construction away in 2011, and the owner of the company, her son, - william gil breath, passed away...

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This time for me Betco bounces back

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www.constructionnews.net (210) 308-5800 Volume 2 Number 2 FEBRUARY 2014

San AntonioDallas/Fort WorthAustin Houston South Texas

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Covering the Industry’s News

Each month we reserve this premium space in our publication to feature a recently completed proj-ect by a South Texas general contractor.

Our goal is to vary the project and contractor size to afford everyone the opportunity to participate. We feel a small- or medium-sized project constructed by a small- or medium-sized contractor is just as important as the high profile projects that seem to receive all the atten-tion by other media. Finding those small to medium projects can be dif-ficult at times. Some contactors might think we would not be interested in their project because it may be a modest one. Some may think because they are not a huge company with a full-time marketing staff they don’t have a chance to make the front page of our paper. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since we began our first paper, the San Antonio Con-struction News in October 1998, we have always reached out to everyone big and small.

Animal Care Facility, Laredo, Tx.Vision Construction Company, Inc.

CCC Group Offices, Corpus Christi, TxSouth Texas Building Partners

Rio Grande Valley Food Bank, McAllen, Tx.Williamson Construction Company

The La Plaza Multi-Modal, Brownsville, Tx.SpawGlass Contractors, Inc. and Jacobs Engineering

In 2013, Betco Scaffolds had a 60 per-cent growth in revenue, harkening back to a few years ago before the

company began to feel the impact of the economic downturn. “I think the economy is finally stable,” says Ben Cantu, branch manager. “Our main focus is the commercial industry. So, with the renovations and the new construction, 2013 was a very good year for us as far as revenue growth and as far as profitability.” However, Cantu adds that the com-pany has endured a few unfortunate loss-es in recent years. The original founder, Edward Gilbreath, passed away in the ‘70s, but his wife, Geneva Gilbreath, served as chairman of the board. She

passed away in 2011, and the owner of the company, her son, William Gil-breath, passed away in 2012. Now, the company reins have passed to William’s son, Stavis Gilbreath, who is an attorney and was counsel for the company. Since then, according to Cantu, the company has become more structured and organized, from the corporate head-quarters in Houston to the branch levels in San Antonio, Dallas, and Beaumont. Also, the company has particularly fo-cused on their existing customer base. “As a result, our revenue sources have increased, and our delinquent accounts have decreased,” he says. “So, basically,

L-R: Chuck Daniels, yard foreman; Duane McGlothlin, estimator/draftsperson;Margaret DeLeon, operations manager; Ben Cantu, branch manager; Jose Cedillo, yard;

Rey Gomez, office manager; Michael Landry, truck driver

About five years ago Vernon Carr was running a large demolition project, the Corpus Christi Memo-

rial Coliseum job. He liked the area so much he decided to move his family here and plan for his future. On Jan. 1, 2014 Coastal Bend Demo-lition, Inc. began business with owner and vice president Carr making his long time dream come true. “In the past I had done a lot of large projects like Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadi-um and Reunion Arena with a previous company,” said Carr. “That also included some implosion projects.” After finishing the Corpus Coliseum project and helping Camacho Recycling set up and establish a new demolition di-vision it was time for him to become an

owner. “Five years later they are doing great and I just thought it was time for a change and I wanted to work for myself. There was no ill will. I had reached my pinnacle with them and I was looking for a new venture. “I love getting things started up. I figured I had done it a couple of times for someone else so it was time to do it for myself.” The services the new company pro-vides include site demolition, structural demolition, asbestos abatement, site preparation and clearing plus installation of small amounts of concrete and asphalt paving. The initial work area will be with-in 200 miles of Corpus Christi.

Jennifer and Vernon Carr, owners of Coastal Bend Demolition

South Texas Construction News • Feb 2014

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We offer and conduct pipeline patrolswith qualifi ed pilots at reasonable rates.

Alpha Tango Flying Services, Inc.San Antonio, Texas 210-828-4480email: [email protected]

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In 1974, Bob Baker launched not just one dream but two: Baker Drywall and Triangle Plastering. The two small

businesses were the perfect undertaking for his sons; Steve managed the drywall business and Brad oversaw plastering operations. In the four decades since, the broth-ers have successfully steered the compa-ny through economic downturns, a merger, rapidly advancing technology and a changing workforce, and have grown Baker Triangle into a $120 million company employing nearly 1500 skilled workers. It’s a success story worthy of celebra-tion, yet there may not even be enough time to plan one this year. “We’re very excited, but I don’t think we’ve formalized any plans,” says Steve of the company’s 40th anniversary. “We’ve been so busy, focusing on opera-tions and getting the work done, that we haven’t focused too much on that! We threw a big party five years ago for our 35th anniversary so we may wait until our 50th anniversary, but I’m sure we may come up with something to celebrate it this year.” Steve, Baker Triangle’s CEO, says the company’s employees and leadership deserve credit for the “business-is-good” state of affairs. “I think the secret to our success is just having the right people in the right place and having the team concept that we’re in it for the greater good,” he says. “Hiring the right people and making stra-tegic moves I think are what helped us to grow. We have a great group of experi-

enced leadership. We also have employ-ees with many years of experience, sev-eral 25- to 35-year employees, but at the same time we have a really nice infusion of younger people and talent, and that’s really exciting.” “I think the challenge now is what do we do to keep the company going,” Steve continues. “Every year, we like to do stra-tegic planning and look at one-year goals and three-year plans. I’ve seen over my lifetime so many companies that didn’t have a plan in place, that didn’t have suc-cession, and we’re planning for that tran-sition now.” As for the next 40 years, Steve envi-sions an even brighter future for Baker Triangle. “I’ve never been more excited about construction than I am now; it’s just amazing the efficiency that’s in construc-tion and all that we can do and the peo-ple that we have in place,” he says. “Basi-cally, I consider the greatest challenge for a CEO is providing opportunity for really good people to excel. We want those people to stay here, and by giving them opportunities we hope they will stay here. I think we have an incredible em-ployee base; our employees in the field are very skilled and we have a training program in place. I think our senior lead-ership in all of the different markets is do-ing a better job of that than they ever have. I’m really excited for the future.” Headquartered in Mesquite, Baker Tri-angle has locations in Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Tulsa, Okla-homa and a pre-fab facility in Sherman, Texas. –mjm

L-R: Four generations of Bakers: Fort Worth president Bryan Baker, Luke Baker,CEO Steve Baker and company founder Bob Baker

Forty years of success

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

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South Texas Editor: [email protected] – 210-308-5800

South Texas

The South Texas Construction News (ISSN #2327-4670) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba South Texas Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the South Texas area. 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 South Texas 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 companyin Aransas, Atascosa, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, DeWitt, Dimmit, Frio, Goliad, Hidalgo, Karnes, Kenedy, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, Maverick,

McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Willacy or Zavala county and are not

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Consulting corporate citizen Founded in 1968, Raba Kistner, Inc. has expanded into four main compa-nies – Raba Kistner Consultants,

Raba Kistner Environmental, Raba Kist-ner Facilities of which Project Control is a subsidiary, and Raba Kistner Infrastruc-ture – and 11 offices in the firm’s 45 years. Paul Lampe, executive vice presi-dent of Raba Kistner Consultants, who has been with the firm for 33 years, re-flected on its longevity. He observes that one reason the firm has endured is the complementary services these divisions provide that allow them to work together on a variety of projects. “One of the reasons for our success over the years is our people,” he adds. “In fact, we have over 300 employees, and we have over 150 employees that have been with us at least five years.” He points out that the firm gives back to the community, and he notes, “I think that being a good corporate citizen over the 45 years is very meaningful and important to our people.”

