CONSTRUCTION ™ The Industry’s Newspaper www.constructionnews.net 2101 IH-35 South, #202 Austin, Texas 78741 (512) 447-2900 Who’s the man? Despite his fashion statement, Stan’s hired Buckingham 30 years ago. Thu., Oct. 30, family, friends, vendors, and clients celebrated Buckingham and his long devotion to the company. Johnson, President of Stan’s, and Buckingham, Vice President, have offices in opposite corners of the building. Company officials said they work at separate ends to make the company work together as a whole. Sources revealed, however, that it could have something to do with Buckingham’s flair for fashion. Tokens of appreciation for Buckingham included a huge Italian cream cheese cake, balloons, gift baskets, cards, novelty gifts, and a bottle of Fat Bastard wine. The giver of the wine denied any correlation to Buckingham’s stature and said it was, “Just good wine!” Organizers of the event had Robert Buckingham cutting cake and photos of Buckingham in both cutting up at his 30-year celebration. business and pleasure settings from years spanning his career hen Robert Buckingham ar- at Stan’s and even before. Construction rived for his interview with News was not granted access to the more Stan’s Heating and Air Condi- incriminating shots from the 1970’s. tioning, in 1973, he wore bell-bottom When posing for a photo with the pants and platform shoes. He came to cake at the 30-year celebration, BuckingStan’s to apply for the bookkeeper posi- ham asked, “Should I act like I’m doing tion and thought he should at least slick something?” back his long hair for the interview at the His wife, Debra Buckingham reconservative business. plied, “Why start now?” Stan Johnson, Jr. said, “He looked like a take-off of John Travolta, all 70’s styled.” continued on Page 22 W Fax (512) 447-2922 December 2003 Vol. 3, No. 12 100’s turn out to help Chase McGowen Champions Tour pro, Steve Veriato (R), congratulates Joel Mitchell (L) of Pulte Homes at the “Beat the Pro” hole. H opefully, when attendees of the Chase McGowen benefit golf tournament were approaching Terravista Golf Course, they passed up the “Construction Entrance,” and found their way to the clubhouse on Fri., Oct. 24, where a fundraiser was held to help a 13-year-old boy. Though vendors and business associates of Newmark Homes were invited to this benefit tournament, it was their generosity and golf skills that were on display. Chase McGowen is the son of Newmark’s Tom McGowen, and Chase has Cystic Fibrosis and is currently on a waiting list for a double lung and liver transplant. The medical costs related to Chase’s condition have nearly used up his lifetime medical cap with the family insurance. The exact cost of the needed procedure is unknown, but it is estimated that the cost of the transplant and the medical care Chase will need after surgery will be over $800,000 more than the family’s insurance will pay. The cost of continued on Page 22 Chasco adds 120,000 sf to Hill Country Bible Church I t is rare with projects of this magnitude that the project manager sees the process through from schematic design all the way to final construction. Jim Freeman, Chasco Contracting, has done just that with Hill Country Bible Church’s nearly $12 million expansion. The contract involves relocating the church’s K-12 school portable buildings, that were in the spot the expansion was to occur, new parking areas of 532 spaces, and a 120,000-sf, 4-story addition to the existing facility. The building expansion will house Hill Country Bible Church’s Hill Country Christian School with 63 new classrooms. Due to the fairly institutional nature of school designs, Freeman has found reward in this project through other ways. Freeman said, “In place of glamour, we are excited about the number of kids’ lives this project will affect.” Throughout the design and construction processes, Chasco has found ways to save the church money and com- plete phases well ahead of schedule. As a result, Chasco has an April 25 contract date, but unofficially plans to turn the keys over to the owner in Jan. In addition to the early finish, the church has been able to make improvements because money was freed-up from other cost-saving efforts of the builder. P.O. Box 791290 San Antonio, Texas 78279-1290 Change Service Requested Freeman noted, “ 99% of the change orders have been owner-scope changes. They’re able to get more than they had planned.” Freeman boasted that Superintendent Buddy Harris was a key reason things were done so efficiently. Chasco began work at Hill Country Bible Church in Oct. 2002. Before they could prepare the foundation, they had to move the portables that the school was using to teach a portion of the 450 students on campus on weekdays and over 1200 on Sunday morning. Chasco hired a subcontractor who was unable to complete the task, so they set out to do it themselves. Very few people will appreciate what an accomplishment this was, but Freeman is very proud of the Chasco crews that moved the five portables and kept the project on schedule. continued on Page 22 This Month in FOCUS Construction Equipment PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TX PERMIT #1517 Page 2 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Construction industry, community helps a hero O n July 18, 2003, Alan Babin, Jr. was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor by U.S. Army Major General Swanick of the 82nd Airborne. Private First Class Babin earned this honor while serving as a platoon medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Samawah, Iraq. Private Babin, with no regard for his own personal safety, left his covered position to treat a fellow soldier when he was wounded. “Private Babin’s valorous actions reflect great credit upon him, the 82nd Airborne, and the United States Army,” a department of defense press release said. Babin also received the Purple Heart. At the ceremony in Babin’s hospital room, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., General Swanick recalled the day that Babin was wounded and the bravery he showed that day in risking his life for others, “These actions warranted him the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.” The Remodelors Council of the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin has teamed up with the construction industry and the community to help Babin and his family. Babin will return home to Round Rock, around the first of 2004. Upon this hero’s homecoming, he will be greeted with a new, approximately 400 sf addition to his parent’s home. To date, HBA of Greater Austin has donated more than $992,000 to local charities and causes to provide affordable A Alain Babin, Sr. (left) photographs his son’s arrival to San Antonio. housing by promoting healthy economic and building conditions, while maintaining high quality-of-life standards. The new room is handicap-accessible to help ease Babin’s recovery. All doorways are wider and a special, roll-in shower was installed. The bathroom has rails, and the toilet and sink are designed for wheelchair access. When the sidewalk was designed, it was made wider and smoother, with a gradual slope. Carol Baker, with Capitol City Insurance Agency, said, “If we had done this project without any donations, the cost would have been nearly $40,000. We would like to thank all of the generous people who donated their time, exper- Standing proudly in front of the new addition are Ken Kahanek, tise, labor, materials, and Kayvon Leath, Alain Babin, Carol Baker, and Gary Henley. money.” The list of donors to this project is simply too long to list. A list of donations is available at www.austinhomebuilders.com. Heading the organization of this major undertaking were Carol Baker, Gary Henley, Henley Homes, Inc., Ken Kahanek, Ken Kahanek Custom Builder, Kayvon Leath, Anchor-Ventana Glass, and Alain Babin, Sr. During Babin’s recovery at Walter Reed, his mother, Rosalinda Babin, has stayed by his side, aiding his recovery. Babin and his mom have now been transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he’ll continue the healing process. Babin’s father is a Lieutenant with the Round Rock Police Department, and his community involvement has helped the project greatly. All those involved await Babin’s homecoming with eager anticipation. The remodeling of the Babin home has given them all something to rally around. Babin’s return to Round Rock will mark a big step toward his recovery, and thanks to the efforts of so many caring people, he’ll have the perfect place to heal…at home. Historical house moved to the busy city ustin now has a piece of Texas history right next to the new Hilton. FaulknerUSA officially turned over the Susanna Dickinson–Hanning house to the City of Austin in a dedication ceremony at the O. Henry Museum on Wed., Oct. 28th. Susanna Dickinson, a famous Alamo survivor, once lived in the house with her husband. After renovations, the site will include a working museum and visitor center. Even though the city continues to grow, the historical past will soon shine on the northeast corner of Brush Square at Fifth and Neches streets. “This really is a remarkable project,” said Will Wynn, the mayor of Austin. “It is so rare to get the opportunity to work on a project that has a direct tie in to the Alamo, the most iconic story of early Texas.” “FaulknerUSA literally did everything we asked them to do. Based on the new Hilton here, there is going to be more foot traffic then there has ever been. Our city can grow without losing all of the historical structures.” Investing $650,000 to preserve, fortify, store, and relocate the home, FaulknerUSA helped to bring the piece of Alamo history to Austin. According to Greg Eden, CEO of Faulkner USA, the Susanna Dickinson House represents the best of what a public-private partnership can accomplish. “Public-private partnerships are a specialty at FaulknerUSA, and I’m especially pleased that we are able to bring this approach to bear to save the historic house,” said Eden. “I am confident that the City of Austin and our community will exceed expectations as the restoration of the Susanna Dickinson House begins in earnest.” “I’m gonna find out who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.” Color Reprint $20 $5 for additional copies Call, fax, or email Construction News 210-308-5800 FAX 210-308-5960 [email protected] Austin Construction News • Dec 2003––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 3 Fire systems company on an upward spiral SURVEYOR, CONTRACTOR SUPPLIES San Antonio,TX. (210)227-5975 (800)369-9322 Austin, TX. (512)447-9879 (800)369-9323 S pecializing in the design and installation of commercial and residential fire sprinkler, alarm and detection systems, Honeycutt Fire Systems L.P. in Pflugerville, has had several company changes this fall. Rance and Cindy Richter recently purchased Honeycutt Fire Systems from Don Honeycutt, who started the company in 1998. Honeycutt will stay on board as the lead estimator for new construction sales. “Don is an integral part of our future,” explained Cindy. We will use him as a sounding board in our future path. He has many years experience in the industry, so we want to take advantage of his knowledge and skills.” The president, Rance Richter, said the company has approximately 40 employees, and they have just hired a new field superintendent and a service manager. They have also added a fire alarm ENGINEER, HOLIDAY REBATE Construction Master Pro Leica Runner Series Auto Levels $63.96 Model 4060 Advanced Feet-Inch-Fraction; Metric Construction Trig Plus III $79.96 Model 4075 Construction math with Trigonometric Functions Honeycutt Fire Systems employees. department. Doubling in size, the Pflugerville building now has eight additional offices. For an opportunity to secure extra business with contractors, Cindy received her Historical Underutilized Business (HUB) certification this fall. She is currently pursuing a Women in Business Enterprises (WBE) certification and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) certification. Honeycutt Fire Systems has acquired new business spanning across Texas since Jan. 2003. At one time, the company only focused on the central Texas area. Today, their hotels, hospitals, restaurants and retail projects are located in Austin, all the way to Brownsville. PRICE INCLUDES REBATE PRICE INCLUDES REBATE Construction Master Pro DT Models $103.96 Model 44065 Printing Feet-Inch-Fraction: Metric PRICE INCLUDES REBATE Electricalc Pro $79.96 Model 5060 Updateable Electrical Code PRICE INCLUDES REBATE Scale Master II $79.96 Model 6130 Advanced Digital Plan Measure PRICE INCLUDES REBATE Scale Master II with PC Interface Combo $119.96 Model 6325 Advanced Digital Measure with PC Interface Combo Kit PRICE INCLUDES REBATE See our web specials at www.ieasydrive.com Prices include manufacturemail -in rebate and does not include sales tax INSTRUMENT REPAIRS & RENTALS Decorative concrete celebrates one year D ecorative Concrete Coatings, a small business that beautifies dull and ordinary concrete into durable surfaces pleasing to the eye, celebrates one year this month. The business carries a full line of durable acrylics, acid stains, and epoxy flooring systems. Jack Mann, owner of Decorative Concrete Coatings, has worked in concrete surfacing for the past eight years. Last year, he and his wife Tish Mann, coowner of Decorative Concrete made the decision to open their own business. “Over the years, Jack’s clientele has grown and new business has been acquired. Therefore, he had a vision to start a company and give customers exactly what they were requesting,” said Tish Mann. “Our accomplishments this year in- clude hiring new foreman, James Battles and our customer base has increased tremendously. If it wasn’t for our clients and their wonderful referrals, we would not have been able to grow.” This year they have made great progress each day. Jack and Tish Mann recently joined the Associated Builders & Contractors for an opportunity to network their business and meet other busi- nesses that require their services. According to Mann, her goals for the next year are to increase and maintain a relationship with their current clientele. “Our goal is to have satisfied customers. We do not want to just earn the business of our client but keep it. We are a family-owned business and we pay close attention to the clients’ needs, forming long lasting relationships,” said Mann. �������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� ���������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������ L-R: James Battles and Jack Mann. ������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������� CONSTRUCTION Publisher: Austin Area Manager: Senior Writer: Staff Writer: Production Director: Production/Graphics: Administrator: Buddy Doebbler Shelley Butler Leif Dove Abby Richardson Reesa Doebbler Sue Johnson Kevin Hughes Austin Construction News 2101 IH-35 South, #202 Austin, Texas 78741 (512) 447-2900 Fax (512) 447-2922 © 2003 Construction News Ltd. www.constructionnews.net If you are a construction-related company in Travis or one of the 6 surrounding counties and are not receiving a free copy of the Austin Construction News, please let us know by contacting our office for a Request Form, or visit our website. All Construction News publications are audited for circulation by The Austin Construction News is published monthly by Construction News LTD., dba Austin Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction-related companies of record in Travis and 6 surrounding counties. Additional distribution is provided at 93 material supplier locations serving the construction industry. 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. 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. Subscriptions for additional copies are available for $25.00 per year. CONTACT US AT (512) 447-2900 ���� ������ �������� ������������������������������������������������������� ��������������� ������������������������������������� Page 4 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 could do this, but I asked him, “Why don’t I just hop in your truck and ride around with you for a week and see what it is you do?” James was real receptive to this, so we did it. After a week of riding around to jobsites and suppliers and a lot of soul searching, I made the decision to take the big plunge, and I haven’t looked back since. ACN: How is the roofing business different from banking? JF: Well, it’s a 180-degree change. As a banker, it was a suit and tie everyday, a hectic schedule, and lots of travel. The roofing business has allowed me to stay in Austin and spend more time with my family. Our boys, Joshua and Ross, are 15 ith a wife named Kathy, and an and 12 years old. office manager named Cathy, ACN: Who has influenced you in your some may wonder how Jim life? Floyd can keep from getting confused. JF: I can’t think of anyone in particular, For Floyd, it’s simple. The Kathy with a but my parents, co-workers, bosses and “K” he married in 1996, and the Cathy friends have all helped make me the man with a “C” he inherited when he bought that I am. ACN: What are some hardships you’ve Ja-Mar Roofing, just 18 months ago. overcome and how have they affected ACN: Jim, Where were you born and you? JF: A previous divorce and being down- years, it comes as quite a surprise. raised? most rewarding aspect of owning my own JF: I was born and raised on a ranch in sized are about the biggest personal and ACN: What do you do when you’re not business is having the final say, being the professional hardships you can encoun- running Ja-Mar? Gonzales, Texas. final decision maker. I take a lot of pride in ter out there, but sometimes, hardships JF: I love to travel. I’ve been to Scotland, doing things myself. The most rewarding ACN: Tell us about your parents. JF: My father’s name is John and he was provide you with Ireland, Switzerland, part, so far, has been the successful transian Agriculture teacher and my mother’s the best opportuniGermany, most all tion of ownership. It’s taken hard work on The first time I met my wife, she name is Joan and she worked at a bank in ties to grow as an 50 states except both of our parts, but we’ve been very individual. Gonzales. Alaska and Hawaii, fortunate to have a great working relawalked into my office and ACN: Where did you attend high school? ACN: Tell us about and Mexico quite tionship. James McKinney still works here crawled under my desk! JF: I graduated from Gonzales High the