austin construction news july 2016

The Industry’s Newspaper

™CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTIONAustin

Unique ‘village’ offers unique park

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A special build Fur-works, not fireworks

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On May 14, more than 65 employees of Embree Group of Companies joined forces with Habitat for

Humanity of Williamson County (HFHWC) to build the panels for a Habitat home on May 14 at the McCoy’s parking lot in Georgetown. By noon, the walls were put together and the framed house was standing in the parking lot. The home is for Dylan Torres and Elda Quirino and their two children. The panel build event offered volunteers the opportunity to add a personal touch by writing their names or messages to the homeowners on the 2x4s that will become permanent parts of the home. The event kicked off a 12-week new home construction build in Georgetown

First nail in with Elda Quirino, Philip Annis (Embree), Dylan Torres,Frank Krenec (Embree), and Rocky Hardin (Embree).

with the Embree Group, a full house sponsor with HFHWC. Embree volunteers will be on site at 204 Valley Street, Georgetown, during the build on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the middle of August, to complete the Torres/Quirino home. “Working with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County and McCoy’s Building Supply on this endeavor is truly an honor for Embree Group,” said Philip Annis, Embree president. “The opportunity to build a house for the family where they can establish roots and create a home is a two-fold blessing. It reminds us that we are blessed with the opportunity to give back, while providing

The aging fireworks warehouse had been standing at the corner of Hudson Bend Road and FM 620 for

over a decade. Today, this warehouse is an example of adaptive reuse, after Polkinghorn Group Architects Inc. (PGA) designed a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital. “Our client was wanting to build a new animal hospital after we discovered that it was going to be too expensive to renovate the existing one,” says Lindsay Works, president of PGA. Founded in 1972 by James Polkinghorn, PGA currently has 10 employees and specializes in healthcare, with projects in more than 12 states.

Plenty of people gathered in Dripping Springs for the annual crawfish boil.

Audrey Wernecke is also a partner in the firm. “In the beginning, we were involved in many types of projects,” Works says. “Now we specialize in healthcare and have completed several veterinary hospitals as a sub-specialty of our practice.” The firm also handles commercial, educational and institutional facilities. Located in the southwest area of Austin, Works says PGA takes care of its clients, as well as its employees. “It is our policy to keep principals involved in every project from start to finish,” he explains. “The goal is to bring projects in on budget and on time. So far,

Robert Mueller Municipal Airport opened for service in Austin in 1936. After 63 years, however, the

airport was officially closed in 1999 – but that wasn’t the end of the story. The City of Austin, along with some visionary thinkers, already had plans beginning for a unique, mixed-use urban village, aptly named Mueller, on the 700-acre site. The first commercial projects, including Dell Children’s Hospital, opened in Mueller in 2007, the same year construction began on the first single family home. Now, with single and multi-family homes, plus retail stores and hospitals, the area is home to approximately 13,000 people – and people need parks to play in. Enter Fazzone Construction Company, which has built two of the parks in the 140 acres of green space in the Mueller community. John Gaines Park – Mueller Southeast

Swim Center was a three-phase $3.8 million project started in January 2015 and finished in May 2016. The park is 3.6 acres and features many architectural, landscape and hardscape elements, including: a community garden with 132 garden plots, covered work area, compost bins and tool shed; a community pool with separate children’s wading pool; a pool house with green roof, water harvesting, and solar shade structure; a children’s play area with climbing net, hills, tunnels and swing set; and picnic areas and large open lawns for field games. “The pool house was designed with special architectural features, including open air courtyards, built-in rain water cisterns, xeriscaped green roofs designed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in collaboration with Stanley

Children of all ages will find something to love about Mueller’s newest park.

Mansfield Dam

Austin Construction News • July 2016


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

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Open for business

Roughly 200 people came to celebrate the grand opening of ACES A/C Supply Inc. newest location in Austin at 1810 Rutherford on May 20. Talented employees cooked up fajitas to serve to the hungry crowd. Debbie Voss is vice president of

the Southwest Division, which covers Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. According to David Collins, vice president of sales, there are eight ACES locations in Texas. –cw

Jerry Boles, Joyce Davenport, Debbi Voss, Bill Davenport, Scott Wilson and Chris Bloxsom

The cooks made sure nobody went away hungry.

National Association of Women in Construction Austin Chapter (NAWIC) was invited to judge a presentation on May 14 by the 10th grade students currently enrolled in the

Engineering Pathway program at The Ann Richards School. They recently renovated their courtyard in an effort to create a peaceful place for students to eat and study. NAWIC member Sandra Johnson says they did a fantastic job with the construction portion as well as the presentation. Pictured in the middle, Toni Osberry of AGC, Austin Chapter vice president; Sandra Johnson, Edge Electric, Austin Chapter director; and Chaundra

Callaway, Equipment Depot, Austin Chapter president. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Girl power!


Glyn LandrumGeneral Manager and

former ownerCurrent Electric Inc.

San Marcos

Get reel

The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) held its 13th annual Fishing Tournament at Woody’s Sports Center in Port Aransas in May. Roofing contrac-tors and suppliers from across the state attended the event.

A captain’s party took place at The Back Porch Bar. Trout Trucking provided fajitas and sausage wraps to participants. –ab

First Place Heaviest Stringer: Team Atlas - Al Casteneda, Brad Jones,David Culbreth and Dan Whitford.

Glyn Landrum left his hometown of Rockport to attend Southwest Texas State University (now Texas

State University) in San Marcos and never left. He received a degree in biology in 1977 and attended graduate school for a couple of years before leaving to go to work for what was then M&N Electric in 1980. After years of working for the com-pany, Landrum bought it in 1994 from Eddie Mutschlechner, after Mutschlech-ner had sold the business once and had to buy it back. Landrum sold Current Electric in 2014 to Paul Siglinger and Clif Mitchell, but has remained on as general manager – a post he plans to retire from in about five years.

I don’t think I’ve seen Glyn spelled that way before. Where does that spelling come from? My mother did that to me! I didn’t know until I was in college that it is the feminine spelling of the Old English name. The male spelling is Glynn. I was in an English class and the professor was handing back papers and he started call-ing “Mrs. Landrum”. He is the one who informed me my name was the feminine spelling!

Are your family’s roots in England? We are a mix of all kinds of things. My mother was German, her name was Loyce Shults. Her mother named her Lois, but she changed it to Loyce. She marched to the beat of her own drum. I look like her but my personality is more like my dads. My father was Robert “Bobby” W. Landrum. I have his skin.

My mother died in 2005 and my fa-ther died in 1992.

Tell me what your parents taught you. My mom taught me to have faith. She had a kind heart and was always for the underdog. I grew up in the church but strayed away from it. Later in life I realized the principles she taught me and rejoined Westover Baptist Church in San Marcos to practice my faith in Jesus Christ. People here say I’m a good guy. I feel that she helped me learn how to be grounded. My dad worked for Ashland Chemi-cal in a carbon black plant as a shipping manager and in the lab. He had a great work ethic – what I learned from him is to show up on time, which means 15 minutes early. He always worked. When his job be-came an 8-5 job, he sold cars on the side. In 1970, he bought a 1956 Chevy and restored it. That’s what he drove and ev-erybody knew him. He was for the under-dog, too. He was on the board of the Naviga-tion District for many years. Both of my parents were involved in the community.

Tell me about your siblings. I have one brother, Robert Linden “Linny” Landrum. Linny retired and moved to San Marcos and now he is an employee at Current. I said, rather than sit around, come work for me and he’s been here ever since. My sister Mellinee is deceased.

Tell me about Current Electric. Eddie changed the name in 1986 when he bought the company back. Eddie and Ted Breihan trained many of the electricians in the San Marcos area. Ted still has a shop, Ted Breihan Elec-tric, and he’s still working. We work to-gether to help each other. We trade expe-riences and borrow men from each other. It keeps the employees busy in slow times. When I bought the business, my wife, Pamela, was president and James “Jimmy” Bolton was vice president. Pamela was a teacher but she retired in 1999 and came over here. We applied for HUB certification and got it in six months. That was really good for us, par-ticularly for work at Texas State Universi-ty. There is a workplace shortage now. We used to fill a little niche here but now we go anywhere. The new owners have three electrical companies and they use employees from all three companies across the state.

Why did you sell the business? It was time. I signed up with Interna-tional Business Exchange and that’s how we came to find Paul and Clif. It’s worked out well. They became interested July 2014 and we worked out all the details in October 2014. I kept the property and they bought the business. I had some health problems and the running of the business was causing too much worry. I can sleep at night now! I want the business to succeed but I don’t have near the amount of stress.

