south texas construction news november 2015

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Matt’s opens third store Totally noble

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Happy Thanksgiving

The Rio Grande Valley experienced a surge of immigrants beginning last year – desperate people coming

from Mexico and Central America look-ing for relief. “We’ve been in the media spotlight for the last year,” says McAllen city man-ager Roy Rodriguez. “We’ve been work-ing side-by-side with Catholic Charities to provide a site where we were able to have them rest, shower and get clean clothes.” This past summer, the city went on the proactive with a major remodeling project to provide a central place for im-migrants to go find help from their own people. Called Consulate Row, Rodriguez says the idea to turn the building across the street from city hall into a multi-con-sulate set of offices came as the city was in the process of remodeling the building already for a Guatemalan consulate.

“Last summer, we were opening the consulate office for Guatemala across the street from city hall and we realized we had an empty building we could utilize there,” Rodriguez says. “We spoke to the governments of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to see if there was interest there. “We found out that they were al-ready moving to makeshift buildings here in McAllen. We pitched to them about remodeling the building and they were excited about it. With the immigra-tion issue it just made sense. Now we have them across the street. They have been very good partners.” The general contractor on the proj-ect was Rigney Construction LLC, locat-ed in Edinburg. John Rigney is president of the company he founded 15 years ago. Proj-ect manager was Joe Lino and project

The flag flies over the Consulate of El Salvador

When Matt’s Building Materials owner Danny Smith moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1969, it

was in response to a request by the for-mer owner of the lumberyard, Cecil Mc-Donald. McDonald had come to the Valley to open lumberyards after Hurricane Beu-lah tore through the area in 1967. Having already learned the ins and outs of the lumberyard business, Smith was a natu-ral choice for the job. In 2002, Smith bought the business from Ira Matt, who was the company’s accountant and who had purchased it from McDonald in 1976. There are now three locations for Matt’s: the original store in San Benito (1969), the Pharr location (1972) and the

A new general contracting firm opened its doors in February in Weslaco, and opened an additional

office in Wimberley in October. Noble Texas Builders is a GC, con-struction management, and design + build firm headed by partners Rene Cap-istran, president; Patrick Williams, vice president; and Alfredo Garcia, Jr., direc-tor of operations. “We provide hands-on professional construction services with pro-active so-lutions that deliver on a commitment to build quality facilities by an experienced and trusted team,” says Capistran. Even though the firm is new, Capist-ran says the partners have a combined experience of more than 60 years. The

newest store in Palmview (2015). Current owners include Smith, his sons, Jeremy (general manager San Benito), Isaac (head of purchasing) and Ben (general manager Palmview), as well as long-time employees Luis Macillas (CFO) and Oscar Sandoval (COO). Marketing director Nathan Cain says Smith has been in the business for 40 years and believes it’s not just about lumber – it’s about people. “When my boys came into the busi-ness I told them that if we don’t earn the business, we don’t deserve the business,” Smith says. “We need to do the best we can, with integrity and do it the right way. The only way to be successful is to please

L-R: Ben Smith, Isaac Smith, Jeremy Smith and Danny Smith

firm’s philosophy is: “Having Fun, Doing What We Love.” “As partners, we came together and dedicated ourselves to building a com-pany that would provide a friendly work environment that fosters and promotes employees’ growth,” Capistran says. “No-ble Texas Builders core values are ‘Trust, Team, Community.’ The partners say the name ‘Noble Texas Builders’ comes from two sources. “What we have learned is the impor-tance of being honest and ethical and building relationships,” Williams says. “When you take all those things one word defines that – and that is noble. It embod-ies the integrity we were looking for. If we

L-R: Rene Capistran, Patrick Williams, and Alfredo Garcia Jr. believe that construction should be a noble field.

South Texas Construction News • Nov 2015

The Terracon Pharr staff decided to barbecue after a long week in September. –cw

End of long week relaxingSubmitted to Construction News

Feeling blessed and wanting to give back to the community, B-C Equip-ment Sales, based in Corpus Christi,

has been renting “cause” machines to raise money for three good causes. When those machines are rented from any of their locations, 10 percent of the rental for the month goes to the charity repre-sented on the machine. The first machine, a Link-Belt 8030 Crane, was decked out in pink for breast cancer. Several people within the com-pany have mothers or wives who battled breast cancer, and the names of their rel-atives are on the crane. Bill Lathrop Jr., president of B-C, and Cathy, his wife and vice president, have a daughter, Melanie Lathrop, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 39. Today, she is cancer-free, and the cause

Causes for rent

remains close to the family. Now, the do-nations from that machine go to MD An-derson in Houston. The second machine, a Link-Belt 210 Excavator, is for childhood cancer, and they call it their “Gold Digger.” Donations from the rental of that machine go to Brooke’s Blossoming Hope. When B-C opened its San Antonio branch, Lathrop already knew he wanted to do the next cause machine for the mil-itary. Brooke Matherne, assistant to Da-mon Bean, branch manager for the San Antonio location, was working on finding the right charitable organization when one of her contacts at the rodeo intro-duced her to Wish for Our Heroes. “It was a wonderful fit,” says Math-erne. “Between 95 and 97 percent of all the money that [Wish for Our Heroes] collects goes directly toward active duty military members.” Matherne observes that charities for the military are often centered around veterans or service members who have been injured. She explains that Wish for Our Heroes helps active duty members keep food on their tables, pay their elec-tric bills, and offer other forms of relief when they are in need of help to take care of themselves and their families. B-C makes sure that the cause ma-chines are rented out as often as possible to maximize the amount they raise. If someone calls for a LBX 210, they will send the Gold Digger or the Wish for Our Heroes LBX 210 before any other of the same machine. Also, they are often asked to bring the cause machines to events to help raise awareness. “We just really feel that God has blessed our company through the years and we want to give back however we can,” says Sarah Baugh, marketing direc-tor and Lathrop’s daughter. Baugh estimates that B-C has given close to $75,000 total to the three chari-ties and their initial donation to Wish for Our Heroes was $5,000. Based in Corpus Christi, the compa-ny opened its first branch in La Feria about 10 years ago. Two years ago, B-C opened its San Antonio branch, and this year, B-C opened a branch in Laredo. They also have a salesman in Victoria. Established in 1986, the company is celebrating its 30th year in business doing sales, rentals, parts and service. –mh

Bill Lathrop Jr., president of B-C Equipment Sales, stands with the company’s first cause machine, the Pink Crane. A percentage of the rental for this machine goes to MD Anderson to

support the fight against breast cancer.

Aggie prideSubmitted to Construction News

SpawGlass recently had College Day at their locations across Texas and Steven Delgado and Veronica Gutierrez proudly showed their alma maters at the South Texas office. –cw

Action!Submitted to Construction News

American Safety Consulting assisted NFL FILMS on Sept. 25 in Harlingen with safety services and providing aerial boom-lift services for an upcoming story. –cw

A grand idea for lunch

These team members from Shale Rentals’ Pleasanton location stopped in briefly to enjoy the lunch buffet at the Oct. 15 grand opening of H&E Equipment ’s new San Antonio

location. L-R: Paul Garcia, Derrick Scogin and Justin Bryan –mh

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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.