two C/Kathy’s. often for long week- part-time, doing sales, and he comes and School, where I played football and was JF: Cathy Christian ends. I just love dis- goes as he pleases. Since James was here active in the FFA. Throughout high is our office manager, and I sort of inher- covering other peoples’ perspectives 24/7 for many years, this has allowed him ited her with the business. She was part- and enjoying their culture. school, I had part-time jobs. to transition out of the business at his own ACN: How did growing up on a ranch af- time when I came along, and I quickly ACN: Where do you want to visit next? pace, and having him here has been a learned how valuable she was. She’s now JF: We can’t decide whether Italy or Eng- great source of information. fect you? JF: Without a doubt, it had a real strong full-time, and a real asset to the company. land should be our next adventure, but ACN: What’s with the travel-trailer influence on my work ethic. There was She’s the front line of our customer ser- we are definitely trying to go somewhere parked out front? always work to do like mending fences, vice, and we get so many positive com- next year. JF: That belongs to James and Marilyn ments about her and what a pleasure she ACN: What else do you like to do outside McKinney, the former owners. They just hauling hay, and working cattle. is to work with. Kathy Floyd is my wife. of work? ACN: Where did you go to college? can’t seem to get fully retired. They JF: Where any FFA member and son of an We were married in 1996. JF: I enjoying spending time with my bought it for use after they sold the busiACN: How’d you and your wife meet? Ag. teacher would go, Texas A&M. family and just enjoying our kids. One of ness, but they haven’t taken off in it yet. JF: I love telling this story. The first time I the flexibilities of my business is that I can Until it leaves, it’s a great landmark in tellACN: Any jobs in college? JF: Yeah, I worked my way through met my wife, she walked into my office now make time to attend my kids’ ball- ing people how to get here! school as an electrician where I got a and crawled under my desk! (Jim pauses games. You’ve got to have your priorities ACN: What is the greatest challenge of good sense about the construction in- for effect, then laughing, continues.) She straight. I know it won’t be too long be- being in the roofing business? dustry. I worked on commercial and resi- was installing my new computer when I fore they have grown up and moved on JF: The greatest challenge is the coordiworked at Farm Credit. While she was in to their own lives. My hobbies include nation of all facets of the business that dential jobs as an electrician. my office, we had golf and jogging. I guess one big goal I delivers a good quality product, on time, ACN: What career an electrical black- have in life is to run a marathon. I’ve run with a reasonable price that results in a did you pursue after There was always work to do like out and we just sat a half marathon and college? happy customer. and talked for about am trying to decide JF: After I graduated ACN: What are your mending fences, hauling hay, I guess one big goal I have in life plans for Ja-Mar’s 20 minutes until the if I’m ready to make from Texas A&M, in and working cattle. is to run a marathon. lights came back the commitment to 1984, I went to work growth? on. Call it fate, or train for a full marain the agricultural JF: By design, I banking industry at the Farm Credit whatever, but that’s how it started. After thon. I’ve run most of the Capitol 10Ks wanted to buy the business and, for the that, we had lunch together and the rest since 1986, and it’s a fun event, with run- first year to 18 months, I wanted to just Bank. ACN: What brought you to the roofing is history. ners wearing costumes and bands play- learn the business and learn about the ACN: What did Kathy think of you buying ing along the racecourse. business? industry. As a former banker, I saw too JF: Well, after 18 years in the banking in- a roofing company? ACN: Who, in the industry, has been many companies make the mistake of dustry, I was downsized. I’ve always had JF: My wife has been extremely support- helpful to you, since buying Ja-Mar? uncontrolled growth and growing in this entrepreneurial itch, and I decided ive. Without a doubt, I would not have JF: Without a doubt, James McKinney markets they didn’t fully understand. So, that, since I was 39 years old, it was now made this decision without her support. has been the most helpful. We have de- I made the commitment to learn everyor never. And, since I didn’t have a great ACN: Have you always been a leader? veloped a very strong working relation- thing I could for those 18 months, before invention or idea, I decided to buy an ex- JF: Leadership is something I’ve always ship that has been beneficial for both of I decided to grow. done and something I’ve always wanted us. I have become active in the Roofing ACN: What would you like our readers to isting business. ACN: Tell us about the process of buying to do. I’ve enjoyed the challenges and Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) know about your character? endured the pitfalls. I’ve always been a and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and JF: I’m a very ethical person and probably Ja-Mar Roofing. JF: I developed a laundry list of criteria take-charge person. My wife says I’d nev- I’m currently on the board of directors for the most rational, level-headed person the business should meet before consid- er do any good on the television show, both those groups. Tony Brown, over at they will run into. In all my experiences eration for buying. After looking at sev- Survivor, because I’m too outspoken. Austin Roofing Supply, has been a tre- with employees, customers, subs and eral different businesses, I met James ACN: What is something that would sur- mendous resource. friends, I have learned one simple lesson: McKinney, the former owner. After ana- prise our readers? ACN: What is the most rewarding aspect most people want to be treated the way lyzing his business, I told him I liked the JF: When people, in the construction of being in the roofing business? you want to be treated. economics of what I’d seen and I think I business, find out I was a banker for 18 JF: Let me answer that in two parts. The Spotlight Jim Floyd Ja-Mar Roofing W Geotechnical Construction Materials Environmental While roll off trucks and boxes may look the same, our service and rates set us apart from the competition. CALL US TODAY (512) 282-3508 (512) 280-3863 Toll Free 1-866-282-3508 Engineering Consulting Services, Ltd. (512)-837-8005 www.ecslimited.com Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 5 Fire Alarm Museum captures past and hints at future Texana Quality Used Equipment Skid Steer Loaders 2000 John Deere 250, New Tires 2070 Hours $12,500 4-CASE 1845C from $8,000 CASE 75XT, Great Machine, 1600 Hours $18,500 CASE 85XT, Excellent Condition, 700 Hours $19,950 CASE 90XT, 2700 Hours, Still in Warranty $19,500 CASE 95XT, Very Nice, 3150 lb Operating Load $20,995 Track Loader 1990 CASE 855D, Excellent, 1.5 Yard $33,500 Wheel Loaders 1974 Cat 966C, Clean I n 1966, J.E. Moore was just doing his job. In the course of business, he invented the first wireless smoke sensor and the first fire alarm with an automatic phone dialer. Nowadays, virtually all fire alarms use Moore’s technology to achieve the same goals. The Fire Alarm Museum is located at JM Electronic Engineering, Inc.’s offices in Round Rock. Moore and his son, J.J. Moore, have taken those early ideas well into the future. They now offer fire alarm systems, nurse call systems, emergency call systems, fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, kitchen suppression, security systems, cctv systems, access control systems, magnetic locks and keypads, PA/sound systems, 24-hour monitoring, and 24-hour emergency service. Stopping in for a tour of the museum will get the visitor more than they have bargained for. When Construction News showed up, J.J. Moore, himself, conducted the tour and brought life and insight to the displays. Highlights of the museum include a 1934 vintage IBM fire alarm control housed in a beautiful mahogany box, an old fire alarm station city municipal box, a pneumatic fire alarm, a cart-drawn fire extinguisher, and Moore’s original 1966 patented equipment (complete with patent papers). The museum opened in 1993. Since then, fire marshals, firefighting personnel, and fire protection industry people are the most common visitors to the museum. An acknowledgement from the Texas Governor is even posted. Though the museum is filled with history, it sits within the confines of JM Electronic Engineering’s quite modern offices, where the future of the industry is happening now. JMEE has just been awarded a $1.2 million contract to replace the fire alarm systems in 17 schools for Killeen ISD. Their installation and service territory ranges from regional offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and their latest additions of Brownwood and Dallas/Fort Worth. Make Offer $25,500 Trenchers 2000 CASE TF300B, 250 Hours CASE TF300, Rubber Track Excavator 1978 CAT 225, Good Condition 1989 JD 595, Rubber-Tired $13,500 $8,900 Make Offer $11,500 Make Offer $11,500 We sell, trade, deliver, finance and negotiate. TEXANA www.texanamachinery.com AUSTIN SAN ANTONIO (512) 272-8922 (800) 615-3804 (210) 333-8000 (800) 483-9262 PARTS SERVICE SALES RENTALS Diversified Line of Equipment No more “boring classrooms” ����������������������������� ������������ ������� �������������������������� ����������������������� ��������������������� ��������� ����������� ���������� ������� ����������������� ������������������� ������������ ���������������� S UT building received a facelift and a national award. ince 1950, O’Connell Robertson & Associates has designed and planned facilities throughout Texas. This year, an addition to UT’s Geology Building garnered the firm top honors as an Outstanding Building in the 2003 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase. The publication is a monthly educational-facilities, purchasing, and business administration magazine that reaches more than 63,000 facility planners and school and university administrators and architects. O’Connell Robertson is an architectural and engineering firm, specializing in educational design, with offices in Austin and San Antonio. They provided architecture, interior design, MEP engineering design, furniture selection, and construction administration services for the five-story, 62,000 sf, state-of-the-art classroom addition to the existing Geology Building, located on the East Mall of the UT at Austin. The building now contains multiple tiered auditoriums, standard and sloped classrooms, labs, administrative areas for the environmental sciences department, faculty and graduate research offices and workrooms, and the Geological Sciences Foundation. Amy Jones, of O’Connell Robertson said, “The addition is designed to provide an inspiring teaching and research environment for undergraduate and graduate students. With the use of an earth tone palate and natural materials throughout the interiors, including terrazzo flooring, organic carpet patterns, granite countertops, and sedimentary fossilized limestone accents, the building becomes the backdrop upon which geological subjects are communicated, displayed, taught, and learned. Wall spaces and display cases integrated throughout the building provide many settings for the presentation of minerals, rocks, crystals, and ideas. OSHA 501 classes T he OSHA 501 General Industry Train the Trainer class was held during the week of Oct. 20th through Oct. 24th at Construction Safety & Health Inc. Class attendees and graduates include Jeff Rock- wood, Ken Fredrick, Henry Taylor, Shannon Lusk, Jaime Orina, Jesse Yanez, Efrain Martinez, Jonathan Ellison, Sammy Rosas, Michael Lutrick, Harvey Pauler, Ernesto Galindo, Dick Erickson, and Bernard Ofczarzak. Page 6 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ACCOUNTING LEGAL Taxation of Small Contractors. Who qualifies for the small contractor exemption? Part 2 Managing asbestos in buildings: Can you avoid legal headaches? By Elizabeth Kohn By Phillip Mathis, CPA, CFE A sbestos is the most heavily regulated of all building materials, and construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings with asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) requires knowledge of regulations, knowledge of materials used in your building, and careful management. Handling of ACBM is regulated by EPA, OSHA, and by the Texas Department of Health. Civil cases claiming damages for exposure to asbestos are a national epidemic, overcrowding our courts. Nearly every week, EPA announces another criminal conviction for mismanagement of asbestos abatements during building renovations or demolitions. OSHA even considers its asbestos standard to apply to removal of asbestos-containing pipe from excavated water pipeline systems. Penalties for violations of these regulations can be severe. A contractor who violates the Texas statute is subject to a civil penalty up to $10,000 per day for each violation; each day of violation can constitute a separate violation. EPA can and does seek criminal penalties. OSHA fines and penalties can be imposed. Worst of all, if you expose your employees to asbestos, with a history of fines and penalties for non-compliance, you could have long-term significant liability risks. How can you protect yourself? Know your building materials! The first step is to know your building materials. Make sure you have an ACBM survey. In fact, Texas requires that you demonstrate that you have an asbestos survey before your city will issue a building permit for a building renovation or demolition project. Each city has its own requirements for what is needed to get a permit, and many certify that your building survey shows no ACBM, check the date and quality of your survey. In starting a new building, make sure your building materials do not contain ACBM. Under Texas law, the installation of building components containing more than 1% asbestos is now prohibited where there is an alternative material. If you are the contractor, require suppliers to provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) on the building materials, showing no asbestos content. If you are the owner, require your contractor to covenant that no ACBM will be installed, and include appropriate warranty terms in your contract. Protect your employees and contractors! Follow the rules. They exist to avoid exposure to asbestos, a known carcinogen. Check your survey before you renovate or demolish, and if you don’t have one, get one from a licensed surveyor. To avoid exposing your employees and con- tractors to airborne asbestos fibers, hire licensed contractors to abate before any work starts—they have the training to avoid exposure. Make sure you have trained your employees to check the survey before performing any work because even minor renovations require a careful approach: An employee cutting a hole in a wall to get to the electrical conduit could be disturbing asbestos. Protect yourself! Get a protective contract with your abatement contractors, and require that they provide an up-to- date copy of their licenses, appropriate indemnities, and adequate insurance, naming you as an additional insured. Make sure your abatement consultant or contractor makes the appropriate notification before beginning the abatement—many violations on file are for failure to notify. Keep records of the notifications, training of employees, asbestos surveys, abatement materials, and MSDSs of any materials installed. Keep the records in a safe place and keep them for a long time—records showing your careful approach are your best defense against enforcement or a frivolous lawsuit. If you make a certification to a city about your asbestos survey, make sure it is accurate. False statements to a city can lead to criminal prosecution. You can avoid the headaches! Compliance with the regulations on asbestos is in your best interest, long term. Don’t be afraid to find out what you have in your buildings—informed compliance will lead to peace of mind and—no headaches! Elizabeth Kohn is a Partner in the Environmental Law, HIPPA Privacy and International Practice Groups at Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. HPhone: (817) 347-6645 [email protected] H istorically, the IRS has been aggressive in challenging a contractor’s use of the cash method, particularly where there are large inventories of unused material on the job site. Under the accrual method of accounting revenue is recognized when billable and expenses are recognized when incurred. When the right to receive income depends on a contingency, that amount is not included in income until the contingency is resolved. Overruns and change orders are recognized when the amount is reasonably determined and is approved by the owner. The related expenses are recognized as incurred. Because most contract billings are front-end laded, the accrual method will accelerate income recognition. If possible, contractors that use the accrual method may want to delay events that trigger the right to bill under the contract. Small contractors are generally exempt from cost capitalization rules, except that they are required to capitalize interest. The rules of allocating costs to contracts are summarized as follows: • Records-The taxpayer must maintain separate accounts for each contract. Direct costs and indirect costs must be allocated to those accounts. • Direct labor-Direct labor costs must be allocated using the specific identification method. • Direct material-Materials must be allocated using the taxpayers inventory method (e.g., specific identification, LIFO, FIFO, etc.). • Indirect costs-Indirect cost must be allocated using the specific identification method of a method using an overhead burden rate that results in a consistent and reasonable allocation. Direct construction costs are those costs, such as material, labor and subcontracts that are specifically identified as costs incurred in completion of the contract. Indirect costs are those costs that are incurred that are not specifically as- San Antonio Austin Houston sociated with a particular contract, but are nevertheless necessary to the completion of all contracts, such as repairs and maintenance of equipment, utilities, and compensation paid to