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Construction Jobsite Safety Issue - the new trends in the field of safety. How are other companies keeping their employees safe?
Citation preview
5/21/2018 Build Houston Magazine August/September Issue
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Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
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Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
Aggregate Technologies Inc. ............................... 26
American Mat & Timber Co. ...................................8
Andrews Myers, P.C. ............................................. 27
BIG Enterprise ....................................................... 19
Brookside Equipment........................................... 16
Coastal Ice ............................................................ 33
Cokinos, Bosien & Young ..................................... 14
Craig and Heidt, Inc.............................................. 12
Diffco .......................................................................2
Efficiency Shoring and Supply................................8
Expertox ............................................................... 10
Ford Nassen & Baldwin........................................ 18
Interface Consulting International, Inc. ............... 12
ISC Constructors, LLC ............................................ 36
Kerr, Hendershot & Cannon, P.C. .......................... 29
Locke Solutions Precast Division ......................... 13
Marek Brothers Systems ...................................... 21
Memorial Hermann Health Insurance Co. .......... 29
COVER FEATUREBIG ENTERPRISE:The Builder of Choice for Metal Building Projects (p.19)
SAFETY ON THE JOBSITE:Contractors and Safety Equipment Evolve To Meet TodaysUnique Jobsite Challenges (p.23)
LEGAL NEWS:6 NLRB Protects Employees Profane Outburst
INDUSTRY NEWS:9 Planning for Future Construction Labor Needs in a Booming Oil and Gas Market11 High School Girls in Houston Area get Crash Course in Construction at MAGIC Camp
FINANCIAL NEWS:13 Top 12 Construction Cash Flow Management Strategies15 Group Health Plan Compliance Quick Check
SAFETY NEWS:17 Safety Rep: Qualified or Questionable20 Greener Grass In The Safety Field
ASSOCIATION NEWS:23 CMEF Graduates 44 Students from Craft Training Program28 Local ABC Members Come Together to Help the Association Make a Bold Move for
2015.IN THE KNOW:34 People, Companies, Projects and Awards
I N D E X O F A D V E R T I S E R S
ABC LEADERSHIPChairTim RickettsChannel BioRefinery & Terminals
Chair ElectDarlene EastHoles Inc.
Vice ChairMike HollandMarek Brothers Systems, Inc.
SecretaryWarren AdamsonS&B Engineers and Constructors
TreasurerLeonard BedellMobil Steel International
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brian AndersonG.R. Birdwell Construction
Kerry BennettISC Constructors, LLC
Kevin BordelonZachry Industrial
Robert BurelsmithE. E. Re ed Construction, L. P.
Sam CraigCraig & Heidt, Inc.
Matt DanielKBR Building Group
Marcus DealCB&I
Matt ElliottSpawGlass Construction Corp.
Dinesh GhiaGilbane Building Company
John GolasheskyTurner Industries Group, LLC
Brandon MabilePerformance Contractors, Inc.
John MarshallSatterfield & Pontikes Constr. Inc.
Rod MolyneauJACOBS
Bob NussmeierKiewit/TIC
Joe OrrBaker Concrete Construction, Ind.
Rodney Page
Ref-Chem L.P.Frank RusichTellepsen Industrial
Wendell RychlikW.T. Byler Company
William SanchezOxford Builders Inc.
Billy SpiesKBR
Christina StoneGaughan, Stone & Thiagarajan
Henry VillarrealTurner Construction
Ben WestcottAndrews Myers
Mark WilliamsFoster Wheeler USA Corp.
Ronnie WillsAggregate Technologies Inc.
Lohn ZyliczD.E. Harvey Builders, Inc.
Build Houston Magazine3910 Kirby Drive, Suite 131Houston, Texas 77098(713)523-6222www.buildhoustononline.com
Publisher/Owner: Associated Builders &Contractors of Greater Houston
Executive Editor:Jennifer Woodruff
Assistant Editor: Megan Brann
Account Manager:Janice Peters
Graphic Design: Jennifer Woodruff,Robert Chevis
Portable Rental Solutions .................................... 26
Porter Hedges LLP................................................ 21
ROMCO Equipment .................................................7
Scott-Macon Equipment ........................................9
Skillforce, inc. .........................................................5
TCA/The Compliance Alliance L.P. ....................... 35
United Rentals - Trench Safety ............................ 25
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4 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
Dear Reader,
Did You Know?
1. The construction sector is projected to need 1.6 million new workers by 2022.
2. Construction contractors pay the highest effective tax rate out of any sector.
3. 86 percent of the U.S. private construction industry does not belong to a union.
On June 11th and 12th, a contingent of ABC Greater Houston members joined others fr
around the country to storm the capital in Washington D.C. for the annual ABC Legisla
Conference. Most of the discussion with our legislators included topics involv
burdensome regulation and workforce development. All of us in the construction indu
know and understand the challenges with a qualified workforce in this area, but are y
aware of some of the regulations that are being proposed at this time?
Right now, OSHA is in a comment period for new regulations regarding silica in the workplace, which if implemented
proposed, would require most construction workers to be protected from silica levels that cannot be accurately measu
with todays technology! Can you imagine several hundred construction craftsmen wearing respiratory protection a
Tyvek suits for the duration of a construction project? This is not only silly but unnecessary. The legislators we spoke w
were receptive in a bi-partisan fashion to push back against OSHA.
In addition to the OSHA regulations, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is still trying to push Card Check throu
the back door in conjunction with the Department of Labor with Ambush Elections (NLRB) and Persuader regulati
(DOL). These rules make it much easier for unionization by shortening the period between the time when a union fil
representation petition and an election takes place (ambush election) as well as limiting an employers ability to provbalanced information to employees as to the implications of unionization (persuader rules).
Lastly, there was a great deal of discussion regarding making the business tax credits and deductions (extende
permanent with both our representatives and senators. This includes accelerated equipment depreciation for sm
business. This bill passed the House but now appears to be stuck in the Senate.
Closer to home, the ABC Facility Planning Committee is continuing their work with the architects and the first renderi
of the building have been released! Additionally, the Fund Raising Committee is hard at work coming up with crea
ways to fund the build out. Come by the ABC Greater Houston office or visit our website at www.abchouston.org to
plans for the new building!
Tim RickettsABC Greater Houston ChairmanDirector of Projects, Channel BioRefinery & Terminals
L E T T E R F R O M T H E C H A I R
C O M I N G S O O N A T A B C / C M E F
Aug 7: Casino Night
Aug 20: Small Claims Seminar
Aug 21: Fall Clay Shoot Tournament
Sept 4: BBQ Cook-Off
Sept 17: Contract Clauses Seminar
Sept 25: Member Mixer
V I S I T A B C H O U S T O N . O R G F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O
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Gone are the days when an employer can re withoutimpunity an employee who unleashes a barrageof profanity against a supervisor. In Plaza Auto Center, Inc. and
Nick Aguirre, 360 NLRB No. 117 (2014), on remand from the
Ninth Circuit, the NLRB held for the second me that an employer
violated the Naonal Labor Relaons Act by terminang an
employee who engaged in a profane and insubordinate outburst.
The Board required the employer to reinstate the employee with
back pay and benets.
In Plaza Auto Center, the employee discussed the companys
various policies including compensaon pracces with other
employees. The employee complained to a manager about
pay pracces which led to a closed-door meeng between the
owner and the employee. During the meeng, the owner told
the employee he needed to follow the company policies and
procedures, he should stop complaining about his pay, and he did
not need to work for the employer if he did not trust them. The
employees response included yelling at the owner, calling him a
f**king mother f**ker, a f**king crook, and an a**hole. The
employee connued his rade telling the owner he was stupid,
nobody liked him, and everyone talked about him behind his
back. The employee also stood in the small oce, pushed his
chair aside, and warned the owner that
if the owner red him, the owner would
regret it. The owner did not intend to
re the employee going into the meeng,
but in light of the inappropriate language
during the meeng, the owner changed his
mind.
