Delayed gratification Stucco-ed together Big changes

Transcription

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Volume 13
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Number 9
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SEPTEMBER 2015
Stucco-ed together
Big changes
L-R: Benjamin Sanchez, Blake Meador, Charlie Meador Sr. and Charlie Meador Jr.
The BETCO Scaffolds’ staff is ready for business in their new Hurst location.
“G
oing it alone” didn’t have the
same meaning for Charlie
Meador Sr. that it does for
others who start their own businesses.
That’s because Meador has had his family
behind him – and with him – from the
start.
Charlie Sr., a 36-year veteran of the
lath and plaster supply industry, owned a
building supply company for 13 years,
sold it in 2000 and continued to work for
the new owner for eight additional years.
However, when that business sold its
stucco and mortar division to another
company, Charlie Sr. and his youngest
son, Blake (who also worked there) opted to move on and start Texas Stucco
Supply in Dallas in 2008.
The company quickly became a family affair: His wife Carol is company president, his oldest son, Charlie is a warehouse supervisor, and Blake serves as
vice president. Although Charlie Sr. calls
the decision to strike out on his own
again a “very easy” one, it didn’t come
without challenges.
“When we started in ’08, it was a little
bit tough because the economy had
turned,” he explains. “But we’re very conservative, we’ve always been very focused on what we do and we’re very customer oriented. The first couple of years
we didn’t struggle; we did fine and had
five employees. Sales were decent and
we survived.”
E
verything is coming up BIG for BETCO Scaffolds these days. The company recently moved its Euless location to a larger facility in Hurst, and it
turns out that bigger is indeed better, according to Dallas/Fort Worth branch
manager Kevin Rowland.
“It’s a strategic move for us,” Rowland says of BETCO Scaffolds’ new location at 205 W. Hurst Blvd. “We were only
on three acres in our old location and
now we’re on seven acres with a larger
storage facility that will enable us to
grow our business and better serve our
customers. We are anticipating increasing the sales force, as well as adding to
our operational capabilities now we have
the facility that really allows us to be able
continued on Page 18
to grow.”
Rowland says client reaction has
been very positive, and they aren’t the
only ones happy to have BETCO Scaffolds
in Hurst.
“It’s something that everybody is excited about,” he says. “The city of Hurst
has been very accommodating and welcoming of us moving here and will have a
ribbon cutting for us. Construction and
restoration work took a little bit longer
than we expected but we are fully operational now. We are planning to host an
open house event in October or November.”
In addition to a new location, BETCO
Delayed gratification
F
rom the beginning, the project was
one step forward and six years back.
When Tutor Electrical Service Inc.
owners Bobby and Diana Tutor bought
a little over an acre at Mansfield’s 201 Willow Creek Court in 1998, the couple
planned to build a much-needed spacious facility for their business.
“The old space was a very small
building; we had nine people working in
nearly 1,300sf,” Diana explains. “We were
very cramped. We had four people to a
room; phone conversations overlapped
with visitors trying to have a conversation – we were like puppies in a box.”
The first two steps – finding a general contractor and hiring an architect to
design the building – were the easy
parts. In addition to Tutor Electrical Service Inc., Bobby also owned a general
contracting business, Tutor Development. As for the architect, the Tutors relied on Paul E. Canup with whom they
had worked on other projects. Canup,
who designs a range of projects from
banks to warehouses, had one directive
from Bobby.
“I told Paul that I wanted a nice building, not a box,” Bobby remembers. “I
wanted something professional, similar
to a doctor’s office.”
With the plans in good hands, Bobby
and Diana focused on actually getting it
built. The economy, however, kept getting in the way.
“The year 2000 was a very good year,
so we started the process [to build it] but
then 9/11 happened and the economy
cratered,” Diana says. “The year 2007 was
another good year for us but then we had
the recession of 2008. It seemed like every time we thought we were on mark to
do it, something happened.”
With the economy finally recovering
in 2013, the Tutors sprang into action,
Bringing the new Tutor Electrical Service Inc. building to fruition was a 17-year process.
Page 2
Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Sep 2015
Page 3
Submitted to Construction News
A feast for the ears
How did Dallas’ construction sisterhood celebrate their 60th anniversary? An
elegant dinner, an engaging speaker, and of course a few gifts! On Aug. 17, the
National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)’s Dallas chapter dined
at the MCM Eleganté Hotel and heard “MENglish Gender Communication”
founder Andrea Jones (pictured) address women’s and men’s workplace
communication styles. –mjm
Construction News ON LOCATION
Corporate corps
L-R: They have the power to please! Tony Paton, Allen Crawford, Lisa Thompson,
Dave Beasley, Chance Cole and Ryan Kaufmann are on staff at equipment dealer
Ag-Power in McKinney, which is also the company’s corporate office. –mjm
Construction News
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know?
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reaches
your target market
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
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Page 4
Anuj Patel
President/CEO
AP Engineering
Consultants Inc.
G
rowing up, Anuj Patel was surrounded by family members determined to succeed despite impoverished circumstances. Aware of his
advantages, it lit a fire in him to gain as
much education as he could, move to
America and pursue his dream of working in construction.
Determination must run in the family: Despite a few setbacks, Patel succeeded in realizing his dream with the establishment of his own firm, AP Engineering
Consultants Inc.
Were you interested in construction
at an early age?
Yes! I grew up in the city of Mumbai
and in the State of Karnataka, India where
my dad worked in the manganese ore
mining industry as a director of operations. I used to go with my dad to the
mines and there were huge excavators,
loaders and dump trucks. I would occasionally hop on them as a kid, hang out
with the drivers and see where they were
going. It was bumpy, a lot of dirt and a lot
of mess! That’s what got me interested in
the field of construction.
India’s schools are greatly influenced
by the British system, so in the beginning
stages of my life until about 7th grade, I
went to a Roman Catholic Convent
school, and it was an English language
school, like 95% of the schools in India. I
completed my bachelor’s degree in Civil
Engineering in India in 1984 and in 1985,
I came to the United States to pursue my
Master’s degree in civil/structural engineering from the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor.
What motivated you to come to
the United States?
I wanted to pursue my higher education. My extended family is a little bit unusual. All of my uncles, aunts and my dad
grew up in the 1940s and ‘50s, and in
those days, India was still pretty backwards under the British rule; we didn’t
gain independence until 1947. Electricity
was very scarce. My uncles, aunts and
dad grew up studying on the bench under the corner streetlight. I was greatly
influenced by them; they were so impov-
erished as they were growing up, and I
saw what they became.
Today in my family, we have 13 doctors across four continents – literally, every uncle and aunt, cousin and their
spouses are all doctors – and we have six
engineers, including myself. I was influenced to say, “I need to become somebody. If they could do it under a streetlight, I can certainly do it under traditional electricity.”
In India, your role models are your
family members, similar to here, where
someone teaches you along the way and
guides you to a proper path. That was my
upbringing, and then given the fact that I
was hanging with my dad and going to
his work, that’s what got me interested in
engineering.
Where did you first settle in the U.S.?
After I got my bachelor’s degree, I
ended up going to the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor and completed my
Master’s degree in civil/structural engineering. It was an 18-month program
that I completed in 12 months. I then
moved to Connecticut where my dad’s
cousin lived.
I can only imagine the culture shock it
must have been for you, moving from
balmy India to the frigid Northeast
United States.
It was extreme! I come from a very
tropical place in India – I totally was not
prepared for Michigan or Connecticut.
Over the years, I kind of grew used to the
cold; I was in Connecticut for 18 years.
You stayed there a good length of
time; did you start your own firm there
after graduation?
No, I worked for an engineering firm
there. I got a job in two weeks. Fortunately the employer thought I was a good kid
and honest, and he sponsored me for a
green card, which I got in 1989. Because
of this, I felt a need to be loyal to him and
reciprocate in kind, so I stayed there for
18 years until I came to Texas in August
2001; my wife was offered a job in Irving
and they made her an offer she could not
refuse.
You had married during your years in
Connecticut then? When were you
married?
In 1989, I went back to India and got
married to my wife, Bala, but she couldn’t
come back with me right away because
of the paperwork and no green card. After the honeymoon, I came back to the
U.S. and in the meantime, I went back to
India three times to see her.
Thank goodness for phones!
Yes! But talking on a landline was
pretty expensive back then, like $5 a minute, so we could only talk for 20 minutes
at a time. She legally came to the U.S. after 2½ years in 1992 and started looking
for a job right away; her degree was in
Science with a major was Chemistry, but
her background was software and computers. She was working in Mumbai for a
Anuj Patel was inspired by his family’s struggles to succeed in America.
shipping newspaper, but she was fluent
in English and found a job in a department store in Connecticut.
And then, as you mentioned, she was
offered a job in Irving.
When she interviewed in Irving in
August, they wanted her to move and
start the position in two weeks. We had
asked them to wait because she had an
interview at another company in Texas
on Sept. 11, 2001. In Connecticut, we lived
90 miles from Manhattan and she was
going to fly at 10 o’clock that morning for
the interview, but we had woken up to
the news [of the attacks]. She made her
decision to accept the first company’s offer by the end of the day.
Which meant that you had to leave
your job, too.
Yes. Also, in our culture, our parents
live with us, so my mom and dad, who
were both handicapped, lived with me. I
had to deconstruct their entire medical
support system and fly them, my wife
and two kids here in October, right after
9/11 happened.
It was a very hard time for this country, and we faced a lot of challenges [because of the color of our skin]. Someone
that looked like me didn’t have a lot of
job prospects. Some employers weren’t
distinguishing who was Arabic and who
was Indian; to some, we all looked the
same.
