austin construction news may 2015

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Hull lotta love Adventures in architecture

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Rick Hull, president and owner of Hull Supply Co., has a fierce work ethic, love of family and a zest for

the outdoors and that passion has led to his company’s 30th anniversary. “I’m surrounded by really good peo-ple,” Hull said. “I’ve built this business be-cause I hired good people and I’ve taken care of them. “I’ve had people that have been here since the beginning. It goes back to kar-ma: You treat people right and they stick around.” Hull Supply is marking the 30th an-niversary with a bigger version of its an-nual customer appreciation event in May. “I enjoy getting our customers to-

gether and showing them how much we appreciate their business,” Hull said. “In honor of our 30th year, our entire staff will be at the event. We’ll close our regu-lar operations for the day (May 7) so that we can celebrate our customers. We’ll have lunch and an afternoon mixer. “ Throughout the day, Hull Supply will offer continuing education classes and will have a showcase and mobile show-rooms with all the latest technological advances in doors, frames, hardware and access controls. Over the years, Hull Supply has ex-panded to meet the full complement of materials for Divisions 8 and 28. “Improving efficiency and customer

L-R: Dan Snyder, vice president; Rick Hull, president and ownerand Philip Cooke, general manager

General contractor Hoar Construc-tion completed the Lakeway Re-gional Medical Center in 22

months. The 271,000-sf, 145-bed acute care facility is part of a 54-acre develop-ment. According to superintendent Paul Griggs, the hospital has 58 private pa-tient beds, an 18-bed adult intensive care unit, four pediatric intensive care beds, 15 private patient beds for pediatrics, 11 neonatal intensive care beds and shell space for an additional 40 beds. The hospital has a 23-treatment room emergency department. Diagnos-tic imaging includes MRI, a CT scanner, and all other major imaging services. Surgery services, for both inpatients and outpatients, include six operating rooms. The hospital provides cardiology servic-es, obstetrical and women’s services, and pediatric services. The project also in-cluded a parking garage and surface

parking lot. “Early in design, the Lakeway Re-gional Medical Center team elected to prefabricate the curtainwall,” Griggs said. “Shop drawings were detailed specifical-ly to allow panelization, and they were done early so they could be provided to the other trades associated with the exte-rior skin.” Griggs says an important consider-ation for any offsite premanufactured panelized system is to make it the core of the skin design—to build around the panelized system and push the flexibility of the products that adjoin it. In the case of Lakeway Regional Medical Center, the other elements in-cluded precast and metal panels. The curtainwall manufacturer provided the embeds for the other skin system suppli-ers to enable material connection points.

Lakeway Regional Medical Center

May 25

Rick Price, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, didn’t grow up knowing he’d be an architect, but after a school assess-

ment test determined that it might be something for him to consider, he took the career suggestion and ran with it. To-day he is the owner of Red Arc One. Price opened his firm in 2003. In the early days, he shared an office with a good friend. “My friend, his business partner and I shared an open room,” he said. “All the desks were facing one another. We had our own projects, but we also collaborat-ed together. “If they had work that they couldn’t take on and I could, then I’d pick up a project there, and it was the same for

them.” 2015 has been very exciting for Red Arc One as three commercial clients have opened their doors this year to the great-er Austin area. Price says he especially likes working with clients who enjoy the collaborative process. “I am inspired by every book I have ever read, every building and place I’ve ever been,” he said. “If there is an oppor-tunity to expand upon what I have seen, I try to improve upon the experience.” He enjoyed visiting and exploring the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth with a friend.

A college friend Paige Wilburn and Rick Price go fishing in the Bahamas.

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The Austin Construction News (ISSN 1547-7649) is published monthly, by Construction News Ltd., dba Austin Construction News, and distributed by mail to selected construction-related companies in Austin and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space-available basis. Construction News, Ltd., dba Austin Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.

If you are a construction-related company in Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet, Blanco, Caldwell or Williamson counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Austin Construction News,

please call for a Requester Form,or visit our website.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS Austin Austin Editor — Abby BeMent — [email protected] — 832-595-0091

©2015 Construction News, Ltd.

Construction News Ltd. Home OfficeP.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279

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Boil it up

The Austin Hilti Center hosted a Crawfish Boil for customers Apr. 10. Folks came out and tried new tools,

watched demonstrations, networked and ate crawfish for lunch. Greg Scales, South Central Hilti Center regional man-ager, says the event had a great turnout. Hilti is a manufacturer and supplier of tools and fastening systems construction professionals. –ab

A Hilti TE 1000-AVR demonstration at the Hilti booth.

Austin Hilti Center employees interact with customers at the event.

Folks enjoy a plate of crawfish.

The National Association of Women in Construction Austin Chapter (NAWIC) members cheered on the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team at a recent recruiting event at the Erwin Center. L-R: Priscilla Norosky, Hensel Phelps; Amanda Trevino, Hilti and

Vanessa Maryott, Siemens

Go Horns!Submitted to Construction News

L-R: Joy Rouches from Journeyman Construction’s Austin office had the opportunity to work with Shawnee Carter from the company’s Fort Worth office when the pair hosted a booth at the Blue Book Building & Construction Network Showcase and

Educational Events. The event was Apr. 8 at Globe Life Park in Arlington. –mjm

Team players

Where would you take a road trip?

I’d like to take my family to the Kemah Boardwalk in Kemah. The kids love all the rides over there.

Jud Stringer, Building Abatement Demolition Co.

I’d go to Elgin.Andy Spellings,

Lone Star Tool and Fastener

I would love to ride my motorcycle to Colorado.

Rick Davis, Davis Electric

I’d take a drive to a ranch in South Texas with some of my friends. That sounds fun!

Don Putzier,Don Putzier Handyman Services

I would go on a road trip to Lake Buchan-an with my family. We love it there.

Troy Brandenburg,Brandenburg Plumbing

I am originally from Illinois and I still have roots in the state. My wife and I have six grandchildren who live up north. That is where I’d take a road trip!

Ron Torrey, Captain Hook Rolloffs

I’d take Highway 290 all the way to Elgin. That is a nice drive.

Armando, Estrada,San Jose Materials & Supply

The Hill Country.Michael Moreno, Farmers Copper Ltd.

Brenham! Derrick McFarland, Centex Cabinets

I’d stay in Texas. Ron Schweirking, Custom Sheet Metal

My husband and I love to road trip, espe-cially to the Grand Canyon.

Allie Perez, Texas Women in Trades

I’d take a road trip to Bastrop. I love to go to Lake Bastrop whenever I get the chance.

Rey Villasana, A Better View Glass

Anywhere in the Hill Country! Chuck Paxon, ICON Mechanical

I’d drive to Marble Falls. It is a beautiful place.

Doug Moore, General Sheet Metals

Port Aransas or Port O’Conner.Richard “Sonny” Horton,

BCS Structures

I love taking a drive in Jonestown. The scenery is gorgeous.

Diane Seagrest,Diane’s Dirt & Excavation

I’d take my two sons to Lexington to go dove hunting.

Kevin Bayer, Austin Glass & Mirror

I’d love to take a driving trip with my wife, Liz. We love to go in the spring season. We have always wanted to take a road trip to South Carolina and see that part of the country.

Tom Roland, Phoenix Electric

I think I’d take a road trip to Marble Falls, I know I would want to stay in the Texas Hill Country.

Mike Owen, Owen Construction

The Texas Coast. Jennifer Hobbs, J & H Granite


Lee LanfordOwner

Heart of Texas MetalworksManor, TX

Lee Lanford is serious about metal working. Not only was he the first person to graduate from Austin

Community College’s (ACC) art metal work program, he also traveled the coun-try as a traditional journeyman for five years to perfect his craft. “I discovered so many processes and techniques over the years,” he said. “I learned different ways people were do-ing things in the industry. I especially en-joyed learning about ornamental work.” Landford established his company in 2002. In 2008, he relocated to a new shop in Manor and purchased a waterjet cutting system. Heart of Texas Metalworks provides metalsmithing and fabrication services, ranging from traditional forging, metal cutting and to welding, custom produc-tion layout and assembly and installation.

Where were you born and raised, Lee? I am a native Austinite. Today, my family and I live in Pflugerville, just north of Austin.

Where did you go to high school? I attended and graduated from Aus-tin High School. During high school, I built sets for the theater program and I took drafting and technical classes. I liked working on my truck after school.

What did your parents do for a living? My family had a farm and industrial equipment business in Austin for 66 years. My grandfather started the business and my dad took it over and sold the business this past year. My mom worked as a teacher.

Do you have any siblings? Yes, I have a sister and a brother. My sister manages a boutique in Marble Falls. My brother works as a general manager at an equipment business in Marble Falls.

What was your very first job? I grew up in the shop working with my hands and repairing tractors. I assem-bled tractors out of the crates, pushed a broom and emptied trashcans for the family business.

What did you do after you graduated high school? I studied biology and genetic engi-neering at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. My plan was to transfer to Texas A&M University in College Station. One morn-ing I woke up and decided it was not what I wanted to do.

What sparked your interest to get into your industry? I ended up taking a sculpture class at ACC and really enjoyed it. I found out the college offered a metalsmithing program, so I ended up earning my degree in art metal work. After college, I got a job with TAM In-ternational in Houston as a quality con-trol inspector. In 1999, I worked at New Castle Iron Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I worked with Bo Davis and Sharon Blondet designing, forging, and fabricating custom commis-sioned metal work. In 2001, I worked with Toby Hickman at Waylan Smithy in Petaluma, CA. We de-signed and forged custom lighting and architectural metal work. Next, I moved to Salado to work with Joe Pehoski, Pehoski Metalsmiths, forg-ing and fabricating commissioned pieces.

How would you describe forging? Forging is the process of shaping metal by brute force. It is one of the old-est known metalworking processes. We can do cold and hot forging, open-die power hammer and traditional handwork. These processes can produce shapes and forms unobtainable by any other method.