So, now you are looking forward to re-tiring in five years? Yes. There are three of us. Myself, Jimmy and Clay Mutschlechner, Eddie’s son. Jimmy has been here since 1980 (he left and came back in 1986) and Clay has been here since 1978.

What will happen when the three of you retire? We have some good young electri-cians in their late 30s and early 40s here. They can do the latest technology. In Oc-tober 2015, we were hiring – we had so much work. These excellent electricians just walked in the door. I think the good Lord was looking after me. Pamela works two days a week and helps out a lot in the HR department. She did all the bookwork for 16 years.

Tell me about Pamela. Pamela (Rowan) also grew up in Rockport. I knew who she was in high

Glyn and Linny Landrum are close brothers and work together at Current Electric.

school, but I didn’t really know her. She also came to San Marcos for college and that’s when we really met. We got mar-ried in 1976 and we have two children, Todd, 38, who is a journeyman electrician but is now a stay-at-home dad and Sarah, 34, a historian for the Texas Historical Commission. We have five grandchildren. They call me Buddy.

Do you and Pamela like to travel? She likes to go to Cozumel, so we usually go and stay for four to six days. We also like to take our RV and go to Con-can and Leakey. May 22 was our anniversary. We are going to Colorado in August. We like to go to Estes Park. There is a cabin there we like to rent.

What do you two do for hobbies? I terraced my backyard and I like to sit back there. I like to do nothing! I think I wore myself out! Pamela likes to work in the garden and entertain the grandkids. She’s always moving. I went hunting last year before Thanksgiving. Supposedly I’m a hunter, but really, I just like to go out there and enjoy nature. In college and after, I got a deer every year. I like it more now for the relaxing aspect.

Who would you buy a coke for? My brother, Linny. We are very close. –cw


Winning experience

Felicia Foster, principal of Barron Custom Design, is a third-generation Austinite and proud of

it. Her roots go deep in Austin culture, and her grandfather was the first three-time All American at the University of Texas in the 1940s. Although Foster established Barron Custom Design in 2003, she has more than 27 years of experience in real estate, landscape, architecture, design and construction. Currently, her firm handles residential design, small commercial design, large-scale remodel additions and consulting. “It’s my job to shepherd people through the process, and design something that is truly a reflection of them from step one,” Foster says. “It’s also my responsibility and pleasure to choose things that are in-line with their budget and meet their needs. Everyone deserves a well-designed house.” Foster relates a funny story that happened one day when she received a

Felicia Foster was recently recognized with four awards from theHome Builders Association of Greater Austin.

call from a potential customer who was looking for someone to remodel her house. “She was a referral, and it turned out after discussing the house, that it was one that I drew back in 1990,” Foster says. “Luckily, I hadn’t designed it, but I had been working for an architect at the time. Now we’re great friends and it has led to multiple other projects. Being in business for as long as I have, I truly believe it is the relationships that you build in the business that matter the most.” On Apr. 12, Foster was recognized for her success by earning four MAX Awards for Best Custom Home Product Design by the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin (HBA). “I love living and working in Austin,” she said. “It is such a fantastic city and the people are what make it such a great place to live. My business is always evolving as the city does, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!” –cw

Sunshine support

When Mansfield Independent School District asked Huckabee CEO Christopher Huckabee if

his architecture and planning firm would participate in their “Colors for Caring Day” on May 2nd, Huckabee didn’t hesitate. The initiative, started by Mansfield ISD superintendent and cancer survivor Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, encourages the community to wear a color that represents a cancer affecting a loved one. Despite the short notice, Huckabee rallied his entire team in the company’s Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Waco offices to wear a color for his 12-year-old niece, Ellie Fetner, who is battling cancer. The color he picked? A lively orange! The employees combed their closets for all things tangerine-ish. Because

many of the staff members are Texas Tech Red Raiders or Texas A&M Aggies, the color was a little hard for some to find in their wardrobes. Fortunately, Huckabee ordered orange shirts to fill in the gaps. The staff also made signs with the hashtag #EllieStrong to show support for Ellie. The staff’s outpouring of support is no surprise to those who work for the company. “Huckabee is a very close-knit company who would do anything for each other,” Huckabee’s Courtney Foster says. “We call ourselves a ‘Huckafamily.’ Rallying behind our CEO and his family to show our support was a no brainer, but the opportunity to show support for one of our clients on top of that made it that much better.” –mjm

Huckabee, Austin

Fasten upConstruction News ON LOCATION

Robert Van Hoove and Trey Brannen, owner of Brannen’s Inc., supply fastenersand other supplies to the construction industry. –cw

With state, county and local digni-taries in attendance, HOLT CAT hosted a groundbreaking cere-

mony Jun. 14 for a new state-of-the-art headquarters building at its San Antonio campus. The expansion represents more than a $20 million property investment. Dave Harris, HOLT president and COO; Peter J. Holt, HOLT executive vice president and general manager; and San Antonio’s Mayor Ivy Taylor were among the speakers who addressed more than 200 attendees at the groundbreaking. The three-story, 84,000-sf building will include integrated technology, tradi-tional offices and multi-functional con-ference facilities. RVK Architects de-signed the new headquarters, and Joeris General Contractors is the GC for the project. The new building will also feature a large lunchroom with a fresh food vend-ing area and a connected outdoor patio, and an employee fitness center with full locker rooms and shower facilities. Ex-

Investing in the future

pected to open in the third quarter of 2017, once completed, the new head-quarters building will consolidate admin-istrative and corporate functions. With 39 locations across North, Northeast, Central and South Texas and more than 2,300 employees, the San An-tonio campus is home to more than 700 of the company’s employees. While the heavy equipment and Caterpillar dealer has a presence statewide, HOLT is based in San Antonio. “The HOLT organization has been part of San Antonio since 1933, and this groundbreaking ceremony was in cele-bration of the last 83 years,” says Joe Carreon, corporate marketing manager for HOLT CAT. “Our investment in this new facility marks the company’s com-mitment to the community and to the southeast side of San Antonio. We are very excited about this new facility, as it will include state-of-the-art amenities to accommodate the needs of our employ-ees and our customers.”–mh

Photo by Steve HuedepohlAmong HOLT’s leadership and members of the local government present for a significant moment in HOLT CAT history were L-R: Dave Harris, president and COO, HOLT CAT; Tommy Calvert, Bexar County Commissioner; San Antonio Councilwoman Rebecca Villagran, Dist.

3; Hazel Holt, Peter’s older daughter; Peter J. Holt, executive vice president and general manager, HOLT CAT; Penny Holt, Peter’s younger daughter; Lauren Kate Holt; San Antonio

Mayor Ivy Taylor; Judge Nelson Wolff; Holt Richter, Corinna’s son; Corinna Holt Richter, executive vice president and chief administrative officer; J.B. Richter


Heat-related illness Wes PittsUSI Southwest Austin, TX

Summer heat can be more than uncomfortable; it can be DEADLY. Every year thousands of workers become

sick or worse from heat exposure. Heat illness is preventable, and many corporate safety policies and/or employee manuals do not address heat related illness.

Symptoms vary in intensity but can include: • Dizziness, weakness, nausea, headache, and possibly vomiting • Blurry vision • Body temperature rising to 100 to 104.9°F • Sweaty skin • Feeling hot and thirsty • Difficulty speaking A person suffering from heat exhaustion must move to a cool place and drink plenty of water.

