INSIGHTS
Insights 3539 Oak Forest Drive, Suite 200 Houston, Texas 77018 ATLANTA Marek Interior Systems, Inc. (MIS)
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MAREK FAMILY OF COMPANIES
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)
MD ANDERSON PROTON THERAPY CENTER EXPANSION
HOUSTON Marek Brothers Company (MBC) Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) Oak Forest Lumber & Supply Company (OFL) Stanley Construction Company
Cancer research never stops, and doctors and scientists are always finding new ways to both fight and prevent this disease every day. Houston is fortunate to be home to several of the country’s leading research facilities, and we at MAREK are partnering with the Gilbane Building Company for a second, brand-new Proton Therapy Center located at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
SAN ANTONIO Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. (MBS) SAN ANTONIO/RIO GRANDE VALLEY Marek Brothers Systems (MBS)
MAJOR PROJECTS: HOUSTON
Though conflict and warfare are sadly still ever-present in the world, we continue to study and research ways to minimize loss of life and maximize deterrents. One such location that will soon lead the way in these fields will be the Texas A&M University Innovative Technologies Development Complex. Located on the TAMU Rellis Campus in Bryan, TX, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station will work in collaboration with the Army Futures Command as its central hub, where the newest and most innovative ideas for modernizing the Army are tested and evaluated.
capabilities through soldier feedback. MAREK Houston is honored to do our part, contributing with fireproofing, ceilings, window shades, and wall panels. We want to recognize Charlie Gremillion, Kyle Ishimoto, Bradley Moore, Krista Sayre, Davis Sprague, and Art Villareal for their work on this project. Vaughn Construction is GC, and Architect is Energy Architecture.
This project is a free-standing addition to the existing Proton Therapy Center built in 2004. The Proton Therapy Center No. 2 will be approximately 74,000 sf once completed and is predominately a four-vault concrete structure with an attached structural steel clinical area. It will be located adjacent to the existing Proton Therapy Center, with a service driveway separating the facilities at street level and a skybridge connecting the building, to minimize disruption to the existing facility.
Miguel Mireles and Joey Watson; Jose Turcios is PM; Art Villarreal is Acoustical Superintendent; Acoustical PM is Andy Chien; Jacinto Tamayo and Joey Buxton are Paint Superintendents; Paint PM is David Mauzy; Gustavo Nino and Tony Aguilar are Fireproofing Superintendents; and Fireproofing PM is Charlie Gremillion. Work on this project began August 2020 and will be completed May 2021. GC is Gilbane Building Company, and Architect on the project is Stantec. The fight against cancer will never end, and we at MAREK are proud to be a part of that fight. COMPANY EVENTS
HAPPENINGS
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ATLANTA We all hit the links for the MAREK Atlanta Customer Appreciation Golf Tournament, held October 9, 2020. It was a great day for 18 holes! MAREK Atlanta is also honored to have won First Place for the AGC Build Georgia Specialty Contractor Award. We won for our work on the State of Georgia Judicial Complex project. Congratulations to everyone involved!
This will be done by utilizing the facilities to develop, test, and evaluate next-generation tactical networks, autonomous vehicles, and augmented and virtual reality lab, along with many other cutting-edge projects. When finished, the complex will total 79,500 sf over three floors. Work on this project began in November 2019 and will be completed April 2021.
MAJOR PROJECTS: PROJECTS: HOUSTON DALLAS MAJOR
The Heights is one of the earliest planned communities in Texas, located in the northwest-central area of Houston. We’re excited to partner with Greystar, one of the largest developers in the country, to work on Chase Heights, a multifamily project consisting of 284 units. Chase Heights will consist of two levels of concrete podium with five levels of apartment units on top. The first two levels of the concrete podium make up the parking garage and amenities. Gary Marek is PM on the project, with Edmund Gutierrez Metal Framing Superintendent, and Arturo Hernandez Drywall Superintendent. Greystar is GC, and Meeks & Partners is Architect. Work began in August 2020 and will be completed May 2021.