Why do you enjoy what you do today? I love what I do today. I have been do-ing this type of work for 22 years. There is a high level of artistry and craftsmanship involved in metalsmithing and fabrica-tion. It is fun for me to see the different projects people are working on around town. I have been able to go places and see things that most folks wouldn’t ever see, even though it is right there in from of them.

What advice would you give a young person who wants to do what you do for a living? College is not critical, but it is helpful. I would tell a young person to investigate a community college or trade school for opportunities to learn.

I am currently on the ACC advisory council now for the welding department. I tell kids all the time to get his or her ba-sic courses out of the way at a communi-ty college. It is a whole lot easier and less expen-sive to find out what you want to do and what you don’t want to do. Are you married? Yes, I am married to my wife Stepha-nie. We met in Salado. We have a daugh-ter named Anna, 9, and a son named Trey, 6.

What kind of activities do your chil-dren do these days? They are both involved in sports. Anna plays volleyball and Trey plays soc-cer. I am trying to get them interested in doing metalworking projects at the shop. I want them to be comfortable around all the equipment at the shop. Occasionally they will come to the shop with me on Saturdays. I try to get them involved when I can.

Have you and your family traveled anywhere lately? My family and I took a cruise around the Caribbean and over to Cozumel last year. My wife is originally from North Car-olina so we plan to go there this summer for her nephew’s graduation. We all look forward to spending time relaxing at North Carolina Beach for a week.

Have you traveled for work? Yes, I went to a fabrication conven-tion in Atlanta to look at new equipment this past November.

What do you like to do when you are not at the shop? I love spending time with my family.

I enjoy working on my own creative proj-ects, too. I have more time to do more black-smithing and gunsmithing lately. In addi-tion, I like restoring vintage vehicles on the weekends.

In your opinion, what are the keys to success in your industry? One of the main things is to do what you say you are going to do. Always de-liver on time. Offer a fair and reasonable price. There are times we have equipment go down here at the shop and we have to pick up the slack on a Saturday or Sunday to get people what they need when they need it. You have to go the extra mile! What is the best part about living in the Austin area? My family and I enjoy living in Pflugerville. My shop is out in the country in Manor. I am able to take the back roads on my way to and from work and I don’t have to sit in traffic. Pflugerville is nice because it still seems like a small town. The kids have lots of areas to run around. The park sys-tem is great.

What are your plans for the future? I plan to stay in business as long as I can. I am hoping to keep expanding our capabilities and offer more services in the future. Hopefully, this will diversify us enough that we can weather the next economic downturn. We want to keep plugging away! –ab

Lee Lanford does metalsmithing in his shop in Manor.

Lee Lanford and his family have a great time on a cruise to Cozumel.


L-R: Apprentices Todd Wingler and Nathan Waldock and their classmates learned how to wire up a panel, a transformer and a sub-panel properly at the Austin Electrical

JATC Training Center in March. Their instructor is Darrin Wernli. –ab

Electrical collaborationSubmitted to Construction News

Movin’ and shakin’

Ready to network, local contractors put their game faces on and played Blackjack and other games at Casi-

no Night at Abel’s on the Lake in late March. The Associated Builders and Con-tractors Central Texas Chapter (ABC) held the event. –ab

L-R: Lyndsay Woods, Harvey Cleary and Denise Jones, Action Mobile, welcome

attendees.

Corrina and Gllbert Valle, United Rentals

L-R: Darren Clayton, Lasco and Robert Brannon and Scott Weston, Greater

Metroplex Interiors

L-R: Sharon Mims, CLP Resources, Scott Edwards, McKinney Drilling and Marcell

Ellison, Recon

L-R: Brad Bookout, Spider Wall Systems, Trish Broz, Southern Demolition and Barry and

Robin Wurzel, Wurzel BuildersL-R: Josh Tomkins, ABC Central Texas and

Dan Shackleton, Harvey Cleary

The third-generation Alpha

The board of directors at Alpha Building Corporation elected Jon-athan Rogero the San Antonio-

based general contractor’s third genera-tion president. Kathy Acock, after serv-ing 25 years as president of the company her father, Gordon Kovich, started 45 years ago, stepped up to the role of CEO. The transition became effective Apr. 1. As Acock’s son, Rogero, takes on his new position and responsibilities, he is in-stituting a multi-faceted rebranding throughout the company, including its of-fices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Edinburg, College Sta-tion, Lubbock, El Paso, Conroe and Ste-phenville in Texas; Memphis and Murfrees-boro in Tennessee; and Fayetteville, AR. In 1993, Rogero started at Alpha as a laborer, and worked his way up the ranks through many roles, including carpenter, crew foreman, project manager and esti-mator. He earned his associate’s degree in construction project management and bachelor’s degree in business ad-ministration by going to school nights and weekends, and he joined the corpo-rate office.

Rogero has unveiled a new corpo-rate logo and says, “Our primary focus for many years had been Job Order Con-tracting. Over the last two or three years, we saw the need to go into the CSP, de-sign-build and CM at-risk projects. That is a big change for us.” He adds that they are switching to an enterprise software system to streamline internal communi-cation and operations. As part of the succession changes, Rogero also named his new executive leadership team: Andy Hicks, vice presi-dent of construction operations; Dan Perry, vice president of accounting and finance; and Rob Crow, vice president of business development. Acock has watched her son rise through the leadership of the company, and remarks, “He and I have worked to-gether since 1993. He started in the field. He had a lot of room to grow, and he did. I feel like the company now has transi-tioned to its third generation, and I know my parents would be very proud of that, very proud of Jonathan and probably a little bit amazed at what their small firm had grown into.” –mh

Kathy Acock has taken on a new position as CEO of Alpha Building Corporation,and Jonathan Rogero is now the third generation president.

Husband and wife team Collins Johnson, president, and Janna Johnson, established Conquest

Demolition Inc. in early February. Ste-phen Coffee is the operations manager. The Johnson’s sold all of their shares of Southern Demolition at the first of the year. They previously owned 50 percent of the company. “We currently have several projects going on around town,” Collins Johnson said. “Our experienced staff is growing fast. We opened Conquest Demolition so we could continue to service the demand for our services in the marketplace.” Johnson says it is important to him and Janna that the company has a good safety record. “This year Janna and I are purchasing and moving our headquarters to a 17,315-sf facility in Buda,” he said.

Demo days

The Johnson’s chose to purchase a building in Buda because it was where they could find a facility large enough to meet the company’s needs. Buda centralizes Conquest Demoli-tion to be able to service the Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio markets. “Hays County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation right now,” Johnson said. When the couple has free time, they stay active and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors with their children. “Our goal right now is to grow our business aggressively through the rest of 2015,” he said. Conquest Demolition provides con-crete scanning, coring and saw cutting and selective, interior and total building demoli-tion services. –ab

L-R: The Conquest Demolition staff


Houston, TX (1913)713.868.6111Dallas, TX (1956)972.466.0900San Antonio, TX (1968)210.828.3325New Orleans, LA (1969)504.889.0811Las Vegas, NV (1989)702-435-5053Miami, FL (1997)305.884.5311Los Angeles, CA (2011)818.884.1166Customer Support Center713.868.6111

Over 100 years of building relationships

Since 1913, Fisk has been one of the nation’s leadingproviders for the design, installation and maintenanceof electrical systems, structured cabling applications,integrated electronic security systems, and buildingtechnology solutions.

Scary IRS letterKathleen Dvorak, CPA, ShareholderRidoutBarrettSan Antonio, TX

How about that sinking feeling you get when you find an IRS envelope in your mailbox and you know

it’s not a refund check? With anxiety you slit open the envelope knowing it’s going to be bad news. “The IRS says I owe how much?”

Well I may have some good news for you. There’s a possibility you may qualify for penalty abatement. So, if a significant portion of what the IRS says you owe is penalty, and interest on that penalty, it may be worthwhile to work with the IRS in an effort to have the penalty abated. If penalties are successfully abated, interest related to those abated penalties should also vanish. Some helpful IRS agents will actually work with you or your appointed repre-sentative to maximize the abatement of penalties and related interest. When working with the IRS in an effort to have penalties abated for clients, some tax practitioners may even occasionally speak with very helpful agents who pro-vide guidance on how to get a bigger abatement. The IRS has programs in place to allow taxpayers, who are not ha-bitually charged with the same type of penalty, to receive a First-Time Abate-ment Waiver. Before using this get-out-of-jail-free card however, taxpayers as-sessed with penalties should first consid-er whether or not they may have the penalty removed “for cause” and save the first-time penalty abatement request for a possible future need. The IRS grants penalty abatements when the taxpayer can show just cause for the deviation from the rules or regula-tions. Unfortunately, being unaware of the rules and regulations is not just cause for abatement. The IRS often grants First-Time Pen-alty Abatements to qualifying taxpayers. Certain types of penalty assessments can be abated if the taxpayer has not been assessed the same type of penalty within the prior three-year period and if the tax-payer is otherwise in compliance with that same type of issue for subsequent and current periods. If a taxpayer has had, or does have, an installment agree-ment in place and he or she has been making timely payments according to the plan, the taxpayer is still considered to be compliant and may still qualify for the abatement.