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MUSTANG COLT SERVICESServing Customers HonestlyElectrical Contracting • Commercial/Industrial

Special Projects

San Antonio, TX 210 494 7100Weslaco, TX 956 969 5703

Founder and principal designer Chris Garza says the name for his com-pany explains his mission for archi-

tecture in the Rio Grande Valley. Elevate Architecture opened in 2013 with Garza’s vision of “elevating” the level of sophistica-tion and higher design concepts in Harlin-gen and the rest of the Valley. “The name implies the mission to create great architecture that elevates peoples’ awareness of beautiful and thought provoking buildings in their ev-ery day experience,” Garza says. Garza grew up in Harlingen and left to attend college at UT Austin. From there he worked in north Texas for a few years and then moved to Los Angeles to gain critical experience in the areas he is interested in. “I really want to expand my design experience and portfolio,” he explains. “Los Angeles is one of the most critical markets for design and architecture. I got the whole spectrum of experience.” After getting married and having his first child, Garza decided it was time to bring what he had learned to the place where it all started – as well as making sure his parents had close access to their (now 3) grandchildren. “We have big ideas to bring to the Valley,” he says. “We want to be the go-to place for boutique design and critical ar-chitecture. I’ve seen over the years that people here who want edgier, more thoughtful designs are going out of the

Cultivate and elevate

Valley to find designers and architects. We want to bring world class ideas to the Rio Grande Valley.” Garza has two full-time employees, Dan Burbine AIA, project architect, and Jesus Cuevas, project manager. During busy times, he hires three to four part-time employees to help out. Currently, the firm is working with MHS, a national service provider for HCA hospitals, developing their café concept for hospitals around Texas. Elevate is also working on a 140-unit apartment build-ing in McAllen, with Tri-Gen Construction as the general contractor. “He (Tri-Gen owner Jorge Gonzalez) was looking for creative design ideas,” Garza says. “We will be producing a world-class project. The design is very formal and unique and emulates the idea of a city skyline but at the scale of a three-story apartment building.” Garza is also currently working on of-fice space and apartment buildings for two other attorneys, but says a recent completed project, The Escamillay Law Firm for attorney of John Escamilla, al-lowed the design team to showcase their fresh approach. The GC on that project was Terra Homes. “We went to the nines in terms of de-sign,” Garza says. “We used light and shadow to illuminate space in different and beautiful ways.” –cw

Chris Garza Jesus Cuevas

Equipped for the jobConstruction News ON LOCATION

Tony Garza, sales manager, and Joe Lopez take care of the busy office at Comar Equipment Rental in McAllen. –cw

The South Texas Associated General Contractors (AGC) annual barbecue cookoff and auction was Oct. 2 at the

Al Amin Pavilion in Corpus Christi. The event was well attended, with competition high for the coveted first place trophies. Celebrity judges included: Sherriff Jim Kaelin, Gene DeLauro (director De-velopment Services, City of Corpus Chris-ti), Rosie Collin (Port of Corpus Christi),

Smoking hot in Corpus Christi

Preston Douglass (Owner, Harley David-son CC) and Representative Todd Hunter (District 34). The Mechanical Bull Riding Contest, sponsored by Ambrose Construction, was won by Ryan Freitag of Gentry Com-pany. He stayed on for 30 seconds and won the lifetime hunting license prize. Congrats to the winners! –cw

WinnersFirst Place Brisket: Scott Electric Company (Mike Riley & Lars Flores)Second Place Brisket: Malek Inc. (Jacob Morales, Ronnie Klepac, Jeremy Fojtik and Kevin Santine)First Place Ribs: Scott Electric Company (Mike Riley & Lars Flores)Second Place Ribs: SS Smith & Sons (Billy Smith & Ed Ybanez)First Place Dessert: Fulton Construction with Williamsburg Orange Cake Chef’s Choice: Fulton Construction with Fulton’s Original Brisket Nachos (Spud O’Neal, Frank Malone, Amanda Fowler and Joe Elliot)

Scott Electric Company (Mike Riley and Lars Flores) won first place in both brisket and ribs.

NAWIC Corpus Christi #4 had two members, Vanessa Garcia and Lisa Huerta, CBT, that

were judges and one member, Julia Smith, that was cooking.


George Kellard, Ebrahim Morales and Erasmo Casas of EAE Construction in Edinburg spent time on Sept. 19 at the Home Buyer’s Show in Weslaco. –cw

At your serviceSubmitted to Construction News

The small business owner’sretirement dilemmaKirk Quaschnick, PresidentMogul Wealth Strategies LLCMcKinney TX

You’ve poured a lifetime of sweat, time, and capital into building your construction business. You’ve

begun thinking about retirement, and your strategy is to sell your company for a good price, settle back, and enjoy a financially secure retirement. But, like many

business owners, you’ve made the mistake of assuming this scenario will happen, and you haven’t bothered to make other retirement plans.

You need to be realistic. What are the odds of a person showing up at the right time with cash in hand to buy the company for a fair price? For thousands of small business owners each year, no one steps forward. Perhaps the business is too specialized or is tied too closely to the owner’s unique personality and skills. Maybe possible buyers equate retirement sale with a distress sale and make only low-ball offers. Whatever the reason, many owners find that their company has suddenly become a white elephant that nobody wants.

Select and develop a successor. That’s why it’s so important to prime a replacement—someone who will buy your company when you’re ready to retire. Maybe this is a current co-owner (but be careful if he or she is about the same age as you, and planning to retire around the same time.) Or it’s your son or daughter active in the business, or a younger key employee. Business owners in the construction industry who successfully groom their own replacements leave nothing to chance. They realize that there’s no room for error at the point of retirement. Here are some steps you should take:Be cautious. Make sure your heir apparent is the right person in terms of temperament, personality, competence, and personal goals.Set up a probation period so you can terminate the relationship if you find that this person will not work out. During that period, keep everything informal, strictly verbal. Even when you go to a formal agreement, make sure it contains a termination provision.Offer incentives to ensure that your replacement stays until the baton is passed. An ambitious successor needs and deserves gradually increasing authority and benefits. Options include deferred compensation or the opportunity to acquire partial ownership prior to your retirement. This provides both parties with something to win by sticking to the agreement, and

something to lose if it falls apart.Create a buy-sell agreement. With the help of your attorney, lock in who does and gets what, spelling out all details and caveats, including how to establish the final valuation of the business. This formal agreement protects everybody.Build in a funding mechanism. This is crucial. No matter how good the terms of the buy/sell agreement, it will be worthless if the money is not there when needed to carry out the plan. Under one option, the successor may be able to purchase the company from ongoing profits. Other options include setting up a sinking fund or allowing the successor to simply borrow the money. These options may work but they leave much to chance. Instead, consider a funding vehicle that protects your family in the event of your disability or premature death, such as life and disability income insurance.Have a Plan B. As a business owner, you know that very few things go exactly as planned. What if your business hits tough times or your successor dies, becomes disabled, or leaves because of a personality conflict? Or what if there simply is no heir apparent waiting in the wings? Sometimes, it’s simply best to dismantle the business. Whether or not you have a possible successor for your construction company, you should begin mapping out your retirement strategy today. Your insurance professional or your independent professional advisors can work with you to help you develop a sound business strategy. Kirk G. Quaschnick, CLU, ChFC, ARPC, is the president and co-founder of Mogul Wealth Strategies, LLC in McKinney, TX. Since 1992, Kirk has helped his clients in financial, business, and estate planning, as well as financial advising, investment advisory and wealth management services to business owner executives and individuals. For additional information on the information or topic discussed, please contact Kirk at 214-420-7152, or email him at [email protected].

Members of the American Institute of Architects Lower Rio Grande ValleyChapter (AIA) Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE)

attended the annual meeting in Detroit in August. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Going up

Revenue recognition –it’s time for changeLeslie Guajardo, CPA, CCIFPPadgett Stratemann & Co., PartnerSan Antonio, TX

Revenue is one of the most important measures used by investors and owners in assessing a company’s

performance and prospects. However, recognition standards differ in accounting principles generally

accepted in the United States (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). For years, we have been hearing about the potential effects of the proposed revenue recognition standards and Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09 was issued on May 28, 2014. While the road to a final regulation is still being paved, the rule-makers are getting closer every day.

Earlier this year, the Financial Accounting Standards Board voted to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year. As a result, public entities would apply the new standard to annual reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2017; nonpublic entities in 2018.

The new guidance is aimed at removing inconsistencies and weaknesses in existing requirements; providing a framework for addressing issues; improving comparability of revenue recognition across entities, industries, and jurisdictions; and providing more useful information to users of financial statements through enhanced disclosures.

The key to understanding the major changes is to first understand the five steps to consider with each contract:

1. Identify contract with the customer 2. Identify separate performance obligations in the contract 3. Determine the transaction price 4. Allocate transaction price to performance obligations 5. Recognize revenue as performance obligations are satisfied

In most cases, entities would apply this five-step model to each contract awarded. However, in situations where the entity combines multiple contracts for purposes of revenue recognition, the standard states an entity can account for a portfolio of similar contracts together if the contracts are entered into at or near the same time, the contracts are negotiated with a single commercial objective, the amount of consideration in one contract depends on the other contract, and the goods promised are a single performance obligation.

