south texas construction news august 2015

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The world of Atlas A flair for the fair

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The vibe at Atlas Electrical, Air Con-ditioning & Refrigeration Services Inc. is all about family, says presi-

dent and treasurer Sarah Sagredo Ham-mond. Founded in 1983 by Sarah’s father, Rogelio Sagredo Sr. (secretary), with his son, Rogelio Sagredo Jr. (vice president) at his side, the company has grown from that time and now services the Rio Grande Valley, as well as some corporate accounts in Laredo, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Houston. “My parents were high school sweet-hearts,” Sarah says. “They were migrant workers and after graduation, my father joined the air force. He got his technical training in the air force and returned

home after his years of service.” Back home, Rogelio Sr. worked for an electrical company while saving money for his own business. “When we first started the business, my father worked with my brother and one employee,” says Sarah, who has pro-vided the accounting for the business, along with her mother, Yolanda Sagre-do, since its inception. “We have been a family business since inception. We be-lieve that we all grow and work together.” Pride in hard work, community in-volvement and customer service are of upmost importance. In 2013-14, the company gave more

At Atlas, everyone is treated as family by the family who owns the business: seated, Yolanda Segredo; and standing, L-R: Roy Sagredo Sr., Sarah Sagredo Hammond and Roy Segredo Jr.

On June 22, the formal blessing of a new chapel was the culmination of a 20-year dream for the com-

munity of Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Mis-sion in Rancho Peñitas West. It is the first new Catholic church built in the Laredo area, according to Robert Sepulveda, AIA, president of Sepulveda Associates Architects Inc., the designers of the new building. Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Mission is an outreach of the Roman Catholic Dio-cese of Laredo, which is only 15 years old. It is sponsored by St. Jude Church, which is the closest Catholic parish, 11 miles away. “The diocese wanted to build a new church/mission,” says Luis A. Ramirez, civil engineer and project manager for the Diocese of Laredo at the time. “They have been saving their pennies up for 15 years. About a year ago, all the stars lined up and prayers were answered.” Ramirez was in a unique position to

know – he worked for the diocese as its facilities and construction manager after retiring from TxDOT in 2005. “I was trying to get points for Heav-en,” he laughs. He had no plans for working after re-tiring again – this time from the diocese – but had developed a respect for the folks at Summit Building and Design, the general contractor on the job, and is now a project manager with that firm. “It was one of my personal goals to help build a church - the first church for the Diocese of Laredo,” he says. “It was a great notch in their belt to do something like that. We were all looking at it from a personal standpoint. It serves the souls. It can only bring better things.” The $800,000, 4,800-sf project took about six months to finish. It was com-pleted in May. The exterior of the build-ing is masonry and mortar, the interior is

Themed after a Mexican-style mission, the new church consists of bright, bold colors.

Front: Lisa Salinas, Kenneth Faires Sr., and Ray Fuentes; back: Anna Faires, Tracy Faires,Carolyn Faires, Kenny Faires, Lee Faires, Mike Fuentes and Israel Cavazos

The owners of Faires Plumbing Inc. in Edinburg have a simple philosophy about their customers

and employees. “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” says president and owner Kenny Faires, a third-generation owner. “We have found this philosophy to work well in the market place and in the workplace. If I were a customer of FPC, I would want a good product at a fair price. If I were an employee of FPC, I would want good pay for good work. We try to treat others the way we want to be treated. Understandably, without customers, and without employees, we don’t have a business. Therefore, our greatest reward and goal is repeat

customers - and new ones - and well-trained employees working in a safe environment.” The commercial plumbing contractor was established in 1927 by Thomas Wesley Faires, father of Kenneth Faires Sr., who retired in Oct. 2004. The current owners, Kenny Faires, Tracy Faires, vice president, and Lee Faires, vice president, are the children of Kenneth Faires Sr. All three owners are active at their church, First Baptist, and encourage their employees to also be involved in their local church as well. So, when a local missionary, Ray Hanson, enlisted Kenny’s help in building an orphanage in Mexico, it was inline with the family’s spiritual

USS LexingtonCorpus Christi

South Texas Construction News • Aug 2015

David Portillo, center, was named Tech of the Month for June at Terracon in Pharr. Also pictured, supervisors, Alfonso A. Soto, PE, manager of Geotechnical and Materials

Departments (left); and George Flores, technician supervisor (right). –cw

Star brightSubmitted to Construction News

Stephanie Chavarria, Nelda Rodriguez, Lori Tijerina and Sarah Hammond at Atlas Electric, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Services in Alton, TX. celebrated Friday Cool

Fun Day by wearing the company’s color – blue! –cw

Blue FridaySubmitted to Construction News

Submitted to Construction News

Civil support

Alfonso Soto, at the Terracon Pharr office, nominated and assisted the University ofTexas Rio Grand Valley (formerly the University of Texas Pan Am) in their grant request

to help support Civil Engineering Scholarships. The Terracon Foundation awarded UTRGV $3,000. L-R: Soto; Thuy Vu, Ph.D., Civil Engineering Program, UTRGV; student Jacob Garza,

team leader of UTRGV Geothermal Energy Research Team; and Dr. Jerry Anderson, PhD, PE(ret’d), D. WRE, F.EWRI, F. ASCE, chairman, Department of Civil Engineering, UTRGV. –cw

Martin ReyesSenior staff engineerTerracon

Industry FOLKS

Martin Reyes has been employed by Terracon since 2001 and works

in geotechnical and construction ma-terials testing. On weekends, he continues a love for baseball developed while he was in college in Mexico. “I have been playing since I was in Mexico, starting in college,” Reyes said. “Later, when I came to the U.S., I start-ed playing softball with the city league in Laredo. Then some friends called to go play baseball with them in the Lar-edo Veterans Baseball League.” Former professional and amateur players from Laredo, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba, using the City of Laredo baseball fields and facilities, organized the league. The minimum age for the league is 36. Reyes has been playing in the league for 8-10 years and had a stellar season this year playing on the Intoca-ble Indians team. That record included a .541 batting average with 20 hits, 5 doubles, 1 home run and 16 RBI. Reyes says he usually plays left field and third base. Reyes moved to the U.S. in 1990 and is from Jalisco, Mexico. His other hobbies include competing in body-building and he lifts weights 2-3 times a week. He has one son, Martin Reyes

Jr., who attends college in Houston, majoring in sports management. Reyes says his son played baseball in Little League and high school, before switching to basketball. Reyes enjoys working for Terra-con, a company he says offers great benefits. “It’s a great company,” he says. “They offer lots of benefits compared to other companies - not only in Tex-as, but nationwide.” He hasn’t ruled out exploring more of the United States at some point. Terracon has locations in Cali-fornia, which Reyes says he might like to discover. For now though, he says he is happy to work in Pharr and make weekend trips to Laredo to visit his mother and play baseball. –cw

The year of the Deere

A Georgia company has acquired the combined 11 John Deere dealerships of South Texas

Implement of Alice, TX. and Tractor City of Kenedy, TX. With the acquisition, Ag-Pro Companies of Boston, Ga. now owns a total of 35 locations across four states: Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and now, Texas. “Since 1958, Ag-Pro has grown by focusing on delivering superior service to all customer segments. With this acquisition, we will continue to implement our service based business model while leveraging our buying power to offer more competitive prices to all customers,” says James Groover, CEO of Ag-Pro Companies. “We are looking forward to serving the customers in Texas where we will have one of the largest and most diverse areas of responsibility in the country.” The combined company will have more than $650 million in annualized

sales and employ more than 700 people. The acquisition rebalances Ag-Pro’s product mix to approximately 50 percent large agriculture and 50 percent small agriculture. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “I plan to sharpen the customer support and focus on the diverse customer base across South Texas,” says Kirt Morris, president of Ag-Pro’s Texas division. “From large-scale farmers, property owners and commercial lawn care companies to residential consumers and outdoor enthusiasts, Ag-Pro delivers solutions tailored to the individual needs of all of its customers.” South Texas Implement / Tractor City is a John Deere dealer organization with 11 locations throughout South Texas with approximately 220 employees. Ag-Pro is based out of Boston, Ga. and started with a single John Deere dealership location in 1958. The company has grown to become one of the largest John Deere dealers in the world. –cw

Ag-Pro has recently expanded its presence into South Texas.

