houston construction 2 houston construction news • jul 2012 backﬂ ow enclosures economy backflow...

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What’s in a name? Inspired by the toy box

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www.constructionnews.net (210) 308-5800 PO Box 791290 San Antonio TX 78279 Vol. 10 No. 7 JULY 2012

After 42 years as Pate Engineers, Inc., the engineering firm with a diverse range of services now hails

by a new name: IDS Engineering Group, the company recently announced. With the buyout of founder Gary Pate finalized in 2011, the new name re-flects the firm’s evolution into a group of employee owners providing infrastruc-ture design solutions to land develop-ment, municipal utility district, and pub-lic works clients, said Debra Anglin, who has been with the firm 28 years and served as president since 2006. “We wanted to honor the employee owners,” she explained. “We’re now 100 percent employee owned, and it’s a broad base of ownership.”

The company maintains offices in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San An-tonio. The name does not represent whole-sale changes to the company, however. The staff members providing civil engi-neering, surveying and consulting ser-vices remain the same. “Our clients can be assured that the people staffing their projects are owners committed to long-term working rela-tionships,” Anglin said. “Unlike other en-gineering firms that have been bought out by national or international conglom-erates, the employees of IDS Engineering Group decided to write our own destiny.

The name may have changed, but the faces at IDS Engineering Group won’t.

The Trevino Group Inc. has complet-ed the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Galveston Pediatrics

Intensive Care Unit (P.I.C.U.) renovation. According to Jeff Ryall, project divi-sion manager, the time span for the $1.5 million project was Oct. 2011 to Mar. 2012. “The overall scope of the project was to renovate the existing 10,000sf P.I.C.U.,” Ryall said. “The unit was totally demol-ished and reconstructed and included updating all systems. All patient rooms were provided with new HVAC, plumb-ing, electrical, ceiling, drywall, paint, flooring, fire alarm, sprinkler, nurse call, toilet accessories, cubicle curtains, head-walls and medical equipment installa-tion. “Patient restrooms were totally re-modeled and included lavatories, com-modes, showers, waterproofing, ceramic tile and exhaust systems. The public ar-eas were provided with complete new

finishes, fire rating of all walls, doors, frames and hardware, sheet vinyl, crash rails, hand rails, child proof electrical out-lets, CAT 6 data upgrade and new nurse call system with a nurse station ring back.” Ryall says unique project features are focused in providing comfort and acces-sibility for the patient’s family members and P.I.C.U. staff. “The design teams of UTMB and Heitkamp Swift Architects were con-scious of the design specialization of the unit,” he said. “We constructed each pa-tient room with a level of “home com-fort”. Each room is equipped with a home digital picture frame using a USB drive to display pictures instead of gener-ic photos. “There is also a video arcade lounge for teenagers to do activities. The unit

The desk area

Larry Whaley’s love for engineering goes back further than his sopho-more-level engineering courses at

the University of Kentucky. You might say the founder of Haynes Whaley Associates, a firm that provides structural engineering services, has an interest in the craft that originated in his childhood toy box. Playing with toys paid off – the Hous-ton-based company, which has offices in Austin and Reston, VA, recently celebrat-ed its 35th anniversary. “As a boy growing up, I had always been fascinated with the design and con-struction of buildings,” the president and CEO recalled. “The die was cast for me in

my early childhood, as I spent hours cre-ating model structures that progressed from Lincoln Logs to Erector Sets to American Plastic Bricks. “I found my passion early in life, and I knew I wanted to go into a business where I could be involved in the design and construction of buildings.” A Kentucky native, he did his school-ing at the University of Kentucky, where he was recently inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction. He credits maintaining professional relationships with “several commercial, institutional and governmental clients” with encouraging Haynes Whaley’s de-velopment.

Larry Whaley, center, says his childhood playthings played a role in helping him choose his career. Pictured with Whaley are (L-R) Dean Thomas Lester, and Dr. George Blandford.

Houston Construction News • Jul 2012

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Sixty-two teams of architects, de-signers, engineers, contractors and students stretched along Galves-

ton’s East Beach Jun. 2. Folks worked non-stop for five hours to meticulously sculpt sand piles for a chance to win the prestigious Golden Bucket Award. The 26th Annual American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter (AIA) SandCastle Competition is one of the world’s largest amateur sandcastle com-petitions. Teams began months in ad-vance generating ideas and developing designs. Judging of the sandcastles was rated on originality of concept, artistic execu-tion of the concept, technical difficulty, carving technique and utilization of the site. –ab

Photos by William Hebel

Fun in the sunBest Costume: CDI Douglas Pye: Enter the DragonMost Complex: Gensler: Beach WondersMost Lifelike: PDR: CUP PLETEBest Traditional: PGAL: Jack and the BeanstalkAIA College Challenge: Prairie View A & M University School of Architecture: Project XStars & Stripes: Spud Super Pac: Mr. Pota-to Head for PresidentBest Team T-Shirt: Texas Tech University College of Architecture: BananaLet the Games Begin: Walter P. Moore - Lego to Galveston

1st: Gold Bucket & Best Team Signage:Matrix Spencer Architects: Bedtime Stories by Mr. Sandman

6th: Honorable Mention: Rice University FE&P: Centennial Celebration

2nd: Silver Shovel & Most Hilarious: Dow Sandcastlers: Storytelling with Sand

3rd: Bronze Shovel: CDA Architects: Hugo

5th: Honorable Mention & Best Architectural: Colby Design: Rome Was Built in A Day

Public Favorite: JACOBS: Sail the Sandtastic!

4th: Honorable Mention & That’s Entertainment:Brown & Gay Engineers Inc.: Gulf Avengers

Desiree Soland, manager of Gulf Granite & Tile, is also a costume designer. She says she has made costumes for dance teams in the Gulf Coast area. –ab

All in the detailsConstruction News ON LOCATION


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The Houston Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Houston Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies in Houston and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba Houston 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.

Publisher: Buddy DoebblerProduction/Editorial: Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor: Debra NicolasEditorial: Miles SmithProduction Manager: Sue JohnsonSales Representative: Kent GerstnerAdministration: Kevin Hughes

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If you are a construction-related company in Harris, Ft. Bend, Galveston or Montgomery

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Thomas D. Young (Tom) of Rosenberg, TX, lost his battle with cancer on May

20, 2012. He worked at Stone & Glazing Consulting LLC since 1998. Young served as office manager of the Houston office and later as a senior consultant. Young enjoyed a lifetime career de-voted to the study, development and promotion of exterior curtain wall prod-ucts, including design, estimating, manu-facturing, testing and installation. Although technically retired since 2007, Young still provided his expertise in the curtain wall industry on projects, in-cluding several remediation projects that resulted from damage caused in Houston by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Prior to his retirement, Young also worked as a project manager on the new Denver International Airport for A 1 Glass Co. He served as general manager of West Coast Operations for Olden & Co., and served in roles including project manager, designer and facility manager for PPG Industries from 1973 to 1987. Tom originally developed his love for aluminum curtain wall construction while working for Kawneer Co. from 1956 to 1972. Tom will be missed. –ab

Saying farewell

Cryer Plastering is a family owned and operated business that began in 1968 and was incorporated in

1976. The business began with Lloyd Cry-er and his wife, Ada Cryer, who brought the business through the years to see their son-in-law, Daniel Frank, take over in 2004. Frank says he has worked for the company since 1994 in estimating and as project manager. “Since I purchased the company, we have upgraded the equipment and tools and bought new delivery trucks,” Frank said. “I still do all the estimating, meet with general contractors and take care of all the paper work.” According Frank, the company fo-cuses on schools, churches and other commercial projects. He says Cryer Plastering has an end of year event around the holidays where he takes employees out to dinner. “We like going to Eats Mesquite Grill on Hempstead Highway,” he said. “We usually do a gift exchange and recognize employees for a job well done.” On the side, Frank says he loves to go scuba diving and he is a certified scuba diver. “When my wife and I first got mar-

Family ties

ried, we went to Cancun to go scuba div-ing, “ he said. “I learned how to scuba dive at a swimming pool in Lubbock, TX. I haven’t been lately though! “I also love going hunting and fish-ing. My wife, boys and I like to get out on the bay as much as possible. I have been

elk and mule deer hunting in New Mexico and I hunted white tail deer in Mexico with my father for many years.” Cryer Plastering specializes in plaster-ing, lathing, stucco, marble crete and insu-lated wall systems. –ab

Daniel Frank says he is a country boy at heart.


Norbert (Norb)Ogrodowicz

Wholesale PlumbingSupplies

Norbert (Norb) Ogrodowicz has owned C & B Wholesale Plumbing Supplies for seven years. He says

his customers are contractors, plumbing contractors and school districts. Ogrodowicz says he loves what he does today because he constantly learns something new in the plumbing supply business. C&B Wholesale Plumbing Supplies is a plumbing supplies company and is also a supplier of water and sewer utilities.

Where were you born, Norb? I was born in Brenham, TX. My family and I moved to Houston when I was about 1 year old. I grew up on the north side of Houston, close to the Aldine area. The area has changed so much over the years!