The Board inially found the employees
conduct was not egregious enough to lose
protecon of the NLRA, under the following factors from Atla
Steel Co., 245 NLRB 814 (1979): (1) the place of the discuss
(2) the subject maer of the discussion; (3) the nature of
employees outburst; and (4) whether the outburst was, in
way, provoked by the employers unfair labor pracces. The Bo
concluded that all four Atlanc Steel factors weighed in favo
protecon, therefore nding the employer violated the Ac
ring the employee. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit remanded
case because it found the Board erred in its assessment that
nature of the outburst weighed in favor of protecon. On rem
although the Board agreed with the Ninth Circuits nding,
Board sll concluded that the other three Atlanc Steel fac
weighed in the employees favor, because: (1) the outb
occurred in a closed-door meeng in a managers oce a
from the workplace; (2) the discussion concerned the employ
protected conduct; and (3) the outburst was provoked beca
it would not have occurred but for the employers unfair la
pracce of inving the employee to quit if he did not like
employers policies.
Addionally, despite the employees outrageous outburst,
Board concluded that the employee did not engage in menac
JODON
NLRB Protects Employees Profane Outburst
[Continued on pa
The owner told the employee he neededto ollow the company policies andprocedures, he should stop complainingabout his pay, and he did not need towork or the employer i he did not trustthem. The employees response includedyelling at the owner...
Discuss It @ www.buildhoustononline.com
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8 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
physically aggressive, or belligerent conduct, because he m
no specic threats of physical harm, had no history of commi
or threatening violent acts during his employment, and he
not hit, touch, or aempt to hit or touch the owner. In d
so, the Board applied an objecve standard and disregarded
owners tesmony that he feared for his personal safety and
the safety of other employees. Instead, the Board concluded
the employees you will regret it statement was a threat of l
consequences and not of physical harm.
As the dissenng opinion in Plaza Auto Center noted, the Boa
standard permits employees to curse, denigrate, and defy t
managers with impunity during the course of otherwise prote
acvity, provided they do so in front of a relavely small audie
can point to some provocaon, and do not make overt phy
threats. Employers should proceed with cauon before iss
discipline and determine if the outrageous behavior qualies
protecon under the NLRA.
Firmwide:127743157.1 800000.1000
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:G. Mark Jodon, the oce managing shareholder of Liler Mendelsons Ho
oce, is board-cered in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of
Specializaon. Mark frequently defends employers against unfair labor pra
charges before the NLRB. He can be reached at (713) 652-4739 and mjod
liler.com.
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Employees Profane Outburst | LEGAL NE
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Strains on labor capacity in oil and gasconstrucon markets worldwide arebecoming increasingly well known. These struggles connue to
aect expected project costs, and several large capital projects
have already been delayed or cancelled as a result of rising
costs and quesonable long-term protability projecons. As
demand connues to increase in the face of the Liqueed Natural
Gas (LNG) export gold rush, construcon rms are faced with
unprecedented pressures to retain and grow talent.
In 2008, just 3.8 percent of the total construcon workforce was
engaged in direct oil and gas construcon. By 2012, 6.4 percent nearly double 2008s number of that workforce was engaged in
direct oil and gas construcon. According to FMIs esmates, by
2017 nearly 10 percent of the total U.S. construcon workforce
will have moved over to this burgeoning industry segment.
Fierce compeon for talent in this sector is already driving
construcon companies to rethink the human capital needs
and strategies required to opmize access to and retenon
of qualied and experienced workers. Following is a summary
of the top ve business fundamentals for preparing for such
unprecedented labor shortages. Informaon was culled from
25 in-depth interviews with execuves of energy infrastructureconstrucon rms and select FMI industry experts.
Top Five Business Imperaves for Energy Infrastructure
Construcon Firms
1. Build long-term knowledge pipelines.Successful companies
are developing comprehensive knowledge transfer
programs, shiing knowledge from senior (and soon-to-be-
rering) employees to the next generaon and leveraging
organizaonal experse and best pracces across the
business. Developing a long-term strategy to address these
human talent issues and following through with diligence
consistency on the execuon of that strategy will become
key compeve dierenators among rms in the oil and
sector.
Planning for FutureConstruction Labor Needsin a Booming Oil and Gas Market
[Continued on pag
WHEN SERVIC
M A T T E R
Here at Scott-Macon Equipment, we go to great lengthto ensure that our cranes and our service are exception
Whether you are looking to purchase or rent one of oucranes, you can be sure that you and your equipment a
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Exceptional Service,Exceptionally Maintained Machin
Scott-Macon Equipment
14925 South Main St.
Houston, TX 77035
Phone: (713) 721-7070
WWW.SMEQUIPMENT.COM
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10 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
2. Engage your people. In an industry that is constantly in
ux and characterized by extreme working condions,
company execuves must keep their employees engaged
and devoted on a daily basis. Industry leaders who have
established good reputaons for having corporate cultures
focused around safety, educaon, and employee well-being
will nd themselves at an advantage in the war for talent.
Also playing a key role in both retenon and recruitment
are fundamentals like safety culture, working condions,
supervision, co-workers/interpersonal relaonships, job
security and organizaonal policies.
3. Integrate HR with other core business funcons. Over the
last few years, CEOs in the construcon industry have started
to look for synergies among funconal areas, nding ways
to leverage support funcons, such as HR, IT and nance,
to be t for a purpose and ensure that they are more
closely aligned with the overall enterprise strategy. From the
board down to the individual operang company level, new
aenon is being paid to human resource funcons whose
operaonal objecves must be linked to the rms overalloperang targets.
4. Understand your risk. As energy infrastructure construcon
rms scramble for skilled workers to keep up with demand,
companies are apt to hire less-experienced workers who lack
the necessary safety training or technical skills. To circumvent
the frenzy and the scramble for last-minute bodies,
construcon rms and end users/owners must rethink t
collaboraon eorts and look into innovave partne
approaches where the company establishes relaons
with the respecve enes years before the project e
starts.
5.Increase project management capacity. As more compa
discover new froners and invest in non-tradio
exploraon methods, oil and gas projects worldwide
increasing in complexity and scope. Successful ene
infrastructure construcon companies are invesng hea
in increased project management capacity by innova
in areas such as prefabricaon, technology, knowle
management, and communicaon, among other things
the coming years, clients will focus on construcon compa
that can limit rework orders; opmize labor, equipment
materials scheduling; and use a modular approach to pro
management. These taccs will help improve produc
and manage costs in a ght labor market two key conce
for owners in this sector.
More Expansion Ahead
The U.S. oil and gas industry is on the brink of its largest hum
capital shorall as it faces one of the most signicant expans
periods in its history. Successful companies are thinking l
term and building new talent pipelines, developing targe
intervenons, assessing the business impact of skills shorta
and considering the opons available to build competency.
Now is the me to e HR objecves directly to busin
objecves and build connuous feedback loops that help impr
management techniques and ulmately inuence strat
Through these and other eorts, oil and gas infrastructconstrucon rms will nd themselves beer posioned to ta
the labor shortages and move beyond to ongoing success. With
these proacve moves, the U.S. oil and gas construcon indu
will struggle to right itself during a period of unprecedented la
shortages.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
W. Christopher Daum is a senior managing director with FMI Capital Advisors,
FMI Corporaons registered Investment Banking subsidiary. He can be reache
919.785.9264 or via email at [email protected]. Sco Duncan is a vice pres
with FMI Capital Advisors, Inc., FMI Corporaons registered Investment Ban
subsidiary. He can be reached at 303.398.7250 or via email at sduncan@fm
com. Sabine Hoover is a senior research consultant with FMI Corporaon. Shbe reached at 303.398.7238 or via email at [email protected].
DAUM DUNCAN HOOVER
Construction Labor Needs | INDUSTRY NE
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Sixteenarea high school female students
aended the 2014 MAGIC Camp
that was held from June 16 through 19 at the Galena Park ISD
Agricultural Centerstarng daily with a breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
and concluding at 4:30 p.m. Under the leadership and direcon
of DeAnn Gill, SPHR, Bechtel Communicaons, 44 volunteers
from numerous parcipang construcon companies and
CMEF, had an opportunity to make these young women aware
of various cras and career opportunies in the construcon
industry through discussion, instrucon, and hands-on projects.
