Subcontractors USA Journal 29

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TEXAS JOURNAL

W W W . S U B C U S A . C O M

Architecture | Construction | Education | Energy | Engineering | IT | Manufacturing | Oil and Gas | Petrochemical | Transportation

August 2018 | Advertising for Certified Women, Veteran & Minority-Owned Subcontractors | 29th Edition

From Left to Right: Councilman Floyd Emery, City Manager Anthony Snipes, Mayor Allen Owen

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: MISSOURI CITY’S PLAN TO GROW ITS SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY 16-17

INSIDE

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HOUSTON! NAMC University Lunch & Learn Series – Contracts, Legal & Admin

22 Contractors: Three Points to Consider in Serving Residential Clients a Year after Hurricane Harvey

DFW Airport Receives DOT Commitment for $180 Million U.S. Secretary of Transportation presents Letter of Intent for infrastructure projects

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PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

MR. D-MARS CERTIFIED:

HMSDC

The Subcontractors USA Texas Journal highlights opportunities and news relevant to the construction, energy, architecture, manufacturing, education, engineering, oil and gas, transportation and IT industries we serve. We hope you find this issue not only informative, but inspiring and educational as well.

This month’s issue spotlights the Doing Business with Missouri City program. This program was created by Missouri City to show the importance of affording small businesses and vendors the opportunity to bid on contracts awarded by the City. They

Port of Houston

Metro

BEHIND THE JOURNAL

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tiffany Brown PROJECT COORDINATORS Carly Hammack Lindsey Ford PHOTOGRAPHY Grady Carter L.C. Poullard ART DIRECTOR Angel Rosa GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Wiseman

— Colin Powell

City of Houston

HISD

04

06 CONSTRUCTION 06 Tips for a Successful Young Professionals Event

08 ENERGY 08 ExxonMobil Starts Up New Ethane Cracker in Baytown, Texas 08 Natural Gas: Fueling the Future 10 IN THE SUBCONTRACTORS USA COMMUNITY...

10 NAMC Luncheon 7.20.18 10

08

14 OIL & GAS 14 Lime Rock Resources to Acquire Oil and Gas Producing Properties in Texas

16-17 COVER STORY 16-17 Cover story 22 PERMITS 22 Contractors: Three Points to Consider in Serving Residential Clients a Year after Hurricane Harvey

26

HUB

VBE

DBE

OUR SERVICES

04 ARCHITECTURE 04 Efficiency, Stress, and Opportunity: What IPAL Offers Aspiring Architects

DISTRIBUTION Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Helen Callier Subcontractors USA News Provider

“There are no secrets to success.

It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER & CEO Keith J. Davis, Sr. COO & MANAGING EDITOR Kimberly Floyd

held a Small Business Policy Workshop, attended by over 150 citizens, businesses and stakeholders, to help businesses begin strategizing to purse competitive bid contracts and learn about the steps necessary for building business relationships with the City.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Subcontractors USA Texas Journal. When you support us, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

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26­ TRANSPORTATION 26 DFW Airport Receives DOT Commitment for $180 Million U.S. Secretary of Transportation presents Letter of Intent for infrastructure projects

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ARCHITECTURE

Efficiency, Stress, and Opportunity: What IPAL Offers Aspiring Architects

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

T

he road to architectural licensure is long and rigorous. The minimum requirements include 3,740 hours of experience under a licensed architect’s supervision, 21 hours practical exams and graduation from an accredited architecture program of at least five years.

Yet according to recent statistics from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), it currently takes an average of 12.5 years to achieve licensure, a record low that will only get lower thanks to the relatively new IPAL — Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure — program.

The program streamlines the three required elements of architectural licensure — education, experience and examination — into one curriculum. Under the program, by the time an architecture student graduates they will have completed both their AXP experience hours and ARE exams. Since launching in 2015, IPAL programs have been offered at 21 schools nationwide, including six bachelors programs.

In May, three students from the University of Florida CityLab-Orlando became the first IPAL students to meet requirements for licensure while earning a degree.

“The IPAL program is one of the most significant changes in architectural education,” says CityLab-Orlando Program Director Frank M. Bosworth, AIA. The graduates — Justin Jablonski, Assoc. AIA, Michael Germano, AIA and Phillip Lantry, Assoc. AIA — will receive their license, not years but weeks after their commencement.

