houston construction news october 2015

The Industry’s Newspaper

™CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTIONHouston

An innovative approach

continued on 8 continued on Page 18

continued on Page 18

Attention to details The ABC’s of CBS

PRSRT. STD.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDDALLAS, TX

PERMIT #1451

P.O. Box 791290San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290

Change Service Requested

San AntonioDallas/Fort WorthAustin Houston South Texas

TexasStyle

Covering the Industry’s News

www.constructionnews.net H (210) 308-5800 H Volume 13 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.

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

No Limit Construction Services LLC has multiple ongoing projects in Houston; however, the almost

complete Westheimer Oaks project, owned by Beeson Properties, has been its primacy since early last year. President Edgar Olivares says No Limit Construction Services managed the construction of Westheimer Oaks from ground up through demolition of a previ-ous retail center to performing all site work, utilities and concrete work. “This three phase project consisted of the construction of a three-story, 40,000-sf retail center located at 2400 Mid Ln.,” Olivares said. The building is metal framed with stucco and brick exterior. Olivares says a subsequent 36,000-sf parking garage is currently being constructed beside the retail center. According to Olivares, this project was unique in many ways. The building is

intended to be a “New Orleans” style re-tail center, which is much different than the surrounding newly built retail cen-ters. “The biggest challenge of this proj-ect was space and overall its location,” Olivares said. “Space was extremely lim-ited as the building is in the center of sur-rounding business and residences.” In order to ensure no disruption to surrounding operating businesses and to surrounding residences, he says all par-ties had to work hand in hand from be-ginning to end. “Throughout the project, we have been committed to working closely with the owner to accommodate all their needs and with a goal of exceeding ex-pectations,” he said. “We worked safe and timely executed the project through quality, dependability, dedication and in-tegrity.”

Westheimer Oaks

Jimmy Lanphier co-founded CBS Rental and Supply on Jul. 20, 1965 in Corpus Christi. His grandson is Jason

Herin, president and CEO. CBS Rental and Supply originally started as a construction supply compa-ny, selling construction materials to the Corpus Christi construction market. It wasn’t until Herin’s father, Buddy, purchased CBS Rental and Supply in 1979 that the company formed the equip-ment rental segment of the business. “My father was very successful run-ning CBS Rental and Supply,” Herin said. Buddy opened the San Antonio lo-cation in 1986, Houston in 1999, pur-chased Dubose Equipment and Rental Company in 2005, which gained access

to the Tyler and Longview markets and opened locations in Deer Park and Con-roe. “In 2013, I entered the business due to my father’s battle with renal cell carci-noma, a cancer disease,” Herin said. “My father passed away in Nov. 2013 and I pur-chased CBS Rental and Supply to become the sole owner in Jan. 2015. “My attitude toward the company is very apparent, be the best every day and never settle for less than legendary.” Progress is definitely a buzz word around the Houston office. The company plans to open two new locations in the Austin and Dallas markets by the first day of 2016.

The CBS Rental and Supply Houston branch employees

Houston Construction News • Oct. 2015


Way to go

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

counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Houston Construction News, please call for a

Requester Form,or visit our website.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

©2015 Construction News, Ltd.

Construction News Ltd. Home Office

P.O. Box 791290 • San Antonio, Tx 78279

210-308-5800 Fax 210-308-5960

www.ConstructionNews.net

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buddy DoebblerEditorial/Production . . . . . . . Reesa Doebbler Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cyndi WrightProduction Manager. . . . . . . . . . Sue JohnsonSales Representative. . . . . . . . . Kent Gerstner

Houston

Houston Editor — Abby BeMent — [email protected] — 832-595-0091

The Houston Construction News (ISSN 1547-7630) is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Houston Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies in Houston and surrounding counties. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space available basis. Construction News, Ltd. , dba Houston Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.

Always improving

The Independent Electrical Contrac-tors Texas Gulf Coast Chapter (IEC) 2015 Graduation took place at the

Cullen Performance Hall in August. There were 76 graduates in the pro-gram. IEC Texas Gulf Coast President Lar-ry Burns opened the ceremony with the invocation and introductions. Ed West, IEC Dallas board of directors, was the guest speaker and instructors Ce-sar Ramirez, Neo Ramirez and Gilbert Soliz presented the graduates. –ab

Larry Burns opens the ceremony.

The 2015 IEC graduates

Focusing on sales and service, Alvin-based Phoenix Millwork Inc., has made lots of accomplishments in

the past 10 years. Lori Biehle, vice president/control-ler, says the company has gone from a “start-up” company to a dual production line, CNC automated, full manufacturing facility. In 2010, the company set up a stone fabrication shop and has also made up-grades to its systems in both production and engineering. The manager of daily operations is Mark Hamilton. He also works in busi-ness development and estimating. Gail Hamilton works in contract ad-ministration, John Savoy III works in project management and estimating, Jim Wenzel handles the estimating and Robert Carpenter also works in project management.

“We always look forward to our an-nual Christmas party in December,” Bieh-le said. When employees are not at work they spend time competitive shooting, restoring and showing antique cars and trucks, attending festivals and traveling. In addition, some employees like spending their free time with their grand-children. Biehle says looking ahead, the com-pany plans to provide the best products possible, in a timely manner, at a price that is not only competitive, but profit-able. Phoenix Millwork is a provider of cus-tom commercial cabinetry, utilizing high-end wood veneers, plastics, laminates, spe-cialty metal products, standing-and-run-ning wood trim and both manmade and natural stone counters. –ab

The Phoenix Millwork team in Alvin.

