J&S Austin office to host another blood drive

Just a reminder that the J&S Austin office is hosting a blood drive in our parking lot this Friday, August 9 from 12-3pm! The flier includes instructions on how to sign up for a time slot. We hope to see you there!

J&S Dallas office collects school supplies for DISD supply drive

J&S employees pictured: Beth Roberts, Delbert Bittinger and Justin Montgomery

Our Dallas office is donating schools supplies to the Dallas ISD start of school drive. Every year, the district provides children in need with backpacks full of school supplies. Great work, guys!

Summer Sips

Coffee-coffee-coffee – Mike Doucette

Bloody Mary when I'm not preggers! – Holly Barnett

My favorite non-alcoholic would be an Arnold Palmer. Half tea, half lemonade with a little mint added. Alcoholic would be a Captain Morgan Private Stock and Coke with twist of lime (Cuba Libre) or a Malibu (coconut rum) and pineapple juice. There is also vodka soda with a splash of orange juice…Oh there is also the John Dailey which is an Arnold Palmer with bourbon...tee hee…With crawfish, shrimp, crab and that kind of fare, it must be an ice cold beer. Dark beer but a beer. – Beth Roberts

H2O – George Morriss

Watermelon juice with vodka: 4 parts juice 1 part watermelon – Miriam DeLeon

Ace Pear Hard Cider! Go Paleooooooo! Oh yeah, and water. Good ol H2O! – Justin Montgomery

Vodka (tall) with club soda and lemon!!!! Snap! Or vodka with grapefruit juice!!! Or water – Renee Leaman

Monster and vodka or Baccardi and Diet Coke with a 5-Hour Energy chaser – Lance McLaughlin

Espresso Martini – Brent Doucette
1 oz Kahlua or generic Coffee Liquor
1 oz Baileys or Generic Irish Crème
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
2 shots espresso
Shaken well with Ice Pour and enjoy! Espresso keeps you going all day!
Tanqueray and tonic with lime – Beckie Horne

Keith Tomlinson:
Ketel One vodka, soda, and a twist of lime
Caipirinha
Crispin Browns Lane Cider, served on the rocks
Panty Ripper – dark rum, coconut rum, orange juice and pineapple juice

Starbucks Caramel Frappacino – Tracey McDermott

Sangria – Alex Canalini
Cheap red wine (this is key)
Vodka
Sprite
Various fruits (i.e. oranges, pineapple, cantaloupe, apples)
Lime
Sugar
Pour the wine into a big jar/pot, slice the various fruit, add vodka to taste, squeeze lime juice, squeeze orange juice, add sugar. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Add sprite before serving. Drink, feel great, sleep, repeat!
Blueberry/strawberry/banana/mango smoothie – Darrell Smith
Pretty simple…Tito’s and soda with a lime – Jason Stewart

Ice cold Corona in a sweaty bottle near dark. No salt or lime! – Greg Harrington

Margarita/rocks/no salt/splash of OJ – Rob Peterpaul

Mexican Martini – Andy Hood
2 oz tequila
1 1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
2 oz sweet and sour mix
1 oz lime juice
2 oz orange juice
1 splash Sprite® soda
2 olives
Pour all ingredients into a large cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a large cocktail/martini glass (8+ ounces) with a salt rim. Add two olives on a spear, and serve.

I’m a whiskey girl. This is great for summer; refreshing and delightful! – Geno Rodriguez
Lynchburg Lemonade (I call it Tennessee lemonade)
1 part Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
1 part triple sec
1 part sour mix
4 parts lemon-lime soda
Combine and stir. Garnish with a lemon slice and cherry.

Company Announcements

The Barnett Family

Congratulations to Holly Barnett who delivered a healthy baby boy on Thursday, June 27. Ethan weighed 7 lbs 14 oz. Mommy and baby are doing great!

Renee Leaman and Ashley Goode
as leprechauns

 

Top 'o the morning! This March, we delivered pots of gold filled with delicious cookies to our clients in each region to express our appreciation. In an effort to maximize the St. Patrick's Day theme, Renee Leaman and Ashley Goode dressed as construction worker leprechauns when they delivered to Austin-area clients. It was huge hit!

