austin construction news october 2015

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www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 15 H Number 10 H OCTOBER 2015Trick or Treat!

The Hoar Construction Texas Divi-sion is having its best year yet. The company is celebrating its 75th an-

niversary in 2015. Friend Reed Hoar established Hoar Construction, known originally as F.R. Hoar, in the 1940s. Today, the CEO is Rob Burton. In the early 1950s, Hoar’s son, Rich-ard, joined him and the company’s name changed to F. R. Hoar and Son. Burton’s father, Robert, and Virgil C. Handy joined the company just a few years later. In its early days, Hoar specialized in community church construction, build-ing dozens of churches across Birming-ham, AL.

“In 1959, an opportunity arose that propelled the small construction compa-ny into an industry leader: Eastwood Mall,” Burton said. “At the time, Eastwood Mall was the fifth largest enclosed, air-conditioned mall in the world and the third largest in the country. Eastwood Mall was the first mall built in the south-east.” Burton says Hoar Construction has continued to diversify over time, creating new divisions and programs, including Hoar Program Management (HPM). Through its various divisions, the com-pany has continued building noteworthy projects. In the ‘90s, Hoar Construction began

The Hoar Construction Texas Division team at a OSHA Stand Down Fall Protection training.

Dynamic Systems, Inc. built its first off-site fabrication facility in Buda, Tx. where sheet metal, plumbing,

CAD design and numerous piping opera-tions are assembled, integrated and opti-mized. This 114,000-sf facility includes 12 acres of staging and secured storage, and employs 100-150 people depending on workload and project requirements. Detailing Manager Doug Smith, says, “The new fabrication facility was built in the spring of 2011 to provide increased production capabilities and to further the company philosophy of off-site fabrica-tion. This facility has been proven to save time, increase quality, safety and material control. The BIM department is also lo-cated in the Buda facility.”

Additionally, the customers realize the benefit of fewer man-hours on proj-ect sites, resulting in less infrastructure required, less trash, better jobsite safety and just in time delivery of larger assem-blies ready to be lifted into place. The company is a family oriented business and hosts holiday parties for the employees. They have Christmas parties at the shop for all field personnel where a full meal is catered, annual achievements are recognized and prizes are raffled off. Prizes range from Caribbean cruises, flat screen televisions, Yeti coolers and many hand and power tools, a construction

Thermal storage facility

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

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

The Rabb House by John King Construction Ltd.

The Bartholomew Municipal Pool by Chasco Constructors

The Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake byJay-Reese Contractors

Travis County Executive Office Building byKiewit Building Group Inc.

Austin Construction News • Oct 2015

L-R: Donnie Rodriguez and Adrian Garza, VIP Construction, clean up after completing the roofing work at the Holiday Inn Express in Austin. –ab

The end is in sightConstruction News JOB SIGHT

15 to 500 TonCapacitiesAvailable for yourToughest Projects

www.alamocrane.com

San Antonio (210) 344-7370Austin (512) 282-6866State Wide (800) 880-0134

36 Years of Service to Texas

fromEl Paso to Beaumont

Amarillo to Brownsville

Setting walls onanother warehousein the Austin area.

Keep those newcompanies coming.

Everyone has a story

Austin San Antonio Dallas/Fort Worth Houston South Texas

So many of you have been a part of Construction News since it was first founded in 1998, and then

expanded into markets throughout Texas. Perhaps you have participated as an advertiser, as a subject of one of our articles or have been a faithful reader (or all three!), and we sincerely thank you for supporting our paper all of these years. The concept has been well received in all five markets. These monthly editions showcase the good work the people and companies in our industry perform every day. We are proud to feature them and always appreciate when readers let us know they enjoyed a story, recognize someone they know, tell us what they or their company are doing or recommend someone we should feature. Our paper highlights the con-struction industry in so many different ways. Beginning on our front page, Construction News features a local project that has been recently constructed, outlining the process and featuring the final result. Our “Spotlight” takes a deeper look into the lives of construction business owners – how they started in the industry, what motivates and inspires them, their hobbies, interests and families. The “Great Outdoors” section, one of the most popular, is a great place to show off your latest hunting, fishing, vacation, marathon, vehicle or pet photos. Our editorial content explores topics

and provides coverage of statewide and national events that you will not learn about anywhere else. In “Industry Folks,” we help you to get to know the industry employees behind the desks, the drills and the phone lines that you might have the good fortune to do business with. The editors also take “Job Site” photos of projects underway and “On Location” photos of office staff as they go about their workday. Finally, there are our “Industry Profiles,” which focus on local companies, the fascinating reasons behind their establishment, their employees and their company culture. We are reminded every day that people are still keeping the American Dream alive though their work. Everyone has a “history” worth sharing. We hear people say, “I read your paper every month!” When asked if they’ve ever been featured, however, many say no, insisting that they’re not very interesting and that they have nothing to say. They do have something to say, and so do you. You have a story, or you know someone in commercial construction who does. I hope you’ll connect with us so we can share it with Construction News readers. All you have to do is call (210) 308-5800 x148, or email [email protected] … or take us up on the offer when we meet you at an event! –rd/cw


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.

If you are a construction-related company in Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet, Blanco, Caldwell or Williamson counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Austin Construction News,

please call for a Requester Form,or visit our website.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS Austin Austin Editor — Abby BeMent — [email protected] — 832-595-0091

©2015 Construction News, Ltd.

Construction News Ltd. Home OfficeP.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279

210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960www.ConstructionNews.net

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy Doebbler

Editorial/Production . . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler

Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyndi Wright

Production Manager. . . . . . . . . . Sue Johnson

Sales Representative. . . . . . . . . Kent Gerstner

Good to goConstruction News ON LOCATION

L-R: Owner Chris Matlock, Matthew Adams, Chris Frantom and Dustin Herrmann, Servpro of Marble Falls, load the truck before going to a restoration job. –ab

The wait is overConstruction News ON LOCATION

L-R: Chris Neal, Brian Binion and Cade Nobles, Mueller Inc., are glad dove season started in September. The company provides metal buildings, roofing and components. –ab

After working for a local engineer-ing firm married couple Robin and Michele Nordstrom decided to

run their own business. In April 2010, they started Nordstrom Testing in Cedar Creek, Tx., Bastrop County. They current-ly employ five employees. The majority of their clients are con-tractors and other testing labs. They per-form visual welding inspection and non-destructive testing to include ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, and liquid dye penetrant testing. They pro-vide ground penetrating radar for con-crete cutting and coring contractors and mechanical contractors performing reno-vations and upgrades to existing struc-tures. They also perform water tank in-spections for structural and coating in-tegrity. “We pride ourselves on our integrity and client relations. We strive to provide the best service possible and are always eager to work ‘outside the box’ and step into new projects and services to broad-en our scope of services,” says Robin.