L-R: Glenn Boot, Baroid; Henry Norris, H & H OnSite Wastewater and Shon Wolford, Ditch Witch of Houston, check out Ditch Witch equipment in Houston. –ab

Three buddiesSubmitted to Construction News

Scouting new talentSubmitted to Construction News

L-R: Krystal Gutierrez and Ivan Salinas, RPS Klotz Associates, attended the Engineering Career Fair at University of Houston in September. They talked with new

graduates ready to start their engineering careers. –ab

Jerry IncePresident

Ince Engineering LLC


Jerry Ince says he enjoys being an en-gineer because every day he goes to work, he has the opportunity to help

someone solve a problem and make his or her life better. “Being able to create a safer and more modern daily life for individuals and communities allows me to achieve a professional satisfaction that I don’t know I could achieve in another indus-try,” Ince said. “I have met people all over the country and the world. It is rewarding to get to know clients on a personal level, not just a business level.” Ince formed Ince Engineering on Apr. 1, 2006. Employing five people, the engineering consulting company deals with civil engineering projects.

Where did you grow up, Jerry? I grew up in a small town north of Waco called Lake Whitney. As a kid, I went hunting, played basketball and I en-joyed going fishing with my family and friends. What position did you play on the bas-ketball team? I played the center position on the high school basketball team. If I had any-thing that could have taken me away from engineering it would have been that kid dream of playing professional basketball. It didn’t work out, so I focused on my studies. What sparked your interest to become an engineer? I had an assignment about careers in my sixth grade English class. I remember telling the teacher and the class I wanted to be an engineer when I grew up. I had strong math and verbal skills in middle school and high school. I didn’t change my ideas throughout high school and college and decided to accomplish my goal to become an engineer. I did play basketball for fun on church leagues until I was about 35.

Did you play any other sports in school? Yes, I played baseball until I was about 16 and I also played flag football

and softball on intermural teams.

Where did you go to college? I attended Tarleton State University for one year and then I transferred to Texas A & M University in College Station. I earned my B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering.

Why did you decide to open your com-pany in Richmond? Richmond chose me. I worked for Ducks Unlimited back in 2001 and a man-agement position opened up in Rich-mond. I worked at Ducks Unlimited for about four more years. In 2006, I started the company at my home and a few months later we moved to our current location on Hwy. 90. What is the best part about working and living in Richmond? Richmond is a small town and I don’t feel caught up in the hustle and bustle of the city.

Did you have mentors early in your ca-reer? Absolutely. I was blessed to have worked with brilliant engineers. I always had various mentors. In the beginning stages of my career, I was placed under an engineer’s techni-cian. He was a Vietnam War veteran and his boss was a Korean War veteran. These gentlemen helped me navi-gate logically through some of the tasks I had to learn to develop into an engineer. They helped me get there in the most ef-ficient way possible.

What advice would you give someone who wants to make a living as an engi-neer? My advice is to select a good college for your education, then upon seeking employment, attempt to join a firm with a good reputation. Once you have achieved the first two recommendations, spend a lot of time listening to the seasoned employ-ees to learn how they built the firm’s rep-utation. They know the blueprint to suc-cess and will make it a lot easier. The engineering profession is hard enough as it is. A good mentor can help you navigate those waters. Finally, apply these lessons in your career and you will do well. The engineering industry is always progressing forward in all areas. Technol-ogy from software to hardware is con-stantly being improved. Codes and laws will continue to be updated to protect the public welfare.

What does it take to be a successful engineer? To be successful in this industry you

have to listen to all parties from the client to the contractors to the regulatory peo-ple and make decisions that blend these viewpoints. I try to look at each project like it is my own problem that needs solving and approach the solution as if it was for me. This method allows me to serve my cli-ents on a more personal level, which I have found to be greatly appreciated. Are you married today? Yes, my wife’s name is Lisa. She was an elementary teacher for about 20 years. Fortunately, right now she is man-aging our household so I can concen-trate on growing Ince Engineering.

Where did you and Lisa first meet? We met in Temple while I was work-ing at my first engineering job out of col-lege. Lisa taught at Killeen Elementary at the time. We have been married 24 years this December.

Do you and your wife have children? Yes, Lisa and I have three daughters named Bailey, Cassidy and Madison. Bailey graduated with a psychology degree from Texas State University. Cas-sidy is a junior and is studying Ecological Restorations and Forestry at Texas A & M University. Madison is a freshman at Temple College. She wants to pursue a career in criminal justice. What are your favorite sports teams these days? I am a Dallas Mavricks, Cowboys and Texas Rangers fan. I always watched Dal-las sports as a kid, so I am still a fan. In addition, my nephew plays base-ball on the Cincinnati Reds team. The Cincinnati Reds is my favorite baseball

team nowadays since he is on the team.

Have you attended any of your neph-ew’s baseball games? Yes, I saw the Kansas City Royals play in Houston. My nephew played on the Kansas City Royals before he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. I have been to three games this year.

What are a few other hobbies you have these days? I am a Texas A & M football season ticket holder and I like hunting and fish-ing. Lisa and I also enjoy spending time at our lake house near Lake Livingston on the weekend.

What kind of fish have you caught at Lake Livingston? I mostly catch white bass when I go fishing. I also fish for crappie, catfish and whatever is biting that season.

Where do you like to go hunting? I usually go deer hunting once or twice a year in Central Texas. I mostly like to go dove hunting though. I am glad dove season has start-ed!

Have you and Lisa traveled this year? Yes, we travel to visit our daughters. Our oldest daughter Bailey is currently planning a wedding, so my wife has trav-eled to help her. We go see our daughters as often as possible. We love traveling to new places when we get the chance. In July, Lisa and I went to Oregon, Washington and Northern California. It was so beautiful. We are already planning our next trip. I am thinking we will go to the Dako-tas or the Carolinas.

What did you and Lisa do in the Pacific Northwest? We tried to go to as many natural sites we could and we had a blast. We saw Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, Crater Lake, several waterfalls and Redwood Forest. We read the literature and listened to tour guides while we were there. It was fascinating! The weather was perfect. We were traveling during a week in July that was in between two very hot weeks. The highs were about 88 degrees and when were near the mountains it was about 50 degrees.