This naonwide program encourages young women to enter the
excing construcon industry career path, thus helping to address
the current and future workforce shortage the Industry faces.
Each day Construcon and Maintenance Educaon Foundaon
(CMEF) volunteers parcipated in the Camp. On Monday
morning, Dr. Steven Horton, CMEF High Schools Program Director,
spoke to the campers about CTE cra training classes oered in
high school and how they could connue their educaon at a localcommunity college. He then spoke about an opportunity for one
camper to win a scholarship to one of the ABC/CMEF Sponsored
College Training Units, reviewed the guidelines, and gave them the
essay topic: Why I deserve the Construcon and Maintenance
Educaon Foundaon Scholarship? Campers were given an
applicaon, wrien guidelines, and a submission deadline of
8:15am on Thursday. On Monday aernoon, Richard Bolt (CMEF
Performance Evaluator), William Fuller (CMEF Lead Instructor),
and Dr. Horton set up two hands-on event staons for two CMEF
sponsored
e v e n t s ,
i n c l u d i n g
Keeping It
Square and
Spooling Pipe.
On Tuesday morning,
master crasman William Fuller, assisted by Dr. Horton,
facilitated the Keeping It Square event. Fuller started by
explaining the required PPE and taught the campers how to
safely cut ceramic le and t into a mosaic paern. Prior to t
campers cung the le, he explained measuring tools and th
importance of measuring and marking the le correctly prior
cung. While many of the campers were quite nervous abou
using a power le saw, all successfully measured and correctl
cut the le and wanted to do it again and again.
On Wednesday morning, journeyman pipeer Richard B
assisted by Dr. Horton, facilitated the Spooling Pipe ev
High School Girls In Houston Area
Get Crash Course In Construction
At MAGIC Camp
Under the leadership and directiono DeAnn Gill, SPHR, BechtelCommunications, 44 volunteers omnumerous participating constructioncompanies and CMEF, had anopportunity to make these youngwomen aware o various crafs andcareer opportunities in the constructionindustry through discussion,instruction, and hands-on projects.
[Continued on pag
Dr. Horton presented Gladis Cortez, North Shore Senior High School stude
with the Construction and Maintenance Education Foundation Scholarshi
Gladis plans to start taking advantage of the scholarship this coming Fall
semester by attending a Welding class at San Jacinto College North Campu
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12 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
Trouble?
Weve built our reputation by getting into trouble.
www.interface-consulting.com | Houston, TX | 713.626.2525
Let us help you avoid getting trapped.
Interface Consultings construction consultants and experts provide proven insight backedby unrivalled experience to address cost and schedule issues on troubled projects. Clientshave called on us to assist with change order identification and substantiation, schedule delayanalysis, claims preparation and management, and dispute resolution for the past 27 years.
Bolt started by explaining
the required PPE and taught
the campers how to safely
t together pieces of pipe,
gaskets, and various valves from
an isometric drawing. While
Bolt worked with half of the
campers on the piping spool, Dr.
Horton spoke to the rest of the
group about the drawing, the
symbols, bill of materials, and
the importance for the piping
designers to ensure that the construcon documents are dr
correctly and to specicaons.
On Thursday morning, Dr. Horton picked up the applica
and essays. Aer CMEF Scholarship Commiee memb
Donna Sandlin (CMEF Training Coordinator) and Dr. Horon, r
the applicaons and essays, the winner of the Construco
Maintenance Educaon Foundaon Scholarship was chosen
Dr. Horton returned to Camp and that aernoon presente
framed cercate of award to the winner, Gladis Cortez, N
Shore Senior High School student.
plans to start taking advantage of
scholarship this coming Fall semeste
aending a Welding class at San Jac
College North Campus.
While CMEF awarded only one scholar
winner, they believe that all the cam
are winners, and each one was give
backpack with several great items ins
CMEF congratulates these young wom
who instead of sleeping late, loungin
a swimming pool, or strolling along
beach, made a choice to give up a w
of their summer vacaon from high sc
to aend MAGIC Camp. Their choic
parcipate has already made a pos
dierence in their lives. For informa
about 2015 MAGIC Camp, contact
CMEF oce at (281)478-3900.
MAGIC Camp | INDUSTRY NE
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negoate payment contract terms and
implement a payment schedule.
3. Look at your contract specics early
on.Establish and understand the terms
of the contract, including retainage,
payments for stored materials,
insurance and other key provisions.
Understanding contract specics
can help in controlling job costs and
organizing a cash management system.
4. Develop a credit policy. Check credit and know how myou are willing to extend. Track and work with your slow
paying customers in order to avoid cash-ow challenges.
KUCHAR
We believe there is honor in the deal.In our world of business, we prefer handshakes to
contracts. Honesty over pro fit. Quality over quantity. That may not always be the way its
done, but thats how we do it. At Locke, were changing the way precast concrete is designe
and made. And were doing it the way our parents taught us: with a handshake & a promise
Locke Solutions:A superior-quality product paired with world-class customer service.P R E C A S T D I V I S I O N
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DO WHAT YOU SAY, AND SAY WHAT
YOU MEAN.
Top 12 Construction
Management Strategie
Cash ow is one of manyunexpected construcon accounng challengesin a growing market. As more business and projects ow in, yourcash ow can become ght as you service these new customers.
Here are 12 top cash-ow management strategies to help free up
cash and shorten your cash cycle.
1. Benchmark your nancial statements. Knowing company
raos can help you set goals, idenfy opportunies and
understand triggers to internal changes. The formulas
displayed in the chart (on the next page) can help you
calculate liquidity and eciency raos.
2. Get to know your client. Learn all you can about the
potenal client and the type of reputaon they have. Are
they slow or late with payments? Knowing this allows you
to determine if it is really worth allocang your me and
resources to the project. Once the contract is awarded, try to [Continued on pag
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14 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
5. Consider requiring a deposit or requesng
accelerated payment. This especially applies
to custom projects, since they typically have
more unknowns and require more me and
resources.
6. Create a cash management system. Instead
of just reacng to dicult or costly situaons,
take me to plan and understand your opons.Consider what factors aect your income
and cash ow. Budgeng your income and
scheduling known future costs allows you to
ancipate changes and provides me to plan
for those periods when cash ow will be ght.
7. Book in real-me. Track your cash ow directly in your
accounng system as opposed to working in a spreadsheet
and transferring changes over at a later me. This keeps
accounts and balances current and helps avoid surprises.
8. Work with your vendors.If possible, stagger payment dates
to avoid payables due at the same me. Also, make sure to
take advantage of discounts or early payment incenves
when you can in order to save.
FOUR HOUSTON CENTER 1221 LAMAR STREET 16th Floor HOUSTON, TX 77010 Tel: 713-535-5500
www.cbylaw.com
HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH SAN ANTONIO AUSTIN
Celebrating 25 years
Cokinos, Bosien & Young
is honored to celebrate 25
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9. Manage your change orders. Change-order work can
dicult, and if not managed properly, can result in a nega
cash ow. Complete and report the work in a mely man
and make sure to keep the proper documents in orde
avoid paying out of pocket for unreported costs.
10. Understand your overbillings. Try to frontload your job
much as possible in order to be overbilled whenever poss
While its no secret that overbillings can improve your c
ow, overbilling your customer too much could cause a d
in payment.
11. Send invoices promptly. Instead
waing to bill for change orders or ot
bills during a regular billing roune, s
out invoices upon project compleo
order to get your money coming in soo
12. Make billing simple. Touch b
with your client in order to make
you are sending to the right person
including all the informaon they n
Cut back your mailing costs and elimin
the delivery me by sending invoices
email. Also, remember to follow up
make sure the invoice was received.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Kuchar is a Shareholder and leade
Doeren Mayhews dedicated Construcon Gro
Houston. A top 100 U.S. rm, Doeren Mayhews
and business advisors serve more than 500 sup
and general and specialty contractors doing bus
domescally and abroad. For more informaon
www.doeren.com.