Their most interesting projects have been Dell Children’s Hospital, Long Cen-ter, New York Police Academy, Houston Rapid Transit light rail track and Sacra-mento Regional Transit light rail track. “We are a devout Christian family with four boys and are deeply rooted in the local community,” he added. “We are looking forward to getting our company involved with softball games as a future event.” –rd

L-R: Joe Niemann, David Day, Ryan Jent, and Robin Nordstrom

Testing for safety

Light pole rehabilitation at Texas A & M

Rodney WagnerService Manager

Easy DriveAustin, Tx

Industry FOLKS

Rodney Wagner joined Easy Drive in Austin in October 1998, 16 years

ago. He says that people at Easy Drive are a team and all do many different duties but with a primary focus. His is mainly service, repair and calibration, but he also does a majority of the purchasing and supports inside and outside sales functions. “I enjoy performing intricate or difficult repairs, especially when they turn out better than I expected,” says Wagner. “I also enjoy talking to customers. I am a ‘talker’ and have made personal friendships with some customers. Most of them I know on a first name basis.” Prior to working for Easy Drive, he worked for another company as a service and repair manager doing many of the same functions. His background is electronics and mechanics. He has a degree in electronic technology and manufacturing. He says he was always the kid who tore things apart to see how they worked. He also liked building things and hot rod cars when he was younger. “I am engaged to Connie and we will be getting married in Sept. 2016. I have a daughter, Lindsey, who will graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and who will be an RN. Connie has two sons with children so we get to babysit frequently which

we love. We all take a week’s vacation together at the Texas Coast each year,” Wagner continues. “Connie and I love Mexican food and enjoy eating with friends every Friday night. Connie has a convertible that she loves and drives with the top down as often as she can. I bought license plate frames for her car that say, ‘Sometimes I go topless!’” Wagner enjoys model trains - large scale trains that run either inside on large layouts but more often run outside in and around a garden setting. He says they are sometimes referred to as garden railroads. “I am also an amateur photo-grapher and have taken photos at numerous friends’ and their children’s’ weddings. We enjoy camping, fishing and kayaking. Connie and I spend a lot of time at the Texas coast, typically for a week every three months or so, even during the winter,” says Wagner. He says he is also one of a dwindling number of native Austinites, born and raised in south Austin. –rd


Corridor growthConstruction News PHOTO NEWS

Bautex Systems LLC was one company that took advantage of the Austin Business Journal and San Antonio Business Journal summit in early September to focus on economic growth

between the Austin-San Antonio corridor. Business leaders and government officials outlined opportunities and obstacles of the key areas. –cw

Moore friendsConstruction News ON LOCATION

L-R: Lana, Shay, Dustin, Jeremy, Joseph and Billy assist customersat Moore Supply Co. in Marble Falls. –ab

Key employee protection:Preserving your businessKirk Quaschnick, PresidentMogul Wealth Strategies, LLCMcKinney, TX

As a construction company owner, you recognize the importance of insuring your building, inventory, and

equipment. These assets are vital to the success of your company. But have you considered what would happen

if a key employee died unexpectedly or became disabled?

Key employees are the foundation of a successful business. They are business owners, supervisors, project managers, CFOs, or any other individuals who are sources of leadership and profita bility, and who would be extremely difficult to replace. Unless the proper steps are tak-en, the death or disability of a key em-ployee can be devastating to the finan-cial well-being of your company.

The Solution: Key Employee Protec-tion Funding a plan to protect key em-ployees may give your business the ad-ditional funds it needs to:• Hire and train replacements.• Replace an employee’s contribu tion to profits.• Maintain the confidence of clients and creditors.• Meet possible loan obligations if the key employee was also a guarantor on busi-ness loans. There are three basic options for funding the costs associated with the sudden loss of a key employee: cash ac-cumulation or a sinking fund, borrowing from a bank, or life insurance.

Option 1 - Cash or Sinking Fund In this option, a business establishes a savings plan, much like a bank account, to protect itself from the death or disabil-ity of its key employ ees. At death, the cash in the savings plan is used as a source of funding. Unfortunately, this method has several drawbacks:• A savings plan accumulates funds over time. What if funds are needed tomor-row?• Accumulated cash could cause an accu-mulated earnings problem.• Any growth on the accumulated funds may be income taxable.• A savings plan may be depleted to pay for other expenses.• The business owner(s) will pay dollar for dollar, thus depleting the amount of cash that could be used elsewhere.

Option 2- Borrowing Funds In this option, funds are borrowed, usually through a bank loan, to replace the financial loss caused by a key employ-ee’s death or disability. Drawbacks of this

option include:• A potential slowdown in business growth due to additional loan repay-ments.• A reduction in future profits may occur because of the loan repayment.• The business owner(s) will pay dollar for dollar plus interest.• The company’s credit may be adversely affected due to greater debt.

Option 3 – Insurance Purchasing life and/or disability in-surance on your key employees can be a cost-effective way to safe guard your business and minimize the impact of a key employee’s death or disability. Life insurance and/or disability insurance can provide your business with the following advantages:• Funding with insurance is easy to ad-minister.• Funds are available even if death or dis-ability occurs the day after coverage be-gins.• Although the premiums are not deduct-ible, the life insurance proceeds at death are generally received income tax-free to the business.

Funding the Future Plan The business applies for a life insur-ance policy on the life of a key employee. The business is the owner and beneficia-ry of the policy. As policyholder, the busi-ness pays premiums to an insurance company for the policy as long as the key employee is alive and an employee. Should an insured key employee die, the death benefit proceeds from the insur-ance policy would pass generally income tax-free to the business, providing an im-mediate cash source for debt repayment, liquidity, or other related concerns. Kirk G. Quaschnick, CLU, ChFC, ARPC, is the president and co-founder of Mogul Wealth Strategies, LLC in McKinney, TX. Since 1992, Kirk has helped his clients in fi-nancial, business, and estate planning, as well as financial advising, investment advi-sory and wealth management services to business owner executives and individuals. For additional information on the informa-tion or topic discussed, please contact Kirk at 214-420-7152, or email him at [email protected].

The HR to-do list just keepsgetting longerCyndi Mergele,, SPHR, SHRM-SCPPadgett Stratemann & Co.San Antonio, TX

It’s been a busy summer for employment law changes and there are more changes to come. In June, the U.S.

Supreme Court issued two significant rulings. The first confirmed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was finally (or at least for now) the law of the land. The second ruling recognized same sex marriages.

ACA Compliance. Employers who issue 250 or more W-2s are required to report the cost of employees’ healthcare insurance on the W-2. “Applicable large employers” (employers with 50 or more FTEs) will be required to complete, pro-vide to employees, and file Forms 1094 and 1095. Information must be reported for 2015 in early 2016.