Austin Region
The J&S Austin office hosted a blood drive on June 13 in the office parking lot. Donors included J&S employees, as well as employees from other businesses in the complex. We exceeded our goal of 11 donors with 14 people showing up and giving blood. Way to go!

The Austin JOC has added three new team members recently, Amy Bricker our new assistant PM, Alex Canalini our new PM, and the return of Allen Hughling to our fulltime staff as superintendent.

Amy has taken on the monumental task of assisting three project managers with submittal processing, HUB and MWBE solicitation and tracking, procurement, MA tracking and keeping three project managers in line. In her short time here she has been instrumental on cleaning up the Heads Up contact list for the Austin Region.

Alex has taken over managing the UT Department of Housing and Food Services and City of Austin clients.

Coach Hood teaching tee-ball

Allen is overseeing all projects in the Killeen area—including City of Killeen, Central Texas College, Copperas Cove ISD and Killeen ISD

Our traveling superintendent, George Morris, is finally back home after almost 2 years on the road. He is working at Bastrop State Park.

Tim Odermann is assisting us with managing all the projects in the Killeen area—he is doing a great job with keeping Central Texas College pleased—we are about to be awarded another $1.2 million at CTC. 

Newly minted J&S Austin Regional Manager Andy Hood spends his free time in the spring coaching little kids tee-ball. It really doesn’t get much more adorable than this.

Pedro Mata getting his citizenship

Dallas Region

Pedro Mata, a superintendent in our Dallas office, received his US citizenship on Feb. 14, 2013. Pedro came to the United States in January 2000 from Monterey, Mexico, and he’s worked with J&S for nearly three years. The citizenship process took six years to complete – congratulations on such a major accomplishment!

Our Dallas office sponsored the annual golf classic hosted on April 26, 2013 by the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association that serves the DFW area. Funds collected at this tournament contributed to the renovation of the RHCA facility, which will allow the organization to better serve Hispanic contractors.

Jason Gillepsie with the Garcia family in their new home

Every year during spring break, J&S Dallas project manager Jason Gillespie packs his family up and heads down to the Texas Valley for a Mission 2 Mission project to build a home for a family in need. This year was no different. In the company of their church group and two of our subcontractors, Jason and his family razed a new home for the Garcia family in Donna, Texas. Erica Garcia is a widowed mother of five children who lost her husband last year in a traffic accident. She was living with her children in a trailer house where they had to position the furniture to cover holes in the floor, the kitchen that was not suitable for cooking and all five children were sharing two rooms. The trailer did not have a utility room, so the family strapped a washing machine to the outside of the trailer to keep it from falling over. In just 10 days, Jason and crew built a brand new three-bedroom, one-bath, 860-SF home for the family on the lot where they currently lived. The house was complete with new cabinets, ceiling fans in every room, and a utility room with a new washer and dryer. Two of our Dallas subcontractors, Innovation Mechanical and Exodus Construction, donated materials and manpower, and our Dallas office donated a company truck, fuel…and Jason!

Houston/Galveston Regions

Warren Stripling, Gabriella Williams and Lisa Blonshine

J&S donated $1,000 to the New Caney ISD Education Foundation. The money donated to the foundation this year allowed the biology class of Gabriella Williams to develop window gardens for a science project.

Superintendents Wayne Gerondale and George Morriss have been hard at work on Galveston-area projects. In December, they completed renovations for TPWD on two historic houses that were a part of the original Stewart Ranch. At the end of June, Wayne and George completed two new park ranger residences that were 18 feet above ground and 1,600SF each. They will also soon complete the first prototype ICF restroom for TPWD. The prototype was designed through collaboration of Gordon Bohmfalk from TPWD, Debra Dockery Architect and J&S. This sample restroom will be used in all TPWD parks from now on.

George Morriss has also been hard at work on the Sea Rim State Park project. Our team there has completed the new park ranger residence house that is 1,600SF and about 19 feet off the ground, allowing for a view of most of the park. The team recently completed the construction of a 650-foot wooden boardwalk going from the parking lot over the sand dunes down to the beach, as well as a new maintenance building.

J&S sponsored the Turning POINT 16th Annual Drum Fishing Tournament on April 6 this year. This event provides an opportunity for handicapped people to go fishing; there were 186 handicapped participants this year. Volunteers, like J&S, provided fishing rods, bait, drinks, food and their time. Our business development manager, Greg Harrington (pictured), has volunteered at this event since 1998.