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San Antonio • Austin • Dallas/Fort WorthHouston • South Texas

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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,

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Help us spread the word

Hats off to her!Submitted to Construction News

Steele & Freeman Inc.’s Dena Rowland (center with thumbs up) was elected director for the National Association of Women in Construction’s newly-formed South Central Region.

Rowland will be installed at NAWIC’s 60th annual Meeting and Education Conference in Nashville in September. She currently serves as NAWIC’s Fort Worth chapter president and will oversee 16 chapters in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and

Louisiana as director on the national board. –mjmA photo on the front page of the South Texas Construction News July issue misidentified three men with LVN Inc. The names of the three men in the

photo are, L-R: Bryan Roach, Darryl Hollister and John Miller.We regret the error. –cw

Correction

Associated Builders and Contractors – Texas Coastal Bend (ABC) had its annual fishing tournament Jul. 16-

18. The turnout was great, the fishing was awesome and everybody ended up with a good fish tale! Congrats to the winners! –cw

Calcutta Stringer1st place – Team Leilani2nd place – Isla Custom Homes3rd place – Mirage Industrial Group

Fish tales

First place: Team Leilani

Heaviest Fish24-Hour SafetyLargest Drum

Paul BralyLargest Redfish

Bartt CaronLargest Flounder

Randy LarsonMost SpotsKevin Dzink

Largest TroutJoe Garza

South Texas Construction News is on a mission – to be the number one source

of the good news about the construction industry in South Texas. We are looking for com-panies with high foot traffic to put a Construction News rack on the counter. Our slogan is “We’re all about what’s going on and who’s doing what!” In the past two years, we’ve seen the construction industry in South Texas take off – and we want to celebrate that good fortune by spreading the word about all the great companies involved in the construction industry and the people who make those company’s wheels turn. Many of you have been featured on these pages, but we know there are many more out there. Our great stories and photos are always free! We also post ev-erything on our website, www.construc-tionnews.net, so be sure and check it out! There are many opportunities to get your company’s name in the paper and online. We have business profiles, event coverage, shots of people at work, inter-esting stories about the people in the company, our popular outdoor section,

company promotions, and much more. Providing a little counter space to house the South Texas Construction News rack could help increase your business. We’ll write a story letting people know they can find the newspaper at your loca-tion. The paper is conveniently mailed to your location at the beginning of each month – all you have to do is put the new papers in the rack. Thank you for helping South Texas Construction News spread the word! Con-tact Cyndi Wright at [email protected] or give me a call at 210-308-5800 x 148. –cw

Juan, Juan and Mauro from JAE Concrete in Mission are site preparing at a new CVS Pharmacy build in La Feria. –cw

It’s a dirty job…Construction News JOB SIGHT


Structural Steel ProductsPipe, Tubing, Plate & SheetsMetal Building MaterialsOrnamental Iron & AccessoriesCast Iron SpearsFittingsDecorative Castings & DesignsWeldersWelding Supplies & AccessoriesPower ToolsAbrasivesShop & Safety SuppliesPaint & MachineryTrailer ProductsAccess Control ProductsGate & Door HardwareGate Operators–Farm/Ranch Residential/Commercial

210.431.0088 Toll Free 800.725.4776

Fax 210.431.0701www.sss-steel.com

2042 W. Thompson @ Port San AntonioSan Antonio, TX 78226

Pipe BollardsPrecut – Painted

6-5/8” OD X .188 wall X 7 FtLalo Enriquez, comfort specialist at Colair Inc. in Mission, is ready to help customers

find that perfectly comfortable spot. –cw

Comfort spotSubmitted to Construction News

A contractor’s guide toconstruction R&D tax creditsMichael Kuchar, CPADoeren Mayhew Houston, TX

Contractors that provide design-build services using new and innovative construction techniques and

enlist engineers and architects to provide construction services are most likely able to qualify for the research and experimentation tax credit (commonly referred to as the R&D tax credit).

Many activities required to design and construct a new building, or expand/improve an existing structure, may meet the construction R&D tax credit requirements. Specifically, activities performed by the project architects, engineers and other design service consultants (including electrical contractors doing design work, HVAC fabricators, mechanical design, etc.) are mostly likely to qualify. To maximize the benefits of any research performed during the construction of a building, it is critical to understand the design and engineering processes to identify potential qualifying activities. In most instances the delivery of architectural, engineering and certain design consulting services generally follow a standardized process that involves six phases.

Phase I – Conceptual Design This first phase of the architectural/engineering design process typically involves allocation of space (stacking and blocking), space planning, and assessment of available and required square footage. In order to determine if and how the proposed site may accommodate the overall functional and nonfunctional elements required by the client (for example, placement of personnel and equipment), the architects/engineers will most likely need to complete qualifying activities to validate it meets the specific needs.

Phase II – Schematic Design This next phase typically involves exploring the general concept of the building. Several schemes will be designed, and the building owner will select one, generally resulting in these qualifying activities: • Consideration of several alterna-tives for development of the selected space. • Determination of (on an overall basis) how each alternative may be constructed, given architectural and related principles.

Phase III – Design Development This portion of the architectural/engineering process typically involves

expanding the selected design, including assessment of alternative materials and the cost of various options. Qualifying activities take place as the architect is called upon to resolve major design issues related to fitting the selected architectural scheme into a workable overall plan.

Phase IV – Construction Documents Phase IV typically involves reducing the design concepts to precise drawings, which will be complete enough to allow permitting and final cost estimates. Since it represents indirect construction labor, this stage will typically only have qualifying credits if the drawing process reveals the need to reassess the design development.

Phase V – Construction Assistance with the actual construction process takes place during this phase, which represents direct and indirect construction labor. In most cases you would not have qualifying construction R&D activities unless rework or change orders require the design from the development stage be reassessed.

Phase VI – Commissioning/Testing This final phase of the architectural/engineering process typically involves certification that the structure has been assembled successfully. Due to this phase being related to the quality control process, the only instance in which qualifying activities may occur would be if testing identifies necessary rework, which in turn leads to reassessment of the initial design.

Cashing in on Construction R&D While the architects and engineers typically engage in some activities that might qualify as construction R&D, the extent varies. For this reason it is important to have your construction CPA perform a detailed analysis to mitigate any risk during an IRS exam.

Michael Kuchar, CPA, is a shareholder and leader of Doeren Mayhew’s dedicated Construction Group in Houston. A top 100 U.S. firm, Doeren Mayhew’s CPAs and business advisors serve more than 500 suppliers and general and specialty contractors doing business domestically and abroad. For more information, visit www.doeren.com.

Construction ergonomicsMark Gaskamp, CSP, CRM, CIC, CPCU, ALCMManaging DirectorWortham LLC Austin TX

What is the leading cause of lost time accidents in construction? The answer is lifting and material

handling.

