The Industry’s Newspaper - Construction News · The Industry’s Newspaper ... to a vice president of an electrical con- ... Cantera de America y Arte deals with real stones, and

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™CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION

Victory for McCarthy

Fast startfor electrical contractor The missing link

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If you can’t find the guys at GNS Elec-tric Inc., check out the open road. Hardly a bunch of “Wild Hogs”, the GNS

staff takes about five or six motorcycle trips a year. And it’s not just the guys. Ev-elyn Gaudin, president, rides along, too, although she doesn’t own her own bike…yet. “Being a passenger’s easy,” she says. “You can sit back and look at the sights.” Gaudin got her start in the electrical industry through working as an assistant to a vice president of an electrical con-tracting company in Louisiana. “They

taught me pretty much everything I needed to know. I trained with them, got my journeyman’s license in Louisiana, and then I moved to Texas last year and received my master electrician license.” She founded GNS with partner, John Shelton, in Sept. 2006. “John has 30 years experience in the industry and I have eight,” Gaudin said. “We had worked together before and thought we would enjoy doing it for ourselves for a change. So we decided to give it a shot.”

L-R: Mike Webb, service department manager; Evelyn Gaudin, president;John Shelton, vice president

This month, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. completes con-struction of the last condominium

unit within the W Residence South Tower in Victory Park. Construction com-menced in April 2005, with the last unit scheduled to wrap up April 1 – no “fool-ing”. Situated on a former brownfield site that at one time bore a power plant, Vic-tory Park, a mixed-use urban district, de-buted with the American Airlines Center. “The entire W project launched the private commercial build-out of Victory Park,” said Mike Krueger, project direc-tor with McCarthy. “This was the first ma-jor project to follow the American Airlines Center.” The first phase of the W project in-cluded the W Hotel and North Tower Residences. The South Tower represents the second and final phase of the project, according to Krueger.

The W project and the entire Victory Park area are being developed by Hill-wood. Taking on a high-end contemporary design, the condominium interiors con-tain stone and wood floors, European kitchens, and great views of downtown Dallas, said Krueger. The South Tower also has its own lap pool and sun deck. Residences share other amenities, such as concierge ser-vices, with the W Hotel. Exterior construction of the South Tower Residences incorporates precast concrete, a curtainwall glazing system and composite metal panels. The roof contains a steel trellis with fabric panels to cover the two-story penthouse balco-ny terraces. Some challenges, according to Krueger, centered around constructing

Mack Powers, vice president of sales and marketing for eLink Systems, L.L.C. in Frisco, may

have achieved the perfect career. Call it serendipity, if you will, in how a mechani-cal engineer with 20 years experience in the construction industry found himself - after owning his own business for 10 years - selling software to construction companies. “I enjoyed the operations and tech-nology side of the business and saw such a great need to help construction com-panies develop systems for their opera-tions,” Powers said. “So many of them can say, ‘I’m a good carpenter, electrician, etc.’, but their struggle is ‘how do I run my business effectively?’”

His passion, he says, is teaching and training. “And I know the business be-cause I’ve been there. I’m not just a soft-ware guy selling to an industry I know nothing about. I’ve lived the life of the builders and contractors in Texas.” Powers’ main thrust with eLink Sys-tems is selling and implementing soft-ware products that integrate estimating, accounting, project management, corre-spondence and basically all aspects of the construction business into one plat-form. “Our goal,” he said, “is to help con-struction companies become more effi-cient and more effective, using technol-ogy to do that.

eLink Systems Night at the Dr. Pepper Center, one of the company’s annual events

Page 2 Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Apr 2007

Service technician Eddie Marquette, Coleman Bright Ideas For Your Home, talks back yards with Construction News. The company has manufactured and installed patio enclosures, covers and arbors since 1958. –mdo

Back talkConstruction News ON LOCATION

L-R: Luke Gilcrease, Lucasso Stone; Octavio Dimas and David Tarin, Cantera de America y Arte

Rolling stones

No, we don’t mean the famous rock group. Cantera de America y Arte deals with real stones, and

has recently rolled in from Mexico to open a showroom in Fort Worth. Owner and architect Octavio Dimas sculpts Cantera Stone, a type of quarry stone, into various designs. He creates columns, fountains, fireplace mantles and more. Dimas can also fabricate cus-tom shapes to fit specialized projects. Dimas has been working his craft for 27 years in Mexico under the business name of Cantera y Arte. According to Forth Worth Sales Rep-resentative David Tarin, many of the stones come from the Yucatan Peninsula

and have bits of shell in them. “We offer about 30 different colors and various tex-tures of stone,” he said. Originally from Denver, CO, Tarin is a bit of a rolling stone himself. He enjoys running and mountain biking. Upon moving he wondered, “where am I going to ride in Texas where there are no moun-tains?” But that was 11 years ago and he has since “discovered some awesome trails.” Plans for the Fort Worth location in-clude the set-up of a fabrication shop whereby large Cantera blocks will be trucked-in from Mexico. Tarin will contin-ue his work in outside sales and estima-tions. –lcs

Kenneth Kizer with BOSS Resurfacing of Grapevine shows off some of the company’s stamped and stained concrete samples. –bd

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Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News • Apr 2007 Page 3

No problems, just solutions. “That’s our motto,” says Michael Pratt, president of All Remodeling So-

lutions. “That’s the bottom line for us. In this industry, you always run into prob-lems; that’s the nature of remodeling, but people want to know solutions and what choices they have.” Pratt found his start in the business in 2003 by buying houses to remodel and holding them as rental properties. Today, All Remodeling Solutions specializes in residential – mainly high-end homes and high-rise condominiums – and commer-cial finish-outs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “Residential is still our main focus, but we’re moving more into commercial,” he said. “Fort Worth has an enormous amount of plans in the future for con-struction, and we’re trying to be a part of as much of that as possible.” The company currently employs about eight core personnel in manage-ment and administration, and two crews handling the hands-on tasks, with the ex-ception of licensed trades where other subcontractors are brought in, according to Pratt. Headquarters are based in North Richland Hills, with storage facilities locat-

Going all the way

ed in downtown Fort Worth and Irving. “We really try to work on being a specialty type company that’s all-inclu-sive, where we can bring all the trades together with people we’ve been work-ing with since day one, and whose quality and craftsmanship we know.” Projects include The Tower in Fort Worth and La Tour condominiums in Dal-las. Outside of remodeling, Pratt is a cer-tified diver with many expeditions under his belt. He’ll travel to Belize in June with his pastor. Also a missionary, he’s done some work locally, but mostly in Chiapas, Mexi-co. “And then we work in indigenous re-gions in the mountains, so it’s quite phys-ical.” Pratt also participates in many golf tournaments. “I do most of it with other church members and try to make it a fel-lowship type thing,” he said. “Even if you have a weak golfer, you can bring in peo-ple just to talk and have a one-on-one conversation. Every once in a while we’ll throw some business golfing in there. It just depends on how many excuses I come up with,” he laughs. –mdo

Michael Pratt

In 1988, Richard J Fasenmyer purchased the Ko-roseal Wallcovering division from BF Goodrich and established RJF International Corporation.

Originally based in Ohio, the company specializes in the manufacture of contract and dry erase wall cover-ings and wall protection products. “We are also a solu-tions provider for architectural, design, contractor and facilities management markets,” says Jim Price, Dallas regional manager. RJF International/Koroseal Interior Products also strives to be environmentally conscious. According to Price, “By reducing hazardous emissions by nearly 97 percent and replacing solvents with water-based systems, the company does not require a title V permit under the U.S. Clean Air Act.” Through its in-house recycling program, items such

All for walls . . . and earthas vinyl film, water, lubricating oils and printing inks are recycled, thus minimizing various forms of downstream waste. Additionally, scrapped wall coverings are sent to the matting division whereby in matting is produced for companies such as the Blue Bird Bus Company. New product lines include “Breathable Vinyl”, Hytex Polyolefins, Exotic Arbor Wood Veneers and Bellagard, a state-of-the-art wall protection product. In 1998, RJF International/Koroseal moved to the DFW area and recruited Jill Silvey as architectural prod-ucts sales manager. Although Silvey is relied upon for her product knowledge, consulting skills and profes-sionalism, she is the compa-ny’s only would-be soap opera actress, says Price.

“One never knows what kind of personality might spring out.” RJF/Koroseal recently opened a new Dallas Show-room in the Decorative Center. Designed for multi-functional use, the showroom is equipped with computer hubs, which can be used for product dis-play or as an extension of the design offices. –lcs Jill Silvey

Publisher: Buddy DoebblerEditorial/Production: Reesa Doebbler Production Mgr: Sue JohnsonSales Representative: Kristin HicksAdministration: Kevin HughesReception: Lorey ShraderSan Antonio Editor: Kathie Fox Austin Editor: Abby RichardsonHouston Editor: Sarah Nichols

The Dallas Fort Worth Construction News (ISSN 1547-7657) is published monthly by Construction News Ltd., dba Dallas/Fort Worth Construction News, and distributed by mail to construction related companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. All submissions should be mailed to our editorial offices. We reserve the right to edit any materials submitted. No fees for materials, copy or photographs submitted will be due unless agreed upon in advance in writing. Submissions will be published at our discretion on a space-available basis. Construction News, Ltd., dba Dallas Fort Worth Construction News, will not be liable for errors in copy or in advertisements beyond the actual cost of space occupied by the error. Publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement at any time.

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Dallas/Fort Worth EditorLarry Little

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Page 4 Dallas/Ft. Worth Construction News • Apr 2007

Sheryle WrightFloors Done Wright

Landscape ladiesConstruction News ON LOCATION

L-R: Laura Groth, Kim Fogarty and Virginia Williams in full bloom at Blooming Colors Nursery & Landscaping, LTD. in Grapevine –mdo

Business opportunity and a favor-able climate lured the Wright family to Texas in 1984. The Floors Done

Wright showroom, located in Plano, is now in its seventh year, offering flooring, carpet and ceramic tile to primarily resi-dential customers. Sheryle and husband, Rick, have three children and two canine kiddos – a Lhasa Apso named after Emmitt Smith and a Catahoula Leopard named Lucile. Wright, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb. 2004, shares her newfound perspective on life.

How did you get into the flooring busi-ness? My husband, Rick, has been in the business since 1974. He was introduced to it by my stepfather, and started out as a helper, then a subconctractor. Then we began developing our own business, so to speak, being in control of our own in-stallation and our own business. We started out working from our home, then in a one-room office, and now we have a showroom and a warehouse.