What are your plans for the future? I plan to stay right here in Richmond. This is where my family calls home. I am open to whatever the future brings. I always look forward to trying new things and having new adventures. –ab

Jerry Ince has known he wanted to be an engineer since he was in sixth grade.

INSTALLER, DESIGNER, CONSULTANT

COMMERCIAL

ROOF SYSTEMS

OUR CUSTOMEROF THE MONTH

EBCOGENERAL CONSTRUCTION

THANK YOU!!! Leticia Elias, cc-rrc

832-339-2865www.ecroofsystems.com

mbe / wbe / sbe / dbe / HUB / Section 3

For Their Trusting, ProfessionalWorking Relationship andThe Great Team Support

Submitted to Construction News

Leaders on the course

McCarthy Building Companies Inc. won 1st place at the Associated General Contractors Houston Chapter (AGC) CLC Golf Tournament at Hermann Park Golf Course in August. –ab

Gaining knowledge


Architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers and service providers networked at the Houston Build Expo held at the NRG Center Sep. 16-17.

During the building and construction show, exhibi-tors provided product demonstrations and attendees learned new techniques and checked out new develop-ments. Informative seminars and workshops were also held during the event. –ab

Teal Construction employees had a great time at the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter (AIA) Bowl-a-TAC event held at Palace Bowling Lanes Sep. 11. –ab

Bowling with friendsSubmitted to Construction News


The Cadillac Bar was the place to be for Casino Night: A Cowboy Beach Party Celebration Aug. 6. The Associated Builders & Contractors Houston Chapter (ABC) held the event. –ab

Winning handSubmitted to Construction News

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].

Longtime employee Charlie Paredes, service department manager, Camp Construction Services, (center) celebrated his 50th birthday with employees at

the Houston office Aug. 30. –ab

Happy birthdaySubmitted to Construction News

Talking points


L-R: President and CEO Leonard A. Bedell, Mobil Steel International Inc., Texas State Representative Ed Thompson, District 29, and Wayne Webb, Community Bank of Texas,

listen to speakers at the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region's Petrochemical & Maritime Outlook Conference held at the Pasadena Convention Center Aug. 27. –ab

Views of opportunitiesSubmitted to Construction News

The competent person inconfined space operationsJoann NatarajanCompliance Assistance SpecialistOSHAAustin, TX

Under the new confined space in con-struction, OSHA defines a competent

person to means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable haz-ards in the surroundings or working con-ditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has the authorization to take prompt correc-tive measures to eliminate them. The competent person has a num-ber of duties under the new confined space in construction. The competent person must determine what confined spaces exist on the jobsite, which spaces are permit spaces, and evaluate the po-tential and actual hazards in the spaces that workers will enter. Final §1926.1203(a) requires each employer that has employees who may work in a confined space to ensure that a compe-tent person identifies all confined spaces on the site, and to determine, through initial testing as necessary, which of these spaces are permit spaces, and to consider and evaluate other elements of the con-fined space. Therefore, under §1926.1203(f) of this final rule, the entry employer must also ensure that a compe-tent person compile the information nec-essary to determine whether a reevalua-tion is necessary, and conduct the reeval-uation when necessary. The employer must ensure that a competent person performs a full reevaluation of the permit space before reclassifying the space. The competent person is require to be trained on their duties. The employer

must provide training to each employee whose work is regulated by this law, at no cost to the employee, and ensure that the employee possesses the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this standard. This training must result in an understanding of the hazards in the permit space and the methods used to isolate, control or in other ways protect employees from these hazards, and for those employees not authorized to perform entry rescues, in the dangers of attempting such rescues. Training re-quired must be provided to each em-ployee in both a language and vocabu-lary that the employee can understand, before the employee is first assigned du-ties under this standard, before there is a change in assigned duties, whenever there is a change in permit space entry operations that presents a hazard about which an employee has not previously been trained; and whenever there is any evidence of a deviation from the permit space entry procedures required by §1926.1204(c) or there are inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use of these procedures. The training must establish employ-ee proficiency in the duties required by this standard and must introduce new or revised procedures, as necessary, for compliance with this standard.

[email protected] x232

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

The Women Contractors Association (WCA) hosted Houston mayoral candidates at a luncheon event at

Maggiano’s Little Italy Sep. 3. The panel discussion provided may-oral candidates a forum to discuss public

WCA members and guests mingle at the event.

L-R: Demetria Smith and guest

L-R: Chris Bell, Stephen Costello, Adrian Garcia and Ben Hall

policy issues affecting women business owners and women contractors in the greater Houston area. –ab

Fountain of roof


Cordial cookers

Contractors and suppliers gathered at the Fall Barbecue Cook-Off and Expo at Campbell Hall at the Pasa-

dena Convention Center Sep. 3. The Associated Builders and Con-tractors (ABC) Houston Chapter hosted the event. Attendees enjoyed a barbecue dinner and networking with fellow ABC mem-bers. In addition, company representa-tives shared information about products and services at expo booths. –ab

Drager

Holes Inc.

Trillium Construction

The Dale Co. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Preferred Corporate Housing (PCH)

Lance Rental Co.W.T. Byler

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

ABC Supply Co. inc.

West End Roofing Siding & Windows

SPEC Building Materials Corp.

Southern Shingles

Allied Building Products Corp.

A.C.T. Metal Deck Supply

Equipment DepotNational Roofing Contractors AssociationCordeck Building SolutionsMBC

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


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

FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS

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

[email protected]

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

STEVE SCHULTZ OUTDOORS, LLC

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 the most important aspects of your trip.