So you experienced difficulty finding
work in Texas?
At first I got everyone settled in; I had
to get the kids and my parents situated. We
didn’t really know anybody in Dallas and
were living in a rented home in Coppell.
Stupid me, I was blaming my wife the
whole time. Why did we end up here? We
both had great jobs where we were. We
were suffering through all of this by coming here. My former boss kept calling, asking why I left! But then I realized if worse
came to worst, we could always go back.
Fortunately, I got a job six months
later in March, but I literally had to start
from the bottom up. People didn’t know
me here and weren’t willing to give me a
high position as a project manager. It
pushed me back by 15 years [professionally] but I told myself that it was okay, once
they found out about me and my background, I could move up. It took me about
nine months to get back to where I was.
I worked at the company for nine
months, which led me to work at DART.
Once they knew me, they offered me a
job to become a project manager and I
stayed there for six years. When I left
there in 2007, I opened my own company.
What motivated you to open your own
company?
I left on good terms, but it was because I was getting stagnant and not
moving up. I decided that I needed to do
something, that I needed to carve my
own cake! I was in my late 40s so I thought
if I was going to do something, I had better do it then.
What do you enjoy about running
your own firm?
I enjoy helping people solve their
problems. We do all kind of things: design, program management and construction management. We love what we
do!
What would you tell someone who
wants to pursue a career in engineering or start their own firm?
Don’t worry about the money part.
The money will follow. Build your reputation first. In order to do that, you need to
be some kind of an expert. You don’t
have to be Superman, but at least you
have to know every little thing and know
how to resolve issues.
I credit this all to my former boss in
Connecticut, who made me do all kinds
of different things. At the time, I asked
why he was making me do them. He
would tell me to calm down and just do
them. Now I realize that, when I opened
my business, I knew. I had that background. He gave me that opportunity to
do that.
I would say to anyone wanted to
start a firm to gain all of the necessary experience before you branch out on your
own because once you’re in a business,
there will be very few people who really
teach you and guide you. Keep your head
high, be honest about what you do, don’t
cut corners and certainly don’t worry
about the money part because it will
come eventually.
What is your life like outside of work?
Growing up in India, I was a very outdoorsy kind of guy. My wife and I are very
spiritual and part of a spiritual group in
India and we help them set up outdoor
events; whenever I go to India, I use my
background in construction to help
them.
Last year, Bala and I celebrated our
silver anniversary, and we went to Australia with our two kids, Shaina and Rahul.
You are also the newest president
of the Asian American Contractors Association of Texas (AACATX). Please
tell about your involvement with that.
I joined the AACATX four years ago
as a VP and gradually helped build it. Due
to my relationship with several local public and private entities, I was able to get
sponsorship support for the association
and get the exposure that we needed.
Today we work very closely with the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association,
Black Contractors Association, Associated General Contractors, North Texas Tollway Authority, Texas Department of
Transportation, DFW Airport, the City of
Dallas, Dallas Independent School District and other entities to help our growing membership with potential businesses and grow capacity.
Our mission is to increase the visibility and reach of minority businesses by
promoting and creating new avenues to
expand business opportunities as well as
help these businesses prosper and connect with each other. –mjm
Page 5
Page 6
Transferring your construction
business to family
Michael Kuchar, CPA, Shareholder of Construction
Group
Doeren Mayhew
Houston, TX
I
f you’re among the baby boomers marching toward
retirement, it’s critical you develop a plan to transition
out of your leadership role in your construction company. Succession planning in the construction industry should cover everything from
naming a successor to choosing the right method for shifting ownership to that successor and perhaps other family members.
Find the Best Candidate
The most important question addressed in any succession plan is, who
will lead the enterprise? If your construction business is family owned, finding a
successor can be difficult. Family members may be qualified but have no interest in taking the reins. Or they may be interested but lack experience.
To deal with such challenges, take
time now to develop future leaders. Identify children or other key employees you
believe hold leadership potential and expose them to all aspects of running the
business. Give them a well-defined path
to find out what they need to do to become leaders of the business. And design
appropriate fringe benefit and deferred
compensation plans, as well as incentive
pay, to help retain them until you step
down.
Make It a Family Affair
It’s important that you encourage
the entire family, whether or not they’re
active in the business, to participate in
planning and understand the financial
and personal consequences of an unsuccessful succession.
A common issue is how to equitably
divide assets among heirs when only
some of them will receive ownership interests in the business. If there are sufficient liquid assets, consider purchasing
life insurance to provide for any children
who won’t be involved in the business,
giving ownership interests to only those
who will be involved. Or, establish a family trust so the entire family shares the
risks and benefits.
Transfer Ownership
The simplest way to transferring
ownership of your construction company is to sell it to family members, if they
want to buy it and can afford it.
You can also transfer ownership by
gifting interests over time, but there are
potential gift tax liabilities associated
with this approach, and you won’t generate an income stream to carry you
through retirement.
A trust may be a better alternative
for transferring ownership without creating harsh tax obligations. One option is a
grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT),
which will provide you with income for a
term of years and then distribute the remaining assets to your beneficiaries.
The transfer of assets into the GRAT is
a taxable gift, but the annuity you receive
reduces the value of the gift. Interest
rates also affect the value of the gift.
Keep in mind that if you die before the
end of the annuity period, the trust assets will be included in your estate and
the tax advantages will be negated.
Get Your Advisors Involved
No matter whom you choose as your
successor, get your construction CPA,
lawyer, insurance advisor and a family
business consultant involved to help assess your circumstances and create a succession plan.
Along with selecting a vehicle to
transfer your assets, the plan should state
to what extent you’ll stay involved with
the company after you leave. If you stay
too involved, you may inadvertently inhibit your successors from succeeding.
Your plan should create a management structure that will survive your departure and keep the business on sound
financial footing while ensuring adequate liquidity to fund your retirement or
a buyout. Include a buy-sell agreement in
the succession plan. It allows you to restrict transfers of ownership interests,
and can help minimize income and estate taxes.
Start Now
While everyone talks about the need
for a succession plan, too few actually follow through with developing one. It’s
critical that you start the process at least
several years before you plan to retire,
and ideally a decade or more in advance
of that target date.
Michael Kuchar, CPA, is a Shareholder and
leader of Doeren Mayhew’s dedicated Construction Group in Houston. A top 100 U.S.
firm, Doeren Mayhew’s CPAs and business
advisors serve more than 500 suppliers and
general and specialty contractors doing
business domestically and abroad. For
more information, visit www.doeren.com.
Non-owned automobiles
company business
on
Mark Gaskamp, CSP, CRM, CIC, CPCU, ALCM
Managing Director
Wortham LLC
Austin, TX
A
re you “financially safe” on the Texas roadways? According to the Insurance Information Institute you
have better than a 1 in 10 chance of being involved in an
accident with an uninsured motorist. And even if the
other party does have insurance, in Texas the current minimum liability limits are
$30,000 for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for
property damage per accident. This basic coverage is called 30/60/25. Is that enough
to pay for your doctor bills, lost wages or your damaged vehicle?
Why is this a topic for a construction
newsletter? Well, most construction operations have what is referred to in the
insurance world as “non-owned” auto exposure, that is, individuals who are driving their personal vehicles (i.e. not owned
by the company) on company business. Any job superintendents, field staff,
safety manager, etc… driving their own
vehicle during the work day for business
purposes other than the commute to and
from work fall into this category. Should an individual be involved in
an accident while in the scope of employment, their personal auto coverage is primary and the company’s insurance coverage is secondary.
It is a good risk management practice to not only require a certificate of insurance for auto coverage from those
driving on company business on a regular basis, but require minimum limits of
coverage, so the company’s insurance
does not become financially responsible. 100/300/100 or a $300,000 combined
single limit are the generally accepted
standard for most organizations and
commercial insurance carriers. Why should the limits be increased
beyond the state minimums? Well, probably half the vehicles on the road today
cost more than $25,000, so if you hit one
of those vehicles, the physical damage
limit may not be enough to pay for the
car. That means if you have state minimum limits and you cause an accident
resulting in totaling a $75,000 Ford Raptor, the additional $50,000 comes out of
your pocket. The same is true for a liability suit, which could far exceed the
$30,000 minimum limit.
The good news is the cost to increase
the limits is nominal. I had our personal
lines staff provide an estimated premium
change to increase limits from 30/60/25
to 50/100/50, the cost was about $50 per
year. To increase up to 100/300/100, the
cost was another $50. So for about $100
per year, you can get four times as much
coverage. My experience has been that many
drivers are not even aware of the risk or
the minimal cost to increase their limits. This is an good topic of discussion with
your drivers, to encourage them to increase their insurance limits from the
state minimums to those outlined above,
to not only benefit the organization by
insulating your commercial auto policy,
but as good “personal risk management” for those individuals driving on
our busy Texas roadways.
Mark Gaskamp is a managing director
for Wortham Insurance & Risk Management in Austin. He is a part of the Wortham
Construction Industry Practice Group where
his responsibilities include partnering with
clients to manage safety and risk management exposures to reduce their cost of risk. He previously served as a Risk Control regional supervisor and as a senior underwriter for St. Paul and Travelers organizations and as a national risk consultant for
Corporate Systems. He is actively involved
in the Association of Building Contractors
and Association of General Contractors
safety committees, and is a national faculty
member of The National Alliance's Certified
Risk Manager's (CRM) program. For more
information contact Mark at (512) 532-1536
or
mark.gaskamp@worthaminsurance.
com or visit www.worthaminsurance.com.