FLSA. In July, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed change to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposed change would re-quire employers to pay overtime to any employee who earns a salary of less than $50,440 per year. This could have signifi-cant impact on the construction industry, as it means, regardless of the work per-formed, an employee who is paid $24.24 per hour or less must be paid overtime.

On July 15, 2015, the DOL issued Ad-ministrator’s Interpretation 2015-1 provid-ing further guidance (and strong warn-ing) regarding the challenge of employ-ers continuing to misclassify employees as independent contractors. It is impor-tant to note this interpretation specifi-cally cites the construction industry in providing an example: “Example: A highly-skilled carpen-ter provides carpentry services for a con-struction firm; however, such skills are not exercised in an independent manner. For example, the carpenter does not make any independent judgments at the job site beyond the work that he is doing for that job; he does not determine the sequence of work, order additional mate-rials, or think about bidding the next job, but rather is told what work to perform and where to perform it. In this scenario, the carpenter, although highly-skilled tech-nically, is not demonstrating the skill and initiative of an independent contractor (such as managerial and business skills). He is simply providing his skilled labor. In contrast, a highly-skilled carpenter who provides a specialized service for a variety of area construction companies, for example, custom, handcrafted cabi-nets that are made-to-order, may be demonstrating the skill and initiative of an independent contractor if the carpenter markets his services, determines when to order materials and the quantity of mate-

rials to order, and determines which or-ders to fill.”

The interpretation also states that the DOL has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a number of states (including Texas) to share informa-tion obtained in audits to insure compli-ance with DOL regulations. Companies need to carefully examine their indepen-dent contractor relationships to ensure compliance with IRS, DOL, and Texas Workforce Regulations. Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor can cost an employer back wages for un-paid overtime and unpaid federal and state taxes. And, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2015, Presi-dent Obama issued an Executive Order Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors that will require federal con-tractors and subcontractors to provide seven days of paid sick leave per year to all employees. The Order states that af-fected employees must be permitted to earn no less than 56 hours of sick leave per year and can carry over any unused balance into the following year. The Sec-retary of Labor will issue regulations re-lated to this Order no later than Septem-ber 30, 2016. It will become effective for government contracts in 2017. As the HR to-do list continues to grow, it is important for construction companies to invest time and resources to ensure proactive compliance. While there is cost to proactive compliance (hir-ing a human resources professional, a hu-man resources consultant, or an employ-ment attorney), it is far less costly in terms of reputation, legal cost, back wag-es, taxes, and penalties.

Cyndi Mergele is the Senior Manager of Human Resources Consulting for Padgett Stratemann & Co., one of Texas largest, lo-cally-owned CPA and business advisory firms, with offices in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Cyndi assists clients with hu-man resources strategy, staffing and re-cruiting, policy and program development, merger and acquisition strategy, and solv-ing their most complex work force issues. For more information, please contact Cyndi at 210-828-6281 or [email protected].


Power to the employees

You’re insured against the big-ticket rip and tear damages, right?Stephanie O’Rourke, PrincipalCokinos, Bosien & YoungSan Antonio, TX

There is no question that the installation and subse-quent removal of defective work or product will

leave a mark. Such damage might be reasonably thought of as “physical injury” or “impaired.” However, if you are considering whether such damage might by covered by your insurance policy, the meaning of phrases such as “physical injury” and “impaired property” may not be so clear. In fact, the Fifth Cir-cuit has recently determined those phrases to be so ambiguous in the context of GCL policies as to require interpretation by the Supreme Court of Texas.

In U.S. Metals v. Liberty Mutual Group, 589 Fed. Appx. 659 (5th Cir. 2014), U.S. Metals supplied flanges to be used in non-road diesel facilities in Exxon refiner-ies. After the flanges were irreversibly welded into place, testing revealed the flanges were defective and did not meet the applicable industry standards. Exxon removed all 350 flanges and eventually settled with U.S. Metals for approximate-ly $6 million. Metals submitted the claim to Liberty Mutual Group, but Liberty de-nied the claim, arguing that the rip and tear damages were excluded by the poli-cy by the following standard exclusions: m. Damage to Impaired Property or Property Not Physically Injured; “Proper-ty damage” to “impaired property” or property that has not been physically in-jured, arising out of: A defect, deficiency, inadequacy, or dangerous condition in “your product” or “your work”; or A delay or failure by your or anyone acting on your behalf to perform a con-tract or agreement in accordance with its terms. This exclusion does not apply to the loss of use of other property arising out of sudden and accidental physical injury to “your product” or “your work” after it has been put to its intended use. The policy defined the term “im-paired property” as: 8. “Impaired property” means tangi-ble property, other than “your product” or “your work”, that cannot be used or is less useful because: It incorporates “your product” or “your work” that is known or thought to be defective, deficient, inadequate or dangerous; or You have failed to fulfill the terms of a contract or agreement; if such property can be restored to use by the repair, re-placement, adjustment or removal of “your product” or “your work” or your ful-filling the terms of the contract or agree-ment. However, the policy did not define the terms "physical injury" or “replace-

ment.” Noting the lack of controlling au-thority on the interpretation of these terms, the Fifth Circuit asked the Su-preme Court of Texas whether “physical injury” and “replacement” in the context of the “your product” and “impaired property” exclusions are ambiguous. Among other things, the Fifth Circuit asked “[D]oes ‘replacement’ of the in-sured’s defective product irreversibly at-tached to a third party’s product include the removal or destruction of the third party’s product?” In the past, injured insureds have at-tempted to avoid the exclusion by argu-ing that contrary to the requirements of the definition of “impaired property,” the property could not be restored to use by repair or replacement of the named in-sured’s product or work if it required con-siderable destruction of other property. Under the certified questions, the “rip and tear” associated with repair and re-placement of an integrated part will sim-ply be regarded as part of the excluded property damage to impaired property, rather than third party property, and may be excluded. Oral argument was heard by the Court on Sept. 9, 2015. Not surprisingly, numerous Amicus briefs have been filed to assist the court with its interpretation of these common exclusion terms. As rec-ognized by the Fifth Circuit, “The Texas Supreme Court’s interpretation of these terms will have far-reaching implications due to the commonality of these exclu-sions within CGL policies.” Stephanie O’Rourke is a principal of Cokinos, Bosien &Young, a full service law firm with offices in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. For more information on our services, please visit www.cbylaw.com

We’re here

for the Boos!

