Subcontractors USA Journal 30

SUBCONTRACTORS

USA

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

September 2018 | Advertising for Certified Women, Veteran & Minority-Owned Subcontractors | 30th Edition

Roosevelt Petry, Jr. President and CEO GP Industrial Contractors, Inc.

JOINING THE ELITE: GP INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTORS, INC. RECEIVES ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFICATION 16-17

INSIDE

06

The State of Houston's Rebound

10

H-E-B announces plans to develop a world-class tech facility in Austin

26 Port Houston Jumps to Top 5 U.S. Container Ports

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PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

Keith J. Davis, Sr. 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 Roosevelt Petry, Jr. and his business, GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. received its 9001:2015 certification, which

Port of Houston

Metro

BEHIND THE JOURNAL

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

—Thomas Edison

City of Houston

04

PROJECT COORDINATORS Carly Hammack Lindsey Ford

10 OIL & GAS 10 July Marks 20th Consecutive Month of Upstream Oil and Gas Job Growth: 43% of Jobs Recovered

PHOTOGRAPHY Grady Carter L.C. Poullard

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Wiseman DISTRIBUTION Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Helen Callier Subcontractors USA News Provider

06

12

GRAPHIC DESIGN • Logos • Flyers • Ads • Folders • Brochures • Door Hangers

PHOTOGRAPHY • Headshots • Event Photography

16-17 COVER STORY 16-17 Joining the Elite: GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. Receives ISO 9001:2015 Certification

26

DBE

PRINTING • Business Cards • Flyers • Folders • Pull-up Banners • Step and Repeat Banners • Brochures • Door Hangers • Letterhead • Envelopes

12 TECHNOLOGY 12 H-E-B announces plans to develop a world-class tech facility in Austin

18 PERMITS 18 Five Ways To Get Your Building Permit Faster

VBE

ADVERTISING | MARKETING MEDIA | COMMUNICATION

06 CONSTRUCTION 06 The State of Houston's Rebound: How Smart-Growth is Helping the City Grow Up, Not Out 10 ENGINEERING 10 Houston Bond Issue Jump-Starts 237 Flood Control Projects

HUB

OUR SERVICES

04 ARCHITECTURE 04 Havel Ruck Projects’ Open House in Sam Houston Park 04 Morphosis Tapped to Design Texas Tech Universiteum

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tiffany Brown

ART DIRECTOR Angel Rosa

HISD

CONTENTS

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

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system.

Very few businesses receive this certification, so this now places GP in an elite group of businesses.

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.

16-17

22 TRANSPORTATION 22 Ready for the Next Harvey 26 Port Houston Jumps to Top 5 U.S. Container Ports 26 Transportation & The Texas Environment: It’s About Time For A Better Way

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ARCHITECTURE

Havel Ruck Projects’ Open House in Sam Houston Park

A longtime Houston artist collective has struck again.

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

D

an Havel and Dean Ruck of Havel Ruck Projects have been creating deconstructive art installations for more than a decade, utilizing neglected buildings destined for demolition. Their projects are artistic interventions into the architectural framework of derelict structures, warping their tectonic or material fabric to create interactive, unpredictable, and reorienting spaces.

The duo’s first Houston project was “O House” (1995). It transformed a small condemned home into a large-scale camera obscura.

Havel and Ruck gutted the interior, constructed a continuous circular wall to create a dark inner room, and drilled holes in the roof, letting in beams of light that cast projections of the trees and sky from outside. Like all their projects, the installation was temporary, in this case lasting two months before the house was demolished.

Since then, Havel and Ruck’s projects have inverted building structures, created sculptures from remnants of death-

rowed houses and scrap yard metals, created tunnel-like voids in homes, and cut ribbons out of existing walls and elevated strips of floorboard in whimsical curved shapes.