Where are you from originally? Reynoldsburg, OH. We graduated from Watkins Memorial High School in Pataskala.

How did the two of you meet? We rode the bus to school. He had been in that area all along and I was just a new girl on the bus. Then one of his friends tried to get me to go to a football game. We’ve been married since 1975.

What brought you to Texas? Work, actually. Business was pretty flat there. Texas was just booming, with different hotels and such, so my husband came down here to work. Once he got here, he loved the weather and just liked the area. In Ohio we were limited. We couldn’t work through the winter. The weather just held us back so much. Rick

felt like the opportunity would be so much better here for us as a family than if we had stayed in Ohio.

Do you have family in Ohio? All are in Ohio. Our parents are still living, and they’re in Ohio, along with brothers and sisters.

Have you ever looked back? No, we did the right thing. We miss our family, of course, with them being so far away. But we had to do what we had to do to make a living.

What do you enjoy about Texas? The weather is more constant. The work is more available, and I think there’s more money here.

What types of things do you do out-side of work? Outside of work, we don’t do much of anything. When the kids were young-er, we were really involved in soccer. My husband coached and I managed teams. We also traveled to tournaments.

So, are you empty nesters now? No, our daughter, Sarah, still lives at home. She helps out with the business a couple of days a week and attends com-munity college. And then our boys are installers, and each runs a crew. We’re all family, from the owner to the installer.

Do your children have an interest in carrying on the business? My oldest son, Rickey, does. Joey’s (Joseph) 24 and chasing his soccer dream right now.

What challenges and accomplish-ments have you experienced owning your own business? We’ve moved up to bigger and bet-ter things. The company has gradually grown each year, although Rick’s kept control of it. We offer customer service, which is a quality not seen much now. That’s what we sell. If there’s a problem, customers deal directly with the owner. There are no middle people. A lot of it is, I just talk to people.

Did you have a mentor growing up? Probably my mother; she was strong. She raised four kids and always made sure we were taken care of.

How has having cancer changed your life? We’ve learned through our family that there’s no such thing as a flooring emergency. It puts things in perspective because when you deal with cancer or

things of that magnitude, you don’t spend the energy on negative thinking. You try to always look ahead, and you know a lot of things are in God’s hands, and that’s just the way it is. I don’t spend a lot of time on nega-tive things. To me, it’s such a waste of time, and a lot of trivial things that peo-ple get so angry about don’t matter to me. You’ve got to see the real picture. I worked through my treatments. I had someone help when I was undergo-ing chemotherapy and too sick to go, but then I’d be back at work before my next treatment.

Did you enjoy working during that time? Yes, I liked it. It just kept me busier so that I wasn’t thinking about the bad things.

Do you think that contributed to your healing? Yes, and I had a lot of people who would ask about me and wanted to know how I was doing. This way they could see for themselves.

How have your priorities changed? I do spend too much time at work. Right now, we’re trying to get things set up because Rick and I are both 50 this year, and we just want to be able to have more leisure time together because I don’t know how much time I have left and how much time he has left. The one thing cancer does is, you know you’ve been given a gift; you’ve been given a second chance. And what time you have

is precious. You don’t take things for granted anymore because it could all be taken away.

Do you think you’d like to travel? Yes, we like to travel a bit. We don’t get the chance to travel except going back and forth to Ohio. We’re not ready to go yet because we’re not ready to turn the business over to our children and let them run it. We still want to be involved in it. It’s still our baby.

If you could go anywhere, where would that be? I’d like to go out west some and check the sights out. I’d like to visit the Grand Canyon and Colorado…the moun-tains. I don’t really want to go overseas. There’s too much going on over there, and I think there’s enough here to see. We bought a 2007 Mustang, and we’ve been going out on Sundays, if it’s pretty out, driving around, having break-fast somewhere and relaxing.

Are sports cars a hobby? Rick’s always had a thing for sports cars. Now he has one he doesn’t have to work on all the time.

Do you have any plans to expand the business? We just want to keep one store so we can have control. Rick feels if he gets too big he won’t have control over customer service, and that’s what he wants to offer. He works in your home like he works in his own. If we can make a living, that’s all we’re concerned about. –mdo

Dallas/Ft. Worth Construction News • Apr 2007 Page 5

You might not see Aubrey Faulkner hanging around the water cooler these days at the offices of Weath-

erization Partners, Ltd. (WPL) in Dallas, but his mark on the family-spawned com-pany continues. Faulkner took over operations of the business in the late ‘50s after his father passed away. With a mother and two much younger sisters to care for, he be-came the father figure, so to speak, and ran the business as such. What started in 1952 as a millwork manufacturing and distributing compa-ny in Lubbock, TX, servicing the Texas Panhandle only, is now the sole distribu-tor of DuPont Tyvek construction prod-ucts, among others for the entire South-west U.S. as well as Southern California. “We sell everything to seal a building,” says Jason Moyer, business manager. Faulkner’s son, David Faulker, has since become the company’s president, taking WPL to all new levels, according to Moyer.

Tightly sealed

“In 1995, we sold less than $100,000 in Tyvek,” he said. “Last year, we sold almost $40 million, so it’s grown tremen-dously.” Moyer attributes the company’s ex-ponential growth to maintaining a sin-gle-line focus. “Most all building material distributors are multi-line. They may car-ry 100 different products and their sales people have to know 100 different prod-ucts. We know one line, plus we’re also able to know every part of the building or home that our line touches.” WPL operates from its 30,000-sf dis-tribution center in Dallas, with four em-ployees who together handle account-ing, invoicing, order processing and ship-ping. Twenty-seven building specialists work from home in their respective mar-kets, with a 70-percent residential focus. Moyer said DuPont will soon lead WPL into the roofing business and even-tually glass. “Hopefully, we’ll tie the whole envelope into a weather-protect-ed system,” he said. –mdo

Weatherization Partners, Ltd.’s annual sales meeting

A Texas-sized storm didn’t stop 188 members from attending Associ-ated Builders and Contractors –

North Texas Chapter (ABC) ’s Annual Crawfish Boil, Texas Hold ‘em and Casino Night Mar. 13. The event, held at Eddie Deen’s Ranch in downtown Dallas, also featured door prizes and the sounds of Well Spent Time. “The evening was a success,” said LaDell Tullos, ABC. –mdo

Betting on a good time

First place Texas hold ‘em winner: Rodney Shrader, Action Mobile Industries

Second place Texas hold ‘em winner: Steve Smith, Ductworks

Third place Texas hold ‘em winner: Danny Bridges, Drywall Interiors Playing the tables Crawfish time

Lab work

K.B. Alexander Co. of Texas, Inc. broke ground Mar. 6, kicking off construc-

tion of the new, state-of-the-art Center for Science and Technology at Fort Worth Christian School in North Richland Hills. Estimated cost of the addition, which will include new computer and science labs, is $1,100,000.00. Scott Martsolf Architects of Fort Worth has taken on the design portion of the project. The consulting engineer for the MEP plans is Friberg & Associates. Callahan & Associates will provide struc-tural engineering services. –mdo


Accounting for contracts - which method to use?by Margie McClanahan

Floor n itConstruction News ON LOCATION

Flooring Specialist Hind Yasein and Boriana Zlateva, store manager, showcase carpet, granite, hardwood, laminate and porcelain products at Floor N More in Southlake. –mdo

Managing your riskby Tameka Sadler

With every business, there comes certain costs to do business. Anyone who has a business needs busi-

ness insurance for his or her protection as well as others. Insurance is vital to your future. The company has to manage its risk with every option possible. Insurance al-

lows the business owner to manage unforeseeable risks and events.

There are five common types of business insurance:

General Liability provides coverage for accidents at your location or on a cus-tomer’s site. In addition, this policy may cover theft or damage to a company’s lo-cation, tools, and supplies. For example, if your employee damages a water main during a contract, the policy will cover the costs to fix the pipeline. Punitive damages are not covered under general liability insurance policies because they are considered punishment for intention-al acts.

Errors and Omissions, which is also known as Professional Liability is NOT in-cluded in General Liability coverage. This type of insurance covers you and your company if a client wants to hold you re-sponsible for a service that you incorrect-ly provided or failed to provide. It should be purchased for any professional service company. Architects, engineers, consul-tants, etc. are covered by a professional liability policy.

Commercial Automobile includes busi-ness owned and rented vehicles. Com-panies should also consider non-compa-ny owned vehicles being used for busi-ness purposes.

Umbrella extends beyond the normal limits of your primary policy. It also in-cludes unexpected events. For example, if your company was sued and the judg-ment exceeds your normal limits of insur-ance, the umbrella policy will cover the remaining settlement and cost.

Workers’ Compensation protects the employee and employer in the event of an accident. The law states that an em-ployee cannot sue his employer. If an em-ployee is injured on the job, the employee can receive medical treatment and/or monetary damages. This type of insur-

ance is required by the state regardless of who is at fault for the injury or illness.

When deciding on insurance limits, it is important to review the insurance re-quirements for the owners and munici-palities with whom you may have a chance to receive contract opportunities. Most municipalities only require $1,000,000 limits for General Liability; however, coverage depends on work be-ing performed and specialty of disci-pline.

Always review the bid documents to de-termine if you will need additional cover-age or an Umbrella policy.

At times, the owner may require a Waiver of Subrogation which states once the loss has been paid, the insurance company takes over the insured’s legal claims against anyone who may have been re-sponsible for the loss.

When deciding on an insurance agent, ask questions. He or she should make you feel comfortable with any question you may have.

In addition, the agent will be able to re-view your current coverages, identify where your firm could be at risk, and help you understand your options and costs. In the event of an accident or injury, it is better for you as the owner to be able to manage your risk than to have a third party involved.

Tameka Sadler is a Senior Consultant at SSP Consulting, L.C. (SSP). SSP is a professional management-consulting firm that special-izes in developing minority business and surety support programs for clients. She as-sists businesses with insurance, bonding, and technical assistance. Tameka may be contacted at 214-220-9098 or [email protected]. –mdo

One of the most basic decisions the owner of a con-struction business must determine is the method of

accounting for contracts. The choices can be very con-fusing. If the books are being kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), then

either the percentage of completion method or the completed contract method will be used. However, contractors frequently chose to keep the books on a method ac-ceptable for income tax reporting rather than GAAP. Acceptable income tax methods include reporting on the cash basis or on the accrual basis. In fact, frequently compa-nies will use one method for financial reporting and another method for the income tax return. This article will highlight some of the features of each method.