Where did you go to high school? I went to Sam Houston High School for one year and then my family moved again and I attended Cy-Fair High School. Like most boys, I was into cars when I was in high school.

What was your very first job as a teen-ager? For my very first job, I washed dishes as Sam Houston Memorial Hospital. I washed pots in the kitchen in the after-noons. I was about 14 when I got the job. In addition, I later worked at a car wash business on Crosstimbers in Hous-ton. I washed and dried cars after school and on the weekends. It was nice to have extra spending money from those jobs.

How long have you worked in the plumbing supply business? I have worked in the business for 30 years. I became interested in plumbing after I worked as an accountant in the oil and gas industry. The oil company I worked for at the time was bought out by Chevron and I really didn’t want to go to California. I took my severance package and bought into a small plumbing company that is no longer around today. Then I found an opportunity at C & B Wholesale Plumbing Supplies. I never did any plumbing before I got into the business. All of my knowledge has come from the school of hard knocks. I have learned through the years by listening to other plumbers. One plumb-er would explain to another plumber the situation he has been in and well I picked up that knowledge. I think this has worked well for me. Do you have any family or friends in the plumbing industry? I had a friend who was in business with his father-in-law at a plumbing sup-ply company. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to buy him out and get into the plumbing supply business.

How do you think the industry has changed over the years? It has changed drastically from the types of materials that are accepted by the city codes to the new techniques that are used today. Technology has really taken off in the plumbing business, especially in the last few years. There is new equipment available to help plumbers work quicker and more efficient. What is the most rewarding aspect of you working in the industry? Every day is different! I enjoy meet-ing new customers and interacting with longtime customers. There is great camaraderie in the construction industry. I enjoy speaking to my competitors and folks at other sup-ply houses. I like people, and I think that is why I like this business so much. Believe it or not, you don’t learn ev-erything there is to know about the busi-ness all at once. A new problem always arises and there is always more than one way to cor-rect it. I think any problem can be fixed. I look forward to coming to work in the mornings and that is a good thing!

How do you stay up-to-date in your in-dustry? I depend mainly on my representa-tives. They will come by the store to up-date me on various items. Plumbers let me know about some-thing new in the industry that I may have not known about. It is more or less about keeping both your ears and eyes open. I also stay up-to-date by reading industry publications. I receive publications here at the office every month.

What would you tell a young person who wants to own a plumbing supply business one day? I would say the best place to start is the warehouse. Learn the equipment and learn about your materials. Then, work your way up behind the counter. Next, start working in outside sales. That would be the best thing for anyone who wants to own a plumbing supply company one day.

What has been a challenge along the way? It is a challenge to collect money from customers sometimes. If it takes you six months to collect your money, you lose profits. It addition, material costs are increasing.

What are the keys to being successful, in your opinion? Have an abundant amount of trust-worthy customers. You want customers that you know will pay you and be honest with you, as you are honest with them. I think this is the key to success.

What does it take to stay in business for seven years? We reached our seven-year anniver-sary in April. I think to stay in business for seven years, it takes a lot of patience and a lot of trust in the economy. I am hoping the economy is going to turn around soon. I think it takes a lot of hard work too. When you start a new business, you have to start every thing brand new. You have to start a new bookkeeping system and a new way of storing materi-als. In the beginning, you have to put in a lot of long hours to get a business up and running. Does the company have any annual events? Yes, typically we throw a “Counter Day” twice a year and we have lunch here

L-R: Norbert (Norb) Ogrodowicz and Wayne Cobb

at the shop with our customers. Steak and potatoes is usually on the menu at the event.

What are a few of your hobbies? On the side, I enjoy going hunting in the fall season. I think it is getting more and more difficult for a small company to take customers hunting these days. The last place I went to was a lease in Madisonville, TX. I have very little hob-bies, really. I have been working so much lately. Are you a sports fan? I am a sports fan. I enjoy watching baseball and football. I like the Houston As-tros and the Houston Texans. I will mostly watch the games on television. I haven’t been to an Astros game yet this year. I played softball on a recreational team when it was popular in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. That was a lot of fun and it was good exercise.

Do you like to do any gardening? Well, I just planted an orange tree at the first of this year. I don’t know if it is going to make it or not. It is fun to watch it grow.

How tall is your orange tree nowa-days? Right now, it is probably about two and 2 1/2-ft. tall. When I planted the or-ange tree it was just a small plant. I have always thought it would be neat to grow a fruit tree. It would be great if I could eventually pick oranges off my orange tree. I am hoping my orange tree will be big one day! It has been raining quite a bit this summer, so we will see. I am plan-ning to take good care of it. Have you traveled lately? No, I haven’t left Houston for quite some time. I am mostly a homebody and don’t travel too much. Houston is a great city and I am glad I live here today. What are your plans for the future? I’d like to move the company into a bigger location. Only time will tell when that will happen, but I hope it is going to be soon. Once the economy straightens out and prices start settling down, I think business will pick up. I am hoping when we move to a larg-er location, we can be more open to the public too. That is one of my future dreams! –ab


Future pensions andthe PBGCAngela P. Smucker, LUTCF FSSCentral Texas Independent Insurancedba CTI Insurance & Risk ManagementAustin, TX

In 2004, I was in Wisconsin offering retirement plan-ning and insurance services. At a community event, I

met Jim, a retired United Airlines employee. Since Unit-ed Airlines had filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, I was concerned for Jim’s financial security.

“Don’t worry, “ Jim told me. “I’ve al-ready started my pension and it’s guaran-teed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Company (‘PBGC’).” That was a relief since Jim and his wife were in their 70s. I didn’t see them again until 2006 when I was reminded that nothing stays the same. Jim shared with me that, in spite of his original pen-sion agreement, the PBGC was allowing United Airlines to renegotiate pensions and Jim’s monthly payments were re-duced by more than half. In 2005, the federal government and the PBGC al-lowed United Airlines the largest corpo-rate pension default in American history. It was a slap in the face for all the UA re-tired employees and for Americans in general, at least the ones who were pay-ing attention. A history lesson is important here. Over the past 80 years, the federal gov-ernment has encouraged American em-ployees to retire with some degree of fi-nancial security. The first monthly Social Security Retirement Benefits began in 1937. In 1974, the federal government passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, ERISA, to encourage private sector employers to offer retirement pro-grams for employees. ERISA rules re-quired the formation of the Pension Ben-efit Guaranty Corporation, the “PBGC”. The PBGC is a federal government agency responsible for guaranteeing benefits of pension plans, operating as an insurance company. It’s important to remember that there are 2 primary types of private industry retirement plans. One type includes 401(k) and 403(b) plans which have regulations on deposits into the accounts and the employees take the risk of growth; these are not pensions. The other type is the traditional pension which has regulations on the payments out of the plan and employers absorb the risk through the PBGC insurance. Many labor unions and large corporations still offer pension plans. As I mention above, the PBGC is an insurance company and is not funded by taxes. It collects insurance premiums from employers and invests in market instruments so the funds may grow to cover future, guaranteed pen-sion payments. Pension payments are adjusted yearly for the 28,000 active pen-sion plans in existence as of 2012 and the 34,000,000 pension participants. As of 2010, retirees at age 65 may, or may not, as we’ve seen in Jim’s case, receive a max-imum of $4,500 per month. At ages above age 65, the guarantee increases. So, that was the good news. Here comes the bad news. We have a popula-

tion of over 300,000,000 Americans and we are in transition to having 2 active workers for each 1 retiree. In fact, virtu-ally every developed country must face these cruel facts primarily because of the aging Baby Boomer Generation. Theo-retically, the younger working genera-tion pays into the system so the older re-tirees will continue to receive their retire-ment benefits. At this ratio of 2:1, it’s go-ing to be very difficult. As of 2008, the Pension Benefit Guar-anty Corporation has an $11,000,000,000 deficit. That’s right. 9 zeros. Active plans now have $47,000,000,000 of underfund-ed liabilities. This is a nightmare waiting to happen. If you are relying on your employer’s pension plan and your government’s protection to assure that your retirement will match your dreams, think again. Re-cent economic challenges and the wounded stock market are hurting ev-eryone. Is this possible to overcome? Ab-solutely. There are solutions in the mar-ketplace. These solutions include:

1. Use conservative “investment” strat-egies with guarantees.2. Take control of your own financial se-curity and future.3. If your advisor has not explained these issues to you, find someone who knows.4. If someone calls you about the latest, greatest stock news, hang up!5. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

Central Texas Independent Insurance DBA CTI Insurance & Risk Management. pro-vides risk management and insurance ser-vices. www.ctiinsurance.com Link up with us at www.linkedin.com/in/angiesmuckerAngela P Smucker © 03/2012SOURCES: www.pbgc.gov, www.usatoday.com

Up to the challengeConstruction News ON LOCATION

Johnny Saenz, owner of Bay Area Paint & Tile, enjoys playing disc golf in his free time. He has played in a state tournament at Tom Bass Regional Park. –ab

Build a future for your businessLee Ann Collins, PartnerLane Gorman Trubitt, PLLCDallas, TX

Planning your business transition is a process that be-gins well in advance of your desire to leave the busi-

ness. It is critical to plan a strategy to transition yourself out of the leadership role you have in your construction company, especially as the baby boomers head towards retirement. Your succession plan should cover every-thing from naming a person to take over (the successor)

as well as choosing the best method for shifting ownership to that person and any other family members, if necessary.