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

Wading apparel is very important when fishing out of the boat and I don’t cut corners 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 fishing if you’re cold, wet and not con-fortable. I prefer Simms wading gear simply because they are the best. Stay-ing 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 apparel. Having problem with your reel early in the morning can sure be frustrating when your buddies are hooked up beside you. I recommend spooling your reels with 30# braid and using a 30# fluorocarbon leader for fish-ing the rocks in Baffin Bay. A good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must for seeing on the water. Most anglers have these already, but if you don’t, invest in a qual-ity pair instead of the Bill Dance economy ones. And finally, don’t forget about your feet. There is a wide selection of wading boots available 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.

Flying highSubmitted to Construction News

L-R: Paul Kelly and Heather Taylor Kelly, Dominion Air & Heat LLC, and their friends had a blast at iFLY Indoor Skydiving. –ab

BESTConstruction Tool?

ADVERTISING inConstruction News

210-308-5800 www.ConstructionNews.net

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


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 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).

Protect our right to hunt and fish in

Texas! Vote “yes” forProposition 6 on

November 3

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

Strong bondSubmitted to Construction News

Andrew Hoggatt, Hoggatt LP, and his son Luke enjoyedspending time together fishing in Freeport. –ab

Outdoor crew


After a busy work week, employees of the waterproofing company Texas

Moisture Protection Co. spent time hunting pheasant and quail in Corsicana and they also went fishing for bull redfish at the Galveston jetties. –ab

Milton Escobar

Hermilo Garza (left)

Jose Lara

L-R: Tyler Althouse and Doug Desilvio

Doug Desilvio

Have anoutdoor photo

you’d like to share?

Send to:

[email protected]

or call Abby at832-595-0091

in CONSTRUCTION NEWSis the

Send your Stories and Photosto your city editor

San Antonio:[email protected]

Austin: [email protected]

Houston:[email protected]

DFW: [email protected]

S.Tx: [email protected]

SpawGlass Houston Division staff are all smiles at a Skeeters baseball game at Constellation Park in Sugar Land in August. –ab

Take me out to the ballgameSubmitted to Construction News


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 waterfalls 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


Leading the way

Local architects were recently honored at the Design Awards

event at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston. The American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter (AIA) held the event. The Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, in-terior architecture, restora-tion/renovation and urban design. The Design Awards Ex-hibition will take place at the Architecture Center Houston through Oct. 30. –ab Congrats to the winners!

Urban Design: PGAL, Bethel Church ParkInterior Architecture: kinneymorrow Architecture, Kane Street OfficeInterior Architecture: studioMET, Brooklyn StudioBrooklyn StudioOn The Boards: Gensler, Buddhist Cul-tural and Education CenterOn The Boards: SMLA, Expo 2020 Cul-tural IdentityOn The Boards: Interloop-Architecture, J-CampRenovation/Restoration: kinneymor-row Architecture, Kane Street OfficeRenovation/Restoration: studioMET, Brooklyn StudioRenovation/Restoration: Murphy Mears Architects, Mid-Century RemodelRenovation/Restoration: Nonya Grenad-er, FAIA, Clock Tower StudiosRenovation/Restoration: Curry Bou-dreaux Architects, Bendit House

Architecture Greater Than 50,000sf: Page, University of Houston TDECU Sta-diumArchitecture Greater Than 50,000sf: Kirksey Architecture, Wildwood Corpo-rate CenterResidential Architecture: Murphy Mears Architects, Sabine Street CottagesResidential Architecture: CONTENT Ar-chitecture, Casa LoboArchitecture Less Than 50,000sf: Boh-lin Cywinski Jackson, Cherie Flores Gar-den PavilionArchitecture Less Than 50,000sf: BRAVE / Architecture, Sicardi GalleryArchitecture Less Than 50,000sf: Pow-ers Brown Architecture, Fort Bend Veter-an's MemorialArchitecture Less Than 50,000sf: Curry Boudreaux Architects, Camp for All Star PlaceArchitecture Less Than 50,000sf: Page, Cougar Woods Dining Hall

Attendees network at the Design Awards event.

Hammer timeConstruction News JOB SIGHT

Skid steer operater Acento Mahina and the Imperial Construction crew doesconcrete repair work at the Sugar Cycles parking lot in Missouri City. –ab

Houston area subcontractors at-tended a Safety Luncheon at the HESS Club Sep. 17. The American

Subcontractors Association Houston Chapter (ASA-HC) held the event. Fourteen member companies were recognized for earning their Commit-ment To Safety (CTS) award for 2015-16 including Briggs Equipment, Camarata Masonry Systems Ltd., Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing, Fast Track Specialties LP, J.M. Maly Inc., Karsten

Safety first

Interior Services LP, KenMor Electric, Marek, Milestone Metals Inc., Network Cabling Services Inc., Pieper Houston Electric LP, T.A.S. Commercial Concrete Construction LLC, Trio Electric and Slack & Co. Contracting Inc. During the event, panelists Keith Liggett, Phillips 66; David Stanton Sr., D.E. Harvey Builders and Luis Aguilar, Houston Area Safety Council (HASC), spoke about safety in the commercial construction industry. –ab

The Commitment to Safety award recipients


Autumn is here

The Locke Solutions team enjoys a beautiful day in Houston. Founded by Asher Kazmann, PE, the company designs and manufactures precast concrete utility structures. –ab


A decade and counting

Mike DeGroot (left) and Mike Syzdek (right) congratulate Chris Pena, BakerTriangle,for reaching a 10-year year milestone in August. –ab

In tune for six decades


What’s on yourbucket list?

I have always wanted to purchase my own office and warehouse. I plan to do so in the future!

Scott Cleveland,Cleveland Painting & Remodeling

I’d love to get Houston Texans season tickets! Terry Bynum, Able Paving

Sell my pottery! I learned how to make pottery in high school art class and I have kept it up all these years.