“Balancing the three [components of licensure] was difficult, but I just decided at some point that I wanted to live and breathe architecture,” Lantry says.

Because of its time-consuming nature, the IPAL program may be best suited for graduate students like Jablonski, Germano and Lantry and especially beneficial for those pursuing a career change to architecture.

“IPAL was appealing because I could maintain fulltime employment, earn all of my experience hours and sit for the ARE while in school,” Jablonski says. “I enjoyed every minute of my experience in the program.”

However, undergraduate architecture students willing to participate in the IPAL program would certainly be sacrificing the college experience in exchange for a road to licensure that can be more than 50 percent shorter than the average.

The University of Southern California is one of the few architecture schools that offer an IPAL curriculum with its bachelor’s architecture program, and a mere glance at its six-year plan is overwhelming. The plan includes full-time studies in the fall and spring, with summers filled working to gain AXP experience and taking the various portions of the ARE exam.

Though as of yet there are no active IPAL programs at any Texas universities, some young architects have found ways to quickly achieve licensure without a streamlined program assisting them.

Lincoln Davidson, AIA, of Murray Legge Architecture in Austin is one of those, having obtained his license in a mere seven years by proactively taking his ARE exams upon graduating from UT-Austin in 2016.

“Getting licensure early and entering the profession can be a very valuable thing,” he said. “One of the problems in the profession is that being an unlicensed architect in a firm can be undermining, where you can be treated like an intern and not paid well.”

He says he appreciates how an accelerated licensure program could “give young architects the position to strive for things in the office and have a voice.”

However, Davidson does have some hesitations with the streamlined nature of the IPAL program.

“I think that time studying design in school is really important, and the most grueling, more minute issues that come up on the licensing exam could be a distraction,” he says.

Another young Texas architect, Chris Ferguson, AIA, of DO GROUP Design, also sees the practical benefits and potential consequences of an accelerated licensing program.

“Increased earning potential is a big motivator, as is the opportunity to gain more autonomy

and responsibility in an office,” he says.

But like Davidson, he has concern for the effect a streamlined licensure program will have on the quality of architectural education and the quality of architecture industry itself.

“Are we trying to make more architects? Or are we trying to make better architects?” Ferguson asks. “As anyone who has spent time in the design industry will tell you, ‘fast’ and ‘good’ are often at odds with each other.”

However, another potential effect of providing shorter paths to licensure is increased diversity within the profession, since newly released NCARB statistics show that non-white candidates are more likely than white candidates to fall off the path to licensure as the years go on.

While these statistics also showed that diversity in the industry has increased overall, the racial differences in terms of licensure are significant, with non-white candidates being 25 percent more likely to stop pursuing their license than white candidates.

A streamlined program such as IPAL could increase accessibility to licensure with its efficient track, and thus offer a greater diversity of people the opportunity to earn higher salaries.

“Through IPAL, schools and state licensing boards can offer an alternative path to licensure to a new and diverse pool of people,” the president of NCARB, Gregory L. Erny, FAIA, said at the IPAL Florida students’ graduation ceremony.

Yet there’s a common theme among this “new and diverse” group of people.

“IPAL students are exceptionally driven, eager to learn and committed to earning a license,” he says.

To survive, they simply have to be.

Source: Texas Architect

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CONSTRUCTION

Tips for a Successful Young Professionals Event

By Subcontractors USA

tives like “bring a potential new member and you get in free.” Make the extra effort to reach out to invitees who have not responded. If money is an issue, see if the chapter or another member’s company would consider sponsoring that person.

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S

o you know you want to attract, retain and add value to the young professionals in our industry, but where do you begin? How do you get them interested and engaged?

Young Professionals (YP) is a versatile term.

A Young Professional can be: • someone right out of high school or college • someone who has spent a few years in another field but is new to construction • someone who has recently come into the workforce (e.g. former stay-at-home moms) • someone who has been working in the industry for a few years, but may be new to NAWIC These are only a few examples, but the point is: the term is meant to be inclusive to a target audience, rather than exclusive to a specific age or number. Not every YP will have the same interests as others, and each city may have different attractions to offer. However, here are some things to consider when planning a Young Professionals event: 1. Avoid Stereotypes. Don’t discourage yourself by thinking that you don’t have the same interests or hobbies as any specific group of women. There are many YPs out there who would love to attend an event because of the venue (food/drink/event), the activity (craft/fitness/community service) or just to connect with other women who work in the construction industry.