Page 7
You missed the notice deadlines,
but a sham may keep you from
turning into a pumpkin!
West W. Winter, Partner
McNelis + Winter, PLLC
San Antonio, TX
W
hen faced with non-payment for work performed
or materials provided for the improvement of construction projects in Texas, the most powerful remedy available to contractors, subcontractors and suppliers is the mechanic’s and materialman’s lien. Statutory mechanic’s liens are governed by Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code and, if timely and
properly perfected, secure payment rights against the project. In addition, contractors
having an agreement directly with the project’s owner may be able to avail themselves of constitutional lien rights that exist independently of any notice or recording
requirements, pursuant to Article XVI, Section 37, of the Texas Constitution.
While mechanic’s lien rights are well
know and frequently asserted in the construction industry, some lesser known
nuances in the law may apply to salvage
mechanic’s lien rights in certain situations where a subcontractor or supplier
has missed the required pre-lien notice
deadlines. One such situation involves
Sham Contracts where the purported
owner and general contractor are essentially one in the same.
Sham Contract Provision
As set forth in Section 53.026 of the
Texas Property Code, when a person
contracts with another, and that other
person controls or otherwise is controlled by the owner “through ownership
of voting stock, interlocking directorships, or otherwise”, the person performing the labor or furnishing materials is
deemed to be in a direct contractual relationship with the owner and has a lien as
an original contractor. The same result
occurs when the contract was made by
the owner “without the good faith intention of the parties that the other person
was to perform the contract.”
When the Sham Contract provision
applies, the unpaid subcontractor or supplier should be considered to be in a direct contractual relationship with the
owner and gains original contractor status. Along with original contractor status,
the unpaid subcontractor or supplier
also has lien rights as if it were an original
contractor. Accordingly, the mandatory
notice requirements generally applicable
to subcontractors and suppliers for perfecting statutory mechanic’s liens should
not apply, and the unpaid subcontractors or suppliers may be able to perfect
their lien rights as original contractors
despite a failure to comply with the Property Code notice requirements.
Another benefit derived from the
Sham Contract statute is that a constitutional lien is available to a person performing work or supplying materials to a
sham contractor if such work or materials
are covered by Article XVI, Section 37, of
the Texas Constitution (i.e. buildings and
articles). The recent appellate court decision of Trinity Drywall Systems, LLC v. Toka
General Contractors, Ltd. confirmed this
benefit in holding that the Sham Contract statute, by improving the subcon-
Did you know?
Past editions can be
downloaded at
www.
ConstructionNews.net
tractor’s position in the construction contract chain, allows a subcontractor hired
under a sham contract to assert and enforce a constitutional lien because he is
deemed to have a direct contractual relationship with the owner.
Other Considerations
Even though a constitutional lien is
self-executing, a lien affidavit should still
be filed of record in the county where the
property is located to protect the enforceability of the lien against subsequent good faith purchasers. Be aware
that suit must also be filed to enforce/
foreclose a mechanic’s lien claim within
the applicable limitations periods or the
lien will be extinguished.
Contractors, subcontractors and
suppliers facing non-payment should
closely scrutinize the specific parties,
facts and circumstances involved as early
as possible so they may be fully informed
about the requirements for proper lien
perfection and whether they may avail
themselves of any applicable legal nuances to salvage their lien rights and effectuate payment. Whether or not a mechanic’s lien has been perfected, unpaid
parties involved in construction projects
will typically have other viable causes of
action including breach of contract.
West W. Winter is a partner at McNelis
+ Winter, PLLC. A LEED Green Associate,
West serves on the board of the Construction Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association and has been listed as one of the
Best Lawyers in San Antonio for Construction Litigation. West can be reached via
email: west@mcneliswinter.com.
Personal Protective Equipment
Joann Natarajan
Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA
Austin, TX
T
he Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires that employers protect workers
from workplace hazards that can cause injury or illness.
Controlling a hazard at its source is the best way to protect workers. However, when engineering, work practice and administrative controls
are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employers must provide personalprotective equipment (PPE) and ensure its use.
PPE is equipment worn to minimize exposure to a variety of hazards. Examples include
items such as gloves, foot and eye protection, protective hearing protection (earplugs,
muffs), hard hats and respirators.
On May 15, 2008, a new OSHA rule about employer payment for PPE went into
effect. With few exceptions, OSHA now requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment used to comply with OSHA standards. The final rule does not create
new requirements regarding what PPE employers must provide. The standard makes
clear that employers cannot require workers to provide their own PPE and the worker’s use of PPE they already own must be completely voluntary. Even when a worker
provides his or her own PPE, the employer must ensure that the equipment is adequate to protect the worker from hazards at the workplace.
Examples of PPE that Employers Must Pay
for Include:
§ Metatarsal foot protection
§ Rubber boots with steel toes
§ Non-prescription eye protection
§ Prescription eyewear inserts/lenses for full face respirators
§ Goggles and face shields
§ Fire fighting PPE (helmet, gloves, boots,proximity suits, full gear)
§ Hard hats
§ Hearing protection
§ Welding PPE
Employers are not required to pay for
some PPE in certain circumstances:
§ Non-specialty safety-toe protective
footwear (including steel-toe shoes or
boots) and non-specialty prescription
safety eyewear provided that the employer permits such items to be worn off
the job site. (OSHA based this decision on
the fact that this type of equipment is
very personal, is often used outside the
workplace, and that it is taken by workers
from jobsite to jobsite and employer to
employer.)
§ Everyday clothing, such as long-sleeve
shirts, long pants, street shoes, and normal work boots.
§ Ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other
items, used solely for protection from
weather, such as winter coats, jackets,
gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen
§ Items such as hair nets and gloves worn
by food workers for consumer safety.
§ Lifting belts because their value in protecting the back is questionable.
§ When the employee has lost or intentionally damaged the PPE and it must be
replaced.
natarajan.joann@dol.gov
512-374-0271 x232
Page 8
RCAT 40th Annual Conference & Trade Show
“Still Going Strong”
REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND RCAT’S
40TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Roofing Contractors and other Industry Professionals join us for a Texas-sized
Convention with a two-day Trade Show featuring 80+ Exhibitors, Live Demos on
the Trade Show floor, Awesome Door Prizes, Educational Seminars/Programs,
and Golf Tournament.
Wednesday, September 16 thru Friday, September 18, 2015
Fort Worth Convention Center - 1201 Houston St., Fort Worth,Tx 76102
Omni Fort Worth Hotel - 1300 Houston St., Fort Worth, Tx 76102
2015 Schedule of Events
REGISTER AT WWW.ROOFTEX.COM
Wednesday, September 16
RCAT Golf Tournament, Waterchase Golf Club, 8951 Creek Run Road, Fort Worth, TX 76120
Golf Tournament Awards / Welcome to North Texas! Reception & Dinner hosted by NTRCA,
Waterchase Golf Club Pavillion. Event Sponsored by: Thermafoam and Owens Corning
Thursday, September 17
Seminars & Educational Programs, Omni Hotel
WinR (Women in Roofing) Luncheon, Bob’s Chop & Steak House in Omni Hotel.
Event Sponsored by: Roofing Supply
Trade Show Open, Fort Worth Convention Center
RCAT Annual Business Meeting / Awards Banquet / BIG 4-0 Celebration featuring local favorite
Preston Scott Band, Omni Hotel, Texas Ballrooms F – J. Event Sponsored by: Southern Shingles
Friday September 18
Seminars & Educational Programs, Omni Hotel
Trade Show Open, Fort Worth Convention Center (Halls E & F)
2015 Exhibitors List and Booth Numbers
*ABC Supply
A.C.T. Metal Deck Supply
Abba Claims Consultants, LLC
Allied Building Products
Alpha ProTech Engineered Products
APOC
Atlas Roofing
Attic Breeze LLC
CertainTeed
Chem Link Inc.
Coats Rose, PC
Contractor Nation
Cordeck
Cutler-Smith, PC
Dot Metal Products
EagleView Technologies
Eco Chief Products
Equipment Depot
*ER Systems
Everest Systems LLC
EVERROOF PRODUCTS
Fabral
FIRESTONE
FlashCo Mfg.
Franklin International
*GAF
Georgetown Slate
205
512
332
118
431
113
200
405
509
225
519
424
428
409
105
425
233
307
508
133
528
329
407
132
328
212
123
*Support Our Generous Event Sponsors
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum
*Gulfeagle Supply
Hail Trace
Heat Barrier Systems, Inc.
*Hunter Panels
*IKO
InterWrap Inc.
Johns Manville
KARNAK Corporation
Malarkey Roofing Products
Market Makers Inc.
MBCI
McDonald & Wessendorff Insurance
MFM Building Products
Mid States Asphalt
Moritz Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
MRCA
Natural Light Energy Systems
NRCA
NTRCA
OMG Roofing Products
Owens Corning
Pacific Supply
Polyglass U.S.A., Inc.
Powerfoam Insulation
Quality Edge
Quarrix Building Products
324
413
529
507
109
114
331
220
429
129
121
430
115
516
521
110
500
126
402
501
406
305
506
525
125
122
201
RCAT
Resisto
RK Hydro-Vac, Inc.
Rmax
RoofCoachPRO
Ross MFG
Sharkskin Roof Underlayments/KBP, LLC
Sheffield Metals International
Siplast
*Southern Shingles
*Spec Building Materials
Superior Equipment & Supply
Tamko Building Products, Inc.