Anthony Rios, Joe Aguirre Tile

Fly remote control helicopters!Bill Briggs, Johnson Roofing and

General Contracting Inc.

My wife and would like to travel to North Carolina and South Carolina one day soon. Jerry Ince, Ince Engineering LLC

I want to do be able to work on large commercial striping jobs. Whitney Wright, The Wright Striping

I recently went indoor skydiving with my wife so now I want to go skydiving out of a plane! Paul Kelly, Dominion Air & Heat LLC

Well, I just opened my painting company in Houston. That was high up on my bucket list! I have always wanted to do this. Richard Rhodes, Protect Painters

I want to spend more time improving my photography skills.

Billy McDonald Jr.,Atlas Equipment Rentals Inc.

I still need to attend a Houston Rockets game at the Toyota Center.

Sam Rivas,Rivas Air Conditioning & Heating

I’d like to spend time on the beautiful beaches in El Salvador.

Franklin Alvarez,Wonderful Weather A/C and Heating

I want to master the guitar.Ryan Schoultz, Johnson Supply

Attend more Houston Texans games at the Reliant Stadium. Cory Malak, Climate Services of Texas

I’d like to ride my Harley Davidson motor-cycle to Sturgis, SD one day. I have always wanted to make the trip.

Tom Large, Maverick Enterprises

I want to go kayak fishing! Brian Miller, Totaline

I would love to travel to more regions within the United States, Europe and Mexico.

Leticia Elias,Elias Commercial Roof Systems

I’d like to slow down a little bit. I would like to get it to where I would only have to come to work about two days a week. I’d come in, check on things, then go fishing or go play golf.

Glenn Pitman,Pitman Construction

I’d want to do more fun run events in the future.

Peti Jones Thompson, Mazzetti

Travel to Arizona. Eric Bruce, Michael Neil Cabinetry

What’s on your bucket list that you haven’t done yet?

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 sisterhood. 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 sight-seeing in Tennessee’s capital, including catching a Dwight Yoakam concert at Ry-man Auditorium and visiting Nashville’s famed eateries. “The Houston chapter was well rep-resented in Nashville, with 13 members in attendance at the national conference. We were extremely proud to receive sev-eral awards for our NEF programs, pr/marketing efforts and WIC Week events,” Becky Richter, NAWIC’s Houston chapter president says. “I am humbled by the continued support of our Houston mem-bership and the great leaps we have tak-en this year in our community. The wom-en in our chapter work extremely hard to encourage and support women in our industry and being recognized for those efforts in Nashville was a true honor.”–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

NAWIC Houston won 2nd place in the National Block Kids award. L-R: Debbie

Savage and Jody Richwine

In addition to the Block Kids award, NAWIC Houston won 3rd place in the National CAD award and the PR Marketing and WIC Week awards.

L-R: Elizabeth LeTourneau, Kate Grix,Jody Richwine, Tracy Shoemaker

and Becky Richter

Specialty Contractors


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 drywall, acoustics and plastering in the commercial construction industry. The company has a corporate office in Dallas and also has offices in Austin and San Anto-nio. –ab

The pre-school year crunch

Mark Eichelbaum, Vice President and COOCram RoofingSan Antonio, TX

During the summer, school work keeps the construction industry busy. As

soon as kids get out for the summer in early June, contractors move in, and as soon as kids go back in late August, con-tractors have to finish and clear out. Mark Eichelbaum, Cram Roofing, says that it takes coordination and the ef-forts of the team to get jobs done before the kids come back for the new academic year. He adds that parents and teachers, and sometimes even owners, might not realize what goes into making the school beautiful for when they get back. If there is still minor work to be done, some only see that the roof isn’t done and the impression can be that the con-tractors had all summer to do it. “A lot of the time, we’ll be substan-tially complete – in other words, the roof is on and there may be some details still to be done or punch list items to be done,” explains Eichelbaum. “Those we can still do after the kids are back, but we have to work around the school sched-ule. So, we may not be able to start until 4 o’clock in the afternoon after kids have

gone home for the day. It requires a lot more coordination.” He also points out that there is a lot of steps and juggling that goes on during the summer reroofing season. The sum-mertime construction period is generally about 10 weeks. On the small side, some projects in that period might be repair projects around $5,000 to $10,000, or they are hired to do the flashing for a new AC unit. Such a project might require a crew of two to three guys for two to three days. On the larger end of the scale, they might be reroofing an entire wing of a school, which might be 300,000sf of roof-ing. Those projects might require a crew of about eight guys working six days a week for nine weeks. The various projects over the course of just 10 weeks can run everywhere in between those two extremes. On aver-age, Eichelbaum says their reroofing projects have a crew of six to eight guys, depending on the job, and it might be 15,000 to 20,000sf of roofing surface that is being re-covered. Those projects might take about

four to five weeks, but they might also begin the project with the idea that it will be done by the end of June and then they will move on to the next one. How-ever, if it rains – which it did to an unusual degree this June – that can push the en-tire schedule back. Sometimes, the general contractor might not be ready for the roofers to come in and do their work. In that case, they might not be ready on one building and have the roofer work on another building first, but that other building might require a different crew. “It’s a lot of moving pieces, and the general public may not necessarily real-ize that,” he says. “There are all types of different roofing systems, and we inter-nally have different crews for the differ-ent kinds of roofs that specialize in those areas. The general public may just say, ‘I just need a roof.’ But it’s a metal roof, and we want to send you our metal roofer. If it’s a singly-ply roof, we want to send you our single-ply roofer. “If it’s through a general contractor and you throw in all the other specialty trades – well, we can’t flash an AC unit un-til the AC unit has been put in place by the HVAC contractor, and if the HVAC contractor gets pushed because of weather or one of their other projects or the materials haven’t been approved yet – they go through the same process [with submittals] that we do – that can affect our piece of the puzzle.” Delays can also happen regardless of months of advanced planning. When Cram is working directly for the school district, they bid on those projects in Jan-uary or February, even though they can’t

