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INSIGHTS

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MAREK FAMILY OF COMPANIES Spring 2009

What is it like to work on MIS Atlanta’s largest project ever? Ask qur team of MIS professionals who have ‘been working either in the office or on site for the better part of the past 20 months, arid include Bill Pallino, Nick Pallino, Sid Bedsole, Brian Skinner, David Salyers and Greg Stine.

From left, Bill Pallino, Martin Martinez and Diego Martinez pause fora photo.

The project in question is the new hilltop campus in scenic Chattanooga, Tennessee for insurance giant Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Tennessee. Landing this contract and working on it is a testament to our ability to successfully tackle very large and complex construction jobs that demand skilled manpower, careful coordination and extensive planning. Working with GC Skanska EMJ Russell (SER), our work scope has included installing numerous partitions, acoustical & Axiom ceilings and many different finishing treatments in this million square foot “mega-project” comprised of four five-story buildings and a 4-story building, each with floor space averaging around 41,000 square feet. We have also installed various atypical structures in several different areas of the complex, including several elliptical furrdowns in the dining facility, numerous sub-floor “overbuilt” framing structures installed to support concrete slabs and heavy gauge

exterior framing supporting decorative panels and EIFS systems installed beneath the two walkways suspended above the courtyard areas.

Congratulations to all those who have worked on this great complex. It stands as a testimony to our ability and craftsmen.

™c£ ON

When the economy is in a state of “doom and gloom,” one of the first things to get cut is generally construction. Which of course results in layoffs and general hardship. It is a credit to our long-standing reputation, our dedicated project managers and our diligent field crews that we still have good-sized projects on the books scheduled to start over the next few months.

MBS Houston Work will begin shortly on Main Place Block 93, a 47-story high-rise in downtown Flouston where we will be working with GC Harvey Builders. (See back page for more details of this exciting new building). Also coming up is a buildout for El Paso Energy where we will be working with Gilbane Building Company on the Podium Floors. Our flooring department has several projects lined up for the summer installing new school flooring while students are on vacation.

fabric wrapped panels, and aluminum reveals. Juan Enriquez will be the Supervisor and Kenny LaDuke the Project Manager while Steve Tucker estimated the project. The building will be used for the multipurpose library, central plant, conferences, lectures and study.

MBS Austin

Births and Weddings

Several new jobs are getting underway. Supervisor Joe Gonzales, along with Edwin and Jesus Chavez, Jesus Contreras, Pedro Huerta, Martin Ortega and Erik Rivers, are starting work on phase one of a multiple expansion program at the Texas State Football Stadium adding a new club and suite level. Later in the month we will begin work on the San Clemente Building C, a two-story shell office building which will house the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and where Supervisor Eric Lumsden, Jose Diaz, Osvaldo and Mauricio Gonzales, Daniel and Oscar Lepe and Israel Martinez will be installing a specialty metal panel ceiling in a large radiused lobby among other features.

MBS Harlingen

MBS Harlingen’s Arron Martinez and his bride. Danielle

It was all smiles for MBS Harlingen' Arron Martinez and his bride DanielL shown above when they recently tied the knot at a beautiful, and elegant wedding ceremony at the Monte Carlo Hotel in La: Vegas. Our best wishes to the couple for a long and prosperous life together.

MBS Dallas Marek Brothers Systems in Dallas is looking forward to starting work on the twelve-month, 238,000 SF, four-floor multipurpose Texas A&M Texarkana Library & Central Plant, a building designed by Architects Gensler and where we will be working with GC Gilbane Building Company. Unusual features of the project include a fourth-floor terrace and open roof platform. Work is scheduled to begin in May with our crews installing exterior shell, interior finish out, drywall and acoustical ceilings, GRG columns,

Some of our crews will be spending the next few months enjoying the Hill Country around Kerrville working on “Our Lady of the Hills” Catholic School, a new 55,000 SF facility for some 225 students. The facility will consist of academic, gathering and athletic space and will house a chapel, eight classrooms, two science laboratories, a science prep area, computer lab, resource center, career center, art and music rooms, a gymnasium and an open-air courtyard. Scheduled to be completed by December, MBS Austin’s Supervisor Luis Vela is heading up our crews, with valuable assistance from Ramiro Gaspar, Amedeo Mondrogan, Rolando Rosillo, and EpifanioSosa.