Heat Stroke Heat stroke is the result of untreated heat exhaustion. Symptoms include: • Ceasing of sweating • Body temperature rising rapidly to above 104.9°F • Confusion or delirium • Loss of consciousness, seizure Call 911 or seek medical professionals. Keep the person cool until help arrives. Place cold compresses on the neck, armpits and groin (where blood vessels run close to the skin). If the person is awake and able to swallow, administer fluids. Normally, the main source of heat is generated internally by your body. The body exchanges heat with its surroundings mainly through radiation, convection, and evaporation of sweat. Radiation is the process by which the body gains heat from surrounding hot objects, such as hot metal, furnaces, or steam pipes, and loses heat to cold objects, such as chilled metallic surfaces, without contact with them. Convection is the process by which the body exchanges heat with the surrounding air. The body gains heat from hot air and loses heat to cold air, which comes in contact with the skin. Evaporation of sweat from the skin cools the body. Evaporation occurs more quickly, and the cooling effect is more noticeable with high wind speeds and low relative humidity. In hot and humid workplaces, the cooling of the body, due to sweat evaporation, is limited because the air cannot accept more moisture. In hot and dry workplaces, the cooling, due to sweat evaporation, is limited by the amount of sweat produced by the body. Heat related illnesses occur when at-risk workers build up metabolic heat faster than their bodies can release it and

cool down. In a limited study of 20 cases investigated by OSHA, in which 13 deaths occurred, it was found that four of the deaths occurred on the first day of work in a new job, or after returning from time away from the job. Three deaths occurred on the second day, and two on the third day (9 deaths within the first three days). Long-term workers made up the other 4 deaths. In cases that involved heat illness but not death, the number of days on the job did not appear to have an effect. Studies have found that the failure to support acclimatization appears to be the most common deficiency for employers that have employees at-risk, and the factor most clearly associated with death. Employers need to provide time for workers to acclimate when they have been absent from work more than a few days (for new workers or workers returning to a job, where exposure to heat related illness may occur). Important elements for employers to consider when addressing heat related illness include assigning a responsible person for developing and executing a heat related illness prevention program within the company. Goals for the program should include plans for: 1. Gradual acclimatizing of workers; 2. Monitoring the temperature (e.g., heat index and wet bulb globe temperature) of their worksite; 3. Worker hydration (water) before, during, and after work; 4. Providing shaded and cool areas for rest breaks; 5. Modifying work schedules to reduce workers’ exposure to heat; 6. Training workers on the signs and symptoms of heat illness; 7. Monitoring workers for signs of heat stress; 8. Planning for emergencies and response; and9. Documenting the above with Safety Training Sign-In Log Discuss ideas with your agent about creating a customizable Heat Illness Prevention Program that can be easily incorporated into your safety and employee manual. Wes Pitts is a Sr. vice president and Southwest Regional Construction Practice Leader for USI Southwest - Austin, TX, USA. Wes can be contacted at 512-651-4107 or [email protected]

SpawGlass’s Doug Worrell, Jeff Eubank, Michael Connell and Ron Wylie (not pictured) were the first place winners at the Associated Builders & Contractor

Central Texas Chapter (ABC) annual Spring Golf Tournament. –cw


Tee spree

Internal fraud and controlsCari Takao, shareholderFisher Herbst & Kemble PCSan Antonio, TX

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we prac-tice to deceive. But once we’ve practiced for a while,

oh my, how we have improved our style.” – Unknown per-petrator

Occupational fraud is a deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain by employees, managers and/or executives/owners.The main ingredients for fraud is best il-lustrated as a triangle with three sides known as opportunity, pressure and ra-tionalization. Some common mistakes an owner or manager make in relation to fraud: • Trusting an employee implicitly with no oversight of their activities; • Not requiring approval on signifi-cant transactions; • Having an over reliance on outside auditors or tax accountants to catch fraud; and/or • Giving complete control with no segregation of duties or review process-es put in place. Most fraudsters are long time em-ployees that are well trusted, well liked and have had no prior criminal history. Anyone can commit fraud! No business is immune to fraud! Some common types of fraud to be on the lookout for: • Skimming (taking money and nev-er recording) • Check-tampering (forgery) • Billing schemes (creating and pay-ing fictitious vendors) • Payroll schemes (paying fictitious em-ployees or giving unauthorized pay rates) • Inappropriate expense reimburse-ments • Non-cash and other schemes (steal-ing tangible equipment or inventory) • Collusion or management overrideSo you know why, how and who, now what can you do? Opportunity is the only thing a busi-ness owner or management can control in the fraud triangle. However, they should try to be alert for pressures and perceived rationalizations an employee might be experiencing. Opportunity is mainly controlled through internal and compensating controls. Owners should understand the perception of deterrence and prevention. Controls are developed to deter fraud and to keep honest people honest! Remember power perceived is power achieved. Controls should be im-plemented at any size organization. Internal Controls are defined as the process by which management struc-tures an organization to provide assur-ance that an entity operates effectively and efficiently, has a reliable financial re-porting system and complies with appli-cable laws and regulations. A successful system of internal control is not built

overnight, but is an ongoing process of fine tuning the inner workings of an or-ganization. Many organizations summa-rize internal control systems in opera-tional handbooks and manuals so it can be an easy referral point. A system of internal control is neces-sary to help employees and other part-ners understand the attitude and objec-tives of the organization as a whole. In-ternal controls provide reasonable assur-ance to customers and other parties that transactions are recorded properly in a timely manner. Internal controls help provide a “trust but verify” environment. Some basic controls that should be con-sidered are as follows: • Establish communications on the importance of controls starting at the top; • Conduct monthly reviews of bank statements (with images) by owner or governance group ensuring timely bank reconciliations are completed; • Establish employee educational programs and incentives to proactively reduce fraud by: Establishing a “fraud hotline” using a professional service firm; and having a Code of Conduct policy with all employees required to adhere to the requirements therein. • Ensure computer access controls are implemented on the accounting sys-tem and bank cash management system at a minimum. Administrative rights should be limited to just a few. • Conduct background checks prior to starting work for all employees in sen-sitive positions (controller, CFO, high lev-el managers, etc.); • Conduct analytical reviews of finan-cial reports by owner/governance group within 30 days of the month end selected searching for anomalies or unexpected budget variances; • Conduct monthly reviews of manu-al adjustments to financial records by an independent person; • Ensure segregation between pre-parer and signer of checks/payments. Additionally, upon check signing, the signer should review invoices for reason-ableness in relation to the business; and • Ensure segregation between de-posit money into the bank and recording the receipts in the accounting system. Hopefully, this gives you some sim-ple and efficient ways to manage the op-portunity that is present in your compa-ny. Cari Takao, CPA is an assurance share-holder for FHK. Contact her at 210-477-2712 or at [email protected]


Wired!

Are attorneys’ fees stillrecoverable in successfulcontract actions?Bethany F. Thompson, shareholderGardner LawSan Antonio, TX

Construction lawyers in Texas have been relying on certain statutes to recover attorney fees and expens-

es for their clients in contract claims for decades. How-ever, within the last couple of years two courts have issued decisions that substantially narrow the application of one of the most frequently used attorney fee recovery stat-utes regarding contract claims.

The first of the two cases is Fleming & Assocs. LLP v. Barton, 425 S.W.3d 560 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014) and the second case is Hoffman v. L&M Arts LLC, 3:10-CV-0953-D, 2015 WL 1000838, (N.D. Tex. Mar. 6, 2015). This shift is significant, as an important part of the decision by subcontractors and suppliers on whether to pursue legal action is whether or not they can recoup their attorneys’ fees.

In Texas, a party cannot recover their attorneys’ fees unless a statute or con-tract expressly gives them that right. Many times, parties rely on Section 38.001 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code which states that if there is a recov-ery of a claim based on an oral or written contract, “a person may recover reason-able attorneys’ fees from an individual or corporation.” Previously, the statute re-ferred to “any person or corporation” where “person” is defined to include “partnerships, among others.” See sec-tion 1.002 of the TCPRC providing the Code Construction Act applies to the TCPRC. However, the word “person” was changed to “individual” in 1985 when the statute was recodified. Both of these re-cent cases turn on the use of the word “individual” as opposed to “person.”

In the Fleming case, the court con-sidered whether 38.001 allowed for re-covery of fees against a limited partner-ship. Unlike the previous term, “person,” the court noted the term “individual” is not defined in the Code Construction Act and determined the ordinary meaning did not include a limited partnership. Based on this, the appellate court con-cluded the trial court erred in awarding attorneys’ fees.

In the Hoffman case, the court con-sidered whether 38.001 allowed for re-covery of fees against an LLC. Defen-dants challenged the application of this

statute based on their status as an LLC, as opposed to a corporation. The terms “in-dividual” and “corporation” are unde-fined within the statute. After consider-ing the legislative history of the statute and various applicable arguments, the Court concluded an LLC is an “other legal entity” not within the scope of Section 38.001 and denied the request for fees.

In the 2015 legislative session HB 230 was introduced and passed by the Texas House of Representatives which would have modified the statute to include the terms “or other legal entity” however the bill did not make it through the Senate. As a practice point, construction industry parties need to remember that attor-neys’ fees in Texas can also be recovered if a contract provision allows for them. Parties who typically furnish labor or ma-terials pursuant to contracts, should be especially vigilant to always include terms allowing for the prevailing party to recover their fees.