Drawing of Twin Pines North

Senior Living/Commercial Divisions

The senior living division is finishing up work on Twin Pines North Nursing Home in Victoria. This is currently the largest project we have in progress at 61,0000SF with a price tag of $9.1MM.

Our commercial division recently was awarded a project to construct a new $2.3MM gymnasium for Pawnee ISD. Congrats on the win! 

The senior living division recently was awarded three Texas General Land Office projects totaling nearly $6MM. These projects involve additional work to the three Veterans Affairs nursing homes we completed earlier this year. Keep up the good work!

Our senior living division is also working with a new skilled nursing operator named Ensign Group. We have one project completed, one starting soon and we’re negotiating a contract on a third. Hopefully there are many more to come!

Site in the Spotlight

University of Texas at San Antonio JPL Food Court Renovation

Jamail & Smith Construction has served as a JOC at the University of Texas at San Antonio for nearly two years. As the spring 2013 semester was coming to a close, the University called on us to renovate the JPL food court, which involved a partial demolition, abatement, new HVAC installations and the installation of LED lighting, among other activities.

The renovation was completed during spring finals time, as well as new student orientation. These events required our team to take extra care in reducing disturbances and ensuring a highly secure work site. The Jamail & Smith team worked nights and weekends to complete the project as scheduled without disrupting finals or orientation.

Our team was ready and able to conform the project schedule to meet the University’s unique educational needs. The project entailed the demolition of the pizza eatery and the installation of a new Papa Johns Pizzeria with new ovens, cabinets, countertops and flooring. Our team removed all cabinets and countertops at the sushi bar and smoothie bars and installed new ones. We removed all drywall and ceiling in order to demo the HVAC, and once the new HVAC was in place, we installed new walls and ceilings. The Jamail & Smith team also added new LED lighting throughout the food court and adjusted all fire protection sprinkler systems to meet NFPA 13 standards. This project was completed on time, under budget and to the complete satisfaction of UTSA.

The Scoop

Parkland Hospital 7 West Apheresis Treatment and Med Secure Renovation

Jamail & Smith Construction has a history of providing superior construction services to Parkland Health and Hospital System. The 7 West Apheresis Treatment and Med Secure Unit project gave us the opportunity to renovate a wing of the hospital that had been unused for a period of time. The larger section of the wing required med secure functionality to confine and accommodate needs of the unit and its future patients. Converting the space’s function and designation from the existing standard - single and multi-patient rooms - to a med secure environment required special attention to anti-ligature hardware, finishes and applications. The kitchen space was remodeled into a patient treatment room and experimental laboratories were converted to conference rooms, a staff break area, office space and a new restroom.

Working in an environment where the construction site is part of an operational, round-the-clock medical facility that cannot afford any interruptions presented many challenges, including plumbing and med gas shut downs. Due to accessibility issues to occupied patient rooms, our team had to be flexible in working with undefined schedules and at times worked 24-hour shifts to meet the client’s needs.

The project was a success finishing on time, within budget and to the complete satisfaction of the client. Additionally, our commitment to the utilization of HUB subcontractors far surpassed Parkland’s 30% requirement.

Employee Profile

Beckie Horne
Austin Regional Account Administrator

For eight years, Beckie Horne has diligently provided accounting administration support for the JOC and commercial divisions in the Austin office. She was here when the office was located in Oak Hill - not many of our employees can say that!

Beckie has worked in the construction industry for nearly 15 years and has loved every minute of it. There is always something new and exciting on the horizon to keep things interesting. She also loves the people she works with - especially the accounting staff! - because they provide the support and camaraderie needed to make even the roughest days easier.

While Beckie has many fond and funny memories of working at J&S, one event in particular sticks out in her mind. One time when the girls were outside smoking, Greg Smith came out and asked Liz...[edited]...and they laughed about it all day!

Beckie moved to Texas from Aurora, IL, when she was 14 and has lived in Austin for 10 years, but she says she'll always be a Yankee at heart. When she isn't at work, Beckie enjoys doing just about anything - especially sleeping! She is a cat-lover who likes to foster kittens for Austin Pets Alive! but had to stop because she kept adopting them. She currently has five adorable cats. Here at J&S, we love Beckie for her hard work, great sense of humor and huge heart. she's really one of a kind!