officers. The Tax Act of 1997 created an AMT exemption for certain small C corporations that have average gross receipts of $5 million or less for the three tax years that ended with its first tax year beginning after December 31, 1996. The AMT exemption is lost once the entity’s prior three-year average exceeds $7,500,000. The most common preference items that are subject to the AMT are (1) Any contractor that uses a method other than the percentage of completion method will be subject to the AMT tax, and (2) Any contractor that claims any accelerated depreciation method is subject to the AMT. In conclusion, qualifying as a small contractor offers the following advantages: • The contractor is allowed to use the methods of accounting that were used prior to the 86 Tax Reform Act. These are more favorable to the contractor than current regulations, and can lower his income taxes appreciably. • The contractor can avoid the application of the AMT tax at the corporate level. • If the contractor qualifies for the percentage-of-completion method for tax purposes and uses this method for financial statement purposes, he will eliminate the provision for deferred tax provision as required by generally accepted accounting principles. • The contractor may use cost capitalization rules under the old 86 Tax Reform Act that allocate less expenses to contracts-in-process. This results in more expense being charged to the period, which lowers taxable income. Phillip Mathis is a CPA, CFE and owner of Mathis and Company CPA’s. To reach Mr. Mathis, please call 512-231-0550 or email him at [email protected] To read these and other stories in full, go to our Website at www.constructionnews.net. San Antonio Dallas/Ft. Worth Houston Browning Construction delivers Mayan 14 Theater Working within a six-month time frame, Browning Construction Co. successfully renovated an obsolete, outdated south side theater for owner, Santikos Investments. JM Electronic Engineering expands to DFW market JMEE has been making history in the fire protection industry for over 45 years. JMEE’s founder, J.E. Moore, invented the first automatic phone dialer for fire alarm systems and the first wireless smoke sensor in 1966. SpawGlass delivers Humble Oil Building restoration The Humble Oil Building is a Houston landmark that once helped to define the city’s standing as a mecca of the oil and gas industry. It served as headquarters for Humble Oil & Refining Co., the oil giant known as Exxon/Mobil. TDIndustries The San Antonio branch of employee-owned TDIndustries, an HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration and electrical contracting company, has initiated a new division under the leadership of project manager Timothy S. Baughman. Linbeck’s teamwork brightens facility An injured child sits wide-eyed on a comfortable chair and waits to see the doctor. He looks up to notice bright colors, fun shapes and smiling faces. Expanded op’s streamline fence/welding biz The success of a company is often linked to the tenacity, self-drive and perseverance of its owner. Liquid nitrogen is cool TxDOT, PBS&J. amd Transit Mix recently introduced a new concrete cooling technique, using liquid nitrogen (LN). LN was used instead of ice to cool the concrete used for construction of a portion of the $2.9 billion Central Texas Turnpike Project. Lyn-Tile, Inc., a Top 100 Small Biz The president/owner of Lyn-Tile, Inc., Meredith Lyn Ford, daughter of a general contractor, was no stranger to the rewards and risks that are an intrinsic part of the construction industry. Neighborhoods prepare for Super Bowl Waste Management and Keep Houston Beautiful are collaborating efforts to clean up neighborhoods for Super Bowl XXXVIII. Every Sat., from Oct. 25-Dec. 13, volunteers will paint over graffiti, clean, rake and mow vacant lots, and remove litter from streets. Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 7 INSURANCE OSHA Do you have the Edge on your Competitors? By James H. Joyner, CSP, OHST By Joann Nataranjan W orkers’ Compensation Insurance costs are a major factor when you bid on new construction jobs. If your company has a credit Experience Modifier, you will definitely have an edge on your competitors. You have an advantage when you bid on new construction jobs if they have a debit Experience Modifier or are paying the manual premium for their Workers’ Compensation Insurance. An average Experience Modifier is expressed as 1.00 and that simply means a company has average losses and will pay 100% of their manual Workers’ Compensation Insurance premium. A higher than average Experience Modifier would be a number greater than 1.00. A company that has an Experience Modifier of .73 will pay only 73% of their manual premium. This effectively gives the company a 27% discount, and reflects the company’s lower than average losses, claims, and injuries. An example: ABC, DEF, and GHI are bidding on building a 100,000 sf warehouse. Company ABC DEF GHI Experience Modifier .73 1.00 1.43 The above chart shows how the Experience Modifier has a significant impact on what each company pays for Workers’ Compensation Insurance. In this example, the difference between ABC Company’s low Experience Modifier and the GHI Company’s high Experience Modifier is more than $43,000. The difference between the low Experience Modifier rate of ABC Company and the manual Experience Modifier rate of DEF Company is more than $16,500. Controlling the Experience Modifier is essential to reducing and controlling insurance premiums. What can a company do to get and maintain a credit Experience Modifier? (1) Top management of both companies need to admit they have an employee accident injury and illness problem. (2) Management, supervisors, and employees can make a commitment to maintain a safe work operation. (3) The companies’ management can initiate and implement an effective safety program that complies with federal, state, and local safety rules and regulation. (4) The companies can engage a medical clinic that will cooperate with the employer to effectively treat injured employees, get the injured into a “return to work” program and communicate to the employer the work capabilities of the injured employer rather than the insurance carrier. (5) The companies can set a monetary limit that they will pay for initial injuries and illnesses rather than send all claims to the insurance carrier. Frequency and severity of employee accident injuries affect the Experience Modifier. (6) The companies can initiate and implement an effective hiring program. Include a criminal and accident history background of an applicant. (7) The companies can have an effective safety and health education and training Much mulch! C ity Parks & Recreation Department is offering free mulch on a first-come, firstserved basis. The mulch was the bi-product of recent clean-ups of storm-damaged areas. The mulch is available at Walnut Creek Park, though no supervisors or equipment will be stationed there. Takers will be responsible for shoveling and hauling the mulch themselves. Find directions to the park at http://www.ci..austin.tx.us/ parks/parkdirectory.htm. Discount (D)/ Surcharge (S) $16,769 D None $26,706S Electric Tool Safety Modified Premium $45,337 $62,106 $88,812 program for all employees. This should include tool box meetings and safety meetings for employees and subcontractor’s employees. (8) Initiate and implement an effective subcontractor’s safety program. The program should include and effective subcontractor’s agreement that includes, but is not limited to, a description of the work to be performed, a copy of their Workers’ Compensation Policy (or have them sign a TWCC-83, 84, or 85 that names them as a subcontractor and not an employee of the general contractor), and appropriate clauses i.e. hold harmless etc. (9) Accident investigation and future prevention. Companies should realize that it may take a few years to earn a credit Experience Modifier. They will need to audit their safety program often, recognize an accident trends, and correct them. An effective safety program will not only save lives, prevent injuries, reduce loss of production, but lower the total cost of your insurance. James H. Joyner is the President of Joyco Safety, Inc. Joyco Safety, Inc. is the exclusive safety & environmental consultant for Insurance and Bonds, Inc. Insurance Agency. E mployees using electric tools must be aware of several dangers; the most serious is the possibility of electrocution. Among the chief hazards of electric-powered tools are burns and slight shocks which can lead to injuries or even heart failure. Under certain conditions, even a small amount of current can result in fibrillation of the heart and eventual death. A shock also can cause the user to fall off a ladder or other elevated work surface. To protect the user from shock, tools must either have a three-wire cord with ground and be grounded, be double insulated, or be powered by a low-voltage isolation transformer. Three-wire cords contain two current-carrying conductors and a grounding conductor. One end of the grounding conductor connects to the tool’s metal housing. The other end is grounded through a prong on the plug. Anytime an adapter is used to accommodate a two-hole receptacle, the adapter wire must be attached to a known ground. The third prong should never be removed from the plug. Double insulation is more convenient. The user and the tools are protected in two ways: by normal insulation on the wires inside, and by a housing that cannot conduct electricity to the operator in the event of a malfunction. These general practices should be followed when using electric tools: • Electric tools should be operated within their design limitations. • Gloves and safety footwear are recommended during use of electric tools. • When not in use, tools should be stored in a dry place. • Electric tools should not be used in damp or wet locations. • Work areas should be well lighted. Pneumatic tools are powered by compressed air and include chippers, drills, hammers, and sanders. There are several dangers encountered in the use of pneumatic tools. The main one is the danger of getting hit by one of the tool’s attachments or by some kind of fastener the worker is using with the tool. Eye protection is required and face protection is recommended for employees working with pneumatic tools. Noise is another hazard. Working with noisy tools such as jackhammers requires proper, effective use of hearing protection. When using pneumatic tools, employees must check to see that they are fastened securely to the hose to prevent them from becoming disconnected. A short wire or positive locking device attaching the air hose to the tool will serve as an added safeguard. A safety clip or retainer must be installed to prevent attachments, such as chisels on a chipping hammer, from being unintentionally shot from the barrel. Screens must be set up to protect nearby workers from being struck by flying fragments around chippers, riveting guns, staplers, or air drills. Compressed air guns should never be pointed toward anyone. Users should never “dead-end” it against themselves or anyone else. Page 8 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ARCHITECTURAL ACCESSIBILITY IN TEXAS FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY LAWS & STANDARDS The Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) TAS 4.7.8 Obstructions ARCHITECTURAL BARRIERS Texas Civil Statutes, Article 9102 ACCESSIBLE CURB RAMPS TAS 4.7 Curb Ramps A curb ramp or flush landing shall be provided wherever a pedestrian access route crosses a curb, a sidewalk/street transition, mid-block crosswalks, medians and islands traversed by crosswalks, alleys, accessible parking aisles, passenger loading zones, and locations where the public sidewalk ends and pedestrian travel continues in a roadway. TAS 4.7.2 Slope The running slope of curb ramps cannot exceed 1:12 (8.33%) . It is important that transitions to curb ramps be flush. Lips at the bottom of ramps, a common complaint, impede the momentum needed to propel a wheelchair up-slope. Severe counter slopes can do the same thing and cause footrest to scrape. Maximum slopes of adjoining gutters, road surface immediately adjacent to the curb ramp, or accessible route must not exceed 1:20 (5%). Recommendation: While a 5% adjoining slope is allowed for drainage, gutters, and roadway crowns, this slope should be minimized wherever possible (a maximum 2% slope is preferred). It is important that parked cars, lampposts, utility poles, and other elements placed along sidewalks not obstruct connecting accessible routes. The cross-slope of a curb ramp (2% maximum) must be minimized because it makes wheelchair travel difficult by distributing weight and required force to one side and causing front casters to veer. The Figure below is a line drawing plan of a sidewalk corner with two perpendicular-type curb ramps. Both curb ramps are noted as incorrectly oriented since they are not perpendicular to the curbs they cut through but are skewed to be parallel---that is, in line with the crosswalks. Thus each curb ramp has one long and one short side and the top and bottom edges are not parallel to each other. The difficulties of using ramps such as these are demonstrated by 2 pedestrians using wheelchairs. If the curb ramp is entered so that both casters start up the ramp at the same time, it will be necessary to make a turn on the ramp while ascending, which is difficult. If one caster enters before the other, then the wheelchair will be unstable with one caster off the ground. Space is needed at the top and bottom of ramps so that people using wheelchairs can align with the running slope and maneuver from ramps, including when making turns (which is difficult on sloped surfaces). At curb ramps, a landing provides the necessary connection to an accessible route. A landing with a minimum length of 48 inches will provide sufficient turning space. Where space at the top is less than 48 inches, side flares must have a maximum slope of 1:12 (8.33%) instead of the 1:10 (10%) at the curb face. Alternative designs can provide sufficient landings at ramps where space is limited, including at street intersections. Perpendicular ramps that are offset from an intersection can provide level landings at the top and bottom of ramps. Dallas, TX 972/294-500 1-800-442-4667 www.oldeninc.com Robert Buck, AIA, has provided architectural accessibility plan reviews/inspections for over 4075 projects in 18 states. He is a Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS); consultant to the U. S. Department of Justice-Housing and Civil Enforcement Section; and Fair Housing consultant for the City of Austin. 13438 Bandera Road, #104, Helotes, TX 78023 (210-695-5326). Liquid nitrogen is cool T Road Service • Commercial 24/7 with approved credit • Fleet Service • Off-Road Equipment • Tires in Stock • Foam Fill Daily • Mechanical Service 10-Bay Shop Diesel too! 17061 FM 1325 Round Rock, Tx 78728 xDOT, PBS&J, and Transit Mix recently introduced a new concrete cooling technique, using liquid nitrogen (LN). LN was used instead of ice to cool the concrete used for construction of a portion of the $2.9 billion Central Texas Turnpike Project. Working with TxDOT and PBS&J, Transit Mix Concrete Co. batched eight cubic yards of concrete at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. A LN wand was then inserted into the ready-mix drum. After eight minutes, the temperature of the concrete dropped 20 degrees. After three additional minutes of mixing, the concrete was delivered to the jobsite and poured into a drilled shaft, where the concrete temperature registered 78 degrees. “It is critical to control the temperature of concrete during construction, in order to control the amount of cracking that may occur while the concrete cures. The new process promises to revolutionize the way concrete is cooled in Texas,” remarked William Beaver, of PBS&J. For road builders in Texas, low-cost LN offers many advantages over the traditional and impractical ice method. Beaver continued, “Using LN, the concrete placement schedule is no longer Transit Mix batches a cool load of concrete. constrained to cooler seasons or nights. Studies show that cooler, fresh concrete translates into stronger concrete. Cooler concrete also retains its workability, allowing the contractor more time to place it.” “LN removes risks, allows more thorough mixing of concrete, and improves yield,” said Ralph Browne, P.E., and bridge engineer for TxDOT. Transit Mix’s Joe Dan Johnson commented, “From a quality perspective, the use of LN reduces variables, thus giving the end-user a better product.” www.young-blood.com 512 – 719 – 5700 fax 512 – 719 – 5793 www.constructionnews.net See what’s going on . . . Austin San Antonio Dallas/Ft. Worth Houston Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 9 Williams Scotsman facilitates legislative change Association W Tom Delaney illiams Scotsman, the nation’s leading supplier of mobile offices, modular buildings and storage products, has been instrumental in facilitating legislative changes that affect the regulation of mobile offices for use on construction sites. Through the efforts of Mark Delaney of Williams Scotsman, Hillco Partners, and with the support of the Modular Building Institute, legislation passed during the 78th Regular Legislative Session and changed the scope of Industrialized Housing and Building Program of Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to include commercial structures designed to be transported between commercial sites. In addition to this change, which was included in the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s sunset legislation (Senate Bill 279), there was a change to the definition of a commercial structure which exempts construction site office buildings from the Texas Industrialized Housing and Buildings Occupations Code Title 7 Chapter 1202. SB 279 defines a construction site office building as “…a commercial structure that is not open to the public; and used as an office at a commercial site by a person constructing a building, road, bridge, utility, or other infrastructure or improvement to real property.” While most municipalities have not required that construction site offices attain Industrialized Housing and Building Certification, there has been a growing number of municipalities that over the years have required such certification. Changing building codes and lack of consistent code requirements