Find the best candidate The most important question to dis-cuss in any succession plan is who will lead your business. If your company is family-owned, finding a person to take over might be difficult. A family member may be qualified but might have no inter-est in filling your shoes. Another prob-lem is they may be interested but not enough sufficient experience. You might have to be sensitive with other family is-sues especially if you have more than one member involved with the business or if you have children from different mar-riages. Now is the time to develop future leaders. Take time to identify children or other key employees you feel holds lead-ership potential and start developing their skills early. Show them all aspects of running the business. You can help with the process by de-veloping a plan and creating their path to become the leader of the business. You want to design appropriate fringe bene-fit and deferred compensation plans as well as incentive pay to help retain them until you step down.

Encourage your entire family It is important to encourage the en-tire family, regardless of if they are in-volved with the business or not, in par-ticipating in the planning process. They should understand the financial and per-sonal consequences of an unsuccessful succession. One of the biggest issues during this process is how to divide assets equally among heirs when only some of the fam-ily members will have control of or re-ceive ownership interests in the business. If there are sufficient liquid assets, con-sider purchasing life insurance to provide for any children who won’t be involved in the business and given ownership inter-ests only to those who will be involved. You can always establish a family trust to own and operate the business so the en-tire family shares the risks and benefits.

Consider transferring ownershipThe easiest way to transfer ownership of your construction company is to sell it to

family members if they can afford it and want to buy it.

You can transfer ownership by gift-ing interests over time but there are po-tential gift tax liabilities with this. It won’t generate an income stream to carry you through retirement, also. If you are ready and able to make a larger transfer this year, you can take advantage of the re-cord high $5.12 million to make tax-free gifts. The exemption is scheduled to drop to $1 million in 2013, though Con-gress may extend the current exemption or make other estate tax law changes. A trust is another alternative for transferring ownership without the tax obligations. One option is a grantor re-tained annuity trust (GRAT) which pro-vides income for a term of years and then distributes the remaining assets to the beneficiaries.

Involve your advisors Get your CPA, lawyer, insurance advi-sor and family business consultant in-volved to help you consider all circum-stances and obstacles. This will help you create an unbiased succession plan. Your plan should state whether and how, if at all, you’ll stay involved with the company. Consider the repercussions of staying too involved as it may inhibit your successor from taking over fully. Your plan should include a manage-ment structure that will take hold after your departure and keep the business sound while ensuring acceptable liquidi-ty to fund your retirement. Include a buy-sell agreement in the succession plan, which allows you to restrict trans-fers or ownership interest and can help minimize income and estate taxes.

Follow through People talk about the need for a suc-cession plan within their business but few actually follow through with creating one. The people taking over need to be trained and experienced in being a lead-er, therefore, it is critical to start the pro-cess several years before you plan to re-tire, ideally a decade or more from the ideal retirement date.

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Candid at the counterConstruction News ON LOCATION

Counter manager Carlos Gonzales is a Houston Texans fan. He enjoys talking with plumbing contractor customers at the Morrison Supply Stafford location. –ab

Lien releases and waivers:Are your forms enforceableChad B. Simon, AssociateAllensworth & Porter, LLPAustin, TX

The Texas Legislature modified Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code in 2011 to require the use of four spe-

cific statutory forms to waive or release lien and certain payment bond claims: (i) Conditional Release of Progress Payment; (ii) Unconditional Release of Progress Payment; (iii) Conditional Release of Final Payment; and (iv) Uncon-

ditional Release of Final Payment. The forms are set forth in § 53.284 of the Property Code and are available on the internet at http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us.

While these new requirements have been in effect since January 1, 2012, the “safe harbor” provision that protected owners and contractors who “attempted to comply” with the statute expires on August 31, 2012. Consequently, any re-lease executed after August 31, 2012 that does not substantially comply with the mandated forms will be unenforceable. Below are some practical considerations for the construction industry. The Statute: The statute provides that a waiver and release will release the owner, the owner’s property, the contractor, and the surety on a payment bond from claims and liens only if: (1) the waiver and re-lease substantially comply with one of the forms prescribed by Section 53.284; (2) the waiver and release is signed by the claimant or the claimant’s authorized agent and notarized; and (3) in the case of a conditional release, evidence of pay-ment to the claimant exists. Tex. ProP. Code § 53.281. The boundaries of “substantial com-pliance” with the statutory lien release forms have not yet been defined. Regard-less of the precise limitations however, it seems clear that any effort to expand the scope of the release will likely render it unenforceable. Exceptions to Use of Mandated Forms: Although the statute requires use of the mandated forms, it also pro-vides several exceptions to this require-ment. Notably, owners and upstream contractors may still require downstream contractors to sign broader releases if: (1) the release or waiver is made in accord and satisfaction of a specific identified payment dispute; (2) the release or waiv-er is part of an agreement related to a case pending in any court or arbitration proceeding; or (3) the release is part of an agreement executed by the parties after a lien affidavit has been filed or a bond claim has been made. Tex. ProP. Code § 53.287. Additionally, the prohibition against contractual waivers of lien rights is no longer applicable to contracts for resi-dential construction, provided the origi-nal contract containing the waiver was made before any labor or materials were provided under the parties’ agreement. Tex. ProP. Code § 53.282(a)(3). This excep-tion however does not apply to material suppliers and therefore the statutory forms still should be used to release such claims. Tex. ProP. Code § 53.282(c). Practical Considerations:

The statutory forms all contain lan-guage that release claims against “the property” and the “project,” but do not specify claims against particular parties; nor do the statutory forms contain stan-dard provisions, such as indemnification clauses, that were found in most releases prior to the Legislature’s modification of the statute. As a result, contractors may need (or require) multiple forms: (1) statutory lien releases; (2) additional releases for con-tractual payment claims; and (3) a true Bills Paid Affidavit. General contractors should be cau-tious in entering into contracts with own-ers requiring unconditional final releases prior to final payment. While this is typi-cal in current contracts, the new statute precludes general contractors from get-ting unconditional final releases from subcontractors prior to paying in full. When using the conditional release forms, owners and upstream contractors should secure evidence of payment sep-arate and apart from the release itself, as the release will not be enforceable ab-sent evidence of payment. Expanded Coverage for Landscap-ers: The revisions to Chapter 53 of the Property Code also contain an amend-ment that is very important to landscap-ers and contractors. Previously, landscap-ers were only granted a lien if they had a direct contract with the owner. The revi-sions expanded the lien rights of land-scapers, now permitting a person “who provides labor, plant material, or other supplies for the installation of landscap-ing” to have a lien on the property if the claimant has a contract with the owner, owner’s agent, contractor, or subcontrac-tor. Tex. ProP. Code § 53.021(d). The recent changes to the lien stat-ute, including the statutorily mandated forms, present numerous new challenges for the construction industry. While this article highlights several of these new challenges, it is advisable to seek counsel in order to ensure that your interests are protected. The foregoing is provided for in-formational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice or to serve as an alternative to seeking le-gal counsel.

Chad Simon is an associate with Allen-sworth & Porter, LLP. He represents general contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers, and can be reached at [email protected].

Champions Golf Club was the setting for the recent Associated General Contractors (AGC) and American Institute of Architects (AIA) annual joint golf tournament. This year’s tournament was held to benefit the ACE Mentor Program in Houston. –ab

Glad to golfSubmitted to Construction News

Electrician Joe Galaviz has a great day getting work completed at Capp Electric Co., a commercial electrical construction company in Houston, TX. –ab

Electric smileConstruction News ON LOCATION

Ken ShermanWarehouse Specialist

Texas DuraRock LLC

Industry FOLKS

Ken Sherman wears many hats at Texas DuraRock LLC, a stucco, ma-

sonry and E.I.F.S. supply company. “On a typical day, I get the ware-house together in the morning and start placing orders,” Sherman said. “Occasionally, I deliver materials to job locations. I also load and unload the trucks. I help customers find whatev-er materials they need. “My favorite part about my job is working with my co-workers. I really like the environment here at Texas Du-raRock. My co-workers are cool and fun people to be around. “I don’t dread coming to work at all in the mornings, in fact, I look for-ward to it. I think it its important to go to work with a great attitude.” According to Sherman, he has worked at the company for a year at the end of May. Sherman is from Houston and he attended Hightower High School. He played the linebacker position on the football team and he also ran relays and the 100-yd. dash on the track team. “I didn’t have a job in high school, because I was really focused on study-ing,” he said. “After high school, I went to Texas Southern University and Houston Community College. I stud-ied computer science while I was at college.” Sherman says he soon became in-

terested in working in the construc-tion industry. “I started looking for a job and I met the folks at Texas DuraRock,” Sherman said. “I got the job and start-ed learning everything I needed to know about working in the ware-house. I still learn something new ev-ery day. It is amazing. “If a young person wants to get into the masonry supply business, I would say strive for your goals and never give up. Keep your head up and keep a positive attitude.” When Sherman isn’t working in the warehouse, he says he enjoys spending time with his son and a daughter and listening to rhythm and blues and rap music. “Lately, I have been watching the NBA basketball finals,” he said. “I am rooting for the Oklahoma City Thun-der. I have been a Thunder fan for about two years now. I also like to play basketball on the side for exer-cise to keep my health up.” –ab


BAFFIN BAYLAGUNA MADRE

LAND CUT

SPECKLED TROUT

REDFISHFLOUNDER

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

STEVE SCHULTZOUTDOORS, LLC

(361) 949-7359www.baffinbaycharters.com

[email protected]

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

Wounded warriorson the water

by Capt. Steve Schultz

Sponsored by:Majek Boats, Premier Yamaha Boating

Center, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor, Interstate Batteries, Pure Fishing, Pflueger Reels,

All-Star Rods, Mirr-O-Lure andColumbia Sportswear.