Construction Cash Flow | FINANCIAL NE
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Are you familiar with the top common group health planissues? Heres a quick list to help ensure that yourein compliance.
Aordability Under Health Care Reform
Wellness credits and surcharges cannot be taken into
consideraon when determining aordability under the employer
mandate, unless they are tobacco-related. Addionally, small
employers must determine aordability for purposes of the
Marketplace Noce. Finally, individuals should be informed as
to the aordability of coverage for purposes of the premium tax
credit subsidies available in the federal marketplace.
Payment Of Individual Policy Premiums
Some employers have begun to explore the possibility of
providing contribuons toward health coverage purchased in the
individual market, including coverage and employee purchases
through either a private or public exchange. In Sept 2013, the
IRS published Noce 2013-54 essenally prohibing the payment,
subsidy, or reimbursement of the cost of individual policy
premiums by an employer. The IRS requires that a parcipant in
an employer sponsored arrangement that is designed to pay for
health coverage on a tax free basis also be enrolled in a group
health plan.
Nondiscriminaon
Correcons to any failed nondiscriminaon test are not permied
aer year end. This means that the status of the plan should be
monitored during the year so that any adjustments can be made
prior to year end. As a best pracce, tesng should be performed
several mes during the plan year. Results from each test can
help a plan sponsor facilitate correcons and show, upon audit,
that the plan passes the appropriate tests.
Failure To Oer Cobra
If an employer oers benets that
sasfy the denion of a group
health plan, the employer should
also oer COBRA in connecon
with the plan. Commonly
overlooked group health plans
include exible spending
arrangements, health savings
accounts, employee assistance programs and wellness progra
Failure to oer COBRA may subject the employer to pena
under ERISA, an excise tax under the tax code, and penales
remedies by the court.
Mixing Up HIPAA And Cobra Noces
The HIPAA Special Enrollment Rights Noce and the COBRA In
Noce are commonly confused, but the applicaon and audie
are dierent. Employers should ensure that the HIPAA docum
is provided to all employees (not just those covered under
plan) who are oered the opportunity to enroll. Conversely,
COBRA document is only provided to employees and spou
who are actually covered under the plan within 90 days of
beginning date.
CHRISTTAYLOR
INSURANCE
Group Health
Plan Compliance
Quick Check
The HIPAA Special Enrollment RightsNotice and the COBRA Initial Notice arecommonly conused, but the applicationand audience are different. Employersshould ensure that the HIPAA documentis provided to all employees (not justthose covered under the plan) who areoffered the opportunity to enroll.
[Continued on page
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16 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
EXPECT MORE FROM YOUR WORKFORCE
www.BrooksideUSA.com
League City, TX
(281) 338-1300
Houston, TX
(713) 943-7100
SW Houston, TX
(713) 541-3535
Angleton, TX
(979) 849-2325
Katy, TX
(281) 391-2165
Spring, TX
(281) 353-0204
Jersey Village, TX
(713) 466-7456
With John Deere, you can expect tough equipment with the power
to perform. In fact, customer input has led to design innovationthat makes John Deere equipment more accommodating to operatorcomfort and more accommodating to the wide variety of work that
your job sites require. Plus, over 100 Worksite Pro Attachments areavailable for increased productivity.
CWP-BES7X50801BH-4C
Medicare/Tricare Prohibion
An employer with 20 or more employees may not oer to pay,
subsidize or otherwise reimburse the cost of TRICARE or Medicare
coverage for employees or their spouses, as this could be seen as
taking such coverage into account and incenvizing the individual
to drop group health coverage.
FMLA
Final regulaons released in February 2013 expanded the federalFamily and Medical Leave Act to include leave for family members
who are on or have been called to acve duty. Extended leave
is available for an employee to care for a family member with a
serious illness or injury. Eligibility has been extended to same sex
spouses if the employee resides in a state that recognizes same
sex marriages.
Advance Noce Of Midyear Plan Changes Required
Health care reform introduced the summary of benets and
coverage requirement. Under SBC distribuon rules, if a plan
changes informaon or design midyear, an updated SBC must be
provided 60 days in advance of the eecve date of the change.
A summary of material modicaon (SMM) may also be required
on an expedited basis when a plan change is made. Plan sponsors
must understand the intricacies of each noce when considering
making a midyear change in the plan design.
Charging Employees Dierent Premiums
In general, an employer is free to design their plan to cha
employees dierent premiums as long as it is based on bona
employment classicaons or parcipaon in a wellness progr
However such plans must ensure they will pass nondiscrimina
rules under both IRS code Secon 125 and 105(h). Asses
premium dierenals based on the sasfacon of a he
standard (such as not smoking) is only permied when it is
of a wellness program that sases the ve criteria of the fedregulaons.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christ Taylor Insurance is an Employee Benets and Insurance Brokerage
doing business for over 50 years in southeast Texas, and long-me ABC mem
We provide soluons to small and medium size companies in the are
Healthcare and other Benet programs, as well as Life Insurance and Rere
Plans. Contact the Christ Taylor team at 713-850-7747 or www.chrisaylor.c
Health Plan Compliance | FINANCIAL NE
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In a Ted Talk from the collecon on Trust, Rachel Botsmandiscusses how reputaon is the currency of onlinecollaborave consumpon systems and how these systems rely
upon everyones willingness to trust strangers. Interesng and
scary stu. Interesng because it has launched enrely new
ways of making things happen such as TaskRabbit for geng
things done around your house that youd rather not do and
KickStarter to launch new business ideas. Scary because if Ted
Bundy were around, Im sure hed only kill 1 of every 10 people
who trusted him and the other 9 would give him a 5-star, 90%
charmed, TaskRabbit rang.
While the obvious correlate in business includes the LinkedIn
type of collaborave networks, is there an old-fashioned form
of risky trust commonly used in business? Yes. It is called The
Resume. Rarely is the impressive resume actually veried. One
case that was recently covered by the media: A huge crane
building company hired an aorney who had just moved to
Houston and did not check his resume so they never found out
he was disbarred in New York. Well, they found out aer heembezzled millions of dollars and laundered the money buying
collector comic book and magazine memorabilia.
While this big corporaon did not check the resume, who did?
A Comicon dealer. When someone tried to sell one of the rst
Batman comic books valued at about $900,000, for $35,000
at a Comicon conference, the Comicon dealer checked his
resume. He called the mans employer, who happened to be
the Houston Police Department, and another piece of the cr
embezzlement case fell into place.
When it comes to corporate and
construcon safety, this can be a maer of
life and death. If you hire the unqualied,
or even a talented person who knows
safety but happens to also be a liar falsely
represenng his or her credenals, and the
worst happens, he or she will denitely
be uncovered and the grieving family, the
media, and the jury, though equally guilty of reckless trust,
nd your error shocking.
Just a few true stories TCA has personally veried in the last
years:
1) The safety director for a very large general contractor boa
a degree in safety and health. They hired me aer a fat
and I checked his resume. The college? An online ser
that issued credenals to anyone for a fee of $75.
2) A safety professional acve in the ASSE (American Socie
Safety Engineers) boasted big projects and great creden
including an associate degree in Safety & Health from Te
A&M. Texas A&M stated they do not oer associate degr
3) A safety professional has an enre secon on his web
about his Academia experience. He states that he
AMAVI
SAFETY REPQualifed or Questionable?
[Continued on pag
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Its not
about luckfordnassen.com
Dal las Houston Aust in
Youve worked hard to build your
business and good reputation in theconstruction industry.
Dont leave them to chance.
professor at University of Houst
The truth? U of H ocials
wrien vericaon that he
temp sta. He teaches an over
OSHA 30-hr course that happ
to be conducted on their cam
The OSHA credenal is all he ha
credenal anyone can get in a co
of weeks.
What does it really take to be a profes
First, it requires a degree (you got it
doesnt have one), years as an assis
professor, then years as an assoc
professor, then a recommendaon f
a commiee of tenured professors
nally, the President of the Unive
to accept that recommendaon. Th
the procedure for all professorship
American, 4-year accredited colleges
verify degrees and professorships is ju
phone call away.