2. Partner with Another Organization. A great way to get a larger audience is to partner with another organization in your area. There are several organizations that cater to women engineers and various contractor types, as well as those that focus on educating young women about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). You may also find organizations specifically for women in colleges or vocational schools that want to connect their young women with those experienced in the industry. If you haven’t heard of their organization, they may not have heard of NAWIC. And if you have heard of each other, what is stopping you from getting together for double the fun and double the outreach?

3. Be Adventurous. Try something new! If someone in your chapter or a YP

you are trying to engage has an idea for something “outof-the-box,” try it! You may end up having the time of your life, and the connections you make when you open yourself up will be greatly rewarding.

4. Be Considerate of Their Time. Some YPs may be continuing studies at night or even working a second job. Many have children or a family to get home to or a sports or fitness commitment. It may be helpful to do a little research with some of your members or target audience and plan around their availability. You won’t be able to cater to everyone, but you’ll get a lot more in attendance when you base the event around their lifestyle. For example, the Lexington-Bluegrass Chapter has alternating evening and lunch meetings for its diverse membership base.

5. Be Economical. Some members are lucky to have their companies pay for NAWIC events, but others are paying out of their own pockets. Some companies will pay for admission only but not “extras” like food, drink or parking. Try your best to make the event affordable or to offer incen-

6. What Would Their Boss Say? When a company chooses to invest its money and/ or the time of one of its YPs, they are probably going to ask how the event was. Make sure your YPs know the message: NAWIC is here for professional development, for networking and for industry certifications. It also enhances women’s careers, our industry and our communities.

Let them know how much value they can receive from their membership. Finally, it’s not a bad idea to thank the boss when you get a chance.

7. Become Genuinely Interested in Them. One thing many YPs encounter is feeling overwhelmed by an organization like NAWIC. There are so many women, so much experience and so many long-standing friendships. Where do they fit in? Take the time to connect with them. Get to know their story, their interests and what is important to them. Make them feel as though there is nothing you would rather be doing than spending your time getting to know them and make them feel included. This will keep them coming back.

8. Include Your Entire Chapter. A NAWIC Young Professionals event should not be for one lone member of NAWIC to host with a room full of “young” potential members. Invite the whole chapter.

Show these YPs what amazing value there is in our organization. Make sure your members know that it is everyone’s job to recruit and retain Young Professionals to ensure a bright future for NAWIC. 9. You’ve Tagged Them, But Now You’re It! It’s time to follow up. Get feedback from attendees and the people who planned the event on how the experience was for them. Note what worked, what kinks they experienced and how the event supported your chapter goals. Reach out to everyone who attended and thank them for their participation. Keep them connected.

Personalized notes are a great touch and make people feel special.

On a final note, the most important tip is to have fun!

It’s contagious. Excitement about NAWIC and your chapter can lead to more members, more volunteers and more overall enthusiasm.

Source: National Association of Women in Construction

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Are you the

About the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

H U B of our success?

The success of our agency rests on the quality of our employees and the businesses we choose to purchase and contract with for goods and services.

Each year the agency registers over 22 million vehicles; regulates vehicle dealers; credentials buses and big trucks for intrastate and interstate commerce; issues oversize and overweight permits; and awards grants to law enforcement agencies to reduce vehicle burglaries and thefts.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) is dedicated to working with women and minority-owned businesses and service-disabled veterans to create the top state agency for motor vehicle-related services in the country.

We know we can’t do it alone. We are looking for the best of the best to help us maintain our high quality standards and continue our evolution so that we are always the customer-driven state agency Texans can count on and deserve.

Our clientele is diverse and we want to reflect the diversity of Texas in everything we do. If you don’t know how to work with us, we’ll show you through the Mentor Protégé program.

We’re always here to answer any questions you may have, and we are in your corner when it comes to offering assistance.

We can’t promise your business will do business with us, but we can tell you we are looking for the HUBs of our success, and one of them might just be you.