Starting in San Antonio where the employee-owned corporation is still headquartered, the consulting engineers firm was founded by Bunny J. Raba, Carl F. Raba, and Ronald G. Tolson. In 1973, Tolson left the firm, and the next year, Richard W. Kistner came onboard and expanded the business into construction materials testing. Today, the San Antonio office is work-ing on the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center expansion project downtown, Dal-las is currently working on a major trans-portation project called the Horseshoe, Houston has been doing work at the Port of Houston, Austin worked on the Formu-la One project and is currently working on the medical center for the University of Texas, and in the Rio Grande Valley, major projects have included levees and border walls. In addition to locations in San Anto-nio, Dallas, Houston, and two in Austin, the firm has offices in Brownsville, El Paso, McAllen, New Braunfels, Mexico, and Salt Lake City, UT. –mp

Along with Paul Lampe, these San Antonio laboratory supervisor staff members of the Raba Kistner team represent 88 years with the firm. L-R: Lampe; Kelly McClung, ACI, supervisor,

asphalt laboratory; Kathi Dixon, NICET IV, supervisor, geotechnical laboratory; Charlie Berger, supervisor, concrete laboratory


And the winner is

There were lots of special winners on Friday, Jan. 24 as the Associated General Contractors South Texas

Chapter held their annual awards and of-ficer installation banquet. The Corpus Christi Museum of Sci-ence & History was the location chosen this year and proved to be a very interest-ing venue. The several hundred members and guests enjoyed the time to network and honor this year winners. –bd

2014 Board of Directors:President: Ray Jones, Fulton*Coastcon

Sec/Treasurer: Shannon Reynolds, Beecroft ConstructionMike Lippincott, Fulton*Coastcon

Matt Ezell, South Texas Building PartnersDerrick Seidenberg, Ferguson EnterprisesBrad Larza, Best Structural Fabricators Inc.

Bud O’Bryan, Gentry CompanyNot present:

Vice President: Chris Hamilton, KJM Commercial Inc.Trey Falk, Ewing Construction

Richard Dodson, Marshall CompanyDon Rucker III, Haeber Roofing

Tommie Lee, TL MEPMike Johnson, Otto Dukes

Will Klatt 3 years service on the Board of Directors

Tess Gonzales3 years service on the Board of Directors

Shannon ReynoldsService as 2011 Board President

Building Envelope Subcontractor of the YearBest Structural Fabricators Inc.

Plumbing Subcontractor of the YearGentry Company

Construction Service Firm of the YearSwantner & Gordon Insurance Agency

Supplier of the YearFerguson Enterprises Inc.

President’s AwardBert Beecroft, Beecroft Construction

Service AwardSue Ramsey, ARC Document Solutions

Electrical Subcontractor of the YearScott Electric Company

Interior ImprovementSubcontractor of the Year

Allison Flooring America Inc.

Architect of the YearDykema Architects

General Contractor of the YearFulton*Coastcon

Superintendent of the YearLarry Wallace, Fulton*Coastcon

Office Support Staff of the YearMary Ellen Moore, Swantner & Gordon

Mechanical Subcontractor of the YearMalek Inc.

Project Manager of the YearTim McCandless, Fulton*Coastcon

Estimator of the YearClay Provence, Fulton*Coastcon

Exterior ImprovementSubcontractor of the Year

Ambrose Construction LTD

Engineer of the YearNaismith Engineering Inc.

No Photo


For most contractors the hiring of uninsured subcon-tractors is unavoidable and just part of the construc-

tion industry. If you are a contractor who is hiring sub-contractors, and these subcontractors are uninsured, you should know what you need to do to be sure the choice doesn’t turn out to be the most expensive subcontractor you’ve ever hired. Understanding exactly how uninsured subs will affect your general liability and workers compensation insurance policy is essential to reducing your risks and costs.

There are many ways that the hiring of uninsured subcontractors can put you at risk. The first is issues at audit, the second is the impact on your insurance renewal, and the third is the uncontrollable large loss problem. Let’s go over each one. First up are issues at Audit. Generally the two insurance policies for contractors that are auditable are the general liability and the workers compensation policy. Most Contractors insurance policies com-pute the premium due by using payroll as the rating basis. If you hire a subcontrac-tor to work for you, you can provide a cer-tificate of insurance for that subcontrac-tor at audit and anything that you have paid that subcontractor will not be charged against you. Likewise, if you can’t provide a certificate of insurance for that sub, then you are going to have to add the entire job cost paid out to that sub as payroll. If you do hire an uninsured subcontractor you can protect yourself against the additional premium due at audit by withholding an amount for in-surance from the payment you make to the subcontractor. But, beware; the gen-eral liability policy and the workers com-pensation policy both have different rates for different kinds of work. If you are a painting contractor who does all in-terior work and you are awarded a job to paint the exterior of a multi-story build-ing. You then subcontract this work out to an uninsured subcontractor; you won’t be protected at audit by using the rate shown on your policy. That’s because the rate for the exterior painting is higher than that for interior painting. As you can see, this can be tricky and leaves you open to paying more than what you think you owe for your general liability and workers compensation policies. How can hiring uninsured subs im-pact your insurance renewal? Hiring un-insured subcontractors is not looked upon favorably by the insurance compa-ny underwriter’s. This is because the un-derwriter assumes that there are expo-sures that he or she cannot properly un-derwrite for. The underwriter will view your uninsured subcontractors as liabili-

ties that make you a less attractive risk to the insurance company. This means that when your audit comes in with unin-sured subs listed, the underwriter will be less generous with discounts and you may actually see your rates go up on your general liability and workers com-pensation policies, sometimes this can also mean a non-renewal of your insur-ance policy. Last of all, we have the uncontrolla-ble large loss problem. While it can be argued against it, statistically it is true that you have less control over your sub-contractors. If you hire uninsured sub-contractors, the losses that are caused by these uninsured subcontractors will cause losses on your policies; it also means that they are more likely to gener-ate losses which may not be covered by your policy. Does your policy have an exclusion for the type of work they are doing? Will the losses they cause exceed your coverage limit? The answer to both of these questions could be yes. Ask yourself, why does your subcontractor not have insurance protection? Is it be-cause they are deemed uninsurable by underwriters? If so, why are you letting them put your company at risk and dam-aging your ability to purchase insurance in the future?

Prior to teaming up with Catto & Cat-to, Dane worked as a Commercial Lines Underwriter with The Hartford Insurance Group. His experience includes underwrit-ing in the Small Business Unit, Marine and Property Department, and Construction Department. Before working with Hart-ford, Dane was employed by a national, multi-family developer as an Assistant Construction Superintendent. Dane’s re-sponsibilities at Catto & Catto include pro-viding commercial insurance and risk man-agement solutions with a particular focus on clientele in the construction field. Dane holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Business Ad-ministration in Finance from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He currently holds the Construction Risk and Insurance Spe-cialist (CRIS) designation and is actively pursuing the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Chartered Property Casualty Un-derwriter (CPCU) designations.

Who ultimately pays forhiring a subcontractorwithout insurance?Dane Wilhelm, Commercial AccountsCatto & Catto LLPSan Antonio, TX

Audit, compliance or review -Which one is right for yourcompany?Lance Trammell, CPA, Assurance Services PrincipalLane Gorman Trubitt, PLLCDallas, TX

The financial statements of a Company are used for a variety of reasons. For external purposes, the finan-

cial statements may be provided to bankers, bonding agents and sureties to assist in lending and bonding decisions. For internal purposes, the statements may be used by management to assist in performance measurement and forecasting. Whatever the purpose is, if a company is engaging an outside CPA to perform attest services, they need to make sure they have a good understanding of the level of assurance they are receiving.