Site in the Spotlight

Francesca's Collections Corporate Office

Francesca’s Collections corporate office was completed October 2012 in Houston.  The goal was to transform a 220K-sq-ft warehouse into office space to house the Francesca’s corporate headquarters.  The J&S project team delivered an outstanding, modern 100K-sq-ft office space that genuinely represented our client’s upscale and classy style. 

The plans called for a 90-day substantial completion, a diamond-polished stained floor and did not initially include any finishes for the project.  The J&S project team, architect and owner met on a weekly basis to review any design issues and to select all the finishes as the project progressed, which was a big challenge. 

As deliberation for the finishes were made throughout the project and on the field, our team rose to the occasion, and overcame design obstacles and more than 40 change orders due to the decision-making process for the finishes. A project of this complexity and size is challenging in itself, not considering the time constraint, but was substantially executed within the 90 days. 

The office included an open floor plan with state-of-the-art features from the private offices to conference room, to the lavish restrooms and employee break room.  A unique touch that added even more flavor was the clean, hard-wearing and low-maintenance diamond polished and stained concrete floor. 

Congratulations on delivering yet another J&S quality product; a true display of how our project team shines through their hard work.

Company Announcements

Congratulations to Steven Van Eman from our Dallas office on his marriage to Whitney Rae on October 27. Here's to a lifetime of happiness!

Our commercial division was recently awarded three contracts for Texas State Veterans Home projects located in Floresville, Bonham, and Big Spring. Combined the project value is just over $5MM and includes nurse station upgrades, bathroom remodels, vestibule addition, roofing, dining remodels, special system upgrades, and mechanical updates. Great job on winning the bids!

J&S was a sponsor of the Houston Independent School District Foundation 2012 Golf Tournament held on October 17 at Wildcat Golf Course. The golfers pictured were J&S's own Ed McKenzie and Rob Peterpaul with guests Victor Fleming, Bob Kuhn, Marcus Swayzer, Israel Wong and Scott Fendrick and some unknown ringer who stepped up at the last minute with a 4 handicap. Lisa Blonshine was present in the background with beer support for our other handicapped challenged players.

Our Galveston office was recently selected by the Port of Galveston to do an exterior wall restoration, roof replacement, window replacement, and related renovation work to the cruise ship terminal one garage and walkway bridge. The Galveston region also won a bid at Galveston College for the renovation of two single-story buildings and to do site improvements on the VTTC Campus. Congratulations on the winning bids!

There were also successful bids on the JOC side of J&S. Our Austin office was chosen as one of four contractors for the City of Austin JOC program, and our Dallas office was selected as one of the contractors for the City of Dallas JOC. Congrats to both offices! Keep up the hard work!

Halloween 2012 marked the beginning of our special J&S holiday celebrations. In an effort to give gifts and thanks that really stand out to our clients, we decided to buck tradition and ditch the Christmas cards. We have designated two holidays per year as J&S holidays with the first one being Halloween. All the offices participated by delivering Halloween cans of popcorn to their clients. Renee Leaman and Genoveva Rodriguez were the deliverers for the Austin office, and they decided to really get into character! Stay tuned for pictures from our St. Patrick's Day deliveries!

J&S sponsored a team for the United Way
Golf Tournament on Oct. 6 in San Antonio. The tournament was hosted by Visionary Properties (Visionworks), which is one of our clients. The team of four included Mark Lane, the director of our retail division.

J&S hosted a reception on October 22 to support the Houston Community College 2012 bond referendum, as well as a reception on October 25 to support the 2012 Houston ISD bond referendum. Both bonds were passed in the election.

Prairie View A&M University

Jamail & Smith Construction has been working as a JOC for Prairie View A&M for three years through our BuyBoard contract. Just like any JOC program, we do a variety of renovation and repair projects with a few significant projects thrown in the mix. In 2012, our Houston office did some pretty interesting work for PVAMU, including constructing a new state-of-the-art goat laboratory.

Goat Laboratory
We provided metal cabinetry with epoxy countertops, new flooring, ceilings, electrical work and plumbing for the new goat laboratory at Prairie View A&M University. The lab will be used for experiments on goats and goat embryos. This facility features state-of-the-art equipment and maintains more than 1000 acres of goat farm land for these experiments.