GAAP Methods: The percentage of completion method recognizes income as work on a contract progresses. Revenues and profits are usu-ally recognized in relation to the costs incurred in providing the services re-quired. It is assumed that contractors generally have the ability to produce esti-mates that are sufficiently dependable enough to justify use of the percentage of completion method. There are several acceptable meth-ods used to measure the progress toward completion on a contract. Some measure progress in terms of cost, some in units of work, and some in terms of the contract value of total work performed to date. The method selected should be ap-plied consistently to contracts having similar characteristics. The completed contract method rec-ognizes income when the contract is completed. Prior to that, all costs and re-lated revenues are recorded as deferred items on the balance sheet. This method is frequently used when contracts are short-term. In that situation, financial po-sition and results of operations reported on the completed contract method wouldn’t vary materially from those that would result from the percentage of completion method. This method may also be used if inherent hazards or lack of dependable estimates cause projections to be doubtful. However, the presump-tion is that estimates are dependable un-less it can be proven otherwise. At what point is a contract consid-ered complete? Usually this is when re-maining costs and potential risks are in-significant in amount. It may be that ac-ceptance by the customer or delivery of the product is the point at which the con-tract is considered complete. Whatever method is used, consistency is the key factor. This avoids arbitrary acceleration or deferral of income.

Income Tax Methods: The cash method recognizes income

during the year in which received or set aside for the taxpayer’s account. Contract costs are deductible in the year in which paid. However, it is important to recog-nize that there are exceptions. The cash method can’t be applied to large quanti-ties of materials purchased as inventory. A homebuilder who builds for resale would treat contract costs as work in progress. Also, expenditures that have useful lives in excess of one year may only be partially deductible in the year paid. The accrual method reports revenues when billed. Contract costs are recog-nized to the extent incurred as of the date of the most recent contract billing. While this seems straightforward, there are possible disadvantages. If gross margins on early billings are greater than gross margins on later billings, the company may accelerate its tax liabilities. There may also be a cash flow disadvantage, since revenue is recognized prior to col-lection. This can be particularly the case if retentions are recognized when billed, but not collected until after the contract is completed. Choosing the appropriate account-ing method is an important decision. The financial reports are used as a basis for planning and control. The statements are also provided to bonding companies and banks who want to know the financial status of the company. The method of ac-counting for contracts can significantly affect the financial statement presenta-tion. The choices can be very confusing. Consult your certified public accountant early in the process to make an informed decision. It does make a difference.

Margie McClanahan, CPA is president of Wood, Hearn, McClanahan & Co. PLLC, a public accounting firm in Dallas. The firm primarily provides financial audits and tax preparation for business and non-profit en-tities. McClanahan is also the 2006-07 chairman of the Dallas CPA Society. You may reach her at (972) 380-5700 or [email protected]. –mdo


The hidden deadline for filingyour lien on retainageby Irina Visan

Central Houston713–865–7770

Azle817- 444-3215

Austin Springdale512–928–1110

Downtown Ft. Worth817–336–0451

Plano972–309–0521

Granbury817–579–9511

MORRISON SUPPLY COMPANY

Serving your family for over 80 years

www.morsco.com

Plumbing Supplies • Residential / Commercial

Austin Springdale512–928–1110

Austin South512–916–4901

Austin Northwest512–219–8335

Round Rock512–255–2527

Dallas972–466–0002

Plano972–309–0521

Fort Worth817-336-0353

Downtown Ft. Worth817–336–0451

Kitchen & Bath Showrooms

Austin Ryan512–302–3575

Ft. Worth817–335–2291

Electrical

South Houston713–947–1245

Pipe/Valves/Fittings Utilities

South Fort Worth817–924–3385

Sherman903-893-6541

Waxahachie469-280-0004

Rockwall469-433-0002

Burleson817-295-2253

Weatherford817–599–9447

Granbury817–579–9511

South Houston713–947–2500


Conroe936–756–3393

Stafford281–499–3299

San Antonio210–344–4436

New Braunfels830–620–0771

Seguin830-386-0626

Azle817-444-3215

Downtown San Antonio210–212–5410

Kerrville830–895–1550


Conroe936–756–3393

Stafford281–499–3299


Air Conditioning Parts/Supplies

Dallas972-243-8346

Sherman903-868-2571

Conroe936–539–6950

Carrollton972–242–0202

Houston713–554–8500


Seguin830-386-0626

Azle817- 444-3215

San Antonio210-892-0199

Austin512-646-4399

On commercial, private projects, a subcontractor must comply with numerous statutory require-

ments to perfect a lien on retainage. Chapter 53 of the Texas Property Code permits a construction subcontrac-tor to claim a lien on funds retained by the owner if the subcontractor sends the required notices in the time

and manner required, and files an affidavit claiming a lien not later than the 30 th day after the work is completed. The Texas Property Code also requires owners to retain either “10 percent of the contract price of the work to the owner“ or “10 percent of the value of the work … using the contract price or, if there is no contract price, using the reasonable value of the completed work” for “30 days after the work is completed.” The purpose of these retained funds is to “secure payment of artisans and mechanics who perform labor or service” by the owner. Thus, the period during which a claim-ant must file a lien on retainage is the same period that an owner must withhold re-tainage. Consequently, it is in the best interest of all construction participants to know when the thirty-day period expires. It is important to the owner because after the expiration of the thirty days, the owner can then release the remaining funds. It is also crucial to the general contractor so that it can budget for its final payment to its gen-eral contractor. Finally, it is important to the claimant so that it can file the lien on re-tainage, if necessary, before that date.

To determine when the thirty-day period ends, we look to the statutory definitions of “work” and “completion” of an original contract. The Property Code provides that “completion” of an original contract means the actual completion of the work, including any extras or change orders reasonably contemplated under the original contract. The “original con-tract” means the general contractor’s contract directly with the owner. “Work” is defined as “any part of construction or repair performed under an original con-tract.” Although the law seems to give subcontractors a clear deadline for filing their lien on retainage, there are circum-stances when this deadline can set a trap, which if not detected can make a filed lien affidavit as to retainage untimely. One such circumstance is when the gen-eral contractor on a project is terminated or when the general contractor aban-dons the project. Texas courts have held that work is completed when the requirements of the initial original contract are finished, ei-ther by the first general contractor or by subsequent general contractors. Texas courts state that work must be defined in relation to a particular original contract, and the work under that original contract is completed when the contract is termi-nated or when the general contractor abandons the project. Texas courts have consistently held that when a contract is terminated and the work performed thereunder is terminated or abandoned, the lien on retainage must be filed within thirty days of the original contract’s ter-mination or the general contractor’s abandonment. Thus, a subcontractor must not rely on a visual examination of the worksite to determine whether work has been completed. A subcontractor who views a half-completed project, and assumes that the lien on retainage is not yet due runs the risk that the general con-tract had been terminated and that the affidavit deadline has passed. Thus, to protect their retainage, a prudent sub-contractor should take precautions and file the lien on retainage within thirty days of completing their own work. Do-

ing so would protect their retainage even in the case in which the general contract has been terminated or abandoned. In addition, another way in which the sub-contractor can protect itself is by sending a lien notice letter to the general contrac-tor and owner prior to the general con-tractor’s abandonment or termination of the original contract. Sending this lien notice letter statutorily obligates the owner to notify the subcontractor when the project is complete, abandoned or terminated. In conclusion, to protect your retain-age, it is important that subcontractors determine when the original contract is terminated or abandoned. It is also im-portant that subcontractors also comply with all notice requirements of Chapter 53 Texas Property Code. Since Texas lien law is one of the most complicated in the country, it is crucial that subcontractors, with the help of their attorneys, set up a system within their organization which helps them automatically comply with these statutory requirements to secure payment on both retainage and progress payments.

Irina Visan was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1978. She earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University in 2003. Her practice focuses on construction and com-mercial litigation. She joined Thomas, Feld-man & Wilshusen, LLP in 2006, and may be reached at (214) 369-3008. –mdo

Work zone traffic safety by Joann Natarajan

[email protected]

Workers being struck by vehicles or mobile equip-ment lead to many fatal work zone injuries. Texas

typically has a high number of work zone fatalities. In 2005, 151 construction workers and three maintenance workers were killed in construction work zones. April 2 - 6 is National Work Zone Safety Week, which is used to raise awareness of the hazards present in highway work zones. Highway, road, street, bridge, tunnel, utility, and

other workers for the highway infrastructure are exposed to hazards from outside and inside the work zone. Falls, electrical, struck-by, and caught between are the common hazards found in this type of work. Guidance for the set-up of work zone signs, barri-cades, flagging, etc. are found in the Department of Transportation’s “Manual on Uni-form Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).” The MUTCD is referenced in 1926 Subpart G.

Work zones need traffic controls identified by signs, cones, barrels and barriers. Drivers, workers on foot, and pedes-trians must be able to see and understand the proper routes. Construction project managers determine traffic control plans within construction/demolition work-sites. Traffic control devices, signals, and message boards instruct drivers to follow paths away from where work is being done. Approved traffic control devices, in-cluding cones, barrels, barricades, and delineator posts, are also used inside work zones. Work Zone Protections: Various con-crete, water, sand, collapsible barriers, crash cushions, and truck-mounted at-tenuators can help limit motorist intru-sions into construction work zones. Flagging: Flaggers should wear high visibility clothing with a fluorescent back-ground and made of retro-reflective ma-terial. This makes workers visible for at least 1,000 feet in any direction. Check the label or packaging to ensure that the garments are performance class 2 or 3. Drivers should be warned with signs that there will be flaggers ahead. Flaggers should use STOP/SLOW paddles, paddles with lights, or flags (only in emergencies.)

Lighting: Flagger stations should be illuminated. Lighting for workers on foot and for equipment operators should be at least 5 foot-candles or greater. Where available lighting is not sufficient, flares or chemical lighting should be used. Glare should be controlled or eliminated. Training: Flaggers must be trained/certified and use authorized signaling methods. Driving: Seat belts and rollover pro-tection should be used on equipment and vehicles as the manufacturer recom-mends. Worker fatalities that occur in con-struction work zones are required to be reported to OSHA within 8 hours. If a worker fatality occurs, contact the near-est OSHA office. If the fatality occurs af-ter business hours, call the 1-800-321-OSHA hotline number to report the fatal-ity. A number of web sites are available for those seeking additional informa-tion: http://wzsafety.tamu.eduhttp://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/index.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/doc/highway_workzones/index.html

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Bright ideasConstruction News ON LOCATION

Terry Adam and Mikel Siegmund beam for business at Texas Light Bulb & Supply on Southlake Blvd. –mdo

The best at Fast-TrackThe Great Wolf Lodge and Water Park in Grapevine,

for Turner Construction,is an example of how Urban Concrete meetsthe demands of a high-pressure challenge.