Three common attest services proved by an outside CPA are compila-tion, review and audit services. Each of these services provides different objec-tives to the user of the financial state-ments.

A compilation is considered the low-est level of attest services provided on fi-nancial statements. A compilation is in-tended only to be a preparation service that the accountant provides to a Com-pany. This attest service involves assist-ing management in compiling the finan-cial information into a financial statement that management has assumed the re-sponsibility for ensuring that they are presented in accordance with the appli-cable accounting framework. During the process of performing the compilation service, the accountant may offer sugges-tions as to the financial information that comprises the financial statements, but the fair presentation of financial state-ments are the sole responsibility of the company’s management. Compilation procedures do not require the accoun-tant to understand the nature of transac-tions nor test the reasonableness of ac-count balances. Accordingly, because no testing is performed, there is no assur-ance given by the accountant that there are no material modifications that should be made to the financial statements in or-der for them to be accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

A review can be considered the “mid-dle of the road” in attest services. The overall objective of a review is to provide limited assurance that no material modi-fications should be made to manage-ments’ financial statements in order for them to be in accordance with the appli-cable financial reporting framework. The key phrase in a review engagement is “limited assurance.” Limited assurance is not the same as “reasonable assurance” which is the objective of an audit. Limit-ed assurance is provided due to the lim-ited testing that is performed on the ac-counting information used in the prepa-

ration of the financial statements. These limited procedures generally include an-alytical procedures performed on the fi-nancial information and inquiries of management. During a review engage-ment, the accountant is not required to apply testing procedures that require obtaining and examining audit evidence to support that transactions have been properly recorded in accordance with the applicable financial reporting frame-work.

An audit is the highest level of assur-ance that can be obtained. The objective of an audit is to provide reasonable as-surance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The key phrase in an audit is “reasonable assur-ance.” While the assurance provided by the audit is not absolute, reasonable as-surance is considered to be the highest level of assurance provided by an audi-tor. As part of an audit engagement, the auditor will apply procedures to obtain an understanding of the entity’s internal control, assess the fraud risk associated with the entity and test the accounting transactions through various proce-dures, in order to determine that they have been accordance with the applica-ble financial reporting framework.

Even though a company engages an outside CPA to perform attest services on their financial statements, the users of those financial statements should not immediately assume the level of respon-sibility taken on by the accountant/audi-tor. Instead the user should understand the level of services provided and use their own professional skepticism when placing reliance on those financial state-ments.

Trammell joined LGT in 1999, and has 10 years of service within the accounting industry. His responsibilities include audit project management and compliance au-diting. He has extensive experience in the construction industry, auditing both public and privately owned contractors.


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E-Verify:Friend or foe?

The three dreaded words that employers never want to hear: Notice of Inspection (NOI). And with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Cus-

toms Enforcement (ICE) division hammering down more than 10,000 employer Form I-9 audits in the last four years alone, these three little words pack an enormous punch, including the threat of company dissolution. In order to protect oneself against this governmental menace, employers must assume the role of “junior immigration officers” to fight the battle against illegal immigration. Consequently, employers re-main caught in legally questionable situations through their attempts to hire a legal workforce while at the same time weeding out illegal employees from their current personnel. One of the best solutions to combat this formidable employment verification process is through the use of E-Verify, a free, web-based program that allows employers to further verify their employ-ees’ employment eligibility once hired. While federal law has yet to require all employers to utilize E-Verify, it is an ad-ditional procedural safeguard and is aimed at further compliance with immi-gration laws. It is important to note that E-Verify does not replace Form I-9 com-pliance; the I-9, whether hardcopy or electronic, must still be completed. How-ever, the added benefit of E-Verify usage is that this government program com-pares the data from the employee’s com-pleted Form I-9 with that of the Social Security Administration as well as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Thus, this government initiated program expands the compliance initia-

Richard A. Gump, Jr. , ShareholderLauren B. Allen, AssociateLaw Offices of Richard A. Gump, Jr.Dallas, TX

tive aimed at establishing a wholly legal workforce. Additional benefits to utilizing E-Ver-ify include the following:• Extra security for employers in know-ing that the employee’s I-9 information matches that in the government’s data-base;• Additional insulation from liability should the employer be audited and an unauthorized worker be discovered; • Improved level of Form I-9 compli-ance in that the employer would be alert-ed to any consistent errors being made in its current I-9 completion processes; and• Provides documentation of good cor-porate citizenship and desire to promote positive change within the employer’s re-spective industry. Nevertheless, employer implementa-tion of E-Verify does carry with it addi-tional concerns, which cannot be over-

looked when contemplating the pro-gram’s use:• Further training for employees who will administer the program, which can be burdensome due to the required timely management of verifications and consequent actions;• E-Verify is not perfect; therefore, mis-match problems as well as “false posi-tives” for tentative nonconfirmations could result;• Possible liability exposure for em-ployers who incorrectly utilize E-Verify to pre-screen new hires or reverify current employees; and• Participation in E-Verify allows the gov-ernment to track a company’s hiring data, which in turn can warrant periodic govern-mental audits. (And these audits can lead to referrals to other agencies, like ICE, in or-der to bring forth enforcement measures to combat inappropriate hiring actions.) Whether friend or foe, E-Verify is one tool readily available to employers who strive to maintain compliance in their employment verification practices. And with immigration reform being actively

pursued in Congress, current “optional” programs could become federally man-dated in order to further ensure the hir-ing of only authorized workers. Conse-quently, whether state mandated now or federally mandated upon inevitable re-form, immigration compliance is a foun-dational component in the United States workforce and the trend is calling for more stringent verification processes. So what will E-Verify be to you?

Rick Gump, Jr. is the shareholder of the Law Offices of Richard A. Gump, Jr. which concentrates on worksite compliance and business employment visas. Mr. Gump has been practicing for 40 years, and focuses his practice on the human resources area of international law, with an emphasis on immigration and authorized employment. [email protected] Lauren Allen is an attorney at the Law Offices of Richard A. Gump, Jr. Her practice involves assisting employers with worksite compliance issues to minimize potential li-ability associated with employment verifi-cation. [email protected]

A-listers

Seven Texas construction companies are counting their good fortune this month after being named on FOR-

TUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, now in its 17th year. TDIndustries (TDI) has made the list every year since the list’s creation in 1998, earning the company “All Star” status; this year, the firm ranks 82nd. The facility services and mechanical construction company, which is headquartered in Dal-las, also has offices in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Weslaco. “TDI has been honored for the past 17 years by FORTUNE, and we are grateful for the recognition,” TDIndustries’ Chief Executive Officer Harold MacDowell, says. “For us, it is an outside benchmark and confirmation that we have a work-place that attracts, retains, and develops great talent. Our talented workforce is the reason why our customers come to us. In the construction industry, the war for talent gets tougher every year, so our strategy is to be a preferred employer.” This is the eighth year that Houston-headquartered David Weekly Homes placed on the list. The company, which operates out of 17 offices including Aus-tin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, ranked 13th. Commercial contractor DPR Con-struction, which features offices in Aus-tin and Houston, moved up to #10 and celebrated its fifth year on the list. Burns & McDonnell, which has offic-es in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Hous-ton, earned the 14th spot, making this the third consecutive time – and the fourth time in six years – the engineering consulting firm has made the list. PCL Construction Enterprises, a group of independent construction com-

panies that includes locations in Dallas and Houston, achieved the 59th position. PCL has been recognized on the list for nine consecutive years since 2006. Kimley-Horn and Associates placed 73rd, making this the seventh year the design consulting firm earned a place on the list. The firm, which boasts several national locations, has Texas offices in Austin, Bryan/College Station, Collin County, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Colinas, Lubbock and San Antonio. Rounding out the list in 99th place is construction and mining organization Kiewit Corporation, which has Texas loca-tions in Austin, Clute, Fort Worth, Freeport, Houston, Ingleside, Irving and Jourdanton. The list, a collaboration between FOR-TUNE and the Great Place to Work Insti-tute, reflects companies who earn top marks in an employee survey about pay and benefit programs, hiring practices, training, diversity efforts, internal commu-nication and recognition programs. –mjm


Gearing up togrind it out

by Capt. Steve Schultz

Premier Yamaha Boating Center, Majek Boats, E-Z Bel Construction, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Aggregate Haul-

ers, Interstate Batteries, Pure Fishing, Mirr-O-Lure and Columbia Sportswear.

BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUTSPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

(361) 949-7359www.baffinbaycharters.com

[email protected]

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

STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC

As we pushed away from the dock this morning, the darkness of the night slowly became a light shade

of orange and blue. I eased the throttle forward and the big Yamaha came to life. As the boat got on plane, I glanced over my shoulder at the eager anglers behind me and all I saw was smiles. The anticipa-tion of the first wading trip of the year for these folks made the ride seem a bit long. Big fish were on our minds, and Baffin Bay was our destination.

February is a great month for wading the shores of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay for trophy class specks. From the time I step out of the boat to the last cast of the day, I literally have one objective on my mind when fishing this time of the year. To catch a big fish, you have to think like a big fish. Usually when the water temperatures are in the 50s or low 60s your bigger fish will typically eat one large meal per day, or maybe every cou-ple of days. They’re in what I call “energy

conservation mode” and would rather eat one larger mullet or other type of baitfish a day than chase much smaller bait fish around disbursing lots of energy. Therefore, in the colder months we tend to use a larger lure and slow the presen-tation down, to make it appealing for those big gals to get up off the bottom to eat.

The Catch 5 lure is a suspending lure with a wide body profile that produces a large holographic flash, which can be detected by game fish at great distances. Catch 5 also emits a low frequency sonic rattle similar to the famous Top Dog, for addi-tional vibration and effectiveness. Each Catch 5 features a natural baitfish pattern for unmatched realism and 3X MirrOred hooks, which trigger aggressive strikes. Use a twitching retrieve and Catch 5 will come “alive” in the water, darting side to side and suspend at 12 in. to 18 in. mim-icking a wounded shad, pinfish or croak-er, ideal for catching trophy trout and redfish. This lure has already become one of my most favorite go to suspend-ing lures in the box. Another proven fa-vorite of mine is the Original Corky and the Corky Fat Boy. These lures can be custom altered by shaping them to dive or stay shallow simply by binding the in-ternal wire up or down. They are slow sinking lures and require a bit of patience, so if you’re not willing to stay put and work the area, best leave these lures in the box and stick to soft plastics. As the day gets warmer and water temperatures rise, don’t overlook a slow twitching top-water plug. Sunny days after a strong norther can warm shallow waters and trout will move up shallower to absorb this heat. A Super Spook Jr. is a perfect size plug to cast up shallow, work shore-lines and shallow structure. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-949-7359 or 361-813-3716, or e-mail him at [email protected]. Al-ready booking for the 2014-fishing sea-son. Good luck and Good Fishing!

Cheryl Holt Rodriguez proudly hold up her 8-lb. speck caught in Baffin Bay ona pumpkinseed/chartreuse bass assassin. Fish measured 29” and was released

after photo by Steve Schultz Outdoors

Deer boysSubmitted to Construction News

Chris Christians

IV, Lynwood Building

Materials, shot this

buckwith Doug

Niznik, Niznik

Concrete. The hunt

waspurchased

at the Downtown

YouthCenter

Sporting Clay Shoot.

–mp


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All Bait, Tackle & EquipmentFurnished

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Furnish your TPWD FishingLicense & Refreshments,

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

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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

I’ve been fishing all my life. I have known fishermen all my life. I grew up listening to fish stories and learning all

I could from every fisherman I met. One thing I know for sure is that no two fisher-men are alike. There is the Snuck-off Fisherman. Here is a quiet sort of guy who in some way lives a hectic life that must be es-caped every once in a while. He might be sick from work today. Maybe his wife thinks he’s out of town today on busi-ness, or he just might be wetting a hook on his lunch break. Whatever the case may be, this man knows how to savor a little bit of time on his own just sitting on the bank fishing quietly and loving every stolen minute of it whether the fish bite or not. Then there is the Advertising Fisher-man. There is nothing quiet about this fellow. By gosh, he has the day off and he’s going fishing and he is darned proud of it. Just ask the clerk who sold him his shiny new reel, the folks at the conve-

nience store who sold him his gas, the gal at the bait shop and everybody in line at the boat ramp. He is a likable enough fisherman who can talk your ear off if the subject is fishing. He is the sort of fellow that you can’t help hoping the fish will bite for. If enthusiasm were bait there would be no stopping this fisherman.

Just what kind of fisherman ARE

you?!?

PART 1 of 2

Shhhhhhh…now there is the Stealth Fisherman. He doesn’t look like a fisher-man at all. He just looks like any old guy out and about. You would never know that he is almost rabidly serious about his fishing. He almost smuggles his fishing gear down to the boat, holding it close to his body so as not to draw attention and silly questions and small talk from other

fishermen. If you meet him on the water he will likely be in some tired, ratty look-ing little old boat. You would never know he has owned flashy, state-of-the-art boats before, but prefers this one so he can stay below the radar. If you can spot this man and observe him from a dis-tance (a long one), you will probably find out where the really good fishing is. Be careful, he doesn’t like to share and he dearly loves to pull in lunkers in plain sight of envious tournament fishermen. I bet everybody knows a Fishing Drinkerman. Here is a guy who is always ready to go fishing no matter what’s bit-ing or how rough the weather is. You see, to him fishing equals drinking and while he may not be a true fisherman by mo-tive, he will always go fishing with you if you will buy the beer. You can’t count on him to remain sober, but you might get him to pony up for half the gas money and you might get to keep his limit too. Just assure him he had a good time, feed him some fried fish now and then and ev-erything’s good. There are more kinds of fishermen than we have room for this month, so you will just have to stop by next month to meet the rest of the crew. Until then, I hope you get out and enjoy some of the pretty days we are starting to get on the water! Tight lines!