Conversely, one contract could result in several performance obligations. If you determine you do not have separate performance obligations, the revenue recognition process remains basically unchanged. If you determine you do have separate obligations, you would continue with steps 3-5 above, which require the contract amount to be allocated among the performance obligations. Each obligation would then be accounted for as a separate job.

If a contract modification or change order arises, the contractor must determine whether it should be accounted for as part of the existing contract or a new one. If the modification changes only the transaction price, the entity would apply the requirements for allocating the new price to the existing obligations. If the modification changes the scope of the project so that a distinct obligation arises and the entity has a right to consideration that reflects the standalone price of the additional good, the change would be accounted for as a new contract.

The AICPA has formed 16 industry task forces to help develop a new Accounting Guide on Revenue Recognition that will provide illustrative examples for how to apply the new standard, with construction contractors being one of them. So, get your CPAs involved and be prepared to plan early.

Leslie V. Guajardo, CPA, CCIFP, is a partner at Padgett, Stratemann & Co., L.L.P. She can be reached at 210-253-1530 or [email protected].


Where’s the Great Pumpkin?Submitted to Construction News

National Women in Construction Corpus Christi Chapter (NAWIC) members recently gathered in the St. John's United Methodist Church pumpkin patch. –cw

New OSHA Electronic ResourcesJoann NatarajanCompliance Assistance SpecialistOSHAAustin, TX

OSHA has issued a number of downloadable resourc-es on the osha.gov website recently to enhance

workplace safety.

OSHA publication 3755, Protecting Roofing Workers, addresses fall protec-tion, ladders, scaffolds, lifts, electrical and roofing operations, roofing tools and personal protective equipment.

OSHA released publication 3825 Protect-ing Construction Workers in Confined Space: Small Entity Compliance Guide in September 2015 to assist construction employers in complying with the new confined space rule that was issued in May 2015. This publication covers con-fined spaces, permit spaces and duties of the competent person, entry supervisor, entrants and attendants.

A new publication, OSHA 3824 enti-tled Resource for Development and De-livery of Training to Workers concentrates on how adult learning and techniques to ensure an effective training session. In-cluded are best practices for training adults, best classroom layouts, a checklist of adult education, and program evalua-tion.

OSHA issued a Fact Sheet on All Ter-rain Vehicle safety. ATV’s are used to haul small loads and have been involved in 321 fatal accidents between 2003 and 2011. OSHA Fact Sheet 3758 gives some safety guidance on using ATV’s.

OSHA Info Sheet 3818, Health Effects from Contaminated Water in Eyewash Stations, addresses proper maintenance of eyewash stations to prevent bacterial eye infections.

OSHA issued three fact sheets on the proposed Beryllium rule. OSHA Fact Sheet 3821 provides an overview of the

proposed Beryllium law and what re-quirements OSHA is contemplating in the rule, OSHA Fact Sheet 3822 discusses the health effects of Beryllium, which is a hu-man carcinogen. OSHA Info Sheet 3823 discusses Beryllium Safety in the Work-place and the types of industries and pro-cesses where Beryllium is encountered, and ways to reduce and control exposure to this human carcinogen.

OSHA and NIOSH issued a Hazard Alert on Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and Installation. Engineered stone, quartzite, sandstone, granite, slate and soapstone countertops contain varying amounts of silica, which when cut and worked can release silica if precautions are not taken.

OSHA publications 3780 and 3781 cover temporary workers. OSHA 3780 ad-dresses who is responsible for providing and paying for personal protective equipment. OSHA 3780 makes clear that both the host employer and temporary company are responsible for temporary worker safety. OSHA 3781 covers the Whistleblower protections afforded all employees. The host employer and tem-porary company are jointly held respon-sible in the event that retaliation occurs.

All of the publications mentioned can be downloaded from the OSHA web-site at:http : //www.osha.gov/dcsp/compli-ance_assistance/new_ca_products.html

[email protected] x232

Phillip Cordova, of Bullard Construction, is on the site of a new retail store called Chandeliers and Mas in McAllen. Bullard Construction in McAllen is the general contractor. –cw

A new fixtureConstruction News JOB SIGHT

“Pay-if-Paid” still means“Pay-if-Paid”Shelly Masters, PrincipalCokinos Bosien & YoungAustin, TX

In the not too distant past, construction contractors of all tiers were highly concerned about the enforceability

of “pay-if-paid” clauses in construction contracts, making payment by a general contractor to a

subcontractor “contingent” upon the general contractor’s receipt of payment from the owner. Many were confused about the difference between pay-if-paid and pay-when-paid clauses, with good reason, as even Texas courts were often split on their interpretation. Many others were simply concerned about paying without being paid (general contractors) or getting paid (subcontractors). Despite the passage of law aggressively sought by contractor groups defining contingent payment clauses and their enforceability, many general contractors and most subcontractors fail to use the law to their benefit even today.

Contractors often put contingent payment clauses in their subcontracts. Contracts without pay-if-paid clauses are dangerous to general contractors because they may be forced to pay subcontractors and suppliers without ever receiving payment from the owner. The contractor uses these clauses to avoid financial disaster, by spreading among the subcontractors the risk of nonpayment if the owner fails to pay the contractor. Pay-if-paid clauses are dangerous for subcontractors because these clauses shift the risk of owner nonpayment from general contractors to subcontractors. A “pay if paid” provision in a subcontract provides that the general contractor is only obligated to pay the subcontractor if it is paid by the owner. Subcontractors frequently attempt to negotiate the removal of such clauses or revise them to become pay-when-paid clauses. In reality, however, subcontractors often lack the leverage needed to completely negotiate away such clauses. Texas law does not prohibit the use of contingent payment clauses, but does restrict their enforceability against “innocent” subcontractors if the owner’s nonpayment is due to its own insolvency or the misconduct of the general contractor or another subcontractor. If the contingent payment provision is interpreted as a pay-if-paid, then there are four exceptions to the application of the clause: (1) the owner’s or upstream contractor’s refusal to pay is caused by the principal’s failure to meet its obligations; (2) the contingent payment clause is contained in a sham contract; (3) the downstream contractor provides timely notice objecting to the enforcement of the contingency payment clause; or (4) the enforcement of the clause would be unconsdonable The application of any of these exceptions will depend heavily on the facts and

circumstances of the claim. Pursuant to the law codified in Section 35.521 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code, the contingent payment clause is an affirmative defense of a general contractor to a claim for payment in a civil lawsuit for breach of contract. There are some exceptions and safe harbors of which subcontractors in Texas may take advantage so long as they meet some critical notice deadlines not unlike those required by the Texas mechanic’s lien statute. Also, §35.521(i) states that a contingent payment clause cannot be used to invalidate the enforcement or perfection of a mechanic’s lien for labor performed or materials furnished. Likewise, no party can be forced to give up its rights to object to the enforcement of a contingent payment clause. Despite improvement in the volume of Texas construction projects, lawsuits for lack of payment on construction projects are filed almost daily. The contingent payment law provides an avenue of collection for subcontractors and suppliers suffering from nonpayment. Conversely, it establishes a method to further protect their enforceability for general contractors or other upper tier contractors. However, it has no effect on those in the construction industry who unknowingly or intentionally fail to avail themselves of the protections of the law they worked so hard to get. Shelly Masters is a principal in the Austin office of Cokinos Bosien & Young. She represents clients in the areas of construction, labor and employment, commercial, and products liability law. Cokinos Bosien & Young has been representing the construction industry for over 25 years. Her firm has additional offices in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (512) 615-1139.


Eloy AguirreOwner

AFC Builders LLC

Eloy Aguirre says his motivation to begin working early in life on his father’s job sites was not to earn

money – it was to learn. Now he is owner and founder of a set of businesses under the name AFC, including AFC Builders LLC, AFC LLC, and AFLP LLC. Aguirre is a man with many interests and a desire to continue learning whatever life has to teach him – be it in the construction field, the entertainment industry, music or other creative outlets.