For more information contact Email: DMV_ HUB@TxDMV.gov

(512) 465-1257 HUB Coordinator

Learn more about working with TxDMV by visiting www.TxDMV.gov/contractors-vendors

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(5 1 2 ) 4 6 5 -4 17 7 Asst. HUB Coordinator Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Finance & Administrative Services Division 4000 Jackson Avenue Austin, TX 78731 Office (888) 863-5881 Fax (512) 465-5641

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ENERGY

ENERGY

ExxonMobil Starts Up New Ethane Cracker in Baytown, Texas

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

E

xxonMobil said today that operations have commenced at its new 1.5 million ton-peryear ethane cracker at the company’s integrated Baytown chemical and refining complex.

The new cracker, part of ExxonMobil’s Growing the Gulf Initiative, will provide ethylene feedstock to new performance polyethylene lines at the company’s Mont Belvieu plastics plant, which began production in the fall of 2017. The Mont Belvieu plant is one of the largest polyethylene plants in the world, with manufacturing capacity of about 1.3 million tons per year.

construction jobs, 4,000 jobs in nearby communities and 350 permanent positions.

ExxonMobil is strategically investing in new refining and chemical-manufacturing projects in the U.S. Gulf Coast region to expand its manufacturing and export capacity. The company’s more than $20 billion Growing the Gulf expansion program consists of major chemical, refining, lubricant and liquefied natural gas projects at proposed new and existing facilities along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Investments began in 2013 and are expected to continue through at least 2022.

With the increase in chemical manufacturing and the industry’s need for more skilled workers, ExxonMobil has contributed more than $2 million over the last five years to the Community College Petrochemical Initiative, a training program offered by nine Houston-area community colleges to provide technical skills to high school graduates, returning military veterans and others.

About ExxonMobil

“Our new ethane cracker will help us meet the growing global demand for high performance plastic products that deliver key sustainability benefits such as lighter packaging weight, lower energy consumption and reduced emissions, further enhancing our competitiveness worldwide,” said John Verity, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “The abundance of domestically produced oil and natural gas has reduced energy costs and created new sources of feedstock for U.S. Gulf refining and chemical manufacturing while creating jobs and expanding economic activity in the area.”

Together, the Baytown ethane cracker and Mont Belvieu plant represent ExxonMobil’s largest chemical investment in the U.S. to date. Operations associated with the Baytown and Mont Belvieu projects are expected to increase regional economic activity by roughly $870 million per year and generate more than $90 million per year in local tax revenues. The two projects have created more than 10,000

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world.

Source: Exxon Mobile

Natural Gas: Fueling the Future

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

E

xxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods recently offered opening remarks at the World Gas Conference in Washington.

It was fitting that this year’s event took place in the United States. After all, the U.S. is both the world’s largest consumer and producer of natural gas. New supplies from America’s shale revolution are transforming global markets.

Below are five key takeaways from Wood’s speech: 1. Natural gas is boosting the U.S. economy Over the past 10 years, natural gas has emerged as a pillar of U.S. economic strength. Jobs are being created, and domestic manufacturing is flourishing, thanks in large part to lower energy costs.

2. Natural gas is a big part of the solution to our industry’s dual challenge How do we power the 21st century, while at the same time reduce emissions? One way is through the use of natural gas. It’s already helped lower U.S. CO2 emissions to levels not seen since the 1990s.

To help ensure the emissions-reduction promise of natural gas, ExxonMobil is taking steps to further cut greenhouse gas emissions in our own operations. These include a recently announced plan to cut methane emissions by 15 percent by 2020, focusing primarily on unconventional natural gas development and processing.

3. The benefits of natural gas can be expanded internationally The results seen in the U.S. don’t need to stop in the U.S. The growing LNG trade should help spread the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas widely in the years to come.

4. Policymakers need to develop a constructive framework to address climate change While developing a global framework that brings all nations together – something the Paris Accord sought to do – policymakers would do well to promote market solutions, including the emissions-reducing potential of natural gas.

5. Technology – as always – will be vital Technological innovation will help expand supplies and drive lower-emission energy solutions, including continued work on scalable carbon capture and storage to help further environmental progress.

Source: Exxon Mobile

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In the Subcontractors USA Community...

To View More Photos, Visit Our Website www.subcusa.com and Click on ‘Photo Gallery.’

