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Check out what's happening at Marek and in the construction industry.
IN THE NEWS.
by John Hinson on
My initial interest in Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry was sparked years ago, when vendors occasionally spoke of Bill Marek’s role as president of the AWCI back in the 1980s. I asked Stan Marek if I could attend a meeting or two to see what it was all about. It was just supposed to be a fact finding trip to gather pertinent… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
It’s a terrible thing to realize that hardly a workday goes by without a construction worker falling off a scaffold to his or her death. And those who survive scaffold falls are often crippled for the remainder of their life.These tragedies are sometimes caused by faulty design or poor construction. But in most cases the basic cause is poor… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
At the Marek Family of Companies we take pride on everything we do. Our type of work is often performed at heights and working at heights can be hazardous-falls rank as the chief cause of death on the construction jobsite. That’s why the Marek Family of Companies is always looking for ways to protect their employees and get the work done more… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Notice to Supervisors: Read and be prepared to answer questions. Every employee should know to report near misses to their immediate supervisor.At the Marek Family of Companies we expect everyone to report unsafe conditions and actions, as stated in PROJECT SAFE. A near miss is always considered an unsafe condition that needs immediate correction… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The following article was authored by Allyn West and originally published in Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston, a quarterly publication of the Rice Design Alliance. This essay appears in Cite 98. The issue explores the intersections of finance and design. You can purchase the Cite 98 at local bookstores, including Brazos Bookstore… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
WaterThe natural choice for hydration is water. It hydrates better than any other liquid, both before and during work. Water tends to be less expensive and more available than any other drink. You need to drink 4-6 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes of work. That can add up to a lot of water! Water is the best, but it only helps you if you… read moreby Yesenia Aguilar on
In May, eighteen Booker T. Washington High School students participated in a Drywall Clinic hosted by Marek. The Architecture and Construction Academy students worked in three teams to layout, frame and sheetrock an 8x8 room.Guided by Marek Workforce Development representatives, each student team spent the morning on layout and framing – including… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Let's take a quick test. How many basic senses do we have at birth? Name them. Is it one.... two.... four? I'm sure we all agree the answer is FIVE. These five senses are SIGHT, HEARING, TASTE, TOUCH and SMELL. If you were faced with sacrificing four of these five basic senses, which ones would you keep? Most people would keep their sense of SIGHT… read moreby John Hinson on
Marek Dallas Division President John Hinson wrote the following President’s Message for AWCI's Construction Dimensions magazine. Hinson is the 2015-2016 President of AWCI.It has been an honor and pleasure working with you and the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry the last 12 months. I started this journey several years ago, working my… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
At Marek, we rely on our employees to work as teams to build our jobs, and without teamwork we would not be able to accomplish any of our goals. The teams that we have are generally comprised from a very diverse group, be it different trades, races, genders, religions, etc. We feel that the diversity we have throughout our organization is one of… read moreby Sabra Phillips on
Three of Marek’s Houston-based emerging leaders were honored in May at the ABC Leadership Forum Graduation. Roland Mercier, Glen Blaha and Shannon Zweifel join a number of legacy Marek program grads.The event, hosted at the Houston City Club, honored 26 program graduates from a variety of both general and specialty contractors. Significant others… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Floodwaters often overwhelm sewage systems, leading to discharges of raw sewage that’s full of dangerous bacteria and other biohazards. Rotting animals and other organic wastes may also turn the water into a toxic cocktail.Floodwaters pick up (and create) debris as they race across the ground, so it’s possible that the receding waters will leave a… read moreby Sabra Phillips on
When Lee High School’s field trip to a construction jobsite was rained out late last month, Marek brought the jobsite to the school. Twenty Construction and Architecture Academy sophomores met with a panel of Marek representatives to learn about careers in construction. Donning their Marek PPE, students participated in a stretch and flex before… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Safely covering a floor opening with a piece of plywood requires more than just laying down the material over the hole, or even nailing it down.Total on the job safety means a total job of eliminating a hazard. Half a job or inadequate or incomplete jobs of covering hole in the floor. Why did it happen?Although originally nailed down with 8d… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
There’s one hand tool that demands your respect over many others in the workplace, a tool that can cut you to the bone in an instant . . . the utility knife.Many workers use utility knives to cut drywall, ceiling tile, strapping, puncture shrinkwrap and open packaging. But one wrong move and these blades can do serious harm. In fact, nearly 40… read moreby Stacy Gunderson on
Marek was very excited to take part in the massive transformation of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. This contract was one of the largest in San Antonio history and we were very happy that Hunt-Zachry awarded Marek the opportunity to take part in a project that means so much to our city.
The new construction and remodeling of the… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
You have often heard the story of the child who thinks he is drinking from a container filled with water or soda only to discover, after taking a few sips, that he is actually drinking potentially harmful liquid such as gasoline or cleaning fluid.While labeling of containers may seem to be a basic common-sense issue, it is often overlooked. … read moreby Don Cerlanek on
Representatives of the City of Atlanta Workforce Development Agency, the American Subcontractors Association - Georgia Chapter, the State Office of Economic Development/Go Build Georgia and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division recently met with the leadership of Marek, a leading Atlanta subcontractor, to discuss rapidly developing… read moreby Marek Brothers on
Originally published in ConstructionCitizen by Chuck Gremillion, Executive Director of Construction Career Collaborative:Construction Career Collaborative (C3) and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston hosted a town hall meeting for seven Contractors on April 11, 2016 at the offices of the Houston Chapter of Associated General Contractors to… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
In March and April, all Foremen were invited to Marek’s latest State of the Company meeting. This year we are working to communicate updates from each of these meetings to you.Several Marek locations are off to a strong and steady start in the first half of the year. Those cities with a slower ramp up are gaining momentum as summer approaches. To… read more