As we enter into the heart of the sum-mer, we must adjust our game plan

on a daily basis and stay focused on our tasks each day. Water clarity changing daily due to wind speed and direction can make staying on fish a challenge. All of this, combined with the added pres-sure of our brown tide conditions, makes my decision difficult, to say the least, as I push away from the dock each morning. Last month I had a chance to be a part of an outing during the Texas Deer Association (TDA) Tournament that in-cluded a group of gentlemen who were injured in war while serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Combat Marine Outdoors (CMO), established in 2005, helps these wounded warriors get away from the hospital, in an environment of friendship, camaraderie, and fellowship with fellow Marines in order to accelerate their recovery from the traumatic injuries they sustained in combat. In many cases, these service members did not want to leave the confines of the hospital, but it was (and is) crucial to begin to re-incul-cate back into society. CMO, headed up by Rusty Hicks and MgySgt Arturo G. Gar-cia set-up this fish. My heart really goes out for these he-roes who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, and I was proud to be a part of their healing process by getting them out on the water. This was just one of the ad-ventures that some of these guy experi-ence thru Combat Marine Outdoors. There are tens of thousands of patriotic Ameri-cans who truly care about these brave war-riors and are willing to show their apprecia-tion and support by providing once-in-a-lifetime adventures in some of the most incredible places in the world. The camara-derie, friendship and fellowship associated with each outing have had an incredible healing property and, in many cases, were a turning point in the emotional recovery of these Marines, Sailors and service mem-bers. If you have access to a ranch or spe-cial hunt and would like to provide your services to CMO, feel free to contact Rusty Hicks at 713-419-6023. I’d like to express special thanks to all that were involved in putting this adven-ture together: Captains Mike Hart, Mike Singletary, Chuck Mathews, Mike Schultz, Ryan Joyce, Ernie Butler, Mike Moore and Kelly Bell. Sponsors included Holiday Inn Sun Spree, Snoopy’s Pier, Aggregate Haulers, E-Z Bel, Bear Ready Mix, Traugott Painting, Holes of San Antonio, Capital Concrete Pumping, Marker 37, and Clem’s Marina. Without the generous support from these folks, adventures for the wounded warriors of our country

MgySgt Arturo

Garcia and LCpl Ronald

Sullivan display another keeper trout

caught south of

Baffin Bay with Capt.

Steve Schultz.

LCpl Hector Luna

Rodriguez caught this

nice 22” speckled

trout during the outing

with Combat Marine

Outdoors and Steve

Schultz Outdoors.

wouldn’t be possible. For more information or to schedule your next bay fishing trip, give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-949-7359 or 361-813-3716 or email him at [email protected]. Good Luck and Good Fishing.


Half or Full Day Fishing Trips

All Bait, Tackle & EquipmentFurnished

Your catch Filleted andBagged for You

Furnish your TPWD FishingLicense & Refreshments,

and WE DO THE REST!

Ken Milam Guide Service(325) 379-2051

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Ken Milam’s Fishing LineSponsored by Tropical Marine and Honda Marine

My name is Ken Milam and, for the past 26 years, I have been guiding fishing trips for striped bass onLake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity of getting to know

a good many folks in the construction trade.

Do you step outside after work and wonder how it could get so hot? Have you noticed that you feel

ready for bed and it’s still light outside? Maybe the cal-endar shocked you this morning. It seems like it should only be April. That, my friend, is summer slipping up on you! Come on now, it happens every year; it shouldn’t come as a surprise. I think the last couple of years have been extra tough on everyone though. We are redefining the way we work and go about life as we adapt to our new economic climate, so we don’t have much time for things that take care of themselves, like the passing of the seasons. Trust me, you don’t want to let summer pass you right by without getting a good taste of it. This is very true if you have kids. I know summer can be a hectic blur of childcare, athletic competitions and lessons for everything from flute to tae kwon do. Listen to me now when I tell you that the days of stinky baseball shoes, little girl tea parties, braces, and seas of laundry and dirty dishes will pass you by all too soon. I know, I remember people telling me that when my kids were growing up too. I remember thinking that grown kids couldn’t come soon enough. Those older folks were exactly right though; kids don’t stay little but just a short while in your life. I guess the reason this comes to mind for me is that as a charter-fisherman, every year I see a rush of people who seem to realize that summer is winding down only a week or two before school starts again. That is when the panic sets in and everybody tries to get out with the family before they run out of summer. Sending the kids to camp is fine, but spending time with them yourself is more important by far. You are not safe if you don’t have kids, either. Haven’t you seen the beginning of dove season or deer season arrive before you realize that you never even wet a hook this year? Now you know you need to get control of the situa-tion. You need to work you in some playtime this sum-mer. It doesn’t matter if you want to travel or sit in the backyard with your feet in a wading pool and a cold beverage. If there is something you have an itch to do, you will be better off to just find the time to go do it. Your work and responsibilities will still be there when

you get back, but you will be more able to deal with it all after you have a break. You know I’m right. The fish are biting good this year and the weather is a little milder than last summer. Deals and discounts for places to go and things to do are easy to find and don’t forget what a bargain our won-derful state park system can be. You can be as fancy or frugal as you need to be. The idea is, don’t let this sum-mer pass you by!

Have you noticed thatit’s summer?

Publishing the Industry’s News . . .

TEXAS Style

Dallas/Fort. Worth

Austin

HoustonSan Antonio

Home Office(210) 308-5800

www.constructionnews.net

Location Location Location Location

Flying highSubmitted to Construction News

Remembering the brave, workers put up an American flag at a construction jobsitein Texas City, TX for Memorial Day weekend. –ab


The folks at Premier Building Sys-tems Inc. are serious monster truck and motocross fans. The company

has designed custom steel buildings in the racing world. According to Kelly Hackney, em-ployees at the company enjoyed meet-ing motocross superstar, Matt Walker and monster truck legend Dennis Anderson and the Grave Digger team. –ab

Off to the races

Motocross rider Matt WalkerDennis Anderson drives the Grave Digger monster truck

Picture this: You’re out on your deer lease, amped up for a great weekend of hunting. But suddenly, you’re stopped in your tracks. You see a wounded

fawn, and its mother is nowhere to be found. You figure it’s likely its mom has died. What do you do? Nothing? Take it home and moni-tor it? Call an organization that rescues and cares for wildlife? If you picked the last answer, Lynn Cuny, founder of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, would likely give you a nod and a reassuring smile. Cuny, who 35 years ago founded a nonprofit wildlife rescue organization that takes in and cares for animals from all over the United States, said wild animals are of-ten inadvertently harmed when well-meaning people try to take them in themselves. “People will take a fawn home and give it cow’s milk, and it will have massive diarrhea and cannot be saved,” she said. This can especially be problematic at construction sites, where the area being developed is often home to many varieties of fauna. “Those trees are someone’s home,” said Cuny. “Don’t do anything. Just call us. “ A sanctuary for creatures Tired of seeing wild animals exterminated, Cuny made an executive decision in 1977 – she was going to form an organization that would help wildlife. “I knew there was a more humane way to help and save them – not just doing away with them,” she re-called. “If you want something right you’ve got to do it yourself, so I started a nonprofit organization to help them.” The 187-acre piece of land that contains the organi-zation’s various facilities and sanctuaries, which was purchased thanks to a $1 million donation from an indi-vidual, serves as a utopia for a wide range of animals. Nestled in the Hill Country between San Antonio and Blanco, the land is home to about 600 animals, including

cows, mules, donkeys, pigs, monkeys, mountain lions, geese, ducks, sheep, goats, bears, parrots, raccoons, foxes, lemurs, ring-tailed cats and even a jaguar. Twenty-four paid employees, including a veterinari-an and a veterinary technician, keep the proverbial wheels turning. The organization, which rescues about 7,000 ani-mals annually, has its operations fueled entirely by do-nations. “We’re unique in that our scope of rescue is broader than most,” Cuny explained. “We don’t limit it to rescu-ing native wildlife, even though that is our focus as far as numbers and budget. We rescue animals out of farms, laboratories and the pet trade. “What makes this place go is the mission itself. We’re all here to serve, to rescue animals, and to protect ani-mals. We’re here to take care of them and release them back into the wild. If they can’t be set free in the wild, this becomes their home.”