As Alterman Inc. celebrates the 30th anniversary of its employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), the

company’s employees are reaping the benefits, literally, of being part of the employee-owned company. Employees can breathe even easier knowing that Alterman was recently named one of the Principal 10 Best Com-panies for Employee Financial Security, a national award given by the Principal Fi-nancial Group. “Being employee-owned, the mon-ey stays within the company,” explains John Wright, president and CEO. “And there’s two things that you do with it: you reinvest it in the company to contin-ue to grow, which we do, and you pro-vide benefits to the employees. “By having such a robust benefits plan, our employees also take home more money in their check to have a bet-ter lifestyle now. We don’t take out for matching contributions to healthcare. It’s 100-percent employer paid. That gives them more money in their checks. So, their quality of life today is better along with their quality of life down the road, because of our robust retirement plan.” With approximately 900 employees now, Alterman continues to grow and carries a 98-percent employee retention rate. Also, the electrical contractor did not layoff a single person during the eco-nomic downturn.

“Over the last five years, we’ve had seven people retire early,” says Wright. “When you look at the U.S. overall and the news, people are working longer be-cause they can’t afford to retire, and yet, we’re still having as many retire early as we are on time, and nobody is staying because they don’t have the financial ability to leave. The people who are stick-ing around love to work and they want to stay here and work.” Celebrating more than 90 years in the industry, Alterman is an employee-owned electrical contractor based in San Antonio with an office in Austin. –mh

A national award received by Alterman Inc. included a $2,500 donation to charity, and Alterman chose Respite Care of San Antonio as the recipient. L-R: Charlie Gonzalez, board

member of Respite Care of San Antonio; John Wright, Alterman; Bert Pfiester, president and CEO of Respite Care of San Antonio

John Wright accepted an award from Principal Financial Group recognizing

Alterman Inc. for providing an outstanding level of financial security to its employees.


Kim Casper Owner

Caspro BuildersBastrop, TX

Not everyone who is born in a northern climate enjoys the cold – and such is the case with Kim

Casper, owner of Caspro Builders in Bas-trop. Born in Wisconsin to a mechanic fa-ther and stay-at-home mom, Kim, one of seven siblings, took the first opportunity that presented itself to leave the wind and snow behind. In a funny coincidence, one of the pleasures of his youth was playing in the river that ran through his hometown of Cedarburg, called Cedar Creek. Now, he makes his home in Cedar Creek, TX., right outside of Bastrop.

Tell me about growing up in Wiscon-sin. We used to fish, swim and play in Ce-dar Creek. I don’t remember my father ever missing a day of work. He was a steady provider and that’s something I learned from him. He was a mechanic and I thought I was going to follow in his footsteps. As a kid, I liked to tear things up and put them back together. Growing up in Wisconsin, one of my favorite memories is of the limestone quarry that was basically in our backyard. In the summer we swam and played there. In the winter, we could ice skate there.

How did you come to leave? I joined the army as a mechanic and was in the army from 1975-78. I wanted to see the world and get as far away from the cold as I could get! I was stationed in Hawaii for three years.

My wife and I just got back from cel-ebrating our 30th anniversary there. It was the first time I had been back in 40 years.

After the army, what did you do? I moved to Texas in 1981 to go to school. I spent one semester at Texas Tech, but I didn’t care for Lubbock so I moved to Austin. I was hoping to contin-ue school at the University of Texas, but I got married and started having kids.

How did you meet your wife? I was working for UT in a physical plant and Cindy was a student. She re-ceived her degree in microbiology. Her father was retired military who was doing remodeling and he hired me. We lived in Austin. I worked for him for one year.

Where did you go from there? Right after they built the Travis County Expo Hall, I worked there in maintenance and construction. After that, I worked as a supervisor for a pro-duction line at Motorola, but I couldn’t stand being cooped up, so I went to work for a company called Living Architecture where I was in construction manage-ment. I worked for them for two years. We were working on a project at the Oak Hill Y when 9-11 happened. I started Caspro Builders that same year, 2001. Caspro does everything you can think of from new home construc-tion to remodeling. We do residential and commercial projects. We have a new project starting next month – a 4,000-sf warehouse and office building.

Did 9-11 influence your decision to go out on your own? I’m not sure. Maybe a little. I had al-ways wanted to have my own business and I was doing things to build my skills toward that end.

You decided to open Caspro Builders in Bastrop instead of Austin. Why? I wanted to get out of Austin. I could see the opportunities in Bastrop and I

had friends there. Now, I try to work exclusively in Bas-trop County.

Tell me about your family. We have five children: Olivia, 29; Phil-ip, 25; Alec, 22; Jonathan, 19; and William, 18. My wife and I have home schooled them all. Cindy also teaches science and other associated classes at One Day Acad-emy in Bastrop. All five of them have been exposed to what I do since they were little. I start-ed taking them to work to show them how hard the work is. I don’t want them to have to do it. We want them to find something they enjoy doing. My oldest, Philip, took to it early. I’m hoping he will take over the business.

What plans do the rest of them have? Jonathan likes this work, but he’s into video games. He and his brother want to develop their own game. He was offered a job at a local restaurant, but turned it down for the construction job. He said he really likes working with his brothers. I’m most proud of how my kids love each other. We get together once a week for family game night. Alec is on his way to some sort of ministry. William works with me and is kind of in a gap between high school and what he wants to do. He is taking some

advanced classes for college credit. Olivia is a stay-at-home mom with a one-year-old, Bennett. Philip and his wife just had a baby girl, Nora Lynn.

How do you teach your sons who are working with you to handle your cus-tomers? I always wish them to go back to scripture: And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. (Colossians 3:23) If this was Jesus’ house, would you cut corners and skimp? They have always been polite and on most of our projects, I have customers who compliment me on them. They’ve always been expected to have manners and treat customers with respect.

Religion plays an important role in your family’s life. Tell me about that. Part of the reason we home schooled them was so that we could relate the things they were learning biblically. About 18 years ago, we were part of a group that founded Bible Baptist Church. About 13 years ago, we were part of a group that formed another church, Grace Bible Fellowship.

You are involved in the Children’s Ad-vocacy Center, right? Yes. I am the longest continually-serving member of the board. The CAC works closely with other or-ganizations and law enforcement to stop child abuse. –cw

Kim Casper, center, with two of his sons, William, left and Jonathan, right.

“I wanted to get as far away from the cold as I could get!”

“I couldn’t stand being cooped up.”

Fun fact: Kim Casper grew up playing in a river called Cedar

Creek in Wisconsin and has now made Cedar Creek, TX. his home

Sprucing up SpicewoodSubmitted to Construction News

A team of Stantec’s Austin employees spent Sep. 15 in Round Rock ISD sprucing up Spicewood Elementary’s exterior by planting vegetation, painting and providing general clean up and organizational assistance. The volunteer effort was part of the design firm’s

third annual community day. –mh


BAFFIN BAYLAGUNA MADRE

LAND CUT

SPECKLED TROUT

REDFISHFLOUN DER

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

STEVE SCHULTZOUTDOORS, LLC

www.baffi nbaycharters.comsteveschultzoutdoors@

gmail.com

(361) 813-3716(361) 334-3105

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

In search ofwinter sowsby Capt. Steve Schultz

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

ers, ForEverlast Hunting and Fishing Products and Columbia Sportswear.