In fact, over 1/3 of all lost time injuries in construction are associated with strains/overexertion. Yet there is nothing within OSHA 1926 that addresses strain or ergonomic injuries. Because there is no specific OSHA requirement, many organizations fail to address this critical worker safety/ injury risk in the workplace. Back and shoulder injuries are also the driving force behind most workers compensation experience modifiers. One or two bad backs can ruin an experience modifier for the next four years, costing thousands of dollars in increased workers compensation premiums. Construction is hard work and requires physical effort to get the job done, so should we just throw up our hands and say, that is just part of the business? No, there are specific things that can be done to reduce the risk of strains and material handling injuries. So what can you do to control these types of injuries? A good start is to follow the guidelines outlined in the ANSI A10.40- Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction. This consensus standard offers a process for addressing “musculoskeletal problems” from identification to injury management. For more information on the ANSI standard you may obtain a copy at http://webstore.ansi.org. Below are industry best practices that have helped reduce the risk for ergonomic injuries. Identify High Risk Tasks: Many organizations have had great success implementing JSA’s (Job Safety Analysis) to identify and address safety issues for specific job tasks. The question is have these been looked at from an ergonomic perspective? A job analysis should be completed for jobs that inherently create the potential for strain injury. Taking a little bit of time to look at the jobs and step back and analyze them can pay big dividends. If you have a safety committee in place, this can be a great project to add value to the company’s bottom line. Identify Safe & Unsafe Work Practices: A recent study showed that over 60% of the worker injuries do not have a specific OSHA standard which applies to the source of the accident. Does your job site inspection checklist only include OSHA standards? If so, you

are missing over half your accidents. For ergonomics it is imperative to add “unsafe material handling behaviors” to your job site inspection checklists. Individual accountability: Just like any other safety initiative, workers must be held accountable for poor behaviors. If workers fail to use proper lifting techniques or specific material handling requirements it is imperative that supervisors counsel them just like any other safety violation. Employee involvement & capabilities: Making sure employees are fit for work can help avoid muscle strain. Many organizations have found success in implementing simple stretches prior to the work shift (at the tool box meeting is a great idea). Some of you may be visualizing your job site foreman instructing calisthenics on the job site at 6am, although that might not be a bad idea. Providing simple stretches, for upper extremities, back, and hamstrings can provide good blood circulation and prepare the muscles for their shift. One other benefit from a claim perspective, especially the “Monday morning claims,” is supervised stretching. This can identify off the job injuries before the shift starts. Accident review: In my experience, the worst accident investigations are those for material handling injuries. Why? Because it’s hard, and it takes time to determine what exactly caused the injury. Many times there is not a specific event as is the case for a fall, burn, cut or many other incidents. But I can assure you, without investigating the exact cause and evaluating what steps that can be taken to prevent reoccurrence, it will happen again. Injury management: Lastly, if you are not already part of the claim and injury management process, become engaged. It is imperative that opportunities to return to work are identified to reduce lost time claims and indemnity payments for injured workers. The recent experience modifier calculation changes make this even more important from a financial standpoint. Mark Gaskamp is a managing director for Wortham Insurance & Risk Management in Austin. For more information contact Mark at (512) 532-1536 or [email protected] or visit www.worthaminsurance.com


Sine Die: The 84th TexasLegislative sessionWest W. Winter, PartnerMcNelis + Winter, PLLCSan Antonio, TX

“This building fires the heart and excites the reflections in the minds of all…the architecture of a civilization is its most enduring feature, and by this structure shall Texas transmit herself to posterity…” Temple Houston at the dedication of the Texas State Capitol.

I had the honor and privilege, in connection with my service as a

member of the governmental affairs committee of the South Texas chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, to participate in the ABC–Texas Legislative Day at the State Capitol in Austin. This was a fantastic experience for me and a personal way to participate in our legislative process on behalf of Texas contractors. I can say without a doubt that we in the construction industry are extremely well represented by the people and efforts of the ABC and other pro-construction organizations. The following legislative issues were identified as beneficial to Texas builders and contractors and worthy of support going into the 84th legislative session which ended on June 1, 2015:Neutrality in State Government Contracting: Legislation to require neutrality in bidding and awarding construction contracts by preventing governmental entities from requiring the use of project labor agreements for projects that use state resources.Retainage/Trust Fund: Legislation assuring that statutory retainage requirements be enforced and that statutory retainage become construction trust funds to secure payment to contractors and subcontractors.Lender Notice: Legislation requiring lenders to notify those performing work on a project that the funding for the project has ceased.Criteria for ADS Scoring: Legislation requiring consistency and transparency when alternative delivery systems are used.Taxes - Franchise and School Finance: Legislation which reduces, phases-out or repeals the Franchise tax and prevents or minimizes additional taxes on the construction industry.State Breach of Contract: Legislation providing for consistent waiver of sovereign immunity for construction contracts with all governmental entities in Texas.Worker Misclassification: Legislation which increases penalties for knowingly and flagrantly misclassifying employees, but protecting contractors from being penalized for the hiring decisions of others, good faith mistakes and arbitrary agency decisions. In a win for all business, House Bill 32 reduced the franchise tax rate by 25 percent. While no other legislation was ultimately passed which specifically addressed the above priorities for a myriad of reasons, the ball was moved forward for the construction industry,

and we are not presently aware of any legislation that adversely impacted our industry in a significant way. This is a positive given that more than 6,000 bills were filed in the Texas House and Senate combined. Also, most of these priorities will be teed up for the 85th legislative session in 2017. At that time, it is likely that lien law reform will also be a top priority for many groups.Some Other Bills of InterestConstruction Funding: Significantly, the Legislature approved approximately $4.5 billion in construction funding, including $1.5 billion in general appropriations (HB 1) and $3 billion in higher education construction to be funded through tuition revenue bonds (HB 100). Condo Defect Claims: House Bill 1455 adds provisions to the Texas Property Code relating to prerequisites for filing suit or initiating arbitration proceedings for defect or design claims by owners of condominiums with eight or more units. Open Carry: Although open carry is not a construction issue, it is an issue which received a great deal of media attention. House Bill 910 allows, subject to the many requirements, regulations, and restrictions contained within the legislation, those licensed to carry a concealed handgun to carry handguns openly in holsters worn either on a belt or over the shoulder. With the passage of this legislation, Texas reportedly joins 44 other states that also allow some form of open carry. The open carry legislation will become effective Jan. 1, 2016, and it is important that all employers become aware of the implications of the new law. West W. Winter is a partner at McNelis + Winter, PLLC. A LEED Green Associate, West serves on the board of the Construction Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association and has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in San Antonio for Construction Litigation. West can be reached via email: [email protected].

Men on the move

The Earthmoving Contractors Asso-ciation of Texas (ECAT) held its 57th annual meeting Jul. 17-18 in Temple.

The meeting and conference included the annual skeet shooting contest, a tour of the Sandy Creek Power Station, educa-tional programs and a banquet. The 2015-16 officers elected were John Frerich, Mobile Crushing and Screening Inc., Rowena – president; Joe Ed Jenschke, Edmund Jenschke Inc., Ker-rville – vice president; and Trooper Irving, JCN Construction LLC, Canyon Lake – sec-retary. District directors elected were Dist. 1: Clint Cornell, Claude; Dist. 2: Marty Cas-ton, Robert Lee; Dist. 3: Eddie Leather-wood, Dublin; Dist. 4: Bobby Watts, Deca-tur; Dist. 5: Ed Smith, Fairfield; Dist. 6: J.D. Godby, Clifton; Dist. 7: Galen Weber, Uval-de; Dist. 8: Tommy Watson, Cuero; Dist. 9: Clint Krause, New Braunfels; Dist. 10: Ed-win Eckhardt, Fredericksburg; Dist. 11: John Puckett, Coleman; Dist. 12: Dennis Foerster, Giddings; and Director-at-Large: Chad Ottmers, Fredericksburg. –mh

New ECAT officers L-R: Trooper Irving, secretary; John Frerich, president; Joe Ed Jenschke, vice president, stand in front of a quilt made by Dorothy Willemin, DONCO, Uvalde, that was

auctioned off for the ECAT Scholarship Fund.