First and 11Submitted to Construction News

President of International

Mechanical Services Edgar

R. Kleck III “Kip” took

his son Edgar R. Kleck III “Cole” on a

hunting trip 20 miles south of Uvalde where

he shot his first buck – an

11-pointer! Everyone on

the ranch was excited,

including Cole, who exclaimed,

"Dad, I really shot it!" –mp


With previous adventures around the globe including treks to Ma-chu Picchu and Antarctica, Gary

Weaver, president of Timber Tech Texas, embarked upon his latest journey a few weeks before Christmas. He traveled to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda to view the endangered mountain gorillas. After four commercial flights, includ-ing the 16-hour trip across the Atlantic, a Cessna flight from Entebbe, a bumpy Land Rover drive, and a strenuous two-and-a-half-hour climb into the moun-tains, Weaver observed the Mubare fam-ily, a small family of 10 gorillas, from a distance of about four to six feet. “Now, [having seen] these gentle gi-ants barely visible through the under-growth has made it all worthwhile,” Weaver recalls. “There are under 1,000 mountain gorillas on the planet, all in the

Gary in the mist

Some photos provided byStefan Lohmander, a Swedish gentleman

Weaver met on his trip.

wild. The endangered mountain gorillas do not survive in captivity. “Although they are no longer poached, they are still endangered be-cause the population grows very slowly and disease or a resumption of poaching could still wipe out these magnificent creatures.” According to information Weaver re-ceived, the silverback, Kanwonyi, and his family of nine are among the estimated 326 gorillas in Bwindi, which is estimated to be half the world’s population of mountain gorillas. “For conservation reasons, humans are allowed an hour with the gorillas; this is adequate,” he adds. “Everyone was very happy during the hour trek down the mountain. Most of us felt we had just topped our lists of the most interesting places ever visited on the planet.” –mpThe group located the Mubare family, and Weaver got his first glimpse of the

endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

At the relatively young age of 15, Kanyonyi is the head of the Mubare family of 10 mountain gorillas.This shot illustrates not only the gorilla’s sheer mass and

muscle, but also why this endangered mountain gorilla is known as a silverback.

After seeing the gorillas, Weaver sat and rested as the group took a lunch break on the way back down the mountain.

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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

The next evolution inconstruction safetyChris Williams, Safety DirectorAssociated Builders & Contractors Inc.Arlington, VA

NEXT MONTHMARCH 2014 Support Your Industry’s Feature Issue

Call for Ad SpaceReservations

• San Antonio• Austin• Dallas/Ft. Worth• Houston

(210) 308-5800

Jan: Construction ForecastFeb: Construction SafetyMar: Construction Education

Apr: Women in ConstructionMay: Concrete IndustryJun: HVAC & Plumbing

July: Electrical IndustryAug: Service ProvidersSep: Green Building Trends

Oct: Specialty ContractorsNov: Architecture & EngineeringDec: Construction Equipment

2014Schedule

Construction Education

To everyone,train, train, train

Ted Dunnam, Vice PresidentESC Safety ConsultantsSan Antonio, TX

As vice president of ESC Ted Dunnam’s mantra is sim-ple:

“Just train, train, train,” says Dunnam. “I know that’s redundant, but it’s very im-portant. Employers get complacent, and we have to remind them that training is important to make sure that their em-ployees are cognizant of what’s going on in their surroundings.” With new safety standards that were already in place before the New Year, Dunnam cannot overstate the need for proper training and the impact that train-ing has on safety in the construction in-dustry. The latest essential training came as a result of changes made by the Occupa-tional Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). As of Dec. 1, 2013, all employees had to be trained under the new Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standard deal-ing with revisions to the Hazard Commu-nications standard, commonly known as HAZCOM. The purpose of GHS is to pro-mote common, consistent criteria for

classifying chemicals in the workplace, according to their health, physical and environmental hazards. Also to encour-age the use of compatible hazard labels, safety data sheets for employees. Also, information sheets for all chemicals in the workplace were known as Materials Safety Data Sheets, but now, the terminology will be Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Dunnam notes that the SDS information will be basically the same and all employees will have to un-derstand how to read these sheets. “Basically, it’s a sheet that has all the hazardous information about the partic-ular chemical that’s in use,” he details. “What are the first aid procedures to fol-low if you’re exposed to this chemical? How to handle the chemical safely. How to clean up any spills. And emergency contact information. There is much more information on the SDS sheets for use. “It is the responsibility of the em-

ployers to ensure that their employees understand the GHS standard that went into effect in December, that being just the training aspect of it,” he states. “I’ve been involved within this safety community for probably 25 years, and we have a tremendous group of safety professionals in San Antonio. We may all work for separate companies, but we all have the same goal in mind and that’s to protect the employee, and training is how we accomplish that. “Most contractors that I’m familiar with – general contractors, subcontrac-tors – they’re aggressive with their train-ing program, whether they do it in-house or do it through associations like ESC, ABC [Associated Builders & Contractors], AGC [Associated General Contractors], IEC [Independent Electrical Contractors], or the various other organizations around town. There’s no shortage of places that training can be acquired. “But training is so important to get these guys to perform safely. They know how to do their job. They’re good at what they do. What we can do is help them do it in a safe manner.” Is all training created equal? In this age of electronics where information and learning opportunities are increasingly going online, people can do their train-ing on the Internet. But should they take training for jobsite safety as a class on their computers? Dunnam favors hands-

on training as opposed to the online classes. “That’s great if someone needs some sort of training overnight to be admitted to a project or something, but I’m a bit old-fashioned where I like the instructor classroom-type training with hands-on training in the field with a particular piece of equipment,” he explains. “Say it’s scissor lift training. You have classroom time training with a lecturer and hand-out ma-terials, and then you go to the actual piece of machinery and each individual student will run through the machinery inspection checks and actual skills training.” Believing that online classes are im-personal, Dunnam points out that online training does not allow for an exchange of dialogue so students can ask ques-tions. The lecture process, he notes, is passive rather than interactive. He pre-fers engaging students in discussion. He feels it is conducive to a good training environment to have students participat-ing in both the class and the hands-on skills training with the machinery. “Within the safety community and the safety professionals in San Antonio, we have a great working relationship with the local OSHA office,” he says. “We all want to accomplish the same thing; make sure all employees get home safe at the end of the day. With that kind of relationship, I think the working environ-ment will continually improve.” –mp

“How does it feel to be changing an entire indus-try?” remarked a safety colleague from a Fortune

50 company following the first-ever STEP Plus Safety Ex-cellence Academy back in April 2012.

I pondered his remark which, after 3 mentally-grueling days exploring the in-tricacies of world-class safety perfor-mance, left me speechless. It wasn’t until I spoke with one of the Safety Academy attendees that I understood my col-league’s revelation. “I learned more from this course than any other safety class I’ve taken,” said Skip Wolfford, President, David M. Wolfford & Son, Inc., an electrical con-tractor from Culpeper, Va. “I’m a former EMT and instructor and, with my creden-tials, I knew it all about safety. This course proved me wrong—and thankfully so.” I asked Skip why the Safety Academy had been so impactful. Simple—“the knowledge gained was so special be-cause it wasn’t a recipe of do this and that. It was concepts and guidelines. It was about developing Safety Climates and Safety Cultures. It was about creat-ing practices that will assure that none of

us will ever have to tell an employee’s loved one that they will never be coming home due to some preventable accident or incident.” “It focused on the emotional impact of safety.” In short, it wasn’t about compliance. It was about believing—and making sure—that every incident is preventable. It was about transforming how we think about safety, from measuring success on how few employees are injured on the job to measuring success by how many incidents we prevent. About developing a culture where accountability isn’t mea-sured in how safe you are, but in what you do to keep others safe. The STEP Plus Safety Excellence Academy is part of a broader concept be-ing developed by ABC that is designed to radically alter how the construction in-dustry approaches safety management. STEP Plus, launched in 2013, takes the

core concepts of ABC’s industry-revolu-tionizing Safety Training Evaluation Pro-cess (STEP) and presents a systemic ap-proach to altering a company’s safety culture and program. The program pro-vides a “road map” for participants to use as they progress from basic safety com-pliance to a culture where safety is the core value by which every employee op-erates. The STEP Plus program centers on four key phases: Leadership Commitment—com-panies entering the STEP Plus program must first sign a commitment pledge stating that they believe all incidents are preventable; safety is an “owned” value that starts with senior management but also extends through every employee; that every employee of the company is committed to the STEP Plus process; and that the company will achieve world-class performance in both leading and lagging safety indicators. Then, every employee will participate in a STEP 20 Key Components “perception survey” that identifies gaps in the current safety program. These gaps form the need for cultural transformation. Cultural Transformation—after identifying the safety “gaps”, each em-ployee—from the CEO down to craft em-ployees—signs the “Safety Contract” stating that every incident is preventable, and that an open safety culture and dia-logue will be embraced. This includes relatively new concepts to the industry,