MAREK will provide the drywall, acoustical tiles, paint, and fireproofing scopes, using exterior sheathing, tile backer board, and shaftliner, in addition to the typical sheetrock. Epoxy paint at Gantries will also be used along with the typical wall paint. Drywall Superintendents on the project are
Upon completion, the ITDC will aim to shorten the time it takes to get emerging technologies from the lab to the field and maximize technology Page 8
FALL 2020
MAREK Houston is currently involved in a complete remodel of Level 18 of the Texas Children’s Hospital West Tower to create a new radiology floor. The scope of this project covers treatment rooms, included IR, procedure, MRI, and RF rooms, along with exam and support rooms as well.
ATLANTA The Chick-Fil-A campus in Atlanta spans 73 woodland acres and is a major employer in the city. As they continue to expand and improve their grounds, MAREK Atlanta has been brought on to assist in the renovation of their first floor atrium, restrooms and backstage areas. Work began September 2020 and will be completed November 2020. Brian Skinner is PM on the project, and Thomas Purdue is Drywall Supervisor. GC on the project is Choate Construction.
HOUSTON MAREK is coming to completion on the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Campus Expansion. The MFAH Kinder Exhibit Hall is a three-story project covering approximately 250,000 sf. This has been an intensive project, starting in August 2018 and will be completed November 2020. Our teams are completing the perimeter walls, shaftwalls, rated enclosures, and radius ceiling framing designed by Radius Track. Drywall Superintendents are Dave McMillan and Jaime Ramos; Finisher Superintendent is Dennis Castellon; Superintendent is Terry Holcombe; Project Coordinator is Joel Marek; and Drywall PM is Matt Grindstaff. GC on the project is McCarthy Building Company, and Architect is Steven Holl Architects.
Work began in July 2019 and will be completed December 2020. Andres Guerra and Walter Merlos are Drywall Superintendents; Josh Marek is Drywall PM; Obed Munoz is Paint PM; Frank Zerrath, Darrell Walker, and Joey Buxton are Paint Superintendents; Kyle Brown is Fire Stopping Superintendent; Scott Wesley is Fire Stopping PM; Blake Vacek is Shade PM; and Henry Conley and Krista Sayre are Shade Superintendents. GC is W.S. Bellows and Architect is WHR Architects. MAREK has been working with W.S. Bellows and Texas Children’s Hospital for over 25 years, and we have partnered together on multiple ground-up hospitals, vertical expansions, and remodels. We look forward to many more projects with W.S. Bellows and TCH in the future. Drywall Superintendent Paul Trujillo has helped to spearhead this project with thorough planning, and his team exceeded expectations by beating the budget and taking care of customers, executing the plan flawlessly. Superintendents on this project are Walter Merlos, Joey Buxton, and Krista Sayre; Frank Zerrath is Paint Superintendent; Henry Conley is Window Shade Superintendent; Estimators are James Newman (Drywall), Winn Martin (Paint), and John Bunce (Window Shades); and PMs are Jay Lee (Drywall), Obed Munoz (Paint), and Blake Vacek (Window Shades). Work began last year and will be finished in 2020. GC on the project is W.S. Bellows, and Architect is FKP/Cannon Design. AUSTIN MAREK Austin has been brought on for a two-story interior finish-out for the new shell and core headquarters of the Greater Texas Federal Credit Union, totaling 49,987 sf. We will be handling numerous specialty products, including Rulon flat veneer panels and panel grille ceilings, 3form Clario clouds, MozDesign Page 2
metal panels, Soelberg sculpted wall panels, G&S fabric wrapped panels, and a two-story 3form acrylic panel wall. Nathan Watt is the Superintendent, and we also want to recognize Ernesto Garnica, Enrique Luna, Adan Cruz, and Mayra Rivera for their involvement. NewGround is both the GC and Architect on the project. Work began September 2020 and will be completed December 2020. . DALLAS Work is currently underway on a 15-story, single-tenant, ground-up construction. This 360,000-sf highend office buildout, along with core & shell construction, will serve as a “field screen” overlooking the Dallas Cowboys practice fields, with Keurig/ Dr. Pepper occupying the entire building. This is the fourth project MAREK has done as part of the Dallas Cowboys Frisco training complex, and we will be providing metal studs, drywall, acoustical ceilings, wood ceilings, fabric panels, sound baffles, and shades. Work on this project began March 2020 and will be completed March 2021. David Smith is Drywall Division Manager, Tyler Mathers is PM, and Juan Valdez is Project Supervisor. Manhattan Construction is GC, and Architects are HKS (Core) and Corgan (Interiors). BIRTHS HOUSTON
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MAREK’s Talent Development family just got a little bit bigger! Learning and Development Lead Shannon Davis gave birth to beautiful Olive Faye on September 11th. Congratulations Shannon and Ben, we couldn’t be happier for these first-time parents. ATLANTA Congratulations to MEMCO Solutions Nashville Branch Manager Jeff Segroves and wife Rachele, as they welcomed baby boy Henry Allen Segroves.