MIS Atlanta MBS will be working on the Texas A&M facility until around May next year.

preparing the space for new tenants, AIG Brookside. Work is scheduled to begin in October on the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, a mixed use worship center addition where we will be working with general contractor, RJ Griffin & Company.

In May we will embark on a full floor 20,000 SF tenant build out for General Contractor Skanska USA where we will be

MBS San Antonio Project Manager, Eddie Atnip and wife. Becky, welcomed two new grandbabie to their family. The new arrivals are Cor Ibarra born on December 30, 2008 and Caleb Humbert bom April 6, 2009. This makes three grandsons for Eddie Becky.

MBS Dallas Congratulations to Nery A. Rodrigo and his wife Adriana on the birth to th» son, Nery Jr., on February 9th. Also to Estimator/ Project Manager Miguel Huerta in our Fort Worth office and his wife Lourdes, who welcomed new son, Sebastian, bom on February 3

MIS Atlanta Congratulations to two couples who ha\ new baby daughters - Jose M. Pena am his wife Amparo and Agustin Gonza= and his wife Liliana.

With multiple buildings and sections being constructed simultaneously, this project is involving a lot of manpower, overtime and careful scheduling.

MBS San Antonio is hard at work on the new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill

Country Resort & Spa opening February 17, 2010. Just 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio and the airport, the JW Marriott Resort will be situated in Texas Hill Country in Cibolo Canyons in a stunning setting. The Hill County resort will feature 140,000-square meeting space, two TPC golfcourses and a sophisticated spa. understatement for the Lavish is an and suites project. Spacious guest rooms will feature metals, tooled leather, carved wood, and hewn stonework in beautiful

contemporary designs, with spectacular hill country views. An assortment of restaurants will cater to every taste, while outside a meandering swimming pool and outdoor bars will keep guests cooled and refreshed during the Texas summer heat. The golf course includes 36 holes with breathtaking views out of the Cibolo Canyon countryside. The 26,000 square-foot Spa will offer 30 treatment rooms, including two couples treatment suites with fireplaces. Two outdoor private treatment rooms are available. A complete fitness center will feature the latest in cardio-training equipment, free weights, and stationary weight training equipment. A fitness studio will offer exercise, yoga, and fitness classes. Between treatments, guests will enjoy the peaceful serenity of the private, lagoon-like, spa pool or enjoy healthy refreshments at our Spa cafe. Working with GC Austin Commercial, MBS San Antonio’s contract encompasses four separate buildings, the Conference Center, a 1002-room hotel, the Spa facility and the Golf Club. Our portion of the work is scheduled to be completed over the summer, The facility is expected to officially open in 2010. MBS is installing 6-inch and 8-inch exterior framing, with some studs as much as 40,44 and 48-feet in length. We are also handling the interior walls, furrdowns and ceilings with radius drywall configurations in the restaurant, sport bar,

spa and clubhouse, as well as the batt insulation, and metal blocking for wall hung accessories. The acoustical work alone includes 125,000 SF of ceiling grid and tile. Supervising our crews is Carl Rogers and his key “right-hand man” Billy Theiss, who is responsible for several items, including changes to the work specifications and acting as the key contact with Austin Commercial for the Conference Center. Jesus Paz is supervising the Conference Center, while Carlos Juarez is handling the Spa and Golf Clubhouse. Jesse Flores and Robert Shock are taking care of the Hotel. Miguel Morales is handling a key part of the GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) installation. Joe Villegas is the main labor supervisor, Rudy Carbajal is handling the gypsum board installation, Joe Cantu is a key framing supervisor and Jose Silva is the leadman for the framers. The acoustical foreman is Frank Cuevas with Kres Ortega acting as leadman. This is a fast-paced project with all the buildings being constructed and finished out simultaneously, creating quite a demand for manpower. The hotel is divided up into seven zones, with MBS working at least two or three zones at any one time. So instead of this being four separate jobs on four separate building, it is more like seven jobs all running concurrently. Needless to say, this is requiring considerable overtime from supervisors and crew members and some great team effort.