Carden Waller Roof
We were selected to work on the Carden Waller roofing project, which entailed removing the existing foam roof and providing a modified bitumen roofing system. We installed new parapet walls and changed out the exterior windows in the high roof. The main challenge for this project was working in an occupied facility, but our team is highly experienced with such circumstances and worked with the client determine an appropriate and efficient work schedule that allowed us to complete the project within 60 days.

Agricultural Research Building Plumbing
J&S completed a large plumbing project in the agricultural research building. We removed all existing gas and air lines in the crawl space under the building, provided all new piping and pipe supports, and created a 27,000-sq-ft mud slab in the crawl space. The challenge with this project was cramped working conditions; our team had only 3-5 feet of standing space, but we were able to overcome this issue and finish the project to the complete satisfaction of PVAMU.

New Year's Resolutions

My resolution is to be a better proofreeder. - Stuart Stutzman, Marketing Assistant

Mine is to survive this year! - Darrell Smith, PE, Vice President - Healthcare Division

My 2013 resolution is to pick up my hobbies/things I enjoy doing again. - Genoveva Rodriguez, Proposal Writer

I resolve to get my radio controlled helicopters back out to the flying field, fuel them up practice until I finally learn to fly upside-down, do loops and rolls and the other tricks they’re capable of doing! So far, I’ve only learned how to LAND upside-down, which is pretty hard on the equipment. - Gene Rigby, Estimator

Make my health and family my priority and stop being so OCD about the small stuff! - Carol Voges, Administrative Assistant

Get back under 200 pounds. - Tim Odermann, Project Manager

Get back to the gym 3 to 5 times per week!!! - Jeff Clark, PMP, Project Manager

My goals for next year are to give more time where it matters, make more phone calls to family and friends, send more written letters, laugh too much, start my charity series of poker games back up, take more random classes, get a bunch of vitality points by being healthy & fit, and my last goal is to have as many “WOW” moments as possible personally & professionally. - Kim Holmes, Risk Management Consultant

Run 20 miles a week. - Andy Hood, Project Manager

Finish grad school!! - Ashley Goode, Marketing Coordinator

Employee Profile

Tim Odermann, Project Manager

Tim Odermann had an exceptional 2012 here at Jamail & Smith Construction, and we're proud to feature him in our employee profile. He has worked with us as a project manager and hard bid estimator since May 2011, and he's had some major project accomplishments. Tim's main project management focus is on Arlington ISD JOC, Chase Bank and Discount Tire projects.

Tim enjoys working here at J&S because we serve a variety of clients in both the public and private sectors. He believes that our flexibility in the type of work we do for each client really sets us apart from the competition. In addition to the work he does at J&S, Tim enjoys the people he works with on a daily basis. His funniest experience yet was the time someone from the Houston office turned on the heat in the Dallas office in the middle of July before they left to go back to Houston. Needless to say, everyone in the office was sweating before they realized the heat was on.

Tim was born in Montana, grew up in Dayton, Texas, and currently lives with his family in Corinth. He served four years in the US Air Force and would recommend any young person join the military to help pay for their education - Tim had 90% of his college education paid for because of his military service. Additionally, he learned some important life skills and job training that he uses every day in his career and personal life. When Tim's not at work, he spends most of his time taking care of this three daughters and occasionally squeezing in a round of golf.

Jamail & Smtih Construction isn't your typical general contractor

 

Darrell Smith, the Vice Present of our Healthcare Division, recently sat down with Bill Pemberton on Prime TV to discuss what sets us apart from other general contractors. Take a watch to find out how our "constructability" allows us to design facilities on time, at the lowest cost possible, and without compromising the design dynamics of the architect's vision.

Tasty Summer Dishes

Although the end of the summer is fast approaching on the calendar, we all know that this Texas heat will be with us through at least the beginning of October. Summer heat waves call for light and flavorful foods that will satisfy our cravings without leaving us overly stuffed. Here are a couple of healthy summer recipes that are sure to hit the spot!

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

2 slices whole grain bread 
2-3 tablespoons Green Goddess Herb Pesto (recipe below) or jarred pesto from the grocery store
2 slices mild white melty cheese like mozzarella
Handful fresh baby spinach
¼ avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
Olive oil 

Directions

Spread about 1 tablespoon of Green Goddess Herb Pesto onto each slice of bread.