Onora ONeill, in another Ted Talk ab
trust, shared thatwhile polls indi
we need to trust moreshe believes
do NOT need to trust more. We n
to be good at trusng the trustwo
and not trusng the untrustworthy.
lesson? Check that resume and call th
referencesit may save your job, y
reputaon, and the life of a worker
trusted your safety director.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tara Maria Amavi, (formerly Tara Templeton
name changed due to identy the) is the Fou
and President of TCA/The Compliance All
L.P. TCA has provided services to almost
companies naonwide and TCAs proprietary
methods and means have been ranked #1 inworld for managing contractor safety. The
Safety System is peer acknowledged as a me
based upon TCAs own trade secrets which
beer results than tradional safety methods
therefore, saves lives. Ms. Amavi has been n
one of Houstons 50 Most Inuenal Wo
for 2012 by Houston Woman magazine, and
also been named one of the Whos Who in S
by Compliance Magazine (2007). Ms. Amav
sought aer public speaker, has appeared on lo
naonal radio and television programs includin
appearances on The BusinessMakers, a radio
hosted by John Beddow & Russ Capper. Ms. A
may be contacted at tara.amavi@tcamembers
or 713.263.7661.
Safety Rep: Qualified or Questionable | SAFETY NE
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BIGenterprisehas always envisioned itself as a dierentkind of company. When we talked about starng acompany, we absolutely wanted to create something dierent.
For me, I had worked more than 20 years in the general contracng
business, and I had some amazing opportunies working forgreat companies on big projects. I really wanted to share that
knowledge and experience with our customers and employees
in a small business environment. We always knew the emphasis
would be on our relaonships with customers, subcontractors,
and employees and we even wanted our name to communicate
this, BIGenterprise, a partner for your next BIG enterprise, says
Jim Boyd, business owner and founder with wife Sandra.
Since opening its doors in early 2008, BIGenterprise has met
both opportunity and challenge alike with the moo that we are
always going to do the right thing. Not only does it feel good
to do the right thing, but it has been a sound business decision
because more than 70 percent of their work is with preferred,
referred, repeat or relaonship customers who want to hire
BIGenterprisefor their projects.
Houstons builder market oers so many choices for the
potenal customer and we have found that our best adversing
and leads come from our exisng happy customers. We are in
the service business and our goal is to build happy customers
by helping them solve their construcon problems, especiallywhen it involves a metal building or some other unique benet
that we can oer. We began oering customers cost savings if
they changed their original designs to a more convenonal pre-
engineered metal building soluon and we immediately saw
the benet by being able to help customers solve their budget
problems and get a high quality building quickly, states Boyd.
In 2008, BIGenterprise became an Authorized Builder of
NUCOR Building Systems, and today the company condently
oers price and schedule guarantees on their projects that
are unmatched. Although the company performs full general
contracng services, we specialize in
pre-engineered metal building design-
build projects. The benet for eachcustomer, is a higher level of customer
aenon through superior service and
technical knowledge, delivered by an
experienced and trustworthy team, says Jim Boyd. If we
raise the performance bar on a turn-key metal building project
increase the level of happiness a customer should experie
at the end of their project, then we have really accomplis
something, and thats worth doing every me!
BIGenterprise is posioning itself to be the builder of cho
for metal building projects. We are making a commitmen
train, educate and equip our team members and BIG erec
crews with everything they need to build projects that are s
protable and are well planned from beginning to end,
Boyd. We want to bring BIG experience and qualicaon
even the smallest of projects. We approach every job with a
level of planning and preparaon, because a job that starts r
usually stays right.
Learn more about customer benets and services and
BIGcompaniescan be a partner on your next BIG enterprise
vising BIGenterprise.biz and BIGmetalbuildings.biz
BIM models are used in the design and erection of BIG metal building
BIG crew erects 127-foot clear span over new indoor pool.
BIGenterpriseThe Builder of Choice for Metal Building Projects
BIGEnterprise | COVER STO
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Who hasnt wondered what is on the other side of thepasture or the fence or what it would be like if youworked somewhere else? Seems natural to wander over there to
take a look. Most workers have mulple employers during a career.
The Bureau of Labor Stascs stated that for workers in 2012, the
average tenure with their current employers was 4.6 years.
Ive had only a few employers in forty years. Many of my colleagues
constantly wander from employer to employer. Maybe its to nd
the dream job. It reminds me of a cow on my grandfathers farm.
The poor creature had its head stuck in a fence and couldnt break
free. It was thin and famished when we found it. It had been
searching for greener grass and stuck its head through the fence
to get a taste.
Why Is It Greener?
The cow, like applicants for new jobs, must have believed the grass
was beer beyond the fence. Somemes things are beer beyond
our normal reach. On farms, the grass may be grazed down to the
nub by the herd and the fresh grass in a new pasture is obviously
appealing. Thats why farmers and ranchers rotate pastures so as
to give the grass an opportunity to refresh itself. But why is the
grass greener? It could be because the rancher nourishes the elds
on a regular basis. Like smart ranchers, good employers work hard
to make the company aracve to good talent and they nurture
that talent so as to retain the good ones. These employers treat
their team with dignity and respect and make work more pleasant
and fun. A family-style atmosphere makes a company job seem
like working at home.
What About Safety?
There is a reason some companies have
good safety performance. Its just like the
greener grass. Great companies know
about growing thingsplanng seeds,
watering, pruning and nurturing when
necessary. The dierence between goodand great may come from simple things like
eecve communicaons, management
commitment, caring passionately for the
well being of employees and the convicon to do what is righ
the me. I know of an employer that set monetary concerns a
even though the company had 200 project employees workin
a facility. All were pulled from the project because the plant wo
not address health and safety concerns. The move likely resu
in millions in lost revenue but not one of the company employ
was harmed. The plant, however, sustained two related fatal
due to a disregard for safety and at-risk thinking.
Success At Work
Success is oen characterized as hard work, determinaon
sacrice. I recall one safety professional who bailed out
construcon job just because the going got tough. Nearly ev
project Ive seen had conicts and confrontaons betw
individuals, groups or customers, but leaving in the midst of ba
is cowardice. This fellow le his teammates in harms way sta
he found a more aracve job elsewhere. From all reports,
grass for him was not any greener at his new company. Some
for success in employment one must take on the role of garde
GHORMLEY
Greener Grass
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or landscaper. There is a me for preparaon, pruning or making
modicaons to the work at hand. Its oen a maer of digging
in, geng along and even compromising, as long as personal
convicons arent threatened. We all can remember company
managers making mandates that were not liked or wanted by
employees, but usually alteraons in operaons do work in the
long term. Change is the one thing that doesnt remain stac.
Know When To Dig In
It takes just a few changes to see new opportunies in safety
that makes things beer for companies and individuals. Have
you heard the story about the two boys who each stood in front
of a pile of horse manure? The pessimist boy did nothing but
look on while the opmist boy started digging in the pile. When
asked what he was doing, the opmist said, With all this stu
theres got to be a pony here somewhere. He was right. Theres
a pony out there for us all but we dont have to get our heads
caught in the fence to nd it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Benne Ghormley has over 35 years of experience in safety, training and
construcon administraon. He is experienced in implemenng safetyprograms involving commercial, industrial and municipal industries. Mr.Ghormley has conducted audits, invesgaons and inspecons in reneries,chemical and petrochemical plants, for pipelines, water and waste facilies,manufacturing plants and fabricaon facilies. Mr. Ghormley has servedas an expert witness in ligaon cases and appeared before the Workers
Compensaon Commission, EEOC, Employment Commission and civil courts.
Contact Mr. Ghormley via email at [email protected].
by providing clients with solutions based on experienc
relationshipsOur construction team
Porter Hedges assists owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, lenders and design professionals who manage the risks ofconstruction projects. From commercial to industrial and infrastructure construction, our experienced counsel can take youfrom contract formation to project completion, including the complexities of financing projects. Our breadth of experience
helps clients avoid claims and resolve them when they happen.
Chambers USAhas ranked our construction practice among the best in Texas (Band 1) for ten consecutive years,noting in particular our subject matter knowledge and responsiveness to clients needs.