Tower started September 25and topped out March 15.

“Since the earliest days of civiliza-tion, people have depended upon surveyors to resolve ques-

tions of land boundaries and to provide the framework for the building of the in-frastructure upon which the develop-ment of mankind has ridden,” said Doug Loveday, communication director, Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS). “Two hundred years ago, leaders of this nation, such as George Washing-ton and Thomas Jefferson, served their fellow colonists, and later citizens, as sur-veyors. They set the standard for dili-gence, service and ethics, which still guides the efforts of surveyors today.” TSPS has declared Mar. 18-24 Texas Surveyors Week, in conjunction with Na-tional Surveyors Week as designated by the National Society of Professional Surveyors. “The purpose of Texas Surveyors Week is to educate and inform the public of the integral role surveyors play in our society, as well as to focus on the need for continuing education and training for Texas surveyors,” Loveday said. This year, TSPS-Dallas Chapter 5 provided a month-long display at Gar-land Nicholson Library in celebration of the profession. –mdo

Surveying the past

TSPSP displays memorabilia of the surveying profession at Garland Nicholson Library.

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Marsha Woods takes care of accounting and human resources for Lightning Components Corp. The Grapevine-based business supplies Class-C components and related services. –mdo

Greased lightnin’Construction News ON LOCATION


A major milestone was met on March 19, when a topping out function was held at the new Great Wolf

Lodge and Water Park in Grapevine. Turn-er Construction and Urban Concrete Contractors had plenty to celebrate. The ceremonial tree was lifted by the tower crane to a prominent position on the ninth floor level for all to see. Below in the building core Urban, who spon-sored the event, provided a barbecue lunch for all the construction personnel from all trades, which numbered over 400 that day. Brett Baker, project manager for Ur-ban, was excited with the day’s events since the fast-track project will be over for them soon. “We wanted to have a topping out party for all the construction crews on the job. We have finished up all the ele-

Way up in the air

L-R: Bill Tate, James Glass, Ronnie Urbanczyk, Billy Cantrell,Brett Baker, Ian Smith, Chris Boyd, Brian Urbanczyk.

400+ hungry people

vated work and we will be complete with our portion of the work in the next two weeks. We started our work at the end of September.” Bill Tate, Turner superintendent on the 350,000-sf hotel portion of project, was also happy with the day. “It has been a good project. We got a little behind due to the bad weather, but it was a fast-track project with no ma-jor issues. Over all, it has been a good project.” James Glass, the Turner superinten-dent over the water park, said the con-crete company jumped right in and had a proactive attitude about it. The project may have more to come. The owners are looking to possibly ex-pand the project but no time frame has been decided. It could add an additional 200 rooms. -bd

Family-owned Fox Rental in Grapevine has served the Metroplex for over 30 years. The company also has locations in Fort Worth and Euless. L-R: Nick Vester, Dwayne Golden, Linda Land and Hayden Tice –bd

On the slyConstruction News ON LOCATION


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Since the start of the New Year, I have been noticing an increase in anglers wade fishing. Granted, this is the

time of year where wading can be a defi-nite advantage in searching for Trophy class fish. Wading allows the angler to concentrate on an area of water and structure with stealth-like ability that is not possible from a boat. If you’ve been on the water lately, you certainly had to notice all the boats along the shores of the Upper Laguna Madre (ULM) and Baf-fin Bay. These folks in search of Trophy Trout know what improves your odds for putting a trophy on the wall. When wading, please exercise ex-treme caution. Often, water tempera-tures are in the upper 40- to 70-degree range. If you’re wading soft mud or in the rocks in Baffin Bay, you can loose your balance, causing you to fall and fill your waders with cold water –possibly getting hypothermia. Take things very slow, and be sure of your next step be-fore you commit your weight to your lead foot. Weather conditions should carefully be considered before venturing out on a wading trip. Changing weather conditions can develop very quickly and can catch you off guard and possibly far from the boat. Determine not where you should fish, but rather where you shouldn’t fish. Key on protected shore-lines and structure that you know might hold baitfish and have reasonably clear

Wade fishing . . .More popular than ever

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water. Observations like these will defi-nitely improve your odds in landing the big one. When wade fishing, look be-yond what’s immediately apparent. Con-stantly inspect both the surface and the bottom. Keep your eyes peeled for jump-ing mullet, shrimp and nervous water. Slick spots appearing on the water’s sur-face are sure signs of feeding fish. When

Wading paid off for Michael and Cheryl Rodriguez of San Antonio while fishing Nighthawk Bay in the Upper Laguna Madre. Photo by Capt. Steve Schultz, Baffin Bay Charters.

Wade fishing is not just for men anymore. Cheryl Holt Rodriguez poses with another Redfish during an outing with Capt. Steve

Schultz, Baffin Bay Charters.

people read a book, many of them need a pair of reading glasses. The same goes for reading the water. A good pair of po-larized sunglasses by Maui Jim or Costa Del Mar is a must for water penetration and contrast. A good pair of these glass-es can cost anywhere from $70 to $200, so take care of them. Springtime can be tricky to locate

fish but, with a little knowledge of fish habits, you can eliminate a lot of water and narrow down the areas in which you want to fish. Most of my wading areas are on the south shore of Baffin Bay, the rocks around Cathead and East Kleberg Point, the King Ranch Shoreline and the East Shore from Bird Island to Baffin. When you decide on an area to fish, give it time. I sometimes see a fisherman pull into an area to fish, get out of his boat and then, if he is not catching anything in a short while, he will get back into his boat and leave to try another area. It’s important to fish an area thoroughly. Don’t give up too easily. Now booking the months of Sep-tember and October. Don’t hesitate to call and see if there is a date that fits your schedule. If you would like to plan a fish-ing trip, feel free to call me at (888) 724-FISH. Good luck and Good Fishing.

Birds of a feather fly togetherKevin Thompson, K. Thompson Electric Inc. shares his passion for things that fly with Construction News. –mdo

Thompson, ready to fly off toa business meeting in East Texas

Thompson flies over Lake Tawakoni in northeast Texas.

K. Thompson Electric treats employees, customers and friendsto pheasant hunting in West Texas.

Pheasant heaven


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At this writing, the dust is just beginning to settle around here from all the fracas of spring break.

Guess what? We seem to be seeing a new trend in our Spring Break crowd. Spring Break has managed to get itself a pretty rough reputation over the years. It started out as a nice reprieve from school during the milder weather of spring, just before the hard push toward the end of school and final exams. Over the years, though, it was becoming more well known for hoards of kids and young adults basically running amok and often finding trouble while looking for fun. This year, all the folks we had took advantage of the school holidays - we noticed a definite difference. We had at least half of our chartered trips during Spring Break consist of family groups. While family groups are common, these were often far-flung family members coming in from out of state to be together for Spring Break. Adult brothers and sisters from all over the country would load up the kids and get together for a fishing trip instead of just turning the kids loose for spring break. What a great idea! Think about this for a minute - families getting a chance to spend some recreational time together. Imagine getting to know each other outside the usual family setting of weddings, funerals and stuffy holidays where you have to dress up and endure cheek-pinching from little old ladies. It gives the kids a chance to really get know their aunts, uncles and cousins and understand that they are part of larger family that’s fun to be around! They might even figure out where they got their nose from! Wouldn’t it be nice if Spring Break could become like Thanksgiving with fishing hooks or ski poles or hiking boots! Probably the best thing about this new trend is that kids benefit from having their horizons broadened. Think about those kids a few years down the road when peer pressure is trying to tell them

the “only” way to spend Spring Break is away from home and family at a week- long drunken party with strangers. If they know there are all kinds of fun things to do outdoors in their free time, then they might realize they have other options. I always say, “If you teach your kids to fish and hunt, you won’t be hunting for your kids!” It doesn’t hurt us grownups to broaden our horizons either. The other day I had a fellow on my boat that caught his very first fish. He was overjoyed! He had never had so much fun. The only sad part was that he hadn’t been fishing before and had wasted fifty or so perfectly good years when he could have been fishing! This new way of enjoying Spring Break is very encouraging to me. Anytime I see parents spending time with their children in the outdoors I feel proud. There are so many lessons that we

Changing traditions

can learn in the natural world that can’t be learned any other place. Even after getting a nasty pinch from the level-wind on your reel, you can go on to catch a bunch of fish. If the weather’s dreary and it starts to mist, just pull up your hood and keep fishing - it’ll pass. Simple lessons

like perseverance are better learned by doing than preaching. Thank you to all you Moms and Dads out there for making the effort to make Spring Break count. I think you are on the right track!

If it looks like a duck…

Mack Powers, eLink Systems, L.L.C., enjoys his favorite pastime near the Texas/Oklahoma border with friends, Garrett and Greg Master. –mdo


The stage is set. In the dark, candles create a romantic glow on the tree-lined deck of the Hettenbach resi-

dence in old Carrollton. All is calm, for the moment. Suddenly, a bandit face appears from beneath the house, followed by another, and another. At once there are 12 of the masked, critters vying for attention, along with several cats and the occasional possum or skunk. Mark Hettenbach, lead scenery car-penter at Dallas Stage Scenery, and wife, Karen, are quite comfortable with the nightly visitors, now. Twelve is a man-ageable number, compared to the 27 or 28 that would frequent in the past. “When company comes to visit, the first thing they ask is, ‘Are the raccoons coming out?’ I’d say, ‘Wait until the sun goes down and they’ll be out.’ It doesn’t matter if there are 12 people sitting out-side, you’ll see little heads popping up from under the deck,” Mark noted. Although Mark has owned the old house in the Carrollton Historic District for over 30 years, the raccoon parade started about 14 years ago during reno-vation to the screened-in porch.

Stage right: enter raccoon # 1

After working on the porch project, he and a neighbor would build a fire out-side and watch television. At the time, Mark and Karen had several cats and would set cans of food out for them. “One evening I heard something coming through the yard and turned, and there was a raccoon. We sat perfect-ly still and it walked under my chair and between my legs, not knowing I was hu-man. After that we started putting food out for the raccoon and it would eat it and take a nap,” said Mark. “I don’t know how they got connect-ed to Travelocity, but he told friends and we had more show up over the years. “We sprinkle food on the deck and they come out of the woodwork. They are so tame you can hold the cup down and they will take food right out of the cup.” The Hettenbachs have a healthy re-spect for the animals, preferring to inter-act from afar. “We love them. They are so enter-taining – but they are wild animals. In the springtime we always wait for the first evening when the moms bring the ba-bies out. They are not afraid of humans at that point. Karen has had the babies come up and touch her.”

