A letter from the CEO's desk

Things change.  Bartlett Cocke Jr. said that a number of times in his many years with the company.  Boy was he right…

The first 6 months of 2020 have certainly changed many things in the company and in all of our lives.  The Covid outbreak has changed the world in a short period of time.  The way we work, the way our children and grandchildren go to school or learn from home, the way we shop, and the way we worship have all changed quickly.  We are all learning to adapt to our new way of life.

We all need to be reminded that our country has gone through many crises during its existence.  When we look back at the number of wars we have gone through and the sacrifices that many Americans made for our freedom, we should all be grateful.  We have been through pandemics before, polio and the Spanish flu to name a couple.  The world and our country survived.  We will do the same.

I have said many times that we are blessed.  We are blessed to live in a country where we have a right to express our opinions.  We are blessed to have a strong military and local law enforcement that protects our rights as citizens.  While everything is not perfect, we can all continue to strive to make things better for all.

I have seen a saying that goes like this –  “Tough times don’t last, Tough people do”.

By doing the “right thing” we will tough out these times and we will all be better for it.

Thanks for what you all do, stay safe, and GOD BLESS.

 

Jerry Hoog

CEO

Safety Is Everyone’s Job – If You See Something Unsafe, Say Something!

Creating and fostering a SAFETY CULTURE is a top priority for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors.  We continue to embrace and promote safety with early planning, consistent communication, subject-specific training, and a focused effort from the entire team.  Our “team,” however, extends beyond our direct employees and includes all our trade partners’ employees, design team members, owners’ representatives and others that participate in our construction projects.  Significant progress has been made in creating a SAFETY CULTURE that is unique to our company’s passion and commitment for workers’ safety.  Being focused and staying focused on safety is a top priority every team member can strive for daily.  We know that Safety Audits, Safety Awareness, and Training contribute to building the company’s safety culture, but it must start with each employee and their willingness to commit.

Safety Awareness from the Top Down:

Jerry Hoog, CEO, believes that a safety culture is an unwavering value critical to every task we plan. In October 2019, to demonstrate his genuine commitment to employee safety, he challenged the Safety Department and Officers to visit every active project to review the ABCs of Safety. Following the planned visits, our company successfully managed our work without any occupational injuries throughout the 4thquarter of 2019 and the 1stquarter of 2020. Compared to prior years, this data proves that elevating safety awareness from the top down benefits our employees and subcontractor employees.

To continue the safety awareness initiative, our Safety Directors and Officers are making the rounds through July to discuss: COVID-19 Awareness, Heat Illness, Fall Protection, and Electrical Hazards via the theme “Get Focused and Stay Focused on Safety.”

ABCs of Safety

Safety culture is much more than a checklist, an audit, or a directive from company leadership. If we focus on the ABCs of Safety, we can create and foster a true safety culture.

Attitude – An individual’s attitude towards safety will determine what they will or won’t do.  We want every individual to accept the safety initiatives for their job or task by doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Behavior – Workplace behavior is a significant factor in determining company culture.  If our team members lead by example, we will continue to have a true safety culture.

Commitment – We must all be individually committed to the mindset of choosing the hard right over the easy wrong as it relates to safety.

When applied consistently by each individual, the BCGC Safety Culture becomes as easy as A, B, C.

Employee Spotlight

Robert Havins

Sr. Integrated Construction Manager

Company-wide resource located in the Central Texas Regional Office

Texas A&M University

Bachelor’s of Science, Construction Science minoring in Business Management

3 years with BCGC
12 years industry experience

Driving Innovation and Efficiency – Our new Integrated Construction Department

One of the key tenets of the BC Way is, “We work within the corporate family structure while always looking for way to improve.” With this guiding principle, BC is proud to introduce the creation of the new Integrated Construction Department. The mission of the department is to integrate and improve technologies, processes, culture and Lean practices company-wide in order to support operational execution in project controls, analytics, training and collaboration to all teams internal and external.