MENSAGE DE
STAN Mientras conducía por mi vecindario el sábado pasado, me sentí contento y sorprendido con el rápido progreso de una nueva escuela primaria en mi vecindario. Dado que mis tres hijos asistieron a la escuela original y muchos de mis dólares de impuestos están pagando por la nueva, presté especial atención a la construcción. Miré las decenas de trabajadores que pasaban su sábado allí en lugar de con sus familias. Es genial que la escuela esté lista el próximo año, pero estando en la industria de la construcción, sé los sacrificios que estos hombres y mujeres hacen para completar la escuela tan rápidamente. La mayoría de los trabajadores son hispanos y latinos. Muchos pueden ser indocumentados. Pocos reciben un pago por hora o reciben el pago de horas extras de tiempo y medio exigido por las leyes federales de salarios. Pocos de ellos están protegidos por el seguro de compensación al trabajador si se lesionan porque están siendo clasificados como “contratistas”, no empleados por hora, al igual que su conductor de Uber. Y al igual que el conductor de Uber, como “empresarios” autónomos se supone que pagan impuestos por cuenta propia, similares a los impuestos sobre la nómina que pagan la mayoría de los propietarios de negocios, que financia los sistemas de Seguridad Social y Medicare. Pocos de estos trabajadores incluso saben acerca de estos impuestos, y aun así menos los pagan. Puede que no te importe, porque la escuela costará menos. Pero echemos un vistazo al impacto a largo plazo de una fuerza de trabajo con pocos empleados que han recibido habilidades y capacitación en seguridad de su empleador. Tal vez tendrán más accidentes, que, debido a que carecen del seguro de compensación de los trabajadores, los contribuyentes terminaremos pagando. Y tal vez el bajo precio significa que la calidad no está a la altura. Los defectos
de construcción latentes pueden aparecer años después de que se haya completado el proyecto. Eso significa un consto mayor en reparaciones en el futuro. Pero los mayores perdedores de esta práctica serán los niños que asisten a la escuela. Casi el 34 por ciento de los graduados de secundaria no van a la universidad, según la Oficina de Estadísticas Laborales. Entre los hispanos y los negros, las cifras son aún más altas: casi 37 por ciento y 49 por ciento, respectivamente. Estos son números de los que pocos educadores quieren hablar. Con más de 700,000 indocumentados en el área metropolitana de Houston, muchos empleos, incluidos los que construyen la escuela de mi vecindario, están llenos de inmigrantes que trabajan por salarios deficientes sin trayectoria profesional. Si esos eran trabajos que pagaban por hora y ofrecían una trayectoria profesional, los chicos de secundaria serían más propensos a tomarlos y comenzar una carrera que ayudaría a construir nuestra ciudad, o a reconstruirla después de otro desastre natural como el huracán Harvey. Hay muchos de nosotros en la industria de la construcción trabajando con distritos escolares y colegios comunitarios alrededor del estado que ofrecen pasantías a jóvenes y personas de la tercera edad en la escuela secundaria. Los programas están funcionando, pero necesitamos más gente para involucrarnos. El mayor obstáculo es que inicialmente puede costar más para su proyecto. Los caminos profesionales, después de todo, no son baratos. Pero ayuda a pensar en el gasto más alto no como un costo, sino como una inversión, y la inversión en trabajo de mayor calidad, así como una inversión en trabajadores para el futuro. Desafío a todos los propietarios públicos que utilizan nuestros dólares de impuestos para financiar la construcción de sus proyectos para ordenar que un cierto número de trabajadores sean internos o graduados de un programa de pasantes. Eso crearía la demanda que podría estimular a más contratistas a involucrarse y dejar de depender de la mano de obra “barata”.