How to call, how to help Visits to the Kendalia sanctuary are not encouraged and seldom allowed. “This is the private home for these animals,” Cuny said. “It would be like if a stranger walked into your liv-ing room.” However, help is needed, and donations are always welcome. Donations can be made by visiting www.wild-life-rescue.org, or mailed to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilita-tion, PO Box 369, Kendalia, TX 78207. And, of course, if you see a wild animal in trouble, call their hotline at 830.336.2725. You can also contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For native wildlife (deer, raccoons, birds and other creatures), local help is also available. A list of rescuers and rehabilitators for each county is available at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/. Whatever you do, if you see an animal in trouble, the best thing you can do is pick up the phone, she said. “It all starts with a telephone call,” she said. –ms

Keeping our wildlife safe

Monkeys – former pets, former laboratory subjects and carnival/circus acts – often find their way to the Kendalia sanctuary.

Mountain lions – many missing their fangs or claws as a result of the pet trade – have a safe place to rest and roam.

A tortoise enjoys a colorful salad at the sanctuary in Kendalia.

The sanctuary has become home for a few peacocks.

Animals are also rescued from farms.These sheep are staying cool in the shade.


Local construction related compa-nies spent the day at the CoreNet Houston Community Reinvestment

Committee (CRC) 2012 Volunteer Project Event for Volunteers of America (VOA) in May. “The goal of this project was to build a garden at the Volunteers of America, Empowerment Center in the Heights area,” said Kevin Crofoot at CRC. “The plan, designed by SWA Group, includes garden plots, a picnic lawn, a children’s natural play area, a storage shed and an

The garden plots

Bloom where planted

JE Dunn Construction volunteers build a storage shed.

orchard area. JE Dunn Construction successfully completed the orange tree orchard, the picnic lawn area and the children’s natu-ral play area. Additional companies that volun-teered and helped out include A&E The Graphics Complex, Allsteel, Gensler, Gilbane Building Co., Haynes Whaley Associates, Harvey Builders, Interface-FLOR, Inventure Design, Mannington Commercial, Mohawk Industries and Walter P. Moore. –ab

“When you own your own busi-ness, there is a challenge around every corner,” Chris

Burke, owner of Southern Comfort Insu-lation said. “During the early days of running my company, I remember working for what seemed like 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I remember sleeping on jobsites at one point. It takes a lot of hard work. On any given day a situation or problem can arise. You have to make sure you show up and be ready to take care of business.” Burke says the company has grown every year and he has added more trucks, trailers and equipment. “We have employees that specifically do the commercial work,” he said. “A commercial job we have completed was the Blencor project, a food manufactur-ing plant in Sealy, TX.” When he isn’t at work, Burke says he attends church with his family at the Fel-

lowship of the Woodlands. “My wife and our kids, Hunter and Hannah and I also enjoy participating in martial arts. In addition, I am interested in learning Spanish these days. In Hous-ton and in Texas it helps to know Spanish in the construction industry. I watch Spanish on television and I teach myself how to speak the language. “On the weekends, I like to land-scape, do yard work and hang out with my family. We are Houston Texans foot-ball fans. I try to go to at least one game at the Reliant Stadium a year. “I love being a Houstonian. The di-versity and culture of the city is awesome. I think it is nice to work and play near the Gulf Coast. My future plans are to con-tinue to grow the business steadily.” Southern Comfort Insulation provides commercial, industrial and residential insu-lation services throughout Houston and the surrounding counties. –ab

Chris Burke says it is rewarding to be his own boss.

Insulating the city


ELECTRICAL INDUSTRYCan we create more efficientdata centers?

Beth Margulies, Communications DirectorNational Electrical Contractors Association(NECA)Bethesda, MD

Ever wonder what’s happening to some of those de-commissioned warehouses and manufacturing fa-

cilities that once provided the lifeblood of small, far-flung communities? It turns out many of them are becoming the next generation of data centers, the “server farms” of digital storage that host Internet “clouds” keeping everything from corporate records to family photos.

As the need for digital storage space expands, the facilities that house the computer equipment, along with its nec-essary security, HVAC, lighting and com-munications infrastructure, are growing in size, as well as their demand for power. The Environmental Protection Agen-cy (EPA) predicted power consumption in data centers would double between 2005 and 2010. The actual increase in consumption was only 56 percent, in part, because of a slowdown in the econ-omy and because computer chips are be-ing designed to consume less energy. However, electrical contractors prepar-ing to enter the data center market should understand that energy conser-vation is going to be foremost in the owners and operators’ minds. Let’s look at a few of the factors that affect data centers’ demand for power.Reliability and Redundancy Reliable, clean power is critically im-portant to data centers. Companies stand to lose billions of dollars and employee

work hours if servers go offline due to a flicker in power. When it comes to data centers, redundancy means a data center has at least two sets of every component, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and power distribution units (PDUs). The requirement for such redun-dant systems is based on the utility source that feeds the data center. Gener-ally, standard utility service can’t be sole-ly relied upon, and most data center op-erators aren’t willing to accept a single source of redundancy as enough. The need for redundancy and reli-ability comes at a high price, however. The mega data centers created during the dot-com era run off of 500–600 watts [W] per square foot, while a typical commer-cial building operates at around 30–40W. As time passed and the economy changed, data center operators began to realize that even though redundancy and reliability remained vital, such measures could be scaled back. The tremendous electric bills caused by the demand for

redundancy has led many data center de-signers to rethink the term “necessary,” and data center systems, such as redun-dant ones, are being re-evaluated for both more efficiency options or their ne-cessity.

Cooling and Energy-Efficiency In data centers, keeping equipment and operators cool counts for upwards of 60 percent of the center’s power bill. Computer equipment puts off and is sus-ceptible to heat – and because heat can affect the equipment, cooling systems often have to be redundant as well. Costs have increased as servers have become more dense and higher powered. Integrating the data center’s build-ing systems has been part of the solution for controlling costs. Upgrading compo-nents to more efficient models has been another. Integration allows for the moni-toring of power flow, lighting, HVAC, alarms and controls. When these systems are tied together, integration allows alerts to be sent multiple places at the same time to get problems solved. Chris Smith in On365 cites replacing outdated cooling technologies and methodologies that can reduce facility cooling costs by 90 percent. “The most compelling technology seen lately is the fresh air evaporative cooling,” he recently wrote. “It combines external air with me-chanically generated hot air to create the right temperature. The hot air is then ex-tracted from the server room and mixed with cool outside air. This eliminates the need for electricity to cool a server room, which is often more energy-intensive than the main computing equipment it-self.” Facebook’s 320,000-sf data center in Pineville, OR, constructed by DPR uses

such a system and earned a LEED-Gold certification in 2011. Another way data centers are work-ing to minimize power consumption is through more effective cabling. New standards coming reflect these changes, Claire Swedberg recently wrote in ELEC-TRICAL CONTRACTOR: “Category 5e will no longer be recognized for horizontal cabling, while Cat 6 and 6a balanced twisted-pair cable types are permitted. For fiber optics, the revised standard will specify a minimum of OM3 for multi-mode optical fiber cable. Recognized op-tical fiber connectors also will be ad-dressed.” Networking equipment is getting denser, and port counts in the data cen-ter are increasing, making, managing ca-bles connected to these devices more of a challenge than in the past. Multifiber push-on (MPO) cable assemblies are de-signed to simplify cable management by providing a single connector at one end of the cable and multiple duplex break-out cables at the other end. However, electrical contractors can’t forget the cables connecting the inte-grated building systems for maximum energy efficiency. Contractors can ex-pect that, as networking equipment con-tinues to become even more dense, man-aging the cables that connect the tech-nology will become even more compli-cated. New facilities and retrofitting ex-isting centers will require contractors to build flexibility into their plans. The National Electrical Contractors As-sociation comprises 119 local chapters through the U.S. and promotes advocacy, education, research and standards devel-opment for its members and the industry. –dn

What’s the current condition of the construction in-dustry? Alterman is a member of The Electric Roundtable made up of nine companies from Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Indiana, Missouri, Louisi-

ana, California and Texas. The principals meet three to four times a year and share best practices and information including the work situation in their respective areas. From our discussions, the national scene is still very slow, but there are some indicators that work is beginning to pick up.

Responding to the changingneeds of the industry

John C. Wright, PresidentAlterman, Inc.San Antonio, TX

San Antonio has been fairly steady for us since the decline that began here a few years ago. There does seem to be a more competition these days but those of us that are here are fortunate to be in San An-tonio. There is still a lot of opportunity in the government arena and we are seeing more private projects in the area. A lot of people are working hard to attract new corporate clients, healthcare, specialty hospitals, mission critical facilities, manu-facturing and others. The Eagle Ford Shale is also providing opportunities for con-tractors in South Texas.What are the hot button issues in the electrical contractor industry?