Skeet Shooting Grand Champion: J.D. Godby;

Runner Up: Dave Sweenet, Fort Worth

L-R: Chad Ottmers received the Distinguished Service Award for his time as president 2013

to 2015 from John Frerich, new president.

Membership Award: Edwin Eckhardt

Steve Barnett, regional manager for BITCO Insurance, accepted the Appreciation Award

for BITCO.

Past editions can bedownloaded at

www.ConstructionNews.net

Did youknow?


JB CareyVice President

Carey Sheet MetalHarlingen

According to family legend, John B. Carey has always had a streak of the adventurer and the treasure

hunter. All three John B. Carey’s, in fact! The original John B. Carey, John B. Carey Sr., took his family and left his home in Colorado for a better life in Wyo-ming. Still pursuing that American dream, he left Wyoming in 1942 and made for Texas. “He was an artist in metal,” says his daughter, Ree Lyons. “He could make anything. He was quite a character.” Carey Sr. had heard there was work in Texas. He eventually opened the family business, Carey Sheet Metal, in 1948 in Harlingen, a place where John (Johnny) B. Carey Jr. and John B. Carey III (JB) still work today. That adventurous spirit manifests it-self today in JB Carey – in the form of treasure hunting. He is currently presi-dent of the RGV Metal Detecting Club.

When did you get started in metal de-tecting? I started in the 80s. I had an old Gar-rett Deepseeker that I traded for a .30-30 rifle. I like guns and hunting and stuff. Somebody had the detector in the bar-gain bin. I would go on Sunday morning and I’d go digging around the town. It’s just the adventure of that next find. Not long after I got it, I found two gold rings in the backyard of an old rent house they burned down not long after that.

Can you just go digging wherever you want? You are supposed to ask for permis-sion, but I’m kind of a rebel. (laughs) If I have the opportunity, I will ask. I’ve also been run off!

What? For metal detecting? I was hunting in the yard of a church they were fixing to tear down. This lady told me they didn’t want me hunting there. She said they were afraid some-thing might fall on me. (laughs) I found a silver dollar and some other stuff before I got run off.

You stopped doing it for awhile and then picked it back up, right? I got distracted. My kids were getting older so I hung it up for awhile. About two years ago I was at the beach with my wife and granddaughter and it brought it back. I said, I could find stuff here. I took my old detector there and it didn’t work.

Why didn’t it work? You need a special detector, so I de-cided to buy a Minelab. I had read about those and said if I could ever afford one, I would buy it. I bought an underwater one and it has a discriminator so you don’t pick up nails and bobby pins. I had that for about six months. I found rings, a James Avery charm bracelet with 10 charms on it and change. Then I upgraded to a Minelab CTX-30. It will go in the water up to 10 feet and also works on dry land. It has an LCD dis-play that will tell you about things it de-tects. A pull tab will ring in like a ring. If you are at the beach, you always investi-gate.

So, I guess you find a lot of trash. There is a code of ethics in metal de-tecting – if you dig up a piece of trash, you remove it and cover the hole. We take that stuff out. It’s amazing how much trash people leave on the beach.

How much time do you spend on this hobby? I try to get out at least once a week. I’ll hunt at the island (South Padre) for about six hours. Sometimes I don’t find anything. I could probably make more money picking up aluminum cans! It’s a needle in a haystack. On the beach, you can only cover so much area and there are miles. In the winter at the beach, from the dunes to the sand is 15 yards of beach. In the summer, there is 40 yards of beach.

It sounds like a pretty good stress buster. It is. When you are metal detecting, you are not thinking about anything else.

Besides the excitement of the next find, what draws you to this? It’s digging up history. One time, I found a grapeshot out of a civil war can-non. There are stories and fables of events in the past. The first time I turned my detector on in this farmland where I used to duck and goose hunt, I found a bayonet from a Civil War rifle. A friend and I started find-ing coins. The newest one was from 1945. There was a silver dime from 1901. I want to think we (all three John B. Carey’s) all have that treasure hunting ad-venturous spirit.

What is the most valuable thing you have ever found? My wife and a lot of friends. –cw

JB Carey shows a 1905 Barber dimehe found.

One of the more valuable finds was a gold ring with an emerald stone.

Digging up history: A bullet from the 1800s with no primer anda .38-40 bullet, introduced in 1874.

John B. Carey Sr. with his favorite goat and shop pet, Billie.

A child’s long-lost toy:the famed sheriff’s badge

Coins are a frequent find and some date back to the early 1900s.

An old US Navy Senior Chief Hat badgenext to a silver dime.


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

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Wild summer daysSubmitted to Construction News

Stephanie Rendon, Terracon, and her boyfriend, Marcos Cardoza, had an adventure this summer parasailing. –cw

just like that old sweet song from Etta James! It finally rained a good flood on North Central Texas, the Lake Buchanan watershed! Back about Memorial Day, most of the serious flooding missed our watershed, but we did get enough to soak the parched earth and bring up our lake level eight feet. The most recent flooding happened so far north of Lake Buchanan that we hardly received a drop of rain, but we could see the tall clouds and radar showed a train of heavy show-ers that just went on and on. This time, after a few days to run downstream to us, Lake Buchanan came up another 10 feet. That’s 18 feet in the last few weeks! Only a dozen more feet would see us about full for the first time since 2007. It is a magical thing when a parched lake and riverbed see the return of water. The first sign of returning lake life is the singing of the frogs. Somehow at just the very hint of impending moisture the lake bed turns to a loud symphony of little froggy voices as they spread the word that good times are coming and they are looking for a mate. You can’t believe how many there are all of a sudden and you wonder where they’ve been hiding. Next, in just the first inch or two of water, you see the minnows scurrying along through the flooded weeds. The

At Last . . . . river has been awfully shallow and a quarter mile away from the new shore-line, but somehow they are coming back home in droves! Right behind the minnows come the herons. Great blue herons, green herons, Louisiana herons and night herons start scouting the returning coves and skirting the new shorelines. Many of these have been nesting out in the cattails and drift-wood stacks in the river and have babies to feed. They don’t waste any time chow-ing down on whatever frogs and snakes are handy and probably not passing up any waterlogged mice and rats that hap-pen by. By now the catfish have smooth round white bellies from all the grass-hoppers and other insects that are going under, and the carp are shuffling around in the shallows for scraps. By the next morning you can begin seeing shad flipping in the still water and the flashes of the gars chasing after them.The water’s back. The full dinner table is set. Give the flood water a week or two to decay whatever needs it and settle back to being lake water and we will have an unrivaled fishery on Lake Buchanan! The drought lasted so long that the new willow, cottonwood and sycamore trees had years to grow up to 20 or 30 feet tall. Even when the lake does fill completely up, there will still be thou-sands of acres of shady treetops above

Before and after the rains came

the surface. Now when you set off across the lake on the upper end of Buchanan you will see a labyrinth of trees and blue water that lead to the almost forgotten upper reaches of the lake and all the fish-

ing and sightseeing beauty you can imagine, complete with all the waterfalls and wildlife we haven’t seen in years. Lady Buck is back at last!


An enthusiasm for fishing runs in the Faires family of Faires Plumbing in Edinburg. Luckily, they live close to the coast! –cw

Angler wranglers

Kenny Faires, president, shows off a whopper of a redfish.

Tracy and Lee Faires, vice presidents, are getting a workout holding up these monsters.