The Estimating Edge
The Lane Law Firm
*THERMAFOAM Operating, LLC
Thermotek Group
Triangle Fastener Corporation
Tropical Roofing Products
Truco Protective Coatings
Uniflex Fluid Applied Roofing Systems
US PLY, Inc
USHEALTH Advisors
*Valero Marketing & Supply
Ventamatic
*West End Roofing, Siding & Lumber
*Western Colloid
503
517
523
229
515
100
520
423
107
421
323
532
333
505
206
117
130
527
230
232
128
504
231
325
514
223
224
Page 9
When wading for reds I like using a
1/8 oz. Johnson Gold Weedless Spoon attached with a 20# shock leader and a
swivel. This spoon is small enough to
work slow in shallow water and won’t
spook the fish like some of the bigger
baits will. If the wind is up and stalking
quietly isn’t a factor try using a topwater
plug like a Top Dog Jr. or a Super Spook.
These baits will more than likely trigger
some larger redfish as they imitate a mullet in distress. When working topwater
lures for reds, remember to work them
slow and don’t jerk too soon when you
get a blow-up. Redfish mouths are on
the bottom of their heads and they must
turn sideways or attack from the top to
inhale the surface bait.
Fall into
Redfish Action
by Capt. Steve Schultz
Sponsored by:
Premier Yamaha Boating Center, Majek
Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole
Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate
Haulers, ForEverlast

Hunting and Fishing
Products and Columbia Sportswear.
A
Dan McCarty of San Antonio still getting it done with this 31-inch redfish
caught along the shoreline of the King Ranch. Great to see him on the water.
Photo by Steve Schultz Outdoors.
s September rolls around, most
sportsmen are starting to get the
itch for shooting something. The
first of the month kicks off opening day
for dove season in the north and central
zones across the state and while a lot of
folks will be lining up their sights on
dove, we will be sighting in on redfish.
This is the best time of the year for herding schooling reds in the Laguna Madre.
Typically starting in mid-to late August, schools of bull reds and drums can
be found frequently along the banks of
the King ranch shorelines chasing bait as
they make their way to the Gulf of Mexico. These schools (some ranging from 20
to 300 fish), can make for a full day of rod
bending, muscle aching action you only
read about in magazines and on the internet. After Labor day weekend, most of
the vacationers are headed back north
and this relieves a lot of pressure on our
bays.
Catching redfish can sometimes be
very challenging due to their very picky
eating habits. I’ve seen reds follow a
gold spoon for yards only to turn and
swim away at the last minute. There are
several different strategies when fishing
for reds. Wading the shallow flats around
shell reefs and grass beds is one of the
most enjoying techniques and also my
favorite. These areas can also be worked
with a shallow draft boat rigged with a
good trolling motor or a push pole.
Live bait is another effective technique for producing big boxes of redfish.
Local marinas have gone to great lengths
to catch and keep bait alive for guides
and sport fishermen. Croakers and Piggy
Perch are the main live baits during this
time of the year. Shrimp will be making
their way back into the bay system as the
waters get cooler.
Fall marks the start of a new fishing
season with fewer boats on the water
and less pressure in your favorite fish
spots. Come down and enjoy the cooler
weather and some of the best fishing
Texas has to offer.
To schedule your next bay fishing
trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at
SteveSchultzOutdoors@gmail.com. Good luck and Good Fishing.
STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC
BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT
SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER
FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS
(361) 813-3716
(361) 334-3105
www.baffinbaycharters.com
steveschultzoutdoors@gmail.com
U.S. Coast Guard &
Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed
SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS . . .
fishing, hunting, skiing,
biking, racing, or
any outdoor activity or sport.
Page 10
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
The new wave
in fishing!
I
f you spend much time on the water
you may have noticed something new
happening in the fishing community.
Kayak fishing is really taking off!
You may have seen these guys slipping silently across the water at dawn in
what look to be one man battleships.
They have a strong looking sleek hull
with all kinds of arms and appendages
sticking out of them and some even look
like floating UFOs outlined in bright colorful fish attracting LED lights. Most important they are able to quietly access
the most remote and tricky fishing spots
without any fear of damage to their boat
or motor. They can be paddled, pedaled
or have their own custom trolling motor.
In short, kayak fishermen are often fishing where you want to be without fear
and for a fraction of the money it may
have cost you to get there!
The financial upheaval that we went
through a few years ago caused something of a revolution in the boating industry. It became difficult for anyone to
get financing for a boat and an awful lot
of us found ourselves less willing to pay
as much for a new boat in our new economy as we used to. It was a hard wake up
call.
We all know what a resourceful lot
fishermen are. It didn’t take long for people to start adapting recreational kayaks
to be used for fishing! Look at the advantages.
If you can walk down to the water,
you can drop in your kayak. No more
finding a boat ramp and waiting your
turn. You can slip your rig into the back of
your pick-up or just car-top it. No more
maintaining and dragging a trailer – the
money you save on gas can buy you a
room! Best of all you can get a fully
rigged, (fish finder, gps, baitwell, rod
holders, lights and you name it) for a fraction of the cost of a conventional boat!
All of these things make kayak fishing a
very attractive option for beginning an-
Kayak fishing
glers just starting out and seasoned pros
alike. It’s not a problem if your fishing
buddy can’t go, and if he can go, he can
have his own kayak and end the competition for who gets what part of the boat.
Kayak fishing works for any kind of fishing you want to do. It is easy to learn
about. You can go online and find fishing
forums pertaining to whatever you want
to learn. It doesn’t matter if you like crappie fishing along a quiet freshwater
shoreline or you want to shark fish at the
coast. It is being done! Go check any local kayak shop and you will see the latest
in fishing innovations. There are even
several good tournament trails with nice
pay outs out there!
Best of all, if you want to get started,
this is a good time to do it. You know
fishermen, there are always a better
boats and better gear on the horizon, so
people are always upgrading their equipment and selling what they have to trade
up. The price is right, so you can often
get top notch boats and accessories.
Even if kayak fishing doesn’t turn out
to be for you – bear in mind there are
more kayaks sharing the water with you,
so keep a watchful eye out while you are
running across the water.
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
Kayak fishing at the falls
Model helpers
Perhaps you’ve seen the LEGO® model of the entire Cook Children’s Campus on display
inside the Fort Worth hospital. But did you know SkiHi Enterprises is sponsoring its
update? When ground broke in 2014 on the hospital renovation, SkiHi Enterprises did
more than just begin the project’s plumbing and mechanical work. The company teamed
up with Cook’s, LEGO® and the young hospital residents to support the LEGO® replica’s
“new construction” for the next two years. –mjm
G
Not just for the halibut
o ahead and ask
Don Young Co.
Windows
and
Doors’ Mike Loter and
Overhead Door’s Robert Deisher what they
are having for breakfast,
lunch, and yes, even dinner for the next few
months. Then try not to
smile knowingly when
the answer is “fish.”
Loter, who says he
“always wanted to go
offshore and fish,” had
his wish come true and
then some. On a “bucket
list” fishing trip to Alaska’s Kasilof River and
Seward in July, Loter
and Deisher reeled in
three halibuts respectively weighing 110, 120
and 130 lbs.
“We will be eating
halibut for some time!”
Loter conceded.
When they tire of
halibut, Loter and Deisher can also try to put
a dent in the 500 lbs. of
sockeye salmon, lean
cod and rockfish filets
their group brought
back from the trip.
Might be a nice time to
invite yourself over for a
feast of fish.–mjm
Page 11
A-Team
DYC’s Mike Loter (right) with a day’s limit of sockeye salmon
Ahern Rentals’ Irving branch team offers rentals, sales, parts and service with a smile. –mjm
DID YOU KNOW . . . .
CONSTRUCTION
™
The Industry’s Newspaper
The boat crew holds up Loter’s and Deisher’s halibuts.
Largest circulation
construction
newspaper
in Texas
Page 12
Page 13
Masons rock the Riverwalk
A
s part of its annual conference, the Texas Masonry
Council (TMC) held its 2015 Golden Trowel Banquet Aug. 7 at the Westin on the San Antonio Riverwalk. –mh
Residential Single Family Texas Residence
Contractor: W.W. Bartlett
Architect: Curtis & Windham Architects
Chapter: Central Texas Masonry Contractors Association
(CTMCA)
Industrial Commercial - The Gates Building
Contractor: Rick Stone Masonry
Architect: Drewry Martin
Suppliers: I-10 Stone Source
Chapter: San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association
(SAMCA)
Education (K-12 - Mohammedi Masjid Complex
Contractor: Camarata Masonry Systems
Suppliers: Mustang Metal & Supply, Upchurch Kimbrough,
Siteworks, Headwaters Construction Materials, Hohmann &
Barnard, Acme Brick
Residential Multi Family - 3 Eleven Bowie
Contractor: Brazos Masonry
Architect: HKS
Suppliers: Christopher Stuart Cast Stone, Continental Cut
Stone, Blackson Brick Company, Featherlite,
Hohmann & Barnard
Chapter: Central Texas Masonry Contractors Association
(CTMCA)
Governmental Institutional
St. Peter Chancery – Our Lady Walsingham
Contractor: W.W. Bartlett
Architect: Jackson & Ryan Architects
Suppliers: Amerimix/Oldcastle Architectural Texas, Mustang
Metal & Supply
Chapter: Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston (AMCH)
Hardscape Landscape - Centennial Gardens
Contractor: Camarata Masonry Systems
Architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, White Oak Studio
Suppliers: Mezger Enterprises, Revels Block, Brick Co.
