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Volume 17
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Number 4
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APRIL 2014
Fuel meets power
A Turn for the better
L-R: Gary Lachappelle, Babe Barrett, Donnie Magott
Greg Hoppes ventured into the construction industry five years ago.
P
etroleum Solutions Inc. (PSI),
which supplies, installs, and services fuel handling and service station
equipment to retail, commercial, and industrial projects, has acquired Lachappelle Electric, a commercial electrical
services company based in San Antonio.
The acquisition will allow PSI to continue its growth as a full-service petroleum equipment firm with applications
including city facilities, hospitals, school
districts, municipalities, farms and ranches, and aircraft and marina fueling. It is
also an opportunity for PSI to expand to
other markets offering comprehensive
electrical services.
With its corporate headquarters in
McAllen, PSI has branches in San Antonio,
Houston, Beaumont, Abilene, Austin, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Grand Prairie, Temple, and Tyler. Keeping its name and service, Lachappelle Electric, now a dba of
PSI, will be providing electrical services to
PSI’s projects in all of these locations.
Established in 1942, Lachappelle
Electric was already servicing Austin, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Houston, covering Central and South Texas, and now
they will also be covering the Dallas-Fort
Worth area for PSI.
To better coordinate serving these
areas with its new owner, the electrical
contractor has moved to PSI’s Bulverde
office to have its approximately 20 employees under the same roof as the PSI
sales team.
continued on Page 29
W
hen Greg Hoppes graduated
from the University of the Incarnate Word with a degree in
banking and finance, construction probably wasn’t where he imagined he would
find himself.
In 2001, when Hoppes got out of college, the financial industry was in a
downturn, but he got an entry-level position. Meanwhile, he had friends working
for local builders in town that kept encouraging him to make the jump over to
construction. After a little while, Hoppes
was finally convinced, and he took that
leap. He has enjoyed his job ever since.
Just before the recession ended, he
set out to see if he could make his own
new company, TurnKey Builders, a prof-
itable and customer-appreciated company. Now, he is celebrating TurnKey’s
fifth anniversary.
“I started it out of love and enjoyment of construction, design, building,
creating new things,” says Hoppes,
whose father, a nuclear engineer, built
two of their childhood homes. “We specialize in custom homes. We do some
commercial office work as well.”
The obvious challenge to getting the
business going was not having any previous background in the industry. To add
to his experience and increase his firsthand knowledge of construction,
Hoppes worked with local builders to understand the processes and elements
continued on Page 29
By AIA members, for AIA members
I
t took a village, or the construction
community gathered around the
American Institute of Architects (AIA)
San Antonio Chapter, to make a new Center for Architecture.
Ryan Malitz, vice president of
Malitz Construction, Inc., was the general contractor and project manager on
the job, the scope of which was to relocate the Center for Architecture from the
Pearl Full Goods Warehouse on East
Grayson to South Flores Street.
The former AIA office was 5,200sqft,
and the new space was 3,650sqft and
would come at a project cost of approximately $250,000. The project had to be
completed in two months because the
lease was up at the center’s former site at
the start of December.
Working on an extremely tight budget and even tighter timeframe, Malitz
notes that the association had a lot of donated material, which presented a different type of challenge. He explains that
coordinating material acquisition from
the various donors is an added challenge
to scheduling.
One of the advantages of the build
process, however, was knowing that the
architects and engineers were a mere
matter of steps away from the jobsite.
Cleary Zimmermann Engineers, who
owns and occupies the very same building, did the mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing design. Alamo Architects and
OCO Architects did the architectural design, and they were both right across the
street, and onsite whenever needed.
The construction team also coordinated the relocation of their movable
partitions, which created a lot of the
walls for their offices, which were
Haworth Systems from Wittigs.
“It is an old downtown warehouse
type building with structural clay masonry walls and wood frame ceilings, a type
Malitz Construction helped create a new home for the AIA Center for Architecture
on South Flores Street.
continued on Page 29
Page 2
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Construction News ON LOCATION
Exhausting work
At B.G. Metals, Inc., the guys do commercial ductwork for HVAC, and this
particular morning they were working in
the shop to get an exhaust hooked up to
the plasma cutter. –mp
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San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 3
How to talk clothes while
contracting and influence people
teamwork creates strength
I
t all started with a boot. Over a year
ago, Construction News columnist
and roaming reporter Putz happened
upon a high-heeled construction boot in
a shoe store. We were riveted, so to
speak.
Meanwhile, we had been looking to
start a new section to match the popularity of our Great Outdoors section. Finally,
we realized the answer was staring us in
the face.
We are pleased to announce the new
Construction News Smashin’ Fashion
section! We will be tackling all of your
construction wardrobe needs and questions to ensure that you’re dressed for
success on and off the jobsite.
Don’t know what hammer or power
tool works best with that neon safety
vest? We can help. Where can you find
the coolest hard hats that are as easy on
the eyes as they are tough on protection?
We can tell you. What do you wear to a
barbecue that goes with a 12-hour brisket? Does that tie say that you won an EIC
award?
The new section will feature jobsite
hits and misses, office and banquet catwalk coverage, and a write-in advice column. Look for our Smashin’ Fashion section debut in May’s issue! –mp
building with a strong team
This boot, where construction meets fashion,
spurred the creation of a new section in our
monthly issue.
We are growing and expanding our
team by seeking experienced
Project Managers & Superintendents.
Email resumes to:
info@RedhawkContracting.com
210.646.7466
www.redhawkcontracting.com
Over 45 Years Experience • Family Owned & Operated
Serving all to include:
How will you know what to wear
to an Oktoberfest formal?
We know how you can walk the line between
sophisticated and fun in style.
We’ll be providing fashion tips for every
occasion, including…
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS
COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPERS
20 YARD SEMI MINIMUM
(210)
623-HAUL (4285)
www.timmstrucking.net
PRODUCTS/SERVICES
• Pit Run Material for
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• Hauling In & Out
• Sandy Loam
• Sand • Gravel
• Base • Topsoil
Salsa Taste-Offs
Dove Hunts
And Disco-themed Customer
Appreciation Parties
And our first official fashion tip? Your face
is awfully red! Don’t believe everything
that you read – at least, not this. April
Fool’s!
HUB, SBE & MBE Certified
12685 Somerset Rd
Page 4
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Construction News ON LOCATION
Select guests
A yellow thumb
S
elect Building Systems, also known
as SBS Construction, a general contractor based in Boerne, hosted a
Subcontractor Appreciation Lunch for
their subs on the jobsite for Uncle Bob’s
Storage.
Among the contractors who participated in the Sovran Acquisitions expansion project and attended the SBS event
were Ace Concrete, Arreola Masonry,
Associated Glass, A-Z Security, Bexar
Air, Central Backhoe, Classic Fire Sprinklers, D-5 Excavation, Elite Irrigation,
G&J Fence, Janus International, Liles
Plumbing, Medina Valley Security,
Moncada Painting, Saldana's Cleaning,
Superior Metal Services, Stanley Access,
Sure Seal, Thomas Lamb Construction,
and Titan Electric. –mp
Mark Templemeyer, Meco Steel
Danny Carvajal, a technician at HOLT CAT, worked on this backhoe after
getting all the parts needed to add what is called a thumb attachment
that will act like a hand to pick up things like timber. –mp
Marcos, Tommy Lamb Construction
L-R: Lupe Lopez, Uncle Bob’s Storage, and
Dave McKay, Paint & More
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Jamie, D-5 Excavation
Mike McNew, superintendent
for Select Building Systems
30 years of blessings
210-587-7634
www.GPSofTexas.com
I
Joel Stolarski, master plumber and owner of Satex Plumbing, hard at work
t’s easy for Joel Stolarski to remember that the 30th anniversary of his
company, Satex Plumbing, passed not
too long ago, because the start of the
company was also when he had his first
child.
As a master plumber who knew he
had it in him to be his own boss, Stolarski
established Satex in 1983. Originally from
St. Louis, he went to trade school there,
but moved down here for better job opportunities. With his brother already
here, the transfer was easy.
“We started doing commercial work
probably 20 years ago along with repairs
and residential, remodel and construction,” says Stolarski. “And then probably
about 10 years ago, we just went solely
commercial.”
Satex has done medical, retail, restaurants, ground up and finish out work,
and Stolarski prefers to stay in the local
counties, including Bexar, Comal, and
Guadalupe, especially since work is very
good right now. He points out that they
have 40 jobs on the board right now. Just
past the 30-year mark, Satex also happens to have 30 employees.
“If you’ve got good employees and
do good work, you don’t even have to
chase work,” he notes. “I don’t care if Satex is big. It’s a lot easier to live life if we’re
good. Big isn’t always good. Good is always good.”
His philosophy, informed by his faith
and life experiences, is that if you always
do your best, you’ll never fail. At 56 years
old, he has challenged himself and set a
goal to finish strong with a purpose. He
adds that though he might have to slow
down just because of his age, he never
wants to retire.
Outside of work, his life revolves
around family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren. He also loves to
play soccer, having played all his life. First
and foremost is his faith in Jesus Christ,
which he says is where it all starts and filters through family and all the blessings
in his life. –mp
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 5
A mouthwatering game of 21
T
he Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) San
Antonio Chapter held its 14th Annual Barbecue
Cook-Off and Apprentice Wire-Off Mar. 21-22 at
the Helotes Fairgrounds.
This year’s cook-off had the most teams participating in the history of the event with 21. Friday
night, the barbecue teams hosted a private party for
about 200 guests and cooked chili and gumbo. On
Saturday, approximately 350 adults and 85 children
attended the cook-off.
The apprentice wire-off competition had eight
4th year students participating. The first place winner
will go on an all-expense paid trip to the National
Wire-Off Competition in Baltimore, MD to compete
at the 57th IEC National Convention in October. –mp
Bragging Rights: 1st: Baish Electric
2nd: Bell & McCoy
3rd: (tie) CED Downtown, Central Electric, Eldridge Electric
Pork Ribs: 1st: Bell & McCoy
2nd: Eldridge Electric 3rd: CED Downtown
Scholarship Recipients
2nd Year: Nicholas Vanacek, Circle Electric
3rd Year: Daniel Cespedes-Sosa, James Francis Electric
4th Year: Pamela Patten, IES Commercial
Chicken: 1st: CED Downtown
2nd: Graybar Electric Supply
3rd:Dealers Electric Supply
Apprentices participating in the wire-off competition
Apprentice Wire-Off Winners
1st: Benny Tenorio, Mission City Electric
Washer Tournament:
2nd: Benjamin Stanush
Mike Hill and Eric McQueen
3rd: Pamela Patten, IES Commercial
Chili: 1st: Baish Electric
2nd: Bell & McCoy 3rd: Prime Controls
Beans: 1st: Good Electric
2nd: JMEG 3rd: Central Electric
Gumbo: 1st: Central Electric
2nd: Dealers Electric Supply 3rd: Rexel
Open: 1st: Baish Electric
2nd: Eldridge Electric 3rd: IES Commercial
Richard Kattmann, Consolidated Electrical
Distributors (CED), prepares the team’s ribs.
Jalapeno Eating Contest:
Brendan Hatch (center) with Elliot Electric
Supply teammates
Showmanship: VA Electrical Contractors
Brisket: 1st: Summit Electric Supply
2nd: Baish Electric 3rd: Mission City Electric
E-TEL
Eldridge Electric
Page 6
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Thomas Schluter,
President
Beckwith Electronic
Engineering
A
bout 28 years ago, Jack Beckwith,
one of the founders of Beckwith
Electronic Engineering along with
George Ridder, hired Thomas Schluter.
The founding owners never really
entertained the notion of selling the
business. So, they probably did not foresee Schluter, who worked under Beckwith to earn his Professional Engineer license, expressing an interest in becoming the new owner of the company.
Under Schluter’s leadership, the
company grew, and in recent years, Beckwith celebrated its 50th anniversary. Cynthia Schluter, his wife, works with him as
vice president of Corporate Relations.
Today, the company that began in
1962 sells, installs, and services commercial life safety and communication systems as well as security products and
systems. While looking ahead to the future, always planning the next step,
Schluter recalls how it all started.
How did you get involved with Beckwith?
I’m originally from Mexico City and
came to San Antonio in 1981 to go to
school at Trinity University to get my engineering degree. I graduated in 1985
and started working for Beckwith in
1986.
I started working for them as a manager trainee under Mr. Beckwith primarily. I learned the day-to-day operations
and business from him. After work, I
would go out and do installations for the
different systems that we sold and installed and serviced so that I could get
more hands-on experience with the
products and how these products
worked so that I could then answer any
questions.
In 1988, I was promoted to general
manager and from there on out, I started
looking at different ways of growing the
business.
I truly enjoyed what I did. I liked the
different interactions with people – both
with my fellow employees and our customers. This was something that I could
see myself doing for the rest of my life.
So, I approached Mr. Beckwith and Mr.
Ridder – most people don’t know the
company was owned by two individuals
– in 1989 and asked if they were interested in selling the business.
It was news to them. They hadn’t
thought about it. A few years later, in
1991, I bought the company from them
and both of them continued working for
me, Mr. Beckwith for four years and Mr.
Ridder for about eight years on more of a
part-time basis.
After I bought the company, I started
looking at different products to add to
our portfolio. We did primarily schools
and hospitals back then as well as intercom and nurse call systems. But we saw
there was a need for having a good fire
alarm contractor. So, I looked into adding
another line. I ended up choosing the fire
alarm systems manufactured by Edwards
Systems. Soon thereafter, the company
started to grow from basically 15 employees when I bought the company to close
to 93 employees today with two offices,
one in San Antonio and one in Austin.
And it’s been a great ride.
One of the things that I learned early
on was that I can’t do everything, and
you need great employees to get you
where you need to be. I’m blessed in the
fact that we’ve had some great employees who have worked for our company
for a very long time. We actually have one
person, Jordan Boehme, who has been
with the company since 1963. It is things
like that that have made this journey very
rewarding. I thank my long-time and successful employees for allowing us to be
where we are today.
In addition to that, we were fortunate to have some great customers that
we deal with who really appreciate the
work that we do and keep coming back.
Tell me about your background.
Although I was born and raised in
Mexico City, my background is primarily
German. My dad’s family on his mother’s
side has been in Mexico since 1824. My
mother is from Germany, and she came
to Mexico in 1960. She’s been in Mexico
since then, and they still live there.
I’m the oldest of four. My siblings all
now live in the United States. Growing
up, my dad was an entrepreneur as well,
and he had a number of different businesses, starting with a chocolate factory
and a meat factory, ranches, pig farms,
and car dealerships.
So, I was exposed to different businesses. I worked with him in the summers
and traveled extensively with my family. I
was exposed to different cultures and different history, which had a profound impact on me growing up. I had to deal with
different people and different languages.
I speak three languages: German, Spanish, and English. I went to a German school
in Mexico, where classes were taught in
both German and Spanish.
I was always very involved in sports
growing up, primarily swimming. I was
national champion in ’76 in 100 and 200
meters backstroke.
I was also very active in equestrian
events. My horseback riding spanned
many years. While I was living in Mexico, I
represented Mexico in junior events. The
United States and Canada would bring
their riders to Mexico, and we would travel to the United States and compete there
as well. After I came to the United States
Schluter horseback riding in 1979
Thomas Schluter with his wife Cynthia and their two sons in 2011
for college, I continued to compete
throughout Texas while I went to school.
I’m also an avid snow skier. We try to
go skiing at least twice a year – usually in
Jackson Hole. However, now that I’m getting a bit older, golf has become my passion. I am also a very competitive tennis
player but my body can’t play as much
tennis as I used to. I love sports.
And I love to spend time with my
family. I have a great wife of 26 years, Cynthia, and two boys, Eric and Stefan. Eric,
20, is a junior at Trinity majoring in electrical engineering. Stefan, 19, is a freshman at the University of Denver and is
also studying electrical engineering. I’ve
got two engineers following in my footsteps!
What are the things you’re proud of?
I’m proud of my family. I have a great
wife. We met at Trinity when I was a senior and she was a sophomore. We married right after she graduated from college in 1988. Our two wonderful sons
continue to be the joy of our lives.