Ken Faires III, son of Kenny and Caroline Faires, hauled in a group of flounder.He is a captain and charters fishing trips at South Padre Island.

Into the blueSubmitted to Construction News

Connor Friedrichs, vice president of sales and operations at REFCO in Pharr,crossed an item off his bucket list when he went skydiving in June. –cw

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South Texas Construction News editor Cyndi Wright’s nephew Bob Shamblin performed his swearing into the U.S.

Navy June 22 at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. Next stop – basic training! –cw

Shipping offParking itSubmitted to Construction News

The Briggs Equipment family had a day at the park in Corpus Christi.Pictured, Leo Flores, sales rep. –cw

John Silva has worked for Gignac & Associates in Corpus Christi for 18 years.

Like many in the office, John spendsas much time as he can pursuing his

love of fishing. –cw

Line timeSubmitted to Construction News

Back to workConstruction News ON LOCATION

Willie Balli and Rey Sierra with Arnold Refrigeration Inc. (ARI) out of McAllenwere caught back on their way to work after lunch. –cw

Sixty-five years ago in a Snider Plaza office, Southern Methodist University and John Hopkins

University grad Dr. Albert H. Halff opened his consulting firm, Albert H. Halff, Consulting Sanitary Engineer, which would later be renamed Halff Associates Inc. At the time, he planned to offer what today would be considered environmental engineering. But the next decade would be a learning curve for Halff. He realized that to make a living, his firm would need to start doing general civil work, and with the loss of a short-term business partner, he was going to need a few more helping hands. The firm had to shift direction again during the 1980s recession, adopting more public sector projects and diversifying both geographically and in its disciplines. Because of what company president Patrick Kunz calls Halff’s “very creative, out-of-the-box thinking,” Halff Associates Inc. grew into one of the Southwest’s largest engineering companies, opening 14 branch offices and employing 530 people. On Aug. 20th – what would have been Dr. Halff’s 100th birthday – the company will celebrate the visionary’s legacy and the 65th anniversary of his vision.

“He was very involved in the design of civil projects as Dallas grew, and as Dallas grew, he was able to grow the firm,” Kunz says. The company expanded with Texas branches in Austin, Conroe, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Frisco, Georgetown, Grand Prairie Houston, McAllen, Midland, San Antonio and, most recently, Oklahoma City and Shreveport. Halff Associates Inc. has worked on many notable projects in South Texas,

Cause for celebrations

The McAllen staff, some of whom are pictured, are planning to celebrate the 65th anniversary.

including McAllen’s Sharyland Plantation Development and McAllen Convention Center. “Those marks of Halff Associates are all over [the state], and we’re continuing to try to grow that into other parts of Texas and beyond,” Kunz says. A celebration is being planned to honor those marks that Dr. Halff and his company have made over the years. “It’s a significant year for us because

it would be his 100th year birthday and it’s also his 65th year anniversary,” Kunz says. “So our plan, when we get to his birthday on Aug. 20, is to do a little something special internally within the company. We’ll have a lunch for our employees, celebrate the history of the firm, remember Dr. Halff and talk about his entrepreneurial spirit that made us who we are.” Halff Associates Inc. is a regional consulting firm providing full-service engineering, architecture and related services. –mjm

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As vice president of operations at The GFP Group, Mary Lupe Arana believes that as a woman working

in construction at the age of 50, she has earned the respect of her colleagues by building a positive reputation “founded on the principles of integrity, morals and honesty.” She feels that GFP has earned its reputation, work and opportunities the same way. With a 50/50 private and public workload, GFP has performed work for local entities including VIA and the San Antonio Housing Authority as well as federal projects as an 8(a) certified contractor in a mentor-protégé agreement with W.G. Yates Construction Co., and has been the recipient in awards for the Corps of Engineers and the Navy. A $15.5 million renovation for the CNATRA HQ Building at the Naval base in Corpus Christi as well as other opportunities there prompted GFP to open a branch office in Corpus in April. And a year ago, the company relocated its San Antonio office from Lanark Drive

Branching out

GFP team members from San Antonio and Corpus Christi include,L-R: George Cruz, Kathie Fox, Linda Ramos, Dawn Wallace, Mark Garcia,

Daniel Crago, Victor Ramos and Mary Lupe Arana

to 433 Kitty Hawk Rd. in Universal City. Arana isn’t the only woman working hard at GFP. One example is Dawn Wallace, a project manager based in San Antonio who worked for a painting subcontractor doing estimating and office work before joining GFP about five years ago. She says that Arana has been a role model to her, and the president, Mark Garcia, is very supportive of his staff. Garcia earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration economics from UTSA. He and his family are very active in the community. He has served organizations including the Children’s Museum, the San Antonio Public Library, the Witte, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The GFP Group is an 8(a) certified general contracting company founded by Mark Garcia in September 2006. The company opened its first branch office in Corpus Christ in April. –mh

At Mac’s Insulation Company in Harlingen, there are at least five employees who have been with

the company for more than 30 years. Along with owners, Edward McCameron and Kenny McCameron (father and son), that adds up to a combined 300 years of experience, according to office manager Frank Lara – who has been at the company himself for 10 years. “The longevity of the company has a lot to do with the way we treat our employees,” says Kenny. “Foremost, it is the way we treat our customers, and the quality of our work is what keeps our customers loyal.” The company treats its employees with consideration and respect, says Kenny’s wife, Araceli McCameron, bookkeeper and Lara’s sister. “They treat their employees with respect and consideration, they provide continued education in their field, and when work is slow, Mac’s Insulation does everything it can to keep its employees working,” she said.

Insulation nation

The company was started on April Fool’s Day in 1971 by Edward’s father, Troy McCameron and his brother, Sherman McCameron. Edward joined the company in 1973 and is semi-retired. His son, Kenny, is now in charge of the day-to-day running of the business and has done plenty in his tenure to modernize things. Mac’s Insulation does mechanical insulation and is 100 percent commercial construction. Projects include schools, banks, hospitals, universities and industrial work. The company relies on reputation to spread the word, Kenny said. “Professionalism is very important to us,” he says. “The work is what sells us to the contractor. When we say we are going to be there, we are there. We don’t have that mañana philosophy.” Recently, the fourth generation McCameron came on board at the company. Dillon, Kenny’s son, provides tech support while he attends TSTC. –cw

There is more than 300 years of experience in the Mac’s Insulation family.

Celebrating 15 Years in the Industry


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Green Building Trends

Training pays off in safety benefits

Lisa Marinkovic, Certified Training & Safety Inc.Port Lavaca, TX

What is your perspective about the state of the construction industry?

We have found the state of the con-struction industry to have been slow through the end of last year. We have seen a small increase over the first quarter of 2015 and it seems to be slowly picking up. Our business is dependent upon the avail-ability of the workers. When contractors demand training be done before access to a job site is granted, we get calls for ASAP training. Other companies are able to pre-dict what training will be needed and call us when they have some down time.

What factors are driving this slow-down? Low oil prices and high shipping and material costs have contributed to an overall slowdown.

How has this slowdown affected your company and how you conduct business? We’ve had to refocus our efforts and

have found we have more demand in the residential and service industries. We find more companies are able to project training needs, so we’re getting more calls for upcoming projects rather than immediate needs. This allows us to bet-ter schedule and service all our clients.

What are the major changes in the in-dustry in recent years relating to the type of work you do? Online training and blended learn-ing have had an impact on the training industry. The availability of online train-ing has given employers more flexibility as to how and when training is conduct-ed. Rather than pulling an entire crew for a day of classroom training, they have the ability to continue work while complet-ing required compliance topics.