such as: employees being openly encour-aged to stop work when they identify a potentially unsafe condition and being rewarded for reporting incidents, help-ing fellow employees understand safe work habits, etc. The goal of this cultural transformation is to move a company and its’ employees from embracing self-compliance to company/OSHA safety rules, to embracing a culture of “safety interdependence”—where we can de-pend on ourselves and—more impor-tantly—each other to keep the work-place safe. Safety Systems & Processes—once the cultural transition from “safety is a priority” to “safety is the core value by which every other decision is made” is complete, companies begin implement-ing the “meat and potatoes” of a success-ful safety program—the means and methods by which world-class perfor-mance is achieved. Using mentors as-signed through the STEP Plus program (and who have completed the STEP Plus journey), participants will revisit their STEP 20 Key Components perception sur-veys and identify the technical gaps in their safety programs. Are they using Jobsite Safety Analyses effectively? What leading indicators do they track, and how do they use that information? Do they ef-fectively engage other contractors on the jobsite to coordinate tasks and engi-neer out potential safety hazards before

continued on Page 14


The weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the members of Associat-ed Builders & Contractors, (ABC)

Texas Mid Coast Chapter as they gath-ered for the Annual Installation of Offi-cers and Awards Banquet. Held at the Victoria Country Club Jan. 23, the event took on extra impor-tance since longtime Chapter President/CEO Kathy Autry has retired and was be-ing honored this night for her many years of service. Phil Hoppman, Big D Metalworks, and 2014 ABC National Chair-Elect, pre-sented Kathy with a Tiffany bracelet on behalf of ABC National and Mike Weav-er, secretary of the local board presented her an engraved diamond watch on be-half of the membership. Deedra Haeber, plans room coordi-nator, also presented Kathy with a special copy of The Crossroads newsletter that featured photo of Kathy on horseback and “Thank You” remarks from the Board of Directors. –bd

Annual celebration

S.T.E.P. AWARDS: Silver: Don Krueger Construction Co.;Mirage Industrial Group LLCGold: MK Marlow Company LLC;Regional Steel Products;Turner Industries GroupPlatinum*: SC Constructors LLC;Lauger Companies Inc.;Miken Specialties Ltd.Diamond*: MMR Constructors Inc.;Repcon Inc.*180 companies in the United States achieved Platinum/Diamond distinction last year, five are from this single chapter

Commemorative Award:Talbot Kelly, Kelly Painting & Decorating LP

(Member for 54 years) Star Recruiter of the Year:Ken Lester, Lester Contracting Inc.

Chapter Champion:J.R. Hartman, Jr.,

VCS Security Systems Inc.

Chapter Ambassador: Stephen Turek,Hall Electric Company

Chapter Superior Service:Bill Johnston, Lauger Companies Inc.

2014 Board of DirectorsChairman: J.R. Hartman, Jr.,

VCS Security Systems Inc.Vice Chairman: Jared Tomanek,

K&T Construction Co. Inc.Secretary: Mike Weaver,

Weaver & Jacobs Constructors Inc.Treasurer: Tom Stocker,NewFirst National Bank

Directors: John Burgman, Victoria Insurance Group; Henry Hayes, Hayes Electric Service; Bill Johnston, Lauger

Companies Inc.; Ken Lester, Lester Contracting Inc.; Scott Lewis, MMR

Constructors Inc.; Randal Ruiz, Miken Specialties Ltd.; Steve Seekamp, Sherwin-Williams Co.; Stephen Turek, Hall Electric

Company; John Wallace, Detar Healthcare Systems This says it all. Bye Kathy.

The Associated Builders and Contrac-tors, Inc. (ABC) Texas Coastal Bend Chapter held its annual officer in-

stallation luncheon Jan. 23. The event was held at the Solomon P. Ortiz Interna-tional Center. The special guest speaker for the day was Dan Brodbeck, president and CEO of Compass Partners, LLC in Tennessee. He is the 2014 chairman of the National ABC Executive Committee.

New officers installed Awards for the Valley

In addition to the installation of the board and officers for 2014, a special pre-sentation was made to Dottie Fowler. The long time board treasurer has served on the board since 1985 and will not be returning in 2014. The chapter presented her a crystal Bowl in appreciation for her time and expertise over the many years. –bd

2104 Officers and BoardChairman: John M. Davidson, J.M. Davidson Inc.1st Vice Chair: Randy Lew Larson, Larson Plumbing & Utility2nd Vice Chair: Lawrence Wilcox, Large & Sons Foundation DrillingTreasurer: Mark Roach, Dealers Electrical SupplySecretary: Shana Hofmeister, Investment Strategies LLCImmediate Past Chairman: Jonna Davidson, Analytical Testing of Texas Inc.

Board of Directors: Mark Adams, Rabalais I & E Constructors; Jeff Munro, Munro’s Safety Apparel; Billy Cain, Fishbone Solutions; John Baldree, Progressive Struc-tures Inc.; Jeff Harper, Waukesha-Pearce Industries Inc.; Bob Parker, Repcon Inc.; Mike Garza, Swantner & Gordon Insurance Agency; Carla Moore, Prosperity Bank; Jerry Lipstreu, Kleinfelder

The Texas Society of Professional Survey-ors (TSPS) held its

62nd Annual Convention and Tech Expo in Arling-ton. The four-day event had many scheduled ac-tivities including the an-nual golf tournament, ed-ucational sessions, the technology exhibition, Cowboy Stadium tour, as well as several other meetings and lunches and awards presenta-tions. This year over 700 surveyors were in atten-dance. Representing the South Texas area, two in-dividuals from Melden and Hunt, Inc. received awards. Robert Tamez, vp, was honored with the Young Surveyor of the Year and Manny Carriza-les, project surveyor/en-gineer/manager, received the award for the Chapter President of the Year. In addition, under chapter president, Manny Carrizales, the TSPS Rio Grande Valley Chapter 19 received the coveted and prestigious Star Chapter award for a magnificent and dynamic area chapter. –bd

Robert Tamez (L) is presented the Young Surveyorof the Year award from Shane Isbell.

Manny Carrizales (L) receives the 2013 Chapter of the Year Award from TSPS president Curtis Strong.


Email (w/digital photo, if available) by the 15th of any month,for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).

Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line:––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

San Antonio: [email protected] Austin: [email protected] Dallas/Ft. Worth: [email protected] Houston: [email protected] South Texas: [email protected]

ound

-Up

Sub

mis

sio

ns

Round-Up

Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABC- Coastal BendAssociated Builders & Contractors

Feb. 5: 1st Wednesday Mixer, 5:30 – 7pm, sponsored by Munro’s Safety Apparel, Location to be determinedFeb. 12: Management Ed Lunch Break, 11:30am–1pm, contact the ABC office for more detailsFeb. 20: Quarterly Safety Meeting, 2– 3pm, Contractor Safety Council Board Room, Topic to be determined

ACCA - Coastal BendAir Conditioning Contractors of Amer.