I am also really proud of growing my
company from 15 employees to 93 and
expanding our product lines. There is a
definite sense of pride as I drive by the
many beautiful buildings in San Antonio
knowing that Beckwith played a part in
them.
Are your sons going to be coming to
work at Beckwith?
I don’t know. There’s always that possibility. They can, but I believe strongly
that they need to get experience on their
own, to actually work for somebody, not
work for a family member or their dad.
So, that’s the intent. If by that time,
they’re interested in the business, then
there’s definitely a possibility if they
wanted to, as long as they work hard,
learn the business and what it takes to
run a business.
What community organizations or activities are you and your family involved in?
My wife, through the company, has
been really involved in nonprofit organizations. We’re very involved with the student ministry at our church, University
United Methodist Church, and developing those programs. Cynthia serves on
several different boards such as Impact
San Antonio, an all-women’s organization that awards $100,000 grants every
year to nonprofit organizations in Bexar
and surrounding counties. They have
awarded over $1 million in the past 10
years. She also serves on the board of the
Cancer Center Council.
We are both members of the Trinity
University Board of Visitors. I have been
on Trinity’s Engineering Board of Advisors for many years and really enjoy staying involved with my alma mater.
Cynthia has also really enjoyed tutoring kindergarteners at Lockehill Elementary School.
My kids are very involved in the Student Ministry. Over the years, they have
helped rebuild homes for those in need
in San Antonio as well as other cities and
have gone on mission trips to Costa Rica.
What challenges have you faced in
your life and how did you overcome
them?
I was fairly young when I bought the
business and was involved with people
who had been in the industry for a long
time. I had to earn their confidence and
their respect because they had been doing this for much longer than I had. So, it
was tough trying to get their approval.
Whereas before we were co-workers,
now they’re my employees.
The way I approached that was by
always respecting them and knowing
what the business was about, but also
what the issues were that needed to be
taken care of, and coming up with solutions, and getting their feedback. It’s
more of a team effort. I always asked for
their opinions, their solutions, and their
comments.
We’ve been through some tough
times with our manufacturers. They have
not always provided the most competitive product in the marketplace but we
still had to compete. We succeeded because we provide great customer service.
At the end of the day, we are in the service business.
Products are important, yes, but in
the end, it’s how you take care of your
customers with the products you have
that differentiate you from the rest. The
only way we have been successful in doing this well for so long is by having great
employees who serve great customers.
What about challenges you have personally faced? For example, your athletic accomplishments are quite a feat;
what challenges did you face competing in sports on those levels?
Those early days of swimming
weren’t easy. Teenagers like to sleep in! I
had to get up at 4:30 in the morning and
swim for two hours and then come back
again in the afternoon, after I had finished school and homework, and then
swim another two and a half hours. That
was tough.
But I always looked for the light at
the end of the tunnel. I knew that if I
worked hard I would be rewarded for it.
What about your travels? Do you go
back home very much? Have you been
to Germany to see where your mother’s side of the family is from?
My parents still live in Mexico City
and have a home there that’s their primary residence. I don’t travel there much,
because they come up here. They have a
house here in the United States so I don’t
need to go down to Mexico to see them.
However, we’ve now been asked by
one of our manufacturers to become the
master distributor for the whole country
of Mexico. In order to get all our systems
in place, I will likely be traveling there
more often.
As far as Germany is concerned, we
traveled there at least every two years
when we were young to spend the summers with my mom’s family. Now as an
adult, Cynthia and I have traveled there
several times and have taken our boys with
us as well. It is a beautiful country. –mp
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 7
Knocking it out of the park
T
he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) San Antonio Chapter held its 19th Annual Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet Feb. 27 at Pearl Stable. Guest speaker Andres Andujar, CEO of the Hemisfair Park Redevelopment Corporation, spoke about the plans in the works for the redeveloped Hemisfair Park. The Johnson High
School Jazz Band provided the music for the evening. –mp
President’s Award
Greg Wiatrek
General Contractor of the Year
Joeris General Contractors
Project of the Year – $2.5-5 Million
University of the Incarnate Word School of
Optometry Bowden
Eye and Vision Care Clinic
Joeris General Contractors
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Project Superintendent of the Year
Randall Jay
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
Project Manager of the Year
Robert Hoyland
Keller-Martin Construction
Project of the Year – Under $2.5 Million
AMC Rivercenter 9 Renovation
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.
Project of the Year – $5-10 Million
NBTY Vitamin Facility
Structure Tone Southwest
Project of the Year – Over $10 Million
San Antonio Food Bank Expansion & Harvey
E. Najim Children’s Pavilion
SpawGlass General Contractors
Pioneer Award
Dennis Yanowski accepted on behalf of
John L., Bill, and Ralph Marek
Marek Bros.
ASA Board of Directors
Page 8
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Let’s hear it for the girls
F
or mothers, there’s Mother’s Day,
and for women in construction,
there’s WIC Week. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) celebrated ladies in the industry
with Women in Construction (WIC) Week
Mar. 2-8 with a wide range of activities.
“WIC Week provides an occasion for
NAWIC’s thousands of members across
the country to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in the
construction industry and to emphasize
the growing role of women in the industry,” said Sandee Morgan, president of
NAWIC San Antonio. “The San Antonio
Chapter’s participation in WIC Week
events allowed networking with potential new members and highlighted the
incredible women currently working in
the San Antonio construction industry.”
The San Antonio Chapter kicked off
the week on Sunday with NAWIC Chick
Movie Day, gathering at Workplace Resource for an afternoon of popcorn and
candy with “Thelma & Louise.”
On Monday, members took a tour of
the Harvey Cleary jobsite at The Pearl
Hotel to see the latest in development at
Pearl Brewery. When Tuesday came, the
cold kept everyone inside the Rolling
Oaks Golf Bar & Grill with snacks and
drinks.
On Wednesday, the Chapter held its
March general meeting at the Petroleum
Club with Bethany Thompson, Gardner
Law, giving a presentation on the Texas
Trust Fund Statute.
Thursday brought the NAWIC team
to the ABC Chili Cook-Off, and Friday, the
chapter held its big, annual fundraiser,
the golf tournament at the SilverHorn
Golf Club. Winding down at the end of
the week, the members grabbed some
glasses of wine at the Stray Grape for the
WIC Week Rap Session to recap and relax.
Not only did the San Antonio chapter
receive recognition in the form of proclamations from the state, Bexar County,
and the City of San Antonio commemorating National Women in Construction
Week, the women of NAWIC gave back to
the community throughout Texas, too.
“Every Chapter throughout Texas
and Oklahoma participated in the Region
7 WIC Week Blood Drive as one of the National WIC Week events,” she explained.
“Region 7 consists of Austin, Corpus
Christi, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth,
Waco, San Antonio, and Tulsa. The San
Antonio Chapter donated 24 pints of
blood during the Region 7 WIC Week
Drive.” –mp
Golf Tournament Winners
1st – Women: RVK Team – Eva Ramirez,
Anita Kegley, Laurie Montgomery, Maggie Seay
1st – Men: Johnson Controls #2 Team –
Randy Morely, Richard Dennis, Mark
Odenthal, Daniel Upton
2nd: You Name It Specialties – Todd
Meuth, Jay Patterson, Josh Dixon, Ron
Richards
3rd: Crawford Electric – Ryan Hasbrook,
Robert John, Wayne Kotzur, Brad Guillaudeu
Putting: Ron Richardson, You Name It
Specialties
Longest Drive:
Women: Elizabeth Connally, The Gardner
Law Firm
Men: Richard McBride, Johnson Controls
Closest to the Pin:
Women: Nancy O’Neill, Urban Concrete
Men: Chris Whitehead, ESC Safety
Golf Tournament – 1st Place Women: RVK Architects
Golf Tournament – 1st Place Men:
Johnson Controls #2 Team
Jobsite tour of the Pearl Hotel
The girls hit the grapes! A wine mixer was the perfect close
to a week celebrating women at work and play.
Construction News ON LOCATION
He’s got a ticket to supply
Adrian Martinez (right), warehouse manager, was keeping busy with his team filling orders in the warehouse at Crawford Electric Supply on North Weidner. –mp
Gasoline – On Road Diesel – Off Road Diesel
On Site Fueling – Wet Hosing – Temporary Loaner Tanks
We Loan City Approved UL-2085 Vaulted Tanks
210-666-6002
Brent & Mark Marshall
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 9
If the world ended in
a week, what would
you do?
Woman of action
Fishing in Cabo San Lucas. I love Cabo.
The fishing there is fun. It’s so laid back
and relaxing. That’s where I’d be. You’d
find me in Cabo with my feet in the sand
and fishing pole in the water.
Sandee Morgan, MCA-SMACNA
Traveling, everywhere and anywhere. To
see unique cultures that are different
from America. So, I would say, perhaps,
Asia or South Africa, or something more
exotic than we’re accustomed to.
Aaron Dahl, Acuform Architecture
L-R: Ethan, Priscilla, Jonathan, and Jordan Contreras
A
t 28 years old, Priscilla Contreras
is a wife and mother of two who is
also president and CEO of her own
construction company.
Before starting The CC Group, which
stands for Contreras Contracting, Contreras ran the operations for a government
contracting firm. This gave her experience with sole source contracts with
small businesses. She opened her business in November 2001 while continuing
to work for the firm. She stayed on
through May 2012.
After her children returned to school
in September, she began bidding and
marketing her business. Then, in November, she was awarded her first contract.
“We like to do our focus on government, but because the government budgets have been cut, we’ve been bidding
on different public work,” says Contreras.
“Now, we can say that we not only support the government, but we also help
schools, hospitals, retail stores. That’s
given us a wide range of experience in
different types of construction work.”
With four employees and an exclusively commercial workload, Contreras’
next goal for the company is getting 8(a)
certification. Though she observes that
women are not common at pre-construction or pre-bid meetings, she doesn’t feel
it has been a challenge being the woman
owner of a construction business.
Born in Eagle Pass, but raised all her
life in San Antonio, Contreras has always
been surrounded by the construction industry. Her father owns a construction
business, and she credits him with instilling her with his work ethic and drive. Her
husband of 10 years, Jonathan, also 28, is
also in the construction industry.
Outside of work, Contreras enjoys
playing the piano, exercising, and running marathons. She likes to stay active.
Also, she and her husband have two children, 8-year-old Jordan and 2-year-old
Ethan. –mp
Revit ready
First and foremost, spending time with
my family, with my wife and son, and of
course, my parents and my brother,
whether it’s enjoying the scenery in San
Antonio or maybe going out to a nice
spot in the Hill Country and enjoying our
last few days there. But I think, before
then, I would probably want to play golf
and catch a fish one more time. And then
join the family.
Stephen Chavez, Jasmine Engineering
I would spend the last seven days with
my family, and there’s no other choice
about it. It doesn’t matter what we would
be doing, as long as we’re all together.
James Davis, Garza/Bomberger & Associates
It definitely would be with my wife and
my son. Of course, we’d do everything we
can to keep close together. To be honest,
this is going to sound kind of funny, but I
hadn’t been to Disney World yet, and my
wife wants to go. Gavin is still really
young, and she’s already talking about it,
and I said, “Let’s get him a little older to
where he can remember it, at least a little
bit.” So, if it was a week to go, let’s just go
live it up. I think we’d be hanging out
with Mickey Mouse.
Eric Gomez, TDIndustries
I’m going to spend it with my faith, my
family, and my friends. I’d like to spend
some time discussing how well we’re prepared for the next chapter, whatever that
might be.
John Colley, Rosendin Electric
Hunting and fishing with my friends
down by Seadrift, TX. I have a house
down there. I go down there on the weekends. I grew up down there. So, I’ve got a
lot of friends that are still down there, or
I’ll take some with me from here.
Ted Dunnam, Engineering Safety Consultants (ESC)
Traveling the world with my family. I have
not been outside of the United States
with the exception of Mexico. So, Europe?
It might not necessarily be Europe. There
are so many things in the United States
that I still haven’t seen and that I would
like my kids to see.
Michael Hellwig, Carma Construction
I would put my family in my truck, and we
would drive to the middle of nowhere
and enjoy the last week in silence with
nature. I grew up in Colorado. We lived in
the mountains. We might have been just
five miles away from town, but we were
always out of town. I grew up in the country. So, there’s peace and solace in silence
and nature. When you’re by yourself in
nature with nothing around, you’re kind
of forced to look at who you are and what
this life we’re living here might really be
about.
Brian Burcham, Next Generation Window Coverings
Well, I wouldn’t worry about the concrete
business anymore. I would grab my family and just go. If I only have a week, we’d
probably charter a jet and fly to as many
places as we possibly can. I’d have to argue with my wife. She’d want to see Paris
or Italy, and I’m dying to go to Alaska and
Montana. But I would travel nonstop for
seven days.
Wes Vollmer, Wes Vollmer.com
The ASPE Central Texas Chapter recently hosted a National ASPE workshop
focused on HVAC, piping, and plumbing.
T
he American Society of Plumbing
Engineers (ASPE) Central Texas
Chapter partnered with ASPE National to host a workshop on 3D modeling software Revit MEP Feb. 11 at Culligan in San Antonio.
“Culligan was gracious enough to
not only provide us their beautiful conference room, a delicious lunch and
snacks, but they pulled a great surprise
and gave away two sets of excellent
Spurs tickets as well!” says Chris Phillips,
president of ASPE Central Texas.
This workshop was customized to
serve the plumbing community specifically, providing information about the
program that has gained traction in recent years.
Phillips notes that 28 attendees
turned out for the event, which was followed by a mixer at the Boiler House for
the ASPE Young Professionals group. –mp
Structural Steel Products
Pipe, Tubing, Plate & Sheets
Metal Building Materials
Ornamental Iron & Accessories
Cast Iron Spears
Fittings
Decorative Castings & Designs
Toll Free
Welders
Welding Supplies & Accessories
Fax
Power Tools
Abrasives
Shop & Safety Supplies
2042 W. Thompson @ Port San Antonio
Paint & Machinery
San Antonio, TX 78226
Trailer Products
Access Control Products
Gate & Door Hardware
Pipe Bollards
Gate Operators–Farm/Ranch
Precut – Painted
Residential/Commercial
6-5/8” OD X .188 wall X 7 Ft
210.431.0088
800.725.4776
210.431.0701
www.sss-steel.com
Members of the ASPE Young Professionals met at the Boiler House following the workshop.
Page 10
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Captains of industry
Captain Richard Phillips, the merchant
mariner who was taken hostage by Somali
pirates for five days in April 2009, was a guest
speaker at the AGC National Convention.
T
he Associated General Contractors
(AGC) held its 95th Annual National
Convention Mar. 3-6 at the Bellagio
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in conjunction with CONEXPO-CON/AGG Mar. 4-8
at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendees of the AGC convention, more
than 2,800 members, received free admission to CONEXPO.
“CONEXPO is the world’s largest display of construction equipment,” explains Brian Turmail, executive director
of public affairs for AGC of America. “For
years, we’ve held our convention in conjunction with CONEXPO since our members are obviously interested in attending CONEXPO.”
The robust crowd that turned out for
the national convention brought a lot of
energy to the event.
“At the opening session, Alan Landes, our incoming president, asked how
many people in the room were under 40,
and half the people raised their hands,
and how many people were there for the
first time, and over half the people raised
their hands,” recalls Turmail. “So, I think
one of the reasons we had a lot of energy
is because we had a lot of people who
were new to the convention, and we have
a lot of people who are relatively new to
the industry who are participating. And
we think, as a sign of where we’re going
in the long-term, that’s a very positive development.”
Featured events included a contractors prayer breakfast, a reception honoring AGC’s philanthropic organizations, a
construction leadership council reception, a spouse/guest luncheon, an economic issues luncheon, the Board of Governor’s luncheon, the Willis Party, the Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards
Breakfast, and the Alliant Build American
Awards Celebration.
Guest speakers included Robert
Gates, a former Secretary of Defense; Rick
Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize winner and journalist for The Washington Post; and Captain Richard Phillips, who wrote a book
about his five-day ordeal being taken
hostage at sea by Somali pirates and last
year, the book about his true story of
courage was turned into a movie starring
Tom Hanks. Other guest speakers included William Taylor, writer and founding
editor of Fast Company; Renee Rongen,
author and mother; Frank Luntz, pollster
and political consultant; Phil Vassar, singer/songwriter; and Ken Korkow, founder
and executive director of the Post Traumatic Growth Institute.