Tax practitioners have available to them an IRS Tax Practitioner’s Hotline which allows practitioners to work on be-half of their clients with agents who are generally very knowledgeable, helpful and frequently authorized to correct is-sues and grant certain penalty abate-ments over the phone at the time of the call from the tax practitioner. Unfortu-nately, because of budget cuts and a re-duced staff of IRS agents, the tax practi-tioner is often on hold for great lengths of time, sometimes between one and two hours before the tax practitioner is able to speak to an agent. However, pa-tience is not only a virtue, but in these instances it can also be fiscally beneficial, resulting in the savings of significant dol-lars in penalties and related interest. Other options available to qualifying taxpayers are Installment Agreements and Offers-In- Compromise. If a taxpayer finds he is unable to fully pay a tax debt by the due date, he may be able to obtain an Installment Agreement and make monthly payments over time. Penalties and interest continue to accrue however, so the best option is to pay it off as quick-ly as possible. For those who may find themselves unable to full pay a tax debt over a 72-month Installment Agreement, the taxpayer may be eligible for an Offer-In-Compromise to have part of the tax li-ability removed. There are many issues involved with Installment Agreements and Offers-In- Compromise for which an-other article would be required. But know that these are possible solutions to con-sider when a taxpayer cannot immedi-ately full pay a federal tax liability. If you find the dreaded IRS envelope in your mailbox, know that you may have options for some relief.

Kathleen Dvorak obtained her CPA li-cense in 1988 while working in private in-dustry. Kathleen went into public account-ing in 2001 and joined RidoutBarrett as a department manager in 2005. She became a shareholder of the firm in 2011.

Compliance quick check:Top common group health plan issuesTerrell Taylor, PartnerChrist Taylor InsuranceHouston, TX

Affordability under healthcare reform: Wellness credits and surcharges cannot be taken into consider-ation when determining affordability under the em-

ployer mandate, unless they are tobacco-related. Additionally, small employers must determine affordability for purposes of the Marketplace Notice. Finally, individuals should be informed as to the affordability of coverage for purposes of the premium tax credit subsidies available in the federal marketplace.

Payment of individual policy premi-ums: Some employers have begun to explore the possibility of providing con-tributions toward health coverage pur-chased in the individual market, includ-ing coverage and employee purchases through either a private or public ex-change. In Sep. 2013, the IRS published Notice 2013-54, essentially prohibiting the payment, subsidy or reimbursement of the cost of individual policy premiums by an employer. The IRS requires that a participant in an employer-sponsored ar-rangement that is designed to pay for health coverage on a tax free basis also be enrolled in a group health plan.

Nondiscrimination: Corrections to any failed nondiscrimination test are not per-mitted after year end. This means that the status of the plan should be moni-tored during the year so that any adjust-ments can be made prior to year end. As a best practice, testing should be per-formed several times during the plan year to help a plan sponsor facilitate cor-rections and show, upon audit, that the plan passes the appropriate tests.

Failure to offer COBRA: If an employer offers benefits that satisfy the definition of a group health plan, the employer should also offer COBRA in connection with the plan. Commonly overlooked group health plans include flexible spending arrange-ments, health savings accounts, employee assistance programs and wellness pro-grams. Failure to offer COBRA may subject the employer to penalties under ERISA, an excise tax under the tax code, and penal-ties and remedies by the court.

Mixing up HIPPA and COBRA notices: The HIPAA Special Enrollment Rights No-tice and the COBRA Initial Notice are commonly confused, but the application and audience are different. Employers should ensure that the HIPAA document is provided to all employees (not just those covered under the plan) who are offered the opportunity to enroll. Con-versely, the COBRA document is only pro-vided to employees and spouses who are actually covered under the plan within 90 days of the beginning date.

Medicare/Tricare prohibition: An em-ployer with 20 or more employees may not offer to pay, subsidize or otherwise reimburse the cost of TRICARE or Medi-care coverage for employees or their spouses, as this could be seen as taking such coverage into account and incentiv-izing the individual to drop group health coverage.

FMLA: Final regulations released in Feb-ruary 2013 expanded the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to include leave for family members who are on or have been called to active duty. Extended leave is available for an employee to care for a fam-ily member with a serious illness or injury.

Advance notice of midyear plan changes required: Health care reform introduced the summary of benefits and coverage requirement. Under SBC distri-bution rules, if a plan changes informa-tion or design midyear, an updated SBC must be provided 60 days in advance of the effective date of the change. A sum-mary of material modification (SMM) may also be required on an expedited basis when a plan change is made.

Charging employees different premi-ums: In general, an employer is free to design their plan to charge employees different premiums as long as it is based on bona fide employment classifications or participation in a wellness program. However such plans must ensure they will pass nondiscrimination rules under both IRS code Section 125 and 105(h). Assess-ing premium differentials based on the satisfaction of a health standard (such as not smoking) is only permitted when it is part of a wellness program that satisfies the five criteria of the federal regulations.

Christ Taylor Insurance is an Employee Benefits and Insurance Brokerage firm do-ing business for over 50 years in southeast Texas, and long-time ABC member. The firm provides solutions to small and medium size companies for healthcare and benefit pro-grams, as well as life insurance and Retire-ment Plans. Contact the Christ Taylor team at 713-850-7747 or www.christtaylor.com

On Apr. 2, 34 state agencies and 12 universities hosted the 3rd annual HUB Vendor Fair in Austin providing outreach for women, service-disabled veterans and minority-owned

businesses with an opportunity to learn about vendor opportunities, state business needs and networking with state government purchasers. Photo courtesy of David Little, Texas General Land Office –ab

Reaching outSubmitted to Construction News


Journey to success

Journeyman Construction Inc. hosted a Subcontrac-tor Appreciation Party at

the Austin location Mar. 26. Every year, the company has the party to recognize and show appreciation to their subcontractors who work hard all year.

The Austin-based general contracting company has regional offices in San Antonio, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Diana and McAllen. –ab L-R: Michael Kiehnau presents the award for Subcontractor

of the Year to Michael Riley, Phoenix Electric

Subcontractors and Journeyman Construction employees network at the party.

Your rights as a whistleblowerJoann NatarajanCompliance Assistance SpecialistOSHAAustin, TX

You may file a complaint with OSHA if your employer retaliates against you by taking unfavorable person-

nel action because you engaged in protected activity relating to workplace safety or health, asbestos in

schools, cargo containers, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, envi-ronmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safe-ty, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, motor vehicle safety, and securities laws.

Whistleblower Laws Enforced by OSHAEach law requires that complaints be filed within a certain number of days af-ter the alleged retaliation.• Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (90 days)• Clean Air Act (30 days)• Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation and Liability Act (30 days)• Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (180 days)• Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (180 days)• Energy Reorganization Act (180 days)• Federal Railroad Safety Act (180 days)• Federal Water Pollution Control Act (30 days)• International Safe Container Act (60 days)• Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Cen-tury Act (motor vehicle safety) (180 days)• National Transit Systems Security Act (180 days)• Occupational Safety and Health Act (30 days)• Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (180 days)• Safe Drinking Water Act (30 days)• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (180 days)• Seaman’s Protection Act (180 days)• Section 402 of the FDA Food Safety Mod-ernization Act (180 days)• Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act (180 days)• Solid Waste Disposal Act (30 days)• Surface Transportation Assistance Act (180 days)• Toxic Substances Control Act (30 days)• Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (90 days)

Your employer may be found to have re-taliated against you if your protected ac-tivity was a contributing or motivating

factor in its decision to take unfavorable personnel action against you.Such actions may include:• Applying or issuing a policy which pro-vides for an unfavorable personnel ac-tion due to activityprotected by a whistleblower law en-forced by OSHA• Blacklisting• Demoting• Denying overtime or promotion• Disciplining• Denying benefits• Failing to hire or rehire• Firing or laying off• Intimidation• Making threats• Reassignment to a less desirable posi-tion, including one adversely affecting prospects for promotion• Reducing pay or hours• Suspension

If you believe that your employer retali-ated against you because you exercised your legal rights as an employee, contact OSHA as soon as possible because you must file your complaint within the legal time limits. An employee can file a com-plaint with OSHA by visiting or calling the local OSHA office or sending a written complaint to the closest OSHA regional or area office. Written complaints may be filed by facsimile, electronic communica-tion, hand delivery during business hours, U.S. mail (confirmation services recommended), or other third-party commercial carrier.

[email protected] x232

Are you ready fornew union rules?Sewell C. “Spike” Cutler, PrincipalCutler-Smith PCDallas, TX

New union-representation election rules are effec-tive as of April 14, 2015; are you ready?

You may recall earlier efforts by the current administration's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enact substan-tial changes to union-representation election policies and procedures, chang-es to substantially expedite union elec-tions and eliminate procedural protec-tions employers had when faced with union election petitions. The new rules, sometimes called "Rocket Election" or "Quickie Election" rules, were set aside af-ter a determination that the board adopt-ing the rules at the time included im-properly- appointed members. The prior reprieve has turned out to be temporary; a properly-constituted NLRB adopted a final rule in December, effective April 14, 2015, which imple-ments accelerated election rules. Not only does the new rule accelerate the union election process, it also has some real gems to assist unions in organizing workgroups. The Final Rule, as published in the Federal Register, is 182 pages long, but its most important impacts can be summarized as follows:

1. Union representation election peti-tions may now be submitted electroni-cally, including petitions, voter lists and statutorily-required notices; in the past, these had to be submitted by mail, in-person or by facsimile.2. Regional directors for the NLRB are now expected to set a "pre-election hear-ing" within eight days after hearing no-tice issues, and conduct a post-election hearing 14 days after the filing of any ob-jections; importantly, and critically, elec-tions will not be stayed (delayed) pend-ing resolution of most issues, whereas in the past, elections were not held until pre-election issues, including the validity of voter lists and potential bargaining units, were resolved.3. Employers must submit a position statement setting out issues with the prospective election at least one busi-ness day before the hearing, or waive such issues; previously, all relevant issues could be considered.4. Employers will now be required to give the union a list of possible voters, their locations, the job classifications, and will have to include personal phone num-bers and email addresses for all such em-ployees, and this list has to be provided within two days after the regional direc-tor directs that election be held. So, em-

ployers are required to actively assist or-ganizers in their efforts to line-up em-ployees against them. Bottom line, the process of going from the collection of expressions of in-terest (election cards) to actually con-ducting the election is vastly faster, and the employer is required to help the union get in touch with its people. While the new rules are couched in terms of "fairness," most press favoring the new rules is written with the assump-tion that all employers are large, well fi-nanced, and have only the worst inter-ests of their workers at heart, something most small business owners know to be false. Small businesses are required, as a matter of practical reality, to hire counsel to challenge elections, and they have to do it quickly – while unions already have full-time, trained professional organizers and counsel on staff. Congress passed a bill blocking the new rules, but President Obama immedi-ately vetoed the legislation. Challenges have been filed, includ-ing one filed by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Na-tional Federation of Independent Busi-ness (NFIB), in Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas. Employers must ensure that they know the rules governing representation elections. Most importantly, employers must maintain a clear line of communica-tions between the employees and com-pany management. Employees who know their employer has their best inter-ests at heart are less likely to call for a union election. If you learn of strangers hanging around jobsites or contacting your em-ployees, find out about what's going on so you can ensure that any decisions made are made with factual information in hand. Union organizers rely upon poor communication and misinformation and they are pros at doing this. At the first sign of difficulty, be sure you consult with counsel about what you can - and cannot - do in responding to a union organizing campaign.