The Integrated Construction Department is a new arm of the Construction Technologies team and will be led by Robert Havins who will serve as Senior Integrated Construction Manager. Robert has been the Regional Scheduling Manager in Central Texas since 2017 and has been instrumental in our implementation of Asta Powerproject as our company-wide scheduling software as well as a key team member in driving the use of Weekly Planning Boards and 4-D Scheduling, assisting various Operations initiatives, and enhancing our analytics and dashboard reporting for Field Operations. He possesses a strong background in both scheduling and cost controls, having served as Regional Project Controls Manager for AECOM in Austin. Robert will be supported by Ryan Kahn, Albert Santillana, and KJ Stark. Ryan has been a member of the BC family for 6 years serving as Regional VDC Manager in North Texas. His efforts have helped to keep BC at the forefront of utilizing the latest technologies to integrate multidisciplinary performance models. Albert has served as the South Texas Regional Scheduling Manager for the last three years. His decades of construction industry experience combined with his proficiency in project scheduling has been pivotal in helping our project teams deliver on time. KJ Stark recently joined our team in March. His strong background in IT and applications development will bring valuable resources to the team.

The primary areas of focus for the Integrated Construction Department include:

  • Planning & Scheduling – Responsible for support, training, and oversight of all planning and scheduling functions
  • Technology & Innovation – Identify, implement, and train operational teams on various technology and innovation initiatives with a specific focus on improving Field Operations
  • Progress Tracking & Performance Measurement – Support Project Controls and improve real-time decision making and operational performance through data capture and analytics
  • Lean/Process Improvement – Drive lean initiatives and culture to foster continuous improvement across operations
  • Resource Management – Support Resource Management across all Regions to accurately track & forecast resources in order to improve visibility and decision making
  • Training – Identify and execute targeted training opportunities to support “Primary Areas of Focus”
  • Departmental Support – Provide continual support to all departments related to improvement initiatives

For 2020, Process Improvement Initiatives include:

  • Standardize, roll-out, and train project teams on the use of “Weekly Planning Boards.” Planning boards focus on short-term production scheduling and align with Lean methodology related to the “Last Planner System” which supports working toward planned accomplishments, doing what can be done to move along a planned path, and when that becomes impossible, determine alternative paths that accomplish desired goals.
  • Standardize use of Regional Staffing Plans in order to provide real-time staffing/resource visibility across all Regions via PowerBI Dashboards. In this challenging time, staffing and personnel resources are having to be allocated across regions and having real-time information will assist in making targeted decisions.
  • Standardize and monitor use of “Rolling Deficiency Lists” and provide real-time metrics related to Rolling Deficiency Lists across portfolio of projects. This will assist project teams in addressing items quickly as opposed to having to address them as punch-list items.

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors continues to grow and innovate. Through the efforts of Robert, Albert, Ryan, and KJ, our new Integrated Construction Department will help enhance profitability and support BC’s overall business objectives and goals.

Central Texas

Georgetown ISD

New Middle School and New CTE Building

$90M - CMAR

East Texas

Texas A&M University System

Joint Library Facility – Module 3

$7.5M – Design-Build

Central Texas

City of Kyle

New Police Headquarters

$25M - CMAR

South Texas

Comfort ISD

Comfort ISD 2019 Bond Improvements

$32M - Design Build

Central Texas

Slate Real Estate Partners

5900 Cameron Road Mixed Use Development  

$40M - CMAR

South Texas

Southwest ISD

Francis R. Scobee Middle School Renovation

$11M - CMAR

Central Texas

Round Rock ISD

Carraway Elementary School  Expansion

$10M - CMAR

Central Texas

Del Valle ISD

Del Valle Middle School – Demo and Rebuild

$47M - CMAR

South Texas

Vutex, Inc. (Supplier at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas)

Office Build Out

$2.9M - CSP

South Texas

Wells Fargo Bank

San Antonio Wiseman B309 Ground Up Facility & Parking Structure

$108M - Cost Plus w/ GMP

Central Texas

San Marcos CISD

DeZevalla Elementary School

$13.8M - CSP

Central Texas

Austin Recovery

Austin Recovery Family House

$5M - CMAR

Central Texas

Foundation Communities

The Loretta and Armadillo Studios

$30.5M - CMAR

Central Texas

The Sephira Group

Riverside Drive

$10M - CMAR

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Santikos Cibolo Crossing

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors recently completed Santikos Cibolo Crossing. We were the preferred contractor, referred to the Owner by a subcontractor as a committed team with integrity in all we do. This 87,700 square foot state-of-the-art entertainment center boasts 12 movie theaters, 16 lanes of bowling, laser tag arena, a large arcade, a ‘build your own pizza’ concept, and a spacious bar and patio. Two of these theaters are Santikos AVX with larger screens and upgraded surround sound. The 16-lane Brunswick bowling alley has four VIP lanes with “Crunchy Bowling” (an interactive experience through the use of high-end graphics and audio), along with a sleek and comfortable seating area. The split-level laser tag arena is the only arena in the state of Texas that utilizes 100% LED lighting. The full wrap-around bar and patio is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh pizza and a cold drink.