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Además, hay programas disponibles para los propietarios públicos y privados para asegurar que cada trabajador es pagado por hora (con horas extras cuando corresponda), con los impuestos sobre la nómina deducidos, capacitación de habilidades proporcionada, capacitación en seguridad obligatoria y seguro para cubrir lesiones en el trabajo. Nuestros estudios han demostrado que la diferencia de costos de construir empleos de la manera “correcta” es insignificante a largo plazo debido a la mejora de la productividad y una mejor calidad a lo largo de la vida del edificio. Estos programas crearán los trabajos que los pasantes pueden llenar y disfrutar de una trayectoria profesional hacia una vida mejor. Todos ganan. Todo lo que necesitamos es comprometernos para hacerlo realidad. Stan
MESSAGE FROM
STAN
As I drove through my neighborhood last Saturday, I was amazed by the rapid progress of a new elementary school in my neighborhood. Since all three of my children attended the original school and my tax dollars are paying for the new one, I paid special attention to the construction. I looked at the scores of workers spending their Saturday working instead of being with their families. It’s great the school will be ready next year, but being in the construction industry, I know the sacrifices these men and women make to complete the school so quickly. Many construction industry workers are Hispanic or Latino. Many may be undocumented. Of those, few are being paid hourly or receive the timeand-a-half overtime pay mandated by federal wage and hour laws, and few are protected by worker’s compensation insurance if injured because they are classified as contractors, not hourly employees…just like your Uber driver. And just like your Uber driver, as self-employed “entrepreneurs” they are supposed to pay self-employment taxes similar to the payroll taxes most business owners pay; these fund the Social Security and Medicare systems. Few of these workers know about these taxes, and even fewer pay them. You may not care because this means the school will cost less, but let’s look at the long-term impact of a workforce with few employees who have received skills and safety training from their employer. Maybe they will have more accidents, and because they lack worker’s compensation insurance, we taxpayers will wind up paying for it. And maybe the low price means the quality isn’t up to par; latent construction defects can show up for years after the project is completed. That means higher repair bills in the future. But the biggest losers of this practice will be the kids who attend the school. According to Bureau of Labor statistics, almost 34% of high school graduates do not go to college. Among Hispanics and Blacks, the numbers are
even higher: almost 37% and 49%, respectively. These are numbers few educators want to talk about. With more than 700,000 undocumented people in the greater Houston area, many jobs – including those building my neighborhood school – are filled by immigrants working for substandard wages with no career path. If those were jobs that paid by the hour and offered a career path, high school students would be more likely to take them and begin a career that would help build our city…or rebuild it after another natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey. There are many of us in the construction industry working with school districts and community colleges around the state offering internships to high school juniors and seniors. The programs are working but we need more people to get involved. The biggest obstacle is that initially it may cost more for your project. Career paths, after all, aren’t cheap. It helps to think of the higher expense not as a cost, but as an investment: an investment in both higher quality work and future workers. I challenge all public owners who use our tax dollars to fund the construction of their projects to mandate that a certain number of workers be interns or graduates of an internship program. This would create the demand that might spur more contractors to get involved and quit relying on ‘cheap’ labor. In addition, there are programs available for public and private owners to ensure that every worker is paid by the hour (with overtime when applicable), with payroll taxes deducted, skills training provided, safety training mandated, and insurance for on-thejob injuries. Our studies have shown that the cost difference of building jobs the “right” way is negligible in the long run because of improved productivity and better quality over the life of the building. These programs will create jobs that interns can fill and enjoy a career path to a better life. Everyone wins. All we need is a commitment to make it happen. Stan
Work on this project will be completed January 2021. JE Dunn Construction is GC, with Herr Architects as the Architect.
MAJOR PROJECTS: ATLANTA
Pinnacle Financial Partners recently opened its first building in Atlanta, and MAREK is part of that construction. We are involved in a buildout of a half floor of Level One and a full floor of Level Five. Level One will cover 5,800 square feet to include a row for financial specialists to serve daily needs, private offices for financial advisors, and safe deposit boxes. Level Five overlooks the Cumberland area and new Atlanta Braves stadium and is nearly 26,000 square feet of office space for leadership, financial advisors, and support associates. The scope of the work performed by our skilled MAREK professionals includes newly constructed conference rooms, office spaces, and corridors, as well as a large learning center. Our overhead work features Armstrong ceiling systems supported by deck high walls throughout the interior spaces. We are also patching and finishing existing walls, columns, and exterior window conditions to accommodate the new ceiling heights and where base moldings were removed throughout both levels. Aris Matteis is PM on the project, and Bill Pallino, Rick Jecker, and Nick Pallino are Superintendents. Work began in June 2020 and will be completed November 2020. GC on the project is Leapley Construction, and Hastings Architecture, LLC is Architect.