start until June. Knowing the job is coming up, they do all their preparatory work in the spring-time. A lot of times, the clients specify what type of roof they want, and Cram finds out what color the principal or dis-trict representative wants and other minor details. The submittal package goes to a consultant or the clients’ architect or de-sign professional for approval. Once ap-proved, Cram can order the materials. Sometimes, however, Eichelbaum notes that June comes and they cannot begin, despite being ahead of the game. As examples of reasons why, he says they might not be able to start fabricating the metal because the client hasn’t chosen a color, or they haven’t received their ap-proved submittals so they do not know what to order. With all of these issues factoring into a two-and-a-half month work schedule, Cram might only have two or three proj-ects in a summer, but this summer, Eichelbaum explains it was triple that many projects. With a very wet June to contend with, the trademark South Texas heat, and all of the aforementioned problems that may arise, Eichelbaum says their an-swer is to put in that much more over-time or manpower to meet the deadlines for completion. Cram Roofing was established in 1986 by Gary Cram, who is still owner and presi-dent of the company today. Having recently celebrated his 13th year with the company, Mark Eichelbaum is vice president and COO. The roofing contractor does commer-cial and governmental work. –mh

Specialty Contractors


NEXT MONTHNOVEMBER 2015 Support Your Industry’s Feature Issue

Call for Ad SpaceReservations

• San Antonio• Austin • Houston• Dallas/Fort Worth• South Texas

(210) 308-5800Architecture & Engineering

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

Wage hikes, start-upsaffect business

Jared Moala, Partner Pacific Environmental Group LLCDallas, TX

Has your company experienced an increase in business or a slow-

down? We’ve definitely experienced an in-crease, especially in asbestos abatement. We’ve been getting a lot more calls from general contractors that are working on municipal projects that need abatement. To be honest, we’ve had to hire more of-fice and field personnel to handle the in-crease in the workload. I don’t know that we’ve done anything different; we’ve just expanded, hiring more people to handle more projects. Many companies in the industry are challenged by a shortage of qualified labor. Has that been true for your company as well? Yes, especially this past summer. The biggest abatement project to ever go on in D/FW is D/FW Airport, which they’ve been doing for the past few years. There were about 300 abatement workers out there. There is a huge shortage of abate-ment workers, so companies have start-

ed to work with each other in sharing the labor pools. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and actually have gotten to know competitors much better this year than ever before. We had to share the labor pool back and forth and also subcontract with oth-er companies when things got so heavy over the summer. Summer is the time when all of the kids get out of school and all of the school districts do their abate-ment. You have millions of dollars of abatement over the summer going on in D/FW just for the school districts, and they really don’t do any abatement at all during the school year. It was a tight time because we had that summer rush which happens every year but we had it on top of the population boom that we’re expe-riencing that’s causing all of the con-struction in the area.

Are there any major changes in your industry related to what you do? There haven’t been any recent major changes related to my industry in D/FW,

but there is concern that abatement su-pervisors are leaving companies and starting their own companies, but the quality of work is just not there. There has been an explosion in abatement compa-nies in D/FW. There were maybe a hand-ful of companies that everyone knew about a few years ago, but now there are so many start-up companies. The most frustrating part is when they are called out to a bid; they really low-ball it in their hunger to get work. The funny thing is, there is still the same core group of com-panies that are doing all of the reputable work – the school districts, the city work, the general contractors – and then you have 30 new abatement companies that no one has heard of. We have been get-ting a lot of calls to come in and “clean up” these new companies’ messes; it’s very common now, whereas 10 years ago you just didn’t see that. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, my brother John has been doing it for 16 and our Dad, William Moala, was one of the pioneers in abate-ment 30 years ago. This has been the big-gest change I’ve seen lately.

Have you noticed any cost increases related to what you do? Yes, the cost in labor has significantly increased because of simple supply and

demand. Because the labor pool is so tight, these guys demand a premium. For the past decade, abatement workers have made about $12 an hour, which was the standard. I’d say the standard now is about $15 an hour, but that just jumped in the last year or two. In the summer-time, that goes up to about $20 an hour. It’s significant when you have 20 guys working a job for a month; it’s a huge cost increase not just for us but for the cli-ent as well.

How have you been meeting this chal-lenge? Profit margins have definitely be-come smaller across the board, which is common in any industry following an in-crease in competition. Some of the in-creased labor cost is absorbed by the contractor because they have to stay as competitive as possible on bids. But ulti-mately, when everyone has to pay that upcharge in labor costs, it has to be fac-tored into bids and the buyer ends up paying for it as well. Pacific Environmental offers asbestos abatement and testing, mold remediation and testing, lead-based paint (LPB) abate-ment, flood response and demolition ser-vices. –mjm

Round-UpHouston Construction News • Oct. 2015

Association CalendarContent submitted by Associations to Construction News

ABCAssociated Builders & Contractors

Oct. 1: EIC Awards, 6pmOct. 7: Membership Drive, 8amOct. 12: Fall Golf Tournament, 9amFor more information call 713-523-6222

AGCAssociated General Contractors

Oct. 21: Topgolf Advocacy Tournament, 3pmOct. 22: Member Orientation, 11:30amFor more information call 713-843-3700

AIAAmerican Institute of Architects

Oct. 6: Fall Tour Kick-Off, Market Square ParkOct. 10: 3rd Ward Bicycle TourOct. 17: Houston Heights Bicycle TourOct. 21: Montrose Walking TourOct. 31: Rice University Walking TourFor more information: www.aiahouston.org

ASAAmerican Subcontractors Association

Oct. 2: Fishing Tournament, 6:30am, San LeonOct. 15: General Lunch meeting, “You Cannot Not Communicate”, 11:30amFor more information call 281- 679-1877

ASCEAmerican Society of Civil Engineers

Oct. 1-2: Texas Civil Engineering Confer-ence (CECON). For more information: www.texascecon.org

FEDOTFire Equipment Distributors of TX

Oct. 9: 1st Benefit Golf Tournament for Children-Burn Care at Shriners Hospitals, Plum Creek Golf Course, 750 Kohler’s Crossing, Kyle, TX, 11:30am registration, 1pm shotgun start, raffles & contests, din-ner/awards to follow, for more info: www.fedot.org

FPAFoundation Performance Assoc.