1000 Main Street, 36th Floor porterhedges.com
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: (713) 226-6000 Fax: (713) 228-1331
PORTER HEDGES LLP, ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Attorney Advertising
Greener Grass | SAFETY NEW
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AFET
On The
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On The
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Contractors and Safety EquipmenEvolve To Meet Todays
Unique Jobsite ChallengesWritenbyMeganB
Safety. Its a topic weve been made aware of mof our lives, beginning at a very young aDont run with scissors. Stop, drop and roll. Look before you crSound familiar? Logically, one would assume safety awaren
would naturally transion over from personal lives into
workplace environment. However, OSHA stascs would rea
disprove that assumpon. The acve construcon site presen
unique set of safety challenges, where in some cases one wr
move or decision could result in injury or even death. O
the last few decades safety awareness and personal protec
equipment have made great strides. There is sll work to d
terms of safety on the jobsite, however, the good news is
safety innovaons are made each day and new programs
oered by industry safety leadersbringing us one step close
an injury and accident free jobsite.
To explore the topic further, Build Houston Magazine sat down w
some of the industrys leading construcon safety professio
and learned some of the newest methods and tools they us
bring safety and safety awareness to the site.
SafetyThe Golden Rule
Ralph Riley, Business Developer at S&B Engineers and Contract
Ltd., explains improvements using the tried and true concep
the Golden Rule.
The bigger trend Ive seen over the last 15 years is that m
employers simply want to do the right thing for individuals
their site, Riley said when comparing safety programs that ca
from direct government mandate decades ago. [Employers] le
its not in the doed is and crossed ts. Its about people,
men and women on the jobsite in which these safety progra
are implemented for.
Before safety became a true culture. Some companies ten
to comply with safety regulaons to avoid hey penales
nes imposed by OSHA. For others, it took a dose of safety re
a real life or death situaon before they began to take pa
OSHAs Safety Observaons. Safety Observaons allow for d
driven analysis of safety iniaves. Its not only behavior-ba
safety observaons; its also a eld-based system. Companies
do predicve maintenance and interpretaons to see a tren
order to make safety program and orientaon changes.
Jobsite[Continued on pag
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24 Build Houston Magazine August / September 2014 www.buildhoustononline.com
But what happens when only unsafe observaons are made?
It creates an atmosphere and culture of negavity. By only
recognizing unsafe observaons on the jobsite the result can
be poor jobsite tracking and overall safety experience. Even so,
others claim it is too dicult to track an employees every move,
claiming it to be unnecessary. As a possible soluon, Riley states,
I think theres merit in the psychological aspect of looking at safe
observaons as well as unsafe. If youre always looking at faults,
it could aect work performance. There needs to be a balance.
Were talking about people. [S&Bs] analysis is of the two. And
one size ts all safety standards do not apply.
Riley calls this ideology Humanizing Our Projects - the premise
that cra professionals and other employees on the jobsite receive
the utmost respect and treatment. This ideology is being put into
pracce by providing humanizing perks that help an employee
feel appreciated, such as fully-equipped and clean lunch facilies,
project managers who take the me to know something personal
about each employee, and moving employees from temporary
tents into buildings.
However, one workplace safety hurdle is geng employees to not
only observe safety, but to act on an unsafe observaon, Riley
said. OSHA safety observaons require employees to stop, ll out
a form, and idenfy the unsafe/safe observaon. But ideally, that
employee actually needs to intervene in the unsafe act. Stop
Work, is a system developed to jump that hurdle. The process
empowers employees to stop what theyre doing, and correct the
suspected unsafe behavior.
Safety personnel constantly enact systems like these, but whether
or not they work in the eld is a dierent story all together.
Managers can design iniaves properly, but the eld workers
must enact them. People in the eld own [the Safety Program],
Riley said. Managers must make sure the program is tweaked
and reworked once in the eld, to ensure that jobsite specic
safety needs are being met.
Those safety iniaves and programs are even recognized and
rewarded by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) with
the Safety Training and Evaluaon Process (STEP) program. The
STEP program was established in 1989 by the ABC NaonalEnvironment, Health & Safety Commiee as a way to create safety
awareness and bring forth best pracces in the industry. The STEP
program provides contractors with an opportunity to measure
their safety programs progress through a 20 Key Component
self-evaluaon helping idenfy areas of improvement while
benchmarking performance with fellow ABC members. The
program is a great tool for any size company to measure their
improvements from year to year. STEP recipients oen reference
the program in owner and client presentaons to demonstrate
their connued commitment to a safe jobsite.
IronmantmLite is a new grade of harness designed for the power-user, combin
premium features with the classic utility of Reliance Full Body Harness. The
aluminum alloy hardware provides the strength of steel without the weight,ensuring greater comfort and increased compliance and productivity.
[Continued on pag
Always Wear Your Hardhat and PPEs
While the pen and paper method of documenng safet
important, what about the equipment that cra professionals
on each day for their safety and well being? Theres no doubt
Personal Protecve Equipment (PPE) and other safety gear h
made strides over the last few decades - the numbers speak
themselves.
Since 1970, workplace fatalies have been reduced by more t
65 percent and occupaonal injury and illness rates have declby 67 percent. Worker deaths in America are downon aver
from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 12 a day in 2
And worker injuries and illnesses are downfrom 10.9 incid
per 100 workers in 1972 to 3.4 per 100 in 2011, OSHA reports
Out of 4,175 worker fatalies in private industry in calendar y
2012 as reported by the Bureau of Labor Stascs, 806 or
percent were in construcon. Even with steady improvem
in jobsite safety, the current fatality numbers must be redu
Safety on the Jobsite | FOCUS SECT
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2013 United Rentals, Inc.
United Rentals Trench Safety
Dallas, TX (214) 357-4369
Beaumont, TX (409) 721-9494Corpus Christi, TX (361) 241-0980
San Antonio, TX (210) 684-7970
Houston, TX (713) 944-9661
Austin, TX (512) 479-5058
Keller, TX (817) 379-7233
Gonzales, LA (225) 744-0101
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furtherwhich is why safety management posions wi
the workplace are evolving and expanding. OSHA claims
eliminang the common Fatal Four (falls, struck by obj
electrocuons and caught-in/between) will save the lives of
workers in America each year. With falls being the most promin
(about 35 percent) cause of fatality, ensuring the proper us
safety equipment such as harnesses and other PPEs - can h
greatly reduce this number.
Ed Goode, Territory Manager at MedSafe, shares informa
about a new safety harness that not only protects, but prov
relief from a common issue experienced by many men and wom
in the eld who wear the equipment. Our newest [harn
edion is the Iron Man Light Comfort Series Harness. It is up t
percent lighter than our standard harness. When the harne
are lighter, it means less fague and can help prevent workp
accidents. In addion, this new design ulizes aluminum D-r
which reduces the weight and means less corrosion on
harness, giving [the equipment] a longer lifespan. They also h
a new fastening component that cant disengage while un
pressure. You cant accidentally unclick it. Goode said their g
is to make PPE & Fall Protecon as user-friendly as possibl
that this equipment is used properly and human error can
avoided.
While personal fall protecon is a must, there is a second
protecon that can be easily overlooked falling tools. Its
really being addressed with any naonal guidelines, Goode s
The current measures mandang tool fall protecon are va
and puts the burden on the individual contractors to develop t
own policy. Goode said one of MedSafes more recent addi
to their extensive line of safety equipment is tool fall protec
Goode also agreed with Riley in that over the course of sev
decades, safety is no longer whiled down to sasfy manda
requirements. [Safety] is being taken very seriously and give
those with a specic [safety] tle and role.
Rules On The Move
OSHA also oers a soluon for safety program implementa
via their Voluntary Protecon Program (VPP) which recogn
eecvely managed safe sites. However, VPP is ideal for
jobsites. When specic safety roles are not ed to one locaon,
rather spread out over a large geographical area, implemen
unied safety iniave can be more dicult.