DALLAS MAREK is involved in phase two of construction on JPMorgan Chase’s 12-story office tower in Plano. This 540,000-sf high-rise will help JPMC expand their workforce by 4,000 workers in the Plano campus. AUSTIN Work has begun on a build-out of offices, conference rooms, and a law library at the DLA Piper Law Firm. DLA Piper occupies the top two floors of 303 Colorado in downtown Austin, taking the space vacated by Parsley Energy. This 43,622-sf project consists of Rockfon acoustical tile throughout, Sky acoustics panels in the lounge/conference area; we will also be utilizing elevator studs due to a 17’ deck on the 30th floor. Superintendent on the project is Fernando Martinez, with Jesus Contreras, Miguel Lopez, Bernardo Torres, and Caspar Tejada also involved. GC on the project is Rand Construction, and Perkins + Will is the Architect. This project started October 2020 and will be completed February 2021. HOUSTON MAREK Houston will begin work next year working with a new GC for the first time. We are partnering with Journeyman, the largest multifamily developer in Austin, on a 294unit apartment complex, Avery Oaks Apartments. Cliff Marek is PM on the project, with Journeyman as GC and Cross Architects as Architect. Work is slated to begin March 2021 and will be completed October 2021. ATLANTA Work began in October on a full-floor office tenant buildout and design for the QTS Metro Data Center. Scope of the work will be comprised of deck high wallboard partitions, 2’ x 4’ acoustical ceiling grid systems, Conwed baffles, and cloud specialty structures overhead. Aris Matteis is PM on the project, with John Files as the Supervisor.
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This project includes various SPD scope, including manual and motorized Lutron roller shades, Turf acoustical baffles, custom banquette seating, Clarus magnetic glassboards, Scandinavian Spaces moss wall, Novawall stretched fabric wall, custom draperies, and Unika Vaev ecoustic wall panels. Tommy Weeks is Superintendent, Gregorio Cardenas is Foreman, and Alan Afaro Jr. is PM. GC on the project is Balfour Beatty, and Architect is HKS. Work on this project began April 2020 and will be completed February 2021.
CONDOLENCES HOUSTON On May 30th Frank Martin passed away. Frank worked as a Foreman Carpenter/ Door Man for over 30 years, but he was so much more than that to so many people. Frank was the epitome of dedication when it came to doing what he loved and showed that by working for over 35 years for MAREK under the guidance of men he held in the highest regard. ATLANTA We are sad to announce the passing of MAREK Drywall Lead Mechanic Mike Spence after losing his battle with cancer in September. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family, friends, and coworkers. He will be sorely missed. Page 3
MAJOR PROJECTS: DALLAS
MAREK Fort Worth has teamed up with Commerce Construction for a new, ground-up, multi-million-dollar luxury hotel in the 130-year-old Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District. The Hotel Drover is a rustic hotel built with old west design, consisting of 200 guest rooms and suites featuring reclaimed wood and handcrafted furnishings, a hotel lobby, retail space, a restaurant featuring reimagined ranch classics, meeting spaces, and an event barn. MAREK is providing all exterior framing, roof trusses, interior gypsum board partitions, building insulation, FRP, hollow metal door frames, and acoustical ceilings. This project spans six floors for a total of 162,786 sf. We will be using Type X moisture & mold resistant drywall, tile backer board, and GlassMat board. Ceilings will be approximately 90% hard lid ceilings and 10% Armstrong Kitchen Zone with aluminum grid. Nestor Hurtado is PM, with Everardo Garcia and Juan Ortiz as Foremen and Robert Brazel as Superintendent. Work on this project started September 2019 and will be completed January 2021. Commerce Construction is GC, with HKS, MAA, and Celano as the Architects. MAREK has developed great relationship with Commerce over the years and continues to assist on all their projects in the area. Here’s to a continued flourishing partnership.