“We got a lot of positive feedback on
the educational programming,” Turmail
says. “We made sure that every educational program included our members in
the presenters panel. So, it’s not just people talking at our members, but our
members talking to each other and sharing their own success stories, and we
found that that was well received.
“Every session we had ended up being pretty much standing room only. We
had a lot of interest in the subjects because we had taken time to identify, from
our members, what were the issues they
wanted to talk about and what were they
interested in learning about.”
From the convention, Turmail observes that members are a lot more optimistic about the overall outlook for the
industry than they’ve seen at the last several conventions.
“Indicative of that, their biggest concern is in identifying enough qualified
workers to fill the positions they expect
to be adding over the coming months,”
he notes. “We had a session about workforce development and that had hundreds of people in it. And all of them were
very interested in learning about ways to
help improve the training pipeline and
finding ways to identify qualified, what
we call craftworkers – these are the folks
who do the bulk of construction work –
but also the back office jobs – the people
who are doing the estimating or the people who are running the computer technology that’s used to sync up schedules
for construction projects.”
Alan Landes, incoming president, greeted
guests at the opening session the AGC
National Convention.
He feels that in a sense, this a good
concern to have, because if members
don’t have the people to do the work,
then they don’t really get to take advantage of the recovery.
If Turmail’s impressions and the convention as a whole are any indication, the
sense of recovery is now energizing the
air and members of the industry. –mp
Among this group of ELC officers, Jerry Nevlud (left), Houston Chapter, became chair-elect,
and Doug McMurry (right), San Antonio Chapter, became immediate past chair.
In the 74-year history of the AGC, McMurry is only the seventh chairman from Texas,
and now Nevlud is the eighth.
Industry FOLKS
Specializing in Surety and Insurance programs
for all facets of the Construction Industry
1405 E. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78741
800-365-6065 512-447-7773
6609 Blanco Road, Suite 135
San Antonio, TX 78216
800-365-6065 210-342-9451
John Schuler • Tom Mulanax
Steve Smith • Travis Kelley
Walter Benson • Tom Brewka
www.timeinsurance.com
We do custom rebar fabrication for all
types of projects, including shop drawings.
Ricky Campa
Territory Manager
H&E Equipment Services
I
n September, Ricky Campa started
working outside sales at H&E Equipment Services. What brought him to
H&E? For one, his long-time friendship
with Billy Black and Ed Allan, both of
whom he met networking in the industry and has known for more than a decade now.
“They’re great people,” says Campa.
“Billy recruited me into H&E, and Ed Allan is a fantastic manager. And it’s great
to work with somebody who instills the
team value, and we all definitely work
well together. We work as a team, and
on top of that, having a good friendship
definitely carries that a long way.”
In his new position at H&E, Campa
takes care of customers providing rentals and service for their equipment. He
also gets out into the field to drum up
new business in the Southwest territory, which is south of San Antonio, including the oil fields. When he goes
out, he’ll get as far as Carrizo and Dilley
and towns in those areas.
Having gone straight to work from
high school, the San Antonio native
started in the drywall industry around
2001. When he left the drywall company, he moved into outside sales for a
fastener company. Then, he worked in
drywall sales, doing metal stud and
sheetrock. Now, he feels it has been a
great journey moving into equipment
rental, declaring that he couldn’t have
asked for a better group to end up with.
“I want to continue to grow my network in the construction industry,” he
says. “I’ve worked with a great bunch of
people as far as moving along through
the drywall side of things all the way
into the rental, and it’s been a great
venture. I look forward to growing my
career in construction, and I couldn’t
ask for more right now.
“I really love what I do as far as the
sales aspect,” he says. “I’ve been in
sales for over a decade now, and it’s
just been wonderful for me. And
you’ve got to love what you do, and everything else comes naturally.”
Outside of work, Campa has a lot
of love for his family and the time they
spend together. He and his wife, Tracy,
whom he describes as a “wonderful,
beautiful woman,” met in high school,
and they got married in 1998.
They have three children. His oldest is his 17-year-old daughter, Destiny.
She has done cheerleading, he explains, but now she’s really into culinary, and she plans to study medical at
UTSA. His 9-year-old son, Ricky, loves
baseball and soccer. He also has a newbie, 1-year-old Trinity.
In his spare time, Campa’s passion
is golf. Every once in a while, he and his
family will head down to the coast.
They are also very involved at Oak Hills
Church where they attend and spend a
lot of their time. –mp
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 11
A nice goodbye
Thinking outside Houston
T
he loss of Sonny
Schirmer,
who
worked for Metropolitan Contracting for many
years, was a sad event for
the construction industry,
family and friends.
To bring those many
people together to celebrate Sonny’s life, Starr
Schirmer, his wife, and son
Shane, hosted a Memorial
Barbecue at their property
in Poteet Mar. 1.
Over 200 people attended this day to share
stories of their many years
knowing Sonny.
Starr and Shane want to thank the
following people and companies who
helped them get ready for this day:
Associated Builders & Contractors,
Inc. South Texas Chapter, Mesa Equipment, Metropolitan Contracting, Rivets
Welding, T&W‐Tess & Wes Construction, Tower Electric, G.E. Meyer Inc., C &
K Lawn Services, Lone Star Dumpsters,
Bexar Waste, JE Stassi Printing, DR
Farm & Ranch, Dennis Reynolds, Jim &
Penny Bliss, Reginald Burke, John
Mitchell, Construction News, and Hill
Country Steel. –bd
T
L-R: Ron Shepherd, Robert Hunton, Stuart Werner
he year after Hunton Specialty
Products celebrated its 20th anniversary, Robert Hunton acquired
the Houston-based company from the
Hunton Group and gave it a new name
and new goals.
As president, Robert renamed the
company Texas Specialty Products
(TSP), having specifically bought the
company to be a stand-alone business of
his own. The acquisition was completed
Feb. 5. Now, the new company has given
Hunton a new start, and he feels the new
name does the same for the company.
At Robert’s side for the running of
operations and the rebranding, he has
Ron Shepherd, vice president of business development, who was part of
Hunton Specialty Products before the
purchase and whom Hunton has known
most of his life. Also, he brought in Stuart
Werner as vice president and general
manager. Werner’s background includes
district manager of South Texas for Trane.
Metal Studs
Drywall
“As it currently stands, I’m appraising
opportunities, both inside and outside of
Texas,” Hunton says of his plans for geographical expansion into North and South
Texas. In Houston, TSP has 20 employees,
and the company is continuing its business as usual. Hunton also expects to expand the product lines TSP represents,
which are mechanical and plumbing engineered products for HVAC systems.
Hunton has been looking into purchasing the company for about two
years, and now that all the terms have
been hammered out and the business is
his, he foresees a better and stronger
market share for the business.
At 16 years old, Robert’s first job was
in the warehouse and he worked in various
positions up to college. He spent 15 years
working in the manufacturing sector of
the apparel world in New York City. Being
back home in Texas, he is excited about
the opportunities that lie ahead. –mp
WALLS
Acoustical
Insulation
A C R O S S
A scholarship has been set up in Sonny’s name benefitting
the carpentry apprenticeship program. Contributions may
be sent to:
ABC Contractors Apprenticeship Trust
FBO Sonny Schirmer
814 Arion Parkway, Suite 204
San Antonio, TX 78216
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TEXAS
DOING A STAND-UP JOB SINCE THE 1900s
9018 Tesoro
Suite 101
San Antonio, Texas 78217
(210) 826-4123
Fax (210) 826-5801
Page 12
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Sales and Use Tax and the
Texas contracter:
Solve the riddle PART 1
Stephanie Thomas, CPA Principal
Thomas, Thomas & Thomas PC
Houston, TX
A
common attitude is “I hate sales and use tax. It’s too
confusing!” However, the sales tax riddle can be
solved by answering a few simple questions about the
project and your business.
Please note, residential construction
and projects performed for exempt entities are not addressed in this article.
For each project, answer the following questions:
Question 1. Is the project new construction, repair, remodeling, restoration or a mix? New construction is defined as all new improvements to realty,
including initial finish out work to the interior and exterior of the improvement.
It is also the addition of new usable
square footage to an existing building.
Repair, remodeling and restoration is
defined as to rebuild, repair, replace, alter, modify or upgrade existing realty.
Projects can have elements of both
new construction and repair/ remodeling. For example, adding a wing to an
existing building has both new construction and repair/ remodeling elements. A
contractor’s sales tax responsibilities for
this type of project depend on the percentage of the total project that is repair/
remodeling and whether the repair/remodeling portion is separately stated.
Question 2. Is the project on commercial property or residential property? Commercial property includes hotels, office buildings, restaurants, hospitals, malls, etc.
Residential property includes property used as a family dwelling, multi-family apartment or housing complex, nursing home, condominium or retirement
home.
Question 3. What type of contract
is it? A lump-sum contract is a contract
that does not separate charges for permanent materials and labor. One lump
sum price is charged. A separated contract is a contract that separates charges
for permanent materials from labor
charges.
Question 4. I answered these
questions, what does it mean? The answers to these questions determine how
clients are invoiced and when sales or
use tax is due on purchases. The following information is general and reflects
current Texas sales tax rules only.
Sales Cycle: Invoicing if the project was performed on commercial
property for a taxable entity.
A contractor does not invoice sales
tax when new construction is performed
pursuant to a lump sum contract. How-
ever, the contractor charges sales tax on
incorporated materials, but not labor, if
new construction is performed pursuant
to a separated contract.
All charges (with a few exceptions)
for commercial repair/ remodeling projects are taxable. In most instances, the
contract type does not matter. There is
an exemption for labor if the repair/remodeling project is performed in a designated disaster area or on a property
listed in the National Register of Historic
Places.
Purchases Cycle: Sales tax the
contractor should pay. The contractor
should pay sales tax on incorporated materials, consumable supplies and equipment rentals, if it is a lump sum, new construction project for a taxable entity.
If the new construction project was
performed pursuant to a separated contract, the contractor should issue a resale
certificate to purchase incorporated materials tax free. Equipment rentals and
consumable supplies are taxable. However, consumables may be purchased tax
free under certain circumstances.
Determining the project type, property type, contract type and entity type
will help you determine your sales tax
responsibilities. Once those questions
have been answered, understanding
your sales tax responsibilities will be a lot
simpler.
NEXT UP: Residential Property
DISCLAIMER:
The information provided above is general in nature and is not legal advice.
The provider of the information makes
no representation regarding the law
and/or its application to any entity’s
specific situation. Because state tax
laws, policies, and applications are dynamic, please consult with a state tax
professional for a complete rendition
of the law as it may apply to your specific situation at a particular time.
Stephanie Thomas, CPA has helped clients with sales and use tax issues exclusively since 1998. Thomas, Thomas & Thomas,
PC is a CPA firm that addresses state tax issues only. We help clients all over the country address sales and use tax audits, minimize sales and use tax deficiencies, and
understand how to comply with applicable
sales and use tax laws. Stephanie can be
reached at (281) 469-1103.
Do you trust your
trusted advisor?
Kristen Harder
Catto & Catto LLP
San Antonio, TX
H
ow did you choose your insurance agent? What
led you and your company to trust this person or
company with such an important business and budgetary item?
Most contractors are quick to say
that quoting is how they win business,
but I’ve learned that even in your world,
quoting and price, while important and
very much a factor, are only part of how
you win most jobs. Relationships, quality of workmanship, reputation, and expertise are also key factors. Best value
in the end typically wins the business.
My goal is to be more transparent about
the insurance quoting process to hopefully improve your insurance experience in years to come.
Your time is valuable and it takes a
lot of time to meet with different insurance advisors and explain your business, needs and budgets, as well as give
your information to different agents so
that they can ‘bid it out for you. Why are
you bidding it out? Do you not trust
your trusted advisor is showing you options based on your comapny needs
and goals?
In reference to Employee Health
Benefits, price is only a part. Underwriters determine rates by several factors
such as industry, demographics, claims
experience, location of the employees,
plan design, and trend. Every medical
insurance company will release the
same quote to every agent given that
all the information is identically presented. So, if you are shopping your
trusted advisor, I recommend you
choose them based upon criteria other
than price. Imagine if you only had five
lumber suppliers and the bid is the
same for everyone. Why? The price of
the lumber is determined on factors
such as grade, cut, type, etc. These are
factors that a contractor cannot change.
So, who would you buy from? Perhaps
the one who you perceive has the best
value, the one who responds well when
you have a rush request, and the one
you enjoy working with.
Commercial insurance is a little different, but similar. There are many different insurance companies, and the
companies who are represented will
vary from agent to agent or agency.
Let’s say you are shopping Worker’s
Compensation and Texas Mutual is your
current carrier, and your current agent
is The Greatest Agency, Inc. If you allow
another agent, Best Insurance, to bid on
your Worker’s Comp, the Texas Mutual
APPRENTICE OPPORTUNITY
Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 67
will be accepting applications for
Apprenticeship beginning
Monday, March 24, 2014 through
Tuesday, April 22, 2014.
Applications must be made in person,
M–F, from 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM,
and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at
Sheet Metal Worker’s Apprentice School,
11 Burwood, San Antonio, Tx.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Must be 18 years old by 07/31/14.
• High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
• Physically able to perform work required.
THE FOLLOWING MUST BE SUBMITTED
AT TIME OF APPLICATION:
• High school diploma or GED and
Percentile rating
• Certified high school transcripts
(sealed envelope)
For further information, call 210-349-3350.
Acceptance and training shall be done
without discrimination to race, color,
religion, national origin, or sex.
market is blocked by your incumbent
agent. Only the incumbent agent can
negotiate your Texas Mutual renewal.
And let’s say the program that Best Insurance presents looks very favorable,
but you are very happy with Texas Mutual, and so you’d like them to adjust
their pricing so that you can stay with
them and keep receiving dividends.
Now you’ve created a lot of work and
time out of your day to be the middle
man between The Greatest Agency, Inc,
and Best Insurance and you have to
keep up with all of the differences in
price, coverage, deductibles, etc. Is this
why you don’t enjoy insurance? This
process isn’t the most effective for anyone! It’s time consuming and confusing! Again, I would suggest that you
choose ONE trusted advisor outside of
the bidding process to do all of the leg
work, negotiating, comparing coverages, etc.
As an insurance agent our job is to
paint the best picture for your company
when we market your company. We cannot do a good job at this we if only have
the color red in our possession. The insurance carriers would much rather one
agent bring a company to the entire
marketplace because it’s less confusing
for them. Also, the carriers do keep track
of your history. For example, an underwriter will get much more aggressive on
an account they feel they have a viable
shot at writing. But, if they’ve received
your submission every year from multiple agents and they’ve never written
the account, please take note that they
notice these things and you can burn
bridges this way.
Consider a more holistic approach
and partnership when looking to shop
for insurance. A trusted advisor that you
truly trust should be the only folks in
which you share very confidential information about your company and your
employees. This will save you a lot of
headaches!
Kristen serves many business types to
include construction. Through her experience, she understands and strives to combat the challenges that employers and
executives face. She can be contacted in
San Antonio at 210-222-2161; in Austin at
512-687-6225; or cell 210-887-6650
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 13
The surge in worker wage claims
Lead in construction
Mark L. Hill, Shareholder
Cowles & Thompson, PC
Dallas, TX
Joann Natarajan
Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA
Austin, TX
A
re you familiar with the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA)? If you operate a business that has employees, you should be. The FLSA was enacted back in 1938
during the Great Depression and established, among
other things, the 40 hour work week. The FLSA regulates
minimum wage, overtime, and tip standards for most
businesses. Over the years, the FLSA has undergone
changes causing it to gain traction among plaintiff’s lawyers, and is frequently used in
courts to punish employers who stray from these standards.
There are several aspects of the FLSA that
should make all employers take note.
First, the FLSA provides for “collective” actions status. This is similar to a
class action, and means the claims of a
few can turn into a lawsuit of many. It is
not uncommon to see a lawsuit initially
brought by only a couple employees
quickly grow into a suit involving dozens
or even hundreds.