FILLING THE BILL AT CHIC FIL A

SITE MBS Houston Our crews have really risen to the occasion on the three-story Macy’s at Deerbrook renovation where we have been working to an extremely tight schedule installing drywall and acoustical ceilings. The job calls for a number of specialty items, including Clemco studs, GRG doors, frames and hardware, sealing MEP penetrations and skylights. Many of these items require long lead times for delivery. To keep the job on track we leaned hard on our vendors many of whom delivered in less than half the normal lead time. Despite some tough obstacles, the project is slated for completion on time by the end of May. Supervisors James Ellis and Omar Perez are heading up our work on the Second Baptist Church renovation and an upgrade of the existing three-story fellowship hall. The church, which is the second largest in Houston, sustained water damage after part of the roof was dislodged by Hurricane Ike. Our work scope includes replacing the water damaged drywall ceiling, replacing over 17,000 SF of acoustical fabric wall panels, converting and replacing over 16,000 SF of existing drywall and plaster ceiling with CertainTeed Echofon acoustical ceilings.

MBS Dallas

We are currently working on our third project at the Country Day Fort Worth Campus. The Country Day Arts Building is under contract by Sedalco and is a challenging renovation, involving adding on to an existing building on the campus. This 7,000 SF building requires our team to work very closely with Sedalco to ensure project success. Thanks to field superintendent Robert Brazel, Kendall Douglas and our hard working crew, Sedalco has already began talking to Estimator/Project Manager Brent Ballard about a fourth upcoming project on the Country Day Campus. Our first project to sell and install Mecho Shades for our drywall customers is

Working with GC RJ Griffen, MIS Atlanta has recently completed the conversion of an 110,000 SF shipping and receiving complex into commercial office space that will be occupied by the corporate operations support staff of fast food giant Chick fil A. The j building is situated on the massive Chick fil A corporate campus located in the Oakwood area of Southwest Atlanta. Our work included installing free-standing structures with numerous canted partitions and extensive under grid partitions. A large serpentine soffit that supports lighting and enclose ductwork surrounds the space circling the entire perimeter. Structural framing for window openings has also been installed along the south side of the building

in order to close off the large roll up doors of the original loading dock. Key employees working on the project included Mike Feather, Rick Jecker, Kyle McGrady, and Gary Roy.

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underway. We will be working alongside our drywall crews on this finish out project at the Children’s Hospital for Gilbane Construction. We are particularly pleased to have landed this project as the Mecho Shade installation is a tough market to enter. Now it is up to Installation Manager Bryant Hand to show that MBS is more than up to the challenge. Under Supervisor Wayne Srawser, Jr’s direction our crew’s work is under way on the Advantage Eagle Academy for General Contractor James R. Thompson in Duncanville, Texas. The 14, 000 SF will feature a large conference center with vaulted aluminum ceilings and decorative aluminum light coves throughout the lobby areas. Superintendent Tommy Weeks and Supervisor Jessie Caciquie are working closely with architect Callison on the onestory, 35,622 SF Nordstrom Southlake retail space which kicked off in April. The architect is extremely particular about the look of the sales floor area. So, we are installing one layer of plywood and a layer of drywall on all the perimeter sales floor walls, all of which have to be installed with great care if they are to meet the exacting standards of the architect. We are also required to submit an acoustical ceiling layout, showing the location of hanger wires and exactly how large the borders will be around the sales floor. In the field, the acoustical ceiling layout must be followed

Curves.,reveals and fancy features characterized the construction

to the letter, with all the ceiling grid lines remaining straight across the length of the sales floor. The building is expected to be completed by July of this year.

MIS Atlanta Thomas Arckivy, Enrique Cruz and Andrew Sundseth have been working with GC Brasfield & Gorrie Construction on the most recent phase of the ongoing NE Georgia Women and Children’s Pavilion. The work involves a renovation of both mother/baby areas and delivery rooms, all within the confines of a fully functioning medical facility. Enrique Cruz and Eric Nethery are also finishing up an addition at the Cartersville Medical Center for Skanska USA where wc are adding an operating room and sterile room - again to a fully-functioning facility. We have been finishing up another project at the CNN Broadcasting Facility, this time for GC Choate Construction where Thomas “Woody” Purdue and Lawrence Greene have been keeping the work on track. Supervisor Gilbert Shelton, along with Eduardo Ibarra and Danny Williams are working with GC Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC on the two and half floor Class A commercial office space located within the new corporate headquarters of Newel 1 Rubbermaid Corporation. The work includes acoustical ceilings and numerous reveal metals installed throughout the

MBS Austin

floors. MISI was the contractor of choice on this project, winning the contract as a result of our work building out 15 floors of core and tenant spaces at Two Glenlake Tower. ______________