Bethany F. Thompson is a Shareholder with Gardner Law in San Antonio, Texas, and her practice focuses on construction litigation. In a time when many cases settle before trial, she has first chair state court jury trial experience, arbitration experi-ence, and bench trial experience in federal court. Ms. Thompson represents general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on a variety of issues including contract drafting and negotiation, lien and bond payment claims, delay and defect claims, and contract default and terminations. She has presented seminars for a variety of or-ganizations throughout the state, guest lectured on construction contracts at Texas A&M, and is active in both her local chapter of the American Subcontractors Associa-tion and the Attorney Council for the na-tional level of ASA. Contact: [email protected].

The Independent Electrical Contrac-tors (IEC) of Central Texas hosted its annual Trade Show and Wire Off at

Norris Conference Center in Austin on

All the competitors received gifts from Milwaukee manufacturer and Klein Tools.

And they’re off! Competitors, got down to show off their skills.

First place winner

L-R: Eric Peralez, training director,David Johnson and Lyndall Groos, instructor

The turnout for this year’s event surpassed last years.

L-R: IEC’s Edith Rodriguez and Erica Waiser were the center of attention for the raffle drawing.

May 31. Despite heavy rains, the turnout was larger than last years, with lots of vendors and raffle drawings. –cw


What’s the last thing you splurged on?

The doors of opportunity

It’s been a long and winding road since the inception of Schweiss Doors in 1980. But during that span of over 35

years, many doors “literally” have opened for the start-up company. Owner Mike Schweiss relates how he got started in the door business. "It was 1980,” he says. “I was at a wedding dance. A friend commented, ‘Mike, you build lots of different things. Why not a door that folds up?’“ At that time, Schweiss and his three employees were manufacturing things like farrowing crates for sows, snowblow-ers, farm trailers, tile plows and something called the Schweiss Chicken Plucker! "It was the Chicken Plucker that gave us name recognition and, in fact, got us going financially," Schweiss laughs. His first bi-fold door measured 12 x 12 ft., and was installed on a Renville County highway shed, 10 miles from Sch-weiss' country factory location between Fairfax and Hector, MN. The door is still in operation.

Custom quality During years of manufacturing doors of all sizes and shapes, requests kept coming in from customers who wanted Schweiss Doors to help them with their own personal door project to specifically fit their application. Schweiss listened and answered the challenge to design or make alterations to their door. “Bingo, that’s when the fun began to spread,” says Pat Schmidt, promotions director. “We hit a few home runs and saw the need and requests for unique custom-made doors. That’s how our “De-signer Doors” got their name.” Schweiss says this line has become global. “We have completed and installed many beautiful and elegant, off-the-wall

designer doors resulting in making many end-users very happy,” he says. “We deliv-ered them a real factory showpiece they could be proud to show off. The designer doors have become a strong market for us. Architects and designers are calling from around the globe. We are now de-signing and manufacturing hydraulic and bifold doors from hangars to storefronts and residences that are mouthwateringly beautiful. They dream it; we build it!”

More than one to make a team Schweiss Doors is a family run busi-ness. “I am acutely aware that a successful company is only as good as the people who work there,” Schweiss says. “I real-ized early on that to be the best you have to have highly skilled employees.” Coming up with new and better products is an ongoing challenge for Sch-

weiss and his 60-70 employees.

Really big doors to unique apps Last year, Schweiss fulfilled orders from SpaceX for rocket development fa-cility doors installed on a new steel han-gar at Cape Canaveral. The largest of the two is a Bifold Liftstrap door, 90 ft. wide x 61 ft. tall. The second door on that ship-ment is 40 ft. wide x 69 ft. tall. Each of the doors is equipped with automatic latches and is windrated to 150 mph. After they arrived at the site they were clad in 26-guage sheeting and have 4-inch blan-ket insulation. Bottom-drive 480 volt, 3 phase motors and patented Schweiss lift-straps do the lifting of these doors that exceed 53,000 lbs. The Hydraulic lifting porch hangar door, a classic Florida hangar home Sch-weiss wall/porch door, has drawn nation-al attention by television networks. It has

given new meaning to the term "hangar home." The structure is 50' wide x 60' deep x 30' tall, all metal. “However, a 45' x 15' Schweiss hy-draulic door sporting a wrap-around porch with decorator railing, table and chairs, a walk through" door with stylish window, and veranda roof gets your at-tention,” Schweiss says. More recently, the company started a sideline enterprise to retrofit 40-foot steel shipping containers with designer doors on the front and sidewalls. The units can be used for a variety of purpos-es ranging from home and construction offices to hunting cabins.

It’s art When customers request something, Schweiss employees look forward to tak-ing on the challenge of satisfying them. “We are passionate and serious about manufacturing doors and try each and every day trying to manufacture a better door. In 1998, we invented our cur-rent patented liftstrap design that uses straps instead of cables. Liftstraps are stronger, maintenance-free, safer and lift doors faster; it was a real game changer in the bifold door world,” noted Schweiss. Schweiss office personal have stepped up just to handle the designer door requests and love working on these one-of-a-kind custom doors. Many hours of design and engineering goes into these special doors. “It’s really rewarding to be able to participate in someone’s dreams and Schweiss provides years of door knowl-edge to enhance each and every design-er door — it’s more than a door, it’s a piece of art. Adding beauty to a structure is what Schweiss Doors does with each and every style door we manufacture,” Schweiss says. –cw

Mike Schweiss standing in front of a Schweiss bifold liftstrap door.

We splurged and upgraded everyone to a 24” monitor. My son convinced me that it would improve productivity and moral. Everyone loved it.

Chris Strand, Stan’s Heating and Air Conditioning, Austin

We are taking a weekend vacation to Galveston and we splurged on renting a car for the trip instead of using our cars. That way the trip there feels like a vaca-

tion as well.Richard Weiss, Weiss Architecture Inc.,

Austin

Dessert for an employee’s birthday party (Diane Johnson). We enjoyed a Nothing Bunt Cake. Wow, it was worth the splurge

DJ Anderson, New Stone Concepts, Austin

Finally had some down time by taking an out of town weekend trip! It rained part of the weekend but it didn’t matter…

David Matula, 360 ElectricalContractors Inc., Austin

We are taking a trip to Colorado in Au-gust.

Glyn Landrum, Current Electric,San Marcos

Our daughter is getting married on Oct. 1, so that is a splurge. I’m not sure we had a choice in it though!

Robin Wurzell, Wurzell Builders

I splurged on a pair of Luchese crocodile handmade boots and a trip to Vegas!Daniel Sauceda, Hull Supply Co., Austin

I splurged on retooling the people in the company by bringing in new, young tal-ent, while still valuing our long-term em-ployees.

Mike Nazar, Austin CanyonCorporation, Austin

I splurged on a trip to Seattle with the family.

Stacy Johnson, Austin CanyonCorporation, Austin

I want to splurge on a new propane grill, really badly. I almost had myself talked into it for my birthday, but lost my nerve.

Cyndi Wright,Austin Construction News editor


Cautions whilewading

by Capt. Steve Schultz

Sponsored by:Waypoint Marine, Majek Boats, Evinrude

Outboards, E-Z Bel Construction,Power Pole Shallow Water Anchor,

Aggregate Haulers, ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products, MirrOlure, and

Columbia Sportswear.

Summertime has arrived folks, and you will start to see larger crowds on the water through Labor Day

weekend. Fishing has remained consis-tent throughout the month of May even with all the rains and inconsistent wind directions throughout the month. June finds us continuing with the same weath-er patterns we had last month, even with a little more bizarre weather patterns. I always welcome Texas summer rains, but it seems this season we’ve had more than our share, especially central and northern parts of the state.

I would like to share an incident that hap-pen to me the last week of May while wade fishing with some clients. I woke up on a Saturday morning with a burning sensation on a spot near my ankle after a day of wading the King Ranch shoreline a few days prior. Thinking it was a spider bite or some other insect bite, I dismissed the irritated foot and went on my day’s charter with my clients. Shortly into the morning I started to feel chilled and ach-ing all over my body. I knew something was not right but was determined to fin-ish my day with my clients. As the day progressed, so did the pain in my leg un-til I had had enough. By the time I got back to the dock, my leg was swollen and the redness had spread from my ankle to my calf. That afternoon I went to the Phy-sicians Premier ER to get checked out. Af-ter explaining to the doctor that I had been wading in the Laguna Madre, he didn’t take any chances and started me on an IV antibiotic. He then informed me that I was being transferred to the hospi-

tal. Later that evening I went to Bay Area Hospital where they continued with the antibiotics intravenously. Doctors were not sure where the infection started be-cause I had no open wounds on my leg and I was sure that I had not been poked by a fish or anything else.