Cutler-Smith PC focuses on representa-tion of construction trade contractors and the commercial construction industry. For more information on the firm and its indus-try advocacy, call 214-219-0800 or see the web site www.TexasConstructionLaw.com

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Texas Building Branch (TBB) members met at the AGC Austin office to discuss legislative issues impacting the commercial

construction industry in Texas in April. –ab

Gather’ roundSubmitted to Construction News


Region 7’s farewell forum

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held its Re-gion 7 Forum Apr. 17-18 at the Hil-

ton Hill Country Hotel & Spa in San Anto-nio. This is the final Region 7 Forum be-fore Region 7 merges with Region 5 to form the South Central Region, which will include Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ar-kansas and Mississippi. Region 7’s last hurrah coincided with San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration, and Fri-day evening allowed guests to join the festivities with a hospitality suite and party bus to the Fiesta Oyster Bake and Riverwalk. On Saturday morning, San An-tonio Mayor Ivy Taylor gave the opening “Welcome to San Antonio” remarks at the breakfast reception where the keynote speaker was Heloise. That evening, Region 7 closed its fi-nal forum with the awards banquet fea-turing DJ Ray and fun with lipstick/palm reading, caricatures, psychometry and Urial the Magician. Many Region 7 members took home awards that make this forum even more special to them. ESC Safety Consultants won first place for Safety Excellence in the Regional Safety category. Regional

Safety Awards also went to Austin’s Hensel Phelps and Vanguard Fire Sys-tems. The DFW ladies cleaned up at the Women In Construction (WIC) Week Awards with Fort Worth taking the WOW Award, and the Dallas Chapter taking the Spread the Word Award. The Dallas and Fort Worth Chapters also took the PR & Marketing Regional Awards. Houston took the PR & Marketing Most Improved Award and the WIC Week Award for Most New Members. The Corpus Christi Chap-ter won the Membership Consistency Award. The San Antonio Chapter took home the Professional Development & Education Award. Dana Calonge, Vision Construction, received a 25-Year Lon-gevity Pin. The forum also hosted several work-shops with guest speakers, including “What to Do If OSHA Shows Up/Top OSHA Citations” by Ted Dunnam, ESC Safety Consultants; “2015 Human Re-sources Update” by Cynthia Mergele, Padgett Stratemann; “Work It Out! De-mystifying the Male Female Workplace Dynamic” by Marny Lifshen; and “The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media” by Sum-mer Salazar. –mh

Photos by Mary C. Haskin Photography

NAWIC Austin Chapter members

L-R: Terri Underhill, Luci Robertsand Laura Cullin

The last leaders of Region 7 L-R: (standing) Sandy Field, national president; Judy

DeWeese, past national president; (seated) Riki Lovejoy, national president-elect;

Jennifer Swinney, regional director

Regional Safety Awards went to Hensel Phelps and Vanguard Fire Systems.

Ready to network, the Texas Aggre-gates & Concrete Association (TACA) members gathered for the

2015 Short Course at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in College Sta-tion Mar. 24-25. A golf tournament and a sporting clays shoot took place during the event. –ab

Congrats to the winners!

A stellar day

L-R: Rip Case and Tate Schwartz, Permian Basin Materials and Mike Ward, Solomon Colors,won 1st Place at the golf tournament.

L-R: 2nd Place at the golf tournament went to Mike Bess, Vulcan Materials; Jason Kuhns, McNeilus; Bryan Gay, Trinity Materials Inc.; and Stephen Schuh, Vulcan Materials (not pictured)

On the right:The sporting Clay Shoot

winner was John Williams, Alamo Cement

Past editions can bedownloaded at

www.ConstructionNews.net

Did youknow?


BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUTSPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUN DER

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC

(361) 813-3716(361) 334-3105

www.baffi [email protected]

U.S. Coast Guard &Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed

Pre-summerpatterns and tactics

by Capt. Steve Schultz

Sponsored by:Premier Yamaha Boating Center,

Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate ForEverlast Hunting and

Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.

High winds and an abundance of rainfall in April made fishing a lit-tle more difficult for most of last

month. There was also one storm where severe weather moved through and winds were clocked at 60 mph, catching some anglers by surprise and far from home. Despite some harsh weather and terrible water conditions in the upper la-goon, our bay system should prosper from the rains and recover for the up- coming summer months. With May approaching, you should start seeing those croaker flag starting to appear at the local marinas. Fishing strat-egies will change as we make the transi-tion from shrimp to croakers. Rock struc-tures, reefs, grass beds and potholes are areas which need to be keyed on. It is very important when approaching these areas to use a trolling motor or push pole. Anchoring up on the outside edges of these areas can be very productive on spawning trout. Setting up on these lo-

cations is the key to catching fish. Always approach the intended area with the wind at your back, carefully estimating the length of your anchor rope and the distance of your cast. Once you have drifted over the area, you intend to fish because your anchor didn’t hold or you misjudged the wind. You might as well find a new area to fish and try that spot later in the day. During the summer months here in the Coastal Bend, anglers can find some of the best fishing along the entire coast. Our bays are loaded with resident fish and tide runners, which constantly are ar-riving from the Gulf. With school being out for summer and the weather getting better everyday, that can only mean one thing . . . boating and fishing pressure will be one of the most important factors for not being able to find large quantity of fish or stay on those fish once you have a bite going. That is why I emphasize so much that the best fishing is usually dur-ing the week instead of on a weekend. Another alternative to getting away from the heat and crowded bays is late eve-ning and night fishing. Fishing late into the evening and into the night during the full moon can get you out of everyday crowds and into some of the more popular fishing areas without being hassled by novice boat operators and inpatient anglers. I have experienced all aspects of these people trying to move-in on a set of rocks or a sand pocket you are catching fish from and scare all the fish away. It has reached a point where you have to do some homework and really think about how you will go about catching fish on any given day. My tech-tip for the month keys on us-ing braided line when fishing either live bait or artificial lures. Power Pro Slick 8 is this captain’s line of choice. It’s smooth as silk feel gives you extra long cast and is sensitive enough to feel every bite. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at SteveSchultzOutdoors @ gmail .com. Good luck and Good Fishing.

Davin Cox of George West shows his catch before getting back in theboat with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

Horsin’ aroundSubmitted to Construction News

OwnersKerry and Julie Morris and their

daughterand son-in-law, Krista and Brad

Fowles, Morris Glass Co.,

have a new addition to the family – a

horse named Saint. –ab


Half or Full Day Fishing Trips

All Bait, Tackle & EquipmentFurnished

Your catch Filleted andBagged for You

Furnish your TPWD FishingLicense & Refreshments,

and WE DO THE REST!Ken Milam Guide Service(325) 379-2051

www.striperfever.com

Ken Milam’s Fishing LineSince 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

Ah, springtime in Texas! The Hill Country wildflowers are winding down, school is wrapping up and

the fishing action is heating up! We are off to a good start this year on Lake Buchanan. The old lake hasn’t caught much water over the winter months, but we have learned to fish the low lake and know how to cope with it. So far we are seeing lots of good healthy fish trending larger as fewer people seem to want to mess with a low lake. As with any other game animal, the secret to get-ting bigger trophies is letting them have more time to grow. I know I’m always on my soapbox try-ing to get people to realize the impor-tance of getting out and taking their kids hunting and fishing. I firmly believe the old adage, “Take your kid hunting and you won’t be hunting for your kid.” I once had an old judge on my boat who told me he never had a kid in his courtroom that had a hunting or fishing license in their pocket. I think it is the combination of time spent with our kids and letting them have a chance to learn the lessons nature can teach that can help them become more balanced and confident people. With that in mind, try to take a little time as school lets out for the summer to look at your summer plans and go ahead and make your reservations for family travel and events. Try to book your hunt-ing or fishing trips through vacation time instead of having to settle for just doing anything you can still do at the last few

days of vacation. Our schedule and I’m sure that of most other recreational ser-vices looks like spring break all over again during the month of August because of the end of vacation panic. We do appre-ciate the business, but we really hate to turn families away because they all want to go at once. During early summer we see nice weather before summer heat really gets settled in and that makes outdoor trips more comfortable. As far as fishing is concerned the earlier trips will usually

have better fishing and larger fish be-cause they are just ending their spawn-ing season. The fish will continue to bite well through the summer months, but sometimes if we have a really hot sum-mer they will start to slow down around mid-August. That is why trips earlier in the season are so good for bringing the kids along. You want to get them hooked on fishing with a good strong “catching” trip so they will want to continue fishing.As we get into the months of the year when we can see more rainfall we are all

hoping that the El Nino pattern we are moving into will bring the much needed rains to begin restoring our lakes and riv-ers to more normal levels. If that doesn’t actually happen, at least it should bring in some water to freshen up out water bodies and keep fishing good. At any rate its prime time fishing now and I hope you can find the time to join us – on the water!