Their latest project is “Open House.” It’s a 1940s home, relocated from Santa Fe, Texas, and placed in downtown Houston’s Sam Houston Park. In April, the artists started manipulating the building’s materiality and reformulating the interior to create a one-room space defined by an array of circular holes punched through the perimeter and a collage of vintage photographs wallpapering the interior.

The deconstruction of the walls through the repeated puncturing of variously sized holes reads as polka dots or Swiss cheese from outside. It’s an engaging, lighthearted iteration of architectural deconstructionism, an art which goes back to Gordon Matta-Clark, whose 1974 project “Anarchitecture” was the first

widely seen sculptural dissection of existing architecture.

With the vintage photographs, Havel and Ruck bring a human element to this project not present in their previous work.

On the inside of the playful, ventilated walls, the weight of humanity present in the images brings a sense of gravity to the space. It gives one pause. The building intervention is not just an interesting manipulation of the material, but a physical frame of reference for the immaterial — for past lives, places, moments.

The photographs create a conversation with the project’s site — Sam Houston Park — where nine historic buildings from as early as 1823 sit as rare emblems of the past in the architecturally young city of Houston. From the history within you can see the history without.

Open House is the latest project in the Art Blocks series, a temporary public art initiative launched in February 2016 by the Houston Downtown Management District.

The project will be on view through February 2019 and is free and open to the public.

Sources: Texas Architects

ARCHITECTURE

Morphosis Tapped to Design Texas Tech Universiteum

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

W

ith the exception of Marfa, it’s a tall order to find modernist architecture gracing the vast horizon of West Texas. However, an announcement from the Museum of Texas Tech University indicates that will change, at least in Lubbock to start.

Museum leadership has selected one of the most innovative architecture firms in the country — Morphosis Architects — to design a masterplan for the expansion of the multidisciplinary museum, which Texas Tech is calling the Universiteum of Texas Tech.

For the next three months, the Morphosis team, led by founder Thom Mayne, FAIA, and principal Arne Emerson, will be working with the museum to create a programmatic and schematic plan for the expansion, which will make changes to the current museum in both form and function.

“It’s not just an extension, or even a model of what a 21st-century museum should be like,” says the executive director of the Museum, Gary Morgan. “We want this to be the model of what museums of the 22nd century would be like.”

That vision includes a 40,000-sf expan-

sion of gallery space and the creation of a community engagement center, as well as a reformulation of the relationships between existing parts of the museum and between the museum and other nearby buildings.

Morphosis, which has already designed one landmark museum in Texas — the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas — sought out the museum commission due to the inherent appeal of the museum typology, but also due to the bold vision behind the project.

“Everyone goes for museums — they are one of the most interesting building typologies and some of the most coveted projects, even if it is in far western Texas,” Morphosis principal Arnie Emerson says.

“Museums are a platform of dialogue and discussion, and museums of science and nature are critical for education and getting the facts out there,” he says. “I think the project was interesting to us because they [at the museum] have a commitment to extending this world-class research technology.”

Morphosis was chosen from 28 architecture and design firms who expressed interest in Texas Tech’s open solicitation for the project, and Mor-

gan said narrowing it down to a short list was a difficult task that took a few months.

“This is a rather unusual project. It’s a rather broad project in terms of the various components in it,” he says. “What led us to designing with Morphosis was that they convinced us that they could deliver the kind of excellence that we needed in those multiple components.”

Morgan said some of those components include the formulation of public, gallery, and laboratory spaces, the integration of community engagement and traditional museum spaces, an expansion of storage areas, and a dedication to sustainability and environmental considerations, not to mention an ability to produce striking formal architecture.

He emphasizes that the predominant characteristic of the Universiteum is its interdisciplinary nature as a museum, educational and cultural center that spans a range

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of fields and invites a variety of visitors, from researchers, students, and faculty to locals and out-of-towners.

“We want to draw out the best things happening in museums and science centers and arrange them right across that extraordinary spectrum of disciplines and link them with active research to enhance peoples understanding of why research universities matter,” Morgan says.