On one slice of bread, add 1 slice of cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese, spinach, second slice of cheese, then top it with second slice of bread. Press together gently.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. Add the sandwich to the oil and cook until bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly, then flip the sandwich over and cook until second side is golden brown.

Green Goddess Herb Pesto
Ingredients

1 clove garlic
½ small shallot, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Handful chopped fresh Italian parsley
Handful chopped kale
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pulse garlic and shallot in food processor until chopped. With the food processor running, add lemon juice, parsley, kale, tarragon and chives. (It won’t process very well yet, don’t worry).

Very slowly drizzle in olive oil until kale and herbs get sufficiently chopped and everything is the consistency of a pesto. You may need more or less of the olive oil depending on how big a “handful” of herbs is to you. You can also turn off the food processor and push herbs down the side of the bowl with a spatula every once in a while.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Recipe via Trend Spotting

Black Bean, Orange and Corn Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken broth
1 can (15 oz. can) black beans, rinsed
1 whole orange, segmented and cut into chunks
1 cup corn kernels
½ whole red onion, chopped
1 whole jalapeno, chopped
1 whole red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
¼ cups lime juice
¼ cups olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Cook the quinoa in water or chicken broth for 10-15 minutes. Add the black beans, orange and the corn, red onion, jalapeno, red bell pepper, and cilantro into the salad. Stir to combine.

Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt. Drizzle over the quinoa salad mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe via Tasty Kitchen

52 Healthy Meals in 12 Minutes or Less

Why spend hours cooking a gourmet feast when a nutritious and delicious mean could be only 12 minutes away?!

Visit the "Greatist" website below for breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. There are also some great fitness and health tips to check out!

http://greatist.com/health/52-healthy-meals-in-12-minutes-or-less/

Thanks for the great ideas Greatist!

Should you Renovate or Relocate your Skilled Nursing Facility?

Esperanza Senior Living,
College Station, TX

• Does your facility show wear and tear and have outdated finishes?
• Are you within close proximity to hospitals and healthcare facilities?
• Have you outgrown your current space?
• Is your skilled nursing facility up to code?

All of these may lead to the determining the future of your  skilled nursing facility. Below are key points to consider before making a decision to renovate or relocate.

1.         Resident Safety & Waiver List

First and foremost, you must consider the safety of your residents and staff when considering whether to renovate or relocate your home. If your facility has waivers and needs upgrades in life safety and ADA compliance, a remodel may clear up some of the waivers and improve resident safety. If your facility isn’t currently designed to optimize valuable space with a good circulation pattern, you may opt for relocation with a new design (ie. neighborhood layout). Poor facility circulation can result in crowded nursing stations and corridors that share pathways with front-of-house and back-of-house activities, compromising safety, dignity and privacy of residents. A new home can be designed to avoid problems of crowded and congested corridors, resident privacy and safety with a better conceived floor plan. 

2.         Location

The location of your skilled nursing facility is critical when considering whether to renovate your existing building or relocate. Location can drive revenue based on the convenience to your residents and the community. If your home is located at a distance from key services in the community, you are at a disadvantage. It is also important to think about your competitors, the size of your property and how much you plan to grow when considering whether your location is sufficient.

You must consider your proximity to important services, such as hospitals and other medical care facilities. It is also important to research the market to see what your competitors are doing and how that will affect the occupancy of your facility.

3.         Census Level

The number of occupied beds you currently have is another important factor when deciding between renovation and relocation. Do you plan to grow exponentially in the next 10-20 years? If so, then maybe relocation to a new home is the best option for you. However, if you do not plan to outgrow your facility in the next couple of decades and currently have enough space and amenities for your current residents, it may be best for you to stay in your current home and invest money in renovation. It is also worth noting that you may be able to receive a 25% Medicaid bed increase if you relocate your facility.

Clifton Sunset Nursing Home, Clifton, TX

4.         Competition

As with any business, it is important to monitor what your competition is doing. If you find out that a competing facility is planning to construct a large facility at one of the best locations in town, it would be a good idea to consider relocating your home. However, if you happen to be the leader in  skilled nursing in your community or do not have any real competition, it may be best to simply stay where you are.