Stacey and Dean Deville, Deville Cus-

tom Homes, participat-ed in the Driveway Bike Race Series in Austin in April. When Dean isn’t building projects around the city, he loves spending time outdoors with Stacey and their baby boy Cade. He is an avid bicyclist in his free time. –ab

Full speed ahead

Dean Deville gets ready for the race.

Stacey, Dean and Cade Deville at a bike event.

Stepping upSubmitted to Construction News

Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors of Texas (PHCC) members traveled to the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC to discuss issues in the plumbing industry with

legislators in April. –ab


Run Sabre runSubmitted to Construction News

The Sabre Commercial Inc. running team participated in the 39th annual Statesman Capitol 10,000 Apr. 10. –ab

The search for Big Tom

Just before Easter weekend, Phillip Morris, Morris Construction, went on a successful turkey hunt with his

friend Alan Gallagher. He shared his ex-perience with Construction News.

By Phillip Morris My friend Alan and I left my house at 4:15am to go to his lease. We arrived and situated in the blind. I smelled pigs twice, Alan heard pigs as well but we did not see them. As soon as the sun rose, we used a slate and box call to try entice the birds to come in. Soon we saw five hens and three jakes. We watched the jakes fighting each other. We waited until about 10:30am be-fore we headed out to different spot. We called them in but had no luck. We decided to take a break and go have lunch. When we came back, I went to a dif-ferent blind while Alan sat in other one. Alan texted me the birds were gobbling and gobbling, about 200-300 yds. out. I kept on using both slate and box call and nothing was happening. Then all of sudden I saw three jakes about 50 yds. to my right. They walked across from left to right, behind the dirt road but on other side of fence. I tried to call them in but it did not faze them. Alan texted me that the Big Tom the turkey was on his way to my spot! I lit up! I kept an eye out, kept look-ing and sure enough, he walked across from left to right front of me about 80 yds. out.

I contemplated whether to get out and do a run and gun on him, but saw that he walked towards to me at the last minute on a dirt road. I fixated my cam-era in that direction where I would ex-pect him to come in. He was about 35-40 yds. away and few steps away from the fence line. Soon I grabbed my Rem 870 shotty and BOOM!” I can't thank my friend Alan enough for an amazing day that day. I finally got Big Tom!

Phillip Morris and his first turkey

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CENTEX IECElectrical Tradeshow & Wire-Off

NEW LOCATIONTHIS YEAR

The Norris Conference Center2525 West Anderson Lane

Austin, Texas 78757Thursday, May 28, 2015 1PM to 7PM

WELCOME ALLElectrical Contractors

Maintenance ContractorsSystems Contractors

Owners, Managers & PurchasersElectrical Engineers & Specifi ersPlant and Facility Management

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RoadiesConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Road work is on the agenda for this Jay-Reese Contractors crew at W. 3rd Street in downtown Austin. –ab

Making the roundsSubmitted to Construction News

Based in Rhome, Diversified Pure Chem (DPC) has expanded to open an Austin facility. DPC collects small refrigerant recovery cylinders directly from HVAC businesses.

L-R: Territory manager Marcus Tackett and driver Blake Marken –ab

The 500 W. 2nd Street project, a 29-story, 500,000sf office tower lo-cated at San Antonio and 2nd Street

in Austin reached a construction mile-stone in late April. Trammell Crow Company and Princi-pal Real Estate Investors owns and is de-veloping the project, along with its first phase. Gensler is the project architect, The Beck Group is the construction man-ager and Lauren Concrete poured the concrete. “To lay the foundation for 500 W. 2nd Street, The Beck Group coordinated downtown Austin’s largest-ever continu-ous concrete foundation pour, placing more than 10,680 cubic yds. of concrete in just over 24 hours,” said Project Execu-tive Tom Woods, The Beck Group. “The foundation slab is more than nine ft. deep and holds more than 1,200 tons of rebar support.” –ab

Making history

Photos courtesy of The Beck Group

The concrete pour at the 500 W. 2nd Street project.

The crews at work.

The Terracon Austin office c e l e b r a t e d

the company’s 50th anniversary in late April. Founded on Apr. 22, 1965, Ter-racon traces its roots to a small en-gineering firm in Iowa. The firm has expanded into a nationwide operation with more than 150 offices and 3,400 em-ployees. Terracon’s Austin office was original-ly established as HBC Engineering in 1994 and then acquired by Terracon in 1998. Over the years, the office has grown to include 74 engineers, geologists, sci-entists and technicians. “We celebrate our employees this year,” said James Bierschwale, Austin office manager. “We are also thankful to our clients that have trusted us with their business over these many years.” Bierschwale says anniversary activi-ties will take place throughout the year. “We are planning to host a client ap-preciation event soon,” he said. According to Bierschwale, the Austin office has contributed to a number of projects in the area including the Formu-la One Race Track, the new J.W. Marriott Hotel and the State Highway 45 and State Highway 130 toll roads. In addition, the Austin office was re-cently listed as one of the Top 20 Largest Engineering Firms, and Top 10 Largest Environmental Firms by the Austin Busi-ness Journal. Terracon is an engineering consulting firm providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services. –ab

Markinga milestone

James Bierschwale


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UnderwritersLaboratories Inc.

The National Associa-tion of Remodeling Industry Austin Chap-

ter (NARI) members trav-eled to Fort Lauderdale for the NARI Evening Of Excel-lence Reception at the Hy-att Regency Pier Sixty Six in April. NARI Austin hosted a seminar called “The One Thing” presented by Don Hobbs. –ab

Florida bound

L-R: Jeff Bullard, Avenue B; Kayvon Leath, Austin NARI executive director; Bert Bell, Kitchens by Bell; Dolores Davis, CG&S Design Build; David Davison, Realty Restoration and Christy Bowen,

Twelve Stones Designs

L-R: Randy Meek, Eastside Lumber; Chris Risher, Risher Martin Homes,Don Hobbs and Jason Crabtree, Premier Partners

L-R: David Davison, Realty Restoration, Kayvon Leath, Austin NARI executive director and Jeff Bullard, Avenue B enjoy the

view of Ft. Lauderdale from the roof top.

The Precast Concrete Manufacturers Association (PCMA) of Texas hosted the fifth annual Pull for Pompe Apr.

18 at the National Shooting Complex. Proceeds from the event benefit research into Pompe Disease, also known as acid maltase deficiency and glycogen storage disease type II, a rare neuromuscular dis-ease that affects approximately 1 in 40,000 people in the world. Approximately 400 construction in-dustry professionals from across the state brought in an early estimate of $100,000 for the 2015 fundraiser. PCMA of Texas has raised more than $600,000 for the Acid Maltese Deficiency Association (AMDA) since the event’s inception in 2011. –mh

Winners:Team1st: Summit Engineering – Jorge Hinojo-sa Jr., Caleb McCarty, Mario Cantu, Harry Williams, Colton Haun2nd: E-Z Bel – Ish Garcia, Ryan Garcia, Tra-vis Benke, Bruce Benke, Mike Oliver3rd: Frost Bank – Raul Barberena, Mark Maloney, Stephen Ethridge, Brandon Car-penter, Chris Wray

Pulling for a good cause

Lady1st: Tricia Kocurek, WMC #22nd: Kelsey Robinson, Nucor Steel #23rd: Brance Anderson, A.H. Beck FoundationJunior1st: Kolby Vacek, WMC #12nd: Orlando Garcia, Bexar Concrete #33rd: Brance Anderson, A.H. Beck FoundationLewisClass A1st: Colton Haun, Summit Engineering2nd: Stephen Ethridge, Frost Bank3rd: Mike Oliver, E-Z BelClass B1st: Scott Billingsley, AMDA2nd: Roland Garcia, San Antonio Rough Rider3rd: Willie Guerra, MancoClass C1st: Steven Rodriguez, San Antonio Rough Riders2nd: Jason Ochoa, Austin Bridge & Road3rd: James Bailey, Vulcan Materials #1Course HOARed: Ernest Taylor, Bexar Concrete #2Green: Harry Williams, Summit Engineer-ingYellow: Brad Frerich, Bexar Concrete #1

First Place Team L-R: Caleb McCarty, Jorge Hinojosa Jr., Harry Williams, Jorge Hinojosa Sr., Mario Cantu, Colton Haun

L-R: Landon Odom and Walker Santiago, Big Red Dog Engineering, work together in the Austin office to make sure that construction plans are complete and accurate. –ab

Finding focusSubmitted to Construction News

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Concrete Industry

Paying attentionto the detailsKimberly Acosta, OwnerKDA Custom Floor Co.Katy, TX

What sparked your interest in stained concrete flooring?

In 1949, my grandfather and his brothers came to Dallas and opened a company installing all types of flooring, including stained concrete and hard-wood floors.

They were one of the first people to introduce concrete staining to the United States. I learned all about stained concrete from my family over the years. I asked my family members ques-tions about stained concrete at family re-unions and when we got together for the holidays. I opened KDA Custom Floor Co in 2005.

In your opinion, what is the state of the construction industry? There is plenty of work right now. We got really busy last year in April and we didn’t slow down. Normally there is a slow down in De-cember and January. We just kept on go-ing this year. We have stayed very busy with com-mercial projects in 2015.

What types of changes have you seen in your industry since you opened your company 10 years ago? We still do things the old school way, but I have noticed nowadays more peo-ple prefer a sealer for protection. Polished concrete and overlays are more popular these days. How do you stay up-to-date with new trends? It is my goal to attend the World of Concrete in Las Vegas next year to learn about new technologies and products in the industry. I get so busy it is hard to

leave for a few days. I want to go though! We recently took part in a polished concrete class to freshen up our skills. I went to a flooring convention this past year to gather new information about products and services as well.