“And we want it wrapped in that gob smacking, stop-you-in-your-tracks architecture — as if the architecture were an exhibit of its own.”

Sources: Texas Architects

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CONSTRUCTION

The State of Houston's Rebound

How Smart-Growth is Helping the City Grow Up, Not Out

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

H

ouston, Texas is a city known for the opportunity it brings to both businesses and residents in affordability, landmass and employment opportunities that attract populations from across the state, nation and globe.

Much like the build out methods taken historically in the leading Texas city of Dallas, Houston has been adding on and building out its infrastructure more widespread each year. This continuous expansion to the city and its surrounding suburb communities has created a cycle of high inventories in low-cost commercial and residential properties that is working to disperse populations and consume resources at a large scale.

Gone unchallenged throughout past decades, the recent natural disaster of Hurricane Harvey is putting more pressure on the area's investors and developers to bring "smart growth" to the table that not only pushes investing in more densely populated locations but also accounts for the area's unique weather patterns.

Exposed by one of the nation's worst natural disasters, much of the city's newly constructed areas did not hold up to the storm that destroyed entire communities, that many say, should have been built to resist. The fact of the matter is that until now, there was little advocacy standing in the way of profit-driven development that did not seek to go beyond the basics and add sustainable value to the area. In a piece titled "The Battle for Houston" by city-journal.org, it is stated that "The battle within Houstonboils down to emphasizing regulatory restraints, rather than infrastructure, as the best means to meet floods and hurricanes, which some expect to worsen with climate change."

But not all of Houston's new developments lacked in this area. A new generation of better-planned suburbs like that of the metro's Woodlands

community were designed to better protect the environment and its structures through natural means. One of the Woodland area's property developers Marcus Hiles adds, "By our efforts to bring more urbanism to these suburban areas through densely populated apartment housing options, we are also able to maximize the space inhabitants and resource consumption in the community." The CEO and Founder of Texas-based Western Rim Properties also notes, "A new generation of luxury rental communities is also keeping the area's increasing populations from building out and dispersing further to help ultimately centralize growth."

As the smart-growth lobby grows and concerns over suburbanization run high, the future of Houston'srebound will lean heavily on its community commitment towards bringing better planned and environmentally sustainable projects to the forefront.

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The objective for the area's investors and residents is clear - address the city's challenges without destroying its growth-andopportunity model.

Source: marcushiles-news.com

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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.

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ENGINEERING

OIL & GAS

Houston Bond Issue Jump-Starts 237 Flood Control Projects

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

M

ore than $3 billion in flood risk reduction and repair projects can move forward in Houston following a vote held on Hurricane Harvey's anniversary that authorized a $2.5-billion bond program.

Those bonds will be used to fund 237 projects, including three large detention basins across the county.

"We've already received approval from court to start negotiating 14 contracts with engineering firms that are all bond-related projects. So, step one is to get these projects initiated and get the contracts needed in place so that we can start the design for these projects," says Matt Zeve, director of operations for the Harris County Flood District, noting that all of the projects have to be approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court.

Bond funding will available in about 60 days, according to the Harris County Budget Management Department. "So best case scenario, we'll start seeing funding in November," Zeve says. Projects under the direct scope of the bond program are "well over a year away" from being let for bid.

The projects and land acquisitions, which will occur over the next 10 to 15 years, include the three detention basins, repairs to Buffalo Bayou and acquisition of thousands of pieces of property. Many of the projects will also tap into separate federal funding, bringing the total of the projects to more than $3 billion.

"One of the largest contracts will be for de-silting projects for 30 different channels on the west side of Harris county … because of the sheer volume of work involved," Zeve says. The district will also update preliminary engineering reports and complete final design for drainage improvements to neighborhoods in central Houston.

The bond projects were selected after a series of public meetings held across Harris County this summer and were based on criteria such as readiness for

preliminary engineering, design or construction, and clearly defined drainage issues and flood-risk-reduction benefits.