Feb. 11: Educational Summit and Vendor Fair, For more info email Priscilla Soliz:[email protected]

AIA - Corpus ChristiAmerican Institute of Architects

Feb. 12: Board meeting, WKMC Archi-tects, noonFeb. 18: Chapter meeting, Water Street Seafood Co., 309 N. Water St., 5:30pm, Retro Plate PresentationContact Debbie Montez for more info, [email protected] or 361-887-2124

CSC-Mid CoastContractors Safety Council

Feb. 11-14: Safety Health and Environ-mental Risk Management (SHERM) prin-ciples, Class code RM101Call or email Betty Berdwell for more info: [email protected] or 361-552-7823 x 6

NAWIC - Corpus ChristiNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Feb. 18: Dinner Business meeting, public welcome, The BBQ Man Restaurant, 5:30pm Networking, 6pm meeting, $20, for more info contact Vickie Thompson 361-299-6778

Roger Berry has been promoted to president of the company’s Senior Living and Campus Housing Division. With the company for 29 years, he has served as chairman of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) of Greater Houston and state chairman of the ABC of Texas. He also participated in the inau-gural ACE Mentor program with the As-sociation of General Contractors (AGC) Houston and the University of Houston Advisory Council. He earned his bache-lor’s degree in building construction from Texas A&M University and is an American Institute of Constructors Certi-fied Professional Contractor Level 2.

To be included in the Calendar, send your

events to:[email protected]

SpawGlass announced the following:

Michael Emmons has been promoted to chief operating officer. With the company for his en-tire 29-year career, he most recently served as president of the Houston Re-gion. He earned his bachelor’s of science degree in building construction from Texas A&M University and completed the advanced manage-ment program at Harvard Business School. He serves on the board of direc-tors for SpawGlass and the Association of General Contractors (AGC) Houston, and on the Texas A&M University Construc-tion Industry Advisory Council.

Starting this fall, Alamo Academies will offer its fifth program, the

Heavy Equipment Acade-my. The program is geared toward giving the next gen-eration of the construction industry a jumpstart. HOLT CAT, ASCO, ROM-CO, RDO, Zachry Construc-tion, Dean Word Co., Mar-tin Marietta, Closner, and other heavy equipment dealers and construction businesses initiated this co-alition with the Alamo Acad-emies after the Heavy Equipment Industry Consor-tium meeting hosted by HOLT CAT last September. This new program will provide a tu-ition-free college track for high school juniors and seniors to earn industry cer-tificates that will open opportunities for careers as technicians and to further their college educations. The Heavy Equipment Academy will award two Level I Certificates of Comple-tion aligned to the Diesel/Construction Equipment Technology Associate of Ap-plied Science degree, which will meet the job market needs of the local heavy equipment industry. “One of the biggest problems for heavy equipment dealers and their cus-tomers is a shortage of qualified techni-cians,” said Peter John Holt, General Ser-vice Manager at HOLT CAT. “This new track at Alamo Academies will help sup-ply our industry with a steady stream of technicians equipped with the skills re-quired for entry level jobs at good wages and benefits.” Gene Bowman, executive director of Alamo Academies, explains that the

The future weighs heavy

skilled-labor shortage is precisely what this track is meant to address, and the companies seeking the skilled employ-ees support the model by providing the paid internships for the junior and senior high school students “They agree to help develop the cur-riculum, help be there in an advisory role to make sure that what we’re producing is what they need,” said Bowman. “They go do an 8-week, 40-hour-a-week paid industry partnership internship with these industry partners that are part of this cluster, part of this consortium. That is the academy. It is a college grade.” Jim Perschbach, chairman of the Alamo Area Academies board, stated, “The success we have had in developing skilled employees for Aerospace, Manu-facturing, IT and Health will now be ex-tended to a fifth academy to meet the demand for Heavy Equipment Techni-cians. Area high school students now have a new option for college credit, in-ternships and industry certificates that will prepare them for good paying, high demand jobs.” –mp

Students, such as these from MacArthur High School in San Antonio who toured the HOLT ProTech facility, could benefit from the new Alamo Academy program.

Members of the Heavy Equipment Industry Consortium

Ahern Rentals is pleased to announce that Scott Selby is the new branch manager for the Corpus Christi location. He has 25 years in the equipment rental business with a major firm in Arizona. Selby loves living in the Coastal Bend as he is a big fisherman and has learned to sail.


If you retired today, where would you

live?

continued from Page 1 — This time for me

continued from Page 1 — Betco bounces back

Specializing in Industrial Scrap Metal& Container Service

We buy Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Iron, Stainless Steel,Steel, Brass & Radiators

2300 Frio City Rd. 210-927-2727 www.monterreyiron.com

they develop? By the end of this phase,STEP Plus participants will have a safety program that incorporates their cultural transformation and commitment to a ze-ro-incident workplace. Long-Term Results and Monitor-ing—as part of the STEP Plus journey, companies use their STEP participation record as a benchmarking and perfor-mance evaluation tool. This annual par-ticipation in ABC’s flagship safety pro-gram provides an overall picture of lag-ging indicator (incidence rate, EMR, 20 Key Components scores, etc.) perfor-mance from year to year so that STEP Plus participants can track this aspect of their transformation and, as years go by, iden-tify potential areas of improvement and work to continually improve and evolve

their safety transformation. Companies that complete the four phases of STEP Plus will help instill the lessons learned from their safety journey on future STEP Plus participants, by serv-ing as mentors and instructors at STEP Plus Safety Excellence Academies. Their experiences—the positive impacts, the difficulties in transitioning their total safety culture—will help guide future participants to succeed in embracing and achieving a zero-incident workplace. As I began to understand the gravity of what we’d undertaken, with STEP Plus and the Safety Excellence Academy, Gary and Skip’s message became clear: “Safety will never be viewed, imple-mented and supported in the same way again.” -bd

continued from Page 11 — The next evolution in construction Safety (Focus)

In this tough economy we want to highlight our Texas-based general con-tractors who are in the game and com-peting with the out-of-state contractors who have come to our great state. Do you have a recently completed project you would be proud to see on

continued from Page 1 — Opportunity awaits

our cover? Give me a call or send me an email and lets get you covered.

Buddy Doebbler, [email protected]

210-308-5800

Oh man, I would probably stay in Texas. If out of the country, Ireland or Germany because of our history. We have a lot of Irish or German in our family but Texas at heart.

Stephanie Sasser, Precision Masonry

I would probably just stay here. I love the weather, except for this time. This is the coldest it has been since I have lived here. For the weather, the slow pace and my son and grand children are here.

Teresa, Malek, Inc.

I would live here to be honest with you. It is where I was born and raised.

Joey Yzaguirre, Scott Electric

Where our daughter lives in Houston. No quite in Houston I would rather live by the lake there in Houston.

Ronnie Klepac, Malek,Inc.

That is a hard question. Honestly I would like to go to Europe.

Christopher Forrest,SOLKANAVATORNO Architects

I’m going to go with him right by his side. I like the idea of Europe. I would pick

something more beachy and relaxing.Merida, Christopher’s wife

The Caribbean because of the water and serenity.Jennifer Carr, Coastal Bend Demolition

Construction News: Does Vernon get to go? Vernon, where are you going to go?

I am going to buy a ranch is South Texas. She can stay there and I can hunt while she is enjoying the beach.Vernon Carr, Coastal Bend Demolition

I would watch a lot of Geo Network and Debbie and I have talked about South Carolina. It’s like Corpus Christi, it is on the water and we hear it is really nice. It got the 5th city in the United States as the ideal retirement place.

Charles Schibi, Apex Engineers

Right on North Padre Island, right on the channel where I live. I would stay there forever. It’s my home and I love it. It’s about as good as it gets.