They would include pre-planning, prefabrication, LEAN project delivery methods, and the use of technology. With today’s fast track schedules, all of the above help improve labor efficien-cy, reduce manpower peaks and reduce scheduled installation times. Alterman has the resources in house to provide these services and a 12,000-sf prefabrication facility but not everyone does. There are service providers and manufacturers that can provide most of them and almost any stage of prefabrica-tion from components to systems.How is technology impacting the in-dustry? Keeping up with changes in technol-

ogy is very important. We are seeing more Building Information Modeling (BIM) used on projects, especially those where the contract delivery method is an RFP pro-cess. The general contractor, design team and major subcontractors work together to build a BIM model that’s fully coordi-nated. This coordination reduces rework and adds value to owners. The use of technology in our industry will only increase. How we integrate tablet PC’s, Trimble, Vela, Smart phones and oth-er devices into our everyday operations to improve both office and field productivity is something we all need to address.What other challenges does the indus-try face? The most important challenge is how we manage the safety of our work force and continue to reduce workplace injuries that effect us economically and impacts our employees and families. The upcoming retirement of the baby boom generation and attracting talented people to the electrical contracting indus-try is another significant challenge our in-dustry must face. It will be incumbent on electrical contractors to address this by focusing on recruitment, training and mentoring new employees and younger staff members in order to get them ready to take on greater responsibility and lead-ership roles in our organizations.How has green building changes im-pacted the electrical industry? The focus is on energy consumption

(LED lighting) and energy savings (DALI and other smart lighting controls, occu-pancy and daylight harvesting, window shades, etc.). LEED and green initiatives are also driving manufacturers in our in-dustry to address these social and envi-ronmental issues in the composition of the materials they use and the engineer-ing of products. What are keys to being successful? Our philosophy is, add value to our customer’s projects and “Do what you say you will do.” Our people believe and prac-tice those values. Another key for us is continuous im-provement. To be successful, a business must continuously improve its processes, procedures, technology and customer service. Our former owner, Dick Alterman told us, “If you continue to do business the same way year after year, in five years you will be out of business. Alterman, Inc. is a San Antonio electrical and voice / data communications contrac-tor. Alterman has been an employee-owned company since 1984, and provides complete installation expertise, 24/7 service, in-house design / build and Building Information Modeling and fast-track construction for a wide range of electrical needs, as well as voice and data communications systems, video, access controls, security and surveil-lance systems and alternative energy solu-tions for LEED certification. –dn

NEXT MONTHAugust 2012

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Jan: Construction ForecastFeb: Construction SafetyMar: Construction Education

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April Fool Point Marina in San Leon, TX was the place to be for the As-sociated Builders and Contractors

(ABC) Summer Fishing Tournament Jun. 8. “We had a total of 50 boats compet-ing in the tournament,” said Jennifer Woodruff, director of marketing and communications. “We thought we might be rained out but the rain held off long enough to finish the tournament.

Catch of the day

2nd: Force Corp. “Team Saucier”

3rd: Correct Electric Inc./Griesenbeck Architectural Products Inc.

1st: Tellepsen Industrial Team

Largest Trout: W.H. Berry, Turner Industries Group Equipment Division

Largest Redfish: Paul Burns, Astro Fence Co.

“Marek Brothers Systems hosted our pre-tournament Captains Party and the awards ceremony was held at Top Water Grill.” –ab

A roofer at James Kidd Enterprises Inc. heads to a commercial job in Houston. The company provides roofing, painting and remodeling services. –ab

Getting on the roadConstruction News ON LOCATION

Every monthpeople across Texas read

Construction News...

It pays to advertise!

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Austin

HoustonSan Antonio

Friends and colleagues in the con-struction industry are usually glad to share their knowledge with folks

just getting started on their careers. Con-struction News spoke to these business owners about achieving success. –ab

Learn to listen more than talk. Write ev-erything down. Talk to a local contrac-tors and ask how they are doing things. Shawn Royer, Houston Permit Service

I think it is important to select a good col-lege for your education, then upon seek-ing employment attempt to join a firm with a good reputation. Once you have achieved the first two recommendations, spend a lot of time listening to the sea-soned employees to learn how they built the firm’s reputation. Apply these les-sons in your career and you will do well. Jerry Ince, Ince Engineering LLC

If someone wanted to get into the plumb-ing supply business, my advice would be to start in the warehouse. Learn the equipment and the materials. Then, work your way up behind the counter. Next, start working in outside sales.Norbert (Norb) Ogrodowicz, C & B Wholesale Plumbing Supplies

As a business owner, I have a lot of peo-ple coming to the company to sell us products and services. You can tell right away who is confident and who is not. If you can tell a customer this is a product that is going to bring value to his or her business, that is what they want to hear. They are going to trust you as a salesman. Josh Clements, Texas Paint Supply

If you want to get into the flooring busi-ness, you have to know it is hard work. My best piece of advice would be to go out there and start working. Have a posi-tive attitude and take care of business. Follow up with your customers. When you have a problem, take care of the problem quickly. Make sure you have a

good reputation in the industry. Have fun too! Joseph Williams, Williams Flooring

Don’t be afraid to get out there, get dirty and learn the trade. Don’t get in a hurry. Find out what you want to do and do it well. Having a degree in construction is beneficial and internships are helpful to get your feet wet.Daniel Frank, Cryer Plastering Co. Inc.

If a young person wants to get into the lumber business, my advice would be to get a job in the lumberyard and learn the products first. Pull orders and know the difference between a 2X4 yellow pine and 3X6 hardwood.H.R. Daniel Guerra, Olsen & Guerra Lumber Co.

I think it is best to start out in the service department at a survey dealer if you want to get into the survey supply business. I think service technicians make some of the best salesmen. They know the equip-ment and they know how it is used in the field. Next, you can work your way up from the service department.Chris Masera, Gulf Coast Laser & Instru-ment Co.

In the beginning, I think it would be best to start out as a worker. Get some train-ing first. College is helpful. You have to take some schooling because you have to be properly trained and licensed. Get your feet wet and learn the industry. Get to know people who work in the busi-ness. If you are really interested, find and talk to a mentor who has years of experi-ence.Dan O’Bryan, 1 Priority Environmental Services Inc.

I think the best place to start is in the field. There are a lot of things to learn in the field that cannot be taught in the classroom.Norman Hubbard Jr., Hubco Inc.

The earlier that you learn customer ser-vice is key in the construction business the better. You have to do a good job every time. If people appreciate your hard work, they will call you back. I think it takes honesty, professionalism and dedication to be successful in this busi-ness.Mohommad Younis, America’s Unique Construction Services

Be cautious. Crawl before you walk. Walk before you run. Most electrical contrac-tors work in the field before they start a business. I think hands on experience is the best way to learn. The biggest thing you need is a spouse that will work with you and help you.Philip Lapaglia, Lapaglia Electric Inc.

Get the job done quickly and to the best quality. Have clean work habits. Arrive to every project on time and work in a pro-fessional manner.Rodolpho Villarreal, All-American Walls & Floors LLC

I would definitely encourage a young person to get their feet wet and get some experience. Other than teaching myself the tile business, I also had to learn how to run a business, do the marketing and the budget. Of a young person can learn this in school, he or she can graduate and get experience for six months to a year to learn the hands-on side of the business. This is a really good formula.Marisa DeLeon, Medusa Tile Inc.

Do what you like and work hard. Watch your credit. It is a good idea to get some counter experience and learn how to deal with people.Melvin Cweren, Universal Plumbing Supply Co. Inc.

I think it would be beneficial to get some sort of business education first. It is also good to get hands-on training. Anybody can do it, it just takes a lot of hard work.Tammy Baxley, Boswell Concrete Con-struction

You have to start out in the field. Today, kids get out of high school and go straight to college. Once you get your li-cense, then you really start making good money. There’s that gap.Tommy Laskowski, A&T Plumbing Co. Inc.

I think it is important to learn the busi-ness and learn all the stones. Developing relationships with customers, suppliers and banks is key.Ron Procter, Rock Materials

This is a good industry: it just takes hold-ing power. It is something you have to do 24 hours a day. When you are an owner of any company, for vacations you do take, you have tot tie up a lot of loose ends before you come back from vaca-tion, you have to catch up quickly.Robert Duran, Duran’s YourDumpSter.com

I’d say get your education first. Education is your ticket. Fishing high school and college. Get a business degree. To be successful, I think you have to be able to manage your finances. Develop your business. Invest and it will multiply. Plan your strategy and plan your work and you’ll be more productive.Joe Mujadzic, Century Glass & Mirror Co.