Chapter: Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston (AMCH)
Block/CMU - The Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health
Sciences Center
Contractor: Skinner Masonry; Architect: Smith Group JJR
Suppliers: Acme Brick, Featherlite, Headwaters Construction
Materials
Chapter: United Masonry Contractor Association of DFW
(UMCA)
Education (College, University) - Texas A&M University San
Antonio – Central Academic Building & Auditorium
Contractor: Shadrock & Williams Masonry
Architect: Munoz & Company
Suppliers: Acme Brick, Featherlite, Siteworks, Kirby Stone Co.
Chapter: San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association
(SAMCA)
Restoration - City of Fort Worth Public Safety Training Center
Contractor: J&E Masonry; Architect: Komatsu Architecture
Suppliers: Acme Brick, Builders Equipment & Supply Co.,
Hohmann & Barnard, Quikrete, Texas Building Products
Chapter: United Masonry Contractor Association of DFW
(UMCA)
Building women’s futures
M
any associations are fortunate to
have even one building available for its members’ use. The
Regional Hispanic Contractor’s Association (RHCA), however, recently acquired
its third building as a complement to its
Dallas headquarters and Fort Worth office.
The RHCA Women’s Center for Construction, Architecture and Engineering
will be available for young women who
are in school or who desire careers or
business ownership in construction, architecture and engineering. Associations
and groups benefitting women can also
utilize the center to hold meetings, training and provide mentoring.
“Part of the RHCA’s strategic plan is
to serve our growing membership,”
RHCA president John H. Martinez-D. explains. “Women have continued to play
an ever growing influence in the construction industry and the United States
is graduating women in engineering in
larger percentages than in previous generations.
“Woman have also served on the
RHCA board as board chair, and play a
major role in the development and execution of the annual Luna Awards and
RHCA Women’s Business Conference for
women in construction, architecture and
engineering,” Martinez continues. “The
new building will give the RHCA an opportunity to focus on women throughout the year in an environment that nurtures women of all ages and backgrounds
who have an interest in the construction
industry and professions.”
The 3,468-sf building, located at
3918 North Hampton Rd., will be available for use this fall. –mjm
Check this out
PARTNERS IN CONSTRUCTION.
BONDED BY TRUST.
Building surety
relationships
for 30 years
(972) 459-4749
www.pclbonds.com
Want to appear in Construction News?
Call or Email us!
There is no charge for stories or photos.
The RHCA Women’s Center for Construction, Architecture and Engineering
DFWeditor@ConstructionNews.net
(817) 731-4823
Page 14
Stand out builds
T
he Texas Building Branch of Associated General Contractors traveled
to beautiful Squaw Creek Resort in
Lake Tahoe July 28-31 for the 2015 convention. Twenty-two projects were given
Outstanding Construction Awards from
the annual competition. –cw
2014
Outstanding
Awards
Construction
B1 Building ($0 - $2M)
Nolan Creek Pedestrian and Bike Trail Extension, Barsh Company (Centex)
Mary Couts Burnett Library West Façade,
Linbeck Group LLC (TEXO)
McGregor ISD New Primary School, Mazanec Construction Co. Inc. (Centex)
Parc Binz One, Linbeck Group LLC (Houston)
B5 Building ($30 - $75 M)
The University of Houston Student Center Redevelopment, Tellepsen (Houston)
B6 Building (Over $75M)
Tobin Center for The Performing Arts,
Linbeck Zachry Joint Venture (San Antonio)
DB1 Design Build ($0 - $10M)
KSAT12 Television News Station Headquarters Addition & Renovation, Bartlett
Cocke General Contractors (San Antonio)
DB2 Design Build ($10 - $30M)
The Treehouse Memorial City, Anslow
Bryant Construction LTD (Houston)
DB3 Design Build (Over $30M)
Parkland Logistics Center, Byrne Construction Services (TEXO)
HC1 – Health Care ($0 - $10M)
Parkway Surgical & Cardiovascular Hospital, Skiles Group Inc. (TEXO)
HC2 – Health Care ($10 - $30M)
Texas Healthcare Outpatient Center Willow Park, Ridgemont Commercial Construction (TEXO)
HC3 – Health Care (Over $30M)
Sky Tower at University Hospital, Zachry
Vaughn Layton Joint Venture (San Antonio)
Historical Renovation
TAMU Jack K. Williams Administration
Building Renovation, J. T. Vaughn Construction, LLC (Houston)
IF1 – Interior Finish-Out ($0 - $500K)
Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine
Southwest Fort Worth, Skiles Group, Inc.
(TEXO)
IF2 – Interior Finish-Out ($500K - $2M)
University of Texas, Active Learning Classrooms Renovation, McCombs School of
Business, Sabre Commercial, Inc. (Austin)
IF3 – Interior Finish-Out ($2 - $5M)
Vogel Alcove, MAPP Construction (TEXO)
IF4 – Interior Finish-Out (Over $5M)
Francis Hall Renovation, Satterfield &
Pontikes Construction, Inc. (Houston)
IW1 – Industrial/Warehouse ($0 - $5M)
VA Energy Center, Mazanec Construction
Co. Inc. (Centex)
IW2 – Industrial/Warehouse (Over
$5M)
Greens Crossing Tract A – HD Supply,
Dyad Construction LP (Houston)
RMF – Residential Multi-Family East
Texas Baptist University Centennial Hall,
JE Dunn Construction (TEXO)
RSF – Residential Single Family
Malone Cliff Residence, Sebastian Construction Group (TEXO)
SC – Specialty Construction
Dock & Deck Additions on Lake Brazos,
Barsh Company (Centex)
Linbeck Group LLC
B2 Building ($2-$5M)
Mary Couts Burnett Library West Façade
Byrne Construction Services
DB3 Design Build (Over $30M)
Parkland Logistics Center
Skiles Group Inc.
HC1 Health Care ($0-$10M)
Parkway Surgical & Cardiovascular Hospital
Ridgemont Commercial Construction
HC2 Healthcare ($10-$30M)
Texas Healthcare Outpatient Center Willow
Park
Equipped to help
Skiles Group Inc.
IF1 Interior Finish-Out ($0-$500K)
Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine
Southwest Fort Worth
JE Dunn Construction
RMF Residential Multi-Family East
Texas Baptist University Centennial Hall
L-R: Need a ride? John Stroup and Bill Carpenter of Six & Mango Kubota in Frisco
sell new and used construction equipment and offer rentals, replacement parts and
service, too. –mjm
Readin’, writin’ & renovatin’
With school about to start, more than 30 McCarthy Building Companies Texas Division
employees and their families donated time Aug. 7 to make over Mi Escuelita Preschool’s
St. Matthews campus. The volunteers stained, painted, landscaped and repaired the
school’s interior and exterior and built new playhouses for the students. –mjm
Page 15
Green Building
Healthy materials,
unified codes coming
Beth Brant, AIA, LEED AP BD+C,
Architect and Director of Sustainability
DSGN Associates Inc.
Dallas, TX
H
ow would you describe the current
state of the green building indus-
try?
With the adoption of the more stringent energy codes, and with the City of
Dallas’ adoption of the green code, green
building seems to be a little more mainstream and many people do see it that
way. But there are programs out there that
are continuing to push the envelope in the
green building industry, such as the Living
Building Challenge (living-future.org/lbc)
and LEED v4 (www.usbgc.org). Both certification programs are totally voluntary but
they both step it up to the next level. For
example, if your team plans to design for
and achieve a Living Building Challenge
certified project, the building is essentially
designed and built to be both net zero water and a net zero energy while also looking very closely at each and every material
going into the building.
Have you seen an increase or decrease
in the work you do because of green
building?
In our office, every building we work
on is designed to be sustainable in a holistic way. More in general for the D/FW
market, it seems that the clients going
after the voluntary green certification
programs have decreased a bit, perhaps,
simply because the codes are getting
more stringent.
What are the “hot button” issues in
the green building industry?
Some of the buzzwords you might
hear are “carbon neutral,” “net zero” and
“regenerative design.” Those terms are
centered around the idea of generating
on site at least the same amount (or
more) energy than your building uses
over the course of a year. For the design
industry, this stems from the “Architecture 2030” Challenge (architecture2030.
org) in which people in the industry have
committed to and are working towards
the challenge of designing more efficient
buildings that use less energy and less
carbon. The ultimate goal is that we
would be designing carbon-neutral
buildings by the year 2030.
The topic of healthy materials has
also become really important lately as
some scientists are getting a better understanding on how materials affect your
health. While perhaps still in its infancy,
there are good resources coming in
which designers can use when working
to select healthy interior products (www.
healthybuilding.net).
One other hot topic, which is also related to sustainability, is the idea of resiliency. There is a program pioneered by
the Rockefeller Foundation that is working to help 100 cities become more resilient (100resilientcities.org). These cities
and their selected Chief Resilient Officers
are beginning to work together to make
their cities more socially, economically
and physically resilient in the 21st century. I find their work to be very exciting
and look forward to seeing how the initiative continues to progress.
What are the major changes that
you’ve seen in green building relating
to your work?
We’ve been working on doing more
energy modeling in-house. As architects,
the earlier that we can start to do energy
models on our building designs the better. By running quick and simple models,
we can explore and evaluate various options, to can get a better idea of how our
designs are affecting the overall energy
efficiency of the building.
One of the acknowledged disadvantages of green building has been the
additional cost. Is this statement still
true?
In general, I believe that sustainable
buildings don’t have to cost any more
than typical buildings. Passive design
principles and standards are always
where you should start, and they don’t
From promise to performance:
the LEED Dynamic Plaque
Gautami Palanki
U.S. Green Building Council
Washington, D.C.