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT ATLANTA by Jody Klodner, WFD Coordinator Congratulations to WFD Drywall Helper Trainee Joshua Youngblood, winner of MAREK Atlanta’s Craft Championships Competition. Participants included Emmanuel Garcia, Pablo Alfaro, Connor Nolan, and Andres Rivera. MAREK Atlanta Supervisors will soon participate in the Q4 Performance Evaluation training conducted by Craft Training Superintendent Stacy Gunderson. Finally, WFD Coaches Refugio Alfaro and Bernardo Dominguez received awards for their outstanding leadership in MAREK Atlanta’s WFD Craft Training efforts in 2020. This has been a challenging year, but we continue to succeed in the face of adversity. DALLAS By Pablo Zarate and Juan Martinez Hello, my name is Juan Martinez, I started working at MAREK four years ago. I joined the WFD program and am currently working as a Journeyman at Hotel Drover, located at the Fort Worth Stockyards under the directions of Everardo Garcia as Foreman. I have received training in the Spectra physics layout device – the main layout tool at this jobsite – and successfully completed ninety percent of the layout in this job. During this process I’ve had the opportunity to share my knowledge with coworkers on how to operate Spectra and took part in quality control. In this job I’ve realized the responsibility that comes with being the leader of a group, something I feel proud of. Being an important member on a project of this magnitude, I’ve felt the improvements in my person but still have much more to learn. My biggest motivation is to one day run a job this big while coming under budget. I’d also like to thank my
coaches Gabriel Martinez, Everardo Garcia, Juan Ortiz, Samuel Amado, Jesus Escamilla, and Pablo Zarate, who taught me techniques and have mentored me in this learning process, helping me improve. I love working at MAREK because they provide good learning opportunities and the training process is incomparable. Step by step, they give you the resources for success through tools, learning materials, and practice, and I impart this to new trainees: show up every day with a good attitude, open your mind to receive knowledge, and be ready to learn. AUSTIN By Ed Cheney, WFD Coordinator MAREK Austin’s WFD Program has partnered with the San Antonio WFD Program, along with the Adaptive Construction Services, to employ military veterans. Austin currently has four veterans enrolled in our WFD program and will be starting an apprentice program soon. HOUSTON By Whitney Martin The Houston Summer Internship Program was a success despite COVID-19. Our wins from this experience set the stage for developing a key, long-term pipeline for strong craft talent that will enable us to build and grow. We partnered with HISD’s Austin and Milby High Schools, where 16 MAREK Construction Academy students enrolled and participated in the program. Unfortunately, their planned start date coincided with the COVID-19 resurgence, so Workforce Development Superintendent Ricardo Menchaca, Arthur Ehmling Jr., and the rest of the team pulled out all the stops to create a dynamic virtual internship for the students. Special thanks to Alexander Juarez, Jessica Colindrez, Aurelio Flores, Rolando Sepulveda, Sarah Hilsher, and Jay Lee for being a key part of the success of this program. The students stated they were impressed by how interactive and organized the experience was and reported they were likely to work for MAREK in the future. SAN ANTONIO
By Gabriel Garcia, WFD Field Manager MAREK San Antonio has adapted to the changing world and all the challenges that come with COVID like champions! We Page 4
are maintaining a busy schedule and working closely with our employees to maintain their health and safety during this time. Workforce Development is taking on a more personal role at the new federal courthouse in San Antonio. We are working with coaches to take a closer look at best practices and develop collaborative problem-solving techniques. WFD is spending more time on developing future leaders like Juan Pablo Sandoval, who is currently working as a Lead Man with Superintendent Luis Lopez. We were honored to host high school interns Oscar Jiminez and Nick Aguillon over the summer. A big thank you and recognition goes to John Kruithof and Cruz Carreon for partnering with our interns and showing them the ropes! WFD started in-class training again in September, and we have been able to begin our basic math class and stilt training while maintaining proper social distancing. COVID-19 has presented a fair share of challenges, but we have been successful at overcoming and adapting; we are still growing and maintaining a robust workforce development program.