among municipalities makes it infeasible for contractors and the mobile office supplier industry to constantly change their supply of buildings to meet the new building codes. Given that these are non-public use temporary structures, public safety is not a real issue. This new legislation should enable contractors to continue to utilize construction site office buildings that were not previously certified under the state program, thus reducing overall project costs. For more information, please feel free to contact Mark Delaney, Regional VicePresident, Williams Scotsman Member-Texas Industrialized Building Code Council, 281-590-1277. HBA installs new board Toni Osberry Administrative Assistant AGC, Austin Chapter Pr file T oni Osberry, the administrative assistant for the Austin Chapter AGC, is an avid reader of mysteries and nonfiction novels, and she loves to spend time with her family. In the future, she hopes to pursue her master’s degree in computer studies. She can’t get enough of watching the brilliant sunsets near Kyle and driving through the hill country. One of her new responsibilities is taking care of her new sixmonth-old baby girl. Orginally from Houston, Osberry attended Prairie View A&M and then transferred to Austin Community College for her associates degree. Roger Osberry, her husband from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, introduced her to her favorite Cajun food. She says the spicier the better. Working in the service department at CAVCO for a couple of years, she decided she wanted a challenge at work so she applied for the administrative assistant position at AGC. For the last three years, she has enjoyed working for AGC. Currently, she is responsible for coordinating the functions, meetings and membership, as well as maintaining the website and sending out bid information. She checks pending members’ references and maintains the membership database. Once a year, she updates the AGC directory. Osberry’s favorite association events are the AGC Fish Fry, the Installation Banquet and Outstanding Construction Awards, the Fall and Spring Golf Tournaments and, of course, the Holiday Party. Out of all the events, she likes to socialize with friends and eat good catfish at the AGC Fish Fry every year. Providing the numerous general contractors and associate members with great services is important to Osberry. “We bring industry partners such as general contractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, owners and developers to collaborate on topics of interest, striving to improve the image of the construction industry and pave the way for the future,” said Osberry. “A plan center is accessible for our members to view plans and specs. Members are able to make copies and check out plans to view at home or in the office. Bidding information such as Daily Flash, Bulletin, and Bidder’s List is accessible to our members via email, fax or on our website. Educational classes and safety services are also available. Networking is another important part of the organization at social functions such as the Members Doing Business with Members Mixer.” Profile is a column in which Austin Construction News will highlight a staff member of a local construction association every other month. T ue., Oct. 28, the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin installed its 2003-2004 Board of Directors at the Renaissance Hotel. Wes Peoples, division president of Meritage Austin, was named HBA President for the upcoming term. Peoples said, “HBA needs to continue to be the voice for citizens who have been priced out of the home market. The association needs to continue working with the local municipalities to ensure that homeownership can be a reality for people of all ages and income brackets. HBA’s success in the educational programs for its members needs to expand to educating the buying public as to why it is important to do busi- ness with an HBA member. We will continue our efforts in working with the state legislature to keep affordable and readily available housing at Wes Peoples the forefront of the legislative agendas.” For 50 years, the HBA of Greater Austin, and their 700 members have provided affordable housing by pro- moting healthy economic and building conditions, while maintaining high quality of life standards. 2003-2004 Board of Directors: President, Wes Peoples, Meritage Corp.; President-Elect, Allen Valliant, Allen Valliant, Inc.; Immediate Past Pres., Ken Blaker, Mainstreet Homes; VP Communications, Mike Kolar, Kolar Advertising; VP Government Relations, Hank Smith, CFX, L.P. Engineering; VP Membership, Carol Baker, Capitol City Insurance Agency; VP Operations, Mike Smith, Mesa Home Systems; VP Development, Curtis Housmann, BMC Building Materials; VP Education, Dena Jost, Countrywide Home Loans. Are Health Care Costs and Business Expenses EATING YOUR LUNCH??? FINALLY!!! An association for self-employed people that can help! The National Association for the Self-Employed has over 100 Health, Business and Personal Benefits, including access to affordable endorsed Health Insurance*. CALL MARK CARTER @ Ph# 1-866-291-9786 *Group Insurance is underwritten by the MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company. M/NATL0222 EXP 04/04 Western States Fire Protection Co. “ Solutions for the Protection of Lives & Property” Call Joel Sands, Area Manager at: 512.832.8069 CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTIES Locally Owned and Operated "Your SENCO Headquarters in Central Texas" 209 E. Ben White 442-2997 442-2767 406 W. Braker Ln. 836-2396 836-2944 512.832.8611 Fax www.wsfp.com • [email protected] 16069 Central Commerce Dr. Pflugerville, Texas 78660 Offices Throughout North America Page 10 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Construction Gateway gains sponsors Safety award new to subcontractors S Jeff Tavillion, Acting Director of the Department of Small and Minority Business Resources for the City of Austin, addresses the Oct. 31 graduates of the Construction Gateway program. I ndustry leaders are not just hiring Construction Gateway graduates, they’ve jumped on board with financial support for the program and its graduation celebrations. Titus Electrical Contracting, Inc. kicked off the sponsorship with a donation in Sept. and Braun & Butler Construction showed their support for the program with a gift for Oct. and Nov. Central Texas Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors is next in line, pledging to cover expenses for Dec. Gateway is a five-week training pro- gram on construction with curriculum developed by ABC. The program is primarily funded by the City of Austin and Travis County. The training provides a continuous supply of qualified applicants for entry-level apprenticeship jobs in the industry. Other partners who have provided supplemental funding include the Capital Area Workforce Development Board, Texas Workforce Commission, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Greater Austin @ Work Partnership, and the construction industry. TXDOT and City of Austin Approved Mix Designs (512) 238-7611 implex Grinnell, a fire and life safety provider in Round Rock, was recently recognized by OSHA for safety on jobsites. According to the Simplex Grinnell’s mechanical department manager, Kenneth Trevino, OSHA presented his company with the safety award known as Platinum Partners. Normally this award is given to just general contractors. “We are one of the first subcontractors to receive this prestigious award in Central Texas,” said Trevino. “The award is a partnership with OSHA. We invited OSHA out to one of our projects. Central Texas Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) also came out to work with us to receive a certification with OSHA. When they came out to the jobsite they went through and checked off about 45 items to make sure we were abiding safety procedures. We managed to take care of everything this year so we are very pleased with the award.” Representatives from AMD, Compass Bank, The City of Austin, HUD, and the Topfer Family Foundation help with the ribbon-cutting at Garden Terrace, Austin’s first supportive housing for homeless and low-income individuals. The project construction team included: architect, LZT Architects; MEP engineer, Encotech Consultants; civil engineer, Baker-Aicklen & Associates; general contractor, Rizzo Construction; interior design, Leslie Fossler Interiors and graphic design, YFT Studio. Peter Pfeiffer appointed to state board ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS,INC. CENTRAL TEXAS CHAPTER ABC - Training Today for Tomorrow! Congratulations to all the ABC Excellence in Construction Award winners and the ABC Excellence in Construction Safety Award winners! 3006 Longhorn Blvd. Suite 104 Austin, TX 78758 Ph: 512-719-5263 G ov. Rick Perry announced his appointment of Peter Pfeiffer to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners on Wed., Oct. 22. This board regulates the practice and licensure of architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design for the state. Pfeiffer is the principal architect at the firm of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects. He is a member of American Institute of Architects, Texas Society of Architects, and Austin Resource Management Commission. Pfeiffer is also a former board member of the Greater Austin Home Builders Association and the Heritage Society. Since his founding of Barley & Pfeiffer in 1987, he has specialized in sustainable building practices and has become a national leader in the fields of energy and natural resource conserving design, lowtoxicity living and working environments, and green construction technology. Mr. Pfeiffer graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1977. He went on to graduate Phi Kappa Phi from the University of Texas at Austin, with a Masters in Architecture, emphasizing resource-efficient design. Some of Pfeiffer’s accomplishments include the Energy Efficient Building Association’s Conference Chair Award in 1994, for his career accomplishments in pioneering environmentally sensitive architecture, and in 2003, the National Association of Home Builders honored him with the National Green Advocate of the Year award for his lifelong achievements in mainstreaming green building. In the media, Pfeiffer has gotten the word out on how to mainstream green building, as a guest presentor on National Public Radio, PBS TV, National Association of Builders Video Digest, and HGTV. Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 11 L ast month we reported that the deer season was looking like one of the finest in years, and that the quail season may be the best on record. It’s all coming to pass. Most hunters are telling tales that would sound like whiskey talk most years. This year, it’s like the old cowboy line – “No brag; jest fact.” Big deer are being reported everywhere. A Bexar County game warden even had to remove a live deer from inside a major shopping mall. One of the barometers of deer season in South Texas is the Los Cazadores Deer Contest in Cotulla, run by former La Salle County Sheriff, Darwin Avant. Cazadores means hunters. Avant operates his contest out of the Country Store on the I-35 access. You can’t miss it; it’s the place with all the big pickups in the parking lot. One of the pleasures of deer season is seeing what’s being brought to ice. In Cotulla, it’s not so much deer being brought to ice as it is their being brought to tape. The parking lot alongside the Country Store starts filling up around noon on Saturdays, and it’s not just from hunters there to eat lunch, although this has become a popular trough and watering hole. Some come to get their deer entered, some come just to gawk. Many of the best bucks in Texas pass through this parking lot. Avant has measured around 6000 sets of antlers since starting the contest in 1986. Even if the scoring is Big bucks being brought in Big Bucks are already falling in South Texas although the rut doesn’t usually hit full swing until mid-December. over for the day, people flock to see the leader board inside the store, which, along with its restaurant, is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Any buck scoring over 160 Boone & Crockett points wins a green jacket, one of Texas hunting’s proudest ego-trappings. Most hunters would rather have a Los Caza- dores green jacket than that one they give Tiger Woods every year or so in Augusta. The top deer in each category also win other prizes, like trophy belt buckles and sculpture. The awards presentation in April draws people who didn’t even enter just to see the mounted heads and cheer their friends. The public can see Javelinas are an attraction in campsites at Choke Canyon State Park … contest rules (contest must be entered before hunting!) and the leader board standings at Avant’s website: www. darwinavant.com. After the first two weekends of the season, James Schroeder leads the lowfenced division with a Uvalde County buck scoring 206-6/8. Houston Munson is second with a La Salle County buck that taped 197, and may be the most handsome buck I’ve ever seen. It came off the Maltsberger Ranch, and had 44 inches of mass – that means thick, heavy antlers. The heaviest-bodied deer so far has been taken by Rene Barrientos. It weighed in at 207 pounds and scored 193-5/8 B&C. Coincidentally, this big buck and Munson’s monster came from the same general area. Widest outside spread was on a deer measuring 27-1/8, shot by Don Holden in Maverick County. The leading buck in the high-fenced division was brought in by Jerry Wascom, from Beaumont. It scored 202-6/8, and came from the Roy Hindes ranch in Frio County, where Wascom shot another 202 –inch brute last season. Interestingly enough, at a time when some are criticizing Texas deer for being breeder-manipulated, feed lot products, practically all the leaders in the contest so far came from respected ranches known for working with Parks & Wildlife’s technical guidance program to maintain or improve natural habitat. JJ Darwin Avant prepares to score an entry in Los Cazadores Deer Contest PROPOSED RULE WOULD BAN FEEDING WILDLIFE IN STATE PARKS A proposal to be voted on at the January 27 Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission meeting would make feeding wildlife in state parks a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500. Although state park employees have reported no serious attacks, diseases or other human safety problems, officials have become concerned by recent patterns and say they want to be proactive before a serious injury occurs. Recently, state park employees had to kill a feral hog that chased a six-year old girl on a bicycle. It was believed that the hog was after corn that campers often put out to attract wildlife. Choke Canyon State Park has been a popular site for viewing and photographing deer, turkeys and javelinas. Most days, the animals traipse through campsites at will looking for corn put out by campers. Sleeping is sometimes interrupted by javelinas getting into disputes over whose corn it is. Signs have been in place for some time telling people no to feed the animals there, but the feeding has continued. State Parks Director, Walt Dabney, has stated that special blinds with feeders may be installed for photographing and viewing away from the campsites. Comments on the proposal can be sent to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. JJ STEVE SCHULTZ GUIDE SERVICE BAFFIN BAY –– LAGUNA MADRE –– LAND CUT SPECKLED TROUT –– REDFISH –– FLOUNDER FISHING AND HUNTING TRIPS 1-888-724-FISH (toll-free) www.baffinbaycharters.com U.S. Coast Guard & Texas Parks and Wildlife Licensed E John Jefferson is past president of the Texas Outdoor Writers Assn., and former executive director of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Photos by John Jefferson. “Since 1960” • Dozers • Excavators • Track & Wheel Loaders • Articulated Trucks • Motor Graders • Compaction Equip. • Water Trucks • Soil Stabilizers EDGAR MACHINERY CORP. “WE CAN HELP YOU MOVE THE EARTH” HEAVY EQUIPMENT RENTING • BUYING • SELLING AUSTIN HOUSTON 512-251-5603 713-675-2400 www.edgarmachinery.com Page 12 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Duck hunting on the Laguna Madre Capt. Steve Schultz N ovember to December typically brings cooler weather to the Coastal Bend. Fronts push through the area bringing with them some of the best waterfowl hunting in the state. Blinds are covered with brush, decoys are brought out of storage, and lead shot is replaced by steel. Friends, its Duck Season! Many hunters don’t realize the different variety of species of ducks the Laguna Madre and surrounding bays have to offer. Eighty percent of the world’s population of Redheads winter in the waters of the coastal bend. Along with Redheads, Baffin Bay Charters baffinbaycharters.com other varieties of ducks include Pintails, Widgeons, Buffleheads, Teal, Scaup, Gadwall and, occasionally, a Canvasback. From Aransas Bay to the Landcut, all of these species mentioned above can be found, although we often don’t see the majority of the heaviest concentrations of ducks until mid-to-late November, after food supplies in the fields and prairies begin to dwindle. Duck hunting the Laguna Madre can be enjoyed much in the same fashion that fishing is, meaning you can hire a guide to take you and your group to a designated area, or you can venture out on your own if that’s your preference. If you prefer the latter, here are a few suggestions you may want to follow to improve your success. The main avenue to success on coastal waterfowl hunting area is familiarity with the place. No one can expect to boat or walk into a new area, particularly in the dark of a winter morning, and expect to just stumble upon the perfect place. Hunting these areas can be very successful or can also be a waste of a good morning. Pre-hunt scouting is absolutely necessary. Knowing the area, learning its intricacies, the lay of the land, how to reach certain places, how tides affect access, etc., determines how successful a hunt will be. Success on waterfowl hunting areas is not guaranteed. It’s not simply a case of throwing a few decoys into an area and waiting for the birds to fall all over themselves. You really have to work at it. That is what makes hiring a guide so nice. Most duck hunting guide services in the Coastal Bend have years of experience and know where the ducks are flying. For the most part, guide services Lone Star Materials, Inc. DRYWALL • METAL STUDS • INSULATION ACOUSTICAL • PLASTER • TOOLS • STO AMES RENTALS • GRAVITY LOCK SYSTEMS 11111 Bluff Bend Drive P.O. Box 140405 Austin, Texas 78714 (512) 834-8611 FAX (512 834-8992 have comfortable blinds and can get you to your blind safely and dry. But my favorite part about hunting with an experienced guide service is not having the need to go and brush up, or build blinds in September or October when it is hot and humid and I should be fishing anyway. Plus, you don’t have to put out or pick up decoys, which can really be work! Most Coastal Bend duck hunting guide services travel by boat to their blinds, which can help get you away from the crowds and can be a fun experience if you get to ride in an airboat. If you are interested on booking a duck hunting trip for a group or individual, or would like more information about duck hunting in the Coastal Bend, please feel free to contact me at 1-888-7243474 or baffinbaycharters.com. Good luck and good hunting! Capt. Steve Schultz NEW & USED STRUCTURAL STEEL PIPE STOCKING SIZES 1-1/4” THROUGH 36” FENCING • CULVERTS • SIGNS ROAD BORE • BBQ PITS • WATER WELL Serving the Steel Pipe Industry Since 1985 3555 Hwy 29 W Georgetown, TX 512-863-6107 Capitol Aggregates, LTD. Since 1957 a leading provider of quality materials in the Austin area • Ready Mix Concrete • Crushed Stone • Hot Mix Asphalt • Trimble GPS Systems • Geodimeter Robotics • Nikon Optical Instruments • Stakes • Supplies • Spectra Precision Lasers • Machine Control • 3D Systems • Accessories • Sand & Gravel Call us today 5 1 2 - 3 8 5 - 3 2 1 1 Look for our ad in your SBC Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages and at www.SMARTpages.com www.geoshack.com SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS Austin San Antonio 9038 No. IH-35 @ Rundberg Lane, Ste. B 512-821-2828 800-310-9128 903 E. Nakoma, Ste. 102 210-521-7732 800-349-6049 Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 13 �������� ������������������������ A father shares hunting blinds and life lessons with his sons J erry Vanlandingham, owner of North Shore Custom Construction Services, has spent his whole life in the outdoors. His two sons, Seth and Scott, have reaped the rewards. As his sons have grown older, they are taking the time to try and repay their dad by spending quality time with him, outside in the Texas hill country. Jerry grew up hunting in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee. He started hunting squirrel, rabbits, deer, and game birds. He’s run trap lines for coyote and bobcats. Some of the bigger game he’s hunted is mule deer, elk, and bear. Raising his sons, on his own, in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado, Jerry said, “I hunted then, because a mule deer and an elk will feed two boys for quite a while. It wasn’t like we were starving, but it did put some meat in the beans!” Seth said, “Lessons my dad has taught me through hunting include, patience, although I rarely exercise that. My dad was the most patient teacher a kid could have. He wouldn’t just tell you that bugs lived under rocks, he would pick up the rock and show me, no matter how heavy it was. Dad also taught us dedication, not giving up when the weather isn’t perfect, or when there’s a wounded animal that needs to be tracked. The thousands of things I have learned while hunting with my dad will be passed on to my children.” Lately, Jerry and Seth have done a lot of duck hunting. Jerry said, “We go out now and enjoy the ducks and anything that surprises us, so completely, that it gets away. I love watching the sun come up over the water. My son does most of the work now, and that’s cool to see. He seems to think that I’m fairly decrepit and weak (that’s OK with me, since I don’t have to carry heavy stuff any more), so he does most of the work and I just kick back and shoot down the birds that he misses.” Recently, Seth and Scott have been outfitting their dad with more modern gear. Seth said, “I bought him a Remington 1100. I would have gotten him something higher-end, but I knew he wouldn’t Seth and Jerry Vanlandingham hunt with it. He treats everything my brother and I give him like it belongs in a museum!” On looking back at his upbringing, and his relationship with his dad today, Seth said, “It means the world to me to be able to hunt with my dad. It’s a chance for me to repay him for all those icy streams he carried me across, or him giving me his last few shells, so I could keep Meet Mr. Bass W ell, technically, James Roberts is the President of the Mr. and Mrs. Bass Club of Austin. His girlfriend, Lee Psencik, is the club secretary. There are other reasons Roberts, an account manager for Internal Control Systems, Inc., should be called Mr. Bass. ICS specializes in digital surveillance, access control, intrusion alarm, and fire alarm systems. Last season, Roberts fished the Angler’s Choice Team Tournament Trail where he and his partner finished 6th in their division, qualifying them for the championship at Toledo Bend Lake in Oct., where they didn’t fair too well, but had a great time. Roberts recalled, “The most influential person, to my fishing, has been my father, Ron Roberts. He grew up hunting and fishing all over Kentucky and passed his love of the outdoors on to my brother and me.” Favorite places for Roberts to fish are Lake Austin (when there are few pleasure boaters, water skiers, and The Construction News Team wishes everyone a joyous holiday season jet skis) and east Texas Lakes, like Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. Fishing is so on-the-brain for Roberts that, one time, he organized a bachelor party fishing trip for his Seth Vanlandingham, of Broke College Student Moving and Hauling, bagged this 8-pointer to fill his dorm fridge with meat. shooting quail. As far as giving something back to him…I don’t think that’s possible. All I can do is enjoy his company and maybe give him my last few shells.” friends. In lieu of more traditional bachelor party festivities, Roberts included a bass tournament, horseshoe pitching, and crawfish boil. Roberts reported, “The rewards I get from fishing are being out in nature, the peacefulness, being able to think about everything and work things out, and the adrenalin rush of catching a fish.” In addition to the Angler’s Choice tournaments, Roberts fishes every open tournament that his schedule will allow. Mr. and Mrs. Bass Club of Austin has monthly social meetings and one tournament per month. They also have two, 2-day tournaments each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Roberts commented, “We are competitive, but not to the point that everyone is tight-lipped. We are a very social group, and have a good time, even when not fishing. The club meets the first Tues. of every month at the Tres Amigos at 290 and 183. We are always looking for and welcome new members. If interested in getting more information about the club, contact me at 294-3535.” Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Materials Testing Bolt Torque and Welding Inspections Pavement Thickness Designs Fill Placement and Density Testing Specialty Services Commercial and Residential 512.873.8899 Fax: 512.835.5114 2804 Longhorn Blvd, Austin, Texas 78758 [email protected] Page 14 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Dove stands up for equality in the workplace W hen Leif Dove, new senior writer, walked into the Austin Construction News offices for his first day on the job, he immediately noticed one thing…he was the only male in the office. Dove is the first employee of the Austin office to arrive at work with a laptop, digital camera, and camouflage coveralls under both arms. On his first day in the office, he removed the flower paintings hanging in his office and replaced them with pictures of deer and mountains. Sources report that these manly purification efforts are just the beginning. No doubt, bikini-clad models will soon adorn his walls, displaying the latest tools of the construction trade. Though the women in the CN office all come from a construction background, Dove comes from the construction industry, itself. So, now, the token-male at the paper actually likes to operate the equipment that he writes about. Keep Dove in your thoughts as he copes with an office full of estrogen. His only relief is to visit your jobsites and get reacquainted with the smell of diesel. And, if you can’t reach Dove in the office on those chilly fall afternoons, don’t bother trying his mobile phone either. He’s probably got it turned off so it won’t scare the deer. High tech for hunters, builders Chris Utz, Utz Environmental, shot this 9-point whitetail with a .300 Win Mag in San Saba county. Leif Dove uses his favorite vehicle to move his feeder into position. W hen Kyle Capps, CEO of Capco Communications, developed a website, it was to demonstrate the capabilities of the AirCam units his company sells. Capps placed the solarpowered cameras around feeders on his own ranch. Almost instantly, the cameras caught whitetail deer, turkeys, raccoons, hogs, and bobcats visiting the feeders and water holes. Capps said, “There was so much interest, we created a separate company called FantasyHunt.com.” Members can “virtually” shoot game on their computer and compete for prizes in monthly tournaments. Currently, there are 24 cameras set up at ranches and wildlife preserves near Brady, Van Horn, and Utopia, Texas. FantasyHunt.com has 3,000 paid members, who have full access to move and view the cameras and 62,000 standard members who can view some of the cameras. They are also offering real-live hunts on the Fantasy Hunt Ranch to raise funds to put up more cameras. While FantasyHunt.com has grown into a phenomenon of its own right, AirCam has applications of interest for the construction industry. AirCam is a solar-powered, wireless, digital video surveillance system that allows monitoring remote locations over the Internet or a private network. For construction jobsites, AirCam can be used by absent owners, to monitor progress on the project and by builders, to keep an eye on crews and equipment. The AirCam units have the ability to be rotated, tilted and zoomed from any computer on the network. Archived video may be stored digitally, saving space for storage and time for retrieval. Capco has developed a portable unit that can be installed at one jobsite and then easily moved to another. Commercial applications of AirCam are currently being used in packing plants and the shipping industry. Blane Smith, with Capco, said, “AirCam is the only solar-powered, wireless, digital system that can provide all the viewing, recording, and 12-volt functionality that we have.” Utz employee, Michael Frith, used a .280 Win Mag to take this 8-pointer. Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 15 This h t Mon Construction Equipment More than just earth-movers – ALL the tools of the trade Grant Dillon E Vermeer Equipment of Texas, Inc. stablished in 1996, Briggs Equipment is fast becoming an industry mainstay by providing general construction equipment and more specialized pieces. Grant Dillon is the branch manager for Austin, and they currently have 15 employees. While Briggs is the world’s largest Yale Forklift dealer, they have expanded their business into the general rental market. They provide rentals of forklifts, aerial equipment, excavation, and compaction equipment. Briggs also has a full line of pumps, generators, air compressors, and hand tools. “This diversity allows us to service a larger part of the market and gives our customers more options,” said Dillon. “In the Austin market, we are expanding our staff in the sales, service, and delivery departments to better serve our growing customer base. We have also expanded our rental equipment options to support the growing demand in the Austin area.” Briggs has added a variety of new equipment to the rental fleet. They now offer trenchers, dozers, rock saws, and wheel loaders. They also have hard-to-find equipment like dump trucks, water trucks, and the 12” Bandit brush chipper. Dillon commented, “Building solid customer relationships is the greatest challenge in our industry today. With rental rates and sales margins at an all-time low, it is difficult to maintain customer loyalty.” This industry does have its rewards. About that, Dillon said, “By far, the most rewarding aspect of this business is the good people you meet while providing the service they need to get the job done right. It is very rewarding to be part of the Austin area’s industrial and commercial growth.” Terry Schexnayder V Heart of Texas Equipment Rentals ermeer Equipment of Texas’ Round Rock office offers 27 central Texas counties products, maintenance, and warranty service, with the majority of their customers being in Austin and surrounding areas. For 25 years, Vermeer Equipment of Texas has been an authorized dealer for Vermeer Manufacturing Com- M Mike Stewart arble Falls, Johnson City, and Austin… that is the Heart of Texas. Heart of Texas Equipment Rentals operates out of those three Texas towns, and they serve contractors and do-it- Peterson Pacific Corporation Briggs Equipment Northwest Welding Supply These equipment dealers serve a wide range of the construction industry. Find out more about the different aspects of the varied world of construction equipment. These folks will show you that, for every job, there’s the right equipment to get it done. Garth Cook Larry and Margaret Reynolds I P f they don’t have it, you don’t need it, for welding. Larry and Margaret Reynolds have stocked Northwest Welding Supply with all the welding essentials, and then some. Located in Burnet, Northwest serves the entire Highland Lakes area. The Reynolds opened up shop in 1976, at their present location, outside of Burnet, heading toward Buchanan Dam. They engage in retail sales of welding supplies, metal, safety equipment, and cylinder gasses. Their clients include everyone from ranchers to retired folks, stone quarries, McDonald’s, Texas Granite, and the LCRA. Recently, Northwest has doubled their showroom and dock facilities to better display their wares and increase their ability to carry more inventory. Larry said, “The greatest challenge we face is to not let the bigger companies create a monopoly in this industry. We specialize in working with the little guy to offer service, service, and more service, and still be competitive.” Brands Northwest include Miller, Lincoln, Victor, and Harris. Their slogan is “Your supplier, not your competitor!” When asked what the most rewarding aspect of being in their business, Larry replied, “We have been able to watch the Highland Lakes area grow. We can drive around the area and say we helped build this. Our metal, supplies, and customers have worked on this project and helped build it. We have also met some of the best people. Most of our customers aren’t just business to us, they are our friends.” eterson Pacific Corporation manufactures horizontal recyclers and forestry infield chippers, as well as pneumatic delivery systems for mulch and compost products. Garth Cook, Peterson’s South-Central Operations Manager covers a sales and service territory in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Over the last three years, the bulk of Peterson’s sales have been in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Cook said, “We are adding more and more direct sales and service operations as we go, and we have added a lean manufacturing process, which has greatly increased our productivity.” Peterson has increased their parts distribution network to better serve their customers, as more people are keeping their equipment longer and working on the machines themselves. Cook said, “Education is, by far, the greatest challenge facing our industry today. We are constantly educating our customers of the values of recycling and the benefits of our infield chipping process.” Cook continued, “As a manufacturer, we are constantly upgrading our equipment as technology develops. Our current control panels are all computer controlled, giving the operator the optimum in performance, with little or no effort. We recently introduced the BT blower trucks for the pneumatic delivery of mulch and compost, which have proven to be cost effective and environmentally friendly for all concerned. We feel strongly that our equipment fills a vital need in the forestry and recycling industry. Educating our customer to the benefits of using our equipment and then watching them become profitable is very rewarding.” pany. They serve wet/dry utility contractors, pipeline contractors, directional-boring contractors, landscape/ irrigation contractors, tree service companies, environmental contractors, equipment rental companies, landfills, and governmental agencies. Terry Schexnayder, Branch Manager, said that, recently, some of their branches have hired support personnel, and they are looking forward to expansion opportunities in 2004. Schexnayder believes that the greatest challenge facing his industry is, ”Everyone’s lack of confidence in our nation’s economy and national security. Because of these problems, and until these problems are rectified, our customers will keep equipment longer than they normally would, and will not replace their aging equipment unless they are forced to. The economy is showing signs of stabilizing. Hopefully, the news we hear and read about the economy improving is the beginning of a new cycle, and the economy will continue to stabilize.” Vermeer’s T1255 Terrain Leveler was recently featured on the Discovery Channel’s Extreme Machines, operating at an airport project in Denver. The 600-hp Terrain Leveler weighs 240,000 pounds and is used for excavating, mining, quarry work, road construction, and soil remediation. Vermeer now offers the new D300X500 Navigator. It’s a self-contained, track-mounted drill that has 300,000 lbs. of thrust and pullback, with 50,000 lbs. of spindle torque. Recently, Vermeer Manufacturing started revamping their line of rubber-tired tractors that include a trencher, rock saw, backhoe, and plow attachments. your-selfers, alike. In response to the current economy, Mike Stewart, Branch Manager of Heart of Texas, says, “We have made every effort to eliminate waste, more closely evaluate equipment purchases, and locate new markets for our services.” Stewart remarked that they have sales in central Texas, “from Bastrop to Brady, Boerne to Burnet and beyond.” In a recent expansion, Heart of Texas opened their Marble Falls store