"High on the priority list for Bond Program projects are construction-ready projects with federal funding partners (such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency) that give our county 'the most bang for its flood control buck,'" according to the flood control district's website.

But the programs will only make a dent in the area's flooding problems, Jim Blackburn and Philip Bedient of Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation Center concluded in a report they released on Houston a year after Harvey. Much of the problem is that the floodplain isn't well defined. While there are efforts to update what constitutes the 100-year and 500-year floodplain, federal projects being designed now are based on the old floodplain maps, they said.

"As a result, there will still be homes near creeks and bayous that will remain at risk of flooding even with a lot of money being spent on federal and local improvement projects.

This is unfortunately an unavoidable fact," according to the report. The report also says there are real financial limits to what can be done.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Aug. 25 that the city has received $2.5 billion in long-term recovery money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and another $4.29 billion in FEMA funds as direct aid to Houston citizens, but he is pushing for more.

Turner called upon Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to tap the state's $12-billion rainy-day fund to help projects in Houston get started while the city awaits federal funding.

On Aug. 29, the city was selected as a 100 Resilient Cities member. Shell is sponsoring the effort, with $1.8 million in funding. As a part of the effort, Houston will hire a chief resilience officer and develop a comprehensive resilience strategy. Stephen Costello, who now has the title of chief resilience officer, will become the city's full-time "flood czar," according to Turner.

July Marks 20th Consecutive Month of Upstream Oil and Gas Job Growth:

43% of Jobs Recovered

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

T

exas oil and natural gas companies added 800 upstream jobs* in July, marking the 20th consecutive month of job growth, according to data from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Texas has recovered 43% of jobs lost between the high point in employment in December 2014 and the low point in September 2016. Since the low point, employment in the Texas upstream sector has grown by 49,900 jobs, which pay among the highest wages in Texas.

“What’s happening in the Lone Star State is making our nation more energy secure and bolstering our state and national economies,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. “Not only are we less dependent on other nations to meet our energy needs, we are improving lives by producing essential, reliable energy for people across the globe. Job growth, investment and innovation by oil and natural gas operators across the energy sector are securing our economy, our environment and our future.”

Source: Texas Oil and Gas Association

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TECHNOLOGY

H-E-B announces plans to develop a world-class tech facility in Austin

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

H

-E-B continues its path toward becoming a dominant force in the digital retail space, announcing that it has signed a long-term lease for a building in East Austin. The largest privately-held employer in Texas will develop a world-class tech facility and innovation lab for its growing H-EB Digital team and Favor, the Austinbased on-demand delivery service that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of H-E-B. Set for completion in spring 2019, H-E-B will turn the recently renovated industrial warehouse into a creative and collaborative workspace for Austin-based Partners (employees) of the H-E-B Digital team and Favor's corporate headquarters. H-E-B enlisted HPI Corporate Services as its tenant broker and has engaged global architecture firm, IA Interior Architects, to fully customize the two-story, 81,000 squarefoot facility. Located at 2416 East Sixth Street, the property is walking distance to several amenities such as restaurants,

breweries, coffee shops, and the 7th Street H-E-B store.

"This state-of-the-art space will be a hub for creativity and innovation as we continue to develop the ultimate digital experience for our customers," said Jag Bath, H-E-B

Chief Digital Officer and Favor CEO and President. "Bringing H-E-B and Favor closer together will allow us to promote collaboration between our two companies as we strengthen our commitment to building out H-E-B's omnichannel services."

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With this expanded Austin footprint, H-E-B and Favor plan to add several hundred jobs to the local economy and are actively hiring across all areas of expertise, including product management, product design, and software engineering.

Career opportunities can be found on the H-E-B and Favor websites.