Santikos Cibolo Crossing is anchored to a large retail development and is expected to draw in people from small, neighboring towns who might not have theaters.

The project team worked in great harmony during this construction process. The team was comprised of Mark Hebert, Senior Project Manager, Matthew Bragg, Project Manager, Adrian Flores, Superintendent, Matt Lutz, Assistant Project Manager, and Brad Salas, Assistant Superintendent. Mixed-use facilities are challenging to design, but we created an indoor playground for both adults and children alike that offers the kind of variety that keeps the whole family happy. There is never a dull moment at Santikos Cibolo Crossing!

James Reese Career & Technical Center

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors recently completed The Fort Bend Independent School District’s James Reese CTE. The purpose of the James Reese CTE is to provide every student with challenging career pathways, utilizing real world experiences and evolving skill sets, attitudes and beliefs.

This 188,471 SF center gives students the opportunity to explore careers in agriculture & natural resources, architecture & construction, arts & audio video communication, culinary arts, cosmetology, education & training, information technology, law & public safety, manufacturing, transportations and logistics. Inside the center, students are given real-world experience working at one of three student- operated learning labs open to the public. The Shop at Reese Center is the automotive lab that allows students to get hands on experience working on different automotive services including a basic oil change. The Grill at Reese Center is a restaurant ran by the hospitality and tourism students. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch. The Salon at Reese Center is a salon that offers a variety of services ranging from a shampoo & haircut to luxury spa pedicure.  Aside from the hands-on training received at James Reese CTE, students also have the opportunity to earn industry certifications and dual credit in some program areas while completing coursework at the facility.

The project team was composed of Warren Parker, Project Manager; Andy Roberts, Assistant Project Manager; Roy Neighbors, Superintendent and Joel Shilingburg, Assistant Superintendent.

Hays CISDMoe and Gene Johnson High School

Hays CISD and Bartlett Cocke General Contractors enjoy a long-standing relationship, having successfully partnered on more than 25 projects. The latest Hays ISD project was the Moe and Gene Johnson High School, a 415,000 square foot, three-story single structure designed to support 2,250 students from grade 9-12. Core grade levels are consolidated, especially 9th grade, to build class cohesion and reduce travel time during passing periods. The building is organized around a centralized atrium that acts as an organizing feature, while at the same time bringing additional daylight for instructional spaces.

Moe and Gene Johnson High School also incorporates extensive Career and Technical Educational (CTE) facilities that often are clustered around maker spaces that encourage collaboration. These spaces also allow full view of the hands-on activities that are taking place in each classroom, including the beauty salon, aerospace program, and media production. Strong CTE programs are a way to show students other outlets besides necessarily getting a four-year bachelor’s degree. As the school’s Principal, Brett Miksch, explains to Stacy Rickard, (Spectrum News Website), “It’s not just all about going to college. We’re making them career ready and college ready.”

Additional features include a 1,200 seat stadium with an eight-lane track, tennis courts, baseball, softball, and soccer fields. Extensive study was necessary to develop an entry/exit strategy to mitigate conditions driven by the existing elementary school, which is served by the same busy regional roadway.

This showcase campus will surely serve as a flagship for other educational facilities to follow. This was an extraordinary experience for the entire team who worked together to bring the District’s vision to fruition. The project team included the following members: Trent Bales, Senior Project Manager, Denise Brown, Project Manager, and Grady Atnip, Superintendent. In addition, Michael Gonzales, David Campbell, and Thad Holt served as Assistant Superintendents and Carlos Rodriguez and Josh Foster served as Assistant Project Managers. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors certainly brought an “A” team to build a school which the students, teachers, staff, and community will be proud of for years to come.