Work has begun on the construction of a two-story classroom building at Westwood High. This is the beginning of a several phase project, so Supervisor Huertimio Moreno, Rogelio Carranzos and Matt Richardson have their work cut out for some time. While some of our team are preparing to being work on the Texas State Football Stadium (see On the Horizon), Supervisor Floyd Zhan is working on the UT DKRS Stadiun where we are upgrading the athletic center, covered practice fields and adding new finishes and HVAC systems to the East suites. Our work scope also

includes adding permanent bleachers in the South end zone. In the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center we are adding 10,000 SF of new academic areas, a new Hall of Fame and an entrance walkway. Assisting on the job are Jose Apolinar, Frank Cordova, Bob Fritz, Phillip Proffitt and Alez Ruiz. Our crews are looking at a June finish on the Veteran’s Administration Met Center, a 72,000 SF office and call center designed to assist Veterans. The work includes 32foot high walls, densely packed demountable partitions and acoustic ceilings. Working on the project are Supervisor Juan M. Garcia, along with Domittillo Catillo, Jose Gellegos, Julio Hernandez, Lazero Moreno and Eric Suarez.

iiarek WFD Department Celebrates an Important Milestone Marek s Workforce Development Department reached an important milestone by celebrating the successful completion of 50 trainees from the new On the Job Helper Training Program. The Program provides for recruiting, orientation, and craft and safety training for new hires. Trainees participate in a minimum of 41 hours of lab training, over 430 hours of on the job training and are mentored and coached by experienced mechanics.

To date San Antonio and Houston have held graduation ceremonies with plans for Dallas, Austin, and Atlanta branches to follow.

San Antonio MBS Graduation Celebration

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Houston MBS Graduation Celebration Row l (from left): Erick Mon coda, Edwin Mendoza, at o Cardenas, Amado Alvarado, Iglesias, Hennengildo Bac, Simon and Alejandro Torres Abel Martinez, Jose Row 2: Aurelio Flores, Head Coach, Kyle Feld, Inocencio Alarcon, Kyle Carleton, Jose Ibarra, Balbuena, Matthew DeLaRosa, andAudi es Guei

From left to right: Rolando Lozano - Coach, Jorge Rojas - Coach, Faustino Baca - Coach, Jose Silva - Coach, Pablo Elizondo Head Coach, Stacy Gunderson - Training Coordinator, Rey Sanchez - Coach, Leo Borrego - Coach, Luis Cervantes Graduate, Jorge Pastrana Rojas Jr. - Graduate, Bruce Bostick Production Manager, Dennis Yanowski - Division President, Jorge Rosario - Coach, Jesus Rangel - Graduate, Juan Lira Graduate, Bobby Winder Coach, Rene Lozano Superintendent, Julius Closa -Graduate, Jose Cantu - Coach, Chad Sandefur - Graduate, Ramiro Ramos - Coach, Gabriel Garcia - Graduate, Jose Hernandez - Graduate. Walter Jackson - Graduate, Thatcher Haynes - Graduate. Edgar Ramirez Graduate, and Hector Ramirez - Graduate.

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<f®> OUTSTANDING 3"" EMPLOYEES

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MBS Dallas

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Supervisor and Workforce Development Lab Instructor Juan M Ortiz has been doing an outstanding job for the company since becoming a part of our team. He is what you would expect from one of our foremen. He leads by example, delegates well, and is patient in training those reporting to him. He is much requested by customers. He also brings projects in under budget. Juan has also been very active in the Workforce Development Program and is a member of the advisory team. Not only has he never missed a session, but he always has valuable input. He has now taken one of the trainees under him as a personal trainer. Juan is one of the regular instructors for the weekly lab sessions and never hesitates to help when called upon.

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Jo* lives in Magnolia with his wife and their three children. Outstanding Employee recognition also to Moises Rivera, another highly reliable craftsman who handles the sanding of large custom homes. Knowing what the end result is meant to look like, helps him achieve great results. Moises is always willing to work weekends or after hours when the job demands it. He commands great respect from his crew and treats everyone with dignity.

Treating people right is just one of Moises Rivera's outstanding talents.