Learn HOUSTON! NAMC University Lunch & Series – Contracts, Legal & Admin

Almeda-Genoa Constructors has a 12% DBE goal for qualified subcontractors, suppliers and service providers in its State Highway 288 expansion project. That's over $98 million worth of opportunities for qualified NAMC members!

They recently held a lunch and learn series to show NAMC members how to effectively WIN and profitably MANAGE contracts with Almeda-Genoa in this landmark project.

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A business built on diversity and inclusion broadens the customer experience.

DFW International Airport is an industry leader in partnering with diverse and inclusive businesses. We know from experience that working with multiple perspectives builds a world class Airport.

Contact our Business Diversity and Development team today.

DFW Airport - Business Diversity and Development | www.dfwairport.com/bdd

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OIL & GAS

Lime Rock Resources to Acquire Oil and Gas Producing Properties in Texas

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

L

ime Rock Resources, acquirers and operators of producing oil and gas properties in the United States, announced recently that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire oil and natural gas properties primarily in Montague, Wise, Denton and Cooke Counties in Texas for approximately $230 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The transaction represents Lime Rock Resources' first acquisition in the Fort Worth Basin. The transaction is expected to close by year-end 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

Eric Mullins, co-CEO of Lime Rock Resources, said, "The recent acquisition provides the Lime Rock Resources fund with an entry into the liquid-rich Barnett portion of the Fort Worth, which is a basin that we have been attracted to for several years. The acquisition comes with about 114,000 net acres and has relatively low associated water production rates."

Charlie Adcock, co-CEO of Lime Rock Resources, added, "We look forward to applying our operational improvement strategies to a property in a new basin. The assets provide the acquiring fund with robust cash flow and substantial horizontal development opportunities."

About Lime Rock Resources Based in Houston, the Lime Rock Resources team acquires, operates and improves producing oil and gas properties in the United States. The team has acquired properties in select oil and gas basins nationwide as it seeks to provide its investors with attractive long-term returns.

Established in 1998, Lime Rock Management has raised $8.6 billion in private equity funds for investment in the energy industry through Lime Rock Resources and Lime Rock Partners, both investors of growth capital in E&P and oilfield services companies.

For more information, please visit www.limerockresources.com.

SOURCE: Lime Rock Resources

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Jack May VP Alliance Business Development 7125 Belton Street Fort Worth, TX 76118 Office: 800-776-0491 Direct: 817-321-4028

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Doing Business in th

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

M

issouri City places great care in its businesses, large or small, and its growing population makes it an ideal place to start and grow a business. Designated as a “scenic” city, it is respected nationwide for its high-quality development requirements. The City sees importance in affording small businesses and vendors the opportunity to bid on contracts awarded by the City.

• Increasing the number of headquarters/ regional offices • Developing effective public – private partnerships that provide a return on investment

The Small Business Program, in order to encourage participation in the City procurement process, notifies all regional small businesses in the Houston-The WoodlandsSugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area on bids targeted towards a certain trade and service area and on access to at least two workshops or seminars to be held by the City every year.

Missouri City recently hosted its third annual “Doing Business with the City” workshop at the Community Center with more than 150 citizens, businesses, vendors and stakeholders in attendance.

This workshop was designed to give local contractors and businesses a chance to learn the steps necessary for building a business relationship with the city. Its target audiences were small businesses that have a principal location within the city limits or have 51 percent or more of assets and interests that are owned by a resident as well as small business owners looking to grow and individuals looking to start a small business.

The guests were able to:

• learn how prime commercial location can provide strategic value to their company • how to register as a vendor • how to purse competitive bid contracts

Through the development of a strategic plan, Missouri City has directed the focus to being a premier community that is inclusive, beautiful, safe and provides active and enjoyable living. One of the core goals in the strategic plan is to grow business investments in the City, holding to the idea that more businesses lead to more jobs.

Some of the objectives of this goal include:

• Creating a positive environment for business investment • Having a reputation as a "business friendly" City • Revitalizing/upgrading/removing/replacing older commercial centers • Developing an environment that supports startup businesses and their growth

Mayor Allen Owen, City Manager Anthony Snipes and staff from the Financial Services and Development Services Departments engaged guests with a comprehensive overview of municipal policies and procedures that exist to build commercial networks and expand growth citywide.