This year, H-E-B has made a series of announcements and strategic technology investments to further establish the company as a technology leader in Texas, including the acquisition of Favor, the appointment of Bath as H-EB's Chief Digital Officer, and the recent addition of Mike Georgoff as Chief Product Officer for HE-B Digital. In addition, H-E-B continues to enhance its digital offerings with the expansion of its H-E-B Delivery and H-E-B Curbside service, which is available in more than 145 locations across the Lone Star State and is on track to reach 165 stores in 2018.

Source: H-E-B

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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.

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TAKING IT TO TH

GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. Rec

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

R

oosevelt Petry, Jr., CEO and President of GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. in Port Arthur, Texas, is no stranger to hard work. Petry prides himself on his company’s dedication to serving the industry with true skill. GP Industrial Contractors, Inc. offers 24/7 customer service, completed with immediate response, competitive pricing, qualified personnel and upgraded equipment.

“This certification puts us on another level as far as quality control and management systems go. It allows us to keep a level of quality for customer service, second to none.”

Roosevelt Petry, Jr., CEO and President of GP Industrial Contractors, Inc.

GP is a diverse company that provides Pipe, Steel Fabrication, Welding, Fitting, Engineering, ComputerAided Drafting, and miscellaneous steel components to Industrial and Commercial organizations. GP’s operating facilities includes over 70,000 sq. ft. of Pipe Shop Fabrication facilities. Their services and supplies are available to Refineries, Petrochemical and Power Generation Plants, Commercial Construction, State Transportation and Governmental entities.

GP has multiple Texas facilities in Port Arthur and Conroe, and their portfolio includes completed and in-progress projects for some of the premier Industrial Companies in Southeast Texas. There partial client list includes: • Motiva • Valero • ExxonMobil • Bechtel/Jacob • Jacobs Engineering • KBR • URS Corporation • Fluor • Turner Industries • Enterprise Products • Air Products • Praxair • DOW Chemical • RCI • Total Refinery • Ergon • Minute Maid Park • City of Port Arthur, Texas • Port Arthur ISD • GE

Petry has created a successful business, but not on his own. He works with a dedicated Board of Directors and Advisors that share his mindset of aiming to enhance any opportunities at GP.

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HE NEXT LEVEL

ceives ISO 9001:2015 Certification

One recent and major accomplishment for GP is receiving the ISO 9001:2015 certification from Perry Johnson Registrars. This certification is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system. Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

The ISO 9001 certification is based on the plan-do-checkact methodology and provides a process-oriented approach to documenting and reviewing the structure, responsibilities, and procedures required to achieve effective quality management in an organization. Specific sections of the standard contain information on topics such as: • Requirements for a quality management system, including documented information, planning and

determining process interactions • Responsibilities of management • Management of resources, including human resources and an organization’s work environment • Product realization, including the steps from design to delivery • Measurement, analysis, and improvement of the QMS through activities like internal audits and corrective and preventive action

“This puts us in an elite group of businesses, and we are proud to have achieved this.”

Other prominent certifications GP has received include:

• Houston Minority Supplier Development Council • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise • Historically Underutilized Business

Some of the specialty services that GP has excelled at that put them on the path to receiving this certification include pipe and steel fabrication. GP is known for providing renowned pipe and steel fabrication services and considers it the center point of the business.

GP is also a highly skilled AutoCAD drafting services provider. They offer cost effective and high-quality AutoCAD drafting services for all industries.

GP also has a Piping Design Group made up of skilled people with vast experience in the industry. These designers are up to date on the latest industry trends and are trusted to work in a collaborative environment.

GP also prides itself on their workforce placement services.

They offer a range of solutions and services for the entire employment and business cycle, including permanent, temporary and contract opportunities. Other services they offer include project management and field services.

While GP has already accomplished so many things, they have no plans to slow down. Petry still has big things in store for GP and with this new, exclusive certification they will only get bigger.

For more information on GP, visit www.gpic2000.com

“This certification puts us on another level as far as quality control and management systems go,” Petry said. “It allows us to keep a level of quality for customer service, second to none.”