“I’m sure they go back under the deck and say to the others, ‘I just touched a human! You wanna smell my hand?’” said Karen. Of course, wherever there are wild animals, there can be problem situations, like when the raccoons learned to open the windows by lifting them up just like a person. Mark eventually had to install pins in the windows to keep out unwant-ed nightly intruders. One night, while Mark and Karen were away, a dozen or so masked bandits entered through an open window and pilfered a 25-lb bag of cat food. “We opened the door and it was like the Keystone Cops, frozen in time, just looking at us. Then there was panic. All 12 were trying to get through us and out the window,” Karen recalled. After the raccoons scattered, a mountain of cat food remained on the kitchen floor. After the incident, cat food was placed in sealed plastic containers. They switched to dry food after an-other incident. They used to feed the cats out of open cans placed intermit-tently on the deck. The cans would dis-appear. Mark had to go under the pier-and-beam house to do some work and

discovered a cache of clean cans, carried beneath by the raccoons. Aside from the raccoon haven, the old house was a teaching tool for Mark. “I read the Time Life book on wiring. Then I stripped all the wiring out of the house and rewired it. That’s how I learned to do electrical. A lot of what I learned about construction I tried on my house, first. You learn 90 percent the first time you do something and tweak it over the years.” Mark is also a general contractor and started his company, Master Works, 30 years ago. At Dallas Stage Scenery he builds sets for the Dallas Summer Musi-cals, trade shows and conventions (also known as corporate theater). With 14 years in theatrical construction, he re-cently completed one of the most diffi-cult projects – the 3-story set of Mary Queen of Scots for the Dallas Opera. “It’s actually more difficult than building a house, because in a house you put it up one time. This project has to be built to go together and come apart, but made to look like you built it to stay.” Mark is starting another construction project – a new garage/studio. He’s not sure what new wildlife that project will attract! –kf

Mark and Karen

Brian Thompson, Ridgemont Con-struction, and fellow Lake City An-gler teammates reeled in the win-

nings at the Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Na-tion Texas State Fishing Tournament, held Mar. 11-17 at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, TX. Fifty teams of six men participated in the tournament. “Winners move to divi-sionals,” Thompson said, “which puts you one step closer to fishing with the pros of bass masters well-known on TV.” Thompson finished first in the north-east region and third overall, which quali-fies him to compete in June at Ross Bar-nett Reservoir in Jackson, MS. The team finished second with a three-day com-bined weight of 227.67 lbs., allowing them to move on to the national team championship next year. The team also won fifth place overall. Thanks to Irving-based Ridgemont Construction, who funded the Lake City Angler’s participation, winnings will al-low members to hold an event called Casting for Kids. “We put on fishing

Reeling revelry

events, actual tournaments and also classes to teach them how to fish,” Thompson said. “We do it for handi-capped children and just run-of-the-mill children from ages 3 to 16.


Brian Thompson with a total five-fish weight of 28.24 lbs. for the day


Top names in politics, government and finance visited San Antonio for the Associated General

Contractors of America’s (AGC) 88th Annual Convention Mar. 21-24. Hosted by the San Antonio Chapter of AGC at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the convention featured the Constructor Expo 2007, awards presentations, seminars, parties and special events. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich addressed a 1,000-plus audience at the opening session Mar. 22, with political analysis related to the economy and immigration reform. His unique proposal for identifying illegal immigrants drew humorous reaction from the crowd.

“How many of you have gone on line and followed a package at UPS or FedX? Over half of you – so this is not a theory. You can literally go on line and track a package from New York to Washington, and for $9.95, not only will they carry the package, they tell you where it is. “As you know, the federal government is currently incapable of finding between 11 and 13 million illegal immigrants. One of my proposals is that we spend $200 million and send all of them packages and track them with UPS or FedX, and in 48 hours we’ll know where everybody is.” Gingrich suggested other commercial-world solutions for government problems, also injecting humor. Other convention speakers

Hola AGC National and friendsincluded U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Guitierrez, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, and AGC’s Chief Economist Ken Simonson. Special sessions featured information about green building, emerging technologies and AGC funding. The AON Build America Awards Dinner honored projects from across the country from every area of general contracting. The Bill Ratz Memorial Golf Tournament Mar. 24 at the Quarry Golf Club completed the convention. -kf



Ethan Guhl handles sales and design for Mid-City Custom Pools, Inc. Other services include spas, fountains and waterfalls. –mdo

Cool poolsConstruction News ON LOCATION

Members of the Dallas-Fort Worth Mid-Cities Chapter of the Texas Society of Profes-

sional Engineers (TSPE) gathered Feb. 22 to recognize its 2007 Young Engineer of the Year. This year’s recipient, Andy Carter, P.E., has been involved in the design of water, sewer, street, grading and storm drainage improvements with Wier & As-sociates, Inc. for nearly 10 years. The Young Engineer Award was es-tablished by the National Society of Pro-

Andy Carter, Wier & Associates, Inc. receives the 2007 Young Engineer Award.

Engineering for the future

fessional Engineers (NSPE) in 1970 to recognize the most outstanding engi-neer in the U.S. TSPE established its own award the same year and receives its nominations from across the state. The award seeks to acknowledge technical ability, professional achievements civic and humanitarian activities. Attending the awards banquet were fellow members and engineers, as well as winners of Mathcounts – a problem solv-ing competition designed for 7th and 8th grade students. –mdo

BestApril Fool’s joke

Lone Star lawnsConstruction News ON LOCATION

Irrigation specialist Gary Boedeker, YTL, Inc. visits with Construction News. The lawn company provides landscape design and irrigation installation, as well as cedar decks, night scaping and maintenance for both residential and commer-cial sectors. –mdo

I had a girlfriend and we were both quite young. She thought it would be funny to tell me we were going to become par-ents. After watching me sweat bullets, she “fessed up” and admitted that it was an April fool’s joke. YIKES! Anonymous, GeoShack

Last year my young son thought it would be funny to tell me the toilet was stuffed up. Thinking the worst, I ran with plunger in hand to check out the damage. Thank goodness there was none – April fool’s joke on dear old dad.

Bubba Fearka, Hoss Equipment

Gosh, I’d like to help you but all our prank-sters are out of the office diligently work-ing on company projects. Ha, ha, joke’s on Construction News!

Susana Ramirez, K Post Company

Although our main office is in the DFW area, one of our crews was working on a private home in Tennessee. The most se-rious crew member called me in Dallas to report that a saw had caught fire inside the house they were working on. I imme-diately called the homeowner very apol-ogetic and ready to take full responsibili-ty for damages. He mentioned that the crew was smarter than me in remember-ing that it was April 1. EVEN THE HOME-OWNER WAS IN ON IT!

Steve Burch, 4 Any Construction

Construction Zone, in conjunction with the Entrepreneur Expo, took place Mar. 16 at the Fort Worth

Convention Center. The purpose behind the Expo is to bring men and women together who want to increase profitability in their businesses. Construction Zone, now in its fifth year, brought in over 200 participants out of some 2,000 in attendance overall, ac-cording to Katrina Keyes, event coordi-nator with K Strategies Group.

Exhibitors included: DFW Movers & Erectors, Elrich Energy Savings Homes, Turner Construction, Austin Commer-cial, Triune, S&J Electric, TDIndusties, Hispanic Contractors Association (HCA), Black Contractors Association (BCA), National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Contractors Development Alliance, Eagle Construc-tion, Irving Air Systems, Morning Air Systems, and Mudbug Irrigation. –mdo

In the zone

Vince Fidzie, Triune, and Katrina Keyes Home Upgrades


Architecture and DesignThisMonth

Building up, manpower down

Interview with

Craig S. Reynolds, FAIA, principalBrown Reynolds Watford ArchitectsDallas, TX

Interview with

Betsy del Monte, principalThe Beck GroupDallas, TX

Betsy del Monte, current president of the Dallas Chap-ter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA),

serves as a principal of Beck’s architectural division. Not solely an architecture firm or a general contractor, the Beck Group practices what del Monte refers to as an in-tegrated project delivery system, whereby associates

educated in different disciplines, such as architecture and construction management, are cross-trained in all aspects of a project from inception to completion. To maintain its understanding of the industry, the firm also handles both independent construc-tion and architecture projects.

Del Monte sees several trends affect-ing the architectural landscape at pres-ent, with sustainability at the forefront. “The biggest trend I think that is af-fecting every one of our project types is the sustainability movement,” she said. “We have found that everywhere we turn, owners are either wanting us to do it, wanting to find out more about it, or else they’re scared about what happens if

they don’t talk about it.” What was once a niche market has evolved into more mainstream practice, she says, and Beck now approaches each project with a base case of sustainable guidelines, which can be modified to meet LEED specifications if a client so desires. “Large corporate clients are finding that if they don’t address it, they’re be-hind the game. Some developers have

told me they feel like buildings that are built now without the emphasis on sus-tainability will be severely undervalued in five years compared to buildings that are built with those things in mind.” And it’s actually more cost effective in the long run, she says, with some mea-sures such as deciding where to place a building on a site being free. “Anytime you want to be cutting edge on something, it’s going to cost more. But now that implementing sus-tainable practices has become more commonly accepted and expected, things like paints and sealants that don’t have a high VOC content are less expen-sive. The increased demand gives them competitive pricing. “I maintain that any high-quality project can achieve LEED certification with virtually no increase to the construc-tion cost. If designed from the begin-ning, there are enough things you can do to get those points which have either no premium to the upfront cost or they are something that pays back rapidly.” It basically comes down to knowledge and educating people on sustainability,

according to del Monte. “Sustainable practices are really just best practices. It’s not exotic; it’s just putting in place the best things we already know how to do. “The ultimate dream, I think, of the LEED program, would be to make itself obsolete, so that in the future, all build-ings are built this way. So, it’s not a special construction; it’s how things are done.” Another issue impacting the industry, says Del Monte, is the acceleration of con-struction costs, which is driven to a large degree by China’s surge in development, as well as the instability of fuel prices. “While a lot of things have moved forward, and business in general is good, I think there is a lot of struggle with orga-nizations coming to terms with what con-struction really costs now. Whenever en-ergy costs go up, everything that uses energy goes up. Even when fuel prices drop, the cost of construction materials doesn’t seem to. The sum total provides a shock, which makes planning for organi-zations and institutions very difficult. “Healthcare and education seem to be, from our viewpoint, project types that are accelerating,” she said. -mdo

Interview with

J. Mark Wolf, principalJames, Harwick+Partners, Inc.Dallas, TX

Mark Wolf has been with James, Harwick+Partners, Inc. since 1988 and served as a principal with the

firm since 1992. The firm’s project types are primarily housing and commercial with the bulk of its work deal-ing in what Wolf refers to as mixed-use or urban infill.