The answer to the geographically challenged site or crew? OS
Mobile Workforce Safety Campaign. The campaign is best su
for general contractors and subcontractors who may or may
have the authority for safety and health for an enre jobsite
for those companies who have employees that move from s
to-site such as a specialty contractor or repair and maintena
Safety on the Jobsite | FOCUS SECT
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CONSTRUCTION | COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | CORPORATE | EMPLOYMENT | BANKRUPTCY
Houston: 713.850.4200 Austin: 512.900.3012
Toll-Free: 866.535.2329 www.AndrewsMyers.com
Business Insight from the Ground U
Working in the construction industry creates a
constant need for contractual and legal assistance
and guidance. Andrews Myers has become a great
asset to our company while providing a proactive,
knowledgeable and professional approach to all of
our legal needs.- Ronnie Wills President, Aggregate Technologies, Inc.
companyregardless of size or length and duraon of the project
or service, OSHA reported.
According to the VPP applicaon, VPP reviewers dont look for
a single correct way to meet VPP requirements. They want to
see a system that works for you. And in that sense, the Mobile
Workforce Safety Campaign is put into pracce. The Campaign
works in phases. The rst phase requires an evaluator to review
the companys safety and health management programs. Theyassess the employers commitment to the safety of its employees;
and their commitment to the aliated VPP program. The second
phase is designed for vericaon. One or more jobsite programs
are reviewed to ensure they are eecve outside the working
headquarters where some employees may connue their work
unsupervised.
Its a great safety management tool, Keith Ligge, Safety
Professional and ABC Safety Commiee Member, said of the
Mobile Workforce Safety Campaign. It helps us idenfy the safety
in our culture, and most importantly, helps us stay accountable.
Ligge said some workforces struggle with constant moon like
new owners, new processes, and new hazards. His own rule of
thumb communicaon is key.
These temporary jobsites are more suscepble to challen
because there are new employees, a new locaon and a
orientaon plaorm. The [Safety Campaign] sets the stage
workplace expectaons, Ligge said. Because of the natur
the work, its important to communicate eecvely. We nee
keep talking about it.
Elementary Foundaons
Communicaon, equipment and respect the elements safety success. The role that safety plays in a companys to
and tomorrow reveals a lot about how they feel towards
construcon professionals employed on their jobsites. Sa
professionals are eliminang workplace injuries on a d
basis through innovave programs and tools. Improvement
jobsite morale for employees, new edions of PPEs, safety p
measurements through the STEP program, and unied sa
iniaves for the temporary jobsite are all great tools for job
safety improvement. With these tools in hand, the bar can
set higher for safety expectaons in the construcon indus
Riley said safety concepts depend on the person pung pol
into place and those ulizing these tools. It depends on
elementary concepts. It all goes back to the golden rule res
one another. - MB
Safety on the Jobsite | FOCUS SECT
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Construcon and MaintenanceEducation Foundation(CMEF) honored 44 graduates in millwright, instrumentation,
pipeng, industrial painng and sheet metal at a graduaon
ceremony on Thursday, June 5. More than 200 people, including
graduates, guests, instructors, and managers, lled the banquet
hall to applaud the graduates accomplishments.
Anthony Mullings, an industrial painng graduate, sat outside
the banquet hall with his wife, children and parents, waing for
the event to begin. He said he did not know what to expect from
the graduaon, but was extremely happy to complete the class.
Mullings had sought out the class to beer himself in life.
Jairo Luna, also an industrial painng graduate, said this class
was only the beginning of his training journey. I want to get into
another cra, Luna said. But I wanted to get the feeling of what
it was like going to school aer work.
Balancing me is not a foreign struggle to this graduate class.
Many of them have jobs, families and personal lives to juggle
while studying. Luna said instructors do their best to be as e
as possible for their students.
Pipeng instructor Pete Medina was one of the many teac
in a room full of students, families and friends. Medina and
fellow instructor George Vance joked that opportunies for
cra professionals have improved so much, they might re
to the workforce. Joking aside, Medina said it was extre
grafying to see his students at the graduaon.
They have to want to be there in class, Medina explained.
hard for them to balance everything. Its nice to see the ones
stayed be rewarded for their hard work.
The ceremony proceeded with speeches by construc
professionals, many oering advice and words of encouragem
The podium and stage served as a place to honor grow
opportunity, and a place where industry ideas were shared. G
Speaker Pat Kiley of Kiley Advisors stood at the podium in fro
the graduates and oered advice.
Every facet of construcon is on re, Kiley began, reassu
graduates in the career theyve chosen. And what
accomplishment you have achieved...unlock a great life
yourself.
Going forward, Kiley listed four tasks to guarantee post-grad
success: 1) show up for work on me; 2) take pride in your cra
speak well of the company who writes your paycheck; and 4) l
CMEF Graduates 44 Students From Program
Balancing me is not a foreign struggle
to this graduate class. Many of them
have jobs, families and personal lives
to juggle while studying. Luna said
instructors do their best to be as exible
as possible for their students.
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Kerr, Hendershot &Cannon,P.C.www.oshadefensefirm.com | 713-893-1668
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the construcon and maintenance business. These steps, he told
them, will help them excel in work and in life.
Sco Lemoine, Manager of Maintenance, Turnarounds & Capital
projects at LyondellBasell Houston Renery, followed with
remarks for the graduates, stang that he too was once in their
shoes. As a graduate of the cra programs oered at the ABC
Pelican Chapter, Mr. Lemoine worked his way up the skilled cra
ranks to his current posion with one of the largest reneriesin the area. I stand before you tonight as living proof of what
your future can hold, he then urged the graduates to never stop
learning and aspiring to be the best they can be.
Aer each name was called, each graduate was presented with a
cercate of compleon, each hand was shaken, and each picture
was taken, before graduates excitedly returned to their seats.
There were murmurs of congratulaons. There were ashes of
light from the many cameras in the crowd. There were whistles
and cheers from the family and friends aending. In those nal
moments of the celebraon, the graduates were enthusiascally
recognized for their accomplishments.
To all of our graduates, CMEF Director of Educaon Glen OMary
said, building up the tone in his voice, congratulaons!
You may not k now us yet, but were part o f
the health system Houston has counted on for
more than 100 years. We understand health
care, so were in a unique position to offer a
better option for health insurance. Here you will
find affordable health coverage from the health
system thats deeply rooted in Houston. Learn
more at healthplan.memorialhermann.org.
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ROOTED IN HOUSTON
CMEF Graduates 44 Students | ASSOCIATION NE
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WERE ON THE MOVE
4 9 1 0 D a c o m a S t r e e t | H o u s t o n , T e x a s 7 7 0 9 2
Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston is on the move to a new 9,000+ square foot building,located at 4910 Dacoma Street, to better serve you. Tis new location will allow for greater access to services, largtraining rooms, expanded meeting rooms and more - all conveniently located on the northwest side of Houston.
Aer many years of seng aside funds and countless land and property searches, Associated Builders aContractors of Greater Houston has acquired a building! The new oces, located at 4910 Dacoma St(77092), will not only serve as a main meeng hub for associaon members, but will also serve as a north-side train
campus for educaonal aliate Construcon and Maintenance Educaon Foundaon (CMEF). It will allow the associa
to provide much needed training and educaon opportunies for contractors on the north and west side of Harris Cou
ABC is seeking $350,000 in donaons
to help oset the expense of the
buildings extensive renovaon. To
recognize generous contributors who
support the new building campaign,
ABC will provide naming rights (to
ABC Members in good standing)
for numerous meeng and training
rooms, as well as recognion pavers.
Learn more about contribuon levels
and benets on page 32.
ABC extends its sincere thanks to
the ABC Member companies who
have already stepped up and made a
pledge, geng ABC Greater Houston
one-step closer to its January 2015
move-in date.
FOREMAN LEVEL
Marek Brothers Systems, Inc.
JACOBS
PROJECT ENGINEER LEVEL
Aggregate Technologies
Craig & Heidt, Inc.
Holes Incorporated
Mobil Steel Internaonal, Inc.
Slack & Co. Contracng, Inc.