Second, the FLSA provides for recovery of “liquidated” damages. This serves
to double, I repeat – double, any damages awarded. If the damages are $5,000,
then double it. If the damages are
$500,000, then double it.
Many businesses are already feeling
the reach of the FLSA. Texas homebuilders, restaurants, manufacturers, transportation companies, and lenders have
all been hit with wage claims. This list is
not exclusive, and if anything, the trend
of claims is intensifying. Over the last decade, the number of FLSA cases filed each
year has more than quadrupled.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
is also making employer compliance with
the FLSA a focus, and the misclassification of employees as independent contractors is at the center of its scrutiny.
Why might this be important to you? A
recent study by the University of Texas
found that almost half of all construction
workers were misclassified as independent contractors.
Whether a construction worker is an
employee or independent contractor can
have broad ramifications. Most discrimination claims, which are prevalent these
days, do not extend to independent contractors. Similarly, most minimum wage
and overtime claims, such as FLSA claims,
also do not extend to independent contractors. The classification between an
employee and independent contractor
also impacts business operations like
payroll, worker benefits, HR, worker supervision, company written policy, and
tax.
This may surprise some, but to be
clear, having a worker sign an Independent Contractor agreement does not
make that worker an independent contractor. At least not by itself. Court’s in
Texas have established a framework to
determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.
This framework has several factors to
consider, including: (1) the independent
nature of the worker’s business, (2) the
worker’s obligation to furnish necessary
tools, supplies, and materials to perform
the job, (3) the degree to which the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss is determined by the employer, (4) the time for
which the worker is employed, and (5)
the method of payment, whether by unit
of time or by the job.
While Texas remains an “at will” state,
the laws not just in Texas, but Federal, are
changing. An employee friendly environment is becoming increasingly widespread.
With the FLSA riddled with pitfalls
for employers, what can a construction
business owner do to avoid the FLSA
crosshairs? To begin, every business
should have clear and well maintained
business records. This includes written
company policy, and having worker’s
time well documented. Employers should
also address known problems quickly. Do
not let wage issues linger, and don’t allow them to spread to other employees.
There’s no substitute for taking proactive
steps. However, should an FSLA or other
worker claim be received, do not hesitate
to act. Knowing how to respond and defend a wage claim can pay huge dividends. It can pave the way for quick resolution, make a potential big problem
small, and let the employer get back to
business.
Mark L. Hill is a Shareholder with the law
firm of Cowles & Thompson, P.C. in Dallas,
Texas. He advises and defends corporate
employers, both large and small, on employment disputes and other business litigation. Hill also helps businesses avoid and,
if possible, resolve disputes before they ever
reach litigation. Hill has been named a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters) Rising
Star multiple years, and a Texas Super Lawyer in 2013.
mhill@cowlesthompson.com
L
ead is an ingredient in thousands of products widely
used throughout industry, including lead-based
paints, lead solder, electrical fittings and conduits, tank
linings, plumbing fixtures, and many metal alloys. Although many uses of lead have been banned, lead based paints continue to be used
on bridges, railways, ships, and other steel structures because of its rust- and corrosion-inhibiting properties. Also, many homes were painted with lead-containing
paints. Significant lead exposures can also occur when paint is removed from surfaces
previously covered with lead-based paint.
Operations that can generate lead dust
and fumes include:
• Demolition of structures;
• Flame-torch cutting;
• Welding;
• Use of heat guns, sanders, scrapers, or
grinders to remove lead paint; and
• Abrasive blasting of steel structures
OSHA has regulations governing construction worker exposure to lead. Employers of construction workers engaged
in the repair, renovation, removal, demolition, and salvage of structures are responsible for the development and implementation of a worker protection program. Construction projects vary in their
scope and potential for exposing workers
to lead and other hazards. Many projects
involve only limited exposure, such as the
removal of paint from a few interior residential surfaces, while others may involve
substantial exposures. Employers must
be in compliance with OSHA’s lead standard at all times.
Major Elements of OSHA’s Lead Standard
• A permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50
micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air,
as averaged over an 8-hour period.
• Requirements that employers use engineering controls and work practices,
where feasible, to reduce worker exposure.
• Requirements that employees observe
good personal hygiene practices, such as
washing hands before eating and taking
a shower before leaving the worksite.
• Requirements that employees be provided with protective clothing and,
where necessary, with respiratory protection accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134.
• A requirement that employees exposed
to high levels of lead be enrolled in a
medical surveillance program.
Avoid Exposure
• Use proper personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, clothing and approved
respirators).
• Wash hands and face after work and before eating.
• Never enter eating areas wearing protective equipment.
• Never wear clothes and shoes that were
worn during lead exposure away from
work.
• Launder clothing daily; use proper
cleaning methods.
• Be alert to symptoms of lead exposure
(e.g., severe abdominal pain, headaches,
loss of motor coordination).
• Wear appropriate respirators as directed.
• Conduct a user seal check each time a
respirator is donned.
• Be aware of your company’s respiratory
protection program; understand the limitations and potential hazards of respirators.
Prevent Further Exposure By:
• Ensuring adequate ventilation, and
when outdoors, stand upwind of any
plume.
• Use dust collecting equipment, when
possible.
• Use lead-free materials and chemicals.
• Use wet methods to decrease dust.
• Use local exhaust ventilation for enclosed work.
natarajan.joann@dol.gov
512-374-0271 x232
Page 14
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
United show and tell
No grass grows under his feet
Roger Davis (orange shirt), Werner, and the United Tool team, show off the Data Vault.
U
nited Tool & Fastener hosted a
Werner New Products Showcase
Mar. 13 at its Jones Maltsberger location. The daylong event featured lunch
and happy hour.
Outside, Charlie Gerston, a safety
specialist at United Tool & Fastner, used
the Werner rig and harness to demonstrate their additional safety.
Inside, while snacks and refreshments were being served in the back,
Roger Davis, safety specialist and representative from Werner, was up front in
the showroom. The Data Vault, he explained, was developed to easily transport around a jobsite for the crew to view
plans, print, and have a versatile mobile
office with a 40-inch plasma TV. And the
Podium Ladder was developed to take
the platform ladder a step further in safety features. –mp
Charlie Gerston, United Tool safety specialist,
stands with his rig – and a very disgruntled
dummy.
Mary Paul, Construction News, climbs the
only Werner Podium Ladder in Texas, which
was at United Tool for the showcase.
Vernon Moehle tends to commercial lots and acreage
with the tractor he bought in 2004 for his business.
W
hen Vernon W. Moehle was
laid off after working in aviation
for approximately 35 years as a
manufacturing engineer, he opened up
his own business called Pa’s Fence &
Sprinkler in April 2002.
In January 2004, he went to work for
a seatbelt company as a quality engineer,
but he kept running his business, doing
fences and sprinkler repair. Then, he
bought his tractor. In 2008, he semi-retired, and today, he is still a one-man operation with the company he started
more than a decade ago keeping him
busy in retirement.
He works exclusively on commercial
properties, since he feels residential is
too competitive and would also require
him to be on a job every week or on a set
certain day, which would inhibit the freedom that he values these days.
Since starting out 12 years ago, a few
things have changed for Pa’s Fence &
Sprinkler, which ironically are the business’ namesakes. Once Moehle took the
position with the seatbelt company, he
decided he would no longer install fences. Also, due to the involved nature of it,
he no longer does sprinkler repair. Now,
he does mowing and lawn maintenance
on lots and acreage, cutting from a quarter acre to 77 acres.
At 72 years old, he is remodeling his
house in his spare time. He also likes to
barbeque when he has a chance and
does his own welding at his shop at
home. He enjoys taking it easy with the
independence his work affords him.
Born in Burnet, Moehle was raised in
Willow City near Fredericksburg where
he went to high school. He has been married for nearly 52 years, and he has two
sons and three granddaughters. One of
his sons has his own remodeling company here in San Antonio, KM Builders.
He adds, “I’ve been successful in raising children and with my marriage, and
to me, that’s the most important thing.”
–mp
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 15
Fishing action
improves for Spring
by Capt. Steve Schultz
Sponsored by:
Premier Yamaha Boating Center,
Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction,
Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Interstate Batteries,
Pure Fishing, Mirr-O-Lure and Columbia Sportswear
C
apt. Steve Schultz recently severely injured
his leg. Several surgeries will be required
to fix him up. He will be in touch with his
readers in the next (May) issue.
This Outdoor column was written for the
April 2013 issue, and excerpts have been pulled,
those which directly relate to the month of April
and fishing this time of year.
I’d rather
be fishing!
S
pring break is over and I’m ready to get back to the
grind. The month of April is here and it’s one of my
most favorite months to be on the water. Hopefully, the strong winds that we are accustomed to in
March will give us a few windows in early April on getting some trophy trout.
While winter fishing generally yields heavier fish,
spring is the time where you can catch more numbers of
those same fish. The fishing is usually a lot faster pace
also. Typically, during winter months fishing is done
with a slow retrieve using a soft plastic or a sub-surface,
slow sinking lure to give lethargic fish plenty of time to
attack the prey. However, when spring rolls around, fish
become quite a bit more active. This gives anglers a
wider variety of lure choices to use as these fish are
much more aggressive.
With spring conditions upon us and the coldest of
weather and water temperatures on the decline, we can
look forward to some great fishing along the shorelines
of the Laguna Madre. Shrimp have already started to
show up at the local marinas from the northern bay systems. By the time you read this article they will be well on
the way south of the JFK Causeway along the King Ranch
shoreline. Using these little guys under an Alameda Rattling cork can produce some constant action when drifting over grass beds with scattered potholes. If you’re opposed to using live bait, a soft plastic tied 18” behind a
mauler can be just as effective. Gambler lures makes a
4-inch flap-n-shad that has become one of my favorite
choices when choosing this method. Colors can vary depending on water clarity, but pumpkin seed/chartreuse
and plum/chartreuse can always be relied upon.
Spring is also a sign of the annual drum run through
the coastal bend. Black drum make their way from the
south through the landcut and from the north through
Corpus Christi Bay and the ICW on the way to Baffin.
These cousins of the redfish family are not the most photographic species of fish in our bay system, but certainly
one of the best eating this writer can recommend. With
live shrimp on a bottom rig or a pound or so of fresh
dead shrimp, one can sometimes make short work of a
limit. These black drum can sometimes save the day for
STEVE SCHULTZ
OUTDOORS, LLC
BAFFIN BAY
LAGUNA MADRE
LAND CUT
SPECKLED
TROUT
REDFISH
FLOUNDER
FISHING AND
HUNTING TRIPS
(361) 949-7359
www.baffinbaycharters.com
steveschultzoutdoors@
gmail.com
U.S. Coast Guard &
Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
Capt. Steve Schultz caught this 29-inch Speck while fishing
south of Baffin Bay. Fish was caught on a plum/chartruse
saltwater assassin and was released after photo.
Photo by Steve Schultz Outdoors.
non-experienced anglers like women and kids just
wanting a tug on the end of their line.
Water temperatures already reaching the upper 60s
and getting close to that magical 70-degree mark will
make fishing explode in the coming weeks. Don’t miss
the boat… Call now to get that fishing get-a-way you’ve
been waiting for.
I can be reached by phone at (361) 813-3716 or by
e-mail at SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com.
Good luck and good fishing.
Page 16
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Ken Milam’s Fishing Line
Since 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in
the Texas Hill Country,. You can hear Ken on radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 6-8
AM on AM 1300, The Zone – Austin, or http://www.am1300the zone.com
Winter or Spring???
T
exas weather is mostly just a mean
joke this time of year. The weather
roller coaster we have been on the
last several weeks have made this year
one for the record books. You don’t dare
set foot out of the house without checking out the day’s forecast!
Today I’m sweating like May, but tomorrow is gonna feel like January. Every
horizontal surface in my house is covered
with a constantly shifting pile of jackets,
sweaters, overalls, hoodies and windbreakers. Don’t dare put any of it away
just because the calendar says that winter is over…’cos this is Texas!
I had one group of fishermen arrive
from Austin’s 75-degree one morning,
and find the temperature 42 degrees and
falling here at the dock. Shorts and flipflops didn’t cut it that day!
If this weather confusion is so hard
for us to cope with in spite of our big old
brains and weather men, just imagine
how all the wild things feel. Just as the
longer days and a few warm afternoons
start to get the fish and fowl in the notion
of feeding, nesting and spawning, then
“wham” comes a cold spell that tells them
to go back to bed or crawl back under a
rock, because winter’s not done yet.
Usually striper fishing is good during
cold weather. Not so much this year. I
believe it is just because there hasn’t
been much of a real trend either cold or
warm, just chaos. We have a few nice
days and the lake temperature starts rising and the fish start to school up and we
get all excited because they are fixing to
turn on, then it gets COLD again and the
fish just seem to say “Never mind!”
The good thing is that this will have
to end sooner or later. The days are getting longer and we are moving closer to
the sun. Soon the spring days will outnumber the mean old days of winter.
Even if we do have one of those notorious “Easter Spells” that usually mark winters last gasp, we’ll turn the corner into
spring. When we do, you better just be
ready. Everything out there with a ticking biological clock will be all about procreation and the urgent need to feed to
support their reproductive process. Fish
will be hungry, turkeys will be foraging
and deer will need nutritional support
from your feeders for their growing fawns
because this drought still persists for
most of the state.
Even with so many Texas lakes still
having low water levels, there are plenty
of fish to be caught. You just might have
to work a little harder to get at them.
That is where good info from local fishermen or hiring a guide can save you some
time and money. Low lakes are different
lakes, but still offer some of the finest
Boats getting ready to leave the dock early morning
for a fishing trip at Lake Buchanan
fishing there is.
Pay attention to the weatherman for whatever insight he can give you and try not
to cuss the wonky weather too much. Just remember what July and August are like,
when the weatherman could go on extended vacation and not be missed because the
weather never changes – just hot and dry, over and over again!
The return of Rubber Ducky
K
ent Gerstner, Construction News, hosted the Second Annual Rubber Ducky
BBQ Cook-Off Mar. 1 at MacArthur Park with
barbeque brisket, chicken, sausage, and
pork that kept guests a-quackin’. –mp
Half or Full Day Fishing Trips
All Bait, Tackle & Equipment
Furnished
Your catch Filleted and
Bagged for You
Furnish your TPWD Fishing
License & Refreshments,
and WE DO THE REST!
Ken Milam Guide Service
(325) 379-2051
www.striperfever.com
Mike Perez and Brandon Frail, Virtual
Builders Exchange cooked cow hearts
on one of the BBQ teams
Kent Gerstner with his wife, Claudia, and children, Zully and Ian
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 17
Submitted to Construction News
Rocking the house
First
Annual
Mr & Mrs. Big
Trout Scholarship
Tournament
MAY 1-3
Blaine G. Beckman rocks the jobsite as a project manager for F.A. Nunnelly
Co. during the day. But five or six times a year, the 29-year-old and the band he
sings for, Our Waking Hour, rocks the stage at venues such as the Sunken Garden
Amphitheatre. More than 5,000 people attended that show. Since all the band
members have full-time jobs, they try to only book bigger shows. Last year, they
played with Candlebox, and right now, they’re working on their second album,
which Beckman hopes they will release later this year. –mp
Submitted to Construction News
Once-in-a-lifetime harvest
Daryl Frye, a superintendent at F.A. Nunnelly Co. and the ranch manager at Kincaid
Ranch, finally found the deer of a lifetime. He watched this deer for four years, and
last season, Frye came very close to harvesting him, but let him walk at 12 points
175+ for another season. When bow hunting didn’t work out the next time, he decided he would go out with a rifle in the early season, and he got him this time.
“No ground shrinkage on this beast,” says Frye. “This is a perfect example of age, nutrition and management of genetics come in play. He grossed 196
inches and net 187 inches typical in the books.” –mp
Submitted to Construction News
Finally! Signs for Texans
Ladies Fish May 2
Men Fish May 3
Our purpose for this event is to create
a Scholarship Fund for students studying Marine Biology at Corpus Christi
A&M University and to practice fish
conservation setting a standard for future tournaments. And, most of all, to
be safe on the water and have fun.