The University of Texas SystemFacility Renewal and Renovation – School of Nursing and Dental School Renovation

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors recently completed The University of Texas System’s Facility Renewal and Renovation – School of Nursing and Dental School Renovation. This was an extremely delicate and complex project on an occupied and active campus, which is why The University of Texas chose Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. They have witnessed first-hand, through our 25-plus years relationship, Bartlett Cocke’s dexterity in these intricate type of projects in which success depends largely on a competent, seasoned general contractor.

This 167,550 square foot project encompassed much more than renovations of the Nursing and Dental Schools. It began with the mass abatement of hazardous materials due to the age of the buildings, with the Dental School being built in 1970 and the Nursing School in the early 1980s. There were physical and occupational therapy learning environments as well as staff offices, student study areas, classrooms, laboratories, including the Dental Dean’s office, all being integrated and/or renovated. The electrical infrastructure was updated throughout much of the campus, including the fire alarm system, and building safety egresses were brought up to code as well. The tight site and occupied campus during renovations necessitated the use of the west parking lot as the laydown yard.

The project team included the following: Doug Dorsey, Senior Project Manager; Matthew Bragg and Michael MacKenzie, Project Managers; Steven Holcomb and George Castillo, Superintendents; Hunter Moeller and Kirby Coats, Assistant Project Managers; Lawson Yeager, Javier Alvarado, and Rami Yndo, Assistant Superintendents; and Todd Fleming, Quality Control Manager. This team did a stellar job of keeping the project on schedule and on budget despite the challenges they faced. There were numerous activities taking place simultaneously with several phases, all with various substantial completion dates – eleven total. Their performance could be compared to a conductor, being Bartlett Cocke, orchestrating a large ensemble of subcontractors from various trades, with numerous phases on multiple floors and buildings, resulting in perfect harmony. The project team had a great rapport with the staff and facilities management, resulting in Bartlett Cocke once again providing The University of Texas System with like-new facilities that will be a source of pride, serving their students and staff for years to come.

2020 NEW HIRES

Welcome to team!

  • Blaine Hanson – Assistant Superintendent
  • Matthew Hill – Assistant Superintendent
  • Ricardo Lopez – Industrial Carpenter
  • Jose Iniguez – Industrial Carpenter
  • Shelly Porter – Project Manager
  • Breck Grimmer – Estimator
  • John Wilkins – Senior Project Manager
  • Yasmany Rodriguez Herrera – Laborer
  • Quenton Wattinger – Assistant Superintendent
  • Adrian Ortiz – Laborer Foreman
  • Caroline Villarreal – Assistant Project Manager
  • Michael Burkholder – Project Manager
  • Ernesto Rebollar – Assistant Superintendent
  • Kyle Self – MEP QC Manager
  • James Hogan Senior Project Manager
  • Patrick Jauregui – Mechanic
  • Abran Mendoza – Crane Operator
  • Patrick Lopez – Superintendent
  • Steven Gantt – Talent Acquisition Manager
  • Jose Balderas – Carpenter
  • Blake Williamson – Assistant Project Manager
  • Kevin Stark – Integrated Construction Coordinator
  • Riley Curry – Assistant Project Manager
  • Hayden Brown – Assistant Project Manager
  • Hugo Lopez-Sosa – Carpenter
  • James Sales – Assistant Project Manager
  • Luis Garcia – Carpenter Helper
  • Dalton Cox – Equipment Operator
  • Shepherd Pond – Carpenter
  • Derek Foy – Assistant Superintendent
  • Ricardo Vargas – Superintendent
  • Angel Palomino, Private Development Manager

PROMOTIONS

First of all, we want to thank all of you for all your efforts during these last few months. The world has changed, and our industry is changing as well. While our company has been impacted, we strongly feel that as long as we continue to do the right thing every day, we will continue to be recognized as one of the top general contractors in Texas.
As we continue to look toward the future, we are pleased to announce several promotions within our company:

Kevin Byrd - Senior VP of Operations

Kevin will also be working company wide to help provide oversight on our company's operation processes in all regions.

Nathan Olson - VP of Estimating and Preconstruction

Nathan will be working to provide a seamless link between estimating and preconstruction on a company wide basis.