Human nature seems to require most fishermen to try and make something happen before it’s re-

ally the ideal time. Getting a jump on post-fall and pre-winter sow trout seems to be a popular topic around the marinas and on the boat lately. Speckled trout, especially the larger trophy sized ones that populate the waters of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay, become one of the most sought after fish for lure chunking gurus in the area during the cooler months of the year. Typically, wade fishing is the norm when searching for trophy specks along the shallow shorelines of our bay system. However there are areas that are not fea-sible for wading and must be accessed

from the boat. There are also many of my clients that simply will not get out of the boat under any circumstances for any fish, and I’m fine with that. I like fishing out of a boat as much as anybody, but if you really want to have a good chance at catching the fish of a lifetime, wading is one of the best ways to do it. Even though one of the biggest trout I’ve ever caught came out of the boat this year in the Landcut. Preparation is key when wade fish-ing. I will start with what I think is one of

Michael Rodriguez of San Antonio hooked up on the 28-inch redfish lastweek on a fishing outing with Steve Schultz Outdoors.

the most important aspects of your trip. Wading apparel is very important when fishing out of the boat and I don’t cut cor-ners when selecting it. A good set of waders and wading jacket is a must when bailing over the side of your boat. After all, how can you concentrate on your fish-ing if you’re cold, wet and not confort-able. I prefer Simms wading gear simply because they are the best. Staying dry is key to staying warm so avoid the bargain bins for these items. A good working rod and reel is just as important as your ap-

parel. Having problem with your reel early in the morning can sure be frustrat-ing when your buddies are hooked up beside you. I recommend spooling your reels with 30# braid and using a 30# fluo-rocarbon leader for fishing the rocks in Baffin Bay. A good pair of polarized sun-glasses is a must for seeing on the water. Most anglers have these already, but if you don’t, invest in a quality pair instead of the Bill Dance economy ones. And fi-nally, don’t forget about your feet. There is a wide selection of wading boots avail-able on the market. Make sure you size them accordingly to fit over waders or neoprene socks. As I prepare my wade box for the day, I make sure I have all the bases cov-ered. Winter fishing requires a slower presentation and a smaller offering. Top Pups and Spook Jr’s are at the top of the list. Your favorite soft plastic should be readily available with either a 1/16 oz or 1/8 oz jig head. Another bait that I al-ways carry and is the one that gets the most press is the original Corky and Corky Fat Boy. These hard to come by baits are top producers of trophy trout during winter months. Other lures I add to the arsenal are the Mirr-O-lure Pro-MirrOdine. These are proven favorites of mine and I seldom leave the boat with out them. Fall marks the start of a new fishing season with fewer boats on the water and less pressure in your favorite fish spots. Come down and enjoy the cooler weather and some of the best fishing Texas has to offer. To schedule your next bay fishing trip give Capt. Steve Schultz a call at 361-813-3716 or 361-334-3105 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Good luck and Good Fishing.

TexasStyle

San Antonio Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Houston South Texas

www.constructionnews.netpublishing the industry’s news


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

www.striperfever.com

Nice catchSubmitted to Construction News

Gerald Lara, project manager and estimator at D&W Painting in Leander, and his family, Julien, Lawrence and Laurie threw lines in the water at Aransas Pass and came

up with this haul, including a 31” and a 29” redfish. –cw

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

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

I know you are awfully busy with work and family and now it’s getting to be hunting season, but you need to pay

attention to this proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution. We need to protect our right to hunt and fish in Texas from outside pressure from the Federal government or anyone else to restrict or remove our current privileges. Don’t just take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. A good place to start for just the facts is: http://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Right_to_Hunt,_Fish_and_Harvest_Amendment,_Proposition_6_(2015) I always encourage people to get outside and bring their kids out to hunt or fish or camp and hike. We have an ob-

ligation to pass our love for the outdoors down to our young people. Already we have seen a decrease in people enjoying our state and national park resources. Fewer and fewer hunting and fishing li-censes are being sold to people under the age of 40. Without the revenue gen-erated by our participation, access to the great outdoors will dwindle. Outdoor equipment retailers are concerned with this trend too. The worst part of this is the decline in the number of people who understand the importance of outdoor

Protect our right to hunt and fish in

Texas! Vote “yes” forProposition 6 on

November 3

life to our own health, happiness and well-being. That is why this state consti-tutional amendment is so important. We have finally come to a time when the people who are coming to power in our society and our government may not have enough of a connection to the out-doors to understand the impact of the changes they want to implement. Our existence and the very heritage of our county have been built upon our ability to procure food for our families and pass the knowledge of hunting and fishing down to the next generation. In more recent times it has been the effort and money spent by sportsmen that have paved the way for research and con-servation of the fish, animals and habitat we so cherish. We understand important role we must play to preserve the bounty we have been given, and harvesting game is an important and necessary tool to prevent overpopulation and disease in animals as well as providing our families with a safe, healthy alternative to pro-cessed meats, (and it tastes better too). When you get right down to it, I hate to think what would happen to our peo-ple if the lights go out a couple of genera-tions down the line from losing our right and opportunity to hunt and fish. If for no other reason, the knowledge of how to sustain ourselves and the right to do it should be protected. Please make the effort to go and vote on this very important issue! So of-ten we tend to overlook things like amendments in the grand scheme of things. Then further down the line we find where something has become law that we don’t approve of – simply be-cause we didn’t take the time to vote and a bunch of busy bodies did vote it in. Vote for Proposition 6 in the Nov. 3, 2015 election and let your voice be heard!

‘40s fishing family


OK, all you anglers out there! Can you identify this rather handsome fish that was caught outside of Rockport off Goose Island? We’ll post it on our Facebook page

after Oct. 1 and we’d love to have everybody “weigh” in. –cw

What is it? At the riverSubmitted to Construction News

South Texas Construction News editor Cyndi

Wright and husband Jay Hutchison took

their annual September vacation to the Texas Hill Country on the Frio River. The day’s tranquility was not affected by friendly

kayakers passing by. –cw


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2015Schedule

Regular session of the 84th Texas Legislature

Mike WhiteTexas Construction AssociationAustin, TX

The 84th Texas Legislature completed its Regular Session on June 1, 2015.

The Texas construction industry will ben-efit from the passage of the following bills:

Consolidated Insurance Programs (CIPs) – SB 1081 Effective Jan. 1, 2016, principals of a CIP will be required to provide certain in-formation about the CIP to a contractor who is to be enrolled in the CIP not later than 10 days before the date the contrac-tor enters into a construction contract. This information will allow the contractor to compare the coverage provided by the CIP to the contractor’s own insurance and will allow the contractor to make an informed decision on whether to enter into the construction contract. In addi-tion, a contractor may request in writing from the principal a complete copy of the insurance policy that provides coverage under the CIP.