In your opinion, what are the keys to success in your industry? First of all, you have to know exactly how to do stained concrete. It is impor-tant to do it correctly.

In addition, I think you have to pay attention to details, be professional and provide excellent customer service.

If a young person wants to do what you do today, what advice would you give him or her? I think it would be a good idea to be-come an apprentice and learn from a more experienced person in the industry. If you are just starting out, you can educate yourself by watching how-to videos online provided by a reputable manufacturer.

What is on the horizon for your indus-try? I think polished concrete will contin-ue to become popular in the future for both residential and commercial jobs. KDA Custom Floor Co. specializes in the installation of stained concrete flooring, ep-oxy flooring and prefinished hardwood flooring for commercial, residential, interior and exterior projects. –ab

A KDA Custom Floor Co. crew member does a stained concrete project.

Concrete industry strong

William J. Sandbrook, President and CEOU.S. Concrete Inc. Euless, TX

How would you describe the state of the con-struction industry in general terms?

The industry is strong around the country, but it is ex-ceptional in Texas. Our great state is very business friendly, which not only attracts big businesses to move here but generates population growth as well.

Have you experienced an increase in business? Slowdown? We have experienced increases in each of the markets we serve. The mar-kets we have chosen to participate in are not only dynamic, high growth areas, but we are also actively acquiring additional “bolt on” businesses to better position ourselves to serve these markets.

What factors are driving this increase? The economic recovery has released a lot of backlogged growth in all areas of construction. There is also a much-need-ed push for infrastructure improvement and replacement.

How has this increase affected your company and how you conduct busi-ness? The increase has affected us posi-tively and made it much easier for us to fulfill our strategic plan. More volume is always a positive for companies but it also requires companies to stay focused on how they conduct business. We try to limit how the increase affects the way we conduct business by focusing on our core products, our strategic plan, and lessons learned during the downturn. We know that the increase will not last for-ever so it is important that we focus on efficient operational procedures.

What are the major changes in the concrete industry in recent years? Innovation in concrete mix designs and admixtures have propelled the per-formance of our products in ways we

never thought possible before. Our na-tional research laboratory is very busy developing their own innovative prod-ucts, mix designs and testing of the many admixtures available through our vendor partners. We are no longer expected to only provide only high-strength con-crete, but products that are sustainable and solve specific engineering challeng-es for our customers. Our customer interaction has also had major changes over recent years as well. Transparency through GPS tracking of our vehicles and the products being delivered to job sites has helped us and our partners improve efficiencies. Other tracking systems also help us monitor ma-terials costs and volumes on a real-time basis, improving costs and processes.

Have there been any recent changes in legislation affecting the concrete in-dustry relating to transportation or the environment? Environmental legislation and po-tential legislation has propelled our in-dustry to improve our sustainability and create products that reduce the carbon footprint of projects where they are used. Due to environmental regulation, our na-tional research laboratory developed a low-CO2 concrete, through our proprie-tary EF® Technology. We have been at the forefront of sus-tainability in our industry. U.S. Concrete was the first company in the industry to produce Environment Product Declara-tions (EPDs) at the individual product level. EPDs include information on the environmental impact of the product

throughout its lifecycle. This enables de-velopers to select the right products for their environment needs.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? Limited raw materials and availabili-ty of mixer trucker operators have been the biggest issues affecting our industry, not only here in Texas but throughout the concrete industry. In many markets some raw materials may be available but others are scarce or are difficult to come by due to transportation challenges.

How are you dealing with these chal-lenges? We have aggressively acquired or greenfielded plants and aggregate facili-ties to help us supply our operations with the raw materials needed to produce high-quality products. Not all materials are made equal so we work very diligent-ly to ensure that we have the right prod-ucts to produce only the best concrete. As for the mixer operators, our hu-man resource teams have been exploring new ways of attracting skilled workers. The ways of promoting and recruiting employees in the past just is not viable in today’s world.

What are the cost increases relating to your industry? The scarcity of raw materials will con-tinue to drive up the costs in our industry. Fuel costs may seem low now but it con-tinues to be a major expense and will cer-tainly increase in the future. We take pride in compensating our employees, and as a result we will continue to see in-creases in wages.

What is on the horizon for your indus-try? Technology and innovation will con-tinue to improve our operations and products. We have seen great strides in both and it is becoming a major competi-tive factor for many of the ready-mixed concrete companies. Our partners push us for ways to make them more competi-tive as well. These advances will greatly enhance our business, our relationships, and will ultimately enhance the sustain-ability of our infrastructure.

What are the rewards of the industry? The ready-mixed concrete industry is rewarded by its irreplaceability for most of its applications. For the applications that it can be substituted, concrete still has superior performance. Also, it is a product that will always be locally made. U.S. Concrete takes great pride in being an American, publicly traded company that employs skilled local union and non-union professionals who daily supply in-novative products to build this great country.

What are the keys to being successful? We believe that our success stems from a continuous improvement model. Additionally, we have a relentless focus on our long-term strategic plan of both organic and acquisitive growth while si-multaneously positioning our company to successfully operate through the eco-nomic cycle. U.S. Concrete Inc. offers ready mixed concrete, aggregate products and addi-tional building materials.


Have cements changed?Dave Suchorski, Senior Technical Services Manager/Sales ManagerAsh Grove Cement Company, Ankeny, IA

Cement is one of the world's most popular building materials and has been used for over 2,000 years.

Structures such as the Roman Coliseum were construct-ed using a form of cement. Some are still standing today. Cements changed very little until 1824 when an English-man, Joseph Aspdin, received a patent for his new meth-od of proportioning and blending raw material based upon chemistry. He named his product Portland cement because mortar made with his product had a color simi-lar to a natural building stone that was quarried from the Isle of Portland off the coast of England. Improvements by Aspdin and others have led to the cement we are cur-rently using. Portland cement has not changed signifi-cantly in the last 100 years. In 2004, the Portland Cement Association surveyed all 123 cement plants in the U.S. and Canada (P. Tennis, J. Bhatty, 2005). This survey collected and compared ce-ment data in three different areas: chemical and phase composition, fineness, and strength. This data was then compared to survey data from 1994 and the early 1950s. These surveys proved there have been very few chemical changes. While cement is still made up primar-ily of calcium, silica, alumina and iron, there has been a slight change in the phase composition. Tri-calcium sili-cate (C3S), the compound primarily responsible for ear-ly strengths, has increased, while dicalcium silicate (C2S), the compound responsible for later age strength, has decreased. These phase composition changes, as well as an in-crease in fineness (Blaine) result in modern cements that have higher early strengths. There has been a de-mand in construction to increase early strengths to speed up construction processes, allowing wall forms to be stripped earlier and pavements and slabs to be opened to traffic sooner. Although cube compressive strengths between the cements from the 1950s and the 1990s are not directly comparable due to a change in the water content used to make the strength samples, the table shows an approximation of the strengths and how they have gone up since the 1950's. (See table.)

Blended cements One of the bigger changes in the cement industry is the increase in the amount and types of blended ce-ments being manufactured. Blended cements combine Portland cement with Supplemental Cementitious Ma-terials (SCMs) and other minerals to produce cements with specific enhanced properties. SCMs are materials

such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag, silica fume, calcined clay and volcanic ash. These materi-als are either blended with ground cement or inter-ground with cement clinker at the finish mills in tightly controlled proportions. The SCMs chemically combine with the hydration products of the Portland cement to reduce the permeability of concrete and increase con-crete durability. Blended cements can be formulated to mitigate Al-kali Silica Reaction (ASR) in concrete containing reactive aggregates. Blended cements can also be formulated to increase sulfate resistance in concrete exposed to high sulfate soils and water. Certain blended cements can be used to lower the heat of hydration in mass concrete, such as dams and large foundations. Blended cements can also have gypsum contents optimized for the blend of the cement and SCMs. Gyp-sum is used to control the setting of cement to prevent false and flash sets in concrete. The gypsum does this by controlling the alumina portion of cements. Some SCMs also have alumina compounds that can compete with the alumina compounds in the Portland cement for the gypsum. This can lead to rapid slump loss and setting problems in concrete. Blended cements can have in-creased gypsum to optimize the SCMs.Blended cements are manufactured to comply with ASTM C 595, Standard Specification for Blended Ce-ments. The blended cements are designated as Type IP(X) for pozzolan blended cements containing fly ash, or natural pozzolan SCMs, such as calcined clay or volca-nic ash or Type IS(X) slag blended cements, where (X) is the percent of SCM in the blend. For example, Type IS(25) is a blended cement with 25% slag. In recent years, another type of blended cement has been gaining popularity in North America, Type IL. This is a Portland cement type that contains interground limestone. Cements blended with up to 35% ground limestone have been used for many years in other parts of the world and are often the predominate cement used. By intergrinding limestone, the clinker content of the cement can be lowered. Lowering the clinker con-tent helps to reduce the CO2 emissions per ton of ce-ment and thereby per cubic yard of concrete.