TDIndustries
CRAFT PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
ISC Constructors, LLC
Mobil Steel Internaonal, Inc.
Oxford Builders Inc.
HELPER LEVEL
Kiewit/TIC
BOARD CHAIR LEVEL
G.R. Birdwell Construcon
Gaughan, Stone & Thiagarajan
Hunter Buildings & Manufacturing
Ma Daniel - KBR Building Group
Mobil Steel Internaonal, Inc.
S&B Engineers and Constructors, Lt
Tim Rickes - Channel BioReneryTerminals
IN-KIND & SPECIAL RECOGNITIO
Epoxy Design Systems, Inc.
Fast Track Speciales
PDG Architects
Donors as for July 24, 2
ABC on the Move in 2015 | ASSOCIATION NE
4910 Dacoma Donors
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REF.ICE.
15'-1"
12'-0"
11'-11"
12'-7
3/4"
8'-2
1/2"
9'-81
/8"
12' - 7 1/4"
39' - 6 3/4"
17'-6
1/4"
15' - 7"
27'-11
1/2"
0'-23
/4"
27'-10"
4' - 8"
18' - 2 1/2" 28' - 0 1/2"
BREAK AREA
VocationalRoom
rainingRoom 1
Board Room
Break Area
Room Naming RightsAvailable For*:
- Vocational Room
- Training Room 1
- Training Room 2
- Committee Room
- Board Room
- Break Room
- Lounge Area
*Naming Rights available for ABC Members in good standing.
Information found on next page.
rainingRoom 2
CommitteeRoom
Lounge Area
LOUNGE AREA
Entryway Pavers
EntrywayPav
ers
4 9 1 0 D a c o m a S t r e e t | H o u s t o n , T e x a s 7 7 0 9 2
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PLEDGE AGREEMENT
____President Level ($50,000)Te President Level donor receives the Vocational Room namingrights*. Te Vocational Room is the largest o all the interior roomsand will be host to a large number o training and educationalclasses and seminars. Te President Level donors name will bedisplayed prominently at the Vocational Room entrance and will beeatured at the top o the donor recognition wall.
____Project Manager Level ($35,000)Te Project Manager Level donor receives naming rights*or theBoard Room. Te Board Room will host a number o meetingsranging rom executive meetings to board meetings. Te projectManger Level donors name will be displayed prominently at theentrance to the Board Room and will be eatured on the donorrecognition wall.
____Superintendent Level ($25,000)Te Superintendent Level donor receives naming rights*or one othe raining Rooms. Te raining Rooms will host a number omeetings and training classes. Te Superintendent Level donorsname will be displayed prominently at the entrance to one o theraining Rooms and will be eatured on the donor recognition wall.
____Foreman Level ($10,000)Te Foreman Level donor receives naming rights*in the BreakArea or the Lounge Area. Te Foreman Level donors name will bedisplayed prominently in the designated area and will be eaturedon the donor recognition wall.
____Project Engineer Level ($5,000)Te Project Engineer Level donors name will be displayedprominently on the donor recognition wall.
____Craf Proessional Level ($2,500)Te Craf Proessional Level donors name will be displayed on alarge entryway paver at the buildings ront entrance.
____Helper Level ($1,000)Helper Level donors will be eatured on a medium sized entrywpaver at the buildings ront entrance.
____Board Chair Sponsor ($500)Donors name will be engraved on a metal plaque and placed onback o a boardroom chair.
Contributor: _______________________________________
Authorized By: _____________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________
Date: _____________________________________________
Tis pledge agreement is made by the Contributor or the purpose o memorializing the Contributorsdonation to the renovation o the new ABC office building at 4910 Dacoma Street. Subject to the conditionsand requirements set orth in this agreement, ABC Greater Houston will allow Contributors to contribute to trenovation o the ABC office building in accordance with the ollowing plan level (check where applicable):
*Naming rights are available only to ABC Members in good standing. By completing this pledge agreement, Contributor promises to pay to ABC t
applicable contribution amount outlined in this agreement. Failure to ulfill pledge obligation will result in immediate removal rom any plaque, p
or other space in which name appears. Inactive Membership status will result in a void o this agreement and name may be removed rom any and
applicable signage.
4 9 1 0 D a c o m a S t r e e t | H o u s t o n , T e x a s 7 7 0 9 2
ABC on the Move in 2015 | ASSOCIATION NE
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Gilbane Building Company recently announced Michael McKelvy has joined the company as President
Chief Operang Ocer. Bill Gilbane, Jr., the companys President and Chief Operang Ocer since 2004,
assume the role of Vice Chairman where he will devote more of his me to shepherding Gilbanes busi
units toward long-term success and strategic growth in partnership with the companys current leader
team while overseeing McKelvys transion. McKelvy will immediately assume prot and loss responsib
company-wide.
Travis Schultzrecently assumed the dues of Divisional Manager of Cherrys Commercial Demolion
started out at the ground level at Cherry 16 years ago, and through hard work and dedicaon has workedway up to become a valuable asset. Travis plans on taking his own experiences and leading by emphasi
training and mentoring within his division.
Bowen, Miclee & Bri has hired Peter L. Sullivan as Senior Vice President and Benets Director. A
year veteran of the insurance industry, Sullivan most recently managed his own rm, Encompass Bene
& Wellness Management. His specialized experse includes evaluaon of clients talent acquision
retenon strategies, risk tolerance posions, development and management of cost containment strateg
benets and Aordable Care Act compliance requirements and wellness plan design and management
COMPANY NEWSMobil Steel president and CEO Leonard A. Bedell and Stuart Robles, Mobil Steel business developm
manager, joined other Houston area businesses at a recent trade seminar sponsored by the Bilateral UArab Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber invited local businesses to hear about economic partnersh
between U.S. and Iraq during a trade ministry tour headed by Kadhim M. Jawad Al-Hasani, senior adv
to the Iraqi Minister of Trade. Al-Hasani headed a delegaon visit to Mobil Steels steel fabricaon sho
South Wayside Drive in Houston.
PROJECT NEWS
E.E. Reed Construcon recently completed First Bapst Sienna Plantaon, a 6,200 square-foot build-ou
worship space, classrooms, coee area, and support area for outreach for Houstons First Bapst Chu
E.E. Reed worked with SDI Architects on this project located in Sienna Plantaon, a 7,000-acre mas
planned community in Missouri City.
Cadence McShane Construcon Company has been selected to provide the comprehensive construcservices for Phase I of the Airtex Commerce Center on behalf of co-developers, Molto Properes
Generaonal Commercial Properes. The Class A, 166,250 square-foot speculave industrial facilit
strategically situated on a 19-acre site at 431 East Airtex Drive in Houston, Texas.
SPECIAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Hunter Building LLC has been selected for the 2014 Best of Baton Rouge Award in
Prefabricated/Modular Buildings category by the Baton Rouge Award Program. Each year,
Baton Rouge Award Program idenes companies they believe have achieved excepo
markeng success in the local community and business category.
Saereld & Ponkes Construconand its joint venture partner STV were recently hono
for its work on the John F. Kennedy Internaonal Airport Terminal 4 Redevelopment Ph
1 project. The $1.2 billion Delta Air Lines project at JFK Airport renovated and expan
Terminal 4 and demolished Terminal 3 as part of the overhaul of one of Deltas hubs
overseas ights. The expansion of Terminal 4 included a major addion to the concourse
the addion of nine new internaonal gates.
Ford Nassen announced that the legal industry referral guide Chambers USA has a
awarded top rankings for Texas construcon law to the rm and its shareholders Jere
Ford, John W. Nassen and George C. Baldwin. The 2014 edion of Chambers USA: Ameri
Leading Lawyers for Businessplaces the rm in Band 1, which is Chambers highest poss
ranking.
MCKELVY
SCHULTZ
SULLIVAN
FIRST BAPTIST SIENNA PLANTATION
JFK AIRPORT TERMINAL 4
People, Projects, Companies & Awards | IN THE KN
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PERMIT 542Published by Associated Builders & Contractors of Greater Houston3910 Kirby Drive, Ste. 131Houston, Texas 77098(713)523-6AB