Sean Stevens - VP of Operations - Central Texas

Sean with be taking over Kevin's previous role as the leader of our Central Texas region.

Marc Hibner - Regional Manager of Central Texas

Marc will be taking on Sean's previous role of regional manager and working with Sean in our Central Texas region.

James Caraway- VP of Operations - South Texas

James will be filling a void that we have had and leading our South Texas region.

Mark Hebert - Regional Manager of South Texas

Mark will be taking on James's previous role and working with James in our South Texas region.

Central Texas

  • Stefan Doerr promoted to Lead Estimator 1/13/2020
  • Michael Gonzalez – Assistant Superintendent to Superintendent 02/01/2020
  • Brian Purnell – Carpenter to General Foreman 02/23/2020
  • Nick Nevlud – Assistant Superintendent to Superintendent 02/24/2020
  • Justin Skaggs – Assistant Superintendent to Superintendent 03/02/2020
  • Canyon Williams promoted to Superintendent 3/5/2020
  • Frank Barnes – Project Manager to SR. Project Manager 03/30/2020
  • Ronnie Roane – Safety Coordinator to Safety Manager 07/06/2020
  • Rob Havins – Regional Scheduling Manager to Senior Integrated Construction Manager 06/01/2020

South Texas

  • John Chris Hudman promoted to Lead Construction Surveyor 5/4/2020
  • RT Hoog Promoted from APM to PM 5/25/2020
  • James Fletcher promoted from APM to PM 5/25/2020

East Texas

  • Jackson Bailey – Assistant Project Manager to Project Manager 03/23/2020

2020 SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES

Listed below are employees who hit their milestone in the year 2020

5 Yrs.

  • Alexander Girndt, Project Manager
  • Michael MacKenzie, Project Manager
  • Michael Schmidt, Assistant Project Manager
  • Brian Scott, Project Manager
  • Zachary Thompson, Project Manager

10 Yrs.

  • Matt Bragg, Project Manager

15 Yrs.

  • Roger L. Hoffmann, P.E., Structural Systems Manager
  • Carlos Ibarra, Project Manager

20 Yrs.

  • Todd M. Fleming, Quality Control Manager

Allan Spencer

Superintendent
13 years with BCGC
41 years industry experience
04/27/2020

Randy Ambuster

Senior Project Manager
13 years with BCGC
43 years industry experience
02/28/2020

Ambrose Salazar

Assistant Superintendent
16 years with BCGC
39 years industry experience
06/30/2020

Wedded Bliss!

Cody & Stefani Fife

May 2, 2020

william_scott_temple

Welcome Baby!

William Scott Temple

July 20, 2020

Scott Temple

Welcome Baby!

Caleb Kenneth Rothe

April 29th, 2020

Danny Rothe

Welcome Baby!

Madison Brooke Coats

November 18, 2019

Kirby Coats

Welcome Baby!

Theodore James Fletcher

February 28, 2020

James Fletcher

Welcome Baby!

Scarlett Dawn Moeller

February 12, 2020

Harry Moeller

Welcome Baby!

Wyatt Lincoln Bragg

July 17, 2020

Matt Bragg

Have news to share with the BCGC family?

Submit your celebrations to sbridges@bartlettcocke.com

Bartlett Cocke Scholarship Winners for the 2020-21 school year!

Ashley Bowen

Daughter of Tera Swann, CTX Region

Zane Hudman

Son of Chris Hudman, CTX Region

Maximiliano Santillana

Son of Albert Santillana, STX Region

Sarah Hockley

Daughter of Adam Hockley, STX Region

Ann Friesenhahn

Daughter of Holly Friesenhahn, STX Region

Jeffrey Kistner

Son of Kirk Kistner, STX Region

Matthew Hockley

Son of Adam Hockley, STX Region

Sean Cookson

Son of Byron Cookson, CTX Region

Tristan Rogers

Son of TJ Rogers, STX Region

Nicholas Jacquin

Son of Carl Jacquin, CTX Region

Madilyn LeRow

Daughter of Nathan LeRow, STX Region

Clayton Reilly

Stepson of Rick Hollander, STX Region

Camryn Middlebrook

Son of Malcom Middlebrook, CTX Region