What is the most significant challenge your industry faces? We have extremely high standards

for our instructors and finding trainers who have the experience and personality to train to the CTS expectations can be difficult. Being in South Texas, we also have a greater need for Spanish speaking instructors. Finding qualified, bi-lingual trainers can be difficult because they are in such high demand.

What is on the horizon for your indus-try? The demand for online or blended training is increasing. CTS has partnered with companies to develop interactive online training. Although we still feel in-structor led training with classroom inter-action lends itself to greater content re-tention, we understand that the younger generations feel much more comfortable using computers and are more receptive to this type of training. We are very excit-ed to complete these courses and have them available for our clients. As ordinances and laws change, so will training requirements. CTS is diligent about staying abreast of all these chang-es. We incorporate these into our pro-grams, both instructor led and our mate-rials for purchase, as the laws take effect.

What are the rewards of the industry? At CTS, our conviction and the words we live by are “Training Saves Lives!” Our

goal is to get everyone home safe to their families every day. There is no greater re-ward.

What are keys to being successful in the industry? As in any industry, honesty, integrity and a good work ethic are keys to suc-cess. Our clients are our number one pri-ority. We understand that the construc-tion industry does not run 9-5, and we make ourselves available to them at all times, via phone call, email or text. We genuinely believe in what we do and feel that it shows. Our clients know how pas-sionate we are about their safety and they appreciate that. It creates loyalty and repeat business. We listen to our clients and what they need. If they need a topic we do not provide, we will develop a program for them. We are regularly upgrading our credentials to keep up with industry re-quirements and customer requests. Certified Training & Safety, Inc. was in-corporated in 2009 and provides classroom instruction for PEC SafeLand/SafeGulf, OSHA, MSHA, heavy equipment (both op-erator and train-the-trainer), First Aid/CPR/AED and HAZWOPER. The company also develops and produces OSHA compliant training materials for purchase to conduct in-house training. –cw

Equipment rental continues to rise

Tom Hubbell, Vice President of Marketing and CommunicationsAmerican Rental AssociationMoline, IL

Equipment rental industry revenues in the United States have been growing

at a high rate of speed over the last sev-eral years and that trend is expected to continue through 2019 and beyond. The American Rental Association (ARA) latest quarterly forecast from its ARA Rental Market Monitor™ subscription service indicates total revenue growth of 7.9 percent in 2015, reaching $38.5 billion in the U.S., which includes all three indus-try segments – construction/industrial, general tool and party and event. ARA’s current five-year forecast for the U.S. calls for steady growth of 7.2 per-cent in 2016, 8 percent in 2017, 7.9 per-cent in 2018 and 6.8 percent in 2019 to reach $51.3 billion.

The construction/industrial seg-ment, combined with the general tool segment, lead the way in growth poten-tial through 2019. Construction/industrial rental revenue in the U.S. is now forecast to increase 8.2 percent in 2015 to $25.9 billion, with general tool projected to grow 7.9 percent to $9.8 billion this year. By 2019, construction/industrial rent-al revenues will generate $34.9 billion with general tool generating $13.5 bil-lion. “The strong economic growth trend we’ve seen over the past few years will continue. We track the equipment rental market in the U.S. and Canada on a quar-terly basis via information from IHS Eco-nomics data. We continue to enhance

this service for our members to help them forecast rental revenue, make per-sonnel decisions and obtain financing from their banks,” says Christine Weh-rman, ARA executive vice president and CEO. There has also been significant growth in rental penetration for construc-tion equipment and industrial rental cus-tomers. ARA’s Rental Penetration Index measures the proportion of the total fleet of construction machines that are owned by equipment rental companies. The in-dex is value-based and uses original equipment cost as the primary weightlift-ing factor to calculate the ratio of rental. The increase in equipment rental can be attributed to the many benefits that equipment rental has to offer and has created a shift in the way business is done. It has become understood that renting is a way to manage and operate a business, while helping them get their projects done in an efficient and eco-nomical manner. Some of the most basic benefits of equipment rental for construction com-panies are:• Free up capital for other demands and a stronger balance sheet• Supplement your fleet with specific

equipment, allowing you to compete for more jobs• Reduced workload on equipment, maintenance and upkeep• Equipment that meets regulatory speci-fications for all types of construction jobsEliminate warehouse or storage demands To help contractors and construction companies determine whether renting is the right decision, ARA suggests the fol-lowing:Examine the cost of renting versus buy-ing and consider the time value of mon-ey. Renting may be the better choice.Estimate the time utilization of a piece of equipment. If you are not going to utilize the equipment, why pay to own it? Rent-ing is a good solution.If your jobs are varied and require special equipment, consider renting. Finding equipment rental stores is easy by using the ARA’s online rental lo-cator, RentalHQ.com. Visitors can enter the zip code where they need equipment and the type of equipment they are look-ing to rent to get a listing of area rental businesses that can meet their needs. Equipment rental should be a part of your business decisions today and for the future. –cw


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In June, the National Association of Women in Construction Corpus Christi (NAWIC)elected its 2015-16 board of directors. The board will be installed in September.

L-R: Vickie Thompson, treasurer; Patricia Livas, vice president; Vanessa Garcia, president; Julia Smith, board; Cathy Beaudin, CCA,CIT, secretary. Not pictured: Michell Patton,

board and Lisa Huerta CBT, immediate past president. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Leadership

On Jul. 10, Corpus Christi angler members from the Associated General Contractors South Texas

(AGC) converged on Bluff’s Landing for the 2015 annual Fishing Tournament. Congrats to the winners! –cw

Heaviest Stringer1st place – Hub City Overhead Doors2nd place – Allison Flooring AmericaHeaviest Trout1st place – Frank Malone, Fulton-Coastcon Construction2nd place – Gary Loveday, Columbia Electric/Scott Electric3rd place – Make Garza, Higginbotham Insurance

Ready, set, cast!

First place Hub City Overhead Doors, L-R: Brandon Price, Jon Ross andBrady Bull. Not pictured, Joe Debelaus.

Heaviest Flounder1st place – Ben Santos Jr., ESC Audits2nd place – Joseph Fuentes, T.L. Mechanical 3rd place – Gary Loveday, Columbia Electric/Scott ElectricHeaviest Redfish1st place – Mackenzie Allison, Allison Flooring America2nd place – Tommie James Lee, T.L. Electric3rd place – Don Clark, Carlisle InsuranceJr. Angler – Emily Reynolds, Beecroft Construction

And baby makes threeConstruction News ON LOCATION

Eric Mata mans the counter at Baker Distributing Company in Harlingen.He and his wife just welcomed a new baby. Congrats! –cw

Want to appear in Construction News? Call or Email us!

There is no charge for stories or photos.

[email protected](210) 308-5800 (home office)

Meeting the future leaders

The Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association (TACA) held its 61st annual meeting and summer

conference Jun. 24-26 at La Cantera Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. The meeting included a TACPAC fundraiser, a past chairman’s banquet and an awards luncheon. This year’s event broke the attendance record for the flagship summer conference with more than 475 attendees from across the state. Forty percent of TACA’s member companies are based in or have a presence in the Alamo City. During the conference, TACA launched its inaugural Young Leadership Development program for industry members under 35 years old. Aimed at developing the next generation of industry leadership, the program included a local community involvement effort. Forty young leader program participants volunteered more than 120 hours to move more than 1,500 pounds of dirt to repair a hiking trail in Eisenhower Park that had been damaged during the recent floods. –mh Awards:Best Plant:Ready Mix A: Argos USA, Holmes Road PlantAggregate A: Vulcan Materials Company, Mico QuarryHigh Strength Concrete CompetitionPlant Mix1st: Vulcan Materials Company (17,910 psi)2nd: Ingram Concrete (16,060 psi)3rd: Redi-Mix Concrete (15,997 psi)Laboratory Mix1st: Vulcan Materials Company (17,903 psi)2nd: Redi-Mix Concrete (16,387 psi)3rd: Argos USA-Dallas (15,143 psi)

Production Employee of the Year: Pat Gavis, Batch Supervisor, Argos USATruck Driver of the Year: Lawrence Bible, Argos USA

One of TACA’s highest honors is theBob R. Beard Good Neighbor Award,

which was presented to Sherry Moore,who has worked for TACA for 25 years,

at the 61st annual meeting.