Concrete is a green building material. Durable concrete has a long service life that ex-pends very little energy, giving it a long, sustainable life cycle. Reducing the CO2 emissions during manufactur-

ing helps concrete be an even more sustainable build-ing material. Research has shown that controlling the fineness and the particle size distribution during inter-grinding results in a cement that produces similar prop-erties as concrete made with other types of cements. The cement industry faces increasing regulatory is-sues and is constantly striving to reduce energy con-sumption. As the industry responds to these challenges, changes in the manufacturing process may result in slight changes in the cements produced. The cement in-dustry will be working with the chemical and admix in-dustry, concrete producers, researchers and specifiers to provide cements that will produce durable and sustain-able concrete that can last for centuries. Suchorski is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and a registered professional engineer in Kansas and Wis-consin. Dave has over 30 years experience in the cement and concrete industry. He is a Fellow of the American Con-crete Institute, a member of the Board of Directors and serves as the chairman of the Curing Concrete Committee. Dave is also a member of the Parking Lot, Pervious Con-crete and Hydraulic Cements Certification Program and Chapter Activities Committees. –cw

References:For more information on cements go to The Portland Cement Association website: http://www.cement.org.Bhatty, J.I., Tennis, P.D., “Portland Cement Characteris-tics-2004,” Concrete Technology Today, Vol. 26, No. 3, CT053, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, De-cember, 2005, pages 1-3.http://www.cement.org/tech/pdfs/CT053_cement.pdfTennis, P. D., “Portland Cement Characteristics -1998,” ConcreteTechnology Today, Vol. 2, No. 2, PL992, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, August 1999, pages 1–4.www.cement.org/tech/pdfs/pl992.pdf“Portland Cement: Past and Present Characteristics,” Con-crete Technology Today, Vol. 17, No. 2, PL962, Portland Ce-ment Association, Skokie, Illinois, July 1996, pages 1–3.http://www.cement.org/pdf_files/pl962.pdf

Making the cut

Patrick Harris, PresidentConcrete Renovation, Inc.San Antonio, TX

When cutting into concrete, Patrick Harris, president of Concrete Renovation, Inc., counts his 32 years of

experience as one of his most valuable and important tools.

“Experience makes a big difference in cutting concrete,” says Harris. “A good operator can make it look really easy, and a poor operator can get the job done but it would take a lot more time than some-body that had the knowledge. Being trained to cut concrete and learning the profession really is a lifelong process as with any other construction trade that the longer you work at it, the more you learn, and the better you become.” Harris notes that the aggregate with-in the concrete has an effect on the dia-mond-tipped blades, and depending on the aggregate, that can cause costs to in-crease or decrease. And project costs keep going up as he observes that the cost of concrete alone continues to climb at about 6 to 7 percent each year. For the most part, all concrete saws are diamond-tipped. There are different

mixes and hybrids of metals that bind the diamond tips to the blade. “You have to have the proper mix of metals and diamonds and diamond sizes to get the desired cut that you want,” he explains. “In the Houston area, where they have river rock aggregate, you get 4,000 to 5,000 feet of cutting out of a blade where, in other places that have limestone, you’ll get 10,000 to 20,000 feet of cutting. So, your blade costs in the Houston area are probably three times more than they are in a place that has limestone.” He emphasizes that while San Anto-nio has some limestone, there’s also some river rock since the area contains a mix of different rock. Since the rock in the San Antonio area can vary, the key to get-ting a longer life out of a blade is know-ing what you’re cutting, which means

knowing about the aggregate within the concrete. That information isn’t always known or available, making the process more in-tuitive based on a cutter’s expertise. “Usually, a cutting company has the knowledge of what they’ve cut in the past and where those lines are, and most contractors do not know what kind of ag-gregate is in their concrete,” he says. “If you had a larger job, you’d want to search that information out. On a smaller job, you’d probably use past experience for the concrete in that area. “There are maps of the different type of aggregates, but I have seen house slabs that had two different types of ag-gregates in the same slab, so it’s more of an experience of where the concrete is coming from and what aggregate the plant is using.” There are also proper speeds for dif-ferent blades. The ideal speed is not cal-culated in RPMs, but at 10,000 feet per minute. The smaller the blade, the faster you would turn its RPM, the bigger the blade, the slower it turns. As for the actual cutting, like any-thing else in construction, you have to have the right tool for the right job. There are three main categories of concrete saw types: a core drill, a slab saw and a wall saw. There are also curb saws, made

specifically for cutting curbs. The core drill cuts round holes and leaves the center part intact, which is called a core. This is used for pipes, plumbing, and sometimes, even win-dows. These cuts can range from 5/8 of an inch to around 60 or 72 inches. The slab saw or pavement saw is for flat sur-faces, cutting down into the concrete, typically for utilities, such as the trench drain Harris is doing right now at SAMC so they can run electrical conduit through the driveway. This cut can vary from .110 to 1/4 of an inch, which is .250 in width. The wall saw is bolted on and track-mounted, usually for making window or door openings through an existing wall. Having been in the field for three de-cades, owning his own concrete cutting company for almost 30 years now, and being an active member of related asso-ciations, such as the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association and the Ameri-can Society of Concrete Contractors, Har-ris has accumulated a wealth of knowl-edge he uses every day in the field. “I’m always available to talk to people about concrete cutting,” he adds. “It’s a passion of mine and the more people know, the better educated they are. And we need more young people to learn, and to want to learn, the profession.” –mh


Round-Up

continued from Page 1 — Hull lotta love

continued from Page 1 — Adventures in architecture

continued from Page 1 — Special delivery

IE² Construction has hired Philip Postins as project manager. Postins will to help with multi-family proj-ects. His expertise includes customer relations, site in-spection, contract negotiations/writing, value engineering, budgets, subcontrac-tor/procurement scheduling, subcon-tractor buyout, submittals, change or-ders and all facets of project manage-ment.

Hill & Wilkinson has promoted two of the firm’s key personnel to lead-ership positions in its Central Texas of-fice in Austin. Kristy Attaway has been named vice presi-dent-regional man-ager and Ryan Shi-pley has been named group man-ager. Attaway will oversee sales, esti-mating and staff operations of the Central Texas office, while Shipley will be responsible for field operations.

The McKim & Creed Inc. Austin office has hired Jorge Fernandez, RPLS, PSM, PLS, as a geo-matics project man-ager. Fernandez will be responsible for managing projects and new client de-velopment. He has more than 35 years experience managing survey services for transportation and gas and oil pipeline projects.

service were foremost priorities when we decided to take an “under one roof” ap-proach,” Hull said. Hull Supply has on-site fabrication shops for wood, laminates, hollow metal, aluminum and pre-finished steel, en-abling Hull to get exactly what is needed in very short time. “Customers only need to go to one location to pick up all materials,” Hull said. “We aligned all of our processes in-ternally, saving us time in transporting raw materials in the warehouse and we are able to organize production sched-ules more easily.” Hull says a great deal of coordination has to happen to ensure that preps on the frames are exactly aligned with the preps on the door, which must be exactly

right for the piece of hardware. “We do everything we can to ensure the material can be installed quickly, without making adjustments in the field,” he says. Hull says his dad has been his big-gest mentor in business and life. “My dad taught me, when you find good people that take care of you, then you take care of them,” he said. “I was one to always listen. If somebody wanted to help and somebody wanted to lead, I’d follow and learn. “My dad had a saying, “Son, clean liv-ing, clean living: that’ll get you through life.” I try for clean living. But just in case, I try to do the right thing by practicing good karma!“ –ab

“Water intrusion was a key consider-ation,” Griggs said. “Waterproofing mea-sures were also installed in the shop in-creasing speed, quality and safety on the jobsite. The connections between panels were the only tasks performed in the field.” The hospital opened eight weeks early by implementing a number of ac-celeration techniques. Key subcontrac-tors were selected well before CDs were complete and their design-assist support pushed planning further up into pre-con-struction. Priority walls were framed and hung early; completion of these key structure milestones opened up the jobsite for other trades to go to work as soon as pos-sible, which improved flow and produc-tivity. “Lean techniques were critical,” Griggs said. “Major piping installations (such as entire patient bathroom walls)

and large groups of fixtures were prefab-ricated and lavatory banks were pre-as-sembled and pre-plumbed, all of which improved both schedule and quality. “ Griggs says the team also used Build-ing Information Modeling (BIM) exten-sively to drive efficiency; the high level of detail in the project BIM model proved invaluable for trade coordination. “The final project was delivered well within the target project budget,” he said. F.R. Hoar established Hoar Construc-tion in Birmingham, AL in 1940. Since its in-corporation, Hoar Construction has steadi-ly grown to become a full-service, nation-wide general contractor with offices in Aus-tin, Birmingham, Houston, Nashville, Or-lando and Washington, D.C. –ab

Key Professional Team:Architect: Page Southerland Page

The lobby

Raba Kistner Infra-structure Inc. (RKI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raba Kistner Inc., has promoted Steven W. Funderburg, PE, to vice president. Funderburg has more than 30 years of environmental en-gineering and compliance experience, and has been a constant with Raba Kistner for more than 20 of those. He holds a mas-ter’s degree in engineering, a MA degree in botany, and a BS degree in zoology, all from the University of Texas at Austin.

DeWayne Krawl was promoted to vice president of business develop-ment at the MLAW Engineers Austin office. He joined the firm in 2005 in its warranty depart-ment. Bringing years of real estate and business experience to the table, he cre-ated and managed the additions and re-modeling department from 2006 to 2010. From 2011 to 2015 he served as district manager and continued to expand MLAW’s presence statewide. Based in Austin, he will travel and work in all MLAW markets in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and the Texas Coast.