Escalating pricing is at the top of in-dustry concerns, according to Wolf. “You can’t talk about the industry right now without talking about con-struction costs,” he said. “The trend we’re seeing can be cyclical, but going forward we’re going to see elevated construction costs. “I think they’re going to remain at a sustained higher level, so that’s going to be something to grapple with. “We’ve experienced so much in-creased cost the past two to three years that I think there’s a new higher thresh-old. You can’t expect all this to drop back to 2003-2004 levels. That seems unlikely,

so I think we’ve made a shift and we’ll have to learn how to deal with it, and de-velopers and owners will ultimately ad-just their pro formas accordingly.“ Increased costs have done little to deter development, however, and the impact of booming construction in the Metroplex is two-fold. Firms across the area are attracting more business, it seems, than they can handle, which would be a nice problem to have if a workforce were in place to accommodate the demand. But with the local architec-tural industry already at 100 percent em-ployment, and a disproportionate num-ber of new architects entering the field,

firms are either turning work away or out-sourcing to other firms either nationally or abroad, according to Wolf. “It’s enabled by the Internet, so it re-ally doesn’t matter where someone is,” he said. “It could be around the country or it could be overseas. So, the outsourcing phenomenon you see in other profes-sions has certainly come to architecture. “Everyone is extremely busy, so it’s perhaps less competitive, but it’s also dif-ficult for firms to manpower their jobs ap-propriately,” he said. “Few of us have enough staff. “Our profession is busy coast to coast, so the inability to find enough qualified help seems to be across the board. There’s just that much going on. There’ll still be some building types that slow down, like some firms involved in educational facilities might be between bond programs. But what I’m sensing is that firms, when slower are just slipping back to a normal pace. They’re not neces-sarily slow, just less overwhelmed.” The shortage of manpower in the in-dustry is partially due to attrition, Wolf says. “People are retiring, dying, or going into the allied professions. “We don’t appear to be reloading

quick enough, particularly when we’re in a full economy. It parallels the demo-graphic trend you’re seeing across the country. By the time you get to 2009, 2010, 2011, when more and more baby boomers are retiring, the question is, will our profession reload quickly enough.” Wolf adds that demographers indi-cate a large bubble of students are head-ing into higher education, but what ef-fect it will bear on the current shortage of architects remains to be seen. In the meantime, construction bar-rels ahead, with the revitalization of cities and first-ring suburbs at the forefront. “Clearly, the urban project has be-come more prevalent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Wolf says. “There’s still lots of growth in the suburbs, but you’re see-ing further infill in Dallas and Fort Worth. That’s a shift, but of course the cities wel-come the redevelopment. “I think redevelopment is a key right now, and Dallas and Fort Worth are both embracing redevelopment, so that’s cre-ating quite a bit of opportunity. At this point, if anything slows us down, it will be further cost escalation. It doesn’t ap-pear we are dramatically overbuilding. –mdo

Craig Reynolds, FAIA, is a managing principal with Brown Reynolds Watford Architects. His primary cli-

ent focus within the firm includes education as well as unique recreational markets. Current projects include the Trinity River Audubon Center and the Texas Horse Park, both for the City of Dallas.

Reynolds speaks with a sense of pride about how he as an architect is able to contribute to enhancing and improv-ing the quality of life within the Metro-plex. Design, he says, goes beyond the structure itself. “It’s the project, but at the same time it’s what it’s going to mean to each resi-dent here in Dallas,” he said. “It’s about trying to improve what the entire city is about to further enhance our lives. There’s a certain vitality and energy that is emanating from Dallas that really

speaks to itself in that regard.” In addition to the ongoing growth in the healthcare industry, Reynolds antici-pates a similar surge in the building of higher education and K-12 facilities in or-der to keep pace with the housing boom of the past 10 years. Particularly unique to Dallas, Reynolds says, is the amount of public work that continues in the area. “That’s everything from the immense amount of work that’s going on in our arts district with significant buildings be-ing constructed, to Trinity redevelop-

ment, a billion-dollar-plus program fund-ed by local, state, federal and private en-tities. And our continuation of light rail expansion in Dallas – what a success that has been. We’ve only touched on the possibilities of what development can occur along the river and rails once the infrastructure has been completed.” Lack of manpower presents the big-gest challenge in bringing the demand for development to fruition, according to Reynolds. “Many architecture and engi-neering firms are having to conscien-tiously turn away good projects simply because they do not have the resources to produce the work, which is a great problem to have. At the same time, many firms are outsourcing their work to other parts of the world. “Possibly we’re not doing a good enough job, as a profession, recruiting younger people and having younger people understand what the value of ar-chitecture is and what a fulfilling career it can be,” he said. “That’s the reason a

number of firms in town are saying ‘I could hire 10 people tomorrow if I could find them’. But they just aren’t out there. “What’s driving the need is the con-tinued increase in population. The more it increases – not only in our region but in the world – there’s just that many more facilities that have to be built in order to take care of housing those people and providing the services those people need. Infrastructure obviously cannot stay stagnant during that time. It has to grow with the population.” This is especially the case in Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the faster growing ar-eas in the country, Reynolds notes. “We’ve seen a surge since the early ‘90s when the area’s economy turned com-pletely around. Activity slowed around the first of this decade, but again after that, development took off and contin-ues to this day. We hear about a slowing



Architecture and Design

Submitted by

RK Stewart, FAIA, presidentAmerican Institute of ArchitectsWashington, DC

Design and construction industryattacking challenge on a global scale

We all want to predict the future. While it’s hard to do, there are some tools that give us a glimpse of

what may happen. One such tool is the American Insti-tute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Billings Index (ABI). Evaluated on a monthly basis by AIA, the Index has proven to be a very reliable predictor of construction activity approximately nine to twelve months ahead. It currently indicates that the nonresi-dential construction industry is very healthy, with a high level of activity expected to run beyond 2007. When we consider that 75 percent of the built environment in the U.S. will be new or significantly renovated by the year 2035, architects and the build-ing industry have an incredible opportunity to change the planet’s history because of the tremendous impact buildings have on climate change. While the scientific evi-dence, such as the United Nation’s INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE report published in February 2007, the influences on climate change are many but clearly result from human habitation of the planet. Quite simply, buildings consume nearly three-quarters of all electricity generated at U.S. power plants, natural gas and coal fired power plants, that contribute nearly half of America’s green house gas emis-sions and driving climate change. Add to that fact an understanding U.S. energy con-sumption is expected to increase by 37 percent over the next 20 years, a significant part of the expected annual global energy consumption jump of 54 percent.

These predictions should serve as alarm bells for the design and construc-tion industry. At the same time those facts should give us hope that our indus-try can play a significant role in avoiding catastrophic events that are likely should we continue “business as usual”. Consid-ering that nonresidential buildings last an average of 75 years, the time is now to act to change our course and start mak-ing significant reductions in the amount of fossil fuel-generated energy our na-tion consumes through its buildings. To that end, the AIA has taken a position on architectural practice that includes a call

for the immediate energy reduction in the design, construction and operation of all new and renovated buildings to one-half the national average for that building type. We don’t stop there, call-ing for increased reductions of ten per-cent every five years so that all buildings designed by the year 2030 will be carbon neutral – meaning that they will not in-crease carbon emissions as a result of their creation and use. This effort will take our industry form “business as usual” to “business for the future”. In order to achieve demonstrable re-sults from this initiative, there needs to

be an industry-wide shift in the design, construction and operation of buildings. Obviously there are several moving parts involved and an effort of this magnitude requires true collaboration among all professionals involved at every stage. In order to overcome long-standing problems resulting from industry frag-mentation, irregular communication among professionals, an emphasis on short term / first cost decision, failure to integrate operation / maintenance issues into the design process and out-dated business models, the AIA has joined with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) to form a collaborative working group known as the “3xPT Strategy Group.” The mission is straightforward: To promote efforts across traditional in-dustry boundaries that foster the use of Integrated Practice project delivery mod-els, models that may include Building In-formation Modeling and other intelligent technologies, by using collaborative ap-proaches to the fullest extent possible to maximize project productivity. The development and implementa-tion of Integrated Practice delivery meth-ods can lead to an unprecedented level of cooperation between building owners / operators, designers and contractors. Today this relationship is in the early stages of development, needing to ex-tend beyond the involvement of the three organizations to other participants in the industry creating our communities and our buildings. We will know this ef-fort is successful when we are part of a transformed and sustainable construc-tion industry, where projects are de-signed, delivered and occupied so they maximize their value at lowest environ-mental cost throughout their useful life.

There are hurdles to be leapt in order to achieve the widespread construction of green buildings; regulatory, legislative, financial issues that inhibit the changes we so clearly need made. There are some encouraging signs that change is possi-ble. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has adopted positions as the AIA and Archi-tecture 2030 have adopted to reduce car-bon emissions from buildings. State and local governments all over the country are doing an admirable job creating in-centives or adopting regulations that ac-celerate the creation of more energy-ef-ficient building designs. In order to assist cities seeking to cre-ate a more livable community with an improved quality of life for its citizens, the AIA has developed a Green Building Tool Kit for use by Mayors nationwide. The Toolkit includes case study examples of innovative city green building pro-grams, sustainable governmental opera-tion opportunities, steps to establish pri-vate sector green building initiatives, and design solutions that improve overall building performance and minimize life-cycle environmental impact and cost. Throughout 2007 the AIA will be provid-ing additional information that expands the Toolkit, making it an invaluable tool for every community. When we have a chance to think about it, Sir Winston Churchill had it about right, paraphrasing his words “First we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” Knowing the impact buildings have on the issues around climate change, how can we as a profession and an indus-try not respond to change the future? Now is the time for us to chose what kind of ancestors we wish to be for future gen-erations who may, or may not, inhabit the Earth. So, what will it be?