After a few days in the hospital with con-tinuous antibotics being run through my body, they determined that it was a bad case of “Cellulitis”. Cellulitis is a common but potentially serious bacterial (strepto-coccus or staphylococcus) infection of the skin and underlying skin tissue. Cel-lulitis develops when bacteria invade the skin, often when skin is broken or open. When bacteria spread under the skin and into the soft tissues, the body reacts by creating inflammation. I was released af-ter four nights in the hospital and put on oral ABX. After several days I went to see my family physician and he immediately took one look and admitted me back to the hospital. Long story short, I spend a total of 12 days in the hospital continu-ously receiving ABX through an IV. What started as a small irritation on my leg turned into a major infection in my leg that I wouldn’t wish on my worse enemy.

Flounder have been showing up in good numbers. Randy Wyatt of San Antonio

caught this 5 lb. flounder last month while fishing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

I am sharing this info with you so that ev-eryone that fishes or is exposed to the water in ours or any bay system need to be aware of the dangers that can occur. This infection probably started with a wading boot that rubbed my skin raw and infection set in after that. Things can progress so quickly, you really have to keep an eye on any open cut or wound you have. If there is the slightest sign of irritation, don’t hesitate getting it checked out by your physician.

Summer schedule is filling quickly but fall dates are still available. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your dates.

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

Good luck and Good Fishing.


360 Electrical Contractors, Austin, threw a party/picnic/BBQ for its employees on Jun. 4 at Emma Long Park at Lake Austin. –cw

That’s the way to party!Submitted to Construction News

Ken Milam’s Fishing LineSince 1981, Ken Milam has been guiding fishing trips for striped bass on Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country,. You can hear Ken on radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 6-8

AM on AM 1300, The Zone – Austin, or http://www.am1300the zone.com

Here I sit in my lawn chair with my toes in the water at the edge of the lake trying to type this in. Fishing

is all done for the day. I have a cold beverage at hand, the beginning of a nice sunset before me and a cool breeze on my face. My little laptop computer is waiting on my thoughts and all I can think about is I hope some mad little nesting perch doesn’t take a swipe at my toes and make me jump, upsetting the whole apple cart. Such is the relationship of a sportsman and his electronics. Our whole way of looking at the outdoors we love so much can be greatly enhanced by our new technology…as long as we can keep it working. Don’t drop it, wet it, run over it or forget where you left it (Heaven help you if it was camo colored!). Most importantly though, don’t become overly dependent on whatever the gizmo is. When I started striper guiding on Lake Buchanan in 1981, my first piece of electronic fishing equipment was a Lowrance X-15 chart recorder. For the first time in my whole fishing life I could finally see beneath the waves, look at the contours of the lake bottom and even see fish! (Even if they didn’t really look like fish!) Next were the electronic downriggers and learning the process of combining the downriggers ability to deliver the baits to the fish I could see down there without getting all tangled in the treetops the fish love to lurk in. I still think there was no better way to learn the bottom of the lake you fish because every time you make a mistake and get hung up, it costs you money in lost tackle and lost time. I still remember the first time I watched a big fish make a run at my bait! I really resisted giving up my X-15s with all their rolls of paper and stylus replacements. I finally changed over to the new fish-finders with display screens and gps. I never looked back because now I could see things in color and with more detail. No more on the water maintenance of the graph and no more having to remember my fishing spots by visually triangulating with landmarks. I love that

I can dependably find my favorite places, but that is balanced by knowing that if it fails for any reason, all I have to do is look around me and get home the low tech way like my grandpa did. I never used to take my cell phone fishing because I didn’t want the distraction. Now I always have my phone on me. I like to be able to pull up real time weather radar when I need it, but it doesn’t replace the good weather sense passed down to me by my Dad from his father. Now days my son Max runs the charter trips. He has added a big trolling motor with gps that can keep up with where you are, put you where you want to be and hold your spot without having to throw an anchor. That sure beats hauling in anchor lines, but you couldn’t appreciate how nice it is unless you’d done it the hard way! I love how far we’ve come, but it’s nice to always know the way back!

Technology and the fisherman

D & W Painting

Ferguson

Kevin Charboneau, ELK Electric field superintendent, and Johnny Torrance,

Crawford Electric salesman, landed a big catch at Port O Conner recently. –cw

That’s how you do it!Submitted to Construction News

Beach buildingSubmitted to Construction News

According to Kurt Goll, architect with Journeyman Company, this is what happens when an architect takes his son to the beach. Looks like Kurt’s son, Miles Goll, 17, got into the spirit of beach

building. According to Kurt, Miles plans to be an architect and builder just like his dad. –cw


DJ Anderson, partner at New Stone Concepts in Austin, took this low fence deer, above, last fall in Coryell County while hunting with his dad and brother. On the right, DJ, Eric Arredondo and Graham Reid went fishing with special guest, Mr. Heineken! –cw

Outlook: Successful!

TexasStyle

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston

www.constructionnews.netpublishing the industry’s news


Electrical Industry

As the voice of the $130 billion electri-cal construction industry that brings

power, light, and communication tech-nology to buildings and communities across the U.S., the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is tasked with finding solutions to the problems facing the industry. There are always challenges to address, but we’ve man-aged to make tremendous progress on several fronts in the past year. I’m opti-mistic NECA will continue to be a leader moving forward. Two of the biggest issues impacting the industry today are dealing with the shortage of workers at both the crafts-person and management levels and keeping up with technology. NECA has made inroads in both areas. First, we’re addressing the shortage of workers in several ways. Through the jointly sponsored National Labor Man-agement Cooperation Committee (NLMCC), NECA and the International

Dealing with challenges in electrical industry

John M. Grau, CEONational Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)Milwaukee, WI

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, there has been more than $1.75 million com-mitted in the past 16 months to the man-power development effort through job fairs and recruiting events. The Electrical Training ALLIANCE, a joint training program sponsored by NECA and the IBEW, has been ramping up its efforts at the local level in both growing and diversifying its student population. This year alone, NECA employers have brought in more than 8,000 new employees (more than a 30% increase) from outside the construction industry into apprentice and other entry-level programs. NECA and the IBEW contribute almost $180 million annually to deliver training through their local joint appren-tice programs. The NECA/IBEW partner-ship is currently training more than 30,000 apprentices nationwide. NECA is reaching out to two groups in particular: young people and women.

By 2019, it is estimated that the projected shortage of skilled workers in the U.S. will number 1.5 million, and part of that gap can be made up by bringing more quali-fied women and young people into the fold. Women In NECA, also known as WIN, was established in 2009 to provide a col-laborative forum for women affiliated with NECA-member companies, chapters and LMCCs. WIN works to make NECA – and the industry as a whole – stronger by advancing women’s goals for profession-al growth. NECA also supports student chapters at universities that that promote working in electrical contracting, and we regularly host Industry Nights for job seekers as well. Our apprentices – and apprentices across the board – have embraced the technological advances occurring in re-cent years. We see members starting to adopt many new technologies, such as drones, and experimenting with aug-mented reality devices, tracking devices and 3D printing. The construction indus-try is being greatly impacted by aug-mented reality with real-time visualiza-tion of projects, better collaboration and communication, increased safety, greater implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM), and projects being de-livered on time and within budget. Augmented reality technology and research is providing exciting solutions to improve overall construction quality and efficiency. Cloud-based document

management for improved real-time communication and mobile solutions for punch lists and subcontractor manage-ment are being enhanced by augmented reality overlays. Technology in this area is enhancing the world of construction in many ways. As integrating technology into busi-ness operations is one our members’ ma-jor concerns, we have launched NECA Technology, the Project for Applied and Disruptive Technology, as a new initiative. It explores the world of technology and keeps members informed of what is hap-pening today and what will be launched in the not-too-distant future. It is spear-headed by Joey Shorter, NECA director of research, who has an extensive back-ground in education and experience in translating the work of academics into understandable, practical ideas. NECA remains focused on finding the nation’s top talent for the electrical con-tracting industry and equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. Tech-nology will always be a part of the equa-tion, and I look forward to opportunities that allow us to expand our reach and continue to grow.