“I found myself walking through, looking at all the details of the building itself, even more so than its contents,” he said. “My friend came to the realization that my real mission was to look at the building. “For people who are around me – I look at those things and I try to open their eyes to what I see. It is the greatest thing to introduce to someone how to actively recognize what it is they are see-ing and determine if they like a space.” Price says to him quality of life is the biggest and most important thing, and

work is second. He and his friends Paige Wilburn and her husband recently had a great time going fishing in the Bahamas. Price and the Wilburns both studied architecture at Texas Tech University. “I love what I do, and am happy where I am,” he said. “I’m excited for con-tinuing the projects that I have and those that are in front of me, to bring that same drive and energy to each project.” Red Arc One is a multiple disciplinary design firm that creates solutions for com-mercial and residential projects. –ab

SubmissionsThis is a section for brief company

announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of charge

as space allows. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Email with “Round-Up” in the subject

line (w/digital photo, if available)by the 15th of any month, for the

next month’s issue to:

[email protected]

Texas leaders take the reins

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America held its 96th an-nual convention, 360 Degrees of

Construction, Mar. 18-20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Conven-tion Center. At the convention’s officer installa-tion dinner, Texas found representation at the national level of the association in two of its three highest offices. Chuck Greco, chairman of Linbeck Group LLC, was installed as the president of AGC of America for 2015. “Thirty-six years ago when I started my career with Linbeck, I never imagined that one day I would be serving as presi-dent of the Association General Contrac-tors of America,” stated Greco. “During the course of my career, I had countless opportunities to observe just what a pos-itive impact the association had on our business and our industry. And more of-ten than not, those benefits were the product of years of work by involved con-tractors and association staff. Clearly, AGC was the place where people were fighting to improve the industry’s future. That is why the theme for my tenure as your president will be ‘AGC today for a

better industry tomorrow.’” In addition to a Willis/AGC Construc-tion Safety Excellence Awards Breakfast, other events included a prayer breakfast, student chapters annual meeting and luncheon, the Education and Research Foundation Board of Directors luncheon, a luncheon for spouses and guests, Cele-brate Construction Night, a board of gov-ernors luncheon and several educational sessions. –mh/ab

Chuck Greco (right) accepts the position of president of AGC of America for 2015 at the

convention’s officer installation dinner.


Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABC Central TexasAssociated Builders & Contractors

May 14: Meet the GC’sFor more information call 512-719-5263

AGCAssociated General Contractors

May 1: OSHA 10/30 Hour ClassMay 4: Safety Committee meetingMay 5-8: TEEX OSH 500 – Construction Train the TrainerMay 7-8: OSHA 10/30 Hour ClassMay 11: 2015 Spring Golf TournamentMay 12-15: TEEX OSH 204 – Machinery & Machine GuardingMay 14-15: OSHA 10/30 Hour ClassMay 18-20: TEEX OSH 502 – Update Con-struction OutreachMay 21-22: TEEX OSH 503 – Update Gen-eral IndustryMay 27-29: TEEX OSH 311 – Fall Arrest SystemsFor more information call 512-442-7887

AIAAmerican Institute of Architects

May 4: Design Awards Committee meet-ingMay 7: Awards CelebrationMay 8: 2015 BEC/RCI Regional Air Barrier ConferenceMay 11: COTE meetingMay 12: ASLA-CTX CodeNEXT Commit-tee meetingMay 13: Emerging Professionals meetingMay 15: AAH Committee meetingMay 19: DesignVoice Committee meet-ingMay 21: Small Firms Roundtable & LAC meetingMay 25: Commercial Advocacy Round-tableMay 27: Urban Design Committee meet-ingMay 28: Activities Committee meetingFor more information call 512-767-7436

ASCEAmerican Society of Civil Engineers

May 17–21: EWRI Congress In Austin, JW Marriot For more information call 512-472-8905

CTSA Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

May 12: Monthly meeting, 5:30pm-6pm Social Hour, 6pm-8pm Dinner and Pre-sentation – Kevin Lashus: Immigration Is-sues, Embassy Suites, 5901 N. IH-35For more info visit www.ctsaon- line.org

IECIndependent Electrical Contractors

May 1: IEC of Texas meeting, AustinMay 4-6: IEC National Policy Conference, Washington DCMay 28: Electrical Trade Show & Wire-Off Competition, Norris Conference CenterFor more information call 512-832-1883

NARINat’l Assn. of the Remodeling Industry

May 13: Bowling/Social 2015May 21: General Membership meetingFor more info visit www.austin- nari.org

NAWICNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

May 6: Chapter meeting – Construction Panel, Big Daddy’s Burgers, North AustinMay 14: Construction Technology Gradu-ation Ceremony for Crockett/Lanier High School seniors, 6-8pm, Crockett High School cafeteria, 5601 Manchaca RoadMay 15: Networking Luncheon, 11:30am, BJ’s (Arbor Walk), 10515 N. Mopac ExpwyMay 27: Blue Book Showcase, 3-7pm, Embassy Suites, 1001 E. McCarty Ln, San MarcosFor more info visit www. austinnawic.org

USGBCU.S. Green Building Council

May 14: Chapter Luncheon - Changing the PACE of Energy Building Upgrades in TexasFor more info: www.usgbc-centraltexas.org

Foundations of a successful conference

The National Foundation Repair As-sociation (NFRA) hosted its 25th an-nual conference Apr. 16-17 at the

historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio. More than 220 members and guests came from across Texas and the country to attend the milestone event. With chapters based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio/Austin, NFRA recently added the national desig-nation to its association name as there are now members in 18 states with more chapters being established. As celebrity spokesman for Olshan, a foundation repair company with loca-tions in many states and several in Texas, legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan was the special guest speaker at Friday’s lun-cheon. Ryan answered pre-selected questions from his audience and shared a few stories from his long and successful ca-reer in major league baseball. One lucky guest at each table won an autograph and got to have their photo tak-en with the Hall of Fam-er. The night before, Barney Fife provided entertainment – and character – at the din-ner, which included ma-riachis and a silent auc-tion. On Thursday, dur-ing a construction tour of San Antonio with guide Ken Erfurth, members learned about

the building of the Tower of the Ameri-cas, the Guinness World Record move of the Fairmount Hotel and the raising of the former Liberty Bar house off its foun-dation by member Dodson House Mov-ing. Other events included the board meeting and educational programs. Crediting his team with organizing the conference, Paul Wolf, NFRA nation-al president and owner of Perma Jack Foundation in San Antonio, comments, “Everything went really well. We had rave reviews. Half of the classes were changed from last year to new subjects, and we had a lot of good comments about the new subjects and new speakers. It’s a lot of work, but it sure came out good and it showed.” –mh

The 25th Annual NFRA Conference brought a major league legend to podium. L-R: Joe McCullough, executive director; Nolan Ryan; Paul Wolf, national president

Pete Falletta, PE, Terracon, who was a speaker at one of this year’s sessions; and comedian Barney Fife.

Photos by Kyle Wolf, Wolfman Performance Productions

Roofing specialist Longhorn Roof-ing has served Central Texas since 1985. Tom Green is the owner.

Green grew up in the construction industry building houses with his father. He took the reins at Longhorn Roofing in 2008 from founder Eddie Latham. Green says good customer service, quality craftsmanship and lots of hard work are the keys to staying in business for 30 years. “We have had lots of referrals mostly through word of mouth,” Green said. “Al-ways do the job right the first time and people will call you back. “We value the positive local relation-ships we have established over the past three decades.” According to Green, Longhorn Roof-ing started out just doing shingles and reroofs and expanded to handle more metal roofing and commercial roofing

30 years and counting

projects. Green says the company is a mem-ber of the Roofing Contractors Associa-tion of Texas (RCAT) and the Better Busi-ness Bureau (BBB). He enjoys participating in RCAT golf tournaments with friends in the industry when he gets the chance. “I also like playing golf on the week-ends,” Green said. “I mostly play at golf courses around town. In the warmer months, I make sure to arrive at the golf course in the morning because it gets hot in the afternoons.” Looking ahead, Green says company goals are to move towards more of a presence in the commercial roofing in-dustry. Longhorn Roofing provides commer-cial and residential roofing in Austin and the surrounding areas. –ab

L-R: Orlando, Joe, Tom, Eddie, Sandy and Don have a great day at Longhorn Roofing.


Stucco & EIFS Products • Custom Color MatchingCement, Lath & Trim Products

23703 IH-35, #101B Kyle, TX 78640512.268.5600

conveniently located to service Austin and San Antonio

S & D Commercial Services held a 1st annual Field Day at its plumbing shop in Taylor Mar. 31.

“We partnered with our local school districts in efforts of recruiting high school graduates in entering the trades,” said Liz Dowdy, process management/marketing. “Students from the local high schools came out to tour the shop and got a sneak peek inside the world of plumbing.” Dowdy says S & D Commercial Ser-vices partnered with Milwaukee Tool, Ram Truck, Bobcat, Ferguson Supply, and the Associated Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) to showcase the plumbing trade. –ab

Photos by Brent Humphreys

World of plumbing

S & D Commercial Services, Milwaukee Tool, Ram Truck, Bobcat,Ferguson Supply representatives and the students

Liz Dowdy hands out T-shirts at the event.

Sam Dowdy, president, speaks to high school students about the plumbing trade. High school students work

on a pipe cutting project.

Over the past few years, Cothron’s Se-curity Profession-

als has focused on branch-ing into the construction industry. Olen Cothron found-ed the company in 1948. Today, Steve Cothron is the owner and Daniel Powers is the operations manager. “Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for all resi-dential and commercial se-curity needs,” Powers said. Conthron’s Security Professional expanded its door and frame division and is able to install, service and repair glass and alumi-num, steel, wood and hol-low metal doors. “As operations manag-er, I am constantly talking with Steve about the direc-tion we want to take the company in the future and what areas we want to fo-cus on,” Powers said. “Our door crew has really taken off in 2015. We have two full crews now. We have many new projects lined up for the rest of the year.” Powers says employ-ees look forward to the an-nual Christmas party, bar-becues and potluck lunch-es. They also have fun cheering for and playing on the company softball team. Looking ahead, Powers says the company plans to continue to grow the door di-vision. –ab

Doors of opportunity

Technician Todd Crooks heads out to a job.

Owner Steve Cochran and Jackie Garcia enjoy a softball game.

The Bailey Elliott Construction Inc. crew digs a pond at the Homestead Oaks, a four-story apartment building project on W. Slaughter Lane. –ab

Can you dig it?Construction News JOB SIGHT

Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal recently fabricated the metal work and replaced the roof at the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City. –ab

Raise the roofConstruction News JOB SIGHT

austin construction news may 2015

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