in the summer of 2001, just before Sept. 11. Heart of Texas is a Gehl dealer, and they anticipate new products coming in the new year, including the largest skid loader in the world. They rent general construction equipment and sell major brands, including Gehl (skid loaders, mini excavators, articulated loaders, and attachments), Multiquip (gensets, mixers, compaction equipment, and concrete equipment), and Makita (electric tools). Stewart said the greatest challenge facing his industry is, “Ethics in business practices by some large national chains is the most substantial threat to independents such as us.” Between their three locations, Heart of Texas has 10 employees at the company that was started in 1989. Stewart says, the most rewarding aspect of being in the equipment business is, “The diversity of people we come in contact with on a daily basis and being able to provide a service to them.” continued on Page 17 F O C U S Page 16 Construction Equipment Construction equipment theft deterence T he National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that close to $1 billion a year is lost nationwide, as a result of construction equipment and tool theft. The most popular equipment with thieves is the most popular on the jobsite. Equipment recovery data, collected by LoJack Corp., found that there are four types of equipment that are the most often stolen. Combination backhoe/front-end loaders are the most prime targets. Since visually, most of these look similar from brand to brand, they are hard to track. Due to their versatility and need on most jobsites, these are the most profitable pieces of equipment for thieves to steal. Compressors and skid steers tie for the second most often stolen group of machinery. Compressors, due to their portability and high cost of rental, are prime targets. Skid steers are in high demand and they, too, are quite portable for the skilled crook. LoJack found that generators are also extremely good targets for thieves because they can be used both in the commercial and private sector, making them easier to pawn. Almost 75 percent of the stolen equipment is model years 1998 and later. Newer models have the highest rate of theft. Weekends are the most popular time for equipment thieves to strike. Criminals are aware that most jobsites sit quiet on Sat. and Sun., thus giving them plenty of time, and there are fewer people around. Some equipment manufacturers and several after-market companies are jumping into the game with high technology and brute strength to protect valuable machinery. Komatsu offers the Komtrax system as an option on their new equipment. Komtrax is a GPS-based system that can track the vehicle’s location and all vital engine functions, making it a useful management tool for productivity and maintenance schedules, as well. Komtrax also has a remote engine lock that can prohibit unauthorized starting of the machine. Bobcat has had a keyless start option for its models since 2000. Owners of units equipped with the keyless start function can limit the number of their own employees that have access to the equipment, and they can easily change the code if an employee leaves the company. The after-market business for antitheft devices and technology for the construction industry is booming. GPS-based systems are available from a number of companies. The main differences between brands are features, connectivity, and upgradeability. On the Titan anti-theft system, theft alarms can be sent directly to a telephone, alerting company personnel immediately of unauthorized use. Home Depot Equipment Rental has implemented two changes that have had a profound effect on deterring theft. Home Depot used to leave their rental equipment on trailers, making it quick and easy to serve their customers. They now separate equipment and trailers. This minor procedural change means a little more work for Home Depot employees, but makes it much harder on thieves. They also secure every piece of equipment with tire locks. These devices are based on the concept and design of the vehicle “boots” that law enforcement puts on cars that have been parked too long, in the wrong spot. Tire locks have been found to be far more effective at actual vehicle retention than a chain around a pole. Bolt cutters make quick work of even the toughest padlock. With the improvements in cordless tools, thieves have speed and power to cut through chains better than ever. Benefits of the tire lock include its ease of use, indestructibility, and visual deterrence. QuipLock offers the SleevLock. This stainless steel, tumbler-locking device is designed to immobilize hydraulic cylinders. This highly-visible sleeve clamps around the ram, preventing any movement, almost like a cast on an arm. SleevLock is designed for use on loaders, backhoes, skid steers, crawlers, trenchers, articulated loaders, and trailer pintles. Construction equipment theft is on the rise, but there are things that equipment owners and employees can do to protect their investment. Insurance companies are offering discounted rates for the addition of theft-deterrent technology, equipment, and practices. The cost of any of these devices could surely be offset by insurance savings and keeping construction equipment safe and operating, instead of on someone else’s jobsite or stripped for parts. "Quality Service to the Contractor" BOBCAT OF AUSTIN Quality Equipment Company 16336 IH-35 North Austin, TX 78728 (512) 251-3415 Featuring tough, dependable Bobcat Equipment Authorized Dealer Parts • Service • Sales • Rentals with Purchase Options Now offering the new Toolcat Utility Work Machine RENT Over 50 Attachments Including • Hydraulic Breakers • Landscape Rakes • Augers • Grapples and Forks • Backhoes • Planers Equipment www.bobcat.com Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 What A TRIP A ccording to state reports, 784 pieces of commercial equipment were stolen in the year 2000. In 2001, data showed 788 pieces of commercial equipment stolen. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Records Service has set up the Texas Recovery and Identification Program (TRIP) to help return some of the pilfered equipment to its rightful owners. TRIP also registers farm equipment, which has seen a dramatic jump in thefts recently. In order to register with TRIP, vehicles must have permanent wheels or tracks, and they must also have manufacturer Property Identification Numbers (PIN). The TRIP program works upon the premise that concerned companies and individuals would like a way for law enforcement to be able to identify and recover stolen equipment. Enrollment in TRIP begins with a company registering their contact information through a web interface. After registering, the company may then add as many pieces of equipment as they like. After the company’s equipment has been entered into TRIP, DPS will mail program information and TRIP stickers, to be placed on each piece of registered equipment. One major benefit of TRIP is that law enforcement will already have your heavy equipment information available in the event it is stolen. It is even possible that they might know your equipment is stolen before you do because your registration information is placed in a law enforcement database that is accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week. Rental companies can greatly benefit from TRIP because rental equipment is much more exposed to theft than privately-owned property. Finding stolen inventory may help rental companies avoid rising insurance costs and lost time to replace stolen property. Information in the database includes the equipment’s year, make, style, and color. This information is provided to help law enforcement personnel make a visual identification of a piece of equipment from a distance. Decal placement is very important, as law enforcement has been trained on where to look for them on the equipment. For each piece of equipment registered in the TRIP system, vehicle owners will be sent four stickers. The decals are made of white reflective material with black lettering. DPS reported that 345 pieces of construction equipment have been registered by 189 owners or companies, since this April, when the program started. Jesse Flores, with DPS said, “The Texas Recovery and Identification Program was created as an online database to assist companies and individual owners register their construction and farm equipment, so that the law enforcement community can obtain ownership information on equipment they suspect may be stolen or in the process of being stolen. This program is in its infancy and is slowly being recognized throughout the state. It will take time to get the message out to the companies and individual owners of this free service, provided to them to help identify their property.” Further information on TRIP is available by calling (888) 447-5933 or through the website at www.txdps.state.tx.us. Equipment security tips Don’t leave keys in the switch. Lock enclosed cabs. Re-key your equipment - most construction equipment is commonly keyed. Don’t leave equipment in remote areas. Disable and park camp-wagon style, heel to toe, in a circle. Inventory equipment frequently and park it so it is obvious if something is missing. Paint your equipment a distinctive color and include your name or logo. Install anti-theft devices: fuel cutoffs, hydrauMike Bieren, field service tech for Holt Caterpillar, lic bypasses, track locks shows the hydraulic cylinder lock they use on or alarms. Contact their rental fleet. equipment dealers for specific anti-theft devices developed for their products. Challenge strangers on your property or job sites. Show them you are on the alert. F O C U S Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Tool Bandits Busted! Construction Equipment Page 17 19 �������������������������� ������������������������ Booking photos of Mark Williams, Erwin Wayne Hayden, and Gregory Ray Lighteard. T he three individuals, arrested by the Austin Police Department on Tue., Oct. 14, during a burglary in progress, are also suspects in a string of 35 burglaries of tool sales and rental businesses. Property valued at more than $92,000 was stolen from these companies in Aug., Sept., and Oct. Brand-new, in-the-box, items like power tools, generators, and chainsaws were taken during the burglaries. Jay Gunn, owner of Top Gunn Equipment Rentals, and a member of the Texas Rental Association, said he is grateful to the police for cracking the case and, “We were all on the lookout, but helpless to do much, other than lock our doors.” APD put together a surveillance plan with the help of the Texas Rental Association. Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives coordinated with Street Response Units to conduct these operations. On Oct. 14, Northeast Street Response officers observed a burglary in progress at Rental Service Corp. at 10300 N. IH-35. The suspects fled the scene and police pursued them to Highland Mall, where the burglars crashed into a tree. The three suspects were taken into custody without injury. “They were taunting us, in a sense,” APD Commander Brad Conner said. “Normally, we catch them on a routine basis. They were lucky to get away with it for a two month period.” APD Detective John Hardage said there is a healthy black market for construction tools and equipment. “If you can buy a $2,000 piece of equipment for $400 to $500, brand-new, there’s a market for it.” So far, police have not recovered any of the stolen items. Some of the stolen rental equipment was marked with serial numbers or the names of the rental business and police said some of it could turn up in pawnshops. Police sources believe some of the equipment may have gone to Guatemala or Mexico, making it nearly impossible to recover. ����������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������� ������������ ����������������������������������������� �������������������������������� � � ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ����������� ������������������������������������� continued from Page 15 Vermeer Equipment of Texas, Inc. - Terry Schexnayder Schexnayder reflected, “I’ve been selling and renting construction equipment in the Austin area since 1979, with the last 17 years at Vermeer. I am very proud of our products, as Vermeer is known throughout the industry as a manufacturer that makes quality, reliable, and innovative equipment. The most rewarding aspect of being in this business is the relationship that continues to develop between the customer and myself after the sale.” Next Month Support YOUR industry’s feature issue Engineering Call for Space Reservations (512) 447-2900 Orr Concrete pumps new life into business T he Orr family has been in the concrete pumping business since the 1970’s, working on most of the major high-rise hotel/casinos in Las Vegas. Orr Concrete, Inc. began its Austin operations in Jan. 2002. They started out, in Austin, with a fleet of four concrete pump trucks, ranging in size from 28 to 47 meters. Recently, Orr has expanded into core drilling and turnkey handrails. Some early believers in these new services are Potter Concrete of Austin, BartlettCocke, White Construction, and Alpine Construction. Orr has teamed up with local fabricators, in an effort to make handrails a simple job for the contractor. Carl Teasdale, of Orr, said, “We did this because we feel that this will make the contractor’s job easier, because they will no longer have to sub-contract our core drilling, fabricating, installation, and then another company to clean the area when the rails are complete.” Teasdale had joined Orr, as the division manager for core drilling and handrails. He brings experience as an assistant superintendent from a major general contractor and 18 years experience in the construction trade. Since they’ve been in Austin, Orr Concrete has worked on projects all over the area, but Teasdale said that where he’s taken the most pride in is in the heart of Austin. Teasdale said, “It has been exciting to work on a project on East 11th Street in the historical district of east Austin.” With the success of Orr’s latest expansion, they are ready to take on new challenges by opening another new division in 2004. Teasdale said, “We plan on beginning a saw-cutting division to go handin-hand with the core drilling.” L-R: Paul D. Orr, Jill S. Orr, and Manny Uresti, pump foreman. Page 18 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 were spent entertaining clients and taking them deep-sea fishing. Ray said, “ I never spent much time hunting or fishing, myself…I was too busy working.” Alderman’s sales territory was so big, back in those days. It ranged from Alpine, to the west, Schulenburg, to the east, Temple, to the north, and Falls City, to the south. One of Ray’s most memorable projects was the construction of the Hemisfair Tower, in San Antonio. It made him proud to see his equipment at work on that job. When Ray was Anderson’s area sales manager, he had five salesmen to cover that huge chunk of Texas. He took the time to ride with each one of them, every hile salesmen come and go, Ray week. Alderman came to stay. A fixRay’s laid-back, behind-the-scenes ture in the equipment sales style, made him legendary in the “good L-R: Tobin Henry, Greg Henry, Ray Alderman, and Tod Alderman. business, throughout central Texas, from ole boy” days. He mastered the art of the the early 1960’s until his retirement in deal, and he was the best in the business 2003, Alderman now has the prettiest at maintaining relationships. Ray didn’t mowing and chasing after his grandkids, Tod and his wife, Sheri and Greg and lawn on the block and eight grandkids to just have customers…he had friends. his son-in-law, Greg Henry, Henry’s son, his wife, Tonya live close by with Ray, in chase after. Nowadays, Ray still heads out to Elgin Tobin, and Ray’s son, Tod brought him to Georgetown, and son, Toby and his wife, Before starting his equipment sales and Manor, once a week, to stop in on his lunch at Bruno’s Bite To Eat, in George- Mary aren’t far away, in San Antonio. career, Ray went to work for Braniff Inter- friends and make sure they’re behaving. town, to gather information for this artiRay said he was very proud of the national Airlines, in 1948, as a cargo hanIn 1985, Alderman took a 10-year cle. Construction News found out many marks he left on the industry by helping dler at the San Antonio airport. Soon break from equipment sales and started things about Ray that cannot be printed companies, like CCI, Lewis Construction, thereafter, the military came calling on A & A Construction. As head of A & A, Ray and learned much more that the family is and G.H. Contracting, get started when Ray, and it was off to boot camp. taught his son, Toby, the excavation busi- willing to make known. few others believed in them. During basic training, at Ft. Hood, ness. Today, Toby Alderman owns and Ray’s son, Tod Alderman has been Another mark he left on the business Ray’s company commander told him, “I operates TMT Construction, in San Anto- with Odeen Hibbs Trucking since 1995. recently evaporated like a puff of smoke. can’t send you to Korea, you’d get nio. Todd believes that watching the way his For years, Ray was the only person alkilled.” When the economy went south, in dad conducted himlowed to smoke So, Alderman spent most of his mili- the early 1990’s, Ray went north. He went self in business has cigarettes in a clearAlderman’s way of doing tary enlistment in Leipzig, Germany, back to Anderson Machinery and asked helped to make him ly-posted, nobusiness was not pushy where he served as tanker in the 628th Pryor Smith for a job. Smith responded the man he is. smoking office, at he just brought people deals. Tank Battalion, 28th Division. by hiring back Alderman and sending Tod said, “In his Anderson. Upon his re-enhim to Austin to revi- day, dad was a force. Greg said, “People try into the private talize their “sleeping He had such a large sphere of infl uence let him get away with it, because he was One of Ray’s most memorable sector, Ray started a giant,” out on Hwy. from Austin to Alpine.” Ray!” projects was the construction career that would 290. Alderman’s son-in-law, Greg works The changes Alderman has seen in span geography, With this move, Al- at Anderson Machinery, and he said, “No equipment, over the years could serve as of the Hemisfair Tower, generations, and derman worked with matter where I go to, anywhere in Texas, a history lesson for a civil or mechanical in San Antonio. two centuries. Carol Lewis at An- people still ask how Ray’s doing.” engineering class. His first job in derson Machinery’s Tod said, “Of all of Ray’s kids (Tod, He’s seen massive increases in horseequipment sales was with Dick Calhoun Austin area location and helped make it Toby, and Greg’s wife Tonya), none of us power, for every type of machinery. Ray at Calhoun Equipment in San Antonio. the success it is today. Ray brought with got college degrees, but we all got an recalls the pony-start gas engines that After one year, Mr. Calhoun sold out to him the tried and true methods that had education, watching dad be so successful used to start the big diesels. One of the International Harvester and Ray went served him so well in San Antonio. in the business. Because of Ray, we’re all biggest changes he saw, through the along for the ride. From 1961 to 1965, AlRay said these ideas are what kept gainfully employed, due to his trail-blaz- years, is the switch from cables to hyderman pedaled equipment for this him at the top of his game for so long: ing and teaching us the business.” draulic controls. company and learned his craft. “Be honest. Don’t During lunch at Another innovation Alderman reIn Feb. 1966, Ray met Gene Metcalf lie to anyone… Bruno’s, Ray intermembers is when, “They all went from When the economy went and went to work for Anderson Machin- that’s what my reprupted the younger manually, gear-driven to hydrostatic south, in the early 1990’s, ery in San Antonio. For Ray, the 60’s and utation is. Be men to mention that drives.” Ray went north. 