Mr. Grau became NECA’s chief staff of-ficer in April 1986. Previously, he was execu-tive vice president of the Milwaukee Chap-ter, NECA, and served as a field representa-tive associate with the NECA Western Re-gion. –cw


Electrical Industry

Koetter Fire Protection of Austin LLC annual employee picnic was enjoyed by all – even some who ac-

cidentally got a little wet! More than 100 people attended the event, held Jun. 5 at Reunion Ranch. Ca-

General manager Jason Ferguson, his daughter Jaycee and other attendeesposed for an annual photo

Steve and Lynn Konze “decided” it was a nice day for a swim!

Picnic kicknoe races, tug-of-war, Bingo and all the fun things offered by Reunion Ranch kept kids of all ages engaged. Food included barbecue, watermelon and ice cream. Headquartered in Dallas, with affiliat-ed offices in seven other major Texas cities,

Koetter Fire Protection is a full-service, spe-cialty fire protection systems contractor. Services include sales and maintenance of a full line of portable and fixed system fire ex-

tinguishers, sprinkler systems, engineered fire suppression systems, fire alarm systems, and fire detection and control products and systems. –cw

High tech, customer savings in electrical industryTyler Cannon, Branch ManagerCity Electric SupplyKyle, TX

A second annual survey by Klein Tools that found higher percentages of electricians who prefer to

work on high-tech installations, and home technology remains the most widely viewed residential trend by

electricians. The survey included results from 400 union and non-union electricians.

Tyler Cannon, branch manager of a local Klein dealer, City Electric Supply, says the trend is reflected in sales. “We’ve seen an increase of 30 per-cent in sales over the last 12 months,” Cannon says. He attributes that to the economy and the current construction climate in the Austin area, with hotels and gear and lighting packages. “The construction environment has had an impact on sales,” he said. “But our product line has pretty much stayed the same.” The Klein Tools’ State of the Industry survey found preferences towards work-ing on industrial projects, office buildings and commercial properties have stayed relatively the same since last year. There was a noticeable increase, however, in the number of union electricians, and electricians with 10 to 19 years’ experi-ence, indicating they prefer to work on high-tech installations. · This year, 42 percent of union elec-tricians say they prefer working on high-tech installations, up from 31 percent in 2015. · The survey also found 51 percent of electricians with 10 to 19 years of industry experience said they prefer working on high-tech installations, a significant in-crease from 24 percent in 2015. In com-parison, 29 percent of electricians with less than 10 years’ experience said they prefer working on high-tech installations, and only 24 percent of electricians with more than 20 years’ experience said they prefer working on high-tech installations. “We’re seeing increased interest from younger electricians and apprentic-es in high-tech systems. They see oppor-tunities to work on the latest technology

as a way to gain experience in an area of future growth and like the challenge as-sociated with learning a complicated skill,” said Mark Klein, president of Klein Tools. “It’s great to also learn many expe-rienced electricians are taking a fondness to more advanced systems and want to keep up-to-date on their craft. This al-lows electricians with varying levels of expertise to learn from each other on the

jobsite and advance the entire industry as technology continues changing the way we operate.” The Klein Tools’ State of the Industry survey also found electricians are seeing more smart or “connected” homes in resi-dential areas. Technology in homes is the most popular trend viewed amongst electricians - over open living spaces, home additions and multi-family homes. However, multi-family homes have sig-nificantly increased since 2015. · Nearly one-half of electricians, 48 percent, are seeing more smart or con-nected homes in the residential area—just slightly down from 56 percent in 2015. One-third of electricians, or 31 per-cent, are seeing more multi-family homes in the residential area, up significantly from 25 percent in 2015. “This tech-focused residential data aligns with what we’re seeing in the in-dustry,” Klein says. “Contractors are call-ing for more technicians who are skilled in newer, more digital-tech focused sys-

tems, and technicians are doing their best to keep up with this developing trend. Klein Tools is working with its part-ners to ensure younger electricians are trained in the old and new news models so they are prepared for all types of sce-narios on the job site.” Cannon, who has been with City Electric Service for four years, says one change is in LED lighting. “LED has been around for 15 years, but it really started taking off in the last three to four years,” he says. He says the benefits of working in the electrical supply business include seeing the end result of the electrical ma-terials supplied and seeing people save money on LED lighting and other high-tech installations. City Electric Supply is a family-owned electrical wholesale business dedicated to providing service and support for custom-ers in the residential, commercial, and in-dustrial markets since 1983. –cw


Architect effects

The AIA Austin Awards Celebration, held May 12 at Saengerrunde Hall, attracted more than 300 people who came to see Chet Garner, host of the PBS show

‘The Daytripper’ and cheer for the winners. The after party, sponsored by Datum Engineers, featured the tunes of architect Richard Weiss’ band, the Recovering – and bowling! Congrats to the winners! –cw

Honor AwardsFirm Achievement AwardMichael Hsu Office of Architecture John V. Nyfeler, FAIA Community Service AwardPhilip Keil, AIA Emerging Professional AwardJamie Crawley, AIA

Associate Member of the Year AwardR. Wilson Hanks, Assoc. AIA The Edwin Waller Award for Public ArchitectureJill and Stephen Wilkinson Community Vision AwardCommunity First Village! Mobile Loaves and Fishes

E6 Restaurant by A Parallel Architecture(Photographer: Casey Dunn)

South 3rd Street Residence by alterstudio architecture (Photographer: Casey Dunn)

Cuernavaca Residence by alterstudio architecture (Photographer: Casey Dunn)

The Cotton Gin at the CO-OP District by Antenora Architects LLP (Photographer: Brian Mihealsick)

Nutrabolt by Beck Architecture LLC with Standard Architects (Photographer: Casey Dunn)

Hillmont Studio by FAB Architecture(Photographer: Andrea Calo)

Las Casitas by Jobe Corral Architects(Photographer: Maite Nino)

Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake by Limbacher & Godfrey Architects (Photographer: Jeffrey P Buehner)

Lady Bird Loo by Mell Lawrence Architects(Photographer: Whit Preston)

Canopy by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (Photographer: Jody Horton)

South Congress Hotel by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture with Dick Clark + Associates and Studio MAI

(Photographer: Nick Simonite)

Juniper by Sanders Architecture PLLC(Photographer: Ryann Ford) The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Academic

Performing Arts Complex by Page(Photographer: Dror Baldinger)

The University of Texas at San Antonio North Paseo Building by Page (Photographer: Dror Baldinger)

1 Hillside by Tim Cuppett Architects(Photographer: Whit Preston)


New Orleans NAWIC

The National Association of Women in Construction Austin Chapter (NAWIC) had a winning presence at

the South Central Region Forum in New Orleans! –cw

Gala Burns of EFG&M Benefits, Austin Chapter director, presenting the “Inspiration.”

Cindy Richter of Vanguard Fire & Security, Austin Chapter immediate past president,

accepting, for the second consecutive year, Vanguard’s 2016 Regional Safety Excellence

Award, 1st place!

Austin Chapter attendees, back, L-R: Jamie Denton, Aimee Busby, Jamie Leonard, Gala Burns and Cindy Richter; front, L-R: Priscilla Avilez, Chaundra Callaway and Toni Osberry

Chaundra Callaway, Equipment Depot, Austin Chapter president, accepting Austin Chapter’s Membership High Marks Award

The Blue Book hosted its Who’s Who Central Texas Showcase &

Seminar Jun. 2 at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos. With 91 exhibitors at the expo and 863 event attendees, construction industry members and companies were represented from the San Antonio and Austin areas. –mh

Going by the book

Hensel-Phelps

Jamail & Smith

Silver Bullet Construction

4E Construction Services

Cen-Tex Spiral Pipe

Ryan Companies

Ingenium Construction

Sabre Commercial

Wurzel Builders

Bartlett Cocke


At the recent American Institute of Architects Austin Chapter (AIA) awards gala, guests were treated

to live music by architect Richard Weiss’ band, Recovering. Weiss, president of Weiss Architecture, says music and architecture are two branches of the same creative plant – and as a kid, he dreamed of being both a rock star and an architect. “I feel like any creative endeavor fosters all of your other creative endeavors,” Weiss says. He graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 and a Bachelors of Architecture in 1999. During this time, he played music and toured the country in a 1981 Ford Econoline van, playing in four official SXSW showcases and winning awards. Weiss moved to Austin straight out of college to become a professional musician, but the dream didn’t turn out like he thought. “I didn’t love the lifestyle,” he says. “I loved playing music, but I put it on the shelf to concentrate on my practice and family.” In 2003, he started Weiss Architecture and received a Master’s from the University of Texas in Community and Regional Panning in 2004. He got married and has two daughters. “After a 17-year hiatus, I started playing music again in 2014, fronting a Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute band called the Sideways Grimace,” Weiss says.