“Missouri City is open for business and looking to grow our economic development base with companies, large and small. Our growing population, dynamic diversity and strategic location in the

Harris and Fort Bend County regions make the City a sensible location for commercial enterprises,” City Manager Anthony Snipes said. “The Show Me City also offers an attractive incentive package to businesses and programs designed to help industries prosper.”

The “Doing Business with the City” series was able to partner with several organizations to make the program successful, including: • The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); • Fort Bend Independent School District’s Small Business Enterprise Program; • Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce; • Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce, Missouri City Chapter; • Wells Fargo; • Infodat, INC.; • Principal Financial Group; and • D-mars.com/Subcontractors USA

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he “Show Me City”

“Since 2012, the City’s Leadership Luncheon has brought together executives, entrepreneurs and innovators from throughout the region to discuss trends and challenges facing business leaders today,” said Communications Specialist III Adrianna Nixon. “The forum has been a resource to thousands and continues to provide a platform of partnership with value-driven dialogue.”

Also, at the Luncheon, Owen, Snipes and METRO Chair Thomas Lambert shared details of a new transportation initiative with METRO. The two entities will launch the MCTX Community Connector bus service within City limits. The personalized, curb-to-destination transport for “Show Me City” residents and visitors is an on-demand service that will allow individuals to travel anywhere within a zone, seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., all for $1.25. It will connect people to jobs, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, the new HCC Missouri City Campus and METRO’s local bus network.

Missouri City is taking strides to help businesses strategize and purse competitive contracts in order to strength and grow its community, and it will continue to pursue the mission of the City Government to provide municipal services in a financially responsible and customer friendly manner while engaging its residents.

“Missouri City is open for business and looking to grow our economic development base with companies, large and small.

—Anthony Snipes City Manager

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What We Do POSITION

ADVOCATE

CONVENE

our region to secure critical transportation funding at the local, state and federal levels.

for ALL modes of transportation to promote a healthy state of mobility.

our region’s industry experts, community leaders and elected officials to build consensus and unity on tr transportation needs.

EDUCATE . COMMUNICATE . ADVOCATE 1160 Dairy Ashford Suite 500 Houston, Texas 77079 832.459.5116

TAGHouston.org

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MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR

As one of the nation’s largest commercial builders, Turner is dedicated to providing avenues of opportunity for Minority- and Woman-Owned Businesses in Houston to achieve entrepreneurial success.

Our commitment to social responsibility and fair play is not just on paper; it is ingrained in our corporate culture. We are devoted to making sure the contributions that strengthen the local economy reflect the demographics of the community at large.

w w w. t u r n e rc o n s t r u c t i o n . c o m

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PERMITS

CONTRACTORS: Three Points to Consider in Serving Residential Clients a Year after Hurricane Harvey

By Helen Callier Contributing Writer

O

ne year after thousands of homes in Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and along the Gulf Coast were flooded and destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, the calls are still coming into our office for help with building permits.

For instance: disabled veterans asking if they have special benefits to pay for building permits; desperate homeowners that repaired their own homes and now requiring a permit to obtain an SBA home loan; single mothers looking for affordable places to live while their home is repaired; persons who obtained their Homeowners Association approval and left flat-footed on next steps for a City building permit; and questions like “Can you pull a trade permit for an electrician who is not licensed?”

---the stories continue.

Many of the homeowners that we spoke with had been informed by their contractors that they did not require a building permit. In some cases, this was true, yet for most of the callers, this was false while the homeowners scramble to get back to normal after one year of being displaced due to Hurricane Harvey.

We get it! We realize pulling jurisdictional permits is time consuming and can be frustrating most of the time. But cutting corners by failing to pull a building or repair permit causes your customer additional woes, undue stress and incurred higher costs.

The city of Houston alone has approximately 30,000 homes that require rebuilding from Harvey flooding.

And when combined with the other impacted cities along the Gulf Coast, contractors and subcontractors have a residential repair market worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars to pursue. Taking care of customers is priority one in building a sustainable business during this time. And this means pulling the required jurisdiction building and repair permits.

To assist you in this effort, here are three points to consider in serving residential clients a year after Hurricane Harvey.

Contact Your Industry Association: If have questions about certain building codes or the latest changes from the jurisdiction where your project is located, calling and meeting with the Industry Associations is a wise choice. Industry Associations typically have code experts on staff and can offer insights to assist you in avoiding pitfalls on projects. If you are not a member of an industry association, still make the call, as most Industry Associations are helpful to the building community to make sure quality work is being provided.