State Budget - HB 1 The state budget for the biennium beginning Sept. 1, 2015 appropriated just under $1 billion for construction of new state buildings. In addition, approximate-ly $630 million was appropriated for de-ferred maintenance projects at state fa-cilities. This became effective Sept. 1, 2015.

Higher Education Revenue Bonds - HB 100 This bill authorizes certain higher education institutions across the state to issue $3.1 billion in revenue bonds to fund 64 construction projects over the next two years. This became effective Sept. 1, 2015.

Pre-Litigation Requirements for Con-do Owners’ Associations in Defect Cases- HB 1455 This new law restricts condominium unit owners’ associations in condomini-

ums that have eight or more units from filing lawsuits or initiating arbitration proceedings to resolve a claim relating to the construction or design of a unit on behalf of all of the owners unless they first obtain an inspection and written in-dependent, third-party report that iden-tifies and describes the condition of the specific units or common elements that are subject to the claim and obtain ap-proval from unit owners holding more than 50 percent of the total votes in the association at a regular, annual or special meeting. This law became effective Sept. 1, 2015.

Public-Private Partnerships - HB 2475 In 2011, legislation was passed that established a process for governmental entities to contract with private entities to construct, finance, and operate a vari-ety of facilities, including ports, pipelines, parking garages, hospitals, schools, and other public works projects. State high-ways were not included. Performance and payment bonds are required to be in place before the start of any public-pri-vate partnership project. The new law establishes a center for alternative finance and procurement within the Texas Facilities Commission to consult with governmental entities re-garding best practices for procurement and financing of qualifying public-private

partnership projects and to assist gov-ernmental entities in the receipt of pro-posals, negotiation of interim and com-prehensive agreements, and manage-ment of qualifying public-private part-nership projects. The creation of the center is intend-ed to increase the use of public-private partnerships by Texas governmental en-tities. This law became effective Sept. 1, 2015.

Construction Manager-At-Risk Used by a Governmental Entity - HB 2634 This measure amends the Govern-ment Code to remove the exception to a prohibition against a governmental enti-ty’s project architect or engineer serving, alone or in combination with another person, as the construction manager-at-risk. The new law is intended to eliminate conflicts of interest in certain govern-mental construction contracting. This law became effective Sept. 1, 2015. Mike White, vice president of govern-mental affairs, is a graduate of Texas A&M University and received a law degree from the University of Houston. White came to TCA in 2010 with thirty years of diversified responsibilities in governmental and public affairs arenas for two major multi-national corporations, a public agency, and a busi-ness organization. –cw

What do you do on a daily basis at Las-co Acoustics & Drywall? I am the safety director at the Austin office but I also travel to work in Dallas and San Antonio. I train our guys on how to work safe on a daily basis and I provide bilingual training because I can speak both Eng-lish and Spanish. I oversee projects and I make sure the crew have what they need to com-plete the job.

What is your perspective about the lo-cal construction industry? I think things are still booming. There are lots of construction projects going up in Austin and around the state. The economy is still doing well this year.

Safety first priority at Lasco

Juan Mendoza, Safety DirectorLasco Acoustics & Drywall Inc. Austin, TX

What are a few challenges you have seen in your industry lately? The biggest challenge I have seen is finding qualified workers to get the job done. The wages for construction workers have increased because there is not a lot of man power. We have very competitive wages. It is not just us, other companies in the area do, too. Laborers have various backgrounds and have experience working in land-scaping, cleaning companies and other construction related businesses. We have programs where we teach our employees how to install drywall cor-rectly. Training is essential.

Most of the training we do is in-house; however, sometimes when we are required to have a specific training on specific equipment, we call the providers and have them do the training for us.

In your opinion, what are ways to at-tract new laborers into the construc-tion industry? We have placed ads in newspapers and we announce job openings within our company. We also have employees refer us to their friends and family members who may want to work at the company. What is rewarding about your job? I have worked in this industry for al-most 20 years. This is what I know. I start-ed out working in the field with my tools. I worked my way up over the past 15 years I have worked at Lasco Acoustics & Drywall. My favorite part of the job is training new employees and keeping our em-ployees safe. At the end of the day, when I see the

workers are going home the same way they left in the morning, it is rewarding to know that they are going to go back to their families and see their children. That is my biggest joy.

What do you think is on the horizon for your industry? I think things will keep booming for a few more years. The construction industry is cyclical, so eventually in about three or four years we won’t have as much work as we do right now. I think things may be steady for a while and things might go down a little bit. We might be building enough homes and buildings right now but even-tually the rise in the population will de-mand us to build more.Lasco Acoustics & Drywall Inc. provides dry-wall, acoustics and plastering in the com-mercial construction industry. The compa-ny has a corporate office in Dallas and also has offices in Austin and San Antonio. –ab


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What is yourbiggest pet peeve?

Music City was the setting for women in construction to hit all of the right networking notes

Sept. 2-5. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) hosted its 60th annual Meeting and Education Conference in Nashville, TN, bringing to-gether South Central Region chapters to celebrate the harmony of their unique sis-terhood. Highlights of the “Sounds of Success” event, held at the Omni Hotels and Re-sorts, included a mini trade show, an in-stallation luncheon, meetings, seminars

and workshops and an awards gala. Some members also took part in some sightseeing in Tennessee’s capital, in-cluding catching a Dwight Yoakam con-cert at Ryman Auditorium and visiting Nashville’s famed eateries. “It was great to get together and network with other women in construc-tion across the country,” NAWIC Austin chapter’s Cindy Richter says. “The con-ference had great speakers and built in plenty of time to network plus getting to enjoy downtown Nashville was an extra bonus.” –mjm

Austin and Houston NAWIC members go to see Dwight Yoakam at Ryman Auditorium: (first row, l-r) Pieper-Houston’s Debbie Savage, Way Engineering’s Jennifer Black (back row, l-r)

Hensel Phelps’ Kelli Mitchell, Ryan Companies’ Taryn Ritchie, Vanguard Fire & Security’s Cindy Richter and TDIndustries’ Janie Mendiola

L-R: Austin chapter representatives, Taryn Ritchie of Ryan Companies, Cindy Richter of Vanguard Fire & Security, Janie Mendiola of TD Industries and Kelli Mitchell of Hensel Phelps,

at the gala.

Installation luncheon

I understand everyone is busy, but replying back in a timely manner is always nice.

Lance MaganaAmerican Tile & Stone

“Buckers,” people who immediately pass the “buck” on anything instead of figuring things out for themselves, which would be educational and therefore make the individual “Bucker” a more valuable member of any company and society as a by-product.