Sean Tyler, a student at Texas A&M Univer-sity in College Station, was awarded the

TACA Scholarship for $2,500 at thesummer conference.

Photos by Tim MummeyHOLCIM (US) Inc.


This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new orrecently promoted personnel, free of charge, as space allows.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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]

Rou

nd-U

pSu

bm

issi

on

sAssociation Calendar

Content submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABC- Coastal BendAssociated Builders & Contractors

Aug. 5: First Wednesday Mixer from 5:30–7pm at Railroad Seafood Restau-rant.Aug. 26: General Membership Luncheon from 11:30am – 1pm at Solomon P. Ortiz Center. Speaker: Judy Hawley, chairman of the Port of Corpus Christi.

ABC- Mid-CoastAssociated Builders and Contractors

Aug. 27: $10,000 reverse drawing at Greek’s 205, 205 E. Constitution. Admis-sion includes food and beverage. Call 361-572-0299 for more information.

AGC- South TexasAssociated General Contractors

Aug. 22: Build Corpus Christi Day, spon-sored by AGC STC Young Contractors CouncilAug. 27: Summer Mixer at AGC office.

AGC - RGVAssociated General Contractors

Aug. 13, 15: Annual Fishing Tournament. Captain’s Party and Summer Member-ship Mixer, Thurs., Aug. 13 at RGV-Harlin-gen, 6pm. Fishing Tournament, Sat., Aug. 15, South Padre Island. (956) 423-4091

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

Aug 18: Dinner and business meeting, public welcome, at The BBQ Man Restau-rant, 5:30pm networking, 6pm meeting, Program-TBA. $20. Contact Vickie Thompson 361-299-6278 or 361-438-0593, for more information or check out nawic.org or nawiccorpuschristi.org

SCTMCSafety Council of the Texas Mid-Coast

Aug. 10-14: Applied Fire Safety Protec-tion & Emergency Analysis FS 860, pro-vided by UTA. For more information, con-tact Betty Birdwell at 361-552-7823 x 6.

Submissions

If you would like to include your association events

for this calendar, free of charge,

Please submit to:

[email protected]

The Mechanical Contractors Associa-tion (MCA) of Texas held its 2015 an-nual Conference & Products Show

Jul. 8-12 at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Bastrop. The event hosted 332 attendees from across the state. Speakers at the event included Tom Stone, MCA of America president-elect, and Dr. Linda Talley on nonverbal com-munications and behaviors. The confer-ence offered educational programs such as a construction technology forecast, minority participations in Texas construc-tion, and an economic outlook for Texas and the U.S. In addition to the annual products and services show, attendees enjoyed a golf tournament, dinner and dessert par-ties, a casino night, an awards luncheon, and a closing dinner reception complete with entertainment by magician Billy Riggs. –mh

Dinners and a show

L-R: John and San Juana Tezel, Tezel & Cotter, San Antonio, and Jim Reynolds, MCA Texas, Austin, attended the MCA Texas 2015 annual conference.

Caddy was one of many vendors exhibiting at the product show.


continued from Page 1 — The world of Atlas

continued from Page 1 —A flair for the fair

continued from Page 1 — The summit of dreams

Good news from Legislature

than $100,000 to community events, sponsorship, donations and sporting events from grade school through high school. “The Atlas motto is we support fami-ly - we have a Facebook campaign #fami-lymatters - and do giveaways from $50 to $250 Visa gift cards routinely throughout the year,” Sarah says. Employees take part in regular train-ing and certifications and the company always looks for ways to grow the knowl-edge and competence of the staff for better customer service. “The techs know that every custom-er is someone's mother, father, sister, brother and we have to treat each other as such, with that respect,” she says. That same staff spends time togeth-er in other ways, as well. “We have participated in barbecue competitions in which our team has won awards,” Sarah said. “We also support various chambers in the RGV, by sponsor-ships, promotions and speaking engage-ments. We join bowling competitions yearly that help raise funds for the Boys

and Girls Clubs and Big Brothers, Big Sis-ters organization. “Our staff, as well as former employ-ees, develop such strong bonds that even if they move onto a different com-pany or project, you will see them con-gregate at our company’s barbecues or simply stop by randomly to say hello.” Employees also receive a cake on their anniversary date to show them ap-preciation for their loyalty and hard work. “The cakes usually have cute figures of funny looking characters that repre-sent them and their particular duty with the company,” Sarah explained. “Our staff is like our second family and we treat each other as such. We laugh to-gether, and pick on each other, but we have also seen some of them go through hard times and see how that laugher turns into support for one another.” The company added a plumbing de-partment to its list of services in June. Atlas is located in Alton and provides electrical, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing services for industrial, resi-dential and commercial. –cw

sheetrock and it has a standing seam roof. The floors are stained concrete, with the exception of the altar and the confes-sionals, which are carpeted. There is a cry room, restrooms and a foyer. The build-ing is themed after a Mexican mission, with bold colors. Although the building is outside the city limits of Laredo, Ramirez says city codes were adhered to. Summit Building and Design is a fair-ly new general contractor, having been formed in 2010. It is a division of Arguin-degui Oil Companies, which was founded in 1942. David Acevedo is general man-ager. The project supervisor was Angel Rodriguez and Acevedo was project manager. “The diocese worked very well with the contractor,” Ramirez says. “Angel was able to keep everything moving without a hitch and within budget. Whatever hur-dles there were, they were not very big.” One of those hurdles was the weather. “South Texas has had a very wet year,” he said. “Rather cool and rather wet. We did lose some time with that.” The new mission had help from many quarters in its people’s desire for a new place of worship. The altar and pews were donated from St. Patrick’s Church. St. Jude Church was instrumental in the project, monetarily and with oversight. Monetary contributions included various grants received by the Bishop, including funds from the Kenedy Memorial Foun-dation, the Scanlan Foundation and the

South Texas Outreach Foundation. The architectural firm of Sepulveda Associates Architects, Inc. donated its time and services, as a continuation of the family’s support for the church and their philosophy of stewardship. Both fa-ther and son, Robert Sepulveda, AIA; and Robbie Sepulveda, Associate AIA, were involved in the project. Howland Engi-neering and Surveying Company donat-ed the surveying. When the Most Reverend Bishop Tamayo came to consecrate the mission on June 22, it was an awesome sight. “With the oils, holy water and incense, it was really impressive,” Ramirez says. “I had never experienced that before.” It may not have been a multi-million dollar build, but everyone involved walked away with a sense of good will. “We all felt a certain pride,” Ramirez explained. “It’s a different feel when you are building a church. It’s special because of who it serves and the meaning behind the church.” Las Peñitas is a growing community northwest of Laredo. Due to the proximi-ty of two international bridges and a thriving import and export market, there is a lot of new housing going in. Summit Building & Design is a com-mercial general contractor specializing in all aspects of design and construction, in-cluding convenience stores, office build-ings, industrial parks, retail establishments, religious facilities, schools and more. –cw

A formal blessing of the new chapel on Rancho Penitas Road was held Jun. 22.

