ butions one for two. In addition, we con­ tinued to service and, hopefully, impress our customers in an increasingly com­ petitive market. We also saw major changes in the politi­ cal and financial arenas. The prime rate increased during the year from 6% to 8.5% at this writing. That’s the largest increase we’ve had in several years. A predominantly Democratic Congress was replaced by a Republican majority — another dramatic change showing that the American people can voice their con­ cerns at the polls. One thing for sure in 1994, we saw changes. How those changes will affect us and the world we live in remains to be The Marek Family Of Companies ATLANTA, GEORGIA Marek Interior Systems, Inc. (MISI) AUSTIN, TEXAS Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) DALLAS, TEXAS Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) Marek Brothers Company (MBC) HOUSTON,TEXAS Blue Bell Place Builders Marek Brothers Company (MBC) Marek Brothers Systems (MBS) Marek Brothers Landscaping Oak Forest Lumber & Supply Company Stanley Construction Company SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Marek Brothers Systems (MBS) SAN ANTONIO/HARLINGEN, TEXAS Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS)

in

seen. But in this fast-paced technological world, we can be sure to see more change in the coming year. What are we facing? We are entering the year with the best backlog we’ve had since 1984. Profit margins are still a con­ cern because material prices continue to escalate and labor and benefit costs have not slowed down. Wages should increase slightly in 1995, but the real increase is in the benefit area. Now that the threat of health reform has lessened, medical costs continue to climb. When you stop to think that half of the medical costs in the United States go to caring for those af­ fected by smoking, drugs, trauma, AIDS, etc., you begin to realize why our basic medical costs are going up at such an alarming rate. Twenty years ago the cost of caring for those affected by the above were just a fraction of what we see today. Society’s values are changing and that change affects us all. The biggest threat we face in 1995 is the increased use of independent subcontrac­ tors by our competition. A practice that is prevalent in the residential industry is moving into the commercial area and the results can be devastating. An hourly work force with benefits such as ours can

Insights 3539 Oak Forest Drive Suite 200 Houston, Texas 77018

only survive by increasing productivity. ^ The question is how can we do more than Vt,! we are already doing? That has to be answered by each of us individually. Our organizational structure is a sound one. We have good people in key posi­ tions and a labor force that is second to none. We have a customer base that is the envy of the industry. Our banking, bond­ ing, and insurance relationships have been in place for years. The market looks like it will start out actively, but the effect of rising interest rates remains to be seen. How are we going to ensure success in 1995? My vision of this company is that we are the best in the industry. We run our business ethically and with the best inter­ est of the employees and stockholders at the forefront. We have shared values with each person on the team and believe that the customer is the source of all good things. We believe we are entitled to a fair profit for our work. All of the above make up our vision. Everything is in place for a good year. The real measure of how we do will be the commitment that we each make to be the best. In closing, please accept the Marek Fam­ ily’s most sincere wish for a wonderful holiday season. The well-being of our employees and their families means so much to us. We hope that the holidays will find you with much peace, good health, and happiness in your lives.

The Marek Family