Sue Ramsey, Arc Document Solutions

financially, we’re strong. This affects us companywide, but it also affects San An-tonio. We just ordered $3 million worth of new scaffolding.” San Antonio is one of Betco’s largest geographical areas, covering Fort Hood to South Padre Island. Currently, the

branch is working on the Austin Triangle project, a six-story, multiplex condomini-um office space in Austin. The company has done work in San Antonio at Santa Rosa and recently completed the Old Main renovation project at Texas State University in San Marcos. –mp

When James Jimenez opened the San Antonio office of Terra Testing, he hit the geotechnical

ground running. Originally from Lub-bock, where the company is headquar-tered, Jimenez worked for Terra from 1990 until 1998, when he relocated to San Antonio. But, he and president Ajit "A.J." Govindan remained close friends. When Govindan wanted to expand, he reached out to Jimenez and made him vice president of operations in San Anto-nio. Opened in Sept. with four people in the office, Jimenez’s branch handles work from Temple to the Rio Grande Valley. “In San Antonio, we’re a full-testing lab,” explains Jimenez. “We have geo-technical, where we do soils testing, earth work, site work, and work on mate-rials testing – everything that goes into construction: concrete testing, soil test-ing, asphalt, red iron, all that. “We also provide geotechnical drilling. We have a fleet of three drilling rigs. There’s one in San Antonio, one in Dallas, and one in Lubbock. But no job is too big for us, be-cause we can mobilize all three rigs.” Terra is qualified through TxDOT to do TxDOT work and drilling. The firm is also accredited through American Asso-ciation of State Highway and Transporta-tion Officials (AASHTO) and the U.S. Army

Terra forms

Corps of Engineers, and it’s DBE and HUB-certified by the state. “We participate in the proficiency samples program instituted by AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL),” he states. “We also participate in the pro-ficiency samples for Cement & Concrete Reference Laboratory, which is (CCRL). They send all the labs samples, and so we run the tests, submit them, and then they grade us, and we’ve got to be within a certain plus or minus.” When he’s not testing the terrain, Jimenez is very involved with his commu-nity church. He and his wife of 25 years have two children and three grandchildren, and he enjoys fishing with his grandson. Incorporated in 1977 by C.V.G. Val-labhan, Ph.D., P.E., the firm began as Ter-ra Engineers and was opened because Vallabhan, a professor at Texas Tech, saw a dire need for engineers in Lubbock at the time. When Govindan bought the firm, it was renamed Terra Testing. Vallab-han is still one of the principal engineers along with Jerry Sayson, who is vice president. With an 80-percent commercial workload, Terra’s jobs in the San Antonio area includes two hotels in Kenedy and one in Seguin as well as drilling for new telecommunication towers. –mp

L-R: A.J. Govindan, president, and James Jimenez, vice president of operations in San Antonio

“We are sharing office and yard space with Precision Masonry and we just finished remodeling the facilities.” When asked about his growth plans for the company, Carr has some specific goals in mind. “My basic plan is not to grow too big. I would like to grow the company to $2.5 to 3 million a year in revenue. We have five to 10 employees right now and we’re fully insured and bonded. “From the contracts we are getting already it looks like we will be well over a million the first year. Three weeks into the company we have $400,000 booked

and have already completed two proj-ects and will be starting three more in the next two to three weeks. “I am thrilled with the reception I have been getting from everybody. It has been wonderful. “I believe there was a big gap in the market and I am looking to fill the gap. I would just like to get my fair share of the business available,” stated Carr. Coastal Bend Demolition is a Veteran Owned Small Business and just become a member of Associated General Contrac-tors South Texas Chapter and plans to be active in the association. –bd


Back in September, during a regional training event, a beard growing challenge was issued between

RDO Equipment Co. Texas managers. In true “Play to Win!” spirit, the group de-cided to make it a friendly competition – for charity – to see who could grow the “best” beard. The rules were simple: managers could start growing their beards that day, and the contest would wrap up at the end of November. To participate, each manager pitched in $100, and they could receive pledges from friends, family members, and coworkers for as long as they kept the beard. At the end of the timeframe, the judges would review a “before and after” photo to select the best beard. Thirty percent of the donation pool would be donated to the selected charity in the first place winner’s name, twenty percent of the pool would be donated in the second place winner’s name, and the remaining donation would be made on behalf of RDO Equipment Co. employees. The group decided to donate all funds raised to St. Jude Children’s Re-search Hospital. This children’s hospital provides care for children across the state of Texas and impacts a large number of families.

Growing beards for babies

After weeks of pledges and beard growing, the challenge came to a close. J.R. Gilliam, general manager in Irving, was named the overall best beard win-ner, with Mike Miller, RDO Integrated Controls regional sales manager, in sec-ond place. In total, the friendly beard growing contest raised $9,480 for St. Jude Chil-dren’s Research Hospital. Jennifer Kim-ble, regional marketing manager for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, com-mented, “This is an amazing number! We are so appreciative of RDO Equipment Co. and look forward to our continued partnerships.” Daryl Shelton, Texas vice president, stated, “The Beards for Babies challenge was an awesome event for the Texas management team and the charity it supported, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We are all proud of the support that was shown throughout the months of competition and how the fundraising success exhibited strong teamwork with-in the region.” RDO Equipment Co. has John Deere Construction dealerships in Austin, Fort Worth, Irving, Laredo, New Braunfels, and Waco. They will open a new store in McKin-ney in fall 2014. –mp

Rising to a friendly challenge, RDO managers gave up their razorsand got a little scruffy to raise money for St. Jude’s children.

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In the three years since JCB of South Texas opened in San Antonio, the dealership has sold or rented approxi-

mately 105 machines. After starting in 2011 with an inven-tory of zero, JCB of South Texas’s current inventory includes backhoe loaders, com-pactors, excavators, forklifts, loaders, off-highway trucks, skid steers, telehandlers, tractors, and attachments. With three people on staff when the dealership opened, there are now 16 employees, in-cluding a new branch manager, Cesar Hernandez, who was hired in October. Owned by Francisco Zorrilla, who has been a JCB dealer in Mexico for 20 years, JCB of South Texas is committed to the brand and to its territory of about 23 counties in Central and South Texas, which include Austin and San Antonio. “We’ve exceeded or met our compa-ny goals and manufacturer’s goals for market share,” says Jacob Rodriguez, general manager. “When we opened JCB, our territory had a market share of 0.2 percent. Right now, we’re at 3 percent.

So, from less than 1 percent, we went to 3 percent in a year and a half basically. Our goal for this year is to be at 4-percent market share. “What we tried to achieve here in the last three years is to become a full-service dealership integrated with service me-chanics, field mechanics, and offering parts and service, because at the end of the day, we can rent and sell machines, but our customers come back because of our service and our parts availability. We were fortunate, last year, to sell to differ-ent municipalities; Boerne Independent School District, SAWS, the City of Pleasan-ton, and others.” The dealership started in a tempo-rary location in December 2011 and opened in its 4.5-acre permanent loca-tion on SE I-410 a year later. They are currently building a dealer-ship in Austin, aiming to have a temporary office and shop in April and a full-service facility by the end of the year. The company is also planning to open locations in Corpus Christi and Brownsville in 2015. –mp

Part of the JCB of South Texas teamL-R: (front row) Belinda Mayen; Cesar Hernandez, San Antonio branch manager;

Kellie Fernandez; Pablo Castro; (back row) Alex Garza; Tony Uriegas; Zack Irizarry

Doing more than their share

construction away in 2011, and the owner of the company, her son, - william gil breath, passed away...

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