beliefs. Kenny helped with the basic drawing and plumbing materials and thought that was the end of his involvement until Hanson showed up at his office one day and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was determined Kenny was going to see for himself what his help had meant. After crossing the border and a long dusty drive, they finally arrived at the destination. What looked to Kenny like a desert was an oasis in Ray’s eyes. At the orphanage, a little girl who had been sweeping a dirt floor, dropped her broom and came running up to Ray and wrapped her little arms around Ray’s legs and hung on tightly. Ray hugged her, spoke to her in Spanish and with the assurance of love in his eyes, she joyfully ran to resume sweeping. Ray told Kenny they found this little girl all alone in the street covered with mud and dirt. She didn’t

know her name or how old she was. No name, no family, no food, no shelter. Now she has all that - and love. As the Rio Grande Valley continues to grow, Faires Plumbing is facing a possible relocation if a new TxDOT proposed highway continues in its present direction. If it goes in another direction, the company will remain where it is. “Hopefully, we will know definite details by end of 2015,” Kenny says. “Until then, it’s business as usual. And we need business!” –cw Faires Plumbing Inc. installs plumbing systems in government, public safety and correctional buildings, educational, food service, healthcare and office buildings, multi-story buildings, banks, commercial warehouses, and manufacturing.

Front page photo by Thomas Garcia

It isn’t hard to tell that the construction industry in South Texas has been growing by leaps and bounds for the past two years.

From Victoria to Laredo, to Corpus Christi and down in the Rio Grande Valley, new construction stretches as far as the eye can see. There are plenty of jobs for those who want to work – and plenty of projects for companies to bid on. And now, the Texas Legislature has given a $3.1 billion boost to the Texas construction industry in the form of Tuition Revenue Bonds (TRB) approved in the 2015 session. “This was a homerun for commercial construction in Texas,” says Perry Vaughn, executive director for As-sociated General Contractors Rio Grande Valley Chapter. “It’s a boon for the industry. AGC worked closely with the universities to get this passed.” TRB are traditionally used to fund the construction needs of higher education. The last time they were is-sued was in 2006. According to a state website, Texas Higher Education, total enrollments in higher education has increased by more than 537,000 students since 2000. During this time, enrollments for Hispanics and African Americans have doubled. And the colleges and universities in South Texas have seen corresponding higher enrollment.

The South Texas picture Sixty-four campuses across Texas were allocated money to make improvements. In South Texas, $191 mil-lion will go to several campuses. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi will get $60 million for a life science and engineering building. Texas A&M University Kingsville is getting $60 million for an educational complex and a new music building. In the Valley, the University of Texas has made big changes that coincide with the monetary bonus. Previously, UT had two separate campuses: UT Pan Am in Edinburg and UT Brownsville in Brownsville. As of the start of the 2015 fall semester, those two campuses have been gathered under one umbrella – the Univer-sity of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The campus located in Brownsville will receive $36.4 million to build a new academic building, while the campus in Edinburg will receive $30.6 million for an engineering building addition. Texas State Technical College in Harlingen will re-ceive $3.75 million to renovate the engineering building.

More good news The Legislature also passed $1.75 billion for facility repairs, renovations and maintenance, which includes most public buildings and property. “This will be a shot in the arm for the construction business,” Vaughn said. In another boost to the construction industry, the Legislature voted to cut the franchise tax by 25 percent – a move that affects how much tax a business pays on its gross margins. –cw

Bartlett-Cocke General Contractors, based in San Antonio, will be the construction manager at risk on one of the UTRGV

projects. In July, the company held informational sessions for subcontractors and suppliers concerning the upcoming

project.

Workers from Solid Lath & Plaster out of Donna look down from their perch at the new Bert Ogden Toyota dealership job in Harlingen. The GC on the project is Johnson Brothers Construction (JBC)

out of McAllen. –cw

How’s the weather up there?Construction News JOB SIGHT


Construction News JOB SIGHT

The origins of the term “dog days of summer” seem to have some unfor-tunate beginnings: “Dog Days were

popularly believed to be an evil time when the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other crea-tures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies," according to Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813.

The dog days of summer We don’t know about that, but we do know one thing for sure: Our dogs sure know how to celebrate any and all days as our best friends and companions. So we salute all of our favorite pooches as we push through these “dog days” of August with our eyes firmly fixed on cooler temps in the months to come! –cw

Wylie (because he looks like a coyote) seems to be saying, “Let me stay in here

on the cool tile” to his human, Stephanie Rendon from Terracon in Pharr.

Rocky the Cocker Spaniel doesn’t mind spending time with his friend, Isabella. The two cuties were submitted by Fred Garza,

Venamex LLC, in Corpus Christi.

Duchess, who was rescued from a no-kill shelter five years ago, thinks her right side

is her best side. Her best friend is Philip Ramirez, AIA, LEED AP, of Turner, Ramirez &

Associates Inc. in Corpus Christi.

Rascal the Pomeranian is sending a message to his human, editor Cyndi Wright, that it

must be dinnertime!

Caitlin Grant, 17, and Maverick have clearly decided the best way to celebrate summer is a play date in the grass. Caitlyn and Maverick belong to Colette Rye, executive director at

AGC – South Texas Chapter.

Athena the German Shepherd, Maggie the Golden Retriever and Rocky, the terrier mix, are well-behaved (and maybe hoping for a trip to the park) with their human, Stephany

Chacón of Terracon in Pharr

Marty the Husky has found a great way to cool off – digging a hole in freshly-watered foliage. Max seems to be saying, “I told you not to let him out!”

Marty and Max belong to Daisy Bennett of SpawGlass in Harlingen.

So what is the best thing to do when the temps are in the triple digits? Why, take a nap, of course! Here is Kenny Faires, Faires Plumbing in Edinburg,

with the family puggle, Samson.

Zoey appreciates the beautiful flowers of summer as they provide the perfect

backdrop for her unparalleled cuteness! Zoey’s human is John Gates of

Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architectsin McAllen.

Kevin Burnette, youngest son of Kathy Burnette, executive director of ABC Texas

Coastal Bend, and Jake have the right idea for a summer cool down – a trip to the

beach!

“Can we go to the beach? Huh? Can we?” are what labradoodle Jones and yellow lab Hank seem to be saying to Matt Ezell, South Texas Building Partners, Corpus Christi.

“I’ve got my eye on you!” is what Casper seems to be saying to his human,

Connor Friedrichs of REFCO in Pharr.

Peanuts is taking full advantage of the “Dog Days of Summer” – and blends in quite well! Peanuts is the favorite furry friend of Danny

Boultinghouse, Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects in McAllen.


Employees of J&N Welding & Fabricators of Penitas are lifting tilt up panelsat the Shopps at the Rio Grande in Edinburg. –cw

A great day in the ValleyConstruction News ON LOCATION

Steady as she goesConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Oscar Rodriguez, district manager for the Rio Grande Valley andBob Ortega, store manager, were busy at Tejas Equipment Rental in San Benito. –cw

Fire protection contractors from across the state played golf and went fishing at the Skins & Fins Tour-

nament held at South Shore Harbour Re-sort in League City in June. Folks also attended continued edu-cation classes, a table top vendor show, a buffet style dinner and a pool party. The Fire Sprinklers Contractors Asso-ciation of Texas (TXFCA) hosted the event. –ab

Leagues of fun

Where did they find these pants?! TXFSCA members have fun at the golf tournament .

Attendees stay up to date in their industry at a continuing education class.

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Rick Fuentes, Mike Tipton, store manager, and AJ Wallace were supplying smiles along with service at Johnstone Supply in La Feria. –cw

Suppliers of smilesConstruction News ON LOCATION

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