Tell me about the Aguirre family’s construction history. My grandfather, Gabriel Aguirre, started framing in the 1930s in the Rio Grande Valley, when there wasn’t much of that going on. My father, Noe Aguirre, is still alive and was also a framer. He went into general contracting in residential.

What was it like for you? I was six when I went to my first construction site. I remember going to play. When I was eight, my dad, he was tough, he said “you are going to work, not play!” So, I took nails to the guys, brought them water, picked up trash. I was making $20 a week. It was way better than staying at home during summer vacation. I did it on holidays and weekends, too. My motivation wasn’t the money – it was to learn. I was already a crew leader by the time I was 15.

What was it like growing up? I grew up in Hidalgo. It is a small town, everybody knows everybody. In high school, I was in the band. I played drums. I sweated all summer at work on the job sites, so when I saw the guys out there sweating at football practice, I knew I didn’t want to do that.

What was your family like while you were growing up? There were nine children, but one passed at two years old. My siblings are Joel, Noemi, Eddie, Sandy, Diana, Ruben, Belinda and Mark. My mom, Veronica, taught us to always have a grateful heart. She took us to church and instilled values. She is all about family values. Now that we are all grown up with our own families, she is the one who keeps us close. We all still live in the Rio Grande Valley. We get together at my parent’s house for Christmas and other holidays. My parents have a total of 20 grandchildren. My dad taught us to always be a leader. He taught me to always demand perfection from the people who work for you. If you let it slide, it all goes down pretty quick. He was really tough. He would rather do it right the first time than have to go back and fix something. I am like him in that I am confident in myself.

What happened after high school? I asked myself if I should stay in the business or go to college. I decided there is no limit to this business. You can take it

to another level if you want. I started framing. Wood is easy. Then I went to general contracting. I’ve never done residential.

Now you have three companies, right? Yes. I started with Aguirre Framing & Construction, but we seemed to be getting pigeonholed into just framing. So, I started a second division, AFC Builders and we do only commercial building as a general contractor. We started building apartment complexes and I created Aguirre Family Limited Partnership (AFLP) to manage the apartments. I decided to keep them for an investment rather than sell them. There’s a great need for apartments here. We are currently building a 16-unit apartment building in Hidalgo and we already have them all rented. It’s our first project in Hidalgo, my hometown. Eddie Aguirre, my brother, is my construction coordinator. He has been with me since he was a kid – 22 years.

Do you have any other team members you would like to name? Yes. Marco Salas, construction superintendent, 15 years; Juan Morales: construction foreman, 6 years; Javier Sanchez, project manager/estimator, 2 years; Ibeth Sandoval, operations manager/contract administrator, 8 years; Yazmin Lopez, property services coordinator, 5 years; Brenda A. Aguirre, managing director, 10 years; and Daniela Rios, administrative assistant, 1 year.

What was your favorite project? I’d have to say Junior’s Supermarket in Alton. It came out really nice. We’ve done hotels, strip centers, multi-family… My goal is to build better, not bigger. I’m very selective. I do more private work. We currently have 20-25 employees. AFC sponsors a lot of stuff, including soccer and baseball teams. We’ve belonged to Associated General Contractors since 2005.

In looking around your office, I see film reels and movie memorabilia. I love movies. When I was nine, my brother and I went to the store to rent two movies. That was back in the days when you rented the VHS machine to play the movies on as well. I picked “Back to the Future”. It’s my favorite move of all time. To see the future, it blew my mind!

What is that music you are playing? Frank Sinatra. I love Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Musically, I have the best of both worlds – Mexican and American. I love rock, as well. I just went to see Motley Crue. The last song they played was “I did it my way,” which was an old Frank Sinatra song. It was quite a coincidence!

Tell me about your name tag – it looks very unique. I had them make this special for me. The “E” is backwards so a monkey can hang off of it – that’s for my daughter, Angelina, because we always call her “Monkey.” On the upside down “Y”, there is a little pig, because we always call my son, Ian, “Little Piggy.”

That’s very special. Tell me about your family. I met my wife, Brenda, when she was 14. I was a senior and she was a freshman. We dated for six years and got married Sept. 10, 2001. We just had our 16th anniversary. We have two children. Angelina is 14 – it seems like she was only born yesterday and now we are planning her quinceañerò. She’s been in ballet for 10 years and is dancing with pre-company. They do hip-hop, jazz, as well. Ian is 11. He plays soccer. He always says he is going to go into the construction business, but mainly because he wants to build a Cheesecake Factory and all of the

other restaurants he likes that aren’t here now.

What kind of time do you spend on hobbies, vacations? Well, I don’t have too much time for hobbies. I go fishing once a year. It’s not because I have to be busy. It’s because I love what I do. We take summer vacations with the kids. We’ve been on two Disney cruises, California, New York, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and this summer we are going to Cancun or San Francisco. I’m not sure. I’ve heard it’s really cold in San Francisco! In two years, we are going to Hawaii.

What has been your favorite vacation so far? Oh, hands down, the Disney cruise. It’s amazing, just amazing! I would definitely recommend it.

Where do you go fishing? South Padre Island, of course! It’s one of the advantages of living here. I have a favorite guide, South Texas Flats with Capt. Willie Johnson. He’s been taking us out for the past five years.

What is the philosophy that has made you successful? Always put God first in everything you do. He will open doors for you and he will put the right people in your path. God does his part and you do your part and boom – it comes together. If I start a day without God’s protection, I don’t see it being a successful day. The days that are really hard will make or break you. When you know God is there, you have to trust that he is going to help you through. If you wake up and you are alive, you are already a winner! –cw

Eloy Aguirre is a true movie buff – with memorabilia from his favoritemove “Back to the Future” behind him.

Eloy Aguirre’s nametag is a creative and fun nod to his children.

As the owner of three companies, Eloy Aguirre stays pretty busy, but he says he loves it.


Smell the flowersSubmitted to Construction News

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS . . .

fishing, hunting, skiing,biking, racing, or

any outdoor activity or sport.

There is no charge to you.

Email to:[email protected]

or call 210-308-5800(home office)Ask for Cyndi)

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

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

(361) 949-7359www.baffi nbaycharters.com

[email protected]

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

STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC

The Change of Seasons

by Capt. Steve Schultz

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

ers, ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.

As we prepare to enter the winter season, look for changing patterns in speckled trout and redfish action. Starting in late October and early November, cool fronts will start arriving dropping water temperatures and barometric pressures. Contrary to popular belief, nice weather is not always the best fishing weather, therefore I try to avoid days right after a cold front when both skies and pressures are high. Planning your day prior to these pre-fronts and post-fronts conditions can pay off in big dividends. Be prepared to fish longer days, sometimes with fewer bites as fish tend to feed less frequently during cooler months.

By the time this column is in your hands, I will probably have made the transition from live fin-fish to lures or perhaps

live shrimp when available. Wading the banks of the King Ranch shoreline from the JFK to Baffin will be the norm except when drifting the deeper rocks. Resident trout and redfish will begin their feeding habits preparing for the winter. I also expect the red tide conditions to be completely gone from our bay complex. and jigs should be changed or at least sharpened. Rods and reels, lubed and tuned and ready for countless casts.

Planning your outing on the water should be thought out before you get to the ramp, at least the first couple of spots you intend to fish. If things go as planned, pat yourself on the back and make some mental notes on what the conditions are. If the wheels start to fall off, be prepared to make a major change or grind it out if you have confidence in that spot. Topwater lures will be one of my early morning choices before water temps drop below the 70 degree mark. MirrOlure She Dog and She Pup are excellent choices because of the high pitch sounds they produce. The MirrOdine and Pro Dog Jr. are also very productive when your looking for a smaller presentation.

Before closing, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels. I would also like to give thanks to all the sponsors listed above for the support throughout the season. Without you, none of this would be possible.