Oct. 14: Monthly meeting, 5pm, “Design and Detailing of Concrete Pavement: Some Do’s and Don’ts” Speaker: Brian Killingsworth, National Ready Mix Con-crete AssociationFor more information:www.foundationperformance.org

IECIndependent Electrical Contractors

Oct. 21: Monthly meetingFor more information call 713-869-1976

NAWICNat’l Assn. of Women in Construction

Oct. 13: Monthly meeting, 5:30-6pm Networking, 6-8pm Dinner and Business meeting, Pub Fiction, 2303 Smith St., $35 Dinner and Program with reservation, $40 Dinner and Program without reser-vation, $8 Program onlyFor more info: www.nawic-houston.org

PHCC Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors

Oct. 14: Member Lunch, Saltgrass Steak-houseFor more info: www.gulfcoastphcc.org

TACCATX Air Conditioning Contractors Assn.t

Oct. 7: Annual Golf TournamentOct. 20: Monthly meeting, featuring Todd McAlister and Shannon Noble, Po-litical Update and Donald Cole, The Cole Group, “Is your employees background, affecting your bottom line?”For more information call 713-781-4822

TSPETexas Society of Professional Engineers

Oct. 13: Joint Society meeting “Mayoral Forum”, 6pm, HESS ClubFor more information visit www.tspe.org

USGBCU.S. Green Building Council

Oct. 20: 5th Annual Energy SummitFor more information visit www.usgbc-texasgulfcoast.org

WCAWomen Contractors Association

Oct. 1: October Monthly Luncheon, 11:30am, Maggiano’s Little Italy, 2019 Post Oak BlvdOct. 15: Elected Official Reception, 6pm, Crowne Plaza Downtown, 1700 Smith St.For more information: www.womencon-tractors.org

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

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

for the next month’s issue (published 1st of each month).Email info to appropriate city issue, with “Round-Up” in the subject line:––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

San Antonio: [email protected] Austin: [email protected] Dallas/Ft. Worth: [email protected] Houston: [email protected] South Texas: [email protected]

ou

nd

-Up

Sub

mis

sio

ns

Rebekah Matam-oros has joined the Buyers Barricades Houston office out-side sales team. She previously worked at Go Safety/CTI. In her new position, Matamoros will be an integral part of expanding the company’s safety products and line offerings to the Houston market. She has more than nine years of sales ex-perience in the oil and gas industry.

LJA Engineering has hired David Harris, PMP, as di-rector of client ser-vices in the firm’s Houston rail divi-sion. Harris has more than 25 years of management ex-perience. His exper-tise includes strategic planning, business development, project and program man-agement, engineering design, construc-tion and maintenance.

Richard Leyendecker has joined John-ston LLC as associate partner, director of healthcare, and Paula Gaviria has joined the firm as leader – healthcare project delivery. L e y e n d e c k e r brings 42 years of architectural experi-ence to Johnston in healthcare, com-mercial, and educa-tional projects, both domestically and abroad. He received a Bachelor’s in Ar-chitecture from Texas A&M University, Gaviria brings 17 years of architec-tural design and production experi-ence. She has both Bachelor’s and Mas-ter’s degrees in Ar-chitecture.

Gensler recently hired hospitality design specialist Gail McCleese to its Houston team. Prior to joining Gensler, McCleese served as the princi-pal of studioDW, a design firm. She has more than 20 years of experience in cre-ating design concepts for restaurants, hotels and resorts, casinos and senior liv-ing environments. She graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Houston.


Mix and mingle

Mary Covell, owner of Cornerstone Hardware, talks with Robert Ramirez,

Benchmark Custom Cabinetry,at a TopGolf event held in

mid-September. –ab

Past editions can bedownloaded at


Did youknow?

continued from Page 1 — Attention to details

continued from Page 1 — An innovative approach

continued from Page 1 — The ABC’s of CBS


In the ‘90s, Hoar Construction began 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

Olivares and his brother Marco, vice president, established No Limit Construc-tion Services in 2003. The building compa-

ny performs general contracting services to mostly private clients and has also gained clients in the industrial field. –ab

The parking garage is under construction.

Houston area air conditioning contractors and suppliers cast their lines at the recent annual Bay Bash event held at April Fool Point Marina in San Leon. Folks gathered at the Top Water Grill after the fishing tournament.

The Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association Greater Houston Chapter (TACCA) held the event. –ab

Gone fishin’

Biggest Redfish: Conner Child (Team Ferguson)

Team Goodman: L-R: Craig Caffey, Mike Thiele and Robert Ortiz with Guide Charles Butler

“This will give us nine branch loca-tions all around the state of Texas,” Herin said. Herin says the keys to the company’s success are its will to win, hiring out-standing employees and working hard to provide the best customer service. All of the branches are currently working on a volunteer initiative in their local communities for the holiday sea-son. “We want to make sure that we give back to the communities we serve and believe that the holiday season will be a great time to make an impact,” Herin said.

Outside of work, employees enjoy their free time with their families, pho-tography, golf and other various leisure activities. “Since we are a Texas based compa-ny, it is safe to say that most of us enjoy watching football and now that the sea-son has started it has certainly been a topic of conversation,” he said. “We even had an employee kick-off lunch party where we all wore our favorite team’s shirt or jersey and enjoyed a nice pot-luck.” CBS Rental and Supply primarily works in equipment rentals and construction sup-ply sales. –ab

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

There is no charge for stories or photos.