MIS Atlanta

Outstanding Employee recognition to Jose Fernandez who we know will show up at work each day. On the rare occasions when he needs time off, he schedules it with his line up man in advance. Starting out as a finisher, Jose soon mastered hanging and texture spraying. In addition, he always does the hard jobs first, working on stilts on the high elevation challenges and leaving the easier work at ground level for someone else. Whether he is stocking, cleaning up or doing an “undesirable” task, he takes direction from this crewleader with a smile and cheerful manner. Not

Luis Vela, who came on board in 2004 has really proved his worth as a drywalj supervisor since joining our team 0f foremen. He has the skills, experience and ability to impress our customers while building quality projects. Keep up the good work, Luis!

MBS Houston Gets Letter of Appreciation

MBC Houston

Jose is no shirker when it comes to difficultjobs

MBS Austin

We would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Supervisor, Nick Pallino. With over 20 years of experience in acoustical ceilings and all other phases of commercial interior construction, Nick has proved invaluable to both the company and the many employees that have had the pleasure of working on his crew. Nick and crew are currently putting the finishing touches on the last of five buildings that comprise the Blue Cross Blue Shield Cameron Hill project in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nick Pallino - an invaluable asset

Dear Team Marek, Thank you so much for including us in the wonderful ceremony last Thursday. The ceremony highlighted the commitment of MBS and the hard work of the employees in the workplace and in the classroom. It was extremely successful, organized and a great way to introduce Eduardo to the MBSfamily. We are equally energized about our partnership andfeel certain that we will see great improvement in the upcoming class sessions. Thank you so much for the beautiful plaques and for recognizing the teachers for their efforts. They were blown away and felt honored. I must admit that I am most pleased with the feedback that we received from the superintendents. I look forward to working with the entire team ofsuperintendents in developing more targeted classroom activities and indicators of language improvement on the job site. Thanks again to everyone for a wonderfully rewarding year and for allowing us to serve your workforce! Angela Johnson-Hagins, Harris County Department of Education, Adult Education Division

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t(jv)i OUTSTANDING —, Jose lives in Magnolia with his wife and EMPLOYEES

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MBS Dallas

their three children. Outstanding Employee recognition also to Moises Rivera, another highly reliable craftsman who handles the sanding of large custom homes. Knowing what the end result is meant to look like, helps him achieve great results. Moises is always willing to work weekends or after hours when the job demands it. He commands great respect from his crew and treats everyone with dignity.

MBS Houston Gets Letter of Appreciation

Treating people right is just one of Moises Rivera's outstanding talents.

MIS Atlanta

Luis Vela, who came on board in 2004 has really proved his worth as a drywaii supervisor since joining our team 0f foremen. He has the skills, experience and ability to impress our customers while building quality projects. Keep up the good work, Luis!

MBC Houston

Jose is no shirker when it comes to difficultjobs

MBS Austin

Nick Pallino - an invaluable asset

Dear Team Marek, Thank you so much for including us in the wonderful ceremony last Thursday. The ceremony highlighted the commitment ofMBS and the hard work of the employees in the workplace and in the classroom. It was extremely successful, organized and a great way to introduce Eduardo to the MBS family. We are equally energized about our partnership andfeel certain that we will see great improvement in the upcoming class sessions. Thank you so much for the beautiful plaques and for recognizing the teachers for their efforts. They were blown away and felt honored. I must admit that I am most pleased with the feedback that we received from the superintendents. I look forward to working with the entire team ofsuperintendents in developing more targeted classroom activities and indicators of language improvement on the job site. Thanks again to eveiyone for a wonderfully rewarding year andfor allowing us to serve your workforce! Angela Johnson-Hagins, Harris County Department of Education, Adult Education Division

pits with participants from all over the c°untry. The MBS crew came jn

MBC/MBS Austin

impressive 18 place in competition for their ribs. Congratulations!

MBS Houston

Amanda Marek is a most outstanding addition to our team Welcome to Amanda Holly Marek, the granddaughter of Ralph and Martha Marek (Ralph is one ot three original company founders) who joined our MBC/MBS Austin teams last September. Amanda graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Edwards University in May, receiving an Accounting degree. She has been working our front desks and is also moving into our accounting operations, supporting our residential and commercial teams While continuing to support us here in Austin, Amanda plans to enter graduate school at St. Edwards this August and will be studying for her CPA (Certified Public Accounting) certificate. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys water sports on Lake Travis and playing sand volleyball. Welcome to Amanda! We wish her luck as she moves towards a very impressive business career.