To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at [email protected]

Good luck and Good Fishing.Bubba Storbeck of San Antonio still able to get it done catching this 27 in. redfish

last week on a fishing outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

Carolyn Faires, Faires Plumbing Company in Edinburg, recently enjoyed a trip to the Texas Hill Country. –cw


Fall festival timeSubmitted to Construction News

Terracon employee Lupe Leal, with his wife Rebeca and daughters Sabrina and Stephanie, volunteering at St. Luke’s Fall Festival in Brownsville. –cw

Up, up and awaySubmitted to Construction News

Although it was too windy for the hot air bal-loons to fly, the operators inflated them for a color-ful and spectacular night burn. The Balloon Fest was held at the Flores-

ville Golf Course the weekend of Oct 17, which

Sue Johnson and Kent Gerstner, Construction News, and their families

attended. –sj

Kayaking in South TexasSubmitted to Construction News

Bob Simpson of Boultinghouse Simpson Gates

Architects in McAllen recently

enjoyed a kayaking trip

in South Texas. He kayaked the Arroyo

Colorado which flows 53 miles

through Hidalgo, Cameron and

Willacy counties. Pictured left,

Simpson shows a Jack fish he

caught. Pictured right, a silhouette

against the setting sun. –cw


15 years for Milnet

When Rodolfo “Rudy” Molina asked his wise aunt in the eighth grade if he should pursue a ca-

reer in psychology or architecture, her answer made it easy to pick. “She said if you become a psycholo-gist, you will see people at their worst,” Molina remembers. “If you become an architect, you will see people at their best – when they have money to spend and want to build something beautiful.” He had already been interested in ar-chitecture, but most of his uncles were engineers who scoffed at the career. “They made fun of architects – they said it was a rich man’s hobby,” Molina laughs. But he liked studying buildings and how they were built and has traveled all over the world to see them up close and personal. Italy is his favorite place, be-cause he says the people are the nicest and the buildings are old.

After graduating from the University of Houston, Molina stayed in Houston where he worked for an architectural firm, but when his father became ill, he moved back to McAllen in 1998. In 2000, he founded Milnet Architectural Servic-es. Simultaneously, he taught architec-tural drafting at South Texas College. When the firm started getting busy, Molina had to stop teaching, but all of his six employees are former students. Now celebrating 15 years, Molina got his first big break retrofitting the Edin-burg ISD schools for the ADA Act. The firm now handles schools, municipal and church work, among others. Some of his favorite jobs included the Edinburg Li-brary, renovated from a former bowling alley, and more recently, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mission, where he came up with a unique way in-volving compression to avoid having col-umns in the center of the sanctuary. –cw

Mirtha Uranga, production specialist and Rudy Molina look over plansat Milnet Architects in McAllen.

Ebrahim Morales, owner of EAE Construction in Edinburg, attended the2015 Solar Decathlon held in October in Irvine, CA. –cw

Staying current

Testing…testing

Terracon hosted the most recent American Concrete Institute (ACI) training at theiroffice in Pharr. Technicians from testing labs across South Texas joined to study,

review, then test for the ACI Concrete Field - Grade 1. Terracon technicianAdrian Rodriguez is testing a technician from Rock Engineering

on the sampling of concrete. –cw

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Not the bears, the chairs

Testengeer employees sport their Bad News Chairs shirts at the Port Lavaca location. –cw

The Allegiance Crane & Equipment

“Skin & Bones” Cooking Team

brought one of its minions to defend

the team’s booth at the Associated Gen-

eral Contractor (AGC) San Antonio Chapter’s 22nd an-nual Safety Fair & BBQ Cook-Off L-R:

James Garcia, Jan-ice Gallegos, Rox-anne and Joe Va-

lenzuela –mh

You’ll never capture their ship

Joe Valenzuela shows off his barbecue ribs

fresh from the pit.

What is your favorite movie?

“The Count of Monte Cristo” is my favorite! It has romance, intrigue, justice, revenge, mercy, forgiveness. It's a dramatic story and the narrative keeps you captivated. And, in the end, love and faith wins out!

Carolyn Faires, Faires Plumbing,Edinburg

“Marvel’s The Avengers.” Why? A bunch of superheroes come out in the movie. A lot of action and cool effects. Awesome movie, plus I like superhero movies a lot!

Juan Borjon, Terracon, Pharr I don’t have a favorite movie, but my fa-vorite moment is when my family and I are able to go watch a movie together.

Lupe Leal, Terracon, Pharr

Easy one. “Dead Poets Society” by Robin Williams. Its message: live life on your own terms; look at life in a different way; make your life extraordinary; think and question everything; take the road not taken ... CARPE DIEM “SEIZE THE DAY”

Danny Boultinghouse, AIABoultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects

McAllen

“Pretty Woman.” When I was a teenager, it was the first movie I got to go see with my best friend unchaperoned.

Kerry McBride, Peacock General Contractor Inc., Harlingen

“Bad Boys.” It reminds me of my best friend and I. TJ, my best friend, is definite-ly the Martin Lawrence character!

Tre' Peacock, Peacock GeneralContractor Inc., Harlingen

“The Love Guru” - because it has Mike Myers and it is very funny.

Ana Shaffer, Dixie Pipe Sales,Corpus Christi

“Sense & Sensibility” - just the romantic in me.Darlene Lee Omana, Gill Roofing,

Corpus Christi

“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” - be-cause it is the best musical and I love the name Dorkis.

Teresa Slamans-Smith, NAWIC,Corpus Christi

“Dirty Dancing” and “Grease” - I love the dancing and the music.

Vickie Thompson, Dixie Pipe Sales, Corpus Christi

My favorite movie is “Rudy”. The whole story of a small guy from a humbling fam-ily trying to fulfill his and his father’s dream of playing football for Notre Dame is a tear jerker for me, and then him running on to the field on the last game of the season with seconds left, and then getting a sack on the quarterback, then and finally the team carrying him off the field…. man, talk about Kleenex time for me!!!

Jorge A. Flores, Terracon, Pharr

I have a hard time doing anything else if I am flipping channels and come across “Back to the Future.” That was just such a fun movie to watch growing up in the 80’s and I notice something new every time I watch it.

Matt Ezell, South Texas BuildingPartners, Corpus Christi

I guess it would be "Oh Brother Where art Thou," mostly because it’s funny but also it’s a clever look at how human tenden-cies haven't changed so much from the ancients (Homer's Odyssey) to the mod-ern (Homer Stokes).

Pat Williams, Noble Texas Builders, Weslaco

“Rudy”: He has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame. The difference between history's boldest accomplishments and its most staggering failures is often, simply, the diligent will to persevere. Every time I see that movie, I remind myself everything is possible…David vs. Goliath!!!

Rene Capistran, Noble Texas Builders, Weslaco

“Back to the Future.” I saw this when I was 9 and I was just amazed. To see the future – it just blew my mind!

Eloy Aguirre, AFC Builders, Pharr

“La Strada.” It’s an Italian movie with An-thony Quinn. It shows how people perse-vere no matter what.

Rudy Molina, Milnet Architects,McAllen

I would have to say one of my favorite movies is “McFarland USA.” It's an inspira-tional movie on how a group of kids and coach overcame adversity through team-work and dedication and won a state championship over the favored schools and till this day the coach and students play an active role in their community.

Alfredo Garcia Jr., Noble Texas Builders, Weslaco

I have two: “Gone With The Wind” (1939) and “Great Expectations” (1998). Both were based on the novels by Margaret Mitch-ell and Charles Dickens, respectively. I guess I like them because they both show who I am: a romantic and passionate person.

Hector Berrios, Richter Architects,Corpus Christi

“The 13th Warrior.” Vikings and Antonio Banderas!

Cyndi Wright, South Texas Construction News

“The Princess Bride” - It’s just incredibly funny and so quotable!