Hosted by
See MrBigTrout.com for more details
Contact: Doug 210-213-8289
Cindy 210-385-9195
Pattie 210-885-8593
Page 18
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Her island in the sun
Submitted to Construction News
Wisdom and hard work
L-R: Dawn, Kent, and Ollie Holmes, and Barbara McArthur
Frank Wisdom, managing member of Wisdom Estimating Services, had about
20 game camera pictures of this buck showing up under the cover of night over
the course of the last two months. Determined to harvest him, he spent weeks
at the ranch hoping to catch him during the day. Finally, Feb. 28 at 7:10am, Wisdom got him on the last day of MLD Permitted Deer Hunting Season. The buck
scored 180 7/8 B&C with a 21.50” inside spread and 35 points in mass.
“I have always heard that luck was a sign of a lot of hard work
and now I really believe it,” he said. –mp
I
n February, Dawn Holmes,
Workplace Resource, and her
family escaped the depths of
one of San Antonio’s coldest winters in years to the warm, sunny
state of Hawaii. –mp
They spotted beautiful tropical fish
on a snorkeling tour in Kauai.
www.olmosequipment.com
WE MOVE
THE EARTH
440 Pinn Road
San Antonio, TX 78227
210-675-4990
A humpback whale dives close to their boat off the shores of Kauai.
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 19
Teach a man to fish
Milam with Cody and Casey at the AM 1300 The Zone studio
where he hosts his radio show, The Great Outdoors
Y
ou might recognize fishing guide
Ken Milam. After all, he has a column in the Construction News
Great Outdoors section. But did you
know that he also has his own radio show
called The Great Outdoors?
Every Saturday and Sunday morning
from 6-8am, Milam is on the air at AM
1300 The Zone in Austin. Listeners outside of Austin tune in on iHeartRadio.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” says Milam. “I
get to talk to a lot of people – guests that
I normally wouldn’t [get to] talk to, and I
learn a lot from them. And the reason I
became a guide is because I love to entertain people and take them fishing. So,
now I can entertain a lot more people
and help them catch a fish.”
The door to the radio business
opened soon after Milam began guiding
in 1981. He thought fishing and taking
people fishing was a wonderful way to
make a living.
“My dad was a builder, and I helped
him build homes long enough to know
that that’s just too much like work,” he
explains with a laugh. “So, I decided I
Ken Milam started guided fishing trips in 1981.
wanted to be a fishing guide.”
As a guide, some of Milam’s friends
in the radio business in Austin encouraged him to get on the radio with a hunting and fishing feature. He did one for a
while, but at the time, it didn’t work out.
A little while after, he got on KBEY in Marble Falls, but then the station went to satellite without the live jocks.
Today, at 57, Milam has been at AM
1300, KVET, for about eight years now
with a very profitable show on the outdoors. He has hosted guests including
bass fishing legends Bill Dance and Ray
Scott; county western artist Colt Ford;
Greg Stunz, a Gulf Coast expert and professor in Corpus Christi, deer biologist
Macy Ledbetter; and Horace Gore, Texas
Trophy Hunters editor-in-chief.
Milam has also been on the other
side of the interview as a guest on several
television shows, including those of Cabela and Jimmy Houston. Now, he is
looking to get his own TV show started.
Another of Milam’s passions for the
outdoors revolved around the state
parks. He promotes the Texas Parks system and is equally determined to get kids
out into the parks to see what Texas has
to offer them. He believes that once they
get out hunting and fishing, children will
grow up with the outdoors as a positive
activity in their lives.
“There’s an old judge that I used to
take fishing a long time ago,” he recalls. “He
was from Laredo. He says, ‘Ken, I never put
a teenager in jail that had a hunting and
fishing license in his pocket.’ So, we just got
to get them into our Texas parks. If they’re
not hunters, we have 93 parks in the state
of Texas, and there’s so many different
things that they can do in those parks. Our
parks system is a great thing. And it’s not
being used to the fullest extent.”
Born and raised in and around the
Austin area, Milam is a sixth generation
Texan. In fact, Ben Milam, his great-great
uncle, was a hero of the Texas Revolution.
He was killed outside the door to the Alamo during a confrontation in which he was
the only fatality. Shot in the head, the bullet that killed him was lodged in the Alamo
Mission door behind him. There’s a statue
of Ben Milam in downtown San Antonio.
On his radio show, Milam enjoys telling stories like this one, stories about his
parents doing trapping, his childhood
memories and other stories of his life.
Milam and his wife of 38 years, Karon,
have two children, a 28-year-old son
named Max, and a 30-year-old daughter
Milam’s son, Max, is continuing his guided
tour business and his fishing legacy.
named Lydia. Their daughter works at Seton Hospital in Austin, and their son has
taken over Milam’s guide business, running the trips for him.
Though his radio business has been
keeping him busy, Milam still guides some
of the customers that he has taken fishing
for a very long time. In addition to his passion for fishing, he loves to snow ski and
hunt mule deer while he’s up in the mountains. In whatever he does, he explores
any avenues available to him to help get
people back into the great outdoors. –mp
Photo by Grady Allen
Milam caught this fish with
a customer on his boat.
Page 20
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Storm water regulations
getting tougher
Construction News ON LOCATION
At your super service
Submitted by: Brad Flack, CPESC, CESSWI, President, Storm-Tex Services
I
Team members at Jon Wayne were preparing to give two teams of 35 people
each tours of their facility. One team member took on the role of Bryant Man,
which apparently comes with an adorable doggy sidekick. The company was
hosting the tours as part of the last day of the Service Super Summit being held
at the Embassy Suites Hotel downtown. –mp
f you are in the construction industry
then you are no doubt not exempt
from the new storm water management regulations in Central Texas. Travis
County, the City of Austin, Bexar County
and San Antonio and surrounding area
jurisdictions have recently increased their
requirements for storm water pollution
prevention.
The regulations come down from a
higher level than the local jurisdiction.
The EPA has increased the requirements
that they put on each state's storm water
management program.
Texas has a delegated permit, which
means that the TCEQ has been put in
charge of handling our state's storm water program.
Texas is also the second largest state,
behind Alaska, and in order to assist the
TCEQ manage this large land, they delegate authority to larger urbanized areas
and their watersheds. These urbanized
areas and watersheds must file a permit
to the TCEQ in order to manage their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or
MS4. Each MS4 is charged with reducing
the runoff pollution from storm water
discharges into the waterways of this
great state.
One of the ways they chose to do this
is tighten restrictions and regulations on
the construction sites. These sites can be
some of the worst violators in regards to
silt, sediments and debris entering our
waterways.
Each MS4 has outlined their own version of the new regulations, but more importantly are a couple of key changes.
When creating storm water pollution
prevention plan, either a professional engineer or a CPESC (Certified Professional
in Erosion and Sediment Control) must
sign off on the SWPPP or ESC (Erosion
and Sediment Control) plans prior to construction. And once this has been completed the site must be inspected at intervals that each jurisdiction requires by
a CPESC, or a CESSWI (Certified Erosion,
Sediment, & Storm Water Inspector) or
similar certification.
This means that each site must now
either hire or at least contract out this
work. If a site is not being certified or inspected by one of those certification
holders, then the site is in violation of the
local laws and is subject to fees and penalties. Don't just take a person's word on
it, be sure to double check their certification is legitimate. You can look them up
on the official websites: www.CPESC.com
and www.CESSWI.com.
Brad Flack
serves on the
Board of Directors
for the South Central Chapter of the
International Erosion Control Association as the Administrative Vice
President and is
the
PresidentElect for next year. He also serves as the Region 7 Representative for the CPESC Council
and is also its Technical Vice Chair. He also
serves as a TCEQ Enviromentor and is on
the IECA Region 1 Education Committee:
Stormwater Management Track serving
North & South America and Europe. –ab
The Pod people
L-R: Mike Fry, San Antonio operations manager; Mike Miller, CAD/QC/APM;
Richard Herrera, team leader
T
he NeoPod Systems facility in San
Antonio is the company’s only facility for construction. Though its corporate headquarters is in Florida with
owners Juan Bermudez, president, and
Chuck Ermer, CEO, NeoPod does all the
pre-fabrication of its modular restrooms
for commercial projects across the nation
right here in the Alamo City.
NeoPod has been here for about
three years now on West Laurel, and its
first project was the Texas A&M University Northside Residence Hall in College
Station with just under 400 bathrooms
going into that job.
Operations manager for San Antonio
Mike Fry, who received his bachelor’s of
science from Texas A&M, has been with
NeoPod for two years now. With his experience in electrical project management, Fry wears many hats at NeoPod including project manager, superintendent, and estimator.
“We build for dormitories, hospitals,
hotels, army barracks,” Fry says, noting
that they have started delivering their
work to an Army barrack in Fort Carson,
CO. “Any time you have a typical bathroom arrangement in a building.”
Though they can do projects of any
size, Fry explains that they like to take on
larger orders, because with their type of
construction, with higher quantities, they
are able to make the process more efficient, which can, in turn, decrease the
cost of each unit.
“They are all built specified to the
project to meet the specs, the local
codes, and the owner’s desire as far as finishes go,” he states. “We can build up to
five per day. It all depends on how much
work is needing to be done on each one.”
After the modular restrooms are
completed, Fry explains, “A coordinated
installation is done, and it’s typically performed by the general contractor or another sub on the job, most likely the drywall contractor.” –mp
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 21
Back to school
M
CCA students at Earl Warren High School are building five micro-homes
as part of their classroom design-build experience.
embers of the Independent
Electrical Contractors (IEC) San
Antonio went back to school
Feb. 28 to do the wiring on five 340-sf
micro-homes being built by the Construction Career Academy (CCA) students
at Earl Warren High School.
Contractor participants included Hill
Electric, IES Commercial, JMEG Electric,
Good Electric, and Quinney Electric,
which also donated approximately $7,000
worth of material to the program’s project.
“Lloyd Quinney, Quinney Electric,
serves on the career technology board,
and that’s how IEC got involved,” Raul
Vasquez, IEC training director, recalls of
the association’s history of working with
Warren’s CCA. “So, it turned into a great
relationship from there.”
In November, the students designed
the homes, which will be presented in a
Parade of Homes fashion.
“One of the homes is actually supposed to be moved over to the Parade of
Homes to illustrate alternative living
styles, sustainable living,” says Bill Stiteler, CCA. “The students designed the
homes, and now what we’ve done is this
culmination of our entire program. It’s a
way to bring all those skill sets that they
learn at school into one project that can
illustrate their skills.
“And it’s invaluable for our business
partners to come out and work side by
side with the students to give them a perspective on what it’s like to be on a jobsite
besides what they see at our campus, and
to get perspective of how different companies operate within the industry.” –mp
Electrical contractors showed the kids how it’s done.
L-R: Bill Stiteler, CCA; Jud Fry, Francis Electric; Joey Blazi, JMEG; Russell Young
and Hector Castro, Hill Electric; Steve Martin, IES Commercial
You are the pulse of the paper!
U
Good news on the Grapevine
ntold treasure troves of stories lie
buried within the San Antonio
construction community. Why?
Well, because you haven’t called to tell us
those stories, of course!
As the San Antonio editor for Construction News, I often receive calls,
email, and in-person queries from people who don’t know how to get their stories out there. Some people don’t even
think their stories are anything we would
be interested in telling. They couldn’t be
more mistaken.
The tales of the people who work,
live, and breathe construction here in the
San Antonio area are the heart of our industry and the pulse of our paper.
Our stories are all about you! We
want to know who you are, where you’re
from, what you’re up to, and what you
have to say about the industry that we all
know and love.
We want to hear about you and introduce you and your company to our
readers. What’s that, you say? Everyone
already knows you and your company?
And you’ve been in the paper before?
If time has passed since we spoke to
you last, then some things have probably
changed. Also, you could have some fascinating hobbies we could feature that
you might have in common with some of
your customers and peers without even
realizing it.
I’m sure there are also interesting
people working at your company who
have interesting lives and hobbies of
their own. Passing the spotlight on to
them allows everyone who calls you to
know who they’re talking to, feel like
they’re dealing with someone they can
trust, who is more of a friend than a business contact.
Sharing your milestones and anniversaries, company events such as open
houses and barbecues, hobbies and interests, and photos from your life and
outdoor adventures makes us all feel that
much more connected.
I constantly hear from members of
the construction industry who want to
put themselves out there in front of their
peers, friends, and the local community.
Taking a short amount of time to talk a
little about yourself and your work is all it
takes to get your profile in the paper.
There is a wealth of stories to be told
here, and even though we have been
around for more than 15 years now, we
haven’t come close to telling them all.
We’re always learning new things about
each other and this industry. Telling our
stories and connecting with our community will help keep us strong no matter
what the future may bring.
If you have a story to share with Construction News, please don’t hesitate to
contact me:
Mary Paul
San Antonio Editor
210-308-5800
saeditor@
constructionnews.net
John Houchens named the company from inspiration of a verse from the Bible about
weeding out anything bad so that the good can grow. He and his wife believe in three simple
priorities: “1 God, 2 Family, and 3 Business. After those, everything else is easy.”
A
fter slowing down Grapevine
Group Concrete Contractors, Inc.
in 2010 to focus on an important
family matter, John Houchens has
Grapevine springing to life once again.
Though Grapevine has been around
and based in San Antonio since 2002,
Houchens shut down his offices in Dallas
and Houston when he and his wife, “the
love of my life, Brenda,” found out she
had a life-threatening illness.
“My wife was diagnosed with breast
cancer in December of 2009, and I devoted all of my time to her treatments, surgeries, and getting her well,” says
Houchens, noting that he didn’t give it a
second thought and wouldn’t have done
it any other way. “Then, in the middle of
2011, after all the surgeries, chemo, radiation, many tests and biopsies, we got an
all clear from her doctors that her cancer
was gone.
“From that time forward, I was doing
some management and consulting work
for some other companies. And I just de-
cided that it was time for me to get back
into it full-time.
“We’re back up and running, bidding
work here and across the state. I’m hoping to get back to where we were in 2009
and maybe get offices opened again in
Houston and Dallas.”
A little over a decade ago, Grapevine
started out doing modest repairs, residential flatwork and foundations. Then,
the company evolved into a 100-percent
commercial concrete contractor doing
significantly larger jobs.
Grapevine’s past projects include the
CarMax on I-35 N at O’Connor Road, the
400,000sqft Franklin Park at Sonterra senior living center; Becker Animal Hospital
on IH 10 across from Crossroads Mall, a
new 40,000sqft Texas Department of
Health & Human Services building in Midland, many branch banks and numerous
hotels. They’ve done work in Oklahoma
City, Corpus Christi, San Angelo, Midland,
and all over San Antonio, Houston, and
the Dallas-Fort Worth area. –mp
Page 22
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Chillin’ over
chili
T
he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter
hosted its 2014 Chili Cook-Off and
Great Gun Raffle Mar. 6 in the parking lot
adjacent to its office on Arion Parkway.
With 26 teams entering their own chili
recipes, more than 300 people came out
to the event. –mp
1st Place: D. Wilson Construction
2nd Place: The Koehler Company
Equipment Depot
Red Hawk Contracting
White Cap Construction Supply
Ram Tool
Best in Show: Hart Acoustical & Drywall
3rd Place: SpawGlass
Terracon
In memoriam
Prediposition toward demolition
S
tacy Whetstone Bridges, an employee of D. Wilson Construction and long-time member of the construction industry, passed away Feb. 25 at the age of 41. After being hit by
a drunk driver in December, she spent weeks in a coma before
she died.
Born Sep. 14, 1972, she grew up in
Marion. In school, she was active in theater, band, color guard, student council,
and the National Honor Society. She
graduated from Marion High School in
1990 and attended San Antonio College
and Texas State.
She volunteered for work events and
fundraisers to help others in need and
was dedicated to her family and friends,
especially her two daughters, Brittany
Lauren, born in 1994, and Brianna Michelle, born in 2010.
She is survived by her daughters; her
mother; sisters, Tammy and Sherry;
brother, Wiley; aunts and uncles; nieces
and nephews; and numerous cousins.
The family has set up the Stacy
Bridges Trust for donations to support
her daughters. –mp
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Saul Robles is the founder and vice president of Robles 1.
W
hen Saul Robles founded Robles 1, his background was rooted in his family’s demolition
business. Today, as vice president, he has
been running operations for the demolition company he owns with his brother,
Danny Robles, for five years now.