Rodney WagnerEasy Drive

It drives me crazy when people don’t say thanks when you hold the door open for

them. It’s almost as bad as somebody not waving when you let them over in front of you while driving. It’s just rude!

Ben Garner Equipment Depot

My biggest pet peeve is RFIs. I believe a personal phone call is a far better method of communication in today’s world. The RFI process is a way to formally document a directive or clarify a response but the answers should be available in minutes through a phone call with the design team.

Doug SmithDynamic Systems Inc.

My pet peeve is inconsiderate motorists. Texas is God’s country and we don’t need to be driving through it like it’s hell.

Joann NatarajanOSHA Austin

My pet peeve is when my wife won’t lift up the toilet seat! All of our life we are told to put down the toilet seat. This should work for the girls as much as it does for the boys, now really. Right guys?

Buddy DoebblerConstruction News

Companies or individuals who make mistakes and wait to see if you catch it. At our company, we instruct our employees to be up front with mistakes and make it right no matter the cost. I would like to say we don’t make mistakes, but it does happen from time to time.

Robin WurzelSouthern Demolition

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Round-UpAssociation CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABC Central TexasAssociated Builders & Contractors

Oct. 30: Fall golf tournament at Onion Creek Golf Course. Contact Amber Gauthier at 512-719-5263 for more details.

AGCAssociated General Contractors

Oct. 8: 5:30-9pm. Annual Fish Fry at Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch. Contact Toni Osberry at 512-442-7887 for more details.

AIAAmerican Institute of Architects

Oct. 17: All day. Walk the Talk: Tour and panel discussion on Missing Middle Housing in Austin. Oct. 20: 11:30am at Green Pastures Restaurant. Annual meeting for election of board of directors for 2016.Oct. 24-25: AIA Austin Homes Tour. Self-guided tour includes 10 homes.Check aiaaustin.org for more details.

ASCEAmerican Society of Civil Engineers

Oct. 11-14: National convention in New York, New York. Check asceconvention.org for more details.

Round-UpSubmissions

This is a monthly section for brief company announcements of new or recently promoted personnel, free of

charge, as space allows. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Email (w/digital photo, if available)by the 15th of any month, for the

next month’s issue(published 1st of each month).

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

Fisher pictureConstruction News ON LOCATION

Sandra Mott and Krista Fisher have a great day at Fisher’s Iron & Metal Inc.The company sells structural steel and welding supplies. –ab

Nedza and Ollie were spotted taking a lunch break in Bastrop. The two work for DeMoss Plumbing Co. in Austin. –cw

Lunch time!Construction News ON LOCATION

Halff Associates has hired Tim Bargain-er, PLA, ASLA, CLARB, as vice president and director of landscape architecture and Brian Binkowski, ASLA, PLA, as se-nior project manager. Bargainer will manage large multi-disciplined planning and design teams on complex projects. He earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architec-ture degree from Tex-as Tech University. Binkowski brings 21 years of experi-ence as a landscape architect. As senior project manager, he will focus on parks, trails, and open space projects. He earned a Bachelor of Land-scape Architecture degree from Texas Tech University.

CTSA Central Texas Subcontractors Assn.

Oct. 13: 5:30-8pm. Monthly meeting with speaker Bob Cartwright: Connecting Veterans and Subcontractors for Jobs. Embassy Suites, 5901 N IH35. Check ctsaonline.org for more details.

NAWICNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Oct. 7: 5:30-7:30pm. Monthly chapter meeting at Big Daddy’s Burgers, 9070 Research Blvd, Suite 101.Oct. 28: Lady Power Happy Hour Membership Drive, 4-7pm at the Associated General Contractors office, 609 S. Lamar. Wine and networking.Check austinnawic.org for more details.

TACCATexas Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.

Oct. 17: 8-5pm. HVAC – Designing Systems CEU at Wingate by Wyndham. Check tacca.org for more details.

National Association of Women in Construction Austin Chapter (NAWIC) recentlyelected their officers for the 2015-16 year. They are Chaundra Callaway, Equipment

Depot, president; Toni Osberry, Austin Chapter of the Associated General Contractors,vice president; Aimee Busby, Waste Management, treasurer; Jamie Garrett, San Marco

Air Conditioning, Inc., secretary; and board members Pilar Avalos, Hensel Phelps;Gala Burns, efg&m Benefits; Sandra Johnson, Edge Electric Inc.; and Amy Maresca,

Edge Electric Inc. Pictured, L-R: Amy Maresca, Gala Burns, Pilar Avalos, Sandra Johnson, Chaundra Callaway, Aimee Busby, Toni Osberry, Jamie Garrett, and Cindy Richter. –cw

Submitted to Construction News

Stepping up to serve


continued from Page 1 — Attention to details

continued from Page 1 — The next level

continued from Page 1 — Opportunity awaits

work for the Walt Disney Co. What started with a retail project, the World of Disney, led to the company building indoor roll-ercoasters (the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which was the largest concrete pour in Disney’s history) and other themed rides. “We’ve operated almost continuous-ly in Texas for more than 30 years and opened our Houston office in 1994 with Austin following in 2011,” Burton said. “We have more than doubled our staff in the last year and are working on projects from Abilene to Jacksboro, along with several in the heart of Houston.” Burton attributes much of the com-pany’s success to repeat clients. “While part of our success is because of longevity, the other part of that is we

have so many repeat clients and people who trust us,” he said. “At the end of the day, without those clients there is noth-ing for us to build.” To celebrate the 75th anniversary the company has a social media campaign focused on Time Capsule Tuesdays, will host local receptions in all offices (Austin, Birmingham, Houston, Nashville, Orlando and Washington D.C.), and have a direct mail campaign. The culmination will be the bi-annual corporate event called Summit in Feb 2016. “Our ultimate goal for the company is to be a respected and admired compa-ny in our industry and in our community,” Burton said. –ab

The F.R. Hoar staff in the ‘40s

Fountain of roof

The networking flowed for Texas’ roofing industry Sep. 16-18. The Roofing Contractors Association of

Texas (RCAT) hosted its 40th annual con-ference and trade show, a three-day get-to-know-you extravaganza featuring fun-for-all events. It all kicked off Wednesday morning with a foreman-only class and an RCAT board of directors meeting at the Omni Hotel. However, business quickly turned to pleasure at RCAT’s golf tournament at Fort Worth’s Waterchase Golf Club Pavil-ion. The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) then made everyone feel at home with a “Welcome to North Texas!” reception and awards dinner. While exhibitors prepared their booths Thursday morning at the Fort Worth Convention Center, seminars and educational programs were held for at-tendees. A ribbon cutting started off the RCAT trade show, which featured more than 80 roofing industry exhibitors. That evening, attendees walked the red car-pet at the “BIG 4-0 Celebration” and awards ceremony and kicked their heels up to the tunes of the Preston Scott Band. Some attendees may have retired early from the festivities due to Friday morning’s RCAT license exam, but for those not testing, more seminars, educa-tional programs and the trade show awaited. Finally, it was back to business for the RCAT board, which held a final meeting before saying “Happy Trails” to their good time in Cowtown. –mjm

Southern Shingles

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SPEC Building Materials

Allied Building Products Atlas Roofing

In this tough economy we want to highlight our Texas-based general contractors who are in the game and competing with the out-of-state contractors who have come to our great state. Do you have a recently completed project you would be proud to see on our cover? Give me a call or send me an email and let’s get you covered.