S
ince its earliest days, the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC) has pushed
the boundaries of green building design,
construction and operation with a committed team and expert volunteers from
across the industry. Known for developing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating
system, USGBC’s mission of market transformation is alive and well. LEED is used
by 65,000 projects worldwide. After 15
years of growth and evolution, the industry is ready to embrace performance
measurement, adding to the promise of
lower impact. The LEED Dynamic Plaque
offers this dimension, measuring outcomes from sustainable strategies implemented in buildings.
The LEED Dynamic Plaque helps
properties gather building data to visualize a robust, yet simple, LEED Performance Score on scale of 1 to 100. The
score updates as often as new data is
provided and reflects the building’s energy use, water use, waste management,
indoor air quality, occupant satisfaction,
and carbon emissions. Any building or
commercial interior space can receive a
performance score, by manually or automatically submitting measured data
(e.g., kilowatt hours of energy, gallons of
water, interior carbon dioxide levels,
etc.), and any LEED-certified project can
use it to recertify to LEED every 12
months. Recertification follows the familiar LEED certification levels, i.e., a score of
80+ reflects Platinum.
Project teams using the LEED Dynamic Plaque give it high praise. The JBG
Companies, Akridge, and the Tower
Companies led the adoption of the LEED
Dynamic Plaque in Washington, D.C. Together, they represent approximately 20
million square feet of LEED registered
and certified space in the District. The
companies use the platform in select
properties to manage holistic building
performance and collaborate with building users, demonstrating leadership and
innovation.
Jessica Long, sustainability manager
with The JBG Companies, is a key player
in the development and adoption of the
JBG Commercial Sustainability Program.
She sees sustainability as a growing concern for investors, a means to improve
the value of assets, and take responsibility as environmental stewards in a community they own and develop buildings
in.
The sustainability group continues
to engage building users, the primary
drivers of resource use, in lowering the
environmental impact of the building.
Long says, “The LEED Performance Score
provides a succinct way to communicate
information beyond energy and strategically identify areas for improvement.”
At Akridge, corporate leadership, internal policies, and community involvement are the building blocks for goal
achievement as they endeavor to lead
the industry in innovative sustainability
practices. Kaitlin Brokaw, senior property
manager at the Homer Building, an outstanding combination of new development and historic preservation, describes
a “commitment to a long-term vision that
entails using new technology and conscientious planning to minimize negative
environmental impacts on the city, the
region and the planet.”
The organization’s efforts to increase
visibility and transparency are evident
from the publicly available key performance indicators on their website. The
LEED Dynamic Plaque proactively supplements these ongoing efforts, providing up-to-date scores for participating
properties and annual recognition
through LEED recertification.
Communication and collaboration
are as important as implementation
when it comes to sustainability efforts
and special projects, agrees Eugenia Gre-
cost anything extra. Beyond that, when
you start to build in active measures – if
you wanted to have a more efficient mechanical system or solar hot water – when
you bring in those types of things is when
the costs tend to increase. But, if you’re
doing it intelligently, you should quickly
get a return on investment.
How do you balance indoor air quality
issues against energy efficiency?
In Texas, you have to look at both of
those. For example, in LEED you can get
one credit for bringing in more outside
air, which would increase the indoor
quality. But when you’re doing that,
you’re using more energy because of our
hot, humid climate; you have to dehumidify it and cool it back down. So it really depends on what the building owner’s goals are.
What is on the horizon for green building?
It would definitely be changes in the
codes. The ICC is working to unify the
green codes out there into one green
code in 2018, and the energy codes and
the green codes are stepping up each
time. That is making it more mainstream.
I also see healthy building materials on
the horizon; it’s not mainstream yet but
it’s out there and we’re all learning and
adapting to it.
DSGN Associates Inc. provides architectural, planning, interior design and
graphic design services to multi-family residential, retail and mixed-use centers, offices and workspaces, civic facilities and urban planning. –mjm
gorio, director of Corporate Responsibility at Tower Companies. The LEED Performance Score provides a tangible metric
that resonates with stakeholders and encourages action, while making it simple
to aggregate data through automation
and increasing visibility into the portfolio.
Gregorio says, “When making business decisions, we always consider the
triple bottom line—people, planet, profit—and find ways to make all three align
to yield successful projects that have a
positive impact on the environment, our
stakeholders and the overall community,
and make business sense with viable economics.”
Tower believes sustainability is not
only a responsibility but also an opportunity to improve building operations, reduce operating costs, train staff, and attract and retain like-minded clients who
have their own corporate sustainability
goals and values that align.
JBG, Akridge, Tower, and other organizations worldwide are aligning operational metrics with strategic corporate
goals and taking steps to improve ongoing building performance, lower costs,
and enhance user experience in new and
existing projects. Are you ready to take
the next step and begin your performance story?
Gautami Palanki is a Building Performance Consultant for the U.S. Green Building Council. She will discuss LEED: New Approaches for Building Performance at
Greenbuild 2015 in Washington, D.C.
Page 16
Green Building
Green and getting greener
Scott Gerhardt, Acting Chair
U.S. Green Building Council Central TexasBalcones Chapter
Austin, TX
I
n your opinion, what is the current
state of the local construction industry?
The last five years have brought sustainable building practices into both the
commercial and residential mainstream.
Commercially, there are many financial
case studies now showing the financial
benefits of building green with the LEED
metric: 1.) LEED Certified projects operate at greater efficiency and thus lower
cost; 2.) LEED Certified projects have
greater long term value and command
higher lease rates because of this, and
because people want to be in these environments.
Simply put, whether the building is for
living, working, learning or playing, green
buildings are more productive for people.
Texas and our Central Texas area are leaders nationally, with 650M plus square feet
LEED Certified or LEED registered.
If Texas were a country, we would be
number four in the world for LEED Certified space. Local leaders like the cities of
Austin and San Antonio, Austin Green Energy, Dell Childrens Hospital, UT, and
homegrown corporations like HEB are using innovative practices with LEED to
green their properties. Our chapter has
created the Texas Green Building Marketplace as a resource for developers, owners, architects and engineers to find
green building professionals and products.
What sparked your interest in green
building?
I have always been passionate about
conservation and environmental sustainability principles.
Growing up in the country instills
you with love and respect for water, land
and air. I was then privileged to work for
Milliken & Co for many years, one of the
environmental leaders of American in-
dustry. It was through Roger Milliken's
commitment to environmental excellence and carbon footprint reduction,
and his support of a fledgling US Green
Building Council vision, that I was able to
meet Rick Fedrezzi and help charter the
first USGBC chapter in Florida.
I saw firsthand the incredible waste
involved in our commercial construction
industry and the "throw away" mentality
of our practices. I wanted to help change
that.
What are a few trends you see in your
industry in recent years?
My specific part of the pie is commercial interiors: flooring, furnishings,
etc. I have been involved with many large
projects as well as ongoing corporate
campus operations, and the following
trends are evident:
• There is organizational commitment to green buildings and operations
(from the top!)
• The use of technology such as
real time metering and smart HVAC controls has improved.
• There is more training of staff in
green practices and integration of conservation techniques.
• In addition, there are reclamation/reuse options for many materials
traditionally sent to landfill.
• Product suppliers are raising the
bar with greener product design and
manufacturing.
What are the rewards of the industry?
Our reward in championing green
development practices is to know that
we are making very significant strides in
practice and in awareness. We are making a difference for the future.
In your opinion, what is the most significant challenge your industry faces?
As in every pursuit, hard work and
persistence pay off. But also, the need for
creative thinking has never been greater,
and the wonderful perspective of asking
"Why not?" is a great motivator to positive change.
One of our local treasures, the Center
for Maximum Building Performance
(Pliny Fisk and Gail Vittori) have trained
interns for years in asking "Why not?" and
many of these former students are now
doing fantastic work.
Any student wanting to work in this
field has great resources locally to learn
and grow, and great educational programs at UT, Texas State and other colleges to take advantage of. Many offer
concurrent LEED accreditation.
What advice would you give for a
young person interested in working in
your industry?
Seek out the best mentors you can
find, and soak up knowledge from them.
Always ask "Why not?" Keep your curiosity and grow your network! –ab
Cleaner water through greener design
Amanda Saldivar, Project Engineer
Big Red Dog Engineering
Steve Lin, Senior Project Manager
Big Red Dog Engineering
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, TX
I
n Texas, rain is precious. After the last
several years of relentless drought, the
spring brought record levels of precipitation across the Lone Star State. When we
finally get rain, it can have its drawbacks,
including some problems that can be reduced through green building – or green
engineering.
Every day, contaminants build up on
the concrete and pavement, and then
rainwater washes them all away. That
storm runoff we see with an oily rainbow
film floating on the surface gets washed
into creeks and rivers. This is just one of
the environmental issues Low Impact Design (LID) aims to address.
“It’s what we refer to as best management practices (BMP),” says Steve Lin,
senior project manager at Big Red Dog
Engineering. “There are some municipalities that require LID as part of their projects, such as the City of Austin. It is currently optional in San Antonio, but we
feel it’s going to be more prevalent here
in the coming years.”
Many LID features are associated
with water quality and the treatment of
stormwater. One technique uses bioswales, which capture stormwater runoff
and aid in filtration so that anything
washing off the pavement of a parking
lot, for example, can be filtered before
the harvested rainwater is discharged
into a nearby creek.
With San Antonio sitting on top of
the Edwards Aquifer zone, development
above the aquifer has requirements to
treat and filter the water, but Lin points
out that the southern half of the city does
not have a water code along those lines.