70’s were booming times in the equip- straight up. If you they all needed When asked what would surprise ment business. don’t know somereading glasses to people most to hear, Ray responded, At one point in time, practically ev- thing, tell the customer that and get back see the menu, and he didn’t. “They’d be surprised to hear I’m not ery City of San Antonio and Bexar County to them with the information they Alderman went on to brag about his working, anymore.” machine was an Allis Chalmers, sold by need.” children and mentioned, “Tod was a When asked what he’s doing now, Ray Alderman. Alderman’s way of doing business split-end for San Antonio-Churchill foot- Ray joked, “I’m looking for a job!” During that same period, the parts was not pushy…he just brought people ball team and won a state championship Ray Alderman is such a fixture in the business at Anderson was grossing deals. in 1976.” equipment sales industry, and he’s not around $150,000 each month. That At his retirement party in May, 2003, Ray went on bragging for a while, letting people forget it. From his weekly should give some indication of how Anderson threw a fitting tribute to Ray, and about his grandkids, said, “They’re visits, to keeping connected through his many machines he was selling. with a fish fry and lots of his old friends sorry, all eight of them!” The entire table children, Ray may be retired, but he’s Ray Alderman has always been all from San Antonio and Austin. erupted and laughter and we got a never far from the action. work, all the time. Even his weekends To pull Alderman away from his lawn glimpse of Alderman’s wit. About the equipment business, Ray said, “I loved it. I still love it!” Through The Years Ray Alderman W STATE WORK CITY WORK PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL (512) 346-3839 PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 19 Awards Program recognizes excellence T he Texas Association of Builders (TAB) recognized excellence in homebuilding and remodeling on Sat., Oct. 18th, with its annual presentation of the prestigious Star Awards and Lone Star Awards. In conjunction with the Sunbelt Builders Show, the black-tie affair, hosted at Dallas’ Wyndham Anatole Hotel, began with a cocktail reception and was followed with dinner and the awards ceremony. Carol Baker, the chairwoman for the Star and Lone Star Awards, said approximately 360 homebuilders, remodeling contractors, and their guests attended the event. Representing the talented accomplishments of TAB members from across the state, 70 awards were presented during the course of the evening. Lone Star Awards, which recognize Texas remodeling contractors and their individual projects, were awarded to three Austin-area companies. Remodeler of the Year: Laughlin Homes and Restoration, Inc., Fredericksburg. Best Period Restoration Over $200,000: Laughlin Homes and Restoration, Inc., Fredericksburg. Best Whole House Renovation Under $100,000: Henley Homes, Inc., Liberty Hill. Best Kitchen Over $50,000: Audino Construction, Austin. Best Bath over $30,000: Audino Construction, Austin. “We have a good track record at being involved in the awards competition,” said double-category winner Mark Audino, owner of Audino Construction. “Winning the prestigious Lone Star Award in the kitchen and bath categories gives us a great sense of pride.” Capturing the coveted Remodeler of the Year Award was a significant achieve- ment for owner Richard Laughlin, Laughlin Homes and Restoration, who said it represents the 13th Lone Star Award his company has won since 1998. “We are fortunate to have the resources here in Fredericksburg to help us perform historic preservation work,” Richard explained. “Our award-winning projects include a Branzenski home built in 1880, and a Bed and Breakfast that was constructed with salvaged materials.” Initiated in 1992, TAB’s Star Awards pay tribute to the work of Texas builders, architects, sales and marketing professionals, designers and other industry professionals. Star Awards were presented to fifty Texas builders and developers who competed in categories ranging from Best Product Design to Best Website. They included the following Austinbased firms. Grand Award for High-Volume Homes: Meritage Corporation. Best Color Ad: Meritage Corporation. Best Product Design Over $500,000: Monterrey Homes (an affiliate of Meritage Corp.). Best Product Design from $125,000 to $175,000: Hammonds Homes (an affiliate of Meritage Corp.). Best Interior Merchandising from $400,000 to $500,000: Hammonds Homes (an affiliate of Meritage Corp.). Construction Superintendent Award: Todd Steinle, Meritage Corporation. Project Manager Award: Adam Berlin, Meritage Corporation. Best Custom Home Award from $500,000 to $1,000,000: Sterling Custom Homes, Inc. Best Custom Luxury Home from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000: Jaurequi Architect Builder. Best Custom Luxury Home Over $5,000,000: Brian A. Bailey Homes, Inc. (l-R) Victor Drozd, Scott Porter, Kristi Sutterfield (TAB executive director) T.W. Bailey, Bob Garrett (now immediate past president, TAB), Ron Connelly, Ray Tonjes, and Beverly Koehn, Sunbelt Builders Show Task Force Chair. The latest dirt . . . D DPR Construction employees celebrated and mingled after work at a company Halloween party on Oct. 30 to get ready for the spooky weekend. Friends and colleagues gathered for refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, and wore paper masks portraying George Bush and Elvis Presley. enver-area civil engineer, Fred Spoor, has found searching for dirt resources to be an arduous problem. Spoor developed DirtResources.com to assist the construction industry with the disposition of excess dirt and/or the location of needed dirt. Though the site was intended for the Denver Metro area, word quickly spread and the site now has listings from all over the southwestern U.S. Spoor said, “It has become increasingly difficult to find sources of dirt (to obtain or dispose of) to balance a project. Generally, it has been word-of-mouth. Most construction projects, whether they be residential developments, commercial or industrial, or highways, always seem to have a dirt balance problem. The purpose of this site is to facilitate the exchange of information relating dirt needs and availability.” The website aims to reduce cost, waste, and search time by providing the resources required to manage the exchange of dirt and other materials. DirtResources.com provides: locations of available soil and aggregates; locations of projects needing dirt; postings of future excess or needed materials; listings of trucking and excavation companies; and suppliers of various soils and aggregates. A modern-day swap and shop for a low-tech commodity, DirtResources.com blends ingenuity, technology, and plain old dirt. As the website continues to expand, expect to find increasing local listings for soil, compost, and rock. COMPLETE INVENTORY OF LATHING • PLASTERING • DRYWALL ACOUSTICAL MATERIAL KEMLITE FRP • THERMAX • KARP ACCESS DOORS CELOTEX CEILING • EUCLID CONCRETE CHEMICALS Toll Free The National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) held a “Glow in the Dark” bowling tournament at the University of Texas Union Underground bowling alley on Nov. 11. Members brought their husbands and children to the event for a night of fun games. A disco ball, neon lights and rock and roll music gave the regular bowling game a twist. 1-800-580-9052 1146 W. LAUREL SAN ANTONIO, TX 78201 Fax (210) 477-3090 www.lbminc.com Page 20 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 ROUND-UP B raun & Butler Construction is pleased to announce the addition of Fraser Gorrell as project manager. Mr. Gorrell has worked in the construction industry for 20 years. For the past three years, Gorrell has worked for STR Constructors and, prior to that, he was with O’Neal Construction for 13 years. He will continue building his well-established relationships in the Austin architectural and construction community with Braun and Butler. D uane Campbell has joined White Construction Company as a project manager. He has experience in retail, high tech, and commercial office space with DPR and JC Evans. Duane has a Masters Degree in Architecture from Texas A&M University. ob Packard has established a new manufacturer’s rep firm, Concrete Point, specializing in concrete construction products. Territory will include the state of Texas. Packard brings 20 years of construction industry sales experience to the business. His lines include Sound Footings; Adjustable Kicker, and Toolite. A ngie Houtz, previously with AOL Time Warner, has joined White Construction Company as a Marketing Coordi-tor/Administrative Assistant in their Austin office. As Marketing Coordinator, she will be responsible for web and graphic design marketing, various public announcements, and local company outreach. Eight new members on board T he Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation has appointed eight members of the nine-member Electrical Safety and Licensing Advisory Board. The newly created board will advise the commissions on issues related to the licensing of electricians, including applicable codes. The new ESLAB public members are Brad Boyer, Cypress and Mark Goodson, Denton; Keith Bell, Forney; Randy Pomikahl, Briarcliff and Ray L. Audas, Conroe, were appointed the ESLAB master electrician members. ESLAB journeyman electrician members include: Tony Merritt, Texarkana; Kenny Corbell, Longview and A.C. McAfee, Mesquite. Chosen out of 90 qualified applicants, the eight members were nominated based on statutory requirements, geographic location, and recommendations from key constituencies. In late June, Gov. Rick Perry signed the House Bill 1487, enacted by the 78th Legislature to provide for the establishment of a statewide licensing program. The new state license will allow electricians to operate in multiple jurisdictions in Texas by earning a single credential. In addition, the license will ensure that all licensed electricians in the state are properly qualified and trained to perform their jobs. Over the next several months, the Texas Commission of Licensing and regulation will develop standards and approve an examination for electricians. Bob the Builder™ teams with NAHB for safety T he National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has launched “Blueprints for Home Safety,” a public awareness promotion featuring Bob the Builder™ and his cast of friends. NAHB has joined HIT entertainment, the owners of Bob the Builder™ brand, to increase public awareness of accidents and unintentional injuries that young children can sustain in their homes. This one-time promotion consists of a: 12-page activity book with a pullout poster, highlighting 10 key safety messages; website with information and games, www.hitentertainment.com/bob thebuider; and 30-second public service announcement that will appear on the Bob the Builder™: A Christmas to Remember home video. NAHB members, state and local home builders associations, and NAHBaffiliated Women’s Councils are using the activity books to support their community outreach programs that teach young children important messages about staying safe from accidents and injuries in their homes. D Bury+Partners is pleased to announce the following additions to their Austin office: B ean Koleada joins the firm as an Engineer Associate. Dean graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. G regory Fortman joins the firm as an Engineer Associate. Gregory graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. M atthew Merritt joins the firm as an Engineer Associate. Matthew graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering. J ohn Winkler, P.E., having designed membrane and other water production and waste treatment facilities throughout North America, brings over 20 years of municipal experience to the firm. Mr. Winkler is a graduate of Texas Tech University. L onny Traweek, P.E., has joined PBS&J’s Central Region Transportation Service, as a Division Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for business development, management, and technical services for PBS&J’s transportation projects statewide. Traweek holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. A ndrew Hollon joins the firm as a Senior Project Manager. Andrew graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering. P BS&J has appointed Todd J. Kenner, P.E., as their National Service Director for Business Development. Kenner, who has been with the company since 1989, is an executive vicepresident and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. In his new capacity, Kenner will direct PBS&J’s business development and marketing activities across the nation. Kenner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Treasures found at 1st annual garage sale W ooden doors, vintage sinks and marble bathtubs lined the Pieces of the Past architectural antique warehouse parking lot. Shoppers in rain slicks scoped the surplus building supply bargains as it drizzled outside. Deals were everywhere. The Austin Remodelers Association (ARA) held their first annual contractors garage sale from 8 am to 3 pm on Sat. Nov. 15. Volunteers were encouraged to donate items in good condition for the fundraiser event. ARA volunteers that helped on Sat. included: Robert and Susan Coe, Robert Coe Builder Inc; Aida Pollard, CG&S Design; Lakshmi Jackman, Transformations and David Chiles, Chiles Remodeling. “These surplus materials and tools were ordered by a customer. They didn’t like the item for some reason and it could not be returned,” said Susan Coe. According to Coe, the supplies eventually become the contractor’s property or it sits in a garage for a long time. Unless the item will sell on another job, it ends up going to donation. “Donations have been tremendous for this garage sale event, Coe added. “We have had a really good turnout considering the weather. I am amazed that people are still shopping at 2 pm in the rain.” She pointed at a brand new white marble tub next to kitchen appliances. “This tub is priced under $100 and it has never been used. That is a steal!” “We are grateful to Pieces of the Past, for letting us use their parking lot,” concluded Coe. At the end of the yard sale, ARA donated any items that did not sell to Austin-based Habitat for Humanity. Susan Coe, Robert Coe and Lakshmi Jackman Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 21 ASSOCIATION NEWS ABC Dec. 11: Christmas party at the Salt Lick Pavillion from 6 pm until 10 pm. Bring a bag of non-perishable food for the Austin Area Food Bank. For more information call 512-719-5263. AGC Dec. 1: Education Committee meetings beginning at 11:30 am. Dec. 1-3: Supervisory Training ProgramUnit 2 Oral & Written Communication class at Construction Safety and Health. Dec. 4: Holiday party at The Austin Club beginning at 6:30 pm. Cost is $30 per person. Dec. 9: Safety Committee meeting beginning at 11:30 am. Dec. 10: Activities Committee meeting beginning at 11:30 am. Dec. 11: iSqFt Seminar featuring three sessions: 8:30 am until 10 pm; 10:30 am until noon; and 1 pm until 2:30 pm. Reservations accepted at 1-800-364-2059. Jan. 22: Installation Banquet/Out-standing Construction Awards located at the UT Alumni Center. For more information call 512-442-7887. AIA Dec. 2: AIA Joint 2003-2004 Executive Committee meeting beginning at 11:30 am. Dec. 3: 2003 IBC and Accessibility for Texas Design Professional from 7:30 am until 5 pm counting at 0.8 CEU’s. Jesse Guzman, of Texas Redwood, grills up sausage and brisket at Deck Day on Fri., Nov. 21. Vendors brought composite decking samples, and customers received discounts for winter purchases. Dec. 12: Acme-Elgin Brick Plant tour. Bus will leave AIA at 8 am and will return at 4:30 pm. Dec. 12: ‘Wheels-On” Accessibility Seminar from 1 pm until 5 pm at the St. Edwards University, Ragsdale Center, Ballroom C. Dec. 13: 2003 ExCom Retreat Dec. 18: 2003 Awards Gala beginning at 7 pm and located at the Omni Hotel downtown. Dec. 22-Jan. 4: AIA Office will be closed. http : //ewh.ieee.org /soc/pes/ centraltexas/. APHCC PDCA The Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Texas offers several classes and events in Austin. Members and non-members are welcome. Dec. 6: Plumbers Professional Continuing Education at the Four Points Hotel at 7800 N. IH-35. Jan. 24-25: Tradesman Test Preparation Course at the APHCC of Texas office in Austin. Feb. 21-22: Journeyman Test Preparation Course at the APHCC of Texas office in Austin. Feb. 28-29: Inspector Test Preparation course at the APHCC of Texas office in Austin. For more information call David Palacio, education director, at 1-800-831-9313 or email at dpal@phcc-tx-org. Dec. 10: Chapter meeting at the County Line beginning at 11:30 am. For more information call 512-330-9836 ext. 24. IEEE Beginning again in 2004, the Women in Remodeling will hold its monthly meetings the