IVIBS San Antonio MBS has become an active participant in a newly formed program “Cl AC” (Construction Industry Advisory Council) at UTSA (University of Texas at San Antonio) with the Construction Science and Management Program, We are looking forward to supporting and assisting in this new program. Cooks Bobby Winder, Darwin Macat and James Hill participated in the San Antonio Rodeo BBQ Cook Off on Friday, January 30'". There were over 340 cooking

At the 18'" Annual AGC Houston Fair and BBQ Cook Off this year, Chief Cook Ben Boatright and Ira Lefevre, along with over 60 Marek employees, welcomed more than 250 guests to enjoy food, drink, and hospitality at the Marek booth. In addition to the opportunity to visit and mingle with many of our customers, the group of cooks also won third place for their brisket and sixth place for their ribs.

Fishy Business at IV1BS Houston Nineteen boats took to the water at the Annual Fishin’ Fools contest in April with seventeen boats returning with a combined 77 fish weighing 1691bs 1“ Place winners Ronnie Watson & Sam Grantham with 141bswon$375 2nJ Place winners Joey & Jerry Buxton and Jo Paul Lackey with 121bs lloz won $275. 3rd Place Joey & Reese Watson and Brad Wilder turned in 11 lbs 11 oz of fish and took away $225. 4th Place with 11 lbs 8oz of fish were Robert Ortiz & Daryl Price (from MBC Austin), taking home winnings of $175. The biggest bass - 41bs lOoz netted Ronnie Watson $220. Twelve teams entered the cooking event, with the winners also taking home generous prize money: Is' Place Brisket went to Pete Recine's team Texas Star Cookers who won $200. 2nd Place and $125 went to Michael Alvear's team Just Smoking. 1st Place Chicken went to the MBS Office team led by Marcus Bollom Broke Stack Smokers who won $ 125. 2nd Place went to MBS payroll team Money to Burn with a $75 prize. 1sl Place Ribs went to Darrel Walker’s & Joey Buxton’s team Cookin'Not Lookin' winning them $125. 2"d Place and $75 went to Frank Martin's

MIS Atlanta Our condolences to the family and friends of MISI employee Alejandro Chavez who lost his life in an automobile accident on January 25th. Alejandro, a 21-year old trainee in the WFD OJT Carpenter program and brother-in-law of MISI employees Luis and Salvador Carrasco, was remembered recently by co-workers as over $2,500 in cash was collected in an effort to help the family cope with this tragic loss. Office and field personnel also honored this outstanding employee by signing a company hard hat that was presented along with donations to Alejandro’s sister Rosalba at a small service held here in Atlanta. Alejandro s final resting place will be in his home country ofMexico.

team Slow & Easy Cookers. T' Place Fajitas went to Abel Coronado & Andres Flores' team Road Kill Smokers along with $ 125. 2nd Place went to MBS payroll team Money to Burn winning then a further $75. F1 Place Open Division went to Michael Alvear’s team Just Smoking with a $ 125 purse. . 2nd Place went to Pete Recine’s team Texas Star Cookers winning them $75. And for the first time this year there was an added winner for “Grand Champion” team and “Reserve Grand Champion” team. The award was based on a point system awarded to every team that placed in the top five of any division. Congratulations to Tammy Thomas, Rene Vazquez, Noelia Galindo, Valerie Kaminski, /=z and Mandy \/j K§) Coronado | j( for being Jj\y our “Grand Champion” ^CrTeam ^ Money to Burn - and winning them $200. The $100 “Reserve Grand Champion” winner was Michael Alvear’s team Just Smoking.

MBS HOUSTON TO EMBARK ON NEW LANDMARK BUILDING FOR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON

Houston where we will be working with General Contractor D.E. Harvey Builders. This beautiful new building is in keeping with Houston’s impressive skyline and architecturally stunning downtown high-rises. This is a LEED Silver pre certified construction, with the goal of achieving an impressive LEED Gold rating by the time the building is completed. Some of the key features include: >-36 floors of office space. ^-10 floors of above-ground parking. fc-2 levels of below-grade parking. >-960,000 SF of office space. The mainly glass building hopes to achieve a LEED Gold rating. >-12,000 SF of retail space. Scheduled to begin any day now; Main >-Level 11 garage rooftop garden with Place Block 93, is a major 47-story trees and sitting areas. “Gerald Hines” high-rise in downtown >- A second roof garden on floor 39.