Originally from El Paso, Robles came
to San Antonio to expand the original
Robles Service Group, his family’s business, which is still based in West Texas.
Robles had worked for his family’s business since the mid-‘80s. He and his brothers owned the business, and towards the
end of his time there, he was president.
In 2006, wanting to have his own
business, Robles sold his share of Robles
Service Group to his little brothers. Robles 1 was established in November
2008, when the economy was in the middle of its downturn.
“I feel like we started with nothing in
’08, and we didn’t have anywhere to go
but up,” says Robles. “It can’t get any
worse than nothing. So, that’s why I took
the challenge and made it happen.”
Though he started with one employee, Robles has 40 employees today. His
demolition company does commercial
and industrial as well as public and private. The only thing they don’t do is resi-
dential. Though they do jobs all over
Texas, they are strongest in South and
Central Texas as well as West Texas.
Robles is a member of the Hispanic
Contractors and the Builders Exchange.
Outside of work, he likes to play golf, and
ride motorcycles. Though he has his pilot’s license, he doesn’t have time to fly
anymore. He is also active with his church
and sponsors a senior assisted living
home in his father’s hometown in Mexico.
His family includes two sisters and
six brothers. He’s married with four sons,
who are 28, 25, 15, and 12 years old, and
his first grandchild, a boy, was born last
month. –mp
Robles with his wife, Isela
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 23
Operating in the trenches
Ram runs the gamut
W
Steven Potter (center) with members of the Ram Tool team
hen Ram Tool and Supply Company first came to San Antonio
three years ago, Steven Potter
joined the team as a salesman. Until recently, one branch manager covered Austin and San Antonio, but both markets
have grown for the supplier. So, they decided to have a branch manager in each
location, and Potter was promoted to
branch manager of San Antonio.
“We’re still fairly new to the market
[in town],” says Potter. “People hear Ram
Tool and they think tools, but we do a lot
more than that.”
Ram Tool carries a broad array of
supplies from extension cords and ladders to safety gear, such as fall protection
and hard hats, to power tools and concrete supplies, such as rebar and concrete
hand tools. Their customers are mainly
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
contractors as well as general contractors.
Potter is enjoying his new position,
overseeing the 20 employees at the
branch and “pounding the pavement” to
get Ram Tool’s name out there.
“I enjoy getting to interact with lots
of people both within and outside of
Ram Tool, and becoming part of the construction community here in San Antonio,” he says.
Prior to Ram Tool, Potter was with
G.D. Interiors as an estimator/project
manager, and before that, he worked
oversees with Zachry Construction. But
the new job isn’t the only big change in
30-year-old Potter’s life. In early March,
he and his wife, Jodee, had a baby boy,
William Lincoln.
While he says that it’s been a crazy
six months, Potter and his wife have had
family in town and are getting a lot of
help with their new baby. He has been
grateful to have the reinforcements helping out.
Though his new position and son will
undoubtedly keep him very busy, Potter
camps, hikes, gardens, hunts when he
has the chance, plays basketball and
stays active with his church. –mp
At JCH Construction, Bob Nichols bids and oversees jobs
as well as dealing with the customers.
H
aving started out of the necessity
for Rocky Hill to service his customers, JCH Construction is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
A few years after Rocky Hill Equipment Rentals was founded in 1985, Hill
began sending some equipment out
with an operator, since a lot of the people
renting rocksaws and trenchers weren’t
familiar with how to operate them.
That part of the business grew and
grew until 1989 when they took on their
largest job up until that time for Eldridge
Electric at Fort Sam Houston. The time
had come to separate the company from
the equipment rental business.
Along with his wife, Joy, and his
daughter, Christina, Hill formed JCH
Construction. Bob Nichols, their foreman, came in to bid jobs for underground
trenching. The equipment rental and JCH
are in the same office, but JCH has its
own liability, workers comp, and is a
wholly separate entity. Today, Hill’s nephew, Stacy Turner, is also at JCH, assisting
Nichols and running larger projects.
With 12 employees, JCH handles
mostly commercial jobs, doing backhoe,
trenching, and rocksaw work, and JCH
does it turnkey. They ditch it, backfill it,
compact it, haul off the spoils – everything except lay pipe.
“We are here strictly to provide a service to our customers,” says Hill. “We’re
not here to compete with them.”
Also, everything is rented from
Rocky Hill Equipment Rentals at the
same price Rocky Hill bills its other customers.
These days, JCH does considerably
larger jobs than 25 years ago. They are
on a job for a Frost Bank in Westover Hills
where they are doing all the underground excavation for the foundation,
plumbing, and electrical contractors as
well as the general contractor.
JCH does jobs that take three
months and jobs that take one day. They
also do work by the day, by the linear
foot, or by the lump sum project. –mp
Monuments Men
HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIC & CORDLESS TOOLS
We carry a complete line of
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10101 Jones-Maltsberger
L-R: Visiting Alamo Village are SimplexGrinnell’s Sprinkler Operations Managers Leon
Ewing of Nashville and Dwight Green of San Antonio, District General Manager Jeff
Allison of Memphis, General Manager Tom Browning of Jackson, MS, District General
Manager Vince Baker of San Antonio, District General Manager Paul Juneau of Dallas, District General Manager Steve Rasch of Tulsa and Operations Manager Darrin
Mackey and District General Manager Randy Higgins of Little Rock.
T
he nine men work at SimplexGrinnell offices throughout the South,
but the distance between them
doesn’t come between them. Twice a
year, they leave their offices in Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, San Antonio, Tulsa and Jackson, MS, strap on their
brain buckets and hit the super slab together.
“We go for rides in Arkansas or Colorado, or the Hill Country,” Paul Juneau,
District General Manager in the Dallas office, says. “They’re usually four-day rides,
Did you
know?
and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way for us
to get together and get to know each
other.”
One trip was taken just before Alamo
Village near Brackettville, TX was closed
(John Wayne built the movie set and
tourist attraction, which was used in the
movie “The Alamo”). It turned out to be a
trip they would have to take twice.
“We’ve been back since then with
our spouses, because once our spouses
saw [the photos], it was time to take
them!” Juneau says. –mjm
Past editions can be
downloaded at
www.ConstructionNews.net
210-342-9544
San Antonio, Texas 78216
888-999-6551
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Page 24
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
From the Alamo City to the Crescent City
ASA San Antonio’s Dawn Thompson at
SubExcel with the immediate past president
of ASA National
T
he American Subcontractors Association (ASA) hosted its 2014 SUBExcel Convention Mar. 6-8 at the New
Orleans Marriott. The national convention hosted many events and educational
programs for guests and their spouses.
The convention opened on Wednesday with the president’s welcome reception. On Thursday, a special spouses’ outing took them on a tour of the city, including the French Quarter, Garden District, and City Park. At the same time, the
executive directors’ outing took them on
a trolley tour, which included all the same
sights with a trip to the upper Ninth Ward
where they would view the damage done
by Hurricane Katrina.
Friday morning there was an icebreaker reception, and in the afternoon,
spouses enjoyed a second special outing
to the New Orleans School of Cooking
where they learned the basics of making
Cajun Creole dishes. The convention
wrapped on Saturday evening with a
banquet reception and dinner at Arnaud’s Restaurant.
“The theme of the conference was
‘We Build Excellence,’” said Elaine Garcia, executive director of the San Antonio
Chapter, who shared her thoughts on
SUB-Excel. “This year, our National office
did a great job planning the conference.
Workshops were geared towards improving business management as well as
business development. The conference
also provided opportunities for attendees to network through the various receptions and events.
“Something that was offered this
year that was a great improvement was
to provide a separate track of workshops
for the executive directors of the ASA
Chapters as well as a well-thought Spouses’ Outing for attendees’ spouses.
“Some of the sessions offered were
Developing a Culture of Leadership, Identifying Barriers to Productivity, and Focusing from Project Based Selling to Relationship Based Selling. There were also
workshops that discussed completing a
successful Family Ownership Transition
and a panel of professionals who have
successfully changed laws to protect subcontractor’s rights to equitable risk and
prompt payment.”
Garcia found great benefit in the
convention for subcontractors as well as
ASA Chapter leadership, and she’s looking forward to next year’s SUBExcel,
which will be held in Seattle. –mp
Thompson, who is from New Orleans,
returned home ahead of the convention to
enjoy Mardi Gras. She was on this balcony on
Bourbon Street on the day of the big parade.
Dawn Thompson and Elaine Garcia
visited Jackson Square in the heart of the
French Quarter.
Garcia ordered a po-boy
at Mother’s Restaurant.
Fore north or fore south
T
he Associated General Contractors (AGC) San Antonio Chapter hosted its Annual
Golf Tournament Mar. 24 at the Club at Sonterra with a total of 252 golfers playing on two different courses. –mp
Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography
North Course 1st Gross: Jamie Amoretti, Craig Noto, Jason Marcom, Clint Wurzbach
1st Net: Chris Brandt, Mike Alfaro, Tim Spoden, Woody Woodward
2nd Net: Larry Smith, Brent Mayberry, Rob Housler, C. Brent Mayberry
3rd Net: Mat Boden, Taber Diaz, Mark Williams, Todd Crosby
Longest Drive: Will Tross
Closest to Hole: Mike Bess
South Course 1st Gross: Darla Delao, Greg McDaniel, Bob McIntyre, Robert Gayle
1st Net: Scott Stafford, Ray Hendricks, Robert John, Robbie Robertson
2nd Net: Mike King, John Vargas, Rocky Shoffstall, Craig Kennedy
3rd Net: Steve Guenther, Ben Carroll, Brett Bryant, Joe Cruz
Longest Drive: Craig Sinarga
Closest to Hole: Bruce Benner
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 25
Women in Construction
Trailblazing techs
Kelly Aguilar & Victoria Lusk,
Shop Service Technicians
HOLT CAT
San Antonio, TX
I
f Rosie the Riveter ever visited HOLT
CAT’s San Antonio facilities, she would
be proud to find Kelly Aguilar and Victoria
Lusk working as female technicians for heavy equipment in the construction industry.
“I started here 18 years ago, and there
were two other women who started with
me and neither one lasted more than a
month or so,” recalls Aguilar, 49, a technician in HOLT CAT’s Used Parts department.
“And now there’s Victoria, and there’s another woman across the street in the PSD
and the tool room, and there are other
women in the office part of the facility also.”
Even though Lusk is not the only
woman in the shop at HOLT, she was the
only one taking shop classes back home
in Missouri at Ozarks Technical Community College.
“When I moved here for a better job
opportunity, St. Philip’s College actually
had the degree I wanted, which was
heavy construction equipment,” says
Lusk, 24, a Technician I in the Power Systems Division where she also runs a lot of
diagnostics. “I just kept applying with
HOLT, and I ended up getting a job here
as a wash rack tech.”
Today, HOLT works with Lusk on her
schedule so that she can continue her
education at St. Philip’s during the day
and work at night. She notes that she was
the only female in her classes for the first
year and a half, but this semester, one
more female started taking classes.
Aguilar also attended St. Philip’s, but
many years ago, and she observes that
the attitudes in the industry have
changed and the industry itself has
opened up for women since she started
in construction.
“I worked in different areas,” says
Aguilar, who was 30 years old with two
children when she joined HOLT. “Being
one of the first women, they had me in all
the areas. I loaded and unloaded in the
yard. Then, I also worked in the engine
department, and we tore them down to
the block and put them back together.
Then, the heavy equipment, and also the
paint shop, until I finally got to the used
parts and I stayed here. Over here, we
don’t really fix anything. We tear it apart.
I really enjoy it. I like working on stuff.”
Aguilar has transitioned through many
areas in her time at HOLT, and now, her department is starting to move in another direction. She is moving more towards sales,
because of her age, for one, but also they
are not doing as much tear down anymore
and have gotten rid of a lot of their used
parts. She still gets to operate the 30-ton
crane and 15-ton forklift, however.
“When I first started here, I also had
to load and unload all the heavy equipment,” says Aguilar. “So, I learned how to
operate everything, and I love that. I love
working outside. It’s just the direction
that my job’s going in. It kind of helps to
know the parts.”
Lusk has always been interested in
mechanics. She was mostly interested in
automotive, but diesel has fascinated her
and made her want to pursue her education in that area.
“I’m trying to get some experience in
the shop,” Lusk states. “I’m hoping to
eventually, within the next few years, go
into the field, because from the beginning, that’s what my goal was. So, I’m just
trying to get my experience under my
belt and trying to get to know all the aspects before I, eventually, hope to go into
the field service.”
Both Aguilar and Lusk had parents in
the military – Aguilar was named after
Kelly Air Force Base, because that is
where her parents actually met – and
both of them went about pursuing roles
in construction and heavy equipment on
their own, without anyone mentoring
them, and in Aguilar’s case, without a lot
of support from the men who had an exclusive hold on the industry.
“From when I started, it’s changed a
lot,” Aguilar remembers. “The men are
more accepting now. When I started,
there were a lot more older men that
were set in their ways, and women were
not in the industry yet at all.”
Having entered the industry much
more recently, Lusk had a much friendlier
welcome into construction in San Antonio.
“I know some places out there, women aren’t as accepted,” says Lusk. “Where
I work, they’re very accepting. I haven’t
had any issues at all, which I was very surprised at, because some men feel that
women shouldn’t be in this industry. But
it’s been good.
“It’s a lot more accepting here of
women in the field. Back home, it’s still a
lot more traditional. They feel like women shouldn’t really be in that field. That
was something I had to deal with. Coming here was a lot easier a transition to be
able to work in this field.”
In Missouri, Lusk remembers taking
tours of some places with her class, and
she notes that the men weren’t very accepting of a woman in the shop. But as a
woman who is indeed working in the
shop, how does she respond to that kind
of exclusionary bias?
“I’ve always thought everybody’s entitled to their opinions. If that’s how they
feel, that’s their decision, but it’s my decision to go into this field. It’s alright for them
to have that decision. As long as it doesn’t
impede on me or my work, that’s fine.”
Aguilar weighs in, adding, “I’m more
towards let me just prove my work. My
work will prove myself. In the beginning,
the men – and it wasn’t all of them; it was
just a few of the older men, they were just
grumpy and kind of gave you this stare –
but I proved myself. And then, they got
relaxed and we could all work together.”
Today, Lusk observes that there are
even more women interested in the field
than there were just a few years ago.
“I think they’re very interested,” Aguilar comments. “They’re just apprehensive and scared of it. If they had somebody to encourage them in some way,
there would be more.”
Meanwhile, there are these two trailblazers, who love their jobs.
“I really do love my job,” declares
Aguilar. “I have always loved it. I love the
people I work for. I love the company. It’s
been great for me. You can surprise yourself [with] what you can do.”
Lusk chimes in, adding, “They’ve always said when you find a job you love, it’s
like you’re not working at all, and that’s
exactly how I feel. The industry is expanding, and there are always great careers
that women can get into. I say, just don’t
be apprehensive about it. It’s worth a shot.
HOLT is a great company to work for. It’s a
great industry to get into it. It’s not an industry that’s going to slow down or die
anytime soon, and they’re always expanding. So, it’s a great career choice.” –mp
a very interesting group of women that
held a common goal of promoting and
encouraging the success of women in the
construction industry.
The membership was and continues
to be a very diverse group with business
owners, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, project managers, tradeswomen, construction attorneys, accountants, insurance and surety
representatives and women from all aspects of construction.
It didn’t take me long to realize I
wanted to be a member of this group
where I could exchange ideas and experiences and have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow professionally.
Taking advantage of the resources available to me through NAWIC, I have grown
both professionally and personally, which
has made me a better manager in the
workplace and leader in the association
and in my community.
NAWIC has more than 140 chapters,
with chapters in almost every U.S. state.
Since 1996, NAWIC has seen its Core Purpose grow worldwide and has Interna-
tional Affiliation Agreements with the
Canadian Association of Women in Construction, NAWIC-Australia, NAWIC-New
Zealand, NAWIC-United Kingdom and
South African Women in Construction.
NAWIC’s core purpose, ‘to enhance
the success of women in the construction
industry’, is just as relevant today as it was
in 1953 when the association was founded. Through education, networking,
mentoring and professional development opportunities, our purpose is being
realized by women across the country.