fourth Wed. of every month. For more information call 512-447-3481. Dec.: There will not be a meeting of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. in the month of Dec. For more information call Steve Kanetzky at 512-326-3380 or go the IEEE website at NAWIC Dec. 4: Christmas Party at the County Line. Bring a toy and canned goods for Brown Santa. Jan. 8: Monthly meeting at Tres Amigos beginning at 5:30 pm. Speaker will discuss ACQ Lumber. For more information call Laura K. Culin at 512-476-5534 or email at [email protected]. TSA-Tx Safety Assc Dec. 2-5: Senior Safety Certificate classes. For more information call 512-345-7900 ext. 135. TSA-Tx Society of Arch Dec. 29-Jan.2: AIAS National Convention at the Hyatt Regency in Austin. For more information call 512-478-7386. WIR Twenty-year celebration T he Austin Contractors and Engineers Association celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a night of fun games and good food at a Casino Night banquet. “ACEA is celebrating 20 years of dynamic, pro-active involvement within the construction industry,” said Lisa Lamb, ACEA executive director. With over 200 general meetings and 2000 committee meetings through the years, our organization has kept the vision and energy alive. Lamb added, “The banquet was a huge success.” Playing blackjack, craps and roulette for a chance to win a variety of prizes was a favorite activity throughout the evening. The winners for the night include: Odeen Hibbs, Odeen Hibbs Trucking, a trip to Las Vegas; Conan Witzel, GarrettIhnen Civil Engineering, a $500 gift card; Chris Davis, Concrete Products, a weekend trip to Port Royal Ocean Resort; Joe England, two nights at a Fredericksburg bed and breakfast; and Kelly Morgan, Hanson Pipe & Products, a round of golf for four at Colovista Golf Course. Cactus Pryor, a lively Texas humorist, entertained ACEA members with his historical insight. He shared his perspective about how Austin has grown from a country town to a booming, sophisticated city. In addition, the Master of Ceremonies, Carroll Faulkner, elaborated the history of ACEA and the people who contributed to the organization’s success. • Competitive rates Time Insurance Agency • Short-term leases Serving Austin since 1961 • Excellent location at East Highway 290 & IH-35 • Office & Warehouse space Office/Warehouse combination La Costa Corporate Park 6448 East Highway 290 For leasing information contact: Suzanne Pfeiffer 512.472.1585 • Within minutes of shopping areas & quality restaurants • Abundant parking • Rates: $13.00 psf + electric & janitorial Insurance • Bonding • Builders Risk • Automobile • Surety Bonds • Homeowners • Workers Comp • Property • General Liability Give us a call today 1 5 0 7 S . I H - 3 5 512-447-7773 A u s t i n , T e x a s 7 8 7 4 1 Page 22 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 THE TOOL DUDE Bob Bender (325) 388-6012 Fax (325) 388-2852 Mobile (512) 755-5020 [email protected] P.O. Box 90 2247 RR 1431 Kingsland, TX 78639 Call M.B. Bender Co., Inc. for all your Excavation and Utility needs RECONDITIONED ELECTRIC POWER TOOLS MAJOR BRANDS “SAME AS NEW” WARRANTY MERCHANT’S SQUARE FRI-SUN 11AM-6PM S. CONGRESS JUST SOUTH OF BEN WHITE Or call: 512-292-3722 [email protected] continued from Page 1 - Who’s the man? The occasion marked a milestone for Buckingham within the framework of this storied company. Stan’s was founded in 1954 by Stan Johnson, Sr., and they will celebrate 50 years in business next year. The Stan’s website states that at times, during the 70’s and 80’s, the company pulled over one half of all of the mechanical permits in the city of Austin. With that much business, no wonder they hired a top-notch bookkeeper…wearing bell-bottoms and platform shoes. continued from Page 1 - Chasco adds 120,000 sf to Hill Country Bible Church Expounding on some of the challenges involved with this project, Freeman said, “The construction of a 120,000 sf building, the phased addition of 532 spaces of parking areas, the improvement of a 30,000 sf play area, and renovations in the existing building, all taking place while the facility remains fully functional, were the major obstacles. An additional hurdle was connecting the existing, pre-engineered metal building with a floor joist system to new structure, consisting of structural steel framing with a composite deck floor system. Careful planning and open communication amongst the team allowed obstacles to be overcome.” The new addition is a structural steel building with composite deck floor construction, utilizing castellated beams. Exterior skin is made of CMU and EIFS, with a standing seam metal roof to blend with the existing building. Interior construction is light gauge metal stud framing with gypsum board, acoustical ceilings, and exposed integral color concrete floors. One unforeseen advantage for this project came from the concrete floors. Because they poured the floors from the top down, avoiding the mess that is caused by pouring concrete above a finished floor, the upper floor was ready and built out first. By working top-down, the completed floors saw far less construction traffic and have sustained minimal damage. Chasco proudly maintains an excellent relationship with Hill Country and the design team, which consists of Spencer Godfrey Architects, Pickett, Kelm and Associates, Inc., Johnson Consulting Engineers, Inc., and Fisher Hagood, Inc. Freeman stated, “Our team attitude promotes timely decision making and open-minded issue resolutions. We take the utmost pride in everything we do and we have the proven ability to successfully build a team relationship with the owner and the design consultants. This is a goal at the project’s beginning, that grows stronger throughout the construction process and is sustained through completion.” Primary subcontractors on the Hill Country job are Absolute Demolition, Utz Environmental, Tejano Construction, Inc., C & F Steel Co, Inc., AAA Mill, A.D. Willis, Bahl Fireproofing, WeatherTex Waterproofing, Austin Glass and Mirror, Hidell Builders Supply, Hull supply, Brit-Tex Plastering, Bruegging Company, Central Texas Drywall, Dupont Flooring, JGR Tile and Stone, DEA Specialties, Ed Flume Building Specialties, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Fox & Hearn, Mechanical World of Concrete continued from Page 1 - 100’s turn out to help Chase McGowen post-transplant medication can continue for Chase’s lifetime, and will probably exceed $75,000 annually. The golf tournament fielded over 160 players with 20 more on a waiting list. In addition to tournament fees, additional money was raised at almost every hole with contests like Beat the Pro, Hole in One, Longest Drive, Hit the Circle, and a 40 ft. Putt. Tournament organizer, Tom Graf said, “A little pressure from the women running the contests gave us great participation.” Graf also said of Sorrell Richman of Terravista, “Her genuine concern for Chase and Terravista’s incredible YOU are the news. This is YOUR newspaper. Technical, Northstar Fire Protection, and Tedco Electric, Inc. Chasco began as a concrete contractor in 1979, founded by Chaz Glace. With one crew and a small amount of equipment, Chasco subcontracted concrete work for various general contractors. From 1979 until today, with steady growth, Chasco now maintains over 220 skilled employees, and a significant amount of quality equipment. Freeman said, “While Chasco is well known as a general contractor, fellow GC’s continually subcontract us for their concrete, utility, and site work, speaking volumes about our quality and ability to perform. Chasco has the ability to construct projects of any size or complexity, ranging from civil development to multi-story buildings.” Speaking about their customer base, Freeman said, “Chasco is proud that a large percentage of our work comes from repeat customers and by referral. Because of Chasco’s relationships with our customers, we are able to negotiate our own contracts a majority of the time. However, our large subcontractor base allows us to engage successfully in the public bidding process, as well.” effort to help, made it an easy selection for a golf course.” The event wasn’t over when the last ball found the cup. A very lively BBQ and silent auction took place where great food was had and even more money raised. Items in the auction included sports memorabilia and merchandise from many donors. For the first annual tournament, organizers raised quite a bit of money for Chase and learned valuable information they’ll apply to next year’s event. But, there’s no need to wait, if anyone is interested in helping Chase McGowen now, go to www.helpingchase.com. it’s about the people, the companies, your events, your stories your knowledge and opinions . . . Announcing the World of Concrete 2004 Convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. to be held February 17-20, 2004. For more information email [email protected] or visit the web site at www.worldofasphalt.com. World of Asphalt The World of Asphalt® Show and Convention will be held on Mar. 15-18, 2004 at the Nashville Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. For more information email [email protected] or visit the web site at www.worldofasphalt.com. Let us know what’s going on. (512) 447-2900 (512) 447-2922 fax [email protected] [email protected] or contact us thru our website: www.constructionnews.net Partnership holds open discussion T he Austin Chapter Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had an open discussion about “The Construction Industry and Environmental Regulation” on Nov. 5th at the AGC building. A mix of lawyers, construction company owners and subcontractors attended the morning Attendees ask questions about online resources. meeting. Leah Wood, AGC of America’s Senior ance Assistance Center (CICA) website to Counsel for Environment Law, gave help- find information about construction-reful advice to the attendees about re- lated environmental rules and regulasources to help achieve compliance with tions. environmental requirements. She introSpeaking on behalf of the EPA was duced the new Environmental Manage- Peter Truitt, a high level member of ment System (EMS) to help respond to EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics and Inconstruction issues. An important topic novation (OPEI), who serves as the conshe addressed was how to improve the struction industry’s point of contact. construction industry in the eyes of the According to Truitt, EPA chose the EPA. construction industry and AGC to work EPA and AGC have developed several with because of the perception of high compliance assistance programs avail- impact and regulations. He said the partable on the web such as “Federal Envi- nership is intended to clear confusion for ronmental Requirements for Construc- small businesses in the construction intion Guide.” In addition, Wood men- dustry and find better ways for environtioned the Construction Industry Compli- mental improvement. Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 23 Starcke Dam gets $25.4 million facelift On Location A cold and lonely job at Harvey-Cleary’s UT power plant project. Only in Texas! Water from Lake Marble Falls flows over the new hydraulically-operated floodgates at Starcke Dam. T he construction of Starcke Dam, from 1949 to 1951, formed Lake Marble Falls. Originally called Marble Falls Dam, it was renamed Starcke Dam in 1962 in honor of Max Starcke, LCRA’s second general manager. Nov. 10, 2003, marked another milestone for the dam. LCRA staff and board members joined elected officials and area residents in dedicating 10 replacement floodgates. LCRA completed the two-year, $25.4 million project this Sept., as part of it Dam Improvement Program, which targets making improvements at all six of the Highland Lakes dams. LCRA general manager, Joe Beal, said, ”Today serves as a rededication of this dam and a rededication of our commitment to protecting communities along the lower Colorado River from devastating flooding.” The new hydraulic floodgates can be operated remotely and will add about 60 to 70 years of reliability to the 50-yearold dam’s floodgate operations, as a result of their new technology and protective coatings. The new gates, which will help increase the dam’s discharge capacity by about 200 cubic feet per second, per floodgate, also have an operating system that communicates with LCRA personnel to alert them to potential problems. Additional work performed at Starcke Dam, during the floodgate replacement project, included reinforcing the impact area in the streambed, just below the dam and removing a rubble pile. The removal of the rubble improves the efficiency of the dam’s hydroelectric generators and eliminates a safety hazard to anglers immediately downstream of the dam. The new 30-ton floodgates, which are 60 feet wide by 15 feet tall, were fabricated at LCRA’s Smithville Rail Fleet Maintenance Facility. Other project components were fabricated by LCRA employees at the Fayette Power Project and by LCRA Transmission Services employees in Austin. Tomas Batista moves a load of compost at JV Dirt + Loam’s yard. The audience stands for the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” during the Starcke Dam dedication ceremony on Oct. 31, 1962. A weight is lifted H arvey-Cleary Engineers & Builders took a big step in the construction of the University of Texas, 25Megawatt, Weaver Power Plant’s Steam Turbine project on Nov. 7-9. Harvey-Cleary, with the help of Barnhart Crane and C. Young & Co., were setting some major pieces of equipment, supplied by Seimens, of Germany. The turbine, alone, weighs 190 tons and required the erection of a large gantry crane to place the turbine 20-ft off the ground, onto a 5-ft thick concrete slab, supported on spring isolators. The total weight suspended on the springs is over one million pounds. The equipment will now be enclosed in a four-story building, which is scheduled for an early spring 2004 completion. Trey Davis (top) and Junior Perez (bottom) install roof insulation at Don Hayden’s Springbrook Business Park project. Andy Ralston, of Viking Concrete Pumping, on a job for KB Homes. Page 24 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Austin Construction News • Dec 2003 Lofty ideas soar at weekend convention T he Texas Society of Architects (TSA) hosted its 64th Annual Convention and Design Products & Ideas Expo, from Fri. Oct. 31st through Sun. Nov. 1st, at the Ft. Worth Convention Center. Recognizing outstanding contributions to architecture by individuals and organizations in Texas, the awards program acknowledged members for achievements in their respective professions. This year’s theme, Deep Roots–Many Branches, celebrated architecture at it’s finest. TSA President, John V. Nyfeler, FAIA, said the theme was named to represent architecture’s significance to today’s civilization. “In this context, it is an expression that was coined to describe the vast sources and lengthy history on which the current practice of architecture is based.” Nyfeler added, “It also symbolizes architecture’s expansive reach into the everyday lives of people throughout the world.” Over 2,400 design professionals and industry suppliers, including architects, interior designers, specifiers, contractors, developers, builders, landscape artists, engineers, manufacturers, service providers and civic leaders, made appearances throughout the eventful weekend. Attendees had the opportunity to view the sold-out products and services expo as well as learn more about how to improve building safety. The three-day event gave visitors a chance to network with friends and distinguished industry leaders. Two keynote speakers from across the nation spoke to design professionals about the latest information in architecture. John R. Sibler, Ph.D., Chancellor at Boston University, gave a speech titled “Architecture for the Absurd, Fact or Fiction.” He shared his perspective as a cli- Ruth Carter Stevenson, recipient of the Cornerstone Award. ent of design and architecture. Later in the afternoon, David Pearce Snyder, a consulting futurist for over 30 years, delivered his speech called, “Architects as Activists for Changing Times.” The Boards of TSA and the International Interior Design Association-Texas/ Oklahoma Chapter were pleased to announce their organizations’ highest honors and recognitions throughout the weekend convention. Scrutinized by a panel of three nationally-prominent architects, seven projects were chosen from among 271 entries in the annual Design Awards competition. The winners included: Austin’s Page Southerland Page Architects for the Austin Convention Center; El Paso’s Alvidrez Architecture for the Marcus. B. Armijo Library Addition; Dallas’ Max Levy Architects for the House by a Pond and Sunlit House projects; Austin’s Team Haas Architects for the Goodwill Industries Retail Prototype project; Hous- Jim C. Doche, FAIA, awarded the Llewellyn W. Pitts FAIA Award. ton’s Architectworks for the Round Valley Office Building and Garage project; and Austin’s M.J. Neal Architects for the Twin Peaks project. On the final day, TSA announced the three highest awards presented at the Gala. Ruth Carter Stevenson garnered the 2003 Cornerstone Award for her lifelong dedication to excellence in architecture in Ft. Worth, around Texas, and across the nation. The highest individual member honor, Llewellyn W. Pitts, FAIA Award, was presented to Jim C. Doche, FAIA, of Amarillo. Abilene’s James D. Tittle, Tittle Luther Partnership, received the Architectural Firm Award for producing distinguished architecture for at least ten years. James D. Tittle, FAIA, Tittle Luther Partnership, receives the Architecture Firm Award. CONSTRUCTION ™ website home page Home | About Us | Advertising | Subscribe | Association Directory | Rack Locations | Archives | Contact Us Covering the Industry in Texas THE LARGEST CIRCULATION CONSTRUCTION PUBLICATION IN TEXAS Construction News is an expanding group of monthly newspapers covering the construction industry in the four major metropolitan areas of Texas. The Industry’s Newspaper News coverage for each publication focuses on local industry people, companies, trade associations and events in that specific market, reaching the majority of construction-related companies and professionals in each region by targeted direct mail and rack locations. San Antonio Austin Dallas/Ft. Worth Houston Quarter Million Readership Welcome to our website . . . 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