Lin observes, “Most of the LID features are an option and above and beyond your standard developer’s intent,
but we do find these LID features are
more predominant in downtown San Antonio – projects that use rainwater harvesting and they’re integrated within an
irrigation system, and a lot of bioswales.”
Other features that LID uses towards
water quality improvement include
planter boxes and sand filtration. Diverting stormwater through a planter box allows the soil to act as a filter. The same is
true of sand. And in particularly urban
settings, putting a garden on the rooftop, or a “green roof,” where the garden
acts as a filter and the underlying drainage system captures the water, the runoff
coming out of the gutter system will be
relatively cleaner.
These filtration methods actually
clean the water, removing contaminants
from standard litter to oil and coolant
drippings.
Also, when developing an untouched site, these LID features might be
able to offset some of the tree mitigation
or tree replacement.
“The City of San Antonio has its specific tree requirements,” explains Amanda Saldivar, project engineer. “If we were
developing on a completely green site –
undeveloped with several trees – when
trees are knocked down, the city requires
that a certain ratio gets replanted [tree
mitigation], or there is a fee that you can
pay instead of having to plant those
trees.”
She notes that it is possible to incorporate some of the previously mentioned
LID features as an option in lieu of mitigation, and having a LID feature would be
considered eligible for LEED points, but
since it’s not in the city’s code yet, these
credits are determined on a case-by-case
basis.
Engineers are one of three primary
parties involved in the LID process. Architects and, in many cases, the landscape
architect, work together with the engineers to make these features part of the
design. Lin notes that some of these features require what they call “engineered
soils” because the soils have to meet
some sort of permeability range, and in
that case, the design team may also enlist
the help of a geotechnical engineer to
achieve the proper utilization of the LID
feature.
“I personally feel that LID is going to
be introduced into code in the future,
and I believe, the way development is
headed, that you’d see more LID features
being utilized and integrated in projects,”
predicts Lin.
Saldivar adds, “And in the long run,
we’re helping ourselves, especially when
it comes to [issues of] water contaminants and polluting of local streams and
rivers.”
Big Red Dog Engineering is a civil and
MEP engineering firm based in Austin with
offices in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.
–mh
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Specialty Contractors
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Page 17
Association Calendar
Hot dates
Content submitted by Associations to Construction News
ASA North Texas
NTRCA
American Subcontractors Association
N. Tx Roofing Contractors Assn.
Sep. 24: Lunch meeting, Las Colinas
Country Club, 11:15am
Sep. 16: Welcome to North Texas party
(after RCAT golf tournament), Waterchase Golf Club, 6-8pm. Cost is free to
registered RCAT convention and/or golf
tournament guests, $25 for NTRCA members and $30 non-members. Register at
www.ntrca.com
ASCE -Dallas
American Society of Civil Engineers
Sep. 14: Dallas branch meeting
Sep. 30 – Oct. 2: Texas Civil Engineering
Conference (CECON). For more information: www.texascecon.org
ASCE - Fort Worth
American Society of Civil Engineers
Sep. 21: Fort Worth branch meeting,
Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 813 Main St.,
Fort Worth, noon
Sep. 24: Panther City Dodgeball Tournament YM, 5pm
Sep. 30 – Oct. 2: Texas Civil Engineering
Conference (CECON). For more information visit www.texascecon.org
CSI
NUCA
Nat’l Utility Contractors Assn.
Sep. 9: Cookout Extraordinaire, Box Insurance: Hege Headquarters, 1201 Murrell Road, Grapevine, 5:25pm. Members
$20, non-members $30. Contact Deana
Butorac at (817) 657-1993 or deana@nucanorthtexas.com
PDCA - Dallas
Painting & Decorating Contractors of Amer.
Sep. 24-27: Destin Fishing Trip, Destin,
FL.
Construction Specifications Institute
PHCC
Sep. 8: Membership meeting, Pappas
Burger, 2700 West Freeway, Fort Worth,
5:30pm
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
DACA
Sep. 15: Lunch meeting, Brookhaven
Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Drive,
Farmers Branch, 11:30am
PMI- Dallas
Drywall & Accoustical Contractors Assn.
Sep. 16: Membership meeting
FEDOT
Fire Equipment Distributors of Tx
Oct. 9: 1st Benefit Golf Tournament for
Children-Burn Care at Shriners Hospitals,
Plum Creek Golf Course, 750 Kohler’s
Crossing, Kyle, TX, 11:30am registration,
1pm shotgun start, raffles & contests, dinner/awards to follow, for more info: www.
fedot.org
IEC - Dallas
Independent Electrical Contractors
Sep. 10: IEC Dallas/Fort Worth Electrical
Trade Show, Texas Rangers Hall of Fame,
1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, 3pm
Project Management Institute
Sep. 10: Dinner meeting, Crowne Plaza
North Dallas/Addison, 14315 Midway
Road, Addison, 6:30pm.
RCAT
Roofing
Contractors
Assn.
of
Texas
Sep. 16-18: 40th Annual Conference &
Trade Show; Fort Worth Convention Center and Omni Hotel in downtown Fort
Worth; two-day trade show with 80-plus
exhibitors, live demos, door prizes, educational seminars, golf tournament and
welcome to North Texas reception; WinR
luncheon and annual awards banquet
followed by a celebration for the 40th
featuring Preston Scott Band
IEC - Fort Worth
RHCA
Independent Electrical Contractors
Regional Hispanic Contractors Assn.
Sep. 10: IEC Dallas/Fort Worth Electrical
Trade Show, Texas Rangers Hall of Fame,
1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, 3pm
Sep. 10: RHCA Member Appreciation
Day, 2210 W. Illinois Avenue, Dallas,
11:30am-4pm
Sep. 25: Annual Sporting Clay Classic,
Elm Fork Shooting Sports, 10751 Luna
Rd., Dallas, 8am
NARI - Dallas
Nat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry
Sep. 8: Monthly meeting, The Pirch, 6pm.
Sep. 25: 2015 NARI Annual Golf Tournament, Firewheel Golf Course – The Olde
Course, 600 West Campbell Rd., Garland,
noon
NAWIC - Dallas
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
Sep. 17: Clay shoot, Dallas Gun Club,
3601 South Stemmons, Lewisville, 8am.
Sep. 21: Dinner meeting and board of directors Installation, MCM Elegante, 2330
W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, 5pm.
NAWIC - Fort Worth
Nat’l Assn. of Women in Construction
TEXO
The Construction Association
Sep. 15: IMPACT Networking Series, 417
Fulton St., Fort Worth, 5pm
TGA-NTD
Texas Glass Assn./NGA Chapter
Sep. 21: Golf Tournament, 9am
TSPE - Fort Worth
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
Sep. 10: Monthly meeting, Fort Worth
Petroleum Club, 777 Main St., Fort Worth,
11:45
Sep. 17: Meeting, Colonial Country Club,
3735 Country Club Circle, Fort Worth,
5:30pm
H Location
Dallas/Fort. Worth
H Location
Austin
H Location
Houston
H Location San Antonio
South Texas
H Location
Publishing the Industry’s News . . .
TEXAS Style
Home Office
(210) 308-5800
www.constructionnews.net
L-R: TDIndustries’ David Bates, David Fultz, Isaac Henson and Justin Tubb won the morning round.
T
o keep up with the scorching summer temperatures, TEXO hasn’t let
its social calendar cool down one
degree!
On Jun. 22 at Trophy Club Country
Club, TEXO members took advantage of
the finally-dry weather to compete for
valuable TEXO Cup Challenge points.
TDIndustries’ David Bates, David Fultz,
Isaac Henson and Justin Tubb won the
morning round of the open golf tournament with a score of 61. ValleyCrest
Landscape’s Matt Fisher, Austin Commercial’s Ben Austin, Kimley Horn’s
Brad Moss and Terracon’s Drew Landis
won the afternoon round, shooting a 58.
On July 23, TEXO teamed up with the
American Institute of Architects’ (AIA)
Dallas chapter to host the “Bark + Build”
Kick Off Party. The associations are presenting the first annual “Bark + Build
Doghouse Design/Build Competition” to
benefit SPCA of Texas’ Home for the Holidays event, with the finished entries to be
on display in November.
The association showed no signs of
slowing during the dog days of August.
On Aug. 18, TEXO hosted an Impact
Meeting at the Ranch at Las Colinas, and
then sponsored a “Bring Your Boss” meeting as part of the Young Constructors
Council (YCC) the very next day. TEXO
members representing a diverse range of
companies served as panelists and discussed the importance of relationships in
the workplace. –mjm
Afternoon
round winners
ValleyCrest
Landscape’s Matt
Fisher, Austin
Commerical’s
Ben Austin,
Kimley Horn’s
Brad Moss and
Terracon’s Drew
Landis.
Page 18
Moment of roof
M
any local roofing
industry
members attended a
mini tradeshow hosted
Aug. 12 at Arlington’s 1010
Collins. Fifty-five vendors
showcased the latest roofing products and services
at the annual event, hosted by the North Texas
Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA). –mjm
ABC Supply Co. inc.
continued from Page 1 — Stucco-ed together
Charlie Sr. says that not only does his
family work together in the company,
but another family does as well: Warehouse manager Benjamin Sanchez,
who has worked with the Meador family
since the beginning, works side-by-side
with two brothers-in-law. With so many
blood relations under one roof, Charlie
Sr. devised a foolproof formula for those
too-close-for-comfort moments.