Tips from the pros


Round-Up

continued from Page 1 — What’s in a name?

continued from Page 1 —Focused on comfort

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Jason Tramonte, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, has joined STG De-sign as principal of the Houston office. He has more than 12 years of diverse architectural expe-rience. Before join-ing STG Design, Tra-monte spent four years as senior project designer, account manager, and business development director of HOK’s Houston office. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Houston. –ab

Rees Associates Inc. (REES) has hired Allan Parr, AIA, LEED AP to the posi-tion of chief execu-tive officer. A regis-tered architect and member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Parr has more than 20 years of experi-ence in the areas of operations manage-ment, project management, facilities op-eration, construction, design and busi-ness development. He holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. –ab

Skanska USA has hired Dave Gillam as a project execu-tive to oversee vari-ous projects for cli-ent Houston Com-munity College Sys-tem (HCCS). Gillam has more than 29 years of experience in the construction industry and has managed projects in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. He has experience in construction markets including healthcare, military and com-mercial. Gillam is a graduate of Purdue University where he earned a degree in Building Construction and Contracting. The firm has also promoted Ran-dy Pitre to senior s u p e r i n t e n d e n t . Pitre will serve as the day-to-day rep-resentative to sub-contractors and will coordinate onsite testing and inspec-tions. Currently, Pitre oversees several higher education projects in the Houston area. He has 19 years of construction ex-perience in the education and healthcare industries. He joined the Skanska team in 2006. –ab

L-R: L-R: Mario Lopez, M.I. Glass Inc.; Tom Italiano, Quanex; Shawn Wil-liams, Trulite and Joe Erb, Quanex, discuss the evolution of insulated glass at a

recent Houston Area Glass Association (HAGA) social event. –ab

Gifted in glassSubmitted to Construction News

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,

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Electrician Lois Swafford, Allied Premium Electric Inc., says he began as ahelper and eventually worked his way up to an electrician. His hobby is playing

music at parties, clubs and events. –ab

Moving on upConstruction News ON LOCATION

“Being employee-owned certainly makes every individual aware that the decision they make every day affects the viability of the firm and the bottom line.” The company is governed by a board of directors with a wealth of experience. Anglin, with 34 years experience, is president; Timothy Buscha, secretary, has been with IDS 9 years and has 20 years experience; Chad Abrams, trea-

surer, has been with IDS 12 years and has 36 years of experience; Teague Harris, director, has 30 years with IDS and 36 years experience, and Tobin Maples, di-rector, has six years with IDS and 18 years of experience. “We think it’s important to have mul-tiple perspectives on the board,” Anglin noted. –ms

also offers a visual research room for monitoring the children for progress re-view. The family consultation room is available for private review with family and staff and along with the administra-tion areas, for staff to keep real time up-dates on their patients. The unit is self contained and controlled by a state of the art Infant Abduction System.” Ryall says the primary construction materials used were metal framing, gyp-sum board, celotex ceiling tiles, zero vola-tile organic compound (VOC) paint, sheet vinyl flooring, carpet, acrovyn wall assem-bles, plastic laminate, security glass and 3 form art and hospital equipment. He says all materials were used within an “interi-or” application, as the project was con-ducted on the 10th level of the hospital. “The most challenging aspect of the project was the schedule and the up-grading of all the internal systems, such as the nurse call system that went from an outdated HILROM system to the newly developed Transponder 5 system in-stalled by HALCO, a well experienced contractor for this system,” he said. “A new L.E.D. can light was specified for the corridors. The electrical contractor Cap-rock Electric installed these lights and was able to set the light to change colors, depending on the mood of the unit. “Air quality was another major chal-lenge. Since the unit is in a functioning hospital and was to be kept as so, we had to take some very high level of infection control aspects into account. We have developed an Infection Control Risk As-sessment (ICRA), in order to basically en-capsulate the entire unit from the bal-ance of the hospital floor. We achieved this by installing fire retardant plastic above the ceiling along the perimeter of the unit. This gave us the ability to create a total negative air pressure system, which was monitored hourly for pressure readings. “During the construction, our staff was charged in ensuring that the air qual-ity and negative pressure never breached .002 pressure levels. These pressure lev-els will ensure that any air born contami-nates will be contained within the site and will not affect the hospital’s other units or common areas. “At the conclusion of the project, Epi-demiology Department must certify that the air quality is in line with hospital limi-tations. This presents a unique challenge for our projects, by taking it down to the wire and after all of the work has been conducted, we still have one last test of our quality procedures. The test was con-ducted and the project passed within limits on the first round. This was an ex-tremely high achievement with the amount of work that was conducted on the project. “The third major challenge was working on the project and still maintain-ing our job order contract (JOC) duties. The Trevino Group has been the JOC since Sept. 2009. We were awarded the contract competitively and have exceed-ed the expectations to date for the Uni-versity. We are currently running over 43 projects of multiple dollar amounts. We

were able to complete the P.I.C.U. project and still deliver the exceptional response to our client on the JOC work projects.” Ryall says the relationship between the owner (UTMB), the architect (Heit-kamp Swift Architect) and the engineer (Garner Fritsch) was a streamlined com-munication chain. “All of the design team worked great together by keeping the goal in mind that what we were producing was for children and families going through a dif-ficult time in their lives,” he said “We made a commitment to develop an envi-ronment while in construction phase where the patient and family members would feel comfortable and remain fo-cused on their personal issue and not be bothered by the construction surround-ings. Our goal was to construct an attrac-tive and functional facility while minimiz-ing the look and feel of a hospital envi-ronment. “We met weekly with the owner, ar-chitect and engineer for revisions, up-dates and changes to the scope. This constant communication allowed the project to move forward at an accelerat-ed speed and still document and adhere to any changes that were required by the owner. “Our weekly updates also translated into a consistent arena for as builts to be created and kept up with in a real time scenario. The level of communication and the dedication by the design team was instrumental in closing the project out and with producing an extremely low punch list. The wner, architect and engi-neer in conjunction with Trevino’s staff made the project successful and per plans and specs. The staff and patients are very satisfied customers.” The Trevino Group Inc. has four loca-tions and 85 employees. The company’s corporate office is in Houston and the divi-sion offices are in De Soto, TX; San Antonio, TX and Galveston, TX. The company specializes in healthcare, federal government, education K-12, insti-tutional and commercial projects as well as interior and exterior renovations and new construction projects. In addition, the firm focuses on design/build, CMR, project management, job order contract, IDIQ and MATOC. Bill Trevino founded the company in 1976 and was later joined by his sons Dale R. Trevino and Da-vid W. Trevino. In the last 10 years, The Trevino Group has expanded its ownership team by adding partners: Gilbert De La Cruz and John McClure. For 25 years, the company has worked in the Texas Medical Center serving multiple clients with healthcare construction services. Certified as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business has provided opportunities to expand its client base in the Federal Government Sector. –ab

Professional team:Project Superintendent: James Claunch, The Trevino GroupProject Administrator: Renee McCready, The Trevino GroupAssistant Project Administator: Carla Gar-za, Heitkam Swift Architects

“Building and maintaining these re-lationships has been at the core of our success,” he said. “Our business plan that focuses on diversity in market sectors in-cluding building types and project geo-graphic locations, being true to clearly defined coporate goals, and being will-ing to adapt to changing business cli-mates has served us well over the years.” Assistant Vice President Amy Moen said the company is “very engaged in the

communities” in which it practices. “One of our corporate goals is ‘Be ac-tive in professional and civic organiza-tions, and give back to the community,’” Moen said. “This is something we encour-age all of our employees to participate in.” Whaley and wife, Charlotte, make their home in west Houston. They have two grown children. –ms


Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABCAssociated Builders & Contractors

Jul. 10: 2012 Legislative ConferenceJul. 18: Common Legal MistakesJul. 20: Membership BreakfastJul. 24: Flange Make-Up TrainingFor more information call 713-523-6222

AGCAssociated General Contractors

Jul. 5: 1st Thursday Monthly Mixer, 4:30pmJul. 10-13: OSHA 3095 Electrical Stan-dards, 8amJul. 11: OSHA 30 Hour, 7:30amJul. 17: Lean Construction Education Program Unit 1: Variation in Production Systems, 8amJul. 17-19: OSGA 2264 Permit Required-Confined Spaces, 8amJul. 23: Lockout/Tagout – Controlling Hazardous Energy, 8amJul. 24: Unit 3: BIM Contract Negotiation and Risk Allocation, 7:30amJul. 24-27: OSHA 501 Trainer Course for General Industry, 8amJul. 27: Annual Fishing TournamentJul. 31: SH 930 Project Management for EHS Professionals, 8amFor more information call 713-843-3700

AIAAmerican Institute of Architects

Jul. 1-13: AIA Houston 2011 Artist of the Year Exhibition, Architecture Center HoustonFor more information call 713-520-0155

ASAAmerican Subcontractors Association

Jul. 11: Board of Directors meeting, 9am, Marek Brothers Systems; Government Advocacy Committee meeting, 10:30am, Marek Brothers SystemsJul. 24: Safety Committee meeting, 10am, T.A.S. Commercial Concrete, 19319 Oil Center Blvd.Jul. 25: Construction Sales Training, 8am “Beating the Low Bid Game & Why Buyers Buy” presented by Tom Woodcock, Seal the DealJul. 27: TCA Sporting Clay Shoot, 1pm, San Antonio, TXFor more information call 281-679-1877

FPAFoundation Performance Assn.