RK Stewart is the 2007 president of the American Institute of Architects and a principle at Gensler...Ar-chitecture, Design & Planning Worldwide practicing architecture from the San Francisco office. –mdo

continued from Page 15 — Interview with Craig S. Reynolds

economy nationwide, but not here. Housing starts are down from years past, but anytime you have housing, it’s fol-lowed by retail, schools and government structures. And those things are usually three, four years, maybe even longer, be-hind the housing starts; so consequently we still have a long way to go just to catch up with the incredible housing boom and population increases we’ve seen over the past 10 years. “Healthcare is growing constantly, reflected in the number of facilities being constructed, as well as changes in medi-cal technology and integrating the new-est and greatest systems into our older hospitals and healthcare facilities.” Reynolds says current challenges

within the industry require firms to be very selective in taking on projects. “The worst thing we can do is take on too much and be a disservice to our clients.” The challenge, he says, is to recruit more people into the profession, which is perhaps more effectively accomplished through education and an understand-ing of intrinsic satisfaction found in expe-riencing a structure conceived and con-structed. “The steps of being able to visualize and design a structure and how it will im-pact the lives of individuals, and then bring that vision to reality…there’s just an incredible amount of satisfaction that is derived from the process of architec-ture.” –mdo

“Now, bury the crane and we’ll have people wondering for years!”


Architecture and Design

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Submitted by

Frederick Steiner, dean, school of architectureUniversity of Texas at AustinAustin, TX

“Technology and Green Urbanism”

We use technology to improve our surroundings. Throughout the previous century, various tech-

nologies – indoor plumbing, refrigeration, central heat-ing, air conditioning – separated buildings from their

surroundings and resulted in unintended social and environmental consequences. As we attempt to employ technology to control our world – to make rooms warmer or cooler, to keep our food edible longer – we can become disconnected from that world. Technology includes both material objects, like machines, and the ever-expanding body of knowledge that shapes our surroundings. A key challenge faced by those of us engaged in shaping the built environment is how to advance knowledge about material objects that reconnect us to nature so that they don’t pollute, are efficient, and contribute to our happiness.

The design of our built environment matters to us all. Our neighborhoods and work places affect our health, our wel-fare, and our happiness. How we design buildings, roads and rails, parks, and wa-ter and sewer systems determines energy use and greenhouse gas production. In fact, buildings account for nearly 50 per-cent of total energy consumption and produce approximately 46 percent of the greenhouse gases in the U.S. With grow-ing urban populations in Texas, across the nation, and around the world, we will need more roads and parks, homes and offices, and schools and rail lines. We will need to create all these things, even as oil and gas resources be-

come scarcer. We will need to recreate the built environment while ensuring we can feed ourselves, drink clean water, and breathe safe air. We will also need to find ways to dispose of our waste without fouling our nests. This will challenge our resolve and tap all our creative reserves. The future is in our hands. Architecture matters for that future, as does landscape architecture, commu-nity and regional planning, interior de-sign, and historic preservation – all disci-plines we offer in our School of Architec-ture at The University of Texas at Austin. The city of Austin provides an ideal incu-bator for our disciplines; in return, we strive to improve the quality of the city’s

built environment. Through programs such as Austin’s Green Builder and Envision Central Texas, as well as institutions such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Charles Moore Center for the Study of Place, and our School’s Center for Sus-tainable Development, Austin is on the forefront of sustainable design and plan-ning. The city sports increasingly impor-tant, contemporary civic architecture such as Austin’s City Hall, Trustee Hall on the St. Edward’s campus, and the Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Austin boasts impres-sive historic structures like the State Capi-tol and the Main Building on the univer-sity campus, and it offers significant green open spaces such as Zilker Park and the Balcones Canyonland Preserve and National Wildlife Refuge. And the city is offering more and more engaging ur-ban places, such as the new plaza at the Blanton Museum of Art. Austin is a living laboratory for architecture, design cre-ativity, and technological innovation. As participants in the architectural and plan-ning civic dialogue, we contribute to that laboratory, as well. UT-Austin School of Architecture fac-ulty and alumni are responsible for nu-merous buildings and public spaces around Austin. Many are beautiful, and they are increasingly promoting sustain-ability, which includes both environmen-tally friendly technology and social equi-ty. One of the best examples is TeamHaas Architect’s J. J. Pickle Elementary School/St. John Community Center, which

opened in 2001 in East Austin. The combination school and neigh-borhood center required both consider-able inter-governmental cooperation and active community engagement in the planning and design process. The J. J. Pickle Elementary School/St. John Com-munity Center received a grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to en-courage sustainable design. The school makes generous use of natural daylight, as schools did before air conditioning and central heating sealed us off from the outdoors. The project includes rain-water harvesting and employs natural and native materials. The school district and the city of Austin expect overall en-ergy costs will be reduced by 25 percent compared to typical projects, which will result in a $4.5 million savings to the tax-payers over a 25-year period. Perhaps most significantly, school children, teach-ers, and local residents enjoy visiting a beautiful facility to learn, to recreate, and to congregate. As architects and engineers improve building technologies, we should remain mindful of the need to advance city and region scale technologies. A century ago, fewer than one in 10 people in the world lived in urban areas. Now, at the begin-ning of this new century, city dwellers outnumber the rural population. The proportion of us living in urban regions is expected to continue to increase. As a re-sult, we need to expand our technologi-cal knowledge to shape greener, more sustainable, metropolitan regions.

Frederick Steiner is the dean of the School of Architecture and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. –mdo

Submitted by

Jeromy G. Murphy, presidentTexas Registered Accessibility Specialists Association(TRASA)Houston, TX

Third party code review: Is this our future?

The architect’s nemesis – the code offi-cial. The developer’s stumbling block

– the permit office. Architects, Contractors and Owners have a growing list of regulatory agen-cies that require review and inspections. All in the AEC community enjoy the free-dom of construction in unincorporated areas and some even believe that they need not comply with building codes in the absence of a regulatory agency. Here in Texas, the unincorporated areas were essentially lawless until April 1, 1994 when the Texas Accessibility Standards became affective. First fought by the Texas Society of Architects and defended by advocacy groups, the Texas Accessibility Standards is now accepted, if only grudgingly by some, as an effective means of making Texas the most accessible state. Since 1996 the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has per-mitted independent third parties known as Registered Accessibility Specialists (RAS) to provide reviews and inspections of commercial projects for compliance

with the Texas Accessibility Standards. According to David Gonzales, manager, Building & Mechanical Division of TDLR, approximately 95 percent of all reviews are now performed by a RAS and TDLR is shifting more toward enforcement and supervision rather than review and in-spection.

Reliance on third parties for building code regulation is a growing trend. In-surance companies have become more concerned about the buildings they in-sure, especially in coastal regions. More and more lenders are requesting evi-dence of compliance with applicable codes and regulations as a condition of a loan. Building departments are strapped for employees and money. Many are not equipped to handle compliance for the ever-increasing number of new regula-tions and building complexity, particu-larly in rural areas. Many smaller municipalities and some large agencies have chosen to re-quire third party energy code reviews and inspection rather than handle it in-

house. Few building departments ad-dress accessibility for either commercial (TAS) or multi-family residential (Fair Housing Act). In the case of Harris Coun-ty, most of the compliance documenta-tion has been placed on the shoulders of the design professional or, in the absence of a design professional, an independent

third party reviewer or architect. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) mandates a third party review for emergency egress, fire protection, structural integri-ty, life safety, plumbing, energy conser-vation, and mechanical and electrical de-sign for all facilities constructed in areas that do not have an adopted code or re-view and inspection process. TDLR’s Registered Accessibility Spe-cialist program can be an effective model for expanded third party review services in Texas. The benefits of the system are faster review process, fees controlled by com-petition, and reviewers and inspectors scattered across the state without bur-dening the state budget. Additionally, many RASs provide continuing education to their clients and are readily available to answer design questions. Because the process is overseen by TDLR, there is al-ways an appeal available if there is a dis-agreement with an interpretation of the RAS or if a variance is desired.

A primary disadvantage of the sys-tem is that interpretations and styles can vary greatly from one inspector to anoth-er. The result has been that owners have shopped for a RAS that will approve their project. This is mitigated by the profes-sion and by TDLR’s emphasis on auditing the Specialists. It is likely that third party profession-als will provide code compliance review and inspections to a growing segment of the industry. A system such as that devel-oped by TDLR will allow government agencies to keep enforcement while tak-ing advantage of the flexibility, competi-tiveness and education of industry pro-fessionals. This will be of great benefit to the architecture, engineering and con-struction industry.

Jeromy G. Murphy, AIA, is president of the Texas Registered Accessibility Specialists Association, which is dedicated to enhanc-ing accessibility in the built environment throughout Texas and raising the standard for third party accessibility review and in-spection services. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a Masters of Architecture. Murphy is an ICC certified Building Plans Examiner and currently works in Houston as a building code con-sultant. –mdo


GNS now has seven employees, in-cluding two master electricians, and five projects under contract. Its focus is main-ly small commercial – banks, some sight lighting for the City of Dallas, tenant fin-ish and shell building, Gaudin said. “We were lucky to have a lot of contacts. Six months into the business, for us to have a half million dollars of work on the books, that’s a pretty good start for a new com-pany. Our goal is to reach $2 million this year.” The company has since added a 24-hour service department, and Gaudin ex-

pects to increase staff size to 20 this month. “We may get a bigger office be-cause we’re kind of crowded where we are right now.” GNS’ client base remains confined to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. “We like to get our guys home every night so they can be with their families.” Gaudin will take on a family of her own in Oct. when she marries and be-comes a stepmom. The couple will wed on Lake Arlington and honeymoon in Manzanilla, Mexico. “I’m looking forward to that week,” she said. –mdo

continued from Page 1 — Fast start for electrical contractor

the South Tower atop the North Tower parking garage. “When the garage foundations were installed, the condominium tower hadn’t been designed yet,” he said. “So they had to anticipate the loads and the foun-dations. After we were complete with the drilled piers and the foundation walls, we had to bring the drill rig back and put in a few more drilled shafts because the South Tower design had progressed a little bit more and it covered more of the footprint of the garage than had been originally anticipated. “The frame of the actual residences was being built while the interiors and the exterior were still being designed, so the architect and engineer would have to give us dimensions while we were completing the formwork to get the slab edge in the right place. That required a great deal of concentration from the design team and all the contractors. The architect was HKS and they had someone assigned to the job full-time during construction, which helped resolve these issues.