DALLAS
For three consecutive years, starting in 2017, Moises Sanchez, Jr. successfully supervised multiple projects in Midland, TX. The projects varied in scope and difficulty, from new ground-up construction to intricate interior remodels. Some of the projects were EOG Resources 2, EOG 1 Fitness remodel, Chevron Credit Union remodel, Chevron IOC remodel, and most recently the Concho Three project. Moises motivated the team and kept them strong during the duration of the projects while also keeping up with demanding schedules and multiple customers. Out-of-town projects tend to be more complicated in all aspects, from material and manpower logistics to requiring long hours and many weekends and nights. Moises has been with us since 2005 and is a valuable part of our family. We would like to thank Moises, his team, and their families for the sacrifices and efforts made in making these projects a success.
AUSTIN SuperintendentJoe Juarez has continued to grow and develop his leadership skills. Most recently he was put in charge of one of our most important roles, which involves layout using the QML Layout machine. With technology leading the way in our industry, using this machine on our job sites has been a huge benefit in schedule and production. Thanks Joe! ATLANTA We would like to recognize Drywall Superintendent Kyle McGrady, who celebrated 30 years of continuous service with MAREK Atlanta this year. Hired June 10, 1990, Kyle has been a key member of our “Big Job” team for many years and his resume includes many of the largest landmarks in Atlanta, including Emory University, Mercedes Benz Stadium, and most recently Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We congratulate Kyle on 30 years with the company and wish him many more.
PEOPLE
NEWS ATLANTA We want to welcome new MEMCO Solutions Account Representative Amy Jenkins to the team. Welcome aboard! Congratulations to Accounts Payable Manager Ally Tymkew on her October 31 marriage. HOUSTON Arturo Huerta started at MAREK in July 2020 as a Field Supervisor. Arturo previously worked with Commercial Metals Company as an Inside Salesman and graduated from Texas A&M in 2017 with a degree in Industrial Distribution. Jesus Arellano began working at MAREK in August 2017 as a Drywall Helper and was recently promoted to Assistant Customer Service Representative in March 2020. Jesus will graduate from Lone Star College in May 2021 with a degree in Construction Supervision.
Tyler Harding started at MAREK in September 2020 as an Account Manager. Tyler previously worked an estimator and an account manager in the oil and gas industry after graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2014. Daniel Mitchell began working at MAREK in June 2020 as an Account Manager. Daniel is a recent Graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Communications. Chasity Ayala started at MAREK in August 2020 as a Credit Administrative Assistant. Chasity has over 20 years of administrative experience in the construction and oil industry. Ryan Smith recently joined our team as a Learning and Talent Development Business Partner. Ryan has ten years of experience in learning design and development for sales, engineering, repair/ maintenance, and manufacturing with previous experience in the oil and gas industry. SAN ANTONIO We want to send our best to Executive Assistant Glenda Dupler, who has retired after 20 years of service with MAREK. Thank you for all your work, we’ll miss you! Likewise, we also want to congratulate Superintendent Alfred Ramos, who is retiring after 32 years of service with MAREK. Your hard work and years of service will not be soon forgotten. Best of luck to whatever lies ahead! AUSTIN Welcome the new addition to MAREK Austin’s branch: Estimator/PM Garrett Yates. Garrett is a graduate of Tarleton State University and he brings experience from a General Contractor’s perspective to the team. Page 5
MAJOR PROJECTS: AUSTIN L. C. Anderson High School in Austin was first opened in 1889 as part of the Robertson Hill School. At the time, “Old Anderson” was Austin’s first school for black students. For over 80 years it was the premier school in the city’s east side until 1971, when a federal judge ordered it closed as part of desegregation. In 1973, the
new, integrated L. C. Anderson High School was opened at the current location.
Fast forward to 2017, as Austin voters approved a bond measure for the construction of the Eastside Memorial Early College High School and International High School in the same location, the first ground-up school to be built in nearly two decades. We at MAREK Austin are honored to be a part of this new four-story modern campus, totaling 167,500 sf. We will be responsible for both the interior and exterior drywalls, along with Certainteed Symphony acoustic tiles, and MBI Cloudlite baffles. Eric Lumsden and Joe Juarez are Superintendents, and Anthony Holder is Lead Man. GC on the project is Candace McShane, while Architect is Perkins + Will. Work began February 2020 and will be completed May 2021. With STEM-focused curriculum, the campus will feature technologically-equipped learning spaces, as well as student-focused classrooms, two gymnasiums, a sensory garden, and a premiere health science lab, providing students with pathways to the future through a strong vision of academic excellence, multiculturalism, and community connectivity. We can’t wait to see the finished product!