Connie G. Rivera, WKMC Architects, Corpus Christi

The ABC Painting & Drywall crew in Corpus Christi takes a ride upto get the top part of a recent job. –cw

A higher callingConstruction News JOB SIGHT



Architecture & Engineering

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2015Schedule

Construction Equipment

Legislative year brings changes to industry

David Howell, PE, Deputy Executive DirectorTexas Board of Professional EngineersAustin, TX

As with all odd-numbered years in Texas, 2015 brought with it a legislative session to Austin. The 84th legis-

lature of Texas made a few changes that affected the en-gineering community. Unlike the 2013 session, which

through the passage of the Sunset bill for the Engineering Practice Act, brought us the fingerprint-based Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), the bills passed in the 2015 session should be much more well-received. Some of the bills affecting the engineer-ing community in Texas are:

House Bill 7 – Tax reduction was one of the popular efforts during this session. HB7 was aimed at reducing the tax bur-den on a number of professions. The great news for the engineering commu-nity is that effective Sept. 1, engineers no longer pay the $200 professional fee as-sociated with license renewals or initial licensure. All licensees will see the reduc-tion automatically on renewals state-ments, starting with the September re-newal cycle. The Board is excited to help implement this change that will have a significant effect on thousands of indi-viduals and engineering firms in Texas. Senate Bills 807 and 1307 – Anoth-er topic that was addressed with several bills this session was related to military and veteran licensure. The legislature wanted to make sure that individuals

who served the U.S. would receive as much benefit for that service as possible. These two bills will change the Board processes regarding licensing and re-newal requirements for active duty mili-tary, veterans, and military spouses. House Bill 2439 – There were sever-al bills this session related to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Wind-storm Insurance program. As you may know, since the 2011 Texas Legislative session, the Engineering Practice Act has contained a section regarding Wind-storm Related Design Services. It estab-lished the process for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers to create and maintain a roster of engineers who are qualified to do Windstorm Design so those individuals could be appointed as inspectors by TDI. HB 2439 changed the

Act by repealing the Windstorm Roster section in the Act, but based on imple-mentation requirements for TDI, the ros-ter will remain in effect as it is until the end of 2016. House Bill 2049 – This bill prohibits state and local government entities from issuing contracts with engineers that re-quire a duty to defend. House Bill 2167 – This bill modifies limitations regarding unmanned aerial vehicles to allow their use by engineers and surveyors in their professional prac-tice as long as no people are visible in the images. This change will allow engineers and surveyors to safely access more re-mote locations. While most statutory changes are ef-fective on Sept. 1, any Board rules that needed to be modified for implementa-tion of these bills or others, were brought to the Board at its August meeting and were posted for comments and input. The earliest adoption of revised rules would be in November, with a potential effective date of mid-December. This is also a good time to look back at the previous session and give an up-date on the implementation activities since then. As I said above, one of the most significant bills of the 2013 legisla-tive session was Senate Bill 204, which was the Sunset bill for the agency. The bill reauthorized the agency for another 12 years and made some changes to the Board’s enforcement authority. One of the most contentious changes made by

the Sunset bill was the requirement for all active license holders and new applicants to obtain a fingerprint-based CHRC prior to renewal in 2014. Starting with the first renewal quar-ter in March of 2014 and continuing through the last renewals in December, we had roughly 46,000 PEs have their fin-gerprints taken for the CHRC. During that year, we also had approximately 4,200 new applicants go through the process. Almost 91% of those individuals had no criminal records at all. For the re-maining 4,300 records, TBPE was able to view the record in the DPS system. For security reasons, TBPE did not import criminal records into our system. Of the 50,000+ individuals that went through the CHRC process in 2014, there were six enforcement cases opened against li-censees and at least 50 applicants who have had to comply with additional re-quirements prior to approval. The CHRC process is only required to be completed one time for a PE license. While this process is still in place and will continue for new applicants and reactiva-tion of inactive licenses, the bulk of the CHRC for PEs has been completed.The Texas Board of Professional Engi-neers and staff continue to protect the public and look for ways to serve the reg-ulated engineering community as effec-tively as possible. Visit our website (www.engineers.texas.gov) and keep an eye on your email for news, updates and announcements. –cw

Dedication in engineering

Bob Smith, PresidentGeoscience Engineering & TestingHouston, TX

In your opinion, what is the current state of the local construction indus-

try? Our experience is showing that the housing is starting to slow down from a breakneck speed. The housing industry is still in good shape. The commercial side appears to be in full swing. Just take a drive anywhere in Houston and you will see a lot of tower cranes. We used to joke in the 80’s that the tower crane was the state bird. It looks like it is coming back. There is also a significant amount of municipal working going on. The Grand Parkway is one of the largest projects be-ing constructed right now. There are also bond elections being held in both Harris and Montgomery counties. If these

bonds pass, there will be a lot of needed infrastructure work performed and will create construction jobs.

What are a few trends you see in your industry in recent years? We can usually see an increase in residential construction when apart-ments reach about 95% occupancy. When residential work increases, there has to be supporting businesses like convenience stores, grocery stores, dry cleaners, etc. We have seen a pattern of when the residential slows down, municipal work increases.

What are the rewards of working as a

geotechnical engineer? One of the responsibilities of design professionals is public safety. When we give a recommendation for a foundation, for example a bridge, the foundation de-signers rely on our information to design the foundation. Failure is not an option. We are currently working with Landry’s on a new 32-story hotel. The geotechnical recommendation for a high rise is very complicated and requires ad-ditional consulting during the construc-tion process. There is a sense of pride when the recommendations you give turn into a completed project.

What are the keys to being successful in your industry? You should find a mentor that is will-ing to work with you and never say no. It takes not only an education, it takes ded-ication. You might have to sacrifice time, salary, and probably a few weekends to rise to the top.

In your opinion, what is the most sig-nificant challenge your industry faces? The greatest and costliest is local,

state and federal government regula-tions. We spend a significant amount of re-sources to comply with all of the regula-tions. We have a full time employee dedi-cated to ensure we meet all of the re-quirements.

What advice would you give for a young person interested in pursuing a career in geotechnical engineering? I would advise that you should get your EIT immediately after graduating. Then work toward a master’s degree and find a medium size company to work for. This is also the time to start building rela-tionships within the industry. These contacts will be invaluable in the future. If you go to a smaller compa-ny, I believe your chances of finding a good mentor are better. When you find that person, stick with them for at least five years and then take the test for a PE license. I always tell my engineers that even-tually we all become salesmen. An engi-neer that can bring a project in is worth their weight in gold. –ab


Partying S. Padre Island style

The 2015 Building Communities Con-ference and Expo at South Padre Is-land attracted architects, contrac-

tors, engineers, interior designers, plan-ners, and landscape architects from throughout the state of Texas and be-yond during the course of the event Sept. 24-26. Participants started Thursday with a tour that examined an array of sites em-

bodying the rich architectural heritage of Brownsville and its extraordinary array of architectural resources. On Friday and Saturday, the BCC featured new trends, networking and time relaxing. Those who stayed through Saturday night en-joyed a delicious Huge Gulf Shrimp and Beer dinner at Doubleday’s Bar of Cham-pions at Port Isabel. –cw

Terracon, Pharr

Attendees on the historical tour pose for a group shot

SpawGlass

Left:Perry Vaughn,

AGC-RGV executive director;

Rolando Garcia, FAIA, Broaddus &

Associates, McAllen Office;

Michael Hovar, Amtech Building

Science Inc., McAllen Office

EGV Architects, Hidalgo Raba Kistner Consultants

Rike – Ogden – Figueroa– Allex Architects Inc., McAllenRio Grande Steel, Edinburg

Right:John and

Sharon Swink, Acme Brick Company


Round-UpSubmissions

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently 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 [email protected]@constructionnews.netDallas/Ft. [email protected]@constructionnews.netSouth [email protected]

Round-Up

Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABC- Corpus ChristiAssociated Builders & Contractors

Nov. 4: First Wednesday Mixer, Check abctcb.org for more info

AGC- Rio Grande ValleyAssociated General Contractors

Nov. 18: Book signing and AIA Mixer, Val-ley Nature Center, Weslaco

AIA - Corpus ChristiAmerican Institute of Architects

Nov. 17: Chapter meeting, 6pm, Water Street Oyster Bar. Check aiacorpuschristi.org for more info

AIA - Rio Grande ValleyAmerican Institute of Architects

Nov. 18: AIA Mixer and AGC book sign-ing, Valley Nature Center, Weslaco

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

Nov 17: Dinner and business meeting, public welcome, 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.