Certification to the ISO 9001 standard helps enhance an organization’s credibility by showing customers that its products and services meet expectations.

“Very few businesses have this certification,” Petry said.

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PERMITS

Five Ways To Get Your Building Permit Faster Looking to get started with your construction project on time?

By Helen Callier

The building permitting tips and insights below from Helen Callier, CEO of Permit Us Now and Subcontractors USA contributing writer, will assist you in positioning for success.

Contributing Writer

Know the Jurisdiction

Stay Notified

Avoid Horror Story

Time is Key

Bank on Changes

Suspense Hurts

With hypergrowth in some areas of the U.S. over the last few years like in Portland, North Texas, Austin Hill Country and Los Angeles, it can be confusing to know which jurisdiction your project is located.

You do not have to do all the heavy lifting yourself. Sign up for the appropriate jurisdiction’s email notifications, follow jurisdiction on social media like Twitter and set up Google alerts for keywords.

If your project is near the border of another jurisdiction it is wise to verify before you proceed down the path to submit for a building permit. Time is money and a simple phone call or checking the jurisdictions’ web sites can save your most precious asset – time.

Doing this allows you to be informed about changes in hours of operations, know if a certain department is out for training or impacted by major staff changes and be alerted Key information to look on ordinance changes that for are the prerequisites may truly impact your project. to accompany permit application and plan set along with how to upload into the electronic system.

These two alone, if missed, can stop your attempt to submit for a building permit and cause rejections.

Helpful information is available on jurisdiction web sites from Permitting Checklists and FAQ’s to changes in building codes and explanations about codes to persons you can contact if have more questions.

Start Early

Procrastination Costs Regardless if your project is large or small, getting started early in planning for your building permit can save time and money. Depending on the type of project, your own preconstruction checklist should have a building permitting line item. Make sure to at least check jurisdiction web sites for any changes, and if available to you, review plans to see if there are areas of concern. Catching permittingrelated issues early before submitting to jurisdiction saves you money and positions you to start construction in a timely manner.

Use Smart Resources

Eliminate Headaches In Conclusion

Permit Expediters are a proven resource and are experts in building codes.

They have established relationships with jurisdictions, stay upto-date on jurisdiction changes and have a reservoir of different kinds of projects – commercial, residential, industrial – that they have worked on to be able to share insights and answer any unique questions.

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When popping in and out of jurisdictions across the state of Texas and other areas in the U.S., Permit Us Now team members often hear contractors complaining about the building permitting process.

The five ways mentioned above are geared to rid you of frustrations and help you pull a building permit faster. Build Safe.

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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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TRANSPORTATION

Ready for the Next Harvey

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

I

n August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped more than four feet of rain on Houston, inundating neighborhoods and upending thousands of lives.

While METRO is best known for its transit services including bus, light rail, and vanpools, what some may not realize is the integral role METRO played in aiding emergency response efforts to the monster storm.

In addition to supplying buses, which facilitated the move of 15,000 residents into shelters, METRO also aided in the transport of essential supplies using high-water vehicles it had procured after the Tax Day Floods of 2016.

METRO Support Vehicles Superintendent Jack Oviatt said the trucks proved to be invaluable resources.

"Harvey was an all-hands-on-deck event.

City and county agencies were overwhelmed and needed every available resource they could get their hands As Flood Events Become a New Normal, METRO Preps for the Next Big Storm on as floodwaters inundated the city and brought life to a standstill."

It was a situation that cultivated a collaborative, outside-the-box approach to emergency response. For example, METRO teamed up

with the Houston Police Department to rescue people and deliver essential supplies using METRO's BMY 6x6 5-ton military cargo truck.

"We had this massive high-water evacuation vehicle and an experienced driver who knew local roads like the back of his hand," said Oviatt. "He joined several HPD officers to aid in emergency relief efforts. It was a great partnership."