“Leave your baggage at the curb;
you can pick it back up when you leave!”
he says with a smile. “It’s business when
we’re here, and we try to keep it that
way.”
For his part, Blake is quick to offer a
“yes” when asked if he enjoys working
with his father and brother, with Charlie
Sr. chiming in with the words “Most of
the time.”
“From my sons, I‘ve learned to be
more patient than I was earlier in my career,” Charlie Sr. says. “And there’s a camaraderie; it’s an intense business sometimes and there are a lot of components
to what we do. We have a really good rapport amongst us and the staff; we do just
about everything in-house, so it’s like a
big family.”
Staff members bond over annual
Christmas parties and demo events, but
the rest of the time, they are diligently
working. The Meador family is careful not
to overstaff the company and make sure
every employee knows how to do everyone else’s job.
“And,” Charlie Sr. adds, “no one is too
good to do anything. Everybody does
what needs to be done. It works really
well.”
Blake and Charlie Jr. have been
groomed to take over when the time
comes, but Charlie Sr. says that time isn’t
coming any time soon.
“I enjoy the people, and I enjoy the
work,” he says. “It’s an interesting trade.
I’ve been doing it for 36 years. I live it,
breathe it, I love it.”
Texas Stucco Supply offers stucco products to the Metroplex. –mjm
continued from Page 1 — Big changes
Independent Insurance Group
Lone Star Safety and Supply
Scaffolds is also under new leadership.
Jay Rosen became the company’s new
president and CEO in January of 2013 just
as the third generation of this 70-yearold family-owned company took control
of the enterprise.
“Everything is very positive; we’re
moving in the right direction to help us
grow and advance,” Rowland says.
Through its four Texas offices, BETCO
Scaffolds offers scaffolding products as
well as scaffold rental, engineering design,
labor and safety training. –mjm
continued from Page 1 —Delayed gratification
Southern Shingles
Eco Chief Products
A boulder move
State-of-the-art technology takes spaces like the conference room to another level.
Mike Thalasinos (left) and his Boulder Designs® of DFW staff
M
ichael Thalasinos wasn’t always
a rock star. Before he got into the
signage business, he owned other companies related to healthcare,
sports facilities and gifts.
But he literally saw the writing on the
rock two years ago when he came across
a manufactured “boulder” that helped
businesses mark their territory in a
unique way – by displaying the company’s graphics on the surface.
“I sold my last business and I was
looking to do something else,” Thalasinos recalls. “I looked at other opportunities but I was impressed with the Boulder
Designs® product.”
Thalasinos started Boulder Designs®
of DFW in 2013 and although there was a
learning curve when it came to the manufacturing process, assuming the roles as
owner and president came easy to him
thanks to his extensive business experience.
“In almost any business, there are nuances and differences, but in general, busi-
ness is business,” he says. “You have to keep
your customers and employees happy!”
Thalasinos is certainly happy with
his employees. Manufacturing manager
Gary Grubbs is a recently retired 22-year
Army veteran who served two tours in
Afghanistan. Donald Nucharnat and
Josh Bain (also a veteran) work in manufacturing and Josh’s wife Grace Bain is
responsible for the company’s graphics.
Thalasinos says his company has the
capability to create, deliver and install
boulders up to 15,000lbs but that, regardless of the signage’s size, the customers’ eyes are always huge when they
see the final product.
“I really like it when we deliver a
boulder and the customer goes, “Wow!”
It’s the same reaction every time,” Thalasinos says. “That doesn’t get old!”
Boulder Designs® of DFW creates, delivers and installs 100% solid boulder-like
signage for commercial applications
throughout the Metroplex. –mjm
hoping to build and occupy the building
by September 2014. However, because
their land was not technically inside Mansfield’s city limits and was considered
Fort Worth Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
(ETJ), the city of Fort Worth wanted a
plan review, which delayed the start of
construction until October 2014.
Then, Mother Nature, sensing that
the Tutors were finally making progress,
made her own contribution.
“We had a bad winter,” Diana laughs,
shaking her head. “The exterior walls are
Styrofoam and steel, a product of ThermaSteel, so Bobby and the crew were
standing prefabricated wall panels in December in the freezing cold. Through
winter, he was trying to get the slab in
and worked diligently through the holidays to try to get the building up and
running. Then we hit the rainy season,
which started with the ice and the cold,
but then warmed up and stayed rainy. It
was very difficult to try to put a roof on
the building and get it done.”
The rain finally stopped long enough
for the crew to apply brick over the 5½ in.
compressed Styrofoam panel and complete the interior finishes. The staff
moved into the 10,182-sf building June 1.
The silver lining in the delays is that
the Tutors were able to adapt the design
as the staff grew over the years. Had the
Tutors built in 2001 as originally planned,
their current staff of 40 would have already outgrown the space. Now, there
are 10 occupied offices with two vacant
offices to allow for future growth. In addi-
tion to extra offices, the facility boasts a
conference room, break room, a “war
room” for foremen to examine plans, a
docking area and a 50-seat classroom
boasting a 15X7ft. projector screen.
The delays also allowed the implementation of state-of-the-art technology
to ensure energy efficiency.
“We have the latest in technology in
LED lighting and dimming, which allows
us to preset light levels to control our energy costs,” project manager Brian
Brinkmann says. “We also have state-ofthe-art wireless lighting control system
with occupancy, daylight and vacancy
sensors and wireless wall switches. That
allows us the flexibility to program for all
different kinds of features.
“The wireless lighting controls are
also integrated through our AV systems,”
Brinkmann continues. “The same control
interface can lower the shades and the
projection screen and control the lights
in the conference room with the push of
one button. Our projection technology is
wireless as well. We also have a fully integrated voice and data network that we
didn’t have in the other building – it’s our
brain.”
With the building finally completed
and occupied, the Tutors hosted an open
house Aug. 21. The only smiles bigger
than those of the guests were the grins
on the Tutors’ and the employees’ faces.
“We all love this space,” Diana says.
“Now, we all have our own offices and the
space that we need for concentrated focus.” –mjm
Page 19
80 years moving forward
Barricade bunch
Employees at LAN’s Dallas office gathered in support of Earth Day.
Photo courtesy of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc.
W
hat began as a small firm in
Houston in 1935 is Lockwood,
Andrews & Newnam (LAN) today. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, LAN has more than 300 employees in
offices across the U.S., including San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Corpus
Christi, College Station, San Marcos,
Waco and its corporate headquarters in
Houston.
Mason Graves Lockwood and William McIntosh Andrews started the firm
and in 1946, Frank H. Newnam Jr., a civil
engineer and classmate of William Andrews at Texas A&M, joined the firm as a
partner. In 1956, the firm took on the
name it is known by today. After incorporating in 1961, the firm grew rapidly and
established offices in several Texas cities.
In 1991, LEO A DALY, an international architecture and engineering firm, acquired LAN, and expanded LAN’s services and its horizons around the world.
“Once I became the president in
1997, I diversified the firm into multiple
markets of water, wastewater, transit and
transportation,” comments Dennis Petersen, president. “The diversification
was one of the key elements that I wanted to implement. As we expanded into
these markets, it gave us a pretty broad
base to operate from.
“Also, I wanted to ensure that when
the bad times hit, and we all knew they
would at some point, we would be able
to keep moving forward. Since 1998, despite the recent economic recession, we
have been profitable every year and have
grown substantially.”
In the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex,
LAN is the prime designer for Section
15-1 of the Integrated Pipeline Project,
and TRACK3, a LAN-led joint venture
team was selected as general engineering consultant on DART’s Orange Line
project.
LAN is a full-service consulting firm
that offers planning, engineering and program management services. LAN is a division of LEO A DALY. –mh
ICE for ALS
L-R: A skidsteer dumps a bucket of brrr on Pavecon’s Tim Wegienka and Marty Murphy.
Photo credit: Russell A. Harris
E
ven though the sun beat down on
them in the office parking lot, it was
still a “chilly reception” for Pavecon
Ltd. employees on Jul. 31. Some
screamed. Others gasped for air. One employee, after catching his breath, scooped
ice cubes out of his shirt pocket.
The company’s Grand Prairie office
hosted an “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge”
event to raise awareness and funds to
help beat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS, or as it is commonly known, Lou
Gehrig’s Disease). For Pavecon, the cause
hits close to home: The Pavement Network’s Kevin Gosnell, who trained Pavecon staff how to implement his Grid Iron
sales program, was diagnosed with ALS
earlier this year.
In honor of Gosnell’s fight, guests bid
in a silent auction, enjoyed a catered
lunch and tried to stand still as buckets of
ice and water were dumped on their
heads. Many sent best wishes to Gosnell
via video and challenged other Pavecon
offices to host bucket challenges.
“Kevin is the most positive and uplifting personality I have ever known and
a real leader and fighter for what he believes in,” Marty Murphy, president of
Pavecon Ltd.’s D/FW division says. “Because of this, we are joining him and his
company to raise money and awareness
for this disease and to show our appreciation for Kevin and what he has done for
Pavecon in such a short time. We will forever be indebted to Kevin for the time he
invested in all of us and the knowledge
he shared with us. We raise our buckets in
honor of Kevin and in the fight to find a
cure for ALS and all of the people it has
affected.”
Pavecon Ltd. provides asphalt and
concrete paving services across the southwestern and southeastern U.S. –mjm
L-R: Buyers Barricades’ Max Mulherin, Jessica Paredes, Eddie Harmon, Lauren Jones,
Cole Benton and Courtney Jeffus help provide barricades, traffic control design and
planning and so much more at the company’s Richland Hills location. –mjm
Page 20