Cyndi Wright, [email protected]

210-308-5800

worker’s favorite. “Being in Texas, barbecue is our hob-by and we have several barbecue teams working out of the shop. We offer our services, including our custom made bar-becue trailer to local charities to support

their fund raising efforts,” says Smith. Dynamic Systems, Inc. is headquarted in Austin and has branch locations in At-lanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Phoenix and SanAntonio. –rd


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Recreating Mother Nature

“Welcoming Waterfall”A landscaped stone entry path and impressive waterfall

welcomes guests to this restaurant. The water thenstreams through the interior and onto the outdoor

decks with mini-waterfalls bringing interestingmovement to this modern design.

“Majestic Sculpture Garden”Lush foliage surrounds this gorgeous water feature which

is accentuated by majestic sculptures and colorful artpieces. The two ponds are connected by a babbling

stream and provide the owners with a lovely setting forenjoying their beautiful plants.

“Modern Zen Garden”This modern Koi pond was designed using the golden ratio, an ancient mathematical equation. It’s 60-ft. inset stream re-

solves into a spiral, highlighted with hundreds of golden fiber optic lights simulating the stars in the constellation.

“A Fish Lover’s Dream”A state-of-the-art pond operated by two fish hatchery style

drum filters and nine custom made bakki showers.This makes the pond the ultimate wastewater treatment

facility for a large number of Koi.

“Flower and Koi Garden”This pond offers the ultimate home for large

fish and planter boxes.

“Sun room Sensation”The above ground waterscape adds luxury to the owner’s

sun room and includes an eight-ft. water wall adorned with custom ferns and fancy-tailed goldfish.

“Fountains Galore”This design reflects a variety of Taylormade fountain

projects, including disappearing waterfalls, pots, streamsand grand entryway pieces

As the first employee with Mermaid Waterscapes, Taylor Miller began designing and building wa-ter features and pond in 2002. Soon after, he be-

came instrumental in completing each of the company’s projects, including a project recognized as the Number 2 pond by Koi USA magazine. In 2008, Taylor founded Taylormade Waterscapes, where he continues to focus on creating beautiful, low maintenance water features and ponds. Across his ca-reer Taylor has worked on more than 400 water features for both residential and commercial clients across Cen-tral Texas, including projects for Zilker Park Botanical Gardens, St. Edward’s University and the LCRA. “In all projects, I balance the design creativity with a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and quali-ty service. I extend this commitment well beyond the completion of a project by providing ongoing mainte-nance and care tips and services,” says Miller. “I enjoy

the great outdoors. I often camp and visit natural water-falls and springs. I love the raw beauty not made by man. Mother Nature is a beautiful thing.” When asked which project was his favorite, he said he enjoys building new construction projects and that he really enjoys the creativity he can express to help people make visions come to light. He likes providing people with the right equipment and education to ac-complish a low maintenance water feature. When asked which project was his biggest chal-lenge, he said, “Each project comes with its own set of challenges. Some are harder than others but it is the end result that makes it all worth it. “There is no project too big,” he added. “My com-pany specializes in advanced filtration and mechanics. This will ensure that one will get a low maintenance pond with superior water quality.” –rd

Casey Vickrey started landscaping at 5 years old, working with his fa-ther. Growing up with that experi-

ence eventually led him to start Bench-mark Landscapes in 2002. When farming took a downturn in the early ‘80s, Vickrey’s dad moved the family from their farm in Dickens to Mid-land, where he worked a schedule of sev-en days on and seven days off in the oil field. To help fill those days off with something he and his son could do to-gether, Vickrey’s father started a small landscaping company on the side. Today, at 38, Vickrey’s company aver-ages 400 employees total between its four locations with the headquarters in Austin where it all started, operating un-der branch managers Bill Davis, Jenni-fer Rhea, and Laura Armendariz. The company has a large commercial mainte-nance division, an arbor division with a certified arborist on staff, and a design division with two licensed landscape ar-chitects and five designers. Their biggest market, multi-family, has been strong regardless of economic highs and lows, and there is a lot of multi-family growth in Austin. Vickrey observes that office work is starting to recover in the Capitol as well, but retail hasn’t been big since the mid-2000s. Though they don’t do many homeowners associations (HOAs), they have also been very strong recently. “We do a lot of enhancements as in-vestors are buying multi-family in Aus-tin,” explains Vickrey. “When they pur-chase a property, they might have $200,000 or $300,000 of capital improve-ments to do with landscaping, and that’s when our designers and architects take it. We’re in the middle of three or four large [projects] like that right now.”

Working the landscape

Benchmark Landscapes does exclusively commercial work, including hardscape and irrigation. The company is based in Austin with offices in New Braunfels, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. –mh

Members of the team at Benchmark Landscapes’ corporate headquarters in Austin


Employee Araceli Martinez picked out her favorite block of graniteat Celia’s Tile and Granite in Bastrop. –cw

Good choiceConstruction News ON LOCATION

Busy in BastropConstruction News ON LOCATION

David Moncaba, owner Gene Rampy and Doug Benson take a break from their busy day at Centex Mechanical Inc. in Bastrop. –cw

106 YEARS

Covert Bastrop Located on Hwy 71 in Bastrop Covert Hutto Located on Hwy 79 in Hutto

3 Maintenance Service Locations BASTROP • AUSTIN • HUTTOFor Regular Service & Warranty Repair To Choose From For All Our GM Customers

HWY 71 BASTROP, TX512-303-2311 or 1-800-937-7076

For current incentives, inventoryand pricing, visit us at:

www.CovertBastrop.com

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2015 Chevrolet and GMCDoublecab, Crew Cabs

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2015ChevroletCity Van

Open Mon – Fri 7:30 am – 8:00 pm

Open Sunday 11 – 6 Closed Saturday

Halloween fun

Keep Construction News in mind this year when your office undergoes a spooky transformation and the ghosts and goblins come out to play! Send your photos

from Halloween to [email protected]

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing employees working hard on the roof at the new Austin Central Library. Hensel Phelps is the GC on the project. –cw

Up on a roofSubmitted to Construction News

austin construction news october 2015

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