Construction Reporter News

by Tami Brunk

For Jolena Curley, a commitment to education is in the genes.  She grew up in a big family near Farmington, graduating from a high school where her mother received an award for having the most kids to graduate from the school.  During the ceremony, her mom got a standing ovation.  Taking her mom’s accomplishment one step further, for the past two years Jolena has held down her full time job at Construction Reporter while attending school full time.

I didn’t want to be a hypocrite to my kids. I tell them they should go to college and finish, so I have to follow through, too.  My husband is really supportive and awesome.  He cooks and helps me clean up.  He helped me through school in many ways.”   When their two kids did their homework at night, Jolena did hers, too.  She completed her coursework for an Associate degree in Accounting last fall.

Most people would be taking a break after all that hard work, but not Jolena.  This spring she helped with tax preparations at H& R Block, and is taking coursework in the field this summer to hone her skills.  This fall she plans to attend UNM’s Anderson Business School for a BA in Accounting.  She said that sometimes people ask her when she’ll be “done.”  She tells them:

“I can never be done.  I want to be fluent in another language.  I wouldn’t mind sitting in with the CPA here at Construction Reporter, and learning how he does things.  I carry around a tattered notebook to keep notes on everything I’m learning.”  Her love of learning is shared by Construction Reporter, and she has attended seminars with their support in areas as diverse as Human Resources, Payroll, and Law.

“Construction Reporter is a company that promotes education.  It’s a company that strives for excellence.  They want for us to learn, and they have faith in us.”  Jolena has been given full responsibility for oversight of financial systems for the company, managing deposits, bank reconciliations, and bookkeeping.  It’s clear that she enjoys the challenge of her work, and believes in the value of Construction Reporter’s services.

“When people ask me: ‘how are you so different?’ I tell them we’re local, based in Albuquerque, and we provide personalized services—you can ask for me.  We have a commitment to the work.  If there’s a mistake, we want to fix it.  We provide timely and accurate construction news for all of New Mexico.”  Jolena came on 3 ½ years ago, just after Sid and Rochelle took over the business.  She’s proud of its evolution over the years.

“They’ve changed the company completely since I first started—the advertising, new faces, launch of the new website—they’re really going for it!”  Coming from Jolena, a woman who is clearly “going for” her own dreams through hard work and a deep commitment to lifelong learning; that means a lot.

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Since opening their doors in New Mexico in 1983, Chaparral Materials, Inc. has established itself as a leading materials supplier across New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and the El Paso area. They are a regional subsidiary of the Atlanta, Georgia-based company, Gypsum Management & Supply, Inc. (GMS), the largest independent distributor of drywall, acoustical and other specialty building materials in the U.S.

Chaparral Materials is a wholesale distributor of professional drywall, acoustical, stucco and insulation supplies, as well as the tools and accessories that accompany those materials. They also supply structural materials such as steel framing and Armstrong suspended ceiling materials.

They have offices in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Farmington and supply projects of all sizes, from residential to high-profile commercial. They do not install their products, but provide delivery services including boom trucks, with cranes that can reach up to seven stories.

Grant “Skip” Hess Jr.

Chaparral Materials has just begun carrying a new product—Ardex—which is a line of engineered cements for critical repair or resurfacing projects.  Sales Manager Grant “Skip” Hess Jr. shares the details:

“Ardex manufactures a complete line of concrete repair and finishing products. We feel Ardex will complement our other building products lines, and add increased value when purchasing from Chaparral Materials.  Ardex products dry extremely quickly and have a high PSI strength. Common uses are concrete crack repairs and re-coating, vertical and horizontal repairing projects, and roadway repairs.  Ardex recently repaired a damaged runway at a large airport, and planes were able to take off and land the following morning.  We are very excited to offer this premium product line.”

Chaparral supplies many projects for Albuquerque Public Schools and for the University of New Mexico (UNM).  Some notable projects for which they’ve provided materials include Lobo Village, the UNM Math and Science Learning Center, Castetter Hall, and the UNM Dental Residency Clinic.  They have also provided supplies for a number of hospitals, including Presbyterian Rio Rancho Hospital.

They’ve been the suppliers for several LEED projects, including the first Platinum LEED project in New Mexico: the Cognitive Behavior Institute (CBI).  They also worked on the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority building (SSCAFCA), a project of which Hess is particularly proud.

Eric Fortin

“We supplied Exterior Insulated Finish Systems (EIFS) with StoGuard, a Sto Corporation product. This continuous insulating system, which is a fluid applied air and moisture barrier, goes over the cladding.  It is up to 40% more energy efficient than standard interior insulation.”  Chaparral clearly has access to the most sophisticated building materials on the market. When asked what makes their firm stand out, Manager Eric Fortin replies:

“What sets us apart is our attention to safety compliance. When you work with Department of Transportation regulations, with drivers and equipment, this becomes very important.  Beyond that, we are very knowledgeable about our field and our products.  It’s not just about what we carry, it’s the quality service we provide to our clients.”

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By Garry Boulard

The two-year moratorium on new state university construction
will not impact renovation projects already in the planning stage.

“The moratorium does not apply to anything that doesn’t add
to the present classroom space here,” remarks Eric Schwaner, senior project and
construction manager with the University of New Mexico.

“The ban is on new construction,” continues Schwaner. “It
says no new space—so we cannot for now do anything in that direction.”

The two-year construction ban was announced in May after
university presidents across New Mexico agreed to hold off on any new
construction projects as part of a larger budget-cutting initiative.

“This moratorium will help us to strike the right balance
between providing accessibility to higher education programs and ensuring that
taxpayers are not on the hook for unnecessary expansion,” New Mexico Governor
Susana Martinez said in a statement announcing the ban.

The governor added that the state should be paying more attention
to student performance and less to building new facilities, and estimated that
the moratorium could save New Mexican taxpayers up to $14 million a year.

At UNM, notes Schwaner, “Anything that is regarded as a
replacement project, which means basically taking down an old building and
putting back a newer and more modern version of it, will still be permitted.”

Among such projects currently in the talking stage at the
four-year school are proposals to remodel the UNM Student Health Center and
tear down and build a new Ferris Engineering Center.

“There are probably two or three remodels or replacement
projects that are slated for the next two or three years,” continues Schwaner.

“One would be the Clark Hall, which houses the chemistry
department, and another would be an interior remodeling of Logan Hall, which is
the home of the department of psychology,” adds Schwaner.

Governor Martinez has promised to take a new look at the
university and college construction ban upon its expiration in 2013.

Until then, remarks Schwaner, “We will have a lot of  replacing work going on here.”

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