After the storm, as METRO recovered and reviewed its operations, Oviatt said the need for additional vehicles became apparent.

One year later, the agency now has six high water evacuation trucks, and five Humvee trucks. METRO's Police Department also donated a flat-bottom boat to the Houston Fire Department. AUGUST 2018 METRO CONNECTIONS Oviatt says another storm like Harvey isn't just a possibility.

"We live and work in a coastal city, so we have to realize that another storm like Harvey will happen again. We know the importance of training and preparing every year for these events," remarked Oviatt. "As they say, ‘Fail to plan, plan to fail.’ It's crucial that we walk away from each catastrophic event with lessons learned. It makes us a more resilient organization and allows us to greater assist people we need to help."

Sources: METRO

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TRANSPORTATION

Port Houston

TRANSPORTATION

Jumps to Top 5 U.S. Container Ports Port Houston’s container terminals, 13 of which are Super Post-Panamax.

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

D

ue to continued strong growth in loaded containerized cargo, Port Houston has surged higher in the rankings of the top container ports in the United States.

Port Houston, which has been expanding rapidly in recent years, has climbed to become the fifth largest container port in the U.S., according to JOC Piers data covering the second quarter of 2018. Port Houston handled 1,057,964 twenty-foot-equivalent-units (TEUs) during that period and catapulted up from the sixth spot.

Port Houston is outpacing trade for the U.S. as a whole this year, led by strong imports, the data also shows.

For example, during the first six months of 2018, Port Houston imports from the Trans-Pacific region jumped by 24 percent, a significant hike compared to overall U.S. Trans-Pacific imports, which increased by 5 percent.

Port Houston is the largest container port in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, handling about two-thirds of all the containers that move through the Gulf.

Port Houston is No. 1 in the U.S. in foreign tonnage and is now is in the Top 5 for containers with Los Angeles, New York, Savannah and Long Beach. Houston continues to close the gap.

Port Houston, an operating port, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars on new infrastructure and technology at its two container terminals in recent years. As part of an aggressive strategy to leverage new technology and capacity to continuously improve the customer experience, that investment includes three new ship-to-shore cranes that were delivered to the Bayport Container Terminal earlier this month. New cranes also have been delivered to the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, a 40-year-old facility that is being extensively modernized. New upgrades to gate operating and terminal operating systems combined with a highly skilled workforce have created one of the most efficient container ports in North America.

The three newest STS cranes will make a total of 26 ship-to-shore operational cranes working at

About Port Houston For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated t he public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston – the nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation.It supports the creation of nearly 1.175 million jobs in Texas and 2.7 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling almost $265 billion in Texas – 16 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product – and more than $617 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the port’s website at PortHouston.com.

Transportation & The Texas Environment: It’s About Time For A Better Way

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

T

he Texas Bullet Train is set to revolutionize the way Texans travel between the state’s largest metropolitan regions – North Texas and Houston – while bringing one of the greenest transportation technologies in existence directly to the Lone Star State!

The all-electric Bullet Train embodies decades of applied research, continual improvement and energy saving technologies, making it one of the lightest weight, quietest and environmentally friendly trains in the world.

It consumes 1/8th less energy and expends 1/12th the carbon per passenger mile than a Boeing B777.

Trains are one of the most efficient forms of transportation in the world and they help relieve the stress caused by already crowded roads. According to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the Texas Bullet Train will help take more than 14,000 cars off of I-45 each day, saving approximately 81.5 million gallons of gasoline per year and leading to net reductions in nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gas emissions!

The Texas Bullet Train is an environmentallyfriendly way to help keep rural Texas rural, while also helping to make urban Texas more efficient and cleaner.

It’s a critical need in a service area in which 4 of the counties are already air quality non-attainment status.

It is time to provide an innovative transportation option that will help generations of future Texans move quickly, safely and efficiently across their state.

Source: Texas Central

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