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continued from Page 1 — Matt’s opens third store

your customers.” The company was the first local hardware and lumberyard to service the Hispanic community and is the only busi-ness of its kind from that era that still op-erates today, Cain says. Part of the way they make sure to please customers is through intensive training of the roughly 160 employees. “We spend a lot of time training our employees,” Cain says. “Most are specific to a certain department. We try and do everything we can for our customers. The staff is really knowledgeable and can give qualified and useful information.” There are more than 10 employees who have been with the company for more than 20 years and Cain says most people in management have been with the business for a number of years and worked their way up. The store caters to contractors and builders (50 percent) and do-it-yourself-ers (50 percent). Besides a full-service

lumberyard, the store includes hardware, flooring, fixtures, paint, as well as custom made products such as doors, windows and cabinets. The Smiths are heavily involved in their church and also participate in bas-ketball and Cain recently started an em-ployee soccer team. “We play every Thursday at 10pm,” he said. “We have a couple of contractors on the team, as well.” Most people driving through Pharr on U.S. 83 can’t help but notice the huge, western appearance of Matt’s Building Materials. In fact, with its façade and front porch, Cain says a famous story is in the late 1980s when a group of girls showed up in their boots and western wear, thinking it was a dance hall. As to the future, Cain says the com-pany welcomes growth. “We would like to keep growing and open more stores, but we are not in a hurry,” he says. –cw

Kyle Hunt has joined Stanley Con-sultants as an envi-ronmental project principal. Based in the firm’s Austin of-fice, Hunt will focus on business devel-opment, introduc-ing the company’s wide range of environ-mental services to energy, infrastructure, and industrial clients in Texas and the sur-rounding states. Hunt’s environmental experience includes nearly 25 years of environmental sampling, testing and monitoring. He formerly held positions as director of sales and business develop-ment for Sutron, a leading environmental monitoring firm, and as quality assurance manager for URS Corporation. A native Texan, Hunt has a chemistry degree from Texas State University.

McCarthy Building Companies Inc. has appointed Jorge Laris as project di-rector for McCar-thy’s transportation business in Hous-ton. In his new posi-tion, Laris will be working with Mc-Carthy’s heavy civil team to pursue and manage hard bid and design-build trans-portation projects throughout the Hous-ton and South Texas markets. Laris grad-uated with a Civil Engineering degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and received a master’s de-gree from Texas A&M University.

LJA has promoted Bob Bardin, PE, to senior project man-ager in the firm’s Hydraulics and Hy-drology Division. Bardin has more than 15 years of civil engineering experi-ence specializing in hydrology and hy-draulics. His expertise includes numerous drainage studies for master planned com-munities, FEMA flood insurance studies, flood reduction analyses, storm water de-tention design, and open channel drain-age design. Bardin will manage the H&H staff in the completion of studies in sup-port of land development projects across the State of Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Thomas Mountz, PE, D. WRE, CFM, has joined LJA En-gineering Inc. as project manager in the firm’s Water Re-sources Division. Mountz has over 42 years of civil engi-neering, stormwater management, and drainage design experience. His exten-sive experience as an engineer, project manager, and multi-discipline team lead-er includes water resources management, master planning, floodplain and dam breach modeling, comprehensive drain-age masterplans, and stormwater quality analysis. He will be responsible for devel-oping and managing stormwater master plan, flood studies, and other water re-sources projects throughout Texas. Mountz is a Licensed Professional Engi-neer in the States of Texas and Florida and a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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continued from Page 1 — It’s all about helping

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superintendent was Adrian Rodriguez. Architect on the project was Milnet Architects of McAllen. The project costs were slightly less than $800,000 and the project took 90 days. “We completely demoed the inside of an existing 8,000-sf building,” John Ri-gney says. “We put up metal stud walls, new AC and electrical … we basically started from scratch.” Rigney says the building was aban-doned for many years, but the shell was in great shape. The building originally housed the Texas Workforce Commission. Rigney has a long-standing relation-ship with the city, having done work for them consistently through the 15 years the company has been in business. They have also worked on other projects with Milnet. “We’ve been working with Milnet for quite awhile,” he says. It’s a good firm.” The only challenge on the project was the fast time frame.

“It was a really fast project, a 90-day project,” Rigney says. “It was already leased to the consulates and they wanted to move in by a certain date. It was pretty straightforward. The short time frame was really the only challenge.” City manager Rodriguez is thrilled with the new Consulate Row. “We’ve had the Mexico consulate of-fice here for years,” he says. “Guatemala had just opened when we decided to open this. It’s very unique what we have here.” Consulate employees live in the community. “They live and work here. They are representatives of their countries,” he says. “Some have passports, some have resident status and some are on visas. They help the people coming through with everything from paperwork up.” Rigney Construction handles every-thing from remodeling to multi-million projects, including retail outlets and schools. –cw

The ribbon cutting for the Consulate of El Salvador

The ribbon cutting for the Consulate of Honduras

The ribbon cutting for the Consulate of Guatemala

Landmark event

Surveyors from Texas and beyond lined up to attend the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS)’s

64th Annual Convention & Tech Expo, hosted Oct. 8-11 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. “It’s a great opportunity for our sur-veyors to network and learn about new technologies through our exhibitors as well as our through the education and classes that they get,” TSPS Executive di-rector DJ Kyle says. An Oct. 8 skeet shoot at Elm Fork Shooting Sport marked the event’s “point

of beginning,” followed by a golf tourna-ment at Tenison Highlands Golf Course, a past president’s dinner and a TSPSA open house. Meetings for the board of direc-tors and the association’s membership were slated for Friday, capped off with an alumni reception. The weekend got underway with educational sessions, a luncheon and a trade show with 65 exhibitors. TSPS host-ed a “When I’m 64” awards gala Saturday evening, featuring Beatles tribute band “A Hard Day’s Night!” The convention convened Sunday afternoon after a sec-ond day of exhibits and educational ses-sions. –mjm

Texas Surveyors Foundation Inc. (TSFI)

National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)

GeoShack

Western Data Systems

continued from Page 1 — Totally noble

wake up every morning and look at the world, it’s what we aspire to be every day.” According to Williams, a friend who owns a similarly named company in El Paso was also an inspiration for the name. Ruben Gonzalez, who owns Noble Gen-eral Contractors, a completely separate company, helped the partners when they created Noble Texas Builders. “Ruben offered his help. He was our benchmark,” Williams said. “He believes, as well, that if you do general contracting the right way, it is a noble profession.” Garcia shared a story about the com-pany’s humbling beginnings. “When we showed up the first week at our new of-fice, there was not even a chair. The sec-ond week, Patrick brought his own,” he laughed. Now, there are 24 employees to help fulfill the dream that the partners creat-ed.

“Pat and I started having these con-versations years ago,” Capistran said. “Once we decided to move forward, we found there was a great need.” Williams, Capistran and Garcia had worked for the same large general con-tracting company prior. “That company had extremely good values and high ideals,” Capistran said. “We brought that to Noble Texas Build-ers. We intend to bring that level of ser-vice in a smaller company. From experi-ence, we know how much our customer’s expect from us and we aim to deliver.” The partners say they support sever-al community programs, specifically identified as needs in the areas they live and work in, including United Way, Easter Seals and Hooked for Life – Kids Gone Fish’n. “We believe in investing in the hu-man capital in the areas we are serving,” Garcia says. –cw


Honoring those who serve

While many realize that Veter-ans Day, which always falls on Nov. 11, is a day to honor our

veterans, few realize the historical signifi-cance behind the day. Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Therefore, the day is always recognized on Nov. 11, regardless of the day of the week the 11th falls on. In 1919, President Wilson commemo-rated the first Armistice Day with these words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the op-portunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations..." The day was originally set aside to honor the veterans of World War I with a day of parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11am on the day. In 1938, it was made a legal federal holi-day for all. However, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to rec-ognize all of our veterans and not just those of World War I. In 1954, the word "Armistice" was re-placed with "Veterans" as a way to for-mally include all veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance. Veterans Day is a day not only to re-member those who died in service to our country, but also to recognize those who have served and those who continue to serve today. –cw

Dante Alanis, who works at Atlas Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing in Mission, TX., served in the Army for 17 years. His

co-workers say he loves his motorcycle and they love him!