MAREK FAMILY OF COMPANIES ATLANTA Marek Interior Systems, Inc. (MIS) AUSTIN Marek Brothers Company (MBC) Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) DALLAS Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) Marek Brothers Company (MBC) FORT WORTH Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) HOUSTON Marek Brothers Company (MBC) Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) Oak Forest Lumber & Supply Company (OFL) Stanley Construction Company SAN ANTONIO Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) SAN ANTONIO/RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Insights 3539 Oak Forest Drive, Suite 200

The new building at Main and Rusk will further vitalize this up-and-coming Northern section of Downtown.

>-Top floor penthouse on floor 47. s-10-foot high ceilings. w9’6” floor-to-ceiling glass. k-Glass sunshades. From a construction stand, this is a somewhat unusual project in that the exterior is mainly glass. MBS has the drywall contract and Supervisor Charlie Wakefield and his crews will be building out the shell and core of the building, preparing it for tenant occupancy. We hope to also land some of the tenant buildouts once the main building is completed in early 2011.

MESSAGE FROM STAN By Stan Marek No doubt we are in a slowing economy. Texas and especially Houston have been among the last strongholds to feel the effects. But I think there is no denying that tougher times are not far away. The natural tendency for companies during these times (and rightfully so) is to start looking at ways to cut back until work picks up again. What we have seen in the past is that among the first to go is the training budget. But, that will not be the case at Marek. Our strength is, and will always be, our people. In a labor-intensive industry like ours, a highly skilled workforce is imperative for tough times just as it is when things are booming. In recognition of this, we are committed to our Workforce Development efforts and we will continue them in a big way. We have had a number of recent successes and anticipate even more in the near future. Our plan is to have, without question, the most thoroughly trained, highly skilled workforce in our industry when the next resurgence begins. Recent achievements, such as those below, tell us we are right on track. First, all of our branch operations have recently held graduation ceremonies for employees completing the OJT helper program. In all, some 48 “trainees” completed the first year helper program and were honored. Since this is a selfpaced program more trainees are in line and will graduate throughout the coming months. In addition, a career path that takes a Marek employee from helper to foreman has been completed and will be a big plus in recruiting, employee retention and keeping employee development on track. Recently placed on the career path is a mechanic certification. Pilot certification testing was recently performed to ensure the test appropriately measured and

tested for the knowledge necessary to be a drywall mechanic.

and better talent to its customers who represent a number of different construction trades.

Marek tested 90 journeymen, of which 64, or 71%, passed the test that has an average pass rate of 47%. The certification allows for us to identify areas where competency has been achieved and where improvement is needed. This will allow us to focus our training in targeted areas so that all employees can have certified competencies.

It is hoped that these classes will lay the foundation for the development of a number of other entry-level workers courses, as well as advanced training and task specific training for our trades through Lone Star College. We look forward to everything that will likely develop from this important partnership.

Perhaps, most newsworthy of all is a fiveweek entry-level Drywall Class starting this Fall at Lone Star College. MBS Houston joined three other drywall contractors to assist Lone Star in creating the program that will include 80 hours of training, most of which will be hands-on in a lab setting.

So, while we do see a bump in the road just ahead, we at Marek are keeping a long-term perspective. After 70 years in business, we are no strangers to the valleys that are an inevitable part of this exciting industry. We also understand the wisdom in being prepared for the opportunities that liebeyond.

The first class begins September 29 and will have 16 students attending the class four hours a night, four nights a week for five weeks. Upon ■ completion, each student is guaranteed an interview and in all likelihood will receive a job offer of $11 - $12 per hour. Two more classes are presently scheduled for the Spring semester 2010. This will allow entry-level workers coming in the door to have basic skills in place that will justify the higher beginning wage that is needed to attract them into our industry in the first place. In addition, it will shorten their learning curve once aboard as they are placed on the career path for mechanic certification and beyond. I can't help but feel that everyone wins under such a scenario. In addition to the drywall classes, a sheet metal course using the same format will be taught with two sessions in the Fall and one next Spring. Both of these endeavors were originally spearheaded by MEMCO in an effort to provide more