And they’re on their way!

Fox smart

Musical fusion

Austin architect Richard Weiss is guitaristand lead vocalist for two bands.

“I also play with Recovering, a group of musicians that compiled a list of our favorite records and play a different album at each performance. So I am happily living as a ‘rockstarchitect’ in the midst of the best midlife crisis I can imagine.” The firm is truly embedded in the Austin culture, with projects that include Alamo Drafthouse, Kerbey Lane Cafe and a new mixed-use project with an emphasis on sustainability. –cw.

Crawfish expertise

Every month, TimberTown Austin hosts “Shawn Allen’s Roadhouse,” a “meat” and greet where they

provide free grilled or smoked food. On Apr. 27, they decided to change things up and had their first authentic crawfish boil. Calling on the experts, TimberTown reached out to Louisiana lumber distributor Gaiennie Lumber. Gaiennie brought almost 300 lbs. of farm-raised crawfish, along with the corn, potatoes, onions, and sausage for a true Cajun experience. Timbertown’s Ben Roberts says “it was no surprise we had one of our biggest Shawn’s Roadhouse turnouts of the year; the crawfish boil was such a success we may have to make it an annual event.” –cw Gaiennie Lumber distributor Michael

Rowland’s son is serious about his crawfish.

About 40 people showed up to partake in Louisiana excellence.

Oh yeah! Everybody was coming back for more!

This year’s graduates are, L-R: Jesus Olivares, Gilberto Sandoval, Diego Lopez and Jose Leyva.

Established in 1972 by Curt Fox, Fox Service Co. is a commercial and residential HVAC, plumbing, electri-

cal, refrigeration and process piping company headquartered in Austin. According to George Stuckey, vice president, in the 1980s the company was involved in other endeavors as well, in-cluding land care, pools and spas. “We were all over the place,” he says. Stuckey laughs when he remembers how Fox employees used to joke that they did everything at 7-11 stores except pump the gas and run the cash registers. That “hands in many pies” philoso-phy changed, however, in the 90s, when Fox started narrowed its focus to the in-dustry it now encompasses. Between the three locations, (Aus-tin, San Antonio and Temple) Fox em-ploys roughly 185 employees and has 135 trucks on the road. “We believe in helping our people grow, learn and take on added responsi-

bility,” Stuckey says. “We support factory training and pay employees to go there, as well as pay for the training. It’s fair to say we are more concerned about train-ing employees well and losing them to the competition than not training them.” Safety is a big priority with the com-pany, Stuckey says. “We have monthly safety meetings by division,” he said. “If we are doing something unique or special, we will have tailgate meetings at job sites.” The training and safety aspects have an impact on the company’s customer philosophy. “Through our dedication to constant training, our customers will be the bene-ficiary of our employee’s knowledge and hard work.” Fox Service Co. is currently led by presi-dent and CEO Robert Nagel. The company is active in charitable events, as well as ac-tivities for employees. –cw

L-R: George Stuckey, Ryan Schooler, Larry Koch and Robert Nagel

Jim Stricklin started Austin’s Crockett High School’s one-of-a-kind Austin Construction Technology program

eight years ago. On May 25, another four aspiring industry students graduated from the program. According to program director Duane Lardon, while working on proj-ects, students learn through experience how to work in teams, both as team lead-ers and team members. They use algebra and geometry to solve construction problems and learn green building tech-niques. All classes emphasize safety, includ-ing OSHA requirements, while learning construction skills. During the one-semester introduc-tory course, students learn to use power tools safely and build projects such as picnic tables, bookcases and student-chosen projects. “In their second year, the students are more advanced and they study blue-

print reading, framing and roofing,” Lar-don says. “For the last three years the classes have completed projects for the Crockett campus and vertical teams. “This year, along with their National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER studies), the second year students constructed a storage shed for the Bailey Middle School football pro-gram.” The three-year program gives the students the opportunity of earning 23 hours of articulated credit at Austin Com-munity College (ACC), Certification with NCCER and OSHA certification. According to Lardon, out of the two graduating classes he has led, students have gone on to Texas State to study con-struction management, one is at ACC pur-suing architecture, and one is an OSHA trainee. Of this year’s grads, all four have summer jobs and plan to attend college in the fall, with two going to Texas State in the project manager program. –cw


Round-Up

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.Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line:––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––San [email protected]@constructionnews.netDallas/Ft. [email protected]@constructionnews.net

continued from Page 1 — A special build

continued from Page 1 — Fur-works, not fireworks

continued from Page 1 — Unique ‘village’ offers unique park

this deserving family the hope of a brighter future in a stable home to grow and thrive.” Headquartered in Georgetown, Embree specializes in development, design/build, general construction, program management, and capital markets for retail, financial, automotive, restaurant, pharmacy, and medical facilities. Embree employees work in their communities as EmbreeTEAM (Together Embree Employees Assisting Many). “Embree employees are as

passionate about building better communities as we are about building business,” Annis says. “We give our time, talents, and physical resources to service our neighbors in need. This is the legacy of our company. Embree Group’s TEAM Program encourages and recognizes Embree employees’ volunteer efforts within the communities we live, work, and play. Service opportunities are sought out by Embree employees and advertised throughout the company; this practice aligns service work with employees’ interests and passions.”

More than 65 Embree employees gathered to start building a Habitat for Humanity home.

we’ve been successful in this strategy.” Works says clients and employees also enjoy spending time together away from work. “One of the big things we do is an Annual Crawfish Boil,” Works says. “This year we held this event (our 11th annual) at the Pound House in Dripping Springs. We run our business like a family and this

is just one way of showing our appreciation.” The firm has been busy and expects to grow. Works says they look for talented architectural interns just out of school. “It’s our job to nurture and train them and watch them grow with the firm,” he says. –cw

Studio and a shade trellis covered with solar panels,” says Fazzone Owner Joseph Fazzone. “The project is designed to achieve a four star rating from Austin Energy’s acclaimed Green Building program.” The pool house building is primarily a concrete and steel structure. “One of the unique architectural features of the pool house are the poured in place concrete walls which are design to have the appearance of rammed earth,” Fazzone says. “To achieve this look, the walls of the pool house were formed and cast in separate 8” lifts of varying concrete mixtures over a period of time that span several months.” Substantial collaboration throughout the project was necessary between the Fazzone team, owner, architects as well as subcontractors and artisans “The group worked effectively to develop workable solutions to construct the multiple unique project components and achieve the overall design intent,” Fazzone explains. “The unique character of John Gaines Park captures the spirit of the community and the city. The John Gaines Park is the second park that Fazzone Construction has built at the Mueller site. Fazzone also completed the Paggi Square Pocket Park in May 2013.” Master developer of Mueller is Catellus Development Corp. in a joint

partnership with the City of Austin. Project managers were Bob Evans and Paul Whetstone and project superintendents were Sidney Brooks and Gene Davis. Project architect was Stanley Studio and landscape architect was Pharis Design. Fazzone Construction Co. was founded in 1957 by Domenico Fazzone, three years after he emigrated from Italy. He started the company in upstate New York and later relocated to Austin in 1977. His hard work ethic, integrity, and strive for excellence has remained as the cornerstone of the company’s core values. The family-owned company is now lead by Joseph Fazzone, who has been its president since 1998. Fazzone Construction Co. has offices in Austin and San Antonio with a combined 50 employees. Referrals and repeat clients make up a majority of the company’s work. The company has completed a variety of public and private commercial building projects and specializes in constructing site amenities, parks and specialty hardscape features. –cw

Local residents with a green thumb can grow their own fresh vegetables at John Gaines Park.

Bartlett Cocke General Contrac-tors has promoted Leonard “Fritz” Price to field opera-tions manager for Central Texas. Price has been with BCGC for 10 years and has more than 41 years of experience in the construc-tion industry. Price will oversee manage-ment of project teams in this region.

Bautex Systems announced these recent additions to its team:Chris Noone has been named vice president of sales and business devel-opment. He joins the company after more than a decade in senior sales man-agement roles at Oldcastle, Inc. Noone brings experience leading sales efforts across a four-state region including Texas, serving archi-tects, engineers, contractors and build-ing owners via direct and indirect sales. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree from Kansas State University and is certi-fied by the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute (ICPI).