Through the NAWIC Education Foundation programs, we are introducing elementary school age through high school
age students to the possibility of a viable
career in construction.
The NAWIC Founders’ Scholarship
Foundation awards scholarships annually
to students pursuing construction-related studies. There truly is a world of possibilities in construction.
For more information about the National Association of Women in Construction go to our website at www.nawic.org.
–bd
Women in construction
and NAWIC
Sandy K. Field, CBT,CIT
NAWIC National President-Elect
Houston, TX
T
hings have certainly changed since 1953 when 16
women in Fort Worth, Texas decided to start an association for women in construction. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) gained its
national charter in 1955. When I entered the construction industry in the late 70’s
most women at that time held administrative, accounting and support positions. Very
few were actually running construction or in the trades. Today women comprise between 10% - 12% of the construction workforce. Not only has there been an increase
in women in the industry in recent years but there is also an increase in female business owners, construction managers, architects, engineers, trades women and just
about every career field within the industry.
When I entered the homebuilding industry as an accountant/bookkeeper, I
was the only female in the office. After
several years of on the job training, a desire to learn construction, and a determination to succeed, I became a custom
homebuilder in a community where there
were only two other female builders. It
was not easy being in a non-traditional
role but perseverance paid off and I did
become recognized as a quality builder
with the upmost honesty and integrity.
Currently, I am the office manager for
Horizon International Group, LLC in Houston, TX, a small, minority, woman owned
general contractor, providing construc-
tion management services, design/build
services, job order contracting and general construction services. Our staff today is about one-third female, including
project management, marketing, accounting, project administration and
support staff.
Since 2002 I have been employed in
general construction rather than the residential field and have had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the
world of construction.
At the invitation of a member of the
Houston Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction I attended a meeting of the group and found it to
Page 26
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Women in Construction
Reaching for opportunities
Magen Harrison, Project Coordinator
Buffalo Framing & Truss
Austin, TX
W
hat are your job responsibilities at Buffalo
Framing & Truss?
My responsibilities include receiving plans from our
builders and getting them to the estimator, creating the material and labor assembly,
setting up the jobs in our system and issuing material PO’s to our vendors and sending
the plans to the field when production is ready to start.
I also do residential accounts receivable and many little things in between.
Why did you decide to work in the construction industry?
It was unexpected. I moved to Rockport, TX with my dad when I was 19 and
he put me to work as a helper laying tile
with my step-mom.
I loved it so much I started doing
small side jobs for friends and family and
still do today when I have time. A couple
of years later I went to work for a lumber
company and worked my way to where I
am now.
Why do you enjoy what you do today?
I love learning new things and trust
me, I learn something new every day. It is
amazing to see what people can build
with a set of plans.
I love seeing all of the different and
beautiful houses that builders have and I
get to be a part of it. I have learned so
much about commercial projects too. I
love everything about my job.
Opportunities abound
for women
Fort Worth, TX
W
hat is your background in the construction industry?
I started as an administrative assistant for a national telecommunications company and progressed into project management. From there I continued to grow into senior management roles within the telecommunications industry and landing in my
current role as president and owner of DMI Technologies. I didn’t choose [a career in
construction], it chose me.
What are the benefits of women pursuing a construction career?
O p portunity is always there. Construction is
continuous and never stops; even when
the economy is in a downturn, the build-
What advice would you give a young
woman interested in working in the
construction industry?
I have to admit that I have always
been intimidated by men, especially if
they are in management. However,
things are a lot different for women today.
We have just as many opportunities.
Be confident and learn as much as you
can. Ask questions about things you want
to learn. Enjoy what you do!
In your opinion, what are a few challenges women face in the construction industry?
Women in general do not have the
physical strength that men have for the
How did you overcome those challenges?
Hard work, communication and adaptation – the last two items not being
the easiest to accomplish.
L. Samentha Tiller, President
DMI Technologies Inc.
What roles have mentors played in
your career?
You know, I would love to say I had a
specific person in my life that was my
mentor, but over the years I have had the
opportunity to learn from some truly
amazing individuals. I have implemented
that knowledge base into my everyday
life and I grew professionally as well as
personally; even the unfavorable attributes that were pointed out. Believe me
that is a tough pill to swallow, especially if
they were offered up by the opposite sex
since I took them more as a personal
fault, even though they were not always
directed at me personally.
What does it take to be successful in
your field?
I am part of an estimating TEAM. I
have learned that working together and
communicating with others is the most
important factor.
We all have our specific duties but
we have to work together to make it
work.
ings are still being built. There is also a
shortage of trades people in construction, which just opens a lot more doors
for everyone.
What do you enjoy most about your
career?
The pride in honest accomplishment; you drive by – even years later –­
and say, “I helped build that.”
What specific challenges have you
faced in your career?
I would say my biggest challenge
was being female, young and inexperienced in a predominately male environment. [Other challenges include] getting
past the standard stereotype of
“shouldn’t you be in the office (young
lady)” to expanding my trade knowledge,
proving it as well as effectively communicating to the various individuals.
In your experience, are more opportunities opening up for women in construction?
There are a lot of opportunities in
construction for women, not just in an office environment. The possibilities are
unbelievable, from design/architecture
to physical installation (hands-on) and all
aspects in between.
What advice can you offer women who
want to pursue a construction career? You have to know this is what you want
to do and enjoy doing it. Whether it’s a
hands-on position in the field or Building
Information Modeling (BIM) Coordinator
at a job site trailer. Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeve and don’t take anything personally. You have to stand up
for yourself (not necessarily by yourself)
and don’t let anyone doubt your integrity
or your knowledge.
Which is more important for a construction career – education, or experience?
Education is very important in any
industry. That being said, I have a high
school diploma and some advanced
training. Obviously, you can go as far as
you want with hands-on experience, as
long as you have a great support system
field part of construction.
Also working with men who don’t
think women should be in same field can
be tough but bearable.
Have you had any mentors along the
way?
Yes, I have had many mentors along
the way. Besides my dad, I have learned
so much from my coworkers and supervisors.
I have learned more here at Buffalo
Framing and Truss than ever before.
What is your opinion about the current state of your industry?
We are doing really good. Things are
getting busier by the day and our future
productions look even better. New builders and subdivisions are popping up left
and right.
What do you think is on the horizon
for women working in the construction industry?
We are all needed for our different
qualities and knowledge. We can and will
grow with everyone else. –ab
–mine was my family and mentors. A career can start with hands-on experience—it just makes it tougher and you
will face diverse and difficult challenges.
From a woman’s perspective, has the
construction industry changed over
the years?
Without a doubt, there have been
great strides for women in construction
since I started some few years ago (not
aging myself). That being said, I know
there is potential for a lot more changes
to take place. It is more commonplace
now, rather than when I started, to see
women in a hard hat, boots and a safety
vest at a construction site.
I think the newer generations are
more accepting than some of the original
pioneers of our industry, but as long as
there are women willing and support systems in place for them like the National
Association of Women In Construction
(NAWIC), they will always have a place in
construction.
Established in 2005, DMI Technologies,
Inc. is a women-owned, HUB-Certified company specializing in audio/video and voice/
data installations as well as being a licensed
security installer for video surveillance and
access control. In addition to the Fort Worth
corporate office, DMI has satellite offices in
Austin, TX and Grand Junction, CO. Tiller
serves on the Board of Directors and is
Committee Chair for Professional Education with the Fort Worth Chapter #1 of NAWIC. –mjm
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San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 27
Women in Construction
Up for the challenge
Lianne Lami, CEO
Bocci Engineering
Houston, TX
W
hy did you decide to work in the engineering/
construction industry?
Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was fortunate to have a
neighbor that was a retired engineer. I used to rake
leaves and shovel snow for him and his wife, and they
would bring me inside to warm me up with hot chocolate.
He fed my curiosity when I questioned him about all the design drawings
he had laid out on his table. I was in the
7th or 8th grade, and didn’t even known
what an engineer was.
Needless to say I was smitten with
problem solving, and chose to take as
many math and science classes as I could.
I faltered briefly when thinking
about being a horse trainer or jockey, and
my parents gently pushed me towards
college. Being an engineer was never
questioned again, just what type and
where to attend that we could afford.
Why do you enjoy what you do today?
I enjoy finding creative solutions and
making things work better than before.
The discovery and analysis process is the
most fun for me.
I also enjoy teaching and mentoring
younger engineers to learn how to apply
the skills they learned in school.
What does it take to be a successful in
your industry?
Persistence, willingness and insight
to know when and to assertively say no
thank you, and ability to work well with
others.
What advice would you give a young
woman who wants to be an engineer?
Trust your gut. Be willing to ask questions, recognize the answers provided
are only a perspective, so keep asking the
same question of others till you get the
information you need to fully understand
your challenge.
If it comes too easy, it may not last.
Sometimes the best employees and engineers are the ones who hard to work su-
Construction News ON LOCATION
A good place to put a Door
per hard and struggled to get Bs and Cs.
Keep learning from mistakes is the
mother of invention! Always bring a couple ideas and solution approaches with
you when you have questions for your
team leads.
In your opinion, what are a few challenges women face in the engineering/construction industry?
Opportunity. Significant disparity
still exists. Beginning at very young ages,
girls still learn from media and peer pressure that math isn’t cool or popular. Girls
are social learners, and math, science,
and engineering are still predominantly
taught competitively and through independent development.
Women can be very exclusive and
damaging to other women. It’s not just
the responsibility of men to be inclusive,
women need to support one another to
help growth of leaders in our industry.
Generally, people need to create an
environment where participating in engineering and construction by folks of all
walks of life is normal, globally. Instead of
repeating the same old barriers - create
the opportunity to learn.
I had a conversation with a neighbor
recently who complained about the
women on crew that would sit around instead of helping to fix the construction
equipment, to keep the jobs moving like
the guys. Companies that want women
to be successful have to provide training
to allow them to learn the maintenance
aspect. Likely these women didn’t have
welcomed opportunity to play with engines or machinery – and never had anyone show them how to do it.
Have you had any mentors along the
way?
I have had and still have many men-
tors, both formal and informal. I work
hard to maintain those relationships to
this day. Sometimes they are for a single
project or challenge, and sometimes
they are lifelong. I also make an effort to
be a mentor for others.
It allows for a constant state of
growth – mentoring helps me to relearn
things I haven’t done in a while and practice communication skills. It also allows
perspective of the industry where I might
not normally be exposed.
What is your opinion about the current state of your industry?
The engineering and construction
industry is both booming and resource
constrained at the same time. Finding
and keeping talent is difficult, cross training is a requirement.
Partnering is a must. Margins are
compressed, and providing responsive,
quality, innovative services requires
technology and engineers that can communicate well.
What do you think is on the horizon
for women working in the engineering/construction industry?
Since its basketball season – “Nothing but Net!” Women in engineering and
construction have a huge growth opportunity. It won’t be easy, but the best
things in life never are.
I would like to see a survey of the
women in executive roles: CEOs, CFOs,
corporate 500 Boards to see what percentage came from STEM, and those
with engineering degrees. I have a gut
feeling it will be very high!! And therefore telltale that we need to create opportunities for more young women if we
want to build balance in leaders of our
future. –ab
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David Hutzler stands in front of the site the new warehouse for TexDoor,
which should be completed in May. The overhead and hollow metal doors
sales and service company has been keeping so busy that they needed more
space for their supplies. –mp
T
TUMP GU
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E
Y
H
Construction News ON LOCATION
Not for the birds
www.StumpBeGoneSanAntonio.com
STUMP GRINDING/REMOVAL
TREE CHIPPING AVAILABLE
210-394-0227
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Local architectural firm Overland Partners was hard at work on their “human-size
birdhouse” for the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s Birdhouse Exhibit, open from May
to June, hosted in conjunction with the American Institute for Architects (AIA). –mp
1415 West Poplar
Located at I-10 & Colorado
M-F 8:30–5:30 Sat 9:00-3:00
737-2267
www.toucanrecycling.com
Page 28
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Round-Up
Joe Irizarry has
been promoted to
vice president of
corporate development at Raba Kistner. With the company for more than
nine years, serving
as an associate for
the past five, he will be responsible for
managing the department, leading the
firm’s business development efforts, and
facilitating training and coaching as well
as departmental growth planning. He
has served on the board of the Associated General Contractors (AGC), as past
president of the Council of Education Facilities Planners International (CEFPI)
South Texas Chapter, and on the Society
of Marketing Professional Services
(SMPS) Program Committee.
Submissions
Round-Up
Melissa L. Karlin,
Ph.D., has joined
Raba Kistner Environmental as an
environmental
planner. Previously
an aviation environmental compliance
specialist in Fort
Lauderdale, FL, her responsibilities will
include preparing environmental documents and supporting the firm’s environmental projects with GIS data management. She earned her doctorate in infrastructure and environmental systems
from the University of North Carolina in
2011, and her bachelor’s and master’s in
biological sciences from Florida Atlantic
University.
Chris Narendorf,
LEED AP, a principal
with
O’Connell
Robertson, has become a shareholder
in the firm. With the
firm for more than
13 years, he is the
director of the San
Antonio office and
serves as the firm’s Education Market
Leader for the South Texas region. He
earned his degree in architecture from
the University of Texas at Austin, and he
currently serves as vice president of the
South Texas Chapter of the Council of
Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI).
Sally Victor has
joined Raba Kistner Environmental
as historian. An historic preservation
specialist with more
than 31 years of
conducting historical and archival research, her experience also encompasses planning and
permitting projects, including dozens of
transportation projects. She has worked
closely with state historic preservation
officers in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and
New Mexico. She has a bachelor’s degree
in American studies with a concentration
in history and anthropology and a master’s degree in community and regional
planning, both from the University of
Texas at Austin.
This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or
recently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.
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Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month,
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Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line:
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STeditor@constructionnews.net
Construction News ON LOCATION
Over the years
Association Calendar
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
ABC
Associated Builders & Contractors
All events are at the ABC office unless
otherwise stated.
Apr. 7: Spring Golf Tournament; The Club
at Sonterra; 11:30am registration, 1pm
shotgun start
Apr. 11, 14: Supervisory Leadership
Course, 7-11am
Apr. 15-16: OSHA 10-Hour, 1-6:30pm
Apr. 21, 23: Print Reading, 1-6pm
Apr. 29: Wine Tasting, Boerne Wine Company, 4:30-7:30pm
AGC
Associated General Contractors
All events are at the AGC office unless
otherwise stated.
Apr. 9: Construction Career Day, Freeman
Coliseum’s Expo Hall, 9am-3pm
Apr. 11: Education Committee mtg, 8:30am
Apr. 14: Lean Unit 4, 8am-12:30pm
Apr. 16-17: PMDP Module 3: Project Administration, 8am-5pm
Apr. 17: Safety & Health Committee
meeting, 11:30am
Apr. 22: CLF Steering Council meeting, noon
Apr. 25: Board of Directors mtg, Petroleum Club, 8am
AIA
American Institute of Architects
All events are at the Center for Architecture unless otherwise stated.
Apr. 2: Better Submittals CE Session,
10:30am-noon
Apr. 3: Emerging Professionals Event, IDP
Crash Course, 6-8pm
Apr. 23: Monthly chapter meeting, Joint
meeting with SMPS, 11:30am-1pm, Marriott Plaza Hotel, 555 S. Alamo St.