5.         Medicare Revenue

Revenue is always a key point of consideration when contemplating renovation vs. relocation. Some homes may be eligible for maximizing Medicare funded revenue if they make certain upgrades or additions to their facilities. However, your action is based solely on the capacity of your current home and its property. If you do not have room to make the necessary additions or your facility needs too many upgrades, it may be beneficial to consider relocating your home.

Each of the elements above must be carefully considered in determining whether you should make improvements to your home through relocation or renovation. The Jamail & Smith Construction Senior Living Team specializes in the design and creation of senior living facilities. From financial analysis, planning and development, to construction and operation of your facility, our team can help you through every step of the process. Our priority is to assist you in making your vision a reality through a seamless partnership.

If you would like a free assessment and consultation for your facility, please email the information below to marketing@jamailsmith.com and a member of our Senior Living Team will contact you to schedule a walk-through.

• When was your facility constructed?
• Where is your facility located(address)?
• What is your census level?
• What are the top two (2) improvements that you desire for your facility?
• Contact information: Name, Title, Phone number, Email address

Recipes for Healthy Living!

At Jamail & Smith Construction, we care about the health and safety of our employees both on and off the jobsite. We understand that eating right, exercising and keeping stress at a minimum are all important factors in leading a healthy life, and we want to do everything we can to encourage positive habits. Jamail & Smith Construction recently began a company-wide initiative to help our employees make their health goals a reality because we believe that a solid support system is the best way to achieve any goal. Below are a few  healthy recipes and links to helpful websites to kick-start our healthy living challenge!

Mandarin Mixed Green Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups torn mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup mandarin oranges
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Citrus Vinaigrette
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon minced gingerroot
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions 

Place greens on two serving plates; top with oranges and walnuts. In a blender, combine the vinaigrette ingredients; cover and process until blended. Drizzle over salads.

Nutritional Analysis:
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 181 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit. 

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked salad shrimp
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• salt to taste
• 2 avocados, halved lengthwise and pitted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• sliced pimento peppers, for garnish

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the shrimp, chives, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and chili sauce. Season with salt.
2. Mound the shrimp mixture into avocado halves, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Place avocado halves on Bibb lettuce leaves that have been dusted with paprika. Garnish with strips of pimento to serve.

Nutritional Analysis:

One serving equals 341 calories, 29.9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol

Above recipes submitted by Katrina Perryman

Resources for healthy recipes

http://shine.yahoo.com/food/

http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/

http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/healthy-recipes

Jamail & Smith Construction Contributes to Changes in JOC Legislation to Benefit Public Entities

Greg Smith, PE, Executive VP
Jamail & Smith Construction

During the last legislative session, Jamail & Smith Construction, and a consortium of Job Order Contractors worked collaboratively with the Associated General Contractors (ABC) and Texas Society of Architects (TSA) to make improvements to the laws affecting Job Order Contracting (JOC).  The original law, which had been drawn directly from the Federal Government, included provisions which were both undefined and ambiguous in the context of Texas Statute, leaving customers and contractors with questions on when and where JOC brought best value to Public Agencies.

Job Order Contracting

JOC has been used for decades by public entities to complete renovation and repair projects. JOC involves multi-year contracts that allow organizations to easily call on their chosen contractor when they need construction services. This delivery method increases response time and helps expedite the construction schedule, while saving owners time and money without compromising quality. JOC is fairly simple and straightforward, but it has often been misunderstood due to the ambiguity surrounding what exactly qualified as a JOC project and who could utilize the delivery method. On September 1, 2011, a law was codified that clarified the meaning of JOC, which helped to move the industry forward as a leading construction process.

Improvements in Legislation

1.      The first substantive improvement to come from House Bill 628 (HB 628) is a change in the verbiage to clearly authorize job order contracting for "maintenance, repair, alteration, renovation, remediation, or minor construction."  This new bill gives ALL public agencies the ability to confidently utilize job order contracting and minimizes the ambiguity that previously surrounded the definition of JOC work. 

2.      Second, HB 628 increases public transparency in the utilization of JOC, while preserving a public entity’s right to access JOC services through interlocal agreements and purchasing cooperatives.