Jul. 11: Presentation – Latest Updates on Wetlands Regulations. Speaker: John Davidson, U.S. Army Corps of EngineersFor more information go to:www.foundationperformance.org

HAGAHouston Area Glass Association

Jul. 12: Quarterly Dinner meeting, 6:30pm Check In – Social, 7pm Dinner

with Presentation, Four Points by Shera-ton, Memorial City, 10655 Katy Freeway, $30 Members/$45 Non-MembersFor more information call 281-290-0190

IECIndependent Electrical Contractors

Jul. 2: Motor Controls Class – PLCs (602), Mondays 6-9pm, Contractor Members $386/Non-Members $450Jul. 7: Electrical License Renewal Class (Spanish), 8am-noon, Contractor Mem-bers $35/Non-Members $40Jul. 9: Electrical License Renewal Class, 6-10pm, Contractor Members $35/Non-Members $40Jul. 10: State Masters Exam Prep Glass (402), Tuesdays 6-9pm. Contractor Mem-bers $310/Non-Members $380Jul. 11: State Residential Appliance In-staller & State Maintenance Exam (202), Wednesdays 6-9pm, Contractor Mem-bers $230/Non-Members $320Jul. 12: State Journeyman Exam Prep Class (302), Thursdays 6-9pm, Contractor Members $230/Non-Members $320Jul. 21: Electrical License Renewal Class, 8am-noon, Contractor Members $35/Non-Members $40For more information call 713-869-1976

NAWICNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Jul. 10: Summer Social - Networking Event, Dave & Busters, Reservations Re-quired. Guests welcome!For more information call 713-204-9752 visit www.nawic-houston.com

NECANational Electrical Contractor Assn.

Jul. 10: Houston JATC meetingJul. 12: CSLMCC meeting, Beaumont, TX; Coastal Sabine Division meeting, Beau-mont, TXJul. 18-19: Southwest Health and Benefit Fund Trustee meeting, Dallas, TXJul. 24: Houston Division meetingJul. 26: NECA Board of Directors meetingJul. 28: National Training Institute, Ann Arbor MIFor more information call 713-977-2522

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Jul. 13: A Night at the Ball Park – Family Fun Night at the Sugarland Skeeters, 7pmFor more info: www.gulfcoastphcc.org

WCAWomen Contractors Association

Jul. 5: Annual Planning Conference, 8am-5pmFor more information call 713-807-9977

Supply and demandConstruction News ON LOCATION

George Aivazian, owner of PartsCo says the busiest time of year for the air conditioning and heating supply business is June, July and August. –abOn the road again

Construction News ON LOCATION

Superintendent Jeff Moore, Diamond Commercial Construction Inc.,says he travels to The Woodlands, TX often to go to jobsites. The commercial

construction company is based in Conroe, TX. –ab

The Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association’s (MBCEA) 43rd Annual Building of the Year Awards took place at the Crowne Plaza Hous-ton Northwest Hotel in May. A&S Building Systems, owned by Houston-based NCI Building Systems, won the award for ex-cellence in the reli-gious category. –ab

Achieving dreamsSubmitted to Construction News

WHERE WOULD YOULIVE, IF NOT IN

HOUSTON?

I’ve seen some pretty amazing places. I’ve run a marathon in every state in the US. There are wonderful towns, big and small, in every state. And I suppose that if I got to choose anywhere I wanted to live right now it would be a good university town with good access to transportation. Right now I would pick somewhere in the Denver area because that’s where my son is.

Debra Anglin, IDS

Honestly for a family I love Dallas, so I’d stay here. I did a lot of traveling for my company, so I’ve seen a lot. No property taxes, love the weather, family’s here. Good hub in the middle of the country.

Robby Brown, Perma-Pier

I’d live in Florida or Pennsylvania because that is where several of my relatives live.Danny Sivley, American Waterproofing Inc.

I’d move to Colorado because I am an avid deer hunter! Perry O’Brien, Domac Inc.

Matagorda Bay would be a great place to live so I could go salt water fishing all the time.Jose Ponce, Ponce Remodeling Service

I would live in Maui, HI. It is my favorite place in the world. I think it would be the perfect place to live.Matt Rhodes, Cambridge Windows & Doors Inc.

It would be nice to live somewhere in the Caribbean. I have never been there be-fore. John Alvarez, Diamond Electric Inc.

I have always liked Kemah, TX. There is a really nice beach park area and I could go fishing all the time! Jose Espinal, Ceramica Texas Inc.

Maybe Galveston? I love it on the island and I have always wanted to go to the beach every day. Rosendo Sanchez, O.S. Screen Glass

I think Tennessee would be a good place to live if I didn’t live in Houston. I have family in Tennessee too. Bertha Gomez, Mulch & More

Dallas, TX because I am a true Dallas Cow-boy fan! Rick Beard, M&E Electric

I love to go surfing, so I would have to say Costa Rica! David Veazey, Veazey Enterprises

I’d live on the beach in Galveston because my kids could play and go fishing on the weekends. We could also go to Gaido’s, our favorite seafood restaurant in Galves-ton.

Kris Hill, Kris Hill AC & Heating

Somewhere in New Mexico would be nice to live. I love going skiing and camp-ing in New Mexico. Ann Marie Hartwell, Houston Demolition Inc.

Lake Tahoe! I would love to spend more time in the mountains. I could go white water rafting more often.

Ted Pilzer,Castle Carpets & Fine Flooring

Key West, FL! What a beautiful place to live and my wife loves it there too!

David Scott, Scotty Plumbing Co.


Job Sights

Beam-signing ceremonySubmitted to Construction News

In late May, Skanska USA joined with Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) to celebrate the topping off of the new Westlands Ambulatory Care Center

and Garage at the LBJ General Hospital campus. L-R: Peter D. Doyle, MD, chief of anesthesiology, LBJ General Hospital; George Santos, MD, member of the HCHD

board of managers; Charles Griffiths, Skanska USA project manager;David Lopez, president & CEO of HCHD; and Stephen DonCarlos, HCHD board of

managers chairman. –ab

Electrician Jose Gomez, Miller Electric Construction, does the rewiringat the Whitney Bank remodeling project in The Galleria area. –ab

L-R: Mike Harris, Ray Hartzog and Eli Resendez, Newport Construction Services, remodel the bathrooms, corridor and elevator lobby at the Post Oak Central project on Post Oak Blvd. –ab

Electrician Jonathon Martinez, B.D. Electric, does the electrical workat the Taco Bell project on Montrose Blvd. –ab

Pavement Services’ crew members use an asphalt paver to rebuild a 40-year-oldparking lot for a church in Pasadena, TX. –ab

Since 1992, Perma-Pier Foundation Repair of Texas has been giving buildings of many shapes and sizes

“a necessary lift” when their foundations go awry. For about three of those years, Vice President of Commercial Construction Robby Brown has been with the com-pany, lending his experience to a com-pany that is celebrating its 20th anniver-sary and 10th anniversary under current owner Shawn Lawson. Brown’s been in the industry since 2000, and comes from a long line of foun-dation repair professionals. “I’ve been around it my whole life, so I understand it,” Brown said. “After my grandfather passed away, my dad want-ed me to join up with their company, Brown Foundation Repair. “We were bought out, and I was looking for a new challenge. That’s how I came to work at Perma-Pier.” The 120-employee company has of-fices in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. It does repairs on commercial facilities ranging from warehouses to industrial and multifamily units, as well as single-family residences. “The only thing we don’t touch are high-rise buildings, or buildings over five stories,” Brown explained. “If the founda-tions on those are bad, you’re looking at a total teardown.” Foundation repair businesses keep their doors open in Texas thanks to the

20 years of support

state’s clay soil that easily contracts and expands. A unique repair service the company offers is mudjacking, Brown explained. “It’s a non invasive way to lift a slab, street or swimming pool,” he said. “You inject a slurry – which is a sandy loam ce-ment mixture – to lift it. It’s something probably 95 percent of our competitors don’t do.” At this time, the company’s anniver-sary is being met with little fanfare. “We really feel like we’re just getting started,” he said. “We think we’re going to be around for as long as this service is needed.” –ms

Robby Brown is the Vice President of Commercial Construction at Perma-Pier

Foundation Repair of Texas.


Greg “Tex” Leggio is a salesman at Aggregate Technologies, a concrete sawing, drilling, removal and scanning company. He has more than 20 years experience in

construction sales. –ab

Seal the dealConstruction News ON LOCATION

Everybody likes to laughConstruction News ON LOCATION

Jesus “Chewy” Jaime, counter salesman at First Source Electrical,says to be good in sales it takes a friendly personality. He says he uses humor

every day when he interacts with customers. –ab

One for TexasSubmitted to Construction News

Space Center Houston called on Ahern Rentals to bring out the boomto help set up the full size replica of the space shuttle. The vehicle was

known as “Explorer” during the 18 years it was at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. –bd

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