E2 – Seaman Apprentice Robert Shamblin joined the Navy in 2015 and is currently stationed at Great Lakes Naval Station in

Illinois.

Amanda and Anthony Snyder, daughter and son-in-law of Elaine Hoffman of Barcom

Construction in Corpus Christi. Anthony is in the Army.

Senior Airman Joshua Smith is in the Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. He is the

brother of Jodi Goings, WKMC Architects Inc. in Corpus Christi and has been active duty

from 2000 to the present.

Terracon employee Jorge Flores’ grandfather, Antonio Flores Jr., served in the Navy from Nov. 8, 1911 to March 2006 and was a WWII

Veteran.

Stephanie Rendon of Terracon in Pharr says she has a lot of veterans in her family and is so thankful for the sacrifices they have made for their country. Clockwise from the top

left corner: Fred Rendon Jr. (uncle) Marine, Vietnam; Gilbert Rendon (dad) Marine; Arthur Rendon (uncle) Marine; Memo

Guajardo (cousin-black framed photo) Marine; Dennis Rendon (uncle) Marine; and Fred Rendon Sr. (grandfather)

Marine.

Connie G. Rivera, AIA, at WKMC Architects Inc., Corpus Christi, sent in this photo of her dad, SSGT Jose R. G. Garza who

served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1975.

Col. Robert Dobbs, of the U.S. Army Health Services Command, receives the Legion of Merit upon his retirement from active duty in April 1985. He is the father of South Texas

Construction News editor Cyndi Wright.

Jack Turner, Turner, Ramirez Architects and Planners, Corpus Christi, retired as U.S. Naval Lieutenant Commander after three years active duty and 37 years reserves. Turner is a registered Service Disabled Veteran, who served in the

Korean War and the Chang Chi Shek defending the Chinese Nationalists in Taipei, Taiwan. He was awarded two notable Medals: Chinese National Defense Medal, Korean National

Defense Medal.

Teresa Smith of NAWIC #4, Corpus Christi, submitted this photo of her husband Robin Smith, Navy, Submarine Force

(retired) based out of Charleston, S.C. and on the USS Narwhal. 671 class; and their friend, William H. Hagan, Coast

Guard, 1969 – 1973; Electronic Tech. class II (E-5), who was awarded the Coast Commendation Metal in Feb. 1973.

Before her first deployment,

Zully Andrade, stepdaughter of

Construction News sales rep Kent

Gerstner, receives promotion to

Private First Class. A proud soldier in the Army’s 24th

Composite Supply Company, Zully

specializes in water testing, treatment and purification.

–cw


As she waited at the airport for her son to arrive, thoughts were already going through her mind.

From the time she knew he was coming home, the plans began to develop. But this was no ordinary airport or homecoming. Betsy Reed Schultz was at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware waiting for her only child, Captain Joseph William Schultz, to be brought home from Afghanistan. With that knock on the door two days earlier, Betsy had become a Gold Star Mother. How could she honor her son, who lost his life in the service of our country, and at the same time help other Gold Star families who struggle with the same grief she had just come to know? Reesa and I spent time with Betsy at her home in Port Angeles, WA. in July. From her front porch you can see the first Captain Joseph House under construction. Being a Gold Star family ourselves, her vision for the foundation hit close to home. “There have been so many Gold Star families created since 9/11,” said Schultz. These families are sometimes referred to as the forgotten families. After the services, memorials and the first year of activities have come and gone, you try

The forgotten families

to go on with your life, but other people don’t remember that missing person anymore. “The Gold Stars continue to feel them, see them and care. They have a broken heart that will always be there and other people don’t see it. It’s different for everyone else. Sometimes it’s easier to let the families slip into the missing. Many times they are a forgotten family,” Schultz says. The Captain Joseph House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created to lend support to the 7,000 families of our military’s fallen heroes since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism on 9/11. The remodel of the 1910 Tudor-style craftsman house is 55 percent complete and plans are being made for the first guests to arrive in 2016. It will be a place for Gold Star families to come and enjoy a peaceful setting. “There are other services for families but nothing quite like this. There certainly isn’t enough recognition and awareness of Gold Star families and the sacrifice their family member has made to provide the livelihood and freedoms that we have,” Schultz says.

The plans include keeping the setting small and intimate for families. “We are serving a much smaller group of families at any one time, unlike other Gold Star programs,” she says. “We will serve no more than three families at one time for the same timeframe Sunday to Friday so they have four full days and a travel day on either side. This gives them the time to bond with the other families who they will have with them throughout this journey.” The one-time visit for the family will be an expense paid five-night, six-day respite/retreat in the scenic Pacific Northwest. While there, each family will also have their own chauffeured van to explore the area. The families will be coming from all over the country and from all branches of the military. Long-range plans are to have four other Captain Joseph Houses around the country. I asked Betsy to tell me what it will mean to her when the first group arrives at the house next year. “The sense of knowing I have created an opportunity for the families,” she explained. “They have to take the risk of coming here and finding out they can

laugh again - they can cry - but they can laugh and have a good time. That takes risk because you have to step out of the life you have now been living. “I think everyone who leaves here is going to leave the Captain Joseph House more peaceful, not just because it made them feel better because they came here, but because of what I was able to give of myself to them. They are not taking away. They are giving a part of themselves. That is the healing. “I will feel like we have given people the step up to move forward in their lives from where they are when they came and when they leave,” concluded Schultz. The days we spent with Betsy were interesting and gratifying. Her endeavor in life is to care for other Gold Stars in a unique way that will help with their healing process. She’s a fast moving dynamo who has defined - and will - accomplish her goal. I have no doubt about that.

by Buddy Doebbler, Publisher

For more information or to help the Captain Joseph House Foundation,

check the website at: CaptainJosephHouseFoundation.org.

Captain Joseph House

L-R Betsy Schultz, Reesa Doebbler, Mary Stokes Cort(Gold Star grandmother) and Charles Smith (Captain

Joseph House Architect)

Gold Star Banner

Lighting up the Valley

Charles Kennedy Sr. saw a need for a lighting showroom in Harlingen when he founded The Light House

Lighting Center there in 1972. Now, 43 years later, he still goes to work five days a week says his son, Char-lie Kennedy, who joined the business in 1993. “We are a family-owned business,” Charlie says, adding that his father’s wife, Flo, and his wife, Tiffaney, both work in the business as well. From that first store, the company has branched out into McAllen (1980), Port Isabel (1984) and Pharr (2007). “We start our mornings off in Harlin-gen,” Charlie says, adding that he spends five days a week in the Pharr store, while his father splits his time between all four locations. “We are always adjusting our inven-tory,” Charlie explains. “We try to keep up with the newest trends so that our cus-tomers have the latest in both lighting design and new lighting technology. Our McAllen store located on Nolana has be-

come our Clearance Center for discontin-ued fixtures and close-outs.” There are approximately 15 employ-ees, including Dora, who has been at the Harlingen location for more than 30 years. “When it comes to our employees and our customers, we try to work as a team,” Charlie says. “We are flexible and have an open door policy regarding questions and concerns.” The Light House Lighting Center ca-ters to both residential and commercial construction, as well as furnishing new builds and remodels. Inventory ranges from basic builder's value items to very high end, designer show pieces. “Where we feel we excel is good val-ue in the product,” Charlie says. “We’ve done our research over the years and know which lines offer the best value.” Customer service is a strong point. “We stand behind our product,” Charlie says. “We want that repeat busi-ness and we want them to tell their friends.” –cw

Jaime Reyes, Fabian Maldanado, Elizabeth Gutierrez and Charlie Kennedyare surrounded by beauty in the Pharr showroom.

Not being lazy at La-Z-BoyConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Luis and Sabino with L&G Construction are busy building a new La-Z-Boy Furniture location in McAllen. The GC is Alpine Contracting of San Antonio. –cw

Going upConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Workers from Valley Masonry in Pharr are assembling the scaffolding at a soon-to-be First Commmunity Bank in McAllen. The GC is Peacock General Contractors. –cw

south texas construction news november 2015

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