“Another challenge was keeping up with all the Owner upgrades. Each con-dominium buyer would ask for some cus-tomization to their unit, so both Hillwood and McCarthy had full-time personnel as-signed to coordinating this.” Dan Cummings acted as senior proj-ect manager on the site. Also assisting with the project were Kevin Schmok, project manager, and Don Ivy, superintendent. Primary subcontractors include Ar-kansas Precast Corporation; Arrowhead Rebar Co., L.P.; Brandt Engineering; Des-ert Steel Company, Inc.; Elite Fire Protec-tion; Facility Construction Services; George D. Alan Company, Inc.; JMEG, LP; L.H. Land Painting Company, Inc.; Pro-gressive Commercial Aquatics, Inc.; Red Steel Company; Sigma Marble & Granite; Skyline Forming, Inc.; ThyssenKrupp Ele-vator; and Win-Con Enterprises. Irish immigrant Timothy McCarthy founded McCarthy Building Company in 1864. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Mc-Carthy has offices in Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoe-nix, Atlanta, and four in California. –mdo

continued from Page 1 — Victory for McCarthy

“The value to builders is, it saves them a lot of time in that they don’t have to double-enter information. They’re able to track schedules and profitability of their projects easily and save time and money.” eLink System’s clientele includes homebuilders, specialty trade contrac-tors and general contractors, to name a few. Though based solely in Frisco, ser-vice coverage extends to Austin, San An-tonio and Houston, as well as the entire state of Oklahoma. “We’re growing rapidly,” Powers said. “The plans are to expand and put

offices in other key cities within the state of Texas.” Powers and wife, Holly Powers, an attorney in Dallas, have four children. “I stay pretty busy working with clients and chasing kids around to different social and athletic events,” he said. Powers is also involved in church ac-tivities and enjoys duck hunting in the North Texas area when he can find the time. Being cold, wet and miserable is part of the amusement, he says. “It’s fun to be outdoors and hunting with friends, and you can be back before noon.”–mdo

continued from Page 1 — The missing link

AON Grand Award: Kiewit Western Co. – Transportation Expansion (T-Rex) Project, Denver, CO

Build America Award WinnersMunicipal & Utilities New: W.W. Clyde & Co. -- Point of the Mountain Aqueduct Project, Draper, UTHighway New: Granite Construction Co. -- ReTRAC, Reno, NVTarleton Corp. -- MetroLink Facilities 1 – Forest Park – DeBaliviere to Kingsland Ave., St. Louis, MOHighway Renovation: James Construction Group, LLC -- Picardy Ave. Interchange and I-10 Widening and Rehabilitation, Baton Rouge, LAEnvironmental New: Weston Solutions, Inc. -- GE/Housatonic River Site – 1.5 Mile Reach Removal Action, Pittsfield, MAEnvironmental Renovation: Bowen Engineering Corp – Cinergy Gibson Station FGD Project, Owensville, INFederal Heavy New: Clark Construction Group, LLC -- U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters, Washington, DCFederal Heavy Renovation: Barnhart, Inc. -- Barrack Renovations at MCRD San Diego, CADesign-Build New: Alberici Constructors – GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly Complex, Lansing, MIDesign-Build Renovation: Kiewit Western Co. – Transportation Expansion (T-Rex) Project, Denver, COConstruction Management New: Barton Marlow Co. – University of

Virginia, John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VAConstruction Management Renovation: Walsh Brothers, Inc. – Fenway Park State Street Pavilion and EMC Club, Boston MABuilding New ($5 million or less): Zachry Construction Corp. – Zachry Corporate Headquarters Conference and Employment Center, San Antonio, TXBuilding New: Sundt Construction, Inc. & DPR Construction, Inc. – The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZBuilding Renovation: Harbison, Mahony, Higgins Builders, Inc. – Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento, CA

Merit Award WinnersBuilding New: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. – Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Building 18, Atlanta, GABuilding Renovation: Shawmut Design and Construction – Longchamp La Maison Unique and Apple Computer, Inc. 5th Ave. Flagship, New York, NY

Caddell Construction Co., Inc. – Renovations & Upgrades to Terminal C, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TXEnvironmental Renovation: Goel Services, Inc. – Federal Office Building #8 (FOB8), Washington, DCConstruction Management New: Turner Construction Co. – West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ -kf

AON Build America Awards

AGC announced the winners of the AGC/Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards at the Annual

Convention, Mar. 23. The awards program recognizes dedication and innovation to improve workplace safety by making safety company-wide priority. Finalists presented safety programs to a panel of experts during the convention. Of the 34 awards presented, seven Texas-based companies received honors. The Texas companies are:

First Place, Specialty Contractor 100,001– 300,000 work hours:

Peterson Beckner Ind., Inc., HoustonFirst Place, Municipal Division under

100,000 work hours: Tremur Consulting Contractors, Inc.,

Del Valle First Place, Building Division under

100,000 work hours: MDI Inc., General Contractors, Irving

First Place Building Division 700,001–1 million work hours:

Tellepsen Builders, L.P., HoustonSecond Place, Specialty Contractor,

over 1 million work hours: Dynamic Systems, Inc. Austin

Second Place, Building Division, under 100,000 work hours:

Workman Commercial Construction, AustinSecond Place, Building Division, 700,001 – 1 million work hours:

CF Jordan, Dallas -kf

Safety Excellence Awards

continued from Page 13 — AGC National Convention - San Antonio

Bury+Partners-DFW, Inc. is pleased to announce the promotions of Sherrod Bibb, P.E., Thomas Khamooshi, P.E. and Donna McCallum to associates. David DeWeirdt, R.P.L.S. was promoted to vice president, and Robert Pruett, P.E. to senior vice president.

Bibb Khamooshi DeWeirdt Pruett

Round-Up


Job Sights

The framing crew from Dream Construction at a new office building on Highway 26in Grapevine; L-R: Juan, Julio, Enrique, Miguel, Luis and Rene –bd

Jim Martin and Alan Wyatt, JCK Construction, take a moment to pose at the newLA Fitness in Grapevine. My Con is the general contractor. –bd

Turner Construction Company host-ed a barbeque luncheon Mar. 9 to celebrate the recent topping out of

The Metropolitan, located at 1200 Main St. in downtown Dallas. The project entails reconstructing a

Topping out at the Met

Barbecue lunch tops things out

Exterior and garage of the soon-to-be Metropolitan

34-year-old office skyscraper into a 25-story condominium high rise containing 283 units, an adjacent parking garage and 12,000sf of retail space. The building will maintain most of its original frame-work and exterior. –mdo

Be afraid, be very afraid. Center-Point Outsourcing is extremely te-nacious about helping construc-

tion companies grow in the Dallas area. They will stop for nothing…except Mon-golian bears. This Professional Employer Organi-zation (PEO) provides services such as safety consulting, administrative sup-port, benefits administration, payroll and other human resource functions. They say they are unique because their focus always has and always will be in the con-struction industry. According to Regional Sales Manager Quent Johnson, “Most owners start their companies because they are very good at a specific trade – it may be concrete, dry-wall, electrical and so on – but I’ve never met one who started a business to be-come a payroll, human resources or tax expert. We want our clients to focus on the business of their business and not on the regulation of the business.” “Quent and I both got into this busi-ness because we enjoy helping people,” said Sales Manager Mark Mettille. “The

Centered on construction

L-R: Mark Mettille, Jerry Sanchez, Quent Johnson

fun part for me is going out and meeting business owners, learning about their company, and seeing them grow and succeed.” Mettille plans to wed this summer and, who knows, his bride-to-be may wear a hard hat and a veil. Johnson is married with two children, but we truth-fully don’t know if his wife wore a hard hat for the ceremony. We do know that Metille has jumped out of an airplane and lived to tell about it. Johnson loves to travel and during a recent trip, he took a day run along the Great Wall of China. Later he was bitten by a Mongolian bear. Thank goodness they have Jerry Sanchez as the safety director. Not only can he instruct workers on OSHA regula-tions, he’s available to consult Johnson and Mettille on all sorts of safety issues. What a multi-tasker! Texas-based CenterPoint Outsourc-ing is located in Grapevine, with offices in Houston, Corpus Christi, Port Lavaca, Austin, and corporate headquarters in San Antonio. –lcs

Industry FOLKSMona Lisa Splinter

Renaissance Welding

“I always knew I was destined for welding, even as a small girl, “

says Mona Lisa Splinter. Splinter is the only girl in a fam-ily of boys and was taught the weld-ing trade in her early years by her father and namesake, Manny Leon. As a master welder, Leon thought his sons would follow in his footsteps. But, it was discovered during their teen years that they all had a rare genetic disorder that made them semi- amphibious. “You see,” said Leon, “Raphael, Donnatel-lo, and Michelangelo must spend large amounts of time in water, and this atmosphere is not conducive to efficient welding. The brothers have since found work in law enforce-ment for the National Guard.” Instead, Leon passed his supe-rior welding skills on to his daughter, and the two have built Renaissance Welding into a thriving business. “She took to it like a duck to well…you know what I mean” says Leon. “I’ve always been pretty good at simple torch welding but have re-cently become certified with a die-sel powered stick that lasts all day,” said Splinter. “I’m sure some people may be bored by the single-mindedness with which I approach my profes-sion, but I really could talk endlessly and often do about wire diameters, torch sizes, gas mixtures and new

product lines.” It’s not all work and no play for Lisa, though. While taking certifica-tion courses, she met her future hus-band. “Bob, a prominent Dallas gen-eral contractor, likes to simply be known as Bob the Builder.” Bob was quite taken with her skills. Like Splinter, he was also intro-duced to the construction industry at an early age. “He went from Lincoln Logs and erector sets to building some of the most amazing buildings and houses in the DFW area,” Splin-ter laughs . Even though she feels perfectly feminine wearing a welding mask and industrial gloves, Splinter has re-cently taken up the hobby of pastry chef. Bob has an enormous sweet tooth, and so to please him, she has taken up baking. Although this is a much more traditionally feminine skill, she has since learned to incorporate her welding torch into the process. With her torch set to low, Lisa uses it to harden the top of a rich Crème Brulee and for the flaming presentation of Cherries Jubilee. “True, I did set fire to the curtains the first time I tried this,” says Splin-ter, “but a good welder always has a fire extinguisher nearby.” April Fools! –lcs


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L-R: Maria Lowery, Gary Smith, Wess McDonald, Cody Lowery, Jennifer Hen-drix, Mark Howard, Dusty Rider, Geoff Giegling, Cody Cantrell, Western Data Systems, round up for a Construction News photo op. –mdo

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“Basically, we try to hold two at the very minimum of these kids events a year, and have been able to do three the past two years. It’s a dying sport, and we do this to try and get the kids interested in something besides drugs.” –mdo

Lake City Angler Team, L-R: Carl Barrett, Barrett Irrigation; Bruce Fisk, Fisk Masonry; Jesse Timmons, retired; Brian Thompson; Rick Morgon, Morgon Services; Rick Carter,

De-Mar Scientific; Charles Harkless, Texas BASS Federation Nation president (photo by Lana Kernan)

continued from Page 12 — Reeling revelry

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