3.  The third change is the establishment of an approval requirement of $500,000 for individual job orders. This approval requirement means an agency may use JOC for a job of any size, but if it costs more than $500,000, the public agency would have to approve the project in an open meeting with its governing board.  This approval threshold is substantially higher than any other procurement method.  Additionally, if an entity decided to use an interlocal agreement or purchasing cooperative to obtain JOC services, the interlocal agreement would require governing body approval, as well. 

Benefits for Public Entities

Overall, the changes in JOC legislation have streamlined the laws for local, state and education codes, making them consistent across the spectrum. HB 628 provides significant enhancements in the JOC law that allows for greater confidence of application by public agencies and improved transparency for taxpayers, while increasing the acceptance of a reliable service in the public market.

Jamail & Smith Construction is committed to helping our customers obtain greater value and improve the way they build.    Our efforts to improve the law, the techniques, and results of the construction process helps customers continue to get more, for less, more quickly.

Greg Smith, PE, Executive Vice President, Jamail & Smith Construction

Site in the Spotlight: Universal Church Westpark

Universal Church Westpark - See More Photos

Pare de Sufrir - Universal Church Westpark
Houston, TX

Jamail & Smith Construction constructed the new 46,000-sq-ft church for the Universal Church in Houston, TX. Ziegler Cooper Architects was  responsible for leading the design team. This is the fourth project Jamail & Smith Construction constructed for the Universal Church and the third church project where we partnered with Ziegler Cooper Architects.

The endeavor of planning a place of worship is a challenging, yet rewarding, task. Church design is personal, expressive and intimately connected to what the facility stands for. In constructing a place of worship, translating vision into reality is a key ingredient. Our successful Design Build relationship is based on working hand-in-hand with the building committee and congregation to deliver a facility that was appropriate for the church’s needs. Our experience with this and similar projects ensures our ability to work with churches and their constituents to successfully deliver a quality project within budget.

The Westpark project consists of a single-story church with seating for 1,100 in the sanctuary. The sanctuary was designed with an open floor plan and includes a raised stage, baptistry area and dressing rooms, as well as a TV studio for televising services. The church also houses six classrooms situated in a separate wing, a large lobby with a bookstore, four offices, a conference room, a call center and four apartments. The structure is made of steel, and the interior finishes are very modern, mainly constructed of metal wall panels inside and out. The flooring is mainly carpet and VCT; however, there is a large area of tile in front of the stage in the sanctuary. There is a porte cochere covering the main entrance, and the building is enclosed with an ornamental security gate. There are also 234 parking spaces for visitors and a basketball recreation area near the apartments.

Fire Marshal sends Congratulations to the Jamail & Smith Construction Project Team

According to the local fire marshal, the Westpark church building is currently considered the best building in Houston regarding code compliance and max code exigency. (It is) the most advanced in safety, security and code compliance in all possible areas. He congratulated the Jamail & Smith Construction team for constructing an exemplary project. The building construction surpassed their (inspection team) expectations considering the complex building shape and design. The fire marshal requested that the church owners allow his department to utilize this building as a model project to train future inspectors. 

Jamail & Smith Construction Employees - Building Better Lives

Existing home

Every year when spring break rolls around, Jamail & Smith Construction employee, Jason Gillespie packs up his family and sets out on a mission to rebuild lives. He and his family are not alone, of course. They have the support of a group of equally selfless people from their church, The Crossing Baptist Church in Mesquite, TX. This year, the novice missionaries trekked all the way down the valley in Donna (Mission), Texas, to help reinvigorate the hope of a severely disadvantaged family.

The Rivera family is headed by a single father, Jesus Rivera, who has been down on his luck for some time.  Determined to provide for his family and not let the hard times get him down, Jesus buys broken pallets for $1, repairs them by hand with a hammer and nails, and then resells them for $3 – a modest income, to say the least.

Jason presenting the family with the keys to their new home.

This house was their house until Jason, his family and his church group came in to build them a better life. In just 7 days, with the help of donations from two subcontractors that work with Jamail & Smith Construction in Dallas, the mission group was able to build the Rivera family a brand new home complete with a workshop where Jesus can do work year-round.  In addition to the home, the group was able to give Jesus an air compressor, a nail gun and six months worth of nails. Thanks to Jason, his family and the mission group, the Rivera family now has a basic necessity we all take for granted: a place to call home. 

New house with workshop

Read more from the Baptist Standard news story here.