[email protected](832) 595-0091


Construction discussion

L-R: Moderator Scott Hubert, CFI Mechanical, and panelists Mike White, TexasConstruction Association (TCA); Representative Sarah Davis; and Representative

Dan Huberty spoke about the 2015 Texas legislative session at the AmericanSubcontractors Association Houston Chapter (ASA) lunch event at the

HESS Club Aug. 20. –ab

H Location

H Location

H Location

H Location

H LocationPublishing the Industry’s News . . .

TEXAS Style

Home Office(210) 308-5800

www.constructionnews.net

Dallas/Fort. Worth

Houston

Austin

South Texas

San Antonio

True artisansHouston Construction News • Oct. 2015


Taking action

A team of Stantec Houston employees headed to Houston Food Bank’s Keegan Kitchencafé to help out during the design firm’s 3rd annual Day of Volunteerism Sep. 15.

The 30-person crew was on hand for several hours cutting and peeling carrots thatwill help serve meals to hungry children in Houston area school districts. –ab

Architects joined together to tem-porarily transform parking spaces at Capitol and Travis into a public

park as a part of the national PARK(ing) Day event Sept. 18. The event challenges people to re-think the way parking spaces are used and re-imagine the possibilities of the ur-ban landscape. Local companies and organizations

Thoughtful design

involved in the PARK(ing) Day event in-cluded Clark Condon; Architecture for Humanity, Houston; Kinder Institute for Urban Research Living Paradigm Mohle Design, RVi, SWA Group, TBG Partners, Texas ASLA, Tiny House Group, Rice De-sign Alliance, rdAGENTS, UH College of Architecture and Ziegler Cooper + HBL Architects. –ab

L-R: Kypher Lamar; Julia Salas, Taylor McNeill, Ben Niefield, Sam McNeill and Jason Buckley, Clark Condon Photo Credit: Sarah Smith

The public stops to look at the architects at work at the PARK(ing) Day event.Photo Credit: Sam McNeill

President Joe Rigano says Berger Iron Works Inc. has had another successful year in 2015. The com-

pany has a long history in Houston and continues to stay committed to quality work. “A.A. Berger began fabricating orna-mental iron work for residences and of-fice buildings in 1893,” Rigano said. “As Houston grew, the company diversified and in the ‘40s Berger Iron Works helped to supply the U.S. war effort with fabri-cated iron and wire products. “Berger Iron Works also manufac-tured special Marsh Buggies which were used in oil exploration.“ Over the years, the company has had many high profile projects in Houston, all across Texas and also across the country and outside of the USA. According to Rigano, the company

The Berger Iron Works employees gather at the Houston location.

has been a member of the Associated General Contractors Houston Chapter (AGC) since 1939. Berger Iron Works recently won the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter’s (AIA) Artisan of the Year award. “Winning the Artisan of the Year award does not happen without the val-ued relationships we have with our cli-ents, owners and architects,” he said. “This was quite an honor for us.” Rigano says the company is in the middle of building a brand new office and plant near Northwest Houston. Berger Iron Works manufactures archi-tectural metals, miscellaneous metals and light structural steel, predominantly for the commercial construction industry while maintaining it's ability to work on industrial projects and high-end residential projects. –ab

Salesman Ben Sadeghi, The Insulation Guru, starts his day at the office calling new clients.The company provides residential and commercial insulation services

for Houston and the surrounding counties. –ab


Making calls

ExtraPapers?

Visit our Website at:


Select “Rack Locations”for a complete list of all

rack locations where newspaperscan be picked up.

We do not mail additional newspapers.

If you would like apersonal subscription($35 per year, per city)

select “Subscribe.”


As soon as owner Scott Cleveland, Cleveland Painting & Remodel-ing, graduated high school, he be-

gan working in the construction industry. “I did painting and drywall work 30 years ago,” he said. “I needed to make a living and my older brothers were also doing the same type of work. I got good at it along the way.” Cleveland says there was so much competition, he eventually had to di-

The sky is the limitversify and do more construction and re-modeling work. “I had to learn more skills,” he said. “I think it was a good thing to broaden my horizons.” Cleveland says his company is still small today. He has two steady employ-ees who help him do the work. Their most recent commercial job was painting the interior of a tire shop in LaPorte.

“I love what I do today,” he said. “It is exciting to see my clients happy when they see the final results.” When Cleveland isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his daughter Madison, 16. He also likes to go saltwater fishing and hunting in his free time. “At the moment, I am focused on growing my company,” he said. “I look forward to handling more residential and commercial jobs in the future. “My goal is to have a warehouse one day. I also want to give back to the com-munity. “I think it is important to reach out in the community as a business owner. I would like to be able to help the elderly and needy.” Cleveland Painting & Remodeling pro-vides residential and light commercial paint-ing, drywall and remodeling services in Hous-ton and the surrounding areas. –ab

Scott Cleveland is focused ongrowing his company.

The DPR Construction Houston of-fice representatives and crew at-tended the Memorial Hermann

Sugar Land Hospital New Bed Tower Ex-pansion topping out ceremony in Au-gust. DPR Construction is a general contrac-tor with offices in Houston, Austin and Dal-las as well as across the country. –ab

On the rise

The beam risesThe DPR Construction crew signs the beam.


Bright imaginations

Lockwood, Andrews & Newman Inc. (LAN) employees attended the Bright FuturesFair for the Harris County Street Olympics in August. The kids put together puzzles

that featured civil engineering projects. –ab


School days

Skanska hosted its 5th annual school supply drive to support CommunitiesIn Schools (CIS) and Spring Oaks Middle School in September. –ab

houston construction news october 2015

Documents