Call the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR): There is a known shortage of state licensed trade contractors in certain areas and to minimize any concerns, you can contact TDLR to check if a subcontractor is licensed and has an active license. TDLR licenses and regulates electrician, HVAC, towing and mold remediation. Visit www.tdlr.texas.gov or call toll free - (800) 803-9202 and on Twitter @TdlrLicense.

Post Permit on Job Site: The best way to assure your residential customers that repairs

and rebuilding efforts are being performed in accordance to City Permitting guidelines is to properly post building and repair permits. Your can also provide a copy to your customer for their records and possible use in obtaining home loans.

In Conclusion I humbly finish writing this article as I look out of my office window overlooking Lake Houston. We are still one of the few businesses that returned to Kings Harbor in Kingwood, TX, one of the hardest hit areas

by Harvey’s devastating floods. At least 17,000 homes were damaged in the area; and we hear the stories as many homeowners continue to recover.

As a contractor or subcontractor working in Kingwood, TX or in Corpus Christi or another impacted area in Texas, we encourage you to pull building and repair permits when required. Doing so helps you and the homeowner in the long run.

We are building permitting experts and we are grateful to be able to help the Gulf Coast rebuild after Harvey, one permit at a time.

Build Safe.

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TRANSPORTATION

DFW Airport Receives DOT Commitment for $180 Million U.S. Secretary of Transportation presents Letter of Intent for infrastructure projects

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

D

allas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport recently received a Letter of Intent from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) committing up to $180 million in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding for two end-around taxiway systems. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao delivered the Letter of Intent to the airport in person, underscoring the importance of investing in airport infrastructure.

"We're extremely grateful to the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Our productive partnership continues to identify innovative solutions that benefit the biggest air traffic management system in the world," said Sean Donohue, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. "[The] commitment of $180 million is further validation for the team from DFW, the FAA and NASA, who designed the concept of end-around taxiways more than a decade ago. When we work together, we improve the safety and efficiency of the airfield and create more capacity on our runways,

preparing us to better meet the growing demand for air travel in the United States."

"This investment in two new taxiways at the DallasFort Worth International Airport will help ensure more efficient movement of travelers and commercial goods through the fourth busiest airport in our nation," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

The next phase of the end-around taxiways is already under construction on DFW's northeast quadrant, with completion anticipated by 2021. DFW Airport's southwest quadrant taxiway is expected to be built by 2023.

The federal funding included in the Letter of Intent could cover up to half of the overall cost of the next two phases.

"In a global economy, infrastructure investment helps keep the Dallas Fort Worth region competitive," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. "One great way to do that is to make sure we get the most out of DFW Airport because it is vital to the transportation system of the United States and the world."

"These funding

commitments from the DOT and the FAA help make sure that DFW is ready for the future," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "It's all about maintaining our infrastructure and investing now to keep our airport and our region ahead of growing demand for air travel."

DFW opened its first end-around taxiway system on the southeast side of the airport in 2008.

End-around taxiways enable arriving aircraft to taxi around DFW's seven active runways rather than wait to cross them. The taxiways enhance safety because they virtually eliminate runway crossings, reducing the risk of possible incursions. End-around taxiways ultimately produce gains in runway efficiency and reduce overall taxi times for arriving aircraft.

The taxiway projects are a key part of DFW's overall 10-year infrastructure improvement plan, which includes enhancing or rebuilding runways, roadways, bridges and other major infrastructure needs on the airport grounds.

Separately, Secretary Chao also delivered a $31 million AIP grant for the rehabilitation of runway 17-C at the airport. Construction on runway 17-C is scheduled to be complete in 2019, with minimal disruption to customers.

About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: DFW Airport warmly welcomes more than 67 million customers along their journey every year, elevating DFW to a status as one of the most frequently visited superhub airports in the world. DFW Airport customers can choose among 176 domestic and 57 international nonstop destinations worldwide. DFW is elevating the customer experience with modernized facilities and updated amenities. Centered between its owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport also serves as a major economic generator for the North Texas region, producing over $37 billion in economic impact each year by connecting people through business and leisure travel. For more information, visit the www.dfwairport.com.

SOURCE: DFW International Airport

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