Stan

MENSAJE DE STAN

By Stan Marek - Translated by Jose Urdanivia No cabe ninguna duda de que nos encontramos con una economia bastante lenta. Texas y especialmente Houston, han sido de los ultimos bastiones en sentir sus efectos. Yo creo que no es negar que tiempos dificiles no estan lejanos. La tendencia natural de companias (y con todo su derecho) es comenzar a buscar medios de reducir gastos hasta que el trabajo se levante nuevamente. Lo que vimos en el pasado es que entre los primeros de ser eliminados se encuentra el presupueslo para el entrenamiento. Pero esto no sera el caso en Marek, nuestra fuerza es y seguira siendo nuestra genie. En una industria de labor intensiva como la nuestra, una fuerza de trabajo altamente especializada es imperativa para tiempos dificiles asi como de abundancia. En reconocimiento de esto, nosotros estamos comprometidos en los esfuerzos necesarios para el desarrollo de nuestra fuerza de trabajo y continuaremos en un camino mucho mas grande todavia Hemos tenido un buen numero de recientes sucesos y i anticipamos aun mas sucesos en un fiituro cercano. Nuestro plan es tener sin ■ lugar a dudas, la mejor, mas altamente entrenada, especializada fuerza de I ■trabajo en nuestra industria cuando empiece el siguiente resurgimiento. Logros recientes que senalamos abajo nos indican que nos encontramos en el camino correcto.

Primero, en las operaciones de todas nuestras diferentes ramas recientemente hemos tenido ceremonias de graduacion para empleados completando el OJT programa de ayudantes. Entre todas, algunos 48 “entrenados ” completaron el primer afio del curso para ayudantes y fueron distinguidos. Desde que este es un programa auto controlado, mas entrenados se encuentran en linea y graduaran los meses venideros.

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Ademas la trayectoria en la carrera de un empleado de Marek, desde ayudante a

supervisor ha sido completado y esto sera de una gran ayuda para reclutar, retener y mantener el desarrollo del empleado dentro de sus carriles. Recientemente se ha puesto en esta trayectoria de la carrera una certificacion mecanica, prueba piloto de certificacion recientemente llevada a cabo para asegurar que la prueba sea apropiadamente medida y aprobada con el conocimiento necesario para ser un mecanico del drywall. Marek ha probado 90 trabajadores oficiales, de los cuales 64, o el 71%, pasaron la prueba que tiene un average de aprobacion del 47%. La certificacion nos ayuda a identificar areas donde la competencia ha obtenido exito y donde necesitamos mejorar. Esto nos permitira enfocar nuestro entrenamiento en areas determinadas asi todos los empleados pueden tener competencias certificadas. Quiza la mejor noticia de todo esto son las cinco semanas de las clases de drywall, quecomenzaran este otono en el Colegio Lone Start. MBS Houston se junto con otras 3 companias contratistas en drywall, para ayudar a Lone Start creando un programa que incluye 80 horas de entrenamiento, con la mayor parte que sera manual en un laboratorio preparado para este aspecto. La primera clase empezara el 29 de Septiembre y tendra 16 estudiantes que atenderan las clases cuatro horas por noche, cuatro noches por semana durante cinco semanas. Una vez terminadas las mismas, cada estudiante tiene garantizada una entrevista y con toda probabilidad recibira una oferta de trabajo que pagara entre $11 y $12 dolares la hora. Dos clases mas estan programadas para el semestre de Primavera del 2010. Esto permitira atraer a trabajadores,llegando para adquir los conocimientos basicos que justificaran los salarios altos para comenzar que se necesitan para atraerlos a nuestra industria en primer lugar. Ademas ello

acortara su curva de aprendizaje y una vez Iadentro y ubicados en el camino de la carrera sera para algo mas que una certificacion mecanica. Lo siento pero no puedo dejar de sentir que cada uno gana en este escenario. En adicion a las clases de drywall, un curso para trabajar con metales, con el misrno formato sera ensenado tambien con dos sesiones, una en el Otono y la otra en la Primavera. Estos dos intentos fueron originalmente iniciados por MEMCO en un esfuerzo para proveer mas y mejor talento para nuestros clientes, quienes representan un buen numero de las diferentes ramas de la construccion. Tenemos la esperanza de que estas clases seran la piedra fundamental de otros cursos para trabajadores principiantes, como tambien un entrenamiento avanzado y especializado para nuestros diferentes ramos a traves del Colegio Lone Star. Estaremos pendientes de todo lo que se desarrollara de esta importante sociedad. Asi es que, mientras vemos un escollo adelante en el camino, nosotros en Marek vemos una perspectiva a largo plazo. Despues de 70 aiios en este negocio, no somos extranos a los baches que son una parte inevitable en esta industria exitante. Tambien entendemos la sabiduria de estar preparados para las oportunidades que se encuentran adelante.

Stan