For more info email paula@aiasa.org
ASA
American Subcontractors Association
Apr. 17: Membership meeting; Barn
Door, 8400 N. New Braunfels; speaker Lorenzo Gomez, executive director of 80/20
Foundation; San Antonio Is Not What You
Think – SA City On The Rise; $25 members, $35 non-members; limited seating
Apr. 24: Mock Bid Day Workshop; 9amnoon; Padgett Stratemann, 100 NE Loop
410, Suite 1100; workshop focus: making
your bid stand out from competitors; bid
process from GC perspective making subcontractor bid process more efficient and
effective, what not to do during the bid
process; $40 members, $60 non-members
May 2: Subfest & BBQ Cook-Off; food,
music, family fun; Raymond Russell Park;
5:30-9pm; everyone welcome; $20 per
person, children 6 and under free
For info email: contact@asasanantonio.org
CFMA
Construction Financial Management Assn
At Overhead Door Company of San Antonio, we found a few guys representing various lengths of time with the 93-year-old door supplier. L-R: Ruben
Nunez, warehouse, has been with the company about a year; Ray Rodriguez,
warehouse manager, has been with Overhead Door since 1984; Darrell Reeves,
sales/installation manager, has been with the company 14 years. –mp
MUSTANG COLT SERVICES
Serving Customers Honestly
Electrical Contracting • Commercial/Industrial
Special Projects
San Antonio, TX
Weslaco, TX
210 494 7100
956 969 5703
Apr. 15: Deadline for scholarship applications; one-time $1,000-$2,500 scholarship awards for accounting, finance, and
construction students; application form/
requirements at sanantonio.cfma.org
Apr. 22: Chapter luncheon; 11:30am; Old
San Francisco, 10223 Sahara Dr.
For more info: contact Stephanie, 210828-6281, ext. 1575 or stephanie.harms@
padgett-cpa.com
ECAT
Earthmoving Contractors Assn. of TX
Apr. 26: Board meeting; Hampton Inn
Meeting Room, Brownwood, TX; 3pm;
board making plans for 2014 Annual
Meeting in Victoria, Jul. 18-19, also will discuss/take action on issues affecting the
ECAT; after evening meal, directors to
hold networking session in meeting room
For business with board of directors, call
ECAT secretary, 830-629-1620, or for more
info: www.earthmovingcontractors.com
Apr. 14: Spring Golf Tournament at Sonterra; for more info, contact Valerie Munoz, 210-696-3800 or vmunoz@sabuilders.com
Apr. 17: Membership Mixer; Guadalupe
Lumber, 3822 Pleasanton Rd., 5:307:30pm; open to members.
Apr. 21: Texas Cavaliers River Parade;
6pm; proceeds to benefit BUILDPAC; for
more info, call Kim Shrum, 210-696-3800
HCA de San Antonio
Hispanic Contractors Association
Apr. 16: Monthly Membership meeting
6-8pm, location TBD
IEC
Independent Electrical Contractors
All events are held at the IEC office unless otherwise stated.
Apr. 9: Construction Career Day, Freeman Coliseum, 9am-3pm
Apr. 12: Electrical Maintenance Technician Class, 8am-5pm
Apr. 15: A&T Committee meeting, 11am
Apr. 16: Board of Directors meeting, 11am
Apr. 18: Good Friday, IEC office closed
Apr. 21: Continuing Education Class, 5- 9pm
For more info: call 210-431-9861 or visit
www.iecsanantonio.com
MCA–SMACNA
Mechanical Contractors Association
Sheet Metal & A/C Nat’l Assn.
Apr. 2: Regular and Associate Members
meeting; Oak Hills Country Club;
11:30am; speaker is Stephanie Wiese,
Habitat for Humanity
Apr. 16: Joint Industry Fund Business
meeting, Oak Hills Country Club, 11:30am
Thru Apr. 22: Accepting applications for
Sheet Metal Apprentices; for more info,
email djohnjatc@smw67.org
NAWIC
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Apr. 2: General meeting; The Petroleum
Club; 5:30pm; speaker is Lucie Arteaga,
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Apr. 16: Board meeting; MCA-SMACNA
office, 5:45pm
Apr. 25-26: Region 7 Forum, Fort Worth
Hilton
PHCC
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Apr. 1: Accepting applications for DOLapproved Plumbing Apprentice classes
at St. Philip’s College
Apr. 5-6: Master Plumber Test Prep Course
Apr. 10: Membership meeting; 11am;
Barn Door Restaurant; speaker is NISD
Construction Careers Academy
Apr. 12, 26: Plumbers Continuing Education
Apr. 19: HVAC Continuing Education
Apr. 24-25: PHCC-Texas Round Up, Fort Worth
For more info call 210-824-7422 or visit
www.phcc-sanantonio.org
SAABE
SA Assn. of Building Engineers
Apr. 16: Membership meeting; Embassy
Suites, 7750 Briaridge; visit www.saabe.
org for sponsor, topic and presenter information; regular members/free, associate members/$20, guests and non-members/$25; RSVP must be received by Apr.
11; email SAABESAT@gmail.com or call
Mary Halvorsen, 210-410-1799
SAMCA
San Antonio Masonry Contractors Assn.
Apr. 3: Annual Golf Classic; The Republic
Golf Club; 1pm shotgun start; $100 golfer, $25 non-golfer
Apr. 30: Membership meeting, Pappadeaux Restaurant, 76 NE Loop 410,
noon; $30 person
For info contact Debbie, 830-606-5556
SDA
GSABA
Society for Design Administration
Greater San Antonio Builders Assn.
Apr. 24: Monthly Chapter meeting; topic: IT Security and Fraud; noon-1pm; The
Barn Door, 8400 N. New Braunfels; guests
welcome; for more information, email
a.popp@dhrarchitects.com
Apr. 1: Summit Awards Call for Entries
Deadline; for more info, contact Audrey
Kannawin, 210-696-3800 or akannawin@
sabuilders.com
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 29
Construction News ON LOCATION
Lunch and Larson
Legacy at your service
T
he Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) San Antonio Chapter hosted its annual Open House
luncheon Mar. 13 at its Broadway office.
The event featured a lunch buffet, prizes,
and guest speaker State Rep. Lyle Larson.
–mp
At Arnold Moos Company, Arnold Moos has retired from the plumbing, heating, and
air conditioning business, but his family and employees are still running a busy shop.
L-R: Gary Korzec, HVAC helper; Karla Frisenhahn, dispatcher; Christine Moos,
marketing director; Miguel Sauceda, HVAC technician –mp
L-R: Katie Noble, Emergency Service
Restoration; Angie Zuniga, Sunstate
Equipment Co., Roxanne Harris, Concrete
Renovation
State Rep. Lyle Larson spoke to guests about
the Eagle Ford Shale, the Texas state budget,
and other legislative issues.
continued from Page 1 — A Turn for the better
that needed to be in play. This also gave
him the opportunity to meet different
and new people.
TurnKey’s business is approximately
10-percent commercial, 10-percent remodel, and 80 percent custom homes.
They’ve had interest or projects throughout the San Antonio area as well as Seguin, Rio Medina, Journdanton, La Vernia, and Lake LBJ.
“We’ve done complete fire restorations where we knock the house down
and build it back up,” he points out. “The
building burnt down, nearly to the
ground. We helped demolish it. We
helped the rebuild of the house from the
foundation up, including verifying that
the foundation was stable enough from
an engineer’s analysis to build another
house on it.”
TurnKey has also built custom homes
on ranches and put in pools. At the company’s inception, they did large, fullhome remodels. They’ve also done commercial, such as office work and are looking to help design and develop a local
pizzeria, but they are most comfortable
and confident in their background of custom homes.
Hoppes’ wife, Melissa, is a licensed
interior designer, and she has done the
design for some of his homes. The couple
has a 3-year-old son named Weston and
a 1-year-old named Kailyn. –mp
L-R: Chris Kessler, Dixie Pipe; Ryan L. Hay, Tipton Company; Clay McKee, TFG;
Jeff Hoffman, ABPA SA; Kent Wahl, AAA Auger
continued from Page 1 — By AIA members, for AIA members
of construction that isn’t often used
now,” describes Malitz. “What’s so great
about that space is that it shows off the
charm of the old building and they’ve got
some vibrant colors in there.”
Malitz states that it was great working with Torrey Stanley Carleton, AIA
executive director; Lowell Tacker, AIA
president and partner at OCO; Mike McGlone and Jeffrey Watson, Alamo Architects; and everyone at Cleary Zimmermann. He recalls that if anyone had a
question, all of them made themselves
available to answer it.
“The space itself is very lovely,” says
Carleton. “It has old terrazzo floors, like
you don’t see anymore with the inset.
They have kind of a cream color with redorange accents. The walls of the gallery,
some of the support columns and the
front wall are all glazed terra cotta tile. It
speaks of both modernism and the past,
and I think that’s an exciting blend. It’s a
little more colorful than the last office.
This is going to be a warmer space in
terms of its palette and its intimacy.”
Regarding the build and move, Carleton adds, “Obviously, the chapter invested, but we also had investment by
industry partners.”
Along with Malitz Construction, other contributors to the project were several members of the local construction
community. Jorge Vela, Euro Design
Group, provided Scavolini cabinetry. The
bathrooms have Daltile on the walls and
floors thanks to representative Marcella
Palaferri, and the Mannington carpet,
which was installed by Raul Valadez,
Spectra Contract Flooring, was thanks
to representative Debbie Townsend.
Daiken HVAC systems were engineered
by Thomas McLaughlin, DXS, and installed by Vince Gillette, Gillette Air
Conditioning. Ronnie Dausin, Dausin
Electric, did all electrical work. Andrew
McComb, RKI, provided the light fixtures.
Ed Flume Building Specialties provided
bathroom fixtures and specialties. IT service was Juan Garcia, Innov8 Design &
Technology. Kristi Schatz, Armstrong,
provided the ceiling. Michelle Estes,
PPG, provided interior paint, and ADA
compliance was by Peter Grojean and
Accessibility Unlimited.
Other subcontractors on the job included Alamo Interiors, Lundberg Masonry, Bulverde Glass, Intertech Flooring, L.E. Travis Painters, Firetrol Fire
Sprinkers, and Stewart Plumbing. The
superintendent on the job for Malitz was
Rolando Ramos.
Malitz Construction was founded by
John and Claudia Malitz in 1985. Since then,
the general contractor has worked on medical centers, car dealerships, office buildings, churches, and numerous large scale
renovations. –mp
The new AIA office opened for business at
the end of last year.
L-R: Christie Tavera, Basin Plumbing; Newman Ramzel, Benchmark Plumbing; Justin Lowe, St.
Phillip’s College; Doug Muenchow, Alamo Crane Service; Glenn Johnson, Heat & Treat;
Lauren Littlefield, Blackmon Mooring
continued from Page 1 — Fuel meets power
Gary Lachappelle was the thirdgeneration owner of the business his
grandfather started more than 70 years
ago. In April, Lachappelle will be turning
57, and he has been ready for a change.
He is staying on as a project estimator,
while his employee of about 45 years,
Donnie Magott steps up from vice president to manager, overseeing Lachappelle operations. Also, having more than
18 years with Lachappelle, Babe Barrett
is the electrical admin.
Lachappelle emphasizes that it’s
business as usual. They do work for PSI,
but they still do work for all their old cus-
contact@asasanantonio.org
tomers and the company will continue to
take on new clients.
He explains that as part of PSI,
Lachappelle will work with the sales team
to provide electrical services. If there is
electrical involved in a PSI project,
Lachappelle will give an estimate for it,
and then Magott will provide the manpower and take care of the job.
While Lachappelle is at the office five
days a week, he will also be spending his
spare time with his three daughters,
watching his youngest play soccer for the
University of Texas, and fishing. –mp
(210) 349.2105 Phone
(210) 349.2847 Fax
Page 30
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Construction News ON LOCATION
A Rose in the pipeline
Construction News ON LOCATION
They’ve been everywhere, man
Andrea Rose, office manager at Myers Plumbing, has three generations of
her family represented in the plumbing, heating and air conditioning business,
including her father and uncle, Greg and David Myers; her two brothers, Cody
and Damian Myers; and her two sons, Justin Owen and Erik Guerrero. –mp
15 to 500 Ton
Capacities
Available for your
Toughest Projects
We see the guys from South Texas Drywall & Acoustical so often at events all
over San Antonio that we almost forgot that they had an actual office for Traugott Inc. on U.S. 87. L-R: David Colby, Shane Gulley, George Zimmerman, Jim
Williamson, Keith Kruse, Joe Cockerham, Michael Traugott Jr. –mp
Submitted to Construction News
Sundt shines on good causes
Setting sculpture
at University
Hospital.
Sculpture was
designed and
fabricated in
Mexico by artist
Sebastian
The charitable arm of Sundt, the Sundt Foundation, awarded $17,000 in grants to
eight Texas nonprofit organizations. Sundt’s contributions went to Texas Hearing
and Service Dog, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children – Texas Region, Child Advocates
San Antonio (CASA), Clarity Guild Guidance Center, Girl Scouts of the Desert
Southwest – Southern New Mexico & West Texas, Reynolds Home, the Muscular
Dystrophy Association, and Big Brothers Big Sister of El Paso. –mp
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San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
Page 31
Job Sights
Levino Rodriguez, Irrigation Enterprises, was working on landscaping as general
contractor Galaxy Builders was mere weeks from finishing work on 1111 Austin Highway.
Lalo Lopez and JR Zepeda are the superintendents on the job,
and Victor Sengele is the project manager. –mp
Independent Contractors just started work on high-end Urban Crest Apartments, which will
be completed in 2015. Members of the crew took a minute after lunch to show us their mobile
fire prevention vehicle. L-R: Leland Perry; Dennis J. Frisone, superintendent and project
manager; Michael Herring, assistant superintendent; Marshall McLean,
Triple Cross Plumbing & Utilities; Aldolfo Tobias. –mp
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Saul Ochoa, American Interiors, reviewed plans as he and his crew worked on the framing,
drywall, and acoustical ceilings for the Pre-K 4 SA facility on Eisenhower Road. The GC is
Joeris General Contractors, and the target completion is August. The project manager on
the job is Jason Adam, and the superintendent is Troy Palowski. –mp
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is doing construction management for the 100,000-sf
academic building at John Garner Middle School. Before the two-year project can get going,
Bartek Construction worked on creating a channel to flow into the Salado Creek, which runs
alongside the school property. The project manager for Bartlett Cocke is Russell Harder.
L-R: Robert Aguilar, Jason Ramos, Simon Vega, Bartek Construction; Rick Hollander,
superintendent for Bartlett Cocke. –mp
Page 32
Industry FOLKS
Ray Perez
Traffic Lead
Triple-S Steel/
Intsel Steel Supply Co.
A
bout two years before Ray Perez
started at Triple-S Steel/Intsel Steel
Supply, his father, Raymond Perez, started working there. After graduating from
Lanier High School, Perez’s dad asked if
San Antonio Construction News • Apr 2014
he wanted to come work there over the
summer.
Today, Perez is the traffic lead for the
facility and his father is also still there as a
truck driver. Having started at 19, Perez
started out loading trucks, then ran the
forklift, worked his way up to receiving
foreman and then to the position where
he is now.
“I run the Traffic Department, which
consists of nine drivers and then all the
common carriers that come in and out of
our warehouse to get loaded up,” says
Perez. “I route all the trucks, all the common carrier trucks, all of our trucks. I dis-
patch them throughout the day. I bill out
all the paperwork. I’m in charge of all the
drivers that come in and out of here.”
When he’s not directing traffic flow
at Triple-S/Intsel, Perez is coaching ringside. He trains kids from ages 6 to 23, including his youngest son, Ethan, and last
year, at the age of 9, Ethan won the Junior
Golden Gloves.
When Ethan was 6, his big brother, Ray
Anthony, expressed an interest in boxing,
and Ethan went with Perez and his older
brother to training. While there, since Ethan
was small, Perez recalls that his youngest
would hit the bag here and there.
When Ray Anthony decided he didn’t
want to box, Perez told Ethan they
wouldn’t be going anymore, and Ethan
said he didn’t want to quit. After making
sure this was what his son wanted to do,
Perez took Ethan to train until he was 8
years old, at which point, he was allowed
to compete. His first year in competition,
Ethan earned his first victory. Today,
9-year-old Ethan is all about boxing and
his goal is to go to the Olympics.
When Perez first went to watch his
son train, he wanted to be there to watch
him because he was so small. Perez quickly grew to love the sport, and last year, he
got certified and became a coach.
Today, Perez’s oldest son, 18, is in
band and wants to study biology in college, having just been accepted to UNT.
Perez also has a daughter, 11-year-old Danae, who does competitive cheer. She
recently came in second by half a point at
nationals.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary
this year, Perez and his wife, Candy, who
is a paralegal, are often rushing off after
work to their children’s training sessions
or events.
“All of our time together is either at
competitions or practices,” says Perez,
who played basketball all through high
school. “I’m very competitive in whatever
I do.” –mp