Ben Glassner has joined as its Archi-tectural Sales repre-sentative, Central Texas region. He has more than 15 years of sales expe-rience in the build-ing industry. Glass-ner joins Bautex after four years at Du-Pont in its Building Innovations division where he earned global recognition in receiving the DuPont Achieving Custom-er Excellence Award. He understands well the market pressure on architects, general contractors and building materi-als manufacturers to produce building products that are energy efficient and promote a healthy environment.

LNV announces that Marcus Naiser, PE, will serve as vice president of its Aus-tin office. His profes-sional experience includes more than 17 years of plan-ning, design and management of civil engineering proj-ects in the central and south Texas region.

STG Design Austin announces the fol-lowing recent promotions and new team members:Kelly Henson is promoted to associ-ate. Since her start at STG, she has worked on a variety of projects, includ-ing the recent a w a r d - w i n n i n g Seaholm Power Plant Renovation. Hen-son has been with the firm since 2011 and a licensed architect since 2015.

Yuki Gottschaldt re-joins the firm as a project architect/project manager af-ter a three-year hia-tus of living over-seas with her family. She holds a Diploma of Architecture from the Technical Univer-sity of Berlin as well as an MA of Architec-tural History & Theory from the Architec-tural Association School of Architecture in London. Gottschaldt has more than 15 years of experience in the architecture and design field. James Hadden joins as the director of operations. He holds a BS in Art and Design from MIT and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Hadden has 20 years of experi-ence in architecture, having practiced in both Austin and Boston. He brings a pas-sion for the business of design and for mak-ing architecture both fun and profitable. Mariya Khezri joins as a designer. She is a recent graduate from Maryville Uni-versity and spent the past few years interning for firms in Missouri. While in school, Khezri founded a USGBC Student Chapter and attended national sustain-ability conferences such as Greenbuild on full scholarship. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Growing Green Award as an Emerging Leader and is currently pursuing her LEED accreditation. Mara Schwartz joins as a designer. Born and raised in South Florida, she at-tended Florida State University and grad-uated with a BS in Interior Design with part of her studies in Florence, Italy and The Ringling College of Art and Design. While her design experi-ence has been focused on residential work, she is thrilled to pursue her dream of hospi-tality and multi-family design. She couldn’t be happier living in Austin.

DCA Construction in Austin welcomes two new members to its team.Haven Seward is the new assistant office manager. She has worked for sev-en years in the tech industry focusing on crisis manage-ment and contract relations. She has two years of adminis-trative accounting experience. Seward graduated from Texas State University. When not working she spends time en-joying the many parks, restaurants, and venues in Austin. Kenny Nordell has joined as a project manager and esti-mator. With nine years of experience and a family history in the industry, his experience ranges from the formation of conceptual estimates to turning over fa-cilities for full use, including management and performance of work in between.


Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ASCEAmerican Society of Civil Engineers

Jul. 12: Webinar: Corpus Christi’s Mary Rhodes Phase 2 Pipeline, TexASCE.org, noonJul. 16: Leadership Training, Omni Barton Creek, Austin,Call Annemarie Gasser at 512-472-8905 for more information on these events.

ECATEarthmoving Contractors Assn. of Texas

Jul. 15-16: 58th Annual Membership meeting; The Hilton Garden, Duncanville; event will include annual skeet and trap shoot contest, Cummins Diesel Engine Plant tour, summary of past and next state legislative session coming in Janu-ary, the ECAT-BITCO Safety Insurance Pro-gram, and the annual meeting awards and banquet; 2nd quarter board meeting will be on Jul. 16 in the Cedar Hill meeting room, open to all members, and anyone having business with the board should contact the office to get on the agenda; for more info, visit www.earthmoving-contractors.com; late registration can be submitted by phone to the ECAT office by Jul. 8; to register, call 830-629-1620

NAWICNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Jul. 6: Chapter meeting at Big Daddy’s Burger Bar. NAWIC 101 Jeopardy-style game, plus decorating mason jars so par-ticipants can take fresh flowers home or to the office.

RCATRoofing Contractors Assn. of Texas

Jul. 20-22: Quarterly Membership meet-ing/Licensing Boot Camp, Exams; Hotel Indigo, 325 N. Kansas St., El Paso; licens-ing boot camp, Border Chapter network-ing event, educational seminars and RCAT licensing exams; to reserve, call 915-532-5200; for more info, visit www.rooftex.com

TABTexas Association of Builders

Aug. 3-4: Sunbelt Builders Show™, Gay-lord Texan, Grapevine, TX; SunbeltBuild-ersShow.com

TSPSTexas Society of Professional Surveyors

Aug. 5: Annual Strategic Planning meet-ing, Canyon of the Eagles in Burnet, TX.

Birthday bash On Friday, Jun. 10, Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Central Texas Chapter celebrated 40 years in Austin with a beach theme at Aussie’s Bar & Grill. Guests enjoyed great food and watching teams from Harvey Cleary and Zapalac

Reed Construction Company battle it out on the volleyball court. –cw

Harvey Cleary and Zapalac Reed ConstructionCompany teams

Dee Stephens, Acton Mobile; Maddie Williams,MEMCO; Stephanie Nelson, ABC; Trish Broz, Wurzell

Builders; Cheryl Fredrick, Harvey Cleary

Jay Metcalf, Rew Materials; Jesus Reyes, LASCO; Juan Mendoza, LASCO; Andrew Miller,

ClarkDietrich Building Systems

Robin Wurzell and Trish Broz,Wurzell Builders

J.C. Telamantes, project manager, at Zapalac Reed Construction Company, serves it up.

L-R: Jesse Beckett, Beckett Electrical Services and Shad Zapalac, Zapalac Reed

Construction Company, were there to celebrate and cheer on their teams.

David Smith, TDIndustries, and Daniel Stein, M Tech Comfort Systems

Sara Burnett, Skillpoint Alliance, andDaniel Sauceda, Hull Supply Co.

Dutch Dehart, LASCO, and Jason Beers, Harvey Cleary

Ryan Eaks, Skillforce Alliance, and David Smith, TDIndustries

Top of the worldConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Travis Roofing Supply employee Jose shows enthusiasm for being at the top of the world. Not to worry, he is wearing a safety harness! –cw


Fresh waters

The 3rd annual The Beck Group Scramble on May 16 at Barton Creek Country Club benefitted Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas medical camp endowment. All 192 golfers had a great time, despite the rainy weather. The tournament raised $141,755

that will help send children to summer camp with their whole medical team coming along. Pictured, L-R, Ryan Therrel, The Beck Group business development; Casey Copley;

and Dr. Mark Shen, president of Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas –cw


Purely awesome


Blue crew

On May 25, Halff Associates Inc. employees in the Austin location wore blueto support Texas Flood Awareness Week. –cw

The call came in at 4am from a concerned passerby. The new

build at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was pouring wa-ter from the third floor down to the ground – like “a waterfall.” After calling the posted number on the job site that went to the architect, Larry Connolly, Connolly & Asso-ciates, who happened to be in Philadelphia, frantic calls ensued to track down the general contractor, Austin Canyon Corporation. But the owner of Austin Canyon Corporation, Mike Nazar, was vacationing at the coast. But after some investi-gation, Nazar wasn’t upset at all. It turns out Austin Canyon’s Corp. superinten-dent, Don Cemper, and the foreman for Graystone Concrete Contractors, were just doing something that the company has already been getting a name for – repurposing existing elements to help build an aware-ness for environmental concerns. As part of the new building, an un-derground parking garage was being constructed. Excavation had gone down 14 ft. “The groundwater presence was go-ing to be more than we anticipated,” Na-zar said. With the pre-construction boring done, the presence of groundwater was determined to be an issue, so a storage tank was planned in order to handle the tens of thousands of gallons flowing be-low.

After pouring concrete on the third floor, Cemper and crew simply redirected the water to wet cure the concrete. Later, they plan to repurpose the water again for the masonry work. “I just love the idea that they repur-posed the storm water,” Nazar said. Nazar said recent re-engineering of the 30-year-old company by hiring a younger generation who comes with an awareness for the environment is paying off. “When it comes to something like this, it’s just a cherry on top,” he said. –cw

A passerby spotted this water falling out of the third storyof a building under construction – but it turns out it was

meant to be.

austin construction news july 2016

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